Datasets:

yyu

/

news_corpus

like 1

A Wilson man who was shot Saturday in the chest was listed in guarded condition yesterday in Easton Hospital's intensive-care unit. Charles Haycock, 27, of 2419 Sycamore St. underwent surgery late Saturday after he was shot with a small-caliber handgun about 5:30 p.m. A hospital spokeswoman said Haycock had injuries to a number of organs. William Frederick Ehrie, 35, of 40 N. Locust St., Easton, was charged with the shooting after giving himself up to Wilson police later that night. He was arraigned before Easton District Justice Pat Maragulia on charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment and committed to Northampton County Prison without bail. Wilson Police Chief Richard Nace said additional weapons charges will be filed against Ehrie. None was filed as of last night. According to Nace's preliminary account of the incident, Ehrie had gone to the Sycamore Street address looking for his girlfriend, who he mistakenly thought was there. Nace said Ehrie entered the home andshot Haycock in the chest when confronted by him. Ehrie then went into the kitchen at the rear of the home and held a gun to Michelle Amy, who also lived there. The police chief said Ehrie then knocked Amy to the floor, kicked her in the face and fled. Amy went upstairs and woke Russell Bellis, who owns the Sycamore Street home. The two came downstairs and found Haycock on the kitchen floor. Haycock and Amy were transported to the hospital by the Suburban Rescue Squad. Amy was treated and released.

You might not be able to live out the rest of your days with Pride and Prejudice’s fictional Mr. Darcy, but you can spend them at his British estate. The estate will serve as the perfect muse for all that Pride and Prejudice fan fiction you’ve been dying to write. The estate, which has five miles worth of corridors, was home to the fourth Earl Fitzwilliam, who reportedly inspired Darcy himself. While $10.9 million might seem like a bargain, keep in mind that there is an estimated $65.6 million of required repairs.

The personal squabbling over the career of a ballet prodigy continued Monday when the mother of 15-year-old Misty Copeland dropped a request for a temporary restraining order against the girl's two instructors, but said she still wanted the couple to stay away from her daughter. Also complicating Misty's future were emancipation proceedings she had initiated against her mother, Sylvia DelaCerna. Monday, Torrance Superior Court Judge Lois Anderson Smaltz said the girl had told her she wanted to discontinue them. The Los Angeles dance community is watching the machinations closely. Misty won a prestigious Spotlight Award in ballet as the best young dancer in Los Angeles this year despite less than three years of dance experience. The victory caught the attention of professional dance companies, including the famed Joffrey Ballet. After meeting with attorneys in her chambers for nearly 45 minutes, the judge dismissed DelaCerna's motion for separate restraining orders against dance instructors Patrick and Cynthia Bradley as well as against the Los Angeles attorney who filed the emancipation case on Misty's behalf. DelaCerna had filed for the restraining orders because she said the Bradleys, who had taken Misty into their home for more than two years for dance training, had brainwashed her daughter into filing for her legal freedom. She alleged that they had only financial motives in mind. Monday's developments appeared to have had little effect on the tense custody standoff. Speaking before more than a dozen news cameras and reporters outside the courthouse following the judge's ruling, DelaCerna's attorney, Gloria Allred, said she expected the Bradleys to honor a sworn promise made in court declarations that they only wanted what was best for Misty and would "abide by any decision the family makes." "After a great deal of thought, Misty's mother has determined that it will be in Misty's best interest not to have any further contact with Cynthia and Patrick Bradley," Allred said. Earlier, the Bradleys told reporters that they still had a personal management contract with Misty--an agreement signed by the dancer's mother--that gave them exclusive rights to manage her career, as well as a 20% cut of her earnings, minus expenses, until her 18th birthday. "Our contract is still in full bloom," Cynthia Bradley said. "We hope to continue to manage Misty's career and be her teachers. Eventually, we hope to see her on every stage around the world." When asked about the contract, Allred said, "We believe that contract is voidable. We don't believe it's enforceable and we won't be honoring it." In dismissing the motions, Smaltz said the case revolved around "individual rights that emphasize personal success over the family unit or family togetherness." She said it was Misty's desire to live with her mother and not pursue emancipation. Smaltz added that in a closed-door meeting last week, Misty told her she wanted the parties to sit down privately and resolve their differences over her career. But DelaCerna said Monday that wouldn't be happening. Reading from a statement, she said, "I love my daughter immensely and will continue to support her in her dance career," adding that Misty will continue taking lessons at a Torrance dance school, away from the Bradleys. Misty also recited from a brief statement, saying, "I am happy that this is over and I can continue with my dancing." But in answer to reporters' questions, she seemed less sure of her words. "I've always wanted everyone to get along," she said.

Toys “R” Us won’t let a little thing like bankruptcy get in the way of Christmas. The toy retailer, which filed for Chapter 11 protection earlier this week, has announced it's still accepting applications for holiday positions at stores and distribution centers across the country. Interestingly, the world's largest retailer, Walmart, is not hiring holiday help. “We are offering the extra hours available this time of year to our current associates rather than hiring thousands of seasonal workers,” said executive vice president and CEO Judith McKenna. She points out that the company took the same approach last year and got “great feedback” from customers and employees alike. As it beefs up its workforce, Toys “R” Us is adding a new position: Toy Demonstrator. The job appears to be perfect for big kids at heart, as it involves unboxing, playing with toys, and allowing kids and shoppers opportunities to test them out. Toys “R” Us says it's offering incentives and competitive compensation packages for all hires in each local market, such as flex hours and varied shifts. Additionally, seasonal hires can take advantage of employee discounts and shopping events for their own holiday gift giving. The company says there also will be some opportunities for employment beyond the holidays as it has moved thousands of its holiday workforce to fill permanent roles. In addition to its stores and distribution centers, the Toys “R” Us customer service partner -- Acticall Sitel Group -- is hiring over 900 dedicated seasonal Work@Home agents at its Virtual Call Centers in 25 states across the country. Not only does Work@Home eliminate a commute and provide convenience and flexibility with schedules, it also allows parents and caregivers more time with family. To apply for positions at Toys “R” Us stores and distribution centers, interested candidates can visit Toysrusinc.com/HolidayJobs. The application is mobile-friendly and requires less than five minutes to complete. To apply for positions in Acticall Sitel Group call centers, interested candidates can visit Sitel.com/careers/work-home. DHL Supply Chain in Groveport, Ohio, which provides online fulfillment for Toys “R” Us throughout the holiday season, is hiring over 2,400 seasonal employees to help service online orders for Toysrus.com and Babiesrus.com. Available positions throughout the season include general labor, clerical, and forklift operators. To apply, interested candidates can visit dhlsupplychainjobs.com or text “TOYS2017” to 31996 for job information. To apply for available daytime and overnight positions in Acticall Sitel Group call centers, interested candidates can visit Sitel.com/careers/work-home.

The Trudeau government was in the hot seat again on Tuesday, as historically low prices being paid for Canadian oil continue to hit Alberta’s and Canada’s bottom lines. “There is a massive price differential (between West Texas Intermediate and Western Canadian Select) that is causing significant impacts on them,” he said, adding Ottawa would rather find a solution to the crisis than blame the Conservatives for past mistakes. “We will take no lessons from the party that was unable for 10 years to get resources to non-U.S. markets,” he said. The prime minister was responding to Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer’s demand to know whether Trudeau would reinstate an application to build the Northern Gateway pipeline. The proposed pipeline project was designed to ship crude through northern British Columbia, but the Liberal government cancelled it last July because of environmental concerns. In 2016, the Federal Court of Appeal also ordered that the project be reconsidered because of inadequate consultations with affected First Nations. The House of Commons was supposed to spend the day debating a Conservative opposition-day motion about threats to the Canadian economy. The Liberals are under pressure from Western Canadian premiers and Conservative MPs to find a solution to the oil-price crisis, which the Alberta government estimates is costing the country $80 million a day. As of Tuesday afternoon, Western Canadian Select was trading at US$27.95 a barrel, a US$11 increase from Dec. 3. In contrast, West Texas Intermediate Crude (WTI) was trading at US$53.13. The price increase comes two days after Alberta Premier Rachel Notley announced her government will cut oil production by 8.7 per cent starting Jan. 1. Notley has also said Alberta is willing to purchase enough train cars and locomotives to move up to 120,000 barrels of oil by rail a day. Notley has repeatedly asked the federal government for help, including a request that Ottawa amend or halt two pending pieces of energy-related legislation (one dealing with environmental assessments, the other a proposed tanker ban on the B.C. coast) that are currently under consideration in the Senate. Both Prairie governments and industry have warned that the two pieces of legislation, which are backed by environmentalists and several Indigenous communities, could halt investment in the energy sector. In an open letter to the prime minister sent Tuesday, Notley and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said the price discount must be put on the agenda of Friday’s meeting of first ministers in Montreal. “As proposed, the meeting agenda does not include any discussion on the crisis facing the energy industry and the price differential that is crippling the Alberta, Saskatchewan and Canadian economy,” the letter reads. “A crisis of this magnitude must be reflected in any discussion on ‘economic competitiveness,’ ” the letter continues. Premier @RachelNotley and I have formally asked PM @JustinTrudeau to include oil differential crisis on agenda at upcoming First Ministers mtg this week. When asked about the premiers’ letter, the Prime Minister’s Office replied in an email that the oil differential was “always going to be part of the discussion,” given the matter relates to topics already on the meeting’s agenda, such as competitiveness, jobs and trade diversification. In an open letter published in the Edmonton Journal and Calgary Herald on Tuesday, Alberta MP and Natural Resources Minister Amarjeet Sohi said “a perfect storm” is behind the current price differential. “I know how painful this differential is,” he wrote, but said his government is working with Alberta and Saskatchewan to find solutions to it. Sohi repeated his instructions to the National Energy Board, asking it to produce a report on current pipeline use and efficiencies. The minister has said he wants to know if more capacity exists in the current pipeline system. Earlier this year, the Trudeau government bought the Trans Mountain pipeline from Texas-based Kinder Morgan. But construction has stalled after the Federal Court of Appeal said in August that the environmental assessment was flawed and more consultation was needed with Indigenous Canadians. In 2016, the Trudeau government also approved Enbridge’s Line 3 project to replace the existing pipeline located between Hardisty, Alta., and Gretna, Man.

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said on Monday that the relieved chief of Bacolod City police and four other police officers who were linked to illegal drugs would be given due process. Albayalde’s assurance came after President Rodrigo Duterte earlier announced he was firing Senior Supt. Francisco Ebreo as chief of the Bacolod City police in Negros Occidental for allegedly enabling the proliferation of illegal drugs in the city. Four other officers fired by the President over alleged link to illegal drugs are Senior Supt. Allan Rubi Macapagal, Supt. Richie Makilan Yatar, Supt. Nasruddin Daud Tayuan and Senior Insp. Victor Paulino. “They will be afforded due process. Hindi naman porke ni-relieve sila they are guilty already (Just because they were relieved they are guilty already),” Albayalde said in a press briefing. According to Albayalde, the police officers were only removed from their posts pending investigation and that the President’s move does not equate to their dismissal from service. He also said the PNP has no right to question the decision of the President, whom he stressed is also the commander-in-chief of the PNP. “If that is the wisdom of the President, kailangan ma-implement natin iyon (If that is the wisdom of the President, we should implement it),” he said. Albayalde said Ebreo was not included in the drugs watchlist of the PNP. Chief Supt. John Bulalacao, director of the PNP in Western Visayas, earlier said he was surprised by the announcement of Duterte on firing Ebreo. Bulalacao said that all the while, he was trusting Ebreo with the campaign against illegal drugs and that he was in fact “delivering substantial accomplishments” as chief of Bacolod City Police.

As one of “Hawaii’s Best” when it comes to providing professional service, quality products and ample selection at affordable prices, Golden Cabinets & Stone assists Hawaii residents with pending building projects, upgrades and renovations — all while staying within or under budget. Golden Cabinets & Stone was named first-place winner as the top “Kitchen Cabinet Store” in the 2016 edition of Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s Hawaii’s Best People’s Choice Awards. As a way to thank its customers for the honor, Golden Cabinets & Stone is committed to helping clients take on a host of home improvement and renovation projects by offering stellar storewide savings. Customers are encouraged to take advantage of the incredible deals at Golden Cabinets & Stone as the entire stock of cabinetry is available for up to 50 percent off regular prices. In addition to the aforementioned savings, select tile options are also on sale for just 99 cents per square foot; tile can be used across a variety of applications, from enhancing a bathroom or kitchen to upgrading one’s floor. The business continues to refresh its inventory with the latest in attractive-yet-functional products, including new tile varieties and countertop styles available now. Golden Cabinets & Stone has been there for Hawaii’s consumers ever since owner Wayne Cao realized how expensive it had become to purchase various products in Hawaii and sought to bring affordable options to local residents. He explained that the company is fully stocked with “a wide range of choices” available to those shopping for everything from cabinetry to hardware — including handles for an attractive yet functional touch. Skilled professionals and do-it-yourselfers are encouraged to check out the vast inventory at Golden Cabinets & Stone’s convenient location. With a 3,000-square-foot showroom situated at 1299 Kaumualii St., the company offers multiple elements of customization. Special orders are welcomed, and if customers provide the measurements for their projects, the staff can also create a 3-D computer rendering of what the finished project will look like.

I will say flat out that I didn’t think December would be a down month, and yet it is shaping up to be the worst December since 1931, possibly ever when the month is over. Needless to say, the economic environment today is very different than during the Great Depression, so parallels are difficult to draw, despite the similarity of the stock market’s performance. Based on the latest consensus estimates from FactSet, growth in earnings per share for the S&P 500 SPX, +4.96% is going to be 20.6% in 2018 with another 7.9% in 2019, along with 5.3% revenue growth. I do not believe this financial panic is only about the expected slowdown in the economy and earnings. It is true that the stock market is forward-looking and that both EPS and GDP growth are expected to slow in 2019. A good example of what happens in a slowdown of EPS and GDP growth is the 2014-2016 stock-market environment, where we had several quarters with negative EPS growth (see chart). The stock market went into a trading range but retested the highs of that trading range multiple times before it “broke out”.

In November, Dubai won its bid to host the World Expo 2020. The city beat competition from Ekaterinburg in Russia, Izmir in Turkey and Sao Paolo in Brazil. Although the decision wasn't widely reported around the world, here in Dubai, the city went crazy. The announcement was made late evening our time, and within minutes, the world's tallest building, Burj Khalifa, was lit up by fireworks. Shortly after that, the ruler, Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al-Matktoum, announced that all schools were to be given the day off in celebration. The last-minute decision created a flurry of activity, as schools desperately tried to contact parents letting them know; messages flew around on email and text from schools, but in reality, the children were way ahead of the adults, and already contacting their mates with the news over BBM, text, and Skype. So what does this mean for Dubai and the UAE? Well, the emirate will spend $7bn on the direct infrastructure it needs for Expo 2020 and it is likely to create around 277,000 jobs between now and 2021, when the six-month exhibition finishes. It means more people coming here to live and work, more visas being processed, more companies bidding for work or supplying services and as this business activity increases, quietly in the background, it means data. Lots of data. Data on spending, on new residents, on schemes to prepare for the Expo, on the utility needs this sudden growth creates and so on. For the IT industry, the surge in the data that companies want to analyse means more demand for software, hardware and services. Dubai and the wider UAE recovered pretty quickly from the economic downturn. It kept spending on big infrastructure schemes and benefited economically from some of the tragedy happening elsewhere in the Arab world, as people fled conflict to set up home here. So, in big data terms, technology companies were already highlighting the UAE as among the fastest growing in the region. Expats, for instance, have to send their children to private schools over here, as state schools are open only to locals. The emirate's Knowledge and Human Development Authority, which oversees education, says there are 153 private schools in Dubai, educating more than 225,000 students across 15 curricula (such as the English, American or Indian national curriculum). Private schools cater to almost 89 percent of Dubai's population and due to their reputation, around 43 percent of local students also attend private schools. So, as the emirate's companies employ more people, you can guarantee that those who run the private schools are crunching the numbers as they try and estimate how many extra places will be needed over the next seven years, in which curricula they are likely to enrol and seeking trends in educational practices that can be adopted as they accommodate the rising student population. And so it will be for every other industry. Analyst firm IDC recently predicted before the win that investment in business analytics in the Middle East is expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate of more than 20 percent over the next five years. Just over 40 percent of CIOs in the Middle East, it said, are considering investments in analytics and big data technologies. The UAE, it added, "has been at the forefront of business analytics and big data adoption across the Middle East". The company said 58 percent of CIOs cited governance, regulation and compliance requirements, transparency, and reporting as key reasons for investing in big data and analytics technologies. EMC research also points to growing awareness of data analytics in the UAE. Its survey among 237 IT decision makers in the country found that 87 percent of respondents thought decision making within their company could be improved through better use of data, with 67 percent saying that senior managers trust the insights such analysis provides when making important business decisions. Further, 45 percent felt they had gained a competitive edge over a rival through big data analytics, with 67 percent stating that organisations that use such tools will be the ones that succeed. However, 27 percent of those surveyed said they have no plans to use big data technology and 57 percent said the lack of a clear business case or proven return on investment was the most common reason for not adopting it. So, while a quarter of companies are yet to be convinced, big data has the attention of the region's IT heads. It is more a case of coming, rather than arrived, but is still good news for all those involved in the industry. Third-party data centres for instance, are still an emerging industry in the Middle East, albeit now in the latter stages (and in the UAE, established). UAE neighbour Saudi Arabia, for instance, is also investing heavily. It has some pretty strict rules about where data can be held and as the region's engine of growth, datacentres could become big business. IDC reports that by the end of this year, the kingdom's IT spending will have reached $1.09bn, up 15.1 percent on 2012. Much of that is going into datacentres and IT as a service business models. So a growing economy is positive for future business, but it is likely to quickly uncover the fact that while data sets grow, the skills to analyse it, at least initially, won't keep pace. Big data analytics isn't all about the technology; it requires the human touch too. It is humans that set up the analysis and humans that through cognition, interpret the data. While the regional big data industry is firmly fledgling at the moment, it is expected to see high percentage growth in the next few years. And that also means a period of opportunity for the analysts, particularly those who can quickly adapt their skills. There is, I think, a measure of overconfidence around big data in the region, highlighted to a degree by the EMC's survey, where 79 percent of UAE-based respondents said their company had the right skills and knowledge to complete business priorities successfully and an equal number said it would be a challenge for skills to keep pace with IT innovation over the next three years. But expect Dubai and the wider UAE, and in its wake the richer industrialised countries, to be able to attract the people who can take big data and turn it into intelligence.

NEW YORK, Feb. 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Companies involved in U.S. construction plan on intensifying their involvement in green building over the next three years, according to the new World Green Building Trends Study from Dodge Data & Analytics, conducted with support from United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) and its UTC Climate, Controls & Security business. The U.S. is also one of the global leaders in the percentage of firms expecting to construct new green institutional projects and green retrofits of existing buildings. The global study, which received additional support from Saint-Gobain, the U.S. Green Building Council and the Regenerative Network, positions the U.S. as a strong participant in the global green movement. Responses from more than 1,000 building professionals from 60 countries place the U.S. green industry in context. The study also provides specific comparisons with 12 other countries from which a sufficient response was gained to allow for statistical analysis: Australia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Germany, India, Mexico, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa and the United Kingdom. According to the report, U.S. construction should see an increase in the share of green work in the next few years, largely as a result of companies intensifying their involvement in the green building industry. An increasing percentage of respondents projected that more than 60 percent of their projects would be green projects - from 24 percent of respondents in 2015 to 39 percent in 2018. Respondents projecting that fewer than 15 percent of their projects would be certified green plummeted from 41 percent in 2015 to 27 percent by 2018. While this increased share of green building is impressive, it is significantly less than many developing countries included in the survey. For example, Brazil expects six-fold growth (from 6 percent to 36 percent) in the percentage of companies conducting a majority of their projects green; five-fold growth is expected in China (from 5 percent to 28 percent); and four-fold growth is expected in Saudi Arabia (from 8 percent to 32 percent). "The strong U.S. industry for green building projects is clearly an opportunity for U.S. firms, but so is the rapid rise of green in many of the developing countries," said Stephen Jones, Senior Director of Industry Insights, Dodge Data & Analytics. "Expertise from experienced green designers, builders and manufacturers from the U.S. is likely to be essential to support the aggressive green building expectations revealed by the study respondents." In the U.S., the highest percentage of respondents report that they expect to work on new green institutional projects (such as schools, hospitals and public buildings), green retrofits of existing buildings and new green commercial construction (such as office and retail buildings) in the next three years. When compared with global averages, it becomes clear that the U.S. is a leader in new green institutional construction and green retrofits of existing buildings. 43 percent of U.S. respondents plan to work on green retrofits of existing buildings, again well above the global average of 37 percent. The U.S. is also distinguished from the global findings in terms of the importance it places on reducing energy consumption as an environmental reason for building green. Over three quarters (76 percent) of U.S. respondents consider this important, nearly double the percentage of the next most important environmental factor, which is reducing water consumption. While the other 12 countries in the study prioritize the reduction of energy consumption, only Germany, Poland and Singapore do so to the same extent. "The survey shows that global green building activity continues to double every three years," said United Technologies Chief Sustainability Officer John Mandyck. "More people recognize the economic and productivity value that green buildings bring to property owners and tenants, along with the energy and water benefits to the environment, which is driving the green building industry's growth. It's a win-win for people, planet and the economy." The study demonstrates the benefits of building green, with median operating cost decreases for green buildings of 9 percent expected in just one year globally. Building owners also report seeing a median increase of 7 percent in the value of their green buildings compared to traditional buildings, an increase that is consistent between newly built green buildings and those that are renovated green. These business benefits are a critical driver for the growth of green building anticipated globally. The U.S. is also notable for having the lowest percentage of respondents who report that their company uses metrics to track green building performance. Only 57 percent of U.S. respondents report using metrics, compared to a 75 percent average globally. This may be linked to the fact that the U.S. is also the country with the highest level of concern reported about higher perceived first costs for green building, notably more than the percentage who consider this an important challenge to green in other developed countries with active construction markets like Germany and the U.K. Dodge Data & Analytics is the leading provider of data, analytics, news and intelligence serving the North American construction industry. The company's information enables building product manufacturers, general contractors and subcontractors, architects and engineers to size markets, prioritize prospects, target and build relationships, strengthen market positions, and optimize sales strategies. The company's brands include Dodge, Dodge MarketShare™, Dodge BuildShare®, Dodge SpecShare® and Sweets. To learn more, visit http://www.construction.com. UTC Climate, Controls & Security is a leading provider of heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration systems, building controls and automation, and fire and security systems leading to safer, smarter, sustainable and high-performance buildings. UTC Climate, Controls & Security is a unit of United Technologies Corp., a leading provider to the aerospace and building systems industries worldwide. For more information, visit www.CCS.UTC.com or follow @UTC_CCS on Twitter.

The first major of the year began on Thursday as the 83rd edition of the Masters kicked off at Augusta. Tiger Woods enjoyed an impressive first round, with John Rahm and Adam Scott among those atop the leader board after the opening day's play. Ahead of the crucial second round, Sportsmail's DEREK LAWRENSON is on hand to tell us what else has been happening at Augusta. What are the chances of spotting a patron walking round Augusta National with a mobile phone? Not quite as astronomical as you think. Turns out that players' wives are allowed to wander the course with one if they have a child in day care. 'They might need to get hold of us quickly,' explained one wag, quite reasonably. Ian Woosnam has threatened on several occasions to call it a day at the Masters but the end really might be nigh for the Welshman who won the title way back in 1991. Now 61, he opened with an 80 and will surely miss the halfway cut on Friday for the 17th time in the last 18 years. Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player came into the press room after their ceremonial drives to get the Masters underway, and talked. Boy, did they talk. Indeed at 75 minutes in length, 79-year-old Nicklaus and 83-year-old Player only just failed to shoot their age. Better luck next year, boys. Danny Willett's travails at the Masters since winning the green jacket in 2016 continued with a first-round 75, and he will need to play well to avoid a third successive missed cut. The Yorkshireman's problems all stemmed from one poor approach shot to the 10th, which led to a lost ball and a triple bogey seven. Sports page headline writers the world over must be hoping that 19-year-old Californian Devon Bling builds on his first Masters appearance and starts making millions in the pro ranks. Let's hope for a final-round shootout one day with the currently injured Cameron Champ.

Debutant Andrew Tye registered the second hat-trick of the day as a clinical Gujarat Lions defeated Rising Pune Supergiant by seven wickets to notch up their first win in the ongoing Indian Premier League, here today. Opting to bowl first, right-arm pacer Tye, playing his first IPL match, returned with impressive figures of 5 for 17 from his four overs to enable Gujarat Lions restrict Supergiant to 171 for eight. Tye's was the second hat-trick of the day in the history of IPL after Royal Challengers Bangalore's Samuel Badree (4/9) achieved the feat earlier against Mumbai Indians in a losing cause. Tye was instrumental in keeping the Supergiant's total under check, especially after a blazing start by opener Rahul Tripathi (33 off 17) and skipper Steven Smith (43 off 28). Later chasing the target, Brendon McCullum (49 off 32) and Dwayne Smith (47 off 30) got Gujarat Lions off to a flier with a blazing 94-run opening stand to set the base for the convincing victory. Skipper Suresh Raina (35 not out) and Aaron Finch (33 not out) then joined hands and stitched an unbeaten 61-run fourth wicket stand to overwhelm the target with two overs to spare. Finch finished off the proceedings in great style, clobbering Lockie Ferguson for two huge hits over the fence to get Gujarat Lions' campaign back on track after defeats in the opening two matches. Chasing the challenging total, Gujarat Lions got off to a blazing start with McCullum and Dwayne Smith sharing qucikfire 94 runs for the opening stand in just 53 balls. Both McCullum and Dwayne Smith looked in murderous mood as they mostly dealt fours and sixes. The duo didn't spare a single Supergiant bowler as they effortlessly struck boundaries and sixes. Supergiant finally manged to put some brakes on the Gujarat Lions' scoring rate when Shardul Thakur dismissed Dwayne Smith in the ninth over, caught at third man by Rahul Chahar. Dwayne Smith scored his runs off 30 balls with the help of eight boundaries and one six. The fall of Dwayne Smith's wicket resulted in another two overs later when a charging McCullum was stumped by Mahendra Singh Dhoni off leg-spinner Chahar's bowling. New man in Dinesh Karthik too didn't last long as he chopped on Imran Tahir's googly on to his stumps in the next over. Earlier electing to bowl, Gujarat Lions got off to a prefect start as veteran Praveen Kumar (1/51) removed dangerous Ajinkya Rahane for a duck with the third ball of the innings. The credit for the dismissal should go to Gujarat Lions skipper Raina who pulled off a one-handed blinder at the first slip from a good length delivery that came in after pitching and cramped the batsman for room only to induce an outside edge. Thereafter, Supergiant skipper Smith and Tripathi took the attack to the opposition and stitched quick 63-run partnership off just 32 balls to take Gujarat Lions forward. Tripathi smacked Praveen for two consecutive sixes and a four and then Smith hit the bowler two consecutive boundaries to pick up 25 runs from the fifth over. But Tye put the brakes on the scoring with a slower delivery by removing the dangerous-looking Tripathi in his first over as the batsman went for another huge hit only to lift the ball as far as mid-off into the safe hands of Finch. Smith was the next to depart when he mistimed a Dwayne Smith delivery to Finch at long-on with the Supergiant scoreboard reading 89 for two in 9.2 overs. Tye once again came tothe party when he went through the defence of Ben Stokes in the 13th over. Under-fire Dhoni's (5) woeful run in the tournament continues as he lasted a just eight deliveries, caught in plumb in front of the wicket by Ravindra Jadeja (1/40). Manoj Tiwary (31) and Ankit Sharma (25) then added valuable 47 runs for the sixth wicket to push Supergiant's forward. But Tye left his best for the last over of the innings and dismissed Ankit, Tiwary and Shardul Thakur with the first three balls to halt Supergiant's surge. Tye was at his effective as he deceived the batsmen, who went for big shots, with best with his slower balls that includes his famous knuckle delivery. Tye was unlucky not to get his sixth wicket of the day in the form of Rahul Chahar as Jadeja dropped a simple chance in the final delivery of the innings.

Competitors from the Peaked Masters, in white, defeated the the Navy Old and Gnarly Goats, in blue, at the Vail Lacrosse Shootout on Saturday, June 30 to earn the Zenmasters division trophy for athletes ages 60 and older. While the Vail Lacrosse Shootout is known for featuring college and pro-level athletes, the most impressive division might be the Zenmasters. The 60-and-older division wrapped up on Saturday, June 30, after three days of play. The four-team division saw the Peaked Masters go undefeated to earn the division trophy, taking out the Navy Old and Gnarly Goats. Los Abuelos de C2C finished third followed by Mr. Boh in fourth. Equally as impressive as — and probably contributing to — the Vail Lacrosse Shootout’s robust showing of players 60 and older, the Grandmasters division of players ages 50 to 59 had the most teams of all masters level play, with six squads competing for the championship. Los Viejos de C2C redeemed themselves after taking second in 2017, going home with the division championship on Saturday. The Tombstone team finished second in the division followed by the Eldest Statesmen in third, EMW in fourth, Middlebury in fifth and the Navy Grand Goats in sixth. The 40-and older Supermasters Championship saw the WLF/Magic Wands start full speed ahead without slowing down. Their opponents the Elder Statesmen tried to close the gap throughout the game, but were never quite able to catch up, and the Magic Wands went home with their second consecutive Supermasters championship. The Elder Statesmen finished second in the Supermasters division, followed by Like a Dog in third and Finally 40 in fourth. With their elders now finished, men ages 30 and older kicked off the masters division of play on Sunday, July 1. Post-high school level play also began with both women and men, in the Elite level brackets. The Men’s Elite went through their first day of bracket play, while the Women’s Elite started round-robin play. The Men’s Masters also competed in round robin to determine seeding for a two-day bracket. On Monday, July 2, spectators are welcome to watch elite-level play take place in Vail throughout the day. The Ford Park fields will feature men’s elite division play with matches scheduled for 8:45 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m., noon, 12:15 p.m. and 2 p.m. Women’s elite plate will take place at the Vail athletic fields, with matches scheduled for 9 a.m., 10:15 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. Men’s masters division bracket play will take place at Vail Mountain School from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The tournament continues through Tuesday, July 3, before wrapping up in true holiday fashion in Vail, with elite-level brackets culminating on Independence Day. The top level men’s play will be showcased on Wednesday, July 4, in Ford Park starting at 9 a.m. and women’s play at the Vail Athletic Fields starting at 8:30 a.m. The preceding is compiled from press releases courtesy of the Vail Lacrosse Shootout, for more information visit vaillacrosse.com.

There is now less than one week to go before the gun goes off to start the Berhamsted Half Marathon and Five Mile Fun Run. At this point in the schedules, there’s not a lot that the runners can do to improve their performance other than taper their training, indulge in a bit of carbo loading and hydration, and get plenty of rest before the big day. But there’s one group that will be gearing up to fever pitch this week, and that is, of course, the organisers: the Rotary Club of Berkhamsted Bulbourne. They have been planning the race down to the minute details for the past eight months, and the days leading up to March 1 are a ‘make or break’ race against time to make sure everything goes off without a hitch. This year’s event will be the 33rd running of the Berkhamsted Half Marathon. The first race, in 1982, was organised by Barry Devereux, a Rotary Club member and a keen runner. The race grew gradually, reaching a total of 270 runners in 2000, and over the past 15 years it has grown more than five-fold, with some 1,500 runners taking part in 2014. This year, with the five mile race doubling as both the Herts Vets County Championships and the Schools Challenge, the Rotary Club could find that every single one of the 1,750 medals are placed around a finisher’s neck. Work starts on the event eight months ahead of time, with the Rotary organisers meeting in July each year to begin planning. Peter Robertson, who has been involved with the race for 20 years and race director for the last 14 editions, reckons that more than 500 hours are devoted to the process. On top of this, more than 180 volunteers give up their time on race day – ranging from Rotarians and their friends and family, the local Lions Club, friends of the Pepper Foundation and the Hospice of St Francis, and local ATC cadets and officers. And every year, the race gets better; chief marshal John Simpson points out that this year’s race will have a group warm-up at the start area before the half marathon kicks off. There will also be two extra water stations, a slight improvement to the course which will take the runners down Castle Street, and the option to buy a souvenir race T-shirt for the first time. Brownlow Road will remain closed to traffic, as in the previous two years. John and Peter both commented on the invaluable contribution of the sponsors, which will total more than 50 this year – including major sponsors SA Law, VAH, On-Site Maintenance, Charmac Ltd and Specialist Building Contractors, Iceni Waters, Elf Ideas, Gil-lec Electrical, Knight Frank, FFEI Ltd and Berkhamsted Sports. The sponsors are vitally important, according to John, as their donations keep administration costs down, thus allowing the Rotary Club to donate more money to charity. The Berkhamsted races have now become a fixture on the race calendar, not just for their optimum scheduling some six weeks before the spring marathon season, but for the impeccable organisation, superb marshalling and the beauty of the wonderful - if hilly - countryside. The event is known for varied weather, from snow to torrential rain to blazing sunshine – part and parcel of an early spring race – and there have also been some major hurdles in recent years. Peter remembers how in 2001, the race had to be cancelled due to the Foot and Mouth outbreak, while in 2003, only a few runners showed up after a heavy snowfall. In 2006, he found out that part of the route had been dug up, only one week before race day. Yet for Peter, the event never fails to bring satisfaction. “It gives me great pleasure every year to help organise the race for the benefit of the local community and runners alike,” he said. “The buzz on the day to see all the smiling faces is just fantastic, let alone the end result, when we can help benefit local charities. “I have been out in all kinds of weather but in the end we all shine through with the common goal to serve the community. > Sussex Sport Photography (SSP) have once again been named official photographers of the Berkhamsted races. This year, like last year, they will be back on site with two photographers, Seb and Sally, who will spend a total of close to 10 hours at the event covering all 1,800 runners from four different vantage points, operating four different cameras. In 2014, SSP took more than 22,000 photos in Berkhamsted, which worked out to an average of over 12 per runner, and after editing, some 19,288 of these went online. Company director Anthony Bliss added that, in addition to the hours that the photographers spend on the course, another 25 hours were spent back at head office cataloguing the race numbers against the photos so they can be found easily online. Explaining why the coverage is so thorough, he added; “We have set the business up to reward the photographers to capture the emotion of the moment – the photographers are on commission to do exactly that – it is a win-win for everyone involved, so I hope everyone has a really good run this year”.

"Transmission Intake Filtration System" by Frank Hercinger, Beau Kidman et al. This project accomplished the design and testing of an internal oil filter for a manual transmission of a heavy-duty truck. Research was conducted in an attempt to locate a pre-fabricated filter, but the filters researched did not meet the required properties. A filter was then designed to meet the specifications of the customer. The concept design consisted of a steel rectangular cage wrapped with a stainless steel woven wire mesh. The dimensions of the filter were optimized to fill the allotted cavity of the transmission case. The final dimensions of the prototype were 2" x 2" x 5"(Height x Width x Length). A series of prototypes were constructed with different design options. Preliminary testing was conducted, and a formal test procedure was written for the customer to ensure all performance requirements were met. The preliminary testing showed that the different concept filter designs maintained an acceptable flow rate through the test system. A significant pressure change was measured but this did not affect the flow rate. Minor deformation in the filter was noted due to the pressure differential but this can be eliminated with an improved fabrication process. The loss coefficient was determined with the information gained from the tests and the value fell into an acceptable range for filters. Analysis of the results showed that a filter with a relief valve would be best to fulfill the design goals. Finally, it is recommended that further testing would be needed to ensure proper operation of the filter under all operating conditions. Hercinger, Frank; Kidman, Beau; and Van Syckel, Seth, "Transmission Intake Filtration System" (2002). Honors Theses. 1920.

Market Torque LLC is a marketing firm that advises small and emerging businesses in marketing strategy and execution. To support the local entrepreneurship community, Market Torque has become a sponsor of iMADdu’s Student Apprenticeship Program. April 17, 2012 - PRLog -- Fairfax, VA: Founded by Emily Summers, Market Torque LLC is a marketing firm that advises small and emerging businesses in marketing strategy and execution. To further support the local entrepreneurship community, Market Torque has become a sponsor of iMADdu’s Student Apprenticeship Program (SAP). iMADdu (I make a difference, do you?) Inc. is a nonprofit organization that provides experiences to students to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs through apprenticeship and mentorship. Through the SAP Program, students have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience and to personally learn from an established entrepreneur. Market Torque LLC is committed to helping small and emerging businesses increase their market presence in Washington D.C., Virginia and Maryland. Core industries we support include technology and professional services. Market Torque offers insight into your marketing and business development based on large corporate marketing experience and client experience. Ultimately, Market Torque’s mission is to help your business grow. For more information, visit www.MarketTorque.com.

Our family was thrilled to learn that the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy, the city of Rancho Palos Verdes and the California Coastal Conservancy were able to combine to purchase another large addition to the open space preserves in Rancho Palos Verdes. All credit to the City Council, the staffs of these fine organizations and the citizens of Rancho Palos Verdes for bringing about this brilliant result. The preservation of open space adds tremendous value to our city, and greatly preserves and enhances the quality of life of its residents. Many years from today, when Southern California is even more built out and dense than it is today, future generations will marvel at, and give thanks for, the vision and wisdom of these fine people who have created this wonderful legacy for us and our children and grandchildren. I have two daughters attending college this year. My oldest is a junior at UCLA and a communications major. My youngest is a freshman at Cal State University, East Bay, where she is on the swim team. We have seen over the years the impact on our children’s schools from budget cuts. This year I feel I am at the end of my rope. The first day of classes for my oldest daughter just didn’t happen. She and her professors took part in demonstrations instead of lectures. Many of the professors in the Communications Department are facing layoffs. This is already a highly impacted major. You need a very high GPA your freshman year just to get in. Now, with budget cuts, they are reducing the staff. That, to me, seemed incredible. Last week, however, the crisis really hit home. My youngest daughter has been sick with a cold. She was at swim practice and was having trouble breathing. She spoke to her coach and he advised her to leave practice and go directly to the student health office. She did just that only to find out that it was closed due to furloughs. How can that be? Furloughs shutting down the health care of your child? Is that what we want for our children in this state? How many million-dollar homes do we have here? People driving cars that are worth more than some people’s homes. Shame on every lawmaker in Sacramento! Shame on all of us for letting this happen. I read the other day that our state’s public college and university system has been considered a model for the rest of the country. I don’t know if that is true anymore. I would gladly pay more in fees to know that my children will get the education and care that they deserve but I understand that that is not an option for everyone. So I ask, and it has been asked before, why do we choose to balance the budget by hurting our kids? Governor, where do your kids go to school? Thank you for your front-page story “Local district a model of health” (Wednesday). Writer Melissa Evans captured the benefits of the remarkable resource that Beach Cities Health District offers within the larger context of the current health care prevention and intervention debate. I have experienced firsthand the unique philosophy, commitment and expertise that BCHD offers by being both a consumer and a volunteer. BCHD has provided valuable risk-prevention and support services to two of my family members, one middle-age and the other a senior citizen. In gratitude, I’ve been serving as a volunteer on a strategic planning committee, witnessing how BCHD plans for and responds to its constituents. Many of us who read the Daily Breeze are fortunate that we are able to access health services for our loved ones and ourselves when needed. However, as a social work professor, I know that when we live in proximity to others who are at risk, whether through communicable diseases or other problems, then none of us can really be well. There’s a famous expression, “The safest ship in a storm is leadership.” Hopefully, the public can garner the will to demand our politicians ensure that more people benefit from the visionary leadership and service delivery Chief Executive Officer Susan Burden and her staff provide for us in Hermosa, Redondo and Manhattan Beach. It has recently been reported that House Minority Leader Congressman John Boehner (R-Ohio) claims he has not met a single American outside of Congress or the administration that supports a public health option. 1. The cost of health care is wreaking havoc on the U.S. economy. Given current trend in growth of health care costs, the ranks of the uninsured will continue to grow at an accelerated rate as health insurance becomes more expensive and by 2017 Medicare will not be able to meet its commitments. 2. The U.S. spends significantly more on health care per capita than any other industrialized nation because every other industrialized nation has a public option that controls cost. 3. The argument that a public option will put private health insurance companies out of business is absurd, as every other industrialized nation has thriving private health insurance companies despite the public option, including those countries with so-called “single-payer” plans such as England and Canada. Boehner’s comment says more about either his integrity or the circles in which he travels than the state of our nation. Perhaps his party should be wondering if he is the right man to lead even a minority party and his constituents if he is fit for office at all.

A common misconception about my profession is that we spend a lot of our time devising fancy avoidance schemes usually involving exotic offshore destinations. I’m afraid that for firms like ours the reality is much more mundane – think Canvey Island rather than the Cayman Islands. The majority of what we do is quite routine compliance work such as tax returns. But this is interspersed with some more interesting stuff, including planning, company reorganisation and acquisitions. I love this advisory work, not just because it’s the most profitable but also because it is intellectually challenging. Like most of us in tax, I’m a bit of a nerd. There is a lot of nonsense talked about tax. Contrary to popular belief most rich people don’t avoid tax: they pay lots of it. It is very difficult for a UK resident and domiciled individual to legally avoid tax – most of the “tax gap” is caused by multinational companies, and to tackle that needs international cooperation. I’ve found most people take a realistic approach to paying tax – they may grumble about it but in the end they’ll pay it. There are a few people who try to avoid paying any tax if they can, almost as a matter of principle. But they make nightmare clients, and I won’t deal with them. Obviously a hot topic is where legitimate tax planning ends and unacceptable avoidance starts. My own view is that once you start introducing artificial transactions with no commercial purpose then you’re in danger of crossing the line from planning to avoidance. I have never advocated “packaged” avoidance schemes to my clients, and in fact have actively discouraged people from using them. This is on practical as well as moral grounds – most just don’t work, as evidenced by HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) current 80% success rate when challenging them at tribunals. Not many people appreciate that George Osborne probably did more to clamp down on tax avoidance and evasion than any other chancellor. His accelerated payment notice regime has basically killed off promoted schemes. Anyone who uses one these days is either very brave or very stupid. There has been a lot of fuss recently over the fact that HMRC’s high-net-worth unit has apparently prosecuted only one person in the past five years. This doesn’t surprise me at all. If HMRC’s aim is to recover as much tax as possible in the shortest time, it makes sense to pursue a civil settlement – they get the tax plus interest and penalties (up to 100%) for comparatively little effort on their part. If they prosecute it can take years, costing millions, and there is no guarantee of a conviction at the end of it. The burden of proof in a criminal case is high and it can be difficult to prove intent. I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I graduated at the end of the 70s and drifted into accountancy almost by accident. I qualified as a chartered accountant in the early 80s and spent the first few years in audit before moving to more general practice work. I found I was doing more and more tax work and enjoying it, so I took the exams and qualified as a chartered tax adviser. I’m a partner in a small suburban practice. There are 20 of us in total and it’s a really nice place to work. I think so anyway, and most of our staff seem to agree, as very few people leave. We pay well and offer flexible working, which is very popular as many of our employees have caring responsibilities. I do fairly normal office hours, although sometimes I’ll work late or over the weekend if there is a particularly tight deadline. My hourly rate is £200 to £300, depending upon the complexity of the work, and I earn a decent, six-figure income. That’s much less than partners in large firms earn, but I don’t think I could cope with the pressure they are under. Much of my time is spent making sure that our clients don’t fall foul of what are sometimes very complex rules when carrying out normal commercial transactions. For instance, at the moment I’m working on a demerger, splitting a family business between two warring factions. There are reliefs available to enable this to happen without a huge tax bill but there are strict conditions too, and my job is to make sure they are all met. Our client base is varied: mainly family businesses and their owners, plus some reasonably wealthy individuals but also quite a few high-net-worth individuals – people with a total wealth of at least £10m and in most cases considerably more. Some people have very complex affairs, and to handle them properly you need to know a lot about them, including some very personal things. I think I know more about some of my clients’ personal affairs than their own partners do. Confidentiality is absolutely critical. They have to trust me, and that’s why a good rapport with the client is essential. I get on very well with most of them, and some have become personal friends. If you don’t get on, then the relationship doesn’t usually last very long. The clients who really annoy me are those who take decisions, sometimes involving significant sums of money, based on what they read in the newspaper or what their pals at the golf club have told them, without taking heed of professional advice. Usually it’s because they don’t want to pay for an hour of my time. A frequent mistake is to give an asset away to save on inheritance tax without realising there’s a possible capital gains tax liability. On the whole I like my job, but there are a number of frustrations. Dealing with HMRC can be a nightmare owing to cutbacks and constant reorganisations. A lot of their senior staff have left and been replaced with more junior people, sometimes barely above the level of call centre operatives. Then there’s keeping up to date with the torrent of new legislation appearing every year. Despite being a tax geek, I struggle. How the average unrepresented taxpayer is supposed to cope, I don’t know. All in all, I’m pretty happy with my career choice. It’s given me a decent living doing something I like. I’m coming up to that age when thoughts turn to retirement but I’ve no plans to cut back in the near future. I imagine I’ll carry on doing something in this line, even if only for a couple of days a week, for as long as I’m able. One thing is sure: people will always need tax advice.

Embrace the intimate and sophisticated lounge experience in the epicenter of energy at Bellagio — Lily Bar & Lounge. Here, discerning patrons escape to the lavish comforts of an elite 3,393-square-foot retreat with lavish décor, featuring panoramic views of the surrounding casino floor. Imported Spanish stone tabletops and plush community-style ottomans are accentuated by the lounge's brilliant mahogany colors and golden tones offering a sleek aesthetic. This complements the lounge's unique and unexpected seasonal cocktail offerings crafted by a true master mixologist, as well as inspired music mixed by top DJs. Whether you want to savor a signature cocktail mixed to perfection, mingle with fellow associates and glitterati alike or simply watch your favorite sports on one of several HDTVs, Lily's exemplary staff offers customizable services to help cater your every whim. Enjoy an unforgettable time at Lily Bar & Lounge.

Heather E. Henderson sat down for lunch one recent afternoon at Bourbon Steak, the Georgetown Four Seasons restaurant where she’s a regular. She ordered raw oysters, Singapore noodles and one of the head bartender’s house-made apple sodas. Then, she engaged her lunch companion: the iPhone that has commanded — or at least divided — Henderson’s attention on countless eating excursions. Swipe swipe, tap tap tap. Dining out alone? There’s an app for that. The lonely experience of passively reading while waiting for the bread basket has given way to e-mailing or playing Angry Birds before attacking a 28-ounce, dry-aged, butter-poached slab of prime porterhouse ($65 at Bourbon Steak). The development churns some restaurateurs’ stomachs. At Rogue 24 — a theatrical, envelope-pushing Washington restaurant where the chefs work at the center of the 52-seat dining room — proprietor R.J. Cooper has even banned electronic devices. But some diners have gone, well, rogue. “There’s not a lot we can do,” Cooper said. “They’re paying our bills. Here’s the thing: People are so attached to their . . . smartphones and tablets that they’re going to use them regardless. We’re not cops about it. We can’t make them turn them off. Eric Ziebold sees it all the time from his kitchen at City­Zen,his four-star restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Southwest: solo diners with smartphones, tablets, even laptops. Some put them down when the James Beard Award-winning chef sends pumpkin tournedos and duck bolognese to their tables. Others barely look up. To MIT professor Sherry Turkle, who studies people’s relationships with technology, the proliferation of solo diners focusing on glowing digital companions is more sour than sweet. “Having a solitary meal in a restaurant is a basic spiritual practice,” she said. “It’s a classic way to experience moments of solitude and to refresh and restore and gather yourself. Let us pause here for a restorative palate cleanser: The devices aren’t actually everywhere. Drive out to Washington, Va., to the Inn at Little Washington, a high temple of American cuisine, and you’re not likely to see any diners — solo or otherwise — checking in on Foursquare. For another, according to owner-chef Patrick O’Connell, his staff works hard to save guests from digital distractions. “We’re particularly adept at casting a spell and luring them into participating in something that is riveting,” he said, adding that he couldn’t recall an instance of a diner goofing off on a phone or tablet between courses. Yet some top chefs and restaurateurs who are not exactly enamored by the trend do this very thing when they’re eating alone. Henderson shrugged as her bowl of curried Singapore noodles got cold. Of course, she’d already shared it with friends: Before taking a single bite, Henderson had snapped a photo of the dish with her iPhone and posted it online.

In 1987, Blessed John Paul II wrote his encyclical letter entitled "Mother of the Redeemer: On the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Life of the Pilgrim Church." It contains a wonderful summary of the teaching of the Church on the meaning, mystery and gift of Mary in the Plan of Salvation. It proceeds through the Scripture, the Sacred Tradition, the Church Councils, and the Magisterial teachings of the Church. The Holy father wrote: "With good reason, then, at the end of this Millennium, we Christians who know that the providential plan of the Most Holy Trinity is the central reality of Revelation and of faith feel the need to emphasize the unique presence of the Mother of Christ in history, especially during these last years leading up to the year 2000. "The Second Vatican Council prepares us for this by presenting in its teaching the Mother of God in the mystery of Christ and of the Church. If it is true, as the Council itself proclaims, that 'only in the mystery of the Incarnate Word does the mystery of man take on light,' then this principle must be applied in a very particular way to that exceptional "daughter of the human race," that extraordinary "woman" who became the Mother of Christ. Only in the mystery of Christ is her mystery fully made clear. Thus has the Church sought to interpret it from the very beginning: the mystery of the Incarnation has enabled her to penetrate and to make ever clearer the mystery of the Mother of the Incarnate Word. "The Council of Ephesus (431 AD) was of decisive importance in clarifying this, for during that Council, to the great joy of Christians, the truth of the divine motherhood of Mary was solemnly confirmed as a truth of the Church's faith. Mary is the Mother of God (= TheotĂłkos), since by the power of the Holy Spirit she conceived in her virginal womb and brought into the world Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is of one being with the Father. "The Son of God...born of the Virgin Mary...has truly been made one of us," has been made man. "Thus, through the mystery of Christ, on the horizon of the Church's faith there shines in its fullness the mystery of his Mother. In turn, the dogma of the divine motherhood of Mary was for the Council of Ephesus and is for the Church like a seal upon the dogma of the Incarnation, in which the Word truly assumes human nature into the unity of his person, without cancelling out that nature." The first four ecumenical Councils of the Church confirmed and defined Christian belief about the nature of God and the meaning of the Incarnation, saving life, death, ascension and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Council pronouncements concerning Mary were made in reference to defending the truths about Jesus Christ and God's plan of salvation for the entire human race. That plan included, and still includes, the Mother of God. The Catechism, in keeping with the unbroken tradition of the Church, makes the inseparable connection or link between the humanity of Jesus and the humanity of his Mother, as did Blessed John Paul in his encyclical letter cited above. The first four Councils of the Church, which are almost universally accepted among the broader Christian community even beyond the full communion of the Catholic Church, did the same. St. Gregory the Great (540-604 AD) once affirmed "I confess that I accept and reverence the four Councils as I do the four Gospels...for they are founded on universal consent." The Councils affirmed the core of the Christian claim about who Jesus is and thus, who we can become in Him. The Council of Nicaea in 325 AD contended with a priest of Alexandria named Arius who taught that the Word or Son of God (who "became flesh and dwelt among us" as Jesus - Jn 1:14) was not God. Misusing passages in John's Gospel (14:28) where Jesus proclaimed "the Father is greater than I" Arius denied that the Word of God, was eternal. The bishops at Nicaea considered all the texts of the Gospels (such as Jn 10:30: "I and the Father are one") under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and declared that Arius was in error. The Son or Word of God is God (see Jn 1:1) and always existed. This was memorialized in the Nicene Creed. They used a Greek word homoousios, which meant that the Word or Son is of the same "being" as God the Father. If the Father is God, so is the Son. The struggle continued for fifty more years before the First Council of Constantinople (381 AD) reaffirmed the creed of Nicaea. This ecumenical council also felt it necessary to affirm the divinity of the Holy Spirit, the "Lord and Giver of Life" who with the Father and the Son "is worshipped and glorified" and that phrase was added to the Nicene Creed. In the fifth century there were two more councils that addressed questions about Jesus. In the early 5th century a prominent bishop, Nestorius, rejected the title "theotokos" or "God-bearer" as a proper term for Mary. Christians had always affirmed that the mother of Jesus could rightly be called the "Mother of God" or "God-bearer" because the Gospels teach that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit in Mary. Mary's consent, her "Fiat" to the message of the Angel Gabriel (see Lk 1:26-38) was an essential element of the faith of the early Church, a model for all Christians. She was viewed as the "Second Eve" whose "Yes" untied the knot caused by Eve's "No". A Bishop named Nestorius objected to the title of Theotokos, Mother of God or God Bearer for Mary. The Council of Ephesus met in 431AD and affirmed Mary was the "Mother of God" because she is the mother of God in his human nature which, because of the Incarnation, could not be separated from the divine nature. The Council also affirmed that Mary's exercise of her human freedom, her assent, was a significant part of the plan of salvation, giving to the Incarnate Word, Jesus, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, his true and full humanity. When God the Holy Spirit "overshadowed" Mary the child born to her was truly God, the Son or Word of God (Lk 1:30-35). After this Council, a monk, Eutyches claimed that before Jesus took flesh in Mary but that there were two "natures" - a divine and a human nature. After the union of the two natures in Mary's womb, only one nature was left in Jesus - the divine nature. Eutyches essentially proposed that the divine nature swallowed up the humanity of Jesus. So Jesus only took on human appearance. The Cappadocian father, Gregory of Nazianzus, once proclaimed "whatever was not assumed was not healed". In that we understand the danger of the denial of the sacred humanity of Jesus. Redemption would not be complete. The Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD dealt with this threat to the meaning and implications of the Incarnation of the Word of God. The creed of the Council of Chalcedon declared that Jesus Christ is one person who exists "in two natures" - a divine nature and a human nature - which are neither confused ("blended together" into a third nature) nor divided or separated. Jesus is fully God and truly and fully human. Thus, the first four ecumenical Councils defined the meaning of the most foundational belief of the Christian faith and, as a result preserved the great promise of that faith for each one of us. In these Councils, as in the Second Vatican Council, what was said about Mary ensured the continued proclamation of the fullness of the truth about Jesus Christ.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has issued a report that examines workforce diversity across 17 agencies that operate under the Intelligence Community. The Annual Demographic Report: Hiring and Retention of Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities in the United States Intelligence Community Fiscal Year 2015 shows that the percentage of minorities that comprise the IC workforce rose to approximately 25 percent during fiscal year 2015, up from almost 21 percent in FY 2011, ODNI said Friday. According to the report, the attrition rate among women in the IC dropped by 1.7 percentage points between FY 2014 and 2015 and female employees in the IC achieved nearly 47 percent of the honorary awards and 43.9 percent of promotions. PWD workforce in the IC reached 7.9 percent in FY 2015, a figure lower than their representation in the federal workforce at 8.99 percent, the report said. The document also noted that several IC elements including the CIA, U.S. Air Force and the National Security Agency have integrated inclusion performance and diversity goals in their performance evaluation plans for senior executives. “While we have made progress, the data indicates greater work needs to be done to create a more diverse workforce,” said Rita Sampson, chief of the equal employment opportunity and diversity office at ODNI.

THIS summer Starlight is set to receive an impressive list of artists in Marbella, including Il Divo, Maluma and Supertramp’s Roger Hodgson. The Beach Boys will kick off the musical extravaganza on July 11 at 10pm, having performed at the venue back in 2014. Starlight Festival has two different zones, the Auditorium stage and the ‘Sessions’ area. The Auditorium area, where most of the big artists perform, has a capacity of around 3,000 people. Artists as famous as Enrique Iglesias, Elton John, Lenny Kravitz, Lionel Richie, Andrea Bocelli, Ricky Martin, Tom Jones, Pet Shop Boys, Alejandro Sanz, Eros Ramazzotti, Luis Fonsi, Plácido Domingo, Anastacia, Luis Miguel, Sting, Maná, David Bisbal and Hardwell have all played unforgettable concerts at the Starlite Festival.

Learning How to Love My Kids, Again (or why I'm thankful for Veteran's day even though it means another day off of school) | Thin Places | A blog by Amy Julia Becker on Faith, Family, and Disability. Our day started at 5:50, with William by my bedside. "Mommy, the only thing that will make me happy is if you give me a movie right now." I squeezed my eyes shut. "William, is it six o'clock yet?" "No. It was taking too long." William knows two things: he is supposed to stay in his bed until 6:00, and he only gets to watch something on weekend mornings. "William, you can go back to your bed for ten minutes and then I will come up, or you can go start an art project by yourself." "But Mommy! The only thing that will make me happy is a movie right now!" I've been attending a parenting class based upon Positive Discipline. The premise is that discipline doesn't need to be punishment, and that acting positive doesn't mean giving permission to do everything. It involves lots of "strategies" and "solutions" to problems. The adult retains authority, but not because of an assertion of power and control but because of firm but loving guidance for the child. I completely agree with this approach from a theoretical and spiritual perspective. I understand God as a Father who gives us "rules" out of love and care for us, not out of a desire to dominate our lives, a Father who is "for" us and wants our best. I see myself as a parent who wants to provide a lot of structure for our children, which includes rules and expectations, coupled with a lot of love. So Positive Discipline seems right up my alley. And in the classroom of adults-pretending-to-be-children, it works really well. This past Monday, we solved the problem of one kid terrorizing a cat and another (mine) drawing with milk all over the table. It hasn't worked out quite as well in our home. Last week (on Monday, three hours after class, as it happens) William and I played a Busytown game. At the end of the game, I was feeling very proud of myself for sharing "special time" with my son and crawling around on the floor searching for ladders and clocks and all the other objects on the game's board. William was not feeling that same pride. He started throwing the pieces all over the room. I put on my Positive Discipline hat and considered the logical consequences of his actions. I told him if he treated the game like garbage, I would put it in the garbage. I gave him the chance to go to his room to calm down, and then decide. Ten minutes later, he looked me straight in the eye (with his pacifier, giraffe, and blanket, just in case I'm tempted to forget that he's four when we fight with each other and he wins, which is what seems to happen most days), and said, "Throw it away." I made a big fuss of putting the whole game in a garbage bag and taking it to the trash bins outside. I then realized that a) I had cleaned up the entire game while William lounged in his bed and b) I was about to throw away a perfectly good game. So it is currently stored in the trunk of our car, and I am still trying to figure out how I should have handled that one differently. But back to this morning. "William, you know that we've agreed that we don't watch movies in the morning." He starts pounding the bed. Hard. Over and over and over. In the dark. Let's just say it did not end well, and I found myself longing for a different model of parenting, one in which the parents asserted control and the kids just listened and did what they were told and there was none of this unbelievably time-consuming, emotionally-draining, hard hard hard work of figuring out how to love the kid and listen to the kid and be firm and clear, and all before the sun comes up. And of course, it's Veteran's Day. So we have yet another week with a day (or two or three, as has happened a lot recently) off from school. (We haven't had a full week of school since the first week of October.) And this day has begun, in the dark, in tears. I was ready to write a post today about why schools should stay open for national holidays. Close the banks. Close the post office. But keep the schools open and teach the kids about what or whomever deserves commemoration rather than offering yet one more disruptive three-day weekend. I stand by my guns on this one (yet another issue that would garner all the Mom votes in the next election), but it turns out I'm grateful that today was a day with no place to go and time on our hands as a family. And it was kind of fun. For all of us. William and Penny took turns using the scissors and got excited when they found great pictures to accompany our different items and hanging up a gigantic piece of paper on the wall of the playroom is hugely exciting. Even though it only refers to the morning, they've spent the whole day referring back to our chart to try to figure out what is supposed to happen next. I don't know whether it will help tomorrow morning to refer to our schedule. Moreover, I don't know if it will help two weeks from now. But I know that I'm back to believing that it is worth it to figure out how to provide the boundaries my kids need in order to grow up, how to provide structure and freedom at the same time, how to create the order that allows creativity and flourishing. I'm back to believing it's worth it to learn how to love them well.

Sad news. Anton Calleia, a close friend of Ken Reich and a fellow OFS member, sent me an e-mail this morning saying that Ken died in his sleep last night. Ken was a retired staff writer for the Los Angeles Times. In his three-plus decades with the newspaper, Ken covered City Hall, wrote a column and was a lead reporter on the 1984 L.A. Olympics coverage. Those of you who attended last Wednesday's OFS luncheon noticed that Ken arrived and left in a wheelchair, the result of a defibrillator episode he experienced on the last two days of his recent weeks-long cruise around Africa. The Los Angeles Times obituary desk has been notified of Ken's passing. Funeral details will be sent to OFS members when they become available. This is a bad time in the newspaper business, as it is, economically for the country in so many ways. But, I fully believe, brighter days will come, and we must do what we can to insure that they do."

John Bennett(July 20), a teacher at Westside Middle School, was upset by the School Board's decision to have teachers teach all sides of any controversy. He is right, of course, that pretending all sides of any controversy are equally valid is nonsense. But a good deal of the issue hinges on our definition of "teaching" a position. If "teaching" means that the teacher merely presents all sides of a controversy as though they were equal in weight and legitimacy, then we are being equal time indoctrinists. But if the teacher probes the source of an argument, has students ascertain if it is based on inductive logic or revelation and is supported by empirical data or intuition, then students are learning skills that will be far more useful throughout their lives than learning to find square roots. If teaching a subject means subjecting all views to tests of critical skepticism, tests of logic and of empirical support, of credibility and of evidence, then I would applaud the attempt to subject all views to the critical analysis skills that we are trying to develop in our students. How else are they to learn to distinguish between supportable generalizations and nonsense? And where better to learn such skills than in school, guided by teachers who can guide them through the processes of critical thinking? In this approach, the teacher's role is that of a discussion leader and a participant, not a supplier of answers. Unfortunately, few teachers are trained in this area.

Today’s residents of Chula Vista have much in common with citizens of a hundred years ago. Make that a thousand years or more. Southern California has always been an arid land, with cycles of drought, interspersed with wet years every now and again. In December of 1915, San Diego’s city fathers tackled the issue from a completely different angle. They hired a rainmaker! The impetus for their decision was the unfilled Morena Reservoir in the mountains sixty miles east of San Diego. A rock-filled dam had been completed in 1912, but the reservoir had yet to be filled beyond a third of its capacity. Other reservoirs in the area shared the same problem. None were filled and the city was growing. The Council voted 4 to 1 in favor of Hatfield, though a formal agreement was never drawn up. On January 1, 1916, Charles and his brother, Joel, set up a tower beside Morena Reservoir and began work which they labeled as “moisture enhancement.” Using secret formulas that Charles never disclosed, he mixed and released various chemicals into the air. Four days later, he reported rain at Morena. On January 10th rain fell heavily for twenty-four hours, ceased for a couple of days, then fell in torrents from January 14th to 18th. The San Diego River overflowed, flooding Old Town and Mission Valley. Roads, railroads and bridges were swept away. From Balboa Park, water streamed down the hill into downtown streets. At one point, four feet of water rushed down Broadway. By January 27th the deluge reached epic proportions. In the South Bay area, the water level in the Sweetwater reservoir rose until it overflowed the dam, tearing out a fifty-foot chunk on one end. The Bonita valley became a swirling mass of muddy water taking out farms, houses, roads, railroads and telegraph lines. The Sweetwater Dam had been a tourist attraction. First built in 1888, it was raised and retrofitted a few times, until by 1915, it was the highest dam in the United States. A rail line brought sightseers to this concrete engineering wonder. A little farther South, the water level in Otay Reservoir crept closer and closer to the top of the dam. Construction on the Otay Reservoir dam had begun in 1888 spearheaded by Elisha S. Babcock who built the Hotel del Coronado. As early as 1897, James D. Schuyler, the engineer who had designed the Sweetwater Dam, warned that the rock-filled Lower Otay Dam might not survive a severe storm. His prophecy came true. No one knows for sure how many lives were lost in the Flood of 1916. Some say twenty; others, sixty. Many of the victims were Japanese farmers who lived in the valleys. In the days following the disaster, several Japanese people could be seen in boats searching the South Bay for lost loved ones. A monument to the Japanese victims of the flood can be seen in Mount Hope Cemetery. The entire San Diego area was isolated from the world, highways and railroads washed away, telephone lines destroyed. The only way in and out of Chula Vista was by boat from the yacht club dock at the end of F Street. Out near Otay Lakes is a road named after the dam’s first caretaker, Wueste Road; and in the campground at Morena Lake a plaque has been erected describing Mr. Hatfield’s rainmaking work in January 1916. Carrie, a school teacher, does her best to discourage Nate’s interest in her. Then the Otay Dam breaks and she learns that Nate is missing. She desperately wants him to know that she loves him, but it might be too late. Nate could be dead. Patricia Maxwell grew up in Oregon and attended Walla Walla College in Washington state, where she started writing poetry which was published in the school literary magazine. She met her husband, Burton, at college. After they married, he became a pastor which led them to pastorates all over the country. In 55 years of marriage, they have moved 25 times! In the mid- 1960’s, in a tiny town in northwest Pennsylvania, with two toddlers, Patricia took a correspondence course in non-fiction writing. Since then, she has authored four inspirational books and many articles, humor pieces, as well as technical articles about her husband’s world-class model railroad. When Rain Comes is her first novel. This originally appeared at the San Diego Free Press.

Less than a quarter of Elizabeth Wettlaufer’s lengthy record of incompetence was reported to the College of Nurses of Ontario when she was fired from a nursing home for putting the life of a resident at risk, a public inquiry has heard. The college’s lawyer, Mark Sandler, noted that Wettlaufer’s employment record contained 44 instances when the registered nurse committed medication errors, or was disciplined or warned for incompetence. Yet only 10 were reported to the college, which regulates Ontario nurses, when Wettlaufer was fired in March 2014 from the Caressant Care home in Woodstock. By then, Wettlaufer had already killed seven residents in her care and assaulted two others with overdoses of insulin. By the time she confessed, unprompted, to police in September 2016, Wettlaufer had killed eight people and assaulted or tried to kill six others. She continued to work, with an unblemished public record on the College of Nurses website, until she turned herself in. Sandler suggested the college didn’t investigate Wettlaufer in 2014 because the termination report to the regulatory body didn’t provide a full picture of Wettlaufer’s history. “It could leave a misleading impression” if a nurse’s full disciplinary history and medication errors isn’t reported to the college, Sandler said. Helen Crombez, former director of nursing at Caressant, replied that administrators at the nursing home believed the 10 items noted in the termination report to the college would have been enough to spark an investigation on whether Wettlaufer was fit to continue practising. The termination report included three suspensions Wettlaufer received — for a total of 11 days — due to medication errors. When a college official called Crombez in July 2014 to ask about Wettlaufer’s termination, Crombez described Wettlaufer as “very pleasant with residents,” and added that her medication errors didn’t cause “sustained harm to the residents,” according to notes of the conversation presented as evidence. The only negative comments noted about Wettlaufer were that staff “always complained” about her, and she refused to change the way she did her job. “You certainly weren’t communicating to the college that she was unfit, incompetent, (or) incapable,” Sandler told Crombez, who was director of nursing at Caressant for more than 30 years. The inquiry, headed by Commissioner Eileen Gillese, is examining how Wettlaufer could have left a trail of death and incompetence as a registered nurse for nine years without anyone stopping her before she finally turned herself in. Final recommendations are expected by July 2019. Crombez said she felt “blessed” when Wettlaufer applied for a job at Caressant in 2007. Crombez said she had no idea that Wettlaufer had been fired in 1995 while working at the Geraldton District Hospital, after she was found stumbling, slurring her speech and vomiting. She had taken large amounts of the anti-anxiety drug Ativan. Her union, the Ontario Nurses’ Association, grieved the firing and her employment record was amended to state that Wettlaufer had resigned of her own accord. The College of Nurses placed restrictions on her licence for a year.

CNET's reporters are covering the launch of the much-hyped iPhone 4. Stay tuned for updates from New York City and San Francisco. It's finally here. The much-anticipated iPhone 4 is hitting store shelves on Thursday at 7 a.m. local time in each time zone where it's available. CNET has teams of reporters covering the launch in New York City and San Francisco. Marguerite Reardon and Caroline McCarthy will be heading up coverage in New York, while Erica Ogg, Josh Lowensohn, and James Martin will be keeping tabs on what's happening out west. These reporters will be checking in at Apple stores and other locations, such as Best Buy, Wal-Mart, and Radio Shack, where iPhone 4s will be sold starting on Thursday. CNET will also let you know how things are going at the AT&T stores where only customers who preordered phones will be able to pick them up. Anyone looking to buy an iPhone off-the-shelf from AT&T will have to wait until Tuesday. AT&T says that demand for the iPhone 4 is 10 times what it was for last year's iPhone 3GS. And Apple says it took 600,000 preorders for the new phone through its sales channels. If history is any indication of what to expect, initial sales of the iPhone 4 are likely to be big. Apple sold more than 1 million iPhone 3GS smartphones the first three days it was on sale. The original iPhone sold about 270,000 units during its first weekend in June 2007, while the iPhone 3G sold around 1 million when it launched in July 2008. While there's little doubt that the lines will long, the big question is whether AT&T's activation system will be able to hold up under the pressure. If the preorder process is any indication of what to expect, iPhone fans may need to be patient. On June 15, thousands of customers trying to preorder the iPhone were met with error messages on AT&T's and Apple's Web sites. AT&T's servers were overwhelmed and the company ended up suspending preorders. To keep up with the latest news from the launch, stay tuned to CNET's updates all day. McCarthy, 6:24 a.m. EDT at the 14th Street Apple Store: About 150 people are in the preorder line for iPhone 4. The line for non-reserved phones is significantly longer. They're telling new arrivals to get in one big line, and then if people have proof of preorder, they sort them into the preorder line. Reardon, 6:30 a.m. EDT at the Fifth Avenue Apple Store: The lines for the iPhone 4 are wrapped around the block at Apple's flagship store on Fifth Ave. The line for the customers who haven't reserved an iPhone wind down 58th Street and around the block to 59th Street next to the Apple Store. There's also a huge line of people already lined up in the reserved line. These are customers who have reserved their phones in advance and are just waiting to pick them up. While it's clear the crowds are bigger to get the phone, the hoopla and the party atmosphere from previous iPhone launches seems to be missing. With a half hour to go, no one is chanting yet. McCarthy, 6:41 a.m. EDT: The line stretches all the way from the corner of 14th St. and 9th Ave. down to 10th Ave. (Google Maps should be able to tell you how long this is) and then up around 10th Ave. past the intersection of 15th St. almost to 16th St., but after the corner of 14th and 10th there are gaps in the line because of driveways, a gas station, etc. Employees of the Apple Store are wearing blue iPad T shirts--no special shirts for this launch. McCarthy, 6:44 a.m. EDT: First preorder: Been here since 10:15 p.m. EDT last night, originally had a 3G and lost it> He's a textbook editor for McGraw-Hill, and his name is Zach (26). He was about 42nd in line before they divided it into preorder and non-preorder. First people to show up who didn't preorder the phone got to the store at 3 p.m. EDT yesterday. Zach says he took the day off work, and got his boss' approval. He is not playing hooky. Reardon, 6:50 a.m. EDT: The doors open in 10 minutes. People in the back of the line only got here about 20 minutes ago. Jose Marinez, 36, said he has stood in line every year since 2007 to get an iPhone. He isn't worried that Apple will run out of phones, but he is a little worried that AT&T's servers might crash again. He tried to preorder the phone on June 15 and gave up when he couldn't get through on the Web site. McCarthy, 6:58 a.m. EDT: Apple Store employees starting to cheer to rev people up. McCarthy, 7:01 a.m. EDT: Preorders are being let in, 60 people at a time. It's going smoothly so far. Afew minutes later, the first batch of walk-ups (non-preorders) are let into store, but ushered downstairs rather than into the upstairs area. Only about 20 let in. McCarthy, 7:10 a.m. EDT: It's been 10 minutes and the first guy in line has not yet come back out--AT&T activation. Apple Store employee talking to people who show up and wonder how long the wait will be: "The demand is tremendous. It seems like everybody in New York wants this phone." McCarthy, 7:11 a.m. EDT: First customer walks out with phone. McCarthy, 7:17 a.m. EDT: This is going to be a long day for some of these people: there are still hundreds of people in the preorder line--still only one group of 60 has been let in--and the walk-up line is still much much longer. Line going SLOW. An Apple Store employee tells me that they do not yet know when the store will be open to "regular" customers for non-iPhone purchases. McCarthy, 7:25 a.m. EDT: Activation time in-store appears to be 10-15 minutes. But the line itself is very slow. A lot of people who may have expected to get to work on time might not. Lots of reps from companies that resell used iPhones, or organizations that donate them to developing countries, are soliciting people in line. The line for walk-ups is now all the way to corner of 16th St.--and keeps growing. Reardon, 7:30 a.m. EDT: People have been filing into the Fifth Ave. store for about a half-hour now. The line for people who have reserved iPhones is moving quickly. But the line for people who have not preordered a phone keeps growing. It now ends near the corner of 59th St. and Fifth Ave.--people enter the Apple store on 58th and Fifth Ave. Reardon, 7:40 a.m. EDT: I just overheard an Apple representative say that everyone standing in line right now without a reservation will likely get a phone. He thinks the line should take two hours to get through. McCarthy, 7:51 a.m. EDT, en route in Manhattan: The RadioShack on 14th St. and 7th Ave. is opening at its usual 9 a.m. time, no one waiting in front, no ads for iPhone 4 in window (in fact, there's still a 3GS poster). McCarthy, 8:18 a.m. EDT at RadioShack in Brooklyn Heights: Across the East River in Brooklyn Heights, about 15 people are clustered in front of the RadioShack on Montague St. It's opening at its regular hour of 9 a.m. The people waiting are a mix of preorders and walk-ups. There are no Apple Stores in Brooklyn, FYI. McCarthy, 8:32 a.m. EDT: A RadioShack employee just arrived at the Brooklyn Heights store. The line is not getting much longer. The first guy has been here since 5:30 a.m. EDT. The 15th person in line is a girl who says her boyfriend is in line at the 14th St. Apple Store. He preordered a phone there and says even the preorder line is moving at a snail's pace; she, meanwhile, preordered at the Montague St. RadioShack: "I'll probably be back in bed before he even gets to the front of the line." She said the two of them waited in line for the original iPhone together but that she's "over that." That said, people at RadioShack know they're taking a gamble because they've heard the store may have as few as 10 phones in stock. Reardon, 8:36 a.m. EDT: I just spent some time inside the Fifth Ave. Apple store with CNET TV's camera crew. Unlike with previous iPhone launches, the activation process is going pretty smoothly--customers are in and out within 25 minutes. No one I talked to reported any problems. Customers with preorders were allowed in the store first. And by 8:00 a.m. the store was letting in people without preorders. But the line outside for non-preorder customers doesn't look to have moved much yet. McCarthy, 8:36 a.m. EDT: A RadioShack employee comes out of the store and says they don't have as many phones as they'd hoped. Even though the store technically isn't open yet, he's letting the people who preordered phones come in one by one. McCarthy, 8:43 a.m. EDT: If people who preordered the phone aren't in line right now, it'll be first come, first serve. Only 4 each of the 16GB and 32GB models are in stock. Guy at RadioShack has a list and if people's names aren't near the top of it, they don't get a phone now. The line breaks up once people learn they won't get one. Reardon, 8:52 a.m. EDT: It's a good thing that Apple is offering a tutorial at one of the tables for people to show them how to use the features on their new phones. Some customers were having trouble getting the FaceTime app to work. Two guys who had come to the store together to get their iPhones were eager to show off the new FaceTime video chat application. But at first, neither one was able to figure out how to launch the chat. Once they realized that they initiated the video call by clicking on the FaceTime button in their contacts, the application wasn't working for one of the guys. Even though FaceTime video calls are made only over a Wi-Fi connection, users still need to have a 3G connection to initiate the call. And unfortunately for these friends, one of their phones wasn't getting 3G cellular signal from AT&T in the Apple store. McCarthy, 9:00 a.m. EDT: The people waiting in line at the Brooklyn Heights RadioShack had a definitive answer as to whether they'd be getting an iPhone today before the store had even opened for business. Most, unfortunately, walked away empty-handed. Reardon, 9:06 a.m. EDT: The line at the Fifth Ave. Apple Store for customers who did not preorder an iPhone 4 is starting to go down. It is still wrapped around the block, but it's not to the corner anymore. Reardon, 9:45 a.m. EDT at the Best Buy on 62nd Street and Broadway: 9:45 a.m. I was just informed by a sales manager that Best Buy stores in Manhattan and possibly throughout the country will only be selling preordered iPhone 4s. He said he doesn't expect Best Buy stores in New York City to have iPhone 4s in stock until next week at the earliest, or the first week of July. Ogg, 6:49 a.m. PDT at the Stockton Street Apple Store in San Francisco: The reservations line is a third longer than the walk-in line, stretching around the corner two city blocks. While a few camped out overnight, the crowd mostly began forming around 4:30 a.m. PDT today. As usual, there are people passing out coffee and donuts to the eager iPhone buyers gathered here. Ogg, 6:55 a.m. PDT: An update on the early entrepreneurs we wrote about on Tuesday: Chris Bank, the first man in line Tuesday, who was selling his spot for $200, actually handed it off for $400. The taker was Joe Sabia of San Francisco, who saw the story on CNET and decided to buy the spot and do it for "just a really fun story." This will be his first iPhone. Joe Lobato, who was trying to trade his spot for a new iPhone, because he couldn't afford it, found a family of three to buy two phones--one for him, one for them. So at least a couple of the early entrepreneurs here were successful. Reardon, 9:56 a.m. EDT: I just checked with my colleague Erica Ogg, who covers Apple. She said that some Best Buy stores are only selling preorder phones, while others will have phones in stock for people coming to buy them off the street. I guess the best bet is to call your local Best Buy store in advance to find out if they have them. According to the manager at a Best Buy store in Manhattan, all stores in the New York City district will only be selling preorders today. Ogg, 6:58 a.m. PDT: The store is about to open, camera crews are crowding the entrance. No chanting by employees--yet. Then, as the Apple employees come down the stairs to form a receiving line inside the store, those waiting in line start to cheer. Ogg, 7:02 a.m. PDT: The countdown from employees begins...and the doors open at two minutes after 7 a.m. The first people with reservations start pouring into the San Francisco store. So far everything seems fairly orderly. Only those who reserved have been let in so far. The people who made purchases appear to be waiting patiently. Lowensohn, 7:07 a.m. PDT at the Apple Store in Palo Alto: The line here was considerably longer than that for the iPad. The guys at the front of the line had, like many others, spent the night in front of the store, though they only got there at 10:30 a.m. the day before. Ogg, 7:11 a.m. PDT: In San Francisco, the first buyers emerge, all smiles, and of course, to the proverbial pop of flash bulbs. Reardon, 10:14 a.m. EDT: Here is some more detail on the Best Buy inventory. According to an FAQ that Best Buy has put on its Web site, only stores that have more inventory than the preorders will be selling the iPhone on launch day (that is, today). Since preorders have been so high, Best Buy's Web site says it's unlikely that many stores will have enough inventory to sell iPhone 4s to walk-in customers. Another tidbit to keep in mind is that just because you've preordered a phone with Best Buy doesn't guarantee that you will be able to pick up that phone today. Unlike Apple, which has said that it will have enough iPhone 4s available on launch day for everyone who preordered the devices, Best Buy says on its Web site that even preorders are first come, first served. From the FAQ: "If I pre-ordered the iPhone 4 at Best Buy, will I get it on launch day, June 24th, 2010? -- This is not guaranteed and is completely dependent on how many the store receives from Apple. Any inventory received will be used to fulfill outstanding preorders in the order they were placed. For example, if the store has twenty preorders on launch day but only received fifteen phones from Apple, then the first fifteen preorders should receive their phone on launch day." Best Buy says that customers who preordered iPhone 4s, but did not get their phones on launch day, will get them when the next shipment of phones comes in from Apple. Ogg, 7:17 a.m. PDT: After about 15 minutes, the first walk-in buyers are allowed to enter the store. Sabia, who paid $400 and slept one night on the sidewalk, gets a cheer from some of his fellow waiters-in-line. Bank, who slept outside this store since Tuesday, gets a cheer from Apple employees, who he's clearly befriended, as he enters the store to make his purchase. Ogg, 7:27 a.m. PDT: Just as at the iPad launch here a few months ago, Apple's chief designer, Jonathan Ive, emerges from the Stockton Street store quietly, nodding politely at the few fans who recognize him. Ogg, 7:36 a.m. PDT: After a half-hour, only two walk-in customers have been let inside. Looks like it's going to take a lot of patience for people who did not have a reservation. Ogg, 7:59 a.m. PDT: The first walk-in buyer here in San Francisco, Joe Sabia, emerges with his iPhone. He decided to not sign an AT&T contract, so he paid full price for the phone. "That way if it goes to Verizon in the next few months, I can use it there." Lowensohn, 8:04 a.m. PDT: Both lines here in Palo Alto continue to grow. The walk-in line has now stretched around the block. Likewise, the line for those who have preordered is around the same size as it was for iPad walk-ins back in April. CNET ran into brothers Christopher and James Nicholson, who camped out overnight here. Christopher explained that he had done the same when the Palo Alto store first opened, but that it was his brother's first time doing so. Another first for James was the latest iPhone--he had not owned any of the previous iterations. The two brought a cooler, as well as a pillows and blankets. "I was kind of bummed [Robert] Scoble wasn't here," said Christopher. "When I was here for the iPad launch, that guy was a lot of fun." Lowensohn, 8:48 a.m. PDT: People with reservations who got here at 6:30 this morning are just now getting their handsets. On the walk-in line, it's still going to the folks who camped overnight. Also overheard two employees saying the store was expecting a midmorning stock delivery. Though from the looks of what they have on the floor, there's a ton of stock. Lowensohn, 9:01 a.m. PDT: Apple appears to be selling a ton of bumpers--a casing for the sides of the iPhone 4. Almost everyone I've seen walking out without a bag seems to have bought one. And most are black. Reardon, 12:30 p.m. EDT at the Apple Store on Broadway and 67th Street: I'm now on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The store here is only serving preorder customers right now. Walk-ins who got i line early this morning are still being served. But Apple has since cut the line off. Patrick van Rosendaal, 34, who lives on the Upper East Side got in line here at 6:30 a.m. He was just going into the store around 12:15 p.m. He and everyone else in the walk-up line will have to get the 16GB black version of the iPhone 4. This store ran out of 32GB devices around 10 a.m., people standing in line said. "Normally, I would have waited," Rosendaal said. He's had every version of the iPhone that has come out since 2007. Every year he has upgraded to the new version, but he's never waited in line at a store. After about six hours of waiting he said he doubts he'll ever do it again. Reardon, 12:42 p.m. EDT: Apple sales representatives are telling people who are coming up to the line that they need a reservation at this point to get an iPhone 4. The line has gotten much shorter in the past half-hour. Customers who have preordered phones for this location have until 10 p.m. tonight to pick up their phones. If they don't show up, they will forfeit their reservation and the phone will be released for sale to walk-in customers starting tomorrow morning. Apple employees said they weren't sure if this location will get a new order of phones tomorrow. But they expect a line to form early in the morning to pick up any phones that weren't claimed today. McCarthy, 1:45 p.m. EDT: A friend I bumped into when I showed up at the 14th St. Apple store in NYC at 6:15 a.m. is still in line. Lowensohn, 10:56 a.m. PDT: The lines here in Palo Alto are still going, but the one for walk-ins is now considerably shorter than earlier in the day. The rain has given way to warm and sunny weather, which prompted iPhone advertising and analytics company Mobclix to park a large Ben & Jerry's ice cream truck next to the line. At this point it's safe to say anyone who's spent more than a few hours in line will have had enough sugar to put down an elephant. Linegoers did get another treat in the form of a FedEx and UPS truck both pulling up across the street from the store and unloading piles of brown boxes, though the Apple employees who were unloading them were quick to point out that they were not additional iPhone units. CNET later confirmed that many of the boxes contained iPad models with 3G antennas. But the truck's arrival does explain the earlier rumors of a delivery on its way. Reardon, 2 p.m. EDT: At the AT&T store at 95th and Broadway. It looks like preordering the phone and picking it up from an AT&T store may have been the best bet for customers looking to get an iPhone 4 on launch day with no hassles or long lines. I just checked out an AT&T store on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. There was no line in the store, and a sales representative said that no significant line had formed at any point of the day. Customers came into the store at their leisure to pick up their preordered phones today. "There were a few people in line early at 7 a.m.," he said. "But most people were able to just walk in and pick up their new phones." Even customers who hadn't expected to get their phone delivered today were able to get their iPhone, he added. AT&T informed customers earlier this week that the company would only sell preordered phones at its retail locations on launch day. It will begin selling the phones to people who were not able to preorder starting Tuesday, June 29. The sales representative said he expects the store to have plenty of phones in stock for the release on Tuesday, but he urges customers to get in line early. The store opens at 7 a.m. Lowensohn, 11:40 a.m. PDT: Here at the Apple store in Palo Alto, people without reservations now have to wait 4 to 5 hours, while people with reservations have to wait approximately 3 hours. The line for people with reservations is also approximately five times the size of the walk-in line, but it's moving faster. Folks with reservations have until 9 p.m. to get in line and be guaranteed a phone today. Lowensohn, 1:14 p.m. PDT: Just a quick update from the Palo Alto store, where the people currently at the front of the reservation line have now been waiting for 7 hours to get their phones.

MARION, Iowa -- Connor Bronson led the Culver-Stockton College men's golf team with a 73 during the first day of play at the Klocke Family Classic at Hunters Ridge Golf Course on Saturday. The Wildcats shot a 314 and is in 10th place. Iowa Western leads with a 288. Bronson was followed by Hunter Bettis with a 79, Colton Neal with an 80, and Brock Hirn with an 82. The women's golf team opened with a 366 in the first round, led by Quincy Notre Dame graduates Haley Haugh with an 81 and Grace Frese with a 90. Kelsey Rees had a 92, and Reece Gentry had a 103. Mount Mercy leads the women's teams with a 326.

Does a Pyrethrin-Based Spray Kill Gnats? Pyrethrins rapidly decompose after exposure to light and air. Fungus gnats are tiny insects that can quickly become a huge nuisance in outdoor areas during stretches of cool, wet weather. Harmless to people, pets and landscaping plants, adult gnat populations quickly get out of control because each female can lay up to 300 eggs, with each egg hatching in about three days. Pyrethrin-based insecticidal sprays can help you control extreme gnat infestations, but you must start treatment as soon as you notice the pests. Pyrethrins are natural, botanical pesticides derived from the flowers of certain chrysanthemums. The blooms are harvested and typically dried or ground into powder. Adult fungus gnats are highly susceptible to pyrethrins, which work as a contact poison that rapidly penetrates the insect's nervous system so it can't fly or move around. Although gnats drop almost immediately after you spray them, they don't always die. Gnats, like other insects, possess an enzyme that quickly detoxifies the pyrethrins, which allows some gnats to recover after initially being knocked down. Because of this, many pyrethrin-based products also contain a petroleum-derived synergist or carbamate to slow down that enzyme's action. Many pyrethrin products come in ready-to-spray formulations that make outdoor treatment easy. Pyrethrin-based sprays quickly reduce fungus gnat populations, but control is typically temporary. New adult gnats emerge every day, so be prepared to spray affected plants about every three days for at least 14 days to get rid of the pests. After reading the instructions on the product's label, attach a container of ready-to-spray, pyrethrin-based insecticide to a garden hose. Once you turn on the water, it automatically mixes with the chemicals to form the correct application dosage. Hold the container 18 to 24 inches away from the target plant and thoroughly spray the tops and undersides of the leaves. Spray the surface of the soil around gnat-infested plants as well. Allow the solution to completely dry before reentering the treated area. For optimal control results, use a pyrethrin spray only when rain isn't predicted for your area for at least 24 hours. Pyrethrin can cause itching, irritation or a burning sensation if it makes contact with skin, so reduce your risk of exposure by wearing protective clothing, including long sleeves, pants, socks and shoes, a face mask, goggles and rubber or latex gloves. Start spraying for gnats at the farthest corner of your target treatment area and work your way backward to avoid walking through sprayed areas. Spray pyrethrin products when the air is calm to avoid drift. Pyrethrin is highly toxic to honey bees, so spray plants just before sunup or at twilight to avoid harming the pollinating insects. Mature fungus gnats range in size from 1/15 to 1/2 inch long and have clear to pale gray wings. Although nuisances, they consume only liquids such as flower nectar and water. Fungus gnats are pretty weak fliers that prefer sticking close to their host plants. The legless larvae have clear to white bodies and black heads. They prefer feeding on fungi, algae and other decaying organic matter, which means they often infest soils, compost piles, mulch and yard litter. They occasionally feed on small feeder roots and root hairs as well, but don't usually cause severe enough damage in an outdoor setting to warrant treatment. Kelsey, Amber. "Does a Pyrethrin-Based Spray Kill Gnats?" Home Guides | SF Gate, http://homeguides.sfgate.com/pyrethrinbased-spray-kill-gnats-92121.html. Accessed 24 April 2019.

The messaging upstart's track record shows why its Spectacles video-recording sunglasses shouldn't be taken lightly, even if big questions remain. Snapchat -- or Snap Inc., as it now calls itself -- has become a $20 billion company in the face of constant doubting from consumers and pundits who looked at its messaging app, shook their heads and said something to the effect of "I don't get it" or "This is a gimmick." That's worth keeping in mind when reacting to its Spectacles video-recording sunglasses. Spectacles, unveiled on Friday evening in a Wall Street Journal column, costs $130, comes in three colors and lets users record up to 10 seconds of video by tapping a button on the glasses. The video is recorded in circular, rather than rectangular, form and is taken by a lens with a relatively wide 115-degree field-of-view. As one would expect, Spectacles uses wireless links to pair with smartphones. Snap founder and CEO Evan Spiegel is trying to downplay near-term expectations for the glasses, referring to them as a toy and promising to take a slow approach to commercializing them. "It's about us figuring out if it fits into people's lives and seeing how they like it," he says. Still, it's worth remembering the Snapchat app itself was dismissed as a gimmick -- nothing more than a way for teenagers to share pictures they didn't want their parents to see, and which wouldn't be permanently stored -- not too long ago. The same has held for subsequent features such as the ability to draw and write text on top of shared pictures, the ability to create "Stories" whose content vanishes after 24 hours and the ability to add face-altering "lenses" to photos and videos. In spite of the frequent derision, Snapchat has grown to have more than 150 million users (more than Twitter (TWTR - Get Report) ), a large portion of whom are in their 20s and 30s rather than just teens. It's also now avidly used as a promotional platform by many celebrities and media firms, and its parent is reportedly aiming for at least $300 million in 2016 revenue. By creating a platform where shared content by and large isn't saved, and where users don't have to worry about likes and comments, Snap has carved out a unique social media and messaging niche and become a thorn in Facebook's (FB - Get Report) side, particularly among younger consumers. If it's able to reach lower price points, win over third-party hardware makers and sidestep the privacy and image concerns that have plagued Alphabet's (GOOGL - Get Report) Google Glass, Spectacles could provide another means of expanding Snap's reach. Facebook and Alphabet are holdings in Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells FB or GOOGL? Learn more now. Limited as they are right now, Spectacles fulfill one of the goals Google Glass has long had: To let users do things they typically rely on a smartphone for while keeping both of their hands free. As the WSJ writers, "as you record, your hands are free to pet dogs, hug babies or flail around at a concert. You can reach your arms out to people you're filming, instead of holding your phone up, as Spiegel describes it, 'like a wall in front of your face.'" Moreover, Snap is going to great lengths to avoid having Spectacles viewed as a product for geeks, the way Glass has been -- just see this YouTube video for the glasses if you need proof. At the same time, just as Glass has sought to do much more than record photos and video, Spiegel hints Spectacles could have a larger set of use cases (accessing information? conducting e-commerce transactions?) if they become widely adopted as an image-recording tool. Unlike Google with Glass, Snap is taking a bottoms-up approach to the wearables market, creating a cheap, simple device that can take over a core smartphone feature and potentially expanding its feature set in time. The company's decision to simultaneously rename itself Snap is also telling. In addition to providing a more serious-sounding corporate moniker ahead of an expected IPO, the former Snapchat's new name points to a future where the company sees itself less as a provider of ephemeral messaging apps than as a provider of solutions for sharing what people see in the world around them via camera lenses. Facebook, which depends so heavily on the photo and video sharing of its users to drive engagement, and whose attempts to create rivals to Snapchat have failed to date, has to be watching carefully. This is particularly true given how the sharing of personally-created content on Facebook news feeds has been pressured by the growing popularity of messaging apps in general. For now, Spectacles is still far more an unfinished experiment by a quirky upstart than a threat to Facebook or anyone else. But that upstart's history of fending off much bigger rivals and striking gold where few expected means it's worth taking seriously.

CELTIC'S Victor Wanyama insists he is going nowhere during the January transfer window. The powerful 20-year-old midfielder has been a major success for Celtic since arriving from Belgian side Germinal Beerschot in a £1 million switch last summer. Wanyama's impressive displays for Neil Lennon's side has seen Premier League outfit Newcastle United linked with the Kenyan international. But Wanyama, who notched Celtic's second in Monday's 3-0 win over Dunfermline, insists he is happy at the Hoops declaring: "Why would I be thinking of leaving? This is my home. "I am very happy here. I only came in the summer and I am enjoying my football and my life. I have worked very hard to learn the pace of the game in the Scotland and to settle in and I feel that is showing on the pitch. "Celtic is a huge club and I knew that before I came here.I am really enjoying it, the fans have been very good to me and the club has been very good to me. I am happy." Wanyama was replaced by Hoops comeback star Emilio Izaguirre with 11 minutes remaining at East End Park.It was the Honduran left-back's first run out since he suffered a broken ankle at Pittodrie in August. And Wanyama is thrilled to see last season's Player of the Year back in action adding: "I was so pleased for him. I didn't say anything special to him when he was going on but I was very happy for him. We all were.

An appeal has been made from the other side of the world, to find information about a woman who was born in Bridlington almost a century ago. Brett Sargisson, from Christchurch in New Zealand, is trying to find out more about the life of Vera Watson, who lived in Bridlington in the 1920s and 30s. She eventually moved to New Zealand and had a son Noel, who is Brett's father-in-law. The message says: "People of Bridlington, we need your help. "I'm reaching out from new Zealand trying to help my father-in-law find some closure before his time is up. "I'm reaching out trying to find any information on a Vera Augusta Watson, who was born in Bridlington in either 1924 or 1926 and lived at 75 Fortyfoot, Bridlington. "We know Vera went to Bridlington Girls School around the 1930s and then moved to New Zealand some time later. "When Vera came to New Zealand she was either stationed in Wellington or Auckland but we aren't 100% sure which city and was a dental assistant in the military in either the Air Force or Army. "Vera fell pregnant to a male unknown and gave birth to my father-in-law Noel John Watson on April 18, 1954. We are unsure whether Noel was given Vera's last name Watson at birth as shortly after the birth, Noel was adopted out and given the surname of Burgham. "We know through records, Vera passed away in Wellington, New Zealand in 1956 and from what we can find we think Noel may have been Vera's only child. "We are reaching out in the hope that some of the older people of Bridlington that possibly attended Bridlington Girls School in the 30s or even a relative reads this post. "My father in law has always had a piece missing in his heart - the unknown, if you would like. The not knowing of who his mum and dad were and if there is one thing us as a family want is for Noel it is to simply be able to hold a picture of his mother and look at it for the first time and to be able to find some similarities in himself. "Please Bridlington share near and far as I'm determined to help find my father-in-law a picture before his time's up. "If that means we have to fly to Bridlington we will do wha ever it takes to get Noel some closure. "From Christchurch, New Zealand, thank you Bridlington. Regards Brett and Noel."

The New Jersey governor said Ralph Northam has no choice but to resign following the controversial picture in his yearbook. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has no choice but to resign after his yearbook page shows a man dressed in blackface and another person wearing a Ku Klux Klan robe and hood, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said on Friday night. Appearing on "All in with Chris Hayes" on MSNBC, Murphy joined other politicians in calling for Northam to leave office. "We’re the party of Barack Obama, we’re the party of inclusion," Murphy said. Northam released a statement Friday, apologizing for dressing in a racist costume and vowed to work toward healing the damage he'd caused. "I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now," Northam, a Democrat, said. He continued: "This behavior is not in keeping with who I am today and the values I have fought for throughout my career in the military, in medicine, and in public service. But I want to be clear, I understand how this decision shakes Virginians' faith in that commitment." The incoming head of the Democratic Governors Association, Murphy said he speaks of Northam's yearbook controversy with a "heavy heart." "I say it with a heavy heart because I know him and I believe he's a good man," New Jersey's governor said. NAACP President Derrick Johnson and Democratic presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Julian Castro also called for Northam's resignation.

William Barr plans to tell legislators that Trump never sought any promises, assurances or commitments. Attorney General nominee William Barr departs after a meeting with Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019 in Washington. WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s attorney general nominee will have to navigate his confirmation hearing skillfully, emphasizing his support for President Donald Trump’s policies while assuring Democrats he will act independently and won’t interfere with the special counsel’s Russia investigation. William Barr will face questions Tuesday from the Senate Judiciary Committee about his relationship with Trump and his views on executive powers. Barr plans to tell legislators that Trump never sought any promises, assurances or commitments — and that he didn’t offer Trump any — before he was nominated for the post. Trump has repeatedly complained that his first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, was insufficiently loyal because he recused himself from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into potential ties between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign. Trump ultimately forced Sessions from office. Barr, 68, is expected to be confirmed, unless there is a major surprise during the hearing. It would be his second stint as attorney general, a position he held from 1991 to 1993 during the George H.W. Bush administration. The hearing will be the first time a high-profile nominee will come before the committee since it considered the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, who was accused of sexual misconduct. The panel has a new chairman, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. On Monday, the Justice Department moved to pre-empt the most significant questions that Barr is likely to face by releasing his prepared remarks . Barr plans to tell the senators that it is “vitally important” that Mueller be allowed to complete his investigation and that he believes Congress and the public should learn the results. “I believe it is in the best interest of everyone — the president, Congress, and, most importantly, the American people — that this matter be resolved by allowing the special counsel to complete his work,” Barr says. Barr describes Mueller, a former Justice Department colleague, as a friend he has known personally and professionally for 30 years. Mueller headed the department’s criminal division when Barr served as attorney general. The special counsel is required to confidentially report his findings to the Justice Department. In his prepared remarks, Barr stops short of directly pledging to release Mueller’s report, but he expresses general support for disclosing the findings, whatever they may be. Democrats had raised concerns about Barr’s prior comments about the Russia investigation, including an unsolicited memo he sent to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein last year criticizing the inquiry into whether the president had obstructed justice. Barr also sent the memo to White House lawyers and discussed it with Trump’s personal attorneys and a lawyer who represents Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, he said in a letter to Graham. Copies also were sent by Barr to White House lawyer Emmet Flood, Solicitor General Noel Francisco and Pat Cipollone, who is now White House counsel. Barr said he discussed the contents of the memo with Trump’s attorneys, Jay Sekulow and Jane and Martin Raskin. The development is likely to raise even more questions at the hearing about Barr’s contact with those close to Trump ahead of his nomination. He has insisted that the memo was not to influence public opinion about Mueller’s investigation. Barr’s role leading the Russia investigation may be especially important since Rosenstein, who has overseen the day-to-day work of Mueller’s team, expects to leave the Justice Department soon after Barr is confirmed. It is not clear how much of the investigation will be left by then. Barr would replace acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, who declined to recuse himself from the investigation — despite the advice of a Justice Department ethics official and calls from Democrats who cited Whitaker’s past critical comments on the probe.

LONDON, March 19 (Reuters) - Britain’s pensions regulator will be able to impose “punitive fines” on companies which put their pension schemes at risk, the government said on Monday in a document outlining proposals to strengthen powers to protect employees after retirement. The government would also make it a criminal offence to commit “wilful and grossly reckless behaviour in relation to a pension scheme”, it said in a so-called White Paper. Britain’s 2 trillion pounds ($2.80 trillion) in private sector defined benefit pension liabilities have come under the spotlight after the high-profile collapses of retailer BHS, construction firm Carillion and retailer Toys ‘R’ Us. All three firms left large pension deficits, raising questions about their governance and putting policy holder benefits at risk. New powers would “give the regulator the ability to respond more quickly and decisively where they believe wrongdoing has taken place,” the government said, adding it would hold more consultations to ensure the new powers were “effective, workable and proportionate”. The pensions regulator welcomed the proposals, saying they would help the watchdog “be clearer, quicker and tougher in the way it regulates”. The failures of BHS, Carillion and Toys ‘R’ Us “clearly signal that this is a situation which cannot be ignored,” said Graham Vidler, director of external affairs at the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association. The trade body said it planned to work with the government’s work and pensions department “to strengthen defined benefit pensions and give more members a better chance of receiving full benefits”.

The former teen star has become more known for her bizarre behavior. Is Amanda Bynes the new Britney Spears? Maybe. The 26-year-old former Nickelodeon star tweeted on Thursday that aside from her platinum blonde (sometimes red) extensions she doesn’t have much hair. She blamed the John Barrett salon for her lack of locks. “I had to shave my head because of hair damage from someone @ John Barrett so I'm not loving my paparazzi pics for a few years! I have extensions but you can see them!” she wrote. Fortunately, Bynes' similarities to Spears during her breakdown seemingly end there. Unlike the pop superstar Bynes doesn't have any children to worry about and no terrible wardrobe malfunction pics have surfaced of the former child star... yet. In the same, long tweet, she addressed her issues with one news outlet, E! News. Bynes went on to once more address her eating disorder, which she announced via the social media site last week. Bynes has previously mentioned suing US Weekly and In Touch in her Twitter rants. But it seems she is most angry and the media not for writing stories about her behavior but rather for the photos they post of her. In multiple messages, she pleaded with the sites to “Only choose the paparazzi pics that I select and post on twitter and my personal pics when talking about me!" Hilton kept his reply simple, writing in a blog post that Bynes latest actions were confusing. “You are a talented, troubled mystery, Mrz. Bynes; hopefully you find all the help and happiness you need very soon!” the post read. The “Easy A” star has said that there is “NOTHING wrong” with her and that she plans to launch a fashion line. Only time will tell if Bynes will be able to recover from the strange stories surrounding her, but hey, Britney made a comeback, right? Click here for more on Amanda’s antics over the past few years.

The National Association of Black Journalists issued a statement this week condemning the treatment of black employees at CNN. They cite Suzanne Malveaux, T.J. Holmes and Soledad O’Brien, who have all left or been forced to leave their anchor posts in the past few years. They say there are only two black executive producers at the network. This week is not a good one for CNN where discrimination is concerned. On Monday, Stanley Wilson, a 51-year-old writer/producer filed a $5 million lawsuit in Los Angeles County against the network for race and age discrimination after he was fired in January. He worked at CNN for 17 years. He was promoted one time despite applying for numerous positions. This week’s statement cites the fact that NABJ gave CNN it’s “best practices” award in 2007. So what has happened in the last seven years? CNN refused to provide a comment on this to NABJ. The Mirror has also requested a comment.

In Windows CE devices, any application that uses a database creates it in the database file. When software is uninstalled, it does not automatically lead to the removal of its corresponding database. In cases where you are installing and uninstalling lot of applications, this will lead to a collection of useless databases in the device and in time the device will run out of space. DBCleaner is software that helps the user to remove such unwanted databases.

Offinsive Line: Grant Haggard, Kizz Prusia, Hale Hulin, Dean Bisterfeldt, Mark Rangel, Cody Strain, Josh Lowden and Ellis McCarthy of Monrovia High School’s Football team during practice,Thursday, Nov. 3, 2009. MONROVIA – Offensive linemen constantly are reminded Monrovia High School’s success is heavily dependent on their individual victories in the trenches. How the offensive line goes, so goes its heralded quarterback Nick Bueno and a stable of running backs that includes De’Shawn Ramirez and Derrick Johnson. It’s a ripple effect resulting in an undefeated season and the No. 1 seed in the CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division playoffs. From the start of the season, Monrovia coach Ryan Maddox said the offensive line would be the Wildcats’ strength, and so far it’s held true. They’ll quietly go unnoticed once again when Monrovia (12-0) hosts Whittier Christian (9-3) at 7 on Saturday night in the division semifinals. Seniors Josh Lowden, Cody Strain, Harley Hulin and Kizz Prusia are the returning linemen from last year’s team that made a run to the semifinals. Dean Bisterfeldt, a 6-foot, 210 pound junior, is the newcomer. They’re the centerpiece that holds the offense together, but they’re also the group that gets little notice. They’re not pretty or flashy like their more skilled teammates, but they get the job done. “Truly they are the foundation,” Maddox said. “Without a great offensive line you don’t have the stats for Nick Bueno and De’Shawn Ramirez. Senior Grant Haggard (6-2, 225) and sophomore Ellis McCarthy (6-5, 246) are tight ends who are an extended part of the lineman family and help Bueno buy time with their intimidating frames. Senior Mark Rangel also is part of the family. He’s had valuable playing time since Lowden separated his shoulder against Blair in Week 10. His seamless transition has helped immensely. “Mark has been, in coaching terms, our No. 6,” Maddox said. “He can fill in anywhere – at guard, tackle or center. It’s not the first time he’s filled in for us. On occasion we’ll get Josh out on games where we can give him a rest and Mark steps in without a problem. Lowden, a linebacker, and McCarthy, a defensive end, can grab the spotlight at times because of their tremendous athletic ability and strength, whether it be through an interception or a sack. But the others do their job, jog back to the sideline and may get nothing more than a pat on the back with the crowd cheering as Bueno or Johnson celebrate yet another touchdown. “They’re used to not getting their names in the paper,” Maddox said. “That kind of goes along with the job and they’re kind of proud of it. It’s kind of like an offensive lineman creed. Bueno, a junior, has rushed for 1,258 yards and 14 touchdowns and passed for 923 yards and 10 touchdowns. Ramirez, a sophomore, is the second-leading rusher with 852 yards and 10 touchdowns. Johnson, a junior, is the third-leading rusher with 581 yards and 14 touchdowns. “The offensive line’s glory is when they open huge holes,” Maddox said, “and they know they’re doing their jobs and dominating the defense, marching down the field.

In the real world, as opposed to the imaginary universe that neoconservatives and Wilsonians dream about, there are very few really good protagonists or really bad antagonists. A former Turkish diplomat told me that during a visit to the Pentagon after 9/11, a top official explained that the Bush Administration hoped Ankara would take steps towards strengthening political and military ties with New Delhi, as part of a process that could lead eventually to the establishment of an alliance between the three pro-Western democracies of India, Turkey and Israel. The Turkish official was dumbfounded. Where was his counterpart getting his political intelligence from? After all, it wasn’t a secret that when it came to the conflict between India and Pakistan, Turkey tended to identify and cooperate with the South Asian Muslim country. No to mention the fact that notwithstanding the partnership between Ankara and Jerusalem, the Turks never considered Israel to be an “ally,” as they attempted balancing their relationship with the Jewish State and the Arab countries. In fact, Israel and Turkey didn’t establish full diplomatic until 1992 following the Oslo Process that led to the rapprochement between the Israelis and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). And in any case, the idea of Turkey siding with India and challenging the balance of power in South Asia didn’t make a lot of sense, particularly at a moment when the United States as part of its campaign against terrorism was strengthening its ties with Islamabad and elevating them to the status of a strategic alliance. But then it seemed that Pentagon official was engaged in one of the intellectual exercises favored by both neoconservatives on the political right and liberal internationalists on the political left: Drawing up foreign policy narratives that reflect the dualistic cosmology of Manichaeism in which international relations is seen as a never-ending struggle between light and darkness, between the forces of good led by the United States that are confronting the bad guys, ranging from “rogue states” to “authoritarian regimes” that threaten to destroy the liberal international order. But in the real world, as opposed to the imaginary universe that neoconservatives and Wilsonians dream about, there are very few really good protagonists or really bad antagonists. So you need to make sure that while constructing a narrative one takes into account the “anomalies” and resolve the cognitive dissonance between the plot of the fairy tale and the many shades of gray that typify the relations between nations. Hence, when the Bush Administration responded to the attacks on New York and Washington by Al Qaeda, the radical Muslim fundamentalist group, by launching the war against terrorism it identified Iraq and Iran as two of the leading members of the Axis of Evil it was planning to confront. But that proposed narrative was full with inconsistencies. The secular Ba’ath regime in Baghdad and the Shiite clerics in Tehran regarded Osama Bin Ladin’s terrorist group as well as its ally, the Taliban, the Sunni Muslim fundamentalist movement ruling Afghanistan as ideological adversaries (in the case of the secular and semi-fascist Saddam Hussein) or as sectarian foes (in the case of Iran’s Ayatollahs). On the other hand, two of Washington’s allies in the war on terrorism, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, were the two main allies of the Taliban while Al Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden were proponents of the extremist Wahhabi Muslim dogma promoted by the Saudis and embraced by the Pakistanis. The neocons that championed the Bush Administration’s move to oust Saddam Hussein and invade Iraq were never able to resolve this dissonance. They tried to protect it by turning “Islamo-Fascism” into the an all encompassing bogeyman that seemed to cover all the bad guys – Saddam and the Ayatollahs; Al Qaeda and Hizbolah; the Taliban and Hamas– while not dwelling on the role of that the Saudis and the Pakistan had played in the story. They even provided the narrative with a Happy End – the ushering of the age of liberal democracy in the Middle East though the use of American military power. That the story ended with a stronger Iran, the rise of Islamic State (IS), and the return of the Taliban: well that would have to wait for another narrative. So perhaps it’s not surprising that the same cast of narrative writers in Washington who were responsible for that foreign policy flop, are now trying to employ their creative talents to come-up with new story lines that would help convince us that once again the international system was dominated by a struggle between the forces of light and the forces of darkness. And guess which side we are on? For a while it seemed as though the reality of international relations was anything but Manichean, with the Middle East degenerating into a struggle over power between a few allies (Turkey; the Kurds; Israel); not very-nice players who happen to be our friends (Saudi Arabia; Egypt); the bad ones (Iran; Syria; Hizbolah; Hamas), and the devil incarnate (IS) that happened to be a killing machine that owes its radical Islamist ideology to the Wahhabi teachers in Saudi Arabia. Not to mention Al Qaeda and its many political satellites that were located now somewhere between the bad ones and the devil incarnate. That was kind of a bummer, if you plan to write a script for a western in which the noble protagonists fight the evil antagonists, as opposed to a post-modern David Lynch movie with its tormenting moral ambiguity, which unfortunately is how the international system looks quite frequently. Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine in 2014 and West was encouraging in a sense that it helped to cast Vladimir Putin as the new global villain. That Putin strengthened Russia’s ties with its old client state Syria and maintained friendly ties with Iran, allowed the creative juices of the narrative writers to start flowing again and to identify the new forces of darkness: The authoritarian Putin; the murderous Bashar Assad; and the Ayatollahs in Tehran. Never mind that the secular Assad and for that matter, Iran, were fighting the IS and other radical Sunni Islamist groups. Or that Russia had to protect legitimate strategic interests in the Middle East and was strengthening its ties with a U.S. ally, Israel. Or that Turkey was at one point allied with Assad, that it was an adversary of the Kurds and in the midst of a major diplomatic confrontation with Israel, and that together with the Saudis, Ankara helped support radical Sunni Islamist groups. Indeed, it was becoming more and more difficult to cast Turkey’s Recap Tayyip Erdogan, who like Putin was accused of projecting authoritarian tendencies, as the good guy in the evolving narrative, especially after the Turks shot-down a Russian warplane on its border with Syria in November 2015, raising the specter of a war between the Russians and the Turks. But not to worry: Amid the tensions between Ankara and the West in the aftermath of the attempted military coup in Turkey, and as the two countries struggled with their flagging economies, Moscow and Ankara decided to patch their relations, leading to a meeting between Erdogan and Putin in Moscow. Judging by the reaction of the foreign policy crowd in Washington, the meeting was nothing short of an historic summit, a turning point in the Middle East politics that could reshape the global balance of balance: The supposedly two anti-Eastern authoritarian leaders, are cooperating with the other force of darkness, Iran, in shoring up Assad brutal regime and check mating the United States. It almost goes without saying that this storyline is farfetched when one takes into consideration that Turkey is an important member of NATO and is seeking membership in the European Union (EU). Just count how many times President Barack Obama has met with Erdogan. And Turkey (like in the case of Russia), continues to hold free and democratic elections (certainly more open than those held in “liberated” Iraq or in Egypt). There is no question that there are serious disagreements between the U.S. and Turkey – as there are between Russia and Turkey or between the Russia and the United States -- over the strategy of bringing an end to the civil war in Syria as well as over Kurdish issue. But those disagreements would not necessarily disappear if a more secular and liberal government had led Turkey. On one level, scripting Manichean foreign policy narratives is at best an intriguing intellectual exercise. But at worst, it can impact the foreign policy discourse in Washington; in the way the neoconservative narrative helped shape public perception of policy after 9/11, creating the conditions for the decision to invade Iraq.

Revolve Clothing, an increasingly popular Los Angeles-based fashion e-commerce business, is the latest such retailer to fall victim to layoffs, even as the company’s profits continue to grow. Earlier this month, Revolve announced a round of layoffs in the photo department of its Cerritos headquarters, and sources who spoke to Jezebel believe the company’s seemingly endless budget for mega influencer events—including a Kim Kardashian appearance in the Hamptons—may be coming at the expense of those jobs. Two Revolve employees (both spoke to me over the phone under the condition of anonymity to avoid penalty) said Revolve co-founder Mike Karanikolas held a meeting on June 17 and announced that the company was laying off the majority of its photo editing team—which is responsible for acquiring and editing photos and editorials that appear on the site—to save on operational costs. One staff member also said people who lost their jobs were offered severance packages that will only be issued if they remain at Revolve until their official termination date, which is months down the line. Some employees will stay on until September, while others will remain until November or January, after which their jobs will be outsourced to workers in another country (two employees, one current and one former, specifically said the Philippines). Employees appear to be cautious about publicly discussing the layoffs to avoid jeopardizing their future severance. In June, we notified a small number of employees that they will likely be let go between the months of September and January, as we shift certain work to a 3rd party provider. All affected employees were provided at least several months advance notice, and all were additionally provided severance packages including salary and health coverage, as well as assistance locating other career opportunities. While fewer than ten employees were affected by the changes, we sympathize with their situation, and are doing our best to assist them going forward. We don’t anticipate any other operational changes of this nature and the company will continue to hire and build the team as the business continues to grow. Expenditures relating to sales and marketing efforts are generally unrelated to operational decisions, and are necessary for the continued successful operation of REVOLVE, which employs hundreds of individuals. We generally do not comment on marketing expenditures, but we will say in this case the information reported by the press was inaccurate. The inaccuracy she’s referring to are reports that Kim Kardashian was paid $700,000 to host a Revolve Hamptons event this summer. According to the laid-off employees I spoke to, it’s the optics of excess spending that make the layoffs feel more offensive. Perhaps what’s happening is an overlap of their personal disappointment about losing a job and the natural effects of a company that’s prioritizing public image. Still, like other fashion outlets, Revolve relies heavily on celebrities and influencers for a marketing boost. Nicole Richie collaborated on a line, stars like Kendall and Kylie Jenner have sold a collection on their site, and style bloggers are frequently sent on trips to promote the brand. Such events have become the lifeblood of Revolve. In addition to taking care of their travel and accommodations, Revolve gifted each influencer with a sizable clothing credit — a source close to the participating talent tells us $2,000 is standard — in addition to paying his or her appearance fee. And for certain agency-backed bloggers, like Bernstein and Bazan, who are both represented by Next Models, this can easily run in the tens of thousands of dollars. The first Revolve employee I spoke to who was part of the layoffs told me the company’s decision to hire Kardashian angered staff members who’d been let go. Kim reportedly spent an hour at the party, where she was seen “taking numerous selfies with influencers,” Page Six reported. Also in attendance were fashion insiders like stylist Chriselle Lim, blogger Arielle Charnas and DJ Amy Pham. Gerona responded to my question about the Kardashian event in her email above with: “Expenditures relating to sales and marketing efforts are generally unrelated to operational decisions, and are necessary for the continued successful operation of REVOLVE.” Gerona also declined to comment on how much Kardashian was paid for the event. Why the huge cost for Kardashian’s brief appearance? It’s all part of Revolve’s big picture marketing strategy to show clothes in context so customers aspire to wear them — and in turn, buy them. (Google recently released a study that found this tactic influences 64 percent of women to make a purchase on their smartphones.) When the brand isn’t hosting parties in the Hamptons, it’s sending fashion bloggers on epic, scenic trips around the world — Jamaica, Mexico, Croatia, etc. — dressed in the e-tailer’s latest offerings. The employee estimated that the average photo editor’s salary at Revolve is around $36,000. Some of the laid-off staffers first heard about the Kardashian appearance when a fed-up ex-employee railed about it in a scathing Instagram post and tweet posted on July 19. When I spoke to Estrada over the phone, he said the photo editing team at Revolve is responsible for “pretty much about 95 percent of the website” and that employees who were laid off but still working—some of whom he’s remained friends with and have expressed grievances to him, he says—have been tasked with making the outsourcing a smooth transition. When asked whether the recent layoffs could simply be viewed as a common, unfortunate result of a growing company’s bureaucratic decisions, Estrada noted that cost-cutting could have been directed elsewhere. UPDATE (3:40 p.m.): This post has been updated with additional comments from Revolve’s brand and marketing rep Raissa Gerona.

Japanese stocks trudged higher in early Tuesday trading, led to gains by a pullback for the yen and fresh record closes on Wall Street for the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 . About 15 minutes into the session, the Nikkei Average was firmer by 0.4% at 19,967, bobbing just below the psychologically important 20,000 level, while the Topix added 0.3%. The dollar rebounded modestly against the yen overnight, improving to �119.94 compared to �119.67 at the previous Tokyo stock close. Against this backdrop, many of the major tech and industrial exporters floated higher, with Casio Computer Co. up 2.8%, TDK Corp. up 1.7%, Konica Minolta Inc. up 2%, and Bridgestone Corp. up 0.9%. Panasonic Corp. improved by 0.6%, as the company announced plans to ramp up its output of solar cells. On the other hand, Toshiba Corp. fell 0.9% to extend losses spurred by its accounting problems, while Sony Corp. eased 0.2%, Olympus Corp. lost 1%, and Honda Motor Co. retreated by 0.8%. A Nikkei news report that the banking unit of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. would invest in the rehabilitation of Skymark Airlines Inc. appeared to have little impact, with SMFG shares down 0.4%, while a separate report tipping strong earnings results for Japan's three major non-life insurers seemed to help Tokio Marine Holdings Inc. and Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Holdings Inc. , up 0.8% each, but not MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings Inc. , which traded 0.4% lower. Shares of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. fell 1.1% in likely profit-taking after the shares rallied on the back on strong earnings and a share-buyback program.

Cadet Master Sergeant (C/MSG) Justin T. Klein graduated from Riverside Military Academy on May 14. Klein served as Platoon Sergeant for Echo Company and his duties included ensuring that all platoon members are properly uniformed and armed, assisting in the supervision of platoon drill and training, and assuming command of the platoon in the absence of the platoon leader. C/MSG Klein will attend Gainesville State College. He is the son of Tom Klein and Kim Colvin of Athens.

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration is opposed to even limited U.S. military intervention in Syria because it believes rebels fighting the Assad regime wouldn't support American interests if they were to seize power right now, Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote to a congressman in a letter obtained by The Associated Press. Effectively ruling out U.S. cruise missile attacks and other options that wouldn't require U.S. troops on the ground, Dempsey said the military is clearly capable of taking out Syrian President Bashar Assad's air force and shifting the balance of the Arab country's 2 1/2-year war back toward the armed opposition. But he said such an approach would plunge the United States deep into another war in the Arab world and offer no strategy for peace in a nation plagued by ethnic rivalries. "Syria today is not about choosing between two sides but rather about choosing one among many sides," Dempsey said in the letter Aug. 19 to Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y. "It is my belief that the side we choose must be ready to promote their interests and ours when the balance shifts in their favor. Today, they are not." Dempsey's pessimistic assessment will hardly please members of the fractured Syrian opposition leadership and some members of the administration who have championed greater support to help the rebellion end Assad's four-decade family dynasty. Despite almost incessant bickering and internal disputes, some opposition groups have worked with the United States and other European and Arab supporters to try to form a cohesive, inclusive movement dedicated to a democratic and multiethnic state. But those fighting the Assad government range wildly in political and ethnic beliefs and not all are interested in Western support. As the conflict has gone on, killing more than 100,000 people and ripping apart the delicate sectarian fabric of Syrian society, al-Qaida-linked rebels and other extremist groups have been responsible for some of the same types of massacres and ethnic attacks that the Assad regime has committed. On Tuesday, Kurdish militias battled against al-Qaida-linked fighters in the northeast in fighting that has fueled a mass exodus of refugees into Iraq and risks exploding into a full-blown side conflict. Dempsey said Syria's war was "tragic and complex." "It is a deeply rooted, long-term conflict among multiple factions, and violent struggles for power will continue after Assad's rule ends," he wrote. "We should evaluate the effectiveness of limited military options in this context." On Wednesday, two Syrian pro-opposition groups claimed that government forces carried out a "poisonous gas" attack near the capital, Damascus, leaving dozens of people dead. There was no government comment on the claims and the reports could not be independently confirmed. Despite calling for Assad to leave power in 2011, President Barack Obama has steadfastly refused to allow the U.S. to be drawn directly into the conflict. Officials have said for the past couple of months, however, that the U.S. is prepared to provide lethal aid to vetted, moderate units among the opposition ranks. It's unclear what, if any, weapons have been delivered so far. Dempsey's letter to Engel was another follow-up to a sharp examination he faced in July from the Senate Armed Services Committee ahead of a reconfirmation vote. Unable to answer questions by Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Democratic Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, Dempsey sent a letter afterward saying the establishment of a no-fly zone to protect the Syrian rebels would require hundreds of U.S. aircraft at a cost as much as $1 billion a month and with no assurance that it would change the war's momentum. He also discouraged options such as training vetted rebel groups, limited strikes on Syria's air defenses and creating a buffer zone for the opposition, stressing the need to avoid an outcome similar to Iraq or Afghanistan by preserving a functioning state for any future power transfer. And he cited risks such as lost U.S. aircraft. Engel, another advocate of more forceful U.S. action, joined the debate by proposing the use of cruise missiles and other weapons against Syrian government-controlled air bases in an Aug. 5 letter to Dempsey. The congressman said such strikes would ground Assad's air force and reduce the flow of weapons to his government from Iran and Russia, while costing less to U.S. taxpayers and requiring no American troops on the ground in Syria or in its airspace. Dempsey said this approach wouldn't tip the balance against Assad and wouldn't solve the deeper problems plaguing Syria. "We can destroy the Syrian air force," he said. "The loss of Assad's air force would negate his ability to attack opposition forces from the air, but it would also escalate and potentially further commit the United States to the conflict. Stated another way, it would not be militarily decisive, but it would commit us decisively to the conflict." "The use of U.S. military force can change the military balance," Dempsey added. "But it cannot resolve the underlying and historic ethnic, religious and tribal issues that are fueling this conflict." Instead, he spoke in favor of an expansion of the Obama administration's current policy. The U.S. can provide far greater humanitarian assistance and, if asked, do more to bolster a moderate opposition in Syria. Such an approach "represents the best framework for an effective U.S. strategy toward Syria," Dempsey said.

The most excellent dudes in the universe could be returning soon, if a recent interview with actor Alex Winter is to be believed. Winter also confirmed that Keanu Reeves will return as Ted “Theodore” Logan in the film, because there can’t be a Bill and Ted without Ted. As for a supporting cast, things are still up in the air, with the obvious sadness that George Carlin can’t return as the two protagonists’ time-traveling mentor. But the important news here is that Winter, Reeves and company seem to be on the verge of beginning production, which is excellent. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, for what it’s worth, landed at number 12 on our list of best time travel movies, which you can check out here.

WASHINGTON, March 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its commitment to building healthier communities, CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) today announced it has provided a total of $79,566 in grants through the CVS Health Foundation to four colleges and universities in Massachusetts to advocate for, adopt, and implement 100 percent smoke- and tobacco-free campus policies, including limiting the use of e-cigarettes. The four schools include Roxbury Community College, Bay Path University in Longmeadow, Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley and the Urban College of Boston. The new recipients are part of a more than $1.4 million grant pool to 82 schools across the country. Delivered in partnership with the American Cancer Society and Truth Initiative, the grants build upon the three organizations' combined commitment to helping deliver a tobacco-free generation. The funding announced today will help accelerate and expand the number of campuses across the country that prohibit smoking, e-cigarette, and other tobacco product use. While conventional cigarette smoking among high school students has fallen by almost 50 percent since 2011, e-cigarette use has surged over the last year, especially among young people—there are 2.8 million young adults aged 18-24 who are current e-cigarette users. The spread of e-cigarettes risks a reversal of the progress made in reducing smoking over the last two decades given that young people who vape are four times more likely to begin smoking cigarettes in the future. "A critical goal in building healthier communities across the country is reducing tobacco-use, which remains one of the leading causes of preventable death in this country," said Eileen Howard Boone, President of the CVS Health Foundation. "By helping more colleges and universities explore and execute on tobacco-free policies, we're able to positively influence the number of new college-age smokers and get one step closer to our goal of seeing the first tobacco-free generation." The grants are part of Be The First, CVS Health's five-year, $50 million initiative to deliver the nation's first tobacco-free generation, which is a major program within the company's new $100 million Building Healthier Communities initiative. While the number of U.S. colleges and universities that are smoke- or tobacco-free has doubled since 2012, approximately half of the nearly 5,000 schools across the country still have no comprehensive policy in place. With the CVS Health Foundation's support, the American Cancer Society and Truth Initiative programs help students, faculty and staff develop and execute strategies that are customized to meet the unique needs of each campus and move the schools toward a 100 percent smoke- and tobacco-free environment. Together, the organizations have provided financial and technical support to more than 200 colleges and universities since 2016, helping to clear the air for more than one million students. "While the teen smoking rate has fallen to an all-time low of 4.6 percent, the rapid rise in e-cigarette use threatens to erase this progress given youth who vape are four times more likely to progress to smoking deadly cigarettes," said Robin Koval, CEO and President of Truth Initiative. "Over the years, we've had great success in working with colleges to go smoke- and tobacco-free. They now play a critical role in also addressing the e-cigarette epidemic as vaping becomes even more prevalent on campuses across the U.S. Together with our partners, we look forward to empowering as many colleges and universities as possible with the information and resources they need to end all tobacco use for good." "Cigarettes cause more than 480,000 U.S. deaths annually and are responsible for nearly 29 percent of all cancer deaths in the U.S.," said Gary Reedy, CEO of the American Cancer Society. "College is a time when young adults are susceptible to developing or perpetuating an addiction to nicotine and tobacco. This partnership continues to enable us to help reduce tobacco use among college students and therefore reduce the number of people impacted by tobacco-related diseases." To see the full list of colleges supported by these grants and for more information on the grant application process, please visit http://www.cvshealth.com/smartcampusesquit. CVS Health is the nation's premier health innovation company helping people on their path to better health. Whether in one of its pharmacies or through its health services and plans, CVS Health is pioneering a bold new approach to total health by making quality care more affordable, accessible, simple and seamless. CVS Health is community-based and locally focused, engaging consumers with the care they need when and where they need it. The Company has more than 9,800 retail locations, approximately 1,100 walk-in medical clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with approximately 93 million plan members, a dedicated senior pharmacy care business serving more than one million patients per year, expanding specialty pharmacy services, and a leading stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. CVS Health also serves an estimated 39 million people through traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including a rapidly expanding Medicare Advantage offering. This innovative health care model increases access to quality care, delivers better health outcomes and lowers overall health care costs. Find more information about how CVS Health is shaping the future of health at https://www.cvshealth.com. The CVS Health Foundation is a private charitable organization created by CVS Health that works to build healthier communities, enabling people of all ages to lead healthy, productive lives. The Foundation provides strategic investments to nonprofit partners throughout the U.S. who help increase community-based access to health care for underserved populations, create innovative approaches to chronic disease management and provide tobacco cessation and youth prevention programming. We also invest in scholarship programs that open the pathways to careers in pharmacy to support the academic aspirations of the best and brightest talent in the industry. Our philanthropy also extends to supporting our colleagues' spirit of volunteerism through Volunteer Challenge grants to nonprofits where they donate their time and fundraising efforts. To learn more about the CVS Health Foundation and its giving, visit www.cvshealth.com/social-responsibility. The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of 1.5 million volunteers dedicated to saving lives, celebrating lives, and leading the fight for a world without cancer. From breakthrough research to free lodging near treatment, a 24/7/365 live helpline, free rides to treatment, and convening powerful activists to create awareness and impact, the Society is the attacking cancer from every angle. For more information go to www.cancer.org. Truth Initiative is a national public health organization that is inspiring tobacco-free lives and building a culture where all youth and young adults reject tobacco. The truth about tobacco and the tobacco industry are at the heart of our proven-effective and nationally recognized truth® public-education campaign, our rigorous and scientific research and policy studies, and our innovative community and youth engagement programs supporting populations at high risk of using tobacco. The Washington, D.C.,-based organization, formerly known as Legacy, was established and funded through the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement between attorneys general from 46 states, five U.S. territories and the tobacco industry. To learn more about how Truth Initiative speaks, seeks and spreads the truth about tobacco, visit truthinitiative.org.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Watch What Happens Live” host Andy Cohen is a dad. The 50-year-old posted on Instagram that Benjamin Allen Cohen was born Monday. He weighed 9 pounds 20 ounces and is named for Cohen’s grandfather. Cohen wrote he’s “in love” and “speechless.

Subarus are very popular in New England. So how do three crossovers – the Outback, Crosstrek, and Forester – stack up against each other? If you’re in the market for a smallish SUV or crossover (those terms have become pretty much interchangeable these days), choosing which brands to compare is one challenge. But what if you’ve already picked your brand? We have. Today’s column explains the differences among Subaru’s three crossover offerings. Why Subaru? Because it’s the ultimate New England fallback for the region’s winter climate. Most folks reading this know a bit about Subarus; namely, that they: 1) are a popular vehicle in New England; 2) last a long time; 3) have a time-tested all-wheel-drive system; 4) and all look somewhat alike. But ask those same folks to describe the differences among the Outback, Forester, and XV CrossTtrek, and you’re liable to get a blank stare. Mo¬st of us recognize the models, but are hard-pressed to single out what’s distinctive about each one. The differences are real. The Outback is longer, the Forester is higher and has a higher cargo area, especially important if you’ve got a good-sized dog, and the XV CrossTrek definitely has an edgy, more aggressive look, in large part because of its fancy wheels. It’s also the only one that comes in tangerine orange, a color that definitely goes outside the Subaru mainstream. Here’s a capsule look at each vehicle, replete with random tangential thoughts. We’re comparing the three, each in mid-range premium trim with the CVT transmission. Frankly, because it looks like a second cousin to a Volvo SUV, we thought the Outback was the smallest member of the family. Actually, it happens to be the longest, fitting into the midsize crossover category. It’s got a longer wheelbase (by 4-plus inches) than the other two and is significantly longer overall (189.6 inches compared to 180.9 for the Forester and 175.2 for the XV Crosstrek). It’s also wider than the others (72.4 inches compared to 70.7 for the Forester and 70.1 for the XV Crosstrek). The Outback also happens to be Subaru’s No. 1 seller. In our comparison trim, it has a price of $27,845. Even though it has a more aerodynamic appearance, the Outback has the most cubic feet of cargo space with 73.3 compared to 68.5 for the Forester and 51.9 for the Crosstrek. The Outback isn’t available with a manual transmission, but it is the only one of the three you can get with a six-cylinder engine—the 3.6-liter optional offering. For techies, the new Outback is available with (meaning at extra cost) the second-generation of Subaru’s award-winning (top Safety pick+) Eyesight system with adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, pre-collision braking, rear cross-traffic alert, and blind spot warning. Drive with this system for a week and there’s no going back. The basic Outback shares the same 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine with the Forester but, for some reason, gets 175 horsepower compared to the Forester’s 170. The Forester and XV Crosstrek are built on the same platform. They have basically the same 103-inch wheelbase and share the same car-based platform. However, the Crosstrek is more than 5 inches shorter overall. Both fit into the compact crossover category; however, the Forester has a maximum cargo space (with rear seats folded) of 68.5 cubic feet compared to the Crosstrek’s 51.9 cubic feet. Also, while they both have Subaru’s CVT transmission, the Forester has a bigger 2.5-liter engine with 170 horsepower compared to the XV Crosstrek’s 2.0-liter with 148 hp. Subaru people say the Forester is more of a family car (for a small family) and the most dog-friendly (a big Subaru talking point) because its higher roofline lets larger dogs sit upright. In our mid-range configuration, the Forester has an MSRP of $25,945. That’s almost $2,000 less than the Outback, which does have more standard features. The Forester also offers a massive optional moonroof. Visibility for the driver arguably is as good as any vehicle on the market. For those who haven’t given in and conceded that CVTs offer better fuel economy than manual transmissions, the Forester still can be had with a manual. It’s cool. It’s sporty. It’s more aggressively styled. It’s less expensive. While the Forester might be a better choice for a family, the Crosstrek is a great choice for a single person or a couple. For a crossover, it has impressive fuel economy figures of 26 city and 34 highway. Its shorter length makes it easier to park. Like all three of our Subarus, it has 8.7 inches of ground clearance. In a year when we’ve had more than 100 inches of snow, it’s nice to know that if this 3,000-plus pound car can pack the snow down to 9 inches, it can go most anyplace. The XV Crosstrek’s price is $24,145 in a similar premium configuration, making it a good choice if you don’t need the size of the Outback or the squarer configuration of the Forester. So what’s the bottom line? Simple. You can’t go wrong with any of these Subarus, but this comparison may help you decide which best fits your lifestyle.

A unit of Buffett's Omaha, Nebraska-based holding company issued $750 million of 4.25 percent, 10-year notes yesterday priced to yield 95 basis points more than similar-maturity Treasuries, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. It also sold $375 million of 3-year, 1.5 percent notes and the same amount of floating-rate debt yielding 33 basis points more than the 3-month London interbank offered rate, the data show. So Buffett's hedging his bets a little with some floating rate notes, but this funding leans heavily towards fixed-rate borrowing, three-to-one. Since the cost of floating rate bonds would rise as interest rates increase, he must be counting on playing less interest with fixed rate notes.Of course, fixed rate interest rates should already incorporate what the way in which the market believes interest rates will rise over a given period, so he may believe rates will rise even higher than most other investors.

The team at Fox 17 Morning News in West Michigan, U.S., has given Australia the greatest Australia Day gift — priceless reactions to an on-air taste test of Vegemite. Meteorologist Jon Shaner presented the team with a jar of the quintessentially Australian spread, sent to him by a former exchange student, to mark the occasion. The first response offered a clue as to what was to follow: "crikey." "Vegemite is a somewhat national condiment, I suppose you could call it a spread," Shaner attempts to explain. "People compare it to peanut butter in the U.S., but it doesn't taste anything like peanut butter ... it is actually a barley yeast extract." Shaner told Mashable he spread the Vegemite extra thick for effect, but he "didn't expect [these] reactions." It is hard to explain the amount of joy an Australian will feel watching someone take their first bite into the feisty condiment, but the best analogy might be watching someone eat a jalapeno pepper for the first time. News anchor Deanna Falzone's reaction to eating toast smothered in vegemite and butter ("to mellow the taste") is total, unabashed disgust. "That's bad," she mutters while screwing up her face, the look akin to one you might get in a public toilet. Falzone can barely handle the agony, as she covers her mouth with a napkin. "I can't, I can't swallow it. I can't. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh." She then pauses, drinks some water, and drinks some more water before going in for the kill. "I don't want to say this, but it tastes like throw up." Another of the taste testers, traffic reporter Robb Westaby, chimes in: "It is an acquired taste, one I don't want to acquire ever again." "I took one bite and I think that is my lifetime limit," morning news anchor Mike Avery adds. Feeding Americans Vegemite and filming it has become an Australian national pastime. First, we fed it to the children. Then we disguised it in a cheesy pizza crust and fed it to anyone who would listen to make a Pizza Hut ad.

North Dakota's energy boom led the state to have the fastest-growing economy in 2012, increasing at five times the national average. Propelled by a massive energy boom, North Dakota once again captured the title of the nation's hottest economy, with a growth rate five times the national average. North Dakota's economy posted a 13.4% growth rate in 2012, according to a report released Thursday by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. That's nearly three times as fast as the number two state, Texas, and trounces the national average of 2.5%. This is the third year in a row that North Dakota took the top spot in BEA's state-by-state report on gross domestic product (GDP). The muscle behind the boom is a surge in oil production from the Bakken Shale, an underground rock formation in the northwestern part of the state. Thanks to high oil prices and new drilling technology -- including the controversial hydraulic fracturing, better known as "fracking" -- oil production in North Dakota is now six times higher than it was in 2007. In 2012, North Dakota surpassed Alaska and California to become the second largest oil-producing state in the nation behind Texas, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The boom has attracted workers from all over the country and rippled out to incorporate not only the oil and gas drilling sectors but also other industries that supply them, including wholesale goods and transportation. "There's nothing like an oil boom to get things rolling," North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple told CNNMoney. Unlike some other states, North Dakota has a tax specifically targeting oil and gas production. That tax has allowed the state government to cover 80% of the cost of public schools, greatly reducing property taxes on the local level, Dalrymple said. It also allowed for a reduction in state income taxes, and covered the cost of building roads and other infrastructure to accommodate the influx of workers. There are still downsides to the rapid growth. Housing prices in parts of the state are as high as Manhattan, and some areas are having problems obtaining enough water. But the state's unemployment rate is below 3%, and North Dakota is "hanging on to our college graduates like we never have before," Dalrymple said. Oil and gas is the biggest economic driver, but Dalrymple said his state is also doing a good job attracting other industries. Deere & Co. (DE) and Caterpillar (CAT) are building factories in the state, and an Amazon (AMZN) service center is also in the works. The second fastest-growing state was Texas, which benefited from oil and gas activity in its own shale formations as well as a strong showing in its manufacturing sector. In fact, the manufacturing of durable goods -- things that last longer than three years, such as cars, appliances or software -- grew by more than 9% nationwide in 2012, according the BEA. It was the leading contributor to growth in 22 states, the bureau said. In Oregon -- the third fastest-growing state -- manufacturing contributed almost 3 percentage points to the state's GDP. Computers and electronics dominate Oregon's manufacturing industry, with Intel (INTC) in particular leading the way, said Josh Lehner, a state economist. The company has been expanding its chip manufacturing plants, as well as its research and development unit in the state. Washington and Minnesota rounded out the five fastest-growing states. Washington's growth was led by tech and manufacturing, while manufacturing and finance fueled Minnesota's. The laggards: Connecticut was the only state to see an actual drop in economic activity, with its gross domestic product falling by 0.1%. Connecticut has a large insurance and finance sector, which posted a fairly sharp decline. Economists have said growth in the insurance and finance industry will likely lag other sectors as the market continues to adapt to the fallout of the 2008 financial crisis. The Dodd-Frank finance reform bill, the implementation details of which are still being worked out, is also expected to limit the sector's growth. Delaware was the second slowest-growing state, dragged down by contractions in the construction and wholesale trade sectors. New Mexico, the fourth slowest-growing state, also saw a decline in its construction sector. Declining construction activity was not the norm nationwide. Construction activity grew by 3.2% across the country in 2012, BEA said -- the first annual growth posted by the sector in eight years. South Dakota was also a slow-growing state, and had the sector with the biggest single drop: agriculture, which knocked 2 percentage points off the state's GDP growth. South Dakota is a big cattle-producing state. The drought in the summer of 2012 pushed up the prices of corn and other grains, squeezing profits for ranchers that use the crops for feed.

The newest and most expensive carrier ever entered the U.S. Navy fleet Saturday, nearly three years behind schedule and costing about $2.4 billion above plan. When building the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier, the Navy ditched battle-tested features found on previous carriers and instead went with more expensive technology that hasn't always worked out as expected. The ship isn't expected to be fully operational until at least 2020, and its controversial catapult system hasn't launched an actual aircraft at sea. In this handout photo provided by the U.S. Navy, sailors aboard the aircraft carrier Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) man the rails as the ship departs Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding for builder's sea trials off the U.S. East Coast on April 8, 2017 in Newport News, Virginia. The newest and most expensive aircraft carrier ever built entered the U.S. Navy fleet Saturday, but almost three years behind schedule and billions of dollars over its estimated budget. With Saturday's commissioning, the carrier will go back into testing and training, and isn't expected to be fully operational until 2020 at the earliest. The ship's catapult has yet to launch an actual aircraft at sea and the vessel has only had helicopters land on its deck. Although it has yet to be put to the test, some already say the USS Gerald R. Ford is an example of the Navy's costly and risky bet on "immature" technology. Experts say the Navy's decision to roll out some untested technologies in its next-generation classes of ships has been a costly lesson. For example, the new Ford aircraft carrier going into the Navy fleet cost nearly $13 billion, or around $2.4 billion above plan. The Navy "made a significant bet on the newest and latest cutting-edge technology, and it bet that all of those technologies would mature as these platforms were scheduled to come online," said Jerry Hendrix, senior fellow and director of the Defense Strategies and Assessments Program at the Center for a New American Security, a non-partisan Washington think tank. Hendrix added, "Unfortunately some of those technologies did not mature. Hence, we're seeing some delays in some critical programs, including the new Ford-Class carrier." Although years behind schedule, the Ford carrier was formally commissioned into the Navy's fleet Saturday in a ceremony in Virginia, which was attended by President Donald Trump. The president had previously visited the carrier in March. In remarks Saturday, Trump called the Ford carrier "the newest, largest and most advanced aircraft carrier in the history of this world." When building the new Ford carrier, the Navy ditched the steam-powered catapult system found on the older Nimitz-Class carriers and went instead with a electro-magnetic aircraft launch system. Similarly, the Navy went with an updated arresting gear to catch planes landing on the ship's deck. The Ford is the first new design of an aircraft carrier in 40 years. Last month, acting Navy Secretary Sean Stackley conceded costs of the carriers were tough to swallow, but insisted the service (and shipbuilding industry) planned to learn from past missteps. Meanwhile, the maker of the new digital catapult, General Atomics, claims on its webpage the system's benefits include a "reduced manning and life-cycle cost." The technology replaced the battle-tested steam catapult that had been used for decades to launch planes. As it turns out, though, the commander-in-chief is not at all a fan of the supercarrier's technology. In a May interview, Trump told Time magazine in an interview that the new digital power system "costs hundreds of millions of dollars more money and it's no good." Similarly, the Navy has faced cost overruns and other problems with other new classes of warships, including internal electrical issues with the Zumwalt-class destroyer, and struggles with the controversial Littoral Combat Ship program. Trump alluded to military costs and program delays in his remarks Saturday, but didn't single out the Ford carrier. "We do not want cost overruns," the president said. "We want the best equipment but we want it built ahead of schedule and we want it built under budget." Mandy Smithberger, director of the Straus Military Reform Project at the Project On Government Oversight, said some of the mistakes made by the Navy on big-ticket programs have been self-inflicted. The service's tendency to "develop really complex technology that's expensive to maintain and not reliable," has been a major drawback. Added Smithberger, "It's not necessarily that it's new technology but it's immature — so it has to be proven technology." Some analysts said the new ideas for the next-generation ships originated in the 1990s, when there was a "go for broke" mindset by some decision makers. In the case of the Ford-Class carrier, the Navy decided to make all of the key changes in new technology upfront on the first ship in the class, rather than wait for successive carriers. The Navy plans to spend around $43 billion on the first three Ford-Class aircraft carriers. At the same time, the Navy and other services have faced fiscal challenges due to the ongoing effect of the budget caps signed into law six years ago. "The Budget Control Act, as far as it pertains to defense, was wrong-minded and that should not have been systematically reducing defense spending," said Brian Slattery, a policy analyst for national security at Washington-based Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. He also said the inability of Congress to pass regular budgets is "very disruptive" to Navy and other service programs. For the Navy, though, the budget situation is particularly pressing because of Trump's stated goal for a larger Navy fleet. As a GOP candidate last year, Trump pledged the Navy would build 350 surface ships and submarines. He has since accepted the Navy's new force structure goal of a fleet of 355 ships — up from the battle force of 276 ships as of Friday. However, reaching the Navy goal could cost approximately $400 billion more over 30 years than the service's previously stated force goal of 308 ships, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Based on CBO's calculations, the Navy would need to buy around 329 new ships over 30 years to reach the 355-ship fleet. That compares with the 254 ships it estimates would be bought under the Navy's prior force goal. "Cost is probably the biggest challenge reaching the larger fleet size," said Smithberger. "You'd have to increase Pentagon spending a lot to afford everything that they're trying to buy. It will require cutting other services or other Navy priorities, including airplanes." Yet the time it will take to reach a 355-ship Navy also is a concern, given signs the Chinese are aggressively ramping up their own naval forces. Separately, Russia is undergoing a modernization plans of its own, including adding advanced nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines to its fleet. "The Chinese are coming hard, meaning they are going for mass numbers and new advanced technology," said Hendrix, of the Center for a New American Security. "The Russians have made decisions to invest in fairly exquisite platforms, like the new Yasen-Class submarine, a nuclear powered, fast-attack boat which is very advanced," he added. "And if they got two or three of those loose in the Atlantic, and we didn't know where they were, it would cause real complications for the United States as well as NATO." In April, the nonpartisan CBO estimated the earliest the Navy could reach the 355-ship goal was by 2035, though it cautioned that 15-year buildup forecast was based on the service getting "sufficient funding." The CBO also estimates the cost to build, crew and operate the larger fleet would average $102 billion annually through 2047. Regardless, Hendrix suggests there is perhaps a faster way to reach the 355-ship fleet size but not necessarily by adding newly constructed ships. Instead, he suggests the Navy might want to consider taking ships out of mothballs and keeping others in service longer to maintain the 355-ship fleet. Others are not so sure it makes sense to keep ships in the fleet longer than they are scheduled. "You can't just run the same ships well beyond their service lives to assume that you can keep up the same level of capability to deter our adversaries," said Slattery. Hendrix said another option to increase the size of the Navy fleet is to look at some vessels in the so-called Ready Reserve Force ships, which are maintained for national defense and emergencies. Either way, he believes there's an urgent need to reach that 355-ship target sooner rather than later. The retired Navy captain insisted the Navy should strive to reach the 355-ship fleet "within a decade in order to deter both the Chinese and Russians who are looking to challenge us at sea."

Kerth, 67, was selected from 164 applicants to be the organization’s new chief executive. He sits on the board of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District and is a scion of the Kerth family who founded the American Ice Co. and the Iceland skating rink in North Sacramento. He is responsible for the design of ice rinks in what’s now called Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento and an outdoor rink at Squaw Valley’s High Camp in 1990. Veteran nonprofit leader Pam Saltenberger, who served as Sacramento Habitat’s interim CEO for about six months, said she and other members of the executive search team felt that Kerth’s experience in the political arena would help the organization lead and navigate discussions about how governments and nonprofits can work together to ensure there’s adequate housing for low-income residents. The loss of government funding is not the only challenge for the Sacramento Habitat, which has a budget of $5.9 million for the fiscal year ending in June. Nationwide, Habitat affilitates have begun hearing from some corporate sponsors that want their dollars stretched to help more than just one family. Habitat affiliates across the country have begun offering neighborhood revitalization programs, and the Sacramento-based organization launched its effort last year with a work project in West Sacramento. Habitat volunteers worked on several homes in one neighborhood, doing things like replacing building materials damaged by dry rot, painting homes, fixing or putting on new roofs. Kerth said that, as a community activist and politician, he’s seen a new Habitat home turn around neighborhood decay as well. The Sacramento Habitat affiliate has begun to put particular emphasis on interfaith home-building projects, an endeavor that Saltenberg said has taken off with advocacy from board member Jeff vonKaenel, publisher of the Sacramento News & Review. Essentially, she and Kerth said, it’s an opportunity for people of all faiths to sponsor a home, volunteer to work on a home-building project or do both. The idea is that, if people of all faiths can work beside each other for a common goal, they can share faith stories if they choose and gain understanding to stem the tide of any negative rhetoric that rises against one particular faith, Saltenberger said. And, they will be working side by side with the person selected to buy the Habitat home, said Kerth, who served on the Sacramento City Council from 1992-2000. He stressed that Habitat is not a giveaway program. Those who qualify to buy a home pay for it with their sweat equity and a no-interest mortgage. Their payments ensure that the organization can continue its mission.

So many youngsters wanted to compete in the Plumber Dan Kids Fishing Competition that some missed out at the Whanganui Town Wharf on Sunday. 200 kids signed up for the competition that started at 1pm and ran through until 3pm with plenty of prizes up for grabs. The whirring of winding reels, the whizzing of lines cast out into the green water and the "woohoo" of some big catches could be heard up and down the wharf. One such catch was one of the earliest on the day and went to Rutherford Junior High School student Jericho Kiriona, 11, who caught a kahawai on his first cast. "I was amazed because I knew I was going to catch it, my first one," he said. "It took about a minute to pull in, it wasn't that long." The kahawai weighed 1.57kg which was heavy enough to claim Jericho third place in the competition. Everyone received a prize and they included chocolate bars, hats, fishing rods, McDonald's vouchers, drinking bottles, Columbus Coffee vouchers, rugby balls and toys. It was Jericho's first time entering the competition and helping him out were his mum Dorothy McPherson and his dad Tama Kiriona. "Jericho likes to do a bit of fishing so we thought we'd give it a go and obviously that worked out," Kiriona said. "You could see it jump so we knew it was a kahawai and we were stoked." A keen fisherman, Kiriona caught his own impressive haul on the Saturday night before his son's competition. "It's something for me to do to relax after work. I got 14 snapper last night up Kai Iwi way," he said. "This competition is a good idea. It gets the kids out and it's good for the community. They need more of it to be honest. The turnout is awesome." The sponsors of the competition included Hunting & Fishing New Zealand, Bunnings Warehouse, Zip Plumbing Plus, Mars Petcare, Meteor Office Products Depot, McDonald's and Mitre 10 Mega.

Wilson-Raybould and Philpott have joined a record-setting cohort of independents and MPs from 'unrecognized' parties. If a group of crows is called a 'murder', an assembly of ferrets is a 'business' and a collection of owls is a 'parliament', what do you call a row of independent MPs? A 'schism' of independents? A 'motley', perhaps? How about an 'insurrection'? With the ejection of Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott from the Liberal caucus this week, the number of independent MPs in the House of Commons has exploded. Coupled with the other MPs representing an array of 'unrecognized' parties ranging from the secessionist to the populist and the extinct, the number of MPs in the House who do not belong to officially recognized parties is at an all-time high. There are now seven Independents in the House. Along with Wilson-Raybould and Philpott, the list includes former Liberals Celina Caesar-Chavannes, Raj Grewal, Darshan Kang and Hunter Tootoo, as well as Tony Clement, a former Conservative. That's not an abnormally high number for the tail end of a majority government's term. There were eight independents when the House was dissolved ahead of the 2015 federal election. There were nine just before the 2004 election. The number of Independents hit a modern high in 1990 as well, when there were 11 of them in the House — the bulk of them former Liberal or PC MPs who eventually would form the Bloc Québécois. But any party with less than 12 seats in the House of Commons goes "unrecognized" — which means it isn't guaranteed slots in question period, seats on committees or the extra resources that are awarded to larger parties. Instead, these parties need to share their speaking time in the House with other Independents; in the current Parliament, that means 14 questions a week are divvied up between the 20 MPs from unrecognized parties or sitting as Independents. Those unrecognized parties are the Bloc Québécois (10 MPs), Greens (Elizabeth May) and the People's Party (Maxime Bernier). Then there's Erin Weir, who was booted from the New Democratic caucus last year. He is sitting as a self-appointed member of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, a forerunner party to the NDP that has not existed for more than half a century. Weir has been pushing Speaker Geoff Regan for more questions for the growing crew of Independents. "The independent group is by far the fastest-growing parliamentary caucus," Weir said in a statement following Caesar-Chavannes's departure from the Liberal caucus in March. "We need more spots in question period to reflect our numbers." He repeated that call this week when the cohort of Independents grew by two. In an October 2018 ruling, Regan said that the 14 questions awarded to Independents was already high, adding that "never have independent members been recognized as much during question period." He also reminded the House that question period is only supposed to last 45 minutes and the additional questions given to Independents are already routinely pushing question period well beyond that duration. Small parties only began receiving recognition in the House in 1963, during a period of minority governments when the New Democrats and Social Credit held a lot of sway in the legislature. At the time, the bar of 12 seats was set to give leaders of these smaller parties a bump in salary, like the one given to the leader of the Official Opposition. The threshold of 12 seats then evolved to become the benchmark for a number of other parliamentary privileges. Watch Vassy Kapelos explain what it means to be an independent MP. Theoretically, Weir could acquire these privileges by getting his unrecognized colleagues to form a caucus of their own — like the Independent Senators Group in the Senate. Of course, that would mean somehow uniting Caesar-Chavannes, Philpott and Wilson-Raybould with Kang, Tootoo, Clement and Grewal — Independents who are alleged to have committed, or have admitted to committing, various improprieties. It also would require finding common ground between May and Bernier and getting the Bloc on board. Parliament has seen plenty of caucuses divided against themselves, but such an Independent caucus would set a new bar for internal turmoil. Obviously, it isn't happening. But the numbers make it possible — which is pretty remarkable on its own. At the end of the last Parliament, the total number of Independents and MPs from unrecognized parties just ticked over the 12-seat threshold. But that also was a group of MPs with irreconcilable differences — representatives of the Greens, the Bloc and Strength in Democracy (remember them?), along with a clutch of cast-off Independents. Before that, you have to go back to the 35th Parliament that sat between 1994 and 1997 and included nine New Democrats and two Progressive Conservatives. Add the handful of independents at that time to the mix, and you could have had an unrecognizable — but nevertheless 'recognized' — party. But while it's a bit odd to see so many MPs in the House who don't belong to a recognized party, it's far from unprecedented. What is unique about this group is the large number of them who have held high office in the past. According to the database maintained by the Library of Parliament, only 18 former cabinet ministers have ever appeared in the Commons as Independents. Of those, four (five if we include Bernier, who briefly sat as an Independent before changing his affiliation to the People's Party) are now sitting in the House of Commons. That's twice the largest number of "honourable members" that ever sat previously as independents at the same time. That's a coincidence, of course: very little connects former cabinet ministers Tootoo and Clement to Philpott and Wilson-Raybould, apart from the bad view they now have in the House. But it's another reminder, if any was needed, that the last two months have nudged federal politics into uncharted territory.

Archives|BRONX REGISTER'S REPORT.; Torrens System of Registration Shows 25 Per Cent. Increase. BRONX REGISTER'S REPORT.; Torrens System of Registration Shows 25 Per Cent. Increase.

Spot gold was steady at $1,232.08 per ounce, as of 0415 GMT, while US gold futures were flat at $1,233.4 per ounce. Gold prices held steady on Monday as investors were cautious ahead of the US congressional elections due on Tuesday which will determine whether the Republican or Democratic Party controls Congress. "Traders don't want to extend any risk because of the growing uncertainty around the elections," said Stephen Innes, APAC trading head at OANDA in Singapore. Opinion polls show strong chances that the Democratic Party may win control of the House of Representatives in the November 6 midterm elections after two years of wielding no practical political power in Washington, with Republicans likely to keep the Senate. "We are seeing increasing weariness that the US dollar could run out of steam, which naturally plays into gold... If we get a little bit of escalation of US political risk that plays even more favourably into gold," Innes added. Meanwhile, the dollar lost ground against most of its major peers, as growing expectations of an orderly Brexit bolstered the pound, euro and broader global investor sentiment. Dollar-denominated gold, which is used as an alternative investment during times of political and financial uncertainty, becomes less expensive for users of other currencies when the greenback weakens. Asian stocks were hammered as fears of faster rate hikes in the United States and uncertainty around the Sino-US trade war dented risk sentiment. "Market reports on a potential escalation in US-China trade tariffs have laid fundamental support levels for the safe-haven asset as investors worry on weaker conditions in the global economy," Benjamin Lu, a commodities analyst with Phillip Futures, said in a note. The United States and China are not close to a deal to resolve their trade differences, the White House's top economic adviser said on Friday, adding that he was less optimistic than previously that such an agreement would come together. Spot gold may retrace to a support at $1,224 per ounce before, as it faces a resistance at $1,237, according to Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao. Holdings in SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, fell 0.23 percent to 759.06 tonnes on Friday. Meanwhile, hedge funds and money managers raised their net short position in gold by 18,723 contracts to 45,622 contracts, according to US Commodity Futures Trading Commission data. This was the highest in three weeks. Among other precious metals, silver was down 0.2 percent at $14.71 per ounce. Platinum was 0.3 percent lower at $864.25 per ounce, while palladium rose 0.3 percent to $1,118.75.

Steve Bannon spoke Tuesday in Fairhope, Ala., during a rally for US Senate candidate Roy Moore. FAIRHOPE, Ala. — It already felt a little like a victory party in Alabama Tuesday, where Senate candidate Roy Moore is suddenly feeling love from the Republican Party despite weeks of disclosures that he sexually pursued and assaulted underaged girls. There was a barn packed, standing room only, with supporters. American flags and twinkling white lights decorated the interior, while rain occasionally pounded on a tin roof. And Stephen K. Bannon, the former White House strategist turned king-maker, was here to help push Moore over the finish line with his trademark defiance. “They want to destroy Judge Moore. And you know why? They want to take your voice away,” Bannon declared. “There is no better way to spend a rainy evening in Alabama than with the deplorables,” he said, playing to the antiestablishment crowd gathered to hear him Tuesday night. The neck-and-neck special election contest in Alabama has become, for Bannon, the most extreme example of his “honey badger don’t give a [expletive]”-style of politics, a philosophy inspired by a viral video that shows a badger chasing a jackal and fighting a cobra in search of food. Along the way a narrator explains how the honey badger doesn’t care who he steps on or how disgusting his methods appear to others. Should Trump fear a Sen. Romney? A Senator Romney would probably serve as the counterweight trying to block President Trump’s takeover of the Republican Party. It is also the first of what Bannon and his ultraright, nationalist allies hope is a movement to elect more outsider candidates to the House and Senate. Tuesday evening, Bannon also tore into former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, a Republican who is a sharp Moore critic and a possible candidate for Senate in Utah if incumbent Senator Orrin Hatch opts to retire. Bannon’s support in the contest against Democrat Doug Jones has been crucial for Moore, the former renegade state judge and ultraright favorite who has been accused of sexually assaulting teenaged girls when he was a single man in his 30s. The contest, a special election set for Tuesday, is to replace Jeff Sessions who was tapped to be Trump’s attorney general. Moore drew parallels between his race here and Trump’s 2016 contest. “He fought both the Democrats and the Republicans and became president of the United States,” Moore said. “When he was elected I felt like a big weight had been taken off my shoulders. It felt like we had another chance. And do have another chance,” Moore said. Roy Moore kissed his wife Kayla Moore during a campaign event at Oak Hollow Farm. This week marked the beginning of an improbable turnaround, after the renegade Moore, and by proxy, Bannon, appeared headed for a repudiation just a month ago. Moore appeared to be in serious trouble after The Washington Post reported early last month that he had sexually molested a 14-year-old girl in the late 1970s and sexually pursued other teenagers. Another woman came forward at a press conference and said Moore sexually assaulted her in a car when she, too, was in high school. Many Republicans distanced themselves from Moore and called on him to drop out of the race. But in a sign of how much the party has changed since Donald Trump’s 2016 election, the president turned the tide back in Moore’s favor two weeks ago, when he said Alabama voters should reject Jones, whom he described as too liberal. This week, Trump explicitly endorsed Moore, the Republican National Committee restored the spigot of campaign cash, and Mitch McConnell moderated his earlier rejection of Moore after the Post’s revelations. Now Moore has reestablished a lead in the polls. If he wins, it will be seen as a bigger triumph for Bannon and his far-right movement that has inspired cadres of white nationalists than for Republicans in the Senate. One reason Bannon backs Moore is the sheer discomfort he will bring to Washington. Steve Bannon (left) introduced Roy Moore during a campaign rally. “He’s going to make McConnell’s life a living hell,” said Andrew Surabian, a former Trump White House aide and Bannon confidant. Particularly in this moment of reckoning about sexual misconduct by powerful men, adding Moore to the Senate — with the president’s blessing — will further radicalize the Republican Party and redefine the boundaries of acceptable behavior for membership in the country’s most esteemed body, according to critics from both parties. Moore moves the party so far away from the establishment that the previous rebels are suddenly seen as reasonable, Surabian said. “Roy Moore will normalize Ted Cruz,” he said, referring to the Texas senator whose antics contributed to a temporary government shutdown in 2013. The president was already planning a trip Friday to Pensacola, Fla., a city that’s so close to the Alabama border it’s in a region of the state known as Flora-bama. Ginger Poynter and other protesters who said they support the women that are speaking out against Roy Moore gather as he held a campaign rally. But the party is still not united behind Moore, whom many see as an incoming albatross for Republican senators. And Bannon gets the blame. Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona and Romney are among party leaders who have condemned Moore, and Bannon. He noted that McConnell has delivered Trump some legislative victories, including Senate passage last week of a tax cut bill that would also repeal the federal mandate that Americans purchase health insurance, a key tenet of the Affordable Care Act. The GOP-controlled Senate has also confirmed a Supreme Court justice and a raft of judges to the federal bench. Moore is still in a close fight with Jones. Polls are showing the Alabama race within the margin of error, which is in some ways stunning given that Trump won Alabama by nearly 28 percentage points. Jones is a former federal prosecutor who helped jail the man responsible for bombing the Atlanta Olympics. While in his federal post, he landed convictions for two Ku Klux Klansmen who bombed a church in Birmingham in 1963, killing four little girls. Bannon, 64, took over Trump’s struggling campaign in August 2016 when polls suggested little room for a Republican victory. He went on to become Trump’s chief strategist in the White House. But it’s been since leaving the West Wing in August that Bannon has emerged as a national figure in his own right. On Tuesday, Bannon announced he would return to hosting a morning radio show SiriusXM radio. That’s in addition to his perch atop Breitbart News Network. People attended a campaign rally for Roy Moore.

Work began yesterday on a new and bigger IKEA in Burbank expected to be the country's largest. Officials from Burbank and the Swedish home-furnishing giant broke ground Tuesday on what will eventually be a new 456,000-square-foot store, reports City News Service. Fans of Swedish meatballs and therapeutic DIY-furniture-assembly will have even more room to roam as the megalithic new store will be twice as big as the original 242,000-square-foot location built in 1990 located about a mile down San Fernando Road from the new site near the 5 freeway. Once completed, the new IKEA near San Fernando Boulevard and Providencia Avenue will be the largest in the country—roughly 6,000 square feet larger than the current record-holder in Schaumburg, Illinois, according to the Burbank Leader. Earlier this year, crews cleared 19 buildings that had been used by Western Studio Services—a storage company for TV and film props and sets—to make way for the new store. According to Curbed LA, the bigger store will accommodate better parking, which will include 1,700 spaces, and better access to around 10,000 IKEA items, including everyone's favorite BILLY bookcase. There will also be "50 inspirational room-settings, three model home interiors, a supervised children's play area, and a larger (600-seat) restaurant serving Swedish specialties." So, yes plenty more seats to enjoy those coveted Swedish meatballs. The new, gargantuan IKEA is expected to open in the spring of 2017, when you'll hopefully have plenty of spare time to get lost in the sprawling store. Currently the largest IKEA in the world is just outside Seoul, South Korea, a beast of a store coming in at 635,070 square feet. That one is nearly as big as the Louvre museum and even beat out the 594,167 square feet of Stockholm's own previous record holder.

Due to a sharp decline in metallurgical coal exports, as well as a near weeklong disruption at the Port of Virginia from Hurricane Florence, US coal exports fell to a six-month low 8.6 million mt in September, down 5.7% from 9.12 million mt in August, but were capped off by thermal exports, which were at the highest level since March 2013, US Census Bureau data showed. However, the latest month was up 6.6% from 8.07 million mt shipped out in the year-ago month. Thermal coal exports were at 4.9 million mt, up 23.2% from August and 56% higher year on year. It was the highest monthly export volume since 5.5 million mt was shipped out in March 2013. It was also the second time in three months and only the fourth time in the last six years that thermal coal exports exceeded metallurgical coal shipments (July 2018, February 2015 and October 2012). Year-to-date thermal exports are at 37.03 million mt, up 44.4% from the first nine months of 2017, due to five of the six largest thermal coal importers -- India, South Korea, Mexico, Japan and Egypt -- seeing over seven-year highs. The Netherlands was the only country to see a yearly decrease. Thermal exports out of Baltimore nearly doubled in September to 1.23 million mt, up 95% month on month and the highest in over seven years. Shipments out of New Orleans also jumped 19.5% month on month to 1.81 million mt, which were also the most since 2.14 million mt was exported in July 2012. Bituminous exports to 26 different countries totaled 4.26 million mt in September, up 29.9% month on month and 74.9% from a year ago. India received the largest volume of bituminous coal at 1.22 million mt, up 53.2% from 796,394 mt a month earlier. The Netherlands also imported 844,553 mt of bituminous coal in September, up fourfold from 209,341 mt in August and the highest since 911,415 mt in February 2017, while 460,062 mt was shipped to the UK, up 114% from August and the most since 487,412 mt in January 2015. Subbituminous exports were at 622,812 mt, down 2.3% from 637,339 mt from a month earlier but up 6.4% from the year-ago month. South Korea received 301,787 mt, or 48.4%, of the total subbituminous exports in September, down from 453,191 mt, or 71.1%, a month earlier. Mexico imported 163,499 mt, up from 153,550 mt a month earlier, while India imported 82,659 mt, its first subbituminous exports since 44,000 mt in July 2017.

Reynaldo Decerega’s inadvertent elbow to the face of President Obama (right) resulted in 12 stitches and unwanted publicity. WASHINGTON — It took 849 days for the man who threw the elbow heard ’round the world to finally talk about it. On Nov. 26, 2010, President Barack Obama was accidentally smacked in the kisser by Decerega’s elbow in a pickup basketball game. The leader of the free world received 12 stitches in his upper lip. Decerega took four stitches in his right elbow and the weight of the world on his mind. After The Elbow, Decerega crafted a short statement that the White House released, calling the president “a tough competitor and good sport” and then asking for privacy. He focused instead on his jobs as programs director for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute and as a basketball trainer and coach. He became a US citizen, and the first ballot he cast was for Obama in 2008. Basketball helped him in life, he says. A former history teacher, he has coached basketball for elementary and junior high students for the past 20 years. He got his master’s degree and headed to Capitol Hill, where he helped develop a pipeline for future Latino leaders. His accomplishments were impressive. The Spanish Embassy sent him to Spain as a young leader; he attended an executive leadership program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government; and he was chosen by MillerCoors in 2010 as one of a dozen top Hispanic leaders for achievement, vision, and commitment. He also started training young players for One on One Basketball Inc., an instruction and event management company that works with players of all ages and skill levels. He spearheaded trips to Panama and the Canary Islands to spread the gospel of basketball. Today, none of the kids he has coached knows about The Elbow. “But all the grown-ups do,” he said. “It in no way defines him,” said Charles Milligan, whose 11-year-old son Brandon has worked with Decerega for years. The invitation to play with the president came through Arthur Jackson, the founder of One on One Basketball and a former Brown University cocaptain. “When I got the invitation, it was like, ‘Wow!’ ” said Decerega. “I was not scared. In my life, basketball has been one of the threads. I just felt I was adding another chapter to my basketball story. The first game was at Camp David, where the presidential seal is at midcourt. Nice Guy Rey was on Obama’s team as a wing guard. The participants were mostly cabinet or family members, younger than the president. Decerega, right, instructing Brandon Milligan, is a trainer at One on One Basketball. At 6 feet 1 inch, Decerega is the same height as the president, who played high school ball in Hawaii, but he’s 11 years younger and 20 pounds stockier. Picture a Latino Ernie DiGregorio. He says the lefthanded Obama has got game. And the commander in chief is not quiet on the court. The president even singled him out for praise. In 2010, Decerega guarded the president during his second pickup game at Fort McNair, the day after Thanksgiving. Reports on whether the president gets special treatment on the court are conflicting. Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, who played with Obama on Election Day last fall, thinks so. “I thought they were bringing the whole motorcade through the lane it was so wide,” Pippen told Bulls.com. Decerega, who was not invited back after The Elbow, says the leader of the free world is treated like any other guy in T-shirt, shorts, and sneakers. “If you didn’t know, someone would have to tell you which player is the president,” he said. When it comes time to discussing The Elbow, Decerega hesitates before speaking. Decerega shoots both his hands skyward, demonstrating what Obama did that day. “He was crowding me,” he said. “Instinctively, you crowd the person you’re guarding once he stops his dribble. And instinctively, as the offensive person, I felt the pressure, so I was trying to clear some space. You swing your arms to see what options you have. “So I swung the ball from my left side to my right side. And in that swing — I’m obviously leading with this elbow — I hit him in the lip and he fell to the ground from the contact. And that’s a very surreal moment. “I didn’t know what had happened, so I looked at my elbow and there’s blood coming from my elbow,” he said. “He was just holding his lip on the floor. He didn’t yell. The Secret Service didn’t tackle Decerega; initially, in fact, no one said anything to him. The president returned to the White House for stitches and ice packs. Decerega drove himself to Alexandria Hospital and told the doctors he injured himself playing pickup basketball. He never mentioned Obama. CNN’s Wolf Blitzer was on his trail. He received e-mails from haters who said he should have hit the president harder. His sister in Indianapolis was contacted. His mother was worried that there would be physical reprisals. Decerega was having trouble sleeping. Then he remembered the advice of his old high school coach at St. Stephen’s, Win Palmer. “He taught me to be a class act in everything you do,” said Decerega. He penned a note of apology and sent it to the White House, then tried to concentrate on work. Three days later, he received a large gift-wrapped package with the presidential seal on it. It contained a framed three-picture sequence. “Him guarding me, me swinging through, and then him holding his mouth,” said Decerega. Decerega was more than grateful. “I was shocked again,” he said. “I mean, for him to take the time to think about me, and offer me that, it’s an incredible gesture. But Decerega knows that he’ll always be associated with The Elbow.

A call center that employed 44 workers in Windsor will close at the end of December as a result of a merger between two nonprofit agencies. The Windsor office of Cerebral Palsy of Colorado, where workers coordinated donation pickups in northern Colorado, had been open since July 1995. It had been at its current location of 1200 Carousel Drive since 1997. The office is merging with the Association of Retarded Citizens, said Rob Miller, director of CPC’s Windsor call center. The consolidation will improve service, he said, giving customers more opportunities for their donated goods, typically clothing and household items, to be collected with fewer phone calls made to their homes. “When you have two nonprofits working together, it saves a lot of money. And since they’re nonprofit that means the money saved goes to the bottom line, which is the people that need it,” Miller said. The closure was announced to workers in late October. Miller said the organization brought in counselors from the Colorado Workforce Center in Greeley as well as job coaches from the CPC office in Denver. Jobs at the ARC’s Denver office were made available to the local employees; so far eight workers from the Windsor office have shifted to jobs in Denver. Six local truck driving jobs will be unaffected by the closure, Miller said. He emphasized that services provided by the two organizations will be unchanged. “Nothing about CPC or ARC changes, no funding, no services, nothing changes with the exception of not calling out off this office,” he said.

Ilya Vett, a puppet technician for Broadway’s “The Lion King,” has been arrested after he was allegedly found 3D-printing a revolver in a theater’s prop room. Security at the Minskoff Theatre found the printer and an incomplete printing of the gun and called police, the New York Daily News reported. According to the complaint obtained by TheWrap, officer James Taylor saw the printer “powered on, moving and in operation” on Friday. According to the complaint, Vett brought the printer to work because his workshop is “too dusty.” He told officials he was making the gun as a gift to his brother. Vett was arraigned Saturday on a single count of attempted criminal possession of a firearm. He was released on his own recognizance. Vett has not yet responded to requests for comment. TheWrap has also reached out to the theater. A rep for Disney’s theatrical division had no comment. In August, a federal court prohibited a Texas company from sharing blueprints that could allow people to print plastic guns. According to the NY Daily News, many are worried that 3D printed firearms would be untraceable. “A gun made from plastic is virtually undetectable in metal detectors and other security equipment intended to promote public safety at airports, sporting events, courthouses, music venues and government buildings,” U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik of Seattle said in his order. Vett will next appear in New York Criminal Court on Nov. 7.

Ben Finkelor MBA 04, Executive Director of the Energy Efficiency Center (EEC), will introduce GSM Business Partners to the EEC and activities on campus in lighting, HVAC, agriculture, and water efficiency with an eye towards its mission to accelerate the development and commercialization of energy efficient technologies. Ben will then provide a walking tour of West Village, the EEC’s home and the largest planned zero net energy community in the United States, focusing on its technologies and areas of business collaboration. For more information on the EEC, click here. Finally, Michael Koenig, project leader, Honda Smart Home, will showcase the Honda Smart Home. This zero net energy home produces enough energy to power not only the home but an electric vehicle as well. For more information on the Honda Smart Home, click here.

Thirdi Group (pronounced ‘Third Eye’) is one of Australia’s leading property development and investment firms with an enviable track record in successfully delivering large-scale residential projects in Sydney and Newcastle. With a current development pipeline exceeding $600 million, Thirdi Group’s experience and drive to deliver beautiful homes and investment properties are key reasons for their ongoing success. Recognised as an industry leader in how we combine traditional property development & investment strategies with in-house developed technologies, we are proud of our innovative approach to property development. By combining our experienced network of financiers, builders and consultants with Thirdi Group’s strong leadership, integrity, innovation, humility, and passion, Thirdi Group is fast becoming one of the Australia’s strongest performing property development companies.

South Dade will be looking to win its sixth straight Class 3A state title this weekend. South Dade enters the FHSAA state wrestling tournament this weekend as the favorite to win a sixth-straight Class 3A team title, but not as big a favorite as they’ve been in recent seasons. Leading the way for the Bucs are returning state champions Bretli Reyna, Brevin Balmeceda, and Todd Perry. Tyler Orta, Joshua Swan, and Eric Temes have finished on the podium before and their performances this weekend will go a long way toward assuring South Dade wins another team title. Chasing South Dade will be Miami-Dade County rival SW Miami. The Eagles will bring nine wrestlers to Kissimmee including 145-pound favorite Julian Hernandez. Fleming Island brings the most wrestlers in Class 3A with 12 Golden Eagles taking the mat. Winter Springs, Hagerty, and Miami Southridge will all be battling for top spots in Class 3A. The action begins on Friday morning with the first round starting at 10 a.m. What you will read is my best guess as to how Class 3A will play out. What you will also read is Shannon Heaton’s best guess as to how Class 3A will go. The buzz: This is not an easy path for Rowland, who could face a top 10 wrestler in all four rounds in Kissimmee. The senior is battle-tested this year and I think that will serve him well this weekend. Region 3A-2 is loaded with talent and a few of those guys could switch spots on this podium, just as they’ve exchanged wins this year. Nguyen comes in hot after winning the region crown so he gets the nod. There aren’t many sure things in this bracket and the back end could be as exciting as the front. Wrestlers that could prove me wrong: Angelo DeDona, Manatee (top half); Zion Gonzalez, University-Orange City (bottom half). First-round match you can't miss: Morales v. Lens Mathurin (Freedom). Winner has a solid chance to medal. The buzz: Region 2 is, indeed, bringing four hammers to bear in this weight class, and Rowland will have to face at least two of them, perhaps three, to run the gauntlet. By comparison, the bottom half is ever so slightly more balanced but less top heavy, meaning we'll probably see a Region 2 pairing in the semis. What intrigues me most is that potential DeDona-Rios quarter. Going 305 on that one, for the experience factor. The buzz: Wadle started the season strong and he hasn’t let up all season. That doesn't mean it will be an easy walk to the title because Busutil is lurking on the other half of the bracket should Walde get past third-ranked Delgado and fourth-ranked Giraldo. The senior Busutil hasn’t lost to a Class 3A wrestler this season and last lost a match back in Week 7. This will be a great final if it plays out. Wrestlers that could prove me wrong: Robert Dusendang, Columbus (top half); Joseph Riestra (Cooper City). First-round match you can't miss: Josh Guerra (Riverview) v. Gabe Rendon (Oviedo). The buzz: The instinct is to go chalk with these brackets -- see if you don't next month with your NCAA sheets -- but I agonized a long time over that Wadle/Delgado quarterfinal. I could really see that going the other way. I think it's going to be a monster match. Meanwhile Busutil, who seems to be one of those kids who's been around for years and years, has been building up to this moment, with a bonus point win at Region 4 over Delgado. If Wadle does the same or better, I'll be convinced he's the real deal to become a multi-timer, but experience counts a lot with me. The buzz: Hines won an early season meeting 6-2 against the returning state champion Jackson and gets the nod here but Jackson has been on a winning tear since losing some high profile matches early in the season. Melguizo is the wildcard because he’s the only one with wins this season over both Hines and Jackson and if he can repeat those 4-3 wins, the state title will be heading to the 305. Wrestlers that could prove me wrong: Tyler Forrest, Riverview (top half); Christian Fields, Freedom (bottom half). First-round match you can't miss: Huffman v. Forrest. Both could medal. The buzz: Just a monster final set up, with last year's 106 runnerup and 113 champion set to square off. Hines won, 6-2, at Danny Byron, and head-to-head wins matter a lot with me, it's why I made the pick as is. I would just say this, though: a year ago, Palm Harbor's Gabe Naranjo had a prior win over Jackson, too. Jackson's road is much tougher, however, with Huffman and Johnson looming as quarterfinal and semifinal opponents, while Hines should not have much trouble before Saturday's semis, if then. The buzz: Orta and Chopek have been dominant this season with each only having a single loss to wrestlers from Florida (both to Class 2A wrestlers). Both wrestlers are also not strangers to the big state tournament stage as they each have reached the state finals (twice for Chopek) and each is looking for their first state title. I’ll go with the South Dade senior in this one. A potential quarterfinal to not miss would be at the top of the bracket between Kohn and Valdes. Wrestlers that could prove me wrong: Jose Gonzalez, Southwest Miami (top half); Fredy Rizo, Ferguson (bottom half). First-round match you can't miss: Rizo v. Dylan Burton (St Thomas Aquinas). The buzz: Khawly-Orta flies under the radar for nationwide buzz that surrounds teammates like Reyna and Balmeceda and Perry, but he's proven steady and capable over the years. Chopek has flourished in his new home, not missing a beat after reaching the 1A finals each of the past two years. Will this be the year he gets over the hump? As he's a former northerner, I hope so. Chopek will have a very tough semi against either Kohn or Valdes, while Orta's path to the final is -- by state wrestling standards -- smoother. The buzz: Reyna is a huge favorite and the top half of this bracket is where the battle will be. It doesn’t hurt that four of the top six wrestlers in the state are in that top half. The freshman Gonzalez has had no growing pains in his first high school wrestling season and he’s part of a young movement in the state that could end up being one of the most talented senior classes ever. But I don’t see anybody getting past the two-time state champion Reyna. Wrestlers that could prove me wrong: Destin Jones, Miami Palmetto (top half); Travon Rose, Ft Pierce Central (bottom half). First-round match you can't miss: Jones v. Felix. Both could medal. The buzz: The Now v. The Next. Reyna is one of 3A's superstars, no question, and I think he should roll through this bracket, perhaps even the final, but Gonzalez might be the best freshman in 3A, at any weight. So while the Buccaneer juggernaut is of course the pick, I'd expect a pretty freewheeling final, with a lot of points piled up. Gonzalez's top half of the bracket does appear to be a much stronger half. The buzz: Another big favorite with Lehigh-bound Hines expected to celebrate another state title in front of a home crowd. The bottom half of the bracket is loaded along with Hines so expect some big battles for the podium while a potential semifinal between Swan and Phillips in the top half should have the arena rocking on Saturday morning. Wrestlers that could prove me wrong: Kyndryck Higgins, Palm Beach Gardens (top half); Dalton Williams, Fleming Island (bottom half). First-round match you can't miss: Couple of them on the bottom half, but I'll go with one involving my local kid. In the Williams-Dematas match, you could see two kids that reach the final eight. The buzz: It's a swan-song weekend for Hines, and while there's plenty of ranked competition (five kids in the top nine) in his half, I expect him to roll through to the finals. The interesting question might be more who'll be his finals opponent on Saturday night. I'd expect a titanic struggle in the semis between Phillips and Swan; that matchup will generate a lot of attention. The buzz: This is the first weight class with a potential No. 1 vs. No. 2 in the state meeting in the semifinals with Hernandez and Woods both in the top half of the bracket. They’ve met once this season with Hernandez getting a 6-4 win in the finals at the Tri-County Invitational back in Week 9. Contreras has wins over Temes and Janssen this season and will likely need to repeat each accomplishment to reach this final. Wrestlers that could prove me wrong: David Milton, Columbus (top half); Will George, Palm Beach Gardens (bottom half). First-round match you can't miss: Pick any of the Region 1 v 4 matches, but I'll go with Contreras-Temes as a barnburner in round 1. The buzz: Having seen Woods and Contreras several times over the past few years, I know that each of them are a match for top-ranked Hernandez. I wouldn't be surprised to see any of them on top of the podium on Saturday night, but when it comes down to the semis, Woods might be the most-capable guy in the draw. They didn't have a chance to meet up at Knockout, with Woods up at 152, where he was a finalist, where Hernandez was fourth and Contreras fifth at 145. The buzz: Returning state champion Lovett has been one of the most dominating wrestlers in Class 3A this season and I don’t expect that to change. The top half features a monster potential quarterfinal where Villalobos and Winter Springs’ valedictorian McCandless could meet up on Friday evening. Wrestlers that could prove me wrong: Jonathan Rodriguez, West Port (top half); Gianni Guerriero, St Thomas Aquinas (bottom half). First-round match you can't miss: Chop v. Guerriero. Winner could make semis, loser has to fight through either McCandless or Villalobos in Saturday blood round. The buzz: Like Hines at 138, this is kind of a swan-song tour for Lovett, who may have surprised a couple of folks with his win last year but won't sneak up on anyone this year as an unbeaten senior. He should sail into the finals, but his opponent might well be determined in Friday night's top quarter between McCandless and Villalobos, which projects to be all-out war. The buzz: Another chance to catch one of the top wrestlers in the entire country as Oklahoma State-bound Balmeceda concludes his high school career at Silver Spurs Arena. The rest of the battles in the weight class should be thrilling as the rest of the podium could look a variety of ways. Wrestlers that could prove me wrong: George Llanes, Coral Park (top half); Tanner Hill, Fleming Island (bottom half). First-round match you can't miss: Hill v. Davidson. Path to a medal might be easier for the loser of that match; that doesn't happen often. The buzz: Balmeceda wraps a six-year states career this weekend, and while he'll get tough competition from the quarters forward, I expect he'll come out on top once again and take his fourth title. At the same time, sophomores Lukens and Eaddy are making this stretch run a prep run for the top spot/spots in 2020. One of the most loaded brackets of the entire group. The buzz: Should be back-to-back titles for South Dade but one of the matches I’m intrigued by here is the first round match between Perkins and SW Miami’s Bryan Valdes, who gave the Hagerty junior one of his three losses this season. Wrestlers that could prove me wrong: Nico Esposito, Ft Lauderdale (top half); Elijah White, Edgewater (bottom half). First-round match you can't miss: Perkins v. Valdes. Could meet up again on Saturday. The buzz: Like Balmeceda, Perry wraps up a long career this weekend, but one with no pushovers, exactly, either, as he could face four ranked wrestlers this weekend. I'll be curious to see if the Region 2 semi replays itself between Finken and Thompson, and if it does so in the same way that regions did. Region 2 is bringing a lot of pain into this bracket, with three wrestlers ranked in the top five. The buzz: The top wrestlers in this weight class are both on the top half of this bracket so expect some fireworks in Saturday's semifinal round. If the SW Miami junior wins that one and faces Bencid in the final, he’ll need to beat him for the fifth time in six weeks to win a state title. The rest of this weight class is full of podium worthy wrestlers and expect some explosive battles in the quarterfinals and placing matches. Wrestlers that could prove me wrong: Kohl Drake, Newsome (top half); Armando Acosta, Buchholz (bottom half). First-round match you can't miss: Bencid v. Acosta. Not saying winner automatically makes the final, but...winner has a real shot at making final. The buzz: This is going to be a very entertaining bracket, I think most so in the quarters Friday and top-half semi on Saturday. Just murderous matches everywhere. There will be at least one top-seven kid that does not get to Saturday. We should see a 1-2 semi; in the bottom half, you want no part of the consi side, particularly once two of the top-five ranked kids in the state come down to pay a visit in consi round 2 and the blood round. Just keep winning, as the movie might say. The buzz: The last of the 3A “sure things”, Burburija will look to finish his senior year with another state title and an unbeaten record. D’ascoli, a state qualifier in 2017, has put together a stellar season after missing last year to injury and Nix gets the unenviable task of coming into this tournament ranked No. 2 in the state and ending up in Burburija’s bracket. Wrestlers that could prove me wrong: Christopher Telusma, Jacksonville Lee (top half); Noah Lusk, St Thomas Aquinas (bottom half). First-round match you can't miss: Bobby Williams v. Anthony Williams. Could be two medalists in round 1. The buzz: Of the state's best in the weight class, the two best might be meeting in the semis on Saturday morning with Burburija and Nix. Both have pretty clear paths to face each other, and the loser of that semi would have a pretty clear path to third place. Meanwhile, there's three pretty solid bottom-half kids who all have a good shot at a run to the title match, and all three should medal in some form or another. The buzz: I could pick this bracket a number of different ways and each one would have holes in it. I’ve decided to go with recency bias on it, but if a few wrestlers get back on track this week, it will provide chaos to my picks. Wrestlers that could prove me wrong: Taso Kourtakis, Southridge (top half); Dylan Ruiz (Osceola). First-round match you can't miss: Dossey v. Lascano. Two top-four ranked kids, both with lots of motivation after last week. The buzz: Oh, Region 2. You must have been a crazy place in this bracket last week, with Howe falling in the quarters and Dossey falling in the final. Thing about a surprise run in a prior-level tournament is, it's not a surprise to anyone anymore. Of course, Onalaja could repeat the feat again this week and shock the world again. I'd really watch out for Canedo, too; he knows how to get to Saturday night, having done it before. The buzz: Former Lake Highland Prep wrestler Ruff hasn’t missed a beat this season, going 36-1 with his only loss coming at district duals to Lake Mary’s Moxley (who Ruff has beaten three times this season). He will be tested if he's going to win his first state title, with Kentucky-bound (for football) Pope potentially waiting in the semifinals with his unbeaten record. The bottom half of this bracket is the place to watch the quarterfinals where the potential matches would be No. 3 vs. No. 4 and No. 5 vs. No. 6 in the state. Wrestlers that could prove me wrong: Maxwell Diaz, Coral Park (top half); Willie Lampkin, Lakeland (bottom half). First-round match: Pope v. Saint John. Could have a rematch of this one in the consi semis, the way I see it playing out. The buzz: Region 1 heavies were going to play a big role in this weekend. Perhaps an even-bigger one if the Hollenbach/Sanchez projected semifinal, which I have going to Sanchez, goes the other way. Might feel a bit differently once the Friday night quarterfinal results are in. Ruff v. Pope also has the potential to be a decent top-half semi.

US President: "We've stopped Gaddafi's deadly advance"; NATO to assume full responsibility for Libya operations. WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama told Americans on Monday the United States would work with its allies to hasten the day when Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi leaves power, but would not use force to topple him. In a nationally televised address, Obama -- accused by many lawmakers of failing to explain the US role in the Western air campaign against Gaddafi's loyalists -- made the case for his decision to intervene militarily in the Libya conflict. He cited the US role as guardians of global security saying, "for generations, the United States of America has played a unique role as an anchor of global security and advocate for human freedom." "Mindful of the risks and costs of military action, we are naturally reluctant to use force to solve the world's many challenges. But when our interests and values are at stake, we have a responsibility to act. That is what happened in Libya over the course of these last six weeks." But he also underscored the limits of US military action as he sought to counter criticism that he lacked clear objectives and a credible exit strategy in the conflict. "I can report that we have stopped Gaddafi's deadly advance," Obama told military officers at the National Defense University in Washington, 10 days after ordering US participation in Western-led air strikes. "We will deny the regime arms, cut off its supply of cash, assist the opposition, and work with other nations to hasten the day when Gaddafi leaves power," Obama said. But he added that "it may not happen overnight" and acknowledged that Gaddafi may be able to cling to power. "Broadening our military mission to include regime change would be a mistake," he said. Obama spoke on the eve of a 35-nation conference in London to tackle the crisis in the North African oil-exporting country and weigh political options for ending Gaddafi's 41-year rule. Obama's challenge was to define the limited purpose and scope of the US mission in Libya for Americans preoccupied with domestic economic concerns and weary of costly wars in two other Muslim countries, Iraq and Afghanistan. But his words may not be enough to mollify Republican opponents who say he has failed to lead in recent global crises ranging from Middle East unrest to Japan's nuclear emergency. Obama's prime-time speech came a day after NATO agreed to assume full responsibility for military operations in Libya, ending uncertainty about who would take over the lead from US forces. "The US will play a supporting role for the coalition," he stated. He said the handover would take place on Wednesday. The alliance's decision gave a boost to Obama's effort to show Americans he was making good on his commitment to limit the US military's involvement in Libya. NATO will take charge of air strikes that have targeted Gaddafi's military infrastructure as well as a no-fly zone and an arms embargo. The White House also hopes Obama can score political points at home from gains on the battlefield by Libyan rebels emboldened by the Western air assault on Gaddafi's loyalists.

Nikko Bali Resort and Spa is a 5 star diamond resort located near Nusa Dua. It consist of the Cliff Tower The South Wing and The North Wing. The Cliff Tower commands a stunning outlook of 180 degree ocean view from its 40 meter cliff-top site. Novotel Bali Benoa is a 4.5 star resort located at the edge of Nusa Dua, overlooking the golden sands of Tanjung Benoa beach.

Every Single Ocean Has A Massive Swirling Plastic Garbage Vortex Now! For most of the world, the disposal of our trash is of high importance. We don’t want to have huge stinking trash heaps of coagulated waste stinking to high heaven near our homes, work, or places of entertainment. That is why we are trying to limit pollution across the map such as reducing carbon omissions, reusing items as life hacks, and recycling whenever we can. Despite our good intentions, we are not perfect beings and there will be times when the easiest option for waste is just to throw it away. Also, the world doesn’t seem to share our sympathetic views of keeping our planet clean, especially when it comes to plastic. In fact, most of our trash is thrown away into one place: the ocean. As a result, every ocean now has a giant swirling vortex of plastic garbage. According to an article by Vox, a single conservative estimate suggests that at least 1 million tons of plastic has entered the ocean since the 1970s. Taking our knowledge of underwater currents, scientists were able to find the swirling vortexes of plastic. Each vortex is also calculated to have thousands of tons of plastic in the underwater current cyclone. Here is the kicker: We reported that at least 1 million tons of plastic has entered the ocean, so where did the rest go? The vortexes only account for less than 1 percent of the plastic in estimation. Therefore, nobody really knows where the other 99 percent went. One weird possibility is that the fish are eating the plastic and it is entering the food chain. Nevertheless, the garbage in our waters has increased in such high amounts that we now have something known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It is a patch of trash the size of Texas that’s accumulated in a swirling subtropical underwater whirlpool. It is also the most frequently studied and the most commonly known. Now reports are coming in from the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences that there are five of these swirling vortexes in the ocean. These findings are the work of Andres Cózar of the Universidad de Cadiz, along with information from the results of a 2010 circumnavigation cruise. To the human eye, or even from space, these garbage patches are invisible. Most of the plastic is bobbing just beneath the surface and most of the particles are smaller than one centimeter in diameter. Over time, plastic breaks down into smaller pieces, which is plausible in an ocean with currents, waves, and degradation from the sun. Right now, the scientists behind the findings are figuring out where the 99 percent of mixing plastic is. They have ideas, such as washing back on shore, or plastic being broken down even smaller than a centimeter in diameter, but right now, it is all theory.

The board of directors of a North Carolina public charter school last week reversed its ban on student-led clubs, two weeks after complaints about a newly formed Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender group. The board of Lake Lure Classical Academy in Rutherford County voted to establish a new policy requiring K-8 students, but not highschool students, to get parental consent to join clubs, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Board Chairman Chris Braund said it was clear there was much more support for a policy of inclusion inside and outside the school than from the community and parents who initially expressed concern.

Warriors, with courage and integrity as their distinguishing traits, have been always respected. Skilful warriors, such as military aviators, have created a special place for themselves in the society. In this class, a very small section of fighter pilots has an iconic status. Adages like ‘All men are born equal, then a few become fighter pilots’ support this perception. How different will the USAF look after the proposed restructuring with 74 additional squadrons? Will there be a trade-off between quality and quantity? While combat aircraft acquisition for self-defence capability is a long drawn and expensive process, Botswana has moved systematically to enhance its low-cost variation - by improving ground-based air defence system. Taking off in 1940 with the establishment of Hindustan Aircraft Limited (later named Hindustan Aeronautics Limited or HAL), the Indian aviation industry has grown in spurts over the past seven decades and more. During the initial phase, HAL provided maintenance support to various combat aircraft of the allied forces in World War II and, subsequently, commenced licenced production of combat aircraft. After Independence in 1947 and its nationalisation, HAL grew in strength to design combat aircraft.

An informative book about the creatures of the Australian Outback. Australian author Margot Finke’s new book Kangaroo Clues is a masterpiece. The picture book introduces the reader to the Australian outback. The story is about a kangaroo named Roo being pursued by dingoes. Learning about Roo’s world is very fascinating. The icing on the cake is when the author introduces other wildlife from the Australian Outback. I enjoyed learning about a kookaburra, an emu, a koala, an echidna, a frillneck lizard, a galah, a platypus, and a goanna. The footnotes explanations made it easy to understand fully the true nature of these interesting critters. Ms. Finke provides the reader with many adventures, but more importantly, the reader learns about how tough life can be for these animals. She also made mention of religious beliefs of the people from the Aboriginal culture. A few dogs barked; they were safe on land. None of them swam to give their mates a hand. They soon slunk off, a beaten pack. If they were smart they’d not come back. He planned a lesson for those outback bums. The bush critters fled as Roo hopped past. None of them wanted to be picked off last. The artwork:The illustrations bring to life the Australian Outback. I have never been to Australia, but the pictures speak loudly to me. The mystical appeal of the illustrations transports me to a land of adventures and excitement. Young readers will fall in love with this great book. So, if you are like me, and love providing your young reader with quality, well written books, you may want to get a copy of Kangaroo Clues. Nicole weaver is an award-winning author. Her first trilingual book Marie and Her Friend the Sea Turtle was published in 2009. Her love for languages and other cultures resulted in publishing the award-winning book, My Sister Is My Best Friend which was published in 2011 by Guardian Angel Publishing. My Sister Is My Best Friend has won the following awards: 2012 Creative Child Awards Program consisting of moms and educators has awarded this book the 2012 PREFERRED CHOICE AWARD Kids Picture Storybooks category. 2012 Children's Literary Classics Seal of Approval 2012 Children's Literary Classics Gold Award Readers' Favorite 5 Star ReviewHer newest book , My Brother Is My Best Friend was also published by Guardian Angel Publishing, January 2014. Great review Nicole, and another great book Margot! Wishing much success. Hi Nicole, Nice review. I like Margot’s Wild and Wonderful series! Thanks for posting. Looking forward to reading it. I love Margot’s books. Educational AND fun. Love that combo! Thanks for the review. I always love Margot’s rhyming stories and i Love the artwork.

Congress on Friday expelled Barkha Shukla Singh from the party, a day after she attacked Rahul Gandhi and senior leader Ajay Maken. In one of the swiftest actions witnessed in the Congress, Singh was sacked on Thursday evening within hours of her declaring Rahul “unfit” to lead the party. Singh, who was the president of the Delhi unit of the Mahila Congress, had released pictures of Rahul having dinner at a restaurant with some friends last month. The Disciplinary Action Committee of the Delhi unit of the Congress met Friday morning to unanimously decided to expel Singh from the party for indulging in “anti-party activities” ahead of the elections to the municipal corporations in the capital. Singh, who had complained against “neglect” of women workers in ticket distribution for the Sunday's civic polls, alleged that the party workers were “snubbed” and their grievances were not addressed. On Thursday, Singh had insisted that she was not quitting the party but only her post -- President of the Delhi unit of Mahila Congress.

New York City police have arrested three men who they said barged into a St. John’s University dorm in Queens Wednesday with the intent to rob students and fired off a gunshot during the intrusion. Anthony Gusthas, 18, Mustafa Godbolt, 21 and Tyrell Sutton, 17, all of Queens, were being arraigned Thursday in Queens Criminal Court on charges of first-degree burglary, first-degree attempted robbery, second- and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, said Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, in a news release. Their attorneys could not be reached for comment and arraignment information was not available. NYPD officials said three suspects entered Hollis Hall on Utopia Parkway just before 2 p.m. and engaged in an argument with several students before one of the suspects fired a shot. No one was injured, but at least one of the suspects rummaged through the students’ belongings before they fled, authorities said. Brown said a police officer saw the defendants walking on 167th Street and the Grand Central Parkway shortly after the robbery and that Sutton dropped a backpack and Godbolt dropped a jar when he approached them. Police found “duct tape, rope, scissors and a loaded .38 caliber Smith and Wesson black revolver with three live rounds of ammunition and a shell casing in the chamber from the backpack; 150 Alprazolam (Xanax) pills from the jar; and a .38 caliber round of ammunition from the dorm room,” Brown said.

If you’re even remotely anxious about flying, don’t watch this video without a change of pants close at hand. While practicing a series of stunts, the engine on pilot Chad Barber’s biplane died during a steep climb, causing it to immediately stall and make a direct, terrifying detour back to Earth. After leveling out, the plane essentially become a glider without a massive set of wings to keep it safely aloft. Barber tried again and again to bring its engine back to life. He finally succeeded moments before he would have had to make an emergency landing on a road that looked very un-friendly to planes traveling at high speeds. As he pulls the plane out of its descent just in the nick of time, you can finally hear Barber react to the incident with a mixture of relief and shock in his voice. Is anyone else only planning to take Greyhound bus trips across the country from here on out?

Chelsea and QPR have warned their supporters that "abuse and discrimination has no place in football or society" ahead of their FA Cup clash on Saturday. The game will be the first time Chelsea captain John Terry and QPR defender Anton Ferdinand have faced each other since the Blues' 1-0 defeat in October. Terry has been charged with racially abusing Ferdinand during the game and will appear in court on February 1. He has denied the charge. However the two clubs have now moved to show a united front. Bruce Buck, chairman of Chelsea, and Tony Fernandes, his QPR counterpart, said in the statement: "We have discussed the issues surrounding this weekend's FA Cup fourth-round tie at Loftus Road and we are both in total agreement that abuse and discrimination has no place in football or society." The statement continued: "Both clubs enjoy fantastic support. However, we would remind fans that while we want to hear their passion, it's a fact that hatred and abuse is not what being a fan of Chelsea or QPR is about. "The clubs will work together with the police to ensure that anyone using discriminatory or inflammatory language is identified and that the strongest possible action is taken against them. "A local derby is always a special occasion and this weekend's FA Cup tie is a unique opportunity to show the world that hatred has no place in our game, our clubs, or our communities. "We would urge fans witnessing any form of abuse to report it to a matchday steward or text confidentially on 07557 435421. "Let's make Saturday's match a celebration of football." The match has been brought forward to a midday kick-off on the advice of police in a bid to minimise potential crowd problems, with both clubs keen to avoid any ill-feeling amongst fans.

(AllHipHop News) Nipsey Hussle's influence on the South Los Angeles community he served will go down in U.S. history. That is because representative Karen Bass of California made a commitment to guarantee his philanthropic work will formally become part of the Congressional Record. “I will be heading to the House Floor next week to formally enter Nipsey Hussle’s contributions to South Los Angeles into the Congressional Record where it will be a part of United States history forever,” Rep. Karen Bass promised. The hip-hop star and activist, real name Ermias Davidson Asghedom, was gunned down outside his Marathon Clothing store in Crenshaw, Los Angeles on Sunday, March 31. Eric Holder was taken into custody by Los Angeles County Sheriff's officials in Bellflower, California on Tuesday (April 2), hours after Los Angeles Police Department chief Michel Moore urged the 29-year-old to turn himself in during a press conference. Holder has since been transferred to an LAPD jail, where his bail has been set at just over $7 million. Meanwhile, a funeral for Nipsey Hussle is slated to take place this Thursday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. That's WAY BEYOND Dope!!!! In the past No elected official Black or White would even consider doing anything like this! It shows how much Hip Hop has changed people & the people who grew up with it! 20 years ago no TV network would've ever green lit a show with Martha Stewart & Snoop Dogg on it together. Look around Hip Hop is in commercial's, TV shows, Movie's, everyday slang! RIP Nipsey!!!!

University of Michigan professor Sherman Jackson has been named one of the top 500 most influential Muslims in the world by an international Islamic non-governmental, independent institute headquartered in Amman, Jordan. The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre publishes the annual series to provide "a window into the movers and shakers of the Muslim world," according to its website. Jackson is an Arthur F Thurnau Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at U-M and a writer on the African- American Muslim community. Jackson is the co-founder of the American Learning Institute for Muslims and is featured on the Washington Post-Newsweek blog "On Faith." He is a former chairman of the Fiqh Council of North America, according to the publication.

On March 1, the Fairfax County police will begin a pilot program testing the implementation of body-worn cameras on officers in the field. The police shooting of a man suspected of ramming his SUV into another car at a Silver Spring shopping center was captured on the officer’s body-worn camera, police said. The footage has been turned over to the state’s attorney’s office. What will 2017 bring for the D.C. region? Here’s a look at some of the big stories WTOP will be covering in the new year. “They turn them on whenever they have a call for call for service or whenever they’re going to have an interaction with the public,” said Interim D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham. District of Columbia officials on Tuesday released footage from a body-worn camera showing the moments after a motorcyclist was fatally shot by a police officer. “We are planning to go operational in October of this year,” said Carlos Acosta, the inspector general for the Prince George’s County Police Department. “Seeing [an incident] from the very beginning to the very end with a body camera is an a lot more accurate portrayal of what actually happened,” said Montgomery County’s Assistant Police Chief. The number of cameras will grow about fivefold, but an amendment allows officers to see footage before they write their reports. Policies take shape for use of police body cameras in Md.

At a very young age, Gilda Radner learned how to ward off playground jerks looking to turn her weight into a subject of ridicule. “Comedy is hitting on the truth before the other guy thinks of it,” were words she lived by, and a reliance on self-deprecating humor became a key to her survival. Soon after the opening credits — but not before the audience is given a chance to re-familiarize itself with the subject — a quartet of more contemporary SNL alumnists (Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Bill Hader, and Melissa McCarthy) are called upon to to read select passages from Gilda’s diaries. Fortunately, their participation is kept to a minimum. Most celebrities don’t leave behind a stockpile of research material such as this, and director Lisa D’Apolito puts it to good use. The photographs alone would fill several storage lockers. Add to this an autobiographical audiobook narrated by the author, performance videos, and recently discovered audio tapes, and you’d swear Gilda was an active participant in the project. 2018.

In celebration of Sunday's World Cup final, we've put together our picks for the 10 best soccer commercials we've ever seen. Perhaps not surprisingly, the list is dominated by Nike (and Wieden + Kennedy), with Adidas's soccer spots often seeming to fall a bit short. We left off most of the fluffy stuff (like every Pepsi soccer spot ever done) in favor of the meat and potatoes. Check out the list here.

A false alert of an impending missile attack highlights just how unprepared the country is for nuclear disaster. Why would my 22-year-old brother be calling so early on a Saturday morning? I’d ignored the first call. But the second time the phone rang, I picked it up. He was panicking, his voice trembling uncharacteristically: He’d just received the emergency alert warning of a ballistic missile that was heading for Hawaii, where I’m from, and where he and my family still live. “THIS IS NOT A DRILL,” the alert read. My brother was alone, and had no idea what to do or where to go. And he wouldn’t have had much time to figure out a game plan—some estimates suggest a missile from North Korea could reach Hawaii in 20 minutes. People across the state were terrified. Many assumed they would die, but sought shelter anyway. They took cover in mall bathrooms, bathtubs, drug stores—even a storm drain. Hawaii has very few shelters, and houses with basements are rare. There were reports of people speeding down highways and running red lights to reunite with family members. Others called one another to say “I love you” one last time. The alert turned out to be false, an epic—almost unbelievable—mishap. A state employee had accidentally triggered the Emergency Alert System message at 8:07 a.m., during what should have been a routine internal test. It took officials 38 minutes to announce their mistake, and to confirm that the warning had been a false alarm. Those 38 minutes were the 38 worst minutes of many Hawaii residents’ lives. And they were just as horrifying for people outside of Hawaii who, like me, felt helpless as they contended with the prospect of never seeing their loved ones again. The threat against Hawaii predates Trump: In 2009, then-President Obama warned that North Korea was capable of bombing Hawaii, and the military responded by strengthening preparations in the state. And while many locals may, at least in the past, have tended to express a certain nonchalance about the North Korea threat, Hawaii at its core knows better than to shrug off the prospect of such an attack: Just over 76 years ago, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor killed more than 2,400 Americans, including civilians, and wounded more than 1,100 others. “We have a culture of preparedness in Hawaii,” said LoPresti, who spearheaded an effort last year to update the state’s disaster plans to deal with a worst-case scenario. Yet the Saturday fiasco, and the explosion of emotion that ensued, revealed that a culture of preparedness will only go so far in protecting the Aloha State from the ravages of nuclear war. It was also a raw reminder of Hawaii’s geopolitical role in the United States—a role that, for many in the kingdom-turned-territory-turned-state, is a source of deep resentment. Noelani Goodyear-Kaʻōpua was in the parking lot of Long’s Drugs near downtown Honolulu when she and her husband turned on their car and heard the emergency alert on the radio. Goodyear-Kaʻōpua’s comments became more pointed as she reflected on the moment, blaming Trump for what seems like a starker-than-ever threat of nuclear war. But, she added, it’s just the latest chapter in what she described as a long history of oppression in Hawaii. “There are so many ways in which we’re targeted every day—not just by missiles but also the way our language is targeted, our history is targeted, our people who can’t afford to live in our homeland are targeted,” she said. “On top of that we have a layer of intense militarization that impacts our lands and waters every day and also makes us a target for the kind of aggression that we have provoked.” Next week, she noted, will be the 125th anniversary of the arguably illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Others view the mainland U.S.’s relationship with Hawaii as more symbiotic than it is exploitative. Tourism, a majority of it supplied by other parts of the country, is the single largest contributor to the state’s GDP—and on Saturday, Hawaii officials were forced to reckon with exactly how much they rely on those visitors. Hotels and tourist spots were especially chaotic after the alert was sent out. My 19-year-old cousin, who happened to be visiting Hawaii from San Francisco, described a scene of pandemonium at her Waikiki hotel. Hotel officials told everyone to stay inside, she explained, so for those 38 minutes (and beyond) the lobby was packed with agitated, distraught guests. Some people were so unnerved that the hotel manager gave them access to the hotel’s basement so they could calm down. Paola Rodelas, the spokeswoman for Unite Here Local 5, a union for hotel workers, said her conversations with employees from several different hotels made it clear that no hotel had a plan for the situation. Cooks and housekeepers told Rodelas that some guests were panicked and crying; a manager told kitchen staff at one hotel about the alert and told them they should call their loved ones. “It just kind of seems, overall, that no one knew how to react,” Rodelas said, acknowledging that the disarray extended far beyond hotels. Nobody anywhere, she concluded, had any idea what to do. After all, unlike a tsunami or hurricane, which Hawaii residents are used to preparing for (often very earnestly), the threat of a fast-arriving missile is a total unknown. Still, Chad Blair, the politics and opinions editor at Honolulu Civil Beat, told me it could have the opposite effect, more like the boy who cried wolf—some people might not take seriously the next this-is-not-a-drill alert. He also warned against exaggerating Hawaii’s vulnerability to such a threat. North Korea has lots of targets to choose from—the latest news reports suggest North Korea now has the ability to attack Los Angeles, and even Chicago and New York City. The probability of a bomb aside, some Hawaii residents said the event was different kind of wake-up call. The alert gave many a new appreciation for their loved ones and for the islands’ simple pleasures: the white-sand beaches, the gentle trade winds, the January sunshine. It also brought people together in a way that they hadn’t before—even in a place where the “aloha spirit” is such a fact of life it’s codified in state laws.

The Wicomico County Sheriff's Office says two Salisbury men are responsible for the graffiti written in chalk on the county courthouse. The Wicomico County Sheriff's Office has charged two Salisbury men it says are responsible for the graffiti written in chalk on the county courthouse. The sheriff's office has identified 29-year-old Christopher Aulerich and 27-year-old Jordan Swanson, both of Salisbury, as the people responsible for writing the anti-Confederate messages. The messages included phrases like "Finish the Civil War," "Tear Down Winder," "Winder is Scum" and "Lynching Happened Here." The sheriff's office said both men have been charged with malicious destruction of property less than $1,000. When the investigation began Monday, the sheriff's office said deputies observed 28 spots on sidewalks and concrete walls belonging to Wicomico County that had been covered in graffiti written in chalk. It took county employees "numerous hours" to scrub and power wash the property clean, according to officials. While reviewing surveillance video, the sheriff's office said detectives spotted two men, whom they were later able to identify as Aulerich and Swanson, defacing the county property at about 9 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 24. The two were charged Tuesday and released on criminal citation. The chalk messages appear to be related to a recent effort to remove a historical marker commemorating Confederate Gen. John Henry Winder, which is located on the courthouse lawn.

The marital home of Tricia Helfer, the actress of “Lucifer” and “Battlestar Galactica” fame, and attorney Jonathan Marshall has sold for $5.4 million. Set on a roomy half-acre in the Beverly Hills Post Office area, the contemporary-style house has about 5,500 square feet of interior space, high ceilings and walls of windows that bring in the views. A step-up dining room, a living room with a wet bar and an office are among the common rooms. Chrome tile work creates visual interest in the kitchen, which has a center island. The master suite — one of five bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms — has a fireplace and a separate sitting room. Outside, a conversation pit and sports bar create space for entertaining. The fenced and terraced grounds also hold a swimming pool and spa, an outdoor shower and a bocce ball court. The home, built in 1984, originally hit the market in March for $6.195 million. More recently, it had been listed for $5.495 million, according to the Multiple Listing Service. Ari Afshar and Samantha Nugent of Compass were the listing agents. Kathryn Shafer of Keller Williams Realty represented the buyer. She and her husband bought the home seven years ago for $2.9 million, records show. The couple are currently in the process of divorcing.

The ‘Polskiej Szkoły im św Stanisława Kostki’, or Polish School of St Stanisława Kostki, was established in October 2007 by Fr Piotr Zieliński, Arleta Jasinska and Joanna Schmitz at St Peter’s Church in Aberdeen. A parliamentary motion lodged by MSP Lewis Macdonald congratulated and praised the Polish school’s work. It reads: “The Parliament congratulates the Polish School St Stanislaw Kostka in Aberdeen on its 10th anniversary; recognises that more than 300 children and young people attend the Saturday school and are supported by almost 80 volunteers and staff; acknowledges that the school is a vibrant part of the community and supports the young people by helping them becoming bilingual not only through language, history and culture classes, but also through other activities such as its youth club, a choir, theatre and football team, and looks forward to many more years of Polish language education, cultural and sporting activities in Aberdeen. The motion was supported by Kenneth Gibson, Ivan McKee, Edward Mountain, Stewart Stevenson, Claire Baker, Ash Denham and Bill Kidd. The school hosted a show on October 7 for all children, and the consul general of the Republic of Poland in Edinburgh paid a visit to both Aberdeen Grammar School and Harlaw Academy, where the school is based. A show was then put on for guests, the consul general and parents, before a reception at Aberdeen Grammar School. The following day, all joined in celebrating a thanksgiving Mass led by Fr Janusz Wilczynski, the Polish chaplain in Aberdeen. The school’s main objective is to teach Polish language, tradition and history, but it also provides religious education. Working closely with the Church, the school has received particular support from Bishop Hugh Gilbert of Aberdeen. The school not only helps children prepare for the Sacraments, but also assists the Polish chaplain in arranging Mass for the children, which includes a children’s choir. The group also prepares the Sunday issue of the parish newsletter. The Polish School received support at its beginning from Fr Keith Herrera, who allowed the church to be used for classes. As demand grew and numbers leapt from 30 to more than 130 children, the school moved to St Mary’s Cathedral, where it stayed for a year with 150 pupils. It then moved to Aberdeen Grammar School where it still runs classes, with some split to Harlaw Academy, as 300 pupils attend each week. Today, more than 70 staff serve over 500 Polish people at the school, the biggest Polish Saturday school in Scotland. As well as catechesis and Polish language and culture classes, there is a show for Independence Day, a Nativity play, St Nicolas Day celebrations, a Constitution Day show, an end of year ball, an All Saints ball, reading competitions and exhibitions. The school hosts charity events, an SFA-registered football club, courses for parents, adult language classes, speech therapy, a choir, a theatre class, and talks from historians, artists and musicians. What are the Christian democrats proposing for Scotland?

Pick n Pay and Woolworths recall products linked to Listeriosis. “Following the Minister of Health’s announcement earlier on the source of the listeria outbreak‚ Pick n Pay has acted immediately to withdraw all products from the manufacturing sites identified by the Department of Health‚” said Pick n Pay’s David North. He said Pick n Pay is urgently withdrawing products from Enterprise and Rainbow from its stores. Woolworths is also recalling all products linked to the food-borne disease. “Food safety is of paramount importance to Woolworths and we take all issues regarding the production of our food seriously‚” the retailer said on its Facebook page.

Civil rights groups led by the Rev. Al Sharpton plan to announce an ambitious advocacy agenda Wednesday aimed at flexing their political muscle in advance of the 2016 presidential campaign. controlled Senate to confirm attorney general nominee Loretta Lynch, whose nomination process progressed and then stalled after President Obama put her name forward more than 140 days ago. level religious objections bills, seen as discriminatory against gays and lesbians, and pressing Congress to advance reforms of the criminal justice system. “We are already in the season of people announcing their run for president. We can’t wait until 2016 to set the agenda. We need to set that now,” Sharpton said Monday while visiting Washington, where he was attending meetings at the White House and with Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro. The agenda will be formalized this week at the annual convention of the National Action Network, Sharpton’s civil rights group. The meeting is the first public convening of the nation’s top civil rights leaders since a spate of police violence sparked unrest in cities across the nation, starting with the shooting of Michael Brown, 18, by a police officer in Ferguson, Mo., last August. Sharpton said that he plans personally to petition Senate Republicans to hold a floor vote on Lynch’s nomination. He also plans trips to three states where religious objections laws have either been passed or are being considered. Once a skeptic of the gay rights movement, Sharpton has in recent years emerged as one of its most vocal black supporters. These days, he argues that gay rights should be considered a civil rights matter. He said bringing gay and lesbian groups into the civil rights fold is crucial to bolstering the political power of those working on civil justice issues. Such issues — gay rights and reforms in policing, criminal justice and prisons — have dominated the national discussion in recent months, opening the door for civil rights groups to claim a higher profile during the presidential campaign, some civil rights leaders say. This week’s conference will help advance that cause, they say, and help focus efforts to define the issues to be highlighted in 2016. Campbell is one of several leaders of civil rights organizations — including the heads of the NAACP and the Urban League — who plan to participate in a panel intended to chart a course, and to funnel energy from national protests in favor of policing and criminal justice reforms toward political action and achieving tangible results. “We need to be working collaboratively around how we apply elevated pressure on the candidates to talk about these issues,” Campbell said. Sharpton has been a persistent and insistent voice on behalf of reforms in policing and the criminal justice system, and this week’s convention marks the latest shift in the evolution of his tactics. Although he is a lightning rod despised by many police groups, especially the New York Police Department, Sharpton is vowing to take a more considerate line. At this week’s convention, at least three potential 2016 presidential candidates, all dark horses, will speak: Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.); former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley (D); and Maryland’s Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon and so far the only black person known to be considering a run for the GOP presidential nomination. A decade ago, it would not have been surprising for Sharpton himself to consider a presidential run. In 2004, he mounted a short-lived campaign for the Democratic nomination. He laughed off the notion that he might pursue a similar strategy in 2016.

Over 60 million people visit Georgia each year, for business, leisure and tourism. In southeastern Georgia, the Atlantic Ocean attracts throngs of beach-goers each summer. The low-lying southern parts of the state are fringed with swamps, including the massive Okefenokee. The terrain gently rises to the north and west, and the state’s principal city, Atlanta, sits just to the south of the Appalachian and Blue Ridge Mountains. These mountains rise to over 4,000 feet, drawing hikers, climbers and other outdoor enthusiasts. Georgia’s relatively significant size and diverse topography mean that the climate varies in different parts of the state. Georgia falls into the same climate classification category, humid subtropical, as most of the southeastern United States. This climate type features mild winters, comfortable spring and autumn temperatures, but long, hot and steamy summers. As its name implies, high humidity characterizes the humid subtropical climate type, which makes temperatures feel even warmer. Precipitation amounts vary annually but tend to be substantial, ranging from an average of 50 inches in the southern lowlands to 75 inches in the mountains. The northern mountains, particularly the higher elevations, experience the coldest average temperatures in the state, while the far south has the overall highest temperatures. Most of Georgia becomes sweltering in the summertime, as tropical air streams into the state unabated. The high temperature in the hottest months of the year, July and August, average in the low 90s Fahrenheit in the south and coastal areas, the upper 80s to near 90 in the Atlanta vicinity and the mid to upper 80s in the mountains. Overnight lows average in the low 70s in the south and on the coast, near 70 in Atlanta, and the 60s in the mountains. Occasional thunderstorms provide the bulk of summer rainfall, except for precipitation from tropical storms and hurricanes in late summer. Such systems occasionally directly strike Georgia’s Atlantic coast, but more often their remnants track into the state from Alabama, Florida and South Carolina. Winters are mild throughout the state, although temperatures exhibit considerable geographic variation. In January and February, daily highs in the south and along the southeast coast average in the low to mid-60s, highs around Atlanta average in the mid-50s, and highs in the mountains top out only around 50. Overnight lows hover near 40 in the south and on the coast, the low to mid-30s around Atlanta and the upper 20s in the mountains. Flurries and light snow usually fall in northern Georgia a few times per year, but the chance of seeing snow decreases further south. Measurable snowfall or ice accumulations are rare but are far more likely in the mountains than elsewhere in the state. March and April feature pleasant temperatures, with highs in the 70s and 80s to the south and 60s and 70s to the north, it is a great time to see the new flowers. Temperatures begin to creep up in May, with highs averaging in the low 80s throughout much of the state. Severe thunderstorms can occur in spring, occasionally producing hail and sometimes even spawning tornadoes. April is usually the rainiest month of the year. Most of the state is still hot in September, with highs in the mid-80s. But temperatures drop rapidly, with highs averaging in the 70s in October and the 60s in November when it is great to see the fall foliage. And in the fall, as in late summer, tropical storms and hurricanes can impact the state. Harris, Amy. "Climate in Georgia." Travel Tips - USA Today, https://traveltips.usatoday.com/climate-georgia-55775.html. 06 March 2018.

I was browsing through Alistair Cooke's "The Americans" the other day, and I found a passage in which Cooke says that an unnamed American political columnist gave Jimmy Carter 20 numbered pieces of advice just before he was to take office as President. "This attack of bile, I don't doubt, must have been brought on by unpleasant memories of Mr. Nixon's occupation of the White House, for nobody in American history, I dare say, has given the language of sport such a bad name by using it to recommend a strategy of deceit." Richard Nixon used to like football as a metaphor for politics, diplomacy and warfare. He was not alone in this. I remember when Gerald Ford, before he succeeded Spiro Agnew as Nixon's vice president, said (regarding some of the spirited criticism of the Nixon Vietnam policy): "You don't go out and tackle your quarterback once he has called the play." I thought at the time that if your quarterback appeared demented and was running in the wrong direction, tackling him mightn't be a bad idea. I think a great many American men find football talk irresistible as a demonstration of two-fisted he-manship, and I suspect that that is one reason Vice President George Bush, a couple of days after his first debate with Michael Dukakis, gave a speech in which he used a plethora of football images. He had the Democrats "punting on first down," and he said that the Republican team now had the ball and was going to march, march on down the field, and I thought that at any minute he might break into a chorus of "Boola-Boola" and "Bulldog! Bulldog! Bow! Wow! Wow!" As a way of shaking off a wimp image, football lingo probably seems very tempting. I feel uneasy when powerful public figures shift into the gridiron mode in discussing the life-and-death affairs that affect all of us on this precious, precarious planet. There are just enough similarities between football and war to lure us into confusing the two. Football even has The Bomb. For those who are too inactive or, like millions of wives, too intellectual to watch football on the tube, where we athletes learn the language, The Bomb is a long forward pass. Our pass receiver scampers through the defensive backfield and makes a dash for the enemy goal line. Our quarterback unleashes The Bomb, a forward pass of perhaps 65 yards that lands on the sticky fingers of the receiver. Our receiver then carries The Bomb jubilantly into the end zone for a touchdown. As bombs go, it's not bad. The only explosion it causes is the roar of the fans, and it's quite harmless to the public. In another section of Cooke's work, he attempts to enlighten his countrymen on the mysteries of American football. He says, ". . . No American institution is worse understood abroad than American football. British sportsmen . . . succumb without a second thought to the facetious view of American football as a mindless bout of mayhem between brutes got up in spacemen outfits. . . . American football is an open-air chess game disguised as warfare. It is without question the most scientific of all outdoor games." This, of course, was written years before our football teams went over to capture the hearts and minds of the British. I hope that, whoever our next President may be, he will stay away from the football metaphor. The trouble isn't so much that it is inept as that it tends to blur the borders between sport, whose impact is fleeting, and the real world, whose impact can be permanent and maybe terminal. When you start thinking of the real world in terms of quarterbacks, punting, first downs and marching on down the field, it is difficult not to think also in terms of half-times, closing minutes and final guns. And when you start thinking of such unreal particulars as the final seconds of the closing minutes, and you decide that it's time to use the bomb, and when it is truly in your power to use The Bomb, the final guns could be not just the final guns, but the honest-to-God beginning of the no-kidding final guns--and that is very frightening.

New York City is called "The City That Never Sleeps," and when visiting this exciting destination with the whole family, it may seem that neither do the kids. The Big Apple is a hotbed of activity all week long, but many traditional tourist attractions are closed on Sunday nights, including most of the top museums. Fortunately, armed with some good tips, families can find something to do anytime of the week, even on a Sunday night. The bright lights of Times Square are always fun at night. Several famous toy, gift and fashion stores provide entertainment for kids of all ages, and adults will appreciate the grand scale of the ADHD-proof television screens and lighting. The area, which is centered at the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue, has an overwhelming number of family restaurants ranging from well-known chains to independent eateries. Certainly better places to eat abound in the city, but sometimes it's easier for family members to agree on a restaurant chain everyone already knows. The world’s most famous city park is particularly busy on the weekend, but it provides a relaxing escape from the street crowds and pushy taxi drivers. Most people stay in the southern half of the park, which features the Wollman ice skating rink, the Heckscher Playground and the John Lennon “Strawberry Fields” memorial. Another highlight is the 106-acre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, located just north of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In the summer, most of the parks in New York host free concerts on different nights, many of which feature well-known acts. Children will enjoy the Central Park Zoo and carousel, but Conde Nast Traveler suggests not taking one of the cliché, overpriced carriage rides popularized by scenes from Woody Allen’s “Manhattan.” The park closes at 1 a.m., but tourists should stay in the main areas after nightfall. Sunday is a big day for stage productions as the theaters often host both afternoon matinees and nighttime performances. More progressive plays and musicals may be found off-Broadway, but the giant Broadway productions are most likely to entertain the entire family. At time of publication, long-running classics included “Wicked,” and “The Lion King” but you could consider an edgier production like "Chicago" or "Hamilton" if the children are all in their teens. Discounted tickets for some productions can be purchased at the TKTS Booth in Times Square. Jenison, David. "Fun Things to Do on a Sunday Night With Family in NYC." Travel Tips - USA Today, https://traveltips.usatoday.com/fun-things-sunday-night-family-nyc-108856.html. 07 February 2018.

Commercial real estate company CBRE has officially launched the sell-off of the majority of Toronto’s troubled Trump International Hotel Tower and the Trump Residences at Bay and Adelaide Sts. The sale being handled by receiver FTI Consulting Canada was approved by the courts on Jan. 4. It comprises 211 hotel and 74 residential units and the building’s retail space, including the spa, the Calvin bar and upscale America restaurant. The receiver has set a minimum price of $298 million for the 65-storey, luxury tower and the sale is already receiving global interest from groups in Europe, Asia, the U.S. and some larger Canadian groups, said CBRE executive vice-president Bill Stone. “We’re encouraged by the initial response. This is a rare commodity. There are not a lot of luxury hotels available in North America at this point,” he said. CBRE has handled the sale of other prestigious Toronto hotels, including the Royal York, the Intercontinental and the Four Seasons. Stone characterized the five-star Trump Tower as a premium opportunity. “The Toronto hotel market is exceptionally strong. Last year, to the end of Oct., occupancy was up about 5 per cent to 78 per cent. It was one of the strongest years on record. Average rates were up 11 per cent up to $221. Downtown Toronto was the rate leader in the country,” he said. The bid date of Feb. 15 means the sale is expected to close this year, he said. The sale does not include 50 hotel suites and 44 condos in the building that are owned by other investors. A group of owners in the property, who claim to be the victims of misleading marketing, are suing the property’s developer, Talon International and the business organization owned by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, which manages it and licensed the use of its name on the property. The upscale Trump tower opened in 2012, after a series of delays and slow unit sales.

Ralph’s portrait is a study in magnificence as this condor surveys his arid surroundings, pondering his chances of staying alive. This bird has been written off for a long while now and many have said it is only a matter of time before it becomes extinct, but due to conservation action things are slowly turning around for the condor and its numbers are rising. The Great Indian Bustard is extremely likely to become extinct sooner rather than later. Its favoured habitats are dry grasslands and scrublands, and the threats to the bird are environmental degradation, habitat loss and hunting. Standing at up to 1.2m tall, and one of the world’s heaviest natural flying machines, it is an easy target for hunters and poachers alike. The red-crowned crane is now legally protected across its range. International cooperation is being sought throughout its flyway to protect the birds’ habitat – especially at breeding times. The crane is also an emblem for good fortune. It’s time for that luck to rub off on the bird itself. Parrots have always been very popular in the caged-bird trade and this has left its grubby mark upon many species, causing their numbers to dwindle. Much is being done to halt the bird traders, but the worrying trend is that for many of the traded birds their numbers are now higher in captive populations than they are in the wild. Ralph has conjured up a face of dull acceptance upon the Dwarf Olive Ibis. After all, you name it and the Ibis has faced it. Whether it be agricultural change or habitat loss through to its present-day crisis of being perpetually hunted, there is nothing it hasn’t experienced in attempts on its life and it needs all the help it can get to continue its existence. Another heavy issue at hand with the Hen Harrier, and one full of political charge. Some blame gamekeepers, some blame bad luck and some blame life itself, but the truth is that the Hen Harrier is in immense trouble in this country and is without doubt being persecuted. You can decide who by. A perfect piece of Ralphistry going on here! The Coucal is critically endangered and for no good reason is being serenaded by a non-endangered Woodlark. As the Coucal listens to the Woodlark’s attempts at replicating the Skylark’s song its worries and cares begin to dissipate. The chanteuse is never going to win a talent show but it’s a game attempt that has won its audience over. ‘Who the ’eck was Rueck?’ Well, he discovered a little shining beauty of a bird, which became his Blue-flycatcher, and I think there should be more thanks given to this man and, for that matter, all the discoverers of species. Without them, we would have no idea what lives alongside us. So thank you, Monsieur Rueck.

Lowering the temperature of your water heater's temperature to 120 degrees F can save 3 to 5 percent in energy costs per year. 1 What Is a Carbon Footprint and Reduce It? 4 How Do I Measure a Carbon Footprint? Carbon footprint refers to the impact your daily activities have on the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Transportation choices and burning fossil fuels for heat and electricity are two major contributors to your carbon footprint. Simple strategies can help you immediately reduce your footprint in these areas. In addition to these instructions, follow the principles of reducing, reusing and recycling and consider how your diet and the products you buy contribute to greenhouse gases. For a comprehensive look at your carbon footprint, take an online quiz like the ones offered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or the Global Footprint Network. Install a programmable thermostat and lower or raise the temperature by 10 to 15 degrees F whenever you are gone for the day. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, regularly setting back your thermostat for eight-hour stretches will result in energy savings of up to 10 percent annually. (See References 3) Adjust the thermostat even when you're at home --- according to the California Energy Commission, setting the thermostat higher in warm weather will save you 1 to 3 percent for every degree above 72 degrees F (see References 4). Get a home-energy audit to fully assess the ways in which you can make your house more energy-efficient. Many utility companies offer free audits; you can start your own assessment by visiting the U.S. Department of Energy's "Home Energy Assessments" webpage. Avoid placing lamps outfitted with CFL bulbs where children or pets can easily knock them over. CFL bulbs contain a small amount of mercury --- if the bulbs break, the mercury can escape, which can be hazardous to your health. Pearson, Owen. "How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint Now." Home Guides | SF Gate, http://homeguides.sfgate.com/reduce-carbon-footprint-now-78655.html. Accessed 18 April 2019. How Does Using Sustainable Resources Reduce Your Carbon Footprint?

Chimbu province in Papua New Guinea is in mourning over the death of its governor, Father Louis Ambane. Reports say Father Ambane, who was in his 60s, died on Saturday from liver fibrosis. Father Ambane was diagnosed with the disease six months ago and had recovered after receiving treatment in Australia. But he suffered a relapse two weeks ago and was initially admitted to Kundiawa hospital. Father Ambane died while he was being airlifted from Kundiawa to the Pacific International Hospital in Port Moresby. He was serving his second term in office after being first elected in 1997.

Settling the bill can be awkward, especially when you’re out on a first date, with friends or even distant family. Apps like Foodivide and Splitwise can help do the math on splitting the check if you want to pay the precise amount of what you owe at the table. But forget never having cash — half of respondents to a 2017 US Bank survey of more than 2,000 participants said they carry cash less than half the time while they’re out. Who is actually supposed to pay after you’ve swiped right or are out to dinner with family? Still, figuring out the politics of who pays can be tricky in the moment. Here’s how to navigate the dreaded bill in any scenario. When you’re going out with family, whoever does the inviting typically foots the bill. So if Dad, Mom, an aunt, uncle or cousin does the asking, expect them to pay — but it’s always worth offering to kick in a few bucks, especially if you can afford to, etiquette experts note. If you’re out with siblings, don’t expect the person who makes the most to foot the bill every time. It’s okay to let a sis or bro pick up the check now and then, Thomas said, but be prepared to reciprocate the gesture, or simply split the tab each time to avoid an argument. Always expect to go Dutch when grabbing drinks or dinner with friends, Thomas said. It’s always easiest to split the bill among everyone who joins instead of splitting hairs over the cost of separate menu items, especially if it’s a big group, Thomas added. Another way to avoid the hassle is to have one person foot the bill and use Venmo to pay back the friend exactly what you owe — that way if you get something small, you don’t get stuck paying more than you should. “Let’s say I grab the check, knowing full well you’ll Venmo me the funds — that’s absolutely fine,” Thomas said. Whoever does the asking should presumably be the one to pay the bill on a first date, Thomas insists. But if you feel strongly about going Dutch, that’s perfectly fine too. If your boss is asking you to a lunch meeting to talk about work, expect that he or she is going to pick up the tab. “If work is actually being done, the implication is that the boss will pay. In most cases, there is an expense account. If you’re unsure, you can always offer when the bill comes,” Thomas said. On the reverse end, if you’re asking to meet with your boss outside of work hours to get career advice, then you should be the one to treat, Thomas said. If your boss insists on paying the bill, however, it’s fine to stand down. The offer shows that you appreciate his or her time.

After making comments that were regarded as “offensive toward the transgender community,” streamer HelenaLive has been permanently banned from Twitch. According to her, it has to do with comments she made about gender. In a follow-up email, Twitch claimed that HelenaLive had “been banned several times earlier” while also making note of the fact that her “last chance is already gone.” Helena says this is inaccurate, as she has only ever been banned once prior to this incident. However, the HelenaLive channel on Twitch has since been terminated altogether, which means past streams of games like League of Legends and more are no longer accessible. Helena claims that these would have proved her innocence in the matter and shown that she did not say anything to offend the transgender community. We've reached out to Twitch for comment, and will update should the company respond. What are your thoughts on this situation? Do you believe that Helena should have been banned from Twitch? Sound off in the comment section below, or hit me up over on Twitter @anarkE7!

Australian sexual consent campaign, 50 Shades of No, has been shortlisted for the Glass Lion: The Lion for Change. It’s the only Australian campaign on the list and is one of 27 global campaigns nominated for this prestigious award. The Glass Lion is the Lion for Change; an award that recognises work that challenges gender bias and shatters stereotypical images of men and women in marketing messages. 50 Shades of No is the product of a group of Melbourne women, and agency, The Otto Empire. To find out more about the initiative, B&T sat down with the executive producer of 50 Shades of No and Otto Empire founder Jo de Fina. What was your inspiration for 50 Shades? The idea came about as a response to the Aziz Ansari scandal, and after considering how we would respond to the International Women’s Day call out to #pressforprogress. In January an article was published with the account of a girl named Grace who had had the ‘worst night of her life’ during a date with US comedian Aziz Ansari. It opened up a huge debate about consent and what it looks like. We realised that consent has a lot of grey areas and wanted to start a conversation about the spaces in between the black and white of consent; it’s not as straightforward as no means no. How was the idea put into action? We put a Facebook post out asking women to share occasions when they had tried to say stop or slow down a sexual encounter without using the words. We received hundreds of statements from women from around the world. We then took 50 of those statements and created T-shirts which were made available for sale on an e-commerce site. And we asked 50 influencers to wear and post a pic on International Women’s Day. Our aim was to start a conversation about consent, and in particular, enthusiastic consent. The response has been incredible. Not only have we started a conversation about consent, but we have had contact with other countries and organisations wanting to replicate the idea in their own region. We’re also in conversations with universities and various festivals and support groups about consent education and how to change the conversation. Ultimately we would love to see legislation changed as to what constitutes consent. The Saxon Mullins case in NSW highlights the need for this clear understanding of what consent is. It’s not just hearing someone say ‘No’. There are many ways we communicate, and this campaign is about those subtleties of that communication. What has been the benefit of using such a diverse group of women to demonstrate the issue? We’ve reached a very broad audience. This issue about enthusiastic consent affects everyone; men and women. Women want to be heard and men have been very open to being educated and enlightened as to how we communicate. It’s been educational for everyone. How have you used social media to generate attention? The entire campaign was driven by social media. We’ve used Instagram and Facebook to drive the entire campaign. Recruiting influencers, and having everyone tag and share. What have been the ripple effects? Probably the biggest one is the cathartic and healing effect it seems to have had on people who have experienced sexual assault. Buying and wearing a t-shirt has helped them to heal their own personal experiences, and to communicate both online, and offline, with those around them. And the realisation that it is more than one day, International Women’s Day. The campaign has a life of its own now and education and working with universities and schools is now our focus for stage 2. As well as the global reach. What do you make of the Cannes nom? To be the only Australian work shortlisted for a Glass Lion is amazing. Especially when we look at the company we’re in. We’re a small group of individuals from Melbourne who set out to create a campaign that would start a conversation. We’re in the company of Nike, Coca-Cola, Dove, global agency groups. It’s pretty humbling. How can an event like Cannes help generate attention to this issue? The platform and audience in Cannes is huge, and I intend to use the 20 minutes I have in front of the Jury and delegates, to further callout for support, conversation, and awareness. This is about a conversation and we’re already in discussions with other countries about running their own campaigns. Cannes is a great platform to drive further conversation. We’re in the business of communication and I have a week to communicate with a huge melting pot of people from advertising throughout the world. In an industry driven by consumption, to be able to use creativity to affect change is so rewarding. How intertwined is this issue and the advertising industry in Australia and worldwide? I wouldn’t say the consent conversation is exclusive to any particular industry. It’s about education and how we raise and condition boys and girls. How we represent relationships in the media and conditioning of both sexes from birth. That’s something well outside of any workplace or industry. What is still the biggest hurdle for 50 Shades, and the industry more generally? I think our industry is making great strides in recognising talent of all genders and minorities. I know there are the naysayers about quotas and this whole female push, but it will only be temporary until there is a balance and this ingrained unconscious bias starts dissolving away. Everyone needs to be recognised for their talents, regardless of gender. For so long, women’s gender was clouding any recognition they may have received. Now that is slowly falling away, which is progress. We started 50 Shades of No in response to the International Women’s Day #pressforprogress, and I think we’re slowly getting somewhere.

For several months now, the Israeli Foreign Ministry has been promoting an initiative calling for the recognition of Jews from Arab countries as refugees. Is this historical justice, or just another attempt to achieve a political goal through the cynical use of immigrants from Arab countries? Israel Social TV is an independent media NGO working to promote social change, human rights, social justice and equality, and to mobilize its viewers towards activism.