Новости за 31.12.2015

The College Football Playoff gets an unlikely advertising partner: An ABC soap opera tries to convince viewers to watch New Year's Eve games.

Estimates about how many companies offer open-ended vacations run in the 2 to 4 percent range, mostly small startups but including none other than General Electric, which last year began offering unlimited vacation time to many of its executives. Besides being a strong recruitment and retention tool, such policies can free companies from any unused vacation pay liability if they currently allow vacation days to accrue. In a survey of 400 advertising and marketing executives and 400 office workers... Читать дальше...

Auburn's bowl game did nothing to clear up the uncertainty at quarterback going into the offseason. The up-and-down quarterback play helped derail a season when Auburn, which finished 7-6, had been expected to contend for at least a Southeastern Conference Western Division title. Auburn's greatest success at the position while coach Gus Malzahn was either offensive coordinator or the head man has come with athletic JUCO transfers Cam Newton and Nick Marshall. White took over for five games before sustaining a knee injury... Читать дальше...

Donald Trump, the sustainability of the KKK, Occupy anything, Justin Bieber, Climate Change doubters and everyone wearing man buns all share one insidious commonality: Facebook and its tools allowing us to censor what we see.

A member of Hollywood royalty will be celebrating his 21st birthday in San Francisco this January.

Charlie Kaufman Restrospective: With “Anomalisa” opening this week, here’s an opportunity to catch up on the filmmaker’s works that will be shown over four days. Monday’s film is “Being John Malkovich.” 1 p.m. Embarcadero Center Cinema, S.F. www.landmarktheatres.com/san-francisco. Chasing Justice: This contemporary art show featuring three artists at the Contemporary Jewish Museum takes its inspiration from the Deuteronomy (16:20) command to “pursue justice.” Opens 11 a.m. (closed Tuesdays). 736 Mission St.... Читать дальше...

The coroner says Gill's cause of death is pending forensic testing, but NIU spokesman Brad Hoey says Gill's death appears to have been a suicide. Hoey tells the (DeKalb) Daily Chronicle (http://bit.ly/1NUN86Y ) Gill had been an undergraduate in the university's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

The Spectre x360 has a solid aluminum body, smooth 360-degree hinges, an excellent display and very long battery life. Higher-end screen options could limit battery life. The HP Spectre x360 delivers a high-end, flexible Windows laptop design at a mainstream price, with a battery that runs all day. The Yoga 3 14 has all the flexibility of past Yoga hybrid laptops, going from clamshell to tablet and back again. The configuration options are very good for its sub-$1,000 price. With better battery... Читать дальше...

(AP) — A former Albany County Attorney's Office employee who testified against former prosecutor Richard Bohling has filed a wrongful termination claim, saying she was unfairly dismissed for being a whistleblower. Jesse was an office manager with the County Attorney's Office and was a witness in Bohling's criminal trial. A jury convicted Bohling in November of four felony charges of obtaining property by false pretenses and a misdemeanor count of official misconduct.

A sinkhole in San Francisco caused by a busted sewer pipe stopped a portion of the J-Church Muni line Thursday morning, officials said. An 18 inch sewer line broke near the intersection on 24th Street between Church and Jersey streets, causing the sinkhole to form in the street, said Tyrone Jue, a spokesman for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. Shuttles buses are helping stranded passengers on the line from 22nd and Church streets to Balboa Park.

DOVER, Del. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday afternoon's drawing of the Delaware Lottery's "Play 4 Day" game were: 3-6-5-9 (three, six, five, nine)

DOVER, Del. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday afternoon's drawing of the Delaware Lottery's "Play 3 Day" game were: 6-6-4 (six, six, four)

(AP) — A disputed program that allows tax credits for donations to private schools or innovative public education programs is one of 20 new Montana laws that take effect with the new year. The tax credit program has been used by school-choice advocates in other states as an alternative to school voucher programs. Montana's new program will allows tax credits for donations of up to $150 a year for scholarships to private schools or for innovative programs in public schools, with an annual limit of $3 million. Читать дальше...

The social network sent automated messages Thursday inviting some users to celebrate "46 years of friendship on Facebook" with one or more of their online friends. The glitch starts the internal calendar on some computers at midnight, Greenwich Mean Time, Jan. 1, 1970.

(AP) — A law protecting married couples' conversations as confidential doesn't apply to a convicted killer whose husband testified at trial about incriminating statements she made, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday in a love-triangle murder case. The 7-0 ruling released Thursday said the Supreme Court concluded that Davalloo's self-incriminating statements to her husband were not confidential because they were not "induced by the affection, confidence, loyalty and integrity of the marital relationship," as required by state law. Читать дальше...

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Fire engulfed a luxury building near the world's tallest skyscraper in Dubai on Thursday, where tens of thousands of people had gathered for a massive New Year's fireworks display. The hotel towers over the Souq Al Bahar, a popular shopping area with walkways that connect the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Mall The fire broke out at The Address Downtown, a 63-story luxury hotel and residential building, about two hours before midnight, when the fireworks display was set to begin. Читать дальше...

In April, U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman said the state was violating the constitutional rights of mentally ill defendants and gave officials until Jan. 2, 2016, to start providing competency evaluations and restoration treatment within seven days of a judge's order. Four times in 2015, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid threatened to cut millions in funding for Western State after inspections found that system-wide failures had caused serious harm to patients and placed their health and safety at risk. Читать дальше...

Jared Goff will declare for the 2016 NFL Draft, the Cal junior quarterback announced Thursday morning at an on-campus news conference. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Goff broke his own single-season records this year for passing yards (4,719), touchdown passes (43) and total offense (4,711). In his collegiate finale, he set Pac-12 single-season records for passing yards and touchdowns. Lynch completed just 16 of 37 passes for 108 yards, no touchdowns and an interception in the Tigers’ 31-10 loss Wednesday to Auburn in the Birmingham Bowl. Читать дальше...

HAILEY, Idaho (AP) — An Idaho homeowner recently woke up to find an elk in the basement -- just one in a string of problems caused by the animals searching for food in populated valleys. Idaho Fish and Game officers disposed of the carcasses and city maintenance workers began removing the plant from cemetery grounds. Elk often survive the initial crash but die later from internal injuries, he said, urging drivers to be cautious at dusk and dawn.

Turley says officials with New Mexico State University's extension service told him the area around Clovis, New Mexico, lost an estimated 20,000 dairy cows.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate Martin O'Malley failed to qualify for Ohio's primary ballot after falling short of the signatures needed to appear before the state's voters, a spokesman for the state's elections chief said Thursday. O'Malley is running an underdog bid for his party's nomination against Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

State wildlife officials tell the Independent Record (http://bit.ly/1PzHyYi ) that the collision happened at about 6 a.m. Thursday near the intersection of U.S. Highway 12 and Spokane Creek Road, about three miles east of East Helena. An MRL spokesman didn't immediately return a phone message seeking to learn if the train was damaged or any employees were injured.

D.18ALFRED2/C/5JAN97/DD/ELVintage lighting at Alfred’s. Photo: Eric Luse/The Chronicle 2010 New Year’s Eve is often a bittersweet time as we reflect on what has been and ponder what’s to come in the year ahead. Related Links Alfred’s Steakhouse sold to Daniel Patterson Group New restaurants headed to Bay Area in 2016 This sentiment rings especially true for San Francisco institution Alfred’s Steakhouse as tonight’s New Year’s Eve dinner service marks the final meal under its current owners, the Petri Family. Читать дальше...

The 1,310-foot CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin, which is as tall as a 20-story building and can carry up to 18,000 20-foot-long shipping containers, chugged toward the Port of Oakland around 9 a.m. on it’s maiden voyage after setting sail from China earlier this month with a stop in Los Angeles just after Christmas. A pilot who had been aboard the great vessel said the gleaming navy blue boat still had “that new ship smell.” Port workers, not usually tasked with handling a ship of the Benjamin Franklin’s proportions... Читать дальше...

The San Francisco Police Department will be pumping up patrols in the city for New Year’s Eve as a precaution in the wake of the San Bernardino terror attack. Officials emphasize that no credible terror threats has been made against the city, but encouraged revelers to inform authorities if they see something unusual. The FBI is also not aware of any credible threats in other U.S. cities, according to FBI spokesman Prentice Danner. For getting around, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation... Читать дальше...