Unless you happen to be a film buff or just like reading the odd tabloid, you may not know who Harvey Weinstein is. But if you do, then you’ll know he’s something of a Hollywood kingpin, a super-producer with six Oscars to his name, and movies like Pulp Fiction, Good Will Hunting and Shakespeare in Love dotting his resumé. You’ll also know he’s been dodging rumours of sexual harassment for over three decades. In an explosive report by The New York Times published Thursday after The Hollywood Reporter revealed Wednesday that Weinstein was preparing to file a lawsuit against the paper, details of countless allegations of sexual harassment against him were revealed, backed up by legal records, emails and internal documents from his companies. Many of his former employees revealed they were aware of his behaviour for years. The women making the allegations range from their 20s to 40s, all in different cities (Weinstein is known to flit from New York to London to Paris). Several said they didn’t report Weinstein because they were afraid of retaliation, because there weren’t witnesses, or simply because they felt embarrassed. Weinstein, who has been married to designer Georgina Chapman for 10 years (with whom he has two children), has reached at least eight settlements with different women. A follow-up report on Weinstein is set to be published by The New Yorker in the coming weeks, but for now, here are the biggest takeaways from the NYT: Ashley Judd comes forward In 1997, while she was filming Kiss the Girls (a Weinstein Company movie), Weinstein invited actress Ashley Judd to his Beverly Hills hotel room, wearing nothing but a bathrobe. He asked her if she would either give him a massage or watch him shower. When she declined, he asked her for a shoulder rub (she declined again). Countless actresses reported Weinstein making the same requests of them over the decades. He would often tell them he’d “boost” their career if they accepted his advances, and would also boast about famous actresses he claimed to have slept with. Speaking to the NYT, Judd said, “Women have been talking about Harvey amongst ourselves for a long time, and it’s simply beyond time to have the conversation publicly.” In 1997, Weinstein reached a US$100,000 settlement with actress Rose McGowan, 23 at the time, “after an episode in a hotel room” at the Sundance Film Festival. His legal team noted that the settlement


The effective potential in the Grumiller's modified gravity [D. Grumiller, Phys. Rev. Lett {\bf 105}, 211303 (2010)] includes the Newtonian potential and a Rindler term. The fitting to the rotation curve data of eight galaxies suggests a universal Rindler acceleration $a\approx 0.30\times 10^{-10}$ m s$^{-2}$. We do a two-parameter fit first, with the mass-to-light ratio ($\Upsilon_*$) and the Rindler acceleration ($a$) as free parameters. It is found that the data of six out of the eight galaxies fit well with the prediction of theory in the range $0\lesssim r \lesssim 40$ kpc, although the theoretical curves show a tendency of arising beyond this range. The Rindler accelerations of the six well-fitted galaxies have the same magnitude, with an average value $\bar{a}\approx0.30\times 10^{-10}$ m s$^{-2}$. Inspired by this fact, we then carry out a one-parameter ($\Upsilon_*$) fit to the six galaxies, with $a$ fixed at $\bar{a}$, and find that the theory can still reproduce the observation. The value of Rindler acceleration we get here is a quarter of that of Milgrom's MOND. For the rest two galaxies, NGC5055 and DDO154, the fitting results are significantly improved if the photometric scale length ($h$) is included as another free parameter.


We present parameter-free predictions of the nuclear modification factor, R_{AA}^pi(p_T,s), of high p_T pions produced in Pb+Pb collisions at sqrt{s}_{NN}=2.76 and 5.5 ATeV based on the WHDG/DGLV (radiative+elastic+geometric fluctuation) jet energy loss model. The initial quark gluon plasma (QGP) density at LHC is constrained from a rigorous statistical analysis of PHENIX/RHIC pi^0 quenching data at sqrt{s}_{NN}=0.2 ATeV and the charged particle multiplicity at ALICE/LHC at 2.76 ATeV. Our perturbative QCD tomographic theory predicts significant differences between jet quenching at RHIC and LHC energies, which are qualitatively consistent with the p_T-dependence and normalization---within the large systematic uncertainty---of the first charged hadron nuclear modification factor, R^{ch}_{AA}, data measured by ALICE. However, our constrained prediction of the central to peripheral pion modification, R^pi_{cp}(p_T), for which large systematic uncertainties associated with unmeasured p+p reference data cancel, is found to be over-quenched relative to the charged hadron ALICE R^{ch}_{cp} data in the range 5<p_T<20 GeV/c. The discrepancy challenges the two most basic jet tomographic assumptions: (1) that the energy loss scales linearly with the initial local comoving QGP density, rho_0, and (2) that \rho_0 \propto dN^{ch}(s,C)/dy is proportional to the observed global charged particle multiplicity per unit rapidity as a function of sqrt{s} and centrality class, C. Future LHC identified (h=pi,K,p) hadron R^h_{AA} data (together with precise p+p, p+Pb, and Z boson and direct photon Pb+Pb control data) are needed to assess if the QGP produced at LHC is indeed less opaque to jets than predicted by constrained extrapolations from RHIC.


Aims. We search for transiting circumbinary (CB) planets around eclipsing binaries (EBs). Methods. CB-BLS is a recently-introduced algorithm for the detection of transiting CB planets around EBs.We describe progress in search sensitivity, generality and capability of CB-BLS, and detection tests of CB-BLS on simulated data. We also describe an analytical approach for the determination of CB-BLS detection limits, and a method for the correct detrending of intrinsically-variable stars. Results. We present some blind-tests with simulated planets injected to real CoRoT data. The presented upgrades to CB-BLS allowed it to detect all the blind tests successfully, and these detections were in line with the detection limits analysis. We also correctly detrend bright eclipsing binaries from observations by the TrES planet search, and present some of the first results of applying CB-BLS to multiple real light curves from a wide-field survey. Conclusions. CB-BLS is now mature enough for its application to real data, and the presented processing scheme will serve as the template for our future applications of CB-BLS to data from wide-field surveys such as CoRoT. Being able to put constraints even on non-detection will help to determine the correct frequency of CB planets, contributing to the understanding of planet formation in general. Still, searching for transiting CB planets is still a learning experience, similarly to the state of transiting planets around single stars only a few years ago. The recent rapid progress in this front, coupled with the exquisite quality of space-based photometry, allows to realistically expect that if transiting CB planets exist - then they will soon be found.


an alien may be eligible to be granted the status of having been lawfully admitted for permanent residence under this section shall not preclude the alien from seeking such status under any other provision of law for which the alien may be eligible. SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO NICARAGUAN ADJUSTMENT AND CENTRAL AMERICAN RELIEF ACT. (a) Elimination of Limitations on Judicial Review.-- (1) Adjustment of status of certain nicaraguans and cubans.--Section 202(f) of the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act is amended to read as follows: ``(f) Judicial Review.--A determination by the Attorney General as to whether the status of any alien should be adjusted under this section is subject to judicial review in accordance with chapter 7 of title 5, United States Code.''. (2) Special rule for certain aliens granted temporary protection from deportation.--Section 309(c)(5)(C)(ii) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, as added by section 203(a)(1) of the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act, is amended to read as follows: ``(ii) Judicial review.--A determination by the Attorney General as to whether an alien satisfies the requirements of clause (i) is subject to judicial review in accordance with chapter 7 of title 5, United States Code. Nothing in the preceding sentence shall be construed as limiting the application of section 242(a)(2)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (as in effect after the title III-A effective date) to other eligibility determinations pertaining to discretionary relief under this Act.''. (b) Elimination of Temporary Reductions in Visas.--Section 203 of the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act is amended-- (1) by striking subsections (d) and (e); and (2) by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (d). (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section-- (1) shall take effect upon the enactment of the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act; and (2) shall be effective as if included in the enactment of such Act.


Get daily updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email Students at Helsby High School took part in a range of activities with the theme All Different, All Equal. The school held a non-uniform day when children and staff had to wear something blue to support the cause and raise awareness for anti-bullying week. They raised £1,200 in donations, which will go to the charity Bullying UK. Year 11 student leaders produced a video clip, which is hosted on the school’s YouTube channel, which sees students from all year groups contributing. This video clip was played in assemblies and in form time. Students from all form classes held class discussions on four main questions: 1. What is bullying? 2. Who can you go to for help? 3. Why is it important to stop bullying? 4. Is there anything we could do at Helsby High School to help prevent it? (Image: UGC) Each form class was then given the opportunity to contribute to the anti-bullying board. The next step is for this information to be collated and shared with the student leaders and pastoral leaders. A set of action points will then be created. At Helsby High School, they take any reporting of alleged bullying very seriously. As a school community they do not tolerate any form of bullying. Each and every member of the school community has a part to play in this by either reporting or helping to resolve any alleged bullying. All students are expected to treat fellow students with respect and consideration by following the school’s Code of Conduct. The school strives that if a student is experiencing bullying or has witnessed bullying, they are able to voice their concerns without fear or prejudice.


In a recent article, Kholmetskii, Missevitch and Yarmin ["On the classical analysis of spin-orbit coupling in hydrogenlike atoms," Am. J. Phys. 78(4), April 2010 (428-432)] examine in detail the spin-orbit coupling in the semiclassical hydrogenic atom, and identify a need to account for non-Coulomb forces not included in the standard analysis. Kholmetskii, et al., showed that the experimentally-measured coupling continues to be obtained when the new forces are incorporated in the analysis. This requires that the change in orbital radius due to non-Coulomb forces is also properly accounted for. In response to a comment, Kholmetskii, et al., showed that the experimentally-measured coupling continues to be obtained when so-called "hidden momentum" forces are also included. However it has been postulated that when hidden momentum is nonvanishing, a corresponding hidden energy must also be present, that was not included in the total energy by Kholmetskii, et al. Hidden energy is postulated necessary to obtaining a relativistically covariant description. Inclusion of hidden energy leads to disagreement with the experimentally-determined spin-orbit coupling magnitude if the Bohr postulate, that orbital angular momentum is quantized in whole multiples of the reduced Planck constant, is assumed to apply to kinetic momentum alone. The empirical result may be recovered in the semiclassical picture and using the general approach developed by Kholmetskii, et al., if the Bohr postulate is reinterpreted to apply to orbital angular momentum that consists of hidden as well as kinetic momentum.


and this home to amazing youth programs,” Compton wrote on Twitter. Beckham’s group also wants to bring a massive technology park to the site, as well as an underground parking facility, public soccer fields, 500 new hotel rooms, a conference centre, retail stores, restaurants and more. The Beckham franchise, when it gets going, will also bring a training centre and an academy focused on developing local players to the Miami area. The stadium-location quest is just the latest drawn-out chapter in Beckham’s five-years-and-counting marathon to bring MLS back to Miami. The Miami Fusion played from 1998-2001, folding because of poor attendance. Beckham and MLS announced in January that the franchise would be coming to Miami, but nearly every detail about the club remains unclear. There’s no definitive start date — 2020 has been mentioned repeatedly, even though no new stadium could possibly be ready by then — as well as no team name, no logo, no colours, no coaching staff and no front-office personnel. More than a year ago, Miami-Dade County commissioners approved a deal to sell Beckham nearly three acres of county land for $9 million with the belief that it would be the last parcel he needed for a stadium site in the city’s Overtown neighbourhood. But that site was never the preferred choice for Beckham and his group anyway, with the original hope being to build on the waterfront near the Port of Miami. The Overtown site now seems all but doomed, though it’s unclear what would happen if city commissioners or voters block the latest Beckham plan.


Several experimental studies show the existence of leader neurons in population bursts of 2D living neural networks. A leader neuron is, basically, a neuron which fires at the beginning of a burst (respectively network spike) more often that we expect by looking at its whole mean neural activity. This means that leader neurons have some burst triggering power beyond a simple statistical effect. In this study, we characterize these leader neuron properties. This naturally leads us to simulate neural 2D networks. To build our simulations, we choose the leaky integrate and fire (lIF) neuron model. Our lIF model has got stable leader neurons in the burst population that we simulate. These leader neurons are excitatory neurons and have a low membrane potential firing threshold. Except for these two first properties, the conditions required for a neuron to be a leader neuron are difficult to identify and seem to depend on several parameters involved in the simulations themself. However, a detailed linear analysis shows a trend of the properties required for a neuron to be a leader neuron. Our main finding is: A leader neuron sends a signal to many excitatory neurons as well as to a few inhibitory neurons and a leader neuron receives only a few signals from other excitatory neurons. Our linear analysis exhibits five essential properties for leader neurons with relative importance. This means that considering a given neural network with a fixed mean number of connections per neuron, our analysis gives us a way of predicting which neuron can be a good leader neuron and which cannot. Our prediction formula gives us a good statistical prediction even if, considering a single given neuron, the success rate does not reach hundred percent.


Recent publications claim that there is no convincing evidence for measurements of the baryonic acoustic (BAO) feature in galaxy samples using either monopole or radial information. Different claims seem contradictory: data is either not consistent with the BAO model or data is consistent with both the BAO model and featureless models without BAO. We investigate this point with a set of 216 realistic mock galaxy catalogs extracted from MICE7680, one of the largest volume dark matter simulation run to date, with a volume of 1300 cubical gigaparsecs. Our mocks cover similar volume, densities and bias as the real galaxies and provide 216 realizations of the Lambda or w=-1 Cold Dark Matter (wCDM) BAO model. We find that only 20% of the mocks show a statistically significant (3 sigma) preference for the true (input) wCDM BAO model as compared to a featureless (non-physical) model without BAO. Thus the volume of current galaxy samples is not yet large enough to claim that the BAO feature has been detected. Does this mean that we can not locate the BAO position? Using a simple (non optimal) algorithm we show that in 50% (100%) of the mocks we can find the BAO position within 5% (20%) of the true value. These two findings are not in contradiction: the former is about model selection, the later is about parameter fitting within a model. We conclude that current monopole and radial BAO measurements can be used as standard rulers if we assume wCDM type of models.


2 of the meetings each year shall take place in person at the Department's headquarters in the District of Columbia. Participants should make every effort within reason to attend these meetings in person. (4) Agenda.--Each meeting shall be conducted in accordance with an agenda formulated by the chairman of the Committee, with input from other Committee members. (5) Department representation.--Each meeting of the Committee shall be attended by the Secretary or the Secretary's designee. (f) Compensation and Travel Expenses.--Each member of the Committee who is not a full-time employee of the United States shall-- (1) be entitled to receive compensation at a rate not to exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay in effect for a position at level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of title 5, United States Code, for each day during which the member is engaged in the actual performance of the duties of the Committee; and (2) while away from the home or regular place of business of the member in the performance of services for the Committee, be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in the same manner as persons employed intermittently in the Government service are allowed expenses under section 5703 of title 5, United States Code. (g) Staff.--The Department shall make available to the Committee such staff as the chairman of the Committee determines are necessary to carry out the functions of the Committee. (h) Review by Department.--The Department shall-- (1) review the findings and recommendations of the Committee; and (2) each time the Committee submits a finding or recommendation to the Department, promptly, but no more than 60 days after submission, issue a public statement, a copy of which shall be delivered to Committee members-- (A) assessing the finding or recommendation of the Committee; and (B) disclosing the action, if any, the Department intends to take with respect to the finding or recommendation.


TiVo is (cleverly) turning things upside down for Super Bowl LII with introduction of GameSkip. This first-time feature for TiVo DVRs flips the company’s SkipMode—which skips commercials in some shows—on its head. With GameSkip, TiVo users can skip the game and get right to the important bits—Super Bowl commercials and the Halftime Show. Firstly, TiVo’s website is oh-so-careful not to mention the Super Bowl by name. I’m not sure why, since the whole point of the event is to submerse us in a marketing bath, but it’s notable in TiVo’s description: This coming Sunday, February 4, is the day TV fans wait all year for. Sure, the big game’s great and all, but for those who tune in for the multi-million-dollar commercials and the world’s biggest halftime show, we’ve got the perfect solution: TiVo GameSkip. This first-time feature turns SkipMode™ upside-down. After recording the big game, look for the on-screen SKIP icon next to the recording. Then hit play, press the SKIP button1 and your TiVo will jump to the beginning of the next commercial break! Kind of makes you want to give us a high-five, right? I’ll admit that I love and hate this. I haven’t had time for sports in a long, long time. So, you know, lolfunny. At the same time, there’s a part of me appalled at how commercial advertising has become content in and of itself. It’s perverse, and yet another step towards a cyberpunk future where we’re all slaves to the Corp. Then again, I enjoy watching, writing, and talking about Apple’s advertising, so my I may need a hand getting up on my high horse on this topic. And while we’re at it, you can just watch teasers for the commercials on TiVo’s site. So there’s that, too. Anyhoo…TiVo is giving its customers an interesting choice this year with GameSkip. I’d love to hear if you’d use it, or not, and why.


job. Is there a misconception where these skilled jobs have to be dirty and dangerous? MR: The problem isn't that so much has changed in that world; the problem in my view is that higher ed needed a PR campaign in the ’50s and ’60s. We actually needed more people to enthusiastically matriculate through universities. Society really could benefit from more liberal arts classical thought and more people with a broad-based understanding of stuff. And so the push for college in my view was legitimate. Unfortunately, the push for college came at the expense of other forms of education. And this is just a classic trap in most forms of advocacy and PR. You promote one thing not to the betterment of itself but at the expense of the other. So the proposition became “if you don't go to a four-year school, you're going to wind up over here in this shit hole. But if you wind up over there, then the kind of job you're going to get is going to make you want to kill yourself. So the whole transaction became fraught with false consequences. That's how we promote it. I still have a poster that was in my guidance counselor’s office that was really one of the first attempts to broadly promote college with a platitude, and the platitude was “Work smart, not hard.” And that's really where a lot of people just assume it's a logical thing with regard to heightened efficiency and of course it is. But that caption appeared on a photo of a kid holding a diploma next to a skilled worker holding a wrench and looking like he just won a vocational consolation prize. mikeRoweWORKS When you start telling kids that if you don't work smart, you'll have no choice but to work hard, you're giving them this "Let's Make a Deal” choice, where behind the curtain is nothing but a box of Borax or a brand new, shiny Corvette. It's not fair, it's not right, it's not sensible. But that basic notion has infected and informed a big chunk of our culture, and consequently you've got well over $1 trillion in student loans on the books and you've got over 6 million jobs that are currently open, many in manufacturing, many in the skilled trades — and few of which require a four-year degree. So that's your disconnect in a nutshell. Today we have this notion that if you're unhappy in your work it's because your work is making you unhappy.


unemployment account was established before the date of enactment of this Act, the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2002 (as amended by this Act) shall be applied subject to the following: (A) Any amounts deposited in the individual's temporary extended unemployment compensation account by reason of section 203(c) of such Act (commonly known as ``TEUC-X amounts'') before the date of enactment of this Act shall be treated as amounts deposited by reason of section 203(b) of such Act (commonly known as ``TEUC amounts''), as deemed to have been amended by subsection (c)(1). (B) For purposes of determining whether the individual is eligible for any TEUC-X amounts under such Act, as deemed to be amended by this section-- (i) any determination made under section 203(c) of such Act before the application of the amendment described in subsection (c)(2) shall be disregarded; and (ii) any such determination shall instead be made by applying section 203(c) of such Act, as deemed to be amended by subsection (c)(2)-- (I) as of the time that all amounts established in such account in accordance with section 203(b) of such Act (as deemed to be amended under this section, and including any amounts described in subparagraph (A)) are in fact exhausted, except that (II) if such individual's account was both augmented by and exhausted of all TEUC-X amounts before the date of enactment of this Act, such determination shall be made as if exhaustion (as described in section 203(c)(1) of such Act) had not occurred until such date of enactment.


Study.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall conduct a study to determine the effectiveness and feasibility of establishing 1 or more propane storage facilities, to be operated separately from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve established under part B of title I of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6231 et seq.). (b) Plan.--Following completion of the study under subsection (a), the Secretary may submit to Congress and the President a plan describing-- (1) the proposed acquisition of storage and related facilities or storage services for, including-- (A) the potential use of storage facilities not currently in use; and (B) a determination of the combination of primary, secondary, and tertiary storage facilities that will be used; (2) the proposed acquisition of propane for storage; (3) the proposed methods of disposition of propane; (4) the estimated costs of establishment, maintenance, and operation; (5) the efforts the Secretary will make-- (A) to minimize any potential need for future drawdowns; and (B) to ensure that distributors and importers are not discouraged from maintaining and increasing supplies of propane; (6) the proposed actions to ensure the quality of the propane; and (7) the proposed accounts and funding structures required for acquisition of propane and propane storage facilities. SEC. 7. STORAGE FACILITY LOANS FOR PROPANE STORAGE. Section 1614(a) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8789(a)) is amended by inserting ``, including facilities for propane that is used for drying and heating'' before the period at the end. SEC. 8. STUDY OF JURISDICTION. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall complete a study of facilities appurtenant to propane pipelines (such as terminals and storage facilities) that are not subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission (as of the date on which the study commences) to determine-- (1) whether the nonjurisdictional nature of the facilities is injurious to shippers or consumers; and (2)(A) whether the facilities can be placed under the jurisdiction of the Commission; or (B) if not, whether changes in law to place the facilities under the jurisdiction of the Commission are in the public interest.


We investigate the orientation correlation of giant elliptical galaxies by measuring the intrinsic ellipticity correlation function of 83,773 luminous red galaxies (LRGs) at redshifts 0.16 -- 0.47 from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We have accurately determined the correlation up to 30 $h^{-1}$Mpc. Luminosity dependence of the ellipticity correlation is also detected although the error bars are large, while no evidence is found for its redshift evolution between $z=0.2$ and $z=0.4$. Then we use a cosmological $N$-body simulation to examine misalignment between the central LRGs and their parent dark matter halos. Central and satellite galaxies are assigned to simulated halos by employing a halo occupation distribution model for the LRGs. The ellipticity correlation is predicted to have the same shape as but an amplitude about 4 times higher than our observation if the central LRGs are perfectly aligned with their host halos. This indicates that the central LRG galaxies are preferentially but not perfectly aligned with their host halos. With the assumption that there is a misalignment angle between a central LRG and its host halo which follows a Gaussian distribution with a zero mean and a width $\sigma_\theta$, we obtain a tight constraint on the misalignment parameter, $\sigma_\theta={35.4}^{+4.0}_{-3.3}$ deg. This type of intrinsic ellipticity correlation, if not corrected, can lead to contamination at 5% level to the shear power spectrum in weak lensing surveys of limiting magnitude $R_{AB}=24.5$ if the source central galaxies follow the same misalignment distribution as the LRGs.


If the gas in filaments and halos shares the same velocity field than the luminous matter, it will generate measurable temperature anisotropies due to the Kinematic Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect. We compute the distribution function of the KSZ signal produced by a typical filament and show it is highly non-gaussian. The combined contribution of the Thermal and Kinematic SZ effects of a filament of size $L\simeq 5$Mpc and electron density $n_e\simeq 10^3m^{-3}$ could explain the cold spots of $\delta\sim -200\mu$K on scales of 30' found in the Corona Borealis Supercluster by the VSA experiment. PLANCK, with its large resolution and frequency coverage, could provide the first evidence of the existence of filaments in this region. The KSZ contribution of the network of filaments and halo structures to the radiation power spectrum peaks around $l\sim 400$, a scale very different from that of clusters of galaxies, with a maximum amplitude $l(l+1)C_l/2\pi\sim 10-25 (\mu K)^2$, depending on model parameters, i.e., $\sigma_8$ and the Jeans length. About 80% of the signal comes from filaments with redshift $z\le 0.1$. Adding this component to the intrinsic Cosmic Microwave Background temperature anisotropies of the concordance model improves the fit to WMAP 3yr data by $\Delta\chi^2\simeq 1$. The improvement is not statistically significant but a more systematic study could demonstrate that gas could significantly contribute to the anisotropies measured by WMAP.


If Amazon does acquire a pharmaceutical company, it could cause buyer's remorse for CVS, Mr. Coker said. The retail pharmacy chain intends to finance the transaction with $45 billion in debt. "This Aetna deal could be boneheaded if CVS's goal is to shore up its defenses against an inevitable entry against Amazon into the market," he said. "Health insurers are part of why drugs are so expensive. Amazon approaches markets by eliminating the middleman. It seems that CVS is making a bet that health insurers are going to continue to be the dominate intermediary between a consumer and drugmaker." Investors also appear to have doubts about how much the drugstore chain was willing to pay for Aetna: CVS Health Corp.'s stock fell $3.41, or nearly 5 percent, to $71.69 on the New York Stock Exchange, although the Dow Jones index was up strongly for most of the day. Joel Espelien, a senior research analyst at The Diffusion Group, agreed that Amazon will put pressure on CVS and Aetna after the deal is completed. "CVS didn't want to just be a distributor, so it bought a health plan," he said. "But disruption can change how business is done in that industry. Amazon will force CVS and Aetna to dramatically up their game." Even if Amazon's first step in the health care industry is offering prescriptions through its website, Mr. Espelien said, that could create fierce competition in the sector. He predicts prescriptions will be delivered via drones within minutes along with other supply advantages that only Amazon can offer. "It doesn't mean CVS can't compete with Amazon, but if they can't match what Amazon is doing, they will be in serious trouble," he said. The time is right for Amazon to enter the health care industry because of its proven ability to reduce costs in an industry that has long struggled to keep expenses down and prices competitive. "When I look at a retail pharmacy, it strikes me as fairly inefficient," Mr. Coker said. "They have to maintain that expensive floor space, expensive pharmacist, cash register. Maybe you can achieve greater economies of scale by moving that to a call center in India like Amazon did with the book industry." © 2017 Washington Times under contract with NewsEdge/Acquire Media. All rights reserved. Image credit: CVS/iStock/Artist's concept.


or 4091 of such Code shall, insofar as applicable and not inconsistent with the provisions of this subsection, apply with respect to the floor stocks taxes imposed by paragraph (1) to the same extent as if such taxes were imposed by such section 4081 or 4091, as the case may be. (e) Effective Dates.-- (1) Fuel taxes.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply to periods beginning on or after the 7th day after the date of the enactment of this Act. (2) Ticket taxes.-- (A) In general.--The amendments made by subsection (b) shall apply to transportation beginning on or after such 7th day. (B) Exception for certain payments.--Except as provided in subparagraph (C), the amendments made by subsection (b) shall not apply to any amount paid before such 7th day. (C) Payments of property transportation tax within controlled group.--In the case of the tax imposed by section 4271 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, subparagraph (B) shall not apply to any amount paid by 1 member of a controlled group for transportation furnished by another member of such group. For purposes of the preceding sentence, all persons treated as a single employer under subsection (a) or (b) of section 52 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 shall be treated as members of a controlled group. (f) Application of Look-Back Safe Harbor for Deposits.--Nothing in the look-back safe harbor prescribed in Treasury Regulation section 40.6302(c)-1(c)(2) shall be construed to permit such safe harbor to be used with respect to any tax unless such tax was imposed throughout the look-back period.


if we need it at all, if we do, we then enact democratic legislation that will ensure there is transparency and accountability in the appointment process and execution of duty, which conduct must be guided by the Constitution. “For many years the Censorship Board has assumed the notorious character of a morality police as well as an unchecked gatekeeper who decides what content is right or wrong for Zimbabweans. “They have banned some plays with political satire and films that reflect badly on the ruling elite all on flimsy grounds that they were not suitable for the majority of the people. “And now that Chombo says the new board will extend its control tentacles to the social media, it’s clear it’s not about the contested moral righteousness but policing citizens’ artistic freedoms, freedom of expression, generation and access to information online and offline,” said Ngwenya. He added that Zimbabwe does not need another body or layer of repression under the guise of promoting morality; it needs democratic laws and institutions that will ensure constitutionalism goes beyond simply flaunting the Constitution. Playwright and actor Slyvanos Mudzvova said this board has actually been put to silence mainly artists dealing with human rights-related artistic products. “The board consists of people who have no experience in dealing with artistic products at all. Their agenda is so simple — ban anything that is critical to President Robert Mugabe and his regime. “Serious artists will not submit anything to this board as a way of protest for its composition,” said Mudzvova. Social commentator Rejoice Ngwenya said: “With the drastic modernisation of the creative industry (e-ntertainment, e-reading, the drone and virtual creations), it’s surprising that Mugabe can appoint dinosaurs, drunken with conservative stupour, to preside over 21st Century creativity. “It shows Mugabe views everything through the partisan prism, with an eye on 2018. What these human fossils do not know is that the IOT (internet of things) no longer allows political hoodlums clad in statutory censorship clothes to poison creativity.” Theatre producer Mthabisi Phili believes any sinking man will catch at a straw. “They are catching at straws now; I think Zanu PF is strengthening its censorship and control muscle ahead of the upcoming elections. “It’s more of a political move than just the employment of people. The true colours that we are under a dictatorship are really coming out through the rampant nepotism and focus


We present observations of the O VI system at z_abs = 0.495096 toward PKS 0405-123 (z_em = 0.5726) obtained with FUSE and STIS. In addition to strong O VI, with log N(O VI) = 14.47+/-0.02, and moderate H I this absorber shows C III, N IV, O IV, and O V, with upper limits for another seven ions. The large number of available ions allows us to test ionization models usually adopted with far less contraints. We find the ionic column densities cannot be matched by collisional ionization models, in or out of equilibrium. Photoionization models can match the observed column densities, including O VI. If one assumes photoionization by a UV background dominated by QSOs, the metallicity of the gas is [O/H] = -0.15, while a model for the UV background with contributions from ionizing photons escaping from galaxies gives [O/H] = -0.62. Both give [N/O] ~ -0.6 and [C/H] ~ -0.2 to -0.1. The choice of ionizing spectrum is poorly constrained. Multiphase models with a contribution from both photoionized gas (at T~10^4 K) and collisionally ionized gas (at T~(1-3)x10^5 K) can also match the observations giving very similar metallicities. The O VI in this system is not necessarily a reliable tracer of WHIM matter. We do not detect Ne VIII or Mg X absorption. The limit on Ne VIII/O VI < 0.21 (3 sigma), the lowest yet observed. Thus this absorber shows no firm evidence of the "warm-hot intergalactic medium" at T~(0.5-3)x10^6 K thought to contain a significant fraction of the baryons at low redshift. We present limits on the total column of warm-hot gas in this absorber as a function of temperature. This system would be unlikely to provide detectable X-ray absorption in the ions O VII or O VIII even if it resided in front of the brighter X-ray sources in the sky.


We examine the Lagrangian divergence of the displacement field, arguably a more natural object than the density in a Lagrangian description of cosmological large-scale structure. This quantity, which we denote \psi, quantifies the stretching and distortion of the initially homogeneous lattice of dark-matter particles in the universe. \psi\ encodes similar information as the density, but the correspondence has subtleties. It corresponds better to the log-density A than the overdensity \delta. A Gaussian distribution in \psi\ produces a distribution in A with slight skewness; in \delta, we find that in many cases the skewness is further increased by 3. A local spherical-collapse-based (SC) fit found by Bernardeau gives a formula for \psi's particle-by-particle behavior that works quite well, better than applying Lagrangian perturbation theory (LPT) at first or second (2LPT) order. In 2LPT, there is a roughly parabolic relation between initial and final \psi\ that can give overdensities in deep voids, so low-redshift, high-resolution 2LPT realizations should be used with caution. The SC fit excels at predicting \psi\ until streams cross; then, for particles forming haloes, \psi\ plummets as in a waterfall to -3. This gives a new method for producing N-particle realizations. Compared to LPT realizations, such SC realizations give reduced stream-crossing, and better visual and 1-point-PDF correspondence to the results of full gravity. LPT, on the other hand, predicts large-scale flows and the large-scale power-spectrum amplitude better, unless an empirical correction is added to the SC formula.


We consider a Hamiltonian action of n-dimensional torus, T^n, on a compact symplectic manifold (M,\omega) with d isolated fixed points. For every fixed point p there exists (though not unique) a class a_p in H^*_{T}(M; Q) such that the collection {a_p}, over all fixed points, forms a basis for H^*_{T}(M; Q) as an H^*(BT; Q) module. The map induced by the inclusion, \iota^*:H^*_{T}(M; Q) \rightarrow H^*_{T}(M^{T}; Q)= \oplus_{j=1}^{d}Q[x_1, ..., x_n] is injective. We use such classes {a_p} to give necessary and sufficient conditions for f=(f_1, ...,f_d) in \oplus_{j=1}^{d}Q[x_1, ..., x_n] to be in the image of \iota^*, i.e. to represent an equiviariant cohomology class on M. In the case when T is a circle and present these conditions explicitly. We explain how to combine this 1-dimensional solution with Chang-Skjelbred Lemma in order to obtain the result for a torus T of any dimension. Moreover, for a GKM T-manifold M our techniques give combinatorial description of H^*_{K}(M; Q), for a generic subgroup K \hookrightarrow T, even if M is not a GKM K-manifold.


If you live in a region where temperatures routinely dip below freezing this time of year, you know that vehicle maintenance requirements shift along with the weather. While keeping up with your customers’ maintenance needs is always essential for business, there are some areas of the country where winter maintenance takes on a whole new level of importance. In America’s coldest cities, poor vehicle maintenance isn’t just a repair issue — it’s a safety issue. Being stranded with a broken-down car in extreme temperatures isn’t an option. So, how do shops in some of America’s coldest climates keep their customers’ cars running through even the worst winter conditions? The answer, it turns out, is just a little preparation. Setting Up Seasonal Inspections It’s nice to have proactive customers who want to take care of maintenance issues before something goes wrong. Unfortunately, not all customers have this kind of foresight. Whether or not the temperature drops to 50 below where you live, the arrival of winter weather puts the onus on shops to be more direct in selling winter inspections. Talk to your customers about the importance of being more proactive in servicing their vehicles during winter. While they may be familiar with the recommended service intervals in their owner’s manuals, you need to be conservative when it comes to winter maintenance. ”You need to offer your experience when thinking about maintenance intervals,” said Mike Simard, owner, Simard Automotive in Fairbanks, AK. “The independent industry does roughly 80% of all maintenance work in this country; so, we’ve learned a thing or two about vehicles that are no longer under warranty. Essentially, we want to take the manufacturer’s recommendation and pair that with our years of experience to make an appropriate recommendation on winter maintenance.” Fluids Vehicles using contaminated fluids or fluids that are mixed in the wrong concentration are especially susceptible to failure during winter. That’s because fluids don’t give off many warning signs when they need to be changed. They also are rarely checked by most drivers. Check the motor oil on every inspection. If your shop is in a region where temperatures routinely drop below freezing, you might consider switching to a lower viscosity oil. Regardless of what oil you’re using, recommend an oil change to help the customer’s engine run easier upon startup. “We recommend oil changes after most tune-ups and battery replacements that were done after a vehicle failed to start,” said Jason Emrick, ASE Master/L1 technician, Lloyd’s Automotive in St. Paul, MN. “At a


If you’ve never found yourself on the powerless end of a longterm relationship that’s falling apart before your eyes, well—I haven’t either, but I imagine it’s awful. Of the many Magnetic Fields songs that document such resignation, “You’re My Only Home” has stuck with me the longest because of its despairing chorus: “When you cancel dinner plans/when you cross the street and you don’t take my hand/ when you make impossible demands/I wish I didn’t understand.” Bracketed by earnest declarations of devotion, the song’s center reveals its narrator to be a realist, someone who understands that whatever relationship he’s in is already over—that even if he isn’t technically alone, he’s on his own. Also, the way Stephen Merritt drops his voice when he croons “street” makes me grin every time. — TAYLOR BERMAN NSYNC, “Tearin’ Up My Heart” This is the first song about heartbreak I remember really being affected by. There’s never been a point in my life since its release that I haven’t been able to sing its chorus, and the damaged sweetness of boy band vocals are particularly good at conveying this sort of infinite internal turmoil. — JORDAN SARGENT Aaliyah, “We Need a Resolution” ft. Timbaland In which Timbaland the No Good, fed up with the drama, decides to abandon his girl for a night out, as he justifies himself with a charismatically corny verse—“I’m tired of these scars!”—that rides off the defense of wounded masculinity. I suppose confronting that hurt would be the noble course of action here, but this verse consoles me because of its moral: Life is too short not to be petty. It’s an easy mantra to remember when an ex removes you from Facebook or what-have-you. I will keep shining, boo. — BRIAN JOSEPHS The Mountain Goats, “Game Shows Touch Our Lives” Tallahassee is a devastating album about the death throes of a married couple’s relationship, but no song locates the heartbreaking mix of tenderness and bitterness involved with a protracted breakup like “Game Shows Touch Our Lives,” in which the couple watches game shows while getting stupid drunk. Darnielle’s narrator hands his soon-to-be-ex-wife a bottle of liquor, and delivers a heartbreaking, unadorned line: “People say friends don’t destroy one


and inserting ``4''. (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply to weeks of unemployment beginning 6 months or more after the date of the enactment of this Act. SEC. 102. INCREASE AND DECREASE IN EARNINGS CREDITED TO STATE ACCOUNTS WHEN STATES MEET OR FAIL TO MEET FUNDING GOALS. (a) In General.--Section 904 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1104) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: ``(h) Increase and Decrease in Amount of Earnings Allocated to State Accounts When States Meet or Fail To Meet Funding Goals.--(1) If the average daily balance in a State account in the Unemployment Trust Fund for any calendar quarter exceeds the funding goal of such State, the amount otherwise creditable to such account under subsection (e) for such quarter shall be increased by the interest premium on such excess. If the average daily balance in such a State account for any calendar quarter is less than the funding goal of such State, the amount otherwise creditable to such account under subsection (e) for such quarter shall be decreased by the interest penalty. ``(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply with respect to any interest premium or interest penalty to the extent that such application would result in an increase or decrease of more than $2,500,000 in the amount creditable to any State account for any calendar quarter. ``(3) For purposes of this subsection, the term `interest premium' means, for any calendar quarter-- ``(A) with respect to the State with the largest percentage value of excess of the average daily balance in the State account in the Unemployment Trust Fund over the funding goal of such State, one-half of one percent of the amount of such excess, and ``(B) with respect to each other State, the product of-- ``(i) the amount of the excess of the average daily balance in the State account in the Unemployment Trust Fund over the funding goal of such State, and ``(ii) the percentage which bears the same ratio to one-half of one percent as-- ``(I) the percentage value of such excess, bears to ``(II) the percentage value of the excess of the State referred to in subparagraph (A). The Secretary shall make appropriate adjustments in the interest premium for any calendar quarter if the aggregate interest premiums payable for such quarter exceed the aggregate interest penalties for such quarter.


The non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) line formation of neutral boron in the atmospheres of cool stars are investigated. Our results confirm that NLTE effects for the B I resonance lines, which are due to a combination of overionization and optical pumping effects, are most important for hot, metalpoor, and low-gravity stars; however, the amplitude of departures from LTE found by this work are smaller than that of previous studies. In addition, our calculation shows that the line formation of B I will get closer to LTE if the strength of collisions with neutral hydrogen increases, which is contrary to the result of previous studies. The NLTE line formation results are applied to the determination of boron abundances for a sample of 16 metal-poor stars with the method of spectrum synthesis of the B I 2497 A resonance lines using the archived HST/GHRS spectra. Beryllium and oxygen abundances are also determined for these stars. The abundances of the nine stars which are not depleted in Be or B show that, no matter the strength of collisions with neutral hydrogen may be, both Be and B increase with O quasi-linearly in the logarithmic plane, which confirms the conclusions that Be and B are mainly produced by primary process in the early Galaxy. The most noteworthy result of this work is that B increases with Fe or O at a very similar speed as, or a bit faster than Be does, which is in accord with the theoretical models. The B/Be ratios remain almost constant over the metallicity range investigated here. Our average B/Be ratio falls in the interval [13+-4, 17+-4], which is consistent with the predictions of spallation process. The contribution of B from the nu-process may be required if the 11B/10B isotopic ratios in metal-poor stars are the same as the meteoric value.


We present a study of the chemistry of a dense photon-dominated region (PDR) using a time-dependent chemical model. Our major interest is to study the spatial distribution of complex molecules such as hydrocarbons and cyanopolyynes in the cool dense material bordering regions where star formation has taken place. Our standard model uses a homogeneous cloud of density 2x10e4 cm-3 and temperature T=40 K, which is irradiated by a far-ultraviolet radiation field of intermediate intensity, given by X=100. We find that over a range of times unsaturated hydrocarbons (e.g., C2H, C4H, C3H2) have relatively high fractional abundances in the more external layers of the PDR, whereas their abundances in the innermost layers are several orders of magnitudes lower. On the other hand, molecules that are typical of late-time chemistry are usually more abundant in the inner parts of the PDR. We also present results for models with different density, temperature, intensity of the radiation field and initial fractional abundances. Our results are compared with both high- and moderate-angular resolution observations of the Horsehead nebula. Our standard model is partially successful in reproducing the observations. Additional models run with different physical parameters are able to reproduce the abundance of many of the observed molecules, but we do not find a single model that fits all the observations at the same time. We discuss the suitability of a time-dependent model of a dense PDR such as ours as an estimator of the age of a PDR, provided that enough observational data exist.


If things go as planned, Kris Aquino will join the cast of the Warner Brothers movie of the bestseller “Crazy Rich Asians”—the first Filipino woman to be cast in this Hollywood movie. Aquino flew to Los Angeles on Easter Sunday to meet with the producers and sign the contract, sources say. About six Filipino actresses, according to sources, had auditioned, but apparently only Aquino had landed a role, so far. ADVERTISEMENT 2013 bestseller The movie is based on Kevin Kwan’s 2013 bestseller about an old-wealth Singaporean family, its matriarch Eleanor Young (to be played by Michelle Yeoh), and its heir apparent—the Ivy-League-educated Nick Young, who flies home to Singapore for a friend’s wedding with his New Yorker girlfriend in tow. Kwan gives readers a jaw-dropping glimpse of the lives—and secrets—of the rich and the chi-chi set. Kwan followed up this bestseller with “China Rich Girlfriend” (2015) and just this year, “Rich People Problems.” Kwan was in Manila about two years ago and met the lifestyle set—and apparently drew inspiration from some of its characters. “Rich People Problems” has characters whose names curiously sound like those of Metro Manila’s A-listers, such as Diego San Antonio (Inquirer columnist Anton San Diego?) and Doris Hoh (business leader Doris Magsaysay-Ho). Obviously Kwan and the movie producers have had Aquino on their radar. According to our sources—and which Aquino confirmed in her Instragram post—Grammy and Tony award-winning producer Jhett Tolentino tried to contact Aquino through intermediaries—specifically Nene Chan and Rep. Len Alonte. Instagram post In her Instagram post, Aquino wrote she had only a few days to prepare an audition reel, so she got a suite at Peninsula Manila to mount the audition shoot, tapping her network that included director Ricky Villabona, Jules Dacanay and makeup artist Juan Sarte. The team then did rush editing and color grading of her audition reel and video biography. Director Jon Chu (“Step Up,” “GI Joe”) and the producers liked the reels, said our sources, and thus Aquino got the part of an Asian princess—a minor yet significant part. “At this particular point in my life, to have the Hollywood door open is God-sent,” Aquino said. ADVERTISEMENT And the suspense


If Flowers is traded, the Giants are going to have to draft a tackle or sign one as a free agent. Odell Beckham Jr., who missed most of last season with a broken ankle, and defensive end Olivier Vernon were both at the minicamp. They skipped the minicamp a year ago. “I think the big thing for us is our game is very simple — it’s about the ball, it’s about negotiating the ground and it’s really about man whipping man,” Shurmur said. The minicamp, which does not entail any hitting, is more about making sure players get to know the new systems, with some throwing and receiving mixed in. The defences can work on stripping the ball. There was speculation that Shurmur wanted to use the minicamp to see what quarterback Davis Webb could do. The third-round pick did nothing last season, so the Giants really don’t know what they have with their backup to Eli Manning. “I don’t think there needs to be any anxiety on his part — get trained up, come on out here, let it rip and mistakes happen in practice and you learn from them,” Shurmur said. “I think that’s why you practice, so I think you have to be careful about making a final evaluation on a guy in a three-day period here. He just needs to come out here and get as good as he can be.” Most players said they felt they were entering this season with a clean slate. Cornerback Janoris Jenkins, who was suspended for a game last season after missing a practice, intends to be on his best behaviour this season. “I promise y’all that Jackrabbit says it won’t happen this year what happened last year,” he said. “There won’t be any animosity between players, no disrespecting the coach. There will be none of that. New York Giant football is back.” Jenkins also believes fellow cornerback and 2016 first-round draft pick Eli Apple, who also was suspended for a game, will be a different player this season. “You have to understand that he was young,” Jenkins said. “It’s a clean slate, new coaching staff and for him it’s guys like me that have to push him and help him out because I’ve been in the league so long and just help him understand that adversity is going to hit you and when it hits, you’ve just got to keep it going.” Beckham did not take part in the afternoon practice


`Small Business Protection Account' means a trust created or organized in the United States for the exclusive benefit of the taxpayer, but only if the written governing instrument creating the trust meets the following requirements: ``(A) No contribution will be accepted for any taxable year in excess of the amount allowed as a deduction under subsection (a) for such year. ``(B) The trustee is a bank (as defined in section 408(n)) or another person who demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Secretary that the manner in which such person will administer the trust will be consistent with the requirements of this section. ``(C) The assets of the trust consist entirely of cash or of obligations which have adequate stated interest (as defined in section 1274(c)(2)) and which pay such interest not less often than annually. ``(D) All income of the trust is distributed currently to the grantor. ``(E) The assets of the trust will not be commingled with other property except in a common trust fund or common investment fund. ``(2) Account taxed as grantor trust.--The grantor of a Small Business Protection Account shall be treated for purposes of this title as the owner of such Account and shall be subject to tax thereon in accordance with subpart E of part I of subchapter J of this chapter (relating to grantors and others treated as substantial owners). ``(e) Inclusion of Amounts Distributed.-- ``(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), there shall be includible in the gross income of the taxpayer for any taxable year-- ``(A) any amount distributed from a Small Business Protection Account of the taxpayer during such taxable year, and ``(B) any deemed distribution under-- ``(i) subsection (f)(1) (relating to deposits not distributed within 5 years), ``(ii) subsection (f)(2) (relating to cessation in eligible small business), and ``(iii) subparagraph (A) or (B) of subsection (f)(3) (relating to prohibited transactions and pledging account as security). ``(2) Exceptions.--Paragraph (1)(A) shall not apply to-- ``(A) any distribution to the extent attributable to income of the Account, and ``(B) the distribution of any contribution paid during a taxable year to a Small Business Protection Account to the extent that such contribution exceeds the limitation applicable under subsection (b) if requirements similar to the requirements of section 408(d)(4) are met.


if any, opportunities for diversion, storage, or other uses of water occurring outside such lands that would adversely affect the wilderness or other values of such lands; (B) the lands designated as wilderness by this Act generally are not suitable for use for development of new water resource facilities, or for the expansion of existing facilities; (C) it is possible to provide for proper management and protection of the wilderness and other values of such lands in ways different from those utilized in other legislation designating as wilderness lands not sharing the attributes of the lands designated as wilderness by this Act. (2) Statutory construction.-- (A) Nothing in this Act shall constitute or be construed to constitute either an express or implied reservation of any water or water rights with respect to the lands designated as a national conservation area or as wilderness by this Act. (B) Nothing in this Act shall affect any conditional or absolute water rights in the State of Colorado existing on the date of the enactment of this Act. (C) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as establishing a precedent with regard to any future national conservation area or wilderness designations. (D) Nothing in this Act shall be construed as limiting, altering, modifying, or amending any of the interstate compacts or equitable apportionment decrees that apportion water among and between the State of Colorado and other States. (3) Colorado water law.--The Secretary shall follow the procedural and substantive requirements of the law of the State of Colorado in order to obtain and hold any new water rights with respect to the Conservation Area and the Wilderness. (4) New projects.-- (A) As used in this paragraph, the term ``water resource facility'' means irrigation and pumping facilities, reservoirs, water conservation works, aqueducts, canals, ditches, pipelines, wells, hydropower projects, and transmission and other ancillary facilities, and other water diversion, storage, and carriage structures. Such term does not include any such facilities related to or used for the purpose of livestock grazing. (B) Except as otherwise provided by section 6(g) or other provisions of this Act, on and after the date of the enactment of this Act, neither the President nor any other officer, employee, or agent of the United States shall fund, assist, authorize, or issue a license or permit for the development of any new water resource facility within the wilderness area designated by this Act. (C) Except as provided in this paragraph, nothing in this Act


A British judge heard a new appeal Tuesday from the parents of a terminally ill British toddler who want to take him to Italy for treatment — something British courts have ruled isn't in the child's interest. The Christian Legal Centre, which is supporting the parents of 23-month-old Alfie Evans, said lawyers would repeat a request to judge Anthony Hayden to allow the boy to be cared for at the Vatican's hospital in Rome. The judge appeared to rule that out at an emergency court hearing in Manchester, but asked whether there might be "other options" that involved Alfie's parents taking their son home. The hearing was adjourned while the hospital considered the question. Doctors say Alfie is in a "semi-vegetative state" as a result of a degenerative neurological condition that medics have been unable to identify precisely. Doctors treating him at Alder Hey Children's Hospital say he has little brain function and further treatment is futile. But his parents have refused to accept the decision and fought to prevent Alfie's life support being switched off. He was taken off life support Monday after a series of court rulings blocked further medical treatment. Alfie's father Tom Evans said earlier Tuesday that Alfie survived for six hours with no assistance, and that doctors had subsequently resumed providing oxygen and hydration. In court, the family's lawyer, Paul Diamond, read a statement from Tom Evans saying his son was doing "significantly better" than previously believed. Evans, 21, and Alfie's mother Kate James, 20, want to take Alfie to the Vatican's Bambino Gesu Pediatric Hospital. Doctors at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool, northwest England, believe that would not be in the boy'ss best interests, and British courts have agreed. Emotions have run high over the case, with a band of supporters known as "Alfie's Army" protesting regularly outside the hospital. They have blocked roads and on Monday tried to storm a door of the hospital before being pushed back by police. The case has also drawn the attention of Pope Francis, who during a Sunday blessing in St. Peter's Square this month offered prayers for Alfie and others who are suffering from serious infirmities. Francis has made appeals for the boy to be kept alive, saying only God can decide who dies. The head of the Vatican's Bambino Gesu Pediatric Hospital said the Italian defense ministry had a plane ready to transport Alfie to Italy if he were allowed.


If it hadn’t been for Kerry Packer, World Series Cricket and the smartphone, England’s Ben Stokes might well be out in Australia defending the Ashes, this winter, rather than waiting at home to see if he’ll be charged with actual bodily harm, after that brawl in Bristol, last September. Crispin Andrews is a freelance cricket expert who writes for the Cricketer, Cricinfo, Inside Cricket and the Nightwatchman. World Series Cricket began,forty years ago, this December. Australian media tycoon, Packer, was refused international broadcast rights by the Australian Cricket Board, so he signed up the world’s best players on lucrative contracts and put on his own contests.Two years later, the ACB gave Packer his TV deal and the players returned to their international sides. Before World Series Cricket, international cricketers were paid peanuts. Ever since, cricket boards have been increasingly aware that if they don’t pay their best players what the players think they’re worth; someone else will, these days most probably a T20 franchise. To raise money to pay their stars, and of course their own salaries, cricket board executives turn to corporate sponsors. ECB made £1.1bn from their last TV deal alone. Corporates sponsor cricket teams because they think it will help them sell more of whatever they sell. They like their chosen teams to be full of well spoken, nicely turned out lads. The sort the company CEO might hire as an office junior, or even invite home to meet his or her, daughter. What the corporates don’t want are charismatic, colourful types who can’t be trusted to say the right things at the right time. People like Kevin Pietersen, and Tony Greig, who in 1976, on national TV, announced that he’d make the West Indies grovel. Imagine the outrage if the England captain said that today. The ECB’s corporate benefactors would be queuing up to sponsor tennis. And now an England cricketer gets filmed fighting in the streets and the footage ends up in the national newspapers. Even if the ECB wanted to be lenient to England’s star player, there’s no way the corporates are going to have that sort of thing associated with their brand. Stokes has nothing to complain about, whoever started the fight, and for whatever reasons. He is an England cricketer, well aware of the standards of behaviour his employers expect, of what is likely to happen to


the prior month. ``(2) Publication.--The Secretary shall make the information reported under paragraph (1) available to the public on the first reporting day of the each month, not later than 10:00 a.m. Central Time, categorized by location and product characteristics.''; and (3) in subsection (d) (as redesignated by paragraph (2))-- (A) in paragraph (3), by adding at the end the following: ``(C) Cold storage survey.-- ``(i) In general.--For purposes of the cold storage survey of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, each facility storing dairy products shall report to the Secretary each month information on the quantity of dairy products stored. ``(ii) Audit.--Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary shall take such measures as are necessary to audit the survey described in clause (i) and ensure compliance with the reporting requirement. ``(D) Dairy products survey.-- ``(i) In general.--For purposes of the dairy products survey of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, each manufacturer storing dairy products shall report to the Secretary each month information on the quantity of dairy products stored. ``(ii) Audit.--The Secretary shall take such measures as are necessary to audit the survey described in clause (i) and ensure compliance with the reporting requirement.''; and (B) by adding at the end the following ``(7) Survey products.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall require each manufacturer and other appropriate person to report to the Secretary, at a periodic interval determined by the Secretary, information on the products in the cold storage survey and the dairy products survey of the National Agricultural Statistics Service. ``(8) Exemption.--The Secretary may exempt from all reporting requirements under this section any manufacturer or facility that stores less than an average of 10,000 pounds monthly on an annual basis. ``(9) Collection and publication of data.--The Secretary shall collect and publish data on actual milk prices paid by dairy processors.''. SEC. 7. BUDGETARY EFFECTS. The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by reference to the latest statement titled ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, provided that such statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.


members of which are public officials, and (iii) not more than one-third of the members of which are individuals who are or were at any time within 5 years before the beginning of a term of membership on the board, an employee of, independent contractor with respect to, officer of, director of, or held a material financial interest in, a commercial forest products enterprise with which the qualified organization has a contractual or other financial arrangement, (D) the bylaws of which require at least two-thirds of the members of the board of directors to vote affirmatively to approve the qualified conservation plan and any change thereto, and (E) upon dissolution, is required to dedicate its assets to-- (i) an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of such Code which is organized and operated for conservation purposes, or (ii) a governmental unit described in section 170(c)(1) of such Code. (4) Unrelated person.--The term ``unrelated person'' means a person who is not a related person. (5) Related person.--A person shall be treated as related to another person if-- (A) such person bears a relationship to such other person described in section 267(b) (determined without regard to paragraph (9) thereof), or 707(b)(1), of such Code, determined by substituting ``25 percent'' for ``50 percent'' each place it appears therein, and (B) in the case such other person is a non-profit organization, if such person controls directly or indirectly more than 25 percent of the governing body of such organization.


We reexamine the 1/S-correction to the self-energy of the gapless magnon of a D-dimensional quantum Heisenberg antiferromagnet in a uniform magnetic field h using a hybrid approach between 1/S-expansion and non-linear sigma model, where the Holstein-Primakoff bosons are expressed in terms of Hermitian field operators representing the uniform and the staggered components of the spin-operators [N. Hasselmann and P. Kopietz, Europhys. Lett. {\bf{74}}, 1067 (2006)]. By integrating over the field associated with the uniform spin-fluctuations we obtain the effective action for the staggered spin-fluctuations on the lattice, which contains fluctuations on all length scales and does not have the cutoff ambiguities of the non-linear sigma model. We show that in dimensions D <= 3 the magnetic field dependence of the spin-wave velocity c(h) is non-analytic in h^2, with c(h) - c(0) proportional to h^2 \ln | h | in D=3, and c(h) - c(0) proportional to | h | in D=2. The frequency dependent magnon self-energy is found to exhibit an even more singular magnetic field dependence, implying a strong momentum dependence of the quasi-particle residue of the gapless magnon. We also discuss the problem of spontaneous magnon decay and show that in D > 1 dimensions the damping of magnons with momentum k is proportional to |k|^{2D -1} if spontaneous magnon decay is kinematically allowed.


If $\Sigma=(X,\sigma)$ is a topological dynamical system, where $X$ is a compact Hausdorff space and $\sigma$ is a homeomorphism of $X$, then a crossed product Banach $\sp{*}$-algebra $\ell^1(\Sigma)$ is naturally associated with these data. If $X$ consists of one point, then $\ell^1(\Sigma)$ is the group algebra of the integers. The commutant $C(X)'_1$ of $C(X)$ in $\ell^1(\Sigma)$ is known to be a maximal abelian subalgebra which has non-zero intersection with each non-zero closed ideal, and the same holds for the commutant $C(X)'_*$ of $C(X)$ in $C^*(\Sigma)$, the enveloping $C^*$-algebra of $\ell^1(\Sigma)$. This intersection property has proven to be a valuable tool in investigating these algebras. Motivated by this pivotal role, we study $C(X)'_1$ and $C(X)'_*$ in detail in the present paper. The maximal ideal space of $C(X)'_1$ is described explicitly, and is seen to coincide with its pure state space and to be a topological quotient of $X\times\mathbb{T}$. We show that $C(X)'_1$ is hermitian and semisimple, and that its enveloping $C^*$-algebra is $C(X)'_*$. Furthermore, we establish necessary and sufficient conditions for projections onto $C(X)'_1$ and $C(X)'_*$ to exist, and give explicit formulas for such projections, which we show to be unique. In the appendix, topological results for the periodic points of a homeomorphism of a locally compact Hausdorff space are given.


if you do something bad, you can die. So nature has kind of tuned us to look at the negative side because if you get a bit more food, a bit more money or whatever, there’s a positive expected value but it’s limited. Whereas on the negative side, you can lose a lot. So because of that we just attune more to losses. Image source: Getty Images. Rana Pritanjali:What do you think are some of the most important traits of successful investors? Dan Ariely:Maybe not follow your emotions. Human emotions get us to buy high and sell low, so we have to fight those. And being systematic. Looking forward rather than backward. Thinking about what you want to do moving forward and not looking at what’s happened to the stock in the past. Not being impulsive is important, and not following the herd. And then the other one, I would say, is that it’s about setting up processes that help us to do things in a more systematic way. So if you basically create a system where you say, “Here are my rules. I’m going to sell when it hits this number. I’m going to buy when it hits this number. I’m going to do X, Y, and Z.” If you stick to your rules, you’re probably going to do OK. But what happens is that most of us create rules and then we don’t stick to them, because we are tempted at the moment, so sticking to our rules is important. Rana Pritanjali:Do you believe in “information overload?” How is this affecting us as investors? Dan Ariely:Absolutely. It’s very hard for us to deal with lots and lots of information. Of course, today we’re getting lots and lots of information, so what do we do when we get too much information? We simplify. We use heuristics. We rely on only part of the information. On the most salient information. And that, of course, means that the most salient information is probably the information everybody else knows, as well; so we become less independent in our opinions from other investors. If everybody is in information overload, and we all do simplifications, then what happens is that we follow the simplest source of information, which is probably common to everybody. Rana Pritanjali:What human characteristics will be hardest for robots (or artificial intelligence)to replicate? Dan Ariely:I think ser


If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it might be a goose. That's how George E. Burns, commissioner for the Financials Department of the State of Nevada, Department of Business & Industry, described the types of depository institutions in the state. They all handle money and extend loans, but they are not all the same. The state of Nevada charters four such institutions: commercial banks, credit unions, savings banks, and industrial loan companies. Each has its own focus, ownership, and regulations, said Burns, who has been in the financial industry for 28 years in both giant and small financial institutions. He was appointed commissioner for the Nevada Department of Business & Industry in 2007. Commercial banks are traditional banks, insured by the FDIC — what people traditionally think of as a bank, he said. They offer a broad range of financial services including saving deposits, loans, mortgages, checks and debit cards. Savings banks evolved from the savings and loan industry, which collapsed in the 1980s and 1990s. Their primary focus is on savings accounts, retirement savings, certificates of deposit and mortgages. Industrial loan companies are owned by non-financial companies and generally provide loans for specific industries. For instance, in Nevada, Toyota Savings provides loans for Toyota products, and Eagle Mark provides loans for Harley Davidson products. Some industrial banks also issue credit cards, and offer mortgages or small business loans. They are state chartered and FDIC insured. Recommended Stories For You Credit unions are similar to commercial banks, except that they are membership-owned nonprofits. As such, they don't pay taxes and because they don't pay taxes, they have more restrictions. For credit unions, their field of membership (FOM) used to be very specific. Over time they expanded, Burns said. Ten credit unions operate in Nevada and each has a different FOM. Members must be individuals, not businesses, and that's where some of the restrictions come in. Originally, credit unions could only offer loans to individuals. Now they can offer loans to members for a members' business, but no more than 1.75 percent of the credit union's net worth. "The amount they can loan (for a business purpose) is limited," Burns said. "If the focus of a credit union is membership as individuals, they can't go out and make a loan to say, MGM. "It's being debated in congress whether or not to expand the limit


if enough time has been given to know whether they work. Since the summer of 2015, farmers in the western basin have been required to meet new regulations for applying manure, and since September 30, 2017, all farmers who apply fertilizer to more than 50 acres must be state certified. Farmers helped form both regulations, but are concerned about what lies ahead. Know the science Joe Cornely, communications director for Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, said it’s important that state regulators not get ahead of the science. He said a lot is still being determined, like how and why nutrients move. “Basing decisions on admittedly inadequate amounts of data is a problem,” he said. Cornely said the state’s approach so far has recognized that improvement takes time, and that more information is needed. In recent years, the Farm Bureau has partnered with state and federal leaders to research new farming practices through the use of demonstration farms and edge-of-field testing — hoping to find solutions that work for farmers and the nonfarm public. He said there has definitely been a sudden “change of tenor” from the state, and that he has “real concerns about the whole ready, fire, aim approach.” Even with the impairment designation, Butler said he doesn’t believe the state will be required to form new Total Daily Maximum Load limits for nutrients, because similar nutrient tracking has already been done. New law Butler is hopeful that a bill will soon be introduced into the state legislature that will lay out the framework for what is expected of agriculture. The bill would include lower phosphorus discharge levels and would also expand the definition of agriculture pollution to include fertilizer. This would allow the EPA to declare parts of watersheds in distress, and focus on specific areas. Butler said the bill has not been popular with farmers and so far a sponsor has not been found. Related coverage:


If the balance has gone awry and coach Alain Vigneault thinks his Rangers are getting away from their high-paced, high-skill game in favor of a more physical brand of hockey needed in the playoffs and enforced by the Canadiens, then a lineup change certainly could help alleviate that. And he did his part in stoking those flames when he had talented 22-year-old Russian winger Pavel Buchnevich rotating in during Monday’s practice at the Garden, as well as having him on the first power-play unit. Buchnevich has been a scratch for the opening three games of this first-round playoff series, the best-of-seven contest in which the Rangers trail, 2-1, heading into Tuesday night’s pivotal Game 4 at the Garden. They are coming off another postseason no-show on Broadway with Game 3’s 3-1 loss Sunday night, when their offense sputtered and their handling of the puck was negligent. But that wasn’t changing Vigneault’s philosophy, even if he does change the lineup in hopes of getting more skill plays. “We’ve been playing a certain style this season that’s permitted us to get into the playoffs that, in my estimation, when we play it, we’re a hard team to play against,” Vigneault said. “I think we’ve shown in this series, in moments when we’ve played that way, we’re a hard team to play against. And from game to game, there’s different things that a certain team might do that’s making them a little harder to handle. “So if you make minor adjustment as far as making a read or a puck decision, it could help your game. But as far as changing the overall way of how we play and how we have success, obviously that’s not going to happen.” Yet inserting Buchnevich in place of Tanner Glass certainly would change the makeup of Vigneault’s lineup, even if Glass has been one of the team’s best forwards through the first three games and one of the only legitimate physical presences on the roster. The two polar opposites took turns rotating on a line with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad, both of whom have struggled. That would be a very skilled line with Buchnevich on the right, and also one that had some success in the preseason and very early in the regular season. But as the grind wore on, Buchnevich missed a lot of time with a core/back issue and never


We present an analytic model for the interaction between planetary atmospheres and stellar winds from main sequence M stars, with the purpose of obtaining a quick test-model that estimates the timescale for total atmospheric mass loss due to this interaction. Planets in the habitable zone of M dwarfs may be tidally locked and may have weak magnetic fields, because of this we consider the extreme case of planets with no magnetic field. The model gives the planetary atmosphere mass loss rate as a function of the stellar wind and planetary properties (mass, atmospheric pressure and orbital distance) and an entrainment efficiency coefficient $\alpha$. We use a mixing layer model to explore two different cases: a time-independent stellar mass loss and a stellar mass loss rate that decreases with time. For both cases we consider planetary masses within the range of $1\to10$ M$_{\oplus}$ and atmospheric pressures with values of 1, 5 and 10 atm. For the time dependent case, planets without magnetic field in the habitable zone of M dwarfs with initial stellar mass losses of $\leq \dot{M}_{w} < 10^{-11}$ M$_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$, may retain their atmospheres for at least 1 Gyr. This case may be applied to early spectral type M dwarfs (earlier than M5). Studies have shown that late type M dwarfs (later than M5) may be active for long periods of time ($\geq 4$Gyr), and because of that our model with constant stellar mass loss rate may be more accurate. For these stars most planets may have lost their atmospheres in 1 Gyr or less because most of the late type M dwarfs are expected to be active. We emphasize that our model only considers planets without magnetic fields. Clearly we must expect a higher resistance to atmospheric erosion if we include the presence of a magnetic field.


If a system undergoes symmetric dynamics, then the final state of the system can only break the symmetry in ways in which it was broken by the initial state, and its measure of asymmetry can be no greater than that of the initial state. It follows that for the purpose of understanding the consequences of symmetries of dynamics, in particular, complicated and open-system dynamics, it is useful to introduce the notion of a state's asymmetry properties, which includes the type and measure of its asymmetry. We demonstrate and exploit the fact that the asymmetry properties of a state can also be understood in terms of information-theoretic concepts, for instance in terms of the state's ability to encode information about an element of the symmetry group. We show that the asymmetry properties of a pure state psi relative to the symmetry group G are completely specified by the characteristic function of the state, defined as chi_psi(g)=<psi|U(g)|psi> where g\in G and U is the unitary representation of interest. For a symmetry described by a compact Lie group G, we show that two pure states can be reversibly interconverted one to the other by symmetric operations if and only if their characteristic functions are equal up to a 1-dimensional representation of the group. Characteristic functions also allow us to easily identify the conditions for one pure state to be converted to another by symmetric operations (in general irreversibly) for the various paradigms of single-copy transformations: deterministic, state-to-ensemble, stochastic and catalyzed.


If you’re looking for a new budget handset, then it’s likely you’ve watched the Moto G6 with great interest since its reveal. Motorola’s new addition to the Moto G range is set to take the lower-priced market by storm with a brand-new design, more power, and some of the best value for the money that you’re likely to find. But just because it’s a budget phone doesn’t mean it should be going out into the world unprotected. A good protective case can reduce the risk of scratching the Moto G6’s body, shattering the screen, or inflicting any other sort of damage on it. We’ve scoured the internet to find some of the best cases to help keep your Moto G6 looking great all the way to your next upgrade and beyond. Spigen Rugged Armor ($20) We’re starting this list off with one of the best phone case manufacturers out there. Spigen‘s Rugged Armor case is one of the most popular cases around, and it’s easy to see why. Made from shock-absorbent and flexible TPU, the soft surface provides plenty of grip for your fingers, along with great protection from bumps, drops, scratches, and dings. A raised lip around the edges keeps your display and camera lenses elevated from surfaces, and the carbon fiber-style panels at either end of the back lend a cool, futuristic look. Buy one now from: Spigen TopAce Clear Case ($8) Sticking a case over the top of your phone isn’t for everyone — after all, don’t you want to look at the phone you just bought? If you’re that sort of person, but you still want some protection for your Moto G6, then a clear case might be for you. This case from TopAce is made from flexible TPU that adds shock absorbency and a soft surface for your fingers to grip. While this thin case won’t be as protective as a bulkier case, it should still protect well against scratches and bumps, and will offer some resistance to bigger drops and bangs. It’s not a bad little case if you want your phone’s beauty to shine through. Buy one now from: Amazon Dretal Shock Absorbing Magnetic Armor ($9) Looking for a little more protection? Dretal’s Magnetic Armor case is made from a combination of rigid polycarbonate plastic (PC) and soft TPU, giving it a hard backbone, as well as adequate shock-absorbency.


We study the impact of a running index $\alpha_t$ on the spectrum of relic gravitational waves (RGWs) over the whole range of frequency $(10^{-18}\sim 10^{10})$ Hz and reveal its implications in RGWs detections and in cosmology. Analytical calculations show that, although the spectrum of RGWs on low frequencies is less affected by $\alpha_t\ne 0$, but, on high frequencies, the spectrum is modified substantially. Investigations are made toward potential detections of the $\alpha_t$-modified RGWs for several kinds of current and planned detectors. The Advanced LIGO will likely be able to detect RGWs with $\alpha_t\ge 0$ for inflationary models with the inflation index $\beta=-1.956$ and the tensor-scalar ratio $r= 0.55$. The future LISA can detect RGWs for a much broader range of ($\alpha_t$, $\beta$, $r$), and will have a better chance to break a degeneracy between them. Constraints on $\alpha_t$ are estimated from several detections and cosmological observations. Among them, the most stringent one is from the bound of the Big Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN), and requires $\alpha_t < 0.008$ rather conservatively for any reasonable ($\beta$, $r$), preferring a nearly power-law spectrum of RGWs. In light of this result, one would expect the scalar running index $\alpha_s$ to be of the same magnitude as $\alpha_t$, if both RGWs and scalar perturbations are generated by the same scalar inflation.


If Reese Gullenheimer looks a bit overwhelmed, there's a good reason. #UCBerkeley #abc7now He's moving in for Freshman year. pic.twitter.com/PoCPsRumkr — Wayne Freedman (@WayneFreedman) August 14, 2017 Its a madhouse outside the #UCBerkeley dorms today. Traffic jams. Parents. #abc7now Freshmen moving in. pic.twitter.com/K06VAE4vWc — Wayne Freedman (@WayneFreedman) August 14, 2017 Whether #UCBerkeley or any college/university, this is a lifetime experience. 2nd maybe to 1st day of school. Rough on parents. #ABC7now pic.twitter.com/vxhomY5lZs — Wayne Freedman (@WayneFreedman) August 14, 2017 I have done this day with my own daughter. Was an emotional wreck. #abc7now pic.twitter.com/qSG4ywq6Xo — Wayne Freedman (@WayneFreedman) August 14, 2017 Reese going 6500 new freshmen from all 50 states, 54 countries. 69 percent of #UCBerkeley frosh from California. Average GPA. 3.88. #abc7now pic.twitter.com/Y1EI1tofgF — Wayne Freedman (@WayneFreedman) August 14, 2017 Average #UCBerkely tuition and board for Cal residents will be $34,400. #abc7now pic.twitter.com/q4A7aSI8RK — Wayne Freedman (@WayneFreedman) August 14, 2017 The first night without your kid under your roof is the toughest, Dad. #UCBerkeley #abc7now pic.twitter.com/itI8oDvRtV — Wayne Freedman (@WayneFreedman) August 14, 2017 If the sound of hard wheels rolling across bricks doesn't give it away, then the sight of bins filled with bedding and microwaves, will. Or else, all of those parents having awkward goodbyes with their kids."I'm going to cry later," said Carl Gullenheimer, a single father, as he dropped off his first-born son Reese for freshman year at UC Berkeley."What were you thinking those last few days with him at home?"


If a team like the Yankees, who have been above the luxury tax threshold for three consecutive seasons, blows past next season’s $197 million threshold, the tax could be as high as 95 cents for every dollar over the limit that a team spends. The worst offenders will also be docked more valuable draft picks if they sign free agents, will be slotted down 10 spots for their first pick in the draft and could lose as much as $1 million in international pool money. Dipping below the luxury tax threshold will allow them to shed their status as repeat offenders and drastically reduce their tax bill — and their cost in draft picks — if they exceed the threshold again next year, when two young, prized free agents will hit the market: Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper and Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado. With a raft of expensive, lengthy and burdensome contracts expiring over the last two seasons, the Yankees showed a rare discipline in constructing their roster. They mostly resisted splurging on splashy and pricey free agents, instead focusing on developing and acquiring inexpensive young talent. Photo But when the Yankees failed to even get an audience with the affordable Japanese star Shohei Ohtani, they pivoted in a familiar way — they landed slugger Giancarlo Stanton, the newly minted National League most valuable player. Acquiring Stanton, who is three years into a record-setting 13-year, $325 million contract from the Miami Marlins that is heavily backloaded may not jeopardize the Yankees’ ability to duck below the luxury tax threshold. But it will test their newfound fiscal discipline. Stanton’s charge against the payroll will be $22 million — the average per-year cost of his contract ($25 million) minus the $3 million per year offset from the $30 million the Marlins have agreed to pay the Yankees if Stanton does not opt out of his contract after the 2020 season. But the Yankees also saved $8.5 million by sending second baseman Starlin Castro to the Marlins. Newsletter Sign Up Continue reading the main story Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters. According to Cot’s Contracts, which tracks major league payroll tax estimates, the Yankees


if that collaboration extends to the 5-nanometer technology generation, then Qualcomm would be another company that would make use of such bleeding-edge technology (for both its high-end mobile chips as well as its server processor ambitions). Another company that could benefit from this technology would be graphics specialist NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA), and I wouldn’t be surprised if TSMC sought NVIDIA’s input — at least for a “high-performance” version — for the definition of 5 nanometer. Graphics processors are generally used for applications that require high-performance computing capabilities (it’s not just graphics). Although NVIDIA has said it doesn’t aim to be the first company to new manufacturing technologies, it wants to adopt them shortly after the first-movers (i.e., the Apples of the world) do. 10 stocks we like better than Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.* David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing wasn’t one of them! That’s right — they think these 10 stocks are even better buys. Click here to learn about these picks! *Stock Advisor returns as of April 3, 2017 Ashraf Eassa owns shares of Qualcomm. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Apple, Nvidia, and Qualcomm. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


The signature of a path provides a top down description of the path in terms of its effects as a control [Differential Equations Driven by Rough Paths (2007) Springer]. The signature transforms a path into a group-like element in the tensor algebra and is an essential object in rough path theory. The expected signature of a stochastic process plays a similar role to that played by the characteristic function of a random variable. In [Chevyrev (2013)], it is proved that under certain boundedness conditions, the expected value of a random signature already determines the law of this random signature. It becomes of great interest to be able to compute examples of expected signatures and obtain the upper bounds for the decay rates of expected signatures. For instance, the computation for Brownian motion on $[0,1]$ leads to the ``cubature on Wiener space'' methodology [Lyons and Victoir, Proc. R. Soc. Lond. Ser. A Math. Phys. Eng. Sci. 460 (2004) 169-198]. In this paper we fix a bounded domain $\Gamma$ in a Euclidean space $E$ and study the expected signature of a Brownian path starting at $z\in\Gamma$ and stopped at the first exit time from $\Gamma$. We denote this tensor series valued function by $\Phi_{\Gamma}(z)$ and focus on the case $E=\mathbb{R}^d$. We show that $\Phi_{\Gamma}(z)$ satisfies an elliptic PDE system and a boundary condition. The equations determining $\Phi_{\Gamma}$ can be recursively solved; by an iterative application of Sobolev estimates we are able, under certain smoothness and boundedness condition of the domain $\Gamma$, to prove geometric bounds for the terms in $\Phi_{\Gamma}(z)$. However, there is still a gap and we have not shown that $\Phi_{\Gamma}(z)$ determines the law of the signature of this stopped Brownian motion even if $\Gamma$ is a unit ball.


Let $\mathcal{F} $ be a pointwise almost periodic decomposition of a compact metrizable space $X$. Then $\mathcal{F} $ is $R$-closed if and only if $\hat{\mathcal{F}} $ is usc. Moreover, if there is a finite index normal subgroup $H$ of an $R$-closed flow $G$ on a compact manifold such that the orbit closures of $H$ consist of codimension $k$ compact connected elements and "few singularities" for $k = 1$ or 2, then the orbit class space of $G$ is a compact $k$-dimensional manifold with conners. In addition, let $v$ be a nontrivial $R$-closed vector field on a connected compact 3-manifold $M$. Then one of the following holds: 1) The orbit class space $M/ \hat{v}$ is $[0,1]$ or $S^1$ and each interior point of $M/ \hat{v}$ is two dimensional. 2) $\mathrm{Per}(v)$ is open dense and $M = \mathrm{Sing}(v) \sqcup \mathrm{Per}(v)$. 3) There is a nontrivial non-toral minimal set. On the other hand, let $G$ be a flow on a compact metrizable space and $H$ a finite index normal subgroup. Then we show that $G$ is $R$-closed if and only if so is $H$.


of conscience in this paragraph constitute the protection of individual rights and create a private cause of action for those persons or entities protected. Any person or entity may assert a violation of this paragraph as a claim or defense in a judicial proceeding. ``(F) Remedies.-- ``(i) Federal jurisdiction.--The Federal courts shall have jurisdiction to prevent and redress actual or threatened violations of this paragraph by granting all forms of legal or equitable relief, including, but not limited to, injunctive relief, declaratory relief, damages, costs, and attorney fees. ``(ii) Initiating party.--An action under this paragraph may be instituted by the Attorney General of the United States, or by any person or entity having standing to complain of a threatened or actual violation of this paragraph, including, but not limited to, any actual or prospective plan sponsor, issuer, or other entity offering a plan, any actual or prospective purchaser or beneficiary of a plan, and any individual or institutional health care provider. ``(iii) Interim relief.--Pending final determination of any action under this paragraph, the court may at any time enter such restraining order or prohibitions, or take such other actions, as it deems necessary. ``(G) Administration.--The Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services is designated to receive complaints of discrimination based on this paragraph and coordinate the investigation of such complaints. ``(H) Actuarial equivalence.--Nothing in this paragraph shall prohibit the Secretary from issuing regulations or other guidance to ensure that health plans excluding specific items or services under this paragraph shall have an aggregate actuarial value at least equivalent to that of plans at the same level of coverage that do not exclude such items or services.''. (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall be effective as if included in the enactment of Public Law 111-148.