Chapman, Cubs top Indians 3-2 to force Game 6 in World Series

CHICAGO — They’ve waited 108 years for a championship. So with this World Series on the verge of slipping away, the Chicago Cubs could not wait any longer.

Manager Joe Maddon summoned closer Aroldis Chapman from the bullpen in the seventh inning for the first eight-out save of his big league career, needing to hold off the Cleveland Indians in Game 5.

As nervous fans fretted at Wrigley Field, Chapman fired his 100 mph heat and preserved the Cubs’ 3-2 win Sunday night, cutting Cleveland’s lead to 3-2.

The Cubs won a Series game at Wrigley for the first time since Game 6 in 1945.

“High anxiety,” first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. “A lot of deep breaths. Every pitch gets bigger and bigger as the game goes on. It’s unbelievable. Great win here, we sent these fans off with a win, now we have to go to Cleveland and win.”

Now, the team that led the majors in wins this year will try to extend its season again Tuesday night when Chicago right-hander Jake Arrieta faces Josh Tomlin at Cleveland in Game 6.

Chicago is trying to become the first club to overcome a 3-1 Series deficit since the 1985 Kansas City Royals and the first to do it by winning Games 6 and 7 on the road since the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates.

Cleveland, in search of its first title since 1948, is in search of its third-ever title and has won the championship at home just once, in 1920.

Chapman hadn’t pitched in the seventh inning since 2012. He threw 42 pitches, 15 of them at least 100 mph.

The lefty struck out four and fanned Jose Ramirez, who had homered earlier, with 101 mph heat to end it.

With the crowd at the Friendly Confines desperate for a win, Kris Bryant homered to start a three-run burst in the fourth off Trevor Bauer.

That gave Jon Lester a 3-1 lead. The Indians nicked him for a run in the sixth, and Carl Edwards Jr. took over to begin the seventh with a 3-2 edge.

Chapman came in with a runner on second and one out. He stranded the potential tying run at second base in the seventh and at third in the eighth, then pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.

Lester, the Game 1 loser, improved to 4-1 in Series play by allowing two runs and six hits.

Ramirez homered in the second to put the Indians ahead. Cleveland closed within a run in the sixth when Rajai Davis singled, stole second scored on a two-out single by Francisco Lindor.

Mike Napoli singled against Edwards leading off the seventh and took second on a passed ball by rookie catcher Willson Contreras, who had just replaced David Ross.

Carlos Santana flied out, and Chapman came in to strike out Ramirez with a 100 mph pitch. He hit Brandon Guyer on the left leg and retired Roberto Perez on a groundout as fans screamed in relief.

Then in the eighth, Davis singled with one out on a hard grounder down the line that Rizzo stopped with a dive — Chapman took a few seconds before heading to cover first, leaving Rizzo with no one to throw to. Davis stole second, and after Jason Kipnis fouled out, swiped third standing up.

Lindor, Cleveland’s hottest hitter, took a 101 mph pitch at the knees for a called third strike, then stood in the batter’s box for nearly 20 seconds in anger and frustration.

Bauer, his pinkie seemingly healed from a cut sustained while playing with a toy drone during the AL Championship Series, dropped to 0-2 in the Series, giving up three runs and six hits in four innings.

After a pair of relatively balmy autumn nights on the North Side, the temperature dropped to 50 degrees at game time and a 10 mph win added chill. Maddon wore a ski hat with a blue pompom rather than a baseball cap.

Bryant, in a 1-for-15 slide, led off the fourth with a drive into the left-field bleachers, where a fan in the first row dropped it.

Rizzo sent the next pitch off the ivy on the right-field wall for a double, admiring its flight before hustling, took third on Ben Zobrist’s single and came home with the go-ahead run when Addison Russell reached out and topped a pitch down the third-base line for an infield single.

Jason Heyward took a called third strike, slumping Javier Baez dropped a bunt down the third-base line for a single that loaded the bases and Ross, a 39-year-old making perhaps his final big league start, hit a sacrifice fly for a 3-1 lead.

CARBON COPY

Ross allowed Santana’s second-inning foul pop to glance off his glove and Rizzo batted the ball in the air with his bare hand, then gloved it. It was similar to Game 6 in 1980, when Philadelphia first baseman Pete Rose grabbed Frank White’s foul pop after it nicked off catcher Bob Boone.

WEB GEM

Cubs right fielder Heyward climbed the brick wall in the right-field corner, then reached back to catch Bauer’s wind-blown foul fly.

MOVING ON

This was the last game with the bullpens in foul territory at Wrigley, where new bullpens under the bleachers are to open next season. Zobrist had to climb the mound to catch Kipnis’ seventh-inning fly.

source: sports.inquirer.net

A look at FBI Comey’s decisions in the Clinton email case

WASHINGTON — The FBI’s announcement that it recently came upon new emails possibly pertinent to the Hillary Clinton email investigation raised more questions than answers.

FBI Director James Comey said in a letter to Congress on Friday that the bureau had discovered the emails while pursuing an unrelated case and would review whether they were classified.

The announcement, vague in details, immediately drew both criticism and praise to Comey himself. Some questions and answers:

Where did the emails come from? 


A: The emails emerged during a separate criminal sexting investigation into former Rep. Anthony Weiner, estranged husband of Huma Abedin, one of Clinton’s closest aides, a U.S. official with knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press. The official was not authorized to speak publicly about the investigation and discussed the matter on condition of anonymity.

Federal authorities are investigating communications between Weiner, a New York Democrat, and a 15-year-old girl.

It was not clear from Comey who sent or received the emails or what they were about.

Why is this coming out so close to the election?

A: Apparently because the emails were found very recently. In his letter to Congress, Comey said he had been briefed only Thursday by investigators.

Releasing the letter opened Comey to partisan criticism that he was dropping a significant development too close to an election. But keeping it under wraps until after Nov. 8 would surely have led to criticism that he was sitting on major news until after the election.

Comey has said there are no easy decisions on timing in the case. In an internal email sent Friday to FBI employees, he said he was trying to strike a balance between keeping Congress and the public informed and not creating a misleading impression, given that the emails’ significance is not yet known.

“In trying to strike that balance, in a brief letter and in the middle of an election season, there is significant risk of being misunderstood,” he wrote.

Upon learning of Comey’s intention to send lawmakers the letter, Justice Department officials conveyed disapproval and advised the FBI against it, according to a government official familiar with the conversations who was not authorized to discuss the matter by name and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Department leaders were concerned that the letter would be inconsistent with department policy meant to avoid the appearance of prosecutorial interference or meddling in elections, the official said.

Is the disclosure standard for the FBI?

A: No, but neither was the Clinton email investigation.

In a nod to the extraordinary nature of an election-year probe into a presidential candidate, Comey promised extraordinary transparency as he announced the investigation’s conclusion in July.

“I am going to include more detail about our process than I ordinarily would, because I think the American people deserve those details in a case of intense public interest,” Comey said at the unusual news conference where he announced the FBI would not recommend criminal charges against Clinton.

Since then, the FBI has periodically released investigative files — that is, summaries of witnesses who were interviewed. Those materials aren’t typically public.

Comey, a former Republican who is not registered with a political party, has served in government under both Democratic and Republican administrations and speaks repeatedly about the need for the FBI to be accountable to the public.

His letter Friday seemed in keeping with a statement he made to Congress last month, that although the FBI had concluded its investigation, “we would certainly look at any new and substantial information” that emerged.



But why was the letter so vague?

A: For one thing, the FBI avoids publicly discussing ongoing criminal investigations, or even confirming it has one open.

It also appears the FBI isn’t sure what it has. Comey said the FBI cannot yet assess whether the material is significant, or how long it would take to complete the additional work.

Nevertheless, the letter’s vagueness was immediately seized upon by critics as unacceptable and leaving the public in the dark.

What happens now? Does this increase the likelihood that someone could be changed?

A: The FBI will review the emails to see if they were classified and were improperly handled.

It’s impossible to say if anyone is in greater jeopardy than before.

The FBI announced in July that scores of emails from Clinton’s server contained information that was classified at the time it was sent or received. So, new emails determined as classified might do nothing to change the legal risk for anyone who sent them.

Comey said in July that the FBI had found no evidence of intentional or willful mishandling of classified information, of efforts to obstruct justice or of the deliberate exposure of government secrets. Those were elements that Comey suggested were needed to make a criminal case.

Nothing in the letter appears to change that standard. TVJ

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Halloween, zombies, movies changing Mexico’s Day of the Dead

MEXICO CITY — Hollywood movies, zombie shows, Halloween and even politics are fast changing Mexico’s Day of the Dead celebrations, which traditionally consisted of quiet family gatherings at the graves of their departed loved ones bringing them music, drink and conversation.

Mexico’s capital held its first Day of the Dead parade Saturday, complete with floats, giant skeleton marionettes and more than 1,000 actors, dancers and acrobats in costumes.

Tens of thousands turned out to watch the procession, which included routines like a phalanx of Aztec warriors with large headdresses doing tricks on rollerblade skates.

“It would be hard to conserve these traditions without any changes,” said Juan Robles, a 32-year-old carpenter who led the skating Aztecs. “This way, people can come and participate, the young and old.”

Such a spectacle has never been a part of traditional Day of the Dead celebrations.

The idea for the parade was born out of the imagination of a scriptwriter for last year’s James Bond movie “Spectre.” In the film, whose opening scenes were shot in Mexico City, Bond chases a villain through crowds of revelers in what resembled a parade of people in skeleton outfits and floats.

It’s a bit of a feedback loop: Just as Hollywood dreamed up a Mexican spectacle to open the film, once millions had seen the movie, Mexico had to dream up a celebration to match it.

“When this movie hit the big screen and was seen by millions and millions of people in 67 countries, that started to create expectations that we would have something,” said Lourdes Berho, CEO of the government’s Mexico Tourism Board. “We knew that this was going to generate a desire on the part of people here, among Mexicans and among tourists, to come and participate in a celebration, a big parade.”

Mexico City authorities even promised that some of the props used in the movie would appear in the parade. The government board sponsoring the march called it part of “a new, multi-faceted campaign to bring tourists to Mexico during the annual Day of the Dead holiday.”

Add to this the increasing popularity of “Zombie Walks” around the Day of the Dead, and the scads of Halloween witches, ghouls, ghosts and cobweb decorations sold in Mexico City street markets, and some see a fundamental change in the traditional Mexican holiday.

Johanna Angel, an arts and communication professor at Mexico’s IberoAmerican University, said the influences flow both north and south. She noted U.S. Halloween celebrations now include more Mexican-inspired “candy skull” costumes and people dressed up as “Catrinas,” modeled on a satirical 19th century Mexican engraving of a skeleton in a fancy dress and a big hat.

“I think there has been a change, influenced by Hollywood,” Angel said. “The foreign imports are what most influence the ways we celebrate the Day of the Dead here.”

Traditionally, on the Nov. 1-2 holiday, Mexicans set up altars with photographs of the dead and plates of their favorite foods in their homes. They gather at their loved ones’ gravesides to drink, sing and talk to the dead.

In some towns, families leave a trail of orange marigold petals in a path to their doorway so the spirits of the dead can find their way home. Some light bonfires for the same purpose, sitting around the fire and warming themselves with cups of boiled-fruit punch to ward off the autumn chill.

These days, many cities set up huge, flower-strewn altars to the dead and hold public events like parades, mass bicycle events and fashion shows in which people dress up in “Catrina” disguises.

Some say the changes don’t conflict with the roots of the holiday, which they say will continue.

Samuel Soriano, a 35-year-old insurance executive, decorates his Mexico City home Halloween-style (think giant spider webs and inflatable tombstones) and each year hands out candy to about 100 trick-or-treaters. But in his dining room, he has a more traditional “Dia de los Muertos” shrine with portraits of departed loved ones, candles, decorative skulls and marigolds.

“We decorate for the sheer pleasure of it, and to see the smiles on children’s faces,” Soriano said. “We also celebrate Day of the Dead … There’s no reason to see it as a contradiction.”

On a recent “Zombie Walk,” in which hundreds paraded through Mexico City in corpse disguises one week before the Day of the Dead, most participants said it was just good, clean fun.

“We are not fighting against our cultural traditions,” Jesus Rodriguez, one of the organizers, said as he waved a fake plastic arm he was “gnawing” on. “On the contrary, if you take off the zombie*s flesh, there are skeletons, there are Catrinas.”

Yet Mexico’s traditional view of the dead was never ghoulish or frightful. The dead were seen as the “dear departed,” people who remained close even after death. Could the outside influences threaten that?

“I don’t think that will change,” Angel said. “I think Mexico maintains the sense of remembering the dead with closeness, not fright.”

Indeed, Mexicans still enjoy the graveside celebrations. Some cemeteries grow so packed and rowdy that authorities have been forced to ban alcohol sales at nearby stores.

And Mexicans have changed the holiday themselves, without outside influences, making it a time to express social protest and social causes.

Many have erected public shrines for the nearly 30,000 disappeared in Mexico’s drug war. In downtown Mexico City in recent years, prostitutes have put on skull masks and erected a shrine to murdered prostitutes.

Day of the Dead — itself an amalgam of Spanish and pre-Hispanic beliefs — seems likely to survive, despite the rapid changes, in a festival-loving country that has long managed to successfully absorb many outside influences.

“Any opportunity for a festival is welcome,” Angel noted, “and with any influences from at home or abroad, and in all possible combinations.”

As the arm-gnawing zombie Rodriguez put it, “We love these days, Day of the Dead, Halloween, and Zombies, that is the reason why this crowd is here year after year.”/rga

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Emails show how Clinton campaign chair was apparently hacked

WASHINGTON — New evidence appears to show how hackers earlier this year stole more than 50,000 emails of Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman, an audacious electronic attack blamed on Russia’s government and one that has resulted in embarrassing political disclosures about Democrats in the final weeks before the US presidential election.

The hackers sent John Podesta an official-looking email on Saturday, March 19, that appeared to come from Google. It warned that someone in Ukraine had obtained Podesta’s personal Gmail password and tried unsuccessfully to log in, and it directed him to a website where he should “change your password immediately.”

Podesta’s chief of staff, Sara Latham, forwarded the email to the operations help desk of Clinton’s campaign, where staffer Charles Delavan in Brooklyn, New York, wrote back 25 minutes later, “This is a legitimate email. John needs to change his password immediately.”

But the email was not authentic.

The link to the website where Podesta was encouraged to change his Gmail password actually directed him instead to a computer in the Netherlands with a web address associated with Tokelau, a territory of New Zealand located in the South Pacific. The hackers carefully disguised the link using a service that shortens lengthy online addresses. But even for anyone checking more diligently, the address — “google.com-securitysettingpage” — was crafted to appear genuine.

In the email, the hackers even provided an Internet address of the purported Ukrainian hacker that actually traced to a mobile communications provider in Ukraine. It was also notable that the hackers struck Podesta on a weekend morning, when organizations typically have fewer resources to investigate and respond to reports of such problems. Delavan, the campaign help-desk staffer, did not respond immediately to the AP’s questions about his actions that day.

It is not immediately clear how Podesta responded to the threat, but five months later hackers successfully downloaded tens of thousands of emails from Podesta’s accounts that have now been posted online. The Clinton campaign declined to discuss the incident. Podesta has previously confirmed his emails were hacked and said the FBI was investigating.

The suspicious email was among more than 1,400 messages published by WikiLeaks on Friday that had been hacked from Podesta’s account.

It was not known whether the hackers deliberately left behind the evidence of their attempted break-in for WikiLeaks to reveal, but the tools they were using seven months ago still indicate they were personally targeting Podesta: Late Friday, the computer in the Netherlands that had been used in the hacking attempt featured a copy of Podesta’s biographical page from Wikipedia.

The US Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Homeland Security Department have formally accused Russian state-sponsored hackers for the recent string of cyberattacks intended to influence the presidential election.

The help-desk staffer, Delevan, emailed to Podesta’s chief of staff a separate, authentic link to reset Podesta’s Gmail password and encouraged Podesta to turn on two-factor authentication. That feature protects an account by requiring a second code that is separately sent to a cell phone or alternate email address before a user can log in. “It is absolutely imperative that this is done ASAP,” Delevan said.

Tod Beardsley, a security research manager at the Boston-based cybersecurity firm Rapid7, said the fact that an IT person deemed the suspicious email to be legitimate “pretty much guarantees the user who is not an IT person is going to click on it.”

Other emails previously released by WikiLeaks have included messages containing the password for Podesta’s iPhone and iPad accounts.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Apple adds keyboard touch functions to Mac in major refresh

CUPERTINO, California — Apple’s high-end Mac laptops are getting a touch control strip above the keyboard, part of a long-awaited update aimed at reviving interest in a product often overshadowed by newer gadgets like the iPad and iPhone.

The new Touch Bar, which is both a narrow display and a control panel, replaces the old physical function keys on a traditional laptop. It will offer a variety of controls that change according to the app or website that’s open. It also has functions that will be familiar to many iPhone users — showing word suggestions as you type, for example, or letting you scroll through a library of emojis.

New features, higher price

The company unveiled the laptops at its headquarters in Cupertino, California, where executives showed how the Touch Bar works with a variety of apps and software — providing playback and editing controls for videos or music, for example, and search functions for Apple’s maps and photos apps. Apple is also opening the Touch Bar to work with outside software, including Adobe’s Photoshop editing program and Microsoft’s Word, PowerPoint and Skype.

Along with faster processors and brighter screens, two of Apple’s new laptops will also get a fingerprint sensor, similar to the one on iPhones. The sensor can unlock the device, authorize software installations or recognize a different user and quickly switch to that person’s settings. It works with Apple Pay, so users can authorize an electronic payment for online purchases.

At least for now, the new Touch Bar and Touch ID features will be available only on higher-end models — a 13-inch MacBook Pro that starts at about $1,800 and a 15-inch MacBook Pro at about $2,400. Both ship in a few weeks. Starting Thursday, Apple is selling a 13-inch MacBook Pro without the Touch Bar or Touch ID, but with other improvements, for about $1,500.

Older versions sold for prices starting at about $1,300 for 13 inches and $2,000 for 15 inches. Apple will still sell older MacBook Pros at those prices, along with less expensive MacBook and MacBook Air models. But its cheapest laptop, the 11-inch MacBook Air for about $900, will be sold only to education markets.

The company is also replacing some computer ports with new outlets compatible with USB-C standards, which can be used both for charging and transferring data. Connectors with USB-C technology can transmit data faster than older USB jacks. They are also smaller and have a symmetric shape, which means the USB-C jack can be inserted with either side facing up. But older USB printers and other devices will need adapters. The new Macs still have traditional headphone jacks, unlike the latest iPhones.

Laptops vs. tablets 


Sales of the Mac have been in a slump this year, after a streak of growth in 2014 and 2015 that seemed to defy global trends. Consumers generally are buying fewer PCs and using smartphones or tablets instead.

Apple itself has promoted its latest iPad tablet, the iPad Pro, as capable of replacing the laptop for many users. And in contrast with the Mac’s earlier years — when Apple marketed its computers to people who saw themselves as creative professionals or just independent thinkers — Apple also has begun promoting the Mac as a computer for businesses, which once mostly used competitors’ PCs running Microsoft’s Windows software.

Microsoft, meanwhile, has begun selling its own line of high-end Surface laptops and this week introduced its first Surface desktop PC. Analysts say the new Surface Studio has a premium price and features that will most likely appeal to visual designers and other creative professionals — an area that has been Apple’s strength. Microsoft has boasted about modern controls with touch screens; the Touch Bar is Apple’s answer to that, placed near the keyboard where people’s fingers are already.

For Apple, the Mac line has been eclipsed financially by other products — first the iPod and now the iPhone — that have made far more money in recent years. But the Mac has been important for Apple since co-founder Steve Jobs introduced the first model in 1984. It commands intense loyalty from fans. “The Mac is more than a product to us. It’s a testament to everything we do and everything we create at Apple,” CEO Tim Cook said Thursday.

Baby steps in TV 


Cook also used the event to promote a newer endeavor, Apple TV, and a new unified menu feature that shows recommendations and new episodes of recently watched shows, so viewers don’t have to search through different apps to find them. Amazon’s Fire TV is taking a similar approach with a software update, though the unified experience will be part of the home screen, not an app.

Apple’s app, though, is short of a full-fledged streaming-TV service, which reports say Apple has been pursuing. Rather, it brings together TV shows and movies viewers already get through individual subscriptions. The TV app, coming in December, will be synced with iPhones and iPads, so viewers can catch the next episode regardless of device. Apple said its Siri voice assistant will also direct viewers to live events, such as streaming sports.

Apple said Apple TV already has 8,000 apps, including more than 2,000 games. The addictive building game “Minecraft” will come later this year.

In a minor setback, meanwhile, Apple said Wednesday that it’s delaying shipment of its new wireless earphones, called AirPods, which had been scheduled for late October. In a statement, the company said, “We don’t believe in shipping a product before it’s ready, and we need a little more time before AirPods are ready for our customers.” Apple didn’t elaborate.

source: technology.inquirer.net

Clinton’s showbiz pals spend big as Hollywood shuns Trump

LOS ANGELES—Glance at the list of Hillary Clinton’s biggest donors and you could be forgiven for thinking she was funding a Hollywood movie rather than a presidential campaign.

It is hardly surprising that the left-leaning entertainment industry is supporting a Democrat for the White House, but the gulf between candidates in donations from Tinseltown this election cycle is staggering.

Actors, studio executives and other employees of the film, TV and music industries have donated $20.7 million to Clinton’s run for the presidency, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks campaign funding.

Her Republican rival Donald Trump has meanwhile raised less than $350,000 from Hollywood.

“The Clintons have always been Hollywood darlings, going back to Bill’s term in office,” said Usman Shaikh, a Los Angeles-based entertainment attorney and a contemporary of Trump’s daughter Ivanka at the University of Pennsylvania.

“If you recall when it was Clinton and Obama for the primaries in 2008, Hollywood was supporting Clinton.”

Within hours of the former first lady confirming last year she was running to become America’s first female commander-in-chief, dozens of celebrities clamored to give their stamp of approval.

By the fall of 2015, according to the Los Angeles Times, she had taken about $5 million of the $5.5 million that Hollywood figures had donated to the 2016 campaign.

Film titans Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg gave $1 million each, while “Star Wars” director J.J. Abrams stumped up $500,000.

Clinton supporter George Clooney hosted back-to-back dinners in San Francisco and Los Angeles in April which reportedly raised over $15 million, with donors paying as much as $350,000 a head.

Clinton attended 17 starry fundraisers in California over the summer, part of an eye-watering schedule that included nine events spread across the state over just three days in late August.

Onslaught of negativity

That string of fundraisers included an August 22 cocktail reception for 500 people — including actor Samuel L. Jackson — hosted by NBA legend Magic Johnson and his wife Cookie.

That was followed later the same day by a 90-minute event put on by billionaire media mogul Haim Saban and his wife Cheryl at their Beverly Hills home. One hundred guests paid at least $50,000 each.

The following day involved fundraisers in Piedmont and Laguna Beach, each requiring donations of $33,400 from attendees, and a 75-minute swing by the Hollywood Hills home of Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel.

Guests there — including Jennifer Aniston, Tobey Maguire, Shonda Rhimes, Jamie Foxx and Katie Holmes — raised more than $3 million.

Trump, meanwhile, has faced an unprecedented onslaught of negativity from the entertainment industry — and not just the liberals.

Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a statement on Twitter at the start of October saying he would not be voting Republican for the first time since gaining US citizenship in 1983.

Meanwhile Harry Sloan, former head of MGM and a lifelong Republican, has announced he is backing Clinton and has even donated to her campaign.

According to Shaikh, there are an abundance of conservatives in Hollywood — but hardly any who will support the Republican candidate because of his divisive rhetoric on Mexicans, Muslims and women.

In fact, the driving force behind Trump’s fundraising activities is veteran Hollywood producer Steve Mnuchin, the man behind the “X-Men” franchise and “Avatar,” who has been finance chair of the campaign since May.

Political consultant Patrick Dorinson led a contingent of entertainment figures including Oscar-winner Jon Voight on a bus tour across the US in mid-September, giving speeches and news conferences on behalf of Trump.

‘Just too extreme’

But the litany of celebrities who have openly disparaged the real estate mogul and former reality TV star by far outweighs his supporters in Hollywood.

Some of America’s biggest stars, including actors Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson, appeared in a video in September to take potshots at Trump while rallying voters to the polls on Election Day.


“Do we really want to give nuclear weapons to a man whose signature move is firing things?” asks Leslie Odom Jr., a Tony winner for his turn as Aaron Burr in the hit Broadway musical “Hamilton.”

“I just think culturally he’s a very different fit from Hollywood. On so many of his issues, he’s just too extreme, particularly on women’s issues,” said Steve Maviglio, a California-based political consultant.

“He’s been actually good on gay marriage and you’d think that would be a natural to attract people in Hollywood. But you’re not even seeing the Hollywood Republicans helping him out.

“Look at the Republican convention. He had hardly any entertainment, any Hollywood, there at all.  Where is Clint Eastwood, even?”

But while support of Hollywood is an important source of campaign fundraising, surveys have shown that the backing of celebrities holds little sway over the way Americans vote.

“We saw Susan Sarandon do a lot of work for Bernie Sanders this year,” said Maviglio, who served as Bill Clinton’s director of public affairs in the 1990s.

“She got a lot of attention because she was one of the first people out there. But did it have an impact at the end of the day? No.”

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Asian markets ease as oil prices struggle

HONG KONG, China—Most Asian markets dipped Thursday, with energy firms struggling after another sell-off in oil fuelled by concerns about a planned output cut.

Crude prices are slumbering at three-month lows after OPEC member Iraq and non-member Russia suggested this week they would not take part in any limitations, despite a painful global supply glut.

Their comments have raised questions about the viability of a last month’s agreement at oil cartel OPEC to reduce output, which sent prices soaring.

Both main contracts have tumbled more than three percent this week and news that US stockpiles had fallen more than expected last week was unable to provide any support.

“Iraqi demands to join the list of countries exempted from quotas have simply added to the uncertainty” that an output cut can be implemented, Research firm Capital Economics said in a commentary.

“We have long been sceptical of the chances of a game-changing deal and continue to forecast that both Brent and WTI will end the year back at around $45 per barrel.”

Regional energy firms extended recent losses. Hong Kong-listed CNOOC sank more than three percent, with traders also selling on the back of a weak earnings report.

PetroChina lost 1.5 percent in Hong Kong, while Sydney-listed Woodside Petroleum was 1.5 percent off and Santos lost one percent.

Among regional markets Tokyo ended the morning down 0.3 percent, Hong Kong shed 0.9 percent—extending a one percent loss Wednesday—and Shanghai slipped 0.2 percent.

Seoul, however, added 0.2 percent, boosted by market heavyweight Samsung Electronics’ two percent surge.

The firm confirmed a 30 percent plunge in third-quarter operating profit linked to its Galaxy Note 7 crisis but later announced its heir apparent JY Lee had joined the board, putting him a step towards control of the family-run conglomerate.

Lee Chaiwon, chief investment officer at Korea Value Asset Management said JY’s bigger role should provide a much-needed boost to the under-fire company, saying it “will become more market-friendly and will “quicken its restructuring process”.

The dollar rose against the pound, euro and other high-yielding currencies as a preliminary survey showing the key US services sector expanded in October reinforced expectations the Federal Reserve will lift interest rates before the end of the year.

Key figures around 0230 GMT

Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.3 percent at 17,341.23 (break)

Hong Kong – Hang Seng: DOWN 0.9 percent at 23,105.12

Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.2 percent at 3109.37

Euro/dollar: DOWN to $1.0897 from $1.0907 Wednesday

Dollar/yen: DOWN to 104.44 yen from 104.51 yen

Pound/dollar: DOWN to $1.2214 from $1.2242

Euro/pound: UP to 89.19 pence from 89.09 pence

Oil – West Texas Intermediate: Flat at $49.18 a barrel

Oil – Brent North Sea: DOWN four cents at $49.94

New York – Dow: UP 0.2 percent to 18,199.33 (close)

London – FTSE 100: DOWN 0.9 percent at 6,958.09 (close)

source: business.inquirer.net

Justin Bieber drops mic, walks out at UK gig

This year is indeed an “annoying” time for Justin Bieber and his “Beliebers.”

Bieber stormed out of the stage in a Sunday concert in Manchester, England, after asking fans to “shut up” and not scream during gaps in his songs.

“I appreciate all the support, I appreciate the love, I appreciate the kind things. But the screaming in these breaks has got to stop. Please, and thank you,” the “Sorry” singer, 22, warned his vivacious audience, according to BBC.

“I don’t think it’s necessary when I’m trying to say something and you guys are screaming,” he concluded with an epic mic drop, which was filmed by several Beliebers.

As expected, his mid-concert tantrum didn’t stop the cheerful crowd’s screaming, which was replaced with emphatic boos later on.

 

 The moment @justinbieber dropped-mic and stormed offstage in #Manchester pic.twitter.com/xAY0GQUMRV

 

— Capital Liverpool (@capliverpool) October 24, 2016

Justin bieber Manchester the mic was dropped pic.twitter.com/WRx89ySCLp

 — cara marie (@caramhx) October 23, 2016

After several minutes, Bieber resumed his gig and explained his actions. “I feel like I wanna connect with you. The point of the no screaming thing is that when I’m looking at you in the eyes you know that we’re actually having a moment and having a connection,” he elaborated.

Realizing that he could not simmer down his English fans, he went through with his concert. “We’re just going to do the music. Obviously, Manchester just can’t handle it, so let’s do the music.”

Bieber has been exhibiting lukewarm relations with his global fanbase during his “Purpose” world tour this year. In his recent show in Birmingham and during the first night in Manchester, he pleaded with the audiences to stay silent and listen to him. Also, he received backlash from his fans due to his vulgar words, chiefly when he hit Norwegian fans with his “You suck” comment.  Gianna Francesca Catolico/rga

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Finally! A Cubs team that ain’t afraid of no ghosts

CHICAGO — Grown men didn’t weep.

Maybe because anyone old enough to actually remember the last time the Chicago Cubs made it to the World Series would be at least 71 and know enough to stay home instead of parking himself in the middle of the pandemonium that engulfed Wrigley Field late Saturday.

Not so 78-year-old Billy Williams, a Hall of Famer and Cubs’ mainstay through the 1960s and ’70s. This was a moment he had to see for himself.

“I think about the guys I played with who never got to see this,” Williams began. “Especially Ernie Banks and (Ron) Santo. Man, we tried so hard for so many years and now they’re gone. … And I can’t tell you how long these fans stuck with us or how many times I heard stuff like, ‘This is the year.’

“But this,” he said with a sweep of his arm toward the still-rocking grandstand, “is finally the year.”

After believing their team was cursed by a goat, crossed by a black cat and undone by one of their own, after checking their sanity at the turnstiles for seven decades and counting, fans of the team on the North Side of town no longer needed any excuses . None needed reminding, either, that there was one hill still left to climb, starting Tuesday night in Cleveland.

But at the moment, a white flag with a single blue “W” fluttered in the night sky atop the huge, manually operated scoreboard in center field — a tradition begun in the 1930s so that riders on the nearby elevated train line would know when the Cubs won — and their fans basked in its possibilities.

“They win 100-plus games (in the regular season), they really have no weaknesses, they’ve got youth, veteran starting pitching … they catch the baseball, they can slug, they get on base, and they’re relentless,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said afterward, by way of a scouting report.

“That’s a very good club over there.”

You couldn’t have said that just seven years ago, when owner Tom Ricketts forked over $875 million of the family’s fortune to buy the ballclub and that faith was tested mightily. Normally a level-headed sort, he fell in love with the Cubs soon after moving to the city as an 18-year-old to attend the University of Chicago. The Cubs went 83-78 in Ricketts’ first year, then posted five losing seasons in a row.

In 2011, he shelled out good money to hire onetime Red Sox boy wonder Theo Epstein to rebuild the roster as president of baseball operations; the next year, the Cubs lost 101 games. But with Epstein pulling the strings, they also began collecting youngsters like Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell and Kris Bryant, occasionally mixing in high-priced veteran pitchers like Jon Lester and John Lackey and turning around Jake Arrieta’s career.

In 2015, Ricketts shelled out good money again to hire manager Joe Maddon; last season, they were swept by the Mets in the NLCS. The cornerstone of Maddon’s baseball philosophy is focus on the short term; try to win each at-bat, each inning, each game. He pulls stunts to make it fun — bringing in zoo animals, wearing pajamas on the flight home from road trips and breaking up the monotony of a long season.

But even he struggled on this night not to look back.

“You stand out on that platform afterwards and you’re looking at the ballpark and the fans and the W flags everywhere, and truthfully you think about everybody,” Maddon said. “I think about the fans and their parents and their grandparents and great-grandparents and everything that’s been going on here for a while. I think about my wife, Jaye, my kids, my mom back in Pennsylvania, my dad who wasn’t here.

“It’s overwhelming,” he added finally, “and it’s awesome.”

The Cubs last won it all in 1908, which means they’ve been without a championship 40 years longer than the Indians, holders of the second-longest run without a championship in major North American pro sports. They may be the sentimental favorites, but they’re also savvy, ruthless and blessed with short memories — basically, anything but your father’s Cubbies.

Ditto for the owner. Asked what it would feel like to see that same flag fly at the end of the World Series, Ricketts admitted he already had his eye on a souvenir. It was likely to be more painful than expensive.

“I may make the ‘W’ a tattoo,” he said.

He won’t be alone.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Cubs beat Dodgers 5-0 to reach 1st World Series since 1945

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs won their first National League pennant since 1945 and are a step closer to ending a 108-year World Series drought after beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-0 on Saturday to clinch a 4-2 victory in the NL Championship Series.

Chicago’s Kyle Hendricks outpitched Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw while Anthony Rizzo and Willson Contreras homered early at Wrigley Field.

The drought ended when closer Aroldis Chapman got Yasiel Puig to ground into a double play, setting off wild celebrations among the success-starved fans.

The Cubs will open the World Series at Cleveland on Tuesday. The Indians haven’t won it since 1948. CBB/rga

source: sports.inquirer.net

Clinton warns Trump is ‘threatening’ US democracy

CLEVELAND—Hillary Clinton excoriated rival Donald Trump as a threat to American democracy Friday for not pledging to honor results of the upcoming presidential election, as the bitter rivals battled for supremacy in battleground states.

The 2016 election cycle pitting the Republican nominee against the former secretary of state has turned increasingly toxic, with Trump fueling wild conspiracy theories about vote “rigging” and Clinton warning that the provocative billionaire was straying into authoritarianism.

“We know the difference between leadership and dictatorship, and the peaceful transition of power is one of the things that sets us apart,” Clinton told a rally in Cleveland, Ohio, one of the key swing states up for grabs on November 8.

“Donald Trump refused to say that he’d respect the results of this election. By doing that, he’s threatening our democracy.”

Her comments marked a stern rebuke to Trump’s bombshell suggestion during their third and final presidential debate that he may not recognize the election result — a surprising rejection of political norms.

Trump, 70, then told a rally crowd that he could launch a legal challenge if Clinton prevails.

His remarks follow weeks of Trump warning about the likelihood of a “rigged” election including massive voter fraud, despite members of his own party disavowing the comments and Trump earning condemnation from President Barack Obama.

Despite isolated allegations of voter fraud, controversy over the tight 2000 vote and rampant gerrymandering, US elections have been regarded as free and fair.

Invigorated by both her commanding poll numbers and Trump’s eyebrow-raising declarations, the candidate vying to become America’s first female president was in Ohio aiming to block Trump’s efforts to claim the blue-collar heartland state.

Trump, well aware that no Republican has ever won the White House without winning Ohio, campaigned in the Buckeye State Thursday.

Meanwhile the Manhattan real estate mogul hosted rallies Friday in the battlegrounds of North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

“Eighteen days. You’re going to look back at this election and say this is by far the most important vote you’ve ever cast for anyone at any time,” Trump told a crowd in Fletcher, North Carolina.

‘Win, lose or draw’

“We’re fighting this juggernaut…. because they have billions of dollars they’ve raised,” he said of the Clinton campaign, which reportedly has outspent Trump on television advertising in recent months.

Trump said he would give the campaign everything he had, “right up until the actual vote.”

“Win, lose or draw… I will be happy with myself,” he added. “I don’t want to think back if only I did one more rally I would have won North Carolina by 500 votes instead of losing it by 200 votes, right?”

Clinton is narrowly leading in polling in North Carolina, a state Obama won in 2008 but lost to Republican Mitt Romney in 2012.

Clinton and Trump are coming off an evening of stinging humor at a white-tie charity event in New York where they traded jokes and jabs at what is meant to be a friendly roast — and where Trump was booed.

The bitterness of the campaign was quickly on display, with Trump calling the 68-year-old Clinton “corrupt” and jabbing her for disclosures from her campaign’s hacked emails.

“Here she is in public, pretending not to hate Catholics,” he said, as Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York looked on.

Despite the prickly barbs — including Clinton proclaiming that Trump sent “a hearse” to bring her to the dinner — the two candidates shook hands at the end of the evening.

Battleground focus

Trump is trailing badly in the polls, and his debate threat opened him up to a stinging attack from Obama at a Miami rally.

“When you try to sow the seeds of doubt in people’s minds about the legitimacy of our election, that undermines our democracy,” Obama said Thursday.

“When you suggest rigging or fraud without a shred of evidence, when last night at the debate, Trump becomes the first major party nominee in American history to suggest that he will not concede despite losing… that is not a joking matter.”

In the battle of the battlegrounds, Clinton holds leads in several states, ranging from razor-thin, such as in North Carolina, to moderate in Florida and Pennsylvania and commanding in Virginia.

She is even narrowly ahead in Arizona, the traditionally Republican-leaning state where First Lady Michelle Obama — who galvanized voters with a searing attack on Trump last week — campaigned for Clinton on Thursday.

If Trump loses Florida, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, Clinton is all but assured of victory, experts have said.

In Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Trump supporters streamed into a convention center to hear Trump speak in their depressed former steel town, where most mill jobs have evaporated.

Trump promised that he would bring many of them back.

“We don’t make things anymore” he told the cheering crowd. “When I’m president, we’re going to start making things again in America.”

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Google Daydream View VR headset up for pre-orders

The Google Cardboard VR viewer gave consumers a relatively affordable gateway into the VR experience. Now Google is upping the ante as it opens the Daydream View VR headset for pre-orders.


A little more commercial-looking, the Daydream headset is draped in breathable fabric and has three colors to choose from. It also comes with a handheld controller for a more immersive experience. Google recommends using it with Daydream-ready phones like the Pixel handsets to get the most out of the headgear.

Priced at $79, the Daydream View VR headset is available for pre-order in the US, UK and Germany. Units will start shipping by November.  Alfred Bayle

source: technology.inquirer.net

‘Nasty’ women swarm in support of Clinton after Trump insult

WASHINGTON—Suddenly, it seems America is crawling with nasty women.

Female unpleasantness as a tongue-in-cheek rallying cry is on T-shirts, in memes and in tweets galore — a furious backlash mocking Donald Trump’s latest insult of Hillary Clinton.

Trump’s dis — “such a nasty woman” — came during one of his interruptions of his Democratic rival in Wednesday’s final presidential debate.

Social media lit up as women came to Clinton’s defense.

T-shirts emblazoned “Nasty Woman” went up for sale on e-commerce website Etsy.

“Nasty Woman” took off on Twitter, with actress Lena Dunham, who has campaigned for Clinton, spreading the word.

“RT if you’re a nasty woman and it’s made your life a freakin’ pleasure,” Dunham tweeted.

Trending were #ImANastyWoman, #ImANastyWomanBecause, #NastyWomenVote and #NastyWomanUnite.

Trump’s comment immediately called to mind for many Janet Jackson’s 1986 “Nasty” video, where the singer champions “nasty boys.”


A new video mashing up Jackson’s hit and Trump and Clinton debate clips quickly went viral.

Spotify streams of Jackson’s song soared 250 percent after Trump’s remark, CNN reported Thursday.

A CNN clip of Trump’s “nasty” remark quickly garnered almost 27,000 views on YouTube.

News site Vox.com said that “calling Hillary Clinton a ‘nasty woman’ may have been the best thing Donald Trump has ever done for her campaign.”

It noted the Clinton campaign purchased the web domain nastywomengetshitdone.com, which automatically links to the candidate’s website, www.hillaryclinton.com.

Trump’s comment came in response to a dig from Clinton to the effect that the Republican nominee — who has bragged about his savviness in avoiding paying taxes — might also try to get out of chipping in toward the nation’s pension and health insurance programs.

In their third and final debate before the November 8 election, Trump accused Clinton and her campaign team of drumming up allegations that he has groped almost a dozen women.

“I believe,” Trump said, “she got these people to step forward,” accusing Clinton of running a “very sleazy campaign” and adding of the claims aired by several women dating back decades: “It was all fiction.”

“Donald thinks belittling women makes him bigger,” Clinton said.

“He goes after their dignity, their self-worth, and I don’t think there is a woman anywhere who doesn’t know what that feels like.”

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Kodak puts out new camera-centric smartphone named Ektra

Despite struggling through bankruptcy back in 2013, Kodak is slowly trying to get back on its feet with a new smartphone that carries the name of one of its classic cameras.

Named after the Ektra 1941 rangefinder, its new smartphone is a camera-centric device that’s wrapped in artificial leatherette and has a curved grip on one end as well as a dedicated shutter button. It also has a very obvious lens protruding in the back with a 21-megapixel Sony sensor, reports Engadget.

Build-wise, the Kodak Ektra (2016) certainly looks like a classic camera. The company is hoping it will appeal to photography enthusiasts who would also own DSLRs or high-end compact cameras. Phone manufacturer Bullit has been tasked by Kodak to make the device more photographer-friendly. This means that it includes a camera app with a Scene Selection Dial for accessing different modes.

Snapseed has been placed as the default photo-editing app. The device will also have Kodak-curated app recommendations that include Adobe Lightroom, Prisma and VSCO.

As a smartphone, the Ektra is equipped with a deca-core MediaTek Helio X20 processor and 3GB of RAM. It has an internal storage of 32GB but can be expanded up to 128GB through a MicroSD. It also has a 3000mAh battery with “Pump Express” quick charging. It has a 5-inch 1080p display and comes with Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box.

The Kodak Ektra (2016) will retail for £449/€499 (P26,247) in Europe this coming December. The US market will have to wait as a Kodak spokesperson says they will have to monitor market demand before making any decisions. Alfred Bayle

source: technology.inquirer.net

Guardiola leaves Aguero on the bench in loss at Barcelona

BARCELONA, Spain — Pep Guardiola’s decision to leave Sergio Aguero out of his Manchester City starting lineup Wednesday (Thursday Manila time) backfired badly in a 4-0 loss at Barcelona in the Champions League.

Premier League-leading City failed to fill the void created by the absence of its top scorer. Barcelona capitalized and seized its opportunities, with Lionel Messi scoring three goals and setting up Neymar for another.

The loss at Camp Nou against Guardiola’s former team exposed two of the manager’s most important decisions as being off the mark.

Aguero’s exclusion was tactical. But another big factor in the loss will revive doubts about getting rid of England goalkeeper Joe Hart.

Despite scoring five goals in six Premier League matches and another six goals in Champions League qualifying and group phase matches this season, Aguero watched from the dugout as Barcelona took control of Group C with a commanding victory.

Guardiola instead resorted to a formation he used often at Barcelona, playing without a clear striker and instead aligning Kevin De Bruyne up front as a “false 9″ with wingers Manuel “Nolito” Agudo and Raheem Sterling.

“It was my decision. I wanted more midfielders,” said Guardiola, confirming that Aguero was not troubled by any lingering injuries from recent international duty.

De Bruyne was the only City player to occasionally threaten Barcelona’s goal. His best opportunity came late with Barcelona already three goals clear, but goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen did well to stop him one-on-one.

Another issue highlighted in City’s fourth consecutive game without a win was the poor form of goalkeeper Claudio Bravo.

Bravo, who Guardiola pushed City to sign from Barcelona at the start of the season, was sent off in the 53rd minute after back-to-back errors. Bravo first flubbed a pass right to Barcelona’s Luis Suarez and then used his hands to block his shot while outside the box, earning a red card.

Guardiola acknowledged that the mistake, which occurred when his team was trailing by a goal, crushed any chances of a comeback. Even so, he defended his goalkeeper.

“He knows what he did,” Guardiola said. “He has a lot of experience. He has been one of the best goalkeepers in the world for the past 10 years. I have no doubts in him.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

4 shot outside San Francisco schools; suspects at large

SAN FRANCISCO—Four teenage students were shot in the shared parking lot of two San Francisco high schools Tuesday, and one of the students is in critical condition, authorities said.

The shooting occurred as students were being let out of school for the day from the June Jordan School for Equity and City Arts and Technology High School, which share a campus, San Francisco Police Officer Carlos Manfredi said.

Three of the victims ran inside the school, and police initially ordered students to stay in place until police searched each room and determined it was not an active shooter situation. A fourth victim hurt in the shooting went to the Bayview Police Station, Manfredi said.

“One female victim has life-threatening injuries to her upper torso,” he said.

Four male suspects wearing dark hoodies and jeans were seen running away from the area, Manfredi said.

The shooters, who are not students at the school, seemed to have targeted the female student, officials said.

“This was an isolated incident outside of the school building where one student was being targeted by outsiders,” the San Francisco Unified School District said in a statement.

Classes at June Jordan School in the city’s Excelsior District will resume Wednesday and extra security and counselors for students will be available, it said.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Canadians cheering up Americans with #TellAmericaItsGreat

NEW YORK— America’s neighbors to the north — so often the butt of their jokes — are taking to social media to try to keep spirits up in the U.S. during this divisive election season.

Using the hashtag #TellAmericaItsGreat, Canadians have swamped Twitter with compliments about American music, culture, technology and even tailgating. The outpouring of love triggered a reply — #TellCanadaThanks.

It’s all an effort started by the Toronto-based ad agency The Garden Collective, which chose its hashtag as a play on Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make America great again.” The firm’s video launching the social media push has gotten over 752,000 YouTube views and the hashtag has been trending on Twitter for several days. Many Canadians have made their own mini-videos, too.

Dic Dickerson, managing director of the firm, called it a pet project they devised for no other reason than to just spread love. “We put it out there and I don’t think any of us expected to get as much traction as it did but we’re really, really excited by all the positivity,” he said. “A lot of people are talking, which is exactly what we wanted.”

The agency was founded about 18 months ago and usually focuses its attention on businesses. Dickerson said they’d never done anything like this.

“Every day we come in and the founders and myself and our team, we sit around and sort of talk about what’s new, what’s everybody reading, what are we looking at, and it always sort of came back to this notion of just how negative everything was about this upcoming election,” he said. “You can either pile on with the negativity or try to look at the positive side of things.”

Some of the things Canadians say they admire about the U.S. are its federal parks, its diversity, its missions to Mars, jazz and Tupac Shakur. One Canadian from Halifax on Tuesday complimented Americans for baseball, “The Catcher in the Rye” and first lady Michelle Obama.

Canadians, who have long been mocked by their southern neighbors for their accents (“aboot”), their creation of Justin Bieber and an apparent abundance of moose, have enjoyed some good press recently, largely thanks to their telegenic new prime minister, Justin Trudeau.

Americans, meanwhile, have been in the doldrums as Trump and Hillary Clinton face accusations of running a squalid campaign for presidency, not to mention several dispiriting Hollywood breakups, including the demise of Brangelina. The land that gave the world Ryan Gosling has now proven as seemingly warm and kind as that sensitive actor in America’s time of need.

“Don’t worry neighbors, if the election goes haywire, you can all come and live up here with us, plenty of room!” wrote one Canadian on Twitter.

Only the most cynical people would suspect this, but might the cheer-up ad campaign be really a massive attempt to troll Americans? Is this just a big mocking of the Yanks? Dickerson said no.

“It’s only coming from a place of love,” he said. “We’ve kind of been joking around about it like it’s a collective group hug from your neighbors to the north. It just felt right at this moment to share the love.”

source: technology.inquirer.net

Hyundai recalls Genesis Coupes to fix air bag wiring problem

DETROIT — Hyundai is recalling more than 84,000 cars in the U.S. because a wiring problem can cause the front passenger air bag to malfunction.

The recall covers Genesis Coupes from the 2010 to 2016 model years.

The company says in government documents that an electrical connector for the passenger seat air bag sensor can become disconnected. That can cause the air bag to inflate when a child is in the seat or deploy with too little force to protect an adult. In both cases, passengers could be hurt, but Hyundai says it has no reports of injuries.


Dealers will secure the wiring to make sure it stays connected. The recall is expected to start on Dec. 2. TVJ

source: business.inquirer.net

New device allows parents to feed babies while using smartphones

Virginia, USA, native Tim Causa  found out the hard way that feeding a baby can be quite a handful, especially for parents who are always glued in on their smartphones.

His tough conundrum led him to design a device called Swipe & Feed— a simple clip that is attached to a smartphone at one end, with a perfectly angled baby’s bottle at the other.

“Swipe and Feed is a unique solution to a problem every parent experiences–doing anything while feeding a baby. Now you can catch up on those important work emails, share photos of your baby with loved ones, read the news and even buy diapers and wipes–the possibilities are limitless,” Causa wrote on the product’s website.

According to a Telegraph report, the 34-year-old father came up with the idea after struggling to feed his newborn son, Jack, for 25 minutes every hour, due to an acid reflux problem.

“For 25 minutes at a time, I was in a dark, quiet room feeding my son. It dawned on me that I could do some catch-up work while he fed, but I needed something to help me hold a bottle and my smartphone,” Causa described his frustrations on the website.

“I searched online for solutions, but nothing was on the market.  That’s when I decided to seize the opportunity and solve the problem myself,” he said.

Aside from its unique take at modern parenting, his invention is also dishwasher-safe and is available to fit in various bottle and phone designs.

As expected, his device has already attracted mixed reactions from parents’ groups.

One Facebook user wrote, ”I was just feeding my son and was trying to use my phone when I stumbled across your invention. What a great idea!”

Others, however, were not amused and expressed their disgust on the product’s views on parent-child feeding time.

“This is a very sick project. If a mother or a father are so self absorbed that they can’t spend 5 minutes to bond with their child while feeding then Child Protective Services should remove the child immediately,” one user commented. “Only a bunch of opportunists would even think this is appropriate and only narcissists would buy it.”

As of this writing, Causa is still awaiting donations from the crowdfunding site Kickstarter to be able to release his product to the mass market. It remains unclear how much Swipe & Feed will retail for.  Khristian Ibarrola

source: technology.inquirer.net

Three people killed in Los Angeles shootout

LOS ANGELES, United States — Three people were killed and at least a dozen more injured when a shooting broke out after an argument at a pop-up restaurant in Los Angeles, police said Saturday.

One person has been arrested and police have launched a manhunt for another in connection with the deadly incident in West Adams, in the southwestern part of the metro area, said spokesman Lieutenant Chuck Springer.

Around 1900 GMT, investigators were still on scene, and the bodies still inside the home that was temporarily turned into a restaurant.

A woman was taken out and rushed by ambulance to a nearby hospital.

“Today, Los Angeles woke up to a horrifying shooting in West Adams — the latest example of a senseless gun violence epidemic that causes so much pain and sorrow in our city and across the nation,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti.

No motive has yet been identified.

“It’s a bloody scene with shell casings everywhere,” LAPD spokesman Sergeant Frank Preciado told the Los Angeles Times, adding that there were about 50 people in the restaurant at the time of the shooting.

It was a popular Jamaican eatery that often held parties on Friday nights, the Times said.

“Los Angeles grieves for the senseless loss of lives in one of our most cherished neighborhoods. My prayers go out for the victims and their families,” Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer added. CBB

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Clinton says she takes ‘no satisfaction’ in Trump’s actions

SEATTLE — With Donald Trump on the defensive, Hillary Clinton says she is taking “no satisfaction” in his actions and promising to repair the damage and project a message of unity during the campaign’s final weeks.

Hours after her Republican rival furiously defended himself against multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, Clinton spoke Friday of the need for national healing in a Seattle fundraising speech that also saw her call upon Americans to help her govern if she’s elected president.

“This election is incredibly painful. I take absolutely no satisfaction in what is happening on the other side with my opponent,” Clinton said while visiting a Seattle campaign field office. “I am not at all happy about that because it hurts our country, it hurts our democracy, it sends terrible messages to so many people here at home and around the world.”

The Democratic presidential nominee said earlier at a Seattle fundraiser that while she understands many voters want to “turn away,” her supporters need to help her win the election to “demonstrate the positive, optimistic, confident, unifying vision of America that I believe in and that I think, together, we can demonstrate America’s best days are still ahead of us.”

While President Barack Obama is ending his two terms with high approval ratings, Clinton’s struggles with high unfavorability ratings and questions about her honesty could undermine any electoral mandate she might achieve in November.

So as Trump has dealt with a firestorm that started last week with the release of an 11-year-old videotape of him bragging about kissing and groping women, Clinton is increasingly aiming her message not only at Democrats but at disaffected Republicans and independents turned off by the spectacle.


draiser at the Paramount Theatre, where Trump backers gathered outside on a blustery day, one bearing a sign that read, “Hillary for Prison 2016,” Clinton struck a tone of conciliation. She said she wanted people “to start looking after each other again,” and that while she would aim to pass laws and seek “some real national commitments,” people needed to support each other at the end of an acrimonious campaign season.

“I will be asking for your help. I need your help not just to win this election but to govern and to heal the divides that exist in our country right now,” Clinton said. “I do believe there isn’t anything we can’t do once we make up our minds to do it.”

The former secretary of state said those challenges extend across the globe, saying she had talked to many foreign leaders who complained about Trump’s praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin or her opponent’s calls for a temporary ban on foreign Muslims entering the country.

“So make no mistake, we do have to repair the damage which he has done, which we will do. But on both domestic and national security grounds, repudiating his candidacy sends exactly the right message,” she said.

Leading in many battleground state polls, Clinton’s team is assessing the possibility of expanding the map to compete in traditional Republican states like Utah, Georgia and Arizona. She is preparing for next week’s final debate in Las Vegas and then an intense stretch of campaigning. While she continues to call Trump unqualified to be president, much of her message appears aimed beyond November — and into a possible first term.
READ: Clinton reaching past Trump, as he denies report of assault

“Bringing people together to solve problems is key to our democracy. There’s no question about it,” Clinton said. “And I want us to do that in a spirit of mutual respect, listening to one another, having each other’s backs.”

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Dylan book sales soar after Nobel announcement

NEW YORK — He won his Nobel for writing songs, but Bob Dylan’s unexpected honor also is providing a boost for his books.

Dylan’s memoir “Chronicles: Volume One” and a bound compilation, “The Lyrics: 1961-2012,” were among two of Amazon.com’s fastest sellers Thursday. His book of lyrics jumped from No. 73,543 on Amazon’s best-seller list the night before Thursday’s announcement to No. 209. Over the same 24-hour period, “Chronicles” soared from No. 15,690 to No. 278 and was out of stock by the end of the day.

Not surprisingly, sales were up on Amazon for many of his albums. Two of them, “Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits” and “Blonde on Blonde,” were in the top 25 for CDs and vinyl by Thursday night.

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Samsung offers owners up to $100 credit to turn in Note 7 devices

Samsung has officially stopped production of the Galaxy Note 7 following the continued combustion reports of even replacement units. To further ensure the safety of the public, the company has begun offering financial incentives to Note 7 owners who still refuse to turn in their devices.

Starting Oct. 13 at 15:00ET, Samsung will be launching a new program to retrieve the remaining Note 7 units in the wild called Note 7 Refund & Exchange. It will offer up to a $100 bill credit for exchanging a Note 7 for “any Samsung smartphone” or $25 in credit to exchange a Note 7 “for a refund or other branded smartphone,” reports The Verge.

Clearly Samsung is rewarding customers who stick with the brand by offering higher credit and it should be an enticing enough offer for those who wish to continue enjoying many of Samsung’s smartphone features that was found on the Note 7.

The Korean company is also working in coordination with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission to facilitate the complete recall of all Note 7 devices. More details can be found in Samsung’s official press release.  Alfred Bayle

source: technology.inquirer.net

BMW shows off no-helmet concept motorcycle

BMW’s 100th birthday has prompted the company to unveil its latest concept vehicle that it claims to be smart enough to ensure the rider’s safety, thereby eliminating the need for the cumbersome helmet.

The Motorrad Vision Next 100 concept motorcycle certainly looks the part of a futuristic vehicle. It even gets rid of the traditional instrument cluster in the front and simply employs a visor that displays information and data relevant to the rider, reports Engadget.

As for its safety features, BMW states that the key is a self-balancing system that will allow the bike to stay upright even when not moving. It would eliminate the rider’s ever-present tendency of falling over, trusting instead the bike’s balancing system while pushing the limits even further.

While the balancing system will help prevent crashing due to rider error, the question is what if the rider was thrown off the vehicle? Unless the bike can somehow sense the absence of the rider and automatically try to catch the individual, authorities may still require some form of helmet or protective measure before anyone will be allowed to ride this smart vehicle.

BMW has not hinted the power plant for this concept vehicle, saying only that it would be a “zero-emission” bike. Given the trend of electric vehicles, it wouldn’t be too far off to assume that the Motorrad Vision Next 100 will be electric.

source: technology.inquirer.net

Police study DNA from Kim Kardashian robbery scene

PARIS, France — French investigators are studying several DNA samples found in the Paris apartment where Kim Kardashian was tied up and robbed at gunpoint of $10 million in jewels, sources close to the inquiry said Tuesday.

“These DNA samples are currently being analyzed,” one of the sources told AFP.

However, no DNA has been recovered from Kardashian’s diamond pendant that was found in the street by a passerby near her luxury residence just hours after the crime, the sources said.

The multi-millionaire US reality TV star, who was in the French capital for Paris fashion week, was robbed on October 3 by five men posing as police officers.

Kardashian was tied up and locked in the bathroom while the robbers helped themselves to a ring worth around four million euros ($4.5 million) and a case of jewelery with a value of five million euros ($5.6 million).

Two mobile phones were also stolen during the hold up in the chic Madeleine district of Paris, near the city’s main department stores.

The mother of two and wife of rap superstar Kanye West flew home to the US after being questioned by police over the incident, which a spokeswoman said had left her “badly shaken”.

Kardashian has been a fixture of US celebrity news for more than a decade, known mainly for the TV show “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” and a leaked sex tape. CBB

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Samsung woes show how dependent we’ve become on smartphones

NEW YORK – Tethered as we are to our smartphones, Samsung asking users of its fire-prone Galaxy Note 7 to “power down and stop using the device” is not just an inconvenience. It’s crazy.

Smartphones have become extensions of ourselves, the last thing we look at before falling asleep and the first thing we grab in the morning. Abandoning them is all but unthinkable, even at the dinner table, even on the toilet.

Risking a battery fire might seem like a small price to pay for obsessively checking your latest Instagram “likes,” catching up on email, Skyping your grandkids across the country, getting directions, confirming your travel itinerary, reading the news, searching for a dinner recipe, hailing a ride and so on.

For those traveling with children, a long flight without a smartphone to serve as distraction is akin to torture.

Power down and stop using the device? You might as well go live in a cave in a distant mountain (if you can get there, since you no longer have GPS). According to the Pew Research Center, 43 percent of the world’s population uses a smartphone. Rates are highest in places such as South Korea (88 percent), Australia (77 percent) and Israel (74 percent).

And use it they do. We check Facebook so often that the company no longer just measures its users on a monthly basis. A more important number is how many people check in on a daily basis. In June, more than 1 billion people checked Facebook on a mobile device at least once a day.

In a report on global mobile device usage, the consulting firm Deloitte found the obvious, namely that “device obsession is deepening” and that people are using their phones for “everything from watching TV to simply crossing the road.” Some of us even use the phones while crossing the road, which is not the safest thing in the world.

A small 2015 study by Nottingham Trent University that tracked 18- to 33-year-olds found that they checked their phones an average of 85 times a day – often without realizing.

Entire industries have sprung up to try to pry us away from our gadgets, such as phone-free summer camps for adults, anti-texting-and-driving apps and apps that track how much time you spend on your phone.

As such, it’s not surprising that smartphone owners suddenly deprived of this extra limb are finding ways around the inconvenience.

“I am currently using my tablet that has AT&T number sync. I have a Bluetooth headset connected that allows me to make and receive calls. It also can receive texts, but it works marginal at best,” said Leo Langelier III, who lives in North Berwick, Maine.

His Note 7 – the replacement model – started to emit smoke in the car while he was traveling with is family. While his family is fine, he has not been able to get a replacement and said he will be reactivating an older phone he has at home until he can get everything cleared up.

Adam Siemaszko, who returned his Note 7 to a Best Buy in Manhattan, said a co-worker was kind enough to lend him an old iPhone 5S until I can get a new one. He decided to get the new Pixel phone from Google, as he’s lost his trust in Samsung. But there’s a five- to six-week wait.

“Being phoneless is awful,” he said. “What I don’t think a lot of people think about is just how reliant we have been with the modern flagships.”

Siemaszko said he got used to taking notes on the Note 7 using its special S pen and running two apps side by side at once. The iPhone 5S came out in 2013 and even the latest iPhone, the 7, lacks these options.

“I feel incredibly limited on this 5S,” he said. “They took my tool away, and the only way to get something else is to jump through hoops.”

source: technology.inquirer.net

Bisping keeps UFC title, beats retiring Henderson

MANCHESTER, England — Michael Bisping retained his UFC middleweight title early by taking a unanimous decision victory over Dan Henderson at UFC 204 at the Manchester Arena on Sunday, ending the retiring American’s career in defeat.

The fight started tentatively, with Henderson wary of combinations from Bisping, and the Englishman concerned about the right hook with which Henderson had knocked him out at UFC 100.

With 30 seconds to go in the first round, however, the 46-year-old Henderson landed the shot for which he is known, almost finishing Bisping and creating prominent swelling under his left eye.

With Bisping controlling the second round, a groin strike not spotted by the referee, and led to an ailing Henderson hitting the right hook, dropping Bisping once more, although again he was able to recover.

The remaining rounds were less dramatic, although Bisping continued to land more strikes. That led to the judges awarding the hometown favorite the fight, despite the differences in overall damage.

“He just kicked my ass, man. He’s as tough as old boots,” said a relieved Bisping after the fight.

Henderson had announced his retirement prior to the fight, and confirmed it afterward.

“That was the last time anyone will see me fight live,” Henderson said. “I appreciate all the support throughout my career, worldwide. I gave my heart and soul to this sport.

“I came up a little short, but not bad for an old man.”

In the co-main event, Gegard Mousasi defeated Vitor Belfort in the middleweight division.

After an early flurry of punches by Belfort, he took a head kick in round two, and referee Marc Goddard stopped the bout quickly when the Brazilian fell to the ground and covered up under fire from punches.

“(Belfort) is a legend. Fighting him is an honour,” said Mousasi after the bout. He then challenged UFC legend Anderson Silva, stating that “it would be a good fight for me.”

Jimi Manuwa delivered three good punches to take his fight against interim light-heavyweight contender Ovince St. Preux.

After being out-wrestled in round 1, Manuwa landed a left to the body, an overhand right, and a left-hook to stop the bout, and invigorate a crowd that was beginning to wilt at just after 4 a.m. local time, with the event timed to suit U.S. television audiences.

Stefan Struve became the first man to finish Daniel Omielanczuk in MMA competition, winning via d’arce choke for the 17th submission victory of his career. After the bout, he reminded UFC’s matchmakers that he holds a TKO victory over current heavyweight title-holder Stipe Miocic.

Bosnia’s Mirsad Bektic returned to action for the first time since May 2015 and took a rear naked choke victory over Russell Doane in the featherweight division, giving him a 4-0 record in the UFC.

In the final fight of the preliminary card, London’s Brad Pickett was rocked by a spinning back elbow, never fully recovering before submitting to Iuri Alcantara’s triangle choke./rga

source: sports.inquirer.net

Jay Z, Serena Williams, Kendrick Lamar help Beyoncé wrap up tour

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey — Beyoncé wrapped up her “Formation World Tour” with onstage assists from Jay Z, Kendrick Lamar and Serena Williams, while Hugh Jackman, Tyler Perry and Frank Ocean watched from the crowd.

The pop star performed Friday night at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, singing and dancing to songs from her six solo albums, including her latest effort, “Lemonade.”

Jay Z earned loud roars when he joined his wife for “Drunk In Love,” while Lamar matched some of Beyoncé’s dance moves in a pool of water during “Freedom.” Williams, who appears in the music video for “Sorry,” brought the clip to life by twerking onstage while Beyoncé sang the song.

Beyoncé originally was supposed to perform at MetLife last month, but postponed the show to rest her voice.

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

How Can I Recover My Data from a Failed Hard Drive?

Like most computer users, at some point you’re going to find yourself in a moment of panic that all of your hard work and cherished memories are gone due to problems with the system. A catastrophic hard drive failure strikes fear in the hearts of many – you’re not alone! Often times, this is the result of the user failing to do basic hard drive maintenance and backing-up their data. Here are a few tips that can help when trying to recover your precious data from a failed hard drive:

 Identify Why the Hard Drive Failed

Take an inventory of the important data you may lose if the drive cannot be recovered. You may have sensitive tax information, irreplaceable family photos & videos, a collection of hard to replace, vintage software, or personal information that cannot get into untrusted hands. Regardless of whatever you lost, the important thing is to remain calm. There is a chance you will be able to recover your data on your own (without possessing a Master's Degree in Computer Science). After you’ve made an inventory of the important stuff, your next step is going to be trying to figure out what happened in the first place.
Is your system extremely old and the hard drive failed physically?
Did you just recently install a new piece of software?
Did one of your children accidentally download a virus or some other nasty malware?
Maybe, your wife knocked a glass of ice tea onto your laptop?
There are a million things that could have happened, but don’t worry, something can always be done to fix it.

Hard Drive Recovery Basics

Based on what happened, you can narrow down to an issue of physical or software-based breakdown. Physical hard drive issues are called "mechanical drive failures" and software issues are known as "logical drive failures". There are plenty of recovery tools available that will make software (or logical) recovery much easier. As for the hardware based (or mechanical) issues, those are typically a little bit more complex and often require professional help, such as professional hard drive repair, or hard drive recovery. At this point, cross your fingers and hope for a logical drive failure because mechanical failure can be somewhat pricey depending on the situation and what company you decide to go with. If you are not 100% certain the problem is logical or mechanical in nature, you are probably going to want to remove the drive from the system and try to test it on another. If your drive is installed in another system (or in a USB disc cradle), can you hear the plates inside spinning? Listen closely and you should be able to hear a slight "whirling" noise as the drive plates begin to operate. If you have a SSD drive, they are "solid-state" in nature so you won't have the benefit of sound and will have to run some diagnostics tests to determine if the failure is logical or mechanical.

Hard Drive Recovery Tools

Next, you are going to need to download some hard drive recovery tools that can run an initial diagnostic on the device to determine our next course of action. There are several options available, but stick to one of the best programs on the market, Secure Data Recovery Hard Drive Repair Software. After you’ve read up on the software program of your choosing, the next step is going to be putting it into action. If for some reason you are just unable to get your data restored or you realize you are looking at a catastrophic, mechanical hard drive failure -- it may be time to throw in the towel and call in the professionals. Secure Data Recovery is unmatched in our ability to meet customers need and get back data when it matters most. Give us a call at 1-800-388-1266 today if you need our help.

source:  securedatarecovery.com