Susana Gonzalez | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Oil workers change a drill pipe on n the Laurus oil drilling rig off the coast of Ciudad del Carmen, Mexico.

"This seems to be driven largely by hopes of further intervention by central banks," said Kash Kamal, an analyst at Sucden. "Short term, this is bullish for crude, but that optimism could fade quickly as investors are reminded of the fundamentals."

Over the past two weeks, U.S. crude has see-sawed, climbing 27.5 percent over three trading sessions to Monday's close—its biggest such gain since August 1990—after plunging to a 6½-year low of $37.75 a barrel early last week.

Brent has been similarly erratic, gaining 28 percent over the last week in August before dipping back to as low as $47.74 a barrel on Wednesday.

Read MoreExpect more wild swings for crude oil: Technician

Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration on Wednesday showed that U.S. crude stocks increased by 4.7 million barrels in the week to Aug. 28, to 455.4 million, the biggest one-week rise since April.

Analysts had expected inventories to remain unchanged, so the data pressured prices, but it also showed a decline in U.S. crude production.

Harry Tchilinguirian, head of global commodity strategy at BNP Paribas, said any sustained price movements were unlikely before the release of U.S. rig counts from Baker Hughes on Friday.

"Today is sort of the aftermath of the weekly oil statistics," Tchilinguirian said. The market was waiting for a drop in the rig count to back up EIA data suggesting falling U.S. oil production, he said.

"If we do see that, it's possible for the market to rally a bit."

Read MoreSaudis to talk output cuts when crude dips below $44: Trader

U.S. payroll data on Friday could also impact the markets, as traders are on the lookout for any economic signals that could influence equities and demand for oil.

Summary: Crude prices broke out of rangebound trading as an equity market rally offset a surprise increase in U.S. oil inventories.


In an interview with CNBC on Thursday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew warned companies seeking business in Iran that sanctions remain in effect until that country complies with its obligations under the nuclear deal. And that, he said, could take some time.

On the ground in Iran, however, business activity is indeed picking up. European and Asian companies have held talks with potential Iranian partners about ventures there, though it's unclear whether deals have actually been signed.

Summary: Seven weeks after signing a nuclear deal, Iran has seen its stock market do something surprising: drop.


As the countdown begins to the September 26 launch of Derby's brand new multimillion-pound art centre QUAD - which promises to put this small city on the contemporary art map - art provocateur Bill Drummond stages another hermetic yet newsworthy event. Slice Through Derby is a souped-up version of Drummond's ongoing series of choral performances, The17. Here, 100 groups of 17 "singers" are selected from various walks of local life: there are 17 Big Issue sellers, 17 McDonald's workers, etc. The outcome is a five-minute mix of each thoroughly untrained choral group's performance of utterly blank scores. This cacophony will be broadcast to its 1,700 creators in Derby Market Place on Friday and photographic and video documentary of the event will form the inaugural QUAD show.

Summary: Market Place, Fri 22


Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. disclosed a $4.48 billion stake in oil refiner Phillips 66, rebuilding a bet it had made in the energy industry before oil prices fell.

The 57.98 million-share, or roughly 10.8 percent, stake was revealed in a Friday night filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Phillips 66 shares closed Friday at $77.23.

Berkshire once held a large stake in the Houston-based company, but shed nearly two-thirds of it in February 2014 when it swapped $1.35 billion of shares for a chemicals business that it folded into its Lubrizol unit.

Crude oil prices have since fallen by more than half, though Phillips 66's share price has dropped by less than 1 percent.

Phillips 66 spokesman Dennis Nuss on Saturday said the Houston-based company does not comment on specific shareholders.

Berkshire may have begun rebuilding its Phillips 66 stake in the second quarter, when it bought $3.09 billion of equities overall.

In an Aug. 14 SEC filing detailing its U.S. stock holdings, Berkshire did not mention Phillips 66, after having previously reported a 7.5 million-share stake as of March 31, but said it disclosed some information confidentially to the regulator.

Read MoreWarren Buffett: THIS is key to valuing stocks

The SEC sometimes lets Omaha, Nebraska-based Berkshire do this so Buffett can quietly buy a large amount of stock, without worrying about investors piggybacking on the famed investor's apparent stamp of approval.

He did this in 2013, when Berkshire amassed a $3.45 billion stake in Exxon Mobil Corp. Buffett sold that stake in last year's fourth quarter.

Berkshire does not normally say whether Buffett or his portfolio managers Todd Combs or Ted Weschler make specific investments, but larger investments are generally Buffett's.

Until this week, when the price briefly fell below $70, Phillips 66 shares have since April traded around or slightly above their current price.

Berkshire ended June owning $117.7 billion of equities.

It also owns more than 80 businesses, and on August 10 said it would buy Precision Castparts, which makes parts for the aerospace and energy industries, for roughly $32.3 billion.

Summary: Berkshire Hathaway disclosed a $4.48 billion stake in oil refiner Phillips 66, rebuilding a bet it had made in the energy industry before oil prices fell.


* U.S. still in spotlight over Fed's rate policy

* Emerging stocks hit two year low

* Brent at fresh six-month low

(Updates prices, changes comment, byline, dateline)

NEW YORK Aug 6 (Reuters) - Weak earnings dragged stocks lower on Thursday and oil fell on continued oversupply concerns, while Treasuries prices rose ahead of U.S. jobs numbers seen as key to determine the timing of a rate hike from the Federal Reserve.

Sterling fell sharply against the U.S. dollar after just one Bank of England official voted for higher interest rates at a meeting in which the bank said a strong pound and low oil prices would keep inflation subdued.

Wall Street traded lower, weighed by a second day of sharp declines in media companies after Viacom's earnings miss was linked to viewers increasingly shifting to online streaming.

At 11:33 a.m. EDT (1533 GMT) the Dow Jones industrial average fell 112.61 points, or 0.64 percent, to 17,427.86, the S&P 500 lost 16.41 points, or 0.78 percent, to 2,083.43 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 78.97 points, or 1.54 percent, to 5,060.98.

London's FTSE 100 equity index fell 0.1 percent, outperforming a 0.8 percent drop for the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index. Weak corporate results hit the shares of enzyme company Novozymes and Deutsche Post .

A gauge of stocks across the globe fell 0.6 percent. Emerging market stocks slipped to their lowest in over two years on nervousness about the timing and scope of a U.S. interest rate hike and continued weakness in commodity markets.

"People will go back to the U.S., put money into the U.S. coming out of emerging markets. Weakness there is specifically linked to the Fed," said Michael Testorf, co-fund manager at R Squared Capital Management in New York.

Market participants were looking ahead to U.S. jobs data on Friday that could give a strong pointer to when the Fed will raise rates for the first time in nearly a decade. The Fed next meets in mid-September.

U.S. Treasuries prices rose on caution ahead of the key U.S. jobs report, while reduced inflation fears also supported long-dated Treasuries prices.

U.S. 30-year Treasuries prices were last up 29/32 in price to yield 2.898 percent compared with a yield of 2.943 percent late Wednesday. Benchmark 10-year notes US10YT=RR were last up 11/32 in price to yield 2.230 percent, compared with a yield of 2.268 percent late Wednesday.

Sterling fell 0.6 percent to $1.5504, having traded as high as $1.5636.

The euro was little changed versus the greenback at $1.0907 with the dollar index on track for a second straight week of gains, lifted by a batch of economic data that, overall, has reinforced expectations that the Fed will raise interest rates next month.

"Assuming the Fed is raising interest rates, differentials will be in favor of the U.S.," said Testorf.

Brent futures, the global oil benchmark, fell more than 1 percent to hit a low of $48.88 per barrel, its lowest since late January. U.S. crude set a day low of $44.20, not far from the six year low of $42.05 hit in March.

"Prices are likely to consolidate or weaken further," Carsten Fritsch, an oil analyst at Commerzbank, said. "The perception is that over-supply will be there for much longer."

London copper was flat after gaining as much as 0.8 percent, still near a six year low hit earlier this week.

Spot gold struggled to pull away from a 5-1/2-year low as it stood near $1,090 an ounce.

(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli)

Summary: Wall Street traded lower, weighed by a second day of sharp declines in media companies after Viacom's earnings miss was linked to viewers increasingly shifting to online streaming. London's FTSE 100 equity index fell 0.1 percent, outperforming a 0.8 percent drop for the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index. Weak corporate results hit the shares of enzyme...


TOKYO, July 1 (Reuters) - Confidence at big Japanese manufacturers unexpectedly improved in the three months to June and is seen rising further ahead, a closely watched central bank survey showed, underscoring the bank's view that growth is gathering momentum.

The headline index for big manufacturers' sentiment rose from three months earlier to plus 15 in June, the Bank of Japan's quarterly "tankan" survey showed on Wednesday.

That compared with the median estimate of plus 12 in a Reuters poll of economists.

Big firms plan to raise capital expenditures by 9.3 percent in the fiscal year from April 1, the survey showed.

The tankan's sentiment indexes are derived by subtracting the number of respondents who say conditions are poor from those who say they are good. A positive reading means optimists outnumber pessimists.

To view the table on the survey, go to the BOJ website:

(Reporting by Leika Kihara and Tetsushi Kajimoto; Editing by Chris Gallagher)

Summary: TOKYO, July 1- Confidence at big Japanese manufacturers unexpectedly improved in the three months to June and is seen rising further ahead, a closely watched central bank survey showed, underscoring the bank's view that growth is gathering momentum. The headline index for big manufacturers' sentiment rose from three months earlier to plus 15 in June, the Bank of...


Sohn is known as the man who got Soros into its position on Herbalife, the controversial nutritional supplements company that Bill Ackman and his Pershing Square Capital Management have famously bet against as a "pyramid scheme." The company strongly denies the charge.

In 2013, the New York Post reported that Sohn was gunning for Ackman. "George Soros broke the Bank of England," Sohn reportedly said at an investment ideas dinner, "George Soros can break the back of Ackman."

Read MoreHerbalife stockspikes as Soros said to be betting big

Soros has been cutting its Herbalife stake as the stock has taken a beating.

Soros held 1.89 million shares of the stock as of Sept. 30, down from 2.85 million the previous quarter, according to public filings. Herbalife is now Soros' 56th largest holding. Shares fell more than 50 percent in 2014 and the stock has fallen again in 2015 on high buying and selling.

Summary: The chief architect of Soros Fund Management's bullish bet on Herbalife has quietly departed.


The 1111-carat diamond is the largest found in over a century. (Image: Lucara Diamond Corp)

A 1111 carat "high quality diamond" has been discovered at a mine in Botswana, said to be the biggest find in more than a century.

The gem, only second in size to the Cullinan diamond which was unearthered in South Africa in 1905, was mined by Lucara Diamond Corp.

"The magnificent stone, which originated from the south lobe of Lucara's Karowe Mine, is the world second largest gem quality diamond ever recovered and largest ever to be recovered through a modern processing facility," the Stockholm listed company said a statement.

Botswana is the world's second biggest diamond producer, and Lucara said the gem was the largest ever to be recovered in the country.

"The significance of the recovery of a gem quality stone larger than 1000 carats, the largest for more than a century .... cannot be overstated," said William Lamb, the President and chief executive of Lucara.

The stone is yet to be evaluated, but commodities and mining analyst Kieron Hodgson said it has "the potential to be one very expensive diamond."

"Valuation will depend on potential inclusions, how it would behave in cutting, optimal shape as well as final colour," he told AFP.

"All these things will need to be evaluated prior to bidding."

The biggest diamond discovered is the 3106-carat Cullinan, found near Pretoria in South Africa in 1905.

It was cut to form the Great Star of Africa and the Lesser Star of Africa, which are set in the Crown Jewels of Britain.

Lucara indicated on its website that the Karowe Mine had also this week turned up further finds - an 813-carat stone and a 374-carat stone, prompting Lamb to laud "an amazing week" for the company.

Summary: A 1,111 carat "high quality diamond" has been discovered at a mine in Botswana, said to be the biggest find in more than a century, according to the mine company.


12/19/2015 AT 04:30 PM EST

Mireia Lalaguna Royo was crowned Miss World 2015 on Saturday!

The Spanish model, 23, was proclaimed the winner of the global competition in the southern Chinese island resort of Sanya, according to

Lalaguna Royo, who impressed the judges with her public speaking skills, has a degree in pharmacology and plans to pursue a master's degree in nutrition. She is the first-ever Spanish Miss World.

Russia's Sofia Nikitchuk and Indonesia's Maria Harfanti received second and third place, respectively, in the competition. Noticeably absent from the ceremony, however, was Anastasia Lin, the Canadian contestant.

In late November, Lin, a China-born Toronto actress, was denied a Chinese visa and barred from boarding a flight to the beauty pageant finals in China. Lin claims that she was denied entry into the country because she has been outspoken in her advocacy for human rights in China. "My denial was unfortunate, but not entirely unexpected," she wrote in a Facebook post. "The Chinese government has barred me from the competition for political reasons. They are trying to punish me for my beliefs and prevent me from speaking out about human rights issues."

Summary: The winner of the competition was announced Saturday night in China during a ceremony that was noticeably missing the Canadian contestant


November’s numbers for single-family home sales are expected to be released Tuesday morning. According to the Warren Group, a Boston real estate tracking firm, single-family home sales rose 16 percent in October from the same period last year.

JVS CareerSolution is holding a workshop to focus on the age-related issues that can arise when looking for a job. Attendees will learn strategies to use age to their advantage. Tuesday, 1 to 2:30 p.m., JVS CareerSolution, 75 Federal St., Boston. Free.

The Boston Civic Design Commission is holding a design committee meeting to discuss the public impact of the Boston Redevelopment Authority’s current projects. Tuesday, 5 to 8 p.m., Boston City Hall, 1 City Hall Plaza, Ninth Floor, Boston. Free.

Lioness Magazine, a magazine for women entrepreneurs, is organizing “Unleash Your Vision 2016,” a women empowerment event, sponsored by Northwestern Mutual. Attendees will create vision boards and can attend 10-minute life-coaching sessions. Tuesday, 6 to 9 p.m., Samuel’s, 1000 Hall of Fame Ave., Springfield. $37.50 to $50.

Innovation Women, a group for entrepreneurial, technical, and innovative women, is sponsoring a workshop led by Robyn Mather (above), a personal-brand advocate and motivational speaker. Nonalcoholic beverages and appetizers will be served. Tuesday, 6:30 to 9 p.m., Small Business Inno Loft at Constant Contact, 1601 Trapelo Road, Waltham. $40.

Summary: Home sales, women entrepreneurs, and more notable events and things to know.


02/26/2016 AT 04:30 PM EST

will end after season 7, even though creator/executive producer

has teased the possibility of a TV movie with her usual air of mystery.

sleuths know, though, one season in Rosewood is like two seasons in Hollywood because the teen drama airs episodes nearly year-round. (Thanks be to 'A'.) But for surprising superfan

, watching 6A, 6B, 7A and 7B simply isn't enough.

"Is this true that next season might be the last? Just true or false. True or false answer," the

as she waffled with her reply.

"It is ending," Hale, 26, said eventually. "I think for the girls – I know you're devastated."

Corden, growing increasingly agitated, spun around in his chair, flailing his arms with disgust.

James Corden and Lucy Hale

"Are you a fan of the show?" she joked.

"I know, it's crazy," Hale explained. "We've been doing it for six years. I've literally spent my 20s on the show, and I think that all good things must come to an end. Who knows what could happen. I love that show, I love the people I work with, it's really fun, it's the best job in the world, I, you know, count my blessings every day, I can't believe I get to wake up and do that. But, you know –"

The actress trailed off as a stunned Corden clasped his hand over his mouth.

"Go ahead, what were you going to say?" she asked, laughing. "Are you okay?"

The comedian composed himself and got back to business: "How do you want it to end?"

"I used to say I wanted the show to end walking away in the sunset, they're all happy living an A-free life, like no drama, right? But I don't. I want it to end really tragically," Hale said, smiling.

"Whichever way it ends is a tragedy," Corden stammered indignantly, pretending to tear up. "And you know that."

After six years of head-scratching twists, hilarious onscreen hashtags and truly frightening torture scenes, #WeStandWithJames.

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

Summary: James Corden is simply distraught in his interview with Lucy Hale


The Armory Show, New York’s largest art fair, opened to the press under a menacing gray sky, with the Hudson river churning angrily alongside the two piers it requisitions for exhibition spaces. It seemed a fittingly ominous atmosphere for the city’s main festival of contemporary-art buying and champagne-soaked social climbing, whose future has recently been called into doubt.

On the surface, Armory is in a celebratory mood. The year 2013 marks the 100th anniversary of the groundbreaking 1913 Armory Show, which changed the course of art history by introducing American audiences to Marcel Duchamp and other figures of the European avant garde. The contemporary Armory Show, which borrowed the old fair’s name when it began in 1999, is paying tribute with a series of talks and events highlighting the influence of that early fair.

Several galleries’ booths here also commemorate the 1913 show, the most impressive of which comes from veteran New York dealer Francis M Naumann. Naumann spent a year putting together his presentation, which places works by the French American master alongside pieces by Duchamp-besotted artists such as Larry Rivers and Sherrie Levine. “Collectors are finally warming to Duchamp,” the dealer said. “He’s where everything begins.”

Yet expectations have been restrained among dealers and collectors for this centennial-in-name-only edition of Armory. A planned sale of the fair to Louise Blouin, the Canadian art publisher, fell apart in January; no new buyer has arisen. And three other New York fairs have grown in popularity and profitability in recent years, placing the Armory in something of an identity crisis.

The Art Show, organized by the Art Dealers Association of America and the country’s oldest continuous fair, has undergone a considerable revival in the last five years, reestablishing itself as the go-to spot for blue-chip art and the one-percenters who love it. At the VIP preview, dealers who once presented unthreatening painting and sculpture displayed younger, riskier work, such as a tattooed taxidermied pig by the Belgian artist Wim Delvoye.

Thursday marks the opening of Independent New York, the young, rule-breaking fair with no walls between the booths and no admissions charge that’s now attracting young and established dealers alike.

And lurking in the background is Frieze New York, the London fair’s Big Apple spinoff. At its inaugural edition last May, Frieze overcame doubts that collectors would travel all the way to its curvaceous tent on Randall’s Island, in the East river. Dealers who took a chance on Frieze’s first edition are coming back for more this spring. And the success of Frieze has taught Armory that it needs to adapt or sink.

“I wouldn’t have this job if it weren’t for Frieze New York,” said Noah Horowitz, the Armory’s young new executive director, whose task has been to refresh a declining institution. “When they announced they were coming to New York, they really forced us to raise the bar. There's been a huge push to filter – that meant thinning the number of galleries, more solo presentations, curated projects. That’s all something that I’ve overseen and that I’m really passionate about.”

Against the British invasion, Armory is promoting its New York bona fides. Taxicab-yellow chairs are scattered throughout the piers, and at the fair’s press opening Mike Bloomberg himself praised the resilience of the city’s galleries in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, which flooded Chelsea and destroyed untold numbers of artworks. This year Armory also teamed up with the website Artsy – the years-in-the-making startup backed by Wendi Murdoch and Dasha Zhukova, among others – to let collectors preview art before the fair began. More than 2,500 works were online before the VIPs trounced in Wednesday morning, ahead of the public opening Thursday.

Horowitz has also attracted several galleries that have stayed away in past years, such as Zurich’s Galerie Eva Presenhuber, whose striking booth included work from the Norwegian provocateur Matias Faldbakken and the late San Francisco painter Jay DeFeo. Hometown heavyweight Larry Gagosian is participating in his first Armory, shrugging off both legal troubles and several artists’ defections. His booth showcases several late Warhols against a monstrously large stretch of the artist’s own wallpaper.

There are also new participants from further afield. “I’m here because of Noah,” confided Meg Maggio, the director of Pékin Fine Arts, a gallery with locations in both Beijing and Hong Kong. “It’s a much better feeling than in years past; the last time I was here I lasted only 45 minutes.” At her booth, ink drawings by the Chinese artist Chen Shaoxiong depict protestors from Occupy Wall Street to Burma’s democracy advocates to Madrid’s indignados movement: yours to keep for $65,000.

Still, many of the most prominent galleries have stayed away. New York dealers such as Marian Goodman and Luhring Augustine have opted for the tonier ADAA fair, while Gavin Brown and Maureen Paley are exhibiting at the edgier Independent. And all four of those will be at Frieze in May, as will Hauser & Wirth, the Zurich-London-New York colossus.

The best hope for the Armory Show may be that the New York art world, thriving off of the increasing concentration of wealth in the hands of the super-rich, can probably sustain multiple major fairs. One of the most welcome interventions at this fair comes from Liz Magic Laser, who has used her status as the fair’s commissioned artist to tweak not just the art world, but the city that trumpets its contribution to urban life. Laser chose to design the T-shirts worn by ubiquitous Armory staff, which proclaim that the average household income of fair visitors is $334,000 – almost exactly the cutoff for membership in America’s under-fire 1%. She’s also branded the fair’s VIP cards, which inform bearers that they’ve made it into the inner circle … along with 12,365 other people.

Summary: New York's largest art fair celebrates 100th birthday, but success of competitors places Armory in something of an identity crisis, reports Jason Farago


The death of Bernie Madoff's son Andrew after a long battle with cancer adds yet another layer to an epic tragedy.

For victims of Madoff's unprecedented Ponzi scheme, it could add new complications to efforts to recover billions in losses.

Andrew Madoff died Wednesday at New York's Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center "surrounded by his loving family," his attorney Martin Flumenbaum said in a statement. He was 48 and had been battling mantle cell lymphoma, a relatively rare blood cancer that most often strikes men over 60. His older brother, Mark, committed suicide in 2010 at age 46, on the second anniversary of their father's arrest.

While the Madoff brothers turned their father in to authorities after he confessed to them in December 2008, speculation about their involvement—which they denied—has swirled around them from the start.

In July, bankruptcy trustee Irving Picard, who is rounding up funds for the victims, filed the latest in a series of complaints against Andrew and against Mark's estate. The complaint alleged the brothers knew or should have known what their father was up to, and that they accepted millions of dollars in illicit proceeds from the scam.

Read MoreBernard Madoff's son Andrew dies of cancer, age 48

The new complaint, which seeks more than $150 million, added allegations that the brothers helped obstruct a Securities and Exchange Commission audit of Madoff's investment advisory business, which was at the heart of the fraud. At the time, attorney Flumenbaum called the allegations "unfounded."

"Neither Andrew or Mark knew of or knowingly participated in their father's criminal conduct," Flumenbaum said.

A spokeswoman for Picard declined to comment on how Andrew's death would affect the litigation.

"The SIPA Trustee and his team were very sorry to learn of Andrew Madoff's death and they extend their sympathies to his family," Amanda Remus said in a statement, adding there would be no further comments Wednesday.

Summary: For victims of Bernie Madoff's epic Ponzi scheme, Andrew Madoff's death could add new wrinkles to efforts to recover billions in losses.


04/15/2016 AT 11:45 AM EDT

needed to finally atone for his sins from 14 years ago, so he headed to Las Vegas.

While accepting his award at CinemaCon for Male Star of the Year at Caesars Palace, the actor hilariously came clean about how he used to fake his way into movie theaters in his hometown of New York as a youngster.

Now, he felt it was time to come clean in front of the people he "stole" from.

"I was actually part of a major scheme to steal from Regal Cinemas when I was about 18," he said during his acceptance speech on Thursday. "I got my Screen Actors Guild card, and for some reason I decided to tell the local Regal Cinema box office that this SAG card allowed me two free movie tickets to any movie."

Eisenberg told the crowd of movie theater owners that he was just testing his luck to see if it worked. Well, it did for several months.

"I saw a movie, like, every other day at this Regal Cinema illegally using my Screen Actors Guild card," he shamefully, yet humorously, admitted. "I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to Regal Cinemas for basically stealing two movie tickets. I think it's important that I list all the movies. I just want to fully atone."

He then listed 26 films by name that he watched during his scheme. (Among the wronged?

"I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, 'Jesse you're being too hard on yourself. You couldn't single-handedly hurt Regal Cinemas,' " he said. "Well, I discovered that on Oct. 12, 2001, at the height of my theft, Regal Cinemas filed for Chapter 12 bankruptcy. I didn't know anything about that at the time, but I got caught and I stopped using my SAG card a few weeks after that."

"Since then, Regal Cinemas has actually become the most successful theater circuit in the country," the

actor continued. "Now, is me stopping and then you becoming the most successful theater company in the country a coincidence? No, no, I don't think so. Now that Regal is back on top and doing so well, I just want to say that I think it's time for me to once again break out my Screen Actors Guild card."

In finishing his speech that saw the crowd erupt into thunderous laughs, he thanked Regal for" letting me atone for all my sins."

Summary: During an appearance at CinemaCon, Jesse Eisenberg copped that he used to con theaters into letting him see movies for free when he was 18


UK police have apologised for having a fake Muslim suicide bomber shout the phrase "Allahu Akbar" before setting off an explosion during a terror drill at a shopping centre.

The counter-terror exercise in Manchester kicked off on Monday night when a man dressed in black walked into the Trafford Centre and shouted the Arabic phrase, which means “God is great”, the UK’s Telegraph newspaper reports.

Moments later he detonated a fake explosion and hundreds of volunteers ran from the food hall screaming.

The scripting on an Islamic terrorist in the drill has outraged community groups and activists who have raised concerns it could fuel anti-Muslim prejudice.

Anti-islamophobia group the Community Safety Forum said the use of the phrase “Allahu Akbar” was offensive and unnecessary.

“This sort of thing panders to stereotypes and further divides us,” a spokesperson added. “It will increase anti-Muslim hate crime.”

Greater Manchester Police’s assistant chief constable Gary Shewan said it was “unacceptable” and apologised for any offence caused.

“The scenario for this exercise is based on a suicide attack by an extremist Daesh [Isis] style organisation and the scenario writers have centred the circumstances around previous similar attacks of this nature, mirroring details of past events to make the situation as real life as possible for all those involved,” he said in a statement.

“However, on reflection we acknowledge that it was unacceptable to use this religious phrase immediately before the mock suicide bombing, which so vocally linked this exercise with Islam.”

But others have defended the police, insisting they have nothing to apologise for.

Chairman of the Commons home affairs committee Keith Vaz was quoted by The Independent as saying he found the situation “puzzling”.

"There was no need for the Chief Constable to apologise I regard it as puzzling. His force was only doing their job,” Mr Vaz said.

"It is established fact that Islamic jihadis are the most serious threat to the UK at this time and it was important that the demonstration should be as realistic as possible."

Summary: UK police have apologised for having a mock suicide bomber shout the phrase "Allahu Akbar" before setting off an explosion during a terror drill at a shopping centre.


Updated Nov. 20, 2013 8:33 p.m. ET

Much of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's economic revival strategy is still on the drawing board, but earlier this month he helped his cause by abandoning Tokyo's 2009 pledge to reduce the country's carbon emissions by 25% from 1990 levels by 2020.

Mr. Abe's announcement came as world potentates meet in Warsaw for more talks on global carbon reductions. Tokyo isn't entirely giving up. But its new carbon target—a 3.8% cut from the...

Much of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's economic revival strategy is still on the drawing board, but earlier this month he helped his cause by abandoning Tokyo's 2009 pledge to reduce the country's carbon emissions by 25% from 1990 levels by 2020.

Mr. Abe's announcement came as world potentates meet in Warsaw for more talks on global carbon reductions. Tokyo isn't entirely giving up. But its new carbon target—a 3.8% cut from the 2005 level of emissions by 2020—amounts to allowing emissions 3% higher than the 1990 level.

One reason for the shift is politics. The 2009 target was set by Democratic Party of Japan Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama. Although Mr. Abe had supported carbon reductions during his first stint as prime minister in 2007, his Liberal Democratic Party, which traditionally enjoys strong industrial support, has little political capital invested in the DPJ's pledge.

Mr. Abe has also promised to revive economic growth, a goal incompatible with strict emissions limits. Deep carbon cuts would require sharply higher energy costs—already high in Japan—via some combination of cap-and-trade, direct carbon taxation and subsidies for renewables. And while the Japanese public still generally favors some action on climate change, specific steps have grown less popular.

When Mr. Hatoyama made his pledge, for example, nuclear generators produced roughly one-third of the country's electricity and that proportion was slated to increase in part as a way to reduce emissions. Since the 2011 Fukushima disaster, voters have turned against nuclear power as they conclude the costs of accident risks and clean-up expenses are much higher than they were led to believe. The country's reactors are all idled with uncertain prospects for a restart, so Japanese are burning fossil fuels instead.

When Tokyo committed to big emissions cuts four years ago, Japan was also already one of the most energy-efficient economies in the world. The only ways for Japan to meet radical emissions targets were to invest heavily in new and still unproven technologies or to curtail economic activity.

Much of Japan's carbon reductions in recent decades have been driven by underlying changes in the economy. Energy-intensive industries such as steel production have declined as a share of output relative to more efficient industries such as machinery manufacturing, and manufacturing is giving way to services as factories head overseas. But the pace of this adjustment has been slowing, according to Richard Katz of the Oriental Economist. Political controversies over the "hollowing out" of industry show Japanese voters aren't willing to abandon manufacturing.

Despite the shock and horror professed by global climate mandarins, Japan is not going to become the Worst Polluter in the World as a result of this announcement. Instead, it will be a country that is striking a smarter balance between the uncertainty of global-warming predictions and current economic reality.

Summary: Shinzo Abe introduces some economic reality into emissions policy, The Wall Street Journal writes in an editorial.


Prince Harry says Princess Diana would have loved being a grandmother.

The 31-year-old royal opened up about his late mother on Good Morning America, revealing he thinks she would have cherished her relationship with Prince William's children and his own future offspring.

"I hope she's looking down with tears in her eyes, being incredibly proud of what we've established, I suppose," Harry told GMA co-anchor Robin Roberts of his mom, who died when he was 12 years old. "I'm sure she's longing for me to have kids so she can be a grandmother again."

WATCH: Margot Robbie Didn't Realize She Was Partying With Prince Harry Over the Holidays

As for Harry, he says he "can't wait" for the day he starts a family of his own.

"It will be fantastic," he explained. "I've got a kid inside of me. I want to keep that. I adore kids. I enjoy everything that they bring to the party. They just say what they think."

Which is why he loves spending time with his niece and nephew, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, and Harry reveals what kind of uncle he is to them.

"You've got to have fun in life. Otherwise, wow, imagine life without fun," he said. "You've got to be taken seriously, but I hope that I'm a fun uncle."

Princess Diana's life in photos:

Harry remembers mom Princess Diana, say he's 'sure she's longing' for him to start a family

Princess Diana wearing a tiara and diamond necklace on an official visit to Australia, April 12th 1983. (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)

Family album picture of Lady Diana Spencer at Itchenor, West Sussex, during the summer of 1970. (AP Photo)

Lady Diana Spencer, 21, Prince Charles's girlfriend, is pictured in 1980 at the Kindergarten in St. Georges Square, Pimlico, London, where she works as a teacher. Diana, youngest of 56-year-old Lord Spencer's five children, would not talk about her friendship with Prince Charles, although it is known they have been on dates and she has stayed with the Royal Family at Balmoral. (AP-Photo)

This is a Feb. 24, 1981 file photo of Britain's Prince Charles and the then-Lady Diana Spencer on the grounds of Buckingham Palace after announcing their engagement. According to the British news agency, Diana, Princess of Wales has died following a car accident in Paris, France, Sunday Aug. 31, 1997. (AP Photo/Ron Bell/Pool)

Prince Charles and his bride-to-be, Lady Diana Spencer, driving down the course in an open carriage before Royal Ascot in England meeting on June 19, 1981. (AP Photo/Press Association)

UNITED KINGDOM - JULY 01: An informal study of Prince CHARLES, the Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana SPENCER, whose wedding will take place at Saint-Paul's Cathedral, London on 29th July 1981. (Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)

Prince Charles looks at his beaming bride, the Princess of Wales, at the top of St. Paulâs steps after their marriage in London on July 29, 1981. (AP Photo/Press Association) UK Out

LONDON - JULY 29: (FILE PHOTO) Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales leave St. Paul's Cathedral following their wedding July 29, 1981 in London, England. (Photo by Anwar Hussein/Getty Images)

FILE - In this July 29, 1981 file photo, Britain's Prince Charles kisses his bride, the former Diana Spencer, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London, after their wedding. Sony Electronics and the Nielsen television research company collaborated on a survey ranking TV's most memorable moments. Other TV events include, the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the O.J. Simpson murder trial verdict in 1995 and the death of Osama bin Laden in 2011. (AP Photo, file)

LONDON - JULY 29: Diana, Princess of Wales and Prince Charles ride in a carriage after their wedding at St. Paul's Cathedral July 29, 1981 in London, England. (Photo by Anwar Hussein/WireImage)

The Princess of Wales (formerly Lady Diana Spencer) smiles as she talks with the Commander of her Household Cavalry escort, Andrew Parker-Bowles, as she and the Prince of Wales leave Buckingham Palace in London for Waterloo Station to begin their honeymoon on July 29, 1981. (Press Association via AP Images)

Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales (1961 - 1997) pose together during their honeymoon in Balmoral, Scotland, 19th August 1981. (Photo by Serge Lemoine/Getty Images)

Princess Diana wearing a Jasper Conran suit during a visit to a community centre in Brixton, October 1983. (Photo by Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images)

PARIS, FRANCE: Britain's Princess Diana arrived in Paris Friday, 13 November, 1992, on a private three day visit she is making without her husband, Prince Charles. (Photo credit should read JOEL ROBINE/AFP/Getty Images)

HONG KONG, HONG KONG: Britain's Princess Diana stands with tennis players Michael Chang of the US (L) and Sweden's Jonas Bjorkman during the awards ceremony at the Hong Kong Open 23 April. Princess Diana, on a private visit to Hong Kong, watched as Chang defeated Bjorkman 6-3, 6-1 to win the tournament. AFP PHOTO (Photo credit should read EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images)

The Princess of Wales visits Chinatown in Liverpool, April 1982. She is pregnant with Prince William, and wearing a pink wool maternity coat by Bellville Sassoon and a hat by John Boyd. (Photo by Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images)

WINDSOR, UNITED KINGDOM - JUNE 06: Princess Diana At Polo, Just Two Weeks Before The Birth Of Her First Child, Prince William. Wearing A Maternity Dress Designed By Fashion Designer Catherine Walker She Is Walking With Sarah Ferguson. (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)

LONDON - JUNE 22: New born Prince William with Diana, Princess of Wales and Prince Charles leave St. Mary's hospital on June 22, 1982 in Paddington, London, England,. He was born in the Lindo Wing of the hospital on June 21. (Photo by David Levenson/Getty Images)

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - FEBRUARY 01: Princess Diana Holding Her Baby Son, Prince William, At Kensington Palace. (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)

NEW ZEALAND - APRIL 18: Princess Diana And Prince William In New Zealand. (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)

(FILES) This picture taken 17 June 1997 shows Diana, Princess of Wales, a key volunteer of the British Red Cross Landmine Campaign at Red Cross headquarters in Washington DC. Princess Diana may have survived her fatal Paris car crash in 1997 if French medical staff had not wasted precious time, a leading British surgeon indicated at her inquest 19 November 2007. AFP PHOTO/FILES/Jamal (Photo credit should read JAMAL A. WILSON/AFP/Getty Images)

The Prince and Princess of Wales visit Barmouth in Wales, November 1982. She wears a suede beret by John Boyd and a coatdress by Arabella Pollen. (Photo by Terry Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images)

The Princess of Wales visits University College Hospital in London, December 1982. She wears a John Boyd hat and a velvet suit by Caroline Charles. (Photo by Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images)

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - FEBRUARY 01: Princess Diana And Prince Charles With Prince William And His Koala Bear Toy At Kensington Palace (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)

Princess Diana (1961 - 1997) at the School of the Air, in Alice Springs, Australia, 30th March 1983. She is wearing a dress by Jan van Velden. (Photo by Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images)

AYERS ROCK, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 21: Prince Charles, The Prince Of Wales And Diana, Princess Of Wales Standing In Front Of Ayers Rock During Their Official Tour Of Australia (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)

NEW ZEALAND - APRIL 18: Princess Diana During A Visit To New Zealand Wearing A Dress Designed By Fashion Designer Donald Campbell (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)

MANUKAU - APRIL 19: Diana Princess of Wales meets firemen during a visit to Manukau, near Auckland, New Zealand during the Royal Tour of New Zealand on April 19, 1983. Princess Diana wore a suit designed by Jan Van Velden, with a hat by John Boyd. (Photo by David Levenson/Getty Images)

CANADA - JUNE 23: Princess Diana in Edmonton during an official visit of Canada (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)

Princess Diana (1961 - 1997) leaving St Mary's Hospital, London with her new-born son Prince Harry, September 1984. She is wearing a red coat by Jan van Velden. (Photo by Terry Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images)

VENICE, ITALY - MAY 5: (FILE PHOTO) (L-R) Diana the Princess of Wales holds her son Harry, whilst looking at Prince William held by his father Prince Charles on May 5, 1985 in Venice, Italy. Prince William will celebrate his 21st birthday on June 21, 2003. (Photo by Georges de Keerle/Getty Images) On July 1st Diana, Princess Of Wales would have celebrated her 50th Birthday Please refer to the following profile on Getty Images Archival for further imagery. http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/Search/Search.aspx?EventId=107811125&EditorialProduct=Archival For further images see also: Princess Diana: http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/Account/MediaBin/LightboxDetail.aspx?Id=17267941&MediaBinUserId=5317233 Following Diana's Death: http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/Account/MediaBin/LightboxDetail.aspx?Id=18894787&MediaBinUserId=5317233 Princess Diana - A Style Icon: http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/Account/MediaBin/LightboxDetail.aspx?Id=18253159&MediaBinUserId=5317233

LA SPEZIA, ITALY - APRIL 20: The Prince and Princess of Wales in La Spezia during a tour of Italy. (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)

TWERTON ON AVON - MAY 31: Diana Princess of Wales meets girl guides outside the Poolemead centre for the Deaf on May 31, 1985 in Twerton on Avon, Bath, Avon. (Photo by David Levenson/Getty Images)

CANADA - JULY 01: Diana Princess of Wales celebrates her birthday in Canada (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)

Princess Diana (1961 - 1997) inspects a guard of honour during a two-day visit to the 1st Battalion, the Royal Hampshire Regiment in Berlin, October 1985. She is wearing a pink and black suit by Victor Edelstein and a hat by Frederick Fox. (Photo by Lucy Levenson/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images)

UNITED KINGDOM - OCTOBER 04: Diana, Princess of Wales with her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, at the piano in Kensington Palace (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)

KLOSTERS, SWITZERLAND - FEBRUARY 06: Prince Charles With Princess Diana On A Ski-ing Holiday Together. The Princess Is Wearing A Red 'head' Ski Suit And A Headband And She Is Holding A Pair Of 'dynamic' Skis. The Prince Is Wearing A Blue Ski Suit And Carrying A Pair Of 'k2' Skis. (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)

VIENNA - APRIL 16: Diana, Princess of Wales, wearing a sapphire diamond and pearl necklace, attends a banquet on April 16, 1986 in Vienna, Austria (Photo by Anwar Hussein/Getty Images)

TETBURY, UNITED KINGDOM - JULY 18: Princess Diana Carries Prince Henry (harry) On Her Shoulders At Highgrove. (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)

UNITED KINGDOM - AUGUST 22: PRINCESS DIANA ON BOARD HMS TRAFALGAR NUCLEAR SUBMARINE MEETING THE CREW DURING A VISIT TO THE NAVAL SUBMARINE BASE IN FASLANE IN THE FIRTH OF CLYDE, SCOTLAND (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)

SANDHURST - APRIL 10: Diana, Princess of Wales wears a Catherine Walker white suit with drum majorette gold frogging and epaulettes and a graham smith hat for her visit to the Sandhurst Military Academy on April 10, 1987 in Sandhurst, England (Photo by Anwar Hussein/Getty Images)

Princess Diana and Prince Charles of Wales attending a Lionel Richie concert at Wembley Arena, London, November 7th 1987. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)

The Prince And Princess Of Wales At A Prizegiving, At Polo, Smiths Lawn, Windsor. (Photo by Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images)

Diana, The Princess Of Wales, And Prince William, At A Polo Match, Smiths Lawn, Windsor. (Photo by Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images)

ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND - AUGUST 14: Princess Diana With Her Sons Prince William And Prince Harry At Aberdeen Airport. (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)

MAJORCA, SPAIN - AUGUST 10: Diana, Princess of Wales with Prince Harry on holiday in Majorca, Spain on August 10, 1987. (Photo by Georges De Keerle/Getty Images)

Princess Diana (1961 - 1997) driving an armoured vehicle with the Royal Hampshire Regiment at Tidworth, Hampshire, 23rd June 1988. (Photo by Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images)

CHAMBORD, FRANCE - NOVEMBER 09: Diana, Princess of Wales, wearing a white and blue lace and sequin evening coat-dress designed by Catherine Walker for a dinner at the Chateau de Chambord during her official visit to France. (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)

The Princess of Wales at the museum in Kuwait City, March 1989. She is wearing a gold embroidered bedouin gown that was presented to her with a silver tea set to mark the occasion of her visit. (Photo by Jayne Fincher/Getty Images)

The Princess of Wales with her sons William and Harry on the chair lift during a skiing holiday in Lech, Austria, April 1991. (Photo by Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 7 Diana, Princess of Wales attends the Premiere of Dangerous Liaisons, in London's West End, on March 7, 1989 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images)

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - MARCH 15: The Prince And Princess Of Wales attend a desert picnic on March 15, 1989 in Adu Dhab, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Georges De Keerle/Getty Images)

BATH - MAY 30: (FILE PHOTO) Prince William, Diana, Princess of Wales, Prince Harry and Charles, Prince of Wales, attend the wedding of the Duke of Hussey's daughter in May, 1989 in Bath, England. (Photo by Anwar Hussein/Getty Images)

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - SEPTEMBER 11: Princess Diana With Her Sons Prince William And Prince Harry Standing On The Steps Of Wetherby School On The First Day For Prince Harry. (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)

INDONESIA - NOVEMBER 05: The Princess Of Wales Playing Bowls At Sitanalia Leprosy Hospital In Indonesia (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)

NIGERIA - JUNE 3: (FILE PHOTO) (PRINCESS DIANA RETROSPECTIVE 17 OF 22) The Princess of Wales speaks with Nigerians circa 1990 during a visit to Nigeria. Princess Diana, 36-years-old, died with her companion Dodi Fayed, 41-years-old, in a car crash August 31, 1997 in Paris, France. Fayed was the son of an Egyptian billionaire. (Photo by Georges De Keerle/Getty Images)

The Princess of Wales and the Queen Mother in an open-topped landau on their way to the Royal Ascot race meeting, June 1990. The Princess wears a Catherine Walker suit and a Philip Somerville hat. (Photo by Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images)

The Princess of Wales walks amongst crowds of children waving flags during her visit to Cullompton in Devon, September 1990. She is wearing a Catherine Walker dress. (Photo by Terry Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES - OCTOBER 05: Princess Diana With Mrs Barbara Bush At The White House (Photo by TIM GRAHAM/Getty Images)

Diana, The Princess Of Wales Takes Her Sons, Prince'S William, And Harry Out On The Boat ' Maid Of The Mist ' To View Niagara Falls. (Photo by Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images)

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - NOVEMBER 18: Diana Princess of Wales attends the Premiere of Hot Shots, in London's West End, on November 18, 1991 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images)

The Princess of Wales (1961 - 1997) talks to children at the British school in Seoul during a visit to Korea, 1992. (Photo by Linda Grove/Getty Images)

INDIA - FEBRUARY 11: Diana Princess of Wales sits in front of the Taj Mahal during a visit to India (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)

CALCUTTA;INDIA - FEBRUARY: Princess Diana the Princess of Wales holds hands with a nun at Mother Teresa's Hospice in Calcutta during her visit to India in February of 1992. (Photo by Anwar Hussein/Getty Images)

GIZA, EGYPT - MAY 12: Diana Princess of Wales visiting the Pyramids in Giza during an official tour of Egypt. (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)

EGYPT - MAY 13: Diana, Princess of Wales in teh Alazhar Mosque, Cairo, Egypt (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Diana, Princess of Wales, Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, and Prince Harry, attend the Trooping The Colour Ceremony on June 13, 1992 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images)

Princess Diana (1961 - 1997) on a skiing holiday in Lech, Austria, March 1993. (Photo by Jayne Fincher/Getty Images)

Princess Diana (1961 - 1997) meets local people during a field visit to Red Cross projects in the remote mountain villages of Nepal, 3rd March 1993. (Photo by Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images)

Diana Princess Of Wales, Prince William & Prince Harry Visit The 'Thorpe Park' Amusement Park. (Photo by Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images)

Princess Diana (1961 - 1997) during a visit to the Red Cross borehole project for refugees in Zimbabwe, July 1993. She is wearing a safari suit by Catherine Walker. (Photo by Jayne Fincher/Getty Images)

Princess Diana (1961 - 1997), Prince Harry, Prince William and Prince Charles at a parade in the Mall, London, during V.J. Day commemorations, August 1994. Diana is wearing a Tomasz Starzewski suit and a hat by Philip Somerville. (Photo by Terry Fincher/Getty Images)

UNITED KINGDOM - MAY 20: Princess Diana Reviewing The Troops Of The Princess Of Wales Regiment In Kent. The Princess Is Wearing A Pink Suit Designed By Versace. (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)

Diana, Princess Of Wales Attends The Serpentine Gallery Summer Party. (Photo by Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images)

LONDON -OCTOBER 08: Diana, Princess of Wales laughs as she visits the London Lighthouse, the HIV/Aids charity, to help launch it's Â£1.5 million Capital Appeal on October 08, 1996 in London, England . (Photo by Anwar Hussein/Getty Images)

Diana, Princess of Wales at Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art for a benefit ball. (Photo By: Richard Corkery/NY Daily News via Getty Images)

ANGOLA - JANUARY 15: Diana, Princess of Wales wearing protective body armour, visits a minefield being cleared by the chirty Halo in Huambo, Angola (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)

WINDSOR, UNITED KINGDOM - MARCH 09: Official Portrait Of The Royal Family On The Day Of Prince William's Confirmation. Front Left To Right - Prince William, Princess Diana, Prince William, Prince Charles And The Queen. Back Left To Right - King Constantine, Lady Susan Hussey, Princess Alexandra, Duchess Of Westminster And Lord Romsey (Photo by Tim Graham Picture Library/Getty Images)

GREAT BRITAIN - JUNE 06: Diana, Princess of Wales crouching down to embrace a pupil at the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)

Diana, The Princess Of Wales Visits Washington, Usa.Gala Dinner Held By The American Red Cross, To Raise Funds For Landmine Victims Around The World. . (Photo by Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)

WATCH: Prince George and Princess Charlotte Play in the Snow for First Time During Family Ski Trip

Harry is currently promoting the Invictus Games, a sporting event for wounded armed services members and other vets, that will take place from May 8 to 12 at Walt Disney World's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The location holds a special -- and very sweet -- place in his heart.

"It's one of my very, very happy memories, of going to Disney World with my mum," he recalled. "I went on 'Space Mountain' 14 times. I was like, 'This is absolutely fantastic. This is the best thing ever.' There's all sorts of places over the world where we were very lucky to have those moments with our mother -- very, very happy memories."

Now, the prince hopes that Diana's legacy lives on through the Games and his other charity work.

"We will do everything we can to make sure that she's never forgotten and carry on all the special gifts, as such, that she had and that she portrayed while she was alive," he concluded. "I hope that a lot of my mother's talents are shown in a lot of the work that I do."

Harry previously opened up about how "broken" he felt after being withdrawn from Afghanistan. Find out what he had to say in the below video.

Summary: The 31-year-old royal opened up about his late mother, revealing he thinks she would have cherished her relationship with Prince William's children.


NEW YORK — Monsanto Co. rejected a $62 billion takeover offer from Bayer AG as too low, while saying it remains open to further deal talks, putting pressure on the German company to raise a bid that has already sent its stock tumbling.

“We believe in the substantial benefits an integrated strategy could provide to growers and broader society, and we have long respected Bayer’s business,” Monsanto chief executive Hugh Grant said in a statement Tuesday.

“However, the current proposal significantly undervalues our company and also does not adequately address or provide reassurance for some of the potential financing and regulatory execution risks related to the acquisition,” he said.

Bayer will likely come back with a higher bid, Jonas Oxgaard, an analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. in New York, said Tuesday in a note, adding that an offer below $135 per share would be “challenging” for Monsanto to agree to.

Buying Monsanto would create the world’s biggest supplier of farm chemicals and seeds. Monsanto is the largest seed supplier and a pioneer of genetically modified crops, which two decades after their introduction have come to account for the majority of corn and soybeans grown in the United States. Monsanto also sells seeds in foreign markets including Latin America and India.

The offer from Bayer, which was made May 10 in a letter to Monsanto, marks a reversal of roles for the US company. Monsanto previously sought to buy Swiss pesticide maker Syngenta AG, abandoning the $43.7 billion bid in August after the other company refused to agree to a deal.

The crop and seed industry is being reshaped by a series of large transactions that may end up leaving just a few global players who can offer a comprehensive range of products and services to farmers. China National Chemical Corp. agreed in February to acquire Syngenta for about $43 billion, months after Monsanto abandoned its own bid for Syngenta. Meanwhile DuPont Co. and Dow Chemical Co. plan to merge and then carve out a new crop-science unit.

Despite its preeminence in seeds, Monsanto has become vulnerable to a takeover as a number of problems piled up this year. The company has cut its earnings forecast, clashed with some of the world’s largest commodity-trading companies, and been locked in disputes with the governments of Argentina and India.

Farmers have seen their incomes fall in the last few years amid declining commodity prices and that’s spurred them to increasingly demand products tailored to their needs, according to Jason Miner, an analyst with Bloomberg Intelligence. Monsanto has become over-reliant on seeds at the expense of crop chemicals such as pesticides, something that spurred the company in its ultimately unsuccessful pursuit of Syngenta, Miner said.

Summary: Monsanto rejected Bayer’s $62 billion takeover bid, calling it “incomplete and financially inadequate.”


Things were not normal in Bianca Carrasco's life in the week prior to her disappearance.

Bianca Carrasco San Antonio Police Department

"There are a lot of things happening behind the scenes that are troubling," Jovanna Burney, Bianca's older sister, told Dateline. "And now she's been gone three weeks."

Bianca, 29, was last seen on Sunday, May 1, at her home in San Antonio, Texas. The details of what transpired that night, though, are fuzzy at best.

It was clear things were amiss when Bianca did not show up for work as an oncology nurse on the Monday and Tuesday.

According to a police report, Bianca and her husband had an argument the evening of her disappearance. There are differing stories as to whether Bianca left on foot, or if it was her husband who left, taking their youngest child, heading several hours north to Odessa where he works. Bianca's husband has not yet returned Dateline's request for comment.

Bianca's close friend, Morgan Nevarez, told Dateline that in the days prior to her disappearance, Bianca had confided to her that she had told her husband she had met someone else and wanted a divorce.

"She didn't give me details, but she was sure she wanted to separate from her husband," Monica told Dateline. Monica has been a friend of Bianca's since 2009, when they met while working in a hospital in Odessa. Monica says she is also friends with Bianca's husband.

Sister Jovanna said Bianca told her something similar before she disappeared.

"The situation is difficult, because we are trying to not be judgmental," Jovanna said. "You just don't know what happened."

Foul play has reportedly not been ruled out in the case, according to San Antonio Police. However, very few clues have surfaced. Bianca's phone either died or was turned off the Sunday evening she was last seen. Several searches of the areas surrounding her neighborhood have yielded nothing of significance, family members say.

No suspects or persons of interest have reportedly been named in the case.

Family members and friends are insistent that Bianca would never leave her children. One week after she disappeared, Bianca's youngest daughter turned five. "Her children are her life, she just couldn't leave them. She missed her baby's birthday and Mother's Day. That's not Bianca," Monica told Dateline.

The children were placed in their aunt Jovanna's care, and serve every day as a reminder of what's at stake in the search.

"They are just so young and aren't aware of what's going on," Jovanna told Dateline. "We need answers for them, so when they grow up they aren't left with just a story about how their mom went missing. I have a little piece of her with me, which is a bit of a comfort. But now we need to know what's happened."

Bianca and her sister Jovanna. Help Find Bianca Carrasco Facebook Page

Bianca Carrasco is described as 5'1" tall, weighing 125 lbs. with brown eyes and black hair. Anyone with information regarding Bianca's whereabouts is urged to call the San Antonio Police Department at (210) 207-7660.

You can also visit the Facebook page 'Help Find Bianca Carrasco' for more information.

Summary: Things were not normal in Bianca Carrasco's life before she vanished.


After 53 years in business, Kohl’s KSS has finally made it to New York Fashion Week.

The department store, known for its sensible, affordable clothing more than for sartorial edginess, held its first ever runway show at Fashion Week on Wednesday, showcasing its LC Lauren Conrad women’s wear line in a move aimed at much more than just bolstering one of its top brands. Indeed, Kohl’s wants to show customers that its fashions can be exciting.

“It’s important for us to signal that we’re a place where our consumers can find great fashion,” Arthur Lewis, the executive vice president who heads Kohl’s New York design office told Fortune at the show. “This is a powerful statement that we’ve got a great house of brands that we’re very proud of.”

In another first for Kohl’s, all 113 pieces (from 37 looks) in the LC Lauren Conrad show were made available for purchase simultaneously with the live streaming of the show, which took place in a trendy space near Manhattan’s High Line. (Michelle Gass, Kohl’s chief merchandising and chief customer officer, and second-in-command, sat next to this reporter while purchasing items she liked on her phone as models walked by.)

The show featured items like high-waisted trousers, faux fur vests, and cocktail dresses. The runway collection includes apparel, shoes, jewelry, and sunglasses from $12 to $200, and handbags priced from $120 to $300, with all items available for a limited time only. Conrad’s collaboration with Kohl’s began in 2009, and it’s a top performer among the private brands that generate about half of Kohl’s sales, which totaled $19 billion last year.

The effort to inject excitement into how Kohl’s markets its merchandise comes at a time of intense competition in women’s wear, and frankly, amid concerns that Kohl’s turnaround has already stalled. In its second fiscal quarter of 2015, Kohl’s reported a rise in comparable sales of 0.1%, which was better than Macy’s dismal numbers M but weaker than those of more direct rival J.C. Penney JCP . Luckily for Kohl’s, women’s clothes, which account for 30% of its sales, were a bright spot, CEO Kevin Mansell told investors last month.

Lewis, who is a veteran of companies like HSN and Gap GPS , was hired two years by Kohl’s to oversee its fashion operations in New York and re-energize brands that the company admits grew a bit dusty. Kohls’ other private clothing brands include the billion-dollar Sonoma line, Croft & Borrow, and Apt. 9. The company is betting that the buzz generated by Conrad’s presentation will benefit all of its labels.

The show, six months in the making, is a way for Kohl’s to reach a younger audience beyond its core suburban mom customer base, in addition to the tastemakers and media in New York, and Wall Street. One of Lewis’ mandates has been to raise Kohls’ profile within the fashion world, something a show at the industry’s biggest gathering of the year helps achieve. (Coach, COH which now offers much more apparel than before, is also presenting at Fashion Week in a runway show for the first time.)

These efforts come as Penney’s own house brands, St. John’s Bay in particular, are enjoying a resurgence and fast fashion retailers like H&M and Zara are attracting hordes of shoppers with their ability to quickly jump on trends. Gass and Mansell, who was also present, have each made it clear that Kohl’s needs to be more fun and dynamic to entice new shoppers.

While buzz, visibility, and the fun of runway shows, are all fine and good, Lewis said there is only one measure by which he’ll evaluate the event’s success: “Sales—always sales.”

Summary: The department store held its first-ever runway show at Fashion Week, hoping to inject excitement and interest into its private clothing brands.


The streets surrounding Shijia primary school in Beijing were mobbed by a crowd of parents so dense that cars were obliged to beat a retreat.

At 3.45pm on Friday, 11-year-old Zou Tingting, five minutes late, bounded through the school's west gate and into her waiting mother's arms. Tingting's classes were over, but her day was just beginning – she had an hour of homework, plus lessons in ping pong, swimming, art, calligraphy and piano.

Tingting's mother, Huang Chunhua, said that, like many Chinese mothers, she once considered Tingting's academic performance her top priority; now she realises the importance of a well-rounded education. "I've seen British curricular materials, and I'm actually kind of jealous," she said. "British teachers guide students to discover things on their own – they don't just feed them the answers, like in China."

In recent weeks British parents and educators have been in a panic about the discrepancy between the Chinese education system and the UK's. In December the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released the 2012 results for its triennial Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) test – a reading, maths and science examination administered to half a million 15-year-olds in 65 countries. Shanghai students topped the rankings; the UK ranked 26th.

Next week education minister Elizabeth Truss will lead a "fact-finding mission" to Shanghai to learn the secrets of China's success. She plans to adjust the UK's education policy accordingly.

Yet Chinese parents and educators see their own system as corrupt, dehumanising, pressurised and unfair. In fact, many are looking to the west for answers. Huang said that some parents bribe Shijia primary school to admit their children (though she declined to say whether she had done so herself).

Tingting attends an expensive cramming school at weekends, leaving her tired. She will probably have to abandon extracurricular activities in high school to devote more time to the college admission exam, called the gaokao. Many parents consider the gruelling nine-hour test a sorting mechanism that will determine the trajectory of their children's lives.

Chinese experts are also less impressed than Truss by the Pisa scores. "Even though Shanghai students scored well on the test, this doesn't mean that Shanghai's education system doesn't have any problems," said Lao Kaisheng, a professor in the education department of Beijing Normal University. "In fact, it's the opposite."

As long as China's education system remains vast but resource-constrained, Lao added, its schools will default to testing as a reliable indicator of competence. "The education system here puts a heavy emphasis on rote memorisation, which is great for students' test-taking ability but not for their problem-solving and leadership abilities or their interpersonal skills," he said. "Chinese schools just ignore these things."

According to an analysis of the rankings, the children of Shanghai's cleaners and caterers are three years more advanced than UK lawyers' and doctors' children in maths. Yet the figures are an unreliable measure of equality. Although Shanghai's 23 million people make up less than 2% of China's population, its per capita GDP is more than double the national average; its college enrolment rate is four times as high.

Furthermore, nearly half of Shanghai's school-age children belong to migrant families and were effectively barred from taking the test: because of China's residence registration system, these students are forced to attend high school in their home provinces, where schools are often debilitatingly understaffed. Although students from 12 provinces took the test in 2009, the government only shared Shanghai's scores.

"The OECD has not disclosed if other Chinese provinces secretly took part in the 2012 assessment. Nor have Pisa officials disclosed who selected the provinces that participated," wrote Tom Loveless, an education expert at Harvard University, on a Brookings Institute blog. "There is a lack of transparency surrounding Pisa's relationship with China."

Wang Peng, a teacher in Wuhu, a city in Anhui province, said that his school's average class size is significantly larger than most in Shanghai, and that it cannot compete in terms of financial strength. Wang said he makes about £300 a month; teachers in big cities make twice as much. "As far as education methods go, there's not a huge difference [between Wuhu and Shanghai]," he said. "But the general educational environment, and the opportunities that students receive – those are really different."

Occasionally, reminders of the system's ruthlessness cause soul-searching. In 2012, pictures of a classroom of Chinese high-school students hooked up to intravenous amino acid drips while studying for the gaokao went viral on social media. Last May two teenagers in Jiangsu killed themselves after "failing to complete homework", according to state media. In 2012, a student emerged from the exam to learn that his mother had died in a car crash 12 days prior; the school and his relatives conspired not to tell him so as to not distract him.

Authorities recognise the problem. Last June the government issued guidelines urging schools to focus on students' "moral development", "citizenship" and "ambition" rather than their test scores.

Yet solutions remain elusive. One recently retired teacher at a Beijing middle school said she earns extra money by teaching an after-school cramming course called maths olympiad. The programme was designed as an advanced exercise for outstanding maths students.

In the late 1990s Beijing authorities barred grade schools from setting entrance exams, and some simply adopted maths olympiad scores as a substitute. Parents began to see the course as required, even if their children were uninterested or under-qualified. Although the education ministry has repeatedly cracked down on maths olympiad instruction, schools maintain the programme under different names, state media reported in 2012. Enrolment figures remain high.

"When maths olympiad first started, it had the right idea – it was a programme for students who were really interested," said the teacher, who requested anonymity because of the course's controversial profile. "There are a lot of kids without the ability who go to study this stuff, and it consumes their weekends, and their winter and summer vacations.

"These students aren't developing in a healthy way. This shouldn't be allowed to happen."

Summary: Chinese schooling receives global praise – but not from China's parents or educators, who find things to admire in the UK system


By all measures, 2015 will be remembered as a banner year for LGBT rights in the United States.

The Supreme Court gave gays and lesbians the right to wed. Popular culture and public opinion continued to increasingly accept transgender identities and same-sex relationships. Corporate advocacy beat back state religious-freedom laws that would have provided a defense for discrimination. And there are more than 450 openly gay elected officials currently serving across the country.

But backers don’t expect the good news to continue, at least in the short term. Donors, activists and LGBT elected officials who gathered at the end of the year in Las Vegas to take stock of the movement were surprisingly grim on the prospects for 2016.

“We don’t have time to sit around and pat ourselves on our backs,” said Aisha Moodie-Mills, the president and CEO of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Institute. “As we’re doing that, our opposition is running vile, hateful, nasty campaigns and getting rid of basic human-rights protections.”

There are many good reasons for their pessimism, and none of them are simple. Washington politics remains deadlocked, with Republicans unwilling to back advocates’ next big goal: a law that would make it illegal to fire, evict or expel LGBT individuals because of who they are. Odds aren’t much better in cities or states, either. Local conservatives, meanwhile, are preparing counter-assaults to mirror the one they led in November, when voters in Houston stripped legal protections from LGBT citizens. Their focus? A campaign featuring the idea of predatory men loitering in women’s bathrooms. To top it off, there are emerging divisions among LGBT leaders on how best to maintain the momentum and who should lead the next stage of the effort.

In short, anyone predicting what comes next for gay rights is likely to offer little more than a guess. In interviews with more than 25 leaders of LGBT organizations, donors and activists, a fractured picture emerges that suggest little agreement about what should—or even what can—come next.

Most advocates agree that the fight will have to take hold outside Washington, where the discussion continues but little else is happening. There are no federal non-discrimination laws for LGBT Americans, and the Supreme Court’s marriage ruling only made things murkier. The oft-cited example is that a gay man can marry his husband on Saturday, be evicted from his home on Sunday and be fired from his job on Monday.

Read More: LGBT Leaders Warn of Looming Gay Rights Backlash

Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon and his allies are pushing new federal protections to defend the rights of LGBT Americans, but so far they have not found a single Republican supporter in a Congress where the GOP calls the shots. That hasn’t deterred Merkley, who keeps pushing his colleagues, especially Republicans he think he can win over with the argument that LGBT rights are civil rights. “Fundamentally, fairness is embedded in our Constitution,” he says as often as his colleagues will listen. “This goes beyond marrying the person you love. Everyone should be able to sit down at that restaurant’s table.”

Yet, it is a slog. Those who helped Merkley write his anti-discrimination law hold little hope that it can pass in 2016. “This Congress right now can’t keep their lights on, let alone pass the Equality Act,” says Chad Griffin, the head of the nation’s largest LGBT-rights group, the Human Rights Campaign. Instead, Griffin is laying the groundwork for after the 2016 election, assuming a Democratic President wins.

The key to making inroads with the GOP, activists believe, will be attracting new corporate -support, like the advocacy from businesses and community groups that helped sink plans in Indiana and Georgia to make religion a legal justification for discrimination. But some now worry that the corporate backing could ebb in the face of renewed efforts to create religious carve-outs. Georgia conservatives are aiming to try for new legislation again in 2016, and the corporate objections have yet to publicly materialize again. Business leaders have unveiled studies that suggest the legislation could have an economic impact as high as $2 billion each year in Georgia alone. Such financial arguments, which were tried in Houston, may not be enough to override deeply held religious beliefs. “There are limits to [how far] you can move the needle before religion steps in,” says Alex Wan, an openly gay member of the Atlanta City Council.

Working with business is a model that’s been used before against tougher odds, albeit on a smaller scale, to fight Republican majorities. Take for instance Florida’s Hillsborough County, home to Tampa. In 2005, the county commission effectively banned any markings for gay pride month. “Basically, there was no discussion. It literally took a minute and 44 seconds,” said Kevin Beckner, who in 2008 became the first openly gay man elected to that panel and went to work dismantling it with the backing of some high-profile friends, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Read More: Hillary Clinton Pledges to Defend LGBT Rights

“I viewed the Far Right as the 800-pound gorilla in the room. They’re the ones who had the political clout and they’re the ones who came out in big numbers,” Beckner said. “It was the business community that came out. They became the 1600-pound gorilla in the room. They gave my colleagues a platform to stand on.”

But, as is happening now on the national level, there remained deep divisions among LGBT activists in the Tampa area, even after the Republican-majority commission scrapped their ban on pride celebrations. “Not everyone in the LGBT community embraced the idea of equality with economics. There was grumbling. ‘How dare you talk about our rights in terms of economics? This isn’t about economics. This is about human dignity,’” Beckner remembers. “We think people should be where we’re at today and we should see everything through the same lens.” That seldom is the case, he adds.

Even inside activist circles, the sniping is pronounced. Identity politics is also starting to cause friction within the gay-rights movement itself. To call it the “gay community” or the “gay agenda” has always been folly, much like lumping Mexican-, Brazilian- and Cuban-Americans into one pile and saying they represent the “Hispanic community.” No, inside each group exist many poles on which each tribe hangs priorities, goals and expectations.

For years, LGBT groups have had an uneasy détente amongst themselves. Disagreements over tactics and personalities were fought within the family, although they occasionally spilled into the public, as they did when activists considered how to strategize how to force the issue of same-sex marriage. Some wanted a piecemeal approach to gay rights, to chip away at anti-LGBT laws in small pieces. Some pushed hard for marriage equality and nothing less. Others pushed a civil rights argument, while others tried to make the economic argument that same-sex marriage is good business. Leaders of sparring factions were competing for the same pot of dollars from well-meaning patrons, and one camp’s victory meant another’s loss.

Activists have begun more openly objecting to the fact that the movement is still largely led by white men of means and has not focused enough on transgender issues and financially insecure populations. Groups are also struggling with a funding shortfall, especially from low- and mid-dollar donors. “Marriage blocked out the sun because that was the thing that people who were otherwise financially secure wanted,” said Nadine Smith, co-founder and CEO of Equality Florida. “The funding has dried up for what remains on the agenda.”

But not completely. Even after the Supreme Court’s marriage ruling, the Human Rights Campaign still sold out its annual black-tie dinner in Washington. Software entrepreneur Tim Gill and his husband Scott Miller plan to spend $130 million over the next five years on advocacy—on top of the $327 million they’ve already given. Corporate support for institutional LGBT groups remains solid; gay consumers, after all, are loyal to their friends.

Some of the effort in 2016 will be about persuading Republicans to come along, said Miller, the vice chairman of his family’s foundation. “We are going to need moderate and centrist Republicans who are on this issue with us,” Miller said. “The fact of the matter is the Congress is controlled by Republicans.”

For him, it’s not about whether he likes the people at the table or not. “We can either be ideological purists or we can be pragmatic,” said Miller. Not everyone agrees with that approach, even among those pushing for LGBT rights.

Republicans remain a tough sell. While most leading GOP White House hopefuls are reluctant to continue fighting this cultural shift, the rank-and-file voters remains frustrated at the fast change.

A handful of Republicans are trying to move their party, mostly behind the scenes. For instance, hedge fund giant Paul Singer is pushing the RNC to change its platform at this Summer’s convention in Cleveland to drop its anti-LGBT positions. That decision, ultimately, will be up to the nominee.

Read More: Obama Cites Progress at Gay-Pride Reception

And this remains a country where 28% still think consenting adult same-sex relationships should be illegal. “If merely passing a law meant that everyone would behave a certain way, you wouldn’t need police, you wouldn’t need judges,” said Victoria Kolakowski, the first openly transgender person to serve as a trial judge in the country.

Yet there are reasons for optimism. A record 60% of Americans now support same-sex marriage, according to Gallup’s survey. That number is up from 50% in 2012, and 40% in 2009. So right as public support is at a high, disorganization is a threat. “It was a huge victory. But the fear that many of us have is that many of us think that’s the end game,” said Rep. Mark Pocan, a Wisconsin Democrat who won his second term last year as an openly gay man.

Pocan is among the growing ranks for openly LGBT lawmakers. And they’re popping up in unexpected places, such as Salt Lake City, Utah. That city’s Mayor-elect, Jackie Biskupski, was something of a rock star as LGBT leaders met in Las Vegas. It was remarkable that the seat of the Mormon Church could be governed by a lesbian. “The outcome suggests they didn’t play a heavy hand,” Biskupski says of her Mormons. “There was already a lot of existing respect. They knew my record as a state legislator for 13 years.” Or maybe it was a fight the Church didn’t need at that moment.

“Houston was a reminder of how far we have to go. And Jackie’s election is a reminder of how far we’ve come. And both of those realities can exist at the same time,” said Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, as she pulled up a chair at the same blackjack table as Biskupski at the Tropicana. She laughed that a lesbian mayor of Salt Lake City is “something many people find completely oxymoronic.” But it’s reality.

“When you achieve something that you thought was fanciful much quicker than you imagined was possible, that tells you you’re on a really impressive arc,” Kendell said. “There’s no doubt that we are clearly at a tipping point, but a tipping point is not a finish line.”

Read Next: Read the Supreme Court Ruling That Recognized Gay Marriage Nationwide

Summary: Obstacles remain.


Popular car-sharing services like Uber and Lyft are hits with consumers. There is a downside, however: Critics say the new services cut tax revenue by taking business away from cabbies who pay licensing fees and potentially higher taxes.

All of which raises a question: Can the sharing economy also share the wealth?

A delivery start-up called Favor thinks so. The company will deliver just about anything, anywhere, anytime in designated neighborhoods of Austin, Texas, via its app. Favor has presumably not taken away anyone's job. In fact, jobs are being added, and so are local sales taxes.

Read MoreUber accused of canceling thousands of rival's rides

There are 200 Favor "runners" so far, and some restaurants say sales are up because of Favor's convenient delivery service.

The company was started by a couple of former pizza delivery guys. CEO Ben Doherty was studying civil engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and thought, "It would be really cool if we knew when a friend was going to Albertsons, we could just ask him to pick something up for us."

He contacted his childhood buddy, Zac Maurais—"I knew Zac knew a little bit about the Web"—and they created Favor in the basement of Doherty's parent's home in New Hampshire.

Read MoreCar app wants to disrupt the disruptors—with permits

They bought "JavaScript and HTML for Dummies" to figure out how to start. "We couldn't figure out how to all read the book at the same time," said Doherty, so they used a bread knife to cut the book into parts and assigned segments.

After beta testing in San Luis Obispo, the company chose Austin for Favor's full-fledged launch. "Austin has a strong concentration of university students, and a lot of great food that couldn't be delivered," said Doherty.

Summary: Critics say disruptive new services like Uber and Lyft can hurt tax revenues, but one start-up says it's creating jobs and boosting local sales tax.


To say that the scientific frame of mind has played an important part in the rise of the West is not exactly controversial. Science always gets its moment in the spotlight in “Whig history,” as historians (dismissively) call grand narratives of political and material progress. In “The Science of Liberty,” the veteran science writer Timothy Ferris makes a more extravagant claim, assigning not a mere supporting role but top billing to the celebrated experimenters and inventors of the past several centuries. As he sees it, the standard account of the history textbooks — with the Renaissance giving rise to the Scientific Revolution and thus preparing the way for the Enlightenment — fails to identify the primary causal relationship. Democratic governance and individual rights did not emerge from some amorphous “brew of humanistic and scientific thinking,” he argues, but were “sparked” by science itself — the crucial “innovative ingredient” that “continues to foster political freedom today.”

Ferris, the author of “The Whole Shebang” and a number of other books about cosmology, usefully reminds us that science was an integral part of the intellectual equipment of the great pioneers of political and individual liberty. John Locke was not just the most eloquent philosophical advocate of the social contract and natural rights. He was an active member of the emerging scientific culture of 17th-century Oxford, and his intimates included Isaac Newton, who likewise was a radical Whig, supporting Parliament against the overreaching of the crown. Among the American founders, the scientific preoccupations of Franklin and Jefferson are well known, but Ferris emphasizes that they were hardly alone in their interests. He recounts a charming episode, for instance, in which George Washington and Thomas Paine floated together one night down a New Jersey creek, lighting cartridge paper at the water’s surface to determine whose theory was correct about the source of swamp gas. Ferris also neatly summarizes the prehistory of modern science’s ascent, with subtle takes on Galileo’s clash with church authorities and Francis Bacon’s inductive method.

The most engaging chapters in “The Science of Liberty” concern the dynamic interplay of technology and commerce. As Ferris recognizes, the seemingly irresistible spread of modern principles of liberty derives in large measure from the capacity of modern industrial democracies to deliver the goods in terms of general prosperity, health and diversion. The practical side of the scientific outlook has generated endless rounds of invention and innovation (Watt and his steam engine, Morse and his telegraph, Edison and his electric lights, etc.), and the human benefits of these time- and labor-saving improvements have been extended dramatically, if haltingly, by the free market. The singular insight of Adam Smith, Ferris writes, was to recognize that wealth creation and the production of material comforts might be “increased indefinitely if individuals are free to invest and to innovate.”

By this point in his ambitious narrative, however, Ferris has given up on any real effort to argue for the decisive influence of science as such. He is content to speak of science metaphorically, as the model for openness and experimentalism in all the major realms of liberal-democratic endeavor. Thus, just as in his account of Smith’s free-market economics, Ferris finds in the United States Constitution the underlying principle that citizens should “be free to experiment, assess the results and conduct new experiments.” The American Republic might be compared to “a scientific laboratory,” he writes, because it is designed “not to guide society toward a specified goal, but to sustain the experimental process itself.”

Ferris’s refrain of “experiment” is a well-chosen trope. Few other words in the vocabulary of Western progress can match its prestige and practical appeal. To rely on experiment is to doubt authority, to cultivate self-awareness, to seek the reality behind natural appearances and received opinion. The experimental frame of mind encompasses the scientist in her lab, the inventor in his workshop and even (with some literary license) the reflective bohemian, the calculating entrepreneur and the shrewd democratic leader. But does it yield the “laws of nature” from which Locke and Jefferson drew the idea of universal human rights? Does it explain our reluctance today to compromise those rights in the name of expediency or results? Jeremy Bentham dismissed the idea of natural rights as “nonsense upon stilts,” because it stood in the way of a proper utilitarian calculus of human welfare. Arguably, one can find his heirs today atop the Chinese state, conducting technocratic experiments of their own and deploying the tools of modern science (Google beware!) to preserve a “harmonious society.” For the politics of liberty, mere empiricism is not enough.

Ferris is on firm ground in arguing that the political influence of the scientific enterprise has been liberalizing and progressive, on the whole. Whig history has its virtues. And he provides convincing indictments of various illiberal ideologies, from Nazism and Soviet Communism to postmodernist cultural theory, for their incompatibility with scientific inquiry. He would have done his readers a favor, however, by approaching the ideas of liberalism’s most penetrating philosophical critics with more generosity; his tendency is to jeer and dismiss. Rousseau, Marx and Heidegger have indeed inspired a range of noxious intellectual and political movements, but they still have things to teach us about the failings and vulnerabilities of liberal-democratic societies.

Nor is it clear, as Ferris would have it, that science furnishes the ideal template for liberal democracy. Science, he notes, is antiauthoritarian, self-correcting, meritocratic and collaborative. As John Dewey, one of his heroes, put it, “freedom of inquiry, toleration of diverse views, freedom of communication, the distribution of what is found out to every individual as the ultimate intellectual consumer” are all as “involved in the democratic as in the scientific method.” In a like vein, Ferris also cites the theoretical physicist Lee Smolin: “Good science comes from the collision of contradictory ideas, from conflict, from people trying to do better than their teachers did, and I think here we have a model for what a democratic society is about.”

But crucial distinctions are lost in these comparisons. The scientific community may be open to everyone, in principle, but it has steep and familiar barriers to entry, as any layperson who has tried to read the research papers at the back of journals like Nature or Science can attest. When not distorted by its own personal and political rivalries, modern science is, in the most admirable sense, an aristocracy — a selection and sorting of the best minds as they interact within institutions designed to achieve certain rarefied ends. Experiment, equality and freedom of expression are essential to this work, but it is the work of an elite community from which most people are necessarily excluded. Thankfully, participation in the everyday life of democracy does not require a Ph.D., nor are theories and ideas its basic medium.

Scientists today are understandably eager to shape policy debates on a number of urgent issues (like climate change, to which Ferris devotes much of his closing chapter). But they have to appreciate the many ways in which scientific discourse, even in its experimental mode, makes an awkward fit with democratic politics. Only then will they find it easier to talk to — and persuade — the rest of us.

Gary Rosen is the chief external affairs officer of the John Templeton Foundation.

Gary Rosen is the chief external affairs officer of the John Templeton Foundation.

Summary: Timothy Ferris argues that the scientific frame of mind played a leading role in the emergence of democratic governance and individual rights.


Scientists from the University of Exeter say that a compound found in the smell of rotten eggs and human flatulence might some day be useful in mitigating the cell damage responsible in part for certain diseases.

The study, published in a recent issue of the journal Medicinal Chemistry Communications, examined the impact of hydrogen sulfide gas—which humans produce in small amounts during digestion—on cells’ mitochondria. Although the gas is noxious in large doses, scientists found that cellular exposure to smaller amounts of the compound may prevent mitochondrial damage. This could have future implications in the prevention of strokes, arthritis, heart disease, among other things, the researchers say.

When disease stresses the body’s cells, the cells draw in enzymes to generate “minute quantities of hydrogen sulfide” that protects mitochondria, the scientists says. Mitochondria essentially act as generators for cells’ energy output, and protecting against mitochondrial damage is central to preventing certain diseases. “We have exploited this natural process by making a compound, called AP39, which slowly delivers very small amounts of this gas specifically to the mitochondria,” University of Exeter Professor Matt Whiteman said in a statement. “Our results indicate that if stressed cells are treated with AP39, mitochondria are protected and cells stay alive.”

While this experiment was limited to cell exposure in a lab—as opposed to humans inhaling the scent of rotten eggs—the University of Exeter researchers say that they are “working toward advancing the research to a stage where it can be tested in humans.”

Dr. Mark Wood, another one of the Exeter researchers, went so far as to call the compound a “healthcare hero with significant implications for future therapies for a variety of diseases” in a university press release.

This research is interesting but preliminary. While no conclusions can be made at this time, may this news let you wince just a little bit less the next time you’re assaulted by a rotten-egg smell.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article incorrectly summarized the findings and implications of this study.

Summary: You might just owe that smelly guy in the subway a "thank you"


The suicide rate among young women has risen in the U.S., leading to an overall uptick in cases, despite a falling number for young men taking their own lives.

A weekly report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analyzed data from 1994 to 2012 and found the suicide rate of women ages 10 to 24 years old rose from 2.7 to 3.2 cases per 100,000. Additionally, the report says there has been a significant climb of suicides since 2007 when measured across all genders.

However, young men are still three times more likely to commit suicide than women. The rate fell from 15.7 to 11.9 per 100,000 in 1994. Furthermore, since 2007 the suicide rate also increased after a significant decrease between 1994 and 2007.

The CDC reported that 17% of high school students have seriously considered suicide, and 8% have attempted to kill themselves more than once.

Summary: But young men still three times more prone to taking their own lives.


06/16/2016 AT 01:15 PM EDT

makes the media rounds to promote OWN's

, she's sticking to her goal of logging

. But don't ask to see her numbers.

"Actually, I left my little counter at home this week, so I had to, like, probably make up how many steps I was doing!" Winfrey told PEOPLE at the West Hollywood premiere of her new scripted series. "But I try to do something every day that allows me to feel active, and I don't make myself crazy about it."

"I just know that movement and flexibility, particularly the older you get, is what makes you feel alive," she added. "So I don't want to just be alive, I want to feel it."

The 62-year-old TV icon and lifestyle guru

again as a spokesperson and stake holder of Weight Watchers. After just five months on the program, Winfrey announced that she's dropped 26 lbs., and she's still going strong.

But even with her renewed approach to diet and exercise, she's not afraid to leave a little room for delicious treats.

After the screening, Winfrey hosted an upscale outdoor soiree with Southern favorites like blackened catfish, barbecue chicken, fried chicken, ribs,

, corn on the cob and mini apple pies.

The guests – including the show's cast and pals like Winfrey's

– noshed and sipped on drinks like vodka-spiked watermelon lemonade.

But Winfrey had her eye on a different indulgence: tequila shots, which she called "my favorite way to celebrate anything!" Glass in hand, she toasted the series' creator Craig Wright, who was also celebrating his birthday, with a

"All right – let's have another one!," she said afterward.

, a drama set in the scandalous behind-the-scenes world of black megachurches, premieres over two nights on June 21-22 at 10 PM ET on OWN.

Summary: Oprah Winfrey is loving her healthier lifestyle, and still gets to enjoy her favorite indulgences on occasion