Trump the tax-cutter. If taxes are headed in a direction, it's downward, rather than upward, both at the corporate and the personal levels. That should be good for economic growth and for prosperity. Trump campaigned as a tax cutter, and part of Hillary Clinton's reason for losing is she had no corporate tax reduction proposal and no one believed her pledge not to raise taxes on anyone earning $250,000 a year or less.
Trump the ISIS-fighter. Trump has vowed to destroy ISIS, and part of all his talk about a ban on Muslims entering America was a way of signaling that he would be tougher than Hillary Clinton against radical Islamic terrorism (a phrase, by the way, that he isn't afraid to use.) He opposes the Iran deal, unlike Hillary Clinton. Part of Hillary Clinton's reason for losing is putting Khizr Khan and his covered silent wife on the podium at the presidential convention and trying to win election as the candidate who is more tolerant of Muslims. Americans turn out to be less interested in tolerance of Muslims (though we aren't intolerant) than in defeating the terrorist threat, which the Obama administration in which Clinton served has not done.
Trump the open door on immigration. Trump's mother and wife are immigrants. People remember his talk about building a wall. But on August 6, 2015, in the Republican presidential debate on Fox News, he said, "I don't mind having a big beautiful door in that wall so that people can come into the country legally." On August 23, 2015, on CBS, he said, "This will be a wall with a big, very beautiful door because we want the legals to come back into the country."
Trump the free trader: Trump has consistently stressed that he is for free trade, he just wants better deals. Take him at his word, for now, at least.
Trump the progressive on gay rights. Remember, an openly gay Silicon Valley investor, Peter Thiel, spoke at the Republican National Convention and is a prominent Trump backer. Take it even from the vehemently anti-Trump New York Times: "Donald Trump's More Accepting Views on Gay Issues Set Him Apart in G.O.P."
Trump the proof that money doesn't buy elections. Trump's victory is a potent argument against the speech restrictions known as campaign finance "reform." He won despite being outraised and outspent by the Clinton campaign by a vast margin, perhaps hundreds of millions of dollars.
He could be a good president. Certainly, his victory in itself is an impressive accomplishment. Displaying thrift (reminiscent of JFK's old joke about how his father was willing to buy him the presidency, but didn't want to pay for a landslide) and an ability to adjust to setbacks, he vanquished a formidable field of Republican opponents and then Hillary Clinton.
He took on the press and won. The Carlos Slim-owned New York Times threw everything they had at Trump, printing his tax return, publishing a Spanish-language editorial denouncing him, excavating unsubstantiated allegations against him. So did the Washington Post, which also published the news of his "locker-room talk." But the press isn't as powerful as it once was. Trump took to Twitter and ran successfully against the media that overwhelmingly endorsed Hillary.
Trump has some high quality people around him. Mike Pence is a solid conservative. Newt Gingrich, if in some ways erratic, has one of the most fecund center-right minds in Washington and one that may surprise liberals with fondness for things like federal science and medical research. Rudolph Giuliani, if a bully as a federal prosecutor in New York, was nonetheless a successful, pro-immigrant, tough on-crime, pro-Israel mayor of New York.
Conservative judges. A friend in the Trump camp relates the story of how Trump came up with his list of judges. He called Leonard Leo of the Federalist Society. There weren't elaborate subcommittees or weeks of deliberations. He called Leonard Leo, and that was the list. Can you think of a better person to call?
ObamaCare's days are numbered. I'll have more to say about this elsewhere and soon. Republicans will need to find other ways to cover the uninsured or at least provide access to health care for them, either at the federal or state level or through market or charitable means. But the worst parts of the Affordable Care Act, and possibly the whole thing, will be gone.
Some stars in Congress. Newly elected John Faso of New York will be a GOP star in the upcoming Congress: steady, honest, pro-growth. So will newly elected congressman from Florida Brian Mast, a double-amputee combat veteran of the Army Special Forces who did graduate work at Harvard and is a phenomenal public speaker and friend of Israel. These guys are strong players.
Donald Trump has built a lot of golf courses. In thinking about him, one has to be realistic. Even the best golf pro doesn't hit a hole in one every time. Trump needs to be measured against par. Par was Hillary Clinton — the candidate that nearly all the newspapers (with the notable exceptions of the Las Vegas Review-Journal and the New York Sun) endorsed, the candidate that the New York establishment led by Michael Bloomberg endorsed, the candidate who was vowing to "rein in Wall Street" while she and her husband were collecting millions of dollars in "speaking fees" from these same banks.
As my late grandmother (like Trump a New Yorker and the daughter of an immigrant) used to say, "It could be worse."


Thousands of police and soldiers have been deployed in Albania to rescue stranded residents after heavy rainfall triggered major flooding, and caused the death of a utility worker, officials and the power company said Sunday.
The victim, Sabri Vlinga, died while he was working on a electricity pole at Roskovec in the flooded south of the country, the power company said in statement.
Two other people were injured in similar accidents. it added.
Some 6,400 police and soldiers have been sent to help rescue people stranded by the floods, Prime MInister Edi Rama said Saturday, calling the situation "very critical".
Around 1,500 people in the affected areas have been rescued, while several thousand homes were without electricity as many utility poles have been swept away by mudslides, said Shemsi Prenci, head of civil protection.
More than 7,874 hectares (19,450 acres) of farm land as well as 3,193 homes are under water and several roads in the south remained impassable.
Army forces have built a temporary bridge at Darezeze, about 70 kilometres (44 miles) from the capital Tirana, to come to the aid of 2,000 residents stranded by the floods, the defence ministry said.
In neighbouring Macedonia, the heavy rains have also caused flooding as several rivers include the main Vardar river have burst their banks, the MIA news agency reported.


Because so much of The Masthead, as we’ve conceived of it, relies on a back-and-forth conversation with readers, I’ve been thinking about the demographics of who chooses to participate. Early on, we realized that the majority of members who posted on our Facebook group were men. (As we launch our new, off-Facebook Masthead discussion platform, we’d love to hear your ideas on how to address this gender disparity. And if you’d like to beta test the platform and haven’t already reached out, email us.) After doing a little digging, I realized this trend holds almost anywhere the public engages with the media. It seems to be particularly true for letters to the editor. Most letters received by our magazine—and, now, by our website—are written by men. In today’s issue, I’m asking why women are so much less likely to share their opinions in the public square.


The Free Excel Viewer allows a user to open, view and print MS Excel files without installing Microsoft Excel on his or her system. It supports any Excel versions and hence, is a very flexible tool.
Even if the files are saved in the latest version, the same can be browsed through, with the help of this Viewer. Since tables, calculations, numbers are always preferred on an MS Excel file, the Viewer is quite useful for all those whose job depends on such work sheets. It can take a lot of time to install the full version of Microsoft Excel onto a device and to save the same; this Free Excel Viewer is an ideal solution. There is no need for any additional requirements for this Viewer to function. The download itself is simple and whenever there is an Excel file that needs to be opened; this viewer can be used for the same. This software is the latest Excel Viewer that has been made available to users across the world. It can be downloaded on a number of devices since there are no specifications that are necessary. So, the users who are always on the move can try this tool to check their Excel work sheets. The tool does not allow any changes to be made in the files. However, it enables printing, which is yet another useful feature. It is simple software that has many advantages. It is spreadsheet software that does not require much space and hence, the performance of the device remains unchanged.
If you need to open Excel file without installation Microsoft Office this app can help.
"Very needful for my Excel work"
Finally I don't need to install the full version Microsfot Excel. Excel Viewer easy to download and use.
"Simple app with good functions"
there are so many features in the Free Excel Viewer tool that would make you install the program. It is fast and flawless. It is also possible to print the excel sheets.
However; no changes can be made in the files.
"Excel Viewer 2007 is poor option"
nice interface and ok for viewing tiny tables.
version 2007 was deliberately stripped of a number of features by microsoft, like auto filtering data. perhaps to pursued people into buying the full version of the program.
subsequently, if people want to view data that is publicly provided by the government for free, it is pointless to use a free viewer that will not sort or filter the multitude of records the government provides us for free.
as such, if you still have version 2003 or can obtain it, get it !
microsoft screwed up many things for most of its 2007 branded products by excluding many features that were provided in their 2003 branded products - perhaps due to poor leadership. subsequently, some of the features are now re-introduced in the 2010 products.
"Adds a ton of unwanted software"
Completely changes search settings, even when the boxes are unchecked in advanced settings. Its a pain to find all the hidden settings installed by the program. Also installs programs to desktop, again after the boxes are unchecked at install options.


Legend Hospitality Group has exhibited at this year’s Tourism Indaba in Durban, making it the 21st consecutive year the leading tourism organisation has appeared at the show.
The group has seen many changes over the years, one of the most recent changes being the expansion of their portfolio.
Legend has extended its reach and its product offering with the acquisition of three properties: Brenaissance Wine & Stud Estate in Stellenbosch, Montpellier Wine Estate in Tulbagh and Critchley Hackle Lodge in Dullstroom.
The addition of the two wine estates has extended Legend’s footprint into the winelands and opened the doors for properties in the Western Cape, while Critchley Hackle Lodge is the first Legend property situated in Mpumalanga.
Legend has further plans for expansion in the not too distant future.
Mart Cilliers, chief executive of Legend Hospitality Group, stated: “We are absolutely thrilled to be exhibiting at our 21st Tourism Indaba this year.
“Indaba has always been a very important platform for us to meet with buyers from around the globe and showcase what Southern Africa has to offer.
Legend Hospitality Group, with its head office in Pretoria, now operates 18 lodges, hotels and resorts across South Africa, Botswana and Mozambique.
The Legend group specialises in offering various exceptional experiences to travellers from all walks of life.
Their main aim is to provide guests with the opportunity to embark on African adventures and create memories that will last a lifetime.
Legend Golf & Safari Resort is considered the World’s Leading Safari Resort by the World Travel Awards.


Microsoft's eagerly--anticipated Project Natal motion-sensing controller will hit the UK at around the £120 mark, according to rumours doing the rounds this morning.
Edge Online says that a trusted source has revealed that the wave-your-hands-in-the-air-like-you-just-don't-care controllerless controller will have a US price tag of $149 or be bundled with an Xbox 360 Arcade console for $300.
At current exchange rates, and adding VAT, we reckon that will translate to around £120 once the camera-based device hits the UK, far higher than the widely-predicted £50 price.
The source also said that the controller definitely won't be called Natal, and that the actual name would be announced at E3 next month.


Officials on Tuesday broke ground at the upcoming Spring Street Park at Sixth Avenue and Spring Street.
HUDSON SQUARE — The long-awaited transformation of Hudson Square Plaza into a tree-lined park with plenty of seating is officially underway — and community members can look forward to swivel seats and moonlight-imitating night lighting by fall 2018.
The New York City Parks Department officials and Hudson Square Connection on Tuesday broke ground at the triangular plaza at Spring Street and Sixth Avenue, re-dubbed Spring Street Park, signaling the start of the $6 million makeover of the half-acre space aimed at increasing open space in the area.
The design from Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects will include swivel chairs inspired by seating in European parks, said the president of Hudson Square Connection, plus some special light posts to create the "dappling" affect of moonlight through the park's trees.
"We have swivel seats that are coming in — they have them in parks in Paris and Barcelona, and they're really social," said Ellen Baer, noting the swivel chairs will be a first for city open space. "They're very unusual, and you'll see them here for the first time in a New York park."
The "moonlighting" posts will also be a first for New York City, according to designer Signe Nielsen — just as sunlight filtering through tree branches casts a serene shadow during the day, the moonlight lamps will have the same affect at night at the park's entrance.
"The idea of moonlighting is that you don't see a lot of fixtures and it comes like moonlight," said Nielsen. "It's just a regular light fixture, but it's really tall. The idea is it'll hopefully cast a beautiful shadow on the ground."
The renovated park's benches will also come with "under bench" lighting, said Baer.
The park will feature anti-flooding infrastructure allowing the absorption of 1,140 percent more storm water.
The monument to General Jose Artigas will be moved to a more central location in the plaza, according to the Parks Department.


Grace Farms is the home of the Grace Farms Foundation, which hosts lectures, nature tours, concerts, community dinners, and other services, and spearheads social justice initiatives. Grace Farms’ main building is called the River because of how it meanders down a hill; it was designed for optimal acoustics, lighting, and environmental sustainability. Also on the farm is a barn, which houses community and not-for-profit spaces, including classrooms, an art studio, lecture hall, and rehearsal space.


From a distance, they look like nothing more than thin red lines on the horizon, easily lost amid the tumbling blue of the Atlantic Ocean. But get closer and the significance of the 140m-long tubes - 10 years in the making by a British company and now floating in the sea off the coast of Portugal - becomes apparent: they are the beginning of an entirely new industry in the hunt for clean power.
This week the red snake-like devices were inaugurated as part of the world's first commercial-scale wave power station, three miles from the coast of the northern Portuguese town of Aguçadoura. The project, which will generate clean electricity for more than 1,000 family homes in its first phase, marks the latest step in Portugal's moves to become a leader in developing renewable energy sources, using technology developed in Britain.
At the heart of the Aguçadoura power station are three cylindrical wave-energy converters, designed and built by the Edinburgh-based company Pelamis Wave Power. Moving up and down on the endless waves of the open sea, they convert motion into electricity, without emitting any of the carbon dioxide that is warming the planet.
"The future of wave energy starts today," said Manuel Pinho, Portugal's minister of economy and innovation. "Finland is very good in mobile phones; Portugal wants to be good in renewable energy. We are among the top five in the world, and we are just in the beginning of the process.
"Renewable energy is the source of energy for the future and we think this can create an industrial revolution and a lot of opportunities for jobs and research," he said, "and we want to be ahead of the curve."
Doug Parr, Greenpeace UK's chief scientist, said the British government's energy secretary, John Hutton, should take urgent note of the developments in Portugal. "Wave technology invented in Scotland is powering Portuguese homes and making money for Portuguese suppliers, because our government has consistently neglected the renewables industry here in the UK."
At peak output, the Pelamis wave machines near Aguçadoura will generate 2.25 megawatts, enough for the annual needs of about 1,500 family homes. Eventually, the station will be expanded with a further 25 Pelamis machines so it can generate up to 21MW of power. That will save 60,000 tonnes of CO2 a year compared with a fossil fuel plant. If you compare it to wind energy, wave is more predictable and is more sustained, typically," said Ian Sharp of Babcock & Brown, which commissioned and built the Aguçadoura wave farm.
Each of the semi-submerged Pelamis devices is 142m long, has a diameter of 3.5m and is made from 700 tonnes of carbon steel. A single wave converter is composed of four articulated sections that move up and down as the waves pass along it. At each of the hinges between the sections, hydraulic rams use the wave motion to drive generators to produce up to 750KW of power at peak output. The electricity generated by the three Pelamis devices will be carried by undersea cable to a substation in Aguçadoura, which will then feed the power into the Portuguese national grid.
The Portuguese are also investing heavily in other renewable technologies. They are already spending £250m on more than 2,500 solar photovoltaic panels to build the world's largest solar farm near the small town of Moura in eastern Portugal. It will have twice the collecting area of London's Hyde Park and supply 45MW of electricity each year, enough to power 30,000 homes.
In the past three years, Portugal has also trebled its hydroelectric capacity and quadrupled its wind power sources - northern Portugal has the world's biggest wind farm, with more than 130 turbines and a factory that builds the 40-metre-long blades.
Pinho wants the country to rival Denmark or Japan in its commitment to developing renewables industries and predicts his country will generate 31% of all its primary energy from clean sources by 2020, compared with Britain's target of 15%. The Portuguese target means increasing the generation of electricity from renewable sources from 42% in 2005 to 60% in 2020.
The €9m (£7m) first phase of the Aguçadoura project, which involves the energy firms Enersis and Energias de Portugal, has been helped partly by the Portuguese government agreeing to guarantee a premium for the electricity the station will generate via a feed-in tariff of 25 cents per kWh. The project has also been given a €1.25m grant from the Portuguese Agência de Inovação.
"The Portuguese government has moved forward on wave energy more quickly than has happened in the UK," said Sharp. "[In Portugal] we have a feed-in tariff arrangement so we had a guaranteed price for the power that was produced and you don't have that in the UK. The environment here was better to stimulate development."
In Britain, Pelamis is also involved in the South West Regional Development Agency's project to build a wave-power station off the north coast of Cornwall, called Wave Hub. This will be the country's first offshore facility for demonstrating a commercial-scale wave-power plant - but it is not expected to be operational until at least 2010. The South-West RDA estimates the project could create 1,800 jobs and inject £560m into the British economy.
Parr warned that there could be dire consequences for the UK unless the government got its act together in developing renewable industries: "There is a danger that jobs, investment and clean energy will go overseas because of Hutton's obsession with old technologies like coal and nuclear power. It's time we stopped the rot before our performance on renewables becomes a national disgrace."
Friends of the Earth's renewable energy campaigner, Nick Rau, said that wave and tidal power could play a significant role in tackling climate change and reducing the UK's dependency on fossil fuels. "The potential for this technology in the UK is enormous but the government is not doing enough to develop it."
· This article was amended on Thursday September 25. Manuel Pinho predicts his country will generate 31% of all its primary energy from clean sources by 2020, not of all its power as we said. The Portuguese target means increasing the generation of electricity from renewable sources from 42% in 2005 (not 20%) to 60% in 2020. This has been corrected.


ROD STEWART, "MERRY CHRISTMAS, BABY"
Perfect for: Depending on your age � welcoming faithful old friends, placating your parents or indulging guilty musical pleasures.
The total package: Stewart proves that, with all his recent dedication to the Great American Songbook, he truly has taken on the persona of a pop statesman. It is a role he wears well here on a smooth, similarly styled collection of holiday standards. Michael Bubl�, Mary J. Blige, Dave Koz and Chris Botti are just a few of the luminaries who stop by to lend an ear and a hand.
What's nice: Stewart retains a bit of his rascal's wink on "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and brings just the right amount of sentimentality to a keening "White Christmas." The title track is a lover's lament in a lighthearted, rolling blues style and features strong support from Cee-Lo Green and Trombone Shorty. Stewart pulls off one of those piped-in, "Unforgettable"-style duets with the late Ella Fitzgerald on "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" Usually such "collaborations" seem contrived and crass � but man, their voices sound glorious together, accented by Botti's wistful trumpet. A Celtic-tinged, album-closing take on "Auld Lang Syne" exudes charm and class.
What's naughty: It's nice to invite your friends over for the holidays, but a few of the celebrity pairings ring a bit hollow, most notably Stewart's duet with Bubl� on "Winter Wonderland." Both are great in this style but for very different reasons, and their voices just don't mesh well. A rendition of "Blue Christmas" suffers from an identity crisis, unable to decide whether it's a crooner's paradise, a country tune or a blues ballad. And, oh, hello "When You Wish Upon A Star" � how'd you get in here?
CEE-LO GREEN, "CEE-LO'S MAGIC MOMENT"
Perfect for: Decking the halls with the quirky side of your family.
The total package: Santa's bag is more mixed than brand-new on this record from the soul singer with the big voice and elfin features. Although firmly entrenched in the mainstream thanks to his spot on the TV sing-off "The Voice," the voice of brave outfits Gnarls Barkley and Goodie Mob sounds as if he doesn't always know what to do with such traditional material. Whatever discomfort Green projects, he largely overcomes with pluck and vocal chops.
What's nice: A cinematic, joyful version of "White Christmas" is full of soul, harkening back to Phil Spector's 1963 classic record, "A Christmas Gift For You." Joined by The Muppets, "All I Need Is Love" is appropriately funky and campy. A vocals-only version of "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch," aided by ace acapella act Straight No Chaser, is delightful and marked by its musicality. Green's voice is the perfect instrument to approach the bluesy glide of modern classics "Please Come Home for Christmas" and "Run Rudolph Run."
What's naughty: The instrumental arrangement on "Baby It's Cold Outside," with fellow "Voice" judge Christina Aguilera appearing as Green's foil, is a little too faithful, sounding like a carbon copy of more classic versions. The pair sounds as if they're going through the motions vocally, their delivery stilted and forced like actors who don't quite understand the dialog they're reading. The opening bars of Mariah Carey's high-energy, high-pitched "All I Want for Christmas Is You" sound wrong in Green's rumbling lower register, while an ambitious take on the modern sacred standard "Mary, Did You Know" is overly sappy and string-laden.
LADY ANTEBELLUM, "ON THIS WINTER'S NIGHT"
Perfect for: Holing up in a cabin for a cozy country Christmas � provided it comes equipped with all the conveniences of modern life.
The total package: Royalty in the polished pop-country realm, this Grammy-winning trio has made what is ultimately a pretty traditional holiday record, given to the same disposition and arranging tricks as a number of pop and jazz crooners before them. The disc is made distinct by the group's stellar vocal prowess, shown both with crooning solos and when dressing favorite melodies up in warm harmonic layers.
What's nice: The traditional orchestral jazz feel on album opener "A Holly Jolly Christmas" works like a charm, especially as charming vocalist Hillary Scott sells it. Lilting readings of "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" are delivered with the requisite heart. A dulcet acoustic reading of "The First Noel" fits squarely within the group's wheelhouse.
What's naughty: A well-intentioned attempt to turn Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" into a slow-burning ballad falls flat. When the group tries to turn up the tempo, on an ostensibly funky "This Christmas" and a boogie-down "Blue Christmas," it sounds terribly out of place. A rendition of�"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" is just fine, but no one should be allowed to sing this except the luminous Darlene Love. Sorry, y'all.
Perfect for: Drinking hot toddies with a mix of your favorite flannel-wearing, National Public Radio-adoring friends.
The total package: Cynics might scoff at the knowledge this compilation was produced, in part, by Starbucks' Hear Music label. But sneering could cause such Scrooges to miss out on a well-curated record featuring veteran acts � Paul McCartney, The Shins, Calexico � and rising stars such as The Civil Wars. The common thread here lies in consistently thoughtful, interesting arrangements.
What's nice: Fun. kicks off the record with a mellow but lush take on "Sleigh Ride," set to movie-soundtrack strings and decorated with electronic ornaments. Sharon Van Etten and Rufus Wainwright bring a perfectly smoky quality to "Baby, It's Cold Outside," one of the best takes on the tune in recent memory. Black Prairie, an act featuring members of The Decemberists, joins with singer Sallie Ford to present "(Everybody's Waitin' For) The Man with The Bag" in a style that's part murder ballad, part New Orleans parade march. The album's closing triplet is among its strongest: Daring string band Punch Brothers supply apt urgency on the pleading "O Come, O Come Emmanuel"; The Head and the Heart bring an inherent joie de vivre to a swinging, slinking "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?"; while Andrew Bird provides something of a response to the question with his spare but spritely "Auld Lang Syne," sung solely to guitar and violin accompaniment.
What's naughty: There's little to dislike here, so it feels nitpicky to bring up examples. Rising Portland, Ore., indie act AgesandAges offers a rendition of "We Need a Little Christmas" that's lovely but feels a bit detached.
SUFJAN STEVENS, "SILVER AND GOLD"
Perfect for: Just about every holiday setting, depending on the disc.
The total package: In 2006, the boy genius released the five-disc box set "Songs for Christmas," populated by recordings he had completed and given as gifts to loved ones over a five-year period. In 2012, Stevens has delivered a companion, consisting of volumes six through 10. Given its size, scope and span, the set is disjunct, yet somehow represents Stevens' musical voice: There are sweeping, cinematic instrumental passages, frozen-breath folk songs and rock rave-ups. The set comes with chord charts, copious liner notes, holiday-themed temporary tattoos and DIY Christmas crafts.
What's nice: There's little not to like here � whether on pastoral renditions of favorites such as "Silent Night," quirky original compositions such as the hoe-down "Lumberjack Christmas/No One Can Save You From Christmases Past" or tender treatments of lesser-heard but equally beautiful standards such as "Coventry Carol," Stevens and Co. bring incredible intentionality and a high level of songcraft to every moment. Idiosyncratic but ultimately rewarding arrangements abound. It seems safe to say this is the only album in this year's pack where listeners will be treated to reed organ and sacred harp singing.
What's naughty: With five EPs, you can file most of the frustrating moments under the header "too much of a good thing." Such a volume of songs is, however, bound to include a few tracks of hubristic filler; most come on Disc 3, as Stevens delivers eccentric electro-pop exercises such as a meowing, drum machine-driven "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear."
THE POLYPHONIC SPREE, "HOLIDAYDREAM: SOUNDS OF THE HOLIDAYS, VOL. ONE"
Perfect for: A long, strange trip to Grandma's house � or wherever else you might be traveling during the holidays.
The total package: The sprawling chamber-pop collective, which AllMusic has compared to "The Flaming Lips and the Beach Boys with a smidgen of lively 'Godspell'-like attitude thrown into the mix," is known for its blissed-out, euphoric soundscapes. The band stays in character with a seasonal record that is lush and often sounds a little holiday punch-drunk.
What's nice: In a world where "The Christmas Song" is rerecorded in very similar fashion year after year after year, the Spree's harp-string tugging take is refreshing. This is the perfect band to tackle John Lennon's peace anthem "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)," and their dynamic, swelling version would do the late Beatle proud. A lovely, lilting instrumental take on "Silent Night" finds the group augmenting a madrigal feel with unexpected, well-placed minor chords. A reading of "Let It Snow" starts out cozy and ends up clever, with a reimagined melody.
What's naughty: "Silver Bells" aims for epic territory but lands somewhere closer to dense and inscrutable. The faux-Middle Eastern vibe of "Do You Hear What I Hear?," which blurs into an equally underwhelming "Carol of the Drum � Little Drummer Boy," rings hollow.


The government announces it will not allow importers, distributors and retailers to commercially benefit when knowingly dealing with set-top boxes enabled to allow access to unauthorized content.
SINGAPORE, Jan 18, 2019 - (ACN Newswire) - The Singapore government has announced that it will be amending the Copyright Act to update its copyright regime in an effort to support creators and users of video content. A critical part of the suite of amendments includes new enforcement measures to deter retailers from profiting from providing access to content through unauthorised sources such as TV boxes (also known as illicit streaming devices -- ISDs) that enable access to pirated TV channels and video-on-demand content.
Louis Boswell, CEO of the Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) commented: "AVIA welcomes the government's proposals to update Singapore's Copyright Act to be relevant to the technological developments of today. The application and ISD ecosystem is seriously impacting all businesses involved in the production and distribution of legitimate content and generates huge revenue for criminal syndicates and retailers who profit from selling access to stolen intellectual property."
Neil Gane, the General Manager of AVIA's Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) commented: "Illicit streaming devices and their associated applications are by far the most important copyright infringement issue in Singapore. Liability for ISD retailers under the present version of the copyright act exists, but establishing it is not straightforward. We are pleased that the government has recognised that this lack of legal clarity had allowed ISD retailers to mislead consumers that the content accessible through such TV boxes was legal and that requisite subscription charges went to rights-holders - which they did not. Hopefully ISD retailers will no longer be so heavily represented at Singapore IT exhibitions and IT malls".
The Singapore government announced that the new amendments were intended to "complement the existing mechanism for the blocking of flagrantly infringing online locations". In November last year the High Court ordered Singapore's internet service providers to block access to popular illegal applications that are frequently sold pre-loaded on android TV boxes. These apps, which flagrantly infringe copyright by acting as gateways to websites streaming pirated content, had been preloaded on TV boxes which are overtly sold in retail outlets such as Sim Lim Square, IT exhibitions and on popular e-markets.
A November 2018 study of the content viewing behavior of Singaporean consumers, revealed that 15% of consumers use a TV box which can be used to stream pirated television and video content. The survey, commissioned by the CAP and conducted by YouGov, also highlighted the detrimental effects of streaming piracy on legitimate subscription video services. Of the 15% of consumers who purchased a TV box for free streaming, more than a quarter (28%) asserted that they cancelled their subscriptions to a Singaporean-based online video service as a direct consequence of owning an ISD.
The Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) is the trade association for the video industry and ecosystem in Asia Pacific. It serves to make the video industry stronger and healthier through promoting the common interests of its members. AVIA is the interlocutor for the industry with governments across the region, leads the fight against video piracy and provides insight into the video industry through reports and conferences aimed to support a vibrant video industry. AVIA evolved from Casbaa in 2018.


The cybersecurity efforts will help protect against attacks on U.S. information and communications infrastructure, a threat that President Obama has listed as one of the country’s most serious economic and national security threats.
For U.S. citizens and companies, thefts of personal identity, money, intellectual property and corporate secrets can be caused by gaps in security. Other security threats include the theft of sensitive U.S. military information and disruption of the electrical grid.
Shortly after his Inauguration, President Obama ordered a review of the U.S. government’s cybersecurity efforts that would help guide a new coordinated strategy to help protect against such attacks. He appointed Melissa Hathaway, who also worked on cybersecurity issues for the Bush administration, as acting cyberspace director for the National Security and Homeland Security councils to oversee the review.
On Friday, the White House unveiled the five main points of the report: Leadership from the top, building capacity for a digital nation, sharing responsibility for cybersecurity, creating effective information sharing and incident response and encouraging innovation.
It also called for increased education, expanding the federal information technology workforce and improving partnerships between federal government, and the private sector and U.S. allies.
As part of the announcement, President Obama said he would create a cyber security coordinator that will be part of the National Security Council and the National Economic Council. He did not appoint anyone for the position.
“Because of the critical importance of this work, I will personally select this official. I’ll depend on this official in all matters relating to cybersecurity, and this official will have my full support and regular access to me as we confront these challenges,” Mr. Obama said.
His announcement left unclear who would lead the administration’s efforts or who how senior of a position the new advisor would hold.
Businesses have pushed the president to appoint someone who will engage the private sector.
“We’re looking for someone who actually has the ability to develop and set cyberpolicy between agencies — someone who will have the appropriate staffing and resources in order to do his job. If they are becoming the cyberczar on cybersecurity, they need to have some level of authority,” said Tiffany Jones, the director of government relations for Symantec Corp.
But others have questioned if the responsibility should rest in one agency and if so, which agency would have control.
In March, the Director of Homeland Security’s National Cybersecurity Center Rod Beckstrom, resigned because the National Security Agency was controlling cybersecurity efforts. While some proposed that the NSA should be the body in charge, Beckstrom said that could hurt “our democratic processes…if all top level government network security and monitoring are handled by any one organization,” according to CNET News.
The CSIS presented a report in December 2008 on cybersecurity that determined that “cybersecurity is now a major national security problem.” It recommended creating a national security strategy to cover both national and international threats.
The Pentagon also plans to create a military cybercommand that would conduct offensive and defensive computer warfare, the New York Times reported on Friday.
In his announcement, President Obama said that at one point during his presidential campaign, hackers penetrated the computer system and gained access to e-mails and a range of campaign files.
He underscored how much the U.S. depends on computer networks for transportation and infrastructure as well as the country’s defense systems, saying that attacks can come from “a few keystrokes on a computer” and that the country’s economic prosperity depends on cybersecurity.


Generally speaking, the words "scary" and "Nickelodeon" don't occur in close proximity to each other. One exception to that is in the case of a TV movie called Cry Baby Lane. Airing on October 28th way back in the year 2000, Cry Baby Lane purportedly received so many complaints from parents who thought it was too scary that the movie never aired again, nor was it ever released on video.
At least, that's the myth that's grown up around it, which Nickelodeon has denied. Still, the internet was never one to let facts get in the way of a good urban myth, so Cry Baby Lane has since gained a bizarre cult following online. Its reputation was only fueled by the fact that it was virtually impossible to actually watch it. According to Nickutopia, that changed this past summer when a Reddit user uploaded a copy of the movie from an old VHS tape. The sudden appearance of the film online generated a new round of buzz, and now that buzz has come to a head: Nickelodeon will be airing the infamous Cry Baby Lane tonight, Halloween night, for the first time since its original airing. It will air as part of Nick's nostalgic "The '90s Were All That" programming block.
Andrew and his older brother Carl enjoy listening to ghost stories that the local undertaker, Mr. Bennett, tells them. One night Bennett tells the tale of a local farmer whose wife gave birth to conjoined twins, one being good-natured while the other was clearly evil. The farmer, ashamed of them, kept the twins locked in their room. Eventually the twins got sick and died together, so the farmer sawed them in half and buried the good twin in a cemetery and the bad twin in a shallow grave near the house. Later, Andrew and his friends decide to hold a séance in the cemetery where the good twin is buried, but they unintentionally awaken the bad twin instead. Gradually, the bad twin possesses nearly everyone in town, and it is up to young Andrew to stop him.
Okay, I'll grant, that scores high on the Goosebumps/Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Scale of Spookiness, but I have a feeling that the movie will be a disappointment for anybody who's been mythologizing it for years. Cry Baby Lane is a fascinating curiosity, but perhaps one best left unvisited. The story that's grown up around it is great fun; I certainly would never have heard of it if not for its legendary single airing. Why ruin the mystique by actually sitting down to watch it?
If you're interested in seeing what all the fuss is about, Nickelodeon will air Cry Baby Lane tonight at midnight, with a second showing at 2 a.m. on TeenNick. As for me, I'll be popping Session 9 into the player to ring in All Hallow's Eve.


One day after telling you about the latest phone to get Android software, along comes a video that shows us just what the G2 is going to look like. And it’s pretty damn impressive, A video camera, a larger trackball and a shiny white gloss finish (black for Italians). I think I’m a little bit in love!
Available from Vodafone exclusively on Friday.


An award-winning brand design agency, who work with clients that pioneer original thinking and brand storytelling, are looking for an Executive Assistant to join their creative team.
The agency who work with leading names across Food, Alcohol, retail and arts & Culture, are keen to find an experienced EA who can assist the Chief and Deputy Creative Officer.
Working in a small team of PA's, you will be assisting two to three executive board members.
Their ideal candidate will have previous PA experience working within a creative industry. You will be independent and highly organised, with strong verbal and clear written communication skills. Being proactive is key! Working intelligently to support the team with day-to-day issues whilst being warm and empathetic.
Please send your CV to admin@tomorrowlondon.co.uk or apply through our website.


Engaging in an open fight with state-owned oil and gas explorer, Cairn Energy India on Wednesday charged Oil and Natural Gas Corporation with overstating oil and gas reserves in its Krishna Godavari basin block (KG-DWN-98/2) that sits next to Reliance Industries Ltd's prolific KG-D6 fields.
Engaging in an open fight with state-owned oil and gas explorer, Cairn Energy India on Wednesday charged Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) with overstating oil and gas reserves in its Krishna Godavari (KG) basin block (KG-DWN-98/2) that sits next to Reliance Industries Ltd’s prolific KG-D6 fields.
Cairn currently holds 10% in the block, while ONGC has the balance 90% stake. This is the same block in which Cairn was originally holding a 100% stake and sold 90% to ONGC in 2005.
While ONGC in its development plan for the block — submitted to the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH)— has stated that the block is commercially viable, Cairn has contested the same, saying: "We believe that the hither to discovered oil and gas resources in the block are only marginal to non-commercial, because of their small size and the potential high development costs due to water depth versus the prevailing gas prices."
"Innovative development methods will have to be applied to make these resources commercially viable or else additional resources will have to be established in the block," Cairn said in its May 2 letter to the petroleum ministry and the DGH.
Cairn further said that fundamental to work forward "is to have a correct assessment of the reserve base."
Stating that the oil and gas reserves estimation of the block should be done through an independent agency, Cairn said it is in the interest of all stakeholders to discuss with the DGH and the petroleum ministry and agree on an appropriate way forward.
The works undertaken by Schlumberger Data & Consulting Services in 2007 is flawed and they substantially over-estimate the resources in the block, Cairn said.
"We have pointed out this aspect before on several occasions," Cairn said, while suggesting names of DeGolyer & MacNaughton, in order to establish correct assessment of the resources, based on which the stakeholders would be able to take appropriate decisions.


UNITED NATIONS, August 10 -- The Central African Republic, one of the poorest countries in the world where people fearing both government and rebel forces flee into the bush, "suffers from a surfeit of multilateral interventions," UN Humanitarian deputy Catherine Bragg told Inner City Press on August 10.
The UN's still unsuccessful engagement with CAR ranges from a peacekeeping mission that is directed only at spill over from Darfur in Sudan, to a peacebuilding project repeatedly changes its name. As Ms. Bragg described it, there are sections of the country with no roads at all. Video here, from Minute 28:23.
Still, she said when Inner City Press asked, the biggest problem is fear among the population. Despite local and international peacekeeping missions, there is still no peace. Former colonial power France contributes little.
It is a country so poor, some say, that it cannot even afford a more descriptive name than "Central African Republic."
It is to Ms. Bragg's credit that she went, and that upon her return she sought to brief the press. But Inner City Press' final question remains unanswered: what is being done so that the same sad briefing is not given in two years, or in five years?
UNITED NATIONS, August 10, updated -- In Criminal Court in lower Manhattan on Monday, former UN Development Program contractor Nicola Baroncini, who states that his job was stolen by the UN's top envoy in the Congo Alan Doss for his daughter Rebecca, rejected an offer of reduced charges and an anger management course in the assault case against him. His next court date is October 28.
At the UN's regular press briefing later on Monday, UN Deputy Spokesperson Marie Okabe was peppered with questions about the pepper spray used on Mr. Baroncini, and from Inner City Press about about jurisdiction for investigation of Alan Doss, who is slated in the midst of this development nepotism scandal to meet today with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Half an hour after the briefing, Ms. Okabe told the Press that UN Security, "as part of standard operating procedures, is looking into the incident" in which Officer Peter Kolonias was bitten, but only after Mr. Baroncini says he was tackled, handcuffed and pepper sprayed.
Two months before the June 22 incident inside UNDP's building in which Mr. Baroncini was pepper sprayed and then bit UN Security Officer Peter Kolonias, Alan Doss wrote an email about awarding Baroncini's post as assistant to the Deputy Director of UNDP's Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific to his daughter.
As first reported by Inner City Press, Doss asked to be shown "leeway" so that he could transfer from a UNDP to a UN Peacekeeping contract before or on the day she got to job, to evade anti-nepotism rules. Inner City Press first published the email on July 30, here.
On August 10 in the courthouse at 100 Centre Street, Baroncini told the Press that July 1 was the last day Rebecca Doss could be given a UNDP contract that would not have to be reviewed by a higher panel. He insists, however, that for Rebecca Doss to have been considered and offered the job while her father was still with UNDP violated the rules. For 16 days now, the UN and UNDP have repeated that the matter is under review.
The question arose Monday if immunity applies to Baroncini, or to the testimony that would be required later in the case from UN Security Officer Peter Kolonias. Some opined that Baroncini's immunity was lifted, by operation of law or by UNDP Administrator Helen Clark, who after more than 100 days in the post has yet to hold a press conference.
Others named Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, himself sensitive to questions about nepotism following the promotion of his son in law Siddarth Chatterjee at the UN in Iraq and this year at the UN Office of Project Services in Copenhagen. Inquiries among the press corp have begun into the related hirings of Mr. Ban's daughter. It is all coming to a head. Watch this site.
Update of 1 p.m., August 10 -- at Monday's UN noon briefing, all of the questions were about the man bites man story originated by Inner City Press more than two weeks ago. Reuters, which is now preparing a piece on the matter, asked if Mr. Baroncini had been pepper sprayed before any biting took place. The Times of London, which reported on the story over the weekend, asked about immunity. Inner City Press asked how Alan Doss, the UN's envoy to Congo and an employee of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, can evade full investigation of his conduct by limiting the review to the Office of Audit and Investigation of UNDP, which no longer has jurisdiction over him. Inner City Press requested (again) in person media availabilities by UNDP's Helen Clark and the head of the UN Department of Safety and Security Gregory Starr. Watch this site.
Footnotes: the proceedings Monday morning in Room 405 of the courthouse at 100 Centre Street involved, one after the other, a defendant in a Miami Heat "Wade" jersey, handcuffed behind his back; another defendant, female, with a baby strapped in front; a defendant named Mamadou Bah with a seemingly disinterested assigned counsel; the removal of a camera from the Press, and admonitions to those in the courtroom not to wear caps, eat, drink or talk.
One wondered how documented nepotism by the UN's top Congo envoy could devolve into retaliation against a whistleblower down this level. Don't call me the biter, Baroncini asked. I don't want my child (now two years old) to have that impression in twenty years. Okay then. We will continue reporting this story, with an array of related puns: the whistleblower's mordant critique of the UN's toothless protections against retaliation, the gnawing problem in the UN of nepotism, leading to an open and shut case.


Budget allocations on the Centre’s social sector flagship programmes such as the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) are not likely to be cut in the ensuing financial year 2012-13 despite pressure on the government to control spending.
Budgetary allocation for key rural development programmes largely remained unchanged in the last financial year, too, with a total allocation of Rs 74,143 crore, out of which the MNREGS got the bulk of Rs 40,000 crore.
“There will be no scaling down in the momentum of government’s productive social sector expenditure,” a senior government official told Deccan Herald. The official, however, stopped short of elaborating individual social sectors programmes as comments on budget related issues in the run-up to its presentation is traditionally not announced.
Besides, three more phases of polling in election-bound Uttar Pradesh are still due. Analysts are of the view that the government can do with a cut in the MNREGS allocation as it goes into fiscal consolidation mode next year. The official, however, said the government has allowed the use of the use of Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) Scheme funds to finance work taken up under the government’s social sector schemes.
The fund allocation under MPLAD was increased to Rs 5 crore from earlier Rs 2 crore last year. The MNREGS is among UPA’s signature social sector programmes, that promises at least 100 days of work every year to at least one member of each rural household.
The government is currently running over a dozen social sector schemes to help uplift conditions of rural and urban poor. Prominent among them are the Indira Awaas Yojana, aimed at providing affordable housing to people below poverty line, the National Rural Health Mission aimed at carrying out necessary architectural correction in the basic health care delivery system and the National Rural Drinking Water Programme.
The official said the demand from other ministries for enhanced budgetary support shot up in the run-up to the budget as the coming financial year (2012-13) also marks the beginning of the 12th Five-Year Plan (2012-17) and ministries want more allocation to give impetus in execution of their key programmes.
But, a larger than anticipated fiscal deficit this year and an overall slowing Indian economy has left government’s hands tied and made it necessary for it to take fiscal consolidation measures as it moves into the new financial year a month from now.
Asia’s third largest economy is expected to grow 7 per cent this year against 8.4 per cent last year and the fiscal deficit or the gap between government’s expenditure and its revenue is seen breaching the budgetary target by at least one percentage point.


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I’m reminded of this anecdote as I read a steady stream of media reports that describe how a majority of working Americans are not saving (and investing) enough of their income to maintain their standard of living in retirement. Mere mortals are not wired like Warren Buffett, but unfortunately even many adult Americans do not seem to comprehend compound interest, which is what Albert Einstein called the “eighth wonder of the world.” The physicist added: “He who understands it [compound interest], earns it…he who doesn’t…pays it.” I’ll provide a vivid example of the importance of saving soon and saving often, but before that let me briefly summarize the lamentable findings of a few recent national savings studies.
The Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) survey in 2012 concluded that 60% of workers 55 and older have less than $100,000 socked away for retirement (excluding home equity and defined benefit plans) and 59% of workers age 35-44 have never even bothered to calculate what they need to save for retirement. Boston College’s Center for Retirement Research, analyzing Federal Research consumer finances data from 2010, concluded that the outlook for retiring Baby Boomers and Generation Xers is far worse than for current retirees. The Center says that 53% of American workers 30 and over are on a savings path that implies a cut in standard of living in retirement (compared to 38% in 2001 and 30% in 1989), even if they work to age 65, which is two years later than the average American works. The Washington Post on January 15, 2013 reported that more than one-quarter of American workers with 401 (k) and other retirement savings accounts are raiding these accounts prior to retirement to pay for current expenses.
Now clearly, two stock market crashes in 13 years, a housing bust, a deep recession and stagnant wages for most workers have not helped matters. But for some reason Americans seem to have much more trouble saving for retirement than do Germans, Chinese, Japanese and citizens of many other countries.
A better understanding of compound interest would help. Workers need to start saving—and investing—earlier in their careers to let the elegant math of compounding work its magic. And instead of trying to time markets, workers should save and invest regularly, ideally monthly. I have written previously about how this dollar-cost averaging tactic with incoming cash flows from labor income rewards savers even during years of volatile stock markets (How Stocks Reward the Patient Saver).
Unfortunately, too many workers don’t seem to wake up to saving for retirement until they are in their 40s or 50s. This is too late for most people. For instance, the Center for Retirement Research estimates that the savings rates required for workers to achieve 80% of their preretirement income if they retire at 65 are as follows: 15% for those who begin saving at age 25; 24% for those who start at 35; and 41% for 45-year-olds.
Now it’s time to present an illustration of compounding and the importance of starting to save and invest money early in a working career. The table and graph below depict four savings scenarios during the 40 years stretching from January 1, 1973 to December 31, 2012. In each case, $1,000 is invested at the start of each month in a 60 stock/40 bond portfolio consisting of the S&P 500 Index and the Barclays Aggregate Bond Index, rebalanced quarterly. We used actual market returns during the 40 years.
Note in particular the difference between Case 1 and Case 4. In Case 1, the saver put away $1,000 monthly from January 1973 to December 1992, then stopped saving. In Case 4, the worked waited 20 years before starting to save $1,000 monthly for 20 years, from January 1993 to December 2012. In both cases, the workers invested $240,000 ($1,000 per month for 240 months), but in the first case, due to the compelling math of compound interest, the terminal value at the end of 40 years was $4.5 million, while in the second case the final value was only about 1/10 as much, $469,000.
Many American workers are failing to save enough to fund their retirements. One reason for this is that they start retirement planning and savings too late in their working lives. A better understanding of the power of compounding could help workers to start saving and investing earlier in their careers.
To read more articles from Gregg S. Fisher go to: www.gersteinfisher.com.
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A doctor who helps screen pilots for health and safety issues is accused of illegally selling drugs like oxycodone out of his offices at John F. Kennedy airport and another location in New York, officials said.
Gerald Surya, an internist and senior aviation medical examiner, was arrested Thursday at his New Hyde Park home by Drug Enforcement Administration agents and investigators from the New York Special Narcotics Prosecutors office. NYPD assisted in the investigation.
Surya pleaded not guilty to 26 state charges of criminal sale of a controlled substance in Manhattan court Thursday afternoon.
Surya has practiced in New York for more than 19 years, including doing in-person exams with pilots to certify their medical and mental well-being. Officials did not say if he was dealing drugs directly to pilots he was supposed to be reviewing for certification –- only that he was allegedly selling prescription drugs for cash to "a select group of patients."
Law enforcement sources say the investigation is ongoing into whether he sold drugs to pilots.
Investigators allege Surya has been selling illegal prescriptions since at least 2013, allegedly charging $60 to $100 each from his JFK Medport office as well as the Sun Medical Care offices in Valley Stream.
Prosecutors say the investigation began after he appeared to be writing "a suspicious number" of prescriptions.
Surya allegedly wrote prescriptions in the names of individuals with no legitimate medical need for the controlled substances. In some cases, court documents say he sold multiple prescriptions written to different individuals during a single office visit with a single patient. In others, he allegedly wrote prescriptions for patients who never came into the office.
Prosecutor say patients cooperating with investigators secretly recorded their meetings with Surya. Those tapes allegedly show him negotiating prices.
More than half of the alleged illegal prescriptions were written for oxycodone. Surya also allegedly wrote prescriptions for include Xanax, Vicodin and Percocet, among other medications.
Surya's attorney said his client has no prior arrests and is not a flight risk. He said the doctor, highly regarded among airport staff, was born in Toronto and came to New York when he was 6 months old. He is married with two children, ages 11 and 6. Bail for Surya was set at $500,000 bond.
Surya has appeared on television news programs to comment on air disasters, including the case of the mentally ill co-pilot who crashed a Lufthansa flight into the Alps in March.
Investigators said Surya appeared on the news after he knew his offices had been searched.
"By selling prescriptions for addictive drugs, Dr. Surya is charged with jeopardizing the health and well-being of his patients and the general public in order to line his own pockets," Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan said in a statement. "Physicians who abuse their privilege to write prescriptions and funnel many thousands of potentially dangerous pills onto the black market deserve to be prosecuted as the drug dealers they are."


Published: Feb. 14, 2019 at 03:52 p.m.
Updated: Feb. 14, 2019 at 05:01 p.m.
The fantasy tight end spot was still brutal overall this past season. Only seven players at the position scored more than 150 PPR points, a list that includes Travis Kelce, George Kittle, Zach Ertz, Eric Ebron, Jared Cook, Austin Hooper and Kyle Rudolph. That is the fewest tight ends to hit that mark since 2008, when only six players reached 150 PPR points.
On a positive note, three tight ends (Kelce, Ertz, Kittle) topped 250 PPR points this season. That's the most players at the position to hit that mark in a single season in NFL history.
So, who were the best players when it came to putting up solid totals on a regular basis, and who was more name than numbers? Here's a look at the tight ends who finished in the top 10 most often last season (minimum eight games), along with some interesting notes on players to watch in 2019.
1. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs (81.3 percent): This should come as a surprise to no one, as Kelce led the tight end position in PPR points for the third straight season. Not only did he lead the spot in top-10 finishes, but he also led the league in top-five finishes (62.5 percent) as well. At what has become a very thin position, Kelce will warrant a top-25 pick in 2019 drafts.
2. Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles (75 percent): Ertz was the closest to Kelce in terms of PPR points (-14.3), and he also finished second in top-five finishes (56.3 percent). The talented veteran has now seen his ranks among the top tight ends rise in each of the last four seasons, and his status as an elite option is pretty secure with Carson Wentz back going into 2019.
3. O.J. Howard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (70 percent): Howard was in the midst of a breakout season before a bum ankle cost him the final six games. He was pretty consistent before that, however, as he had a six-week stretch where he scored four touchdowns and averaged 13.5 PPR points per game. With new head coach Bruce Arians now at the helm, there's even more to like about Howard.
4. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers (68.8 percent): One of the best draft bargains in fantasy land, Kittle exploded in the stat sheets. He ranked second in games with 10-plus PPR points (13) and was third in games with 20-plus points (5), and only Kelce and Ertz averaged more points per game at the spot. The fantasy star and WWE superfan will be a top-40 pick next season.
5. Eric Ebron, Indianapolis Colts (62.5 percent): Ebron was a late rounder who went on to score 14 touchdowns in 2018. That's more than he had in his previous four seasons in Detroit. We might have seen this coming, however, as he ranked in the top 15 in seven of his final nine games of the 2017 fantasy season. But ... can he hold off Jack Doyle in 2019? That's something to watch.
6. Evan Engram, New York Giants (45.5 percent): Engram took a step back from his rookie season, as he was a top-10 performer in almost 10 percent fewer games. He did help owners down the stretch, though, averaging 14.5 PPR points in the final three games of the fantasy season while Odell Beckham Jr. was out of action. Look Engram to be a low-end No. 1 tight end in 2019 drafts.
T-7. Jared Cook, Oakland Raiders (37.5 percent): Cook is coming off his best fantasy season as a pro, but the numbers show that he wasn't all that consistent as a top-10 performer. In fact, Cook scored fewer than 10 PPR points in 50 percent of his games and was held under seven points five times. Scheduled to become a free agent in 2019, Cook's value is up in the air right now.
T-7. Austin Hooper, Atlanta Falcons (37.5 percent): Hooper was the definition of an all-or-nothing fantasy option last season. In fact, 57 percent of his total points came in just five games. He also ranked outside of the top-15 tight ends in 10 of 16 games. Of course, in a season that saw the continued decline of the position, Hooper still finished as the No. 6 fantasy tight end.
T-7. David Njoku, Cleveland Browns (37.5 percent): Njoku was also either extremely productive or a complete stinker in the stat sheets. In fact, he had three top-five finishes among tight ends but also had nine games where he finished 21st or worst. Playing in an offense that's seen as one of the NFL's youngest and most exciting, Njoku should still be seen as a No. 1 in 2019.
10. Vance McDonald, Pittsburgh Steelers (33.3 percent): McDonald actually ranked 10th in fantasy points among tight ends last season. That says more about the lack of depth at the position, however, as McDonald produced No. 1 tight end totals (top-10) in just three of his 15 games. There's not a lot of room for statistical growth, so he'll remain a No. 2 option next season.
11. Jimmy Graham, Green Bay Packers (31.3 percent): The most disappointing fantasy tight end one season ago, Graham went from fourth to 11th in his percentage of top-10 performances compared to his final year in Seattle. While he was a top-five finisher five times, Graham also failed to crack the top 20 seven times. It appears his time as an elite fantasy tight end are over.
T-12. Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots (30.8 percent): Gronkowski was also a major bust, as he dropped more than 30 percentage points in his number of top-10 finishes compared to the 2017 campaign. That was partially due to injuries and his decline in touchdowns (3), which tied his career low. If he doesn't retire, Gronkowski will be a risk-reward pick in all 2019 drafts.
T-12. Jonnu Smith, Tennessee Titans (30.8 percent): The fact that Smith had the same percentage of top-10 finishes as Gronkowski is a shock, but it's true. He had a nice four-week stretch where he scored three times and averaged around 12 PPR points per game, but that was the extent of his value. He won't be draftable in 2019 with the return of Delanie Walker (ankle).
Notes: Jordan Reed was able to stay healthy for 13 games this past season, but he couldn't put things together in the stat sheets. In fact, he produced top-10 numbers at the position just three times and was more often outside of the top 15 (54 percent). He'll still have fringe No. 1 tight end value in 2019 drafts, but he's worth little more than a late-round pick at this point in his career. ... Greg Olsen struggled with injuries and inconsistent numbers last season, as he finished as a top-10 tight end in just 22.2 percent of his games. After being one of the most durable players at his position, Olsen has also missed 16 games over the last two seasons due to injuries. ... Fantasy fans had big hopes for Trey Burton, but those hopes didn't translate into consistent production. In fact, 30 percent of his PPR points came in just two games. So while he was a top-eight tight end overall, Burton wasn't at all reliable. ... Chris Herndon could be a name to watch in 2019. While he was a top-10 tight end in just four of his 16 games as a rookie, he did put up double-digit PPR points five times in his final 10 contests of the fantasy season.


The German shepherd puppy was handed over to the French in a ceremony at the French embassy in Moscow on Monday.
Did VW use more than one emissions-cheating software?
Apparently, Texas does care about clean air.
While the move might seem shocking to some, it was already a foregone conclusion.
Only 13,000 of the 2.1 million affected Audis were sold in the U.S.
Why Volkswagen decided to fake it.
The tailpipe emissions of BMW's diesel-powered X3 compact crossover reportedly exceeds future Euro 6 standards.
Volkswagen may be just the beginning.
Whether consumer confidence will ever be able to return to VW up for debate.
Whether you swipe left or right, Diesel will be there to match with you.
Diesel is trying a bit of reverse psychology by asking fans to refrain from posting on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The prize? A "pre-Internet shoe."


BOSTON -- Road games in the NHL can be unforgiving, with the pound of travel and the buzz of foreign buildings and the opportunities for inconsistencies. The Stars entered Monday night's eventual 2-1 overtime loss at Boston on a three-game wave of victories in a variety of ways.
In Montreal, they won despite a massive shot-attempt differential and because of huge efforts from Devin Shore and Ben Bishop. In Toronto, Anton Khudobin shined early and he shined late as the Stars held on tightly for a win. In Washington, they capitalized on turnovers and Jason Dickinson's overtime winner.
Boston offered a new way to win: not with forgiveness, but with fortune. The Stars couldn't, but picked up a point in the standings despite largely being outplayed by the Bruins.
Dallas finishes a season-long, six-game road trip on Tuesday night in Columbus. The Stars are 3-1-1 on the trip, already above the .500 record that Montgomery said the team needed before they left Texas.
But how to they bounce back against the Blue Jackets after looking flat in Boston?
"Say a couple swear words," Khudobin said, "maybe break the stick against the wall, go on a plane, watch some TV, come back, maybe say another couple swear words or whatever, yell at somebody and go to sleep."
Khudobin was one of the Stars' best players on Monday night, making 33 saves and keeping the Stars afloat during an overtime 5-on-3 power play that ultimately ended in Brad Marchand's game-winning goal off the post. Dallas killed more than a minute of the 5-on-3 power play, but needed 31 more seconds to extend the game to a shootout.
The Stars also had luck on their side on Monday night. The Bruins hit three posts, including Patrice Bergeron's slapshot in overtime that echoed with about two minutes remaining. Bergeron also had a shot trickle through Khudobin but just wide of the net in the third period.
An early whistle saved the Stars from giving up a goal in the second period, when Anders Bjork tucked home the puck after the whistle. Officials prematurely blew the whistle after thinking that Khudobin covered the puck, even though he never possessed it.
Even the Stars' lone goal came on a fortunate break. As Dallas was killing a first-period penalty, forward Radek Faksa exited the zone and floated a 30-foot shot to Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask. The puck slipped through Rask and the Stars were gifted a goal.
A number of Stars had the same sentiment: they played poorly, but the road point was a positive.
"We didn't play good enough as a team, but we still find a way to get one point," defenseman Roman Polak said. "I think on the road, that's big for us. Every point is valuable for us, so we just need to learn from it."
"It wasn't our best game, but we gave our team a chance to win and that's important on the road," Faksa said.
The reaction was no different for coach Jim Montgomery.
"We fought and grinded to get a point," Montgomery said. "That was a positive of tonight's game."
The loser point is hardly satisfactory for teams, but on a night when at 5-on-5 Boston attempted 61 shots and Dallas managed just 29, the single point is a fine consolation prize.
The reason for the almost miraculous point is more concerning for the road trip's finale on Tuesday night. Montgomery said the Stars lacked energy in Boston, a bad omen for the second half of a back-to-back against a team that didn't play Monday.
"I just didn't think we were skating," Montgomery said. "I don't think we had our legs."
Or maybe it was just one of those nights.
"Some nights, you're just not going to have the legs," Polak said. "Some nights, it's not going to go the way you want it. You still need to earn the points or be able to get the points, at least one. We did it today."
Help from the past: To learn more about his new team, Montgomery has enlisted help from his predecessor: Ken Hitchcock.
Hitchcock could shed some light on the team for Montgomery. For example, Montgomery said he talked to Hitchcock about the Stars struggling in the third period.


HOUSTON (CN) – One year for a Zika vaccine is the goal of a partnership signed by a University of Texas research hospital and Brazil, its health minister announced Thursday.
Marcelo Castro said his government will invest $1.9 billion in the partnership between the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, and an institute in Brazil.
As evidence mounts that the virus is causing birth defects and other serious health problems in Latin America, both the United States and Brazil are now fighting back with their checkbooks.
In Bethesda, Maryland last week the National Institutes of Health announced it is funding research to establish conclusively whether Zika causes microcephaly, a birth defect of the head.
A spokeswoman for UTMB Galveston said the staff is too busy this week to interview. She said they were working on proposals for the National Institutes of Health competitive grant.
President Barack Obama on Monday called on Congress to authorize $1.8 billion in emergency funding to boost vaccine research, educate doctors and pregnant women and help the dozens of nations with active Zika cases fight the Aedes mosquito, the species that transmitsthe virus.
Castro also announced at Thursday’s news conference that Brazil will work on vaccines with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and that it hopes to partner with the drug maker GlaxoSmithKline because it developed an Ebola vaccine, the Associated Press reported.


Cameras installed high in a tree in the US state of Iowa have made an internet sensation of a family of bald eagles, whose nest is streamed online day and night.
"Why viral, I'm not really sure," Bob Anderson, director of the Raptor Resource Project, said of the success of the eagle webcam.
"The world just likes to hear something good instead of negative," he said. "This is all positive; this makes people feel good."
Mr Anderson had been transmitting live images of the nest, 24 metres high in Docorah, Iowa, mainly for schools and universities.
But this year, using a new site, UStream, the eagles are challenging the likes of troubled actor Charlie Sheen for internet popularity. There have been 11 million online views, the project's website says.
About 150,000 viewers at a time check out the live action, captured by two cameras installed on branches 1.5 metres above the nest.
The male and female eagles have been together since the winter of 2007-08, the project's website explained. They have successfully hatched and fledged eaglets each year since.
Interest spiked in late February when the mother laid three eggs, two of which have hatched. The third is expected to hatch any day now.
Most days viewers can see the wind pushing about the feathers of the eagles, as well as spot the remains of a muskrat, rabbit, crow and trout lying in the nest.
"Our dream always has been to provide an insight to wildlife, as a science tool for school," Mr Anderson said. "It's a wonderful education tool, people are learning the good and the bad of nature.
"Now, kids are learning that animals do eat other animals and that is the way of life. They are gaining a great insight to Mother Nature."


YANNICK BOLASIE must be feeling a little sad when he should be happy right now.
It was his substitution on Boxing Day that turned Crystal Palace fans against manager Neil Warnock and almost certainly got him the sack.
Warnock’s explanation afterwards was that the Congo winger’s baby was now overdue and he was a bit weary.
Sounded strange, but when Bolasie’s wife does give birth he probably won’t feel like celebrating as much as he might have done following the demise of a manager who showed more faith in him than most.
But there again, if you needed any proof that football is a funny old game, Palace is the place to be.
After sacking Warnock yesterday, trigger-happy bosses there must now appoint a new manager.
Tony Pulis saved them last season, but there aren’t too many miracle workers around.
It's all in the melting pot now, but Palace are going to have to do a lot better to survive. At the moment they’re 13/8 favourites to go down – and that looks about right.


St. John Neumann-Good Shepherd Parish, Lords Valley, has announced a gala celebration to be held on Sunday, July 10, at the Riverview Inn, Matamoras, from 1 - 5 p.m.
This event commemorates several special parish milestones, mainly the 35th Anniversary of the founding of the parish, the 30th Anniversary of the Church dedication and also the 20th Anniversary of the ordination of our pastor, Fr. Thomas Major.
Invitations to this festivity have been distributed throughout the parish. A special Mass will be celebrated in St. John Neumann Church at 10:30am, Sunday, July 10th, followed by an hors d'oeuvres hour and dinner at the Riverview Inn. There will be music and several guest speakers. This promises to be a very special day for our parish and our pastor. The cost of the dinner is $50 per person, with a choice of entree.
The Knights of Columbus, Chapter 12571, is preparing a commemorative journal to be distributed in recognition of this event. If you or your business would like to take an ad in the journal or if you would like to attend the dinner and have not received an invitation, you may contact: Charlie or Barbara Denniston- (570)775-7477; Eileen Papa-(570) 775-2755; Diane Gentile- (570)257-0075.
Please note that Journal ads must be submitted ASAP in order to meet deadlines for printing. Dinner reservations should also be submitted before the end of June to allow time for meal selection and seating arrangements.


TORONTO – Canadians tend to be more positive on Twitter than their American counterparts, according to a new study from an Ontario university that suggests the language we use may help explain the national stereotypes we hold to be true.
But the McMaster University study cautions people against believing that Canadians are actually nicer than their neighbours to the south, saying that stereotype is not backed up by any hard data.
Researchers at the Hamilton university analyzed 40 million tweets and isolated the words, emoticons and emojis used most disproportionately on the social media platform by individuals from each country.
The study’s lead author said the team of linguists analyzing the tweets were trying to address a question that has long plagued social psychologists — where do national stereotypes come from?
“Why do we think that there’s a French personality or a Canadian personality or an American personality, and why do we think these are different from each other?” said Bryor Snefjella.
He noted that previous studies have shown that while Canadians and Americans don’t have particularly different personalities, people in the two countries tend to strongly believe that Canadians are more polite.
The McMaster study’s findings, published online on Wednesday in the journal PLOS ONE, suggest national stereotypes are at least partially based on the words we choose.
In tweets gathered by the researchers between February 2015 to February 2016, Canadians tended to use words like “great,” “thanks” and “amazing,” whereas Americans more frequently used words such as “hate,” “miss” and “mad,” the study found.
The researchers then conducted a second phase of the study, exposing a group of participants to the most typical words and emojis from each country. They were not told anything about how the words were chosen. Those participants were asked what they thought the personality traits were of someone who often uses those words and emojis.
That exercise found that study participants believed someone using words most frequently employed by Canadians on Twitter would have a personality matching the stereotype of a Canadian, while someone using words more often employed by Americans were thought to have a personality matching the stereotype of an American.
A spokesman for Twitter declined to comment on the findings, but noted that in the year since the social media platform increased the maximum number of characters allowed in a tweet from 140 to 280, people have included “please” and “thank you” in their tweets more frequently.


What’s Been the Effect of Western Sanctions on Russia?
When Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine last March, the United States and European Union responded with an economic weapon — sanctions.
The first few rounds, applied in March and April of 2014, targeted Russian and Crimean officials, as well as businessmen seen to have close ties to President Vladimir Putin — his “inner circle” — with travel bans and asset freezes.
Since then, the West has steadily expanded its sanctions against Russian entities, targeting major businesses and parts of Russia’s financial, energy and military industries.
FRONTLINE talked to Anders Åslund, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, on Jan. 8, 2015 about the effects and consequences of Western sanctions on the Russian economy. Åslund served as an economic adviser to the Russian and Ukrainian governments in the 1990s.
Which round of sanctions do you think really had an effect on the Russian economy? How would you measure that?
The sanctions the U.S. imposed came in two big chunks. The first concerned Crimea, and they were only personal sanctions for Crimean and Russian leaders involved in the Crimean drama.
Then, the important sanctions were imposed on July 16, which are called sectoral sanctions.
The point is that the [July] financial sanctions have worked out as far more severe in their effect than anyone seems to have believed.
Would sanctions alone have damaged Russia’s economy without the current plunging oil prices?
There are three major causes for Russia’s economic troubles. The first cause is the corruption and bad economic policies that Putin pursues, which on their own would lead to stagnation, or at most 1 percent growth.
The second element is the falling oil prices. The oil prices have now fallen so much that Russia’s total export revenues this year will be two-thirds of what they have been before. That means that Russia will have to cut its imports by half. This is a big blow.
This is then reinforced by the financial sanctions, so that Russia cannot mitigate this blow by borrowing money. By ordinary standards, Russia is perfectly credit-worthy with a public debt that is only 10 percent of GDP. But if you don’t have access to financial markets, then it doesn’t matter how credit-worthy you are, because you’re not credit-worthy so-to-say.
What has been the impact on the Russian public so far?
The big impact is that the prices of buckwheat have increased as much as 70 percent. Basic food stuff has increased sharply. We’re seeing consumer panic in Russia because of the falling exchange rate. And the falling exchange rate is mainly because of the oil prices, but it’s also the financial sanctions. People are fearful of the situation and we’re seeing that the exchange rate is jumping up and down. It’s moving either way every so often by 5 percent in a day. The worst we’ve seen is it has gone down by 10 percent in a day.
There’s fundamental financial instability in Russia now, and this will have a big impact on the banking system. We’ve so far seen one medium-sized bank going under and two of the big state banks have needed recapitalization. We will see more of that.
And this of course will hit the GDP. My guess is we’ll see a decline in the order of 10 percent this year.
One of the initial rounds of sanctions targeted members of Putin’s so-called inner circle, including Gennady Timchenko [founder of commodity trading company Gunvor], Igor Sechin [chairman of Rosneft, Russia’s leading petroleum company], Arkady and Boris Rotenberg [magnates with majority stakes in construction firm Stroygazmontazh, and banks SMP and Investcapitalbank] and others. Were these sanctions largely symbolic, or did they do some real damage?
I think they’ve done real damage. These people… many of them are billionaires. They’re used to living in grand style, and now they are not allowed to travel to Europe and the U.S.
It’s particularly [the fact] that they’re not allowed to go to Europe that hurts them.
[Gennedy Timchenko] lives in Geneva. What I hear is that he moved back to Moscow because it became so impossible. Another of them — Boris Rotenberg — lives in Finland. Both Timchenko and Rotenberg are actually Finnish citizens.
A recent Bloomberg investigation found that companies linked to Timchenko and Arkady Rotenberg actually received more state contracts after being sanctioned. Does that mean the strategy of targeting Putin’s “inner circle” has in some way backfired?
Putin indeed has given Timchenko and Rotenberg more contracts through Gazprom. It now looks as if Putin is making the same mistake as [deposed President] Viktor Yanukovych did in Ukraine, giving ever more to his friends and very little to the others. Putin has been very good previously at distributing widely, but now he has tightened it so that it only goes to his close friends, and that is not likely to be popular.
And what do you think that could lead to, in terms of sentiment?
The elite [who aren’t part of his inner circle] are utterly alienated from Putin now. I don’t think they will rise in any way against Putin, but they will take money out of the country as fast as they can, so it will further destabilize the country.
The question is what will happen in the big industrial cities outside the most wealthy cities — Moscow and St. Petersburg. It would be surprising if we don’t see some social unrest down the road, because these are big blows to ordinary people.
Are further sanctions possible? What would next steps look like?
My view is that the sanctions are so severe that it’s simply not necessary to reinforce them further. It’s also easier to keep the Western front together. The U.S. has, in this case, been very careful to keep a united front with the whole of the European Union. The administration has thought that it’s more important to keep unity with the E.U. than impose even more severe sanctions. I think that policy has borne fruit now.
Have sanctions been seen as a success from the U.S. government’s perspective?
I would think that one could strongly argue that, because what’s happened is that Russia cannot get international financing from any source. Russian international reserves declined last year by $135 billion. We haven’t gotten the final number, but that’s the order. There has been a huge outflow of reserves from Russia. And of course, the Russian economy is now in a serious financial crisis, which is, to a considerable extent, caused by the financial sanctions.
Are Russians trying to get around the sanctions? Is that even possible?


The Professional Footballers' Association says it stands "shoulder to shoulder" with Raheem Sterling and believes he is singled out for negative media coverage.
The Manchester City forward was subject to alleged racist abuse during Saturday's Premier League game at Chelsea.
Television footage showed a group of home supporters screaming abuse - alleged to be racist in nature - at Sterling as he retrieved the ball from behind the goal during Saturday's match.
Chelsea said it has now suspended four people from attending matches pending further investigations, adding it is "fully supporting the police investigation".
The Metropolitan Police are investigating the incident, and Chelsea said it would "fully support" any criminal prosecutions.
Sterling, 24, responded to the incident on social media by accusing the British newspapers of helping to "fuel racism" by their portrayal of young, black footballers.
He shared two headlines from the same newspaper, comparing the way the white and black subjects of the stories were portrayed.
Meanwhile a number of footballing figures have been weighing in on the issue.
Jurgen Klopp, the manager of Sterling's former club Liverpool, commended the player for his "brilliant" reaction to the abuse.
"I thought his reaction was just brilliant. You saw his face. He gave the right response, not to react for these people."
He added offenders should be punished, but not talked about as they "do not deserve that we talk about them".
Former England footballer John Barnes said ethnic minorities would not have been surprised by the abuse suffered by Sterling as racism remains "prevalent" in British society.
The 55-year-old said prejudice and discrimination extend far beyond football.
Praising Sterling for his mature response to the incident, Barnes added: "Until the average black person is treated with respect and given equal opportunities to the average white person, nothing will change."
The PFA said it has been in contact with Sterling to offer support and praised the restraint he showed at Stamford Bridge.
Raheem has made a stand by speaking out and we stand shoulder to shoulder with him against the discrimination of which he speaks.
We all have a part to play in tackling racism and discrimination and certain sectors of the media must be held to account.
We have been aware for a few months of the targeting Raheem faces in the press, it is evident that he is often singled out and treated more harshly than his colleagues.
As such, these stories are fuelling racism within the game, as reports of racist abuse continue to rise.
We stand with him in calling for the press to consider the coverage of all footballers carefully, and to end their imbalanced coverage aimed at young, black players.
The alleged racist abuse came a week after Arsenal's Gabon international Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had a banana skin thrown at him during the north London derby with Tottenham.
Troy Townsend, who works for the Kick It Out campaign, and is the father of Crystal Palace winger Andros Townsend, told ITV News sports editor Steve Scott he does not trust the media to look at itself, after Sterling's comments.
"He's asked them to look at themselves, I think they've looked at themselves very quickly, and have dismissed it, and will crack on doing the same as they've done before," he said.
One prominent media figure, Piers Morgan, said he disagrees with the assessment that negative newspaper stories about Raheem Sterling and other black players are racially motivated.
The Good Morning Britain host took to Twitter to argue Raheem Sterling has brought much of the coverage on himself with his own actions, claiming he hasn't been treated any differently by the press to how high profile players such as David Beckham or Paul Gascoigne would have been.


The Act of Killing, a film on human rights in Indonesia is being launched in the UK this month and there is a special screening in Oxford next Thursday 4 July at the Phoenix, starting at 7pm.
To be followed by a question and answer session with the Director.
See link for the Phoenix website.


The Health for Animals and Livelihood Improvement (HALI) Project is a collaborative research and capacity building program investigating health at human-animal-environment interfaces in Tanzania.
Recently, I was privileged to be an invited speaker at the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Global Food Security Summit: Understanding the Role of Animal Health and Well Being in Washington D.C. The summit participants included a diverse group of organizations discussing the positive benefits of public and private stakeholder partnerships and the veterinary community to promote and enhance global food security. Among other goals, the summit defined the role of animal source foods in enhancing global food security and described ways to improve animal health to create a more secure, sustainable, safe, and nutritious food supply in areas of global food insecurity.
Participants of the summit were made aware of the stark reality that approximately 75 percent of the world’s poorest people get their food and income by farming small plots of land, and the critical role of animal-sourced proteins in the first 1000 days of life to prevent malnutrition and childhood stunting. It is relatively easy to lose perspective for the plight of the world’s poor in the developed world where food sources are taken for granted. In our daily lives, it is assumed we will have access to multiple sources of nutritious food, even though we may make poor choices in the foods we choose to eat.


Some celebrated their sober life, while others remembered those who died from an overdose. They all hope to break the stigma of addiction. August 31 is International Overdose Day.
They joined on a sunny afternoon in Washington Park, Over-the-Rhine, to remember lives lost to heroin, fentanyl, prescription painkillers. To end the stigma that puts those with addiction in hiding, and makes treatment elusive. On International Overdose Awareness Day, mothers, fathers, friends and others, public officials and police recognized the disease of addiction here at a first-time event in our city. ‘We need to remember those lives lost to substance use disorder,” said Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Driehaus.
International Overdose day is every year on Aug. 31.


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It was a wasted start for Luongo, who was peppered with 40 shots and surrendered two goals.
“We had some chances, we just didn’t do anything with them,” said Jaromir Jagr, part of a Panthers team that mustered just 14 shots on goal in the first two periods and 24 overall.
Anaheim, which took all four available points from the Panthers in the two meetings this month, played big up front and clogged things up for a Florida team coach Gerard Gallant said “wanted no part” of the Ducks’ physical style.
Luongo faced 30 shots in a scoreless game before Anaheim’s Cam Fowler sent a shot that squeezed its way through Luongo’s skates for a 1-0 lead with 3:21 left in the second.
Desperate to get anything going, Gallant changed up all four of his lines to put a little pressure on Anaheim goalie Frederik Andersen, who was pulled from his previous start after giving up three goals in 10 minutes.
Gallant’s changes worked at times, but Florida still looked slow and lifeless as Anaheim tried to put things away when Andrew Cogliano scored on a 2-on-1 short-handed chance with 5:19 left.
Florida’s Sasha Barkov gave the Panthers a chance at some more late-minute heroics when he cut the deficit in half by driving in and firing a wrist shot that clipped Andersen and found its way to the back of the net.
Barkov’s goal wasn’t near enough as Luongo came out of the net to allow Florida an extra attacker, yet the Ducks ended it with an empty-net goal.
The Ducks, who stole victory from the Panthers on Nov. 4 with a last-second goal to force overtime, had lost four of their previous five.
With the Rangers coming to town Saturday, the Panthers sure could have used this one.
▪ Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov will not require surgery on his injured knee and should only be out of the lineup for the next few weeks.
Kulikov was injured Saturday in Tampa when he was boarded by the Lightning’s J.T. Brown.
▪ Luongo had gone 111 minutes 43 seconds between goals before the Ducks scored late in the second period on Thursday. Luongo had not surrendered a goal since midway through the third period Saturday in Tampa and stopped 76 consecutive shots.