Police investigating Sen. Ralph Shortey after incident at Moore motel
This Week in Oklahoma, KOSU"s Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and ACLU Oklahoma Executive Director Ryan Kiesel about a controversy and lawsuit against the newest member of the State Supreme Court, Patrick Wyrick, over discrepancies on his application to the high court, Lieutenant Governor Todd Lamb announces he"s retiring from the Governor"s cabinet over a disagreement on extending the state"s sales tax to services and Republican Senator ralph shortey gets an earful from participants in a town hall he held to talk about his bills which would make changes to State Questions 780 and 781 passed last November by voters.
Also, the trio discusses the death of two bills in the early session: one forced schools to hold classes five days a week and the other put the legislature in charge of increasing tolls on state turnpikes and controversy grows for the author of an anti-abortion bill after he calls pregnant women "hosts".
Cbssports Fantasy Football - How Does CBS Sports Fantasy Football Work?
Download the CBS Sports Apptoday and get instant tournament news and alerts, plus playBrackets!
SportsLine
No. 5 seed Notre Dame faces upset-minded Princeton on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Below is viewing information and everything you need to know before the game.
Viewing information
When: Thursday, March 16, 12:15 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Live stream: Click Here
CBS All-Access: Click Here
What to know about each team:
Princeton -- The Tigers won the first Ivy League tournament in that conferences history, getting past Penn, then Yale. The Tigers did not lose a game against league competition. Theyre very good, and back in the NCAAs for the first time since 2011. Dont turn it over. Havent lost since Dec. 20. Chic upset pick, for sure.
Notre Dame -- Mike Breys recent NCAA Tournament success, coming off back-to-back Elite Eight runs, makes Notre Dame a threat in any bracket. Bonzie Colson is a double-double waiting to happen and when the Irish offense is flowing and in rhythm they are nearly unstoppable in tournament play.
MML is available on iPhone, iPad, watchOS, tvOS, Android handsets, Android Tablets, Chromecast, Amazon Tablets, Alexa skill for Amazon devices, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Windows 10 devices, Xbox and NCAA.com.
ALL games are available through March Madness Live (MML)
CBS games on MML are free to view - no authentication required- however CBS games are not available through OTT devices on MML
Turner games on MML have a free preview (3 hours) before consumers are required to authenticate (register) using their cable provider credentials (login and password)
CBS All Access requires a paid subscription and is available on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android devices, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, PS4, Windows 10 devices and Xbox.
Only tournament games airing on CBSs broadcast are available on CBS All Access, including the Final Four and National Championship games.
Dutch PM scores election victory against anti-EU Wilders
Listen from a computer, on an iOS device or on an Android device.
Business
The Federal Reserve is moving toward the end of its nine-year-old economic stimulus campaign. The central bank raised interest rates on Wednesday for the second time in three months.
The U.S. charged two Russian intelligence officers with directing a criminal conspiracy that stole data on 500 million Yahoo accounts in 2014.
Vowing to expand the number of jobs in the auto industry, Mr. Trump halted a move to tighten fuel standards.
U.S. stocks were up on Wednesday. Heres a snapshot of global markets.
Smarter Living
Last week, we asked readers to share their morning routines, and 331 were gracious enough to respond. Among the most mentioned: Coffee (126 mentions), prayer or meditation (84), running/walking (95) or exercise (94), and breakfast (97).
Here are some of the tips, and a few quick links about warm-ups and cool-downs, ways to be mindful and the power of to-do lists.
Recipe of the day: Have pie for dinner with this torta pasqualina filled with leafy greens and cheese.
Noteworthy
The desert is blooming.
In todays 360 video, watch as colorful flowers blossom in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in California.
Video The Desert Is Blooming
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is experiencing a rare super bloom. See it up close in 360 video.
By MELISSA LYTTLE, LOGAN JAFFE and SAMANTHA QUICK on Publish Date March 16, 2017. Photo by Melissa Lyttle for The New York Times. Technology by Samsung. . Watch in Times Video
A grim fate for a natural wonder.
Scientists say large sections of the Great Barrier Reef, a coral ecosystem off the coast of Australia so large that it can be seen from space, are dead or dying because of rising sea temperatures.
The level of destruction wasnt expected for another 30 years, the author of a new study said.
Photo Bleached coral off the Australian coast. Climate change is not a future threat, one scientist said. On the Great Barrier Reef, its been happening for 18 years. Credit Reuters
March Madness begins.
The first round of the N.C.A.A. mens basketball tournament starts today. Well have live updates, scores and analysis of the first round.
A spoiler becomes a savior.
In the past few decades, the internet has threatened just about every cultural medium, from movies to music to something close to this writers heart, journalism. But people are starting to pay for online content, a big deal that our tech columnist says is difficult to overstate.
Press freedom in Egypt.
Declan Walsh, our Cairo bureau chief, joined a group of journalists to discuss the difficulties of reporting from the Middle East.
Best of late-night TV.
The hosts were not impressed by Rachel Maddows anticlimactic revelation of Mr. Trumps tax forms the day before. Is this news or a reality show? asked Stephen Colbert.
Stephen Pulls A "Rachel Maddow" Video by The Late Show with Stephen ColbertBack Story
A new space race is underway, fueled by billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos who are eager to capitalize on booming technology and the allure of space tourism.
Such audacious plans werent always embraced. In 1920, when Robert H. Goddard outlined how a rocket might reach the moon, The Times wrote that he seemed to lack the knowledge ladled out daily in high schools and argued, incorrectly, that thrust was not possible in a vacuum.
Photo Robert H. Goddard, pictured in Roswell, N.M., in 1938, was a pioneer of the space age. Credit Associated Press
History has been kinder to Dr. Goddard since his death in 1945, and hes now viewed as a pioneer of the space age.
A crucial step in his career came on this day in 1926, when he tested the first liquid-fueled rocket, from his aunts farm in Massachusetts. It reached only 41 feet, but, according to NASA, the experiment was as significant to history as that of the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk.
After Apollo 11 launched in 1969, even The Times came around, noting in a correction that it was now definitely established that a rocket can function in a vacuum as well as in an atmosphere.
But Dr. Goddard deserves the last word. About perseverance, he wrote: When old dreams die, new ones come to take their place. G*d pity a one-dream man.
Charles McDermid contributed reporting.
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Photographs may appear out of order for some readers. Viewing this version of the briefing should help.
Your Morning Briefing is published weekdays at 6 a.m. Eastern and updated on the web all morning.
What would you like to see here? Contact us at briefing@nytimes.com.
You can sign up here to get the briefing delivered to your inbox.
REALIST NEWS - Inflation Hits Consumers, Mortgage Rates Take Off
First, may as well get the embarrassing part over: the Fed raised its rate today, and mortgage rates fell.Fell is a bit of an overstatement, the decline no more than a fractional point -- a large loan, fine credit, 80 percent, 30-year fixed still sits between 4.375 percent and 4.50 percent.Nevertheless, any drop is the biggest story of the day, as nearly everyone had expected a breakout in the underlying, all-powerful 10-yeartreasury note (T-note).The 10-year had, for two weeks, been flirting with the crucial 2.60 percent level, and during Chair Yellens press conference it has slid to 2.50 percent.Note that 2.60 percent is still crucial because there is little or no support on charts all the way to 3.00 percent. Thus when we finally do breach that level, mortgage rates may rocket toward 5.00 percent. But not today.Continuing with first things first, the Fed manipulates the Fed funds rate, the overnight cost of money. Longer term rates are a market f...
Willie Nelsonis adding another timeless ballad to his prolific discography. Click play above to watch thepoignant, black-and-white music video for It Gets Easier, one of the new songs on Nelsons forthcoming album,Gods Problem Child.
Just shy of his 84th birthday on April 29, Nelson faces the idea of getting olderhead-on in It Gets Easier.With his guitar Trigger by his side and buffeted by a traditional honky-tonk arrangement including a slide guitar, an organ and even an accordion Nelsons simple songwritingwith famed producer Buddy Cannon is on full displayin the song.
It gets easier to say some other time / It gets easier to tell the world to wait / It gets easier to watch the world fly by / And tell it, I will catch up, but not today," Nelson sings in It Gets Easier, with his signature gravelly vocals, quietly defying the pressures of every other thing in the world except love. I dont have to do / One d**n thing / That I dont want to do / Except for missing you / That wont go away.
It Gets Easier is the second song that Nelson has shared fromGods Problem Child, which is set for releaseon April 28 (one day before his upcoming birthday); previously, Nelson revealed, also in a video, the songA Womans Love from the project. All together, the record features13 tracks,seven of which nelson wrote.
nelson has a small number of tour dates on his calendar this spring and summer. More details can be found on his website.
Steph Curry Fakes ENTIRE Sixers Squad Out of Their SHOES
By: Andrew Joseph| March 15, 2017 9:48 pmFollow @andyj0seph
NBA impersonator Brandon Armstrong unveiled his first Steph Curry impression back in 2015, buthe was back at it again for Currys 29th birthday.
Armstrong posted his latest Curry impersonation to Twitter on Tuesday, and hes definitely perfected the impression. Even the production quality has improved a lot.
Armstrong got the little things right. From the mouthpiece to the shimmy, this was an excellent Curry impression.
It was a step up from the original.
(h/t TheScore)
Celtics rookie Jaylen Brown finds car full of popcorn after win4hr agoManu Ginobili made the most impressive free throw ... that he actually meant to miss5hr agosteph curry put family first while filling out his NCAA tournament bracket8hr ago
Brandon Armstrong, Golden State Warriors, NBA, Stephen Curry, Trending, NBA
Fast Casual Pizza Chain Announces 2016 AUVs of $1.45 Million & 2017 Year-to-Date Same Store Sales Growth of 5.0%
LOS ANGELES, CA - (Marketwired - Mar 8, 2017) - Blaze Fast-Fire"d Pizza, the nation"s leading fast casual artisanal pizza chain, today announced highlights and financial results for its first five years in business along with a forward outlook for the next five years. The build-your-own pizza chain, known for its chef-driven recipes and casually hip restaurants, projects system-wide sales this year - its fifth full year in business - to exceed $292 million. In five years, the company expects system-wide sales to exceed $1 billion.
Results & Highlights (2013-2017):
Grew system-wide sales to $185 million in 2016, an increase of 83% over the prior year. Tracking to $292 million system-wide sales in 2017, its fifth full year in business. (1)
Achieved average unit volumes (AUVs) of $1.45 million in 2016. (2)
Achieved year-to-date same store sales growth of 5.0% through February 2017. (3)
Accelerated its restaurant openings with 250 locations planned by year-end. Major metropolitan areas now being developed include New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Dallas, Detroit, Miami, Atlanta, and Toronto.
Signed a multi-year endorsement deal with global icon and NBA All-Star LeBron James.
Added "brand-building" locations at Walt Disney World in Florida, Universal Studios in Hollywood, and Staples Center in Los Angeles, home of the NBA"s Lakers and Clippers and NHL"s Kings.
Launched a new smart phone app featuring online ordering, mobile pay and loyalty/rewards.
Became the first national pizza chain to remove artificial colors, flavors, preservatives and high fructose corn syrup from all of its ingredients for pizzas and salads. The company also offers cane sugar sodas from its fountain dispensers.
Changed to a plant-based straw so that all packaging is now 100% eco-friendly (recyclable, compostable or made from post-consumer content).
Grew overall guest satisfaction, including a system-wide average 4.3 rating across online consumer review sites.
Five Year Outlook (2018-2022):
Projecting system-wide sales of $417 million in 2018 and $1.1 billion in 2022 - its tenth full year in business.
Projecting 375 restaurants open at the end of 2018 and 855 restaurants open at the end of 2022 - all supported by a current franchise commitment pipeline of 324 units.
"We spent our first five years in business refining our restaurant model and building out the infrastructure and franchise network to support our rapid growth," said Jim Mizes, COO and president of blaze pizza. "we now have the people, processes and systems in place to achieve our goal of becoming a billion-dollar brand by our tenth birthday."
About Blaze Pizza
Blaze Pizza is a modern day "pizza joint," serving up artisanal pizzas that are both fast and affordable. By taking pizza back to its roots - making dough in-house, carefully sourcing ingredients, and cooking by fire - the innovative fast casual chain has quickly become one of the hottest restaurant concepts in the country, with fans lining up each day for their custom-built pizzas, freshly made salads, blood orange lemonade and s"more pies. Each restaurant features an interactive open-kitchen format that allows guests to customize one of the menu"s signature pizzas or create their own, choosing from a wide selection of fresh, high-quality ingredients - all for about $8. The generously-sized personal pizzas are then sent to a blazing hot open-flame oven - the centerpiece of the restaurant - where dedicated pizzasmiths ensure the thin-crust pies are fast-fire"d and ready to eat in just 180 seconds. Restaurants make fresh dough from scratch using a proprietary recipe developed by Executive Chef Bradford Kent (the "Pizza Whisperer"), which requires a 24-hour fermentation period to produce his signature light-as-air, crisp crust. For pizza fans with specific dietary needs, Blaze Pizza offers gluten-free dough and vegan cheese.
Now ranked as the largest fast casual pizza chain in the 2016 Technomic Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report, Blaze Pizza is building momentum and developing a cult-like following as it expands across the country. Founded by Elise and Rick Wetzel (co-founder of Wetzel"s Pretzels), the concept is backed by investors including LeBron James, Maria Shriver, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Boston Red Sox co-owner Tom Werner and movie producer John Davis. For more information, please visit blazepizza.com and facebook.com/blazepizza or click here to view a company video.
(1) Includes sales from restaurants operated by franchisees and as reported to the company.
(2) Average unit volume (AUV) is based on trailing 12-month sales as of 12/26/2016. A restaurant enters our reporting group following its 18th month of operations. Five company restaurants and 65 franchise restaurants are in the reporting group. Forty-Four (44%) of our restaurants in the reporting group met or exceeded this average. A new franchisee"s results may differ from the represented performance.
(3) Comparable same store sales is based on the operations of 70 restaurants and reflects the change in year-over-year sales in our comparable restaurant base. A restaurant enters our comparable restaurant base following its 18th month of operations.
Media Contact:
Josh LevittBlaze Pizza, LLC(949) 981-0757
SOURCE Blaze Pizza
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