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The personal details of more than a fifth of Facebook's estimated 500 million users have been "leaked" to the internet by campaigners highlighting its "terrifying" privacy fears. | 0.735294 | medium | On Wednesday, the list was rapidly spreading across the internet being distributed and downloaded by more than 1,000 users, the BBC reported. One user described the list as "awesome and a little terrifying". But its publication provoked concern from privacy experts who said it proved Facebook’s “confusing” privacy settings were still apparent. But the company defended its privacy settings and denied any “private data” had been made available or comprised, saying the information was already available. Last week Facebook reached 500 million members – the equivalent of connecting with eight per cent of the world’s population. If it were a country, its 500 million members would make it the third-largest country in the world. The list was “leaked” to the site by Ron Bowles, an online security consultant, who reportedly used a simple piece of code to collect the data from the site. He told the broadcaster that he published the data to highlight privacy issues. Simon Davies, of Privacy International, a campaign group, said:"Facebook should have anticipated this attack and put measures in place to prevent it," he said. "It is inconceivable that a firm with hundreds of engineers couldn't have imagined a trawl of this magnitude and there's an argument to be heard that Facebook have acted with negligence.” He added: "This highlights the argument for a higher level of privacy and proves the case for default nondisclosure. "There are going to be a lot of angry and concerned people right now who be wondering who has their data and what they should do." In a statement to the BBC, Facebook said the list’s information was already freely available online. "People who use Facebook own their information and have the right to share only what they want, with whom they want, and when they want," a spokesman said. "In this case, information that people have agreed to make public was collected by a single researcher and already exists in Google, Bing, other search engines, as well as on Facebook. "No private data is available or has been compromised.” He added: “It is similar to the white pages of the phone book, this is the information available to enable people to find each other, which is the reason people join Facebook. "If someone does not want to be found, we also offer a number of controls to enable people not to appear in search on Facebook, in search engines, or share any information with applications." Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder and chief executive, has said he believes the company has got its privacy settings right “on the whole”. The site recently faced a storm of international protest over its over-complicated privacy settings, which users said led them unwittingly to make personal information public. It forced the social networking site to announced last month that it would “drastically simplify” the controls that let users set how much of their personal information is visible to other users. | newsroom-1 | https://web.archive.org/web/2010072919id_/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/7915572/Facebook-security-fears-after-private-details-of-100m-users-leaked-to-web.html |
Wes Craven’s classic scary movie, ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street,’ uses the common street name to heighten the horror | 1.636364 | medium | When director Wes Craven dreamed up “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” his classic horror film, he picked an address that would evoke a kind of Everywhere, U.S.A. “It really fits what he was going for, which is that horror can happen anywhere, even in residential neighborhoods that we all think are safe,” says Thommy Hutson, author of “Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy—The Making of Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street,” a chronicle of the film that incorporates interviews with Mr. Craven, who died in August. In real life, the house where Freddy Krueger invaded Nancy Thompson’s dreams is on North Genesee Avenue in Los Angeles. But the ubiquity of Elm Streets is indisputable. Seventeen of the country’s 25 largest cities have them, and there are 2,376 Elm Streets across the U.S., with a total of 92,225 homes, according to real-estate listings website Zillow. (The October data is based on Elm Streets, including its directional variants, with at least 10 homes.) If you want your own slice of the American nightmare, you can choose from 1,410 homes for sale with a median listing price of $129,900—less than the country’s median price of $227,400, Zillow said. The most expensive, at $4.75 million, is a five-bedroom house in Greenwich, Conn. The street is among the town’s most desirable, says listing agent Richard Breglia. So, too, is Chicago’s East Elm Street, an enclave of rowhouses in the city’s Gold Coast neighborhood. A townhouse there priced at almost $2.7 million recently went into contract, says listing agent Brad Lippitz. Elm Streets pop up in areas where developers want to evoke stability and community, says Mitchell L. Moss, an urban-policy professor at New York University. With its echoes of thick leaves and arching branches, Elm is a much more popular street name than Spruce or Birch, he adds. It may also explain why a horror movie on Elm Street is so chilling. “The elm tree represents a kind of Americana,” says Mr. Hutson. “It was really about the kind of protection that an elm tree provided.” | newsroom-2 | https://web.archive.org/web/2015102919id_/http://www.wsj.com/articles/a-neighbor-on-elm-street-why-freddy-kruegers-haunt-is-so-popular-1446129817 |
Geeky fun, from robotic dogs that bark at your Nintendo DS to tiny cars that interact with iPad. | 0.95 | high | Given the iPad's sky-rocketing popularity, it is only natural that toy companies would mimic that popular tablet. The result is some good, cheaper alternatives to the $499 iPad for families with young children. Here's a closer look at the top two: — LeapPad. From Leapfrog, best for ages 4-9, $99.99. Rating: 3.5 Stars (out of 4). For only $99.99, parents can purchase a tablet device designed for kids. Featuring a 5-inch touch-sensitive screen encased in a durable frame, Leapfrog's version of a kiddie tablet plays Leapfrog downloadable apps, games, e-books, flashcards and videos. The device also supports games that come in cartridges, and is compatible with those playable on last year's Leapster Explorer handheld gaming system. The LeapPad houses a camera and video recorder, and has a microphone that supports voice commands and recordings. While it comes loaded with lots of apps to explore, the best thing about this system is that it plays the new LeapPad Ultra eBooks, robust interactive books that feature cinematics, learning games, the defining and highlighting of words as read and the adjustment of reading level based on the child's ability. Parents will welcome the connection to the Leapfrog Learning Path, a service that tracks what kids are learning and then offers suggestions about new apps and games to play next. This is our favorite kiddie tablet. — InnoTab. From Vtech, best for ages 4-9, $79.99. Rating: 3 stars (out of 4) Similar in size and functionality to the LeapPad, the InnoTab is $20 less because it doesn't include the camera and video recorder functionality of the LeapPad. The device comes loaded with apps, games and books, and can connect online to the Vtech store to download additional content. The InnoTab also plays separate cartridge game ($25 each). This kiddie tablet is good, but we like the LeapPad's built-in camera functions. Also, the initial quality of software is better on the LeapPad than on the InnoTab. That said, this is still a nifty choice for kids. TOYS WITH A GAMING COMPONENT —Life of George. From The Lego Group, best for ages 7 and up. $29.99, requires iPhone or iPod Touch and free app. Rating: 4 stars (out of 4) This box of 144 Lego bricks comes with a special playmat and a guide on how to play this game using an app downloaded onto an iPhone or an iPod Touch. The concept is that the app challenges you to build a specific design (like a car or a pineapple) as quickly as you can. When you are done building, you place your creation on the special playmat and use the camera on your iDevice to scan your creation. The app rates you on how well you built the requested item within the time used. For one or two players, this toy-plus-app combo blends fun Lego building with cool technology that can accurately register your Lego building skill. It is playable on two levels of difficulty. You can also photograph your own creations and then challenge others to build them. For all Lego builders, this is one competition you don't want to miss. There is a special Christmas album offered as an in-app purchase ($1.99) which gives you 30 new holiday-themed challenges. —Wappy Dog. From Activision, best for ages 6-10, $49.99, requires a Nintendo DS. Rating: 3 stars (out of 4) Wappy is a white robotic dog with blue trim that comes packaged with the "Wappy Dog" video game for the Nintendo DS. The robotic toy responds to human touches, but it is most fun when played using the Nintendo DS software. The Nintendo DS acts as translator by letting children select questions to ask Wappy. The dog responds by barking and moving its body (it doesn't walk) and then the Nintendo DS translates this "doggy speak" into English. The puppy may tell you it is hungry, or that it wants to play a game with you. You can even play "Rock, Paper, Scissors" with it. In addition to providing kids with a series of questions and commands to which Wappy will respond, the software also allows for a virtual version of Wappy to appear in the game so that kids can play a virtual pet simulation game on the DS. With this adorable robotic toy at their side, kids will love owning a virtual pet. — Cars 2 AppMATes. From Disney, best for ages 5-9, $19.99 for two-vehicle pack or $12.99 for single car, requires an iPad and a free app. Rating: 3 stars (out of 4) This new toy line has a high "Wow" factor. Sold in packages of two cars each, AppMATes are little Matchbox-like toy car versions of "Cars 2" movie stars, including Mater, Lightning McQueen, Holley Shiftwell, Finn McMissile, Shu Todoroki and Francesco Bernoulli. These toy cars come to life when placed on top of the iPad that is playing the free AppMATes app. By holding the car with two fingers on either side of its windows, and placing a hand on the side of the iPad, kids cause the car to trigger animations beneath the car. It appears as if the car is driving all around Radiator Springs. It is a magical experience. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work and can take some experimenting to figure out how to make the cars connect to the playmat on the iPad. Even so, the game is lots of fun to explore with races, mission, and collectibles waiting around every bend. Gudmundsen is the editor of Computing With Kids (www.ComputingwithKids.com) magazine. Contact her at [email protected] . | newsroom-3 | https://web.archive.org/web/2011121219id_/http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/jinnygudmundsen/story/2011-12-11/kids-tech-toys/51764220/1 |
By failing to confirm scores of qualified nominees, Senate Republicans are giving credence to the view that official Washington is irreparably broken. | 0.791667 | medium | The refusal by Senate Republicans to consider the nomination of Judge Merrick Garland for the Supreme Court vacancy has rightly prompted indignation. But it is only the most glaring example of unreasonable intransigence by lawmakers who have turned the process of appointing senior federal officials into a political game. The nominations of many of the 143 people awaiting confirmation for nonjudicial federal jobs are stalled in the Senate as committee heads and the majority leader, Senator Mitch McConnell, dither and delay. The result is a federal bureaucracy with an ever-growing number of corners subject to paralysis and indecision. It’s clear that for Republican lawmakers, carrying out political vendettas and thwarting the president’s prerogatives are more important than having a functioning government. Take, for instance, the case of Adam Szubin, the Treasury Department lawyer nominated to serve as under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence. The under secretary is tasked with enforcing American sanctions against North Korea and Iran and cutting off funding for terrorist groups. Mr. Szubin, who has served under Republican and Democratic administrations, waited 325 days for a Senate banking committee vote, which was held on March 10. The full Senate has yet to consider his nomination. The blockage has deprived a critical division at Treasury of a leader who is fully empowered to make decisions and coordinate a unified response to international challenges. Mr. Szubin’s experience is not an isolated case. The banking committee has moved forward only one of 19 nominations put before it since the beginning of 2015. Meanwhile, the post of secretary of the Army has been vacant since Nov. 1. Eric Fanning, who has had a swift rise at the Department of Defense, was nominated for the job in September. The Armed Services Committee didn’t schedule a hearing for him until January and waited until early March to vote in favor of the nomination. The full Senate has yet to schedule a confirmation vote. That has left the Army, which has a $140 billion yearly budget and more than one million soldiers, without a civilian leader with the authority to set priorities and address the needs of a force that has been at war since 2001. At the State Department, Roberta Jacobson, one of the government’s foremost Latin America experts, has been waiting since last summer to be confirmed as ambassador to Mexico. The embassy, one of the largest in the world, has been without an ambassador since June. Ms. Jacobson, the assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, had a hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in July. The panel waited until November to approve her nomination, which the full Senate has not yet voted on. There are few diplomatic jobs more crucial than that of the ambassador to Mexico, who has to deal with border security initiatives, the influx of Central American immigrants and counternarcotics efforts. Ms. Jacobson is exceptionally qualified to tackle that long list of challenges and opportunities in Washington’s fraught relationship with Mexico, America’s third-largest trading partner. Mr. McConnell could put an end to these inexcusable failures to conduct routine Senate business. But, of course, he and the rest of the Republican leaders long ago stopped doing anything in the interest of the country. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush got 528 and 545 officials confirmed during their last two years in office. Mr. Obama has managed to get only 193 nominees confirmed since early 2015. Mr. McConnell and his colleagues are driven by a desire to retaliate against the administration when they have lost policy debates. So we have Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas holding Mr. Fanning’s nomination hostage over the administration’s efforts to shut down the prison at Guantánamo Bay. There’s Senator Marco Rubio petulantly blocking Ms. Jacobson’s appointment because she had a role in negotiating the change in relations with Cuba. And Mr. Szubin is being punished for the Iran nuclear deal. Beyond having crucial positions unfilled, the bruising nomination battles are making senior government jobs unappealing to the most qualified and sought-after individuals. Understandably, fewer people are willing to become collateral damage in Washington’s political feuds. | newsroom-4 | https://web.archive.org/web/2016032219id_/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/22/opinion/a-partisan-prescription-for-paralysis.html |
Greta's 'Off the Record' commentary, 5/8/15: With all the turmoil in Baltimore, let's never forget police officers, like slain NYPD officer Brian Moore, have difficult, dangerous jobs. | 1.894737 | low | Let's all go "Off the Record" for a minute. It's with great sadness that I show you video of the funeral of slain NYPD officer Brian Moore. A very young man, only 25 years old, whose father, uncle and cousins all wore the uniform, Officer Moore was shot in the head last weekend after stopping a man suspected of carrying a hand gun. He died on Monday. And today, thousands and thousands of police officers from around the nation in a sea of blue all with broken hearts lining the streets of Long Island to say goodbye. And to think, as you look at all those brokenhearted police officers filling the screen, that is only a small percentage of police officers around the nation tonight, they are risking their lives for you, for me. I don't know about you, but I never forget police have a very difficult job and a very dangerous one. With all the recent upheaval and controversy, from Ferguson to Baltimore, I know that many good police officers and their families are feeling pretty unappreciated by all of us tonight. So let's do something about it. A small gesture can make a big impact. The next time you see police officer or the family member of one of them, just say something to show you appreciate that police officer. How about just a nice "thank you." It only takes three seconds and it can make a huge difference. That's my "Off the Record" comment tonight. On the Record, hosted by Greta Van Susteren, airs on Weekdays at 7PM ET on Fox News Channel. | newsroom-5 | https://web.archive.org/web/2015051119id_/http://www.foxnews.com/transcript/2015/05/08/greta-show-appreciation-next-time-see-police-officer/ |
Live coverage and analysis of the World Cup Round of 16 game between Brazil and Chile in Johannesburg. | 1.473684 | high | Brazil prevailed over Chile, 3-0, in a Round of 16 showdown in Johannesburg of two stylish South American sides. With an organized defense, Brazil counterattacked against an overeager Chilean team and cruised for a relatively easy 90 minutes. The win for Brazil sets ups a mouthwatering quarterfinal meeting with the Netherlands Friday in Port Elizabeth. Brazil worked its game plan to perfection to start the game, absorbing Chile’s early advances while looking for an opening of its own. That chance came in the 34th minute, when Juan found himself free in the box to head in a corner kick from Maicon, putting Brazil ahead, 1-0. Just three minutes later, with Chile trying to muster a forceful response, Brazil scored again on a perfectly executed counterattack. Robinho started the play with a striding dribble down the left side, before passing to Kaka, who was trailing the play down the middle. Then, with one touch, Kaka released Luis Fabiano into the box, and the striker just had to dribble past Claudio Bravo, Chile’s keeper, to double Brazil’s lead. Robinho added a goal in the 59th minute, after Ramires made a slicing dribbling run through the heart of Chile’s defense. The defensive midfielder, having done all the work, laid the ball perfectly to Robinho, waiting at the top of the box, who curled a shot inside the right post. Chile struggled to create chances all game, and was frustrated time and again by the stacked lines of Coach Dunga’s defensive formation. Chile has now lost its last eight matches against Brazil. Read on for an account of how it all happened. Michel Bastos, another player who had a fine match for Brazil, gets forward into the box from his left back position but he toe-pokes it wide. And there’s the final whistle! Brazil wins 3-0! It wasn’t always pretty for them, but now the Brazilians get to face the Netherlands in the quarterfinal. It’s a disappointing loss for Chile, but few teams could have handled Brazil today. We’ll be back in a few minutes with a full recap. Meanwhile, share your thoughts in the comments section below. Can you live with a more conservative Brazil if it keeps winning games like this? What could Chile have done differently today. Who played well? Who didn’t? The Brazilian fans in Johannesburg are utterly enraptured. There’s shot after shot on television of happily dancing supporters. Ramires gets an open look, but he shoots high and wide. He had a great game. It’s a shame he’ll be suspended for the quarterfinal against the Netherlands after picking up that unnecessary yellow card. Beausejour shoots wide right of the goal. Chile worked the ball around the top of the box, and Valdivia made the final pass, but there wasn’t much an angle to work with there. Brazil is keeping its shape extremely well. Robinho is off for Brazil. Gilberto is on. All smiles and handshakes on the Brazilian bench. Nilmar heads a ball well over the crossbar. Bastos had found him free in the box with a curling cross from the left flank, but he couldn’t get his forehead on the sweet spot. Kleberson is on for Kaka. Kaka had a relatively quiet match, besides setting up Luis Fabiano’s goal, but he’s got a huge smile on his face. His team’s going to the quarterfinal! and it hits the crossbar! A corner from the left side fell to Suazo’s right foot. He took a wild swing at it and shanked it, but it bounced over Julio Cesar and off the top of the bar. Brazil’s defending has been really, really impressive. This is one of the best team performances of the tournament so far. Robinho gets a great chance to score on a breakaway, but his shot from the right side of the box is saved by a diving Bravo. Tough angle for Robinho there. The ensuing corner is cleared by Chile. A minute later Suazo of Chile has a shot saved on the other end. Julio Cesar makes an athletic diving stop, on a ball that may or may not have been headed toward goal. Nilmar enters for Luis Fabiano. He’s an exciting player to watch. Valdivia is looking to be the creator for Chile, but Brazil is shutting down his passing lanes so quickly every time he gets the ball. Tello takes a short corner for Chile, but it amounts to nothing. Ramires picks up an unneeded yellow for chopping down Sanchez at midfield. That’s an unnecessary place to pick up a card, and now Ramires, who did all the work for Robinho’s goal, has to miss the next match. Chile is throwing five and six men forward in the box, as it must do. Brazil, meanwhile, is playing keep-away whenever it gets the ball. I think we’ll see another goal or two in this game. Oh! Valdivia volleys from the top of the 18-yard box but he blasts it over the bar. He had plenty of time, and he should have done a better job placing it. Dani Alves unleashes a swerving shot from 40 yards out. It just misses over the right end of the crossbar. Jabulani! Isla is subbed out for Chile. Rodrigo Millar is on in his place. Things are looking bad for the team in white. Ramires picked up the ball at midfield and made a beautiful run through the heart of Chile’s defense. He lays the ball off to Robinho, who curls a one-touch shot inside the right post. Beautiful stuff! Robinho earns a corner for Brazil, after Lucio tackled to win the ball in his own end and ran the length of the field with it. What other central defender does that? The corner is wasted. Again, it’s not the prettiest soccer for the Brazilians at the moment — passes are a bit off, and there’s not much movement. But the scoreline is far in their favor. Chile is working hard to work the ball toward Brazil’s goal, but there’s so little space to work with. Brazil is packing it tight. And when Brazil has gotten the ball, it hasn’t looked overly eager to get forward. You guys leaving comments are correct. Brazil won its fifth title in 2002, not 2004, like I erroneously wrote in my pregame thoughts. Thanks! There’s so much debate about Dunga’s new, defensive Brazil. But how can you argue with how Brazil played in the first half? The players clearly retain all their creativity, but its expressed in a controlled manner and at appropriate times. And on the defensive side, they’ve looked really hard to break down. Chile has a lot of work to do. What kind of offensive magic can Coach Marcelo “El Loco” Bielsa conjure up in the second half? There’s two halftime changes for Chile: Jorge Valdivia is on for Mark Gonzalez and Rodrigo Tello is on for Contreras. Chile came out attacking (too much perhaps?), and Brazil picked its spots to take advantage. Juan put the Brazilians ahead in the 34th minute, when he rose up uncontested to knock in Maicon’s looping corner kick past Bravo and just under the crossbar. Three minutes later, with Chile pressing forward in numbers, Brazil put together a piece of classic counterattacking play: Robinho started the move down the left side, with a few long, striding dribbles, before passing a square ball to Kaka trailing down the middle. Kaka, with one touch, set Luis Fabiano free in the box, and all he had to do was dribble around the keeper to score. Chile’s defenders through it all were running backwards, utterly helpless. Possession in the first half was basically even, with Chile keeping the ball 51 percent of the time. Chile took seven shots. Brazil took nine and made them count. Chile is struggling to respond here. Brazil is showing a lot of swagger now, swinging the ball around the field, as its players make crisscrossing runs. One minute of added time. The game was tight, tense and tentative until the first goal, which blew play wide open. Brazil’s second goal was textbook counterattacking play, taking advantage of Chile’s intent to equalize. Luis Fabiano has 28 goals in 42 games for Brazil. That’s his third goal of the tournament. Luis Fabiano scores for Brazil! Robinho starts a sweeping counterattack on the left side. He passes to Kaka, who lays off a perfect one-touch pass down the middle to Luis Fabiano. All the striker has to do is run around the keeper to score. 2-0! Joga Bonito! Pretty stuff from Brazil! Juan scores for Brazil! He rose up to meet a looping corner from Maicon. There were no Chileans near him, and he popped it over Bravo. It’s 1-0 Brazil! goes to Kaka, who tripped Vidal with a kick on the shins. Chile’s free kick, from about 30 yards out, is wasted. In the 25th minute, Lucio, Brazil’s captain, has some words with Fuentes, who climbed on his back to try to reach a corner kick from Suazo. A foul was called on the play, but Webb tells Lucio to calm down. Then Lucio — a center back, mind you — earns a corner for Brazil on the left side, with a tricky dribbling move. On the ensuing corner Lucio makes another tricky move with the ball in the box and gets tripped by Contreras, but there’s no call! That could have been a penalty! with a hard tackle and sends Sanchez through, but his early shot is ill-advised. Sanchez has yet to score in this tournament. He’s an exciting player and has done everything but put the ball in the net in three games so far. Brazil, so far, is settling for shots from the outside. It’s hard for them to push too far forward, because Chile looks so willing to pressure them in the other direction. The Chilean’s willingness to attack in numbers is an admirable trait, which could produce an exciting match for us neutral observers. The play is still a bit sloppy and tentative, but all the intent seems to be there, for both sides. Ramires, Brazil’s defensive midfielder, takes a shot from 25 yards out. It’s a dipping effort that falls right into the arms of Bravo, Chile’s keeper. There isn’t a player on Brazil that would pass up a chance on goal, it seems. Times reporter Jeff Z. Klein, who more and more seems to prefer Spanish commentary, tells me that this is how Univision’s play-by-play man Pablo Ramírez called Luis Fabiano’s early miss: “¡Luis Fabia… No! ¡Luis Fabia… No! ¡Luis Fabia… No!” Suazo, meanwhile, takes a weak shot for Chile that Cesar saves easily. A corner for Brazil from the right side in the eighth minute. Dani Alves takes it, and its cleared by Carmona for another corner, this one on the left side. Gonzalez clears that one. Then Gilberto Silva forces Bravo to make a diving save! He shot a curler from 30 yards out. Another corner, and that one’s cleared as well. Brazil is on the front foot here, as they say. Chile, we’re told, last made the quarterfinal in 1962. Brazil can’t get the ball out of its own half! Cesar is called into action on a couple of early crosses. Then Luis Fabiano gets sent through on a long ball from Robinho, but he drags his shot wide to the left. In the first minute, Beausejour earns Chile an early corner kick on the left. Suazo takes it short, Sanchez ends up with it atop the box, but his shot is blocked. Chile looks determined, if two minutes of play can tell us anything. Chile kicks off! Game on! Be sure to chime in below with your own thoughts and comments. This should be a great match. The teams make their way onto the field, which appears at first glance to be in good condition. The anthems are played, first Brazil’s, and now Chile’s. Brazil is in its traditional canary yellow shirts and blue shorts. Chile is in all white. Howard Webb of England. The 38-year-old former police officer did well in his first two games, Spain-Switzerland and Italy-Slovakia. He refereed the Champions League final last month. Webb is sure to have a lot of eyes on him. Referees, as always, have been under the spotlight this World Cup. The winners of this match get to face the Netherlands, which produced another workmanlike performance to top Slovakia earlier today. The losers head to the airport, where they’ll pass the time doing Sodoku and crosswords, like normal people. Kaka and Robinho are back in Coach Dunga’s starting lineup. Contrary to what had been widely reported, Elano will sit out another game with his ankle injury. Here is how the Brazilians will start the game: GK: Julio Cesar; DEF: Maicon, Lucio, Juan, Michel Bastos; MID: Ramires, Gilberto Silva, Dani Alves, Kaka; FWD: Robinho, Luis Fabiano. As usual, their exact positions, particularly going forward, are more fluid than these designations might suggest. GK: Bravo; DEF: Isla, Contreras, Jara, Fuentes; MID: Vidal, Carmona, Beausejour; FWD: Sanchez, Suazo, Gonzalez. These player are tasked with turning it around for Chile, which has lost seven straight matches against Brazil. The Chileans were outscored in those games, 26-3. With one hour to go, I’ll add my own two cents to Mr. Longman’s fine pregame assessment… Brazil has won the World Cup five times — in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002 — always with a stubborn devotion to beautiful play. But if they claim the trophy again this year, it will be with a markedly different philosophy. The team continues to produce an attractive brand of soccer — the raw talent of its players ensures that. But Coach Dunga has also instilled in his squad a sense of pragmatism, an idea that “winning and losing” can supersede “how you play the game.” For a Brazilian, such talk borders on blasphemy. Dunga fired a warning to his squad last week when he suggested the established international soccer power structure was coming undone: “Forget the notion of traditional teams,” he said. “If you don’t play well, you’ll be eliminated.” Those words could embolden Chile, which faces an uphill task in this South American showdown. Jere Longman writes in from Ellis Park in Johannesburg to set the scene for this match: The winner of tonight’s Brazil-Chile match will advance to face the Netherlands in a quarterfinal Friday in Port Elizabeth. Chile has been remade into a swarming, attacking team under Coach Marcelo Bielsa. But it has struggled mightily against Brazil, losing the last seven times they met while conceding 26 goals. Chile lost both World Cup qualifying matches to Brazil, by 3-0 at home and 4-2 away. It has also lost both World Cup meetings to Brazil – 4-2 in the semifinals in 1962 and 4-1 in the second round in 1998. Chile will attempt to do against Brazil what it could not do in its final group match against Spain – charge forward without leaving itself vulnerable to the counterattack. But Bielsa, an Argentine, will be without two defensive starters in Gary Medel and Waldo Ponce, who have received yellow-card suspensions. And counterattacking is Brazil’s speciality. “They are always a team to be feared,” Bielsa said of Brazil, but he also promised, “We will play an all or nothing game.” Expected to start at forward is Humberto Suazo,who led South American scorers with 10 goals in 18 qualifying matches. But Suazo has played little over the last two months while recovering from hamstring and shoulder injuries and it remains to be seen what kind of stamina he will have, especially at altitude. Brazil will have the services of playmaker Kaka, who is returning from suspension, and will also have forward Robinho and midfielder Elano back in the lineup after they missed the final group match against Portugal with injury. | newsroom-6 | https://web.archive.org/web/2010062819id_/http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/28/world-cup-live-brazil-vs-chile/ |
Jewel tone dresses and classic tuxes dominated the red carpet at the gateway to the 2016 award season on Sunday. | 1.857143 | high | Before you go, we thought you'd like these... 2016 Golden Globe Awards red carpet arrivals Jennifer Lawrence was an absolute knockout in a red Dior dress with sleek cutouts along the waist. She topped off her classic and glamorous look with a diamond choker, red lips and swept back locks. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) They might be the hottest red carpet couple ever! Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan Tatum looked incredible in their fancy ensembles -- with Channing in a classic tux and Jenna in a midnight blue dress with starry detailing. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) Sexy mama! Kate Hudson snapped up the opportunity to show off her flawless physique in a nude, sparkling two-piece ensemble. She added a touch of extra sexiness with a nude choker and tousled locks. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images) Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis were near picture-perfect on the red carpet, but we could have done without Sudeikis' eyesore sneakers. Wilde absolutely stunned in an oxblood sequin gown with a plunging neckline and eye-catching necklace. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) First-time Golden Globe nominee Lady Gaga didn't mess around for her first turn on the Globe red carpet and looked stunning in a black, velvet gown from Versace. Her look screamed old Hollywood glamour. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) "The Martian" actor Matt Damon kept it simple in a black tuxedo, which really left the spotlight wide open for his stunning wife, Lucy. She dazzled in a lavender, one-shoulder frock with diamond accents. Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) Talk about a jaw-dropper! Rosie Huntington-Whiteley nearly stole the entire fashion show when she hit the red carpet in this stunning gold dress with a cinched waist and sparkling details. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) Taraji P. Henson didn't disappoint in a strapless white dress with a dramatic cape. Alicia Vikander is easily one of the stars of this year's award season and she cemented her status as someone to watch ont in the fashion department in a classic white, Louis Vuitton dress. She continued her ethereal look with a braided updo and light lips. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) Jaimie Alexander stunned in a plunging, emerald and black gown with geometric details. An edgy updo and emerald earrings completed her flawless look. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) Leonardo DiCaprio continued to show he's a man of timeless taste in this elegant suit. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images) Jennifer Lopez was on-trend this award season with a bright yellow gown with draping that showcased her killer curves and featured a thigh-high slit and cape. She finished off her old Hollywood glamour look with a deep burgundy lip color and a blingy necklace. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) Queen of the sparkles! Kate Bosworth looked sexy and sparkling in a rose-colored dress with full sequins and a silver design. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) Katy Perry went the 1960s mod route with sky-high locks and a bubblegum pink dress that fit her like a glove. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images) Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith were right on-trend with the jewel toned theme of the evening, with Jada looking absolutely gorgeous in a bright green gown and Will in a classic tux. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) Kate Winslet was spot-on in her classic blue dress with a tie neckline. The Ralph Lauren dress was simple, understated and pretty. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) "Trainwreck" star Amy Schumer was anything but a trainwreck in a black and white dress with a billowing train. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage) "The Danish Girl" star Eddie Redmayne revealed he almost missed the red carpet after his flight ran behind -- but he got their just in time to wow us with his Gucci suit. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) Hunky! Orlando Bloom rocked a classic tux and the no muss, no fuss look was a hit. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) "Empire" star Terrence Howard reminded us how cool he is with his shades and tuxedo, while his lady Mira Pak looked soft and sweet in a nude gown with floral appliques. (Photo credit should read VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty Images) Sweethearts! Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart made their rare red carpet debut at the Golden Globes and -- no surprise -- looked amazing. The "Star Wars" hunk looked slick in a tuxedo while his ladylove stunned in a turquoise silk dress. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images) "Orange Is the New Black" star Taylor Schilling gave us a sexy surprise with her black, sparkling tuxedo jacket and pants. It was a sexy and sophisticated look for her, indeed! (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) Amy Adams showed off her colorful side in a tangerine gown with sparkling detail on the mid-section. The fruity-colored frock was gorgeously complemented her pretty locks. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) Everything came up roses for Rachel McAdams, who stunned in floral dress with a strapless sweetheart neckline. She finished off the phenomenal gown with red lips. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage) Amber Heard went for a whimsical and sweet look with a cotton-candy colored gown from Gucci. The sienna and nude silk tulle multi-layered gown featuring silk flowers featured an open back and dramatic train. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images) Malin Akerman showed off her flair for the fun side in a periwinkle lace Vivienne Westwood gown with peplum detailing. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage) "Grinder" str Rob Low and his lovely wife and Sheryl Berkoff were looking good at the Globes. How do you like their gray and black ensembles? (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) Kirsten Dunst and her main squeeze Garrett Hedlund were the essence of cool in classic black ensembles. Dunst went for the plunge with her Valentino gown and Hedlund kept it slick in his tux (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) Emilia Clark went for an offbeat look in a black gown with sheer draping, cape-like shoulders and buttons down the bodice. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) Awards season darling Brie Larson shimmered in a gold sequined halter dress with ab-exposing cutouts. (Photo credit should read VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty Images) If looks could kill ... Kirsten Dunst was a showstopper in a flawless black gown with a plunging neckline and sexy, strappy accents. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) Heidi Klum had a bit of fun in a shimmery, beaded fringe gown with a waist-accentuating black belt. (Photo by Alberto Rodriguez/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) Actor Damian Lewis looked fapper and chic in a form-fitting tux. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) Sophia Bush was near-perfect in a simple black gown with a plunging neckline. A fun box clutch, garnet cocktail ring and diamond necklace added a touch of glam to her sleek look. Actress Rachel Bloom rocked one of the night's hottest colors in a fab off-the-shoulder gown. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) Natalie Dormer looked straight off the set of "Game of Thrones" in a red gown with draped shoulders and a black choker detail. (Photo credit should read VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty Images) Maggie Gyllenhaal went the avant garde look with a golde and black dress with a flower pattern. She punched up the classic colors with a red lip color. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) Julia Louis-Dreyfus kept it simple this year in a black, lace, strapless dress. (Photo credit:Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) Patrick Stewart and his wife, Sunny Ozell, went the classic route with all black ensembles. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage) Felicity Huffman threw us for a loop with her new dark 'do, but she was a knockout with the vampy new style. The "American Crime" star showed off her incredible physique in a burgundy Sarbu gown with fire-like details along the top. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) America Ferrera had us chirping with praise with this canary-colored Jenny Packham gown complete with jewel-details along the bodice. She polished off the bright dress with bright red lips and a slicked back hairdo.(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) Former Golden Globe nominee David Oyelowo packed a serious punch of color with his plum-colored tuxedo with a tight checkered pattern. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) Golden Globe nominee Christian Bale escorted his gorgeous wife, Sibi Blazic, to the award show. Sibi nearly outshined her man in a black dress with gold details. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images) We adore the two-toned Elizabeth Kennedy dress that Maura Tierney donned. She polished off the aquamarine and black dress with a simple choker, minimalist makeup and gold bangles. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) Greek goddess! "Brooklyn" star and Saoirse Ronan looked lovely and whimsical in a white Grecian-inspired dress with delicate draping and a long, column train. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) Viola Davis was sparkling in a midnight blue Marchesa dress with starry-like detailing. The "How to Get Away With Murder" actress was absolutely beaming on the red carpet and completed her look with bright lips and a matching clutch. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) Soon-to-be newlyweds Lady Gaga and Taylor Kinney totally gave us the Bogie and Bacall vibes with their classic old Hollywood looks. Gaga donned Versace and her man went for a classic tuxedo. (Photo credit should read VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty Images) Cate Blanchett went for a surprising look in a Givenchy dress that combined tassels, sparkles and an ombre pink fade. WHat do you think of the look? (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images) Bryce Dallas Howard donned a navy lace gown with a three-quarter sleeve and plunging neckline. A simple sleek 'do completed her look. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) Golden Globe-nominated singer Sam Smith went for a classic tuxedo and bow tie -- the perfect look for his Golden Globe debut. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage) Actress Jane Wu turned heads in a silver metallic gown with geometric detailing. A sleek, middle-parted updo completed her futuristic ensemble. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images) Gussied up! "Stiches" singer Charlie Puth looked handsome in a navy tuxedo and black bowtie. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage) "Cinderella" star Lily James showed off her soft and sultry side in a white gown with draping along the back. She added a little oomph with tousled locks and smoky eyes. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage) 'Empire" hottie Bryshere Y. Gray was all kinds of cute in a classic black tux and super cool shoes. The actor was all smiles at the award show. (Photo credit should read VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty Images) "Outlander" producer Maril Davis rocked an LBD with sheer inserts, black peep-toe pumps and tousled locks. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) "Penny Dreadful" star Eva Green looked absolutely stunning in a gold dress with sparkling details from Elie Saab. The dress, which had a vintage vibe, worked perfectly with her light skin tone and bright red lips. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) Navy hottie! Gerard Butler looked sleek in a blue tuxedo. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) Alan Cumming looked dapper in a navy jacket with black lapels, chic glasses and fun black and gold sneakers. Ricky Gervais set the tone for the night by rocking mirrored sunnies on the red carpet. Nancy O'Dell looked fabulous in a coral, one-shouldered gown with a sexy, hip-high slit and a sleek 'do. Natalie Morales opted for a breezy, purple spaghetti-strap gown. Simple, pinned-bac curls, drop earrings and a metallic clutch completed her look. "Today" hosts Al Roker and Matt Lauer donned their best suits for the big night. What a handsome duo! (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) White hot! Laverne Cox was absolutely stunning a white dress with a long train and Lorraine Schwartz jewels. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) "Transparent" star Jeffrey Tambor looked slick in a black suit next to his striking wife, Kasia Ostlun who rocked a red dress with modern cutouts. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images) Judith Light wowed in a chic white organza tux, crisp shirt and layered locks. Silver pumps and glam makeup completed her sophisticated look. Sparkles are everything! "American Crime" actress Regina King shimmered on the red carpet with a Krikor Jabotian gown with silver and gold sparkles and a white train. She polished off the look with a set of chandelier earrings and a light pink lip color. Photo credit should read VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty Images) Paul Feig switched it up in a groovy, blue-and-purple jacket. "Mr. Robot" actress Carly Chaikin opted for an edgy, sequined halter dress with a green and black organic print. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) "Jane the Virgin" actress and nominee Gina Rodriguez wowed in a navy satin ballroom gown with a gorgeous off-the-shoulder neckline. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) Bernadette Peters rocked a scarlet strapless dress with floral embroidery and a matching bracelet. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) Actor Ken Jeong and Tran Jeong looked perfectly coordinated in their black and white best. The "Dr. Ken" star rocked a crisp tux, and his wife wowed in a black and white gown and floral appliques. Actress Jamie Lee Curtis donned a simple navy gown with bell sleeves and dramatic train. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) Maria Menounos opted for a simple, form-fitting white gown and a unique, braided haristyle. A box clutch and drop earrings added a touch of sparkle to the easy look. She's shamelessly gorgeous! "Shameless" actress Emmy Rossum went for a classic red Armani Prive dress paired with a deep, red lip color. The touch of razzle dazzle around her neck completed the glam look. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) Actor Richard Cabral rocked a double-breasted jacket with smoking loafers ... Classy! (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) "Downton Abbey" actress Joanne Froggatt was pretty as a picture in a flowing blue gown with a plunging neckline. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images) Actress Saffron Burrows kept it simple in a black tan fress. Actress Sarah Hay donned a sheer gray gown that complemented her red locks perfectly. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) Chris Tucker and Cynne Simpson were on-point with their classic black-tie ensembles. (Photo credit should read VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty Images) "Supergirl" Melissa Benoist her husband, actor Blake Jenner were very adorable in one of their first major red carpets since tying the knot. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) Michael Shannon kept his look contemporary and cool in a navy suit and skinny tie. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage) Miss Golden Globes 2016 Corinne Foxx stunned in an ethereal off-white gown with sheer bell sleeves. (Photo credit should read VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty Images) Actress Amy Landecker kept it casual in a simple striped tank dress and platform sandals. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images) Keltie Knight was ultra-glam in a striking emerald gown with a sweetheart neckline and flattering ruching. Screenwriter Phyllis Nagy donned a classic black and white ensemble, complete with a dressy black topcoat. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) Actor Tobias Menzies donned a chic satin suit in all black. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) Patrick Wilson and his wife, Dagmara Dominczyk, looked sparkly and glam in midnight blue and black ensembles. (Photo credit should read VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty Images) Tiziana Rocca rocked a black dress with ruffled and sparkling details. Wow! Jane Fonda showed off her fun and funky side with a white gown with a ruffled top. The cloud-like top showed off her incredibly slim physique underneath. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) Actress Uzo Aduba was one of many stars to try out the cape trend. The "Orange is the New Black" star opted for a black sequin iteration of the look. John Krasinski smoldered in a slim-fit tux and fresh facial hair. Aziz Ansari went for a classic black tux with a little twist .... we spy that cool striped pattern. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage) Michelle Schumacher, left, and J. K. Simmons looked classic in a black and red combination. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) Giuliana Rancic rocked an orange gown with sexy cutouts and dramatic floor-length sleeves with a swipe of pink lipstick. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) Can these two do any wrong? Steve Carell and his wife, actress Nancy Carell, had us in awe with their elegant ensembles. Nancy's black ballgown screamed sexy yet sleek while Steve was all kinds of handsome. (Photo by Alberto Rodriguez/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) Welcome to award season, 2016! The Golden Globes kicked off on Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016 and the fashion was absolutely stunning with leading ladies pulling out their most glamorous looks for the occasion. Jewel tones dominated the red carpet this year with gals rocking bright red, orange, emerald green, and deep azure blue gowns. "Shameless" star Emmy Rossum dazzled in a red dress with a column-like silhouette while "Blindspot" star Jaimie Alexander packed a gorgeous punch in an emerald green and black ball gown. "Jurassic Park" star Bryce Dallas Howard also went for a bold color in a midnight blue, sequined gown with peacock-like detailing. "Jane the Virgin" star Gina Rodriguez was a stunner in a navy classic ballgown from Zac Posen. For the gents, it was all about the tuxes! The two actors behind Netflix's hit "Narcos" Pedro Pascal and Boyd Holbrook got all gussied up for their big evening in classic black and navy tuxes and bow-ties. "Stitches" singer Charlie Puth was perhaps one of the most handsome men on the red carpet with a tuxedo and an oversized bowtie. And of course, there were a couple ringers like Alan Cumming who opted for offbeat ensembles like his bright blue dinner jacket. Check out all the red carpet fashions above! | newsroom-7 | http://web.archive.org/web/20160526095323id_/http://www.aol.com:80/article/2016/01/10/2016-golden-globe-awards-red-carpet-arrivals/21294980/ |
Hannah J Davies: How the film that made Lindsay Lohan a household name skewered the social hierarchies of American high schools and spawned a rabid cult following | 1.035714 | medium | Plastic fantastic ... Mean Girls. Photograph: Paramount/Everett/Rex Features Ten years ago this week, the film that would transform Lindsay Lohan into a teen movie queen premiered in the US. Lilo's ticket to adolescent idolatry was handed to her by future 30 Rock creator Tina Fey – then Saturday Night Live's head writer – and director Mark Waters. Mean Girls would gross $129m, and although it didn't exactly revolutionise the high-school comedy genre, it injected sass at a time when the biggest hitters were largely samey Hilary Duff vehicles. With a plot that embraces and busts cliche in equal measure, a highly quotable screenplay and a killer cast, it gained a fanatical cult following. Fey, who wrote the script, plays the film's moral compass, Ms Norbury. She drew inspiration for the screenplay from her own teenage years, as well as a self-help book (Rosalind Wiseman's Queen Bees & Wannabees), and as a result the social hierarchy at North Shore feels real and decidedly mean. Fresh-off-the-boat high-schooler Cady Heron (Lohan) subverts her role in the Plastics clique as she manoeuvres her way through the school, showing up its superficial social hierarchy for what it is. As for those knockout quotes, from the bizarre ("Karen, you can't just ask people why they're white"; "You go Glen Coco!"; "Too gay to function") to the brutal ("You smell like a baby prostitute"), they're all instantly recognisable, and live on in everyday parlance and frequent online memes. It's a fitting legacy for a film that, as Daniel Franzese (who plays Damian) recently told Cosmopolitan, was "the first one of those [high-school] movies that also had the internet. Mean Girls is dissected on the internet." He went on to talk about how diehards use any opportunity to fling him quotes and pics of Damian-inspired getup via Twitter. Mean Girls might be true to life, but it's bonkers too. There's plenty of screen time for Kevin G's mathematical rapping, Karen's meteorologically talented breasts and the gym teacher who warns that sex will lead to certain pregnancy and death. Even the Burn Book, the tome of rumours, secrets and lies penned by the Plastics, is meta to the max: it's an improbably huge, lipstick-stained diary with its name spelled out on the cover in ransom-note-style cuttings. The acting isn't half bad, either. Rachel McAdams never falters as sweatpant-wearing sociopath Regina George, and Franzese and Lizzy Caplan (Janis) play their outsider roles to perfection. Like many teen movies pre- and post-, Mean Girls has all the hallmarks of high school Americana, with bullying and bitching taking centre-stage. As a whole package, however, it's a standout look at adolescence that has managed 10 years as a pop culture mainstay without feeling like a MySpace-era throwback. Reading on mobile? Click here to view 1) The rules of feminism: Poor Cady. She's failing maths as an excuse to chat up cute classmate Aaron. But he's off limits, because Betty Friedan says so... Reading on mobile? Click here to view 2) God, Karen: A triple whammy. Former "half virgin" Regina cries to taco fan Karen, who has a not-so-special hidden talent. Reading on mobile? Click here to view 3) What's so great about Caesar?! Her dad might have invented the Toaster Strudel, but Gretchen Wieners has had a pretty rough ride in Regina's shadow, barred from simple pleasures like wearing hoop earrings. One day, the parallels between North Shore and ancient Rome send our favourite fetch one into a frenzy. Reading on mobile? Click here to view 4) You can't sit with us: With Regina's "popularity" on the wane, the head Plastic's own nonsensical rules come back to bite her. Reading on mobile? Click here to view 5) She doesn't even go here! Ms Norbury's group therapy gets a dose of baking metaphors and feelings courtesy of a tearful trespasser, but Damian's not buying it. | newsroom-8 | https://web.archive.org/web/2014042119id_/http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2014/apr/19/mean-girls-10-birthday-tina-fey-comedy |
(*No, that's not a typo.) How smart small businesses are keeping their insurance bills down and their employees smiling. | 1 | high | To look at its offices, you would not expect RD Systems to be the site of one of the most far-reaching social and economic experiments in the country. Housed in a featureless metal box in an industrial office park about 20 miles north of Rockford, Ill., the 30-year-old manufacturing company is the very picture of old-fashioned, traditional business. It has also been the picture of stability: Half of its 40 employees have worked there for more than five years. So it came as a shock to president Jo Ribordy-Christofferson, 41, when four years ago Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Illinois, her insurer of ten years, announced that the premium for the plan she offered employees was going to shoot up 60%. RD Systems had always paid 100% of its employees' premiums, and Ribordy-Christofferson knew that she risked losing her highly sought-after engineers if she offered less. To cut costs, she switched from her preferred-provider organization, or PPO, to a high-deductible plan from another insurer, but found that its customer service was unacceptable. Something else had to be done. That's how old-economy RD Systems came to offer an innovative, newfangled kind of coverage. Known as "consumer driven" health insurance, it gives her employees more responsibility for managing their spending and will save the company $49,000 this year, a reduction of about 30% from what she estimates it would have paid under the old arrangement. And while Ribordy-Christofferson no longer pays all of her employees' costs, the new plan offers perks to keep her workers happy and healthy. "There just isn't a downside," Ribordy-Christofferson says. "This is health insurance pushing in the right direction." It's easy to see why small businesses are looking for new answers. Health insurance premiums for all companies went up 14% on average last year, continuing a trend of double-digit annual increases. For small businesses, the problem is particularly acute: In 2003 almost half saw hikes of more than 15%, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation's 2003 Employer Health Benefits Survey. Desperate for solutions, some small businesses have turned to government- or nonprofit-sponsored programs (see the companion story, Home Remedies) or pursued self-insurance (see Heal Thyself); some have even dropped health insurance altogether (see Working Without a Net). But more and more entrepreneurs are turning to consumer-driven plans, which typically combine a high-deductible health insurance policy and a tax-advantaged, employee-managed medical account that covers some or all of the deductible. Any money left in the account at the end of the year generally rolls over to the next year, an incentive for employees to spend prudently. Consumer-driven plans are controversial; critics say that they simply shift more costs to employees, especially sicker ones. But proponents argue that not only are they good for individual businesses but they also may help fix our nation's broken health-care system. "Right now, if a company's employees are in a PPO, there's no upside for them in saving money and using it wisely," says Ray Herschman, national practice leader for consumer-driven health care at Mercer Human Resource Consulting. Why worry about whether you really need to go to the doctor when all you're ever responsible for is a $20 co-payment? By giving employees a pot of money of their own to spend on health care, consumer-driven plans aim to make them smarter and more cautious health-care users. The hoped-for result: They'll spend less, and premiums will finally begin to come under control. Last year about 500,000 employees were covered by consumer-driven plans. Up from 100,000 in 2002, that was still a minuscule percentage of the 175 million who had health insurance. But health policy experts expect that health savings accounts, which were created in January under the new Medicare law, will give consumer-driven plans an enormous boost. The accounts, in which contributions and interest are tax-free, must be paired with a health plan that has a deductible of no less than $1,000. "We're getting lots of calls," says Jeremy Claeys, spokesperson for the National Small Business Association, an advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. "People are saying, 'I want to know more. How do I get one?' " By day Larry Johnson works as an assembler at RD Systems, building and installing the automation equipment designed by the company's engineers. But after work hours, he's South Beloit's version of Body by Jake. Over the years Johnson, 41a man of medium height with a pinched waist and powerful shouldershas become something of a gym ambassador to his fellow employees. "I teach them how to use the weight machines," he says. So why are RD Systems' employees getting so interested in pumping iron? Because they like movies, for one thing. Their health plan from Destiny Health includes a "wellness" program called Vitality, under which employees accrue points when they visit a gym (25 points a visit), quit smoking (3,000 points), or maintain a healthy weight (5,000 points). Ribordy-Christofferson, a longtime distance runner, earns 2,000 Vitality points every time she competes in a race. The points can be redeemed for movie tickets, airline miles, and special deals at hotels. The hope is that the program will make employees healthier and help keep premium costs low. | newsroom-9 | https://web.archive.org/web/2004050119id_/http://www.cnn.com/fortune/smallbusiness/articles/0,15114,614385,00.html |
Trump sued Univision for $500 million for canceling the airing of Miss USA following Trump's derogatory remarks about Mexicans. | 1.136364 | low | Billionaire real estate mogul and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is suing Univision for more than $500 million in New York Supreme Court after the Spanish-language network cancelled plans to air the July 12 Miss USA pageant, according to Variety. Trump declared his candidacy for president last week with a press conference in which he derided President Barack Obama and made several disparaging comments about Mexican immigrants. Since then, various media outlets have distanced themselves from Trump. Those outlets include his former employer, Comcast’s CMCSA NBCUniversal, which canceled plans to air Miss USA and Miss Universe — the network’s joint venture with Trump — while also opting not to invite Trump back for another season of his reality show The Celebrity Appearance. In his speech last week, Trump said of Mexican immigrants: “They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists,” he said, adding: “some, I assume, are good people.” After Univision cut ties with Trump’s Miss USA Pageant, the billionaire threatened legal action, claiming: “They’ll have to pay me a lot of money.” Trump also threatened legal action against NBC, but the Univision suit is the first to actually be filed. Tuesday’s lawsuit accuses Univision of breach of contract and defamation. In a statement, Trump says his recent remarks hue closely to opinions on immigration he’s held and stated publicly for years. “Nothing that I stated was different from what I have been saying for many years,” Trump said. “I want strong borders, and I do not support or condone illegal immigration. There is a high level of crime occurring in this country due to unchecked illegal immigration. This is a major security issue for the United States.” | newsroom-10 | http://web.archive.org/web/20160609222824id_/http://fortune.com:80/2015/06/30/donald-trump-lawsuit-univision/ |
First production hydrogen fuel cell vehicle now available for the public to order – but it won’t come cheap | 1.25 | low | Hyundai has announced that its new ix35 Fuel Cell is now available to members of the public. The ix35 Fuel Cell is the world’s first mass-produced fuel cell vehicle, and has been available to selected customers for trial purposes since 2013. However, Hyundai has now opened up the order books to anyone able to stomach the £53,105 asking price. That figure includes a partial rebate from the HyFive project, a consortium of five car manufacturers and 10 other companies with ties to hydrogen production and supply, that aims to boost the uptake of fuel cell vehicles in the coming years. Without the rebate, the ix35 Fuel Cell would cost an even-more-eye-watering £67,985. So, what do you get for your money? Well, at the Fuel Cell’s heart sits a 134bhp electric motor which can power it to a top speed of 100mph. The motor is powered by a fuel cell fed by two hydrogen storage tanks with a total capacity of 5.64kg, giving a total range of 369 miles. Energy is stored in a 24kWh lithium-ion battery, and as with all hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, the only exhaust emission is water vapour. Hyundai adds that the ix35 Fuel Cell can ‘reliably start’ in temperatures as low as -25C, highlighting the fact that the technology still has some way to go before it can be used by everyone, everywhere. Nevertheless, early adopters and keen environmentalists can now order a fuel cell vehicle of their own – though they’ll have to do so directly via Hyundai UK, rather than through their local dealership. | newsroom-11 | https://web.archive.org/web/2015050519id_/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/hyundai/news/ix35-fuel-cell-goes-on-sale.html |
Johanna Derry: High-end breadmakers, coffee machines and mixers were a big hit this Christmas. But do people often get them just because they look good on their worktops? | 1.323529 | medium | There was a time when the only kitchen appliances we kept on our counter tops were kettles and microwaves. But these days most of us probably have a whole plethora of appliances on view: stand mixers, coffee makers, grinders, popcorn makers, slow cookers, toastie makers … the list goes on. This Christmas, foodies and wannabe kitchenistas snapped up small kitchen appliances like hotcakes. According to John Lewis we bought 46% more stand mixers and 30% more breadmakers at their stores than we did last year. Coffee machines were even more popular: we bought 51% more bean-to-cup machines and 58% more pod coffee machines this year than last Christmas. And then there's the fryers, rice cookers, and juicers which John Lewis also report as popular Christmas gifts. Where on earth are we going to put them all? According to a recent customer survey by Currys & PC World, instead of hiding all our newly purchased kitchen kit away in a cupboard, we're increasingly making space on our work surfaces to show our appliances off. Obviously not everyone has a vast kitchen, so for some that means making a trade to prioritise the machines that matter most. Market researchers Mintel found earlier this year that 20% of us have ditched our kitchen kettles in favour of coffee machines. So how do you decide what to leave out in your kitchen? There seem to be three deciding factors for moving appliances from the cupboard to the counter. The most obvious reason to keep an object on your worktop is because you use it so frequently it's more hassle to tidy it away. You don't put your kettle away in the cupboard if you're a regular tea drinker, or your coffee machine if you're a caffeine addict. If you're a prolific baker you'll want to keep your mixer out, ready for action when you are: kitchens are increasingly becoming showrooms that reflect our interests and hobbies. Currys & PC World found that 60% of shoppers splash out on premium-branded kitchen products over basic kitchen tech. Small electricals buyer for John Lewis, William Jones has observed this trend. "What was once a habitual pastime has become a true hobby." Taking coffee as the example he continues: "Consumers are choosing to grind their own beans and mix their own blends at home." Kitchen kit is no longer purely utilitarian. For some, appliances have become to kitchens, what changing the colour of your cushion covers was to living room sofas. They have to look good and be in the right colour to match your decor if you're going to leave them out on the counter. KitchenAid is the obvious candidate for bringing colour into the kitchen, but they're not alone. The demand for stylish gadgets that look smart in the kitchen have prompted companies such as Dualit, for example, to collaborate with luxury paint and wallpaper company Little Greene, to create six special-edition Heritage toasters, and De'Longhi has made its bean-to-cup coffee machines available in nine different colours. "The products look great, so people want them out. They're like pieces of art on their kitchen counter," says Jones. John Lewis has found people investing in two coffee machines: one pod-to-cup that's quick in the week, and then a full blown machine, built with a commercial standard of technology, for the weekends. The catch to the kitchen-appliance-as-status-symbol idea is that you have to be able to do more than just use the equipment to earn your bragging rights. By having a powerful piece of kitchen kit on your counter this year you'll be implying that you're an expert yourself. Maybe you are. But if you're more wannabe than actual expert the retailers are prepared for you too. Sage, for example, will send an engineer with its high-end Dual Boiler coffee machine to your home to help you set it up and show you how to work it. It seems that fortunately, there's no need to lose face as well as kitchen work surface. How many appliances do you have on your kitchen counter, and are they there for their form or their function? Be honest … | newsroom-12 | https://web.archive.org/web/2014010619id_/http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2014/jan/06/kitchen-gadgets-status-symbols-breadmakers-coffee-machines |
She is the most honest, uninhibited ï¬lmmaker of our time. Or: Sheâs twee, precious and maddening. Discuss. Nicely. | 0.88 | high | Sam Taylor-Wood for The New York Times Miranda July stood in her living room in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles, apologizing for the sunflowers. It really was a copious amount of sunflowers. They sprouted from Mason jars and vases, punctuating the austere, Shaker-like furniture in the sunny home that July, who is 37, shares with her husband, the filmmaker Mike Mills, who’s 45. Noticing me noticing the sunflowers, she interjected: “We just had a party. We don’t usually have sunflowers everywhere.” In person, July was very still, with ringlets of curly hair falling over her wide blue eyes like a protective visor, and she seemed perceptively aware of the “precious” label that is often attached both to her and to her work. At a different point in our time together, I followed her into a hotel room in San Francisco, where Mills had left her a knitted octopus wearing a scarf and hat on the couch. She laughed when she saw it but also appeared a bit mortified: “Oh, God,” she said. “It’s kind of a joke. . . . It’s not. . . . Really, this isn’t us at all.” At their house, Mills emerged from his office; in contrast to July’s measured composure, Mills seemed in constant motion, often running his hands through his Beethoven hair. Both he and July have directed new films being released this summer. His film, “Beginners,” is loosely based on the true story of his father’s coming out at age 75. July’s film, “The Future,” is her second feature as a director, and it’s a funny, sad portrait of a couple at a crossroads. Sophie, played by July, works at a children’s dance school, and Jason, played by Hamish Linklater, provides tech-support by telephone from their sofa. The couple is weeks away from adopting Paw-Paw, an injured cat and a symbol of impending adulthood who is also the film’s narrator. A talking cat is exactly the kind of detail that might endear people who are endeared by Miranda July and infuriate people who are infuriated by her. There are plenty of both. “You’ve met us at a weird time,” Mills said. “We’re usually just two workaholics in our separate corners.” July and Mills first crossed paths in 2005, when July’s debut feature, “Me and You and Everyone We Know,” made its premiere at Sundance at the same time as Mills’s film “Thumbsucker.” They met at a party — “She wore a yellow dress,” he recalls — and he watched her do a Q. and A. the next day. “She was so strong and declarative. I fell in love instantly.” They married in the summer of 2009 at Mills’s house in the Nevada hills. In one sense, July has been enjoying the Platonic ideal of creative success in the age of the hyphenate artist. She publishes short stories in The New Yorker. The seven-year Web project, “Learning to Love You More,” which she produced with Harrell Fletcher — in which more than 8,000 people submitted material in response to online assignments like “Make a protest sign and protest” and “Take a picture of your parents kissing” — was recently acquired by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. “Me and You and Everyone We Know” won the Camera d’Or at Cannes and was named by Roger Ebert as one of the best films of the 2000s. She inspires a devotion among her fans that is positively swoony: “I love Miranda July, and everything she does is so subtle and sweet and bizarre and necessary,” is a fairly typical sentiment. July is preoccupied with intimacy — she habitually uses the words “you” and “we” in her titles — and this demands, and inspires, an intense engagement from her followers. After a screening of “The Future” at the San Francisco Film Festival, a small crowd surrounded July, pinning her against the back wall of the movie theater, wanting to tell her, with palpable urgency, how much her work mattered to them. Her office has an entire room filled top to bottom with boxes of letters and objects from fans around the world. One man printed every e-mail he ever wrote and sent them all to July, because only she would understand. Yet despite this (or perhaps because of it) she has also become the unwilling exemplar of an aggravating boho archetype: the dreamy, young hipster whose days are filled with coffee, curios and disposable enchantments. “Yes, in some ways Miranda July is living my dream and life, and yes, maybe I’m a little jealous,” wrote one Brooklyn-based artist on her blog. “I loathe her. It feels personal.” To her detractors (“haters” doesn’t seem like too strong a word) July has come to personify everything infuriating about the Etsy-shopping, Wes Anderson-quoting, McSweeney’s-reading, coastal-living category of upscale urban bohemia that flourished in the aughts. Her very existence is enough to inspire, for example, an I Hate Miranda July blog, which purports to detest her “insufferable precious nonsense.” Or there is the online commenter who roots for July to be exiled to Darfur. Or the blogger who yearns to beat her with a shoe. Katrina Onstad is a Toronto-based author and columnist for The Globe and Mail. Her novel "Everybody Has Everything" will be published in 2012. This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: An article on Page 24 this weekend about the film director Miranda July reverses, in one instance, the first two words in the title of one of her movies. It is âMe and You and Everyone We Know,â not âYou and Me.â An article on Page 24 this weekend about the film director Miranda July reverses, in one instance, the first two words in the title of one of her movies. It is âMe and You and Everyone We Know,â not âYou and Me.â | newsroom-13 | https://web.archive.org/web/2011072119id_/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/17/magazine/the-make-believer.html |
People in Kenya are hoping for a boom in Obama-related merchandise when he makes his first visit there as president this week. | 1.6 | high | KISUMU, Kenya—Kenyan street hawker Enokh Mulure and two friends recently spent about $1,300 on a truckload of Barack Obama mugs, calendars, baseball caps and T-shirts. Mr. Obama is making his first trip to Kenya as president this week, and to Mr. Mulure that means one thing: “Business.” He isn’t the only Kenyan betting on an Obama cash bonanza. Across this east African nation, entertainers, hoteliers, safari companies and even some of the commander-in-chief’s distant family members are trying to profit from Kenya’s ancestral ties to the 44th president. Articles in Kenyan dailies are offering tips on how Kenyans can cash in on the visit. The commercial buzz ahead of Mr. Obama’s arrival is crowning a seven-year boom for all things Barack: Kenyan radio stations have long blasted pop hits invoking Mr. Obama’s name. A company that sells mobile phone add-ons offers seven Obama-themed ringtones ranging from inspiring quotes to excerpts from his 2008 victory speech. Tourists coming to see the wildlife in Kenya’s safari parks book “Obama tours” that include a day in the village where his father was born. The bottom line: In Kenya, Mr. Obama is more than a visiting dignitary—he is a symbol of opportunity and a brand that generates serious capital. His visit is shining a spotlight on a dynamic and bizarre industry—those cashing in on the Obama name. “He’s got a blood connection with Kenya,” said Kenyan tourism board chief Muriithi Ndegwa, who stressed Obama-themed excursions are a “niche product” that complement the country’s big animal safaris and beach vacations. “That’s a product we’re supporting so people can pay pilgrimage to the place where he traces his roots,” Mr. Ndegwa said. Kenyans know Mr. Obama was born in the U.S., but they still look upon him as a native son. Mr. Obama will be in Nairobi this weekend to discuss policy, security, and entrepreneurship with Kenyan political and business leaders. If the Obama-namesake enterprises are any indication, the Kenyans have the entrepreneurship covered. Towns across the country are planning parties and cottage business ventures irrespective of whether the president is scheduled to visit. Kisumu—the closest city to the Obama family’s ancestral village—hasn’t been mentioned as part of Mr. Obama’s itinerary, but locals are planning street parties and selling Obama-emblazoned T-shirts they say will be the “uniform of the festival.” The T-shirts show Mr. Obama’s face and the Kenyan and American flags blending into one. Helping to organize the Kisumu party is a comedy duo who make a living mimicking Mr. Obama. Lawrence Oyange, 32, began impersonating the president back in 2006. With his partner, Milton Obote, he has built a nationwide following with his Obama-themed act—hosting mock U.S. elections, doing club routines and performing at corporate events. The jokes are rather different from Mr. Obama’s patter at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner. Many of the yarns revolve around fishing—the traditional livelihood of the area’s Luo people. One joke suggests Mr. Obama run pipes from Lake Victoria to the Mississippi so Americans can turn on their faucets and watch Kenyan fish pour out. Seeing a reporter’s quizzical reaction, he explained it brings down the house in Kisumu. About an hour’s drive away in the village of Kogelo—where Mr. Obama’s father, Barack Obama Sr., was born—the president’s close and distant relatives are cashing in on the family name. One distant cousin, Nicholas Rajula—who says he shares “some grandfather” with Mr. Obama, has created a thriving hotel business off his presidential connections. Opened in 2010 with 17 rooms, the now 60-room Kogelo Village Resort boasts a meeting hall called the White House, a cement statue of Mr. Obama and bungalows named after Obama family members including Sasha, Malia and Mr. Rajula himself. The 55-year-old arranges for guests to meet with Barack Obama’s step-grandmother Sarah—commonly known as Mama Sarah—and to visit the gravesite of the president’s father. “I understood the deal that we could sell here was America,” Mr. Rajula said, explaining his decision to open the hotel in Kogelo and outfit it with Obama references and paraphernalia—including a holographic photo that shifts between a picture of Mr. Obama and one of Martin Luther King Jr. For Kenyans, he said, Mr. Obama means that they too can be part of the American dream. He declined to say how much he was making, but said “we are doing well.” During a recent week, rooms were booked solid with county officials. He is also expanding: building a pool and “luxury” cottage, where he hopes President Obama will one day spend the night. About 2 kilometers down the road, American and Kenyan flags fly outside the Barack H. Obama restaurant, owned by the president’s half-brother Malik Abongo Obama, who also has started a foundation in their father’s name. Gary Zimet, a Los Angeles-based owner of a website called Moments in Time, said Malik Obama has offered to sell some of the president’s old letters, including a 1995 missive in which the U.S. president talked of his reservations about a career in politics. Mr. Zimet, whose website trades in such letters, estimates the letter’s value at $15,000 and said Malik Obama offered to sell it to him before selling it elsewhere. Malik Obama made a failed attempt to enter Kenyan politics in 2013, invoking a familiar slogan: change. He declined to be interviewed for this article. County tourism chief Charles Akelloh said about 600 visitors a month come to the village because of its Obama connections. They have opened a tourism office in the village in the hope of getting more accurate information, and to set some sort of schedule for people going to see Mama Sarah—who is also the major attraction for visitors on the Obama tours. Mama Sarah appears to take fame in stride. The 94-year-old has used her celebrity to attract funding for area schools and women’s programs. She talked about Mr. Obama going to market with her, carrying vegetables on his back, when he visited as a young man. She even joked about fixing up a Wall Street Journal photographer with the president, suggesting she could make a good second wife. Asked her opinion of her step-grandson, Mama Sarah responds with a politician’s acumen: “I am just wishing him well with what he is doing in America as president.” Write to Heidi Vogt at [email protected] | newsroom-14 | https://web.archive.org/web/2015072119id_/http://www.wsj.com/articles/kenyans-are-ready-to-greet-obama-with-open-cash-registers-1437437772 |
Oil could bottom around $40 a barrel but if it does, it won't linger there long, oil trader Andrew Hall said in an investor letter. | 0.8 | low | Crude has been on a volatile streak in recent days, and fell nearly 9 percent Wednesday amid reports of a multi-decade high in U.S. oil supplies. Just the day before, oil had experienced a huge rally, leading some traders and analysts to think that the bear market was fizzling. And on Thursday, the domestic oil market rallied again, crossing the psychologically significant $50 mark. Brent crude, the global benchmark, closed at near $57. Read MoreOil expert: This is a 'dead cat bounce' Oil traders and analysts have differed on where crude is likely to go this year, with some saying price could fall substantially further as the global markets face considerable oversupply in the first half of the year. The London-based Merchant Commodity Fund co-founder Doug King, for instance, told CNBC recently that oil prices could pierce the $30 floor and trade into the high $20s before recovering. Even so, exchange-traded funds that track the West Texas Intermediate and Brent crude markets have seen money pile in so far this year, suggesting that smaller investors are betting on a nascent recovery. Oil-related stocks, like drillers and oilfield equipment companies, have suffered huge declines since last summer. But, like current market commodity prices, those stocks could be close to their nadir, Hall wrote in his investor letter. "Oil-related equities have been trying to find a bottom," he stated. "It's not clear whether they have found it yet, but we think it's probably close…. Well-positioned shale oil operators and other domestic producers could prove to be attractive investments." | newsroom-15 | http://web.archive.org/web/20150824000942id_/http://www.cnbc.com/2015/02/05/oil-prices-crude-will-go-to-40-or-lower-oil-trader-hall.html |
SmartyPig online program helps savers reach a savings goal by making savings automatic and by letting others chip in through social media. | 0.826087 | high | WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – A 2008 start-up called SmartyPig has combined social networking and banking to offer a new way to save, and in four years has helped people reach almost $3 billion in savings goals. The business was created by Des Moines natives Michael Ferrari and Jon Gaskell in 2008 as a high-tech way to encourage people to save for specific goals. Ferrari came up with the idea when his first son was born and he needed to save money for his son's college education. He wanted to save for other goals in a program similar to the college 529 plan, and SmartyPig was born. The program creates an online savings account for goal-directed purchases that can range from travel to consumer goods to a down payment on a house. Money can be transferred automatically from account holders' savings or checking account at their regular banks. Account holders can then use Facebook, Twitter and other social media to allow friends and family members to contribute to the goal. The deposits are FDIC insured. Once the goal is reached, the saver can choose from a selection of merchant-provided discounts when making the purchase. The idea caught on. By the end of 2009, it carried deposits of $212 million. "They actually sort of jump-started the whole goal-based savings account thing," said Stessa Cohen, a financial services analyst for Gartner in Philadelphia. "A lot of banks in the U.S. and Canada are looking at providing that." Social Money, the company behind SmartyPig, thinks banks are far enough behind, and eager enough to connect with customers on social media, that they'll pay someone else to do it for them. Every Monday for six weeks, USA TODAY will look at how fast-growing companies rely on innovation to thrive. The company is now starting to sell the SmartyPig concept to banks, with the idea of letting them brand it themselves. That product was rolled out this spring. More than 115 financial institutions have approached Social Money about its GoalSaver program, Gaskell said, and the bank has already signed on ICICI, the second-largest bank in India by assets. Social Money expects to announce new bank customers throughout the year, Gaskell said. "We've basically taken the heart and soul of what we've learned at SmartyPig and pointed it at the scale," said Gaskell. Gaskell won't say what Social Money makes each year, but he said the company has been operating on its own revenue for three years. In April, Social Money announced it would hire 35 new employees, bringing its total workforce to 50. SmartyPig was part of a shift toward savings and personal financial management during the recession, Cohen said. People were ready to save money, when they may not have been three years earlier. Like Kiva, the online microfinance organization launched a couple of years earlier, SmartyPig also tracks your progress for all to see. "You can see how far along you are," said Nathan Robertson, 26, who's saving for a three-month trip to South America later this year. "It's a little bit more fun than just a regular bank account." By Maxine Park, USA TODAY Social Money co-founders Mike Ferrari (left) and Jon Gaskell. Robertson said it's easier to save with SmartyPig because he doesn't see the money. It's automatically deducted, and unlike with a separate savings account at a bank, he doesn't see it all the time and isn't tempted to pull a couple of hundred dollars out. He also shares his progress with friends occasionally, though he doesn't expect anyone to contribute. "I'll throw it on my Twitter page every now and then," he said. "The idea is to share that with your family and friends, and keep up the social pressure to reach your goals." Banks might want their own version of it, Cohen said, because it gets them into social media, a world that's been difficult for financial institutions. Instead of just tweeting about their earnings or their latest charitable giving using Social Money, banks can get connected to consumers via Twitter and Facebook. "They're collecting a lot of information that I give voluntarily," Cohen said. "I give a lot of information to Social Money about what I'm doing." Banks can track their customers better and offer financial products to them when it makes sense for the customer. They can also make deals with merchants based on what consumers are saving for, and tailor advertising to them. "This attracts non-banks who want to partner with Social Money, who say 'We want to know what people are saving for,' " Cohen said. | newsroom-16 | https://web.archive.org/web/2012072319id_/http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/story/2012-07-22/smartypig-social-money-michael-ferrari-jon-gaskell/56369606/1 |
Nick Cohen: The most effective method of hurting those who murder their own people is to recover the wealth they have amassed | 1.26087 | high | The guards who tortured Sergei Magnitsky at Moscow's Matrosskaya Tishina prison, and refused to allow doctors to treat the pancreatitis that eventually killed him did not understand that they had fashioned a weapon for democracies to wield against dictatorships. Until that moment, on 16 November 2009, all the talk of globalisation had missed one obvious fact – the wealthy could indeed move their money across national borders in ways that were once unimaginable. However corrupt a communist was in the cold war, his wealth had to stay in the old Soviet Union or in China or eastern Europe. From 1991 on, oligarchs or red princelings could hide their money where they wanted. But the options for those who robbed or murdered their own people were not limitless. They did not stash their loot in their own countries, as a rule. They feared revolutionaries taking power and taking back the stolen goods. They could direct wealth to Russia, the new capital of global reaction. But trusting the Putin regime and Russia's corrupt banking system and judiciary has never been wise. Instead, they wanted what oligarchs and the willing servants of dictatorial regimes have always wanted: a town house in Mayfair, an apartment in Manhattan or a villa on the Riviera, where they could be safe; and City, Swiss or Wall Street lawyers and bankers, who could protect their wealth. The democratic world was their bolt hole and pension plan. On Thursday night, Ukrainian liberals and journalists reported that private jets were taking off from Ukraine as fears grew – and let us hope they are not groundless – that President Yanukovych and his death squads were entering their last days. The charter manifest at Kiev's Zhulyany airport on 20 February, said one, read like a Who's Who of Ukraine's richest men. Which way would they head – east or west? As far as Ukraine's planespotters could tell, they wanted to head west to countries with the rule of law and protections for private property, rather than east into the hands of the rapacious Putin and his officials. Just like the families of Chinese communists, who store their wealth in the British Virgin Islands, when the moment of choice comes, they prefer financial security to ideological conformity. For instance, one of Ukraine's richest men has paid more than £100m for a luxury apartment in London. We should not be surprised if such men decide to delight us with their company if the old regime falls and its unreasonable replacement takes against them. Bill Browder, the investment fund manager who had hired Sergei Magnitsky, has become one of the most important human rights innovators of our time because he understands money's limits. The Russian state murdered Magnitsky because he revealed how officials and gangsters had used Browder's investment funds to perpetrate a $230m (£138m) fraud. Browder lobbied with a polite determination that those of us who have come to admire him know not to underestimate. He collected evidence against officials complicit in the fraud and murder. He then began persuading western governments to deny visas to the men on his list and freeze their western assets. The fury with which Moscow responded to the threat to its plunder ought to have alerted the world to the Magnitsky Act's potential. The authorities disinterred Sergei Magnitsky's corpse and put it on trial – a desecration of both the dead and the judicial process not even Joseph Stalin attempted. To be fair, French politicians and judges have learned the lesson. Understandably ashamed that their country provided a refuge for Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier of Haiti and "Emperor" Jean-Bédel Bokassa of the Central African Republic, they have seized property belonging to Uzbekistan and Equatorial Guinea's ruling clans. . Overall, western governments have shown little inclination to follow the money, however. Barack Obama has chartered his inability to stand up to Putin in his reaction to Magnitsky laws. The US Congress had to force him to impose sanctions against Russian officials in 2012. The administration ought to have supplied a new list of targets on 16 December last year. Nothing happened, because Obama and John Kerry did not wish to offend Putin before his games in Sochi. In their desire to be polite, you can see the treacheries of the dominant strand of liberal-leftism of the last decade rebounding on others. Rather than just say they did not wish to repeat the foreign wars of the disastrous Bush administration, Obama and his many admirers convinced themselves that authoritarian threats were phantoms of the neoconservative imagination. If only they could ignore dissenters and "reset" relations with the Kremlin, Russian and western governments would snuggle up to each other as friends. As Michael Weiss, of Institute of Modern Russia, pointed out last week, Moscow advises its allies to unleash "hell when the moment is right" and then present the bloody aftermath "as a warning of what happens if the status quo is not maintained". As I and many others have written, Putin wants to create a "conservative international" to unite the world's repressive governments and movements against liberalism. If Obama and his "progressives" can't oppose a united authoritarian front, the time has come for them to curl up into a ball and drop themselves into history's dustbin. Not that the European Union has been much better. The European parliament is so annoyed at its failure to enforce Magnitsky sanctions that it is preparing to compel it to act. European governments, including Britain, only threatened sanctions against the organisers of murder in Kiev at the last minute when the time for effective threats had passed. I am sure there are legal difficulties, although the French judiciary has said that the law does not protect stolen money. I am sure that diplomats in London and Washington are whispering warnings about dictatorships the west supports in Bahrain and Egypt. Against them lies the effectiveness of the best modern response to state terror. "You complain about 'western imperialism'," we should say. "Allow us to show you what modern imperialism will do to you if you even think of sending snipers to shoot peaceful demonstrators. We will change the locks of your apartments on Fifth Avenue, the Avenue Montaigne and Kensington Palace Gardens. We will shutter your villas of Cap Ferrat. Then we will empty your bank accounts so completely you will realise that all your thieving has been for nothing." | newsroom-17 | https://web.archive.org/web/2014022319id_/http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/22/stop-state-terrorists-seize-assets |
In a letter to a federal judge, the Justice Department said it still required help despite its success in gaining iPhone data in a separate case. | 1.642857 | high | WASHINGTON — With the legal battle over one iPhone now behind them, lawyers for the Justice Department and Apple resumed their sparring in another case on Friday, as prosecutors told a federal judge in Brooklyn that they still needed the company’s help to unlock a drug dealer’s iPhone. While prosecutors described the demand in the Brooklyn case as routine, Apple said it reflected an attempt by the government to establish a precedent that could help unlock dozens or even hundreds of other phones. Indeed, a judge in yet another case revolving around a locked iPhone — one in Boston involving a violent gang conspiracy — has directed Apple to help the Federal Bureau of Investigation extract data from the phone, according to documents unsealed on Friday. The cases in Brooklyn and Boston represent the latest battlegrounds in the unusually prominent dispute between the government and Apple over the F.B.I.’s difficulties in breaking into encrypted phones. The Justice Department said it was proceeding with its appeal of a February ruling that rejected its demand for Apple’s assistance in the Brooklyn case, even after the F.B.I. managed in recent weeks to unlock, without the company’s help, an iPhone used by one of the attackers in the December terrorist attack in San Bernardino, Calif. “The government’s application is not moot and the government continues to require Apple’s assistance in accessing the data that it is authorized to search by warrant,” prosecutors said. Emily Pierce, a spokeswoman for the Justice Department, said the technological solution found in the San Bernardino case would not work to get into the phone of the Brooklyn drug dealer, which has a different operating system. “In this case, we still need Apple’s help in accessing the data, which they have done with little effort in at least 70 other cases when presented with court orders for comparable phones running iOS 7 or earlier operating systems,” she said. Apple’s lawyers are skeptical of the F.B.I.’s claims that it cannot simply use the San Bernardino method to get into the Brooklyn phone. The fight over the San Bernardino phone ended abruptly last month after the F.B.I. paid an undisclosed outside party to demonstrate how to get around two defense mechanisms built into the iPhone 5c. It is unclear whether the F.B.I. got much of use out of the phone. In the Brooklyn case, prosecutors want to open an iPhone 5s owned by Jun Feng, 45, a methamphetamine dealer who claimed to have forgotten his passcode. Mr. Feng has pleaded guilty to conspiracy in the case, but prosecutors say his phone could hold information leading to other suspects. In a stinging rebuke five weeks ago, however, Magistrate Judge James Orenstein said in a 50-page ruling that the Justice Department had overstepped its authority in trying to use a 1789 statute called the All Writs Act to compel Apple’s cooperation. The technology company has been locked in a major legal battle against law enforcement officials over privacy and security. Apple had previously agreed without objection to help unlock dozens of phones in federal investigations, but it changed its position late last year, saying that the F.B.I.’s demands could cause “reputational harm” as it promotes the security of its devices. An Apple lawyer said the company was disappointed but not surprised by the government’s decision to press ahead in Brooklyn. The lawyer, who spoke to reporters on the condition of anonymity because of company policy, argued that prosecutors were pushing the case not because of the value of the information in the phone, but rather to set a precedent that could be used to get into other locked iPhones. A ruling in the government’s favor in the Federal District Court in Brooklyn would not be binding in other cases, but if it were appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and upheld there, it would become precedent for other federal courts in the region. Justice Department lawyers point to Apple’s past cooperation in arguing that it should be compelled to unlock Mr. Feng’s phone. But Joseph DeMarco, a former prosecutor who is not involved in the case, said that alone would not be enough to overturn Judge Orenstein’s order. “Apple can still argue that it doesn’t have to comply with this order,” he said. “The fact that it has done so before is relevant but not, as a technical matter, legally binding.” The method used by the F.B.I. to get into the San Bernardino phone has been a topic of furious speculation at Apple and among encryption experts. The Apple lawyer said on Friday that the company had decided not to sue the F.B.I. to find out how it got into the phone, in part because Apple’s regular product updates would probably give the method a short shelf life. The company works constantly to find and fix vulnerabilities, and its lawyers said they were confident that it would render useless the tool used by the F.B.I. in the San Bernardino case, even if it never knew for sure the method involved. The company’s lawyers plan to argue that the San Bernardino phone used a new operating system and was much harder to break into than the phone in the Brooklyn case would be. With a higher bar set, the company will question why the government cannot turn to the same marketplace of technicians that helped it crack the San Bernardino phone. Apple executives, including Timothy D. Cook, the chief, argue that Congress, not the courts, should set broad policies on investigators’ access to encrypted data. A bill being drafted by the leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee — Richard M. Burr, a North Carolina Republican, and Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat — would compel companies to provide “technical assistance” to law enforcement officials in such cases, according to the newspaper The Hill. But many officials in Washington doubt that a divided Congress will be able to reach agreement on such a complicated issue, and the draft bill drew quick protests even before its release, with the American Civil Liberties Union calling it “a clear threat to everyone’s privacy and security.” Eric Lichtblau reported from Washington and Katie Benner from New York. A version of this article appears in print on April 9, 2016, on page B1 of the New York edition with the headline: New Push to Unlock an iPhone in Brooklyn. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe | newsroom-18 | https://web.archive.org/web/2016041019id_/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/09/technology/us-presses-bid-to-force-apple-to-unlock-iphone-in-new-york.html |
J.P. Morgan Chase reported this morning that it earned $2.7 billion in the second quarter as the massive success of its Wall Street trading activities outpaced its rising losses on consumer loans. | 0.794118 | low | The giant bank topped by 36 percent the $2 billion it earned during the comparable period last year, but earnings per share fell to 28 cents from 53 cents because of heavy issuance of new shares. The strong earnings exceeded the predictions of most financial analysts, two days after Goldman Sachs also reported better-than-expected results. The combination is likely to increase the confidence of investors that the healthiest banks are once again reliable bets to make money. Most of the good news came from J.P. Morgan's investment bank, which benefited from the absence of former rivals such as Lehman Brothers and the weakness of others, such as Citigroup. The company said, for example, that it doubled its revenue from helping companies sell shares to investors. It also nearly doubled its revenue from buying and selling financial instruments. The New York company's retail businesses had a much tougher quarter. J.P. Morgan's credit card division, among the nation's largest, lost $672 million as more borrowers defaulted on loans. Problems were particularly severe in a portfolio the bank acquired with the failed Washington Mutual, which had focused on lending to customers with credit problems. The company's retail bank, also among the nation's largest, eked out earnings of $15 million. J.P. Morgan's strong performance is creating distance between the bank and its largest rivals. The company repaid $25 billion in federal aid last month, freeing it from restrictions on compensation that still apply to Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Citigroup. By repaying the money, J.P. Morgan also escaped restrictions in hiring foreign workers. But perhaps most important is the perception that the bank is free from government meddling. Bank of America and Citigroup both are operating under elaborate and restrictive agreements with federal banking regulators that affect everything from executive appointments to corporate strategy. Bank of America and Citigroup are scheduled to report earnings tomorrow. Other banks, including Wells Fargo and Capital One Financial, report earnings next week. | newsroom-19 | https://web.archive.org/web/2009071819id_/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/16/AR2009071600782.html |
Cambridge professor inspired by her own experience discovers abnormal cells can be eliminated and develop into healthy children | 1.210526 | medium | The researchers developed a mouse model of "aneuploidy" - where some cells in the embryo contain an abnormal number of chromosomes. Normally, each cell in the human embryo should contain 23 pairs of chromosomes - 22 pairs of chromosomes and one pair of sex chromosomes, but some can carry multiple copies that can lead to developmental disorders. For example, children born with three copies of chromosome 21 will develop Down's Syndrome. Pregnant women - particularly older mothers, whose offspring are at greatest risk of developing such disorders - are offered tests to predict the likelihood of genetic abnormalities. Between the 11th and 14th weeks of pregnancy, mothers may be offered chorionic villus sampling (CVS), a test that involves removing and analysing cells from the placenta. A later test, known as amniocentesis, involves analysing cells shed by the foetus into the surrounding amniotic fluid. That test is more accurate, but is usually carried out during weeks 15 to 20 of the pregnancy, when the foetus is further developed. Study senior author Prof Zernicka-Goetz, said she was inspired to carry out the research following her own experience when pregnant with her second child. A CVS test at the time found that as many as a quarter of the cells in the placenta that joined her and her developing baby were abnormal. When Prof Zernicka-Goetz spoke to geneticists about the potential implications, she found that very little was understood about the fate of embryos containing abnormal cells and about the fate of these abnormal cells within the developing embryos. Fortunately for the Professor, her son, Simon, was born healthy. She said: "I know how lucky I was and how happy I felt when Simon was born healthy. Many expectant mothers have to make a difficult choice about their pregnancy based on a test whose results we don't fully understand. "What does it mean if a quarter of the cells from the placenta carry a genetic abnormality? How likely is it that the child will have cells with this abnormality, too? This is the question we wanted to answer. "Given that the average age at which women have their children is rising, this is a question that will become increasingly important." Co senior author Professor Thierry Voet, of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, said: "In fact, abnormal cells with numerical and/or structural anomalies of chromosomes have been observed in as many as 80 to 90 per cent of human early stage embryos following in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and CSV tests may expose some degree of these abnormalities." • World's oldest living man with Down's Syndrome celebrates 76th birthday | newsroom-20 | http://web.archive.org/web/20160604105238id_/http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/news/science/science-news/12207037/Abnormal-cells-not-a-sure-sign-of-baby-defects-finds-academic-who-had-healthy-child-at-44-despite-risk.html |
The biggest threat to Iraq's long-term stability isn't ISIS, according to Gen. David Petraeus, who led the U.S. surge during the Iraq War. | 1.766667 | medium | Instead, Petraeus said the Iran-backed Shiite militias who are helping to fend off ISIS are "the foremost threat" to long-term stability in Iraq, according to an interview with the Washington Post. The comments provide the most expansive glimpse yet into how Petraeus may be helping to shape the Obama administration's strategy in Iraq as he continues to advise the National Security Council on the issue. Those militias, many funded and trained by Iran, have been an important part of efforts to push ISIS out of Syria, but they have also been accused of war crimes -- allegedly murdering not just ISIS fighters, but also Sunni civilians. "They have, to a degree, been both part of Iraq's salvation but also the most serious threat to the all-important effort of once again getting the Sunni Arab population in Iraq to feel that it has a stake in the success of Iraq rather than a stake in its failure," Petraeus told the Post. "Longer term, Iranian-backed Shia militia could emerge as the preeminent power in the country, one that is outside the control of the government and instead answerable to Tehran." Petraeus' comments come as the U.S.'s strategy to defeat ISIS is facing increased scrutiny on Capitol Hill as lawmakers debate how to enshrine the U.S.'s war against ISIS into legislation formally authorizing military force. Lawmakers pressed the U.S.'s top national security officials during a hearing last week on the growing influence of Iran in the region and the long-term implications for security -- something Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Marin Dempsey said raised legitimate concerns. "We are all concerned about what happens after the drums stop beating and ISIL is defeated," Dempsey said. Iran's growing influence in the region dates back to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, which toppled Saddam Hussein's Sunni regime and put Shiite Muslims -- the country's dominant group -- in power. Iran, also a Shiite-majority country, seized the opportunity to rekindle ties with its formerly rival neighbor. And the ISIS threat also gave Iran an opening to expand its influence in the region, sending its elite Revolutionary Guards to Iraq to train, advise and fight ISIS, whose advances into Iraq sounded alarm bells in Iran. Despite ongoing negotiations with the U.S., Iran, which supports destabilizing terror groups in the region, remains a threat to U.S. allies and the U.S.'s strategic interests -- like Iran's support of the Assad regime in Syria. The situation in Syria is also one Petraeus said he is "profoundly worried about." "Until it is capped, it is going to continue to spew radioactive instability and extremist ideology over the entire region," said Petraeus, who also served as President Barack Obama's CIA director. "Any strategy to stabilize the region thus needs to take into account the challenges in both Iraq and Syria. It is not sufficient to say that we'll figure them out later." The Obama administration's strategy in dealing with the still-ongoing civil war in Syria has been just one of the many magnets for criticism from GOP lawmakers, the most prominent of which is Sen. John McCain, who has argued the U.S. should do more to stem the violence in that country -- notably, arming moderate rebels fighting the Syrian regime. The Obama administration has trained and armed some opposition forces and is still trying to identify the ideal partners for the U.S. on the ground in Syria, but those efforts would only be aimed at defeating ISIS, not the Assad regime. And the U.S. has focused on fighting ISIS, leading a coalition that is pummeling the extremist group from the air while coordinating with local forces on the ground. Those efforts have spared the Syrian regime. | newsroom-21 | https://web.archive.org/web/2015032119id_/http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/20/politics/petraeus-greatest-threat-iraq-isis-shiite-militias/index.html |
As the Democrats touted job policies among blue-collar workers courted by Republicans, the GOP nominee’s latest controversy exploded, stage right | 1.6 | high | Protesters stood in the rain, waiting to greet the daughter of a drapery salesman and the son of an iron welder as they rolled into western Pennsylvania and Ohio. Related: Trump has 'black soul', says Khizr Khan, father of fallen Muslim US soldier Coal Country, a region where Donald Trump expects to win over blue-collar workers and cultural conservatives, isn’t friendly territory for Democrats. That was precisely why Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine had come. “Lock her up!” a few dozen protesters jeered as they stepped off the bus into a rainy haze on their fourth stop of their post-convention tour, at Johnstown Wire Technologies factory in Cambria county, which is 93% white and has a median household income of $42,000. Some waved Trump 2016 signs and American flags. Others held homemade posters with phrases like: “Send her a$$ to jail!” Across the road a smaller group huddled. Their signs read: “Steelworkers for Clinton.” With 100 days to go to the presidential election, Clinton and Kaine have made clear they are going to fight for working-class voters. On their first campaign trip together, the two Ivy League-educated political insiders drew on their modest midwestern upbringings in an effort to connect with voters now frustrated with their lot. We have the most productive, competitive workers in the world, we just need to give our people the chance to succeed There, Clinton recalled in detail how she would spend hours in her father’s dimly lit printing plant, dragging a squeegee across the silk screen laid on top of the drapery fabric. In the factory, Kaine said he recognized some of the machinery from the days spent in his father’s iron-working shop. “We are visiting places that prove what Americans can do,” Clinton told 200 or so mostly unionized workers during her remarks at the factory. “We have the most productive, competitive workers in the world, we just need to give our people the chance to succeed. So from Philadelphia to Hatfield to Harrisburg and now here in Johnstown, that’s exactly what we’re doing.” For decades, Democrats have lost out to Republicans among blue-collar workers and white Americans with a low education. Trump has capitalized on this trend and is counting on making a battleground state out of Pennsylvania, which has not voted for a Republican for president since 1988. The state is central to Trump’s Rust Belt strategy, along with success in the Great Lakes states such as Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin. Polls show a tight race there. In a head-to-head race, Clinton leads Trump in Pennsylvania by 46% to 42%, according to the realclearpolitics.com average. In Ohio, she leads by less than 1%, 42.6% to 41.8%. Under gauzy marquee lighting at a market in Harrisburg, Clinton appealed for help convincing ambivalent voters that the stakes are now too high to sit out. “If somebody is not interested in voting,” she said, “if somebody has given up on politics, if somebody says it won’t make any difference, ask them to give us a chance.” Through the weekend, the Clinton-Kaine motorcade wound through faded factory towns in hilly green landscapes. “If you’re looking for a kind of pessimistic, downbeat vision of America, we’re not your folks,” Clinton said at toy manufacturing factory in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, on Friday. “We do not buy into that dark, divisive image that was presented at the Republican convention last week.” In her first 100 days in office, Clinton said, she would push through a gridlocked Congress the biggest jobs agenda since the second world war, a plan to create more jobs by investing in new infrastructure and clean energy. “We’re going to create jobs in Pennsylvania and across America,” she said in Johnstown. “Especially in places that have been left out and left behind.” Related: Clinton blames Russia for DNC hack as Trump seems to back annex of Crimea While Clinton tried to keep the focus of the tour on her economic agenda, she was once again forced to respond to a controversy generated by Trump. In an interview broadcast on Sunday, Trump insulted the family of Humayun Khan, a 27-year-old Muslim US army captain who died in a suicide bombing in Iraq in 2004. At a cheese shop in Ashland, Ohio, Clinton told reporters: “He has throughout the course of his campaign consistently insulted and demeaned individuals, groups of Americans, people around the world and one doesn’t know where the bottom is. It’s hard to imagine anyone who has ever run to be president of the United States saying any of what he said. The accumulation of it all is just beyond my comprehension.” Amid widespread criticism on Saturday, Trump released a statement which addressed the speech given by Khan’s father at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia last week. “While I feel deeply for the loss of his son,” Trump said, “Mr Khan who has never met me, has no right to stand in front of millions of people and claim I have never read the constitution, (which is false) and say many other inaccurate things.” On Sunday, however, Trump relapsed, using Twitter to say: “I was viciously attacked by Mr Khan at the Democratic Convention. Am I not allowed to respond? Hillary voted for the Iraq war, not me!” On her bus tour, Clinton earned her second major endorsement from an ideologically independent billionaire when Mark Cuban hailed her as a “true leader” at a rally in his native Pittsburgh. “In Hillary Clinton’s America, the American Dream is alive and well,” Cuban said, electrifying the crowd. Earlier in the week, Michael Bloomberg offered a sharp rebuke of Trump at the Democratic convention. Such support could help Clinton and Kaine appeal to disillusioned Republicans like Malynda Lee, who runs a small tech business in Pittsburgh. “Normally I’m a conservative but as a woman I feel compelled to vote for Clinton,” Lee said, noting some of the derogatory comments Trump has made about women. She added that she hoped successful businessmen like Cuban and Bloomberg backing Clinton would undermine Trump’s reliance on his own business record while keeping pressure on the Democrats to support small business owners and entrepreneurs. “[Trump’s] not a good businessman,” Lee said. “That’s just wrong. What he is, he’s a bully.” Trump seized on Clinton’s visit to Johnstown, saying it was akin to a “robber visiting their victim” and blaming the loss of manufacturing jobs in such towns on international trade agreements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which he has railed against. Clinton has said she does not support the TPP, but Trump has cast doubt on the sincerity of her opposition. “A vote for Hillary is a vote to destroy American manufacturing,” said Stephen Miller, a senior policy adviser to the Trump campaign, “and to surrender to the global special interests bankrolling Hillary’s life.” You don't encourage a foreign nation to commit espionage on our national security. That was it for me … the last straw On the defensive after the Democratic convention, Trump announced that he would visit Columbus and Harrisburg, tracking some of the stops Clinton made on her tour. Youngstown, Ohio, is another place that has suffered terribly since its industrial heyday. At a rally there that kicked off about 10.15pm on Saturday, two hours late, Sean Cornelius said he had waited for seven hours to see the woman he only decided to support last week. “You don’t encourage a foreign nation to commit espionage on our national security,” said Cornelius, who described himself as a moderate conservative, referring to Trump’s call on Wednesday for Russia to find “30,000 missing emails” from the private server Clinton used while secretary of state. “That was it for me,” Cornelius said. “That was the last straw.” Cornelius said his vote for Clinton would not be cast entirely in protest. He was impressed by her jobs agenda, he said. And while he said he did not fully trust Clinton – a perception the candidate herself has admitted is a challenge – he said he trusted her more than Trump, and that was enough. “A lot of my Republican friends are the same,” Cornelius said. “We’re crossing the line because we just can’t believe the stuff he’s saying.” Trump is betting that the battle for America’s working class will decide the election. In Johnstown, though, a man stood apart from the huddle of protesters. He was drenched by the rain but he managed a thin smile as the buses arrived. He held above his head a red poster featuring the most memorable line of Bill Clinton’s 1992 acceptance speech: “I still believe in a place called Hope.” | newsroom-22 | https://web.archive.org/web/2016080119id_/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/aug/01/trump-clinton-kaine-rust-belt-pennsylvania-ohio |
China's wobbly property market has kept investors on edge, but the country's recent rate cut is expected to bring stability into the sector in 2015. | 0.931034 | low | Beijing recently introduced measures to prop up the housing market – which accounts for 15 percent of China's economy and impacts more than 40 industries – including lower mortgage rates and down-payments for some home buyers and cutting interest rates. Last week, the People's Bank of China unexpectedly eased monetary policy. The central bank lowered its benchmark lending rates by 40 basis points to 5.6 percent and deposit rates by 25 basis points to 2.75 percent. Read MoreWhy China's property slowdown isn't so scary: Goldman Johnson Hu, analyst at CIMB believes the move is an inflection point for the housing market that could drive a sustained sales recovery. "The PBoC's (People's Bank of China) rate cut is a strong catalyst for the China property sector as a) there is room for further cuts in mortgage rates, b) home buyers may see it as a signal of property market stabilization and thus boosting home sales and lowering housing inventory," he said. Read MoreChina's home price decline appears to be easing Historical patterns show that the first rate cuts in a cycle – September 2008 and June 2012 –helped drive a pickup in sales that lasted 1-1.5 years, according to CIMB. Home prices also started to rebound in 1-2 quarters after the first interest rate reduction. Moody's is less optimistic recent easing will halt the decline in prices, however. "High inventory levels will continue to pressure developers' working capital and profit margins, and weaken their pricing power," Moody's said, noting prices will continue to decrease as developers offer promotions and discounts to boost sales and liquidity. Read MoreSigns of a floor in China's property market Average new home prices in China's 70 major cities fell 2.6 percent in October from a year earlier, the second consecutive month showing an annual fall, according to Reuters. Moody's declined to provide specific guidance on price declines. | newsroom-23 | http://web.archive.org/web/20150824104054id_/http://www.cnbc.com/2014/11/25/will-chinas-property-market-unravel-in-2015.html |
The midfielder Brek Shea entered the game with Mexico in the 78th minute and promptly made a smooth move that led to the only goal in a historic victory. | 1.666667 | medium | Was the United States’ unprecedented victory over Mexico on Wednesday significant or merely a meaningless exhibition played at the cavernous and half-empty Azteca Stadium? “I think it’s a confidence builder,” midfielder Brek Shea said in a telephone interview from Salt Lake City, where he was preparing for Saturday’s Major League Soccer match between his Dallas club and Real Salt Lake. “This team went to Italy and beat Italy, which it had never done. It doesn’t matter which players are there, that it might not have been our best team. It’s still a national team game. Now we know if we have to go there we can win. We did it.” Shea, 22, an early favorite of the national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann, fell out of consideration and had not appeared with the national team since February’s game in Genoa. And to say that his M.L.S. season so far has been tumultuous would be an understatement: he served a three-game suspension after kicking a ball at an assistant referee on May 17; was benched by Coach Schellas Hyndman for arguing when he was pulled from a game July 18; and Dallas is in danger of not making the postseason. Shea was also part of a pre-Olympic debacle that kept the men’s team from going to London. As Klinsmann took what some people called an experimental team to Mexico City — without players like Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley — Shea (6 feet 3 inches, 180 pounds) got the call. He entered Wednesday’s game in the 78th minute for Herculez Gomez. Two minutes later, Shea, on the left flank, took a pass from Kyle Beckerman, neatly put the ball through a defender’s legs and centered to Terrence Boyd, who backheeled a pass to Michael Orozco Fiscal, who scored the game’s only goal. Before Wednesday’s game, the United States had never won in Mexico, a stretch of 24 games since 1934. “I was in like 45 seconds when I got the ball,” Shea said. “All week long the staff told me to take on players, especially all the guys who play in Mexico saying to take on their outside backs. My biggest strength is running at defenders, and that’s all I had on my mind. After I put it through his legs, the ball got away from me, I think it hit my right foot and popped left. I thought I had a shot, but there was no angle, so I put it in a dangerous area.” There is no guarantee Shea will be back with the national team for next month’s home-and-away World Cup qualifiers against Jamaica. For now, Shea hopes the victory in Mexico can wash away the struggles of recent months. “I don’t think there’s ever been a friendly between the U.S. and Mexico,” he said. “It’s never friendly because of the big rivalry. The players don’t look at it as a friendly, we look at it as an international game. We’ve done what we’ve never done before.” Looking back at England the day before the start of the Premier League season, the Red Bulls’ Australian midfielder Tim Cahill sees Robin van Persie’s jump from Arsenal to rival Manchester United for a $38 million transfer fee as sadly inevitable. “He’s a great player, and it’s just too bad he couldn’t stay the rest of his career at Arsenal because he would have become a living legend,” Cahill, who played 15 years in England, said after training Friday at Red Bull Arena. “People have been a bit harsh on Wenger; he didn’t have much choice because the player didn’t want to stay,” Cahill said, referring to the Gunners’ French coach, Arsène Wenger. “There’s nothing you can do.” Wenger’s decision to sell van Persie contrasts with the stance taken at Fulham over the similar transfer demands of the American international Clint Dempsey. Dempsey, 29, wants out but still has a year left on his contract. “You have to respect our view that we can’t let Clint go on the cheap,” Manager Martin Jol said Friday. “And we won’t.” In response, Dempsey wrote on Twitter: “There are two sides to the story. The truth will come out soon.” After losing van Persie, Wenger told The Associated Press: “Time heals all things, and of course at the moment people are hurt, which I understand, but what is important for us is to focus on the season in front of us. Players have gone, life goes on, and the football club is 125 years old, and other big players have left this club and we have always gone from season to season in a strong way.” At the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Japan, the United States opens play against Ghana in Hiroshima on Monday, then plays China on Thursday and ends the first round with a match against the defending champion Germany on Aug. 27. The American midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo is the daughter of Angelo DiBernardo, who played for the United States in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and for the Cosmos. | newsroom-24 | https://web.archive.org/web/2012081819id_/http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/18/midfielder-makes-timely-return-to-u-s-national-team/ |
In today's must-read links for your lunch break: the unemployment rate is down, but the trailer for the final installment of 'The Hangover' trilogy is up. | 1 | low | Job seekers speak to representatives of employers at a job fair at the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan on March 6 in New York City. Unemployment Rate Falls to 7.7%. The drop is due to the addition of 236,000 jobs in February, in spite of sluggish GDP growth. (TIME.com) Growing Up in the World’s Deadliest City. 10,000 men, women and children have died in Juarez, Mexico since 2007 (BuzzFeed) Ten Great American Novel Contenders from the Last Decade. Nothing written by Snooki is on the list, but that’s probably because she didn’t want to peak too early in her writing career. (Flavorwire) Justin Bieber Made Poor Wardrobe Choices. While the yellow hat with spikes has gotten most of the attention this week, his pants aren’t really any better. Those wondering about the possibility of an adult diaper are well within their rights. (Go Fug Yourself) Afghan Graffiti Artist Makes Mark in Mumbai. 23-year-old Malina Suliman has taken her work to the Indian city in the wake of threats from the Taliban in Kandahar. (Divanee) Nine Historical Methods for Determining the Sex of an Unborn Baby. For those of us living in the 21st century, however, an ultrasound is probably still best. (mental_floss) Baseball’s Biggest Breakouts? With the start to the Major League season just weeks away, here’s a look at some of the game’s brightest phenoms. (Grantland) Forget Apple, It’s All About Pear. Apparently, anyway. Maybe they’ll be the ones dropping the next iPhone? (The Daily What) The Hangover Part III Trailer Is Here. The third and final installment of the trilogy hits theaters Memorial Day. (YouTube via FilmDrunk) | newsroom-25 | https://web.archive.org/web/2013031319id_/http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/03/08/reading-while-eating-for-mar-8-jobs-for-everyone/ |
Suspected Boko Haram gunmen shot dead and slit the throats of 68 residents of a village in northeast Nigeria, according to survivors and vigilante sources. | 0.962963 | low | The attackers then burned down the entire village of Njaba, the sources said. Dozens of gunmen invaded the remote northeastern village before dawn Tuesday, singling out boys and girls between the ages of 13 and 19 and killing them alongside their parents, witnesses said. Njaba village lies about 65 kilometers (40 miles) south of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state. Karimu Lawani, who escaped to Maiduguri after hiding with eight other people behind the barn of a neighbor, said the attackers came into the village at around 5 a.m. "They shot dead anyone that tried to flee but spared children younger than 13 years old," Lawani said. He and other survivors counted the victims of the massacre before leaving the village some hours later. His account was supported by Faltama Bisika, 62, who lost four grandchildren in the attack. "They hurled petrol bombs into homes and opened fire on anyone trying to flee. They particularly targeted teenagers and elderly people," Bisika said. News of the attack was slow to emerge due to lack of communication following destruction of cell phone towers in the region in previous Boko Haram attacks. "I only got information of the attack on my village last night," said a civilian vigilante from Njaba who asked not to be named. The vigilante said his father was among those killed. The vigilante said he left Njaba for Maiduguri in June to join others fighting against the Islamist radical group. He said he believes the attackers came from Gwoza -- a town on Nigeria's mountainous border with Cameroon that Boko Haram seized last June -- because Njaba "lies on the route to Gwoza from Maiduguri." | newsroom-26 | https://web.archive.org/web/2015030519id_/http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/05/world/boko-haram-nigeria-raid/index.html |
Japan's exports grew the most in a year in December, helped by a weak yen and pickup in overseas demand, an encouraging sign for the economy. | 0.966667 | low | "Exports have bottomed out but I doubt whether they will accelerate from now on due to growing uncertainty over the global economy," said Takeshi Minami, chief economist at Norinchukin Research Institute. The MOF data showed exports to the United States rose 23.7 percent in the year to December, while those to China rose 4.3 percent. Read MoreA busy week ahead for Japan, Asia's central banks Shipments to Asia, which account for more than half of Japanese shipments, grew 11.0 percent year-on-year in December. EU-bound exports rose 6.8 percent. Overall imports rose 1.9 percent on the year in December versus a 2.3 percent gain expected, as sharp falls in crude oil prices cut into the value of purchases. That helped trim a trade gap by 49.5 percent from a year ago to 660.7 billion yen ($5.62 billion), still marking a record 30-month run of deficits. Cheap oil also compounds the challenge for the BOJ's aim of hitting its 2 percent inflation goal around the coming fiscal year from April, which analysts see as impossible to achieve. Indeed, on Wednesday the BOJ sharply cut its inflation forecast, and Governor Haruhiko Kuroda conceded it may take longer than expected to hit the price target. The yen has fallen sharply against the dollar although it has pulled back from recent lows. The dollar was at around 118 yen on Monday, off a 7-year high of above 120 yen hit last month, but still about 35 percent higher since Abe took office in late 2012. Despite the yen's depreciation under Abenomics stimulus policies, exports have been slow to pick up as Japanese firms shifted production overseas, while others have sought to boost profits rather than export volume. | newsroom-27 | http://web.archive.org/web/20151013085131id_/http://www.cnbc.com/2015/01/25/japan-exports-grow-most-in-year-signalling-steady-recovery-from-recession.html |
THE simple act of becoming relaxed can have surprising health benefits, new research is showing. In addition to the obvious psychological effects of relieving stress and mental tension, the new findings indicate, deep relaxation, if practiced regularly, can strengthen the immune system and produce a host of other medically valuable physiological changes. In asthmatics, for example, relaxation training has been found to widen restricted respiratory passages. In some diabetics, relaxation can reduce the need for insulin. In many patients with chronic, unbearable pain, the training has brought about significant relief. Moreover, the research shows, relaxation may help ward off disease by making people less susceptible to viruses, and by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels. | 1.198529 | low | In research at the Harvard Medical School, associates of Dr. Benson found that regular sessions of a simple meditation technique decreased the body's response to norepenephrine, a hormone released in reaction to stress. Although the endocrine system continued to emit the hormones, they did not seem to have their usual effects. ''Ordinarily, norepenephrine stimulates the cardiovascular system,'' Dr. Benson said. ''But regular relaxation training resulted in less blood pressure increase to norepenephrine than is usually seen. Relaxation seems to mimic the action of the beta-blocking drugs used to control blood pressure.'' Research by Dean Ornish, director of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in San Francisco, has shown that relaxation training improves blood flow to the heart. Silent ischemia, which chokes off that blood flow, can damage the heart without causing noticeable pain. He also found that relaxation lowered cholesterol levels and lessened the severity of angina attacks. In 1984, a National Institutes of Health report recommended the use of relaxation, along with salt restriction and weight loss, as the first therapy for mild hypertension, before resorting to drug treatments. Nevertheless, many cardiologists have been slow to use the relaxation techniques. ''Most cardiologists still can't believe that stress has much to do with heart disease, or that relaxation can help in more than a minor way,'' Dr. Ornish said. ''They don't learn about relaxation techniques in medical school, so they ignore them. But, slowly, relaxation is making more sense to them.'' Diabetes and Chronic Pain Diabetics can benefit from relaxation, according to research by Richard Surwit, a psychologist at the Duke University Medical Center. In a series of studies, Dr. Surwit found that relaxation improved the body's ability to regulate glucose in patients with the most common type of diabetes, which has its onset in adulthood. It is the body's inability to control glucose, or blood sugar, that ultimately leads to the damage done by the disease. Relaxation seems to offer relief to many asthmatics by diminishing both the emotional upsets that can trigger attacks and the constriction of air passages that chokes breathing, according to a report by Paul Lehrer of Rutgers Medical School in the current issue of the Journal of Psychosomatic Research. The effects have been more pronounced for those who suffer chronic asthma, rather than those whose asthma is seasonal. One of the major boons of relaxation training has been in lessening or alleviating chronic, severe pain. Such pain can arise from many different causes, including backache and chronic migraine or tension headaches, diseases such as cancer, and even as the unintended outcome of operations to control pain. In a recent article in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine, Dr. Kabat-Zinn reported a sharp decrease in pain and related symptoms in patients trained in relaxation at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester. The patients in the study, who included the full range of those typically seen in pain clinics, were able to lessen or, in some cases, stop altogether their use of pain drugs. Four years after their training ended, the majority of patients were still faithful in their use of the relaxation practice, and still reported a decrease in pain and less reliance on drugs to control it, Dr. Kabat-Zinn said. Relaxation is being used clinically in a much larger range of medical problems than the research so far has been able to assess. These include the management of the side effects of such medical procedures as kidney dialysis and cancer chemotherapy, gastrointestinal problems like irritable bowel syndrome, and insomnia, emphysema and skin disorders. Evaluating Overall Effectiveness Although clinical successes have been reported in individual cases with these disorders, research is now under way at Harvard and other centers to evaluate the overall effectiveness of relaxation in their treatment. ''It's not yet clear that relaxation will help with every kind of stress reactivity,'' Dr. Kabat-Zinn said. ''And we've just begun to sort out which relaxation techniques work best with which medical problems. Most may be interchangeable, because of their general neuroendocrine effects, but we do not know yet for sure.'' In research at Harvard, students who were identified as being easily engrossed in thoughts and images were trained in muscle relaxation and then asked to visualize certain specific images. Relaxation alone increased defenses against upper respiratory infections. The added imagery, however, enhanced the effect. The research was done by Mary Jasnoski, a psychologist, who reported the findings at a recent meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine in San Francisco. Although their biological effects are essentially similar, the relaxation techniques are very different. In Dr. Kabat-Zinn's ''mindfulness'' training, for example, patients pay careful attention to the sensations in their bodies, sweeping slowly from head to foot. They do not try to change those sensations, but note them precisely, with a neutral awareness. They are also taught a set of gentle yoga movements and stretches, which they do with the same careful attentiveness. Patients are encouraged to extend a relaxed mindfulness into the rest of their daily lives, especially when stressed. In progressive relaxation, Dr. Lehrer's patients learn to recognize the often-subtle signals of tension in the major muscles of the body, and to systematically release that tension, leaving their whole body in a state of deep relaxation. And Dr. Benson has found that for many of his patients the relaxation response can be evoked by their sitting quietly with eyes closed for 15 minutes twice daily, and mentally repeating a simple word or sound. ''Eighty percent of patients choose a simple prayer to repeat,'' Dr. Benson said. The experts caution that intensive training, followed by regular use of the techniques, may be required before many medical benefits appear. Most training programs last several weeks. And, according to Dr. Lehrer, relaxation may be better when it is taught in person rather than learned from a tape. The benefits seem to come from the physiology of relaxation rather than from mere suggestion, according to Dr. Lehrer. In a recent study, he found that asthmatic patients who were highly open to suggestions and hypnosis actually benefited the least from his relaxation training. ''Just feeling relaxed may not be the same as being truly relaxed physically,'' Dr. Lehrer said. Not everyone is helped by the relaxation training, said Joan Borysenko, who directs the relaxation program for outpatients at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. ''Some people don't change much, some do a little, some a lot. And there are a few whose lives turn around totally.'' | newsroom-28 | http://web.archive.org/web/20160704154649id_/http://www.nytimes.com:80/1986/05/13/science/relaxation-surprising-benefits-detected.html?pagewanted=2 |
Two convicted sex offenders, charged with raping and murdering 4 women in Southern California, wore ankle monitors at the time of the alleged crimes, police say | 1.655172 | low | updated 7:00 PM EDT, Tue April 15, 2014 (CNN) -- Two registered sex offenders are accused of raping and killing four women in Southern California while the men were wearing GPS ankle-bracelets, authorities say. "The GPS was in fact intact, attached to these suspects during the commissions of the crimes," Anaheim Police Chief Raul Quezada told reporters Monday. Steven Dean Gordon, 45, and Franc Cano, 27, were scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday, but the hearing was postponed until May 19 at the request of a defense attorney, authorities said. The two men were arrested Friday night. Their ankle monitors and the women's cell phone records helped authorities link the cases to the suspects, police said. The body of Jarrae Nykkole Estepp, 21, of Oklahoma, was found at an Anaheim recycling plant on March 14, Anaheim police said. The disappearances in Santa Ana of the three other women are being treated as homicides, although their bodies have not been found. Kianna Jackson, 20, was last reported seen on October 6; Josephine Vargas, 34, on October 24; and Martha Anaya, 28, on November 12. Both men had been convicted of sex crimes involving children: Gordon in 1992 and Cano in 2007. Each man had checked in with police every 30 days, as required, and authorities had no reason to watch them more closely, Anaheim Police Department spokesman Lt. Bob Dunn said. A state Department of Corrections official would not say what authorities may have known about the suspects' activity. "Due to the complexity of the investigation, we are not at liberty to speak on those, but, however, the questions are coming forth to headquarters in Sacramento and, as time permits or we're allowed to, they will respond to your questions," Charles Dangerfield told reporters. All the women are believed to have worked as prostitutes, police said. Sex offenders routinely released from California jails, records show CNN's Michael Martinez and Stella Chan contributed to this report. | newsroom-29 | https://web.archive.org/web/2014041519id_/http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/15/justice/california-killings/index.html |
As the investigation continues into the actions of officer Cynthia Whitlach, activists say police department’s apology is ‘too little, too late’ and want her fired | 1.758621 | medium | The Seattle Police Department (SPD) has launched an investigation into an incident in which an officer arrested an elderly veteran who was using a golf club as a walking stick. The arrest has sparked outrage in the city and calls for the officer, Cynthia Whitlach, to be fired. She has been put on desk duty while the investigation continues. On Thursday, Mayor Ed Murray discussed the incident with police chief Kathleen O’Toole, who took up her post last summer promising reform. Officer Whitlatch, who is white, arrested 70-year-old William Wingate, who is black, in the city last July on charges of obstruction, after accusing him of “swinging” the golf club at her. But a video and audio recording of the encounter on the sunny street, captured on the police cruiser’s camera, showed Wingate did nothing of the sort. Related: Seattle activist pepper-sprayed while talking on phone sues city and police News of the investigation follows an incident earlier this month, in which a member of the public shot footage of a Seattle police officer pepper-spraying a male teacher and a middle-aged woman who were walking away from a protest march. In 2011, a US Department of Justice investigation into the SPD found a pattern of excessive force and possible bias. Whitlatch was one of more than 100 officers who filed a lawsuit last year to knock down the agreement between the city and the DoJ, although that lawsuit failed in October. Whitlatch also made widely reported comments on Facebook about “black racism” and African Americans blaming their problems on whites. Seattle police released video footage of the encounter between Whitlatch and Wingate. In the video, Whitlatch is seen encountering Wingate on a street corner. He is leaning on the golf club, and the officer can be heard calling from her cruiser for him to put the club down, because it is a weapon. In a surprised and puzzled tone, Wingate asks “What?” He then tells Whitlatch he has been using the club as a cane for 20 years. She starts shouting at him to “set down” or “shut down” the club – the audio is not entirely clear. Wingate is holding a small shopping bag in one hand and the club in the other – he raises his arms in a slight shrug of apparent confusion and irritation. At that point, Whitlatch shouts: “You swung that golf club at me.” The exchange continues until another officer arrives and an arrest is made. Wingate spent the night in jail. The case against him was later dismissed; the police have apologised. In November, Wingate’s attorney, Susan Mindenbergs, filed a claim against the city. The claim, which seeks at least $750,000 in damages, says Wingate’s civil rights were violated and his only crime was “walking in Seattle while black”. The Seattle King County branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People said the actions by the SPD were “too little, too late”. It has called for Whitlatch to be fired. | newsroom-30 | https://web.archive.org/web/2015020119id_/http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jan/31/seattle-police-officer-arrest-man-golf-club-cane |
Far better than a movie night? A movie getaway. Boutique film festivals in Savannah, Austin, Marin County and Woodstock are runaway hits | 1.038462 | high | EVERY SCORSESE-IN-TRAINING and ardent movie fan knows about the marquee film festivals like Sundance and Telluride. But while those draw the masses, they can also feel like conventions: mobbed, schmoozey and overproduced. Throughout October, smaller, boutique festivals offer an altogether different moviegoing experience. Attendees get to screen likely Oscar-contenders as well as pictures from up-and-coming cineastes often overlooked by the big fests’ selection committees, said Joana Vicente of the Independent Filmmaker Project, a nonprofit that helps small filmmakers find an audience. Even better, many screenings take place in delightfully atypical venues—such as Woodstock’s Bearsville Theater, a cathedral to ’60s folk rock, or Austin’s gilded 1915 Paramount—places visitors might otherwise miss. And if you get stuck watching an art-house flick that’s too arty for most human eyeballs, you can always duck out and take advantage of the many real-life diversions in each of these destinations. Known as the Writers Festival, with programs dedicated to both TV and film, this weeklong event draws heavy screenwriting talent and features panels geared to writers, including one this year called “Deconstructing Jane Austen.” Attendees travel on foot or by pedicabs between downtown venues like the red-and-gold Paramount, where Houdini performed, and the multisensory Texas Spirit Theater (rumbling seats and all) at the Bullock state history museum. Some short films are screened at a coffee bar. Coming attractions: Among the festival’s most widely anticipated films is “Loving,” a drama about a mixed-race couple whose relationship spurred a U.S. Supreme Court case. Intermission: When not viewing films, bar hop on Rainey Street or in SoCo, South of Congress district. Stay at the Driskill Hotel (from $271 a night, driskillhotel.com), a grande dame of a hotel and the festival’s hub. Admission: Passes range from $12 for individual showings to $675 for an all-access pass, front-of-the-line privileges and entry to parties like the “Hair-of-the-Dog Brunch” and a Texas barbecue supper (austinfilmfestival.com). The Birkenstock beau monde have been hosting A-listers and their fans at this Marin County film festival since 1978. “We’ve come a long way from artsy films [shown] in dumpy places,” said founder Mark Fishkin. This year’s lineup includes some 200 movies screened among four towns, many of which are shown in winsome Mill Valley, just north of San Francisco. You can follow viewings with live music at Mill Valley’s Sweetwater Music Hall, where much of the nightly performances will be tied to the film lineup. One headliner for example is Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser, the subject of festival film “The Groove is Not Trivial.” Coming attractions: “ La La Land,” a musical featuring Emma Stone and directed and written by Damien Chazelle (of “Whiplash” fame), which won high praise at the Toronto Film Festival and will be shown in Mill Valley’s art deco CinéArts at Sequoia theater. Intermission: When your legs need stretching, take them to nearby Muir Woods. Stay at Mill Valley Inn tucked away among the redwoods (from $279 a night, marinhotels.com/mill-valley-inn/home) or Cavallo Point Lodge, in Sausalito, overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge (from $479 a night, cavallopoint.com). Admission: Single tickets are $15, while big spenders can opt for a $2,500 membership pass, which guarantees a great seat at all screenings, as well as entry to the most exclusive, celeb-studded festival parties (mvff.com). “Fiercely Independent” is the fitting theme for the 130 films and related events shown among five small towns in a rustic setting. “It is less the red carpet than a thoroughly green one,” noted Canadian film distributor Ron Mann, of Films We Like. The festival pulls talent from New York City, two hours south, to mingle with an engaged, often socially conscious audience. Some films are screened at the Bearsville Theater, part of a homespun wood-and-glass complex built by Albert Grossman, legendary manager of Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin and others. Coming attractions: This year’s most provocative top picks, according to the festival’s executive director Meira Blaustein, include “Junction 48,” a love story of two Palestinian hip-hop artists, and “ Neruda,” about the Chilean poet. Intermission: For a screen break, visit Opus 40, a sculpture park revealing one man’s artistic obsession with rocks, or on Sunday afternoon you can join the drum circle, a regular spectacle in Woodstock’s downtown. The Bear Café, next to the Bearsville Theater, has white-linen dining overlooking a stream and for more casual fare, outdoor picnic tables surrounding a fire pit (295 Tinker St., bearcafe.com). Stay at plush Emerson Hotel (from $229 a night, emersonresort.com) or rent a cottage on the grounds of Woodstock Inn on the Mill Stream (from $375 a night, woodstock-inn-ny.com). Admission: Most tickets are $10 with all-event passes at $750 (woodstockfilmfestival.com). Sponsored by the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), this quirky film festival has a free-spirited student vibe—organizers boast about welcoming “below-the-line talent” (the costumers, editors, cinematographers who work behind the set to make the actors look good). Venues include the Trustees Theater, circa 1946, and the 1921 Lucas Theatre, a former vaudeville stage showcasing some of the 150 film screenings. Coming attractions: SCAD’s picks for the year’s 10 best documentaries; a global short-film series; and, in the spirit of Halloween, its “after dark” horror series. This year’s top-billed feature films include “Bleed for This,” a boxing comeback story, starring Miles Teller and Aaron Eckhart, and the artfully intense “Moonlight,” a coming-of-age film. Intermission:Leave space in your schedule to sample the reinvented Southern cuisine at the Olde Pink House (23 Abercorn St., plantersinnsavannah.com/the-olde-pink-house), or join the communal tables for more classic regional fare at Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room (107 West Jones St., mrswilkes.com). After the horror series, those who want a double dose of chills can stay at the Marshall House (from $173 a night, marshallhouse.com), known for its ghostly guests as well as its lovely wrought-iron facade. Or for modern edginess, the Brice Hotel, (from $204 a night, bricehotel.com). Admission: Individual tickets are $10 and all-event passes range up to $750 (filmfest.scad.edu). | newsroom-31 | https://web.archive.org/web/2016100319id_/http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-four-october-film-festivals-movie-lovers-should-know-sundance-isnt-one-1475183941 |
Russia has powerful surveillance and censorship capabilities, this is how it will use it to monitor the Internet in Sochi. | 1.590909 | high | As athletes, spectators, journalists and government officials descend on Sochi for the Winter Olympics in February, they will enter what experts are calling the most surveilled Olympics of all time. Over the past several months, we've learned — the hard way — that surveillance starts online (and not just in the United States). Internet freedom activists fear that the Russian government, along with the Federal Security Service (FSB), will use Russia's vast array of spy tech and Internet censorship to restrict Internet freedom during the Olympics. The most important piece of the puzzle is Russia's system of lawful interception, which some have labeled as "Orwellian" or "PRISM on steroids." This system, which has origins in the Soviet era, allows the FSB to access Internet servers and telecommunications providers directly, allowing the government to eavesdrop on all online and phone communications that go through their networks. The online snooping through Russia's system, called SORM (System for Operative Investigative Activities), differs from that in the U.S. In Russia, the FSB can access the servers directly, thanks to mandatory "black boxes" that companies are compelled to install in their data centers at their own cost. According to a 2012 investigation published on Wired, the FSB is directly connected to local ISPs and telecom providers with protected underground cables. In the U.S., under the legal regime imposed by the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), wiretapping is conducted indirectly: After obtaining a warrant, authorities must ask companies to tap someone's communications. They themselves do not have unfettered access to the servers. "From the beginning, [SORM] was more totalitarian, more invasive, more flexible, and in some ways even more effective than the Western approach," said Andrei Soldatov, an independent journalist who has written extensively about Russia's surveillance powers. This system has another "freaky" feature, Soldatov said. Although Russia's FSB has direct access at the tech level, they still must request a warrant before wiretapping an individual's communications — but they don't need to show that warrant to anyone. It's more of a formality. SORM was born in the 1980s for the sole purpose of monitoring phone calls. Since then, the system has expanded to cover all kinds of communications. SORM-1 monitors phone and cellphone communications; SORM-2 monitors Internet traffic; and SORM-3 collects information from all sources and stores it away, as Soldatov and his colleague Irina Borogan explained in research published in the World Policy Journal in October 2013. In the run-up to this year's Olympics, according to Soldatov and Borogan's investigations, Russia is ramping up its system, trying to combine it with Deep Packet Inspection (DPI), a filtering technology that has legitimate uses like stopping viruses or spam, but can also be used for censorship or surveillance. With DPI, Russian authorities could potentially monitor networks to detect the use of certain words, perhaps to anticipate the beginnings of a protests or to keep an eye on discussions involving politically controversial issues. The implication is that all online communication at Sochi will be monitored. For Soldatov, such a scenario means that once the public and journalists are aware of the country's spying capabilities, they might restrain their actions online or what they report on. "There might be a big deal of self-censorship as a result," he told Mashable. It's as though Russia is saying, "We're watching you, so think twice about what you're doing during the Olympics." The International Olympic Committee (IOC), on the other hand, has already said that it will not "police the Internet" and specifically social media. The IOC has well-defined social media rules and guidelines, and for the London Olympics in 2012, many feared those rules would prove too restrictive. In the end, however, no major problems were posed. Russia's surveillance capabilities are so powerful that the U.S. State Department issued a warning to all Americans planning to travel to Sochi: No online communications are safe. "Business travelers should be particularly aware that trade secrets, negotiating positions, and other sensitive information may be taken and shared with competitors, counterparts, and/or Russian regulatory and legal entities," reads a document released last fall by the department's bureau of diplomatic security. But it's not just surveillance. Russia has powerful censorship tolls as well. Perhaps the most well-known is the Single Register law, which was enacted on Nov. 1, 2012. The law allows the Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Telecom, Information Technologies and Mass Communications (in Russian, simply Roskomnadzor) to put any website that it deems contains "harmful material" related to child pornography, drug abuse or suicide, on a blacklist without any judicial oversight. Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Federal Drug Control Service of Russia and the Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare can also request that sites be blocked. ISPs then have 24 hours to comply. Despite its good intentions, critics claimed the law was too broad and would lead to abuse. So far, and among many others, the blacklist includes websites of Caucasian separatists and Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as blogs on the Russian social network LiveJournal. These examples prove that concerns were warranted. Whenever a country enacts such a law, it will be abused, argues Laura Reed, a Freedom House researcher who focuses on Russia. "With any policy by the government to block websites you're going to end up with legitimate content being blocked as well, either because the legislation is worded in such a way that a vast amount of material can fall under the content that can be restricted, or because the way that it's implemented isn't specific enough," Reed told Mashable. Even worse, Reed said, is that the Single Register law is not the only way to block websites. The Ministry of Justice has its own blacklist to block "extremist" websites; more recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a bill allowing prosecutors to block websites that promote riots or extremism without a court order. The result, Reed concluded, is that "more Russians citizens are likely to find their communications activities under surveillance." With more than 200,000 visitors expected for the Games in Sochi next week, it won't be just Russia's citizens who will be subject to this kind of surveillance. Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments. | newsroom-32 | https://web.archive.org/web/2014012819id_/http://mashable.com/2014/01/28/russia-internet-olympics/ |
When Patrick J. Kennedy’s eighth term in Congress ends next month, no member of his family will hold national office for the first time since 1947. | 0.931034 | high | “My family legacy was never just about government service,” said Mr. Kennedy, who talked for more than two hours in an empty room at the Cannon House Office Building, where John F. Kennedy also worked as a House member from 1947 to 1953. “It was about giving back, and the branding of President Kennedy’s call for Americans to give back to their country.” And yet it was politics that made the Kennedys a de facto royal family, giving them a vein of power in Washington that spanned generations. The Kennedys have been woven prominently through the political and social history of the last half-century, from the assassinations of John and his brother Robert, to Edward’s 1969 car accident on Chappaquiddick Island, Mass., that killed Mary Jo Kopechne, to the 1999 plane crash that killed John F. Kennedy Jr. Recent forays into politics by other family members, like Caroline Kennedy’s brief run for the Senate in New York in 2009, have also fascinated the nation. “It’s not as if a Kennedy presence in Washington is an indispensable ingredient for the survival of the republic,” said Ross K. Baker, a political science professor at Rutgers University. “But for people whose memories harken back to the earlier Kennedys, especially as American politics got more fractious and contentious, there was something reassuring about the element of continuity.” Mr. Kennedy was 21 when he was elected to the Rhode Island House of Representatives in 1988, winning on his name alone. He never considered a life outside politics, he said, because he was so intent on emulating his father. But he always struggled in the legislative shadow of one of the most influential senators in history. The younger Kennedy had his own signature achievement with a 2008 law that requires equal insurance coverage for treatment of mental and physical illness, and he became a strong proponent of removing American troops from Afghanistan. In recent months, he has advocated more research and treatment for veterans suffering from traumatic brain injury. Still, he was as well known for his family name and brushes with addiction as for his legislative work. “Whereas his uncles and father were people whose footprints were indelible on the terrain of American politics,” Mr. Baker said, “Patrick was not.” Other Kennedys may yet enter politics — Victoria Reggie Kennedy, Edward Kennedy’s widow, is seen as a possible Democratic Senate candidate from Massachusetts, and Joseph P. Kennedy III, 30, a grandson of Robert F. Kennedy, briefly considered running for an open House seat there this year — but to date, most of Patrick Kennedy’s cousins have pursued different kinds of public service. Timothy Shriver, a son of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, runs the Special Olympics, for example, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is an environmental activist. “I know it fits some narrative that, ‘Oh, I’m the last Kennedy,’ ” Patrick Kennedy said, his tone verging on sardonic. “But any one survey of what my family is doing out there in a million different ways fits with my family legacy.” His way of giving back, Mr. Kennedy said, would be to continue as an advocate for ending the stigma of mental illness. He will draw attention and resources to brain research, he said, in hopes of improving how disorders from addiction to Parkinson’s disease are treated and understood. His interest is personal, not least because he was treated for cocaine addiction as a teenager, was given a diagnosis of bipolar disorder after he got to Congress in 1994, and then became addicted to painkillers. In 2006, he crashed his Mustang convertible into a barricade outside the Capitol in the middle of the night, and then went public with his addiction and sought treatment. He is planning to detail his struggles in a memoir, “Coming Clean,” to be released by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt late next year. “Ultimately, I see telling my own story as a more palatable way to get out the story of the neuroscience,” Mr. Kennedy said. “I don’t want to be talking about salacious details for the purpose of salacious details, but for the purpose of fitting it into a context to describe a bigger story.” Mr. Kennedy said he was closing down his campaign committees and not keeping any campaign money. He might keep an office in Washington, he said, but would consider Rhode Island home. After he leaves the Hill, his immediate goal will be organizing a brain research conference in Boston in May. Not by coincidence, it will be the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy’s speech to Congress proposing to send a man to the moon. He is enlisting scientists and sponsors, and stressing that the initiative could prove as historic as the race to space. He has set up a Web site, www.moonshot.org, and singled out veterans as urgently needing the kind of scientific breakthroughs he envisions. With his father’s death in August 2009 still an open wound, Mr. Kennedy said he also had a more personal goal. “I lost the most important person in my life,” he said. “So I’m looking forward to developing those emotional relationships with others, because there’s more to life.” Norman J. Ornstein, a political scientist at the American Enterprise Institute, said that while Mr. Kennedy’s departure was minor in the scheme of things, the fact that he and his father were being replaced as the only father-son team in Congress by Representative Ron Paul of Texas and Senator-elect Rand Paul of Kentucky, who hail from the libertarian Tea Party wing of the Republican Party, was indicative of “the kind of sea change we’re going through” on Capitol Hill. “To go from the Kennedys to the Pauls,” Mr. Ornstein said, “I would say that’s a pretty big difference.” A version of this article appears in print on December 17, 2010, on Page A18 of the New York edition with the headline: The Capitol’s Last Kennedy. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe | newsroom-33 | https://web.archive.org/web/2010121719id_/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/17/us/politics/17kennedy.html |
A month of worrisome headlines has markets believing in a more dovish Federal Reserve, according to the latest CNBC Fed Survey. | 1.130435 | medium | However, market participants do not seem to be factoring in much risk to the U.S. economy from the recent round of negative headlines. Participants still see 2.9 percent growth next year, unchanged from the September survey, and about 70 basis points better than this year. They also forecast a very low probability of recession—just 15 percent—in the next 12 months. The rosy outlook has its doubters, including Thomas Costerg from Chartered Bank, who writes, "The consensus has tended to overestimate U.S. GDP growth and my worry is that expectations for 2015 are starting from a high point; there is a risk of disappointment, once again. The U.S. consumer may be in a more fragile state than expected.'' Market participants rate the European economic slowdown as the biggest global risk. They are twice as worried about Europe as they are about the economic threat from the spread of Ebola. After Europe, the next biggest risk is seen as a slowdown in Asia, followed by ISIS and troubles in Ukraine and Russia. Read MoreS&P warns Europe crisis not over, France output falls Three quarters of respondents to CNBC's October Fed Survey see the European Central Bank launching an outright quantitative easing program, with the average respondent believing it will come as soon as February. European economic weakness has catapulted into the No. 1 threat facing the U.S. economic recovery as well, eclipsing both slow job growth and tax and regulatory issues. But the Street is still attaching a low probability to QE 4; just 18.4 percent believe the Fed will launch a new QE program in the two years after the current one ends, up 4 points from the September survey. A full 97 percent say the current QE program will be ended at the meeting this month. Fed policy still appears to enjoy modest support from this group of respondents, with 49 percent saying policy is "just right," up from 43 percent in the September survey. Still, a substantial 44 percent say the central bank is too accommodative. Market participants seem unconcerned with the risk either of inflation or deflation, with both ranking low on the list of risks to the U.S. recovery. The Consumer Price Index is seen rising by 2 percent in 2015, down from the forecast in the prior survey of 2.3 percent. Read MoreWorried on low inflation, Fed seen offering soothing words "The Fed has consistently missed its (2 percent) target on inflation,'' said Diane Swonk of Mesirow Financial. "The Fed will have to more aggressively combat slowing inflation going forward; this is yet another reason for gradualism.'' Recent market turmoil has taken a toll on optimism for equities. Respondents shaved 38 points off their outlook for the S&P 500 for the end of 2015, and now see a 2,111 level. The outlook for the 10-year yield also was marked down to just 2.9 percent by next June, compared with the prior average of 3.16 percent. | newsroom-34 | http://web.archive.org/web/20150907210648id_/http://www.cnbc.com/2014/10/28/market-pushes-back-fed-rate-hike-expectations-survey.html |
Dozens of inventions would have improved or ended the use of chains to measure for first downs, but they endure. | 0.772727 | high | On a first down, one end of the chains is placed along the sideline by one member of the seven-person chain gang — hired for game-day duty by the home teams — six feet from the field, supposedly even with the front tip of a football that will be snapped at least 25 yards away. When a play ends, an official estimates the spot, usually marking it with a foot and tossing the ball to another official to set for the next play. When a first down is too close to call, the chains are trotted onto the field. Sometimes the drive continues by an inch. Sometimes it ends by less. “There must be a better way,” said Pat Summerall, the longtime N.F.L. player and broadcaster. “Because games are decided, careers are decided, on those measurements.” There are two sides to the equation. The spot of the ball, now reviewable under the N.F.L.’s replay rules, is often a subject of great consternation. Rare is the debate over whether the chains, not the ball, are in the wrong place. But every couple of years an inventor patents an alternative to the chains intriguing enough to warrant an audience with the N.F.L.’s competition committee, which debates rules changes. “I bet you there is some type of technology that comes along in the next five years that creates that change,” said the Falcons’ president, Rich McKay, co-chairman of the committee. “I’m just not sure we have it yet.” Past ideas have been dismissed, sometimes because of cost, mostly because they were unproven and deemed unnecessary. Tradition is an issue, too. The ritualistic on-field measurement can be a dramatic, momentum-swinging event as anticipated as any pass or handoff. An official protectively holds the ball against the ground, because precision is suddenly important. The chains arrive from the sideline. An official slowly pulls the chain taut. Breaths are held. “When we measure, we make sure the players are clear so that TV can get a good shot of the actual measurement,” Pereira said. Suspense would be lost if every first down were determined instantly. “There’s a certain amount of drama that is involved with the chains,” said the Giants’ president, John Mara, who is also on the N.F.L.’s competition committee. “Yes, it is subject to human error, just like anything else is. But I think it’s one of the traditions that we have in the game, and I don’t think any of us have felt a real compelling need to make a change.” In 1906 the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (now the N.C.A.A.) changed several fundamental rules to reduce football’s violence. Among them were the advent of the forward pass (it remained highly restricted and not a popular option for another couple of decades) and the requirement of 10 yards, not 5, for a first down. “To assist in measuring the progress of the ball it is desirable to provide two light poles about six feet in length, connected at their lower ends with a stout cord or chain 10 yards in length,” read Spalding’s Official Foot Ball Guide in 1907. Improvements were imagined almost immediately. In 1929 Luther More of Seattle received a patent for something called Measuring Device for Football Games. It was a contraption with a telescopic “sighting device” that used wheels and pulleys to move along a sideline track. Early inventors were keen on sights, like those on rifles. Subsequent patents focused on keeping those sights aimed properly, like one in 1967 called a “football liner up device,” using an array of mirrors. The focus turned toward lasers after a portable hand-held laser system was patented in 1968. In 1973 Willis Pioch of New Jersey received a patent for a “visible line marker” for football fields. Ten yards could be determined by laser beams emitted from boxes along the sideline that slid on rails. Thirty-five years later, the chains persist. And inventors like Alan Amron, a 60-year-old from Long Island, plan their extinction. In 2003, with the help of Summerall, Amron presented a sophisticated laser system to the competition committee. Using lasers permanently mounted into stadium lights, a green line — visible to players, coaches and fans in the stadium, and to television viewers — would be projected onto the field to mark the line for a first down. Amron said it would be accurate to within a sixteenth of an inch. The N.F.L. was intrigued but not interested — yet. There were safety concerns (“I just have visions of lasers being sent all over the place, a ‘Star Wars’ kind of thing,” Mara said last week), although Amron said fears were unfounded. More problematic is that the system costs $300,000 to $500,000 to install in each stadium, Amron said, and has not been tested in an actual game. Attempts have failed for trial runs in an N.F.L. preseason game, or in college football or the Canadian Football League. “What often happens in these cases when there’s a new proposal, we’re a lot more comfortable if they’ve tested it somewhere else,” Mara said. Rogers Redding, the secretary-rules editor for the N.C.A.A. football rules committee, said the chain method “may not be superaccurate, but it’s as accurate as you need.” After all, spotting the ball with an official’s foot and then setting it down across the field is hardly precise, either. The offense’s center often moves the ball before the snap. And, Redding pointed out, who’s to say that the yard lines on the field are perfectly measured in every stadium? “It’s kind of a diminishing returns thing,” Redding said of reinventing the chains. “How much do you want to invest in this form of accuracy?” That does not deter Amron and his company, First Down Laser Systems. Amron has a patent for a laser system embedded into the actual sticks attached to the chains. A built-in gyroscope and an automatic level keep the beams pointed straight. He sees it as a way to prove the validity of the laser concept, perhaps an intermediate step to the stadiumwide system. He hopes for an invitation from the competition committee next spring. Change, if it comes at all, is years away. But the issue presents itself almost every game. Trailing the Green Bay Packers late in the fourth quarter of a recent Monday night game at Chicago’s Soldier Field, the Bears faced a fourth-and-1. Running back Matt Forte bulled straight into a scrum. The ball was placed on the ground and the chains arrived from the sideline. The tip of the ball peeked just past the marker. Forte scored on the next play, sending the game to overtime. The Bears kept their playoff hopes alive for another week with a winning field goal. In the aftermath, there was some debate about where the ball was marked on the fourth-down play. No one wondered if the chains were in the right place. After 100 years, why wouldn’t they be? A version of this article appears in print on , on Page A1 of the New York edition with the headline: In High-Tech Game, Football Sticks to an Old Measure of Success. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe | newsroom-35 | https://web.archive.org/web/2009010119id_/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/01/sports/football/01chains.html |
Investors are waiting to hear how the big department stores and retail chains fared, in order to take the pulse on consumer confidence and spending as the holiday shopping season takes off. | 1.558824 | medium | NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Black Friday, the first major shopping day of the holiday retail period, has come and gone. Now stock investors searching for clues about consumer spending will look closely at how the big stores fared. The holiday period accounts for about 35% of an average retailer's revenue, and 10% of holiday buying takes place on Black Friday alone, said Chip Brian, founder or SmarTrend. Last year, the major indexes gained an average of 5% from Nov. 1 to Dec. 1. Of course, domestic consumer spending isn't the only factor driving the markets. Fears that the debt problems of the hardest hit European economies will spread throughout the euro zone have taken the spotlight in recent weeks. Greece and Ireland have accepted bailouts, and investors are worried that Portugal and Spain may be next. In fact, concern about Europe overshadowed the flurry of Black Friday shoppers hitting the stores: Stocks ended sharply lower after a rollercoaster week. But barring any new developments overseas, investors are likely to turn their attention back to the United States this week, which will bring a full plate of new economic data. And they will "take cues" from Black Friday, said Matt Kaufler, equity market strategist and portfolio manager at Federated Clover Investment Advisors. "If there's a strong showing from the retail community getting out of the gates for the holiday shopping season, that will only reinforce the data we've seen that has shown consumer spending ticking up, unemployment ticking down and consumer confidence remaining at a higher level," Kaufler said. Along with retail performance, investors will be looking closely for improvement in jobs. Several key readings are due out in the coming week, culminating in the government's widely-anticipated monthly employment report on Friday. Tuesday: The November reading of Chicago PMI, a regional manufacturing index, is due shortly after the start of trading. Economists expect that it fell to 59.8 from 60.6 in October. Any index reading over 50 indicates expansion. The Case-Shiller index of September home prices in 20 major metropolitan areas is also due after the opening bell. Analysts forecast a 1% rise after the previous month's 1.7% gain. At 10 a.m. ET, the Conference Board will release a reading on consumer confidence for November. The index is expected to have ticked up to 52 from 50.2 in October. Wednesday: The Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing index for November will be released in the morning and is expected to have edged down to 56.4 from 56.9 in October. Any number above 50 indicates growth in the sector. Construction spending is forecast to have ticked down 0.5% in October, following a rise of 0.5% in September. A report from payroll services firm ADP is expected to show that employers in the private sector added 58,000 workers in November after boosting payrolls by 43,000 in the previous month. Separately, outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas issues its report on planned job cuts in November. In the afternoon, the Federal Reserve will release its Beige Book report on economic conditions across the central bank's 12 districts. Meanwhile, the U.S. government's weekly crude oil inventories report and readings on mortgage applications, unit labor costs and third-quarter business productivity are also on tap. Auto and truck sales are due throughout the day. Thursday: The government's weekly jobless claims report comes out before the start of trading, with 423,000 Americans expected to file new claims for unemployment, after 407,000 were filed in the previous week. After the bell, the National Association of Realtors releases its pending home sales index, a measure of sales contracts for existing homes. The index is expected to be unchanged in October after slipping 1.8% in September. Friday: The week's most closely-watched reading on employment is due Friday. Employers are expected to have added 130,000 jobs in November after adding 151,000 jobs in October. The unemployment rate is expected to remain unchanged at 9.6%. Factory orders are due from the Commerce Department after the start of trading. Orders are forecast to have declined 1.2% in October after increasing 2.1% in September. The ISM services sector index for November is expected to have edged up slightly to 54.5 from 54.3 in October. | newsroom-36 | https://web.archive.org/web/2010112819id_/http://money.cnn.com/2010/11/26/markets/stocks_lookahead/index.htm |
To get the most out of your workout — before and after — Peggy Kotsopoulos shares her quick and easy exercise snacks! | 1 | medium | Try these tasty and low-maintenance snacks to get a good energy boost before you get your sweat on! :::Pre-workout snacks | Steven and Chris::: http://www.cbc.ca/stevenandchris/content/images/__common/_slideshow/_fullslide/pre-workout-energizer-drink.jpg::: This drink has ALL the energy you need to fuel your workouts! If you're feeling sluggish, or just really need a boost to help you push through to get the best workout possible, drink this immediately before you start. Just mix all the ingredients with water and you're ready to go! 1 cup Coconut Water 1 cup Green Tea 1 tbsp Coconut Oil 1 tsp Coconut Sugar 2 drops of Ginseng Shake ingredients in a shaker cup and drink before workout. :::Pre-Workout Energizer Drink | Steven & Chris::: http://www.cbc.ca/stevenandchris/content/images/__common/_slideshow/_fullslide/post-workout-snacks.jpg::: After a tough workout, you've depleted your muscle glycogen stores. So what you eat right after your workout determines your progress and efforts for your next workout. There's a window of opportunity to properly replenish your glycogen stores and fuel muscle growth immediately following your workout. Therefore it's best to have a simple (high GI) carb + protein immediately following your workout. Think of your muscles as a balloon that has just had all the air release from it, which is the same effect after glycogen stores have been depleted. In order to refuel as quickly as possible to prevent catabolism, we need to refuel as quickly as possible. The quickest way is high GI, or simply, carbs. Not only do these replenish muscle and liver glycogen stores, but they also cause an insulin release which helps push large chain amino acids straight to muscle cells, helping to build and repair exactly where and when we need it! It's best to have a higher-carbohydrate snack right after your workout to fuel muscle glycogen. These fruits are a great option: :::Post-Workout Snacks | Steven and Chris::: http://www.cbc.ca/stevenandchris/content/images/__common/_slideshow/_fullslide/vega-sport-vanilla.jpg::: Working out causes tearing and breaking down of muscle fibers (which is a good thing!) so long as you meet your protein requirements. Protein is the ONLY way muscle cells can build and repair themselves. So if you want to see results and start re-building as soon as they tear, it's best to get amino acids straight to muscle cells immediately following a workout. Look for a plant-based protein that is stacked with BCAAs (Branch Chain Amino Acids). BCAAs are made up of three amino acids (leucine, isoleucine and valine) which make up 1/3 of the body's lean muscle and are required for protein synthesis. Because BCAAs are not metabolized in the liver (like other amino acids), they are sent directly to the muscle for building and repair, or be immediately used as fuel — significantly increasing muscle energy and endurance during your workout. 1 scoop Vega Sports Protein (vanilla) 2 cups almond milk 1 frozen banana ice :::Post-Workout Protein Shake | Steven and Chris::: | newsroom-37 | https://web.archive.org/web/2015061019id_/http://www.cbc.ca/stevenandchris/health/workout-snacks |
As Monroe and Rosalee prepare for their long-awaited wedding day, Adalind hatches a scheme to throw Nick's entire world into utter chaos. | 1.074074 | medium | While Monroe and Rosalee make the final preparations for their wedding ceremony, Captain Renard is hard at work tracking Adalind's whereabouts. He knows she's up to something, but what? In a storage unit across town, Adalind is putting the final touches on a potion that will temporarily transform her into Juliette so that she can place a curse on Nick that will rid him of his Grimm powers. Disguised as Juliette, Adalind pays a visit to Renard's condo and tries to seduce the captain. Renard doesn't fall for the ruse, but he knows that something isn't right. She has to cut her plan short when she begins to transform back to her normal self. Her transformation potion only has a limited lifespan. That's no problem, though; the seed has been planted, and her plan is well on its way. Nick and Juliette return from the rehearsal dinner to find Trubel in the kitchen, still settling in. Juliette receives a call from Adalind, who tells her that Captain Renard's infatuation with her has returned. Adalind is playing both sides of the coin, and so far she's winning. Juliette is now suspicious of Renard. Renard calls Juliette the next morning and asks her not to drop by his condo anymore. Juliette is confused, which makes Renard confused. Everyone is confused, but so far nobody is drawing a line back to Adalind. Wu interrupts Renard to inform him that Adalind's mother has a storage unit across town. Renard decides to investigate on his own. Elsewhere, Nick and Trubel go about moving the weapons trailer to a remote location in the woods. They relocate the trailer and unload Rolek's trunk of Grimm paraphernalia. During the unpacking, Trubel asks Nick if he would ever want to live without his Grimm powers. Nick acknowledges that there are a lot of downsides to being a Grimm, but he could never imagine living a normal life. Back at the house, Trubel tells Nick that, as much as she appreciates his support, she can't keep living with him and Juliette. Eventually, she'll have to head out on her own. Meanwhile, Renard arrives at Adalind's storage facility and discovers a cauldron and a witch's hat. She's up to her old antics again, and it's more important than ever that he find Adalind immediately. Nick heads up to his room to get ready for the wedding, only to find Adalind (disguised as Juliette) waiting for him. Adalind seduces Nick, and the two of them take a steamy roll in the hay before Nick heads to the shower to get ready. Adalind sneaks out just before the real Juliette returns home, but Trubel sees both of them. Shortly after Nick and Juliette leave for the wedding, Renard arrives to warn Nick about Adalind's scheme. Trubel tells Renard where the wedding is being held, because he has a potion that Nick needs to drink in order to keep his Grimm powers. As Renard heads out to save Nick, he's shot in the chest by Weston Stewart, the FBI agent and Verrat assassin. Weston and Trubel exchange blows in Nick's house for a bit, and eventually Trubel decapitates Weston with a machete. She snatches Renard's potion from the floor and races to the wedding to help Nick. Wu and a fleet of Portland P.D. officers arrive to rush Renard to the hospital. Upstairs, Wu investigates Trubel's room and discovers one of Rolek's Grimm books, which features a drawing of a creature that bears a striking resemblance to the Aswang that he saw. Wu though he'd suffered a psychotic break, but is it possible that the Aswang was real? At the wedding, Monroe and Rosalee exchange their vows while Nick dons sunglasses to hide his Grimm identity. Just as the ceremony comes to a romantic close, Trubel rushes in to deliver Renard's potion. All of the Wesen wedding attendees see Trubel and immediately rush to attack her, knocking the potion to the ground and shattering it. Nick attempts to help Trubel, but his sunglasses are knocked off in the melee. Surprisingly, none of the guests appear in Wesen form when Nick looks at them. They don't seem to be responding to his eyes, either. Monroe and Rosalee rush Nick and Trubel to a backroom while their parents calm the crowd. Monroe investigates Nick's eyes to discover that Adalind's wicked scheme was a success. Nick is no longer a Grimm! Will Nick ever regain his Grimm powers? Will Renard survive his gunshot wounds? Will anyone ever find Adalind? Will Wu finally learn the truths of the Wesen world? So many cliffhangers! | newsroom-38 | https://web.archive.org/web/2014071119id_/http://www.nbc.com/grimm/episode-guide/season-3/blonde-ambition/321 |
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This is the same dataset as https://huggingface.co/datasets/giuliadc/newsroom_filtered_test_split, but the samples are ordered differently and have different ids:
- samples with id newsroom-i with 0 < i < 9050 and i != 5 and i != 6 have sample[i]["text"].split(" ")) < 1500 (i.e. the text has less than 1500 words, if we consider a word everything that is separated from other words by a whitespace)
- samples with id newsroom-i with i == 5 or i == 6 or 9050 <= i < 10000 have sample[i]["text"].split(" ")) >= 1500
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