Judge upholds ride-share rules

A bid by taxi medallion owners to halt regulations that have legalized transportation companies including Uber and Lyft has been rejected by a federal judge.

"Plaintiffs have failed to convince this court that medallion owners have a protected property interest in the market value of their medallions," U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton said yesterday in a court order. "Purchasing a taxicab medallion does not entitle the buyer to 'an unalterable monopoly' over the taxicab market or the overall for-hire transportation market,"

Gorton said the Boston Taxi Owners Association was not convincing in its argument for a preliminary injunction, rejecting its claims of violation of equal protection and "unconstitutional taking of their property."

The association has sued both Boston and the state in an effort to halt state regulations for Uber and Lyft that it sees as unfair. Initial statewide regulations for so-called transportation network companies went into effect last month, but require legislative approval.

"In order for Massachusetts' economy to thrive, we must continue to embrace technology and innovation as a means for growth," Gov. Charlie Baker said in a statement.

Boston is in the middle of its own regulatory process, with a Taxi Advisory Committee that has been looking at the issue for months. A spokeswoman for Mayor Martin J. Walsh said the city is pleased with the decision.

A lawyer for the Taxi Owners Association did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Audi A4 earns a high grade

The efficient 2015 Audi A4 with go-anywhere, all-wheel-drive is a solid choice for the New Englander not willing to compromise on performance or craftsmanship.

Audi's quattro all-wheel-drive system intuitively sends power to the wheels with the most grip. Although our tester had 19-inch, low-profile summer tires, I found the sedan provided superb traction on both wet and snow-covered roads.

The quattro system, which has been around for more than 35 years, was equally impressive on dry roads, giving the A4 sharp handling with a decent amount of feedback and providing the driver with an intimate connection to the road. The A4's sport-tuned suspension settled through bumps on the corners and the sedan's electronic, speed-sensitive steering had a heavy, precision feel.

Under the hood, the A4 packs a turbocharged 2.0- liter, inline four-cylinder engine that cranks out 220 horsepower. Audi offers three transmission choices with the A4: a six-speed manual, a continuously variable automatic, and an eight-speed automatic with manual override. My tester had the eight speed with paddle shifters, which allowed me to take control of the sedan, especially through the corners and on steep highway ramps. The multitude of gears allowed for smooth downshifting and maximized the transfer of power from the efficient engine. The A4 balances a respectable amount power with decent fuel economy for an all-wheel-drive sedan. The A4 did 21 miles per gallon in the city and 30 mpg on highway.

Silver and gray trim highlighted my A4's black interior. Leather heated front seats were firm and supportive. The centerpiece of the A4's cockpit was a distinctive flat bottom steering wheel, which was part of the $1,500 sport plus package that included the paddle shifters, a black headliner, and 19-inch, 5-arm aluminum wheels with a titanium finish. Three-zone climate controls allowed driver and passengers to individualize the cabin temperature. While the A4 is listed as a five-seater, my children looked cramped in the backseat for the lift to school. The rear seats fold down with a 60/40 split.

Red backlighting on switches and buttons played well against the dark interior. A 7-inch display screen was neatly integrated into the A4's dashboard. Navigation, stereo, cellphone, and vehicle settings were controlled with a joystick knob surrounded by an array of buttons on the center console. While the center stack was imposing at first glance, I found operating the A4's infotainment features intuitive and straightforward. The cluster of controls reduced the need to drill down through layers of menus. A push-button ignition button was located beside a conveniently placed electronic parking brake control.

My only dislike with the A4 was the location of the cruise control stalk behind the steering wheel. I guess it's just a distinctive quirk with Audi, but cruise control is much easier to use when located on the steering wheel.

The solidly built Audi A4 starts at $37,600 and my tester topped out just over $46,000, which puts it in the mix with the other premium sedans from Germany, such as the BMW 3-series or Mercedes-Benz C300. The A4 is also worth a test drive when considering the Cadillac ATS, Lexus IS, or Infiniti Q50.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cambridge condo mixes style, comfort

This stylish new condo is one of three carved out of a long, narrow stucco house in North Cambridge that features a long front porch topped with private decks.

The end Unit 1 at 130 Rindge Ave. is the last of the condos for sale, on the market for $975,000, and it features three bedrooms and three levels of living space.

There's not much yard space around the 1875-built property, but the rebuilt front porch does overlook a large, open green space in front of the upscale Wyeth apartments next door. The house's exterior has been completely restored, with new black mullion windows and white trim.

The front porch leads into a foyer, with dark-stained red oak floors that are featured throughout the property, along with 9-foot ceilings with crown molding on the first floor.

To the left of the foyer sits a stylish recessed-lit kitchen,­ with 22 white-­painted wood cabinets and Carrara marble-topped counters with a white beadboard back­splash. There's also a separate Carrara-­topped gray-painted island with a breakfast bar that seats three as well as a double-doored pantry/storage closet. High-end stainless-steel appliances include a Bosch refrigerator and dishwasher as well as a professional-grade Viking gas stove and a matching microwave above.

Adjacent is a dining area, with glass doors that open out to a back porch and down to a private fenced-in patio.

Back inside, to the right of the foyer sits a good-sized recessed-lit living room with crown molding and four six-over-six windows on three sides.

Oak stairs lead up to three oak-floored bedrooms on the second floor with a window at the top of the landing.

The master suite covers half the second floor, with oak flooring, crown molding and recessed lighting. Two front windows bring in light and a pair of glass doors lead out to a private deck over the front porch with views of the open space next door.

The master suite has four closets, all with built-in shelving. The stylish en-suite bathroom is completely marble finished — from its small tile floors to gray tile around a deep soaking tub and shower. And there's a Carrara-topped double-sink wood vanity.

The second bedroom features two windows, two closets and an overhead light/fan. Across the hall sits a small third bedroom best suited as a home office or nursery. It has one deep closet.

The second full bathroom on this floor is equally stylish, with green-and-white small tile marble floors and white marble tile surround with small green tile inlay around a deep soaking tub and a shower. This bathroom also has a Carrara marble-topped wood vanity.

The unit has a fully finished basement, with oak stairs leading down to a carpeted family room.

The large family room has one window and two closets. One holds the unit's two-zone high-efficiency heating and cooling system, and the other has a washer-dryer hookup as well as a Navien tankless water heater.

There's a full bathroom on this level, with small white ceramic tile floors and white ceramic tile surround for a deep soaking tub and shower.

The condo comes with two outdoor parking spaces on a long shared driveway.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

NBC launches internal probe on Brian Williams claims

NEW YORK — NBC News has assigned the head of its own investigative unit to look into statements that anchor Brian Williams made about his reporting in Iraq a dozen years ago, an episode that's ballooned into a full-blown credibility crisis for the network.

NBC News President Deborah Turness announced the probe in an internal memo on Friday. Williams has apologized for falsely saying on the air that he was in a helicopter hit by a rocket-propelled grenade while in Iraq in 2003, and Turness said Friday the anchor expressed his regrets to his colleagues for the impact the episode has had.

"As you would expect, we have a team dedicated to gathering the facts to help us make sense of all that has transpired," Turness wrote. "We're working on what the best next steps are."

Richard Esposito, who has worked at the New York Daily News, New York Newsday and ABC and is now at NBC, is leading the investigation.

Williams anchored "Nightly News" from New York on Friday, making no mention of the criticisms of his work.

Questions were also raised about statements Williams made on coverage of Hurricane Katrina, which was one of his proudest moments at NBC. In a 2006 interview with former Disney CEO Michael Eisner, Williams twice referenced seeing a body float down a street in New Orleans.

"When you look out of your hotel room window in the French Quarter and watch a man float by face down, when you see bodies that you last saw in Banda Aceh, Indonesia and swore to yourself that you would never see in your country," Williams said.

Several minutes later, Williams again talked about seeing the body as he discussed how it felt to cover the storm.

"I felt something get dislodged that changes the usual arm's length relationship between me and the stories I cover. These are Americans. These are my brothers and sisters. And one of them was floating by."

The remarks drew suspicion because during Katrina, there was relatively little flooding in New Orleans' French Quarter.

Williams was staying at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in New Orleans, according to an NBC source who requested anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak on personnel matters.

Capt. James Scott, who was a police commander in the downtown area at the time of Katrina, said he saw a body floating along Rampart Street on the edge of the French Quarter. "It was floating with the water," he said.

The body Scott saw was about four blocks from the Ritz-Carlton, which was surrounded by up to three feet of water, he said.

Alex Brandon, a Washington-based photographer for The Associated Press, was working in New Orleans during Katrina and said there was enough water to launch a flat-bottomed boat from in front of the Ritz. He also said he photographed a dead body floating on Canal Street a few blocks from the Ritz.

The story originally called into question about Williams' wartime reporting experience has made him a subject of mockery, including a New York Post front cover that depicted him with a long Pinocchio's nose, over the headline "A Nose for News."

He's the leading man at the network's news division, whose nightly newscast has topped its rivals in ratings for the better part of a decade. As a frequent talk show guest and one-time "Saturday Night Live" host, his celebrity transcended the news division.

He apologized on the air Wednesday for telling his story about the supposed grenade attack as recently as last Friday on "Nightly News." He admitted that his helicopter was not hit by a grenade after war veterans had come forward to question the account, some even disputing whether Williams' helicopter was in a group that came under direct attack.

NBC News needs to look at not only Williams' story about the helicopter, which has changed in details as he's talked about it over the years, but whether anybody else at the network knew that he was spreading a falsehood and did anything about it, said Kelly McBride, an expert on ethics for the journalism think tank the Poynter Institute.

"He is the front man of 'Nightly News' and is seen as the primary arbiter of the facts," McBride said. "For him to get something wrong on something he was involved in casts doubt on his ability to get any facts right."

NBC News must also weigh his importance to the news division and the work he has done since taking over as top anchor from Tom Brokaw in 2004, she said. Brokaw, for his part, on Friday denied a published report that he had suggested Williams be dismissed.

"Brian's future will be decided by him and the executives of NBC News," Brokaw said.

That would be Turness and her immediate supervisor, Pat Fili-Krushel, who had seen "Nightly News" as a bright spot for the network as they tried to correct ratings problems at the "Today" show and "Meet the Press." NBC's corporate parents at Comcast would likely weigh in as well.

Meanwhile Friday, CNN said it was stepping back from its own report Thursday, quoting Rich Krell, a veteran who claimed to pilot Williams' helicopter in Iraq. Krell had said Thursday that the helicopter had taken small arms fire — if not a grenade attack — but said Friday that he was questioning his own recollections after being contradicted by other veterans.

____

Associated Press writer Cain Burdeau in New Orleans contributed to this story.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Staples merger to cut stores

Hundreds to as many as a thousand Staples and Office Depot store closings are expected if federal regulators sign off on the planned $6.3 billion merger of the nation's two largest office supplies chains.

With about half of their combined 3,200-plus U.S. stores within five miles of each other, Citi analyst Kate McShane estimates more than 500 locations could be closed. "We think store closings are likely to be announced down the road, once the deal is approved by the (Federal Trade Commission) and closed," McShane said.

Those closings would be on top of ones already planned by the individual companies, which are downsizing their retail footprint as they struggle to compete with online rivals. Staples has about 55 stores slated to be closed out of 225 it previously announced as part of its retail "reinvention." Office Depot has about 235 stores remaining to be shuttered out of 400 planned closures, according to McShane.

The store closings would be a small part of the estimated $1 billion-plus in annual cost savings that the two companies expect by the end of the third year after a merger closed.

"Store closings and real estate optimization as well as sales initiatives may bear fruit over time, but for now sales and margins continue to decline," said Carol Levenson, director of research, at Gimme Credit, a corporate bond research service.

About 1,000 store closings — either voluntary or forced by the FTC — are expected by Janney Capital Markets analyst David Strasser. That would save the merged company 
$350 million-plus in rent expenses, he said.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Data of 80M Anthem customers stolen

The computer breach at the country's second-largest insurer is the latest attack on a health care company as hackers aim their sights at valuable information found in medical records, one expert said.

"Everyone in health care knows it's a problem; everyone in health care is taking it very seriously," said John Halamka, chief information officer at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. "Protecting patient data is our mission, but the problem is getting harder to solve than ever."

Yesterday, Anthem Inc., which covers more than 37 million people throughout the country, said data for about 80 million customers were stolen, including names, Social Security numbers, birthdates and street addresses, in a "very sophisticated" attack. Bloomberg reported the company is eyeing Chinese state-sponsored hackers.

Halamka said medical records are an inviting target to hackers. On the black market, medical records go for about $150 each, compared to a dollar for a credit card.

"What we're talking about with medical identity theft is a health care shopping spree; I can get the surgery I need, the health care I can't afford," he said.

Halamka said Beth Israel is spending roughly $3 million a year to keep patient data safe.

"Every day when I wake up, security is one of the first things that I think of," he said.

Anthem does not write policies in Massachusetts, but residents who work for companies based in other states may be affected, according to the state Division of Insurance. Attorney General Maura Healey's office plans to investigate the scope of the data breach in Massachusetts.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Brian Williams and the lost art of the public apology

Brian Williams is sorry. The NBC anchor said so on his nightly newscast, on Facebook and in the pages of Stars and Stripes, the magazine that first unearthed his repeated lies about flying in a helicopter struck by an RPG over a decade ago in Iraq.

And yet it's not enough.

It's not that being apologetic isn't adequate repentance for Williams' sin. What isn't enough is the nature of the apology he is offering. Like so many wayward public figures who aren't getting the right damage-control advice, Williams seems to believe apologizing early and often will take care of the problem without giving sufficient attention to how they say they are sorry.

Williams and NBC Universal - which may be sweating even more than the anchor is about his future as the face of its news division-probably think they did their best just by addressing the situation head-on in multiple outlets. To make such an apology from the very anchor desk where so many Americans trust him to be unfailingly honest was intended to acknowledge the gravity of his fabrication.

But the substance of what Williams said, and the absence of even feigned contrition in his delivery, only made his predicament worse.

Let's start with the wording of his statement. First, the utterance "I made a mistake" should be retired by all crisis-PR experts for the rest of eternity. It is a sentence intended to sound forthright and remorseful in all its unambiguous pithiness. But overuse over the years has turned "I made a mistake" into the opposite of what it should be; it's such a stock phrase, it basically signifies nothing beyond doing what shamed public figures feel they have to do.

In situations where household names like Williams shock us with their misdeeds, people are more interested in hearing some sense of why the sinner in question did what they did than just blurting out "I'm sorry." Williams attempted to do this by offering what seems like a unbelievable excuse: the "fog of memory" led him to confuse the unharmed helicopter he was actually in with another helicopter that took fire.

Really?

It doesn't take a four-star general to remember correctly whether the aircraft they were in was struck by a missile.

But perhaps Williams could have even garnered some forgiveness for even such a far-fetched alibi had he squeezed even a scintilla of emotion into his written and oral apologies. This is where Williams and so many celebrities have gone wrong when the right words could actually do a lot to pull their feet out of the fire.

From Paula Deen to Amy Pascal, it's amazing how many public apologies are such bloodless, over-calculated nothingburgers that they do more harm than good.

Imagine had Williams spent more than just a minute at an anchor desk-perhaps even a good 10 minutes in a YouTube video, or even a whole hour on "Dateline NBC"-really speaking from the heart (or faking such sincerity).

Be authentic, even vulnerable. Agonize a little. Don't cry if it doesn't come naturally, but emote as if your career depends on it because-guess what?-it does.

Last year provided a decent example of a star who managed to do this correctly. Recall the accusations of homophobia Jonah Hill faced when he uttered some unfortunate epithets in a TMZ video. He went on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" and either gave a performance even better than his role in "Moneyball" or resembled an actual choked-up, torn-up human being.

What if Williams had dropped the robo-anchor persona and, rather than saying he got confused, spoke at length on camera about what really happened that day. The sight of a genuinely repentant individual could go a long way to repairing his reputation.

All this criticism of Williams may sound unsympathetic, but to the contrary: If he makes the right moves, a man who by all other indications is a good person who, like all of us sometimes, made an unfortunate mistake can turn this around. It's not too late to save his career.

© 2015 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Brian Williams' self-inflicted wound helps arm NBC's critics

Brian Williams is inevitably going to be criticized by lots of couch-bound observers who have never reported from a war zone (including yours truly), but given the forces eager to pounce on any slip by the news organization he represents, he has committed perhaps the worst kind of self-inflicted wound.

The NBC anchor's faulty and seemingly self-aggrandizing "memory" about his stint reporting from Iraq in 2003 pushes enough hot buttons to create a perfect storm of bad publicity. And NBC News has once again looked tardy, at best, in formulating a PR strategy in response to bad news, as it was during transitions at "Today" and "Meet the Press."

Williams has benefited from coming across as a likable anchor - as comfortable throwing out one-liners on a talkshow as he is delivering the news. But he has stepped into the proverbial hornets' nest, for reasons both of his own making and beyond his control.

Williams' embellishment of his experience is particularly damaging coming from a journalist. Essentially, his account has reduced him to the role of unreliable witness, somebody whose version of an event was exposed as being significantly at odds with the facts.

But the real problem is that the story itself - dealing with the military - hands a cudgel to those already inclined to hold a grudge against or distrust NBC News, which explains the almost-gleeful tone of the coverage on Websites like The Drudge Report and Breitbart.com.

Part of that has nothing to do with Williams. NBC happens to be affiliated with MSNBC, whose liberal profile and politics has made it a favorite target of conservatives. Although the two operate separately, they are part of the same corporate family and share talent, allowing many to conflate NBC and MSNBC into a single entity, feeding the perception of a liberal "mainstream media" that can't be trusted.

Those same quadrants were positively overjoyed when Dan Rather was involved in a report about then-President George W. Bush's National Guard service that hastened his exit from CBS News. And while Williams is unlikely to experience anything that serious in terms of the fallout, there's no doubt this cloud will linger over him for a while and be used to discredit or diminish both NBC News and its anchorman the next time the division is involved in something that irks the usual suspects.

Thus far, Williams' explanation of why he would foul up the story sounds like more of an evasion than a response, which won't hasten making the controversy go away. Certainly, the 12-year time lapse hardly covers mixing up something as memorable as being aboard a helicopter that was actually forced to land after having been struck by ground fire.

Finally, there's NBC News, which after awkwardly mishandling baton passes at "Meet the Press" and "Today" needed to look decisive in either disciplining Williams or giving him a vote of confidence. Admittedly, the story keeps changing -- with a helicopter pilot backing up part of what Williams has said on Thursday -- but either way, a guy who looked like the least of the division's problems has now added to its woes.

There's an old saying that just because you're paranoid doesn't mean that people aren't out to get you. But in this case, the reverse also applies: Just because people are out to get you doesn't mean that they're automatically wrong. On that score, Williams' Iraq war story is the epitome of an unforced error by providing his critics, even the unfair ones, legitimate ammunition.

© 2015 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bridj-ing gap between Uber costs, T woes

The pop-up bus service Bridj is offering free rides in the Boston area through tomorrow night, a stark contrast to the ride-sharing service Uber, which capitalized on long MBTA delays this week by more than tripling fares at times.

Bridj's payment processor requires the company to list trips — which ordinarily cost between $3 and $5, depending on the time of day — for at least 50 cents, but all trips are free this week when cus­tomers download Bridj's app and use the promo code "isitsummer," spokesman Ryan Kelly said.

"We lose thousands of dollars every day by doing this, but hopefully will gain new customers who've never tried our service before," said CEO Matthew George.

"And it's just the right thing to do. When you combine this unprecedented bout of terrible weather with the T's aging infrastructure, that really disrupts transit service. For some people, that's just an inconvenience; for others, not being able to get to work can mean not being able to pay their rent."

But during the evening commute Tuesday, many commuters who hadn't heard of Bridj, which opened in Boston only last June, and tried to get around via Uber received an unwelcome surprise: Fares had climbed 3.2 times the normal rates.

"Dynamic pricing ensures a reliable ride at the push of a button, whenever and wherever you need it, especially at times when other transportation options aren't available," Uber spokesman Matthew Wing said in an email. "And remember that when the weather's bad, you can use our in-app Fare Split feature to share your ride and cut the fare in half."

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Staples seeks approval for Office Depot deal

Changes in the competitive landscape could pave the way for Framingham-based Staples to get a regulatory OK for its proposed $6.3 billion takeover of Office Depot — nearly two decades after the Federal Trade Commission nixed a merger of the No. 1 and 2 office supplies chains over concerns about higher prices for consumers.

Office Depot ended up merging with OfficeMax in 2013 in a $1.2 billion deal that took seven months for the FTC to approve. In its decision, the FTC noted the broader array of companies that sell office supplies, including Wal-Mart, Target, Costco and Sam's Club, and the office supplies chains' substantial loss of in-store sales to online competitors like Amazon.

"Both Staples and Office Depot have really carefully considered the anti-trust risk associated with the deal in concert with our respective legal advisers," Staples CEO Ron Sargent said yesterday. "We agree with (the FTC's) public statement following the closure of the (Office) Depot and (Office) Max investigation in 2013 (that) the market for the sale of consumable office supplies has changed significantly since 1997."

Still, Staples founder Tom Stemberg, who resigned as chairman in 2005, expects a "potentially long and nasty legal skirmish" with the FTC after it "created what's probably one of the biggest legal precedents in their history" with its 1997 decision.

"What's going to be curious is if they can walk away from that precedent by approving this deal or whether they'll probably figure out a way to fight it," he said on CNBC. "I think they have to fight it, and they'll jury-rig the market."

B. Riley & Co. analyst R. Scott Tilghman expects greater FTC scrutiny of the proposed merger given its sheer size. The FTC review likely also will put greater focus on the companies' commercial contract business, said Tilghman, but he expects the feds to sign off on the retail side of the merger.

"While some may argue that commercial office supplies is a highly fragmented business, we think large enterprise customers, large wholesalers like United Stationers and S.P. Richards, and the office supplies manufacturers are less enthusiastic about seeing significantly increased market share for the largest office supplies retailer," Citi analyst Kate McShane said in a research note yesterday.

Staples will pay Office Depot $250 million if the deal is terminated due to antitrust requirements.

The combined company would continue to be headquartered in Framingham and be led by Sargent.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Watch: Brian Williams tellI Iraq story to David Letterman in 2013

Brian Williams, who acknowledged Wednesday that he falsely claimed to have been on a helicopter that was shot down by enemy fire while on an NBC News reporting trip in Iraq in 2003, has apparently been telling the story for years.

In a 2013 clip from the "Late Show from David Letterman," Williams recounted the fabricated story to the CBS host, in which he claims to have been in the aircraft that came under attack.

"We were in the invasion," he said, noting it was the 10th anniversary of the incident.

"Two of our four helicopters were hit including the one I was in, RPG and AK-47."

But on Wednesday, the NBC News anchor admitted that he was on a different plane that was never, in fact, under fire and that he had "bungled" the true events.

"I don't know what screwed up in my mind that caused me to conflate one aircraft with another," he said in an interview published Wednesday.

According to military outlet Stars & Stripes, Williams has told the false story several times since making the 2003 trip, including once last month.

In 2004, Williams took over as NBC News anchor after veteran journalist Tom Brokaw retired.

"As a war correspondent, I am not terribly good at it," he said to Letterman in the 2013 video. "I do not do it full-time, I am New York based."

© 2015 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

NBC's Brian Williams admits he told false story about Iraq expedition

The most-watched evening-news anchor on television today has acknowledged that he falsely claimed to have been on a helicopter that was shot down by enemy fire while on an NBC News reporting trip in Iraq in 2003.

In fact, Brian Williams of NBC News said in an interview with the military-focused outlet Stars & Stripes, he was on a different plane that was never under fire and that landed safely about an hour behind one that had.

Watch: Brian Williams tellI Iraq story to David Letterman in 2013

"I would not have chosen to make this mistake," Williams said in the interview. "I don't know what screwed up in my mind that caused me to conflate one aircraft with another."

And yet, as the newspaper determined, Williams has told the false story several times since making the 2003 trip. In promotional releases and in comments made as recently as earlier this month, Williams told and retold a story about how he and an NBC News crew had been aboard on a Chinook helicopter that was forced down by rockets and small-arms fire. In reality, according to crew members who were aboard the fallen whirlybird, Williams and his crew landed near the downed helicopter due to an impending sandstorm about to erupt in the Iraqi desert.

Williams addressed the issue Wednesday night on NBC's "Nightly News with Brian Williams," admitting that he "bungled" an attempt to thank one veteran in particular. "I made a mistake in recalling the events in 12 years ago. It did not take long to hear from the brave men and women and their crews," he said, alluding to the Iraq veterans who repudiated his account.

"I hope they know they have my greatest respect and now, my apology," he added.

A spokeswoman for NBC News did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

© 2015 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Asia stocks higher on energy bounce, Europe drifts lower

TOKYO — Asian stock markets rose Wednesday on gains in energy shares and an improvement in Japanese data while European benchmarks drifted lower.

KEEPING SCORE: France's CAC 40 was down 0.1 percent at 4,673.24 and Germany's DAX slipped 0.5 percent to 10,839.68. Britain's FTSE 100 shed 0.3 percent to 6,853.37. Wall Street looked set for a weak session. Dow futures were down 0.1 percent at 17,552 and S&P 500 futures dropped 0.2 percent to 2,038.50.

OIL SURGE: U.S. benchmark oil surged 7 percent Tuesday on hopes for an end to a seven-month collapse in prices. Investors are hoping that oil prices have found a floor after falling as much as 60 percent from their recent peak last June. Prices have risen 19 percent in four days as producers have canceled exploration projects and cut the number of rigs drilling for oil.

JAPAN GLIMMER: Japanese wages data Wednesday showed labor income rose 1.6 percent in December from a year earlier. Increases in household incomes are an important piece of Japan's economic recovery plan. However, economists cautioned that bonus payments, which account for about half of total income each December, overstate the improvement and that wages are still lagging behind inflation.

ASIA'S DAY: Japan's Nikkei 225 stock index surged 2.0 percent to 17,678.74 on gains in energy company shares and expectations for strong corporate earnings reports. Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 0.5 percent to 24,679.76 and South Korea's Kospi climbed 0.6 percent to 1,962.79. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 1.2 percent to 5,777.30 and markets in Southeast Asia also rose.

THE QUOTE: "Global equities may be on fire, but there are a few signs that state it's time to take a pause," said Chris Weston, chief market strategist at IG in Melbourne, Australia. "A number of developed markets are overbought, but the positive flows towards equities have been strong and predominantly driven by the relative attractiveness against developed market bonds."

ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude eased back Wednesday in Asia, falling 84 cents to $52.21 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $3.48 to close at $53.05 on Tuesday. Brent crude, used as a benchmark for international prices, slipped 60 cents to $57.35.

CURRENCIES: The euro was little changed at $1.1457 compared with $1.1463 the previous day. The dollar fell to 117.34 yen from 117.74 yen.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

How long can 'Frozen' fever last for Disney?

Consumers still haven't grown cold on "Frozen."

The movie, which became the highest-grossing animated film after its release in November 2013, continues to play for Disney, this time in the retail aisle.

Merchandise tied to the toon was a significant seller for Disney, especially its Disney Stores, during the holidays, with the company's consumer products division reporting a 22% boost in revenue and profits by 46% during the Mouse House's first quarter of fiscal 2015, that ended Dec. 27.

"Frozen" merchandise may be hot, but it's not the only property making money for Disney's consumer products arm.

Disney counts 11 franchises that made $1 billion in retail sales last year, and are expected to do so again this year. That includes Disney Channel properties, Mickey and Minnie, Spider-Man and the Avengers. So far "Stars Wars" isn't one of them yet, according to the company.

Without revealing specific financial figures, "I don't think we can underestimate the impact that 'Frozen' has had across our company and all of our businesses," said Jay Rasulo, Disney's chief financial officer during a call with analysts. "We absolutely believe this is the beginning of a longterm franchise for the company that will reflect itself across all of our divisions."

Rasulo cautioned not to overestimate "Frozen's" dominance, however.

"Many other franchises were contributors (last quarter) to the success of the consumer products division," Rasulo said. "We like what 'Frozen' delivers but it's certainly not the only one for us. The consumer products business has a lot of breadth. 'Frozen' will continue to play a big part in it," but isn't yet such a dominant force that the company needs to worry about beating strong sales numbers each year.

Still, since making nearly $1.3 billion at the box office alone, "Frozen" has clearly cemented its place as one of Disney's biggest franchises -- one that it wants to continue to grow.

Disney already had announced "Frozen Fever" as a new animated short film that will reunite the toon's characters on the big screen when it debuts in March in front of a live action retelling of "Cinderella."

The seven-minute short is expected to put another spotlight on "Frozen" and its characters.

"We actually believe it will generate some more buzz for 'Frozen' and generate more buying in terms of consumer products," said Disney chief Bob Iger during a call with analysts to discuss the company's strong first quarter results.

Disney continues to see post holiday momentum when it comes to sales of "Frozen" merchandise, "which is unique," said Iger for any property during the weeks following Christmas. "It speaks to continued demand for our franchises."

While Iger was high on Disney's upcoming studio releases, particularly citing "Cinderella" as "a great film," "Avengers: Age of Ultron" also is expected to be a major seller of toys, apparel and other products tied to the Marvel sequel, as will "Star Wars," in December -- a film whose revenue will be counted at the start of Disney's fiscal 2016 year. Pixar's upcoming films, "Inside Out" and "The Good Dinosaur" are question marks, however.

"I don't know if any one of theme will drive significant consumer products" sales, Iger said of the films that are based on original concepts.

Of its 11 billion-dollar franchises, Iger still sees "a great opportunity to mine these franchises across Disney's (theme) parks," he said.

"Frozen" already has a presence at its resorts, with "Frozen Fun" having debuted at its California parks in January, and its Epcot park re-vamping the Norwegian ride, "Malstrom," around the toon.

© 2015 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Kingsman' takes weekly ad spend crown

In this week's edition of the Variety Movie Commercial Tracker, powered by iSpot.tv, newcomer "Kingsman: The Secret Service" made a strong debut in first place with an estimated spend of $11 million for 1,012 national airings across 38 networks led by MTV and Comedy Central.

But the Super Bowl was the biggest story of the week, with two of the top five movies on the list reaching their position solely on the backs of one spot airing on one network during one broadcast. One of those is this week's second-place finisher, "Furious 7," which spent an estimated $8.8 million for one national airing on just one network, NBC.

Third and fourth positions were taken by non-Super Bowl advertisers. "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water" reached third with $8.6 million spent on 1,671 national airings across 38 networks led by Nick and Teen Nick. Meanwhile last week's frontrunner, "Jupiter Ascending," descended to fourth place, with $8.4 million spent on 924 national airings across 47 networks, led by MTV and Comedy Central.

Rounding out the list was the other Super Bowl ad, this time for "Jurassic World," for which $5.9 million was spent on one national airing on NBC. That Super Bowl advertising is expensive is well known, but examining Super Bowl spending alongside more typical weekly movie advertising really puts the investment into perspective.

$11M - Kingsman: The Secret Service

Online Activity: 1.92% within the movie category*

National Airings: 1,012

Networks: 38

Most Aired On: MTV, Comedy Central

Creative Versions: 21

Est. Lifetime TV Spend: $24.8M

Studio: Twentieth Century Fox

Started Airing: 09/22/14

$8.8M - Furious 7 Super Bowl 2015

Online Activity: 2.99% within the movie category*

National Airings: 1

Networks: 1

Most Aired On: NBC

Creative Versions: 2

Est. Lifetime TV Spend: $8.8M

Studio: Universal Pictures

Started Airing: 02/01/15

$8.6M - The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water

Online Activity: 1.37% within the movie category*

National Airings: 1,671

Networks: 38

Most Aired On: Nick, Teen Nick

Creative Versions: 30

Est. Lifetime TV Spend: $21.8M

Studio: Nickelodeon Movies

Started Airing: 12/15/14

$8.4M - Jupiter Ascending

Online Activity: 1.39% within the movie category*

National Airings: 924

Networks: 47

Most Aired On: MTV, Comedy Central

Creative Versions: 28

Est. Lifetime TV Spend: $30.4M

Studio: Warner Bros.

Started Airing: 01/04/15

$5.9M - Jurassic World Super Bowl 2015

Online Activity: 3.78% within the movie category*

National Airings: 1

Networks: 1

Most Aired On: NBC

Creative Versions: 2

Est. Lifetime TV Spend: $5.9M

Studio: Universal Pictures

Started Airing: 02/01/15

¹ Movie titles with a minimum spend of $100,000 for airings detected between 01/26/2015 and 02/01/2015.
* Percent of digital activity captured across online video, social media, and search activity that was stimulated by these movie trailers and measured in comparison to all online activity in the movie category.

Variety has partnered with iSpot.tv, a company that catalogs, tags and measures activity around TV commercials in real time, to bring you this weekly look at what studios are spending to market their movies on TV. Learn more about the iSpot.tv platform and methodology.

© 2015 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sony trims full-year loss forecast to $1.4 billion

TOKYO — Sony Corp. trimmed its forecast of losses and gave a figure for damages from the Sony Pictures hack, but said it would suffer no significant harm from the cyberattack in the long run.

The entertainment and electronics giant delayed the announcement of its earnings for the October-December quarter because the hack affected its ability to compile its complete results in time.

The hack, which became public in December when the Hollywood studio's computers were crippled and sensitive documents were posted online, cost Sony about $15 million, it said.

"We don't expect leaks of unreleased films online or damage to our IT systems will cause a significant loss," Kazuhiko Takeda, vice president of Sony's corporate planning department, told reporters. "We had insurance against cyberattacks and will be able to recover a significant portion of the costs."

Sony issued new earnings forecasts for the fiscal year ending in March and said it was benefiting from strong sales of the PlayStation 4, other devices and network services.

The company is forecasting a loss of 170 billion yen ($1.4 billion) for the fiscal year, an improvement from a forecast made in October of a 230 billion yen loss. The company reported a 40 billion yen loss last fiscal year, which was the latest in a succession of losses as its TV business lost ground to cheaper competitors.

Hackers attacked Sony Pictures over its movie "The Interview," which spoofs an assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and leaked tens of thousands of emails.

The studio first suspended the movie's Christmas release, citing the concerns of cinema chains over threats of terrorist attacks, but later went ahead with it. The movie made at least $15 million from more than 2 million digital rentals and purchases in its first four days.

Sony's movie business nonetheless forecasts a nearly 12 percent fall in sales in the October-December quarter to 197.6 billion yen ($1.68 billion), and a 23 percent drop if valued in dollar terms. It attributed the declines to lower home entertainment revenues and strong theatrical release figures for the previous year.

Overall for the year, Sony Pictures is forecasting 890 billion yen ($7.6 billion) in total sales, up from its earlier forecast of 860 billion yen.

Seeking a fresh footing after losing ground in consumer electronics to rivals such as South Korea's Samsung and Apple Inc., the company has sold its Vaio computer business and is splitting off its TV division to run as a wholly-owned subsidiary.

It still is relatively strong in video games and its movie and music businesses have benefited from a weakening in the Japanese yen, which improves profit earned in dollars when it is brought back to Japan.

Foreign exchange fluctuations cut both ways, though, and a stronger dollar can wreak havoc with cost-cutting efforts in overseas markets.

In its update, Sony said stronger than expected sales of the PlayStation 4, higher network services revenue, robust sales of devices and a slight improvement in its financial services business will help counter a decline in its mobile business.

It expects to release its October-December quarterly results by the end of March.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

MassChallenge in hot seat over Thirst Boston event

MassChallenge, the startup accelerator and competition that has become a symbol of the Innovation District's success and a bragging point of city and state officials, is in hot water with the Boston Licensing Board over an unlicensed party it hosted last fall where guests played "beer pong" before the event was shut down by police.

Detectives went shortly before 10 p.m. Nov. 8 to MassChallenge's Drydock Avenue headquarters, which was being used as an "unlicensed place of assembly with unlicensed dispensing of alcohol and unlicensed live entertainment for 160 patrons," according to a police report.

"The entire event was found to be in violation of ABCC (Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission) regulations on prohibited practices," police said.

The "Roadhouse" party was part of a larger event known as Thirst Boston, which was taking place at locations across the city and which rented out the premises from MassChallenge, police said. Patrons either showed a paid ticket from other "Thirst Boston" events or paid a $20 fee for open-bar service, police said.

Inside, people were playing the drinking game beer pong and being served unlimited alcoholic beverages without paying for them at the point of service, police said. Four bars were dispensing distilled liquor, police said, and 16-ounce cans of Narragansett Beer were available in self-service steel tubs.

Food also was being served, and a band was entertaining guests — both without a license, police said.

Detectives told the people in charge of the event to stop the entertainment, shut down the bars at 10 p.m. and have the guests leave.

The people promoting the event for Thirst Boston told detectives that Mass­Challenge had said the location was covered by a license for the alcohol service, police said, but MassChallenge showed detectives only an expired Boston Fire Department assembly permit. The owner of the building had not been told of the event, police said.

"Due to the fact that Thirst Boston was sponsoring numerous alcohol-related events at other licensed premises," police said, "a licensed premise violation ... was issued to Mass­Challenge."

A Licensing Board hearing where the organization was supposed to answer the charges today was canceled due in part to the weather and has not yet been rescheduled.

MassChallenge did not return phone calls or emails yesterday. A spokeswoman for Thirst Boston could not immediately be reached for comment.

Donna Goodison and Laurel J. Sweet contributed to this report.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Virgin Galactic gets back on track toward space tourism

UPHAM, N.M. — The only thing interrupting the creosote and mesquite that makes up one of New Mexico's most remote stretches of desert is a pristine runway where Virgin Galactic plans one day to launch the world's first commercial space-line.

In the four years since its completion, however, the runway has seen little use. No constant roar of jet engines. No screeches from landing gear. Just promises, year after year, that it would shuttle paying passengers to the edges of Earth.

Virgin Galactic had proclaimed 2015 was finally going to be the year. That was until the company's rocket-powered spacecraft broke apart over California's Mojave Desert during a test flight last fall, killing one pilot and igniting speculation about the future of commercial space tourism and Spaceport America.

Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides said things are on track now and testing will take off again this year.

"I really think we're turning the corner," Whitesides said. "We've gone through one of the toughest things a company can go through and we're still standing, and now we're really moving forward with pace."

He said the company and its investors aren't backing down from the goal of making space accessible.

Virgin Galactic's manufacturing crew is about two-thirds done with building a new spacecraft, and the operations team is ramping up for a test-flight program that will serve as one of the last major hurdles to getting off the ground.

"Our company has spent a lot of time and money to get to the point where we can carry out successful commercial operations at Spaceport America. We're still committed," he said.

Whitesides has always been reluctant to attach a timeline to the milestones the company needs to reach, but he's certain test flights will resume later this year.

That's what New Mexico taxpayers want to hear.

They've already funneled nearly a quarter of a billion dollars into the world's first purpose-built spaceport, and state lawmakers are being asked for nearly $2 million more this year to make up for the lost fees stemming from the delay in Virgin Galactic's commercial flights.

Some lawmakers have called for pulling the plug, adding fuel to criticisms that the project — first initiated by former Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democrat, and British billionaire Richard Branson — is a boondoggle.

Others, including Republican Gov. Susana Martinez's administration, say the state has a chance to carve out a new niche for economic development and position itself on the front end of space tourism.

New Mexico has struggled to rebound from the recession, creating only 14,000 jobs over the past year while neighboring states have bounced back to 2008 employment levels.

Whitesides visited Spaceport America in December. The runway was quiet, but workers inside the massive, futuristic hangar continued to outfit it for the day Virgin Galactic opens.

"I really think we're on the edge of something truly incredible, which is enabling people and students to experience space, whether going themselves or sending their experiments," he said.

He added, "These things are hard. That's why they haven't happened yet."

Christine Anderson, the head of New Mexico's Spaceport Authority, pointed to the ill-fated Apollo I test launch and the 1986 Challenger explosion as examples of space exploration efforts that resulted in tragedy. Still, astronauts and scientists pushed on, and she said those backing Virgin Galactic and Spaceport America are doing the same.

"We have invested $218 million, so there's absolutely no reason to stop now," she said.

Virgin Galactic continues to pay its lease, and more money will come from lease and user fees related to the testing scheduled to begin this spring for a reusable rocket being developed by Elon Musk's SpaceX. But Anderson acknowledged that the spaceport needs to entice more tenants and host other events, including fashion and auto photo shoots, conferences and more rocket launches by companies such as UP Aerospace.

The spaceport in late February also expects to open its visitors' gallery at the site, which spans more than 28 square miles.

"The challenge was to build a commercial spaceport here. There was absolutely nothing here. We did it," Anderson said. "It's amazing to think of it."

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jury out on how win might affect Patriots brand

Opinions are split on how much equity the New England Patriots' fourth Super Bowl win will add to an already high-value sports brand in light of the Deflategate scandal following Spygate.

There's a tremendous amount of distrust of the Patriots outside of the region, and marketers will be wary of initiating new associations unless the NFL investigation clears the team in the deflated ball controversy, according to Seth Traum, a partner at Vivaldi Partners Group, a New York brand strategy consulting firm.

"The Patriots can — in spite of their success — be seen as a very risky proposition because, right now, the court of public opinion is they've done something wrong," Traum said, noting the team's fair share of "haters" and the "hate bandwagons" for winning teams. "From a consumer perception standpoint, the Patriots start to become public enemy No. 1."

Companies must think about the potential effects on their reputations, and there's a relatively short window to capitalize on a team's success, Traum said.

"Depending on how long and drawn-out the (NFL) investigation is, it could have a financial impact if brands play the waiting game," he said.

Forbes last year ranked the Patriots as the No. 2 most valuable NFL team based on revenue at $2.6 billion, behind the Dallas Cowboys at $3.2 billion.

And a sports team's true brand value is based on winning, according to Harvard sports marketing professor Stephen Greyser.

"The principle element of asset value is performance on the field," Greyser said. "(The Super Bowl win) is going to increase it. If it turns out that the investigation comes out with anything of substance, that will have an effect on the Patriots' brand to some extent."

But, he said, in addition to potentially increased Patriots ticket prices, the win should manifest itself in increased sales of licensed merchandise and increased values of sponsorships and advertising. The Patriots last week announced the Cross Insurance Pavilion and Business Center would open this summer at Gillette Stadium.

"They (Cross) already have seen — without ever being in operation — an increase in the value of their naming rights," Greyser said.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Australia cuts interest rate to record low 2.25 percent

SYDNEY — Australia's central bank cut its benchmark interest rate to a record low of 2.25 percent on Tuesday in a bid to jolt an economy weighed down by falling commodity prices.

The Reserve Bank of Australia's quarter percentage point rate cut at a monthly board meeting was its first since August 2013. It came as a surprise to many economists, who expected the bank to hold off on lowering the rate until later in the year. Subdued inflation, however, has given the central bank more scope to stimulate Australia's $1 trillion economy.

The news shook the Australian dollar which dropped 1.8 percent 76.5 cents. The stock market was boosted, with the S&P/ASX 200 up 1.5 percent.

Resource-rich Australia managed to avoid a recession during the global financial crisis thanks to a decade-long mining boom. But with the economy weakening in China, which is Australia's largest export market, prices for commodities such as iron ore and coal have dropped.

Australia's move follows monetary easing steps by other central banks though is modest compared with the unprecedented stimulus programs that Japan and Europe have embarked on to revive long stagnant economies.

In a statement, the central bank's governor Glenn Stevens said commodity prices have continued to decline, "in some cases sharply," particularly oil.

The bank also said that while the U.S. economy had strengthened, European and Japanese economies were weaker than expected, and forecasts for global growth this year were moderate.

"In Australia the available information suggests that growth is continuing at a below-trend pace, with domestic demand growth overall quite weak," Stevens said. The fall in oil prices would offer "significant support" to consumer spending but that is partly offset by weakening growth in incomes, he said.

"The economy is likely to be operating with a degree of spare capacity for some time yet," he said.

Treasurer Joe Hockey dubbed the rate cut good news that would bolster the country's economy.

"It is going to help to create more jobs because business is going to be able to pay less for their debt, as consumers should pay less for their debt and as people with a mortgage should pay less for their debt," he told reporters in Canberra, the nation's capital.

Stevens has repeatedly stressed that the Australian dollar is too high, despite the currency plummeting in recent weeks to around 77 U.S. cents, the lowest level since the global financial crisis. The Australian dollar reached an all-time high of $1.10 in 2011.

In his statement Tuesday, Stevens acknowledged the Australian dollar had declined noticeably, but said it remains above most estimates of its fundamental value. "A lower exchange rate is likely to be needed to achieve balanced growth in the economy," he said.

Spiros Papadopoulos, senior economist at National Australia Bank, suspects the bank will cut the rate again later this year, though not at its next meeting.

"The combination of weak growth, further increases in unemployment and a very subdued inflation outlook has really given them that room to maneuver," he said.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Asian stocks down after Chinese factory activity weakens

BEIJING — Asian stocks were mostly lower Monday after Chinese manufacturing weakened while European markets rose after France endorsed Greek efforts to renegotiate bailout debt.

KEEPING SCORE: Germany's DAX added 0.7 percent to 10,768.71 and France's CAC-40 gained 0.4 percent to 4,622.42. Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.5 percent to 6,780.49. Wall Street looked set to rebound from Friday's losses, with futures for the Dow Jones and Standard & Poor's 500 index both up 0.4 percent. On Friday, the Dow lost 1.5 percent and the S&P was down 1.3 percent.

EUROPEAN DEBT: Greece's new finance minister won support from Paris for his effort to renegotiate the debt for its bailout. Yanis Varoufakis, a member of a new ruling party that campaigned against the austerity terms of the Greek bailout, struck a conciliatory tone as he sought new conditions from creditors. Germany has criticized Greece's stance but French Finance Minister Michel Sapin said Sunday that while his government wouldn't support canceling the debt, it was willing to consider a new time frame or terms. That is for now easing worries that Greece's new government might eventually leave the euro common currency.

CHINESE MANUFACTURING: Surveys by HSBC Corp. and a Chinese industry group found manufacturing activity in the world's second-largest economy weakened in January. The China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing said its purchasing managers' index fell to a 28-month low. A separate index by HSBC edged up but still showed activity contracting. Both blamed weak demand in China and abroad. Analysts said they expect this to prompt Beijing to inject more credit into the economy or launch other stimulus measures.

THE QUOTE: "We think demand in the manufacturing sector remains weak and more aggressive monetary and fiscal easing measures will be needed to prevent another sharp slowdown in growth" in China, said HSBC economist Hongbin Qu in a report.

ASIA'S DAY: The Shanghai Composite Index gave up 2.6 percent to 3,128.30 and Tokyo's Nikkei 225 was off 0.7 percent to 17,558.04. Hong Kong's Hang Seng shed 0.1 percent to 24,484.74. Seoul's Kospi added 0.2 percent to 1,952.86. Markets were mixed in Southeast Asia while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.7 percent to 5,625.30.

OIL ROLLER COASTER: Crude slid after jumping Friday on signs American production is slowing following big price drops since last June. Oil plummeted about 60 percent since June as global supplies grew faster than demand. OPEC has declined to cut its production, putting pressure on U.S. companies to curtail drilling as oil prices fall to a level that makes some production unprofitable. U.S. benchmark crude was down $1.30 at $46.94 per barrel on Nymex. The contract surged by an unusually large margin of $3.71 on Friday, to close at $48.24. Brent crude, used to price international oils, shed $1.43 to $51.56 a barrel in London after rising by $3.86 on Friday.

CURRENCIES: The dollar gained to 117.76 yen from Friday's 117.43 yen. The euro strengthened to $1.1333 from $1.1285.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Toddler food often has too much salt, sugar, CDC study says

CHICAGO — Many packaged meals and snacks for toddlers contain worrisome amounts of salt and sugar, potentially creating an early taste for foods that may contribute to obesity and other health risks, according to a new government study.

About seven in 10 toddler dinners studied contained too much salt, and most cereal bars, breakfast pastries and snacks for infants and toddlers contained extra sugars, according to the study by researchers at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They advise parents to read food labels carefully and select healthier choices.

The researchers analyzed package information and labels for more than 1,000 foods marketed for infants and toddlers. Results appear in the journal Pediatrics on Monday.

The study notes that almost one in four U.S. children ages 2 to 5 are overweight or obese — and that almost 80 percent of kids ages 1 to 3 exceed the recommended maximum level of daily salt, which is 1,500 milligrams. Excess sugar and salt can contribute to obesity and elevated blood pressure even in childhood, but also later on.

"We also know that about one in nine children have blood pressure above the normal range for their age, and that sodium, excess sodium, is related to increased blood pressure," said the CDC's Mary Cogswell, the study's lead author. "Blood pressure tracks from when children are young up through adolescence into when they're adults. Eating foods which are high in sodium can set a child up for high blood pressure and later on for cardiovascular disease."

The researchers collected data on foods available in 2012. They didn't list brand names, but foods studied included popular brands of baby food, toddler dinners including packaged macaroni and cheese, mini hot dogs, rice cakes, crackers, dried fruit snacks and yogurt treats.

The Grocery Manufacturers of America, a trade group whose members include makers of foods for infants and toddlers, issued a statement saying the study "does not accurately reflect the wide range of healthy choices available in today's marketplace ... because it is based on 2012 data that does not reflect new products with reduced sodium levels."

The study "could needlessly alarm and confuse busy parents as they strive to develop suitable meal options that their children will enjoy," the group said.

The researchers said theirs is the most recent, comprehensive data on commercial foods for young children. Cogswell acknowledged there have been some improvements in the marketplace and said the findings aren't all negative.

"The good news is that the majority of infant foods were low in sodium," she said. It was surprising, she said, that "seven out of 10 toddler foods were high in the amount of sodium per serving and that a substantial proportion of toddler meals and the majority of other toddler foods and infant's and toddler's snacks contained an added sugar."

Foods for toddlers should contain no more than about 210 milligrams of salt or sodium per serving, under Institute of Medicine recommendations, but the average for toddler meals studied was 361 milligrams — almost 1.5 times higher than that limit. Sodium amounts per serving ranged from 100 milligrams to more than 900 milligrams.

High sugar content was defined as more than 35 percent of calories per portion coming from sugar, based on Institute of Medicine guidelines for foods served in schools. Many foods in the study exceeded that. On average, sugar contributed 47 percent of calories for infant mixed grains and fruit; 66 percent of calories in dried fruit snacks, and more than 35 percent of calories in dairy-based desserts.

Also, about one in three toddler dinners and most toddler cereal bars and dried fruit-based snacks contained at least one added sugar.

Added sugars, including high fructose corn syrup, dextrose and glucose, raised concerns because they boost calorie totals without health benefits.

"It's just additional calories that aren't needed," Cogswell said.

Kathleen Burnett of Chicago said she tries to buy healthy foods for her three young daughters and recently switched brands when she found out her favorite kids' yogurt was full of sugar.

"When you're in the grocery store and things seem quick and simple, it's very tempting to take those things, and we certainly have," Burnett said. "We just try to use moderation in those prepackaged foods."

___

Online:

American Academy of Pediatrics: http://www.aap.org

USDA: http://www.choosemyplate.gov

___

AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/LindseyTanner

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Companies strike serious, somber tone in Super Bowl ads

NEW YORK — Forget slapstick and sex in Super Bowl ads: This year, serious was the name of the game.

Nationwide ran an ad on preventable childhood death. Carnival struck a somber note with a voiceover by John F. Kennedy speaking lyrically about the sea. And a public service announcement by coalition No More depicted a chilling 911 call from a battered woman to demonstrate the terror of domestic abuse.

Other advertisers had positive, albeit equally serious themes: McDonald's said it would let some customers pay with acts of kindness, Coca-Cola showed online negativity and bullying turning positive and Procter & Gamble's ad for its Always feminine products brand tried to redefine what it means to do things like a girl.

"It's a shame there aren't any commercials for antidepressants because these commercials make me want some," said Jon Early, who was watching the game in New York with friends. "Football is supposed to be an escape."

The serious tone is an effort to win over Americans who have a lower tolerance for crass ads with an overuse of sexually explicit themes and sophomoric humor. They also have short attention spans these days, thanks to the bite-sized communication of social media.

The serious spots were a continuation of a trend that started last year when advertisers shied away from the tactics that had been commonplace during Super Bowl. The difference this year is that many of the serious ads had an overarching "message" to live better, think better and be better.

With 30-second ads costing $4.5 million for the chance to market their brand to 110-plus million Americans, advertisers were trying to stand out by marketing socially conscious messages. In the process, they hoped to boost the image of their brands.

"The Super Bowl reflects what's happening in the country," said Tim Calkins, a marketing professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. "Maybe in the country today we're a little more reflective and a little more pensive."

SERIOUS TONE

A Microsoft ad with a voiceover by rapper Common told the story of Braylon O'Neill, a boy who was born missing the tibia and fibula bones in both of his legs so he had to learn to live with prosthetic legs developed by Microsoft.

The ad struck some similar notes with Toyota's Camry ad, which featured Paralympian Amy Purdy, who also has prosthetic legs snowboarding and dancing set to a speech by Muhammad Ali that ends "I'll show you how great I am."

Some serious ads bordered on sober. Nissan returned to the Super Bowl after 18 years with an ad featuring the story line of an up-and-coming race driver and his wife struggling to balance work and raising their son. In a jarring detail that many on social media pointed out, the ad was set to "Cats in the Cradle" by Harry Chapin, who was killed in a car crash.

And a Nationwide ad showed a boy riding a school bus and lamenting he'll never learn to fly, or travel the world with my best friend, or even grow up, because he died in an accident. The ad was aimed at stopping preventable childhood accidents, but Charles Taylor, marketing professor at the Villanova School of Business in Pennsylvania, said it received the most negative response from his ad viewing panel.

"It's just playing with fire focusing on an adolescents' death in the context of the Super Bowl," he said.

POSITIVE BUT SERIOUS

Other advertisers tried to implore people to do positive things.

In apparent commentary on how heavily food companies market to Americans, Weight Watchers' Super Bowl debut ad showed pizza, doughnuts in large portions with an ominous voiceover saying "You gotta eat, right?" A tagline said Weight Watchers can help members take control.

But it didn't resonate with all viewers, many of who were at Super Bowl parties eating snacks. "Some people are saying it made them want to eat more than anything," said Villanova's Taylor.

Meanwhile, fast food chain McDonald's announced it will randomly select customers who can pay for their food with acts of goodwill, such as calling their moms and telling them they love them as part of a Valentine's Day promotion that starts Monday.

HUMOR IN BETWEEN

Not all ads were serious, though.

Nationwide's other ad showed "Mindy Project" star Mindy Kaling walking around New York believing she is invisible and doing scandalous acts, including sitting naked in Central Park and going through a car wash. Then, she tries to kiss actor Matt Damon, but as it turns out, he can see her. The idea is Nationwide doesn't treat customers like they're invisible.

Naomi Zikmund-Fisher, a psychotherapist watching the game in Ann Arbor, Michigan, said the ad appealed to her. "It sucked you in as a plot and then ruined it for her," she said.

Another ad scored early. Chevrolet's spot before kickoff appeared to be a live game feed that turned into static and a blank screen, shocking some viewers. Chevrolet used the trick to show that its Colorado truck has 4G LTE Wi Fi, allowing for live game streaming in the truck.

"That one got all of our attention," said Kirin Jessel, who watched the game with co-workers in Oakland, Calif. "We were thinking 'Oh my God, what's happening.'"

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Super Bowl on social: Twitter tallies 28.4 million tweets during TV telecast

Super Bowl XLIX was the most-tweeted NFL championship game ever -- but even with the down-to-the-wire finish in the New England Patriots' defeat of the Seattle Seahawks, the contest didn't top the most-social match from the 2014 FIFA World Cup, according to Twitter.

On Feb. 1, users posted more than 28.4 million tweets over the course of #SB49 during NBC's coverage of the game and the Katy Perry-headlined halftime show (6:20 to 10:10 p.m. ET, from kickoff through 30 minutes after time ran out). That's up 14% from 24.9 million tweets for Super Bowl XLVIII and 24.1 million tweets in 2013.

The highest volume on Twitter for Sunday's Super Bowl occurred when Patriots rookie Malcolm Butler intercepted a pass by Seahawks QB Russell Wilson with 20 seconds left in the game -- which yielded 395,000 tweets per minute. The NFL tweeted a replay of the game-sealing pick:

The NFL's replays of highlights, in partnership with NBC, were through the Twitter Amplify video-advertising program, with sponsors that included Draft Kings, Ford, Pizza Hut and Disney (which was promoting "Tomorrowland" in the big game).

Still, American football could not unseat soccer as the most-tweeted sporting event ever. That title is held by Germany's 7-1 humiliation of host country Brazil in last summer's World Cup semifinals, which notched 35.6 million tweets posted worldwide during the match.

For the Super Bowl, the other major moments came at the final whistle (379,000 tweets per minute) and the end of Katy Perry's halftime performance (284,000 tweets per minute).

On Sunday night, the most-mentioned Patriots players players on Twitter during the live telecast were Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman, while the most-tweeted Seahawks players were Marshawn Lynch, Wilson and Chris Matthews.

© 2015 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

More millennials jumping into the mortgage market

WASHINGTON — Call them the prodigal millennials: Statistical measures and anecdotal reports suggest that young couples and singles in their late 20s and early 30s have begun making a belated entry into the home buying market, pushed by mortgage rates in the mid-3 percent range, government efforts to ease credit requirements and deep frustrations at having to pay rising rents without creating equity.

Listen to Kathleen Hart, who just bought a condo unit with her husband, Devin Wall, that looks out on the Columbia River in Wenatchee, Wash.: "We were just tired of renting, tired of sharing (housing) with roommates, and not having a place of our own. Finally the numbers added up."

Or listen to Erin Beasley, who with her fiance earlier this month closed on a condo unit in the Capitol Hill area of Washington, D.C. "With the way rents kept on going," she told me, "we realized it was time" after five years as tenants. "With renting, at some point you get really tired of it; you want to own, be able to make changes" that suit you, not some landlord.

Hart and Beasley are part of the leading edge of the millennial demographic bulge that has been missing in action on home buying since the end of the Great Recession. Instead of representing the 38 percent to 40 percent of purchases that real estate industry economists say would have been expected for first-timers, they've lagged in market share, sometimes by as much as 10 percentage points. But last week new signs began emerging that hinted that maybe the conditions finally are right for them to shop and buy:

• Redfin, a national real estate brokerage, said first-time buyers accounted for 57 percent of home tours conducted by its agents mid-month — the highest rate in recent years. Home-purchase education class requests, typically dominated by first-timers, has jumped so far this month by 27 percent over last January. "I think it is significant," said Redfin chief economist Nela Richardson. "They are sticking a toe in the water."

Kas Divband, a Redfin agent in D.C., assisted Beasley with her condo purchase.

• The Campbell/Inside Mortgage Finance HousingPulse Tracking Survey, which monthly polls 2,000 realty agents nationwide, reported that first-time buyer activity has started to increase much earlier than is typical. First-timers accounted for 36.3 percent of all home purchases last month, according to the survey.
• Anecdotal reports from realty brokers around the country also point to exceptional activity in the past few weeks. Perrin Cornell of Century 21 Exclusively in Wenatchee, Wash., who helped Hart and her husband buy their condo, said he is either actively working with or has serious inquiries from four times the number of first-timers than he'd typically see in January. Gary Kassan, an agent with Pinnacle Estate Properties in the Los Angeles area, said nearly half of his current clients are first-time buyers.

Assuming these early impressions could point to a trend, what's driving the action? The steady decline in interest rates, high rents and sheer pent-up demand play major roles. But there are other factors that could be at work. In the past few weeks, key sources of financing for entry-level buyers ­— the Federal Housing Administration and giant investors Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — have announced consumer-friendly improvements to their rules. FHA cut its punitively high upfront mortgage insurance premiums and Fannie and Freddie reduced minimum down payments to 3 percent from 5 percent.

Price increases on homes also have moderated in many local areas, improving affordability across the board. Plus many younger buyers have discovered the wide spectrum of special financing assistance programs open to them through state and local housing agencies. Hart and her husband made use of one of the Washington State Housing Finance Commission's buyer assistance programs, which provides second-mortgage loans with zero interest rates to help with down payments and closing costs. Dozens of state agencies across the country offer help for first-timers, often with generous qualifying income limits.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Harvard hacks for congress

A group of techies, political scientists and open government advocates are putting their heads together at a hackathon this weekend to develop new digital tools, policies and technologies to overcome the dysfunction gripping Congress.

"There are about 250 people from many walks of life and many disciplines here at Harvard Kennedy School to think through and hopefully start solving some of the biggest problems facing Congress — problems of access, problems of understandability, what my elected official or legislator is actually doing," said Seamus Kraft, executive director and co-founder of The OpenGov Foundation, which is holding the #Hack4Congress event with Harvard Kennedy School. "How can we use technology, design, data science, good old-fashioned American common sense (to help)?"

Maggie McKinley, one of the organizers and a fellow at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard Kennedy School, said everyone has a stake in improving how Congress functions.

"Our country is facing a mess of big-picture problems, global warming, the deficit, the tax code, health care. Everyone from either side of the political spectrum has something big that they care about that Congress can't remedy or even talk about," she said. "We've seen some of the most dysfunctional congresses in recent history."

The two-day event that ends today is focusing on five problems: improving the lawmaking process, facilitating cross-partisan discussion, modernizing congressional participation, closing the representation and trust gaps and reforming campaign finance.

One solution, McKinley said, could be software that helps lawmakers work together across the aisle.

"Cross-partisan deliberation is a really interesting area that not a lot of people are working in. We talk a lot about how difficult it is for Congress to function in an era of hyper-partisanship," she said. "This solution looks at a platform in which discussion could get started that's civil and productive."

Kraft, a former congressional employee, said technology on Capitol Hill needs to catch up.

"We are literally running a country with the best technology that 1997 has to offer," he said.

One of the solutions he has in mind is a simple collaboration tool such as Google Docs that would let lawmakers and their staff work together, but take into account security and other federal government mandated concerns.

The groups that come up with winning solutions will be flown to Washington, D.C., in the spring to present their projects to lawmakers.

Jackie Lender, a junior at Harvard, won't be competing because her startup PolityPro is not focused on Congress, but she planned to jump in and help out on other people's projects. She said building new technology and tools for government is critical.

"I think government right now could benefit from a reinvigoration from the entrepreneurship sector," Lender said.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

MassChallenge starts up 2015 with lots new

MassChallenge kicks off a new season on three continents this month, with a new managing director and new workspace for startups in Boston.

The accelerator and competition's programs in the Hub, Tel Aviv and its newest location — London — will accept applications from Feb. 11 to April 1.

At the helm of the Boston program is Scott Bailey, who started a year out of college as an unpaid intern at MassChallenge in 2010. Since then, he has held nearly every position at the startup accelerator, most recently leading partnerships and fundraising, before being promoted to managing director this month.

"It's been a wild ride," said Bailey, 27. "I feel like I've aged 10 years."

Bailey and Roman Kern, MassChallenge Boston's new director of programs and operations, will work closely with the board of advisers to refine and expand the organization's core offerings.

In addition to kicking off the Boston program this month, they'll launch Made@MassChallenge, a 5,000-square-foot space, adjacent to their Innovation District headquarters, where startups will be able to use hardware and software tools to build their prototypes.

MassChallenge also is in talks with the city of Newton about using a former branch library where the program's alumni could spend a year growing their companies.

"We're still shaping what that looks like," Bailey said. "We're always thinking of support for entrepreneurs, and there's a great mentor network there."

In the meantime, he said, MassChallenge is continuing to pursue its strategy of global expansion.

Boston will accept 128 startups into this year's class, Bailey said, and Israel will likely send 10 to 12 teams to the Boston program as finalists. The UK will decide how many finalists to accept, based on the quality of the applicant pool, he said. Applicants will be able to indicate which location they're interested in, Bailey said, and the finalists will be placed in the program that best suits their needs.

In Boston, finalists will be announced May 20 and have four months of free office space and mentoring, culminating in an Oct. 28 ceremony where they'll give their final pitches and compete for more than $1 million in no-strings-attached cash prizes.

The Israel and UK startups will not compete with the Boston finalists for the same prize money, Bailey said. Each program will award its own cash prizes.

Over the next five years, MassChallenge plans to open 10 new global hubs.

"We want there to be a MassChallenge location on every populated continent," Bailey said. "We have overwhelming interest and are researching the best places to open our next location."

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Spark plugs need changing, but long warmup needless

I have a 2001 PT Cruiser with 100,000 miles on it. Would you recommend a spark plug change? Also, I keep hearing that it's not good to warm up your car nowadays. Hey, when it's 20-below I really don't care if it wastes a cup of gas! They say that the oil is much better these days, but is it really OK to jump in your car when it's very cold and take right off?

As I mentioned in my last column, there's no harm in allowing your vehicle to warm up a few minutes in extremely cold weather. Besides generating some temperature in the vehicle's fluids and warming the interior a bit, it gives you time to make sure the windshield, side and rear windows are clear of snow and ice before you drive.

Is it harmful to drive the vehicle as soon as it is started in cold weather? No. As you said, today's motor oils are far superior to oils of just a decade earlier. In addition, manufacturing materials and tolerances are far better and more precise. Add the engine management system's capabilities to fine-tune fuel/air mixture and ignition timing as well as limit engine output during the warmup period, and that means the most efficient and least stressful warmup method in all but extreme cold is to start the engine, let the idle stabilize and drop to normal, engage the automatic transmission, let it idle in gear for a moment or two, then drive the vehicle gently as it gets up to temperature.

My Alldata database says Chrysler recommends fresh spark plugs in this engine every 30,000 miles. After this many miles, take care in removing the old plugs to avoid stripping the threads in the cylinder head. Install new plugs with anti-seize on the threads.

Typically I change my own oil. Our newest vehicle has 23,000 miles on it and calls for 0W-20 synthetic oil. It's actually less expensive to let the dealer do it than to buy the oil and filter and do it myself. However, on the last two oil changes I've noticed that they seem to overfill it by 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 of a quart. What potential harm can come from overfilling?

Slightly overfilling the crankcase with oil, as you've described, usually isn't an issue. If the oil level is high enough to cause a problem, the excess oil is usually blown out of the engine through the PCV system, engine seals and gaskets as it seeks its normal oil level.

If the engine is grossly overfilled and the crankshaft whips the oil into a froth as it spins, the aerated oil can cause a loss of oil pressure and lubrication to engine bearings, potentially causing damage.

How can you tell if the engine is grossly overfilled? Fully warm up the engine while monitoring the oil pressure gauge or warning light. Shut the engine off and quickly pull the dipstick to check the oil for evidence of frothing.

I have a 2001 Toyota RAV4 with 68,248 miles. It has started to give out a puff of exhaust smoke when started in the morning. Oil and coolant levels show full and haven't changed. There is no smoke while driving. What could the problem be or is there even a problem?

I don't think there is a problem. A slight puff of bluish smoke on starting a 70G mile engine is not uncommon, nor is it harmful. The typical cause is oil that has collected on the valve stems slowly seeping past the valve seals and guides as the car sits overnight. When the engine is first started, this oil is drawn into the combustion chamber with the incoming air/fuel mixture and burned. Having owned and driven high-mileage vehicles for decades, I see this as
upper-cylinder lubrication at startup rather than a problem.

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 paulbrandstartribune.com. Please explain the problem in detail and include a daytime phone number. Because of the volume of mail, we cannot provide personal replies.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More