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Amid a worsening on-court relationship between players and officials, NBA President of League Operations Byron Spruell announced a five-pronged initiative aimed at finding harmony between the two sides on Friday. The program, which will be overseen by NBA Senior Vice President, Head of Referee Operations Michelle Johnson, as well as Monty McCutchen — a former top-ranked referee who recently accepted a job as NBA Vice President, Head of Referee Development and Training — features these five areas of emphasis: Johnson, McCutchen and their staffs will conduct meetings with all 30 teams to discuss rules interpretations, on-court conduct, and the expectations of NBA referees. These meetings will begin before the NBA All-Star break. The league will re-emphasize its “Respect for the Game” rules with referees, coaches, and players to ensure consistent enforcement of those violations. The NBA Referee Operations department will expand its overall rules education ... Continue reading →

Walmart is being sued by a customer alleging racial discrimination.  The customer who has filed a lawsuit against the retailer claims that it is segregating products by the race of the people who use them, CBS Los Angeles reported. Essie Grundy was shopping for a comb in her local store when she found it was locked in a cabinet. "That's when I noticed that all of the African-American products were locked up under lock and key," Grundy told reporters at a news conference on Friday, according to CBS. Walmart said in a statement that it does "not tolerate discrimination of any kind."  "We're sensitive to this situation and also understand, like other retailers, that some products such as electronics, automotive, cosmetics and other personal care products are subject to additional security. Those determinations are made on a store-by-store basis using data supporting the need for the heightened measures," a Walmart spokesperson said. Other ... Continue reading →

I’ve spent the last two years talking with parents about the unprecedented stress and anxiety plaguing their adolescents — nearly half of whom, according to recent studies of college students, report feeling “overwhelmed by all I had to do.” Our conversations often end with parents expressing a mournful wish: “I just want her to be happy,” they tell me. “But she puts so much pressure on herself.” As parents, we say this phrase from a place of good intention. We want to signal to our children that we don’t need or expect them to be perfect, and that we will love them no matter what. Yet the very phrasing of the statement — “on herself” — lays blame for distress at the feet of our teens, rather than a culture that is stoking the flames of their anxiety. It puts the onus for change on kids – just chill, we seem to be saying, and you’ll be okay! – letting the rest of us off the hook, even as we ... Continue reading →

In the EU, VW has not admitted wrongdoing or liability and it continues to resist claims for compensation © Reuters Jane Croft in London and Patrick McGee in Frankfurt January 28, 2018 Almost 60,000 people have signed up so far to sue German carmaker Volkswagen Group over its emissions scandal in what is shaping up to be one of the biggest group actions to come before London’s High Court. VW is facing litigation in the UK — and in other jurisdictions — in the wake of claims that it manufactured and sold cars with diesel engines that failed to comply with EU legislation on emissions. The carmaker installed “defeat devices” — a software device that artificially lowered nitrogen oxides (NOx) during testing — in 11m diesel cars sold between 2008 and 2015. These included 1.2m cars sold in the UK under the Volkswagen, Seat, Audi and Škoda brands. The High Court will be asked to approve an application by law firms Your Lawyers and Slater ... Continue reading →

Solyndra Inc. once seemed destined to help spark a second wave of venture investing in clean technology. Now the solar-panel maker–which today announced it plans to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and lay off all 1,100 of its workers–is an example of how difficult it is for venture investors to make money in manufacturing-heavy businesses whose products compete in commodity markets. The “Solyndra Effect,” one clean-tech investor said, now refers to the chill sent down the spines of potential limited partners of venture capital funds by the massive writedowns experienced by investors in the solar company. Solyndra’s case is especially tragic, given that the company raised more than $1 billion, making it one of the most well-funded start-ups ever, and surely the biggest bust for the venture capital industry in terms of equity raised. Despite warning signs, Solyndra’s investors continued to wager more money as they ... Continue reading →

This week in food and drink: What's brewing in 2018 Share This Story! Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about This week in food and drink: What's brewing in 2018 USA TODAY Network's food and beverage reporters share beer news and brewery openings planned for 2018. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. USA TODAY Network Published 8:46 a.m. ET Jan. 27, 2018 Ballast Point announced it will open a brewery at Downtown Disney District in Anaheim, Calif., this year.(Photo: Kambria Fischer) USA TODAY Network's food and beverage reporters share beer news and brewery updates everyday. This week, we see 2018 breweries planned for Buffalo, N.Y., Louisville, Milwaukee and New York's Hudson Valley, plus which Wisconsin destination was named the best beer drinking city. And Detroit Free Press may have found Michigan's most dedicated beer enthusiast. See the top tweets for craft beer fans below. Autoplay Show Thumbnails Show Captions ... Continue reading →

At a panel discussion on October 7, 2016 at SupplySide West, a natural products industry event in Las Vegas, Sapna Misra, President of Anpas Global, will share the major consumer trends in Maternal Health Omega-3s along with her journey to finding a sweet spot in the crowded omega-3 market with her line of high concentrate DHA supplements. In January 2015, Anpas Global entered the consumer health products space with Nurture Me, the smallest size omega-3 DHA supplement for women. Within 9 months of market entry, Nurture Me was named among the top new launches for CPG Women's Health Products for Innovation and Market Impact by the 2015 SupplySide CPG Editor’s Choice Awards. With the growing success of their first brand, the company recently launched its second Omega-3 DHA product for kids 8 years plus, called Nurture Kids. At the upcoming Supply Side Show, Sapna will share insights on the maternal health market segment and the motivation to formulate her product for this ... Continue reading →

By Adam Beyer The public policy honors thesis program draws students with a diverse array of passions, all interested in pursuing original research. This academic year, the program attracted 30 students, a 10-year high, said Ken Rogerson, associate professor and thesis program director for the Sanford School of Public Policy To accommodate the large number, both Rogerson and Adam Hollowell, an adjunct professor, taught a section of the thesis course. The course guides students through the research and writing process and provides a community for collaboration and support. Each students also seeks out a faculty advisor. “The value of the program for the student is not the end product so much as the process of figuring out their own research project,” Rogerson said. “It makes them a better student, employee and potential graduate student.” Sanford’s thesis program differs from other undergraduate thesis programs at Duke because it starts in the spring of a ... Continue reading →

Do you own rental property? If yes, and you're looking to borrow money with a new mortgage, your gain or loss identified by your tax returns may help or hinder your chances of procuring favorable credit. Lenders can use up to 75% of the rents generated, however, if there is a history of rental losses, those losses may limit borrowing power. What to pay attention to if you have a mortgaged rental property… Know Your Schedule E The schedule E of your Form 1040 is the area of your personal income tax return where you report rental property. If at the end of the calendar year, you have a net loss on your tax return, you could face a tough time qualifying for a mortgage because the loss is counted as a liability much like a minimum payment is on a car loan, credit card or other consumer debt. Lenders will usually average a two year history for each rental property owned. An averaged gain or loss from the Schedule E will determine if you cut the mustard for qualifying. How The ... Continue reading →

Recent studies have shown that more people are getting overweight every year. This happens not only to adults but even to kids who have just started in school.  There are many factors that have contributed to this such as the rise in the number of fast foods joints that contain a lot of saturated fat in the meals, the use of refined sugar in sodas and other processed foods, eating food with less fiber, genetics, overeating and as people age slow metabolism.  Since losing weight takes time and most people can’t wait to get rid of it, these people have decided to take the fastest way out which is through the use of weight loss tablets. In the 1950’s until the late 90’s, doctors prescribed drugs for weight loss. The drug works by increasing the serotonin levels in the brain that makes the brain believe that the stomach is already full and thus, increases the person’s metabolic rate. It was only after scientists discovered that these drugs had side ... Continue reading →