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The arrest of opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez exposes Venezuela’s Potemkin democracy and Hugo Chavez’s poisonous legacy. A few days after Venezuelan caudillo Hugo Chavez expired, his body saturated with cancer he believed was implanted in him by the CIA, I sat on an MSNBC panel encircled by academics sympathetic to the dead autocrat. Vastly outnumbered by halfwits and fellow travellers, I reached for the most conciliatory point available. “Chavez was no democrat," I muttered, after viewing clips of various silly pundits denouncing him as a dictator, "but words mean things." An authoritarian, yes, but he didn't quite rise to the definitional standard of dictator. “You can go to Venezuela, you can be in the opposition, you can read [opposition newspaper] El Nacional...” And on and on I droned. It was a tedious point, and one that, in pursuit of a narrow semantic argument, elided all the undemocratic developments in Venezuela since Chavez began his campaign of political and social polarization, his destruction of the country’s economy and already tattered democratic institutions. But compared to my fellow guests, I was something of a counterrevolutionary, a wrecker, an ideological deviationist serving the interests of the bourgeoise. Or the CIA. Or USAID. A particularly radical panelist, one of those sad little political pilgrims always sniffing out the next Third World utopia, had argued in the days after Chavez's death that "the biggest problem Venezuela faced during his rule was not that Chávez was authoritarian but that he wasn’t authoritarian enough." My academic co-panelist, so disappointed in Chavez’s apparently mild form of Castroism, can rejoice in the disastrous but sufficiently authoritarian rule of his chosen successor, the former bus driver and Chavez confidante Nicolás Maduro. But the Cuban-trained Maduro, who has variously claimed to have seen Chavez’s ghost in bird form and reported that his mentor’s apparition was spotted loitering in the Caracas subway system, rendered the autocrat-versus-dictator debate moot this week when he ordered the arrest of the handsome, telegenic, and Harvard-trained opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez. It was Lopez and his allies who helped organize a series of protest marches in the past week, during which three people were brutally gunned down--and the weight of evidence, much of it marshalled by the usually pro-government newspaper Últimas Noticias, suggests that all three were killed by Maduro’s goon squads. So naturally, the government ordered the arrest of...Lopez. And yesterday, at the start of a large—and illegal—opposition march (the government had a counter demonstration, which oddly wasn’t declared illegal), Lopez gave a short speech and turned himself over to the National Guard. It was an astoundingly brave bit of defiance; after all, is there a place on Earth worse than the inside of a Venezuelan prison? And a lesser man, like myself, would have sprinted to the airport and hopped the next flight to Miami. But there was Lopez, after having tenderly kissed and bid farewell to his wife, being wrenched into a waiting police van, a Venezuelan flag in one hand and a clutch of white flowers in the other. A picture that perfectly illustrated the death blow to Venezuelan democracy. Lopez would soon arrive at a military prison to await charges of incitement (!), homicide (!!), and terrorism (!!!). Maduro, in the lunatic tradition of his lunatic predecessor, conjured a sinister plot: “We have been informed that the ultra-right wing of Venezuela, in tandem with the ultra-right wing of Miami, apropos the bench warrant, activated foreign groups to find and kill [Lopez] so as to fuel a political crisis and lead us to civil war." It’s not so generous to defame and arrest a political opponent, but look how generous they were in saving his life from his fellow fascists! Indeed, outside of the official newspaper of the 1932 German Communist Party, is there any other organized political movement in history that is so profligate in its use if the word fascist? And if we are to allow elastic political definitions when discussing Venezuela—the moderate opposition are National Socialists, for instance—I am going to slacken my rules governing the use of the word dictator: Chavez might not have qualified, but Nicolas Maduro sure as hell does.

Sengoku Basara 3 could very much be summed up as a really diversified Dynasty Warriors clone. It’s not much of an insult or a too far from being considered a compliment, either. Nevertheless, for gamers who enjoy thousand-army battlefield games then Sengoku Basara will definitely appeal to you. We have a series of new video trailers available for viewing here at Blend Games and that means that it’s time for another gameplay media blowout, courtesy of GameTrailers. The videos showcase different characters and spotlight their moves, special abilities as well as a few boss encounters. For this game to be on the Wii it actually looks pretty good, and any gamer knows that it’s a testament to the developer’s capabilities to even have a game that runs on both the Wii and the PS3 and not have the Wii version dumb-downed to a little retarded quarter experience of the original (i.e., Ghostbusters). You can check out the new videos below or visit the Official Capcom Website for more info.

Analysts at B. Riley upgraded Guess?, Inc. (NYSE: GES) from Neutral to Buy. Guess? shares gained 1.35 percent to close at $15.02 on Friday. Analysts at Bank of America upgraded Schlumberger Limited. (NYSE: SLB) from Neutral to Buy. Schlumberger shares rose 1.20 percent to $67.30 in pre-market trading. Raymond James upgraded Dine Brands Global Inc (NYSE: DIN) from Market Perform to Outperform. Dine Brands Global shares rose 1.46 percent to $70.00 in pre-market trading. JP Morgan upgraded Acceleron Pharma Inc (NASDAQ: XLRN) from Neutral to Overweight. Acceleron Pharma shares rose 2.17 percent to close at $42.91 on Friday. Gabelli & Co. upgraded Visteon Corp (NASDAQ: VC) from Hold to Buy. Visteon shares fell 0.74 percent to close at $126.64 on Friday. Wells Fargo upgraded American Water Works Company Inc (NYSE: AWK) from Market Perform to Outperform. American Water Works shares rose 2.40 percent to close at $80.63 on Friday. Susquehanna upgraded Finish Line Inc (NASDAQ: FINL) from Neutral to Positive. Finish Line shares rose 1.26 percent to close at $10.48 on Friday. Analysts at Loop Capital upgraded United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE: UPS) from Hold to Buy. UPS shares rose 1.32 percent to $107.00 in pre-market trading. RBC upgraded BP plc (ADR) (NYSE: BP) from Sector Perform to Outperform. BP shares rose 0.62 percent to $40.35 in pre-market trading. Bank of America upgraded Baker Hughes, a GE company (NYSE: BHGE) from Underperform to Neutral. Baker Hughes shares fell 0.04 percent to close at $28.03 on Friday. Analysts at Bank of America downgraded Halliburton Company (NYSE: HAL) from Buy to Neutral. Halliburton shares fell 0.97 percent to $47.98 in pre-market trading. JP Morgan downgraded Zebra Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ: ZBRA) from Overweight to Neutral. Zebra Technologies shares rose 4.92 percent to close at $141.90 on Friday. Societe Generale downgraded General Mills, Inc. (NYSE: GIS) from Hold to Sell. General Mills shares fell 0.91 percent to $52.50 in pre-market trading. JMP Securities downgraded Endo International plc (NASDAQ: ENDP) from Outperform to Market Perform. Endo International shares rose 4.57 percent to close at $6.86 on Friday. Wells Fargo downgraded Aqua America Inc (NYSE: WTR) from Outperform to Market Perform. Aqua America shares rose 2.79 percent to close at $35.00 on Friday. Jefferies downgraded Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) from Hold to Underperform. Mattel shares fell 3.25 percent to $16.10 in pre-market trading. Morgan Stanley downgraded Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB) from Equal-Weight to Underweight. Albemarle shares fell 3.58 percent to $114.50 in pre-market trading. Compass Point downgraded AmTrust Financial Services Inc (NASDAQ: AFSI) from Buy to Neutral. AmTrust Financial shares dropped 1.24 percent to $12.77 in pre-market trading. Lake Street downgraded MiMedx Group Inc (NASDAQ: MDXG) from Buy to Hold. MiMedx shares rose 0.26 percent to $7.85 in pre-market trading. Imperial Capital downgraded Blue Buffalo Pet Products Inc (NASDAQ: BUFF) from Outperform to In-Line. Blue Buffalo Pet Products shares gained 17.23 percent to close at $40.00 on Friday. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on SAGE Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ: SAGE) with an Overweight rating. The price target for SAGE Therapeutics is set to $225. SAGE Therapeutics shares closed at $164.15 on Friday. Oppenheimer initiated coverage on Corporacion America Airports SA (NYSE: CAAP) with an Outperform rating. The price target for Corporacion America Airports is set to $23. Corporacion America Airports shares closed at $15.55 on Friday. Analysts at JMP Securities initiated coverage on Sol Gel Technologies Ltd (NASDAQ: SLGL) with a Market Outperform rating. The price target for Sol Gel Technologies is set to $20. Sol Gel Technologies shares closed at $11.13 on Friday. Analysts at Wells Fargo initiated coverage on Landmark Infrastructure Partners LP (NASDAQ: LMRK) with a Market Perform rating. The price target for Landmark Infrastructure Partners is set to $18.50. Landmark Infrastructure Partners closed at $17.75 on Friday. Barclays initiated coverage on VICI Properties Inc (NYSE: VICI) with an Equal-Weight rating. The price target for VICI Properties is set to $22. VICI Properties shares closed at $19.82 on Friday. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on Chegg Inc (NYSE: CHGG) with an Equal-Weight rating. The price target for Chegg is set to $23. Chegg shares closed at $20.35 on Friday. Analysts at H.C. Wainwright initiated coverage on Intec Pharma Ltd (NASDAQ: NTEC) with a Buy rating. The price target for Intec Pharma is set to $16. Intec Pharma shares closed at $5.70 on Friday.

The child was flown to St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, where, at about 5:15 p.m., the child died, according to the press release. The Macoupin County Sheriff’s Office, along with Illinois State Police Crime Scene Division, DCFS and the Sangamon County Coroner’s Office were conducting an investigation. In the press release, the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Office said they “gave their deepest condolences to the family of the child.” The chlid was not identified in the press release.

ZHANJIANG, CHINA - JANUARY 03: The marines of China navy participate in the annual military training on January 3, 2018 in Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province of China. Taiwan deemed this “an intentional, reckless & provocative action,” which triggered “a 10-minute standoff” in the air. As Asia security expert Bonnie S. Glaser notes that, if intentional, this would be the first PLAAF crossing of the median line in about 20 years. In this case, it’s likely that Taiwan, not the South China Sea, prompted Beijing’s actions. Read the full article in The Washington Post. To hear more from Ketian, don't miss her recently posted video Q&A. In addition, be sure to RSVP for her April 16 seminar "Killing the Chicken to Scare the Monkey: Explaining Coercion by China in the South China Sea."

Well maintained home situated in private culdesac. Home boasts lots of light, 4 bedrooms + office, large backyard perfect for entertaining, shed and fireplace with mantel. Brand new carpet on main, newer water heater, furnace with ionizing air filter for better air quality. Gently used, clean, split entry home, with granite counter tops and laminate vinyl flooring! Close to Bangerter Highway, and Jordan Landing. No backyard neighbors as home backs up to park. Quiet neighborhood, but central to everything. VIEWS VIEWS VIEWS. Check out the tour. Sits high on the west bench. Awesome view from the front porch and master bedroom window. Very quiet neighborhood, no through traffic. Fully finished basement, all new carpet throughout, new granite kitchen.

Veterans Day is a federal holiday, but this year, many banks and credit unions will be open for business. Created to honor men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces, the holiday is observed annually on November 11. However, because the 11th falls on a Saturday in 2017, most government offices and schools will be closed on Friday, November 10. What does that mean for banks? Will they be closed both Friday and Saturday? Here’s the latest scoop on Veterans Day banking hours. Keep in mind, if your bank is closed, most major banks have mobile apps that allow you to check your balance, pay bills, and transfer funds. And if you need cash, make sure you use an ATM that is associated with your bank so you don’t have to pay a hefty fee to withdraw some holiday weekend cash. The Federal Reserve Bank will be closed on Veterans Day, but some banks have opted to stay open on Friday and/or Saturday. While some financial institutions may open for limited holiday hours, others, including TD Bank, will be open regular business hours on Friday and Saturday. According to the Holiday Schedule, in addition to TD Bank, many other major banks will also stay open during regular business hours on Friday, including Bank of America, Citibank, Chase, Capital One, Citizens, HBSC, PNC, Santander, SunTrust, US Bank, and Wells Fargo. On Saturday, it’s going to be hit or miss with bank hours. Many banks are open limited hours on weekends, but most will be closed to observe the Veterans Day holiday on Saturday, November 11. Branch offices for some banks located in retail stores and supermarkets may be open, but it’s important to call ahead to confirm hours at the branch office near you. To add to the confusion about what’s open and what’s closed, federal offices — including the IRS, Social Security, federal courthouses, the DMV/RMV, and local social services and food stamp offices — will be closed on Friday, November 10 in observance of the Veterans Day holiday. However, the U.S. Postal Service will be open on Friday and closed on Saturday. Although banks and government offices will be closed on either Friday or Saturday, rest assured that retail stores and restaurants will be open throughout the three-day weekend. According to a previous report by the Inquisitr, numerous restaurants will be offering free meals for veterans and active duty military this weekend to honor the brave men and women who have served, or are currently serving, in the U.S. Armed Forces.

A devastating report by the State Department’s inspector general Wednesday shows just why Americans are right to distrust Hillary Clinton. The 78-page document (by an Obama appointee, no less) concludes that Clinton’s server and email practices as secretary of state violated department policy — and she and her team lied about it repeatedly. Clinton never sought an OK from State’s legal staff to use a private server, as required, and as her aides claimed. If she had, permission would’ve been denied. Despite her repeated denials, there were at least two attempts to hack into her system. Neither was ever reported to State’s security personnel, as required. Clinton claimed she used a private system strictly for convenience. But when urged to also use an official email address, she refused, citing the risk that personal emails might become publicly accessible. Tellingly, Clinton and top aides Huma Abedin, Jake Sullivan and Cheryl Mills refused to be interviewed by the IG. Here’s the bottom line: Virtually everything Clinton has said about her emails has been a lie. And no longer can supporters laugh off Emailgate so easily. Hillary’s culpability and her flouting of the law now seem clear. But that leaves one more shoe to drop: Will Attorney General Loretta Lynch indict the Democrats’ presumptive presidential nominee? If she doesn’t, she’ll need a good excuse why.

You join us at Courtney Love‘s home, high in the Hollywood Hills. Courtney and Michael discuss make-up. She wants to know if he has any left over from the Velvet Goldmine shoot. He says he has some great lip gloss she can have because his lips never chap. Courtney and Michael have some history. They go back a long way to the extent that, famously, in the bad old days Courtney once told an interviewer that, while her husband, KURT COBAIN, was still alive, she tried to get him off with Michael. They’re going out for dinner together, so we get started. Part 2 NME: It’s said that stars often make friends with other stars because they’re the only people they can trust, the only ones who are unlikely to be on the make. NME: You’ve said in the past that you got kicked out of bands for liking REM. CL: “It’s true, I did. There was a time before I was in Hole when I was living in San Francisco and I had a real pop sensibility – I played the Peter Buck D chord with the pinky. And in the first band, which was called Sugar Babylon, with Kat Bjelland and Jennifer Finch, literally the verbatim was, ‘You like REM too much. You wanna be REM too much’ because I’d just be listening to ‘Reckoning’ all the time. And I was thrown out of Babes In Toyland and Faith No More for that literal exact reason. NME: When did you actually meet? More of this interview tomorrow when they discuss movies, fame and work. A meeting of great minds or a mutual ego-masturbation session? Have your say. Post a message on Angst!

Brittney Griner had a pretty average game last night against Florida—by her standards, anyway—when she finished with 25 points, nine rebounds, six blocks, and four assists during Baylor's 76-57 win. But she also did something that was definitely not average when she threw down a dunk at the start of the second half to become just the second woman in the history of women's basketball to dunk during the NCAA Tournament. As if we needed any further proof, Brittney Griner is officially a beast.

The Human Rights Commission welcomes the appointment of two new Commissioners, announced today by Justice Minister Andrew Little. • Professor Paul Hunt has been appointed the Chief Human Rights Commissioner. Professor Hunt will the join Commission in January 2019. • The new Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner will be Dr Saunoamaali’i Karanina Sumeo. Acting Chief Human Rights Commissioner Paula Tesoriero, who agreed to take on the role on a temporary basis, remains as the Disability Rights Commissioner and will continue to act as Chief Commissioner until Professor Hunt takes up the position. Ms Tesoriero says she is looking forward to working with the new Commissioners who will bring fresh perspectives and ideas to the work of the Commission. “The new Commissioners are highly qualified and bring a wealth of experience to their work. Their appointments are an exciting opportunity to build on what’s been achieved by the Commission and to continue our work of helping create a fairer, more harmonious society,” Ms Tesoriero says. With Dr Sumeo joining the Commission in late October, the current Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner Dr Jackie Blue’s term will end later this month. Ms Tesoriero thanked Dr Blue for continuing in her role after her term ended in June until the new Commissioners were appointed. • Disability Rights Commissioner Paula Tesoriero took over as the acting head of the Human Rights Commission on 25 May 2018. • Ms Tesoriero agreed to take on the leadership short term following Chief Human Rights Commissioner David Rutherford’s decision to leave the Commission at the end of the financial year in June. • Mr Rutherford had been Chief Human Rights Commissioner since 2011 and his term expired in 2016. He had indicated his intention not to seek reappointment. • Ms Tesoriero, who was appointed Disability Rights Commissioner in late 2017, will be acting Chief Human Rights Commissioner until three new Commissioners, including a new Chief Commissioner, are appointed. • Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner Dr Jackie Blue’s term expired in June 2018. She had indicated that she would not be seeking reappointment. However, she agreed to continue in her role until new Commissioners were appointed. • Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy’s term expired in March 2018. She also did not seek reappointment and left the Commission at the end of June.

The write-up “Doctor had thyself” (Spectrum, October 4) took up the issue of professional ethics among doctors. Once sacrosanct Hippocratic Oath has been obscured by the lure of lucre and commission culture. All human concerns and considerations are at stake so much so that each patient is considered a milch-cow. But all this is antithetical to the concept of a welfare state. Healthcare matters more than anything else in India. The government, intelligentsia, law enforcing agencies and charitable organisations must rise to the occasion and curb illegal and undesirable medical practices. The marketing of drugs should be strictly regulated and supervised. Justice should be prompt and deterrent. The role of a doctor in society ought to be consoling, sustaining and elevating in order to revive the erstwhile cordial and courteous bonds in doctor patient relationship. Still a roaring practice laced with milk of human kindness, credibility and self-esteem will bring fame, prestige and money. Introspect deeply and act resolutely. Varanasi or Banaras (Spectrum, October 11) was one of the six flourishing places in the days of the Buddha. British resident, Jonathan Duncan established a Sanskrit college there in 1792. Mrs Annie Besant, an activist of the Theosophical Society started Central Hindu School in 1889, which eventually developed into the Banaras Hindu University in 1915. When the celebrated Vishvanath Temple in the city was demolished and a mosque was built there under the orders of Aurangzeb, poet Chandar Bhan satirically said: “Ba-been karaamat-e-butkhaana-e-mara ai Shaikh/Agar kharaab shavad khaana-e-khuda gardad” (See the miracle of my temple. Even after its destruction it remains the abode of God). Peerless poet, Mirza Ghalib, visited Varanasi on December 1, 1827. He was so much enamoured with the place that he stayed there for about a month. In his poem Chiraag-e-dair (lamp of temple) he admired the city. It comprises 108 couplets, a lucky number for the Hindus. Their rosaries have 108 beads. The poet, who described Banaras as the Ka’aba of Hindustan, says, a wise man told him that doomsday would not come, as God did not want the destruction of this elegant city. The practice of giving English titles to Hindi movies (“Desi movies English titles”, Spectrum, Sept 27) is not new, as many movies have had English titles throughout the history of Indian cinema. First and foremost comes to mind films like Street Singer and President which had K.L. Saigal as hero. Mother India (1957) made by Mehboob is considered a landmark in Indian cinema. Guru Dutt and Madhubala came up with an evergreen musical comedy Mr & Mrs. 55. Raj Kapoor produced “Boot Polish” (1956) bringing out the struggles of street children. Another one was Love in Shimla (1959) which introduced Sadhana as a new face. Evergreen hero Dev Anand starred in many movies with English titles like Taxi Driver, House No. 44, Paying Guest, CID, Love Marriage, Gambler, Jewel Thief and above all his magnum opus Guide (1966). In “Road to happiness” (Saturday Extra, Sept. 12) the writer has beautifully enumerated eight points to achieve happiness, which has become a rare commodity in this materialistic and selfish world. I fully endorse his points. Nathaniel Cotton’s verse, which the writer quoted to buttress his points, was full of wisdom, prudence, reason, sanity and practical knowledge. It is said that sympathy is a heavenly quality and should be shown to everyone in trouble to attain happiness. Kindness, goodness and loving care of one’s aged and ailing parents, contentment and peace of mind, the belief in “live and let live”, “let bygones be bygones” and practice of ahimsa (non-violence) are the key ingredients of happiness. Noble deeds, good food, good thoughts, good conduct devoid of envy, jealousy, rivalry, grudge, malice, back biting and ill-will lead to happiness. The recital of god’s name acts as an icing on the cake. Life is a precious gift of God. It is worth living with all its frustrations, impediments and failures. Those who live it as it comes along can solve problems; overcome hardships to achieve their goals and happiness. One should work and not remain idle to be happy. Bad habits like drinking in excess, smoking, taking opium and other such vices should be shunned as these ruin one’s happiness, home and hearth. Punctuality, the mark of civilisation and culture, must be cultivated to gain happiness. Thinking about common good rather than about one’s own self, caring more for one’s duties than for rights and providing food, water and shelter to the have-nots can increase one’s happiness manifold. To conclude: Happy is the man, whose wish and care, a few paternal acres bound, content to breathe his native air, in his own ground.

The Lakers' Lamar Odom and teammate Ron Artest guard Rockets guard Trevor Ariza during the first half. Rockets guard Trevor Ariza gets a hug from the Lakers' Kobe Bryant before the start of the game. The Lakers' Ron Artest guards Rockets guard Trevor Ariza during the first half. The Lakers' Ron Artest dives for a loose ball as Rockets forward Luis Scola looks on during the first half. The Lakers' Ron Artest tries to get a hand on the ball as Rockets guard Trevor Ariza makes his way around during the first half. The Lakers' Ron Artest points at Rockets guard Trevor Ariza during the first half. The Lakers' Ron Artest looks onto the court from the bench during the first half. Lakers guard Kobe Bryant guards Rockets forward Trevor Ariza during the first half. Rockets forward Trevor Ariza goes up for a lay up in traffic during the first half. Lakers forward Ron Artest defends against Rockets guard Aaron Brooks during the first half. Lakers guard Kobe Bryant flys to the basket with Rockets forward Shane Battier trailing during the second half. Rockets forward Luis Scola drives around the Lakers' Luke Walton during the second half. The Rockets' Aaron Brooks jumps up as the crowd goes wild after one of his three-point shots during the second half. The Lakers' Ron Artest battles with the Rockets' Chuck Hayes for a loose ball during the second half. Rockets guard Aaron Brooks drives around the Lakers' Derek Fisher and Lamar Odom during the second half. Rockets forward Trevor Ariza drives up the court against the Lakers' Lamar Odom during the second half. The Rockets' Kyle Lowry drives up the court against the Lakers' Derek Fisher during the second half. The Lakers' Ron Artest with his haircut during the second half. Lakers guard Kobe Bryant flys to the basket with Rockets forward Louis Scola trailing during the second half. Ropckets forward Trevor Ariza goes up for a basket during the second half. The Lakers' Kobe Bryant gets a shot off as the Rockets' Shane Battier tries to defend during the second half. The Lakers' Kobe Bryant bumps into the Rockets' Shane Battier during the second half. The Lakers' Kobe Bryant booed by fans during a free throw during the second half. Lakers forward Ron Artest fights Rockets forward Chuck Hayes for the ball in the fourth quarter. Lakers forward Ron Artest puts a hand in the face of Rockets forward Carl Landry during the second half. Rockets guard Trevor Ariza celebrates with Pops Mensah-Bonsu after his three-point shot during the last seconds of the second half. The Rockets' Trevor Ariza tries to get his hands on a ball held by the Lakers' Ron Artest during the second half.

PHILADELPHIA - Flyers forward Simon Gagne reiterated that he will sit out the rest of the season because of lingering symptoms from a series of concussions, with one caveat: A trip to the Stanley Cup final. "I'm going in the right direction like I want," he said. "I'm sure I'd like to be 100 per cent right away, but I know it's going to take time. We've got a long period of time in front of me before I start playing again." Gagne had his first concussion Oct. 24 when he was hit in the jaw by Panthers defenceman Jay Bouwmeester. He sat out four games, then was hurt again Nov. 7 and missed the next 26 games. He was injured again on his first shift in a Feb. 10 loss at Pittsburgh and hasn't played since. The Flyers are in seventh place in the Eastern Conference.

NEW YORK — Chicago Bears defensive end Akiem Hicks has been fined $33,425 by the NFL for bumping an official in last Sunday’s win over Tampa Bay. Hicks was not suspended although he was ejected from the Bucs game. Hicks pushed down judge Mike Carr while he was attempting to separate Hicks and Buccaneers guard Ali Marpet after Eddie Jackson intercepted a pass. Falcons safety Brian Poole was fined $26,739 for unnecessary roughness for a helmet-to-helmet hit against Cincinnati running back Mark Walton. Also fined were Chargers defensive ends Melvin Ingram and Darius Philon $20,054 each for roughing the passer against San Francisco; Packers linebacker Blake Martinez 13,369 for removing his helmet against Buffalo; Jaguars linebacker Myles Jack (unnecessary roughness) and safety Tashaun Gipson (taunting) $10,026 apiece against the Jets; and Packers cornerback Josh Jackson, $10,026 for unnecessary roughness.

Robin Gibb, one of the three singing brothers of the Bee Gees, the long-running Anglo-Australian pop group whose chirping falsettos and hook-laden disco hits like “Jive Talkin’ ” and “You Should Be Dancing” shot them to worldwide fame in the 1970s, died on Sunday in London. He was 62 and lived in Thame, Oxfordshire, England. The cause was complications of cancer and intestinal surgery, his family said in a statement. Mr. Gibb had been hospitalized for intestinal problems several times in the last two years. Cancer had spread from his colon to his liver, and in the weeks before his death he had pneumonia and for a while was in a coma. Mr. Gibb was the second Bee Gee and third Gibb brother to die. His fraternal twin and fellow Bee Gee, Maurice Gibb, died of complications of a twisted intestine in 2003 at 53. The youngest brother, Andy, who had a successful solo career, was 30 when he died of heart failure, in 1988. With brilliant smiles, polished funk and adenoidal close harmonies, the Bee Gees — Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb — were disco’s ambassadors to Middle America in the 1970s, embodying the peacocked look of the time in their open-chested leisure suits and gold medallions. They sold well over 100 million albums and had six consecutive No. 1 singles from 1977 to 1979. They were also inextricably tied to the disco era’s defining movie, “Saturday Night Fever,” a showcase for their music that included the hit “Stayin’ Alive,” its propulsive beat in step with the strut of the film’s star, John Travolta. Barry, the oldest brother, was the dominant Bee Gee for most of the group’s existence. But the lead singer for many of the early hits was Robin, whose breaking voice, gaunt frame and gloomy eyes were well suited to convey adolescent fragility. “I Started a Joke” (with the second line, “Which started the whole world crying”), “I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You,” “Massachusetts” and other heavy-hearted songs brought the Bee Gees to the top of the charts as one of the British Invasion’s most musically conservative groups. Robin Hugh Gibb and his twin, Maurice, were born on Dec. 22, 1949, on the Isle of Man, a British dependency in the Irish Sea. (Barry was born there in 1946.) The boys largely grew up in Manchester, England, where the family lived on the edge of poverty. Their father, Hugh, a drummer and bandleader, encouraged his sons to sing. Their mother, Barbara, was also a singer. According to Bee Gees lore, the boys’ first performance was sometime in the mid-1950s, and unplanned. They had been scheduled to perform as a lip-synching act at a movie theater in Manchester when the record broke, forcing them to sing for real. The family moved to Australia in 1958, and before long the brothers, performing as the Bee Gees — for Brothers Gibb — began scoring local hits and appearing on television. They left for London in early 1967 and within weeks had signed with Robert Stigwood, the impresario who guided them in their peak years. The band’s first single in Britain, “New York Mining Disaster 1941,” was released in April 1967 and reached the Top 20. But in private Robin was far from dull. He and his wife, Dwina Murphy, who survives him, lived in a 12th-century former monastery in Oxfordshire that he had restored and filled with statues of Buddha and suits of armor. In Miami, his mansion was open to celebrities and politicians like Tony Blair. Robin briefly left the group in 1969 and tried out a solo career. After he rejoined his brothers, they scored their first No. 1 in the United States with “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” in 1971. But with harder rock taking over, the Bee Gees’ popularity ebbed, reaching bottom in 1974 with a series of supper-club gigs in England to pay off tax debts. At that point their label, Atlantic, sent the brothers to Miami for musical experimentation. There, with the 1975 album “Main Course,” they reinvented the Bee Gees’ sound with Latin and funk rhythms, electronic keyboards and vocals that owed a debt to Philadelphia soul. It brought the band its first hits in years: “Nights on Broadway” and “Jive Talkin’,” which went to No. 1. For many listeners, the Gibbs were the face of disco. Even “Sesame Street” got caught up in the trend, with Robin singing on the disco-themed album “Sesame Street Fever.” It went gold. The Bee Gees’ 1979 album, “Spirits Having Flown,” produced three more No. 1 singles, “Too Much Heaven,” “Tragedy” and “Love You Inside Out.” Then, in 1980, the band filed a $200 million lawsuit against Mr. Stigwood, saying he had swindled them out of royalties. Mr. Stigwood countersued for defamation and breach of contract. They settled out of court and publicly reconciled. In the ’80s the band’s popularity waned in the United States but remained strong abroad. Robin released three solo albums, with limited success. The Bee Gees returned with some moderate hits in the late 1990s and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. With his brothers, Mr. Gibb won six Grammys. In addition to his wife and his brother Barry, Robin Gibb is survived by his sons, Spencer and Robin-John, known as R J; his daughters, Melissa and Snow; a sister, Lesley; and his mother. An earlier marriage, to Molly Hullis, ended in divorce. Mr. Gibb had recently been working on a classical piece, “The Titanic Requiem,” with Robin-John. It had its premiere in London on April 10, played by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, but Robin was too ill to attend. Despite the Bee Gees’ close association with disco, the Gibb brothers had long insisted that they had no stake in the genre. They had simply written songs that suited their voices and caught their fancy, they said.

NEW YORK (AP) Six years after saying they wanted to explore alternative sites to downtown St. Petersburg for a new ballpark, the Tampa Bay Rays still are in search of a location. ”Tampa is obviously very, very attractive on the list, and we expect to at some point, hopefully sooner, look there as well as some other parts of the region,” Rays owner Stuart Sternberg said Tuesday during a panel at the MLB Diversity Business Summit. Sternberg took control of the team after the 2005 season, and in November 2007 the Rays proposed to replace Tropicana Field with a 34,000-seat, open-air stadium at the downtown site of Al Lang Field, a longtime spring training ballpark. They withdrew that plan the following June, and Sternberg said in June 2010 he wanted to explore potential sites throughout the Tampa Bay area. The Rays’ lease at Tropicana Field runs through 2027. Tampa Bay hasn’t drawn more than 2 million fans at home since its first season in 1998. Despite winning 90 or more games in each of the last four seasons, the Rays haven’t topped 1.6 million in any of the last three years. ”We haven’t had the greatest success in attracting the what we call enough fans relative to the success we’ve had on-field, and we would like to explore other part of the region, specifically Tampa and parts of St. Petersburg,” Sternberg said. He said the Rays need to undertake ”a full-out exploration” of transportation and access issues. ”Until we’re able to do all the work that’s necessary there, I won’t really have an answer for it,” he said.

The Catskill Mountains of southeastern New York are several hours northwest of New York City, west of the Hudson River and roughly cover four counties. Considered the frontier in Colonial days, the area was dubbed the "Borscht Belt" or "Jewish Alps" in the mid-20th century for the hotels, resorts, camps and cottage colonies favored by New York City Jews escaping from the city's heat in the summer. With mountains, cool lakes, numerous streams and rivers and small towns scattered among the forests and farmlands, the area is rich in natural beauty, culture and history. The Catskills have lodging options ranging from country inns to chain hotels, cabins and campgrounds. April 1 is the opening of fishing season in many areas of the Catskills, and Roscoe, in Sulllivan County, is billed the "Fly Fishing Capital of the World." The Upper Beaverkill River meets the Willowemoc River in Roscoe, and the stretch of river between Roscoe and nearby Livingston Manor is open to the public. Just off Route 17 between the two towns, visit the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum for exhibits and programs related to the sport. On Memorial Day weekend, head to the Woodstock-New Paltz Arts and Crafts Fair at the Ulster County Fairgrounds for arts, crafts, music, food and wine. Running for more than 30 years, the fair has been voted one of America's best by "Sunshine Artist" magazine. Late May is also the time to head to Tannersville in Greene County for the Rubber Duck and Crazy Boat Races and Festival. Watch as hundreds of rubber ducks are released or build your own boat for the boat race; the festival also has crafts, music and food. Visit Bethel in Sullivan County in the summer to enjoy classical, jazz, rock and country music concerts at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. Built on the site of the 1969 Woodstock Concert, Bethel Woods offers acres of landscaped grounds, with a monument listing the performers at Woodstock at one corner of the property. The museum focuses not only on the history of the famous concert but also on significant events of the 1960s, including the Civil Rights Movement and the Space Race. Just down the road in Monticello, the Monticello Raceway and Casino, or "racino," offers both thoroughbred harness racing and a casino where you can try your luck at the slot machines or table games. Head to Greene County's Windham Mountain for the Fourth of July celebration, where you'll find a parade, a barbecue, music and a fireworks display. The mountain resort offers hiking, biking and horseback riding. Fall, particularly early to mid-October, is the time for leisurely drives to take in the glory of the autumnal display of color anywhere in the heavily treed Catskills. Book a weekend at a resort such as the Villa Roma Resort and Conference Center in Callicoon, which offers golf, tennis, pools and an arcade room, or explore the Legend of Sleepy Hollow at the Washington Irving Inn in Hunter, a bed and breakfast with themed rooms and cottages. Hunter Mountain hosts an annual Oktoberfest on two weekends in October with music, crafts and food. Hunting is a popular fall activity in the Catskills. Check the Department of Environmental Conservation website (dec.ny.gov) for dates and license requirements for bow and firearm hunting of deer, turkey, bear, bobcat, waterfowl and small game. You'll need permission to hunt on private property, but some public lands are open to hunting as well. Check with the local Department of Environmental Conservation or a New York Forest Ranger for maps and required permissions for public areas. The long, snowy winters in the Catskills make it a destination for winter sports. Top ski resorts in the Catskills include Windham Mountain in Windham, Hunter Mountain in Hunter, Plattekill in Roxbury and Belleayre Mountain in Highmount, although many smaller venues also operate. Delaware County offers two ice festivals, the Winter Festival at the Walton Fairgrounds in Walton, with an ice-carving competition, ice skating, snowmobile races and local food vendors; and the Ice Harvest at Hanford Mills Museum in East Meredith, with demonstrations of ice fishing and the cutting and harvesting of ice, horse-drawn sleigh rides and plenty of warm soups and hot apple cider. For an unusual holiday experience, look for a performance by Bells and Motley, a couple who play medieval and Renaissance instruments, sing, dance and celebrate at libraries and other venues throughout the area. Cap off your winter holiday with a visit to one of the area's many tree farms, where you can pick out your own Christmas tree and have it cut for you on the spot.

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 3, 2018 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Carinsuranceplan.org has released a new blog post that explains what car insurance policies are recommended for drivers. It is important to remember that a single policy provides limited coverage. In order to increase the overall protection, drivers should buy different policies. Of course, it is recommended to compare prices before any purchase. Now, drivers can get multiple quotes using just a single brokerage website, http://carinsuranceplan.org, Get free quotes and compare the best deals! He has sufficient funds to compensate the victims of an at-fault accident. Liability car insurance is a mandatory policy all over the United States. This policy reimburses the victims for property damage and bodily injuries. This policy does not reimburse the policyholder. He will be reimbursed for his own car repairs. Collision car insurance will reimburse the policyholder, no matter who is at fault. It can be used even if the policyholder flips his own car or hits other cars that he possesses. He will be reimbursed if the car is damaged by events not involving an accident. Comprehensive car insurance is designed to financially compensate the driver is the covered car is damaged or totaled by extreme weather phenomena, animal attacks, vandalism or other factors beyond policyholder's control. In many contracts, the client will encounter the term "Act of God". This policy also covers car theft. He will be reimbursed if he is hit by an underinsured or uninsured driver. The number of uninsured and underinsured drivers across the United States is pretty high. Having this policy is recommended if the driver lives in areas with high unemployment rates. "Purchasing multiple car insurance policies may cost more than having just a bare-bones policy, with just the minimum requirements. But you will have a better financial protection" said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. Hub International Acquires Ontario-Based Southland Insurance Brokers Inc.

As I said the other day, being an environmentalist in China is not easy and potentially bad for your health. A mob reportedly beat up a local environmentalist who called for government officials to swim in a heavily polluted river in China. We’d written about the river’s plight a week ago (check out the photo of the river to the right). Interestingly, the man who was assaulted was not the local business person who offered big money ($32,000) to a government environmental official if he’d swim in the polluted river, but instead they targeted a 60 year old activist who had backed the call. We’re not immune “to two weights, two measures” in the US either (e.g., Wall Street getting away with economic destruction, while the little guy pays the price) but for the most part, it doesn’t involve street violence. It looks like someone is not interested in cleaning up the river. “The whole thing lasted four or five hours until the police arrived. My father got hit in the head by six or seven people, with their fists. He is now feeling dizzy and sleeping all the time,” she added, claiming the attack had been orchestrated by local officials. Calls to the mobile phone of the local Communist Party chief went unanswered on Wednesday. We’re heading that way fast… only with more guns. I foresee life as a meme for the bizarre “[You] used the internet, you always use the internet!” said by the mob. China’s path to prosperity and national independence has been betrayed at every juncture by the CCP, a rancid collection of Stalinist’s and Maoist’s with a choke hold on government. They’re not plutocrats like Democrats and Republicans here but they might as well be. It’s almost inevitable at this point that they’ll follow the Russian Stalinisit’s and try to liquidate the extremely deformed Chinese workers state and reintroduce capitalist norms. . China: everything old is new again. In spite of its ritzy, world class cities China is still a backward hell hole of human abuse and explotation. That’s exactly what I was thinking. Except it’s not that far off. Consider what happens whenever someone stands up as an object case for any kind of social reform — like that family without health insurance, who then had to endure harassment for weeks. “OMG, they have granite countertops! Fraud!” Or that guy in Newtown CT getting death threats because he took in a bus driver and a bunch of kids after the school shooting massacre. (Heck, right anybody who gets national attention in advocating for any gun control laws gets death threats now.) Or the very real danger anybody involved in providing safe & legal abortions has to face every day. Or let’s get closer to the topic at hand: How many perfectly peaceful environmental activist groups have been investigated by the FBI in recent years as possible eco-terrorism suspects? We can expect that here — and worse — when the Teabaggers and gun nuts are in control.

Hearings will continue over September's Merrimack Valley gas explosions with a state hearing scheduled next week. Those directly affected got a chance to air their concerns during a special congressional hearing in Lawrence Monday. Among those who spoke was Lucianny Rondon, sister of Leonel Rondon, the 18 year-old man killed in the explosions. "We will not have the joy of seeing the wonderful man we know he would have become," Rondon said. "I stand in front of you in his honor. I will never have my brother back. But we hope there will be justice for him, and the community." U.S. Sen. Ed Markey led Monday's hearing, and is among several politicians calling for executives to step down because of how the explosions were handled. He also questions whether they should continue their work in Massachusetts and beyond.

The Bend again had the Supercars' biggest names in a spin before reigning series champion Jamie Whincup claimed pole position for the opening race of the category's newest track. Whincup was among the stars who struggled on the demanding 18-turn, 4.95km course at Tailem Bend, an hour's drive from Adelaide, spinning out during the 15 minute qualifying session on Saturday. He recovered to clock a lap of one minute, 50.13 seconds to top the timesheets ahead of Holden teammate Shane van Gisbergen and Nissan's Michael Caruso. Series leader, Ford's Scott McLaughlin, will start Saturday's 120km opening race at the maiden The Bend SuperSprint round from fifth spot on the grid. Whincup earned his third pole of the year but may face an anxious wait. Officials launched a post-session investigation after Holden's James Golding was forced to take evasive action as Whincup tried to return to the track following his shock spin. "It was really challenging conditions. It is so hard to just get a lap in, let alone a quick one but we got a nice clean run," Whincup said. "That [pole] means a lot coming to a new track but we all know it is about the race today." McLaughlin holds an 89-point series lead over van Gisbergen but appears vulnerable at The Bend after admitting he still had no idea how to tackle the $110 million circuit after spending most of Friday's practice spearing off track. "It's a really unpredictable track. I have no feel for what the car will do but I am looking forward to it," McLaughlin said. Like Friday's eventful practice sessions, drivers continued to fly off the track during qualifying, spraying dirt across the circuit. "I have more dirt on my car than Russell Coight," Nissan driver Rick Kelly laughed. McLaughlin and van Gisbergen set the scene for an interesting race after they tangled during qualifying, with the latter clearly unimpressed as he walked away from a TV reporter as she tried to interview him. The Bend did not discriminate when dishing out the heartache on Saturday – Holden great Craig Lowndes will start fourth last on the 28-strong grid. The Bend SuperSprint round concludes with Sunday's 200m race.

How successful has Nato's strategy been in Afghanistan? Under General David Petraeus, a major plank of Nato's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) strategy has been "kill/capture raids" - lightning strikes on senior Taliban personnel to either take prisoner or kill. But have they worked? Isaf supplies no consistent data on the policy, other than issuing a string of press releases claiming success after success, releases which often describe several raids in different places simultaneously. Researchers Alex Strick van Linschoten and Felix Kuehn wanted to find out exactly how the missions worked. You can read their full report here. Frustrated by the lack of hard data, Strick van Linschoten scraped the reports, then used the Tinderbox database package to process each incident and extract the key numbers. What he found is a very different picture to that described by Isaf press releases. "There are still relatively large numbers of Afghans subject to the capture-or-kill raids," he says. Although, interestingly, there has been a decline in these raids since Petraeus left Afghanistan in July this year. The report is a fund of data crucial to understanding the way Nato has fought the conflict. We've mapped some of the key facts by province, too. This data, painstakingly collated, is the first time we can get a real picture of what is happening. Aside from occasional scraps thrown to the media by ISAF, this is the first time that we have been able to get a somewhat more nuanced picture of how ISAF is operating, minimum figures for how many people are being detained and killed as well as a makeshift way to evaluate the usefulness of ISAF's own aggregate numbers that supposedly show the successes of the raids in Afghanistan. Strick van Linschoten has visualised the timeline of releases below - you can explore it by clicking and dragging - or seeing it on the original site.

“Cape Up” is Jonathan’s weekly podcast talking to key figures behind the news and our culture. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and anywhere else you listen to podcasts. The day before President Trump’s rambling Rose Garden remarks announcing a national emergency on our southern border, I sat down with Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.). All that was needed was for Congress to vote on the budget deal to avert another government shutdown and send the legislation to Trump’s desk for his signature. And Bass was clear-eyed about what Trump’s theater was masking. Bass’s first visit to the podcast came just months after Trump’s inauguration in 2017. A time when the Los Angeles Democrat said her town halls had turned her into a “political therapist.” That all changed, Bass said, when she put anxiety into action. So I asked Bass, who was part of a small CBC delegation that met with the president in March 2017, how successful the caucus could be in thwarting him and achieving its goals with Trump in the White House. “With 55 people and the amount of power that we have on a committee and subcommittee level, it’s all very doable,” she said. CBC members now chair the committees on homeland security, financial services, oversight and reform, education and labor, and science, space and technology. Listen to the podcast to hear Bass talk more about Trump, the Democratic Party and her thoughts on the freshman House member everyone can’t seem to stop talking about: “AOC,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).

Richard Swift Obituary: Richard Swift’s Obituary by the TheTimesNews.com. Richard Swift, singer-songwriter, musician and producer who worked with the Shins and many others, has died at the age of 41, according to multiple news sources. The sad news was announced in a Facebook post and it was confirmed to Pitchfork and other media outlets. No cause of death was given. In June, a GoFundMe campaign was started to help Swift with medical costs for an undisclosed life threatening medical condition. The multi-instrumentalist was a member of the Shins from 2011 until 2016 and he was a touring musician with the Black Keys. Dan Auerbach from the Black Keys paid tribute to Swift on Instagram. Swift produced albums for many on the independent music scene including Foxygen, Guster, Damien Jurado, and the Mynabirds. He opened as a solo artist on Wilco’s 2007 tour. He also released multiple solo albums and EP’s. We invite you to share condolences for Richard Swift in his Guest Book.

Mir Quasem Ali was hanged after being convicted for offences committed during 1971 war with Pakistan. Bangladesh has executed a wealthy tycoon and top financial backer of its largest opposition party after his family paid him a final visit. Mir Quasem Ali, a key leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, was hanged on Saturday after being convicted by a controversial war crimes tribunal of offences committed during the 1971 independence conflict with Pakistan. "The execution took place at 10:35pm (16:35 GMT)," said Anisul Huq, the country's law and justice minister. Ali had been imprisoned in the Kashimpur high security jail in Gazipur, some 40km north of the capital Dhaka. After the Supreme Court rejected his final appeal against the penalty on Tuesday, Ali declined to seek a presidential pardon, which would require an admission of guilt. Ali was a key commander of the pro-Pakistan militia in the southern port city of Chittagong during the 1971 war, and later became a shipping and real estate tycoon. Past convictions and executions of high-profile Jamaat leaders have triggered violence in Bangladesh, which is polarised along political lines. Russel Sheikh, a senior Gazipur police official, told the AFP news agency that officials took "highest security measures" ahead of the execution for fear of violence by his supporters. "More than 1,000 police have been deployed in the district," Sheikh said. Talha Ahmad, a commentator and lawyer on Bangladeshi affairs, told Al Jazeera that Ali was different from other Jamaat leaders. "He was a celebrated philanthropist, a very successful businessman and somebody who has done a tremendous amount of work to create free media and with vulnerable people, especially refugees," Ahmad said. "He was one of the rare breed of Jamaat politicians who was able to reach out to the wider society. It seems government goes after anybody who is capable of mounting an intellectual and practical challenge to the them. The government has become so authoritarian recently that it doesn't allow any opposition activism at all, whether it is Jamaat or any other party." The Supreme Court's decision to reject Ali's appeal was a major blow for the Jamaat-e-Islami party, which the 63-year-old tycoon had helped to revive in recent decades. Five opposition leaders have been executed for war crimes since 2013. Ali was the last prominent leader of Jamaat to face execution. The war crimes tribunal set up by the government has divided the country, with supporters of Jamaat and the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party branding it a sham aimed at eliminating their leaders. Ali was convicted in November 2014 of a series of crimes during Bangladesh's war of separation from Pakistan, including the abduction and murder of a young independence fighter. His son, Mir Ahmed Bin Quasem, who was part of his legal defence team, was allegedly abducted by security forces earlier in August, which critics say was an attempt to sow fear and prevent protests against the execution.

PARIS – French children go to school four days a week. They have about two hours each day for lunch. And they have more vacation than their counterparts almost anywhere in the West. It may sound a bit like the famously leisurely work pace enjoyed by their parents, most of whom work 35 hours per week as dictated by law. But the nation's new government says elementary school kids risk classroom burnout, and is moving to help them cope. The issue: French school days may be relatively few, but they are at least as long as a day of work for adults. Even 6-year-olds are in class until late into the afternoon, when skies are dark, attention flags and stomachs rumble. As a candidate, President Francois Hollande promised to change things by adding a fifth day of classes on Wednesday while shortening the school day. For France, it's something of a revolutionary idea that would overturn more than a century of school tradition. The thinking is that the days are too full for young children under the current system and that Wednesday free time could be put to more productive use. "France has the shortest school year and the longest day," Hollande said at the time, promising change. His education minister, Vincent Peillon, will decide this month how to carry out the reform. He has said he may also compensate for a shorter school day by trimming France's sacred summer vacation. A panel of experts will present their conclusions on Friday, and the president is expected to address the issue on Tuesday. No proposal affects tradition — and potentially family and municipal budgets — as much as what the French call changes to the "scholastic rhythms." There's been a midweek break in French primary schools dating back to the 19th century, a government concession to the Roman Catholic Church, which wanted children to study the catechism on their weekday off. In today's secular France, Wednesdays currently are a blur of sports, music, tutoring for families of means, or a scramble for working parents struggling to get by — who must either find a sitter or send their kids to a full day at a state-run "leisure center." Things aren't exactly easy for French kids. Despite long summer breaks and the four-day school week, French elementary school students actually spend more hours per year in school than average — 847, compared with 774 among countries in OECD, a club of wealthy nations. But the time is compressed into fewer days each year. The French school day begins around 8:30 and ends at 4:30 p.m., even for the youngest, despite studies showing the ability of young children to learn deteriorates as the day goes on. But many parents are afraid that the changes will force them to figure out extra childcare five days a week, especially at schools where the afterschool program amounts to sitting silently at a desk for two hours or near-chaos in the play areas. Under the education proposal, school would end at lunchtime on Wednesday. "It's completely unrealistic," Valerie Marty, president of the national parents' organization, said of the proposed timetable. "They have to figure out who will take care of the children after school, who will finance it." In France, the answer is usually the government. The state is expected to provide for just about everything education-related: Classes come under the national budget, and lunches and leisure are the domain of municipalities. So if school lets out most days at 3:30 p.m., under the plan most recently floated, more working parents than ever would need afterschool care — and towns would have to figure out what to do with restless children. That would almost certainly involve something more constructive than sitting quietly at desks, kicking around a ball, or playing cards until the evening when parents get out of work. The Education Ministry has proposed more organized extracurricular activities like sports, theater and art to replace the relatively free form time children now have after school. But that means trained staff and, of course, more money from local budgets already strained in difficult economic times. Marty, who has three children, proposes something entirely different: lengthening lunch to three hours. "After a meal, children have a moment when they're tired. They're not ready for intellectual activities and could do something more relaxing," she said, suggesting theater, or quiet time in a library for others. Afterward, she said, classes could resume until evening. Trimming the hallowed summer break is another tricky proposition. The school year ends at the beginning of July. Some families take July off, some August. But nearly everyone takes a month, and many French families travel for the entire period. Peillon said he was flexible about vacation time: "If the question of vacation is blocking things, I'll propose that the prime minister leave it alone." Eric Charbonnier, an OECD education expert supports the proposed changes. He believes the current system isn't working for the children most in need of a good education. "A schedule with long days and lots of vacation is not one that will help the students who are having problems," he said. Peter Gumbel, a British journalist who has lived in France since 2002 and written a book about the country's education system, said the length of the school day is only part of the problem. He says that French schooling is outmoded, dull and grinding. His take is clear from his book's title: "They Shoot Schoolchildren, Don't They?" "You have to tackle head-on the fundamental questions of the classroom," he said, citing "the sheer heaviness of the national curriculum, the enormous amount of hours, the enormous amount of unbroken attention required, and the sheer boredom and tiredness."

A lot has changed since the Federal Reserve decided in September once again to take a pass at raising interest rates and normalizing monetary policy. For hawks, not much of it has been particularly good. When choosing not to move last month, the Federal Open Market Committee referred to some vague "international developments" it was monitoring to decide when it would enact its first rate hike since 2006. For Wall Street, the message was clear: Fed officials worried that the slowdown in China would spread to other areas of the global economy, dampening prospects at home and making it the wrong time to lift off from the zero-bound range where it has been for seven years. Since then, the news from China has gotten marginally better, with the government reporting that gross domestic product gained 6.9 percent in the most recent period. The news from home, though, has improved little. Expectations for U.S. third-quarter GDP have tumbled in recent weeks, with the consensus now at just a 1.7 percent gain, according to FactSet, down from 3.9 percent in the inventory-inflated second quarter and well off hopes for 2.5 percent or better. CNBC's Rapid Update tracker has the estimate down to 1.4 percent. A batch of economic data points Tuesday helped drive home the weakness: Consumer confidence declined and was below economist expectations, orders for long-lasting goods fell in line with consensus at 1.2 percent, and the Markit Purchasing Managers Index survey of manufacturing activity hit its lowest level since January, with the hiring component particularly worrisome. Indeed, the jobs market, considered perhaps the brightest spot in the economy, has tailed off considerably, with September adding just 142,000 positions, according to the latest government report that came out after the last Fed meeting. Not to mention corporate profits, which currently are tracking for a 3.8 percent decline in the third quarter, according to S&P Capital IQ. "Global weakness, a large inventory overhang, economic uncertainty — take your pick. The current environment leaves businesses hesitant to invest in everything from equipment to structures to additional employees," Lindsey Piegza, chief economist at Stifel Fixed Income, said in summing up the most recent indicators. The conditions add up to a headache for the Fed during a year in which Chair Janet Yellen and her top lieutenants repeatedly have expressed a desire to begin the rate normalization process. The first hike was supposed to happen in March, which would have been five months after the Fed ended its quantitative easing program, a series of monthly bond purchases that exploded the central bank's balance sheet past $4.5 trillion. Now, the target again appears to be March, but in 2016. Traders at the CME assign just a 1 in 20 chance that the FOMC will announce a hike on Wednesday. The outlook has dimmed so much that traders say there's a 16 percent probability the Fed will still hold steady next September. Fed watchers should expect the FOMC to tone down its assessment of the economy in the statement it releases at the meeting's conclusion, said Joseph LaVorgna, chief U.S. economist at Deutsche Bank. "The financial markets will treat the marking down of the Fed's near-term assessment of the economy as dovish, thereby further reducing the probability of a December 2015 rate hike, because the data will simply not be strong enough to convince the financial markets the Fed can actually begin tightening," LaVorgna said in a note. "And if the Fed determines that it really wants to raise rates this year, the likely tightening in financial conditions that would accompany such a desire would give policymakers pause," he added. "Therefore, we do not expect a rate hike until the March 2016 meeting at the earliest." Sure, there's been a rebound of sort in the global equity markets, but even that only seems to exemplify how much investors have come to depend on monetary largess from the Fed and its global counterparts. The S&P 500 index had been in a sharp tumble around the time of the September meeting, falling more than 12 percent from its July peak until it cratered 12 days after the FOMC decision. Since then, the market is up nearly 10 percent, buoyed in part by hopes of a lower-for-longer Fed. Summing up the Faustian bargain between the two entities, Hans Mikkelsen, credit strategist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, wrote, "Global weakness is OK for U.S. markets as long as the Fed refrains from hiking rates, and vice versa it would be OK from a markets perspective for the Fed to begin hiking rates if global weakness diminishes (but not OK if US data rebounds in isolation)." Mikkelsen added that it's important the Fed acknowledge that the U.S. growth story is deteriorating. "Hence risk assets have rallied for three weeks prompted by the turn to weaker U.S. data that began with the weak September jobs report, as the Fed's rate decision is understood to be completely data dependent," he said. "However, clearly for the market rally to be sustained it would be helpful if (the) FOMC statement tilted dovish by acknowledging this turn to weaker U.S. data."

A Florida felon is back in jail after uploading photos to his Instagram page showing him posing with firearms. Police raided Depree Johnson’s Lake Worth home last week after investigators spotted the incriminating images of the 19-year-old on the photo-sharing web site. Johnson’s rap sheet includes convictions for grand theft, burglary, and felon in possession of a firearm. As seen above, one of the Instagram photos (click to enlarge) shows Johnson holding two handguns, while a friend points another weapon at his head. Detectives with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office recently examined Johnson’s Instagram account as they were investigating his possible involvement in a series of burglaries. The search of Johnson’s home turned up numerous pieces of stolen jewelry and a pair of stolen firearms. As a result, Johnson was arrested and booked into the county jail on 142 criminal counts.

According to c8sciences.com, “While they share some of their respective symptoms, the definitions of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Executive Function Disorder aren’t quite the same. There is a definite difference between ADHD and Executive Function Disorder. A child or adult with ADHD might be hyperactive, inattentive, and/or impulsive, and while clinicians have always had a grasp on impulsivity and hyperactivity, the concept of inattention has evolved from a simple focus on “inability to stay on task” to a broader concept of “executive functioning”. Executive Functioning problems involve a pattern of chronic difficulties in executing daily tasks.” With that said, this article will describe the difference between Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Executive Function Disorder. According to c8sciences.com, “Wouldn’t it make sense, then, that someone experiencing issues with executive functioning may have problems analyzing, planning, organizing, scheduling and completing tasks? Children and adults with EFD exhibit issues with organizing materials and setting schedules; they misplace papers, reports and other school materials and often times will have similar problems keeping track of their personal items or even keeping their bedroom organized. No matter how hard they try, the failure rate remains.” With that said, children and adults with Executive Function Disorder have difficulty with organization and setting schedules. With that said, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Executive Function Disorder are similar to one another. However, it is also important to note that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Executive Function Disorder are also different from one another. To be specific, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity focuses on staying focused on tasks. In contrast to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Executive Function Disorder focuses more on completing tasks. Therefore, to conclude this article, on a final note, similarities do exist between Executive Function Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder but so do differences, as well.

Art can be found anywhere. And it doesn't have to be created with paint on canvas, sculpted from clay, or chiseled in stone. Sometimes all it takes is a simple piece of chalk and a public sidewalk. That's the theory behind the annual Chalk Art Festival, which is June 13 at the Uptown Shopping Center in Richland. Registration starts at 8 a.m. Chalkers will begin their work at 9 a.m. and continue until 3 p.m. "Chalk art is a wonderful and unique form of creativity," said Gus Sako, the event's organizer and owner of the Octopus' Garden novelty store in the Uptown. "Give the smallest toddler a piece of chalk and sidewalk and they will be happy for hours," he said. "I get off work and usually just head to the sidewalk," she said with a chuckle. "It's just too irresistible not to take part." Both women also say creating chalk art can wreak havoc on the body, especially the knees, the back and shoulders. "It's pretty hard for anyone to whip out a drawing in the hot sun on a dirty sidewalk. And, at almost 66, my knees are pretty creaky," Loomis said. "On the other hand, my kids just gave me a gardening stool with rails that might be just the thing!" Calicoat says creating chalk art is like doing one-arm push ups for hours. "I've been trying to train myself to use my left hand to paint so I'll probably do the same thing with chalk," Calicoat said. The Chalk Art Festival was started by the now defunct Corporate Council for the Arts as a regional arts activity, Sako said. The festival moved to several locations until it finally settled at the Uptown a few years ago. Categories and registration fees are: Up to age 5 $5; Ages 6-9 $5; Ages 10-12 $7; Ages 13-17 $7; Ages 18 and older $12. Sidewalks to be used for the chalk artistry will be on George Washington Way, Jadwin Avenue, Symons Streets and Williams Boulevard. For more information, call 946-0077 or 943-6542.

EXCLUSIVE: Actor and comedian Joel McHale has signed with UTA and Anonymous Content for representation. Previously with WME, McHale is perhaps best known for starring as Jeff Winger for six seasons on the NBC/Yahoo comedy Community and spent twelve seasons as the host of E!’s satirical series The Soup. Most recently, he toplined CBS’s short-lived sitcom The Great Indoors. McHale will next be seen in the Netflix biopic A Futile & Stupid Gesture, portraying former Community co-star Chevy Chase, and in Sam Levinson’s upcoming thriller Assassination Nation. Other credits include A Merry Friggin’ Christmas, where he played Robin Williams’ son, the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced supernatural thriller Deliver Us From Evil, Warner Bros’ rom-com Blended, and Seth MacFarlane’s blockbuster comedy Ted.

BARTOW - The next regular meeting of the Central Florida Regional Planning Council is scheduled for Jan. 9, at 9 a.m. at the Bob Crawford Agriculture Center, 605 East Main Street, Bartow. The Florida Retired Educators Association District 8, Unit II will meet at 10 a.m. Jan. 7, at the First United Methodist Church of Haines City, at 21 S. Second St. The program will be "Fun Time" presented by Dolla Williams. Cost is $6 for those eating brunch, others free. volunteering, and other services that benefit our community. In December the unit gave food, toys, and books, to area schools to be distributed to needy families. For details, call Betty Woodard, Vice-president at 863-324-0214. LAKELAND - Polk Works Workforce 2020 will host two employers' edge seminars with the topic "Retaining Your Employees" in March. On March 11 from 7:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the first seminar will be at the Hilton Garden Inn, 3839 Don Emerson Dr., Lakeland. The second seminar will be held March 19 from 7:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Lake Ashton Golf Club, 4141 Ashton Club Dr., Lake Wales. Employers' Edge Seminars help business owners, executives, managers and human resource professionals gain the edge in hiring, training, motivating and retaining good quality employees. The spring agenda will focus on motivation techniques for four generations in one workplace and retention best practices that you can implement tomorrow. SEBRING - Founders' Day of the P.E.O. Sisterhood will be observed on Jan. 19, 2008, with a luncheon at 11:30 a.m. to be held at the Sebring Lakeside Inn and Tea Room, 1063 Lake Sebring Drive in Sebring. Cost of the luncheon is $18. All P.E.O.s in the area are invited to attend. For reservations call Martha Carter, secretary of the Ridge Reciprocity Council, at 863-655-5630. Deadline for reservations is Jan. 7. Classes for the AARP 55 Driver Safety Program are being conducted at the following locations: the Gill Jones Center in Winter Haven, the Winter Haven Senior Center, Lake Region Mobile Home Park and the Lakeland Police Department. To enroll in the Gill Jones, the Lakeland Police Department or the Lake Region classes, call Ernie Conte at 863-324-6887. To enroll in the Winter Haven Senior Center class, call John O'Flaharty at 863-984-9721. WINTER HAVEN -�The Winter Haven AARP Tax-Aide Program will begin training sessions for old and new volunteers in January. The training dates will be on Jan. 11, 15, 18, 22, and 25 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Last year, the program prepared free-of-charge over 800 tax returns for area Senior citizens. The location of the program will continue to be in the meeting room of the Hope Presbyterian Church at 2110 Cypress Garden Blvd SE. The facility and utilities are donated by the church as part of its Senior citizen outreach program to the community, and are very much appreciated. All volunteers must pass a standardized test that is part of the course materials provided by the Internal Revenue Service. All of the computers and programs are provided by IRS in cooperation with AARP. The entire program is administered by volunteers with AARP and IRS oversight. New volunteers are always needed, program officials say. Previous tax preparation knowledge and experience is desired but not necessary. However, the tax course material is covered rapidly, and without previous knowledge could be difficult due to its complexity. Some aspects of tax preparation are limited, not covered by the course, and cannot be done for tax payers with large stock portfolios, stock day traders, small businesses, and those with K-1 reports as part of their corporation holdings. Some volunteers serve as receptionist and assistants which does not require testing. People who wish to volunteer for the Winter Haven's AARP Tax-Aide program may contact Shirley Rafool at 863-294-4542 or for other locations, contact AARP 1-888-687-2277.

Tipmont REMC has acquired Wintek Corporation. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Tipmont REMC has acquired Wintek Corporation. Together, the two companies will deploy residential fiber internet access to Tipmont's current 23,000 customers in eight counties over the next eight years. The acquisition will give those who live out of the city limits better internet speeds and access. Tipmont President and CEO, Ron Holcomb, spoke about how the acquisition and improving internet access goes hand in hand with Tipmont's mission of providing service to as many people as possible. A local small business owner, Susan Benedict, attended the press conference this morning to give a brief testimony about how her experience with Wintek. She also shared her excitement about the merge and the opportunities it will lend to the community. The acquisition is expected to close by the end of the calendar year, and the joint organization plans to unveil a corporate rebrand and naming convention in the coming months.

Don Keough thinks Ireland should have a Diaspora Minister, saying it would transform Diaspora/Irish relations. He also wants to see Notre Dame back in Dublin playing football in the next couple of years. Tourism leaders will surely salivate after 30,000 US fans showed up the last time they played. He has just helped raise $3 million for a world class 1916 Rising documentary prepared at Notre Dame and already bought by RTE Public Television in the US and the BBC. He also believes that Ireland faced the worst crisis any western government had after the economic collapse and that American business leaders are keenly aware of how well they have handled it. He is the man who brought Notre Dame and Coca-Cola to Ireland. He also brought Bill Gates and Warren Buffett his lifelong friend too, hosting them at the K Club on their first ever visit. He serves on Berkshire Hathaway’s board with Buffett and is still an advisor to the board of Coca-Cola, the company he served for 40 years. As president of Coca-Cola he blazed the multinational trail to Ireland in the 1970s. As Chairman of the Board at Notre Dame he created the Keough-Naughton Irish Institute in 1994 and their Dublin campus and laid the groundwork for the university to play in Dublin in September 2012. At 86 he is far from a back number. He is Chairman of the Board of Allen and Company, the New York investment bank, and co-hosts their annual Sun Valley retreat attended by world business leaders such as Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch. He divides his time still between New York and Atlanta, his home, and keeps a schedule a younger man would surely tire of. Every year he visits his beloved Ireland with his family and recently paid a visit to New Ross in Wexford and the famine-era replica ship like the one his great-grandfather Michael embarked on back in the 1840s. He has come a long way from Michael’s lonely journey. Warren Buffet once stated that two men he met in business, Jack Welch and Don Keough, could have become president of the United States if they had chosen a political rather than a business career. Keough demurs, but there is little doubt that he has been Ireland’s greatest advocate in America for decades now. His sense of the potential of the Diaspora was uppermost in his mind during our New York interview. How would you approach the Diaspora if you were the Irish government? If a person wants to be part of that Diaspora the Irish government needs to acknowledge that. A good start would be a Minister for the Diaspora, who would be charged with creating that welcome and outreach. I know when you become an Irish citizen in Ireland there is an event around it. If you announce you are of the Diaspora and coming to Ireland that is important too. Israel has a minister of the Diaspora, I read in the New York Times, where and I quote, “Over the next five years the Israeli government will spend $1.4 billion on a range of initiatives to strengthen Jewish identity abroad and Jewish connections to Israel and vice versa.” That is the kind of thinking we need. There should be someone as Minister who is a constant part of the Diaspora, who is reporting back to cabinet. It is an asset that needs to be used. Just to announce that minister would be huge all over the world. I was delighted to see Irish President Higgins mention and dedicate his trip to the Irish Diaspora in Britain in his remarks during the state visit. We are everywhere across this world, this Irish army waiting to help this small country their people left from. Think of it – 70 million people worldwide, millions of whom are seeking a relationship with their ancestral home. What an opportunity! If the Notre Dame game can bring 35,000 people to Ireland what could a massive outreach do? The Notre Dame game demonstrated what was possible. It was the ultimate power of the Diaspora that they didn’t just come to the game – they captured the country. I was at church last week in Atlanta. A couple who came to the game came up and told me they were returning again, they fell utterly in love with Ireland. They are just one small example of what I’m saying. What is the upside potential for the Diaspora do you think? I think within a matter of five years you would double the number of people who would visit Ireland. That would be my goal. It needs preparation; Diaspora packages need to be put together. A self-proclaimed member of the Diaspora should feel like Notre Dame fans do, part of something bigger, greater than the sum of its parts. There should be special discounts, meetings, and outreach. Look what we did with Notre Dame – 35,000 came and there was a massive range of activities. The visit to Ireland is always enjoyable, despite the weather sometimes. Ireland and what it continues to represent is the best argument for itself. What brought you there first to your Irish roots? Well, I wanted to bring my children to Ireland. My father had gone late in his life and he was deeply moved by it. I’ll never forget how proud he was to go. It was the memory of my father. It was the happiest trip of his life, and he said he was so upset he didn’t go when he was younger so that was always on my mind. So the first time I went was when I could afford it. My father touched Ireland for me. I brought my children and we drove everywhere. This was the early 1970s. I was so excited. I wanted to get involved. I remember years later reading your magazine Irish America and saying, finally, someone gets it. You first created the links between the University of Notre Dame and Ireland. There was very little connection until you came along. What made you want to do it? Well, Notre Dame had an extraordinary Irish background. Almost all the presidents had Irish connections. It was just waiting to be connected into Ireland. What made me do the Keough-Naughton Irish Institute was Professor Chris Fox, who I had met, and he told me we had an amazing Irish collection of books and major historical links and he had a deep interest in Ireland. I said, “Why don’t you do something?” Then the issue was how do we get it started. So I talked to Seamus and said, “You have some amazing ideas about what an Irish studies program should be like we’ll give you the blank canvas and the paints and you paint the Irish studies program you want at the home of the Irish in America.” By golly, that was what exactly he did. One of the most exciting things in my life has been to see it develop the way it has. It was perfect timing and Chris was a great leader, and the university supported it totally. Some 10,000 students have studied there in the past 20 years and thousands go to Ireland. Then Martin Naughton came on board as my partner. He has been amazing. Martin and his family played a massive role in the success of Notre Dame game. It became a happening because of Martin and it was great that the Taoiseach was fully involved, and we even got the weather! I always remember telling Martin about the idea of the game and really getting the Irish involved. He asked, “What took you so long?” It was a huge boost to the institute and we have enlarged our efforts and numbers in Ireland since. You have a great new Irish project as well. Yes, the 1916 landmark documentary series. BBC, RTE and PBS will show a three-part landmark documentary about the 1916 Rising and we have raised the money, almost $3 million for it. We are very excited about that. The series will run to coincide with the centenary of the Easter Rising. What has Ireland meant to you overall? Ireland has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. To have such an involvement there is a privilege. My family loves it and we have all spent amazing times there. I wanted to buy a house there, but my wife Mickie said I’d never leave it. How is Ireland doing now in your opinion? So the Kenny government had no easy way to solve the problems, and so they had the toughest job of any country in the world. They have done well. You hear a lot of respect for Ireland now over here. They faced the toughest problems and were the first to demonstrate that they were working their way out of it. I look on what happened with a lot of pride on how they have done it. It has been very tough on the Irish people I know, but you have to give them credit. I’m very optimistic about what is going to happen. A lot of smart Americans are getting involved there now, guys like John Malone. Will you bring Notre Dame football back to Ireland? It is not up to me but my own view is they will be back. The call to Ireland for Notre Dame is very strong. Maybe within the next couple of years. Are you still bullish on US? When I talk about the US I say never bet against it, these are the most resilient people in the world. We have an amazing gene pool a collection of people from all over the world who came not to exploit but to find a new way to grow and develop, many of them were running away from poverty and oppression. They could see hope here those that came. It took enormous courage for people to get up and leave in the first place. I’m an absolute optimist; my own journey proves it from a small farm in Iowa to the presidency of Coca-Cola. Who do you consider inspirational figures? Father Ted Hesburgh at Notre Dame. He is an absolute inspiration; still a simple priest. His most important moment in his life is when he says Mass. I took him to Latin America once. We called on several heads of state. The minute I brought him in there they paid no attention to me. He spoke to them in Portuguese, Spanish and charmed them all. He was an incredible visionary who served six presidents on issues such as civil rights and immigration and built one of the great universities. There were those who said a Catholic university could never reach the heights of academic excellence, but Father Hesburgh knew differently. Warren Buffet still tap dances to work every day. He has arranged to give all his wealth away, but he’d be rich in every important way with or without it. He lives a very simple life. We have been friends for decades. I lived across the street from him in Omaha many years ago and he still lives there, in a modest house, like the man. Outside of my own father, of the people I have worked with Warren Buffett stands out. He is a learning machine, a great philanthropist. He has kept an amazing sense of humility. What is the best life lesson you have learned? The life lesson I have learned is that wealth has nothing to do with money. It has to do with family, with friendships, with knowing and learning from interesting people, people who make a difference. If I didn’t have ten dollars I’d consider myself one of the wealthiest people in the world with the friends and family I have had. I say to my grandkids, you need to be an interesting person, and not just learn how to move your thumbs around an iPhone or iPad. No one wants to be around uninteresting people I tell them. Young people today don’t want to be vulnerable. They want to be cool, the worst possible thing to be. I tell them you need to go through life saying this is who I am comfortable in my skin, for better or worse. Take me for what I am.

World Series of Fighting on Tuesday announced that Alexandre has inked “an exclusive, multi-year agreement” to compete for the Las Vegas-based organization. Specifics of the deal were not disclosed. A decorated muay Thai practitioner, Alexandre began his mixed martial arts career in 2011 and ran up a 5-1 record inside the Bellator cage in the span of 13 months, including a rematch win against the only man to beat him, Josh Quayhagen. The 33-year-old was absent from MMA for more than a year before returning to knock out Rey Trujillo in his most recent bout under the banner of Texas’ Legacy Fighting Championship. Alexandre has focused mainly on kickboxing in the past two years, most recently defeating John Wayne Parr for the Lion Fight super middleweight title in October. The date and opponent for Alexandre’s promotional debut “will be announced soon,” according to a release. WSOF has two events on its slate for the end of the year: WSOF 25 on Nov. 20 in Phoenix and WSOF 26 on Dec. 18 in Las Vegas.

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said on Monday that the United States wanted a ceasefire in Afghanistan during Eidul Azha because this was also the desire of the Afghan people. The Afghan government announced on Sunday that it wanted a ceasefire in the country during this Eid like the one that was observed during Eidul Fitr, which allowed rival Afghan factions, particularly the Taliban, to celebrate the religious festival peacefully with their families. But Mr Pompeo and Afghan officials both said that for this ceasefire to happen, it was necessary for the Taliban to desire it as well. “This plan responds to the clear and continued call of the Afghan people for peace,” Mr Pompeo said. He noted that the last ceasefire in Afghanistan revealed the deep desire of the Afghan people to end the conflict. “And we hope another ceasefire will move the country closer to sustainable security,” the chief US diplomat said. Mr Pompeo said the US supported this initiative because “it is our hope and that of the international community that the Afghan people may celebrate Eidul Azha this year in peace, free from fear”. He said the US also supported Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s offer for comprehensive negotiations with the Taliban on a mutually agreed agenda. “We remain ready to support, facilitate, and participate in direct negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban,” said the US diplomat. Earlier this week, Mr Pompeo telephoned the Saudi crown prince and also asked him to help arrange a ceasefire during Eidul Azha. The United States hopes that the ceasefire will enable the Taliban to experience the blessings of peace while celebrating the festival with their families. Mr Pompeo, who will be arriving in Islamabad after the ceasefire, is expected to urge the new Pakistani government to back its efforts for bringing a durable peace in Afgha­nistan. In return for Pakistan’s support in Afghanistan, Washington may drop its opposition to a $12 billion aid package with the IMF and consider restoring its security assistance to Pakistan. Afghanistan was on Monday awaiting the Taliban’s response to President Ghani’s proposal for a three-month ceasefire, an offer welcomed by the US and Nato after nearly 17 years of war, according to AFP. The president said his office had cleared “all obstacles” to peace with the announcement following consultations with religious scholars, political parties and civil society groups. The Taliban did not immediately respond to President Ghani’s truce offer, but vowed to release “hundreds” of “enemy prisoners” to mark the Eidul Azha holiday. A Taliban member told AFP that the leadership had yet to issue a formal response to the ceasefire, but suggested fighting might be restrained during Eid even if no announcement was made.

SANOK, POLAND — In the far southeast corner of Poland, the warm summer air is resounding with the rasp of old-fashioned iron saws and the satisfying twack-twack-twack of ax blades on wood. Here, in the foothills of the Carpathians, an international crew of master timber craftsmen and students has been working on an intensely hands-on project that combines history, art and education. They are building a replica of the tall peaked roof and inner cupola of an ornate wooden synagogue that stood for 300 years in the town of Gwozdziec, now in Ukraine. The replica, which will be 85 percent of the original size of the building, will be installed as one of the key components of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews, currently under construction in Warsaw and scheduled to open in 2013. Its elaborate structure and the intricate painted decoration on the cupola ceiling will reproduce a form of architectural and artistic expression that was wiped out in World War II, when the Nazis put the torch to some 200 wooden synagogues in Eastern Europe. Many of them, like that in Gwozdziec, were centuries old and extraordinarily elaborate, with tiered roofs and richly decorative interior painting. The Gwozdziec Synagogue, built in the 17th and 18th centuries, was a “truly resplendent synagogue that exemplified a high point in Jewish architectural art and religious painting,” the architectural historian Thomas C. Hubka, an expert on the building, has written. Constructing the replica is a joint project of the museum in Warsaw and the Handshouse Studio, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit organization that emphasizes learning by building, particularly the reconstruction of historical structures and other objects. The Browns conducted years of research on Eastern Europe’s lost wooden synagogues before embarking on construction of the Gwozdziec replica in Sanok in May. They studied prewar photographs, drawings and other documentation, built models and made on-site investigations of wooden churches and other buildings still found in Poland and Ukraine. There are also several impressive masonry synagogues within an easy drive of Sanok. The 18th-century synagogue in Lancut, now a museum, has beautifully restored interior painting and other decoration. One in Rymanow stood for decades as a ruin but has been partially rebuilt, with a tall peaked roof now protecting the vigorous but sadly fading frescoes of Biblical animals and Jerusalem that grace its walls. In Lesko, the 17th-century synagogue was rebuilt in the 1960s and today houses a gallery of local arts and crafts. Lesko’s vast Jewish cemetery, just a short walk away, is one of the oldest in Poland, with massive tombstones dating to the 16th century. For the Gwozdziec project, an international team of nearly 30 master craftsmen from the Timber Framers Guild are being joined by groups of students from Massachusetts College of Art and Design, where the Browns teach. Timber framers came from the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, Belgium and Japan to lend their skills, all on a volunteer basis. All the work is being carried out using techniques and tools that the builders of the original synagogue would have used: axes, saws, mallets and other hand-held implements. The aim is to gain an understanding of just what went into the building of the synagogue and how its construction would have been envisaged and carried out — and also to lend authenticity to the replica. “It brings back the lost story of the synagogue, the town, this culture,” said Patrick Goguen, a student at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. The project is occurring in several stages. Building the timber-framed roof and cupola is the first stage, running through June. Students and artists will hold workshops this summer and next summer to reproduce the intricate polychrome painting that adorned the ceiling of the cupola. These workshops will be held in eight Polish towns in masonry synagogues that still stand. The timber framing is taking place in a corner of Sanok’s Ethnographic Park, a sprawling open-air folk-architecture museum that displays wooden buildings — houses, barns, churches, chapels and even beehives — that have been transferred from a number of villages in the region. Here, thick logs are being hewn by hand into flat-sided timbers — a process that can take two days per log — and then manually sawed into thinner pieces. The components are then shaped and joined without nails.

A drink-driver who sneezed and crashed his car before walking home to get another vehicle to tow it back onto the road has avoided jail. Farm worker Ian Simpson, 59, was more than three times the limit when he veered off the B967 Arbuthnott Road, near Inverbervie, on October 28 and ended up down an embankment. He walked home, had a large whisky, then went back to the scene in another car in a bid to pull the first one up the hill. Simpson, of Kinneff, Aberdeenshire, previously pled guilty to driving with 76 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath – the limit is 22mcgs. He also admitted being in charge of another vehicle. The court heard he has a previous conviction for a similar offence. Defence agent Gail Goodfellow said her client had been working as a dairyman but since the offences he had been signed off work and intended to resign. She said her client was diagnosed with cancer three years ago, his mental health had been impacted and he had “regrettably resorted” to alcohol use. She previously said Simpson had been working on the evening prior to the offence. He returned home, had a bottle of beer and a large whisky – but was then called out to deal with an alarm going off on a milk tank. Sheriff Ian Wallace banned him from the road for three years as well as placing him under supervision for a year and ordering him to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work as an alternative to custody.

The SNP's internal feud reached new depths of bitterness last night when party leader Alex Salmond was told by treasurer Ian Blackford to apologise for criticisms made last week or face being sued for defamation. As moves continued to oust Mr Blackford, the party was also preparing disciplinary action against one of his closest allies, Ms Margo MacDonald, who faces accusations of breaking internal rules by publicly challenging a parliamentary group decision. Ms MacDonald, a critic of Mr Salmond's leadership style, will be dealt with on Thursday at a meeting which her supporters claim could mark the start of a campaign to have her deselected. Nationalist spokesmen desperately sought to play down the effects of the furious row which erupted between Mr Salmond and Mr Blackford last week over reports that the SNP was in deep financial trouble. Press officer Kevin Pringle refused to give details of the behind-the-scenes leadership attack on Mr Blackford at the weekend party executive meeting which passed a motion of no confidence in him by 18 votes to three. SNP rules allow the executive to admonish, suspend or expel a member - which some observers think could be the leadership's next move if Mr Blackford stays put. Party insiders have pointed privately to Mr Blackford as the source of recent stories about the SNP's financial state. Mr Blackford has hotly denied any wrongdoing. The cause of the row is Mr Blackford's reputedly hard line as treasurer in drawing up tough housekeeping rules for the party which is in debt. He is thought privately to believe Mr Salmond and former chief executive Michael Russell, together spent irresponsibly during the Scottish Parliament elections and then left him to clear up the financial mess. Mr Blackford has repeatedly said that as a prominent and wealthy banker in Edinburgh he must ensure his conduct is above reproach because his professional reputation is on the line. The latest dispute between the leader and treasurer involves the extent of the party's overdraft and the effectiveness of Mr Blackford's efforts to have it cleared before the General Election. He and Mr Salmond were involved in an acrimonious dispute last summer after The Herald revealed that Stagecoach millionaire Brian Souter had made a major contribution - said to be about #200,000 - to the SNP but had not been named as the source. Rules at the time did not require the identity of major donors to be revealed but parties had agreed to abide by the spirit of the new procedures. Mr Blackford irritated Mr Salmond, who claimed the SNP had behaved perfectly properly, with his insistence that there must be no ''jiggery pokery''. Relations between the two men have never recovered and hit a new low last week with newspaper claims that the SNP was broke and had been forced to sell its Edinburgh HQ to help pay off an overdraft believed to be #400,000. In fact, the SNP had planned long ago to sell its offices. The party is believed to have struck an agreement on the sale last week and it must now find a new headquarters. Proceeds from the sale are not expected to be used in clearing the overdraft which deputy party leader John Swinney predicted last month would be paid off around the end of this year and which was about #600,000 at its worst. Mr Blackford, who is reputedly wealthy, told Radio Clyde that when he was involved in talks with his bank about personally helping the SNP out of its financial difficulty, Mr Salmond was encouraging former party leader Willie Wolfe to run against him as treasurer. Mr Wolfe subsequently withdrew. ''I don't need lessons from Alex Salmond on integrity or trust,'' Mr Blackford said. The SNP would not confirm a report that Mr Salmond accused Mr Blackford of incompetence and of destabilising the party and had appeared to blame him for the overspend. He rejected suggestions that he and allies like Ms MacDonald were being purged as an offensive against dissidents. ''I don't believe in conspiracy theories,'' he said. Mr Blackford pointed out that his treasurer's report to the national council last month had been accepted without questioning. Ms MacDonald incurred the wrath of the leadership when she complained publicly about the parliamentary party's refusal to set aside SNP debating time in the chamber for her ideas for exploring the use of cannabis, particularly as an aid to those suffering pain. She accused some of her colleagues of ''reneging'' on the issue. between the leader and treasurer. Labour revelled in the SNP disarray. Scotland Office Minister Brian Wilson said: ''Alex Salmond's control freak tendencies have finally come home to roost. Having ousted the party treasurer in the night of the long sgian dubhs he has now turned his sights on the independence-minded Margo MacDonald.

An article published by Zippia ranks Bakersfield as one of the worst job markets in America in 2018. The article states researchers ranked 386 metro areas based on wage change, unemployment rate change and the current unemployment rate. Bakersfield ranked number seven out of the worst ten.

Quite frankly, thoughts and prayers can only go so far. They have limited ability to protect our families. The time has come for our elected leaders – including President Barack Obama – to stand up and fight for our families and children, and their safety. But the American people support stronger gun safety measures more than he believes or cares to say. Polls now demonstrate this to be true. When our children are being shot at and killed in their schools, or movie theaters, we have to take meaningful action. These tragedies are too frequent, and are, as the president said, heartbreaking. We need to talk about gun laws. We need an open and honest debate about the tragedies happening in our communities, one after another. There are common-sense laws that can help prevent these tragedies, and Americans support them. The “Fix Gun Checks Act,” if passed, would make it tougher for the mentally ill to legally buy guns by strengthening background checks so people like James Holmes (the Aurora shooter) can’t acquire guns. Ninety percent of Americans want to fix gaps in government databases that allow the mentally ill or drug users from buying guns. Even gun owners support the laws. Eighty-two percent of gun owners (National Rifle Association and non-NRA members) believe that a criminal background check should be required for anyone purchasing a gun, according to data released by Republican pollster Frank Luntz for Mayors Against Illegal Guns earlier this year, 76 percent of gun owners support prohibiting people on the terrorist watch list from buying guns, 80 percent support mandatory gun safety training for anyone applying for a concealed permit, and 78 percent of gun owners believe that concealed permits should only be granted to applicants who have not committed violent misdemeanors. The NRA, which fights against all this, is out of touch — even with its own membership. Its power to dictate this debate has to be challenged. The data on assault weapons is just as telling. The man identified Friday as the gunman, Adam Lanza was armed with semiautomatic pistols and a semiautomatic rifle and the killers in Aurora and Portland both used an AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifle. Sixty-three percent of Americans said they favor a nationwide ban on assault weapons, according to a 2011 CBS/New York Times poll, and 63 percent favored banning high-capacity magazines that hold many rounds of ammunition. We found, in a 2011 survey we conducted for the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, that 57 percent of Americans support a law that would limit the size of ammunition clips so that the gun could not fire more than 10 bullets without having to be reloaded. Only a third, or 34 percent, of Americans opposed that law. The Brady Bill, which expired under President George W. Bush, and that Obama said he supported, regulated these kinds of assault weapons (AR-15). Those guns are now unregulated and the result is tragedy after tragedy that won’t end until elected leaders step up. Support for sounder, safer gun laws is not restricted to blue states or big urban cities. In a study conducted by Lake Research Partners earlier this year in swing state-senate districts in Virginia, we found that two-thirds of voters (65 percent) in a rural western Virginia district believe the gun laws should be made stronger — including 52 percent who strongly believe so. Just 24 percent say they should be less restrictive. Ninety-two percent of voters in a state senate district centered in Roanoke, Virginia, strongly endorsed requiring background checks for people purchasing guns and permits for people who want to carry a concealed loaded weapon. The NRA and those who oppose gun safety measures should welcome a gun-control debate — especially if they think they have the winning hand. The consistent lack of leadership on this issue is stunning. But what is most unnerving is that it does not have to be this way – the American people support common sense gun laws. Others have said, even on Friday, that now is not the time to discuss more gun laws. They said this same thing after Aurora, after Portland, and now after Newtown. They are trying to silence the millions of Americans who want stronger protections from gun violence in their communities. These silencers, led by the NRA, continue to use the 2011 Gallup poll, which we have already explained is problematic, to shut down the debate about new gun laws that will make us safer. That poll said that 43 percent of Americans support stricter gun laws, a 6 percentage point drop from 2008. But as the numbers we have cited here show, this single Gallup question is too shallow to really tell the story of what Americans think about gun safety measures. Now is the time to have a discussion about gun laws that will make our communities and families safer. The American people are ready. Obama showed great courage earlier this year when he stood up for the right of gay and lesbian couples to marry. His courage and leadership is needed here too. These tragedies will happen again and again until our leaders stand up and pass meaningful gun-safety laws that the American public supports. No, the public doesn’t agree. The majority of Americans support the constitutional right to keep and bear arms. This is a fact. The public does not agree. The only reason there were so many deaths is because the federal ban on firearms within 100feet of a school does not permit a responsible citizen from carrying a firearm. Otherwise someone would have dropped this Perp in his tracks. The police and your gov’t can’t be everywhere and make you safe. Grow up and start taking responsibility for your own security. This article represents the psychology of the victim. The Republicans need any and all fringe groups to make up for the fact that they represent a small percentage of the electorate. Their greatest fear is that people will figure them out. Which public is this that you speak of? The 26% as usual? Stop using tragedy to push your BS agendas. Almost every Swiss man has an assault rifle and its ammunition, at home, as part of his obligation to do military service. Yet killings using these rifles are extremely rare. Why? The two writers of this “opinion piece” (you noted, I didn’t call it news, nor refer to the authors as journalists), have managed to present about as much political drivel and spin as I’ve ever seen, in one single story. The vast majority of the article is composed of opinion, half truths, and highly targeted, and vague opinion “polls”. PULEEZE, can we get some real journalism here? A species that eats its young or fails to protect them becomes extinct. Think about it. @saildog07. You are clearly remarkably ignorant of what the US is, what we face as a people and what “inalienable rights” means. I think we should ban meth and heroin, that would keep it off the streets and, keep people from doing it. The Colordao theater killer chose the only movie theater within 20 miles that had a ban on concealed weapons. You want the only people in the world to have guns to be governments and criminals? a naive concept. This guy was insane – lets address the problems with mental illness and get some security at schools for God’s sake. For the first time in my life, I am thinking about buying a gun. The only places where these mass shootings have happened are where guns are not allowed. (Schools, churches, government buildings) These people maybe mentally ill but they still know enough to do this in places where someone can’t shoot back at them. Anyplace that does not allow legal gun owners to carry a firearm should be required to have an armed guard 24/7. Even then the armed guard won’t be in the right place at the right time. I would feel much safer sending my kids to the school in Texas with the Guardian program where some of the teachers are licensed to carry firearms. Outlaw firearms and only criminals will have them. This is not what the public wants. This is what the liberals want for the public. I believe in gun control. I control mine very well. How about controlling the pez dispensing of mind altering, psychosis enducing drugs you’re giving people. Even dispensing these harmful drugs to young adults! In the Supreme Court case, Castle Rock v. Gonzales, 545 U.S. 748 (2005), the court ruled that our local police are not responsible for protecting us. SOOOOOO, who IS responsible for protecting us? We are responsible. That’s why I responsibly conceal carry. I protect my wife and 2 small children. When more responsible people carry, violent crime goes down. The FBI crime statistics don’t lie. Why do the left and gun grabbing crowd ignore this fact? Liberalism is a mental disorder. Lets look one poll that this particular article is using for it’s numbers. The poll used 2 Senate Districts in the State of VA. District 21 and District 38. with the total numbers of respondents being 305 voters in District 21 and 302 voters in district 38. That’s a fairly small sample size considering Roanoke VA (part of district 21) has a population of 92,376 (2010 numbers) but polls being what they are they can’t call every registered voter. So they are making a statement for the entire state of Virginia with a population of 8 million give or take from the words of 607 people. Now not all of the 8 million are old enough to vote or even care enough to vote. But the statement that such a small group of people are the norm for a much larger population is suspicious. Lets now look at the generator of the poll and the authors of this piece. Lake Research here is a snippet from their web site. Nothing unusual there, next check their “outstanding clients” I did not check all of them but the ones I did check are Democrats with a history of voting for more firearms laws or outright bans. So going down to the list of causes that they have worked for I see several that catch my eye, The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, MoveOn.org, Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. So I think it is safe to say that this is a group that is defiantly not non-bias. Nothing wrong with that, but I would not trust this group to give me honest results any more than I would a Republican think tank on gay marriage. So as to the title of this opinion piece states “Public agrees” there is not enough data in their source material to even make that assumption let alone any reason to believe that the authors are trying to give anything but their own viewpoints legitimacy. I think the founding fathers would have had a different opinion if they realized that modern “constitutionalists” were defending the right of 14 year old drug dealers to carry semiautomatic weapons or mentally deranged people to spray bullets into elementary school classrooms. The one part that is frequently lacking in these types of discussions is any realistic alternate solution or approach for stemming the regular occurrence of these types of events. Arming guards at the entrances to all schools? Really? Is that really the statement of our times? Ok, so we are the most heavily armed society in the world and we kill more fellow Americans every year than the combined total of the Gulf War, the Twin Towers assault, the Iraq war and the War on Terror in Afghanistan. Every year. Are there any serious suggestions of how to begin to address these murders? A gun is an inanimate tool not deviant behavior and crime is deviant behavior not an inanimate tool. You can’t prevent deviant behavior by regulating tools because tools are incapable of behavior and the number of tools available to the world’s deviants is endless. Even if you could legislate guns out of existence, deviants could, would and have used other things that gave them a power advantage over their victims—knives, clubs, rocks or even sharp sticks—all of which are very legal and very accessible.

Fisher-Price issued a recall of 4.7 million Rock ‘n Play Sleepers Friday after multiple infants were found to have died while the product was in use. According to the Consumer Product Safety Division’s website, 30 infant fatalities have occurred when infants rolled over while unrestrained “or other circumstances” since the product was introduced in 2009. Consumers are advised to stop using the sleepers immediately and contact Fisher-Price for a refund or voucher. Rock ‘n Play Sleepers were sold at major retailers for between $40 and $49.

James finished the preseason ranked tied for 14th in scoring (13.7 points per game) among league forwards. Exhibition numbers mean little, or perhaps nothing, in the grand scheme of a season, but Bosh’s statistical effort during the preseason is anything but irrelevant — or random — when taken in the correct context. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra spent the entire training camp drilling his players on the idea of a free-flowing, equal-opportunity offense. That Bosh, Mr. Random Guy, emerged from training camp as the team’s leading scorer means the Heat’s offense is healthy heading into the season opener against the Celtics on Tuesday at AmericanAirlines Arena. More often than not, Bosh is open on the offensive end. The ball found him during the preseason, and Bosh’s skills did the rest. He led the Heat in field-goal percentage (.551) while also leading the team in rebounds (43). James is the driving force behind Spoelstra’s idea of “positionless basketball,” but Bosh might be the second-most important cog in the wheel. On most nights, Bosh is the quickest big man on the floor, and his consistent jump shot allows him to stretch defenses. Conventional defensive strategy against the Heat calls for packing the paint to account for Wade and James. Entering his third season with the Heat, Bosh knows where to find the open spots on the periphery. He likes to call those opportunities random, but, when paired with James, the results are more like basketball jazz. “He’s open,” said James, who led the Heat with 41 assists in the preseason. “We’re playing with a lot more pace and a lot more space for him, and giving him a lot more opportunities to go at his matchup. Wade credits Bosh’s big preseason to his work before training camp. Bosh skipped the Olympics to fully heal from the abdominal injury he sustained in the playoffs. Upon his return, he met with Wade and James and vowed to carry more of the load early in the season. When Bosh first arrived in Miami, the Heat wanted him to pack on muscle mass and bulk up for a life in the paint. Spoelstra scrapped that plan after the playoffs when the Heat used an unconventional lineup to win its second NBA championship. The Heat’s coach instructed Bosh to focus on his natural skill set: speed, quickness and shooting. Bosh averaged 18.0 points per game last season, but Wade says Bosh is capable of “going for 20-plus a game and probably more effortlessly than” himself and James. While Bosh has accepted the label of center, offensively he’s more of a hybrid power forward than anything. The position of a traditional center is a dying art in the NBA, so much so that the league has removed the designation from All-Star ballots this season. Fans will now vote for three “frontcourt players” and two guards rather than two guards, two forwards and a center. Despite the change, Bosh still doesn’t expect to garner any more votes for a starting spot. • The Heat finalized its 15-man roster on Saturday, cutting point guard Garrett Temple. Miami begins the season with 12 players from its championship team. Forward Rashard Lewis, forward Josh Harrellson and guard Ray Allen are the new additions.

We see college admissions exams such as the SAT as a critical tool – not a barrier – for our students, parents and teachers, as well as college admissions officers. Teachers and counselors in Patterson Joint Unified are provided with SAT data, which can be used to inform them how best to support students in reaching their academic goals. When our students take the SAT, they can be connected to college application fee waivers, Khan Academy’s official free, personalized test practice and extensive scholarship opportunities. The way to ensure authentic equity in college admissions is to give all students the support and tools they need to pursue their college and career ambitions. When college admissions tests are offered during the school day, instead of Saturday mornings when some students would be working, more students are able to achieve their fullest potential. When school districts are working to level the field, that includes making sure all students have the support and accommodations they need. English learners taking the SAT are always provided appropriate accommodations, including access to testing instructions in their primary language, bilingual glossaries and, more recently, extended testing time. All students with exceptional needs are given appropriate accommodations on the SAT as identified by their personal education team. Leaders in the college admissions community recognize college admissions tests are an important part of a holistic admission process – one that considers test scores as one factor among many that can show a students’ true potential for success. But college admission is just one component of these exams’ utility. College admissions exams provide highly useful data for teachers and administrators, not just admissions officers. College admissions tests are used nationwide as a complement to grades, in order to reliably predict college and career success and student achievement across socio-economic status, race and ethnicity without bias or potential inflation. Patterson is diverse, inclusive and proud. Increasing access to important college admissions tests like the SAT – at no cost to the students – means Patterson Joint Unified students from every walk of life can seek their college and career dreams. This is an approach many districts across California are taking as we endeavor to provide students the tools they need to succeed. Philip M. Alfano, Ed. D, is superintendent of Patterson Joint Unified School District.

87, of Waianae, died in Waianae on July 9, 2018. She was born in Lahaina, Maui. Visitation: 10 AM; Services: 11 AM on Saturday, August 4, 2018 at Sacred Heart - Waianae. Burial: 3 PM at Hawaiian Memorial Park Cemetery.

Paddling students is still legal in a third of the country. Kentucky legislators want to ban it. As a 10th-grader in Jefferson County, Ky., Tina was caught cutting the lunch line. She would be disciplined, a school official told her, but he gave her a choice: detention or two “licks,” a sugarcoated term for two strikes with a wooden paddle. A male faculty member brought the teen, who was dressed in a cheerleading uniform, into an office and spanked her bottom with a paddle. Tina Bojanowski’s memory was made more than 30 years ago, yet in a handful of states — including Kentucky — it seems the times have not changed, as the practice is still legal there. Now a member of the state legislature, Rep. Tina Bojanowski (D) is supporting a bill to prohibit corporal punishment. “When someone is doing something wrong, the most important thing is to change their behavior. There are more effective measures to change students’ behavior than striking them,” Riley, a former high school principal, told The Washington Post. There’s been a national downward trend in corporal punishment in schools, according to research by Kids Count Data Center. In 2016, the Obama administration called for an end to the practice in all states and school districts. Thirty-one states have barred the practice, but 19 still permit it, Riley said. In Kentucky, 17 school districts permit corporal punishment. According to research done by the Kids Count Data Center, during the 2017-2018 academic year, there were 452 reported instances of such punishment in the state. Of those 17 districts, five accounted for 85 percent of cases. Bell County reported 129 incidents, the highest in Kentucky for the academic year. Clinton County, the second highest, reported 128 incidents, a figure more than seven times the 17 incidents reported during 2016-17. Neither county schools superintendent responded to The Post for comment. Pulaski and Harlan counties reported increases in instances of corporal punishment, to 67 and 30 cases, respectively. Riley presented the legislation to the state House Education Committee earlier in February, but the bill was not voted on. Similar bills were also introduced in 2017 and 2018 but not passed. The Kentucky school districts that permit paddling are predominantly in rural areas, according to Riley. Their legislators who oppose the bill argue they want to protect against government overreach. “They say that discipline should be left to local school board, not state government,” Riley said. With eight days left in the legislative session, Riley said, H.B. 202 is unlikely to be voted on imminently. But, he added, “I’m going to keep proposing until it gets passed."

Lookout Landing jots down a few thoughts on Shoppach as only they can. Marc W over at USS Mariner take s a look at catching defense and trying to measure it. For me, there aren't many ways to statistically measure catching defense. And of those ways -- throwing out runners, passed balls (don't you ever use catcher's ERA, ever) - that's about 1/10th of the responsibilities of the position. And because of that, any stat - namely Win Above Replacement player (WAR) - that uses a defensive metric is kind of flawed when it comes to catchers. So much of a catcher's responsibility cannot be measured or quantified with numbers. I was converted to catcher in college (ate my way out of second base), and played the position for three years. The amount of things that went into just one game were overwhelming - and that was at the NAIA level. So at the big league level? It's ridiculous. It's why I kind of just shrugged my shoulders on WAR comparisons of John Jaso and Mike Morse. One thing that would be interesting is the 40-man roster move the Mariners would make if they sign Shoppach. Who do they designate for assignment? Would it be another young player like Yoervis Medina, or would the Mariners part ways with Mike Carp, who seems to have no place on the team. As for other free agents .... outfielder Michael Bourn met with the Mets (see what I did there?). If you notice in the Sherman story, he views it as a long shot. Why? Well according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, Bourn's agent - Scott Boras - wants 5-years at $15 million per year. And if anyone knows what Boras wants, it would be Heyman. From what I've been told, there hasn't been a ton of discussion about Bourn in the Mariners' front office. I'm guessing the idea of $75 million is a little too much of a commitment, particularly with their push to sign Felix Hernandez to a contract extension. Of course, that could change if the asking price went down a little. But how often does Boras' asking price go down? Would Bourn help the Mariners? Yes. He would give them a legitimate lead-off hitter that they don't have and another defensive presence in the outfield. Having Bourn and Gutierrez in the same outfield could offset any defensive issues in left field. But I'd be surprised if they go this route. And it's not because they are worried about giving up their first round pick (No. 12 overall) as compensation. The Mariners are still hoping to add a veteran pitcher as well. Joe Saunders' name has been mentioned outside sources, but it doesn't sound like the team is interested in overpaying. Lohse's asking price is also way too high for his value .... here's a list of other pitchers that are unsigned. Any names that interest you?

A proposed $226-million youth mental health centre in Edmonton will boast more than 100 inpatient beds and bring various treatment programs under one roof, said the province. Funding for the child and adolescent mental health centre was first set out in the 2017 budget to the tune of $200 million, said Health Minister Sarah Hoffman. On Monday, the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation promised to contribute an additional $26 million to the project. The foundation will receive the naming rights for the facility. “We just recently finished the scope, so now we know the how many beds and what the kinds of services will be,” Hoffman said. The centre will include 101 inpatient beds, child and adolescent crisis services, a mobile response team and a slew of other services including outpatient support. The centre will be built on land owned by Alberta Health Services east of the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital. The foundation plans to raise the additional funds over the next five years, he added. Construction is set to begin in spring 2021, with completion slated for 2024. Project design will start in the next few months, said the province. “I actually think this is going to be something that has an indelible mark on things like crime and homelessness and poverty, because so much of that is endemic to mental health,” House said. Annie Belley, 24, spoke about her own struggle with bipolar disorder at the news conference. She said having multiple services under one roof will be helpful for patients. “It’s so hard to navigate the health system as it is. When you throw mental health into the mix, there are so many other factors that go into play there,” she said. She said feeling overwhelmed used to stop her from seeking help. The province estimated the project will create up to 250 construction jobs.

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-An angry landlord on Wednesday sealed a flat house at Area 6 in the capital Lilongwe for Zodiak Broadcasting Corporation Managing Director Gospel Kazako for non payment of rentals. According to information gathered reveals that Kazako has been giving excuses to the owner of the Area 6 flats which he stays, and in return not fulfilling the promise to sort his bills. The sources added that ZBS boss is in financial crisis following his financing of UTM party of Saulos Chilima in a bid to be picked as a running mate. Kazako has been giving free advertising to UTM and coverage at the expense of ZBS airtime, a development which had disturbed his cash flow. The landlord has since said Kazako will only access the house if hr pays the bills or risks losing everything in the house to cover for the rentals. Efforts to get Kazako’s side of the story proved futile on several attempts as his mobile number could not be reached. The development comes barely a month after two senior and talented presenters Joseph Mwanoka and and Lucy Chimwanza left the station. Not only that just two weeks ago another two senior officers also pressed an existing button. The senior ZBS senior members leaving includes Africano Phiri, Director of Marketing (who have been with the station since 2006) and Steve Chikopa Head of Finance and Administration. Sources with the station told the Maravi Post that the due are leaving ZBS over to poor leadership from management and politics at the office. Information gathered reveals that since the coming in of ZBS Managing Director Gospel Kazako’s brother Grey Kazako who became the station’s General manager things have not been operating well as he is accused of abusive, oppressive tendencies. So far in 2018, ZBS lost 20 employees some of them including Don Stanley Kamwanthendo Joseph and Teresa Ndanga. A Kazako inu ife timakupatsani ulemu, onani mwagulitsa station ku UTM omwe kuludza kwao ndikosayamba. Mumadzudzula boma za nepotism, nanga zomwe mwachita ku campan yanuyo kubweretsa mchimwene wanu si nepotism?

A man was shot while driving Wednesday night in the West Elsdon neighborhood on the Southwest Side. The 25-year-old was driving his vehicle when a group of males got out of a white car and black SUV and fired shots about 10:15 p.m. in the 3800 block of West 51st, according to Chicago police. He was shot in the hand and suffered a graze wound to the shoulder, police said. He was taken to Holy Cross Hospital where his condition was stabilized, police said.

HANOI, Vietnam – Vietnam's government has vowed to crack down on three dissident blogs, a move that appeared to backfire Thursday as record numbers of people visited the sites and the bloggers pledged to keep up their struggle for freedom of expression. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung's order for police to arrest those responsible for the websites reflects growing unease within the Communist Party over the emergence of blogs and social media accounts that publish dissenting views, independent reporting and whistleblowing. The party doesn't allow free media, and fears criticism or discussion of its failings on the Internet could lead to social instability and — ultimately — loss of its power. "Nobody can shut our mouth or stop our freedom of expression," said a member of the team that administers one of the targeted blogs, Danlambao. "This is our mission. We will continue at any cost." The blogger chatted over the Internet with The Associated Press on the condition that his name and exact location not be published because of the risk of arrest. Danlambao, or "Citizens' Journalism," is one of the most prominent of several dissident blogs that have sprung up in the last two years. It has attracted thousands of viewers in recent weeks because of its reporting on suspected power struggles among the ruling elite that it says may have been behind the arrest of a banking tycoon last month. It has speculated that the detention of Nguyen Duc Kien, said to be close to the prime minister's daughter, was the result of tensions between the premier and the president. Late Wednesday, the government said Danlambao and two others sites had been "publishing distorted and fabricated articles" against the leadership. It said that Vietnamese state employees were forbidden from visiting the sites. It is not illegal for Vietnamese to visit the targeted sites, but they are blocked by the government's firewall. Vietnam blocks many sensitive websites, though the firewall is fairly easy to get around. "This is a wicked plot of the hostile forces," a government statement said, adding that the prime minister had ordered police to arrest those associated with the sites. The statement led to a surge in visitors to the sites as curious Vietnamese wanted to see what they had been publishing, according to the blogs. The Danlambao blog said it was on course to have more than 500,000 page views Thursday, more than double its normal amount, thanks to what it called the unintended public relations coup handed to it by the government. One of the other targeted sites, Quanlambao, or the "Officials' Journalism" blog, said Dung's threat was meant to lay the legal groundwork for a campaign of arrests against bloggers. The blogger contacted by The AP said Dung mentioned their site by name to try to scare contributors from contacting it. "They (the government) are losing control of the independent blogs," the blogger said. "Not just our one." The blogger said Danlambao's sources of information were other bloggers, journalists who work for state-run media, ordinary citizens and Communist Party members seeking to damage other factions within the party. Some of the material comes from reading between the lines of reports in the state-run media, the blogger said. "They provide us the bullets and we shoot — because they can't," the blogger said. International watchdog Reporters Without Borders says there are currently at least five journalists and 19 bloggers being held on various charges in Vietnam, part of a gathering government effort to stifle criticism over the last two years even as the country presses ahead with opening its economy to foreign investment. The government labels democracy and free speech activists as terrorists. Journalists working for foreign news organization are allowed to live in the country but must ask permission to report outside the capital. That is routinely denied if the subject of the story is seen as sensitive or damaging to Vietnam.

Some 3,839 new vehicles were registered in Qatar last month, the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics said while noting this was 14.1% lower than in the previous month. In June, some 4,471 new vehicles were registered in Qatar. MDPS, in its monthly statistical bulletin, said there was a significant increase in the number of sold properties in July. The number stood at 238, a 76.3% increase compared to June. The bulletin shows a decrease in the total value of sold properties, which has stood at nearly QR1.83bn in July, down 48.8% on the previous month. According to MDPS, Qatar’s population stood at 2.4mn in July, up 6.3% on the same period last year. In July, 2016 the country’s population stood at about 2.3mn. MDPS statistics showed that Qatar recorded a total of 2,205 births in July and as many as 172 deaths in the same month. The total number of registered marriages was 299 in July, while the total number of divorce cases was 63 during the same month. On the beneficiaries of social security, the bulletin put their number at 13,649 in July. The total value of social security reached nearly QR78.3mn in July. With regard to electricity and water consumption, the bulletin said the total electricity utilisation during July was 4,521.8GWh, attaining a monthly increase of 4.6% compared with June. Total water consumption reached 45,304,7000m3 during the same month, registering a monthly decrease of 3.3%. The number of building permits was 629 during July, up 53% on June. A total of 451 traffic cases were recorded during July, resulting in a monthly decrease of 7.4% compared to June. At the same time, as many as 11 deaths in relation to traffic cases were registered last month. MDPS said the total number of visitors to Qatar was 1.57mn in July, the largest number (about 42%) arriving from the GCC countries. Total broad money supply (M2) recorded about QR532bn during July, showing an annual increase of 8.3% compared with the same period in 2016. On the other hand, “cash equivalents” (including deposits) were valued at QR772.5bn in July. This shows an annual increase of 12.8% in comparison with July last year, when it stood at nearly QR685bn.

Riot police were quick to crack down on a march in Hledan market in Yangon, beating several protesters on March 10. A group of students and activists came onto the streets of Yangon at 2 pm in sympathy with the protesters who had been beaten in a melee of violence by police earlier in the day in Letpadan. About 1,000 students and activists took part in the protest, and the authorities used about 500 police to launch a crackdown. The protestors marched along Pyay Road. When they approached Sitepyoyay bus-stop, scuffles broke out between the protestors and the police. Some protestors were beaten. The protestors in Hledan shouted slogans calling for the immediate release of the students and activists who were arrested in Letpadan. The protesters in Letpadan were demonstrating for changes to the National Education Law and had been blocked from continuing their march to Yangon. Riot police on Tuesday launched violent crackdown on student protestors’ camp in Letpadan, so on the same day, in Hledan, Yangon, some students and other people staged a brief protest against the “Letpadan crackdown”. But police launched a violent crackdown against the brief protest in Hledan, too. Initially, student protestors in Letpadan announced that they would leave from Letpadan for Yangon on March 10. So students and activists in Yangon planned to stage a protest outside the Hledan market in Yangon if authorities did not allow the students in Letpadan to enter into Yangon. But authorities announced that they would allow students in Letpadan to enter into Yangon, so the plan of the activists in Yangon was cancelled. Despite announcement, the riot police launched a violent crackdown against student protestors in Letpadan. So the students and activists in Yangon staged a protest at about 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday and the police in Yangon launched a violent crackdown on the brief protest. “We will make efforts by using various ways until we get democratic education,” he said. About 1,000 students and activists took part in the protest, and authorities used about 500 police to launch crackdown the protest, Mizzima witnessed. The protestors marched along Pyay Road. When they reached near Sitepyoyay bus-stop, scuffles broke out between the protestors and the police. Some protestors were beaten. The protestors (in Hledan) shouted slogans calling for the immediate release of the students and activists who were arrested in Letpadan.

There are a range of useful commands which can be accessed through the game console, or entered into the .con files. To open the console, press the tilde (~) key. To close the console, press ~ again. You can bring up a full list of commands for each category (Console, Game, Chat, Renderer, Sound, Admin, Debug and Profiler) in the console by typing the group name (e.g. Game.) and then pressing the TAB key repeatedly to first see the group list, then the correct usage of the commands. will turn the Tool Tips on. Using the value 0 in front of the above command will turn the Tool Tips off. This is shown as 1/0 below (called a Boolean value - [bool]), which indicates that using 1 enables a function, 0 disables it. The use of # (or [float]) after a command below means a numeric value is required for the command. A list of console commands is provided below, grouped into the various categories - although Debug and Profiler categories are not covered. Where known a description of the command is also provided. The Following Game Settings are explained in the In-Game Settings section above and perform the same function. Note they cannot be changed in-game in the console. You can edit/insert these settings in the relevant .con files. The Following settings can't be changed in-game. You can edit/insert these settings in the Sound.con file. Note, if logged in as a remote admin, to run the following commands you need to use the admin.execremotecommand "command" console function to execute each command successfully.

The sound-blocking feature is planned for a gradual rollout, so many users may not see it for a while yet. For those who do, look out for a new icon appearing in the increasingly cluttered Site Information section of the Address bar. Clicking this reveals a new 'Autoplay sound' feature, which can be toggled on or off for that specific site. The feature can be enabled/disabled at the user’s discretion via Options > Privacy & Security under Permissions -- click untick 'Block websites from automatically playing' to disable it. Click the Exceptions… button to whitelist individual sites and edit existing preferences. Elsewhere Firefox 66 unveils an improved search experience, with a new 'Search Tabs' option (found on the tabs overflow menu under the ˅ button. The new Private Window tab has also been redesigned to provide users with the ability to easily search using their default search engine. A new scroll anchor has been introduced to eliminate the annoying jumping of content as images and ads load further up the page. Extensions now store their settings in a central Firefox database rather than individual JSON files, which should speed up website browsing. Users also benefit from more easily being able to assign keyboard shortcuts to specific extensions via the about:addons panel (click the tools icon and choose 'Manage Extension Shortcuts'). Certificate error pages have been redesigned to provide more information and help resolve issues. Platform-specific changes include basic support for Touch Bar on supported MacBooks. Windows 10 users gain support for Windows Hello, allowing face, fingerprint or external security keys to authenticate websites. Fixes include one that resolves freezing issues when downloading files on Firefox for Linux. The Dark and Light Firefox themes now override system settings in Windows 10 too. Android users gain the sound-blocking feature and scroll anchoring support, plus users can now open files from external SD cards and other storage. Firefox Quantum 66.0 and Firefox for Android 66.0 are both available now as a free, open-source download for supported versions of Windows, Mac, Linux and Android.

The Sri Lanka Women’s sevens Rugby team lost a possible Bronze medal by not participating at the 18th Asian Games rugby sevens held from August 30-September 1 in Jakarta, Indonesia. According to reliable sources, the rugby administrators were unable to convince the Sports Ministry and the NOC when initial discussions took place for selections of teams and individual events. Sources further revealed that no representative of the Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) attended the deciding meeting that may have otherwise had the opportunity for the women’s rugby team to see the light at the end of the tunnel. However, it seemed that in a bid to absolve itself from the blunder and the chaotic situation, the SLR kept on stating that they are hoping to send the team but it never materialized. What was really baffling was the comment made to the media by one of the top ranked SLR officials, where he said: “When it comes to such high profile tournaments, the Ministry of Sports is funding only the teams which have clear opportunity to secure a medal.” Such a statement, it appears gives the impression that SLR was under-prepared. The Women’s Tuskers did reasonably well in the Asian 7’s circuit in 2017 just a few months prior to the Asian Games under the watchful eyes of Sudath Sampath (Head Coach), Inthie Marikkar (Director, High Performance), and Dilan Zoysa (Trainer). Going by some of their performances of this tournament especially of Sri Lanka’s losing margins to Hong Kong (5-10) and Kazakstan (0-12); and the fact that Sri Lanka beat Thailand (24-12 to win the Plate championship) who incidentally lost the bronze medal to Kazakhstan at Asian Games speaks volumes of Sri Lanka’s bright chances. While Japan won the Gold, the Silver went to China. So the top four teams at the Asian Games finally stand as Japan, China, Kazakstan and Thailand. Where would Sri Lanka been placed had they participated? It is indeed a very sad state of affairs why the SLR officials just could not do their home work to come out with a sound assessment. Surely, the authorities who are top administrators in their own rights (may not necessarily be well conversant in sports) would have possibly understood the prospect of a medal on a general analytical perspective. How on earth did the Sri Lanka hockey administrators able to convince the authorities to field a men’s team and got humiliated by India 20 goals to nil at the Asian Games. In that context, the SLR surely had all the rights to impress the authorities. Where did the think-tanks of SLR go wrong? The rugby fraternity’s only hope would be to see that SLR conducts its affairs more sensibly in the future. Furthermore what’s really shocking was that 180 athletes and nearly 70 odd officials amounting to a total of approximately 250 people had participated at this year’s Asian Games representing Sri Lanka while depriving the prospect medalists, the women Tuskers. In the overall assessment, it was the 4 x 400 men’s relay team and Men’s 7’s rugby team did perform well to secure fourth place. We wish to reserve the comments on the performance of the men’s rugby team.

Russell Scherrer is taking another shot at constructing a new auction business, and this time he is promising to provide Wales officials with specific details about his plans. Scherrer and his attorney, Charles Ritter, appeared at Tuesday's work session of the Wales Town Board to answer questions about Scherrer's application for a special-use permit for Auctions International on its current site at 11167 Big Tree Road (Route 20A). The Town Board revoked Scherrer's permit two years ago for failing to comply with town codes and conditions of the permit. Scherrer told the board he has finances and a clearer picture to present to the board. He said his plan calls for the operation to be built in three phases. * Phase I, to be completed by June 15, would consist of an administrative office building housing 15 employees. Outdoor lighting and 40 parking spots will be allowed on the site until Phase I and II are completed. * Phase II, to be completed by next August, would include additional buildings in the front portion of the property and indoor auctions. * Phase III, to be finished by November 2012, would include an L-shaped flea market on the perimeter of the property. When everything is complete, the site would have parking for 150. Ritter asked the board to consider allowing Scherrer to use the current sanitary system for Phase I until the larger crowds are attracted. Jude Hartrich, a board member, told Ritter that the board wants a detailed business plan in writing with deadlines. In another matter, Denise Marshall, a director for the Elma, Marilla and Wales Boys & Girls Club, asked the board to consider an increase of $250 in the board's normal annual donation when the town budget is compiled. Voters in the the Iroquois School District, she explained, defeated the school budget, so the district is required by law to charge rent.

Even if you’re not at risk of dying, you can still get other people sick. The number of people who died from the flu in the 2017-2018 season. Estrada Anton // Shutterstock - Even if you will not die from flu, your actions affect others. It feels like up until a couple years ago, the accepted line about the flu shot was that you only needed it if you were a) young, b) old, or c) sick, and that maybe it didn’t work that well anyway because it only protects against certain (the most common) strains. Millennials received this info gratefully; finally, a thing we were not responsible for, an errand we did not actually have to do. Unfortunately, this is wrong; in fact, everyone should get the flu shot. Last year’s flu season was the worst in a decade, worse than the year of swine flu. Over 80,000 people died. There are many factors at work, but a big one that medical professionals attributed to the unusually high rate of deaths and infections was a drop in the rate of adults who bothered to get their shot — yes, those same people between the ages of 18 and 65 who “don’t need” it. To think about vaccines as they affect each person individually is blinkered; sure, you don’t want to get sick, but more than vaccines prevent individual illness, they prevent illnesses from spreading. We see this already with children in locations where it’s trendy among parents to simply not get their kids vaccinated from preventable diseases like measles out of irrational fears; because of those parents, those diseases spread faster and people die more frequently. Epidemics happen because of new, wild, aggressive disease strains, but they also happen for lack of prevention. More to the point, just because you can afford to miss work or buy medication when you get sick doesn’t mean others can. In the same way you don’t not vote because nothing is bothering you specifically, you don’t not get the flu shot because you are very likely to survive it yourself. This is how social contracts work: How a collective action impacts you personally is maybe the least important thing, especially if you are in the most privileged group. Please get your flu shot.

"I wanted to retire," he said. "That's what I wanted to do. "That was definitely on my mind. It was there." How seriously was he considering it? Opara says he isn't quite so sure. But a long injury history — and a look toward life after soccer — made it more than just a hasty reaction. He played only three games in 2014 before suffering a rare chondral defect in his right ankle. "I've been through a lot with all the other injuries," he said. "I wanted to be healthy for my life. "And I felt like I couldn't catch a break. It was like, this again? I just wondered if it would be worth it to go through all that all over again." Opara spoke with his family and friends. He told them he was contemplating retirement — only two months after his 26th birthday and only days after national experts put him in the conversation for Major League Soccer's best defender. Then? A change of heart. It came slowly. After undergoing a minimally-invasive surgery — a recently-developed procedure designed to expedite his return to the field — Opara learned his season wasn't over just yet. Doctors allowed for the possibility of a 2015 return. Maybe. A possibility is all he needed. He began rehab in the following weeks. The pain subsided more quickly than he expected. He regained the urge to join his teammates back on the field. And that's looking more and more likely by the day. Opara has returned to Sporting Kansas City practice, at least for the non-contact drills, with an eye toward returning to the field this season. His coach, Peter Vermes, expects it to happen — whether it be before the regular season concludes on Oct. 25 or sometime during the playoffs. "That's always been the goal (since the diagnosis)," Opara said. "Obviously the way I've been progressing, for now, why not try to push and see where it goes? If we keep doing well as a team and hopefully make the playoffs and make a deep run, I see no reason why I wouldn't be available for that." There are still hurdles to cross, of course. While Opara says his lateral movement is "just as good, if not better" than it was prior to the Achilles' tendon rupture, the linear movements are still a work in progress. He is noted for his athleticism — which makes him a dangerous aerial weapon — but his jumping ability hasn't fully returned yet. There are signs it's close. "Ike was in an exercise the other day. If you would've come out here and you didn't know the team, and I (told) you to pick that guy that you think is injured out there, you would never pick him," Vermes said. "I can tell you that." Even so, Opara isn't near 90-minutes fit. And central defender isn't a typical spot for a mid-gme substitution, though Vermes hinted at an exception. "One of the things you can do with Ike is bring him on late in the game, and he can be an extra guy for aerial duels and things like that," Vermes said. "He has value in that respect." It's an exciting possibility — and a potentially significant one for a Sporting KC team in need of an added aerial threat on offensive set pieces. "I don't know what my future holds. I'm just taking it day-by-day," Opara said. "But it looks a lot better than it did a few months ago. I know that."

Popular film producer, writer and director, Amaka Igwe is dead. She reportedly died of an asthma attack last night. Reputed for her professional and brilliant concepts, Amaka produced breathtaking sitcoms like Checkmate and Fuji House of Commotion. She is one of the foremost movie directors in Nigeria today and one of the few contemporary film makers who have had their films on celluloid. Amaka’s celluloid film is A Barber’s Wisdom – a film which was part of M-Net’s new direction on film project with Nigerian producers. Her films have drawn international recognition to the home video industry. She is producer of the award winning movie Forever and founder of Amaka Igwe Studios and Top FM Radio. Amaka hails from Obinagu, Enugu, Nigeria is survived by her husband and children. may her soul rest in peace. MA BEGI FUN E PRODUNCTIONS. damn. great talent gone justlyk dat. OMG!May her soul rest in peace. sad. may her soul rest in perfect peace.. May her gentle soul rest in perfect peace. a rare gem is gone! may her soul rest in the bossom of our Lord Jesus Christ…AMEN!!! May her gentle soul rest in peace.Rare breed that gave so much particularly in the film industry.good night. may her gentle soul find rest at the bosom of lord. for the family and friends, the courage to bear this irreparable and monumental loss. R.I.P., AMAKA. A big loss at this time. May her soul rest in perfect peace. I feel this profound loss deeply because she had been one of my role models since I was a child. I shall miss you always. Oh dear, may your soul rest in peace.

Mrs. Sarah E. Senavitis, 71, of 332 Grandview Blvd., Bethlehem, died Monday in St. Luke's Hospital. She was the wife of Albert R. Senavitis. She was employed by Sure Fit Products Co., Bethlehem, for 30 years before retiring in 1975 as a floorwoman. Born in Mahanoy City, she was a daughter of the late Harry and Bertha (Taylor) Bennyhoff. Surviving with her husband are a son, Albert M. of Easton; a daughter, Mrs. Joanne Bachman of Bethlehem; a brother Harold of Upper Darby, Delaware County, and two sisters, Mrs. Florence Geiss of Allentown and Mrs. Helen Bruce of Mahanoy City. Memorial services will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday (today) in the Snyder-Hinkle Funeral Home, 527 Center St., Bethlehem. There will be no calling hours.

2019 NFL Conference Championships: How Are Bookies Prepping? The NFL puts on its second most spectacular show of the season this Sunday when the top four teams in the league battle it out in the NFC Championship and AFC Championship. Over in the NFC, 1-seed New Orleans hosts the 2-seed L.A. Rams. That’s the first game on January 20. Then, in the AFC Championship, the Patriots travel to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs. Online bookie agents must prepare for the huge amounts of action that should land in their sportsbooks before the 2019 NFL Conference Championships. Check out how they’ll do just that using PayPerHead’s Prime Package tools. Saints versus Rams could be one of those nail biters, or, it could end up a Saints blowout win. Obviously, New Orleans was rusty in the first quarter of their 20-14 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. The Saints came back after being down 14-0. New Orleans should control the clock, as they did with the close to 12 minute drive in the third quarter versus Philadelphia, meaning many pay per head agents might not use their layoff accounts on the total. Many will also allow money on the Rams to ride if the Rams are over bet. Just in case, bookmakers will set max betting limits on both moneylines. The New England Patriots are in a strange position on Sunday. The Pats must beat the Chiefs on the road to stamp their ticket to Super Bowl 53. New England has been masterful for close to a decade. Sunday’s AFC Championship will be New England’s eighth straight. Less than 50% of NFL handicappers believe the Patriots cover the spread. Many are pounding the Chiefs. Some pay per head agents will try and score big profits by allowing money to ride on the Chiefs and not use their layoff accounts. If the Chiefs don’t cover the spread, those bookies who take that risk could make out big time. Most all bookie agents will set max betting limits on both the Patriots and Chiefs. The odds are low enough to where some players will bet massive amounts on both sides. Keep that in mind when deciding whether to back a team against the spread or on the moneyline. Just as quickly as the 2019 NFL Conference Championship games approached, so to will Super Bowl 53. Each year the Super Bowl brings in over $4 BILLION worth of wagers, over 97% of wagers are placed through off-shore sportsbooks and individual bookmakers. Don’t miss out on that $4 billion dollar pie. Become a bookmaker before February 3rd! Sign up for PayPerHead’s Prime Package today to get a 3-week trial at just $3 per head. Speak to a rep today and start cashing-in on Super Bowl 53.

A new development designed by the architects Ron and Jim Vari, 33rd Street Square acknowledges both past and present in rapidly changing Bridgeport. The cutouts and big modular panels give the place a contemporary feel, while the red-brick construction recalls the neighborhood’s traditional housing. The development (at 33rd Street and South Parnell Avenue) also positions every unit to take advantage of the two best local views: the fireworks over U.S. Cellular Field and the city skyline. Each of the 11 units has one upper-floor terrace looking south and another looking north. “You’re never going to want to go inside all summer,” says Jennifer Liu, an Atland Realty agent selling units in the building. The spaces inside are roomy and bathed in light from a two-story gridwork of windows; in most of them, an overlook from one floor to another also helps light reach the lower level. At presstime, three units remained at 33rd Street Square, all ready for occupancy. The lowest-cost unit is a 2,800-square-foot three-bedroom unit priced at $559,000; at the upper end, a 3,400-square-foot corner unit with dramatic cutouts and light wells is priced at $675,000.

Let’s try again: what happened to the stock market yesterday? We still don’t know, but it appears that something concrete happened against the background of a market that was already tripwire nervous over Greece and the euro and China and whatnot. Considering that the giant decline happened on pretty much *no* volume, I think other factors are at work. I believe the core problem here was a real order imbalance with lots of volume (which took us down the original 350), then nyse halts these stocks, the market orders get rereouted (regnms and all) to ECN’s where there is much less liquidity, and what liquidity is normally there is mostly provided by the nefarious HF strats who were rightly scaling back risk. So the 10K shares that might have been a downtick on nyse blows throught the BATS book completely. In English, this means that when trading started to get too hot and heavy, the New York Stock Exchange stepped in to slow things down. In the old days, this would have worked, but not anymore. Most trading of NYSE stocks doesn’t actually happen on the NYSE anymore, it happens on electronic communication networks (ECNs) like BATS in Kansas City, which is the third-largest stock exchange in the world. So what the algo guy is saying is that when the NYSE tried to slow things down, the computers responsible for program trading just switched their orders over to ECNs. Unfortunately, ECNs are largely used by high-frequency trading shops, and the HFT guys closed up when the market went kablooey. So the ECNs had no buyers, and even a small sell order could blow the doors off a stock price. Which it did. I’m very much in favor of this. Maybe someday we’ll understand all this stuff well enough to control it, but right now we don’t seem to. Our financial system really needs a little bit of sand in the gears to bring it back down to human speeds. This would be a good way to do it, and would probably have other benefits too (quite aside from the money it raises). Count me as a fan.

West Virginia quarterback Major Harris, who scrambled his way from Pittsburgh's mean streets to stardom, will skip his final year of eligibility and enter the NFL draft. "With some sense of regret, I am making myself available for the NFL draft and professional football," Harris said today at a news conference. "I do it because it's a great challenge, a great opportunity and a great benefit for me and my family." During his three seasons as West Virginia's starting quarterback, Harris led the Mountaineers to three bowl games--all losses--and to their first unbeaten regular season in 1988.

KARACHI: Driving up to Landhi you reach an area on the rather bumpy Mehran Highway where pick-ups and lorries number more than the other vehicles. Those coming in are empty but the ones driving out are loaded with dozens of silver milk canisters. Well, of course, why wouldn’t they be? After all, this is Bhains Colony, the place the entire city gets its milk from. You can pick up some moos coming from various directions. But there are hardly any cattle roaming about freely here or there. That’s because they are all doing the work inside the dairy farms on either side of the road. The animals there eat and drink all day to stay healthy and be able to produce lots and lots of good quality milk. “We milk our buffaloes twice in 24 hours — at 4am and 4pm,” says Imtiaz Ahmed, one of the staff supervisors at Shaukat Mukhtar Farms. There are some 450 buffaloes at the farm and almost all are lined up to enjoy their feed as the men milk them manually by hand. “Eating keeps them busy. So as they munch on their feed they stay in one place for us to be able to milk them,” he says. To ensure that the dairy workers don’t get kicked in the face by the buffaloes, they also lightly tie up their hind legs while milking them. Asked why they don’t have pumps for milking, he explains that there are pumps too at several dairy farms in Bhains Colony, but at their farms they prefer to milk by hand. “Usually, we use pumps to milk cows, not buffaloes. Cows give more milk, too. Pumps are good for milking in quantity. But cows’ milk is thin while buffalo milk is thicker and richer,” he explains. The feed the animals eat has been specially designed and is highly nutritious to help them produce more milk. “It contains wheat, porridge, lentils, mustard, spinach greens, Malaysian palm oil, corn, ghee, etc,” he says. The dairy workers with stainless steel buckets and metal canisters bring over the milk they collect to pour into big metal tubs placed at various points. “Fresh milk is warm. Keeping it in big tubs helps it to cool slightly before sending it off to the market,” shares Aslam Malik, another staff member at the farm. And he adds that the milk better reach the milk shops in a couple of hours otherwise it can go bad. “The shops have chillers and refrigerators to store it properly but we here only concentrate on the production part of it,” he says, adding that the milk is absolutely pure at this point. “Forty litres of milk carries about 4kg of cream,” he says gesturing to the layer of cream floating on top of the milk in the tubs. “But once this milk leaves this place, it will be tampered with and diluted according to the conscience of the people who are into this kind of dishonesty,” he says. The milk is sold for Rs70 per litre at the dairy farms and in the shops it is sold for Rs80 or 85 a litre. “The price was only increased earlier this month from the previous rate of Rs66 per litre,” he says. The dairy farmers say that everyone should have fresh milk instead of the packaged variety. “What you get in the name of milk in a box is something devoid of the healthy fats, cream and nutrition. It is processed milk where they have taken away the fat for making side products such as cheese, butter, ghee, yogurt, lassi, etc,” says Malik. The dairy farmers buy new cattle every month to replace the ones that have finished their milking cycle and are considered spent. These could then be sent off to the slaughterhouse or to a farm where they can take a short break before insemination and parturition before lactating again. The best cattle, the farmers say, are from Badin in Sindh and from the Ravi area in Punjab. These may cost between Rs160,000 to Rs200,000. They also have foreign cows and buffaloes such as the black and white ones from Australia, which are known for producing more milk than the local varieties, but these are very expensive and delicate so they require more care.

Midfielder Jason Kennedy today became City’s first new face for League One. The 26-year-old, who left Rochdale after four seasons, has joined on a two-year deal. City beat off competition, most notably Colin Cooper's Hartlepool, for his signature. Kennedy added: "It's a great club to come to. I'm hoping to build on their success last season and be a key part of the team."

A stunning development opportunity - large building with consent to convert to a dwelling. Attractive setting. 5/6 Bedrooms. Excellent views. Exciting design. Very accessible. Near to Thorverton. Paddock. 1.7 acres. Thorverton is a delightful and very popular Exe Valley village, which includes a primary school, two public houses, two churches, superb village hall, local cricket and football clubs, and a community shop/post office. The area is known for unspoilt and beautiful countryside and yet Thorverton is only 7 miles from the Cathedral and University City of Exeter, which has an extensive range of facilities befitting a city of its importance. Access to the M5 motorway can be made at Junctions 27, 28, 29 & 30. Mainline railway stations on the London Paddington and Waterloo lines can be found at Exeter (Tiverton Parkway next to Junction 27 of the M5 on the Paddington line too.) Exeter International Airport lies to the east of the city. To the north of Thorverton the market town of Tiverton has a further range of facilities, including the well renowned Blundell's School, which offers discounts to local pupils. Exeter has an excellent range of schools for all ages. The properties location and position are superb, looking out over rolling farmland. Thorverton is within walking distance and Exeter very accessible with quick commuting access along the A396. The plans showing the design of the property can be found on Www.middevon.gov.uk/ see below. The accommodation is over two floors with mezzanines covering about 400 M2. It includes entrance hall, study, open plan kitchen, dining and living area, sitting room, utility, cloakroom, landing, 5 bedrooms, 4 shower/bathrooms. There is large feature glazing taking advantage of the views and looking out over the land included with the property and beyond. Attached to the barn is a lean-to which provides garaging within the plans. The barn is surrounded by 1.7 acres providing space to create parking and turning and garden around the property as per the consent. Beyond the garden is an area of field positioned directly behind the barn. This will enable a main aspect of the barn to look down over its land. Change of use approval was granted on 20th December 2018 by Mid Devon District Council. Reference number 18/01620/PNCOU. On the home page click on planning. Then click on 'search and comment on planning applications.' Then click on 'search', and then finally, in the search box, enter in the reference number 18/01620/PNCOU. The documents can be looked at by clicking on 'documents'. The purchaser will be required to erect, as a minimum standard, a stock proof fence between points A, B and C. Strictly by appointment via the agents, Stags, on 01884 235705. In the centre of Thorverton turn opposite the Thorverton Arms signposted Cadbury, passing the Church on your left and proceed out of the village. After passing through the national speed limit signs take the next turning left, signposted Cadbury. Continue up the hill and down the other side and the barn will be found on the left. Mains electricity. Purchaser to install new water supply and private drainage. The vendor will supply water for an initial period of time while the property is developed.

Actress Ellen Pompeo of “Grey’s Anatomy” has sold an income property in the Hollywood Hills for $2.075 million, or $80,000 more than the asking price. The split-level residence on a leafy hillside lot had been leased out in the $6,500 to $7,500 per month range. It previously changed hands nearly a decade ago for $1.226 million, records show. Set at the end of a steep driveway, the Harry Greene-designed house boasts walls of windows that capture treetop and canyon views. About 1,900 square feet of open-plan living space include a step-down living room, a media room and an eat-in kitchen. In the master suite, sliding glass doors open to a private outdoor bathtub. There are three bedroom and two bathrooms in all. Outdoors, a central courtyard holds a rock fire pit and built-in barbecue. Flagstone and lush landscaping surround the swimming pool and spa in the backyard. Brett Lawyer of Hilton & Hyland was the listing agent. Tori Horowitz of Compass represented the buyer. Pompeo, 48, is known for her long-running role as Dr. Meredith Grey on the medical drama show. Among her film credits are “Catch Me If You Can” (2002), “Old School” (2003) and “Life of the Party” (2005).

MIDDLETOWN, NJ - The Egg Hunt is back—with a twist! Bring your basket, running shoes and a flashlight and get ready to find those eggs at Croydon Hall Football Field! This is strictly an egg hunt. Registration closes Wednesday, March 25. No registrations will be taken at the event. Croydon Hall is located at 900 Leonardville Road, Leonardo. Middletown Residents only. Ages 1-10.

Carter Page, a former foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign, met with a Russian spy in New York City in 2013 and passed him documents about the energy industry, BuzzFeed News reports. "The revelation of Page's connection to Russian intelligence — which occurred more than three years before his association with Trump — is the most clearly documented contact to date between Russian intelligence and someone in Trump's orbit." Page, an energy consultant, confirmed to Buzzfeed that he was "Male-1". He has repeatedly said he did nothing wrong in his contacts with Russia. He was nixed by the Trump campaign after it emerged that federal investigators were looking into his ties with Russian officials.

Latest in "Revolution in Rojava" Who are they, these revolutionary Rojava women? Meredith Tax just had to find out who they were - the revolutionary women of Rojava, bearing arms against ISIS, building a new world...she had to find their story, for herself, and in her new book, for us. Rojava revolution: how deep is the change? Is optimism in the future of revolutionary change misplaced in a region torn apart by war and a society where patriarchy has been so entrenched? Part 6 of Witnessing the Rojava revolution. Rojava is a fast moving, dynamic place where things change by the minute. What are the material conditions which support this woman-centred revolution ? Part 5 of 50.50's series Witnessing the revolution in Rojava, northern Syria. Rojava's battle with ISIS stronghold Raqqa is not simply a military one, but an ideological one in which the position of women could not be more polarised. Part 4. In less than four years, the women’s umbrella organisation, Kongira Star, has set up an autonomous, grassroots, democratic structure which has resulted in shifting patriarchal mindsets and reversing gender discriminatory laws. Part 3. Travelling in Rojava is to witness the ways in which the different commitments to the revolution present a conundrum. How can one system satisfy the vast differences in human aspirations? Part 2. Part 1. Travelling in Rojava is to witness a revolution experimenting with a form of stateless, direct democracy with women’s liberation, race and class equality at the heart of it. Part 1.

This is a short but enthralling walk, possibly the nicest coastal walk in Ireland: it’s a walk to take at your ease, to stop, look around, sit and listen. Normally the promotional photo for a hike aims to attract, often with sunlit mountain and sea and a high blue sky; and it works especially well if it features a distant summer-clad hiker taking it all in. Unfortunately, the hiker seduced to our west coast by such a photo can be in for a disappointment! And so it was for us in mid-August in Glencolumbkille: a moist warm sector airstream had narrowed our world to a 200m deep slot between grey sea and grey sky. Within this space, as we drove to our start point in Glencolumbkille and to our carsplit finish in Port, mists rose and fell over wet hedges and heather, all seeming to make for an unattractive hiking prospect. Except that, just north of the Napoleonic Watchtower on Glen Head, we quite unexpectedly happened upon an utterly beautiful world that had our heads and hearts reeling. Why was that, we asked ourselves? Well, the beauty that came to us that day on that wonderfully wild and ragged coastline, between the low grey sky and a swirling, noisy sea of dramatic white and sky-grey, was not “picture postcard perfect”, but magical in its ever-changing, elemental play of cloud, sound, sea and rock. And it brought home to us the wonder of the shore and sea, especially our Atlantic Ocean, as walking companions or backdrop in all but the very worst of conditions. This is a short but enthralling walk, possibly the nicest coastal walk in Ireland: it’s a walk to take at your ease, to stop, look around, sit and listen. We started at Biofán, about 1.5km from Glencolumbkille, and progressed in low mood and mist to the signal tower just north of Glen Head. Soon we were in from under the curtain of mist, with truly awe-inspiring Sturrall pitched before us. Easy cropped grass underfoot allowed us safely to admire this shattered quartzite sea arête, with its fresh and ancient scars of battle with the wildest of Atlantic storms. Below and around it were surf-girdled sea-stack remnants, some undercut into dramatic sea arches. Wraiths of mist rolled up its windward flank, obscuring the sea but seemingly accentuating its sound - a great place to stop for lunch and to appreciate the immense privilege of just being there. Soon great stream-cut ravines interrupted the route, forcing encircling swings inland or aerobic descents and ascents, until the wild shore of Port came into view. By now for us, the mist had thickened, adding even more to the age-old elemental “feel” of the place. We meandered carefully the indentations of the coast, staying inside a restraining ditch and fence, joined the marked trail to our car in Port and stood beside the memorial to the 19 crew members lost on the “Sydney” in November 1870. Meanwhile, the arriving rain and enshrouding mist, and thoughts of the terror of the sea as well as its beauty, added a sombre note to the end of our hike! Suitability: easy to moderate, care needed on off-trail sections near cliff edges, especially in windy weather.

It’s been nearly five years to the day that Ashley Smith made the 9-1-1 call leading to Brian Nichols’ surrender. The story of the seven hours preceding that March 12, 2005, phone call seemed almost impossible to swallow: a polite, soft-spoken waitress from Augusta gets inside the mind of a man fresh off a killing spree, gains his trust, makes him pancakes, stays alive and gets free. Editor's Note: This article was published in 2010, five years after the Fulton County Courthouse shootings. In 2015, the 10th anniversary of the shootings, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is taking another look at the case of Brian Nichols and the events around that violent day. 2015 Coverage: Brian Nichols shootings 10 years later. She recounted the events of the night Nichols forced his way into her home on television two days later, and the nation saw the same calm demeanor and steady blue eyes that had soothed Nichols as he showered, ate, watched television and did his laundry after murdering four people. Days later when she returned to the scene, she discovered that in the time after he let her go and before the authorities arrived, he’d hung a mirror she’d been meaning to put up in her new apartment. Today, Ashley Smith Robinson – she married Daniel Robinson in June 2007 – says that was “the one event that really changed my life.” She earns a living from speaking engagements, mainly before religious groups, retelling her ordeal and the self-transformation that followed. She’s also on track to complete the radiologic technology program at Lanier Tech in September. She someday hopes to do ultrasounds. But people will always know her for the poise under pressure that led to the media moniker, the Atlanta Hostage Hero. Six months after the public first marveled at the details of March 12, with its bizarrely squeaky-clean images of scrambled eggs and the pair huddled over Rick Warren’s “The Purpose Driven Life,” a second wave of news stories added a different veneer. Smith Robinson’s book about the ordeal, “Unlikely Angel,” revealed she’d given Nichols a few lines of methamphetamine to snort from her stash. When Nichols pulled a gun on her outside Bridgewater Apartments in Duluth, Smith Robinson was trying to get her life back on track, kick meth and get a career going to prove to her family she was capable of being a mother. The book showed that this pretty blond Georgia girl had a dark side of her own, a well she drew from to elicit compassion from Nichols. She writes about a past that includes drug-induced psychotic visions, hospitalization, sending her daughter, Paige, away to be raised by an aunt so she could have more time to party, and holding her first husband, Paige's father, in her arms as he died from a knife wound after a violent fight in a parking lot in 2001. But that was then. Paige, 10, now lives with her mom, and Smith Robinson’s post-Brian Nichols life seems safe and successful. She coaches Paige’s basketball team, has learned to Scuba dive, runs marathons, attends classes and is active in her church. Until now, she's spurned offers to make a movie about her life. But she’s recently OK’d preliminary plans with “Amazing Grace” producer Ken Wales to make a Christian-themed movie about the event. She’s not sure when it would be released. Nichols himself predicted the windfall of positive change that would grow out of her time with him. She writes in her book that just before he let her go he said, “Everybody’s going to praise you and talk about how wonderful you are.” Soon after, Nichols surrendered peacefully in front of Ashley’s apartment and admitted his crimes. Smith Robinson immediately left Atlanta at that time and sought shelter with her aunt and uncle at their house in a gated community near Augusta. “It was very important that I went from one extreme to the other after that happened,” she said. Her aunt, Kim Rogers, who had been raising Paige for the past three years, walked her through it all. When Smith Robinson talks about the night with Nichols, she says it was God, not her, who made the psychological maneuvers to relate to his outrage. On March 14, 2005, when she apologized on his behalf, she seemed in the odd position of serving as a bridge between the killer and his victims. She’s since been in contact with immediate family members of all the victims, save one. She’s not sure yet if she'll ever have further contact with Nichols. She said she couldn’t look at him during the five and a half hours she spent repeating the facts in the 2008 trial that led to his imprisonment with no chance of parole. “From day one, I always said, ‘God, if you want me to have anymore contact with this person whatsoever, I need for you to lay it heavy on my heart.' For a very long time, I haven’t felt that. Recently, I’ve felt like maybe I’m supposed to write a letter, but I need to be sure this is God talking and not something else. "I don’t know what that letter would say. The only thing that comes to mind is that when we were talking, he asked me what his purpose in life was. I told him maybe it was to minister to people in prison. I think that’s one thing I would write: What are you doing with your life? I’ve made something positive out of mine. What are you doing with yours?"

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov on Thursday threatened retaliatory steps if any country deploys weapons in space, Russian news agencies reported. Ivanov said Russia is "categorically against the militarization of space," according to the Interfax news agency. "If some state begins to realize such plans, then we doubtless will take adequate retaliatory measures," ITAR-Tass quoted him as saying at the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. President Bush's administration currently is reviewing the U.S. space policy doctrine. Last month, White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters that the policy review was not considering the weaponization of space. But he said new threats to U.S. satellites have emerged in the years since the U.S. space doctrine was last reviewed in 1996, and those satellites must be protected. In 2002, after the United States withdrew from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, China and Russia submitted a proposal for a new international treaty to ban weapons in outer space. But the United States has said it sees no need for any new space arms control agreements. It is party to the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which prohibits stationing weapons of mass destruction in space.

MANCHESTER UNITED boss Jose Mourinho could still snare Real Madrid star Gareth Bale this summer. At least that’s the verdict of beIN Sports journalist Richard Keys, who thinks the potential deal won’t be dead until the transfer window shuts on August 31. Bale has spent the past four years with Real and during that spell he’s won the Champions League three times, as well as one La Liga title. His future has been the subject of much speculation since the end of last season though with Florentino Perez targeting Kylian Mbappe. Bale is thought to be the player Real would be most likely to sacrifice in order to generate funds to sign the Monaco forward. And that situation has seen the 28-year-old heavily linked with a return to the Premier League with United. Mourinho claimed he had no chance of signing Bale after he featured in Real’s UEFA Super Cup win over the Red Devils. Keys reckons the Welshman could rock up at Old Trafford before deadline day though. On Twitter, a fan asked him: "Hi Richard, still think there is legs in the Bale to United deal?" And Keys replied: "Until the window shuts I do." Should United bag Bale, he’s likely to cost more than the then-world-record £85m which took him to Real from Tottenham in 2013. In the meantime, Mourinho's men will be out to make it two wins in two Premier League games when they visit Swansea on Saturday. They got their 2017/18 campaign off to a perfect start by thrashing West Ham 4-0 last weekend, with new boy Romelu Lukaku bagging a brace.

Warner Music Group artists Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers saw their respective albums race to the top of the iTunes charts Monday. Mars took the No. 1 slot — up from No. 4 on Sunday — with his second album, “Unorthodox Jukebox,” while his first album, “Doo-Wops & Hooligans,” ranked No. 3. Disney’s album “Frozen” separated the two. Meanwhile “Red Hot Chili Peppers: Greatest Hits” hit the No. 6 position, jumping 19 slots from Sunday. Len Blavatnik’s Warner Music Group hasn’t fielded a Super Bowl artist since Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers back in 2008, and the fact that both artists have their recording and publishing catalogs with Warner makes the news all the more profitable. Meanwhile, Verizon reported that its data connections rose 800 percent versus last year. The astounding increase — no doubt attributable to people sharing photos — came during the halftime show.

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MARION, N.Y. (WHEC) -- Neighbors tell News10NBC the woman who died in Monday's deadly fire in Marion, Wayne County was bedridden. State police have identified the victim as Beatrice Murray. She was 80 years old. Neighbors and family members described the mother of six as a loving and kind woman. Investigators spent the day trying to determine what started the fire in her home on Cory Corners Road. Fire investigators with the New York State Police and local fire investigators worked all day Tuesday sifting through rubble. "We're not ruling out anything at this point," said Trooper Mark O'Donnell, New York State Police. "Our investigators have been canvassing and interviewing dozens of people and we've been working around the clock in the fire trying to figure out what the cause was and if there's anything we need to find out." State fire investigators used a drone to take pictures from above. They also had canines on hand. It's an all-out effort to find the cause. Family members tell us she had lived in the house that dates back to the 1800s for more than 50 years. "We were not able to launch an interior attack," said Walworth Fire Chief John O'Toole on Monday. "There was too heavy a volume of fire." Such extensive damage can make it tough for investigators to find the cause. "Our investigators are very skilled at what they do," O'Donnell said. "I have complete faith they will find out the cause of the fire and if there's any other circumstances we need to be aware of, they'll find it." O'Donnell added that it could be days before investigators find out the cause of the fire. Officials say if you have any information about the fire, call 911.

This week in Washington, Cliff Floyd is expecting the best – but bracing for the worst. “I’m expecting good, clean baseball,” said Floyd, who was 3-for-18 with six strikeouts against Dontrelle Willis and was given yesterday off. “I think if Pedro [Martinez] hits [Jose Guillen], we’re going to fight. Floyd has never understood that when a pitcher hits a position player, a position player on another team is targeted. He said he’d be seething if his team had been hit six times in a series, as the Nationals were. “But my point over there is, hit the guy who’s throwing,” Floyd said. “He’s going to pitch again, sooner or later. The Mets left fielder nearly charged the mound against Houston’s Roy Oswalt last season, and he acknowledged talking about retaliating (as he did at the time) is nonsense that must stop. Batting .200 (3-for-15) this season, Floyd worked on his mechanics in the indoor cage before the 3-2 victory over Florida. The Mets realigned their rotation after Saturday’s rainout, and Victor Zambrano will start Thursday in Washington. Zambrano (strained left hamstring) was originally scheduled to start yesterday. Brian Bannister and Pedro Martinez will stay on turn and pitch Tuesday and Wednesday. Tom Glavine and Steve Trachsel will flip-flop and work on Friday and Saturday so Glavine can stay on turn. Carlos Delgado was inconspicuous during the seventh-inning rendition of “God Bless America,” when a handful of his teammates stood on the top step or above it. . . . Saturday’s rain washed away starts for Chris Woodward and Ramon Castro. Yesterday, Paul Lo Duca and Anderson Hernandez were back at catcher and second base, respectively. “We’ve got an off-day [today], and I didn’t want guys playing every day to get three days off,” Willie Randolph said. “That’s just the way it works out.” The Mets play day games after night games on Thursday and Saturday, so Castro should start a couple of games. Woodward pinch-hit in the sixth and whiffed against Willis.

Bravo, France! And shame on you, David Cameron! France has offered asylum to the Iraqi Christians forced to flee from Mosul. The BBC reports this, and so does Al Jazeera. “We are in constant contact with local and national authorities to ensure everything is done to protect them,” both ministers said. So, these are not cheap words, or political posturing. Something is actually being done. Bravo, France! You are a secular republic that sees, in true secular fashion, the human needs of people in distress, and wants to do something about it. Bravo, France! You have form in this matter already. For France it was that received thousands of refugees from Russia in the aftermath of the revolution there, and also took in thousands of Armenians who survived the Ottoman genocide of 1915. Now, once more, you are helping those who need a safe haven. Bravo, France! You have expressed outrage at the treatment of the Christians of Mosul, and you have not taken the line that these are merely one oppressed group among many: there has been no ‘universalise to minimise’ strategy here. Italy and the Vatican acted over the case of Meriam Ibrahim; France is now prepared to act over the persecuted Christians of Mosul. (Entry to France may well give them entry to the entire European Union.) Over to you, David Cameron and William Hague.

Archives|Is Mr. Gorbachev Turning Tail? Just who is Mikhail Gorbachev? The reformer whose unconventional thinking encourages the Soviet Union to transform itself, or a pushover for reac tionaries who want him to arrogate authority and save the Union at all costs? Americans have reason to wonder, and cause for concern. But they'd be wrong to ignore the continuing revolution in Soviet society amid the moment's political machinations. Soviet reformers are themselves uncertain of what to make of Mr. Gorbachev's increasingly conservative behavior. Sensing a mood swing in Moscow, some actually applaud his efforts to restore order. Their hope is that he will thus tame the tiger of reaction and consolidate reform before renewing it. Others, like the most reform-minded of his inner circle, Eduard Shevardnadze and Aleksandr Yakovlev, warn of impending dictatorship. Yet even they have warm words for him. Mr. Gorbachev's reformist critics fall into two camps. One is composed of radicals who favor the breakup of the Soviet Union. They, along with those who cheer them on from outside, call for Mr. Gorbachev's overthrow. But they've always underestimated his radicalism and his perseverance, while overestimating their own support. The other camp consists of reformers who have grown disenchanted with the pace of change. They fear that he has been co-opted by apparatchiks who identify freer speech and markets with chaos. But these critics do not include Mr. Shevardnadze or Mr. Yakovlev. The real enemy, they still say, is not Mr. Gorbachev but the forces of reaction deeply entrenched in Moscow's ministries, the security forces, Communist Party apparatus and regional military commands. "We are witnessing the rise of a vengeful and merciless conservative wave," Mr. Yakovlev said last week. "I'm extremely worried by the indifference and fatigue of the democratic forces." Now both he and Mr. Shevardnadze are on the outside looking in. And both may have lost power on what is now the central issue confronting Mr. Gorbachev -- how to reconstitute the Union. Both men favor decentralization to allow reformers in the Russian Republic to plunge ahead, while republics in Central Asia proceed more slowly. And they want to cede more power to the republics as a way for leaders who favor the Union to head off independence movements. The exceptions are the Baltic republics; Mr. Yakovlev admits that they were forcibly incorporated into the Soviet Union, implying they eventually deserve independence. Such fine distinctions seem to be lost on Mr. Gorbachev just now. The immediate task, as he sees it, is to restore order. And to do so he has turned to the bureaucracy, the military and the K.G.B. The great fear -- not only in Moscow but also in Washington -- is that Mr. Gorbachev's alliance of convenience will restore the reactionaries and torpedo reform. That could happen. But the social revolution has moved too far for any lasting return to the days of Stalin, or even Brezhnev. No longer a peasant society, the Soviet Union is increasingly urban, educated and cosmopolitan. Mr. Gorbachev knows all that, and more: he knows that technological accomplishment cannot proceed without freer discussion and that social renewal cannot come without relaxing central command. For now, and as long as the transformation of the Soviet Union continues, it still warrants America's watchful encouragement.

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WATCH ABOVE: The National Lacrosse League and the Professional Lacrosse Players' Association have yet to reach a new collective bargaining agreement, threatening the start of the 2019 season. Ryan Flaherty reports. The National Lacrosse League (NLL) announced Thursday it reluctantly has no choice but to cancel the first two weekends of the 2018-19 season due to a labour dispute with its players. NLL has been negotiating with the Professional Lacrosse Players’ Association (PLPA) — the exclusive bargaining agent for players — and a collective bargaining agreement has not been reached. League officials said the PLPA has instructed its players not to attend training camps or submit to physicals. The players have followed these instructions which has made it impossible for the teams to form rosters or otherwise operate, the NLL said in a statement. All games on Dec. 1 and Dec. 8 have been cancelled by the league. The NLL said it has proposed a fair calculation of bonuses based on attendance growth plus a percentage increase each year to account for growth in all attendance-related revenue streams. “We have put a very good and fair offer on the table, which includes a 25 per cent increase in salary and benefits for the players,” the NLL statement said. The players’ association told Global News it’s sorry the league chose not to accept either of its two proposals and they welcome dialogue around ways to create the partnership both sides deserve. “Our proposal Wednesday would have us play under the first two years of their seven-year proposal, with the prospect of a five-year term if an agreement on the definition and application of gross average team revenue is reached by January of 2020,” the PLPA statement said. Founded in 1986, the NLL is comprised of 12 franchises in North America that include: Buffalo Bandits, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Georgia Swarm, New England Black Wolves, Philadelphia Wings, Rochester Knighthawks, San Diego Seals, Saskatchewan Rush, Toronto Rock, Vancouver Warriors and Halifax ‘18.

System Of A Down have confirmed final details of their new album. The group have announced that the first CD from their new double record ‘Mezmerize’/’Hypnotize’ will be released on May 16. The second CD, ’Hypnotize’, will follow in the autumn. A new single, ’B.Y.O.B’, is out on May 2. The album is made up of from 30 songs, which were recorded at producer Rick Rubin’s Laurel Canyon Studio in autumn last year. The album was mixed by Andy Wallace, who also mixed the band’s previous efforts ‘Toxicity’ and ‘Steal This Album!’. Additionally, the band have announced they will play a extra London date in April ahead of their June tour.

Is borrower required to pay? DEAR BENNY: We are in the final steps of completing a refinance of our barely year-old $410,000 mortgage. We were pleased with the interest-rate drop, and our local bank was generous in dropping many of the so-called "junk fees" associated with a refinance. However, we are being charged $1,007 for title insurance. When I asked our banker about this, the response was basically, "Well, yes, it is a rip-off but there is nothing we can do about it."

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has "certified" that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are working to reduce risks to civilian life in Yemen -- a key step to ensuring continued US support to the coalition. Pompeo's assessment, announced Wednesday, came even as he admitted that the US believes civilian death rates at the hands of the coalition are "far too high." Under new rules, Congress requires the certification to continue allowing US air tankers to refuel Saudi and UAE warplanes. The measure comes amid a string of high-profile coalition strikes that have killed scores of civilians, many of them children. In a statement, Pompeo noted that both Saudi Arabia and UAE "are undertaking demonstrable actions to reduce the risk of harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure resulting from military operations of these governments." On September 1, the coalition admitted that "mistakes" had been made in an August air strike that killed 40 children. The bombing on a crowded market in part of northern Yemen held by Huthi rebels killed a total of 51 people, according to the Red Cross. In an unclassified report, obtained by AFP, that accompanied Pompeo's certification, he acknowledged that the US "recognizes that civilian casualties have occurred at rates that are far too high in the Saudi-led coalition's campaign in Yemen." The Yemen conflict has triggered the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with the UN estimating that as many as 10,000 people have died, most of them civilians, since the coalition launched military operations in 2015. Twin strikes south of the rebel-held Red Sea port of Hodeida on August 23 killed 26 children, the United Nations has said. The United States has drawn sharp criticism for its ongoing support to the coalition, which also includes intelligence sharing and targeting information. In the report, Pompeo said civilian casualties must be reduced "for both strategic and moral reasons." The document points to multiple ways the coalition is trying to do this, including by avoiding hitting civilian infrastructure, keeping a "no-strike" list, and by updating rules of engagement. The Royal Saudi Air Force has also pledged to fund $750 million in US-provided training. The report notes the coalition is engaged in an "urgent and good-faith effort" to support diplomatic efforts to end the war. But aid groups slammed Pompeo's certification, saying it would ensure further civilian bloodshed. "With Secretary Pompeo's certification, the State Department demonstrated that it is blindly supporting military operations in Yemen without any allegiance to facts, moral code or humanitarian law," Oxfam America said in a statement. Brookings Institution fellow Scott Anderson said Congress must push for more information on the basis of the certification, and challenge Pompeo if this is deemed inadequate. And Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna called the certification a "farce." "The Saudis deliberately bombed a bus full of children. There is only one moral answer, and that is to end our support for their intervention in Yemen," Khanna said on Twitter. The coalition supports the internationally recognized government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, which is fighting Iran-backed Huthi rebels who seized control of Sanaa in 2014. US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis issued a separate statement endorsing the certification, saying the UAE and Saudis are making "every effort" to reduce the risk of civilian casualties and collateral damage. Mattis last month warned that US support for the coalition was "not unconditional," noting that the coalition must do "everything humanly possible to avoid any innocent loss of life." Pompeo said Washington would work closely with the coalition to ensure Saudi and UAE support for UN peace efforts and to allow unimpeded access for commercial and humanitarian relief supplies to reach Yemenis. "The Trump administration has been clear that ending the conflict in Yemen is a national security priority," Pompeo said. Long-awaited, UN-brokered peace talks between the Saudi-backed government and the Huthi rebels failed to take place as planned last week in Geneva. The Huthis said the UN had failed to guarantee the safe return of their delegation from Geneva to Sanaa and to secure the evacuation of wounded rebels to Oman.

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Riley Hunter, 39, was drafted by the Sol with the fifth overall pick in 2001. She will be able to again work with Heat halftime TV host Ron Rothstein,who coached Riley Hunter during her two seasons with the Sol. Aside from the Sol, Riley Hunter also played with the Detroit Shock, San Antonio Silver Stars, Chicago Sky and Atlanta Dream during her 13-year WNBA. She is a two-time WNBA champion and also was on Notre Dame’s 2001 NCAA championship team. Riley Hunter brings some broadcast experience to the position, as she has served as color commentator for Notre Dame women’s basketball games. She also brings front office experience, serving as the general manager for the WNBA’s San Antonio Stars from May 2016 until the team relocated to Las Vegas last year. Riley Hunter is not related to Heat president Pat Riley.

He was in the airline business. He was American. And he knew his golf. You know, he said, the American golfer who makes a first foray across the Atlantic typically goes to Scotland first. Then the golfer goes to Ireland. This, of course, begged the question: why? I’ll attempt to answer, but first an admission. I am biased because I am from Ireland and much of my youth was spent of golf courses there, one in particular, where my dad and other family members enjoyed membership. That said, I am also objective enough to know that in writing about Ireland as one of the planet’s prime golf destinations I am on very firm ground indeed, anything but a voice in the wilderness, or the rough. And here’s another thing. I have played the game all over the United States and that includes Hawaii. I have walked the walk at the likes of Augusta National and Pinehurst. I have cast an admiring eye over Pebble Beach. And yet I still close my eyes and imagine a fair Irish day on a green Irish fairway. I also imagine better shots than I’m capable of hitting, but that’s another story. At the end of this homage to Irish golf - being penned just days before the U.S. Open in a place called Erin Hills (Wisconsin) no less - I will repeat what has been said to me by more than one American golfer, this with regard to where arguably the most spectacular golf course on planet earth can be found. It’s an Irish course…of course. And, yes, this is a subjective point of view. It’s really impossible to rate a course as being “best” in the world. But “spectacular” leaves a little more wiggle room. And, as stated, the affirming with regard to this particular course opinion has been directed at yours truly more than once. I have not played this course, but have played a fair few other Irish courses that certainly rate in global terms. So let’s take a little trip around the island and name a few. First up though, it’s important to note that golf, along with a number of other sports, is an all island affair in terms of governance. There is no border in Irish golf. This fact led to all the ballyhoo a while back regarding Rory McIlroy and whether he would represent Ireland or Great Britain in the Olympics. He didn’t play in the games, but had he done so it would have been for Ireland. Rory is a pivotal figure in Irish golf in more ways than one. His foundation is a prime sponsor of the Irish Open, this year being played in Portstewart, County Derry in early July. McIlroy’s success in golf majors, along with that of Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke, both from Northern Ireland, has been instrumental in the decision to bring The Open to Royal Portrush, just down the road from Portstewart, in 2019. Padraig Harrington’s name being twice inscribed on the Claret Jug is also a factor. This return of The Open to the Antrim coast draws a link back to 1951 when the oldest of golf’s majors was played there and won by Max Faulkner, a player remembered for his preference for plus fours instead of golfing slacks. Faulkner was a standout in more ways than just dress. The story has it that after three rounds through the rolling Portrush dunes, Faulkner was signing autographs that already proclaimed himself as the winner of the tournament. True, he was six shots up after 54 holes but stranger things have happened. In this case they didn’t. I met Max Faulkner when I was a kid. He was playing at that course where I spent so much of my youth, Woodbrook, which straddles the line between Dublin and Wicklow. I remember those odd looking plus fours. Faulkner was also a nice guy, or at least a tolerant one as he was being buzzed by whippersnappers like myself eager for player monikers. Royal Portrush and Portstewart rate highly then. And in Ulster there’s another brace to add to the list of must-plays. Royal County Down for sure, and I have fond memories of a nice stroll around Rosapenna links in County Donegal, a place where you could tee off on the eighteenth at 10.30 on a midsummer’s night and, assuming no diversions into the rough, finish in a manageable gloaming. Being an island, Ireland has an abundance of links courses but also some truly beautiful parkland venues. The K Club in Kildare and Mount Juliet in Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny come to mind. In the case of the latter, there is a claim that this is the best parkland course on the island. Well, it was designed by Jack Nicklaus so that’s an argument that would be difficult to refute. Druid’s Glen in County Wicklow is definitely worth a visit. Killarney, which I have battled my way around, is for sure another as is Adare Manor in County Limerick. The aforementioned Woodbrook, which hosted a number of Ireland’s top tournaments in the 1960s and 1970s, is beside the Irish Sea but is rated a parkland course because it is fronted by mud cliffs. The wind has had its wicked way with some of the course trees, not least pines that end up leaning this way and that. Sometimes, with a quick glance at certain corners of the course, you would actually be reminded a little of Pebble Beach. It is probably fair to say that the American golfer, when thinking in terms of an Irish foray, first and foremost considers a links. No shortage of those of course. From those northern bastions mentioned above come on down the coast stopping at Rosses Point in County Sligo, Lahinch in Clare and also in the Banner County, Doonbeg and its mountainous dunes. Doonbeg has Greg Norman’s name on the designer credits. He is reputed to have turned up, cast an eye over the landscape only to proclaim that there was nothing he could do here that God had not already done. Having played Doonbeg, I would confidently second that assertion. Having played it in a fresh Atlantic wind I would throw in the devil himself for good measure. Down the coast a bit there is mighty, and mighty famous, Ballybunion with that opening tee shot that invites you to land your ball in a cemetery. A fitting metaphor for my game so when I stood on the tee I made sure that I aimed well left of the headstones. Waterville in County Kerry is another course to tackle. This was the late great Payne Stewart’s home from home. He used to tend bar in the clubhouse and was proclaimed honorary captain. There is a statue of Stewart at Waterville that is the Irish match for the bronze that can be viewed at Pinehurst in North Carolina. The Waterville website mentions that less than one percent of the world’s golf courses rate as true links courses, and that 85 percent of them can be found in Ireland and Britain. Waterville asserts that it is the greatest links in the Republic, while granting the title to Royal County Down in Northern Ireland. There would be argument over that of course, but both courses are for sure prominent in said argument. Closer to Dublin there are a fair few fine links tracks, notably Royal Dublin and Portmarnock, while down the coast a bit, in County Wicklow, there is a true gem called the European Club. But what of that as yet unnamed course so beloved by those peripatetic American eyes? Many years ago, the great journalist and broadcaster, Alistair Cooke, spun out a tease on television. At the end of the broadcast he promised that he would deliver his verdict on the woman that he believed was the most beautiful in living memory. Well, he went this way and that until the very end at which point he proclaimed his belief that the actress Ava Gardner was his one and only. Such a proclamation was certain to inspire debate of course. Every Hollywood star has a fan club. Every great golf course has a fan club. And Irish golfers will spend many a long evening arguing for this course and that course – and never quite reach a conclusion. But this assertion is based on the verdict, arguably more objective, of a slew of American golfers who have played this course, or have simply clapped eyes on it, and who have come within earshot of yours truly while announcing their verdict. So this jury is in. To describe it as the “best” course is not applicable because that invites subjective argument from here to eternity. But to describe this course as being the most stunning sight in the most spectacular setting invites greater consensus. So without further ado….Well, with just a little because the reader can have a moment to guess. The course in question can be found on a clenched fist of land off the Cork coast. I am speaking (of course!) of Old Head. This promontory peach has prompted a unanimity to a degree and pitch that I have not heard applied to any other golf course in Ireland, and from some, the world. Readers might beg to differ, but best to do that after playing Old Head which is just a few miles from Kinsale. In a way, Old Head is itself a metaphor for the entire island when it comes to golf. It reaches out into the sea from a much larger landmass, just as Ireland itself sits in the sea off a much larger landmass. Both metaphor and reality share their other worldly and spectacular natures. And that’s beyond any argument in any club house bar. We will be reminded of this very soon with the Irish Open at Portstewart, and again two years from now when The Open returns to Royal Portrush. Finally, back to that question at the top: Scotland, Ireland, Ireland again. Why? Now that’s a tough one but I suspect that the “craic,” as they say, might just be a little mightier in Hibernia than Caledonia. One to argue over a wee dram ... of Irish, of course.

Amanda Staveley has explained her infamous curry house meeting with Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley. Would-be buyer Staveley, Ashley and mutual friend Richard Desmond, a newspaper publisher, were photographed leaving a London restaurant last month. And news of the meeting raised hopes on Tyneside that a deal to sell the club was close. However, Ashley this week walked away from talks with financier Staveley. As indicated by sources close to Ashley, it wasn't a formal meeting, and Staveley has revealed that it was set up by Desmond. Photographs of the trio leaving the Hampstead restaurant were not published in a newspaper owner by Desmond. Instead, they first appeared in The Sun. Had Staveley – who was pictured smoking a cigarette – arranged for a photographer to be outside? “I would never had done that,” said Staveley. “If I had, I certainly wouldn’t have been pictured smoking. Staveley says her £250million bid for the club, which was put up for sale by Ashley in October, "remains on the table".

1. Blast the heater 2. Blast the AC 3. Turn OFF the air circulation 4. Crack open the windows a bit.

ESCONDIDO (NEWS 8) – The long-running saga over what to do with the site of the former Escondido Country Club is coming to an end after the City Council on Wednesday voted on a proposed plan to build nearly 400 homes on the shuttered property. In a 3-2 vote, the Escondido City Council approved a controversial housing development at the former country club. The fight over the development has been going on for more than five years, and it got ugly when neighbors accused the property owner of dumping chicken manure as retaliation. “From the bottom of my heart in the long run, this is going to be the best thing for us,” said Michael Morasco, Escondido City Councilmember. Last month, the Escondido Planning Commission approved Santa Monica based New Urban West’s housing development called The Villages – it would include 380 solar powered homes, a country club, a restaurant and open space on the Northwest side. “We believe that we have created the best possible plan – one that reflects that thoughtfully reflects and extremely complex set of factors,” said Jonathan Frankel. In 2014, voters rejected the plan. Three years later, the Escondido Country Club Homeowner’s Organization – ECCHO- continues to fight the scaled down project on the 106 acres and said the project is too dense. They want half the housing and remain concern about traffic. “This whole deal does not make sense. It’s an old community. It was not designed for this amount of homes,” said one resident. During the fight, the former country club that was once a jewel became overgrown with weeds, was boarded up and was infested with drugs and graffiti. A victory for supporters Wednesday night, but opponents said the fight is not over. “Our attorneys have said they are open to litigation,” said Mike Slater. The mayor voted against the project and said there were too many houses. New Urban plans to start moving dirt by the middle of next year. Now that the project was approved, they will also buy the property from Michael Schlesinger. Beverly Hills Property owner Michael Schlesinger owns the Escondido property and last week Poway voters rejected his proposal to build luxury condos at the Stoneridge Country Club.

Steve Jobs is arguably one of the most successful CEOs ever. Apple's stock price has climbed from a little over $5 in December 1996 to more than $350 this month and it's hard to imagine Apple without him at the helm. But that wasn't always the case. Jobs was ousted as CEO of the company back in 1984 only to return 12 years later. Jobs is still on a medical leave of absence that was granted back in mid-January, but COO Tim Cook told investors last week that his boss hopes to "return to his full-time role at Apple 'as soon as he can,'" according to EconMatters' Dian L. Chu. With Jobs preparing for his return to the director's seat and the first authorized biography of the CEO due out next year, EconMatters put together an infographic documenting Jobs' influence on Apple. 12 days after Apple was founded, Ronald Wayne sold his stake in the company to Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak for only $800. Today, his share would be worth about $22 billion. The Apple II was responsible for $1 million in sales per year in 1977. Today, the MacBook series generated $1 million in sales every month. In December of 1980 Apple stock was worth $4.428 per share. An Apple Macintosh in 1984 was sold for $2,495. $2,495 worth of Apple stock in 1984 would be worth $1.87 million today.

There are now conflicting reports as to whether Nancy Lanza — the mother of Newtown shooter Adam Lanza and the woman believed to be his first victim — taught at Sandy Hook Elementary, where Lanza killed 26 others, or if her relationship with the school was much more nebulous. It had been reported for much of Friday that Nancy taught at the school — and that Adam may have targeted children in her classroom — but that hypothesis got much murkier late Friday night. A former school board official in Newtown called into question earlier reports that Nancy Lanza had been connected to Sandy Hook Elementary School, possibly as part of the teaching staff. "No one has heard of her," said Lillian Bittman, who served on the local school board until 2011. "Teachers don't know her." At least one parent said Lanza's mother was a substitute teacher there. But her name did not appear on a staff list. And the law enforcement official said investigators were unable to establish any connection so far between her and the school. The New York Times' updated story still identifies Lanza as a teacher at the school, as does the Washington Post, which calls her a kindergarten teacher at Sandy Hook. The Stamford Advocate, meanwhile, cites a source that echoes that Lanza was indeed a substitute teacher there. This should be cleared up in the morning — or not.

Film producer Guneet Monga, who is all set to co-produce Suriya's next titled "Soorarai Pottru", says the southern star is one of the best actors in the country. On venturing into Tamil films, Monga said: "We are so thrilled to start our journey in Tamil cinema with none other than Suriya for our film 'Soorarai Pottru'." She praised Suriya and called him "a national icon and one of the best actors in our country". "This is truly a dream team here, with Suriya and Rajsekar Karpoorasundarapandian's 2D Entertainment and Aalif Surti and Shriram Krishnan on my maiden venture in Tamil cinema," she added. "Soorarai Pottru" is directed by Sudha Kongara. It also stars Aparna Balamurali. Suriya said: "'Soorarai Pottru' will bring together highly skilled people on one platform to entertain the audiences in a different level. We welcome Sikhya Entertainment whole-heartedly." "It's a very special film for all of us and we are kicked about it," co-producer Rajsekar Karpoorasundarapandian added.

Filed to: Whatcha Gonna Do?Filed to: Whatcha Gonna Do? Being a successful professional wrestler takes more than having the right moves in the ring, and no one knows that better than the legendary Hulk Hogan. That's why the Kinect-powered Hulk Hogan's Main Event focuses as much on winning the crowd as it does winning the match. Terry Gene Bollea didn't become one of the world's most iconic wrestlers by knowing how to do an Atomic Drop. He did it by becoming Hulk Hogan, a bombastic, charismatic, and generally larger-than-life personality capable of bending a crowd to his will whether a shining red and gold hero or a black-stubbled villain. The man knows how to put on a show. Hopefully he knows how to put on a game as well. In Hulk Hogan's Main Event, developed by Panic Button for Majesco, the Impact Wrestling superstar takes players' custom characters under his meaty wing, guiding them on the path to stardom. He'll coach them on his signature poses as well as more than 30 wrestling combos using MIcrosoft's Kinect sensor to measure their movements. The more dynamic their motions, the more effective their performance. Once they feel the true power of Hulkamania coursing through their veins players are sure to dominate the game's nine increasingly lavish venues. It even supports two-player tag team matches, complete with virtual metal chairs and ladders, which certainly won't lead to anyone getting seriously hurt. "Listen up, people! You will feel the power of Hulkamania when you step into this game," said Hulk Hogan. "Whether you are taking the damage or selling the pain, this game will let you unleash your inner wrestler as you hype up the crowd while putting the hurt on anyone that stands in your way!" He's right! Too long have our inner wrestlers been leashed! Too long have our wrestling games delivered the sport without the spectacle! It's time to put on the hurt! See? The guy is really good at that. Hulk Hogan's Main Event is due out this fall from Majesco. Keep an eye out for more Hulkamania during E3 early next month.

Office space has recently been renovated and is ready for occupancy. Located in the heart of downtown the space is convenient to the Post Office and local convenience store. There is plenty of off street parking with rear entrance available. This ranch offers 3 Bedrooms, 2 full baths. Enjoy the back deck for grilling & chilling on those summer days. Call today! Maticulously mantained 3 Bedroom home with a bonus family room on the first floor, and finished attic. 1st floor open floor plan with updated kitchen and Stainless steel appliance. Laundry room conveniently located off the kitchen.

Noble Prize winner Baruch Blumberg will present the 2009 Saxon Graham lecture on April 16. BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Baruch S. Blumberg, M.D., Ph.D., winner of the 1976 Nobel Prize in Medicine for discovery of the hepatitis B virus (HBV), will present a talk on "The Adventure of Science and Discovery," April 16 at 5 p.m. in Butler Auditorium in Farber Hall on the University at Buffalo's South (Main Street) Campus. Blumberg has had a major impact on worldwide public health throughout his career. He and his colleagues were responsible for developing the HBV vaccine, which has decreased HBV infection dramatically along with the incidence of liver cancer that can be caused by HBV. The virus is an important cause of disease and death in many populous nations, especially Asia and Africa. The vaccine and the diagnostic tests that followed the discovery of the virus have saved millions of lives. Blumberg is a professor of medicine and anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania and Distinguished Scientist at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. More recently, he has been involved in research at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, where he is director of the NASA Astrobiology Institute. The institute concentrates on studying the origin, evolution, distribution and future of life in the universe. Blumberg will discuss both his work with HBV and his work on astrobiology during his lecture. Among his many affiliations, Blumberg is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society and the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Sponsored by the UB Department of Social and Preventive Medicine (SPM), the lecture is part of the Saxon Graham Lectureship series. An accomplished epidemiologist, Graham chaired the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine from 1981 to 1991. He is known for his important contributions to the understanding of the impact of diet on cancer, many of which were based on studying dietary habits of Western New Yorkers. The department, an integral component of UB's School of Public Health and Health Professions, continues Graham's legacy of using epidemiologic tools in research studies to understand to the causes and prevention of diseases in human populations, especially in the Western New York community.