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DC5m United States art in english 58 articles, created at 2016-12-23 12:06 articles set mostly positive rate 4.2
(4.13/5) 1 0.0 Turkey restricts internet after release of IS video A monitoring organization says Turkey restricted access to social media websites after the Islamic State group released a video purportedly showing two Turkish soldiers being burned alive. 2016-12-23 04:21 1KB www.cbs46.com
2 3.0 China says Trump's pick of hostile trade adviser is 'no laughing matter' (3.11/5) State media voices concern about the appointment of hawkish Peter Navarro to key trade post 2016-12-23 00:05 5KB www.theguardian.com
3 2.2 Democrat Artists Demand That Ivanka Trump Remove Their Work From Her Walls
(2.10/5) Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com Excerpted From Breitbart: A group of artists is not happy that Ivanka Trump is featuring their work on the walls of her home. The artists, who joined together to… 2016-12-23 07:13 1KB www.patdollard.com
4 3.6 Starbucks to offer free drinks for 10 days at certain stores
(2.06/5) Starbucks aims to drum up holiday sales with promises of free espresso drinks this season — as long as you're in the right store. 2016-12-23 03:14 1KB www.thenewstribune.com
5 5.6 Ebola vaccine highly effective, WHO says Ebola vaccine, which has eluded scientists for many years, found to be highly (2.06/5) effective, according to WHO study 2016-12-23 02:53 2KB www.cbsnews.com
6 3.0 Trump staff picks, inauguration acts named Brian Williams reports on President-elect Donald Trump naming new members of his (1.06/5) staff, including Kellyanne Conway as presidential counselor, and the Rockettes announced as scheduled to perform at Trump's inauguration. 2016-12-22 23:28 890Bytes www.msnbc.com
7 1.9 China has 'real cause for concern' over Navarro China had "real cause for concern" after US President-elect Donald Trump chose outspoken China critic Peter Navarro for a top trade position, Chinese media reports (1.05/5) said Friday, as they warned of a potential trade war. 2016-12-23 00:10 3KB www.digitaljournal.com 8 4.5 In icy Alaska, footwear options abound to say upright Darrell Bachmann doesn't wear ruby slippers, but when he clicks his heel, something magical happens. 2016-12-23 03:21 5KB www.cbs46.com (1.02/5)
9 0.9 China appeals to EU to drop measures against solar imports BEIJING (AP) " China is appealing to the European Union to drop anti-dumping tariffs (1.02/5) on Chinese solar panels after the trade bloc's executive body recommended extending them for two years. A Ministry of Commerce statement Friday...... 2016-12-23 02:55 816Bytes article.wn.com
10 2.4 Dame Shirley Bassey ‘couldn’t sing’ after genocide of daughter
(1.02/5) Image copyright Getty Images Image caption 2016-12-23 00:00 1KB headlinenewstoday.net
11 1.0 Alabama woman delighted to find out Snoop Dogg is her Reddit Secret Santa (1.02/5) A lucky Reddit user in Alabama was surprised to find out that veteran rapper Snoop Dogg turned out to be her Secret Santa on the popular site's gift exchange. 2016-12-23 02:03 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk
12 0.0 Military dad surprises kids during 'The Nutcracker' An Air Force dad gave his kids quite the Christmas surprise: a cameo on stage, during (1.02/5) Atlanta Ballet's 2016-12-23 01:54 1KB www.fox5atlanta.com
13 0.0 Michigan FB Khalid Hill returning for a fifth season Hill rushed for 10 touchdowns and had 2 touchdown receptions this season. 2016-12-23 01:26 1KB www.mlive.com (1.02/5)
14 1.1 Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Dec 23 PRAGUE, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to
(0.02/5) watch which may affect Czech financial markets on Friday. ALL TIMES GMT (Czech... 2016-12-23 03:26 4KB www.dailymail.co.uk
15 0.8 School lesson says Christians treating Muslims harshly Contact WND
(0.01/5) (Fox News) A classroom assignment on Islam says one negative effect of the Crusades is that Christians are still treating Muslims harshly. “I almost fell over,” said Barbara Light. Mrs. Light, of Westwood, New Jersey, was helping her 13-year-old... 2016-12-23 00:30 897Bytes www.wnd.com 16 0.2 Trump keeps trafficking in ambiguity on policy proposals President-elect Donald Trump's call with Taiwan's leader was either a well-coordinated warning shot to China or a harmless congratulatory conversation. His provocative campaign proposal for temporarily halting Muslim immigration to the United States may or may not be back on the table. 2016-12-23 04:14 5KB www.thenewstribune.com
17 1.9 ‘Why Him?’ has a few laughs thanks to Cranston, Franco If the new Christmas season comedy “Why Him?” looks familiar, perhaps it will help to remember that filmmaker John Hamburg co-wrote the extremely popular garbage “Meet the Parents” and its … If the new Christmas season comedy “Why Him?” looks familiar, perhaps it will help... 2016-12-23 04:01 3KB www.sfexaminer.com
18 2.5 Jennifer Lopez and Drake are just good friends 'making beautiful music together' despite romance rumors The source added: 'They’re making beautiful music together. They are spending a lot of time together and really enjoying each other, but right now it’s about the music.' 2016-12-23 03:22 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk
19 3.4 German consumer morale improves further heading into January By Michael Nienaber BERLIN, Dec 23 (Reuters) - The mood among German consumers improved heading into January as they became more upbeat about their future in... 2016-12-23 03:00 4KB www.dailymail.co.uk
20 3.4 Labour 'finds £2.6bn black hole in Treasury's tax avoidance measures' Shadow chancellor John McDonnell identifies three schemes that he claims will raise significantly less than had been announced by the government 2016-12-23 03:00 2KB www.theguardian.com
21 2.1 Help Refugees, a grassroots movement supported by the Guardian charity appeal – video Highlighting the life-saving work of Help Refugees, which identifies the most effective grassroots groups active in the refugee crisis and provides funding 2016-12-23 03:00 1KB www.theguardian.com
22 3.3 Photos -- 6-foot Seal Beach menorah lights up Hanukkah in O. C. Lighting eight tiki torches atop a 6-foot-tall menorah on the pier is a Seal Beach tradition. On Thursday night, it marked its 10th anniversary. 2016-12-23 02:58 1KB www.ocregister.com 23 5.0 Richard Wilkins gets his hair and make-up done by Santa Claus Richard Wilkins gets a bold new hairstyle from Santa in a hilariously festive Christmas snap 2016-12-23 02:54 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk
24 2.5 Lana Del Rey looks full of festive spirit as she goes Christmas shopping in black T-shirt and leggings Tis the season to be jolly. So no wonder Lana Del Rey looked full of the festive spirit as she went shopping with a friend in Beverly Hills on Thursday 2016-12-23 02:41 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk
25 0.7 Twitter admits 'technical error' in video ad campaigns Twitter has said that it recently discovered a technical error due to a product update to Android clients that impacted some video ad campaigns from November 7 to December 12. ... 2016-12-23 02:30 664Bytes article.wn.com
26 2.3 All About Mutual Funds In The Simplest Words WHAT IS MUTUAL FUND? In a simple mean, a mutual fund is nothing but it is a collection of stocks. Mutual fund work as a company and it brings together a group of people and invest the money in a bonds, stocks or other securities and... 2016-12-23 02:28 3KB article.wn.com
27 2.4 Check out Register columnist Marla Jo Fisher's 20 cheap ways to entertain out-of-town visitors over the holidays Yeah, yeah, we’re lucky to live in a vacation paradise, and all that. Which is why our friends and family want to come visit us. 2016-12-23 02:27 12KB www.ocregister.com
28 2.1 No. 23 USC keeps its record perfect with victory over Missouri State, 83-75 USC ’s undefeated march through overmatched non-conference opponents continued Thursday night in the Las Vegas Classic. 2016-12-23 02:25 3KB www.latimes.com
29 1.1 Jewish family flees after blamed for cancellation of school performance of 'A Christmas Carol' A Jewish family blamed for a cancelled elementary school performance of 'A Christmas Carol' has fled Lancaster County, Pennsylvania out of fear for their child. 2016-12-23 02:13 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk
30 3.6 Pawn my handbag: How women use designer accessories to raise cash The world of luxury handbags is a glamorous one and using these expensive handbags as collateral to secure a loan is a big industry. 2016-12-23 02:11 4KB www.cnbc.com 31 1.0 At 70, sitcoms stand firm against wave of TV changes The television industry is in the midst of a sea change but one format hasn't varied in 70 years -- and yet remains a favorite among American viewers. The si... 2016-12-23 02:10 4KB www.dailymail.co.uk
32 0.0 Adorable video shows baby girl struggling to keep her eyes open as she sits at the table A video posted to Facebook by Sydney mum Siobhan Rennie, shows her daughter repeatedly nodding off at the table. 'All this Christmas prep is exhausting,' she wrote. 2016-12-23 02:09 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk
33 0.0 Julius spilling on his love life is still a highlight for us We're used to him making those points of orders in Parliament, ragging Jacob Zuma and holding lit press conferences. 2016-12-23 02:00 1KB www.timeslive.co.za
34 0.3 Pilot reveals reason flight attendants dim lights before takeoff and landing Patrick Smith, an airline pilot from the UK said the real reason lights are turned down is to allow your eyes to adjust to darkness so your not suddenly blinded in the event of an emergency. 2016-12-23 01:56 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk
35 2.2 New Zealand government’s ‘Page Not Found’ 404 error screen is cracking the internet up A screenshot of the New Zealand Govt website's 'Page not found' screen has the internet in hysterics - but can you see why? 2016-12-23 01:44 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk
36 1.2 Inside the making of Denzel Washington's 'Fences' The film Fences doesn't even open until Christmas Day, but it already has Oscar buzz along with two Golden Globes nominations for acting. 2016-12-23 01:16 986Bytes rssfeeds.11alive.com
37 2.6 Audit finds closed Ohio charter school didn't repay $478,000 Ohio’s auditor says a now-closed charter school in Columbus failed to repay nearly $478,000 in state foundation overpayments after overstating enrollment. 2016-12-23 01:11 1KB www.washingtontimes.com
38 0.7 Fortunes of Vikings, Packers headed in opposite directions The Green Bay Packers have powered through injuries to Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews to surge back into postseason contention. 2016-12-23 01:05 5KB www.charlotteobserver.com 39 2.2 Mixed reactions after Mormon Tabernacle Choir slated for Trump inauguration SALT LAKE CITY — Past presidents have called them "America's Choir," and "a national treasure," but some members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints aren't happy to hear the latest news about the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. The... 2016-12-23 01:05 3KB fox13now.com
40 2.7 Airline worker and girl's lost teddy bear share epic adventure at DTW A girl missing her favorite stuffed friend got an amazing surprise, thanks to an old family friend and a little Christmas magic. 2016-12-23 01:01 4KB rssfeeds.freep.com
41 2.8 Christmas in N. Korea: Lights and trees, but void of Jesus PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — If Santa Claus stops in North Korea this year, he'll find some trees and lights and might even hear a Christmas song or two. Bu... 2016-12-23 01:01 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk
42 5.0 Public invited to Menorah lighting Saturday in Portland The event marking the first night of Hanukkah is scheduled for 6 p.m. at City Hall. 2016-12-23 01:01 1KB www.pressherald.com
43 2.5 2016's political scapegoats Whenever their scandals are exposed dodgy individuals always look for scapegoats. In a significant way, scapegoats have become actors in South African politics, writes Mpumelelo Mkhabela. 2016-12-23 01:01 7KB www.news24.com
44 1.1 Obituary: C. Edward Bowen / Generous pastor was dedicated to schoolchildren in Crafton The Rev. Ed Bowen’s mark on Crafton’s elementary schoolchildren — his creation of after-school programs, his $200 savings bonds, his leading the conga line at school dances — made his move to West Virginia in 2012 a sad occasion. Rev. Bowen, a... 2016-12-23 01:00 5KB www.post-gazette.com
45 0.4 Dimwit Leftist Pope Says Resistance To His “Modernization” Of The Church Is Inspired By The Devil VATICAN CITY (RNS) - In his annual Christmas address to the Vatican bureaucracy, Pope Francis on Thursday (Dec. 22) warned that those engaged in “malicious resistance” to the reform of the Roman Curia are inspired… 2016-12-23 07:13 2KB www.patdollard.com 46 0.8 Alec and Hilaria Baldwin joke about children's mixed reactions in holiday photo A less than thrilled photo with Santa is a staple for many families this time of year. That's no different for Hilaria and Alec Baldwin, who took their clan to meet Saint Nick at Macy's in New York on Wednesday. 2016-12-23 00:59 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk
47 1.8 Christmas canceled? Solar storm heading toward Earth could shut down power grids — RT America Millions will be dreaming by the fire soon, but a special Christmas delivery from the Sun could come early. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasts a solar storm blasting Earth any day now. 2016-12-23 00:58 1KB www.rt.com
48 2.9 Sarah Harris gushes about baby boy and reveals her hopes for the new year Studio 10 host Sarah Harris has described 2016 as a 'year of firsts', as she has watched her son Paul- who was born in December 2015- grow up. 2016-12-23 00:49 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk
49 6.8 ‘Nina’ to affect Metro Manila Severe tropical storm “Nina” may directly affect Metro Manila, the state weather bureau said on Friday. 2016-12-23 00:00 1KB newsinfo.inquirer.net
50 2.3 Mariah Carey rocks outfit as Bryan Tanaka and twins star in Christmas music video When you are the Queen of Christmas, naturally your children have to be elves. Mariah Carey recruited two of the cutest co-stars for her latest Christmas music video: her twins Monroe and Moroccan. 2016-12-23 00:39 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk
51 2.0 Important Things to Know About Fashion Jewelry Flaunting the curves with a sexy homecoming costume is one thing any woman would want to do. That is the one event that allows her to stay trendy and different, and a sexy costume may help her to do exactly that. Selecting sexy homecoming attire ought to... 2016-12-23 00:33 3KB article.wn.com
52 3.0 DHS is now asking some foreign visitors about their social media This week Customs and Border Protection has begun asking foreign visitors to volunteer information about their Twitter, Facebook and other social media identifiers 2016-12-23 00:27 3KB www.cbsnews.com
53 2.8 Celine Dion pays tribute to late husband in bittersweet 2016 retrospective video Celine Dion is looking back on the ups and downs of it in a retrospective video. The incredibly talented songstress shared the highs and lows of her 2106 2016-12-23 00:25 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk 54 6.2 Niyo: Blue Christmas for Pistons? Detroit’s suprising skid sees no end in sight, with a super-tough schedule looming. 2016-12-23 00:21 5KB rssfeeds.detroitnews.com
55 0.0 What should the next Michigan quarter look like? Which scene from Michigan's Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore should be depicted on a quarter coming in 2018? 2016-12-23 00:20 3KB rssfeeds.freep.com
56 1.7 Kentucky J. C. Penney Customer's Racist Tirade Caught On Video The cellphone video shows a woman waiting for a cashier at a J. C. Penney store, shouting racist and discriminatory remarks at another customer who had apparently cut the line. 2016-12-23 00:15 676Bytes article.wn.com
57 3.2 Piccolo firecrackers hurt two minors in Albay Two minors were hurt in separate firecracker-related incidents in Albay on Thursday, the Department of Health-Bicol said Friday. 2016-12-23 00:00 1KB newsinfo.inquirer.net
58 2.0 Vin Diesel creeps towards Brazilian reporter as he flirts during awkward interview
Some people dream of being the object of a movie star's desires. 2016-12-23 00:00 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk Articles
DC5m United States art in english 58 articles, created at 2016-12-23 12:06
1 /58 0.0 Turkey restricts internet after release of IS video
(4.13/5) ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - A monitoring organization says Turkey restricted access to social media websites after the Islamic State group released a video purportedly showing two Turkish soldiers being burned alive. IS released the video late Thursday, which purports to show the killing of two soldiers captured while fighting the militants in or around the northern Syrian town of al-Bab last month. Turkish officials have not commented on the video. Turkey Blocks, an internet monitoring website, said it had detected the "throttling of Twitter and YouTube," affecting many users in Turkey. Turkey frequently restricts access to social media websites to prevent the spread of graphic images and other material authorities say would harm public order or security. Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
WARNING, EXTREMELY Islamic State video shows Turkey restricts internet Turkey Restricts Internet GRAPHIC UNCENSORED Turkish troops 'burned alive' after release of Islamic After Release of IS Video VIDEO: ISIS Burns Two article.wn.com State soldier killings video abcnews.go.com Turkish Soldiers Alive independent.ie patdollard.com
2016-12-23 04:21 www.cbs46.com
2 /58 3.0 China says Trump's pick of hostile trade adviser is 'no laughing matter' (3.11/5) Donald Trump’s decision to hand a key spot in his administration to a scholar known for his “apocalyptic” attacks on China is further proof the American billionaire is spoiling for a fight with Beijing, a Chinese newspaper has claimed.
Peter Navarro, a prominent China hawk who has called Beijing “the planet’s most efficient assassin” and a “totally totalitarian” state, was unveiled as chief of the White House’s newly created national trade council on Wednesday.
China’s official reaction was muted but editorials in the country’s Communist party-controlled press on Friday underlined the extent to which Navarro’s rise has ruffled feathers in the Chinese capital.
“His appointment is another sign of the confrontational approach the incoming Trump administration seems intent on taking in relations with China,” the China Daily, an English- language mouthpiece, wrote in an editorial . “[This is] no laughing matter.”
The state-run newspaper said that before Trump’s shock election it was possible to laugh off the “apocalyptic language” used against China by Navarro, the author of books called Death by China and The Coming China Wars.
“Now, however, there is real cause for concern,” it added. The Global Times, a nationalistic state-run tabloid also famed for its use of apocalyptic language, claimed Trump’s pick had made conflict between the world’s top two economies more likely.
“This is by no means a positive signal,” the newspaper argued urging Beijing to face up to the reality that Trump would take a “hard-line attitude toward China” by introducing “reckless” measures targeting Chinese companies. “[Beijing] must discard any illusions and make full preparations for any offensive move by the Trump government,” the Global Times added, warning: “The US can no longer push China around today.”
Navarro, a 67-year-old professor from the University of California, Irvine, was part of Trump’s team of advisers during his campaign, during which the Republican candidate accused Beijing of “raping” the US economy .
The China Daily described him as the “mastermind” behind Trump’s repeated campaign trail attacks on Beijing.
Navarro has blamed China’s admittance into the World Trade Organisation in 2001 for decimating the US economy and destroying millions of jobs and has urged American consumers to boycott Chinese goods to avoid bankrolling what he describes as Beijing’s increasing militarism.
Orville Schell, the head of the centre on US-China relations at New York’s Asia Society, said Navarro’s appointment was a “risky bargain”.
“The positive side is that it’s a real signal that things are out of balance – which I think everybody agrees they are - in terms of trade and investment [between the US and China].” “The bad side of it is that China reacts often in a very neuralgic way to insults or things that they might take as an insult. And I can imagine they might view Navarro as something of a provocation.”
Schell said Navarro’s appointment and a succession of controversial interventions from Trump on issues including Taiwan and the South China Sea would have left Beijing off-balance. “But of course when they get off-balance sometimes they get more pugnacious,” he said.
Navarro’s appointment will fuel fears that Trump could spark a trade war with China by following through on his vow to label it a currency manipulator on his first day in office and slapping tariffs on Chinese imports. Cheng Dawei, a former trade adviser to Beijing, told the Wall Street Journal she believed commerce ministry officials were currently “quite busy” devising ways of hitting back against any such measures.
“China is now preparing some weapons,” said Cheng, an economics professor from Beijing’s Renmin University.
Tu Xinquan, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, told the China Daily US companies would pay “a much heavier cost” than Chinese ones for such a conflict.
On the eve of Navarro’s appointment China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, hinted at growing Chinese alarm over Trump’s presidency.
The US-China relationship now faced “new complexities and uncertain factors”, Wang told the People’s Daily , the Communist party’s official mouthpiece.
Chinese media alarmed at Op-Ed: Trump appoints China wakes up to Trump's Trump trade adviser, warn China hawk as trade council trade reality of U.S. showdown chief article.wn.com dailymail.co.uk digitaljournal.com
2016-12-23 00:05 Tom Phillips www.theguardian.com
3 /58 2.2 Democrat Artists Demand That Ivanka Trump Remove Their Work From Her Walls (2.10/5) Excerpted From Breitbart : A group of artists is not happy that Ivanka Trump is featuring their work on the walls of her home.
The artists, who joined together to form Halt Action Group, have started an Instagram campaign called “Dear Ivanka” to protest President-elect Donald Trump through his daughter, Fox News reported.
Many of Ivanka’s Instagram photos show her posing with the pieces of artwork in her apartment.
“Dear @Ivankatrump please get my work off of your walls. I am embarrassed to be seen with you,” Philadelphia artist Alex Da Corte wrote on Instagram.
The group’s website includes a statement that mentions Ivanka and the President-elect’s staffers by name.
“Dear Ivanka, we need to talk about your dad. Racism, anti-Semitism, misogyny, and homophobia are not acceptable anywhere—least of all in the White House,” the message begins.
“Steve Bannon has no place in the White House. Jeff Sessions has no place in the White House. Talk of a Muslim registry has no place in the White House. Hate has no place in the White House. We refuse to ‘wait and see.’ We look to you as the voice of reason,” the message continues. Keep reading
'Oh my God, this is a Passenger removed from nightmare' - Passenger flight after confrontation with removed from flight after Donald Trump's daughter confrontation with Ivanka Ivanka Trump article.wn.com independent.ie
2016-12-23 07:13 Morbious Stone www.patdollard.com
4 /58 3.6 Starbucks to offer free drinks for 10 days at certain stores (2.06/5) Starbucks aims to drum up holiday sales with promises of free espresso drinks this season — as long as you're in the right store.
Starting Friday, select Starbucks stores will host 1,000 Pop Up Cheer Parties over 10 days, where customers can enjoy free tall handcrafted espresso beverages, from mochas to chestnut praline lattes.
The event will be held at 100 Starbucks stores in the U. S. per day, from 1-2 p.m. local time, over 10 days. The locations will change daily and will be listed on starbucks.com/cheer and Twitter with the hashtags #FindCheer #10daysofcheer.
Customers also can visit participating Starbucks stores to receive a "cheer card" that will provide discounts on beverages, lunch items and other items for 10 Days of Cheer.
Starbucks to Offer Free Starbucks thanks customers Drinks for 10 Days at with free espresso Certain Stores beverages abcnews.go.com chicago.suntimes.com 2016-12-23 03:14 The Associated www.thenewstribune.com
5 /58 (2.06/5) 5.6 Ebola vaccine highly effective, WHO says GENEVA -- Final test results confirm an experimental Ebola vaccine is highly effective, a major milestone that could help prevent the spread of outbreaks like the one that killed thousands in West Africa. Scientists have struggled to develop an Ebola vaccine over the years, and this is the first one proven to work. Efforts were ramped up after the infectious disease caused a major outbreak, beginning in 2013 in Guinea and spreading to Liberia and Sierra Leone. About 11,300 people died.
Internal documents obtained by the Associated Press show the World Health Organization delayed sound the alarm over Ebola last summer while the e...
The World Health Organization, which acknowledged shortcomings in its response to the West Africa outbreak , led the study of the vaccine, which was developed by the Canadian government and is now licensed to the U. S.-based Merck & Co. Results were published Thursday.
Merck is expected to seek regulatory approval in the U. S. and Europe sometime next year. The experimental vaccine was given to about 5,800 people last year in Guinea, as the virus was waning. All had some contact with a new Ebola patient. They got the vaccine right away or three weeks later. After a 10-day waiting period, no Ebola cases developed in those immediately vaccinated, 23 cases turned up among those with delayed vaccination.
Lara Logan travels to Liberia to report on Americans working on the frontline of the Ebola outbreak.
The Lancet paper published Thursday mostly crystallizes what was already largely known from interim results released last year. The vaccine proved so effective that the study was stopped midway so that everyone exposed to Ebola in Guinea could be immunized. “I really believe that now we have a tool which would allow (us) to control a new outbreak of Ebola of the Zaire strain,” said Dr. Marie-Paule Kieny, a WHO assistant director-general who was the study’s lead author. “It’s the first vaccine for which efficacy has been shown.” She noted that other Ebola vaccines are underdoing testing, and that a vaccine is also needed to protect against a second strain, Sudan. The virus first turned up in Africa in 1976 and had caused periodic outbreaks mostly in central Africa, but never with results as deadly as the West Africa outbreak. Many previous vaccine attempts have failed. Among the hurdles: the sporadic nature of outbreaks and funding shortages. Ebola vaccine shown to be Ebola vaccine highly ‘highly protective’ against effective, test results show deadly virus in major trial article.wn.com post-gazette.com
2016-12-23 02:53 AP www.cbsnews.com
6 /58 (1.06/5) 3.0 Trump staff picks, inauguration acts named Brian Williams reports on President-elect Donald Trump naming new members of his staff, including Kellyanne Conway as presidential counselor, and the Rockettes announced as scheduled to perform at Trump's inauguration.
Rockette goes on Instagram rant over Trump inauguration gig nypost.com
Trump not interested in ‘A- list’ performers at inauguration nypost.com
2016-12-22 23:28 The 11th www.msnbc.com
7 /58 (1.05/5) 1.9 China has 'real cause for concern' over Navarro China had "real cause for concern" after US President-elect Donald Trump chose outspoken China critic Peter Navarro for a top trade position, Chinese media reports said Friday, as they warned of a potential trade war. Trump has picked Navarro to head the White House National Trade Council, a new office that will oversee trade and industrial policy, in the latest sign he is moving ahead with plans to overhaul US economic policy.
The novice politician's promise to return US manufacturing jobs moved abroad by attacking what he describes as unfair competition from China was a central pillar of his campaign platform.
Navarro, a professor at the University of California, Irvine, has written books such as "Death by China," in which he criticises Beijing for waging economic war by subsidising its manufacturing industry and blocking American imports.
He has been hailed by Trump as "a visionary economist", but the Global Times newspaper cited Chinese experts as saying that his hawkish opinions were pure hype and he was "not an expert on China".
Though Beijing could brush off Trump's anti-China rhetoric during the election season as mere campaign-trail bluster, the appointment of people like Navarro "who have a bias against China" to influential posts was "no laughing matter", the state-owned China Daily newspaper said in an editorial.
Trump's choice now gave the Asian giant "real cause for concern", it said, stating that Chinese companies in the US should be on "high alert".
Yu Jianlong, secretary-general of the China Chamber of International Commerce, told the paper that China had no desire for trade disputes with the new US administration.
"However, if the US keeps imposing inadequate trade remedy investigations on Chinese products, the country would have no choice but to confront the challenge," he said.
China needed to prepare for a potential trade war by identifying which products it could get from other countries and areas where it had comparative advantages, Jin Canrong, a professor of international studies at Renmin University, told the Global Times.
At a regular press briefing Thursday, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that Beijing was paying close attention to Trump's transition team and how they would make policy.
"We hope that the American side will join us in maintaining the sound and steady growth of the bilateral relationship, economic relations and trade included," she said, adding that "cooperation is the only right choice".
But an editorial in the Global Times, which often takes a nationalistic tone, warned that it was time to wake up to the reality that Trump was assembling a team of hardliners.
"If Washington dares to provoke China over its core interests, Beijing won't fear setting up a showdown with the US, pressuring the latter to pay respect to China," it said.
"The US can no longer push China around today. "
China wakes up to Trump's trade reality article.wn.com
2016-12-23 00:10 www.digitaljournal.com
8 /58 4.5 In icy Alaska, footwear options abound to say upright
(1.02/5) ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Darrell Bachmann doesn't wear ruby slippers, but when he clicks his heel, something magical happens. Bachmann invented KickSpikes, a boot designed to walk on ice. Kick a button on the heel and 7mm steel cleats pop out. Kick the button again and the cleats retract, allowing the wearer to walk inside without tearing up floors. "Traction on demand," he says. Bachmann's boots are the latest option for secure footwear in Anchorage, where streets are icy up to seven months per year and falling could mean a broken wrist or worse. Alaskans, like Scandinavians, look for technology that will allow them to embrace long winters, said John Clark, running shoe buyer for Skinny Raven, an athletic gear store that caters to runners. The store carries three brands of shoes for running on ice. That niche market, like trail shoes, didn't exist a few years ago. "People see those types of things and go, 'This is a tool for me to not just survive winter, but more likely conquer winter,'" Clark said. The Toronto Rehabilitation Institute tested 98 winter boots in a study released Nov. 24 and found only 8 percent met minimum slip resistance. None of the tested boots had cleats. No one shoe is perfect for all applications, Clark said, but there are plenty of options for getting outside. OLD STANDBYS Strap-on cleats - mini versions of crampons used by mountaineers - make any shoe an ice shoe. Held on by straps or rubber harnesses, they stretch from toe to heel and put steel teeth on a shoe bottom. They remain a popular choice in Anchorage because they can be transferred between shoes and removed to enter a store. The price: $10 to $70. ATHLETIC SHOES Strap-on cleats can pinch soft running shoes. Swedish manufacturer Icebugs was one of the first to offer running shoes with cleats. Their bottoms are flecked with tungsten carbide studs. The shoes' popularity led to competition. Skinny Raven offers studded running shoes from two other European manufacturers, Salomon of France and Inov-8 from Great Britain. They range in price from $150 to $220. OVERSHOES Galoshes used to be the norm for northern schoolchildren. Neos Overshoe and Tingley Rubber Corp. offer studded overshoes with uppers like wide gaiters that easily fit over a shoe or boot. They're waterproof and offer an added layer of warmth. Prices start at about $120. "Very handy for the person who doesn't like to take off his shoes and put on another one," said Stewart Valladolid, boot buyer at B&J Sporting Goods. One Anchorage flightseeing company provides tourists with the non-slip footwear on flights to glaciers. "A lot of their clients come unprepared," Valladolid said. "This way, if they're wearing regular dress shoes, they can pop these on and not lose their toes. " Tingley and LaCrosse also offer more traditional rubber overshoes with studs. CLEATS ON THE FLY For a warm hiking boot with cleats, Anchorage stores offer Korkers, boots with interchangeable outer soles. Agile users can peel off a rubber outsole and snap on one with cleats without taking the boot off. Prices start at $180. For the fashion-conscious, Canadian manufacturer Pajar offers boots with a hinged insert on the bottom. Flip the insert and cleats appear. Women's versions have been popular with customers who have had hip or knee replacements, said Alexa Ives, a manager at Shuzy Q, a downtown boutique. Prices start at $240. Men's versions are available online. And then there are Kickspikes. Bachmann set out to invent a golf shoe with steel cleats that could be retracted so they didn't tear up greens. "It turns out that golf is half of 1 percent of the market we're after," he said. "We went full-fledge into boots. " One model is aimed at hikers. Some feature safety toes. In industrial settings, users can transition out of cleats without bending over if they have to climb a ladder or walk into a building. The soles are slightly taller and wider than a regular boot but Bachmann swears by their stability. A video on the company website shoes him racing behind a Zamboni ice resurfacer between periods at a hockey game. Prices start at $350. DO IT YOURSELF Valladolid one day received an appeal from a gentleman with feet so wide, he could not find winter boots. The man navigated Anchorage in flip-flops but took a nasty fall. Valladolid showed him Goat Head Sole Spikes - cleats that screw into the bottoms of almost any shoe. A $24 kit includes spikes and a handle to install them. "We studded out his sandals and he was very happy," Valladolid said. Skinny Raven offers a similar service. For $10, the store will drill case-hardened screws to the bottom of shoes. The service is free for anyone pregnant, disabled or over 60. "We just don't want people getting hurt," Clark said. "We don't want that to be a limiting factor for people. It's not that big of a deal for us. We should be doing something nice for those people to encourage them to be out. " Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
In Icy Alaska, Footwear Options Abound to Say Upright abcnews.go.com
2016-12-23 03:21 www.cbs46.com
9 /58 0.9 China appeals to EU to drop measures against solar imports (1.02/5) BEIJING (AP) " China is appealing to the European Union to drop anti-dumping tariffs on Chinese solar panels after the trade bloc's executive body recommended extending them for two years. A Ministry of Commerce statement Friday...... China Appeals to EU to Drop Measures Against Solar Imports abcnews.go.com
2016-12-23 02:55 system article.wn.com
10 /58 2.4 Dame Shirley Bassey ‘couldn’t sing’ after genocide of daughter (1.02/5) Dame Shirley Bassey has suggested that her daughter’s genocide 30 years ago left her incompetent to sing for 6 months.
In a TV special to symbol her arriving 80th birthday, a Welsh thespian pronounced she had fast returned to behaving “after a week of being alone”.
“I walked on a theatre and we non-stop my mouth to sing Goldfinger,” she said. “Nothing came out.”
Samantha Novak, 21, was found face down in a River Avon, nearby a Clifton cessation overpass in Bristol, in 1985.
Dame Shirley has always confirmed that her daughter’s genocide was not an collision or suicide.
In a programme to be shown on BBC One on Christmas Eve, a thespian can be seen revelation David Walliams that a detriment was “just devastating”.
She pronounced she motionless to perform since she “didn’t know what to do with herself” and that being during home was “killing” her.
The 79-year-old now accepts she should have been “staying home and lamentation and removing it out my system” instead of expressing her feelings on stage.
The thespian paid reverence to a outspoken manager who helped her strengthen her outspoken cords and resume her career.
David Walliams Celebrates Dame Shirley Bassey front on BBC One on 24 Dec during 21:00 GMT.
Follow us on Facebook , on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts , or on Instagram during bbcnewsents. If we have a story idea email [email protected] . Some immature dinosaurs Brendan Cox: Jo Cox’s Deutsche Bank agrees strew teeth, contend experts widower to record choice $7.2bn chastisement with headlinenewstoday.net Christmas message US regulators headlinenewstoday.net headlinenewstoday.net
2016-12-23 00:00 admin headlinenewstoday.net
11 /58 1.0 Alabama woman delighted to find out Snoop Dogg is her Reddit Secret Santa (1.02/5) The Reddit user who only wanted to be identified by her first name, Erin, was left in a state of shock when she opened up a package that arrived to her porch this week. 'I called my husband, and I'm like, 'I think my Secret Santa might be Snoop Dogg,'' she told WHNT of her reaction getting the box. Erin has participated in Reddit's gift exchange for the last three years, but this is the first time she's ever received anything from a celebrity. She explained she was tipped off that something would be different with what she would receive this year, as Reddit administrators sent her a message saying that her gift was on the way. 'That's not normally what happens,' Erin said. 'Normally you get an automated message to just alert you your Secret Santa shipped your gift. So that was a little odd.' When she opened the box, Erin found a card signed by the rapper that started off by wishing her a 'Merry Xmizzle,' in the usual Snoop D-O-Double-G fashion. The Drop It Like It's Hot rapper sent her a Snoop Dogg Millionaire shirt, Snoop slippers, a drone, socks and even some green tea leaves to relax. Reddit said that over 119,000 individuals are participating in Reddit Secret Santa in 2016. The site started the gift exchange back in 2009, and that all Secret Santa participants are matched completely randomly. Earlier this month, another lucky Reddit user got the surprise of a lifetime when billionaire Bill Gates turned out to be her Secret Santa. Reddit user Aerrix was left 'speechless' after she opened the large FedEx box delivered to her home included, a few gaming essentials such as an NES Classic Edition, wireless XBOX One controllers and XBOX One Minecraft edition. Reddit users paired with Bill Gates and Snoop Dogg for Secret Santa — RT Viral rt.com
2016-12-23 02:03 Regina F www.dailymail.co.uk
12 /58 0.0 Military dad surprises kids during 'The Nutcracker'
(1.02/5) ATLANTA - An Air Force dad gave his kids quite the Christmas surprise: a cameo on stage, during Atlanta Ballet's The Nutcracker” performance at the Fox Theater.
Captain Howard Church and his wife told the kids he could not come home for Christmas, and both parents turned his visit home into a surprise.
Captain Church, who has served in the Air Force for close to 19 years, was stationed in Saudi Arabia for the past nine months. His family is based in Warner Robins.
“They're used to seeing me gone all the time,” Captain Church said, before the reunion. “Can't wait to see how surprised they are, when I step out there,” he said.
The children and their mother, Lisa, spent their Thursday evening at the Fox Theater, and got a tour backstage. They had no idea what surprise was in store for them, before the start of the show.
His family and four children were in tears, as Captain Church's family was introduced, and he walked onto the stage.
“I was really surprised. I really didn't think he was going to be there,” said son Austin Church.
Family members plan on staying home during Christmas and spending quality time together. Captain Church leaves again in 16 days.
SEE ALSO: Military wife finds sweet way to include husband in Christmas card Returning Ga. Capt. pulls off Christmas surprise for kids at Fabulous Fox rssfeeds.11alive.com
2016-12-23 01:54 Jaclyn Schultz www.fox5atlanta.com
13 /58 0.0 Michigan FB Khalid Hill returning for a fifth season
(1.02/5) ANN ARBOR -- Michigan fullback Khalid Hill said earlier this week he wasn't sure if he'd be back for a fifth season.
He's sure now.
The 6-foot-2, 263-pound fullback said via Twitter on Thursday night that he's decided to return to Ann Arbor for his fifth and final season.
Hill, who believed he'd be valued as an H-back/fullback/tight end at the next level, said he wanted to receive feedback from the NFL Draft advisory board before making his final call. But, apparently, he's now heard all he needs to hear.
Hill rushed for 10 touchdowns as a short-yardage fullback this season, tying for a team-high. He also made 14 catches for 105 yards and 2 scores.
Khalid Hill to play for UM next season; Tuioti leaving rssfeeds.detroitnews.com
2016-12-23 01:26 Nick Baumgardner www.mlive.com
14 /58 (0.02/5) 1.1 Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Dec 23 PRAGUE, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial markets on Friday. ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 1 hours)
======ECONOMIC DATA======Real-time economic data releases...... Summary of economic data and forecasts...... Recently released economic data...... Previous stories on Czech data...... **For a schedule of corporate and economic events: http://emea1.apps.cp.thomsonreuters.com/Apps/CountryWeb/#/2E/events-overview ======NEWS======CENBANK: The Czech central bank on Thursday left its sights on ending its weak-crown regime in mid-2017 as inflation gathers pace faster than expected, overriding risks from slower growth and an extension of ultra-loose policy in the euro zone. Story: Related stories: CEZ WIND: CEZ says it has acquired 35 wind turbines with total installed capacity of 85.25 MW in Germany, bringing CEZ's German wind portfolio to nearly 100 MW. Story: Related stories: CEZ CEO: CEZ's supervisory board gave CEO Daniel Benes a new 4-year term as chairman. Story: Related stories: UNIPETROL: Unipetrol oil refining and petrochemical group said it signed a $70 million insurance payment that will be booked in the fourth quarter. Story: Related stories: DEBT: The Czech Republic's financing needs will reach 290.6 billion crowns ($11.24 billion) in 2017 although it could be lower, the finance ministry said on Thursday. Story: Related stories: * For a January issuance calendar: CEE MARKETS: Czech two-year government bond yields traded near record lows on Thursday as the central bank (CNB), after a policy meeting, reaffirmed plans to ditch its crown cap around mid-2017 following the extension of the European Central Bank's stimulus programme. Story: Related stories: ------MARKET SNAPSHOT ------Index/Crown Currency Latest Prev Pct change Pct change close on day in 2016 vs Euro 27.018 27.021 0.01 -0.07 vs Dollar 25.861 25.874 0.05 -4.02 Czech Equities 917.53 0 - 4.06 U. S. Equities 19,918.88 19,941.96 -0.12 14.31 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1600 GMT ======PRESS DIGEST======STATE DEBT: The state debt will fall by 60 billion crowns ($2.32 billion) this year to 1.613 trillion crowns, Finance Minister Andrej Babis said. Mlada Fronta Dnes, page 8 RETAIL: Wholesale retailer Makro, part of Metro group , will build a 1.5 billion crown ($58.03 million) fully automated distribution centre that will open in 2018. Hospodarske Noviny, page 12 ENERGY BOURSE: Trading on the PXE energy exchange passed 30 Twh in mid-December, the highest yearly total since 2008, as market volatility returned, boosting volumes. Hospodarske Noviny, page 14 POLLS: The latest Stem opinion poll showed ANO, the party of Finance Minister Andrej Babis, winning 29.7 percent of the vote, followed by 16.3 percent for Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka's Social Democrats. Pravo, page 2 BERLIN ATTACK: A Czech woman living in Germany was among the 12 victims killed in a truck attack on a Berlin Christmas market this week, the foreign ministry said. CTK news agency (Reuters has not verified the stories, nor does it vouch for their accuracy.) For real-time stock market index quotes click in brackets: Warsaw WIG20 Budapest BUX Prague PX For updates on CEE currencies TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets Prague Newsroom: +420 224 190 477 E-mail: [email protected] ($1 = 25.8490 Czech crowns) (Reporting by Prague Newsroom)
Poland - Factors to Watch Romania - Factors to watch Dec. 23 on Dec. 23 dailymail.co.uk dailymail.co.uk
2016-12-23 03:26 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk
15 /58 0.8 School lesson says Christians treating Muslims harshly Contact WND (0.01/5) (Fox News) A classroom assignment on Islam says one negative effect of the Crusades is that Christians are still treating Muslims harshly.
“I almost fell over,” said Barbara Light.
Mrs. Light, of Westwood, New Jersey, was helping her 13-year-old daughter prepare for a World History test when she discovered some rather shocking lessons.
Netanyahu cites thriving Christian community in Christmas message Contact WND wnd.com
2016-12-23 00:30 www.wnd.com
16 /58 0.2 Trump keeps trafficking in ambiguity on policy proposals President-elect Donald Trump's call with Taiwan's leader was either a well-coordinated warning shot to China or a harmless congratulatory conversation. His provocative campaign proposal for temporarily halting Muslim immigration to the United States may or may not be back on the table.
And his stance on nuclear weapons? Trump said Thursday that he wants to "greatly strengthen and expand" U. S. nuclear capabilities, without offering any detail about what that would entail.
As Trump shapes his policy agenda ahead of next month's inauguration, he is trafficking in the same ambiguity that was a hallmark of his presidential campaign. The strategy proved useful to Trump as a candidate, keeping his rivals off balance and allowing voters of varying ideological persuasions to draw their own conclusions from his remarks.
"President-elect Trump has so far taken so many stands on so many issues so ambiguously that he's hard to hold to account," said Anthony Cordesman, a scholar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "And that's not a criticism. "
As president, ambiguity is a high-risk doctrine, particularly on foreign policy matters. For every adversary Trump may try to keep on edge, he could engender confusion and anxiety from allies that rely on clarity and stability from the United States. Mixed messages from Washington could also provoke an unintended response from abroad with wide-ranging economic or security implications.
"It's one thing to be ambiguous to set our adversaries or those we have to leverage or negotiate with on their heels," said Benjamin Chang, who worked as a foreign service officer in the Obama, George W. Bush and Clinton administrations. "But what does it do to our allies that rely on us? "
Trump promised throughout the campaign that he would be a more "unpredictable" commander in chief, accusing President Barack Obama of forecasting his strategy to American enemies.
"We are totally predictable," Trump said during a foreign policy address in April. "We tell everything. We're sending troops? We tell them. We're sending something else? We have a news conference. We have to be unpredictable, and we have to be unpredictable starting now. " Whether Trump's hazy and contradictory statements are part of a calculated strategy or signal his inexperience on international issues will be one of the central questions hanging over the first months of his presidency. The questions will only grow if he continues to deliver many of his pronouncements on Twitter and does not flesh out details in news conferences or policy briefings.
Trump has not held a news conference since winning the election more than a month ago.
It was Trump's call with Taiwan's president that seemed to leave little doubt he planned to keep up his freewheeling campaign style as he tackles major issues in the White House. The call thrust Trump into the center of one of Asia's most delicate diplomatic issues and prompted speculation that he might sever Washington's long-standing "One China" policy, which acknowledges Beijing considers Taiwan its territory.
Weeks later, Trump's goal in taking the call remains unclear. He's both suggested he was simply accepting a congratulatory call and said he doesn't understand why the U. S. should be bound by the "One China" policy, "unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade. " On Thursday, Trump chimed in on another hot-button issue without providing context or clarity: the nation's nuclear stockpiles. He abruptly tweeted that the U. S. should "greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability," but did not say what his proposals would entail or why he raised the matter on a quiet morning a few days before Christmas.
A subsequent statement from Trump's spokesman also did not address what the president-elect meant by calling for an expansion of U. S. nuclear capabilities.
The issue that has generated perhaps the most confusion among Trump supporters and opponents alike is his stance on banning Muslim immigration to the U. S. as a means to combat terrorism. Trump called for a temporary ban during the GOP primary, but later shifted his rhetoric to focus on halting immigration from an unspecified list of countries with terrorism links.
Following this week's deadly truck attack in Berlin, Trump was asked whether he was reevaluating the Muslim ban.
"You know my plans," Trump said, without listing his plans. "All along, I've been proven to be right, 100 percent correct. "
Cordesman said clarity on Trump's objectives will likely only come once he's in the position to make concrete decisions as commander in chief.
"Everybody is either criticizing him for being very naive and careless or looking for the secret plan," Cordesman said. "The only way to find out is to see what happens after he's in office. "
2016-12-23 04:14 By JULIE www.thenewstribune.com
17 /58 1.9 ‘Why Him?’ has a few laughs thanks to Cranston, Franco If the new Christmas season comedy “Why Him?” looks familiar, perhaps it will help to remember that filmmaker John Hamburg co-wrote the extremely popular garbage “Meet the Parents” and its sequels, and directed the moderately popular garbage “Along Came Polly.”
Yes, it’s the return of the “uptight square-versus-aggravating free spirit” comedy, which pits together two characters of such narrow extremes that they no longer resemble anything from life.
“Why Him?” has Bryan Cranston as the uptight square, Ned Fleming, who runs a failing printing business. If, at the end of Cranston’s run on “Breaking Bad,” we all wondered whether he’d ever find a movie role as good as Walter White, this one is cause to shake our heads sadly. And yet, unlike uptight square Ben Stiller in the earlier movies, Cranston comes into this one with a little dignity. In spite of whatever dialogue he’s given or whatever forced physical situation he’s placed into, he knows how to stop the show with a well-placed reaction shot.
In the “aggravating free spirit role,” James Franco is merely an unfiltered, loony love machine. He never deliberately tries to annoy anyone. He’s just trying to be lovable, to be loved. He’s like a tamer version of his madcap “Spring Breakers” character.
Franco plays internet millionaire Laird Mayhew, who loves the Fleming daughter, Steph (Zoey Deutch), and plans to marry her. He invites her family to his Northern California mansion for Christmas, where he hopes to bond with Ned and get his blessing.
Of course, it begins with thick, forced, awkward humor, ranging from strange food and characters stuck in unusual bathroom situations, to the unfortunate misunderstanding of a certain sexual slang word, to — the kicker — a glass tank full of moose urine. How long do you suppose that tank will remain unbroken?
Though Ms. Deutch (the daughter of Lea Thompson) was weirdly left out of the promotional advertising, she gets a small moment of female empowerment at the end.
Other supporting characters, however, behave only in relation to the characters around them, including Griffin Gluck as the youngest Fleming, Cedric the Entertainer as Ned’s co-worker, and Keegan-Michael Key with a weird German accent.
Meanwhile, Jonah Hill, credited with conceiving the story (with director John Hamburg and Ian Helfer) seems to have wisely exited himself from the production.
Yet Megan Mullally as Barb Fleming works hard and, every so often, earns a giggle. Her moments, as with Cranston and Franco’s best scenes, come from moments of humanity, moments that are recognizable as human foibles, frailties and failings.
For genuine laughs, all the moose urine in the world can’t beat that.
2016-12-23 04:01 By www.sfexaminer.com
18 /58 2.5 Jennifer Lopez and Drake are just good friends 'making beautiful music together' despite romance rumors Jennifer Lopez and Drake made headlines this week after the two were rumored to be getting romantic. However, a source told People Magazine on Thursday that it's too early to tell where the relationship will go. 'They seem to really like and respect each other, but it’s early,' the source said. 'Where it goes, we shall see. Friends of them both are hoping it becomes something, but it’s too early to say more than that.' Scroll down for video The source added: 'They’re making beautiful music together. They are spending a lot of time together and really enjoying each other, but right now it’s about the music.' According to a Tuesday report from TMZ , the 47-year-old singer and the 30-year-old hit maker have been 'spending a lot of time together' as they drum up new tunes. 'It's only a matter of time,' TMZ paraphrased a source, before they become romantic. A source also told DailyMail.com: 'They are working on music together and have become friends.' One TMZ source stressed that their relationship hadn't quite flowered into a romantic one yet, but predicted that romance was indeed in the future. Despite whether or not the romance is true, the famous duo have been spending time with each other as Drake had Lopez as his guest Monday night when he rented out the upscale West Hollywood restaurant, Delilah. TMZ noted that the two singers, who were joined by 20 other guests Monday evening, have a musical collaboration in the pipeline. The Too Good singer also stopped by J-Lo's Las Vegas All I have concert twice at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. After catching her performance last week, the friends posted the same selfie on their Instagram page in which he beamed as she flashed the camera a knowing grin. His caption consisted of an emoji of a smiling face with hearts for eyes, which he followed up with: '
2016-12-23 03:22 Dailymail.com www.dailymail.co.uk
19 /58 3.4 German consumer morale improves further heading into January By Michael Nienaber BERLIN, Dec 23 (Reuters) - The mood among German consumers improved heading into January as they became more upbeat about their future income, a survey showed on Friday, suggesting household spending will continue to propel economic growth at the beginning of next year. Private consumption has replaced exports as the main driver of expansion in Europe's largest economy - a shift helped by record-high employment, increased job security, rising real wages, moderate inflation and low borrowing costs. The consumer sentiment indicator, published by the Nuremberg-based GfK institute and based on a survey of around 2,000 Germans, rose to 9.9. This was the highest reading since October and in line with an average forecast in a Reuters poll. GfK researcher Rolf Buerkl said the survey was conducted in the first two weeks of December, meaning Monday's deadly truck attack on a Christmas market in Berlin was not reflected in the indicator. But Buerkl said he did not expect that incident to significantly impact consumer morale. "If at all, there could be a dent in next month's survey, but I don't see a massive long-term impact," Buerkl said, pointing out that consumers afraid of going out to shop would tend to buy more goods online instead. The institute's gauge measuring income expectations jumped to 55.6 points, its highest level since August. "The excellent condition of the labour market is awakening hope that there will be sustained strong growth in wages," Buerkl said. A sub-index measuring overall economic expectations rose for the third consecutive month to its highest since June while willingness to buy edged down. However, "retailers can probably safely assume that consumers will continue to flock to the shops in droves and spend money in the days following Christmas," Buerkl added. Buerkl said German consumers seemed to be "totally immune" to a string of external risks, including uncertainties about the future policies of U. S. President-elect Donald Trump and the persistently high threat of Islamist attacks. "It appears as if consumers generally regard labour market conditions as playing the crucial role in their decision as to whether to make purchases," Buerkel said. The government expects private consumption and state spending to drive an overall economic expansion of 1.8 percent this year, which would be the strongest rate in five years. For 2017, Berlin predicts a slowdown in growth to 1.4 percent due to weaker foreign trade and fewer working days. JAN 17 DEC 16 JAN 16 Consumer climate 9.9 9.8 9.4 Consumer climate components DEC 16 NOV 16 DEC 15 - willingness to buy 48.0 51.2 49.0 - income expectations 55.6 44.5 50.8 - business cycle expectations 16.4 15.3 2.9 NOTE - The consumer climate indicator forecasts the development of real private consumption in the following month. An indicator reading above zero signals year-on-year growth in private consumption. A value below zero indicates a drop in comparison with the same period a year ago. According to GfK, a one-point change in the indicator corresponds to a year-on-year change of 0.1 percent in private consumption. The "willingness to buy" indicator represents the balance between positive and negative responses to the question: "Do you think now is a good time to buy major items? " The income expectations sub-index reflects expectations about the development of household finances in the coming 12 months. The additional business cycle expectations index reflects the assessment of those questioned of the general economic situation in the next 12 months. (Reporting by Michael Nienaber, editing by John Stonestreet) Words: 628
2016-12-23 03:00 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk
20 /58 3.4 Labour 'finds £2.6bn black hole in Treasury's tax avoidance measures' Labour have accused the Treasury of failing to fully tackle tax avoidance as it claimed to have identified a £2.6bn black hole created by downgraded revenue forecasts.
John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, said that information buried in the small print of last month’s Office for Budget Responsibility report showed that three tax avoidance measures were now expected to raise significantly less than when they were first announced.
McDonnell said that collectively the three schemes would now raise a total of £2.6bn less than planned between 2014-15 and 2018-19, which he said was equivalent to the cost of employing 12,000 nurses over that period.
He said the problem was particularly serious because the NHS was facing “an unprecedented squeeze on its finances”.
The three schemes highlighted by Labour are: accelerated payments, a rule demanding upfront payments in avoidance cases; measures to tackle tax avoidance in partnerships; and debt market integrator schemes, which market the recovery of government debt. Accelerated payment was originally expected to raise £1.1bn over the five-year period, but is now expected to raise £800m less, according to the OBR.
The partnership schemes are forecast to raise £1.5bn less than the £3.3bn originally expected. And revenue from the debt market integrator schemes is forecast to be £300m less than hoped for over the period.
McDonnell, who has said that tackling tax avoidance would be a Labour priority, suggested that part of the problem was HMRC underfunding. He said the OBR report itself reported that HMRC was blaming “the current level of funding” for the fact that it could not recoup all the money it was hoping for from one of its schemes.
2016-12-23 03:00 Andrew Sparrow www.theguardian.com
21 /58 2.1 Help Refugees, a grassroots movement supported by the Guardian charity appeal – video Help Refugees identifies the most effective grassroots groups active in the refugee crisis and provides them with funding. The projects help build infrastructure for the camps, provide food, clothes and toys, and assist new mothers. Here, the Guardian highlights the life- saving work of the volunteers
2016-12-23 03:00 John Domokos www.theguardian.com
22 /58 3.3 Photos -- 6-foot Seal Beach menorah lights up Hanukkah in O. C. Lighting eight tiki torches atop a 6-foot-tall menorah on the pier is a Seal Beach tradition. On Thursday night, it marked its 10th anniversary.
It all started in the living room of Chabad congregants Moe and Helen Fox, said Rabbi Shmuel Marcus of Chabad of Los Alamitos & Cypress in Seal Beach.
“Moe was in his 90s at the time, and we looked out toward Eisenhower Park talking about how nice it would be to have a menorah lighting there,” Marcus said. “So we started doing that in 2006 as a way of honoring a longtime congregant.”
The eight-day Jewish festival of Hanukkah begins at sundown Saturday, celebrating the successful rebellion of the Maccabee Jews, considered underdogs, against their Greek-Syrian oppressors. The oil they used to purify their desecrated temple was enough for only one day’s lighting of the temple lamps but miraculously lasted for eight.
As for the Chabad menorah on the pier, all eight tiki torches were lit simultaneously Thursday evening.
“The idea is to bring as much light as possible to spread the word that Hanukkah is coming up,” Marcus said. “It’s a little bit of light and a little bit of freedom against an army of darkness.”
Contact the writer: 714-796-7909 or [email protected]
2016-12-23 02:58 dbharath@ocregister www.ocregister.com
23 /58 5.0 Richard Wilkins gets his hair and make-up done by Santa Claus Richard Wilkins has been a very good boy this year. The Today entertainment reporter even had his daily hair and make-up done from Santa Claus himself. Richard shared the funny photo on his Instagram account on Friday. In the snap, Richard appeared to channel Zoolander's 'blue steel' pose. 'Christmas comes early! thanks #Santa (sic)' her wrote in the caption. This isn't the first time the TV personality has spread the festive cheer this week. On Wednesday, he joined the Today panel for a Christmas snap that showed them photoshopped into various festive characters. Lisa Wilkinson and Peter Stefanovic, who is filling in for his brother Karl over the summer, also appeared as Santa's elves. Newsreader Deborah Knight completed the line-up as Mrs Clause.
2016-12-23 02:54 Alex Michael www.dailymail.co.uk
24 /58 2.5 Lana Del Rey looks full of festive spirit as she goes Christmas shopping in black T-shirt and leggings Tis the season to be jolly. So no wonder Lana Del Rey looked full of the festive spirit as she went shopping with a friend in Beverly Hills on Thursday. The National Anthem singer looked like she was thinking all about her forthcoming credit card bill as she got ready to hit the stores with her sidekick. Lana, 31, showcased her youthful figure in a black T-shirt, skinny jeans and comfortable flat shoes. No doubt the New Yorker was beaming on the inside as she looked forward to a festive break as she made some last- minute purchases in the run- up to Christmas on Sunday. One reason she may have appeared a little less jolly than expected is has just emerged she has a jam-packed schedule in the New Year. The warbler is already scheduled to play three musical festivals next year. Making her mark on the European festival circuit, the Honeymoon artist will play in Finland, Germany and Norway. August will be busy for the vintage-inspired vixen, who was born by the name Lizzy Grant. The singer will play Oya Festival in Norway alongside Mac Demarco and rapper Vince Staples, following up with a stop at Germany’s Way Out West festival the next day. She wraps up the season at Flow Festival in Helsinki, Finland which takes place from August 11 to 13.
2016-12-23 02:41 Mike Larkin www.dailymail.co.uk
25 /58 0.7 Twitter admits 'technical error' in video ad campaigns Twitter has said that it recently discovered a technical error due to a product update to Android clients that impacted some video ad campaigns from November 7 to December 12. ...
2016-12-23 02:30 system article.wn.com
26 /58 2.3 All About Mutual Funds In The Simplest Words Small-cap growth mutual funds seek to provide a greater growth potential than the large- and mid-cap ones in an improving domestic economy. This is because small-cap stocks...
Mumbai, Dec 20 (IANS) Volatility in the equity markets notwithstanding, the mutual funds industry is confident of attracting new investors and hopes to benefit from the ...
The mutual fund industry expects to cross the Rs 20 lakh crore mark in 2017. Helped by growing interest from retail investors and aggressive buying of stocks, the mutual... High yield bond mutual funds provide the best choice for those looking to invest in below investment-grade bonds, also known as junk bonds. Though bonds that are rated...
(Source: Cayman Islands Monetary Authority ) N O T I C E 22 December 2016 Administrative Termination - Frequently Asked Questions The Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (the ...
Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc. Declares Quarterly Dividend and Announces Date of Fourth Quarter Earnings Release The Board of Directors of Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc. (NYSE: WDR) approved a quarterly dividend on its Class A common stock of $0.46 per share payable on February 1, 2017 to stockholders of record as of January 11, 2017. Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc. will ...
(Source: Financial Services Authority of Indonesia ) Financial Services Authority, Jakarta, December 19, 2016: The Financial Services Authority (OJK) launched the Integrated Registration and Licensing Information System (SPRINT) for Mutual Fund Sales through Banks as Mutual Fund Selling Agents (APERD) and Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Registration, as part of the efforts ...
New Delhi: Helped by growing interest from retail investors and aggressive buying of stocks, mutual fund industry grew at a rapid pace in 2016 with addition of almost Rs 4 lakh crore, or 28 per cent, to its asset base and is looking to cross Rs 20-trillion mark in the new year. Having already attained a record asset under management (AUM) of Rs 16.5 lakh crore in November, the ...
Several sectors of the economy appear poised to benefit as the Federal Reserve embarks on its path to raise the federal funds rate in 2017 -- banking, consumer discretionary companies and certain parts of technology. Picking which company or companies in these sectors can be a harrowing experience without the proper tools and homework. But thanks to this unloved investment...
(Source: Old Mutual plc ) Old Mutual plc Ref 563/16 20 December 2016 TOTAL VOTING RIGHTS AND SHARES IN ISSUE The Company's issued ordinary share capital at 19 December 2016 comprised 4,929,936,178 ordinary shares of 11 3/7p each and, in accordance with Rule 5.6.1R of the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules, the total number of voting rights for the purposes of ...
2016-12-23 02:28 guddyvyas article.wn.com
27 /58 2.4 Check out Register columnist Marla Jo Fisher's 20 cheap ways to entertain out-of-town visitors over the holidays Yeah, yeah, we’re lucky to live in a vacation paradise, and all that. Which is why our friends and family want to come visit us.
But not only does Uncle Charlie eat like a plow horse, but entertaining all the folks can bankrupt you faster than a day at Disneyland.
Speaking of Disneyland, here’s my list of ways to show your guests around Southern California during the holidays without taking out a second mortgage on your house:
1. Go to Downtown Disney instead of Disneyland: Did you know that Disneyland has a drop-off-and-pickup lot on Harbor Boulevard? Look carefully and you’ll see the small sign, somewhat hidden by shrubbery, southwest of where the shuttle buses enter and exit. My suggestion: Take your guests who want to visit Disneyland to Anaheim first thing in the morning, explain to them about Fast Passes and make sure they’ve downloaded the official app, drop them off at the designated lot, and then park later to meet them at Downtown Disney, where you can get two hours of free parking. You can stroll around Downtown Disney for free. And note that there’s an AMC movie theater there that will validate you for an extra two hours of parking.
2. See a space shuttle: Visiting the California Science Center in Exposition Park in Los Angeles is free, and it’s fun, too. Kids love it. During the holiday period, you’ll need to pay $2 online for advance timed reservations to visit the fascinating Space Shuttle Endeavour exhibit. Note: When you go online to reserve your visit, they’ll offer you packages including an IMAX movie, special exhibits and such, but you don’t have to buy, just scroll to the bottom of the page to reserve your shuttle ticket. You can also call 213-744-2019 and pay $3 each to reserve tickets in advance. (When it’s not a peak period, you don’t need a reservation). You will have to pay $12 for parking when you get there, or ride the Metro Expo line. Note that some attractions inside the museum charge additional fees. Learn more: californiasciencecenter.org or 323-724-3623
3. Enjoy free dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum: While we’re on the topic of Exposition Park , allow me to note that the extremely cool Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is free on the first Tuesday of most months, which will be coming up Jan. 3 (order free tickets online). Also good for the La Brea Tar Pits, which feature Ice Age animals. Learn more: nhm.org or 213-763-3466
4. Explore the California African-American Museum: The museum, also at Exposition Park, is always free. It offers paintings, drawings and sculpture and right now also has an exhibit on the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Learn more: caamuseum.org or 213-744-7432.
5. See ocean critters at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center: This rescue center in Laguna Canyon for seals and sea lions is a busy place, with calls coming in from all over. Come in any day between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to see the marine mammals getting well before they’re released back into the wild. Kids love this. It’s a self-guided tour, you just walk around and look at the animals. There’s no charge. Warning, though: They’re so cute you’ll be moved to donate fish for their dinner. 20612 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach. Learn more: pacificmmc.org or 949- 494-3050
6. Take in the Getty, the richest museum in the world: There are two sites named after oil zillionaire J. Paul Getty, and they’re both worth visiting. Both are free, except for $15 parking. The most famous is the white “city on the hill” designed by noted architect Richard Meier. It covers 110 hilltop acres in West Los Angeles and includes 1.2 million square feet of travertine stone and cost $1.5 billion. You take a tram to the top, making it accessible for wheelchairs. Make sure you see the gardens. The center has free architecture tours daily. Learn more: getty.edu
7. Also see the Getty Villa: The original Getty museum on Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades is a beautiful replica of an ancient Roman country house. It’s now devoted to classical art and sculpture from Greece and Rome. It’s free to visit, but you need to download free tickets. Enjoy the mosaics and the gardens. Learn more: getty.edu
8. Stroll the gardens at the Fullerton Arboretum: Enjoy this secret garden, hidden behind Cal State Fullerton next to the baseball stadium, seven days a week, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. There are more than 4,000 plant species, along with ponds and wildlife. My favorite is the desert garden. They have periodic free tours. There’s a donation box at the entrance, and wooden benches to stop and relax. Kids like watching the turtles in the pond. 1900 Associated Road. Learn more: fullertonarboretum.org
9. Wonder at the Wayfarers Chapel: You don’t have to be religious to appreciate the beauty of this tiny glass-and-stone building, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s son. It’s free to visit, and open most days. After a scenic drive along the Palos Verdes Peninsula to get here, park in the free lot, and pass a small flower garden and fountain on your way into the chapel. You’ll find yourself surrounded by spectacular glass walls that soar up and meet the ceiling, providing a panoramic view of the redwood trees surrounding it. Wright, who was particularly interested in landscape architecture, predicted when he built the structure in 1951 that someday the fledgling trees would grow up around it, and indeed they have. Low stone walls complete the structure. Walk outside to find benches overlooking the ocean. 5755 Palos Verdes Drive S., Rancho Palos Verdes. Learn more: 310-377-1650 or wayfarerschapel.org
10. Explore Point Vicente: One of the best places to look for migrating whales this time of year, Point Vicente, also on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, juts out into the Pacific Ocean, providing panoramic views of the coastline. Named after a friar at Mission San Buenaventura, this park has reasonably clean picnic tables, a nearly 90-year-old lighthouse and a small, nice, free museum and interpretive center that’s frequently staffed by docents. 31501 Palos Verdes Drive W., Rancho Palos Verdes. Learn more: palosverdes.com/rpv , and search for “Point Vicente” or 310-377-5370.
11. Learn about Heritage Hill Historical Park, Lake Forest: There are four restored buildings spread over four acres in South Orange County, including the Serrano Adobe, built in 1863, which shows the Mexican Rancho era. The El Toro Grammar School, 1890, and St. George’s Episcopal Mission, 1891, showcase the nascent town of El Toro. The Harvey Bennett Ranch House, 1908, is an example of an early citrus farmhouse. The park is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, but the building interiors can be viewed only on a free guided tour. Tours are 2 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, and 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturdays. 25151 Serrano Road. Learn more: 949- 923-2230 or ocparks.com/historic/heritage
12. Stargaze at the Griffith Observatory: This famed Los Angeles landmark is free to park at and visit (at least for now – there’s a move afoot to require payment for parking). It would be worth driving up here just to see the view, but there’s so much more, such as a statue of James Dean, who filmed some of “Rebel Without A Cause” here. There’s a hiking trail above the observatory on a fire road that leads to even better views. The observatory is free; it’s worth spending $7 adults, $3 kids on the planetarium shows. Note: Closed Dec. 25, 26 and Jan. 2. Open Jan. 1. 2800 E. Observatory Road. Learn more: 213-473-0800 or griffithobservatory.org
13. Cheer for the ponies at Santa Anita: Opening day of live racing at Santa Anita is Monday, so head on over and enjoy. If you go online now, you can get $10 off an Opening Day package that includes admission, craft beer, clubhouse admission, a commemorative hat and more. For everyone, opening day freebies include a calendar and a stuffed horse for kids, while supplies last. General admission is $5, parking costs $4. At this writing, Travelzoo.com was running a $35 special that included box seats for four. Santa Anita Park, 285 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia. Learn more: santaanita.com or 626-574-7223
14. Pet a shark for free: Check out Shark Lagoon Nights at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach on many Friday nights, when everyone can come to the outdoor shark exhibit and touch bamboo sharks and see other types from 6 to 9 p.m. The entire aquarium isn’t free, just the shark exhibit. However, they’re also offering discounted Late Nights from 5 to 8 p.m. from Dec. 26 to Jan. 7 (except New Year’s Eve), when admission is only $14.95. Upcoming Shark Lagoon Fridays: Tonight and Dec. 30. Rain cancels. Learn more: AquariumofPacific.org or 562-590- 3100
15. Visit the Los Angeles County Museum of Art: This fascinating museum on Wilshire Boulevard has a membership program called NexGen that gives free admission to kids 17 and under, with one adult also admitted. Even babies and out-of-towners can join. Exhibitions that require a special ticket are not included. Ask for a membership card at the ticket window when you get there or call 323-857-6512. It’s open extended holiday hours Dec. 26-Jan. 8 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Regular adult admission is $25. Note that Los Angeles County residents get in free after 3 p.m. every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and Friday. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. Learn more: lacma.org
16. Get artsy at the Norton Simon: This museum in Pasadena that displays the collection of the late industrialist is always worth visiting, but especially on the first Friday of the month, when it’s free to visit from 5 to 8 p.m. No tickets required, just show up. Regular adult price is $12, and kids 18 and under are always free. Parking is always free, too. 411 W. Colorado Blvd. Learn more: nortonsimon.org or 626-449-6840
17. Commune with nature in Huntington Beach: See herons, egrets and other birds along the 18 acres of trails and wetlands at the Shipley Nature Center in Huntington Beach. It’s open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays. Closed Dec. 24 and Dec. 31. There are also an interpretive center and a water-wise garden. 17851 Goldenwest St., Huntington Beach. Learn more: shipleynature.org
18. Stroll the Festival of Lights: This downtown Riverside holiday tradition attracts tens of thousands of families every year for good reason: It’s simply spectacular, and will be until Jan. 7. The Mission Inn hotel is the centerpiece of the light displays, and is decorated to excess with every sort of Christmas whimsy, but the entire downtown is lit up, with carriage rides, street vendors and more. They flip the light switch at 5 p.m. and a gasp goes up from the crowds. Parking is free at meters and surface lots on weekends and holidays and after 5 p.m. on weekdays. Paid parking lots also surround the area. And note there’s a free New Year’s Eve family celebration from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 31 at the Library Plaza, 3581 Mission Inn Ave. Learn more: riversideca.gov/fol or 951-826-5273
19. Visit the Newport Back Bay: Check out Community Science Sundays at the Newport Back Bay Science Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with activities for adults and kids. Visit tide pool touch tanks, see coastal and estuary birds, check out the Teaching Lab and walk a loop trail. 600 Shellmaker Road, Newport Beach. Learn more: Backbaysciencecenter.org
20. Look for whales at Dana Point: Take your guests on a scenic stroll along three miles of trails at the Dana Point Headlands conservation area and look for gray whales. It’s at 34558 Scenic Drive. There’s also a small nature center to check out. Learn more: danapoint.org
Contact the writer: 714-796-7994 or [email protected]
2016-12-23 02:27 californiasciencecenter.org www.ocregister.com
28 /58 2.1 No. 23 USC keeps its record perfect with victory over Missouri State, 83-75 USC ’s undefeated march through overmatched non-conference opponents continued Thursday night in the Las Vegas Classic.
The Trojans’ 83-75 victory over Missouri State at the Orleans Arena was much like the 11 wins that preceded it, different only in manner. Whereas of late the Trojans had started slowly and then upped their performance, this time it was the opposite. They began hot, then just held on. With the tournament championship game looming Friday night against Wyoming, the No. 23 Trojans continue their pursuit of the program record of 16 consecutive victories, set 45 years ago.
Junior guards Elijah Stewart and Jordan McLaughlin carried USC, combining for 40 points on 13-of-23 shooting. Sophomore forward Chimezie Metu had13 points and nine rebounds.
USC made 55% of its shots.
It started with McLaughlin feeding Metu for a dunk. On USC’s second possession, freshman De’Anthony Melton dunked in his first start of the season. McLaughlin penetrated for an easy layup, and the Trojans were off. Shaqquan Aaron notched a three-pointer to open a nine-point lead.
With seven minutes left in the half, Missouri State closed to within three points. Forward Obediah Church pushed the Trojans. Elijah Stewart was whistled for an odd technical foul when he attempted a tip-in and grabbed onto the rim to protect himself from falling onto another player, but the Bears missed the gift free throw, and then the Trojans began to score again. When Stewart nailed a corner three-pointer, the Trojans’ lead growing to 10 points.
Two more Stewart shots stretched the advantage to 14 with 30 seconds remaining in the half. In the period, the Bears attempted 14 two-point shots and made only three. While the two teams shot similarly from beyond the three-point line, USC made 12 of 17 two-point attempts.
Those statistics regressed to normalcy in the second half, but Missouri State could not inch within 10 points until late in the game. When the Bears were behind by 13 with six minutes left, Stewart swished a distant three-pointer at the shot-clock buzzer, eliciting the loudest crowd reaction of the night. The Bears kept up the pressure and trailed by 11 with four minutes to play.
USC Coach Andy Enfield then called for a timeout after Missouri State missed a three-pointer. Wild possessions followed on both ends, but the Bears converted a contested floater to come within nine points.
Chimezie Metu drew a foul and made both of his free throws, but turned the ball over the next time down the floor, and Missouri State’s Alize Johnson made consecutive three-pointers to bring the score to 70-63.
The Trojans made 13 of their final 14 free throws to seal the victory.
The tournament was lightly attended. During game action, the concourses were empty, not a soul in sight, and the stands sprinkled with fans here and there, perhaps a few hundred in all, making heckles, instructions and cheers alike audible.
The Trojans’ approach appeared to match the atmosphere. One hour before tip-off, Enfield filtered into the press room and bantered with reporters and team officials. While the team took pregame jumpers, guard Derryck Thornton, sitting out the season after transferring from Duke, stood under the basket and fiddled with his phone.
In the second half, one DePaul staffer scouting the teams for Friday’s game repeatedly joked that the referees were officiating as if they had a show to attend later .
2016-12-23 02:25 Pedro Moura www.latimes.com
29 /58 1.1 Jewish family flees after blamed for cancellation of school performance of 'A Christmas Carol' A Jewish family fled Lancaster County, Pennsylvania after being blamed for the cancellation of a Christmas- themed play at a local elementary school. The tradition of a fifth-grade performance of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' at Centerville Elementary School was rumored to have been cancelled due to a Jewish family complaining about the line 'God bless us, everyone!' but the school is vehemently denying that's what happened, according to Penn Live. The play had been an annual tradition for 20 years or more, according to a FAQ released by the school. But this year, it was decided that the roughly 20 hours needed to produce a play that was not part of the learning curriculum was taking up too much time given changes in state education standards, said the school. However, when the cancellation was announced, rumors started that it was the Christian religion theme that was the problem. 'Absolutely not' the school said about whether a complain about the 'God bless us, everyone!' line had spelled the play's doom. Additionally, an unidentified Jewish family had asked that their daughter be excused from the play, a request that was granted. That seems to have sparked rumors that the family was responsible for the cancellation, which the family in turn says instigated harassment of their child by classmates. After reading online comments from readers going so far as to wanting to circulate the address of the family, they fled the area temporarily, but hope to return, according to LancasterOnline. 'There’s no way we’re going to take a chance after the pizza incident,' the parents told the outlet, referring to the man who barged into a Washington DC pizzeria with an assault weapon, looking for child sex slaves supposedly held there by Hillary Clinton, which was a fake story spread online. Fox News and Breitbart News jumped into the fray, both publishing columns on the cancellation and portraying it as a 'War on Christmas.' The school's insistence that the play's cancellation has nothing to do with religion seems slightly belied by a December 15 statement released by Principal Tom Kramer in which he said, 'Our decision is rooted in the desire to be respectful of the many cultural and religious backgrounds represented by the students attending Centerville Elementary.' However, the principal also affirmed that rumors that the play was cancelled because of the complaints of one or two families is false. 'That’s just not true. The instructional time issue was our primary concern,' he wrote. He also hinted that parents themselves were partly at fault for the cancellation, as the idea was floated that rehearsals could take place after school, but parents didn't seem to want that. 'Parents nor staff members have stepped forward to take advantage of this possibility,' he wrote.
2016-12-23 02:13 Kiri Blakeley www.dailymail.co.uk
30 /58 3.6 Pawn my handbag: How women use designer accessories to raise cash When Sophie was short of cash to buy her dream studio apartment in London, she decided to pawn her £8,000 ($10,000) Hermes Birkin handbag that her fiancé got her for their two-year anniversary.
"It was the most practical thing to do. I would have unnecessarily paid more interest if I had gone for a higher mortgage, so I decided to increase my equity stake by getting a loan against my Hermes handbag," 25-year old Sophie Richards told CNBC on the phone.
The world of luxury handbags is a glamorous one and using these expensive handbags as collateral to secure a loan is a growing industry in itself. While globally, the premium handbag and accessories market was valued at $48 billion in 2016, North America was worth $11.6 billion and Europe came in at $6.4 billion, according to industry research firm Koncept Analytics. California-based Beverly Loan Company, one of the first pawn shops in the U. S. to advertise pawn loans against upscale handbags, told CNBC via email that luxury handbags are the fastest growing asset class. The company has very specific criteria for lending against handbag.
"If the bag is not Hermes, Chanel or a close equivalent and does not have a retail price of over $5,000, then it is not for Beverly Loan Company," the company said on its website. "We also require that the handbag is in excellent condition and in most cases we require provenance, specifically a receipt from the retailer where it was purchased. "
Jordan Tabach-Bank, owner and chief executive officer of Beverly Loan Company, explained that not too many lenders are comfortable with this business as they lack the expertise to deal in luxury handbags because of "spot-on replicas" that have flooded the markets.
"While our average handbag loan is about $5,000, I can tell you that we recently made a loan of $60,000 on a Hermes White Matte Niloticus Himalayan Crocodile Birkin. "
The process is fairly straightforward – if you want a loan, take your luxury handbag to one of the pawnbrokers who specialize in this area. They take a quick look at the condition of the bag, and you are out of the door with cash. The handbags are stored in a secured vault till the time you pay off the loan. There is generally, no credit check and the loans are given for a period of four to six months.
"When we inspect a bag first and foremost we make sure it is authentic and in excellent condition. We can always provide a higher dollar figure if the bag includes the box, dust bag, cites (for exotic skins) and original receipts (which always help with authentication). We also know what colors sell best and we know how important condition is to our clientele, and lend accordingly," Tabach-Bank said.
While some lenders are quite specific about brands they want to lend against, some others are a bit more flexible. London-based Prestige Pawnbrokers lend against a range of luxury products including handbags, wine, art and watches among others. The company on its website lists a range of designer brands that they lend against. These include Chanel, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Mulberry, Prada, Gucci, Miu Miu, Dio and D&G among others.
"Many of our clients are finding this to be an extremely effective method of raising finance quickly - especially for designer handbag that you may no longer use or was an unwanted gift or has simply fallen out of fashion with your style" the company said on its website.
But while this is a fairly easy way of raising capital for consumers, it comes with risks. One of the biggest risks is default. What if the borrower fails to pay the loan?
"If the borrower is unable to pay the loan in full they can rewrite the loan by simply paying the accrued interest, thereby extending their due date," Tabach-Bank explained.
If the clients choose not to extend the loan then the lender becomes the owner of the collateral and can sell it to the public. The company, however, makes several attempts at contacting the borrower before foreclosure.
Another risk is dealing with fakes. A number of pawnbrokers face this on a regular basis and if the handbag is fake, the loan is not approved.
"The handbag speaks for itself; we do not perform credit checks. Just bring your ID and your bag. Our clients are in and out with cash in hand in a matter of minutes," Tabach-Bank said.
Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook .
2016-12-23 02:11 Spriha Srivastava www.cnbc.com
31 /58 1.0 At 70, sitcoms stand firm against wave of TV changes The television industry is in the midst of a sea change but one format hasn't varied in 70 years -- and yet remains a favorite among American viewers. The sitcom still brings the same bag of tricks: recurring characters and sets, with humorous storylines often punctuated by laughter. Television dramas have become ever more sophisticated in recent years, from the zombie apocalypse of "The Walking Dead" to medieval power struggles in "Game of Thrones. " Yet the most-watched television show in the United States last season (not including sports programming) was "The Big Bang Theory" -- a sitcom in its 10th season on the airwaves. Other sitcoms like "Modern Family," "The Goldbergs" and "Black-ish" are renewed season after season by US broadcasters, while newcomers this year included "Kevin Can Wait" and "Man With a Plan. " "The genre is still alive and well and I expect it to be for quite some time," said Martie Cook, a screenwriter and professor at Emerson College. She attributes the sitcom's longevity to two factors: the comedy and stories "that are very much in line with our everyday lives. " Sitcoms are built around families -- whether they are a nuclear family, an extended clan or a close but unrelated group of people, said Doug Smart, a director and producer who shoots a sitcom every year with students at tiny Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky. The secret is "to create family members that members of the viewing audience can relate to" -- like an elderly uncle or an annoying coworker, he said. With the growth of free video content, niche programs and personalized viewing on smartphones, sitcoms play an important role in bringing families together. "It's that 30 minutes or one hour of the day where you can sit with your kids," said Candace Cameron Bure, star of the Netflix series "Fuller House," a reboot of 1980s classic "Full House. " Even millennials can be drawn to sitcoms with their short episodes and relatable plots. "They may love fantasy, and the genres like 'Game of Thrones' and drama, but they like their comedies to be more true to life, more everyday situations that they can relate to," Smart said. "Love, betrayal, awkwardness, uncomfortableness, embarrassment... things that ring true to them. " Another key to the success of sitcoms: they are relaxing to watch. "We sit down and we get a break from the stress of our lives. And we laugh, because it's funny," Cook said. "Human beings love to laugh. " "Sometimes, I want to just sit and laugh at something. I don't want to think too hard. And that's what 'Fuller House' is all about," Cameron Bure told journalists in New York. - Social change via sitcom? - Highlighting the sitcom's durable appeal, video streaming service Netflix created "Fuller House," which is filmed in front of a live audience. Actors and writers stress that a lot of hard work goes into creating a product that seems so light. "It can be a blow to the ego" when jokes fall flat, said Justina Machado, star of "One Day at a Time," another Netflix remake of a decades-old sitcom, which is also filmed in front of a live audience. Cook points out that sitcoms can play an important role in society. Under the guise of light entertainment, the shows can pose serious questions and prompt viewers to ponder weighty issues. Six years before gay marriage was legalized throughout the United States, "Modern Family" was featuring Mitchell and Cameron, a gay couple with an adopted child. And last February, an episode of "Black-ish" addressed the issue of police brutality against black Americans. When social justice demands are raised "in a funny way, people are more open to listen to them," Cook said. Added Smart: "As long as it's entertaining and it's done with good humor and good taste, the audience will say yes, of course, let's talk about this, let's examine this, this doesn't seem right. "
2016-12-23 02:10 Afp www.dailymail.co.uk
32 /58 0.0 Adorable video shows baby girl struggling to keep her eyes open as she sits at the table As many people will know, Christmas is an exhausting time of the year. And as this video shows, for some of us, sometimes it all gets a little bit too much. The clip shows an adorable baby girl sitting at a table repeatedly nodding off. Scroll down for video While at the beginning, it's clear she's trying her hardest to stay awake, by the end of the twenty-second clip, it's pretty clear that she'd rather be in bed. The video was shared on Facebook by the Sydney-based mother and blogger, Siobhan Rennie, who runs the popular Me Oh My motherhood blog. 'Quite possibly the cutest thing I've EVER seen...,' she began her Facebook post. '"All this Christmas prep is exhausting mum"... ''We've been trying to drop the morning nap.. come 11am she's gonnneeeeee [sic],' she concluded. Meanwhile, it seems Ms Rennie's little girl is none the wiser as to the fact she is being filmed while falling asleep. 'She's 14 months and only ever had a short 45 minute nap in the morning around 9am, then a big lunchtime nap,' Ms Rennie told Daily Mail Australia. 'Last week she was still having a very small sleep around 9am for 15 minutes. Then when I put her down at midday for her big sleep she was standing up in her cot jabbering and singing, smiling, laughing for a good one and a half to two hours before she'd finally sleep. 'That happened three days in a row. So I thought it was about time we got rid of the morning nap as she obviously wasn't tired enough come lunch time - um, not so much. The video was her falling asleep during her lunch, poor wee thing!' she said.
2016-12-23 02:09 Sophie Haslett www.dailymail.co.uk
33 /58 0.0 Julius spilling on his love life is still a highlight for us But the EFF commander in chief made our hearts a little soft when he opened up about his wife Mantwa during an interview with Anele on Real Talk.
"I used to drink and go to clubs. I started going to movies now because my wife forced me. "
He said that as much as he doesn't enjoy going to movies, worried that people might recognise him, he is grateful for his mrs.
"She completes me. She's able to speak a lot of sense and persuade me to see certain things different and get me to do things I haven't done. And watching Perfect Wedding (Our Perfect Wedding). Things I used to think were girly things... I enjoy them. "
He also opened up about the moment he proposed, explaining that he was nervous and when he got on his knee to propose, Mantwa got up.
"I had to pretend to tie my shoe," he said.
See, we all have a soft side.
2016-12-23 02:00 TshisaLIVE www.timeslive.co.za
34 /58 0.3 Pilot reveals reason flight attendants dim lights before takeoff and landing A pilot has revealed the real reason flight attendants always dim the lights on a plane for takeoff and landing. The cabin is darkened as a safety precaution in case there is an accident, according to British pilot Patrick Smith. 'Dimming the lights allows your eyes to pre-adjust to darkness' said Mr Smith, author of Cockpit Confidential. 'So that you're not suddenly blinded if something happens and the power goes out, and you're dashing for the doors in darkness or smoke,' he told The Telegraph. He said it also makes the emergency path-lighting and signs more visible and helps passengers maintain 'a basic sense of orientation.' It takes about 10 minutes for the human eye to adjust to darkness, so by dimming the lights valuable time is saved in an emergency. Another pilot, Chris Cook, confirmed lights are dimmed to allow eyes to adjust. 'Imagine being in an unfamiliar bright room filled with obstacles when someone turns off the lights and asks you to exit quickly,' he told The Sun in February.
2016-12-23 01:56 Peter Devlin www.dailymail.co.uk
35 /58 2.2 New Zealand government’s ‘Page Not Found’ 404 error screen is cracking the internet up A screenshot purporting to be from the New Zealand Government website's 'Page not found' 404 error screen has surfaced on the internet to the delight of many. The screen shows a map of the world, accompanied by the headline 'We're sorry, something's missing'. The screenshot first appeared on the Tumblr and has been viewed by over 95,000 people. While Daily Mail could not verify if the Tumblr post is real or fake, the founder of Tumblr site, ' World Maps without New Zealand ' claimed the error message was indeed correct and was taken in September. The blog's founder, Arnold from Wellington, New Zealand, compiles a list from around the world of other instances where New Zealand has been left off the world map. 'It’s quite amusing to not find New Zealand not there half of the time,' he said. While he started with just a handful of maps, he has now been bombarded with submissions - with examples including everything from tattoos to children's playground and even world map puzzles. The 4.4 million person, 268,000 square kilometre, island nation has a landmass bigger than the size of Great Britain, and was voted the 'best travel destination' by Lonely Planet two years in a row. Auckland based producer, Tessa Mitchelson, told the Daily Mail about a time when she attended a geopolitics talk where the lecturer's power point left New Zealand off the map. 'As a Kiwi, I'm used to people leaving New Zealand off the map, but not in a university lecture. When traveling I constantly get mistaken for an Australian. It's like we don't even exist sometimes.' Landing on a HTTP 404 'page not found' error page typically means that the webpage could not be reached on the server.
2016-12-23 01:44 Emma Rapaport www.dailymail.co.uk
36 /58 1.2 Inside the making of Denzel Washington's 'Fences' Watch the trailer for 'Fences'
The film’s director Denzel Washington was in Atlanta a couple of weeks ago to host a sneak preview for leaders of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
(© 2016 WXIA)
WXIA Denzel Washington attends screening of new movie 'Fences' in Atlanta
WXIA
Denzel Washington hung out with his childhood librarian for her birthday
2016-12-23 01:16 WXIA rssfeeds.11alive.com
37 /58 2.6 Audit finds closed Ohio charter school didn't repay $478,000 COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Ohio’s auditor says a now-closed charter school in Columbus failed to repay nearly $478,000 in state foundation overpayments after overstating enrollment.
Thousands more dollars in expenses are considered questionable in the closeout audit of the ScholArts Preparatory and Career Center for Children, which closed in February 2013. Auditor Dave Yost’s office says it had trouble getting complete records from school management.
The findings about the failed repayment will be referred to prosecutors for possible legal action.
Yost says there wasn’t enough documentation to determine ScholArts’ compliance with federal expenditure requirements, so auditors also questioned about $648,000 in costs associated with federal programs.
Yost says the school and its sponsor, Kids Count of Dayton, didn’t follow closing procedures required by Ohio law.
A message was left seeking comment from Kids Count.
2016-12-23 01:11 By www.washingtontimes.com
38 /58 0.7 Fortunes of Vikings, Packers headed in opposite directions The Green Bay Packers have powered through injuries to Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews to surge back into postseason contention.
The fading Minnesota Vikings need a miracle to get into the playoffs, especially if running back Adrian Peterson is sidelined again.
Heated division rivals headed in opposite directions meet Saturday at Lambeau Field in a game that could help clear up the NFC playoff picture. Vikings cornerback Captain Munnerlyn would rather muddle things up.
"Most definitely. If we can't go, they can't go," Munnerlyn said. "We're going to try to spoil their parade and put them in a bad situation. "
A four-game winning streak has changed the fortunes of the Packers (8-6). A win over the Vikings (7-7) would set up a winner-take-all showdown at first-place Detroit for the NFC North crown.
"Especially in these division games, it can be taken from you in a heartbeat, so we just got to continue to play well, prepare well, execute and finish," Packers receiver Jordy Nelson said.
Green Bay has pushed through a spate of injuries all season, including those late in the year to its biggest stars, to overcome a midseason, four-game losing streak.
Matthews has been slowed by a painful left shoulder injury that has kept the long-haired linebacker's production down in a reduced, pass-rushing role.
Rodgers is still prolific, even if his mobility might be limited. Second in the league with 32 passing touchdowns, Rodgers remains strong-armed and accurate, as evidenced by his 60- yard bomb to Nelson late in the fourth quarter last week against the Bears to set up a winning field goal as time expired.
On that same day, Minnesota's playoff hopes took a severe hit after a deflating 34-6 loss to Indianapolis at home. It was Peterson's first game back since tearing the meniscus in his right knee in the Vikings' 17-14 win over the Packers in Minnesota in Week 2.
Peterson did not practice at midweek after the running back said he had a "couple of nicks" for which he needed treatment following his first game in three months. Playing only 12 snaps, Peterson rushed for 22 yards on six carries and had a fumble deep in Colts territory.
The Packers aren't taking any chances.
"Well, I think anytime there's a chance of Adrian Peterson being on the field it's going to catch your attention," defensive coordinator Dom Capers said.
Other notes and things to watch ahead of Saturday's game:
MINNESOTA'S PATH: It's a very tough road to get back into the playoffs for the Vikings, who started 5-0. They've already been eliminated from repeating for the division title. To get a wild card, Minnesota must win its final two games against the Packers and Bears, have the Buccaneers lose out and Washington lose at least once.
TY HIM UP: Now a full-timer in the backfield, former receiver Ty Montgomery has had his workload increase each of the last three games, culminating in a career-high 162 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 16 carries against Chicago. Christine Michael also ran for a 42-yard score last week, when the Packers amassed a season-high 226 yards rushing.
RODGERS' CALF: Rodgers' injured right calf seemed to be improving after the quarterback was a full practice participant at midweek. His limited mobility played a part in the Bears getting four sacks last week. The Vikings are tied for seventh in the league with 35 sacks and sacked a healthy Rodgers five times in Week 2.
The Packers' offense has been much more prolific since then, too, amassing yards with a quick passing attack.
SLINGIN' SAM: The Vikings have had trouble scoring points and generating big plays this season, but they could end up being a record-setting unit anyway. Quarterback Sam Bradford is completing 71.6 percent of his passes with two games to go, which puts him on pace to break Drew Brees' single-season record of 71.2 set with New Orleans back in 2011. The number is skewed somewhat by the Vikings' over-reliance on the short passing game.
"The focus is to win games," Bradford said. "It's not about stats. ... So, I don't think it would do much for me, to be honest. "
SITTING SMITH?: Rodgers dissected a Seahawks defense two weeks ago that was without safety Earl Thomas. Now the quarterback could face a Vikings D without its standout safety, Harrison Smith. One of Minnesota's biggest playmakers has missed the last two games with an ankle injury. Smith missed practice again at midweek, which could be trouble against an offense that is hitting on deep passing plays again.
---
AP Sports Writer Jon Krawczynski in Eden Prarie, Minnesota contributed to this story.
2016-12-23 01:05 By GENARO www.charlotteobserver.com
39 /58 2.2 Mixed reactions after Mormon Tabernacle Choir slated for Trump inauguration The Church announced Thursday that the choir has accepted an invitation to perform at the inauguration of Donald Trump.
There's been back-and- forth on social media, and an online petition has gathered thousands of signatures opposed to the decision.
Usually, talk of the choir is nothing but singing their praises.
"They are amazing. It’s probably the most distinguished, best choir in the world," said Zora Christensen, a member of the LDS church.
She and many others visiting Temple Square Thursday evening said it was exciting to hear about the choir's inauguration performance.
"I think that’s awesome to get representation and to be supportive of our new president," Christensen said.
But her son thinks differently.
"To me that's endorsing somebody," said Zac Christensen.
That's the train of thought Randall Thacker had when he read the news Thursday morning.
"My heart sunk," Thacker said. "The feeling now is, how they can do that? "
He started the online petition in hopes of giving others a forum to express similar frustrations and concerns.
"I knew that there would be thousands of people who felt the same way," Thacker said.
In less than a day, more than 3,800 people typed in their online signatures.
"I would hope that the Church would realize that this could be a turning point in the way that they are perceived," Thacker said.
He's worried the choir's music will get lost in the controversy that has surrounded Donald Trump, and the remarks he has made.
"They are going to be perceived as guilty by association to somebody who has had very harsh rhetoric towards minority groups," Thacker explained.
The Utah Republican Party indicated they think it actually suggests something else entirely-- about Trump himself.
"He`s reaching out to all parts of society, and it's just wonderful. And I'm really excited about the fact that he is including Utah in this way," said James Evans, Chair of the Utah Republican Party. When asked about the decision, LDS church spokesman Eric Hawkins said, "Response to the announcement has been mixed, with people expressing both opposition and support. The Choir`s participation continues its long tradition of performing for U. S. Presidents of both parties at Inaugurations and in other settings, and is not an implied support of party affiliations or politics. It is a demonstration of our support for freedom, civility and the peaceful transition of power. "
2016-12-23 01:05 Lauren Steinbrecher fox13now.com
40 /58 40 /58 2.7 Airline worker and girl's lost teddy bear share epic adventure at DTW A little girl missing her favorite stuffed friend got an amazing surprise, thanks to an old family friend and a little Christmas magic.
Eleanor Dewald, 8, of Royal Oak, and her family landed Wednesday evening at Detroit Wayne County Metropolitan Airport after a difficult flight from Dallas. When it was bedtime, she realized one member of the family hadn't made it home.
►Related: Toronto airport employees take lost stuffed animal on an adventure
Missing: a stuffed bear named Teddy. Teddy and Eleanor have been best friends ever since the last day of preschool.
"Teddy goes everywhere with Eleanor, so he occasionally ends up in a snowbank or under a car seat," said her mom Trish Dewald, 38. "But Teddy wasn't anywhere that Teddy would usually be. "
Trish Dewald called the airline and filed a lost items claim. She didn't know what else to do, so she posted this photo of a very similar (and cleaner-looking) Teddy on Facebook.
The post reads:
How might one go about posting an amber alert for a missing Teddy? Last seen: Detroit Metro Airport North Terminal on 12/21/16 at 6:05pm. Looks similar to the one pictured though more....ahem... "loved". Name: Teddy Sex: nonconforming Height: approximately 12" Race: bear Weight: negligible Reward: 8 year old girl child's undying appreciation If seen, contact parental units of said girl child. Authorities (DTW lost and found/airline lost and found) have been notified. #operationteddy
Then, Steven Laudeman saved the day and gave Teddy an adventure too.
Friends of Trish Dewald began tagging other friends in the comments of the Facebook post. That's how Laudeman, 38, saw the plea to help find Teddy. Laudeman and Trish Dewald attended middle school and high school together in St. Clair Shores and kept in touch.
"Twelve hours later, I didn't think the bear would still actually be there," Laudeman said. But he decided to search anyway before his shift began as a ramp agent at Southwest Airlines.
He tried the lost and found. No Teddy. So Laudeman retraced Eleanor's steps. The Dewald's bags had flown through a separate airline so he checked the Spirit lost and found. No Teddy there either. He asked an agent, who said she had seen a bear who looked an awful lot like Teddy, over by the garbage. When Laudeman found the right garbage can, Teddy was perched on the rim, right next to the hole where the trash goes. But he hadn't fallen in.
Teddy was safe. Now, Laudeman decided, it was time for his new furry friend to have a little fun.
"In some of the comments on the Facebook post, Trish said Eleanor would love it if the bear went on an adventure," he explained. "And I had the bear for eight hours. "
Take a look at Teddy's adventures at Detroit-Wayne County Metropolitan Airport:
"Teddy got to be the captain of an airplane, tried to push a plane out, wrote a letter to Santa, meet other stuffed animals," Laudeman said. "He had a pretty good day. "
A few of his coworkers looked at Laudeman like he was crazy, but "I have two little boys of my own," he said. "They would be so upset if they lost their stuffed animals. I understood. "
Thursday evening, Teddy and his favorite little girl in the world were reunited. Eleanor's eyes lit up when she saw her almost-lost stuffed bear. She thanked Laudeman with a little gift and a card she wrote out herself.
Trish Dewald called her old friend Laudeman one of the kindest men she knows.
"So much time has passed and so many people come in and out of your lives, and to have someone stay in touch like this -- It's so meaningful to our family," she said. " That's how we got Teddy back. "
Thursday marks Steve Laudeman's 13-year anniversary since he began working at Southwest Airlines at DTW. It was the first day on the job he spent alongside a lost teddy bear.
2016-12-23 01:01 Ashley Catherine rssfeeds.freep.com
41 /58 2.8 Christmas in N. Korea: Lights and trees, but void of Jesus PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — If Santa Claus stops in North Korea this year, he'll find some trees and lights and might even hear a Christmas song or two. But he won't encounter even a hint of what Christmas actually means — not under a regime that sees foreign religion a very real threat. There are almost no practicing Christians in North Korea. But there used to be. And while the trappings of the holiday season they once celebrated haven't been completely expunged, any connections they had to the birth of Jesus have been thoroughly erased. Take Christmas trees, for example. They aren't especially hard to find in Pyongyang, especially in upscale restaurants or shops that cater to the local elite and the small community of resident foreigners. A waist-high tree was long a feature at the offices of the Koryolink mobile phone provider. The trees are often decorated with colorful lights and shiny baubles, but none of the displays have explicitly religious associations. Many are up all year, further diluting their Christmas connotation. Instrumental versions of "White Christmas" and "Let It Snow" have been in the rotation of mood music piped into the dining room of one of Pyongyang's ritziest hotels since at least last August. In the countryside, where such pockets of affluence are rare to nonexistent, so too, presumably, are any of these sorts of glitzy decorations. This wasn't always the case. Before the advent of ruling Kim regime, North Korea was fertile ground for missionaries and Pyongyang had more Christians than any other city in Korea. It even had a seated Catholic bishop. Most of that presence was erased by the early 1950s, and the North has kept a tight lid on all Christian activities in the country since. Article 68 of the North Korean constitution does give a nod to the freedom of religion — with the rather significant proviso that "religion must not be used as a pretext for drawing in foreign forces or for harming the State or social order. " A handful of Christian churches and other religious facilities are allowed to operate, but under tightly restricted conditions. There are four state-approved Christian churches in Pyongyang — one Russian Orthodox, two Protestant and one Catholic. Inside the Catholic cathedral are crosses, but no crucifixes. Weekly services feature hymns and prayers offered in a highly formalized manner, but there are no sacraments. State-appointed laymen lead the services, which are not sanctioned by the Vatican. The Protestant churches are reportedly largely unused. The fact that Christmas-themed music and decorations are allowed at all and, in fact, generally taken for granted almost certainly signals how little association they evoke with the officially frowned-upon and subversive religion that spawned them. Overt, unsanctioned religious activities are a very different matter. As one American tourist found out not too long ago, merely leaving a Bible in a public space is enough to land you in jail for a potentially very long time: Jeffrey Fowle was sentenced to 15 years but ended up being released after six months. And Canadian Hyeon Soo Lim, a Christian pastor, was sentenced last year to life in prison with hard labor for alleged anti-state crimes inside the country.
2016-12-23 01:01 Associated Press www.dailymail.co.uk
42 /58 5.0 Public invited to Menorah lighting Saturday in Portland The public is invited to attend the traditional lighting of the Menorah and a community Hanukkah celebration Saturday at Portland City Hall.
Rabbi Moshe Wilansky of Chabad of Maine said in a news release that the 12-foot Menorah will be lit on the City Hall plaza at 6 p.m. Saturday.
Saturday’s event marks the first night of Hanukkah.
“It is a holiday that enriches our lives with the light of tradition,” Wilansky said. “In ancient times our ancestors rededicated the temple in Jerusalem with the Menorah. Today, we rededicate ourselves to making this world a better and brighter place.”
Wilansky said Portland’s Menorah will be one of 15,000 that will be lit across the world. The Menorah symbolizes a universal message of religious freedom.
“Chabad centers all around the world are dedicated to spreading light and goodness in their respective communities. Chabad’s answer to the darkness and destruction is an increase in light and warmth,” Wilansky said.
After the Menorah has been lit, the program will move inside City Hall to the State of Maine room, for an all-you-can-eat buffet, hot latkes and doughnuts, dreidels and gelt, and live music.
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2016-12-23 01:01 Staff Report www.pressherald.com
43 /58 2.5 2016's political scapegoats Whenever their scandals or shortcomings are exposed dodgy individuals always look for scapegoats. In a significant way, scapegoats have become actors in South African politics.
It is difficult to say which political scapegoating act comes top in 2016. The order of importance doesn’t really matter.
The thread is best demonstrated by randomly listing them.
President Jacob Zuma, in trouble for being a chief facilitator of Gupta business ventures with state entities, blamed unnamed countries for wanting to unseat him. He didn’t remember the names.
It was not the first time Zuma’s memory failed him at a crucial moment. He could not remember Vytjie Mentor, the former
ANC MP he fondly referred to as “ntombazana” after she allegedly rejected a
Gupta offer for a Cabinet job to run state-owned enterprises in exchange for shrinking South African Airways market share on the India route. It was essentially in exchange for acting against the national interest. A suspiciously fading memory was for Zuma a convenient scapegoat.
Mzwanele Manyi, who miraculously discovered the urge to fight colonialism more than two decades into democracy, blamed those who are against economic transformation for Zuma’s troubles. Remgro chairman Johann Rupert is often cited each time pressure mounts on Zuma and his allies.
It appears Rupert is suspected of competing with the Guptas for the capturing of the state even though he has repeatedly stated that he doesn’t do business with the state. He is the target of Gupta allies like Manyi because they strongly believe he influenced the decision to have the appointment of Des van Rooyen, the man who was deployed to “demystify”
Treasury, as finance minister reversed.
Manyi has a solid reputation as defender-in-chief of the Guptas and Zuma. Zuma, according to Manyi, is the leader who has done extremely well to empower black people economically. But, as it has become apparent, the major beneficiaries of Zuma’s elite empowerment scheme are the Guptas.
Zuma, the Guptas and Minister Mosebenzi
Zwane have blamed South African commercial banks for the closure of bank accounts associated with the Guptas. The fact that the banks were complying with anti-money laundering laws appears irrelevant. Zuma told parliament that the simultaneous act of the banks in complying with the law was “suspicious”.
The president of the Republic doesn’t believe that the private sector should cooperate to prevent serious crimes like money laundering. What would be good for the people of South Africa is bad for the business associates of his son. What a conflict!
Of course, Zuma knows of people who are stealing and he also blames them for the noose that’s tightening around him.
The list does not include him, we assume. He won’t say who they are, but one day he will reveal all. For now, we the citizens, can reasonably assume that the stealing is continuing with the president’s knowledge because it’s not convenient for him to expose the thieving scapegoats. This a strange way of scapegoating. Fellow scapegoaters must be envious of Zuma’s innovation.
Eskom chairman Ben Ngubane blamed Public
Protector Madonsela for the resignation of the company’s chief executive Brian
Molefe. In a prescient remark during the press conference that became famous for the yet-to-be-found Saxonwold Shebeen, Ngubane implied Molefe would resign following the release of the state of capture report that found that under him
Eskom bought a coal company for the Guptas.
Scapegoats are not limited to human beings.
Cellphone records showed Molefe was on a Gupta telephone line on a consistent basis. In attempting to defend himself, Molefe blamed the capturing of his cellphone records, suggesting they were not an entirely accurate description of his movements to and from the Gupta Saxonwold compound.
Scapegoating can take a new turn when you blame an aspect of yourself except yourself. Take State Security Minister David
Mahlabo for example. He blamed his own status as a celebrity and high-profile person for pictures that depict him happy – loose shoe strings, straying arm onto a woman’s thigh and all – in the company of family of a self-proclaimed rhino poacher.
National Prosecuting head Shaun Abrahams blamed Hawks boss Berning Ntlemeza for the botched prosecution of Finance
Minister Pravin Gordhan. “Gone are the days of undermining the NPA,” boasted
Abrahams as he flexed him muscles to take Gordhan, a respected minister, to court. But it quickly became clear that the undermining of the NPA was in full swing with Abrahams himself as a protagonist that would strip the institution of whatever shred of respect it might have had.
But Ntlemeza had a different scapegoat in mind for the aborted prosecution of Gordhan: civil society groups that made noise in support of Gordhan influenced Abrahams. These groups, according to Ntlemeza, forced Abrahams to reverse the planned prosecution of Gordhan. The exchange between Abrahams and Ntlemeza was a fascinating case of scapegoating and counter-scapegoating. It can cause armpits to rain sweat this scapegoating business.
That a lack of a scapegoat can causes frustration is best demonstrated by the tension within the ANC after the August
3 municipal elections when the governing party lost control of key metropolitan councils. Who was to blame? The voters who protested against the leadership rot by staying away and voting for the opposition? The Gauteng ANC leadership that distastes Zuma’s leadership?
A scenario of scapegoating probably featured top of the agenda. In the end, the party’s national executive committee took “collective responsibility” for the losses, but did nothing to demonstrate that they took responsibility. It was word-of-mouth responsibility.
The problem was no that they didn’t know that Zuma was one of the main causes.
The problem was lack of a probable scapegoat.
Added to the August 3 electoral decline was state of capture report, which got Minister Derek Hanekom and some cabinet ministers motivating for the recall of Zuma. Zuma, they argued, was the main cause of the party’s declining electoral fortunes and loss of its moral legitimacy.
Some optimists thought this was the moment when our politics was closer to the truth, nailing the real culprit instead of a scapegoat.
In response Zuma’s supporters called on those who have lost confidence in Zuma to step down because they were the real problem. The blame game is not over yet.
The search for nonexistent scapegoats will continue in 2017. No stone will be left unturned. The stakes will be higher. For some, the choice is ominously straightforward: either go to jail or get elected as leaders of the ANC. Whatever the outcome, one thing is certain: politics without scapegoats would be too honest to be a believable game.
* Mkhabela is station manager at Power FM and writes a weekly column for News24. Disclaimer:
News24 encourages freedom of speech and the expression of diverse views. The views of columnists published on News24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24.
2016-12-23 01:01 www.news24.com
44 /58 1.1 Obituary: C. Edward Bowen / Generous pastor was dedicated to schoolchildren in Crafton The Rev. Ed Bowen’s mark on Crafton’s elementary schoolchildren — his creation of after-school programs, his $200 savings bonds, his leading the conga line at school dances — made his move to West Virginia in 2012 a sad occasion.
Rev. Bowen, a pastor at the Crafton United Presbyterian Church for 12 years, had been reassigned by the church to lead a congregation in Huntington, W. Va.
When, just two months later, he was diagnosed with advanced cancer that had appeared to have taken root in his stomach, he saw an opportunity to give back to a community that was devastated from the news: He donated an eye-popping $200,000 for an endowment benefiting Crafton Elementary School.
The donation, which indefinitely provides $10,000 a year to the school, grabbed headlines and stunned the community. Yet his closest friends said his unflinching spirit of volunteerism and generosity will be remembered as much as the Rev. Ed Bowen Charitable Fund for the Children of Crafton, now a permanent endowment at The Pittsburgh Foundation.
Rev. Bowen died at his home in Huntington on Monday at the age of 52.
“He was always very genuinely looking for opportunities to serve others,” said Megan Shriver, who first met Rev. Bowen when her oldest son, now 17 years old, was in preschool at the church.
Not long after that, she recalled, he asked her how he could be of service at the elementary school. Though he was unmarried and did not have children of his own, he became avidly involved in school activities, helping out with school-run programs and eventually creating his own after-school youth club.
“It just kind of snowballed from there,” she said. “It was his calling.”
He grew up in Ohio and Indiana before moving to Pittsburgh at age 10. After graduating from Bethel Park High School in 1982, he got a degree in accounting and economics from Grove City College.
Shortly after, he decided to attend the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, earning a master of divinity degree in 1991 and the doctor of ministry degree in 1998.
Jim Nagorski, a retired teacher who was a close friend, said he met Rev. Bowen shortly after he moved to Crafton in 2000.
“When I met him, there was an instant connection between himself and me,” Mr. Nagorski said.
“We believed the same things, and we were each trying to use opportunities to help children be better people. And he was the master of that.”
He met the kids after school and walked with them over to the church, where they worked on homework and ate snacks, Mr. Nagorski said. “This was something that was really needed in the country because the parents were working. He really filled that void.”
Now a member of the Crafton Parent Teacher Association, Ms. Shriver remembers getting the awful news of his diagnosis, followed by his decision to start the endowment. After lots of discussion, it was agreed that a committee of two teachers, two PTA representatives and the principal would decide how to use the disbursements each year.
“We couldn’t even say [the amount of money] out loud because it was so overwhelming,” Ms. Shriver said. “We really struggled with that. Because what do you do with that? How do you honor someone who’s given that much to you?”
Among the first projects under the fund were three pieces of play equipment — a Helix, a Whirligig and a Cosmic warp — as well as a large projection screen.
Following his death this week, the Crafton PTA put out an official statement.
“The fund says a lot about Ed,” the statement read. “He was incredibly, almost unbelievably, giving of both his time and money. He loved working with kids. And he was a planner.”
Even while receiving chemotherapy and forced to step down from full-time pastor duties in West Virginia, he volunteered to substitute for other pastors. He also started another youth program and an endowment for children in Dunlow, W. Va., in southern Wayne County.
“He really found purpose and meaning in that work, even though he was so sick,” Ms. Shriver said.
Mr. Nagorski said his friend was upbeat and calm as he fought his disease, and outlasted doctors’ expectations by three years.
“He still had work to do,” he said. “There’s just not going to be another one like him.”
The funeral was held on Thursday at the Crafton United Presbyterian Church. He is survived by his parents, Charles and Joyce; his brother, Andrew; and his niece, Mychaella.
According to his obituary, memorials may be made to the Crestfield Camp and Conference Center, 195 Taggart Road, Slippery Rock, PA 16057.
2016-12-23 01:00 By Daniel www.post-gazette.com
45 /58 0.4 Dimwit Leftist Pope Says Resistance To His “Modernization” Of The Church Is Inspired By The Devil VATICAN CITY ( RNS ) – In his annual Christmas address to the Vatican bureaucracy, Pope Francis on Thursday (Dec. 22) warned that those engaged in “malicious resistance” to the reform of the Roman Curia are inspired by the devil.
It marked the third consecutive year that the pope has slammed the highest levels of the Catholic Church’s administration in his annual holiday greeting at the Vatican.
In his address this year , Francis urged the prelates who work with him to undergo “permanent conversion and purification” to modernize the church and serve it better.
“Without a change of mentality, efforts at practical improvement will be in vain,” he said.
Francis said the reforms had understandably prompted instances of “open resistance” and “hidden resistance,” both of which could be constructive and a sign of life if done with good intentions.
Then, he said, “there are also cases of malicious resistance, which spring up in misguided minds and come to the fore when the devil inspires ill intentions (often cloaked in sheep’s clothing).”
“This last kind of resistance hides behind words of self-justification and often accusation,” he said. “It takes refuge in traditions, appearances, formalities, in the familiar, or else in a desire to make everything personal, failing to distinguish between the act, the actor and the action.”
The 80-year-old pontiff warned his audience that the administrative reforms he has begun would be far-reaching and required profound change among those who run the Vatican Curia or administration.
“Dear brothers, it’s not the wrinkles in the church that you should fear, but the stains!” he said.
The pope gave the priests, bishops and cardinals who work for him 12 guidelines that are inspiring his reforms.
Francis also gave them a copy of “Curing the Illnesses of the Soul,” a book written by an Italian Jesuit priest, the Rev. Claudio Acquaviva, who died in 1615.
The pope wants to promote modernization and called for the Vatican to employ more women and more laypeople and to reflect a multicultural society. Keep reading 2016-12-23 07:13 Morbious Stone www.patdollard.com
46 /58 0.8 Alec and Hilaria Baldwin joke about children's mixed reactions in holiday photo A less than thrilled photo with Santa is a staple for many families this time of year. That's no different for Hilaria and Alec Baldwin, who took their clan to meet Saint Nick at Macy's in New York on Wednesday. There was quite the mix of reactions in the photo of the famous family. Scroll down for video Hilaria, 32, sat on Santa's right, smiling and looking down while holding Rafael Thomas, 1. Carmen Gabriela, 3, got the seat of honor on Santa's lap, and Alec, 58, cradled their new addition, infant Leonardo Ángel, seated next to the big guy on his left. 'So nice to meet you Santa!!' Hilaria wrote in a social media post shared with the photo, joking about her children's facial expressions as caught by the camera. 'Carmen was SO excited, Rafa...will hopefully be excited next year....and Leo in his happy, baby, chubby lala land.' The 'happy, chubby' little Leo turned 14 weeks old on Tuesday, and the doting mom shared a picture for the occasion. Their bundle of joy looked adorable in a navy onesie with a polar bear under stars and snow, snuggled up in a beige knit blanket. Hilaria's Instagram has been full of love this week, also including an up-close kissing selfie with her main man. 'Do you know you can buy mistletoe @kmart?!?!?[kissy face emoji],' the mother-of-three captioned another post from Wednesday where she's seen planting a smooch on Alec. After taking a week off, her actor husband returned to Saturday Night Live on Saturday with his Donald Trump impersonation in full force, but that didn't stop the family time. Carmen may have gotten a Christmas pass for a later bedtime, as Hilaria and their daughter were in the dressing room before dad went about his performance for the night. 'Warming daddy up! Soon to be Live From New York! Tune in,' she shared with a funny video set to patriotic music. Alec smiled as he lifted the two up and down while pumping out a quick set of 10 mini squats.
2016-12-23 00:59 Stephanie Haney www.dailymail.co.uk
47 /58 1.8 Christmas canceled? Solar storm heading toward Earth could shut down power grids — RT America Solar storms occur when plasma from the sun is blown toward Earth in a stream of supercharged particles. Most notably, these storms create the natural phenomenon known as the Northern Lights. However, the surge of electrons can also cause interference for electronic devices and navigation systems. The effects is similar to a massive electromagnetic pulse (EMP) caused by a nuclear weapon detonated in the sky.
In October, President Barack Obama warned of the effects a solar storm can cause, saying, " space weather has the potential to simultaneously affect and disrupt health and safety across entire continents. "
The last major solar storm happened in 1859. Called the Carrington Event, it was so strong that it shut down telegraph machines on two continents and allowed the northern lights to be visible in Africa, Australia, Latin America, and the US.
Since then, the US'reliance on technology has made solar storms a far greater threat. The scientific journal Atmospheric Environmental estimated in 2013 that if a solar storm the size of the Carrington Event hit the Earth today, it could cause as much as $2.6 trillion dollars of damage to the US alone.
Pete Riley, a senior researcher with Predictive Science, told APS Physics in March that the odds of a Carrington-like event in the next decade were around 10 percent.
2016-12-23 00:58 www.rt.com
48 /58 2.9 Sarah Harris gushes about baby boy and reveals her hopes for the new year She gave birth to her first child, Paul, last December And Studio 10 host Sarah Harris says 2016 has been a 'magical year' as she watched her baby boy grow. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph , Sarah said she's enjoying the festive season with her son, who celebrated his first birthday last Friday. Scroll down for video 'I bought him a little reindeer outfit, and we did a family photo. It’s a time for firsts,' the star said. Last Christmas Sarah revealed that she was adjusting to life with a newborn, so wasn't able to properly celebrate the occasion. 'I’d only just got out of hospital this time last year, and I was in the throws of feed, sleep, change, repeat,' she revealed. But it's clear the Studio 10 host is relishing this silly season. The star has just begun her summer break, taking time off filming the Channel 10 chat show, with Bachelorette Georgia Love filling in for her over the holiday period. And Sarah has been spending time with her son, posting a series of amusing updates on Instagram. On Wednesday, the star posted a snap that showed her one-year-old approaching her perfectly decorated Christmas tree. 'Don't even think about it, kiddo,' she wrote, followed by the hash-tags: 'step away from the tree', 'busting my baubles' and 'loves shiny things'. Last week she also posted a tribute to her son, who she shares with her husband Tom Ward, on his first birthday. My life is infinitely better with this smiley little man in it. Happy first birthday, Pauly x Whilst 2016 has been one of Sarah's best yet, the star has revealed the one thing she wants more of in the New Year - sleep. The presenter is expected to return to her seat on the Network Ten show early in 2017.
2016-12-23 00:49 Andrew Court www.dailymail.co.uk
49 /58 6.8 ‘Nina’ to affect Metro Manila Severe tropical storm “Nina” may directly affect Metro Manila, the state weather bureau said on Friday.
Storm Signal No. 2 or 3 may be raised over Metro Manila on Monday, Rene Paciente, assistant weather bureau division chief of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said in a press briefing.
“Pero depende sa intensity, pag tumama sa kalupaan pwedeng humina bago dumating sa Maynila (But it depends on the intensity, if it reaches the land, it may weaken before entering Manila),” he said.
It will be a rainy Monday over Metro Manila, he added.
Nina is expected to reach a typhoon intensity before its projected landfall on Sunday afternoon or evening over Bicol-Samar area.
Storm signals may be raised starting Friday afternoon or evening.
Nina is expected to bring moderate to heavy rains over Central and Southern Luzon and will exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Wednesday. RAM/rga
2016-12-23 00:00 Frances Mangosing newsinfo.inquirer.net
50 /58 2.3 Mariah Carey rocks outfit as Bryan Tanaka and twins star in Christmas music video When you are the Queen of Christmas, naturally your children have to be elves. Mariah Carey recruited two of the cutest co-stars for her latest Christmas music video: her twins Monroe and Moroccan. The superstar promised her fans three Christmas presents on her website - Mariahsworld.com - and the first arrived in the form of a catchy dance version of Here Comes Santa Claus. The diva rocked yet another jaw- dropping outfit; a figure- hugging shimmering red dress with a very generous helping of cleavage on display. As well as little drummer boys, her adorable twins and Santa himself, there was one other figure having a ball in the background: Mariah's 33-year-old boyfriend Bryan Tanaka. Mimi has been the perfect holiday host since arriving for her annual trip to Aspen, where she is staying in breath-taking $22million luxury mansion, courtesy of Airbnb. Earlier in the day, she shared a video on Instagram as she cooked for the family in the house's gargantuan chef's kitchen. Wearing a typically Mariah outfit of a red silk negligee slip plus matching robe, she danced around the cooker with her five-year-old son to the tune of he Xmas anthem All I Want For Christmas. 'Merry Christmas everybody!' she wrote. 'I'm making my favorite sauce and I hope you're enjoying the Yuletide cheer!' The five-bedroom, five-bathroom mansion features a stunning, open-plan lounge with a vaulted ceiling and a fireplace plus magnificent views over the mountains and town. An elevator leads to the games room, which includes a pool table and a wet bar. There is also a media lounge, a wine room and a gym for working off all those Christmas calories, The house has ski-in, ski-out access to the Aspen Highlands Mountains so it's just as well it also has a sauna for easing aching muscles after a long day on the slopes. There's also a mudroom with built in lockers so no-one has to clean up any puddles. The outdoor patio boasts a wood burning fireplace and gorgeous dining area complete with a hot tub for taking in the stunning views of the mountains. Mariah touched down in style in the elite Colorado ski town on Monday; stepping off her private jet wrapped in sexy knee-high boots and a fur coat.
2016-12-23 00:39 Ross Mcdonagh www.dailymail.co.uk
51 /58 2.0 Important Things to Know About Fashion Jewelry Mary-Kate and Ashley, popularly known as the Olsen twins, became popular child artists when they played the role of Michelle Tanner on Full House, ABC’s famous sitcom. ...
We all know the first rule of Fight Club. And the second rule. This rule also applies to fashion, at least for professional women. In her interview in the Sunday Times...
Dave Smith, shown here with his now-fiancée, Nasra, spent months designing a custom-made engagement ring. Business Insider deputy editor Dave Smith proposed to his...
As December draws to an end, I want to recognize some of the dear people associated with the antiques, history and non-profit worlds who died in 2016. I met Lareda Horbeck...
In a span of 11 years, this ever-evolving designer duo has carved a niche for themselves. Known for their sleek outfits in women’s Indian formals and wedding trousseaus,...
Tyra Sledge, 33, Cleveland Owner of Sixth Street Vintage, an online vintage clothing store and a freelance stylist. How old is the store and what did you do before it? I've had the store for three years. Before that I worked in a crematory for 10 years. Did not see that coming...is that what you studied? No, I finished my undergraduate degree in health science in 2007, and I ...
Business: Period Six Studio Address: 720 Golden Ridge Road, Unit B, Golden Hours: 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Tuesday and Thursday-Saturday Founded: 2015 Contact: 303-278-2150, periodsix.com, @PeriodSixStudio Employees: 2 Interview with Kiley Fattor Handy, owner Q: How did you get involved in this business? A: I fell in love with storytelling and American craft while working at ...
New Delhi, Dec 20 (IANS) From the country's apex fashion body giving prominence to handwoven fabrics at shows to the Ministry of Textiles collaborating with top-notch fashion brands and designers for collections promoting indigenous textile, and social media buzzing with hashtags like #IwearHandloom, 2016 saw a new wave of awareness of handlooms among both the classes and the ...
(Source: American Health Imaging Inc ) If your doctor has ordered an abdominal CT scan, you probably have questions about the procedure and how you should prepare for it. Abdominal CT scans use X-ray technology to take pictures of your abdomen, giving your doctor more information so he or she can make a diagnosis. What does an Abdominal CT Scan Show? Abdominal CT scans are used...
Austin design maven Kendra Scott has secured a large investment in her eponymous jewelry, fashion accessories and home decor business from private equity firm Berkshire Partners LLC. Kendra Scott Design Inc. announced the deal late Dec. 21. It did not disclose the size of the investment but Reuters said the minority investment values the company at more than $1 billion. ...
2016-12-23 00:33 aubrey88 article.wn.com
52 /58 3.0 DHS is now asking some foreign visitors about their social media Starting this week, for some foreigners travelling to the United States, the government has added a new question about social media user information, as part of an effort to help identify potential terrorist threats.
In June, the U. S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) proposed adding an optional question to travel authorization applications. It asked applicants to volunteer their social media account identifiers, as part of the agency’s efforts to enhance its vetting of people who travel to the U. S. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved the addition of the question this month, the Department of Homeland Security told CBS News.
Should applicants provide the requested information about their social media accounts, CBP officers would only be able to see what’s publicly available on the accounts submitted -- applicants wouldn’t be asked to violate privacy settings or policies.
After CBP proposed the new question, several civil liberties and internet groups raised objections. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) argued that there were “no standards to ensure that innocent travelers would not be misjudged and denied entry into the U. S.”
San Bernardino shooter Tashfeen Malik, who killed over a dozen people in California with her 28-year-old husband Syed Farook, entered the United...
And EFF also predicted that the new question would “be ineffective at protecting homeland security,” given that CBP would only be looking at publicly available posts on Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms. Surmising that the social media question stemmed from having missed the threat posed by San Bernardino shooter Tashfeen Malik , who entered the U. S. on a “ fiancee visa ,” EFF pointed out that the evidence of her sympathies with terrorists was only expressed “in private messages to her Facebook friends. She did not do so in public posts prior to the attack, according to the FBI.”
The question is marked as “optional” on the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) application, and the new change only applies to people who come here under the Visa Waiver Program, which allows citizens of 38 countries to travel to the U. S. and stay here without a visa for up to 90 days.
The new question , according to the Federal Register, reads, “Please enter information associated with your online presence--Provider/Platform--Social media identifier.”
Officers would be able to use information they collect from applicants’ social media to evaluate ESTA applications. That data could not, however, be used to ban an applicant’s travel based on his or her political views, race, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation, though.
The changes went into effect on Tuesday, Politico first reported.
CBS News’ Andres Triay contributed to this report.
2016-12-23 00:27 CBS News www.cbsnews.com
53 /58 53 /58 2.8 Celine Dion pays tribute to late husband in bittersweet 2016 retrospective video She's had an unbelievably tragic 2016. And Celine Dion, 48, is looking back on the ups and downs of it in a retrospective video posted to Facebook. The incredibly talented songstress started off the video with news clips of her the coverage of her husband's death - the biggest defining moment of her year. Scroll down for video 'To mark the end of 2016, Celine and her team share with you a retrospective of this past year #TheShowMustGoOn,' a post on the Grammy winner's Facebook page stated. The retrospective video begins with heartbreaking footage from Angelil's funeral, showing Celine and the couple's three kids - Rene-Charles, 15, and 6-year-old twins Nelson and Eddy. Rene Angelil, who was also the singer's manager, died on January 14 at 73 years old after a long battle with throat cancer. The couple had been married for 21 years. They officially began dating in 1987, when she was 19 years old and he 45. By 1991 they were engaged. It was only in 1993, however, that she publicized their romance, slipping the announcement into the liner notes of her album The Colour of My Love. In December 1994 they married in Montreal's Notre-Dame Basilica, which this year also became the venue for Angélil's funeral. It was, of course, Dion's first marriage, but her new husband's third, and the wedding was filmed for TV in Canada. Two-days later, on January 16 (and what would have been her husband's 74th birthday), Celine lost her brother Daniel, 59, to cancer as well. In the video, the songstress recalled some of the biggest moments and performances of her life, including Angelil's memorial in Las Vegas in February, a nine-show mega string of concerts in Paris and her introduction to the haute couture fashion scene during Paris Fashion Week. The Show Must Go On singer also highlighted the moment she won the Icon Award at the Billboard Music Awards on May 22 and her son Rene-Charles was on-hand to present it to her. The five-time Grammy winner released her 26th studio album in August as a tribute to her late husband and toured around Europe and Canada to promote it. She ended the video with a message to her fans, thanking them for their undying support during her difficult year. 'My voice does not resonate without you. You have made my childhood dream come true. I hope I have inspired you to reach out for yours.' The highly decorated singer is set to return to her Las Vegas show, which celebrated its 1,000th show in October, on January 17.
2016-12-23 00:25 Alyssa Caverley www.dailymail.co.uk
54 /58 6.2 Niyo: Blue Christmas for Pistons? Auburn Hills — The ball was loose, skidding in the other direction, not unlike this Pistons season. And Reggie Jackson, determined not to let it get away, went diving for it. He was too late, sliding with the ball into the stanchion under the basket, but the effort was there, and it was applauded by the crowd at The Palace of Auburn Hills on Wednesday. Even though the result wasn’t, as the Pistons dropped their fourth consecutive game, 98-86, to Memphis, this was noteworthy, they all agreed. “It’s a stepping stone in the right direction,” Jackson nodded afterward, “to trying to get back to who we are.”
But if that’s true, if this was a stepping stone — a game that saw the Pistons shoot 36 percent and finish with as many turnovers (17) as assists in another double-digit defeat — then this could be a much more difficult path than anybody imagined for a team many expected to emerge as legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference.
The loss dropped Detroit to 14-17 overall and 11th place in the East more than one-third of the way through the regular season. And while that’s still only a game out of eighth, the upcoming schedule certainly is no holiday, with the league’s two best teams — and last year’s NBA finalists — coming to town. Friday, it’s Golden State playing the Palace, and Sunday it’ll be Cleveland. Merry Christmas, indeed.
Yet when a reporter noted how daunting that seemed, in the middle of a postgame scrum Wednesday night, Jackson raised an eyebrow in response, saying, “Is there a question in that?”
There was, actually, and it’s essentially this: Can you see the light at the end of the tunnel?
“We’ll see how tough it is when we see those teams,” Jackson continued. “We know they’re good teams in the league, but we’re still a confident group.”
They just don’t look like it on the court right now, with too many head fakes leading to head shakes and, at one point Wednesday, their exasperated head coach turning around and burying his head in his seat on the Pistons’ bench.
Which prompted the obvious — and honest — question afterward: Was this really progress?
“It is, but it doesn’t feel like it,” Stan Van Gundy said. “It’s just frustrating. That (game) just added to the frustration. Our guys are just getting so frustrated offensively. But we definitely competed harder, there’s no question about that. … We just couldn’t score.”
Where’s the offense?
But why not? That’s the befuddling part for the Pistons, a team that seemed to find an offensive groove late last season and brought back largely the same group — with a supposedly upgraded bench — this fall after finally ending the franchise’s six-year postseason drought.
Yet thanks to a preseason injury to Jackson that kneecapped the Pistons out of the gate, and the sluggish, sloppy play that has marked his return to the lineup this month — Detroit is 3-7 in that span — everyone is left wondering where to turn next. The Pistons, with an offense designed to spread the floor, rank 29th in the NBA in 3-point shooting at 25.2 percent. They’re 26th in assist ratio, and in the bottom third of the league in offensive efficiency among scores of other categories.
“That lineup, for whatever reason — not looking to blame anybody — that lineup just hasn’t been good,” Van Gundy said after a short, up-tempo practice Thursday. “We’ve gone 10 games now that starting lineup and it just has not been good. And it wasn’t playing well when Ish (Smith) was starting with that group, too.”
Van Gundy planned to alter that group for the first time Wednesday, moving forward Jon Leuer up with the first unit, likely in place of Tobias Harris, the regular who seems to have been affected most by Jackson’s return. But a car accident involving Leuer early Wednesday — he missed the morning shootaround but still played 30 minutes off the bench against the Grizzlies - — postponed those plans until Friday.
Players not panicking
In the meantime, the players are all still saying the right things publicly, even after Van Gundy scoffed at the Pistons’ players-only meeting last weekend following an embarrassing blowout in Chicago.
Center Andre Drummond talked about the need to “play as hard as we can at all times,” something the Pistons did a better job of in Wednesday’s loss.
Jackson still hasn’t found his pick-and-roll explosiveness, but after an exaggerated pass-first display in Chicago, he knows he has to find a happy medium for the team.
And it was Marcus Morris, coming off a 1-for-11 shooting night against Memphis, who shrugged off the doom-and-gloom talk, saying, “Just as fast as we lost these four, we can win 10. It can turn around as fast as it went bad.”
Bad news is, the league’s two best teams can quickly turn this into something worse. [email protected] twitter.com: @JohnNiyo
2016-12-23 00:21 John Niyo rssfeeds.detroitnews.com
55 /58 0.0 What should the next Michigan quarter look like? Which scene from Michigan's Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore should be depicted on a quarter coming in 2018?
If more than 2,000 Lansing-area schoolkids and adults who participated in a recent survey get their way, it will be Design No. 10, a white-tailed buck with a fantastic rack of antlers standing in front of the rocky Lake Superior cliffs that give the lakeshore between Munising and Grand Marais its name.
"I really was surprised that every one of the 16 schools had the same most-popular choice," said Patrick Heller, former owner and still communication officer for Liberty Coin Service. The store sponsored the unofficial, nonscientific survey, conducted over the past few months in area schools and at coin-related events in Grand Rapids and Warren.
Nearly a third of those surveyed picked the deer design as their favorite, and more than half picked it as a first, second or third choice, Heller said.
Design No. 6, which features a tree-covered rock formation but no humans, birds, animals or individual trees, was the least-favorite. Only 1.4% of those surveyed picked it as their favorite design.
The second-most popular design was No. 2, which includes a man in a kayak paddling past flowing water with cliffs in the background.
Heller says he'll pass the information from the survey on to Gov. Rick Snyder's office as well as to the staff at the U. S. Mint. The design the Mint chooses, probably early in 2017, will depend on several factors, Heller said.
"They'll look at how well it represents Michigan as well as coinability," which is how the design looks when it's struck into metal.
For decades, American quarters all were the same: George Washington on the front, an eagle on the back. A 10-year series of State Quarters began in 1999, with quarters issued in the order states joined the Union. The series started with Delaware and ended with Hawaii in 2008, then was extended into 2009 to include the District of Columbia and U. S. territories. Michigan's quarter was minted in 2004, featuring the outline of the two peninsulas and the Great Lakes.
The 12-year America the Beautiful series began in 2010 featuring national parks, lakeshores, forests and other sites around the country. First up was Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas.
The Pictured Rocks quarter will be the first of five 2018 quarters in the series. It will be followed by another Lake Superior site, Wisconsin's Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, then Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota, Cumberland Island National Seashore in Georgia and Rhode Island's Block Island National Wildlife Refuge.
Contact Kathleen Lavey at 517-377-1251 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @kathleenlavey.
2016-12-23 00:20 Kathleen Lavey rssfeeds.freep.com
56 /58 56 /58 1.7 Kentucky J. C. Penney Customer's Racist Tirade Caught On Video The cellphone video shows a woman waiting for a cashier at a J. C. Penney store, shouting racist and discriminatory remarks at another customer who had apparently cut the line.
2016-12-23 00:15 system article.wn.com
57 /58 3.2 Piccolo firecrackers hurt two minors in Albay LEGAZPI CITY, Albay—Two minors were hurt in separate firecracker- related incidents in Albay on Thursday, the Department of Health-Bicol said Friday.
Jimbo Guerrero, coordinator of Aksyon Paputok Injury Reduction (Apir), said victims were a 13-year-old boy from Barangay (village) Basud in Polangui town and a seven-year-old girl from Libod village in Camalig town.
Both incidents happened at around 7 p.m. Thursday, Guerrero said. Victims were brought to Josephina B. Duran hospital in Ligao City due to minor hand injuries.
Guerrero said they are expecting lower number of firecracker-related injuries this year because of the strengthened campaign of the Philippine National Police.
In 2015, they have recorded 123 cases.
Among the towns and cities with highest records were Polangui, Camalig, Legazpi City, Daraga and Tabaco City.
RELATED STORIES
Firecracker-related injuries up to 181; ‘piccolo’ still most notorious
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2016-12-23 00:00 Ma. newsinfo.inquirer.net
58 /58 2.0 Vin Diesel creeps towards Brazilian reporter as he flirts during awkward interview Some people dream of being the object of a movie star's desires. But a Brazilian reporter was left mortified after Vin Diesel got on his knees to creep towards her after telling her she is 'so f***ing sexy' during an extremely awkward interview. During the chat, which started with the very merry actor singing to himself, interviewer Carol Moreira looked distinctly uncomfortable and glanced at her crew as he bluntly showered her with compliments before making his flamboyant gesture. Scroll down for video The most outrageous moment came when the interview finally was about to come to a conclusion, when she asked the 49-year-old Guardians Of The Galaxy star, who is old enough to be her father, to say 'I am Groot in Portuguese. He instead used it as an opportunity to shower her with foul-mouthed compliments. The bald star said: 'I love you. I love her. She's so f***ing sexy. I can't do this interview - look at her. 'Does anyone say this? Guys, what's wrong, am I the only one that's saying... look at her! 'She's so f***ing beautiful you can't even do an interview with her 'cause you're just like...' The star, who has been dating Mexican model Paloma Jiménez since 2007, then got on his knees and crawled towards her, singing, 'da da da.' After Vin stood up and towered over her, the meathead added: 'Am I right or am I wrong? Someone save me. When did this turn into beautiful world? When did this turn into the most gorgeous girl in Brazil? When did this turn into I love you?' At this point she finally called a halt to their chat, however he Vin, who was supposed to be promoting xXx: Return of Xander Cage, kicked off his heavy flirting by saying: 'God, you're so beautiful. God she's so beautiful. Am I right or wrong? I mean look at her. 'How am I supposed to do this interview? Look at this woman. She's so beautiful. Talk to me baby.' And when she tried to get friendly with the beefcake by talking about their shared love of Dungeons And Dragons, he saw another opportunity to win her over. He told her: 'I'm anything like you because I love you. Guys, really? Look how beautiful she is. You guys think this is a joke. 'How am I supposed to sit here when I'm looking at such beauty? She's so beautiful. I'm in love. I'm in love with the interviewer!' During her introduction in Portuguese to their cringeworthy conversation Carol did not exactly return the compliments. She said: 'He began to hit on me in the middle of the interview, say that I was pretty, and he interrupted the interview three times to talk about it. 'I was laughing, completely uncomfortable. I was not sure what to do. I just laughed because it was a very delicate situation. 'I did not like it. At the time I did not know how to react, but you will see that I was uncomfortable, it was not nice that he interrupted my work.' His antics will certainly add fuel to the fire to claims he is unprofessional. Earlier this year Dwayne Johnson made a thinly veiled attack about the star on social media while they finished filming Fast 8, supposedly as he was infuriated by the stars obnoxious behaviour, which included regularly turning up for shooting. He said: 'Some conduct themselves as stand up men and true professionals, while others don't. The ones that don't are too chicken s*** to do anything about it anyway. Candy a***s 2016-12-23 00:00 Mike Larkin www.dailymail.co.uk
Total 58 articles.
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Created at 2016-12-23 12:06