Monday, December 31, 2018
A San Clemente couple ditches careers in real estate to create world-wide travel tips in little-explored places
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At 1 a.m. on Jan. 1, as others fade from ringing in the New Year, Joel and Christie Daniel will have lifted off from Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, on the way to their new life traveling the world and documenting their experiences.
“We wanted to get as close to the new year as possible,” Joel Daniel, 40, said. The San Clemente couple were in Arizona on a last visit with family before flying out. “We wanted to start 2019 with this. Every minute of 2019, we want to travel.”
When they touch down, they’ll be in Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic, and will head to Las Terrenas, a resort town on the Samaná Peninsula on the island’s northeastern side. There the Daniels plan to visit local beaches, Bonita, Cosón and Las Ballenas, and whale watch, hike and get a taste of local food and drinks at restaurants along the water.
“I’ll videotape from the time we exit the plane, to getting the taxi, to finding the bus station to Los Terrenas,” Joel Daniel said.
The couple, who for years have sold and appraised real estate in Southern California, are beginning 2019 doing something both are passionate about and hope will become a new career.
In the last few months, they sold all their belongings, closed their business and sold their cars to make the adventure a reality.
The Daniels want to stop off in a new country each month. In February, they plan to head to the Yucatan Peninsula, in March it’s Costa Rica, then Panama in April. In May, they expect to head to Europe, starting with Greece.
Destinations are a mix of places both wanted to experience. Up until now, their travel has been limited to the United States and Mexico. They only speak English and will rely on Google translate.
Everything they learn will be documented on their website, 2travelinglovers.com, where they said they will also post videos and give tips on products and traveling items they find useful along the way – using affiliate marketing through Amazon they hope to make some income with their blogging during their travels.
At each spot, they want to visit places not typically documented by tourists. They said they will dig into local culture and give tips on food and restaurants, find secret beaches and places to hike deep into tropical jungles and forests. They’ll also look for perfect honeymoon spots and give suggestions on making that special occasion even more romantic.
“We’re not staying in populated places,” Christie Daniel, 51, said. “We plan to spend all our time with locals, showing their way of life, culture and local recipes. We want to give a day-to-day experience of what it’s like to come from the U.S. and travel to some of these places, some of which are Third World countries.”
The Daniels thought up their plan in early 2018. Christie Daniel had been appraising real estate for 18 years, and Joel Daniel had been selling it for a decade. They worked from a home they rented near the beach in San Clemente, but realized the demands of the industry really didn’t make them happy anymore.
“It was stressful,” Joel Daniel said. “We were burned out. We were tired of not doing something we loved.”
So, they began hatching ideas on what to do during daily walks on the San Clemente Beach Trail.
“Most all of the travel bloggers were all 20-somethings, not many were in their 40s and 50s,” Christie Daniel said. “Our take will be different. The blog of many people in their 20s are staying at hostels, backpacking and hitchhiking. We are staying at nice Airbnbs that don’t cost an arm and a leg. Our goal is to educate couples in their mid-40s to mid-50s on beautiful places in the world that don’t cost a fortune and are a little more on culture rather than Americanized.”
The couple has spent eight months working on the travel plans. Even on Monday, Dec. 31, they were doing final preparations.
The Daniels plans to return home in December to visit family before launching out to Asia in 2020. Both are optimistic about their new year’s venture.
“Maybe more people will realize you don’t have to be a multi-millionaire to do this,” Joel Daniel said.
“You need to do what makes you happy,” Christie Daniel added. “We want to slow down and take it all in.”
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Posted by https://goo.gl/TXzGV5Sears may stay alive with rescue bid cobbled by Lampert
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Sears Holdings Corp. got another chance at survival after Chairman Eddie Lampert put together a last-minute, last-ditch bid to buy the retailer out of bankruptcy.
Lampert persuaded three lenders to finance the $4.4 billion offer, according to a statement from ESL Investments. The plan includes keeping 425 stores open and a $1.3 billion financing commitment, the statement said. The company expects to reinstate severance plans for employees who stay and would maintain guarantees to customers of appliances, televisions, lawn tractors and other big-ticket products.
The offer from Lampert and his ESL Investments, the chain’s biggest shareholder and creditor, keeps hope alive for the iconic department store company and up to 50,000 employees. His plan would still need to pass muster with creditors and the bankruptcy court — and he could still be outbid by a liquidator looking to shut Sears and sell off the pieces.
He’ll also have to persuade suppliers to keep restocking the shelves, despite their concerns that they won’t get paid, and lure back shoppers from online outlets and brick-and-mortar rivals with better financing.
Store closings
“Lampert and ESL have proven for years that they are the problem and they can’t be the solution,” Burt Flickinger, managing director of Strategic Resource Group, a retail-advisory firm, said in an interview before the disclosure. “Even with an approved bid, the company is heading for another iceberg and will sink before the winter weather is gone.”
Any turnaround won’t come soon enough for some outlets, with Sears telling employees on Dec. 28 that it’s closing 80 Sears and Kmart stores in late March 2019. That’s in addition to the previously shutdown of 40 unprofitable stores expected to be completed in February. Liquidation sales are expected to begin in two weeks.
‘Best path’
“Our going concern bid provides the best path forward for the company, the best option to save tens of thousands of jobs and is superior for all of Sears’ stakeholders to the alternative of a complete liquidation,” the statement said.
The path to a deal has been complicated by accusations from unsecured creditors that Lampert had unfairly profited from previous bailouts and thus drained value from Sears. The initial version of his rescue plan demanded that Lampert’s ESL Investments hedge fund be released from liability related to any of its pre-bankruptcy transactions.
Another distraction came from a Sears plan to raise tens of millions of dollars by selling off some obscure internal debt instruments. The buyers were investors who had bought insurance contracts against a Sears default, and who wanted the internal notes to bolster their claims.
Lampert’s stake
But the sale of those notes got bogged down in court because it threatened to upend the market for the insurance contracts, more formally known as credit default swaps. The dispute is still winding its way through the court and the governing body of an industry trade group.
Lampert, who engineered a $12.3 billion acquisition of Sears by Kmart in 2005, held about $2.5 billion in Sears debt as of September, the result of multiple attempts to keep the chain afloat. He’s shuttered hundreds of money-losing stores, cut more than $1 billion in annual expenses, and spun off units such as Lands’ End Inc.
The retailer, for years called Sears, Roebuck & Co. and famous for its massive catalog, boomed in the decades after World War II along with a growing middle class. But it wasn’t able to keep up with shifting consumer habits as online rivals including Amazon.com Inc. siphoned off shoppers, while turnaround efforts were hobbled by mountains of debt.
Sears sold everything from Craftsman tools to Kenmore appliances, but it lost its footing in the 1980s with expansions into financial products such as banking, mortgages, insurance and credit cards. Walmart Inc. supplanted Sears as the biggest retailer in the early 1990s.
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Posted by https://goo.gl/TXzGV5Amazon plans to expand Whole Foods stores, report says
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Amazon.com shares gained Monday after a report said the company plans to expand its Whole Foods grocery stores in the U.S.
The e-commerce giant aims to add locations to suburbs and other areas where the organic grocer is adding more customers since it was bought by Amazon last year, according to the Wall Street Journal, which cited a person familiar with the plans. The move would allow more customers to tap into Amazon’s Prime Now two-hour delivery service.
A spokesperson for Amazon couldn’t immediately be reached by Bloomberg News. Amazon shares gained 1.6 percent to $1,501.97 on Monday.
Amazon has been pushing to expand in the $840 billion grocery business since buying Whole Foods for $13.7 billion in 2017. Amazon has used discounts to lure Prime members to physical Whole Foods stores. Now, it needs more stores that are closer to more people, according to a report over the summer by Sense360. Amazon’s Prime Now service offers delivery from Whole Foods in as little as an hour in more than 60 cities.
Amazon intends to expand its delivery and pick-up services to almost all of its more than 400 Whole Foods stores in the U.S., the WSJ said.
Despite Amazon’s investment in Whole Foods, the number of Amazon Prime members who shop for groceries at least once a month declined in 2018 compared with 2017, according to an annual consumer survey by UBS.
The WSJ reported that Whole Foods employees have looked at potential retail locations in the Rocky Mountain region, including in Idaho, southern Utah and Wyoming. Some of those spaces were about 45,000 square feet, according to the report.
To contact the reporter on this story: Krista Gmelich in New York at kgmelich1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jillian Ward at jward56@bloomberg.net, Molly Schuetz, Jonathan Roeder
©2018 Bloomberg L.P.
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Posted by https://goo.gl/TXzGV5Charter/Spectrum subscribers in L.A. area could lose local stations as contract ends
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Charter Communications Inc., the third largest-U.S. pay-TV provider, faces a midnight deadline to renew a programming agreement with Tribune Media Co. or potentially lose local stations in 24 markets, including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.
The current accord providing Charter customers with 33 Tribune stations ends at midnight New York time. Expiration could affect their ability to watch Fox and CBS network affiliates in markets like Cleveland, St. Louis and Indianapolis, as well as the superstation WGN. As of midday Monday the two sides were still in discussions.
If a blackout occurs, it could disrupt coverage of NCAA basketball games and NFL playoffs this weekend, starting with the Seattle Seahawks versus Dallas Cowboys Saturday in a game to be carried on Fox. The Los Angeles Chargers play the Baltimore Ravens the next day on CBS.
“We continue to negotiate with Tribune and hope to reach a fair agreement,” Stamford, Connecticut-based Charter said in a statement.
“Spectrum has so far failed to negotiate in a meaningful fashion,” said Tribune Media spokesman Gary Weitman.
Record subscriber losses for the pay-TV industry in the third quarter add to the pressure on media companies and cable and satellite operators during the current round of renewal talks. The pay-TV industry continues to be squeezed by online video services like Netflix Inc. and other cheaper alternatives.
Earlier this month, Nexstar Media Group Inc. agreed to buy Tribune Media for $4.1 billion, potentially surpassing Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. and forming the largest local-TV broadcaster in the U.S. Tribune’s total of 42 stations include Fox, CBS, NBC and ABC affiliates, as well as CW and MyNetworkTV. Charter has a big presence in Los Angeles, where Chicago-based Tribune’s KTLA is scheduled to broadcast the Tournament of Roses Parade New Year’s Day.
On Sunday, Verizon Communications reached a new pact with Walt Disney Co. covering programming from Disney’s ABC, ESPN and other channels.
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Posted by https://goo.gl/TXzGV5US stocks end dismal, volatile year on a bright note
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By Alex Veiga, The Associated Press
Wall Street closed out a dismal, turbulent year for stocks on a bright note Monday, but still finished 2018 with the worst showing in a decade.
After setting a series of records through the late summer and early fall, major U.S. indexes fell sharply after early October, leaving them all in the red for the year.
The S&P 500 index, the market’s main benchmark, finished the year with a loss of 6.2 percent. The last time the index fell for the year was in 2008 during the financial crisis. The S&P 500 also posted tiny losses in 2011 and 2015, but eked out small gains in both years once dividends were included.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 5.6 percent. The Nasdaq composite sank 12.2 percent.
“This has really been a challenging year for investors,” said Jeff Kravetz, regional investment strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management. “This was really the year that market volatility returned with a vengeance.”
Investors grew worried that the testy U.S.-China trade dispute and higher interest rates would slow the economy, hurting corporate profits. A slowing U.S. housing market and forecasts of weaker global growth in 2019 stoked traders’ unease.
“For markets to move higher next year, we’re going to have to resolve those issues,” Kravetz said.
On Monday, the S&P 500 index rose 21.11 points, or 0.9 percent, to 2,506.85. The Dow gained 265.06 points, or 1.2 percent, to 23,327.46. The Nasdaq added 50.76 points, or 0.8 percent, to 6,635.28. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks picked up 10.64 points, or 0.8 percent, to 1,348.56.
Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.68 percent from 2.73 percent late Friday. The yield started off the year at 2.41 percent.
Health care stocks paved the way for Monday’s modest gains. The sector ended the year with a 4.7 percent increase, to lead all other sectors in the S&P 500. Utilities were the only other sector to eke out an annual gain, adding 0.5 percent.
Technology companies, a big driver of the market’s gains before things deteriorated in October, ended the year with a 1.6 percent loss. Three of the five so-called “FAANG” stocks — Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Google parent Alphabet — ended 2018 lower. Amazon rose 28.4 percent, while Netflix jumped 39.4 percent.
Energy companies fared the worst, plunging 20.5 percent for the year, as the price of U.S. crude oil tumbled around 40 percent from a four-year peak of $76 a barrel in October.
On Monday, benchmark U.S. crude oil inched up 0.2 percent to settle at $45.41 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the benchmark for international prices, gained 1.1 percent to $53.80 a barrel in London.
Trading will be closed Tuesday for New Year’s Day.
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Posted by https://goo.gl/TXzGV5Want to count? Orange County needs help with its 2019 Point In Time homeless census
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Orange County is looking for around 1,000 volunteers to help conduct its biennial Point In Time headcount of homeless people on Jan. 23 and 24.
The theme of “Everyone Counts” conveys the importance of getting as thorough a count as possible to better plan and provide services, shelter and housing. The homeless census is mandated by the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development.
Most of the count is expected to be done on Jan. 23, a Wednesday, in the early hours from 5 to 9 a.m. and then in the evening from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m.
The second-day count on Jan. 24 is intended to follow up on any areas that might have been missed.
Volunteer opportunities include field team captains, field surveyors, hosts at the five deployment centers, photographers and videographers.
Volunteers in the field must be 18 or older; deployment center volunteers can be 16 or older.
The teams will be guided by maps developed by City Net, a homeless services provider that previously has conducted city and regional homeless counts in Orange County.
All 34 local cities have been mapped for the count, along with unincorporated areas.
A tandem count of homeless people in shelters or other programs will be conducted by 2-1-1 Orange County, the regional social service information clearinghouse, on Jan. 23.
The field count will be different than past years: A phone app will capture information in real time on who’s out there and exactly where. More detailed demographic data also will be sought in electronic surveys that homeless people will be asked to participate in voluntarily, using one-day bus passes and food gift cards as incentives.
Training schedules
A training session specifically for homeless service providers will be held 9 a.m. on Jan. 3 at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Orange.
Sessions for other volunteers will run 90 minutes at locations in Fullerton and Tustin on Jan. 12 at 9 a.m.; Jan 16 at 6:30 p.m.; and Jan. 17 at 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. In south county, training will take place in Mission Viejo on the same dates and times, with the exception of 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. sessions on Jan. 17.
City Net is seeking donations for hygiene kits that will be distributed, and also is asking for people to write letters of compassion.
To learn more or to volunteer, go to everyonecounts.org.
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Posted by https://goo.gl/TXzGV5Bubble Watch: 10 Southern California economic trends we worry about
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“Bubble Watch” digs into trends that may indicate economic and/or housing market troubles ahead.
Buzz
As 2018 ends, let’s recap all those economic trends that forced us, at least momentarily, to ask “another bubble?” a decade after the Great Recession.
Dissection
Listed in order of increasing risk, here are 10 reasons to worry that one of the longest economic upswings in history may draw to a close with an ugly ending.
10. Modest wage growth
Local bosses raised salaries in 2018 as the job market tightened.
Still, those fatter paychecks are by no means universal, and the raises that were handed out were in large part not astronomical in an era of worker shortages.
The meager pay hikes show a continued bout of penny-pinching by local bosses. This all but guarantees they’ll be quick to cut wages and workers the minute the business climate sours.
9. Tempered consumer confidence
Shopper exuberance, measured by numerous benchmarks as well as retail-sales patterns, has risen since President Donald Trump was elected.
Much of that confidence pop was due to conservative-leaning folks having a dramatic change of economic heart, becoming extremely enthusiastic about business prospects almost overnight.
But lately, consumer confidence measures reveal some economic skittishness. Strong holiday shopping indicates anxieties haven’t hit checkbooks yet but heightened nervousness is not a pattern to brag about.
8. Slower auto sales
Southern Californians bought a heck of a lot of cars in recent years, so it’s not a big surprise the auto market has peaked.
But what about the eye-catching shift in what is being bought? Fuel-efficient sedans are out and sports utility vehicles and light trucks are in. Either folks are flush enough to buy these pricier vehicles or they don’t think gas prices will soar any year soon.
Such bold thinking could be laudable. Or irrational exuberance.
7. Unsold new homes
For years, we’ve heard local builders must up their game to help boost the options for house hunters.
In 2018, developers got a rude surprise: The build-it-and-they-will-come approach doesn’t work. The number of unsold, finished new homes is running at post-recession highs. This has forced builders to offer more incentives — or a polite way of saying “cut prices.”
Builders over-bet on the upper slice of the market. Their tactics to trim inventories will reverberate — from pressuring all home pricing as well cool future development plans and construction hiring.
6. Stock market volatility
Let’s remember that 2017, for example, was one of the least exciting years on Wall Street in the history books.
In 2018 the proverbial thrill ride known as Wall Street returned to full gyrating style. These sharp moves upset investors who were lulled into complacency by a long bull market.
And nervous investors often do silly things.
5. Rising interest rates
By definition, when interest rates rise the economy is doing well.
So the fact that rates are up is not technically bad news.
In Southern California, where life is expensive, pricier money puts a major dent in the economy. It makes numerous things more expensive, draining cash from everything from daily necessities and discretionary purchases to corporate hiring and investment.
And this wouldn’t be the first time the Federal Reserve upped rates too much with unpleasant economic consequences.
4. Homeowners rush to sell
Southern California housing’s big story of 2017 was what was perceived to be a dramatic shortage of homes to buy.
That changed dramatically in 2018 for reasons not fully fathomable. Was it an abrupt desire to move — whether it was younger owners seeking more space or seniors downsizing? Or investors cashing out of rental properties?
No matter the cause, a rush to sell puts pressure on home values and raises questions about how owners may act when economic conditions truly sour.
3. The slow-growth movement
A growing number of Southern Californians think progress should have limits.
Pick your complaint: Too much construction. Too much traffic. Too many people. The strong local economy gets bad grades from these people who are feeling a crunch.
Forget the who-is-right details. The strongest slow-growth push in three decades will cool the economic climate by at least making new opportunities of various forms harder to create.
It’s a classic be-careful-what-you-wish-for scenario … because slow-growth chatter seems to peak just before the economy dives.
2. Slower hiring pace
The bottom line for the economy is always “Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!”
And it seems Southern California bosses pruned the hiring pace in 2018.
Consider how fast the local economy has grown post-recession and how many business bets have been made on future expansion. Sadly, we won’t get an accurate picture of job growth until early 2019 when revisions to state employment data are released.
But any significant slowdown in new opportunities could upend growth plans, create corporate-level anxieties and pinch take-home pay. Basically, a painful drag for the local economy.
1. Slumping home sales
Southern California homes haven’t been this hard to sell in four years.
Maybe the job market is weak, so house hunters are having second thoughts. Pricier mortgages haven’t help. More choices — the supply of both existing and newly constructed homes both rose — took away the “buy-now-or-never” urgency. And tax-law changes nudged the “rent-or-buy” math away from ownership.
One wonders where pent-up demand went. This most worrisome of 2018’s economic hiccups hints that demand for housing ownership in Southern California is badly overstated.
How bubbly?
On a scale of zero bubbles (no bubble here) to five bubbles (five-alarm warning) … TWO-AND-A-HALF BUBBLES.
Look, not every economic upswing ends in total disaster, though many folks still have ugly images of the damage inflicted a decade ago. How quickly will locals — from powerful corporate chiefs to everyday citizens — shut down spending if 2018’s anxiousness becomes reality in 2019?
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Posted by https://goo.gl/TXzGV5Elizabeth Warren takes big move toward 2020 presidential run
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By ELANA SCHOR
WASHINGTON — Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Monday took the first major step toward launching a widely anticipated campaign for the presidency, hoping her reputation as a populist fighter can help her navigate a Democratic field that could include nearly two dozen candidates.
“No matter what our differences, most of us want the same thing,” the 69-year-old Massachusetts Democrat said in a video that highlights her family’s history in Oklahoma. “To be able to work hard, play by the same set of rules and take care of the people we love. That’s what I’m fighting for and that’s why today I’m launching an exploratory committee for president.”
Warren burst onto the national scene a decade ago during the financial crisis with calls for greater consumer protections. She quickly became one of the party’s more prominent liberals even as she sometimes fought with Obama administration officials over their response to the market turmoil.
Now, as a likely presidential contender, she is making an appeal to the party’s base. Her video notes the economic challenges facing people of color along with images of a women’s march and Warren’s participation at an LGBT event.
In an email to supporters, Warren said she’d more formally announce a campaign plan early in 2019.
Warren is the most prominent Democrat yet to make a move toward a presidential bid and has long been a favorite target of President Donald Trump.
In mid-December, former Obama housing chief Julian Castro also announced a presidential exploratory committee, which legally allows potential candidates to begin raising money. Outgoing Maryland Rep. John Delaney is the only Democrat so far to have formally announced a presidential campaign.
But that’s likely to change quickly in the new year as other leading Democrats take steps toward White House runs.
Warren enters a Democratic field that’s shaping up as the most crowded in decades, with many of her Senate colleagues openly weighing their own campaigns, as well as governors, mayors and other prominent citizens. One of her most significant competitors could be Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent who is eyeing another presidential run harnessing the same populist rhetoric.
She must also move past a widely panned October release of a DNA test meant to bolster her claim to Native American heritage. The move was intended to rebut Trump’s taunts of Warren as “Pocahontas.” Instead, her use of a genetic test to prove ethnicity spurred controversy that seemed to blunt any argument she sought to make. There was no direct mention of it in the video released Monday.
Warren has the benefit of higher name recognition than many others in the Democratic mix for 2020, thanks to her years as a prominent critic of Wall Street who originally conceived of what became the government’s Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
She now faces an arduous battle to raise money and capture Democratic primary voters’ attention before Iowa casts its first vote in more than a year. She has an advantage in the $12.5 million left over from her 2018 re-election campaign that she could use for a presidential run.
Warren’s campaign is likely to revolve around the same theme she’s woven into speeches and policy proposals in recent years: battling special interests, paying mind to the nexus between racial and economic inequities.
“America’s middle class is under attack,” Warren said in the video. “How did we get here? Billionaires and big corporations decided they wanted more of the pie. And they enlisted politicians to cut them a fatter slice.”
Associated Press writers Juana Summers in Washington and Steve LeBlanc in Boston contributed to this report.
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Posted by https://goo.gl/TXzGV5Reports: Steve Alford to be fired by UCLA
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Steve Alford called Saturday’s 15-point loss to Liberty “one of the most disappointing games” he’s had in his 28-year coaching career. It may be the coach’s final undoing at UCLA.
According to multiple reports, UCLA will fire their sixth-year head coach in the midst of a four-game losing streak that dropped the Bruins to 7-6 at the end of nonconference play. An announcement could come by Monday, according to reports from Scott Bilo, The Athletic and Bruin Report Online.
The Bruins, who lost to Belmont, Cincinnati, Ohio State and Liberty during a two-week span, are on their longest losing skid since the 2015-16 season, when they finished 15-17, UCLA’s first losing season since it hired John Wooden in 1948.
Alford returned a 2014 contract extension following that disappointing season. The following year, he coached UCLA to its third Sweet 16 in four years with fantastic freshmen Lonzo Ball and TJ Leaf leading one of the top offensive teams in the country.
The brief success led to Alford receiving the extension he returned, which put him under contract through the 2020-21 season. According to the extension, Alford is due roughly $4.5 million if fired now with a $3.6-million buyout and four-months’ worth of his annual $2.6 million base salary and talent fee for the remaining time on the contract year that ends April 30.
Since Alford signed the extension, the Bruins have a 28-18 record, had players who were involved in a shoplifting scandal that made international headlines and lost an NCAA play-in game to St. Bonaventure. Despite questions about Alford’s job security swirling, UCLA still pulled in another top recruiting class this season, led by five-star 7-foot-1 center Moses Brown, but have struggled without a clear, experienced leader.
UCLA has three former McDonald’s All-Americans with Brown and sophomores Jaylen Hands and Kris Wilkes, but have lost each of their past three games by double digits since a narrow two-point defeat against Belmont on Dec. 15.
The Bruins start conference play Thursday at 8 p.m. at Pauley Pavilion against Stanford.
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Posted by https://goo.gl/TXzGV5NFL playoffs first look: Chargers vs. Baltimore Ravens
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Chargers (12-4) at Baltimore Ravens (10-6)
Date: Sunday, Jan. 6, 10:05 a.m. PT
Last meeting: The Chargers had arguably their worst offensive performance of the season in a 22-10 loss to the Ravens at StubHub Center on Dec. 22. But despite the poor offensive outing, Philip Rivers had an opportunity to steal the game, as the Chargers were on the move down six with three minutes left. Then an Antonio Gates fumble was turned into a 62-yard touchdown return by Ravens cornerback Tavon Young to ice the game. The Chargers’ defense had success, containing the Ravens to 159 rushing yards. On Sunday, the Ravens had 296 rushing yards against the Cleveland Browns.
Ravens at a glance: Baltimore’s season changed when rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson took over as the starter in Week 11, when the Ravens were 4-5 and on a three-game skid. The Ravens now roll into the postseason having won six of their past seven games. Jackson and the rushing attack have gotten most of the credit for the turnaround, but the defense has carried them all season. The Ravens held the Chargers to 198 yards when they played on Dec. 22. The Ravens entered the final week of the regular season No. 1 in total defense and scoring defense. Even with all the Ravens’ recent success, they were nearly bounced from the playoff picture on Sunday after a late rally from the Browns. The Ravens held on to beat the Browns 26-24.
The big question: Can Rivers and the Chargers fix their recent offensive woes?
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Posted by https://goo.gl/TXzGV5Sunday, December 30, 2018
USC basketball tops UC Davis in final non-conference game
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LOS ANGELES — USC’s men’s basketball team was on a losing skid for most of December.
It will enter Pac-12 play later this week on a winning streak.
The Trojans defeated UC Davis, 73-55, on Sunday night, leading for nearly the entire second half after the teams traded baskets for much of the early goings at Galen Center. It marked their second consecutive victory after defeating Southern Utah nine days earlier before taking a break for Christmas.
Senior forward Bennie Boatwright scored a game-high 19 points, as the Trojans moved to 7-6 overall in their final non-conference game. Point guard Derryck Thornton added 16 points, while his backup, freshman Elijah Weaver, finished with a career-high 13 points after he missed the previous game due to an ankle injury.
“We’ve been fighting a lot throughout the season,” Thornton said. “We had injuries, a lot of up and down. It feels good, before conference, to end with a bang.”
The long-range shots fell for USC in the second half as it withstood several attempted rallies by UC Davis, which at one point cut the deficit to a point with nearly 12 minutes left.
After shooting 3 of 13 from 3-point range in the first half, the Trojans went 7 of 10 from beyond the arc after halftime, including two apiece from Thornton and Weaver, that put them in a comfortable position. Across the floor, they Trojans shot 64 percent in the second half.
“It’s very frustrating when you have wide open shots to keep missing and missing,” Coach Andy Enfield said, “but in the second half, that’s why we extended the lead. We finally made three or four in a row.”
Thronton pushed the Trojans’ lead into double-digits for good when he hit a straightaway 3-pointer with 5:39 remaining, giving them a 63-53 advantage, working to erase the stench from a four-game losing streak earlier this month that included the most lopsided loss of their six seasons under Enfield. The Trojans open Pac-12 play against Cal on Thursday.
The Trojans ultimately sealed their win Sunday on the defensive end holding the visiting Aggies (3-10) without a point for the final four-plus minutes, prompting most of the fans in the announced crowd of 3,127 to head toward the exits.
“In a timeout, I kind of just pulled my guys aside and was like, ‘Hey, let’s get a stop, let’s finish the game,’” Weaver said. “And (Thornton) was also just telling us if we get stops, we don’t even have to score. Let’s get stops and we’ll win the game.”
Though Weaver returned from injury, the Trojans remained limited to an eight-man rotation.
Added to the list of players who were sidelined was sophomore wing Jordan Usher, who is indefinitely suspended due to unspecified conduct issues. Enfield said after the game that the discipline was leveled by the coaching staff, but did not provide further reasons for his absence. Kevin Porter Jr., the talented freshman guard, remained out with a thigh bruise.
Weaver looked healthy in his return from the ankle, scoring eight of his 13 points in the second half, with a couple baskets during a 7-0 run midway through the final period that included a pull-up jump shot in transition.
Before missing the previous game against Southern Utah, Weaver had aggravated his left ankle during a game against Oklahoma on Dec. 15, the same ankle he had surgery on in August.
“It feels good,” Weaver said. “I’m not even worried about it. The less I focus on it, the better it gets.”
Before the Trojans pulled ahead late in the game, they fell behind by as many as seven points in the first half before an 11-2 spurt gave them a 32-30 lead at halftime, capped by a 3-pointer from Boatwright to beat the shot clock on their second-to-last possession of the first half.
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Posted by https://goo.gl/TXzGV5NFL playoff schedule: Dates, TV times announced
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The schedule for the upcoming NFL playoffs:
WILD CARD
Saturday, Jan. 5
AFC: Indianapolis at Houston (ESPN, with simulcast on ABC), 1:35 p.m. (PT)
NFC: Seattle at Dallas (FOX) 5:15 PM (PT)
Sunday, Jan. 6
AFC: Chargers at Baltimore (CBS), 10:05 a.m. (PT)
NFC: Philadelphia at Chicago (NBC), 1:40 p.m. (PT)
DIVISIONAL
Saturday, Jan. 12
AFC: Baltimore/Chargers/Indianapolis at Kansas City (NBC), 1:35 p.m.
NFC: Chicago/Dallas/Seattle at Rams (FOX) 5:15 PM (PT)
Sunday, Jan. 13
AFC: Houston/Baltimore/Chargers at New England (CBS) 10:05 a.m. (PT)
NFC: Dallas/Seattle/Philadelphia at New Orleans (FOX), 1:40 PM (ET)
The NFC (FOX, 1:05 p.m. PT) and AFC (CBS, 3:40 p.m. PT) Championship Games will be played on Sunday, Jan. 20.
Super Bowl LIII will take place on Sunday, Feb. 3 (CBS, 3:30 p.m. PT), at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
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Posted by https://goo.gl/TXzGV5UCLA women’s basketball opens Pac-12 play with win over USC
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LOS ANGELES — Nine minutes of the third quarter led to the UCLA women’s basketball team’s 72-65 win over USC on Sunday afternoon.
In that span, covering most of the period, the Bruins erased a 13-point deficit and outscored their crosstown rival by 24 points en route to a fifth consecutive victory, gaining a jolt of confidence as they opened Pac-12 play at Galen Center.
With 8:54 left in the third quarter, the Bruins trailed the Trojans, 41-28, before beginning a 16-2 run that positioned them ahead for the first time since the early minutes of the contest. A pair of free throws by senior guard Kennedy Burke midway through the third quarter put them up, 44-43, and they never trailed again.
The Bruins (8-5) shot almost 58 percent in the third quarter as every shot seemed to fall, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by senior forward Lajahna Drummer that banked off the glass and went through the rim to give them a 59-49 lead. After the arena buzzer sounded, UCLA’s players leapt off the bench to celebrate with Drummer on the court.
As recently as four weeks ago, UCLA had been plagued by a sluggish start to its season, left to recover from the departures of Jordin Canada and Monique Billings from last season’s team that reached the Elite Eight, beginning 3-5 with four of the five losses against unranked teams.
Over the five-game winning streak this month to reserve its fortunes, perhaps no triumph was bigger than the one against the Trojans, handing them their second loss. It was also the Bruins’ fifth consecutive victory over USC, a run that dates back to the 2015-16 season.
“I try to stay really consistent on how I present the games to the team,” UCLA coach Cori Close said. “We gotta get better every week. But when you look at the grand scheme of things, this was a really important piece for our start and for our confidence. I always tell the team that you have to earn confidence. You can’t be given confidence. I thought they earned another piece of confidence.”
Sophomore forward Michaela Onyenwere was key for the Bruins, scoring a game-high 27 points and finishing two points shy of her career high. Lindsey Corsaro and Drummer added 11 points and 10 points, respectively.
As the Bruins were behind by a score of 39-28 at halftime, they zeroed in on their defense entering the third quarter.
“We knew that we didn’t play our best defensively,” Onyenwere said. “They were getting whatever they wanted.”
It was why they believed the game turned so quickly.
“It really was taking away right-hand drives, sitting in a stance, forcing jumpers and controlling the boards,” Close said.
USC shot 23.5 percent in the third quarter.
As the Trojans fell to 10-2 overall, their second loss closely mirrored their first loss of the season 11 days earlier at Texas A&M when they were unable to hold onto a four-point halftime lead and were dealt a 71-51 setback.
Trojans coach Mark Trakh lamented poor decision making in the second half, a product
“We really just made some bad decisions that led to fast breaks at the other end,” Trakh said. “We just need to slow down. The first half was perfect. We were under control. We made good decisions. We played good defense.”
Guard Minyon Moore led the Trojans with 18 points and nine assists. Forward Mariya Moore, her older sister, added 14 points.
Both teams travel to the Bay Arena schools later this week to resume conference play.
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Posted by https://goo.gl/TXzGV5Ring in the new: NYPD drone will keep watch over Times Square revelry
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NEW YORK — It’s an Auld Lang Syne of the times: For the first time, a police drone will be keeping watch over the New Year’s Eve celebration in New York’s Times Square.
The unmanned eye-in-the-sky is the latest wrinkle in the New York City Police Department’s ever-evolving plan to keep revelers — and “Rockin’ Eve” host Ryan Seacrest — safe.
About 7,000 police officers will be on duty for Monday night’s festivities in Times Square, including counterterrorism teams with long guns and bomb-sniffing dogs. Police cars and sand-filled sanitation trucks will be positioned to stop vehicles from driving into the crowd.
And, above it all, a remote-controlled quadcopter will be giving police a unique view of the merriment — and any potential mayhem.
It’s the first time the NYPD is sending up a drone for a big event.
“That’s going to give us a visual aid and the flexibility of being able to move a camera to a certain spot with great rapidity through a tremendous crowd,” Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller said.
Police Commissioner James O’Neill said there are no known, credible threats to the city or the New Year’s Eve event. He encouraged spectators to remain vigilant and to alert officers if they suspect something is awry.
“There’s probably going to be a cop within 10 feet of you,” Miller said. “If you see something, you can go right to them directly.”
Mayor Bill de Blasio said Friday that the city is expecting “up to 2 million people in Times Square itself” for the ball drop, repeating a figure often cited by city officials, organizers and television broadcasters.
Crowd-size experts say it’s impossible to cram that many people into the area, a bow-tie-shaped zone running five blocks between Broadway and 7th Avenue, and that the real total is likely fewer than 100,000.
No matter how many people actually show up, they’ll all be screened with metal detectors at security checkpoints and funneled into penned off areas to prevent overcrowding.
Umbrellas, backpacks and coolers are banned, but those kitschy “2019” glasses are most definitely allowed in. And there won’t be any popping champagne at midnight. The NYPD says alcohol is strictly prohibited.
That might be for the best. There aren’t any bathrooms, and anyone leaving the secure area won’t be allowed back to their original spot. That means they’ll risk missing the ball drop or having to squint hard to see it from a faraway vantage point.
Like last year, the NYPD is embedding detectives in hotels around Times Square in an attempt to thwart a potential attack like the one in Las Vegas last year in which a gunman shooting from a hotel room killed 59 people at an outdoor country music festival.
Police are also harnessing new technology to detect drones that aren’t authorized to fly.
The NYPD’s drone adds to a vast array of visual surveillance that includes more than 1,200 fixed cameras and feeds from police helicopters circling above.
The department started using drones this month. It says they’ll mainly be used for search-and-rescue missions, documenting crime scenes and monitoring large events.
Several of the NYPD’s drones are equipped with thermal-imaging and 3D-mapping capabilities and strong camera lenses that can greatly magnify a subject.
For safety, Chief of Department Terence Monahan said the New Year’s Eve drone will be tethered to a building and flown in a cordoned-off area so that no one gets hurt if it happens to fall. The drone will never fly directly above the crowd, he said.
Unlike a helicopter, a drone is small and makes little noise. Between the sounds of performers like Christina Aguilera and Bastille and the confetti that’ll be swirling at midnight, Monahan said some spectators might not even notice it.
“Once it’s up in the air, it will probably be hard to see,” he said.
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Posted by https://goo.gl/TXzGV5Live updates: Chargers at Denver Broncos
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With the Kansas City Chiefs closing in on the AFC West title and home field throughout the playoffs, the Chargers are trying to close out the regular season with a victory and get ready for a likely wild card playoff game with a win at Denver.
Gilbert Manzano is reporting from Denver. Follow along for live updates, news and analysis.
Viewing on a mobile device? Click here for updates.
In-game box score | Matchup by the numbers | Week 17 NFL scoreboard
Jared Veldheer is questionable to return with a rib-cage injury.Chargers 14, Broncos 3 end of 3rdChiefs 35, Raiders 3 12:52 4th qt
Ravens 23, Browns 14 2:53 3rd qtOne more. #FightForEachOther https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dvs8WqFUcAAyjn8.jpgThree down, one to go.
#LACvsDEN » t.co t.co
The fans have delivered their verdict.Addae back in the gameJahleel Addae was down but walked off the field on his ownTenth TD catch for @darealmike_dub this season.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dvs6pb4UYAAxws-.jpgTenth TD for @darealmike_dub this season. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dvs6XauVYAALxP9.jpgPhil. Mike Dub. Touchdown. 
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dvs6GFZUwAAAJhc.jpgChargers 14, Broncos 3 with 3:46 in the third quarter. Rivers' streak without a TD ends at six quartersLET'S GO!@Phillips_17 forces the fumble. @jbbigbear comes up with it. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dvs5f0GUwAA1UM8.jpgTOUCHDOWN MIKE DUB
t.co3-yard touchdown pass, Philip Rivers to Mike Williams, and the Chargers extend their lead to two scores with 3:46 left in the third quarter.Rivers to Mike Williams for a 3-yard touchdownJoey Bosa recovers a fumble on Denver's 16. Looks like Adrian Phillips hit out from Tim Patrick's handsFumble. Recovered. OUR BALL.
#LACvsDEN | #FightForEachOther Tim Patrick fumbles, and the Chargers recover at the Broncos 17-yard line.Philip Rivers 9/18 for 113 yards. He threw for 181 yards last week against the RavensMike Dub doing Mike Dub things https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dvs3stmV4AAhVD8.jpgJatavis Brown (ankle) is now ruled outLB Jatavis Brown (ankle) is out. #LACvsDEN Adam Thielen definitely does NOT like that.Halftime.
#LACvsDEN | #FightForEachOther https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DvsxTW4UUAAZvf5.jpgChargers 7, Broncos 3 halftime
Chiefs 21, Raiders 3 halftime
Ravens 20, Browns 7 2nd qt
So Chargers-Ravens II next week?GET 'EM, JOEY
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DvsxPvxUwAA6qEY.jpgNFL changed their mind on drive so it's #Broncos 16 play drive that included Keenum INT. ... so longest of the year in terms of plays for offense.At the half.#LACvsDEN » t.co t.co
McManus makes a 28-yard field goal. Broncos trail the Chargers 7-3 with 11 seconds left in the first halfAlas, it's two separate drives.BEND BUT DON'T BREAK.
Defense holds 'em to a field goal. 7-3, us.+3
We're on the board thanks to a 28-yard field goal from @thekidmcmanus . t.co
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
BOSA WITH THE SACK!At least I hope it's the same drive in the scorebook.Keenum has a chance to throw an INT and a TD ... on the same drive. #Broncos Andrew Whitworth has a knee injury and his return is questionable. Not ideal.The Chargers are just getting those Marlon McCree demons out of the way now, that’s allAddae intercepts the ball in the end zone but he decided to pitch it back to Desmond King on the return to give it back to the Broncosoh.Joe Noteboom takes over for Andrew Whitworth at left tackle, then proceeds to make the crucial block on Jared Goff’s TD throw to Brandin Cooks. He’s gonna be a keeper.First NFL catch for River Cracraft goes for 44 yards.Case Keenum connects with Cracraft for 44 yards. Broncos on the Chargers' 6
@rivercracraft #LACvsDEN WR Tim Patrick has a knee injury and is questionable to return.SCOOP 'N SCORE.
@KyleEmanuel51 | #LACvsDEN
It was an 18-yard scoop-and-score for Emanuel. But King was the one who hit Royce Freeman to free the ball. Keenum threw a backwards pass to FreemanFirst career TD for @KyleEmanuel51
t.coSCOOP 'N SCORE.
@KyleEmanuel51 | #LACvsDEN https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dvsr6bZU0AAtDLe.jpgThere you go Bison!!! Scoop n Score!! @KyleEmanuel51 @NDSUfootball Kyle Emanuel takes a fumble into the end zone. Chargers up 7-0Lateral from Keenum to Freeman, fumble, Kyle Emanuel recovers for the touchdown … 18 yards on the fumble return for… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…#Broncos convert a third-and-8 and then ...
holding -10
holding -10
lateral not recovered, 18TD for Bolts.
(And folks, that's 2018 Broncos Football)FUMBLE!
RECOVERED!!
TOUCHDOWN!!!Apparently the best way to overcome your offense’s struggles is to not need your offense to do anything at all.Only two of the #Chargers ' past 17 possessions have lasted longer than six plays. twitter.com/GManzano24/sta…Trainers looking at #Broncos DE Adam Gotsis on sideline.Chargers now 0-5 on third downsI’m no math expert, but that doesn’t seem goodHERE WE GO.
#FightForEachOther t.co
Chargers' first quarter: Two INTs, Brown injury, King benching, 78 yards, zero pointsAnkle injury for Jatavis BrownLB Jatavis Brown (ankle) questionable to return. #LACvsDEN Desmond King is now in the game. Which makes you wonder if it was a disciplinary issueThe #Jaguars asking price: A gift card to Flying Iguana.Chargers linebacker Jatavis Brown got hurt at the end of the first quarter. He couldn't put pressure on his right leg. Was helped off the fieldT.C. bringin' the heat.All tied up after one.
#LACvsDEN » t.co t.co
End of one in Denver. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DvsmQHpVYAAnQbE.jpgChargers 0, Broncos 0 end of 1st qtWhich Bronco are you in this photo?
#LACvsDEN https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dvsl13FVsAANTIj.jpgChargers 0-4 on third downs. Donnie Jones to puntUpdateBroncos punt. Zero points from the two Rivers INTsOur defense is REVVED up!
Philip Rivers' first 13 games: 6 INT.
Rivers' last three games*: 6 INT.
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Posted by https://goo.gl/TXzGV5Live updates: Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers
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The Rams need a victory Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, or a Chicago Bears loss to the Minnesota Vikings, to secure the No. 2 seed in the playoffs and a first-round bye.
With Todd Gurley ruled out with a knee problem for a second straight game, here is how the Rams match up with the 49ers.
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In-game box score | Matchup by the numbers | Week 17 NFL scoreboard
Another 100-yard game for C.J. Anderson.#LARams LT Andrew Whitworth has been downgraded to OUT. S Blake Countess also downgraded to OUTRams' Andrew Whitworth and Blake Countess downgraded to "out" today.With this catch @gkittle46 now owns the record for most catches in a single season by a tight end in franchise history with 83, passing Eric Johnson (82). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dvs8OhqUwAEtlQI.jpg#49ers scoring drive: 8 plays, 75 yards in 3:56 resulting in the 1-yard TD for Alfred Morris.#GoNiners https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dvs7vJQVYAAPA5u.jpgGeorge Kittle's fourth catch today gave him 83 this season, passing Eric Johnson's 2004 record for most receptions in a season by a 49ers tight endTD 49ers.
#LARams with the 38-16 lead with 8:23 left in the third!Touchdown @FredoSauce !
#GoNiners
#49ers touchdown, Alfred Morris 1-yard run, #LARams lead cut to 38-17 with 8:23 left in 3rdStone Cold Kittle
@gkittle46 https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dvs684KVAAAJBr1.jpg#49ers George Kittle with catch No. 4, a 25-yard gain, gives him 54 on day (needed 100 to pass Gronk's record and whatever Kelce can do today).@JaredGoff16 with the dime to @J_Rey_11 !#SFvsLA https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dvs6asWUYAA95Fd.jpg#49ers left guard Laken Tomlinson officially out with knee injury. Now question is how bad is it, whether it could impact 2019?72,161 tickets distributed today, per Rams.#49ers give up 5th TD to #LARams , Nice pass from Goff over Greg Mabin to Josh Reynolds. 38-10.That Goff-to-Reynolds TD might be the most-encouraging play of the day for the Rams..@J_Rey_11 snags one to start the half!
MOVE! THOSE! CHAINS!
@JaredGoff16
@Ty_Higs19 !Ferragamo. Everett. Warner. Goff.
@JaredGoff16 becomes the fourth QB in franchise history to throw 30 touchdowns in a single season. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dvs4U-XVAAAh7Wk.jpgAndrew Whitworth not on the Rams' sideline as the third quarter begins, but I wouldn't have expected it with the Rams holding a 21-point lead.Four Takeaways
to Building 31-10 LeadHalftime Notes
» gora.ms/aFr3I1 https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dvs2YRpVYAAERQl.jpgSunday Funday! First half gallery
» gora.ms/55OqKd https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dvs196PUwAIPf_7.jpgAt the half in LA#GoNiners https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dvs1IqaUYAASy1j.jpgHalftime from the #RamsHouse ! https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dvs0_ZnUUAE_Fro.jpgHalftime:
Rams 31
49ers 10
Goff 132 yards
Mullens 125 yards
Goff 2 TD, 0 INT
Mullens 1 TD, 3 INTWe made it. Rams 31, 49ers 10 at the half.GZ adds three to end the half!
Rams have to burn their last timeout with the clock stopped. They face 3rd and 6 at the SF 36 with 0:51 left in The Longest Half in NFL History.#49ers scoring drive: 8 plays, 75 yards in 3:53 resulting in the Richie James Jr. TD
#GoNiners https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dvsyrw3U0AAzr6X.jpg
Touchdown @Senseispunk#GoNiners
Touchdown 49ers
#LARams up 28-10 with 2:07 left in the half.#49ers touchdown: Nick Mullens to Richie James Jr., cutting Rams lead to 28-9 2:07 until halftime (or 17:07 until No. 2 draft pick is secured)Adam Thielen definitely does NOT like that.#49ers George Kittle has three catches for 29 yards, at 1,257 on season (71 away from passing Gronk record). Chiefs Travis Kelce has 1,311 yards (37 today at half)Jared Goff has become the fourth Rams QB to throw 30 touchdown passes in a season. He joins Kurt Warner, who holds the record with 41, Jim Everett and Vince Ferragamo.One game left. @JaredGoff has his eyes on a strong finish to a strong regular season. #LARams #QC35 II #SFvsLA … twitter.com/i/web/status/1…Mike McGlinchey and Weston Richburg help Laken Tomlinson onto cart, not far from where Marquise Goodwin had to be carted off last trip to LA.
Joshua Garnett taking over at left guard#LARams LT Andrew Whitworth has a knee injury, his return is questionable.#49ers Laken Tomlinson is injured (right leg). He's played every snap this season, and he was very superstitious about it the past few weeksI know people want Aaron Donald to set the sack record, but it's really time for the Rams to pull as many starters as the situation allows.Nick Mullens floored by blitzing linebacker Mark Barron, who draws roughing penalty. 49ers now in FG range at 33 yard lineThat's not roughing the passer.Shoot your arrows! @brandincooks for six!
(We see you, @jnoteboom68 !
) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dvsv1R0VsAAk1F8.jpg#LARams LT Andrew Whitworth is heading up the tunnel to the locker room.Andrew Whitworth has a knee injury and his return is questionable. Not ideal.Whitworth officially questionable to return (knee).The Chargers are just getting those Marlon McCree demons out of the way now, that’s allWhitworth now up but walking, very slowly, to the locker room.Trainers seem to be looking at Whitworth's left knee.Joe Noteboom takes over for Andrew Whitworth at left tackle, then proceeds to make the crucial block on Jared Goff’s TD throw to Brandin Cooks. He’s gonna be a keeper.Rams get 4th TD with 6 minutes to spare in first half vs. undermanned and overwhelmed 49ers.@brandincooks for the second time!Looked like Whitworth had to be talked into going to the trainers' table. Now they're looking at him.Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth limps off field with an injury -- something worth watching not just for this rout of 49ers but NFC playoffsAndrew Whitworth slow to get up.
@robertwoods #49ers Nick Mullens hit as throws by Michael Brockers, who got past George KittleInterception No.
for Littleton + he'll take this one to the house!Cory Littleton leads the 49ers with 2 receptions for 41 yards.Rams defense on point todayApparently the best way to overcome your offense’s struggles is to not need your offense to do anything at all.PICK-6 CORY LITTLETON!
Nick Mullens' 3rd INT = pick-sixCory Littleton pick-6.The Rams' offense has been...well...challenged.I’m no math expert, but that doesn’t seem goodAntone Exum injured breaking up Rams pass.Close out 2018 with a
on the #LARams ! https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dvsn76LV4AAiVlB.jpgAfter one at the #RamsHouse !#SFvsLA https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DvsniXYVYAAnntr.jpgOne down, 2.5 to go.
@AaronDonald97
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DvsndJWUYAA8n3L.jpgFirst quarter is over here at L.A. Memorial Coliseum. Pro Bowl feel to this game -- and not in a good way, more of a can-we-get-this-over-with-and-celebrate-New-YearsRams 14, 49ers 3S Blake Countess is being evaluated for a concussion. #LARams Rams' Blake Countess being evaluated for concussion.
@FredoSauce with the 51-yard gain to set up the field goal.#GoNiners https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DvsmvO-U0AAdH5O.jpgSo with that last sack, Aaron Donald became the 11th player since 1982 to record 20 sacks in a season.
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Posted by https://goo.gl/TXzGV5Minimum wage rising in 20 states and numerous cities
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — At Granny Shaffer’s restaurant in Joplin, Missouri, owner Mike Wiggins is reprinting the menus to reflect the 5, 10 or 20 cents added to each item.
A two-egg breakfast will cost an extra dime, at $7.39. The price of a three-piece fried chicken dinner will go up 20 cents, to $8.78. The reason: Missouri’s minimum wage is rising.
Wiggins said the price hikes are necessary to help offset an estimated $10,000 to $12,000 in additional annual pay to his staff as a result of a new minimum wage law taking effect Tuesday.
“For us it’s very simple. There’s no big pot of money out there to get the money out of” for the required pay raises, Wiggins said.
New minimum wage requirements will take effect in 20 states and nearly two dozen cities around the start of the new year, affecting millions of workers. The state wage hikes range from an extra nickel per hour in Alaska to a $1-an-hour bump in Maine, Massachusetts and for California employers with more than 25 workers.
Seattle’s largest employers will have to pay workers at least $16 an hour starting Tuesday. In New York City, many businesses will have to pay at least $15 an hour as of Monday. That’s more than twice the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour.
A variety of other new state laws also take effect Tuesday. Those include revisions to sexual harassment policies stemming from the #MeToo movement, restrictions on gun sales following deadly mass shootings and revamped criminal penalties as officials readjust the balance between punishment and rehabilitation.
The state and local wage laws come amid a multi-year push by unions and liberal advocacy groups to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour nationwide. Few are there yet, but many states have ratcheted up wages through phased-in laws and adjustments for inflation.
In Arkansas and Missouri, voters this fall approved ballot initiatives raising the minimum wage after state legislators did not. In Missouri, the minimum wage will rise from $7.85 to $8.60 an hour on Tuesday as the first of five annual increases that will take it to $12 an hour by 2023.
At Granny Shafffer’s in Joplin, waitress Shawna Green will see her base pay go up. But she has mixed emotions about it.
“We’ll have regulars, and they will notice, and they will bring it to our attention, like it’s our fault and our doings” that menu prices are increasing, she said. “They’ll back off on something, and it’s usually their tips, or they don’t come as often.”
Economic studies on minimum wage increases have shown that some workers do benefit, while others might see their work hours reduced. Businesses may place a higher value on experienced workers, making it more challenging for entry-level employees to find jobs.
Seattle, the fastest-growing large city in the U.S., has been at the forefront of the movement for higher minimum wages. A local ordinance raised the minimum wage to as much as $11 an hour in 2015, then as much as $13 in 2016, depending on the size of the employer and whether it provided health insurance.
A series of studies by the University of Washington has produced evolving conclusions.
In May, the researchers determined that Seattle’s initial increase to $11 an hour had an insignificant effect on employment but that the hike to $13 an hour resulted in “a large drop in employment.” They said the higher minimum wage led to a 6.9 percent decline in the hours worked for those earning under $19 an hour, resulting in a net reduction in paychecks.
In October, however, those same researchers reached a contrasting conclusion. They said Seattle workers employed at low wages experienced a modest reduction in hours worked after the minimum wage increased, but nonetheless saw a net increase in average pretax earnings of $10 a week. That gain generally went to those who already had been working more hours while those who had been working less saw no significant change in their overall earnings.
Both supporters and opponents of higher minimum wages have pointed to the Seattle studies.
The federal minimum wage was last raised in 2009. Since then, 29 states, the District of Columbia and dozens of other cities and counties have set minimum wages above the federal floor. Some have repeatedly raised their rates.
“The federal minimum wage has really become irrelevant,” said Michael Saltsman, managing director of the Employment Policies Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based group that receives funding from businesses and opposes minimum wage increases.
The new state minimum wage laws could affect about 5.3 million workers who are currently earning less than the new standards, according to the liberal-leaning Economic Policy Institute, based in Washington, D.C. That equates to almost 8 percent of the workforce in those 20 states but doesn’t account for additional minimum wage increases in some cities.
Advocates credit the trend toward higher minimum wages to the “Fight for $15,” a national movement that has used protests and rallies to push for higher wages for workers in fast food, child care, airlines and other sectors.
“It may not have motivated every lawmaker to agree that we should go to $15,” said David Cooper, senior economic analyst at the Economic Policy Institute. “But it’s motivated many of them to accept that we need higher minimum wages than we currently have in much of the country.”
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Posted by https://goo.gl/TXzGV5Chief of staff John Kelly: President Trump backed away from wall months ago
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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump long ago backed away from his campaign pledge to construct a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, his outgoing chief of staff said, as the president’s demand for “border security” funding triggered a partial government shutdown with no end in sight.
John Kelly, who will leave his post Wednesday after a tumultuous 17 months in the job, said in an exit interview with the Los Angeles Times that Trump abandoned the notion of “a solid concrete wall early on in the administration.” It marked the starkest admission yet by the president’s inner circle that his signature campaign pledge, which sparked fervent chants of “build that wall” during Trump’s rallies and is now at the center of a budgetary standoff, would not be fulfilled as advertised.
“To be honest, it’s not a wall,” Kelly said, adding the mix of technological enhancements and ‘steel slat’ barriers the president now wants along the border resulted from conversations with law enforcement professionals on the ground.
The partial shutdown began Dec. 22 after Trump bowed to conservative demands that he fight to make good on his vow and secure funding for the wall before Republicans lose control of the House on Wednesday. Democrats have remained committed to blocking the president’s priority, and with neither side engaging in substantive negotiation, the effect of the partial shutdown was set to spread and to extend into the new year.
In August 2015 during his presidential campaign, Trump had made his expectations for the border explicitly clear, as he parried criticism from then-rival Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor.
“Jeb Bush just talked about my border proposal to build a ‘fence,’” he tweeted. “It’s not a fence, Jeb, it’s a WALL, and there’s a BIG difference!”
But on Sunday White House counselor Kellyanne Conway called discussion of the apparent contradiction “a silly semantic argument.”
“There may be a wall in some places, there may be steel slats, there may be technological enhancements,” Conway told ‘Fox News Sunday.’ “But only saying ‘wall or no wall’ is being very disingenuous and turning a complete blind eye to what is a crisis at the border.”
Meanwhile, neither side appeared ready to budge off their negotiating positions. The two sides have had little direct contact during the stalemate, and Trump did not ask Republicans, who hold a monopoly on power in Washington until Jan. 3, to keep Congress in session.
Talks have been at a stalemate for more than a week, after Democrats said the White House offered to accept $2.5 billion for border security. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told Vice President Mike Pence that it wasn’t acceptable, nor was it guaranteed that Trump, under intense pressure from his conservative base to fulfill his signature campaign promise, would settle for that amount.
Conway claimed Sunday that “the president has already compromised” by dropping his request for the wall from $25 billion, and she called on Democrats to return to the negotiating table.
“It is with them,” she said, explaining that Trump is not reaching out to Democrats.
Democrats maintain that they have already presented the White House with three options to end the shutdown, none of which fund the wall, and insist that it’s Trump’s move.
“At this point, it’s clear the White House doesn’t know what they want when it comes to border security,” said Justin Goodman, Schumer’s spokesman. “While one White House official says they’re willing to compromise, another says the president is holding firm at no less than $5 billion for the wall. Meanwhile, the president tweets blaming everyone but himself for a shutdown he called for more than 25 times.”
After canceling a vacation to his private Florida club, Trump spent the weekend at the White House. He has remained out of the public eye since returning early Thursday from a 29-hour visit to U.S. troops in Iraq, instead taking to Twitter to attack Democrats. He also moved to defend himself from criticism that he couldn’t deliver on the wall while the GOP controlled both the House and Senate.
“For those that naively ask why didn’t the Republicans get approval to build the Wall over the last year, it is because IN THE SENATE WE NEED 10 DEMOCRAT VOTES, and they will gives us “NONE” for Border Security!,” he tweeted. “Now we have to do it the hard way, with a Shutdown.”
He was set to have lunch Sunday with Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsay Graham, who said he hoped to end the shutdown by offering Democrats incentives to get them to vote for wall funding.
“To my Democratic friends, there will never be a deal without wall funding,” Graham said Sunday on CNN.
Graham is proposing to help two groups of immigrants get approval to continue living in the U.S: about 700,000 young “Dreamers” brought into the U.S. illegally as children and about 400,000 people receiving temporary protected status because they are from countries struggling with natural disasters or armed conflicts. He also said the compromise should include changes in federal law to discourage people from trying to enter the U.S. illegally.
“Democrats have a chance here to work with me and others, including the president, to bring legal status to people who have very uncertain lives,” Graham said.
It was unclear if the president or Democrats were open to such an approach. A previous deal that addressed the status of Dreamers broke down last year as a result of escalating White House demands.
As he called for Democrats to negotiate, Trump brushed off criticism that his administration bore any responsibility for the recent deaths of two migrant children in Border Patrol custody. Trump claimed the deaths were “strictly the fault of the Democrats and their pathetic immigration policies that allow people to make the long trek thinking they can enter our country illegally.” His comments on Twitter came as his Homeland Security secretary met with medical professionals and ordered policy changes meant to better protect children detained at the border.
Trump earlier had upped the brinkmanship by threatening anew to close the border with Mexico to press Congress to cave to his demand for money to pay for a wall. Democrats are vowing to pass legislation restoring the government as soon as they take control of the House on Thursday, but that won’t accomplish anything unless Trump and the Republican-controlled Senate go along with it.
The shutdown is forcing hundreds of thousands of federal workers and contractors to stay home or work without pay.
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