Saturday, November 30, 2013
BCS Standings, Title Race Shaken Up By Auburn Victory Over Alabama
Auburn's latest miracle victory, and Ohio State's thrilling win against Michigan, has opened the door to the BCS title game to the Buckeyes.
Or has it?
The debate has already begun, though there is still so much left to be decided. And as Saturday proved, nothing can be assumed in college football.
No. 4 Auburn used a field goal return TD on the last play of regulation to beat No. 1 Alabama 34-28 and clinch a spot in the SEC title game next week against either South Carolina or Missouri.
No. 3 Ohio State's 42-41 victory over Michigan sent the Buckeyes to the Big Ten title game against No. 11 Michigan State with an unbeaten record.
No. 2 Florida State will take over the top spot in the BCS standings and polls on Sunday, and the Buckeyes will likely be second. The Seminoles play Duke in the ACC title game next Saturday.
But the question is already being asked: If Auburn can win the SEC title with one loss, should it go to the BCS championship over an undefeated team, like Ohio State, because it played a tougher schedule?
No. 4 AUBURN 34, No. 1 ALABAMA 28
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Chris Davis returned a missed field-goal attempt more than 100 yards for a touchdown on the final play to lift No. 4 Auburn over No. 1 Alabama on Saturday, upending the two-time defending national champions' BCS hopes and preserving the Tigers' own.
Davis caught the ball about 9 yards deep in the end zone after freshman Adam Griffith's 57-yard attempt fell short. He then sprinted down the left sideline and cut back with nothing but teammates around him in a second straight hard-to-fathom finish for the Tigers (11-1, 7-1 Southeastern Conference).
Auburn clinched a spot in the SEC championship game with the stunning victory over the powerhouse from across the state. The Crimson Tide (11-1, 7-1) seemed at several times poised to continue its run toward the first three-peat in modern college football.
AJ McCarron completed 17 of 29 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns for Alabama.
Auburn's Nick Marshall was 11-of-16 passing for 97 yards but also rushed 17 times for 99 yards.
Tre Mason ran 29 times for 164 yards and a touchdown for Auburn.
No. 2 FLORIDA STATE 37, FLORIDA 7
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Jameis Winston threw three touchdown passes to Kelvin Benjamin, and Florida State moved a step closer to playing for the national championship.
The Seminoles improved to 12-0 for the first time since 1999 and likely will earn a spot in the Bowl Championship Series title game by beating Duke in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game next Saturday.
Florida, meanwhile, ended its worst season since 1979.
The Gators (4-8) lost their final seven games and missed a bowl for the first time since 1990. Florida's bowl streak had been the second-longest in the country, behind Florida State.
The Seminoles were four-touchdown favorites in this lopsided matchup — that lived up to advance billing.
No. 3 OHIO STATE 42, MICHIGAN 41
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Tyvis Powell intercepted Devin Gardner's pass as Michigan went for a go-ahead 2-point conversion with 32 seconds left and Ohio State held on in one the most thrilling games in the history of the storied Big Ten rivalry.
Devin Gardner threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Devin Funchess to make it 42-41, but instead of kicking for the tie, Wolverines coach Brady Hoke went for the lead with his offense.
Gardner tried to zip a pass into traffic near the goal line, but Powell came up with it. Buckeyes cornerback Roby Bradley recovered the onside kick to seal Ohio State's 24th consecutive victory and keep its national championship hopes alive.
Braxton Miller accounted for five touchdowns for Ohio State (12-0, 8-0) and Carlos Hyde ran for a 1-yard score with 2:20 left to make it 42-35.
Gardner threw four touchdown passes for Michigan (7-5, 3-5).
No. 9 BAYLOR 41, TCU 38
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Bryce Petty threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, and Baylor returned two interceptions for scores.
The Bears (10-1, 7-1 Big 12) scored 21 straight points on either side of halftime with just 1 yard from their high-powered offense and bounced back from a blowout loss at Oklahoma State to maintain their hopes for a share of the conference title.
Baylor could win the league outright and qualify for a BCS bid, likely the Fiesta Bowl, if it beats Texas and the Cowboys lose to Oklahoma next Saturday.
The Horned Frogs (4-8, 2-7) were in position to tie in the final seconds, but Casey Pachall threw his third interception on a pass tipped by receiver Brandon Carter and grabbed by Baylor's Terrell Burt in the end zone with 11 seconds left.
No. 11 MICHIGAN STATE 14, MINNESOTA 3
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Jeremy Langford ran for 134 yards and a touchdown, and Michigan State wrapped up an unbeaten regular season in Big Ten play.
The Spartans (11-1, 8-0) finished a perfect Big Ten regular season for only the third time. They also did it in 1965 and 1966, when they only had to play seven conference games.
Michigan State will face Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game next weekend. The Spartans had already wrapped up the Legends Division title, but there was no letdown against Minnesota (8-4, 4-4).
The Spartans' top-ranked defense forced three turnovers and kept the Golden Gophers out of the end zone, repeating a formula that has brought Michigan State within a win of the Rose Bowl.
PENN STATE 31, No. 14 WISCONSIN 24
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Christian Hackenberg threw for 339 yards and four touchdowns, and Penn State pounced on a slew of blunders before holding off a late rally to upset Wisconsin.
Hackenberg, a freshman, showed the poise of a veteran in dissecting a tough defense. Eugene Lewis caught two touchdowns, including a 59-yarder for a 17-point lead with 13 minutes to go.
The Nittany Lions (7-5, 4-4 Big Ten) secured a statement win against a team that had been dominant all year at home. Joel Stave threw for three touchdowns for Wisconsin (9-3, 6-2), though Penn State capitalized on second-half interceptions, turning one into Lewis' long TD.
The Badgers got within a touchdown late, but were picked off in the end zone with 1 second left.
No. 24 DUKE 27, NORTH CAROLINA 25
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Ross Martin kicked a 27-yard field goal with 2:22 left and Duke completed an improbable run to reach the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game.
Anthony Boone threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns to Jamison Crowder as the Blue Devils (10-2, 6-2 ACC) clinched the Coastal Division championship with their eighth straight victory. DeVon Edwards' interception with 13 seconds left clinched the long-suffering program's first 10-win season.
Duke will face No. 2 Florida State next weekend in Charlotte, where the heavy underdog Blue Devils will go for their first ACC crown since 1989.
Duke led 24-15 in the third quarter but needed to rally to beat the rival Tar Heels (6-6, 4-4).
Marquise Williams ran for two scores and threw for another for UNC, which had won five straight.
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Ohio State Survives Michigan Upset Bid 42-41 In Thrilling Rivalry Game
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Tyvis Powell intercepted Devin Gardner's pass as Michigan went for a go-ahead 2-point conversion with 32 seconds left and No. 3 Ohio State held on for a 42-41 victory Saturday in one the most thrilling games in the history of the storied Big Ten rivalry.
Devin Gardner threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Devin Funchess to make it 42-41, but instead of kicking for the tie, Wolverines coach Brady Hoke went for the lead with his offense. Gardner tried to zip a pass into traffic near the goal line, but Powell came up with it. Buckeyes cornerback Roby Bradley recovered the onside kick to seal Ohio State's 24th consecutive victory and keep its national championship hopes alive.
Braxton Miller accounted for five touchdowns for Ohio State (12-0, 8-0) and Carlos Hyde ran for a 1-yard score with 2:20 left to make it 42-35.
Gardner threw four touchdown passes for Michigan (7-5, 3-5).
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Devin Gardner threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Devin Funchess to make it 42-41, but instead of kicking for the tie, Wolverines coach Brady Hoke went for the lead with his offense. Gardner tried to zip a pass into traffic near the goal line, but Powell came up with it. Buckeyes cornerback Roby Bradley recovered the onside kick to seal Ohio State's 24th consecutive victory and keep its national championship hopes alive.
Braxton Miller accounted for five touchdowns for Ohio State (12-0, 8-0) and Carlos Hyde ran for a 1-yard score with 2:20 left to make it 42-35.
Gardner threw four touchdown passes for Michigan (7-5, 3-5).
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Michigan, Ohio State Fight Results In 3 Ejections, Marcus Hall Giving Middle Fingers To Fans (VIDEO/GIF)
The 109th edition of "The Game" between Michigan and Ohio State may be remembered for a frenzied fight that broke out early in the second quarter. Tensions in the longstanding rivalry boiled over shortly after Michigan grabbed an early 21-14 lead. Ohio State's Dontre Wilson received the ensuing kickoff and was surrounded by Michigan players after a 16-yard return. In the scrum, someone appeared to pull off Wilson's helmet. The Buckeyes' freshman return man responded by throwing a punch. Cue the chaos.
(Video via The Big Lead)
When the dust cleared, three players were ejected from the game: Wilson, Michigan linebacker Royce Jenkins-Stone and Ohio State's Marcus Hall. Hall made his exit one to remember: Hall bid farewell to the crowd at The Big House in Ann Arbor, Mich. with a double middle finger salute.
(GIF via @BuzzFeedSports)
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(Video via The Big Lead)
When the dust cleared, three players were ejected from the game: Wilson, Michigan linebacker Royce Jenkins-Stone and Ohio State's Marcus Hall. Hall made his exit one to remember: Hall bid farewell to the crowd at The Big House in Ann Arbor, Mich. with a double middle finger salute.
(GIF via @BuzzFeedSports)
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Michigan, Ohio State Fight Results In 3 Ejections, Marcus Hall Giving Middle Fingers To Fans (VIDEO/GIF)
The 109th edition of "The Game" between Michigan and Ohio State may be remembered for a frenzied fight that broke out early in the second quarter. Tensions in the longstanding rivalry boiled over shortly after Michigan grabbed an early 21-14 lead. Ohio State's Dontre Wilson received the ensuing kickoff and was surrounded by Michigan players after a 16-yard return. In the scrum, someone appeared to pull off Wilson's helmet. The Buckeyes' freshman return man responded by throwing a punch. Cue the chaos.
(Video via The Big Lead)
When the dust cleared, three players were ejected from the game: Wilson, Michigan linebacker Royce Jenkins-Stone and Ohio State's Marcus Hall. Hall made his exit one to remember. Hall bid farewell to the crowd at The Big House in Ann Arbor, Mich. with a double middle finger salute.
(GIF via @BuzzFeedSports)
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(Video via The Big Lead)
When the dust cleared, three players were ejected from the game: Wilson, Michigan linebacker Royce Jenkins-Stone and Ohio State's Marcus Hall. Hall made his exit one to remember. Hall bid farewell to the crowd at The Big House in Ann Arbor, Mich. with a double middle finger salute.
(GIF via @BuzzFeedSports)
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Dog Found Under Rubble 9 Days After Ill. Tornado
WASHINGTON, Ill. (AP) — A six-month-old pit bull that was buried under a pile of rubble for more than a week after a tornado ripped through a central Illinois city has been coaxed to freedom with hot dogs and reunited with his owner.
Jacob Montgomery, a member of the Illinois National Guard, was separated from the dog, Dexter, when the Nov. 17 tornado destroyed his third-floor apartment in Washington. Montgomery combed through the wreckage multiple times but turned up no sign of Dexter. Nine days after the storm, a neighbor who was looking for his cat, also missing, with the help of a group called Rescuing Animals in Need sent Montgomery a Facebook message to tell him Dexter had been found partially buried in debris where the apartment building used to stand.
"He said, 'I've got your dog right here,'" Montgomery recalled in a statement released by the Illinois National Guard. "As soon as Dexter saw me, his tail started going."
The pooch was in relatively good shape.
"The vet said he has no real injuries — just a few scrapes and cuts," said Montgomery, who got Dexter as a puppy to keep him company when he moved from Champaign. "He was malnourished, but he's going to be fine."
The Washington tornado was part of a band of heavy storms that brought rain, high winds and a rash of twisters to Illinois, and left seven people dead in its wake.
Montgomery has been a military police officer with the Illinois Army National Guard for more than five years and is trained to respond to emergencies. But he says he's never been the victim of such a disaster.
"All I had in my apartment is gone, but my dog was all I really had to worry about," he said.
Montgomery is staying with a friend in nearby Peoria until he can find a new home.
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Jacob Montgomery, a member of the Illinois National Guard, was separated from the dog, Dexter, when the Nov. 17 tornado destroyed his third-floor apartment in Washington. Montgomery combed through the wreckage multiple times but turned up no sign of Dexter. Nine days after the storm, a neighbor who was looking for his cat, also missing, with the help of a group called Rescuing Animals in Need sent Montgomery a Facebook message to tell him Dexter had been found partially buried in debris where the apartment building used to stand.
"He said, 'I've got your dog right here,'" Montgomery recalled in a statement released by the Illinois National Guard. "As soon as Dexter saw me, his tail started going."
The pooch was in relatively good shape.
"The vet said he has no real injuries — just a few scrapes and cuts," said Montgomery, who got Dexter as a puppy to keep him company when he moved from Champaign. "He was malnourished, but he's going to be fine."
The Washington tornado was part of a band of heavy storms that brought rain, high winds and a rash of twisters to Illinois, and left seven people dead in its wake.
Montgomery has been a military police officer with the Illinois Army National Guard for more than five years and is trained to respond to emergencies. But he says he's never been the victim of such a disaster.
"All I had in my apartment is gone, but my dog was all I really had to worry about," he said.
Montgomery is staying with a friend in nearby Peoria until he can find a new home.
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Black Friday Kohl's Parking Lot Shooting: Charges Filed Following Police-Involved Romeoville Incident
Two men have now been charged in connection to the Thursday police-involved shooting in a Kohl's parking lot in southwest suburban Chicago.
The incident began just after 10 p.m. Thursday when police were alerted to a report of two people allegedly shoplifting from a Romeoville, Ill. Kohl's store. When officers arrived at the store, they saw one of the shoplifting suspects running to a waiting car and chased after him.
That car subsequently dragged an officer for "quite some distance," prompting another officer to open fire when the driver would not stop.
The suspect whom police chased after and was a passenger in the car -- Robert Russell, 51, of Joliet -- has been charged with attempted murder in the incident. Gerald Chamberlain, 28, also of Joliet, was arrested inside the store and charged with felony theft, according to NBC Chicago.
The driver, who was struck once in the shoulder by the officer, has not yet been charged and was taken first to Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital before being transferred to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. He has been identified as 52-year-old Charles Hinch of Joliet.
The officer dragged by the car sustained a shoulder injury and was treated and released at an area hospital, the Chicago Tribune reports.
No other injuries were reported in the incident.
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The incident began just after 10 p.m. Thursday when police were alerted to a report of two people allegedly shoplifting from a Romeoville, Ill. Kohl's store. When officers arrived at the store, they saw one of the shoplifting suspects running to a waiting car and chased after him.
That car subsequently dragged an officer for "quite some distance," prompting another officer to open fire when the driver would not stop.
The suspect whom police chased after and was a passenger in the car -- Robert Russell, 51, of Joliet -- has been charged with attempted murder in the incident. Gerald Chamberlain, 28, also of Joliet, was arrested inside the store and charged with felony theft, according to NBC Chicago.
The driver, who was struck once in the shoulder by the officer, has not yet been charged and was taken first to Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital before being transferred to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. He has been identified as 52-year-old Charles Hinch of Joliet.
The officer dragged by the car sustained a shoulder injury and was treated and released at an area hospital, the Chicago Tribune reports.
No other injuries were reported in the incident.
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Blackhawks Top Stars 2-1 In 11th Round Of Shootout (VIDEO)
DALLAS (AP) -- By the time Ben Smith got his first chance in an NHL shootout, the Blackhawks and Stars were locked up in the league's longest tiebreaker in almost three years.
Despite his lack of experience, Smith calmly won it.
The 25-year-old forward scored in the 11th round of a wild shootout Friday night and Chicago finally beat Dallas 2-1 for its fifth straight victory.
"It was fun," Smith said. "A great opportunity. It was awesome. I just knew I was going to try and keep it simple, shoot the puck. I was fortunate that it went in."
Smith, who has seven goals in 39 games over four NHL seasons, beat Kari Lehtonen into the upper right corner of the net.
"I had a lot of confidence in Ben," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "His line's been very effective. I think they had another good game. You look in the last four wins, they've been outstanding."
Chicago's Patrick Sharp and Dallas' Rich Peverley had the only goals through the first 10 rounds of the tiebreaker. Each of them scored in regulation, too.
It was the longest shootout in the NHL since Tampa Bay beat the New York Rangers in 11 rounds on Dec. 23, 2010, according to STATS. The Lightning won that game 4-3 with a 3-2 edge in the tiebreaker.
Sharp tied it 1-all at 7:21 of the third period. Peverley scored at 16:40 of the first.
"I was happy to make a bunch of good saves. Just not the last one," said Lehtonen, who stopped 25 shots.
Stars defenseman Stephane Robidas broke his right leg in the second period. He was wheeled off the ice on a stretcher and taken to the hospital.
While helping to kill off a Dallas penalty, the 36-year-old Robidas slid hard into the boards beyond the goal line. He stayed down on the ice holding his leg just below the knee.
"It didn't look good," Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. "He's been playing real well. That's the only real negative from this game."
Robidas is in his 11th season with the Stars, the longest tenure on the team, and his 14th NHL season. In his absence, Dallas played only five defensemen.
"Definitely getting on their D and putting more pressure just created more opportunities. That definitely showed in the third," Smith said.
Chicago has won six straight against the Stars, outscoring them 27-9, and five in a row at Dallas dating to Oct. 7, 2011.
Duncan Keith set up Sharp's goal with his 21st assist.
In the first period, Shawn Horcoff beat Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford to a loose puck behind the net and passed to Peverley skating down the slot.
Crawford recovered from that goal, stopped Alex Chiasson on a penalty shot early in the second and blanked Dallas the rest of the way en route to his 100th NHL win.
"It's a key situation in the game. It's important if we go down by two goals. I was just trying to come up with a save and keep our team in it," said Crawford, who finished with 28 saves.
Crawford moved toward the left post, leaving Chiasson little room. His shot caromed off the post.
"With the score 1-0, that penalty shot could have put them away. If you lose like that and come away with a point, you can take something from it," Ruff said. "To use a football analogy, we got inside the red zone a few times, but didn't put it away."
Crawford and Lehtonen combined to stop 16 consecutive shootout attempts until Smith found the net.
The game was a defensive struggle.
Neither team put a shot on goal until 2 minutes into the game. Lehtonen later stopped point-blank attempts by Brent Seabrook and Smith.
Dallas' best scoring chance was on a backhand by Jamie Benn at the 13-minute mark until Peverley put the Stars ahead.
Dallas had an 11-9 advantage in shots during the first period.
After the penalty shot, the Stars had another good chance 10½ minutes into the second. Crawford reached up to catch Ryan Garbutt's drive before it reached the upper right corner of the net.
"We needed to get a break, but they got the break on (Sharp's) goal. It tipped off a stick and went in another direction," Ruff said.
No one went to the penalty box until Peverley was called for tripping at 11:31 of the second.
Each team had one shot on goal in overtime, which ended with Dallas shooting a puck wide right.
NOTES: Sharp's goal was his fifth point in two games against the Stars this season. He had four assists at Dallas on Nov. 9. ... At times, a large contingent of Chicago fans in the sold-out arena chanted "Let's go Hawks!"
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Illinois Pension Deal Bashed By Union Leaders As Details Emerge
By Tom Polansek
CHICAGO, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Illinois union leaders on Friday criticized the details of a controversial deal to reform the state's woefully under-funded public pensions, as legislative leaders revealed more specifics of the deal they reached on Wednesday.
The agreement contains proposals to raise the retirement age and reduce automatic increases in pension payments, according to an overview of the bill released by the office of powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.
Union opponents of the plan say it is little changed from a Madigan-backed proposal that was overwhelmingly defeated by the Illinois Senate earlier this year.
"It's a bad rerun of a movie that we saw months ago and for public servants and retirees, it's a horror film," said Anders Lindall, spokesman for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).
Under the deal, the retirement age for workers who are currently aged 45 and under would gradually increase. And for high wage earners, the state would set a cap on the portion of their salaries used to calculate pension benefits, according to the overview issued by Madigan's office.
The current 3 percent annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for retirement pay, which is compounded annually, would be subjected to a formula aimed at benefiting longer-term, lower-earning workers. Increases would be tied to the inflation rate.
At the outset, cost-of-living increases would be suspended for anywhere from one to five years, depending on the age of the worker.
AFSCME's Lindall said the cuts to the COLA would reduce the total value of a typical retiree's pension payments by some 30 percent over 25 years of retirement.
Union leaders had questions about some aspects of the deal, including a provision to prohibit collective bargaining on most "pension matters."
In the only pension-related issue that still could be resolved during talks, teachers can continue to negotiate with school districts to make contributions to their pensions in lieu of salary increases.
It was unclear exactly which "pension matters" would be included under the ban, said Dan Montgomery, president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers.
"It's a sweeping, unnecessary, crude attack on public workers," he said about the plan.
The Illinois Senate and House are expected to take up pension reform next week.
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Non-Profit Sees Greater Need For Food Assistance
It’s been a holiday season of breaking records at A Just Harvest, a Rogers Park nonprofit that feeds the hungry.
The organization serves hot dinner daily to anyone who shows up, but during the run-up to Thanksgiving and Christmas it also distributes “holiday kits,” uncooked turkeys and traditional fixings, to families that want to prepare the foods at home.
“Saturday we gave away turkeys and kits, and we had folks lined up for two blocks,” said Rev. Marylin Pagan-Banks, executive director of A Just Harvest. “People lining up and standing in the cold and bearing the weather in order to provide for their families.”
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The organization serves hot dinner daily to anyone who shows up, but during the run-up to Thanksgiving and Christmas it also distributes “holiday kits,” uncooked turkeys and traditional fixings, to families that want to prepare the foods at home.
“Saturday we gave away turkeys and kits, and we had folks lined up for two blocks,” said Rev. Marylin Pagan-Banks, executive director of A Just Harvest. “People lining up and standing in the cold and bearing the weather in order to provide for their families.”
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Blackhawks-Stars: Chicago Tops Dallas 2-1 In 11th Round Of Shootout
DALLAS (AP) — By the time Ben Smith got his first chance in an NHL shootout, the Blackhawks and Stars were locked up in the league's longest tiebreaker in almost three years.
Despite his lack of experience, Smith calmly won it. The 25-year-old forward scored in the 11th round of a wild shootout Friday night and Chicago finally beat Dallas 2-1 for its fifth straight victory.
"It was fun," Smith said. "A great opportunity. It was awesome. I just knew I was going to try and keep it simple, shoot the puck. I was fortunate that it went in."
Smith, who has seven goals in 39 games over four NHL seasons, beat Kari Lehtonen into the upper right corner of the net.
"I had a lot of confidence in Ben," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "His line's been very effective. I think they had another good game. You look in the last four wins, they've been outstanding."
Chicago's Patrick Sharp and Dallas' Rich Peverley had the only goals through the first 10 rounds of the tiebreaker. Each of them scored in regulation, too.
It was the longest shootout in the NHL since Tampa Bay beat the New York Rangers in 11 rounds on Dec. 23, 2010, according to STATS. The Lightning won that game 4-3 with a 3-2 edge in the tiebreaker.
Sharp tied it 1-all at 7:21 of the third period. Peverley scored at 16:40 of the first.
"I was happy to make a bunch of good saves. Just not the last one," said Lehtonen, who stopped 25 shots.
Stars defenseman Stephane Robidas broke his right leg in the second period. He was wheeled off the ice on a stretcher and taken to the hospital.
While helping to kill off a Dallas penalty, the 36-year-old Robidas slid hard into the boards beyond the goal line. He stayed down on the ice holding his leg just below the knee.
"It didn't look good," Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. "He's been playing real well. That's the only real negative from this game."
Robidas is in his 11th season with the Stars, the longest tenure on the team, and his 14th NHL season. In his absence, Dallas played only five defensemen.
"Definitely getting on their D and putting more pressure just created more opportunities. That definitely showed in the third," Smith said.
Chicago has won six straight against the Stars, outscoring them 27-9, and five in a row at Dallas dating to Oct. 7, 2011.
Duncan Keith set up Sharp's goal with his 21st assist.
In the first period, Shawn Horcoff beat Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford to a loose puck behind the net and passed to Peverley skating down the slot.
Crawford recovered from that goal, stopped Alex Chiasson on a penalty shot early in the second and blanked Dallas the rest of the way en route to his 100th NHL win.
"It's a key situation in the game. It's important if we go down by two goals. I was just trying to come up with a save and keep our team in it," said Crawford, who finished with 28 saves.
Crawford moved toward the left post, leaving Chiasson little room. His shot caromed off the post.
"With the score 1-0, that penalty shot could have put them away. If you lose like that and come away with a point, you can take something from it," Ruff said. "To use a football analogy, we got inside the red zone a few times, but didn't put it away."
Crawford and Lehtonen combined to stop 16 consecutive shootout attempts until Smith found the net.
The game was a defensive struggle.
Neither team put a shot on goal until 2 minutes into the game. Lehtonen later stopped point-blank attempts by Brent Seabrook and Smith.
Dallas' best scoring chance was on a backhand by Jamie Benn at the 13-minute mark until Peverley put the Stars ahead.
Dallas had an 11-9 advantage in shots during the first period.
After the penalty shot, the Stars had another good chance 10½ minutes into the second. Crawford reached up to catch Ryan Garbutt's drive before it reached the upper right corner of the net.
"We needed to get a break, but they got the break on (Sharp's) goal. It tipped off a stick and went in another direction," Ruff said.
No one went to the penalty box until Peverley was called for tripping at 11:31 of the second.
Each team had one shot on goal in overtime, which ended with Dallas shooting a puck wide right.
NOTES: Sharp's goal was his fifth point in two games against the Stars this season. He had four assists at Dallas on Nov. 9. ... At times, a large contingent of Chicago fans in the sold-out arena chanted "Let's go Hawks!"
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Despite his lack of experience, Smith calmly won it. The 25-year-old forward scored in the 11th round of a wild shootout Friday night and Chicago finally beat Dallas 2-1 for its fifth straight victory.
"It was fun," Smith said. "A great opportunity. It was awesome. I just knew I was going to try and keep it simple, shoot the puck. I was fortunate that it went in."
Smith, who has seven goals in 39 games over four NHL seasons, beat Kari Lehtonen into the upper right corner of the net.
"I had a lot of confidence in Ben," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "His line's been very effective. I think they had another good game. You look in the last four wins, they've been outstanding."
Chicago's Patrick Sharp and Dallas' Rich Peverley had the only goals through the first 10 rounds of the tiebreaker. Each of them scored in regulation, too.
It was the longest shootout in the NHL since Tampa Bay beat the New York Rangers in 11 rounds on Dec. 23, 2010, according to STATS. The Lightning won that game 4-3 with a 3-2 edge in the tiebreaker.
Sharp tied it 1-all at 7:21 of the third period. Peverley scored at 16:40 of the first.
"I was happy to make a bunch of good saves. Just not the last one," said Lehtonen, who stopped 25 shots.
Stars defenseman Stephane Robidas broke his right leg in the second period. He was wheeled off the ice on a stretcher and taken to the hospital.
While helping to kill off a Dallas penalty, the 36-year-old Robidas slid hard into the boards beyond the goal line. He stayed down on the ice holding his leg just below the knee.
"It didn't look good," Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. "He's been playing real well. That's the only real negative from this game."
Robidas is in his 11th season with the Stars, the longest tenure on the team, and his 14th NHL season. In his absence, Dallas played only five defensemen.
"Definitely getting on their D and putting more pressure just created more opportunities. That definitely showed in the third," Smith said.
Chicago has won six straight against the Stars, outscoring them 27-9, and five in a row at Dallas dating to Oct. 7, 2011.
Duncan Keith set up Sharp's goal with his 21st assist.
In the first period, Shawn Horcoff beat Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford to a loose puck behind the net and passed to Peverley skating down the slot.
Crawford recovered from that goal, stopped Alex Chiasson on a penalty shot early in the second and blanked Dallas the rest of the way en route to his 100th NHL win.
"It's a key situation in the game. It's important if we go down by two goals. I was just trying to come up with a save and keep our team in it," said Crawford, who finished with 28 saves.
Crawford moved toward the left post, leaving Chiasson little room. His shot caromed off the post.
"With the score 1-0, that penalty shot could have put them away. If you lose like that and come away with a point, you can take something from it," Ruff said. "To use a football analogy, we got inside the red zone a few times, but didn't put it away."
Crawford and Lehtonen combined to stop 16 consecutive shootout attempts until Smith found the net.
The game was a defensive struggle.
Neither team put a shot on goal until 2 minutes into the game. Lehtonen later stopped point-blank attempts by Brent Seabrook and Smith.
Dallas' best scoring chance was on a backhand by Jamie Benn at the 13-minute mark until Peverley put the Stars ahead.
Dallas had an 11-9 advantage in shots during the first period.
After the penalty shot, the Stars had another good chance 10½ minutes into the second. Crawford reached up to catch Ryan Garbutt's drive before it reached the upper right corner of the net.
"We needed to get a break, but they got the break on (Sharp's) goal. It tipped off a stick and went in another direction," Ruff said.
No one went to the penalty box until Peverley was called for tripping at 11:31 of the second.
Each team had one shot on goal in overtime, which ended with Dallas shooting a puck wide right.
NOTES: Sharp's goal was his fifth point in two games against the Stars this season. He had four assists at Dallas on Nov. 9. ... At times, a large contingent of Chicago fans in the sold-out arena chanted "Let's go Hawks!"
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Poll Reveals Americans Don't Trust Each Other Anymore
WASHINGTON (AP) — You can take our word for it. Americans don't trust each other anymore.
We're not talking about the loss of faith in big institutions such as the government, the church or Wall Street, which fluctuates with events. For four decades, a gut-level ingredient of democracy — trust in the other fellow — has been quietly draining away. These days, only one-third of Americans say most people can be trusted. Half felt that way in 1972, when the General Social Survey first asked the question.
Forty years later, a record high of nearly two-thirds say "you can't be too careful" in dealing with people.
An AP-GfK poll conducted last month found that Americans are suspicious of each other in everyday encounters. Less than one-third expressed a lot of trust in clerks who swipe their credit cards, drivers on the road, or people they meet when traveling.
"I'm leery of everybody," said Bart Murawski, 27, of Albany, N.Y. "Caution is always a factor."
Does it matter that Americans are suspicious of one another? Yes, say worried political and social scientists.
What's known as "social trust" brings good things.
A society where it's easier to compromise or make a deal. Where people are willing to work with those who are different from them for the common good. Where trust appears to promote economic growth.
Distrust, on the other hand, seems to encourage corruption. At the least, it diverts energy to counting change, drawing up 100-page legal contracts and building gated communities.
Even the rancor and gridlock in politics might stem from the effects of an increasingly distrustful citizenry, said April K. Clark, a Purdue University political scientist and public opinion researcher.
"It's like the rules of the game," Clark said. "When trust is low, the way we react and behave with each other becomes less civil."
There's no easy fix.
In fact, some studies suggest it's too late for most Americans alive today to become more trusting. That research says the basis for a person's lifetime trust levels is set by his or her mid-twenties and unlikely to change, other than in some unifying crucible such as a world war.
People do get a little more trusting as they age. But beginning with the baby boomers, each generation has started off adulthood less trusting than those who came before them.
The best hope for creating a more trusting nation may be figuring out how to inspire today's youth, perhaps united by their high-tech gadgets, to trust the way previous generations did in simpler times.
There are still trusters around to set an example.
Pennsylvania farmer Dennis Hess is one. He runs an unattended farm stand on the honor system.
Customers pick out their produce, tally their bills and drop the money into a slot, making change from an unlocked cashbox. Both regulars and tourists en route to nearby Lititz, Pa., stop for asparagus in spring, corn in summer and, as the weather turns cold, long-neck pumpkins for Thanksgiving pies.
"When people from New York or New Jersey come up," said Hess, 60, "they are amazed that this kind of thing is done anymore."
Hess has updated the old ways with technology. He added a video camera a few years back, to help catch people who drive off without paying or raid the cashbox. But he says there isn't enough theft to undermine his trust in human nature.
"I'll say 99 and a half percent of the people are honest," said Hess, who's operated the produce stand for two decades.
There's no single explanation for Americans' loss of trust.
The best-known analysis comes from "Bowling Alone" author Robert Putnam's nearly two decades of studying the United States' declining "social capital," including trust.
Putnam says Americans have abandoned their bowling leagues and Elks lodges to stay home and watch TV. Less socializing and fewer community meetings make people less trustful than the "long civic generation" that came of age during the Depression and World War II.
University of Maryland Professor Eric Uslaner, who studies politics and trust, puts the blame elsewhere: economic inequality.
Trust has declined as the gap between the nation's rich and poor gapes ever wider, Uslaner says, and more and more Americans feel shut out. They've lost their sense of a shared fate. Tellingly, trust rises with wealth.
"People who believe the world is a good place and it's going to get better and you can help make it better, they will be trusting," Uslaner said. "If you believe it's dark and driven by outside forces you can't control, you will be a mistruster."
African-Americans consistently have expressed far less faith in "most people" than the white majority does. Racism, discrimination and a high rate of poverty destroy trust.
Nearly 8 in 10 African-Americans, in the 2012 survey conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago with principal funding from the National Science Foundation, felt that "you can't be too careful." That figure has held remarkably steady across the 25 GSS surveys since 1972.
The decline in the nation's overall trust quotient was driven by changing attitudes among whites.
It's possible that people today are indeed less deserving of trust than Americans in the past, perhaps because of a decline in moral values.
"I think people are acting more on their greed," said Murawski, a computer specialist who says he has witnessed scams and rip-offs. "Everybody wants a comfortable lifestyle, but what are you going to do for it? Where do you draw the line?"
Ethical behavior such as lying and cheating are difficult to document over the decades. It's worth noting that the early, most trusting years of the GSS poll coincided with Watergate and the Vietnam War. Trust dropped off in the more stable 1980s.
Crime rates fell in the 1990s and 2000s, and still Americans grew less trusting. Many social scientists blame 24-hour news coverage of distant violence for skewing people's perceptions of crime.
Can anything bring trust back?
Uslaner and Clark don't see much hope anytime soon.
Thomas Sander, executive director of the Saguaro Seminar launched by Putnam, believes the trust deficit is "eminently fixable" if Americans strive to rebuild community and civic life, perhaps by harnessing technology.
After all, the Internet can widen the circle of acquaintances who might help you find a job. Email makes it easier for clubs to plan face-to-face meetings. Googling someone turns up information that used to come via the community grapevine.
But hackers and viruses and hateful posts eat away at trust. And sitting home watching YouTube means less time out meeting others.
"A lot of it depends on whether we can find ways to get people using technology to connect and be more civically involved," Sander said.
"The fate of Americans' trust," he said, "is in our own hands."
___
Associated Press Director of Polling Jennifer Agiesta and AP News Survey Specialist Dennis Junius contributed to this report.
___
Online:
AP-GfK Poll: http://www.ap-gfkpoll.com
General Social Survey: http://www3.norc.org/GSS+Website
___
Follow Connie Cass on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ConnieCass
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We're not talking about the loss of faith in big institutions such as the government, the church or Wall Street, which fluctuates with events. For four decades, a gut-level ingredient of democracy — trust in the other fellow — has been quietly draining away. These days, only one-third of Americans say most people can be trusted. Half felt that way in 1972, when the General Social Survey first asked the question.
Forty years later, a record high of nearly two-thirds say "you can't be too careful" in dealing with people.
An AP-GfK poll conducted last month found that Americans are suspicious of each other in everyday encounters. Less than one-third expressed a lot of trust in clerks who swipe their credit cards, drivers on the road, or people they meet when traveling.
"I'm leery of everybody," said Bart Murawski, 27, of Albany, N.Y. "Caution is always a factor."
Does it matter that Americans are suspicious of one another? Yes, say worried political and social scientists.
What's known as "social trust" brings good things.
A society where it's easier to compromise or make a deal. Where people are willing to work with those who are different from them for the common good. Where trust appears to promote economic growth.
Distrust, on the other hand, seems to encourage corruption. At the least, it diverts energy to counting change, drawing up 100-page legal contracts and building gated communities.
Even the rancor and gridlock in politics might stem from the effects of an increasingly distrustful citizenry, said April K. Clark, a Purdue University political scientist and public opinion researcher.
"It's like the rules of the game," Clark said. "When trust is low, the way we react and behave with each other becomes less civil."
There's no easy fix.
In fact, some studies suggest it's too late for most Americans alive today to become more trusting. That research says the basis for a person's lifetime trust levels is set by his or her mid-twenties and unlikely to change, other than in some unifying crucible such as a world war.
People do get a little more trusting as they age. But beginning with the baby boomers, each generation has started off adulthood less trusting than those who came before them.
The best hope for creating a more trusting nation may be figuring out how to inspire today's youth, perhaps united by their high-tech gadgets, to trust the way previous generations did in simpler times.
There are still trusters around to set an example.
Pennsylvania farmer Dennis Hess is one. He runs an unattended farm stand on the honor system.
Customers pick out their produce, tally their bills and drop the money into a slot, making change from an unlocked cashbox. Both regulars and tourists en route to nearby Lititz, Pa., stop for asparagus in spring, corn in summer and, as the weather turns cold, long-neck pumpkins for Thanksgiving pies.
"When people from New York or New Jersey come up," said Hess, 60, "they are amazed that this kind of thing is done anymore."
Hess has updated the old ways with technology. He added a video camera a few years back, to help catch people who drive off without paying or raid the cashbox. But he says there isn't enough theft to undermine his trust in human nature.
"I'll say 99 and a half percent of the people are honest," said Hess, who's operated the produce stand for two decades.
There's no single explanation for Americans' loss of trust.
The best-known analysis comes from "Bowling Alone" author Robert Putnam's nearly two decades of studying the United States' declining "social capital," including trust.
Putnam says Americans have abandoned their bowling leagues and Elks lodges to stay home and watch TV. Less socializing and fewer community meetings make people less trustful than the "long civic generation" that came of age during the Depression and World War II.
University of Maryland Professor Eric Uslaner, who studies politics and trust, puts the blame elsewhere: economic inequality.
Trust has declined as the gap between the nation's rich and poor gapes ever wider, Uslaner says, and more and more Americans feel shut out. They've lost their sense of a shared fate. Tellingly, trust rises with wealth.
"People who believe the world is a good place and it's going to get better and you can help make it better, they will be trusting," Uslaner said. "If you believe it's dark and driven by outside forces you can't control, you will be a mistruster."
African-Americans consistently have expressed far less faith in "most people" than the white majority does. Racism, discrimination and a high rate of poverty destroy trust.
Nearly 8 in 10 African-Americans, in the 2012 survey conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago with principal funding from the National Science Foundation, felt that "you can't be too careful." That figure has held remarkably steady across the 25 GSS surveys since 1972.
The decline in the nation's overall trust quotient was driven by changing attitudes among whites.
It's possible that people today are indeed less deserving of trust than Americans in the past, perhaps because of a decline in moral values.
"I think people are acting more on their greed," said Murawski, a computer specialist who says he has witnessed scams and rip-offs. "Everybody wants a comfortable lifestyle, but what are you going to do for it? Where do you draw the line?"
Ethical behavior such as lying and cheating are difficult to document over the decades. It's worth noting that the early, most trusting years of the GSS poll coincided with Watergate and the Vietnam War. Trust dropped off in the more stable 1980s.
Crime rates fell in the 1990s and 2000s, and still Americans grew less trusting. Many social scientists blame 24-hour news coverage of distant violence for skewing people's perceptions of crime.
Can anything bring trust back?
Uslaner and Clark don't see much hope anytime soon.
Thomas Sander, executive director of the Saguaro Seminar launched by Putnam, believes the trust deficit is "eminently fixable" if Americans strive to rebuild community and civic life, perhaps by harnessing technology.
After all, the Internet can widen the circle of acquaintances who might help you find a job. Email makes it easier for clubs to plan face-to-face meetings. Googling someone turns up information that used to come via the community grapevine.
But hackers and viruses and hateful posts eat away at trust. And sitting home watching YouTube means less time out meeting others.
"A lot of it depends on whether we can find ways to get people using technology to connect and be more civically involved," Sander said.
"The fate of Americans' trust," he said, "is in our own hands."
___
Associated Press Director of Polling Jennifer Agiesta and AP News Survey Specialist Dennis Junius contributed to this report.
___
Online:
AP-GfK Poll: http://www.ap-gfkpoll.com
General Social Survey: http://www3.norc.org/GSS+Website
___
Follow Connie Cass on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ConnieCass
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Friday, November 29, 2013
Ohio State-Michigan Rivalry Has Governor John Kasich Asking Ohioans Not To Use 'M' Word
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Gov. John Kasich wants Ohioans to avoid using the dreaded letter "M'' on Saturday when No. 3 Ohio State faces archrival Michigan.
Kasich declared the game day as "Scarlet Letter Saturday" in honor of Ohio State's rivalry game with the Wolverines. Ohio fans have often found other words to refer to Michigan, calling the school "That Team Up North" among other epithets and singing songs about their utter disregard for the state.
Lately, Buckeyes fans on Twitter have taken to dropping the letter M from their tweets, even from their own names.
The resolution points out that "in the only instance in American history when two states went to war with each other, the state beginning with the letter 'M' lost."
It also notes that the United States Fish and Wildlife Service suggested adding the wolverine to the threatened species list under the Endangered Species Act.
Each letter 'M' in the resolution is crossed out and in red ink — scarlet and gray are Ohio State's school colors.
It closes, "We, John R. Kasich and Mary Taylor, Governor and Lieutenant Governor of the State of Ohio, do hereby recognize Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013, as SCARLET LETTER SATURDAY throughout Ohio and encourage all Ohioans to avoid using the letter 'M' when possible."
At the bottom is an official seal of the state of Ohio — contrary to popular belief, it does not include a football or a picture of Woody Hayes — along with Kasich's signature.
___
Follow Rusty Miller on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/RustyMillerAP
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Black Friday List
Just in time for Black Friday, we compile the sales tax rates of Illinois' biggest cities. Check out the list here!
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Congressmen Seek Medal For World War II-Era U.S. Spy Agency
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The men and women who spied on Germany and Japan for the U.S. during World War II parachuted behind enemy lines, led guerrilla raids, invented special equipment such as scuba gear and established a counterintelligence network that endured into the Cold War.
Nearly 70 years after its agents played a key role in defeating the Axis powers, the spy organization that later became the Central Intelligence Agency is being proposed to receive the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress, the Congressional Gold Medal. Legislation introduced last week by Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., and Rep. Robert E. Latta, R-Ohio, would collectively award the medal to the members of the Office of Strategic Services, known as the OSS. Along with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, it's the highest award the U.S. gives a civilian. Congressional Gold Medals also have been awarded in recent years to other groups of World War veterans, including Native American "code talkers" and the Tuskegee Airmen.
William Pietsch Jr. was personally recruited for the OSS by its leader, Gen. William "Wild Bill" Donovan, a lawyer and World War I hero from Buffalo, N.Y. After graduating from West Point in early 1943, the young Army officer was introduced to the OSS chief by William Casey, Donovan's aide who would later become CIA director.
"He turned to Bill Casey and said, 'tell this young man what his job will be,' and that was it. He didn't waste any time on superfluous conversation," said Pietsch, 91, a retired Army colonel from Chevy Case View, Md.
Known for leading from the front, a trait that earned him the Medal of Honor — and his nickname — during World War I, Donovan left the administrative duties of running the OSS to others, Pietsch said. That may explain why many OSS operatives, considered the forerunners of today's U.S. special operations troops, never received the recognition they deserved during the second World War, he said.
"Most of us were neglected, but not intentionally," said Pietsch, a New York City native. "It wasn't a spit-and-polish organization, it was a can-do outfit."
The original OSS members, a mix of military and civilian employees, numbered about 13,000. Only a few hundred are still believed to survive, according to Charles Pinck, president of the Falls Church, Va.-based OSS Society, whose membership includes about 150 OSS veterans.
"We just think it's terribly important to recognize their service while they're still here," Pinck told The Associated Press.
Pietsch eventually became a "Jedburgh," the name of the Scottish town where three-man teams of Allied agents trained before being dropped behind German lines after D-Day. Pietsch's team parachuted into Burgundy in central France in August 1944 and fought alongside the French Resistance. At one point, while the Gestapo was "hunting me down like an animal," Pietsch sought sanctuary from an Italian Catholic priest known to be helping Jews evade the Nazis. According to Pietsch, the priest was Angelo Roncalli, who later became Pope John XXIII.
"He saved my life," Pietsch said.
The Gold Medal legislation calls for the OSS medal to be given to the Smithsonian Institution for display and allows the government to produce bronze duplicates of the medal for sale to the public.
The awarding of a Congressional Gold Medal to the OSS would help keep Donovan's memory alive in his hometown, said Rep. Brian Higgins, a Democrat whose district includes Wild Bill's old South Buffalo neighborhood. A former state office building being renovated into a hotel no longer bears Donovan's name, and Buffalo's new federal court house is named after western New Yorker and former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson. The OSS Society was among the supporters who pushed for the new court house to be named after Donovan, a former federal attorney in Buffalo.
"The OSS is synonymous with Gen. William Donovan," said Higgins, a co-sponsor of the measure, which he says has a "good chance" of being passed by Congress. "There's not another individual who's associated so profoundly with the OSS."
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Nearly 70 years after its agents played a key role in defeating the Axis powers, the spy organization that later became the Central Intelligence Agency is being proposed to receive the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress, the Congressional Gold Medal. Legislation introduced last week by Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., and Rep. Robert E. Latta, R-Ohio, would collectively award the medal to the members of the Office of Strategic Services, known as the OSS. Along with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, it's the highest award the U.S. gives a civilian. Congressional Gold Medals also have been awarded in recent years to other groups of World War veterans, including Native American "code talkers" and the Tuskegee Airmen.
William Pietsch Jr. was personally recruited for the OSS by its leader, Gen. William "Wild Bill" Donovan, a lawyer and World War I hero from Buffalo, N.Y. After graduating from West Point in early 1943, the young Army officer was introduced to the OSS chief by William Casey, Donovan's aide who would later become CIA director.
"He turned to Bill Casey and said, 'tell this young man what his job will be,' and that was it. He didn't waste any time on superfluous conversation," said Pietsch, 91, a retired Army colonel from Chevy Case View, Md.
Known for leading from the front, a trait that earned him the Medal of Honor — and his nickname — during World War I, Donovan left the administrative duties of running the OSS to others, Pietsch said. That may explain why many OSS operatives, considered the forerunners of today's U.S. special operations troops, never received the recognition they deserved during the second World War, he said.
"Most of us were neglected, but not intentionally," said Pietsch, a New York City native. "It wasn't a spit-and-polish organization, it was a can-do outfit."
The original OSS members, a mix of military and civilian employees, numbered about 13,000. Only a few hundred are still believed to survive, according to Charles Pinck, president of the Falls Church, Va.-based OSS Society, whose membership includes about 150 OSS veterans.
"We just think it's terribly important to recognize their service while they're still here," Pinck told The Associated Press.
Pietsch eventually became a "Jedburgh," the name of the Scottish town where three-man teams of Allied agents trained before being dropped behind German lines after D-Day. Pietsch's team parachuted into Burgundy in central France in August 1944 and fought alongside the French Resistance. At one point, while the Gestapo was "hunting me down like an animal," Pietsch sought sanctuary from an Italian Catholic priest known to be helping Jews evade the Nazis. According to Pietsch, the priest was Angelo Roncalli, who later became Pope John XXIII.
"He saved my life," Pietsch said.
The Gold Medal legislation calls for the OSS medal to be given to the Smithsonian Institution for display and allows the government to produce bronze duplicates of the medal for sale to the public.
The awarding of a Congressional Gold Medal to the OSS would help keep Donovan's memory alive in his hometown, said Rep. Brian Higgins, a Democrat whose district includes Wild Bill's old South Buffalo neighborhood. A former state office building being renovated into a hotel no longer bears Donovan's name, and Buffalo's new federal court house is named after western New Yorker and former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson. The OSS Society was among the supporters who pushed for the new court house to be named after Donovan, a former federal attorney in Buffalo.
"The OSS is synonymous with Gen. William Donovan," said Higgins, a co-sponsor of the measure, which he says has a "good chance" of being passed by Congress. "There's not another individual who's associated so profoundly with the OSS."
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Chicago Winter Parking Ban Starts Sunday, Record Number Of Cars Could Be Towed
Story by Mike Brockway, courtesy DNAinfo Chicago:
DOWNTOWN — Record numbers of drivers could have a rude awakening Sunday morning when the city's annual Winter Overnight Parking Ban starts.
That's because the ban begins on a weekend this year, just like it did last year when far more cars were towed on the first two nights of the ban than during any year since 2007, including many revelers out for a night at the bars. While city officials couldn't say for sure, they believed the two-day opening total was a record number.
But this year there could be even more unhappy drivers, city officials acknowledge, for two reasons.
Read the whole story at DNAinfo.
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DOWNTOWN — Record numbers of drivers could have a rude awakening Sunday morning when the city's annual Winter Overnight Parking Ban starts.
That's because the ban begins on a weekend this year, just like it did last year when far more cars were towed on the first two nights of the ban than during any year since 2007, including many revelers out for a night at the bars. While city officials couldn't say for sure, they believed the two-day opening total was a record number.
But this year there could be even more unhappy drivers, city officials acknowledge, for two reasons.
Read the whole story at DNAinfo.
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Obama: 'Sasha Will Have A Big Say In Where We Are' After Leaving The White House
President Barack Obama said his daughter Sasha will have a big say on where the family lives after leaving the White House in 2016.
Sasha, the president's youngest daughter, will be a sophomore in high school in 2016. Obama said the family would take her education into account before deciding whether to stay in Washington, D.C. or move back to Chicago, where they previously lived.
"You know we gotta make sure that she's doing well... until she goes off to college,” Obama told ABC's Barbara Walters. “Sasha will have a big say in where we are.”
The president and First Lady Michelle Obama sat down with Walters for an interview airing Friday on "20/20." In their first joint interview this year, the couple opened up about life in the White House, including the security provided by the Secret Service 50 years after President John F. Kennedy's death.
"It's not something I think about," Obama said when asked about his personal safety. "Mainly because we have a Secret Service that does an outstanding job every single day. And, obviously, tragedy reshaped the Secret Service in many ways, but they do an outstanding job and it's thankfully not something I spend a lot of time worrying about."
See a clip of the Obamas' interview with Walters above.
(h/t TPM)
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Sasha, the president's youngest daughter, will be a sophomore in high school in 2016. Obama said the family would take her education into account before deciding whether to stay in Washington, D.C. or move back to Chicago, where they previously lived.
"You know we gotta make sure that she's doing well... until she goes off to college,” Obama told ABC's Barbara Walters. “Sasha will have a big say in where we are.”
The president and First Lady Michelle Obama sat down with Walters for an interview airing Friday on "20/20." In their first joint interview this year, the couple opened up about life in the White House, including the security provided by the Secret Service 50 years after President John F. Kennedy's death.
"It's not something I think about," Obama said when asked about his personal safety. "Mainly because we have a Secret Service that does an outstanding job every single day. And, obviously, tragedy reshaped the Secret Service in many ways, but they do an outstanding job and it's thankfully not something I spend a lot of time worrying about."
See a clip of the Obamas' interview with Walters above.
(h/t TPM)
from Chicago - The Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/29/sasha-obama_n_4360163.html?utm_hp_ref=chicago&ir=Chicago
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Officer Dragged By Car After Shoplifting Altercation: Cops
CHICAGO (AP) — A police officer answering a call of alleged shoplifting at a Chicago area department store open on Thanksgiving evening shot the driver of a car that was dragging a fellow officer, authorities said.
The wounded driver of the car and the dragged officer were both taken for hospital treatment of non-life-threatening shoulder injuries, Romeoville Police Chief Mark Turvey said at a news conference in that southwest Chicago area suburb. He said three people were arrested. Turvey said police got a call shortly after 10 p.m. Thursday of two people allegedly shoplifting clothes from a Kohl's store in Romeoville. "As officers approached the front door, one of the two subjects ran out the door into the parking lot" and the officer chased him to a waiting car, Turvey said.
"The officer was struggling with the subject as he got into the car and then the car started to move as the officer was partially inside the car. The officer was dragged quite some distance. He couldn't get out," Turvey said.
The police chief said a backup officer fired two or three shots toward the driver when he refused orders to stop, striking him once in the shoulder.
"At that time the car came to a stop," said Turvey, adding police arrested the driver, the passenger and a third person still inside the store. The two officers involved and the three arrested weren't immediately identified by Turvey.
There were no reports of any injuries to shoppers hunting for deals ahead of Black Friday.
The Chicago Sun-Times said the store was open early Friday and people were shopping inside while a small portion of a fire lane was taped off outside with several police cars nearby.
A store manager contacted at the outlet early Friday said he had no further information and referred The Associated Press to a corporate spokeswoman, who didn't immediately return a message Friday.
Monica Fernandez, 41, of Romeoville, was quoted by the Sun-Times as saying she had just pulled into the lot and was getting ready to shop Thursday night when she saw police running after a man and heard gunshots.
"I ducked under my seat," Fermandez said. "It's crazy. Romeoville doesn't' have a lot of crime like that."
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The wounded driver of the car and the dragged officer were both taken for hospital treatment of non-life-threatening shoulder injuries, Romeoville Police Chief Mark Turvey said at a news conference in that southwest Chicago area suburb. He said three people were arrested. Turvey said police got a call shortly after 10 p.m. Thursday of two people allegedly shoplifting clothes from a Kohl's store in Romeoville. "As officers approached the front door, one of the two subjects ran out the door into the parking lot" and the officer chased him to a waiting car, Turvey said.
"The officer was struggling with the subject as he got into the car and then the car started to move as the officer was partially inside the car. The officer was dragged quite some distance. He couldn't get out," Turvey said.
The police chief said a backup officer fired two or three shots toward the driver when he refused orders to stop, striking him once in the shoulder.
"At that time the car came to a stop," said Turvey, adding police arrested the driver, the passenger and a third person still inside the store. The two officers involved and the three arrested weren't immediately identified by Turvey.
There were no reports of any injuries to shoppers hunting for deals ahead of Black Friday.
The Chicago Sun-Times said the store was open early Friday and people were shopping inside while a small portion of a fire lane was taped off outside with several police cars nearby.
A store manager contacted at the outlet early Friday said he had no further information and referred The Associated Press to a corporate spokeswoman, who didn't immediately return a message Friday.
Monica Fernandez, 41, of Romeoville, was quoted by the Sun-Times as saying she had just pulled into the lot and was getting ready to shop Thursday night when she saw police running after a man and heard gunshots.
"I ducked under my seat," Fermandez said. "It's crazy. Romeoville doesn't' have a lot of crime like that."
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You Will Weigh Less For The Holidays If You Don't Eat This
OK, so you just indulged over the Thanksgiving table and now when you look at your reflection, you flash on one of those mirror scare scenes (I'm stuck on "Poltergeist" where the guy looks in a mirror and rips off his face). If you don't like what the naked you looks like and would like to drop some of your extra weight before Christmas and New Year's Eve, we suggest you take a break from these foods. Sure you can try moderation, but if you're looking to drop and drop fast, why not pledge to stop eating these things for just two or three weeks? And for those purists who feel compelled to remind us that for weight loss to be permanent, it requires a change in lifestyle -- yeah, well, we see your lips moving but aren't hearing you at the moment. This is Desperation Season for those who just need to get a dress zipped up by New Year's and we promise to deal with lifestyle changes on Jan. 1. We remind everyone that safe weight loss averages about two pounds a week; and we promise that if you lock your jaws to these foods, you can do this:
1) Bread.
We love bread. We love it hard-crusted, toasted, with rosemary and a million other ways. We love onion bagels and garlic bread sticks. With the exception of tasteless white bread, we love pretty much every glorious chunk of bread that ever passed over our lips and went straight to our hips. The problem is that bread doesn't love us back. Those annoying carbs it carries are just the enemy of weight loss. White bread has minimal nutritional value and turn rapidly into sugar. So you may as well just eat a cupcake (no, don't do that either!) Truth is, there is just no such thing as moderation when it comes to bread, says Heather Bauer, co-author of "Bread is the Devil: Win the Weight Loss Battle by Taking Control of Your Diet Demons." As she told WebMd, "When you're hungry, tired, or stressed, you tend to reach for bread products, not carrot sticks. Problem is, the more you eat bread, the more you want." Cold turkey, my friends, cold turkey.
2) Wine, beer, eggnog and other alcohol drinks.
Yes, we are proposing heresy: Going through all those holiday parties without imbibing a little. Booze has sugar. Booze also has the nasty habit of encouraging us to drop our guard. We munch while we sip because we don't want to get too much of a buzz on and then before we know it, we are munching on stuff that is bad for us and we've lost track of what we have eaten. If you want to be able to zip up your party dress on New Year's Eve, try delaying that champagne until, well, New Year's Eve.
3) Cheese.
Now, if you are anything like us, bread, cheese and wine are the three staples you'd most want if stranded on a desert island, so the idea of forgoing them pretty much cuts like a knife -- a cheese knife. Cheese is the one dairy product that just hasn't quite nailed it in the fat-free equivalent category. While fat-free milk may have replaced cream in our coffee, fat-free cheeses just haven't posed a plausible alternative to the real stuff. Cheese? Cheese is a gift from God that perhaps shouldn't be tampered with. That said, it should be dropped from your diet during the next few weeks if you want to see some weight loss.
4) Fried food.
Fried food, loaded with fat and calories and zero nutritional value, should probably be banned from your diet year-round. But guess what gets pushed in front of us at holiday parties? Fried crab cakes, deep-fried asparagus, fried potato latkes, etc. Sure it tastes good and other guests may stare at you for munching on the celery sticks instead, but who needs greasy fingers anyway?
5) Sugar.
"Is HuffPost crazy?" you may be asking yourself about now. Go through the holidays without eating all the chocolates and pastry treats brought into offices, served at parties, dished up wherever you go? A tough one, we know. You will thank us for it later. Sugar and high fructose corn syrup are the epitome of anti-fitness food. Nothing will destroy your weight-loss progress, expand your waist or plummet your energy levels more than sugar.
from Chicago - The Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/29/diet-tips_n_4324731.html?utm_hp_ref=chicago&ir=Chicago
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1) Bread.
We love bread. We love it hard-crusted, toasted, with rosemary and a million other ways. We love onion bagels and garlic bread sticks. With the exception of tasteless white bread, we love pretty much every glorious chunk of bread that ever passed over our lips and went straight to our hips. The problem is that bread doesn't love us back. Those annoying carbs it carries are just the enemy of weight loss. White bread has minimal nutritional value and turn rapidly into sugar. So you may as well just eat a cupcake (no, don't do that either!) Truth is, there is just no such thing as moderation when it comes to bread, says Heather Bauer, co-author of "Bread is the Devil: Win the Weight Loss Battle by Taking Control of Your Diet Demons." As she told WebMd, "When you're hungry, tired, or stressed, you tend to reach for bread products, not carrot sticks. Problem is, the more you eat bread, the more you want." Cold turkey, my friends, cold turkey.
2) Wine, beer, eggnog and other alcohol drinks.
Yes, we are proposing heresy: Going through all those holiday parties without imbibing a little. Booze has sugar. Booze also has the nasty habit of encouraging us to drop our guard. We munch while we sip because we don't want to get too much of a buzz on and then before we know it, we are munching on stuff that is bad for us and we've lost track of what we have eaten. If you want to be able to zip up your party dress on New Year's Eve, try delaying that champagne until, well, New Year's Eve.
3) Cheese.
Now, if you are anything like us, bread, cheese and wine are the three staples you'd most want if stranded on a desert island, so the idea of forgoing them pretty much cuts like a knife -- a cheese knife. Cheese is the one dairy product that just hasn't quite nailed it in the fat-free equivalent category. While fat-free milk may have replaced cream in our coffee, fat-free cheeses just haven't posed a plausible alternative to the real stuff. Cheese? Cheese is a gift from God that perhaps shouldn't be tampered with. That said, it should be dropped from your diet during the next few weeks if you want to see some weight loss.
4) Fried food.
Fried food, loaded with fat and calories and zero nutritional value, should probably be banned from your diet year-round. But guess what gets pushed in front of us at holiday parties? Fried crab cakes, deep-fried asparagus, fried potato latkes, etc. Sure it tastes good and other guests may stare at you for munching on the celery sticks instead, but who needs greasy fingers anyway?
5) Sugar.
"Is HuffPost crazy?" you may be asking yourself about now. Go through the holidays without eating all the chocolates and pastry treats brought into offices, served at parties, dished up wherever you go? A tough one, we know. You will thank us for it later. Sugar and high fructose corn syrup are the epitome of anti-fitness food. Nothing will destroy your weight-loss progress, expand your waist or plummet your energy levels more than sugar.
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Thursday, November 28, 2013
Watch: Stories You Won't Believe From Some of the World's Dirtiest Jobs
Are people who do physically demanding, not-afraid-to-get-dirty jobs like farming, mining and sheep castration (yes, you read that right) the happiest people on earth? So says Mike Rowe, host of the Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs." See if he changes your mind about what it means to be happy at work.
Ideas are not set in stone. When exposed to thoughtful people, they morph and adapt into their most potent form. TEDWeekends will highlight some of today's most intriguing ideas and allow them to develop in real time through your voice! Tweet #TEDWeekends to share your perspective or email tedweekends@huffingtonpost.com to learn about future weekend's ideas to contribute as a writer.
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Ideas are not set in stone. When exposed to thoughtful people, they morph and adapt into their most potent form. TEDWeekends will highlight some of today's most intriguing ideas and allow them to develop in real time through your voice! Tweet #TEDWeekends to share your perspective or email tedweekends@huffingtonpost.com to learn about future weekend's ideas to contribute as a writer.
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Air Jordan Logo Appears Inside Cucumber (PHOTO)
Somewhere a sports-branding expert is perhaps kicking himself for not coming up with the idea first. But it seems Mother Nature beat him to it.
In a photo that's collecting giggles on the Internet, what looks like the Air Jordan logo appears in the middle of a sliced cucumber.
"This cucumber is sponsored by Air Jordan," reads the caption of the picture, posted by Reddit user mctenold. (Story continues below image.)
Imgur viewers had their fun. "Just Eat It" seemed to be one of the favorite jokes -- a play, of course, on the Just Do It motto of Air Jordan parent Nike.
There was confusion about the cucumber's provenance. But if a dog-butt image of Jesus and even a Teletubby generate interest, then why shouldn't a salad component that boasts one of the most recognizable corporate stamps ever?
A few outlets called the cucumber a Thanksgiving "miracle." We say it's an act of gourd.
h/t Deadspin
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In a photo that's collecting giggles on the Internet, what looks like the Air Jordan logo appears in the middle of a sliced cucumber.
"This cucumber is sponsored by Air Jordan," reads the caption of the picture, posted by Reddit user mctenold. (Story continues below image.)
Imgur viewers had their fun. "Just Eat It" seemed to be one of the favorite jokes -- a play, of course, on the Just Do It motto of Air Jordan parent Nike.
There was confusion about the cucumber's provenance. But if a dog-butt image of Jesus and even a Teletubby generate interest, then why shouldn't a salad component that boasts one of the most recognizable corporate stamps ever?
A few outlets called the cucumber a Thanksgiving "miracle." We say it's an act of gourd.
h/t Deadspin
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Annmarie Klein, Ill. Tornado Survivor, Searches For Missing Cards Left For Children Of Deceased Brother
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Annmarie Klein knows she's blessed to have survived the tornado that leveled her family's central Illinois home, and she understands most of the things they lost — the Jacuzzi, 60-inch TVs, diamond jewelry, the convertible and other vehicles — can be replaced.
That's not true for a mint green box that contained three cards — to her, "the most important thing in my house." The cards swept away by the Nov. 17 twister that ripped through Washington, Ill., were personalized by Klein's brother, Paul McLaughlin, with notes for each of his three children before his 2005 death from colon cancer at age 39.
Klein said her brother, a suburban Boston resident who fought cancer for six years, entrusted her to give the cards in sealed envelopes to his kids someday "so that when he was gone they could still remember their dad."
"I feel like I let him down," an anguished Klein said through tears this week. "I'd do anything to find those cards."
The search has consumed her since the storm bowled into her Tazewell County town. The separation she's experiencing doesn't surprise Bill Benson, administrator of a Facebook group page set up to rejoin folks in the county with property that was whirled away.
"These storms typically have tops of thousands of feet, so theoretically things could be lofted up to that height and carried," said Benson, a photojournalist from Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks area. "I'm sure as farmers go to work their fields next spring, things will continue to be recovered unless they're buried beneath topsoil."
Klein would rather not wait that long, already frayed by the ordeal that began the Sunday she saw the tornado zeroing in on her home and raced with her husband and children to a basement safe room.
"The kids were screaming. We were screaming," she said. As the parents shielded the kids, "we just prayed as a family."
Seconds later, there was silence and sunlight. The Kleins, some still in their pajamas, emerged through their walkout basement and found their home destroyed, the twister having hurled a pickup truck through the living room where the family had been just moments earlier.
"There was that feeling of emptiness, the kind that comes when the kids look at you with faces of complete fear," said Klein, 41.
A couple of days later, while holed up in her family's hotel room, she suddenly remembered the cards her brother gave her. They had been individually wrapped in plastic and tucked inside the box.
The cards were sealed in neon pink and yellow envelopes. Each was designated for one of McLaughlin's children — Brendan, Cameron and Erin, who are now ages 10 to 18.
"My brother told me, before dying, to give those cards to his kids when the time is right — their 18th birthday, 21st birthday, the day they got married," Klein said. "I hadn't really decided when the right time was."
Even without the cards, it's unlikely McLaughlin's kids would ever forget their dad, a man who poured himself into raising funds for children's charities, particularly those benefiting kids with cancer.
McLaughlin, who worked as a Fidelity Investments software analyst, was a skilled hockey player and mentored his children in sports. Not long before his death, McLaughlin got a surprise visit from NHL Hall of Famer and former Boston Bruins player Ray Bourque at the McLaughlin family's Rockland, Mass., home.
Bourque played hockey in the street with McLaughlin's kids as their dad, weakened by cancer, played goalie in a chair.
"I'm lucky," Boston Herald columnist Mike Barnicle quoted McLaughlin as saying in chronicling the day. "I've had a wonderful life, a beautiful family, three great kids, my own home."
It was a bright spot for the family's life, and now Klein wants to find those cards to ensure that McLaughlin's children have something more from their father to hold dear.
Strangers have joined her search.
While helping with Washington's tornado cleanup, Illinois Wesleyan University women's golf coach Kathy Niepagen spotted Klein desperately searching her property, looking for the cards.
"I felt so bad for this lady. She had such despair in her eyes, and she didn't care about anything else," Niepagen recently recalled. "I just gave her a hug, walked away and said, 'Let's see what we can do.'"
Niepagen turned to Facebook, posting on the Benson-run "Tazewell County Document & Photograph Recovery" group page an appeal for anyone "from Washington to Chicago" to be on the lookout for the cards. More than 25,000 Facebook users, some as far away as North Carolina, had shared Niepagen's posting on their pages as of Wednesday.
Klein said she just revealed to her brother's widow this week that the cards are missing. She said her sister-in-law told her she understood and forgave her.
"I believe we're going to find them," said Klein, who's Catholic and said she prays to Saint Anthony, the finder of lost things. "I have faith."
from Chicago - The Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/28/illinois-tornado-missing-_n_4356338.html?utm_hp_ref=chicago&ir=Chicago
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That's not true for a mint green box that contained three cards — to her, "the most important thing in my house." The cards swept away by the Nov. 17 twister that ripped through Washington, Ill., were personalized by Klein's brother, Paul McLaughlin, with notes for each of his three children before his 2005 death from colon cancer at age 39.
Klein said her brother, a suburban Boston resident who fought cancer for six years, entrusted her to give the cards in sealed envelopes to his kids someday "so that when he was gone they could still remember their dad."
"I feel like I let him down," an anguished Klein said through tears this week. "I'd do anything to find those cards."
The search has consumed her since the storm bowled into her Tazewell County town. The separation she's experiencing doesn't surprise Bill Benson, administrator of a Facebook group page set up to rejoin folks in the county with property that was whirled away.
"These storms typically have tops of thousands of feet, so theoretically things could be lofted up to that height and carried," said Benson, a photojournalist from Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks area. "I'm sure as farmers go to work their fields next spring, things will continue to be recovered unless they're buried beneath topsoil."
Klein would rather not wait that long, already frayed by the ordeal that began the Sunday she saw the tornado zeroing in on her home and raced with her husband and children to a basement safe room.
"The kids were screaming. We were screaming," she said. As the parents shielded the kids, "we just prayed as a family."
Seconds later, there was silence and sunlight. The Kleins, some still in their pajamas, emerged through their walkout basement and found their home destroyed, the twister having hurled a pickup truck through the living room where the family had been just moments earlier.
"There was that feeling of emptiness, the kind that comes when the kids look at you with faces of complete fear," said Klein, 41.
A couple of days later, while holed up in her family's hotel room, she suddenly remembered the cards her brother gave her. They had been individually wrapped in plastic and tucked inside the box.
The cards were sealed in neon pink and yellow envelopes. Each was designated for one of McLaughlin's children — Brendan, Cameron and Erin, who are now ages 10 to 18.
"My brother told me, before dying, to give those cards to his kids when the time is right — their 18th birthday, 21st birthday, the day they got married," Klein said. "I hadn't really decided when the right time was."
Even without the cards, it's unlikely McLaughlin's kids would ever forget their dad, a man who poured himself into raising funds for children's charities, particularly those benefiting kids with cancer.
McLaughlin, who worked as a Fidelity Investments software analyst, was a skilled hockey player and mentored his children in sports. Not long before his death, McLaughlin got a surprise visit from NHL Hall of Famer and former Boston Bruins player Ray Bourque at the McLaughlin family's Rockland, Mass., home.
Bourque played hockey in the street with McLaughlin's kids as their dad, weakened by cancer, played goalie in a chair.
"I'm lucky," Boston Herald columnist Mike Barnicle quoted McLaughlin as saying in chronicling the day. "I've had a wonderful life, a beautiful family, three great kids, my own home."
It was a bright spot for the family's life, and now Klein wants to find those cards to ensure that McLaughlin's children have something more from their father to hold dear.
Strangers have joined her search.
While helping with Washington's tornado cleanup, Illinois Wesleyan University women's golf coach Kathy Niepagen spotted Klein desperately searching her property, looking for the cards.
"I felt so bad for this lady. She had such despair in her eyes, and she didn't care about anything else," Niepagen recently recalled. "I just gave her a hug, walked away and said, 'Let's see what we can do.'"
Niepagen turned to Facebook, posting on the Benson-run "Tazewell County Document & Photograph Recovery" group page an appeal for anyone "from Washington to Chicago" to be on the lookout for the cards. More than 25,000 Facebook users, some as far away as North Carolina, had shared Niepagen's posting on their pages as of Wednesday.
Klein said she just revealed to her brother's widow this week that the cards are missing. She said her sister-in-law told her she understood and forgave her.
"I believe we're going to find them," said Klein, who's Catholic and said she prays to Saint Anthony, the finder of lost things. "I have faith."
from Chicago - The Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/28/illinois-tornado-missing-_n_4356338.html?utm_hp_ref=chicago&ir=Chicago
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Kane Helps Blackhawks Rally For Three Goals In The Third Period For 3-2 Win Over Calgary Flames
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — When you're on a roll, sometimes good things happen. Patrick Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks were proof of that Wednesday night.
Kane scored twice, including the tiebreaking goal with 18 seconds left, and the Blackhawks rallied for three straight goals in the third period — aided by a few lucky bounces — to beat the Calgary Flames 3-2. Kane's team-leading 14th and 15th goals gave him a career-high 12-game points streak.
"It's nice to be on a streak like that, try to produce consistently. I think the biggest thing is just to try and go into every game with a clean slate and take it for what it is," Kane said. "You have the chance to play with good players, playing on a pretty hot power play right now, you're going to get some points."
Patrick Sharp also scored for Chicago (18-4-4), the top team in the NHL. The defending Stanley Cup champions improved to 4-1-0 on their seven-game road trip.
"I think it's a group that's familiar with the situation of being down going into the third period and we've been good at coming back and winning games or getting a point out of those games," Kane said.
Matt Stajan and Sean Monahan scored for the Flames, who are 1-5-2 in their last eight home games.
The game-winner came after Sven Baertschi lost the puck at the Calgary blue line. A shot from Niklas Hjalmarsson caromed sharply off the skate of Flames defenseman Chris Butler. The puck went straight to Kane at the bottom of the circle, where he spun and lifted a backhand over goalie Reto Berra.
"It just came right to me. I tried to spin around and my first reaction was to try and pass but I ended up flipping it on net and lucky enough, it went in," Kane said.
Similar good fortune was on his side when Kane started the comeback at 9:42 of the third.
Dashing down the left wing, he attempted to send a centering pass to Andrew Shaw in front. The puck deflected off the stick of Flames defenseman Kris Russell instead and beat a surprised Berra inside the post.
"Maybe you think he's charmed because he makes a play like that and it goes in for him," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "He does have the puck a lot and eventually he'll get his turn and he'll get his A-plus chance. Might not have the A-plus-plus chances tonight, but he scored a couple."
Only 56 seconds later, Marian Hossa sent a pass into the slot that deflected off Sharp's stick and bounced into the net to tie the game.
"Sharp's goes off his stick. I don't think he was even ready for it. It just bounces off his stick and rolls in. The last one, not a hard shot either," Baertschi said. "It's just one of those games."
The wild finish erased what had been 2½ solid periods for Berra and the Flames.
"Reto kept us in the game and he did everything he could, then stuff like that happens?" Baertschi said. "There are nights like that where you work really hard for it and you think you deserve it but in the end you walk out with a kick in the butt."
Flames coach Bob Hartley said his team was aware all night of Chicago's quick-strike ability.
"That was something we were trying to guard against because number one, we know the firepower of that team. They basically did the same trick to the Vancouver Canucks a few night ago," Hartley said. "You make a few mistakes and they are so skilled they will make you pay for it, and it's too bad because I thought we played very well and we showed up to play."
Antti Raanta finished with 20 saves for Chicago in his first NHL start. Recalled from the minors Nov. 17 when Nikolai Khabibulin went on injured reserve, Raanta stopped 14 of 16 shots in his only previous appearance a week ago in Colorado in relief of Corey Crawford.
"It was a pretty nice feeling. Didn't have to go to overtime or a shootout, so that's the main thing," said the 24-year-old Raanta. "I felt pretty good all game long. Had a couple good saves in the first period and I got that feeling of confidence. Of course, a couple goals just over the pad to the glove side. With those types of goals, you want to catch them for a highlight save, but we got three goals and we take two points and that's the main thing."
Berra made his 10th start in the last 11 games for the Flames. He finished with 27 saves and fell to 3-5-2.
It was Berra's second start against Chicago. In his memorable NHL debut on Nov. 3, he made 42 saves in a 3-2 overtime victory at the United Center.
NOTES: Hossa returned to the lineup after missing two games for personal reasons. ... The Flames placed LW TJ Galiardi (back) on injured reserve and recalled forward Max Reinhart from Abbotsford (AHL). ... Calgary D Mark Giordano (broken ankle) is back skating with the club, although it's unclear when he will return. LW Curtis Glencross (knee) hopes to be back on the ice next week. The two veterans have missed 16 and nine games, respectively. ... The Flames were coming off four days off. Other than the Olympic break, they will not go that long between games the rest of the season. ... Monahan is tied with Mike Cammalleri for the team lead with nine goals.
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Kane scored twice, including the tiebreaking goal with 18 seconds left, and the Blackhawks rallied for three straight goals in the third period — aided by a few lucky bounces — to beat the Calgary Flames 3-2. Kane's team-leading 14th and 15th goals gave him a career-high 12-game points streak.
"It's nice to be on a streak like that, try to produce consistently. I think the biggest thing is just to try and go into every game with a clean slate and take it for what it is," Kane said. "You have the chance to play with good players, playing on a pretty hot power play right now, you're going to get some points."
Patrick Sharp also scored for Chicago (18-4-4), the top team in the NHL. The defending Stanley Cup champions improved to 4-1-0 on their seven-game road trip.
"I think it's a group that's familiar with the situation of being down going into the third period and we've been good at coming back and winning games or getting a point out of those games," Kane said.
Matt Stajan and Sean Monahan scored for the Flames, who are 1-5-2 in their last eight home games.
The game-winner came after Sven Baertschi lost the puck at the Calgary blue line. A shot from Niklas Hjalmarsson caromed sharply off the skate of Flames defenseman Chris Butler. The puck went straight to Kane at the bottom of the circle, where he spun and lifted a backhand over goalie Reto Berra.
"It just came right to me. I tried to spin around and my first reaction was to try and pass but I ended up flipping it on net and lucky enough, it went in," Kane said.
Similar good fortune was on his side when Kane started the comeback at 9:42 of the third.
Dashing down the left wing, he attempted to send a centering pass to Andrew Shaw in front. The puck deflected off the stick of Flames defenseman Kris Russell instead and beat a surprised Berra inside the post.
"Maybe you think he's charmed because he makes a play like that and it goes in for him," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "He does have the puck a lot and eventually he'll get his turn and he'll get his A-plus chance. Might not have the A-plus-plus chances tonight, but he scored a couple."
Only 56 seconds later, Marian Hossa sent a pass into the slot that deflected off Sharp's stick and bounced into the net to tie the game.
"Sharp's goes off his stick. I don't think he was even ready for it. It just bounces off his stick and rolls in. The last one, not a hard shot either," Baertschi said. "It's just one of those games."
The wild finish erased what had been 2½ solid periods for Berra and the Flames.
"Reto kept us in the game and he did everything he could, then stuff like that happens?" Baertschi said. "There are nights like that where you work really hard for it and you think you deserve it but in the end you walk out with a kick in the butt."
Flames coach Bob Hartley said his team was aware all night of Chicago's quick-strike ability.
"That was something we were trying to guard against because number one, we know the firepower of that team. They basically did the same trick to the Vancouver Canucks a few night ago," Hartley said. "You make a few mistakes and they are so skilled they will make you pay for it, and it's too bad because I thought we played very well and we showed up to play."
Antti Raanta finished with 20 saves for Chicago in his first NHL start. Recalled from the minors Nov. 17 when Nikolai Khabibulin went on injured reserve, Raanta stopped 14 of 16 shots in his only previous appearance a week ago in Colorado in relief of Corey Crawford.
"It was a pretty nice feeling. Didn't have to go to overtime or a shootout, so that's the main thing," said the 24-year-old Raanta. "I felt pretty good all game long. Had a couple good saves in the first period and I got that feeling of confidence. Of course, a couple goals just over the pad to the glove side. With those types of goals, you want to catch them for a highlight save, but we got three goals and we take two points and that's the main thing."
Berra made his 10th start in the last 11 games for the Flames. He finished with 27 saves and fell to 3-5-2.
It was Berra's second start against Chicago. In his memorable NHL debut on Nov. 3, he made 42 saves in a 3-2 overtime victory at the United Center.
NOTES: Hossa returned to the lineup after missing two games for personal reasons. ... The Flames placed LW TJ Galiardi (back) on injured reserve and recalled forward Max Reinhart from Abbotsford (AHL). ... Calgary D Mark Giordano (broken ankle) is back skating with the club, although it's unclear when he will return. LW Curtis Glencross (knee) hopes to be back on the ice next week. The two veterans have missed 16 and nine games, respectively. ... The Flames were coming off four days off. Other than the Olympic break, they will not go that long between games the rest of the season. ... Monahan is tied with Mike Cammalleri for the team lead with nine goals.
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Bulls Pull Away In 4th To Beat Pistons And Snap Four-Game Losing Streak
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) — The Chicago Bulls felt they played only two quarters of defense Wednesday night.
That was all they needed to beat the Detroit Pistons 99-79 and end a four-game losing streak. The Pistons led 53-51 at the half, but Chicago only allowed 26 second-half points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, as they pulled away for the easy win.
"They made some shots in the first half, but I liked the way we were playing offensively," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "In the second half, we got our defensive intensity going."
Chicago's defense was at its best in the fourth quarter, where the Pistons went scoreless on 10 straight possessions. Jonas Jerebko's jumper had pulled Detroit to 80-75 with 8:39 left, but the Bulls didn't allow another basket until Gigi Datome's jumper made it 99-77 with 1:31 to go.
"This has been a tough road trip for us," said Kirk Hinrich. "We played to our strengths tonight, we really competed defensively in the second half and we got one in the win column.
Detroit shot 27.8 percent in the second half, missed all six 3-point attempts, went 6 of 13 from the line and turned the ball over nine times.
"They were obviously a lot better in the second half than they had been in the first half," Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks said. "We couldn't score the ball, and a lot of that was because of their defense."
Luol Deng led the Bulls with 27 points, while reserve Taj Gibson had a career-high 23. Tony Snell, making the first start of his career, added 13 points in 37 minutes.
"When I heard I was in the starting lineup, I just told myself to play my game and not rush anything," he said. "All the hours I've put in, working hard in the gym, were so that I'd be ready for this."
Rodney Stuckey finished with 25 off the bench for Detroit but no one else had more than 13. Josh Smith had 13 points and 11 rebounds and Andre Drummond had 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Pistons.
Point guards Brandon Jennings and Will Bynum combined for two points on 1-for-8 shooting in the second half.
"We certainly needed some scoring from Brandon and Bynum," Cheeks said. "If you don't get anything from either of them, you are going to have a hard time."
Neither team played much defense in the first half, with the Pistons shooting 58.5 percent to Chicago's 52.4 percent. Stuckey and Gibson both had 15 points off the bench, and each team also had two starters in double figures by halftime.
Six quick points from Joakim Noah helped Chicago put together a 18-8 run that gave them 69-61 late in the third. The Bulls had three straight possessions with a chance to move the margin into double figures, but two misses on open jumpers and a fast-break turnover let the Pistons stay close.
Stuckey finally ended Detroit's drought with a pair of baskets, and the Pistons pulled to 69-65. The fight-back was short-lived, though, and the Bulls had the advantage back to 76-68 by quarter's end. The margin stayed in the high single figures for the early part of the fourth, but Detroit started to struggle when Cheeks took Stuckey out of the game.
It was 86-75 when Stuckey returned with five minutes left, but he couldn't help. Hinrich immediately made a three-point play to make it a 14-point game, and Chicago led by as many as 24 down the stretch.
"They are tough, but we adjusted to the physical play of the game," Thibodeau said. "When the ball was in the air, we got bodies on people and fought for the ball."
NOTES: Michigan native Floyd Mayweather Jr. was seated at courtside, a few seats away from Pistons owner Tom Gores. Mayweather, accompanied by a large entourage, engaged in some friendly banter with Bulls players, including an imitation of Joakim Noah's unusual free-throw style. He also got a large ovation when he was shown on the scoreboard during the fourth quarter. ... Stuckey leads the Eastern Conference with points off the bench, coming into the game at 15.9 points. ... Datome finished with four points on his 26th birthday.
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That was all they needed to beat the Detroit Pistons 99-79 and end a four-game losing streak. The Pistons led 53-51 at the half, but Chicago only allowed 26 second-half points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, as they pulled away for the easy win.
"They made some shots in the first half, but I liked the way we were playing offensively," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "In the second half, we got our defensive intensity going."
Chicago's defense was at its best in the fourth quarter, where the Pistons went scoreless on 10 straight possessions. Jonas Jerebko's jumper had pulled Detroit to 80-75 with 8:39 left, but the Bulls didn't allow another basket until Gigi Datome's jumper made it 99-77 with 1:31 to go.
"This has been a tough road trip for us," said Kirk Hinrich. "We played to our strengths tonight, we really competed defensively in the second half and we got one in the win column.
Detroit shot 27.8 percent in the second half, missed all six 3-point attempts, went 6 of 13 from the line and turned the ball over nine times.
"They were obviously a lot better in the second half than they had been in the first half," Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks said. "We couldn't score the ball, and a lot of that was because of their defense."
Luol Deng led the Bulls with 27 points, while reserve Taj Gibson had a career-high 23. Tony Snell, making the first start of his career, added 13 points in 37 minutes.
"When I heard I was in the starting lineup, I just told myself to play my game and not rush anything," he said. "All the hours I've put in, working hard in the gym, were so that I'd be ready for this."
Rodney Stuckey finished with 25 off the bench for Detroit but no one else had more than 13. Josh Smith had 13 points and 11 rebounds and Andre Drummond had 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Pistons.
Point guards Brandon Jennings and Will Bynum combined for two points on 1-for-8 shooting in the second half.
"We certainly needed some scoring from Brandon and Bynum," Cheeks said. "If you don't get anything from either of them, you are going to have a hard time."
Neither team played much defense in the first half, with the Pistons shooting 58.5 percent to Chicago's 52.4 percent. Stuckey and Gibson both had 15 points off the bench, and each team also had two starters in double figures by halftime.
Six quick points from Joakim Noah helped Chicago put together a 18-8 run that gave them 69-61 late in the third. The Bulls had three straight possessions with a chance to move the margin into double figures, but two misses on open jumpers and a fast-break turnover let the Pistons stay close.
Stuckey finally ended Detroit's drought with a pair of baskets, and the Pistons pulled to 69-65. The fight-back was short-lived, though, and the Bulls had the advantage back to 76-68 by quarter's end. The margin stayed in the high single figures for the early part of the fourth, but Detroit started to struggle when Cheeks took Stuckey out of the game.
It was 86-75 when Stuckey returned with five minutes left, but he couldn't help. Hinrich immediately made a three-point play to make it a 14-point game, and Chicago led by as many as 24 down the stretch.
"They are tough, but we adjusted to the physical play of the game," Thibodeau said. "When the ball was in the air, we got bodies on people and fought for the ball."
NOTES: Michigan native Floyd Mayweather Jr. was seated at courtside, a few seats away from Pistons owner Tom Gores. Mayweather, accompanied by a large entourage, engaged in some friendly banter with Bulls players, including an imitation of Joakim Noah's unusual free-throw style. He also got a large ovation when he was shown on the scoreboard during the fourth quarter. ... Stuckey leads the Eastern Conference with points off the bench, coming into the game at 15.9 points. ... Datome finished with four points on his 26th birthday.
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Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Illinois Legislators Strike Pension Deal
CHICAGO (AP) — Under growing public pressure to act, the leaders of Illinois' General Assembly announced Wednesday they'd reached an agreement on how to solve the state's $100 billion pension problem and would begin trying to persuade other lawmakers to approve it in a special legislative session next week.
The deal was a significant breakthrough after months of negotiations and years of unheeded calls to shore up what's considered the nation's worst public pension shortfall. Without action, millions of dollars have been diverted from education and other programs and forced financial service companies to repeatedly lower the state's credit rating. But getting final approval for the deal in the full House and Senate is no sure thing: State employee unions are adamantly opposed to the curtailing of workers' benefits, there's a constitutional challenge on the horizon and many lawmakers are already in the throes of 2014 re-election campaigns.
"It's going to be a very difficult roll call (of votes). Unions will be against the bill," House Speaker Michael Madigan told reporters after the morning meeting in which the deal was reached.
Madigan told reporters that the proposed agreement would save the state an estimated $160 billion over 30 years.
Even before details of the deal became widely known, some lawmakers expressed resistance.
State Sen. Linda Holmes, a member of a special committee that had worked on a solution over the summer, said Senate President John Cullerton had called her to inform her of the deal. A staunch ally of unions, Holmes said she doesn't plan to vote for it.
"He told me, 'The leaders have come to an agreement, and you're not going to like it,'" Holmes said.
The proposal includes pushing back workers' retirement age on a sliding scale, a funding guarantee, a 401(k)-style option and reducing the employee contribution.
Madigan also said retirees would continue to receive the current 3 percent annual compounded cost-of-living increases, but they would only get that rate up to a certain amount of annuity payments, based on years of employment. He says the new way of calculating the increases would benefit low-income workers who worked longer.
The funding guarantee allows retirement systems to sue Illinois if lawmakers don't make the full contribution to the fund each year.
The plan also would require the state to put 10 percent of the money saved annually through benefit cuts back into the pension funds beginning in 2016. It also will redirect the money the state currently uses for pension bond payments into the retirement funds once those bonds are paid off in 2019.
A spokesman for Cullerton, who sponsored a plan last spring that was backed by unions but would not save as much money, said the Chicago Democrat would "work members over the next couple of days to try and garner support for the package."
Both the House and Senate have been called back to Springfield for a special session that begins Tuesday.
"At the end of the day he's tried to compromise," spokesman Ron Holmes said. "He's come a long way from where he was a couple years ago. But ultimately, he wants to get something done."
House Republican leader Jim Durkin and Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno also signed off on the deal Wednesday. GOP senators later were updated via conference call.
"Our goal from the beginning was to have something that constituted meaningful reform and can pass," said State Sen. Matt Murphy, a Palatine Republican who dialed in to the conference call from vacation. "I think that clears that bar."
Lawmakers reached an impasse on competing plans at the end of the spring session.
Gov. Pat Quinn is making pension reform one of the main issues in his re-election bid, and even tried to halt lawmakers' pay until the issue was resolved— a move a Cook County judge found unconstitutional this summer.
In a statement Wednesday, Quinn commended leaders and committee members, but stressed there'd be more work in the coming days.
A spokesman for the state's largest employee union said his organization would oppose the deal, even before seeing the final details.
The unions have been left out of negotiations and believe some elements of the plan will be ruled illegal, based on a clause in the state constitution that prohibits the involuntary takeaway of any government employee benefits, said American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union spokesman Anders Lindall.
"We have tried for three years now to work with legislative leaders and the governor to develop pension reform ... that is fair to workers and retirees," Lindall said.
Madigan said he wouldn't be surprised by a court challenge.
However, he said, things have been included in the proposed agreement that would help them defend it in the courts, such as the funding guarantee and an ability for the pension systems to file a lawsuit if not enough money is provided to cover employees' retirement costs.
"Those are the essential elements that I used in order to forge the final deal," Madigan said.
___
Associated Press writer Sophia Tareen contributed to this report.
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The deal was a significant breakthrough after months of negotiations and years of unheeded calls to shore up what's considered the nation's worst public pension shortfall. Without action, millions of dollars have been diverted from education and other programs and forced financial service companies to repeatedly lower the state's credit rating. But getting final approval for the deal in the full House and Senate is no sure thing: State employee unions are adamantly opposed to the curtailing of workers' benefits, there's a constitutional challenge on the horizon and many lawmakers are already in the throes of 2014 re-election campaigns.
"It's going to be a very difficult roll call (of votes). Unions will be against the bill," House Speaker Michael Madigan told reporters after the morning meeting in which the deal was reached.
Madigan told reporters that the proposed agreement would save the state an estimated $160 billion over 30 years.
Even before details of the deal became widely known, some lawmakers expressed resistance.
State Sen. Linda Holmes, a member of a special committee that had worked on a solution over the summer, said Senate President John Cullerton had called her to inform her of the deal. A staunch ally of unions, Holmes said she doesn't plan to vote for it.
"He told me, 'The leaders have come to an agreement, and you're not going to like it,'" Holmes said.
The proposal includes pushing back workers' retirement age on a sliding scale, a funding guarantee, a 401(k)-style option and reducing the employee contribution.
Madigan also said retirees would continue to receive the current 3 percent annual compounded cost-of-living increases, but they would only get that rate up to a certain amount of annuity payments, based on years of employment. He says the new way of calculating the increases would benefit low-income workers who worked longer.
The funding guarantee allows retirement systems to sue Illinois if lawmakers don't make the full contribution to the fund each year.
The plan also would require the state to put 10 percent of the money saved annually through benefit cuts back into the pension funds beginning in 2016. It also will redirect the money the state currently uses for pension bond payments into the retirement funds once those bonds are paid off in 2019.
A spokesman for Cullerton, who sponsored a plan last spring that was backed by unions but would not save as much money, said the Chicago Democrat would "work members over the next couple of days to try and garner support for the package."
Both the House and Senate have been called back to Springfield for a special session that begins Tuesday.
"At the end of the day he's tried to compromise," spokesman Ron Holmes said. "He's come a long way from where he was a couple years ago. But ultimately, he wants to get something done."
House Republican leader Jim Durkin and Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno also signed off on the deal Wednesday. GOP senators later were updated via conference call.
"Our goal from the beginning was to have something that constituted meaningful reform and can pass," said State Sen. Matt Murphy, a Palatine Republican who dialed in to the conference call from vacation. "I think that clears that bar."
Lawmakers reached an impasse on competing plans at the end of the spring session.
Gov. Pat Quinn is making pension reform one of the main issues in his re-election bid, and even tried to halt lawmakers' pay until the issue was resolved— a move a Cook County judge found unconstitutional this summer.
In a statement Wednesday, Quinn commended leaders and committee members, but stressed there'd be more work in the coming days.
A spokesman for the state's largest employee union said his organization would oppose the deal, even before seeing the final details.
The unions have been left out of negotiations and believe some elements of the plan will be ruled illegal, based on a clause in the state constitution that prohibits the involuntary takeaway of any government employee benefits, said American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union spokesman Anders Lindall.
"We have tried for three years now to work with legislative leaders and the governor to develop pension reform ... that is fair to workers and retirees," Lindall said.
Madigan said he wouldn't be surprised by a court challenge.
However, he said, things have been included in the proposed agreement that would help them defend it in the courts, such as the funding guarantee and an ability for the pension systems to file a lawsuit if not enough money is provided to cover employees' retirement costs.
"Those are the essential elements that I used in order to forge the final deal," Madigan said.
___
Associated Press writer Sophia Tareen contributed to this report.
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College Textbooks Could Be Free Under Legislation Introduced In Congress
Legislation introduced in Congress could make buying expensive textbooks a thing of the past.
The bill sponsored by by Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Al Franken (D-Minn.) would create a grant program for colleges and universities to "create and expand the use of textbooks that can be made available online" and offered with free access to the public. Students -- and anyone else for that matter -- would have access to digital textbooks and not be bound to buying the latest edition stocked in a campus bookstore.
The bill, named the "Affordable College Textbook Act," was filed by Durbin and Franken earlier this month. A complimentary bill was drafted in the House by Reps. Rubén Hinojosa (D-Texas) and George Miller (D-Calif.).
Durbin cited the success of a $150,000 grant to the University of Illinois for its Open Source Textbook Initiative. Thanks to the grant, UI faculty were able to develop a book that's available to anyone for free and can be updated when new information becomes available. Similar results were achieved at the University of California-Davis as a result of a $250,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.
"This bill can replicate and build on this success and help make the cost of attending college more affordable," Durbin said in a statement.
One of the problems with traditional textbooks is that an added chapter can render an edition worthless, preventing students from saving money by buying used copies.
The cost of college textbooks increased 812 percent since 1978, or three times the rate of inflation, according to data from the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics analyzed by University of Michigan economist Mark Perry. A Government Accountability Office report found college textbook prices went up 82 percent in just the past 10 years.
As a result, seven out of 10 undergraduates admit to skimping out on purchasing at least one textbook, according to a 2011 survey by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.
The legislation also calls for a report from the U.S. Department of Education to the Senate's education committee by mid-2016 detailing adoption of open textbooks and how much it saves students. By July 2017, the Comptroller General of the United States would have to submit a report on what has caused changes to price of college textbooks and the impact open textbooks would have on the cost of regular, traditional ones.
"The dirty secret about textbooks is that they don't have to be so expensive given the rise of technology," said Matthew Segal, co-founder of OurTime.org, which endorses the bill. "Even worse, if you put textbook debt in larger context with student debt, the affordability of college is becoming less and less tenable, and, as a result, the American dream is becoming more difficult for the next generation to attain."
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The bill sponsored by by Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Al Franken (D-Minn.) would create a grant program for colleges and universities to "create and expand the use of textbooks that can be made available online" and offered with free access to the public. Students -- and anyone else for that matter -- would have access to digital textbooks and not be bound to buying the latest edition stocked in a campus bookstore.
The bill, named the "Affordable College Textbook Act," was filed by Durbin and Franken earlier this month. A complimentary bill was drafted in the House by Reps. Rubén Hinojosa (D-Texas) and George Miller (D-Calif.).
Durbin cited the success of a $150,000 grant to the University of Illinois for its Open Source Textbook Initiative. Thanks to the grant, UI faculty were able to develop a book that's available to anyone for free and can be updated when new information becomes available. Similar results were achieved at the University of California-Davis as a result of a $250,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.
"This bill can replicate and build on this success and help make the cost of attending college more affordable," Durbin said in a statement.
One of the problems with traditional textbooks is that an added chapter can render an edition worthless, preventing students from saving money by buying used copies.
The cost of college textbooks increased 812 percent since 1978, or three times the rate of inflation, according to data from the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics analyzed by University of Michigan economist Mark Perry. A Government Accountability Office report found college textbook prices went up 82 percent in just the past 10 years.
As a result, seven out of 10 undergraduates admit to skimping out on purchasing at least one textbook, according to a 2011 survey by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.
The legislation also calls for a report from the U.S. Department of Education to the Senate's education committee by mid-2016 detailing adoption of open textbooks and how much it saves students. By July 2017, the Comptroller General of the United States would have to submit a report on what has caused changes to price of college textbooks and the impact open textbooks would have on the cost of regular, traditional ones.
"The dirty secret about textbooks is that they don't have to be so expensive given the rise of technology," said Matthew Segal, co-founder of OurTime.org, which endorses the bill. "Even worse, if you put textbook debt in larger context with student debt, the affordability of college is becoming less and less tenable, and, as a result, the American dream is becoming more difficult for the next generation to attain."
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Metra Pet Ban Challenged By Online Petition Protesting Rail System's Animal Policy
Though pets are currently banned altogether from Metra rail lines, an online petition is picking up steam in its effort to change that.
Aurora, Ill. resident Rena Church earlier this year started a Change.org petition urging Metra to allow small animals in carriers onto the agency's Chicago area-trains. As of Wednesday, it has been signed over 3,200 times.
As Church points out, small animals inside carriers are allowed on the CTA as well as on most airlines, but Metra only allows service animals onboard, discouraging some pet owners to take the train.
"We're just asking Metra to mirror CTA, just make it consistent," pug owner Brian Demski of Pug Slope blog fame told DNAinfo Chicago this week.
In response to the petition, Metra spokesman Michael Gillis told the Chicago Tribune the policy is in place to "try to make commuter rail for all passengers safe and comfortable," adding that some commuters may have pet allergies.
Still, Gillis admitted the agency could reconsider its policy once approached by the petitioners. Another Metra spokesperson echoed the agency is "always willing to explore new thoughts," according to NBC Chicago.
Meanwhile, a separate effort is underway to push Amtrak to allow pets on their trains, reversing that rail system's standing ban on the animals.
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Aurora, Ill. resident Rena Church earlier this year started a Change.org petition urging Metra to allow small animals in carriers onto the agency's Chicago area-trains. As of Wednesday, it has been signed over 3,200 times.
As Church points out, small animals inside carriers are allowed on the CTA as well as on most airlines, but Metra only allows service animals onboard, discouraging some pet owners to take the train.
"We're just asking Metra to mirror CTA, just make it consistent," pug owner Brian Demski of Pug Slope blog fame told DNAinfo Chicago this week.
In response to the petition, Metra spokesman Michael Gillis told the Chicago Tribune the policy is in place to "try to make commuter rail for all passengers safe and comfortable," adding that some commuters may have pet allergies.
Still, Gillis admitted the agency could reconsider its policy once approached by the petitioners. Another Metra spokesperson echoed the agency is "always willing to explore new thoughts," according to NBC Chicago.
Meanwhile, a separate effort is underway to push Amtrak to allow pets on their trains, reversing that rail system's standing ban on the animals.
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New Derrick Rose Injury Could Be A Big Blow For Adidas, Too
CHICAGO (AP) — As he hobbled off the court again, Derrick Rose found himself in a familiar and painful spot.
The folks at Adidas might be wincing, too. The sports apparel giant might have to find a backup plan after building its multimillion-dollar NBA marketing campaign around the Chicago Bulls' superstar point guard, whose injured right knee will cost him the rest of the 2013-14 season that will stretch into June. Rose sat out last season following surgery on his left knee, and the Bulls are reliving a nightmare.
To some extent, so is Adidas. The company that launched "The Return" campaign documenting Rose's recovery last year from a torn anterior cruciate ligament and his rise from a rough South Side Chicago neighborhood to stardom for the hometown team could be taking a hit, too.
"He is their counterpoint to Nike and LeBron (James)," said Marc Ganis, president of SportsCorp, a Chicago-based consulting firm. "But to being out effectively two years in a row and doubts as to how fragile his body might be in the future has to give them great pause, both in the near term and the long term as to whether he will fade from the public consciousness by not being on the national and international stage. One year is acceptable. Two years, people are very quick to move on to others."
Rose and the Bulls were counting on a return to the form that made him the NBA's youngest MVP in 2011 and were eyeing at a run at James and the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference.
They can probably forget about that for now after Rose had surgery this week to repair a medial meniscus tear.
Rose has played in just 50 NBA games — 49 in the regular season — since he led Chicago to the Eastern Conference finals during his MVP season. He was just working his way back from surgery after tearing his left ACL in the 2012 playoff opener when the injury to his right knee cropped up, another dagger for the Bulls and Adidas. That it happened in Portland, just a few miles from the company's North American headquarters, was another twist.
Adidas America president Patrik Nilsson and Portland-based vice president of global basketball Lawrence Norman were sitting courtside and had an up-close view. Had they shed tears, would anyone have blamed them?
Rose signed a contract extension with the company in February 2012 that reportedly was worth $185 million to $260 million over 13 or 14 years. Two months later, he tore his ACL. Now, he's on the mend again.
Adidas issued a statement wishing Rose well while pledging its support, and it's not clear how the latest injury will impact the campaign.
"I can tell you that we're focused on supporting Derrick through his recovery," Adidas spokeswoman Madeline Breskin said. "Our plans remain unchanged at this time and we will update business plans, as needed."
Ganis and Bob Dorfman, a sports marketing analyst at Baker Street Advertising in San Francisco, said the company really has no choice but to go to a backup plan at least for now.
Either way, the company is in a tough spot.
When it comes to basketball shoe sales in the U.S., Nike has a stranglehold. The Swoosh is by far the leader at 92 percent with Adidas a distant second at 5.5 percent, according to research firm SportsOneSource.
On the plus side, the basketball shoe market is up 25 percent in general. Then again, Rose's signature shoe didn't fly off the shelves last year, generating $25 million.
"They really don't have another marquee player in their stable," SportsOneSource analyst Matt Powell said.
Click on the Adidas basketball website and it's clear who's No. 1. It's Rose, who wears that uniform number.
Adidas also has Dwight Howard, but Superman's popularity isn't exactly soaring these days.
A messy split with Orlando that led to a trade to the Lakers and one brutal season in Los Angeles while recovering from back surgery were like Kryptonite to his image. Now, he's in Houston after signing with the Rockets as a free agent.
"He's kind of gone from being this lovable, endearing guy wearing Superman capes and winning dunk competitions to being a guy who sort of messes up teams, is just not really a winner and doesn't try hard enough," Dorfman said of Howard's image. "So he's not the answer. The other thing is he's a big guy, and big guys don't really sell shoes like the guards."
Rose is just the latest high-profile Adidas player to suffer serious leg or foot injuries, including NFL stars Robert Griffin III and Frank Gore along with the NBA's Tracy McGrady and Gilbert Arenas.
"It's certainly possible, but I don't think it's an Adidas thing," said Dr. Nicholas DiNubile, a former Philadelphia 76ers physician and a spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. "I think it's just the fact that the shoes are so good that you can stop on the dime and that allows you to maybe twist that knee a little quicker or land and have it shift a little quicker. I don't think we're at a point where we can definitively implicate."
With Rose out again, where does Adidas turn at least for now?
A committee approach that also includes players such as John Wall, Ricky Rubio and Damian Lillard might be an option. Another possibility is going after Kevin Durant, whose Nike contract is coming up, or a college star such as Andrew Wiggins at Kansas. Dorfman also suggested focusing more on sponsoring leagues or teams instead of individuals.
How Adidas handles Rose is another issue.
"I'm not sure what you do with him," Dorfman said. "You do your best to try to keep him in the public eye."
He said that could mean Rose serving as a commentator during Bulls games, appearing at awards shows or even maybe some sort of reality show. No matter what Rose does, Dorfman said, the message needs to be tweaked.
"Maybe there's a way to adjust what they've already shot to make it a little less court-based," he said. "Maybe there's something you can do with him that talks about him — some kind of emergency spot where he talks about the fact that he'll be back without it being kind of over-promised, more of a 'stick with me folks, I'm not done, I'm not going away' without any kind of guarantees on when he's going to come back or how well he's going to play."
from Chicago - The Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/27/new-derrick-rose-injury-c_n_4351860.html?utm_hp_ref=chicago&ir=Chicago
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The folks at Adidas might be wincing, too. The sports apparel giant might have to find a backup plan after building its multimillion-dollar NBA marketing campaign around the Chicago Bulls' superstar point guard, whose injured right knee will cost him the rest of the 2013-14 season that will stretch into June. Rose sat out last season following surgery on his left knee, and the Bulls are reliving a nightmare.
To some extent, so is Adidas. The company that launched "The Return" campaign documenting Rose's recovery last year from a torn anterior cruciate ligament and his rise from a rough South Side Chicago neighborhood to stardom for the hometown team could be taking a hit, too.
"He is their counterpoint to Nike and LeBron (James)," said Marc Ganis, president of SportsCorp, a Chicago-based consulting firm. "But to being out effectively two years in a row and doubts as to how fragile his body might be in the future has to give them great pause, both in the near term and the long term as to whether he will fade from the public consciousness by not being on the national and international stage. One year is acceptable. Two years, people are very quick to move on to others."
Rose and the Bulls were counting on a return to the form that made him the NBA's youngest MVP in 2011 and were eyeing at a run at James and the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference.
They can probably forget about that for now after Rose had surgery this week to repair a medial meniscus tear.
Rose has played in just 50 NBA games — 49 in the regular season — since he led Chicago to the Eastern Conference finals during his MVP season. He was just working his way back from surgery after tearing his left ACL in the 2012 playoff opener when the injury to his right knee cropped up, another dagger for the Bulls and Adidas. That it happened in Portland, just a few miles from the company's North American headquarters, was another twist.
Adidas America president Patrik Nilsson and Portland-based vice president of global basketball Lawrence Norman were sitting courtside and had an up-close view. Had they shed tears, would anyone have blamed them?
Rose signed a contract extension with the company in February 2012 that reportedly was worth $185 million to $260 million over 13 or 14 years. Two months later, he tore his ACL. Now, he's on the mend again.
Adidas issued a statement wishing Rose well while pledging its support, and it's not clear how the latest injury will impact the campaign.
"I can tell you that we're focused on supporting Derrick through his recovery," Adidas spokeswoman Madeline Breskin said. "Our plans remain unchanged at this time and we will update business plans, as needed."
Ganis and Bob Dorfman, a sports marketing analyst at Baker Street Advertising in San Francisco, said the company really has no choice but to go to a backup plan at least for now.
Either way, the company is in a tough spot.
When it comes to basketball shoe sales in the U.S., Nike has a stranglehold. The Swoosh is by far the leader at 92 percent with Adidas a distant second at 5.5 percent, according to research firm SportsOneSource.
On the plus side, the basketball shoe market is up 25 percent in general. Then again, Rose's signature shoe didn't fly off the shelves last year, generating $25 million.
"They really don't have another marquee player in their stable," SportsOneSource analyst Matt Powell said.
Click on the Adidas basketball website and it's clear who's No. 1. It's Rose, who wears that uniform number.
Adidas also has Dwight Howard, but Superman's popularity isn't exactly soaring these days.
A messy split with Orlando that led to a trade to the Lakers and one brutal season in Los Angeles while recovering from back surgery were like Kryptonite to his image. Now, he's in Houston after signing with the Rockets as a free agent.
"He's kind of gone from being this lovable, endearing guy wearing Superman capes and winning dunk competitions to being a guy who sort of messes up teams, is just not really a winner and doesn't try hard enough," Dorfman said of Howard's image. "So he's not the answer. The other thing is he's a big guy, and big guys don't really sell shoes like the guards."
Rose is just the latest high-profile Adidas player to suffer serious leg or foot injuries, including NFL stars Robert Griffin III and Frank Gore along with the NBA's Tracy McGrady and Gilbert Arenas.
"It's certainly possible, but I don't think it's an Adidas thing," said Dr. Nicholas DiNubile, a former Philadelphia 76ers physician and a spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. "I think it's just the fact that the shoes are so good that you can stop on the dime and that allows you to maybe twist that knee a little quicker or land and have it shift a little quicker. I don't think we're at a point where we can definitively implicate."
With Rose out again, where does Adidas turn at least for now?
A committee approach that also includes players such as John Wall, Ricky Rubio and Damian Lillard might be an option. Another possibility is going after Kevin Durant, whose Nike contract is coming up, or a college star such as Andrew Wiggins at Kansas. Dorfman also suggested focusing more on sponsoring leagues or teams instead of individuals.
How Adidas handles Rose is another issue.
"I'm not sure what you do with him," Dorfman said. "You do your best to try to keep him in the public eye."
He said that could mean Rose serving as a commentator during Bulls games, appearing at awards shows or even maybe some sort of reality show. No matter what Rose does, Dorfman said, the message needs to be tweaked.
"Maybe there's a way to adjust what they've already shot to make it a little less court-based," he said. "Maybe there's something you can do with him that talks about him — some kind of emergency spot where he talks about the fact that he'll be back without it being kind of over-promised, more of a 'stick with me folks, I'm not done, I'm not going away' without any kind of guarantees on when he's going to come back or how well he's going to play."
from Chicago - The Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/27/new-derrick-rose-injury-c_n_4351860.html?utm_hp_ref=chicago&ir=Chicago
via IFTTT
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