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For-profit schools sue state over new regulations

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 27 September 2014 | 18.39

BOSTON — An association representing for-profit schools is suing Attorney General Martha Coakley over new regulations they say are unconstitutional.

Coakley says the regulations require for-profit and occupational schools to provide accurate information to the public while prohibiting misleading advertising and addressing unfair lending practices.

The Massachusetts Association of Private Career School filed a complaint in federal court, arguing the rules impose "a new and unworkable regulatory regime on for-profit educational institutions that is unnecessary, overly burdensome, and in many aspects, impossible to satisfy."

The group also argues the regulations are a violation of the First Amendment right to free speech by compelling certain speech while restraining other speech.

Coakley says the regulations will help protect students by requiring schools disclose in advertisements and recruitment materials information about tuition and fees, placement statistics and graduation rates.


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Sox fans buy into Jeter goodbye

Another legend is ending his career at Fenway Park and Red Sox Nation is embracing the moment at a record pace.

Tickets for this weekend's Red Sox-Yankees games are skyrocketing as Derek Jeter ends his career in Boston. In a rare move, the Sox are also selling the Captain's merchandise.

Tickets for the game tomorrow, Jeter's last, are going for an average of $386 per seat, the second most expensive Sox home game this year. Opening Day was tops when World Series rings were presented, according to Jesse Lawrence, CEO of TiqIQ.

That is close to four times more than the average ticket this year, at $101.

"This game will end up being the third most expensive regular season game over the last four years," Lawrence said of the final game tomorrow. He said fans are clearly willing to pay to say farewell to the Big Apple icon.

Still, prices could have been even higher. When Jeter said he would only be a designated hitter for the series in Boston, prices began to drop, Lawrence said.

"If people are going to pay up, they want to see him," he said.

Jeter has been making a goodbye tour this season after announcing he would retire, ending a 20-year career that began when he won the Rookie of the Year award. He was selected to 14 All-Star teams and won five World Series championships.

Tickets to Jeter's farewell to Yankee Stadium on Thursday went for an average of $768, more expensive than any of the five World Series games in the past four years. He also hit the game-winning single in a made-for-the-Hall moment.

"There's a pretty good argument that it was the most expensive regular season game ever," Lawrence said.

All three games this weekend in Boston are sold out.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox team shop is selling Jeter souvenirs — offering merchandise for an opposing player in a rare move for a "special occasion," Red Sox spokeswoman Zineb Curran said.

The Sox sold merchandise for Ichiro Suzuki when he joined the Mariners from Japan and became an international phenomenon, and sold Cal Ripken Jr. souvenirs at one point.

But the Fenway Faithful showed their class last night — even though Jeter wasn't in the lineup — donning Yankees hats and shirts and waving signs praising the shortstop for all the great memories. "Simply the Best," one sign read. "Farewell Captain & Legend. RE2PECT," stated another placard.


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'World News Tonight' anchor David Muir recalls his move from local Boston news

David Muir recently took over the chair at ABC's "World News Tonight," joining the elite club of evening news anchors -- at an age, 40, that is decidedly younger than the rest. He was first noticed in Variety back in July 2003, when he left a gig as a reporter at Boston's WCVB TV to anchor ABC's overnight broadcast.

What was working at WCVB like?

I felt like the luckiest kid in the world when I landed that job. Anyone who knows the industry (there) will remember the anchor team of Chet Curtis and Natalie Jacobson. They were really known for their sign-on as "Chet and Nat." Their standards were extraordinarily high … I remember my first live report, and you do your return, "Chet and Nat, back to you." I felt so good, and then a moment later thought, "Was that too presumptuous to send it back to them in that tone?" When I got to the newsroom, I went to Natalie and I said, "Was that OK?" She looked at me. "Of course, you're part of the team."

Were you aware of your first mention in Variety?

I try not to look at much coverage about me in this job. I try to keep my head down. But I'm honored it was covered.

Was life as hectic for you then as it must be for you now?

It was a different kind of hectic. At that time, Boston was one of the greatest markets to cover. Viewers wanted information on politics, but also the Red Sox and the Patriots. Snowstorms were outsized, too. It was a great training ground.

How did it feel when you got the call to go to a national network?

Network news was always my dream, but it wasn't as though I planned on it happening that quickly. There were a couple of calls of interest, and I felt privileged to have had those calls.

What did it take to adjust to life in New York City?

A Metrocard. I still use it after the show is over. Couldn't live without it.

Did you ever imagine anchoring an evening newscast was in your future?

Oh, no. I did grow up as a 12-year-old boy in upstate New York who would, playing at the end of the day, excuse myself from the backyard to go and watch the evening news. Peter Jennings was my choice, and I even remember then thinking that this guy is the James Bond of the evening news. I never dreamed I would be sitting in his chair one day. I still don't think it has set in.

© 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC


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Massachusetts electric rates shoot up 37 percent

BOSTON — Many Massachusetts households are going to see their electric bills shoot up 37 percent this winter, a rate increase that some advocates fear will put additional strain on low-income families.

State regulators approved the increase for National Grid household customers that would mean an average of $33 per month more for the typical residential customer and would push a typical monthly bill higher than $150.

Large-business customers will see even higher increases.

National Grid has almost 1.3 million residential and business electric customers in Massachusetts. The new rates take effect in November.

"This is pretty bad, and it's going to really have a bearing on a lot of Massachusetts households' abilities to just make ends meet this winter," John Howat, senior energy analyst at the National Consumer Law Center in Boston, told The Boston Globe.

The utility blame the rate hikes on the cost of buying electricity from power plants, which has soared because of an increased demand for natural gas used to generate electricity.

"This is something that's not within National Grid's control," spokesman Jake Navarro said. "This is a market-based problem."

The rate hikes will also hurt businesses.

"It's a very difficult thing, particularly for small businesses at a time when they're already struggling with the highest health care costs in the country and soon to be highest minimum wage," Jon Hurst, president of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts, told the Boston Herald. "All these things are required costs of doing business, and it's very difficult to be profitable."

NStar, with more than 1.1 million customers in the state, and Western Massachusetts Electric Co., with about 213,000 customers, also expect to seek rate increases, a spokesman said.

Those companies, both owned by Northeast Utilities, won't file their winter rate requests until later this fall.


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Boston has designs on Huntington

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 26 September 2014 | 18.39

It's home to the Boston Symphony Orchestra, New England Conservatory, Huntington Theatre Co., Northeastern University, Museum of Fine Arts, Massachusetts College of Art and Design and Wentworth Institute of Technology.

And now the Boston Redevelopment Authority wants the Huntington Avenue area, known as the "Avenue of the Arts," to live up to that institutional weight in terms of urban design.

The city's planning and economic development agency is seeking proposals to develop design guidelines that will elevate the area's character in terms of future development and a more pedestrian-friendly streetscape.

Its solicitation comes in the wake of zoning relief and conceptual approval granted last year for future projects — individual components of which still need BRA approval — that will effect the Avenue of the Arts, which runs from Massachusetts Avenue to Longwood Avenue, and the immediate surrounding area.

"The idea is to really give a more coherent urban character for this most important avenue," said Kairos Shen, director of planning at the BRA, who conceded it's "not particularly beautiful" now.

Projects set to affect the area include Wentworth's redevelopment of Sweeney Field at 500 Huntington Ave. into a 650,000-square-foot research and academic complex. Northeastern's master plan includes 2 million-plus square feet of new academic, student life, housing and athletic space. The final location and appearance of those buildings, open spaces and public amenities still are subject to BRA approval.

"There could be better coordination among the projects," Shen said. "These guidelines will help us coordinate the specific design and development review."

Future MFA projects include infilling or enclosing the west courtyard, a new wing on the west side of the museum, upgrading the School of the MFA, a new underground parking garage and landscaping.

The BRA study is in line with Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh's focus on the arts and culture in his administration and the city. Walsh this week named Julie Burros as Boston's first cabinet-level chief of arts and culture, who will oversee the creation of a long-term cultural plan for the city and increase diversity and inclusion in the arts and secure funding.

The planned study was welcomed by the MFA, which asked the BRA to implement a collaborative approach to the future planning of the Avenue of the Arts in August 2013, according to spokeswoman Karen Frascona. "The MFA is pleased that Mayor Martin Walsh and the BRA have authorized a comprehensive planning process, and we look forward to working with our neighbors on a long-term plan for the area," she said.

A spokesman for the BSO said it is "very encouraged by the renewed focus on this incredibly vibrant neighborhood."


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Partners HealthCare agrees to price caps in new deal

Lawrence Memorial and Melrose-Wakefield hospitals would cap prices for 61⁄2 years under a revised agreement between Attorney General Martha Coakley and Partners HealthCare, which is planning to acquire the two medical centers along with South Shore Hospital.

Partners also agreed to maintain the same level of psychiatric and behavioral health at its Hallmark and North Shore hospitals for five years, according to Coakley's office.

"These additional concessions will mitigate the potential for higher prices related to this transaction and ensure that mental health treatment remains fully accessible to the surrounding community," Coakley said in a statement.

The state's Health Policy Commission has warned that the Partners takeover of the three hospitals would spike costs by between $38.5 million and $49 million for the state's top three insurance companies.

"I commend the attorney general for pushing Partners to mitigate the price impact of the Hallmark transaction, one of the major concerns identified in our report," said Dr. Stuart Altman, chairman of the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission. "I look forward to learning more details as we review the amended consent judgment and the attorney general's response to the public comments."

Partners — the health care behemoth that owns Massachusetts General, Brigham and Women's and six other acute care facilities and employs some 6,500 doctors — has entered into a settlement with Coakley to avoid an antitrust investigation by her office.


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Renters show appetite for luxury

Renters are snapping up the first wave of new luxury apartment buildings in the Hub even as a second wave of high-end rentals are starting to pre-lease.

"People ask how many more people can afford these rents, but there are a lot of well-paid, dual-income households who can," said Travis D'Amato, a senior vice president at Jones Lang LaSalle who focuses on multihousing. "We've gained 67,000 new jobs since the bottom of the recession and Boston's population is growing 1 percent a year. The rental base is increasing."

D'Amato believes that 8,800 new Hub apartments already completed or scheduled to be by 2017 will not be enough to meet demand. First-wave projects such as 315 on A and the Kensington are nearly full, but other buildings are offering concessions to stay on target for leasing up within a year of opening.

"It's marketing magic," D'Amato said. "You get people in the door with one or two months free but they're still getting the high monthly rents over the life of the lease."

High-end buildings such as Avalon Exeter have been attracting empty nesters.

"Many of these renters still own properties on the Cape or in Florida, but want to rent in the city," said Dennis Gramolini, community manager of Avalon Exeter.

Avalon Exeter, which is about 55 percent leased, has rents ranging from $2,600 to more than $13,000. A 1,621-square-foot 27th-floor two-bedroom penthouse with panoramic views of the Back Bay and Charles River on two sides just rented for $12,800 a month

"The first wave of luxury apartments in Boston is doing well because it addressed the pent-up demand from the years that there was no new production," said Michael Roberts, vice present of development for AvalonBay Communities. "The second wave is all about the new demographics of the city and the growth of the local economy."

Along with baby boomers, a big part of new urban demographic is the millennials, young professionals between 25 and 35.

"Millennials are willing to pay a higher percentage of their income for rent because many don't have cars, but they need apartments near public transportation," D'Amato said.

Avalon Bay is targeting millennials with its new Ava brand in a 398-unit Theater District project under construction as well as a nearly completed 250-apartment building in Somerville's Assembly Row. The Ava brand features Twitter walls, modern interior design and social spaces that encourage networking.

The upcoming 378-unit Troy Boston in the South End will have an eco-friendly focus much like 315 on A.

The neighboring Ink Block's 392 apartments, on the former site of the Boston Herald, will be in three buildings, each with a unique look.

"1 Ink will have sophisticated Euro-style interiors, 2 Ink will be more edgy and colorful and 3 Ink will use a lot of natural materials," said Ted Tye, managing partner of National Development, who said pre-leasing will start next week for an early 2015 opening. "We are taking a different approach to appeal to a wide variety of renters."


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Coakley: Partners agrees to price cap under deal

BOSTON — Attorney General Martha Coakley said Partners HealthCare has agreed to cap prices at Hallmark Health Centers for six and a half years if it's allowed to acquire Hallmark under a revised deal.

Coakley's office renegotiated the agreement after the state's Health Policy Commission criticized part of the original deal to allow Partners to acquire Hallmark, which owns Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Medford and Melrose-Wakefield Hospital.

The original agreement included a provision that allowed Coakley and Partners to reopen negotiations if the commission determined there would be a "likelihood of materially increased prices" as a result of Partners' acquisition of Hallmark.

Coakley said Thursday that her office pushed for the cap. The agreement is part of Coakley's anti-trust investigation into Partners.

Coakley said Partners also has jointly agreed to maintain the current level of psychiatric and behavioral health services at its Hallmark and North Shore facilities.

"These additional concessions will mitigate the potential for higher prices related to this transaction and ensure that mental health treatment remains fully accessible to the surrounding community," Coakley said Thursday in a written statement.

The revised agreement was filed in Suffolk Superior Court on Thursday. Coakley said the amended consent judgment is expected to be considered by Judge Janet Sanders. The next court date is Monday.

If approved by the court, the consent judgment will also resolve the antitrust investigation by Coakley's office into Partners and its acquisition of South Shore Hospital.

Coakley also said Thursday that her office filed its formal response to the more than 100 comments received as part of the public comment period ordered by the court.

Coakley, who is running for governor, has been criticized over the deal by her political rivals.

Republican candidate for governor Charlie Baker, the former head of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, has said the agreement is too complicated and too hard to enforce.

Baker has said the deal should have focused on two or three items, like requiring Partners to post the prices of its medical services and freezing any expansion of its physician network.

Under the agreement a monitor — selected by Coakley's office and paid for by Partners — will ensure that Partners complies with the terms of the consent judgment for the duration of the agreement.

If Partners violates the terms of the consent judgment, the organization could be held in contempt of court and face penalties, Coakley has said.

Partners HealthCare is Massachusetts' largest hospital and physicians' network.


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One Seaport Square complex to include movie theater

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 25 September 2014 | 18.38

WS Development has signed a 20-year lease for a movie theater at One Seaport Square, an estimated $600 million pair of 22-story apartment and retail towers slated for South Boston's Seaport District.

Chicago-based Kerasotes ShowPlace Theatres will occupy about 41,375 square feet of third-floor space in the project, which will include 260,000 square feet of retail in total.

Kerasotes operates ShowPlace ICON Theatres in Chicago and St. Louis Park, Minn., that include a lobby lounge, reserved seating and dining with alcohol in leather sofa-style chairs with tables. It also runs a standard multiplex movie theater, Kerasotes Showplace 14, in Secaucus, N.J.

Kerasotes couldn't be reached for comment, but its website says it plans to open more of its ICON Theatres in other major U.S. markets.

Michael McNaughton, senior vice president of Chestnut Hill-based WS Development, would not comment on the deal.

"We're planning a groundbreaking in the next 30 days, and our goal was to work within that time-frame to unveil some key announcements," he said.

At 1.1 million square feet, One Seaport Square is the largest project in the $3.5 billion Seaport Square neighborhood, which is set to include 6.3 million square feet of mixed-used projects on 23 acres. WS Development is handling all of the leasing for the 1.3 million square feet of Seaport Square's retail space.

Boston multifamily-housing investor and manager Berkshire Group paid $72 million in December to buy three acres for One Seaport Square from master developers Morgan Stanley and Boston Global Investors, which will remain a limited partner.


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Permits Wynn Resort's next battle

Among the mountain of permits Wynn Resorts must secure to capitalize on its casino license in Everett is a risky waterfront development approval that one expert said is prone to delays and appeals from project opponents.

Wynn, which has a 3-year construction schedule, needs up to 15 permits for its $1.6 billion casino from a range of agencies, including the state departments of transportation, conservation and recreation, and environmental protection, as well as the Boston Transportation Department, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.

Wynn also needs to close a $6 million deal with the MBTA to acquire land for its site access, and file detailed reports with the DEP on cleanup of the arsenic and lead contamination on the former Monsanto site.

One of the most difficult permits Wynn has to obtain for its casino on the Mystic River is a "Chapter 91" waterfront approval, which can be appealed by a group of 10 opponents, as long as five are residents. And it's not unheard of for competitors to prop up local opposition, said Jamy Buchanan Madeja, a permitting expert and former general counsel to the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs.

"The processing time is always long and the appeal opportunities abound," Buchanan Madeja said. "There is no reason this proposal couldn't meet all the legal criteria. However, appeals are allowed either way."

Wynn project manager Chris Gordon acknowledged Chapter 91 is the "longest-lead item" in the menu of approvals it needs, but said the recent explosion of development under the law along Boston's waterfront bodes well.

"I don't think we have any more exposure than a regular developer would have all along the waterfront in Boston," Gordon said. "We've built it into our schedule so it won't hold us up, but it's one we want to make sure we get going on. In this kind of development, you certainly have a lot of regulatory work that's required. We think that we're in pretty good shape."

Gordon said Wynn reps are meeting weekly with state transportation officials to answer their questions about traffic counts, and plan to meet with Boston officials about traffic work at Sullivan Square in Charlestown before filing a key catch-all environmental impact report by the first week of November, when voters will decide whether to repeal the state's casino law.

Gaming commission spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said the panel will require periodic progress reports from Wynn.

"The commission will use those reports to see where progress is occurring at an appropriate level and where greater speed or effort is needed," Driscoll said in a statement. "However, the commission ... respects the statutory and regulatory responsibilities that other agencies have in making permitting decisions."


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Asian stocks up as US data boost sentiment

SEOUL, South Korea — Asian stock markets were mostly higher Thursday after a surge in new home sales in the U.S. bolstered sentiment. But gains were limited by worries about Europe's stagnant economy and violence in Iraq and Syria.

KEEPING SCORE: Japan outperformed the region with the Nikkei 225 up 1.2 percent to 16,364.74 after the dollar rose above 109 yen overnight, a fresh six-year high. In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite rose 0.3 percent to 2,351.39. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.1 percent to 5,380.30. Stocks in Southeast Asia rose. South Korea's Kospi drifted 0.1 percent lower to 2,034.80 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng edged down 0.2 percent to 23,884.90.

HOUSING JUMP: The Commerce Department said new home sales climbed 18 percent in August to an annual rate of 504,000 homes, beating the 430,000 expected by economists. It was the fastest clip since May 2008 and a sign that the real estate market might improve after the recovery from the Great Recession stalled during the past year because of sluggish wage growth and rising prices.

ANALYST TAKE: The unexpected increase in U.S. home sales may "indicate that young people are perhaps now starting to feel economically secure enough to buy their own homes," Chang Wei Liang of Mizuho Bank said in a commentary. "Continuation of this strength would provide further concrete evidence that even the labor market for young people is already near normality."

SLOW EUROPE: On Wednesday, data showed that business confidence in Germany, Europe's largest economy, dropped for the fifth straight month. The Ifo institute said its confidence index dropped to 104.7 points for September from 106.3 last month as the mood among executives darkened regarding both the current situation and the outlook for the next six months. The fall was bigger than anticipated.

WALL STREET: The Dow Jones industrial average advanced 0.9 percent to 17,210.06 on Wednesday, its best day since Aug. 18. The Standard & Poor's 500 rose 0.8 percent to 1,998.30 and the Nasdaq composite rose 1 percent to 4,555.22.

ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude oil edged down 7 cents to $92.73 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. On Wednesday, the contract rose $1.24 to $92.80 after the government reported a larger-than-expected decline in oil stocks.

CURRENCY: The euro dropped to $1.2767 from $1.2777 late Wednesday. The dollar fell to 109.14 yen from 109.19 yen.


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ESPN suspends Bill Simmons for NFL comments

ESPN has suspended analyst Bill Simmons for three weeks over a profanity-laced rant in which he called NFL commissioner Roger Goodell a "liar" and challenged his bosses at ESPN to punish him for criticizing the league's recent handling of its domestic violence issues.

The network made the announcement on Wednesday.

"Every employee must be accountable to ESPN and those engaged in our editorial operations must also operate within ESPN's journalistic standards," the company said in a statement. "We have worked hard to ensure that our recent NFL coverage has met that criteria. Bill Simmons did not meet those obligations in a recent podcast, and as a result we have suspended him for three weeks."

Simmons, a Holy Cross grad who got his online sports journalism start with his The Boston Sports Guy blog, made the Goodell remarks on his Monday podcast.

"I'm just saying it. He is lying," he said on the B.S. Report. "I think that dude is lying. If you put him up on a lie detector test that guy would fail. For all these people to pretend they didn't know is such f-king bullsh-t. It really is. It's such (explitive) bullsh-t. And for him to go in that press conference and pretend otherwise, I was so insulted. I really was."

Goodell has claimed that nobody from the NFL saw the video of Ray Rice assault his fiance in a casino elevator last February until TMZ posted it on Sept. 8.

"I really hope somebody calls me or emails me and says I'm in trouble for anything I say about Roger Goodell," Simmons said. "Because if one person says that to me, I'm going public. You leave me alone. The Commissioner's a liar and I get to talk about that on my podcast. . . . Please, call me and say I'm in trouble. I dare you."

ESPN suspension of Simmons was quickly denounced on Twitter, where #FreeBillSimmons was the top trend in the U.S. late Wednesday.

It is the second time ESPN has suspended Simmons. Last year for criticizing one of the network's football segments on Twitter

(C) 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC


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CNN sees brighter spotlight for original primetime series

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 24 September 2014 | 18.38

CBS, Fox and NBC are among the TV networks trying to launch new programming as part of the industry's annual fall onslaught. This year, you can add CNN to their ranks.

The Time Warner-owned outlet is set to debut new original primetime series from people like journalist Lisa Ling and former Discovery Channel personality Mike Rowe. And it has the fourth season of Anthony Bourdain's "Parts Unknown" teed up for Sept. 28.

The cable-news network was once best known for news anchors like Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper. And those two TV journalists and many like them continue to make up the bulk of CNN's schedule. But after having found some success with non-fiction series in primetime, the network is looking to add more of them. Where CNN had just two of these series, said Jeff Zucker, president of CNN Worldwide, it anticipates having 12 in 2015.

The original series are "the source of a lot of conversation at CNN. We have had a lot of success in this area," said Zucker, during a Tuesday lunch meeting with journalists. "There are a number of people internally who think we should push more into this arena."

Executives have noticed "there is significant interest from advertisers in this programming, especially as cable news ages and the genre is more challenged," Zucker added. "I can envision we will move more and more to this storytelling genre in the years to come."

A new program from Lisa Ling, the veteran TV journalist who has enjoyed stops at OWN and ABC's "The View," provides an example of the new fare CNN is seeking. Ling promised her new show, "This Is Life with Lisa Ling," will delve into meaty subjects that will provoke as well as inform. Among the topics she intends to explore in coming weeks are rich, older men seeking romance with much younger women; a rise in prescription-pill addiction among Mormons; and a look at the "man camps" that have popped up due to the oil boom around Williston, North Dakota, and the ways in which women fit into such an environment.

The series "will ignite debate and dialogue," Ling said, and will be as informative as anything else on CNN.

According to Zucker, the original primetime shows, typically featured many nights at 9 p.m., have helped CNN get the median age of its primetime viewer to 59 - the first time, he said, that the median age for CNN's primetime viewership has fallen below 60 since 2008. He also said the original series have helped CNN stem declines in the demographic most desired by advertisers in news programming - people between the ages of 25 and 54. Over a five-year period, he said, CNN's 25-to-54 viewership in primetime has risen 2%.

The originals, which have also featured Morgan Spurlock and documentaries about such topics as the 1960s, the treatment of an orca at Sea World and the city of Chicago, help CNN reduce its dependence on the network's traditional format. The network won't ignore big, breaking-news stories - indeed, when important stories crest, the primetime series "will get blown off," Zucker said - but it does see a need to test new kinds of programs for when news events aren't bringing big swaths of audience to its TV screen.

During the recent "upfront" market, CNN, advertisers expressed more interest in the original primetime series, said Katrina Cukaj, the executive vice president who oversees CNN's ad sales and marketing. The new shows attracted many advertisers to CNN who had not bought ads there before, she said, as well as marketers seeking younger audiences.

"Marketers want to be part of a trending conversation, and shows like Lisa's create that," said Donna Speciale, president of ad sales for Turner Broadcasting, the Time Warner unit that houses CNN.

Not all of the series will be fronted by a "known" personality on the order of Spurlock, Ling or Rowe. Amy Entelis, CNN's senior vice president of talent and content development, said the network was "piloting" some new ideas with people who were only moderately known or possibly even less recognizeable.

CNN has other reasons for investing in the series. The shows can be run multiple times, and offer a chance for the network to participate in a growing part of the video-entertainment market: video-on-demand and video streaming from new players like Netflix and Amazon. Most of CNN's product expires upon broadcast, because it is so keyed in to breaking events of the day. But the non-fiction series tell stories with more breadth and depth, and as such, a longer shelf life. "There is no playback of perishable live news programs," said Zucker. "These have playback."

CNN is likely to find ways to tie its new primetime series to its other news coverage, when appropriate. Already, the network's regular news programs have devoted time to "The Hunt," a show featuring John Walsh and his efforts to bring escaped criminals to justice, when people profiled on the series are arrested. In July, a shootout that resulted in the death of alleged sex offender Charles Mozdir, who was profiled in the debut of "The Hunt," became fodder for the CNN news cycle.

Zucker said he could envision CNN exploring some of the issues brought up on Ling's program, too. "We will make no apologies about that," he said.

© 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC


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Report: Starz acquisition discussed in talks with Fox

Having abandoned his bid to swallow the parent company of HBO, Rupert Murdoch may be entertaining thoughts of absorbing another U.S. pay cabler.

21st Century Fox held preliminary talks with Starz on Tuesday about taking a stake in the company or owning it outright, according to a report published late Tuesday by The Los Angeles Times.

The report suggests that Fox took the meeting with Starz as a "courtesy," according to one cited source. Under the direction of CEO Chris Albrecht, who was reportedly in attendance at the meeting with Fox, Starz has been seen as a candidate for acquisitive companies, though Fox hasn't been mentioned previously as a suitor.

Such an acquisition would put Fox right back in the acquisition hunt after an aborted attempt to snap up Time Warner. Starz could be worth more than $3 billion.

While Fox's strategic rationale for swallowing up Starz may be entirely different than the one that guided Murdoch in his pursuit of Time Warner, he was reportedly very interested in the idea of owning HBO and potentially repositioning the network to compete beyond the pay-TV ecosystem with the likes of Netflix and Google. Buying Starz could put Fox in a similar situation.

© 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC


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Microsoft ready to prove whether it can play in China with Xbox One

Microsoft will make history next week when its Xbox One becomes the first videogame console to be legally sold in China in more than a decade.

With the government freeing up the ability for Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo to start offering their consoles to consumers, China could become a significant source of revenue for the games biz the way the country has impacted the film industry.

That includes not just hardware manufacturers but gamemakers, as well.

Up until now, publishers like Activision have been able to build businesses in China by turning to Internet cafes and offering versions of "Call of Duty" for online play. Without consoles, Chinese consumers have largely relied on their smartphones for entertainment, and that could pose an issue for Microsoft considering its Xbox One will be priced at around $700 with the Kinect motion sensing controller, and $300 without it.

Consoles had been banned because of government concerns over the impact games have on children.

In the Spring, Microsoft announced Sept 23 as the launch date for the Xbox One but had to switch to Sept 29 in order to get the greenlight from the Chinese government for the first 10 games to be offered on the system -- titles like "Forza Motorsport," "Zoo Tycoon" and "Naughty Kitties." Additional games and entertainment apps will launch on the platform in the weeks and months to come, Microsoft said.

Xbox has plans to develop around 70 titles with Chinese gamemaker BestTV New Media through a joint venture.

© 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC


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Consumers, Hollywood wait for answers on the Comcast-Time Warner merger

Many people have chimed in on the plans by Comcast, the nation's top cable and Internet provider, to merge with Time Warner Cable, the No. 2 cable operator and No. 3 ISP. But perhaps no one was so public as a man who confronted Comcast CEO Brian Roberts during a Q&A session in May.

"Comcast is the most hated company in America, according to one recent poll," the man said to Roberts. "What are your incentives in a place like New York to actually compete?"

After waiting for audience laughter to subside, the Comcast topper addressed the question. "Give us a few years," he said. "The incentives are because of competition."

Competition is the question at the heart of the matter, and consumers are not alone in asking it. Hollywood creatives fear a Comcast-TW Cable combo will lead to a cascade of consolidation. Content providers worry that the deal will give outsized leverage to a distributor.

FCC chairman Tom Wheeler, along with the Dept. of Justice tasked with reviewing the proposal, laments the lack of competition in the market for high-speed Internet service.

Yet on Wall Street and among many in Hollywood, the consensus still seems to be that the combination will happen, that the recent history of media mergers points to approval with conditions that try to limit the scope of the combined company's reach. The sentiment is slightly less certain in Washington, where the battle is being played out in public and private.

"If you were a betting person, I would guess that you would say that there is a good chance they will approve the merger with conditions," says former FCC commissioner Michael Copps, who was the sole vote against Comcast's merger with NBCUniversal in 2011. "But I would like to think that with the outpouring of comments on this and with the Open Internet order, that maybe there is more thinking that hey, 'Maybe this is far enough and time to say no.'"

The FCC's next deadline for comments on the merger is Sept. 23, when Comcast is expected to answer to dozens if not hundreds of critical comments from an array of groups and companies including Netflix, the Tennis Channel and Discovery Communications.

Relatively few major media companies have chimed in publicly on the merger. Discovery executives met with FCC officials earlier this month, characterizing their worries as "critical issues." According to sources who have been contacted, the FCC and the Justice Dept. are reaching out to studio executives and other industry leaders to get their take on the merger in private, reflecting the concern that to air criticisms in public would risk future negotiations with Comcast.

Some media companies have inked carriage agreements that have seemingly turned their past criticism of the deal to tacit acceptance. In April, Univision CEO Randy Falco said that the merger was bad for competition. Earlier this month, Univision announced a long-term pact for Comcast to carry its Spanish-language sports network, and stayed silent when it came to filing official public comment to the FCC..

Comcast feels it already has addressed many of the critical comments, with company exec VP David L. Cohen citing that "the number of video, broadband and phone providers in every local market in the country will remain the same post-transaction as today."

Nationally, Comcast says the combined entity still will have less than 30% of the pay-TV market and not quite 36% of the wired broadband market -- not enough to raise serious competitive concerns, it maintains.

Yet privately, industry investors and studio executives express the fear that the merger marks a turning point that will tilt leverage clearly in Comcast's favor, with greater power to set pricing and carriage terms. With dominant positions in New York and Los Angeles, Comcast will hold the cards when it comes to reaching the viewers advertisers crave.

That prospect will force others to play the combination game. Lined up on the runway behind Comcast-TW Cable are AT&T and DirecTV, and the belief is that further consolidation on the distribution side will lead to mergers on the content side. A potential merger of 21st Century Fox with Time Warner never got off the ground, but that may be the shape of things to come for content players.

"Although there has been a lot of activity in the media merger industry, we haven't seen much around the six major studios for some period of time, and (Comcast-TW Cable) has reignited that interest," says Lindsay Conner, co-chair of the entertainment and media practice at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips. "Whether or not it is ultimately approved, people's appetites have been whetted."

Will the government have the gumption to say no? Here are the scenarios:

A "yes" to the merger:
To satisfy the Dept. of Justice, Comcast will have to pass muster on issues of antitrust; to win approval from the FCC, it will have to prove the deal to be in the public interest. Comcast argues that the combined company's greater scale won't be so great as to give it unfair advantage, yet maintains that scale will be great enough to allow it to better roll out new technologies to its customers -- as it is doing with the interactive X1 operating platform. With Comcast's upgrades in technology, cable operators, satellite providers and startups like Google Fiber will have to respond with their own competitive investments. That's what makes the merger "pro-competitive," Comcast maintains.

But to expect the DOJ and FCC would sign off on the deal as it stands now ignores the politics of the situation. From day one, scrutiny of the merger has focused on Comcast's ties in Washington, particularly to the Obama administration. Comcast is the No. 1 media company when it comes to lobbying spending and campaign contributions, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. A rubber-stamp approval would likely raise a furor.

A "no" to the merger:
An outright rejection of the deal would send shockwaves through the cable and telco industries (although it wouldn't necessarily spell doom for AT&T's proposed purchase of DirecTV). Wheeler and William Baer, chief of the DOJ's Antitrust Division, publicly frowned on the possibility of Sprint and T-Mobile merging, and the two wireless firms ultimately decided against it. In 2011, the FCC and the Antitrust Division blocked the proposed merger of AT&T and T-Mobile.

Comcast correctly argues that unlike those examples, its merger with Time Warner Cable doesn't remove consumer choice from the table, putting the onus on federal officials to come up with a legal rationale to reject the deal. Helpfully, Netflix has provided one, citing the 14-year-old case of AT&T and MediaOne. Like Comcast and TW Cable, they were then the two largest cable companies that didn't directly compete in any market. Nevertheless, the combined company would have controlled almost 40% of Internet service. The Justice Dept. forced AT&T to sell off MediaOne's interest in broadband on the grounds that the company would have too much leverage over content trying to go through its pipes.

If the government bases its decision on those grounds, it wouldn't necessarily put the brakes on consolidation, and the effect would be greater on TW Cable than on Comcast, according to Craig Moffett of research firm MoffettNathanson. "Comcast shares dropped when the (merger) was first announced," he says. "The market has warmed to it since then, but I still don't think it would have an outsized impact on Comcast shares."

A "maybe" to the merger:
At the same time the FCC is considering the Comcast-TW Cable merger, it is jumping back into the minefield of net neutrality, the rules of the road for the Internet that, in essence, force ISPs to treat all traffic equally. According to the staunchest adherents of net neutrality, the rules are what keep the Internet from devolving into the tiered system of cable TV.

The challenge the FCC faces is devising rules that can prevent the cable-ization of the Internet, yet survive a legal challenge. Advocates urge Wheeler that the only way to do so is to reclassify the Internet as a utility; the broadband industry sees such an approach as regulatory overreach.

Instead of relying on a set of controversial rules, the merger could allow Wheeler to instead make them a condition of the Comcast-TW Cable deal, at least for a time, and perhaps long enough for market realities to change. Comcast already has to abide by the previous net neutrality rules through 2018 as a condition of its merger with NBCUniversal, and it says it will offer those conditions to TW Cable customers.

Wheeler and the FCC could extend such demands beyond 2018, or even address other simmering issues the FCC faces. Netflix is urging the FCC to do something about the fees Comcast and Verizon are charging to connect video traffic to their networks. Consumer groups fear Comcast eventually will impose widespread usage-based pricing and data caps on consumers, as are common in the mobile world, stifling the growth of video online.

The onus also will be on the FCC and DOJ to establish conditions that prohibit Comcast from withholding NBCUniversal content from other distributors, or from preventing competing channels from landing valuable placement on its cable systems. And more than likely, there will be some scrutiny of how Comcast treats regional sports networks. Wheeler already has stepped into the fray over TW Cable's impasse in Los Angeles with other distributors over pricing of its Dodgers baseball channel -- an impasse that has left most consumers in the market unable to watch games. The problem with conditions is that they can be difficult to enforce; the advantage is that they allow the government to walk away with claims of victory.

One thing is certain, with the fate of a deal that has far-reaching consequences in the balance, nothing seems to get in the cross-hairs of both parties in Congress more than screwing with a winning hometown sports team.

© 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC


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Booze forecast for Boston ’burbs: Drizly

Written By Unknown on Senin, 22 September 2014 | 18.38

A local alcohol delivery startup is making a major Boston-area expansion, adding nine new towns to its delivery area.

"We're taking the full dive into the Boston suburbs," said Nick Rellas, CEO of Drizly.

Drizly will begin delivering alcohol today to towns including Quincy, Newton and Arlington, the latest in the Boston company's nationwide expansion.

Calling itself the "Amazon of alcohol," Drizly's app and website connects users with local liquor stores, who then deliver the alcohol.

Founded at Boston College, the company has expanded quickly.

Drizly has started service in Chicago, Washington, Los Angeles, Denver and New York City this year, and is preparing for more cities soon.

"You're going to see us in 12 to 14 cities total by the end of this year," Rellas said.

Still, Drizly's suburban service will work slightly differently. Because liquor stores are more spread out, users can expect deliveries within 90 minutes, rather than 40. The minimum order has also been raised, to help the economics make sense for the liquor stores.

"There are a lot of challenges to being in the suburbs," Rellas said. "If you're in Lexington, there's a good chance you could be as much as 10 miles from our store."

Rellas said pilot tests in Wellesley, Weston and Wayland showed an appetite for on-demand alcohol delivery, though many other on-demand services such as Uber and Instacart, which delivers groceries, have had trouble expanding into the less-dense suburbs.

"It's a different type of store, it's a different type of selection, it's a different type of consumer," Rellas said.

Though alcohol and other so-called vices can scare off investors, Drizly has raised close to $5 million in venture financing.

Walt Doyle, one of Drizly's investors, said the company stands out by getting the OK from regulators before starting service in an area. The Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission has given the green light to Drizly, largely because of its identification verification software that the company says ensures the buyer is over 21. Rellas said the company has had no issues or incidents, and added they will not deliver to college campuses.

"We're looking at a white space in the industry that is completely compliant," Doyle said. "From a consumer perspective, I think we make the experience safer."

Other companies, including Uber and AirBnB, have been criticized for their tendency to enter markets without regulatory approval.


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NASA's Maven explorer arrives at Mars after a year

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA's Maven spacecraft arrived at Mars late Sunday after a 442 million-mile journey that began nearly a year ago.

The robotic explorer fired its brakes and successfully slipped into orbit around the red planet, officials confirmed.

"I think my heart's about ready to start again," said Maven's chief investigator, Bruce Jakosky of the University of Colorado. "All I can say at this point is, 'We're in orbit at Mars, guys!'"

Now the real work begins for the $671 million mission, the first dedicated to studying Mars' upper atmosphere.

Flight controllers in Colorado will spend the next six weeks adjusting Maven's altitude and checking its science instruments, and observing a comet streaking by. Then in early November, Maven will start probing the upper atmosphere of Mars. The spacecraft will conduct its observations from orbit; it's not meant to land.

Scientists believe the Martian atmosphere holds clues as to how Earth's neighbor went from being warm and wet billions of years ago to cold and dry. That early wet world may have harbored microbial life, a tantalizing question yet to be answered.

NASA launched Maven last November from Cape Canaveral, the 10th U.S. mission sent to orbit the red planet. Three earlier ones failed, and until the official word came of success late Sunday night, the entire team was on edge.

"I don't have any fingernails any more, but we've made it," said Colleen Hartman, deputy director for science at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "It's incredible."

The spacecraft was clocking more than 10,000 mph when it hit the brakes for the so-called orbital insertion, a half-hour process. The world had to wait 12 minutes to learn the outcome, once it occurred, because of the lag in spacecraft signals given the 138 million miles between the two planets on Sunday.

"Based on observed navigation data, congratulations, Maven is now in Mars orbit," came the official announcement. Flight controllers applauded the news and shook hands; laughter filled the previously tension-filled room.

Noted NASA project manager David Mitchell: "Wow, what a night. You get one shot with Mars orbit insertion, and Maven nailed it tonight."

Maven joins three spacecraft already circling Mars, two American and one European. And the traffic jam isn't over: India's first interplanetary probe, Mangalyaan, will reach Mars in two days and also aim for orbit. Jakosky wished the team well.

Jakosky, who's with the University of Colorado's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in Boulder, hopes to learn where all the water on Mars went, along with the carbon dioxide that once comprised an atmosphere thick enough to hold moist clouds.

The gases may have been stripped away by the sun early in Mars' existence, escaping into the upper atmosphere and out into space. Maven's observations should be able to extrapolate back in time, Jakosky said.

Maven — short for Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission — will spend at least a year collecting data. That's a full Earth year, half a Martian one. Its orbit will dip as low as 78 miles above the Martian surface as its eight instruments make measurements. The craft is as long as a school bus, from solar wingtip to tip, and as hefty as an SUV.

Maven will have a rare brush with a comet next month.

The nucleus of newly discovered Comet Siding Spring will pass 82,000 miles from Mars on Oct. 19. The risk of comet dust damaging Maven is low, officials said, and the spacecraft should be able to observe Siding Spring as a science bonus.

Lockheed Martin Corp., Maven's maker, is operating the mission from its control center at Littleton, Colorado.

This is NASA's 21st shot at Mars and the first since the Curiosity rover landed on the red planet in 2012. Just this month, Curiosity arrived at its prime science target, a mountain named Sharp, ripe for drilling. The Opportunity rover is also still active a decade after landing.

All these robotic scouts are paving the way for the human explorers that NASA hopes to send in the 2030s.

___

Online:

NASA: http://mars.nasa.gov/maven/

University of Colorado: http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/maven/


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US firm in China meat scandal lays off 340 staff

BEIJING — A U.S. meat supplier said Monday it is laying off most of the workforce of a Chinese subsidiary accused of selling expired beef and chicken to McDonald's, KFC and other major restaurant chains.

Shanghai Husi Food Co. has been under investigation since a Shanghai TV station reported in July it repackaged and sold old meat. Six employees were arrested in August on suspicion of producing substandard products.

Its owner, OSI Group of Aurora, Illinois, said it will lay off 340 people at the Shanghai unit. It said a small number of employees would be kept on while the investigation is underway. The website of Shanghai Husi says it employs about 500 people.

"Over the past two months, Shanghai Husi has experienced significant financial and customer losses," said an OSI Group statement. "It is very unlikely that production will be resumed soon."

The scandal has alarmed Chinese diners and disrupted operations for fast food brands.

Product safety is unusually sensitive in China following scandals over the past decade in which infants, hospital patients and others have been killed or sickened by phony or adulterated milk powder, drugs and other goods.

KFC owner Yum Brands Inc. and McDonald's Corp. said they immediately stopped using products from Husi.

Burger King Corp., Starbucks Corp., pizza chain Papa John's International Inc. and a Dicos, a chain of sandwich shops, withdrew products with ingredients from suppliers that dealt with Husi.

OSI has announced plans for a "quality control center" in Shanghai and said it will spend 10 million yuan ($1.6 million) on a food safety education campaign.

The company announced Sept. 1 it was turning over management of a separate facility in the southern city of Guangzhou that produces vegetable and fruit products to KanPak China, owned by Golden State Foods of Irvine, California.

KFC has broken all ties with OSI Group in China, the United States and Australia.

McDonald's, which has bought meat from OSI in the United States since the 1950s, complained it felt deceived but has said it will stick with the company, possibly because Chinese food processors cannot match OSI's scale and technology.


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World stock markets slip on China growth jitters

TOKYO — Stock markets fell Monday ahead of a preliminary manufacturing survey from China that might show renewed weakness in the world's second-largest economy.

KEEPING SCORE: Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.3 percent to 6,799.98 after shares in major retailer Tesco plunged on the news it had overestimated its half-year expected profit by 250 million pounds (about $409 million). France's CAC 40 dropped 0.4 percent to 4,442.70 and Germany's DAX slipped 0.4 percent to 9,764.44. U.S stocks were set to start the week lower, with Dow futures down 0.3 percent to 17,156. S&P 500 futures lost 0.5 percent to 1,993.30.

THE QUOTE: "All eyes will be on China's HSBC flash PMI after the recent spate of soft data, especially industrial production and property prices last week," Mizuho Bank said in a commentary. HSBC's gauge of China manufacturing is due Tuesday.

CURRENCIES: The yen has been trading at six-year lows as the dollar has surged in anticipation the U.S. Federal Reserve will raise interest rates next year while the Bank of Japan keeps its easy monetary policy. However on Monday the dollar was slightly lower, at 108.90 yen, after closing Friday at 109.05 yen. The euro rose to $1.2855 from $1.2831.

G-20 PLEDGE: A pledge of further stimulus from finance chiefs of the Group of 20 industrial nations over the weekend appeared to fall flat amid deepening concern over faltering recoveries in major economies apart from the U.S. Finance chiefs from the G-20, representing about 85 percent of the global economy, said Sunday they are close to reaching a goal set in February of boosting world GDP by more than $2 trillion over the next five years, and will focus on infrastructure investment to help reach the target. But they also warned that despite improving economic conditions in some key economies, growth remains uneven and below the pace necessary to generate critically needed jobs.

ASIA'S DAY: Tokyo's Nikkei 225 fell 0.7 percent to 16,205.90 as the yen regained some strength against the U.S. dollar. South Korea's Kospi fell 0.7 percent to 2,039.27 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 1.4 percent to 23,955.67. Sydney's S&P/ASX 200 lost 1.3 percent to 5,363 on selling of materials-related shares and financials. Shares in Southeast Asia and India also fell.

NZ VOTE: New Zealand's share market benchmark rose 1.3 percent to 5,619.97 on gains in energy stocks following an election victory Saturday for the ruling National Party over the Labour Party, which had promised to lower energy prices.

ENERGY: Benchmark crude oil slipped 34 cents to $91.31 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 33 cents to close at $91.65 a barrel on Friday.


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SpaceX launches 3-D printer, other station gear

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 21 September 2014 | 18.38

CAPE CANAVERAL — A SpaceX cargo ship rocketed toward the International Space Station on Sunday, carrying the first 3-D printer for astronauts in orbit.

In all, the unmanned Dragon capsule is delivering more than 5,000 pounds of space station supplies for NASA.

Dragon should reach the space station Tuesday. It's the fifth station shipment for the California-based SpaceX, one of two new commercial winners in the race to start launching Americans again from home soil.

The space station was soaring over the South Pacific when the SpaceX Falcon 9 thundered into Florida's pre-dawn sky. Sunday's weather was ideal for flying, unlike Saturday, when rain forced a delay. The rocket was visible for nearly three minutes as it sped out over the Atlantic, with the Orion constellation as a backdrop.

"What a beautiful morning it was," said Sam Scimemi, NASA's space station division director.

Sunday was a red-letter day for NASA in more ways than one.

Besides the flawless launch, the space agency's Maven spacecraft was on the verge of reaching Mars. The robotic explorer was scheduled to go into orbit around Mars late Sunday night.

The space station-bound 3-D printer was developed by Made in Space, another California company. It's sturdier than Earthly models to withstand the stresses of launch, and meets NASA's strict safety standards. The space agency envisions astronauts one day cranking out spare parts as needed. For now, it's a technology demonstrator, with a bigger and better model to follow next year.

A $30 million device for measuring ocean winds is also flying up on Dragon, along with 20 mice and 30 fruit flies for biological research and metal samples for a golf club manufacturer looking to improve its products.

Much-needed spacesuit batteries are on board as well, along with the usual stash of food, clothes and electronic gear. Routine U.S. spacewalks were put on hold following last year's close call with an astronaut's flooded helmet. That problem was solved, then the battery fuses were called into question. NASA hopes to resume spacewalks next month.

NASA is paying SpaceX and Virginia-based Orbital Sciences Corp. to make regular station deliveries. The SpaceX service began two years ago.

Just this past week, SpaceX — led by billionaire Elon Musk — won an even bigger and more prestigious contract to transport U.S. astronauts to the orbiting outpost, along with Boeing. Dragon rides could begin as early as 2016 or 2017.

NASA's ability to launch its own crews ended with the shuttle program in 2011. Russia has been providing rides on its Soyuz spacecraft for a hefty price.

Another American astronaut is scheduled to blast off from Kazakhstan aboard a Russian Soyuz later this week, along with two Russians, one of them a woman, a rarity for Russia. They will join the one American, one Russian and one German already in orbit.

SpaceX was delighted with Sunday's success and the road ahead, and could hardly wait for the party to begin.

"Nothing like a good launch," observed Hans Koenigsmann, vice president of mission assurance for SpaceX. "It's just fantastic."

___

Online:

SpaceX: http://www.spacex.com/

NASA: htttp://www.nasa.gov

Made in Space: http://www.madeinspace.us/


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Pet care comes to Walgreens

A Florida veterinary company is partnering with Walgreens to offer lower-cost, walk-up clinics for dogs and cats in the parking lots of about 50 of the drugstore chain's Massachusetts stores.

Starting this weekend, ShotVet is offering preventative care services — including rabies and other vaccines, heartworm and Lyme disease tests, and micro-chipping — by state-licensed veterinarians.

"The price is probably about a 70 percent savings (from traditional vet offices)," said Jen Borgman, CEO of ShotVet, which has been offering its services in conjunction with Walgreens in Florida and Georgia for several years. "It's challenging for people to afford veterinary care, and many, many pets are going without. That's not good for the communities, and that's not good for the animals."

ShotVet will visit each participating Walgreens for an hour each month with a vet, technician and "client educator" who explains its packages. No appointments are required.

"There's usually a long line … so we advise people to get there early," Borgman said. "It's no exam fees. What customers say over and over again is this was fast, convenient, easy. And the experience is much less stressful for the pet as well as the owner."

The service is aligned with Walgreens' mission "to help people get, stay and live well," said Phil Caruso, spokesman for the Deerfield, Ill.-based company. "Pets are valued members of many families, and an opportunity to provide a service like this in our parking lots just helps us reiterate our mission," he said.

But the Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association finds ShotVet's services "very problematic," according to executive director Susan Curtis. "We want what's in the best interest of the animals and public health, and we want to see all animals properly vaccinated, but this issue is very concerning," she said.

State law requires a "veterinary-client patient relationship" be established before any vaccination is given, Curtis notes. That requires sufficient knowledge of an animal by a vet to "initiate at least a general or preliminary diagnosis" of its medical condition. This means the vet has recently seen and is personally acquainted with the keeping and care of the animals by virtue of an examination and/or by medically appropriate and timely visits to where the animal is kept, the law states.

"In this type of environment, there isn't that relationship," Curtis said. "There should be a physical exam, there should be an assessment, there should be a knowledge of the animal and the animal's living situation, and there should be a relationship."

But ShotVet founder Dr. Wesley Borgman counters that ShotVet vets examine every animal before preventative action is taken.

"Many animals are going unvaccinated," he said. "We go out and service clients that many times aren't going to see a veterinarian. We don't replace the (animal hospital) services. In fact, we refer cases to our colleagues at the animal hospitals … to take care of things we can't handle."


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Hyundai Santa Fe’s onetime brake lockup is puzzling

Last week I parallel-parked my 2003 Hyundai Sante Fe. I came out to drive away and went about 3 feet before the car stopped like the brakes had locked up. I went back and forth about 3 feet at least three more times with the same results. I left the car and came back the next morning and drove to a garage with no problems. The garage scanned all vehicle control modules for codes — none found. They also found no service bulletins from Hyundai pertaining to this symptom. They inspected all brake components — all are in good condition. Any suggestion?

I'm not often completely stumped by an automotive question, but this one has me really intrigued. Looking at the issue logically, my first thought is something physically stopping the vehicle from moving more than 3 feet.

Do you have any friends — or enemies — who might play a trick on you like a strategically placed pair of cinder blocks? I remember an unnamed friend who, for the fun of it, chained the rear axle of an old Chevy wagon to the adjacent fire hydrant and watched as his friend tried to pull away. I'll leave the results to your imagination!

What kind of mechanical or electronic issue could have caused this and then suddenly disappeared without a trace? I'm open to suggestions, but the only normal "action" that might have somehow compounded into this is initialization of the antilock braking system (ABS). Each time the vehicle is started, in the first few miles per hour of driving, the ABS tests itself by actuating the pump, dump valves and solenoids to make sure they're working. This may be felt as a slight vibration in the brake pedal.

With that said, this initialization only occurs once per key cycle, so it doesn't seem particularly likely to be the culprit. In fact, no brake lockup would seem likely because the vehicle rolls roughly one tire revolution before the lockup.

Anyone else want to take a shot at this?

Oh, almost forgot — was there a parking ticket on the windshield? And did you check for a wheel lock to disable the car?

I have a 2014 Acura RDX that is a very nice vehicle except for the fact that the passenger seat cannot be raised vertically. My wife is fairly short and sits too low compared with the driver's side, which has an electric lift. The dealer said that there is no fix for this. It seems like a simple problem. Have you heard of any electric, or manual lifts for this ? Or, simply some wedges installed under the seat mounts?

You could try a mobility store to find a booster for her seat, or perhaps an auto upholstery shop could build up the seat with thicker or firmer foam.

The reason it seems simple yet there's no solution from the dealer is that any change that alters a motor vehicle creates a liability issue for the dealer and carmaker.

Personally, I have installed spacers under the seat mounts on a couple of my personal vehicles, but like I said, I'd suggest a visit to a mobility store.

When I was topping off the oil in my car I accidentally put in half a quart of DEX/MERC automatic transmission fluid. Can I drive it? If yes, how far before changing the oil? Or do I need to change it now?

Automatic transmission fluid is primarily a high-quality lubricating oil with special additives for the transmission, so you probably don't have an immediate problem. But the fact that you were topping up the oil means it's been in the crankcase for a while, so why not get the oil changed now and put the worry aside?

Paul Brand, author of "How to Repair Your Car," is an automotive troubleshooter, driving instructor and former race -car driver. Readers may write to him at: Star Tribune, 425 Portland Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minn., 55488 or via email at paul brand@startribune.com. Please explain the problem in detail and include a daytime phone number.


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EdTrip’s a field day for teachers

For most students, field trips are something to look forward to as a day away from the classroom and, every so often, as a chance to see for themselves something truly transformative, something they've only heard about in school or read about in books.

But for teachers, coordinating these trips can be a logistical nightmare of finding the right destination, drawing up an itinerary and collecting dozens of parental-consent forms — all things that take time away from teaching.

So a MassChallenge finalist offers to do all of that for them, all the while drumming up business for Bay State venues.

"Coordinating field trips is a massive investment of time if you're a teacher," said EdTrips CEO Jakob Garrow, who used to work for an educational travel company with his co-founder, Laura Wallendal. "We realized if there were a way to make it easier for teachers, more of them would take trips."

The two teamed up with Jillian Kando, their chief technology officer, to create a website that, in addition to collecting payments and parents' permission, allows teachers to search for a destination by name, subject or the grade they teach. Or they can use EdTrips' concierge service, which passes along a 20 percent discount off the cost of tickets to their destinations if they choose from a curated list of field-trip matches based on criteria such as their grade, their budget and the distance they want to travel.

Teachers pay nothing to use the website, while venues pay EdTrips a percentage of overall ticket sales for each trip organized through the site.

Since April, the company has partnered with 247 Massachusetts destinations, including Boston PhotoWalks Tours and Scavenger Hunts, Peabody Essex Museum and Woods Hole Science Aquarium, with plans to expand to venues in other states.

Peter McGovern, who teaches Spanish and Mandarin Chinese at Catholic Memorial School in West Roxbury, hopes to use the website to organize trips that would incorporate cultural opportunities such as a show or a tour of Chinatown, where his students could practice their Mandarin.

"Students could see the real-world value of being able to communicate with people in their language," he said. "And having the permission slip collection and payment online would save a lot of time."

Since Labor Day, at least four teachers have used EdTrips to pay by credit card for field trips to the Paul Revere House, which otherwise takes only cash or checks the day of the trip, said Emily Holmes, education director of the Paul Revere Memorial Association, which runs the historic North End site.

"Definitely we're hoping we'll have exposure to a new audience," Holmes said.


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