Monday, 19 October 2015

Poll: Clinton aces debate, but no big boost in overall support

Hillary Clinton did the best job during the first Democratic presidential debate last week, according to a CNN/ORC poll of voters who watched.
Sixty-two percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters polled Oct. 14-17 gave Clinton’s performance the highest marks, while 35% said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., did the best.

WASHINGTON — The White House is enlisting Fortune 500 CEOs in its attempts to reach a breakthrough agreement on climate change, announcing agreements with 68 more companies committed to reducing their greenhouse gasses ahead of international talks in Paris.
The CEOs are among the 81 major companies that have now made specific commitments on climate. But just as important for President Obama, they're also putting a business-friendly face on his clean energy initiatives.

Oprah Winfrey – who has always been open about her struggles with weight – clearly believes in Weight Watchers. She just bought 10% of the company's stock, sending share prices soaring.
But does the 52-year-old Weight Watchers – the granddaddy of all commercial weight-loss plans – actually work?

White House seeks millions for civil rights sites

Communities and historically black colleges that played a key role in the civil rights movement would get millions of dollars under an administration plan to upgrade and preserve the movement's most important sites.
Administration officials want to spend $50 million on the initiative as the nation marks the 50th anniversary of key milestones in the civil rights movement.
Sites in the South, the heart of the civil rights movement, are the most likely candidates.
"We need to be reminded of the struggles that have happened in this country so that nobody forgets,'' said civil rights veteran Charles Hicks, 70, a native of Bogalusa, La.

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst's Iraq War experience and ongoing service in the Iowa National Guard have been central to her political rise over the past year, but have also drawn pointed questions and criticisms.
Is Ernst, who has more than 20 years of military experience, really a "combat veteran?" As a service member, can she make political comments? Is it a conflict to continue her military commitments while serving in the Senate?
Research by The Des Moines Register shows she meets the military's definition of a combat veteran and that her service in the Guard does not limit her political speech, but the constitutionality of her concurrent service in Congress and the National Guard is less clear-cut.
The Republican's military experience defined her candidacy in 2014, helping set her apart in a crowded primary and then secure a general-election victory to become Iowa's first female member of Congress.
She's also made military affairs a top priority since taking office, serving on the Armed Forces Committee and using her maiden speech on the Senate floor to introduce a bill on mental health services for veterans.
Let's walk through the facts, military regulations and law that lead to these conclusions.

It doesn't sound like President Obama and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a very pleasant conversation about the proposed Iran deal.

In its readout of Thursday's call, the White House said Obama emphasized that "the framework represents significant progress towards a lasting, comprehensive solution that cuts off all of Iran's pathways to a bomb and verifiably ensures the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program going forward."

The nuclear deal reached Thursday by Iran, the U.S., and five other world powers will dominate the Sunday talk shows.Negotiators reached a historic agreement on a broad framework for resolving the long-standing conflict over Iran's nuclear program. The deal says that Iran will not produce weapons-grade fuel and that United Nations' inspectors will have better access to Iran's nuclear facilities to check on compliance.
In return, economic sanctions imposed against Iran by the USA and the European Union would be lifted, although the timetable for doing that remains unclear.
President Obama is expected to have a tough time selling the deal to a skeptical Congress. Key lawmakers are calling on the president to bring the agreement to Congress for approval rather than taking it straight to the United Nations.

Iran nuclear agreement faces tough road ahead

The framework nuclear agreement announced Thursday between world powers and Iran sets the stage for Congress and foreign nations to try to change — or kill — a final deal.
The United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, China and Germany reached an understanding with Iran on limits to Iran's nuclear program in return for lifting crippling economic sanctions.
Negotiators now have until June 30 to fill in the critical details to assure Iran it will get relief from the sanctions as soon as possible, and guarantee the world powers that Iran won't develop a nuclear weapon. Lying in wait are Congress, Iran's enemies in the Middle East and difficult issues that may reshape, delay or doom a final accord.

The FBI is in the midst of a major overhaul of its signature tracking program that for more than eight decades has been regarded as the most reliable measure of crime in the USA.Federal authorities are attempting to convert hundreds of law enforcement agencies to an alternate reporting system that would account for perhaps scores of offenses that have never been recorded in the bureau's annual summary of crime in the USA, part of its Uniform Crime Report.
Assistant FBI Director Stephen Morris, who oversees the bureau's crime data collection functions, said there is no estimating the number of ''lost'' offenses because of the "summary'' nature of the current reporting structure. "You don't know what you don't know,'' Morris said in an interview with USA TODAY.
Murders may be the most consistently tracked offenses in the summary portion of the report. But an unknown number of other crimes often committed in the course of those deaths — rapes, robberies, assaults, arson and others — go unrecorded. Long-standing reporting limitations allow for tracking only the most serious single offense from each incident, regardless of how many other offenses have been committed.

The first of two lunar eclipses visible in the U.S. this year will take place early Saturday morning.
Skywatchers in the western third of the U.S. will get to see a total eclipse, while folks in the central and eastern U.S. will only see a partial eclipse before the moon sets.
You'll have to look low in the western sky to see the eclipse. As with all lunar eclipses, its safe to look at the moon during the eclipse, unlike during solar eclipses.

Chinese authorities charged former security chief Zhou Yongkang on Friday with bribery, abuse of power and intentional disclosure of state secrets in a closely watched case that involves the highest-ranking target of a sweeping government anti-corruption campaign.
The indictment was brought by the prosecutor's office in Tianjin city, near Beijing, following an investigation underway since late 2013. Based on previous cases, a suspended death sentence is likely. Convictions are all but certain in Chinese courts, which are controlled by the ruling Communist Party, in which Zhou served at the most senior levels.

The second black box recovered from the crash site of a Germanwings airliner confirms that the co-pilot deliberately crashed the plane and even increased its speed before the Airbus A320 slammed into the French Alps, killing 150 people, French investigators said Friday.

France's BEA aviation investigators said Andreas Lubitz, the 27-year-old co-pilot, "used the automatic pilot to put the airplane on a descent towards altitude of 100 feet," France24 reports.

"Then several times the pilot modified the automatic pilot settings to increase the speed of the airplane as it descended," it added.

Information from the first black box, which captured conversations in the cockpit, had confirmed Lubitz locked out his pilot, who could be heard shouting and banging on the cockpit door as the plane headed toward the mountains for almost 10 minutes.

Martin O'Malley pitches populism in New Hampshire

NASHUA, N.H. — With his shirtsleeves rolled up but his tie still in place, his hands cradling a borrowed guitar, Martin O'Malley is singing to the Young Democrats.
O'Malley, a former two-term Maryland governor and likely presidential candidate, usually plays in an Irish rock band, but tonight's tune is This Land is Your Land, a song that's both patriotic — every school kid learns it — and political: It was written by Woody Guthrie as a leftist rebuke to God Bless America.
That's O'Malley's pitch to voters right now: a call to greatness combined with populist rage against Wall Street, similar to that of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts Democrat who has resisted calls to run for president herself. But while the prospect of a Warren candidacy has stirred excitement among many liberal activists, O'Malley's much more likely bid has so far failed to register in opinion polls. Whether his new message resonates with voters in coming months could determine whether a path exists for him to emerge as a credible alternative to Hillary Clinton.

Now that world powers have reached a framework agreement with Iran over its nuclear program, Congress and world leaders will try to influence the ongoing negotiations until a final deadline at the end of June.
Negotiators for the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, China and Germany have reached an understanding with Iran on principles of a deal to limit Iran's nuclear program in return for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions, Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif told reporters. The agreement came after a week of talks in Lausanne, Switzerland, and the extension of a Tuesday deadline.

LA concert calendar: Upcoming concerts and live music in LA

Check out our LA concert calendar to find out which of your favorite bands and artists have upcoming shows in the city

Ani DiFranco

Investors soon could begin trading shares of the first investment vehicle tied to bitcoin.

It's been called "bitcoin's golden moment," and some see it as the start of the financial trend of the future. The Bitcoin Investment Trust (BIT) is just about ready for public trading.

The fund, whose share price would be about one-tenth of one bitcoin's selling price minus fees, has cleared all of its regulatory hurdles, and many shares have surpassed their year-long holding period, according to Barry Silbert, the founder of Digital Currency Group, which owns the fund's manager Grayscale Investments.
Barry Silbert, Founder and CEO of SecondMarket.
Adam Jeffery | CNBC
Barry Silbert, Founder and CEO of SecondMarket.

All that's left is for BIT shares (which trade at ticker symbol "GBTC") to be moved into shareholders' brokerage accounts, a process that should be finished by next week, and "then it's up to them if they will sell," Silbert said.

Matthew Weatherhead stood at the podium in a Wayne County Circuit courtroom, barely able to get out the words to describe how dearly he misses his wife after she was killed when a car fleeing from police slammed into her SUV.

"I stand here because she can't stand up for herself anymore," he said. "She was the most wonderful wife and would have been a great mother."

The grieving husband addressed the court Tuesday as Judge Cynthia Gray Hathaway sentenced John McCallum III, 27, of Detroit to 20-45 years in prison in the death of Francesca Weatherhead, 25, of Royal Oak.

McCallum took a plea deal several weeks ago in the case. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, as well as fleeing and eluding a police officer. In exchange, charges of home invasion and reckless driving causing death were dismissed.

Duke was looking for a team nickname just after the end of World War I. During the Great War, the Chasseurs Alpins, nicknamed “les Diables Bleus,” were internationally famous French soldiers. But, as you’d expect from the French Army, their success didn’t last long and once the U.S. got in the war, les Diables Blue were relegated to raising money for the war effort. After the war and Duke’s lifting of a ban on college football, there was a two-year battle about the name, much of it about how the Methodists would react to “Blue Devils,” for obvious reasons. The first post-war football team at Duke played without a name. As the stalemate dragged, a newspaper editor started referring to the team as the Blue Devils and the rest is history. But, seriously, did you know Duke’s nickname came from the French Army? New rule: Anytime Duke loses a game, we say les Diables Bleus surrendered it.

Days after Ben Carson likened President Obama to “psychopaths,” former Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann compared him to the German pilot who crashed a passenger plane into the side of a mountain.

The ex-congresswoman drew the comparison in a Facebook post that protested Obama-backed nuclear negotiations with Iran.

Al Franken pushes David Letterman for Senate

Sen. Al Franken has a suggestion for David Letterman’s new career after the comedian says goodbye to late-night TV in May.

Why not run for Senate in Indiana, since GOP Sen. Dan Coats is retiring after the 2016 elections?

Franken, the Saturday Night Live comedian-turned-politician, was discussing Indiana’s controversial “religious freedom” law when Letterman, a Hoosier, asked what could be done to make Gov. Mike Pence feel “uncomfortable.”

“As a matter of fact, there’s an open seat there,” Franken said. “Look, when people come to me — young people — they say how do I become a United States senator. I say, well, do about 35 or 40 years of comedy and then run for the Senate. It’s worked every time.”

President Obama praised an "historic understanding" with with Iran on Thursday, saying that a new deal paves the way for a final agreement in three months to prevent Tehran from making nuclear weapons.
"If this framework leads to a final, comprehensive deal, it will make our country, our allies, and our world safer," Obama said at the White House.

McDonald's, which has been struggling with workers protests and sagging sales, plans to increase pay for some 90,000 workers starting in July, the company said on Wednesday.

President Obama purported to issue both a pocket veto and a regular veto on the same bill Tuesday, a controversial practice that congressional leaders and some scholars say violates the Constitution.

It's known as the "protective return pocket veto," and there have been just 14 of them issued by Republican and Democratic presidents, all since the Ford administration. Three of Obama's four vetoes have used this hybrid form, but Democrats and Republicans in Congress have objected to the practice and refuse to recognize its validity.

President Obama spends Thursday talking about the U.S. economy in Kentucky while continuing to monitor nuclear negotiations with Iran.

New Jersey Democrats lined up behind Sen. Bob Menendez on Wednesday after federal prosecutors accused him of participating in a bribery scheme with a wealthy donor.

The state's Democratic committee released statements from several New Jersey lawmakers and officials and started a Twitter account — @IStandWithBob — and an identical hashtag to highlight support for Menendez.

Monster truck-sized defenseman Dustin Byfuglien has always had a gigantic impact on the Winnipeg Jets because of his larger-than-life presence on the ice and lighthearted approach in the dressing room.
He's a very popular with his teammates because he can keep everyone loose.
But depending on what happens in his hearing with the NHL department of player safety Thursday, Byfuglien's memory of this season might be about how he damaged his team's playoff aspirations.
With the Jets hanging on to a two-point lead in the Western Conference wild-card race, Byfuglien committed an act Tuesday that could get him suspended for multiple games with five games left in the season.

In the second period of Winnipeg's game against the New York Rangers, the 260-pound Byfuglien laid a
wicked cross-check on J.T. Miller's neck to earn himself a phone hearing with discipline guru Stephane Quintal. That means a potential suspension of five or fewer games.
Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said after the game that it was one of the "most vicious cross-checks" he has seen this year, noting that Byfuglien could have broken Miller's neck.
As much as teammates like Big Buff, you know some of them have to be wondering what he was thinking when he cracked down on Miller in a clear case of excessive violence.

A look at the replay shows there was no reason for Byfuglien to use that level of force to subdue Miller. He deserves to be suspended.
Depending upon on what level of suspension that Quintal and his group lay down, this act could damage Winnipeg's playoff aspirations. The Jets were able to overcome Byfuglien's recent injury absence, going 6-3 while he nursed his wounds last month.
But here is what we know for sure: The Jets are a better team when Byfuglien is in the lineup. With his size and booming shot, he is a game-changer. He scored three goals in the first two games after his return.

The Jets have games remaining with the Vancouver Canucks, Minnesota Wild, St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche and the Calgary Flames. These are undoubtedly the most important games the Jets have played since the team moved from Atlanta to Winnipeg in 2011.
If Byfuglien is suspended and the Jets lose games because of it, Winnipeg fans will remember that Byfuglien's indefensible action hurt their team at a time when they were expecting him to carry their team.

Passing on Alabama, Gregg Marshall opts to remain at Wichita State

Alabama is still looking for a new men's basketball coach, and Wichita State won't have to undertake a search.

Alabama athletics director Bill Battle issued a statement late Wednesday night that Marshall had declined an opportunity at Alabama and decided to remain Wichita State's coach.
The statement read, "I received word tonight that Coach Gregg Marshall has chosen to remain the head basketball coach at Wichita State. I fully respect his decision and wish him and his family all the best. My objective in this search is focused on one goal: to get the best person available to lead the Alabama men's basketball program. I remain determined to bring to our program a proven head coach with impressive credentials, one who understands and values our program, wants to lead our program, and is excited about what can be accomplished at the University of Alabama."
Marshall's son Kellen also had the news, and had a gleeful reaction to it.

Brennan: Tiger Woods needs to play Masters next week

Play, Tiger, play.
Play the Masters next week.
Play it even if you're not sure that you've completely figured out your short game. We've already seen you at your worst this year, chunking and skulling the ball over and around the greens at Phoenix and Torrey Pines, and we still want to see you try again.
Play it because watching you remains one of our favorite pastimes, whether it's to cheer you on or root for you to finish last. You're relevant. You still matter to people. That's a gift that doesn't last forever.
Play it because you almost always fare better at the Masters than most people think you will. In this century, you've won it three times and finished in the top 10 eight more times. In the nine years since you last won this tournament, in 2005, you've finished out of the top 10 only twice, which includes last year when you didn't play after having back surgery.

Play it because if you do show up, no one really thinks you will play well, which will make it all the better for you if you do. The Masters was made for you, and you for it. Take 2010. Your life was a shambles after the 2009 Thanksgiving weekend nightmare of your own doing, and you came to the Masters having not played in a tournament all year. So what do you do? You shoot 68-70-70-69 and finish tied for fourth.

Play it because you missed it last year and you can't miss it again this year. Here's why. You're 39. You love the place, and you'll only have so many chances to play it in your best years. Jack Nicklaus won the Masters at 46, and perhaps you will, too, but it's certainly not going to get easier to win as the years go by.

So play it once more before you turn 40.

Unless you're hurt, or worried that you could re-injure your back, play it, Tiger. For heaven's sake, it's the Masters and you're you. It would be almost un-American to not have you there.

Astute readers familiar with the dozens of critical columns I've written about Tiger over the past 15 years might wonder if this is an April Fools' Day joke.

It is not. The Masters needs Tiger Woods. And he needs the Masters. His game is in trouble. He shot a career-high 82 in late January, then withdrew on the 12th hole of the first round the next week with stiffness in his back. And that was the last we've seen of him this year.

FOR THE WIN

9-year-old Rory McIlroy to Tiger Woods: 'I'm coming to get you'

For the first time in his career, he looks truly lost on a golf course. Some wonder if he'll ever get back to some semblance of normalcy. It's a valid question.

So he needs to go to a place where he will always be welcomed. He needs to go to a place he knows as well as any course on Earth. He needs to go home.

Augusta National Golf Club will always open its doors to Tiger, and has ever since his first major victory, at 21 in 1997, when he won by 12 shots.

If Tiger doesn't show up, the Masters will carry on, of course, but it won't have the same energy. Rory is young and interesting and going for the career Grand Slam, but he doesn't come close to moving the needle the way Tiger does. Phil is Phil, as entertaining and appealing as any golfer of this era, but he's still not Tiger.

Tiger's presence makes every tournament eminently more fascinating, and will continue to do so until we are certain he can't be competitive anymore. That day has not yet arrived.

So, Tiger, what else do you have to do next Thursday and Friday? (And perhaps Saturday and Sunday?)

5 things you need to know Thursday

1. New York Auto Show: It's cars, cars, cars in the Big Apple

It's New York's turn to shine on the auto show circuit, with more than 60 new vehicles to reveal to the media before the New York Auto Show opens its doors to the public on Friday. Cars getting buzz already? A sporty new concept Honda Civic; the updated Hyundai Tucson; Lexus' RX luxury crossover SUV; a new Chevy Malibu ... and of course, the return of the Lincoln Continental. Media access started Wednesday and continues Thursday. The show runs through April 12.

A 2016 Toyota Scion iM is on display on April 1at the New York International Auto Show. (Photo: Mark Lennihan, AP)

2. New Jersey Sen. Menendez scheduled to appear in court

Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez is expected to appear in a Newark courtroom on Thursday following his indictment on corruption charges. Federal prosecutors charged him and wealthy donor Salomon Melgen on Wednesday with participating in a long-running bribery scheme. A 68-page indictment outlines 14 criminal counts against Menendez, 61, including eight counts of bribery. Melgen, a 61-year-old West Palm Beach, Fla., ophthalmologist, faces 13 counts. Menendez has vowed to fight the charges.
Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., leaves a Newark news

3. Iran nuke talks extended to Thursday

The United States and five other world powers are negotiating with Iran on an agreement that limits Iran's nuclear program to peaceful purposes and ensures it does not develop nuclear weapons. Those talks will continue Thursday, after being extended twice past Tuesday's deadline. Marie Harf, spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department, said Wednesday that progress is being made but a "political understanding" had not been reached. The talks have proceeded under a six-month agreement signed in November 2013 that has been extended several times already and is now due to expire June 30.

Here are five major issues that are at the center of Iran's nuclear deal. VPC

4. Deal on Ind. 'religious freedom' law expected Thursday

Indiana Republican leaders are set to announce a deal Thursday morning that alters the state's controversial "religious freedom" law to ensure it does not discriminate against gay and lesbian customers of Indiana businesses. The proposal — which grants new protections for LGBT customers, employees and tenants — is set for a 9 a.m. ET rollout at the Statehouse and a 9:30 a.m. committee hearing. The measure could put to rest some of the harsher criticisms that Indiana Republicans have suffered through in the past week. But it is unlikely to make either liberal or conservative activists happy.
Thousands of opponents of Indiana's Religious Freedom

Thousands of opponents of Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act gather on the lawn of the Indiana State House to rally against that legislation. (Photo: AP)

5. Mom of children found in Detroit freezer set to appear in court
The mother of two children found in a deep freezer in a Detroit apartment is expected to appear in court Thursday on murder charges. Mitchelle Blair was already facing child abuse charges. On Wednesday, prosecutors announced she was also being charged with two counts each of felony murder, first-degree premeditated murder and torture in the deaths of her children Stoni Ann Blair and Stephen Gage Berry. They were found last week at their apartment by a crew carrying out an eviction. Blair is being held on a $1 million bond.
Mitchelle Blair, 35, who is already facing child abuse

Mitchelle Blair, 35, who is already facing child abuse charges, also is being charged with murder in the deaths of her children Stoni Blair and Stephen Berry. The children were found in a deep freezer on March 24, 2015. (Photo: Detroit Police Department)

Bonus: Celebs go head-to-head on Spike TV's 'Lip Sync Battle'

Lip Sync Battle starts Thursday night with hosts LL Cool J and Chrissy Teigen. The show was thought up by Stephen Merchant, Emily Blunt and John Krasinski, who participated in one of the first-ever Jimmy Fallon lip sync battles on Late Night back in 2013. (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson shared a short teaser for his appearance on the new show on Instagram, and the Internet ate it up.) The show airs at 10 p.m. ET on Spike TV.

And, the essentials:

Weather: More thunderstorms will rattle the central U.S. on Thursday, while most of the East Coast and Southeast will be mild to warm.

The national weather forecast for Thursday, April 2 calls for showers and storms in the Central Plains and rain in the Ohio Valley. VPC

Stocks: U.S. stock futures were lower Thursday.

TV Tonight: Can't decide what to watch tonight? TV critic Robert Bianco looks at The Big Bang Theory, Grey's Anatomy and Elementary.

If you missed this Wednesday's news, we've got you covered here.

Need a break? Try playing some of our games.

Al-Qaeda frees 300 inmates from Yemeni jail

Security officials say al-Qaeda militants in Yemen have stormed the center of the coastal city of al-Mukalla and freed about 300 inmates, including scores of militants, and that Shiite rebels have fought their way into the heart of Aden to the west.

The officials say al-Qaeda militants were deployed on Thursday across major roads leading into al-Mukalla in an apparent bid to thwart any attempt to retake the city.
The capture of al-Mukalla comes as a Saudi-led air campaign targeting Iranian-backed Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, enters its second week.
The Houthis and their allies breached the defenses of forces loyal to President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi in the coastal city of Aden on Thursday, reaching the city center.

Fiorina backs religious freedom law, marriage equality

Republican presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina defends Indiana's "religious freedom" law, but she acknowledges the right of same-sex couples to demand equality in the "benefits" government bestows with marriage — views that distinguish her in the party's 2016 field.

Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO who plans to launch a long-shot presidential bid by early next month, didn't explicitly endorse same-sex marriage, but she did outline a stance more moderate and nuanced than those expressed by her prospective rivals.
She blasted business leaders in Silicon Valley and elsewhere who have criticized the Indiana law as discriminatory, questioning why there isn't similar outrage "about the subjugation of the rights of women and gays in many countries in which these companies do business."
"We are having now a clarifying debate about what is really at stake here for gay couples," she told USA TODAY's weekly video newsmaker series. "What's really at stake here for gay couples is how government bestows benefits. What's really at stake here for people of religious conviction is their conviction that marriage is a religious institution because only a man and a woman can create life, which is a gift that comes from God.

1 Dead, 2 Injured In Shooting After Gate-Crashing Incident At NSA, Ft. Meade

One man is dead and another critically injured after cashing an SUV into a police vehicle near the gates of the National Security Agency at Fort Meade. Guards opened fire on the two men, who investigators say were inside a stolen SUV.

Meghan McCorkell has more.

FBI officials say they do not believe this was an act of terrorism but a bizarre incident that led to a serious security scare.

The smashed pieces of two SUVs litter the road just behind the security gate at the National Security Agency at Fort Meade.

According to federal sources speaking with CBS News, two men dressed as women were inside a dark colored Ford Escape. Investigators say the SUV smashed through a security barrier, then rammed right into an NSA police vehicle. That’s when guards opened fire.

The driver of the SUV was killed. The passenger was also shot. US law enforcement sources identify the passenger as 20-year-old Kevin Fleming of Baltimore. Court records show Fleming has been arrested multiple times, including an assault charge. CBS News has learned Fleming and the other suspect had been on an all-night bender involving drugs and alcohol. A small amount of cocaine was found inside the SUV, which investigators say had been reported stolen right before the crash. Howard County police confirm that car was stolen from a hotel along Route 1 in Jessup.

Sources say the men may have taken a wrong turn into the NSA security gate.

The FBI is now taking the lead in the investigation.

An NSA police officer was also involved in the incident.

In a statement, Fort Meade officials say in part, “We continue to remain vigilant at all of our access control points.”

Holborn fire: Kingsway remains cordoned off as firefighters continue to tackle blaze

Part of a road in central London is still closed due to an electrical fire burning underneath the pavement.

Around 5,000 people had to be evacuated from nearby buildings after smoke was seen pouring out of an inspection cover on Kingsway, Holborn, on 1 April at around 12.30pm.

London Fire Brigade tweeted to inform commuters that part of the Kingsway was still cordoned off while firefighters tried to keep the fire contained.

A TfL spokesperson said: ''Due to the ongoing fire at Holborn local road closures are in place and customers are advised to check our real time travel feeds on Twitter and to check the TfL website for the latest travel information."

Onlookers described "crazy scenes" and "madness" as smoke rose so high in the air that it could be seen from the Shard skyscraper.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) said the fire has been contained but has been "technically difficult" to tackle.
Commuters have been tweeting about the disruption to travel this morning, while others are at work or at home without electricity.

Somerset House was still closed at 9.30am on 2 April, and Benedict Cumberbatch's appearance at Letters Live at the Freemasons' Hall was among the events called off on the evening on 1 April after the fire caused several power outages.

Performances of West End shows including Mamma Mia at the Novello,The Lion King at the Lyceum, Beautiful at the Aldwych,Play That Goes Wrong at the Duchess, Charlie and the Choloate Factory at Drury Lane, Woman in Black at the Fortune, and Gypsy at the Savoy were cancelled according to London Theatre Direct.
UK Power Networks told the BBC around 1,000 customers were currently affected by the power cuts and they had restored power to 2,000.
Apologising to customers Matt Rudling, from UK Power Networks, said: "The gas is still burning under there and until we can gain access to that particular area we won't understand what's caused it and what we can do."

Farrah Abraham Calls ‘Teen Mom OG’ Costar Catelynn Lowell ‘White Trash’

Farrah Abraham isn’t off to a good star with her Teen Mom OG costars. Following last week’s premiere of the show, she retweeted an unkind remark a fan made about Catelynn Lowell having given up her daughter for adoption five years ago. And on Sunday night’s episode she slammed Lowell again–referring to her as ‘white trash.’

Catelynn Lowell was speaking with the show’s host about ending her ongoing feud with Farrah Abraham. That’s when the former porn star dug her nails in even deeper.

“There’s somebody still in denial,” she said to the show’s producers, laughing over her remark. “Still in denial land of white trash!”

That wasn’t the end of her derogatory comments either. At least they weren’t all directed at Catelynn Lowell.

“From the past I never initially got along with the girls. They had some other issues with myself from the get-go…I would never confide in them,” Farrah Abraham said.

“Would I ever confide in people who are very fake and not real with themselves and kind of in denial and can’t empathize with someone? Of course not!” the erotic novelist continued.

Meanwhile Catelynn Lowell, Amber Portwood, and Maci Bookout could do nothing more than shake their heads backstage.

“She just burned bridges with everybody. What an idiot,” Amber Portwood said.

And yes, Farrah Abraham definitely burned bridges. Still the remarks she made about Catelynn Lowell were definitely the lowest of her comments. Catelynn did the right thing by giving her daughter Carly up for adoption–and she doesn’t deserve to be called trailer trash.

It will no doubt be a lengthy season on Teen Mom OG–both for Farrah Abraham, who seems hell bent on making life difficult for herself–and for those on the receiving end of her unkind barbs.

Hopefully Catelynn and the others didn’t take Farrah’s comments to heart. She is known for trying to build herself up by breaking others down.

Farrah Abraham: Co-Star Is ‘White Trash’ Swipe Slams Reconciliation With Catelynn Lowell?

Oh, no, she didn’t! Au contraire, she did. Farrah Abraham accusedTeen Mom OG co-star Catelynn Lowell of being “white trash.” During a recap of the MTV series, the reality television-turned-porn star took a swipe at her fellow cast member on social media, which appears to put Farrah’s chances of reconciliation with Catelynn in jeopardy, according to a Reality TV Magazine celebrity gossip report.

The Backdoor star, who is said to have ruffled a few feathers upon her return to the Teen Mom series, took a shot at her costars. After the premiere of the second episode, three cast members sat down with Girl Code host Nessa. Backstage, Farrah Abraham was waiting her turn, with the “white trash” remark waiting to be unleashed.

When she was up at bat, it was clear why she was sequestered from the group: the tension is still in the air. Farrah spoke about how a backlash ensued from the public and her fellow cast mates when she released her sex tape in 2013. Abraham didn’t mince her words when probed about why she is one of the “least-liked” on the show.

Later, Farrah exited the set and ambled past her three co-stars without acknowledging their presence. Amber said the controversial co-star “burned her bridges.” Later, Maci returned and commented on Abraham’s remarks during her solo interview.

Despite an obvious lack of love between Farrah and co-stars Catelynn, Amber Portwood, and Maci Bookout, one in particular, who offered her an olive branch during their time on Couples Therapy, was taken off guard by the remarks. Things didn’t stop with the white trash comment.

Apparently, Farrah, or someone posting from her Twitter account, retweeted a number of posts from viewers of the show who thought it was dull without Abraham (Farrah has yet to appear on the show, but is rumored to be part of an upcoming episode).

WrestleMania 31: Preview, full card and five reasons to watch

WrestleMania 31 is slated to go down on Sunday, and while the road to WWE’s biggest show of the year has arguably been bumpy, it’s smoothed out in the last week thanks for these five reasons.
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Last week, pro wrestling fans fretted over what seemed inevitable knowing that former UFC heavyweight champion Lesnar’s contract with the WWE ended the day after this year’s WrestleMania. Certainly, no matter what Lesnar’s “advocate” Paul Heyman said, WWE would not script the story to allow Lesnar to retain the belt over the arguably underqualified challenger Roman Reigns, who WWE has been pushing on reluctant fans like a lawnmower on sand.

With the promise of several more years with Lesnar, though, the main event actually seems exciting now. Lesnar has a real shot (as he should — he’s the “Beast Incarnate” after all) and Reigns now has a chance to propel himself to the level WWE thinks he’s already at. To do that, in this writer’s opinion, he’ll either have to lose valiantly or win dirtily. For dramatic purposes, I’d almost prefer the latter, but I think the odds of that story being booked are low.

All the former NXT talent!

For those with the WWE Network, the promotion’s weekly showcase of its NXT developmental league wrestlers, is a must-watch. Not only do the story lines make sense in the one-hour program, but the action in the ring tends to be more exciting, too. Yeah, pro wrestling is “fake,” but the athleticism is very real, which might be why it’s cool to realize that so many of NXT’s up-and-comers have arrived.

In all but one of the eight matches set for WrestleMania 31, former NXT stars (names italicized) are involved:

    Big E and Xavier Woods, who form two-thirds of The New Day with Kofi Kingston are in the Tag Team Championship match against Los Matadores, The Usos, and Cesaro and Tyson Kidd
    Current NXT star Hideo Itami will join NXT alums Adam Rose, Erick Rowan, and Konnor and Viktor of The Ascension in the 20-man Andre the Giant Battle Royale.
    NXT’s first champion Seth Rollins is taking on Randy Orton
    Paige is teaming up with AJ Lee to take on the Bella Twins
    Rusev is taking on John Cena for the U.S. Championship
    Bray Wyatt is facing The Undertaker.
    Dean Ambrose and Luke Harper are vying with five others for the Intercontinental Championship in a ladder match
    And, of course, Roman Reigns is taking on Brock Lesnar in the main event.

The only match that doesn’t involve NXT alumni is the match featuring two dudes over 45 — Triple H and Sting, which brings us to the third to watch WrestleMania this year.

STING.

Yes, Sting is 56 years old. Who cares? He still paints his face. He still wears a duster and, until he steps into the ring on Sunday, he’s still the most famous pro wrestler alive who’s never been in WrestleMania. He’s going up against 45-year-old Triple H and the two both come to the squared circle with weapons and scripted chips on their shoulder. Sting has a baseball bat and Triple H has a sledgehammer. What’s there not to love?

Hooray, the women’s WrestleMania match might actually get the time it deserves this year!

WWE’s women’s division, which is stupidly named the “Divas” division, is getting better thanks to more focused talent and what’s hopefully becoming a less sexist script. This hopefully means, unlike in 2013 when the women’s match was cut to save time, the female performers this year — Paige, AJ Lee, and Nikki and Brie Bella — will get the screen time they’ve rightfully earned.

The Undertaker, obviously.

No WrestleMania is truly complete without The Undertaker, who’s set to appear in his 23rd iteration of the pay-per-view on Sunday. This year’s appearance comes with a lot more questions than it has in the past, however. For one, WWE hasn’t let us see The Undertaker since he lost for the first time last year against current WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar, so we have no idea what kind of shape the 50-year-old is in.

Even more curious, though, are the possible outcomes of his match against Bray Wyatt, whose character is a supernatural Southern cult leader. The build-up between Wyatt and Taker (or the spirit of Taker, maybe, since he hasn’t appeared on screen) hasn’t been perfect, but it’s been good enough to make one wonder if Wyatt could be the second person to beat Taker at WrestleMania and, if so, whether that means Wyatt, who, like Taker, derives his power from fears, could become Taker’s heir apparent.

Or maybe Taker will just kick his butt.

The action starts Sunday at 7 p.m. EDT on WWE Network or pay-per-view. The pre-show will air before that starting at 6 p.m.

Tuesday, 31 March 2015

Riker Lynch and Allison Holker “Salsa” Dancing With The Stars Season 20 Week 3 (VIDEO)

Riker Lynch and Allison Holker performed the Salsa to the tune of “Limbo” by Daddy Yankee on Dancing with the Stars Season 20 week 3 ‘Latin Night‘ episode Monday, March 30, 2015.

Monday, 30 March 2015

Former feds charged with stealing Silk Road bitcoin

A Secret Service agent and a DEA agent with lead roles in the investigation to take down the Internet drug bazaar Silk Road allegedly stole proceeds from the underground site and hid their booty in offshore accounts.

Former DEA agent Carl Force, 46, of Baltimore, the task force agent charged with going undercover to communicate online with Silk Road operator Ross Ulbricht, known as Dread Pirate Roberts, allegedly used several online aliases to extort hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of bitcoin from Ulbricht, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Monday. Force is charged with money laundering, wire fraud, theft and conflict of interest.
Prosecutors also charged Shaun Bridges, 32, of Laurel, Md., a former special agent with the U.S. Secret Service, who allegedly accessed Silk Road accounts using password information from a Silk Road customer service representative arrested in a drug sting. Bridges, who joined the Secret Service in 2009, is charged with wire fraud and money laundering.
The FBI shut down Silk Road and arrested Ulbricht on Oct. 2, 2013. Silk Road, a dark Web black market that traded in illegal drugs, counterfeit IDs and computer hacking software, required its buyers and sellers to do business in bitcoin, an anonymous digital currency that is difficult to trace.
A federal jury in New York convicted Ulbricht last month on drug conspiracy charges. Ulbricht, who will be sentenced in May, was also the target of an investigation in Maryland. Force and Bridges worked on the Maryland investigation.
Prosecutors say Force, in addition to his official undercover identity as "Nob," created several unauthorized online aliases, so he could conduct complex bitcoin transactions to steal from the government and Ulbricht.
In one transaction, Force, using his second alias, allegedly demanded Ulbricht pay him $250,000 in bitcoin not to disclose information to the government. Posing as a woman named Carla under the alias "French Maid," Force allegedly offered to sell Ulbricht information about the government's investigation in exchange for $100,000 worth of bitcoin.
Ulbricht paid the money, and Force deposited it into a personal account, IRS Special Agent Tigran Gambaryan wrote in an affidavit. Force allegedly converted some bitcoin to dollars and wired the money to his personal overseas bank account in Panama, the affidavit said.
Force also worked for and invested $110,000 in the California-based digital currency exchange company CoinMKT while still working for the DEA. The company featured Force in its pitches to venture capital investors as CoinMKT's anti-money laundering and compliance officer.
E-mails between Force and CoinMKT's CEO indicated that Force planned to stay at the DEA until the bitcoin exchange "hits it 'big time.' "
"I have a lot of down time at DEA so I am confident that I can handle all that needs to be done regarding Legal and Compliance on a daily basis," Force wrote.
Prosecutors say Force used his position at the DEA to steal money from accounts at CoinMKT. In one instance, Force allegedly directed CoinMKT to freeze a customer account. He then seized 223 bitcoins worth about $297,000 and transferred them to his personal Bitstamp digital currency account. He then exchanged the bitcoins for dollars and put the money in his personal checking account, court papers say.

Force, who earned about $150,000 a year as a DEA agent, made $757,000 in deposits to his personal bank account from April 2013 to May 2014, court papers show. During that time, Force paid off his mortgage and a government thrift savings loan while investing in real estate and bitcoin businesses, court papers say.
Authorities arrested Force on Friday. Force, a 15-year veteran, resigned from the DEA in May. He is in jail and will appear in court Thursday for a detention hearing.
Bridges, the computer forensics expert on the Baltimore investigation, allegedly stole more than $800,000 worth of bitcoin that he controlled during the Silk Road investigation and placed it into an account with Mt. Gox, a digital currency exchange in Japan. Silk Road reported a massive bitcoin theft Jan. 25, 2013, the same day Bridges attended an interview with the Silk Road administrator caught in the sting.
Bridges allegedly wired the funds to a personal U.S. investment account through nine transfers from March 6, 2013, to May 7, 2013. The final transfer on May 7, 2013, came two days before he personally sought a $2.1 million seizure warrant for Mt. Gox's accounts, court papers say.
Bridges, who joined the Secret Service in 2009, resigned from the Secret Service on March 18. He surrendered to authorities Monday and was released under pretrial supervision.
Bridges intends to fight the charges, his attorney Steven H. Levin said. Bridges "had an unblemished career in law enforcement for several years. He maintains his innocence," Levin said.

Saturday, 28 March 2015

Iran nuke talks enter critical phase this weekend

The United States and Iran entered a critical phase of negotiations over Iran's disputed nuclear program this weekend, as Secretary of State John Kerry and Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif meet in Switzerland to determine if they can bridge their differences.
The talks are reaching a climax as leaders from across the world, including Israel and the U.S. Congress, watch to see if a historic deal emerges to curb Iran's nuclear program in return for a lifting of U.S. and Western sanctions. Negotiators are trying to conclude a general agreement by a self-imposed March 31 deadline, with details to be filled in by June.
Israel and many in Congress have warned that the Obama administration may grant too many concessions to get a deal that would allow Iran to violate an agreement and develop nuclear weapons once the punitive sanctions that have crippled its economy are lifted.
Congressional leaders have threatened to vote on increased sanctions if they do not like the terms. Israel has threatened military action to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons that could threaten the entire region.

In a sign of congressional skepticism about an agreement, the Senate voted 100-0 Thursday for a non-binding resolution that calls for new sanctions against Iran if it is caught cheating on any deal that is
reached.

Iran has insisted that its nuclear program is peaceful and that its technological quest to produce energy and medical isotopes is a sovereign right. The oil-rich nation wants the sanctions lifted so it can rejoin the global financial system and sell oil on the open market again

The United States has not changed its bottom line regarding a deal, and it is still committed to making sure Iran would need at least a year to produce enough highly enriched nuclear material for a bomb if it broke the agreement, a senior administration official told USA TODAY. The official, who was not authorized to comment on the sensitive negotiations, asked not to be identified.
On Friday, Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, told Mehr News that "a mutual understanding" covering much of the deal has been reached.
"A couple of technical issues are still remaining unresolved which we are working on," Salehi said. "There are difficult issues to be resolved."
Although the U.S. has taken the lead in the Iran talks, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China also are participating.
In Washington, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the parties were "better than halfway" to a deal, according to the Associated Press.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told reporters in New York on Friday, "There has been some progress, but there are things which are not yet solved." Fabius arrived in Lausanne on Saturday. His British and Russian counterparts have said they will join the talks over the weekend as well.
Issues still to be resolved involve the number and types of centrifuges Iran can use to produce nuclear fuel, the ability of inspectors to gain access to all possible nuclear sites and Iran's willingness to discuss past efforts to produce nuclear weapons.

2 remain missing after deadly NYC blast

Rescue crews continued to search Saturday for two missing people in a blaze that injured 22 in Manhattan's East Village as investigators focused on possible "inappropriate accessing" of the gas line to one of three buildings destroyed by the disaster.
Using cranes, rakes, face masks and hard hats, officials scoured the area and dug through debris. No fatalities were reported, but police officials said two people who had been at a sushi restaurant in one of the buildings were missing. Mixed-use, commercial and residential buildings at 121, 123 and 119 Second Avenue were destroyed, and another adjoining building was badly damaged.
"We are still actively searching for two individuals," NYPD spokesman Sgt. Carlos Nieves said Saturday afternoon. "We have two canine, cadaver seeking dogs at the location assisting in the recovery efforts."
Meanwhile, four of the injured remained in critical condition Friday afternoon at local hospitals, 24 hours after a suspected gas explosion rocked the area and triggered a seven-alarm blaze that firefighters continued to mop up, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said during an afternoon City Hall news conference.

Authorities also were exploring whether a third person was unaccounted for, NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said, according to the Associated Press.

With the fire still smoldering and the building debris dangerous, investigators have not yet been able to get into the basements of the devastated buildings, said de Blasio. However, he said preliminary investigation results showed "there may have been an inappropriate accessing" of the gas line that serves the building where the blast occurred.

"There's certainly a possibility of impropriety," added de Blasio, who also praised firefighters, police and other emergency responders, and said "our hearts go out to the families of all who are affected, and the people of the neighborhood."

The firefighting and cleanup work at the scene of the Second Avenue disaster scene near East 7th Street may continue for as long as a week, said city Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro. Once the site is declared safe, firefighters will sift the debris searching for potential victims and clues to the disaster's cause, he said.

The City Hall news briefing presented a clearer but still incomplete overview of the explosion, ensuing inferno and chaos that forced scores of residents, workers and visitors to scramble from the buildings.

A Consolidated Edison crew was in the basement at 121 Second Ave. at about 2 p.m. Thursday to meet with contractors about pipes that had been installed in preparation for a planned upgrade of the building's gas service, a police official and utility executive said.

The utility crew told the contractors additional work was needed and left at approximately 2:45 p.m. without noticing any signs of a gas leak, officials said. Con Edison President Craig Ivey said the gas utility crew's findings meant gas was not yet flowing to the new pipes on Thursday.

The owner of the Sushi Park restaurant located on the building's first floor smelled gas at approximately 3 p.m., officials said. He notified the building owner, who in turn contacted one of the contractors, Boyce said. The city fire department received the first emergency 911 alert about the blast roughly 17 minutes later.

No one called 911 or Con Edison before the explosion, said de Blasio. He urged New Yorkers to contact the emergency hotline or the utility immediately if they smell gas. The mayor is also now accepting donations to help those affected by the building collapse.

One of the building contractors and a relative of the five-story structure's owner were among those injured in the explosion and fire, officials said. Police had not yet issued official missing persons reports on the two people who haven't been located, di Blasio's office said earlier on Friday.

Firefighters poured gallons of water Friday over the wreckage, a giant wave of crumbled brick, twisted metal and splintered wood.

Tyler Figueroa told the Associated Press Thursday night that his 23-year-old brother, Nicholas, disappeared after going on a date at the Sushi Park restaurant.

Figueroa said that the couple was paying for their meal when the explosion rocked the building and surrounding area. Nicholas Figueroa's date, who has been hospitalized with injuries, remembers only stumbling outside before losing consciousness, the brother told the Associated Press.

"I just pray my brother shows up," he said. "We just hope my brother comes back."

Contributing: Yamiche Alcindor and Ashley Day. Marisol Bello reported from McLean, Va.

Clinton wipes server after handing over e-mails

Former secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton decided to "wipe her server clean" and permanently delete all e-mails from the personal server, according to the head of a House committee investigating the terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya.

Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., said Clinton also has refused to turn over the server for an outside review as he and other Republicans have sought.
"Not only was the secretary the sole arbiter of what was a public record, she also summarily decided to delete all e-mails from her server ensuring no one could check behind her analysis in the public interest," Gowdy said in a statement issued Friday.
Clinton, who is likely to announce her candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination soon, has faced intense scrutiny over her use of a private e-mail account, hdr22@clintonemail.com, and a personal server for official business during her time at the State Department.
Her lawyer David Kendall said there's nothing for the committee to see on the server from Clinton's time in office. Clinton had given the State Department all work-related e-mails covering her tenure at the department from Jan. 21, 2009, through Feb. 1, 2013, he said.
In a six-page letter released Friday, Kendall said it would serve no purpose for Clinton to relinquish her server because Clinton's IT advisers have confirmed "there are no hdr22@clinton.com e-mails from Secretary Clinton's tenure as Secretary of State on the server for any review, even if such review were appropriate or legally authorized."
After Clinton's team determined which e-mails were to be turned over to the State Department last year, Clinton choose to delete her personal e-mails and asked her aides to change the settings on the account to retain e-mails for only 60 days, Kendall said. The account was no longer in active use at that point, he said.
Clinton has called on the State Department to release the more than 30,000 work-related e-mails her lawyers handed over to the agency on Dec. 5, 2014. It's up to the department to review them for sensitive information and decide what to share with the public.
Gowdy seems prepared to take further action, saying he would work with the GOP leadership in the House on "next steps." Earlier this month, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, demanded Clinton turn over her server to an independent arbiter but stopped short of saying the House would seek a subpoena for the server.
Gowdy said Clinton would have to answer questions from lawmakers — something her aides say she is prepared to do.
Clinton is "ready and willing to come and appear herself for a hearing open to the American public," her spokesman Nick Merrill said in a statement.
He added that Clinton's representatives have been in touch with Gowdy's committee and the State Department to make it clear Clinton would like the State Department to publicly release her work-related e-mails "as soon as possible."

Co-pilot 'obsessed' with Alps; flew crash area as a boy

Andreas Lubitz, the co-pilot who authorities say flew a Germanwings plane with 150 people aboard into the French Alps, was "obsessed" and "passionate" about the mountainous region and had flown it several times as a child, French and German media report.
Lubitz and his family, along with other members of a gliding club in his hometown of Montabaur, Germany, would take trips with other members to a club in the town of Sisteron, France, about 30 miles from where the Airbus A320 went down Tuesday,

The area, with its numerous peaks and valleys and stunning panoramas, is popular with glider pilots. In the final moments of the Germanwings flight, Lubitz overflew the major turning points for gliders flying from one peak to another, according to local glider pilots, the Associated Press reported.
French investigators said the plane, with Lubitz at the controls and the locked-out pilot trying desperately to break through the cockpit door, flew for about 10 minutes after leaving its 38,000-feet cruising altitude, finally descending into the side of the mountains.

Francis Kefer, a member of the local French gliding club, told France's i-Tele television that the Lubitz family and other members of the Montabaur club came to the region regularly between 1996 and 2003.

Dieter Wagner, a member of the Montabaur club, said he recalls that Lubitz had participated in one of the gliding courses in the Alpine region with Wagner's niece, who was a good friend, Le Parisien reported.

"He was passionate about the Alps and even obsessed," Wagner said. "I'm sure he knew the crash area because he had flown it in a glider."

Ernst Müller, 70, and another member of the German club, said he is "certain that Andreas has participated in at least one or two internships with us in Sisteron," Le Parisien reported. Officials at the club would not comment Saturday, the AP reports.

Friday, 27 March 2015

Test Drive: 2016 Mazda6 is sexy outside, classy inside

Mazda was on the edge of new-wave styling when it unveiled the Mazda6 midsize sedan in 2014, hoping the sex appeal finally would swipe some Camry/Accord/Fusion buyers.
Despite its much-improved appeal, which generated much-improved sales, Mazda6 remains an afterthought among midsize sedans, outsold nearly eight-to-one by the Honda Accord, which seems most like the Mazda, and almost three-to-one by the oft-overlooked Subaru Legacy.
The freshened 2016 version now is upon us, and the model's sales jumped 28% in February, the month it went on sale.
Mazda wisely left the 2016's outsides almost untouched — modified grille area and that's it — while attending to the interior with richer materials, nicer dashboard and instruments.

Mazda was on the edge of new-wave styling when it unveiled the Mazda6 midsize sedan in 2014, hoping the sex appeal finally would swipe some Camry/Accord/Fusion buyers. The 2016 updates left the styling mostly untouched and focused on interior upgrades. (Photo: Mazda)

But as part of the interior upgrades, Mazda included a navigation system that — for Test Drive, at least — worked poorly. A $200 aftermarket unit would work easier, better.
The only way we could enter a destination, using either the voice command or by manually selecting letters and numbers, was to go through the progression: State, city, street, number, waiting between each for the system to absorb and digest.
Mazda said it shouldn't work that way. In fact, it sent a video showing the system responding to a voice speaking the entire address conversationally, as a navi should work — leaving us puzzled about the alternative navi reality we found. Should a modern system even have a mode that requires the tedious entry that we faced?
Offering a manual mode makes sense. Requiring data entry in a strict manner doesn't.
Of course, if you don't use the navi to find destinations frequently, it's not a big deal.
Other gripes, none deal-breakers:
•Exterior door handles: They feel cheap, as if you're operating a fragile plastic piece, which undermines the car's upmarket persona. The door handle is something you touch every time you use the car, so the impression it gives reinforces itself through repetition.
•Back seat: Two outboard spots are comfy, but the big floor hump remains in the middle. We remember when the industry promised that front-wheel drive would eliminate the hump— makes that spot hardly useful.
On the other hand:
•Engine: Remarkably quick for its 184 hp rating, and fuel-efficient too. Our rather rather rambunctious suburban thrash-about returned roughly 22 mpg — which sounds bad against the 32 mpg city/highway combined rating. But the ratings are they're unbelievable in the first place. And we drive hard, in the second. At least we do if the car's any fun, which the 6 is.
Mazda takes the commendable approach of eschewing downsized and turbocharged powerplants that are nearly universal now. It Instead, continues to rely on a relatively large-displacement four-cylinder, but as part of its ballyhooed Skyactiv technology it builds that engine with an unusually high compression ratio. That means the pistons squeeze the air tightly in the cylinders, emulating the packing-in of air that turbos do. but without the additional turbo hardware and the chance you'll have to fix it later at great expense.
High compression ratios or turbos once mean premium fuel. Neither does nowadays.
The Mazda6 engine sounds a bit coarse due to the high compression, but only a minor detail, especially once it's warm.
•Fuel saving i-Eloop: It's optional rather than standard as we'd prefer. But it saves fuel without the ugliness of the stop-start mechanisms that can interrupt your driving pleasure.
Instead of shutting off the engine at stoplights and the like, as stop-start does, i-Eloop generates electricity when the car slows and brakes, as a hybrid does. Instead of a hybrid's But there's no massive battery; pack to store juice i-Eloop sends the electricity into a small storage device called a capacitor. It holds enough to run the lights or climate control briefly, taking that load off the engine and enabling it to use less fuel.
It's worth 2 mpg in government ratings. We didn't have a chance to directly compare Mazda6s cars with and without.
•Noise: Not much, which was Mazda's a goal in the freshening. But still we noticed what seemed like unusual amounts of tire nose on a variety of asphalt and concrete paving. Check where you usually drive before you sign the papers, to be sure you're not buying annoyance.
If you consider midsize four-door sedans to be simply family cars, you're probably not a Mazda6 buyer. If you see no reason why usefulness and family-friendliness need to conflict with good driving behavior, you're a candidate.
Mazda6 Highlights:
• Style: Very sexy.•
•Engine: Fun, fuel-efficient
•Interior: Nicer, as intended.
2016 Mazda6 Details:
•What? Updates — mainly inside — to a recently redesigned mid-size, four-door, front-drive sedan.
•When? 2016 went on sale in February.
•How much? Starts at $22,315 including $820 shipping for base Sport, manual transmission. Top model, Grand Touring with automatic, starts at $31,015.
Test car, Grand Touring automatic, with optional Technology Package ($2,180) and other, minor options was $33,395.
•Where? Made at How, Japan.
•What makes it go? 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine rated 184 horsepower at 5,700 rpm and 185 pounds-feet of torque at 3,250 rpm, available with manual or automatic six-speed transmission.
•How big? Very close to Honda Accord.
Weighs 3,179 lbs. (manual transmission), 3,250 lbs. (automatic)
Passenger compartment, 99.7 cubic feet.; trunk, 14.8 cu. ft.
Turning circle diameter 36.7 feet.
•How thirsty? Manual rated 25 mpg in city driving, 37 highway, 29 in combined city/highway.
Automatic rated 26/38/30, or 28/40/32 with i-Eloop fuel-saving option.
High-end, automatic-transmission test car with i-Eloop delivered 22.1 mpg (4.52 gallons per 100 miles) in broad mix of driving, much of it quite vigorous.
Burns regular. Tank holds 16.4 gal.

Facebook to provide Internet using solar-powered drones

These days, it feels drones are everywhere: drone lifeguards in Tuscany, a drone delivery service through Amazon and drone selfies.

In the latest in the dronevolution, Facebook continues to investigate the use of solar-powered drones that would supply Internet to the two-thirds of the world that remains disconnected. The plan could also include satellites and lasers.

USA TODAY

Amazon urges faster FAA approval of drones

Falling under the domain name Internet.org, the project is run by Facebook's Connectivity Lab, comprised a team of experts from NASA and communication technology gurus. It also includes members from the UK company Ascenta, which built the longest flying solar-powered unmanned aircraft.

As the drone gets developed, Internet.org has made its app available in six states in India and Ghana this year, which provides free access to a series of services and websites covering topics like maternal health, education, and job listings. To make this possible, Facebook partnered with local carriers like Reliance Communications.

Get ready world! Facebook is taking over the Internet…again.

Monday, 19 October 2015

Saturday, 4 April 2015

Friday, 3 April 2015

Thursday, 2 April 2015

Ani DiFranco

Tuesday, 31 March 2015

Monday, 30 March 2015

Saturday, 28 March 2015

Friday, 27 March 2015