McDonald’s CEO Don Thompson to Step Down in March 2015

Story by Bloomberg News
Written by Craig Giammona
Photo by McDonalds

McDonald’s Corp., the world’s largest restaurant chain, will replace Chief Executive Officer Don Thompson with one of his top lieutenants following the company’s worst U.S. sales slump in more than a decade.

Chief Brand Officer Steve Easterbrook will take the reins when Thompson steps down on March 1, the Oak Brook, Illinois-based company said in a statement Wednesday. Easterbrook, currently a Senior Executive Vice President, also will join the board, filling Thompson’s vacated seat, the company said. Thompson, 51, had been in the CEO job fewer than three years.

“With sales stagnant for this long, there’s been a lot of push for change,” said Will Slabaugh, an analyst at Stephens Inc. in Little Rock, Arkansas. “They had to show investors they’re serious about changing and improving sales.”

The shares jumped as much as 3.5 percent to $91.90 in late trading after the announcement. McDonald’s stock had slumped 3.4 percent last year, trailing an 11 percent gain by the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index.

McDonald’s, which has more than 36,000 locations worldwide, hasn’t posted U.S. growth since October 2013, hurt by competition from fast-casual chains such as Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. Sales at U.S. locations open at least 13 months fell 2.1 percent in 2014, the biggest yearly decline for the restaurant chain in its home market since at least 2001.

Administrative Officer

As part of today’s shake-up, Chief Financial Officer Pete Bensen will take the newly created job of Chief Administrative Officer and help oversee the company’s operations. Kevin Ozan, Corporate Controller, will assume Bensen’s CFO duties.

Easterbrook, a 48-year-old from the U.K., started at McDonald’s in 1993 as a manager in London. He left the company in 2011 to become CEO of PizzaExpress Ltd. and then Wagamama Ltd., two British chains, before returning in 2013.

McDonald’s shares increased less than 1 percent during Thompson’s 31-month era, trailing the average 33 percent gain of the 30 stocks in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company ranked 26th in the index over that period, ahead of only Chevron Corp., Caterpillar Inc., AT&T Inc. and IBM Corp.

The shares got a short-lived boost in December after signals that Activist Investor Bill Ackman might target the company. The Billionaire had said that McDonald’s could be managed better, leading to speculation he would take a stake. Ackman told Bloomberg Television this month that he’s content with his investment in smaller rival, Burger King Worldwide Inc. and considered McDonald’s stock price rich.

‘Not Cheap’

“It’d probably be unlikely for us to be competing with ourselves,” Ackman said in the interview. “And I think McDonald’s stock is not cheap.”

With dividend of almost 4 percent underpinning the shares, “it’s not as interesting because the dividend supports a value that I think is maybe not justified based on the current performance of the company,” he said.

McDonald’s has about 14,200 restaurants in the U.S., more than any other market. While it remains the nation’s largest burger chain, the company has struggled to stay relevant with millennials -- people in their 20s and 30s who have shunned the one-size-fits-all model of traditional fast food. Chipotle and other fast-casual restaurants, meanwhile, are picking off young customers.

Create Your Taste

To compete, Thompson kicked off a program called "Create Your Taste" that offered a more customizable menu -- including a "build-your-own-burger" option. But that project is still in a limited trial. McDonald’s also has lost its reputation as the low-cost leader, with rivals such as Burger King offering cheaper deals on chicken nuggets and other items.

Thompson replaced the head of the U.S. division twice in less than two years, but it didn’t bring more customers to the Golden Arches. In the end, the Board ran out of patience, said a former McDonald’s executive. Thompson also was seen as a micro-manager and ignored a push by other executives to offer healthier and more varied food, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the matter is sensitive.

McDonald’s declined to make Thompson or Easterbrook available for interviews.

Thompson, a 25-year company veteran who started as an Electrical Engineer, was the the first Black CEO of the company. He took the CEO job after serving as President of McDonald’s USA and Operating Chief.

Thompson climbed the corporate ladder after spending part of his childhood a few blocks from the Cabrini-Green public housing project in Chicago, most of which has since been demolished. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University in 1984 and worked at what was then Northrop Corp. before joining McDonald’s.

“It’s tough to say goodbye to the McFamily, but there is a time and season for everything,” Thompson said in Wednesday’s statement. “I am truly confident as I pass the reins over to Steve, that he will continue to move our business and brand forward.”

Today, the cheapest Super Bowl XLIX ticket is $8,000.00 (Yes...8-thousand) dollars

Story by ESPN

Fans who hoped to get a cheap ticket are running out of time as Super Bowl XLIX might go down as the most expensive ticket in the game's history.

As of 11 a.m. ET Thursday, the cheapest ticket to see the New England Patriots take on the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday was $8,070.

Why are these tickets so expensive?

The answer lies in what happens behind the scenes with ticket brokers, many of whom promise the tickets in advance figuring they'll be able to make a healthy profit as the event draws closer.

For the past few years, the Super Bowl had become a lucrative business for ticket brokers, and it's fairly easy to cash in.

In order to "short" the market, a broker typically lists tickets in a generic section of the stadium and doesn't' disclose exactly where the seats are until the Wednesday before the game, when sites such as StubHub and Vivid Seats require the brokers to choose exact seat locations, or cancel the sale.

The idea for the brokers is to take money from ticket buyers when the tickets are at a higher price after the conference title games, then actually buy the tickets days later as the prices start to come down. The ease of the scheme caused more and more brokers to get in the game.

"Everyone in the business had seen that shorting had been the right move," said a broker who requested anonymity because his company is still short tickets. "For the last five years it had been that way. Everyone was sort of sketched out by Packers. That the ticket could cost a lot of money closer to the game. So the Seahawks win and everyone is undercutting each other just to be able to offer the lowest price ticket available."

The confidence in the early market was buoyed by the fact that Patriots fans haven't established themselves as the best travelers in recent Super Bowl games, probably because of the frequency with which they've played in the game over the past decade and half. But Seattle fans, who turned out in fewer numbers than expected in New York last year, ended up being an enormous draw this year.

Over the past weekend, the supply on ticket sites suddenly dwindled.

"A consolidation of supply this year has led to a handful of sellers being able to manipulate the market and make it nearly impossible for last minute fans to go to the game," StubHub spokesman Glenn Lehrman said.

So on Sunday, brokers who still hadn't purchased their tickets, started buying tickets at more than $5,000 apiece, losing as much as $3,000 a seat just to save the integrity of their businesses, according to those on the buying and selling side, who spoke anonymously.

The alleged collusion between brokers also squeezed the websites that make up the ticket marketplace. Sites like StubHub guarantee that tickets sold will be delivered, so the company started buying tickets to protect itself from people who sold tickets, but didn't appear to have the ability to actually deliver them, sources told ESPN.

Internal sales data obtained from StubHub's web site shows exactly what happened. On Jan. 18, the day the Super Bowl matchup was set, the site sold 874 tickets at an average price of $2,764 apiece. That was the last day the average price of a ticket was below $3,000. It's also the day when the most tickets were sold.

A week later, prices continued to rise and brokers faced the reality of having to buy their tickets at a loss, while fans, who had counted on the price dropping as it had so many times before heading into the week before the game, started buying the tickets before the prices rose even higher. On Jan. 25, StubHub sold only 107 tickets, internal data shows, but the average price of the ticket -- which has a face value ranging from $500 to $1,500 -- was $5,326 a ticket.

The next day, on Monday, as a snowstorm battered New England, prices dropped to an average of $3,917 for the 180 tickets sold. That was due, in part, to fears Patriots fans would be unable to travel to Arizona because of the weather.

But that was short-lived. Prices climbed again to the point that, within three hours on Wednesday night, the price of the cheapest seat on the resale market rose by more than $2,000.

What happened here wasn't supposed to happen. The last sporting event in which the market saw such a gap between the number of tickets needed to fill orders and the number of tickets available was the 2011 BCS Championship Game between Auburn and Oregon. As the supply dwindled, resale ticket prices rose and five days before the game, the asking price for a 50-yard line seat rose more than $10,000 in a 24-hour period.

Eventually, StubHub pulled all those BCS listings from its marketplace, when a bigger seller admitted he would not be able to deliver on what he sold because the rising prices caught him by surprise. Hoping to save face, StubHub announced it would pay double the price paid to anyone who had bought the game tickets on its site and actually had the tickets in hand, just to make good with customers who had been cheated.

For a short time after that game, the ticket sites tightened up, requiring more information and making it harder to short tickets to a big sporting event. But as the shorts continued to win again, the marketplace relaxed to the point where anyone could sell two tickets to a title game without ever actually having had the tickets.

In fact, one could argue short selling was encouraged. As competition grew between the big resale sites, some of those companies actively solicited their largest sellers to short-sell Super Bowl tickets to have the most liquidity and, therefore, the lowest prices.

Lehrman said StubHub requires anyone they don't know as a seller to list specific seats if they are selling Super Bowl tickets, but with the biggest brokers playing the short game, that might not matter. As of Jan. 23, there were more than 2,700 seats on StubHub that did not have specific seat locations, leaving open the possibility they were shorted and were waiting to be filled by brokers at the right price after they were sold.

The most famous case of a short market was the 1997 Masters. That's when Allen Caldwell, who owned an establishment across from Augusta National, committed suicide after he couldn't fulfill the badges he sold when prices climbed too high. Some four-day badges that year were selling for more than $11,000 each, as fans clamored to see a young Tiger Woods win his first green jacket.

GOP Holds and Will Continue to Hold Lynch Hostage to Holder

Story by Huffington Post
Commentary by Earl Ofari Hutchinson

Texas Senator John Cornyn wasted no time with U.S. Attorney General designate Loretta Lynch. He asked her point blank, “How are you going to be different from Eric Holder?” It was not a question. It was a demand. Lynch gave him the requisite answer, “I am not Eric Holder.” That won’t be enough.

The instant President Obama nominated Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Lynch to replace outgoing U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder a core of leading GOP senators and conservative political action groups flatly said they’d do everything possible to block Lynch’s confirmation if she didn’t make it absolutely clear publicly that she would not be another holder.

Her public mea culpa meant that Lynch would have to virtually repudiate every position and action that Holder took as Attorney General. The checklist included abandoning continued tough enforcement of what’s left of the Voting Rights Act, few or no probes into police abuse and misconduct cases, a blind eye toward vigorous IRS enforcement of provisions to prevent blatant manipulation of the tax laws by right wing political groups, rejection of Obama’s amnesty policies, and adopt a compliant role with GOP congressional representatives. Above all, the GOP’s butcher bill for a Lynch confirmation is that she must pledge not to utter a peep about racism and racial iniquities.

Anti-Lynch conservative activist groups covered their outrageous demand for a virtual public disavowal by her of Holder by tossing in a red herring. They claim that Lynch has such a cozy relationship with fat cat Wall Street financiers that she blocked a settlement to victims in a stock fraud scheme.

Lynch has no illusions that anything less than a total distancing from Holder will stall, if not derail, her confirmation. She will say all the right things on police-community relations, making nice with GOP congressional committees, and playing it close to the vest on enforcement of civil rights abuse cases. The fact that she’s forced to play the role of the Holder antithesis says less about Lynch than it does about the ruthless determination of GOP congressional leaders to purge any and all residue of Holder’s effective, and much need activist tenure as Attorney General from political life.

Holder was piteously hounded every second during his years as Justice Department head. This was no accident. He became the softest of soft target in the GOP's no-holds-barred campaign to hamstring Obama with the odor of scandal and in effect straightjacket his presidency. The race part was even more insidious. Holder meant what he said that the nation had marched backward for every step it went forward in dealing with racial bias. He backed up his words with repeated actions on voting rights abuses, grotesque racially skewed sentencing disparities, and defense of gay rights.

This was crowned by his rush to St. Louis following the slaying of Michael Brown and putting dozens of FBI and Justice Department attorney's boots on the ground there with the strong hint that a civil rights prosecution could be in the offing if there was no state prosecution of Ferguson cop Darren Wilson for the killing of Brown. This sent the professional Holder baiters into a tizzy and again the shouts were long and loud for his head.

Holder didn't buckle. He even doubled down again on his blast at racism noting on several occasions that he, as Michael Brown and countless other young black males, had been profiled by police once as a law student and later as a federal prosecutor. To add even more to the GOP and Holder baiters' vitriol, he had the audacity to make the claim and the revelation of his personal experience with racial profiling in a keynote speech before Al Sharpton's National Action Network convention in 2013.

The proof of Holder's effectiveness was the backhand perverse compliment the Holder baiters paid him in their euphoria over his resignation. They dredged up all the old distortions, myths, and lies about him in their rush to maliciously tar him as "the worst attorney general" the nation ever had. This spoke volumes how Holder was able to get under their skin to the point where they had to shout in glee at his departure.

Holder left a solid legacy of accomplishment in the areas that have been and continue to be the greatest flashpoints of public controversy, namely civil rights, and racial justice and fairness.

This is exactly what drove the GOP to hector, harass, hamstring, and ultimately try to railroad Holder out of office during his years at the Justice Department. Their worst nightmare was that Obama would pick another AG candidate in the mold of Holder. That was never likely to happen given the continual carping and infighting that the Obama administration had to suffer through with the GOP in its low intensity war against Holder. But GOP senate leaders took no chances and doubled down on Lynch before and during her Senate testimony. She will be confirmed. But be advised that won’t end the GOP’s hawk like watch to insure there is no deviation by Lynch from their anti-Holder playbook. They’ll still hold her hostage to Holder.

RNC Announces Jeff Larson As Senior Advisor and Sara Armstrong as Chief Operating Officer

Press Release by the RNC

WASHINGTON – Today, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus announced that RNC Jeff Larson will serve as Senior Advisor and Sara Armstrong will serve as RNC Chief Operating Officer for the 2016 presidential election cycle. This comes on the heels of this week’s announcements about new RNC Chief of Staff Katie Walsh as well as a restructure and expansion of the data, digital and technology teams.

“Jeff and Sara’s leadership over the last two election cycles has been critical for our success as a committee, and I’m personally grateful that they will continue to serve the RNC,” said Chairman Priebus. “As Chief of Staff in 2011 and 2012, Jeff helped us right the ship at the RNC when we overcame a $25 million debt to break fundraising records. As Deputy Chief of Staff in 2011-2012 and then as Chief Operating Officer in 2013-2014, Sara has been an invaluable part of our leadership team, ensuring the success of our endeavors across departments.”

“The RNC has a lot of demands heading into the presidential cycle. We will fully fund the Presidential Trust, put on a great Convention, have the best digital, data and tech operation possible, and continue redefining the way we build relationships and contact voters,” said RNC Chief of Staff Katie Walsh. “I'm looking forward to the challenges ahead and working with Jeff and Sara as we make the difficult decisions to grow our party and elect a new Republican president.”

Jeff Larson served as RNC Senior Advisor for the 2014 election cycle after serving as Chief of Staff during the 2012 presidential election cycle. Last cycle, Jeff ran the NRSC independent expenditure arm that helped win 9 senate seats He has an extensive background as a businessman and political strategist. He served as the CEO of the 2008 Host Committee for the Republican National Convention. Earlier in his career, he was a campaign staffer for George H. W. Bush, a Regional Political Director for the RNC, and an advisor on both of George W. Bush's presidential campaigns.

Sara Armstrong served as RNC Chief Operating Officer for the 2014 election cycle after serving as Deputy Chief of Staff during the 2012 presidential election cycle. She previously worked as RNC Director of Member Services. From July 2007 to January 2009, she was a Special Assistant to President George W. Bush and Deputy Chief of Staff to First Lady Laura Bush. Her prior positions include White House Visitors Office Director, Deputy Director of Correspondence for the First Lady, White House Correspondence Analyst, and Sales/Marketing Manager at GMAC.

The Living Legends Foundation salute the late Jack the Rapper

The Living Legends Foundation Invites you to celebrate Black History as we connect, share, and remember radio legend Jack the Rapper.

What: "Mello Yello...Jack The Rapper" Book Launch

When: Tuesday, February 10, 2015
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm - Appetizers & 'Happy Hour' cash bar

Where: Ashford & Simpson's Sugar Bar 254 West 72nd Street, NYC 10023

Bring your memories, your history, your love of Black music, and join in the discussion with LLF President,
Varnell Johnson and "Mello Yello..." author, Walker Smith, as they delve into the career of a legend in radio and records, Jack "The Rapper" Gibson.

Contact: Jacqueline Rhinehart 917.554.2851 jackierhinehart@aol.com

For more information on the author, please visit: Walker Smith Books.com

Recognizing executive talent, while preserving and supporting the legacy of those in the Black Music Industry, is a tenet of the Living Legends Foundation, Inc.

Visit us at: The Living Legends Foundation

Marissa Alexander Addresses Reporter Following Her Official Release From Prison.

Story by AP

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Florida woman who claimed self-defense after prosecutors say she fired a gun at her estranged husband and his two sons will be released from prison as part of a plea agreement.

Marissa Alexander was sentenced on Tuesday to the 1,095 days she has already served in jail after pleading guilty to three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for the 2010 shooting.

She also received two years of house arrest.

The 34-year-old faced 60 years if convicted at trial because of Florida’s minimum-mandatory-sentencing law pertaining to firearm use.
The jury at her first trial found her guilty after deliberating for 12 minutes.

The verdict was thrown out after a judge ruled the trial court incorrectly required Alexander to prove she was abused by her husband.

CBC Offers Training and Support to Ferguson, Mo. Activists

After an emotional meeting between a dozen members of the Congressional Black Caucus and activists in Ferguson, Mo., the CBC pledges action to keep the movement going.

Story by The Root
Written by Lauren Victoria Burke

After a dinner meeting with 10 young activists in Ferguson, Mo., members of the Congressional Black Caucus are looking for ways to empower the Ferguson activist community. Eleven members of the caucus met with the activists Jan. 17, including leaders from the Organization for Black Struggle and activists Deray McKesson and Johnetta Elzie.

Several members in attendance described the dinner meeting as blunt and emotional. At one point, an activist broke into tears while describing treatment received by police in Ferguson. The discussion went on past midnight.

“That dinner meeting was powerful. They [the members] heard it. They got an earful from those young people about how bad it is. They spoke on how they felt that the civil rights movement had failed them and talked on the abuse they are still taking from the criminal-justice system,” Rep. Lacy Clay (D-Mo.) told The Root days after the CBC visit to his district.

“The next step is for the Congressional Black Caucus Institute to get behind a massive effort to educate the voters of Ferguson. It’s a community of 21,000 people, 67 percent African American; we have the numbers, and the map works for them having a voice in local government,” Clay added.

Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.), who attended the Ferguson dinner, stressed during an interview with The Root, “We can’t tell them what to do” but “we can help them with what they want to do.”

Members of the CBC pledged to sponsor several young activists from Ferguson for the next CBC Political and Education Leadership Institute Boot Camp. The CBC Institute, started in 2002, has an annual political-leadership boot camp that focuses on leadership development, political campaigns and issue advocacy. In July, 55 young people graduated from the boot camp. Members can sponsor boot camp students with their campaign funds.


CBC Institute Boot Camp Link: http://cbcinstitute.org/about-boot-camp

“Rep. Joyce Beatty [D-Ohio] agreed to sponsor one of the activists who attended the dinner at the CBC Institute boot camp. We’re gonna have about 15 of these young people in our boot camp from Ferguson,” Clay said.

There is also talk of having the next CBC Institute boot camp in Ferguson rather than in Maryland near Washington, D.C., but that has yet to be decided.

Clay said the dinner meeting “was very positive, and it wasn’t really slamming the police, but it’s letting them know: OK, we’re watching you. We’re gonna take direct action legislatively to correct some of these gross inequities in the administration of justice.”

Members of the CBC also met with Dorian Johnson, a friend of Michael Brown who was with Brown Aug. 9 when now-former Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson shot him to death. Inexplicably, Johnson did not testify before the grand jury that would later fail to indict Wilson.

Several Ferguson City Council candidates also attended the dinner meeting with the CBC. On April 7, three seats on the council are up for election. Currently, the six-person council has only one African American: Ward 2 Councilman Dwayne James. There is an African-American candidate running for each of the three seats on the ballot. In Ward 3, both candidates are African American.

A rumor that Michael Brown’s mother, Leslie McSpadden, has decided to run for a City Council seat may be false, although McSpadden was said to be mulling it over.

CBC member Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), currently the top fundraiser of the 46-member caucus, brought a check to the dinner meeting for each City Council candidate at the gathering. A more detailed fundraising plan is being thought out.

“We have filled the candidates in those seats, and we will be going out in each of the three wards in Ferguson, educating the voters on the importance of them having a voice in their local government,” said Clay.

CBC Chairman G.K. Butterfield told The Root on the night of the State of the Union that the caucus will soon unveil a detailed criminal-justice legislative plan.

Last week, two House members, Clay and Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), introduced the Grand Jury Reform Act. The bill would require an independent prosecutor in police-involved killings. The chances of passage in a Republican-controlled House and Senate are slim. In December, President Barack Obama created the Task Force on 21st Century Policing to make policy recommendations on Ferguson-related issues. It will announce its recommendations in March.

Viola Davis Wins "Best Female Actor in a Drama Series" at the 2015 Screen Actors Guild Awards

2015 SAG Awards (Screen Actors Guild), awards the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role of a Drama Series to Viola Davis.

U.S. Stocks Tumble

DOW DOWN 347 POINTS AT 11:47am Eastern

U.S. stocks tumbled, sending the Dow Jones Industrial Average to its biggest drop since October, as a slide in durable-goods orders and disappointing results from Caterpillar Inc. to Microsoft (MSFT) Corp. heightened concern over the economy’s strength. Treasuries climbed with gold.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (SPX) sank 1.4 percent at 11:47 a.m. in New York, while the Dow fell 347 points, or 2 percent.

Read More: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-26/asian-futures-pace-u-s-stock-gains-while-bonds-decline.html

Here's What the Blizzard is Shutting Down

A massive blizzard is expected to dump up to three feet of snow on parts of the Northeast throughout the next few days. Here's how the storm is derailing daily life on the East Coast.

New York City

Subways will run normally until 8 P.M. At this point, there will be limited service.
All non-emergency traffic will be banned from city roads after 11 P.M.

New York

Governor Cuomo has declared a State of Emergency.
Metro-North will operate an early getaway schedule on Monday, with additional trains departing Grand Central Terminal between 1 and 4 P.M. There will be fewer rush hour trains.
Long Island Rail Road will also have extra trains departing from Penn Station between 2 and 4 P.M.
Both Metro-North and LIRR may be shut down completely after 11 P.M.
Tractor-trailers are banned on main roads beginning at 4 P.M.

New Jersey

Governor Christie has declared a State of Emergency.
The last New Jersey Transit departures will leave by 8 P.M. All trains and buses will be suspended through Tuesday. The agency has no plans to resume train service before Thursday.

Connecticut

Governor Malloy has declared a State of Emergency.
A travel ban will be in effect beginning at 9 P.M.
There will be extra Metro-North trains running between 1 and 5 P.M.

Rhode Island

Residents are "urged" but not required to get off the roads by 8 P.M. A travel ban will begin at midnight.
Parking bans are in effect at public agencies throughout the state.

Massachusetts

Governor Baker has declared a State of Emergency.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will be shutting down all subway, rail, bus and ferry service on Tuesday.
____________________
Source: Buiness Week
____________________

Link to 1888 New York Blizzard that changed NYC: http://news.yahoo.com/nyc-blizzard-of-1888-132307180.html

"Mr Cub" Ernie Banks dead at 83

"Nobody represented his city or team more joyously, or more admirably, than Mr. Cub did. Ernie Banks died Friday at age 83" says ABC-TV/ESPN's Chicago-born Michael Wilbon

"Life is a song. Sing it. Life is a game. Play it. Life is a challenge. Meet it. Life is a dream. Realize it." Ernie Banks


Longtime Cub broadcaster Harry Caray, Cubs Third Baseman/Cubs Broadcast Analyst Ron Santo welcome Ernie Banks to 'Friendly Confines in the Sky'

Story by ESPN

"Mr. Cub" Ernie Banks, the Hall of Fame slugger and two-time MVP who never lost his boundless enthusiasm for baseball despite years of playing on losing Chicago Cubs teams, died Friday night. He was 83.

The Cubs announced Banks' death but did not provide a cause.

"Words cannot express how important Ernie Banks will always be to the Chicago Cubs, the city of Chicago and Major League Baseball. He was one of the greatest players of all time," Tom Ricketts, chairman of the Cubs, said in a statement released by the team. "He was a pioneer in the major leagues. And more importantly, he was the warmest and most sincere person I've ever known.

"Approachable, ever optimistic and kind hearted, Ernie Banks is and always will be Mr. Cub. My family and I grieve the loss of such a great and good-hearted man, but we look forward to celebrating Ernie's life in the days ahead."

"There's sunshine, fresh air, and the team's behind us," Ernie Banks said during his Hall of Fame induction speech in 1977. "Let's play two!" (AP Photo/Jim Prisching)

Banks hit 512 home runs during his 19-year career and was fond of saying, "It's a great day for baseball. Let's play two!'' That finish to his famous catchphrase adorns his statue outside Wrigley Field.

The Cubs paid tribute to Banks on the Wrigley marquee Friday night:

"We are saddened to announce that Hall of Famer Ernie Banks has passed away", followed by a video tribute of his career and what he meant to Chicago, even after he retired from baseball.

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) January 24, 2015

Read More: http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/12219755/ernie-banks-former-chicago-cubs-great-dies-age-83

Related Links:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-ernie-banks-presser-met-20150125-story.html
http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=chc
http://m.mlb.com/cutfour/2015/01/24/107353558/harry-caray-ron-santo-welcome-ernie-banks-to-friendly-confines-in-the-sky
http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/107433960/chicago-to-host-public-memorial-for-ernie-banks-at-daley-plaza
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/107330268/billy-williams-saddened-by-loss-of-ernie-banks
http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/107338920/phil-rogers-legendary-ernie-banks-in-his-own-words

Ernie Banks on not wanting to leave the Negro Leagues' Monarchs to join the Cubs in 1953: "I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas -- came from a family of 12 [children], second child, first boy. So my life, I came out of a segregated society into an integrated society. When I played, when I was young, came along, there was segregation. The Kansas City Monarchs were all black, and I enjoyed being with them. Eating on the bus -- peanut-butter-and-sardine sandwiches and crackers -- talking to them, learning from them. Many of those players who came out of the Negro Leagues, their parents came out of slavery times. Buck O'Neil's parents came out of slavery time. To be around them and hear about their lives, how they feel about things -- many of them even though they couldn't play in the Majors, didn't want to play in the Majors. They said they were happy here, satisfied with playing here, we like what we do, we like each other. When I was called up to the Cubs, I felt that way. ... Gosh, I don't want to leave these guys. They said, 'You're going to the Cubs. They have Ralph Kiner, Hank Sauer, all those guys playing with them.' My thought was, 'I don't want to play with them, I want to stay with you all.' One guy, Sherwood Brewer, said, 'Ernie you have to go to the Major Leagues.' He said, 'It's the Majors, as high as you can go.' I said, 'I'm already as high as you can go, I'm playing with you guys.' They forced me into taking the flight to Chicago."

‘Boom’ vs ‘Boomin’: Classic hip-hop trademark fight

Story by Inside Radio

You know a format has arrived when it spawns a trademark lawsuit. Radio One has sued Flinn Broadcasting for trademark infringement, unfair competition and other claims related to Flinn’s use of the “Boomin 96” moniker.

Filed in U.S. District Court in Tennessee, the suit requests an injunction to stop Flinn from using the mark, a trial by jury and unspecified damages and legal fees. The history of the disputed trademark dates back to October 2008 when CBS Radio registered “Boom FM” with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. It still owned the mark when Radio One launched its first “Boom” branded classic hip-hop station last October, presumably with CBS’s blessing. On December 19, CBS assigned the “Boom” marks to Radio One, court documents show, after Radio One had been using it at four of its stations.

The suit alleges Flinn began infringing around December 7 when it launched a classic hip-hop format on WIVG, licensed to Tunica, MS in the Memphis market, and on WOXF, licensed to Oxford, MS. The suit claims both were branded as “Boomin 96 Throwback Hip Hop.” Cease and desist letters sent by CBS and later Radio One to WIVG GM Duane Hargrove to stop the “confusingly similar” marks were ignored, according to the complaint. In fact, Radio One claims Flinn began offering “Boomin 96” station apps after it received the letters.

The suit makes the standard infringement claims, accusing Flinn of “trading on Radio One’s goodwill and reputation,” creating “a false impression,” deceiving consumers and causing Radio One “irreparable injury” and “substantial damages.”

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah dies at 90

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia waves as he leaves Downing Street in London, U.K., on Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2007

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah died and has been succeeded by Prince Salman, State-run Saudi media reported, citing the royal court.

The King, who was born in 1924, died at 1 a.m. local time, the press agency said.


About Saudi Arabia

Story below by The Guardian
Written by Ian Black, Middle East editor

The news came after the king was admitted to hospital on 31 December suffering from pneumonia. His condition was said to have improved a few days later.

Rumours of the king’s death circulated on social media before Saudi TV began broadcasting Qur’anic verses – often a harbinger of bad news – and the announcement was made. He is to be buried on Friday afternoon.

Beyond confirmation that Salman has ascended the throne lie troubling questions about the succession, the stability of an unreformed absolute monarchy and the prospects for its younger generation of royals at a time of turmoil in the region – including the destabilising crisis in Yemen.

Abdullah bin Abdulaziz – the king since 2005 and effectively in charge since his brother Fahd’s stroke in 1995 – accepted limited change after 2011 in response to the events of the Arab spring. Yet Saudi women are still unable to drive, citizens are unable to vote except in municipal elections and public beheading by sword remains a standard feature of the judicial system. Political parties are banned.

Salman is widely believed to be unwell, with speculation he is suffering from dementia or Parkinson’s disease, though Saudis deny that. He is 79, so there is bound to be uncertainty about his rule. Stability and continuity are likely to be his guiding principles, especially at a time of alarm over the rise of Isis in Iraq and Syria, turmoil in neighbouring Yemen, the kingdom’s rivalry with Iran and controversy over its resisting calls for Opec production cuts as the price of oil has plummeted.

In recent months, Salman has begun to play a more active role and has represented the country at important meetings abroad, including a high-octane Gulf summit. He also serves as deputy prime minister and defence minister.

Salman served as the governor of Riyadh province for years and enjoys a reputation for good governance. He acted as the family enforcer, discreetly settling problems with some of the thousands of royals who live in the capital. He was also active in collecting funds to support the mujahideen who were encouraged to fight the Soviet Union in Afghanistan in the 1980s – Osama bin Laden was the most famous of them – and he worked closely with the Wahhabi clerical establishment.

Salman stands to be succeeded in turn by Prince Muqrin, 69, the deputy crown prince, an RAF-trained fighter pilot and former intelligence chief whose prospects are often questioned because he was born to a Yemeni rather than a Saudi mother of “approved” tribal lineage.

If Muqrin does come to the throne, he is likely to be the last of the sons of the founder of Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz (Ibn Saud), who died in 1953. That will be the end of an era for a family, the Al Saud, who literally gave their name to a wealthy but autocratic country that controls 20% of the world’s oil reserves and dominates a strategic and volatile region.

Muqrin’s position was confirmed last year by the 35-member allegiance council in a move designed by Abdullah to guarantee a smooth succession. But that manoeuvre apparently faced opposition from less prominent surviving sons of Ibn Saud, especially Prince Ahmed. That means there could still be an argument – something the Al Saud have tried hard to avoid.

“I don’t think they are crazy enough to have an internal conflict over the throne,” said a Saudi writer. “The lesson is whatever you do, you do it in private and you don’t let rivalries upset the stability of the family’s rule,” argues a former diplomat.

Bruce Reidel, a CIA veteran and now a Brookings Institution expert, said: “If and when Muqrin ascends to the position of crown prince, the kingdom will face the unprecedented challenge of picking a next in line from the grandsons of Ibn Saud. That will raise questions of legitimacy not faced in the last century of Saudi rule.”

Predicting events inside this large and secretive clan is notoriously difficult and often described as a sort of Arabian version of Cold War-era Kremlinology. But one clear possibility is that younger royals will demand a greater role. Abdullah’s sons, Prince Mitab, head of the National Guard, and Prince Mishaal, governor of Mecca: both mistrust Crown Prince Salman and his “Sudairi” wing of the family, named after one of Ibn Saud’s favourite wives. Mohammed bin Nayef, the interior minister and son of the late Crown Prince Nayef, is another highly regarded figure of the same generation who is also much admired in the west.

Maintaining the family consensus will get harder the closer the younger generation get to power, experts argue.

Another issue for Salman will be managing Saudi relations with the US, the source of disappointment in Riyadh and impetuous moves by Abdullah in the last year after President Barack Obama sought to negotiate a nuclear deal and a wider rapprochement with Iran as well as failing to act militarily against the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, whose overthrow the Saudis are still seeking.

Saudi participation in Obama’s anti-Isis coalition may have helped ease tensions.

The Saudis – the king’s formal title is “guardian of the two holy places” (of Mecca and Medina) – bill themselves as the leaders of the Sunni Muslim world, a role that has taken on increased significance in the face of the jihadi threat and the atmosphere of sectarianism across the region.

Sign First Lady Michelle Obama's 51st Birthday Card

First Lady Michele Obama's Birthday Card link: https://twitter.com/TheDemocrats/status/555438459360653312/photo/1

European Central Bank seeks to inject Up to 1.1 Trillion Euros into Economy in Deflation Fight

Story by Bloomberg News
Written by Alessandro Speciale

European Central Bank President Mario Draghi called on the European Central Bank to make its biggest push yet to fend off deflation and revive the economy by unleashing a debt-buying spree of 1.1 trillion euros ($1.3 trillion).

The ECB President and his Executive Board proposed spending 50 billion euros a month through December 2016, two euro-area central-bank officials said. The plan still faces a tense debate in the Governing Council and may change before the final decision on Thursday, the people said, asking not to be identified as the talks are private. An ECB spokesman declined to comment.

By urging Fed-style quantitative easing, Draghi is remodeling the ECB as an aggressive central bank that will take risks even against the wishes of Germany, the region’s biggest economy. Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann and Executive Board member Sabine Lautenschlaeger have argued QE isn’t needed and reduces the incentive of governments to make structural reforms.

The proposal “looks larger than implied by the ECB’s previous comments about the size of its balance sheet,” said Riccardo Barbieri Hermitte, chief European economist at Mizuho International Plc in London. “A lot will depend on the risk-sharing features of the program.”

Press Conference

Draghi’s intention is to expand the ECB’s balance sheet to the level seen in early 2012, or about 3 trillion euros. While the central bank has assets of about 2.2 trillion euros currently, that may shrink as 200 billion euros of outstanding long-term loans mature in coming weeks.

The ECB chief is scheduled to hold a press conference at 2:30 p.m. in Frankfurt on Thursday to announce the Governing Council’s decision.

The council’s debate will be complicated by arguments over whether the risks incurred in the new bond-buying plan should be shared across the region’s 19 central banks or kept within national boundaries. Dutch central-bank Governor Klaas Knot has said any decision to mutualize risk should be taken by elected politicians, not unelected central bankers.

The tension over that issue surfaced this week at a conference in Dublin. Irish Finance Minister Michael Noonan said having national central banks buy government bonds would be “ineffective” -- drawing a response from ECB Executive Board member Benoit Coeure.

‘Magic Wand’

“The discussion is how to design it in a way that works, in a way that makes sense,” Coeure said. “If this is a discussion about how best to pool sovereign risk in Europe, and how to make the pooling of sovereign risk take a step forward in an environment where the governments themselves have decided not to do it, then this is not the right discussion.”

Governors must also decide what assets to buy. While the program is likely to focus on government debt, other assets such as corporate bonds are under discussion, one of the people said. Purchases won’t start before March 1, the person said.

“We need the ECB to do more and we need the ECB to decide tomorrow,” Jean-Claude Trichet, Draghi’s predecessor, said in an interview broadcast on CNBC today. “But to think the ECB has a magic wand and will change all the situation in Europe by its magic wand, in my opinion is not the appropriate reasoning.”
__________________________________
To contact the reporter on this story: Alessandro Speciale in Frankfurt at aspeciale@bloomberg.net

President Obama's 2015 State of the Union Address

President Barack Obama delivers his sixth State of the Union address, at the United States Capitol, January 20, 2015.


President Barack Obama signs two copies of the State of the Union address in the Diplomatic Reception Room prior to departing the White House en route to the Capitol to deliver the State of the Union address, Jan. 20, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)


President Barack Obama greets 103-year-old Civil Rights legend Amelia Boynton Robinson (Boynton Robinson - not LBJ - originally inspired and organized the Selma March over Edmund Pettus bridge) here with Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Alabama, at the U.S. Capitol before delivering the State of the Union address in the House Chamber in Washington, D.C., Jan. 20, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)


First Lady Michelle Obama acknowledges recognition as she arrives in the House Chamber gallery for President Barack Obama's State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Jan. 20, 2015. Nice Dress. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)


President Barack Obama delivers the State of the Union address in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Jan. 20, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)


President Barack Obama delivers the State of the Union address in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Jan. 20, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)


It took six grueling years. But finally, Barack Obama took the chance to look the American people in the eye and declare job done.


President Barack Obama greets House and Senate Pages as he departs the House Chamber after delivering the State of the Union address in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Jan. 20, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)


President Barack Obama speaks with First Lady Michelle Obama following his State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Jan. 20, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Things You Didn't Know About the State of the Union

Things You Didn't Know About the State of the Union

87th Academy Award Nominations for the 2015 Oscars on February 22nd.

Yahoo Movies host Ben Lyons and Senior Correspondent Kevin Polowy analyze the snubs and surprises from newly minted Oscar nominees.

* American Sniper
Clint Eastwood, Robert Lorenz, Andrew Lazar, Bradley Cooper and Peter Morgan

* Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher and James W. Skotchdopole

* Boyhood
Richard and Cathleen Sutherland

* The Grand Budapest Hotel
Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales and Jeremy Dawson

* The Imitation Game
Nora Grossman, Ido Ostrowsky and Teddy Schwarzman

* Selma
Christian Colson, Oprah Winfrey, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner

* The Theory of Everything
Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce and Anthony McCarten

* Whiplash
Jason Blum, Helen Estabrook and David Lancaster


_______________________

Best Actor
Steve Carell, Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper, American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton, Birdman
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything
_______________________

Best Actress
Marion Cotillard, Two Days, One Night
Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon, Wild
________________________

Actor in a Supporting Role
Robert Duvall, The Judge
Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
Edward Norton, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
_______________________

Actress in a Supporting Role
Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Laura Dern, Wild
Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
Emma Stone, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Meryl Streep, Into the Woods


2014 Oscar Moments
_______________________
Complete List Link: http://oscar.go.com/nominees?cid=oscars_nominees_announcement_cadillac

President Obama's Initiative on Affordable High-Speed Broadband for All Americans

Yesterday President Obama traveled to Cedar Falls, Iowa and spoke about the importance of expanding access to high-speed broadband Internet.


President Obama on the need for affordable high-speed broadband for all Americans, and how certain small cities and towns are taking steps to lay a foundation for broadband access that rivals the most connected cites in the world.

Story by the White House

Fast Internet isn't just a convenience or a luxury -- it's a necessity for economic progress. Unfortunately, too many of America's communities lack access to high-speed broadband Internet.

But Cedar Falls, Iowa -- a town of only about 40,000 people -- has broadband that's nearly 100 times faster than the national average. (That's on par with cities like Hong Kong and Tokyo.) And it's because the people of Cedar Falls came together to make strategic investments for their citizens and businesses, and brought new competition to their broadband market.



By welcoming new competition or building next-generation networks, these communities are pioneers in broadband that works. And tomorrow, the President will provide municipal leaders and entrepreneurs with new tools to help replicate this success across America.

Get the facts here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/01/13/fact-sheet-broadband-works-promoting-competition-local-choice-next-gener

Nigeria Boko Haram: Army repels attack in Borno state

Nigeria army spokesman Chris Olukolade said some insurgents had been killed and others captured (Photo: AFP)

Story by BBC

The Nigerian army has repelled an attack by suspected Boko Haram militants in the town of Biu in the north-eastern state of Borno.

Some insurgents were killed, the army said after the militants were driven back.

Local people told the BBC they had seen the militants retreat and calm had been restored.

The attack came after three people were killed in a suicide attack in neighbouring Gombe state on Tuesday.

Residents of Biu, the largest town in Borno South, say they woke up to the sounds of heavy explosions and sustained gunfire.

One resident said Boko Haram militants had entered the town firing guns around 06:30 local time (05:30 GMT), leading some residents to flee.

Residents who stayed saw the army, which has often been accused of retreating in the face of Boko Haram attacks, engage the militants in intense battle.

Nigerian army spokesman Chris Olukolade said the military had killed some of the insurgents, taking their weapons, and had captured five of them alive.

Another resident of Biu said calm had now been restored and that although shops were still closed, people were venturing out again.

Refugee hub

Biu is reported to host large numbers of refugees who have fled towns taken over by Boko Haram.

Borno state, which is in the north-east of the country bordering on Chad and Cameroon, has been at the forefront of Boko Haram attacks in recent months.

The militants have captured a number of cities and are reported to control large parts of the state. Senator Maina Maaji Lawan, who represents Borno North, recently told the BBC at least 70% of the area he represents was in the hands of Boko Haram.

The fighting caps a week of violence with two suspected child suicide bombers in a crowded market on Sunday and an unspecified number of people killed when Boko Haram stormed the town of Baga.

Nigeria is to hold elections next month, amid growing doubts whether they can successfully go ahead in all parts of the country.

The chairman of Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec), Attahiru Jega, announced on Tuesday that it was preparing to conduct elections in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

He added next month's elections would go ahead in the three north-eastern states worst hit by Boko Haram, but said there was little prospect of voting in militant-held areas.

"There are areas that are occupied by insurgents and obviously it stands to reason that elections are unlikely to take place in these areas," he said.

NFL's New York Jets hire Arizona Cardinals Defensive Coordinator Todd Bowles as their Head Coach

Video by NFL.com

Story by Yahoo Sports
Written by Frank Schwab
Photo by Getty Images

The Jets landed Todd Bowles, the Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator who has been in high demand since Arizona's season ended. He was considered one of the top available head coaching candidates and interest was high. The Atlanta Falcons also sought a second interview with Bowles, but the Jets got their second interview with Bowles first, and didn't let him leave without the job.

Bowles' defenses in Arizona the past two seasons were known for being very aggressive, with many creative blitzes. Despite an offense that had three different starting quarterbacks, Arizona went 11-5 and got a wild-card spot in a competitive NFC. Arizona allowed 18.7 points per game, the fifth best mark in the NFL. Bowles was interim head coach for the three games with the 2011 Miami Dolphins after Tony Sparano was fired, and Bowles went 2-1.

Read more: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/new-york-jets-hire-cardinals-defensive-coordinator-todd-bowles-034627429.html

Russian Billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov Exploring Sale of the Brooklyn Nets, possibly for more than 2-Billion Dollars

Story by Bloomberg
Written by Scott Soshnick

The Brooklyn Nets are for sale.

Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov retained Evercore Partners (EVR) to sell the National Basketball Association team he bought in 2010, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter.

The people requested anonymity because the matter is private.

Nets spokesman Barry Baum declined immediate comment. Dana Gorman, a spokesman for Evercore with The Abernathy MacGregor Group, declined to comment.

“As we have been saying for many months, team ownership is open to listening to offers,” said Ellen Pinchuk, a spokeswoman for Prokhorov. “That’s just part of the business. There is nothing imminent in terms of the sale of any stake in the team.”

Prokhorov, 49, the first foreign owner of an NBA team, holds 80 percent of the club and 45 percent of the Barclays Center, its 2 1/2-year-old arena which next season will house hockey’s New York Islanders. Only the team is for sale, the people said.

“It’s a unique asset which is going to garner national and international interest,” said Sal Galatioto, founder of New York-based advisory firm Galatioto Sports Partners, which has sold NBA teams including the Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns.

Price Tag

Galatioto declined to put a price tag on the team, which valuations expert Peter Schwartz said is worth about $1.3 billion. The arena is worth even more, said Schwartz, a managing director at Boston-based Christie & Associates, adding that the commodity tycoon’s combined stake is worth about $2 billion.

Because of their home in the No. 1 U.S. media market, and the infrequency with which marquee franchises become available, the Nets might fetch more than the record $2 billion former Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer paid for the Los Angeles Clippers in a frenzied auction sparked by racist comments made by former owner Donald Sterling, Schwartz said.

“The fever of a trophy asset goes beyond financial analysis -- as we saw in Los Angeles,” Schwartz said.

Bruce Ratner’s Stake

Bruce Ratner, a limited partner in the Nets and the majority stakeholder in the arena, previously hired Evercore to explore a sale of his 20 percent stake in the team. No agreement was reached as it’s difficult to find someone willing to pay hundreds of millions of dollars without getting a say in operations. Guggenheim Sports and Entertainment, which paid a U.S. sports record $2.15 billion for Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers and their stadium, previously held talks with Prokhorov that didn’t yield an agreement.

Forbes said about a year ago that the Nets were worth $780 million, fifth in the 30-team NBA. That estimate was made before Ballmer’s purchase of the Clippers, a price that eclipsed the previous record by almost four times and boosted the value of all professional sports teams.

Prokhorov paid about $220 million for his share of the Nets, which according to ESPN lost $144 million last season.

Prokhorov, who ran against Vladimir Putin for president two years ago, has a net worth of $11.1 billion, down from a high of $12.5 billion in November, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Weakened Ruble

Russia’s ruble has weakened against the dollar. Declining oil prices put the country on the brink of recession, while sanctions, introduced by Western countries against some of the largest Russian companies, increased concerns about its ability to service its external debt.

Putin last year said Russian businessmen “need to understand their responsibility” during a meeting with the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. He called for Russian-owned companies to register and to pay taxes in Russia.

“Given the recent speculation that Mr. Prokhorov might sell his interest in light of the slumping Eastern European economies this is certainly an interesting development,” said Chuck Baker, head of sports mergers and acquisition as a partner in DLA Piper’s Global Sports, Media and Entertainment practice.

The Nets are the second NBA team on the market, joining the Atlanta Hawks, whose ownership group put the team and operating rights to Philips Arena up for sale on Jan. 8.

The Nets and Hawks hit the market at a time of mushrooming revenue for the league, which reaped $5.5 billion last season. In October, Walt Disney Co. (DIS) and Time Warner Inc. (TWX) renewed their contracts to carry NBA games through the 2024-25 season, tripling payments. The networks agreed to pay $24 billion over nine years, prompting Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis to say “there’s never been a better time to be an owner of an NBA franchise.”

Online Video

The NBA and ESPN also are planning an online video service that will show live games and be available to customers who don’t pay for cable or satellite TV. The league received an undisclosed equity stake in that venture.

Moreover, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the league will eventually profit from movements in states like New Jersey to legalize sports gambling.

Among those who have expressed interest in the Hawks are former players Grant Hill and Junior Bridgeman, as well as BTIG LLC’s Steven Starker and Marquis Jet co-founder Jesse Itzler. Hill was also a member of a Tony Ressler and Bruce Karsh-led group that bid on the Clippers, whose auction attracted billionaires including Oracle Corp. Chairman Larry Ellison, music industry executive David Geffen and Oprah Winfrey.

The Nets, who have the highest payroll in the league at about $91 million, are 16-22 this season.

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-13/prokhorov-said-to-explore-sale-of-brooklyn-nets-basketball-team.html

Ohio State University Champions of College Football, TCU #3

ARLINGTON, Texas – The four teams that made the College Football Playoff are in the top five of the final AP poll, but two are behind a team that missed out.

Ohio State finishes the year atop the AP poll after beating Oregon 42-20 in for the national title Monday night and TCU, which demolished Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl, jumps up to No. 3 from No. 6 in the pre-bowl poll.

TCU was at No. 3 in the next-to-last set of College Football Playoff rankings but fell out of the top four in the final rankings after Baylor beat Kansas State and Ohio State beat Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship.

Oregon finishes the year at No. 2 and Alabama is at No. 4. Florida State, which lost to Oregon in the Rose Bowl, is at No. 5 in a tie with Michigan State.

After beating Mississippi State in the Orange Bowl, Georgia Tech moved up to No. 8. The entire poll is below.

1. Ohio State (59 first place votes)
2. Oregon
3. TCU
4. Alabama
5. Florida State
5. Michigan State
7. Baylor
8. Georgia Tech
9. Georgia
10. UCLA
11. Mississippi State
12. Arizona State
13. Wisconsin
14. Missouri
15. Clemson
16. Boise State
17. Ole Miss
18. Kansas State
19. Arizona
20. USC
21. Utah
22. Auburn
23. Marshall
24. Louisville
25. Memphis

NBA's Brooklyn Nets' Kevin Garnett headbutts the Houston Rockets' Dwight Howard

Kevin Garnett headbutts Dwight Howard and gets suspended (Video: ESPN)

NBA World Champions San Antoinio Spurs honored by President Obama at the White House

World Champion San Antonio Spurs, the NBA's most international team, honored at the White House (Video: NBA.com)

FBI offers reward in NAACP Colorado Springs, Co. bombing investigation

Story by MSNBC - http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/fbi-offers-reward-naacp-bombing-investigation
Written by Nisha Chittal

Link to MSNBC 1/7/15 story by Cassandra Vinograd: http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/fbi-seeks-pickup-driver-after-explosion-near-naacp-colorado-springs
_______________________

On Friday, the FBI announced it will offer a $10,000 reward for anyone who has information to help them in the investigation of a bombing incident near the NAACP offices in Colorado Springs, Co.

On Tuesday last week, an explosive was detonated outside of the building that houses the local NAACP chapter in Colorado Springs. According to the FBI, the explosive was detonated near a gas can that did not ignite, thereby minimizing the potential damage that could have been done. The blast left singe marks on the NAACP building and the building of a hair salon next door. No one was injured.

The FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have been investigating the incident along with local authorities. In a Friday press conference, the FBI announced a $10,000 reward for anyone who had information that could lead to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible. In a press release, the FBI released a sketch of the suspect, described as “a white male, approximately 40 years of age, and balding or having shortly cropped hair.” They identified his vehicle as a white pick-up truck, mid-2000 model, with “possible paneling or railing, a dark colored bed liner, an open or missing tailgate, and a missing or covered license plate.” Anyone with information regarding the suspect was encouraged to call the FBI Denver tip line.

It remains unclear whether the attack was deliberately targeted at the NAACP. Henry Allen, president of the Colorado Springs chapter, told msnbc: “I don’t want to say right now whether our organization was targeted or whether myself or the other business was targeted. I just don’t want to speculate. This is too important of an investigation. I don’t want to give anyone the opportunity to capitalize on this unfortunate situation if some things may not be true.”

After the attack, Twitter users began discussing the story using the hashtag #NAACPbombing, which quickly went viral on Twitter around the United States. To date, the hashtag has been mentioned over 268,000 times and was a nationwide trending topic on Twitter on Tuesday and Wednesday. Congressman John Lewis, a veteran of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, said on Twitter: “I am deeply troubled by the bombing in Colorado. It reminds me of another period.”

Inside Charlie Hebdo after the attack

Video by NY Times
Produced by Natalia V. Osipova, Pierre Kattar, Stefania Rousselle and Adam B. Ellick.
Image by Agnes Dherbeys

French Police Storm Hostage Sites, Killing Gunmen - Charlie Hebdo Suspects Dead in Raid; Hostage Taker in Paris Is Also Killed

Hostages were directed after police ended two sieges in Paris on Friday (Credit: Michel Euler/AP)

Story by New York Times
Written by Dan Bilefsky and Maia De La Baume

PARIS — The French police on Friday killed the two brothers suspected of massacring 12 people at a Paris newspaper on Wednesday and freed a hostage they had been holding unharmed, the authorities said. The police also killed another hostage-taker, described as an associate of the brothers, in a separate assault on a kosher supermarket in Paris.

Three hostages were killed and five injured at the market, although it was not immediately clear how many of those may have been shot in the final assault. Five hostages were reported to have been freed unharmed, a senior French police official said.


The assault against the two brothers, suspects in the attack on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, began shortly after 5 p.m. Explosions and gunfire were heard at a printing plant in Dammartin-en-Goële, outside of Paris, where the gunmen were holding a single hostage.

Rocco Contento, spokesman for the Unité S.G.P. police union in Paris, said the assault had unfolded rapidly and confirmed that the brothers, Saïd and Chérif Kouachi, were dead.

“The operation in Dammartin is finished,” Mr. Contento said. “The two suspects have been killed and the hostage has been freed. The special counterterrorism forces located where the terrorists are and broke down the door. They took them by surprise. It lasted a matter of minutes.”

Moments later, gunfire erupted at a kosher supermarket on the eastern end of Paris where the alleged associate of the Kouachi brothers, Amedy Coulibaly, was also holding hostages. One woman was seen running from the market as heavily armed police officers moved in.

The French police released an image of Hayat Boumeddiene, left, and Amedy Coulibaly, who are suspected being involved in the killing of a female police officer on Thursday. (Credit AFP/Getty Images)




Mr. Coulibaly, who police say gunned down a female police officer in Montrouge, a suburb south of Paris on Thursday, had threatened to kill his hostages if the Kouachi brothers were attacked.

The twin episodes threw the capital and its beleaguered government into a new crisis. President François Hollande interrupted a meeting with local officials to monitor efforts to capture the two suspects in the newspaper killings. When word of the second hostage-taking came, he sent his interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, to the scene, near Porte de Vincennes.

In a measure of the jitters pervading the city, the police ordered shopkeepers on Rue des Rosiers, a street with many Jewish-owned businesses, to close as a precaution.

Early on Friday, hundreds of French security forces converged on the printing plant, in an industrial park near Charles de Gaulle Airport. The suspects told negotiators they intended to “die as martyrs,” a police official said.

As that drama was playing out about 30 miles northeast of Paris, the police responded in force to the shooting and hostage-taking at the kosher market.

The police and news reports said that Mr. Coulibaly was believed to have joined the same jihadist group as the Kouachi brothers, and that a terrorism investigation had been opened. They issued a photograph of Mr. Coulibaly and appealed for witnesses to come forward. They also published a photograph of a woman, Hayat Boumeddiene, 26, who they said was also implicated in the Montrouge attack. They said both suspects were armed and dangerous.

Before the raid on the printing plant, Mohamed Douhane, a senior police officer who was following the negotiations with the Kouachis, said that the police were in contact with the two suspects and that they hoped to resolve the standoff peacefully.

“We have established communication with the Kouachi brothers,” he said. “They said they wanted to die as martyrs. They are behaving like two determined terrorists who are certainly physically exhausted, but who want to escape with one last big show of force and heroic resistance. They feel trapped and know that their last hours have come.”

The police said the brothers had been located at the printing warehouse by helicopters equipped with heat sensors. Shortly afterward, residents saw security forces drop down on ropes from helicopters hovering over the area.

Aircraft had been advised to avoid certain runways at the airport as a precaution. Residents of Dammartin-en-Goële were told to stay indoors. Students were locked down in their schools and were being kept away from windows and doors. Shortly after noon, the town announced that students at schools nearest the area of the operations were being evacuated by the police and taken to another school to be picked up by their parents. Helicopters were circling the town as a cold drizzle fell.

Mr. Hollande, after meeting with local officials at the Interior Ministry, said, “France is going through a trying time,” and called this week’s attack “the worst of the past 50 years.”

Looking tense but trying to sound resolute as the effort to capture the suspects was unfolding, the president said, “France is also shocked, considering that the perpetrators of these acts have not yet been arrested, and I am speaking before you as operations are ongoing.”

Saïd Kouachi, 34, traveled to Yemen in 2011 and received terrorist training from Al Qaeda’s affiliate there before returning to France, according to American officials. His younger brother Chérif, 32, who has worked as a pizza deliveryman and a fishmonger, had been detained and later arrested in 2008 for his involvement in a Paris terrorist cell that had been recruiting French citizens to fight in Iraq.

Charlie Hebdo suspects killed, ‘several hostages freed’ at Paris market

Members of the French police special forces evacuate the hostages after launching the assault at a Kosher grocery store in Porte de Vincennes, eastern Paris(AFP PHOTO)

Story by France 24
Video by CNN

Two suspects in the Charlie Hebdo attacks who were holed up northeast of Paris have been killed, officials said. A hostage crisis at a Paris market was also brought to an end with several hostages freed.

French police launched an assault Friday on the two Charlie Hebdo shooting suspects – brothers Cherif Kouachi, 32, and Said Kouachi, 34 – reportedly killing both. A hostage the men were holding at a printing shop in the town of Dammartin-en-Goële, around 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) from Paris's main airport, Charles De Gaulle, has been released and is unhurt.


Mayor: Charlie Hebdo terror suspects dead

Police also stormed a Kosher supermarket in eastern Paris, releasing several hostages who were held there by a gunman. The hostage-taker, who is reported dead, has been linked to the fatal shooting of a policewoman in Montrouge in southern Paris on Thursday.

French officials have also said there was a "connection" between the Montrouge shooting and the massacre at Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday.


French police storm two hostage sites in Paris and north of the city, with the hostage takers are confirmed dead.

The Kouachi brothers are suspected of killing 12 people at the Paris-based satirical weekly – eight journalists, two police officers, a maintenance worker and a visitor. Eleven people were also wounded, four of them seriously.

Nine people have so far been detained in the investigation.

Andrae Crouch, legendary gospel figure, dies at 72

In this March 1, 1995 file photo, Andrae Crouch displays his two Grammys backstage at the 37th annual Grammy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

Story by AP

Andrae Crouch, a legendary gospel performer, songwriter and choir director whose work graced songs by Michael Jackson (one being Michael Jackson's song "Man in the Mirror") and Madonna and movies such as "The Lion King," has died. He was 72.

Crouch died Thursday afternoon at Northridge Hospital Medical Center, where he had been admitted Saturday after suffering a heart attack, said his publicist, Brian Mayes.

The Recording Academy, which awarded seven Grammys to Crouch during a career that spanned more than a half-century, said in a statement that he was "a remarkable musician and legendary figure" who was "fiercely devoted to evolving the sound of contemporary, urban gospel music."

Crouch and his twin sister, Sandra Crouch, also a singer, lived in the Pacoima area of Los Angeles. They were pastors at the New Christ Memorial Church in the Los Angeles suburb of San Fernando.

"Today my twin brother, womb-mate and best friend went home to be with the Lord," said Pastor Sandra Crouch. "I tried to keep him here but God loved him best."

Born in San Francisco, Crouch wrote his first gospel tune at age 14.

Crouch wrote dozens of songs, including gospel favorites such as "The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power," ''My Tribute (To God Be the Glory)" and "Soon and Very Soon," which was sung at a public memorial to Jackson.

Debuting in 1960, Crouch helped pioneer the burgeoning "Jesus Music" movement from the late 1960s and '70s that started the spread of contemporary Christian music.

"We've lost a true pioneer and he will be missed," said Jason Crabb, another Grammy-winning gospel singer.

His influence also crossed over into in pop music. Elvis Presley performed his song "I've Got Confidence" for a 1972 gospel album, and Paul Simon" recorded "Jesus Is the Answer" for a 1974 live album.

Crouch worked with many other stars, from Diana Ross to Ringo Starr, and his gospel albums sometimes featured performers from other musical genres. His 18th solo album, "The Journey," released in 2011, featured Chaka Khan, Shelia E., Take 6, Kim Burrell and Marvin Winans.

Crouch was one of only a handful of gospel performers to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

His choir, The Disciples, sang background for Madonna's song "Like a Prayer." Crouch helped Michael Jackson arrange the King of Pop's 1987 hit song, "Man in the Mirror."

He also arranged music for the 1985 film "The Color Purple" — which earned him an Academy Award nomination — and Disney's "The Lion King" in 1994.

His success came despite a lifelong struggle with dyslexia. To create, he would make drawings that allowed him to grasp the concept. For the Jackson song, he drew a mirror with an image in it.

"I memorized everything through sight, the shape of the word," Crouch told The Associated Press in 2011. "Some things that I write, you'll see a page with cartoon pictures or a drawing of a car — like a Ford — or a flag. I still do it on an occasion when a word is strange to me."

"So when I finish a song, I thank God for bringing me through," he continued. "You have to press on and know your calling. That's what I've been doing for all my life. I just went forward."

Crouch had health issues in recent years, including diabetes and cancer. Last month, he was hospitalized for pneumonia and congestive heart failure and had to cancel a tour.

New hostage situation at Kosner supermarket in eastern Paris

The site of a supermarket in Vincennes, eastern Paris, where a gunman is holding hostages. Photograph: Google

Update by the Guardian/AP/BFM TV/AFP

France’s anti-terrorism prosecutor has confirmed that the shooting and hostage-taking attack is underway at a Kosher market on the eastern edge of Paris, AP reports.

The police have named two suspects wanted in connection with the second siege at a Kosher supermarket in eastern Paris.

They are Amedy Coulibaly (the man suspected of killing policewoman Clarissa Jean-Philippe in Montrouge yesterday) and Hayat Boumeddiene.

Police did not specify whether both were at the scene.

French police take position by a kosher grocery store near Porte de Vincennes in eastern Paris. Photograph: Eric Feferberg/AFP/Getty Images






AFP reports at least two killed in hostage drama east of Paris.

A police official said there are six hostages and some wounded at the scene.

One of suspects is said to be 32 years old, with a long criminal record for thefts drug-related offences, and implicated in the same criminal investigation as Cherif Kouachi.


Amedy Coulibaly Photograph: -/AFP/Getty Images

More details are emerging about Amedy Coulibaly who is believed to be holding up six people hostage at a kosher supermarket in eastern Paris, after being named as suspect in the killing of a policewoman on Thursday.

He is 32 and from Juvisy-sur-Orge in Ile-de-France. According to Le Monde, Coulibaly and Cherif Kouachi were two of the most committed followers of convicted terrorist Djamel Beghal.

Telephone conversations reveal that the pair visited Beghal’s home in Murat in the south of France.

Hayat Boumeddiene, 26, has been Coulibaly’s partner since 2010 and lived in his home while he was serving a prison sentence, Le Monde said.