Louie the Barber really was a barber.
During my annual Father’s Day visit with my dad, he informed me that Louie the Barber was Bill Avansino’s father, Louie.
Louie had a barber shop for a while on C Street and then in his B Street home. He was the barber for many on the Virginia City Muckers basketball team.
My dad said he guessed Louie thought a haircut would make you lose.
I don’t know if it mattered or not — the Muckers didn’t turn out any state championship teams between 1953 and 1957 when my dad would have played for them. They fell somewhere along the line to Tonopah, Lander County, Moapa Valley or Fernley, who claimed state in those years respectively. The next time the Muckers took the trophy was in 1959.
My dad said he started school in Virginia City in the third grade.
Dad also saw Mr. Gallagher out walking the other day. Sure glad to hear he’s doing better.
Fred and Karin Gladding are restoring the family’s old home on North A Street in Virginia City. When he was a kid, my dad and his sisters lived next door.
Karin said Fred told her he fished catfish out of a big pond that was at the back of my dad’s childhood home.
The home, about 1,700 square feet, is large for most 19th century homes. The Gladdings believe it was used as a mine office and as a home for the mine’s manager.
After that a family named Livingston lived in the home, which was purchased more than 70 years ago by Alice Andreasen.
Alice was Fred Gladding’s maternal grandmother. She, then her brother, Fritz, lived in the home until they died. Karin said Uncle Fritz died about 15 years ago.
Fritz Andreasen worked at the school when I was a kid. I say the school because, at the time, first through 12th grades were all housed in the same building where Virginia City Middle School is now. Fritz had the task of keeping the wooden floors and everything else polished up with all of us trying to undo him at every turn by dropping peanut butter and jelly and whatnot as we made our way through each school day.
According to Marion, Fred’s mom, Alice purchased the home when she was about 19.
Work has been under way since the end of January to restore the home, one of Virginia City’s oldest homes. It has survived fires, snowstorms, a bit of neglect for 137 years. “It’s one of the original homes up here. One of the ones that hasn’t been affected by fire,” she said.
Karin said the house has taken a lot of work to restore because it didn’t have a foundation and instead sat upon big redwood blocks.
The Gladdings have saved the brick from the original chimneys and will be using it for the hearth and the fireproof backing for a free-standing fireplace.
So far they’ve found an old axe head and a bunch of square nails.
She said Fred has been at the job site every day and is doing the woodwork and the painting himself.
The Gladdings are now living in the Virginia City Highlands a few miles from town where they have room for horses and lots of peace and quiet.
And the new, old home will be very different from its former self. It will have indoor plumbing. Marion said there was a bathroom for bathing, but that the only toilet was plumbed into the sewer system, but sat on an outside porch.
When finished, the home will have two full bathrooms and three bedrooms.
For me it’s always a treat to know one of the old homes has found new life. Too many times it seems they go by way of fire or the wrecking ball to make life easier. But life’s not about being easy is it?


Charles Barkley is a Hall of Famer and widely considered to be one of the best NBA players of all time, so some might say it is far too early to compare 18-year-old Zion Williamson to him.
Charles Barkley went through all the emotions during Auburn’s close win over New Mexico State during the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.
Charles Barkley made a mockery of the Jussie Smollett situation during a segment on TNT Thursday night.
Charles Barkley is blaming Klutch Sports agent Rich Paul for botching the Anthony Davis trade situation.
Charles Barkley is seeing what’s going on with Anthony Davis, and he doesn’t like it. And he’s calling on the league to intervene.
Charles Barkley took a moment to mess with John Calipari after Kentucky’s 82-80 win over Auburn on Saturday.
Charles Barkley is not feeling Kyrie Irving’s comments about leadership.


LONDON, Sept 17 (Reuters) - An oversupply of lithium this year has nearly halved prices this year in China, halting an unprecedented run for the key component for batteries used in electric vehicles.
But analysts say solid long-term demand should shore up the market after a slight surplus in demand this year.
A boom in electric vehicles has boosted prices for components of lithium-ion batteries including lithium and cobalt, as consumers such as car companies to scramble to secure supplies.
But lithium prices have come under pressure in 2018 because miners have ramped up production, consumers destocked supplies and asubsidies in China’s new energy vehicles (NEV’s) market have been pulled back.
Prices in China, the world’s biggest consumer of lithium, plunged to $13,000 per tonne in August from a peak of $24,750 in March, according to prices tracked monthly by Benchmark Mineral Intelligence (BMI).
“There is certainly no shortage of potential supply and there are already a huge number of projects out there,” said Alex Laugharne, principal consultant at CRU.
Although demand is will not falter, analysts say, prices for lithium carbonate in China, the type used in batteries, will remain under pressure this year due to oversupply.
Analysts at CRU expect the lithium market to be in surplus by 22,000 tonnes in 2018, with demand expected to reach 277,000 tonnes.
This chimes with an outlook by Wood Mackenzie which sees lithium prices continuing a downward trend due to a “surplus through the short to medium term”.
Meanwhile, a tightening in credit forced lithium market players in China to destock as they tried to secure cash, further flooding the market with the chemical, analysts said.
At the same time, China removed many of the subsidies for some NEVs as part of efforts to push automakers to focus more on technological improvements instead of relying on fiscal policy.
These changes in subsidies caused consumers to hold back on purchases in the first half of the year as they adjusted purchasing strategies and waited for prices to fall further, causing a slow down in activity, BMI analyst Andrew Miller said.
In the second quarter of 2018, China produced 265,000 units of NEVs, up from 148,000 units in the first quarter but down from 370,000 units produced in the fourth quarter of 2017, according to industry ministry data.
Although the second quarter figures mean output is up 94 percent in the first half of this year compared to last year, analysts say this was a slower-than-expected pace.
Shares in lithium producers such as Albemarle and SQM,, and Japan’s Jiangxi Ganfeng Lithium have suffered under pressure from commodity prices.
In addition to a stronger dollar, which has made dollar-denominated commodities more expensive and lower prices, and a weaker Chinese yuan, lithium miners mostly based in Chile are facing a potential delay in water licences.
Shares in Albemarle and SQM, which together churn out 37 percent of the world’s lithium, are down 25 percent and 20 percent so far this year.
But lithium demand should continue to rise along with a wider adoption of electric vehicles, supported by many cities in the world that are banning or punishing petrol or gasoline-engine cars to reduce carbon emissions.
He said price reaction to the slight oversupply in the lithium market this year was overdone and says the long-term prospects for the industry remain intact.


Recurring revenue business models go far beyond just subscriptions (tiered, pre-paid, on-demand, pay-as-you-go, freemium, etc.), and can be applied to just about anything. But while opportunities abound, there are also challenges. As you look at the possibility of deploying a recurring revenue model, there are five common pitfalls along the way that you’ll want to avoid.


SAN PEDRO SULA, HONDURAS—There’s no mistaking game day here.
Not only was a national holiday extended through Tuesday for the Canada-Honduras World Cup qualifying match, but the media coverage was intense and exhaustive.
With the match set to kick off at 2 p.m. local time, at least two morning TV news programs began broadcasting live from Estadio Olimpico shortly after 7 a.m. On another channel, a man dressed in a replica of the white jersey Honduras wore in the match was demonstrative as he took phone calls from viewers discussing the game.
It turned out to be prophetic.
At the stadium, the party started early and went on well after the Hondurans’ 8-1 victory.
Under the watchful eye of upwards of 400 police officers inside the stadium and another 50 outside, fans began arriving hours before kickoff. Guns, plentiful in a city with the highest per capita murder rate in the world, could not be brought in by fans.
Canadian reporters, who had been given assurances they would be protected in the press box — which was actually in the open, surrounded by fans — did, however, have a police officer with a very large rifle standing just a couple of metres away.
But the fans were festive and welcoming even well before kickoff when the result was in doubt. Many thanked the Canadian reporters, including the Star, for coming.
One woman came over shortly after the foreign reporters settled into their seats and asked to take a picture. She then gave a thumbs up.
A full two hours before kickoff, the stadium was three-quarters full. By the time the two sides walked out onto the pitch to a deafening roar, fans had taken every seat and spilled into the aisles.
There was polite applause for “O Canada.” But every single person in the stadium appeared to be singing the Honduran national anthem, a display that sent chills down the spine.
Each Honduran goal was greeted with an ear-splitting roar. Despite all the energy exerted before kickoff, there was enough left to celebrate all eight times.


Officials seize explosives after Iranian man carrying grenades seriously wounds himself and four civilians.
An Iranian man carrying grenades has blown off his own legs and wounded four civilians after multiple blasts in a busy Bangkok neighbourhood, Thai officials say.
Security forces found more explosives in the Thai capital on Tuesday in a house where the Iranian man was staying, but it was not known what targets they might have been meant for, police General Pansiri Prapawat said.
He said a passport found at the scene of one of the blasts indicated that the assailant was Saeid Moradi from Iran. Authorities in Tehran could not immediately be reached for comment.
Tuesday's violence began in the afternoon when a stash of explosives apparently went off by accident in Moradi's house, blowing off part of the roof.
Police said two foreigners quickly left the residence, followed by a wounded Moradi.
"He tried to wave down a taxi, but he was covered in blood, and the driver refused to take him," Pansiri said. He then threw an explosive at the taxi and began running.
Police who had been called to the area then tried to apprehend Moradi, who hurled a grenade to defend himself. "But somehow it bounced back" and blew off his legs, Pansiri said.
Photos of the wounded Iranian showed him covered in dark soot on a pavement strewn with broken glass. He lay in front of a Thai primary and secondary school. No students were reported wounded.
A dark satchel nearby was investigated by a bomb-disposal unit. Pansiri said police found Iranian currency, US dollars and Thai money in the bag.
Three Thai men and one Thai woman were brought to Kluaynamthai Hospital for treatment of injuries, Suwinai Busarakamwong, a doctor at the hospital, said.
Another Iranian was being detained at Bangkok's international airport after he attempted to depart for neighbouring Malaysia, Thai police Commander Winai Thongsong said.
Authorities were interrogating the man, but it was not yet known whether he was involved in Tuesday's blasts.
Last month, a Lebanese-Swedish man with alleged links to Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed Lebanese group, was detained by Thai police. He led authorities to a warehouse filled with more than 4,000kg of urea fertiliser and several gallons of liquid ammonium nitrate.
Israel and the US at the time warned their citizens to be alert in Bangkok, but Thai authorities said the country appeared to have been a staging ground but not the target of any attack.
Pansiri, of the Thai police, said on Tuesday that "so far, we haven't found any links between these two cases".
Immigration police are trying to trace Moradi's movements, but initial reports indicate he flew into Thailand from Seoul, South Korea, on February 8, Pansiri said.
Moradi landed at the southern Thai resort town of Phuket, then stayed in a hotel in Chonburi, a couple-of-hours drive southeast of Bangkok, for several nights.
The developments in Thailand came a day after an Israeli diplomatic car was bombed in India - an attack Israel blamed on Iran. A similar attack in Georgia was also blamed on Iran.
In Jerusalem, Yigal Palmor, the Israeli foreign ministry spokesman, said there was not yet any sign that any targets in Bangkok were Israeli or Jewish.
Nevertheless, Ehud Barak, the Israeli defence minister, who was visiting Singapore on Tuesday, said: "The attempted terrorist attack in Bangkok proves once again that Iran and its proxies continue to perpetrate terror. The recent terror attacks are yet another example of this."
Barak, who had spent a few hours in Bangkok on Sunday, alleged that "Iran and Hezbollah are unrelenting terror elements endangering the stability of the region, and endangering the stability of the world".
It was unclear whether the Bangkok explosions were linked to the attacks in India and Georgia, but Iran has denied it was responsible.
Thailand has rarely been a target for foreign terrorists, although a domestic Muslim uprising in the country's south has involved bombings of civilian targets.


A person leaves the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands on Jan. 16, 2019.
Just days after the United States’ government revoked the visa of the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor, judges at the ICC on Friday rejected her request to open an investigation into alleged atrocities in the war in Afghanistan, citing practical reasons.
The decision, which prosecutor Fatou Bensouda may appeal, angered human-rights groups and means the Taliban, the Afghan government and the United States will not face any investigation at the International Criminal Court for their alleged crimes, which dated mostly from 2003-04.
U.S. President Donald Trump called the decision “a major international victory” and denounced the international court for its “broad, unaccountable, prosecutorial powers,” as well as for what he considers its threat to U.S. sovereignty.
“Any attempt to target American, Israeli or allied personnel for prosecution will be met with a swift and vigorous response,” Mr. Trump said.
White House National Security Adviser John Bolton, a sharp critic of the ICC, called the ruling a “vindication” of the United States’ tough policy against the court he has engineered and a “stinging defeat” for the prosecutors.
He told reporters that even the cases of ousted Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whom Washington wants to step down, should fall under the jurisdiction of their home countries and not the ICC.
“Fundamentally, political maturation and responsibility requires that people be held responsible by their own societies,” Mr. Bolton said.
In an unusual ruling, the ICC judges said Ms. Bensouda’s case seemed to have met the court’s criteria for jurisdiction and admissibility, but given an array of practical considerations that made chances of success remote, it did not make sense to pursue it further.
They cited a failure to gather evidence at an early stage, a lack of co-operation from governments involved and the likely costs as prohibitive.
Ms. Bensouda said her office would “consider all available legal remedies” against the decision.
“If these are the criteria, they are never going to open an investigation,” he said.
In 2006, Ms. Bensouda’s predecessor, Luis Moreno Ocampo, opened an examination into alleged war crimes by all parties in the conflict in Afghanistan, including the possible role of U.S. personnel in relation to the detention of suspects.
Ms. Bensouda took over the dossier in 2010, but did not request a formal investigation until November, 2017.
The United States revoked Ms. Bensouda’s entry visa earlier this month, after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in March that Washington would withdraw or deny visas to any ICC staff investigating possible war crimes by U.S. forces or allies in Afghanistan.
“We, the Afghan people, have suffered so much and the court was a last hope for all of us in a country which is completely lacking justice,” said Hadi Marifat, of the human-rights group AHRDO.
There have been repeated negotiations in recent months between the Taliban and U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad to try to broker a deal to end the Afghan conflict. So far, the Taliban has refused to meet directly with the Afghan government, which it dismisses as a U.S. puppet regime.


England international paid tribute to the youngster during the victory over the Czech Republic last month.
Pep Guardiola’s side have already clinched the Carabao Cup this season.
The Premier League champions were knocked out of the Champions League by Tottenham on Wednesday.
Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed plenty of memorable European nights but none quite like the 90 plus minutes experienced in Manchester on a crazy, crazy evening.
At the start of a pivotal seven days that could well determine Manchester City’s destiny this season, manager Pep Guardiola last night demonstrated the complicated relationship he and his club share with the Champions League.
City are battling Liverpool at the top of the Premier League.
The Manchester City manager, 48, takes his side to Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Manchester City reached the FA Cup final with a tense victory over Brighton at Wembley.
Chris Hughton, one of the calmest and most under-stated managers in football, admits that even he will allow himself a leap of celebration if he can recreate a glorious memory of 1981 by beating Manchester City in the FA Cup at Wembley today.
And then there were 13.
Pep Guardiola realises he cannot stop his Manchester City players dreaming about winning the quadruple, but the City boss will urge them to think game by game in their pursuit of an unprecedented clean sweep.
The Cardiff boss said he may play an under-23 side at Manchester City after a galling defeat against Chelsea.
The defending Premier League champions trail Liverpool by two points but have a game in hand.
Kevin De Bruyne, Benjamin Mendy, Fernandinho and Vincent Kompany are all available again.
The Manchester City forward starred for England in their win against the Czech Republic.
City face Swansea in the FA Cup quarter-finals this weekend.
Last season’s finalists Liverpool face Porto while Manchester United take on Barcelona.
Sterling hit a 13-minute hat-trick on Saturday as Manchester City took another step towards defending their Premier League title.
The news follows UEFA’s announcement that it is investigating City for possible breaches of Financial Fair Play rules.
Manchester City are being investigated over alleged breaches of the Financial Fair Play regulations.
The news comes just a fortnight after CFG acquired a share of Chinese outfit Sichuan Jiuniu.
The Algerian has made only 11 Premier League starts since a £60million move from Leicester.
The defender has not made a first-team appearance since February 2018.
City moved two points above title rivals Liverpool before Sunday’s Merseyside derby.
Riyad Mahrez scored the second-half winner at the Vitality Stadium.
The Reds are one point clear of City with 10 games to go.
The Chelsea keeper defied the instruction of manager Maurizio Sarri.
Manchester City beat Chelsea on penalties after Blues goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga refused to be substituted.
The Spanish goalkeeper refused to come off the Wembley pitch as extra time drew to a close.
The Manchester City boss has a Carabao Cup final against Chelsea to worry about.
The 24-year-old is now committed to the club until 2025.
Press Association Sport takes a statistical look at the big game.
Manchester City can win their first piece of silverware on Sunday with a victory over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup.
City beat Wembley opponents Chelsea 6-0 earlier in the month.
The unnamed 32-year-old man is fighting for his life following an alleged assault.
Silva believes the recent 6-0 thrashing of Chelsea in the Premier League has no bearing on Sunday’s Carabao Cup showdown with the Blues.
City staff have remained in Germany to support the man and his family.
City staff have stayed in Germany to support the fan.
City are still active in four competitions.
Sterling met Ethan Ross at Rodney Parade, months after writing the under-14s’ player a letter of support.
The 18-year-old midfielder scored two goals in a game for the first time in his senior career.
City are back on top of the Premier League table, although Liverpool have a game in hand.
Aguero is one goal short of equalling the club record for league goals.
Manchester City are top of the Premier League.
Frenchman joked about being in Hong Kong.
The City boss not only thinks the Premier League could be settled on the final day of the season, but that it could come down to goal difference.
The 18-year-old has made eight Premier League appearances so far this season.
Vincent vows to return stronger than ever and bolster City’s bid for silverware.
The Manchester City midfielder won the Bundesliga title under Klopp at Borussia Dortmund.
There’s a scene in Forrest Gump where the film’s hero reacquaints himself with his old army Lieutenant Dan by throwing himself off his shrimp boat, leaving the vessel to weave around the estuary by itself.
The 18-year-old will return to Hajduk Split on loan.


Bakkavor Foods USA recalled a number of prepared food items, including Trader Joe's burritos, for salmonella and listeria concerns in onions.
Trader Joe's burritos were included in an 800,000-pound food recall this week.
The food supplier recalled a specific burrito type because the onions may contain salmonella, listeria.
Trader Joe’s burritos and other prepared foods from food supplier Bakkavor Foods USA were recalled this week after concerns about salmonella or listeria contamination.
Bakkavor recalled nearly 800,000 pounds of prepared food items sold in grocery stores around the country, including pizza and breakfast burritos, after the company's onion supplier recalled Bakkavor's onion ingredients for potential traces of the stomach-churning bacteria, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture news release.
Only the 10-ounce “Trader Joe's Carnitas with Salsa Verde” burritos with use-by dates of 10/08/17 to 10/24/18 have been affected at the California food chain, which operates a location in Pittsford.
Harris Teeter Fresh Foods Market Deli-Bakery brand 16-ounce “BBQ Style Chicken Artisan Pizza” with use-by dates of 01/07/19 through 04/11/19 printed on the case packaging.
Butcher-paper wrapped Harris Teeter Fresh Foods Market Deli-Bakery brand 8-ounce “Chicken, Sausage, Egg White and Cheese Breakfast Burrito” with “Use By” dates from 01/24/18 through 10/25/18.
Butcher-paper wrapped Harris Teeter Fresh Foods Market Deli-Bakery brand 8-ounce “Bacon, Egg and Cheese Burrito” with “Use By” dates from 01/24/18 through 10/25/18.
There have been no reports of sickness or reaction due to these products, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Customers should check their freezers for saved products, and discard anything they find that matches these descriptions, according to the department statement.
Salmonella can cause diarrhea, cramps and fever. Listeria consumption can cause listeriosis, which produces symptoms like fever, muscle aches and headaches, and primarily affects older individuals, pregnant women or people with weakened immune systems.
The USDA sends out email updates on food recalls to members of the public who subscribe on its home page.


Rangers boss was on hand to interpret for the Croatian defender at Wednesday's press conference.
Steven Gerrard cut a very different figure in front of the media on Wednesday as he turned translator for Nikola Katic .
The Rangers boss went on the offensive following his side's 1-1 draw with Aberdeen at Pittodrie on Sunday.
Gerrard insisted "the world was against" his side during a much-talked about press conference, sparked by Alfredo Morelos' now rescinded red card against the Dons.
But he looked much more relaxed taking questions ahead of the Europa League third round qualifier against Maribor on Thursday.
Sitting alongside Katic, Gerrard stepped in when the Croatian defender struggled to understand some of the questions posed by reporters.
Last week, Gerrard heaped praise on the centre-back, declaring his "love" for the 21-year-old and insisting "he's mine" when asked about his potential to star on the biggest stages in the future.
Katic was asked if that praise his boosted his confidence, but he had to turn his boss for assitance.
Gerrard quipped: "He said I say nice things about you. Sometimes, to the media, you have to lie.
"Are you happy with the praise that I gave you as a player?
And Katic replied: "I saw the video, I love him also."
Gerrard, referring to himself as the "Scouse translator", was on hand again to help with a question about the importance of playing European football.
Katic said: "It’s really important, it’s the right step because every Thursday I play against European teams and it’s a lot of games.
"You can improve game by game so I think it’s the right step for me."


The Cuomo administration is having trouble keeping its story straight.
Twenty-four hours after the administration confirmed its plan to award Amazon up to $505 million in grants for its new Queens headquarters would require the approval of the Public Authorities Control Board — an obscure state entity over which the Legislature has some authority — the administration walked it back.
In interviews with the New York Daily News and The New York Times Thursday, Cuomo budget director Robert Mujica said that in the case of the $505 million grant, the state could evade board approval, thereby denying the state Legislature a say in the matter.
A spokesman for Mujica confirmed Thursday night that was the state’s new opinion.
"When the time comes, a decision will be made as to which specific program will be used to meet our capital commitment," said Mujica spokesman Morris Peters. "As we have said, we have several options, including the use of programs that do not require PACB approval."
Empire State Development is the agency spearheading the general project plan for Amazon on behalf of the state. Though POLITICO asked both the governor's spokesperson and a spokesperson for Empire State Development if the grants would need control board approval — and Empire State Development confirmed it did — Peters said POLITICO should have asked someone else, instead.
"You didn’t ask the entity who makes the decision as to which appropriation authority is used for state spending," Peters said.
The administration's new assertion may well be correct — Mujica has a reputation as a canny manipulator of state funds — but it directly contradicts assertions made by the ESD.
The economic development spokesman also said the state’s overall land-use plan for Amazon would require board approval, something Mujica did not dispute in his interviews, and his spokesman, Peters, did not dispute in his subsequent emails with POLITICO.
The question of whether the board’s approval is required for the Amazon project matters because both houses of the state Legislature have veto power on the Public Authorities Control Board. State Sen. Michael Gianaris, who represents Long Island City, is fiercely critical of the Amazon project and is a powerful member of the Democratic caucus that will take control of the Senate in January, acquiring veto power on the board in question.
The Cuomo administration's waffling on the question of which aspects of the project require control board approval comes in the wake of an outcry over the state’s and city’s subsidies for Amazon — an outcry that has resounded across the political spectrum and appears to have taken state officials by surprise.


Elbow is the latest band to announce dates as part of Forest Live, where acts perform in spectacular woodland settings around the country as part of the summer concert series promoted by the Forestry Commission.
These dates include one at Sherwood Pines Forest, near Mansfield, on Sunday, June 25.
Elbow’s rise over the past two decades has seen them become one of the most important bands in contemporary British music.
Since debut album, 2001’s Asleep At The Back, their stature has grown with subsequent releases such as Cast of Thousands, Leaders Of The Free World, The Seldom Seen Kid, Build A Rocket Boys and 2014’s The Take Off And Landing Of Everything, that debuted at the top of the UK charts.
Frontman Guy Garvey’s story-telling lyrics have honed their unique identity and sound to establish the band a passionate fanbase and critical acclaim on their musical journey, including two Ivor Novellos and a BRIT award for Best British Band.
Renowned for the intimacy of their live shows, stand-out gigs include Glastonbury Festival’s sunset slot with a trio of sets on the Pyramid Stage, taking part in the closing ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games performing their classic track One Day Like This and recreating their Mercury Prize winning album, The Seldom Seen Kid, with the BBC Concert Orchestra from the world famous Abbey Road Studio One.
Elbow’s seventh studio album Little Fictions will be released on February 3.
Over Forest Live’s 16-year history, money raised has contributed to a wide range of projects, from wildlife conservation to making improvements for visitors. With everything required for a great night out, including full catering and bar facilities, the gigs are renowned for their relaxed atmosphere.


New York City is set to become the first American metropolis that seeks to ease traffic congestion, cut pollution and boost mass transit by charging motorists a hefty toll for the privilege of driving into its most crammed areas. So can it work?
Will the tolls raise enough money to make the city's strained mass transit system reliable? Is there enough alternative transportation for commuters who decide to give up their cars? How will the tolling system affect the delivery trucks, taxis and ride-hail vehicles that now comprise a big proportion of Manhattan traffic? And will so many vehicles be made exempt from the tolls that the effect on travel patterns is minimal?
"We're not going to see people abandon their cars to get into the subway," he said.
"This is a terrific victory ... for the mass transit ridership and for New York's capacity to respond to the crisis of its mass transit system," he said.
In Stockholm, a pilot program that was put in place with less-than-enthusiastic public support in 2006 became much more popular as people saw immediate drops in congestion and air pollution, so much so that residents voted to make it permanent in 2007. Singapore's system has been around since the 1970s.
"The good news is there's going to be a couple of years before the congestion toll is turned on," she said.


Here are seven things to know about Bonifacio, who could make his major-league debut as early as Friday night.
▪ Brian Poldberg, Bonifacio’s manager at Class AAA Omaha, told the Omaha World-Herald last year that Bonifacio could be in a category with Alex Gordon, Lorenzo Cain and Paulo Orlando when it comes to defensive ability. And he can play anywhere in the outfield, depending on the need.
Bonifacio had 17 outfield assists while playing for Omaha last season.
▪ Bonifacio was named the Storm Chasers Player of the Year by Omaha media members last year after leading the team in total bases (228), walks (51), home runs (19), RBIs (86), runs (82) and hits (137).
▪ At last year’s Futures Game, Bonifacio walked twice in his two plate appearances.
▪ Bonifacio is the younger brother of Emilio Bonifacio, who played for the Royals in 2013. Emilio is in his 11th big-league season and is playing for the Atlanta Braves. “I want to be better than my brother,” Jorge Bonifacio told the Daily Herald in 2012.
▪ In spring training this year, Bonifacio hit .417 (12 for 29) with three home runs and seven RBIs. He had a 1.261 on-base-plus-slugging percentage.
▪ In 2011, when he was 17, Bonifacio was picked by Baseball America as one of the top 20 prospects in the Latin American Summer Leagues after batting .335 with a .429 on-base percentage and 28 RBIs in 48 games. He was signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2009.
▪ Bonifacio suffered a broken hamate bone in 2013, which limited him to 87 games. In the final five weeks of that season, Bonifacio batted .301 with a .371 on-base percentage.


Donald Trump, who claims to be the “best on the military” among the 2016 Presidential candidates because he is the best at everything, apparently has no idea what the nuclear triad is. The revelation came during last night’s Presidential Debate when conservative talk radio host Hugh Hewitt asked Trump a question about the need to modernize our nuclear forces.
Oddly enough, a description of the Nuclear Triad was embedded in Hewitt’s question, yet Trump still stumbled around the question, making almost no sense throughout his reply.
HEWITT: Mr. Trump... Dr. Carson just referenced the single most important job of the president, the command, the control and the care of our nuclear forces. And he mentioned the triad. The B-52s are older than I am. The missiles are old. The submarines are aging out. It’s an executive order. It’s a commander-in-chief decision.
But we have to be extremely vigilant and extremely careful when it comes to nuclear. Nuclear changes the whole ball game. Frankly, I would have said get out of Syria; get out – if we didn’t have the power of weaponry today. The power is so massive that we can’t just leave areas that 50 years ago or 75 years ago we wouldn’t care. It was hand-to-hand combat.
The biggest problem this world has today is not President Obama with global warming, which is inconceivable, this is what he’s saying. The biggest problem we have is nuclear – nuclear proliferation and having some maniac, having some madman go out and get a nuclear weapon. That’s in my opinion, that is the single biggest problem that our country faces right now.
From Trump’s response, it’s clear that he either has no idea what the nuclear triad is, or that he had no idea what the question was and just decided to go with some sort of free-form jazz riff on the topic of “anything nuclear.” But even after Hewitt threw Trump another clue, he replied with total gibberish.
TRUMP: I think – I think, for me, nuclear is just the power, the devastation is very important to me.
Adding insult to bizarre injury, the exchange ended with Marco Rubio explaining the nuclear triad in detail.
RUBIO: I do. First, let’s explain to people at home who the triad – what the triad is. Maybe a lot of people haven’t heard that terminology before. The triad is our ability of the United States to conduct nuclear attacks using airplanes, using missiles launched from silos or from the ground, and also from our nuclear subs’ ability to attack. And it’s important — all three of them are critical. It gives us the ability at deterrence.
Part of Hewitt’s question was not extremely easy for the average person to get. Most people probably don’t know about the ongoing need to upgrade each leg of our aging nuclear arsenal. The details include our land-based intercontinental ballistic missile systems, our airborne nuclear forces (which currently includes the development of an updated nuclear bomb and the Long Range Strike Bomber), or the initiative to replace America’s aging Ohio Class nuclear ballistic submarines, which are at the core of our second strike deterrent capability. But not even knowing what the nuclear triad is at its most basic level, or the strategy surrounding it, is alarming for someone who wants to have their hands on the nuclear codes.
It is also a concept that is directly tied to America’s ability to back-up the threat of mutual assured destruction, and is thus a major geopolitical staple beyond just a military one.
Maybe Trump needs to take his own advice that he blatantly eschewed in his answer above when it comes to selecting the next Commander-In-Chief: “I think we need somebody absolutely that we can trust, who is totally responsible; who really knows what he or she is doing. That is so powerful and so important.” Not even knowing what the Nuclear Triad is, yet alone having an opinion on which legs need to be prioritized when it comes to expensive modernization, may disqualify himself by his own requirements.


A Newcastle cemetery is hosting a seminar on preparing a plan for care at the end of life as part of a series of discussions on death, dying and grieving.
The free talk at Sandgate Cemetery on Wednesday evening is being organised by Newcastle Compassionate Community.
The organisation's chair Jeanette Lacey, who is an end-of-life care nurse practitioner at John Hunter Hospital, said her work had illustrated to her the importance of Wednesday's topic.
"Advanced care planning covers all aspects of preparing for getting sicker, older and preparing for the unknown really," Ms Lacey said.
"Working in the heath care sector, I've met people who have never had these conversations and talked to family members about what is important to them in case they get really sick.
"It includes writing a will, appointing people to speak for you if you can't speak for yourself, and deciding whether you are willing to accept CPR, willing to go to intensive care, have artificial breathing done for you, kidney dialysis or artificial hydration as part of end-of-life treatment.
"I've really recognised in my work that by not telling family what you want it places a greater burden on families because they end up having to make those decisions," she said.
On Wednesday, health worker Lisa Shaw will present on the practical requirements of preparing an advanced care plan.
Newcastle resident Kirstie Cullingford will share her personal experience of losing her husband to illness, and her desire to increase support for those facing the death of a loved one.
Upcoming seminars will look at palliative care options in the region, grieving, memoir writing, preparing your own funeral and planning for the last year of life.
Ms Lacey said Newcastle Compassionate Community was a group of "passionate individuals" trying to improve residents' abilities to look after each other during major life events.
She said a forum hosted in Newcastle by the organisation last year identified a need for a "safe place" to talk about death and dying.
"I believe every person in our community deserves social connection," she said.
"Communities need to be able to look after each other in times of crisis."
Call 4968 3602 to register for the event.


The CPU is the heart of any computer, and is responsible for running the operating system and every application. A speedier CPU means faster-running programs, but usually it also means lower battery life and a more expensive laptop. Nearly every laptop has a CPU from either AMD or Intel.
If you're buying a netbook, you'll find that it uses either Intel's Atom line of CPUs, or AMD's Fusion E-series. The Atom line offers pretty slow performance and poor integrated graphics, but the battery life is phenominal. AMD's Fusion E-series chips are a bit faster, with dramatically better graphics and video decoding, but you'll sacrifice an hour or two of battery life for it. Neither choice is powerful enough for the most demaning tasks, like encoding HD video or playing the latest games.
Ultraportable PCs generally use low-voltage AMD or Intel processors. These chips are usually dual-core CPUs that are quite similar to the regular notebook CPUs found in larger laptops, but run at much lower clock speeds (1.2GHz instead of 2.1GHz, for example). Lots of processors--too many to list here--are available in this group. When you're shopping, however, you can follow a few general rules: More cache is preferable, and higher clock speeds are better but will drain the battery a little faster. AMD's CPUs are a bit slower than Intel's, but are priced to move and offer superior integrated graphics. Note, too, that some ultraportables don't use low-voltage CPUs, and are considerably faster (but have shorter battery life) than those that do.
All-purpose and desktop-replacement laptops offer both dual-core and quad-core CPUs in a range of speeds. Intel's Second-Generation Core CPUs (Core i3, Core i5, and some Core i7) are excellent for most users; only people who truly require a quad-core CPU (for encoding video, playing games, or running engineering applications, for example) would want a quad-core Core i7 processor. Again, more cache and higher clock speeds are better, but any CPU over 2.0GHz is fast enough to handle all the basic stuff, such as playing music, browsing sites and playing Web games, displaying online video, and managing e-mail.
You'll also find laptops with AMD processors. AMD's new Fusion A-series processors aim to offer better value in affordable all-purpose and ultraportable laptops. While the CPU part of these processors aren't as fast as Intel's, the graphics portion is far superior. What's more, the battery life stacks up well against Intel's processors. This wasn't the case with older AMD processors, which ate through your battery a couple hours faster than Intel's.
The graphics processing unit in a computer is useful for more than just playing games. This bit of silicon is ultimately responsible for everything you see on screen, from 3D games to the basic Windows desktop. Perhaps more important for some people, many GPUs can accelerate video decoding: With the latest version of Adobe Flash and the right GPU, Web videos from Hulu or YouTube will run more smoothly and look better (especially if you buy a netbook or an ultraportable laptop with a weaker CPU).
Most laptops are available with a choice between integrated graphics (from Intel or AMD) or a discrete GPU (from Nvidia or AMD). Integrated graphics are built into either the system chipset (the "traffic cop" that controls the flow of data in the system) or, in newer systems, the CPU itself. They share the main system memory with the CPU. Discrete GPUs are individual chips that are dedicated to graphics and have their own pool of memory, which results in far better performance.
Integrated GPUs from Intel are generally quite poor: They don't run 3D games very well. Second-generation Intel Core chips have dramatically improved video decoding, and the 3D graphics are faster, too. Still, they're too slow more most modern 3D games. AMD's integrated graphics is a significant step up, even capable of playing modern games at reduced resolution and detail. If you want to play games other than the occasional Web-based diversion, you probably want to select discrete graphics. You'll find lots of graphics chips to choose from, but in general the Radeon 6000 series from AMD is faster than the comparable 5000-series models, and the 500 series from Nvidia is speedier than the comparable 400 series. Within each series, the more-expensive models are swifter: ATI's Radeon HD 6850M is faster than the Radeon 6550M, and Nvidia's GeForce 560M is faster than the GeForce 520M, for example.
Memory is as important on a laptop as it is on a desktop. In fact, because laptop hard drives tend to be slower than their desktop counterparts, it may be more important. The more RAM a laptop has, the less often it needs to load data from the hard drive, after all. It's a good idea to get at least 4GB of RAM if it's offered as an option. Beyond that, the benefits are usually small and the cost to add more RAM is high.
Laptop memory these days is almost always DDR3, which is faster than the DDR2 memory commonly found in laptops as recently as a year ago. You'll also see a clock speed listed on some laptop memory specs, such as 800MHz, 1066MHz; or 1333MHz. The higher that number, the faster the RAM. Spend the money to get to 4GB first, and then worry about speed--if your choice is between 4GB of 1066MHz or 2GB of 1333MHz memory, go with the 4GB of slightly slower RAM: You'll get more performance bang for your buck by doing so.


Morrissey, the celebrated British singer who once fronted the Smiths, is coming to Broadway. He will play a seven-night engagement at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater from May 2-11, becoming the latest high-profile musician to take the Broadway stage since Bruce Springsteen last year. According to a news release on Monday, the shows will serve as a career retrospective for Morrissey, and will come weeks before the release of a new record, “California Son,” an album of covers.
Broadway stages have become increasingly friendly to pop music, particularly jukebox musicals featuring songs with already built-in popularity. Cher, Donna Summer, the Go-Go’s and Jimmy Buffett are just some recent examples of artists whose music has been featured recently on Broadway. “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations” will officially open later this month. “Springsteen on Broadway,” a show mixing songs and storytelling, earned an honorary Tony Award and was filmed for a Netflix special.
Last year, Morrissey, 59 — whose real name is Steven Patrick Morrissey — postponed European tour dates following inflammatory comments he made in an interview posted on his own website. Multiple quotes from the interview were thought too Islamophobic, including: “Halal slaughter requires certification that can only be given by supporters of ISIS,” and “This is the Mayor of London! And he cannot talk properly!” referring to Sadiq Khan, the city’s first Muslim mayor.
Morrissey’s team said at the time that the tour was canceled for “logistical reasons,” but anti-racism protests were being planned to coincide with the singer’s shows in Manchester, where he is from. He has expressed support for right-wing figures in Britain such as Tommy Robinson, the founder of the English Defense League.


Samsung Electronics recorded an operating profit of about $14.15 billion for the December quarter — in line with guidance.
The firm's semiconductor division drove the fourth-quarter earnings on the back of strong demand for its memory chips.
Samsung's mobile business saw a 3.2 percent on-year decline in operating profits.
The tech giant also announced a 50:1 stock split that saw its shares jump more than 8 percent in morning trade.
Samsung Electronics on Wednesday said it recorded an operating profit of about 15.2 trillion Korean won ($14.15 billion) for the quarter ending in December, which was in line with guidance. That was a 64.3 percent jump from a year earlier.
The firm's fourth-quarter revenue came in at about 66 trillion won, a 23.7 percent on-year increase. For the full year, Samsung recorded an operating profit of nearly 54 trillion won on revenue of about 240 trillion won.
Samsung shares jumped more than 8 percent in morning trade after the firm announced a 50:1 stock split. But that rally eventually faded and the stock closed up only 0.2 percent at 2,495,000 won, while the broader Kospi index finished near flat.
In a statement, Samsung said its board believed a stock split would make investing in the company "more accessible and provide dividends to a wider range of investors from 2018."
As part of a previously agreed shareholder return policy, Samsung also announced a year-end dividend of 21,500 won per common share.
The South Korean tech giant said its fourth-quarter earnings were driven by strong demand for its memory chips that are used in data centers and smartphones. In recent years, Samsung's semiconductor business became a major earnings driver. That unit recorded an operating profit of nearly 11 trillion won for the December quarter.
Earlier this year, research firm Gartner said preliminary results showed Samsung leapfrogged Intel to become the world's top semiconductor supplier last year. Samsung's market share in 2017 was 14.6 percent and Intel had 13.8 percent of the market, according to Gartner.
Gartner said a supply shortage resulted in a 64 percent jump in revenue growth in the memory market and benefited companies like Samsung, SK Hynix and others. Memory accounted for more than two-thirds of all semiconductor revenue growth in 2017, the research firm said.
Still, the advantage currently enjoyed by memory chip makers may not last, according to Gartner.
"Samsung's lead is literally built on sand, in the form of memory silicon," Andrew Norwood, research vice president at Gartner, said in a statement earlier this month. He added that memory pricing will weaken in 2018 as China steps up its memory production capacity. "We then expect Samsung to lose a lot of the revenue gains it has made."
For the current quarter that will end on Mar. 31, Samsung said strong demand for its memory chips that are used in data centers would likely offset weak seasonal demand.
"Looking at the mid to long term, Samsung expects the components business to see demand expand from new applications," the company added in a statement.
Samsung said its earnings from the mobile business declined in the December quarter due to higher marketing costs. Fourth-quarter operating profit for the mobile division came in at 2.42 trillion won, lower than the 2.5 trillion seen a year earlier.
The firm said smartphone sales for its low-end models declined. Indeed, recent data showed that Samsung was pushed out of the pole position last quarter from the Indian smartphone market, where it sells many of those low-end models.
"In the first quarter, the company expects the mobile business to improve its earnings, led by an increase in sales of flagship products with the launch of Galaxy S9," Samsung said in a statement.
The Galaxy S9 is expected to be introduced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Overall, Samsung pointed to the earnings guidance released in January and said operating profit was affected by a stronger Korean won against the dollar and other major currencies. The firm added that a one-off incentive paid to employees in the semiconductor business also had an impact on earnings.


FILE - Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic speaks with The Associated Press during his visit to Tirana, Albania, May 27, 2015.
Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said Tuesday that he would represent Serbia at ceremonies marking the 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre, the bloodiest episode in the Bosnian civil war of the early 1990s.
On July 11, 1995, toward the end of Bosnia's 1992-95 war, Bosnian Serb forces overran Srebrenica, a U.N.-designated "safe area." About 8,000 Muslim men and boys were killed in the days that followed. The U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague has called the killings genocide.
Vucic, who was well-known as a fierce Serbian nationalist, said that "It is time to show that we are ready for reconciliation and that we are ready to bow our head before other people's victims."
The prime minister said Serbia would sentence each criminal who committed "horrible crimes." But he and Bosnian Serb officials still refuse to call the Srebrenica massacre a genocide — legally defined as the deliberate attempt to wipe out an ethnic or religious group.
The U.N. Security Council postponed until Wednesday a vote on a British resolution to declare the Srebrenica deaths genocide because Russia, which shares many cultural and religious ties with Serbs, threatened to block the measure.
The council president, New Zealand's Ambassador Gerard Jacobus van Bohemen, said diplomats wanted to encourage as much unity as possible on the resolution.
British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said the resolution is not a political statement, but a legal one, and is not anti-Serbian.
Serbia has warned that the resolution will only widen ethnic divides in neighboring Bosnia.
The row over the resolution has created an atmosphere of distrust in Bosnia and overshadowed the Srebrenica commemoration scheduled for Saturday, when 136 newly identified victims will be laid to rest next to the 6,241 already buried at a joint cemetery.
Twenty years after the U.S.-brokered Dayton peace accord ended the war, Bosnia remains fragile, with a weak economy, an unwieldy power-sharing system and tensions between its two regions, the Bosniak-Croat Federation and the Serb Republic.
The president of the Bosnian Serb republic, Milorad Dodik, who has long called for its secession from Bosnia, has warned that the adoption of the resolution would mean a "disintegration of Bosnia."
Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic also has sent a letter to Britain's Queen Elizabeth, asking her to persuade the British government to drop its initiative.
His foreign minister, Ivica Dacic, added, "I expect the countries who took part in making the Dayton agreement ... to take no decisions that could destabilize the situation [in Bosnia]."


The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team was picked to defend its Sun Belt Conference title as the 2015 Preseason Poll was released by the league office on Wednesday.
Coming off its sixth trip to the Women's College World Series, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns softball team was picked to defend its Sun Belt Conference title as the 2015 Preseason Poll was released by the league office on Wednesday.
Louisiana placed four players on the Preseason All-Conference team, highlighted by returning All-Americans Lexie Elkins and Christina Hamilton, plus at-large selections Haley Hayden and Shellie Landry.
The Ragin' Cajuns, ranked No. 9 in the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division I Preseason Top 25 poll, earned seven of the nine first-place votes among the league's head coaches. South Alabama, which received the remaining two first-place votes, was picked to finish second overall followed by Georgia State, Texas State and Georgia Southern.
"I think we have a lot of good teams in our conference and that we have a lot of good players in our conference," head coach Michael Lotief said. "Over the years (in softball), there has been a lot of parity and a lot of teams are becoming more competitive. The (Sun Belt) conference part of our schedule is something that we always enjoy, and it something where over the years, it's been fun to compete for those honors and a championship. I think this year is going to be very competitive and the kids are excited about what's in front of us."
Elkins, a native of Victoria, Texas, was tabbed as the Preseason Player of the Year after being named the league's Player of the Year in 2014. In her inaugural season with the Ragin' Cajuns, Elkins led the team, and ranked second nationally, in home runs (24) and was fifth in the nation with 74 RBI in 59 starts. Elkins earned NFCA Third Team All-American and First Team All-Central Region honors and was 11th nationally in slugging percentage (.835).
Hamilton, a native of Rosepine, La., was selected as the Sun Belt Preseason Pitcher of the Year after being named the league's Pitcher of the Year last season. A Second Team NFCA All-America and First Team All-Central Region selection, Hamilton posted a 29-4 record with a 1.56 earned run average in 237.1 innings in the circle.
Her 29 wins ranked 13th nationally and she recorded 23 complete games with 187 strikeouts and held opponents to a .191 average on the season.
Landry, a junior from Broussard, was named as an At-Large selection as an outfielder after earning First Team All-Sun Belt Conference honors in 2014. Landry hit .287 at the plate with five home runs, 39 RBI and 28 runs scored. The former St. Thomas More High product hit .367 during Sun Belt Conference play and finished eighth in the league in RBI.
Louisiana, which posted a 49-10-1 overall record and 19-1 mark in league play, will play 30 games at Lamson Park in 2015, beginning Feb. 6-8 with the Louisiana Classic.
After hosting the season-opening Louisiana Classic, the Cajuns will play host to the 2015 Mardi Gras Classic, Feb. 13-15, and the 2015 Ragin' Cajuns Invitational, Feb. 20-22. Louisiana will also host Sun Belt opponents UT Arlington (Mar. 13-14), Georgia Southern (Mar. 16-17), Troy (Mar. 21-22) and Georgia State (Apr. 3-4). The Cajuns will wrap up their 2015 regular season home slate in mid-April with a series against 2014 Women's College World Series participant Baylor (Apr. 10-11) before a home finale against Houston (Apr. 15).
The Ragin' Cajuns will open Sun Belt Conference play March 7-8 at South Alabama and will travel for league series at Texas State (March 28-29), Appalachian State (April 18-19) and ULM (May 2-3). Louisiana will travel to face a pair of teams that each competed in the 2014 WCWS – defending national runner-up Alabama (Feb. 27 – March 1) and Oregon (April 24-25).


Mushrooms like Radishes I thought are easy to carve! During Christmas Season…..Angels and X-Mas trees come to mind and I thought let me try carving them on Mushroom. It looks very easy and straight forward but I was surprised to learn to the contrary. But you know me, never say die!
Mushrooms are cooks best friend. They can be sauted, microwaved, roasted and grilled. Mushrooms can be sliced thick or thin, cut in quarters, coarsely or finely chopped using a sharp knife. They can also be used in Chinese stir fried rice too. And ofcourse as an appetizer along with Bell Peppers in Olive oil!
Hope all of you have had a wonderful Christmas and looking forward to welcoming New Year. Congratulations to Mangalorean.com on doubling the membership and to have gained increased number of readers. Let us all strive to make Mangalorean.com Neumero Uno amongst Mangaloreans world wide!
I am sure we will…….


Aldi is to begin selling a new gin that tastes like the Marmite of the confectionery world - Parma Violets.
The new, purple 'shimmer' gin is being introduced as part of the German retailer's 'Infusionist' range of liqueurs and will launch on 26 April.
The new shimmer infused gin will launch alongside The Infusionist Coconut & Vanilla Rum Liqueur - which offers creamy coconut flavours paired with aromatic vanilla - and The Infusionist Rhubarb, Pink Grapefruit & Black Pepper Gin Liqueur, which has sharp citrus notes and a hint of peppery spice.
The new spirits will cost just £9.99 for a 50cl bottle.
Aldi has become a surprise destination for gin fans in recent years.
In 2018 it won the gold medal for Best Gin at the International Spirits Challenge for its £9.99 Oliver Cromwell London Dry Gin - which also took home the award in 2017 - but it's not just gins that are a success for the supermarket.
Earlier this month, Aldi’s own-label Sea Dog Premium Spiced Rum beat off fierce competition at the world’s most prestigious blind tasting competitions and was praised by industry experts at the Spirits Business Rum Masters, where judges awarded it a coveted gold medal.
Tasters noted the Sea Dog’s excellence in taste and great value price point. The panel commended the rum’s unique notes of sweet vanilla, warming spices, coffee and a citrus lime kick – finished with a deep and flavoursome aftertaste.
Aldi’s bestselling Old Hopking Spiced Rum, which retails for £10.49, was also awarded a silver medal, and the retailer's drinks range has been awarded an impressive 50 accolades over the past year.


U.S. airfares are expected to fall in 2017 amid overcapacity and stiff competition between budget carriers and legacy airlines, according to an American Express report. Bobbi Rebell reports.
Prices of airplane tickets in the U.S. are on track to fall in 2017, says a new American Express report on the travel industry. That's because legacy airlines are competing for passengers with budget carriers, and need to fill seats. Short-haul economy fares could drop as much as three percent, and long-haul business class could get 1.5 percent lower, according to the American Express Global Business Travel report. As oil prices have fallen, airlines have been able to expand the number of flights to places that were previously unprofitable. To make up for the lost revenue, airlines will be trying to make money in other areas, says Jonathan Root of Moody's Investors Service. (SOUNDBITE) JONATHAN ROOT, VICE-PRESIDENT, SENIOR CREDIT OFFICER, MOODY'S INVESTORS SERVICE "They are going to continue to push ancillaries and fees, and they are going to be very diligent on their cost base outside of labor and fuel. So, improving their practices and efficiencies across the operation at the airport, in the maintenance operation particularly, even on the distribution side." But once travelers get to their destination, the celebration will be a bit muted. U.S. hotel rates are estimated to increase 3.6 percent next year.


WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Friday signed legislation backed by two Texas Republicans that will allow states to expand the pool of applicants for unemployment benefits who can be drug tested.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rep. Kevin Brady of The Woodlands, nullifies a Labor Department rule that went into effect in September limiting drug tests to applicants who had a job that does regular drug screenings.
The measure traveled down a partisan path in Congress, passing through the Senate earlier this month with a party-line vote. Four Democrats in the House voted in favor of the bill in February, but no Texans.
“They said it’s about helping states save money, but this would actually set up states to waste tremendous amounts of money,” the group wrote in a letter to lawmakers signed by nearly 50 groups.
The American Civil Liberties Union has also argued that the measure may be unconstitutional, setting up a potential court battle.
Suspicionless drug testing of government benefit recipients likely violates the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution.
Despite the uproar, Cruz argued in a Senate floor speech before the bill passed that the Labor Department rule infringed on states’ rights. In some states, like California, unemployment insurance applicants do not get drug tested before receiving benefits.
“This regulation is overly prescriptive, removes state discretion regarding implementation, and ignores years of congressional concern on both sides of the aisle,” he said.
Cruz further made the case that drug testing ends up helping applicants for unemployment benefits in the long run.
“We are not helping anyone by leaving them in a position where they are dependent on and addicted to drugs,” Cruz said.


A pro-Trump singer is using her Grammys fashion to voice her support for a border wall.
Joy Villa headed to the 61st annual Grammy Awards and walked the red carpet Sunday sporting two different border wall-inspired looks.
The first shiny, silver number included shoulder accent pieces that resembled barbed wire. The 27-year-old singer was photographed smiling while holding a red handbag bearing Trump’s 2016 “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan.
The second outfit, which Villa wore on the red carpet, had a brick wall design with the message, “Build the Wall” written across the back.
It’s hardly the first time Villa has drawn attention for her sartorial choices that double as political statements.
Back in 2017, Villa made headlines when she sported a bright blue “Make America Great Again” dress at that year’s Grammys.


It seems like fiction story that we were discussing yesterday now becomes reality. Wireless power transfer was just like an imagination, but in today’s world, we can see numerous devices using the wireless charging technology.
Smartphone manufacturers have adopted the wireless charging technology making our life easier and clutter-free.
What is Wireless charging or wireless power transfer?
This wireless power transfer technology works on electromagnetic power transfer. One device works as a sender another one works as a receiver. The sender device drive by electric power from a power source generates an electromagnetic field that transmits the power across the surface area. The receiver device extracts the power from the field and supplies to the electrical load.
These two devices are actually two conductors inductively coupled or magnetically coupled. The current through the first wire creates a changing magnetic field. The changing magnetic field induces an electromotive force (EMF or voltage) in the second wire.
Qi, pronounced like the “chee“, is the universal standard for wireless charging of battery operated devices like mobiles, tablets, MP3 players and cameras. The Qi principal uses the inductive charging to transmit the power from one to another.
Qi is an open interface standard which can transmit up to 5 watts of current wirelessly over distances of up to 4 cm (1.6 inches).
Compatible with supports all chargers and mobile devices from different manufacturers, only both must fulfill the Qi specifications, meaning every Qi-enabled device is compatible. Smartphones with Qi compatibility can be charge from any Qi charging station. Apart from mobile devices, various other devices are now using Qi standard those can be easily charged on a single station.
Not only mobile manufacturers, power bank companies have also adopted the technology. Some of the wireless power banks available in India.
The success of wireless battery device charging and power banks, is leading us towards warless electricity transmission. Stanford researchers are working on the next technology innovation. They have discovered a practical method for wireless transmission of electricity, making Nikola Tesla’s vision of a wireless power grid a possibility. And we can hope for the best.


Trump Budget For 2018: Full Text Of White House Plan President Trump released his budget on Tuesday, which proposes deep cuts to federal safety nets, like food stamps. The plan builds off of the blueprint that the White House distributed in March.
President Trump's fiscal plan released on Tuesday claims to balance the budget deficit while cutting funding for safety net programs like food stamps and increasing defense spending. Read more about budget' aims.
Here's what the plan would mean for: medical research, education, low-income Americans and economic growth in the U.S.
Unlike the White House blueprint outlined in March, this budget includes "mandatory" spending, including such big-ticket items as Medicare and Social Security. Read the full text.


The campaign to legalize marijuana in Ohio is under investigation for possible voter fraud because the names on petitions and registration forms included dead people, prisoners and voters who say they never filled out the form.
The Hamilton County Board of Elections decided Tuesday to begin issuing subpoenas to find out why about two dozen names appear to be phony or improper. All of the questionable names are connected to the successful campaign to get Issue 3 on the ballot in Ohio.
Fellow board member Alex Triantafilou said he’ll push for criminal prosecution of anyone who committed fraud while gathering petitions or registering people to vote.
“It tears at the integrity of the system,” he said.
The leader of the Issue 3 campaign said his lawyers have been contacted by Hamilton County officials and will cooperate with the investigation. The Strategy Network led the petition drive to get Issue 3 on the ballot and has registered more than 150,000 new voters as part of the campaign.
Issue 3 is the largest, most organized and best-funded effort yet to legalize marijuana in Ohio. If voters approve it, the measure would amend Ohio’s constitution to allow pot to be grown for commercial sale at 10 locations across the state. The amendment also would allow individuals to grow small amounts for personal use.
The allegations in Hamilton County come a few months after Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted said he found discrepancies in some of the petitions submitted by ResponsibleOhio. The state ultimately concluded the group had gathered enough valid signatures to get Issue 3 on the ballot in November.
The problems in Hamilton County are potentially serious, board officials say, and would result in felony charges if proven true.
Burke, a Democrat, and Triantafilou, a Republican, both say they support the investigation. The four-member board, which often splits along partisan lines, is not divided on this issue.
Board officials discovered discrepancies on the petitions and voter registration forms when reviewing them over the past few weeks.
Triantafilou said the board found six people who claim they did not sign voter registration forms submitted by Responsible Ohio. Four other registration forms were signed with the names of dead people, and 11 names on petitions were from dead people.
“This happened before the pope was here, so we know there were no miracles,” Burke said of the deceased voters.
At least two other registration forms turned out to bear the names of inmates who were in prison at the time they supposedly signed the forms.
Burke said the potential fraud is a problem, but he cautioned that the number of questionable forms and signatures found so far is small compared to the number collected. He said he has no doubt ResponsibleOhio, which collected about 1 million signatures, did enough to place Issue 3 on the ballot.


DENVER — If you're looking to buy a home in metro Denver, now might be the time to strike.
Inventory was up 20 percent in September over the same time last year, according to a new report from RE/MAX.
But, there's also good news for sellers in Our Colorado.
Home prices were up for the 30th consecutive month in the data analyzed from not just metro Denver, but 54 metros in the U.S.
And – the fall and winter aren't the same dreary months for home sales seasons they used to be in Denver.
“In September, we had a 20 percent uptick in inventory which is crazy for September,” said Jennifer Oldham, a realtor with Coldwell Banker. “Normally in September, we're seeing inventory come down."
Oldham said winter is now bucking trends that have been the norm for years.
"Every single day I'm seeing houses coming on the market," Oldham said.
Oldham’s recent listing in Aurora was priced at $485,000.
"I thought it would take three weeks or a month to sell, and it sold in two days," Oldham said.
"In fact, homes aren't selling any slower, and we're still seeing appreciation," said Kerron Stokes, a realtor with RE/MAX.
According to the latest numbers from the RE/MAX national housing report, in metro Denver - total home sales were down 27 percent from August to September.
But, the median sales price was up 6 percent from the same time last year - to $395,000. An all-time high.
"If you go from the speed of light, which was what the market was doing before, to the speed of sound, it feels a little slower. But it's still really fast,” Stokes said. “You're not standing still."
And in fact, in the price range of $250-$350,000, experts say there's still so much excitement and demand, homes are still causing bidding wars.
"This house was listed at $485,000,” Oldham said of her Aurora listing. “I didn't expect it to sell in two days. I really thought it was going to take a month. But boy - buyers were out in force, and they wanted this house."


AT&T is doubling its portfolio of Android smartphones with the addition of the HTC Aria. The Aria is a much more impressive device than the Motorola Backflip, but still falls short of what Android is capable of and seems to show that AT&T is dipping its toe in the water rather than diving into the deep end of the Android pool.
The Motorola Backflip, the Android smartphone with the unique screen-flipping form factor, was AT&T's initial foray into Android. However, even in March the Backflip was not in the same league as the Android smartphones available from Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile. The Backflip seemed more suitable for teen consumers than anything, and with a price and contract equivalent to the low-end iPhones it was a hard sell that essentially flopped.
With the Aria, AT&T is at least heading in the right direction. The Aria is an Android 2.1 device customized with HTC's Sense interface. Business professionals locked into AT&T and looking for alternatives to the iPhone, or anxious to join the Android invasion will appreciate having a more capable Android option.
However, the Aria is like getting last year's Android. Specs like the 600Mhz processor don't stack up very well against the current generation of cutting edge Android smartphones like the Sprint EVO 4G-- also developed by HTC. The Aria, which seems like an evolution of the HTC Hero, also may not make the cut to receive the upgrade to Android 2.2, a.k.a. "Froyo".
With the persistent rumors of the ever-impending end of iPhone exclusivity, it is understandable that AT&T should want to expand its smartphone portfolio to include Android. If and when exclusivity does end, and competitors like Verizon or Sprint also offer the iPhone, AT&T will need some other weapons in its arsenal to compel businesses to remain with, or switch to AT&T wireless service.
The AT&T Android portfolio is small and weak, though. The Motorola Backflip is simply not compelling--especially for business use. The HTC Aria might make a suitable Android smartphone for companies locked to AT&T, but it doesn't provide much incentive for new customers to commit to AT&T, and HTC Aria users will have Droid and EVO envy right out of the box.
What does AT&T have to lose by offering a top of the line Android smartphone like the HTC Droid Incredible or the HTC EVO 4G? A cutting edge Android smartphone might cut into sales of the iPhone, but they would all be sales to AT&T just the same--with the same contracts, monthly revenue, and early termination fees.
It seems that AT&T is only tentatively embracing Android. Perhaps it is concerned about upsetting the Apple cart too soon? The HTC Aria does expand the Android options with AT&T, but compared with the impending iPhone 4, and Android smartphones from AT&T competitors, it is lacking and implies that AT&T isn't fully committed to the Android platform.
While the attractive HTC Aria might not have the beefy specs of its HTC Android brethren, like the Droid Incredible and EVO 4G, it is a fully capable, beautifully-designed Android phone and a welcome addition to AT&T’s miniscule Android portfolio.


Yao Ming has been a leading activist in trying to ban shark fin soup, but the campaign needs more voices if it's going to be successful. The latest effort to raise awareness is a documentary film called Extinction Soup, which is being released Monday as part of the World Ocean's Day celebration. The film goes into detail about how the mass slaughter of sharks threatens the balance of life in the ocean's ecosystem. Those disruptions have a ripple effect on humans, which is part of the message: If you don't want to do it for the sharks, do it for yourself.
The film is available on VOD outlets such as iTunes, and it is scheduled to be televised on the Fusion Network.
Check out more documentaries featured on ThePostGame.


Diana, David Anthony, "An investigation of self-disclosure and its relationship to gender, gender roles, and self-esteem in college students" (1990). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 2323.


And now, our weekly garden guidance from the gurus at the Oregon State University Extension Service.
During the summer, as gardens overflow with abundance, it's a good time to remember that they need organic matter replenished every year. Growing winter cover crops is an inexpensive way to let nature do the work.
Often called green manure, cover crops are an effective way to build garden soil during the fall and winter. Certain grains, grasses and legumes grow during the colder months and provide nutrients when spaded or tilled under in the spring.
While they grow, cover crops also help reduce soil compaction and prevent erosion. Their roots penetrate and loosen heavy-textured soils, allowing air and water to penetrate.
"Cover crops also are called catch crops," according to Amy Dreves, research associate in the Oregon State University crop and soil science department. "In the rainy parts of Oregon, this is one of the more cost-effective reasons to plant a cover crop. A grass or legume crop catches and uses the nitrogen and other mineral nutrients that winter rains normally leach away."
Nearly all garden soils need organic matter to maintain bacteria, fungi, earthworms and other forms of life that make healthy, fertile soil. When you turn under the cover crop in the spring, these nutrients return to the soil, ready for another crop of vegetables.
Overwintered crops also provide habitat for beneficial insects and help control weeds. Many legume cover crops can add nitrogen to the soil as well.
Plant cover crops from late August until early October where vegetables have been harvested or between rows where vegetables still grow. Annual grasses or grains make a quick, dense cover that will protect soil. Legumes, such as clover or vetch, are not as quick or dense, but they are rich sources of nitrogen when chopped into the soil in the spring. A mixture of legumes and grasses is especially effective.
Legumes: Austrian field peas, common vetch, crimson clover and fava beans.
Grains: Annual ryegrass, barley and winter wheat.
In the spring, cut down or mow cover crops, compost the tops and till the rest into the soil before they flower or set seed. Allow a few weeks for the cover crop residue to break down.
OSU Extension's "Cover Crops for Home Gardens" offers a list of crops and information on when to sow and turn them under.


But with her eight-year tenure as New Mexico governor coming to an end, Martinez faces a complex political legacy defined by court battles, far-reaching vetoes, expanded webcasting of state board meetings, multiple attempts at education reform, hard-hitting campaign tactics – and little luck, until recently, when it comes to the state’s economy.
Martinez, a Republican, will hand over the reins of state government to Gov.-elect Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, at a time of unprecedented incoming revenue – driven primarily by an oil boom in southeastern New Mexico – but her time presiding over the state was dominated by years of modest growth and two significant revenue downturns.
In a Journal interview, Martinez said her economic record is strong and includes the recruitment of major new employers, including Facebook and Netflix. But factors outside her control – automatic federal budget cuts, the Great Recession and a crash in oil and gas prices – have squeezed state finances at times, she said.
“No other state has had those three headwinds,” Martinez said.
The former prosecutor’s time in office was also marked by clashes with a Legislature controlled by Democrats for most of her tenure – Republicans had a majority for two years in the House – and she encountered staunch opposition from labor unions, especially teachers unions, that filed multiple lawsuits seeking to block her initiatives.
Lawmakers also took her to court on several occasions, including a 2017 lawsuit that ended with the Supreme Court invalidating some of the governor’s vetoes.
Martinez, for her part, describes legislative sessions as among her toughest days in office because of the amount of time and money wasted on ceremonies and nonbinding legislation rather than real work, in her view.
It was particularly difficult, she said, to deal with lawmakers who would tell her one thing privately then vote a different way in public.
Martinez said she hopes, by contrast, to be remembered as someone who kept her word.
State Sen. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces, said Martinez misunderstood her 2010 election victory as a mandate and failed to communicate effectively with legislators.
“I see it as a squandered opportunity,” he said.
He also said there’s little evidence to suggest the corporate income tax cuts pushed by the Martinez administration have led to new jobs in New Mexico, while adding that many local governments have had to raise their tax rates to offset a gradual loss in state dollars mandated by the 2013 tax package.
Martinez was first elected governor in 2010, defeating then-Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, a Democrat, after vowing to curb corruption and streamline state government.
She largely succeeded in reining in state government, as spending levels increased by only about 2 percent annually under her watch – from $5.4 billion in the 2012 budget year to $6.3 billion in the current fiscal year.
“I think New Mexico benefited greatly from the tight fiscal ship she ran,” said Terri Cole, president and CEO of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce.
However, the Martinez administration faced ethics scandals of its own during the governor’s tenure, including embezzlement charges being filed this year against former Taxation and Revenue Secretary Demesia Padilla and a federal grand jury investigation into how money was raised and spent for Martinez’s 2010 inaugural celebration. The investigation ended with no criminal charges being filed.
In addition, state revenue collections plummeted for a roughly two-year stretch starting in 2015, prompting sweeping budget cuts, reductions in some state services and other budget-balancing maneuvers.
“We lived within our means, knowing we had to prioritize,” Martinez said.
Cole said Martinez inherited a difficult budget situation but enacted changes that have strengthened the state’s economy.
Such changes included beefing up funding for the Local Economic Development Act – also known as the state’s “closing fund” – which is used to help lure out-of-state companies to New Mexico.
That program was instrumental, Cole said, in helping the state land a massive Facebook data center near Los Lunas in 2016 and a deal to bring Netflix’s first U.S. production hub to Albuquerque.
“I think there’s clear evidence those policies have worked and are working,” Cole said.
“You don’t get to choose the times you govern,” she added.
Overall, the number of New Mexico state workers has decreased since Martinez took office – there are about 17,000 rank-and-file employees currently – and more workers have been leaving state government than have been hired for three consecutive years.
As a result, some state agencies have struggled with high vacancy rates that critics say have led to high overtime rates and poor morale. The statewide vacancy rate is currently 19 percent, according to the State Personnel Office.
Martinez said that before she took office, the state workforce had ballooned to the point that it wasn’t even clear what some employees did.
“We saw too many government employees for the mission of the state,” she said.
But she said her administration also worked to boost staffing where needed – in public safety, child protective services and the Department of Corrections, for example.
“We didn’t just cut,” Martinez said.
Carter Bundy, the legislative and political director for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union in New Mexico, said the tax cuts signed by Martinez have not had their intended impact and have instead created a structural deficit that’s currently masked by the oil production boom in the Permian Basin.
He also criticized Martinez for vetoing several bills seeking to increase the state’s $7.50-per-hour minimum wage, which has not been changed since 2009. However, Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Las Cruces have all enacted higher minimum wages.
However, he did credit the outgoing governor for keeping an open mind on the subject of pension solvency legislation and for her 2013 decision to expand the state’s Medicaid rolls under the federal Affordable Care Act, which allowed thousands of low-income residents of a state with one of the nation’s highest poverty rates to qualify for the joint federal-state health care program.
Throughout her tenure, Martinez clashed repeatedly with teachers unions and Democratic lawmakers, especially on education policy.
She launched the A-F grading system for public schools and established teacher evaluations that factor in students’ scores on standardized tests, among other factors.
In her final days in office, the Martinez administration released numbers showing that New Mexico’s high school graduation rate had hit an all-time high of 73 percent. She has also touted a recent decline in the number of college-bound students taking remedial courses in college. The state Public Education Department credits the improvements in part to the implementation of a standardized test called PARCC, which the department said raised the bar for high school graduates.
But she had setbacks, too.
Lawmakers blocked her legislative proposals to require third-graders to be proficient in reading before moving on.
In a blistering decision in July, a state judge ruled that New Mexico is violating the constitutional rights of at-risk students by failing to provide them with a sufficient education. The court ordered the governor and the Legislature to establish a funding system that meets constitutional requirements by April 15, 2019.
When it came to transparency, Martinez’s vow to open up state government to the public proved easier said than done.
Martinez launched a webcasting initiative in 2011 that provided public access to legislative hearings, angering some lawmakers in the process, before lawmakers enacted their own webcasting and archiving functions. The Governor’s Office also webcasts the meetings of various state boards and commissions.
“We have more transparency in New Mexico than ever in the history of the state,” Martinez said in a recent interview.
However, the governor also faced several lawsuits over her handling of open records requests, including a 2013 lawsuit filed by The Associated Press over information about Martinez’s work and travel schedules, cellphone calls and expenses of the security officers who travel with the governor.
That lawsuit was settled in 2015 after the Martinez administration agreed to release some of the requested information.
Martinez also faced a 2013 lawsuit by the Santa Fe Reporter, a weekly newspaper, alleging that her office discriminated against the paper and delayed public records requests.
A district judge in Santa Fe ruled last year that the Martinez administration did not violate constitutional rights by not providing information to the newspaper, but she did rule that the Governor’s Office violated the Inspection of Public Records Act.
Martinez said that in general, her administration has pushed to release what it can legally, but the state is sometimes bound by confidentiality provisions in state law.
With a Democratic governor set to take office Tuesday, it’s unclear how much of Martinez’s policies will remain intact.
Cervantes predicted most of the governor’s education initiatives, including teacher evaluations and an A-F public school grading system, would be rolled back under the Lujan Grisham administration.
Martinez, for her part, said she hopes New Mexico doesn’t return to failed education policies. Under her administration, she said, the state’s graduation rate hit a record high, more funding is going into classrooms rather than administration and more high school students are taking Advanced Placement courses, which provide college credit.
Part of Martinez’s legacy may end up being her hard-hitting communication style, which some critics said resembled a never-ending political campaign.
Some top state GOP officials also grumbled privately about Martinez and her political adviser, Jay McCleskey.
“She clashed just as much with Republicans in the Legislature – they just kept their mouths shut,” Cervantes said.
Martinez, 59, said she isn’t sure what’s next. She had once expected to care for her older brother, Jake, after leaving office, but he died this month of a rare neurological disease.
Martinez said she expects to provide for her sister-in-law and for her sister, Lettie, who is developmentally disabled.
She said she doesn’t have any plans to run for office and hasn’t met with any private companies or government agencies about the possibility of a job yet.
She said she will leave it to others to define her legacy as governor.


THE TALK OF THE TOWN'S ARTIST AT LARGE color comic strip asking alternative-health-care providers if they think a new health plan should cover their services. Hypnotherapist Barry Seedman believes most alternative health care should be fully covered: "The government has had us in a trance for so long it ought to start paying for it." Rebirther Joanie Watkins says doctors and chiropractors should prescribe alternative therapy. Past-lives-regression therapist Michele Maldeau doesn't believe insurance coverage is likely. Acupuncturist Kevin Ergil says "We do like the idea of being reimbursed for treating a patient's rising liver yang." Humor and Healing workshop facilitator Ed Franco thinks his service is too avant-garde for consideration: "How would they determine how much it should be reimbursed? 80% under normal circumstances and 100% if they laugh really hard?"
This article appears in the print edition of the September 5, 1994, issue.


David Binder, who has served as chief financial officer at InfoSpace since January 2008, plans to step down from the job in mid-August to take a new position as chief financial officer of Blue Nile. He first joined InfoSpace in 2004, joining the Internet search company from drugstore.com.
Binder takes over from Vijay Talwar, General Manager of International operations at Blue Nile who had served as interim CFO.
Just last week, Blue Nile announced that Starbucks veteran Chris Bruzzo had joined the company’s board.
Shares of Blue Nile are down 23 percent on the year. InfoSpace shares are up 14 percent.
InfoSpace Chief Accounting Officer Eric Emans will serve as interim chief financial officer until a permanent successor is selected, the company said.


WASHINGTON – The Coalition on Human Needs and other defenders of the poor wrote to President Obama and the Republican and Democratic leaders of Congress June 27 urging them to reject any cutbacks in low-income benefit programs that would increase poverty and hunger in their current negotiations on deficit reductions.
The message comes as Obama exerts pressure on Republicans to drop their efforts to extort sweeping cuts in Social Security, Medicare and other federal programs as the price for their agreement to an increase in the debt ceiling. Obama is demanding an agreement by July 1, before Congress recesses for the Fourth of July.
It reduces the top corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 25 percent, she noted, “and that will cost the Treasury $2 trillion over ten years,” a huge addition to the Federal deficit. “That’s from Chairman (Paul) Ryan who touts himself as someone concerned about deficits,” she said.
Federal nutrition programs “are the difference between enough to eat and not for one in four Americans,” she concluded.
Other organizations signing the letter include the Children’s Defense Fund, United Way, National Council of La Raza, Families USA and the NAACP.
Ryan’s budget proposes to transform SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) from an entitlement with automatic increases in funds to meet increased need, into a block grant, a fixed amount of money distributed to the states no matter how many are hungry.
The states, grappling with budget shortfalls, would be forced either to tighten eligibility, terminating benefits for an estimated 8 million current recipients, or they could reduce benefits across the board. “A family of four would lose $147 per month in food benefits, a devastating cut,” Weinstein said.


533 West 19th Street, New York, NY 10011 (+1212-727 2070; davidzwirner.com); June 27-July 21 2017.
Josef and Anni Albers are best known for their bold use of colour, he most famously in his Homage to the Square series, she in her works that redefined textiles as art. They are perhaps less well known for The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, established in 1971 to further “the revelation and evocation of vision through art”, and which has continued to operate following its founders’ passing.
In 2015 the foundation set up Senegal-based nonprofit Thread, an artists’ residency and community centre in the village of Sinthian, and an upcoming exhibition (June 27-July 21) at David Zwirner Gallery in New York will raise funds for the project by selling off works (priced from $10,000 to $100,000) by an all-star line-up, including both of the Albers.
Others names among the 26 in the sale include Luc Tuymans, Ruth Asawa, Raoul De Keyser and Tomma Abts, as well as William Eggleston, who has contributed an exquisite pigment print, Untitled, c1983-1986. There will also be photographs of Thread and its surroundings, taken by Giovanni Hänninen. The minimalist Toshiko Mori-designed centre in Senegal supports dancers, rappers and fashion designers, as well as photographers, and supports local education and agricultural training. It also works with Le Korsa, a nonprofit established by the executive director of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation in 2005 to support medical and educational facilities in rural Senegal.


For his new series, “Scenarios,” the master collagist transfers fragments of photographs—some found, some his own—onto aluminum panels, delivering a uniquely fractured view of the American landscape.
Yes, that Janet Malcolm. The essayist and novelist makes art incorporating truncated words and phrases as well as materials she’s collected—everything from book covers to library cards and frayed bedsheets.
Almost 50 collages, including several previously unseen works from his estate, reflect the artist’s personal rapport with his peers, from de Kooning to Cage to Warhol.