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Donald Trump has run into plenty of opposition in Silicon Valley, with another potential ally turning into an opponent Tuesday night. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Chief Executive Meg Whitman, a Republican, said she would support Hillary Clinton.
She criticized Mr. Trump for taking what she called reckless, uninformed positions on the economy, immigration, the economy and foreign policy.
“To vote Republican out of party loyalty alone would be to endorse a candidacy that I believe has exploited anger, grievance, xenophobia and racial division,” she wrote in a statement the company distributed. “Donald Trump’s demagoguery has undermined the fabric of our national character.”
Ms. Whitman, former chief executive of eBay Inc., spent a record $140 million of her own money in a failed bid as a Republican candidate for California governor in 2010, losing to Democrat Jerry Brown. She had previously hinted at possible support of Ms. Clinton, in moves that include expressions of support for Mitt Romney, who has criticized Mr. Trump.
She described herself in the statement as a “proud Republican,” who nevertheless has concluded that Ms. Clinton is the better choice.
“I urge all Republicans to reject Donald Trump this November,” she wrote.
Ms. Whitman was a top fundraiser for 2012 nominee Mitt Romney’s campaign, donating $100,000 to his super PAC that year, and she served as chairwoman of former presidential candidate and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s finance team earlier in the cycle.
Ms. Whitman’s declaration of support for Mrs. Clinton comes as Mr. Trump confronts the roughest patch of his presidential campaign. Mrs. Clinton won her first endorsement from a Republican member of Congress on Tuesday, and Maria Comella, a former top aide to Mr. Christie, now a top Trump ally, also said she would vote for Mrs. Clinton.
—Rebecca Ballhaus contributed to this article. | Hewlett Packard Enterprise Chief Executive Meg Whitman, a Republican, said she would support Democrat for president. |
Oh, Kimmy Gibbler — The loveable, mischievous next door neighbor in our favorite '90s sitcom, "Full House" has returned.
As commotion continues to bubble over news of the "Fuller House" reunion show on Netflix, it seems all us '90s kids (and parents) can't get of this star-studded blast from the past.
While of course we know what the Olsen twins, Candace Cameron Bure, and John Stamos are up to now, we're left wondering — what in the world has Kimmy Gibbler been up to?
Well folks, Kimmy (aka Andrea Barber) still looks pretty much the same...which is fabulous, of course.
In a 2013 "where are they now"
with Katie Couric, Candace Cameron Bure explains that Barber is the exact opposite of her precocious, trouble-making persona of Kimmy Gibbler. What's even better? Barber and Bure are still best friends in real life!
, Barber left show business after "Full House" ended in 1995, and went on to an impressive pursuit of academics.
Barber earned a B.A. in English from Whittier College, and a M.A. in Women's Studies from the University of York in England. She then returned to her alma mater to work at Whittier College's Office of International Programs.
In 2002, Barber married Jeremy Rytky and has two
Aside from reprising her role as Kimmy Gibbler in the Netflix "Fuller House" 2016 reunion, looks like Barber is an avid runner, too.
Remember Kimmy Gibbler from 'Full House?' See what she looks like now
FULL HOUSE - 'The Perfect Couple' - Airdate: December 14, 1993. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images)BOB SAGET;DAVE COULIER
Lori Loughlin (Aunt Becky) with former 'Full House' co-stars Candace Cameron Bure (D.J.) and Jodie Sweetin (Stephanie) and captioned the photo, "It's looking like a Full House kinda night."
FULL HOUSE - Cast Gallery - August 8, 1989. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images)DAVE COULIER;JODIE SWEETIN;MARY-KATE/ASHLEY OLSEN;BOB SAGET;CANDACE CAMERON;JOHN STAMOS
FULL HOUSE - 'The Perfect Couple' - Airdate: December 14, 1993. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images)BOB SAGET;DAVE COULIER;LORI LOUGHLIN;JOHN STAMOS
FULL HOUSE - 'I've Got A Secret' - October 18, 1994. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images)DAVE COULIER;DOT JONES
FULL HOUSE - 'Air Jesse' - February 7, 1995. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images)BOB SAGET;DAVE COULIER;BUDDY THE WONDERDOG;DYLAN/BLAKE TUOMY-WILHOIT;JOHN STAMOS
FULL HOUSE - 'Air Jesse' - February 7, 1995. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images)DAVE COULIER;BOB SAGET;JOHN STAMOS
FULL HOUSE - 'Michelle Rides Again - Part I' - May 23, 1995. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images)JOHN STAMOS;BOB SAGET;DAVE COULIER;BIFF MANARD
FULL HOUSE - 'Arrest Ye Merry Gentlemen' - December 13, 1994. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images)DAVE COULIER;MARY-KATE/ASHLEY OLSEN;JOHN STAMOS;DYLAN/BLAKE TUOMY-WILHOIT;BOB SAGET;MICKEY ROONEY;JODIE SWEETIN;MARY-KATE/ASHLEY OLSEN;CANDACE CAMERON;LORI LOUGHLIN
FULL HOUSE - 'On The Road Again' - November 8, 1994. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images)BOB SAGET;DAVE COULIER
FULL HOUSE - Cast Gallery - August 22, 1994. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images)DAVE COULIER;BOB SAGET;JODIE SWEETIN;MARY-KATE OLSEN;ANDREA BARBER;BLAKE TUOMY-WILHOIT;LORI LOUGHLIN;JOHN STAMOS;DYLAN TUOMY-WILHOIT
FULL HOUSE - 'Breaking Away' - October 4, 1994. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images)DYLAN/BLAKE TUOMY-WILHOIT;DAVE COULIER;JOHN STAMOS
FULL HOUSE - 'I've Got A Secret' - October 18, 1994. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images)BOB SAGET;JOHN STAMOS;DAVE COULIER
UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 27: FULL HOUSE - On location in San Francisco - Season Eight - 9/27/94, Pictured, from left: Dave Coulier (Joey), Bob Saget (Danny), Jodie Sweetin (Stephanie), Mary Kate Olsen (Michelle), Candace Cameron (D.J.), Andrea Barber (Kimmy), Blake Tuomy-Wilhoit (Nicky), Lori Loughlin (Rebecca), Dylan Tuomy-Wilhoit (Alex), John Stamos (Jesse). , (Photo by Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty Images)
UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 27: FULL HOUSE - Cast gallery - Season Eight - 9/27/94, Pictured, from left: Andrea Barber (Kimmy), Dave Coulier (Joey), Ashley Olsen (Michelle), Candace Cameron (D.J.), Bob Saget (Danny), Blake/Dylan Tuomy-Wilhoit (Nicky/Alex), Jodie Sweetin (Stephanie), Lori Loughlin (Rebecca), John Stamos (Jesse), (Photo by Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty Images)
FULL HOUSE - 'Another Opening, Another No Show' - Airdate: November 2, 1993. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images)CANDACE CAMERON;LORI LOUGHLIN;DAVE COULIER
FULL HOUSE - 'The Prying Game' - Airdate: November 16, 1993. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images)JOHN STAMOS;DAVE COULIER
FULL HOUSE - 'The Prying Game' - Airdate: November 16, 1993. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images)DAVE COULIER;DYLAN/BLAKE TUOMY-WILHOIT
FULL HOUSE - 'Fast Friends' - Airdate: October 12, 1993. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images)DAVE COULIER;JOHN STAMOS
FULL HOUSE - 'Wrong-Way Tanner' - Airdate: September 28, 1993. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images)DAVE COULIER;MARY-KATE OLSEN
FULL HOUSE - 'The Long Goodbye' - Airdate: September 29, 1992. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images)DAVE COULIER;BOB SAGET
FULL HOUSE - 'Come Fly With Me' - Airdate: September 22, 1992. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images)CYD STRITTMATTER;JODIE SWEETIN;MARY-KATE/ASHLEY OLSEN;BOB SAGET;DAVE COULIER;JOHN STAMOS
THE VIEW - Actor and comedian Jay Mohr guest co-hosts; Guests include Full House actors John Stamos, Bob Saget and Dave Coulier reunite; Anthony Bourdain (ABC's 'The Taste'); La La Anthony (author, The Love Playbook) today, Wednesday, January 29, 2014 on ABC's 'The View.' 'The View' airs Monday-Friday (11:00 am-12:00 pm, ET) on the ABC Television Network. (Photo by Heidi Gutman/ABC via Getty Images) JOHN STAMOS, BOB SAGET
UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 22: FULL HOUSE - 'Our Very First Show' - Pilot - Season One - 9/22/87, Bob Saget played widower Danny Tanner, the father of three girls, Michelle (pictured, played by twins Mary Kate/Ashley Olsen), Stephanie, and D.J., who had the girls' Uncle Jesse and close friend Joey Gladstone move in to help raise them. , (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images)
UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 22: FULL HOUSE - 'Our Very First Show' - Pilot - Season One - 9/22/87, Pictured, from left: Mary Kate/Ashley Olsen, Jodie Sweetin and Candace Cameron played sisters Michelle, Stephanie and D.J. Tanner, who were raised by their father, Danny, their Uncle Jesse, and a family friend, Joey Gladstone, after the death of their mother., (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images)
UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 22: FULL HOUSE - 'Our Very First Show' - Pilot - Season One - Gallery - 9/22/87, Bob Saget (right) played widower Danny Tanner, the father of three girls, from left: Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin), D.J. (Candace Cameron) and Michelle (played by twins Mary Kate/Ashley Olsen), who had the girls' Uncle Jesse (John Stamos, left) and friend, Joey Gladstone (Dave Coulier) move in to help raise them. , (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images)
UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 22: FULL HOUSE - 'Our Very First Show' - Pilot - Season One - Cast Gallery - 9/22/87, Bob Saget (bottom right) played widower Danny Tanner, the father of three girls, from left: Michelle (played by twins Mary Kate/Ashley Olsen), D.J. (Candace Cameron) and Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin), who had his friend, Joey Gladstone (Dave Coulier, left) and the girls' Uncle Jesse (John Stamos) move in to help raise them., (Photo by Bob D'Amico/ABC via Getty Images)
UNITED STATES - APRIL 11: FULL HOUSE - Olsen twins gallery - Season One - 4/11/88, Ashley Olsen (left) and her twin sister, Mary Kate, played Michelle Tanner, the youngest of three daughters of widower Danny Tanner., (Photo by Bob D'Amico/ABC via Getty Images)
UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 22: FULL HOUSE - 'Our Very First Show' - Pilot - Season One -Gallery - 9/22/87, Widower Danny Tanner, the father of three girls, Michelle (pictured, played by twins Mary Kate/Ashley Olsen), Stephanie and D.J., had his friend, Joey Gladstone (Dave Coulier, left) and the girls' Uncle Jesse (John Stamos) move in to help raise them. , (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images) | Kimmy Gibbler, aka Andrea Barber, is reprising her role in the upcoming Netflix series 'Fuller House' |
AN NHS worker who broke almost every bone in her body in a horror motorbike smash suffered such horrific facial injuries she no longer RECOGNISED herself.
Beth Skerratt was knocked off her bike by a car in 2012 and suffered a severe head injury, a smashed jaw, cheekbones, nose and eye sockets.
The 29-year-old, from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs, was forced to have reconstructive surgery which permanently changed the shape of her nose and jawline.
It also made her whole face shorter and no longer symmetrical and left her with scarring on her neck.
Beth, who was 25 at the time of the accident, said: “Although I don’t remember much from the crash, the physical and mental impact has really taken its toll.”
Beth, who has now received a £170,000 payout, added: “My face shape completely changed, I don’t look like I used to.
“That took a lot of getting used to – to look in the mirror and see someone else – and is something I struggled with.
“It is your face, you grow up looking at it every day, so to have it changed through no fault of my own – that was hard.
“The crash put my life on hold.
“I was at the stage where I was ready to move in with my boyfriend, everything was going great.
“Then I had to spend months living on my parents’ couch because I couldn’t get up the stairs, and my relationship broke down due to the crash – my life completely changed.
“My personality changed so much. I am not the same person I was before.”
Beth was thrown from the bike while travelling to Chester along the A51 in Tarvin, Cheshire, in October 2012 after a female Citroen Picasso driver failed to spot her and pulled out of a junction into her path.
The impact fractured nearly every bone in Beth’s body and she broke both wrists and her right leg in two places and suffered numerous fractures to her jaw, cheekbones, nose and eye sockets.
Beth, who was airlifted to Aintree Hospital in Liverpool where she was in intensive care for a week, also suffered a head injury which has left her still unable to remember the accident.
She spent seven more days at Aintree Hospital before spending a further fortnight at Stoke City Hospital for surgery to insert metal plates into her jaw and right leg to realign the fractured bones.
Beth was forced to take 12 months off work and spent three months bedbound before re-learning how to walk by at first using a frame.
She also underwent months of rehabilitation and physiotherapy but still suffers constant pain in her right leg, concentration and memory problems and a reduced sense of smell and taste.
The 29-year-old was recently awarded £170,000 in compensation from the other driver’s insurance company after bringing a claim against the woman, who admitted full liability.
Beth said: “I was planning on being a lifelong motorcyclist – ever since I was 15 that was what I had been aiming for.
“I have not been back on a bike since.
“I have trouble remembering any of the crash and I still have memory problems now – I struggle to focus or concentrate on the things I’m doing which can be very frustrating and tiring.
“I can have a conversation with someone and not remember in 30 minutes later.
“The constant pain I feel in my right leg makes it really difficult to move around or do physical activities.”
Louise Riley, a serious injury solicitor at Fletchers Solicitors, who handled Beth’s case, said: “This has been an incredibly difficult time for Beth, made even more tough by the fact she doesn’t remember much of what happened.
“This case really emphasises the need for drivers to be extra careful when pulling out of junctions to make sure there isn’t a biker in their path, so accidents like this can be avoided.”
A spokesman for Cheshire Police confirmed the Citroen driver completed a driver awareness course and there was no further investigation.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368. | AN NHS worker who broke almost every bone in her body in a horror motorbike smash suffered such horrific facial injuries she no longer RECOGNISED herself. Beth Skerratt was knocked off her bike by … |
As Cole Porter sang, “I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles / I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles.” I am in the drizzle camp, and I’m lucky: Rain erupts all year long, sending the pigeons flapping and the crowds darting under cafe awnings. The 21st-century bustle subsides, and the Paris of the past — damp gardens, Beaux-Arts townhouses, Art Nouveau Métro canopies — emerges into the foreground. It’s perfect weather to revisit the city’s prophets, painters, poets and mystics.
And departed spirits. Just outside my door in the Bastille neighborhood is the Café des Anges, a symbol of both the city’s suffering and resilience. During the horrifying terrorist attacks of Nov. 13, several regulars were murdered while celebrating a birthday at a nearby restaurant. But the cafe reopened within days, and I find myself regularly at the counter, sipping espressos among the morning crowds.
Nov. 13 did nothing to diminish my affection for North African and Islamic culture, which pervade Paris city life: Moroccan restaurants, Algerian pop music, corner hammams, water-pipe lounges, exhibitions of the Institut du Monde Arabe.
Architecturally, the influence is most vivid at the Grande Mosquée de Paris, an Arabo-Andalusian marvel in the heart of the Latin Quarter. Constructed in the 1920s by artisans from North Africa, the whitewashed walls and green tile roofs of the vast mosque complex also enfold a courtyard cafe and indoor restaurant. Both are favorites of Parisians of all faiths and stripes. Entering the keyhole-shaped doorway, I feel Paris fall away and find myself amid striped banquettes and a ceiling painted with geometric patterns. Steaming plates of couscous and glasses of mint tea complete the journey.
Arcaded passageways are welcome companions on a rainy day. I like the ones enclosing the 17th-century Place des Vosges and its manicured greenery. Footfalls echo as you pass the Victor Hugo museum and multiple art galleries. Two always merit a stop: the gallery of Nikki Diana Marquardt, a former assistant to Man Ray, and Galerie Mark Hachem, which features contemporary Middle Eastern artists. Carette is also worth a visit. There’s nothing cool about this dowdy tea salon. It’s a place to bring your aunt — especially if she is a hot-chocolate addict. Served in a silvery teapot, it pours out in a lava-like wave. It wakes me up every time.
Sun would destroy the shadowy ambience of the Musée National Gustave Moreau. Moreau, a 19th-century painter obsessed with Greek myth, biblical tales and Shakespeare, filled his creaking townhouse with strange, gloppy canvases depicting Salome, Eve, Moses, Hamlet, Pericles, the angel of death and additional otherworldly characters. A winding staircase carries you higher and higher, like Jacob’s ladder, into his mysterious universe.
By night, the stone fireplace in Robert et Louise, a rustic restaurant, is a favorite spot to devour flame-grilled meats. Fat sizzles, smoke billows, and beef, lamb, duck or whatever I fancy appears before me in this cozy carne-copia.
Down the street, I finish my evening at the zinc counter of La Belle Hortense, alongside regulars like Basile the novelist and Philippe the professor. The bar sells wine and books. The bartender Cendrillon — French for “Cinderella” — pours Côtes du Rhône, and a 3-euro folio paperback edition of Baudelaire’s “Les Fleurs du Mal” offers poetic intoxication. “Comes the Charming Evening …” begins one Paris work. Soon I am drifting along the lines of his imagery, deeper and deeper into the Parisian night. | From Madrid to Istanbul, our contributors reveal the hidden delights of their European homes: jewel-box gardens, neighborhood cafes, secret coves. |
President Obama and top campaign staffers made it clear this weekend they will not apologize for saying the financial company Bain Capital outsourced jobs under Mitt Romney’s leadership, despite Romney saying that’s not true.
The president made the statement during an interview Saturday with WAVY-TV in Virginia. The station is scheduled to air the interview Sunday night, but it can be seen now on WAVY’s website.
“We won’t be apologizing,” Obama said. “Mr. Romney claims he's Mr. Fix-It for the economy because of his business experience, so I think voters entirely, legitimately want to know what is exactly his business experience."
The question did not directly address Romney’s call Friday for an apology after Obama deputy campaign manager Stephanie Cutter suggested that Romney in Securities and Exchange Commission filings misrepresented his position at Bain Capital, particularly when he officially left, which she said would either be a “felony” or a misrepresentation to Americans.
“He’s not going to get an apology,” Cutter said Sunday of CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
Cutter's faced off on the show with Romney campaign adviser Kevin Madden, who said he was troubled by the fact “the president would direct his campaign to label someone like Romney … as a felon.”
He also said news agency fact-checkers have repeatedly found that records accurately show his candidate left Bain in 1999.
“Yet the Obama campaign and even the president himself continue to pursue these inaccurate statements,” Madden said.
Though Cutter stood by her comments on Romney, top Obama campaign adviser David Axelrod earlier in the day attempted to clarify the remarks.
“She didn’t say he’s a felon,” Axelrod said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Romney on Friday also challenged Obama to "rein in" his campaign team and called the comment "absurd" and "beneath the dignity of the presidency."
During the TV interview, the president also tried to deflect criticism that he has attacked the Republican candidate for running a firm that made money and created jobs.
"As the head of a private equity firm, [Romney’s] job was to maximize profits and help investors,” Obama said. “There is nothing wrong with that. On the other hand, that company also was investing in companies that were called by The Washington Post 'the pioneers of outsourcing.' Mr. Romney is now claiming he wasn't there at the time except his filings with the SEC listing says he was the CEO, chairman and president of the company.”
During a campaign stop in Virginia, the president continued his attack on Romney and Bain, saying, “I don’t want a pioneer in outsourcing. I want some in-sourcing. I want to bring companies back.” | President Obama says he will not apologize for him and his campaign saying the financial company Bain Capital outsourced jobs under his Mitt Romney’s leadership, despite Romney saying that’s not true. |
is warning that an imminent terrorist attack in Kenya is possible.
The warning said likely targets include places that foreigners congregate, including shopping malls and night clubs. The embassy issued the warning from what it called credible information.
The U.S. did not specify who might carry out such an attack, but the warning comes a week after Kenyan troops pushed into Somalia to attack al-Shabab militants. Al-Shabab carried out attacks in July in Uganda which killed 76 people. | The U.S. Embassy is warning that an imminent terrorist attack in Kenya is possible. |
Tim Wolfe, the president of the University of Missouri, is waging the fight of his professional life this week as protests continue over racism and discrimination on campus.
“It is clear to us that change is needed,” Wolfe said in a statement on Sunday, which stated that he was “open to listening to all sides” and would “share next steps as soon as they are confirmed”.
Related: Missouri governor expresses racism concerns as black college players strike
But as night fell on Sunday and temperatures dropped to nearly freezing, 200 or so protesters assembled in prayer on a lawn of the University of Missouri’s flagship campus, dozens of them planning to camp overnight in the frigid air and one of their fellow demonstrators, Jonathan Butler, now a full week into a hunger strike at his home.
Butler, a graduate student activist with the group Concerned Student 1950 – which takes its name from the year the university accepted its first black student – has demanded Wolfe resign over his handling of a series of racist incidents at the university.
Black players from the Missouri Tigers football team – which generates enormous revenue for the school – said on Saturday they would not participate in team activities until Wolfe steps down.
On Sunday the Tigers’ white coach, Gary Pinkel, tweeted his support for the strikers.
Meanwhile, the Steering Committee of the Forum on Graduate Rights and the Coalition of Graduate Workers – which represent grad student workers – announced that they are asking 2,800 graduate student workers to stage a walkout on Monday and Tuesday. Multiple departments and dozens of faculty and staff publicly said they would back up the grad students.
An unknown number of faculty members are even planning to walk out themselves and will reportedly hold “teach-in” sessions with their students alongside the encampment.
The Missouri University System board of curators – who have the power to fire Wolfe – will be meeting in a previously unscheduled session on Monday.
Two Republican Missouri lawmakers have called for Wolfe’s removal, and on Sunday, Missouri’s Democratic governor, Jay Nixon, said the university must act to address concerns over “racism and intolerance”.
Nixon said the university must be “a place where all students can pursue their dreams in an environment of respect, tolerance and inclusion”.
Wolfe has not indicated he has any intention of stepping down, but said in his statement on Sunday that the university is working to draw up a plan by April to promote diversity and tolerance and that “the majority of items listed on the Concerned Student 1950 list of demands were already included in the draft of the strategy”. Concerned Student 1950 has demanded, among other things, that Wolfe “acknowledge his white male privilege”, that he is immediately removed, and that the school adopt a mandatory racial-awareness program and hire more black faculty and staff.
Related: Mizzou's black players should be proud: they have put values over football
But it is unclear who, if anyone, will be going to work as normal on Monday morning at Mizzou, in offices, on the athletic fields, or in the classrooms.
The graduate students certainly won’t be – and, though their contribution to campus life might be less financially valued than the football program’s, Wolfe can buy himself a few days until the Tigers’ Saturday game before the football players’ strike is fully felt. Not so with the grad students walking out on Monday morning.
Connor Lewis, a doctoral candidate in the department of history and one of the organizing co-chairs of the Forum on Graduate Rights, told the Guardian that graduate student teaching and research assistants were being asked to engage in “a withdrawal of labor, of any section they are teaching or any regularly scheduled work” at least through Tuesday.
Lewis says he personally didn’t think that after the “football players got involved, that was it” for Wolfe. “He can survive a lot of things, but he can’t afford the football players not playing a nationally televised game against a prominent opponent.”
But Lewis said that the graduate steering committee “made a decision to put additional pressure, so he could realize that kind of statement, or non-statement, is simply inadequate”.
For months, black student groups have complained of racial slurs and other slights on the overwhelmingly white, 35,000-student flagship campus of the four-college system. Frustrations flared during a homecoming parade on 10 October when black protesters blocked Wolfe’s car and he would not get out and talk to them. They were removed by police.
The protests began after the student government president, Payton Head, who is black, said in September that people in a passing pickup truck shouted racial slurs at him. In early October, members of a black student organization said slurs were hurled at them by an apparently drunken white student. And a swastika drawn in feces was found in a dormitory bathroom.
Two trucks flying Confederate flags drove past the site on Sunday afternoon, a move many saw as an attempt at intimidation.
The athletes have not explicitly said whether they would boycott the team’s three remaining games this season. The Tigers’ next game is Saturday against Brigham Young University at Arrowhead Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, and canceling it could cost the school more than $1mn.
“The athletes of color on the University of Missouri football team truly believe ‘Injustice Anywhere is a threat to Justice Everywhere,”’ the players said in a statement. “We will no longer participate in any football related activities until President Tim Wolfe resigns or is removed due to his negligence toward marginalized students’ experience. WE ARE UNITED!!!!!”
As Wolfe’s options seemed to narrow on Sunday evening, a tent city grew in opposition to his presidency in Mel Carnahan Quad, adjacent to the Mizzou Law School.
The grouping of approximately two dozen tents was “quadruple” the size of the previous night’s encampment, according to one observer who helped organize the nightly 10pm prayer circle. Even over the course of a few hours, the tent city grew noticeably. Teams of young people showed up erecting new tents, and covering groups of other tents together under heavy tarps. A dozen heat lamps dotted in between them, fueled by gas tanks. Christmas lights illuminated the village, and hot food was cooking.
Jonathan Butler did not appear to be in attendance, and sources who know him said he was resting at home.
Meanwhile, dozens of volunteers – white and black, young and old, ranging from male jocks to elderly grandmothers – stopped by to bring the protesters donations of food, water, and heaps of blankets. Any activist or supporter of any race was welcome to come into the tent city, which looked like a cross between Occupy Wall Street’s Zuccotti Park, Ferguson and something from Burning Man.
But one group was not welcome: journalists.
Over the course of several hours, every person who came out from the tent city said they were “unauthorized to speak to the media” or gave a similar message. One young man said: “Our last press conference was Wednesday. We will decide if and when we will have another. If we do, it will only be on our terms, when we decide, and we will decide what questions we will answer.”
The only time this member of the media was able to get near the assembled protesters was when they left the encampment, next to a giant statue of the Mizzou Tiger mascot, to create a prayer circle of about 200 people. It was then, to a great cheer of applause, several members of the Tigers arrived. They, too, did not talk to the press, but were able to offer the odd fistbump.
A center circle of activists held hands in a circle, facing outward while reciting prayers surrounded by about 10 rings of people holding hands facing inwards towards them. The prayers ranged from generic calls for grace to specific calls for the evil of racism to be expunged from Mizzou by removing Wolfe.
“This is our time to move forward,” one protester offered in prayer, before a call was made for everyone to turn to their neighbor, hug them, and tell them they love them (even if they were a member of the media) and a passionate young woman led a call-and-response chant that “we have nothing to lose but our chains”.
The Associated Press contributed to this report | Graduate students walk out as support for protests over racial intolerance at school grows but president Tim Wolfe will not step down despite calls to resign |
The sun has risen over Soshanguve. It is winter in South Africa, which – if you are living in a poorly insulated, unheated house on the arid, elevated plains north of Pretoria – means cold and sleepless nights. Morning brings warmth and, these days, politicians.
On Wednesday, South Africa will go to the polls. Up to 26 million registered voters will decide who they want as mayors and local councillors – and possibly redraw the political map of the country when they do it.
For the first time since taking power in 1994, the African National Congress (ANC) may win less than 60% of the votes. The party may even lose control of the biggest cities. Surveys show the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) – which calls for a total renewal of South African politics, but has so far had difficulty breaking out of its stronghold in the west of the country – ahead in the most important cities.
ANC officials have dismissed the polls. In Pretoria, Thoko Didiza, the ANC mayoral candidate, said she was confident of victory. “My campaign is going very well,” the 51-year-old former minister told the Guardian.
The DA candidate in the city saw things differently. “This is the moment when we break the mould,” said Solly Msimanga, 36.
Related: South Africa: prosecutors head off new attempt to put Jacob Zuma on trial
The stakes are undoubtedly high. Losing control of cities such as Pretoria and Johannesburg would deal an enormous blow to the prestige of the ANC and deepen already profound unease about the leadership of Jacob Zuma, president of South Africa and of the party.
The ANC would also lose immense influence over the daily lives of around 14 million people and annual budgets of $10bn (£7.5bn). It would come as a profound psychological shock to many ANC officials. One recently told supporters that the party, which led the struggle against the apartheid regime through the 1970s and 1980s, had been “anointed by God”.
Pretoria, also known as Tshwane, is a city that sprawls. The contrast between life in the vast, high-walled mansions of wealthy neighbourhoods such as Waterkloof and in the townships is immense. There is chronic substance abuse and some of the highest levels of violent crime in the world.
But despite youth unemployment rates touching 36%, there is opportunity too, and the city attracts tens of thousands of migrants from rural areas and neighbouring countries every year. Many live in desperate squatter camps on the rim of Pretoria.
Related: South Africa's 'Teflon president' survives another day, but scandal will stick eventually
Soshanguve was established by the apartheid regime on an almost empty, flat plateau north of the city. Over 20 years, successive ANC administrations have built homes, streets and parks, and provided basic utilities. It is solid ANC territory, as was clear when Didiza’s convoy rolled into the centre of the township.
Local party functionaries warmed up the crowd with protest songs that have been ANC standards for more than 30 years. One refers to the armoured trucks used by apartheid police forces to brutally control the townships. The references were lost on Portia Chake, who didn’t understand the old slang name for the vehicles, but the 34-year-old knew the words to a second chant: “You can arrest us, beat us and we will never lie down.”
Didiza, wearing a T-shirt celebrating the foundation of the ANC 104 years ago, ran through her campaign speech, listing the achievements of the party. This strategy was predictable, experts said. “The ANC have been in power since 1994 and will naturally claim credit for all improvements since then. And there certainly has been a dramatic improvement in most people’s lives over the period as a whole,” said Gareth Newman, an expert in governance at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Pretoria.
“But from 2009 the statistics don’t look so good. In fact, in some areas there is deterioration,” he added. Public protests have been multiplying. Four-fifths are non-violent, but there are still five or six violent demonstrations every day.
The ANC has many problems. One is infighting. Didiza’s nomination as candidate in Pretoria sparked lethal riots in Soshanguve and surrounding neighbourhoods. The outburst was now “all over”, said an aide. Then there are severe economic problems at the national level and successive controversies surrounding Zuma, whose approval ratings have slumped.
At a DA meeting in a poor area in central Pretoria, many potential voters said they would vote for the opposition party to protest against graft in government and in the ANC. “They have become thieves,” said Esme Mofokeng, a 44-year-old who has voted for the ANC in every previous poll. Zuma has been accused of alleged improper relations with a hugely wealthy business family and has been ordered to pay back state funds spent on improvements to his own home.
Related: Mandela’s rainbow nation has gone from hero to zero. Can it reclaim his legacy? | Peter Hain
Didiza said voters she had met on the campaign trail were either unbothered by the charges against the party and Zuma, or did not believe them. Her view is backed up by pollsters who say the ANC’s record on delivery of basic services is key. While often of poor quality, houses, schools and clinics have been built and land rights continue to be a major concern.
Most expect the ANC to hold on to power, but with a reduced majority. “We are not really yet at a real tipping point, but we can expect a further decline in support. It will probably dip into the 50s for the first time in the democratic era,” said Newman, of the ISS.
The DA has its own problems. It is accused by critics of primarily representing the interests of South Africa’s white minority, but few neutral observers deny that the DA’s reputation for competent administration is broadly deserved. However, that may not be enough – just yet – to bring it to power.
Dio Kabelo, a 29-year-old in Soshanguve, explained why the ANC would get his vote. “I was born in the ANC. It means my life, it means freedom,” he said. | In a Pretoria township, Jacob Zuma’s ANC is shoring up support before Wednesday’s election. But is the political map being redrawn? |
Jonah Hill in The Wolf of Wall Street
08/20/2016 AT 03:25 PM EDT
had some serious side effects from the prop cocaine used on the set of
The actor sat down with
to discuss his latest release,
While discussing his dual experiences in both comedy and drama, Hill talked about one of his favorite films,
. And at one point, Simmons asks how actors fake having a cocaine high.
"You just do," Hill told Simmons in the
. "I did so much fake cocaine in
, I got bronchitis for three weeks. I had to be hospitalized."
Hill went on to say this fake cocaine – comprising vitamin D powder – made him feel a different type of high.
"It's vitamin powder, but it doesn't matter because if you ingest ... that much matter into your lungs, you will get very sick. And we were just literally doing fake coke for, like seven months every day."
And he felt a new sense of power with the powder-snorting routine.
"I never had more Vitamin D in my entire life," he said. "I think I could've lifted a car over my f--king head." | Jonah Hill said even vitamin powder can cause some unfortunate side effects |
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Just as the majority of USA TODAY On Politics advised they should, lawmakers in Congress have voted to lower the pay of the next secretary of State so that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's appointment to that job would not violate the Constitution's "Emoluments Clause."
To recap: That clause says that no member of Congress can be appointed to any "civil office" for which the pay has been increased while that person has been in Congress.
President Bush earlier this year authorized raising the secretary of State's pay to $191,300 a year from $186,600.
So, on Wednesday, Congress applied the same solution first used when then-senator William Saxbe was nominated in 1973 to be attorney general by then-president Nixon. It lowered the secretary of State's salary to its previous level. The solution was also applied when then-president Clinton named then-senator Lloyd Bentsen to be his Treasury Secretary in 1993.
There's no need to feel too bad for Clinton. Senators now make $169,300. So she's still getting a 10.2% raise.
And, no, we're not seriously saying that the results of our Dec. 4 "quick question" influenced the members of Congress. But now that the decision's been made:
By posting a comment, you affirm that you are 13 years of age or older. | The news, the people, the road to Election Day. |
(CNN) -- Dr. Maria Siemionow, head of plastic surgery at the famed Cleveland Clinic, led a surgical team that recently performed the first face transplant in the United States.
Cleveland Clinic doctors spent 22 hours reconstructing a patient's face.
Siemionow and CNN chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta talked with CNN's Larry King about the reconstructive procedure and the prognosis for the patient. The following is an edited transcript of the interview.
Larry King: Dr. Siemionow, what caused the patient to need a new face?
Dr. Maria Siemionow: The patient has a severe deformity of the face after trauma and was missing a nose and missing cheekbones and a large part of the skin and the front of the face, upper lip, lower eyelids. There was a large part of the skin and bone components which were missing, and practically the patient was missing the front of the face.
King: Did you have to find the perfect donor?
Siemionow: No. That's not what were looking for. We were looking for a possibility of reconstructing this patient's face in a way that it would replace the missing components and that we would be able, also, to give back this patient's function, which is probably the most important idea behind this procedure. Interactive: Learn more about the procedure »
King: So what was the transplant?
Siemionow: Well, the transplant was the transfer of the transplanted face, which included (a) large amount -- about 80 percent of the entire face of the patient. It included skin components, bone components, the entire nose, cheekbones, a palette and upper lip and also included the eyelids -- the lower eyelids. Watch Siemionow discuss the procedure »
King: From another doctor's standpoint, Dr. Gupta -- and I know that you're not a plastic surgeon, but a brain surgeon -- what was the most amazing thing about this to you?
Sanjay Gupta: The face is one of the most complicated areas of the body. I mean, it's responsible for your facial expression, your ability to eat, your ability to breathe, your ability to speak, obviously. Being able to take all those really, really functional areas that are made up of so many nerves, so many blood vessels -- not to mention the cosmetic aspects of it -- and making it all come together and work in some sort of functional form is pretty remarkable.
King: Doctor, has the patient seen her new face?
Siemionow: No, the patient has not seen her face, but she touched her face, and she was very happy. She, for the first time a few days ago, just went with her fingers over her face. She felt that she has a nose. She was feeling her lip, and she was very happy.
King: How long did it take (to do the surgery)?
Siemionow: It took 22 hours -- 22 hours of many team members of different subspecialties working together, from one afternoon one day into the late afternoon the second day.
Gupta: It strikes me that you found the perfect recipient, someone who's a good candidate for this operation. Four years, though, it took, Dr. Siemionow. Is that how rare this type of procedure will be?
Siemionow: Yes. Well, you know, we discussed it very extensively, that you want to be sure that in our approach we were looking only at potential candidates who would be a patient who had already exhausted all conventional means of reconstruction. I think it's very important because you would like to be sure that the patient is not undergoing such a serious procedure without being helped in conventional means before.
However, it is very difficult to reconstruct certain parts of the face, including, for example, lips or including eyelids. Even reconstruction of the entire nose is difficult.
There are plastic surgeons who are doing wonderful reconstructive procedures, but they are also done in several attempts. This takes time and patients suffering and the results not always are presentable. | Dr. Maria Siemionow, head of plastic surgery at the famed Cleveland Clinic, led a surgical team that recently performed the first face transplant in the United States. |
Prior to his highly publicized stint as CEO of J.C. Penney, Johnson led Apple's retail division, and spearheaded its retail store strategy and Genius Bar, widely regarded as the most successful retail operation in the world. However, Apple is not, at least not yet, an Enjoy partner. (Though Johnson said "stay tuned.")
Read MoreLululemon & Ugg's unlikely customers
If consumers have Apple devices they need help with, a separate Enjoy service is available for electronics you already own. Consumers can book a visit from an Enjoy expert for $99, with the average visit lasting an hour.
The employment model is unique as well. The experts are salaried employees with benefits, who set their own hours and have equity in the company. Enjoy said there are about 60 experts currently on the payroll.
Enjoy has raised more than $30 million to date from well-known investors such as Marc Andreessen at Andreessen Horowitz, Brook Byers of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and Fred Harman at Oak Investment Partners.
Over his long career in retail and technology including his jobs at Mervyn's, Target, Apple and J.C. Penney, Johnson has made both allies and foes, and he's been successfully right and woefully wrong. Many say he is bold, unafraid of taking risks and passionate about ideas he believes are transformative.
While many describe Johnson as a pioneer, others have less-flattering characterizations stemming largely from his dramatic, and failed, strategy at J.C. Penney that cost the retailer half of its market share. Johnson continued to shy away from discussing his tenure at the department store with CNBC.
"Penney's was a very challenging time for me personally, for the company, but I haven't talked about it in two years. The only place I have talked about it has been from an educational perspective at Stanford Business School or Harvard Business School and you can go on YouTube and read about it. But it's a long story and I'm not going to talk about it today," said Johnson, adding that there were "a ton" of lessons learned on both sides.
(UPDATED: This story has been updated to includes details of an interview with Enjoy founder Ron Johnson.) | After being out of the spotlight for more than two years, Ron Johnson is back, working on what he describes is a whole new platform for commerce. |
Many folks affiliated with the Milwaukee Brewers were asking that question Monday (Jan. 12) with the announcement that right-hander Jeff D'Amico would undergo arthroscopic surgery Wednesday (Jan. 14) to repair a torn labrum in his pitching shoulder.
Depending on the severity of the tear, D'Amico, one of the Brewers' starting pitchers, is expected to miss at least the first two months of the 1998 season. The unfortunate part is that D'Amico originally injured the shoulder last July, but the decision was made to undergo a rehabilitation program rather than have surgery.
"I can only tell you what happened," said Brewers general manager Sal Bando. "I don't know who's to blame, if anybody is."
To get an understanding of what happened when D'Amico went on the disabled list last July, Bando reviewed club medical records. He learned that D'Amico originally was diagnosed with a labrum tear after a magnetic resonance imaging test, but the medical opinion was changed to biceps tendinitis the next day.
"That's the part that upsets me," said Bando. "I was curious about why the opinion was changed. I was told that reading an MRI can be a subjective thing."
Ted Gertel, the Brewers' orthopedic specialist last season, said he would have to review records to be certain, but his recollection was that "there always was the possibility" of a labrum tear.
"A lot of athletes with shoulder pathology don't need surgery," said Gertel. "You always consider conservative methods of treatment before opting for surgery.
"We decided the most prudent decision was to follow a conservative program, and he responded well to the rehab. He was able to get back and pitch without pain. Everyone was optimistic at that point. If he was having a problem, we would have taken care of it right away."
After a six-week rehabilitation program, D'Amico returned to the mound for the Brewers in early September. But he was anything but effective in six starts, going 1-3 with a 5.91 earned run average while allowing an alarming 10 home runs in 32 innings.
Because D'Amico did not complain of any shoulder pain during that period, his poor performance did not raise any red flags in the Brewers' front office.
"What you react to is the symptoms of the player, not the results," said Bando. "If he would have had any complaints, we would have looked into it.
"I don't think it bothered him because he had rehabbed it for six weeks and made the shoulder stronger. Every year at the end of the season we go over every player's physical condition, and Jeff said he felt OK."
Trainer John Adam recently pressed the matter with D'Amico, however, and his response was that "he didn't feel that bad," said Adam.
"I think his inexperience showed in not coming forward with more information," Adam said of the 22-year-old D'Amico. "An older player probably would have said something."
D'Amico resumed his standard conditioning program in the off-season, but didn't try to throw a baseball until Jan. 4. After five tosses, he had to stop due to severe pain in the front of his shoulder.
D'Amico was sent to California orthopedic specialist Lewis Yocum, who immediately diagnosed a labrum tear after performing another MRI. D'Amico then was scheduled for surgery by Angelo Mattalino at his office in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Due to the combination of the original diagnosis being changed, D'Amico's hesitancy to report any discomfort after returning to action and the club's acceptance of the situation, an injury that could have been repaired six months ago will not be attended to until Wednesday. The result is an unexpected hole in the Brewers' starting rotation.
"I wish he would have picked a ball up sooner, but he wasn't having any problems with the shoulder," said Bando, who now must fill two spots in the rotation. "It didn't hurt until he tried to throw."
NOTES, QUOTES, ANECDOTES The Brewers announced that Mattalino will be the Brewers' orthopedic specialist this season, moving to Milwaukee to replace Gertel. Bando said the D'Amico situation was not the reason for the change.
"We were going to do it anyway," said Bando, who did not mention that many of his injured players had been going to Yocum and Mattalino to have their surgeries.
Asked about the change, Gertel said, "I'm going in a different direction. My practice got so busy and (being the Brewers' orthopedist) is almost a full-time job. The Brewers had a lot of demands."
The Brewers announced their most ambitious winter caravan ever, with manager Phil Garner and four sets of players criss-crossing the state to make stops in 25 cities over a five-day period at the end of the month.
Center fielder Marquis Grissom, acquired over the winter from Cleveland, will take part on the goodwill tour, along with pitchers Steve Woodard, Scott Karl, Paul Wagner and Mike Myers and infielder Mark Loretta and catcher Jesse Levis.
The groups will visit schools, hospitals, nursing homes and malls as well as participating in luncheons and dinners in several cities.
"It's always a lot of fun, and it's always pretty cold," noted Loretta, who will be traveling from his home in California to take part.
The tour will conclude with a pair of events in Milwaukee -- the annual Diamond Celebration awards dinner on Jan. 30 and the Brewers Celebrity Bowling Tournament the following day. The bowling tourney, which benefits the Boys and Girls Clubs in the area, will be chaired by third baseman Jeff Cirillo.
The Brewers have begun selling tickets for Opening Day, their first in the National League. They will open their 1998 home season against Montreal at County Stadium on April 7 at 1 p.m.
ROSTER REPORT With 16 players already signed on the 40-man roster, the Brewers have three players eligible for salary arbitration -- outfielders Jeromy Burnitz and Marc Newfield and right-hander Jose Mercedes. Newfield has little leverage, having missed most of the 1997 season due to shoulder surgery.
FREE AGENCY UPDATE -- Right-handed pitcher Doug Jones (re-signed), outfielder Darrin Jackson (signed a minor-league contract). The Brewers cut free their other free agents -- right-handed pitcher Pete Harnisch, left-handed pitcher Mark Davis and infielder Jeff Huson. Huson (who signed with the Rockies) was claimed off Colorado's Triple-A roster by Seattle in the Rule 5 draft, Davis signed a minor-league deal with the Diamondbacks and Harnisch is still available.
MEDICAL WATCH -- First baseman John Jaha (recovering from June shoulder injury), outfielder Marc Newfield (recovering from August rotator cuff surgery), right-handed pitcher Steve Woodard (therapy for strained side).
WINTER WATCH -- The Brewers have invited 13 non-roster players to their big-league spring training, including nine pitchers. One of those pitchers is right-hander Kyle Peterson, the club's first-round draft pick out of Stanford in 1997.
The other pitchers invited are right-handers Tim VanEgmond, Bobby Chouinard, Bronswell Patrick, Johnny Ruffin, Mike Misuraca and Rick Greene, and lefties Brad Woodall and Enrique Burgos. Of that group, only VanEgmond and Misuraca were in the Brewers' system last season.
Position players invited to big-league camp were infielders Eddie Zosky, Pablo Martinez and Eddy Diaz, and catcher Jeff Alfano. Zosky, Martinez and Diaz will battle for a utility infield spot on the Brewers' roster. | MILWAUKEE BREWERS team notebook |
For its annual art exhibition, Discerning Eye chose six selectors: two artists, Anita Taylor and sculptor Peter Randall-Page; two critics, Mark Lawson and Norbert Lynton; and two collectors, Alan Grieve, who runs the Jerwood Foundation, and me. I am an enthusiastic private collector, mainly of mid-20th-century British art; it has been one of the great joys of the past 10 years for me. But in the end, Discerning Eye needed a bit of crumpet, however old, and I suspect more people will come to see my facelift than anything else. In past years the panel has included Brian Sewell, Lord Palumbo, Lord Gowrie and the Prince of Wales.
We six selectors met on a cold, wet day last September. We were positioned behind two trestle tables in a grim basement and asked what tickled our fancies. The works, a staggering 2,400 of them, were presented to us by half a dozen quite dazzling young men, all artists themselves.
The bonus of male beauty apart, much of the art was a joy and quite often two or three of us would be trying to bag the same picture. Mark mainly wanted what I wanted. It was quite comforting to find Peter Randall-Page and Norbert Lynton wanted the same as me. And I almost never wanted anything that Mark wanted. When Mark absented himself for a couple of hours to do an interview, I helpfully chose a photograph of a fish on a women's backside on his behalf. Sadly, he was having none of it when he returned. So the lady and the trout do not appear in his list.
The exhibition opens tomorrow at the Mall Galleries in London (020-7930 6844), and of the 500 works of art on display, my collection is the largest. I've made a selection of 90, mostly by young artists. I've got a couple of installation pieces that are fantastically eclectic, by really interesting young graduates. One of my favourites is a portrait of James Lloyd by Brendan Kelly. And I've discovered Matthew Webber, who is wonderful.
Two things struck me: first, what a vast amount of unsung talent there is out there; and second, to this trader's daughter, how sweetly uncommercial the youngsters were. "Call it Notting Hill," I urged one of the young artists with an untitled work, "it will walk out the door in seconds." I want to insist that anyone going to art college must attend a three-month marketing course, preferably taught by me. It is all about getting your work known, circulated and hung. | Art: Anne Robinson discovers unsung talent for the annual Discerning Eye exhibition - and is surprised at how uncommercial young artists are. |
The Republican candidates for president lined up on different sides of the debate over whether the nation’s intelligence agencies should be allowed to collect data about Americans after a court ruled Thursday that the National Security Agency had acted outside the law.
The divisions among the candidates reflected the larger debate inside the Republican Party about reauthorizing the Patriot Act, which will expire in June unless Congress votes to extend it.
Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky took the strongest position in opposition to the N.S.A. surveillance programs. He cheered the decision by a federal appeals court that the once-secret program that is systematically collecting Americans’ phone records in bulk is illegal.
“This is a monumental decision for all lovers of liberty,” he said, calling on the Supreme Court to take the decision a step further. “While this is a step in the right direction, it is now up to the Supreme Court to strike down the N.S.A.’s illegal spying program.”
Coming down on the opposite side of the issue was Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, whose views on national defense and security are more traditionally conservative than Mr. Paul’s. In a speech from the Senate floor on Thursday, Mr. Rubio accused the N.S.A.’s critics of spreading misinformation about what the surveillance programs do. And he said Congress should reauthorize them immediately or risk putting the country in harm’s way.
“The people that are raising hysteria, what is the problem we are solving here?” Mr. Rubio asked. “I hope that I’m wrong,” he added, “but one day there will be an attack that’s successful. And the first question out of everyone’s mouth is going to be, why didn’t we know about it? And the answer better not be because this Congress failed to authorize a program that might have helped us know about it.”
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas took the middle ground. He agreed with Mr. Paul and other critics of the data collection program who say it is illegal. But he said he supported a more limited reauthorization of the Patriot Act that would rein in certain aspects of how the N.S.A. can gather intelligence.
“The court’s ruling today confirms what the American public already knew: The National Security Agency’s data collection program went too far in collecting the phone records of Americans,” he said.
The compromise he supports, he added, “ends the N.S.A.’s unfettered data collection program once and for all, while at the same time preserving the government’s ability to obtain information to track down terrorists when it has sufficient justification and support for doing so.”
By CHARLIE SAVAGE and JONATHAN WEISMAN
The judges ruled that the U.S.A. Patriot Act cannot be legitimately interpreted to permit the systematic gathering of domestic calling records.
The National Security Agency’s mass collection of Americans’ phone records was deemed illegal by a federal appeals court. | The Republican candidates for president lined up on different sides of the debate over whether the nation’s intelligence agencies should be allowed to collect data about Americans after a court ruled Thursday that the National Security Agency had acted outside the law. |
In Wasted filmmaker Maureen Palmer and her partner Mike Pond start a new conversation about the science of addiction. They examine the biological origins of addiction and why some old models of treatment don't work for many. Here are five of the most pervasive myths about addiction that are smashed by evidence-based science. Watch Thursday at 8 pm on The Nature of Things or online.
Say you do the same thing 100 times on your computer. Your computer doesn’t change. But if your brain does the same thing over and over, the structure itself changes. Neuroscience has proven that the reward circuitry in susceptible person's brains can be hijacked by repeated use of booze or drugs, essentially overriding the user’s free will to stop — so the choice to not use is much more complicated than a lack of willpower.
Studies show tough love, shaming and blaming and humiliating persons addicted to alcohol will only make their addiction worse. They will feel even worse about themselves and may use more, often in secret. To quote Dr. Keith Humphreys, the former senior advisor on alcohol and drug policy to the Obama White house, “It’s remarkable that people believe what’s needed is more punishment. If punishment worked, nobody would be addicted. It’s a pretty punishing experience."
It’s common practice to kick people out of rehab if they begin drinking or using again. But it's wrong, according to the world's experts. Dr. Humphreys says, “This is the only field where you can be kicked out of treatment for demonstrating that the diagnosis was accurate. I view that as uncompassionate and really poor healthcare." “The idea that if you have one drink, then invariably you’re going to drink a huge amount of alcohol just is not how treatment outcome data look," says Dr. Bill Miller, one of the world’s greatest authorities on alcoholism. "You can find individuals who look that way, but in general, what you see over time is longer and longer periods of going by in between episodes of drinking. And the episodes of drinking get shorter and less severe overtime, and then eventually fade away. “
The Betty Ford Center no longer kicks people out of treatment for relapsing. Instead, treatment is ramped up.
For thousands of people every year, “rock bottom” is injury, disease and death. The evidence shows addiction should be treated like any other serious chronic health disorder, early treatment, utilizing every option available with community and medical support. Early screening and brief interventions for unsafe alcohol use could save thousands of lives and billions of taxpayer dollars spent on the consequences caused by out-of-control substance use.
There is a widespread but erroneous belief in AA circles that you don’t use one substance to get off another. This is ignorant to the fact that, for many individuals, a proven anti-craving medication can have hugely positive impacts for supporting abstinence. There is a new generation of drugs that block cravings and prevent relapse that can provide sufferers with a valuable new tool to manage their disorder. | Out-of-date assumptions about treating addiction debunked. |
Nick Cannon has revealed he dumped Kim Kardashian over her sex tape with Ray-J.
The "America’s Got Talent" host – now happily married to Mariah Carey – said he dated the reality queen in 2006.
And he told Howard Stern he ended the relationship when she lied about the infamous recording with Ray-J.
He said: “We talked about this tape, and she told me there was no tape.
“If she might have been honest with me I might have tried to hold her down and be like ‘That was before me,’ because she is a great girl.
“She’s actually one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. But the fact that she lied and told me that there was no tape?”
The sex tape helped boost the profile of the 32-year-old star and Nick suggested it was all part of her grand plan.
He said Kim was “a great businesswoman” adding, “And I still think she might have even had a part to play with (its release).”
Nick married Mariah in 2008 and the couple have one-year-old twins, Monroe and Moroccan.
Go to The Sun for more celebrity news. | Nick Cannon has revealed he dumped Kim Kardashian over her sex tape with Ray-J. |
Katherine Webb, Miss Alabama and the girlfriend of Crimson Tide QB AJ McCarron, is taking advantage of her new-found fame.
Brent Musburger, set your DVR.
The ESPN play-by-play man isn't going to want to miss a minute of the Super Bowl coverage on "Inside Edition," where one of the objects of his affection, Katherine Webb, will be the TV show's correspondent.
While Alabama was rolling over Notre Dame in the BCS championship game, ESPN's cameras closed in on Webb, the former Miss Alabama USA who also happens to be the girlfriend of Tide QB AJ McCarron. Musburger called the brunette a "lovely lady" and said to his broadcast partner Kirk Herbstreit, "You quarterbacks, you get all the good-looking women. Wow." RAISSMAN: BRENT CALLS BEAUTY AS HE SEES IT
The 73-year-old Musburger caught a little heat for going ga-ga over the gorgeous gal, but the attention he gave her probably played a role in her landing the gig.
Webb will be reporting from New Orleans beginning Jan. 28 and calls getting a shot to be on TV "a dream come true."
We bet it is for Musburger, too. | The beauty pageant queen who shot to social media stardom during the BCS championship will be back in front of the cameras for a big football game. |
We round up the forty-something celebs looking stunning by the beach
TV present and model Melanie Skyes turned heads recently in a sizzling bikini photo posted from her break in the United States.
But she’s not the only one proving that age is just a number – as these 11 hot mamas continue to defy the years and stun in their holiday snaps. | TV present and model Melanie Skyes turned heads recently in a sizzling bikini photo posted from her break in the United States. But she’s not the only one proving that age is just a number &#… |
Jessica Kourkounis for The New York Times
Supperâs cozy, carefully set dining room.
steak institutions, these days locals are just as likely to line up elsewhere for house-cured charcuterie, farm-fresh beet salads and delicate foie gras terrine.
Confirmation of the city’s evolving palate came on a recent evening in the form of a spellbinding smoked sweet potato soup that a waiter poured tableside at Supper, a restaurant in Center City. As I scraped bits of toasted marshmallow off the side of the oblong bowl and swirled my spoon through the cinnamon-kissed diced apples at the base of the spicy purée, the aromas roused rosy remembrances of Thanksgivings past and swept away my outdated notions about the range of Philadelphia cuisine.
One of my earliest childhood memories is of sitting next to my dad at Dalessandro’s, a tiny, always-packed steak shop in northwest Philadelphia, grease from a cheese steak dripping down my chin. Not much had changed at that particular joint — from yellowed newspaper clippings on the wall to the harried servers — since my dad was a teenager eating there in the early ’60s. For him, as it later was for me, and still is for plenty of others, Philly food could be summed up by those cheese steaks, some occasional soft pretzels and the local line of snacks called Tastykakes.
Today, these edible artifacts remain cherished novelty items in the Philadelphia food pyramid. But as the city sheds its blue-collar roots in favor of a more prosperous future, the food scene is shifting as well. The restaurateur Stephen Starr, of Buddakan and Morimoto fame, and the well-known chefs Marc Vetri and Jose Garces are all opening restaurants in the city at a stunningly quick clip. Elsewhere, hoagie shops now compete with the inventive B.Y.O.B.’s and creative farm-to-table restaurants that are transforming the cheese-steak capital into a well-rounded eating destination.
During my whirlwind tour of some of the city’s new and ambitious restaurants in December, the food was more likely to come from a nearby farm than a fryer, the prices were reasonable and the atmosphere was still pleasantly casual. This is Philly food for the masses, but without all that grease.
This restaurant perfectly captures the current spirit of Philadelphia dining. On a bustling block of South Street, Mitch Prensky, the executive chef, serves a seasonal New American menu of small plates loaded with fresh produce from the Blue Elephant Farm, where he is an owner, in nearby Newtown Square. Although the restaurant also serves a popular weekend brunch that offers tantalizing options like red velvet waffles with sweet cream cheese mousse, my dining companion and I chose to visit for dinner. Exposed ceiling ducts and an open kitchen lend a casual air to the cozy, carefully set dining room, where the service is polished but without pretense.
There’s a standard dinner menu and also one three-course vegetarian set menu that features the day’s harvest, from which you can order individual dishes. From the latter, we plucked an hors d’oeuvre of potato beignets — three delicate, airy spheres with thin, crispy exteriors — mounted on salsa verde and dusted with wispy shavings of pecorino. We also grazed happily on a refreshing starter of mini lobster rolls flavored with tarragon and celery, atop toasted Toblerone-shaped buns.
An entree of crispy duck leg with a pecan-sage waffle swimming in maple-bourbon jus struck a pleasing balance between saltiness and sticky sweetness, while pan-roasted sea scallops, plump and tender, were plated with an unsuccessful medley of cauliflower, almonds, capers and a bitter orange jam. But the pinnacle of the meal remained that spicy, soul-warming sweet potato soup.
Supper, 926 South Street; (215) 592-8180; supperphilly.com. Dinner for two, $70. (All prices are for an average meal for two, without drinks or tip.)
When the chef Marcie Turney and her partner, Valerie Safran, opened this Mediterranean-inspired restaurant in September, it raised the tally of restaurants and shops that the pair own on a single block of 13th Street to six.
Barbuzzo’s polished-farmhouse atmosphere and traditional-with-a-twist dishes have kept the narrow dining room consistently packed, as it was on a late weekday afternoon when my husband and I visited for lunch (it’s also open daily for dinner).
Skip the cramped tables and instead claim a stool at the gray marble counter overlooking the compact open kitchen and wood-fired pizza oven. With such close quarters, sharing is key, so start, as we did, with the colorful Mediterranean antipasti sampler — a light, welcome departure from the typical charcuterie-and-cheese plate — piled high with vegetables, including roasted beets with pistachio-orange vinaigrette and brussels sprouts accompanied by a mix of whole and chopped hazelnuts and a sprinkle of truffle oil.
Next, try the thin-crusted uovo pizza with brussels-sprout leaves, cubes of guanciale and two cheeses — fior di latte and caciocavallo — all topped with an oozy egg. | As name-brand chefs lay down roots in the city, a new cuisine emerges. |
Donald Trump would be the first to tell you he’s a man of many accomplishments. Somewhere down that tremendous list is one he probably didn’t predict: breaking the grip of Fox News over conservative media and scattering talking heads, bloggers and politicians across various tribes of pro- and anti-Trump thinking.
Trump’s feud with Fox over the anchor Megyn Kelly, whose incisive questions have aggravated the billionaire for months, reached a new low on Wednesday when he announced he would skip the network’s Thursday night debate. While Fox News kingpin Roger Ailes could once use his network to influence conservative voters and, arguably, shape the Republican party, Trump has baffled him and divided his audience.
The fractures are especially obvious online, where anyone can find kinship in the comments section or on a blog. In the past 24 hours, for instance, the rightwing site Breitbart, founded by a man “committed to the destruction of the old media guard”, has churned out posts critical of Fox News.
The headlines blare in all caps: “Fox News debate chief has daughter working for Rubio”; “How Trump beat Roger Ailes at his own game”; “The anti-Trump network: Fox News money flows into open border group”.
The Blaze stakes out the opposite camp. There are invitations to read a letter from Ted Cruz to Trump, to watch Bill O’Reilly “take on Trump”, to hear how Glenn Beck “goes nuclear on ‘bully’ Donald Trump”, and to read “the words sexist Twitter trolls hurled at Megyn Kelly”.
Somewhere in the middle are sites like The Daily Caller, which has mostly reposted various opinions: there’s Fox’s Kelly and Krauthammer; support for Trump from Pat Buchanan, a conservative populist who won Iowa in 1996; and news about a veterans’ group that is leery of Trump’s donations.
Or you can look at a kinkajou that fell asleep on a 99-year-old in Florida.
Matt Drudge, the conservative dungeon master behind the Drudge Report, has aggregated a menagerie from all sides: “O’Reilly begs: You owe me milkshakes”; “Jeb blew through his warchest”, “Huckabee calls Cruz a flip flopper”. There’s also a woman “who lives as a cat”, robot lettuce farmers and “consumers of frozen vegetables [who] oppose abortions”.
The spat between Trump and Ailes reflects a larger war for control of the Republican party that has been playing out for months, if not years, and upended the order of conservative politics. Hoary magazines are reduced to ad hominem editions. Lifelong standard bearers of the party, such as former speaker of the House John Boehner, have been ousted by irascible newcomers to Washington. The hate felt for one candidate and the ghosts of another has pushed even “establishment” leaders toward the mercurial, formerly liberal Trump.
Ailes and Fox News, mocked for telling an established version of the news – usually white, older and ideological – are now taking the journalistic high ground by supporting Megyn Kelly and her tough, pertinent questions. Similarly, liberal-leaning MSNBC has resisted the Democratic party’s attempt to limit debates.
But the rise of more varied and radical voices online – and in the polls – suggests that the cable news giants, like the leaders of both parties, are losing some influence over the masses they rely on. | His ability to break the network’s grip over conservative punditry has sparked breathless headlines across the web – and rewritten the media landscape |
Global stocks rose sharply on Monday and sterling strengthened broadly while safe-havens including the yen and gold retreated, after polls showed support for Britain staying in the EU regaining momentum before Thursday’s referendum.
Sterling has been at the sharp end of worries Britons will vote to leave the European Union, and the easing of those concerns pushed the pound up 1.9% against the dollar – on track for its biggest daily gain since October 2009 – and more than 2% versus the yen.
Share prices, which fell globally in recent days on prospects of Britain quitting the bloc as some polls showed the “Leave” campaign ahead, rose strongly.
Wall Street looked set for a positive open, with index futures up 1.2-1.3%.
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index added 3.7%, led by a 4.5% rise in banks, while Britain’s blue-chip FTSE 100 index chalked up a 3.2% gain.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 1.7%. Japan’s Nikkei climbed 2.4% as the yen lost ground.
Two weekend polls showed “In” regaining the lead and another showed the “Out” campaign’s lead narrowing, though the overall picture is of an evenly split electorate. Bookmakers’ odds have shown those wishing to stay in the EU ahead and Betfair put the implied probability of a vote to “Remain” at 72% on Monday, up from 60-67% on Friday.
Campaigning resumed on Sunday, having been suspended for three days after British lawmaker Jo Cox was killed in the street in her constituency on Thursday.
Sterling rose as far as $1.4671 and was last up 1.9% at $1.4628, having hit a two-week low of $1.4013 on Thursday. It soared 2.3% to 153.00 yen and 1.5% against the euro to 77.36 pence.
“The momentum has changed, and perhaps this is the first sign of what a lot of the polling experts had been suggesting, which is that the ‘don’t know’ portion was going to be crucial and historically there tends to be a shift towards the status quo in the final days before a referendum,” Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ’s European head of global markets research, Derek Halpenny, said.
“I think that’s what the market is reacting to.” | Polls show support for Britain staying in the EU. |
Imagine being in that situation. What would you do?
There are two ways to answer the question. The first is in the moment of crisis. The second is about the long term.
As most everyone knows by now, David Boren, president of the University of Oklahoma, faced just this situation Monday. And I've been thinking about it intensely, not only because I care about race and civic leadership in America, but also because Boren was my first boss, when he was a U.S. senator.
I'm not from Oklahoma but ended up working for Boren through a college internship. He was a mentor to me during my years in Washington, and a model for me when he left the Beltway to be of greater use and service as an educator. Though we haven't talked since the crisis broke, I see familiar patterns of leadership.
Boren responded to the crisis swiftly, with a statement that went viral. Boren told the students from Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) he had a message for them: "You are disgraceful. You have violated all that we stand for. You should not have the privilege of calling yourselves Sooners" (the OU nickname).
Boren went on to sever all ties between OU and SAE. The national fraternity closed the local chapter. Later, Boren said he'd be glad if the students in the video left campus because "we don't provide student services for bigots." The next day he expelled two of them.
His actions have resonated across the country. On social media, people shocked by the video find themselves also stunned by Boren's response. Why? Because he did something rare in public life today. He expressed a decisive, judgmental view with moral clarity. Then he followed through.
His statements have been free of mushy lawyer-talk or euphemism. He's led authentically, from the heart.
Of course, people have carped. Some question whether Boren has the legal authority, as head of a public institution, to expel students on the basis of their free speech, even racist hate speech. Some lament that what he should have branded as disgraceful was the students' actions, not the students themselves.
Legitimate concerns, perhaps. The First Amendment question, certainly, is being debated by legal scholars. But these concerns are eclipsed by the bigger picture. Boren wasn't just condemning wrongdoers; he was shifting social norms for all.
A cynic might consider laughable a refrain from Boren's statement about "real Sooners." Boren said that real Sooners are not racists or bigots; they believe in equal opportunity, treat people with mutual respect and love each other like family.
A cynic might say Oklahoma is a state both very white and very red, not known for flying the banner of anti-racism. Indeed, the original Sooners were the white settlers who raced in to claim land that had been wrested from Native Americans.
But the point of Boren's "real Sooners" riff is not to describe or sanitize today's reality; it is to issue a challenge. It is to bind people to a creed, a standard of being and belief that is easy to assert but hard to achieve. Not unlike being a true patriot.
So now begins the longer term. Here, another opportunity arises to lead by example.
David Boren can now examine the institution he works for and ask how and why such attitudes and behaviors -- racism so casually vicious -- could ever take root among people as young as freshmen.
He can explore the ways in which everyone -- not only the obviously guilty parties at a frat party -- is touched by unconscious bias and institutional racism. He can now ask his community to face the inequities of history and race.
We can all do that.
Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, is doing this at his company. He was moved after the incidents of Ferguson and Staten Island to hold truly open forums with employees about the pain and anguish of racial division.
But you don't have to be a college president or a CEO. You don't have to be a white man in charge to start a tough reckoning with racism (though it'd help if more did).
Whoever you are, you can start a new kind of conversation in your neighborhood. On your campus. At your house of worship. Ask what the history is. Ask why there are such imbalances of power and voice. Ask what it would take to be truly inclusive. Then, in word and deed, start answering your own questions.
We can all do that. The sooner, the better.
Read CNNOpinion's new Flipboard magazine
Follow us on Twitter @CNNOpinion. | David Boren, the president of the University of Oklahoma, exemplified strong leadership. |
and the solemn season of Lent has begun Wednesday. New ..... I begin thinking about Easter ," said Baker, who is ..... celebration and sacrifice before Easter , to show that you're ..... to make a sacrifice for Lent , which is the six weeks between Ash Wednesday and Easter , the day Christians | Browse Lent latest news and updates, watch videos and view all photos and more. Join the discussion and find more about Lent at abcnews.com |
When the air was hot and the woods were parched last summer, the peak of the wildfire season in the West, these trained wilderness firefighters fought 13 forest fires in Arizona, including the one in June that half-destroyed the nearby village of Yarnell and killed 19 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, an elite team. On a crisp morning this fall, they were using chain saws and pulaskis â a firefighting tool that combines an ax and an adz â to chop overgrown bushes in a private development here, offering a measure of fire prevention for houses built in the wild.
Their home base is the Arizona State Prison Complex-Lewis, but when asked where they are from, the reply is simply âBuckeye,â the name of the town where the prison is located. If there are other questions, they call it a âgated communityâ and leave it at that.
âThat weâre inmates is the last thing on anybodyâs mind,â said John Chleboun, 33, who has been serving time for burglary at the Lewis complex and is entering his second year with the crew.
As federal agencies have cut costs during the budget standoffs in Washington, further decreasing the size of a firefighting work force that has already been reduced by 40 percent since the 1980s, the burden of fighting wildfires has been shifted to states and local jurisdictions, even as they struggle under the weight of a sluggish economy. Prison crews, cheap and dependable, have emerged as a solution as wildfires burn bigger, hotter and longer each year and take up a growing portion of the United States Forest Service budget. (In 2012 alone, federal agencies spent $1.9 billion on wildfire suppression, just shy of the record, set in 2006.)
âTheyâre very cost-effective,â said Julie Hutchinson, a battalion chief for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, which has the nationâs oldest and largest inmate firefighting program: roughly 4,000 prisoners and 200 crews. âAnd theyâre out in the community, paying back for their mistakes.â
States log significant savings, paying inmates a small fraction of the reimbursement fees paid to federal agencies for using their teams to fight fires or the price of hiring private companies to do the work the prisoners do in the off-peak season, like picking up trash along highways in Nevada, maintaining hiking trails in Colorado, and thinning forests and removing dried vegetation all across the region.
California pays inmates $1 per hour for work in emergencies like fires and floods, saving the state an estimated $80 million per year, according to forestry and fire protection statistics. In Nevada, where inmates work for the same pay, they bring in around $3.5 million in annual revenue from the nonfirefighting projects for which they are hired, said Jody Weintz, who manages the program for the Nevada Division of Forestry. (Noninmate firefighters earn around $10 an hour, as well as hazard pay and overtime.)
In Arizona, the pay for inmates is among the lowest in the country: 50 cents an hour. In Colorado, which had the nationâs third-highest rate of recidivism in 2010, 52.5 percent, the programâs supervisor estimated that fewer than 25 percent of the inmates released after working on wilderness firefighting teams returned.
Some firefighting experts, however, do not believe that the social calculus makes much sense.
Wilderness firefighting âis a line of work where there are more people looking for jobs than there are jobs available,â said Stephen J. Pyne, a professor at the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University and a former wilderness firefighter who has written numerous books about the history and mechanics of wildfires. âWhy are we turning that over to prison crews?â
While inmatesâ pay is low, there are other rewards. Arizona inmates work outdoors much of the year, and if they are out fighting fires, their status as inmates is not easy to discern. In California, inmates wear orange fire-retardant jumpsuits and sleep in separate camps when they are out on fire lines. But firefighting inmates in Arizona wear the same clothes as other wilderness firefighters.
They eat and sleep in the same cafeterias and campsites, an arrangement that defies the rigid relationship barriers enforced inside prison walls. They also undergo the same training required of other wilderness firefighters and pass a physical assessment known as a pack test: traveling three miles on foot in 45 minutes, carrying 45 pounds on their backs.
âTheyâve got to have the heart, the strength and the willingness to do the job,â said Jake Guadiana, an Arizona State Forestry coordinator and the boss of the Lewis crew. âThis is not the place for you if youâre looking for a free meal and some time out of prison.â
Sometimes the inmates try to take advantage of the light supervision and escape. Mr. Weintz, in Nevada, said that happened âonce or twice a year,â but as far as he could tell, escapees were always taken back to prison, though not to the firefighting program. A clean disciplinary record is one condition of participation. Another is being in prison for a nonviolent offense.
More commonly, program managers say, the inmates leave prison at the end of their sentences and join firefighting crews. One of them, Grant Lovato, 46, who worked two seasons with the Lewis crew while serving time in prison for credit card fraud and identity theft, is now a firefighter for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in Gulfport, Miss. In a telephone interview, he said, âThe idea that I could be in prison and still get out into the woods and get to enjoy the nature was a transformative experience to me.â
The job has strict rules, like no phone calls or visits while on assignment, and carries many risks. Five inmates and a correctional officer died in June 1990 in the Dude Fire, near Payson, Ariz., sparked by a bolt of lightning, just like the fire in Yarnell. There have been other fatalities and numerous injuries, but none seem to weigh too heavily on the inmatesâ minds.
His helmet tucked under his arm, a mountain peak visible behind him against a bright blue sky, Armando Gloria, 29, who is serving time for robbery at the Lewis prison and is on his third season with its firefighting crew, said, âThereâs fear, yes, but when youâre out there, fighting fire, the fear becomes more like an adrenaline rush.â | States like Arizona, California and Nevada are relying more on cheap, dependable prison crews as cuts shrink professional firefighting forces and wildfires burn bigger, hotter and longer. |
Starting next year, cops will respond to all complaints of animal cruelty in collaboration with the ASPCA.
The NYPD has a message for any creep who would hurt an animal: Beware of the cops.
Starting next year, cops will respond to all complaints of animal cruelty in a collaboration with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) — a move that will put the society’s current humane law enforcement unit out of work. Previously, people would report animal cruelty or neglect to an ASPCA hotline, and the unit, composed of former cops, would investigate.
PHOTOS: ADORABLE ANIMALS GET WEIGHED IN AT THE LONDON ZOO
But beginning next year, people will call 311 or 911. An NYPD cop will take the complaint and hand the case over to precinct detectives.
In turn, the ASPCA will treat the injured animals and conduct forensic evaluations, officials said.
PHOTOS: ANIMALS, THEY'RE JUST LIKE PEOPLE
Humane law enforcement investigators were told Wednesday that Dec. 31 would be their last day as animal cops — and they predicted the NYPD wouldn’t be able to handle the extra cases. | Previously, people would report animal cruelty or neglect to an ASPCA hotline, and a unit composed of former cops would investigate. But beginning next year, people will call 311 or 911. |
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus on Monday called on CNN and NBC to rethink their decisions to shoot films about Hillary Clinton, calling each a “thinly veiled attempt at putting a thumb on the scales of the 2016 presidential election.”
Priebus also threatened, if the networks push forward with their plans, to avoid partnerships with them for any 2016 presidential debates.
Both networks announced their plans in recent weeks. CNN’s documentary is set to run on TV and in theaters, while NBC’s shooting a miniseries starring Diane Lane.
“It’s appalling to know executives at major networks like NBC and CNN who have donated to Democrats and Hillary Clinton have taken it upon themselves to be Hillary Clinton’s campaign operatives,” Priebus said in a statement. “Their actions to promote Secretary Clinton are disturbing and disappointing.”
The letters were sent to Robert Greenblatt, chairman of NBC Entertainment, and Jeff Zucker, president of CNN Worldwide.
CNN, in a statement, said it won’t back down and encouraged the RNC not to prejudge its documentary.
“Instead of making premature decisions about a project that is in the very early stages of development and months from completion, we would encourage the members of the Republican National Committee to reserve judgment until they know more,” CNN said. “Should they decide not to participate in debates on CNN, we would find it curious, as limiting their debate participation seems to be the ultimate disservice to voters.”
NBC News responded in a brief statement stressing it is not involved in the miniseries.
“NBC News is completely independent of NBC Entertainment and has no involvement in this project,” it said.
But even as the networks press on, Priebus’s effort is gaining traction in the GOP.
The chairmen of the Republican parties in Iowa and South Carolina — two early states that generally hold multiple debates — said they support Priebus’s move.
“The Iowa GOP supports Reince Priebus in his decision and looks forward to helping the RNC start a new chapter in how Republicans across the country stand up to a biased media,” Iowa GOP Chairman A.J. Spiker said in a statement.
David Plouffe, a former top adviser to President Obama, shot back, saying the RNC is trying to insulate itself from any media that isn’t Fox News:
Better RNC debate plan. Held in hermetically sealed Fox studio. Avoid exposing swing voters to Crazy S*#t My Nominee Says.
— David Plouffe (@davidplouffe) August 5, 2013
Priebus noted that Democrats complained when the conservative outside group Citizens United planned to air a pay-per-view documentary about Clinton on the eve of the 2008 election. The spat resulted in a landmark Supreme Court case that freed up donors to give large political contributions to so-called super PACs.
There was also a case in 2006 in which Clinton allies urged ABC to cancel a docu-drama called “The Path to 9/11,” which depicted top Clinton aides undermining attempts to capture and kill Osama bin Laden.
Priebus pressured NBC and CNN to kill the documentaries quickly, giving them a deadline that is just nine days away.
“If they have not agreed to pull this programming prior to the start of the RNC’s Summer Meeting on August 14, I will seek a binding vote stating that the RNC will neither partner with these networks in 2016 primary debates nor sanction primary debates they sponsor,” Priebus said.
Here’s the CNN letter, courtesy of Zeke Miller: | CNN is one of two TV networks planning a Clinton documentary, along with NBC. |
The self-assured power of the Bay Bridge has never received the respect it deserves, and the latest slight comes from an unlikely source: 25,000 LED lights that will adorn the span for the next two years.
The lights are attached to 300 suspender cables that line the Marin-facing side of the bridge between Yerba Buena Island and Rincon Hill. The installation is programmed as an abstract wash of light with patterns that spill across the vertical cables from dusk until 2 a.m.
The coolness quotient? Off the chart. Social and mainstream media have been buzzing since the display premiered Tuesday. But once the novelty fades, we're left with a 1.8-mile light show that has little to do with either the structure to which it is attached or the natural setting above which it shines. The creators treat a three-dimensional bridge as a one-sided backdrop to a programmed display.
The installation dubbed "Bay Lights" was conceived by Ben Davis, whose firm Words Pictures Ideas does communications work for Caltrans. "I was trying to think of ways to have the Bay Bridge shine again," he told The Chronicle last year. "Then it hit me. Instead of just being a bridge, it could be a canvas."
Davis' next move was to hire New York's Leo Villareal, an artist who specializes in what he calls "light sculpture" of a large scale.
While workers from the electrical contracting firm Bleyco spent six months attaching lights to the bridge, Villareal used a laptop to shape what he described in the same article as "sequences that are orchestrated but will never repeat. You could think of it almost as music, but mapped to the visual sense."
Putting aside the question of whether converting "just a bridge" into a canvas is really a promotion, I concede the resulting show is an ethereal treat.
When soft blurs of light streak from one set of vertical cables to the next, they could be anything from a time-lapse film of clouds to a phantom engine from the streetcars that crossed the bridge until 1958. At one instant the cables appear as distinct as harp strings, then they dissolve into a meteor shower or a cloud of fireflies or whatever metaphor you choose.
These are rippling impressions rather than orchestrated riffs, and Villareal was smart to keep things subtle.
But for all the surface delights, or the surprise that comes when portions of the installation are glimpsed between piers or as reflections on the water, this "light sculpture" is as thin as the individual units from which it is assembled.
What "Bay Lights" lacks is what the Bay Bridge has in abundance, a rooted sense of emphatic place. Every major element adds momentum and depth: the horizontal thrust of the roadway from east to west, the drape of the two main cables from four 50-story towers and, in the middle of the channel, an immense concrete anchorage that rises more than 200 feet to meet the cables and the steel-braced deck.
The design by a team that included engineers C.H. Purcell and Glenn B. Woodruff doesn't seem to break a stride - no Golden Gate grandeur here - and that makes the drama the more commanding.
"Bay Lights" is as relevant to all this as a napkin draped across the back of a chair.
The element of the bridge emphasized by Villareal is the least essential part of the composition, the suspender cables that are spaced at 30-foot intervals and are less than 3 inches thick. Everything else stays the same. Which means that instead of conveying the connection between structure and bay, four soft triangles float in space.
Worse, the LEDs appear only on the vertical cables lining the north edge of the span, the better to show off to folks in downtown towers and upscale restaurants; the cables on the side that face such neighborhoods as Potrero Hill and Mission Bay remain dark. What you see along the Embarcadero south of Pier 24 is a choppy rear view.
This might not have seemed odd a generation ago, but in a city where the cultural center of gravity is moving south, the emphasis on one side seems off-balance - and off-balance is the last sensation one should ever associate with a bridge that carries 280,000 vehicles on an average day.
"Bay Lights" has been compared to the "Running Fence" of 1976, a 24-mile veil of 18-foot-high fabric that snaked across West Marin before plunging into the ocean at Dillon Beach. Not so. Artists Cristo and Jeanne-Claude created magic by altering our perception of the terrain, at once reorienting the landscape and bringing it into close focus.
Burns and Villareal - and the donors who so far have provided $6 million of the needed $8 million in private funds - have presented us with something else: a luminous bid for nightly attention. And when the lights go dark in 2015, it will be as if they were never there at all.
John King is The San Francisco Chronicle's urban design critic. E-mail: [email protected] Twitter: @johnkingsfchron | While workers from the electrical contracting firm Bleyco spent six months attaching lights to the bridge, Villareal used a laptop to shape what he described in the same article as sequences that are orchestrated but will never repeat. When soft blurs of light streak from one set of vertical cables to the next, they could be anything from a time-lapse film of clouds to a phantom engine from the streetcars that crossed the bridge until 1958. Lacking substanceBut for all the surface delights, or the surprise that comes when portions of the installation are glimpsed between piers or as reflections on the water, this "light sculpture" is as thin as the individual units from which it is assembled. Every major element adds momentum and depth: the horizontal thrust of the roadway from east to west, the drape of the two main cables from four 50-story towers and, in the middle of the channel, an immense concrete anchorage that rises more than 200 feet to meet the cables and the steel-braced deck. The design by a team that included engineers C.H. Purcell and Glenn B. Woodruff doesn't seem to break a stride - no Golden Gate grandeur here - and that makes the drama the more commanding. Worse, the LEDs appear only on the vertical cables lining the north edge of the span, the better to show off to folks in downtown towers and upscale restaurants; the cables on the side that face such neighborhoods as Potrero Hill and Mission Bay remain dark. |
Updated AUG 14, 2014 1:08p ET
Social media star and current NHL free agent Paul "BizNasty" Bissonnette gained a lot of attention earlier this week for his extravagant #IceBucketChallenge video, which featured a chopper, a mountain and a speedo. He joined me on a new edition of "The Buzz" to discuss how the video came about (beer was involved), how easy it was to film and how quickly it came together. Bissonnette also shared insight on what it's like to go through the free-agency process when you aren't exactly a superstar. However, it wasn't all serious business. The man known as BizNasty2point0 showed off his classic sense of humor when we discussed Johnny Manziel's off-field habits, his habit of taking (and posting) pictures of people making out, his hatred for Subway and much more.
You can listen to the podcast below or download it on iTunes or your mp3 player.
Tigers closer Joe Nathan has struggled all season. Obviously, this hasn't gone over well with Detroit fans. Last night, the right-hander closed out an 8-4 win against the Pirates, but walked two batters in his inning of work. This generated some boos, which led to Nathan giving the home crowd a nasty gesture.
Tom Brady explains what makes his relationship with a center so special.
Pigeons invaded last night's Pirates-Tigers game. They parked themselves right on the dirt path between home plate and the pitching mound and refused to leave, despite the efforts of Detroit slugger Miguel Cabrera and Pittsburgh pitcher Vance Worley.
No, this is not Josh Gordon's real number.
Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola put on a show at practice yesterday by fielding a punt while holding four balls already. He threw one ball in the air, caught the incoming punt, kicked the ball he threw and then caught it too.
White Sox broadcaster Ken "Hawk" Harrelson is not a fan of the new rule that prevents catchers from blocking home plate. He unleashed his displeasure during yesterday's Chicago-Seattle game by using a tired cliche.
Redskins fans serenaded Robert Griffin III with a homemade song about the quarterback during yesterday's practice. Griffin seemed to be flattered by the tune.
Several New York Jets players are using Tinder to find "love." Not just a random hookup, but actual "love." Right.
Model Kelly Thomas gets today's Fox-y Lady honors.
Got a link, comment or question? Email [email protected]. | Bissonnette talks #icebucketchallenge video and more; Birds distrupt MLB game; Fan makes Josh Gordon jersey; more. |
Michigan doctor Teleka Patrick disappeared December 5, 2013, authorities said.
(CNN) -- A body found in an Indiana lake has been identified as that of Teleka Patrick, the Michigan doctor who's been missing since December, the Porter County Coroner's Office confirmed.
Her body was discovered Sunday in Lake Charles, west of Gary, Indiana, officials said.
The cause and manner of death are still pending further investigation, but are consistent with drowning, the coroner said in a statement Tuesday. An autopsy revealed no trauma, the statement added.
The 30-year-old medical resident failed to show up for work on December 6 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The night before, her 1997 Lexus was discovered abandoned more than 115 miles away in a ditch off of Interstate 94 in Indiana, directly south of the lake where she was ultimately found.
Police brought out dogs to track Patrick's scent. They led investigators out of the ditch where Patrick's car rested to the highway. There, the scent went cold.
"We looked everywhere," Sgt. Rick Strong of the Indiana State Police told CNN in December.
Surveillance video and home videos uploaded to YouTube provided investigators with clues about Patrick's movements in the weeks, days and hours before she vanished.
The YouTube videos showed Patrick talking, cooing and singing to someone unnamed and apparently unknown. Patrick's mother told CNN she wasn't aware of any romantic relationship her daughter may have had. But the videos have an intimate feel to them.
"Hi, baby," Patrick says in one. "I am just coming to you to say 'hi' and tell you about my day."
In another video, Patrick shows a table set for two with omelets and pancakes.
"If you were here, this is what would be your plate," she coos.
In a surveillance video from a Radisson hotel in Kalamazoo, not far from where she worked, Patrick is seen on the night of December 5 around 7:30 p.m., hours before police found her car in Indiana.
She spent about 10 minutes talking with employees at the reception desk but ultimately left. There's no audio on the video, and it's not clear why Patrick failed to book a room.
But at 7:48 p.m., she strode across the hotel's tiled floors, out the door and onto a hotel shuttle bus.
Those are the last known images of her.
Her family says Patrick, who had just moved to Michigan, bought a plane ticket to come visit them for the holidays in Florida.
In January, family members urged investigators to remain focused on the possibility that foul play was involved in her disappearance, after reports surfaced that gospel singer Marvin Sapp had filed a personal protection order against Patrick in September.
In court documents, Sapp said Patrick "has claimed him as her husband, had moved from California to Michigan, joined his church, had contacted his children and had been to his home.
"I have at least 400 pages of correspondence from her which I have never responded," his complaint reads.
While the discovery of Patrick's body answers some questions, it leaves many more unanswered for the grieving family of a young doctor described as "wonderful," "beautiful" and "talented."
Investigators have said they have no evidence of foul play, but they also don't have conclusive evidence that Patrick's movements on December 5 were voluntary.
"We have scoured, searched and looked at everything we could possibly look at -- all the exits, all the businesses, all the hotels," Strong said late last year. "We posted fliers; we talked to neighbors (who live near the highway). We did a full-blown, on-the-ground search in the wooded area north of where the car was."
Carl Clatterback, a private investigator hired by Patrick's family, told CNN that investigators are looking into the videos. A central question: Who was Patrick talking to in the videos and does that person know anything about what happened to her?
CNN's Tiffany Campbell and Julia Lull contributed to this report. | A body found in an Indiana lake has been identified as that of Teleka Patrick, the Michigan doctor who's been missing since December, a coroner confirmed. |
Two years later, as members of the Arab League sat down in Iraq’s capital on Thursday for another summit meeting, they composed a tableau of how much — and how little — had changed after a year of popular uprisings and bloody revolts began chipping away at the old order of the region.
Gone were the authoritarian leaders of Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen. Syria, suspended from the group as it wages a bloody campaign against antigovernment forces and protesters, was represented by an empty chair. And Colonel Qaddafi was dead, shot by victorious rebels last October in the very city where the Arab League staged its 2010 meeting.
“This summit comes at a momentous time for Iraq and the Arab world,” the United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, said in a speech to the leaders and diplomats. “The winds of change will not cease to blow.”
But the air felt still inside Baghdad’s newly renovated palace, where Saddam Hussein once held court.
Arab leaders and diplomats offered platitudes about reform and democracy while glossing over the treatment of religious and ethnic minorities, political opponents and dissidents in their own countries. No one discussed the violence in the Persian Gulf state of Bahrain, where the Sunni monarchy with its allies in Saudi Arabia violently suppressed a largely peaceful Shiite uprising. Fewer than half of the league’s heads of state showed up, and only one from a gulf nation, the Kuwaiti emir.
And in another constant with the past, the Arab League failed to address the issue of the day substantively. In this case, the membership was unable to offer any concrete plan for easing the deepening humanitarian crisis in Syria, a struggle whose increasingly sectarian dimensions were on display at the gathering.
“The summit is now almost inconsequential,” Mohamad Bazzi, an adjunct fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said in a discussion published on the council’s Web site. “The events on the ground have accelerated to the point that Arab leaders are playing catch-up, and Syria is the perfect example.”
In its most significant action of the three-day meeting, the group adopted a resolution on Thursday urging Syria’s government to adhere to a six-point cease-fire proposal brokered by the United Nations. The Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, has agreed to the cease-fire, but continuing violence has deepened fears that he will not abide by the proposal.
Speech after speech on Thursday paid homage to the people of Syria, where the United Nations estimates that 9,000 civilians have been killed. The leaders condemned Mr. Assad’s government as committing humanitarian crimes against its own people.
But analysts said the Arab League had ceded any leadership to the United Nations and dialed back its own ambitions in the wake of a failed mission sending observers to Syria. The Foreign Ministry in Damascus on Thursday repeated its rejection of any decisions at the meeting related to Syria.
Although Saudi Arabia and Qatar — which sent only low-level delegations to the summit meeting — have called for more aggressive action against Mr. Assad, the leaders gathered in Baghdad refused to consider any more muscular options. They declined to call for Mr. Assad to go, and said they had not even considered whether to endorse arming opposition forces. That was partly a reflection of internal divisions among Arab leaders, some of whom continue to resist pressuring Mr. Assad to step down.
“We have already tried to find an Arab solution to this issue, but we didn’t succeed,” Iraq’s foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari, said at a news conference on Wednesday night. “We have no new initiative to bring except for the issues we’ve already discussed.”
Instead of substance, the meeting offered symbolism. And for the Shiite-led Iraqi government, which spent two years and $500 million preparing a war-scarred capital for the meeting, symbolism may have been enough.
Iraqi officials saw the three-day event as their chance to shrug off Iraq’s status as a diplomatic pariah and re-enter the Arab world as an independent nation that can hold its ground against powerful neighbors like Shiite Iran, Sunni Saudi Arabia and an economically and politically ascendant Turkey.
Iraqi diplomats worked to smooth over relations with Sunni Arab neighbors before the gathering, agreeing to pay off decades-old debts. For the arriving guests, the government provided lavish meals, spotless new accommodations and sleek black Mercedes sedans.
At least 10 Arab leaders did attend the summit meeting, including those of Lebanon, Sudan, Tunisia and Kuwait, which was invaded by Saddam Hussein in 1990.
In a glimpse of at least partial reconciliation, Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki and the Kuwaiti emir exchanged kisses on the tarmac at Baghdad’s airport and marched down a red carpet together.
“I hope this will remind the Arabs that Iraq is a very important Arab country, and must get back to where it should be — in an Arab environment rather than under the Iranian influence,” said Mohammad Abdullah al-Zulfa, a historian and a former member of the Saudi Shura Council.
But there were slights. Explaining the decision not to attend, Qatar’s prime minister, Sheik Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, said in an interview with Al Jazeera that his nation was “sending a message” signaling discontent with the growing sectarianism in Iraqi politics and the deep disenfranchisement among Iraq’s Sunni minority.
But Iraqi officials were relieved that their worst fears of disruptive violence did not come to pass. A rocket exploded outside the Iranian Embassy not far from the International Zone on Thursday afternoon, but officials said no one was hurt.
Otherwise, the normally frenetic capital was as quiet as a vacation town in the off season. Nearly every bridge over the Tigris River was closed to traffic. Roads were blocked by brambles of concertina wire, entire neighborhoods sealed off. Residents in several neighborhoods in western Baghdad said they had no cellphone service, suggesting that the government had cut the mobile networks to try to prevent terrorist attacks.
As the visiting dignitaries boarded their private planes on Thursday and began streaming home, there was no word on when the extreme security measures would be lifted. | Arab leaders in Baghdad offered platitudes about democracy and reform, but did not address the unrest that has swept through their countries. |
Angola’s First Daughter, Isabel dos Santos
By Rafael Marques de Morais with Kerry A. Dolan
Back in August FORBES detailed how the richest woman in Africa, by the tender age of 40, had increased her net worth from zero to $3 billion: You have your father, the president of Angola, direct those who want to do business in the country to cut you in on their action. FORBES has learned, however, that Isabel dos Santos has added a more legitimate jewel to her crown: de Grisogono, a Swiss jeweler renowned among the Hollywood A-list for its extravagant, celebrity-studded parties in Cannes and Miami Beach and fans like Heidi Klum and Sharon Stone.
Newly uncovered documents show that a shell company called Victoria Holding Ltd. acquired 75% of de Grisogono in 2012 for more than $100 million through a subsidiary. The documents show that ownership of Victoria Holding Ltd. is evenly split between the Angolan state-owned diamond company, Sodiam, and a Dutch-registered company, Melbourne Investments. Dos Santos’ husband, Congolese businessman Sindika Dokolo, is listed as the sole beneficial owner of Melbourne Investments.
It is not clear whether Dokolo made any financial investment in Melbourne Investments or whether Melbourne contributed any cash to the purchase. Sodiam, as a state-owned company (its board, chair and CEO are all appointed by President Jose Eduardo dos Santos), is required to publicly disclose all its relevant ventures at home and abroad, but until now its partnership with Dokolo had remained a secret.
Sodiam, through its parent company, did not return calls to provide its side of the story. The chairman of de Grisogono said “no public funds or resources, namely from the Angolan State or Angolan State-owned companies, have been involved, directly or indirectly.” Dokolo has told the Portuguese press, “The mentioned investment … makes sense from a strategic point of view. …Any dollar that enters Switzerland or Europe is the object of an exhaustive verification process.” Perhaps, but it’s hard to figure out what the president’s daughter doesn’t have a stake in in Angola; even the publishing company that owns the right to license FORBES in Portuguese-speaking Africa, it turns out, is owned 70% by Isabel dos Santos, according to a press release from its co-owner, the Portuguese Zon Media. She had no comment for us.
Rafael Marques de Morais is an investigative journalist in Angola. He runs the website MakaAngola.
Daddy’s Girl: How An African ‘Princess’ Banked $3 Billion In A Country Living On $2 A Day
How Forbes’ Estimate Of Isabel dos Santos’ Net Worth Grew From $500 Million To $3 Billion In Less Than A Year | Newly uncovered documents reveal that the billionaire daughter of Angola's president owns (through her husband) a controlling stake in Swiss jeweler-to-the-stars de Grisogono -- alongside Angola's state diamond company. |
Twitter knows that one of its greatest strengths, the largely unfiltered fire-hose of information the service spurts out at around 95 million tweets per day, is also its greatest weakness. Specifically, how does a user filter out the important information (the signal) from the noise on Twitter? Tackling that problem will be a big part of the company’s future direction, said Twitter co-founder Biz Stone.
“One of the challenges for us going forward is relevance,” said Stone, who was being interviewed on CNN’s show “Reliable Sources” on Sunday morning by host Howard Kurtz.
While Twitter has been about information discovery, Stone’s comments suggest that future product direction will focus on information filtering and targeted delivery:
“We know that there’s information inside of Twitter for pretty much anyone in the world. It’s going to be our challenge over the next few years to get better and better at delivering the right information at the right time to the right people. There is an ocean of Tweets out there. A lot of the tools out there weren’t really designed for a world of endless information. That’s something that we’re constantly working on is how do we become an antidote to information overload as opposed to yet another service that bombards people with information.”
Stone said that last part, about Twitter becoming an “antidote to information overload” without a trace of irony. Interesting, given that the real-time feed of Twitter seems to have only exacerbated the problem of information overload. But Stone recognizes that for Twitter to be more useful, it will have to become better at delivering the most relevant information to users. What will that take the form of — more algorithms? Human editors? The interview did not get into that.
Another major facet of Twitter’s future direction is how to make money off of the service, a shift in the company symbolized by Twitter executive Dick Costolo’s rise to chief executive of the company in October. Twitter has been testing “Promoted Products“, a form of advertising on Twitter. The two parts of Twitter’s future, relevance and monetization, are not necessarily mutually exclusive though. Improving the service’s delivery of useful information can help keep users on Twitter, after all.
It will be interesting to see how Twitter tackles these issues — or whether the company even can. Some in Silicon Valley have said that Twitter is the “least innovative” among other contemporary Internet startups, as reported by Liz Gannes at All Things Digital. Costolo has admitted the Twitter is still finding its way as well.
Stone also talked with Kurtz about Twitter’s increasingly important role in the news media. Twitter users are increasingly turning to the service as a method of finding and sharing news. And journalists themselves are both using Twitter to broadcast their own stories as well as find sources and information for stories they are working on. Stone’s very appearance on the show “Reliable Sources”, which has interviewed veteran journalists like Tom Brokaw on how they report their stories, is a nod to the fact that Twitter is now a part of the news industry.
The entire interview can be seen online here. | Twitter co-founder Biz Stone says the company needs to focus on filtering important information to users. |
The first quarter is lurching to a close, and behind the market’s sedate numbers — the Dow Jones industrial average is up about a percent this year — were some bone-jarring moves. Which funds navigated the market’s choppy waters the best?
This year’s winner, at least through March 30: ChinaAMC A-Share ETF (PEK), according to preliminary data from Lipper, which tracks the funds. This particular fund replicates the performance of China’s A shares. The fund is up a bubbly 47.9% so far, as the Chinese stock market hits new highs, despite a slowing economy.
Next up: Direxion Daily Japan Bull 3x ETF (JPNL) which uses futures and options to goose the return of the Japanese market. The fund promises to rise or fall each day by three times as much as the Japanese stock market.
On the loser’s deck, we have the VelocityShares 3x Long Crude Oil ETN (UWTI), which would have done really well if oil had risen in price. Unfortunately, it didn’t, and the fund has plunged 50.2% in the first quarter.
The top loser, surprisingly, is a fund that makes a big bet on Russian stocks falling: The Direxion Daily Russia 3x bear fund (RUSS). As the Russian market has recovered, this fund has gotten a face full of borscht. It’s down 58.7%.
All of these are highly specialized and risky funds. What were the best and worst garden-variety U.S. diversified stock funds? Glad you asked. Winners:
* Turner Medical Sciences Long/Short fund (TMSEX), up 25.5%. The fund borrows a page from hedge funds and can make bets on companies it thinks will rise, and those it thinks will fall. Biggest holding: Horizon Pharmaceuticals (HZNP), up 59% this year, according to Morningstar.
* Jacob Small Cap Growth (JSCGX), up 16.6%. The fund is up to a blistering start, but that won’t make up for its wretched performance since its 2009 inception. It has lagged 74% of its peers the past five years.
* Monteagle Informed Investor Growth (MIIFX), up 14.7%. Another fund with a bad five-year record has a good start this year. It lags 99% of its peers the past five years — a rip-snorting bull market.
STAAR Larger Company Stock Fund (SITLX), down 10.3%. This fund of funds has some good names in its portfolio, but is off to a miserable start.
Stocks are closing out a volatile first quarter with gains. (Photo: Thinkstock) | Which funds navigated the market's choppy waters the best? |
The Entrepreneur Insiders network is an online community where the most thoughtful and influential people in America’s startup scene contribute answers to timely questions about entrepreneurship and careers. Today’s answer to the question “How do you build a strong team?” is written by Brian Smith, chief wine officer at Winc.
The quality I always look for in individuals is the same quality that I would hope to get out of a high-performance team: intuition. Those who have intuition are more equipped to see opportunities, find an optimal solution, and innovate, all while understanding their partner’s positions or motives. It is an awareness that makes people more creative, effective, and generally more fun to work with.
In order to pinpoint intuition, I look for people who may have started something on their own, even if it has failed. It’s more about taking initiative, seeing the landscape, and trying to find a niche solution or opportunity. I always like to ask, “When was the last time that you created something you were proud of?” It’s a classic interview question for me, regardless of the role.
Once you have some incredible people on your team, the next steps are to get aligned and stay connected. Alignment and connectivity are the pillars for success on any team. Not only do people need to embrace and understand the big goals, but they need to embrace consistent communication and maintain focus to increase the probability of hitting those goals.
See also: Why Hiring Just for Experience Is a Really Bad Idea
For most of us, it’s nearly impossible to step away from the day-to-day action, but I have become a huge believer in getting offsite. It’s amazing what a change of scenery and a bare-bones agenda can get you. These are often the greatest opportunities for strategic alignment, deeper understanding, and innovation as a team. At a recent offsite, we encouraged the team to challenge the status quo. One of our team members came up with the idea to change the way we packaged our wine, and we ended up saving a few hundred thousand dollars in addition to significantly reducing our environmental impact. You can’t get to these types of ideas if you don’t provide your team with a free and open environment to put everything on the table.
Once you have the big goals and initiatives, it all comes down to execution. This is hard, especially in the winemaking business. For about a third of the year, I’m in remote vineyards all over the world, and the days are long. Travel like this completely takes me away from day-to-day communication with my team. But spending time in the market or in the vineyards with purveyors, customers, growers, and winemakers is invaluable to informing my point of view.
To stay connected while I’m traveling, I try to schedule a 30-minute touch-base meeting with each leader every week. We leverage 15Five, which is a great tool for recapping the week’s wins, losses, near-term goals, and challenges.
Hire intuitive people, build a strategy together, and have a clear system for achieving success. To me, this is the foundation for a successful team. If you can throw in a little passion and fun, the sky is the limit. | You can't run a successful business without a strong team behind it. |
Officials say they need time to institute new policies to ensure that the change won't affect combat readiness or morale. The administration has said it will appeal the ruling to the the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.
In the meantime, "the Department of Defense will of course obey the law," Col. Dave Lapan, a department spokesman, said in an e-mail to reporters. The Pentagon will cease investigations and discharges of service members found to be in violation of the policy, officials said.
Despite the Pentagon's announcement, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Fund, a group that supports ending the ban, has encouraged gay military members not to disclose their sexual orientation.
"It is clear there is confusion, and this interim period is dangerous for service members," Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis said in a statement. "Our service members need finality."
In September, District Judge Virginia A. Phillips ruled that the 17-year-old policy violates due process and the First Amendment rights of gay service members. Rather than being necessary for military readiness, she said, the policy has a "direct and deleterious effect" on the armed forces. On Tuesday, she ordered the military to comply immediately with her ruling.
The case was brought by the Log Cabin Republicans, a 19,000-member gay advocacy group that includes current and former military members. The group argued during a two-week trial in July that the policy is unconstitutional and should be struck down. Lawyers for the group plan to respond to the government's application for a stay within 24 hours, a spokeswoman said.
The case is one of two related to "don't ask, don't tell" that have been deliberated this year in federal court. Last month, a judge in Washington state ordered the reinstatement of a decorated Air Force officer who was dismissed for revealing that she is a lesbian.
The administration's decision Thursday to ask for a stay of Phillips's court order was criticized by gay rights groups, which have been frustrated by government inaction on the policy. While running for president, Obama said he would repeal the law. But in September, Senate Democrats were unable to muster the 60 votes needed to begin debate.
"Today's appeal by President Obama's Department of Justice is not only indefensible - it is yet another shocking lack of leadership from the White House on issues of equality for the LGBT community," said Robin McGehee, director of GetEqual, an advocacy group.
Groups also criticized the administration for appealing a decision by a federal judge in Massachusetts that invalidated the Defense of Marriage Act, which bars the federal government from recognizing legal same-sex marriages.
According to recent Washington Post polls, 75 percent of respondents said they think gays should be allowed to serve openly in the military, and nearly half think they should be allowed to legally wed.
Obama has said that he opposes "don't ask, don't tell" but that he prefers that it be repealed by Congress.
"The Justice Department is defending the statute, as it traditionally does when acts of Congress are challenged," spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler said in a statement. "The President believes and has repeatedly affirmed that 'don't ask, don't tell' is a bad policy that harms our national security and undermines our military effectiveness. . . . The President and his Administration are working with the military leadership and Congress to repeal this law."
At an MTV forum Thursday, when Obama was pressed by an audience member on why he hasn't ended the policy, the president said his hands are tied until the Senate acts.
"This is not a situation in which, with the stroke of a pen, I can end the policy," he said. "I think people are born with a certain makeup and that we're all children of God. We don't make determinations about who we love."
In another dust-up, White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett apologized Thursday for referring to homosexuality as a "lifestyle choice" in a Washingtonpost.com video discussion.
"I apologize to any who have taken offense at my poor choice of words," she wrote in an e-mail to columnist Jonathan Capehart. "Sexual orientation and gender identity are not a choice, and anyone who knows me and my work over the years knows that I am a firm believer and supporter in the rights of LGBT Americans." | Pentagon to comply with court order to end 'don't ask,don't tell' |
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 15 — Hewlett-Packard has agreed to settle a shareholder lawsuit for $117.5 million in a two-year-old case related to stock options backdating at Mercury Interactive, the business software company H.P. acquired last year, a lawyer for the plaintiffs said Monday.
Hewlett-Packard confirmed the fact of the agreement, but not the amount. The settlement is subject to approval in federal court.
The $117.5 million would make it the largest settlement since corporate stock options practices, particularly in the technology industry, began to attract closer scrutiny three years ago. More than 180 public companies are under investigation by either federal regulators or internal company audit committees for possible options backdating.
In November 2005, an internal investigation by Mercury’s board found dozens of instances in which the stated date of a company stock option grant was different from the date on which the option appears to have actually been granted, a practice that can improperly result in substantial gains for the options holder. The investigation led to the ouster of several top Mercury officials.
In July 2006, Mercury was acquired by Hewlett-Packard for $4.5 billion, in a deal that H.P. said would help it bolster its business software offerings to a combined revenue of about $2 billion. On Monday, shares of H.P. declined 31 cents to close at $51.24, then continued to decline slightly in after-hours trading.
Before this, the largest settlement in a case related to stock options backdating involved the chip designer Rambus, which last month agreed to an $18 million settlement with investors. | Hewlett-Packard has agreed to settle a shareholder lawsuit for $117.5 million in a case related to stock options backdating at Mercury Interactive, the software company it acquired last year. |
Brian Williams is how fragile it all is in American life, no matter who you are, how famous you are, how close you’ve come to touching the sun. This is how fast it can all go away from you.
It doesn’t mean you are a criminal or a bad guy. It happens this way, even when you do it to yourself, when you’re caught for not being what people thought you were; when they decide they can’t trust you as much as they thought they could. You take this kind of fall, this fast, and the rest of us get dizzy watching it happen.
Think about it: Last Tuesday night, because people hadn’t listened to those who knew that the war story he had been telling for years wasn’t true, he was still Brian Williams, on top of his world, bringing in the kind of money he was bringing in for NBC. Now he is suspended, but not fired, because NBC, even making a hard choice, did not take the easy way out here.
Think about something else: What if somebody had told you, just six years ago, or seven, that Alex Rodriguez would be going to the Yankees before spring training 2015, seeking redemption the way Brian Williams may seek the same kind of redemption in six months. What if somebody had told you that Tiger Woods would have this kind of fall from grace? A-Rod was on his way to being the all-time home run king of baseball. Tiger was the most famous athlete in America, on his way to breaking Jack Nicklaus’ record for major championships.
And back in those days Brian Williams had already become a different kind of star, in a different arena, after taking over for Tom Brokaw.
Will the American people forgive Williams when — and if — he comes back? Sure they will. And why not? But the part of the story that nobody knows right now is whether or not the people in Williams’ own business will forgive him, because you know they will never forget.
I have known him a long time. I like him. I coached his son in Little League baseball. Our sons later played on the same high school soccer team. He has always been what the American people found him to be on the “NBC Nightly News”: Good company. Now he goes away.
Williams is going to have to take a page out of Alex Rodriguez and Tiger Woods' stories — launch a comeback after losing the support of the people.
We all know how much America loves a comeback story. But you wonder what it will be like for Williams six months from now, after the terrible week he’s just had in February of 2015, because even in six months, the facts of what brought on this fall, in the mythical place that Looie Carnesecca used to describe as Macy’s window, will have not changed.
It will still be somebody else’s Chinook helicopter that took the fire that day, which happens to be the way Williams told it in the first place, before it became the kind of inflated war story — or conflated story — that soldiers rarely tell.
Others before Brian Williams have found out how terrible and sudden these falls are, whether they committed lesser or greater sins in the eyes of the public. You saw this one play out the way it has. First Williams tried to explain the thing away, badly. Then he said he was taking himself off the air. Now he leaves the stage for six months, because of self-inflicted wounds.
Jon Stewart, who is leaving his own hit show, “The Daily Show,” for completely different reasons, joked the other night, in a segment he did on Brian Williams, that at last somebody is being held accountable for things that happened in Iraq. It was a joke, because of all the lies we know politicians told about that war, lies that the media bought wholesale at the time, and never apologized much for not challenging. But none of this seems very funny right now, whether you know Brian Williams from television, or just know him.
For now, he doesn’t get the media death penalty that others have gotten before him. Good. You cannot simply ignore the good work he has done, and that includes out in the field, during the time when he did become the kind of star he did in reading the news and covering it. It doesn’t forgive what he did, or explain it away. But he was in one of those helicopters. He’s gone to these places. That doesn’t help him right now, either.
He told this story about that helicopter for a long time. Nobody stopped him, though so many knew the facts of what happened that day. This particular war story was more than 10 years in the telling. The stunning fall caused by it came faster. A fish tale and a cautionary tale, for everybody. | The story of Brian Williams shows just how fragile American life, and fame, may be, and how fast you can lose it all. |
Mila Kunis in Allure.Tom Munro for Allure
Mila KunisTom Munro for Allure
Mila Kunis may have a seemingly flawless figure, but that doesn’t mean she wants the whole world to see it. The 29-year-old actress, who is Allure’s March cover girl, said she isn’t comfortable with too much on-screen nudity. She said for her role in “Friends With Benefits” she wasn’t willing to get totally naked. “I showed side boob. I don’t need to show ass. You get one or the other. You don’t get both,” she told the magazine. But that doesn’t mean Kunis isn’t willing to go above and beyond for a movie role. The actress worked hard to drop a lot of weight when she appeared in “Black Swan.” “Unfortunately, the only way I could play a ballerina was to look like a ballerina…fit and bony.” Now, in her current role Kunis’ weight doesn’t really matter. She works behind-the-scenes as the voice of Meg Griffin on “Family Guy.” But in case you missed seeing her on screen, she is headed back to the big screen for “Oz the Great and Powerful,” which hits theaters in March. | Mila Kunis said she won't get totally naked on camera. |
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during a debate on the Budget Savings (Omnibus) Bill in the House of Representatives at Parliament House on September 14, 2016. (AAP)
Treasurer Scott Morrison insists the mid-year budget review is nothing more than an update even though it's likely to come with some tinkering to environment and welfare measures.
But whether than means disbanding the Green Army - one of Tony Abbott's signature climate policies - and saving $350 million is not yet certain.
Surrendering it would help pay for the $100 million in extra Landcare funding Mr Morrison promised the Greens in return for the minor party's support for the government's 15 per cent backpacker tax.
Then there's the $4.5 million-a-day the government says its clawing back in a crackdown on welfare recipients wrongly receiving benefits, announced by Human Services Minister Alan Tudge on Monday.
It comes as the treasurer is writing to one of the three big global rating agencies to update it on progress the government is making on budget repair.
Mr Morrison will tell Standard & Poor's - which has Australia's triple-A credit rating on a negative outlook - the government has managed in the past few months to guide about $21 billion of savings through parliament, around half the government's budget program.
S&P and other rating agencies have previously raised concerns about the make-up of the parliament and its ability to pass legislation to keep the budget on a path to balance in 2021.
Former federal Liberal leader John Hewson believes a rating downgrade is inevitable with a government that is just "muddling through" and a long way off delivering a surplus by the end of the decade.
Mr Morrison says he gets advice from many quarters, but it will be up to S&P what decisions it makes.
"What the government has to do, is to focus on what we can do is to get savings passed," the treasurer told 2GB radio on Monday.
Mr Morrison will hand down his mid-year review on December 19.
Wednesday's economic growth figures for the September quarter will assist Treasury in forming forecasts for the review, albeit data that is shaping up to be disappointing.
New economic numbers show company profits rose by a smaller-than-expected one per cent in the quarter, but were offset by a modest rise in business inventories.
It left economists still anticipating a quarter growth rate of around 0.2 per cent, dragging the annual rate down to 2.5 per cent from 3.3 per cent as of June.
A new report by Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand urges the political debate to move on from the usual argy bargy over "debt and deficit" and take a long term view for repairing the nation's finances.
It believes governments should be required to forecast the implications of key policy decisions over 10 years rather than four and be monitored by an independent body such as the Parliamentary Budget Office.
It highlights tax cuts implemented during the temporary mining boom a decade ago and the stimulus measures passed at the onset of the 2008-2009 global financial crisis as examples of policies created with little regard as to their long-term fiscal impact. | Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand believe budget planning should extend beyond the present four years and be monitored by an independent body. |
By now it is clear Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks will not find an easy resolution to a problem neither expected when he was drafted in 2012. What exactly is the value of a quarterback who is drafted in the third round and then leads his team to back-to-back Super Bowls?
Neither side can still figure it out.
On Tuesday, Wilson gave a hint as to what he appears to be seeking during an interview with ESPN and asked his questioner: “How much would you pay me?”
Then Wilson said: “Ultimately, it comes down to the play. I let my play speak for itself and let the rest take care of itself. I continue to love the game for what it is and continue to fight and continue to play no matter how much I’m getting paid, no matter if it’s $25m or if it’s $1.5m, I’ll be ready to go.”
Given he is scheduled to make $1.5m in 2015, the final year of the four-year deal he signed after being drafted, it’s easy to assume he is looking for something approaching $25m. That could make him the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL by a significant amount. Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers is making an average of $22m a season.
Related: Race, loss and the comeback: when Russell Wilson's defenses dropped
Statistically, Wilson is not Rodgers and in some ways Wilson is seen as the beneficiary of a tremendous Seattle defense. But Wilson has played a significant role in leading the Seahawks to the brink of two Super Bowl victories and at 26 he should have many strong years ahead of him.
The Seahawks have benefitted from getting several young stars who were either taken in the lower rounds of the draft or were undrafted. Now that the franchise has had great success, Seattle are fighting to see how it can keep as many of those players around as long as possible. None is more essential than the quarterback who led the team’s rise in his rookie season.
The struggle to find Wilson’s value in such a unique situation could linger throughout the season. Seattle will not pay $25m a year but what then is the cost of a player who brought two Super Bowls to Seattle while making just $3m on a four-year rookie contract? No one seems to know. Not yet.’
“It’s great,” Wilson said Tuesday of his relationship with management. “I don’t think it’s a bad relationship by any means. I had the opportunity to win the first Super Bowl in franchise history. Obviously, I want to stay in Seattle. I love Seattle. It’s a great place, a place I arrived on 10 May 2012. I’ll never forget that day.
“I trust the process of it all. I’m going to do everything I can to put the work in and let the rest speak for itself. When it’s all done and my career’s over, hopefully, 17 years from now, I can look back and, hopefully, it’s a job well done. That’s all I can do and all I can ask for, to give it my all every day. It’ll work out if I do that.”
Thirteen years ago, the New England Patriots resolved this issue by paying Tom Brady, a sixth-round pick in 2000, a five-year, $32m deal. But contracts have exploded since then. Plus Brady was undoubtedly the Patriots’ most valuable player. The Seahawks’ hesitation suggests that they don’t value Wilson as another Brady. Wilson’s words on Tuesday suggests he thinks he should be paid more than Brady now.
And so in Wilson v the Seahawks the answer of the quarterback’s value will not be easy to find.
And it probably won’t come soon. | What exactly is the value of a quarterback who is drafted in the third round and then leads his team to back-to-back Super Bowls? |
Drivers who won a $1.8 million class-action suit against a small Ohio town over its use of red light cameras want to collect their damages -- straight from the pockets of a new crop of motorists caught by the unpopular and all-seeing digital eyes.
Lawyers for thousands of drivers cited in New Miami filed a class-action lawsuit in 2013 against the Butler County town of 2,000 for using an automated speed camera system that they said violated due process rights.The plaintiffs won their case and a subsequent appeal by the town, which now hopes to put the case before the Ohio Supreme Court.
In the meantime, plaintiffs -- and their lawyers -- want their money. And in a case of extreme irony, they want to collect it by garnishing fines generated by New Miami's new red light camera vendor, Blue Line Solutions.
"We want to make sure that any money that New Miami received from their new speed camera program goes to pay back the plaintiffs that had to pay under the old speed camera system," attorney Michael Allen told FoxNews.com on Wednesday.
Allen, along with the other four attorneys involved in the suit, argue that the new stream of ticket revenue is the cash-strapped town's "only remaining substantial asset."
Last week, Butler County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Oster denied the motion to garnish New Miami's current red light camera revenue -- at least until the final appeal is exhausted.
"This case is currently pending review before the Supreme Court of Ohio," Oster wrote on Thursday, adding that garnishment [is] an extraordinary remedy under these circumstances, which should not be considered lightly."
Allen said the attempt was rejected for "legal, technical reasons."
"We're waiting for the Supreme Court to say, 'No, village of Miami. Get your wallets out and start paying these people,'" he said. | Drivers who won a $1.8 million class action suit against a small Ohio town over its use of red light cameras want to collect their damages - straight from the pockets of a new crop of motorists caught by the unpopular and all-seeing digital eyes. |
Burger King is in hot water over an ad it released in Russia that suggests its food is better than drugs.
Earlier this week Russian media outlets reportedly refused to run a Burger King ad that opens with a Whopper crushing a red poppy flower, with the following voice over: ”This is a poppy. It was popular once, but now its time has passed.” The poppy flower, in which its seeds are used to create many forms of narcotics, including opium and heroin, is meant to symbolize a habit. The burger is crushing that habit and replacing it with its food, reported The Moscow Times.
Now the fast food company has yanked the ad from its YouTube channel.
The Moscow Times also added that the ad's tagline is a play on words. The Russian word for "poppy" is "mak," which sounds like "Big Mac," the popular sandwich produced by Burger King rival McDonald's. | An unusual Burger King ad has been pulled from Russian airways following concerns that the spot suggests the chain's Whopper sandwich is |
A family member with dementia will have a better Thanksgiving experience in a small-group setting, says expert Laura Wayman.
(CNN) -- Judy Warzenski didn't realize how bad her father, Donald's, memory had gotten until he turned to her sister Joyce and asked, "Where's the girl who was sitting next to you?" He did not recognize Joyce as his own daughter.
This Thanksgiving, Warzenski and her younger siblings will eat Thanksgiving dinner with their father in a private dining room at a nursing home in Pennsylvania. Moving her father there in October was an agonizing decision.
"It's really very upsetting to me," said Warzenski, 62, of central New Jersey. "I promised him I would never do this. I promised him I would never put him in a nursing home, which I've come to realize is an unrealistic promise."
Warzenski, who had commented on a previous CNN dementia story, is one of many baby boomers who must watch their loved ones suffer from Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia. The condition, which robs people of their memory and thinking skills, necessitates tough decisions about caring for people as their minds slowly slip away.
"Often, the baby boomers are thrust into the position of caring for a loved one with dementia because that loved one declines and needs 24-hour supervision," said Laura Wayman, a dementia care specialist and author of "A Loving Approach to Dementia Care."
iReport: Who's at your Thanksgiving table?
The Alzheimer's Association says that unless a treatment or cure is found, Alzheimer's "will become the defining disease of the Baby Boom Generation" or, as the association calls it, "Generation Alzheimer's." Currently, there is no proven method to fully stop the progression of symptoms or reverse them.
Approximately 10 million baby boomers will develop Alzheimer's, according to estimates from the Alzheimer's Association. Of those who reach the age of 85, nearly one in two will get it.
Most people with Alzheimer's begin experiencing symptoms after age 60, according to the National Institutes of Health. Only 5% of people with the condition start showing signs of it before age 65; this is called early-onset Alzheimer's. Symptoms can even begin in the 30s, 40s or 50s, and in some cases there is a clear genetic link.
Can hormone therapy help protect the brain?
Many of the boomers taking care of loved ones with dementia have children of their own, forcing them into a "sandwich generation" situation that comes along with a lot of financial strain.
Some caregivers are resistant to asking for help, but it's essential that they have a support network, Wayman said. The caregiver's own health, finances, income and employment may suffer. Wayman's own mother died of a heart attack while caring for Wayman's father.
"They feel like they should be able to take care of this person, and they can't do it by themselves," she said.
More than 15 million Americans are providing unpaid care for a person with dementia, according to the Alzheimer's Association. That care amounts to $210 billion in unpaid hours. And 80% of home care for people with dementia comes from family members.
Bill Carey, 54, of Ferndale, Michigan, is one of those with early-onset Alzheimer's who is still able to articulate and understand what's happening. He is the third person in his family to receive a diagnosis of Alzheimer's.
Carey has known he has the condition for about nine years, as he wrote in the comments on a previous CNN story. A spinal tap confirmed that he has high levels of a protein associated with Alzheimer's. His speech is still coherent, but he had to give up his job as an apartment manager because he was making mistakes: for example, he could no longer handle adding up the amounts on rent checks.
"Even with simple arithmetic, my brain just shuts down," he said. "It's like there's nothing there."
Alzheimer's called 'defining disease' of baby boomers
But Carey isn't sitting by idly. He goes to a local support group with others who are in the early stages of Alzheimer's. They talk about the things that they remember and share coping techniques. He also takes the medications Aricept and Namenda, designed to slow the progression of symptoms, and they appear to be working. To keep his mind challenged, he does jigsaw puzzles on his computer.
Carey's domestic partner, Larry Stowell, sorts out his medications, handles Carey's finances and has "been extremely supportive" overall, Carey says. The two will spend Thanksgiving alone. Although Carey doesn't cook as much as he used to, he is charge of the turkey.
"I haven't set fire to the house yet," Carey said. "I'm sure Larry will tell me when I reach that point."
Others are still in their 50s and further gone. Mike of Massachusetts writes in an e-mail that he is "Feeling as if I've lost my wife and had her replaced by a child who looks like her."
His wife, Sally, is only 51 and has dementia. The couple is unsure whether it is specifically Alzheimer's, but she may get further testing to find out.
"I feel as if we can't really talk seriously about anything anymore, and I have to make all of the decisions in our lives," Mike said.
Mike asked that his wife's name be changed and that their last name not be used. He requested to be interviewed over e-mail instead of the phone so that his wife would not overhear and get upset.
Their adult daughter lives with them and helps out. Mike is also looking into adult day care and is trying to get friends to take Sally out of the house now and then so he can have some respite.
Mike says the two are rarely physically intimate anymore.
Mike and Sally are not going to be celebrating Thanksgiving on Thursday. Mike has to work that day, and Sally cannot cook. She can no longer operate a shower, plug in a hair dryer or use a dishwasher, Mike says.
Report: Yearly cost of Alzheimer's tops $200 billion
What to do for Thanksgiving
Wayman offers these tips for spending Thanksgiving with a person with dementia:
• While preparing the food, reminisce about past Thanksgivings. But don't ask, "Do you remember when ..." something happened, since you don't know how much has been forgotten. Instead, try starting your memories with "Wasn't it fun when we ..."
• Limit the number of guests at the meal. You might even want to have two different Thanksgiving meals if there are a lot of people who would want to come. People with dementia have trouble processing and tracking information, so if there a lot of people, they may have extra difficulty following a conversation.
• Make sure there is a place for the person with dementia to rest if he or she feels overwhelmed.
• Fill your home with pleasant, traditional, soothing aromas. Put a couple of teaspoons of vanilla in a baking pan to make the kitchen smell like desserts baking. Cooking the meal may also produce smells that are familiar to your loved one with dementia.
• Incorporate the person with dementia in food preparation as appropriate, perhaps by stirring a mixture or setting a table. But safety is the priority: Wayman knows a family whose mother with dementia went to get the turkey from the oven but fell and burned herself.
Although Warzenski feels bad about her father having to be in a nursing home, he doesn't say that he needs to go home. Instead he might say, "I need to get my car," she says.
Warzenski is grateful that he is safe and won't hurt himself in the middle of the night. He does not appear to be aware that he's in a facility. At this point, she just wants him to be comfortable.
"For him to pass would be a blessing to him," Warzenski said. "He was a police officer. If he ever realized what had become of him, he would be mortified."
New research offers tips for Alzheimer's caregivers | Alzheimer's Association says unless a cure is found, Alzheimer's "will become the defining disease of the Baby Boom Generation" |
Absentee owners lease their farmland
By Haya El Nasser, USA TODAY
Lucy Millman had such fond childhood memories of summers on grandma's farm that she chose to get married there. So when her mother gave her a share of the 300-acre family farm, its Victorian house and historic barn, Millman became a farmer.
She didn't give up her administrative job at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., and trade in her business suit for overalls. Instead, she stayed put and became one of a growing number of city folks who are long-distance farmers.
Because of changing demographics and rising farmland values, more farms are ending up in the hands of urbanites who have never worked the fields and probably never will. These owners hire management companies to lease the land to farmers and collect the rent or share of the crop.
For widows and children who inherit farmland, keeping it can make more financial sense than selling it. They don't have to pay capital gains taxes and can expect an annual income. Many, such as Millman, hang on to it largely because they have a sentimental attachment to land that's been in the family for more than a century.
For a growing number of investors, cornfields have turned into gold mines because of the surge of interest in ethanol.
In the past five years, farmland values appreciated from 10% to 15% a year compared with about 6% annually in the past 30 years, says Jim Farrell, president and CEO of Farmers National Company, the nation's largest farm management business, based in Omaha.
"That's really a hot piece right now," says Lynn Henderson, publisher of AgriMarketing, a St. Louis-based magazine that covers the business of agriculture.
As the stock market weakened and gas prices soared, more investors put their money in farms that produce crops that can be converted to fuel.
"This ethanol situation has really turned a lot of things on its ear," says Michael Duffy, professor of agricultural economics at Iowa State University.
Frederick Gillis III is a financial adviser in Boston. About four years ago, he considered investing in rental housing in the city but "we decided we didn't want to be landlords with three tenants."
His wife, who grew up in Nebraska, suggested buying a farm. He did his research and bought 160 acres at about $1,200 an acre in Chase County, Neb.
"Even before corn prices went skyrocketing, I had a great return," says Gillis, 40.
He and his wife now own a 260-acre sugar beet farm in Sedgwick County, Colo., and 30,000 pigs in Iowa and Nebraska.
He figures that their 15-year mortgages will be paid off by the time the oldest of their three children goes to college. The income from the land will pay their tuition.
Gillis visits the farms at least twice a year.
Still, most long-distance farmers have a more intimate connection to the land.
"For the most part, it's people who grew up on the farm," Farrell says. "A lot of farmers don't have any heirs who want to farm. The number of full-time operating farmers continues to go down and land gets spread out into more hands of non-operating owners."
Almost half of all farmland is owned by people who don't farm the land themselves, according to U.S. Agriculture Department data. About 70% of the farmland in Illinois, for example, is farmed by someone other than the owner, Henderson says.
"Perhaps they moved to town when they retired or they moved off the farm and took a job in town and inherited the farm," Farrell says. His company manages 3,600 farms for 4,000 landowners.
Aging is the driving force behind this growing trend, Duffy says.
In Iowa, more than a fourth of the farmland is owned by people over the age of 75, he says. In 1982, about 6% of the state's farmland was owned by people who didn't live in Iowa. As the population aged, the share jumped to 20% by 2002 and "it's going to continue to increase," Duffy says.
Millman's farm has been in her family since 1860. It is now incorporated and has 13 shareholders. They hired Farmers National to lease the land to a farmer.
"This has been a self-sustaining farm and none of the shareholders had to put any money into it," she says. "We use most of the money to keep up the house and it's mostly a gathering place for all the family."
The family held a memorial service there for an aunt who died recently. And Millman says her 20-year-old son visits the farm often.
"Our job as shareholders is to continue the farming way of life, to show our children and to expose them to the farming way of life," Millman says.
Conversation guidelines: USA TODAY welcomes your thoughts, stories and information related to this article. Please stay on topic and be respectful of others. Keep the conversation appropriate for interested readers across the map. | Lucy Millman had such fond childhood memories of summers on grandma's farm that she chose to get married there. So when her mother gave her a share of the 300-acre family farm, its Victorian house and historic barn, Millman became a farmer. |
Transgender icon Caitlyn Jenner thinks the White House hopeful notorious for his sexist barbs would be “very good for women’s issues.”
Jenner, a longtime Republican, admitted she had her reservations about bombastic GOP front-runner Donald Trump — but still mustered begrudging admiration for her fellow reality star.
“I’m not a big fan because I think of his macho attitude,” Jenner, 66, said during a heated political argument on an upcoming episode of “I Am Cait.”
“I think he would have a hard time with women when he doesn’t even realize it, and it doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be good for women’s issues. I think he would be very good for women’s issues.”
The former Olympian maintained that she didn’t think The Donald — who has claimed he’d be “phenomenal to the women” despite controversial remarks about Megyn Kelly, Carly Fiorina and Rosie O’Donnell on the campaign trail — was “out there to destroy women or take things away.”
Jenner went on to slam Trump’s likely general election opponent, Hillary Clinton, as a “f--king liar.”
“I would never ever, ever vote for Hillary,” she insisted. “If Hillary becomes President, the country is over.”
“She was a lousy senator; she was horrible,” she continued. “Look at all the things that are going on the Middle East, all because of what she did. Look at Benghazi — she lied to us! She’s a f--king liar!”
Jenner didn’t flinch as her left-leaning friends predictably shook their heads in disbelief.
“Just because I’m a woman now doesn’t make me all of a sudden liberal,” the ex-decathlete said.
The new H&M model, who has yet to formally endorse a Presidential candidate, recently raised eyebrows with her wish to become conservative crusader Ted Cruz’s “trans ambassador” if he were elected.
“Wouldn’t it be great, let’s say he goes on to be President,” Jenner said in a profile for The Advocate. “And I have all my girls on a trans issues board to advise him on making decisions when it comes to trans issues. Isn’t that a good idea?”
ON A MOBILE DEVICE? WATCH THE VIDEO HERE. | Transgender icon Caitlyn Jenner thinks the White House hopeful notorious for his sexist barbs would be “very good for women’s issues.” |
The Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. Russia's parliament has passed against swearwords in public performances, despite a rich tradition of vulgar slang in Russian culture. Photograph: Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty Images
Russia's rich tradition of vulgar slang has long been a matter of pride for its authors and poets; Fyodor Dostoevsky once claimed a Russian could express his entire range of feelings with the swearword for the male sexual organ.
But a new ban on explicit language in public performances means that some of the country's best known directors, musicians and actors could face fines, and classic works of literature and cinema could be sold in special packaging with a warning sticker.
The lower house of parliament passed a law last week implementing banning "foul language" in public performances including movie showings, plays and concerts. Audio, video and books containing swearwords are required to be sold in special packaging featuring an explicit language warning.
The fines imposed by the legislation range from 2,500 roubles for ordinary citizens to 100,000 roubles for businesses. Repeat offences will lead to a suspension of up to one year for those who violate in an official capacity, or a 90-day cessation of activities for commercial enterprises.
Although Vladimir Putin must sign the law before it comes into effect, the president signed a similar law last year banning foul language in mass media.
Just as that law was criticised for lacking a clear definition of foul language, the new legislation on artistic works does not specify which words exactly are to be banned. Instead, it proposes that "words and phrases not meeting the norms of modern Russian literary language" be determined by an independent panel of experts. It's also not clear whether music and film that bleep out swearwords would fall under the ban.
This latest legislation would pose a difficulty for a wide number of authors, directors and performers. Leningrad, one of Russia's most popular bands, is famous for its vulgar lyrics, and even has an appropriately profanity-laced song that declares "it's impossible to live without swearing". Meanwhile, Russian blockbusters occasionally include blue dialogue, and several hit plays in recent years have featured prominent and creative use of swearwords.
Rock star Yuri Shevchuk, a Bono-like figure who challenged Putin on questions of free speech during a televised meeting with the president in 2010, warned that the legislation was part of a growing conservative trend in Russia, which he said could "devolve into a dark age". "I'm against bans. I'm against all government interference in art," Shevchuk said. "We have these bans within each of us, in our morality, what we can and can't allow ourselves. They're formed by upbringing and religion."
Media outlets have already faced prosecution under the foul language in mass media, and the information agency Rosbalt was briefly closed by a judicial decision after it posted two videos that included swearing.
The mass media law was widely condemned by journalists, and the legislation on artistic performances has already drawn the ire of cultural figures. Writer Sergei Shargunov called the law "sanctimonious" and pointed out that even classic Russian literature contains swearwords, including the works of great Russian poets. "So now let's ban Pushkin, Yesenin, Mayakovsky?" he asked.
Swearing also features in the works of famous novelists such as Alexandr Solzhenitsyn and Sergei Dovlatov. The beloved, satirical Soviet novel Moscow to the End of the Line, an alcohol-heavy adventure famous for its cocktail recipes featuring such ingredients as foot odour solution, varnish and insecticide, includes vulgar language such as variations on the word whore, one of Russian's most common swearwords. It has also been adapted for the stage.
Russian language has a long tradition of vulgar slang known as mat, which is based on a few swearwords that with the help of prefixes and suffixes can form any part of speech and express both positive and negative emotions.
In a 2003 New Yorker essay prompted by a previous parliamentary attempt to ban profanity, the author of Moscow to the End of the Line, Victor Erofeyev, explained how important mat is in Russian language and culture.
"Once only spoken on the street and in prisons, mat has made its way in to opera, literature, the internet, pop songs," he wrote. "Unlike indecent terminology in most languages, mat is multi-levelled, multifunctional, and extensively articulated – more a philosophy than a language." | Parliament's lower house passes law implementing ban and fines for foul language in theatres, music gigs and cinemas |
This week’s challenge was suggested by regular Numberplay contributor Sunil Singh, a math consultant with Scolab, a creative and effervescent educational technology laboratory based in Montreal. The puzzle is a seemingly simple question about a would-be bride. Is marriage in her near future? Let’s find out. Here’s Sunil:
One of the old textbooks I used to teach from for a course called Geometry and Discrete Mathematics had the following wonderful historical probability problem.
In certain parts of rural Russia, a would-be bride would gather six long pieces of straw or grass and grasp them in her hand.
She then would randomly tie pairs of knots on the top and the bottom.
Since there are six blades of grass sticking out above and below the hand, she will tie three knots on the top and three knots on the bottom.
The story goes, that if she formed one big ring, she would get married soon.
What is the probability that she will get married?
Hint: First get the total possible knot combinations … and then start figuring out all the ways she could form ONE closed loop with her six knots!
That’s it for this week’s challenge. I also asked Sunil to say a bit why he was inspired by this topic and problem. Here’s his response:
Probability was always my favorite subject at school— both as a student and as a teacher. The mathematical characteristics of the answer were ostensibly simple— a fraction less than one that needed a numerator of possible outcomes and denominator of total outcomes. As such, the mechanics of the math would usually be within the confines of basic multiplication and addition. And, while the playing field would be leveled, quite often even simple probability problems would have an answer that would escape the intuitive understanding of many.
Take for example the classic question regarding a mother having two children [see The Two Child Problem]. You are told that at least one of her kids is a girl. What is the probability of her having two girls? The instinctive answer of fifty percent is often matched by an incorrect mathematical approach. The best way to illustrate the correct answer is too use the simple strategy of listing all the possible outcomes of having two children, understanding that the order of having the boy/girl scenario produces a different possibility.
BG, GB, GG, and BB
However, we were told that there was at least one girl. Therefore we must eliminate boy/boy from all our possible outcomes. The answer is then one in three.
Like the Russian Bride problem, most probability questions have various strategies than can be employed in solving them. One of them that should help most people is a visual one: actually drawing six blades of grass and creating three loops on the top and three loops on the bottom. This will give you the visual understanding of what it means to make one big ring, and not multiple, smaller rings!
For people to be inspired by mathematics, the question should be simple to understand and spark an intrinsic curiosity for the answer. The answer may be elusive, but the desire to find out should not be.
I made a video for Buzzmath that touched upon this very cornerstone of exploring mathematical thinking with authenticity and joy: Pose and seek wonderful questions!
As always, once you’re able to read comments for this post, use Gary Hewitt’s Enhancer to correctly view formulas and graphics. (Click here for an intro.) And send your favorite puzzles to [email protected].
Check reader comments on Friday for solutions by Sunil Singh. | Test your powers of prediction with this probability puzzle by math educator Sunil Singh. |
Apple has long been known for its aesthetic approach to tech, but with this week’s announcement of the Apple Watch, the company is taking on fashion—looking to impose structure on the very unstructured concept of personal style.
“It’s incredibly customizable, so you can find one that reflects your personal style and taste,” Apple’s CEO Tim Cook assured the audience at Tuesday’s announcement—an occasion for which he wore a normcore ensemble, unironically. Considering that the Apple Watch comes in only three near-identical face styles and half a dozen band-types, his commentary is not so different from Henry Ford’s reassurance that “people can have the Model T in any color—so long as it’s black.”
Yes, the Apple Watch offers more customization than the company’s products have in the past. But when you consider its potential social footprint, as well as Apple’s take-no-prisoners approach to product introductions, the device’s shape, colorways, and embellishments become a mandate, rather than a personal choice.
From an aesthetic perspective, the Apple Watch is reasonably attractive, if unremarkable—not too different from traditional sport watches, but with the air of a fancy Tamagotchi strapped to your wrist. But its combination of cachet, tech functionality, and millions of Apple fanatics who consistently drink the company’s Kool-Aid lays the groundwork for what is likely to be a runaway success.
And that is a shame. In a worst-case scenario for fashion, Apple will not only attain a monopoly on the timepiece market, but also the confidence to wield a larger impact on how we dress ourselves each day. The watch is no doubt an indication of how Apple will approach future fashion products, offering the masses a constrictive framework in which to dress themselves, all under the guise of customizable “self expression.”
And that places personal style in its purest form at risk—inhibiting a consumer’s right to varied choices. It’s not melodramatic to say that while it’s a watch today, it could be a whole, technologically optimized wardrobe in two decades’ time. The company now boasts Angela Ahrendts, Burberry’s former shape-shifting CEO, as a senior vice president.
Every additional fashion creation from Apple will inadvertently create a less diverse shopping landscape. Sure, we could chalk it up to innovation—but if our timepieces become as uniform as our cell phones, the loss of the Rolexes, Seikos, Breitlings, Patek Phillipes, and Swatches of the world would be an even sadder loss for fashion as a whole. And that’s not to mention how if Apple continues down this path, clothing brands – from Gucci to Gap – could face similar impact.
The more Apple invades the fashion market, the more it will look to create a robotic consumerist culture (something it’s already done with tech)—in turn manipulating the greatest enjoyments of style and personal expression.
Misty White Sidell is a fashion, style, and culture journalist residing in New York City. A Boston native and Fashion Institute of Technology alum, Sidell has also contributed to ELLE, The New York Observer, The Daily Beast, Newsweek and Fashionista, among others. | The new watch could be the first in a series of products that help Apple determine how we dress and express ourselves |
Former Hershey Bears forward Nicolas Deschamps, who spent three games with the Capitals last season, has signed with Oulu Kärpät, a Finnish squad in the country’s top league, Liiga. The announcement was made on the league’s website.
In 65 games with the Bears last season, Deschamps scored 40 points (15 goals, 25 assists). It was his second season with the AHL club, after coming over midseason from the Toronto Marlies, swapped with the Maple Leafs for Kevin Marshall. Deschamps was originally drafted 35th overall in 2008 by Anaheim, then was dealt to Toronto in early 2012 following four seasons with the QMJHL’s Chicoutimi Sagueneens.
A Google translation of the article — not the most precise method for exact wording, but the sentiment still stands — said Deschamps “did not want to make the two-direction agreement to the NHL and the AHL play anymore.” Per CapGeek, the 24-year-old was coming off a one-year, two-way deal worth $65,000 at the AHL level and $726,000 at the NHL level, after signing a qualifying offer last season once his entry-level contract expired.
The article’s translation also said Deschamps hopes to return to North America at some point in his career; his agreement with Karpat is a one-year deal. He was one of three non-tendered unrestricted free agents for the Capitals this offseason, all of whom were not extended qualifying offers. Peter LeBlanc is headed to Sweden, while Brett Flemming remains thus far unsigned.
The Capitals are still in contract negotiations with Cam Schilling, the only restricted free agent left unsigned. Via email last week, Schilling’s agent said, “Making progress but nothing imminent.” Washington has already reached deals with Michael Latta, Edward Pasquale and Nate Schmidt.
Alex Prewitt covers the Washington Capitals. Follow him on Twitter
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customFields- published 1406131144/1406131144000/1406131144 tracking: {authors=Alex Prewitt, blog_name=capitals-insider, content_category=Sports, in_url_headline=former-hershey-forward-nicolas-deschamps-signs-in-finland, post_id=14744, section={section=sports, subsection=null}, show_ads=true, show_comments=true} allow_comments: true published_date:Jul 23, 2014 3:59:04 PM close date: Aug 6, 2014 3:59:04 PM | Deschamps was one of three non-tendered UFAs from Washington this offseason. |
It’s a great time to be in the market for a used car. The Wall Street Journal recently cited data indicating that used-car prices declined for the four consecutive months through August. USA Today noted that the average used car purchased at a franchised auto dealership sold for $10,883 in August, down 1.6% from the previous year and 2.4% versus July 2014. Edmunds.com predicted that used car prices would dip around 2% overall this year, and that some used vehicles—in particular, large crossover SUVs like the Chevy Traverse—would drop in price by upwards of 8%.
What’s more, the forecast calls for used-car prices to stay on a downward trend for the foreseeable future. AutoTrader.com, the Atlanta-based online marketplace for new and used vehicles, says that its inventory of certified pre-owned vehicles has risen 6% since March, and that by year’s end buyers can expect a handful of top “pre-loved” car models—including the 2011 versions of the Ford Fusion, Toyota Corolla, and Honda CR-V—to be priced at roughly 5% less than what dealers were asking just six months ago.
What accounts for the sudden price dip? A quick review of what has happened in the new and used car markets over the past few years sheds some light. In 2011, used vehicle prices hit a 16-year high in the wake of the Great Recession, when relatively few consumers were purchasing or leasing new cars because money was tight and credit was less available. That meant a shrinking supply of used cars, as there were fewer trade-ins or vehicles coming off lease. The “Cash for Clunkers” stimulus program also removed millions of used vehicles from the market, further tightening supply.
According to Cars.com, the average 2012 listing price for five popular used vehicles five or more years old had risen a whopping 29% over the three years prior. Around that time, however, new car leases and sales surged, rising 13% in 2012 and continuing with impressive growth in 2013 and 2014. All of those new vehicle purchases and leases have translated to a parallel rise in trade-ins and cars coming off leases. “Leasing has surged in recent years with thousands of those cars coming back to dealerships as used cars,” Michelle Krebs, AutoTrader.com senior analyst, said via press release. “The abundance of returned lease cars should result in used cars coming off their historical highs of recent years, representing good buys for consumers.”
The takeaway is that used cars are cheap, at least when compared to the record highs of a few years ago, and that the market for previously owned vehicles should remain attractive to buyers through the near future.
Yet this turn of events isn’t all good for consumers. When used car prices tank, so does the value of your trade-in, if you have one. Also, automakers are more likely to offer low-price lease deals when their anticipated resale value is high. The flip side is that when used car prices crater, like they’re doing now, car dealerships must assume that they’ll be forced to sell off-lease vehicles for less money—and therefore they need to make more money from the person leasing the car in the first place. In other words, typical monthly payments for a customer leasing a new car are likely to rise compared to the rates available not long ago. | When the market for new car sales is hot, smart buyers know to look instead at the overflowing inventory of used cars—a supply that's cheap and getting cheaper. |
Kuni Takahash for The New York Times
Kapil Yadav arrived by helicopter at his brideâs village before their wedding in the eastern outskirts of Delhi, India, last month. Farmers and landowners in the area have prospered after a recent spate of land development.
Mr. Yadav, a wheat farmer, has never flown, nor has anyone else in the family. And this will only be a short trip: delivering his son less than two miles to the village of the bride. But like many families in this expanding suburb of New Delhi, the Yadavs have come into money, and they want everyone to know it.
“People will remember that his son went on a helicopter for his marriage,” a cousin, Vikas Yadav, shouted over the din. “People should know they are spending money. For us, things like this are the stuff of dreams.”
The Yadavs are members of a new economic caste in India: nouveau riche farmers. Land acquisition for expanding cities and industry is one of the most bitterly contentious issues in India, rife with corruption and violent protests. Yet in some areas it has created pockets of overnight wealth, especially in the outlying regions of the capital, New Delhi.
By Western standards, few of these farmers are truly rich. But in India, where the annual per capita income is about $1,000 and where roughly 800 million people live on less than $2 a day, some farmers have gotten windfalls of several million rupees by selling land. Over the years, farmers and others have sold more than 50,000 acres of farmland as Noida has evolved into a suburb of 300,000 people with shopping malls and office parks.
That has created what might seem to be a pleasant predicament: What to do with the cash? Some farmers have bought more land, banked money, invested in their children’s educations or made improvements to their homes. In Punjab, a few farmers told the Indian news media they wanted to use their land riches to move to Canada. But still others are broke after indulging in spending sprees for cars, holiday trips and other luxuries.
“They go for Land Rovers,” said N. Sridharan, a professor at the School of Planning and Architecture in New Delhi. “They buy more televisions, and quite a lot of money also goes into drinking. They try to blow it out.”
Much of this conspicuous consumption is bad financial planning by farmers who have little education or experience with the seductive heat of cold cash. But some sociologists say such ostentatious spending, especially on weddings, is rooted in the desire of lower castes to show off their social mobility, partly by emulating the practices of the upper castes.
In India, as in many places, a wedding has always been equal parts religious ceremony, theatrical production and wealth demonstration project. For the country’s elite, the latest matrimonial trend is destination weddings in Bali or palaces in Rajasthan. For the new rich, hiring a helicopter is motivated by the same impulses for excitement and one-upmanship.
“Everyone wants to be better than the others,” said Subhash Goyal, whose travel company handles three or four helicopter weddings every year in the Delhi region. “This is how the new rich behave. They want to show off and say, ‘I have more money than you.’ ”
On the morning of his son’s wedding, Mr. Yadav sat in the shabby brick courtyard of his village home, finalizing the last details of a ceremony that seemed to straddle different centuries. He had earned about $109,000 selling three acres of his ancestral land. He banked some of the money, renovated his house, bought a small Hyundai and purchased three more acres farther out to continue farming.
He estimates that his share of the wedding — the bride’s father pays a bigger share — will cost him $13,000, including $8,327 for the chopper. “It is for my happiness, for the happiness of my son,” said Mr. Yadav, 36. “In my marriage, I went in a car. But that was a different era.”
As the family began the traditional procession through the village, his son, Kapil, 19, was dressed in embroidered finery atop a white horse. Mr. Yadav’s rented white Lexus finally got around the bullock cart; he was taking it to the bride’s village while his son rode in the chopper. As another touch, Mr. Yadav also had hired a truck — the Reenu Rock Star 2010 Hi-Fi DJ — to lead the procession. It was playing Hindi pop so loudly that the brick homes of the village seemed to shake.
Then a problem arose: The truck was stuck at a tight corner, and the procession was pinned between the truck and a herd of water buffaloes. As people slipped around the marooned Reenu Rock Star, another problem materialized: The helicopter was already circling above.
Usually, the procession is a slow parade to wave to neighbors. But the Yadavs had rented the helicopter by the hour, so everyone started running, sidestepping the piles of water buffalo dung and the channel of open sewage. The corpulent mother of the groom, her flesh spilling out of her sari, giggled as she barreled toward the arriving aircraft.
“Oh my God!” she exclaimed. “We are so happy!”
The helicopter landed in a clearing. In the distance, the concrete skeletons of new apartment towers were clouded in a haze. Hundreds of villagers surrounded the small blue helicopter, which was guarded by a detail of local police officers. Then the groom and two relatives jumped in, and the blue bird rose over the village, as Mr. Yadav hopped in the Lexus and roared toward the bride’s village.
The ride took five minutes, and Mr. Yadav barely beat the arriving chopper. When the son stepped onto solid ground, he was wearing a garland made of 100 rupee notes. The helicopter was to return in the morning, after the wedding ceremony, to deliver the newlyweds back to the groom’s village and the rest of their lives.
But as the white-haired pilot prepared to depart, the father of the bride, Davinder Singh Yadav, pulled him close. “Please take it over the village a few times before you leave,” he shouted. “The village is so big. Everybody needs to see it.”
A moment later, as the copter circled above the small farming houses, the father said: “The whole village will remember. The whole world will remember.” | Land acquisition has created pockets of instant wealth and a new economic caste in India: nouveau riche farmers. |
In any case, he had already made up his mind. Soon he was volunteering information about his associates in the K.G.B.'s local office and disclosing how Soviet officers were listening in on F.B.I. transmissions.
His American handlers were confident that he was not feeding them disinformation. "He couldn't lie," said one of them, Bill Smits, since retired, "because he didn't know how much we knew."
Mr. Yuzhin says he was not motivated by money, and Mr. Smits says the F.B.I. did not pay Mr. Yuzhin at the time. As for any financial arrangements later, the bureau declines as a matter of policy to discuss them, and Mr. Yuzhin is also silent. A Crucial Mistake
After 10 months, Mr. Yuzhin returned home. But two years later, in July 1978, as the bureau had confidently predicted, he was back in San Francisco for the K.G.B., this time acting as a reporter for the Soviet news agency Tass and serving once again as a leading source of information for the F.B.I.
He had one close, if comic, brush with disaster. The F.B.I. had given him a new spy camera concealed in a cigarette lighter. He put it in his back pocket and, within hours, lost it -- in the auditorium of the Soviet Consulate, as it turned out.
It was found by a handyman who, trying to light a flame, took four pictures of his own face and soon discovered the gadget's purpose. The K.G.B. undertook a frantic mole hunt, matched by the F.B.I.'s equally frantic, and unsuccessful, effort to recover the device. But Mr. Yuzhin escaped immediate suspicion.
On another occasion, F.B.I. agents say, Mr. Yuzhin snapped photos with a miniature camera inside the local K.G.B. office, unaware that he was also photographing a reflection of himself in a mirror. That accident meant that his role as an American agent might now be known not only by his handlers in the highly compartmentalized world of counterintelligence but also by anyone who happened to gain access to the photos. It was an accident that may have led to Mr. Yuzhin's undoing: people familiar with Mr. Ames's debriefings by the F.B.I. say that at some point he apparently became aware of it.
Meanwhile, Mr. Yuzhin continued supplying information, managing, Mr. Smits said, to "Xerox the annual report of the K.G.B. political branch" and smuggling out crucial cable traffic. He also tipped the F.B.I. to the existence of a Soviet spy somewhere "up north," a lead that helped Norway break the espionage case of a Foreign Ministry official, Arne Treholt, arrested in 1984 and sentenced to 20 years in prison. "It was one case we were giving up on," Mr. Smits said. The Unraveling
In 1982, apparently as a matter of routine, Mr. Yuzhin was called home for debriefing and what turned out to be a series of lackluster assignments in Moscow. Before he left, the C.I.A. tried to arrange for contact with him there. But he refused, fearing it too risky.
On Dec. 23, 1986, he was summoned by his chief and ordered to the airport for an errand. There, he said, he was shoved into a room, handcuffed and held incommunicado on charges of high treason. His wife, Nadya, had had no inkling of his double life and was as stunned as anyone, she said in an interview here, speaking in halting English.
He had been under suspicion and surveillance for some time, he learned later. A video camera had even been hidden in his Moscow apartment, recording his every conversation and intimate moment with his family.
Yet his interrogators' questioning, Mr. Yuzhin says, showed that some of their information was spotty. He could, in fact, refute accusations that he had been in contact with the C.I.A. after returning to Moscow. As for the rest, he said, "I painted a terrible picture of the F.B.I.," contending that the bureau had exploited him ruthlessly, a portrayal that he said the Soviet authorities were predisposed to accept.
He was convicted and sentenced to 15 years' "strict regime." For a time during his imprisonment, he occupied the cell in which a notable dissident, Anatoly Marchenko, had just died of mistreatment. The F.B.I. lost track of him and gave him up for dead.
In February 1992, the amnesty granted by Mr. Yeltsin freed Mr. Yuzhin from a labor camp, Perm 35 in the Urals. A speaking invitation from the World Affairs Council of Northern California afforded the Yuzhins and their teen-age daughter, Olga, the opportunity to leave Russia two years ago, while a grown son remained behind.
Since then, Mr. Yuzhin has eked out a living in the Bay Area as a writer and archivist cataloguing documents of the Soviet era and researching the cases of prisoners of war who disappeared in the Soviet Union, including the anti-Nazi war hero Raoul Wallenberg.
"I never regretted what I did," he said. Indeed, he said, his imprisonment confirmed his belief in the course he had chosen, showing him as it did a side of the Soviet state that he had never witnessed in his privileged position as a K.G.B. officer. "The more I thought, the more I realized I did the right thing," he said, "because I got another taste of the system."
Photos: After five years' imprisonment in the old Soviet Union, Boris Yuzhin is back in the San Francisco area, where he once alerted the F.B.I. to Soviet spies' drop sites like this one in Christopher Park. (Jim Wilson/The New York Times); Boris Yuzhin was a K.G.B. lieutenant colonel when this photograph of him was taken in 1982. | "I still remember, I remember this town," Boris Yuzhin murmured, looking for landmarks as he piloted his Dodge van up the steep curves of the Diamond Heights section here. Recognizing a small shopping center, he veered off, parked the van outside a pizzeria and circled on foot through Christopher Park to a secluded pathway among cedars and pines. There, on his knees, he pried at the planks of a wooden staircase, searching for holes. In the late 1970's and early 80's, Mr. Yuzhin and other officers of the K.G.B., the Soviet intelligence agency, scouted this "drop" and others like it in the Bay Area as places to hide microfilm for pickup by other Soviet spies. Then, as a double agent, he disclosed those locations, and much other information, to the F.B.I. |
It was a heartbreaking end for the women’s USA soccer team, as it lost to Japan Sunday in the FIFA Women’s World Cup Finals.
And now that the game is over, people around the world are turning to the social web to express their feelings on the game’s outcome. It’s a trending term on Google and a trending topic on Twitter.
Seven of the 10 trending topics on Twitter are related to the game. Besides the obvious #worldcupfinal hashtag, #redcard, “Brandi Chastain,” “Julie Foudy,” “Tobin Heath,” “Congrats Japan” and “Great Game” are trending. “Pearl Harbor” is also trending, as people make unfortunate jokes about a second Pearl Harbor attack if Japan had lost the game.
Here’s a look at what people around the web are saying. | Now that the USA vs. Japan game is over, people around the world are turning to the social web to express their feelings on the game's outcome. |
There’s a new breed of movie star these days. They’re talented and tireless and very ambitious. They want you to buy tickets to see what they do at their day job, and they’re also hoping you’ll support their other, between-movies career: moonlighting as a musician.
Some of them succeed beyond their dreams. Jared Leto, who recently visited Mansfield fronting 30 Seconds to Mars, took five years off from acting because his band was filling stadiums. Jack Black is equally known for his comic acting skills and the outrageous rock of his band, Tenacious D. On the other hand, there are usually plenty of empty seats at concerts featuring Juliette Lewis and the Licks, Kevin Costner and the Modern West, and — heaven help us — Steven Seagal & Thunderbox.
So why should audiences want to see Jeff Bridges at the Wilbur Theatre on Wednesday, a guitar slung over his shoulder, when he makes his initial splash in Boston on a debut East Coast tour with a quartet he calls the Abiders?
Well, take that band name. Bridges has achieved cult status for starring as the Dude, and as “The Big Lebowski” acolytes know, the Dude abides. Don’t count out the more mainstream filmgoers who were thrilled when Bridges won Oscar gold for his portrayal of troubled country singer Bad Blake in “Crazy Heart.”
Turns out Bridges is damn good at this music thing. He was playing guitar and writing songs years before he clicked as an actor in “The Last Picture Show” (1971). His voice and self-penned music have been heard on movie soundtracks for more than four decades – the first was the laidback psychedelic ditty “Lost in Space” in the 1969 film “John and Mary,” and the most recent was “The Better Man,” the laidback country tune over the end credits in last year’s “R.I.P.D.” He’s also released two albums: “Be Here Soon” in 2000, and “Jeff Bridges” in 2011.
Bridges, 64, is the real thing: a bona fide movie star who’s never let that line of work get in the way of his love for creating and performing music. His easygoing manner at the microphone, whether singing a song or talking about its back story, makes a Bridges concert very Dude-like. He spoke by phone from Santa Barbara, Calif., where he can often be found hanging out in his home recording studio.
Q. As a film actor, you get reactions to what you do from a small group of people on a set. Now you’re playing music to big audiences who are cheering. Is that a big kick for you?
A. Oh, it’s wonderful! It’s like doing an improvisation. That’s how I relate to it. I kind of feel like I’m in it together with the audience. It’s not an us-and-them kind of thing. We’re sort of having a party together.
Q. Had you thought much about a going for a second career in music before “Crazy Heart?”
A. Prior to “Crazy Heart,” I did tool around and stuff. But that film really set a fire under my musical tail. I was working with [producer-writer-arranger] T Bone Burnett and that great band that he got together for it. And with the success of the movie, I thought, well, maybe I can get a band together with my local buds here in Santa Barbara, and tour and make records and stuff, and that’s kind of what I’ve been doin’.
Q. Was the band called Jeff Bridges & the Abiders from the start?
A. We were all sittin’ around trying to figure out what we were gonna call ourselves. I was making another “Lebowski” reference, thinking of calling us The Royal We. But the guys thought that was a little too obscure, and they were all diggin’ the Abiders, so that’s what we ended up with.
Q. Introduce me to the Abiders.
A. I sing and play acoustic and electric guitar, and some piano. My buddy Chris Pelonis, who I’ve been playing with for about 20 years, is on guitars and harmonica and keyboards. We’ve got Bill Flores on pedal steel and accordion and lap guitar, Randy Tico is on bass, and Tom Lackner is on drums.
Jeff Bridges and The Abiders performed onstage at the Lebowski Fest in April in Los Angeles.
Q. The band’s been playing out west for a few years now. What took you so long to come east?
A. We played different late-night TV shows there, but we’d never done a tour. We’ve toured the West Coast pretty extensively, and we did New Mexico and Arizona and Nevada and Texas. So we’ve been workin’ our way over. It was just time to hit the East Coast.
Q. What were you listening to as a kid that might have influenced you when you started writing?
A. My brother Beau, who’s eight years older than I am, turned me on to all the great classic early rockers: Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, James Brown, and those guys. So that’s who I was kind of raised on. Then of course in my era, we’ve got Dylan and the Beatles, and those cats.
Q. So how did you come to be playing more country than rock?
A. I think the first time I really got into country was on “The Last Picture Show.” We shot that in Texas, and the soundtrack was almost exclusively Hank Williams. Then my buddy Johnny Goodwin moved to Nashville a while ago. He’s always been interested in country tunes, and we’ve been writing a lot of country together. And of course Dylan has got a lot of country in his stuff.
Q. What did playing Bad Blake do to your musical tastes?
A. When we were doing “Crazy Heart,” and we were trying to figure out what kind of music Bad Blake played, T Bone gave me a real gift. He made me a list of all of the musicians that Blake would have listened to growing up in Fort Worth. He knew what he was talking about because that’s where he grew up. On that list was Hank and Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash, and all those guys. But there was also Leonard Cohen and the Beatles and Ornette Coleman.
A. Yeah, Ornette was also from Fort Worth. T Bone’s point was that he didn’t want to create a totally recognizable country sound. He wanted to make sort of an alternate country universe for Bad Blake. I appreciated that, and I took that to heart in the kind of music I present, as well. | Taking a break from his primary career, veteran actor Jeff Bridges embraces his alter-ego as a rootsy singer-songwriter, making his Boston debut on Wednesday at the Wilbur Theatre. |
So, he moved to Denver, Colorado and took a job at a local gym to try to learn the business from the bottom up. Arsenuk says it taught him mainly what not to do. The club he worked in was very corporate and he says it felt like the company was more interested in selling memberships, products and supplements rather than teaching training techniques and focusing on members' exercise results.
Around the same time, Arsenuk discovered CrossFit, a company that provides accredited training seminars in its fitness regimen. He took a two day certification program, moved back to the East coast and in 2008 opened a CrossFit affiliated gym in Montclair, New Jersey under his own brand name, Guerrilla Fitness.
As a new gym owner, Arsenuk saID the CrossFit annual affiliation fee (now, $3,000) was well worth it. He had access to all of its fitness and nutrition information and the added benefit of having his gym listed on the CrossFit website to help attract potential members. He also kept his start-up costs low by paying $1200 to rent 900 square feet of a much larger space and not hiring any employees at first.
Read MoreCareer slump? Customize a new one!
"I was the janitor. I was the coach," he said. "I was the administrator. I was the carpenter."
Seven years later, Guerrilla Fitness occupies the entire 8,000 square foot space in Montclair and boasts 3 additional locations in New Jersey with thirty-three employees and close to one thousand members. Arsenuk says his wife supported him throughout the entire journey and waited until two years after he opened the first gym-- when the business was starting to show some industry muscle-- to tell him what she was originally thinking.
"She said, 'I thought we were finished. I didn't know what you had just done.'" He added that she had secretly put a time limit on getting his new career off the ground.
She said, "You had three years. Apparently, you don't need it." | One man left a Wall Street job to pursue a 'workout' passion. |
I've got good news and bad news for the homely among us. The good news is that people can't tell how smart you are by how good you look. But the bad news is that they think they can.
As reported last month in the journal PLoS ONE, researchers had 40 men and 40 women take a standard test of intelligence. They then took photographs of their faces, instructing them "to adopt a neutral, non-smiling expression and avoid facial cosmetics, jewelry, and other decorations." For the next step, they had 160 strangers review the photographs. Half of these reviewers rated the photos according to how smart the subjects looked, while the other half rated according to the subjects' attractiveness.
The researchers found a strong relationship between how attractive a person was rated, and reviewers' assumptions about how intelligent they were. This relationship was especially strong among women. But when it came to actual intelligence, there was a significant gender gap: reviewers were able to accurately gauge the real intelligence of men, but not of women. They're not exactly sure why this would be, but one possible explanation is that women are simply judged more pervasively on their looks than men are: "The strong halo effect of attractiveness may thus prevent an accurate assessment of the intelligence of women." The finding of a much stronger relationship between attractiveness and perceived intelligence among women seems to back up this claim.
On the other hand, when the researchers looked at perceived intelligence versus actual intelligence, as measured by the subjects' IQ scores, they found no relationship whatsoever. In fact, visual assessments of a persons' intelligence seem to largely be based on stereotypes related, at least partially, to notions of attractiveness. To test this, the researchers constructed "intelligence stereotypes" for both men and women, based on the observers' assessments of subjects' intelligence:
Our data suggest that a clear mental image how a smart face should look does exist for both men and women within the community of human raters. The intelligence-stereotype shows the same transformations in facial shape space for both men and women. In both sexes, a narrower face with a thinner chin and a larger prolonged nose characterizes the predicted stereotype of high-intelligence, while a rather oval and broader face with a massive chin and a smallish nose characterizes the prediction of low-intelligence.
The images below show the constructed intelligence stereotypes for men and women, using composite photos of the men and women who participated in the study.
Credit: Kleisner K, Chvátalová V, Flegr J (2014) Perceived Intelligence Is Associated with Measured Intelligence in Men but Not Women. PLoS ONE
Credit: Kleisner K, Chvátalová V, Flegr J (2014) Perceived Intelligence Is Associated with Measured Intelligence in Men but Not Women. PLoS ONE
These assumptions carry centuries of cultural baggage, and more to the point they're simply wrong: the researchers ran a bunch of regressions and found no relationship between these facial stereotypes and a person's actual intelligence. While "men and women with specific facial traits were perceived as highly intelligent," the researchers conclude, "these faces of supposed high and low intelligence probably represent nothing more than a cultural stereotype because these morphological traits do not correlate with the real intelligence of the subjects." Notably, the study was conducted in the Czech Republic and doesn't say a word about the race or ethnicity of study participants or observers – it would be fascinating to see to what extent these findings are consistent across different cultures.
So in the end, where does this all leave us? While it's comforting to know that there's no real connection between brains and beauty, we nonetheless form opinions of each other as if there were. This can have measureable, real-world consequences: Daniel Hamermesh of the University of Texas found that being attractive "helps you earn more money, find a higher-earning spouse (and one who looks better, too!) and get better deals on mortgages." All told, the lifetime earnings difference between people at opposite ends of the attractiveness spectrum averages out to about $230,000, in beauty's favor.
Finally, the research does suggest one thing we can all start doing to boost others' assessments of our intelligence: smile more. "There seems to be a correlation between semblances of emotions of joy or anger in perceptions of high or low intelligence in faces, respectively," the researchers write. "The ‘high intelligence’ faces appear to be smiling more than the ‘low intelligence’ faces." | People can't tell how smart you are by how good you look. But they think they can. |
WILMINGTON, Del. -- Questions about the death of an ex-Pentagon official multiplied Wednesday as police reported he had been wandering downtown Wilmington disoriented in the days before his body was found at a nearby landfill.
Two days before John P. Wheeler III's body was found, parking garage videos showed him in a black suit with no tie, wearing only one shoe even though there was snow outside. He was carrying his other ripped, tasseled burgundy loafer.
He told a parking attendant he wanted to get warm before he paid for parking, but police said his car wasn't there. He also said his briefcase was stolen and repeatedly said he wasn't drunk.
The last time he was seen alive on video, he was wandering an office building and had refused help from several people who approached him, police said.
About 14 hours later, he was found in the landfill.
Investigators consider Wheeler's death a homicide but have been mum about who killed him or how he died. Police also have refused to say what injuries, if any, were on Wheeler's body when it was found Friday morning at the Cherry Island Landfill in a truckload of trash collected from 10 bins in Newark, 15 miles away.
"We believe it was a homicide because it was ruled a homicide by the state medical examiners," said Newark Police Lt. Mark A. Farrall.
The cause of death was pending toxicology and further forensic studies, said Carl Kanefsky of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, which includes the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. He said complete autopsy results could take weeks.
Wheeler, a West Point graduate whose 45-year career included a key role in establishing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, was recorded by surveillance cameras wandering inside a Wilmington office building, the Nemours Building, as late as 8:30 p.m. Dec. 30, Farrall said.
Wheeler, 66, of New Castle, was similarly disoriented a night earlier when video cameras recorded him at the New Castle County courthouse parking garage. Attendant Iman Goldsborough said Wheeler came to her window around 6:40 p.m., with only one shoe. He carried his right shoe, and had no overcoat even though it was cold, she said.
Farrall acknowledged that police have large gaps to fill in the timeline.
"We know he was seen on the 29th in a disoriented state and we know he was seen on the 30th in a disoriented state. Where he was in between those times, we're still working to try to figure out — and of course, what he was doing after 8:30 p.m. on the 30th," Farrall said.
Wheeler's wife, Katherine Klyce, hasn't spoken publicly about the case. Police say she was not in Delaware last week. But she was seen at a New York City condominium building where the couple own a unit, the superintendent has said. Police have talked to Klyce since her husband's body was found.
Wheeler's family issued a short statement Monday: "As you must appreciate, this is a tragic time for the family. We are grieving our loss. Please understand that the family has no further comment at this time. We trust that everyone will respect the family's privacy."
Several of Wheeler's friends, citing the family's statement, have declined to comment on whether he suffered from some malady that would account for his odd behavior.
Police believe Wheeler's body was in one of the trash bins collected early on the route, which began at 4:20 a.m. Dec. 31, Farrall said.
They found his car at an Amtrak station where Wheeler often caught the train to Washington. It had been parked there since Dec. 13, though it wasn't unusual for Wheeler to leave the car there for long periods of time, Farrall said.
On Dec. 29, the day before Wheeler was last see alive, he had asked a pharmacist in New Castle for a ride to Wilmington, about five miles away. Pharmacist Murali Gouro, who had filled Wheeler's prescriptions in the past, said Wheeler looked upset, The News Journal of Wilmington reported. Gouro said he offered to call Wheeler a cab, but Wheeler left.
Police say Wheeler was seen Thursday afternoon near an intersection about four blocks from the office of attorney Bayard Marin, who was representing Wheeler and Klyce in a heated property dispute. Marin said he last spoke with his client on Dec. 27, and didn't know what he was doing in Wilmington after that.
Marin was representing Wheeler in a lawsuit seeking to block Frank and Regina Marini from continuing to build a new house across the street from his duplex. The Marini house, taller than others in neighborhood, obstructed Wheeler's view of a park and the Delaware River.
Late on Dec. 28, several smoke bombs of the type used for rodent control were tossed into the Marini house, scorching the floors, Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal Alan Brown said. Farrall said the dispute remains one facet of the investigation. | Police in Delaware say a prominent national defense consultant was seen alive in downtown Wilmington less than 24 hours before his body was found in a Newark landfill. |
Ann Romney is waving off rumors that her husband Mitt Romney might run for president a third time.
“Done. Completely," she told the Los Angeles Times during a launch event for the Ann Romney Center for Neurological Diseases, in a story published Monday night. “Not only Mitt and I are done, but the kids are done. Done. Done. Done.”
But when asked if she could change her mind or if she could be convinced to assist with another Romney campaign, she demurred, answering that she hasn't yet "been pushed to that point mentally."
Talks of a potential Romney 2016 presidential bid have notably escalated in recent weeks as Mitt has criss-crossed the country campaigning on behalf of GOP candidates locked in tight races. And the chatter isn't idle: There have been indications that members of Mitt Romney’s circle of advisers are encouraging the former presidential candidate to considering entering the race.
Despite denials from both Mitt and Ann Romney, both have also conceded that the circumstances guiding a decision to stay out of the 2016 race could change. Notably, Ann Romney equivocated in September when asked by Fox News host Neil Cavuto if Mitt Romney would enter the 2016 contest: "Well, we will see, won't we Neil?" she said at the time.
In private gatherings, the former Massachusetts governor has also been said to express apprehension over the relative lack of strength within the potential 2016 GOP field. And despite any firm indication as to whether Romney is considering mounting another campaign, it’s worth noting that Romney has met with high-dollar donors who could hypothetically become powerful allies should he choose to join the race.
Romney himself told the New York Times several weeks ago that “circumstances can change.” He also suggested that if he ran again, he would focus on avoiding off-the-cuff remarks, like the notorious “47 percent” line that dogged his campaign in 2012.
“I was talking to one of my political advisers and I said: ‘If I had to do this again, I’d insist that you literally had a camera on me at all times,” Romney told Leibovich. “I want to be reminded that this is not off the cuff.”
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customFields- published 1413291350/1413291350000/1413291350 tracking: {blog_name=post-politics, content_category=Politics, in_url_headline=ann-romney-mitt-and-i-are-done-done-done, post_id=101625, section={section=politics, subsection=null}, show_ads=true, show_comments=true} allow_comments: true published_date:Oct 14, 2014 12:55:50 PM close date: Oct 28, 2014 12:55:50 PM | She tries to short-circuit the rumbles of Romney 2016. |
Redskins Insider Live Show, Oct. 5
A breakdown of the Redskins' win over the Eagles
Recruiting Spotlight: Deandre Reaves, Dominion
Recruiting Spotlight: Darius Lee, St. Stephen's St. Agnes
How I do it: Alyssa Parker
Natalie Randolph picks up her first win as Coolidge head coach
Sherwood slips past Gaithersburg, 17-14
Sherwood slips past Gaithersburg, 17-14 | The cop drama series explores what it takes to be a detective on America's streets by following the crisis, heartbreak and heroism experienced by some of Detroit's finest. "Detroit 1-8-7" premieres Sept. 21 at 10 p.m. ET. |
LONDON Alternative investments such as a Ferrari 335 S Scaglietti, a rare blue diamond or a case of Romanee-Conti Grand Cru wine from Burgundy are going mainstream as investors grapple with ultra-low interest rates and volatile stocks.
Spooked by the end of a 30-year bond bull run and bouts of money printing which have pushed stock values out of kilter with economic reality, high-profile investors are turning to fine wines, classic cars and jewels, research and index data show.
Even legendary bond investor and ex-Pimco boss Bill Gross said last week he now favored real assets like land and gold over more traditional investment classes.
This growing interest saw rare coins, collectible jewelry and classic cars join fine wine among the top performers in the year to end-March, the latest Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index (KFLII) showed.
And fine wine saw its largest positive monthly movement since 2010 in July with the Liv-ex Fine Wine Investables index, which tracks around 200 Bordeaux red wines from 24 leading producers, up by 4.5 percent. It is up 13.8 percent so far this year, compared with 6.9 percent for the S&P 500 and 8.9 percent for the FTSE 100.
"As a physical asset, fine wine tends to perform well in periods of uncertainty...and is also not linked to the prices of other assets in most circumstances," said Andrew della Casa, Founding Director of The Wine Investment Fund.
Since its launch in 1988, the fine wine index has shown returns of around 10.5 percent per year, although falls between 2011 and 2014 have pushed the index below its long-term trend return level, creating an attractive entry point for first-time investors, della Casa said.
While the KLFII index rose just 5 percent over the year to the end of March, the lowest annual increase since the first quarter of 2010, returns on classic cars jumped 17 percent, coins generated 6 percent while jewelry delivered 4 percent.
But over a five-year period, cars, coins and jewelry returned 161 percent, 73 percent and 63 percent respectively, eclipsing Britain's FTSE-100 stock index, which was up 15 percent since the start of 2011.
Investor interest in classic cars helped the HAGI Top Index rise more than 500 percent in 10 years, encouraging many to restore a rusting chassis to its former glory.
While that has led to some dampening in demand in the year to date - the index is up 2.2 percent since January - HAGI's Dietrich Hatlapa said lower interest rates and monetary policy easing would support demand.
"People are taking the time to find the best examples. The spread between mediocre cars and very good cars has really opened up quite significantly... and for those, record prices are still being paid."
Specialist funds offering a stake in rare diamonds, meanwhile, have continued to catch the eye of investors seeking ways to hedge against currency, stock and bond market risk, with the Sciens Coloured Diamond Fund II up by about 5 percent in the second quarter of 2016.
For all the mainstream interest in investments once regarded as the preserve of the ultra-rich, they lack liquidity and market depth.
The three main U.S. car auctions in 2015 saw vehicles worth a total of between $1 and $1.5 billion sold. While there are hundreds of smaller auctions globally and many cars sold off-market, this is still a long way from the trillions traded daily in stocks and bonds.
And with future demand tough to call, Andrew Shirley, author of the Knight Frank Wealth Report, strikes a note of caution.
"You should still only be buying the investments of passion that you will enjoy owning and will give you pleasure even if their value goes down – there is certainly no guarantee that values will continue to rise.
"There is an argument that such investments add diversity to portfolios, provide a hedge against inflation, and unlike equity-based investments, offer a degree of tangibility but like gold they tend not to generate any income and can also be illiquid, and subject to changes in taste and fashion."
Gold, another so-called safe haven from top-of-the cycle bonds and expensive stocks, is also enjoying a purple patch, BlackRock research shows.
With returns up 23.2 percent in the year to July 29, gold has returned almost twice as much as higher-risk emerging market dollar bonds and non-U.S. Developed market bonds, and almost five times a 3.1 percent return on U.S. large caps, it said.
Analysts at Unigestion describe the gold price rise as a "classic" market response to stress triggered by Britain's shock decision to quit the European Union and fears of negative rates but it was difficult to predict how long these circumstances supporting a rush into gold might last. | Alternative investments such as a Ferrari 335 S Scaglietti, a rare blue diamond or a case of Romanee-Conti Grand Cru wine from Burgundy are going mainstream as investors grapple with ultra-low interest rates and volatile stocks. |
Great is the rejoicing among the managerialists this week. Now they can get on with producing charts and implementation plans and meetings about Mr Francis’s five tasks, which recommend “transparency, candour… compassionate nursing… patient-centred health care leadership… accurate, regularly available information” and all the other things to which the NHS is always formally committed but never actually achieves.
How happily they have taken up Mr Francis’s insistence that there should be no “scapegoats”. But a scapegoat, remember, is a person made to bear the blame for others. It is clear from Mr Francis’s findings that the blame rested on many people, unnamed, at every level. How great does a crime or cruelty in the NHS have to be before the public can be allowed to know who committed it?
In his radio interview, Sir David Nicholson used a formula which, I have noticed, is popular with people wishing to acknowledge criticism without accepting blame. Speaking of what went wrong at Stafford Hospital, he said: “It is hard for me to imagine those patients’ experiences.” When you think about it, why? He was there for part of the time when these horrible things were happening. Did he not look in on A&E one dismal night, or visit Ward 11, where old people, seemingly every day, were being subjected to indignities which Mr Francis called “barely credible”?
The Francis Report this week is a great disappointment. It is woolly and over-long, full of jargon and euphemisms and forgettable recommendations. It is a waste of two years. But if you go back to Mr Francis’s first report, in 2010, you are sharply reminded of exactly what all this is about. It has 13 pages on “continence and bladder and bowel care” alone. These include stories about an old man forced to stay on a commode for 55 minutes wearing only a pyjama top, about a woman whose legs were “red raw” because of the effect of her uncleaned faeces, about piles of soiled sheets left at the end of beds, and of bowls full of vomit ditto. A woman arrived at 10am to find her 96-year-old mother-in-law “completely naked… and covered with faeces… It was in her hair, her nails, her hands and on all the cot sides… it was literally everywhere and it was dried.” One nice bureaucratic touch: another woman who found her mother with faeces under her nails asked for them to be cut, but was told that it was “not in the nurses’ remit to cut patients’ nails”.
So Sir David does not need to “imagine” any of this. He could have witnessed it, if he had understood what leadership involves. In many cases, I am afraid, he could have smelt it.
In his oral statement launching his report, Mr Francis began by saying: “Many will find it difficult to believe that all this could occur in an NHS hospital.” I am sure he is right. We have been taught with pseudo-religious fervour that the NHS is collective virtue personified.
But it should not be so hard to believe. The creation of the NHS in 1948 was not a scheme for making medicine better for patients. It was a way of taking charge of its delivery by centralised bureaucratic diktat, something which happens in no other country today except Cuba, North Korea and (oddly) Canada. It was therefore designed for the people who produced the service rather than for those who received it. Each extra patient was, from the producer’s point of view, a nuisance rather than a benefit. The NHS’s proud boast is that it is free at the point of use, but this is delivered in a variety of much more responsive ways in, for example, Australia, France, the Netherlands, Germany and Spain. Only in this country is the punishment of those whose actions or neglect have killed hundreds of people seen as “scapegoating”.
Many reading this will respond angrily, relating what wonderful care they have had at the hands of the NHS. Of course, they will be right (although they may be unaware of how much better the same treatment often is in comparably wealthy countries). It would be truly incredible if an organisation employing 1.4 million people did not contain many who did their best. But my point is that the goodness exists despite the NHS, not because of it. It often derives from the Christian inspiration to care for the sick which has existed for 2,000 years and is now under attack. In Stafford Hospital, Mr Francis records, one patient was mocked by nurses because he had a palm cross and a Bible.
The truth is the exact opposite of what we keep telling ourselves. The NHS is the least caring and most selfishly run important institution in this country. Until we recognise this, there will be plenty more Staffords. | We don’t want any Mid Staffs 'scapegoats’ – just the people who are actually to blame |
Portis, entering his seventh NFL season and fifth with the Redskins, is taking a more mature and healthy approach to his preparation, he says, at the behest of team owner Daniel Snyder and Vinny Cerrato, the vice president of football operations. Snyder and Cerrato provided another apparent impetus in the form of a lucrative new contract for Portis -- despite his injury and conditioning issues the past two years -- essentially guaranteeing his contract through 2010, a rarity in a league of non-guaranteed contracts.
The deal with Portis, the fourth-leading rusher in franchise history, was one of several restructured contracts the Redskins executed to get under the NFL salary cap, and by far the most significant. Portis ended up with a $9.3 million signing bonus in March, and a guarantee of at least $15.7 million through 2010, creating millions in salary cap space but also binding Washington to a player who has been both adored and criticized here and has averaged just 4.0 yards per carry as a Redskin, below the NFL average.
Portis, 26, played down any link between his latest payday (the Redskins have reworked his contract each of the last three years) and his improved work ethic, but even he was pleasantly surprised by the turn of events. Portis wondered aloud last season whether 2007 would be his final year in Washington -- with his ailments and big salary cap number conspiring against him -- but instead management showed faith in him.
"You want to make it a money thing, but it's what they think of me" that matters, Portis said recently. "I'm grateful to have the opportunity because they didn't have to do that. I was never worried about not being able to play; I was just worried about being in D.C. But I'm here now, and you've got three more years of talking to me."
Portis has been a mainstay of the offseason workout program since March, keeping to a proper diet and working out in the weight room like never before after spending much of the last two seasons trying to overcome injuries and a tendency to become winded. Some days he has trained with linemen, pushing a sled weighed down by teammates, and he is looking more chiseled. He had been at Redskins Park essentially every working day before last Thursday, when Coach Jim Zorn excused him indefinitely. Zorn said he had no problems with Portis leaving to attend what Zorn said was "a celebration" and has praised Portis's work ethic.
"It wasn't [the new contract], it's just he simple fact that I'm now six years in," said Portis, who still has a distaste for practice in general. "How many good years do I got left? This is a golden opportunity, why let it slip away? They asked me to be here; I might as well be here. And I'm here, so I might as well work and take advantage of the opportunity.
"I feel much better. As much as I didn't want to be here [in the offseason], to go out there and be able to run downfield 100 yards and jog back and turn around and run 100 yards again [without being fatigued], it feels great."
Along with Snyder and former coach Joe Gibbs, Cerrato, who declined to comment for this story, embraced Portis's outsized personality and outlandish ways; Portis dressed in costume to meet the media for much of the 2005 season. Management has staunchly defended his production throughout his Redskins career, but some fans, teammates and coaches have been less enthused about Portis's style.
He remains a polarizing figure, piling up yardage but being inconsistent at times and failing to approach the success he had in Denver, where he played for two years before the Redskins traded cornerback Champ Bailey plus a second-round pick for him. His body of work as a Redskin, like his persona, is akin to abstract art -- open to interpretation.
Portis averaged 5.5 yards per carry and 107 yards per game as a Bronco, scoring 29 rushing touchdowns in 29 contests. With the Redskins he has averaged just 4.0 yards per carry and 84 yards per game, scoring 34 rushing touchdowns in 55 games. In 2005 Portis led a playoff run and set a franchise record with 1,516 yards on the ground, but, a year later, could only watch as Ladell Betts topped 1,000 yards in half a season with Portis injured.
Portis slumped through the first half of 2007 (he went 12 games between 100-yard games dating from 2006), coming back from injury and playing behind a makeshift offensive line at times, but still finished with 1,262 yards, sixth most in the league, though he averaged less than four yards per carry. Only six backs have more rushing yards than Portis since 2004, but one, Tiki Barber, has been retired since 2006, and Thomas Jones of the Jets has amassed four fewer yards than Portis in that span while earning a fraction of what Portis has.
Portis can be as selfless as any runner in the NFL, sacrificing his body in pass protection, but his practice habits and comments have turned off some within the organization, too.
Portis will have earned $37.6 million from Snyder by the end of the 2008 season (though some of that money is deferred), and Washington's repeated reworking of his deals has irked some teammates, who feel he gets preferential treatment. During the past four years it was not uncommon for teammates to complain to coaches about what they perceived to be a double standard for Portis, sources said.
"A lot of things Clinton does rub people the wrong way, but Joe Gibbs looked the other way on all of that," said one former member of the organization. "Joe would always talk to the team about being totally focused on football during practice -- he didn't want guys talking about movies or what they did last night; even if you were hurt you were taking mental reps -- that was something he really harped on. But then you look over [during practice] and there's Clinton over there having fun with Vinny and Dan. How's that totally focused on football?"
His input and apparent sway in personnel matters has raised the ire of some as well; Portis regularly expressed his opinion on possible free agents and draft picks to Gibbs and management and often jokes about being an assistant general manager of sorts.
Portis often broke from the prescribed dress code during practices and games and usually was the last person to arrive for a team meeting, players and coaches said. While the general rule was for players to report and do rehabilitation before morning meetings, he would arrive just in time, then others had to scramble in order to accommodate his rehab in the afternoon. Portis regularly would be allowed to miss much of practice but was not listed on the injury report, players and coaches said, fueling his reputation as a player who did not take practice seriously.
"He's getting a little older, and he knows that," said wide receiver Santana Moss, a close friend who also played at the University of Miami. "Regardless of what Clinton does he comes out and plays ball, but he's showing everybody he's not the guy everybody thinks he is when it comes to how he handles his offseason training and how he prepares.
"He knows he gets a lot of BS on why he's not here or what he's doing when he's not here, but I ain't never seen Clinton when it comes to game time that he didn't go out there and perform. He's just showing you now, 'Hey, if you want me here I'm gonna be here.' "
With a new coaching regime in place, many of Gibbs's tenets no longer apply, including an arrangement that allowed Portis to take himself out of games, and to make way for Betts whenever he felt it necessary.
"I don't think that's something that's going to happen here," Zorn said. "That's not the way our offense is designed. I don't think that will be the way that we function on the football field."
Portis averaged nearly 350 carries per season in his first two years under Gibbs, and, while the pounding takes a toll on running backs, he will play a critical role, particularly early this season, as the quarterbacks and receivers adjust to a new offense.
"He has a great feel for the zone running game," Zorn said. "I did not change the run game from what has been run here in the past. He ought to feel very comfortable with what we are doing." | Clinton Portis is taking a more mature and healthy approach to the preparation for his seventh NFL season and the Redskins provide an apparent impetus in the form of a lucrative new contract. |
England will wake tomorrow morning to demoralising headlines. The non-performnce of England becomes a self-reinforcing cycle, where players play badly, get criticised, tighten up and continue to play badly. Seeing as Slovenia have looked better than Algeria and at least as good as the USA, this offers little cause for optimism if you're an England fan. Even Adrian Chiles looks annoyed, and he's a man you could smack with a rolled-up magazine before he'd react adversely.
Can we end this broadcast on a positive note? Unlikely, but I'll try: France. Nick Pearce is back at midday tomorrow with Holland against Japan. See you soon.
21.32 Gareth Southgate reckons Capello needs to try and take the pressure off the players. Never mind that, Gareth, where's my burger?
Fabio Capello: "We play not good game. We miss a lot of goals. Easy passes. We have to play another game. We hope will be happy. I don't know if pressure or not good moment, but I think was not good game. We lose too many passes. You say pressure. Probably. I don't like to speak about players. I think it's the team that didn't play the spirit that I like. I can change, I will try to do something different. I spoke with the players. They know what they have to do."
21.27 That sound you can hear is the rest of the world tittering. Even - dear Lord - the Americans.
Steven Gerrard: "We weren't good enough in the final third to get the breakthrough. We've got no excuses. We've got to go and win the last game. We never hit our level today. We weren't aggressive enough, we didn't win the ball back early enough. We've got to look at ourselves."
Wayne Rooney: "Nice to see your home fans booing you."
From Duncan White: "Unbeaten England march on. Canny Capello contrives draw to avoid the Germans. Ghana trembles."
21.24 Right. Let's try and put a positive spin on it, at least.
1) They could have lost.
2) There's always next time.
21.21 Deflating, to say the least. The eleven footballers that are picked to represent the country of England need to put on a better show than that. Who do you blame? Gerrard? Heskey? Rooney? Lampard? I blame Capello.
FULL TIME: England 0-0 Algeria Loud, loud boos in Cape Town. England expected, and England stank.
90+3 min Belhadj takes it, it flies over, and that's practically it. No! One last corner!
90+2 min Free-kick to Algeria on the right as Rooney catches Kadir. Capello is incensed, but not half as much as we are. For everything.
90+1 min Crouch dances down the wing beautifully, beating two men before slipping a pass inside to an Algerian player. The sublime followed by the ridiculous.
90 min Three minutes for England to find a winner they absolutely do not deserve. Defoe shoots over from distance.
From Duncan White: "Boos for Frank Lampard for having a shot. Not in the spirit."
89 min Algeria haven't given the win up. Belhadj swings in a testing free-kick. James catches under pressure.
88 min "Is Mike Bassett doing the post-match interview?" asks Joe Mann. No, Joe. He could speak English.
87 min Lampard, who's had the kind of night that would drive lesser men to drink, tries a long-range shot that trickles pitifully - pitiably - wide. Algeria make their final change - Mesbah comes on for Yebda.
86 min Rooney's been off the pace like a drunken greyhound tonight. He loses the ball, wins it back and then tries a Hollywood pass to Wright-Phillips. It's cut out.
85 min Corner for England. Lampard swings it in, and Defoe heads it out for a... goal-kick. Gerrard claims his shirt was being tugged. Get up and play, you pathetic Scouseman.
84 min Annemarie Breiter, who I suspect is German, taunts us thus: "Franz Beckenbauer was right, wasn't he? Kick and rush, like in the 60s. No fantasy! No ideas!" I wouldn't bring up the 60s if I were you...
82 min If you can't see what's happening, this is roughly equivalent to the French performance last night. Except we don't have an Henry sitting on a bench. The next best thing, though. Here comes Peter Crouch for Gareth Barry. Capello is definitely going for it.
81 min Johnson with a cross from the right. It. Is. Appalling.
80 min Capello having an earnest discussion with Gerrard on the sidelines. "Why-a you do this to me? Don't you know, I very important man? You displease me. And you don't even think to call me Godfather..."
79 min Wright-Phillips tries to find Gerrard, but the pass is overhit and trickles over the goal-line. Algeria bring Wolves's Adlane Guedioura on for Ziani.
From Ian Chadband: "Yours sincerely, wasting away..."
77 min Another corner for England, who are trying to gather a little momentum here. But another poor delivery by Lampard.
From Mark Ogden: "Ray of light. Algerians beginning to tire. But are England good enough to take advantage?"
76 min Barry on the volley! It's deflected, and out for a throw.
75 min Gerrard feeds it into the right channel for Defoe. The angle's tight, but he forces a corner.
74 min Opportunity for England, and Defoe looks sharp as a tack! Defoe and Gerrard combine well to win England a corner. It's taken by Gerrard, and is horrific.
73 min Rooney dropping deep to receive the ball, and shoots from 30 yards. It goes just wide. Abdoun comes on for Boudebouz for Algeria, while for England Heskey somehow manages to locate the touchline and steps over it. Defoe comes on.
72 min Jermain Defoe is getting ready to make his first World Cup appearance. Will Heskey finally be put out of his slack-jawed, cack-handed misery?
70 min Gerrard - the England captain, remember - is having a horrific game. He's had the first touch of a Hyundai. Another pass goes astray.
69 min Heskey gets a sniff of an opening! But his cross to Rooney is cut out, and goes over the goal for a corner. From the corner, it's Gerrard! But straight at M'Bolhi.
68 min Algeria are dropping back now. They'd certainly take a 0-0. A draw would leave England third in the group, behind Slovenia and the USA. A win against Slovenia would still see them through, but the USA could sneak top spot.
66 min "The English are certainly being hospitable; after this performance, I figure the odds of USA advancing have probably doubled," says Chris Bastian in New York.
64 min Capello's shouts are audible above the vuvuzelas. The man is furious. It was Lennon that Wright-Phillips came on for, by the way.
63 min "Listening in Iceland (it's a domestic arrangement) and even the locals are laughing at us!" writes Orson Ound. An atrocious back-pass by John Terry, puts David James in serious truoble, but the oldest swinger in town scampers out and gets a boot on it.
62 min Better from England! The first touch is still a little heavy, but eventually Lennon manages to dink a cross in, and Rooney is inches away from heading in. M'Bolhi fumbles the corner, but Algeria come away with it.
From Duncan White: "What would you change? Passport might be safest bet."
61 min It's caught by Rais M'Bolhi. Shaun Wright-Phillips is being readied on the sidelines.
60 min Rooney's had one of his worst games in an England shirt. Yebda tackles easily, but puts it out for a corner. Gerrard to take.
59 min Yahia shoots, but drags it wide. What if Algeria score? What then?
58 min Yellow card for Carragher, who will miss the next game as a result. He brought down Yebda needlessly, and Algeria will now have a free-kick in a dangerous spot.
57 min "I'm off to Tesco in the morning to get a refund on the flags I purchased for the car," Meg Cochran says.
56 min England are playing like a team that have never met. Rooney mis-controls in the area.
54 min Algeria give the ball away in a dangerous spot! Rooney slips it to Gerrard, who slips it back for... nobody.
53 min Bring Joe Cole on. Do it, Fabio. Bring on Joe Cole... for all eleven England players.
52 min "This is the first time I've ever bothered to stay up late to watch an England match (it's 3.30am here)," says William Dunn in Beijing. "I don't think I'll bother again... and will go to sleep now." Mind you don't have nightmares.
51 min Gerrard finds Heskey on the right. He dribbles it like a man approaching a football for the first time after a long spell in a coma. He crosses straight out of play.
50 min How can they not score? How could they not even create a decent chance against such weak opposition? You just hope the manager has had a word at half-time. Otherwise the Algerian public are not going to be happy with their players...
From Duncan White: "David James just had our longest spell of possession."
48 min Rob Richardson asks: "Could England's lack of result be some unknown part of the new government's austerity programme?" I remember last week, everyone was saying you couldn't legislate against goalkeeping errors. Could somebody in Number Ten at least try?
47 min It hits the wall and goes for a throw. But from it, Ziani gets the ball and runs. Johnson has to time his tackle well to dispossess him.
46 min Algeria win a cheap free-kick as Matmour goes down under Terry's challenge. Yahia will take it, 40 yards out.
20.30 The players are back out. No changes for England at half-time.
20.29 My half-time England ratings:
All marks out of 100
20.26 Mark Gray is watching in France. "The French commentator just asked if Capello and Domenech went to the same coaching school," he writes. "I wonder if Steve McLaren ran the course?" Oh, my. Imagine if Raymond Domenech were managing this group of players. It would be like watching an awful snuff movie.
20.25 Joe Mann, meanwhile, has another solution: "Give Heskey a vuvuzela and stick him in the crowd instead." I thought Heskey was OK. It's Lampard and Rooney that need a plastic trumpet inserted in a tender place at the moment.
20.22 Drew Hope finds reasons to be cheerful: "I am listening to Radio Five Live. They sound so upset, like England have been thrashed 10-nil. From what I have heard Algeria are nowhere near scoring and England have been close a couple of times. England will pick it up. COME ON ENGLAND!!!"
From Ian Chadband: "Paul Ince, pundit for South African TV, mutters 'Algeria are dictating the game'"
20.20 Let's rhyme our troubles away. Phil Dale is back with a proper limerick.
There once was a Keeper named Green,
Who fumbled a save quite routine.
Now Green is an England has-been.
WRAP: Earlier this week, a leaky drain covered the England dressing room in two inches of filthy water. That wasn't the last sewage to come out of that dressing room, by the looks of things. If the World Cup is a barbecue, England are the Quorn mince at the moment. This is not good enough.
From Duncan White: "League Two throw-in tactics. Fling it to Heskey, flick to nobody"
HALF TIME: England 0-0 Algeria Shocking. Awful. Absolute pies. Capello, hands in pockets, trudges resignedly down the tunnel. No boos that I can hear, but maybe I need to be watching in HD to pick that up...
45 min One minute of stoppage time. England could do with a spot of Capello ear-bashing at this point.
44 min Stuart McShorley on e-mail: "Watching here in Broussard, Louisiana trying to explain the comedy of errors to my American friends. England look like a shoddy Sunday league team."
From Duncan White: "No sooner praise Barry and Heskey than they both start repeatedly giving the ball away..."
43 min Rooney goes for goal from distance. But M'Bolhi gets his body behind it and saves comfortably.
42 min Ten of the Algerian starting XI were born in France. Probably seemed like a decent strategy once, but not any more...
40 min Again England give the ball away in a promising position. This is not the kind of performance that is going to frighten Brazil. It's barely the kind of performance to frighten Alan Brazil.
39 min England are, though, finally showing some guile. Johnson finds Heskey on the right. Halliche slides in a clearance.
37 min Seven minutes to half-time. England could scarcely be worse. Lennon breaks down the right, but is forced inside. Eventually he finds Barry, who shoots weakly from distance.
36 min Rooney is felled but gets up with the ball. Lampard tries to find Lennon with an incisive through ball, but a last-ditch tackle stops him. Bougherra clears, but Gerrard with his second atrocious shot of the evening. Some lucky car park attendant will have caught that one.
35 min Adrian Tanner e-mails in. "Watching live from Japan. 4am here. My wife (who is Japanese and does not understand football) just asked 'why do England keep giving the ball to the team in the green? Anyone have an answer for her?"
34 min Barry is caught by Matmour in midfield and Algeria break. Ziani runs, cuts inside and shoots, but James has it covered and it flies past his near post.
33 min Barry with a near-suicidal back-pass at about 40 mph. An alarmed James controls it on his chest.
32 min Best chance of the game for England! Much more like it as Lennon gets some space down the right and picks out Lampard. A left-footed shot comes in, M'Bolhi gets down and saves.
Henry Winter: "England lack cohesion. Frank Lampard not at the races. Needs to raise game. England fans great, must be 40k. Good Roo-Gerrard linkup. More please."
30 min England working up a little head of steam here. Rooney tries a cute one-two with Lampard, but Lampard's return ball sails out of play. Only a little head of steam.
29 min Better from England! Gerrard and Rooney team up for the first time since their game of darts last night, and Gerrard can let fly a shot that bounces awkwardly in front of M'Bolhi.
28 min Terry's fine, but here come Algeria again. Belhadj finds Ziani on the left, but he's offside. Algeria have had seven attempts on goal to England's two so far, according to Opta. Pathetic.
27 min Barry hooks away another dangerous cross by Bougherra. But John Terry's picked up a little knock to the head here. That's all Capello needs.
26 min Heskey robs Halliche on the edge of the Algerian area! He tries to poke it through for Rooney, but he's penalised as he battles with Bougherra.
25 min Lennon, down the left this time. He's brought down by Boudebouz. Barry crosses, but it's absolutely nowhere near Heskey.
24 min Ziani runs the ball down the left, but tricks himself out of play. That's the calibre of the team that are currently making England look like amateurs. Get a grip, lads.
From Mark Ogden: "So far, Gerrard's pass completion is 43 per cent. You'd never guess."
22 min Bougherra with a dangerous cross into Yebda! Barry sticks a leg out and gets it away, but England are on the verge of conceding. James plucks the corner out of the air, and that might settle him down a little.
21 min England are absolutely nowhere around the edge of their area. Ziani had a shot there, which skews wide.
19 min First sign of Rooney, who slips it to Gerrard, who's caught. Free-kick, from which Rooney has a shot deflected harmlessly.
18 min Gerrard tries to pick out... actually, I'm not sure who he was trying to pick out there. A shocking pass.
17 min Barry gets touch of the ball, but Algeria whip it off his feet and are enjoying a good spell of possession. Worrying times for England.
16 min Ziani skins Johnson and gets in a dangerous cross, but England get lucky with the bounce of the ball and clear.
14 min Boudebouz tries a shot from distance that goes well wide. Still, it's closer than England have got. And as if to prove the point, Gerrard blasts higher than Hell from 20 yards.
From Paul Kelso: "Not really clicking yet for England. Lampard not getting on the ball and Rooney has given it away twice."
13 min No more limericks, please, the game has started. Although kudos to David Sterling, who tried to rhyme Wright-Phillips. With 'hiccup'.
12 min Heskey goes up, but the whistle goes for a little shove in the back of Bougherra.
11 min The Algerian coach Rabah Saadane is making an almighty racket on the touchline. He's in, remarkably, his fifth spell as manager. By the time you refresh your page, he's probably quit and been reinstated once more. Corner for England.
10 min Finally, an actual limerick. Cheers, Ash Baker.
For forty-four years we have hunted
Though the ball seldom goalward was punted --
May we not hear the sound
In the third or fourth round
8 min Jim Hatch has e-mailed in his pitch for the England goalkeeper's jersey: "My grandad was goalkeeper for Ashfield United when they won the Scottish Junior Cup in 1893 and '94." That alone, sir, probably puts you ahead of Paul Robinson.
7 min Corner for Algeria as Lennon whips the ball off Ziani's raised foot. It's a poor ball, though, and Gerrard clears.
6 min Ashley Cole's playing like an outside left here. He gets outside Kadir, but loses the ball trying to cut inside Bougherra.
5 min Chance for Algeria! Matmour breaks free down the right and cuts back for Boudebouz, who inexplicably dummies over it! He was in a good position there. Half a let-off for England.
4 min Gerrard tries what looks like a cross, but ends up almost sailing in over Rais M'Bolhi's head. He has to jump to catch.
3 min Gerrard swings the free-kick in. Heskey gets a head on it, but not goalwards. Here come England again, though.
2 min Rooney's playing up with Heskey, rather than behind him in a 4-2-3-1. Cole weaves down the left and is brought down. Free-kick on the touchline.
1 min Algeria press straight from kick-off. Ashley Cole intercepts and boots it out.
19.28 David James is making his World Cup debut at the age of 39. Hope for us all. Referee Ravshan Irmatov of Uzbekistan gets us under way. Vamos, England!
19.25 The teams are out on the pitch. National anthems. England, stately and mumbled. Algeria, hurried and half-hearted. No-score draw.
19.19 OTHER THINGS THAT ARE NOT LIMERICKS: This, from Ian Bowles:
Today Rooney takes on Algeria,
So to avoid an embarrassing defeat,
And back home uncontrollable hysteria,
Just deliver the ball to his feet.
From Mark Ogden: "More England flags than Algerian fans in Green Point. Incredible."
19.17 Apologies to readers in Telegraph HD. I believe that last Henry Winter tweet was obscured by a Toshiba advert. Sorry about that.
From Paul Kelso: "Up in the gods in Green Point. Viewers in Kent may be marginallly closer to pitch than me"
19.13 Jamie Carragher starting at centre back for England. Who would have thought that six months ago? It's he, not the goalkeeper, who looks like being England's weak link for me. Jozy Altidore, admittedly about 25 years younger, skinned him for pace a couple of times in the USA game.
19.09 Strange shirt choice by Gareth Southgate. It's salmon pink, but with a white collar. He looks like a waiter at some ersatz American diner.
19.07 What do we know about Algeria? Not much, I grant. They looked uniformly ordinary against Slovenia, but England do have a habit of giving everybody a chance, no matter how terrible they are. (It's our version of the American Dream.) They play 3-4-3, with Ryad Boudebouz and Karim Ziani playing just behind Karim Matmour. And they've been watching The Battle of Algiers, a film about the bloody independence struggle, to get them in the mood for tonight's game. What do we reckon England watched last night? I'm going to take a stab at Zoolander.
19.00 Here's a definition of a limerick, in case you're unsure. (Warning: contains the word 'amphibrachic')
18.58 Phil Dale from Portland, Oregon gets top marks for effort. No marks whatsoever, though, for knowing what a limerick is.
There's nothing more nervous than waiting,
for England to take to the field.
We worry what team we'll be seeing,
and if any more balls will be spilled?
18.57 Princes William and Harry will be in the stadium tonight. If they were hoping to put their boots on and get a game for their country, they're a little late - Germany played earlier on.
18.54 Fifa are running a competition: "Fancy winning the actual ball used at kick-off of the England-Algeria game? Here's how." It doesn't then go on to say: "Stand outside the stadium as Emile Heskey's about to attempt a half-volley", but that would certainly be my advice.
18.53 I have to say, I think dropping Rob Green was a mistake. Not because he didn't deserve to be dropped - if you make that kind of mistake on that kind of stage you can't expect to keep your place - but because it's not like we have Lev Yashin in the locker. What happens if David James fouls up tonight? Put Joe Hart in, obviously. Then what if he drops one? I believe at that stage, it would be time to say to Crouchy: "Get your gloves on, son."
18.50 English fans may recognise the names of Hassan Yebda and Nadir Belhadj of Portsmouth. Fans of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book may falsely recognise the name Bougherra.
Algeria: M'Bohli, Bougherra, Belhadj, Yahia, Kadir, Yebda, Lacen, Halliche, Boudebouz, Ziani, Matmour.
18.48 And here's the Algeria team.
From Henry Winter: "100-odd England flags clubs, most represented: Pompey, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United, Leicester City, Luton Town. Keepers out...huge cheer"
18.16 And no, Bradley Wright-Phillips doesn't count.
18.15 We're in that nervous phase before the calming, over-wide face of Adrian Chiles makes its appearance in our living rooms. While you're twiddling your thumbs, why not have a go at writing a World Cup limerick? We've had some cracking submissinos so far. Extra credit if you can find something that rhymes with Shaun Wright-Phillips.
From Henry Winter: "Fantastic atmosphere outside Green Point Stadium. England fans everywhere. Thought Rustenburg busy. Even better here. Team will surely be lifted"
18.08 Right, it's prediction time. Not for me - I got my fingers burnt when I put my house on Spain to beat Switzerland. (You should have the seen the face on Mr Ladbrokes when he found out I rented.) But what do you think is going to happen tonight? And what do you want to happen tonight? Do we have any residual US fans siding with the Algerians? Any German fans hoping to avoid England in the second round? Any Australian fans... left? Do drop us an e-mail.
17.50 Earlier, Slovenia and the USA played out a thrilling 2-2 draw - the first in 42 World Cup matches dating back to Croatia v Australia v Graham Poll in 2006. That means England can go top of the group with a two-goal win.
England team (4-2-3-1): James; Johnson, Carragher, Terry, Cole A; Lampard, Barry; Gerrard, Lennon, Rooney; Heskey.
17.45 So, another game on the World Cup treadmill. Welcome to live commentary of game 23 of the 19th World Cup, a tournament that started slowly but has done nothing less than catch fire over the last couple of days. Goals, controversies, shocks and no end of quality. At this rate of improvement, we could be in the midst of one of the all-time classic mundials. Into this astonishing whirligig of furore and fervour step... Algeria and England. Right.
In all seriousness, though, I think we all know that this is the biggest game that England have ever played in their history, and whether they win or lose not only determines whether or not they will win this World Cup, but whether they will win all subsequent ones, too, and also whether our nation can once more ascend to the status and eminence it once enjoyed when it had an empire, or whether it will end up going cap in hand to a laughing IMF. Pressure? What pressure?
No team news as yet, although the strong word is that Zippy off Rainbow will be starting in goal for England. The moment Fabio Capello hands his team-sheet to an annoying, moustachioed Fifa official, we will have it here. | Live minute-by-minute commentary from the World Cup 2010 Group C game between
England and Algeria at the Green Point Stadium, Cape Town on Friday June 18
2010, kick-off 19.30 BST. |
Police block a road near the house of Nancy Lanza, mother of Adam Lanza, on Dec. 15 in Newtown, Conn.
Troubled gunman Adam Lanza once considered joining the Marines, a demanding career that his mother ultimately decided wouldn’t be the right fit her antisocial son, a family friend claims.
While mom Nancy Lanza liked that her 20-year-old son could be given purpose and structure, she knew that serving in the armed forces wasn’t something that he could handle, friend Ellen Adriani told the Connecticut Post.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE DAILY NEWS ONLINE PETITION TO BAN ASSAULT WEAPONS
He even said he could join another branch of the military if the Marines didn’t pan out, the newspaper reported Thursday.
“It became overwhelmingly clear to her that (military service) wasn’t right for him," said Adriani, who never actually met Adam Lanza.
She added that Nancy Lanza “squashed” the possibility of serving his country when she reminded her son that he “didn’t like to be touched” — something that he couldn’t avoid if he were injured.
Adam Lanza apparently first spoke about the Marines when he was 17 — long before last Friday’s shooting rampage in which he killed 20 children and 6 adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in his hometown of Newtown, Conn.
EXCLUSIVE: NEWTOWN GUNMAN 'WAS LIKE A GHOST' AS HE SPENT HOURS PLAYING VIDEO GAMES
PHOTOS: NEWTOWN, CONN. MOURNS AFTER DAY OF TERROR
He had earlier killed his 52-year-old mother in the house they shared, and then turned the gun on himself after the school attack.
Adam Lanza had just dropped out of Western Connecticut State University, where he had been taking college-level courses in 2009, when he began pondering military life, a local merchant who knew the family told the Connecticut Post. His older brother, Ryan, was already attending Quinnipiac University.
Nancy Lanza, who was raising Adam as a single mother after she divorced his father in 2009, mentioned to family friend Russell Hanoman that she was looking into other colleges for him, NBC News reported.
Hanoman saw Adam Lanza’s awkwardness firsthand, he said, describing how he shied away from human contact.
“I remember when I first met him, he deliberately stood maybe six feet away from me and took three exaggerated steps toward me … stuck out his hand, shook (mine) … put it back and (took) three exaggerated steps back,” Hanoman told NBC News.
PRESIDENT OBAMA 'ACTIVELY' SUPPORTS EFFORTS TO REINSTATE AN ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN
CONN. SCHOOL SHOOTER ADAM LANZA SMASHED COMPUTER MAKING RECOVERY OF DATA DIFFICULT
Adam Lanza did show an interest in technology. The Daily News reported that he played video games for hours, isolating himself in his room.
“He didn’t understand why she (Nancy Lanza) wanted him to go out into the world. She told me she couldn’t reach him — and she was worried,” a friend told The News.
According to reports, Adam Lanza was a fan of shooter games. Ultimately, it was his mother who took him to shooting ranges and inadvertently supplied the guns that he used to kill, including a military-style Bushmaster rifle, police said.
All three guns used in the attack were legal. Police continue to sift through evidence to determine what may have motivated the Sandy Hook massacre. | The troubled Sandy Hook shooter had previously mentioned to his mother, Nancy Lanza, about serving in the armed forces, according to a friend. But she realized a military career 'wasn't right for him,' the friend said. |
THE horrific incident in the French town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, Normandy, is the latest in a long list of terror-related attacks which have blighted Europe over the past two years.
France and Germany have two of the worst-hit countries with five separate assaults in this month alone.
Starting in May 2014, the seemingly never-ending attacks have left hundreds of innocent people dead and security forces across the continent stretched to their limits.
Brussels, Belgium – May 24, 2014: Gunmen open fire at the Jewish Museum in Brussels, killing four.
Tours, France – December 20, 2014: A man yelling Allahu Akbar attacked a police officer with a knife before being killed. Three police were injured.
Dijon, France – December 21, 2014: Eleven people are run over by a man yelling Allahu Akbar. Two are seriously injured.
Nantes, France – December 22 2014: A man in the French city of Nantes ran over ten pedestrians in his white van at the city’s Christmas market. He then attempted suicide by stabbing himself. One person was pronounced clinically dead the following day.
Paris, France – January 7–9, 2015: Gunmen attacked the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, killing 11.
The magazine was targeted because it had run a cartoon depicting the prophet Muhammad. Five more were killed in a series of shootings around Île-de-France and following a hostage situation at a kosher supermarket in Porte de Vincennes.
The three attackers were killed while 22 civilians were injured. The attacks were claimed by the Yemeni branch of Al-Qaeda.
Copenhagen, Denmark – February 14–15, 2015: A gunman opened fire at the Krudttoenden cafe and later at the Great Synagogue in Copenhagen, killing two civilians and injuring another five.
Paris, France – April 19, 2015: A 32-year-old French woman is murdered by a gunman whose plot to attack a church is foiled after he accidentally shoots himself in the leg with one of his arsenal of weapons.
Zvornik, Bosnia and Herzegovina – April 27, 2015: A Wahhabist extremist opens fire on Zvornik police station, killing one and injuring two others. He was shot dead by officers returning fire.
Diyarbakır, Turkey – June 5 – 2015: Four are killed and more than 100 injured when two bombs are let off at a Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) rally.
Lyon, France – June 26, 2015: A factory worker is beheaded and his head marked with Arabic writing and Islamist flags.
France – August 21, 2015: Three Americans and a Brit thwart an Islamist terrorist’s attack on a Thalys train from Paris to Amsterdam with an assault rifle. The group subdue the man as he prepared to fire the automatic weapon. Five receive minor injuries.
Ankara, Turkey – October 10, 2015: ISIS bombing leaves 102 dead and more than 400 injured in the Turkish capital.
Paris, France – November 13, 2015: The deadliest event on French soil since the Second World War. 137 were killed and nearly 400 wounded after suicide bombers attacked the Bataclan theatre with machine guns as revellers watched a rock concert.
A separate team of Islamist bombers attacked roadside cafe’s around the French capital and one blew himself up outside the Stade de France as the hosts played Germany in an international friendly.
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina – November 18, 2015: Lone wolf Islamist kills two soldiers and injures five in the Bosnian capital.
Dagestan, Russia – December 29, 2015: – ISIS claim responsibility after a gunman opens fire on local residents in the southern Russian city. One is killed and 11 injured.
Paris, France – January 7, 2016: An Islamist attacks French police with a meat cleaver while wearing a fake suicide bomb belt. He was shot dead.
Marseille, France – January 11, 2016: A teacher is severely injured after an ISIS-inspired 15-year-old pupil attacks him with a meat cleaver at a Jewish school.
Brussels, Belgium – March 22, 2016: Two suicide bombings at Brussels’ Zaventem airport and one on the city’s metro network leaves 35 dead and wounds more than 300. ISIS claim responsibility for the deadly attack.
Magnanville, France – June 14, 2016: A police officer and his wife were stabbed to death by a man swearing allegiance to ISIS.
Nice, France – July 14, 2016: A 31-year-old French Tunisian swearing allegiance to ISIS drove a truck along Nice’s promenade, running over Bastille Day Revellers. He was shot dead after making it 2km along the seaside walkway.
By the end of his murderous rampage, 84 lay dead and dying with hundreds injured.
Wurzburg, Germany – July 18, 2016: A 17-year-old Afghan asylum seeker attacked commuters on a packed train with an axe and knife. Four of the five injured were from a group of Hong Kong tourists. Police shot dead the attacker.
Ansbach, Germany – July 24, 2016: Suicide bomber Mohammed Deleel detonated his device after failing to get into a music festival in the German town. He had earlier sworn loyalty to ISIS. He was the only fatality but four were seriously injured.
Rouen, France – July 26, 2016: A Catholic priest’s throat was slit at the altar of a church in the Normandy town. A nun was also seriously injured with three more taken hostage.
ISIS’s Amaq propaganda network claimed the two perpetrators were “soldiers of Islam”. They were shot dead as they emerged from the church.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368 | THE horrific incident in the French town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, Normandy, is the latest in a long list of terror-related attacks which have blighted Europe over the past two years. France and… |
Five U.S. soldiers and one Afghan soldier were killed in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday, reportedly in an incident of friendly fire.
NATO said that the soldiers were patrolling a volatile region of southern Afghanistan when their unit came under enemy fire. An Afghan police chief told the New York Times that the soldiers were ambushed at close-range by Taliban militants. The soldiers radioed for air support, at which point a coalition jet mistakenly bombed their position, the Times reported.
NATO has not confirmed the details of the soldiers’ death, saying that the incident was still under investigation. “Tragically, there is the possibility that fratricide may have been involved,” read a statement from the International Security Assistance Force, NATO’s coalition force in Afghanistan.
The Pentagon confirmed that five U.S. troops had been killed on Tuesday. “Investigators are looking into the likelihood that friendly fire was the cause,” said Pentagon press secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of these fallen.” | Five NATO service members and one Afghan soldiers were killed in in what officials fear was a case of "fratricide" |
Sotheby's Asia, which is headquartered in Hong Kong, recently auctioned a Chinese painting from the imperial era. Bidding had reached the tidy sum of $320,000 and Kevin Ching, the company's CEO, was on the phone to a client on the mainland. All of a sudden his client made a much higher bid. Ching checked there was no mistake then passed it on to the auctioneer. "It's part of the process. The Chinese are growing up and getting rich," says this former corporate lawyer.
He adds: "We have exuberant customers. They can be very impatient. Even at an auction, they don't want to waste time."
In this field, as in others, the Chinese are redrawing the maps. According to Artprice, a specialist in art market information, the volume of sales, just for fine art, at public auctions in mainland China has rocketed in barely 10 years to reach 41% of the global market in 2011: the biggest share in the world.
When a sale of Chinese art is held in Hong Kong, London or Paris the room is full of Chinese buyers. They are taking a keen interest in watches, jewellery and wine, too. A revolution is in progress. "It's the biggest thing in the art world in 20 years. We have moved from a standoff between the United States and Europe, to a three-cornered confrontation, making it a truly global market," says Guillaume Cerutti, head of Sotheby's France.
In 2011, two Chinese artists topped the annual ranking of auction revenue established by Artprice, with about $530m for Zhang Daqian (1899-1983), a traditionalist painter and a very gifted forger who spent much of his life in exile, and $465m for Qi Baishi (1864-1957), who was favoured by the Communist leadership. Andy Warhol was relegated to third place.
Turning to the 10 most expensive works by living artists in 2011, we find three Chinese alongside Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons. A recent work by traditionalist painter Cui Ruzhuo fetched $16m at Christie's Hong Kong. Hot on his heels come two contemporary art stars, Zhang Xiaogang and Zeng Fanzhi.
The main reason the art market in China is booming is because there are more and more dollar millionaires – 1.1 million in 2011, according to the Boston Consulting Group. But this poses a challenge for Christie's and Sotheby's, which have dominated the world market for years. It is a godsend too. The two auction houses are not allowed to organise sales in the People's Republic, but they have cornered the Hong Kong market, a key centre for Chinese art. Buyers from the mainland now account for 40% of sales by Sotheby's Asia, up from 4% barely five years ago.
The two companies pride themselves on their expertise, which enables them to control "all the top quality Chinese art", says Ching.
Although they cannot sell in mainland China, the two companies can exhibit in leading hotels in Beijing and Shanghai, tempting buyers to attend auctions elsewhere. Sotheby's has just staged its first show in Chengdu and now produces its websites and print catalogues in Mandarin Chinese, as does Christie's. "For the past two years we have had a Chinese concierge and staff who speak the language to take care of Chinese clients visiting London or New York," says François Curiel, head of Christie's Hong Kong.
The new interest in their art displayed by prosperous Chinese has introduced them to other fields. "There is a huge reserve of collectors, and therefore buyers," Curiel adds. "On their travels they learn about people like the Rothschilds or Rockefellers, and the museums and foundations they founded. They will follow suit, developing an eye for art, taking an interest in art nouveau, photography, furniture and ultimately contemporary European and US art."
A few rich Chinese artists have been among the first to buy western art. One of them recently contacted French galleries with the idea of building up a collection to explain the development of western painting from the 19th century to cubism. In Hangzhou, south-west of Shanghai, the China Academy of Art is preparing to host a permanent collection of objects and drawings from Germany's Bauhaus, acquired in Germany last year for $72m.
The market for Chinese art is so huge and diverse that in China it is attracting investors disappointed by other sectors such as the stock market or property investments.
Seven of the world's largest auction houses are in China. Poly International, the largest rival to Sotheby's or Christie's, started trading in 2005. The oldest one, Guardian Auctions, based in Beijing, opened in 1993. A year later CEO Wang Yannan travelled to New York in search of foreign buyers, only to realise that its clients were closer to home. "We still travel abroad, but to find works to take home," she says.
Last autumn there was a dip in prices fetched at auction. "It's a good sign," Wang says. "Things were going too fast. For the past five years profits have doubled annually."
This article originally appeared in Le Monde | Wealthy turn to cultural artefacts as Beijing leads the world in volume of sales |
A new collaboration between Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and British electronic musician James Blake premiered on BBC Radio One on Wednesday. The song, entitled “Fall Creek Boys Choir,” was then uploaded to YouTube for the whole world to hear immediately afterwards.
The collaboration and track were first revealed through social media. Blake posted a cryptic message on his Twitter on August 17, hinting at the new song and the date August 24. Today, he posted another mysterious tweet, announcing the premiere of the track at 7:30 p.m. UK time. The BBC’s Huw Stevens played the track and spoke briefly to Blake about the collaboration. The partnership began when Blake and Vernon met at the South by Southwest music festival this year.
According to the YouTube page, the track will be available on iTunes on August 29. The page also contains text that reads: “Enough Thunder – Oct 2011.” Pitchfork reports that this is the name of a new song Blake has been performing live. Could this hint at a full album coming from the duo?
Do you like the new song? And what do you think about putting hit tracks up on YouTube for everyone to hear? Let us know in the comments. | A big name musical collaboration officially landed on YouTube today after a series of cryptic, excitement-building tweets. |
The pilot who flew fashion editor Lauren Scruggs above Dallas to view Christmas lights says he tried to warn the fashion editor about the plane’s spinning propeller and thought she was safe until he heard someone cry out.
The pilot shut off the plane engine when he heard someone shout, ”Stop, stop,” and saw Scruggs’ body on the ground, according to a federal report.
In a preliminary report released by the National Transportation Safety Administration Monday, the pilot recounts the moments before Scruggs’ Dec. 3 accident in which she walked into the small plane’s moving propeller and lost a hand and her left eye.
The unidentified pilot, reported to be Curt Richmond of Frisco, Texas, says he extended his arm out to guide her away from the propeller, and told her to walk behind the airplane.
“Upon noticing that she was exiting in front of the strut, the pilot leaned out of his seat and placed his right hand and arm in front of her to divert her away from the front of the airplane and the propeller,” the report states. “He continued to keep his arm extended and told the passenger that she should walk behind the airplane.”
When he thought she had walked away behind the plane to safety, the pilot says he “returned to his normal seat position,” “looked to the left side of the airplane and opened his window to ask who was next to go for a ride,” according to the report.
But before another ride would take off, he heard someone shout, “Stop Stop,” the report states, and he shut down the engine immediately, only to see the 23-year-old lying in front of the small plane.
Scruggs lost her hand in the accident and doctors at Dallas’ Parkland Hospital removed her left eye. She has been in intensive therapy to relearn the basics, how to walk, talk, use a stationary bike, even dress herself, but had made tremendous progress, according to her mother Cheryl Scruggs’ blog. The deeply religious family met with a prosthetic arm expert last week and has emphasized prayer as Scruggs recovers.
In an interview on “Good Morning America” after the accident, Scruggs’ parents said that they believed their daughter walked back toward the plane to say a final thank you to the pilot. They did not blame the pilot, though many aviation experts took issue with the fact that the propeller was left running while a passenger was exiting the plane. “The pilot of a bird like an Aviat Husky is going to in almost all cases shut the engine down completely and have the propeller stop, which happens almost immediately as soon as you shut it down,” ABC News Aviation Consultant John Nance explained in a Dec. 15 “GMA” report after the accident. “Because we know the danger of having a human being anywhere close to a twirling prop.” In the NTSB report the pilot said he left the engine on “in anticipation of taking another passenger to view the holiday lights,” but turned it off immediately after he heard the screams.
Richmond has not answered ABC News’ repeated requests for an interview and has not spoken out about the accident before.
ABC News’ Ryan Owens and Kevin Dolak contributed to this report. | The pilot who flew fashion editor Lauren Scruggs above Dallas to view Christmas lights says he tried to warn the fashion editor about the plane’s spinning propeller and thought she was safe until he heard someone cry out. The pilot shut off the plane engine when he heard someone shout, ”Stop, stop,” and saw Scruggs’ body on the ground, according to a federal report. In a preliminary report released by the National Transportation Safety Administration Monday, the pilot recounts the moments before Scruggs’ Dec. 3 accident in which she walked into the small plane’s moving propeller and lost a hand and her left… |
For the past several years, congressional Republicans have focused relentlessly on a single message: Washington — led by President Obama — is spending too much money, and it needs to stop.
But according to new Washington Post-ABC News polling, that laser-like focus isn’t helping Republicans win the argument over federal spending — with 67 percent of those tested disapproving of the “way Republicans in Congress are handling federal spending.”
While Obama’s numbers aren’t stellar on that same spending question — 52 percent disapproval — he is in considerably stronger shape than his Republican adversaries as Washington braces for the $1.2 trillion in automatic cuts known as the sequester to take effect on Friday. In fact, Obama’s 43 percent overall approval on his handling of federal spending is the same number as those who strongly disapprove of how congressional Republicans are handling it.
As we have seen in other recent polling, a major part of Republicans’ overall approval problem — in this case on federal spending — comes from divisions within their own party.
Forty-four percent of self-identified Republicans approve of how their side is handling spending issues, while 51 percent disapprove. Even the base of the party is less than enthusiastic about how the congressional GOP has approached the issue — with 50 percent of conservative Republicans approving and 49 percent disapproving. Compare that to the nearly nine in ten (87 percent) of liberal Democrats who approve of how Obama has handled federal spending.
Here’s another way to look at it: Roughly one in three (34 percent) of respondents disapprove of both Obama and congressional Republicans’ handling of federal spending issues. You’d expect disapproval of both sides to be highest among independents, those fence-sitters who don’t fit neatly into either party. You’d be wrong. While 40 percent of independents disapprove of both actors in this drama, 45 percent of Republicans feel the same way. (Just 18 percent of Democrats go for the “pox on both your houses” approach.)
The poll isn’t great news for anyone involved in the debate over how much the federal government should spend — and on what. When a majority of the American public disapproves of how you are handling one of the major issues, not just of the day but of our time, it’s not good.
That said, Republicans have put their battle to rein in federal spending front and center as they seek to (re)define who they are as a party. And, at least according to these numbers, that effort has yet to pay dividends — even within their own base.
Illinois Democrats nominate Kelly in win for gun control: Former state representative Robin Kelly won the Democratic nomination in Illinois’ 2nd district special election decisively Tuesday night, outpacing former congresswoman Debbie Halvorson by a wide margin.
Her win was a victory for gun-control advocates led by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I), whose super PAC dumped about $2.5 million into the campaign. Most of that money was targeted at Halvorson, who previously had an ‘A’ rating from the NRA.
Bloomberg praised Kelly’s victory Tuesday night as he pressed Congress to pass new gun control measures. “As Congress considers the President’s gun package, voters in Illinois have sent a clear message: we need common sense gun legislation now. Now it’s up to Washington to act,” he said.
Kelly’s win all but guarantees her a spot in Congress, given the strong Democrat tilt in the 2nd district. The general election will be held April 9. The special election was triggered by the resignation of Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.), who admitted in court last week to misusing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of campaign funds.
As for Bloomberg, the results of Tuesday night will serve as a reminder to congressional candidates that the NRA isn’t the only group in the gun control debate willing to spend big to influence races.
Rand Paul votes for Hagel: Chuck Hagel’s confirmation as Defense Secretary on Tuesday provided a rare break between two potential 2016 presidential contenders: GOP Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.) and Marco Rubio (Fla.).
While Rubio voted against Hagel’s confirmation, Paul voted for it — just hours after he voted for the second time against bringing Hagel’s nomination to a vote.
Paul’s odd voting pattern — it’s rare to see a senator vote against cloture but then for something, though the reverse is quite common — was perhaps the only surprise on Tuesday.
Paul spokeswoman Moira Bagley said Paul voted against cloture because he wanted more questions answered, but that in the end Paul believes “the President should be entitled to some leeway on his political appointments.”
As we’ve written previously on The Fix, Rubio and Paul have been among the most conservative members of Congress over the last two years, and with both looking at 2016 presidential bids, votes on which they depart from each other are worth remembering.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) was excluded from this year’s CPAC because of his push for a Hurricane Sandy relief bill that conservatives criticized as full of pork, says American Conservative Union chairman Al Cardenas.
Just 29 percent of people say they agree with most of what the GOP is selling, compared to 40 percent who say the same of Democrats, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) goes after Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) for opting out of the federal Medicaid expansion, suggesting he’s trying to avoid offending his party.
The super PAC tweeting offensive things about Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has also failed to file a campaign finance report.
“G.O.P.’s Ideological Split Appears in Virginia Governor’s Race” — Trip Gabriel, New York Times
“Sequester will sock a vulnerable economy” — Jim Tankersley, Washington Post
“Impact of budget cuts depends on where you live and who you are” — Philip Rucker, Washington Post
Capital Insight polling director Jon Cohen and pollsters Scott Clement and Peyton M. Craighill contributed to this report. | Two-thirds of people disapprove how the GOP is handling federal spending issues. |
Supporters of the Social Democratic Party of India protest the Indian government's decision to allow foreign direct investment in the retail market during a rally on Dec. 5, 2012, in New Delhi
India’s beleaguered coalition government won a major battle today, prevailing in two key votes in the nation’s Parliament that will allow foreign multibrand retailers like Walmart and Tesco to open shop in the country. The move to allow 51% foreign investment in multibrand retail stores helped end a two-year-long period of so-called policy paralysis when it was first announced in September but soon ran into trouble when then coalition partner Trinamool Congress (TMC) pulled out of the government to protest the measure. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), meanwhile, has been angling for a vote on the FDI issue for months.
The final stamp of approval from both the upper and lower houses this week is a big win for the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, which has been trying to get India’s lagging economy back on track. Anticipation of the government’s win pushed India’s stock market to a 19-month high on Wednesday. The ruling will be a boon for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who pushed the measure through in the face of strong opposition from allies, and it could help clear the way for more broader economic liberalization.
(MORE: How the Entry of Walmart and Big Retail Chains Will Change India)
But the FDI fight over is far from over. The decision whether or not to lay down the welcome mat for big-box global retailers has become an emotionally loaded debate about the country’s economic future. The government maintains that the reform will create some 10 million new jobs in the next three years, help farmers get better prices for their produce and will infuse new life into India’s tottering food-distribution system. “Wastage will go down, prices paid to farmers will go up, and prices paid by consumers will go down,” Prime Minister Singh said in a rare, televised address to the nation in September defending the government’s decision to introduce the retail reforms. “In a growing economy, there is enough space for big and small to grow. The fear that small retailers will be wiped out is completely baseless.”
Not everyone, however, buys the argument that the nation needs Walmart to reduce waste — or improve India’s economic prospects. Opponents say mega-retailers could devastate millions of small-businesses owners, turning India into what BJP leader Arun Jaitley called a nation of “sales boys and sales girls.” He and other critics argue that while FDI in retail may modernize the sector, the small traders it pushes out have no other employment opportunities in the absence of a social security system or a robust manufacturing sector that can absorb labor. “I favor foreign capital across the board as long as it creates jobs and adds value to the country,” says Mohan Guruswamy, a former adviser to the Finance Ministry and a distinguished fellow at the Observer Research Foundation. “FDI in retail, unfortunately, doesn’t create jobs. It displaces people by destroying small stores.”
(MORE: At World Economic Forum, Indian Business Elites Fret Over Country’s Future Growth)
It is impossible to say if and how foreign big-box stores will loosen the grip that small traders have on the market today. (Small traders control an estimated 90% of India’s $450 billion retail sector.) Singh and other supporters of the reform are quick to point out that the organized retail sector already present in India has not adversely affected small shops, whose numbers, according to government statistics, have seen a threefold increase in recent years. “There will be some losers,” says Ravi Aron, an associate professor of information and strategy at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and a senior fellow of the Mack Center for Technological Innovation at the Wharton School. “The traditional middlemen are the biggest winners of today’s retail structure. They will stand to lose much, and they are throwing every possible argument that they can against FDI.”
So are the opposition parties, who have seized on FDI as an issue that could weaken the ruling coalition in the months running up to national elections in 2014. The coming months will see the battle shifting from New Delhi to the states, who have the last say in whether they want to implement it or not. “It is not over,” said Shahnawaz Hussain, a BJP parliamentarian member, after the vote this week. “We will fight on the streets.”
PHOTOS: Nationwide Strike Hits India’s Teeming Cities | India's beleaguered coalition government prevailed in two key votes that will allow foreign multibrand retailers like Walmart and Tesco to open shop in the country. But the debate will likely continue |
RAPPER Kanye West appeared to dismiss the speculation surrounding the state of his marriage to Kim Kardashian by posting a family picture on social media.
The newly-blonde musician could be seen holding his son Saint while standing next to his stunning wife as she held their daughter North.
The clan were posing in front of the Christmas tree from Kris Jenner’s Christmas Eve bash – dismissing reports that Kanye had not attended the event and had been told to keep away from Kim.
However, speculation had begun to mount during the bash as fans noticed that Kim, 36, ditched her wedding ring on the night.
Her wedding finger was bare on Saturday night as she partied with her mum and sisters at their annual festive gathering in LA.
While troubled rapper Kanye, 39, had headed to the cinema with friends before making a late appearance at the event.
It had been reported that Kim blanked her husband and insiders had claimed their two-year marriage is “as good as over”.
It comes at the end of a nightmare 2016 for the couple which saw Kim, 36, robbed at gunpoint in Paris in October and Kanye hospitalised a month later after a mental breakdown.
However, the pair put on a united front with their daughter North, three, at a performance of The Nutcracker ballet at an LA theatre on Friday.
Kendall Jenner says family are praying for Kanye West's recovery
But onlookers revealed the couple — who also have a year-old son Saint — barely spoke to each other.
A source said: “Kim and Kanye’s marriage is as good as over. It’s looking bleak.
"She didn’t want Kanye at her mum’s Christmas bash this year, as she felt it was the first time she could really let her hair down.
“But he made a late show and spent the last hour just sitting on the couch talking to Scott Disick [dad of Kourtney’s kids] — he was a total wallflower.
“On Friday they took North to see The Nutcracker but they barely spoke or interacted inside.
"The tensions were visible. Neither of them are in a happy place right now.
“He spent Christmas morning at Kris’ [Kim’s mum] to make things as normal for the kids as possible, but it’s just a matter of timing.
"The only thing that might keep them together is the kids.”
New video of Kanye West ranting before he stops Sacramento gig early Kim, who wore a gold dress at the Christmas Eve party in Calabasas, blew kisses in a video shared on her sister Khloe’s Snapchat account.
She was also sporting a new lip ring but her wedding band was off.
In the video, Khloe, 32, can be heard saying: “How dope is my f***ing sister? Look at this dress. And look at the jewellery. You are a bad*** bitch, Kim.”
The US reality star has barely been seen in public since her Paris ordeal, when she was bound and robbed at gunpoint in a reported £8.5million heist.
Kanye has cancelled all tour dates after coming out of hospital at the end of November.
He suffered a mental breakdown, with a cousin claiming he has “stopped trusting people”.
Lawrence Franklin claimed last week Kanye’s decline started after he paid £200,000 to a relative who was threatening to leak a sex tape of him.
Kim Kardashian West makes LOVE Advent debut in fantastical Northern Lights film
Kim and Kanye have also reportedly been in counselling while the rapper is receiving therapy.
Kim is said to be still angry after Kanye flew to New York for a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump within hours of leaving hospital.
A source said: “It was the worst thing that he has ever done in her eyes. When she tried to get him to call it off and come home, he refused.”
Any break-up is likely to lead to a complicated split of Kanye’s fortune, estimated by Forbes to be £145million.
Kanye West meets with President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Towers | RAPPER Kanye West appeared to dismiss the speculation surrounding the state of his marriage to Kim Kardashian by posting a family picture on social media. The newly-blonde musician could be seen ho… |
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An internal review by BuzzFeed last week found three instances when editors deleted posts after an advertiser or employees from the company’s business side complained about their content, according to a memo sent to staff members on Saturday by the news and entertainment website’s editor in chief.
The three deleted posts — out of more than 1,000 expunged for other reasons, according to the memo — had criticized products or advertisements produced by Microsoft, Pepsi and Axe body spray, a Unilever product. In the memo, the editor, Ben Smith, wrote that they were “pulled after an editor fielded a complaint from a business-side BuzzFeed staff member who worked with a brand mentioned in the piece.”
The disclosure about the reasons for the deletions came four months after BuzzFeed unveiled editorial guidelines meant to highlight its continuing attempt to transform from a creator and aggregator of viral web content into a digital news organization. It also followed an admission this month by Mr. Smith that he had ordered editors to delete two other posts critical of BuzzFeed advertisers: Dove soap — also produced by Unilever — and the toy manufacturer Hasbro.
Mr. Smith later reinstated the two posts, saying he had overreacted when asking editors to delete them. He told staff members in a note that the posts had been erased after he took issue with their opinionated tone and not because of complaints from advertisers. The results of the review were first reported by the website Gawker on Saturday.
The three posts deleted under pressure from the company’s business side were removed before BuzzFeed published its editorial guidelines, and they were a small fraction of the 1,112 deleted posts identified by an internal review committee. The majority of those were not posts produced by the editorial department, or were removed because of what the review called “technical error,” according to the memo.
The three posts linked to advertising were deleted for different reasons, including the appearance of a conflict of interest and perceived bad taste, according to the memo.
One post, written in 2013 by Mark Duffy, BuzzFeed’s former ad critic, criticized a campaign for Axe body spray and was deleted after an unnamed advertising agency complained that it had accused the company of advocating “worldwide mass rape.” In the memo, Mr. Smith wrote, “I agreed that this was way outside even our very loose standards of the time.” Mr. Duffy was later fired from the company.
A second post, about Microsoft Internet Explorer, was written in March 2013 by Tanner Ringerud, a former business-side employee who had moved into an editorial role two months earlier. It was deleted after BuzzFeed’s chief revenue officer complained that Mr. Ringerud should not have written it because he worked on a Microsoft ad campaign in his previous job with the company, creating the appearance of a conflict of interest, the memo said.
BuzzFeed deleted the post, which Mr. Smith said inspired the company to institute a “cooling off period” for business-side employees who move into editorial roles. During that period, they are prohibited from writing about brands whose ad campaigns they had worked on in their previous jobs.
The third post, titled “These Brands Are Going to Bombard Your Twitter Feed on Super Bowl Sunday,” was deleted after BuzzFeed’s business side complained that it criticized Pepsi’s Twitter feed, which the business side was producing content for during the Super Bowl.
In the memo, Mr. Smith wrote that he had not considered that a BuzzFeed writer would write a post critical of advertising content being created by other BuzzFeed employees. “We decided it was inappropriate and deleted the post,” he said.
Microsoft did not immediately return a phone call Saturday seeking comment. Unilever did not immediately respond to a phone call and an email. And Pepsi did not immediately respond to an email.
In a January 2014 email that Mr. Smith sent to Samir Mezrahi, the author of the post, and which was provided to The New York Times, he explained that the post was being deleted because “it felt like a kind of stunt.”
Mr. Smith also wrote: “I don’t think advertising and marketing are particularly interesting in general, but there just has to be a pretty high bar around writing about advertising that is going on in the building. It creates an appearance of a conflict I’m really uncomfortable with.” | At least three posts out of more than 1,000 were erased after employees from the company’s business side complained about their content, according to a memo from BuzzFeed’s editor. |
As tens of thousands of Boston-area tenants get ready to move this summer, there are yet more signs that the region’s rental market might finally be topping out.
Rents in Greater Boston climbed in the second quarter at their slowest pace in two years, according to new figures out Wednesday, while the vacancy rate among apartments hit a six-year high.
Moreover, a number of new apartment buildings are set to open around the city’s traditional Sept. 1 move-in date, putting more pressure on landlords, some of whom are already offering sweeteners such as a free month or two, to keep rent hikes in check.
To be clear, this is still a tight, pricey rental market. The average apartment in Greater Boston rented for $2,046 a month in the three months ending June 30, according to real estate data firm Reis Inc., a sum that trails only New York and San Francisco nationally.
But that average rent climbed “just” 4 percent from a year prior, Reis said, the slowest annual growth rate in Greater Boston in two years. And the vacancy rate ticked upward to 5.5 percent.
You can thank supply and demand, said Ishay Grinberg, president of RentalBeast, a Somerville-based rental website.
More than 7,000 housing units — the majority being high-end apartments — have come on the market in Boston in the last two-and-a-half years, with thousands more in neighboring communities. While many of the new buildings fetch jaw-dropping rents — think $2,500 for a studio in the South End — only so many tenants can pay that kind of money. So more buildings are covering upfront costs such as broker’s fees and security deposits. That effectively lowers their costs to tenants and forces owners of older buildings to do the same to compete.
“You clearly see the trickle-down effect of new inventory,” Grinberg said. “The big new buildings have to adjust to attract more ‘normal’ renters. That applies pressure on the mid-market buildings, too.”
Prices are still climbing fast in more-affordable neighborhoods such as East Boston and Charlestown, Grinberg said, and in nearby suburbs such as Medford, where renters who are priced out of Cambridge and Somerville are looking for cheaper digs.
Jason Gell, president of Boston Luxury Properties, just listed 25 apartments, mostly in Brookline and central Boston, with new rents set 3 to 5 percent higher than last year. Already he’s received applications for five.
“The interest has been there,” he said. “It’s wait and see whether they’ll actually rent. The next six weeks will be really telling.”
Soft rent growth in New York and San Francisco has led some of the nation’s biggest landlords to lower profit estimates. And saturation in Austin, Texas, and Atlanta has reportedly led builders there to shelve big apartment projects. One of the nation’s biggest landlords, Equity Residential, recently said it has sharply slowed new projects until the market catches up.
“We really have cut back,” Mark Parrell, Equity Residential’s chief financial officer, said at a conference with analysts in June. “If it’s better for a little while to do nothing — which is what we’re doing right now — we’ll do that.”
A local spokeswoman for Equity said recently that the company’s planned 44-story apartment tower in Boston’s West End is still moving forward.
Though no major builders in Boston have publicly signaled plans to delay projects, there are signs of slowing. Through May, building permits for units in multifamily buildings in Greater Boston were running at roughly half of last year’s clip, according to data from the US Census Bureau, and behind the pace set in 2014 and 2013.
And Greg Vasil, chief executive of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board, said some of his members have decided to hit pause on projects that haven’t begun construction — though he declined to name any.
“The worst thing in the world is to get caught without a seat when the music stops,” he said.” Nobody wants to get stuck out ahead of the market.” | Rents in Greater Boston climbed in the second quarter at their slowest pace in two years, according to new figures out Wednesday, while the vacancy rate among apartments hit a six year high. |
"I remember driving down Highway 85," Wozniak says. "We're on the freeway, and Steve mentions, 'I've got a name: Apple Computer.' We kept thinking of other alternatives to that name, and we couldn't think of anything better."
Adds Jobs: "And also remember that I worked at Atari, and it got us ahead of Atari in the phonebook."
The interview, recorded for an in-house video for company employees in the mid-1980s, was among a storehouse of materials Apple had been collecting for a company museum. But in 1997, soon after Jobs returned to the company, Apple officials contacted Stanford University and offered to donate the collection to the school's Silicon Valley Archives.
Within a few days, Stanford curators were at Apple headquarters in nearby Cupertino, packing two moving trucks full of documents, books, software, videotapes and marketing materials that now make up the core of Stanford's Apple Collection.
The collection, the largest assembly of Apple historical materials, can help historians, entrepreneurs and policymakers understand how a startup launched in a Silicon Valley garage became a global technology giant.
"Through this one collection you can trace out the evolution of the personal computer," said Stanford historian Leslie Berlin. "These sorts of documents are as close as you get to the unmediated story of what really happened."
The collection is stored in hundreds of boxes taking up more than 600 feet of shelf space at the Stanford's off-campus storage facility. The Associated Press visited the climate-controlled warehouse on the outskirts of the San Francisco Bay area, but agreed not to disclose its location.
Interest in Apple and its founder has grown dramatically since Jobs died in October at age 56, just weeks after he stepped down as CEO and handed the reins to Tim Cook. Jobs' death sparked an international outpouring and marked the end of an era for Apple and Silicon Valley.
"Apple as a company is in a very, very select group," said Stanford curator Henry Lowood. "It survived through multiple generations of technology. To the credit of Steve Jobs, it meant reinventing the company at several points."
Apple scrapped its own plans for a corporate museum after Jobs returned as CEO and began restructuring the financially struggling firm, Lowood said.
Job's return, more than a decade after he was forced out of the company he co-founded, marked the beginning of one of the great comebacks in business history. It led to a long string of blockbuster products — including the iPod, iPhone and iPad — that have made Apple one of the world's most profitable brands.
After Stanford received the Apple donation, former company executives, early employees, business partners and Mac enthusiasts have come forward and added their own items to the archives.
The collection includes early photos of young Jobs and Wozniak, blueprints for the first Apple computer, user manuals, magazine ads, TV commercials, company t-shirts and drafts of Jobs' speeches.
In one company video, Wozniak talks about how he had always wanted his own computer, but couldn't get his hands on one at a time when few computers were found outside corporations or government agencies.
"All of a sudden I realized, 'Hey microprocessors all of a sudden are affordable. I can actually build my own,'" Wozniak says. "And Steve went a little further. He saw it as a product you could actually deliver, sell and someone else could use."
The pair also talk about the company's first product, the Apple I computer, which went on sale in July 1976 for $666.66.
"Remember an Apple I was not particularly useable for too much, but it was so incredible to have your own computer," Jobs says. "It was kind of an embarkation point from the way computers had been going in these big steel boxes with switches and lights."
Among the other items in the Apple Collection:
— Thousands of photos by photographer Douglas Menuez, who documented Jobs' years at NeXT Computer, which he founded in 1985 after he was pushed out of Apple.
— A company video spoofing the 1984 movie "Ghost Busters," with Jobs and other executives playing "Blue Busters," a reference to rival IBM.
— Handwritten financial records showing early sales of Apple II, one of the first mass-market computers.
— An April 1976 agreement for a $5,000 loan to Apple Computer and its three co-founders: Jobs, Wozniak and Ronald Wayne, who pulled out of the company less than two weeks after its founding.
— A 1976 letter written by a printer who had just met Jobs and Wozniak and warns his colleagues about the young entrepreneurs: "This joker (Jobs) is going to be calling you … They are two guys, they build kits, operate out of a garage."
The archive shows the Apple founders were far ahead of their time, Lowood said.
"What they were doing was spectacularly new," he said. "The idea of building computers out of your garage and marketing them and thereby creating a successful business — it just didn't compute for a lot of people." | Stanford University has the largest collection of Apple historical materials in the world. |
Liam Fox, the Secretary of State for Defence. (Photo: Rex)
Backed by packed Tory benches, Liam Fox has emerged unscathed from his statement. Labour gave up soon after Jim Murphy's unsuccessful attack. The Labour benches thinned out very quickly as their quarry made his escape. The history of these occasions tell us they favour the minister in trouble. But the Defence Secretary put on a confident and combative performance. Dr Fox has escaped to fight again.
He was helped enormously of course by David Cameron's decision to put a protective arm around him. Tory MPs took the cue, and were on hand to cheer him. Senior Cabinet ministers also joined him, notably Michael Gove and Eric Pickles. Most significant was the appearance on the front bench of George Osborne, the Chancellor, who perhaps remembered that Dr Fox was one of the few who stood up for him during yachtgate.
All of them were betting that no more evidence will emerge that would discredit the Defence Secretary. Yet close study of his answers will identify some lingering qualifications. Mr Werritty, for example, "did not receive any payments as a result of his meeting in Dubai". What about other meetings, then? And what does his reference to Mr Werritty not depending on "transactional behaviour" for his income mean? And what should we make of the fact that he and Mr Werritty went on trips together 18 times? Mr Murphy would have been more effective in asking whether Mr Werritty has earned any income as a result of his links with Dr Fox.
This is the exposed flank: what has Mr Merritty been up to in his patron's name that his patron doesn't know about but should have prevented? Mr Cameron believes he has positioned him as best as possible: if Dr Fox survives, he owes the PM for his support; if he goes down, Mr Cameron can tell the Tory Right that he did his best. For the moment, though, it remains an argument about judgment, and that's a grey area. | [caption id="attachment_100109929" align="alignnone" width="460" caption="Liam Fox, the Secretary of State for Defence. (Photo: Rex)"][/caption] Backed by packed Tory benches,... |
Derrick Rose is keeping his dribble alive on his bold claim that the Knicks are an NBA super team.
Rose, the team’s new star point guard, was mocked in some circles last month after he boasted the Knicks “have a chance to win every game” and are in a class with the Golden State Warriors.
“I still believe that,” Rose said this week at a promotional event in Seoul, South Korea. “Like I said, with that super team term, you have to be very careful, I guess, if you’re in the United States. But I feel like if you’re on any team in the NBA — it don’t have to be the NBA, it could be the college level, high school level — you should believe in yourself and have the confidence in yourself that you’re playing on a super team anywhere. So I have a lot of confidence, and I’m not taking that back.”
Yet despite his confidence, Rose doesn’t seem to know precisely who’s on his team. When rattling off his new teammates, the former MVP included backup center Kevin Seraphin, who no longer plays for the Knicks. He remains unsigned after averaging 3.9 points and 2.6 rebounds in 11 minutes per game in his lone Knicks season.
“You know playing with Carmelo [Anthony], we have Joakim [Noah], we got [Kristaps] Porzingis, we got Courtney Lee, we got Brandon Jennings, Seraphin, the list goes on and on,” Rose said.
Rose also addressed concerns that Porzingis will suffer for touches in his second season — alongside a ball-dominant point guard and a high-usage scorer in Anthony — by saying that he will “share the ball more.” Last season with the Bulls, Rose averaged 77.2 touches per game, which led the team and was 23rd in the league. It was roughly the same number as 2014-15, when he averaged 77.4 touches per game.
For those looking for encouragement about the condition of his infamously ailing knees, Rose threw down a dunk for the crowd, something he did just once all of last season. | Derrick Rose is keeping his dribble alive on his bold claim that the Knicks are an NBA super team. Rose, the team’s new star point guard, was mocked in some circles last month after he boaste… |
The eighth episode opens with Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura) and his cousin Gustavo (Juan Pablo Raba) running through a forest half-naked. Things are going from bad to worse for the drug lords, it seems.
The notorious cousins are being pursued by Search Block, while the CIA is trying to help by tracing Escobar’s cell phone calls. They think they’ve succeeded — only to find that the phone they’re tracking is attached to a donkey.
That jungle chase forces Escobar to come to the realization that the government is both negotiating with him and hunting him down at the same time. Thus he meets with his number one hostage, Diana Turbay (Gabriela de la Garza) and asks her to make another video, this time asking Gaviria to stop the hunt.
Again motivated by the promise of more hostage releases, Turbay agrees.
She and Escobar have a little heart-to-heart and he tells her, “I was going to do marvelous things for this country.” Somehow, it seems that he’s still clinging to his Robin Hood self-image, even after causing nationwide chaos and destruction.
Gaviria shares with Turbay’s parents the deal Esocbar wants — just one drug trafficking charge and the freedom to build his own jail. Though her parents want him to agree, Gaviria stalls, hoping the Americans will be able to help him catch Escobar first.
The Americans do succeed in tracking down one of Escobar’s top-secret locations, but it’s not where the drug lord himself is hiding; it’s where he’s hiding his hostages.
Unfortunately, instead of saving Turbay, the “rescuing” force ends up killing her.
In the aftermath, an embattled and defeated Gaviria agrees to give Escobar what he wants. For one, the Colombians make plans to do away with extradition for drug traffickers. For two, Escobar will be allowed to build his own jail — and the police won’t be allowed within three kilometers of it.
Search Block leader Col. Horatio Carrillo (Maurice Compte) finds that possibility terrifying. It means that once Escobar finishes building, there could still be open season on cops, but the cartel leaders will be hidden safely in a cop-free zone.
Reporter Valeria Velez (Stephanie Sigman) meets up with Escobar to tell him that she’s going to have to distance herself now that he’s going to admit guilt.
Then, unexpectedly, we see Valeria dining with Pacho (Alberto Ammann) from the Cali cartel. (Well, perhaps it’s not that unexpected; she’s always been underhanded.)
Pacho tries to convince Valeria to hide out in the United States until everything blows over with Escobar.
Instead of blowing over, though, first things blow up when a car bomb goes off in front of Escobar’s home. Though he isn’t sure who the culprit is, he knows it’s not the police; bombs aren’t their style.
When Valeria gets a middle-of-the-night phone call telling her about the bombing, she immediately realizes she could be a suspect.
The problem isn’t Valeria, though; the Ochoa brothers are busy meeting with the Cali cartel who are offering to broker a deal with the police.
In short order, the Ochoas wheel and deal and turn themselves in under the agreement that they’ll serve reduced sentences — on the bizarre charge of illegally importing bulls from Spain — in exchange for giving up bigger fish.
Thanks to her brothers’ interference, Marina Ochoa (Laura Perico) — who’s been having an ongoing affair with Gustavo — inadvertently leads Search Block to her lover.
Carrillo drags Escobar’s number two off to an abandoned building and has his men beat the crap out of him in an effort to learn Escobar’s whereabouts.
Nonetheless, Gustavo won’t talk. He tells his captors, “We are bandits, not snitches motherf---er!”
Search Block ends up beating him to death — and Carrillo orders his men to report it as a shoot-out with police. (In real life, Gustavo died in a shoot-out with police in 1990, although the beating seems to be an added fiction.)
Valeria comes calling and tells Escobar about the Ochoas, but since they’re in jail Escobar retaliates by murdering a slew of Cali cartel members while they’re playing a soccer match.
Despite the ongoing murder and mayhem, the Colombian Congress rewards Escobar by repealing the extradition agreement.
In the next scene, Escobar self-surrenders — but, popularly, Murphy says, it’s called “The Gran Mentira,” the big lie.
Finally, the episode ends with the scene that started the series, Murphy setting up the karaoke bar raid that kills Poison (Jorge A. Jimenez) along with a slew of innocent bystanders. | The eighth episode opens with Pablo Escobar and his cousin Gustavo running through a forest half-naked. |
The Shadow of the Panther Huey Newton and the Price of Black Power in America By Hugh Pearson Illustrated. 422 pages. Addison-Wesley. $24.
In the acknowledgments of his arresting history of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, "The Shadow of the Panther: Huey Newton and the Price of Black Power in America," Hugh Pearson writes that as a boy he, too, was picked on for having what he considered the sissyish nickname Huey. He was therefore impressed when he later learned that someone else named Huey "could be such a hero to so many people" for his refusal to be intimidated by anyone, black or white.
At the same time, even though Mr. Pearson was the son of a doctor and a member of the black bourgeoisie, he felt in elementary school that to do his school work would mean that he was "becoming like white people, and not being genuinely black." He eventually resolved this conflict by buckling down to his work, excelling and going to an Ivy League college. So he came to wonder whether Huey Newton, his sometime hero, had really accomplished anything by championing the black underclass and espousing violent resistance against the establishment.
Mr. Pearson's conflict between admiration for Newton's image and skepticism of his aims is reflected everywhere in "The Shadow of the Panther." On the one hand, he bends over backward to justify Newton's cause. In his history of the black civil-rights movement from the early 20th-century up through the 1960's, he stresses what he sees as the near inevitability with which nonviolence finally gave way in the face of white intimidation to Stokely Carmichael's call for "black power" and the Panthers' taking up of arms.
He emphasizes how much satisfaction people got from seeing Newton and his followers express "black rage" against what the author calls the often-bigoted police force of the Panthers' home turf in Oakland, Calif. And he underscores the good the Panthers did with their free medical clinic, their food giveaways and their support of the Oakland Community Learning Center, among other public-spirited works.
On the other hand, Mr. Pearson gives more than equal attention to the dark side of the Panthers. He reveals significant details about the fratricidal warfare between Eldridge Cleaver's international wing and Newton's domestic contingent after Mr. Cleaver had jumped bail and fled to Algeria and the two leaders had expelled each other from the party.
He has dug up extensive evidence of the corruption of the Panther leadership, which went from mistreatment of female members to such outright crimes as extortion, drug dealing, misappropriation of funds and murder. And he has charted Newton's own moral disintegration, which left him a paranoid, despotic drug addict who killed subordinates at a whim, who boasted of shooting the police officer for whose murder he was acquitted on a technicality and who was himself finally shot to death on Aug. 22, 1989, by drug dealers apparently fed up with being shaken down for free crack cocaine.
This tension between the good and evil sides of Huey Newton makes for a gripping narrative that reads almost like fiction. Mr. Pearson, an editor and writer for Pacific News Service, doesn't always express himself with the utmost grace. In a typical passage, he writes of a Panther drive to get out the vote for a candidate, "The positive half of the double-edged Panther sword came through like it never had before." And a page later he writes that "Newton was remaindered to jail until the Panthers could raise the $80,000 bail money required for his release," when what he meant to write of course was remanded.
Yet the author succeeds in drawing a richly detailed portrait of a movement most of us were aware of only from intermittent sensational headlines that bounced us from shootouts to show trials. And you never stop being curious about how the author will resolve his ambivalence over Huey Newton and his Panthers.
He arrives at his conclusion somewhat reluctantly. He admits that he was "disappointed that I had to write about so much negative behavior after believing, initially, that most of what I heard about the party -- the beauty of its breakfast programs, its communal theories, and so on -- far outweighed the negative."
But in the end he is definite enough. The line may be blurred between "the proud black imagery" that Newton offered and the image that "could have been not a racist's worst nightmare but a racist's ultimate dream."
But finally, he says, "The shadow of the Panther casts images that are good and bad," but mainly they reflect more posturing than substance. He concludes: "We will continue to see the predominance of posturing over substance among African Americans as long as so many promote themselves and are promoted by the media as pathological outsiders to the American mainstream. And the Black Panther Party will remain a historical phenomenon that was the quintessential intersection of all the confusion inherent in what it has meant to be African-American for the past 30 years."
Photo of Hugh Pearson (Nicola Kountoupes/Addison-Wesley) | The Shadow of the Panther Huey Newton and the Price of Black Power in America By Hugh Pearson Illustrated. 422 pages. Addison-Wesley. $24. In the acknowledgments of his arresting history of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, "The Shadow of the Panther: Huey Newton and the Price of Black Power in America," Hugh Pearson writes that as a boy he, too, was picked on for having what he considered the sissyish nickname Huey. He was therefore impressed when he later learned that someone else named Huey "could be such a hero to so many people" for his refusal to be intimidated by anyone, black or white. |
The British pound has fallen to a 10-month low against the dollar amid a selloff of Scotland-linked companies, after a weekend poll showed a potential surge for independence.
The markets reacted with widespread negative sentiment over rising uncertainty about the United Kingdom's economic stability.
The pound was trading down more than 1 percent against the U.S. dollar in midday trades. At 3 p.m. in the UK trading day it was still 0.99 percent down.
A broad range of companies with major interests in Scotland also saw their share prices fall on Monday.
Weir Group saw its shares drop more than 2.45 percent, SSE fell 2.44 percent and defense contractors Babcock and BAE Systems slid 4.87 percent and 2.37 percent, respectively.
The Royal Bank of Scotland dropped 2.88 percent, Lloyds Banking Group was down 3.36 percent and Standard Life fell 4.2 percent.
The drops eased slightly in afternoon trades.
Many leading pension funds have significant exposure to the banks and big companies affected by the selloff.
Forex.com research director Kathleen Brooks told Sky News: "An independent Scotland would potentially have to start a currency from scratch, which is a hard thing to do.
"Obviously a new currency was formed with the euro, but that was decades in the making -- and Scotland doesn't have the time so it would be a real uphill struggle."
The selloff follows a YouGov poll in the Sunday Times which indicated that 51 percent of Scots supported independence while 49 percent backed the current Union.
It was the first time polls suggested there could be a 'Yes' vote for independence in the referendum on September 18.
On Sunday, Chancellor George Osborne sought to head off the surge of support for an independent Scotland by promising more powers north of the border, including control over taxation, job creation and welfare spending.
"The markets took for granted for so long that it was going to be a 'No' vote and as the polls narrow there has been a huge change in sentiment," Brooks added.
"If there is a 'Yes' vote in 10 days' time, things are going to get very ugly in the markets, not just for the pound, but for stocks and potentially raise our borrowing costs in the UK without Scotland."
And on Monday, party leaders began a final push to sway undecided voters as Alistair Darling, leader of the Better Together campaign, warned a Yes vote "would be forever."
The Scottish government, based on expert advice it has received, has said that Scotland should continue to use the pound as part of a currency union with the rest of the UK.
Click for more from Sky News. | The British pound has fallen to a 10-month low against the dollar amid a sell-off of Scotland-linked companies, after a weekend poll showed a potential surge for independence. |
Every so often you read a news article so revealing that it triggers this thought: I wonder if we’ll look back on that story in five years and say, “We should have seen this coming. That story was the warning sign.”
For me that article was a July 25 piece in The Washington Post about how jilted mistresses of corrupt Chinese government officials have become the country’s most important whistle-blowers — turning to the Internet to expose the antics of senior bureaucrats. The Post detailed the case of a 26-year-old named Ji Yingnan, who had been engaged to wed Fan Yue — a deputy director at the State Administration of Archives — until she discovered that he had been married with a son the entire time they were together.
To get her revenge, Ji “has released hundreds of photos online that offer a rare window into the life of a Chinese central government official who — despite his modest salary — was apparently able to lavish his mistress” with no end of luxury items, The Post reported. The first time “they went shopping, Ji said, the couple went to Prada and paid $10,000 for a skirt, a purse and a scarf. A month after they met, Fan rented an apartment for them that cost $1,500 a month and spent more than $16,000 on bedsheets, home appliances, an Apple desktop and a laptop, according to Ji. Then he bought her a silver Audi A5, priced in the United States at about $40,000, she said. ... ‘He put cash into my purse every day,’ said Ji in a letter to the Communist Party complaining about Fan’s behavior.”
It gets better. The Post reported that “a well-known Chinese blogger who has posted Ji’s photos and videos on his Web site said he spoke with Fan last month. Fan told the blogger that he didn’t spend as much money as Ji claims, saying it was less than $1.7 million but more than $500,000. ‘This woman is not good. She is too greedy,’ the blogger, Zhu Ruifeng, said Fan told him.”
Oh, I see. It was less than $1.7 million. That’s good to know! This guy is a senior bureaucrat in the state archives. What sort of illicit activity was he up to in the file rooms to earn that kind of cash? Every government has corruption, including ours. But China’s is industrial strength. My colleague David Barboza last year exposed how then Prime Minister Wen Jiabao’s mother, son, daughter, younger brother, wife and brother-in-law had collectively amassed $2.7 billion in assets. But when you see how much money a deputy archives director was able to amass — and how brazenly he spent it — you start to wonder and worry.
When I visited China in September, I wrote that I heard a new meme from Chinese businesspeople whom I met: “Make your money and get out.” More than ever, I heard a lack of confidence in the Chinese economic model. We should hope that China can make a stable transition from one-party Communism to a more consensual, multiparty system — and a stable diversification of its low-wage, high-export, state-led command economy — the way South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia and Singapore have done. Its huge savings will help.
The world can ill afford a chaotic transition in China. With America stuck in slow growth, Europe mired in stagnation and the Arab world imploding, China has been a vital economic engine for the global economy. If China’s sagging growth and employment rates meet rising discontent with corruption by officials — trying to get their own while the getting is still good — we will not have a stable transition in China. And if one-sixth of humanity starts going through an unstable and uncertain political/economic transition, it will shake the world.
It would be great if Chinese reporters, bloggers, citizens’ groups and, yes, Internet-empowered mistresses could expose corruption in ways that help make that transition both necessary and possible. But these virtuous civil society actors will only succeed if they find allies in the Communist Party, if they can empower those party cadres who understand the risk to stability, and to their party’s future, posed by runaway corruption.
The Ji and Fan story is very entertaining. But if it is just the tip of an iceberg of corruption that destabilizes China, it won’t be a laughing matter. How Chinese officials behave or misbehave not only will affect us — from the value of our currency to the level of our interest rates to the quality of the air we breathe — it may be the biggest thing that affects us outside of our own government.
There is reason for worry. “The boldness that Chinese leaders have shown in growing their economy from a backwater into the world’s second largest has not been matched, of course, in developing democratic institutions, but more importantly in developing good and honest governance,” said Jeffrey Bader, President Obama’s former senior adviser on China and the author of “Obama and China’s Rise.” But, if China’s leaders don’t take on this issue, he added, “then there will be more corruption, more alienation of ordinary people, and more questions about China’s stability. That would be bad news not only for China, but for the United States, whose future is intertwined with China’s.”
An earlier version of this column misspelled the surname of a New York Times reporter. It is David Barboza, not David Barbosa.
A version of this op-ed appears in print on July 31, 2013, on page A21 of the New York edition with the headline: Revenge Of the Mistresses. Today's Paper|Subscribe | Corruption in China has a ripple effect. Who knew the account of a government official’s extramarital affair would be a warning sign? |
The first-ever national poll measuring public opinion regarding captive orcas, aka killer whales, reveals 40% of respondents oppose the practice. Only 1 in 4 approve of it.
"With recent events shining a spotlight on performing orcas in places like SeaWorld, including the deaths of two trainers and current court challenges questioning the legality, safety and appropriateness of keeping killer whales in confinement, we felt it time to measure public attitudes about orcas in captivity," Courtney Vail of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society said in a statement. "The public has glimpsed the darker side of the captivity industry and is becoming disenchanted with it. The true face of captivity is actually quite repugnant."
WDCS, with the Humane Society of the United States and the Animal Welfare Institute, commissioned the phone survey of 1,000 adults.
RELATED: New SeaWorld killer whale shows will keep trainers out of the water
The animal rights groups say that orcas are too big, too intelligent and too socially complex to adjust to life in captivity.
Seventy-one percent of respondents said the absence of orcas at aquariums, zoos and aquatic theme parks wouldn't dissuade them from visiting, and 14% said they'd be more likely to visit if a facility had no orcas.
Meanwhile, whale-watching in the wild is gaining in popularity, with more operators from Washington to New Zealand offering tours. The Humane Society supports the activity – if it's done properly.
"We support responsible viewing of whales and dolphins in the wild," says Humane Society marine mammal scientist Naomi Rose. "Responsible means controlling the numbers of vessels, the time spent with the animals, the areas where vessels can follow the whales and so on. Whale watching can be done badly – we support whale watching when it's done right."
Here's your chance to weigh in. Does keeping whales in captivity serve a legitimate educational or conservation purpose? Or is it just inhumane? | The first-ever national poll measuring public opinion regarding captive orcas, aka killer whales, shows many oppose the practice. |
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Powerball ticket sold in West Virginia that was worth $1 million from the Feb. 11 drawing has gone unclaimed.
West Virginia Lottery spokesman Randy Burnside says no one stepped forward by the Aug. 11 deadline. Ticketholders have 180 days from the drawing date to claim their prizes. The ticket matching five of the six Powerball numbers was sold on Wheeling Island.
Burnside says the retailer will still receive a $10,000 bonus for selling the ticket, while the unclaimed money will be shifted to a fund for future prizes.
Burnside says the lottery also is waiting for someone to claim a match-5 ticket sold in Poca for the Aug. 2 Powerball drawing. | A Powerball ticket sold in West Virginia that was worth $1 million from the Feb. 11 drawing has gone unclaimed. |
Keri Russell (“The Americans”) Russell, 40, first rose to fame starring in “Felicity” on the WB (never a network that received much Emmy love) from 1998 to 2002. She got her first prestige drama role as undercover KGB spy Elizabeth Jennings on FX’s “The Americans” in 2013, but the show was shut out of major Emmy categories, to critics’ horror, every year until now. “We’ve not been nominated so many times we were so sure we’d never be nominated!” Russell told USA Today of her and co-star/boyfriend Matthew Rhys, also a first-time nominee.
Constance Zimmer (“UnREAL”) Zimmer is one of those actresses who has consistently worked in supporting roles on TV since the ’90s — “Good Morning, Miami,” “Joan of Arcadia,” “Boston Legal,” “Entourage” and “House of Cards” among them. But she finally got her Emmy-worthy role at age 45, as the deliciously ruthless TV producer Quinn King. “I screamed, jumped up and down, got a little teary and screamed again,” Zimmer told Access Hollywood.
Courtney B. Vance (“The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story”) At 56, Vance has racked up a long résumé of TV roles, including starring in five seasons of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” the short-lived “Flashforward” and guest roles in “ER,” “Revenge” and “The Closer.” But the Yale drama grad is perhaps more recognized on Broadway, where he’s nabbed three Tony nods (including a win for 2013’s “Lucky Guy”). But it was his spot-on portrayal of Simpson defense lawyer Johnnie Cochran that confirmed to a wider audience what theatergoers have known for years: Vance is the real deal. And while he went up against his former scene partner Gooding Jr. in the category, Vance said there’s no cast rivalry: “I love my man, so win, lose, or draw, we’ll still be brothers,” he told E! News. | With the nominations for this year’s 68th Emmy Awards, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences proves it can still surprise us. While the 2016 pack includes its share of familiar TV faces and… |
Editor's note: Roland Martin is a syndicated columnist and author of "The First: President Barack Obama's Road to the White House." He is a commentator for the TV One cable network and host/managing editor of its Sunday morning news show, "Washington Watch with Roland Martin."
Enough with putting off tomorrow what we should be talking about today. Enough with being afraid to step on someone's delicate sensibilities when it comes to the Second Amendment. Enough with elected leaders who are too cowardly to confront the National Rifle Association and their ardent supporters. Enough with moms and dads and brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles and pastors and deacons who are afraid to make public the private anguish of mental illness.
Enough with just asking for thoughts and prayers. Enough with just hugging our children. Enough with leaving flowers and teddy bears at a makeshift memorial.
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It's time for action. It's time for people of conscience to, in the words of the late civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer, be "sick and tired of being sick and tired."
America, 20 of our children are dead, and we are all paralyzed, not knowing what to do or say. I've shed tears for the lives of the innocent children and adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Many of you have likely done the same.
Opinion: Mourn, and take action on guns
We witnessed the president of the United States, Barack Obama, stand before the country fighting back tears talking about the lives lost, reminding of us other tragedies involving guns and sick individuals behind the trigger.
And every time this happened, those who refuse to discuss gun control are quick to say, "Now is not the time."
One day after Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher shot and killed his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, NBC Sports anchor Bob Costas said it was time to talk about this nation's fascination with guns. Instead of being hailed as an honest communicator, he was vilified for having the audacity to raise the subject at the halftime of a football game.
Have we become such a nation of cowards that we are desperate to not discuss a real issue, instead saying, "Please, shut up so I can watch the game?"
Yet today, we are glued to the television, unable to turn from the scene in Newtown, Connecticut, eager to find every new detail as to what led to the horrific mass murder of a classroom full of kindergartners.
Share your thoughts on the shooting
It wasn't time to talk about this when Rep. Gabby Giffords was shot in the head, and six others were killed in January 2011. It wasn't time in July 2012 when 12 people were blown away in a movie theater in Colorado. Seven were killed at a Sikh temple near Milwaukee near August, and we were told then, "Now is not the time."
So, please, exactly when is the time?
This nation, whether we want to admit it not, is one that is fascinated and enraptured with guns. It courses through our veins like heroin shooting through the arms of an addict. We love to see it in our movies, video games, on television, and then we'll fiercely defend the right to bear arms, all while flagrantly waving the U.S. Constitution in the face of anyone who objects.
News: Obama remains committed to assault weapons ban, White House
There is absolutely no reason why we need as many guns in America. None. It simply shouldn't be the way of life others are so quick to defend. There is absolutely no doubt that we need tough and stringent gun control. Not solely to prevent murders like those in Connecticut, but to remove the option when someone is angered, depressed or in the case of too many, mentally ill.
And that's the second issue that it's time that we come to grips with in this country: We are a nation that has chosen to either medicate or ignore altogether.
"They have a few screws loose." "You know he's off his rocker." We've heard all of the terms. We often laugh and dismiss the mentally ill in America, choosing to cross the street when we see the homeless veteran screaming and cussing at anyone who walks by. When it's time for budget cuts, those most vulnerable often get thrown out first.
For years American cities, counties and states have shirked their responsibility when it comes to the mentally ill, choosing to abandon helping them, but quick to build a new prison to incarcerate them when a law is broken.
Now we wait to see if the Newtown, Connecticut, killer will be the latest Jared Lee Loughner (Gabby Giffords), Seung-Hui Cho (Virginia Tech), or James Holmes (Colorado movie theater all individuals who were described as mentally unstable.
Timeline: School violence in the U.S.
Too often the warning signs were there, but ignored for one reason or another.
Could any of these tragedies have been prevented? No one knows for sure. But I sure as hell would rather try than have to be a first responder and look a parent in the eye and say, "Sir or ma'am, I'm sorry. But your baby is dead, killed in the classroom along with 19 other classmates."
See, now is the time that they are having that conversation. Now is the time those parents are grieving the loss of their babies. Now is the time parents in Newtown, Connecticut are eschewing Christmas plans to prepare for a funeral.
School shooting: Shattering the sense of safety
America, now is the time for us to stop living in denial. We must address guns. We must address mental illness. We must have the courage and conviction to put aside our political views and deal with the task at hand.
America, NOW IS THE TIME.
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The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Roland Martin. | Roland Martin asks whether we have become a nation of cowards that we are desperate to not discuss real issues such as gun control. |
By JULIET LAPIDOSAUG. 5, 2014
WE learned something about New York Times online commenters recently: They are far, far more supportive of marijuana legalization than the average American.
Over the last 10 days, The Times’s Editorial Board published a series calling for an end to the federal ban on marijuana. This stance, we realized, was hardly avant-garde. As we noted in an essay on public views, a majority of Americans now favor legalizing use of the drug. But this majority is not especially large: 54 percent to 42 percent, according to the Pew Research Center’s latest poll.
In the comments section of the High Time series, we asked readers to state their preference: for legalization, against it or unsure. Obviously, combing through Internet comments won’t yield results that are publishable in a scientific journal. Still, the lopsided response seems to indicate that Times readers — at least readers of the online edition — overwhelmingly believe that prohibition is pointless.
As of Tuesday afternoon, roughly 15,000 comments were published online on seven editorials: 12,658 were for, 982 against, and 254 unsure. (Not everyone chose a category. And letters to the editor, by contrast, were far more mixed.)
By and large, readers seem to support legalization for the same reasons the editorial writers do. They are convinced marijuana is less dangerous than alcohol and tobacco and believe that the criminalization of marijuana is more likely to ruin lives than marijuana itself. Arrest and incarceration for possession of a relatively harmless substance is, to many readers, unacceptable.
Mark Hanna of Virginia summed up the consensus view: “Like many wars, the war on drugs has caused too much carnage. Let’s responsibly legalize marijuana.”
Kyle of Oklahoma made the same point in more detail: “No matter how bad you think marijuana is for kids, teens or adults, the fact is that arrest, incarceration, and the ruin they bring is worse. The question is not whether marijuana is ‘O.K.’ It is how [to] effectively deal with it. Illegality and moral censure are and should remain separate tools. ... I think many people are worried about losing control of their kids, but I don’t think a single one of them wants to see their kid locked up.”
And Justine, a nurse in Portland, Ore., wrote from personal experience: “I have yet to see one patient come through our doors suffering the long-term consequence of pot use. Not one. Alcohol? I can’t even begin to count. And when they do, it is very ugly. Patients in the E.R. because someone smoked a couple of joints and got violent? Not so much.”
Not surprisingly, commenters did advance arguments that the Editorial Board overlooked, or touched upon only in passing. Some, including Daniel of Alabama, supported legalization on ideological, libertarian grounds: “I reject the federal government’s right to decide what I put in my body. Even if it was ‘bad’ for you, so what? We don’t ban skydiving, driving in cars, hunting, professional backyard wrestling, traveling to 3rd world countries, sugary foods and beverages, standing outside during thunderstorms with a metal pole, swimming after eating, caffeine, ibuprofen, alcohol, cigarettes or prescription drugs, all of which are statistically more likely to harm you.”
Other readers endorsed legalization as a way to reduce the power of drug cartels. Pedro, a reader in Mexico City, explained: “In Mexico, we have a bloody war against drugs. ... This prohibition has done [nothing] but destroy people by putting them in jail. Drug dealers killing each other for territory, etc. There are more cartels than there were when the prohibition started. This prohibition has only empowered drug dealers. I say let cannabis [be] free. Stop benefiting the cartels.”
Instead of allowing gangs to profit from marijuana, some readers suggested that local governments could patch up their budgets by taxing the drug. “In this era of dwindling coffers,” wrote Kelli Dunaway of St. Louis, “it seems that the regulation, sale and taxation of marijuana offers some badly needed fiscal relief. In my state, that may be the only argument with any impact.”
ALTHOUGH the vast majority of readers wrote in support of legalization, there was, of course, some dissent. There were readers who considered the series downright reckless and who questioned our priorities.
Robert Jackson of Denver said “we need to put the needs of America’s youth ahead of the needs of people who want to get stoned.” He dismissed the notion that “pot is a safe and harmless drug” as the product of a “well-funded blitzkrieg propaganda campaign,” and called the argument that alcohol is more dangerous than marijuana a “propaganda tactic of distraction.” Sam Coulter of New York was more blunt: “Arguing [marijuana] should be legal just because alcohol is legal is just plain stupid.”
We expected some readers to make the slippery-slope case against legalizing marijuana, and they did. Keval Parekh of New Jersey wrote, sarcastically, “Sure, Democrats, let’s fully legalize marijuana. ... And while we’re at it, how about cocaine, meth, heroin and LSD.” But he also took a rather surprising position: He called on Republicans to “end their hypocritical stance on alcohol and tobacco. ... They should come out as against ALL types of drugs (including alcohol and tobacco)!”
Mr. Parekh was not the only reader to recommend doubling-down on prohibition. Susan of Boston identified herself as “someone who thinks tobacco smoking should be outlawed.”
Somehow we don’t anticipate “repeal the 21st amendment, ban tobacco” working as a slogan on the campaign trail; certainly any candidate who suggested blanket prohibition would lose The Times’s readership. In fact, many readers argued that legalization — rather than continued or broader prohibition — was the political winner. They noticed the near-unanimity in the comments section, and, perhaps getting a little carried away, imagined hope-and-change emanating from the White House.
Chris of Virginia had some advice for President Obama: “He should use executive authority to legalize marijuana on a national level and let each state decide their own laws. This could be an opportunity for Pres. Obama to cement his legacy and give the nation what it clearly desires.”
The president would, at least, be giving a majority of Times commenters what they clearly desire.
A version of this editorial appears in print on August 6, 2014, on page A20 of the New York edition with the headline: Times Readers Online Make Their Own Cases for Legalizing Marijuana. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe | In roughly 15,000 comments published on seven editorials, readers were far more supportive of ending the federal ban on marijuana than the average American. |
Clear Channel’s president of programming, Tom Poleman, is the man who made Miley Cyrus, Rihanna and Katy Perry famous.
As the guy who decides exactly what songs are played on each of the 850 Clear Channel stations, Poleman weighed in to Confidenti@l about artists he has worked with and what he really thinks of them.
PHOTOS: I SAW MILEY TWERKING ON SANTA CLAUS: STAR'S WILDEST MOMENTS
“You hear a new artist for the first time, like Rita Ora," he recalls. “Jay Z brought her up into my office, and we all sat around and listened to her music. I thought it was great, and I walked down the hallway and put it on Z100 and then I walked further down the hallway and then put it on KTU.
“It’s exciting to hear something for the first time and then letting the world in on it,” Poleman says about his decision-making.
It’s a powerful position. Poleman is also responsible for making Justin Timberlake’s “20/20” get major airtime, and gave Rihanna her first radio play.
“Nine years ago, Jay Z called me to his studio to listen to a new female artist he was working with,” he says. “It was Rihanna, and I knew I wasn’t leaving the studio without her record.”
Poleman hauled it to the station and immediately had his DJs play it. “That moment was the beginning of Rihanna,” he says.
On Miley Cyrus, he calls her the “new Britney Spears,” and says she’s got everybody fooled.
“I believe everything Miley is doing is very smart and very calculated,” he says. “She comes off like she is wild and crazy, but she knows what she is doing. There are certain people that you see in this business that you worry about self-destructing, and Miley isn’t one of them. She is doing a great job of keeping herself in the spotlight.”
PHOTOS: RIHANNA STRUTS HER STUFF IN NYC: CELEBRITIES WEARING SHORT SHORTS
Poleman tells us he’s been wrong in the past, but that overall, he can make a star when he hears a hit.
“I love being proved wrong,” he says. “You don’t always know the biggest hits, but I like to think my batting average is pretty good.
“One of the coolest things about the job is to hear music that you know is going to be all over the airwaves, that is going to influence pop culture, and you get to hear it first.”
The radio honcho is also the brains behind the annual Z100 Jingle Ball concert, set Friday at Madison Square Garden.
We love a fake! Abigail Breslin hit Imposter Faux Fur’s holiday shopping experience at Henri Bendel, benefiting the Mayor’s Alliance for New York City’s animals.
Fashionistas and animal lovers tried on the fauxs, with Breslin arriving in the company’s signature faux fur chinchilla bolero. Others tried on muffs, vests and hats, with funds going to protecting animals.
Let’s hope this isn’t becoming a trend. Following in the bizarre footsteps of Miley Cyrus, who bleached her eyebrows temporarily last week, Victoria’s Secret Angel Alessandra Ambrosio sported blond eyebrows for a photo shoot at the beach in Miami on Wednesday.
The gothic picture session included full-coverage ensembles and even a face mask.
At least one “Today” show veteran is firmly on Team Matt Lauer.
At the recent UNICEF Snowflake Ball at Cipriani Wall Street, Bryant Gumbel told Confidenti@l, “I still am amazed that people make a big deal about Ann Curry getting fired.
Please. People get fired all the time. You don’t do the job, you get fired. I’m trying to figure out when she became Joan of Arc.”
Gumbel went on to emcee the star-studded event, featuring a performance by Katy Perry.
David Blaine magically appearing at Tao midtown. … Author Scott Gutterman celebrating his new book, “Miles Davis: The Collected Artwork,” at a Rock Paper Photo event at Chelsea’s Gallery 15. … Wilmer Valderrrama and pals drinking Don Julio 1942 at midtown’s Hakkasan. … Estelle and DJ Mick performing at luxury watch brand IWC’s Art Basel party in Miami. … Javier Bardem offering bidders a chance to visit him on set for a Robert F. Kennedy Center holiday auction. ... Kevin Bacon and A Band Called Holmes jams at The Cutting Room Sunday.
Wooo! It looks as if Emanuela de Paula is suspended in midair with her perfect abs and perfect arms.
But de Paula was deep into modeling for a beach photo shoot in Miami, along with supermodel Jessica Hart.
PHOTOS: JESSICA HART HEATS UP MIAMI WITH SIZZLING BIKINI SHOOT
Fergie and 4-month-old son Axl communicate well, even if the conversations are a bit one-sided.
“He’s trying to talk to me. He’s trying to sing to me,” she told us after making a $50,000 donation to amFAR.
“It’s great. I’ll just sit there and sing songs to him. He’ll look at me, he’ll laugh, and he’ll try to chime in and make these really weird sounds. He gets very proud of himself. And I just sit there clapping like the proud mom I am.”
One perk of working with Jennifer Lopez: You get not one, but two J.Lo Barbie dolls!
Kristin Chenoweth, filming “The Boy Next Door” with Lopez, left a dinner at Craig’s restaurant in West Hollywood carrying two of the controversial dolls under one arm.
The problem lies in the lady lumps, which some say don’t do the curvaceous pop star justice.
‘Hairs’ to being an egomaniac! X-Factor judge Simon Cowell lets it all hang out as heand gal pal Lauren Silverman leave BOA Steakhouse in L.A on Saturday.
Lauren finalized her divorce with Andrew Silverman and is expecting a child with music mogul.
Is George Steinbrenner headed back to Broadway, where he started out?
Steinbrenner, the volatile Yankee boss who died in 2010, began his run on the big stage in the 1960s and ’70s when he and producer Jimmy Nederlander backed several productions, including 1970 Tony winner “Applause.”
Now, Daily News baseball columnist Bill Madden and Pulitzer Prize-winning former New York Times sportswriter Ira Berkow have written a play based on Madden’s 2010 best-selling biography, “Steinbrenner, the Last Lion of Baseball,” and hope to get their play into production.
If a recent script reading at the American Airlines Theater is any indication, actor Richard Kind would make a perfect Steinbrenner. Zach Grenier was a perfect foil as general manager Gabe Paul. Ditto Daniel Davis, who read the roles of patriarch Henry Steinbrenner and commissioner Fay Vincent, who briefly threw George out of baseball.
Artie Lange sat down for writer and comedian Mandy Stadtmiller’s podcast, where he opened up about his past suicide attempt and how it was to see ex-boss Howard Stern in the flesh for the first time since his recovery.
Both men were visiting Stern’s sidekick Robin Quivers in the hospital when they ran into each other. “It was just the three of us for like an hour,” said Lange, who once feuded with Stern. “It was like seeing an old friend. ... We had become friendly. And he defused it immediately and said, ‘Just what we need to make Robin laugh — it’s Artie.’ ”
He plays a clueless prison guard on “Orange Is the New Black,” but Pablo Schreiber knows a thing or two about being behind behind bars.
“I’m probably not supposed to say this, but I’ve been to prison,” he told Confidenti@l while out on the town recently. “I survived for a night. It was actually jail, not prison. Prison is easier.” Schreiber, whose brother is actor Liev Schreiber, also told us what he learned: “Zero.” | Clear Channel’s president of programming, Tom Poleman, is the man who made Miley Cyrus, Rihanna andKaty Perry famous. |
As the one-year anniversary of credit and debit card swipe fee reform approaches, a debate about whether shoppers are saving at the register as a result rages on.
The National Retail Federation estimates that U.S. retailers and customers save $18 million a day thanks to reform that reduced the swipe or interchange fee –typically a 1.5 percent to 3 percent charge — paid to banks for credit card transactions.
The Durbin amendment, which lowered the so-called “interchange fees,” went into effect on Oct. 1, 2011 in response to financial reform on Wall Street.
The alleged savings though can be a bit squishy to identify.
“Merchants haven’t necessarily labeled the savings from reform as a ‘debit discount’ but they have nonetheless found a variety of ways to pass the value along to their customers,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in a statement. “Depending on the store, shoppers are paying lower prices, getting better service or avoiding prices hikes that otherwise would have come with inflation.”
“Retailers are simply too competitive not to share savings with consumers because customer value is one of the key ways they take market share away from their competitors,” Shay said.
According to Bankrate, swipe fees revenue doubled from $30 billion to $60 billion from 2005 to 2011, while checking fees rose from $11 to $14 on average during the same period. After labor, according to the Wall Street Journal, interchange fees are the largest expense for retailers.
But, the Electronic Payments Coalition, a payment industry group for banks, says consumers are being hit in other ways.
“Giant retailers lobbied Congress so they could pay less to accept a debit card, with a wink and a nod that they would lower prices for their customers. One year later, ask yourself – do you feel that you’ve seen lower prices? Have you seen a discount for using your debit card – which would have been the easiest and most direct way to fulfill their promise to Congress,” Trish Wexler, a spokesperson for EPC wrote ABC News in a statement.
According to a report by financial research firm Javelin Strategy & Research, credit card swipe reform cost banks $6.6 billion a year in lost revenue.
” More likely, you’ve seen your free checking disappear and increased fees as card issuers had to make up for $8 billion in lost revenue that supported these debit card programs. Let’s just call a spade a spade – this was a political handout to big-box retailers, who are now scrambling to make excuses for why they couldn’t pass these savings along to customers,” Wexler continued.
Since the fourth quarter of 2009 through June of 2011, the number of big banks offering free checking accounts declined by 54 percent, according to research firm Moebs Services.
Ed Mierzwinski, consumer program director for the advocacy group U.S. PIRG, says small banks and credit unions continue to offer free checking accounts and there’s no proof consumers are not saving money.
“Small banks are benefiting from swipe reform. The industry has no proof that merchants aren’t passing savings along but the bank industry is trying to gain support for a horrible settlement that will allow them to perpetuate their horrible practice and continue to raise swipe fees,” Mierzwinski told ABC News.
Mierzwinski said many unfair practices by the banks have been changed by good regulation, including swipe fee reform on debit cards, recent CFB-imposed penalties on credit card deceptive marketing and the 2009 Credit Card act that curtailed credit card companies late fees and restricts exorbitant interest rate increases.
“The banks and VISA and Mastercard credit card networks are using a cartel to gouge merchants with unfair swipe fees that were non-negotiable and the result is cash customers at the store are paying higher prices because swipe fees were going towards creating rewards for more affluent credit card customers,” says Mierzwinski. | (Image credit: AP Photo) As the one-year anniversary of credit and debit card swipe fee reform approaches, a debate about whether shoppers are saving at the register as a result rages on. The National Retail Federation estimates that U.S. retailers and customers save $18 million a day thanks to reform that reduced the swipe or interchange fee –typically a 1.5 percent to 3 percent charge — paid to banks for credit card transactions. The Durbin amendment, which lowered the so-called “interchange fees,” went into effect on Oct. 1, 2011 in response to financial reform on Wall Street. The alleged savings… |
Police responding to a break-in at a gun store in Marietta, Ga., were shot at early Tuesday morning during a tense stand off that ended when the county's SWAT used anarmored vehicle to enter the store.
Marietta police Officer Brittany Wallace said no injuries were reported and four suspects have been apprehended at the Deercreek Gunshop.
Gun shop burglary turns into shots fired & the SWAT Team called in Marietta. @Fox5Kaitlyn has live report in minutes pic.twitter.com/AiXBBeNhYr
Wallace said officers responding to a report of a burglary noticed movement on top of and inside the building, and soon apprehended two suspects.
She said a third suspect inside the business fired on officers, who returned fire, but no one was hit by the gunshots. She said a fourth suspect came out of the business with his hands up.
SURRENDER 4th man taken into custody in Marietta. WATCH: #breaking pic.twitter.com/jD3e1puglX
The store is about 18 miles northwest of downtown Atlanta.
Wallace said shortly before 8 a.m. Tuesday that police were using an armored police vehicle to make entry into the business and make sure there was no one else inside.
Wallace told FOX 5 that as the scene progressed, someone from inside the gun shop began firing and that's when police fired back.
"As far as we know, no one was struck and that third suspect has been taken into custody," she said.
Wallace said she didn't know exactly how the report was received by police, but she said there were no signs of any type of ambush or attempt to lure officers to the store. Police nationwide have been on high alert in the wake of recent killings of police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Video from a television news helicopter showed officers taking cover behind police cars outside the gun store.
"There are several officers, and our response to anything here lately has been that way," Wallace said. "We want to make sure the business is secure, but also the surroundings are secure for our safety."
The Associated Press contributed to this report | Police outside Atlanta say they were shot at while responding to break-in at a gun store. |
“Boss,” a series on Starz about a crooked Chicago mayor, is almost good, and it falls short for the same reason that the George Clooney movie “Ides of March” isn’t good enough. Both are political thrillers that romanticize malfeasance, imbuing corruption with a sinister melodrama that defies common sense and cheapens the thrill of bad behavior.
Voters don’t trust elected officials, but Hollywood doesn’t trust itself to do politicians justice; screenwriters keep piling operatic misdeeds onto characters whose strength lies in their huge capacity for pettiness.
“All the King’s Men,” the novel and movie based on the career of Huey Long, set the template for larger-than-life politicians. But Season 3 of “The Wire” proved that it was also possible to find suspense and meaning in the seamiest margins of city council meetings and municipal elections.
“Boss,” which begins on Friday and stars Kelsey Grammer, can’t quite keep faith with its own cynicism. The series premiere is beautifully but ponderously shot: Chicago as seen through the eyes of a stylish European auteur. The story has some finely drawn characters and lots of promising material: This is, after all, politics the Chicago way. But too often the plot veers off into overwrought tangents that clash with the bleak realism of the story.
Office affairs are conducted with the humorless intensity of “9 ½ Weeks.” The mayor’s henchmen enforce his decrees with methods that would make even Bulgarian secret agents giggle.
Two other shows — a Danish series, “Borgen,” that begins next week on LinkTV and “Borgia,” a Canal Plus production now available on Netflix — have a steadier fix on politics, mostly by avoiding the obvious.
This version of the Borgia story, created by Tom Fontana (“Oz”) and made in Europe with an international cast, is more cerebral than the rollicking Showtime mini-series “The Borgias,” starring Jeremy Irons. That Renaissance dynasty is famous for grotesque murders, orgies and conspiracy and a complete lack of piety inside the Vatican. “Borgia” also factors in the contradictions of papal intrigue and religious faith.
“Borgen” is almost the exact opposite, a thriller woven around possibly the most boring conflict in Europe: parliamentary elections in Denmark. The series, which is shown with subtitles, was created by the makers of the original Danish mini-series “The Killing.” (NBC has plans for a remake of “Borgen.”) A bleaker, Nordic version of “The West Wing,” “Borgen” finds a remarkable amount of drama and suspense in center-left alliances, pension plans and televised debates.
Likewise, some of the most exciting scenes in “Boss” are found in the most prosaic crises: a city council vote on trash disposal, a gubernatorial campaign bus tour. But the series shares the outsize ambition of its hero, Tom Kane, played by Mr. Grammer as a modern-day version of the first Mayor Daley, Richard J. Daley, the boss of the Chicago Democratic machine.
It’s an atavistic portrait of Cook County politics; Rahm Emanuel is the current Chicago mayor, and nobody fears a machine anymore. The drama “The Good Wife,” also set in Chicago, hypes campaigns — more time, PAC money and advertising seems to go into the state’s attorney’s race than in an entire presidential election — but there is still a believability to the behavior of politicians.
Mr. Grammer is persuasive as an old-school bully. Here he has none of the effete, fussy charm he perfected on “Frasier.” Kane is a wily autocrat who can wax poetic in speeches but privately brings aides and even aldermen to their knees — sometimes literally.
The mayor has a secret: a degenerative neurological disease that he hides with the same ruthless guile he uses to cover up all the bribery and patronage paving his airport expansion project. He doesn’t tell his cool and estranged wife, Meredith (Connie Nielsen), and he isn’t on speaking terms with his only child, Emma (Hannah Ware), who once had a drug problem and now works at a free clinic far outside her father’s zone of influence.
Kane doesn’t even tell his closest aides, Ezra Stone (Martin Donovan) and Kitty O’Neil (Kathleen Robertson), icily competent consiglieri who do his bidding without question or complaint.
The only person who dares to question the mayor’s health and probity is an investigative reporter, Sam Miller (Troy Garity), who quarrels with his editor and drinks in a bar that has a framed photograph of the legendary columnist Mike Royko. (Mr. Garity is the son of Jane Fonda and Tom Hayden, but in this role he is a dead ringer for Dustin Hoffman in “All the President’s Men.”)
Perhaps to avoid dwelling on the demise of his own career, Kane meddles in the re-election campaign of a crony, Gov. McCall Cullen (Francis Guinan), covertly switching his allegiance to a young primary challenger, State Treasurer Ben Zajac (Jeff Hephner). Zajac appears to be grateful for the mayor’s help, but he also seems to have his own agenda. That includes an extra-marital affair so torrid it is actually laughable.
There are movies and TV shows about politics that tempt viewers to fast forward through the details of governing to get to the juicy parts. “Boss” is the opposite, a smart look at political power brokers that gets silly on the subjects of sex and violence.
Starz, Friday nights at 10, Eastern and Pacific times; 9, Central time.
Produced by Grammnet NH and Lionsgate Television. Created by Farhad Safinia; written by Mr. Safinia (pilot only), Richard Levina and Lyn Greene; pilot directed by Gus Van Sant; Mr. Safinia, Mr. Van Sant, Mr. Levine, Ms. Greene, Kelsey Grammer, Brian Sher and Stella Bulochnikov, executive producers; Dan Clancy, production designer; Juliet Polcsa, costume designer; Kasper Tuxen, director of photography.
WITH: Kelsey Grammer (Mayor Tom Kane), Connie Nielsen (Meredith Kane), Kathleen Robertson (Kitty O’Neil), Hanna Ware (Emma Kane), Jeff Hephner (Ben Zajac), Martin Donovan (Ezra Stone), Francis Guinan (Gov. McCall Cullen), Rotimi Akinosho (Darius Morrison) and Troy Garity (Sam Miller). | In âBoss,â a new Starz series, Kelsey Grammer plays a Chicago mayor who controls everything but the melodrama. |
Facebook’s sales jumped nearly 50% in the latest quarter, fueled by growing ad revenue from more users connecting through their mobile phones, the company said Wednesday. Here are the key points from Facebook’s fourth quarter earnings report.
What you need to know: The social networking giant continued to ride a strong mobile ad business to $3.85 billion in quarterly revenue — an increase of 49% from $2.6 billion during the same quarter a year earlier. Facebook’s quarterly profits totaled $701 million, or 25 cents per share, representing a 34% year-over-year increase.
Once again, Facebook FB got a bulk of its revenue from mobile ads as it surpassed analyst expectations of $3.7 billion in revenue. Facebook’s sales have grown by about 60% in each of the previous two quarters with much of those gains attributed to mobile ads. Despite topping analysts’ forecasts, Facebook’s fourth quarter saw the company’s slowest rate of quarterly sales growth since early-2013 and the company’s shares dipped slightly in after-hours trading.
The company also provided full-year financial results, showing a 58% bump in annual revenue, to $12.5 billion, and $2.9 billion in profits — nearly double 2013’s profits.
“We got a lot done in 2014,” CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a statement. “Our community continues to grow and we’re making progress towards connecting the world,”
The big number: Facebook ended 2014 with 1.39 billion monthly active users (MAUs), which was up 13% from 2013. Mobile MAUs grew by 26% in 2014, to 1.19 billion.
Facebook’s expanding mobile ad business, which has shown huge gains over the past couple of years, represented nearly 69% of the company’s $3.6 billion in ad revenue. Ad sales were up 53% from last year’s fourth quarter, when mobile ads accounted for only 53% of overall ad revenue.
What you might have missed: In October, Facebook’s tumbled slightly following the company’s third-quarter earnings report after the company announced plans to dramatically increase the company’s spending on hiring and acquisitions in 2015. In the fourth quarter, Facebook said, the company’s capital expenditures rose 7%, to $517 million. | Mobile ads accounted for 69% of the social networking giant's fourth-quarter ad revenue. But higher costs spooked some investors. |
Former intelligence agency contractor Edward Snowden (C) and Sarah Harrison (L) of WikiLeaks speak to human rights representatives in Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport (REUTERS/Human Rights Watch/Handout)
NSA leaker Edward Snowden has been granted temporary asylum in Russia and has reportedly left Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport, his home for five long weeks. But there’s a catch for the U.S. fugitive. Well, this being Russia, probably several catches, but one of them is that his asylum will last for only one year. The Russian transit papers he was given are clearly marked as expiring on July 31, 2014.
Given that it took Snowden this long just to get out of the airport, he might reasonably be concerned about whether 12 months will give him enough time to either flee to another country or secure a more permanent status in Russia. Under Russian law, as ably explained by Radio Free Europe’s Tom Balmforth last week, Snowden has three potential paths to shelter in Russia, only one of which offers permanent asylum. The other two are temporary. Barring some high-level political intervention – which is surely possibly, though hardly guaranteed given Russian President Vladimir Putin’s past comments on the matter – none of Snowden’s options looks especially promising.
Here’s a quick rundown of the various paths open to him:
This is the only path to permanent shelter in Russia. Russian law on political asylum sounds like most other countries’ laws: It grants “asylum or protection from persecution or a real threat of becoming a victim of persecution” for people facing ill-treatment in their home countries for “social-political activities or convictions that do not contradict the democratic principles recognized by the international community and norms of international law.”
Sounds straightforward, but Radio Free Europe found only 14 people in the past five years who had applied for political asylum in Russia — and none of them appeared to have been successful. That may be in large part because winning political asylum requires a presidential decree.
Russian law says foreigners on Russian soil can apply for refugee status if they fear they could become a “victim of persecution due to their race, religion, citizenship, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political belief.” Refugees in Russia tend to come from some rough spots: Syria, Afghanistan and Central Asia are among the biggest sources. (So is more peaceful and stable Georgia.)
But refugee status only lasts for up to three years and is reviewed every year. It’s not clear whether it can be renewed at the end of the three years.
It’s also rarely granted. Radio Free Europe examined official Russian government statistics and found that, between January 2007 and April 2012, 12,500 people applied for refugee status but only 961 got it – a success rate of just 7 percent. That’s down significantly from earlier years, when the rate was around one-in-three. Immigration from Central Asia is a sensitive issue in Russia, where ethnic Russian birth rates are declining rapidly as legal and illegal immigration from post-Soviet Central Asian states rises.
3. Extension of ‘temporary asylum’ through legal appeals (temporary)
Snowden’s temporary-asylum status may run out in one year, but that doesn’t mean Russia will automatically deport him on Aug. 1, 2014, if he’s been denied permanent political asylum. As in the United States, he can continue living in Russia if he is in the process of appealing that decision. He could appeal, first, directly to the federal immigration service and then to a Russian court. The process typically lasts about a year, which means that his one-year temporary asylum could functionally last two years if he times his appeals well.
Caveat: Snowden’s case is far from typical
The Russian refugee and asylum processes are daunting, but they’re normally braved by regular families or individuals from places such as Syria or Afghanistan – not by high-profile and geopolitically significant American intelligence contractors. Putin has clearly taken an interest in the case and has publicly stated that Snowden can stay as long as he stops releasing information “damaging to our American partners.”
Still, temporary asylum is much easier to get in Russia than are other forms of shelter. Between 2001 and 2007, according to government statistics, 43 percent of applicants were granted the one-year reprieve. | Only 7 percent of refugee applicants are approved. No one has been granted political asylum in the past five years. |
By Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY
broke ground Tuesday in Dallas for his presidential library, officials weighed whether or not to display one item that few know is being held in storage there: the "Mission Accomplished" banner.
The banner was the backdrop aboard the USS Lincoln during Bush's televised speech May 1, 2003, to proclaim the end of major combat in Iraq. It caused controversy in the months that followed when violence in Iraq spiraled.
The banner now sits in storage and will become part of the library's collection. A decision on how or whether to display the red-white-and-blue banner hasn't been made, said Alan Lowe, director of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum.
Lowe, who is employed by the National Archives, a federal agency, said the military shipped several items, including the banner, to the archives in 2005. About six months ago, the archives transferred the banner to the temporary site for the library in Lewisville, Texas. The permanent library, the George W. Bush Presidential Center, will be on the Southern Methodist University campus in Dallas. It is to open in 2013.
Before the speech in 2003, Bush landed on the aircraft carrier in a jet and walked on its deck in a flight suit. He thanked the troops, whom he said had prevailed in Iraq. Bush disavowed responsibility for the banner in October of that year, saying his staffers weren't "ingenious" enough to have arranged it.
The White House later acknowledged that it had provided the banner at the Navy's request. The Navy said at the time that the banner was intended to honor the sailors who had completed a long deployment. Democrats, including Sen. John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, criticized the banner as triumphal posturing.
A design firm is sifting through thousands of documents, photos and artifacts to determine items that will be put on permanent display, Lowe said. The library will be dedicated to telling the story of the Bush administration, according to a news release. "Key events and critical decisions will be examined in engaging, interactive exhibits," it said.
A spokesman for Bush, David Sherzer, declined to comment, referring questions about the banner to Lowe. In an interview this month with NBC's Matt Lauer, Bush said about displaying the banner, "No question it was a mistake."
More than 3,000 people, including friends, supporters and former administration officials attended Tuesday's ceremony. Outside, there were about 100 protesters joined by a handful of counterprotesters. "It is hard to believe there is this much excitement about shoveling dirt," Bush said.
Dick Cheney, who looked much thinner after heart surgery this summer, introduced Bush. The former vice president told the crowd he wasn't surprised by the "robust sales" of Bush's book, Decision Points, released last week.
"Two years after your tour in the White House ended, judgments are a little more measured than they were," Cheney said. "When the times have been tough and critics have been loud, you've always said you've had faith in history's judgment. And history is beginning to come around."
Cheney drew applause when he added, "This may be the only shovel-ready project in America."
You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. | As George W. Bush broke ground for his presidential library, officials weighed whether or not to display one item Bush now calls a mistake. |
The Texas senator appeared more certain than ever that the Republican primary was headed toward a contested convention, expressing confidence that no candidate -- including himself -- would win the 1,237 delegates needed for a first-ballot clinch.
It's an argument Cruz will take personally to party elites in Florida later Wednesday, when he pitches himself to members of the Republican National Committee. GOP rival John Kasich is also expected to brief RNC members, and Saul Anuzis, a senior Cruz adviser, confirmed that Cruz would arrive in person as well.
"We are headed to a contested convention. At this point, nobody is getting 1,237," Cruz told Philadelphia radio host Chris Stigall on Wednesday morning. "Donald is going to talk all the time about other folks not getting to 1,237. He's not getting there, either."
Cruz reiterated his belief that the GOP is heading toward a contested convention while speaking with CNN's Sunlen Serfaty in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Wednesday morning.
"The reason Donald's so scared is the last three weeks -- and in particular, the win in Wisconsin -- put the nail in the coffin and made clear Donald doesn't get to 1,237," he said.
Trump, however, had no such reservations while speaking shortly after his New York win Tuesday night. In a victory speech in the lobby of Trump Tower, Trump said Cruz was "just about mathematically eliminated."
"We don't have much of a race anymore," Trump boomed. "We're going to go into the convention, I think, as the winner."
Cruz conceded that Trump had enjoyed "a good night" in New York, where Trump won about 90 delegates in a stronger-than-expected showing. But the Texas senator, who solidly trails Trump in the delegate count, pushed back on the idea that the contours of the race had somehow changed.
"Now let me tell you what Donald and the media want to convince everyone: That Pennsylvania is a suburb of Manhattan," Cruz said Wednesday in Hershey. "Manhattan has spoken and Pennsylvania will quietly file into obedience. You know what, I got a lot more faith in the people of Pennsylvania."
Cruz is set to arrive in Hollywood, Florida in the late afternoon. HIs campaign manager, Jeff Roe, told reporters that Cruz will declare later Wednesday that his campaign had $9 million on hand as of April 1.
CNN's Tom LoBianco contributed to this report. | Ted Cruz on Wednesday sought to dampen any momentum that could come from Donald Trump's rout in New York, arguing the billionaire was no likelier to win their party's presidential nomination than he was. |
Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine...
Attorney General Eric Holder was thrown quite a curve ball yesterday, during a sit-down interview on MSNBC with a host who certainly seems to be one of his biggest fans.
Melissa Harris-Perry divulged a nickname she has for the nation's top cop and then made an interesting request.
MELISSA HARRIS-PERRY, MSNBC: You know we call you 'the Duck' -- in 'nerd land'?
HARRIS-PERRY: In 'nerd land' we say you have a very sort of placid and even way of presenting, but you are just working for justice underneath.
Would you quack for us?
ATTORNEY GENERAL ERIC HOLDER: Well I'm not sure I'm going to do that...
To the attorney general's credit he did not bow to pressure and worked his way out of a decidedly awkward moment by saying he appreciates the analogy.
The Washington Free Beacon sarcastically dubbed the MSNBC host's question -- quote -- "another stirring moment of journalism."
From one Twitter user -- quote -- "Keep pounding that pavement Melissa!!"
And another -- referring to the president's recent interview with the YouTube star made famous by bathing in Fruit Loops -- quote -- "I'm glad Mister Holder cleared that 'duck quack' thing up. I thought Melissa was getting all GloZell Green on us."
Last year, the Pentagon spent more than a half million of your tax dollars on Viagra.
A search of government contracts shows the Department of Defense placed more than 60 orders for the male enhancement drug in 2014, totaling almost $505,000.
Several thousand dollars also went to similar drugs Cialis and Levitra.
The military has been providing the drug to soldiers with a doctor's prescription since 1998.
At $25 a pill Viagra is not cheap.
The Free Beacon reports military doctors have been instructed to prescribe the drug only after making sure it is the best way to deal with the soldier's ailment.
And finally, the Romanian foreign ministry is doing a lot of apologizing this morning after a PR crisis of its own making.
Its Paris embassy e-mailed out invitations to a reception that accidentally included an Excel spreadsheet telling guests exactly what is thought of them.
The document -- clearly intended for private use -- described some guests as "undesirable" and one as "ghastly."
Now one diplomat has been given a warning and another has been summoned back to Romania. | Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine... |
The 2012 presidential election is on track to be the most expensive in history. Use this graphic to see where the money is coming from â and where itâs going. Updated: Oct. 26, 2012.
Obama for America, DNC, Priorities USA and American Bridge 21st Century
Romney for President, Romney Victory, RNC, Restore Our Future and American Crossroads
Total raised and spent includes funds from presidential campaigns, the two national parties, joint fundraising committees and super PACs. A full list is at the bottom of this page.
The funds fueling the 2012 presidential race flow from four buckets: the Obama and Romney campaigns, the DNC and RNC, and super PACs â all of which have to file reports with the Federal Election Commission â and non-profit groups, which do not have to disclose their fundraising.
Individuals may give national parties up to $30,800 each calendar year.
The DNC has raised more money from donors giving $200 and less.
Mouse over to see the number of donations
The RNC has raised more money from donors giving $200 and less.
Individuals may give candidates up to $2,500 per election (primary or general).
Obama's has raised more money from donors giving .
Romney's has raised more money from donors giving .
* and companies under his or her control
Notes: Receipts for parties, campaigns and super PACs will not equal the totals in the graph above because some money raised by the candidates' joint fundraising committees has not been transfered into campaign and party accounts. Some funds are also raised for state parties which are not included here. In the 'Top super PAC contributors' section above, Republican figures include the American Crossroads and Restore Our Future super PACs. Democratic figures include Priorities USA Action and American Bridge 21st Century.
The candidates, national parties and super PACs spend the bulk of their campaign cash on advertising, mail, staff and fundraising. Here is a breakdown of the major categories of spending by each candidate â and the top organizations and individuals being paid.
SOURCE: Federal Election Commission, candidate campaigns, media reports. GRAPHIC: Jason Bartz, T.W. Farnam, Sisi Wei and Karen Yourish - The Washington Post. Published Sept. 25, 2012.
Organizations accounting for Obama's total raised and spent funds are: Obama for America, Obama Victory Fund, DNC, Priorities USA, American Bridge 21st Century and Swing State Victory Fund. Organizations accounting for Romney's totals raised and spent funds are: Romney for President, Romney Victory, RNC, Restore Our Future, American Crossroads and Citizens for a Working America.
Please email us us with questions or suggestions. New data is pulled as soon as the FEC releases it on the 20th of every month.
An earlier version of this graphic incorrectly included donations to Winning Our Future, a super PAC supporting Newt Gingrich, in the donation totals of individual super PAC donors. Those donations have been subtracted from each donor's contribution amount. Summary totals were not affected, as those totals were not counting any contributions to Winning Our Future.
The real fight on the airwaves is not between President Obama and Mitt Romney but rather between President Obama and a cavalcade of conservative-aligned outside groups, according to an analysis of ad buy information provided to the Fix. | President Obama, GOP nominee Mitt Romney, and the super PACs that support their campaigns have raised hundreds of millions of dollars and are on track to spend more than $2 billion by Election Day. Use this graphic to see where the money is coming from â and where itâs going. |
Washington (CNN) - Herman Cain's presidential campaign said it is considering filing a lawsuit against the news organization Politico, which first reported that two women who worked with him at the National Restaurant Association alleged he sexually harassed them while he headed the group.
"It is being discussed," campaign spokesman J.D. Gordon told CNN Friday. He would not discuss any details on the basis for the possible lawsuit or when a decision might be made. Cain and his campaign aides have been very critical of Politico's reporting citing the use of anonymous sources and a lack of some details about some of the claims. Cain has vehemently denied committing sexual harassment and said he recalls one settlement with a female employee as part of an employment termination agreement.
Politico stands by its reporting, saying it was extensively reviewed and it is comfortable with what it has published. "We have heard nothing from the Cain campaign. We stand comfortably behind every Politico reporters have written on the topic," executive editor Jim VandeHei said in a statement.
Separately, the Cain campaign said it did not cancel a TV interview with Mr. Cain and his wife, Gloria, on the Fox News Channel. Spokesman Gordon tells CNN there were discussions about doing an interview Friday, but it was never finalized.
Asked whether the couple will do a joint interview in the near future Gordon says: "When we have something to announce we will."
Mrs. Cain has not been seen frequently on the campaign trail. Cain earlier this week said that was because she helps keep the family calm and tranquil and that it was not her "style" to join him at every campaign stop.
On Thursday, when asked about his wife, Cain told the Sean Hannity radio show: "She is feeling for me more so. She knows it is baseless." He said the controversy is "having a toll on her."
–You can follow Kevin Bohn on Twitter @KevinBohnCNN.
Pro-Cain group attacks media over controversy
Perry: Our campaign didn't have anything to do with it
Lawyer for Cain accuser hopes to release statement Friday | Washington (CNN) -- Herman Cain's presidential campaign said it is considering filing a lawsuit against the news organization Politico, which first reported that two women who worked with him at the National Restaurant Association alleged he sexually harassed them while he headed the group. |
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – President Hamid Karzai's half brother, the most powerful man in southern Afghanistan and a lightning rod for criticism of corruption in the government, was assassinated Tuesday by a close associate. His death leaves a dangerous power vacuum in the south just as the government has begun peace talks with insurgents ahead of a U.S. withdrawal.
Ahmed Wali Karzai, the head of the Kandahar provincial council, was shot to death while receiving guests at his home in Kandahar, the capital of the province that was the birthplace of the Taliban movement and was the site of a recent U.S.-led offensive.
Tooryalai Wesa, the provincial governor of Kandahar, identified the assassin as Sardar Mohammad and said he was a close, "trustworthy" person who had gone to Wali Karzai's house to get him to sign some papers.
As Wali Karzai was signing the papers, the assassin "took out a pistol and shot him with two bullets -- one in the forehead and one in the chest," Wesa said. "Another patriot to the Afghan nation was martyred by the enemies of Afghanistan."
The killing coincided with a visit to the capital, Kabul, by French President Nicolas Sarzoky.
"This morning my younger brother Ahmed Wali Karzai was murdered in his home," the Afghan president said during a joint news conference with Sarkozy. "Such is the life of Afghanistan's people. In the houses of the people of Afghanistan, each of us is suffering and our hope is, God willing, to remove this suffering from the people of Afghanistan and implement peace and stability."
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the assassination at the heavily guarded house, hidden behind 8-foot blast walls. The Interior Ministry said an investigation was under way.
Wali Karzai, who was in his 50s and had survived several previous assassination attempts, was seen by many as a political liability for the Karzai government after a series of allegations, including that he was on the CIA payroll and involved in drug trafficking. He denied the charges.
The president repeatedly challenged his accusers to show him evidence of his sibling's wrongdoing, but said nobody ever could.
Wali Karzai remained a key power broker in the south, helping shore up his family's interests in the Taliban's southern heartland, which has been the site of numerous offensives by U.S., coalition and Afghan troops to root out insurgents. Militants have retaliated by intimidating and killing local government officials or others against the Taliban.
The United Nations said in a quarterly report issued June 23 that more than half of all assassinations across Afghanistan since March had been in Kandahar. In April, the Kandahar police chief Khan Mohammad Mujahid was killed by a suicide bomber wearing a police uniform who blew himself up beside the official's car.
According to a government official with knowledge of the investigation, Wali Karzai was holding a meeting in his home with five provincial council members and a number of local village elders, including the assassin. The official said Mohammad was a close friend and had represented Wali Karzai many times in their shared home village of Karz, the president's hometown. Mohammad was the village elder of Karz and was his emissary and travel companion throughout Kandahar, the official said.
At about 11:30 a.m. Mohammad asked Wali Karzai to speak with him privately and to sign some papers in an adjoining room, the official said. Three shots rang out, according to the official. Wali Karzai's bodyguards ran into the room and found him on the floor with bullet wounds to his head, hand and leg. The bodyguards shot and killed the assassin.
The government official said that it remains unclear whether the killing was the result of an internal feud or a Taliban plot.
Although tribal rivalries are common in Kandahar, bloodletting within tribes is fairly uncommon, he said.
Agha Lalai, deputy of the provincial council, said he was one of the first to respond to the sounds of shots.
Lalai said that he and several other men picked up Wali Karzai and attempted to carry him out of the house, but he died before they left the grounds.
In Kabul, the political elite reacted to the killing with shock and concern about the future of the country's southern region and beyond. Though Wali Karzai held an elected office in the provincial council, people who knew him said he seemed to float above the various political and tribal spheres dominating the south. Throngs of people came to Karzai's house on a daily basis seeking remedies for everything from family disputes, to tribal battles, to political intrigues.
Members of the international community had urged the president to remove his brother from his powerful provincial position, saying that it was essential if he was to prove to the Afghan people that he was committed to good governance. But despite his alleged forays into narco-trafficking, smuggling, and land theft, many Western officials also relied on him because of his unparalleled reach and understanding of the various players in the area.
Noorolhaq Olomi, a former parliament member from Kandahar, said Wali Karzai was the most powerful man in southern Afghanistan -- "more of a governor than the governor" and "everybody's leader in the south, not just Kandahar."
"I cannot say whether this was political or personal or some other matter," Olomi said. "But whoever did it, it shows the weakness of this government. The president needs to change things. He needs to change himself and build a government that is real. Right now, there is no government. It's all a fraud."
Condolences flooded into the president palace throughout the day.
Gen. David Petraeus, the outgoing commander of NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan, condemned the murder and said the coalition would support efforts to prosecute anyone who played a role in the killing. "President Karzai is working to create a stronger, more secure Afghanistan, and for such a tragic event to happen to someone within his own family is unfathomable," Petraeus said in a statement.
Both Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani called the president to express their sadness at his brother's death.
Abdullah Abdullah, the top opposition leader in Afghanistan who ran against Karzai in the latest presidential election, called it "an act against national personality and the ones who are at the service of the Afghan people."
Mohammad Yusuf Pashtun, a senior adviser to the president for construction, water, energy and mines, said the death will have a big impact on security in southern Afghanistan.
"My first impression is that in spite of all the negative propaganda against him he managed to be a source of stability in that area," he said. "When it comes to bringing people together in the south, this creates a vacuum. I don't know what will happen now, but something must be done by the local leadership."
Rangina Hamidi, a resident of Kandahar and daughter of the city's mayor, said Wali Karzai is survived by five children -- two sons and three daughters. She says his youngest son was born about a month ago.
Wali Karzai has been the reported target of multiple assassination attempts.
In May 2009, a bodyguard was killed when his motorcade was ambushed by insurgents but Wali Karzai was not harmed.
That attack came less than two months after four Taliban suicide bombers stormed Kandahar's provincial council office, killing 13 people in an assault that Wali Karzai said was aimed at him, although he had left the building a few minutes beforehand.
Wali Karzai also survived a November 2008 suicide attack on the provincial council offices that killed six other people. | An Afghan official says Afghan President Hamid Karzai's half brother has been killed in southern Afghanistan. |