Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake came to the nation's capital Wednesday to make a pitch for what big-city leaders want to see from the federal government — and the next president.
But when her appearance at the National Press Club was opened for questions, she wound up spending much of her time addressing the unrest that shook Baltimore in April, and how she handled it.
Rawlings-Blake, who was in Washington in her capacity as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, said the city was not as prepared as it should have been for the riots that erupted on the day Freddie Gray was buried. She said her administration is now taking additional steps to ready itself ahead of the trials of the six police officers charged in his arrest and death.
"I don't think anyone would have expected the unrest to unfold in the way that it did," Rawlings-Blake said. "What it did give us was an opportunity to strengthen our response."
Rawlings-Blake, who announced last month that she would not seek re-election next year, will remain the president of the mayors' conference until June. She hosted a bipartisan delegation of mayors in Baltimore over the weekend working on a "call to action" the group hopes will influence the presidential race.
Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake outlined four broad goals Monday for her remaining 15 months in office, including financing $136 million in improvements for recreation centers and pools and ensuring that the $1 billion school construction plan is executed correctly.
But as she tries to carry that message forward, some predict she will face a challenge through the rest of her tenure: how to focus the conversation on the issues she wants to talk about — solutions to the urban ills that Gray's death laid bare — when much of her audience wants to hear about the unrest itself.
Todd Eberly, an associate professor of political science at St. Mary's College of Maryland, says the riots, arson and looting that drew international attention have impaired Rawlings-Blake's ability to be an effective messenger for the nation's mayors.
"The unfortunate reality is that her handling of the riots is going to be a distraction from a lot of the other topics she wants to talk about," Eberly said. "It's an unfortunate circumstance because she obviously wants to be an advocate for mayors and wants to be an advocate for cities."
Mental health, mass shootings, infrastructure, and police safety and accountability are among the most pressing issues that need to be addressed by the presidential candidates, according to a nonpartisan group of mayors led by Baltimore's Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.
David Lublin, a professor of government at American University, said Congress is so polarized that the mayors' plans are unlikely to gain traction — no matter who is delivering it.
"You could have the pope himself come and present their agenda, and the Republican Congress would not pass it," he said.
A spokesman for Rawlings-Blake said he disagreed that the mayor's decision not to run for re-election or the unrest in Baltimore limits her effectiveness as a leader.
"As she has always done, the mayor will do what she thinks is right for the citizens of Baltimore and, in her role for the U.S. Conference of Mayors, she will do what she thinks is right for people who live in cities across the United States," spokesman Howard Libit said. "In some sense, she will be freed from the constant scrutiny of her actions being viewed through the lens of a re-election campaign."
Lublin said the unrest in Baltimore might "undermine" Rawlings-Blake's effectiveness at a national level, but it could also be useful.
"Crisis is another word for opportunity," he said. "She can use the events in Baltimore to sell the agenda. She could say, 'Look, we really need to address poverty in the cities.'"
Rawlings-Blake said there is direct connection between the riots and underlying challenges. She spent much of her address Wednesday focused on poverty, housing, unemployment and relations between the community and their police department.
Cities, she said, have to be at the center of the solutions to many of those problems.
Rawlings-Blake said that the mayors' conference, which represents cities with a population of 30,000 or more, is putting the final touches on an agenda that members want the presidential candidates to address as they crisscross the country in search of votes.
She said it has been difficult to get Democrats and Republicans in the group to come together around a common set of ideas, but there is broad consensus about increasing federal investment in infrastructure, homeland security and affordable housing, and addressing what she described as the nation's broken immigration system.
The mayor, who spent much of Wednesday meeting with U.S. Justice Department officials about the spike in crime in many cities, was also critical of Congress, which has struggled to pass even basic funding measures in recent years.
Lawmakers last week approved a short-term spending bill that will keep the government running only until Dec. 11. Washington is also approaching another showdown over the federal debt ceiling.
"Gridlock strangles Washington, and the consequences of that gridlock, they're passed on to cities," Rawlings-Blake said. "That gridlock is strangling the future of our country."
The mayor was criticized, both inside the government and out, for what some saw as a sluggish response to the mayhem that broke out on April 27. Her supporters have countered that the unrest was contained to a single day and resulted in no fatalities.
Rawlings-Blake said the city has increased police training and emergency communications in preparation for any unrest that might accompany the trials of the police officers.
"Baltimore was not as prepared as it should have been, and certainly could have been for the unrest," she said.
But Rawlings-Blake said there are no easy solutions to the challenges of urban poverty.
"None of this was created overnight," she said. "When you have years of neglect and you have years of abandonment, the fix will take years as well."
Rawlings-Blake was asked about the administration's relationship with the Fraternal Order of Police, which has been particularly sour in recent months.
The mayor responded by saying she tried to nudge union leaders toward reform, but that they resisted the effort.
"I don't know, based on the rhetoric they've been spewing in Baltimore, who would want the endorsement of the FOP," Rawlings-Blake said. "I think the actions of our police union, and many across the country, have really devalued the power of that union."
Lt. Gene Ryan, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, said that union has discussed many reforms but has not felt as though it had a partner at City Hall.
"I am not clear why Mayor Rawlings-Blake continues to pick fights with public safety," Ryan said in a statement. "She seems to be distorted in her way of thinking as to what has actually occurred during her term."


News that Lydia Ko had ditched Guy Wilson, her coach of 11 years who taught her the game and brought her to No. 4 in the World Rankings, for David Leadbetter made us think of a post we did back in July, when Lee Westwood hired Sean Foley as his swing coach.
__Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els to Butch Harmon__It was all very cordial when Mickelson and Els both left their respective coaches, Rick Smith and David Leadbetter, for Butch. Both felt they needed a change as their careers enter their final stage and were both rewarded: each winning majors under their new coach.__Aaron Baddeley from Mike Plummer and Andy Bennett__When the Stack & Tilt method burst onto the scene, Aaron Baddeley was the face of it. He won his first and second PGA Tour events in consecutive years using the swing and broke into the top 20 in the world. But after shooting 80 in the final round of the 2007 U.S. Open -- he entered the day with the lead -- Baddeley ditched the instructors and has won only once since.


(CBS News) The science world is abuzz about an announcement from the European Organization for Nuclear Research, also known as CERN, concerning the Higgs boson - informally called the "god particle." The European collective plans to announce their latest data concerning this elusive particle, which has never been directly observed and may not even exist. But what is a Higgs boson? One helpful cartoon explains.
NASA, which featured this educational cartoon on their website, offers some detail: "The term boson refers to a type of fundamental particle with similarities to the photon, while Higgs refers to Peter Higgs, a physicist who among others published research predicting the mechanism through which such a particle might act. The above animated cartoon explains in humorous but impressive detail why the Higgs boson is expected, and one method that the Large Hadron Collider is using to find it."
The video itself comes from "PHD Comics" - a web series started by Jorge Cham, a cartoonist and roboticist, that follows the lives of several graduate students. The knowledgeable voice explaining this mysterious "god particle" is physicist Daniel Whiteson, a scientist at CERN.
So did you learn something? Perhaps the biggest take-away from this informative, entertaining video is just how excited the science community is to be moving so close to what could be a momentous discovery.
CERN is expected to announce their formal findings concerning the Higgs Boson on Wednesday, July 4th.


Announcements galore Apple today introduced a slew of new hardware products that will undoubtedly keep Apple retail stores buzzing in the weeks to come. From a new iPad Air to an impressive new 27-inch iMac with a Retina Display, Apple fans in search of new hardware will have no shortage of products to choose from. On top of that, Apple on Thursday also made a number of notable software announcements. That said, here is a look at the most important hardware and software announcements that Apple delivered during its special media event last week.
Apple Pay goes live on October 20 Apple Pay may very well go on to revolutionize how we make payments. Not only is the service extremely secure, it's also exceedingly simple to use. Yesterday, Apple announced that its highly anticipated mobile payments platform will go live on Monday, October 20.
New iPad Air 2 Apple yesterday announced the next-gen model, the iPad Air 2. Impressively, the new iPad Air is even thinner than the original and comes with a less reflective display. Other features include a blazing-fast A8X processor, Touch ID, an enhanced iSight camera capable of taking 1080p HD video and 43-megapixel panoramas, faster Wi-Fi and LTE speeds, and the ability to make in-app mobile purchases via Apple Pay.
27-inch iMac with Retina Display If there was ever a product to leave video and photo professionals drooling, this is the one. Apple's new 27-inch iMac features a 5K Retina Display sporting a 5210x2880 pixel display. That's approximately 14.7 million pixels, enough for Apple to confidently call it the "world's highest-resolution display." The new iMac is impressively thin and uses less energy than its predecessor, an impressive feat given the machine's powerful and jaw-dropping display.
OS X Yosemite now available for free OS X Yosemite, Apple's next-gen desktop OS, is now available as a free download via the Mac App Store. OS X Yosemite delivers a host of new features, from continuity features like Handoff to improved Safari performance and a whole lot more.
iOS 8.1 available on Monday iOS 8.1, Apple's first major update to iOS 8, will be available for download this coming Monday. Notably, the update will deliver support for Apple Pay, which, not coincidentally, goes live that same day. The release promises to deliver a host of performance improvements along with the return of the Camera Roll, which Apple curiously removed from the initial version of iOS 8.
Apple's new iMac is blazing fast In addition to an incredible and groundbreaking new display, Apple has jam packed its new 27-inch iMac with impressive internals. A 1TB fusion drive and 8GB of RAM now come standard. Further, the machine comes equipped with a base-level 3.5GHz Intel i5 processor. Users hoping for even more speed can upgrade to a 4GHz i7 Intel processor. This high-tech machine won't come cheap, though. The starting price point checks in at $2,499. While expensive, it's still a good deal for that type of display.
WatchKit WatchKit, the SDK for developers to create Apple Watch apps, will be rolled out next month. Apple still doesn't have a firm release date for the Apple Watch, but the impending release of WatchKit is a good indication that the release date will, as promised, fall sometime in early 2015.
iPad Air 2’s impressive new camera capabilities In addition to being exceedingly fast, the iPad 2 camera has seriously improved from the previous version. The new iSight camera can take burst mode photos, time lapse video, and slow-mo video as well. What's more, the new FaceTime camera lets in 80% more light, features improved face detection, and supports HDR video.
iPhone 6 continues to set sales records With the iPhone 6 slated to go on sale in China this Friday, Tim Cook noted that the iPhone 6 has already set a new 30-day order record, putting the iPhone 6 on pace to be Apple's most popular and successful model to date. While Cook didn't divulge any specific numbers, we'll have more detailed iPhone sales information once Apple reports its earnings for the quarter gone by next Monday.
iPad Mini 3 now has Touch ID Apple didn't spend too much time talking about the iPad Mini 3, aside from mentioning that the iPad Mini overall has an impressive 100% customer satisfaction ratio. The lone enhancement to the iPad Mini 3 is that Apple's diminutive tablet now comes with Touch ID. A small but still noteworthy upgrade.
iPad Air 2 features an Apple SIM card with multi-carrier support Apple's new iPad Air 2 comes equipped with an Apple SIM card. This is a great addition as it allows users to switch data plans between AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile depending on which carrier happens to have the best cellular plan at the moment. Apple's website reads, "The Apple SIM gives you the flexibility to choose from a variety of short-term plans from select carriers in the U.S and UK right on your iPad."
Apple Pay has more retail and banking support With Apple Pay set to go live on October 20, Apple announced that it has partnered with a number of additional retailers. Apple also announced that mobile apps Lyft, Airbnb, and OpenTable, among others, have added built-in support for Apple Pay. Just as important, Apple announced that 500 more banks have signed on to support Apple Pay in the coming months.
New Mac Minis It's been an insanely long time since Apple last updated the Mac Mini, over two years in fact. Thankfully, that all changed yesterday when Apple announced a brand new Mac Mini featuring 4th-gen Intel processors, bolstered graphics performance, faster Wi-Fi, two Thuderbolt 2 ports, and more. Priced at $499, the newest Mac Mini is available for order today.
Lowest-cost iPad will remain available Apple still has plans to sell the original iPad Air along with both the iPad Mini 1 and iPad Mini 2. Notably, the original iPad Mini will be available for just $249, making it the cheapest iPad model Apple has ever made available for sale.
Apple has sold 225 million iPads so far Though growth has slowed a bit lately, iPad sales remain strong. Tim Cook announced today that iPad sales thus far have topped 225 million units. Moreover, Apple boasted that it shipped more iPads last year than any other manufacturer shipped PCs.
iWork available for free Apple's latest version of iWork, which includes new versions of Pages, Keynote, and Numbers, is now available as a free download from the Mac App Store.


Thousands of Central American migrants fleeing poverty and violence packed a bridge connecting Guatemala and Mexico in sweltering heat Saturday as part of a politically charged, U.S.-bound caravan.
At one point, several dozen migrants trying to make their way north sang the Honduran national anthem on the edge of the muddy Suchiate River between Tecun Uman, Guatemala, and Tapachula, Mexico.
Their journey continued one day after defiant caravan members rushed passed border gates only to be stopped by rows of Mexican riot police who dispersed tear gas and smoke canisters into the crowds.
The slow procession north has led President Donald Trump to threaten to cut aid to Central American nations and to send troops to the U.S. border if Mexico failed to stop the surge.
"Our message is we're not criminals," Honduran migrant Orlean Herrera said. "We're coming over here because we need a better life. That's why we're here."
By Saturday morning, the bridge was teeming with men, women, teenagers and children.
Mexican authorities starting Friday were allowing a trickle of migrants, starting with women and children, to pass through gates near the bridge to Tapachula, where they boarded buses for refugee camps.
Others, chanting and cheering, pushed through or climbed over a steel gate Friday until riot police repelled them with tear gas and smoke canisters. Video showed coughing and weeping migrants collapsed on the bridge. Several police and an undetermined number of migrants were injured.
It was unclear how many migrants would cross the border and how long that process would take. Mexican authorities have said they'd allow migrants to enter the country if they have valid visas or meet other requirements.
The caravan formed last Saturday in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and arrived Monday in Guatemala. Migrants in the group told CNN en Español they were bound for the United States, seeking work and fleeing political corruption and violence.
Leaders throughout the region have publicly urged them for days to turn back.
Four Mexican police officers were injured in the standoff at the Mexican border, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday.
Speaking to reporters on a tarmac in Mexico City, where he'd been meeting with leaders about the caravan and other matters, Pompeo accused the caravan of using women and children "as shields as they make their way through."
"This is an organized effort to come through and violate the sovereignty of Mexico," Pompeo said. "We're prepared to do all that we can to support the decisions that Mexico makes about how they're going to address this very serious and important issue to their country."
Pompeo said he had a "good conversation" with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and that the two countries are jointly focused on the caravan issue, but "the Mexican government is making all the decisions on how to address this."
"They are fully engaged. They sent 500 'federales' down to the southern border," Pompeo said, noting that he wanted to "express his sympathy" for the injured officers.
"That's evidence of what this really is," he said.
Peña Nieto called the confrontation a "unique incident," saying the migrants did not follow the protocols that Mexican immigration officials put in place in anticipation of the caravan. He added that some migrants "assaulted and even injured" a number of unarmed members of the Mexican police before they could contain the violence.
"Mexico won't allow anyone entering its territory in an erratic way and much less a violent way," he said Friday night in a video statement released on Twitter.
Peña Nieto said Mexican officials would continue welcoming those traveling with the migrant caravan despite Friday's incident.
"Mexico maintains its willingness to support migrants who decide to enter our country while respecting our laws," he said.
Trump, who's been criticizing the caravan with fiery tweets all week, reiterated his threat Friday that if Mexico doesn't stop the migrants, he'll take more drastic action.
"If that doesn't work out, we're calling up the military, not the Guard, we're calling up the military, and we're going to have the military stationed," Trump said. "They're not coming into this country. They might as well turn back."
Trump has also threatened to cut foreign aid to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.
Members of the caravan gathered Friday morning in the border city of Tecun Uman. They waited in sweltering heat -- with temperatures in the mid-80s and 70% humidity -- for hours for others to arrive, packing streets for blocks on end.
They streamed through gates on the Guatemalan side of the border around noon Friday (2 p.m. ET), cheering and chanting as they marched. Celebratory air horns blared as they headed toward Mexico's port of entry.
When they reached a padlocked steel fence near the Mexican side of the bridge, the sheer number of migrants allowed them to break through.
Mexican police pushed them back. Hundreds of Mexican Federal Police sealed the border as drones and helicopters hovered above the crowd.
At least a dozen migrants jumped into the river. It wasn't known whether they were trying to swim across to the Mexican side of border, go back to Guatemala or just get relief from the crowds.
Some of the migrants on the bridge told CNN they joined the caravan because they were desperate for work and had no other choice.
Mexican officials have said people seeking asylum will be processed at Mexico's southern border. But it's unclear what will happen next.
Will they reach the U.S. border?
Mexican authorities haven't said whether anyone from the caravan will be permitted to travel to the U.S. border.
This appears to be a shift from previous policies, in which humanitarian or transit visas were issued and migrants were given the option of continuing their journey north if they didn't want to seek asylum in Mexico.
This spring, when another caravan of Central American migrants crossed into Mexico, such policies allowed that group to make it to the U.S. border.
This caravan's formation comes just weeks before high-stakes midterm elections in the United States, in which many Republican candidates have been echoing the President's messaging about boosting border security and cracking down on illegal immigration.
Trump has pointed to the caravan as a key issue in the upcoming elections, describing the group's approach as an assault on the U.S. border. Immigrant rights advocates have accused his administration of trying to create a crisis to motivate his voter base.
Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez arrived Saturday in Guatemala to meet with his counterpart, Jimmy Morales, to work on "implementing a strategy and logistics for the return of Honduran migrants," Hernandez said on Twitter.
Hernandez also sought permission from Guatemala to send Civil Protection personnel to assist Honduran migrants inside Guatemala on Friday, according to several posts on his official Twitter account.
In addition, Hernandez requested authorization to "hire ground transportation for those wishing to return, even airlifting special cases of women, children, the elderly and sick," he said, thanking the Guatemalan government for "all the attention given to our Honduran brothers."


Happy Saturday! It's a jammed packed weekend of holiday activities. Here are some Saturday "Gayle on the Go!" suggestions. Take a look! Enjoy!
Here you will find more than 50 vintage vendors!
For more information, visit http://www.VenturaCountyRecovers.org or call 805-654-2076.
The free, public event will share information about how homeowners living below or near fire damaged burn areas, hillsides, creeks and storm drains can keep their family and property safe from potential mud and debris flows. Flood and erosion protection experts will discuss the heightened flood dangers following the Woolsey and Hill fires, evacuation strategies and ongoing efforts being conducted to protect the community, as well as preparedness measures, such as sandbagging, wattles and more.
Celebrate Christmas in Redondo Beach at the 27th Annual King Harbor Boat Parade. The fun begins at 2pm with a holiday concert toy drive, and a visit by Santa Claus before the colorful boat parade begins.
Christmas is being celebrated in Yorba Linda at the Nixon Library. This is the annual holiday train exhibition at the presidential facility. This fan favorite includes three spectacular layouts of model trains whistling over bridges, through snow-capped mountains and stopping in miniature towns and cities. Also, we can take photographs with the beautiful Pat Nixon White House Gingerbread House custom baked to resemble President Richard Nixon’s birthplace! And, new this year, a 20-foot tall Nixon White House Christmas tree, decked out in red, white and blue.
If you’re looking for Christmas presents, “THETOYGUY.com” Chris Byrne has the list of the MOST WANTED HOLIDAY TOYS 2018.
Collectible toys can be found at what is described as Southern California’s largest hobby shop. The J.D. Hobby Center in San Pedro offers something for everyone interested in model building and collectibles. The unique shop also specializes in customized repairs and restoration for your rare toy treasures.
One of a kind gifts are also available at the 28th Annual Winter Fantasy Sawdust Art and Craft Festival in Laguna Beach. More than 170 artists are on display here, plus there’s live music, entertainment, art demonstrations and hands on art classes.
And, this is the closing weekend of the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show. Time is running out to explore and test drive more than one-thousand new vehicles and the new technology.
Make it GREAT AUTOMOTIVE weekend! Gayle Anderson, KTLA 5 News.


A look at what was approved by the NJSIAA Executive Committee on Wednesday.
The NJSIAA Executive Committee had its monthly meeting Wednesday and these were the topics discussed and measured passed.
– Expressed an interest in raising the budget from the State Assembly to allow the NJSIAA to do random steroid testing for student-athletes year-round, instead of just during the championship round.
– Announced the creating of the Co-Op Sports Committee, which will oversee the applications of schools wishing to merge to form one team. The committee will also have the latitude of placing the merged team in the classification group it sees fit.
– Said the Senior Basketball All-Star games will be March 16th at Rider University.
– Approved a waiver requested by the Patrick School basketball program that it meet the 70 percent requirement of in-state games for eligibility in the State Tournament. There was some discussion about the lateness of the request, but the waiver was granted by a vote of 25-6.


A group of Jewish settlers has stormed a village near Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank with the aim of constructing an illegal settlement outpost.
The group entered the village of Tuqu’, east of Bethlehem, yesterday under the protection of the Israeli army, and set up a mobile home, a tactic used regularly to establish illegal Israeli outposts on land across the occupied Palestinian territories.
Tuqu’ has been targeted repeatedly by Israel in recent weeks. Last week, three Palestinian students were injured by live ammunition after Israeli forces stormed the village and surrounded the local high school. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society confirmed that its medical crew had transferred three people suffering from wounds to the abdomen, pelvis, and leg to the nearby Beit Jala Hospital, Ma’an reported. Two of the three students were in a critical condition, added the Red Crescent.
Earlier in January, the Israeli army distributed leaflets threatening the residents of Tuqu’ with collective punishment. The army claimed that illegal Jewish settlers’ vehicles are “repeatedly attacked with rocks.” The leaflet threatened the withdrawal of Israeli entry permits for anyone found to be involved. Soldiers stormed Tuqu’ in order to distribute the leaflets; a video on the Ma’an website shows them attaching posters to buildings and doors within the village.
Just two days earlier, 50 illegal settlers had attacked Tuqu’ and thrown rocks at Palestinian vehicles. Though nobody appears to have been injured, the attack caused severe material damage and, like most cases of settler violence against Palestinians, was not investigated by the Israeli authorities.


MANCHESTER UNITED could be set to make a move for Denmark wonderkid Jacob Rasmussen after handing him a week's trial.
United will run the rule over Rasmussen until Friday, when he then returns to Danish Superliga outfit Odense.
The Denmark Under-17 international is highly regarded in his homeland, and Red Devils manager Sir Alex Ferguson could move for the youngster on a more permanent deal were he to impress during his time at Manchester United.
United are looking to strengthen their defence this summer, and Rasmussen could provide a strong long-term option.


The tail of a feathered dinosaur has been found perfectly preserved in amber from Myanmar.
The one-of-a-kind discovery helps put flesh on the bones of these extinct creatures, opening a new window on the biology of a group that dominated Earth for more than 160 million years.
Examination of the specimen suggests the tail was chestnut brown on top and white on its underside.
The tail is described in the journal Current Biology.
"This is the first time we've found dinosaur material preserved in amber," co-author Ryan McKellar, of the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Canada, told the BBC News website.
The study's first author, Lida Xing from the China University of Geosciences in Beijing, discovered the remarkable fossil at an amber market in Myitkina, Myanmar.
The 99-million-year-old amber had already been polished for jewellery and the seller had thought it was plant material. On closer inspection, however, it turned out to be the tail of a feathered dinosaur about the size of a sparrow.
Lida Xing was able to establish where it had come from by tracking down the amber miner who had originally dug out the specimen.
Dr McKellar said examination of the tail's anatomy showed it definitely belonged to a feathered dinosaur and not an ancient bird.
"We can be sure of the source because the vertebrae are not fused into a rod or pygostyle as in modern birds and their closest relatives," he explained.
"Instead, the tail is long and flexible, with keels of feathers running down each side."
Dr McKellar said there are signs the dinosaur still contained fluids when it was incorporated into the tree resin that eventually formed the amber. This indicates that it could even have become trapped in the sticky substance while it was still alive.
Co-author Prof Mike Benton, from the University of Bristol, added: "It's amazing to see all the details of a dinosaur tail - the bones, flesh, skin, and feathers - and to imagine how this little fellow got his tail caught in the resin, and then presumably died because he could not wrestle free."
Examination of the chemistry of the tail where it was exposed at the surface of the amber even shows up traces of ferrous iron, a relic of the blood that was once in the sample.
The findings also shed light on how feathers were arranged on these dinosaurs, because 3D features are often lost due to the compression that occurs when corpses become fossils in sedimentary rocks.
The feathers lack the well-developed central shaft - a rachis - known from modern birds. Their structure suggests that the two finest tiers of branching in modern feathers, known as barbs and barbules, arose before the rachis formed.
Kachin State, in north-eastern Myanmar, where the specimen was found, has been producing amber for 2,000 years. But because of the large quantity of insects preserved in the deposits, over the last 20 years it has become a focus for scientists who study ancient arthropods.
"The larger amber pieces often get broken up in the mining process. By the time we see them they have often been turned into things like jewellery. We never know how much of the specimen has been missed," said Dr McKellar.
"If you had a complete specimen, for example, you could look at how feathers were arranged across the whole body. Or you could look at other soft tissue features that don't usually get preserved."
Other preserved parts of a feathered dinosaur might also reveal whether it was a flying or gliding animal.
"There have been other, anecdotal reports of similar specimens coming from the region. But if they disappear into private collections, then they're lost to science," Dr McKellar explained.
Dr Paul Barrett, from London's Natural History Museum, called the specimen a "beautiful fossil", describing it as a "really rare occurrence of vertebrate material in amber".
He told BBC News: "Feathers have been recovered in amber before, so that aspect isn't new, but what this new specimen shows is the 3D arrangement of feathers in a Mesozoic dinosaur/bird for the first time, as almost all of the other feathered dinosaur fossils and Mesozoic bird skeletons that we have are flattened and 2D only, which has obscured some important features of their anatomy.
"The new amber specimen confirms ideas from developmental biologists about the order in which some of the detailed features of modern feathers, such as barbs and barbules (the little hooks that hold the barbs together so that the feather can form a nice neat vane), would have appeared also."
Earlier this year, scientists also described ancient bird wings that had been discovered in amber from the same area of Myanmar.


The share of national income that went to the top 1 percent declined steadily from 1925 to about 1975, but has risen steadily since. We are a less economically cohesive nation.
The share of Americans who were born abroad dropped steadily from 1910 to 1970. But the share of immigrants has risen steadily ever since, from 4.7 percent of the population to nearly 14 percent. We are a more diverse and less demographically cohesive nation.
In case after case, we’ve replaced attachments to large established institutions with commitments to looser and more flexible networks. Levin argues that the internet did not cause this shift but embodies today’s individualistic, diffuse society.
Church attendance has declined twice as fast among people without high school diplomas as among people with college degrees. With each additional year of education, the likelihood of attending religious services rises 15 percent.
We’re also less embedded in tight, soul-forming institutions. Levin makes another distinction between community – being part of a congregation – and identity – being, say, Jewish. Being part of community takes time and involves restrictions. Merely having an identity doesn’t.
Our politicians try to find someone to blame for these problems: banks, immigrants or, for Donald Trump, morons generally. But that older consolidated life could not have survived modernity and is never coming back. It couldn’t have survived globalization, feminism and the sexual revolution, the rising tide of immigration and the greater freedom consumers now enjoy.
Our fundamental problems are the downsides of transitions we have made for good reasons: to enjoy more flexibility, creativity and individual choice.
Levin says the answer is not to dwell in confusing, frustrating nostalgia. It’s through devolving choice and power down to the local face-to-face community level, and thus avoiding the excesses both of rigid centralization and alienating individualism. Experiments happen, and information about how to solve problems flows from the bottom up.
I’d say Levin’s emphasis on subsidiarity and local community is important but insufficient. We live within a golden chain, connecting self, family, village, nation and world. The bonds of that chain have to be repaired at every point, not just the local one.
As in ancient Greece and Rome, local communities won’t survive if the national project disintegrates. Our structural problems are national and global, and require big as well as little reforms.


Beyond colossal loss of human lives, if there is anything perhaps equally overwhelming in Nepal's earthquake tragedy, it is the monumental damage the country's iconic heritage has suffered due to the calamity.
The powerful temblor measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale on Saturday practically levelled the nation's tangible cultural history, robbing it of its architectural jewels, including the landmark Dharhara Tower, in an eerie reminder of the 1934 quake that claimed over 10,000 lives.
The 19th century nine-storey minaret, a UNESCO World Heritage site, which once offered a panoramic view of the Kathmandu Valley, turned into graveyards for over 200 people.
Over 2,000 people have been killed in the wake of the calamity while more than 5,000 are injured.
Built in 1832 by the then Prime Minister of Nepal Bhimsen Thapa, the tower was also extensively damaged in the 8.3-magnitude earthquake of 1934, worst in Nepal's recorded history. It was later rebuilt and opened to the public, only to be reduced to rubble this time.
The architecture of the tower was designed in Mughal and European style. A small statue of Lord Shiva was placed on the top of the tower.
The tower also suffered damages in the 1834 earthquake.
The Kathmandu Valley inscribed in the World Heritage list in 1979 include the Durbar Squares of Hanuman Dhoka (Kathmandu), Patan and Bhaktapur, the Buddhist stupas of Swayambhu and Bauddhanath and the Hindu temples of Pashupati and Changu Narayan.
Tragedy came to revisit all the three Squares, as the sites had suffered extensive damage in the 1934 disaster too.
The brick-and-wood architecture, symbolic of the Himalayan nation, now symbolise death and devastation.
The 1934 earthquake had also robbed Kathmandu of its historic Ghantaghar, as the iconic clocktower was reduced to a heap of debris. And, though the landmark was rebuilt with a new design, a page of history was lost forever.
Kathmandu's Basantapur Palace, built in European-style in 1908 as part of the ancient Royal Palace, has also been extensively damaged.
"The Durbar Squares and the Palace and the Dharhara Tower, they represented us, they represented Nepal and its culture and beauty, and it's all gone now. The loss of inheritance has made bearing the loss of human lives, even more difficult," Luxmee Maharjan, former journalist at the Kathmandu-based Himlayan Times, told PTI.
Many heritage lovers took to social media like Facebook and Twitter to share old, sepia-toned photographs, while some posted recent images, juxtaposing them with their appearance post the tragedy.
"This is what's left of the 9 story historic UNESCO heritage's Dharahara Tower in Kathmandu, #Nepal after #earthquake", posted user @snobers on Twitter.
He juxtaposed the old coloured photo of the Dharhara Tower standing tall with its current reduced-to-rubble look.
Raghu Karnad (@rkarnad) tweeted: "Truly awful sight. Kathmandu's Darbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in ruins after today's earthquake."
"Kalmochan temple is gone. This is the temple I took a photo of 3 days ago. Will post the video of the rubble soon." posted @ShiwaniNeupane on the micro-blogging site on Saturday.
Many well-known temples have also been damaged, some of them extensively.
The 1934 earthquake had completely changed the contours of Kathmandu as the city's architectural fabric was rebuilt after the tragedy, and now with this massive earthquake again levelling the city's landmarks, the capital will never be the same again.


My desire for an old Toyota Tercel burns strong, perhaps even stronger after watching Toyota itself hoon the crap out of one of their '80s 4WD station wagons.
This is a pair of ads for the Toyota Sprinter Carib (short for Caribou), which we got as the second-gen Tercel wagon. The straight-fours in these cars were still mounted longitudinally back in the first and second generations of the Tercel, making 4WD possible.
I want one of these (or an earlier first gen with the glass hatch) desperately.


As the eCommerce industry has matured in sales and reach, it has realized it still has obstacles….namely engaging and persuading real people. To take this on, successful brands have embraced digital content to add a pop to their product presentation. But as recent survey from Episerver found, 98% of shoppers have been deterred from completing a purchase because of incomplete content.
Research has shown that video is a valuable content form for online shopping engagement. Put simply, it helps overcome the advantage of tangible interaction provided by in-store experience.
So that being the case, what kind of video content works best to boost eCommerce sales? A new study from the UK has found some insightful answers.
Alex Connock of EndemolShine North in MediaCityUK wanted to examine how differing editorial styles and durations would impact the customer journey. “Around the world there are many territories which have a more relaxed approach to brand integration into mainstream or OTT programming, and here it is possible that e-commerce ‘clickability’ will be included in factual and fiction programming of a mainstream variety. Testing what works in terms of functionalities and styles of integration of that technology is fascinating and seriously useful. We already have interest in this study from colleagues all over the world, from Spain and Holland, to the US and China” he recently told Prolific North.
They were then shown the video and asked: would you have bought the product?
The study found that among other things: short videos worked the best, videos with people work better, branded content works better than a hard sell, marketing multiple items works well and leads to more “buys”, and waiting until the video ends before offering click to buy.
“What didn’t surprise me was that short videos do very well as drivers to purchase, as I think we have seen that worldwide. But what was surprising was HOW short that took effect. Notably 15 seconds resoundingly beat 40 seconds as a shoppable video length,” Connock told Prolific North.
“I was very surprised, as are most people who see the survey, that user-generated content ranked so badly as a driver of purchase. It’s definitely one to avoid and that’s a real learning for many ecommerce platforms.
A lot of other surprising findings came from the study that are well worth any eCommerce/eTailer business to consider. The video below shows a summary of the research and results.


On Dec. 2, the Guatemalan Army massacred at least 14 unarmed civilians protesting military abuses, by spraying them with machine-gun fire.
The massacre is symptomatic of a military that shows no compunction about turning its weapons on its own citizenry. Since the Central Intelligence Agency-sponsored coup of 1954, Guatemalans have lived in fear of the security forces, trained and sponsored by the United States, who are responsible for most of the killings of 100,000 Guatemalans in the last 30 years. As with past outrages committed by this faithful United States ally, the event received scant and ambiguous coverage from you: a wire service article headlined "Guatemala Troops Said to Kill 11 Protesting Raid." The Guatemalan military enjoys more than the material and moral support of the United States Government -- inadequate news media coverage in this country allows it to slaughter its citizens outside the scrutiny of American taxpayers.
While Cuba and Nicaragua have become synonymous (until recently in the case of Nicaragua) with the evils of Communism, Guatemala remains an enigma for most Americans. Last summer, when Cuban authorities tried to prevent their citizens from entering foreign embassies, you covered it with a slew of prominent articles. In stark contrast, you have not devoted a single article to the involvement of G-2, Guatemalan military intelligence, which works closely with United States advisers, in the killings and disappearances last year of 10 student leaders.
You covered the 1988 massacre of 22 farm workers in Aguacate, Guatemala, with a single article that erroneously suggested guerrillas were responsible. Despite subsequent investigations by Americas Watch and Amnesty International implicating the military in this gruesome act, you published no follow-up.
The rare articles that touch directly on the horrors of Guatemala tend to be short, ambiguous and without context, as with this "news" of the most recent killings. Someone reading of this event would have no way of understanding the dominant role of the United States in Guatemalan affairs or our complicity, through the military training and aid we supply, in the massacre. Thus, readers who rely on you for international news are deprived of the opportunity to press their elected representatives about our policy toward Guatemala, a country very much within our sphere of influence.
It is ironic that United States citizens are kept so well informed about the evils committed by our "enemies," but left largely in the dark about equally pernicious abuses committed by "friendly" governments with our blessings and material support. CHRIS JOCHNICK Cambridge, Mass., Dec. 17, 1990 The writer is former director of the Spanish Language Institute in Guatemala City.


The City of Industry plans to switch its health care provider in hopes of saving $1.5 million per year on medical costs.
Earlier this week, Transparent California listed Industry as paying one of the highest amounts in the state for its employees, with roughly a third of its employees receiving about $70,000 in annual benefits in 2015.
City Manager Paul Philips said the city will move from AETNA to a program offered by CalPERS.
“I think we’ll get a little bit better service in the sense that the co-pays will be lower and they cover more extensively than the AETNA program we’re in now,” Philips said.
A company hired by the city to review its benefit programs found that Industry’s medical premiums were “well above the market” when compared to cities in the surrounding area. Their analysis determined the city could pay less and also get more robust coverage, according to a staff report.
The city reimburses its employees and retirees for out of pocket expenses. A city report indicated part of the savings would come from increasing the coverage to decrease the amount the city paid for reimbursements for co-pays and deductibles.
Part of the shift includes opening Health Reimbursement Arrangement Trusts for each employee. The city will put $4,000 in each account at the start of the year to use at pharmacies and medical facilities, according to the staff report.
The city’s current health insurance through AETNA caps out of pocket expenses at $4,000 per individual and $8,000 per family.
In 2014, Industry paid $57,773 — $4,800 a month — for health, vision and dental insurance for a dozen employees each, according to data provided by Transparent California. By 2015, the top end of Industry’s payouts increased by $12,000, with 11 employees receiving $69,524 — $5,800 a month — in health benefits.
The sharp increase surprised the staff at Transparent California so much the group’s executive director Robert Fellner emailed the city to verify there wasn’t a mistake, but the city’s staff responded that they found no errors.
Philips said he expects those individual costs will decrease under the new health plan.
“We think we’ve done a good job in exploring every opportunity and also being fiduciarily responsible in what we’re doing,” Philips said.


A software bot from the Internet Archive ensures you can browse Wikipedia with less broken links.
Wikipedia has long suffered from a broken link problem as old, referenced pages go offline. But luckily, stewards from the Internet Archive have been slowly resurrecting those millions of faulty links, using a software robot to replace 404'd pages with archived versions using the Wayback Machine. Now they've announced over 9 million of those links have been rescued.
The broken link cleanup is part of the Internet Archive's Build a Better Web initiative, which aims to "bring you knowledge in all its many forms that is richer, deeper, more trustworthy and openly accessible on the Web." Naturally, Wikipedia's faulty links served as a room where the web could use a little improvement.
"When broken links are discovered, IABot searches for archives in the Wayback Machine and other web archives to replace them with. Restoring links ensures Wikipedia remains accurate and verifiable and thus meets one of Wikipedia’s three core content policies: ‘Verifiability’."
It isn't all attributable to the dutiful bot. Wikipedia community members have been slowly chipping away at the problem too, restoring 3 million links on their own accord, bringing the tally to a cool 9 million.
In an effort to promote its highly useful tools, the Archive points to a study conducted by the Wikimedia Foundation in concert with researchers from Standard and France's EPFL. When it comes to citations and external link click-throughs on English Wikipedia, users cite the Wayback Machine more than any other site. In total, it averages 25,000 click-throughs a day, which is three times more than the next popular site.


New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) and offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo are presiding over an offense that has yet to score more than 14 points and has lost the ball six times.
Can the N.Y. Giants finally start clicking vs. Texans?
The 0-2 New York Giants will try to put a screeching halt to their winless streak this today when they host the 2-0 Houston Texans at MetLife Stadium.
It's not going to be easy for the Giants, who have yet to fully click on either side of the ball, and who will need to figure out how to come together in a hurry to counter the challenges posed by first-year head coach Bill O'Brien's upstart Texans football team.
On offense, the Giants have yet to score more than 14 points in a game. They also coughed up the ball six times, with four of those turnovers converted to 16 points by opponents.
That's not a good trend to be taking into a game against a Texans team that has a plus-5 turnover ratio, and who has converted two of those turnovers into 10 points so far.
"They've been playing well. The offense has protected the ball, the defense has gotten turnovers," Giants quarterback Eli Manning said.
"They've controlled the clock, so we've got to make sure that we don't give them any extra possessions and give them any great field position. We've got to play smart but also make some plays and stretch the ball and find ways to hit some big plays but also get first downs and score some points."
That might be easier said than done given the mistakes that the Giants have made on offense so far, mistakes that have stunted scoring drives and have disrupted the rhythm.
However, Manning said that the offense is continuing to move in the right direction.
"We definitely made some strides, but we have to put it all together. We definitely have an understanding of the concepts and timing of the offense so we can play fast and make plays," he said.
The Texans defense, which is coming off a dominating performance last week against Oakland, is led by defensive end J.J. Watt, the electrifying pass rusher who has proven himself to be a one-man wrecking crew.
"He's someone you watch on film and from snap to whistle, he's going 110 miles-per-hour," said right tackle Justin Pugh, who will probably see a good deal of Watt today.
"Not every guy has a motor like that; it's a testament to the hard work he puts into it and the way he plays the game. So you definitely respect that and it makes you raise your level as a player because you have to raise your level of intensity. You have to go out there and play our game and be physical up front."
The Giants defense is trying pick up the pieces after losing cornerback Walter Thurmond III for the season and will also probably be without inside linebacker Jon Beason. Against those challenges, one of their biggest challenges will be trying to minimize damage by Houston running back Arian Foster, whose 241 yards rushing is second in the league behind DeMarco Murray of the Cowboys.
"He's a great running back — he's one of the best running backs in the league that I've seen who can find a hole that's not quite there yet," said linebacker Spencer Paysinger, who could see some snaps at outside linebacker this week against Foster if Jameel McClain moves inside for Beason.
"[Foster] trusts his linemen and his fullback, and the way he gets through some of those holes is magical," Paysinger said. "For us, it's all about being gap sound and making sure we're not popping in and out of gaps. Just play your responsibilities."
It might also help if the Giants defense can force quarterback Ryan Patrick, who has done a nice job of reducing his turnovers from 23 in 2011 to none so far in 2014, into making some errant throws.
It won't be easy though given the chance in scheme being run under O'Brien.
"Some of the plays that they are running have really optimized the quarterback's throwing percentage and ratio," Paysinger said of the reduction in Fitzpatrick's turnovers.
"The ball is coming out quicker, he is not really sitting in the pocket as much, getting hit as much. Some of the route concepts we have seen, especially having Arian Foster back there, is a plus."
All in all, the Giants have a tall order ahead of them, but it's not insurmountable.
"You got to push the extra mile. Every guy has to do over and beyond their job," said safety Antrel Rolle of getting over the hump. "We just have to lead and hopefully everyone else follows through, but it is going to start with making plays."
The Giants will continue their efforts to run the ball against a very stout Texans defensive front that has allowed opponents 151.5 rushing yards per game. However, a big problem for the Giants running game is their blocking, which just isn't capable right now of creating many creases, let alone blowing open holes.
There are two solutions that might help the Giants in this regard. One is to work more with a power package that include tight end Daniel Fells and fullback Henry Hynoski. When the Giants used this package last week against the tough Cardinals defense front, they had some success moving the ball on the ground.
The other solution is to insert Brandon Mosley in the lineup at right guard ahead of John Jerry. Mosley is more of a mauler type who appears to be a better fit for the physical style of ground game the Giants are trying to establish.
The Giants defense is in for a tough test against Arian Foster. That's not good for a run defense that will likely be without starting middle linebacker Jon Beaso. Look for the Texans to try to attack the edges with their running game, where the Giants lack of speed at linebacker is a concern.
The Giants could win this matchup, however, if they can get pressure on quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. One personnel move that might behoove New York is to remove defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka from the starting lineup and replace him with either Robert Ayers, Jr. or second-year man Damontre Moore.
Kiwanuka plays an honest game, but he also shown a tendency to be too easily handled by single-team blocks which doesn't help Jason Pierre-Paul on the other end as he draws the double teams.


SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple says it has been buying Apple chargers and cables labeled as genuine on Amazon.com and has found nearly 90 percent of them to be counterfeit.
The revelation comes in a federal lawsuit filed by Apple against a New Jersey company on Monday over what Apple says are counterfeit products that were sold on Amazon.
In the lawsuit, Apple says Mobile Star imprinted Apple logos on cables and chargers that "pose a significant risk of overheating, fire, and electrical shock." It says the chargers and cables were being sold on Amazon as genuine Apple products.
Apple says it purchased the products on Amazon and later told the online retailer that they were fake. Amazon then identified Mobile Star as the source.
Amazon isn't named in the suit. Mobile Star didn't return a voicemail seeking comment.


There are plenty of superheroes being featured in top-grossing films these days, but none of them are like political activist Dolores Huerta, whom many consider a real life superhero.
Carlos Santana knew it was time that the world learn more about Huerta, the labor leader who co-founded the National Farmworkers Association (now known as the United Farm Workers) in the 1960s alongside Cesar Chavez.
So the rocker reached out to director Peter Bratt and his production partner and brother Benjamin Bratt with the idea to make a documentary about Huerta.
Little did they know that five years later, with "Dolores" opening at the IFC Theater Center in New York on Friday, Sept. 1, the nation would be needing inspiration from Huerta more than ever.
"When Carlos Santana called and said, 'Let's make a movie about Dolores,' I seized the opportunity," Peter Bratt tells Viva.
"Carlos has known Dolores for a long time and he put a stake in the ground and said, 'We have to make this movie now.' That launched the ship. What we didn't know five years ago when this conversation took place was where we would be politically.
"Anytime would be a great time for us to tell her story," Bratt adds. "But I think right now in particular, we need this story as a country."
The New Mexico-born Huerta, 87, hopes the film will encourage people of color of all ages to stand up for their rights.
"Bringing your children and your nieces and nephews to demonstrations really creates strong, emotional fortitude for the children," says Huerta. "Then they don't have to read about the movement, they can participate and it'll be in their DNA.
Not surprisingly — and given the current political climate in the Age of Trump — Huerta is a strong advocate for using the right to vote to enact change.
"We really need our people to vote," she says. "We have 40% of our people that are not voting, even when they are registered. We have another few million that could register to vote but they don't. We have a few more million that could become citizens that haven't done so yet even though they can have dual citizenship.
"We have power that is being wasted because we are not being involved," she adds. "Nothing is going to change unless we get involved and we change it."
Benjamin Bratt agrees that it's the perfect time for others to be inspired by Huerta and he hopes that by watching this film, it may light a spark in people who may not know just how powerful their voice really is.
He equates Huerta with some of the biggest civil rights leaders in history, yet he feels she hasn't gotten the credit she deserves for her life-long battles for justice on behalf of workers and immigrants.
"Dolores and her story is, if nothing else, inspirational," Bratt says. "She's a true American hero and an icon who is the last of her generation. You can put her up right there with Martin Luther King, Jr., Robert Kennedy and even Gandhi.
"She's not the type of person who stops and waits for praise. She's not in it for praise. She's in it for the compassion and the humanity; that's what drives her. She's in it for the fight for justice for those that don't have it. That's the kind of selflessness that has driven her throughout her entire life."


A few years back, Madison library director Barb Dimick predicted it was only a matter of time before federal agents showed up demanding to see patron lending records, as the 2001 USA Patriot Act allows (Watchdog, "'It's Going to Happen Here,'" 12/27/02).
The law bars librarians from revealing whether they've gotten such requests, so there's no point in asking if this has occurred. But back then Dimick noted that the library's record-keeping system tracked only what was currently on order or checked out; once an item is returned, no record of who borrowed it remains.
Most libraries in the South Central Wisconsin Library System - encompassing a seven-county area, including Madison - are converting to a new LINKcat circulation management system that can record this information.
But Tana Elias, the Madison Library's web resource coordinator, says this function will be "turned off by default" for individual users. It will be available only on request - for those who want to track their library use or aren't worried that Uncle Sam could learn they've been reading Marx again. Only the borrowers themselves and library staff (and, of course, possibly the Feds) can access this information.
"As a public library, we're very concerned about customers' privacy," says Elias, "sometimes more than the customers are." She notes that people commonly share info about what they're reading on social networking sites. "People enjoy it. They like to see what others recommend."
The new system is in its final stages of testing with a planned February launch. Efforts will soon be made to inform users of its capabilities.


AMMONNEWS - Jordan said on Sunday 800 people including members of Syria’s “White Helmets” civil defence group had been evacuated from southwest Syria where Damascus’ forces are advancing against rebels, with Israeli officials saying they facilitated the mission.
The Israeli military said that overnight it had completed “a humanitarian effort to rescue members of a Syrian civil organisation and their families ...due to an immediate threat to their lives”.
It said they were transferred to a neighbouring country, which it did not identify.
On Saturday, Israeli security forces closed down roads in the occupied Golan Heights, on the Syrian frontier, ahead of the evacuation operation.
A Jordanian foreign ministry spokesman said the kingdom had allowed the UN to arrange the entry and passage of 800 Syrian civil defence workers. said their lives were in danger after a government offensive that regained rebel-held parts of southern Syria.
The kingdom agreed to a request by Britain, Germany and Canada to give the White Helmet workers temporary asylum in the kingdom before settlement in the West on humanitarian grounds, spokesman Mohammad al Kayed said.
He said the aid workers would remain at a “closed” location and that Britain, Germany and Canada had agreed to resettle them within three months.
Officially called the Syrian Civil Defense but known by their distinctive white helmets, the group has operated a rescue service in rebel-held parts of Syria after aerial bombing of civilian areas. They are credited for saving thousands of lives.


This Saturday Bridlington Town face a difficult trip to NCEL Premier Division promotion-chasers Pontefract.
The original reverse fixture at Queensgate in September was abandoned five minutes into the second half because of fog with the visitors leading 1-0.
When it was replayed two months later Pontefract went away with all three points from a 3-1 win against 10 men following Brett Agnew’s dismissal.
Saturday’s match is followed on Wednesday with a home game against Athersley.
Town’s table-topping Reserve side also have an away game against second placed Hull United and the 3rds make it a trio of away games with a visit to third-placed Hodgson AFC.


An attempted stabbing attack was stopped by Israeli border police at the Tapuach junction in the West Bank.
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Two Palestinian teens were wounded in their legs after they attempted to stab Israeli security forces at a West Bank junction.
Border Police at an observation point near the Tapuach junction on Tuesday saw the teens approaching a bus shelter at the traffic circle. They called on the teens to stop and after they refused shot into the air, according to the Border Police.
One of the teens then drew a knife and rushed at soldiers stationed near the bus shelter. The soldier shot at their legs, halting them.
The teens were arrested and taken to a hospital in Israel for treatment.
On Monday, Border Police arrested a Palestinian man in Hebron in the West Bank after finding a knife hidden under his clothes at security checkpoint at the entrance to the Cave of the Patriarchs.
The Border Police said that an initial investigation determined that the man planned to carry out a stabbing attack at the site. It is the fifth time in the last two months that Palestinians carrying knives have been detained at the site.
This story "Palestinian Teens Shot In Legs During Stabbing Attack" was written by JTA.


H.E.R. performs "As I Am" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Oct. 9, 2018.
H.E.R. performed the funky “As I Am” from her I Used to Know Her: The Prelude EP on The Tonight Show on Tuesday night (Oct. 9). The 21-year-old singer, who has only been a part of the R&B scene since 2016, has already established an identity for herself — and that identity is: no identity. H.E.R., stands for “Having Everything Revealed,” and that’s exactly what the singer doesn’t want to happen. She desires for people to focus on her music, not the person behind the mic.
With that context, it wasn't surprising that the singer donned one of her usual pairs of oversized sunglasses during her Fallon performance. Backed by a full band and lit by a cool, purple glow, the singer started the finger-popping slow jam from behind a keyboard before moving center stage to take the spotlight.
As the song gained momentum, her deep, smooth voice crooned, “Tell me I’m the best, I am," while she began strumming her electric guitar for the second verse. She brought it all home by giving the DJ a record-scratching solo on the jam that was a smooth hybrid of Lauryn Hill-style soul and Prince funk.


“Giving meters” look like regular parking meters, but collect money for the homeless in order to discourage panhandling.
Collected change will go toward helping fund homeless services, such as the city Homeless Task Force’s case management program, Mayor Pro Tem Lyn Semeta said in an interview Thursday.
“What we really want to do is fund programs that will get at the root cause of homelessness,” she said.
The first of three meters was recently installed downtown near the Starbucks on Main Street and Olive Avenue. Others are slated for the Central Library and Pier Plaza.
The council’s Homeless Subcommittee, which includes Semeta, as well as council members Barbara Delgleize and Patrick Brenden, brainstormed the idea.
Huntington Beach, like most of Orange County, is struggling to figure out how to address homelessness.
The city’s partnership with Westminster, the county and American Family Housing, a nonprofit that provides housing and other services to the homeless in hopes of expanding a shelter in Midway City, hit a standstill last year amid financial woes, according to city officials.
Residents and tourists strolling through Surf City can do their part too, Semeta said.
“People ask us, ‘How can we help as a community?’ This is another way to help awareness as well as raise funds,” she said.


The Ankeny High senior has broken through the school's records.
In a program with a legacy as strong as Ankeny — which has seven summer state titles since 1978 — it can be tough to crack the record books.
That's what makes Peyton Daugherty’s revision of the Hawks’ books even more stunning.
The senior has been Ankeny’s shortstop since eighth grade, and in that time has amassed a litany of records. Coming into this season, she held most hits in a season at 86, most hits in a career at 246, most steals in a season at 53 and most steals in a career at 120.
Daugherty’s .619 batting average last season was the best in Iowa. She’s a hit machine, and she’s really fast.
This season, Daugherty is again posting prolific numbers. Through 14 games, she’s batting .522 and has swiped 11 bases.
It’s great to have one of the state’s elite players on your team, it’s even more helpful to have a talented bunch surrounding that player.
Kennedy Thompson, a senior first-baseman, has been piecing together a tremendous career and season for the Hawks, as well. As the mid-season point approaches, Thompson is among the state’s leaders in home runs.
On the mound, the Hawks are featuring junior Paige Jacobsen. She’s off to a hot start, with a 6-2 record and 2.60 ERA. Other pitchers are helping out: Shelbie Chambers, Marina Smith, Sophie Buttjer and Thomas have all contributed on the mound.
But for now, it’s Jacobson that Bingham says could carry this talented bunch as far as another state title.
With an elite hitter and base-stealer, some power and a gamer on the mound, this Hawks team is feeling confident as they head into the latter half of the season.
Olivia Brown moved to Ankeny from Atlanta in 2013, and that worked out well for Ankeny Centennial.
The Jags’ senior soccer-standout scored seven goals all season long, and four of those came in a three-game flurry in one week at the state championship. The last goal of the Jags’ season was scored by Brown, during a 3-2 state title win over Ankeny.
What perhaps is most impressive about that week-long offensive outburst is that Brown is a defensive player.
“Going to state, you have to give everything you have, every game," Brown said. "It’s a win or go-home situation, and I took that really personally. I knew I didn't want to let my team down on defense, but I wanted on contribute on offense, too."
Brown was good enough this season to be named an elite all-state member by the Des Moines Register, along with fellow Centennial defender Tori Ubben. Alexis Legg, from Ankeny, was also named to the 11-person team.
If making the elite all-state team wasn’t enough, Brown — who will play college ball at the University of Nebraska — is one of three finalists for the Des Moines Register’s player of the year award.
Her Iowa Rush teammate, Newton’s Anna Forsythe, is also a finalist in addition to Valley’s Libby Helverson.
“It’s just a privilege because it shows the work the team provided for me to be able to get to that position and get that accomplishment," Brown said.
The Des Moines Register Sports Awards will take place June 23 at Wells Fargo Arena.


The press conference was coming to an end, when the woman stood up from the public, her head covered up by a black veil.
“It’s you who created Daesh!” she shouted at the two ministers, using another name for the terror group Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL), reported the Italian state-owned television channel RAI.
The woman was dragged away from the conference by the Carabinieri.
After meeting with Gentiloni, Kerry said he was convinced that the US-led international coalition would “crush ISIS” eventually. His Italian counterpart expressed much more caution.
“There have been steps forward on the ground with respect to the Paris summit. But no triumphalism is warranted, we must continue the armed effort in Iraq,” Gentiloni said.
The protester in Italy is not the first to accuse Washington of aiding the rise of IS. One former US Marine has blamed the self-proclaimed caliphate on the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.
The Obama administration made a “willful decision” to ignore the warning, former DIA Director Lieutenant General Michael Flynn told Al Jazeera in August of last year.


PLO condemns Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta for visiting eastern Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley, which it considers "illegal settlements".
The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on Thursday blasted Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta for touring “illegal settlements” during his visit to Israel this past week.
Kenyatta, who met with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu during his visit, visited eastern Jerusalem and an Israeli community in the Jordan Valley.
The PLO Executive Committee condemned the visit and, in a statement quoted by the Chinese Xinhua news agency, said that international treaties consider “the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel in 1967” as part of the “state of Palestine”.
As such, the PLO said, "No one has the right to visit in these territories without an in-advance coordination with the Palestinian leadership."
Senior PLO official Hanan Ashrawi said in that "such behaviors boost the Israeli occupation and create a position of collusion between Kenya and the Israeli occupation."
Ashrawi called on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Arab League and the Organization of African Unity to declare their rejection to such behaviors and take measures to correct this situation.
The PLO's Secretary-General Saeb Erekat also condemned the visit in a statement quoted by the Palestinian Authority-based WAFA news agency.
“This visit breached Kenya's obligations not to recognize as lawful a situation created through the illegal use of force and other violations of peremptory norms under international law,” stated Erekat.
He said that he would raise this issue within the context of the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference.
Palestinian officials often condemn visits by politicians from foreign countries to areas it considers “occupied Palestinian territory”.
In 2013, the Palestinian Authority took issue with then Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird's meeting with then Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni at her office in eastern Jerusalem.
Baird was unfazed by the criticism, saying that where he has coffee with someone is “irrelevant” to the larger discussion of Middle East peace and does not signal a shift in Canadian foreign policy.


Published: Oct 23, 2017 at 2:25 p.m.
Kyle Garde put the ball by the Barrington keeper twice early in the game to notch Western Regionals for the Bridgetown Regional Community School boys soccer team -- and the first banner for the new school.
Middleton Regional High School hosted the two-day Regionals Oct. 21-22, with the final at Rotary Park in Middleton at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.
The Hawks (Bridgetown’s new team name) kept the pressure on, but Barrington hit their stride after the second Garde goal and the ball went back and forth for the rest of the game with netminders playing a big part in the close match. Bridgetown’s Andrew Long was not afraid to go out for the ball and challenge Barrington attackers.
Bridgetown made it to the championship game with a quarter-final 7-0 win over Shelburne Saturday afternoon, and a 6-2 game over New Germany on Sunday morning. Barrington defeated Central Kings on Saturday, and that put the Barons in contention with Middleton in the other semi-final Saturday morning. They edged Middleton 4-3 to meet Bridgetown in the final.
Middleton made the semi-final with a 2-0 win over Liverpool Saturday, but with the loss to Barrington met New Germany in the contest for third place, losing to the South Shore squad in a back-and-forth 5-4 game with New Germany scoring the winner with about three minutes left.
New Germany started the weekend by knocking Northeast Kings Education Centre out of the tournament Saturday afternoon.
Two members of the Middleton Monarchs team presented the Regional banner to the Bridgetown boys. With MRHS athletic director Carla Britney congratulating both teams.
Middleton gets to play a Provincials qualifier sometime this week that could give them a Provincials berth, said Monarchs coach Andrew Seymour. He said the team had a strong season and he sees his boys as comparable to any of the Provincials contenders.
Middleton finished regular season in first spot in the Valley division with just one loss, a close 3-2 win for Central Kings. Ironically, New Germany was the top South Shore team in regular season and the two squads met in the contest for third place.


1 – 18 of 128 for: "HTC"
While we're not in love with the design and would have liked some additional features, the real beauty of the T-Mobile G1 is the Google Android platform, as it has the potential to make smartphones more personal and powerful. That said, it's not quite there yet, so for now, the G1 is best suited for early adopters and gadget hounds, rather than consumers and business users.
The smaller of HTC's new U phones pairs software smarts with a more pocketable size and midrange price.
The HTC Desire 510 doesn't have the specs to excite committed tech fans, but it handles the basics well, has 4G LTE for superfast data speeds, and it doesn't cost the earth.
A few quibbles notwithstanding, the powerhouse HTC One is a beautifully crafted, near-ideal smartphone.
With its polished design and user interface, and blazing fast speeds, the HTC Droid Incredible takes pole position as Verizon's top smartphone and is now the Android device to beat.
HTC's U11 Life is a decent midrange phone, but the Moto G5 Plus shoots better photos for a little less.
Though dual-core phones are on the way, the HTC Inspire 4G stands as one of AT&T's best, high-end Android devices and is an incredible value.
With the T-Mobile MyTouch 3G, the Google Android OS gets a much-needed boost. A few complaints remain, and some users may bemoan the lack of a physical keyboard, but we approve of its eye-catching design and interface, improved features, and satisfying performance.
Demanding Android fans won't like the HTC One V's slow performance but its premium design and low, no-contract price makes it a steal on Virgin Mobile.
First making its debut in China late last year, the One X9 will now be sold in more markets, such as Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
It can't compete with the One M8's premium metal skin, but the HTC Butterfly 2's powerful camera and processor make it one of the company's best flagship phones.
While its camera isn't best-in-class and Windows Phone's underwhelming app selection still stings, the elegant and sophisticated HTC One M8 is an enticing alternative to Nokia models.
With its slick metal body, the HTC One Mini 2 is among the most luxurious compact phones around. HTC, however, has given it a set of specs that put it more alongside the dirt-cheap Moto G than the One M8. This is definitely not the flagship One M8 in a more compact form. If style is of the utmost importance, it's worth checking out, but the Moto G is much better value.
Even with its scaled-down specs, the HTC One Mini is a go-to performer with style to match.
Though its performance wasn't completely top-notch and we would prefer a more recent Android OS version, the HTC Droid Eris is a satisfying Android device that offers a nice contrast to the Motorola Droid. And you can't beat the price.
While it could use a boost in the performance department, the HTC Hero is the most feature-packed Google Android device to date, bringing some notable improvements and a highly customizable interface.
The updated HTC One M9 packs speed and software improvements into a handset that remains lustworthy in middle age, but it doesn't exceed the competition where it counts.
HTC's Droid Incredible 4G LTE is compact and costs less than Verizon's other smartphones, but it still adds up to a raw deal.


KENNEDY, Denise Shirley. Passed away peacefully on the 13th of September 2018. Loving wife of the late John. Cherished mother and mother in law of Julie and Chris, Bruce and Darrell, and Sue and the late Kevin. Loved Grandmother to Kurt, Brad, Jared, April, Blair, Chanelle and Kyle. Loved Great Grandmother to Blake, Leo, Marlie and Tasia. Will be greatly missed. A funeral service will be held in the Eastern Suburbs Chapel of the Morrison Funeral Home, 79 Line Road, Glen Innes on Tuesday the 18th of September 2018 at 2.00 p.m.
What will you miss most about Denise Shirley KENNEDY?


The North Korean defector had sped across the demilitarized zone in a stolen jeep, then crawled south as the men who had been his comrades moments ago shot at him with handguns and AK-47 rifles.
South Korean soldiers found the defector under a pile of leaves, bleeding from at least five gunshot wounds.
He was brought to doctors, who expected to find the soldier in bad shape. But what they also found when they opened him up gave the world a glimpse into just how bad things are in North Korea.
Doctors repairing the unidentified soldier’s digestive tract found dozens of parasites in his intestines. One of the suspected roundworms was nearly a foot long.
“I spent more than 20 years of experience as a surgeon, but I have not found parasites this big in the intestines of South Koreans,” Lee Cook-jong, who leads the team treating the soldier, told the Associated Press.
Authorities have not released the name or rank of the defecting soldier. He has spent his first days in South Korea unconscious, sedated and relying on a breathing machine to stay alive.
But the worms pulled from his intestines tell a story of the humanitarian and health crisis gripping North Korea even as it expends significant resources in its effort to become a global nuclear power.
According to News.com.au, North Korea spends 22 percent of its gross domestic product on the military. Other public spending priorities have suffered, as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has built and tested his nuclear arsenal while also trading radioactive barbs with Western leaders.
According to a report by the United Nations, 2 in 5 people in North Korea are undernourished. Seventy percent of people require food assistance to survive, including 1.3 million children below the age of 5.
And the food they have access to can sicken or kill them. According to the New York Times, many North Korean defectors to the South have shown up infected with parasites.
But it’s notorious for transmitting parasites like the ones inside the North Korean defector’s stomach.
In a 2014 study, South Korean doctors checked a sample of 17 female defectors from North Korea and found seven of them infected with parasitic worms, according to the BBC. They also had higher rates of other diseases, including hepatitis B and tuberculosis.
Finding worms inside a soldier who once guarded one of the most scrutinized borders in the world is especially telling, a sign that North Korea’s food woes affect military members, who typically have a higher ranking on the food-rationing list. There are even reports that North Korean soldiers have been ordered to steal corn from farmers to stave off hunger.
The soldier’s vital signs were stabilizing this weekend, the AP reported, but it was still unclear whether he would recover or wake up.
Until then, the parasites taken from his body were the only things telling a story, as Peter Preiser of Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University told the BBC.
He thought he just had blisters from a hike. He had flesh-eating bacteria and nearly died.


As people offer tributes to dead ancestors and China's "revolutionary martyrs" for the annual Qingming Festival, social media influencers on Beijing's payroll are working overtime.
The annual "tomb-sweeping" festival kicked off yesterday in China, an event that sees families visit and clean the graves of loved ones or respected former leaders and martyrs, leaving them food and wine and even burning paper versions of valuable items their relatives may want in the afterlife.
But back in the realm of the living, it's a period of heightened anxiety.
Qingming sees a spike on social media of what researchers call "astroturfing": that is, pro-Government posts and comments — supposedly from grassroots supporters of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) — published in a coordinated manner to drown out online discussions.
Harvard and Stanford University researchers estimate some 450 million of these fake social media posts were published in China every year, adding that they peaked around periods of mass commemorations.
"That's because of the concern that popular unrest, and collective action, might be mobilised around holidays or days where there's a particular memory," Tom Sear, a cyber security expert from the University of NSW's Australian Defence Force Academy, told the ABC.
"There's concern that people will begin to talk about those [who] were killed on June 4 in Tiananmen Square."
And with several significant anniversaries coming up in 2019 — including the 30th anniversary of that 1989 crackdown on student protesters — authorities will be on high alert for any signs of discontent, especially among young people.
Next month, China will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the May Fourth Movement, a multi-faceted and complicated event that saw thousands of Beijing university students march to Tiananmen, which hadn't yet been developed into a square.
The student protest was sparked by the Treaty of Versailles, signed in Paris following the end of the First World War, which saw former German colonial territories in China handed over to Japan.
It was an expression of nationalism, a revolt against Japanese imperialism and a rejection of Confucianism: but it was also a time when Western ideas like Marxism, liberalism and democracy were being put forward as solutions to China's problems.
Several leaders of the May Fourth Movement would later go on to play a part in the founding and birth of the CCP, and May 4 is celebrated as Youth Day.
The movement promoted the widespread dissemination of Marxist theory and democratic ideas in China and laid the groundwork for the establishment of the CCP's ideologies and cadres.
But in the 100 years since the 1919 protests, Chinese governments of different persuasions have all struggled with one simple paradox: How do you celebrate a student uprising, without endorsing a future student uprising?
"If May Fourth was to occur today, it would be called an emergency event — it's a collective action on the ground which might threaten the CCP," Mr Sear said.
As such, the narrative around May 4 has shifted over recent decades.
Support for liberalism and Western ideas expressed through the movement have been removed from commemorations of the event.
Even the rejection of Confucianism — which was a feature of the celebration during the Mao era — is now downplayed, as the Communist Party seeks to promote Chinese history and culture both at home and abroad.
Mandarin and calligraphy lessons, or agents of foreign influence and attacks on academic freedom — a rising chorus of concern in the West has put a spotlight on China's Confucius Institutes.
Jeff Wasserstrom from the University of California, a historian with a focus on Chinese student protests, said even though May 4 celebrates an act of youthful revolt, authorities are at pains to stress that modern day young people have no reason to take to the streets.
"So now what you need to do is put your energy, your passion, to use in another direction, in the channelling of this kind of nationalist building up of the state.
The student protesters of June 4, 1989 — who in part saw themselves as embodying the spirit of the original May 4 protests and initially considered to go out on that day — bore the brunt of this contradiction.
This year will mark 30 years since the Chinese Government sent tanks and soldiers into Beijing to quell pro-democracy protests in and around Tiananmen Square.
The resulting massacre saw hundreds, if not thousands, of young people killed — potentially up to 10,000, depending on the source.
On the evening of June 3, 1989, Michael Li was barricaded inside his home, listening to the sound of guns and screams from the streets outside.
Their deaths will not be commemorated in China, at least not openly. Censorship has seen the protests, and the subsequent bloody crackdown, erased from Chinese history.
"It's really only people … who actually physically remember the event, who are able to counter the narrative because it has been deleted from history," Mr Sear said.
The families of those killed are not even able to remember their lost loved ones freely.
The organisation Tiananmen Mothers, an association for family members of students killed in 1989, say they are placed under surveillance, monitored or forced to travel every year at the beginning of June.
They still fight for justice for what happened to their relatives, and for their right to remember their deaths, and many of the deaths are remembered on yesterday's Qingming Festival.
But controls on the freedoms of the Tiananmen Mothers may be tighter this year — this week Ding Zilin, the 82-year-old female leader of the group, politely declined an interview from the ABC.
Other signs of heightened anxiety heading towards May 4 and June 4 can be found on the campuses of two of China's most prestigious universities.
Late last year Zhang Shengye, a student at Peking University in Beijing who had been involved in labour activism, was disappeared — a group of men reportedly bundled him into a car while he was on campus.
He was among up to 20 student activists who went missing across a number of cities after trying to help factory workers in the city of Shenzhen set up a union.
Photo: Student activist Zhang Shengye was allegedly beaten and dragged into a car on Beijing's Peking University campus.
The last couple of weeks also saw Tsinghua University suspend prominent law professor Xu Zhangrun, who wrote a widely shared essay last year critical of President Xi Jinping's leadership.
Professor Wasserstrom said Mr Xu was not unlike the professors who inspired the student protesters back in 1919, making his suspension so close to the May Fourth centenary all the more ironic.
"Xu Zhangrun is a critical intellectual who is now being disciplined … at this exact moment that we're heading to the 100th anniversary of an event, which along with being an anti-imperialist protest, has sometimes been remembered as a time of criticising the authorities," he said.
He said the crackdown on both student activism and critical academics has led to a new low point for intellectual freedom in China.
"It's a really bleak moment. It is the most distressing moment for these kinds of issues, certainly since the period right after the 1989 massacre," Professor Wasserstrom said.
"In some ways it's almost a more chilling moment, because in that case something dramatic had happened.
On the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, here's a look back at that infamous night through the eyes of students across different generations.
"Now it feels like there isn't really an instigating factor, so it's almost as though Xi Jinping just wants there to be a permanent stay of this kind of sense of emergency."
But despite the tight controls at China's universities under Xi Jinping, Professor Wasserstrom said that did not mean student activism was impossible in China.
"It's important to never rule out a generation's potential, even when it seems that their ability to protest is limited," he said.
"But I do think there's just so little space … There's often been at least some room to manoeuvre on campuses, but it's hard to imagine that being there now."


A second and third quarter surge in its offensive attack and defensive prowess handed the Moberly Spartans a 68-57 triumph Thursday over Kirksville in boys semifinal action of the Macon Invitational.
Senior Braedan Wetrich netted a game-high 28 points for the Spartans (8-4). In five of his last six games played Wetrich has scored nearly 30 or more points.
Sophomore point guard André Bell complimented Wetrich with 16 points while making 6 of 11 free throws, and Trey Koester dumped in 14.
Gavin Steward had eight while Dominic Stoneking chipped in two points to finish the scoring for Moberly.
Kirksville gained early tempo by securing a 19-12 lead after the first quarter when the Spartans regrouped and exchanged the favor taking a 35-31 advantage by halftime.
Moberly went 19 for 29 on free throws, while Kirksville only took six shots at the stripe said coach Hagedorn.
Austin Penick and Paxton Dempsay each scored 10 points for Kirksville (5-9).
Remaining games of the Macon Tournament are postponed to date to be determined due to pending wintry weather. Moberly will compete with Centralia for the boys title.
Wintry weather for the weekend forced the postponement of tournament games. The championship game between the Spartan boys and Centralia will be at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 23.
The Moberly girls on Thursday defeated Brookfield50-40 in a consolation game Thursday. No game information was reported prior to newspaper deadline. The Lady Spartans (8-6) are scheduled to play in the fifth place game with Centralia with a tipoff at 9 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 23.


DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Indian Cold Chain Market: Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2019-2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.
This report provides a deep insight into the Indian cold chain market covering all its essential aspects. This ranges from the macro overview of the market to micro details of the industry performance, recent trends, key market drivers and challenges, SWOT analysis, Porter's five forces analysis, value chain analysis, etc.
The Indian cold chain market was worth INR 1,121 Billion in 2018. The market is further projected to reach INR 2,618 Billion by 2024, growing at a CAGR of 14.8% during 2019-2024.
The market has been segmented as cold chain storage and cold chain transportation. Currently, cold chain storage dominates the market, holding the largest share.
The private sector currently represents the largest segment. It is followed by the cooperative sector and the public sector.
Growth in Organized Food Retail: Organized retail is expected to be amongst the biggest drivers of the cold chain market in India. With the growth of the organized food retail, we expect consumers to get access to a very large variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products, meat and poultry products and a number of other temperature sensitive commodities that require cold chain storage and transportation. Most of the organized retail players have already acknowledged that setting up of a strong cold chain infrastructure is a key step in efficiently managing their supply chains.
Growth in the Processed Food Sector: There has been a marked improvement in the consumer demand for processed foods. The Indian government has also announced the intent of establishing several mega food parks. This augurs well for the development of the cold chain industry in the country.
Shift Towards Fruits and Vegetables: Due to increasing risks and investments in grain crops, farmers are moving towards cultivation of fruits and vegetables. Most of these crops require refrigeration and hence are expected to encourage the development of cold storage facilities.
Increasing Demand from the Healthcare Sector: A number of healthcare products such as vaccines, biopharmaceuticals as well as clinical trial materials are heat sensitive and must be stored at temperatures ranging from 2OC - 8OC. With India's vaccine, biopharmaceutical and clinical trials market expected to grow at double digit growth rates, we expect a strong demand of efficient cold chain facilities in the coming years.
How has the Indian cold chain market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?
What is the breakup of the Indian cold chain market on the basis of various sectors?
What is the breakup of the Indian cold chain market on the basis of various products?
What is the breakup of the Indian cold chain market on the basis of various states?
What are the various stages in the value chain of the Indian cold chain industry?
What are the key driving factors and challenges in the Indian cold chain industry?
What is the structure of the Indian cold chain industry and who are the key players?
What is the degree of competition in the Indian cold chain market?


National news cycles have become even more predictable since Donald Trump won the presidency. Driven by the left, today’s news always blames President Trump. Virginia’s state leaders have been subjects of allegations of racism and sexual assault. Predictably, it’s Trump’s fault.
The left has always framed and driven news cycles, continuously herding the masses toward revolution. In the last 100 years alone we’ve seen Lenin lead the masses to the left. Stalin followed his lead, only with more malice. Hitler rose to power receiving his mantle from the left, as did Mao and Pol Pot. More recently, Venezuela’s leftist government bankrupted one of the richest nations in the Americas in fewer than 20 years. History is replete with the left’s continual drive toward strong, centralized, totalitarian governments at the expense of individual freedoms and rights.
The USA is caught up in this cycle and will inevitably be swept into a socialist revolution leading to a totalitarian state comprised of a ruling class and the people. To be specific, America’s left includes establishments of both major political parties, mainstream national media, academia, the federal bureaucracy, and the mega-rich such as George Soros who has had his fingers in politics from Moscow to Washington for decades.
After America’s first revolution, leaders ventured to form a government with power going to the states and the people. Washington, Madison, and Jefferson did not want to return to a strong central government that was typical in their day. They wanted individual freedoms and rights for all citizens, and tried to grant these freedoms via the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Even though the Constitution granted more power to individual states and the people, the federal bureaucracy began growing and assuming powers not specifically listed in the founding document. And though our founders tried to build in checks and balances to prevent a totalitarian central government, human nature prevailed and politicians quickly learned how to build their own kingdoms within the federal establishment.
Fortunately, America’s march toward socialism hit a Trump in the road in 2016, confounding more than one hundred years of revolutionary plans and strategies. All of the left’s energy and attention has since been diverted from solidifying federal control to attacking the Trump in the road. The number one goal of the left is to get rid of Trump and get back to the business of socializing America.
President Trump’s time in office will only slow America’s march toward a strong, socialized federal government. America’s establishment is marching steadily toward the next revolution that will fundamentally change the U.S. from a majority middle-class nation into a mafia-ruled monopoly.
More: What is it with Friday and big news releases, especially against Trump?