Top row: Z. Howard, T. Cole, A. Pugh, C. Penrose-Whitmore.Bottom row: B. Ford, G. McBay, J. Hall, T. Dinkins.
Our future, we know, belongs to the young. That is why The Root has decided to put the spotlight on the leaders of tomorrow.
We embarked on a nationwide search to find African-American youth, ages 16 to 21, who are innovators in the green movement, science and technology, social justice, business and the arts. We approached schools and universities, national sororities and fraternities, as well as civil rights groups like the NAACP, which has nurtured a young-talent competition every year. The names poured in. We took on the difficult task of sifting through the achievements of many young and talented people to come up with this final list.
The 25 winners we selected for our Young Futurists list are committed to making the world a better place and are actively doing something about it. Many are still in high school. Some are in college. They live all over the U.S., from Savannah, Ga., to Santa Cruz, Calif., but they are bound together by their common desire to make a real change in the world.
Our winners have started their own nonprofits and invented technology — for developments in surgical techniques and hybrid cars — to rival that of innovators twice their age. They have used their artistic talents to help their communities, started their own businesses and transformed school projects into full-fledged charitable organizations. Two of our finalists have drawn the attention of the Obama administration for their achievements: Brandon Ford of Philadelphia and Cameron Fields of Viejo, Calif.
We'll highlight one Young Futurist a day during the month of February. What better time than Black History Month to unveil our list of the talented young people of African descent who hold our future in their hands?


Perry said last week that he will not drop out of the race despite his money woes.
The chair of Rick Perry’s Iowa campaign, Sam Clovis, is calling it quits.
Clovis stepped down from his position on Monday, calling the former Texas governor a “remarkable” man in an interview with The Associated Press, which first reported the resignation.
The campaign’s money woes played a part in Clovis’ decision, he told the AP — though he said it was not the only reason for his departure.
Perry said in a radio interview last week that he will not drop out of the race despite his money woes. “This is a long race. This is a marathon. This isn’t a sprint. There’s a lot of time left. There are a lot of debates. There’s a lot of work to be done,” he told host Hugh Hewitt.
Iowa is critical to Perry’s dwindling chances, and Clovis — a radio personality and failed 2014 Senate candidate — was considered central to his hopes there.


La Jollan Sami Ladeki, owner of Ladeki Restaurant Group, was born in Lebanon and has opened more than 35 restaurants and fine-dining concepts around the world since 1983. This summer, he celebrates 25 years of combining globally- inspired cuisine with locally-produced ingredients at Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza, with a variety of social media promotions at his 19 locations in Southern California and Nevada.
Ladeki, who opened the first Sammy’s in La Jolla in 1989, was honored June 3 with the “Restaurateur of the Year” award by the California Restaurant Association at its 30th annual Gold Medallion Awards. Mayor Kevin Faulconer declared June 3 to be “Sami Ladeki Day,” in honor of his milestone achievements.
Recognized for both his business and philanthropic dexterity, in 2012 Ladeki was presented with the Headliner Award by the San Diego Press Club.
I was visiting La Jolla and I just fell in love with it. The energy, beauty and the elegance of the people here — I knew it would become my home.
La Jolla should be more known as a dining and shopping destination. I would snap my fingers and make La Jolla a more pedestrian and outdoor-friendly dining town. La Jolla is one of the most beautiful places on Earth and I think it should be celebrated and enjoyed with more sidewalk cafes, and it should be a place to come and enjoy live music and entertainment.
that where I find the drive and passion to continually innovate and take my restaurants to the next level.
I have six: Leonardo da Vinci, Khalil Gibran, John F. Kennedy, Chef Alain Ducasse, Howard D. Schultz (founder of Starbucks) and Steve Jobs.
I’m reading a book called “My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel,” by Ari Shavit.
I love listening to live music, all types, but I especially enjoy European music. I love to travel, dine out and try new restaurants. I don’t have a lot of free time, so when I do, I spend it with my good friends celebrating life!
I dislike people who are not respectful of your time, and people who are sloppy. I’ve always believed it is important to dress for the occasion.
My home in La Jolla, and, of course, my friends and family and my company.
Live, and let live, and always remember to give and take and find a common ground.


Terminator: Genisys should’ve killed the Terminator franchise dead and buried it in a shallow grave, but let’s face it: this is a series where the most iconic line is “I’ll be back.” The untitled sixth Terminator movie (which we’ll just call Terminator 6 until they decide to give it a title) had filmed in Budapest, Hungary under the direction of Deadpool‘s Tim Miller and wouldn’t you know it? A new featurette made to showcase and praise the Hungarian film industry offers a some pretty tantalizing glimpses of the set. Let’s take a look.
Gallery 1988 debuted a new art show over the weekend featuring works from Jeff Boyes and Dan Mumford, each of them honoring some beloved films from decades past. Jeff Boyes focuses on films like Wayne’s World, Gleaming the Cube, and Dumb & Dumber. Meanwhile, Dan Mumford tackled the likes of The Crow, Terminator and First Blood. But both of them did their own tribute to Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.


Shaun McConville faces a total of 12 charges over the alleged events at his home in Shortroods.
A man accused of taking part in a siege situation involving armed police officers where he asked for Brendan Rodgers to be brought back as Celtic manager appeared in court today.
Shaun McConville faces a total of 12 charges over the alleged events of Monday, March 18, at his home in Springbank Road, Paisley .
The 30-year-old also allegedly asked for "a bag of cans" as part of his ransom "demands".
And he is said to have trashed his neighbours' homes, damaged police cars and assaulted officers after barricading himself on a landing outside his flat while armed with a kitchen knife, hammer and screwdriver and claiming he had hostages.
Prosecutors claim he behaved in a threatening way and barricaded himself on the second floor landing of his property where he repeatedly shouted and swore, stated he had hostages and made threats to blow up the property.
McConville also faces three charges of being armed with offensive weapons, one in relation to the kitchen knife, one in relation to the hammer, and one in relation to the screwdriver.
Four of the charges he faces relate to him allegedly smashing his neighbours' windows, damaging their gas supply boxes by kicking them and kicking one of their doors. A further charge states he damaged three police cars by throwing items at them, and another charge accuses him of culpably and recklessly throwing items from the "second floor balcony" which struck and damaged a number of cars and narrowly missed police officers.
He also faces two charges of assaulting police officers by allegedly throwing a knife and screwdriver at Police Constables Kieran Boyle and Jack McElwee, and assaulting PC Colin MacKenzie by throwing tiles at him from the second floor balcony.
McConville made no plea to the 12 charges against him during the behind-closed-doors hearing, where he was represented by defence solicitor Paul Lynch.
Sheriff Tom Ward then continued the case against him for prosecutors to investigate further and remanded him in custody.
No future court dates have been set by a second hearing is expected to take place next week.


Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont says he is set to release his tax returns Monday. For the first time in his career, it's been revealed that Sanders is now, in fact, a millionaire.
Congressional Democrats are embroiled in the fight to try to compel the release of President Trump's taxes, which he continues to decline to do. But with the deadline to file taxes coming Monday, it's Democratic candidates who are in the spotlight.
As Democrats try to grab the higher ground on transparency with regard to their personal finances, so far only three of the almost 20 notable Democratic candidates have released their 2018 returns as of Thursday night.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York have released them. Gillibrand was the first to do so. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota has also released 12 years of taxes through 2017 so far. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont is pledging to release his by Monday. Kamala Harris, Beto O'Rourke, Pete Buttigieg, Cory Booker and others have indicated they will release them, but haven't been specific about when.
"I've put out 11 years of my tax returns, because no one should ever have to guess who their elected officials are working for," Warren said Wednesday. "Doing this should be law."
1. Conflicts of interest: Where does their money come from and could that influence the kind of policy they try to implement as president for the rest of us?
2. How charitable are they? Most of these candidates are far wealthier than the average American. The median U.S. household income as of 2017 was just shy of $58,000 a year. Expect everyone running to make more than that, so how much do they give to charity, and what does it say about their priorities depending on who they give to?
3. Are they like us — or do they bend the rules? There are lots of candidates over the years who have been creative about how to reduce their tax rates, using various tax deductions and loopholes. Do they pay a rate that is commensurate with most Americans? President Trump said during a 2016 presidential debate that if it's true he hasn't paid federal income taxes in some years, "that makes me smart."
Trying to tamp down the criticism, he released four years of tax returns in 1973, and he had a congressional committee review them. That committee found he owed almost $500,000 in back taxes and interest (more than $2 million in today's terms).
Since then, it has become routine for presidential candidates to release their taxes. Candidates do so to try to reassure the public that there is nothing untoward hidden away and to be on the level about any potential conflicts.
They are, after all, seeking to hold power in arguably the most public and influential office with the loudest microphone in the world. At any time, a president can command an audience on any subject he or she wishes.
Despite pressure to release his, Trump has declined to, first as a candidate and now as president. He's the first president since Nixon not to release them. Trump has said that he continues to be under audit by the Internal Revenue Service as a reason for not releasing his taxes — despite there being no prohibition from releasing them even if under audit.
Leaked tax documents during the 2016 campaign showed Trump incurred almost $1 billion in losses that might have allowed him to not pay taxes for almost two decades.
Democratic House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal of Massachusetts formally requested six years of Trump's taxes. But Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin missed a deadline Neal set. Mnuchin cited the need for more time to consult with the Justice Department.
Mnuchin also questioned the "constitutional scope of congressional investigative authority" and "purpose" versus the "constitutional rights of American citizens."
Sanders, an independent from Vermont running as a Democrat for president, has landed in the spotlight about his not-yet-released tax returns, partially because of the irony that the candidate who has routinely lambasted the millionaires and billionaires is now, himself, a millionaire.
Sanders has routinely been ranked as one of the less-wealthy members of Congress — that is until he caught fire in his 2016 campaign. His 2017 Senate financial disclosure shows he was able to cash in on that bid. His book, Where We Go From Here, helped him make slightly more than $1 million overall for the year. That income included more than $880,000 from book royalties.
The self-avowed democratic socialist's reaction to his newfound wealth was rather ... capitalistic.
"I wrote a best-selling book," he told The New York Times. "If you write a best-selling book, you can be a millionaire, too."
Sanders' earnings were a nearly five-fold increase from 2014, when he and his wife Jane made just under $206,000 combined, according to tax returns Sanders released during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Warren and her husband, Bruce Mann, made $906,000 combined in 2018. Mann makes about $400,000 as a professor at Harvard Law School. Warren, like Sanders, made most of her money because of her book, This Fight is Our Fight.
She reported getting about $430,000 in advances and royalties from its publication, according to Warren's most recent Senate financial disclosure. Warren gave away $50,128 to charity, or about 6 percent of her total household income.
Charitable giving is noteworthy with this field, considering many of their policy prescriptions call for making the wealthy pay more in taxes to fund many of their social programs.
Gillibrand, who made $215,000 between her Senate salary and a book deal, gave away $3,750 to charity, or less than 2 percent.
Inslee made $203,000 between his salary, pension, IRAs and annuities. He gave away $8,295 in charity, or 4 percent.
Klobuchar and her husband John Bessler made $294,000 together in 2017. They gave $5,075 to charity, or less than 2 percent.
Harris said she will release her tax returns "soon." During her 2016 Senate run in California, she released her 2015 taxes, which showed she and her husband made $1.2 million. Her husband, Douglas Emhoff, is a partner at the law firm Venable. She reported an estimated net worth of just under $400,000, according to her 2017 Senate financial disclosure.
Booker made about $500,000 in 2017, including a $325,000 advance for his book, United, and, continuing a years-long practice, the New Jersey senator gave away an additional $10,000 to charity in appearance fees, according to his 2017 Senate financial disclosure. Booker in 2013 released 15 years of tax returns.
Texans Beto O'Rourke and Julián Castro have said they will release their taxes, but aren't committing to how many years they will put out.
"We're going to release them with more than enough time before the voting starts for people to take a look," Castro told The Texas Tribune, before noting that he would wait and see how many years others release before he does.
O'Rourke seems to be taking a similar tack. Asked in New Hampshire, per the Tribune, how many years he'd release, he replied: "That's a great question. I haven't thought about that. I do plan on releasing our tax returns, and I want to do that as soon as we can. Certainly last year, but we'll find out what the standard is and release that."
"O'Rourke and his wife listed assets that could range from $3.5 million to a little over $16 million, most of it coming from rental and commercial real estate, a stake in the candidate's software and technology company and his wife's trust fund. Their liabilities — mostly from their real estate holdings — total between $1.3 million and $5.7 million."


Once known for the strength of its special teams, the Harvard men’s hockey team was not-so-special in last night’s 4-1 loss against Northeastern in the consolation round of the Beanpot Tournament at TD Garden.
Although the Crimson’s third-period surge narrowed Boston College’s lead to one, the Harvard men’s hockey team was not able to overcome the No. 10 Eagles last night, giving up a 3-2 loss.
Just back from Thanksgiving break, the Harvard men’s hockey team wasn’t feeling the holiday cheer after suffering a 6-2 loss to Dartmouth (3-6-0).
Although the Harvard men’s hockey team (1-2, 1-2 ECAC, 1-1 Ivy) took a 3-1 lead in the first two periods against the Big Red (3-0, 3-0 ECAC, 2-0 Ivy), the Crimson yielded four goals in the final frame, ultimately succumbing to long-time rivals No. 5 Cornell, 6-3.
Oh, Canada. Facing off against McGill in a preseason exhibition game, the Harvard men’s hockey team battled to a 3-3 tie with the Canadian squad at Bright Hockey Center on Friday. Although the Crimson outshot McGill, 49-18, and had 13 powerplay chances—including a few minutes of 5-on-3 play—Harvard was unable to get the winning goal past McGill goaltender Hubert Morin.
He’s back. After a two-season absence, Bobby Jay has renewed his assistant coaching position with the Harvard men’s hockey team.


The RMS Bohemian struck a ledge off Cape Elizabeth in February 1864, and 42 died just as they were about to arrive in America.
Bonfires lit up the night sky on Feb. 22, 1864, as residents of Portland and Cape Elizabeth celebrated George Washington’s birthday, unaware of the large ship steaming toward them.
Two miles offshore, most of the passengers aboard the RMS Bohemian slept as the ship neared the end of a long, rough crossing from England. All was peaceful on board until the veteran ship captain suddenly found himself and the ship in a “peculiar haze” that proved both disorienting and disastrous.
By the end of that night, the ship would strike Alden Rock, an underwater ledge off the coast of Cape Elizabeth. Forty-two people drowned, most of them Irish emigrants planning to start new lives in Boston, New York or Quebec. The ship’s cargo spread across Casco Bay.
Back on shore, local residents mistook the distress flares and gunfire from the sinking ship as part of the holiday celebrations.
It would remain, even 150 years later, the worst shipwreck ever recorded in Casco Bay and one of the worst along the Maine coast. But except for a few reminders scattered around Greater Portland, it is largely forgotten.
“As a general rule, the story of the Bohemian is relatively unknown,” said Matthew Jude Barker, a local historian and author.
Barker will recount the harrowing tale of the Bohemian during a lecture at the Irish Heritage Center on Saturday, the 150th anniversary of the shipwreck. The free event, which begins at 2 p.m., will feature Barker talking about the ship and its connection to the history of Maine’s Irish community.
It was a calm winter evening in 1864 as the Royal Mail Ship Bohemian headed toward Casco Bay, loaded with $1 million in silk, pottery and other cargo, 218 passengers and 99 crew members.
The three-decked ship was 295-feet long. It was steam-driven but also had three masts and sails for propulsion.
Most of the passengers aboard were Irish emigrants, traveling in steerage compartments with all of their belongings and dreams of a better life in America or Canada.
The Scottish-built ship, slowed by bad weather, was 18 days out of Liverpool and five days overdue to reach Portland.
Capt. Robert Borland had sailed into Portland nine times before. But on this night, he would say, he found himself disoriented by a “peculiar haze” a few miles off shore. Other survivors would also describe the haze. Borland set off rockets and flares in an attempt to summon a pilot boat, not realizing he was so off course that his signals for help would go unnoticed.
A pilot boat, expecting the overdue Bohemian, was elsewhere in Casco Bay looking for the larger, three-masted ship, but was unable to find it. Borland, thinking the ship was five miles off the coast of Cape Elizabeth instead of three, continued toward land.
Then, without warning around 8:30 p.m., the belly of the ship struck Alden Rock hard enough to rip open its iron hull. The ship, then nearly two miles southeast of Cape Elizabeth, began rapidly filling with water.
Recognizing how dire the situation was, Borland ordered the ship to go full steam toward land. It was a move later credited with saving many lives.
The sinking steamship wallowed toward Cape Elizabeth for nearly a half-hour before coming to Broad Cove Rock, another underwater ledge about a quarter-mile from Maxwell’s Point. Borland ordered both anchors dropped and told his crew to start evacuating passengers.
But those passengers, groggy with sleep and stricken by fear, panicked.
In their rush to get off the ship, 16 people jumped aboard a lifeboat too soon, snapping a pin and sending them plunging into the icy water.
The ship’s other lifeboats were successfully launched and carried shivering passengers to the beach. When the last boat was gone, nearly 80 people remained aboard the wreck as it tossed in the waves.
Some passengers were so panicked at being left behind that they jumped into the water, including a mother who first strapped her infant to her shoulders.
The remaining passengers clung to the half-submerged ship, the deck steeply sloped toward the water below. Borland led a group of women and children into the foretop, the platform at the top of the foremast.
The remaining men climbed up into the rigging. Two men strapped their 61-year-old mother to the mast to save her as they waited hours for lifeboats to return, Barker said.
At 10:30 p.m., the ship sank in 30 feet of water, with only a small section remaining above the waves.
Finally, around midnight, the lifeboats returned for the stranded passengers. The 61-year-old woman was among those rescued from the rigging. She would live another 40 years, according to Barker.
Borland and the few officers still aboard the ship rode the last lifeboat to shore.
On land, they found two communities scrambling to help strangers left stranded and destitute by the wreck.
Cape Elizabeth residents built bonfires along the shore to warm the passengers, then offered them food and shelter. Many of the passengers had nothing but the clothes on their backs.
Bodies washed ashore for days after the wreck. Workers set up an emergency morgue in the blacksmith shop of the Ocean House hotel in Cape Elizabeth, while others brought survivors into Portland. There, Mayor Jacob McLellan provided apartments to many victims in the new City Hall on Congress Street.
Businessmen in the city immediately kicked off a relief fund, raising $700 in the first three hours, according to Bachelder.
Many of the emigrants who survived the wreck eventually continued on to Boston, New York and Quebec, Barker said. But the bodies of 30 victims remained unclaimed in Maine.
Twelve victims were buried in an unmarked grave at Calvary Cemetery in South Portland. The rest were laid to rest in a pauper’s grave at Forest City Cemetery.
Although there were rumors that Capt. Borland was drunk the night of the wreck, an inquest would later find that the crew of the Bohemian was not at fault, Barker said.
In the weeks after the wreck, the ship was pulled apart by waves, spilling sacks of mail and the $1 million worth of cargo into the water. For days and days, residents headed to the beach to collect pottery, reams of cloth, buttons and other items washing ashore.
Lipfert said people rowed out in boats to collect debris and items from the ship. A newspaper article would later say that every child in Cape Elizabeth had a new pair of shoes that year.
Yet there are no known remaining artifacts from the Bohemian on public display. In the entire 50 years that it has been collecting items, the Maine Maritime Museum has never come across anything from the ship.
For 120 years, the Bohemian tragedy remained nearly forgotten until a local postal worker took notice of the “Shipwreck at Night” mural painted by Alzira Peirce in 1939.
Bartley Conley, who worked at the South Portland post office for many years, began asking questions in the early 1980s about the mural of the Bohemian painted on the post office wall. When he learned that many of the victims lay buried in an unmarked common grave at Calvary Cemetery, he launched an effort to raise $3,500 for a stone Celtic cross to erect in their honor.
Conley told the Sunday Telegram in 1984 that he felt compelled to do something after learning most of the victims were Irish emigrants.
Less than a mile away, the other 18 unclaimed victims of the wreck are buried without recognition.
Barker, the historian, wants to change that. He and other members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, a fraternal order of Irish Catholics, are planning to raise money to mark the grave with a simple monument recognizing the tragic end to their quest for a new life in America.


In less than an hour, Wisconsin’s men’s basketball team will face instate rival Marquette in Madison at the Kohl Center. But the Badgers will be without two key players. Guards D’Mitrik Trice and Kobe King will be out indefinitely with foot and knee injuries, respectively, according to the UW Sports Medicine Staff.
Wisconsin bragging rights will be on the line at the Kohl Center in Madison when the Badgers host instate rival Marquette on Saturday at 11 a.m.
Green Bay Packers tight end Lance Kendricks is charged in Outagamie County with marijuana possession.
Shizz Alston Jr. scored 22 points and hit four decisive free throws late to set a school record and lead Temple to a 59-55 victory over Wisconsin on Wednesday night.
Khalil Iverson scored 14 of his 16 points in the first half to lead Wisconsin to a 64-63 win over Penn State on Monday night.
J.T. Barrett looked just fine Saturday. Now it’s up to college football’s selection committee to decide whether No. 8 Ohio State has done enough to earn a playoff bid.
Keita Bates-Diop had 17 points and 11 rebounds, Kaleb Wesson scored 19 points and hot-shooting Ohio State opened Big Ten play with an easy 83-58 victory on Saturday over Wisconsin.
No. 4 Wisconsin faces No. 8 Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship game Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium. Should the Badgers win, they would clinch a spot in the 2017 College Football Playoff. Newsline 9’s Morey Hershgordon spoke with Ohio State football beat writer, Austin Ward, to take a deep dive into the matchup.
The Big Ten Conference announced the 2017 All-Big Ten football honorees on offense on Wednesday.


LAREDO, Texas (AP) — A U.S. Border Patrol agent suspected of killing four prostitutes was arrested early Saturday after a fifth woman managed to escape from him and notify the authorities, law enforcement officials said, describing the agent as a "serial killer."
Juan David Ortiz, an intel supervisor for the Border Patrol, fled from state troopers and was found hiding in a hotel parking lot in Laredo at around 2 a.m. Saturday, Webb County Sheriff Martin Cuellar said at a news conference in the border city about 145 miles (235 kilometers) southwest of San Antonio. He said investigators have "very strong evidence" that he is responsible for the deaths of the four women.
The county's district attorney, Isidro Alaniz, described Ortiz as a serial killer. Authorities didn't disclose the victims' names or nationalities and they declined to discuss the evidence or say how the women were killed.
He said his office plans to charge Ortiz with four counts of murder and one count of aggravated kidnapping.


California has increased the capacity of its publicly-funded preschool program in recent years, but McCarty says it’s still behind other states. The National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University ranks California 13th in state spending on preschool and 21st in total preschool spending, which also includes local and federal money.
Lawmakers have been working to expand preschool access dramatically for years, but Brown’s interest in saving for an impending recession curtailed their efforts. Less than half of children from low-income families in California are in high-quality preschool programs largely because there are many eligible children but not enough space available, Cullinan said.
McCarty’s proposal is not universal preschool, which many advocates have sought.
McCarty’s main bill would expand the state’s existing preschool program by about 50 percent to serve roughly 250,000 low-income kids. It will likely cost about $1.3 billion dollars over three years, McCarty said. He’s also introducing bills to fund preschool construction and increase pay for preschool teachers.
McCarty said he and Newsom have talked about the issue generally, but not the specifics of his McCarty’s plan. Newsom characterized preschool as a priority, but told McCarty proposals must be affordable.
Under the proposal, children would be eligible if they live in an area where at least 70 percent of students fall below a certain income level, generally less than $47,000 per year for a family of four. Children whose families make less than 85 percent of the state’s median income are already eligible for the program.
Targeting low-income families will expand access for the kids who face the biggest barriers to attending preschool, he said. The proposal would also create spots for some children from middle-income families who live in high-poverty areas.
The money would go to preschools run by school districts and nonprofits.
Seventy percent of young mothers are in the workforce but 35 percent of them leave after having kids because they can’t afford childcare or preschool, Cullinan said. Supporters of early education say affordable childcare and preschool are ultimately important steps in establishing economic security for all families in California.
“This is a direct impact on our economy and on the success of the future of our state,” Cullinan said.
Stanford University Professor Deborah Stipek, an early childhood education expert, thinks more investment in preschool is essential, but said she worries targeting only low-income families could have negative effects.
The state preschools’ income requirements effectively segregate low-income children, she said. A better approach would be to provide financial assistance to families on a sliding scale, so children attending preschool together come from a range of backgrounds, Stipek said.
Research that has shown high-quality preschool can have dramatic benefits for children, but low-quality programs can have little to no effect, she said. Some schools provide nurturing programs that foster basic reading and math knowledge and keep children engaged, Stipek said. But others are lacking and have high staff turnover because they pay teachers so little.
For parents looking for a good preschool to send their children, Stipek recommends looking for programs with experienced staff and clear methods to help children learn, such as reading to them. When visiting schools, parents should see that teachers get down at children’s eye level and listen to them, Stipek said.
One of the bills McCarty is introducing would increase the amount of money the state provides preschools per pupil and raise the standards required for preschools to participate in the program. McCarty said the additional money would help schools pay teachers more than the very low rates most currently make and fund more training for them. The average preschool worker earns $13.94 an hour, according to a recent University of California, Berkeley report that cites the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
McCarty also hopes to secure $500 million to construct and improve preschool buildings to accommodate additional children. He’s proposing putting bond measure to voters in 2020 or using money from the expected budget surplus.


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The senator leading the charge to revive a assault weapons ban conceded on Sunday, just days before hearings on gun control open, that winning Senate passage will be tough but said she has been assured she will have the chance to bring it up for a vote.
President Barack Obama, who has made gun control a top priority after 20 children and six adults were killed by a gunman on December 14 at a Connecticut school, said in remarks published on Sunday that gun control advocates should take into account the views of rural Americans who use guns for hunting.
“Part of being able to move this forward is understanding the reality of guns in urban areas are very different from the realities of guns in rural areas,” Obama told The New Republic magazine as he continued his administration’s outreach to gun owners even as he seeks new gun restrictions.
Senator Dianne Feinstein said Majority Leader Harry Reid has promised that even if the assault weapons ban is left out of a broader package intended to curb gun violence, she will have the opportunity to offer it as an amendment on the Senate floor.
Feinstein introduced legislation last Thursday to ban military-style assault weapons like the one used by the gunman in last month’s school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, and high-capacity ammunition clips.
“This has always been an uphill fight. This has never been easy. This is the hardest of the hard,” Feinstein, a California Democrat, said on CNN’s “State of the Union” program.
“Now, will it (gun violence legislation) only be assault weapons? No, most likely. There will be a package put together. If assault weapons is left out of the package ... I’ve been assured by the majority leader I’ll be able to do it as an amendment on the (Senate) floor, which is the way I did it in 1993,” Feinstein added.
Feinstein was referring to the previous U.S. assault weapon ban that she authored. That law expired in 2004 after 10 years in effect and Congress refused to extend it.
No major gun control legislation has made it through Congress in two decades in the face of opposition from the National Rifle Association and its gun rights allies.
Republicans generally oppose gun restrictions and many Democrats, particularly those representing rural areas, also support gun rights. Reid has been a long-time backer of gun rights.
Wayne LaPierre, chief executive officer and executive vice president of the Virginia-based NRA, is among the witnesses scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee at a hearing on Wednesday on reducing gun violence.
Obama, in the magazine interview, said bridging a cultural divide in attitudes to gun ownership will be critical to his administration’s push to curb gun violence.
“If you grew up and your dad gave you a hunting rifle when you were 10, and you went out and spent the day with him and your uncles, and that became part of your family’s traditions, you can see why you’d be pretty protective of that,” Obama said.
Obama wants the ban on military-style assault weapons, a proposal that faces a tough battle in Congress, as well as mandatory background checks for all gun buyers, a step viewed as having a better chance of success.
The United States has a long-standing gun culture and the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms.
Vice President Joe Biden on Friday took the administration’s case for gun control to the gun-friendly state of Virginia, part of a White House strategy to urge the public to pressure Congress into passing laws aimed at curbing firearms violence.
Feinstein’s legislation would prohibits the sale, manufacture, transfer and importation of 157 military-style assault weapons. It would ban an additional group of assault weapons that can accept a detachable ammunition magazine and have one or more military characteristics.
It also would ban large-capacity magazines and other ammunition feeding devices that hold more than 10 rounds and shooters to fire numerous rounds in rapid succession without reloading.


The chief of his own faction of Pakistan Muslim League, Nawaz Sharif on Monday lashed out at PML-Q for supporting Pervez Musharraf in the past, describing their politics as ‘hypocrisy’.
“No one has forgotten that yesterday they were ready to elect Muhsarraf even 20 times in his uniform and now sitting in coalition with those issuing red warrants against the dictator,” the PML-N chief, without naming, criticized Choudhry brothers which legitimized the former dictator’s rule after winning 2002 elections.
“The politics of hypocrisy should come to an end now. They (PML-Q) had termed PPP as foes, but now sitting under the ruling party’s shelter for their own interests,” Nawaz alleged while addressing party’s General Council at Awan-e-Iqbal.
On Sunday, PML-N president Sharif demanded an apology from Chaudhry brothers to the nation for supporting a dictator, saying the PML-N is ready to shake hands with the Chaudhrys if they pledge never to do it again.
He said Pakistan was planning to export electricity to India during his era, adding that the country had exported sugar to New Delhi at that times, but now it’s importing.
“There was no power and fuel crisis during my era,” he recalled, and vowed to strive for bringing the same governance system back for prosperity and brighter future of Pakistan.
Expressing his optimism for the ‘change’, Nawaz claimed that his faction had successfully brought the change in the past and would struggle for a complete revolution after coming into power.
“Pakistan will soon witness a revolutionary change which I see is not too far. Every PML-N worker is revolutionary and capable of bringing the change. They are the catalysts of change,” the two-time prime minister said.
Earlier, the meeting elected Nawaz’s brother and Chief Minister Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif, as provincial president PML-N unopposed after no one submitted papers for this slot against the serving CM.
Addressing the gathering, newly elected PML-N Punjab President, Shahbaz Sharif said that he was grateful to the general workers of the party who elected him for this position.
The CM reiterated that he would continue to serve people of Punjab by going to each and every corner of the province.
He said former dictator Musharraf has no roots in the country while the party leader Mian Nawaz Sharif is beloved leader of the nation.


It is next to impossible to produce an experimental film in Pakistan, mainly because the distributors do not support the venture unless it comprises of a star-studded cast.
Director Farhan Alam and Kalakar Films deserve appreciation for breaking barriers with their new film, Saawan. The film is written by Mashood Qadri and features Syed Karam Hussain, Imran Aslam, Najiba Faiz and Saleem Mairaj in pivotal roles.
The film revolves around Saawan (Syed Karam Hussain), a physically challenged young boy who suffers from polio and lives in a valley in Balochistan. His father is frustrated, depressed and hopeless because of his son’s disability and does not treat him well. Thus, Saawan’s parents abandon him and move to the city because of a certain life-threatening situation. Despite his disability and abandonment, Saawan heads out to search for his family and uncovers various hidden truths about his life.
We can easily divide the film between its hits and misses.
1.Overall, I would say the performances were a hit. Syed Karam Hussain, who plays the lead protagonist Saawan, was most definitely a hit. His expressions are brilliant and the audience is left extremely impressed by his skills, more so because of his young age. The role he was given was not an easy one, but he pulled through.
Najiba Faiz plays Saawan’s mother and she’s another great actress to watch on screen. She effortlessly wins the show due to her power-packed performance. Not only does she make her character believable, she also brings a level of sincerity to it that makes it convincing. The only downside was Saleem Mariaj, who, unfortunately, is on another level of boring. His acting was way too over the top.
2.The message was extremely powerful. The fact that Saawan is unfazed by his disability and heads out to help his family sends out a strong message to society.
3.The cinematography was a winner. The picturesque locations helped a great deal in taking the film forward.
4.The film has won numerous international awards such as the Social World Film Award and the Madrid International Film Award.
1.Although Saawan has a good ideation and an unusual story to offer, the film unfortunately fails to stand out. There were several loopholes in the film but the one that stood out the most for me was its execution. The unnecessary lengthy scenes dragged on for no apparent reason and failed to keep the audience engaged.
2.The dialogue throughout the film was just not up to the mark. I believe a film, especially one with such a compassionate storyline, requires impactful dialogues. However, due to a lack of strong dialogues, the film loses its grip.
3.The film was not edited well at all. From an average person’s perspective, I could point out some major editing flaws while watching the film.
4.The character-building in Saawan is a bit scrawny to be honest. Saawan’s character needed more depth. However, the writers just used his disability to gain pity and there was no effort or thought put into it. His character could have been infused with so many layers, yet the writers just went for a cookie-cutter, 2-D boy.
1.What happened to the grandfather who was narrating the story?
2.If Saawan could stitch a shoe after losing his family, why couldn’t he do the same earlier?
3.Why would a goon act so childish?
4,Why did everyone prefer to run in the desert instead of using their cars?
5.What is with the 200-year-old soul and the story?
I suppose we will never find out.
Saawan is expected to fail terribly at the box office, owing to its weak content and severe competition. It will be no surprise if people do not buy tickets for a film that has almost no entertainment and a not-so-praiseworthy script.
Farhan Alam’s attempt deserves appreciation but at the end of the day, this industry is about entertainment, execution and presentation. And let’s be honest, Saawan lacks all of the above.
Overall, I would say Saawan was a big fat miss.
Dear Sir, It won the The Best Film – Salento International Award and at Social Film International Film Festival, The Best Foreign Film- Madrid International Film, it is worth mentioning without a great script it’s impossible to get even nominated for these awards. We have to realize its not “garam masala” or a melo-dram” in Shah Rukh Khan or Sultan Rahi style, it is narrating and depicting common, poor people in their impoverished getups.
Reading your comments on disorganized character of Saawan, it is truly the disorganized helpless character which writer and director are building to reach such bravery, from a handicapped polio victim to the role leader of victim children and land them towards safe grounds.
Mr Rehman, Then you asked! Why Saawan could not stood up on his own, you might need to read the reviews on Hip, the comments are saying how the film portrayed the harsh reality with a piece of art: such disabled children never could stand up on their own, because of the ignorant society. There are no rehabilitation programs in such villages. Common people consider them a curse. This movie is a message, a positive one, a beautiful one of encouraging such poor children morals. We should not disrespect the concepts (because of our duty to critique) which have been boldly brought up by the film maker & writer.
I think he did justice with his character , As a Pakistani, We need to start appreciating our real heroes talents, rather than criticizing their excellent art of acting.
Another of your comments, Why did everyone prefer to run in the desert instead of using their cars?
I think the vehicles are shown well the film track has been well narrated, Saleem Meraj mini-truck tires were made flat by presence of mind by Saawan, before he rescued other children from him.
Father Arif Bahlim was left out alone by the driver, who brought him for Saawan search.
Then you have asked! What is with the 200-year-old soul and the story??
The local myths are legends are quite common in rural socities , the elements to make story intriguing and leave such character as enigma (called an art of conundrum in the plot writing) .
I want to ask you a few questions now !
H ow many real social issues have been raised in the story line?
Shouldn’t we appreciate such a piece of veiled art trying to address social justice issues ?
Shouldn’t we appreciate a Pakistani film winning 5 international awards, first in the history of Pakistan?
Kudos to Saawan. I wish rather I want Saawan to be selected for Oscars, 2017.


In its 44-page order, the appellate tribunal has noted that the RPPL’s resolution plan discriminated between some of the financial creditors who are equally situated and not balanced the other stakeholder, such as operational creditors.
Rajputana Properties had moved the SC against the revised decision of the committee of creditors for Binani Cements to consider the revised resolution plan submitted by UltraTech Cement.
After a long drawn legal wrangling which saw the matter going back and forth between the National Company Law Tribunal, the appellate tribunal and even the Supreme Court, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on Wednesday finally approved the revised bid of Aditya Birla Group’s UltraTech Cement for the bankrupt Binani Cement. UltraTech has offered to pay `7,960 crore under its plan wherein all the financial as well as the operational creditors will receive their complete dues.
A two-member bench headed by NCLAT chairman Justice SJ Mukhopadhaya while approving UltraTech’s resolution plan said that the plan submitted by rival Dalmia Bharat Group firm Rajputana Properties (RPPL) was discriminatory against some financial creditors.
In its 44-page order, the appellate tribunal has noted that the RPPL’s resolution plan discriminated between some of the financial creditors who are equally situated and not balanced the other stakeholder, such as operational creditors. “Therefore, the adjudicating authority (NCLT Kolkata bench) has rightly held the resolution plan submitted by RPPL to be discriminatory,” it has noted.
It said the committee of creditors (CoC) had erred initially by endorsing RPPL’s plan and rejecting UltraTech’s plan on the ground that it was submitted late. The NCLAT has said that both — RPPL and UltraTech — had submitted their plans on February 12, 2018 and subsequently RPPL had revised its plan on March 7 and UltraTech on March 8, much before the CoC voting date of March 14. However, while the CoC accepted the revised offer of RPPL it did not do so in case of UltraTech.
Wednesday’s order comes after on July 2 the Supreme Court had asked the NCLAT to decide all issues related to Binani Cement’s insolvency case, including the eligibility criteria of UltraTech Cement to file a revised bid. It had also transferred all the cases from the National Company Law Tribunal, Kolkata, to the NCLAT. The apex court had directed the appellate tribunal to decide the case on day-to-day basis and pronounce its judgement as soon as possible.
Rajputana Properties had maintained that UltraTech Cement was ineligible to submit a resolution plan for Binani Cement under section 29A of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) and therefore its eligibility should be decided first.
On May 4, the NCLAT had in an interim order allowed the resolution professional (RP) and CoC to consider the revised resolution plan submitted by UltraTech, while offering RPPL an opportunity to revise its resolution plan of Rs 6,930 crore, which included infusion of working capital and capex. UltraTech Cement’s revised offer stood at Rs 7,960 crore, against its earlier bid of over Rs 7,200 crore. However, RPPL had not raised its offer of around Rs 6,930 crore.
The CoC on May 29 had voted in absolute majority in favour of the revised resolution plan submitted by UltraTech Cement which has offered to pay Rs 7,960 crore. Under this plan, all the financial as well as the operational creditors will receive their complete dues.
Initially, the committee of creditors had approved the plan presented by RPPL for taking over of Binani Cement. UltraTech had opposed it and moved NCLT alleging that there was lack of transparency on the part of the resolution professional and it did not consider its revised offer which was higher than RPPL’s.


The Greater Waco Chamber and Starburst have come together to host the 20th annual Starburst Junior Golf Classic, one of the largest junior golf tournaments in the state.
The junior golf classic will host hundreds of players from ages 7 to 18 across four area courses.
Players receive swag bags, tournament pairings and caddie apparel, a Q&A session with a former Starburst Jr. competitor, dinner, time to practice their swings and watch 1,300 golf balls fall from the sky for the Greater Waco Chamber’s Helicopter Golf Ball Drop.
The kickoff is June 10 at 6 p.m.
The Starburst Junior Golf Classic starts the tournament play around the Greater Waco area June 11-13.


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Jacinta (Clay) Scott, 81, of New Albany, passed away Monday morning at Baptist Health Floyd Hospital in New Albany. She was born in Anderson, Indiana to the late Wilton and Mary Neal Elizabeth (Thompson) Clay.
She was a graduate of New Albany High School and attended Indiana University. She was employed at Servpro in New Albany where she was a Senior Administrative Assistant.
Survivors include her daughters, Tahnya Jones, Shana Kellams (John) and Trina Robacki (Jeff); her brother, Quentin Clay; grandchildren;, Megan, Stephen, Lindsay, Alaina, Kellen and Brennah; and great-grandchildren, Kyla, Taylor, Hannah, Oliver and Simon.
Visitation will be Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Oak Street Chapel of Naville & Seabrook Funeral Homes, 1846 E. Oak Street, New Albany, Indiana. Service will follow at 2 p.m. athte funeral home. Entombment will be in Kraft-Graceland Memorial Park in New Albany.


You can either update an existing installation of Windows 8 or install Windows 8.1 from scratch via ISO files from Microsoft.
Those of you eager to check out the new Windows 8.1 Preview have a few choices as to how and where to install it. Let's cut right to the chase and review the different options.
If you're already running Windows 8, you can simply update it to Windows 8.1 via the Windows Store, as CNET's Jason Cipriani explained earlier this week.
One word of warning before you proceed, however. The Windows 8.1 preview is essentially a beta of the new OS and is by no means a finished or polished version. Therefore, you shouldn't update to Windows 8.1 on your main or only PC. Instead, reserve the update for a spare or non-essential device outfitted with Windows 8.
Your first step in Windows 8 is to browse to Microsoft's Windows 8.1 preview page. Click on the Get it now button. At the Download Windows 8.1 Preview page, click on the Get the update button. You're prompted to open or save an msu file. You can open it directly or download it and then double-click on it to install it. You're then asked to install an update for Windows. Click Yes. After the installation completes, you're prompted to restart your PC.
Windows restarts to install the new update. Log back into Windows 8 at the lock screen. You should see a message inviting you to get Windows 8.1 Preview for free. Click on the link to Go to the Store where you can download the update.
If you don't have Windows 8 or don't want to update it, you can install Windows 8.1 afresh.
From any PC, browse to Microsoft's Windows 8.1 preview page. Scroll down the page until you see the section for ISO files. Click on the download link for the appropriate version, such as the English 64-bit version. Also make note of the product key. The ISO file is rather large, so it will take a while to download depending on your connection speed.
After the ISO file has completed its download, insert a recordable DVD into your CD/DVD drive. Windows 7 users can simply double-click on the file to open the Windows Disc Image Burner to burn the file onto the DVD. Windows XP and Vista users need to download a third-party image burner, such as Virtual Clone Drive.
After you've burned the ISO file onto the disc, you can now install Windows 8.1 on any PC from your new DVD. So, where can you install it without wiping out the OS on your main computer? Well, as I said before, you can hunt for a spare PC on which to install Windows 8.1 cleanly. If that's not an option, you have two other choices.
You can create a dual-boot scenario in which you preserve your current version of Windows and install Windows 8.1 to run side-by-side. CNET's Ed Rhee described how to create a dual-boot setup in a how-to article last year.
You can also run Windows 8.1 in a virtual machine within your current operating system. In one of my past articles, I explained how to set up a VM using free software such as VMWare Player and Oracle's VirtualBox.
Microsoft also offers an FAQ with further information on Windows 8.1.
Though still in preview mode, Windows 8.1 is certainly worth taking for a spin. And as described here, you have several options on how and where to spin it.


Measuring rental price inflation from tenancy bond data is working well, Stats NZ said today.
The consumers price index (CPI) for the June 2019 quarter (to be released on 16 July) will be the first in the world to use administrative rent data in this way to construct the CPI.
The new method for measuring rent prices arose from a collaboration with Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).
“Thanks to this work, landlords no longer have to fill in a Stats NZ survey every quarter,” consumer prices manager Gael Price said.
Instead, rents are measured directly from data that MBIE is already collecting.
MBIE holds tenancy bonds on behalf of landlords, which means the agency has information on actual rents charged for all tenancies. This is a much bigger source of data than the survey that was previously used to measure rental prices.
The new approach means Stats NZ can release rental price indexes (RPI) every month. This is because MBIE collects the data regularly as part of administering rental bonds. The RPI has been available monthly since the start of 2019.
Rent is the largest single item in the CPI, with a weight of 9 percent.
“The shift to a monthly rental price measure is useful for forecasters. They’ll be able to use the RPI to forecast the rent component of quarterly CPI inflation,” Ms Price said.
Stats NZ ran the rental survey for the last time in the March 2019 quarter. Data from that survey will be used in the March 2019 quarter CPI (to be released on 17 April).
Rental bond data available on MBIE’s website has more information about the activity level in the housing rental market.
The Stats NZ RPI differ from MBIE data because RPI are designed to measure ‘pure price’ inflation, consistent with the concepts used for the CPI. This means controlling for changes in the quality of rental properties over time, such as size and location.
New methodology for rental prices in the CPI has more information.
See Rental price indexes: March 2019 video.


JUNEAU | Alaska Attorney General Talis Colberg, a major figure in the abuse-of-power investigation of Gov. Sarah Palin, has resigned, the governor’s office said Tuesday.
Mr. Colberg, who was appointed to the post in 2006 after Mrs. Palin was elected, represented seven of nine state employees who initially refused to testify before a legislative panel investigating Mrs. Palin’s firing of her public safety commissioner in what became known as Troopergate. Mr. Colberg said he advised the seven of their options, and he unsuccessfully challenged the subpoenas in court.
Mrs. Palin’s spokesman, Bill McAllister, said the resignation was a personal decision for Mr. Colberg, and Mrs. Palin neither fired nor pressured him to quit.
SAN DIEGO | The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office said 33 people have been arrested and charged with selling drugs at military housing.
Authorities said Tuesday that the three-month investigation resulted in seizures of 2 pounds of methamphetamine, a half-pound of cocaine, 6 pounds of marijuana and seven guns.
Deputy District Attorney Chris Lindberg said two sailors and one person who recently left the Navy were charged. The rest are civilians.
Authorities declined to pinpoint where the purported sales occurred but said they were in San Diego neighborhoods with mostly Navy housing.
Most suspects were arrested in late January and early February. Most face between 16 months and five years in prison if convicted.
IOWA CITY | An Iowa state agency said Tuesday it intends to file criminal charges against the party responsible for lodging 21 mentally disabled factory workers in an unsafe, poorly heated building.
The state Department of Inspections and Appeals would file charges of operating a health care facility without a license, but it’s not clear who can be charged, said agency spokesman Dave Werning.
The state got a tip last week that the 21 men were working at West Liberty Foods, a meatpacking plant that hired laborers through a Texas-based company called Henry’s Turkey Service. The men are thought to be from Texas.
State officials said the men were housed in a 106-year-old, boarded-up building with space heaters. Most of them apparently have worked at West Liberty for 20 years or longer.
LOUISVILLE | Colonel Sanders’ handwritten recipe for fried chicken was back in its Kentucky home Tuesday after five months in hiding while KFC upgraded security around its top corporate secret.
Nothing went afoul when the recipe was returned from an undisclosed location to KFC’s headquarters late Monday in a lockbox handcuffed to the wrist of a security consultant.
KFC President Roger Eaton was visibly relieved when the door to a new electronic safe was shut with the single sheet of yellowing paper stashed inside. “Mission accomplished,” he said.
BOSTON| The man who calls himself Clark Rockefeller has rejected a plea deal and will go to trial on charges he kidnapped his 7-year-old daughter.
The man’s lawyer, Jeffrey Denner, said Tuesday the sides could not reach an agreement after extended negotiations.
The man is really Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter, who moved to the U.S. from Germany decades ago.
He is accused of kidnapping his daughter during a supervised visit in Boston last summer. He was captured about a week later in Baltimore, and the girl was found safe.
Prosecutors said they would have recommended up to a five-year sentenced if Mr. Gerhartsreiter pleaded guilty.
ABERDEEN | A noted anti-tobacco attorney jailed for conspiring to bribe a Mississippi judge has pleaded guilty to mail fraud in a second bribery scheme.
Richard “Dickie” Scruggs, known for taking on tobacco, asbestos and insurance companies, pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday as part of a deal with prosecutors investigating a scheme to bribe a state court judge.
Scruggs last year admitted conspiring to bribe another Mississippi judge in a dispute over $26.5 million in legal fees from Hurricane Katrina insurance cases. He is serving a five-year sentence.
Scruggs gained national prominence and earned hundreds of millions of dollars with a case that led to a multibillion-dollar settlement from tobacco companies. His efforts were portrayed in the 1999 film “The Insider” starring Al Pacino and Russell Crowe.
WHITE PLAINS | The girlfriend of a former hedge fund manager convicted of swindling clients out of millions of dollars pleaded guilty Tuesday to helping him flee before he was supposed to start serving a 20-year prison sentence.
Debra Ryan, 45, of Armonk, testified in federal court that the night before Samuel Israel III was to go to prison, he pleaded with her to help him flee.
Ryan pleaded guilty to abetting Israel’s failure to surrender June 9.
EASTON | A prosecutor has decided not to file charges in the death of a 12-year-old Pennsylvania boy who was hit by a bus in front of his middle school last month as he goofed around with friends.
Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli said Dakota Galusha’s death at a school near Allentown was a tragic accident.
The prosecutor said at a news conference Tuesday that Dakota was joking around with a 13-year-old friend when the friend gently pushed him. Dakota stumbled backward over a curb and into the path of the bus.
A coroner had ruled Dakota’s death a homicide. But Mr. Morganelli said the evidence does not support a criminal charge of involuntary manslaughter. He said Dakota’s parents agree.


Looking for an interesting career that offers remarkable job opportunities? Our online graduate program is the premier system-level data and information fusion program in the U.S.
The data and information fusion field has seen tremendous growth in the last 15 years and has an enormous impact on businesses and society. Specialists are needed in a wide variety of industries – from defense applications for advanced surveillance and reconnaissance systems to robotics, civil infrastructure systems, medical monitoring systems, intrusion detection systems, intelligent transportation systems, and in environmental monitoring applications, to name just a few.
In our program, you will learn how to analyze information from multiple sources and sensors along with information from human reports, databases and social media. Combine that with our multidisciplinary approach to designing and implementing data and information fusion systems, and you’ll have a marketable educational experience like no other.
Why Study Data and Information Fusion at UB?
UB houses the Center for Multisource Information Fusion (CMIF), the only dedicated data/information fusion center in the U.S.
Members of our world-renowned faculty have written the first integrated text on multisource data and information fusion as well as the comprehensive “Handbook” texts on this complex topic, and have played leadership roles in a wide range of R&D programs spanning defense, security, and cyber applications, medical and transportation applications, and NASA-based attitude control systems for orbiting spacecraft.
In exceptional cases, the Industrial Engineering Department may authorize admission of an applicant who does not meet all of the above requirements. In such cases, the department will establish performance criteria which, when satisfied, will serve as the basis for continuing in the program.
CMIF was pleased to host a one-day ontology boot camp taught by Dr. Barry Smith, SUNY Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and Julian Park Chair. Dr. Smith’s work on applied ontology in biology and healthcare is well known. He was invited by the Systems Engineering Research Center to lead a training session in Washington D.C. on application of ontology in the field of systems engineering. The video above is the version of this session that Dr. Smith presented at the CMIF boot camp.
Interested in taking only a few classes?
Ask us how you can get involved as a non-degree student.


Controversial talking head Prue MacSween has claimed a Greens MP is a "danger" to the community and even his own wife.
The comments come just days after the conservative commentator was found to have contributed to ridiculing Indigenous Australians and spreading false information on Seven's Sunrise program.
On Monday's episode of Today Extra, MacSween was asked what she thought about Melbourne politician Adam Bandt calling his wife "hot" on social media.
MacSween unleashed on the left-wing MP, with hosts Sonia Kruger and David Campbell having to quickly hide their shock due to the intensity of her comments.
"This little flea is so obsessed with climate change," she said. "I can't stand this cretin."
After repeated attempts to try to steer the conversation back to the issue at hand, MacSween eventually admitted she didn't care what Bandt called his wife.
"He is a non-person to me," she said. "He is a danger to the community and I suspect a danger to his wife. If you had to go to bed with that, God help you, love. You are scraping the bottom of the barrel."
Seven has banned MacSween from appearing on Sunrise after she infamously called for a second stolen generation. Last week, the Australian Communications and Media Authority ruled the comment contributed to the network breaching the television industry's code of practise.
However, she still appears on the Nine Network having popped up on Today Extra a number of times since March, with her first panel occurring just days after the Sunrise controversy.
Nine has been contacted for comment.


The family of R.G. and Jolene Brown of Cambridge, Neb., are hosting an open house and card shower in honor of the couple’s 50th wedding anniversary. They were married June 1, 1968, in Palisade, Neb. The open house is Saturday, June 2, 2018, 2 to 4:30 p.m. at Cross Creek Golf Course Clubhouse in Cambridge, 900 Cross Creek Road. The couple requests no gifts, only cards or share a story about the two of them. Their family includes children, Vicki Brown of Cambridge and Kristy Mirabella of Lincoln, Neb.; and four grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach them in care of Vicki Brown, 106 Paxton, Cambridge, NE, 69022.


Progress on nuclear issues and negotiations on Al Qaeda members may signal a major thaw in relations.
It may not be the fall of the Berlin Wall. Still, a significant change is afoot. The decades-long gap between the super Islamic Republic of Iran and superpower US may finally be narrowing.
Iran's decision to bare its nuclear activities for international inspectors - and its attendance at the Iraq donors' meeting in Madrid this week - may signal its willingness to deal more openly with the US.
That, experts and government officials say, is extremely important. Iran has something the US desperately wants, beyond Iran's compliance on the nuclear front: Several high-level Al Qaeda members are in Iran. The US and some of its allies have been quietly negotiating behind the scenes for their release. But so far, Iran has not been willing to give them up.
"With the Iranians having worked through the nuclear issue, the temperature may drop sufficiently to where this issue can become resolvable," says Adel al-Jubeir, foreign-affairs adviser to Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abdullah.
It's not clear if talks will take place between the Iranian delegation to Madrid and US officials, or if Iran will make a contribution toward rebuilding Iraq. But Iran Thursday followed through on its agreement with Germany, France, and Britain by delivering documents on the creation of its nuclear program to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Experts say the time for repairing the relationship has not been better in decades. "The Iranians may be signaling a willingness to put everything on the table," says Judith Yaphe, an expert on the Middle East at the National Defense University in Washington. "Everything is negotiable."
The US and Iran haven't exactly been on friendly terms since the 1979 Islamic revolution, when 52 Americans were taken hostage inside the US Embassy in Tehran and held for 444 days. But talks and exchanges at various levels have occurred over the past few years, as a reform movement in Iran has gained momentum.
Still, President Bush labeled Iran a member of the "axis of evil" in his January 2002 State of the Union address. And after last May's terrorist attacks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the US broke off talks with Iran on all levels. US officials, including Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, accused Iran of harboring Al Qaeda members who were participants in those attacks.
"There's no question that there are Al Qaeda in Iran," Mr. Rumsfeld said at a May 20 Pentagon briefing. "Countries that are harboring those terrorist networks and providing a haven for them are behaving as terrorists by so doing."
Iranian officials, for their part, hedge about an Al Qaeda presence. First, they publicly denied that any Al Qaeda members were inside Iran. Then they admitted several were there, and they indicated a willingness to hand them over - not to the US, but to their countries of origin. So far, however, they have not.
According to European, Saudi, and US government sources, several high-level members of Al Qaeda are either in Iran or moving freely across the Afghan-Iran border. Those include Osama bin Laden's No. 2, Zayman al-Zawahiri; Mr. bin Laden's son, Saad bin Laden; the No. 3 in charge of military operations, Said al-Adel; and Abu Gheith, Al Qaeda's spokesman. Up to a dozen "serious Al Qaeda members" are there, and a total of some 50 foot soldiers, as well as family members, swelling the total figure to about 300.
A different tone was set, however, when Germany, France, and Britain recently negotiated Iran's agreement to comply with an IAEA deadline of Oct. 31. A European government official with knowledge of those meetings says the Al Qaeda issue is on the table, too.
The reason Iran hasn't moved on this issue, the European official says, is that "the Al Qaeda members provide Iran with a bargaining chip."
• Removal from the US "axis of evil" list.
• US clampdown on Mujahideen e-Khalq, a movement that wants to overthrow the Iranian government. It has had offices in the US, despite being named on the State Department's list of terror organizations, and it continues to operate freely in Iraq.
• Freedom to pursue a peaceful, nuclear power program.
"Just think if, say, the French or the US offered to put the Mujahideen e-Khalq under our protection," says Dr. Yaphe. "What a trade-off for Iran."
Saudi Arabia has also been negotiating with Iran for the return of Saudi members of Al Qaeda. Prince Saud al-Faisal, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, traveled to Iran this past summer. Another Saudi delegation spent two weeks there later, but the Saudi nationals were not returned.
"The majority of them [in Iran] aren't Saudis," says Mr. Jubeir, the foreign- affairs adviser. "Most of the names I have seen tend to be from the Egyptian wing of Al Qaeda."
But he says the Saudis are continuing to talk with Iranians about this issue: "Our position is they should be handed over to their countries of origin, and I believe eventually they will be handed over."


Not every 79-year-old surgeon happens to run a tech incubator. Not every 79-year-old surgeon who runs a tech incubator happens to have a winery either. But Thomas Fogarty does. The doctor-entrepreneur-vintner, best known for inventing the angioplasty balloon, runs the Thomas Fogarty Winery just a few miles uphill from his medtech incubator at El Camino Hospital in Mountain View.
The non-profit Fogarty Institute for Innovation is based around a simple concept: Making life easier for small or early stage medtech firms developing cutting-edge products or tools. In an interview with Fast Company, Fogarty decried what he saw as the increasing cost of American medical innovation, and said that small medical companies need a safe environment for growth similar to those of lower-overhead conventional tech startups.
Since its founding in 2007, the Institute has helped about a dozen small medical companies launch. Back in June, the Institute announced its latest crop of participants. The five new companies are primarily centered around providing services for expectant parents or newborn children. Among them are a non-invasive sensor that records fetal vital signs, a device that prevents vaginal tearing during childbirth, and a sensor set for clinicians giving urgent care to newborns.
First Pulse Medical: First Pulse manufactures one of the first attempts at a heart rate monitor for fetuses during labor and delivery. The monitor uses proprietary light sensors to track a fetus's heart rate and oxygenation.
InPress Technologies: InPress is testing a single-use medical device which quickly and effectively treats postpartum hemorrhaging (PPH) as it happens by stimulating vaginal contractions. One woman dies from PPH every four minutes.
Materna Medical: Materna is conducting tests in Australia on an anti-vaginal tearing device for women giving birth. The mechanical dilator is inserted during the first stage of labor and is designed to prevent vaginal tearing or pelvic damage during childbirth.
Medical Cue: Medical Cue's NeoCue system is a combination sensor set/workflow organizing tool for childbirth. The system automatically gives medical professionals key physiologic data and real-time decision guidance.
Prescient Surgical: Prescient Surgical's Cleancision device prevents dangerous surgical wound infections. This Stanford University spin-off is targeting a very specific market--obese patients undergoing colorectal surgery.
During our conversation, which jumped from Fogarty's anger at the press for publishing (in his opinion) to many scare stories about medical innovation to the interaction between his institute and the larger Silicon Valley tech scene, he said something interesting. “The venture capital community has largely avoided medical companies because of the expenses associated with it. There are also many other problems, but primarily they're regulatory. We need more clinical research [for products] in addition to basic research... What we're doing at the Institute is trying to solve these issues." Fogarty also added that the institute works with entrepreneurs in other highly regulated industries to trade best practices on navigating bureaucracy, which is a common hurdle for health startups.
There are fewer industries more highly regulated than the medical profession. While transport apps like Uber have to deal with byzantine local taxi bureaucracies, medical startups face the FDA--an organization that is both costly and inefficient to deal with. Fogarty, along with many other biotech innovators I've spoken to, complains that the FDA is inefficient when it comes to evaluating new technology. It's not that the FDA is hostile to innovation; rather, it's that agency bureaucrats don't keep up with new research.
What the Fogarty Institute tries to do is to make the regulatory and fundraising parts of getting off the ground easier for young medtech firms. Participating companies in the Innovation Cultivation incubator base themselves at the Institute and are given assistance with research and development costs, staffing, mentorship, and securing financing. Participants are steered toward securing venture capital and angel investors alongside the standard government grants and private donations from charitable foundations, which is unusual for a medical incubator but falls in line with the Institute's venture capital-friendly approach.
Since the Fogarty Institute is a nonprofit, things work a bit differently than in a traditional tech incubator. Most importantly, their program is designed to connect medical firms with investors quickly. After grants are given to participating companies to cover expenses, the immediate goal is connecting companies with investors or government funding. Companies which have previously received A-round funding are generally barred as well.
Other health tech incubators and accelerators work on a similar model. Fellow nonprofit Rock Health offers similar startup assistance, as does the more informal Prebacked. In the end, for Fogarty and others, the challenge is simple: Successfully tweaking working funding models from the tech world in order to save lives in the real one.


MARINE CITY - Merchants and community leaders are planning a celebration of the holiday season, because it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Marine City.
Merrytime Christmas — the name is a pun on "maritime" — is 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday.
"It’s a citywide event," said Erika DeLange, executive director of the Marine City Chamber of Commerce. "It’s an old-style Christmas in Marine City."
She said stores will have specials throughout the day. The event also will include wagon rides, live ice-carving demonstrations at Drake Park and carolers.
"The Marine City football team will be singing in the streets," DeLange said.
The Coach Mike Miller Christmas Run will be at 9 a.m. The event features a 5K run and a 1-mile walk or run.
Santa Claus will be at the Mariner Theater from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
A Christmas craft show is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Marine City Lions Club, 545 Ward St.
The first 500 adult visitors who stop at the The Lazy Llama, 214 Broadway St., will receive goody bags, DeLange said.
"It’s just a great old-time Christmas feeling in Marine City," she said.
"Christmas Story: The Musical," will be at 7:30 p.m. at the Riverbank Theatre, 358 S. Water St.
DeLange said the city still is feeling the effects of the closing of the Bluewater Ferry, which ran between Marine City and Sombra, Ontario.
The ferry has been shut down since January after ice damaged the causeway leading to the ferry dock in Sombra.
"I think it depends on who you talk to," DeLange said. "Some businesses have really felt the pinch.
"In the summer, we still were really busy. Had the ferry been running, it would have been double.
"Now that it is colder out we’re starting to feel it," she said. "We're not getting those summer tourists that come to town."


Will the next great novel be nothing more than a series of text messages?
Uh, maybe not, but there’s always room to experiment with new formats. That’s what husband-and-wife team Parag Chordia and Prerna Gupta are trying to do with their new startup Telepathic, which is launching its first app, Hooked.
Telepathic is also announcing that it has raised $1.2 million in new funding, bringing its total raised to $1.9 million. Investors include 500 Startups, Greylock, Foundation Capital, a syndicate assembled by Gil Penchina, Rivet Ventures, as well as angel investors like Hired founder Doug Feirstein, BranchOut founder Rick Marini, Zynga co-founder Justin Waldron, MightyText CEO Maneesh Arora and Lean Startup author Eric Ries.
Chordia and Gupta sold their last startup, Khush, to music app-maker Smule. They left Smule in 2013 (CEO Jeff Smith is an investor in their new startup) and spent some time traveling and working on a science fiction/fantasy trilogy of novels. In the process, they started researching the publishing industry, which made them think there was room to do something new.
So with Hooked, they’re commissioning short stories that take the form of text message conversations. Instead of turning pages, you tap the screen to bring on the next message. The app offers a limited number of free stories but charges a subscription fee (starting at $2.99 per week) for unlimited access.
Chordia suggested that this presents a couple of advantages over a standard book or e-book. For one thing, readers aren’t faced with “this block of text that just doesn’t have that natural feel on your phone that a casual game does.” It could also make it easier for readers to consume the story in small bites, say when they’re waiting in line or riding the subway.
At the same time, the stories are supposed to keep you, well, hooked. I read one of them, “Unknown,” and while I don’t think it was a great piece of literature, I have to admit that the mystery grabbed me — I kept hitting the “Next” button until I reached the end.
He also emphasized that the company is taking an experimental, “agile” approach, both within Hooked and perhaps with new apps.
For one thing, Telepathic will start gathering data about which stories are getting real engagement from readers, which in turn can influence the later chapters. That also helps the company identify the titles that will benefit from a heavy marketing push. And Chordia suggested that the messaging format could eventually lend itself to more interactive approaches, like branching stories.
By the way, Gupta acknowledged that there have been other interesting experiments over the past few years, like the New Yorker publishing a Jennifer Egan short story over Twitter. (There’s also a whole genre of cell phone novels that was popularized in Japan.). Oh, and there’s Wattpad, which has millions of users on its social platform for readers and writers.


For World Read Aloud Day students of St. John XXIII had a special guest visit on Friday, February 1, 2019, for their educational day.
Canadian award-winning author David Bouchard grew up knowing nothing about his roots, but through the process of his writing, he has learned more about his Metis heritage.
Bouchard entertained students on Friday with song and dance from an array of special flutes as he highlighted his Metis heritage to the children.
Bouchard grew up with a learning disability and he explained to the children that every time God gives you a problem, he also gives you strength.
“Because I had Dyslexia, keeping things in sequence and at a young age I was not discouraged from reading,” Bouchard said.
Holding up a pair of earphones Bouchard encouraged children to learn anyway they can.
Bouchard believes in the power of reading and had a special message for the children of St. John XXIII to encourage them to read.
“Children, I can take you anywhere in the world through reading and song,” Bouchard said.
On Friday, Bouchard took the students all the way to Dublin Ireland with the playing of “Danny Boy” on an Irish Flute.
Bouchard also tested the children’s knowledge from his presentation, awarding students who paid attention with a signed copy of his various books.
Kyro and Kaydrian Jackson received a book each for explaining that the Raven symbolizes honesty, teaching highlighted by Bouchard in his presentation.
Isabella Morales was also one of the students who raised her hand patiently and gave Bouchard the right answer.
The look on Morales’ face was priceless when Bouchard asked her to come to the front of the class to receive a special prize for being so attentive.
Morales had a message for other students around the world about reading.
“Read lots, improve your imagination and enjoy reading,” Morales said.
Metis raconteur David Bouchard is one of Canada’s most sought after public speakers. Though his presentations, children learn about Bouchard’s life experiences and that they are all gifted.


Oh, come on, millennial women. Just look at us.
Frantic and apologizing, overwhelmed between staff meetings and gymnastics, shamed for bottle-feeding, booted for breast-feeding, passed over for promotions, denied on the day-care list — isn’t this what you’ve always dreamed of?
No thanks, they’re saying, to today’s lovely vision of motherhood. And in huge numbers.
The American birthrate is sinking: 3.8 million babies were born last year — the lowest number in three decades and down 2 percent from 2016, according to a new report by the National Center for Health Statistics.
It’s a decline that is alarming demographers and social scientists — many of them men who chart womb activity like the consumer price index or manufactured-goods sales.
Babymaking dropped in the 2008 recession and kept sliding. That makes sense to the charts-and-graphs people. But by 2016, the economy was roaring, business was booming and experts kept wondering when, exactly, women were going to crank the baby factories back up.
But it’s not. And there are plenty of reasons. Some have to do with moms like me who work outside the home.
Then there are the personal finance considerations. More than $900 billion of the nation’s $1.4 trillion in student loan debt belongs to women, who make up more of the nation’s university students and are more likely to take out loans, according to a study by the American Association of University Women.
“She left a message saying, ‘When Trump was elected, I didn’t need your class to decide,’ ” said Ann Davidman, whose niche as a “Motherhood Clarity Mentor” puts her in touch with hundreds of women struggling with motherhood.
But none of these factors make sense when you look at a place such as Sweden or Denmark, where women are empowered, they have generous maternity leave and progressive men named Bjorn who wear Baby Bjorns. Their birthrates are declining, too.
It’s not childless. It’s #ChildFree.
“The child-free movement is very much linked to women having more choices,” said Amy Blackstone, a sociology professor at the University of Maine who staged a decidedly nontraditional shower (It’s a . . . Blog!) when she launched her journal of her child-free life with her husband.
Correction: An earlier version of this column misstated the amount of U.S. women’s student loan debt. It is more than $900 billion, according to the AAUW study, not $900 million.


After an IDF patrol along the Gaza border came under gunfire from the Gaza Strip, the soldiers shot back and then an IDF tank gun pounded a Hamas position near Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza.
Direct tank fire over entrenched positions rises lots of dust, but accomplishes nothing.
Take out all Hamas positions without warning them in advance.
The battle of Ammunition Hill was also about 120mms.


On Wednesday, Assembly Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg issued a statement blasting Republican Assemblywomen Caroline Casagrande and Mary Pat Angelini for claims they made about efforts to fight Governor Chris Christie to restore women’s health funding.
Casagrande and Angelini, however, claim that Weinberg only cares “about funding Planned Parenthood” and has ignored other efforts made on their behalf to increase women’s health funding without also funding the controversial organization.
In 2012, Casagrande wrote and Angelini sponsored Budget Resolution #3003. The resolution would have increased women’s and children’s health funding by $7.5 million.
Angelini and Casagrande will be facing democrats Eric Houghtaling and Joann Downey for the LD11 state assembly seats in November.


China is blocking some of the British Broadcasting Corporation's television transmissions into China, possibly objecting to a story that aired on the news channel.
It appears the troubling story aired Sunday and was prepared by the BBC's Hong Kong office. It focused on the fifth anniversary of the return of the former British colony to Chinese rule.
The story included information about the Falun Gong spiritual movement, which Chinese officials call an evil cult that is a threat to order and stability. Falun Gong is a mix of slow-motion exercises and traditional Chinese beliefs. Some of its practitioners accuse China of torturing and killing Falun Gong members.
BBC journalists in China declined comment on the interruption of the TV signal. A statement from the network's London headquarters said China has not said precisely what prompted the cutoff.
The transmissions were cut from a Chinese-owned satellite that brings BBC news to expensive hotels and apartments that house mostly foreigners in China, perhaps 60,000 in all. The practical impact of the ban is limited because other satellites continue to transmit BBC TV news to much of its usual audience in China.
This is the first time China has cut off satellite TV transmissions by the highly respected broadcaster, though the ruling Communist Party works hard to control all news and information in the country.
China blocks access to foreign news on the Internet, sometimes jams foreign radio broadcasts, detains foreign journalists working on stories, and often intimidates the people they talk to.


No summer food celebration would be complete without one of the greatest tastes of the season - sweet corn. And let's be honest, nothing beats buying corn that has been picked that very day. That means getting yourself out to the nearest farmers market or roadside stand for the sweetest corn ever.
No summer food celebration would be complete without one of the greatest tastes of the season - sweet corn.
And let's be honest, nothing beats buying corn that has been picked that very day. That means getting yourself out to the nearest farmers market or roadside stand for the sweetest corn ever.
If you store corn, refrigerate it in its husk. You can wrap it in a damp towel put inside a plastic bag.
Preparing corn for grilling can be tricky, according to the editors of Cook's Illustrated magazine in their book, "The Best Kitchen Quick Tips - 534 Tricks, Techniques, and Shortcuts for the Curious Cook" (Boston Common Press, $19.95).
The editors point out that "husked ears tend to burn, and unhusked ears steam on the grill, failing to pick up that great smoky flavor."
Here's their four-step trick for keeping corn from burning while still infusing it with grilled flavor: Before grilling, remove all but the innermost layer of husk. Use scissors to snip off the tassel. Grill the ear of corn without soaking or further preparation. When done, simply peel back the remaining husk and serve. If you prepare grilled corn according to the editors' method, you can use a visual clue to judge when the corn is tender. As soon as the husk picks up the dark silhouette of kernels and begins to pull away from the tip of the ear, the corn is ready to come off the grill.
Also, if you want to grill pieces of corn on the cob kebab-style, this tip will help to streamline the process: After cutting the cob into chunks, run a corkscrew through each piece, which will make it easy to run a skewer in. The coiled hole helps ensure a snug fit.
Barbara M. Houle is food editor of the Telegram & Gazette in Worcester, Mass.
CORN ICE CREAM 1 1/2 cups of fresh corn kernels 1 cup half-and-half 3 egg yolks 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch of cinnamon DIRECTIONS Puree fresh corn kernels with the half-and-half in a blender.
Force the mixture through a fine sieve into the top of a double boiler.
Whisk in egg yolks and sugar. Cook until thickened and starting to steam, about 180 degrees on an instant thermometer.
Allow to cool, and whisk in heavy cream, vanilla and cinnamon.
Refrigerate until cold, then churn in an ice cream maker.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss potatoes and corn with oil and spread in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle evenly with sea salt and pepper; roast at 450 degrees for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender and golden brown.
Sprinkle potatoes and corn with basil and toss with Pepper Vinaigrette in a large bowl. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 6 servings. PEPPER VINAIGRETTE 2 tablespoons minced red or yellow bell pepper 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil 2 tablespoons minced red or yellow bell pepper 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon black pepper 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1/4 cup olive oil Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, and whisk until well blended.
AVOCADO AND CORN SALSA 1 ripe avocado, cut into 1/2-inch dice 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 ripe red tomato, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice 1 ear sweet corn, shucked 1 scallion, both white and green parts, trimmed and finely chopped, or 3 tablespoons diced sweet onion 1 to 2 jalapeno peppers or serrano chilies, seeded and minced (for a hotter salsa, leave seeds in) 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper Place the avocado in the bottom of a non-reactive mixing bowl and gently toss with 2 tablespoons of lime juice. Spoon the tomato on top of the avocado.
Cut the kernels off the corn. The easiest way to do this is to lay the cob flat on a cutting board and remove the kernels with lengthwise strokes of a chef's knife. Add the corn kernels to the mixing bowl.
The salsa can be prepared to this stage up to 2 hours ahead. Refrigerate it, covered.
Just before serving, add the scallion, jalapeno and cilantro to the mixing bowl and gently toss to mix. Taste for seasoning, adding more lime juice as necessary and season with salt and pepper to taste; the salsa should be highly seasoned.
Makes two to three cups. - "Indoor! Grilling" by Steven Raichlen (Workman Publishing, 2004; $18.95).
CORN RELISH II 8 ears corn, husked and cleaned 2 pounds tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped 1 1/2 cups chopped green bell peppers 3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper 1/2 cucumber, chopped 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup white sugar 2 cups apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon celery seeds 1 teaspoon mustard seeds Cut the corn from the cobs. Scrape the cobs with a large spoon to remove remaining juices.
In a large saucepan, mix the corn kernels and juice, tomatoes, green bell peppers, red bell peppers, cucumber and onion.
In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, apple cider, vinegar, salt, celery seeds and mustard seeds. Pour in saucepan over vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil, then simmer 1 hour.
Transfer the finished relish to sterile jars. Refrigerate until serving.
CREAMED CORN WITH BACON AND BLUE CHEESE 5 medium ears fresh corn, husks and silk removed 4 ounces (about 4 slices) bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 medium shallot, minced 1 medium garlic clove, minced 1 1/2 Cups heavy cream (see note) 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme Pinch cayenne 2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup) Salt and ground black pepper Cut the kernels from three ears of corn and transfer them to a medium bowl. Firmly scrape the cobs with the back of a butter knife to collect the pulp and juices in the same bowl.
Grate the remaining two ears of corn on the coarse side of a box grater set into the bowl with the previously cut kernels. Firmly scrape the remaining two cobs with the back of a butter knife to collect the pulp and juices in the same bowl.
Cook the bacon pieces in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp and brown, about 5 minutes.
Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain; set aside.
Remove and discard all but 2 tablespoons rendered bacon fat from the pan. Add the shallot and cook until softened but not browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Stir in the corn kernels and pulp as well as the cream, thyme and cayenne.
Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, adjusting the heat as necessary and stirring occasionally, until the corn is tender and the mixture has thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese and bacon. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Note: Substitute low-fat milk for cream and cut calories and fat. It may take longer for mixture to thicken.
- "Best American Side Dishes" by the editors of Cook's Illustrated magazine (America's Test Kitchen, $35).


This knowledge is important in the search for a treatment for tuberculosis. 9.4 million people are infected with tuberculosis annually and 1.7 million people die as a result.
Joris Messens: “We have discovered how Mycobacterium survives the oxygen stress in our body, namely with the aid of the protein mycoredoxin-1. This opens up a whole new field of research into the role of this protein during a tuberculosis infection. A better understanding of this mechanism will enable us to combat this bacterium more selectively”.
Oxygen is essential for the respiration of nearly all cells. They use this gas to burn sugars in order to produce energy. However, oxygen is also very aggressive and can seriously affect proteins – the building blocks of the cell – in a manner similar to rust or oxidation of iron.
Our immune system uses reactive oxygen molecules in the defence against intruders, for example against Mycobacterium. Proteins are particularly sensitive to the effects of oxygen (oxidation). Proteins with sulphur-containing components are particularly sensitive and become inactive with oxidation. Following damage by oxygen, Mycobacterium places the mycothiol molecule on such proteins. After a period of oxygen stress this molecule has to be removed again for the proper functioning of the protein. It was not known how this happened, until now.
Joris Messens and his team have discovered that Mycobacterium tuberculosis protects sulphur-containing proteins in a unique way and actively repairs these proteins once the oxygen stress disappears. They discovered the protein mycoredoxin-1, which forms the basis of this ingenious repair mechanism. The scientists analysed the protein structure and the function of the protein and found that mycoredoxin-1 selectively removes mycothiol from affected sulphur-containing proteins and thereby ensures the activation of these proteins.