Recag/C4_22 · Datasets at Hugging Face

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But Reinsdorf isn't begging fans for their financial trust.
"We put the risk on ourselves," said Reinsdorf, who decided committing payroll to winning now was wiser than trading talent and going young because there is no guarantee those moves would make them better in two or three years.
"We're spending the money. We never expected people to go wild and buy tickets like mad. We know we have to prove we have a team worthy of winning the division. If we do, we'll draw better. Last year's attendance (2.28 million) was the lowest in a long time, so it's obvious we have enough fans to come out and have us draw 2.6-2.8 (million) if they like what they see."
Reinsdorf did say sponsorship sales were up and that higher television ratings could generate higher revenues.
That could help defray the increase in payroll after strong consideration was given to not re-signing free agents Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski and trading more players who would have lowered payroll with the possibility of getting better in two or three years.
"As we looked at the rest of the players we could move, without getting into particulars, it didn't look like we could get enough back so all we would end up doing was having a worse team with a low payroll," Reinsdorf said. "We would make money, but we wouldn't be building for the future.
"I didn't mind taking a step back because we have done it before. But I didn't want to take a step back without feeling really good that step back was going to help us going forward."
Reinsdorf said a successful start and spike in home attendance would cover the higher payroll, adding that they would have the resources to sustain a financial loss if they start slowly.
"That was really the thought process, the idea of being bad for two to three years was a horrible thought when you're 75-years-old," said Reinsdorf, who added he recently passed a stress test.
Reinsdorf also said he doesn't anticipate any tension resurfacing between general manager Ken Williams and manager Ozzie Guillen.
"No, that was foolishness that grew out of Oney's twitters or tweets or whatever they are called," Reinsdorf said in reference to the controversy surrounding Guillen's middle son Oney last season. "That's not going to happen."
"These guys have too much of a history of getting along and working. There's a natural tension between managers and general managers and head coaches and general managers. It always exists. It will flare up from time to time. Right now, they are on the same page."
Retro doesn’t even begin to describe the funky, quirky Alamo Motel. This bare-bones getaway fits into the offbeat, western cowboy character of Los Alamos.
The Shelter Social Club, owners of Ojai Rancho Inn, Santa Barbara’s Agave Inn and Solvang’s Hamlet Inn, took on this vintage 1930s-era motel and is renovating it room by room. Its goal: preserving and bringing this California roadside motel back to life.
A fire pit in the center of the motel’s courtyard is a gathering spot in the evenings. Music is always playing. And on weekends, the Municipal Winemakers wine tasting room, which sits front and center on the Alamo Motel campus, pours its lineup of fun, tasty Santa Barbara County wines.
We love the hip feel at the reception desk, where a variety of curated items are for sale, including handcrafted wood bowls, serving platters, leather goods and linen pouches, all from Santa Barbara artisans. It’s not your typical hotel gift shop.
Rooms: There’s a rustic, Wild West-meets-Scandinavian chic vibe here. Currently, four of the 21 rooms have been converted, each with slightly different decor, all inspired by artist Georgia O’Keefe’s home. Guests will find cowhide rugs, sheepskin chair covers and skulls with horns hanging on the walls. Plus, flat-screens, outdoor lounging spaces and kitchenettes are available in a few of the rooms.
Zzz’s: Queen-size wood platform beds are outfitted in crisp white linens.
Splashes: Just the basics: Showers are in all rooms, tubs are in some.
The president of the Uni formed Firefighters Association, Michael J. Maye, warned yes terday that the city's firemen might take strike action if they were unable to negotiate a sat isfactory contract in current bargaining talks.
Mr. Maye, at a news confer ence in which he discussed the union's demands, said there was a “very, very strong possibil ity” that the firefighters would not respond to alarms if they failed to get an acceptable con tract to replace the one expir ing Dec. 31.
The firefighters, along with patrolmen, sanitationmen and various other groups of city employes, are seeking substan tial pay increases, better pen sions and other contract im provements. But city officials have emphasized repeatedly in recent days that the city's fi nancial pinch seriously limited its ability to grant major pay increases.
Arvid Anderson, chairman of the city's Office of Collective Bargaining, announced mean while that his board members, including the impartial public representatives, would meet at 11 A.M. tomorrow with Mayor Lindsay, Herbert L. Haber, di rector of the city's labor rela tions, and other officials to dis cuss the pending contract talks with the uniformed services.
He noted that the Office of Collective Bargaining had a statutory responsibility to as sist in the resolution of dis putes and also recognized the “real interest of the public” in the progress of the talks. The board intends to use “its good offices to promote meaningful and expeditious negotiations,” he said.
Mr. Maye reiterated that the firefighters’ key objectives were a 30 per cent pay increase in a one‐year contract and ma jor pension improvements that would permit retirement at full pay after 25 years of service or at half pay after 15 years. Fire fighters now get $10,950 a year and they can retire at half pay after 20 years.
BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON - Avalanche awareness is heightened across Utah following the death of a backcountry skier near Gobblers Knob this week.
The Utah Avalanche Center says danger is expected to remain considerable over the weekend, particularly on north and east facing slopes because high winds.
Lees said that’s why it’s so important for those headed into the backcountry to not only look at general conditions, but also at specific areas. She said conditions can vary based on terrain and how much show has fallen in that area.
In the Gobbler’s Knob area, forecasters say the weather has been complex. Intermittent snowstorms created several weak layers on the steep slope. Those weak layers contributed to Thursday’s unintentional avalanche.
Backcountry skiers heading out Saturday said the fatality has put them a little on edge, but it just means preparations are more important.
Earl says they never head out without testing beacons, probes and shovels. But he said the most important aspect of staying safe is to recognize, and walk away from, a dangerous situation.
Avalanche conditions are expected to change with weekend storms. You can always check the current conditions on the Utah Avalanche Center’s website.
–$–Google is <-paying 97$ per hour! Work for few hours and have longer with friends & family! On tuesday I got a great new Land Rover Range Rover from having earned $872 this last four weeks.. It sounds unbelievable but you wont forgive yourself if you don’t check it….
Tornado watch issued for Sandusky County canceled at 6:14 p.m.
CLEVELAND - A tornado watch for Sandusky County was canceled at 6:14 p.m., several hours before it was scheduled to expire at 9 p.m. Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
The NWSalso issued a lakeshore flood warning until 10 p.m. for Ottawa County along Lake Erie.
A tornado watch defines a cluster of counties where tornadoes and other kinds of severe weather are possible in the next several hours, according the NWS website. It does not mean tornadoes are imminent, just that you need to be alert, and to be prepared to go to safe shelter if tornadoes do happen or a warning is issued.
The NWS suggests turning on local TV or radio, turning on and setting the alarm switch on your weather radio, making sure you have ready access to safe shelter, and making your friends and family aware of the potential for tornadoes in the area.
A tornado warning, in contrast, means that a tornado has been spotted, or that Doppler radar indicates a thunderstorm circulation which can spawn a tornado. When a tornado warning is issued for your town or county, take immediate safety precautions. local NWS offices issue tornado warnings.
I always figured Mariano's would put Dominick's out of business. The head of Mariano's left Dominick's and started Mariano's. Not a good sign. And then I started noticing that wherever Dominick's had a pretty good business, Mariano's opened nearby. It was only a matter of time--and design.
What really surprised me, though, is that after only two days of Mariano's being in business in the South Loop at 16th and Clark, just a stone's throw from Dominick's at Roosevelt and Canal, Dominick's announced it was leaving Chicago. There must be a connection. A final nail in the coffin? Mariano's in the South Loop? Goodbye, Dominick's!
It looks like our very own South Loop Dominick's is going to turn into a Jewel. What this means for the Jewel at Roosevelt and State--across from my house--I do not know. Nor do I partcularly care. Because in the South Loop, we have grocery stores up to the eyeballs!
Which wasn't always the case. In fact, when I moved to my house in the South Loop 19 years ago, we barely had any. We had a place called Printers Row Market at 8th and State, which was found--after a thorough television investigation--to be selling meat that was a year old. That sort of thing. My neighbors and I basically got in our cars and went to other neighborhoods to shop.
Until a little before the turn of the last century--when Dominick's opened on Roosevelt in a mall. They had a grand opening. And everyone was all excited. Like the Second Coming. Then in 2001, Jewel came. Then Whole Foods and Target came to Roosevelt Road, too. And Trader Joe's. And Costco opened at 14th and Ashland. (A little too far to be considered the South Loop, but calling itself the South Loop Costco just the same.) And everyone was really excited each and every time. Just like they were on Tuesday when Mariano's opened it's doors on 16th Street. In fact, everyone was quite excited when Mariano's had its groundbreaking last year.
Mariano's was no different on Tuesday. I had a tour at 11 AM that morning. And it was remarkable, to say the least. For example, they sport a huge wall of shelves full of fresh, obscure spices presented in bulk jars. You want only an ounce of a spice? Because you probably won't use it ever again, and why buy more and let it go to waste? Mariano's will spoon it out for you in the amount you need.
You want good prices for gorgeous bakery products? Wild Gelato flavors, served at a gelato bar? Piano music? They have one in every store. An in-store sing-along for your preschooler? Good wine? The wine buyer dares you to blindfold yourself and pick a bottle--any bottle--and it will be good, he says.
You want to buy a burger or a nice piece of fish and you want it now? Grilled? Take it home or eat it there? They've got a grill going at all times and you can ask them to grill you a brat, a hotdog, a steak, a burger, a piece of salmon, a piece of trout, a portobello mushroom--anything at all--hot and delicious. And quick.
A pint of fresh orange juice is yours for a dollar. A smoothie with kale for a good de-tox is yours for the asking.
How about an 80 pound Hawaiian Opah fish? Or organic scallions for a dollar a bunch? I can't remember them being that low--organic or not. How about an enormous taffy apple made before your very eyes drenched in M&Ms? Or a great cup of espresso--so good some of the South Loop coffee klatch places are already afraid of stiff and deadly competition.
Then there's those pizza Thursday nights (you get a lot for $10). A very authentic sushi bar. A hot bar full of comfort food like spaghetti Bolognese. Full dinners, freshly made for $6 ($10 for steak). You get a free pint glass if you put together two custom made craft beer six packs.
How about two freshly made long French loaves for a dollar?
There's an olive bar, sandwiches galore, tons of gluten-free products, a soup bar with award-winning soups and a flower shop with a horticulturist to design you a lovely vase full. And an International section with the actual flags of the countries hanging from the ceiling, and over the aisle. Not to mention lots of indie vendors. And plenty of free samples.
Add it all up--and you have a cross between Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, with a little bit of Costco, Jewel, Aldi and Target thrown in.
Only one thing left to say: Dominick's, you were smart to give up.
REAL MADRID could swoop in and save AC Milan from a financial mess by signing Leonardo Bonucci in January, according to shock reports in Spain.
Real Madrid remain on the hunt for a new centre-back after Pepe joined Besiktas in the summer.
But Bonucci was thought to be off the table after Milan controversially signed him from Juventus before the start of the season.
However, it is has been claimed the San Siro giants may now look to sell to avoid further financial woes.
That is according to Spanish radio station OK Diario, who claim Bonucci may have to be sacrificed to save Milan.
The problems in Italy surround the club’s spending habits over the summer.
Milan splashed out on over £150million worth of talent, with Bonucci himself costing £35.7m.
AC Milan transfers: Who have the Rossoneri signed in their 2017/18 summer spree?
AC Milan have already signed 10 new players during the summer transfer window, but exactly who has arrived at the San Siro ahead of the 2017/18 season?
Who have AC Milan signed during their summer transfer window spending spree?
But despite the money spent, Milan sit seventh in Serie A and are a massive 16 points off table toppers Napoli.
Champions League football was the minimum requirement from Milan’s Chinese owners this season but that already seems unlikely, with Roma 11 points ahead in the fourth spot.
OK Diario [football-espana] claim Bonucci, who has settled in well at Milan without overly impressing, could be sold for the same fee Juve offloaded him for.
The 30-year-old Italy international had previously caught the eye of Chelsea manager Antonio Conte - but the Blues couldn’t get a deal over the line ahead of Milan.
Real, meanwhile, are enduring a mixed start to the season and are already 10 points off La Liga leaders Barcelona.
They have leaked nine goals in 12 games - five more than Barca and three more than their city rivals Atletico.
Real’s defensive frailties were exposed by Tottenham in the 3-1 Champions League loss at Wembley at the start of the month.
Ovo Energy to launch second partner project \| City A.M.
INDEPENDENT energy supplier Ovo is continuing to put pressure on the big six with its second community partnership, this time in Sussex.
The firm is partnering with Community Energy South to launch the Sussex Energy Tariff in the spring of 2015. According to Ovo, the project could save residents up to £200 a year off their energy bills. Ovo revealed plans for its first partnership in Plymouth in early October.
On Welfare? Don't Use The Money For Movies, Say Kansas Lawmakers The Legislature has passed a bill that would bar people on public assistance from using cash aid on theme parks, pools and casinos, or from withdrawing more than $25 per day from the ATM.
Welfare recipients in Kansas may soon be barred from spending their benefits on activities like going to the movies or swimming, or from withdrawing more than $25 per day from bank machines.
If Gov. Sam Brownback signs the bill, it will become one of the strictest welfare laws in the country. It's one of a number of such measures popping up in states that say they're trying to reduce fraud and get people off the welfare rolls. But opponents say the laws are mean-spirited and hurt the poor.
Supporters of the Kansas measure, known as the Hope, Opportunity and Prosperity for Everyone Act, or HOPE Act, say they hope it leads to more welfare recipients getting work.
"That's our goal," Republican Kansas Sen. Michael O'Donnell said on the floor of the state Senate last week. "I think everyone in this room has the same feeling and same dedication to making sure that Kansans have high quality of life. And you don't have high quality of life if you don't have a job."
The measure includes work and job training requirements for those on welfare, known officially as Temporary Assistance For Needy Families, or TANF. But the bill also imposes new restrictions: a three-year lifetime limit on getting benefits and the $25-a-day limit on cash withdrawals from an ATM.
It also includes a long list of things recipients can't spend their benefits on, from casinos, cruises and strip joints to movies, jewelry and swimming.
Shannon Cotsoradis, president and CEO of the advocacy group Kansas Action for Children, says she thinks the bill "suggests that this is what families on cash assistance do with their dollars — and I think that's a far cry from the reality."
The average welfare recipient gets less that $300 per month in Kansas, and Cotsoradis says most families receiving those benefits are struggling to make ends meet, not planning a Caribbean cruise.
What bothers her even more, she says, is the three-year lifetime limit on benefits, because families will then be dropped from the rolls, even if they can't find work.
"And I think it's shortsighted, because what happens at end of the day is the children living in those families suffer," she says. "And we set the stage for another generation of poor adults — kids who haven't really had the benefit of having their basic needs met, as children."
Kansas isn't the only state considering new restrictions. On Monday, Maine Gov. Paul LePage proposed a welfare bill that among other things would prevent benefits from being spent out of state. A Missouri House committee is considering a measure to prohibit the withdrawal of any cash assistance from an ATM. Another lawmaker wants to ban the use of food stamps to buy fish, after one recipient boasted about eating lobster.
Mark Rank, a professor of social welfare at Washington University in St. Louis, calls some of the restrictions ludicrous.
"What's going on is basically, people are scoring political points by going after the poor and welfare recipients," he says.
Rank says it's part of a long tradition, perhaps made most famous by President Ronald Reagan, who repeatedly talked about a woman who defrauded the government extensively — the so-called welfare queen.
Ranks says that's an "old stereotype that people who are poor are basically at fault, people who are using welfare are basically abusing the system," when welfare fraud is relatively limited.
He also questions whether the prohibition against spending money on items such as movies is enforceable, because it will be difficult to know whether the individual is using their welfare benefits, or some other cash.
Even so, fraud is worth going after, says Kansas Rep. Travis Couture-Lovelady, especially if the money can be better spent on those who need it. The purpose of the new Kansas law, he says, is to make clear that benefits are not for entertainment but for basic necessities like food, rent and utilities.
"It's not to look down on those folks in any way at all," he says. "It was to try and help lift them up, and the work programs have been very successful. I don't see it as being harsh on the folks that really need the assistance, 'cause they're not using it in these inappropriate manners anyways."
And he thinks the three-year lifetime limit on benefits is reasonable. Some lawmakers, he says, wanted to cut it down to two. He says the average time a Kansan spends on welfare now is 18 months.
As state legislatures across the country convene their 2014 sessions, a new best practices guide issued today by the CDC leaves them with simply no excuse for failing to fully fund programs that prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit. The CDC's Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs – 2014 shows that there is conclusive evidence that tobacco prevention and cessation programs work to reduce smoking, save lives and save money by reducing tobacco-related health care costs.
The CDC's guide follows the recent Surgeon General's report, which found that smoking is even more hazardous and takes an even greater toll on the nation's health than previously thought. Both of these scientific documents make it crystal clear that fully funded state tobacco prevention programs, including mass media campaigns, are critical to accelerating declines in smoking and ultimately eliminating the death and disease caused by tobacco.
Among its key action steps, the Surgeon General's report calls for "fully funding comprehensive statewide tobacco control programs at CDC recommended levels." The CDC's new guide updates recommendations to the states for funding and implementing such programs. It concludes, "Research shows that the more states spend on comprehensive tobacco control programs, the greater the reductions in smoking. The longer states invest in such programs, the great and quicker the impact."
Unfortunately, the states currently fall woefully short of funding such programs at CDC-recommended levels. As a report we released in December showed, the states this year will receive $25 billion in revenue from the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, but will spend only 1.9 percent of it – $481.2 million – on tobacco prevention programs. The CDC's new guidelines recommend that the states collectively spend $3.3 billion on tobacco prevention programs. It would take just 13 percent of their tobacco revenues for the states to meet this recommendation.
Only two states – North Dakota and Alaska – currently fund tobacco prevention programs at the CDC-recommended level. Only five other states – Delaware, Wyoming, Hawaii, Oklahoma and Maine – provide even half the recommended funding. Thirty-one states, plus the District of Columbia, spend less than 25 percent of the CDC recommendation.
The states have no excuses for failing to do more. They have plenty of evidence that tobacco prevention programs work, and they have plenty of tobacco revenue to get the job done. The new Surgeon General's report documents that smoking causes even more diseases, kills even more people (480,000 each year) and costs the nation even more in medical bills and other economic losses (at least $289 billion each year) than has previously been reported. Given the huge toll tobacco continues to take on the country and on every state, the states must do more.

But Reinsdorf isn't begging fans for their financial trust.

"We put the risk on ourselves," said Reinsdorf, who decided committing payroll to winning now was wiser than trading talent and going young because there is no guarantee those moves would make them better in two or three years.

"We're spending the money. We never expected people to go wild and buy tickets like mad. We know we have to prove we have a team worthy of winning the division. If we do, we'll draw better. Last year's attendance (2.28 million) was the lowest in a long time, so it's obvious we have enough fans to come out and have us draw 2.6-2.8 (million) if they like what they see."

Reinsdorf did say sponsorship sales were up and that higher television ratings could generate higher revenues.

That could help defray the increase in payroll after strong consideration was given to not re-signing free agents Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski and trading more players who would have lowered payroll with the possibility of getting better in two or three years.

"As we looked at the rest of the players we could move, without getting into particulars, it didn't look like we could get enough back so all we would end up doing was having a worse team with a low payroll," Reinsdorf said. "We would make money, but we wouldn't be building for the future.

"I didn't mind taking a step back because we have done it before. But I didn't want to take a step back without feeling really good that step back was going to help us going forward."

Reinsdorf said a successful start and spike in home attendance would cover the higher payroll, adding that they would have the resources to sustain a financial loss if they start slowly.

"That was really the thought process, the idea of being bad for two to three years was a horrible thought when you're 75-years-old," said Reinsdorf, who added he recently passed a stress test.

Reinsdorf also said he doesn't anticipate any tension resurfacing between general manager Ken Williams and manager Ozzie Guillen.

"No, that was foolishness that grew out of Oney's twitters or tweets or whatever they are called," Reinsdorf said in reference to the controversy surrounding Guillen's middle son Oney last season. "That's not going to happen."

"These guys have too much of a history of getting along and working. There's a natural tension between managers and general managers and head coaches and general managers. It always exists. It will flare up from time to time. Right now, they are on the same page."

Retro doesn’t even begin to describe the funky, quirky Alamo Motel. This bare-bones getaway fits into the offbeat, western cowboy character of Los Alamos.

The Shelter Social Club, owners of Ojai Rancho Inn, Santa Barbara’s Agave Inn and Solvang’s Hamlet Inn, took on this vintage 1930s-era motel and is renovating it room by room. Its goal: preserving and bringing this California roadside motel back to life.

A fire pit in the center of the motel’s courtyard is a gathering spot in the evenings. Music is always playing. And on weekends, the Municipal Winemakers wine tasting room, which sits front and center on the Alamo Motel campus, pours its lineup of fun, tasty Santa Barbara County wines.

We love the hip feel at the reception desk, where a variety of curated items are for sale, including handcrafted wood bowls, serving platters, leather goods and linen pouches, all from Santa Barbara artisans. It’s not your typical hotel gift shop.

Rooms: There’s a rustic, Wild West-meets-Scandinavian chic vibe here. Currently, four of the 21 rooms have been converted, each with slightly different decor, all inspired by artist Georgia O’Keefe’s home. Guests will find cowhide rugs, sheepskin chair covers and skulls with horns hanging on the walls. Plus, flat-screens, outdoor lounging spaces and kitchenettes are available in a few of the rooms.

Zzz’s: Queen-size wood platform beds are outfitted in crisp white linens.

Splashes: Just the basics: Showers are in all rooms, tubs are in some.

The president of the Uni formed Firefighters Association, Michael J. Maye, warned yes terday that the city's firemen might take strike action if they were unable to negotiate a sat isfactory contract in current bargaining talks.

Mr. Maye, at a news confer ence in which he discussed the union's demands, said there was a “very, very strong possibil ity” that the firefighters would not respond to alarms if they failed to get an acceptable con tract to replace the one expir ing Dec. 31.

The firefighters, along with patrolmen, sanitationmen and various other groups of city employes, are seeking substan tial pay increases, better pen sions and other contract im provements. But city officials have emphasized repeatedly in recent days that the city's fi nancial pinch seriously limited its ability to grant major pay increases.

Arvid Anderson, chairman of the city's Office of Collective Bargaining, announced mean while that his board members, including the impartial public representatives, would meet at 11 A.M. tomorrow with Mayor Lindsay, Herbert L. Haber, di rector of the city's labor rela tions, and other officials to dis cuss the pending contract talks with the uniformed services.

He noted that the Office of Collective Bargaining had a statutory responsibility to as sist in the resolution of dis putes and also recognized the “real interest of the public” in the progress of the talks. The board intends to use “its good offices to promote meaningful and expeditious negotiations,” he said.

Mr. Maye reiterated that the firefighters’ key objectives were a 30 per cent pay increase in a one‐year contract and ma jor pension improvements that would permit retirement at full pay after 25 years of service or at half pay after 15 years. Fire fighters now get $10,950 a year and they can retire at half pay after 20 years.

BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON - Avalanche awareness is heightened across Utah following the death of a backcountry skier near Gobblers Knob this week.

The Utah Avalanche Center says danger is expected to remain considerable over the weekend, particularly on north and east facing slopes because high winds.

Lees said that’s why it’s so important for those headed into the backcountry to not only look at general conditions, but also at specific areas. She said conditions can vary based on terrain and how much show has fallen in that area.

In the Gobbler’s Knob area, forecasters say the weather has been complex. Intermittent snowstorms created several weak layers on the steep slope. Those weak layers contributed to Thursday’s unintentional avalanche.

Backcountry skiers heading out Saturday said the fatality has put them a little on edge, but it just means preparations are more important.

Earl says they never head out without testing beacons, probes and shovels. But he said the most important aspect of staying safe is to recognize, and walk away from, a dangerous situation.

Avalanche conditions are expected to change with weekend storms. You can always check the current conditions on the Utah Avalanche Center’s website.

–$–Google is <-paying 97$ per hour! Work for few hours and have longer with friends & family! On tuesday I got a great new Land Rover Range Rover from having earned $872 this last four weeks.. It sounds unbelievable but you wont forgive yourself if you don’t check it….

Tornado watch issued for Sandusky County canceled at 6:14 p.m.

CLEVELAND - A tornado watch for Sandusky County was canceled at 6:14 p.m., several hours before it was scheduled to expire at 9 p.m. Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

The NWSalso issued a lakeshore flood warning until 10 p.m. for Ottawa County along Lake Erie.

A tornado watch defines a cluster of counties where tornadoes and other kinds of severe weather are possible in the next several hours, according the NWS website. It does not mean tornadoes are imminent, just that you need to be alert, and to be prepared to go to safe shelter if tornadoes do happen or a warning is issued.

The NWS suggests turning on local TV or radio, turning on and setting the alarm switch on your weather radio, making sure you have ready access to safe shelter, and making your friends and family aware of the potential for tornadoes in the area.

A tornado warning, in contrast, means that a tornado has been spotted, or that Doppler radar indicates a thunderstorm circulation which can spawn a tornado. When a tornado warning is issued for your town or county, take immediate safety precautions. local NWS offices issue tornado warnings.

I always figured Mariano's would put Dominick's out of business. The head of Mariano's left Dominick's and started Mariano's. Not a good sign. And then I started noticing that wherever Dominick's had a pretty good business, Mariano's opened nearby. It was only a matter of time--and design.

What really surprised me, though, is that after only two days of Mariano's being in business in the South Loop at 16th and Clark, just a stone's throw from Dominick's at Roosevelt and Canal, Dominick's announced it was leaving Chicago. There must be a connection. A final nail in the coffin? Mariano's in the South Loop? Goodbye, Dominick's!

It looks like our very own South Loop Dominick's is going to turn into a Jewel. What this means for the Jewel at Roosevelt and State--across from my house--I do not know. Nor do I partcularly care. Because in the South Loop, we have grocery stores up to the eyeballs!

Which wasn't always the case. In fact, when I moved to my house in the South Loop 19 years ago, we barely had any. We had a place called Printers Row Market at 8th and State, which was found--after a thorough television investigation--to be selling meat that was a year old. That sort of thing. My neighbors and I basically got in our cars and went to other neighborhoods to shop.

Until a little before the turn of the last century--when Dominick's opened on Roosevelt in a mall. They had a grand opening. And everyone was all excited. Like the Second Coming. Then in 2001, Jewel came. Then Whole Foods and Target came to Roosevelt Road, too. And Trader Joe's. And Costco opened at 14th and Ashland. (A little too far to be considered the South Loop, but calling itself the South Loop Costco just the same.) And everyone was really excited each and every time. Just like they were on Tuesday when Mariano's opened it's doors on 16th Street. In fact, everyone was quite excited when Mariano's had its groundbreaking last year.

Mariano's was no different on Tuesday. I had a tour at 11 AM that morning. And it was remarkable, to say the least. For example, they sport a huge wall of shelves full of fresh, obscure spices presented in bulk jars. You want only an ounce of a spice? Because you probably won't use it ever again, and why buy more and let it go to waste? Mariano's will spoon it out for you in the amount you need.

You want good prices for gorgeous bakery products? Wild Gelato flavors, served at a gelato bar? Piano music? They have one in every store. An in-store sing-along for your preschooler? Good wine? The wine buyer dares you to blindfold yourself and pick a bottle--any bottle--and it will be good, he says.

You want to buy a burger or a nice piece of fish and you want it now? Grilled? Take it home or eat it there? They've got a grill going at all times and you can ask them to grill you a brat, a hotdog, a steak, a burger, a piece of salmon, a piece of trout, a portobello mushroom--anything at all--hot and delicious. And quick.

A pint of fresh orange juice is yours for a dollar. A smoothie with kale for a good de-tox is yours for the asking.

How about an 80 pound Hawaiian Opah fish? Or organic scallions for a dollar a bunch? I can't remember them being that low--organic or not. How about an enormous taffy apple made before your very eyes drenched in M&Ms? Or a great cup of espresso--so good some of the South Loop coffee klatch places are already afraid of stiff and deadly competition.

Then there's those pizza Thursday nights (you get a lot for $10). A very authentic sushi bar. A hot bar full of comfort food like spaghetti Bolognese. Full dinners, freshly made for $6 ($10 for steak). You get a free pint glass if you put together two custom made craft beer six packs.

How about two freshly made long French loaves for a dollar?

There's an olive bar, sandwiches galore, tons of gluten-free products, a soup bar with award-winning soups and a flower shop with a horticulturist to design you a lovely vase full. And an International section with the actual flags of the countries hanging from the ceiling, and over the aisle. Not to mention lots of indie vendors. And plenty of free samples.

Add it all up--and you have a cross between Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, with a little bit of Costco, Jewel, Aldi and Target thrown in.

Only one thing left to say: Dominick's, you were smart to give up.

REAL MADRID could swoop in and save AC Milan from a financial mess by signing Leonardo Bonucci in January, according to shock reports in Spain.

Real Madrid remain on the hunt for a new centre-back after Pepe joined Besiktas in the summer.

But Bonucci was thought to be off the table after Milan controversially signed him from Juventus before the start of the season.

However, it is has been claimed the San Siro giants may now look to sell to avoid further financial woes.

That is according to Spanish radio station OK Diario, who claim Bonucci may have to be sacrificed to save Milan.

The problems in Italy surround the club’s spending habits over the summer.

Milan splashed out on over £150million worth of talent, with Bonucci himself costing £35.7m.

AC Milan transfers: Who have the Rossoneri signed in their 2017/18 summer spree?

AC Milan have already signed 10 new players during the summer transfer window, but exactly who has arrived at the San Siro ahead of the 2017/18 season?

Who have AC Milan signed during their summer transfer window spending spree?

But despite the money spent, Milan sit seventh in Serie A and are a massive 16 points off table toppers Napoli.

Champions League football was the minimum requirement from Milan’s Chinese owners this season but that already seems unlikely, with Roma 11 points ahead in the fourth spot.

OK Diario [football-espana] claim Bonucci, who has settled in well at Milan without overly impressing, could be sold for the same fee Juve offloaded him for.

The 30-year-old Italy international had previously caught the eye of Chelsea manager Antonio Conte - but the Blues couldn’t get a deal over the line ahead of Milan.

Real, meanwhile, are enduring a mixed start to the season and are already 10 points off La Liga leaders Barcelona.

They have leaked nine goals in 12 games - five more than Barca and three more than their city rivals Atletico.

Real’s defensive frailties were exposed by Tottenham in the 3-1 Champions League loss at Wembley at the start of the month.

Ovo Energy to launch second partner project | City A.M.

INDEPENDENT energy supplier Ovo is continuing to put pressure on the big six with its second community partnership, this time in Sussex.

The firm is partnering with Community Energy South to launch the Sussex Energy Tariff in the spring of 2015. According to Ovo, the project could save residents up to £200 a year off their energy bills. Ovo revealed plans for its first partnership in Plymouth in early October.

On Welfare? Don't Use The Money For Movies, Say Kansas Lawmakers The Legislature has passed a bill that would bar people on public assistance from using cash aid on theme parks, pools and casinos, or from withdrawing more than $25 per day from the ATM.

Welfare recipients in Kansas may soon be barred from spending their benefits on activities like going to the movies or swimming, or from withdrawing more than $25 per day from bank machines.

If Gov. Sam Brownback signs the bill, it will become one of the strictest welfare laws in the country. It's one of a number of such measures popping up in states that say they're trying to reduce fraud and get people off the welfare rolls. But opponents say the laws are mean-spirited and hurt the poor.

Supporters of the Kansas measure, known as the Hope, Opportunity and Prosperity for Everyone Act, or HOPE Act, say they hope it leads to more welfare recipients getting work.

"That's our goal," Republican Kansas Sen. Michael O'Donnell said on the floor of the state Senate last week. "I think everyone in this room has the same feeling and same dedication to making sure that Kansans have high quality of life. And you don't have high quality of life if you don't have a job."

The measure includes work and job training requirements for those on welfare, known officially as Temporary Assistance For Needy Families, or TANF. But the bill also imposes new restrictions: a three-year lifetime limit on getting benefits and the $25-a-day limit on cash withdrawals from an ATM.

It also includes a long list of things recipients can't spend their benefits on, from casinos, cruises and strip joints to movies, jewelry and swimming.

Shannon Cotsoradis, president and CEO of the advocacy group Kansas Action for Children, says she thinks the bill "suggests that this is what families on cash assistance do with their dollars — and I think that's a far cry from the reality."

The average welfare recipient gets less that $300 per month in Kansas, and Cotsoradis says most families receiving those benefits are struggling to make ends meet, not planning a Caribbean cruise.

What bothers her even more, she says, is the three-year lifetime limit on benefits, because families will then be dropped from the rolls, even if they can't find work.

"And I think it's shortsighted, because what happens at end of the day is the children living in those families suffer," she says. "And we set the stage for another generation of poor adults — kids who haven't really had the benefit of having their basic needs met, as children."

Kansas isn't the only state considering new restrictions. On Monday, Maine Gov. Paul LePage proposed a welfare bill that among other things would prevent benefits from being spent out of state. A Missouri House committee is considering a measure to prohibit the withdrawal of any cash assistance from an ATM. Another lawmaker wants to ban the use of food stamps to buy fish, after one recipient boasted about eating lobster.

Mark Rank, a professor of social welfare at Washington University in St. Louis, calls some of the restrictions ludicrous.

"What's going on is basically, people are scoring political points by going after the poor and welfare recipients," he says.

Rank says it's part of a long tradition, perhaps made most famous by President Ronald Reagan, who repeatedly talked about a woman who defrauded the government extensively — the so-called welfare queen.

Ranks says that's an "old stereotype that people who are poor are basically at fault, people who are using welfare are basically abusing the system," when welfare fraud is relatively limited.

He also questions whether the prohibition against spending money on items such as movies is enforceable, because it will be difficult to know whether the individual is using their welfare benefits, or some other cash.

Even so, fraud is worth going after, says Kansas Rep. Travis Couture-Lovelady, especially if the money can be better spent on those who need it. The purpose of the new Kansas law, he says, is to make clear that benefits are not for entertainment but for basic necessities like food, rent and utilities.

"It's not to look down on those folks in any way at all," he says. "It was to try and help lift them up, and the work programs have been very successful. I don't see it as being harsh on the folks that really need the assistance, 'cause they're not using it in these inappropriate manners anyways."

And he thinks the three-year lifetime limit on benefits is reasonable. Some lawmakers, he says, wanted to cut it down to two. He says the average time a Kansan spends on welfare now is 18 months.

As state legislatures across the country convene their 2014 sessions, a new best practices guide issued today by the CDC leaves them with simply no excuse for failing to fully fund programs that prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit. The CDC's Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs – 2014 shows that there is conclusive evidence that tobacco prevention and cessation programs work to reduce smoking, save lives and save money by reducing tobacco-related health care costs.

The CDC's guide follows the recent Surgeon General's report, which found that smoking is even more hazardous and takes an even greater toll on the nation's health than previously thought. Both of these scientific documents make it crystal clear that fully funded state tobacco prevention programs, including mass media campaigns, are critical to accelerating declines in smoking and ultimately eliminating the death and disease caused by tobacco.

Among its key action steps, the Surgeon General's report calls for "fully funding comprehensive statewide tobacco control programs at CDC recommended levels." The CDC's new guide updates recommendations to the states for funding and implementing such programs. It concludes, "Research shows that the more states spend on comprehensive tobacco control programs, the greater the reductions in smoking. The longer states invest in such programs, the great and quicker the impact."

Unfortunately, the states currently fall woefully short of funding such programs at CDC-recommended levels. As a report we released in December showed, the states this year will receive $25 billion in revenue from the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, but will spend only 1.9 percent of it – $481.2 million – on tobacco prevention programs. The CDC's new guidelines recommend that the states collectively spend $3.3 billion on tobacco prevention programs. It would take just 13 percent of their tobacco revenues for the states to meet this recommendation.

Only two states – North Dakota and Alaska – currently fund tobacco prevention programs at the CDC-recommended level. Only five other states – Delaware, Wyoming, Hawaii, Oklahoma and Maine – provide even half the recommended funding. Thirty-one states, plus the District of Columbia, spend less than 25 percent of the CDC recommendation.

The states have no excuses for failing to do more. They have plenty of evidence that tobacco prevention programs work, and they have plenty of tobacco revenue to get the job done. The new Surgeon General's report documents that smoking causes even more diseases, kills even more people (480,000 each year) and costs the nation even more in medical bills and other economic losses (at least $289 billion each year) than has previously been reported. Given the huge toll tobacco continues to take on the country and on every state, the states must do more.