Durant gets first triple-double with Warriors, win over Mavs

OAKLAND, California—Kevin Durant notched his first triple-double for Golden State with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists and first in more than a year, leading the Warriors past the Dallas Mavericks 108-99 on Friday night.

Durant’s eighth career triple-double was his first since Dec. 10, 2015, against Atlanta. Klay Thompson scored 17 of his 29 points in the third quarter and finished with five 3-pointers and Stephen Curry added 14 points.

Harrison Barnes, who spent the past four seasons in a key role with Golden State, scored 25 points for Dallas against his old team.

In the first quarter, Curry (11,903) passed Purvis Short (11,894) for seventh place on the Warriors’ all-time scoring list.

Draymond Green had 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in Golden State’s ninth straight home win against the Mavericks, the Warriors’ streak longest ever.

There was some Curry vs. Curry in this one, with Stephen guarding brother Seth and vice versa for short stints.

Thompson has 78 3-pointers against the Mavs, his most against any opponent. The Warriors began 3 for 10 from long range but wound up 11 for 33.

Dirk Nowitzki, who had been questionable coming in with an illness, scored 11 points on 3-for-12 shooting in 23-plus minutes for Dallas.

Warriors reigning NBA Coach of the Year Steve Kerr, for one, is ready for 2017 given his health issues following complications from two back surgeries last year that still affect him.

But he doesn’t need to change his routine. Nor his star-studded roster.

“I’m not a resolution guy,” he said. “I go to the gym every day, I don’t just go to the gym the first 10 days of January.”

Two pairs of Stephen Curry’s special shoes were auctioned off to raise $45,201 to aid the Oakland Fire Relief fund following the deadly Dec. 2 Ghost Ship warehouse fire in nearby Oakland. The “Oakland Strong” shoes worn in a game by the MVP were taken for $30,101 by an anonymous bidder, while his pregame “Ghost Ship” grafitti-style pair went for $15,100 also to an anonymous bidder.

“I’m always very proud of Steph and all of our guys. They put some money together as a group, the team did, to donate to the fund,” Kerr said.

source: sports.inquirer.net

What it means if Trump names China a currency manipulator

WASHINGTON  — President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to name China a currency manipulator on his first day in the White House.

There’s only one problem—it’s not true anymore. China, the world’s second-biggest economy behind the United States, hasn’t been pushing down its currency to benefit Chinese exporters in years. And even if it were, the law targeting manipulators requires the U.S. spend a year negotiating a solution before it can retaliate.

Trump spent much of the campaign blaming China’s for America’s economic woes. And it’s true that the U.S-China trade relationship is lopsided. China sells a lot more to the United States than it buys. The resulting trade deficit in goods amounted to a staggering $289 billion through the first 10 months of 2016.

But in fact, for the past couple of years China has been intervening in markets to prop up its currency, the yuan, not push it lower.

What does currency have to do with the trade gap?

When China’s yuan falls against the U.S. dollar, Chinese products become cheaper in the U.S. market and American products become more costly in China.

So the U.S. Treasury Department monitors China for signs it is manipulating the yuan lower. Treasury has guidelines for putting countries on its currency blacklist. They must, for example, have spent the equivalent of 2 percent of their economic output over a year buying foreign currencies in an attempt to drive those currencies up and their own currencies down.

Treasury hasn’t declared China a currency manipulator since 1994.

What would happen if the US declared China a currency manipulator?

Probably not much, at least initially.

If Treasury designates China a currency manipulator under a 2015 law, it is supposed to spend a year trying to resolve the problem through negotiations.

Should those talks fail, the U.S. can take a number of small steps in retaliation, including stopping the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corp., a government development agency, from financing any programs in China. Trouble is, the United States already suspended OPIC operations in China years ago — to punish Beijing in the aftermath of the bloody 1989 crackdown in Tiananmen Square.

So naming China a currency manipulator is mostly “just a jaw-boning exercise,” said Amanda DeBusk, chair of the international trade department at the law firm of Hughes Hubbard & Reed and a former Commerce Department official. “There’s no immediate consequence.”



Is China guilty of using currency to help its exporters?

For years, China pretty clearly manipulated its currency to gain an advantage over global competitors. It bought foreign currencies, the U.S. dollar in particular, to push them higher against the yuan. As it did, it accumulated vast foreign currency reserves — nearly $4 trillion worth by mid-2014.

But now the Chinese economy is slowing, and Chinese companies and individuals have begun to invest more heavily outside the country. As their money leaves China, it puts downward pressure on the yuan.

The yuan has dropped nearly 7 percent against the dollar so far this year. The Chinese government has responded by draining its foreign exchange reserves to buy yuan, hoping to slow the currency’s fall. China’s reserves have dropped by $279 billion this year to $3.05 trillion.

If Beijing stepped back and let market forces determine the yuan’s level, it likely would fall even faster, giving Chinese exporters even more of a competitive edge.

So Beijing is doing the opposite of what Trump says it’s doing. Cornell University economist Eswar Prasad earlier this month called Trump’s plans to name China a currency manipulator “unmoored from reality.”

“The whole discussion is ironic,” said David Dollar, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a former official at the World Bank and U.S. Treasury Department. “It’s out of date.”

Could Trump do anything on his own?

Gary Hufbauer, an expert on trade law at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, notes that as president, Trump could nonetheless escalate any dispute over the currency on his own. Over the years, Congress has ceded the president broad authority to impose trade sanctions. Trump has threatened to slap a 45 percent tax, or tariff, on Chinese imports to punish it for unfair trade practices, including alleged currency manipulation.

Brookings’ Dollar said China likely would bring a case to the World Trade Organization “against any protectionist measures that are a violation of U.S. commitments to the WTO,” which oversees the rules of global commerce and rules on trade disputes.

Some trade analysts wonder if Trump is using the tariff threat as a negotiating tool to win concessions from China.

Whatever the U.S. motive, China has a consistent record of retaliating against trade sanctions. When the Obama administration slapped tariffs on Chinese tire imports in 2009, for instance, China lashed back by imposing a tax on U.S. chicken parts.

China’s Global Times newspaper, published by the ruling Communist Party’s People’s Daily, has already speculated that “China will take a tit-for-tat approach” if Trump’s tariffs are enacted. The paper suggested that Beijing might limit sales of Apple iPhones and Boeing jetliners in China.

“The Chinese are predictable and reliable,” DeBusk said. “If they get punched, they punch back.” TVJ

source: business.inquirer.net

Toddler swallows battery; family sues hospital

MIAMI, United States — A Florida family sued a hospital for malpractice on Wednesday, saying their baby suffered severe burns because it took too long to remove a coin-sized battery that she swallowed.

Parents Cole Parsons and Courtney Thorne said in a lawsuit that Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville should have taken out the lithium battery within two hours, which is recommended by poison control centers. They also sued Dr. David Smith, who they say downplayed the dangers. The battery was removed about five hours after the parents arrived at the hospital, the complaint said.

Nineteen-month-old Ava-Kate Parsons has undergone 20 surgeries since she swallowed the battery March 10. Her mother was at home at the time and saw as her daughter swallowed the coin battery that popped out of a remote control. She rushed to get it out, but it had gone down her throat, and she called 911.

The National Capital Poison Center, a nonprofit call center, said more than 1,900 children swallowed button batteries last year and there were 20 fatal or major incidents in children younger than 6. Those batteries are found in remote controls, calculators and other small devices.

At the hospital, the parents wanted the battery taken out right away because they worried the girl would be exposed to dangerous chemicals. But the father said Smith told them the incident was “no different than a coin in her throat.”

“He seemed pretty relaxed about the whole situation,” Parsons said. “A little while later, we learned there is an electrical burn taking place in her esophagus, and she was rushed to emergency surgery.”

The hospital did not comment on the case, citing privacy laws.

Attorney Eric Ragatz said the amount the parents are suing for is yet to be determined. He said they have spent between $300,000 and $400,000 on medical bills, not counting what they spent traveling to Boston to take Ava-Kate for treatment every two weeks. The girl’s mother, a nursing assistant, also took a leave from work and only returned part time to care for her daughter.

Parsons said doctors have told him their daughter may need to continue treatment to stretch out the esophagus well up into her teens. While other toddlers her age experiment with foods of many textures, she can only eat pureed food, which Parsons says has slowed down her growth.

“They really don’t have a lot to say about what exactly her course is going to be,” Parsons said. “We are stressed out about the unknown.” CBB

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Cancer patient donates year’s worth of pizza to food bank

NORTHAMPTON, United States — A Pennsylvania man going through treatment for colon cancer won a pizza parlor’s raffle for a year’s worth of free pies and then donated his prize to a food bank.

Thirty-six-year-old Josh Katrick, of Northampton, had just completed his eighth round of chemotherapy when he learned he was the winner of a contest sponsored by his favorite neighborhood restaurant.

After hearing of Katrick’s plans to donate the pizza to the Northampton Food Bank, the owners of Mario’s Pizza decided to double down and offer the prize to both him and the food bank.

Katrick says he’s been getting so much from family, friends and strangers during the past few months that he wanted to give back to those who could use the pizza more.

Roughly 1,200 people entered the contest.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Mortgage Insurance Vs Life Insurance

People often see their homes as their biggest investment, and naturally they want to protect that investment. On the other hand, people also worry about what would happen to their loved ones if they were no longer around to care for them. For both of these situations, there is life insurance and mortgage insurance. Both types of insurance offer benefits, but they differ in their nature and eligibility criteria. If you are considering one or both forms of insurance, here are some things that you need to be aware of before making a decision.

Life Insurance

Life insurance is a smart move for many people who have dependents. However, life insurance does not often come without a rigorous application process. Age is a critical factor in the monthly premium you pay and you often have to undergo a medical exam. If you have had any previous complications, then that could work against you. In short, the younger and healthier you are, the better your chances of getting a good premium. However, for those who don’t qualify for life insurance but still want to protect their assets, they have to look at other options.

Mortgage Insurance

Mortgage insurance is usually offered by the same lender providing you with the mortgage. This form of insurance covers your monthly mortgage payments in case you can‘t pay them with your regular income. While mortgage insurance is much easier to secure than life insurance, there is a higher cost. Also, while the premiums don’t change as time goes by, the benefits are reduced as you pay down your mortgage. If you have trouble qualifying for life insurance but still want some form of protection, then mortgage insurance might be a more practical option. However, if you change your lender, your policy will also change.

Which Is Better?

Choosing between mortgage insurance and life insurance depends on your situation. If you know that you may not qualify for life insurance then mortgage insurance may be the next best thing. That said, there are many life insurance plans that offer flexibility and require little medical examination (often just a short questionnaire). So it is best to fully explore your options.

At Northwood Mortgage, our agents can help you find the best solution for your needs. Contact us today for a free consultation and let us see how we can help you protect your assets and your loved ones.

source: northwoodmortgage.com

Chelsea, Conte standing out as normality returns to EPL

MANCHESTER, England — In one sense, normality has returned to the English Premier League after the craziness of Leicester’s improbable surge to the title last season.

The top six on Christmas Day are the teams most pundits predicted would be challenging for the title: Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United.

There’s nothing normal about Chelsea’s current form, however.

After 11 straight wins, Chelsea leads the league by six points from Liverpool, heading into the hectic period of festive fixtures that is unique to British soccer. Only once — Arsenal in 2001-02, with 13 straight wins — has a top-tier club had a longer winning streak in one season since World War II.

In the first year of the “super-coach” era in the Premier League, Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is standing head and shoulders above the rest, although it needed a September switch to his favored 3-4-3 formation to get the team to click.

With a stingy defense (two goals conceded in the last 11 games), a dynamic midfield marshalled by N’Golo Kante and a forward line led by the league’s top scorer, Diego Costa, there are no apparent weaknesses in Conte’s lineup. On current evidence, it’s hard to see how the team from southwest London can be stopped.

One thing is for sure, there’ll be no miracle sequel for Leicester in the Premier League. Languishing in 15th place in the 20-team standings, the reigning champions are closer to the relegation zone than the Champions League qualification spots.

It’s back to the heavyweights challenging for the title. And Chelsea is the big favorite.

Title Race

One factor is particularly helping Chelsea and Liverpool in their quests for the title: No European competition.

Such was the extraordinary nature of last season that neither team qualified for the Champions League or even the Europa League. That failure is now allowing them to focus purely on the domestic games, give their players more rest, and have a full week of preparation for Premier League games.

Chelsea hasn’t dropped a point since a 3-0 loss at Arsenal on Sept. 24, during which Antonio Conte changed formation to a 3-4-3 and hasn’t looked back. Like Chelsea, Liverpool has two losses so far.

Man City is in third place, a point behind Liverpool, as coach Pep Guardiola gets to grips with the physical and non-stop demands of English soccer, including no rest at Christmas. Arsenal is a further two points back on 34 points in fourth, Tottenham has 33 and Jose Mourinho’s Man United has 30. For United, some 13 points behind Chelsea, the target has already switched from winning the league to securing Champions League qualification with a top-four finish.

Chelsea has three tough away games left — at Spurs, Liverpool and United — and is proving adept at eking out 1-0 wins. Four of its last six games have finished with that scoreline, including the last three.

Pick of the Players

While Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho, Man City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante and Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez have starred in patches, Diego Costa has been the only player to have had a consistent impact this season.

Last season, the Spain striker appeared to be more interested in picking fights than scoring goals. Costa is a changed man, though, and has scored a league-high 13 goals while providing five assists.

Five of the goals were winners (against West Ham, Watford, Middlesbrough, West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace), an overhead kick earned a draw at Swansea, and another goal sparked a come-from-behind win at Man City in December.

Emerging Talent

There’s another “Harry” making a splash at White Hart Lane.

The 20-year-old Harry Winks is a central midfielder who is getting a run in Tottenham’s first team, starting four of the past eight games at the expense of internationals like Moussa Sissoko and Eric Dier. He scored against West Ham on his full league debut in November and is an intelligent passer with a good technique.

Mauricio Pochettino is renowned for giving youth players a chance to shine during his time at Southampton and now Tottenham. Harry Kane has matured into one of the best strikers in the Premier League under Pochettino, and Winks could be next in line.

Surprise Team

When it was announced in August that West Bromwich Albion had been bought out by Chinese investors, the future of manager Tony Pulis looked precarious despite his record of never having been relegated from the Premier League.

The new owners were wise to keep hold of the 58-year-old Pulis.

Away from the likely title contenders, West Brom is proving to be the best of the rest in the Premier League and at one point early in December was in the top six.

Known for setting his teams out with a solid defensive structure, Pulis has added some flair up front in forwards Nacer Chadli — a club-record signing in the offseason — and Matt Phillips, who operate behind Salomon Rondon. The Baggies have scored three or more times in four games this season, testament to their new-found attacking approach.

Points to Prove
The season started with rival coaches Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho expected to be battling it out for the title. The way things are going, they’ll be fighting just to secure Champions League qualification.

Both coaches have had tough spells in the first season with their respective clubs, with Mourinho in particular criticized for public outbursts against his players and a run of poor results over September and October. United has won its last three league games to get back on track, but a current position of sixth is not good enough.

Guardiola started his City tenure with 10 straight victories but has only won six of his next 17, raising questions about his tactics, the team’s defensive stability and whether Guardiola can get to grips with English soccer.

It will help Guardiola to have Sergio Aguero on the field. The Argentina striker has missed seven of City’s 17 league matches through suspension, and needs to make amends in the second half of the season.

source: sports.inquirer.net

NFL: Eagles prevent Giants from clinching playoff spot

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia beat the contending New York Giants 24-19 on Thursday to hand Dallas the AFC East title and put the Giants’ playoff ambitions in jeopardy.

Malcolm Jenkins had the second two-interception game of his eight-year career, returning one for a touchdown, and the Eagles snapped a five-game slide.

It put the Giants (10-5) in a more difficult spot to end a four-season playoff drought. They still hold the top wild-card position heading into their last regular-season game at Washington.

New York can still clinch a playoff spot this weekend if Detroit, Green Bay, Tampa Bay or Atlanta loses.

New York quarterback Eli Manning was inconsistent with his throws all night. On Jenkins’ second interception, the throw was woefully short.

The Giants came up short because they fell behind early and didn’t catch up.

The return of Philadelphia (5-9) right tackle Lane Johnson from a 10-game suspension paid dividends immediately. Twice Johnson wiped out the left side of New York’s defensive line, with his block helping spring Darren Sproles for a 25-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 lead.

It was 14-0 1:28 later when Manning’s short pass to Will Tye was way too soft. Jenkins cut in front of the tight end to intercept and then romped down the right side for a 34-yard score.

Two field goals by Giants kicker Robbie Gould trimmed the deficit but Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz found the seldom-used Nelson Agholor wide open for a 40-yard touchdown and a 21-6 edge.

Manning finally found his touch on the last drive of the first half, with a 29-yard connection to Victor Cruz keying an 84-yard mark. Shepard slipped past Jenkins’ bump at the line to score from 13 yards for a 21-13 deficit.

It was all field goals in the second half — and some more imprecise throws by Manning.

The Giants had a late chance to snatch victory when they got the ball back with 1:31 left but Terrence Brooks made an interception with 5 seconds to go to seal the result.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Instant videos now available to Viber users

Viber has launched a new video feature to its standard video, voice, and chat functionality. Users will now be able to send instant videos within the chat window.

The new functionality has been integrated into the chat window and can be accessed by swiping the voice message button. Videos are limited to only 30 seconds, cropped into a circular shape, and has no expiration date, reports The Next Web.

Apart from video chat, the update also gives Viber further integration with third-party services. These include Wikipedia, TheMovieDB, and Giphy. Emoticons have also been redesigned.

Michael Shmilov, COO of Viber, said “With the addition of Chat Extensions, people can now access a variety of external services directly from their chat screen, search, and instantly share content with their friends.” Alfred Bayle

source: technology.inquirer.net

Give your Loved Ones a Hurom Slow Juice Squeeze This Christmas

The feasting has already begun, and there will be more as you make the round of holiday parties and reunions before the year is over. Then there’s that steady line of food gifts, likely sweet and decadent pastries most often than not that may be too tempting to resist. Of course this is the season of indulgences, but it’s time to mitigate that with a delicious squeeze. It’s time to apply a full court press…of slow juicing.

The best gift we can give and indeed receive Christmas is the gift of health, because without it, we can’t enjoy all the beautiful things that come with the season such as waking up early for dawn masses and staying up late to watch the various Christmas light shows and displays. For this you need stamina, but the weather and the stress doesn’t necessarily make it easy for a lot of us to be in the pink of health.

A gift of Hurom is not just a gift of health for Christmas, it’s for life. It’s a good idea to start drinking delicious, healthy juices now rather than making a New Year’s resolution in January next year. Besides, more fruits become readily available this season. You know you can’t eat all those 12 fruits people try to gather for a prosperous year ahead, you can, however, juice them and have the healthiest fruit punch to pass around.

Hurom Slow Juicers are the product of 40 years or research and development. The difference is in the squeeze. Normal juicers with high-speed blades shred fruits and vegetables, which damage the natural enzymes of the plant, but Hurom has the patented slow juice technology that presses the juice and keeps the taste and nutrition as close to its most natural state. You can even see the difference in the color. Hurom juices retain their natural color, and a microcospic inspection of the juice shows that the fruits have kept their cellular structure. Hurom Slow Juicers are made of materials like ultem, tritan, and stainless steel, some of which are used to build spaceships. They also come with a long lasting AC motor. Hurom juicers produce a higher yield of juice. They want you to get every last squeeze of healthy, unprocessed juice that you can consume immediately or keep for 72 hours.

Versatility is also something Hurom has taken a lot into consideration. It’s easy to juice luscious fruits, but even crisp greens like kale and spinach are juiced to their maximum with a Hurom Slow Juicer. They also make superior nut milks such as almond, which needs high performing juicing. Asians tend have a higher degree of lactose intolerance in their systems, which makes this a really handy tool for those who need milk substitutes, or indeed just because nut milks in themselves just taste delicious.

With a Hurom juicer, you can confidently pick and choose from a wide range of ingredients. You can also make smoothies, ice-cream and sorbets, using the freshest and healthiest ingredients.

Safety in juicing is something Hurom has gone to great lengths to ensure. Hurom juicers are 100% BPA free and come without any blades or sharp parts, making it safe even for children to use. Over a million customers in more than 70 countries make juice with a Hurom juicer, making Hurom the global leader. Don’t miss out!

2016 New Hurom H-AA Series Slow Juicers are available in Abenson, Anson Link, Duty Free, Gourdo’s, Rustan’s, Landmark, Metro Gaisano, Royal Duty Free, S&R, SM Appliance, SM Home, True Value, and Western Appliances. To learn more about Hurom Slow Juicers, visit the official website at www.hurom.com and follow us on our social media accounts: (Facebook) http://www.facebook.com/huromphofficial, and (Twitter & Instagram) @HuromPHofficial. You may contact directly to hotlines (+632) 926-8038 / (+632) 926-8009. ADVT

source: technology.inquirer.net

Blasters ablaze, ‘Rogue One’ dominates in opening weekend

LOS ANGELES, United States — The latest blockbuster episode in the “Star Wars” anthology dominated weekend box offices in North America, humbling another popular Disney film, “Moana,” according to industry estimates.

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” raked in $155 million for the three-day weekend, Exhibitor Relations said. It has brought in $290 million globally, and has yet to open in the vast Chinese market.

The North American figure was less than last year’s $248 million weekend opening of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” but still ranked the new film as 12th among all-time openings and third-best this year, according to Forbes.

“The movie lived up to expectations,” said Paul Dergarabedian, an analyst with comScore. Based on the success of these latest two films, “The next film in the Star Wars saga has the potential to claim the title as the biggest movie of all time,” he said.

“Rogue One” blew away the $11.7 million weekend take of second-place film “Moana,” the computer-animated musical fantasy about a brave Polynesian teenager, which had ruled the box office for three straight weekends and has grossed $161.8 million to date.

Produced by Lucasfilm and directed by Gareth Edwards, “Rogue One” stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna and Forest Whitaker. The first stand-alone chapter in the Star Wars epic — it is set shortly before the events of the original 1977 film — it tells the story of Rebel Alliance fighters trying to steal plans for the Empire’s feared Death Star.

Placing third in weekend box offices was “Office Christmas Party,” a Paramount comedy starring Jennifer Aniston, which took in $8.4 million.

Fourth was the Warner Bros. film “Collateral Beauty,” which notched $7 million in its opening weekend. With an ensemble cast including Will Smith, Kate Winslet, Keira Knightley and Helen Mirren, it tells the story of a man trying to cope with his daughter’s death.

In fifth place was the Harry Potter spin-off “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” which chalked up $5 million, for a total so far of $207.6 million. Based on a 2001 book by J.K. Rowling, the Warner Bros. film stars Eddie Redmayne as a wizard in 1920s New York.

Rounding out the top 10 films were:

“Manchester by the Sea” ($4.2 million)

“La La Land” ($4 million)

“Arrival” ($2.8 million)

“Doctor Strange” ($2 million)

“Nocturnal Animals” ($1.4 million)

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

The Philippine’s Catriona Gray finishes Miss World in Top 5

Filipino bet Catriona Gray finished in the Top 5 of the 2016 Miss World pageant in Maryland in the United States on Sunday night (Monday in Manila), sustaining the country’s impressive performance in the international pageant scene.

Stephanie del Valle of Puerto Rico was proclaimed as the winner, besting 116 other aspirants. She received the crown from last year’s winner Mireia Lalaguna from Spain.

Former Miss Universe Top 10 finisher Yaritza Reyes from the Dominican Republic was first runner up, while Natasha Mannuela from Indonesia was second runner up.

Also finishing in the Top 5 is Evelyn Thungu of Kenya.

Megan Young, the first Miss World winner from the Philippines, was the host of the global tilt’s 66th edition. She has been hosting the international contest since 2014. CBB

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Winter storm slams parts of US, causes accidents, deaths

A winter storm of snow, freezing rain and bone-chilling temperatures socked the nation’s mid-section and East Coast on Saturday, causing hundreds of accidents on icy roads and putting a crimp on Christmas shopping.

At least six deaths were blamed on the slick roads and authorities were investigating a few other traffic fatalities as possibly weather-related. Perhaps the biggest accident happened in Baltimore, when a tanker carrying gasoline skidded off a highway and exploded, authorities said.

Two people died in the 55-vehicle pileup on Interstate 95, Baltimore City Fire Chief Roman Clark said. Hospital officials said nearly two dozen people were treated for injuries including broken bones and head trauma.

“We have nothing but sheets of ice throughout the city, sidewalks,” [Baltimore City Fire Chief Roman Clark] said.

Clark said it was too early to determine the cause of the crash.

“We have nothing but sheets of ice throughout the city, sidewalks,” he said.

It was unclear whether the pileup started before the tanker crash or was caused by it. The northbound lanes of I-95 were closed while crews cleaned up the mess.

Winter weather advisories were posted from Denver to Bangor, Maine. Airports reported hundreds of flight delays or cancellations, interstates and toll roads reduced speed limits and authorities urged drivers to use extreme caution.

“My family has a Christmas party … and I was hoping to make it to that tonight, but that’s not going to happen anymore,” the 23-year-old [Luke Perez] said.

The nasty weather put a damper on holiday plans for Luke Perez, who was hoping to make it home to Los Angeles on Saturday for a family party. Perez’s flight out of D.C., where he is in graduate school, was canceled, so he said he’s going to try again Sunday or Monday.

“My family has a Christmas party … and I was hoping to make it to that tonight, but that’s not going to happen anymore,” the 23-year-old said.

There were dozens of crashes in Indiana — two of them involving fatalities — due to freezing rain and ice, officials said. It was not immediately clear how many people were killed. The roads were so slick that authorities had to move motorists stranded on an overpass with a ladder.

In Ohio, a Columbus woman died Saturday when her car skidded off a slick road, authorities said. In another accident in Baltimore, six people were taken to the hospital after a crash on I-695 involving 15 to 20 vehicles, Baltimore County tweeted. In Nebraska, Douglas County Sheriff’s deputies said one person was killed Friday night when his car slid off an icy road north of Omaha, hit a tree and burst into flames.

“I worked for the fire department for 45 years, and we used to call this highway hockey because people keep bumping into each other,” said Kevin Sweeney, of Brighton, a town about 20 miles northeast of Denver. “I think it’s that first big snow thing.”

Temperatures plummeted and people braced for the cold. Temperatures in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area were expected to drop to minus-20 degrees overnight. People were advised to stay indoors for the weekend. The low temperature was expected to reach 4 degrees in Chicago on Sunday.

In Virginia, a Fairfax County fire truck slid off an icy road while responding to a crash, local news media reported. No one was injured.

Meanwhile, more than three dozen crashes and a fatality were reported in the northern part of the state, authorities said. Police said a man was found dead on the side of I-495, about a mile from a 23-vehicle crash. It appears the man was involved in the crash and had walked away from disabled vehicle. It wasn’t immediately clear how the man died.

In Colorado, up to a foot of snow fell in places, snarling traffic. Even weather-hardened locals apparently had trouble driving.

“I worked for the fire department for 45 years, and we used to call this highway hockey because people keep bumping into each other,” said Kevin Sweeney, of Brighton, a town about 20 miles northeast of Denver. “I think it’s that first big snow thing.”

In North Carolina, police and emergency workers reported more than 100 crashes overnight in Raleigh and Charlotte as the drizzle combined with temperatures below freezing to create dangerous icy patches.

Charlotte police reported two people killed in separate fatal crashes early Saturday, although investigators were still trying to figure out if ice caused the wrecks. CBB/rga

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Costa heads leader Chelsea to 11th Premier League win in row

LONDON — Demonstrating their efficient transformation under Antonio Conte, Chelsea’s players reeled off an 11th successive victory in a Premier League season for the first time Saturday.

Diego Costa’s header secured a 1-0 win at struggling Crystal Palace, sending the leaders nine points clear of Liverpool and Arsenal.

It came on the first anniversary of Jose Mourinho being fired with the west London club a point above the relegation zone. Apparent harmony in the dressing room has replaced the “palpable discord” with the players which triggered Mourinho’s exit.

Although the wins are racking up, Chelsea might soon pay for its inability to kill off games with the Palace success completing a hat trick of 1-0 victories.

The defense, though, is watertight under Conte, keeping nine clean sheets in the winning run that started after a 3-0 humbling at Arsenal and the switch to a three-man defense.

“The manager must be a tailor and try and find the right fit for the team,” said Conte, the former Italy and Juventus coach. “For sure, for me, it wasn’t easy to arrive and understand very quickly the characteristics of my players. I needed a bit of time.

“I tried a different solution before changing the formation, but I think the most important thing is the mentality, our strong mentality. Also hard work during the week — tactical work, physical work, analysis.”

With mist descending on the Selhurst Park field, the only goal in the lunchtime kickoff came from Chelsea’s first attempt on target in the 43rd minute.

Costa rose above Scott Dann to meet Cesar Azpilicueta’s cross and net his 13th goal of the season. The Spain forward has eclipsed last season’s haul for Chelsea before the halfway point has been reached.

“If we’d arrived here today without the right concentration and focus, the will to fight and go into battle with your opponents, we’d have lost this game for sure,” Conte said. “Instead, we have great quality but the players are putting that quality into the team.”

Chelsea, though, will have to cope without Costa at home to Bournemouth on Dec. 26. Chelsea’s top-scorer picked up a fifth booking of the season for a tackle on Joe Ledley before scoring.

Midfielder N’Golo Kante, who also accumulated five yellow cards with his second-half caution, also has two weeks off before the New Year’s Eve game against Stoke.

Palace manager Alan Pardew might also have an enforced break — unless results improve. Chelsea condemned Palace to an eighth loss in 10 games to leave the south London club three points above the relegation zone.

“Chelsea are very sound defensively and didn’t really give us any chance to get at them as much as we’d have liked,” Pardew said. “They were confident in their defending, (with) good shape and discipline to their actions, and did enough offensively to edge it.”

Chelsea equaled the 2009 team’s 11-match winning run set across two seasons in 2009.

Arsenal’s 14-match winning run in 2002 remains a Premier League record — for now. –Rob Harris/AP

source: sports.inquirer.net

FB Messenger debuts new camera app with Snapchat features

After Instagram shamelessly took a page out of Snapchat’s book, it’s Facebook Messenger’s turn to get into the ‘Stories’ trend.

The universally acclaimed Facebook messaging app has rolled out a new update that rivals Snapchat’s most prominent feature of expiring and customizable photos and videos, according to Tech Crunch.

Aside from communicating with friends through chat, Messenger users can now also add stickers, emojis, masks frames and other form of filters to their snaps, through the new feature called ‘My Day’.

Despite its seemingly blatant duplication of another app, Facebook added innovative features—including the option of enabling users to create their own masks instead of just relying on default presets.

An algorithm that creates new text filters based on the user’s preference is added as well. Still, its most unique offer is a stylized camera button which notifies users about fresh effects to try out.

It also directs focus on the image-taking process by capturing images first before giving users the choice of handpicking the recipients that could view the material.

The update, meanwhile, is among Facebook’s latest salvo to convince users to see Messenger not just as an app for text, but also as an alternative platform for photos and selfies.

The new Messenger camera is out today, for both iOS and Android users. Khristian Ibarrola

source: technology.inquirer.net

New macOS update does away with ‘time remaining’ battery estimate

One of the most difficult things to gauge is the exact estimate of how long the battery life of electronic devices last, and Apple has found an interesting way to deal with this unpredictability.

In its latest update out today, tech giant macOS Sierra10.12.2  has completely eliminated the “time remaining” estimate that shows up in the battery icon near the status bar.

According to a report from The Verge, the move came after many reviews of Apple’s latest laptops found fault with the fluctuating results on its battery meter.

This, along with the modern processor’s erratic ability to ramp power up and down in response to different tasks, made it harder to generate an accurate and steady estimate.

Furthermore, it seems that Apple has also failed on its guarantee of about 10-hour battery ceiling on its new laptops, as even the Verge’s own editor reportedly could not even log six hours of battery life.

As of this writing, Apple has yet to release a statement on its latest update, and it remained unclear if they would offer an alternative.  Khristian Ibarrola

source: technology.inquirer.net

Publicist: Actor Alan Thicke dies at age 69

A publicist says Alan Thicke, who played the likable father on the sitcom “Growing Pains,” has died at age 69.

Carleen Donovan, who is a publicist for Thicke’s son, singer Robin Thicke, says the actor died from a heart attack on Tuesday in Los Angeles. She had no further details.

Alan Thicke starred as Dr. Jason Seaver in the ABC series “Growing Pains,” which aired from 1985 until 1992. The Canadian-born actor had a prolific career, including cameos in recent years on the comedy “How I Met Your Mother” and the Netflix series “Fuller House.” He was also a frequent pitchman for ads on Sirius.

Thicke’s “Growing Pains” role is among the most beloved television dads of all time. He played a psychiatrist raising his children along with his wife, played by Joanna Kerns. Seaver’s oldest son, Mike, played by Kirk Cameron, was a constant source of trouble for the family.

Thicke was born in Ontario, Canada, in 1947 and was a popular Canadian talk show host before making his name in the United States. He was nominated for three Emmy Awards for his work in the late 1970s as a writer for Barry Manilow’s talk show, and later for a satirical take on the genre in the variety show “America 2-Night.”

He was also the composer of several popular theme songs, including the original theme to “The Wheel of Fortune,” and shows such as “The Facts of Life” and “Diff’rent Strokes.” TVJ

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Oops! Laine shoots into own goal, costing Jets vs Oilers

EDMONTON, Alberta — Patrik Laine has scored a lot of big goals in his first NHL season, including a few game-winners.

His latest was anything but.

Laine shot the puck into his own net midway through the third period, costing the Winnipeg Jets in a 3-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday night.

Edmonton’s Mark Letestu was credited with his second goal of the game when Laine fired the rebound of Letestu’s slap shot directly into his own wide-open cage.

“I think everybody saw what happened. That’s my comments,” said the Finnish rookie, who has 17 goals in his first 32 NHL games. “It was just a bad position for me. An unfortunate goal.”

Captain Blake Wheeler put an arm around Laine to console him when he returned to the bench.

“He’s 18 years old. He feels terrible,” Wheeler said. “These things happen. I’ve done it many times.”

Oscar Klefbom also scored and Cam Talbot made 29 saves for the Oilers.

Mathieu Perreault and Chris Thorburn had goals for the Jets, who have now lost four straight games. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 27 shots.

Winnipeg started the scoring with 5:10 left in the first period. Bryan Little’s tip went off the post, but Perreault got two whacks at it, eventually sweeping it in past Talbot.

Edmonton came close late in the first on a power play, but Jordan Eberle’s one-timer hit the crossbar behind Hellebuyck.

The Oilers tied the game about two minutes into the second period when a huge rebound from Tyler Pitlick’s shot came to Klefbom, who hammered in his fifth of the season.

Winnipeg regained the lead with 8 minutes to play in the second when Thorburn scored on a nice feed in front from Marko Dano.

Edmonton appeared to pull even again two minutes later, but Zack Kassian’s breakaway goal was overturned for offsides on review.

The Oilers made it 2-2 2:28 into the third period on the power play when Connor McDavid set up Letestu for a goal in front.

That set up Edmonton’s fortunate break, when Laine one-timed the puck with some authority into his own cage. Laine appeared surprised when the rebound of Letestu’s shot came his way, quickly putting a second hand on his stick and smacking at the puck, possibly in an attempt to clear it out of the zone.

“Every guy in the National Hockey League’s got a goal like that,” Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice said. “Every defenseman, it goes in off them, so he has a story to tell.”

Five of Letestu’s six goals this season have come against Winnipeg.

“I can’t really explain it,” Letestu said. “The puck just goes in on certain nights. I think it’s just coincidental that it’s been against this team. A really lucky third goal and on the power play, Connor (McDavid) finds me in a good spot.”

NOTES: It was the third and final meeting between the two teams this season. The Oilers won both previous games in Winnipeg, shutting out the Jets 3-0 at the Heritage Classic in October, and then won the second game 6-3 to start December. … Winnipeg’s Brandon Tanev leads all NHL rookies in hits, coming into the contest with 74 in 30 games.

UP NEXT

Jets: Are off until Thursday night, when they host Florida.

Oilers: Remain at home to play Columbus on Tuesday night.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Southampton hangs on for 1-0 win vs Middlesbrough

SOUTHAMPTON, England — Southampton managed to end a miserable week on a high after holding on to just its second Premier League victory in seven games with a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough at St. Mary’s Stadium on Sunday.

Midfielder Sofiane Boufal opened the scoring for the home side when he slotted a James Ward-Prowse pass into the top left corner past Middlesbrough goalkeeper Victor Valdes in the 53rd minute.

It was the first meeting between the sides in the top flight since 2005.

The Saints were swept aside 3-0 by Crystal Palace last weekend before crashing out of the Europa League following a home draw against Israeli side Hapoel Beer Sheva on Thursday.

The win moves Southampton into 10th in the league while Middlesbrough is 16th, three points clear of the relegation places.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Fed to raise rates as Trump economy looms

WASHINGTON, United States — There is little room for doubt that the US Federal Reserve will raise the benchmark interest rate in the coming week for only the second time in a decade.

With unemployment at a nine-year low, jobs being created at an average of 180,000 per month, the economy growing at better than three percent in the most recent quarter and some signs of a pickup in inflation, the writing is on the wall.

Some members of the Federal Open Market Committee, which sets the key federal funds rate, the basis for mortgage and lending rates, have even cautioned that failing to raise rates in December could harm the central bank’s credibility, given expectations set by policymakers in recent months.

“All the necessary and sufficient conditions are there,” Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, told AFP.

With a rate hike assumed, the question remains whether Wednesday’s move will be the first in a series.

That was what central bankers thought was going to happen a year ago, when they announced the start of the “normalization” of interest rates after keeping them at zero in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.

‘Normalization’ under Trump?

But the Fed’s efforts to turn the page on monetary stimulus with gradual tightening quickly went off track, despite forecasts for up to four rate hikes in 2016.

Seven times this year, the FOMC declined to raise rates, impeded by poor US economic data, Britain’s shock June vote to exit the European Union, and above all by fears of interrupting a fragile recovery.

And analysts said there were no guarantees 2017 would see the beginning of a tightening cycle either, given uncertainties in geopolitics and the yet-to-be-determined policies of President-elect Donald Trump, who shocked the world last month by winning the US election while offering proposals scant on specifics.

A Wall Street Journal poll of economists this week put the Federal funds rate at an average of 1.26 percent by December 2017, implying four rate increases. A Reuters poll projects three rate increases.

Stocks have rallied since Trump’s win, with major indices repeatedly setting records on investor expectations that Trump will cut taxes and offer fiscal stimulus, including infrastructure spending — programs the would fuel growth and inflation, and make rate hikes more likely.

The ratings agency Fitch also said it expected US debts and deficits to rise under a likely Trump stimulus plan.

But William Dudley, the influential FOMC vice chair and president of the New York Federal Reserve Bank, said in a speech Monday that Trump’s victory created “considerable” uncertainty and it was too early to say whether the Fed’s plan for gradual tightening would have to be adjusted.

Shifting dynamics in Washington

Fed futures do not expect a sudden rush of higher rates: the CME FedWatch tool does not forsee a 2017 rate hike before June.

Zandi of Moody’s Analytics said he was looking for three rate increases next year, with policymakers waiting at least until spring to see what the Trump administration would do.

But the upset Trump victory changed things, he said.

“With the election, I think the political dynamics have shifted,” said Zandi, who in June produced a report critical of Trump policy proposals. “I think there’s a good chance that we get some form of fiscal stimulus next year that’s deficit financed.”

“That argues for a more rapid normalization of interest rates,” he said. “I’m sure we’ll have reticent Republicans who don’t want to deficit spend. I think they’ll be more willing to buy into the argument that the stimulus that Trump proposes will lead to supply-side benefits, to a bigger economy.”

But Zandi said uncertain geopolitical developments on the horizon — far right victories in European elections and threats to European integration for example — could throw the Fed off track again.

Jim Glassman, managing director and chief economist for commercial banking at JP Morgan Chase, said he believed the Fed missed an opportunity by putting off rate hikes in 2016 as its worst fears failed to materialize.

“I think the economy’s doing fine,” he told AFP. “The Fed taking its foot off the gas is not going to derail the US economy.” CBB

source: business.inquirer.net

James reaches another milestone in Cavs win over Hornets

CLEVELAND — Standing at midcourt, LeBron James spun the ball on his index finger as the final seconds ticked off the clock.

He had the Hornets turning in circles all night.

James scored 17 of his season-high 44 points in the fourth quarter and reached another career milestone as the Cleveland Cavaliers won their fourth straight, 116-105 over Charlotte on Saturday.

James did it all, making five 3-pointers and adding 10 assists and nine rebounds in 43 minutes. He took over in the fourth, scoring 13 straight during one stretch to help the Cavs hold on.

“A lot of our guys had heavy legs tonight and it was up to me to get through it,” he said.

“He carried us,” teammate Kevin Love said. “I kept telling him, ‘Take us home.'”

James, who moved into ninth place on the career scoring list Friday, recorded his 7,000th assist in the first half, becoming the first frontcourt player in NBA history to reach the plateau.

The 31-year-old is the only player with 27,000 points, 7,000 assists and 7,000 rebounds.

“I don’t know what to say,” James said when asked about the achievement. “That’s the triple threat of me. To rebound, to pass, to put the ball in the hole a little bit. It’s just an honor. I’m just blessed. To be the only one to put up those numbers is pretty cool because this is the game I love. It’s the game I watched my whole life growing up, so it’s incredible.”

Cleveland shot a season-best 58 percent from the field and beat Charlotte for the sixth straight time at home.

Kemba Walker scored 24 to pace the Hornets, playing the first of five consecutive road games. Walker sat out the final few minutes after banging knees with James.

“It’s not bad at all,” said Walker, who had a sleeve over his left knee. “At the moment it looked pretty bad, but I’m good. I was coming off a ball screen and he ran into me.”

Charlotte coach Steve Clifford knew his team was going to have trouble defending the Cavs if the reigning NBA champions were clicking.

Once James warmed up, there wasn’t much the Hornets could do.

“He passed. He rebounded. He made 3s. He was great going to the basket,” Clifton said. “He was phenomenal. He made three or four 3s that he’s going to make. You can’t block them. You can’t contest them. When he’s shooting the ball like that there’s nothing you can do, other than blitz, and that’s what he wants you to do, and then he really makes you look bad.”

The Cavs were on target from the start, shooting 71 percent while building a 12-point lead in the first quarter. Cleveland stayed around 70 percent for most of the first half and had a 15-point lead at halftime.

The Hornets cut it to three in the third, but James countered with a pair of 3s in a span of 25 seconds, straddling the arc after the second make while looking in the direction of Clifford, who was calling a timeout.

NO REST

Cavs coach Tyronn Lue intends to rest James at some point, but not on a night when Kyrie Irving said he was tired.

“I didn’t want to play LeBron this many minutes, but he came and said, ‘Coach, I’m fine,'” Lue said. “Then, he started raining 3s. We had to ride him tonight.”

TIP-INS

Hornets: Nicolas Batum is one of five NBA players averaging at least 13 points, 7.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists. James, Russell Westbrook, Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden are the others. Of that group, Batum came in averaging the fewest turnovers (2.3). … Walker entered with the second-most 3-pointers (61) in the Eastern Conference. Only Toronto’s Kyle Lowry had made more. … Charlotte’s trip includes stops in Indiana, Washington, Boston and Atlanta. The Hornets won’t play at home again until Dec. 20 when they host the Lakers.

Cavaliers: Irving scored only 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting. … J.R. Smith returned after missing two games with a hyperextended left knee and scored six points in 32 minutes. … Irving joined James and Mark Price as the only players in Cleveland history with 600 career 3-pointers. … Cleveland improved to 41-10 at home against Charlotte. … Olympic gold medal gymnast Simone Biles, an Ohio native, was introduced during a timeout in the first quarter. … F Channing Frye missed his second straight game to attend his father’s funeral.

UP NEXT

Hornets: At Indiana on Monday.

Cavaliers: Host Memphis on Tuesday before flying to Tennessee to face the Grizzlies again on Wednesday.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Joe Jonas, ‘Game of Thrones’ star Sophie Turner now dating

Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner are officially a couple.

According to People, the “Jonas Brothers” singer and the “Game Of Thrones” actress are happily in a relationship.

“They’re dating exclusively. He was playing the field, but he really likes her and is willing to settle down for her,” a source mentioned to the news site. The couple was reportedly sighted dating in several places–they attended a wedding in Malibu, California, and attended several parties together.

Although the Jonas brother, 27, is not “going to be a one-woman guy right now,” the source spilled that 20-year-old Turner, who plays the role of Sansa Stark in the series, has been crushing on him.

Last June, they were spotted sweetly kissing at a concert in the Netherlands and in London a few days ago. The source added, “She’s always been into him, but he’s starting to like her more and more.”

Jonas previously dated Gigi Hadid, who is now cozy with boyfriend Zayn Malik. Gianna Francesca Catolico

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Google safety app lets loved ones keep track of your whereabouts

A new app from Google allows families and close friends to keep track of their loved ones to know if they are doing fine and are safe.

Once installed, the app lets users add “trusted” individuals into a list that would enable them to monitor their loved ones’ status should they be in unsafe places or doing activities like solo hiking. A trusted contact may also request for a user’s location in the event that the user has not kept in touch for an extended period of time. If safe, users can simply deny the request.

The app also works when the user’s smartphone is offline. Trusted contacts may send a location request and it will show the user’s last known location before the device went offline.

Thanks to the app’s real-time tracking system, as long as a user is online he/she can ask a trusted contact to monitor his progress when going through a particularly dangerous area.

The Trusted Contacts app can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. The iOS version is not yet available, but prospective users may ask to be notified once the app is ready on the Apple App Store.  Alfred Bayle

source: technology.inquirer.net

Warriors bounce back to rout Suns

Stephen Curry finished with 31 points as the Golden State Warriors extended their league record streak of games without consecutive defeats with a dominating 138-109 win over the Phoenix Suns.

The Warriors have now gone 106 games without back-to-back losses as they rebounded Saturday from a 132-127 double overtime defeat two night earlier to the Houston Rockets.

The Warriors shot a season-high 62.8 percent from the field against the Suns, just shy of their franchise record of 63.6 percent.

“It’s an incredible mark of consistency,” head coach Steve Kerr said of the Warriors’ streak.

They also shot 66.7 from three point range, going 14 of 21 as Klay Thompson made six of seven from long range and Curry was five of seven in front of a crowd of 19,500 at Oracle Arena.

Thompson finished with 26 points and Draymond Green had a season-high 13 assists, nine points and five rebounds for the Warriors, who improved to 17-3.

Kevin Durant added 20 points and eight assists. David West had a season-high 10 points off the bench, going five of five from the field.

Eric Bledsoe led the Suns with 27 points and Devin Booker had 21. Brandon Knight scored 14 points off the bench. Phoenix made 11 of 32 three-point shots.

The Warriors built a nine-point halftime lead and then dominated the Suns 42-27 in the third quarter to take a 108-84 advantage into the fourth. They set a season high for third-quarter points and scored the second-most points in any quarter this season.

Curry had 20 points in the third quarter, going six of nine from the field and three of four from long range.

He nailed a three-point shot to put the Warriors ahead 91-67 with 4:43 left in the third. Curry drained another from long range with 2:30 remaining, giving the Warriors a 30-point lead at 101-71.

In Charlotte, North Carolina, Andrew Wiggins had 29 points while Karl-Anthony Towns collected 27 points and 15 rebounds as the Minnesota Timberwolves ended a four-game losing streak with a 125-120 overtime victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

“We’ve been fighting the last four, five games, and we finally got over that hump,” Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine said. “It feels good.”

The Timberwolves used a fourth-quarter rally that began with a 10-0 run and a dominant overtime session to seal the victory.

Minnesota got 17 points from LaVine and 12 each from Shabazz Muhammad and Nemanja Bjelica.

Charlotte was led by Kemba Walker with 22 points. Frank Kaminsky tallied 21 points, while Nicolas Batum had 15 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds.

Wire-to-wire win

In Dallas, Harrison Barnes and Wesley Matthews combined for 48 points to lead the Dallas Mavericks to just its fourth win of the season, a 107-82 wire-to-wire victory over the Chicago Bulls.

Matthews poured in a team-high and season-high-tying 26 points and buried a season-high seven of his 11 three-point attempts to give him 19 threes in his past four games. Barnes finished with 22 points.

The Bulls were coming off an impressive home win Friday against the defending league champion Cleveland Cavaliers.

Veteran Chicago guard Dwyane Wade was given the night off during this stretch of four games in five nights.

Jimmy Butler topped the Bulls with 26 points and nine rebounds.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Gerald Anderson now PH Coast Guard auxiliary officer with rank of lieutenant

Gerald Anderson is now an auxiliary officer of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) with the rank of lieutenant, thus becoming officially part of the agency’s K9 Special Support Squadron.

The actor recently put up a K9 search and rescue unit under his Gerald Anderson Foundation (GAF), but stressed that “ours is not a rescue foundation for abandoned dogs.”

Gerald’s team, which also includes his dad Randy, brother Ken and sister Jeanifer as members, assists in the recovery of missing persons through the help of trained dogs, skilled personnel and specialized equipment that can also be used during calamities and other emergencies.


His father and brother Ken likewise became auxiliary officers of the PCG in July this year with the ranks of commander and lieutenant, respectively.

Gerald’s team has accomplished a lot since it was launched in March. “We currently have five dog teams under training to be ready to respond to any disaster that may hit the country,” Gerald told the Inquirer.

The GAF will let the PCG use its K9 units for search and rescue operations, Gerald reported. The squadron aims to assist in enhancing maritime community relations, as well as promote animal welfare.

“Anyone can be an auxiliary officer, but one has to pass stringent screening and application procedures,” Gerald said of his membership in the PCG.

A quick check of the PCG auxiliary website revealed that there are at least 16 squadrons an applicant can join. Application requires two hours of squadron-level orientation, four hours of district level indoctrination and two hours of protocol orientation. An applicant will then be placed on a three-month probation. He must be in all squadron meetings and activities.

The squadron director will then recommend a review and evaluation of the applicant’s documents and performance. Once satisfied, the director will issue a general order admitting the applicant as a PCG auxiliary officer.

“We’re like students. We don’t stop training,” said Gerald. In fact, the team went on a five-day training with a PCG special operations group in August to get certified for scuba rescue diving. Going some 60 feet underwater was a unique experience, recalled Gerald.

“We were able to bond together as a team. I can still remember how funny it was seeing everyone’s faces when we were being carried away by strong currents,” said Gerald as posted on the GAF blog. “We were able to experience something that not a lot of people were able to—we got to explore God’s beautiful creation.”

Two months earlier, the team completed an intensive specialized training on Water Search and Rescue, also under the PCG.

Gerald said their dogs weren’t only trained for calamities, but also to look for missing persons like a lost child or a hiker. “It’s reassuring to know that these dogs can help in a lot of ways,” he stressed.

Gerald then recalled their latest operation wherein his team had to find a missing person. A young man had been missing for days so his parents sought help from authorities to find him. “They were afraid that something terrible had already happened to him. The team was able to successfully track him, but when he was about to be turned over to his parents he ran away. I guess he didn’t want to be found,” Gerald told the Inquirer. “But what’s good about what happened was that his parents were assured that he is still alive.”

Another aim of the GAF is to help enrich the lives of veterans and persons with disabilities by providing them with task-trained service dogs that can assist them with their daily chores.

In September, the residents of Lorenzo Ruiz Little Sisters’ Home for the Elderly had a very important visitor—a Labrador puppy named Kyla, the GAF’s first-ever therapy dog, accompanied by Ken, Oswald, Rogie and Marc.

They were there to serve merienda and donate medicines as part of the GAF’s effort to bring comfort and joy to different institutions through interaction with therapy dogs. They were joined by trainer Sarah Jane Lee and her 12-year-old golden retriever, Doc JJ.

Ken was particularly moved by the experience. On the GAF blog, he said: “It was really amazing how they all reacted to the dogs. One lady in particular, wouldn’t let Kyla go. She kept telling me the story of how, when she was a little girl, her dad owned a lot of dogs. Kyla reminded her of that time.”

“My brother and I started this foundation to touch lives, but today they really touched ours,” he added.

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Trump threats may not stop US offshoring of jobs

President-elect Donald Trump’s threats to retaliate against US companies planning to shift operations overseas constitute a new risk for multinationals, but may not sway those already planning to offshore jobs.

Trump laid down the gauntlet on Thursday at a campaign-style rally after striking a deal with Carrier to keep about 1,100 jobs in Indiana in exchange for $7 million in state tax incentives over 10 years.

“Companies are not going to leave the United States any more without consequences. Not going to happen,” Trump told the cheering crowd.

“They can leave from state to state, and negotiate deals with different states, but leaving the country will be very, very difficult.”

The president-elect did not offer details on how he planned to pressure companies to keep jobs in the United States, but one obvious lever includes the removal of government contracts.

That could make companies that work in defense, public works and public services especially vulnerable to retribution.

“Boeing, for example, would have to play ball if it wants its government contracts renewed,” said one expert who requested anonymity.

Trump coupled the threat with a promise to make the US a better place for business by cutting taxes and streamlining regulations.

“There are a lot of plans already in place,” said Hal Sirkin, a manufacturing expert at the Boston Consulting Group.

“CEOs are following the news closely and trying to figure out what all of this could mean for their businesses.”

Will threats work?

Some companies said Trump’s broadside was not sufficient to compel a change in plans.

Caterpillar announced in March 2015 it plans to shutter a plant in Joliet, Illinois that makes oil pumps and valves, and move 230 jobs to Mexico.

“We are continuing to execute on the previously announced plan on the stated timeline,” said Matt Lavoie, a spokesman at Caterpillar.

Food giant Mondelez International also signaled it would proceed with plans to relocate hundreds of jobs from an Oreo cookie plant in Chicago to Mexico.

“We have not had any contact with the new administration,” said Mondelez spokeswoman Laurie Guzzinati, adding that the Chicago baker remains an “important part of our manufacturing network” and that it continues to make Oreos at three US factories.

Not far from Trump’s victory celebration at Carrier in Indiana, the industrial companies Rexnord, CTS Corp. and Manitowoc Foodservice all plan to shift activities overseas from the Indianapolis area.

Manitowoc opted to close a plant in Sellersburg, Indiana due to a decline in demand for soda-drink dispensers, which had been made there, a spokesman said. Most of the 87 jobs are being moved to Tijuana, Mexico.

“The wind down of the plant is proceeding according to our original schedule,” Manitowoc spokesman Rich Sheffer said. “Yesterday’s speech did not include anything specific enough for us to reconsider our plans.”

Trump’s plans drew mixed reviews, with United Auto Workers Union President Dennis Williams offering accolades.

“We should use this opportunity to start running a commercial: If it’s not built in America, don’t buy it,” Williams said.

But the Alliance for American Manufacturing, an industry-labor alliance, offered tempered praise. It noted that Friday’s jobs report showed a decline of 4,000 manufacturing jobs in November and called for a crackdown on “unsavory” policies of trade partners.

“While on balance, I believe this week’s Carrier deal was worth doing, it isn’t a practical job creation policy moving forward,” alliance president Scott Paul said.

Senator Bernie Saunders said Trump’s plans were a losing proposal, in part because Carrier will still transfer 1,000 jobs to Mexico. Trump failed to save all 2,100 jobs, as he promised, Saunders said.

Carrier “took Trump hostage and won,” Sanders said in an op-ed he wrote for The Washington Post.

Trump “endangered” other US jobs, Sanders said, “because he has signaled to every corporation in America that they can threaten to offshore jobs in exchange for business-friendly tax benefits and incentives.”

source: business.inquirer.net

Buzz Aldrin, second man on moon, evacuated from South Pole

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Former American astronaut Buzz Aldrin, one of the first men to walk on the moon, has been evacuated by plane from the South Pole for medical reasons, officials said Thursday.

Aldrin, 86, was visiting the South Pole as part of a private tourist group when his health deteriorated, the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators said on its website.

It said he was taken as a precaution on the first available flight to McMurdo Station, a US research center on the Antarctic coast. It described his condition as stable.

The National Science Foundation, which manages the US Antarctic program, described Aldrin as “ailing” and said he was being flown on a ski-equipped LC-130 cargo plane to McMurdo. From there, he would be flown to New Zealand, it said on its website.

Aldrin became the second man to walk on the moon in 1969 as part of the US Apollo 11 mission.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Victoria’s Secret rocks Paris with $3M bra and Lady Gaga

PARIS — The laciest, if not raciest, catwalk event of the year — aka, the Victoria’s Secret fashion show — took place Wednesday night in in the City of Light. Among the takeaways: performances by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, sisters Bella and Gigi Hadid joining forces, as well as a $3 million Fantasy bra modelled by Jasmine Tookes. Here are the highlights of the Paris show:

Angels in red

Guests shuffled into the huge steel-and-glass atrium of Paris’ Grand Palais to the sound of a string orchestra playing softly from a huge Arc de Triomphe decor.

The calm lasted only a few seconds, however, and was broken by the flash of red neon lights and bold rock music blasting out to announce the start of the 40-minute presentation, which infected the cheering guests.

Swedish model Elsa Hosk strutted out fittingly with electric energy in a cropped bustier — enveloped in a huge, three-dimensional red Chinese dragon; Kendall Jenner — in blood red — wore thigh-high boots, a long-line plunging bra and suede angel wing and Gigi Hadid looked like she would take off in flight, sporting a hand-painted cape with an Aztec-pattern that billowed as she walked.

The high-octane show was divided into six thematic sections, reflected in the colorful styles that bore inches of bare skin: Road Ahead, Mountain Romance, Pink Nation, Secret Angel, Dark Angel and Bright Night Angel.

The signature wings fluttered throughout — in feather, silk, gold gild, suede and Swarovski crystal.

“Not only do the wings get bigger but we tap into new artisans and people who do things with 3-D printing … that’s always the wonderful thing about working on the show,” said Victoria’s Secret Executive Producer Monica Mitro.

As the show ended, a million pieces of glittered ribbon fell on the angels and the adoring crowds.

Gaga, Mars, The Weeknd

With a retro bleached hairstyle, Lady Gaga gave a rousing and gutsy live performance of “Million Reasons” to the crowd, and appeared again for “A-YO.”

At one point her microphone got stuck in the tassels of her dark cowboy hat, but this didn’t stop the consummate professional, who continued singing “John Wayne” as Victoria’s Secret models danced with her and crisscrossed the runway rhythmically to the beat.

As the 30-year-old popstar ended her set, she walked over to kiss Hadid’s mother, reality TV star Yolanda Hadid, in her front row seat. (Before the show, Gaga treated her Instagram followers to a photo of herself in silver Victoria’s Secret underwear).

Bruno Mars also performed several times, ramping up the energy and using the catwalk as his stage — in signature shades, with tuxedo-wearing backing dancers jiving behind him.

The American singer had guests jumping up and down for funky performances of “24K Magic” and “Chunky.”

But it was perhaps The Weeknd that got the most cheers of the night. The singer serenaded Bella Hadid — with whom he has been romantically linked — with his hit song “Starboy,” and almost followed her up the catwalk as she walked in a lace gown with silk organza corset.

$3 Million Fantasy Bra

The Victoria’s Secret Fantasy bra the 25-year-old Jasmine Tookes was selected to wear is considered the piece de resistance of the brand’s runway display.

The bra, glimmering with thousands of gemstones, was presented like crown jewels ahead of the show. An incredible work of art, it was designed by Eddie Borgo and hand-crafted over 700 hours with gems from jeweler AWMouzannar.

“It is so beautiful. It’s covered in white diamonds and emeralds and it has about 9,000 gemstones. It cost $3 million — so stunning,” gushed Tookes backstage while she was having her hair done.

It’s the third time a black model has been chosen to model the Fantasy Bra.

Tookes said the garment was constructed on a mold of her upper body, literally made to measure.

While the bra may be perfect for the runway presentation, Tookes joked she probably wouldn’t want to go for a jog in it, given its weight.

“It’s very heavy; it weighs more than 450 karats. It weighs down on my shoulders a little bit, but it’s so worth it,” she said, cheekily adding: “I might jog out of this show with it though.”

A (Hadid) family affair

Hadid, 52, was the proudest of mothers Wednesday night.

For the first time, the former model could boast that Bella was included in the Victoria’s Secret model line-up as well as Gigi for 2016.

“Last year, Gigi got it and Bella didn’t get it and I felt awkward being there having Bella at home. And this year, it’s just so perfect because they’re both here. We’re celebrating, the sisters together,” she told The AP.

The three posed for cameras and kissed on the pink carpet following the collection — in a show of family love.

“It’s all surreal. I mean, I came here when I was 16, modeling. So many years have gone by and to be here with both my girls.it’s emotional. I keep looking at them and pinching myself. Whoever thought that this would happen?” she added.

The original angel

She was one of the original Victoria’s Secret models back in 1995.

Now at 51 years old — and just as youthful-looking — Veronica Webb spoke to the AP about the challenges and particularities of the famed fashion show that she began 21 years ago.

“I was in the first Victoria’s Secret show and it was one of the most challenging bookings that I ever did because, obviously, if you’re in a room and everyone else is dressed and you’re in your underwear it’s a little bit embarrassing,” she said, laughing.

Webb, who made history as the first African-American to ever have a cosmetics contract, also recalled how important the experience boosted her professional life.

“It was one of the proudest moments of my career also because it took so much discipline and making so many fitness goals to get there,” she said.

Even Victoria’s Secret models get nervous

Brazilian beauty Lais Ribeiro physically jumped when a loudspeaker bellowed there was just one hour until show time.

“Butterflies just came stronger in my stomach. I’m getting very, very excited,” Ribeiro, 26, told The Associated Press.

Ribeiro knows more than most about the hidden dangers in a show such as this, where models in towering heels can injure themselves. She hurt her foot as a Victoria’s Secret Angel three years ago.

“What am I scared of? I twisted my ankle and kind of broke my foot in the rehearsal three years ago. So I’m always scared of the high heels (that might make) me miss this amazing show,” she said.

Security tight

Hours before Wednesday’s show began, hundreds of meters in the area around Paris’ Grand Palais and the Champs Elysées avenue were in near lock-down, barricaded with passing tourists and fashionistas alike getting frisked.

Bomb squad dogs sniffed out every single bag that entered the Grand Palais where the fashion show took place.

Paris remains in a state of emergency following last November’s Paris attacks at a concert hall and various spots around the capital.

City of Angels

The Angels, as Victoria’s Secret top models are known, have taken Paris — and their Instagram accounts — by storm since flying into the City of Light on Sunday night.

Led by Alessandra Ambrosio, the troupe posed for photos outside the Eiffel Tower on Tuesday morning as gob-smacked tourists stopped to take in the incredible views, which included the monument.

Josephine Skriver, Adriana Lima, Lily Donaldson, Hosk, Lily Aldridge and Tookes wore assorted Angels T-shirts and skinny, figure-hugging black jeans.

But the fun continued online, with Lima posting a from-behind shot of her and Martha Hunt wearing thigh-high boots during the show’s preparations.

Mere mortals may use a face mask ahead of a glamorous night out — but these are Angels, and terrestrial rules don’t apply.

Trending online were photos of some of the models using 24-karat gold sheet masks to prepare for the 2016 show.

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net