ASHINGTON, Dec. 20 - F.B.I. memorandums portray abuse of prisoners by American military personnel in Iraq that included detainees' being beaten and choked and having lit cigarettes placed in their ears, according to newly released government documents.

The documents, released Monday in connection with a lawsuit accusing the government of being complicit in torture, also include accounts by Federal Bureau of Investigation agents who said they had seen detainees in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, being chained in uncomfortable positions for up to 24 hours and left to urinate and defecate on themselves. An agent wrote that in one case a detainee who was nearly unconscious had pulled out much of his hair during the night.

One of the memorandums released Monday was addressed to Robert S. Mueller III, the F.B.I. director, and other senior bureau officials, and it provided the account of someone "who observed serious physical abuses of civilian detainees" in Iraq. The memorandum, dated June 24 this year, was an "Urgent Report," meaning that the sender regarded it as a priority. It said the witness "described that such abuses included strangulation, beatings, placement of lit cigarettes into the detainees' ear openings and unauthorized interrogations."

The memorandum did not make clear whether the witness was an agent or an informant, and it said there had also been an effort to cover up the abuses. The writer of the memorandum said Mr. Mueller should be aware of what was occurring because "of potential significant public, media and Congressional interest which may generate calls to the director." The document does not provide further details of the abuse, but suggests that such treatment of prisoners in Iraq was the subject of an investigation conducted by the bureau's Sacramento office.

Beyond providing new details about the nature and extent of abuses, if not the exact times or places, the newly disclosed documents are the latest to show that such activities were known to a wide circle of government officials.

The documents, mostly memorandums written by agents to superiors in Washington over the past year, also include claims that some military interrogators had posed as F.B.I. officials while using harsh tactics on detainees, both in Iraq and at Guantánamo Bay.

In one memorandum, dated Dec. 5, 2003, an agent whose name is blanked out on the document expressed concern about military interrogators' posing as F.B.I. agents at the Guantánamo camp.

The agent wrote that the memorandum was intended as an official record of the interrogators' behavior because, "If this detainee is ever released or his story made public in any way, D.O.D. interrogators will not be held accountable because these torture techniques were done by 'F.B.I.' interrogators. The F.B.I. will be left holding the bag before the public." D.O.D. is an abbreviation for the Department of Defense.

Asked about the possible impersonation of F.B.I. agents by military personnel, Bryan Whitman, the deputy Pentagon spokesman, said Monday that "It is difficult to determine from the secondhand description whether the technique" was permissible.

The Pentagon did not offer any fresh reaction to the descriptions of alleged abuse. But it said in response to other recent disclosures that the Defense Department did not tolerate abusive tactics and that some of the allegations contained in such documents were under investigation.

The documents were in the latest batch of papers to be released by the government in response to a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups to determine the extent, if any, of American participation in the mistreatment of prisoners. The documents are the most recent in a series of disclosures that have increasingly contradicted the military's statements that harsh treatment of prisoners happened only in limited, isolated cases.

Anthony D. Romero, the executive director of the A.C.L.U., said the documents meant that "top government officials can no longer hide from public scrutiny by pointing the finger at a few low-ranking soldiers."

Summary: F.B.I. agents witnessed the abuse of prisoners by U.S. military personnel in Iraq, according to government documents.


BY JOHN MARZULLI DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Tuesday, July 4th 2000, 2:13AM

Errors in planning and flawed tactics by police allowed widespread wilding attacks to occur against women following the National Puerto Rican Day Parade - and some cops then ignored victims' pleas, an NYPD probe found.

Police Commissioner Howard Safir conceded yesterday that "mistakes" were made by two chiefs on June 11, when as many as 59 women were attacked in a water-drenched frenzy of groping and clothes-tearing as the parade wound down.

Safir also detailed serious misconduct by an inspector, two deputy inspectors, a captain, a lieutenant, a sergeant, three foot cops and three 911 operators.

"I feel very personally responsible," Safir said. "We are better than how we acted on that particular day. This one should not have happened."

The attacks were downplayed by Safir and Mayor Giuliani until scores of women came forward complaining that they were doused with water, stripped and fondled. Amateur videotapes captured the horror.

So far, 29 suspects have been arrested; 17 others are still being sought. Safir said there is no evidence that any cops witnessed crimes taking place and did nothing.

Officer Michael Bonefant has been slapped with disciplinary charges for allegedly telling two victims that he could not leave his post and then pointing them to a command post blocks away.

Another cop, Scott Hyndman, stands accused of failing to write up a report from a woman who told him she had been molested while she was skating.

A third cop, Christian Zisel, is charged with twice leaving his post at 59th St. and Central Park South while attacks occurred there.

But the investigation found that the seeds of trouble were planted well before the parade.

The parade itself, which was orderly, ended earlier than last year's. Chief of Patrol John Scanlon went home about 5 p.m., Safir said, leaving Chief Allan Hoehl and Assistant Chief Nicholas Estavillo in charge.

As cops were sent home, unruly behavior began to escalate in the park away from the parade route, where police brass had not anticipated trouble.

Safir exonerated Scanlon. Hoehl and Estavillo will receive letters of instruction explaining how to handle similar events in the future.

More serious letters of censure - formal reprimands filed in personnel folders - were meted out to an inspector, two deputy inspectors and a captain for failing to supervise their zones properly.

A lieutenant is charged with sending his cops home despite a large crowd gathered at 59th St. and Central Park South, and a sergeant is charged with failing to supervise a cop who was absent from his post.

There were eight 911 calls about the attacks between 6:04 p.m. and 6:32 p.m., Safir said, but two 911 operators and a dispatcher apparently mishandled the calls' priority levels.

A high-ranking police source said it is unlikely any officers will be dismissed. The likely penalty will range from the loss of 30 days of pay to one year of probation. But for the captain and inspectors, letters of censure can be career killers.

The report contains more than a dozen recommendations, including better training for special events and the use of surveillance cameras feeding live images back to the command post.

Sue Karten, a lawyer for wilding victim Peyton Bryant, called the measures "a slap on the wrist."

"It's shocking, because I know that Peyton went to at least eight cops and got dismissed along the way, and if you look at the videotapes, there were many more cops ignoring the attacks," she said.

Union officials blasted the findings. "This wasn't an investigation, it was a witch hunt," said John Driscoll, president of the Captains Endowment Association. Patrick Lynch, president of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, said the investigation shows "there was no widespread lack of appropriate response by police officers."

Brass, cops disciplined in wake of Central Park groping attacks:

Chief of Manhattan South Allan Hoehl, top

uniformed officer for area covering 59th St. to the Battery: Receives letter of instruction requiring "all the knowledge and information the department has gained from this evaluation, and investigation is applied to future events of this kind."

Assistant Chief Nicholas Estavillo, commanding officer of Manhattan North, the area covering 59th St. to the northern tip of Manhattan: Also receives letter of instruction.

Inspector Jeremiah Quinlan: Transferred and receives letter of censure; official reprimand placed in personnel file. Quinlan was in charge of area covering 57th to 59th Sts. between Madison and Sixth Aves. Quinlan was also in charge of Brooklyn's 70th Precinct when cops assaulted Abner Louima at the stationhouse. Although he was on vacation at the time of the attack, he was transferred after it came to light.

Deputy Inspector Richard Heegan, commanding

officer of the 6th Precinct: Receives a letter of censure. Heegan was an aide to Quinlan.

commanding officer of the 28th Precinct: Receives letter of censure. Secreto was responsible for area covering Central Park from Central Park South to 72nd Sts.

Capt. Peter Tuffey: Receives letter of censure, and his probationary period as a captain is extended for six months.

Lt. Thomas O'Malley: Disciplinary charges. Allegedly sent police detail home despite being told a crowd had formed at Central

Park South and Sixth Ave.

Sgt. James Ronan: Disciplinary charges. Allegedly failed to supervise a cop twice absent from his post. Also allegedly left post

Police Officer Christian Zisel: Disciplinary charges. Left post at Central Park South and Sixth Ave. while assaults were occurring and other cops were calling for assistance.

Police Officer Michael Bonefant: Disciplinary charges. Allegedly told two female victims he could not leave his post and directed them to a temporary headquarters blocks away.

Police Officer Scott Hyndman: Command discipline. Allegedly failed to prepare complaint or notify supervisor when a woman on Rollerblades reported being attacked.

911 operators Denise Garrett, Shaundre Sherrod: Command discipline. Allegedly failed to classify calls about assaults on women with proper code of urgency.

911 dispatcher Monique Marshall: Command discipline. Allegedly assigned sexual-assault call to a police team without its knowledge.

Summary: Errors in planning and flawed tactics by police allowed widespread wilding attacks to occur against women following the National Puerto Rican Day Parade - and some cops then ignored victims' pleas, an NYPD probe found. Police Commissioner Howard Safir conceded yesterday that "mistakes"were made by two chiefs on June 11, when as many as 59 women were attacked in a water-drenched frenzy of groping and clothes-tearing as the


BY JULIAN GARCIA AND KENNY LUCAS

Tuesday, March 28th 2000, 2:12AM

LAST SEASON: 94-68, second place.

1999 LEADERS: Nomar Garciaparra (.357, 27 HRs, 104 RBI), Troy O'Leary (.280, 28 HRs, 103 RBI), Jason Varitek (.269, 20 HRs, 76 RBI), Pedro Martinez (23-4, 2.07), Derek Lowe (15 saves), Kent Mercker (8-5).

KEY LOSSES: Damon Buford (Cubs), Mercker (Angels), Pat Rapp (Orioles).

NEW FACES: The Sox bolstered their offense when they got Carl Everett from the Astros. Jeff Fassero (Rangers) should earn a spot in the rotation.

BIGGEST CHALLENGES: Closer Tom Gordon will sit out the season after elbow surgery. Unproven Derek Lowe gets the nod, but he is no guarantee. Aging Rod Beck is also around if needed.

AT THE PLATE: Everett brings power to the outfield. Garciaparra might not equal last year's numbers but will at least be close. Varitek and O'Leary will continue to produce. 1B Mike Stanley can be counted on for 20 HRs and 80 RBI. John Valentin needs to improve on his power numbers. He hit just 12 homers last season.

ON THE MOUND: One word - Pedro. He all but guarantees one win out of every five games. The bullpen is iffy and Bret Saberhagen is out until the All-Star break, but Sox have Ramon Martinez and are excited about Juan PeÃ±a. The other starters are knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, who closed some games for the Sox last season, and Fassero, who looks nothing like his former self.

OFF THE BENCH: One of the team's many surprises of 1999, Brian Daubach, will probably DH while Manny Alexander and Donnie Sadler will be ready off the bench.

KEY STAT: 4.00 - team ERA, which ranked first in AL.

UP-AND-COMERS: Tomokazu Ohka. Japanese righthander went 15-0 in 24 minor league starts.

WHAT TO EXPECT: The Red Sox will contend again. They have enough pitching. They have plenty of hitting. They have managing. But do they have enough to unseat the Yankees?

PROBABLE LINEUP: 2B: Jose Offerman; 3B: John Valentin; SS: Nomar Garciaparra; CF: Carl Everett; 1B: Mike Stanley; LF: Troy O'Leary; DH: Brian Daubach; C: Jason Varitek; RF: Darren Lewis/Trot Nixon; Rotation: Pedro Martinez, Ramon Martinez, Tim Wakefield, Jeff Fassero, Juan PeÃ±a. Closers: Rod Beck, Derek Lowe.

LAST SEASON: 84-78, third place.

1999 LEADERS: Carlos Delgado (.272, 44 HRs, 134 RBI); Shannon Stewart (.304, 11 HRs, 67 RBI); Darrin Fletcher (.291, 18 HRs, 80 RBI); David Wells (17-10, 4.82 ERA); Billy Koch (31 saves).

KEY LOSSES: Shawn Green (Dodgers), Pat Hentgen (Cardinals), Tony Fernandez (free agent), Graeme Lloyd (Expos), Paul Spoljaric (Cardinals).

NEW FACES: The Jays are hoping Raul Mondesi puts on a happy face after coming from the Dodgers in the Green trade. They also got Brad Fullmer from Expos.

BIGGEST CHALLENGES: They aren't going to win the division, but the Jays must try not to let that frustrate them since a wild-card berth is possible, especially if Mondesi produces the way he can and Wells has a good season.

AT THE PLATE: Mondesi is a crusher and he'll be protected in the lineup by Delgado, who has developed into one of the most feared hitters in the league. Homer Bush showed last year that he may be able to take over the leadoff role.

ON THE MOUND: Losing Hentgen hurts, but Wells has shown that, happy or not, he can be the ace of any staff. Lloyd was one of the best lefty short relievers in baseball, so the Jays must have someone step into that role.

OFF THE BENCH: Outfielders Vernon Wells and Kevin Witt saw time in the big leagues last year and should provide youthful enthusiasm. Witt could settle into the DH role at some point, but for now it's Fullmer's job.

KEY STAT: GM Gord Ash predicted a 40-40 season for Mondesi. That's pressure.

UP-AND-COMERS: Young RHP Roy Halladay was 8-7 with a 3.92 ERA last year. Koch is turning into a prime time closer, which isn't hard when your fastball reaches 100 mph.

WHAT TO EXPECT: At best, the Jays can go punch-for-punch with the Red Sox for second place in the East. If Mondesi is his old self, the offense will be fine, but Wells needs some help on the staff.

PROBABLE LINEUP: LF Shannon Stewart; 2B Homer Bush; RF Raul Mondesi; 1B Carlos Delgado; 3B Tony Batista; DH Brad Fullmer, C Darrin Fletcher; CF Jose Cruz; SS Alex Gonzalez. Rotation: David Wells, Chris Carpenter, Roy Halladay, Kelvim Escobar, Joey Hamilton. Closer: Billy Koch.

LAST SEASON: 78-84, fourth place.

1999 LEADERS: B.J. Surhoff (.308, 28 HRs, 107 RBI), Albert Belle (.297, 37 HRs, 117 RBI), Mike Mussina (18-7, 3.50), Mike Timlin (27 saves), Scott Erickson (15-12).

KEY LOSSES: Mike Fetters (Dodgers), Scott Kamieniecki (Indians), Jesse Orosco (Mets), Jeff Reboulet (Royals).

NEW FACES: A team that usually has a lot of new faces had a quiet offseason, acquiring pitchers Chuck McElroy (Mets), Mike Trombley (Twins) and Pat Rapp (Red Sox).

BIGGEST CHALLENGES: Overcoming the in-fighting that sent one of the priciest teams into the cellar last season. New manager Hargrove, who comes over from the Indians, has his hands full.

AT THE PLATE: The only thing as powerful as Belle's bat is his mood swings. Mike Bordick had a solid year last year and Ripken, although he only played 88 games, hit .340. Anderson will never hit 50 homers again but is good for 25. Delino DeShields has been a major disappointment.

ON THE MOUND: Erickson is out until at least May after having surgery on his pitching elbow. Mussina and Sidney Ponson are the only definites in the rotation. The other possibilities include Rapp, Matt Riley, Jason Johnson, Calvin Maduro and Jose Mercedes. It's doubtful McElroy and Timlin can solve the bullpen woes.

OFF THE BENCH: Harold Baines is the epitome of production having hit .300 or better the past four years. Jeff Conine will probably spell Will Clark at first base and will also DH. First baseman Calvin Pickering and second baseman Jerry Hairston Jr. had good springs.

KEY STAT: 9 - hits Ripken needs to reach 3,000.

UP-AND-COMERS: Matt Riley, who went 13-8 with a 3.05 ERA in the minors last year.

WHAT TO EXPECT: The Orioles always appear tantalizingly talented, but this year they look old, and they haven't improved their bullpen. At least the crab cakes will still be good.

PROBABLE LINEUP: CF: Brady Anderson; SS: Mike Bordick; LF: B.J. Surhoff; RF: Albert Belle; DH: Harold Baines; 3B: Cal Ripken; 1B: Will Clark; C: Charles Johnson; 2B: Delino DeShields. Rotation: Mike Mussina, Scott Erickson, Sidney Ponson, Jason Johnson, Matt Riley. Closer: Mike Timlin.

LAST SEASON: 69-93, fifth place.

1999 LEADERS: Fred McGriff (.310, 32 HRs, 104 RBI); Jose Canseco (.279, 34 HRs, 95 RBI); Wilson Alvarez (9-9 4.22 ERA); Roberto Hernandez (43 saves).

KEY LOSSES: Wade Boggs (retired).

NEW FACES: Sluggers Greg Vaughn and Vinny Castilla will have Tropicana Field sounding more like the Tropicana casino - cha-ching. Gerald Williams will supply speed at the top. Pitchers Juan Guzman and Chad Ogea will bring experience to a staff that needs it.

BIGGEST CHALLENGES: With a lineup like this, there's no reason the Rays shouldn't win more than 70 games. But the pitching must improve and that's no given.

AT THE PLATE: Vaughn, Castilla, Canseco and McGriff will hit tons of homers. The down side is that Vaughn, Canseco and McGriff are all at least 35 years old. Williams and Quinton McCracken, who is coming off reconstructive knee surgery, provide speed at the top.

ON THE MOUND: Guzman has been an ace before, but he's coming off an 11-12 season. Alvarez and Steve Trachsel are decent but would be better suited as starters four and five, not two and three. After those three, it gets even worse. The D-Rays will be hoping to win a lot of 11-9 type games this season.

OFF THE BENCH: If Williams isn't in center he'll be a real threat off the bench. He has power and he can steal a base and pinch run. The Rays will regret letting Boggs retire when they need a pinch hit single in the ninth.

KEY STAT: Castilla, Vaughn, McGriff and Canseco have hit a combined 305 homers the past two seasons.

UP-AND-COMERS: There's no opening yet for International League MVP Steve Cox, but the Devil Rays might want to make one. Cox hit .341 with 25 homers and 127 RBI for Durham after coming over from the Oakland A's in the expansion draft. He's 6-4 and still just 25. Only three players in the minors leagues had more RBI last season.

WHAT TO EXPECT: Lots of excitement but not many victories. This team suffers from a common ailment: plenty of offense but no pitching.

PROBABLE LINEUP: CF: Gerald Williams/Quinton McCracken; 2B: Miguel Cairo; DH: Jose Canseco; 1B: Fred McGriff; LF: Greg Vaughn; 3B Vinny Castilla; RF: Dave Martinez; C: John Flaherty; SS: Kevin Stocker. Rotation: Juan Guzman, Wilson Alvarez, Steve Trachsel, Ryan Rupe, Chad Ogea. Closer: Roberto Hernandez.

Summary: BOSTON RED SOX LAST SEASON: 94-68, second place. MANAGER: Jimy Williams. 1999 LEADERS: Nomar Garciaparra (.357, 27 HRs, 104 RBI), Troy O'Leary (.280, 28 HRs, 103 RBI), Jason Varitek (.269, 20 HRs, 76 RBI), Pedro Martinez (23-4, 2.07), Derek Lowe (15 saves), Kent Mercker (8-5). KEY LOSSES: Damon Buford (Cubs), Mercker (Angels), Pat Rapp (Orioles). NEW FACES: The Sox bolstered their offense when they got Carl Everett from the Astros. Jeff Fassero (Rangers) should earn


Growing up, Melissa Moore adored her father. She had a modest upbringing in rural Toppenish, Wash. and remembers the fun times they had together. "I have memories of riding my bike and my dad would run behind me as I would be peddling," she said.

Amid happy childhood, Melissa Moore had hints of the side of her dad that killed

Not once during her early childhood did she suspect her father was capable of becoming "the Happy Face Killer."

Moore is the oldest of three children, and always looked forward to when her dad, a long-haul truck driver, would come home from a trip.

"The first thing I would do when he got out of the car is I would run up to him and go for his pockets with the change that he had left over from the day and I got to keep the change," she said.

Keith Jesperson was a doting father when his children were little, but behind the loving facade, his daughter says, were the darkest of secrets. Secrets he mostly managed to keep hidden from his family, except for one traumatizing day that Moore still remembers vividly.

She was just a young girl when she saw her father torture animals. "I found some little kittens, he grabbed them by the tail and hung them on the clothesline," she said.

Frightened, she ran inside to get her mother, Rose Hucke, but by the time she came back, it was too late. "I remember bending down and seeing that they were dead."

Moore believed that's when she first saw her father's darker side. "I think I caught a glimpse of the sociopath, the part of where felt in control over me and that he enjoyed it. I got the sense that there was another side to him," she said.

Moore's mother fell in love with Jesperson when she was a teenager. The two were married in 1975. "When you're young, you don't realize that this person's gonna become who they become," she said. "At the time he was a very charismatic, considerate young man and I had no clue that this is what he would become."

Jesperson would turn out to be one of the country's most notorious serial killers, known as the "Happy Face Killer." The nickname began because he signed anonymous confession letters with a smiley face.

After a few years of marriage, Hucke said strange women started calling the house and she suspected her husband was having affairs.

The marriage started to crumble, and the final straw came for Hucke while she and her husband were on a road trip. "We took a little walk ... and there was a bunch of young men and he grabbed me and threw me in their arms and said, 'Here, you can have [her],' and walked away," she recalled.

Hucke had had enough, and she knew it was time to get away from her husband of 14 years. So while he was on the road, she packed up her three children, and drove 200 miles to Spokane, Wash. to move into her mother's basement. Her daughter Melissa was only 10 years old at the time.

Summary: Author Melissa Moore was a teenager when her father was convicted of being the "Happy Face Killer," a serial murderer who killed eight people. Several years later, she has written a book about what it was like to live with that dark secret.


HINCKLEY, Ohio -- Police say a northeast Ohio woman standing in a street directing a school bus with her children on board has been hit and killed by a pickup truck.

Police Chief Tim Kalavsky says the woman's two oldest children and four other middle school students were on the Brunswick City Schools bus while her youngest child was at home. He's unsure why she was directing the bus but says it appears the driver headed down a street with nowhere to turn around.

The newspaper reports the woman's husband died in August.

Brunswick Superintendent Michael Mayell says counselors have been made available at all district schools.

Summary: Associated Press HINCKLEY, Ohio -- Police say a northeast Ohio woman standing in a street directing a school bus with her children on board has been hit and killed by a pickup truck.


Did you receive a new e-reader for Christmas? Or did you purchase a Nook Tablet or Kindle Fire for yourself since they went on sale? If so, tell us the name of your device, and how and if it is changing your reading habits. Email USA TODAY reporter Bob Minzesheimer at bminzesheimer@usatoday.com by Thursday (Jan. 5) morning. Please include your name and a daytime telephone number.

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Summary: Email us about your new e-reader and how it is changing your reading habits.


This post is part of Mashable’s Startup Review series, which highlights great unsung startups. The series is made possible by Sun Startup Essentials.

Dailymile is a social training site for runners, triathletes, and cyclists.

That race was great, but how do I stay in-touch with the people I just met? And how can I find people to train with in a new city? Providing an answer for these questions drove us to begin dailymile. We wanted to find a better way for athletes to sign-up for races, share workouts, and meet participants. Participating in a race doesn’t end after you submit payment. It’s the daily journey of training, learning, and sharing. As athletes, each day for us is an adventure filled with lessons learned and friends made. We share these experiences with one another through dailymile.

Currently in private beta, Dailymile is a site for keeping track of your workouts, finding athletic events you can participate in, and sending motivation to others. The design is very slick and the features are well-organized, and while the event section dedicated to 10Ks and triathlons can be intimidating, there are tools that can be useful to just about any level of athlete – even if you’re just the type trying to stay in shape by going to the gym.

Once logged in, the homepage of Dailymile is very Twitter-esque, allowing you post a short update about your most recent workout (which can range from running, to swimming, to weightlifting, etc.), as well as multimedia content like photos and videos. There is also a “You and Your Friends” timeline, an “Everyone” timeline, and a “My Training” log – essentially the same views offered on Twitter. Speaking of Twitter, your updates can be auto-posted to the service if you sync your accounts.

Dailymile takes it a step further than other would-be Twitter clones though with some features very specific to the fitness niche. For one, there is the “Motivation” feature, which allows you to message other people on the site with a pre-set message like “Great Performance” or “You’re an Inspiration.”

There are also discussion groups you can join like “40+ and proud of it” and “My first marathon,” so you can find people pursuing a similar fitness goal as yourself. The aforementioned event section is already seeded with lots of running, trialthon, and cycling events you can participate in, though most seem to be on the West coast (not surprising given the time of year).

Ultimately, Dailymile has adopted a lot of popular features of other sites for the fitness niche and done a nice job with them. I think it’s more likely to be successful with serious workout nuts than weekend warriors, but there is certainly something for anyone that wants to put the time in – both in the gym and on the site. As mentioned, Dailymile is currently in private beta, but you can try it out using the invite code ‘mashable’.

Editor’s Note: This post is part of an ongoing series at Mashable – The Startup Review, Sponsored by Sun Microsystems Startup Essentials. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

Sponsored By: Sun Startup Essentials

Summary:
This post is part of Mashable's Startup Review series, which highlights great unsung startups. The series is made possible by Sun Startup Essentials.

Company Name
Dailymile

20-Word Descriptio


It's not easy setting up a high-end restaurant, knowing it will serve massive crowds the moment it opens its doors.

At the U.S. Open Food Tasting Preview, on Aug. 23, celebrity chefs Masaharu Morimoto, David Burke and Tony Manuano showed off the food they created for the world’s highest-attended annual sporting event, but said they would have little time to catch matches or hobnob with tennis stars.

"It’s a triumph to be able to serve that many people correctly,” said David Burke, whose food will be offered at Champion Bar & Grill during the event. “You’re opening a big new restaurant in two weeks. I don’t know if there’s any restaurant in New York City that will be as busy as Champion Grill … to do 1,000 covers a day, I don’t think anyone does that.”

Burke's menu includes ash crusted prime beef Carpaccio with Himalayan rock salt and mushroom chips; dry-aged bone-in rib eye with a vegetable stuffed baked potato; butter poached two-pound lobster, with shoestring potatoes, zucchini marmalade and spiced black honey; and his signature dessert cheesecake lollipop tree.

While this year’s menu doesn’t feature any U.S. Open-themed items (sorry: no tennis ball-sized cheesecake lollipops), Burke said he’s got some ideas for next year.

"When I opened David Burke at Bloomingdales, I had three round sandwiches, made on round Columbian cheese rolls called Buñuelos, and I wrapped them in green paper and put them in a tennis sleeve. It was called a tennis trio,” Burke said. “Next year we'll do something like that. Where you can get the three sandwiches in a tennis sleeve and bring them back to your seat."

But not every chef was already looking forward to next year. Morimoto said before he can start thinking about 2013, he has to fine tune 2012’s service.

"This is my third year. A couple of years ago, it was a lot of work, because I (didn’t) know what was going on. We were very unorganized. The second year, we did OK. And this year, I see it being perfect,“ said Morimoto, whose food will be served at Aces restaurant during the event.

Morimoto’s menu includes Montauk wild stripe sea bass and Skuna Bay craft raised salmon.

Although tennis stars are rarely seen eating at U.S. Open restaurants, Morimoto said he’s always been willing to cater to them.

“If they want a snack, or their family wants food in their suites, we send them food. We like that,” Morimoto said. In fact, one tennis star enjoyed Morimoto’s food so much last year, that he actually did become a regular at the restaurant.

“Andy Murray, he come in a lot last year, every day. He loves spicy tuna,” Morimoto said of the Olympic gold medal winner.

A few minutes later, Morimoto made his best effort to woo another tennis star, personally serving John McEnroe a fresh tray of sushi. McEnroe watched, seemingly unimpressed, as Morimoto grated fresh wasabi root tableside.

The spectacle of an Iron Chef serving food to the Tantrum himself quickly drew a horde of cameras to the table.

“I didn’t know I was such a big deal,” the four-time U.S. Open champion said, as he posed for a photo with Morimoto.

-- Follow Graham Kates on Twitter @grahamkates. Follow SportsAndFood on Twitter @sportsandfood.

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Summary:
By Graham Kates
SportsandFood.com
It's not easy setting up a high-end restaurant, knowing it will serve massive crowds the moment it opens its doors.
...


After leading Waltham defense giant Raytheon Co. for more than a decade, chief executive William Swanson is stepping down.

Swanson’s departure from the helm of one of Massachusetts largest public companies, and one of the world’s biggest defense contractors, was announced Wednesday but appears to have been in the works for about a year. Swanson plans to step aside March 31, following his 65th birthday in February. He will remain chairman of the board as his successor, company chief operating officer Thomas Kennedy, becomes chief executive.

Swanson, who joined Raytheon in 1972, is credited with helping transform the company that was once primarily known as a maker of missiles into a military electronics and technology powerhouse with a growing cybersecurity business.

“Under Swanson, Raytheon was transformed,” said Loren Thompson, a defense analyst with the Lexington Institute in Washington. “People used to think of Raytheon as the biggest component maker in the defense industry, but it’s much bigger than that.”

But Kennedy, 58, will inherit Raytheon at a time when Defense Department spending is contracting.

So far, however, the company has done well despite the slowdown.

Its stock price hit a record of $91.85 Wednesday before it closed at $91.16. It has gained 57 percent for the year.

“It has to continue the strong results that it has sustained despite the downturn in Pentagon demand,” said Thompson.

Prior to becoming Raytheon’s chief operating officer, a newly created position last year, Kennedy ran the company's integrated defense systems business, its most profitable unit and the division responsible for the Patriot missile systems.

When Kennedy took on his new position last March, he led a consolidation of the company’s six business units into four as part of an overall reorganization.

Even though Swanson is going out on a high note for Raytheon, one of the state’s biggest employers, his tenure has been marked with some controversy. In 2006, The New York Times revealed that a popular management book written by Swanson, “Swanson’s Unwritten Rules of Management,” borrowed from other books without proper credit. As a result, according to the Times, Raytheon’s board cut Swanson’s pay by about $1 million.

Still, Swanson has been one of the state’s most highly compensated executives. In 2012, according to Raytheon documents, his total compensation was $16.4 million.

Neither Swanson, nor Raytheon, would comment on what he plans on doing next. Some speculate he will spend more time at his California vineyard, Center of Effort.

Summary: After leading Waltham defense giant Raytheon Co. for more than a decade, chief executive officer William Swanson is stepping down. Swanson’s departure from the helm of one of Massachusetts largest public companies, and one of the world’s biggest defense contractors, was announced Wednesday but appears to have been in the works for about a year. Swanson plans to step aside March 31, following his 65th birthday in February. He will remain chairman of the board as his successor, the company's chief operating officer, Thomas Kennedy, transitions to the role of CEO. Swanson, who joined Raytheon in 1972, is credited with helping transform the company that was once primarily known as a maker of missiles into a military electronics and technology company with a growing cybersecurity business.


A view of the Titanic's propellers before she was launched. Photograph: Corbis

It is 97 years next month since she went down, but the Titanic - the supposedly unsinkable liner that scraped an iceberg in the north Atlantic on her maiden voyage and sank with the loss of 1,500 people - continues to exercise a huge public fascination. There have been several films and myriad books and documentaries, Belfast has its Titanic quarter around the docks where she was built - and now Southampton, the city which provided most of the crew, is planning its own interactive museum, to open in time for the centenary in 2012.

John Hannides, the city councillor responsible for culture and heritage, was yesterday predicting hundreds of thousands of visitors: "Southampton was the home of the Titanic, so it is only fitting that we tell our story. The impact was felt right across the world, but nowhere more so than here. I don't think we're competing with Belfast. We've not been in close contact with them, but the two experiences are not mutually exclusive."

Southampton was thrown into deep mourning by the tragedy. It was the port from which the new liner set off on her maiden passenger voyage on 5 April 1912 and 549 of the dead, a third of the total casualty list, hailed from the city - yet only one was a passenger. The crew's professionalism and dedication in staying with the sinking ship has hitherto been marked with a modest monument to the Titanic's engineers in a city park. Among the other dead were waiters and stokers, sailors and stewards whose stories have been overlooked.

On display will be many of the 4,000 artefacts from the disaster that the city has gathered over the years, many of which are in storage: plates and cutlery, letters and menu cards, and fragments garnered from the seabed after the wreckage was finally located by a team led by the American oceanographer Robert Ballard in 1985. Also in store are recordings of the recollections of about 70 survivors.

Yesterday's announcement that the Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded the city £500,000 to develop the project could lead to a £28m exhibition in the city's former magistrates' court, next to the civic centre. More than 100 companies have expressed an interest in developing the idea and Hannides believes potential sponsors will not be put off by the recession. If the plans come to fruition, visitors will board a reconstruction of the ship, into - of course - a first class cabin, of a sort made familiar by Kate Winslet in James Cameron's 1997 film.

Many local people are descended from members of the crew. The last known survivor, 97-year-old Milvina Dean, who as a nine-week-old baby was handed down into a lifeboat with her mother while her father remained on board and died, still lives close to Southampton. She is due to give a talk at Southampton University on 17 April, as part of the city's annual commemoration of the disaster. "There's a very strong connection, still. It's part of our social history and personal experience," said Hannides.

There is also one further link. "Titanic was an Olympic class liner and 2012 will be the London Olympics," he said. Hopefully the coincidence ends there.

1996 The head of RMS Titanic Inc. proposes a "cruise expedition" where cameras could beam pictures to passengers on a nearby luxury liner.

1997 Hollywood filmakers cast Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in the blockbuster movie Titanic.

1998 Richard Branson plans - and fails - to fund a sea-going replica of the Titanic, dubbed Titanic ll.

2002 Belfast, the city which built the Titanic, stakes a claim on the name by constructing the Titanic Quarter.

2008 An original letter sent by the owners of the Titanic is valued at £850,000. Jason Rodrigues

Summary: Southampton is planning its own interactive museum to open in 2012 in time to mark centenary of tragedy


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An apology from Wen Zhang (with wife Ma Yili in 2012) after rumors of infidelity was for-warded 1.2 million times with nearly 1.9 million comments on China’s version of Twitter.

A Chinese actor’s apology to his actress wife following rumors of his infidelity has set a record for comments and retweets on China’s version of Twitter. The scandal surrounding film and TV star Wen Zhang has resonated among Chinese partly because of his image as a sensitive and happily married family man, and the volume of comments underlines the relative freedom users have to focus on entertainment news online where politics is often off-limits. Wen posted a statement early Monday that his wife, Ma Yili, ‘‘and the children could have had a warm and nice life, but everything was destroyed by me.’’ By Wednesday, his post had been forwarded more than 1.2 million times and received nearly 1.9 million comments. Many comments expressed anger toward Wen, who has more than 52 million followers. The topic trended above the missing Malaysian plane and a protest against a petrochemical plant in Maoming that turned violent.

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Summary: A Chinese actor’s apology to his actress wife following rumors of his infidelity has set a record for comments and retweets on China’s version of Twitter. The scandal surrounding film and TV star Wen Zhang has resonated among Chinese partly because of his image as a sensitive and happily married family man, and the volume of comments underlines the relative freedom users have to focus on entertainment news online where politics is often off-limits. Wen Zhang posted a statement early Monday that his wife, Ma Yili, ‘‘and the children could have had a warm and nice life, but everything was destroyed by me.’’ By Wednesday, his post had been forwarded more than 1.2 million times and received nearly 1.9 million comments. Many comments expressed anger toward Wen, who has more than 52 million followers.


OperaHub’s stellar production of “Der Vampyr” stands out as one of the most rewarding theatrical events of the season.

The company’s heady brew of Heinrich Marschner’s lush, Romantic score, combined with a libretto updated with the insouciant humor of Boston playwright John J. King, and a cast that performs arias and chorus numbers with rich musical tone and solid acting chops, makes this rarely performed opera wonderfully accessible and enjoyable to opera lovers and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Twilight” fans alike.

And that is the beauty of this piece. Without sacrificing the melodic complexities of Marschner’s 1828 score, OperaHub uses an orchestral reduction for just six instruments and a libretto that taps into contemporary conversations about women cast as victims while nodding to our fascination with vampires. Under the crisp direction of Lina Marcela Gonzalez, in the intimate Plaza Theatre at the Boston Center for the Arts, the musicians deliver a sound that allows for distinctions between instruments, especially the horn and oboe, without ever overwhelming the singers. In the duets, trios, and chorales the individual voices manage to be distinct and then blend for a truly sumptuous effect.

“Der Vampyr” is based on the short 1819 novel by John Polidori, considered the first vampire novel, and features Lord Ruthven’s quest for immortality. In King’s updated libretto, Lord Ruthven has been changed to Nedward Barnabas Collins, a delicious nod to both the vampire of the “Twilight” saga and the protagonist of “Dark Shadows.” Act 1 opens in Vital Fluids, a gin mill in London where Aro, the vampire coven-master (Jacob Scharfman), demands that Collins (a stunning Jacob Cooper) bring him 29 young women brides — one for every day before the next full moon — in order to achieve immortality.

Following in the “Dracula” tradition, Collins has hired the hapless but handsome Jonathan Parker (Eduardo Ramos) to help him get settled at his new home in London, Carfax Abbey, while swearing him to secrecy about his true nature. Before you can say “bite me,” Collins has nibbled on several young London women, including Lucy, played by the glorious soprano Megan Welker. It isn’t long before Collins sets his teeth for Della Swann (Bella, to you “Twilight” fans), Jack’s fiancée, and Muffy, a feisty maid at Carfax Abbey, who is assisted by Giles (Andrew Sokol), Carfax’s head butler.

Both Tamara Ryan, as the independent-minded Della, and Lindsay Conrad, as the formidable “Vampire Naysayer,” offer breathtakingly solid sopranos that soar and trill without ever becoming shrill or thin. Both develop three-dimensional characters, each with a wildly different approach to defying conventions.

But King’s libretto is the crowning achievement of this “Der Vampyr.” Not only is his rhyming dexterity hilarious (“I’ll seduce her, then I’ll juice her”), but it always serves the story and the score.

OperaHub’s “Der Vampyr” is enjoyable on so many levels. The performance I saw included pre-teen audience members and an opera lover who said he was heading home to listen to his recording of the opera. Now that’s accessible.

Correction: Because of a reporting error, an earlier version misidentified the character of Jonathan Parker, and the actor who played him.


The number of Americans applying for jobless benefits fell below the 300,000 mark for the second time in three weeks last week, adding more evidence that the U.S. labor market is improving, with layoffs low and the pace of hiring picking up.

The latest report on jobless claims shows 289,000 Americans filed during the week ended Aug. 2, down 14,000 from the previous week. The number of people claiming to be unemployed is also down from the same week a year ago, when 335,000 people filed.

Perhaps most encouraging, though, is the four week average of initial jobless claims. This week that number is 293,500 — the lowest is has been since Feb. 25, 2006.

Washington was the state with the biggest increase in new claims, while Pennsylvania saw the biggest decrease.

Summary: Data offer more evidence that the U.S. labor market is improving.


Abraaj Group and Danone (Paris: BN) have agreed to acquire Fan Milk International, a Ghana-based manufacturer and distributor of frozen dairy products and juices in West Africa. The company reports 2012 sales of around €120 million. www.fanmilk-gh.net

Filtration Group Corp., a Joliet, Ill. –based provider of filtration solutions that is owned by Madison Capital Partners, has agreed to acquire Porex Corp., a Fairburn, Ga.–based maker of porous polymer products, from Aurora Capital Group. No financial terms were disclosed.www.filtrationgroup.com

Graham Partners has sponsored a recapitalization of Comar Inc., a Buena, N.J.–based provider of packaging solutions and liquid dispensing products for the healthcare and personal care markets.www.comar.com

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. is nearing an agreement to restructure the debt of portfolio companyAuro-Teile Unger (ATU), a German car repair chain, according to Reuters. The deal could include€ 25 million in new capital from existing ATU lender Centerbridge Partners. www.atu.de

Market Track, a portfolio company of Aurora Capital Group, has acquired Competitrack Inc., a New York-based competitive advertising tracking firm. No financial terms were disclosed.www.markettrack.com

On Center Software, a provider of construction automation software based in The Woodlands, Texas, has raised an undisclosed amount of growth equity funding from Accel-KKR. www.oncenter.com Permira has agreed to acquire British bootmaker Dr Martens for £300 million. The deal is expected to close in January. www.permira.com

Tiger Cool Express has launched with an undisclosed amount of equity funding from Tiger Infrastructure Partners, to focus on the transportation of perishables – primarily fresh produce – from California, Texas and Florida to the Eastern U.S. and Canada using rail intermodal service. It will be led by Thomas Finkbiner , former CEO of trucking company Quality Distribution Inc.www.tigerinfrastructure.com

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Summary: Abraaj Group and Danone (Paris: BN) have agreed to acquire Fan Milk International, a Ghana-based manufacturer and distributor of frozen dairy products and juices in West Africa. The company reports 2012 sales of around €120 million. www.fanmilk-gh.net Filtration Group Corp., a Joliet, Ill. –based provider of filtration solutions that is owned by Madison Capital Partners, has agreed to acquire Porex Corp., a…


Teresa Giudice and her husband, Joe

10/15/2014 AT 07:15 PM EDT

The list of legal troubles keeps getting longer for

star accepted a plea deal on Wednesday in his driver's license fraud case in Paterson, New Jersey.

The father of four, who was accused of using his brother's marriage and birth certificates to obtain a driver's license after his was suspended from a DUI charge, was sentenced to 18 months in jail. However, Giudice won't serve any additional time because the sentence will run concurrently with the

Though Giudice, 42, initially declined the deal offered by the judge, he later reconsidered.

"You're making a momentous decision," Judge Adam Jacobs told Giudice. "There's no going back after this." After requesting additional time to speak with his lawyer Miles Feinstein, Giudice accepted the deal,

did not attend the court hearing but continues to support her husband.

She told Andy Cohen on a recent special

when he goes to prison following her term, which begins Jan. 5.

"I don't think he meant to hurt me in any way," she told Cohen.

"I just want to apologize that I got you into this mess," Joe said to his wife. "If I could take it all back, I would."

Summary: The Real Housewives star pleaded guilty to possession of a fraudulent driver's license on Wednesday


Reynolds American, the maker of Camel and Pall Mall cigarettes, told employees Wednesday that it will ban smoking in its offices and buildings starting next year.

Just as surprising as Reynolds’ RAI decision to regulate where its employees light up is the mere fact that, yes, smoking in the workplace is still legal in some parts of the United States.

The only nationwide guidelines on smoking indoors relates to federal buildings and on airplanes. Otherwise, second-hand smoking laws are handled at lower levels of government. “It’s always been legislation that’s bubbled up from the local level to the state level,” says Darryl Konter, health communications specialist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office on Smoking and Health.

In 1990, San Luis Obispo, Calif., a community midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, adopted the first law in the U.S. that eliminated smoking in bars. In 2002, Delaware became the first state to adopt what the CDC considers a comprehensive anti-smoking law—one that bans smoking in private workplaces, restaurants, and bars. New York followed with a similar law in 2003, as did Massachusetts in 2004, and Rhode Island and Washington State in 2005.

In the 10-year span starting in 2000, “smoke free workplaces, restaurants, and bars went from being relatively rare to being the norm in half the states and Washington, D.C.,” according to a 2011 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report by the CDC. That progress, the center said, was “an extraordinary public health achievement.”

Now, 27 states and the District of Columbia have such “comprehensive” laws, with North Dakota as the latest to join the ranks, Konter says. Two states missing from that list, Kentucky and Alaska, are both currently considering state-wide indoor workplace smoking bans.

A surprise no-show on that list is California, a state that’s usually considered a leader in smoke-free initiatives. It allows smoking in some ventilated indoor locations. North Carolina, where Reynolds American is headquartered, prohibits smoking in restaurants and bars, but allows it in workplaces.

The CDC says anti-smoking laws have found success in such a short time span in part because lawmakers and the public consider them worker protection measures that should apply to all employees, even those in restaurants and bars.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has no regulation that addresses tobacco smoke as a whole. (The agency actually has no indoor air quality standards whatsoever.) OSHA has noted in the past that its rules on air contaminants restrict employee exposure to several of the main chemical components found in tobacco smoke, though in normal smoking situations, exposure to those components would not exceed OSHA’s permissible limits. “As a matter of prosecutorial discretion,” OSHA says, it does not apply its so-called General Duty Clause, which requires employers to provide a workplace free from hazards, to environmental tobacco smoke.

Cathy Callaway, associate director of state and local campaigns at the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, told Fortune that the lack of a federal anti-smoking law is by design. There was some talk during the Clinton Administration of instituting a nationwide ban through OSHA, but it was tabled out of fear that a national policy would interfere with the ongoing progress at the state and local levels, Callaway says. Such a federal bill would be ripe for exemptions and could preempt municipalities from passing more stringent laws.

Callaway says it’s easier to have conversations about the risks of second-hand smoke at the local level. Once one city or town institutes a ban and “the sky doesn’t fall down,” she says, the momentum travels from community to community.

Summary: Reynolds American recently banned smoking in its office. Just as surprising? Workplace smoking—in some places in the U.S.—is still legal.


The backroom at Laced is packed to standing-room-only capacity. Among the group of people in attendance — all either friends or family of the late Ja’Von Pemberton, known to them as Von P — stories are flying thick and fast about the man who died in July. One offers up a memory of Von coming out to show support at a video shoot he wasn’t appearing in, in the middle of a blizzard no less. Another recalls always making a point to stop at Laced, the streetwear store where Von worked his way up from intern to manager, and check in with his friend whenever he was in the area. A third remembers his smile and generosity, always willing to lend a few dollars for a slice of pizza when someone’s pockets were running near empty.

After a few minutes, the free-flowing conversation has touched on a variety of topics surrounding Von’s life, but his budding passion, music, hasn’t been the focal point. As a rising star in Boston’s revived hip-hop youth movement, Von was tragically denied his chance to break through when he collapsed during a basketball game at Titus Sparrow Park in the South End on July 18 and was pronounced dead en route to the hospital. He was 24.

Von expressed his talent and creativity through music, but it’s clear from listening to the voices in the room that no matter what he could have achieved as an artist, he’ll be remembered as a far better friend.

“Everyone that he touched, he taught,” says friend Chris Chaun. “Everyone who met Von and experienced his spirit, which is what he lived by. Everyone learned something from him, and that’s what will always remain.”

Out of all the people standing around the room, Von’s mother, Sheila Adesina, looms the largest. As a single mother raising three boys on her own, first in Memphis and later after moving to Roxbury, she saw her son’s quiet spirit start to come alive when he became involved in music. He enrolled at the New England Institute of Art to study production, but he kept his skills as a rapper subdued until the right time.

Middle East Upstairs, 472 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge 617-864-3278. http://www.mideastclub.com

“I never knew he could rap, I just thought he liked music,” says Adesina. “He didn’t let me listen to anything, I think just because of the lyrics. He played me the song that he made for me, and I liked it. Then he played me a song that was kind of explicit and I was like, ‘I still like that!’ He said, ‘Then I’m doing good. As long as I got your approval, I’m good.’ ”

“Sometimes he would play the music and wait for people to say, ‘Who’s this?’,” says Lino Delgado, leader of breaking crew the Floorlords. “You might come into the store and not even know if it was a song he was rapping on. He wanted to surprise people.”

From the limited tracks he released, glimpses of the artist Von was evolving into can be heard. Instrumentals with straightforward titles like “Dark” and “Grime” show a budding producer assembling disparate elements of hip-hop, dubstep, electro, and R&B. He debuted his first cut behind the mike, “I’m Me,” in February, weaving his brash wit around a hypnotic stoned-out beat. Later releases such as “Up” indulged in smoke-tinged fantasies of finding success through rap.

“He was the guy always showing support and showing love,” says Tim Larew, who premiered “I’m Me” on his blog, The Fresh Heir. “Even if in the back of his mind he wanted his music heard, there was no agenda. It was more about being part of community.”

Jessica Rinaldi For The Boston Globe

Sheila Adesina, mother of the late rapper, talks to Gio Dee at the gathering.

The support Von gave to the hip-hop scene will be reciprocated this Sunday at the Middle East Upstairs, where artists Pilot Nation, Michael Christmas, and #ChefBoyz, the group Von P joined just before his death, will perform in his honor. Plans for an EP dedicated to his memory are in the works.

For his friends and particularly Adesina, celebrating Von’s art and life helps keep his memory alive and ease the pain and questions surrounding his death. She hopes to find some measure of solace once she receives the coroner’s report that explains what happened to her son on that day at Titus Sparrow Park. But in the meantime, she can turn to Von’s music, and take strength from the people whom Von touched as a rapper, but also, more profoundly, as a man.

“I come around here every day, just to feel him,” she says to the room. “Just interacting with the people he did keeps me strong, because if not I think I would be falling apart right now. When I hear you guys talk, I know he listened to me. I always thought he wasn’t but he was [listening]. If he’s teaching his spirituality to you guys, that makes me feel good as a mother. I didn’t think Von talked about me.”

Durkin was not even a teenager when DJ Shadow dropped his landmark debut LP, “Endtroducing . . .,” in 1996, but the DJ/producer (profiled in April’s Scene & Heard) doesn’t skip a beat (no pun intended) in providing the opening set for Shadow’s show at the Sinclair on Saturday night. . . . Boston’s hip-hop community will come together for a benefit show on Aug. 17 at the Middle East Downstairs featuring Caliph, Chilla Jones, and others, with all funds going to One Fund Boston to help victims of the Marathon bombings. . . . Somerville-based duo Immigrants celebrate the release of its new full-length album with a performance on Aug. 28 at the Middle East Upstairs.

Summary: From the limited tracks he released to the public prior to his death, glimpses of the artist Von P was evolving into can be heard. Instrumentals with straightforward titles like “Dark” and “Grime” show a budding producer assembling disparate elements of hip-hop, dubstep, electro and R&B. “He was the guy always showing support and showing love,” says Tim Larew, who premiered “I’m Me” on his blog The Fresh Heir.  The support Von gave to the hip-hop scene will be reciprocated this Sunday at the Middle East Upstairs, where artists Pilot Nation, Michael Christmas and #ChefBoyz, the group Von P joined just prior to his passing, will perform in his honor.


As the vote tally in New Jersey's election for Governor continued to change and the victor remained undetermined, controversy broadened yesterday over the activities of a group of people who patrolled and posted warning signs on Election Day at polling places in some areas of the state.

Members of the group, known as the National Ballot Security Task Force, were sent into polling places in some Democratic areas at the behest of the Republican National Committee.

The Democratic candidate, Representative James J. Florio, charged on Thursday that the security task force's presence was a ''conscious effort to intimidate'' Democratic voters, but the Republican national chairman, Richard Richards, said yesterday that the security effort was intended to ''insure an honest election.'' Kean Ahead by 1,947 Votes

As county clerks continued to recheck their ballots in an effort to submit figures to the state on Monday, the latest unofficial totals from the News Election Service showed the Republican candidate, Thomas H. Kean, ahead of Mr. Florio by 1,947 votes out of more than 2.28 million cast.

Figures issued earlier in the day by the News Election Service had shown Mr. Kean ahead by 1,720 votes. Revised totals came from Cumberland, Gloucester, Middlesex and Ocean Counties. It was unclear whether Camden and Bergen Counties would complete their vote counts in time to meet the legal deadline. President Reagan, meanwhile, stopped briefly at Newark International Airport to offer his congratulations to Mr. Kean. ''He wanted to congratulate me, and I wanted to give him my thanks, and that's what we did,'' Mr. Kean said after a three-minute meeting with the President on Air Force One.

He said the President, who was en route to New York City, had told him, ''Make sure those numbers hold up.'' In an interview earlier in the day, Mr. Kean responded to Mr. Florio's charge of intimidation by the ballot task force by saying that he did ''not know anything about it.'' Some People 'Go Overboard'

''I gather there were people posting notices and wearing armbands,'' Mr. Kean said. ''They weren't part of the Kean campaign - not that I know of.''

Asked whether anyone in his campaign knew specifically what the task force was doing, he said that he thought not, but added that ''in any campaign, sometimes people go overboard.''

Mr. Kean said he was not concentrating on the Democrats' charges of intimidation by the ballot security group. Instead, he said, his lawyers were more concerned ''that the legalities are being followed, that ballots suddenly don't appear from some basement hall in Jersey City or Camden.''

''New Jersey doesn't have a great past reputation for elections,'' Mr. Kean, a former Assembly Speaker, added. Mr. Richards, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, issued a statement saying: ''Anyone opposed to ballot security obviously must be supportive of election fraud. We would have been cheated out of that race if we hadn't been alert.''

In another development, a group of Democrats announced the formation of ''Right to Vote 81'' to collect affidavits from voters who felt they were intimidated by the National Ballot Security Task Force and possibly to take legal action against the task force.

The announcement was made by Representative Peter W. Rodino Jr., Democrat of Newark; Mayor Kenneth A. Gibson of Newark and the Rev. S. Howard Woodson Jr., president of the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. 'Big Brother Is Watching'

''The entire operation can be termed 'Big Brother is watching,' '' Mr. Woodson said. He called for ''eradication of this tactic ever again in the state and the nation.''

Mr. Woodson, who is black, said that to his knowledge the signs were posted in ''predominantly minority voting districts'' in Trenton and Newark by ''individuals in very responsible positions.''

He said he had the names of some of these people, but declined to release them. Representative Rodino said that he was ''convinced these kinds of tactics may be questionable'' and that he would urge the New Jersey's Attorney General ''to investigate whatever is called to his attention.''

But the Essex County Prosecutor, George L. Schneider, said that he had spoken with the state's Attorney General, James Zazalli, about the matter, and was told that Mr. Zazalli had ''tabled'' plans for any inquiry and had directed Mr. Schneider to continue his own investigation.

At issue was the appearance at some polling places of signs that cautioned in large letters: ''Warning. This area is being patrolled by the National Ballot Security Task Force. It is a crime to falsify a ballot or to violate election laws. If you are not registered, you cannot vote. ... You must vote in your own name. You may only vote one time.''

The signs offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of election law violators. They also gave a toll-free telephone number to report possible fraud.

A directory assistance operator, who was asked yesterday for the toll-free number for the New Jersey State Republican Committee, gave the same number.

Also posted at some polling places were guards wearing armbands identifying them as members of the National Ballot Security Task Force.


Martin Sevillano and Chris McMillan

11/11/2014 AT 04:55 PM EST

The emoticons said it all.

In a Nov. 3 Tweet, Chris McMillan

of himself and boyfriend Martin Sevillano, captioned with the hashtag #thisjusthappened.

Now PEOPLE can exclusively confirm that McMillan married Sevillano in small ceremony on Waikiki in Hawaii earlier this month. The happy couple posted a few photos from their vacation, taken on their one-year anniversary.

"No one was invited. It was very discreet," a source tells PEOPLE, confirming that the duo are "very cute together."

On Friday, McMillan celebrated his birthday and recent nuptials with friends in Los Angeles at a party thrown by

's Linda Wells, attended by

The celebrity stylist, whose clients over the years include

, is most famous for his long-time partnership with

, beginning with the creation of "The Rachel" cut. A year ago, the pair – who also collaborate on the

hair care line – prompted a viral reaction when

of Aniston's famously long locks cut into a bob.

, "If I could do anything, I'd get to do whatever I want to Jen's hair. And I'd do the s--- out of it. I did her hair the other day, and she was like, 'You can never die.' She's got a good head of hair. I'm just really lucky that she came to me."

Summary: The celebrity hair stylist weds in a small private ceremony in Hawaii


Uber has hired a privacy expert to review how it handles data it collects about passengers using the ride-hailing service amid intense criticism about the company’s privacy practices.

The move follows a public relations mess for the company after a senior executive told a reporter that he would hire opposition researchers to dig into journalists backgrounds. It also comes after reports about another executive who tracked a reporter using the company’s app without her permission.

Uber hired Harriet Pearson and the law firm Hogan Lovells to work with its privacy team as an outside auditor. The firm will conduct a comprehensive review of Uber’s data privacy program and recommend any needed improvements, Uber said.

“The trip history of our riders is important information,”

. “We understand that we must treat it carefully and with respect, protecting it from unauthorized access.”

Pearson, who was previously the chief privacy officer for IBM, advises companies on security and privacy breach responses and reparations as well as self-regulatory processes. She has been dubbed the “First Lady of Privacy” and was one of the first and longest-serving chief privacy officers in the Fortune 500.

Yesterday, Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., wrote Uber asking a series of questions about its privacy practices and saying that recent news reports “suggest a troubling disregard for customers’ privacy.”

Summary: Uber hires privacy expert Harriet Pearson, the former chief privacy officer of IBM, to review its policies following a public uproar.


FORTUNE — Kamakshi Sivaramakrishnan never planned to go into advertising, much less run a startup. But when the 37-year-old Stanford graduate, with a Ph.D. in Information Theory, met AdMob founder Omar Hamoui, she turned her back on Wall Street and joined AdMob as a research scientist in 2007. There, she developed large, sweeping strings of math to help improve things like making ads more relevant to users.

“It was the era of feature phones,” Sivarakmakrishnan remembers. Though the iPhone launched that year, Sivaramakrishnan still owned an old-school cell with a small screen and skeleton web browser. “Who browsed the Internet on their phones then? We just used them to talk. It was a voice communication device — not a data communication device.”

Two years later, Google GOOG , itself the long-reigning Internet ad king, scooped up AdMob for $750 million, one of the largest acquisitions the company ever made. Sivrakmakrishnan stayed with Google for a brief six-month stint before striking out on her own to finish what AdMob started.

MORE: 5 worst Internet acquisitions of all time

“If there is an unfinished legacy of AdMob that needs to be solved, it’s mobile advertising in this next generation,” she explains. Now the 36-strong San Mateo-based startup, with $20.5 million in funding from backers like Kleiner Perkins and Sequoia Capital, argues that today’s $7.29 billion U.S. mobile ad industry is broken. Many marketers continue to treat mobile and desktop behavior as separate sets of data, a flawed philosophy given how many consumers own multiple devices now. They may start surfing the web on the desktop, for instance, but continue doing so on their tablet or smartphone.

Last fall, Drawbridge debuted ad products that know better. Say a smartphone user searches for flat screen TVs, and they see a Best Buy BBY sales ad. They click on it, but realize they’d rather browse and buy on BestBuy.com from their desktop instead of scrolling on their phone’s comparatively smaller screen. “Best Buy doesn’t know that was the same person who clicked on their mobile app, and Google doesn’t either,” explains Eric Rosenblum, another Google alum and Drawbridge’s VP of product. All Best Buy knows is that it paid Google for an ad someone clicked on, but they did not buy a television, and that later, a different person came to BestBuy.com and bought a TV.”

Devices that all belong to the same person normally send off similar ad requests or requests made through the device by way of a digital exchange or marketplace. Drawbridge is able to sit on the sidelines of this digital exchange and observe these requests. Over several weeks, Drawbridge’s tech recognizes a user’s behavioral patterns across different devices and with 70%-plus accuracy, matches them up. In the case of Best Buy and Google, the value of Drawbridge is obvious: BestBuy BBY would know its ad directly contributed to a purchase, and Google could potentially charge more for that ad.

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The startup has paired over 471 million devices so far, yielding complete desktop and mobile user profiles that number in the hundreds of millions. Travel booking site Expedia EXPE is already testing Drawbridge’s ad solutions. Drawbridge’s next step? Drilling deeper into user data and being able to tell marketers things like how often someone comes back to a web site and once they return, whether they’re viewing or clicking from mobile or desktop. Already, Sivaramakrishnan estimates their current ad solutions can offer marketing campaigns as much as 300% in boost.

Given its founder’s dedication, the Drawbridge crew should get there quickly. When she first started, the committed Sivaramakrishnan encouraged people to come into the office on weekends and even wondered whether it was OK to give employees Christmas Day off. Indeed, it was only after her beat-up 1990 Toyota Corolla got totaled in an accident did Sivaramakrishnan finally get a new car. “She was so busy she couldn’t buy one,” chuckles Matt Murphy, a Kleiner Perkins partner and Drawbridge investor, who offered to purchase one for her. (He ultimately didn’t.)

To Murphy however, that would have been a small price to pay so Sivaramakrishnan could continue her work. Explains Murphy: “She’s going after a big problem that frankly, is going to be extraordinarily hard for others replicate.”

Summary: This AdMob vet wants to bridge the divide between desktop and mobile advertising. If she succeeds, even Google could find itself at a disadvantage.


LEXINGTON, Ky., Wednesday, Sept. 5.

Everything was propitious for the gathering today. At an early hour to-day the roads from all directions were crowded with people. At 11 o'clock a salute of thirty-three guns announced the arrival of Mr. BRECKINRIDGE. He was hailed with enthusiastic demonstrations. At 11:20 he arose and said:

I beg you, my neighbors, friends and old constituents, to be assured that I feel profoundly grateful for the cordial welcome you have extended to me. The circumstances under which I appear before you are novel and unusual. I do it in obedience to the request of friends, whose intelligence I have been accustomed to observe; and if it be an uncommon thing for a person in my position to address assemblies of people, I can only say I hope to discuss topics in a manner not altogether unworthy the attitude which I occupy. I shall certainly indulge in no language which, in my opinion, will fall below the dignity of political discussion. The condition of my health and position make it impossible to extend my voice over this vast assembly, but I trust I will become stronger as I proceed.

I have been asked, fellow-citizens, to speak at my own home, because I and the political organization with which I am connected have been assailed in an unusual manner, and charged with treason to my country. I appear before you to-day for the purpose of repelling certain accusations which have been made against me personally, and industriously circulated through other States of the Union; and next to show that the principles upon which I stand, are the principles of both the Constitution and Union of our country -- [great applause] -- and, surely, if at any time the justification could be found by any man for addressing the people in the position which I occupy, it will be found in my case. Anonymous writers and wandering orators have chosen to tell the people that I, individually, am a disunionist, and a traitor to my country; and they declare with assurance that I have exhibited a treason that makes, by comparison with it, BURR a patriot, and the memory of ARNOLD respectable; but, fellow-citizens, before I come to those topics, I desire to make and prove a comprehensive statement in regard to my position in connection with the Presidency of the United States.

I have been charged with a premature ambition; I have been charged with intriguing for the nomination; I have been charged with leaping before the wishes of the people, and desiring to thrust myself before them for the highest office in their gift. To that I answer, it is wholly untrue. I have written to nobody soliciting support; I have conversed with nobody soliciting support; I have intrigued with nobody; I have promised nobody. To these statements I challenge contradiction from any human being. [Cheers.]

A VOICE -- That's so, JOHN C.

A VOICE -- Open your mouth wider.

Mr. BRECKINRIDGE -- I did not seek or desire to be placed before the people for the office of President by any Convention. When I returned to the State of Kentucky in the Spring of 1859, and was informed that some political friends were presenting my name to the public in that connection, and a certain editor, whose presence I see here, had hoisted my name for the Presidency, I said to him, "Friend, I am not in any sense a candidate for the Presidency," and I desired that my name might be taken down from the head of his columns. It was done. A very eminent citizen of the Commonwealth of Kentucky was presented for that office. I was gratified to see it, and as far as my own declarations were concerned, I united cordially in presenting him for the suffrages of the American people. No time, in or out of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, did I do an act or utter a word which would bring my name in conflict with his, or any other eminent American citizen who desired, or whose friends desired for him, that position; and if you will take the trouble to read the proceedings of the Charleston Convention, you will remember that when I received the vote of Arkansas, one of my friends arose and withdrew my name, declaring I would not allow it to come in conflict with this gentleman before the Convention. When that Convention assembled at Baltimore, my feelings and my conduct were still unchanged. After the disruption which took place there, my name was used without any solicitations on my part. Not deeming the presentation of my name possible, I said I did not desire to be presented to the American people. I was content with the honors which had been heaped upon me by my State and my country, and I looked forward with pleasure to the prospect I had of serving my country in the Senate of the United States for the next six years. My name, however, was presented, and I felt I could not refuse to accept the nomination, under the circumstances, without abandoning vital principles and betraying my friends.

It is said I was not regularly nominated, and that an eminent citizen of Illinois was regularly nominated for the Presidency; but that is a question I have not time to discuss to-day, and it has already been thoroughly exhibited and discoursed upon before the people. I refer you to the bold letter of your delegates from this Congressional District. I refer you to the masterly and expansive speech recently delivered by my honorable, friend, in whose grounds we are now met. I can only say that the Convention which assembled at the Front-street Theatre, at Baltimore, in my judgment was devoid, not only of the spirit of justice, but of the forms of regularity. [Cheers.] The gentleman whom it presented never received the vote required by the rules of the Democratic organization. Whole States were excluded and disfranchised in that Convention, not to speak of individuals. The most flagrant acts of injustice were perpetrated for the purpose of forcing a particular dogma upon the Democratic organization, and the gentleman who is the representative of that dogma is the representative also of principles which I will be able to show repugnant alike to reason and the Constitution. A decided majority of the delegates from your own State withdrew from the Convention, declaring that; it was not a National Convention of the real Democratic organization. The entire delegation from the fifteen Southern States and of California and Oregon, with large minorities from other States, making in whole or in part delegations from almost two-thirds of the States of the Confederacy. It represented a National Democratic Convention, pending upon the authority and loyalty of the Democratic Party.


American Apparel has fired CEO Dov Charney six months after suspending him for alleged misconduct.

The clothing retailer said on Tuesday that it had appointed Paula Schneider, a veteran fashion executive, as his replacement. Schneider has previously worked at clothing group Warnaco and women’s apparel company Big Strike, will take the reins of the struggling clothing retailer on January 5, 2015.

American Apparel APP says it has terminated Charney, who was removed from the CEO role in June after the company alleged he had misused corporate money and violation of sexual harassment policies. Over the years, Charney has faced repeated accusations of sexually harassing employees and of discriminating against less attractive staff on the grounds that they undermined the corporate aesthetic.

Charney had been serving as a consultant to the company in recent months, but American Apparel said on Tuesday that he has been terminated for cause.

Charney, who founded American Apparel 25 years ago, was initially replaced by interim CEO John Luttrell, who also served as the company’s chief financial officer. But, Luttrell was removed from both roles in September, when turnaround expert Scott Brubaker of restructuring firm Alvarez & Marsal took over as the new interim CEO. Brubaker will continue in that role until Schneider takes over in early January.

David Danziger, co-chairman of American Apparel’s board, said in a statement that the retailer “needs a permanent CEO who can bring stability and strong leadership in this time of transition, and we believe Ms. Schneider fits the bill perfectly.”

Once one of the trendier, youth-focused retailers in the industry, American Apparel has seen its sales fall off in recent years. The company’s same-store sales declined 7% last quarter and it reported another net loss.

In a statement, Schneider said “My goal is to make American Apparel a better company, while staying true to its core values of quality and creativity and preserving its sweatshop-free, Made in USA manufacturing philosophy.”

Summary: Charney had been suspended in June following accusations of sexual harassment and misuse of company funds.


FORTUNE — We hear so much about the ‘mobile enterprise’ that it’s difficult to really know what it all means, or why it matters. A future where employees work from the device of their choosing intimidates many business leaders, causing them to fret about complexity and the security and compliance implications of an increasingly mobile world.

It was all so much easier before.

But lamenting the challenges of mobile is shortsighted and ignores both its inevitability and its massive potential to bring real value to companies. If you’re a leader of a company, you should start paying attention to the following trends to get your company’s mobile pieces in place for the future.

There’s An App for That…Now It wasn’t long ago that mobile devices were completely novel. I remember my first mobile phone: It looked like a brick, and beyond allowing me to make phone calls at $1.99 per minute, had about the same level of usefulness. We’ve certainly come a long way. Now, you can cash checks by just snapping a picture, book a town car with the press of a button and pay for your morning coffee by swiping your phone. Oh, you can make phone calls, text and check your email, too.

Think about it: Just 10 years ago, we had fax machines, PBX boxes (remember those?) and those clunky cell phones. Today, buoyed by the cloud, we’re drowning in email, tablets and smartphones at every turn. Change happens fast, and in ten years, the technology we use at work and at home will look very different from how it looks today.

Sent From a Tiny Computer in My Back Pocket According to the International Telecommunications Union, there are more than one billion smartphone users worldwide, and almost six billion mobile phone users total. (Note: The world’s population is around seven billion right now – it seems that even toddlers are texting.) People all over the globe, even those who lack basic infrastructure such as running water, are chatting wirelessly. Mobile is already huge – whether you’re in Kabul, Kalamazoo or Kathmandu.

The most exciting part is that is that we’re just getting started.

Over the next several years, smartphones will increasingly replace unconnected mobile phones, which means that almost everyone on the planet will have a tiny computer in their back pocket. And they’ll be doing more work on those computers, no matter their industry. Nearly every job in the world will become a ‘computer job’ — not just white-collar desk jobs. Oil rig workers miles out at sea, plumbers making house calls and, yes, office workers will all rely on smart mobile devices to do their jobs. Not only does this open up new ways for companies to connect with billions of employees, customers and partners, but it’s also an opportunity for forward-thinking leaders to redefine how their companies communicate, collaborate and train employees in the “mobile-first” world we’re quickly approaching.

This shift also spells the end for the multiplicity of specialized mobile devices in many industries. Standalone GPS receivers, building badges, television remote controls, MP3 players and those rugged mobile devices the UPS driver uses to scan packages and capture signatures will soon become obsolete. This consolidation into a single device – the smartphone – will also cause other products that we use in our daily lives to become more efficient and to work seamlessly with smartphones. We’re already seeing this in vehicles that read drivers’ Twitter and Facebook feeds and in smart appliances that allow homeowners to adjust the temperature or activate the alarm while on vacation.

And that innovation is not reserved for our personal lives – hardly. When CEOs think about computing and how employees will work in five years, they should envision one super powerful, personally owned device that’s always on, supplemented by a network of peripheral devices at home and at work that are just as agile. That’s the direction we’re headed. Fast. And the implications will be as profound in business as they will be in our personal lives, a line that continues to blur as we all become more connected.

BYOD is Not BS – It’s the Beginning For businesses, the first step toward a mobile-first reality is ensuring that their employees are connected to the information they need — no matter where they work or what device they use. The Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) trend we’ve seen popping up in headlines is only the beginning of this shift. In a few years, a company not allowing employees to access company applications and content from their personal devices will be as unthinkable as a company not providing computers to their employees today.

The good news is that many businesses are seeing the light and are now encouraging employees to work from personal mobile devices. And those that have are already reaping the benefits, including fewer hardware costs and improved employee satisfaction and productivity. Take Pandora Media (P) as an example. The company’s CFO, Steve Cakebread, has noticed increased employee productivity and happiness by allowing Pandora employees to use the devices with which that they’re already familiar, while also saving the company on hardware and training costs. A win-win, indeed.

Of course, the shift to a mobile-first environment isn’t as simple as sending company-wide email or a relaying a directive from the CIO. There are security and compliance issues that come into play as organizations open up their access channels, with employees potentially being the weakest link.

Still, if the plan is built correctly and has the proper measures in place, the benefits organizations stand to see from fully embracing mobile far outweigh the risks or challenges in doing so. Companies that resist this shift will feel the pinch in the future. I’d compare it to the feeling of being stuck with a brand new typewriter when the first personal computers started rolling out in the 1980s.

Hitching Your Wagon – Betamax vs. VHS, Redux Of course, hidden within all of this opportunity are the pitfalls we all hope to avoid. Right now, the biggest mistake to make would be hitching to the wrong wagon – or mobile platform, in this case. Today, it’s iOS vs. Android, with RIM slipping into irrelevance and Microsoft scrambling to catch up. To get an idea of which way the wind is blowing, company leaders must look at where the most popular apps are available and hedge toward that platform. This is important when buying packaged applications and services, and when you’re building your own internally. You don’t want to commit the company to the next Betamax or HD DVD.

In the not-so-distant future, nearly every job will be a mobile one. To take advantage of that mobile-first future, more companies need to build competency in mobile development. Money spent on customization has always dwarfed packaged software —and mobile will be no different. Companies need to aggressively invest in this future or risk irrelevance. That means either focusing on their own application development or working with forward-thinking partners who understand the mobile and cloud forces that are reshaping business. Companies won’t just be able to rely on legacy vendors, all of which have decades of pre-mobile inertia built into their products, to react swiftly enough.

The future’s within reach for any company willing to embrace and invest in mobile, instead of relying on yesterday’s software, no matter how comfortable it may seem today.

Todd McKinnon is the CEO of Okta , a company he co-founded in 2009 with the mission of empowering enterprises to realize the full benefits of their cloud-based applications.

Summary: Specialized devices are going away. And that has massive implications for businesses of all types.


It’s not every day a 700-foot skyscraper gets built on the street where you grew up.

For Angelina Stamas, that day came on Jan. 15, when developer Richard Friedman formally began construction of 1 Dalton St., a 61-story hotel and condominium tower at the edge of the Christian Science Plaza in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood.

Stamas, 88, was born on Dalton Street in 1926. The place she remembers — of immigrant families, apartment houses, and daily food markets — has changed a bit since then.

“I was in the city the other night and I was just thinking, ‘Oh my God. Look at all the lights and the action and the people!” said Stamas, who lived there through high school and now lives in Arlington. “If you knew what it was before and then you see the after, you just can’t believe it. I’m glad I’ve seen all this happen in my lifetime.”

Stamas wasn’t able to make it to the groundbreaking ceremony for 1 Dalton St., which will include a Four Seasons Hotel and 180 ultra-high-end condominiums. But she said she visits the neighborhood from time to time.

Her reminiscings are impressively precise, as though she’s looking back on the neighborhood through a telescope.

“I can tell you anything you want to know,” she said. “On Sundays we would go to a movie theater on Exeter Street that had classic movies,” she said. “We would walk up Boylston to Mass. Ave. and there was a cocktail lounge, but nothing was open. It was dead. Now it reminds me of Times Square.”

Though she holds her memories close, Stamas said the only thing that excites her more are the changes in the city, especially the towers that are reinventing its skyline.

“I like things that are new,” she said. “Those buildings aren’t just making the city bigger and taller, they are fixing it up, too. I just can’t wait to see what they come up with next.”

Summary: Angelina Stamas, 88, was born on Dalton Street in 1926. The place she remembers — of immigrant families, apartment houses, and daily food markets — has changed a bit since then.


Lands’ End, an apparel company known for its casual American style, has named a Dolce & Gabbana executive to serve as the brand’s next CEO.

The apparel company, which last year was spun off from Sears SHLD , said Federica Marchionni will join Lands’ End LE as CEO on Feb. 17. She will also join the company’s board. Marchionni succeeds Edgar Huber, who is resigning.

“I cannot wait to get started to take advantage of the significant opportunities ahead,” Marchionni said in a statement. Josephine Linden, chairman of Lands’ End’s board, said they were confident she would “build upon the company’s legacy as a classic American brand with a keen eye toward its future as a global lifestyle brand.”

The appointment of Marchionni can be seen as somewhat out of Lands’ End’s comfort zone as much of her experience is in a world that Land’s End doesn’t compete in. Marchionni has served as president of Dolce & Gabbana’s U.S. operations since 2011 and had worked for the luxury brand since 2001. She was also an executive at Ferrari, and previously held positions as some telecommunications firms such as Samsung.

Lands’ End couldn’t be any more different than Dolce & Gabbana. For example, none of the dresses Land’s End currently lists on its’ website retail for more than $100. Dolce & Gabbana’s dresses, as one of the world’s priciest apparel brands, costs thousands and thus court an entirely different audience.

Lands’ End is one of the assets Sears has unloaded as it generates proceeds from its portfolio at a time when sales have faced significant pressure. Sears had owned the company, which generates about $1.5 billion in revenue annually, since 2002. The brand has reportedly suffered under Sears ownership, with some analysts caught off guard by the weakness of the brand’s results when Sears first indicated it would spin off the company.

The change at the top of Land’s End comes less than two weeks after the company warned it expects fourth-quarter sales would decline 3% to 5% from a year ago, while net income was expected to tumble a more severe 20% to 26%. The company said it was disappointed by the performance of its’ cold weather gear, and also saw a mixed reaction to some of the fashionable sweaters and knits it attempted to sell to women. That profit and sales warning led Lands’ End shares to fall from north of $50 to under $37 a piece.

Summary: Retailer’s CEO quits; successor, Federica Marchionni, is from Dolce & Gabbana.


ICC President Mustafa Kamal. (AAP)

Mustafa Kamal has resigned as president of the International Cricket Council with an outspoken attack on the world governing body after he was prevented from presenting the World Cup trophy.

Kamal accused the ICC of behaving "unlawfully" after he was barred from making the presentation. He said he was blocked because he refused to withdraw an incendiary allegation of match-fixing.

The Bangladeshi national had said after his country's World Cup quarter-final defeat by India that there was "no quality in the umpiring" and suggested the result had been "pre-arranged".

The claim drew a sharp rebuke from ICC chief executive David Richardson and Kamal later complained that he had been deprived of his "right" as ICC president to present the trophy to the winners, Australia, in Melbourne last Sunday.

Instead that honour went to India's Narayanaswami Srinivasan, who took over as ICC chairman last year and who was booed at the ceremony.

"I resign right at this moment. I am no longer ICC president," Kamal told reporters at the airport in Dhaka, where he arrived on Wednesday from Singapore.

"The main reason for my resignation is that I can't work with those who can act unconstitutionally and unlawfully."

The ICC confirmed that Kamal had resigned in a letter to the organisation but said the outgoing president had cited "personal" reasons and had not made any complaint against any individual.

Kamal's position has been largely ceremonial since Srinivasan took office as ICC chairman last year.

On Wednesday he launched an extraordinary attack on the Indian national, calling him "rotten" and "controversial" and suggesting the ICC could stand for "Indian Cricket Council".

"I feel bad even to mention his name," he said. "If that man is in charge of cricket, how will cricket run?"

Srinivasan was forced to quit as head of India's cricket board over a corruption inquiry involving his son-in-law.

Kamal, who is a government minister in Bangladesh, had earlier threatened to quit over the umpiring of the quarter-final.

He said he had been told he would only be allowed to present the trophy if he withdrew his claim of bias.

"I will not withdraw the statement because it was the sentiment of 160 million people," Kamal said, referring to the population of Bangladesh.

"Then they told me, if you can't submit an apology or withdraw the statement, you can't present the trophy," Kamal said.

Emotions in cricket-mad Bangladesh ran high after the 109-run defeat by India in the team's first-ever World Cup quarter-final.

Fans wept openly in the streets and burnt an effigy of umpire Aleem Dar, who is from rival nation Pakistan.

Kamal also called for a clean-up of the ICC, saying cricket should be "run by people who are holy and who believe in honesty".

The ICC confirmed in a statement that Kamal had tendered his resignation "with immediate effect" in a letter to Richardson.

"Mr Kamal said he was stepping down on personal grounds and offered his apologies to all associated with the ICC, while adding that he had no complaints to make against anyone," said the statement.

The ICC board's would discuss the vacancy at a meeting at its headquarters in Dubai on April 15-16.

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Summary: Mustafa Kamal resigned as president of the International Cricket Council on Wednesday with an outspoken attack on the world governing body after he was prevented from presenting the World Cup trophy.


Clockwise from left: Charles Thomas Newcomb, Jordan Driver, David Elliot Moran

Union County, Fla., Sheriff's Office/AP

04/03/2015 AT 02:55 PM EDT

What started as a fight between a prison guard and an inmate has escalated into a case of alleged attempted murder.

Two prison guards and a former employee have been arrested by the FBI for conspiring to kill a black inmate in a Florida prison.

Thomas Jordan Driver, 25; David Elliot Moran, 47, and Charles Thomas Newcomb, 42, are each charged with a felony count of conspiracy to commit murder. Driver and Moran work as corrections officers; Newcomb was a former employee.

, an FBI informant allegedly met the men after infiltrating a branch of the Ku Klux Klan. According to an investigator, Driver told the informant that he had fought with the inmate and wanted him "six feet under."

According to WJXT, the FBI says that their informant met with all three men over the next few months, discussing plans to kill the man, who has since been released from prison. They bandied about several plans, including injecting the man with insulin or making it look like he died in a fishing accident.

The state prosecutor and the FBI then staged the murder and had the informant tell the corrections officers that the deed had been done.

"My statewide prosecutor, acting in conjunction again with the FBI, staged a homicide scene where they took photos of the victim, who was out of prison, now, of course, making it appear that he had been violently murdered," Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a press conference on Thursday. "Those photos were then shown to the corrections officers, who are alleged members of the KKK and were very proud of this killing."

The three men face up to 30 years in jail if they are convicted.

For now, the Department of Corrections is moving to fire Driver and Moran. (According to the department, Newcomb only worked as a trainee for three months before being dismissed for failure to meet his minimum training requirements.)

"We are moving swiftly to terminate the employees arrested today and working closely with the Office of the Attorney General to assist in their prosecution," DOC Secretary Julie Jones said in a statement. "Our department has zero tolerance for racism or prejudice of any kind. The actions of these individuals are unacceptable and do not, in any way, represent the thousands of good, hardworking and honorable correctional officers employed at the Department of Corrections."

Summary: The three men each face one charge of conspiracy to commit murder