Would you wear these outfits? You be the judge about the stars' (Miley! Olivia!) fashion choices.
Source: http://www.ivillage.com/celebrity-style-were-iffy-about-likes-or-yikes/1-b-67322?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Acelebrity-style-were-iffy-about-likes-or-yikes-67322First, the pylons of Sydney’s monorail came tumbling down. Now, the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley, MN has shuttered its aging monorail for good.
The troubled traincars took their last loop around the zoo campus on September 2, and now the zoo has announced the line won’t run ever again.
“It was an outdated system that had reached the end of its useful life,” spokeswoman Kelly Lessard told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Back in 2011, the train stalled, leaving passengers stranded 18 feet above ground. Firefighters rescued them with ladders when they couldn’t get the monorail running again.
Maintenance on a 34-year-old system was certainly an issue. But the biggest problem with the zoo monorail was that it didn’t have any stops along its route. Instead, it looped around the zoo, and those on board could only catch glimpses of animals as it drove past.
As you might expect, not many people paid the extra $4 to ride the monorail when they could spend that time looking at exhibits on foot. In fact, only 15 percent of zoo visitors boarded the tram, a number that fell every year, according to the Star-Tribune. The monorail had lost more than $100,000 each year since 2009, and ridership would have to increase dramatically to break even.
So, the fate of the Minnesota Zoo Monorail was sealed: Closure. The traincars were put up for auction, but only one sold. The other seventeen are being stored. For now, the tracks still stand, but it’s unlikely they’ll survive any future renovations.
If you missed your chance to ride the monorail, enjoy a video of the monorail’s loop, complete with the boarding process and narration from a naturalist.
By Richard Cowan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate announced a last-minute deal on Wednesday to avert a historic lapse in the government's borrowing ability and a potentially damaging debt default, and to reopen the government after a two-week shutdown.
But even if the Senate and House of Representatives manage to overcome procedural hurdles to seal the deal before Thursday - when the Treasury says it will exhaust its borrowing authority - it will only be a temporary solution that sets up the prospect of another showdown early next year.
Major U.S. stock indexes rose more than 1 percent on optimism that lawmakers were finally reaching a deal to end the weeks-long fiscal impasse.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republican leader Mitch McConnell announced the agreement on the Senate floor, where it was expected to win swift approval after a main Republican critic of the deal, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, said he would not use procedural moves to delay a vote.
Weeks of bitter fighting among Democrats and Republicans over President Barack Obama's signature healthcare reform law led to a partial government shutdown on October 1, sidelining hundreds of thousands of federal workers. Cruz and other Republicans backed by the conservative, small government Tea Party movement want to repeal or delay the healthcare law.
The initial fight over the healthcare law turned into a bigger argument over the debt ceiling, threatening a default that would have reverberations around the world.
"If we don't get a default, it would be like Y2K. People were staying up all night worried about what would happen during that deadline. Then nothing happened," said David Keeble, global head of interest rate strategy with Credit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank in New York, referring to worries about the millennium computer bug in 2000.
Both Democrats and Republicans are confident that the U.S. House of Representatives will have enough votes on Wednesday to pass the bipartisan Senate plan, a top Democratic aide said.
Aides to House Speaker John Boehner, the top Republican in Congress, called senior Senate staff to say the House would vote first on the measure, the aide said. The aide said it appears certain to be approved with mostly Democratic votes.
Boehner has been under fierce pressure from conservative members of the House not to call a vote relying on Democratic votes, and his job may be on the line if they continue their opposition to the Senate deal.
Lawmakers are racing against time. While analysts and U.S. officials say the government will still have roughly $30 billion in cash to pay many obligations for at least a few days after October 17, the financial sector may begin to seize up if the deal is not finalized in both chambers.
"Today is definitely not the day to be conducting any serious business as traders across the globe will be hypnotized by their TVs/terminals and anxiously waiting for something to hit the news wires," Jonathan Sudaria, a trader at Capital Spreads in London, wrote in a client note.
Fitch Ratings has said it could cut the U.S. sovereign credit rating from AAA, citing the political brinkmanship over raising the debt ceiling.
The deal that emerged on Wednesday would basically give Obama what he has demanded for months: A straight-forward debt limit hike and government funding bill.
The deal would extend U.S. borrowing authority until February 7, although the Treasury Department would have tools to temporarily extend its borrowing capacity beyond that date if Congress failed to act early next year. It would also fund government agencies until January 15.
The budget deadlock led to federal agency shutdowns at the beginning of the fiscal year on October 1 as Obama and his fellow Democrats stood firm against changing the healthcare law.
Uncertainty over the shutdown and the debt ceiling have already taken a toll on the economy and on confidence in U.S. assets.
Richard Fisher, the hawkish president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, told Reuters on Tuesday that "reckless" U.S. fiscal policy will likely force the Federal Reserve to stand pat on monetary policy this month rather than reducing bond purchases the central bank has used to help support the economy.
(Additional reporting by Susan Heavey, Bill Trott and Thomas Ferraro; Writing by John Whitesides; Editing by Karey Van Hall and Claudia Parsons)
Tokyo International Film Festival
Tokyo International Film Festival Director Yasushi Shiina
A 20-year veteran of the industry, executive at Kadokawa Pictures and sometime producer, Yasushi Shiina has begun his three-year term as head of the Tokyo International Film Festival. He sat down with The Hollywood Reporter in Tokyo to talk about attracting Hollywood stars, a Chinese jury president and a Kennedy -- as well as his vision for the festival.
The Hollywood Reporter: You’ve attracted a lot of big Hollywood stars to TIFF this year. How did you manage that?
Shiina: When we were selecting an opening film, we wanted one where the star could definitely come to the festival. So that was how we got Tom Hanks, and for the others, Robert De Niro, Francis Ford Coppola, Sofia Coppola and Ellen Page, we were just really lucky. We’ve also invited the new U.S. ambassador to Japan, Caroline Kennedy.
STORY: Tokyo Film Fest: 4 Must-Attend Reasons
THR: Appointing Chinese director Chen Kaige (Farewell my Concubine) as head of the jury has won you some kudos, especially in the light of the current Japan-China tensions. Was that a factor?
Shiina: No, I’ve known Chen Kaige for 20 years and released his films on video in Japan. I approached a lot of people for the jury, and it’s always difficult getting directors due to their schedules. But I asked him and he agreed, though he made sure first that it was president of the jury (laughs). I wasn’t thinking about the politics of the situation at the time.
THR: Are you worried about him getting pressure at home not to come?
Shiina: Frankly, he might get some pressure, but things seem to be quite calm at the moment: there haven't been any big demonstrations or anything recently, which is a relief. And this is really about film; it shouldn't be anything to do with politics. We have a number of Chinese films in competition and other sections, and also a tie-up with a Chinese film festival. Because of the quota system in China, it's difficult for Japanese films to be released, so if Japanese films can get released there through festivals, I'll be very happy.
STORY: Tokyo Film Fest Announces Lineup, Visits From Robert De Niro, Tom Hanks
THR: This is the start of your three-year term as new head of the festival, what is your vision for TIFF?
Shiina: First, to increase the number of foreign visitors to TIFF, and then also to support young Japanese creators to take their productions overseas. And if you talk about Japanese content, then anime is a major part, so we need to increase the focus on that. And not just Japanese films, but we should also introduce Japanese fashion, food and culture to the world. And we’re a Far East festival, so we should focus on films from Asia. Festivals like Venice and Cannes naturally enough promote European films, and we should do the same for Asian films.
THR: There seems to be less focus on the ecology theme of recent years.
Shiina: Ecology is very important, but it’s not everything. The festival should be about films first.
THR: You’re following five years of Tom Yoda, who is a big personality, as head of TIFF. How do you plan to further raise the festival’s profile?
Shiina: I think the Japanese industry had become a bit disconnected from TIFF. In the early years, they were very supportive, but recently I feel they don’t really care so much about the festival. I have a lot of connections from my more than 20 years in the business, and I’m working to get the industry more involved. There hasn’t been much of a change in the overall box office for many years and I understand how difficult it is to promote foreign films in Japan these days. My hope is that the festival will help to grow the film business here. And, we’ve been very lucky with the Olympics now coming in 2020; that should mean more foreign visitors to Tokyo and more attention from overseas and at home.
Twitter: @GavinJBlair
WSMV-TV
Flames engulf a house in Memphis, Tenn., where a man who shot two police officers was believed to be barricaded Tuesday night.
By M. Alex Johnson, Staff Writer, NBC News
Two police officers were shot Tuesday by a murder suspect in Memphis, Tenn., who barricaded himself inside a house that he then set on fire, authorities said.
Police said the body of Aaron Dumas, 32 — whom police tactical officers had been trying to arrest when the gunman opened fire on them — was found in a bathtub in the home.
The wounded officers, identified as Timothy Jackson and Paul Hutchinson, were described as stable with gunshot wounds in their legs. Jackson was released from the hospital Tuesday night.
Memphis Police Department
Aaron Dumas, 32, was wanted on attempted murder charges in the shootings last week of his ex-girlfriend and her brother in Memphis, Tenn.
Dozens of members of the Memphis Police Department's elite tactical unit circled the house in south Memphis for much of the day after Dumas' mother let them in about 1:20 p.m. (2:20 p.m. ET) with a warrant for Dumas' arrest in a double shooting last week, police said.
The gunman fired "numerous" shots at Jackson as he tried to enter a bedroom where the man was holed up, Police Director Toney Armstrong said. About three hours later, when police tossed in what they described as a "chemical agent," the man opened fire again, hitting Hutchinson.
The house went up in flames and billowing smoke shortly thereafter. Armstrong said police believe the gunman set the fire.
Specially trained tactical officers were sent to arrest Dumas because he was considered armed and extremely dangerous, Armstrong said. "The TACT Unit was there as a precaution, and as you can see, things can go very, very badly very, very quickly," he said.
Dumas had been wanted on two attempted murder counts in connection with the shootings Oct. 7 of his ex-girlfriend and her brother. Angelique White, 29, and Christopher White, 23, were in good condition at the Regional Medical Center at Memphis after having been shot in a confrontation in their mother's driveway.
"This has been very hard," Bonita White, the victims' mother, told NBC station WMC of Memphis on Monday. "It's been something I had envisioned (and) had dreams about for 3½ years."
White said that there had been a disturbance involving Dumas two weeks ago but that her daughter chose not to press charges — even though she said Dumas had made threats to kill the family before.
"You listen and you hear things like that (and) you think it's an idle threat," White said. But "he made good on his threat. It makes me very, very angry."
Watch US News crime videos on NBCNews.com
This story was originally published on Tue Oct 15, 2013 7:13 PM EDT
Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/663306/s/3280dbee/sc/16/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C10A0C150C20A9796330Esuspects0Ebody0Efound0Eafter0Etwo0Ememphis0Ecops0Eshot0Eby0Ewanted0Eman0Ebarricaded0Ein0Eburning0Ehouse0Dlite/story01.htmJames Blake addresses the crowd during an interview with Mary Joe Fernandez after losing on day three of the 2013 U.S. Open.
James Blake addresses the crowd during an interview with Mary Joe Fernandez after losing on day three of the 2013 U.S. Open.
Neither of them is over 35 years old. One of them played in ATP World Tour events just months ago; the other did so last year. But none of that will keep recently retired tennis players Andy Roddick, 31, and James Blake, 33, from joining a circuit of senior players.
The pair will be playing in the PowerShares Series, a touring set of one-day tournaments featuring tennis legends such as Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl. By joining the tour, Roddick could eventually get a chance to play alongside his former coach, Jimmy Connors.
We will pause here to acknowledge that any of the people listed above would make short work of us on any court, under any conditions. And it can be debated that the PowerShares Series isn't a traditional senior tour, as its minimum age requirement is that players be just 30.
But we also confess to a moment of dubious shock after reading this headline in The Los Angeles Times: "Andy Roddick, James Blake join senior tennis tour."
"I am looking forward to playing on the PowerShares circuit," Roddick says, in a report on the Tennis site. "Having a chance to stay connected with tennis and compete on a limited basis through events like these fits perfectly with my life these days."
A look at the PowerShares site shows that it features a Tennis article identifying it as "the newly-named senior circuit" last year, when it changed its name from the Champions Series. The tour was founded in 2005 by a group that includes former tennis star Jim Courier, who plays in many events.
If you're wondering about the age cutoff for other senior tours, so were we:
In tennis, the ATP Champions Tour requires that players be retired and meet career criteria, such as holding a world No. 1 ranking or being a Grand Slam finalist.
While some sources report the Champions Tour requires that players are at least 35, Roddick is scheduled to play a tour event in early 2014, when he'll still be 31. The Champions Tour is also said to require a player be at least two years past their retirement; details about its policies weren't available for review at the time of this post.
In professional golf, the standard minimum age to join a senior tour is 50.
2012 British-Irish drama "Shadow Dancer"
LONDON – The Irish Film Board is celebrating after Ireland's government said it would up its tax breaks for production to 32 percent from 2015.
The Irish lawmakers also said it would extend the breaks for production to talent from outside the European Union, including talent from the U.S. working on the Emerald Isle. The change mirrors the U.K. tax credit, which also allows work by U.S. talent on British shores to qualify.
"Building on the current success of the film, television and animation industry, this new measure will assist Irish producers in attracting foreign direct investment in the form of international feature films and television shows which will assist in creating new Irish jobs within the sector," Irish Film Board chief executive James Hickey said in a statement.
PHOTOS: The Scene at the Venice International Film Festival 2013
The enhancement of the Irish tax incentive for the film and television industry demonstrates the commitment of the Irish government to the future of Irish film, television and animation sectors and Ireland's creative industries.
Earlier in 2013, the Irish government extended the Section 481 legislation to 2020 and increased its value to 32 percent as of 2016. This improvement and the change announced in the 2014 budget has now been brought forward to 2015.
Irish Minister for finance Michael Noonan said: "These productions are job-rich and can often give a knock-on boost to the tourism sector. This extension will be subject to EU state-aid approval, and it will be coupled with the introduction of a withholding tax."
Production activity across the feature film, independent drama, TV and animation industry in Ireland in 2012 was valued at more than $244 million (€180 million) in terms of expenditure on local goods and services in Ireland, up around 30 percent over 2011 figures.
STORY: Four Ways Irish Film New York Is Breaking Through the Crowded Festival Scene
Employment levels within the overall audiovisual industry, which has a turnover of more than $678 million (€500 million), also have increased to more than 6,500 full-time job equivalents.
Over the course of 2012, the Irish Film Board invested in 30 film and television projects, which led to $160 milllion (€118 million) being raised in foreign direct investment by Irish producers on IFB-funded projects. $108 million (€80 million) of this was invested directly into the Irish economy through the purchase of local services and employment.
