Pernell Flett is operator of Neechi Rides, a volunteer ride service he is operating by himself to help indigenous people get safe transportation.
This article was published 31/1/2016 (1177 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
A Facebook post about threatening and racist behaviour by a taxi cab driver toward Rosanna Deerchild over the weekend has sparked a new idea for safe transportation for indigenous women in Winnipeg.
Winnipeg artist Jackie Traverse started a unique ride-sharing group called “Ikwe (women helping women safe ride)” on Facebook on Sunday afternoon after hearing about what happened Friday night to Deerchild, an indigenous woman who is the well-known host of CBC Radio’s Unreserved program.
Deerchild’s post stated that the driver of a taxi cab she had hired to take her to her home Friday night from the King’s Head Pub threatened her and drove her to the Main Street Project and ordered her to get out after she took a photo of his cab number.
“As I always do — I snapped a pic of the cab number to send to my friend. The driver got angry and demanded I delete it. I refused and explained that I was keeping myself safe. He tried to kick me out in the middle of the street. I refused and calmly explained it was not safe,” Deerchild wrote in her post, which did not name the taxi company involved. Deerchild could not be reached by the Free Press for comment.
Winnipeg artist Jackie Traverse started a unique ride-sharing group called "Ikwe (women helping women safe ride)" on Facebook on Sunday afternoon after hearing about what happened Friday night to Deerchild, an indigenous woman who is the well-known host of CBC Radio’s Unreserved program.
"As I always do — I snapped a pic of the cab number to send to my friend. The driver got angry and demanded I delete it. I refused and explained that I was keeping myself safe. He tried to kick me out in the middle of the street. I refused and calmly explained it was not safe," Deerchild wrote in her post, which did not name the taxi company involved. Deerchild could not be reached by the Free Press for comment.
Deerchild’s post stated that once at the Main Street Project, the driver called two police officers over and told them Deerchild was "being unruly and refused to pay." The post said when the officers "threatened me with arrest" and "threatened to take me to the drunk tank," she was able to assure them she had money and was just trying to be safe.
"I calmly explained again that I had done nothing to warrant that. They told me ‘then just get out of the cab.’ I refused saying it was not safe in this area. I just wanted to go home. The police told the cab driver to take me home. He did after much verbal abuse. I paid 10 dollars and got out. Stay safe they say. But not if it offends a man. Brown girls are never safe," Deerchild’s post stated.
The post has been widely shared on social media — it had been shared Sunday night from her page nearly 2,000 times since she posted it and has also been copied and shared numerous times by others.
Traverse said incidents like that and worse have just happened too many times, to her daughters, other indigenous women she knows and many she doesn’t know. It was time to take action so she started her ride sharing group.
"As soon as you get in (a cab), they’re like ‘do you have money?’ They’re rude and demand you pay now or they want a flat rate and sometimes, if you don’t want to pay their flat rate, they kick you out of the cab. They assume I’m going to ditch the cab or I don’t have money to pay for the cab," said Traverse. "I swear, 99 per cent of the time when I get in a cab, I have to pay up front."
Traverse describes her ride sharing group as being created "to ensure women and girls can get safe rides home, to run errands, etc. No more racial profiling, discrimination, unwanted sexual advances, rudeness and the list goes on." Women who can offer rides to those in need are asked to join the group and post availability. Women needing rides are also asked to join the group so that they can privately message someone to book a safe ride.
"It’s on a donation basis, we’re not running a business. It’s called ‘women helping women so you’re helping each other out.’ If you can’t pay gas, fine. Let’s just help each other out," Traverse said.
Pernell Flett has been providing such a service for over a month now since starting his volunteer safe rides service called Neechi Rides. He has also heard many stories, one involving his niece, of taxi cab drivers trying to touch indigenous women or take them places where they don’t want to be and did not ask to go.
"I got tired of hearing what’s happening with taxis with our indigenous people, especially the women, and enough’s enough now. It was time to do something about it. I made my post and it’s been crazy ever since," Flett said. He said he doesn’t trust taxis for his own four daughters.
Flett uses his own vehicle to provide rides for indigenous people needing safe transportation. Those needing rides can contact him through his Facebook page "Neechi Ridess" to request a ride at no charge but donations are accepted. He said he’s been averaging more than 10-15 rides per day.
"It’s not about money. It’s about the safety of indigenous people," Flett said. "These stories bother me. One lady told me that a cab took off with her grandchild in the back of a cab and she had to throw an orange at the window to get the cab to stop."
Flett said his initiative has the support of Grand Chief Derek Nepinak of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, with whom he met last Thursday.
Traverse said if indigenous women find they must take a taxi cab, she said her own experience, on the same day Deerchild’s incident occurred, shows that carrying a briefcase can help keep them safe.
"Because I’m an artist, I was carrying my portfolio coming from the school and I got into a cab," Traverse said. "He noticed my portfolio and I was treated differently. I wasn’t asked those questions about ‘do you have money’ or (told) ‘you pay ahead of time’ and that’s not normal," Traverse said. "Because I was coming from a school, I was dressed up and carrying my portfolio, he assumed this person has money. I said (in a Facebook post) I recommend all First Nations carry a portfolio or empty briefcase when catching cabs to avoid any potential hassle."
Do you feel safe taking taxi cabs in Winnipeg?


The list of nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame were announced Thursday night (Jan. 9). Among the 15 names are first-year nominees Derrick Brooks, Tony Dungy, Marvin Harrison, and Walter Jones, reports ESPN.
Brooks was a linebacker with Tampa Bay; Dungy coached Tampa Bay and Indianapolis, leading the Colts to a Super Bowl title in 2007; Harrison was a receiver for Indianapolis; and Jones was an offensive tackle with Seattle.
Others finalists include former New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan, defensive end/linebacker Charles Haley, defensive end/linebacker Kevin Greene, receiver Andre Reed, running back Jerome Bettis, receiver/returner Tim Brown, safety John Lynch, guard Will Shields, cornerback/safety Aeneas Williams, kicker Morten Andersen and former San Francisco owner Edward DeBartolo Jr.
The 15 finalists were chosen by the selection committee from a list of 126 nominees that was reduced to 25 semifinalists, before each received a minimum vote of 80 percent to reach the final round of voting. The nominees are to be voted upon on Feb. 1st in New York by a 46-member selection committee, and to be inducted, each need 80 percent of the vote.
While there’s many familiar names who made the last round, a number of well-known players from the past were dropped — including Steve Atwater, former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, and Terrell Davis, among others.
Cris Carter, Jonathan Ogden, Larry Allen, Bill Parcells, Warren Sapp, Dave Robinson and Curley Culp were inducted last year, the 50th anniversary celebration of the hall.


The driver of the bus has been charged with DUI, among other charges.
The bus was taking 18 passengers from Atlanta to the tournament in Augusta when it crashed Thursday morning on Interstate 20.
Sixteen people were transported to area hospitals to be treated for injuries received in the crash. He bonded out of the Columbia County Detention Center Friday afternoon.
A passenger injured when a charter bus crashed on the way to the Masters golf tournament says he's thankful "everybody's alive". 18 people were onboard the bus.
Check back for the latest updates.
Sixty-one-year-old Steven Hoppenbrouwer is also charged with failure to maintain lane.
The bus is owned by Jet Executive Limousine, GSP said.
The bus overturned in the median. Doctors Hospital reports that their trauma services team was activated at 9:04 a.m. and is treating nine patients whose conditions range from critical to good. Five were in serious condition and two in fair condition, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.
Now we have 7 people in the hospital, instead of at Amen Corner eating a pimento cheese sandwich with an icy cold beer. Westbound traffic has since cleared but eastbound traffic is still heavy with single lane traffic being diverted to the shoulder.
The bus was carrying with 19 passengers when it flipped on I-20 eastbound near mile marker 185. People wait years, sometimes generations even, just to get a once in a lifetime trip down to Augusta, GA to see this tournament.
Authorities have closed one lane of traffic in both directions.
After being hit in the mouth by the elbow of Heat center Jordan Mickey , Love started to experience concussion like symptoms. For a team that has dealt with a number of devastating injuries already this season, losing Love again would sting.


Red Bluff >> State Sen. Jim Nielsen, R-Gerber, and Tehama County Supervisor Bob Williams and have been fined $10,000 and $13,000 respectively for campaign finance violations stemming from Williams’ unsuccessful 2012 run for the California Assembly.
The California Fair Political Practices Commission released a report this week on its website detailing “an earmarked, over-the-limit contribution” to Williams’ campaign totaling $4,320 to pay for a radio advertisement supporting Williams. Individual contributions are limited to $3,900, which Nielsen made. The larger contribution was made through the Tehama County Republican Central Committee and was earmarked for Williams in violation of campaign finance law, the report said.
In addition, Nielsen filed a campaign statement for the first half of 2012 “erroneously reporting information regarding that contribution,” the report said.
For his part, Williams, Friends of Williams and Friends of Williams treasurer David Bauer violated rules when they accepted the over-the-limit contribution from Taxpayers for Nielsen and filed a campaign statement for May 20 through June 30, 2012, erroneously reporting information regarding that contribution.
“I’m just happy that the matter’s finally resolved,” Williams said Tuesday.
Williams said the controversy was politically motivated by his opponent in the race, Dan Logue. Logue went on to win the 3rd Assembly seat.
Williams said he hired a professional treasurer to avoid any impropriety during the campaign and he was adamant that nobody involved with his campaign, including himself and Bauer, did anything wrong.
The Tehama GOP and its treasurer Roger Marsh, acting as the intermediary of Taxpayers for Nielsen, failed to disclose both the intermediary and the original contributor information for the $4,320 contribution from Taxpayers for Nielsen to Friends of Williams, the report said.
Tehama GOP, Marsh and Linda Alston, who took over as treasurer in February 2013, filed an original and an amended campaign statement erroneously reporting that Tehama GOP made a contribution to Friends of Williams, instead of disclosing that Tehama GOP was the intermediary for the contribution made by Nielsen to Williams, the report said.
“Taken as whole, the evidence shows deliberate conduct which resulted in serious violations of the (Political Reform) Act regarding the radio advertisement,” the report says in its conclusion.
In a separate incident Nielsen accepted a gift of tickets to an NBA game from the lobbying firm Sloat Higgins Jensen & Associates, which is not allowed.
A breakdown of Nielsen’s fines shows $4,500 each for the earmarked contribution and erroneously reporting the contribution and $1,000 for accepting the NBA tickets as a gift.
Williams and Friends of Williams were fined for accepting the donation and filing an incorrect campaign report, at the rate of $2,500 for each violation.
Tehama GOP was fined $4,000 each for failing to disclose the source of the earmarked contribution and filing an incorrect campaign report.
A call to Nielsen’s campaign office was not returned as of deadline Tuesday.


More toymakers should take a page from Lego’s book and let fans contribute fun and creative ideas. The Lego Ideas site has delivered some of the most desirable sets of the past few years, and next to your brick-built Ecto-1 and time-traveling DeLorean, it’s finally time to make room on your shelf for Lego’s new Tron: Legacy light cycles set.
Originally approved for production back in late November of last year, the light cycle design that BrickBros UK submitted to the Lego Ideas site looks significantly updated and streamlined by Lego’s own designers for the production version of this set. But the changes certainly seem to benefit fans of Tron: Legacy, as the set now includes two light cycles, and three minifigure versions of Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), Quorra (Olivia Wilde), and Rinzler (Anis Cheurfa), complete with identity discs.
At just 230 pieces when available starting on March 31, Lego’s $35 Tron: Legacy set is certainly on the smaller side, but it still packs a satisfying amount of detail into each light cycle and includes a display-friendly base because at some point during the day you’re going to have to stop playing on the grid and get some work done.


Losses are either worse than expected, or much worse, depending on which numbers you use.
Shares of independent oil and gas exploration and production company Bill Barrett Corporation (NYSE:HPR) are down 9.9% (as of 3:15 p.m. EST) after the company reported earnings Friday.
Bill Barrett reported a net loss of $0.79 per share for its fiscal fourth quarter, far worse than the $0.13 per share loss that Wall Street had projected. (Admittedly, Wall Street often couches predictions in terms of pro forma earnings, but even there, Bill Barrett says that its adjusted, pro forma loss was $0.18 per share -- still a nickel below expectations.) For the year, Bill Barrett's GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) loss was $3.08 per share.
CEO Scot Woodall blamed the weak results on "a challenging year of lower oil prices," arguing that despite the numbers "we did an excellent job of managing through the downturn and executing on our financial and operational goals," and insisting that management did the best it could with "the items within our control" (that is, not oil prices).
In particular, Bill Barrett noted that "capital expenditures of $98 million in 2016 were below guidance range," and down 66% year over year, permitting the company to generate positive free cash flow of $13.6 million for the year.
As for what to expect this year, Bill Barrett guided toward "2017 production levels ... approximately 7% higher than 2016 production at the mid-point of guidance." Capital expenditures will also be higher, though, running "approximately $255-$285 million."
Management did not give guidance on GAAP profits. But that level of capital spending, relative to likely cash generated from operations, almost certainly implies that free cash flow will turn negative again this year.


The primary responsibility of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) is to better prepare the State of Illinois for natural, manmade or technological disasters, hazards, or acts of terrorism. Our goal is a "better prepared state." IEMA coordinates the State's disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery programs and activities, functions as the State Emergency Response Commission, and maintains a 24-hour Communication Center and State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC). The SEOC acts as lead in crisis/consequence management response and operations to notify, activate, deploy and employ state resources in response to any threat or act of terrorism. IEMA assists local governments with multi-hazard emergency operations plans and maintains the Illinois Emergency Operations Plan.
IEMA is also responsible for protecting Illinois residents from the potentially harmful effects of ionizing radiation, administering more than two dozen programs to protect citizens and the environment. Programs include extensive emergency planning and response efforts and training for local responders for accidents involving radiation; inspecting and regulating radioactive materials licensees; registering and inspecting radiation producing equipment and facilities statewide; accrediting medical radiation technologists; and certifying mammography facilities. IEMA also monitors 11 nuclear power reactors at six nuclear stations licensed to generate electricity in Illinois and inspects and escorts spent nuclear fuel shipments.


In true Savannah fashion, the city offers everything you can think of for Valentine's Day celebrations, from the romantic to the ghostly. See our events list below, and find dining specials in our Dine Savannah column at dosavannah.com.
Beer + Pizza Date Night: 4-9 p.m. Feb. 14; Service Brewing Co., 574 Indian St.; free admission, 21 and older; servicebrewing.com. Big Bon Pizza will be on hand from 5:30-8:30 p.m., and Service will release The Love Boat, a bourbon barrel-aged chocolate cherry stout. Leashed dogs welcome.
Valentine’s Day weddings: Every 10 minutes from 5-7 p.m. Feb. 14; Davenport House Museum, 324 E. State St.; $100 donation; 912-236-8097; davenporthousemuseum.org. Get married in the museum’s courtyard garden.
Valentine's at Two Tides: 5 p.m.-midnight Feb. 14; Two Tides Brewing Co., 12 W. 41st St.; free admission, 21 and older; twotidesbrewing.com. Prowl food truck on site from 6-9 p.m. Two Tides will release keg of New Boat, Who ‘Dis?, an imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels, paired with seasonal Chocolat by Adam Turoni truffles.
Vow Renewal Ceremony: 7 p.m. Feb. 14; City Market; free; asburymemorial.org. Asbury Memorial United Methodist Church’s Rev. Billy Hester and his wife, Cheri, will lead a vow renewal ceremony for married couples.
Nightly Spirits tour: 8-10:30 p.m. Feb. 14; leaves from Savannah Taphouse, 125 E. Broughton St.; $20, ages 21 and older; RSVP at nightlyspirits.com/savannah-ghost-tours. Get some booze with your boo at locations around downtown while listening to the city’s spooky history and famed ghost stories.
Dueling Pianos: 8-11 p.m. Feb. 14; Peregrin rooftop lounge, Perry Lane Hotel, 256 E. Perry St.; no reservations required; perrylanehotel.com. Dueling piano bar will also feature a special liquid nitrogen ice cream booth.
Valentine's Party: 8 p.m.-midnight Feb. 14; 201 Tapas Lounge, 201 James B. Blackburn Drive; $10 or $75 for table for two with champagne; eventbrite.com. Music by DJ Fire.
"Just Duets": 9-11 p.m. Feb. 14; Club One, 1 Jefferson St.; $15 ages 18-20, $10 ages 21 and up, VIP tables for two $40; second show 9 p.m. Feb. 16; The Jinx, 127 W. Congress St.; $20, 21 and up; eventbrite.com. The House of The Savannah Sweet Gunt-Tease presents a night of dynamic duos, daring duets and shocking collaborations of drag, burlesque and performance art.
Sadie Hawkins Party: 9 p.m.-midnight Feb. 14; The Lost Square rooftop lounge, The Alida Hotel, 412 Williamson St.; $15, includes cocktail, 21 and older; thealidahotel.com. for a Sadie Hawkins party. Proceeds go to the Savannah LGBT Center. Best costume winner receives a free drink.
"What is this thing called love" concert: 7-9 p.m. Feb. 15; East End Provisions, 420 E. Broughton St.; $15-$20 at eventbrite.com. Roger Moss and Kim Steiner perform songs of love from the American Songbook.
Fall in Love with Ossabaw: Feb. 15-16, register by Feb. 14; Ossabaw Island, depart and return via Delegal Creek Marina, 1 Marina Drive, Skidaway Island; $175-$475; details, register at ossabawisland.net.


Two people had to be rescued from their burning home after a two-alarm fire broke out in Harrisburg on Sunday morning. Fire crews were dispatched to the home located along the 600 block of Peffer Street just before 11:30 a.m.
Rescuers were able to safely remove two people, a man and a woman, from the burning structure.
Numerous fire companies responded to the scene.
This is a developing story. FOX43 News will continue to update this story throughout the day as more information comes out.


This matter was brought to our attention by Claudia Millerbragg, a reader who has been battling bureaucracy to bring more veterans’ services representatives to rural East County.
Our investigation found that Veterans in wealthy coastal areas and North county communities have been getting better access to veterans’ services than those in rural areas or inner city communities. Wealthy areas like La Jolla have veterans’ service reps visit 12 days each month. Clairemont Mesa has services daily, while Oceanside, Escondido, and Chula Vista all have services anywhere from 12 to 20 days each month. There are also visits to caastal communities that are very close together such as Carlsbad and Encinitas.
But in East County, there are no services at all east of La Mesa – and a rep only comes to La Mesa on Fridays. That means a disabled veteran in places like Jacumba, Borrego or Julian could have a drive of two to four hours round trip for services – in areas with No public transportation.
The County representatives help veterans access services such as counseling, VA loans, educational, health and job training benefits available to veterans. These are men and women who served our national honorably. Now they are hoping the rest of the County Supervisors will approve Supervisor Jacob’s proposal to assure that they will be treated with honor and dignity in return.


(WIBW) - After releasing Justin Houston and trading Dee Ford, the Chiefs are attempting to help address their pass rush needs through another trade.
The team announced the acquisition of defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah on Monday. Kansas City made the trade with the Cleveland Browns, giving up safety Eric Murray in exchange.
Ogbah spent three seasons in Cleveland. Over 40 career games, he has 12.5 career sacks, 29 quarterback hits and 16 tackles for loss.
The Browns selected the now 25-year-old with the first pick of the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft. This upcoming season is the last year of Ogbah's current contract, as he carries a salary cap hit of $2,103,068. He will be an unrestricted free agent in 2020.
Murray played for the Chiefs for three seasons. He saw his most action in 2018, starting nine games. For his career, the safety has one interception, seven passes defended and 88 total tackles.


It’s 2024: Guess What’s Not in Your Wallet?
Last year, one in three victims who had their financial accounts hacked experienced identify fraud, according to a recent study from the National Consumer League.
Data breaches have become so prevalent that they've grown to be part of the public consciousness, and they haven't shifted our purchasing methods: Americans continue to whip out plastic 66% of the time we make a purchase.
The convenience and habit of credit cards outweigh the potential risk of having your identity stolen or bank account sucked dry. In addition, Javelin senior analyst Nick Holland points out that “consumers have a short memory, [and are also] well-protected by their credit card companies” in terms of limiting their liability for unauthorized purchases.
Holland explains that even though we reacted with "shock and horror" following the massive Target (NYSE:TGT) data breach at the end of 2013, there is an upside: The incident forced the public and the government to finally address the vulnerabilities of our current system.
Having to sign a receipt for a purchase will eventually go the way of transistor radios and flip phones. You know those electronic signature pads at many checkouts? In Holland’s words, signing one is “like a drunk writing on an Etch-a-Sketch.” Not only does it not remotely resemble your actual handwriting, it’s barely legible. (When is the last time the clerk even bothered to compare it to the signature on the back of your credit card?) Using your fingerprint would be a lot safer. The folks at Apple have already anticipated this and have added a fingerprint scanner to new iPhones. Your voice might also be used to authenticate your purchase down the road.
Five years from now, the study forecasts all types of electronic payments to increase as cash purchases fall to 17% and checks to 5%.
From the consumer’s perspective, consider the everyday example of putting gas in your car. If you’re paying by cash, you fill your tank, walk into the store, stand in line to pay and wait for the cashier to make change. Compare this to driving up to the pump, swiping your credit card and immediately driving away after you fill up.
There’s also the “up-spend” factor: If you’re using plastic, your spending is not limited by the amount of cash in your wallet.
Holland adds that electronic transactions are “an international leveler.” If you have a credit card, travel outside the U.S. no longer requires you to bring a wad of foreign currency or travelers checks. Likewise, foreign visitors to this country can swipe their American Express card and pay it off in their country's currency when they get home.
The growth in electronic transactions is not just coming from increased use of credit, debit or gift cards. According to Holland, there has also been “a broadening of electronic products” beyond those that typically come to mind. For instance, he says branded pre-paid cards from MasterCard and Visa are bringing the advantages of electronic transactions “to people who would typically not qualify for a checking account....These are really sophisticated products."
Look at it this way: Your mobile phone already provides you with special offers, coupons and purchasing incentives that you don’t get with cash or checks. These types of value-added services increase loyalty and sales- two things highly desired by retailers.
1. Electronic transactions also reduce employee theft and get the revenue into the business’ bank account faster. Plus, there’s no need to make a trip to the bank. Self-service electronic transactions further reduce the amount of staff needed.


And there is widespread agreement on this question across Japanese society. Women and men, young and old, the well-educated and the less-educated all support the idea of a female heading the royal family.
However, now that a prince (he has not been given a name yet) has been born, most experts believe the debate over reforming the succession law is probably over. Instead of becoming Japan’s first Empress since the eighteenth century, young Aiko will in all likelihood remain a Princess.


Aspect has a new CEO, part of a complicated situation that saw the exit of one recent group CEO over a non-compete agreement dispute.
In addition, Mohamad Ali, who was announced as CEO of Aspect's workforce optimization group only eight weeks ago in what was to be a dual-CEO structure with Foy, is no longer with Aspect. According to the company, Ali exited Aspect following a legal dispute with Ali's former employer, Avaya, that would have prevented Ali's working at Aspect.
Bloom, a 28-year technology veteran, was most recently CEO of Escalate Retail, a Golden Gate Capital company that was acquired by RedPrairie Corp. in 2011. He previously served as CEO for GERS Retail Systems and held various executive positions with Capgemini, Mainspring, Ernst & Young and DSSI.
"Aspect is an asset-rich organization at a time when enterprise businesses are rethinking how they compete through differentiated customer experiences," Bloom said in a statement. "This is a pivotal time for the company to capitalize on its technologies, strategic investments and industry relationships in order to successfully prepare and position ourselves for sustained market growth and investor returns in the years ahead."
Foy led Chelmsford, Mass.-based Aspect for 10 years, and the company cited several acquisitions and Aspect's work with Microsoft as highlights of his tenure. Aspect and Microsoft's four-year-old strategic alliance -- which included an equity investment in Aspect by Microsoft -- promoted interoperability between Aspect's Unified IP contact center and Microsoft's Lync UC platform.
Former Avaya services chief Ali became CEO of Aspect's workforce optimization unit in early June, with Foy, at the time, becoming CEO of its interactive management division.
But Ali stepped down from the role effective July 19, according to a recent Aspect 8-K filing, following a lawsuit filed by Avaya over a non-compete agreement it had with Ali.
A spokesperson for Aspect confirmed to CRN Wednesday that Avaya has successfully won a preliminary injunction from a Massachusetts District Court judge to enforce Ali's non-compete. In the 8-K filing, Aspect states that "Aspect and Avaya are in discussions regarding Mr. Ali."
Aspect's made other key hires lately, including Bob Krakauer, formerly an interim CFO with Permira Capital, as its executive vice president and CFO. Krakauer replaced Michael Provenzano, who according to an 8-K filing left Aspect to pursue other opportunities.


President Obama just got trolled on Snapchat by his youngest daughter, Sasha.
And, though the leader of the free world may be popular for his orations across the nation, his daughters might be the exception to this rule.
As Obama explained to Late Night host Jimmy Kimmel during an appearance on Tuesday, Sasha Obama is constantly blanking his "Dad talks" — and then broadcasting them on Snapchat without his knowledge.
During a dinner one night, Obama revealed to his daughter that he was fascinated by the fact that Snapchat was "becoming so popular" among her age group and asked her to take him through the ins and outs of the app. Sasha quickly taught him how to scroll through the home feed, change filters, make faces and send them out.
"At the end of it, Michelle and I are sitting there and I said, 'Isn't this interesting.' And I started talking to Michelle about the implications of social media and what all this means," Obama told Kimmel, who aired a short clip of the president teasing his daughters' obsession with texting and selfies at a high school event last week.
Little did he know his daughter would take him to task for his speech several minutes later.
"I came to find out that she was recording the whole time and then sent to her friends afterward, 'This is my dad lecturing us on the meaning of social media,' And she took a picture of herself sort of looking bored," said Obama.
Malia Obama apparently thought her little sister's Snapchat burn was a "riot," and First Lady Michelle Obama — who has her own Snapchat account — seemed to agree.
Nevertheless, the President shared that he doesn't possess the same enthusiasm for other forms of technology when Kimmel asked him if he would advise young people to be cautious in what they write in an email that could be deemed controversial.
"I think it's interesting. Now, I have email," Obama said. "I don't have texting because my phone function is disabled. I now have an iPhone, but it's like the phone you give your two-year old... So my phone has no phone [calls], no camera, no music — all it has is the internet, and I can send e-mails," he told a shocked Kimmel.
"But my rule throughout my presidency has been that I assume someday, sometime, somebody will read this email — so I don't send any email... that at some point won't be on the front page of newspapers."
Obama also touched on the issue of last week's botnet uprising and, although the White House does not yet know who did it, he expects the future president to meet the challenge of trying to "balance the benefits of cyber space" with the "protection of finances, privacy, and issues of security."
Obama's final moments during Kimmel's famous Mean Tweets segment, where guests are asked to read unflattering posts about themselves, proved the president has the finesse to battle social media — probably thanks to his daughters.
"President Obama will go down as perhaps the worst president in the United States, exclamation mark at real Donald Trump," Obama said, reading a tweet from Donald Trump's Twitter account. "Well, at real Donald Trump, at least I will go down as a President."


Take it from us: if you want to keep something under wraps, don't bring it on a plane and hold it up where someone can snap a photo. Especially if you're Kanye West.
Joining the mile-high club is, what has been confirmed by anonymous sources who have held these shoes in their hands at adidas HQ, the Kanye West x adidas "Yeezi." An unveiling will take place in the near future, but this is the best, and only, look thus far.
What we can see is a tan upper, that looks like nubuck, mid with a zip up the side, with a loop, fabric lacing system. A ribbed single unit sole reaches from end to end. Like all Yeezys/Yeezis we've seen, there's a strap across the laces.
These are certainly a step in a new direction for the rapper/collaborator. The shape and details are much more in the fashionable arena of his early work, and leaving behind the sports influence. Stay tuned as more details begin to surface as the alleged November Yeezi release draws closer.


Deborah Jane Stein, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Stein of Manhasset, L.I., was married yesterday to Don D. Grubman, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Moe Grubman of Rego Park, Queens. Rabbi Martin Rozenberg performed the ceremony at the Tavern on the Green.
Mrs. Grubman is a fourth-year student at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University. She graduated from Union College and attended the Columbia University Program of General Studies. Her father is the senior managing partner of the New York and Washington law firm of Parker Chapin Flattau & Klimpl.
Mr. Grubman is a partner in the New York law firm of Shereff, Friedman, Hoffman & Goodman. He is an alumnus of the State University of New York at Stony Brook and the Columbia University School of Law. His father is a men's-wear manufacturer in New York.


Vancouver mayoral hopeful Shauna Sylvester has a proposal she says could provide relief for the city's struggling small businesses.
Vancouver mayoral hopeful Shauna Sylvester has a proposal she says could provide relief for the city’s small businesses struggling with ever-rising property taxes.
But while many in the business community have long called for tax reform, some have questions about the details of Sylvester’s idea.
At various campaign events, including Sunday’s candidates’ town hall in Chinatown, Sylvester has raised her proposal to look at creating a new subcategory for small, local businesses so they could pay a lower property-tax rate.
Most businesses in Vancouver pay what’s known as triple-net leases, meaning tenants are responsible not only for paying the landlord the rent, but also maintenance fees and property taxes. Typically, when the assessed value goes up dramatically for a big multi-tenant commercial building, the property owner isn’t the one on the hook for the bill — it’s the tenants.
Sylvester, who previously sat on the B.C. Assessment Board and the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association, said she’s been discussing the idea with various people recently, including, just in the last week, the former chair of B.C. Assessment, and a provincial cabinet minister.
But property-tax agent Paul Sullivan said while the idea is “not without merit,” there are some challenges.
“Our community retailers and local independent business are paying too much,” said Sullivan, a senior partner with Burgess, Cawley, Sullivan & Associates. “So from that perspective, it’s good. The difficulty with it, like so many other propositions around a different class, is how are we going to define it? How are we going to define what a local independent business is? Is it square feet? Number of stores, number of employees, volume of sales?
Sylvester said details would need to be worked out around defining what constitutes a locally owned small business, but she pointed to the precedent in the federal income tax system, where small businesses receive different tax treatment.
Amy Robinson, executive director of LOCO B.C., an organization representing the independent business community, said tax reform is needed, because recent studies have shown Vancouver businesses pay a higher portion of the property tax burden than other Canadian cities, as compared with residents.


Jeff Nielson is a writer, editor and managing partner of Bullion Bulls Canada, a precious metals Web site he founded with two partners in 2008. Bullion Bulls Canada provides precious metals commentary, economic analysis and mining information for its global audience. Jeff's academic background inlcudes four years of economics, along with a law degree obtained from the University of Biritish Columbia in 1989. Since then, he has published about 1,000 commentaries on mainstream news and precious metals Web sites around the world.
Stephen Harper squirreled his way into office, and soon he may be leading Canada toward a massive bailout.
Don't trust the banks. Your deposits aren't safe from a Cyprus-style bail-in.
The bank robbery committed in Cyprus was based upon blatantly fraudulent reasoning.
This time it was stealing money out of bank accounts. Next time it might be confiscating pensions. The blueprint is in place.
All of the so-called bailouts have involved lending more money to already insolvent entities, thus feeding the beast.
Why Are Central Banks Buying Gold?
The message here: Sell your paper money and buy gold as soon as possible.
A flat wealth tax is the only way to tax our economies fairly and efficiently while providing immediate economic stimulus.
Why do we continue to believe Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke knows what he's doing?
How did the Motor City get bankrupted? First, by the government's funny numbers, then by Wall Street's thirst for profits.
Wall Street criminal banks should be punished to the full extent of the law. Instead, they are being protected by the government.


I am deeply ashamed of my behavior and make no excuse for it. I don't know if these statements are too frequent, or not shared often enough, but I am certain that my actions warrant a very sincere apology to the arresting officers, and I am grateful for their restraint. The severity of my behavior is not lost on me.
Apologizing for his actions was a good start. In the Twitter statement, Shia LaBeouf also recommitted himself to working on his sobriety. This part was, perhaps, the most important piece of the message, as his most recent blunder hinged upon alcohol... as did many of his past mistakes.
My outright disrespect for authority is problematic to say the least, and completely destructive to say the worst. It is a new low. A low I hope is a bottom. I have been struggling with addiction publicly for far too long, and I am actively taking steps toward securing my sobriety and hope I can be forgiven for my mistakes.
If Shia LaBeouf plans to work on his sobriety and recover, he has plenty of people to whom he can turn in Tinseltown. Rumer Willis, for example, recently marked her sixth month of sobriety, and some of her famous family members have worked on sobriety over the years. Former Dallas Cowboys football player Thomas Henderson, who helped John Daly in recovery and reached out to Tiger Woods after his DUI this year, could be another good person to call. Celebrities like Mike Sorrentino from Jersey Shore and Lamar Odom of Keeping Up with the Kardashians fame might have some helpful words about recovery as well. Even Miley Cyrus has talked about how being sober improved her life.
Just because Shia LaBeouf is down on his luck right now does not mean it is the end of the road. Is it time to take him seriously again? Perhaps not yet. But hopefully, this apology and recommitment to sobriety mark a change for the actor. He has a lot of talent, so who knows what the future holds? Look at how far stars like Robert Downey, Jr., Drew Barrymore, and Britney Spears have come since their troubled days. Hopefully, the Fury actor can surround himself with support from the right people so that he can bounce back healthier than ever.


Images of the Duke of Windsor meeting Adolf Hitler during a 1937 visit remain controversial. As 60 photos showing the duke and his new wife meeting the Nazi leadership sell at auction for £6,830, BBC News examines the story behind the pictures.
The unofficial royal visit to Germany caused much controversy and the former King Edward VIII has since faced numerous accusations of being a Nazi sympathiser.
However, royal historian Carolyn Harris said his motives were "peaceful" and linked to the acceptance of his new wife, the American divorcee Wallis Simpson, for whom he had abdicated as king in 1936.
She said the duke was "eager to carve out a new role for himself and ensure that his wife was treated as a full member of the Royal Family even though she had not received the title of Her Royal Highness - an issue that was of great concern to the duke".
She added: "There was no precedent for an abdicated sovereign assuming an active public role on behalf of the current sovereign and the Duke of Windsor was frustrated that he appeared to be expected to live a quiet life in exile."
So the duke jumped at the chance to go to Germany when invited by its government, even though the British government did not support his decision and would have preferred the couple keep a low profile.
His equerry Sir Dudley Forwood, who compiled the photo album, also said years later the unofficial trip was not a bid to support the Nazi regime, but instead to enable the duchess to experience a state visit.
Timothy Medhurst, of Duke's Auctions in Dorchester, Dorset, said the images showed the couple "in a relaxed environment being shown around by Nazis who are clearly proud of their nation".
"It is a unique piece of history compiled at a time when the Nazi war machine was preparing for European conquest and the systematic slaughter of millions of people," he added.
Image caption Royal historian Carolyn Harris said the duke's motives for visiting members of the Nazi regime were "peaceful"
Ms Harris, who specialises in European monarchy, said: "The Duke of Windsor was familiar with Germany - he had numerous relatives there - and seems to have envisioned a diplomatic role for himself as a mediator between Britain and Germany."
He shared the views of other senior figures in the British government "who thought a lasting peace could be negotiated through diplomacy", she said.
According to royal biographer Andrew Morton, he officially went there to look at housing conditions, an issue that he had been interested in when he was king.
"But the real reason was to show Wallis a good time and see exactly what it was like to enjoy a royal tour, and they were treated like royalty," he said.
"She was treated like a royal princess, not like the Royal Family treated her, like an outcast and an outsider.
"In Germany members of the aristocracy would bow and curtsy towards her, and she was treated with all the dignity and status that the duke always wanted."
Mr Morton added that despite being "thrilled" at the time, the couple later realised they had made a "ghastly mistake" after their actions upset American trade unions and Jewish organisations.
The trip did not mean the duke was a Nazi, he said.
"But he was certainly sympathetic... even after the war he thought Hitler was a good fellow and that he'd done a good job in Germany, and he was also anti-Semitic, before, during and after the war."
Ms Harris told BBC News that in 1939, when war was imminent, the duke contacted Hitler "hoping to negotiate a peaceful solution, attempting to draw upon the rapport they developed during the 1937 visit".
However, she said his ties with Nazi Germany "made him a liability" for Britain during World War Two, which led to his appointment as Governor of the Bahamas "which removed him from Europe for the remainder of the war".
But Edward and Wallis "continued to cause anxiety for the British government" during their time in the Bahamas "as their visits to the United States attracted an enormous amount of public attention and the Duke of Windsor expressed pessimism about an English victory".
What is the context of the royal 'Nazi salute' film?


In October, when David O’Connor last visited Brazil as part of a decade-long research program studying drug-resistant strains of HIV, one of his Brazilian collaborators had a request.
“He asked about using some of the technologies we have developed to look for new viruses to study some unusual cases of a birth defect, microcephaly, in the north of Brazil,” says O’Connor, a University of Wisconsin–Madison pathology professor.
The babies born with underdeveloped brains and small heads were the relatively quiet beginning of worry over the spread of Zika virus, concern that has grown louder outside Brazil with an international outbreak and emergency attention from public health officials around the world.
That planning will soon culminate in some of the first experiments studying Zika virus in monkeys, conducted by a broad UW–Madison team that includes the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center and expertise in infectious disease, pregnancy and neurology.
Pathobiological sciences Professor Jorge Osorio and research scientist Matthew Aliota, who were first to identify the Zika virus circulating in Colombia in October, provided essential Zika virology expertise. Ted Golos, professor of obstetrics and comparative biosciences, studies how other infections during pregnancy impact newborn health. The research group has extensive experience with viruses in humans and nonhuman primates — such as HIV and influenza — and their work will be conducted in secure facilities designed for the safe study of potentially harmful viruses.
Their work will start with basic questions about Zika virus infection. Very little is known about the virus even though more than 50 years have passed since it was discovered in the Zika Forest in Uganda.
Until recently, Zika was expected to cause little more than flu-like symptoms — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists fever, joint pain and a headache — in about 20 percent of the people it infected.
The rapid spread of the virus and potential connection to an otherwise rare birth defect have drawn plenty of attention from the public and from government officials.
In January, the National Institutes of Health made Zika virus research a high priority, and the groundwork underway at UW–Madison led to NIH support for a series of studies of the virus in macaques, monkeys whose physiology and immune systems are similar to humans.
The researchers will track the effects of initial infections, but also try to establish whether one Zika virus infection provides some protection against future infection — like chicken pox does.
Zika does not mutate particularly fast, the feature of HIV and influenza that makes those viruses hard to pin down with vaccines (like HIV) and leaves people open to reinfection seasonally (like flu). This may make Zika easier to head off with a vaccine, but the best sort of immune response to provoke with a vaccine is not yet known.
“That’s why we need to have data that shows what natural immunity looks like and the sort of immune responses that arise to protect an individual when they encounter that virus again,” O’Connor says.
Perhaps more hotly anticipated will be results from planned studies of Zika and pregnancy.
Or whether the timing of the infection during pregnancy matters. Or whether it is direct infection of a developing fetus by the virus or the immune response the infection sparks in pregnant women that causes problems like microcephaly.
Working with the Zika virus from the original 1947 discovery in Africa and from the ongoing South American outbreak — provided by UW–Madison Osorio and Aliota, who were first to identify Zika virus circulating in Colombia in October — the researchers also hope to identify any important differences in infection by the different strains.
O’Connor also hopes results from the studies will help settle minds around the world, and help change the tenor of Zika news stories.


To celebrate Bicycle Day on April 19th, the date of Albert Hofmann’s — and the world’s first LSD trip in 1943, we are publishing this excerpt from the forthcoming interview with Michael Horowitz — the third installment of the Acid Bodhisattva series, coming soon to Timothy Leary Archives.
Images: from Lysergic World (April, 1993): Albert Hofmann in 1977 (above), and the route of his famous bicycle ride on LSD through Basel, Switzerland on April 19, 1943, from Sandoz Laboratories to his house.
Below, Leary's archivist Michael Horowitz reminisces about a car ride with Albert Hofmann and Timothy Leary in February 1972.
"Tim and I took the train to Basel where Albert picked us up in his car. He drove, Tim sat in the passenger seat and me in back, trying to manage a super 8mm movie camera with one hand and a tape recorder with the other. Albert told us that we were driving the route of his first LSD trip in 1943, when he bicycled home with his Sandoz lab assistant after testing 250 micrograms. Tim cracked up when I asked Albert if he still had the bicycle. I knew it was gauche of me, but I couldn't resist. A short time later Albert pulled over."
Here is an excerpt of the conversation between Albert and Tim, after they picked us up at the train station. On the way to Albert's estate we passed by his 1943 home.
At Wired, Greg Miller writes about Timothy Leary's journey from scientist to "psychedelic celebrity", revealed in new detail by the release of his archives.
Leary may be best known for his role in the psychedelic movement of the ’60s, but in his later years, at the dawn of the internet age he became fascinated by the potential of technology to transform human communication (see the related gallery on video games and other software from Leary’s archives). He also became interested in life extension and space migration, which he discussed in an exchange of letters with astronomer Carl Sagan.
A previously unknown connection between Czech dissident Vaclav Havel and American psychologist Timothy Leary is revealed by an inscribed copy of Leary's 1977 Neuropolitics.
Michael Horowitz*, Timothy Leary's longtime archivist, has permitted the Timothy Leary Archives website to publish a transcription of a tape recorded conversation between Dr. Leary and his wife Rosemary, and John Lennon and Yoko Ono, made during John and Yoko's Bed-In for Peace in Montreal, May 1969. Tim had given it to Michael, in 1984, as a present for finishing Tim's bibliography.
The conversation took place during John and Yoko’s week-long Bed-In, on May 29th, 1969. This is just a few months before John would leave the Beatles and move with Yoko to the U.S. where they were closely monitored by the FBI and threatened with deportation, and ten months before Tim would be put in prison for possessing a minuscule amount of marijuana, and Rosemary would be putting on benefits to raise money for his appeal.
This transcript was intended to be added to a previously published piece, “Thank God for the Beatles” (The Beatles Book, 1968), an essay about the Beatles as "evolutionary agents sent by God, endowed with mysterious power to create a new human species," to be published in an anthology of Tim's shorter writings, but the project was abandoned.
The transcript, as far as we can tell, has remained unpublished until now.


SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii-- CS Gas or tear gas -- it's a smell that's familiar to most in the military. Your skin begins to tingle as you approach the room as soon as the canisters are opened.
As you step inside the back of your neck feels hot. The muffled yells of the instructor order you to remove your mask. The first deep breath without a gas mask creates an uncomfortable situation.
Soldiers of Echo Company, 65th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, conducted Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear training (CBRN) on Feb. 5, here on Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
The training is done to prepare Soldiers for chemical attacks. Chlorobenzylidene malononitrile, commonly referred to as CS gas or tear gas is used to train Soldiers within the gas chamber.
Soldiers began the morning by lining up outside of the chamber doing checks on their masks to ensure their equipment works properly.
"Having confidence in your equipment is what can ultimately determine mission success," said Command Sgt. Maj. Sean Horval, senior enlisted advisor of 2IBCT "There is always a chance that with future conflicts, chemicals could be involved. It is always smart to prep for the worst. If or when something does happen ,we are ready."
After lining up, Soldiers are instructed to make sure their masks have a good seal. By ensuring the masks are properly sealed, the mask is able to do its job in regulating clean air through the user.
Upon entering, Soldiers are ordered to break the seals on their mask, re-seal their masks and then fully remove their masks before exiting the chamber.
"My eyes were burning, they started watering," said Pvt. Jeremiah Cannon, a mechanic assigned to Echo Co. "After taking our masks off, we were told to explain why we joined the Army as a test to see how long we could take the gas. I could barely get my answer out, my lungs were burning."
The exit to the gas chamber suddenly opened and the Soldiers poured out as quickly as they could squeeze through the door.
Instructors began yelling out "Don't touch your eyes or your face!" to prevent Soldiers from rubbing more of the irritating contaminant on their bodies.
"The training is great in that it allows Soldiers to build proficiency in the event of a nuclear, biological or chemical attack," said 2nd Lt. Allison Carlisle, Maintenance Control Officer for the 65th BEB. "By going through a gas chamber, individuals are able to build confidence in their own actions as well as their equipment."
The CBRN training is an annual requirement that all units and Soldiers are required to conduct each year.
Though the training can appear intimidating, being familiar with procedures to prevent the inhalation of toxic chemicals can save lives in the event Soldiers ever experience a real CBRN threat.
The CBRN training in all, only takes a few minutes. Within a short period of trying on masks and entering the gas chamber, Soldiers are exiting the gas chamber for the next iteration of individuals to test their fortitude against the uncomfortable gas.
"CBRN training is designed to make Soldiers comfortable with being uncomfortable," explained Horval. "If an attack were to ever happen, these Soldiers can rely on their training to save their lives and to continue to push for mission success."


Two teens commiserate while stranded in a hospital, suffering from cystic fibrosis.
Five Feet Apart is actually not as depressing, predictable or even as sappy as one might preconceive. The main character, Stella (Haley Lu Richardson, Columbus), appears to have a fixation with newborns and frequents the natal care unit window to gaze upon delicate and pristine life. It is there where she is first approached by Will (Cole Sprouse, TV’s “Riverdale”), though they maintain a distance mandated by their shared battles with cystic fibrosis.
Naturally, the typical teenage cat-and-mouse antics ensue, but in this case, a distinct hint of Russian roulette is propositioned as well. Will initially is seemingly much more pessimistic and resigned than Stella. Privately, she is dealing with a fresh, unrelated and unexpected family loss. She is actually quite prudish and OCD in many ways, more than likely directly related to her personal trauma.
On the cusp of adulthood, the slightly older Will prefers to throw caution to the wind. He starts out by rebelling against his treatment, a last-ditch trial run of experimental medications. Stella seems to help him “tighten up,” as he seems to help her “loosen up.” They attempt to “normalize” as much as possible, fortunately having the support of friends, family and medical staff.
The elephant in the room remains vividly depicted; desirous and engulfed, hidden behind their own frostbitten polar ice caps. They just want to touch and melt in the intent to love without hurt, already knowing that no one ever precisely receives such an offering.
The original meaning and intention of the word “bless” relates more to wounding or being wounded, not so much an outright pleasurable and lucky experience. Such an essence of “blessing” is captured in this film, and it seems to therefore bridge a gap between people and generations — the perfect/imperfect sauce of salt, sugar, honey and vinegar. A would-be highly recommended film by a therapist, provided you are in desperate need of an emotional enema.
A high note winds up being the fatalistic, bittersweet, dry-rubbed humor sprinkled in shards throughout this film. Moments of joy and laughter are a necessary tonic, none better than Will sketching Stella in his notebook as she attempts to ground him.
In this film, one thing not lacking paradoxically is the “human touch”: compassion, empathy and altruism. It will possibly compel you to long for someone who will clean up your mess of a diaper, as you grow older and infantile once more.


Alkins celebrated his first start of the season by scoring a career-high 26 points on 9-for-11 shooting to lead UA to an 89-73 win over New Mexico.
ALBUQUERQUE — A half-hour after his team successfully waded through a torrent of presses at a mile-high altitude, their ears ringing from fan noise that rivals McKale Center on its very best days, Sean Miller stood against a wall for a postgame interview.
His Arizona Wildcats had beaten New Mexico 89-73 at The Pit, so it was time to exhale at a place that tries to remind him he’s not supposed to.
Miller didn’t appear to notice the psychological trick and his players didn’t, either. They shot a season-best 64 percent against the Lobos and, perhaps more impressively, turned the ball over just 10 times against a team that typically forces double that amount.
They had no worries. Especially with Rawle Alkins.
The sophomore forward, who had a career-high 26 points in his first start of the season following a 10-week layoff for a broken foot, even looked puzzled at a question of if he felt a little tired.
“I didn’t feel anything,” Alkins said.
Instead, Alkins raced downcourt for layups when the Wildcats broke a press, or he made all three of his 3-point attempts, or he picked up fouls that gave him five chances to hit five free throws.
If Alkins had any rust in his first game a week earlier, with seven points on 2-for-6 shooting against Alabama, it was all gone now.
“My first game back was all about the win for me,” Alkins said. “The second game, I’ve been working hard on practicing and rehabbing and it’s starting to pay off.
Alkins said starting the game helped him play faster and stay warm, and he clearly appeared to be in a rhythm.
Naturally, Miller was glad to see it.
Not only did Alkins give the Wildcats his usual boost of confidence, athleticism and strength, but he also gave them a much-needed third option.
While Allonzo Trier and Deandre Ayton became one of the country’s top 1-2 punches in his absence, averaging 42.8 points combined through the UA’s first 10 games, Saturday’s game threw a different dynamic at the Lobos.
While they tried to tangle Ayton up inside — the freshman big man was “limited” to 14 points and 13 rebounds — and while they tried to keep Trier out of the lane, that helped Alkins get freer.
Alkins wound up making 9 of 11 shots, while Trier responded by going 6 of 9 from the field and working his way through the defense to pick up enough fouls to go 8 of 9 from the line.
In fact, it almost looked too easy for a while. The Wildcats took a 49-33 lead at halftime, after Alkins had 13 points in the first half.
But New Mexico cut UA’s lead all the way to seven points twice in the final 5:05, bringing Lobo fans to their feet and their vocal chords back to the sort of ear-splitting levels The Pit has long been known for.
Part of the problem for the Wildcats was that Dane Kuiper scored 13 of his team-high 24 points in the second half, finishing 6 of 8 from 3-point range.
In a game when UA held New Mexico to just 38.7 percent shooting and only 12 of 34 from 3-point range, it was a problem that stood out.
“We just broke down on assignments and let a guy get 6 3s,” Trier said.
Over the first 16 minutes of the second half, the Lobos also forced six UA turnovers through the first 16 minutes and had seven offensive rebounds for 13 second-chance points.
As a result, New Mexico cut UA’s lead to 74-66 with 5:33 left on a pair of free throws by Sam Logwood, and later crept within 78-71 on two free throws from Kuiper.
But Trier sliced through the Lobo defense for a layup and after Parker Jackson-Cartwright stole the ball from New Mexico’s Antino Jackson, Ayton raced downcourt for a dunk that gave the Wildcats an 82-71 lead with 2:53 left.
New Mexico coach Paul Weir may have had a feeling there was a limit on the Lobos’ comeback.
“I told them at halftime, you can’t spot potentially the No. 1 team a 16-point lead at halftime, and expect to come back,” he said.
In this case, Weir was right. The Lobos didn’t see single digits again in the final minutes and, gradually, the Lobo fans took their seats.
Then they left the building.
It’s a skill the Wildcats will need ahead. After two more non-conference home games, and a potentially wild Pac-12 opener against ASU at McKale on Dec. 30, the Wildcats will head to Utah and Colorado.
There, the Wildcats will find two of the Pac-12’s tougher road environments — and two places that also are at high altitude.
But now, all that won’t be anything they haven’t seen.
Update: The Arizona Wildcats (8-3) return home after surviving a trip to The Pit, beating New Mexico 89-73 on Saturday. UA has won five straight since the debacle in the Bahamas. ... Sophomore guard Rawle Alkins made his first start of the season against the Lobos and scored a career-high 26 points. ... Freshman star Deandre Ayton continued his run of four straight games with double-doubles by scoring 14 points and grabbing 13 rebounds against New Mexico. ... North Dakota State, of the Summit League, is coming off a 101-58 beatdown of Valley City State at home last Tuesday. The Bison have won two straight.


(Reuters) - Estonian Anett Kontaveit recovered from a set and a break down to beat ninth seed Sloane Stephens 4-6 7-5 6-4 in the first round of the Wuhan Open on Sunday.
Kontaveit made a strong start, racing into a 3-0 lead in the opening set before Stephens fought back from behind the baseline, winning six of the final seven games to go a set up.
The American got an early break in the second but stumbled at 4-3, making several errors to allow Kontaveit to break back before the Estonian leveled the match at a set apiece.
Kontaveit stayed on top in the decider, and hit 34 winners compared to 20 from Stephens.
Earlier, Russian 13th seed Daria Kasatkina beat Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko for the first time in her career to reach round two.
Kasatkina won 6-4 7-5 and will face either Bernarda Pera or Chinese qualifier Wang Xiyu next.
Wang’s compatriot Zhang Shuai beat Australian Samantha Stosur 6-2 6-2.


BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - Once again, the Raising Cane’s River Center is transforming its arena into a “Winter Wonderland” just in time for families to make lasting holiday memories.
This year, Ice Skating on the River is sponsored by Cirque du Soleil CRYSTAL. Opening night is Friday, Dec. 21 and will feature the Coca-Cola Santa Truck.
“Ice Skating on the River has been a Baton Rouge holiday tradition for many years. We are proud to team up with Cirque du Soleil CRYSTAL and bring great fun and adventure to everyone in the Capital region,” said Michael Day, general manager of the River Center.
The event will have 90-minute skating sessions almost every day from Dec. 21 through Dec. 31. Tickets are on sale for $12 to $14 per person, with special group rates available for parties of more than ten people. Birthday packages are also available. For more information on those, call 225-389-3030.
Tickets are available at the River Center box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, and over the phone at 1-800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased online here. For more information, call the River Center at 225-389-3030.
Friday, Dec. 21: 6 p.m., 8 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 22: 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m., 8 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 23: 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m., 8 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 24: 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 26: 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m., 8 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 27: 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m., 8 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 28: 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m., 8 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 29: 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m., 8 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 30: 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m., 8 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 31: 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m.
Tickets went on sale Monday morning.
A summer program that helps Louisiana students receive on-the-job training through paid internships is expanding.


The Supreme Court invalidated Trevor Ozawa's win over Tommy Waters for the district four seat Friday.
One City Council candidate getting ready to hit the campaign trail. The other told KITV4 on Saturday night, he's considering legal action.
Accusations of cronyism, dirty politics, and political bias: Trevor Ozawa told KITV4 he's thinking about filing a federal courts appeal after the Supreme Court invalidated Ozawa's win over Tommy Waters for the district four seat on Friday. Ozawa raised red flags about the way the Justices handled the petition.
City Council District 4, which runs from Waikiki to Hawaii Kai hasn't been represented since January 2. The council plans to appoint an interim person.
Meanwhile, Ozawa raised concerns about the fairness of the court's decision.
"Justices Wilson, McKenna and Pollack were all nominated to the court by Mr. Waters when Mr. Waters served on the judicial selection commission. So Mr. Waters was directly involved in putting them on the Hawaii Supreme Court," Ozawa said.
Ozawa says Justice McKenna recused herself four years ago - when Waters filed his first petition for a recount in a slim loss to Ozawa - and this time did not.
"I think that's ridiculous, the Supreme Court has the duty and obligation the case based on the law," Waters said in response.
Mayor Kirk Caldwell has been very vocal about his support for Waters; which is another concern for Ozawa.
"Mayor Caldwell has publicly supported Mr. Waters in his campaign and therefore wanted to see my election results invalidated," Ozawa said.
KITV4 asked for the Mayor's comment and hasn't heard back yet.
Because of the results of this race, both candidates say they would support state legislation for automatic recounts for races with tight margins. Election night, Ozawa beat Waters by just 22 votes.
Political analyst Neil Milner says he doesn't think many voters will turn out for a special election.
"You gotta get people to care and come out to vote and there's a lot of possibility for a low turnout election," Milner said.
Both men say their priority is serving the people of the district.
"That's where my heart is, that's where I owe my duty to work hard for... We're just very very thankful and looking forward to a speedy election, a spirited election but also a fair election," Waters said.
"If the election needs to be held, I will bring my message of governmental accountability and transparency back to you, the voters," Ozawa said.
"Judges are guided by the Hawaii Revised Code of Judicial Conduct, which establishes standards for the ethical conduct of judges. It provides guidance to assist judges in maintaining the highest standards of judicial and personal conduct, including when making a determination on whether or not to sit on a particular case.
Mr. Waters joined the Judicial Selection Commission (JSC) in April 2011, and he had no involvement in Justice Sabrina McKenna’s January 2011 appointment to the Supreme Court, as represented by Mr. Ozawa.
Mr. Waters did not nominate Justices Richard Pollack and Michael Wilson to the Supreme Court, as stated by Mr. Ozawa. Mr. Waters was one of nine members of the JSC, which submitted lists of finalists to Governor Abercrombie who made the appointments, subject to Senate confirmation. Mr. Waters’ tenure on the JSC ended in early 2014.
Mr. Ozawa was able to but did not object to any justice’s participation in this case before the final decision. Mr. Ozawa also did not raise any objection to Justice Pollack’s and Justice Wilson’s participation in the 2014 election challenge involving Mr. Waters and Mr. Ozawa, in which the court rejected Mr. Water’s challenge to the election result."
State law requires a new election be held within 120 days of Friday's ruling.


Beautiful ranch home located in the heart of Elizabethtown. This lovely home has boast hardwood floors on main level, a wood burning fireplace in living room, large master suite. Updated kitchen with granite counter tops, resurfaced and professionally painted cabinets. Downstairs you will find completely updated basement with new flooring, lighting bar area, with access to lower level garage. This home sits on a corner lot and backs up to wooded tree line. It is across the street from ECTC and easy access around town, seller is motivated.


President Donald Trump thank his daughter, American Workforce Policy Advisory Board co-chair Ivanka Trump, during the advisory board's first meeting in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, March 6, 2019.
President Donald Trump's 2020 budget proposal will include $100 million for a global women's fund spearheaded by his daughter Ivanka Trump.
She said the budget, expected to be released Monday, will include the funding for the Women's Global Development and Prosperity Initiative. The administration last month launched the government-wide project, which she leads.
In a statement to The Associated Press, Ivanka Trump noted that Friday was International Women's Day and stressed the initiative's goal to help 50 million women in the developing world get ahead economically over the next six years.
The new initiative involves the State Department, the National Security Council and other agencies, as it aims to coordinate current programs and develop new ones to help women in areas such as job training, financial support and legal or regulatory reforms.
The funding will come through the U.S. Agency for International Development, which initially set up a $50 million fund for the effort using already budgeted money. The initiative will also be supported by programs across the government, as well as private investment.
Trump has previously sought to cut USAID's budget. His full 2020 plans were not available Friday.
The White House also is expected to announce that the president will nominate Kelley Eckels Currie to serve as an ambassador-at-large for global women's issues. That position, established under President Barack Obama's administration, had been vacant since Trump took office.
Ivanka Trump praised Currie, who currently serves as the representative to the United Nations Economic and Social Council. She said Currie "is a formidable partner on women's economic empowerment and national security issues."
Since Ivanka Trump joined her father's administration in early 2017, she has focused on women's economic issues.


I am a veteran of the Vietnam War, where I served in Army aviation as a crew chief/door gunner in 1968-69. We flew in Hueys and supported ground operations all over South Vietnam. I was actively involved in the Tet Offensive and was proud to have flown more than 800 combat hours.
My mission was to protect my fellow soldiers while helping the innocent victims of a thankless war.
I survived my military experience with no physical damage, yet I still feel the burden of the huge responsibility we had as we did our jobs as U.S. soldiers. My heart swells with pride as I remember how difficult it was to go back into battle day after day, yet we knew the need to do so.
Our servicemen and women are always in harm's way, and they may sometimes question if Americans at home are doing the right things today. Many of us know all too well that our way of life still depends on the capable military people who are doing so many amazing jobs.
Our children's future depends on the positive outcome of the critical job they are doing. God bless them always.
I salute the project the McNair High School students are doing with war veterans. By talking with World War II vets, they can grasp a piece of history. To talk with a member of the greatest generation is an honor.
These brave men and women gave up their youth to fight a war against oppression, genocide and fascism. They are proud and a humble group. Like all veterans who served in war, some will share the horrors of war, some will not. God bless all veterans. This is the land of the free because of the brave.
A May 22 letter writer suggests raising taxes on the rich to employ the poor. That sounds a lot like "from each according to his ability, to each according to his need." Now, who said that? Oh, yes, that would be Karl Marx. In case you don't remember, he was the primary inventor of communism. It would be better if Congress would review the Constitution and stick to those things it's supposed to do, and leave other things to the states and the people.
On the same page, another letter writer scolds Republican candidate Brad Goehring for his Facebook slip and advises that the District 11 House representative must represent us all. I applaud her position. I just hope she'll communicate it to the current representative, Jerry McNerney, and also to Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein. I have sent them dozens of letters and e-mails expressing my conservative views, and all I get back from them is correspondence telling me, effectively, to pound sand.
The slow collapse in Europe and its ramifications should not be lost on America in general and California in particular.
In Greece, we have public employees and people who have become accustomed to public largess, burning banks and refusing to acknowledge that there just isn't enough money to sustain a nation living off of public goods and not working enough to pay for them. Many believe there is some rich man out there hoarding money, and if they could just find him and steal his money, all will be well.
California suffers from the same self-denial. Our public pensions, Medi-Cal and our welfare state can no longer be sustained without driving companies out of state or out of business. Still there is the clamor of some using the same tired old clich� that business and the rich are not paying their fair share. No one ever says what their fair share is.
Hold on Europe, we're right behind you! Better start learning some Chinese or become accustomed to the cultures of India or Brazil, as they will become the new economic powerhouses.


Despite picking up a handful of Grammys Monday night, Taylor Swift was not happy with herself.
The pop star opened up the award show with a haunting performance of "Out of the Woods," but almost immediately after she sat down, cameras caught Taylor pouting and crying.
Swift could then be seen turning around in her seat to explain to someone that she missed a note in her song, and asked them if they noticed.
Luckily, her BFF and date for the evening, Selena Gomez, was there to comfort her.
Tay, may we suggest taking a cue from Adele and shaking it off at an In-N-Out Burger?


AAA has some driving tips for those slick roads.
ROCHESTER, Minn.- The snow we saw over the weekend and the snow that is expected to hit us in the coming week will of course bring with it slick roads.
-Increase your following distance to 8 to 10 seconds when driving on icy, slippery surfaces.
-When driving up and down hills, observe how other cars are reacting and maintain safe distance.
-Never use cruise control when driving on any slippery surface.


1947: Capt. Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager pilots the rocket-powered Bell X-1 to a speed of Mach 1.07, becoming the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound. In breaking the sound barrier, Yeager becomes the fastest man alive — and the legend of the X-Planes begins.
As airplanes flew faster and faster throughout the 1930s, pilots began to experience a number of problems associated with the increased airspeed. Aircraft such as the Lockheed P-38 and Republic P-47 flew just fine at ordinary speeds in level flight. But if pilots put them in a high-speed dive, they began to experience control problems that led to the deaths of several pilots.
The main problem facing these pilots was the aerodynamic condition known as compressibility. Simply stated, at speeds well below the speed of sound, most of the air molecules have time to get out of the way of an aircraft as it approaches, and the density of the air does not change.
However, as the speed of sound is approached, the air molecules can’t get out of the way, and more of them hit the aircraft. The impact compresses the air in front of the aircraft and increases the air density. Eventually shock waves form around the airplane, affecting the lift and drag. These changes were not well-understood and led to the loss of control in several aircraft.
Because the effects of compressibility are directly related to the speed of sound, a ratio is used to describe the speed of an aircraft. The Mach number is the speed at which an object is traveling relative to the speed of sound at a particular temperature. The name is in honor of physicist Ernest Mach, who studied high-speed gas dynamics.
The Bell X-1 was developed to research aerodynamics in the transonic region, or speeds just below and just above the speed of sound. After numerous flights with civilian test pilots, Capt. Yeager of the newly formed U.S. Air Force made his first powered flight in the X-1 on Aug. 29, 1947, high over the Mojave Desert of southern California.
The problem Yeager was experiencing was the ineffectiveness of the X-1’s pitch controls, as shock waves essentially created an aerodynamic shadow around the tail. Changes were made to the horizontal tail controls, allowing Yeager to control the airplane's ability to pitch up and down, and flights continued. This knowledge would lead to the all-flying tail, or stabilator, standard on all supersonic fighters today.
Yeager was nursing two broken ribs on the morning of Oct. 14, after being thrown from his horse on a ride the night before. He boarded the B-29 bomber that was to carry the Bell X-1 to altitude. The plan was to fly to Mach 0.97. But Yeager says the new moving tail boosted his morale, and he wanted to fly faster.
After climbing down into the X-1, which was carried like a bomb in the belly of the B-29, Yeager’s friend and fellow test pilot Jack Ridley handed him a short, sawed-off section of broomstick. Yeager would use it to close the canopy of the X-1, because his broken ribs prevented him from closing the latch normally.
People on the ground heard what sounded like distant thunder. It was the first sonic boom ever created by an aircraft. At age 24, Yeager had flown faster than the speed of sound.
The flight was kept secret, and the world wouldn’t know about the first supersonic flight until months later. The X-1 would fly more than a hundred more times, reaching a speed of Mach 1.45.
Subsequent X-1 models would fly more than twice the speed of sound. Later X-Planes would fly even faster, reaching hypersonic speeds where the density of the air wasn’t the only thing to change: They would fly so fast, the chemistry of the air would change.
Capt. Yeager would go on to become Gen. Yeager and the iconic test pilot. He was the first commandant of the Air Force’s test-pilot school and continued commanding fighter squadrons into the 1960s.
Now age 86, Yeager will return this Saturday to the skies over the Mojave desert. He'll make a now-routine supersonic flyby to kick off Edwards Air Force Base’s air show and open house.
June 24, 1947: They Came From ... Outer Space?


Project Babb are simulating every World Cup clash to ensure you don’t have to wait till the actual kick-off to see what might happen.
Both teams will be hoping to win and secure a place in the Fifa 2014 World Cup final. Netherlands have been the surprise package of this tournament. Whilst Argentina seem to be saving their best football for when it matters most. With some of the finest attacking minded players on show in this match, it promises to be a thrilling encounter.
Worst reaction to Brazil's defeat so far?


Despite the plunging sales, Cliffs Natural Resources managed to only lose a penny per share in the quarter.
Cliffs Natural Resources (NYSE:CLF) announced its second-quarter results late last night. The iron ore producer reported revenue of $1.1 billion and a net loss of $2 million or a penny per share. The company's revenue plunged 26% over last year's second quarter as a result of decreased market pricing for both iron ore and metallurgical coal. On top of that the company experienced a 24% decrease in sales volumes for U.S. iron ore.
Cliffs Natural Resources CEO Gary Halverson noted in the company's press release that it took, "prudent and decisive action to optimize the business in the face of continued commodity pricing pressure." That action resulted in the company slashing its capital spending by 77% or $210 million from last year's second quarter. Further, the company also cut its SG&A and exploration expenses by 24% from the year ago quarter.
These actions, when combined with an income tax benefit of $69 million, still couldn't help Cliffs Natural Resources turn a profit in the quarter. In fact, the company's results are well off last year's second quarter when it earned $133 million, or $0.82 per share. Further, the company used $41 million in cash from operations this quarter as opposed to generating $414 million of cash in last year's second quarter.
All that being said, Cliffs Natural Resources sees demand for its steelmaking raw materials being supported by rising demand due to improvements in the U.S. economy. Further, the company sees Chinese demand for its products remaining high as the country remains committed to hitting a real GDP growth rate of about 7.5%.


A city bus carrying 31 people plunged off a bridge here and plowed through the outer edge of an apartment roof this afternoon after the driver was shot by a passenger. The driver, and a person suspected of shooting the driver, were both killed, the police said. The 29 others were injured.
The two-section bus was just starting to cross Aurora Avenue Bridge, which spans the Lake Union ship canal, about 3:10 P.M. when the driver was shot by a passenger, the police said. The bus, heading south, jumped a lane of northbound traffic, hit a van, then crashed through a guardrail and fell 50 feet, landing upright in an apartment garden in the Fremont district, an area of residential buildings, restaurants and businesses.
Police officers did not disclose a motive for the shooting. They said that two people were involved, and that the second person was among the injured taken to the hospital. The gun was recovered at the hospital, the police said.
Witnesses described a scene of panic as people with broken bones and bleeding cuts tried to crawl out of the bus. Rescue officials pulled out several people who were stuck in the bus.
Mr. Badgley said he had seen two injured people on the roof of the apartments. When aid units arrived, they gave emergency treatment to people who could be seen on the apartment roof.
All the passengers were injured, fire department officials said. Fifteen of the injured were in critical condition tonight and 10 were listed in serious condition, said a Fire Department spokeswoman, Sheila Strehle.
The driver, whose name was not released by the police, was thrown from the bus, fire officials said.
The bus is a two-compartment vehicle with the two units held together by an accordion-like mechanism. It usually carries 120 passengers. Had the bus traveled another quarter-mile or so, it would have fallen several hundred feet and landed in the water. But because the crash happened at the low end of the bridge, the bus landed on ground.
Dan Williams, a spokesman for Metro Bus who arrived at the scene within minutes of the crash, said the bus was not smoking when it landed. Fire Department officials said there no fire on board. But they expressed amazement that the bus had landed upright.
''Nothing like this has ever happened, that I know of,'' Mr. Williams said. Had the accident occurred two hours later, during rush hour, it is likely that the bus would have been full of people, he said.
The front of the bus, its window shattered, came to a rest against a pine tree in a garden next to the apartment. A large section of the roof of the two-story apartment -- the part that hangs over the outside of the building -- was broken away in the crash, as was a deck. But the police said they believed no one in the apartment was injured.
Mr. Badgley called rescue units, and said it took at least 10 minutes for help to arrive. But Fire Department officials said units arrived within 7 minutes. Before the authorities came to the scene, some of the injured helped other people get out of the bus, Mr. Badgley said.
One of the bus compartments was shattered and crumpled.
The bus came to a rest just a block or so from one of Seattle's best-known sculptures, the Fremont Troll, a large concrete image of a troll underneath the bridge.


The Canada Revenue Agency has announced that the maximum pensionable earnings under the CPP for 2019 will be $57,400, up from $55,900 in 2018.
Contributors who earn more than $57,400 won’t be permitted to make additional contributions to the CPP. The basic exemption amount for 2019 remains $3,500.
The RRSP dollar limit, another indexed figure, has also been updated for 2019, and will be $26,500—up from $26,230 this year.
The TFSA limit for 2019 will be officially announced later this year.
Employee and employer CPP contribution rates for 2019 will be 5.1%, up from 4.95% in 2018.
Meanwhile, the self-employed contribution rate will be 10.2%, up from 9.9% in 2018. This increase is due to the CPP enhancement that will be implemented on Jan. 1.
The maximum employer and employee contribution to the CPP for next year will be $2,748.90 each, and the maximum self-employed contribution will be $5,497.80. The maximums in 2018 were $2,593.80 and $5,187.60, respectively.


RICHMOND HILL--Liberty County scored 25 points before Richmond Hill ever picked up a first down, en route to a 32-13 win to spoil the Wildcats' homecoming Friday night.
The Panthers were led by sophomore Shadrach Thornton's 160 yards and one touchdown on 23 carries.
"Last year he showed some glimpses that he could be a real good running back," said Liberty County coach Kirk Warner. "Coming into this season we didn't know if he could be a 20 to 25 carry-per-game back, but he has definitely answered the bell, and we are going to ride him through the playoffs."
For a while, the Panthers' (7-3 overall, 4-2 Region 3-AAA) scores came in rapid succession.
The first came when quarterback Julian Stokes took the ball in from 2 yards out with 6:39 left to play in the first quarter. Matt Desbiens' kick was good.
The Wildcats (3-6, 0-5) fumbled on their first play from scrimmage after the kickoff. Thornton scored one play later on a 9-yard run. The point after failed.
On the first play of the second quarter, Cody French hit a 28-yard field goal to put the Panthers ahead by 16.
On the Wildcats' next possession, Liberty's linebacker Charles Hall blocked Sam Vernon's punt into the end zone where it was picked by a Richmond Hill player who was tackled for a safety.
After the free kick, the Panthers marched 55 yards in six plays and scored on Stokes' 13-yard run with 8:38 to go to halftime.
After a couple possessions in which neither team mounted much of an attack; Panther punt returner Artavious Frost had the ball knocked loose on a jarring hit by the Wildcats' Albert Reddick, who recovered the loose ball.
View more photos from the Wildcats' Homecoming.
One play later, Richmond Hill got on the board when Matt Williams hit Dale Richardson on a reverse pass with just 13 seconds left in the half. Lori Barnes' extra point was good.
"For the first 20 minutes or so of the first half, we performed well," Warner said. "But then we should have fair caught the ball, but instead we tried to make a play and ended up turning the ball over. And then they called a better play than we had a defense for and scored right before the half. That got momentum going in their favor."
Richmond Hill rode that momentum into the second half when they took the kickoff, marched 61 yards and scored again when Zach Denney broke into to the Panthers' secondary and out-raced everyone to end zone from 33 yards out.
Liberty added one more score when Stokes capped a 13-play, 76-yard drive with 9:37 to play on a quarterback sneak into to the end zone.
After a week off, Liberty will face a yet-to-be-named opponent in the first round of the playoffs.


Reputational risk is not necessarily about right or wrong.
When Barclays Africa announced that it would sever ties with its external auditor KPMG, it said it could no longer support its reappointment in light of “ongoing and more recent developments”.
After KPMG admitted that its processes failed when it conducted work for Gupta-owned companies and had to withdraw parts of a forensic report into the “covert” unit at the South African Revenue Service, recent admissions that partners did not fully declare their interests while auditing VBS Mutual Bank seem to have been the last straw.
Barclays was quick to point out that it was “satisfied with the quality of the audit of the 2017 annual financial statements”. And just in case this wasn’t enough to allay any fears, it added: “[The audit] was conducted jointly with EY”.
When Redefine Properties announced its separation from the audit firm one day later, its CEO, Andrew Konig, was much more frank: “Redefine’s reputation is everything and our decision was made for this reason. We will have a new auditor on board for the 2019 financial year”.
When asked about the reasons behind the decision taken by Barclay’s Africa during a radio interview, Professor Jannie Rossouw, head of the School of Economic and Business Sciences at Wits University, said there were questions about the quality of some of the audits conducted by KPMG and there were questions about whether it could continue operating in its current form.
Moreover, reputation was of utmost importance to any bank. Banking is built on trust, he added.
Yet, KPMG is a large organisation with several branches in various cities around the country, and unfortunately certain practices in some offices have tarnished the whole firm’s reputation. There were many partners within the firm that were not involved in any of the controversies. From that perspective, one has to have a little bit of sympathy with the larger KPMG Group, Rossouw added.
Unfortunately, the court of public opinion can be a harsh place. While the firm should take responsibility for its transgressions and deserves a lot of the criticism it has received, one also has to feel for the many hardworking employees who have devoted years (sometimes decades) of their careers to the firm and whose credibility and capability have been called into question even though they had nothing to do with the transgressions. There almost seems to be a palpable sadness among many of the firm’s employees when talking about the ongoing fallout.
What complicates intricate matters in the financial services realm is that there is often a difference between what the public expects professionals to be doing and what they are actually paid for. The public mandate is often much broader and sets the bar much higher.
How could Deloitte have missed the accounting irregularities that led to Steinhoff’s demise, people ask.
If this was a case of serious fraud, it would have been highly sophisticated and well concealed, Karl Leinberger, CIO of Coronation Fund Managers, wrote in a note to clients in January.
“David Young, a professor of accounting and control at graduate business school INSEAD who analysed Steinhoff’s financial statements post the events of December, concluded that these off-balance sheet structures could not have been uncovered using the group’s annual financial statements or other publicly available information,” he noted.
And when it comes to reputational risk, right or wrong is not necessarily a straightforward issue.
Firms with strong consumer brands (banks and retailers in particular) run significant reputational risk if they find themselves on the wrong side of public opinion.
In 2012, Starbucks faced a consumer boycott after it emerged that it was not paying its “fair share” of taxes in Britain, and offered to pay millions in voluntary taxes, even though this was not “legally” required. In the public mind, there is often not a distinct line between (legal) tax avoidance and (illegal) tax evasion.
Had KPMG declined to do work for politically-exposed parties all those years ago, a lot of the damage could probably have been avoided.
In walking away from KPMG – even though there is currently no reason to believe the auditing work it has done for Barclays Africa is anything but of the highest standards – Barclays Africa is perhaps pre-emptively doing what KPMG should have done many moons ago: carefully weighing who it gets into bed with.
In the court of public opinion, you may well be found guilty by association.
Professions need to provide a highly skilled service to the public firstly and get paid reasonably for it secondly. If the order is reversed and getting paid becomes the first aim, at some point they will behave unprofessionally and the public will loose confidence it the profession. The best people to discipline professionals are fellow professionals who maintain the reputation of the profession through well-functioning professional councils, boards or societies. If this is seen to be what is being done, the public will retain confidence in the profession.
No the truth is every client gets vetted before KPMG takes them on in a series of client take-on checks. These probably showed a risk with the Gupta companies, but someone overruled that because the fees were just way too good to resist. At the end of the day it’s all about partner profits.
Anyone looking for a tame accountant?
Methinks, “this is why KPMG was lying down with dogs, and got up with flies” , as quoted by Barry Sregeant.
It’s a pity that the powers that be at KPMG did not heed Lord Acton’s immortal words: “Greed corrupts and absolute greed corrupts absolutely”(appropriately adapted).


FORMBY Lawn Tennis Club first team had a good 14-2 victory over Sphynx.
Mens: A.McGibbon and D.Steele 6-4, 6-4; Ladies: J.Mulliner and G.Richardson 6-1, 6-2.
Mens: A.McGibbon and D.Steele 6-4, 6-4; Ladies: J.Mulliner and G.Richardson 6-1, 6-2. Mixed: A.McGibbon and J.Mulliner 6-5, 6-3; D.Steele and P.Bentham 6-5, 6-4; M.McDonald and G.Richardson 6-2, 3-6; S.Cray and J.Bienias 6-1, 6-3.
The second team had a good 12-4 win at Moor Park.
Mens: N.Tolman and B.Bienias 6-4, 6-1; C.Lewis and S.Burns 6-4, 2-6. Ladies: G.Tolman K.Lamont 3-6, 4-6; K.Truman and K.Halstead 6-3, 6-5. Mixed: N.Tolman and G.Tolman 4-6, 6-3; C.Lewis and K.Lamont 6-5, 6-3; B.Bienias 6-5, 6-5; S.Burns and K.Halstead 6-1, 6-0.
The fourth team, under the enthusiastic captaincy of Rob Dodds, scored another win, 12-4, against Town Green.
Mens: N.Scott and S.McGurk 6-4, 6-2; R.Dodds and N.Mulliner 4-6, 6-3. Ladies: D.Johnston and S.Brereton 6-3, 3-6; K.Mitchell and K.Dickinson 6-2, 4-6.
Mixed: N.Scott and D.Johnson 6-2, 2-6; R.Dodds and S.Brereton 6-2, 6-3; S.MCGurk and K.Mitchell 6-2, 6-0; N.Mulliner and L.Dickinson 6-3, 6-5.
The fifth team did well to beat Hillside III 9-7 at home.
Mens: P.Fletcher and S.Hassall 2-6, 6-3; A.Briggs and M.Craig 6-2, 6-1. Ladies: K.Fitzgerald and J.Powell 6-5, 5-6; A.Caterson and C.Hughes 5-6, 6-2. Mixed: B.Fletcher and K.Fitzgerald 6-5, 5-6; S.Hassall and J.Powell 6-5, 5-6; A.Briggs and A.Caterson 1-6, 6-4; M.Craig and C.Hughes 6-2, 2-6.