Nets top Bulls 110-91, trim series deficit to 3-2

Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11), Chicago Bulls forward Carlos Boozer, center, and center Joakim Noah, right, compete for a loose ball in the first half of Game 5 of their first-round NBA basketball playoff series, Monday, April 29, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11), Chicago Bulls forward Carlos Boozer, center, and center Joakim Noah, right, compete for a loose ball in the first half of Game 5 of their first-round NBA basketball playoff series, Monday, April 29, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah, far left, turns away as Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) and guard Deron Williams (8) celebrate Lopez's shot in the second half of Game 5 of their first-round NBA basketball playoff series, Monday, April 29, 2013, in New York. Lopez had 28 points and 10 rebounds as the Nets won 110-91. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Chicago Bulls guard Nate Robinson (2) passes over the defense of Brooklyn Nets guard Deron Williams (8) in the first half of Game 5 of their first-round NBA basketball playoff series, Monday, April 29, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) shoots over Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah (13) in the first half of Game 5 of their first-round NBA basketball playoff series, Monday, April 29, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) drives past Chicago Bulls center Nazr Mohammed (48) in the first half of Game 5 of their first-round NBA basketball playoff series, Monday, April 29, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

NEW YORK (AP) ? The Nets were not ready for it to be over. Not the series. Certainly not their first season in Brooklyn.

"We didn't want it to end. Nobody in this locker room wants it to end. Nobody is ready to go home," backup center Andray Blatche said. "We still feel like we have the opportunity and chance to make it to the second round."

Brook Lopez had 28 points and 10 rebounds, Deron Williams added 23 points and 10 assists, and the Nets beat Chicago 110-91 on Monday night, cutting the Bulls' lead to 3-2 in their first-round playoff series.

Recovering from a collapse that sent them home on the brink of elimination instead of tied, the Nets battered the Bulls on the boards and forced Chicago into being the team that wilted down the stretch.

"We came out very aggressive, as we have the past few games. I think the difference was just we sustained it for essentially a full 48 minutes tonight," Lopez said.

Blatche scored 10 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter and Gerald Wallace had consecutive baskets in the finishing surge as the Nets finally pulled away in a game they led most of the way, but never by too much.

Two days after rallying for a 142-134 triple-overtime victory, the Bulls were outscored 15-1 at the finish and failed to set up a second-round series with Miami. Instead they will host Game 6 on Thursday.

"It was just a lot of mental mistakes. A lot of mental mistakes," Bulls center Joakim Noah said. "I feel like we had our chances. We beat ourselves. They played well. You've got to give credit when credit is due and now it's on us to come back and be ready for Game 6."

If the Nets win that one, they would host Game 7 on Saturday.

Nate Robinson had 20 points and eight assists starting in place of point guard Kirk Hinrich, who bruised his left calf in Saturday's game.

"For us, I knew it was going to be tough; it was going to be a challenge," Robinson said. "At the same time, we've been here before playing with a guy short. It's something we've got to do. We've just got to muster something and bring that energy and continue to play like we've been playing."

Only eight NBA teams have overcome a 3-1 deficit, but the Nets remained confident after Saturday's collapse, feeling they had outplayed the Bulls for long stretches during the series. They have led by double digits in four of the five games.

"I believed that we would respond," Nets interim coach P.J. Carlesimo said. "We've bounced back all year too well, and as disheartening a loss as that was on Saturday, there's still been enough good minutes in this series. Neither of us are getting away from each other."

But they need two more wins against a Bulls franchise that is 12-0 all-time when holding a 3-1 lead.

"We feel like we're the better team," Wallace said. "We've just got to play a 48-minute game completely and stay in attack mode."

Robinson scored 29 of his 34 points after the third quarter Saturday in a game the Nets led by 14 late in regulation. Coming off his big game and agitating to opposing fans even when he's struggling, Robinson was loudly booed during introductions, and each time he touched the ball early on.

He made a jumper with 4:17 remaining to cut Brooklyn's lead to 95-90, but there would be no charge this time. Lopez converted a three-point play, and after a free throw by Jimmy Butler, Wallace nailed a 3-pointer then came up with a steal and dunk to give the Nets a 103-91 advantage with 2 minutes to go.

The Nets finished it off with ease, prolonging their first season since moving from New Jersey.

Butler scored 18 points for the Bulls, who were outrebounded 44-33 and gave up 24 second-chance points.

"That's the difference in the game, the rebounding," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "If you defend fairly well and then you give a team a second and a third crack at it, it's hard to win like that."

The Nets ran off seven straight points late in the first quarter, five from Lopez, to turn a 17-17 tie into a 24-17 lead.

Brooklyn got eight second-quarter points from Kris Humphries then opened its biggest lead when Johnson and Wallace made consecutive 3-pointers before Lopez hit two free throws to make it 50-40. The Nets led 52-44 at the break.

The Nets had the lead into double digits a few times in the third quarter but never built on it. The Bulls were back within four by the end of the period after making 11 of 16 shots (69 percent).

Butler made a 3-pointer to open the fourth quarter and make it a one-point game, but Chicago never could grab the lead in the final period.

Wallace scored 12 points and Reggie Evans grabbed 12 rebounds as the Nets improved to 6-0 all-time in Game 5s at home. They have never lost a series when holding home-court advantage.

Joe Johnson and C.J. Watson each scored 11 points.

Notes: Carlesimo said it wasn't hard to ignore thoughts about his own future because the games come too quickly to worry about anything else. Though the Nets gave general manager Billy King a contract extension last week, it is unknown if Carlesimo will be back after leading the Nets to a 35-19 mark after replacing the fired Avery Johnson in late December. ... A number of New York Islanders were in the crowd at the franchise's future home. The NHL team plans to move from Long Island to Barclays Center in 2015.

___

Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-04-30-BKN-Bulls-Nets-Folo/id-2439227708d742faa163f9962f261eb6

invincible jesse jackson

IRL: Skullcandy Crusher headphones and ASUS' G74SX gaming laptop

Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment.

It's true; most Engadget editors would prefer some sort of Ultrabook-type laptop for attending pressers and schlepping around trade shows. But at least one of us has chosen a nine-pound gaming laptop for hitting posts. (It even says "Republic of Gamers" on it.) Speaking of schlepping, Michael has taken back (almost) everything he's ever said about over-the-ear headphones after swapping in the Skullcandy Crushers on his long commute. Hit the break to find out what he thinks of them.

Filed under: Misc, ASUS

Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/3e8sH9KfKoM/

the quiet man yellow cab

Feds: SF man pretended to be African leader's son

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? A San Francisco man was in federal custody Friday on charges that he defrauded a Northern California real estate agent and his girlfriend out of $1.6 million by pretending to be the son of Congo's president.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in San Francisco said Blessed Marvelous Herve persuaded the couple to forward him the money over four years with promises of repayment, lucrative commissions, and multi-million bonuses and a collection of impressive-looking documents that included a certificate of recognition from a U.S. senator.

Instead, they received excuses and demands for more funds, according to an affidavit prepared by the FBI agent who investigated the case.

The affidavit states that Herve told the Marin County real estate agent that his father wanted to buy luxury homes in the San Francisco Bay area, but that first he needed help recovering millions of dollars seized by the U.S. government, advances so he could rent limousines to tour potential properties, and additional financial assistance paying IRS debts and costs associated with other legal troubles.

It said that after the agent had given Herve about $635,000 and "was financially broke," his girlfriend stepped in and provided another $970,000. At 41, Herve is the same age as Joseph Kabila, who has been president of the Democratic Republic of Congo since 2001.

Herve's lawyer, Assistant Federal Public Defender Edward Hu, declined to comment on the allegations.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/feds-sf-man-pretended-african-leaders-son-060920202.html

spring forward day light savings day light savings daylight saving time 2012

U.S. health insurance survey: 84 million people were uninsured for a time or underinsured in 2012

Apr. 26, 2013 ? Eighty-four million people?nearly half of all working-age U.S. adults?went without health insurance for a time last year or had out-of-pocket costs that were so high relative to their income they were considered underinsured, according to the Commonwealth Fund 2012 Biennial Health Insurance Survey. The survey also found that the proportion of young adults ages 19-25 who were uninsured during the year fell from 48 percent to 41 between 2010 and 2012, reversing a nearly decade-long trend of rising uninsured rates in that age group. This reversal is likely due to a provision in the 2010 Affordable Care Act allowing young adults to stay on their parents' health insurance until age 26, the authors say.

The report, Insuring the Future: Current Trends in Health Coverage and the Effects of Implementing the Affordable Care Act, finds that the percentage of Americans who were uninsured, underinsured, or had gaps in their health coverage grew steadily between 2003 and 2010, with the number of underinsured nearly doubling from 16 million in 2003 to 29 million in 2010. However, between 2010 and 2012, the numbers of underinsured adults leveled off, growing to 30 million. The authors say that this is partly a result of slower health care cost growth and lower overall health spending by consumers, combined with declining household incomes. But provisions in the health reform law -- such as requiring insurers to cover recommended preventive care without any cost to patients -- also are beginning to make health care more affordable for many consumers.

"The early provisions of the Affordable Care Act are helping young adults gain coverage and improving the affordability of health care during difficult economic times for American families," said Sara Collins, Ph.D., a Commonwealth Fund vice president and the study's lead author. "It will be critical to continue to monitor the effects of the law as the major provisions go into effect in 2014 and beyond to ensure it achieves its goal of near-universal, comprehensive health insurance."

Millions Are Struggling to Afford Health Care and Falling into Medical Debt

According to the survey, people are increasingly skipping needed health care because they can't afford it. In 2012, 80 million people reported that, during the past year, they did not go to the doctor when they were sick or did not fill a prescription due to cost. Reports of skipping needed care rose substantially from 2003, when 63 million people did not get care because of cost.

Medical debt also continues to burden U.S. households. According to the report, in 2012, 41 percent of working-age adults, or 75 million people, had problems paying their medical bills or were paying off medical bills over time, up from 58 million in 2005. Nearly one of five (18%) adults were contacted by a collections agency over unpaid bills, and 16 percent had to change their way of life because of medical bills. The report finds that medical debt has substantial consequences: 42 percent of survey respondents who reported having trouble with medical bills, or an estimated 32 million people, had a lower credit rating because of unpaid bills and 6 percent, or an estimated 4 million, had to declare bankruptcy because of their bills.

Impact of the Affordable Care Act

The health reform law has already helped millions of young adults gain insurance coverage and protected people from insurance company practices like cancelling policies retroactively when a subscriber becomes sick, or putting a limit on how much they will pay out in a given year or lifetime. But the bulk of the law's effects will not be felt until 2014, when the health insurance reforms are fully implemented and the new state insurance marketplaces are up and running. Using the survey findings to determine how the Affordable Care Act will impact Americans currently uninsured or underinsured, the report finds that:

• Eighty-seven percent of the 55 million people who were uninsured for some time during the year in 2012 have incomes that would make them eligible for subsidized health insurance through the insurance marketplaces or expanded Medicaid under the law, though coverage is limited to those legally present in the U.S.
• Up to eighty-five percent of the 30 million underinsured adults might be eligible for either Medicaid or subsidized health insurance plans with reduced out-of-pocket costs under the law.

The authors say it is critical that the federal government and the states continue to implement the Affordable Care Act, cautioning that if states don't expand Medicaid as the law originally intended, millions of low-income families will be at risk for being uninsured even after the law takes full effect in 2014.

"The costs of health care and health coverage in the United States have been on an unsustainable trajectory, straining family and government budgets," said Commonwealth Fund president David Blumenthal, M.D. "It is important that lawmakers and regulators across the country take the steps necessary to ensure that all Americans can benefit fully from the law's improvements to the quality, efficiency, and affordability of our health care system."

Additional Report Findings:

• In 2012, about three-fourths of working-age adults with low incomes (less than $14,856 a year for an individual or $30,657 for a family of four) -- an estimated 40 million people -- were uninsured or underinsured.
• Fifty-nine percent of adults with moderate incomes (between $14,856 and $27,925 for an individual or between $30,657 and $57,625 for a family of four) -- or 21 million people -- were uninsured or underinsured.
• Adults who were uninsured were less likely to receive recommended preventive care in 2012. For example, only 48 percent of women who were uninsured during the year received a mammogram within the recommended period, compared to 77 percent of those who were well insured all year.

Report: http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Publications/Fund-Reports/2013/Apr/Insuring-the-Future.aspx

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Commonwealth Fund.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/zL82dA6SO7g/130426073856.htm

jamie lee curtis spring equinox

Reese Witherspoon, husband arrested in Atlanta

Atlanta Dept. of Corrections

Mug shots of Reese Witherspoon and James Toth taken after their Atlanta arrest.

By Randee Dawn, TODAY contributor

Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon was arrested and jailed for a short time in Atlanta early Friday morning, according to an incident report originally obtained by Variety.?Her husband, CAA agent James Toth, was also arrested and jailed.

Toth was spotted by an Atlanta police officer while driving in the wrong lane, and now faces one DUI charge, and a second for "failure to maintain lane," according to the report, which was also obtained by TODAY.com. Witherspoon faces a charge of disorderly conduct.?

The pair were pulled over when Toth's failure to maintain his lane was cause for suspicion of driving while intoxicated, and Witherspoon found herself handcuffed after refusing to stay in the car while the officer administered a field sobriety test on her husband.

"Mrs. Witherspoon began to hang out the window (of her car) and say that she did not believe that I was a real police officer," Officer J. Pyland noted in his report. "I told Mrs. Witherspoon to sit on her butt and be quiet."

The back-and-forth between Witherspoon and Officer Pyland escalated until he arrested her and put her in the rear of his vehicle.

The report also quoted Witherspoon as asking, "Do you know my name?" The officer says he answered that he didn't need to know her name "right now," and she told him, "You're about to find out who I am," later adding, "You are going to be on national news."

The couple were released at around 3:30 a.m. on Friday morning. A court appearance is scheduled for 8 a.m. Monday morning in Atlanta Municipal Court, but Variety said their attorney is likely to request a posponement.?

Witherspoon has been in Atlanta recently filming an independent film, "The Good Lie." The pair have been married since 2011 and she gave birth to their son Tennessee James Toth last September.

Related content:

Source: http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2013/04/21/17852106-reese-witherspoon-and-husband-arrested-in-atlanta?lite

ohio state football cyber monday lupus iCarly banana republic gap Victoria Secret

Hagel: Israel, US see 'exactly same' Iran threat

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) ? U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Sunday the United States and Israel see "exactly the same" threat from Iran, but differ on when it may reach the point of requiring U.S. or Israeli military action.

Hagel used his first visit to Israel as Pentagon chief to highlight his view that Israel must decide for itself whether and when to pre-emptively attack its neighbor.

"Israel will make the decision that Israel must make to protect itself, to defend itself," Hagel told reporters before arriving here on Sunday to begin a week-long tour of the Middle East.

Hagel acknowledged that while Israel and the U.S. share a commitment to ensuring that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon, there "may well be some differences" between the two allies on the question of when Iran's leaders might decide to go for a bomb.

He said there is "no daylight at all" between Israel and the U.S. on the central goal of preventing a nuclear-armed Iran.

But he added, "When you back down into the specifics of the timing of when and if Iran decides to pursue a nuclear weapon, there may well be some differences."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tends to see more urgency, reflecting in part the fact that certain Iranian technological advances toward a nuclear weapon could put the program beyond the ability of the Israeli military to destroy it with airstrikes. U.S. forces have greater reach.

In an interview on an overnight flight from Washington, Hagel repeatedly emphasized Israel's right of self-defense and stressed that military force ? by implication, Israeli or American ? remains an option of last resort.

"In dealing with Iran, every option must be on the table," he said.

Hagel, 66, came under intense fire from Republican critics, prior to his February Senate confirmation hearing, for some of his past statements on Israel. His critics painted him as insufficiently supportive of the Jewish state.

In choosing to make Israel one of his first overseas stops, Hagel sought to put that controversy behind him ? with serious words and a touch of humor. The February confirmation hearing, which Republicans used to hammer him on Israel and other subjects, "was years ago," he deadpanned.

During his two-day visit to Israel, Hagel is expected to put the final touches on a U.S. arms deal that would provide Israel with missiles for its fighter aircraft, plus KC-135 refueling planes that could be used in a long-range strike on a country like Iran, as well as V-22 Osprey transport planes. He called the proposed sale a "very clear signal" to Iran.

"The bottom line is, Iran is a threat ? a real threat," he said, not only for its nuclear ambitions and its stated goal of destroying Israel but also for its alleged sponsoring of terrorism.

Hagel said U.S. and international economic sanctions are "hurting Iran significantly," but he said they do not guarantee that Iranian leaders will be persuaded to stop what the West sees as their ambition to become a nuclear power. Iran asserts that its nuclear program is designed entirely for non-military purposes.

Hagel suggested he holds hope that Iran's presidential election in June might change the trajectory of its nuclear drive.

He asserted that there is still time for diplomacy and international sanctions to resolve the Iran problem.

"These other tracks do have some time to continue to try to influence the outcome in Iran," he said.

In the interview en route to Tel Aviv, Hagel was asked whether the Obama administration has determined whether the Syrian government has used chemical weapons against opposition rebels. He said intelligences analysts are still assessing the evidence and have not reached a conclusion.

After his talks in Israel, Hagel is scheduled to visit Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. Each of those four is an important American ally in the Middle East, and each is worried by Syria's civil war.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE are part of a $10 billion proposed US arms sale that includes Israel. The UAE would get about 26 F-16 fighters and it and Saudi Arabia would get advanced air-launched missiles.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is also in the region. He is working to mend the strained relationship between Turkey and Israel and on Sunday he announced the White House is doubling its non-lethal assistance to the Syrian opposition to $250 million.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hagel-israel-us-see-exactly-same-iran-threat-084103356--politics.html

Barack Obama & Joe Biden Am I registered to vote Voter registration Election

Baby Boy on the Way for Eric Christian Olsen

The NCIS: Los Angeles star and wife Sarah Wright are expecting their first child - a boy! - in August, they tell PEOPLE exclusively.

Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/izrZqct9DFg/

m.i.a super bowl coin toss best superbowl commercials

Scientists reverse memory loss in animal brain cells

Apr. 17, 2013 ? Neuroscientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) have taken a major step in their efforts to help people with memory loss tied to brain disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.

Using sea snail nerve cells, the scientists reversed memory loss by determining when the cells were primed for learning. The scientists were able to help the cells compensate for memory loss by retraining them through the use of optimized training schedules. Findings of this proof-of-principle study appear in the April 17 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.

"Although much works remains to be done, we have demonstrated the feasibility of our new strategy to help overcome memory deficits," said John "Jack" Byrne, Ph.D., the study's senior author, as well as director of the W.M. Keck Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory and chairman of the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy at the UTHealth Medical School.

This latest study builds on Byrne's 2012 investigation that pioneered this memory enhancement strategy. The 2012 study showed a significant increase in long-term memory in healthy sea snails called Aplysia californica, an animal that has a simple nervous system, but with cells having properties similar to other more advanced species including humans.

Yili Zhang, Ph.D., the study's co-lead author and a research scientist at the UTHealth Medical School, has developed a sophisticated mathematical model that can predict when the biochemical processes in the snail's brain are primed for learning.

Her model is based on five training sessions scheduled at different time intervals ranging from 5 to 50 minutes. It can generate 10,000 different schedules and identify the schedule most attuned to optimum learning.

"The logical follow-up question was whether you could use the same strategy to overcome a deficit in memory," Byrne said. "Memory is due to a change in the strength of the connections among neurons. In many diseases associated with memory deficits, the change is blocked."

To test whether their strategy would help with memory loss, Rong-Yu Liu, Ph.D., co-lead author and senior research scientist at the UTHealth Medical School, simulated a brain disorder in a cell culture by taking sensory cells from the sea snails and blocking the activity of a gene that produces a memory protein. This resulted in a significant impairment in the strength of the neurons' connections, which is responsible for long-term memory.

To mimic training sessions, cells were administered a chemical at intervals prescribed by the mathematical model. After five training sessions, which like the earlier study were at irregular intervals, the strength of the connections returned to near normal in the impaired cells.

"This methodology may apply to humans if we can identify the same biochemical processes in humans. Our results suggest a new strategy for treatments of cognitive impairment. Mathematical models might help design therapies that optimize the combination of training protocols with traditional drug treatments," Byrne said.

He added, "Combining these two could enhance the effectiveness of the latter while compensating at least in part for any limitations or undesirable side effects of drugs. These two approaches are likely to be more effective together than separately and may have broad generalities in treating individuals with learning and memory deficits."

Other co-authors from the UTHealth Medical School included: Douglas A. Baxter, Ph.D., professor; Paul Smolen, Ph.D., assistant professor; and Len Cleary, Ph.D., professor.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. R.-Y. Liu, Y. Zhang, D. A. Baxter, P. Smolen, L. J. Cleary, J. H. Byrne. Deficit in Long-Term Synaptic Plasticity Is Rescued by a Computationally Predicted Stimulus Protocol. Journal of Neuroscience, 2013; 33 (16): 6944 DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0643-13.2013

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/ehxTz4xzIJQ/130417164451.htm

linda perry Champions League luke bryan WrestleMania 29 Lilly Pulitzer

Dr. Ernest T Soper - Psychology Today

[unable to retrieve full-text content]I have worked in psychiatric hospitals, college counseling center, special education center, community mental health centers, VA hospital, school psychologist, forensic psychology, developmental disabilities, substance abuse treatment, and children's behavior therapy settings. I bring a wealth of ... Psychology Today disclaims all warranties, either express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for particular purpose.

Source: http://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/151748

Robbie Rogers

McCain 'guardedly optimistic' (CNN)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/299345405?client_source=feed&format=rss

usps

City, Cubs push $500 million Wrigley renovation

By DON BABWIN and M. DAVID NICHOLS

Associated Press

Associated Press Sports

updated 11:41 p.m. ET April 14, 2013

CHICAGO (AP) -The historic home of the Chicago Cubs will get a $500 million facelift, including its first electronic outfield video board, as part of a hard-fought agreement announced Sunday night between the City of Chicago and the club.

Wrigley Field also will host an expanded number of night games under the announced pact, as part of Cubs owner Tom Ricketts' plans to renovate the second-oldest ballpark in the major leagues, boost business and make baseball's most infamous losers competitive again.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel hailed what the two sides called a "framework" agreement in a joint statement issued Sunday night, noting that it includes no taxpayer funding. That had been one of the original requests of the Ricketts family in a long-running renovation dispute that at times involved everything from cranky ballpark neighbors to ward politics and even the re-election campaign of President Barack Obama.

"This framework allows the Cubs to restore the Friendly Confines (of Wrigley) and pursue their economic goals, while respecting the rights and quality of life of its neighbors," Emanuel said in a news release sent to The Associated Press.

Still uncertain was how the agreement will sit with owners of buildings across the street from Wrigley who provide rooftop views of the ball games under an agreement with the Cubs that goes back years. This month they threatened to sue if the renovations obstruct their views, which they claimed would drive them out of business.

The statement from Emanuel's office says a "video board" is planned for left field and a second sign would be erected in right field patterned on an existing Toyota sign in left field. The statement does not indicate how large the video screen or second sign would be, saying only that "the Cubs will work with the city on placement of both ... to minimize impact on nearby rooftops to the extent consistent with the team's needs."

The city and ball club said they hoped that the agreement would allow the Cubs to obtain necessary city approvals for the work by the end of the current baseball season.

The Ricketts family, which bought the Cubs in 2009 for $845 million, initially sought tax funding for renovation plans. With that out in the new proposal, the owners will seek to open new revenue streams outside the stadium. Under the proposal, the Ricketts family would be allowed to build a 175-room hotel, a plaza, and an office building with retail space and a health club.

Also included in the proposal are plans for 40 night games, four yearly concerts and easing of restrictions on smaller events. Currently the team plays about 30 night games. The plan also addresses chronic complaints about parking in the densely populated Wrigleyville neighborhood, including the addition of 1,000 "remote" parking spots that will be free and come with shuttle service.

"We are anxious to work with our community as we seek the approvals required to move the project forward," Ricketts said in the statement.

The site of Babe Ruth's "called shot" home run in the 1932 World Series and more heartbreak than Cubs fans would like to remember, the 99-year-old Wrigley is only younger than Boston's Fenway Park. It has long been a treasured showplace for baseball purists - night games were only added in 1988 - but team officials for years have desperately wanted a true upgrade, saying it costs as much as $15 million a year just to keep up with basic repairs.

The ballpark has also played no small part in the lore of the team, as fans were reminded April 10 when someone delivered a goat's head in a box addressed to team chairman Tom Ricketts. Neither the team nor the Chicago Police Department have talked about a possible motive for the strange delivery, but as every fan knows it was in the 1945 World Series when a tavern owner arrived at the park with his pet goat - which had a ticket. According to legend, the owner was told that the goat smelled and was denied entry. The angry tavern owner then put the "Curse of the Billy Goat" on the Cubs and, this is the part the fans know the best, the team has not been back to the World Series ever since.

Getting to an agreement hasn't been easy. After failing to reach an agreement when Mayor Richard Daley was in office, the family kept talking after Emanuel took office in 2011. Emanuel the next year said city officials and the Ricketts family were in the "final stages" of talks on a renovation plan that could include public help.

But even presidential politics presented an obstacle for the plans at one point.

During the 2012 election, the patriarch of the Ricketts family, which created the TD Ameritrade brokerage firm, was considering a $10 million campaign against President Obama that would refer to the racially incendiary sermons delivered by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright at a Chicago church Obama once attended. J. Joseph Ricketts dropped the proposal, but the episode brought a huge dose of unwanted bad press.

The news especially angered Emanuel, Obama's former White House chief of staff. Emanuel, staffers said, was so livid he refused to take phone calls from Tom Ricketts.

In recent weeks, fans also had to deal with the unlikely specter of the Cubs leaving Chicago. With the talks bogged down, the mayor of nearby Rosemont piped up, saying the village located near O'Hare International Airport would be willing to let the Cubs have 25 acres free of charge to build a replica of Wrigley Field.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

advertisement

More news

Round 1 to Atlanta

Justin Upton and Andrelton Simmons homered and the Atlanta Braves won their ninth in row as Paul Maholm beat the Washington Nationals 9-0 Sunday to complete a three-game sweep.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/51540314/ns/sports-baseball/

elvis presley Pretty Little Liars

While auto rule remains 'under review,' death toll grows (CNN)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/298519010?client_source=feed&format=rss

tebow

APNewsBreak: NC father says he tried to save kids

STANLEY, N.C. (AP) ? The North Carolina father who was working in a two-story-deep hole that collapsed said Tuesday that he worked frantically to save his daughter and her cousin from the wall of falling dirt that killed them.

Jordan Arwood, 31, of Stanley was operating a backhoe Sunday night in the pit when the walls caved in on the children. The bodies of the two young cousins, 6-year-old Chloe Jade Arwood and 7-year-old James Levi Caldwell, were dug out Monday morning.

Arwood is the girl's father; his parents, Nancy and Ken Caldwell, had adopted the boy. Arwood lived next to his parents and the pit was on his property.

In his first media interview, Arwood told the Associated Press that he reached out to save the children but they were just outside his reach. He says he dug faster and faster trying to save the children until he couldn't breathe.

"When the wall came down, I kept grabbing what was in front of me ? grabbing enough dirt, grabbing boulders. ... I wasn't going to stop until I pulled them out. But I couldn't save them," he said, sobbing.

He paused for a moment.

"I wish it was me,' he said.

Lincoln County Sheriff's Office Detective Lt. Tim Johnson said investigators were interviewing family members and neighbors about the case. When they finished, they planned to present their findings to the district attorney's office.

Investigators described the pit as 20 feet by 20 feet with a sloped entrance leading down to the 24-foot bottom. The children were at the bottom of the pit retrieving a child-sized pickaxe when the walls fell in on them. No permits had been issued for Arwood to dig on the site.

Johnson said investigators still don't know why Arwood was digging the hole and that people have speculated that the pit was everything from a "doomsday bunker" to an underground structure for "illegal activity," such as growing marijuana.

But Arwood said he was building a rammed earth home, an ancient building method where dirt is used to shape the foundation. Arwood said he had been digging the hole for three months.

Sheriff's deputies on Monday removed firearms and a marijuana plant from Arwood's mobile home. Arwood is a felon who is not allowed to have guns. He was convicted in 2003 for possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell.

Dion Burleson, spokesman for the Denver Fire Department which responded to collapse, said crews filled in the pit on Monday.

Arwood said he didn't expect the walls to collapse. And late Tuesday afternoon, Arwood walked to the site of the pit and pointed to the spot where his daughter and Caldwell were buried under the dirt.

He recalled that his daughter and nephew were inseparable. Caldwell has a twin sister and an older brother. The house was always filled with laughter. Now, he's haunted by the memories. They come in waves.

"How many times did I have to tell him (Caldwell) to brush his teeth? I'll never be able to tell him again, 'Go brush your teeth, brush your hair.' That was the first thing he did in the morning," he said.

Then his thoughts turned to his daughter.

When rescuers removed her from the clay, he looked at her body in the ambulance.

"When she came out of the hole she was so cold. I just wanted for her to be warm. I just wanted to put my arms around her and tell her she would be safe....I promised her I'd keep her safe," he said. "I promised them I'd keep them safe and warm. I broke that promise."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-04-09-Children%20Trapped/id-24910197568f4f318f4d8df59fbf0abe

the secret life of bees full moon aubrey o day masters live johan santana viktor bout

Biden, Holder push for gun safety measures

As part of a new push for substantial gun control legislation, Vice President Joe Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder on Tuesday are scheduled to speak about gun violence during an event with law enforcement at the White House.

The 2 p.m. ET event is the latest effort by President Barack Obama and his team to pressure Congress on gun legislation as lawmakers return to Washington from a two-week recess.

Obama traveled to the University of Hartford in Connecticut Monday where he addressed the Dec. 14 shootings in Newtown, Conn. Twenty children and 6 school personnel were killed in the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, prompting the president to call for new gun restrictions.

In his speech, Obama encouraged those gathered at the university as well as the general public to call on lawmakers to give gun control legislation a vote in Congress and support what the White House calls "common-sense" measures to reduce violence.

"If you?re an American who wants to do something to prevent more families from knowing the immeasurable anguish that these families here have known, then we have to act. Now is the time to get engaged. Now is the time to get involved. Now is the time to push back on fear, and frustration and misinformation. Now is the time for everybody to make their voices heard from every statehouse to the corridors of Congress," Obama said.

Obama flew home from Connecticut Monday evening with family members who lost loved ones in the Newtown shooting. The White House said the guests had been invited to travel on Air Force One so that they could both attend Obama's Hartford appearance and spend Tuesday in Washington lobbying members of Congress to support the legislation.

Obama is pressing for universal background checks, which is very likely to be the cornerstone of legislation to be introduced by Senate Democrats. Many Newtown family members are lending their support to the proposal.

Some Republicans have lately suggested they will filibuster any gun safety measure, a prospect White House press secretary Jay Carney called "appalling."

First lady Michelle Obama is traveling to Chicago Wednesday to speak about gun violence, and Biden will participate in a gun roundtable Thursday on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/joe-biden-eric-holder-hold-white-house-gun-171043470--politics.html

Meteor Shower August 2012 jessie j jessie j David Boudia David Rakoff Bourne Legacy Chad Johnson

Tesla Model S now eligible for non-traditional lease with resale guarantee

Just as Tesla isn't in the business of making average cars, it's just introduced a leasing program for the Model S sedan that's not entirely run-of-the-mill. Unique to the company's 66-month lease program, you'll find the option of selling the Model S after 36 months at a price that's pegged to the residual value of the Mercedes S Class. While that may sound all fine and dandy, be warned, if you couldn't afford a Model S before, there's a good chance it's still be a wee bit out of your grasp. The Tesla Model S 85kWh edition runs $1,199 per month, which then becomes slightly more palatable once tax credits are factored in. On the average, individuals can expect to pay between $732 to $940 per month for the privilege of leasing a Model S. Meanwhile, business users stand to benefit even more, who can use tax credits to bring the overall cost down to $505 per month. Feel free to hit up the source links if you now think Motor Trend's 2013 Car of the Year is an expense you can stomach, but for the rest of us, we'll just keep dreaming.

Filed under: Transportation

Comments

Source: Tesla (1), (2)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/02/tesla-model-s-now-eligible-for-lease/

Lizzie Velasquez NFL Network

How to price your apps, sell them, and earn a living

Former developer tools evangelist at Apple, Michael Jurewitz has been going flat out on the writing circuit this past week, topped off by a an insane final lap consisting of a 5-part series on understanding App Store pricing.

Pricing your app is probably one of the most difficult things you will ever do. It often feels like a shot in the dark at best and a wild-guessing game at worst. It's important to remember that there are a few things you can do ahead of time, and some very interesting things you can do later, to understand how successfully you may have priced your application.

Here's the breakdown, and the links to each part:

Part 1 looks at the phenomena of falling prices, or "racing to the bottom", and graphs the differences between top and median selling and grossing apps.

Part2 looks at the difference between top selling and top grossing apps, and which types of apps actually make money.

Part 3 looks at elasticities, demand curves, revenue maximizations, and the realizations that App Store business really is a business.

Part 4 looks at how all of the above should be factored into determining what price can be charged for any given app.

Part 5 is where Jury puts his own apps where his mouth is, showing how all this thinking was applied to Black Pixel's Kaleidoscope 2, and what the results have been to date.

Read 'em all, and thanks to Jury for sharing his insights, and driving all this across the line. Very nearly at Mach 1.

Source: Jury

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/TGTbR8R3YkI/story01.htm

Perez Hilton Michelle Obama Oscars Wissam Al Mana seth macfarlane oscar winners anne hathaway