LeBron James passes Shaq in scoring but Cavs" slide continues in 99-93 loss to Bulls

Chicago Bulls vs Cleveland Cavs - 1st Half Highlights | March 30, 2017 | 2016-17 NBA Season

CHICAGO -- The Cavs" slide continues, and the best anyone can say about them right now is March is almost over.

Cleveland fell to the Chicago Bulls 99-93 on Thursday night in a game in which LeBron James passed Shaquille O"Neal (28,596 points) for seventh place on the NBA"s all-time scoring list.

Now is not a time for the Cavs to celebrate personal accolades. James said the milestone "means absolutely nothing right now." It"s time to put out a dumpster fire that consumed them this month.

With the loss, Cleveland fell to 6-10 in March with a game to be played Friday at home. The Cavs have lost three in a row and five of seven. As an aside, they lost all four games this season to the Bulls, who pulled to within a game of eighth place in the East.

The possibility exists for a Cavs-Bulls first-round matchup come playoff time. But at the moment, Cleveland is again a 1/2 game behind Boston for first.

And the losses continue to mount. At least a stretch of six out of seven on the road has come to a merciful end.

"For a team to beat us four games out seven, it will be tough," cavs coach tyronn lue said before the game, when asked how confident he would be if the playoffs started today. His reply was "very confident."

"We"ve been going through some ups and downs as of late, but still confident we"re the best team right now and we just gotta start playing like that," Lue said.

Any time now would be great, fellas.

James scored 26 points to go with 10 rebounds and eight assists. A free throw with 4:28 left in the fourth quarter pushed him ahead of Shaq, his former teammate on the Cavs.

But James was fouled at the 3-point line, so he had two more free throws. And missed them both. He entered play shooting .679 from the line and was 3-of-7 Thursday. This is the worst season of his career from the charity stripe.

Kyrie Irving added 20 points and shot 7-of-20. J.R. Smith was better than he"s been, scoring 12 points on four 3s. Tristan Thompson was strong with 15 points and nine boards.

Kevin Love had a rough night. He finished with eight points and 10 boards on 3-of-10 shooting, and fouled out. He picked up his fifth foul with 11:47 left in fourth quarter, and about eight seconds after he returned to the game he fouled out with 6:08 remaining on a reach into Jimmy Butler. The Cavs looked at Love with stunned expressions.

Nikola Mirotic tied a season high with 28 points for the Bulls. Butler added 25. Rajon Rondo finished with seven points, nine boards and 15 assists.

Chicago shot just 42.2 percent from the field -- an improvement for the Cavs" defense -- but were 12-of-25 from 3-point range.

The Cavs were without Richard Jefferson, who"s battling left knee tendonitis, and Kyle Korver is still out with his sore left foot.

James finished the first half with a 19-footer at the buzzer. He scored 19 in the first two quarters and the Cavs went to the locker room with a 50-41 advantage.

The Bulls turned that around with 37-point third quarter. All of Cleveland"s problems returned, from poor defense (the Bulls shot 15-of-25 overall and 5-of-8 from the perimeter) to turnovers (six for 11 Bulls points).

As for passing O"Neal, who played with James in 2009-10 in Cleveland, James said: "Shaq is an all-time great, and the most dominant player to ever play this game. He re-defined what the big man was all about. He"s like a big brother of mine.

"But I could care less about me passing him. Means absolutely nothing."

NEXT: The Cavs start a three-game homestand Friday night against the Philadelphia 76ers at 7:30.

Source: http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2017/03/lebron_james_shaquille_oneal_c.html

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Top Venezuela official breaks with government, protests escalate

Henrique Capriles contra el Golpe de Estado de Maduro en Venezuela. 30 - 03 - 2017.

CARACAS Venezuela"s powerful attorney general on Friday rebuked the judiciarys takeover of congress, breaking ranks with President Nicolas Maduro"s socialist government as protests and international condemnation grew.

"It constitutes a rupture of the constitutional order. It"s my obligation to express my great concern to the country," said Luisa Ortega, usually considered a key ally of the Socialists who have ruled Venezuela for the last 18 years.

While various prominent political figures have leveled criticism after leaving the government, it is extremely rare for a senior official to make such criticism. It may be interpreted by opponents that Maduro"s internal support is cracking.

From early morning, several dozen students marched in Caracas to the Supreme Court, which this week assumed the functions of the opposition-led National Assembly.

They were pushed back by soldiers with riot shields.

Small pockets of protesters also briefly blocked highways around Caracas, waving the Venezuelan flag and banners reading: "No To Dictatorship." Police moved them on.

"We have to demand our rights, in the streets, without fear," said opposition lawmaker Miguel Pizarro, who led a knot of demonstrators into a subway train.

Having already shot down most of the National Assembly"s measures since the opposition won control in 2015, the pro-Maduro court this week said it was assuming the legislature"s functions because it was in "contempt" of the law.

Outraged foes said that was a "coup" against an elected body.

Maduro, 54, a former bus driver and self-declared "son" of late leftist predecessor Hugo Chavez, was narrowly elected in 2013 amid widespread support for the ruling Socialist Party"s oil-fueled welfare programs.

But his ratings have plummeted to just over 20 percent as Venezuelans struggle with a fourth year of recession, scarcities of food and medicines and the highest inflation in the world.

Critics blame a failing socialist system, whereas the government says its enemies are waging an "economic war". The fall in oil prices since mid-2014 has exacerbated the crisis.

INTERNATIONAL ANXIETY

The Supreme Court"s move also brought condemnations and concern from the United States, Organization of American States (OAS), European Union, major Latin American nations and the top U.N. human rights official.

Ally Russia, however, bucked the trend in a statement on Friday urging the world to leave Venezuela alone.

"External forces should not add fuel to the fire to the conflict inside Venezuela," it said. "We are confident in the principle of non-interference in internal affairs."

Maduro accuses Washington of leading a push to topple him as part of a wider offensive against leftists in Latin America. Brazil, Argentina and Peru have all moved to the right recently.

However, new U.S. President Donald Trump seems to have other priorities or has not yet fully formed policy on Venezuela.

OAS head Luis Almagro, whom the Venezuelan government views as a p**n of Washington, has been pushing for its suspension from the 34-nation regional bloc and wants an emergency meeting after the latest developments.

But suspension appears unlikely, diplomats say, given venezuela"s support from other leftist governments and small nations who have benefited from its oil largesse.

"It"s false there has been a coup d"etat in Venezuela," Venezuela"s foreign ministry said, alleging a regional right-wing conspiracy.

"On the contrary, institutions have adopted legal correctives to stop the deviant and coup-seeking actions of opposition parliamentarians openly in contempt of decisions by the republic"s maximum tribunal."

Venezuela"s opposition Democratic Unity coalition, made up of about two dozen parties and groups, declared itself in "permanent session" and promised rolling street protests.

But the coalition is hobbled by disunity: leaders called at least four separate overlapping news conferences on Friday.

Opposition supporters are also acutely aware, however, that street tactics have failed on numerous occasions.

Vast rallies in 2002 helped briefly topple Chavez, but he was back about 36 hours later after his supporters poured onto the street and military factions came to his aid.

In 2014, hardline opposition activists led months of protests, but they turned violent and led to 43 deaths, their leader Leopoldo Lopez was jailed, and Maduro consolidated power.

Then last year, hundreds of thousands marched, but still authorities thwarted the opposition"s push for a referendum to recall Maduro and also postponed local elections.

The opposition is hoping the military - whose top ranks still pledge absolute loyalty to Maduro though there is believed to be dissent lower down - may nudge him into bringing forward a presidential election slated for the end of 2018.

But there is no public sign of that happening.

"Given that the government controls all the state"s institutions, including the armed forces, the security apparatus is likely to strongly repress protesters with opposition leaders facing higher detention risks," said Diego Moya-Ocampos, a Venezuelan analyst with the IHS Markit consultancy.

The Supreme Court"s contempt charge stems from vote-buying accusations against three lawmakers from southern Amazonas state. Even though they no longer sit in Congress, the court said parliamentary leaders had not handled their case legally.

(Additional reporting by Diego Ore, Girish Gupta, Eyanir Chinea, Corina Pons, Andreina Aponte in Caracas; Kevin O"Flynn in Moscow; Editing by W Simon)

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-idUSKBN1721P8

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Friday is C�sar Ch�vez Day, but who was C�sar Ch�vez?

Take Action: Urge a Cesar Chavez National Day of Service

Cesar Chavez speaks at a United Farm Workers convention in 1992. Courtesy Jocelyn Sherman

The Spanish phraseS, se puedeYes, it can be donewas used as a rallying chant long before it was echoed in the streets of todays protests on civil, worker and immigrant rights.

It was coined by a man named Csar Chvezduring a 1972 fast in which the Latino American farm worker rights advocate protested a signed Arizona bill that deniedfarm workers the right to strike and boycott during harvest seasons.

Chvez legacy as aleader among farm workers unions is honored Friday on what would have been his 90th birthday.

despite high odds against him, Chvez succeeded in creating the first farm worker union in the U.S., a group that is still active today as the United Farm Workers.

According to Richard Jensen and John Hammerback, authors ofThe Words of Csar Chvez, the forthcoming leader quit his job with the Community Services Organization, a group dedicated to grassroots organizing, in 1962 and moved to Delano, California, to start a union among farm workers.

There he faced a challenge that pitted two groups of people against one another: The uneducated, poor, ethnic minority crop pickers versus the wealthy, powerful growers whose dominance held influence at the state political level.

It was clear from the beginning that Chvez was a unique leader, the authors wrote.

Born in Yuma, Arizona, on March 31, 1927, Chvez was the Roman Catholic son of an auto-repair shop and poolroom owner.He spent hischildhood as a migrant, changing schools often as he moved across California with his family. He joined the Navy in 1944 and was discharged in 1946.

Described as quiet, warm, intelligent, charismatic and exceedingly pleasant in The Words of Csar Chvez, Chvez delivered countless speeches throughout his career. In addition to organizing farm workers unions, he coordinated voter registration drives, helped people obtain citizenship papers and pensions and worked to end police violence in barrios.

My goal has always been very simple, he said of his public speaking; Dont preach to people, try to involve people and get serious.

InThe Rhetorical Career of Csar Chvez,Jensen and Hammerback wrote that Chvez redefined often-fearful farm workers so that they could act out their courage, dignity, idealism, dedication, and willingness to work hard and sacrifice for their cause without expectation of appreciation or material gain. In turn, these reconstituted farm workers would themselves become rhetors who embodied their message as they educated, persuaded, and at times reconstituted audiences.

Chvez died in 1993 in the small worker town of San Luis, Arizona, according to the Cesar Foundation.

In Austin, the street formerly known as First Street, which runs from MoPac to U.S. 183, was renamed in 1993 to honor the union organizer and Hispanic rights activist who died that year.

Girard Kinney, an architect who helped create the Great Streets Master Plan in downtown Austin, remembers the resistance that came with the name change.Kinney said he was a strong supporter of bringing Csar Chvez Street to Austin.

Theres always been a valid opposition to renaming numbered streets, he said. If you say First and Congress, everyone knows intuitively what youre talking about.

Austin isnt the only place to designate the activists name on a streetsign. In Texas alone, roadways in San Antonio, Lubbock, San Juan, Houston, El Paso, Dallas and Edinburg have been renamed after Csar Chvez. Nationwide, streets in various California and Arizona cities and in St. Paul, Portland, Milwaukee, Salt Lake City, Kansas City and Boise bear his name.

The University of Texas installed a statue of Cesar Chavez on its Austin Campus in 2007.

The University of Texas also honored the activist with a statuelocated atWest Mall on a site between Battle Hall and the West Mall Office Buildingin 2007.

In 2014, former U.S. President Barack Obama proclaimed March 31 as Csar Chvez Day.

The values Csar Chvez lived by guide us still, Obama wrote in the proclamation.As we push to fix a broken immigration system, protect the right to unionize, advance social justice for young men of color, and build ladders of opportunity for every American to climb, we recall his resilience through setbacks, his refusal to scale back his dreams.

According to the Texas Comptrollers Office, Csar Chvez Day is an optional holiday in the state, meaning a state employee is allowed to observe the day.

On April 1 and 2 across various rural communities in the U.S., Chvez S,se puede chant may be heard again, as farm workers are planningmarches in his honor.

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGM8pYedzIAIfYfkk4ULHf5UlwGKQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52779443057772&ei=14jeWOCwD5GX3AGu84SQAQ&url=https://communityimpact.com/austin/central-austin/history/2017/03/29/friday-cesar-chavez-day-cesar-chavez/

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Film Review: "The Boss Baby"

The Boss Baby - Movie Review

Its a routine feeling to want a movie to be smarter. Every so often,though, you may want a movie to be a little dumber to be true to what it actually is. The Boss Baby, the jokey new 3D animated lark from DreamWorks Animation (its being distributed by 20th Century Fox), is a visually brisk, occasionally clever low-concept comedy thats also trying, half-heartedly, to be some sort of Pixarish masterpiece. You may wind up wishing that it had been one or the other.

The title character is an insanely precocious, arrogant, walking-and-talking infant who dresses in a black business suit, carries a briefcase, has big marble eyes that narrow down to devious slits, and snaps out observations and demands in the mellifluous cutthroat voice of Alec Baldwin, who has a peerless gift for making bombs-away statements that dont raise his pulse by a beat. The character, who is never called anything but Boss Baby, is a kick to look at, with a blockish head thats nearly as tall as his body, and he gets to bark out a lot of lines like Wheres HR when you need em? or (upon being told that he hates someone) Hate is a strong word. Its the right word, but still

The Boss Baby was loosely inspired by Marla Frazees 2010 childrens book, and if the movie had simply had been a feature-length Look Whos Talking riff about a tyrannical baby whos running the household like a corporate titan (a perfect metaphor, of course, for how the parents of a newborn feel he really is the boss), it might have been a perfect throwaway hoot. Back in 1989 and 90, the critics were never too kind to the Look Whos Talking films they were held in contempt but this critic, for one, found them more funny than not, and there is of course one fantastic talking baby in popular culture: the snobbish, irascible, hilariously merciless Stewie on Family Guy the purest expression of Seth MacFarlanes id on that show. As a character, Boss Baby is like an executive knockoff of Stewie, and though his lines arent as witty or adult scandalous, as long as youre chuckling at his autocratic bravura, the movieis amusing enough.

But heres whats a little weird and overly complicated about it. In Frazees book, Boss Baby simplyis. (The same way that Stewie is.) In The Boss Baby, he arrives from Baby Corp., a baby-making corporation in the sky thats like an assembly-line version of Heaven as the little brother of Tim (voiced by Miles Christopher Bakshi, and as the films grown-up, looking-back narrator by Tobey Maguire). Tim is a seven-year-old boy who thought that life was perfect when it was just him and his parents (voiced with generic sweetness by Jimmy Kimmel and Lisa Kudrow), crooning him to sleep with family renditions of Blackbird. But Tim, who indulges his penchant for make-believe by turning everything that happens to him into a story, is threatened by the new baby, because hes suddenly not getting the attention he craves. To him, the infant is the enemy. So the whole tale were watching of how Boss Baby comes in and takes over isnt actually happening. Its Tims elaborate fantasy of whats happening. Got it?

The conceit makes perfect sense, and doesnt sound all that complicated, but it still makes your head hurt, because the director, Tom McGrath (of the Madagascar films), working from a script by Michael McCullers, tries to use the its-all-in-Tims-mind premise to turn The Boss Baby into a variation on Inside Out: not just a daffy comic trifle about an authoritarian tot, but a timeless tale of the imagination, and of how kids use it to ease their heartache. The trouble is, instead of taking us deeper into a childs reality the way Inside Out did, The Boss Baby is at once overly busy and oddly detached from a childs reality. The conceit stays locked on that one literal level (though occasionally we see what Tims parents see just two kids playing), and so basically were watching an elaborately kooky junior buddy movie that pretends to be about experience but is really about throwing an overly arduous chase comedy in the audiences face.

Commercially, theres no reason that this shouldnt work out just fine. The Boss Baby is blithe, fast-moving, and dazzlingly animated, with the kind of supple, light-reflecting surfaces that may remind you of the lustrous visual textures that Brad Bird brought off in Ratatouille. There are irresistible bits, like the opening Baby Corp. delivery sequence, or Boss Babys James Brown funk waddle out of his taxi, or a baby action sequence set to the theme from S.W.A.T., or the moment leading up to the climactic sequence in Las Vegas that features a bunch of Elvis impersonators whose Fat Elvis patter is so slurry-cool it practically leaves words behind.

yet theres a reason the Boss Baby still feels standard issue and a wee bit tiresome. It has one of those relentless mechanical plot lines thats all booby-trapped logistics in this case, about how Boss Baby is on a mission from Baby Corp. to stave off an epidemic of puppy love. It seems the growing obsession with cute new dog breeds is draining away the love for babies, and at the Vegas Convention Center, its up to Boss Baby to gather intel on a new pooch about to be launched: a creature called the Forever Puppy whose endless adorability represents the ultimate threat. This is the definition of a clanking cartoon narrative that doesnt matter because it doesnt signify anything, emotional or otherwise. Whereas the plot of a movie like Inside Out or, on a less heady but still artfully affecting level, Finding Dory or Trolls has an organic undertow.

Will kids go for The Boss Baby? Theyll crack up at parts of it, like a grooming montage that features a bare-b**t baby-powder fart, and theyll enjoy the image of Boss Baby, with his ridiculous glowering command. So will adults. But hes a character who deserves a better movie, one thats more fun and less pleased with itself.

Source: http://variety.com/2017/film/reviews/the-boss-baby-review-alec-baldwin-1202004561/

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BDB: Slow clap for SpaceX; a woman goes berserk in 7-Eleven and what to do if you find a painted rock

Трансляция повторного пуска и посадки SpaceX Falcon 9 (SES-10)

SpaceX"s big accomplishment explained with... a Keurig. Jessica Saggio, FLORIDA TODAY

SpaceX made history last night by reusing a rocket booster. THIS IS A BIG DEAL, PEOPLE.(Photo: The awesome Craig Bailey and Jessica"s crappy paint skillz)

They did it! THEY REALLY DID IT!

Before we begin, can we all just take a minute to give SpaceX a slow clap?

SpaceX did it. The company reused a rocket booster to launch its Falcon 9 back into space with a communications satellite last night. I"ve been hyping this up all week.Why? Because SpaceX just changed the space industry, and for the better at that. By reusing a rocket booster, SpaceX proved to the world it can revolutionize space travel by significantly reducing the cost of launching stuff into the big, black beyond.

Here"s how I explain it:Imagine rockets are Keurig coffee machines, and the booster (or stage) is a K-cup. A Keurig isn"t much good without a K-cup (i.e. you need a booster to launch a rocket), but after you"re done with a k-cup, you just toss it out.

well, spacex basically just created a reusable K-cup. So imagine only havingto buy one K-cup that"s good for several cups of coffee. That"s pretty much what SpaceX achieved, but on a much grander scale.

This means more companies will likely have access to space because they"ll be able to afford it. In turn, thismeans better products, better connectivity and better intelligence for all of us.

Some not-so-lucky pennies

A woman who tried to pay for items with pennies became enraged when a clerk refused to accept them. Wochit

I was always under the assumption that money is money, right? That if you want to pay with 1,000 pennies, you are a tool, but its legal tender, so youre in the clear.

Yeah, apparently thats not the case. Businesses selling regular ol goods and services can reject your money if they see fit. This was the case at a 7-Eleven on Babcock Street in Melbourne and the rejection didnt sit so well with the woman who was trying to pay with a jar of pennies.

The woman picked up a few items at the gas station, but when she went to pay for them, she presented what police describe as an old, dirty jar of pennies.

According to reports, the store clerk wouldnt accept the payment, saying it was just too many pennies, not to mention the pennies were gross and gunked together. This is when the woman went bonkers, pushing and throwing items off the counter and threatening to kill the clerk. She then left the store and came back with two firearms.

Well, that escalated quickly.

Good news, she didnt fire those firearms. But she did leave in a white, four-door sedan and is on the loose. If caught, she could face aggravated assault and battery charges. So if you see a woman trying to pay with an old, gunked-up jar of pennies with a Sideshow Bob haircut, alert the authorities.

Keep an eye out for painted rocks

A pay-it-forward movement is underway in Brevard. People are decorating rocks for others to find. The goal? to brighten someone"s day Wochit

There is a really cool movement happening in Brevard right now. People are leaving painted rocks outside stores, restaurants, in parks and other public places for people to randomly find. The goal is to brighten someones day and, hopefully, they will pay it forward. Some of the rocks have inspirational sayings, others just have pretty pictures. Basically, its a big game of hide and seek happening. It all started with a Facebook group called Brevard Rocks. Anyone can join the group, and this is where people show off their latest creations and rocks they have found. If you find a rock, youll likely see Brevard Rocks painted on the back, telling you to visit the group. The unwritten rules are that if you find a rock, you either keep it and replace it somewhere with a new painted rock, or you move that rock to a new location once youre ready to part ways. Participants are encouraged to share their finds on Facebook so the movement grows.

So if you see a painted rock somewhere, thats why. Be cool. Keep it going.

This could be you:

A winning Fantasy 5 ticket was sold in Merritt Island and the winner has not come forward yet. So pull out that ticket and double check because it could be worth $53,485.61. The winning numberswere 3-10-19-20-25, and the drawing was Wednesday night. As for me, I"ll just be over here counting my dirty jar of gunked-up pennies.

McDonald"s big announcement

McDonald"s made the announcement to use 100 percent pure fresh beef in its Quarter Pounders. But social media users are not keeping it 100, having "beef" with McDonald"s latest decision. USA TODAY

McDonalds just announced that they will be using fresh beef in its hamburgerswell, some of them. Quarter Pounders, the Quarter Pounder with Cheese Deluxe and Signature Crafted Recipe burgers will now be made with fresh beef. Big Macs and other burgers will remain not fresh? With word of this news, McDonalds stockjumped 57 cents per share. Investors are apparently very excited about this. In other words:

McDonalds wont make the switch until next year in most of its U.S.-based restaurants. The company says the change is in response to customer demand and will likely encompass other sandwiches in the future. Company officials say the change has nothing to do with upping its game against such competitors as Shake Shack or Wendys. Rigggggght.

OK, so this is all well and great, but whats better is the legendary Wendys Twitter account didnt miss a beat. Talk about 50 shades of shade. The thread is full-on savage. Actually, I think Wendys is perhaps getting more attention for McDonalds announcement than McDonalds is on social media.

About BDB:

A quick snapshot that explains our Boiled Down Brevard column. By Jessica Saggio. Posted Aug. 9, 2016

Boiled Down Brevard is an irreverent daily news column that discusses Brevard"s biggest headlines and has a little fun along the way. Go ahead, hop on this crazy train because things get pretty weird around these parts. To get BDB daily, download the Florida Today app and allow notifications. We"ll send you an alert every morning to get your day started with a smile.

Read or Share this story: http://on.flatoday.com/2nGTa5P

Source: http://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2017/03/31/bdb-slow-clap-spacex-woman-goes-berserk-7-eleven-and-what-do-if-you-find-painted-rock/99829640/

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Mike Pence doesn"t eat alone with women. That speaks volumes

Vice President Mike Pence Keynote Speech at AIPAC 2017

I have to hand it to conservatives: its 2017, and somehow they have Americans debating whether its appropriate to dine alone with a woman.

You see, this week a Washington Post article about Karen Pence revealed that the vice-president will not eat a meal with a woman other than his wife. Those on the right are commending Pences marital devotion and moral fortitude, claiming that such a rule is a smart defense against sexual temptation.

One conservative blogger questioned where there was ever a good reason for a married person to eat out alone with a member of the opposite s*x; the former CEO of the blog RedState chimed in to answer: Planning your spouses surprise party or funeral and that is it.

Why overwhelming sexual desire is only a danger over a plate of pasta, Im not sure, but perhaps this explains the noticeable lack of women in White House photos theyre all out to lunch!

While Republicans swoon over Pences supposed old-school propriety, the rest of us were simply reminded that you dont need to brag about grabbing p*****s to be a misogynist.

Never mind what it means for the (very few) women who work in the White House, who apparently cant count on business dinners or mentorship over a meal. The underlying message of a rule like Pences is the same one thats taught to teens in abstinence-only education classes: men cant control themselves when alone with women.

Its an insulting view of men, a limiting role for women were there to either entice or domesticate and an archaic take on gender roles more generally.

As the Black List founder Franklin Leonard noted, if Keith Ellison who is Muslim refused to dine one on one with women and used his religion to justify it, the political right would lose their minds.

While we were all fighting about Pences dinner plans, though, Republicans were hard at work attacking women and their rights while putting on a show of caring about gender justice.

The same week the first lady gave a speech at the state departments International Women of Courage Awards, insisting: We must continue to fight injustice in all its forms, in whatever scale or shape it takes in our lives, the White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, chastised the veteran reporter April Ryan for shaking her head at him. (Just last month, Trump asked Ryan if the those in the Congressional Black Caucus were friends of hers.)

While the president was asking a room full of women if they had ever heard of Susan B Anthony, the conservative Fox News host Bill OReilly was under fire for making a racist and sexist comment about the California congresswoman Maxine Waters hair and an Iowa legislator said that if a pregnant woman found out her fetus has died, she should carry the pregnancy to term anyway.

And while Pence trended on Twitter for his old-school sexism, what went largely unremarked on was that the vice-president cast the tie-breaking vote to push forward legislation that allows states to discriminate against Planned Parenthood and other healthcare providers that provide abortion when giving out federal title x funds.

pence is a misogynist. We know it from his voting record, we know it from the things that hes said about womens rights and now we know it because of his odd personal rule not to dine with women alone. But lets not let one mans sexism distract us from his whole partys sexist agenda.

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNFSpKz9lZnNbU0uR-HakJgP2V6UZQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52779445118377&ei=H27eWLDJDNfC3gH68KKwCg&url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/mar/31/mike-pence-doesnt-eat-alone-women-speaks-volumes

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April The Giraffe Temporarily Goes Offline

Animal Park April the Giraffe Cam Live stream

DENVER (CBS4) Our April the giraffe live feed temporarily went offline Tuesday due to some technical difficulties.

It appears too much April wore out our system, which had required a software update for a couple of weeks.

Wed been unable to perform the update due to 24/7 streaming, but our IT wizards were able to get the new software installedso we could resume our live stream.

the outage lasted less than an hour in total.

RELATED: April The Giraffe Is Showing Good Signs

Source: http://denver.cbslocal.com/2017/03/28/april-the-giraffe-temporarily-goes-offline/

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Pence and Prudence

.@Liz_Wheeler: Listen up, feminists. Mike Pence is faithful to his wife...

Ive heard numerous versions of this story, but Ill go with the one reportedly told by Dr. Abraham Twerski, a renowned psychiatrist and Orthodox rabbi. (Ive trimmed and paraphrased it a bit.)

The bearded Twerski goes to the airport in his Hasidic garb the hat, the long coat, the buttoned white shirt. Another Jew, this one modernly dressed, is annoyed by Twerski and unloads on him: Whats wrong with you? Must you insist on parading around in that medieval get-up as if it were Purim? Dont you realize how ridiculous you look? You bring nothing but scorn and embarrassment upon us Jews!

After letting the angry man continue for a while, Twerski says, I fail to understand what thee art saying. You do realize that Im Amish, dont you?

The modern Jews anger quickly turns to embarrassment. Oh, I beg your pardon, he says apologetically. I didnt realize that you were Amish. You look so much like those Hasidic fellows. You should know that I have nothing but respect for you and your people keeping to your ways without bowing to societys wills and whims.

The kicker comes when Twerski says, Aha! If I were Amish, you would have nothing but respect for me. But since I am a Jew, you are ashamed of me. Hopefully one day you will have the same respect for yourself that you have for others.

But thats not the moral of the story I have in mind.

The Washington Post ran a profile of Vice President mike pences wife, karen, and lots of people are outraged or repulsed that two Evangelical Christians do things that are fairly normal for Evangelical Christians to do. Specifically, Mike Pence apparently doesnt dine alone with women or attend events where alcohol is served if his wife doesnt accompany him. Perhaps this practice started when he was in Congress, a place where many a politician has ruined his marriage and career by not following such rules.

In response, theres been a lot of cheap mockery from prominent liberal writers and activists. Its an affront to working women! Hes a Christian weirdo! He thinks a meal with any woman will lead to s*x!

A lot of conservatives have leapt to the Pences defense and rightly so. Mollie Hemingway of the Federalist concentrated on how these rules help prevent infidelity: Good on Mike Pence for acknowledging these truths and knowing his limits.

I agree. But its worth pointing out that infidelity neednt be the issue. I doubt Pence would be a lothario save for those rules. Perhaps he followed them simply to reassure his wife?

Or maybe this is none of our business? That would certainly be the attitude of many liberals if Pence were a Democrat and had actually cheated on his wife.

Last summer, when Bill Clinton spoke about his wife at the Democratic convention (In the spring of 1971, I met a girl...), liberals gushed at the love story, and the rule of the day was that marriage is complicated and the Clintons ability to stay married (though practically separated) was admirable. Besides, Who are we to judge? no doubt Bill Clintons favorite maxim.

Its a very strange place weve found ourselves in when elites say we have no right to judge adultery, but we have every right to judge couples who take steps to avoid it.

But ultimately, I dont think the important double standard is about marriage or adultery. Its about traditional Christians.

If the Pences were Muslims and followed similar rules, as devout Muslims indeed might, I doubt thered be anything like this kind of liberal scorn.

Of course, thats unknowable. But liberals spend a lot of time and energy defending accommodations for religious Muslims burqas, veils, gender segregation, etc. that they would never make for committed Christians.

Part of it is coalitional. For instance, the feminist march on Washington the one with all those women wearing female-genitalia hats was co-chaired by Linda Sarsour, a committed Muslim who at times defends sharia law (including the Saudi ban on female drivers, for instance).

But part of it strikes me as a crude form of partisan bigotry born of a kind of self-loathing of Americas traditional culture. Orthodox Muslim views on women are exotically other and somehow courageous, like the imagined Amish traveler. Orthodox Christians are embarrassing, like the Hasidic one.

Jonah Goldberg is a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a senior editor of National Review. You can write to him by e-mail at [emailprotected] or via Twitter @JonahNRO. Copyright 2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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Source: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/446305/mike-pence-wife-marriage-practices

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Updates: SpaceX launches, lands "flight proven" Falcon 9 in historic first

Echostar XXIII Hosted Webcast

In a historic first for the company and the industry, SpaceX launched and landed a "flight proven," or refurbished, Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, March 30, 2017.(Photo: craig bailey/florida today)buy photo

spacex launched and landed its "flight proven" Falcon 9 rocket on Thursday in a historic first for rocket reusability.

See updates from the event below:

Read or Share this story: http://on.flatoday.com/2oE8QEn

Source: http://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2017/03/30/watch-live-historic-spacex-falcon9-rocket-launch-landing-kennedy-space-center-ses10-florida/99829196/

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Is Sarah Hyland Pregnant in 2017? Here"s Why Fans Think So!

Don"t Wanna Know - Maroon 5 (Boyce Avenue ft. Sarah Hyland cover) on Spotify & iTunes

Bun in the oven?!

Sarah Hylands changing appearance has gotten the attention of fans lately. Most recently though, people have been speculating that the Modern Family actress might be pregnant!

On Thursday, March 16, a Twitter troll took to the social media site to suggest that the 26-year-old is knocked up.

MUST SEE: Beyonc Subtly Hinted to the s*x of Her Twins See the Post!

Based off your facial structure in recent episodes of Modern Family I think you are pregnant, the fan wrote in his tweet.

Though the accusation was bold, sarah didnt seem to take it to heart when responding. I should probably check on that, she clapped back with a shocked face emoji.

Many fans sprung to her defense. Nothing like a random person telling you that you"re pregnant when it"s your body and you"d know, one follower wrote. You are beautiful. Dont even give that guy a second thought, another one added.

MORE: Is Gwen Stefani Pregnant? See the Pic in Question!

Were sure Sarahs nonchalant response to the haters is like a reflex for the brunette beauty, as fans and critics have been speculating for years about the possible plastic surgery procedures shes undergone. Since she landed the role of Haley Dunphy on the hit show Modern Family back in 2009, the young starlet has been accused of getting everything from breast implants to a nose job.

The sitcom star, who"s been acting since 1999, has spoken openly about her struggle with self-esteem.

"Every woman has issues with her body... its just how women are," she told Cosmopolitan. "Its one of those things where you have to love yourself for who you are; as long as youre healthy, thats all that matters. Girls deal with pressure differently. Some days Im depressed, and other days Im completely fine. The only advice I have for young women is to cherish the body you have now; when I was 18, I dont think I did."

Sarah Hyland Beautifully Covers The Chainsmokers Closer Hear Her Amazing Singing Voice!

Ariel Winter Exposes Her Lace Bra in Sheer Getup While Smoking a Cigar on Instagram

Did Sarah Hyland Get Plastic Surgery? See the Before and After Pics!

Source: http://www.lifeandstylemag.com/posts/sarah-hyland-pregnant-2017-128945

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Is It Too Late for Sears to Save Itself?

First Look At New "Pennywise" From "It" Movie
Executive Summary

Sears Holdings recentlyindicated that substantial doubt exists about its ability to continue operations. Years of selling off valuable sub-brands like Crafstman and Lands End, as well asits best real-estate locations, have left the company struggling. So what should Sears do now? Its number-one priority should be to protect and restore its brand. Sears still owns a number of valuable sub-brands, such as Diehard batteries and Kenmore appliances. By looking at successful turnarounds(Ford, Marvel) and unsuccessful ones (Radio Shack), Sears might just be able to leverage those sub-brands to stage a comeback.

Sears Holdings has indicated that substantial doubt exists about its ability to continue operations. While the announcement, made in the companys recent annual report, seems to beawhite flag of surrender, it could just be a yellow warning light. Analysts say that Sears may still have time to stage a turnaround. The company says it is taking action to ensure its future viability. So what should Sears do now? Its number one priority should be to protect and restore its brand.

Some of the companys moves in recent years have generated cash and kept the business afloat at the long-term expense of its brand.Strong brands like Lands End gave customers a reason to shop at Sears and cast a positive halo on the Sears brand. Selling off those brands may have had short-term benefits, but it eroded the brand in the long term. The company also sold off many of its best store locations, which means brand perceptions are now being shaped only by the customer experiences in older, shabbier, and poorly located stores.

Sears needs to reverse this trend. Its brand still has clout; its name is as steeped in American culture as Coke and Levis. Once a lifeline for customers in rural areas with few shopping options, Sears has played an important role in many peoples lives. The company can tap into this goodwill if it insulates its brand from further hits and invests in restoring it to prominence.

It should start with its internal culture. CEO Eddie Lamperts alienating management style and lack of retail prowess has prompted a mass exodus of executives and has left the company with few leaders who really care about the brand. At the store level, the company has fired employees, cut worker hours, and failed to make investments to improve the store environment. As a result, store employees are bitter, embarrassed, and unmotivated.

The company must restore brand pride, alignment, and engagement throughout its ranks. Alan Mulally led the turnaround at Ford by restoring a One Ford mentality throughout his company and championing pride in the Ford name. Lampert and his executive team should adopt a similar effort. It would encourage managers to make strategic decisions that build the Sears brand and frontline employees to provide exceptional customer service and restore customers esteem of the brand.

Sears should then turn its attention to improving the customer experience. Perhaps most at risk is vendor support. Suppliers that are already under tremendous pressure from the changing demands of the retail industry are probably especiallyleery of extending themselves with Sears. As vendorsstart shipping smaller quantities and being less responsive, the inventory and selection at Sears stores is going to get even worse than it already is. To ensure that a strong product assortment can draw people into its stores, Sears should work on buttressing relationships with the vendors of its top brands. Of course, there are many other aspects of the customer experience that need to improve, but Sears would be wise to start with what made its brand great in the first place: a great selection of products.

Sears can take a cue from Marvel. After it filed for bankruptcy, back in 1996, Marvel leveraged its portfolio of popular brands, includingCaptain America and Iron Man, to stage a comeback. By tapping into the fan basesof individual character brands and producing movies that used a tried-and-true formula of superheroes being pitted against evil forces while dealing with real-world issues, the company was able to restore the Marvel brand to popularity. In the same way, Sears should draw on the equity of product brands such asKenmore Appliances, DieHard batteries, and Sesame Street products. The company should also void the recent deal to sell off the Craftsman brand, if possible. Sears needs to promote these brands more strongly than ever before, and draft off the demand and appeal they enjoy.

Most important, to restore its brand value and power, Sears needs to make some sort of big, bold, visible move. It cant simply tweak a few things and set its sights on surviving. Thats what happened at RadioShack. After that company declared bankruptcy, its new owners promised to reinvigorate the brand. It signed up hip celebrities as endorsers, closed some stores, and adjusted its assortment strategy. But to most people, RadioShack didnt seem all that different.

Sears must make a substantive change that not only gets peoples attention but also dramatically improves the customer experience. Consider Delta Air Liness merger with Northwest Airlines. After declaring bankruptcy, Delta was looking for a way to emerge as a leader in the industry to get ahead, not just level the playing field. So it made what was a foresighted decision at the time and significantly expanded its routes by merging with another airline. CEO Richard Anderson has described the move as a deliberate choice to break away from the fray: Our company decided that we would be different.

Lampert and his colleagues must make a similarly calculated and courageous move, whether thats to merge with another retailer, integrate vertically, change the searsstore format, slash its apparel offering, or something else. Whatever it is, the objective should be to strengthen the Sears brand (i.e., dont acquire another retailer and operate it separately) and to create more value for its core customers.

It might be too late to save Sears. The company has drained the brand of so much equity that its difficult to envision a recovery. But if the company remains committed to reviving the business, its brand should be the top priority.

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNEZlIqkXYw-gxZfp0ZRIyRsE5SMxQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&ei=7FfdWPCzKIbR3gHhhomoBg&url=https://hbr.org/2017/03/is-it-too-late-for-sears-to-save-itself

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Priebus: WH Will Look Into Evelyn Farkas Story; Almost Too Incredible To Be True

Obama Aide Evelyn Farkas Squeals Live On MSNBC: "I Helped Spy On Trump For Obama"(VIDEO)!!!

White House chief of staff Reince Priebus joins Hugh Hewitt for a Thursday morning interview.

One of the subjects touched on is the story of Evelyn Farkas, formerly the Defense Department"s top Russia expert under President Obama who is now calling for an independent investigation of the president"s ties to Moscow.

This week, conservative media has noticed an interview she did on MSNBC"s "Morning Joe" on March 2nd, 2017 where Farkas appears to happily admit that she was repsonsible for leaking sensitive information about what parts of the government might have spied on President-elect Trump and his Trump Tower. Fox News ran a story on this titled: Former Obama official discloses rush to get intelligence on Trump team

The Farkas statement in question: "I had a fear that somehow that information would disappear with the senior [Obama] people who left, so it would be hidden away in the bureaucracy ... that the Trump folks if they found out how we knew what we knew about their ... the Trump staff dealing with Russians that they would try to compromise those sources and methods, meaning we no longer have access to that intelligence."

Note: The Farkas clip originally aired on March 2. President Trump"s infamous "wiretap" tweet came two days later:

White House chief of staff Reince Priebus responded Thursday morning: "Thats incredible."

"It certainly is an incredible comment, although I dont want to add too much into it right now until I have an opportunity to sort of dig into it and figure out the scope of such a statement... Its just an incredible statement, you know, and how, what it means and what she meant by that, and whether that has anything to do with the issues in regard to surveillance of Trump transition team members is something that we need to figure out this morning and throughout the day."

"I hope that the intelligence committees and agencies are interested," he also said.

Radio hosts Sean Hannity... ...and Mark Levin both mentioned the story Wednesday afternoon... The original clip from MSNBC"s "Morning Joe": "That"s why you have the leaking!" farkas says in the clip.

"a personal reaction is its, its almost, its so cavalier and unbelievable that I just wonder whether this person knows what the heck shes talking about. I mean, you know what Im saying?" Priebus added.

Transcript of the Priebus interview, courtesy of the Hugh Hewitt Show:

HUGH HEWITT: A news story came up last night, Mr. Priebus. Evelyn Farkas, former assistant deputy secretary of Defense a few days ago was on with Morning Joe, and talking to Mika about the end game during the Obama years. She said this, the 30 second clip:

EVELYN FARKAS: that the Trump folks, if they found out how we knew what we knew about their, the staff, the Trump staffs dealing with Russians, that they would try to compromise those sources and methods, meaning we would no longer have access to that intelligence. So I became very worried, because not enough was coming out into the open, and I knew that there was more. We have very good intelligence on Russia. So then I had talked to some of my former colleagues, and I knew that they were trying to also help get information to the Hill. HH: So Mr. Priebus, I put two clips together.

REINCE PRIEBUS, TRUMP ADMIN: Thats incredible.

HH: React to that for me, would you?

RP: Well, I mean, I heard it late last night, so I mean I honestly, I talked to Sean a little bit about it late last night, Spicer, and then were going to be meeting on it this morning. Its just an incredible statement, you know, and how, what it means and what she meant by that, and whether that has anything to do with the issues in regard to surveillance of Trump transition team members is something that we need to figure out this morning and throughout the day. But it certainly is an incredible comment, although I dont want to add too much into it right now until I have an opportunity to sort of dig into it and figure out the scope of such a statement.

HH: Now I want to ask you about a personal reaction to it, though. It suggests that incidental collection of American conversation in intelligence, perhaps even in Russian to Russian conversation, was pushed out by Team Obama for the purposes of cornering you guys? I dont know what, but

RP: Yeah, I mean, a personal reaction is its, its almost, its so cavalier and unbelievable that I just wonder whether this person knows what the heck shes talking about. I mean, you know what Im saying?

HH: Yeah.

RP: Its sort of like one of these things its so much in your face that it makes you wonder what she means.

HH: Now do you think Director Comey will be interested in that statement?

RP: (laughing) Well, I hope that the intelligence committees and agencies are interested in all of these things. And the one thing I will tell you is that we want, we want this thing done thoroughly, and I will tell you that because we have got nothing to hide. I mean, theres just nothing there. Ive said it many times on television and elsewhere. There is no collusion. The issues in regard to contacts with Russia as outlined in the New York Times article about a month ago is total garbage, and we just, we would rather this move forward and be thorough and get on with it, because weve got nothing to hide. Its ridiculous.

HH: Okay, to a substantive question.

Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2017/03/30/priebus_wh_will_respond_to_evelyn_farkas_story_incredible_raises_many_questions.html

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First Edition March 29: April Ryan & The Attack on Black Women by the Right Wing Media

April Ryan Discuss About Spicer Gets Into Tense Exchange With Her. @AprilDRyan @PressSec ‏

White house correspondent april ryan was patronized while doing her job yet again, this time by Sean Spicer. First Edition host Sean Yoes discusses the ongoing, open attack on Black women by the right wing media with Lisa Snowden-McCray of City Paper, Dr. Kimberly Moffitt of UMBC, and multimedia journalist Nicki Mayo.

Then, the Mod Squad, Taya Graham and Stephen Janis of The Real News Network, follow up on the conversation about Mayor Pugh"s decision to veto the $15 minimum wage for Baltimore City.

Kenyatta Moon, co-host of Holistic Living, discusses self care rituals that are essential to surviving lifes daily grind. And LaMonte Summers, assistant professor of Media Law and Ethics at Morgan State University, is back with the Media Report.

Source: http://weaa.org/post/first-edition-march-29-april-ryan-attack-black-women-right-wing-media

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Spurs hope to learn from squandered opportunity

Golden State Warriors vs San Antonio Spurs - Full Highlights | March 29, 2017 | 2016-17 NBA Season

SAN ANTONIO -- The "L" word reverberated throughout the locker room Wednesday after a fast start morphed into slow death for the San Antonio Spurs, which saw a 22-point first quarter lead disintegrate into a 110-98 loss to the Golden State Warriors.

Nearly every Spur interviewed said they"d "learn" from this, or characterized the game"s outcome as a "learning experience."

"I think it"s a great learning experience," Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said. "Reality check? We knew who we were playing. One of the best teams of the last few years ... . It was not going to be easy. We knew it was going to be tough."

The Spurs also now understand their road through the postseason probably will track a little more adversely as most likely the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. San Antonio probably knocked itself out of a shot at securing the top seed, as it fell 3 games back of Golden State with eight games left in the regular season.

The Spurs admit their offense became stagnant as the game progressed.Soobum Im/USA TODAY Sports

It"s a fate the veteran Spurs can accept, but not without critical self-evaluation to prevent a another meltdown should the teams meet again in the Western Conference finals. Surrendering a 22-point lead to a Golden State team playing without an injured Kevin Durant even led Spurs guard Danny Green to consider what they"re missing given the retirement of franchise icon Tim Duncan.

"It"s the NBA. You can"t dwell on any of them," Green said. "You learn from it and move forward, be more professional, and try to get better. In the past that"s where Timmy was good for us, or teams in the past just collectively. We wouldn"t let things like that happen. It might happen, but rarely. But I think it"s happened more often than it should here at this time and this year.

"I wouldn"t say it was a wake-up call. We knew what was at stake. We knew what we had to do. We did it. We just didn"t do it for 48 minutes."

Having posted a 34-1 record over the Warriors at home over the past 20 years, San Antonio appeared to be well on the way to gobbling up win No. 35 after storming to a 15-0 lead on the strength of Green"s third 3-pointer just a little more than four minutes into the game.

With 5:01 left in the opening quarter, the Spurs extended the lead to 20 points (23-3) on a LaMarcus Aldridge fadeaway jumper. A minute and 32 seconds later, Aldridge knocked down a 3 on an assist from Kawhi Leonard to put the Spurs up by 22 points.

The rout seemed to be afoot.

"we made shots," spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "I thought they were a little sloppy defensively. But they got it back, certainly."

The Warriors started off hitting 1-of-4 from 3-point range uncontested in the opening quarter, but by the 11:02 mark of the fourth quarter, the team had drained 7-of-10 on such shots for 19 points. The Warriors connected on 27 percent (3-of-11) when shooting off of a teammate"s pass in the first quarter, before draining 72 percent for the rest of the game on those shots (28-of-39).

San Antonio compounded Golden State"s hot shooting late by missing assignments and not communicating on defense.

"Yeah, [if] you don"t communicate defensively, they"re going to get a bucket, and a lot of times it"s going to be a 3, which hurts," Green said. "We"ve got to do a better job of scrambling, talking, communicating. As veterans, we"ve got to do a better job of leading, and learn how to finish teams off, learn how to continue to stay professional and play 48 minutes, and not let teams back in it and not let them get any light. We"ve gotten some leads and blown them a couple of times just by sloppy play."

Golden State fell behind 29-7 with 3:29 remaining in the opening quarter. From there, the Warriors outscored the Spurs 103-69, while shooting 56.9 percent, including 12-of-22 from deep with 30 assists and only nine turnovers. San Antonio, on the flip side, scored just 69 points, shot 38.1 percent, recorded 15 assists and turned it over 13 times.

Check out the team site for more game coverage

Check out the team site for more game coverage

In all, Golden State scored 23 points off Spurs turnovers, and in the process locked down Leonard, who shot 7-of-20 for 19 points with five turnovers.

The last time the Spurs led by at least 15 points after the first quarter, and then lost by double-digits was April 8, 2009 when they took a 33-16 lead over the Portland Trail Blazers only to fall 95-83.

"Just the same that I"ve been seeing for probably about the past few weeks," Leonard said when asked how the Warriors defended him. "Just double screening the ball, pick and roll, coming help side on my isolations. They did a great job showing hands and crowding."

The Warriors disrupted the Spurs with all their switching. In those instances, San Antonio "settled" according to Aldridge, and played one-on-one ball too often, as opposed to continuing to move the ball to find better shots.

"They just took us out of a lot of things," Aldridge told ESPN.com. "I thought we got passive, and kind of settled a little bit. The Game 1 versus them was so long ago, but I felt like we didn"t settle as much. I thought we still attacked and tried to make things happen. I thought tonight we kind of settled a little bit.

"Defensively, we just made too many mistakes. I think the hot start kind of got us going. But then they picked it up, and we should have made [fewer] mistakes. This team is good. They"re going to make shots. They"re not going to give up. I thought we made too many mistakes to let them back in the game. In the first quarter, the ball was moving, and guys were getting shots. I think as the game went on, we kind of went stagnant. When they switched stuff, we just kind of just gave into it. We didn"t move the ball and make them keep guarding."

Source: http://www.espn.com/blog/san-antonio-spurs/post/_/id/1514/spurs-hope-to-learn-from-squandered-opportunity

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Breaking down stats of Russell Westbrook"s latest triple-double

Russell Westbrook Forces OT with CLUTCH 3-Pointer! l March 29, 2017

Russell Westbrook has been putting up a triple-double almost every night this season, but his performanceWednesday night against the Magic was probably his best one yet.

The explosive point guard finished with 57 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists in an overtime victory. His play helped his team overcome what was at one moment in the game a 21-point deficit. The win also clinched Oklahoma City a playoff berth.

But in terms of history, this triple-double was pretty impressive, so let"s break it down by the numbers.

57 points - Most in NBA history

This stat has been highly publicized, but it"s pretty remarkable. westbrook scored 57 points in his triple-double, which is the highest number of points scored in a triple-double in NBA history. The previous record was 53 set byJames Harden and Hall-of-FamerWilt Chamberlain.

In fact, only Westbrook, Harden, Chamberlainand Elgin Baylor have multiple 50-point triple-doubles in a career (two apiece).

Westbrook"s 4th quarter led Thunder over Magic

The Thunder rallied from being down 21 points in the third quarter, and it wouldn"t have been possible without Westbrook. Yes he scored 57 total points, but he scored 19 of those with7:45 remaining in the fourth quarter.

He could not be stopped as he drove to the basket and what seemed like every possession, and scored more often than not.

Closing in on most triple-doubles in a season

Oscar Robertson has the NBA record of 41 triple-doubles in a season. Westbrook recorded his 38th such performance last night, meaning he"s three away from tying and four away from breaking the record.

The Thunder have eight games left in the regular season, meaning he has to get a triple-double in half of the games left for the record. Achieving this will be difficult, but not impossible.

Westbrook"s minutes

This stat is perhaps more reflective of his season than Wednesday"s game, but it"s important to point out. ESPN"s Royce Young noted the point guard played over 40 minutes (42) for just the fifth time this season. Every 40-minute game has come in overtime.

Considering the season he"s having, it"s impressive he hasn"t had any more games of 40-minutes. For reference, MVP candidate James Harden has15 40-minute games while LeBron James has20.

Passed Kevin Durant"s Thunder franchise record

What better record than to pass your friend-turned-enemy? Westbrook passed Durant for most 40-point games in a single season in Thunder history. Durant had 14 40-point games in 2013-14 and Westbrook now has 15 with eight games left.

Westbrook"s highest combined triple-double output

This isn"ttoosurprising considering he scored 57, but Wednesday"s output was his highest overall out of any triple-double this season. What does this mean? It means if you combine his points + rebounds + assists it equals 81 total numbers.

What"s interesting is the only time he came close to that mark was his first triple-double of the season when he had a combined 74 (51 pts, 13 rebounds, 10 assists).

Turnovers

An underlooked stat from Wednesday"s game is the fact Westbrook had seven turnovers in the game, but they all came in the first quarter. He had no turnovers for the rest of the game while he was compiling one of the best triple-doubles in NBA history.

Source: http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/news/russell-westbrook-stats-triple-double-how-many-count-in-a-season-thunder/1wo9ljgtgxikn1rtca1o0yjkrp

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Vanna White to return to The Villages in promotion for Florida Lottery

Uh-Oh! Vanna White"s Dress Gets Caught During a Taping of "Wheel of Fortune"

Vanna White of Wheel of Fortune fame is coming back to The Villages for another promotion for the florida lottery.

vanna white with an umbrella at Lake Sumter Landing in 2016.

White will be signing autographs, taking photographs, conducting interviews, and answering questions from audience members from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 1 at Spanish Springs Town Square.

The event will also feature games and giveaways.

With every $10 Wheel of Fortune Scratch-Off ticket purchase, players will receive one entry into a giveaway drawing for one of three Royal Caribbean cruises, or one of two gift certificates to The Villages Golf Cars, as well as a free spin on the spin-to-win wheel.

You can read about Whites visit to The Villages last year HERE

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNFbEzL09K4-lAzlRZigY-5gP39MmA&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&ei=QObcWPiWFcbD3AGslYHYCQ&url=https://www.villages-news.com/vanna-white-return-villages-promotion-florida-lottery/

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Wheel of Fortune"s Vanna White Shares Her Playboy Regrets as the Show Celebrates 35 Years

Uh-Oh! Vanna White"s Dress Gets Caught During a Taping of "Wheel of Fortune"

After 35 years on the air,Wheel of Fortunes letter-turner and co-host Vanna White is sharing her thoughts about retirement, and about that time she was on the cover ofPlayboy.

In an interview with Fox News, the 60-year-old says she was low on money and too embarrassed to ask my dad for rent money when she posed for the photos.

I was young and I wanted to do it on my own, White says. So, I did these lingerie shots and from the moment I said I would do them, I thought, I shouldnt be doing this, but Im not going to ask my dad for money, so Im just going to do it!"

White remembers the pictures only came out when she had reached a certain level of fame after snagging the job onWheel of Fortune.

Hugh Hefner then bought those pictures, she says. Hes the one who put me on the cover of the magazine. I didnt do it for Playboy.

FROM COINAGE: Power Rangers Morphing Through the Years

Never do anything you dont want to do, adds White. Listen to your instincts and follow it. It was a great lesson to learn, but what can I say? I did something I shouldnt have.

She was not fired and went on to wear over 6,500 dresses on the show Never the same one twice, she says.

White says she still doesnt know the secret toWheel of Fortunes success, saying, I still dont have an answer! I really dont. Its just one of those things that every once in a while, everything falls into place its an escape.

Her own personal success hit her in a big way, telling Fox News she remembers seeing herself on the cover of a magazine when it hit her.

I was on the cover of Newsweek, she remembers. That was the moment for me. The other one was when I got my star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. When I first moved to L.A., I went walking down the Hollywood Walk of Fame and I would tell myself, One day Im going to have my own star."

Despite achieving her dreams, white says she doesnt see herself retiring soon.

Im sure I will one day, she says. But Im enjoying my job so much. I dont want to retire. I hope to continue doing it for as long as I can.

Source: http://people.com/tv/vanna-white-wheel-of-fortune-playboy/

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Persona 5"s PS4 share features are disabled - Polygon

Persona 5 Review "Buy, Wait for Sale, Rent, Never Touch?"

Persona 5 players will have to resort to other means to share photos from the game, as developer Atlus has forbidden PlayStation 4 users from capturing screens or video using the consoles built-in functionality.

Atlus confirmed to polygon that because persona 5 is such a story-based game, the company made the decision to prohibit players from sharing content.

This being a Japanese title with solely a single-playthrough story means Japan is very wary about it, an Atlus representative said. Sharing is currently blocked through the native PS4 UI.

When asked by Polygon if sharing would be available to players after the game went on sale worldwide, Atlus said that the feature will continue to be blocked. Persona 5 went on sale in September 2016 in Japan, and it will be available in the West on April 4.

Its rare that developers block the entire slate of share features for their games. There are some games that prohibit capturing screens or gameplay of certain segments. Previous entries in the MLB The Show series disabled the use of capturing during loading screens, for example.

Disabling the feature in Persona 5 has forced people to take photos with their phones, as seen in some of the tweets below.

A quick search on Twitter does show that players in Japan have been able to share screenshots from certain parts of the game directly through the PS4s share function, but primarily from the opening animation and main menu. Atlus confirmed that the PS4 sharing feature set is disabled for the rest of the game in the Japanese version as well, however.

Source: http://www.polygon.com/2017/3/29/15115762/persona-5-ps4-share-disabled

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Soccer-US keep World Cup hopes alive, Mexico take control

USA vs. Mexico Highlights | CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying

March 29 (Reuters) - The United States remain in contention for a spot at next year"s World Cup after Bruce Arena"s side battled to a scrappy 1-1 away draw against Panama in CONCACAF qualifying on Tuesday.

A loss would have left the U.S. anchored equal bottom in the six-team group known as the Hexagonal, but the draw sends them home relieved and still in contention for one of the three automatic spots to Russia 2018.

Mexico extended their lead to three points atop the group with a 1-0 away win over Trinidad and Tobago, a second-half goal by Diego Reyes in Port of Spain lifting El Tri to 10 points from four games.

Costa Rica are second on seven points after a 1-1 away draw at Honduras, followed by Panama on five points, the U.S. and the Hondurans on four, while Trinidad have three points.

In Panama City, teenager Christian Pulisic set up striker Clint Dempsey for his 56th international goal as the U.S. took the lead in the 39th minute.

But Panama were on equal terms four minutes later when the American defence failed to deal with a long throw-in, the ball bobbling to Gabriel Gomez, who fired home from close range.

After the match, U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard considered the result as one point gained rather than two points lost.

"We didn"t tie the game, we won a dogfight," he said in a pitch-side interview. "It"s tough away from home in qualifying. We had to get a point."

As for the physical nature of the contest, Howard did not mince his words.

"If you watch the game you would shake your head. It"s what we"ve come to expect away from home with all the elements. We"re always swimming upstream away from home.

"They"re a physical team. This is probably the most athletic team in CONCACAF so it"s hard to match them but I thought we did a good job."

Arena, who took over after the Americans lost the first two games of their qualifying campaign under Jurgen Klinsmann, was happy with the result, if not the officiating.

"The referee didn"t blow his whistle too much," he said wryly, while conceding mexico were now likely to win the group.

Mexico rode their luck against Trinidad, who felt aggrieved after a slick first half effort by Joevin Jones was disallowed for offside, though replays appeared to show he had timed his run to perfection.

The visitors had the better of the second half, with Hector Herrera hitting the post with a curling 20-yard shot, before defender Reyes powered home a header from a corner in the 58th minute.

"We knew it would be difficult... but in the second half we found the spaces and I think we deserved the victory in the end," defender Hector Moreno said.

In San Pedro Sula, Honduras bounced back from a 6-0 drubbing against the U.S. last week by sharing the spoils with Costa Rica.

Anthony Lozano bundled the ball home to give Honduras a first-half lead, before Costa Rica equalised in the second half with a Kendall Watson header. (Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by John O"Brien)

Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/sports/soccer-u-s-keep-world-cup-hopes-alive-mexico-take-control/articleshow/57887429.cms

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Future Women"s History Month: Emmy Rossum"s Forward-Thinking Feminism

Emmy Rossum Interview: "Shameless" Nude Scenes

Fuse iscelebrating Women"s History Month by looking at a variety of rising forces who are creating Future Women"s History before our eyes. While we"ve known Emmy Rossum for years as an actress and singer, it feels like we"re finally truly seeing the born-and-raised New Yorker"s true power.

Last October, Rossum made her directorial debut during Season 7 of her hit Showtime series Shameless, adding a director title in the series that has consistently earned her unanimous praise. Not only was it a major move for the 30-year-old, but for the show it self as the episode "I Am a Storm" introducesShameless"first transgender character as a potential love interest in the show"s majorly effed-up world. Rossum not only pulled off her directorial debut, but did so in an important episode where she starred in many scenes.

But while Emmy"s legacy may have seemingly been solidified by her onscreen on Shameless, she also made an important change behind the scenes. In December,news surfaced that Rossum was locked in a contract dispute with show producers over her salary. While she argued it was wrong to be paid lower than male co-star William H. Macy for the past seven seasons, instead of simply wanting equal pay, she wanted them to make up for the unequal salaries in the first place and a higher salary to make up for the previous disparities. With a role that"s proven just as vital as Macy"s, here is a woman not only asking for equality but demanding the past inequality be fixed.

it"s clear rossum is thinking and standing up for women in a way that is multidimensional and forward thinking. It"s not enough to have equality among the sexes, but to also to right any wrongs while doing so. That vision that is not only necessary for women"s history, but for healing and dealing with other injustices and inequalities we see in the world.

We"recelebrating Future Women"s History all month long! Tune in to Fuse and come back to Fuse.tv every day for profiles, videos and more.Find Fuse in your area with our Channel Finder.

Source: http://www.fuse.tv/2017/03/emmy-rossum-future-womens-history-month-shameless

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Vanna White Turns 60 � Get the Details on Her Las Vegas Birthday Bash!

Vanna White"s first Wheel of Fortune appearance
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Vanna White is 60 and stunning!

The Wheel of Fortune star recently rang in the big 6-0 in Las Vegas alongside her boyfriend, John Donaldson and now Vanna"s friend Pia Zadora is exclusively dishing the details of her birthday bash to Closer Weekly!

MUST SEE: Vanna White as a Young Girl See Throwback Photos of "The Wheel of Fortune" Star!

According to the Pia, Vanna and John who works as a building contractor went out to upscale Italian restaurant Pieros to see Pia"s weekend cabaret act.

"I joined them for dinner," the 63-year-old singer told Closer.

Vanna and Pia have been friends for more than 30 years. They first met back when they were neighbors in LA. "We were both pregnant at the same time," the "Let"s Dance Tonight" songstress added.

MUST SEE: Are Pat Sajak and Vanna White Married? Find out Here!

Last month, Vanna exclusively opened up to Closer about turning 60-years-old. "Age is only a number," she said. "It is really about how you feel."

"Im not one who likes to celebrate my birthday. I never was," she added.

Vanna and her boyfriend, John. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

"I remember for my 40th I went to bed early and just watched movies with my kids! So I may go away for the weekend to a spa or resort to just chill. Im fine doing nothing; is that terrible?" Vanna added.

The TV icon has two adult children with her ex-husband, George Santo Pietro son Niko Santo Pietro, 22, and daughter Gigi Santo pietro, 20. vanna and the restaurant owner were previously married for 12 years from 1990 until 2002.

MUST SEE: Inside Wheel of Fortune Star Vanna White"s Rise to Fame!

In February 2016, Vanna additionally revealed to Closer she is now finally enjoying life again after her divorce. "Today I am happy just the way things are," she said. "[My boyfriend, John], is kind, understanding, and lets me be me."

For more on Vanna, pick up the latest issue of Closer Weekly, on newsstands now!

For more exclusive news from Closer Weekly, be sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Click through the gallery below to see Vanna"s best style moments!

Source: http://www.closerweekly.com/posts/vanna-white-60-birthday-127152/photos/vanna-white-2-223236

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Connected S-Town podcast hooks listeners

dylan nichols/ brian reed this american life /adnan syed/ s town podcast download

Published: Wed, March 29, 2017 @ 12:05 a.m.

Some of my favorite childhood memories are of overnight camping trips.

Whether it was a fishing trip or church camp, those thoughts still make me smile.

After a day of swimming and catching fish, everyone huddled around a campfire to sing songs (mostly off key) and tell stories (mostly about fish we didnt catch).

The stories I looked forward to the most were the scary ones, from someone who really knew how to tell a tale. Sometimes it was my Uncle John, a master storyteller in our family, or some wacky camp counselor who had clearly spent too much time outdoors.

Flash-forward 30 years and I still like to hear a good story. But if youre at all like me a job, raising kids, paying bills, household chores I have very little time to read.

Life gets in the way of a good book.

So, I started listening to stories online. About 15 years ago, when I was still a webmaster, we called it audioblogging. It wasnt until Ben Hammersleys 2004 article in The Guardian that we had a name for it: podcasting.

Podcasting has really grown up since 2004, thanks in part to professional storytellers on series such as Planet Money and Radiolab. Its the perfect blend of spoken word and investigative journalism.

Yesterday, the team behind successful podcasts This American Life and Serial launched a new, seven-episode series titled S-Town.

To be sure, there was a lot of anticipation for this series. This American Life and Serial have a huge cult following, so there was reason to expect this kind of reception for S-Town.

Brian Reed, host of S-Town and producer with This American Life is my new Uncle John, my new wacky camp counselor.

I just started Chapter 2 Has anybody called you? and Im absolutely intrigued.

Early yesterday morning, starting at about 7 a.m., people started downloading episodes of s-town to their mobile devices.

Twitter and Facebook were alive with S-Town listeners. Here is a sample of their comments: @cearnett: So I definitely thought @stownpodcast was going to be about some tiny little town well south of me, not somewhere I drive through regularly; and @wplittle: The first 15 minutes of @stownpodcast have changed me as a person.

I tweeted: People will wonder why productivity is down for March. Blame it on college basketball. Not @stownpodcast. Shh ... no one will know better.

If you didnt guess, @stownpodcast is the official handle for S-Town.

What makes S-Town so successful, and why people like me flock to this kind of content, has everything to do with storytelling on budgeted time. Im able to listen on my time schedule, on my commute to work, or while Im exercising.

And if youre going to tell me a good story, I might actually get on the treadmill and stay on just a little longer.

Adam Earnheardt is chair of the department of communication at Youngstown State University. Read his blog at adamearn.com and follow him on Twitter at @adamearn.

Source: http://www.vindy.com/news/2017/mar/29/connected-s-town-podcast-hooks-listeners/

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Lonzo Ball says he"s "better" than consensus NBA top pick Markelle Fultz

Lonzo Ball says he"s better than Markelle Fultz! || Full Interview || ESPN 710 LA

It turns out that LaVar Ball is not the only member of his family capable of making brash statements. His most famous son (at least at the moment), UCLA star Lonzo Ball, said Tuesday that hes a better player than washingtons markelle fultz, who is widely predicted to be the first pick in Junes NBA draft.

Markelles a great player, but I feel Im better than him, Ball said on ESPN.I think I can lead a team better than him.

Ball can certainly point to team success, as his Bruins had a far better season than Fultzs Huskies. While Ball directed the nations top-scoring offense in leading UCLA to a 31-5 record and a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA tournament, Fultz suffered through a 9-22 campaign with Washington, which proceeded to fire longtime head coach Lorenzo Romar.

UCLA trounced Washington in both of their meetings this season, although Fultz missed one with an injured knee and notched 25 points in the other(Ball had 22). For the season, Fultz averaged23.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.6 steals, with a .476 shooting percentage, including .413 from three-point range. Ball averaged14.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.8 steals, shooting .551 overall and .412 from beyond the arc.

[NCAA deadline looms over fractious HB2 repeal discussions in North Carolina]

Obviously hes a great scorer hes a great player, so Im not taking that away from him, Ball said of his fellow freshman guard. His father, LaVar, has gained national notoriety with a series of provocative comments, including that he could have beaten Michael Jordan in a game of one-on-one and that Lonzo is already a better player than Steph Curry, the reigning two-time NBA MVP.

Lonzo Ball, who has a much more low-key delivery than his father, has said that the latters various pronouncements have not heaped any extra pressure on him. From the sound of it, the soon-to-be-ex-Bruin does not lack for confidence, and many draft analysts agree that he is an elite prospect, albeit possibly with ever-so-slightly less promise thanFultz.

The Vertical has Fultz and Ball going 1-2, respectively, in its latest mock draft, as do Draft Express,ESPNs Chad Ford, CBS Sportss Howard Megdal. Other analysts, such as Sports Illustrateds Andrew Sharp, CBS Sportss Gary Parrishand SB Nations Ricky ODonnell,have Fultz at one but Balltwo or more spots lower.

For his part, Fultz has made clear that hes taken note of b***s comments. The 6-foot-4 Maryland native liked a number of tweets Tuesday from media outlets who wrote about what Ball had to say. In a sign of the times, Fultz even liked a Bleacher Report tweetthat made note of his previous like of this tweet:

Fultz also liked a Huskies tweet touting his inclusion in the AP All-America third team. Joining KansassFrank Mason III,Villanovas Josh Hart,Purdues Caleb Swanigan andNorth Carolinas Justin Jackson on the first team? Lonzo Ball.

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNECsJ9sbI6RYclE9GOw6z6UuXtzRg&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52779439361330&ei=K_vbWLDRM5GX3AHfqK7ICg&url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/03/29/lonzo-ball-says-hes-better-than-consensus-nba-top-pick-markelle-fultz/

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Mexico Soccer 2017: TV Channel, Schedule, Prediction, Probable Lineups For WCQ vs. Costa Rica

America"s soccer migrants: the US footballers crossing Mexico"s border

The two top teams in the CONCACAF hexagonal meet on friday night, when mexico hosts Costa Rica at Estadio Aztecain a World Cup qualifying match. In what is expected to remain a competitive qualifying group, Costa Rica has won both their matches, while Mexico is tied for second place with a win and a draw.

El Tri will be without some key players in a key matchup leading up to Russia 2018. Versatile midfielder Andres Guardado, perhaps the squad"s most valuable player, is out with a leg injury.Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio will also be without the services of Giovani dos Santos, Jesus "Tecatito" Corona, Hirving Lozano and Marco Fabian.

But Osorio has plenty of depth for his 3-4-3 lineup. Jonathan dos Santos is expected to get the nod in midfield to fill in for Guardado. Orbelin Pineda, a 20-year-old midfielder who has featured for Chivas, may see plenty of action, as well.

For Oscar Ramirez"s Costa Rica squad, center back Oscar Duarte, who plays for Espanyol, issidelined with a knee injury.

Also missing for Costa Rica might some of their fans. According to a report, 300 Ticos were stranded at Juan Santamaria International Airport in San Jose. The Azteca crowd is among the most intimidating in the world, but Costa Rica is still optimistic they can get can get two road wins with a match also looming against Honduras next week.

"Our mentality is always to go out to win," winger Christian Bolanos said. "We believe that we can get the six points. We have to think like that if we want to continue in the search for qualifying. We know the quality of the two opponents. It will not be easy, but we will be betting on doing our job well and playing smart matches."

The last time Mexico hosted Costa Rica in a World Cup qualifying match was in June 2013. The matched ended 0-0.

Mexico Probable Lineup

G: Ochoa

D: Araujo, Marquez, Moreno

M: Damm, Herrera, J. Dos Santos, Pineda

F: Vela, J. Hernandez, Jimenez

Costa Rica Probable Lineup

G: Navas

D: Acosta, Umana, Watson, Matarrita

M: Salvatierra, Azofeifa, Borges, Bolanos

F: Ruiz, Campbell

Start Time: 8:50 p.m. ET

TV Channel: FS1 and Univision Deportes

Prediction: Mexico defeats Costa Rica, 2-0

Source: http://www.ibtimes.com/mexico-soccer-2017-tv-channel-schedule-prediction-probable-lineups-wcq-vs-costa-rica-2514883

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Temple College board approves campus carry policy

Sal talks to CEO of the College Board, David Coleman

The Temple College Board of Trustees approved the college campus carry policy at its Monday meeting after holding a community forum earlier in the day and attended by a few staff members, instructors, trustees and administrators.

In all, TC held at least four campus carry forums during the 2016 spring and fall semesters for students and staff.

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Source: http://www.tdtnews.com/news/article_2636ac50-136e-11e7-b969-77569074033f.html

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Karen Gillan On Who Wins In Arm Wrestling Between Nebula, Winter Soldier

Jumanji 2017 Cinemacon Sony Interviews: Karen Gillan, Jack Black, Nick Jonas

Karen Gillan is set to reprise her role as the blue-skinned, cyborg assassin Nebula inGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and although her boss, Ronan, was defeated in the first film sheproved to be a force to be reckoned with for the upcoming adventure.

During the set visit for the new film, ComicBook.com asked the actress which machine-armed Marvel character would win in an arm wrestling match between Nebula and Winter Soldier.

Confidently, she answered with her character.

"oh, interesting," gillansaid. "nebula. she"s the biggest s****t in the galaxy.

"And also I feel like I can handle this arm better than Sebastian Stan."

We don"t have many details regarding her role in the sequel other than a small detail Gillan revealed to us months ago when she said, "I think what I"m really excited about it delving into the sisterly relationship between Gamora and Nebula. I think that we"re going to see a little bit more of that, and it"s going to be a bit more fleshed out."

Nebula and her adopted sister Gamora clearly did not get along in their first cinematic outing. However, they were both trained (and tortured) by their cosmic supervillain dad,Thanos, to be killer assassinsand where asGamora landed herself with the Guardians, Nebula was part of her father"s evil world-destroying plans.Nebula aligned herself with Ronan and her evil father Thanos, however, she was left betrayed and overlooked before the movie came to an end and she flew off into the Xandarian sky in a ship.

On the set ofGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,Marvel StudiosPresidentKevin Feigeopened up about Nebula"s role a little but more for the sequel.

"She cut her own hand off, jumped onto a ship, and flew away," Feige said, recapping her final moments in the first film. "She comes back into the story relatively early on. In fact, we realize that the payment for the mission that the Guardians have done on Sovereign is to get Nebula."

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2is written and directed by James Gunn (Slither). The film marks the return of the original Guardians, including Chris Pratt (Jurassic World) as Peter Quill/Star-Lord; Zoe Saldana (Star Trek Into Darkness) as Gamora; Dave Bautista (Spectre) as Drax; Vin Diesel (Furious 7) as the voice of Groot; Bradley Cooper (American Sniper) as the voice of Rocket; Michael Rooker (Jumper) as Yondu; Karen Gillan (The Big Short) as Nebula; and Sean Gunn (Gilmore Girls) as Kraglin. New cast members include Pom Klementieff (Oldboy), Elizabeth Debicki (The Great Gatsby, Everest), Chris Sullivan (The Knick, The Drop) and Kurt Russell (The Hateful Eight, The Thing).

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2is scheduled to hit theaters on May 5, 2017. It currently has a 4.31-of-5 rating in the ComicBook.com User Rating -- good enough for the No. 3 spot since the product release this year.

MORE NEBULA NEWS:Nebula begins filming for Avengers: Infinity War| How Thanosimpacted the sisters| Check out Nebula"s new look (and dance)

Source: http://comicbook.com/marvel/2017/03/15/karen-gillan-nebula-guardians-of-the-galaxy/

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Colombia vs. Ecuador: James Rodr�guez y el gesto obsceno que genera tensi�n previo al duelo Eliminatorio

Ecuador vs Colombia 0-2 - All Goals & Extended Match Highlights - WCQ 2018 28/03/2017

El jugador del Real Madrid le falt al respeto a losperiodistas y fotgrafos en la previa del cotejo ante Ecuador por la fecha 14 de las Eliminatorias Rusia 2018.

Fuente : AP

Un ambiente de tensin se vive en Colombia entre los jugadores y los medios de comunicacin. Uno de los referentes del cuadro "cafetero" James Rodrguez le dedic un gesto obsceno a los medios de comunicacin que fueron a cubrir en las afueras de la concentracin del plantel que dirige Jos Nstor Pekerman.

TAMBIN TE PUEDE INTERESAR:Per vs. Uruguay: Ricardo Gareca y el once para ganar a "charras"

Y es que todo indica que el volante colombiano, James Rodrguezno acepta las crticas de los periodistas por el bajo nivel que tuvo el seleccionado ante Bolivia a quien ganaron por 1-0 y con un penal dudoso en Barranquilla por la fecha 13 de las eliminatorias.

Varios periodistas colombianos repudiaron al volante del Real Madrid por la falta de respeto que tuvo con los medios de comunicacin."James perdi la cabeza y la compostura...".dijo el editor y columnista del diario El Tiempo, Gabriel Meluk por la foto que tom la agencia AP.

"cuando el capitn y smbolo de la Seleccin, cuando el dolo de todos les hace pistola (as denominan al gesto obsceno en Colombia) a unos periodistas que cubran la prctica en la sede de la Federacin, demuestra que la tensin es mxima en l y en el equipo que se est jugando el pellejo en la cuerda floja de la eliminatoria al Mundial. Abajo no hay red", agreg el periodista.

Finalmente dijo."a la Seleccin se le ha criticado mucho y con razones. A James, como al equipo y como a todos, se le ha dicho lo bueno y lo malo. Incluso la apertura de Deportes de EL TIEMPO del sbado fue Hasta en bajo nivel, James ha sido clave, pero nunca vi a James hacerles el dedito a los periodistas de Madrid que s le han cantado misas reales y falsas sin reparo y le han contado hasta novelas rosa. Pero all no desenfund valiente y como Clint Eastwood el dedo ms rpido de la comarca", indic.

NO TE LO PIERDAS:Seleccin Peruana: Edison Flores trole de manera sorprendente a periodista en plena transmisin

Como se sabe, Colombia visita a Ecuador por la fecha 14 de la Eliminatorias este martes en Quito (Estadio Olmpico de Atahualpa). Una nueva derrota pondra en duda su clasificacin al Mundial de rusia 2018.

el dato colombia es cuarto en las Eliminatorias con 21 puntos. Ecuador lo sigue con 20 unidades. Una victoria del dueo de casa lo pondra mandar hasta el sptimo lugar.

Source: http://libero.pe/eliminatorias-2018/180259-colombia-vs-ecuador-james-rodriguez-y-el-gesto-obsceno-que-genera-tension-previo-al-duelo-eliminatorio

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