Arsenal are weak, insipid and pussy-footed – Souness

The Liverpool legend says that all of Arsene Wenger's posturing just makes him seem even more fragile as their hopes of the Premier League title took a major hit at Old Trafford

Graeme Souness has slammed the performance of Arsenal as they crashed to a 3-2 defeat against Manchester United.

The Gunners went to Old Trafford in need of three points to keep pace with Leicester at the summit of the Premier League after the leaders won on Saturday, yet they now find themselves trailing by five points after an embarrassing loss against opponents ravaged by injury.

The Liverpool legend has slammed the attitude of the players and manager Arsene Wenger, and said that all their talk of mental toughness just shows how fragile they are.

"I can imagine that dressing room would have been silent at half-time," he told Sky Sports. “We’ve all been in dressing rooms where there are real people digging each other people out. I couldn’t imagine that from this group of Arsenal players, and they play like that.

"It worries me that Arsene continually talks about his team being mentally tough, they are together as a group, and they’ve got this confidence, it’s as if they lack it and he’s trying to persuade them that they really have it.

"They’ve come here today and been so weak, so insipid, and pussy-footed, all they’ve done today is say to the opposition: 'This team can be rolled over'.

"There's so much of this Arsenal team to like, but there's as much to dislike."

Source : goal.com

Vice Chair Of DNC Resigns To Support Bernie Sanders

Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii has resigned her position as vice chair of the Democratic National Committee to endorse Bernie Sanders.

Gabbard announced her decision on NBC's Meet the Press Sunday morning.

Gabbard, 34, is one of the youngest members of Congress and the first Hindu elected to Capitol Hill. She served in Iraq and with the Hawaii National Guard, and cites her military experience as the impetus for her decision to back Sanders.

"As a veteran and as a soldier I've seen firsthand the true cost of war," she said. "I think it's most important for us as we look at our choices as to who our next commander-in-chief will be ... to recognize the necessity to have a commander in chief who has foresight, who exercises good judgment."

She's the fourth current member of Congress to endorse Sanders, and the most high-profile.





Source : npr.org

This 2020 Ford Bronco design is outstanding, but it isn’t real

You can’t always get what you want.

You know that, I know that, and The Rolling Stones definitely knew that.

Today that old cliché could not be more applicable thanks to these incredible renderings of a 2020 Ford Bronco. We have these conceptual photos to marvel at thanks to Bronco6g.com, a Ford Bronco enthusiast website and forum apparently dedicated to get us all riled up for nothing.

That’s not a fair assessment, as the website does some great work covering the Ford brand, but they do have everyone buzzing today over a model that doesn’t exist. Ford is rumored to be bringing the Bronco out of retirement someday, and with these renderings and the current hoopla surrounding FX’s “The People vs. OJ Simpson” miniseries, it feels like there isn’t a better time than now to revive it.

The forum’s design features elements from the 2004 Bronco concept as well as elements from modern day Ford trucks and SUVs. “We think this design concept would represent a worthy successor to the storied Bronco nameplate,” the forum’s administrator said.

We couldn’t agree more, and we hope this concept is a sign of the real thing returning in the near future.




Source : nydailynews.com

Dallas ISD likely to bump pay for high-performing teachers, at least a little bit

The Dallas ISD board of trustees’ agenda for Thursday includes a stipend for high-performing teachers. (2015 File Photo/Nathan Hunsinger)

Left behind by the district’s new pay system, some of Dallas ISD’s best teachers are poised to receive a $1,000 stipend at the start of the next school year, thanks to a proposal that is expected to be approved by trustees during their regular board meeting Thursday.

While nearly 71 percent of returning teachers received a raise under DISD’s new evaluation system – the Teacher Excellence Initiative (TEI) – the district found 148 high-performing teachers were ineligible for raises under the new plan because they made more than the given salary range for their performance level. An additional 20 high-performing teachers received less than a $1,000 bump.

The new recommendation will award qualifying teachers a one-time retention stipend up to $1,000, if they’ve accepted a contract for the 2016-17 school year and are in a teaching position as of Sept. 15.

DISD superintendent Michael Hinojosa attempted to redress the problem in November, proposing a similar one-time stipend.  But DISD general counsel Jack Elrod told the board that awarding such payment was prohibited by the state constitution, considered a gift of public funds since teachers wouldn’t be tasked with additional duties.

The current proposal – essentially a signing bonus – sidesteps such concerns.

“We don’t want our best teachers mad, whether they go or not,” Hinojosa said when he met with The Dallas Morning News editorial board in January.

The average raise for DISD teachers under the new system was $2,700.

Other notable items on the board’s consent agenda deal with the district’s former and future construction plans.

District administration is recommending the board accept $150,000 from the non-profit Jubilee Park and Community Center for six lots on Gurley and Philip Avenues, northwest of O.M. Roberts Elementary School, between I-30 and Fair Park.

The lots are tied to the district’s contentious efforts to expand the elementary campus’ footprint as part of the 2008 bond effort. The district’s efforts met resistance, leaving DISD to rebuild the school – which reopened in 2013 – on the existing site.

An evaluation committee will also offer a recommendation for three program management firms for DISD’s new $1.6 billion bond program: Jacobs and AECOM, both of which have prior experience with the district, and a joint venture between California-based Vanir Construction Management and Dikita Engineering, a black-owned, Dallas-based firm.

The board meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, at Dallas ISD headquarters: 3700 Ross Ave., Dallas.

Source : dallasnews.com

Fort Worth military base remains on lockdown after reporting bomb threat

Cargo planes sit on the tarmac at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth. (DMN file photo)

The Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth is still on lockdown after a suspicious package was found that the base is referring to as a bomb threat.


The package was identified at the main gate of the base around 9:25 a.m. Thursday, according to a news release.

Naval security forces plus military and police explosive-disposal teams have responded.

“Out an abundance of caution, the installation is locked down until further notice,” according to the release. “This precaution is for the safety of installation personnel and the surrounding local community.”

Sirens could be heard going off at the base, KXAS-TV (NBC5) reports.



Source : crimeblog.dallasnews.com

1 Colorado sheriff's deputy killed, 2 injured while serving eviction notice

One Park County, Colo. sheriff's deputy was fatally shot and two others were injured Wednesday morning while trying to serve an eviction notice.

KDVR-TV reported a suspect fired a rifle at the deputies when they approached the man's residence in Bailey, Colo. at around 9:30 a.m.

One deputy, a 10-year member of the sheriff's office, died at the scene. Another deputy, who has served 12 years, suffered life-threatening injuries and underwent surgery. The third deputy, a 20-year veteran of the force, suffered non-life threatening injuries.

The bomb squad and SWAT team were sent out to assist deputies after the shootout began.

The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene, KDVR reported. It's unclear if he was shot by the deputies, or if he took his own life.

The Denver Post reported that property records listed the home's resident as Martin Wirth, who once ran for state Senate and was an Occupy Denver activist.

The Colorado Foreclosure Resistance Coalition website had posted Wirth faced eviction on Monday and urged people to go to the home to support him.




Source : www.al.com

US announces plans to shut military detention centre in Guantanamo Bay

President Barack Obama presented a long-shot plan to shutter Guantanamo Bay prison Tuesday, hoping to fulfill an elusive campaign promise before he leaves office next year.

Describing the jail as a stain on America's reputation and a catalyst for jihadists, Obama said "I don't want to pass this problem on to the next president."

"For many years, it's been clear that the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay does not advance our national security. It undermines it," Obama said from the Roosevelt Room.

He outlined a $290-$475 million plan to move the 91 remaining detainees abroad and to one of 13 possible -- unnamed -- facilities in the United States.

Obama has tried for almost eight years to close the jail, but has been thwarted by Congress, his own Department of Defense and some in his own party.

As a candidate and as president, Obama has argued that the detention without trial and torture of orange jumpsuit-clad suspects harms America's image and makes it less safe.

"Keeping this facility open is contrary to our values," he said Tuesday. "It undermines our standing in the world."

"This is about closing a chapter in our history."

Lawmakers in the Republican-controlled Congress have blocked the most obvious path to closing the facility, banning the transfer of detainees to the United States.

The release of Obama's plan is as much an effort to enlist the support of American voters as a possibly utopian effort to convince Republicans to change their minds in the run-up to the November presidential election.

"This plan deserves a fair hearing, even in an election year," Obama said Tuesday.

But Republican Senator and presidential candidate Marco Rubio swiftly hit back with a pledge to increase the Guantanamo population if elected.

"Not only are we not going to close Guantanamo -- When I am president, if we capture a terrorist alive, they are not getting a court hearing in Manhattan. They are not going to be sent to Nevada. They are going to Guantanamo and we are going to find out everything they know."

The US president also has faced opposition from within his own administration, with the Pentagon accused of slow-pedaling transfers and overstating closure costs.

The Guantanamo Bay closure plan, which took months to produce, gives few specifics on where a US facility would be, but military officials have previously listed Fort Leavenworth, Kansas or the US Navy brig in Charleston, South Carolina among the possible destinations for inmates.

Those locations, however, face objections from local politicians.

The US leader has long argued that many Guantanamo prisoners should be transferred overseas and some should be tried by military courts.

A small number -- those deemed too dangerous to release but too difficult to prosecute -- would be held in the United States.

Human rights groups worry this would only extend detentions without trial and create a "Guantanamo North."

"The possibility of a new, parallel system of lifelong incarceration inside the United States without charge would set a dangerous precedent," Amnesty International said in a statement.

"If successfully mounted, it would be a devastating blow to basic principles of criminal justice."

The plan says a US facility would save money over time. It currently costs about $455 million each year to run Guantanamo, and a US site would reduce that amount by up to $180 million.

Most of the savings would come from a decrease in the number of troops guarding the reduced population on the US mainland, but it could cost as much as $475 million in one-time expenses to move the men and build or update a facility to hold them.

"However, within three to five years the lower operating costs of a US facility with fewer detainees... could fully offset these transition costs," the closure plan notes.

Efforts to transfer prisoners overseas have been stymied by unrest in Yemen -- a likely destination for many -- and by recidivism among those already released.

Still, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has in recent weeks signed off on a flurry of transfers, and last month, the prison's population dropped below 100 for the first time.

Today, 91 inmates remain. Of them, 35 have been approved for release. The rest face ongoing, indefinite detention.

Perhaps the most notorious prisoner is Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who along with four co-defendants is charged with plotting the September 11, 2001 attacks.

The Guantanamo Bay military prison was opened in January 2002 on a US naval base on a coastal spit of land in southeastern Cuba, leased from Havana under a treaty dating back to 1903.

It was set up after the 9/11 attacks under the administration of then-president George W. Bush to deal with prisoners who were termed "enemy combatants" and denied many US legal rights.




Source : 9news.com.au

Watch Rihanna and Drake dance together in the visuals for “Work”

This afternoon, Rihanna dropped the visuals for her chart-burner “Work” off her eighth studio album ANTI.

The first-half of the video is directed by X. Rihanna and her co-star Drake tear up the dance floor inside a Caribbean restaurant. The second-half was directed by Tim Erem. RiRi and Drake get more intimate in the club's VIP section.

Not the first time the pair have collaborated together, RiRi and Drake appeared together on Drizzy’s “Take Care” in 2011 and in RiRi’s 2010 jam “What’s My Name?”

“Work” is the Boi-1da-produced lead single off ANTI that’s been certified platinum.




Source : independent.co

Hitler's Penis Gets The Short End Of History

(Adolf Hitler, pictured with his personal doctor, Theodor Morell, continues to generate speculation about the size of his genitals.)

British outlets have been abuzz that history's biggest dick had a really small dick.


Crediting a book published last year, headlines screamed that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler had a micro-penis as a result of a rare condition.

"Hitler himself is believed to have had two forms of genital abnormality: an undescended testicle and a rare condition called penile hypospadias in which the urethra opens on the underside of the penis or, in some cases, on the perineum," historians Emma Craigie and Jonathan Mayo wrote in "Hitler's Last Day: Minute By Minute."

The condition is associated with "micro-penis" formation.

While Craigie told The Huffington Post Monday that she had "no definitive insight" into Hitler's penile development, she pointed out other research.

"Several sources including Angela Lambert, in her biography of Eva Braun, have suggested that Hitler may have had hypospadias," Craigie said. "He seems to have had injections of bovine testosterone to prepare for sex, whilst she took medication to suppress her periods when staying with him."

Speculation about the monster's private parts re-emerged in December with a report that claimed to confirm he had an undescended testicle. A professor at Erlangen-Nuremberg University said he read once-lost 1923 medical records of Hitler that note his "right-side cryptorchidism."

So now that's history.



Source : huffingtonpost.com

Harper Lee, 'To Kill a Mockingbird' author, dead at 89

(CNN) -- Harper Lee, whose debut novel, "To Kill a Mockingbird," immortalized her name with its story of justice and race in a small Southern town and became a classic of American literature, has died. She was 89.

Her death was confirmed Friday by the City Hall in Monroeville, Alabama, where she lived.

In a statement, Lee's family said, "The family of Nelle Harper Lee, of Monroeville, Alabama, announced today, with great sadness, that Ms. Lee passed away in her sleep early this morning. Her passing was unexpected. She remained in good basic health until her passing. The family is in mourning and there will be a private funeral service in the upcoming days, as she had requested."

Added nephew Hank Conner in the statement, "This is a sad day for our family. America and the world knew Harper Lee as one of the last century's most beloved authors. We knew her as Nelle Harper Lee, a loving member of our family, a devoted friend to the many good people who touched her life, and a generous soul in our community and our state. We will miss her dearly."

Reaction from people moved by Lee's work, including Apple CEO Tim Cook and Congressman John Lewis (both Alabama natives), actor Matthew Modine, author John Green and Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, who had been jailed in Iran, was swift.



Source : edition.cnn.com

Pope Francis: Donald Trump “not Christian”, Trump says it’s disgraceful

Thrusting himself into the heated American presidential campaign, Pope Francis declared Thursday that Donald Trump is “not Christian” if he wants to address illegal immigration only by building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Trump fired back ferociously, saying it was “disgraceful” for a religious leader to question a person’s faith.
The rare back-and-forth between pontiff and presidential candidate was the latest astonishing development in an American election already roiled by Trump’s free-wheeling rhetoric and controversial policy proposals, particularly on immigration. It also underscored the popular pope’s willingness to needle U.S. politicians on hot-button issues.
Francis’ comments came hours after he concluded a visit to Mexico, where he prayed at the border for people who died trying to reach the U.S. While speaking to reporters on the papal plane, he was asked what he thought of Trump’s campaign pledge to build a wall along the entire length of the border and expel millions of people in the U.S. illegally.

“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian,” he said. While Francis said he would “give the benefit of the doubt” because he had not heard Trump’s border plans independently, he added, “I say only that this man is not a Christian if he has said things like that.” Trump, a Presbyterian and the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, responded within minutes. “For a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful,” he said at a campaign stop in South Carolina, which holds a key primary on Saturday. “I am proud to be a Christian, and as president I will not allow Christianity to be consistently attacked and weakened.”

Trump also raised the prospect of the Islamic State extremist group attacking the Vatican, saying that if that happened, “the pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been president because this would not have happened.” Francis, the first pope from Latin America, urged Congress during his visit to Washington last year to respond to immigrants “in a way which is always humane, just and fraternal.” He irked Republicans on the same trip with his forceful call for international action to address climate change. Immigration is among the most contentious issues in American politics. Republicans have moved toward hardline positions that emphasize law enforcement and border security, blocking comprehensive legislation in 2013 that would have included a path to citizenship for many of the 11 million people in the U.S. illegally.

Hispanics, an increasingly large voting bloc in U.S. presidential elections, have flocked to Democrats in recent years. President Barack Obama won more than 70 percent in the 2012 election, leading some Republican leaders to conclude the party must increase its appeal to them. However, the current GOP presidential primary has been dominated by increasingly tough rhetoric. Trump has insisted that Mexico will pay for his proposed border wall and has said some Mexicans entering the U.S. illegally are murderers and rapists. While Trump’s words have been among the most inflammatory, some of his rivals have staked out similar enforcement positions. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson are among those who have explicitly called for construction of a wall.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, one of the few GOP candidates proposing a path to legal status for people already in the U.S. illegally, said Thursday he supports “walls and fencing where it’s appropriate.” Bush said that while he gets his guidance “as a Catholic” from the pope, he doesn’t take his cues from Francis on “economic or environmental policy.” Marco Rubio, another Catholic seeking the GOP nomination, said that Vatican City has a right to control its borders and so does the United States. Rubio said he has “tremendous respect and admiration” for the pope, but he added, “There’s no nation on Earth that’s more compassionate on immigration than we are.” Cruz said he was steering clear of the dispute. “That’s between Donald and the pope,” he said. “I’m not going to get in the middle of them.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich, on the other hand, said he was staunchly “pro-Pope.” “We have a right to build a wall,” Kasich said Thursday night. But he added: “We need bridges between us if we’re going to fix the problems in Washington ’cause all they do is have walls.” The long-distance exchange between the pope and Trump came two days before the voting in South Carolina, a state where 78 percent of adults identify as Christian, according to the Pew Research Center’s 2014 U.S. Religious Landscape Study. Of that group, 35 percent identify as evangelical and 10 percent as Catholic, the survey found. It’s unclear what impact, if any, the pope’s rhetoric will have, here or in other states. An October poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that most Americans had no strong opinion on the pope’s approach to immigration issues, though he was overall viewed favorably. Even before Thursday, Trump had been critical of Francis’ visit to Mexico. He said last week that the pope’s plans to pray at the border showed he was a political figure being exploited by the Mexican government.

Francis glossed over Trump’s assertion that he was a pawn of Mexico, telling reporters on his plane that he would “leave that up to your judgment.” But he seemed pleased to hear the candidate had called him a “political” figure, noting that Aristotle had described the human being as a “political animal.”



Source : indianexpress.com

'The Division' Open Beta Starts Tomorrow On PS4, PC

Xbox One players may already be exploring a post-apocalyptic New York today, but tomorrow PC and PS4 players can get in on the action as well. Ubisoft is hosting an open beta for its upcoming third-person shooter/MMO The Division, doing some final bug fixes and trying to build excitement ahead of a March 8th release.

The Division is an interesting game — in some ways trying to enter that hybrid MMO console market created by Bungie’s Destiny, in others looking a lot more like a recognizable third-person cover shooter. I had a good time with the closed beta, clomping through the Dark Zone and admiring the snowy wastes of the abandoned New York City streets. The whole thing was pretty bleak — which I suppose is to be expected once the country has been decimated by a smallpox outbreak — but pretty nonetheless.

For many people, this weekend will be their first look at Ubisoft’s new world, but Ubisoft has made a whole bunch of changes since the closed beta. There’s some new content — not only will the developers be introducing a new flamethrower wielding faction called “The Cleaners,” they’re also giving us a new story mission, a new wing of HQ, a new skill in the form of a deployable turret.

The Dark Zone remains the most interesting part of the game, and Ubisoft has made some changes to its hybrid PvP/PvE zone as well. It’s significantly increased the number of non-player enemies, which should increase the opportunity for loot acquisition, but could also take some of the focus off of the PvP element. It’s also trying to make it slightly clearer whether or not other agents have actually “gone rogue” by killing other players, adding in some more warning systems so you don’t end up getting flagged as a player-killer just because someone wandered in front of your sights in a firefight.

Other than that, the major questions I have for this weekend concern stability: server stress tests are a big part of an open beta, and a game like this has to be a rock at launch to generate momentum in the future. If we see some nice, clean gameplay this weekend, it bodes well for the 8th.



Source : http://www.forbes.com

Kate Hudson's love advice

Kate Hudson gets love advice from her mother.

The 'Almost Famous' star has revealed she relies on Goldie Hawn for advice about relationships and admits she wants to one day have a romance similar to Goldie and her long-time partner Kurt Russell.

She said: "I think what they have, in terms of connection, is really rare and beautiful and something to strive for. But it doesn't come without its stuff, [as do] all relationships."

When asked what the best advice her mother has given to her, she added to Entertainment Tonight: "Be true to yourself. When you're connected intimately [with someone], it's a huge time of growth. [You have to] accept what that is and to go there, even when it's uncomfortable, [that's] the time you learn the most about yourself."

Meanwhile, the 36-year-old actress previously admitted she is "enjoying" being single and looking after her two children - sons Ryder, 12 and Bingham, four.

She shared: "I'm very much enjoying being single. That's very nice. And being focused on work and kids is really nice ... I'm sort of finding out more things about myself, and my work is an important part of my life. And it's hard when you're a mom. When you have a young child, a lot of guilt comes with working a lot so I took a little bit of a backseat, which I'm glad I did. But now that Bing is a bit older, I'm working more and I'm finding it makes me very happy. Every situation is different. To create a nice relationship with an ex, the love has to change form. I think you just have to put your children first."



Source : http://www.thespec.com

Vanessa Hudgens under investigation for after posting Instagram pic

SEDONA, Arizona — “Grease: Live!” star Vanessa Hudgens and model/actor boyfriend Austin Butler are in a bit of hot water after a romantic Valentine’s Day weekend in Sedona, Arizona.

Hudgens, who came to fame starring in Disney’s 2006 hit, “High School Musical,” posted an Instagram picture of the love birds’ names carved into the rock surrounded by a heart. (The post has since been removed.)

There’s just one problem: The carving may be located in the Red Rock Ranger District of the Coconino National Forest, and it’s against federal law to damage “any natural feature or other property of the United States,” according to a statement issued by Brady Smith, a Coconino National Forest spokesman.

The maximum fine is $5,000 and/or six months in jail.

It’s hard for federal officials to catch people in the act, but posting it to Instagram is what may get Hudgens in trouble.

“On Monday, Feb.15, we became aware — via media and public reports — of an Instagram posting by Vanessa Hudgens showing a scratching or carving of a heart with two names in it on a rock that allegedly is on the Red Rock Ranger District of the Coconino National Forest,” Smith said in the statement.

Smith declined to comment more on the specific incident until the Forest Service Law Enforcement investigation is completed.

“I can say that the issue of people carving their names and other things in rocks in the Sedona and surrounding area is always a challenge we face, and (we) try to inform people about its destructive nature.” he said.

“We have found that when one person carves something, it encourages others to carve,” Smith said. “Carving of any kind affects the natural beauty of the area.”

Even if the feds don’t punish her, people are already smacking Hudgens around on social media.

“Many Arizonans work really hard to preserve the land and to keep the state a nice one,” Instagram member _jamie_jeffries_ posted on Hudgen’s Instagram account. “Plus it’s just rude to go to someone’s home and vandalize it. Just disrespectful to those of us who actually value our state.”

“What moron would graffiti on Sedona’s red rocks?! I hope Vanessa Hudgens is punished for carving on one of the most spectacular places in AZ,” posted Meghan McCain, daughter of Sen. John McCain.

Hudgens’ Instagram post is gone, but Phoenix-based KSAZ-TV Web Producer Brent Corrado took a screen grab before it was removed.

Fans can still enjoy other posts from Hudgens’ trip to Arizona that are still up.



Source : http://wtvr.com

Struggling ABC names first black programming chief

ABC, facing sharp ratings declines this season, has ousted its programming chief Paul Lee, and replaced him with a development executive who will become the first African-American to hold that job at a major TV network.

Channing Dungey, named president of ABC Entertainment on Wednesday, was most recently executive VP of development for dramas, movies and miniseries, and helped shepherd series such as Scandal, Quantico and American Crime. She is a 12-year Disney veteran, having joined ABC Studios in 2004. (Her sister is actress Merrin Dungey).

Despite the network's success with serialized scripted TV — Lost and Desperate Housewives premiered that same year — it's recently been in a bit of a freefall. Average viewership has fallen 13% this season, to a third-place 6.6 million viewers, while its target audience of 18-to-49-year-olds has slipped 15%, ranking the network last among the Big 4.

Lee's boss, Disney ABC Television Group chief Ben Sherwood, has been known to clash with Lee and initiated the change, calling Dungey "a gifted leader and proven talent magnet for top creative talent." She is being promoted as TV has made strides in diversifying its entertainment programming, though behind the scenes, progress among executives have been slower.

Dungey will now have a larger say in the midst of the current pilot season, in which it's developing new series for next season. Lee has been a champion of producer Shonda Rhimes (Scandal, Grey's Anatomy), but also quirkier fare such as musical comedy Galavant.

Lee's departure also marks the latest atop major networks after a period of relative calm, as broadcasters battle for ratings, and relevance, in an era of growth among streaming services.

Longtime CBS Entertainment chairman Nina Tassler resigned last year, and was replaced by insider Glenn Geller. And Fox's Kevin Reilly was also let go, as 20th Century Fox Television chiefs Dana Walden and Gary Newman expanded their roles to include the network.



Source: http://www.usatoday.com

'Punky Brewster' patriarch George Gaynes dies

George Gaynes, best known to TV viewers as the foster father to Soleil Moon Frye's Punky Brewster and her dog Brandon, has died at 98. 

Gaynes was born George Jongejans in Helsinki in 1917 to a Russian artist mother and Dutch businessman father. He was raised in France, England and Switzerland and studied opera in Italy before World War II and a brief internment in Spain derailed his schooling. He spent the rest of the war serving in the Royal Dutch Navy.

At the war's end, he headed to America, where he performed with the New York City Opera, as well as Broadway, where he joined the cast of 1950's Out of This World.

1953 was a momentous year for him. He was cast in Leonard Bernstein's Wonderful Town, changed his last name to Gaynes and married actress Allyn Ann McLerie, with whom he spent the rest of his life.   They had a daughter, Iya, and a son, Matthew, a world-class kayaker who missed out on the Olympics due to the 1980 boycott.

He died in a 1989 car accident in India.

The majority of Gaynes' career was spent in on the small screen, where he eked out a living doing TV movies and guest roles on shows like

Columbo, Hawaii Five-0, Quincy, M.E. and the soap opera General Hospital.  Viewers recognized him but could never quite name him, making Gaynes the "Hey, It's That Guy" of his time.

The perpetual TV character actor's star rose with two films, 1982's Toostie and the Police Academy series, which spanned seven movies. (He also played a supporting role in 1973's The Way We Were.)

Then finally, 1984, at the age of 64, he graduated from character actor to leading man when he was cast as Chicago building manager-turned-foster dad Henry Warnimont. But it came at a cost: In an interview that year, he told  the New York Times, "The two things an actor dreads most are children and dogs. I have both in this series."

He played the role for four seasons, as well as in a short-lived animated spinoff. He would also find steady gigs on CBS' Hearts Afire and NBC's The Days of Nights of Molly Dodd, which allowed him to work alongside his wife.

Gaynes called it a career after 2003 Ashton Kutcher film Just Married. He spent several years of his retirement in Santa Barbara, Calif., before moving to Washington State to live with his daughter's family.

Source : http://www.usatoday.com

850,000 VOLKSWAGEN AND AUDI CARS RECALLED DUE TO TAKATA AIRBAGS

As if the emissions scandal wasn’t enough, Volkswagen AG now has to deal with the recall of 850,000 vehicles in North America (about 185,000 in Canada) due to defective airbag inflators made by Takata.

This recall comes well after those announced by other automakers. Why? According to The Detroit News, Volkswagen AG wrote a letter to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on February 9th saying the request to recall most VW and Audi vehicles may be overboard. As a matter of fact, their airbag inflators were made at Takata’s factory in Freiberg, Germany, and they have not experienced failures like those made in the U.S. and Mexico.

In the letter, Volkswagen AG said that both the Mexico and U.S. factories have had problems controlling humidity, which has been blamed for causing the inflator failures. For the NHTSA, though, it apparently makes no difference, so the German automaker has agreed to recall its vehicles.

Affected models include:

Audi A3 (2005-2013)

Audi A4 (2006-2009)

Audi A5 (2010-2011)

Audi Q5 (2009-2012)

Volkswagen CC (2009-2014)

Volkswagen EOS (2012-2014)

Volkswagen Golf (2010-2014)

Volkswagen Jetta (2010-2014)

Volkswagen Routan (2009)

Source : http://www.auto123.com

How to Drift a Car with Hand Brake: A Beginner Lesson

What is Drifting Exactly?

Drifting is a driving technique and motor sport where the driver intentionally oversteers the car, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels through corners while preserving vehicle control and a high exit speed.

Before I begin to show you how to drift, you need to be aware of several things:

~ Drifting is considered dangerous and is illegal on public streets.

~ There will be some potential mechanical breakdown to your car if you drift too many times without proper maintenance on the car.

~ Always practice only where you are permitted to. I recommend finding a local event where there are experienced drifters who can instruct you so you don't get caught by the police like I did. :)


~ Drifting works better with rear-wheel-drive cars with LSD (Limited Slip Differential)

Hand Brake Drifting

There are several techniques that can help you initiate your drift. The hand brake (or ebrake) technique is usually the easiest and most common way to start off with. All beginners will have to get familiar with this technique first. If you are scared at first, you should also practice this technique until you are not afraid of the car sliding. Here are a few exercises to get you started. After your car starts to slide, the rest is all about your steering and gas pedal control.


180 Degree Turn

In an empty lot, set up a cone in the middle. Drive up to the cone and rip the handbrake when you are almost at the cone in an attempt to do a 180 turn. Practice until you are no more and no less than 180 degrees from where you started. Remember to practice both left and right 180 degrees.

90 Degree Turn

This exercise is very similar to the 180 degree turn, but this requires controlling how hard your rip the ebrake. Practice until you are no more and no less than 90 degrees from where you started. Make sure to keep your car going after the drift.

360 Degree Turn (Donut)

Now, this exercise focuses more on acceleration and handbrake control together. You start the same way you would to do a 180. Once your car start to drift, you need to tap on your gas pedal to give a little more spin to your rear tires so your drift can keep going. This is often a little hard for a beginner, because too much gas will cause your car to oversteer too quickly, and too little gas will not make your car keep sliding. You need to get a feel for how your car is reacting and keep modulating the gas pedal in order to maintain a nice 360 degree turn around the cone. Keep trying until you can reliably turn around the cone without hitting it or straying too far from the cone. Practice in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions

After you have mastered all three exercises, you should be very comfortable drifting around all kinds of corners with the ebrake technique. Remember that gas and steering control play very important parts in drifting, and practice makes perfect. If you happen to spin out your car or lose control, don't be disappointed; just learn from your mistake.



Source : http://hubpages.com

Battlefield Hardline is getting a new expansion in March

Battlefield Hardline, EA's "most poorly planned heist ever" sim, is getting a new update in March called Betrayal.
Based on the description, it's about things going even more wrong after they've already gone really wrong. It will also, assuming the screenshot included with the announcement is accurate, literally let you bring a knife to a gunfight.

“You've assembled a crew, pulled off the perfect heist, and made a whirlwind escape from the police,” EA said in the expansion announcement. “Now, there are enemies lurking in the frozen shadows, dark figures hiding behind crumbling mausoleums, and confrontations brewing in back alleys and federal prisons.”

Betrayal will include four new maps—Alcatraz, Cemetery, Chinatown, and Thin Ice—plus seven new weapons and two new vehicles. The Gun Bench Super Feature will enable customization of primary weapons and uniforms, which can then be tested at the Gun Range, and there will also be new Assignments and Legendary weapon camos.

Battlefield Hardline itself is being updated as well, with 11 new weapons, new server presets, and the addition of weapon license vouchers to all Gold Battlepacks that will unlock an entire weapon license. Full details about the update will be released when it goes live. If we're lucky, there'll be something in there about the practicalities of bringing a claymore to a bank robbery, too.

Source : http://www.pcgamer.com

Quantum Break won't be available on Steam

Quantum Break will be launching on both Windows PC and Xbox One on April 5, but don't expect the game to be available on Steam. Xbox Games' head of marketing Aaron Greenberg confirmed on the Major Nelson podcast that the game will launch exclusively on the Windows Store.


Developer Remedy Entertainment revealed last week that the former Xbox One exclusive would be heading to Windows 10 alongside its console launch. Digital pre-orders of the Xbox version nets players the PC release, too, as do purchases of the upcoming Xbox One Quantum Break bundle.


Pre-orders of Quantum Break for Xbox One also come with copies of Alan Wake, Remedy's Xbox 360 horror game favorite. Certain retailers will throw in downloadable copies of its follow-up, Alan Wake's American Nightmare, too.

Quantum Break is Microsoft's latest cross-buy release, and players will be able to access their save files on either version of the game, too, according to Greenberg on Twitter.



Source : http://www.polygon.com

The end of TOPS as we know it ?

BATON ROUGE — More than 37,000 Louisiana students would lose their TOPS college scholarships next year under the worst-case budget scenario presented by Gov. John Bel Edwards, the director of the Office of Student Financial Assistance told an alarmed Legislative Joint Budget Committee Sunday.

Edwards is clearly leveraging the popularity of TOPS, which has quickly become the third rail of Louisiana politics, to pressure lawmakers into raising taxes to fully fund the program, as well as other higher education and health care priorities.

Though students' who have TOPS are secure through the spring, next year would be a different story, said Sujuan Boutte of the Office of Student Financial Assistance.

"High school seniors are asking us if they're OK (for TOPS next year)," Boutte told the committee. "We really can't say whether they are or not. Until we know more we can't send the eligibility letters (to high school seniors)."

The proposed cut from more than $250 million to $60 million would eliminate about 80 percent of students currently eligible for TOPS. The number of scholarships would be reduced from about 46,000 to about 9,000.

It would also transform TOPS from a completely merit-based program to one that would be both merit- and needs-based. By law, if TOPS isn't fully funded, family income becomes a factor with the neediest students taken first.

"So TOPS becomes needs-based?" asked Joint Budget Chairman Eric LaFleur, D-Ville Platte.

"Yes," Boutte responded.

But that's not completely accurate. Those eligible would also have to score higher — much higher — on the ACT.

Currently, eligibility begins with an ACT score of 17 for TOPS Tech, a two-year award. Under the worst-case scenario it would take a 28 ACT score to qualify for any TOPS scholarship.

"Surely you're not correct," said freshman state Rep. Larry Bagley, R-Stonewall, a former teacher who said perhaps only one graduating senior from his previous school would score a 28 or higher.

"It's correct," Boutte said.

The average ACT score for Louisiana students is 19.2.

Of those who do score a 28 or higher, the students who have the greatest financial need would be awarded first, followed by those whose families are more affluent.

If more money is appropriated the ACT score requirement would be lowered to 27, 26, etc.



Source : http://www.dailyworld.com

Volkswagen managers were notified about diesel probe in May 2014: sources

A high-ranking employee warned senior Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) managers in May 2014 that U.S. regulators might examine car engine software as part of an investigation into pollution levels, two sources familiar with the matter said on Sunday.

The warning came in the form of a letter, which was sent more than a year before the German carmaker's public admission that its cars had been equipped with software to manipulate emission test results, the sources said, raising questions about how much senior managers knew about the scandal.

The U.S. Justice Department is suing the company for up to $46 billion for alleged violations of environmental law while regulators and prosecutors are looking to establish what role, if any, had been played by senior managers, including former Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn.

Volkswagen admitted in September 2015 to cheating pollution tests but has maintained that only a small number of employees were to blame and that there was no indication that board members were involved.

German newspaper Bild am Sonntag was first to report the existence of an internal letter warning senior managers about the investigation.

Citing documents from VW's own investigation of the scandal, Bild am Sonntag said that an employee known internally as "Winterkorn's fireman" had notified superiors about the probe.

"It can be assumed that the authorities will investigate VW systems to establish whether Volkswagen has implemented test-recognition software," the newspaper said, citing the letter uncovered as part of an investigation by Jones Day, a law firm conducting the company's internal investigation.

Two people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Sunday that they had knowledge of the Volkswagen letter but that it is not certain that Winterkorn, who resigned shortly after the scandal surfaced, had seen the letter.

The letter was sent from the carmaker's product quality and safety department, one of the sources said.

A VW spokesman said that the company does not comment on ongoing investigations, adding that it would report on its internal inquiry in the second half of April.


Source : http://www.reuters.com

Rise of the Tomb Raider.

Arguably, the Tomb Raider hasn’t risen quite yet. Buried under Xbox One exclusivity and Fallout 4’s release, Rise of the Tomb Raider was loved by critics, but eluded public consciousness. Things might change with the impending PC release. The 2013 reboot was a lovely PC game, wrapping in thrilling platforming segments with hectic combat scenarios, while giving Lara agency and depth—it also looked amazing on a good PC. If Rise throws in what it already reportedly has—better supporting characters and more actual tomb raiding—then it’s bound to be a must have PC game in 2016.


Source : http://www.pcgamer.com

25-year-old shot while on the phone with her father, US

A 25-year-old US woman, Aaren O’Connor, died when a stray bullet hit her in the head while she was on the phone with her father.

She was sitting in her car outside her apartment complex in Chicago, Illinois when she was hit on Friday.

She did not immediately die, but reports say she repeatedly told her father: “my head hurts”.

Her father David told CBS Chicago:”I didn’t realise at the time but I was just having the last conversation with my daughter.”


“Every few moments she said, ‘My head hurts. My head hurts.”

She was found in her car unconscious after her boyfriend called her roommate to check up on her. O’Connor was then taken to hospital, where she died two days later.

A fund has been opened in honour of the 25-year-old, the money goes towards a scholarship for young people at risk in Chicago.

“It gives her life meaning, and I so appreciate it,” Mr O’Connor said.


Source : http://www.sabreakingnews.co.za

Twitter Will Offer Selected Tweets to Keep Users Coming Back

Twitter is trying to solve the information overload issue that some newcomers to its social media service say dissuades them from becoming regulars.

The company, based in San Francisco, announced on Wednesday that it would start showing a selection of tweets that a user who has been away from the service might want to see.

“There are lots of people on Twitter who follow hundreds or even thousands of accounts,” Jeff Seibert, Twitter’s senior director of product, said in an interview. “When they come back to Twitter, there’s actually too much for them to catch up on.”

Tweets in this update can come from any time, from minutes to hours ago. The idea is to put important tweets up top so the user does not have to wade through less interesting information.

It is a change from Twitter’s classic method of presenting tweets in reverse chronological order and could make it easier for people to find interesting conversations faster, which in turn may keep them coming back to the service more often.
“This is really about helping all these people get caught up,” Mr. Seibert said.

Later on Wednesday, Twitter is scheduled to report its fourth-quarter earnings. Investors will scrutinize its user numbers to see if they meet growth expectations. Adding more users and getting newcomers to keep coming back have been consistent Achilles’ heels for the company.

The idea of tweaking Twitter’s main timeline has been bandied about internally for years, and tackled in different ways. Twitter introduced “while you were away” about a year ago, which similarly brought back older tweets that could help users see conversations on the service that they had missed. Twitter also devoted an entirely different section of its app to discovering unearthed tweets and conversations that may be difficult to find for casual users.

But over the past few years, some inside Twitter have been reluctant to make any major changes, for fear of alienating the service’s most dedicated users or disturbing ad sales. Since even before Twitter’s initial public offering in 2013, the company’s revenue has grown at a healthy pace even as its user growth numbers have stalled.

Mr. Seibert said that Jack Dorsey, who returned as Twitter’s chief executive last summer, has given his product chiefs free rein to question products that have typically been off limits, a stance he described as empowering.
“There’s no taboo topic,” Mr. Seibert said.

Not all of the company’s concerns are unfounded. Last week, when news of potential changes to the product were reported by BuzzFeed News, Twitter users complained. A trending topic with the hashtag #RIPTwitter signaled what many believed to be the death of the Twitter service they had come to know.
To avoid another panic among its more loyal users, Twitter is carrying out the latest change slowly. Users will initially have the option to switch on the new feature in the settings menu before it becomes a default setting. Everyone who doesn’t like it will be able to turn it off.

“What we want to do is give everyone the opportunity to play with it on their own terms,” Mr. Seibert said.


Source : http://www.nytimes.com

Ellison making progress with Showa development

JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s James Ellison has left the squad’s latest Spanish test pleased with their continuing development of their brand new Kawasaki ZX-10R.

Working with a whole new bike in 2016, the MCE British Superbike veteran nonetheless says that the biggest change they’ve encountered so far hasn’t been the new chassis and engine package but the switch form Ohlins to factory-backed Showa suspension.

"We have had two days last week at Jerez and now the two days at Aragon. We are really starting to find a good direction now with the Showa suspension as that was the biggest change for the JG Speedfit Kawasaki team this year, so that has been a main focus. We have been looking at the parameters of the suspension as it is all new to us and we have found a good direction today.

"We went quite a bit quicker than we did here at the last test in November and got real close actually to the World Superbike guys on race tyres, so that was something I was quite pleased with, and again all three of us were pretty close as well so we are all focused now on the next test and what we can improve. For me it has been a successful and positive test before our next test at Cartagena; I am really happy with how it has gone."

The test sees their team’s final outing alongside their Team Green factory World Superbike counterparts Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes, who will now continue on to Australia for the opening round of their season as the BSB team return to Spain for further testing early next month


Source : http://www.motorcyclenews.com

Van der Poel targets mountain bike ride at Olympic Games

Mathieu van der Poel, the young cyclo-cross star, will transition to the mountain bike in the coming months as he sets his sights on a ride at this summer's Olympic Games in Rio.

The 21-year-old Dutchman, who was world cyclo-cross champion last year before conceding the rainbow jersey to Wout van Aert last weekend, has no competitive experience in cross country mountain biking, but is hungry to represent his country at the Games for the first time.

"In the coming weeks I want to do my first races as a mountain biker," he told Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad. "And not just that. The aim is to earn selection for the Games in Rio de Janeiro.

"I have not really done a lot with the mountain bike in the past and certainly not in competition. But the possibility of selection for the Games is motivating. I would die to go to Rio.

Van der Poel's coach at the BKCP Corendon team, Christoph Roodhooft, confirmed the move to Het Nieuwsblad, pointing out that mountain biking represents a better chance of selection than the road race, where the Dutch have several WorldTour riders.

"It is not yet 100 per cent certain which races he'll do," said Roodhooft, "but it seems an ideal target to work towards. Mathieu was also in the pre-selection for the Olympic road race, but this seems more feasible."


Source : http://www.cyclingnews.com

EPA proposal would restrict road to race car conversions

Recently proposed EPA automobile emissions rules could put the brakes on the popular pursuit of converting road cars into race cars for professional and amateur use, says a major automotive trade organization.

The Specialty Equipment Market Association, more commonly known as SEMA, raised the alarm after coming across a passage in the federal agency’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles - Phase 2 proposal that reads:

“Certified motor vehicles and motor vehicle engines and their emission control devices must remain in their certified configuration even if they are used solely for competition or if they become non-road vehicles or engines.”

According to SEMA, which represents the aftermarket parts and custom car industry, this passage means just what it says: Cars and trucks originally built and sold for street use would not be exempt from emissions rules if they are converted into competition vehicles

And the EPA agrees.

An agency spokeswoman told Fox News that the proposal essentially restates what the EPA already considers to be the law

“People may use EPA-certified motor vehicles for competition, but to protect public health from air pollution, the Clean Air Act has – since its inception – specifically prohibited tampering with or defeating the emission control systems on those vehicles,” she said.

She added that the updated rule “clarifies the distinction between motor vehicles and nonroad vehicles such as dirt bikes and snowmobiles. Unlike motor vehicles – which include cars, light trucks, and highway motorcycles – nonroad vehicles may, under certain circumstances, be modified for use in competitive events in ways that would otherwise be prohibited by the Clean Air Act.”

However, in a statement released to the media, SEMA CEO Chris Kersting argued that “this proposed regulation represents overreaching by the agency, runs contrary to the law and defies decades of racing activity where EPA has acknowledged and allowed conversion of vehicles. Congress did not intend the original Clean Air Act to extend to vehicles modified for racing and has re-enforced that intent on more than one occasion.”

The EPA has not yet discussed how or if it plans to actively police the updated rules.

Race car builders often modify or remove the emissions systems from street legal vehicles to improve their performance. Many purpose-built race cars, including NASCAR Sprint Cup cars and factory drag racers like the Ford Mustang Cobra Jet, are not required to have certified emissions control systems, and the proposed rules do not appear to affect their status.

SEMA Vice President of Governmental Affairs Steve McDonald says the organization wasn’t properly notified of the proposal and originally missed it due to its inclusion in what it considers to be an unrelated rules package, but that it plans to oppose any changes to the status quo through all legal means.

The public comment period on the proposal, which is primarily concerned with the fuel efficiency and carbon dioxide emissions of large commercial vehicles, has ended. The EPA is currently reviewing submissions and expects to publish a final rule in July.


Source : http://www.foxnews.com

CM Punk to Have Back Surgery, UFC Confirms

CM Punk will undergo back surgery, delaying his UFC debut yet again.

Bad news for CM Punk fans awaiting his UFC debut – and any MMA purists counting the days until he gets punched in the face. You're going to have to wait a while longer.

On Wednesday, a spokesperson for UFC confirmed reports that Punk (real name: Phil Brooks) will undergo surgery to repair a herniated disk in his back, pushing back his already delayed UFC debut another 4-6 weeks. The former WWE champion – who signed a deal with UFC in 2014 with the goal of entering the Octagon the following year ­– had reportedly been dealing with back issues ever since leaving the world of professional wrestling, and his condition only worsened recently, forcing him to go under the knife.

"My back has always bugged me," Punk told MMAFighting.com. "It got bad enough to the point where I couldn't do anything the week before I went to train with the New Jersey Devils last month. One day I could manage, the next day I couldn't. I've been in agony for almost a month. Chiropractor, acupuncture, massage, cryotherapy...nothing worked."

The news comes just days after Punk learned he'd be facing Mickey Gall ­– who defeated Mike Jackson at Saturday's UFC Fight Night 82 – in his UFC debut, which president Dana White was reportedly eyeing for UFC 199 in June. Previously, Punk suffered a shoulder injury while training for the fight, though despite his run of injuries, the 37-year-old remains optimistic that he'll bounce back this year.

"This is just a bump in the road," he said. "I'm positive about this."

A UFC rep said that there is no confirmed date for his first fight. Last year, Punk took Rolling Stone inside Milwaukee's Roufusport MMA Academy, where he was preparing for his UFC debut.

"The entire reason I'm doing this isn't about the fight. It's about learning martial [arts], as well as something about myself," he said. "It's literally all about the journey."


Source : http://www.rollingstone.com

Upcoming Cars That Will Make You Lose Your Mind

FERRARI LAFERRARI

Over the years, car technology and design have gone a long way. These upcoming cars are faster and more opulent than ever. Design wise, they look like something pulled straight from the future. These cars are destined to be the fastest in history.

Is there any other brand more envied than Ferrari? The Italian automaker is known for making opulent sports cars that are fast and powerful. Their 2015 LaFerrari is no different. Design wise, it is kept the basic Ferrari features. It has aerodynamic curves and shape we all love. Underneath the hood, Ferrari packs a 788 horsepower, 6.2 liter V12 engine and an electric motor that produces additional 147 horsepower. In total, the LaFerrari has 949 horsepower. All that power can get you from 0 to over 124 MPH in less than 7 seconds. With a maximum speed of over 217 MPH, LaFerrari is a monster on the road. Unfortunately, the price of this exotic car is around $1.35 million. In addition, only 499 models are being made, making it an incredibly rare.

ASTON MARTIN V8 VANTAGE GT

Anyone who has seen a James Bond movie knows the iconic Aston Martin line. In 2015, this carmaker is releasing a new coupe with a 4.7 liter V8 engine that provides 430 horsepower. It can reach 60 MPH in just over 4 seconds. The power is delivered by a 6 speed manual transmission. While this isn’t the first of Aston Martin’s Vantage line, this rendition has more power and better handling. As usual, Aston Martin didn’t skimp on the design. The exterior features a sleek design with a pop of dramatic color on the trim. It’s something that can’t be missed on the road. Surprisingly, this model is more affordable than other Aston Martin cars. However, it’ll still cost around $103,000.

Source : http://www.carophile.org

More than 30 injured in Connecticut casino bus crash

Emergency responders work at the scene of a tour bus rollover on Interstate 95 northbound in the area of exit 61 on Monday, February 8, 2016 in Madison, Conn. At least 30 people were injured, several critically, in the accident. The bus was traveling from New York City to the Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville, Conn. Photo Credit: AP

MADISON, Conn. - A charter bus driving through a snowstorm to a casino flipped onto its side Monday, injuring more than 30 people and closing the northbound side of Interstate 95 in Connecticut.

The bus, which was on its way from New York City to the Mohegan Sun casino, crashed around 12:30 p.m. in Madison, east of New Haven.

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State police trooper Kelly Grant said there were about 70 people on the bus. Passengers were taken to several hospitals, with the most seriously injured going to Yale-New Haven Hospital

Mark D'Antonio, a Yale hospital spokesman, said they received eight patients, far fewer than the 30 they had originally been told to expect. One person suffered several broken bones and the others were less seriously injured with cuts and bruises, he said.

"They initially expected worse in the field and told us to prepare for the worst," he said. "Once they got down to nuts and bolts and triaged everybody, they realized it was not as serious as they thought."

The uninjured were taken to a nearby gymnasium.

The accident occurred during a snowstorm that was expected to drop up to a foot of snow on parts of the state.

Video from near the scene showed the bus on its side off the right shoulder of northbound side of the highway, but facing south.

Cody Chapman, a spokesman for the casino in Uncasville, said the bus is owned by Dahlia Inc. and operated by VMC East Coast. He said other buses from the New York area were rerouted back to the city until weather conditions improved.

In a statement, VMC East Coast said it was saddened "that this has happened today" and thanked firefighters, paramedics and police.

"We pray that all our passengers are OK and will be safely returned to their families soon," the statement read. "We may release more information in the coming days."

Gov. Dannel Malloy's office was monitoring developments after the crash. In a statement, the governor said his thoughts were with those who were injured.


Source : http://www.newsday.com

'Red Dead Redemption' Is Almost Playable On Xbox One

Well the horse is out of the barn.

Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar’s hit open-world Western video game, is the latest title to make its way to Xbox One’s backwards compatibility list.

By all accounts, this revelation was made prematurely, and Microsoft and Rockstar have taken steps to stop anyone from actually playing the game just yet. Apparently they want us to wait for an official announcement, which doesn’t sound very Wild West to me. That’s silly and unfortunate, but also a typical and unsurprising response in the video game business.

Nonetheless, this is bang-up news for two reasons.

First, if you can rustle up an old copy of Red Dead Redemption, you’ll soon be able to pop it into your Xbox One and start riding around the American West as cowboy John Marston. Yeehaw! That’s what I aim to do, though I can’t at the moment recollect whether my old copy is Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3.

Second, Red Dead Redemption’s return from the bone orchard might indicate a bigger play on Rockstar’s part: Its long-awaited sequel.

Red Dead Redemption launched in 2010, and was itself a successor to 2004′s Red Dead Revolver. Notably, that’s a six-year wait. A 2016 release of the third game would be right on the money as far as time-lines go.

Take-Two Interactive, which owns 2K Games and Rockstar, doesn’t have any really big games slated for 2016 either, and there’s no doubt that a new Red Dead game would make great big bundles of cash.


Source : http://www.forbes.com

NHL scores: Capitals tie game late, beat Devils 3-2

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8), from Russia, puts the in the net to score a winning goal past New Jersey Devils goalie Cory Schneider (35) during a a shootout in an NHL hockey game Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016, in Newark, N.J. (AP/Mel Evans)

NEWARK, N.J. -- T.J. Oshie and Alex Ovechkin scored in the shootout, and the Washington Capitals tied the game late and beat the New Jersey Devils 3-2 on Saturday.
Paul Carey, called up from the minors Friday, had tied the score in the third period with his first NHL goal.
Andre Burakovsky scored in his fifth straight game for Washington and Braden Holtby made 22 saves in winning his league-high 32nd game. He is 24-1-3 in his last 29 games.
Joseph Blandisi and Adam Henrique scored for the Devils, who have lost two straight games in shootouts. Cory Schneider had 28 saves for the Devils, who are trying to get to the playoffs for the first time in four years.

BRUINS 2, SABRES 1, OT

BOSTON -- Brad Marchand scored on a penalty shot midway through overtime to lift the Boston Bruins over the Buffalo Sabres.
Marchand got the penalty shot after being grabbed by defenceman Rasmus Ristolainen while skating in alone 2:32 into overtime. The Bruins wing came in on goalie Robin Lehner, shifted to his backhand and slipped a shot inside the right post.
Loui Eriksson also scored while the Bruins improved to 7-2-1 in their last 10 games. The Bruins beat Buffalo 3-2 in a shootout in the first of a home-and-home on Thursday night.
Sam Reinhart scored for Buffalo, which has points in a club-record eight straight road games (6-0-2)

PENGUINS 3, PANTHERS 2, OT

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Kris Letang scored two goals, including the winner on a power play in overtime, to lift the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Florida Panthers.
Sidney Crosby had a goal and two assists for the Penguins, and Jeff Zatkoff made 40 saves.
In overtime, Crosby passed across to Letang in the left circle and his one-timer beat Luongo on the stick side 1:27 in. The Penguins won for the fifth time in six games, snapping the Panthers five-game win streak.
Jussi Jokinen and a goal and an assist and Aleksander Barkov also scored for the Panthers.

RANGERS 3, FLYERS 2, SO

PHILADELPHIA -- Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan scored during a shootout to lift the New York Rangers to a comeback victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.
Keith Yandle tied it with 12.9 seconds left in regulation and Chris Kreider also scored in regulation for the Rangers, who won consecutive games for just the second time since Nov. 15.
Ryan White scored and Shayne Gostisbehere had a goal and an assist in regulation for the Flyers, who had won three straight.

RED WINGS 5, ISLANDERS 1

DETROIT -- Dylan Larkin and Tomas Tatar each had a goal and an assist, and the Detroit Red Wings routed the New York Islanders for their first home win of 2016, a game delayed 36 minutes by a malfunctioning Zamboni that chopped up a section of the ice.
The Red Wings, who were 0-4-1 at home since Dec. 20, also got goals from Tomas Jurco, Mike Green and Kyle Quincey. Petr Mrazek made 28 saves to improve to 8-2-1 in his last 11 starts.
John Tavares had New York's only goal, and Jaroslav Halak was pulled after allowing four goals on 13 shots.
The start of the third period was delayed after a Zamboni ripped up a line of ice stretching from in front of the Red Wings net past the blue line. As a result, the teams changed ends at the midway point of the third so that neither team would get an advantage from the affected ice.

CANADIENS 5, OILERS 1

MONTREAL -- Tomas Plekanec had a goal and three assists, helping the Montreal Canadiens end a four-game losing streak with a victory over the Edmonton Oilers.
Brendan Gallagher and P.K. Subban each had a goal and an assist, while Lars Eller also scored as Montreal posted just its sixth win in 26 games since Dec. 3. The Canadiens beat the Oilers for the first time in five meetings since the 2013-14 season.
Benoit Pouliot had a short-handed goal for Edmonton, which was coming off two blowout wins in its first games following the All-Star break.

SENATORS 6, MAPLE LEAFS 1

OTTAWA, Ontario -- Curtis Lazar had the first two-goal game of his career, Erik Karlsson had four assists and the Ottawa Senators routed the Toronto Maple Leafs to end a three-game skid.
Zack Smith, Mika Zibanejad, Bobby Ryan and Mark Stone also scored for the Senators, and Craig Anderson made 26 saves.
Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau scored 3:25 into the third for Toronto. Jonathan Bernier had 14 saves after replacing starter James Reimer, who was beaten three times on eight shots and was pulled 7:38 into the game.

BLUES 4, WILD 1

ST. LOUIS -- Jori Lehtera had a goal and an assist, and Brian Elliott made 38 saves as the St. Louis Blues beat the Minnesota Wild.
Vladimir Tarasenko, Paul Stastny and Troy Brouwer also scored for the Blues, who got their first regulation win in four tries against the Wild and improved to 8-3-1 in their last 12 at home.
Matt Dumba scored late in the second for the Wild, who lost their 10th game in their last 11. Minnesota's 24 shots in the second period set a franchise road record for any period and was St. Louis' season high for shots given up in a period.

PREDATORS 6, SHARKS 2

NASVHILLE, Tenn. -- Recent call-up Viktor Arvidsson scored twice, Filip Forsberg had a goal and two assists and the Nashville Predators beat the San Jose Sharks.

Pekka Rinne made 28 saves and James Neal, Calle Jarnkrok and Shea Weber also scored to help Nashville end a three-game home losing streak.

Joe Thornton and Logan Couture scored for the Sharks. Their 17-8-2 road record is the best in the Western Conference, and the Sharks fell to 9-2-2 in their last 13 games.

BLACKHAWKS 5, STARS 1

DALLAS -- Artem Anisimov had a short-handed goal and three assists, and the Western Conference-leading Chicago Blackhawks beat the Dallas Stars.

Corey Crawford made 36 saves for Chicago, which moved five points ahead of second-place Dallas in the Central Division. The teams also have the two highest point totals in the Western Conference. Brent Seabrook, Trevor van Riemsdyk and Marian Hossa scored on Antti Niemi to give the Blackhawks a 3-1 lead after one period. Kari Lehtonen replaced Niemi in the second. The Blackhawks' Patrick Kane scored his league-leading 32nd goal in the second period.

Tyler Seguin scored the Stars' goal at 17:46 of the first period.

FLAMES 4, CANUCKS 1

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Jonas Hiller made 34 saves, helping the Calgary Flames past the Vancouver Canucks.

Michael Frolik, Mikael Backlund and Sam Bennett each had a goal and an assist, and Sean Monahan also scored for Calgary, which rebounded from a 2-1 loss to Columbus on Friday night. T.J. Brodie added two assists.

Emerson Etem had the lone goal for Vancouver, and Ryan Miller stopped 26 shots as the Canucks dropped their fourth straight.

JETS 4, AVALANCHE 2

DENVER -- Drew Stafford had two goals, including the go-ahead score, and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Colorado Avalanche.

Andrew Ladd and Mathieu Perreault also scored for the Jets, who beat the Avalanche for the first time in four tries this season. Stafford also had an assist, and Michael Hutchinson made 32 saves for Winnipeg.

Mikhail Grigorenko and Matt Duchene had goals for the Avalanch

Source : http://www.ctvnews.ca