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The T. rex chomped with the bone-crunching force of three cars
from USA Today

Call it the big chomp.

The T. rex was impressive in its might and so was its bite —more than twice as bone-crunching as the bite of its relative, the fearsome crocodile, a Florida State University researcher found.

Without a doubt, much of the Tyrannosaurus rex's attraction is its reported mammoth size: 40 feet long, up to 20 feet tall, a 5-foot long skull and weighing over 7 tons. But a new study by Gregory Erickson, a professor of biological science at FSU and Paul Gignac, assistant professor of anatomy and vertebrate paleontology at Oklahoma State University, sheds new light on the power of T. rex's formidable chomp.

Ferocious is one way to describe it.

The study, published Wednesday in Scientific Reports, says the T. rex, or "king of the tyrant lizards" dominated anything in its way with its ability to bite down with "nearly 8,000 pounds of force, which is more than two times greater than the bite force of the largest living crocodiles," considered to be the strongest bite force creatures of the modern day.

The study also says the dinosaur's conical teeth "generated an astounding 431,000 pounds per square inch of bone-failing tooth pressures."

This force allowed T. rex to drive open cracks in bone during repetitive, mammal-like biting, leading to a catastrophic explosion of some bones of its prey, Erickson and his collaborator found.

"It was this bone-crunching acumen that helped T. rex to more fully exploit the carcasses of large horned dinosaurs and duck-billed hadrosaurids whose bones, rich in mineral salts and marrow, were unavailable to smaller, less equipped carnivorous dinosaurs," said Gignac, who earned his Ph.D. in biological sciences from FSU in 2010.

The researchers built on their extensive experience testing and modeling of how the musculature of living crocodiles, which are relatives of dinosaurs, contribute to biting forces. They then compared the results with birds, which are modern-day dinosaurs, and generated a model for T. rex.

From their work on crocodilians, they learned high bite forces were only part of the story. To understand how the giant dinosaur consumed bone, Erickson and Gignac also needed to understand how power was transmitted through the teeth, a measurement they call tooth pressure.

"Having high bite force doesn't necessarily mean an animal can puncture hide or pulverize bone. Tooth pressure is the biomechanically more relevant parameter," said Erickson, one of the nation's leading paleontologists. "It is like assuming a 600-horsepower engine guarantees speed. In a Ferrari, sure, but not for a dump truck."

In explaining the significance of the study, Erickson gave a sense of the outlandish power T.rex displayed.

"Eight thousand pounds of force is over twice what the largest crocodiles can generate," he said. "We recorded a world record bite force for living animals in a 17-foot Australian saltwater crocodile."

To simplify it, Erickson put the numbers in everyday context: 8,000 pounds of force, he said, is the equivalent weight of three small cars.

Regarding the dinosaurs' ability to pulverize bones, Erickson said, "We show that it did it through a combination of prodigious bite forces, robust tooth form, and tooth arrangements in the jaws that collectively enabled bone pulverizing pressures.

"T. rex could pretty much bite through the hides and pulverize the bones of any animal unlucky enough to find itself in its maw."

Erickson, whose primary area of research includes archosaurian reptiles — crocodiles, non-avian and avian dinosaurs (birds), and pterosaurs, said studies like this help to expand knowledge about the most fearsome creatures that have ever walked the earth.

"I think as children we are fascinated with all the world has to offer and are introduced to amazing creatures like monsters and dragons in movies, only to have our parents tell us that they aren't real," he said. "Then we learn about dinosaurs and are told they are real — and safe because they are extinct. T. rex being among the largest predators of all time gets the most attention."

[DISCLAIMER: Posting about politics is not intended to start a flame war. The political climate in the U.S. is feeble. Please take political news with a grain of salt.]

McCain: Russia probe reaching the point 'of Watergate size'
from CNN
DISCLAIMER: Posting about politics is not intended to start a flame war. The political climate in the U.S. is feeble. Please take political news with a grain of salt.

Sen. John McCain invoked Watergate in describing the escalating controversy surrounding alleged ties between President Donald Trump's campaign and Russia.

"I think it's reaching the point where it's of Watergate size and scale, and a couple of other scandals you and I have seen," the Arizona Republican said Tuesday night. "It's the centipede that the shoe continues to drop. Every couple of days, there's a new aspect of this really unhappy situation."

McCain discussed the series of scandals that brought down Richard Nixon's presidency at the International Republican Institute's 2017 Freedom Dinner, where he was being honored. He shared his thoughts about the latest White House news on a panel moderated by former "Face the Nation" host Bob Schieffer.

The New York Times reported Tuesday that former FBI Director James Comey had written a memo describing a meeting he had with Trump, at which the President asked him to end the investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn. CNN has confirmed the details of that memo, which has raised questions about whether the President obstructed justice.

McCain's office quickly issued a statement clarifying his remarks Tuesday night.

"Senator McCain's comments tonight were simply meant to convey that the constant revelations of events surrounding Russia's interference in the 2016 election are reminiscent of past scandals, are not good for America and require further scrutiny," said Julie Tarallo, a McCain spokeswoman. "He continues to call for a select committee to investigate all aspects of Russia's interference in the 2016 election and all of the events surrounding it."

The former Republican presidential nominee said Wednesday that Trump could take notes from how President Ronald Reagan handled the Iran-Contra affair, where senior administration officials secretly facilitated the sale of arms to Iran. Reagan appointed the three-person Tower Commission to look into the scandal, though the panel lacked certain investigative authorities, such as subpoena power.

"The way Reagan was able to overcome Iran-Contra was he got everything out so there were no more questions so the country could move on," McCain told CNN. "That's what we need to do now, is get all the information out and move forward."

"Whenever you have something like this it's very difficult to move forward because it requires people's attention and it's being diverted," he added. "Watergate took many months. This thing seems to be taking hours."

Arrested Development returning for season 5 on Netflix
from EW



Break out your best/worst chicken dance: Arrested Development is officially back.

Netflix confirmed on Wednesday that it has ordered a fifth season of the beloved, off-kilter comedy featuring a misfitted family in Orange County, California, whose patriarch made questionable money in real estate and may have committed some light treason along the way. The new episodes — of which there are 15 — will debut sometime in 2018.

While speculation about a re-revival has been swirling for a long time, the buzzing intensified on Friday when Jason Bateman, whose Michael anchors the Bluth family, tweeted that he had just inked a deal to make more episodes of the series that also starred David Cross, Tony Hale, Will Arnett, Jeffrey Tambor, Jessica Walter, Michael Cera, Portia de Rossi, and Alia Shawkat. "Look very probable I'm going to put some miles on the Stair Car this summer," he said. "Just officially signed on to more ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT today." Last week, EW confirmed that the writers' had already begun breaking stories for the new season. As Bateman indicated, the plan is to start shooting new episodes as early as this summer, and the entire cast is returning.

Arrested Development first aired on Fox from 2003 to 2006, scoring raves from critics — along with an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series — but never managing to find a wide audience. But after being canceled following a shortened third season, Arrested grew in cult status over the years, prompting Netflix to revive it in 2013 with a 15-episode fourth season, which marked the streaming service's first attempt at an original series. It was not an easy challenge for Hurwitz and the writers to coordinate the actors' schedules, as the stars were tied up on other projects. As a result, they created episodes that focused on individual characters — with Michael popping up in various stories to help anchor the show — rather than group scenes.

In a statement on Tuesday, Hurwitz coyly drew comparisons to President Donald Trump and his real estate family and empire. "In talks with Netflix, we all felt that stories about a narcissistic, erratically behaving family in the building business — and their desperate abuses of power — are really underrepresented on TV these days," he said, adding, "I am so grateful to them and to 20th TV for making this dream of mine come true in bringing the Bluths, George Sr., Lucille and the kids; Michael, Ivanka, Don Jr., Eric, George-Michael, and who am I forgetting, oh Tiffany. Did I say Tiffany? — back to the glorious stream of life."

"Arrested Development brings us structures, outerwear, and choreography like no other comedy in history," said Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos. "Season 4 marked the first foray by Netflix into original comedy programming, and this time, the Bluths will collectively be spending more quality time with their millions of fans around the world."

"Arrested Development remains one of the iconic franchises we, Ron, and Brian are asked about most," said Fox Television Group CEOs Dana Walden and Gary Newman, whose studio produces the series. "It's a testament to the brilliance of Mitch's creation, the passion of his audience, and the love his cast holds in their hearts for his writing and characters that we have been able to 'get the band back together' not once but twice since the Emmy-winning original run. Get ready, America. The Bluths are coming back."

Want more statements? You got 'em. "Whew! I can finally answer the question... Hell yes!" said narrator and executive producer Ron Howard. "Warming up my uncredited narrator vocal chords. Now the only thing I will have to be coy about is all the craziness the Bluths are going to face this season." Added fellow exec producer Brian Grazer: "I love working with Mitch. He is a genius and the rarest of original thinkers. He brings a richness to the characters and the storylines that makes the series memorably fun."

It is not yet known what those storylines might look like this time around. Back in 2013, Hurwitz said that season 4 would serve as prologue to a movie. But more recently, talk of more Arrested came in the context of a fifth season. Season 4 concluded on a murder mystery cliffhanger with the arrest of Buster (Hale) following the death of Lucille Two (Liza Minnelli). Hurwitz said that this story line was put into play before the true crime genre exploded (Serial, The Jinx, Making a Murderer, etc.). "There was a lot of Making a Murderer in there," he said last year. "We quietly set up these guilty parties all over the place, and hopefully that won't be old hat by now."

But at that time, he also noted that there was material in season 4 that wound up feeling prescient (the construction of the wall, the political aspirations of de Rossi's Lindsay) and it was unclear how that would impact his plan. "The fourth season was all about the Bluths building a wall," Hurwitz told EW. "This was before he made that comment. Even then it felt a little trite to me, but I had enough twists in my head, I knew what we were going to do with it, I knew what the twist was, and I still don't want to give that away.... But so much of what we were getting at [will] still be viable, Where we left things in season 4, Lindsay was becoming the Republican candidate arguing to put up this wall; even though she fought against it, she had completely flip-flopped. She was going to be running against her friend Sally Sitwell [Christine Taylor], but there were so many things that we had built into it that was all about Hispanic uprising, so I may pull back on that, just for comedic reasons, just because it might feel like a sketch, like too easy of a parody."

I loved this article. I actually have 8 gold-plated dinosaur figurines scattered around my apartment for people to find when they come over. Love dinosaurs.

Teen's caffeine-related death highlights the dangers of the common stimulant
from ABC News

The death of a teen who drank caffeinated beverages has spotlighted the possible dangers of caffeine.

Davis Allen Cripe, 16, died last month due to a "caffeine-induced cardiac event" according to the Richland County coroner in Columbia, South Carolina.

Cripe consumed just three caffeinated beverages, but the high levels of caffeine caused a cardiac event, according to Dr. Gary Watts, the Richland County coroner.

He said there was not enough caffeine to be "toxic" causing a "caffeine overdose."

Instead the caffeine "brought on this cardiac event," Watts told ABC News. The teen did not have a family history of cardiac arrhythmia or irregular heart beat and there was nothing structurally wrong with his heart.

The Associated Press reported that Cripe consumed a large caffeinated soda, latte and energy drink before he collapsed at school and was rushed to the hospital.

But how can caffeine, a key component in many common beverages, turn deadly? It can depend on the amount consumed and the person's health history.

The Mayo Clinic reports that approximately 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine a day is safe for most healthy adults, which is roughly "the amount of caffeine in four cups of brewed coffee, 10 cans of cola or two 'energy shot' drinks."

It's unclear how much is safe or unsafe for teens or young children, since studies of its effects are not permitted in children.

But, the American Academy of Pediatrics advised parents in a 2011 report to keep kids and teens away from energy drinks over concerns of high-levels of caffeine.

"Caffeine –- by far the most popular stimulant -– has been linked to a number of harmful health effects in children, including effects on the developing neurologic and cardiovascular systems," AAP officials said. "In general, caffeine-containing beverages, including soda, should be avoided."

Generally, once consumed, the drug is "rapidly absorbed into the blood and easily passes the blood–brain barrier to function as a mild stimulant of the central nervous system," according to a report on caffeine-related deaths in the Journal of Toxicology.

The report found that, while millions consume caffeine beverages every day without any issues, there have been some rare cases of caffeine overdose causing heart problems and death.

"Overdosing with caffeine causes excitement, agitation and people experience tachycardia, heart palpitations and often require emergency hospital treatment," the report states.

While Cripe did not have underlying issues, according to the coroner, Dr. Bruce Goldberger, a toxicologist and professor at University of Florida College of Medicine, said that caffeine can exacerbate genetic issues that put people at increased risk for irregular heart beat or cardiac arrhythmia after consuming caffeine, even if they don't ingest extremely high levels that would be considered "toxic."

"There are certain cardiac arrhythmia that cause sudden death in young people," Goldberger said.

The rise of caffeine packed energy drinks, pills or powders have also drawn attention from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other health organizations.

In 2015, the FDA issued a report urging consumers to stay away from caffeine powders, pointing out a "single teaspoon of pure caffeine is roughly equivalent to the amount in 28 cups of coffee."

They reported two deaths had been associated with these types of products.

Also in 2015, the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) reported 1,661 single exposures to caffeine-containing energy drinks, with five major complications but no deaths. The AAPCC also reported 3,023 single exposures to caffeine as a street drug, with 17 major complications and one death.

The Amazing Dinosaur Found (Accidentally) by Miners in Canada
from National Geographic



On the afternoon of March 21, 2011, a heavy-equipment operator named Shawn Funk was carving his way through the earth, unaware that he would soon meet a dragon.

That Monday had started like any other at the Millennium Mine, a vast pit some 17 miles north of Fort McMurray, Alberta, operated by energy company Suncor. Hour after hour Funk's towering excavator gobbled its way down to sands laced with bitumen—the transmogrified remains of marine plants and creatures that lived and died more than 110 million years ago. It was the only ancient life he regularly saw. In 12 years of digging he had stumbled across fossilized wood and the occasional petrified tree stump, but never the remains of an animal—and certainly no dinosaurs.

But around 1:30, Funk's bucket clipped something much harder than the surrounding rock. Oddly colored lumps tumbled out of the till, sliding down onto the bank below. Within minutes Funk and his supervisor, Mike Gratton, began puzzling over the walnut brown rocks. Were they strips of fossilized wood, or were they ribs? And then they turned over one of the lumps and revealed a bizarre pattern: row after row of sandy brown disks, each ringed in gunmetal gray stone.

"Right away, Mike was like, 'We gotta get this checked out,' " Funk said in a 2011 interview. "It was definitely nothing we had ever seen before."

Nearly six years later, I'm visiting the fossil prep lab at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in the windswept badlands of Alberta. The cavernous warehouse swells with the hum of ventilation and the buzz of technicians scraping rock from bone with needle-tipped tools resembling miniature jackhammers. But my focus rests on a 2,500-pound mass of stone in the corner.

At first glance the reassembled gray blocks look like a nine-foot-long sculpture of a dinosaur. A bony mosaic of armor coats its neck and back, and gray circles outline individual scales. Its neck gracefully curves to the left, as if reaching toward some tasty plant. But this is no lifelike sculpture. It's an actual dinosaur, petrified from the snout to the hips.

The more I look at it, the more mind-boggling it becomes. Fossilized remnants of skin still cover the bumpy armor plates dotting the animal's skull. Its right forefoot lies by its side, its five digits splayed upward. I can count the scales on its sole. Caleb Brown, a postdoctoral researcher at the museum, grins at my astonishment. "We don't just have a skeleton," he tells me later. "We have a dinosaur as it would have been."

For paleontologists the dinosaur's amazing level of fossilization—caused by its rapid undersea burial—is as rare as winning the lottery. Usually just the bones and teeth are preserved, and only rarely do minerals replace soft tissues before they rot away. There's also no guarantee that a fossil will keep its true-to-life shape. Feathered dinosaurs found in China, for example, were squished flat, and North America's "mummified" duck-billed dinosaurs, among the most complete ever found, look withered and sun dried.

Paleobiologist Jakob Vinther, an expert on animal coloration from the U.K.'s University of Bristol, has studied some of the world's best fossils for signs of the pigment melanin. But after four days of working on this one—delicately scraping off samples smaller than flecks of grated Parmesan—even he is astounded. The dinosaur is so well preserved that it "might have been walking around a couple of weeks ago," Vinther says. "I've never seen anything like this."

A poster for the movie Night at the Museum hangs on the wall behind Vinther. On it a dinosaur skeleton emerges from the shadows, magically brought back to life.

The remarkable fossil is a newfound species (and genus) of nodosaur, a type of ankylosaur often overshadowed by its cereal box–famous cousins in the subgroup Ankylosauridae. Unlike ankylosaurs, nodosaurs had no shin-splitting tail clubs, but they too wielded thorny armor to deter predators. As it lumbered across the landscape between 110 million and 112 million years ago, almost midway through the Cretaceous period, the 18-foot-long, nearly 3,000-pound behemoth was the rhinoceros of its day, a grumpy herbivore that largely kept to itself. And if something did come calling—perhaps the fearsome Acrocanthosaurus—the nodosaur had just the trick: two 20-inch-long spikes jutting out of its shoulders like a misplaced pair of bull's horns.

The western Canada that this dinosaur knew was a very different world from the brutally cold, windswept plains I encountered this past autumn. In the nodosaur's time, the area resembled today's South Florida, with warm, humid breezes wafting through conifer forests and fern-filled meadows. It's even possible that the nodosaur gazed out on an ocean. In the early Cretaceous, rising waters carved an inland seaway that blanketed much of what's now Alberta, its western shore lapping against eastern British Columbia, where the nodosaur may have lived. Today those ancient seabeds lie buried under forests and rolling fields of wheat.

One unlucky day this landlubbing animal ended up dead in a river, possibly swept in by a flood. The belly-up carcass wended its way downriver—kept afloat by gases that bacteria belched into its body cavity—and eventually washed out into the seaway, scientists surmise. Winds blew the carcass eastward, and after a week or so afloat, the bloated carcass burst. The body sank back-first onto the ocean floor, kicking up soupy mud that engulfed it. Minerals infiltrated the skin and armor and cradled its back, ensuring that the dead nodosaur would keep its true-to-life form as eons' worth of rock piled atop it.

The creature's immortality hinged on each link in this unlikely chain of events. If it had drifted another few hundred feet on that ancient sea, it would have fossilized beyond Suncor's property line, keeping it entombed. Instead Funk stumbled upon the oldest Albertan dinosaur ever found, frozen in stone as if it had gazed upon Medusa.

"That was a really exciting discovery," says Victoria Arbour, an armored-dinosaur paleontologist at Canada's Royal Ontario Museum. Arbour has seen the fossil at various stages of preparation, but she's not involved in its study. "It represents such a different environment from today and such a different time, and it has great preservation." (Arbour has begun studying a similarly well preserved ankylosaur found in Montana in 2014, much of which remains hidden within a 35,000-pound block of stone. On May 10, Arbour and her colleague David Evans published a description of the Montana ankylosaur, naming it Zuul crurivastator—"Zuul, destroyer of shins"—after the monster in the film Ghostbusters.)

The Canadian specimen literally defies words, in more ways than one. As this article went to press, museum staff were finalizing the creature's scientific description and hadn't yet settled on a common name for it. ("Mrs. Prickley," a reference to a Canadian sketch comedy character, didn't stick.) But already the fossil is providing new insights into the structure of nodosaurs' armor. Reconstructing armor usually requires educated guesswork, as the bony plates, called osteoderms, scatter early in the decaying process. Not only did the osteoderms on this nodosaur preserve in place, but so did traces of the scales in between.

What's more, sheaths once made of keratin—the same material that's in human fingernails—still coat many of the osteoderms, letting paleontologists see precisely how these sheaths exaggerated the armor's size and shape. "I've been calling this one the Rosetta stone for armor," says Donald Henderson, curator of dinosaurs at the Royal Tyrrell Museum.

Freeing this Rosetta stone from its rocky tomb, however, proved a herculean task.

After word of the discovery raced up the ladder at Suncor, the company quickly notified the Royal Tyrrell Museum. Henderson and Darren Tanke, one of the museum's veteran technicians, scrambled aboard a Suncor jet and flew to Fort McMurray. Suncor excavators and museum staff chipped away at the rock in 12-hour shifts, shrouded in dust and diesel fumes.

They eventually whittled it down to a 15,000-pound rock containing the dinosaur, ready to be hoisted out of the pit. But with cameras rolling, disaster struck: As it was lifted, the rock shattered, cleaving the dinosaur into several chunks. The fossil's partially mineralized, cakelike interior simply couldn't support its own weight.

Tanke spent the night devising a plan to save the fossil. The next morning Suncor personnel wrapped the fragments in plaster of paris, while Tanke and Henderson scrounged for anything to stabilize the fossil on the long drive to the museum. In lieu of timbers, the crew used plaster-soaked burlap rolled up like logs.

The MacGyver-like plan worked. Some 420 miles later the team reached the Royal Tyrrell Museum's prep lab, where the blocks were entrusted to fossil preparator Mark Mitchell. His work on the nodosaur has required a sculptor's touch: For more than 7,000 hours over the past five years, Mitchell has slowly exposed the fossil's skin and bone. The painstaking process is like freeing compressed talcum powder from concrete. "You almost have to fight for every millimeter," he says.

Mitchell's fight is nearly over, but it will take years, if not decades, to fully understand the fossil he uncovers. Its skeleton, for example, remains mostly obscured in skin and armor. In some ways it's almost too well preserved; reaching the dinosaur's bones would require destroying its outer layers. CT scans funded by the National Geographic Society have revealed little, as the rock remains stubbornly opaque.

For Vinther the nodosaur fossil's most revolutionary features may lie at its smallest scale: microscopic remnants of its original coloration. If he successfully reconstructs its distribution, he could help reveal how the dinosaur navigated its environment and used its pronounced armor.

"This armor was clearly providing protection, but those elaborated horns on the front of its body would have been almost like a billboard," he says. This advertisement could have helped woo mates or intimidate rivals—and may have stood out against a backdrop of rouge. Chemical tests of the dinosaur's skin have hinted at the presence of reddish pigments, contrasting with the horns' markedly light coloration.

In May the Royal Tyrrell Museum unveils the nodosaur as the centerpiece of a new exhibit of fossils recovered from Alberta's industrial sites. Now the public is marveling at what has wowed scientists for the past six years: an ambassador from Canada's distant past, found in a moonscape by a man with an excavator.

'Roseanne' revival gets picked up by ABC
from Daily News

The Conner family is officially returning home to ABC.

"Roseanne," the classic '90s sitcom starring comedian Roseanne Barr, will get eight new episodes sometime midseason in 2018, the network announced Tuesday.

The series' original cast members, Roseanne Barr (Roseanne), John Goodman (Dan), Sara Gilbert (Darlene), Laurie Metcalf (Jackie), Michael Fishman (D.J.) and Lecy Goranson (Becky), will all return, as will Sarah Chalke. Chalke took over the role of Becky from Goranson in later seasons, but she'll play a different role in the reboot.

The latest installment will come more than 20 years after the show ended in 1997 with a widely panned season nine that revealed Roseanne's beloved husband, Dan, had died of a heart attack earlier in the season despite audiences believing he survived.

"The Conners' joys and struggles are as relevant — and hilarious — today as they were then, and there's really no one better to comment on our modern America than Roseanne," ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey said in a statement.

"Roseanne" consistently dominated the ratings during its nine seasons thanks to its groundbreaking portrayal of a realistic blue-collar Midwest family.

Back in 2009, Barr, 64, revealed her own ideas as to what the Conner clan would be up to today, though there's no telling whether her predictions will be reflected in the reboot.

According to Barr, D.J. got published, Mark died in Iraq, Darlene had a test tube baby with a woman after David left her for someone half his age, Becky works at Wal-Mart and Roseanne and Jackie open the first medical marijuana dispensary in Lanford, Ill., allowing them to pay off their mortgage before the house is foreclosed on.

The "Roseanne" reboot comes as part of a wave of TV shows that have been resurrected in recent years, including "Full House," "Arrested Development," "The X-Files," "Twin Peaks" and "Will & Grace," which is slated to air this fall on NBC.

Katy Perry Joins American Idol! Singer Is 'Honored and Thrilled' to Judge Reality Show Reboot
from People

She's going to Hollywood!

ABC just announced at least one member of the new judging panel for the upcoming American Idol reboot — and it's more star-studded than ever.

Katy Perry was confirmed to be a part of the new crew at the ABC upfront on Tuesday.

"SO thrilled @ABCNetwork is bringing back @AmericanIdol, and I'm bringing it back to the 🎶MUSIC🎶 [See] you at auditions," Perry, 32, tweeted shortly following the announcement, sharing her official Idol portrait.

"I am honored and thrilled to be the first judge bringing back the American Idol tradition of making dreams come true for incredible talents with authentic personalities and real stories," said Perry in a statement released by the network. "I'm always listening to new music, and love discovering diamonds in the rough – from mentoring young artists on my label, or highlighting new artists on my tours, I want to bring it back to the music."

Added ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey, "We are thrilled to be ushering in this new era of American Idol with Katy leading the charge. Her incredible accolades speak for themselves. We are so lucky to have this strong and talented woman help inspire and guide the next crop of artists as they pursue their dreams."

As for the host, after weeks of rumors, it remains unconfirmed that Ryan Seacrest will resume his duties on the show, after 15 season when it was on Fox. He'll still continue to host Live with Kelly and Ryan, balancing both jobs by flying coast to coast each week.

"I had said at the end of the series, 'Goodbye for now,' hoping somewhere it would come back," Seacrest said on Live! on May 8.

A source had earlier confirmed to PEOPLE that Seacrest had never lost his affection for this show:

"As for Ryan, his plate is obviously pretty full already — his priority is Live with Kelly and Ryan, he has big commitments to iHeartRadio daily and the syndicated radio show," the source said. "That said, Ryan has a lot of affection for Idol given the significance to his career, and it taps into the things he loves — a live show, pop music, discovering new talent, etc."

Celebrities not returning to the reboot? Simon Cowell, who previously said that he had no interest in returning, and former contestants Kelly Clarkson (who was briefly rumored to be joining the show last week) and Jennifer Hudson, who will instead join The Voice as coaches.

[Face filters for adults too]

Instagram launches selfie filters, copying the last big Snapchat feature
from TechCrunch



Today Instagram Stories adds a more subtle and mature but error-prone copycat of Snapchat's beloved augmented reality selfie filters. The eight initial "face filters," as Instagram calls them, work exactly like Snapchat, and let you add virtual koala ears, nerd glasses, a butterfly crown or wrinkle-smooth makeup to yourself and friends in photos or videos.

The face filters are the last major Snapchat Stories feature missing from Instagram after it cloned Snap's slideshow-sharing format, overlaid creative tools, disappearing Direct messages and more. Without a compelling reason for new users to pick the original Snapchat Stories over the Instagram Stories clone, Instagram could thereby widen the gap by adding to its 200 million daily Stories users that already outnumber Snapchat's 166 million total users, and further slow down Snap's growth rate that led it to lose 25 percent of its share price value after it announced weak earnings last week.

Face filters and three more features roll out to all users today via an iOS and Android app update. An eraser tool will let you remove drawings you added to an image, though it can't "Photoshop" out objects from the original image like Snapchat's Magic Eraser. Instagram's new Rewind mode plays videos in reverse, just like one of Snapchat's oldest filters.

The most original new Instagram feature is the ability to type a hashtag and add it to your Stories posts as a sticker, just like a location sticker. When viewers tap on these stickers, they'll be taken to the Instagram hashtag page showing other public, permanent posts with that hashtag. Eventually, though, you could imagine the ability to search Stories by hashtag, or watch a "Hashtag Story" compiled from all the publicly visible Stories with that label. Instagram actually just started testing Location Stories.



Face filters for adults too

"There's a lot of exciting work being done around augmented reality," an Instagram spokesperson said when asked about the app copying Snapchat's face filters. "We've heard from our community that they want more creative ways to share everyday moments and engage with friends. With face filters, they have more tools than ever at their fingertips, and all in one place."

While that dodges the question a bit, the last part is revealing. Instagram wants to be the one-stop shop for visual communication, no matter your age. Instagram's spin on Snapchat's selfie masks is designed to make them simple and less wacky so they appeal to users beyond teens. If you're not into Stories, you can also use Face Filters with Instagram Direct and Boomerang, as well as images you might want to post to the main feed.



Instead of needing to know you tap on the screen to activate face filters like in Snapchat, Instagram steals that access point so it's intuitive for veteran mask users, but also adds a Smiley button to reveal the tray of 8 filters along the bottom of the screen.

"The designs and specific filters were built by the Instagram team," says the Instagram spokesperson. But referring to the AR startup Facebook acquired last year, they noted that "The underlying technology uses MSQRD's imaging technology and proprietary technology from Facebook's applied machine learning teams."

Instagram wouldn't share whether the available filters will expand, rotate or come and go, but they did say "we'll be bringing more face filters to the community on a regular basis." Here's a brief overview of the initial set:

- Gold Crown – A Caesar-style golden wreath around you head, this filter is subtle and universal enough to be a good introduction to filters.
- Koala – This cute filter adds a Koala nose and ears that raise in surprise when you open your mouth, though it falls short of being as adorable as Snapchat's iconic puppy filter.
- Nerd Glasses – This one swirls math equations around your head, can appear on two people at once and features glasses that slip down your nose if you tilt forward.
- Bunny – Another attempt at beating Snapchat's puppy filter, these ears raise in surprise when you open your mouth, and react to gravity by folding over if you learn side to side.
- Butterfly Crown – Instagram's attempt at Snapchat's Coachella-favorite flower crown puts a wreathe of butterflies on your head that flitter off as you move.
- Ice Crown – You exhale steam as snowflakes flurry around with this ice crown.
- Peacock – Giant purple feathers in the foreground shield you from view until they're pulled aside to reveal you, when you lean forward, looking like a 1930s flapper.
- Makeup – Instagram's final face filter washes a golden hue over you, smoothing your wrinkles so you look more "beautiful."

Overall, the filters are meant to subtly augment your face rather than completely cover it or change its shape like some of Snapchat's more aggressive filters do. While that makes them less playful and noticeable, they're also more artful and mature — something that adults might actually use.

For now Instagram won't allow Sponsored Face Filters, but those could come eventually to rival Snapchat's similar ad unit. With all the most popular Snapchat Stories features successfully cloned, the smaller things left include adding 3D augmented reality objects to the world around you.

Now things should get more interesting as Instagram will have to do more innovating as it's run out of stuff to copy.

Apple could release MacBook updates soon
from TechCrunch

According to a new report from Bloomberg, Apple is about to release updated MacBook and MacBook Pro models. The company could announce the refresh at its WWDC keynote on June 5.

The 12-inch MacBook with a retina display hasn't been updated in a year. The design still works quite well, so I wouldn't expect anything more than a specification bump.

Maybe Apple is going to add a second USB-C port. That would be nice as it's a bit frustrating that you can't charge your device and plug something at the same time without a dongle. The keyboard isn't as good as the one in the most recent MacBook Pro either.

When it comes to the MacBook Pro with the new Touch Bar, it's still quite new but Apple likes to update its computers regularly with better CPU options, more RAM and storage.

In particular, the MacBook Pro missed the mark for Intel's Kaby Lake processors. The laptops shipped with Skylake CPUs, but there's no reason not to update the laptops with the new CPUs.

More surprising, Bloomberg is saying that Apple is also considering updating the MacBook Air. Based on Apple's own press conference, the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro without a touch bar is the perfect MacBook Air replacement.

It's roughly as heavy as the 13-inch MacBook Air, but it's still more expensive. That's why the MacBook Air is still around for the time being. But Apple could even go a step further and refresh the MacBook Air with better components. I wouldn't hold my breath for this one.

WWDC is a developer conference, so Apple focuses mostly on software news for its developer community. This year should be no different. You can expect some news around iOS 11, tvOS 11, watchOS 4 and macOS 10.12.

At the same time, developers use Macs every day, all day. So it would make sense to spend a minute talking about minor Mac updates. Mac users are also waiting for brand new iMac and Mac Pro models. But those devices aren't ready just yet.

[DISCLAIMER: Posting about politics is not intended to start a flame war. The political climate in the U.S. is feeble. Please take political news with a grain of salt.]

Your guide to President Trump's FBI director shortlist
from The Vox
DISCLAIMER: Posting about politics is not intended to start a flame war. The political climate in the U.S. is feeble. Please take political news with a grain of salt.



After the stunning ouster of FBI Director James Comey, President Donald Trump needs to pick a new person to lead the bureau.

It's a decision rife with consequences both political (firing Comey amid the FBI's investigation into Trumpland's ties to Russia threatens to derail the GOP's agenda) and practical (the new nominee will lead the nation's top law enforcement agency for the next decade).

Trump is weighing eight names to head the FBI, as Bloomberg first reported. They range from Republican politicians to two judges to the man filling Comey's shoes for the time being. They'd be leading the nation's most prestigious police force — and be charged with picking up the Trump-Russia probe that led to their predecessor's removal.

A source familiar with the search confirmed the Bloomberg shortlist.

John Cornyn



Cornyn — the Senate majority whip, the second-ranking position among Senate Republicans — served on the Texas Supreme Court and as Texas attorney general before he was elected to the United States Senate in 2002.

Cornyn would likely enjoy the support of all 52 members of the Senate Republican conference; the FBI director must be confirmed with 50 votes, making Cornyn a potentially appealing pick. He would also, however, bring the baggage of an explicitly partisan background, at a time when Democrats and even some Republicans say Trump should restore faith in the FBI by making a nonpartisan nomination, as Obama did when he nominated Comey, a Republican.

On the Russia investigations, Cornyn has previously dismissed Trump's criticism of the probe as a "witch hunt."

"It is a legitimate area of inquiry," he said, according to a roundup from Axios. "There is no question that Putin is trying to undermine our democracy and undermine public confidence in our institutions."

Andrew McCabe



McCabe, currently the acting FBI director, has worked in the bureau for more than 20 years, in top positions that included leading the national security office, and he stepped in to lead the agency after Comey's removal.

McCabe would represent the smoothest possible transition from Comey's tenure, and his nomination would likely assuage some critics worried that Trump will appoint a FBI director inclined to downplay the ongoing investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.

The acting director has said that the current FBI investigation into Trumpland and Russia is "highly significant," per Axios, and he has promised not to allow politics to interfere with the probe.

"Simply put, sir, you cannot stop the men and women of the FBI from doing the right thing, protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution," McCabe told a Senate panel last week, per NBC News.

But some Senate Republicans, including Sen. Chuck Grassley, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, raised concerns about McCabe as acting director — let alone in a permanent position.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe's political action committee donated nearly $500,000 to McCabe's wife, Jill McCabe, when she was running as a Democrat for Virginia's state Senate. McCabe did not participate in his wife's campaign, but when the FBI was investigating Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server, McAuliffe's support was reported as a possible conflict of interest because the governor is a close ally of the Clintons.

"He's got political problems because of McAuliffe helping his wife, and I don't think he's the person that should be taking over," Grassley told CNN's Manu Raju.

Alice Fisher



Fisher — a partner at Latham & Watkins and former assistant attorney general — led the Justice Department's criminal division under President George W. Bush. She focused on corporate fraud, particularly contracting work related to the war on terror, according to the National Law Journal. However, she was also criticized by Democrats at the time for her support of terrorist detentions at Guantanamo Bay.

Fisher is said to be well liked by the Washington establishment, and she would be a familiar face. She would also be the first woman to lead the FBI.

She has not commented publicly on the Russia probe.

Michael Garcia



Garcia — an associate judge on the New York Court of Appeals and former US attorney — has a history of anti-corruption crusades, including the investigation of a prostitution ring that led to the resignation of New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, according to NBC News. He was also hired by FIFA to investigate alleged corruption in the bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Garcia would be the first Latino to lead the bureau. He has accrued bipartisan support over his career: George W. Bush appointed him to a homeland security position in his administration, while New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, appointed Garcia to the state appeals court.

He has not commented on the Russia probe, though Axios noted this comment he made during the FIFA investigation, which included investigating whether Russia won the right to host the 2018 World Cup through bribery: "My authority is to investigate any official — top down — for misconduct. No one is above the ethics code."

Fran Townsend



Townsend — executive vice president at MacAndrews & Forbes and a former homeland security adviser to George W. Bush — advised Bush on counterterrorism, and she is said to have a long interest in cybersecurity, a top issue right now. She earned plaudits from John Cohen, who worked under Bush and Barack Obama, when her name was floated as Trump's possible pick to be his homeland security secretary, Politico reported. "I think she would be a calming influence," Cohen said at the time.

Townsend has actually been sharply critical of Trump at times. She signed a letter during the campaign declaring him unfit for office, and she also criticized the initial immigration ban targeting Muslims pursued by the Trump administration, according to Politico.

She has tweeted numerous news articles about the Trump-Russia probe over the past few months, though rarely adding her own commentary.

Henry Hudson



Hudson — a US District Court judge — was appointed to the federal bench by George W. Bush, after serving as a prosecutor and the head of the US Marshals Service under President George H.W. Bush.

He was leading the marshals service during the Rudy Ridge incident, a standoff between federal marshals and a fugitive holing up with his family, which resulted in the death of a marshal and the fugitive's 14-year-old son. Hudson controversially decided not to pursue an internal investigation of the incident.

Over his career, according to McClatchy, Hudson has acquired the nickname "Hang 'Em High Harry" for being tough on crime. That record, plus his beginnings as a Republican politician, could prove problematic in the confirmation process.

Hudson has not commented publicly on the Russia investigation.

Adam Lee



Lee — the FBI special agent in charge of the Richmond, Virginia, office — has worked on corruption and civil rights investigations during his time with the FBI. He has led the Richmond office since 2014, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

He has had a diverse tenure inside the bureau, working on white-collar crime, national security issues, and cybersecurity as well as serving on a SWAT team for seven years. Lee would be another continuity, career-driven nominee, one who would likely be more immune to partisan allegations.

Though Lee is a seasoned agent who has worked for the bureau for two decades, he does not have the same public-facing experience as the other candidates.

He has not commented publicly on the Russia investigation.

Mike Rogers



Rogers — a former FBI special agent who was also a Republican Congress member from Michigan — chaired the House Intelligence Committee before leaving office in 2015. He was previously floated as a possible FBI director in 2013 and he advised the Trump campaign on national security issues.

Rogers worked for five years in the FBI's Chicago office, focused on corruption and organized crime. An association of current FBI agents has backed Rogers's bid to be the new director, according to McClatchy. Rogers's tenure leading the intelligence committee included some instances, such as a sober report on the 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya, that earned bipartisan praise.

But on a more fundamental level, Rogers would likely face pushback from Democrats over his background as a Republican politician. He has also dismissed the idea that Russia intervened specifically to help Trump win the 2016 election, instead pointing to a more general goal to "sow discontent and mistrust in our elections."

"They saw the same polls that we did," he said earlier this month, according to Reuters. "Some notion that the Russians knew that Trump had an opportunity to win this thing more than U.S. public pollsters thought, I find ridiculous."

[Scientists who drilled into the impact crater associated with the demise of the dinosaurs summarise their findings so far in a BBC Two documentary on Monday.]

Dinosaur asteroid hit 'worst possible place'
from BBC



Scientists who drilled into the impact crater associated with the demise of the dinosaurs summarise their findings so far in a BBC Two documentary on Monday.

The researchers recovered rocks from under the Gulf of Mexico that were hit by an asteroid 66 million years ago.

The nature of this material records the details of the event.

It is becoming clear that the 15km-wide asteroid could not have hit a worse place on Earth.

The shallow sea covering the target site meant colossal volumes of sulphur (from the mineral gypsum) were injected into the atmosphere, extending the "global winter" period that followed the immediate firestorm.

Had the asteroid struck a different location, the outcome might have been very different.

"This is where we get to the great irony of the story – because in the end it wasn't the size of the asteroid, the scale of blast, or even its global reach that made dinosaurs extinct – it was where the impact happened," said Ben Garrod, who presents The Day The Dinosaurs Died with Alice Roberts.

"Had the asteroid struck a few moments earlier or later, rather than hitting shallow coastal waters it might have hit deep ocean.

"An impact in the nearby Atlantic or Pacific oceans would have meant much less vapourised rock – including the deadly gypsum. The cloud would have been less dense and sunlight could still have reached the planet's surface, meaning what happened next might have been avoided.

"In this cold, dark world food ran out of the oceans within a week and shortly after on land. With nothing to eat anywhere on the planet, the mighty dinosaurs stood little chance of survival."

Ben Garrod spent time on the drill rig that was stationed 30km off Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula in April/May last year, to better understand the aims of the project; Alice Roberts visited widely separated fossil beds in the Americas, to get a sense of how life was altered by the impact.

Rock cores from up to 1,300m beneath the Gulf were recovered.

The lowest sections of this material come from a feature within the crater called the peak ring.

This is made from rock that has been heavily fractured and altered by immense pressures.

By analysing its properties, the drill project team - led by Profs Jo Morgan and Sean Gulick - hope to reconstruct how the impact proceeded and the environmental changes it brought about.

Chicxulub Crater - The impact that changed life on Earth

- A 15km-wide object dug a hole in Earth's crust 100km across and 30km deep
- This bowl then collapsed, leaving a crater 200km across and a few km deep
- The crater's centre rebounded and collapsed again, producing an inner ring
- Today, much of the crater is buried offshore, under 600m of sediments
- On land, it is covered by limestone, but its rim is traced by an arc of sinkholes



They know now the energy that went into making the crater when the 15km-wide asteroid struck - equivalent to 10 billion Hiroshima A-bombs. And they also understand how the depression assumed the structure we observe today.

The team is also gaining insights into the return of life to the impact site in the years after the event.

One of the many fascinating sequences in the BBC Two programme sees Alice Roberts visit a quarry in New Jersey, US, where 25,000 fossil fragments have been recovered - evidence of a mass die-off of creatures that may have been some of the immediate casualties on the day of the impact itself.

"All these fossils occur in a layer no more than 10cm thick," palaeontologist Ken Lacovara tells Alice.

"They died suddenly and were buried quickly. It tells us this is a moment in geological time. That's days, weeks, maybe months. But this is not thousands of years; it's not hundreds of thousands of years. This is essentially an instantaneous event."

The Day The Dinosaurs Died is on BBC Two at 21:00, after which it will be available on the BBC iPlayer.

Creators of the MP3 declare it dead
from The Telegraph



The creators of the MP3 have declared the music format obsolete, closing the lid on the iconic audio files that popularised the iPod.

More than two decades after its inception, the German research institute that funded MP3 has dropped ownership of it.

The Fraunhofer Institute of Integrated Circuits said in a recent filing that its "licensing program for certain MP3 related patents" had been "terminated".

Although MP3 remains popular for music sharing, the institute said there were "more effective audio codecs with advanced features available today".

Most modern devices use formats such as advanced audio coding (AAC) while there are plans for MPEG-H, a new audio standard being developed for more efficient storage and immersive 3D audio.

"Those can deliver more features and a higher audio quality at much lower bitrates compared to MP3," the institute said. AAC is now the main format for services such as iTunes and Youtube files.

While the developers have bid farewell to MP3, the format remains popular for those using retro iPods and MP3 players.

MP3 was developed during the 1980s and 90s, becoming the standard file type for audio and proliferating online music downloads. While the initial aim had been for a way to deliver music signals over telephone lines, the team of six researchers ultimately developed the widely proliferated MP3 code.

The format later became popular for music players such as Apple's iPod on its 2001 release, selling millions of copies. MP3 took up 10 per cent of the storage space of files, a massive reduction at the time.

As well as leading to major product breakthroughs, MP3 also saw the proliferation of peer-to-peer file-sharing sites such as Napster and was a major catalyst in the rise of illegal internet downloads and digital piracy.

[These OSes are affected]

How to protect yourself from WannaCry ransomware
from CNET

The battle against the WannaCry ransomware continues. (In many spaces it's referred to as WannaCrypt. There appears to be no substantive difference between the two.)

The attack, which started on Friday, locked people out of their computers and encrypts their files, demanding they pay up to $300 in bitcoin -- a price that doubles after three days -- to receive a decryption key or risk losing their important files forever. What's worse is the malware also behaves like a worm, potentially infecting computers and servers on the same network.

The ransomware was slowed by a security analyst last week after discovering a kill switch in its code, but has since been updated without the kill switch, allowing it to grow further. WannaCry has now reached more than 150 countries and 200,000 computers, shutting down hospitals, universities, warehouses and banks.

Though it might seem to be an issue for only businesses, institutions and governments, individuals are at risk, too, as WannaCry targets a Windows operating system flaw in older versions of the OS that have not been patched.

Important hat tip: The information herein comes largely from How to defend yourself against the WannaCrypt global ransomware attack by ZDNet's Charlie Osbourne.

These OSes are affected

The attack exploits a vulnerability in older Windows operating systems, namely:

- Windows 8
- Windows XP
- Windows Server 2003

If you're using a more recent version of Windows -- and you've stayed up up-to-date on your system updates -- you should not be vulnerable to the current iteration of the WannaCry ransomware:

- Windows 10
- Windows 8.1
- Windows 7
- Windows Vista
- Windows Server 2008
- Windows Server 2008 R2
- Windows Server 2012
- Windows Server 2012 R2
- Windows Server 2016

But the reverse applies, too: If you haven't been keeping those newer versions of Windows updated, you'll be just as vulnerable until and unless you do.

If you're using MacOS, ChromeOS or Linux -- or mobile operating systems like iOS and Android -- you don't have to worry about this particular threat.

Update Windows immediately

If you're using one of the newer versions of Windows listed above (10/8.1/7, etc.) and you've kept your PC up-to-date with automatic updates, you should've received the fix back in March.

In the wake of WannaCry, Microsoft issued rare patches on the older versions of Windows it no longer formally supports to protect against this malware. Here's where you can download these security updates:

- Windows 8 x86
- Windows 8 x64
- Windows XP SP2 x64
- Windows XP SP3 x86
- Windows XP Embedded SP3 x86
- Windows Server 2003 SP2 x64
- Windows Server 2003 SP2 x86

The full download page for all Windows versions is available here.

Turn Windows Update on if it's disabled

It's not uncommon for people to disable Microsoft's automatic updates, especially because earlier iterations had a tendency to auto-install even if you were in the middle of work. Microsoft has largely fixed that issue with the current version of Windows 10 (the recent Creators Update). If you have disabled automatic updates,, head back into Control Panel in Windows, turn them back on and leave them on.

Install a dedicated ransomware blocker

Don't assume that your current antivirus utility -- if you're using one at all -- offers protection against ransomware, especially if it's an outdated version. Many of the big suites didn't add ransomware blocking until recently.

Not sure if you're protected? Dive into your utility's settings and see if there's any mention of ransomware. Or, do some web searching for the specific version of your product and see if it's listed among the features.

If it's not, or you're pretty sure you don't have any kind of safeguard beyond your patched version of Windows, install a dedicated anti-ransomware utility. Two free options: Cybereason Ransomfree and Malwarebytes Anti-Ransomware (currently in beta).

Block port 445 for extra safety

MalwareTech, whose security analyst on Friday briefly slowed the worldwide attack of the WannaCry ransomware posted to Twitter that blocking TCP port 445 could help with the vulnerability if you haven't patched your OS yet.

Keep watching for mutations

Just because there's a patch doesn't mean you'll always be protected. New variations of the ransomware have popped up without the Achilles heel and bearing the name Uiwix, according to researchers at Heimdal Security.

Can I get ransomware on my phone or tablet?

Ransomware in its current form -- most notably WannaCry/WannaCrypt -- is a Windows-specific form of malware. It's designed to target the Windows operating system and the files contained therein, so it's not a threat to mobile OSes like Android and iOS. That said, you should always exercise the same cautions when it comes to suspicious links in emails and on websites: When in doubt, don't tap.

What if I'm already infected?

At the moment, it appears there's no way to reverse the encryption for free. That's why many individuals and organizations often end up paying the ransom if their computers are already locked down (especially if they don't have a recent remote or cloud backup). However, Bleeping Computer has a guide to removing the ransomeware. While CNET has not independently verified the efficacy of that process, it's important to note that the malware remains on afflicted PCs even after they've been unlocked.

In other words, even if you pay the ransom, you'll still have work to do.

Cloud storage may help

If you're using a cloud-backup tool like Carbonite, you may be able to recover all your WannaCry-encrypted files by accessing earlier versions of them. And cloud-storage service Dropbox keeps snapshots of all changes made to files in the past 30 days. This is a very good time to investigate whether your online backup or storage provider does indeed keep rollback versions of your files, just so you know whether you have an option other than paying the ransom!

Nintendo reportedly building Legend of Zelda for phones
from CNET

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a hit on Nintendo's Switch console, a hybrid device that crosses the at-home and portable game worlds. Now it looks like the company may try to ride Epona to success on phones.

The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that Nintendo is developing a Legend of Zelda app for Apple iOS and Google Android devices.

Zelda games have long been available for Nintendo's mobile game machines, but a phone version could open up the franchise to a much wider audience. Nintendo could also be looking at riding the release of Super Mario Run, a game that brought the company's famous plumber to phone screens.

The Journal cites unnamed sources and details are scarce. It's not known whether a phone version of the game would delve into the rich 3D world in Breath of the Wild or instead stick with the simpler visuals found in Zelda games developed for previous Nintendo handheld devices.

Nintendo is heavily involved with crossing its games over to iPhones and Android devices. A delayed mobile version of Animal Crossing is due out sometime this year. The Journal's report suggests a Zelda launch would come after Animal Crossing.

If Nintendo does introduce mobile Zelda, the game would join the existing Nintendo phone efforts Fire Emblem Heroes and Miitomo, a social-networking-style app released in early 2016.

Audi and Volvo will use Android as the operating system in upcoming cars
from The Verge

Google has taken a major step toward turning Android into a complete operating system for cars that doesn't require the use of a phone. The company announced partnerships with Audi and Volvo today, ahead of this week's I/O developer's conference, that will see those carmakers build new branded infotainment systems using Android 7.0 Nougat.

The manufacturer-tweaked versions of Google's operating system will power the cars' main touchscreen displays, as well as the digital dashboards behind the steering wheel. They will add new services like Google Assistant to the apps and integrations already available on Android Auto. But Android will now also control basic functions like heating and cooling, seat position, or opening and closing the windows. (It won't go as far as controlling critical safety systems like brakes, though, according to Google.) Volvo says it plans to launch its Android on new models within two years, while Audi will show its version off in the new Audi Q8 Sport concept.

Taking over a car's entire infotainment system — as opposed to just running on top of the one created by the manufacturer — has always seemed to be the endgame for Google's initial efforts with Android Auto. Google has been reportedly working on it as far back as late 2014, when a report in Reuters indicated that the software giant was aiming to turn Android Auto into something that could control a car's systems and wouldn't require a smartphone.

Google officially exposed those ambitions at last year's I/O conference when it showed off a Maserati Ghibli with a 4K, 15-inch vertical center touchscreen that was running a version of Android that could control everything from the radio to the HVAC system. This past January, Google and Fiat Chrysler (the parent company of Maserati) announced they were working on combining FCA's Uconnect infotainment system with Android 7.0 Nougat — an apparent precursor to today's news.

At that time, Google said this automotive version of Android would still be open source, and that it wouldn't necessarily lock out Apple's CarPlay (or even the Android Auto app). That still appears to be the case. Patrick Brady, vice president of engineering for Android, told Bloomberg News that Apple's CarPlay would still be able to run on top of this new embedded Android system. And a representative for Volvo tells The Verge that there is "no change in functionality with regards to CarPlay, nor is there a change in the many partners with whom we collaborate."

[US territory in reach?]

Putin warns against 'intimidating' North Korea after latest missile launch
from CNN

Russian President Vladimir Putin has condemned North Korea's latest missile launch as "dangerous" but warned against "intimidating" Pyongyang.

Speaking in China, Putin called for a peaceful solution to the ongoing tensions on the Korean peninsula, Russia's Sputnik news agency reported.

"I would like to confirm that we are categorically against the expansion of the club of nuclear states, including through the Korean Peninsula," Putin told reporters. "We are against it and consider it counterproductive, damaging, dangerous," he said.

But in comments that appeared aimed at the US, he said that "intimidating (North Korea) is unacceptable."

For its part, North Korea said the missile test was in response to the nuclear dangers and threats posed by the US and its followers.

"We will conduct ICBM tests anytime and anywhere in accordance with the decisions made by our central leadership," North Korea's ambassador to China Ji Jae Ryong said at an impromptu press conference at the country's embassy in Beijing Monday.

US territory in reach?
North Korea tested a Hwasong-12 missile Sunday which reached an altitude of 2,111.5 kilometers (1,312 miles) and flew 787 kilometers (489 miles), according to state news agency KCNA.

Analysts estimated its ranged as 4,500 kilometers which would put the US territory of Guam within its reach.

A small island in the Pacific, Guam is home to Andersen Air Force Base, through which the US Air Force rotates heavy bombers including B-1s, B-2s and B-52s.

KCNA said the test showed North Korea "has all powerful means for retaliatory strike" should Washington take any military action to stop its nuclear weapons program.

Putin made the comments on the sidelines of the One Belt One Road summit in Beijing, a meeting of 29 heads of state convened by Chinese President Xi Jinping to push his vision for China's global expansion.

The Russian president called on all parties to "find peaceful solutions."

Putin's partial defense of North Korea came after White House press secretary Sean Spicer suggested that the missile test may provoke a more forceful response from the Kremlin.

In a White House statement released Sunday, Spicer said: "With the missile impacting so close to Russian soil -- in fact, closer to Russia than to Japan -- the President cannot imagine that Russia is pleased."

The US and Russia also offered differing estimates for where the missile splashed down. The US said it terminated flight just 96 kilometers (60 miles) from the Russian port city of Vladivostock, whereas the Russian Defense Ministry said it landed 500 kilometers (311 miles) from its Pacific coast line.

Russia's relations with North Korea

While Russia and North Korea don't have strong trade ties, they are building on their economic relationship. New ferry services are running between the countries and Russia has given permission for some 50,000 North Koreans to carry out manual work on projects in Russia.

Russia is one of the few countries that has diplomatic relations with North Korea. Kim Jong Un's father, Kim Jong Il, went to Moscow on a state visit during his rule in 2011, and Putin visited Pyongyang in 2000.

"While Russia is concerned about North Korea and its missiles, it also sees North Korea as an opportunity to gain leverage with the West, the US in particular," said Matthew Chance, CNN's Moscow correspondent.

"Russia doesn't want North Korea to have nuclear weapons, but the response from officials in Moscow has been minimal because they know Russia isn't one of Pyongyang's targets," he added.

UN Security Council to meet

Last month, Russia and China backed a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning a previous missile launch, demanding that it "immediately" cease further actions that violate resolutions.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will meet on Tuesday to discuss Pyongyang's latest defiant move.

Since US President Donald Trump took power in January, rhetoric has ramped up on both sides. Senior US officials made it clear early on that the Obama administration's policy of "strategic patience" on North Korea had failed.

The Trump administration declared early on that the waiting was over, and followed through by deploying a US strike group, led by the aircraft carrier the USS Carl Vinson, to the waters off the Korean Peninsula. North Korea responded with threats and accusations.

"The US has recognized that direct military confrontation didn't work all that well last time, didn't have the effect that they had desired so will let (further developments) play out in the UNSC," Baker said.

[DISCLAIMER: Posting about politics is not intended to start a flame war. The political climate in the U.S. is feeble. Please take political news with a grain of salt.]

At Liberty, Trump Calls Critics 'Pathetic,' Praises Putting 'Faith Into Action'
from NPR

DISCLAIMER: Posting about politics is not intended to start a flame war. The political climate in the U.S. is feeble. Please take political news with a grain of salt.



For his first commencement speech as president, Donald Trump went back to a place that was once key to his efforts as a candidate to shore up support among the Republican base.

Standing before tens of thousands of members of the Class of 2017 and their families at Liberty University's open-air stadium in Lynchburg, Va., Trump thanked the crowd for helping him achieve the presidency.

"I wanna thank you because, boy, did you come out and vote — those of you that are old enough; in other words, your parents," Trump said. "Boy, oh boy, you voted. You voted!"

A strong majority of evangelicals voted for Trump in November despite some predictions to the contrary. Liberty University President Jerry Falwell, Jr., was one of the first leading white evangelical figures to endorse Trump during the Republican primary season, though that decision wasn't universally supported at his university.

In his speech, Trump jokingly nodded to the difficult odds he'd once faced.

"Right here, the Class of 2017, dressed in cap and gown, graduating to a totally brilliant future; and here I am, standing before you as president of the United States. So I'm guessing there are some people here today who thought that either one of those things — either one — would really require major help from God," Trump said, drawing laughter and applause from the crowd.

Trump bypassed more traditional options for a first presidential commencement speech, like the University of Notre Dame, instead sending Vice President Mike Pence. As graduation speeches go, Trump struck familiar themes: he urged students to be persistent, follow their passions and chart their own paths in life.

He occasionally sounded self-reflective as he imparted wisdom to the graduates.

"I've seen so many people, they're forced through lots of reasons — sometimes including family — to go down a path that they don't want to go down, to go down a path that leads then to something that they don't love, that they don't enjoy," Trump said. "You have to do what you love, or you most likely won't be very successful at it."

Trump also seemed to allude several times to the 2016 campaign — advising students to claim the label of "outsider" and not be discouraged by naysayers.

"The more that a broken system tells you that you're wrong, the more certain you should be that you must keep pushing ahead, you must keep pushing forward," Trump said. "And always have the courage to be yourself."

The president's speech included plenty of language tailored to the conservative Christian audience. He alluded to his recent executive order billed as protecting religious freedom, though some critics said the language actually changes very little.

"America is better when people put their faith into action," Trump said. "As long as I am president, no one is ever going to stop you from practicing your faith or from preaching what's in your heart."

Trump's visit to this bastion of support came after a tumultuous week in which he fired FBI Director James Comey and faced questions about whether the timing of the firing could be related to an ongoing investigation into possible ties between his campaign and Russian officials — after a determination by the U.S. intelligence community that Russia had meddled in the election to help Trump and hurt Hillary Clinton.

He steered clear of that subject, making only sidelong swipes at his critics.

"No one has ever achieved anything significant without a chorus of critics standing on the sidelines explaining why it can't be done," Trump said. "Nothing is easier or more pathetic than being a critic, because they're people that can't get the job done."

He found few critics at Liberty University. Falwell, Jr., praised Trump's first few months in office, pointing to Trump's selection of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, his decision to stack his Cabinet with religious conservatives and what Falwell described as bombing "those in the Middle East who are persecuting and killing Christians."

Falwell said he's pleased with Trump's performance so far.

"I do not believe that any president in our lifetimes has done so much that has benefited the Christian community in such a short time span than Donald Trump," he said.

Several Liberty graduates and their families said they felt much the same.

Lanora Hale came from Millville, N.J., to watch her son graduate with a master's degree. Hale said she's solidly behind Trump.

"I really think he's doing great. He's trying — if people give him a chance, you know. People gotta give him a chance," Hale said.

Hale said she wants to see a tighter connection between religion and government — perhaps prayer in public schools — and she sees Trump as friendly toward that goal.

"I really am glad that he's putting God back into everything," she said.

Newly-minted elementary education graduate Rachel Kreisel of Boca Raton, Fla., agrees.

"[I want] to bring Christ back into our nation and into our schools, since we don't have him in schools rights now; it's just silent prayers," she said, "I would love to see the prayers back into schools because it makes a big difference."

For Josh Kirkland of Pensacola, Fla., graduating with a bachelor's degree in cinema, it was an "honor" to have the president speak at commencement. But he said it's "early to say" what to make of Trump's unconventional presidency.

"He's certainly been busy," Kirkland said, "both in the office and on Twitter."

Hey guys, no news story here. I'm just here to explain myself.

I took pride in this board when I ran it. I love the news and I love posting about the news. I like being able to create a conversation about current events. I think it's important to stay on top of what's going on in the news and that's why this board was started.

I took a 6-month hiatus from this board for two reasons:

1. I got a new job in November and moved across the country to start it.
2. All of the news post-election has been Trump and it's exhausting.

The ironic thing is that my new job is very similar to what I do on this board. I write and post news articles online and for a magazine about medical devices, medical research and medical advances.

I am going to try to post to this more often because an informed citizen is the cornerstone of democracy. Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people (bonus points if you know what that's from without looking it up).

['It just adds to the chaos']

Whirring, Purring Fidget Spinners Provide Entertainment, Not ADHD Help
from NPR

Fidget spinners — the trendy toy of the moment — are causing a commotion. A lot of kids love them, just as many teachers hate them and some people think they're more than just toys.

The basic fidget spinner has three prongs centered around a circle with bearings in the middle. Take one prong, give it a spin and watch as the triangle shape becomes a blur, sort of like a ceiling fan. The toys are manufactured by several different companies, and sold all over the place — airports, gas stations, train stations, toy stores.

In many places where fidget spinners are sold, they're touted as miracle toys that help people focus as well as aid people dealing with post-traumatic stress and other disorders, but one expert says those claims aren't backed up by science. And some teachers have complained that the toys are causing disturbances in the classroom.

'It just adds to the chaos'

While fidget spinners may seem simple and harmless, music teacher Elizabeth Maughan is not a fan.

"They do make a noise," she says. "When you have 10 or 15 in a room, it's just this whirring and it's an irresistible siren call for everyone else to turn around and look at whoever has it out, and [it's] completely distracting."

Maughan teaches fifth and sixth graders in a school just outside Oklahoma City. She says the toys appeared there in the middle of April.

"It seemed like one day there was a few, and the next day there was a few, and the next day everyone had them. They just appeared really fast," she says. "Of course, they drop them, and they clatter and pieces of them fall out and then they're chasing ball bearings around the room. It just adds to the chaos."

Fidget spinners got to be so much of a problem that Maughan's school banned them.

And, her school isn't the only one putting a stop to the spin, many others are prohibiting the toys in the classroom.

But some people are convinced fidget spinners are more than a just a distraction.

Don't believe the spin

In fact, many retailers market the devices as a tool to help people focus, and help with controlling things such as PTSD, anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. But according to Scott Kollins, a clinical psychologist and professor at Duke University, "there's no evidence to support that claim."

Kollins says that there's been no research shown that proves fidget spinners are effective at addressing those issues.

"I know there's lots of similar toys, just like there's lots of other games and products marketed toward individuals who have ADHD, and there's basically no scientific evidence that those things work across the board," Kollins says.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of 2011 as many as 6.4 million children between the ages of four and 17 had been diagnosed with ADHD.

Kollins says that because there is such a large number of children with ADHD, a lot of parents are searching for help, making them vulnerable to targeted — and potentially false — marketing.

"If their description says specifically that this can help for ADHD, they're basically making false claims because these have not been evaluated in proper research," he says.

Kollins says he hasn't had parents or patients ask him about fidget spinners, yet, but he would rather they focus on some of the tried and true treatments.

"It's important for parents and teachers who work with kids who have ADHD to know that there are very well studied and documented treatments that work, and that they're out there, so there's not really quick and easy fixes like buying a toy," he says. "It's important that people don't get into trying these fads when we do have treatments that can help these kids."


Do you have a fidget spinner? Let me know in the replies if you have one and if it has been more an entertaining device than a focusing device.

There's bad news if you like sushi
from Morning Ticker



An alarming new report claims that sushi has one big potential problem that you might not be aware of despite all of its benefits.

Sushi lovers, beware: scientists have just found out something about this food that should cause you great alarm if you eat it on a regular basis. Although it's been praised as an awesome food both because it is low in fat and high in protein, not to mention rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, a new report finds that there is a dangerous parasite lurking inside sometimes that is causing more problems than ever before.

The report, published in the medical journal BMJ Case Reports, discusses the case of a Portugal man who began experiencing stomach pain and then started vomiting and reported a high fever. Doctors determined that he had recently eaten sushi, and after an endoscopy, they found a parasite larvae that had attached itself to his stomach lining.

They diagnosed him with anisakiasis, which is caused by parasitic worms that can be found in sushi, and as the food rises in popularity, so do cases of this unpleasant disease.

The statement from BMJ is below.

An unseen hazard of eating raw or undercooked fish/seafood is on the rise in Western countries, where dishes, such as sushi, are becoming increasingly popular, warn doctors today in a.

The warning comes after they treated a 32 year old previously well man who had had severe upper gut (epigastric) pain, vomiting, and fever for a week.

A blood test indicated mild inflammation, and the area below his ribs was tender. But it was only when the man revealed that he had recently eaten sushi that the doctors suspected that he might have anisakiasis.

Anisakiasis is caused by eating raw or undercooked fish/seafood infected with nematode parasites of the species Anisakis.

Endoscopy–the insertion of a long tube with a camera on the end down the gullet and into the stomach–revealed the larva of a worm-like parasite firmly attached to an area of swollen and inflamed gut lining.

After the larva was removed with a special kind of net, the man's symptoms cleared up straight away. Laboratory analysis showed that the larva belonged to the species of Anisakis.

Most of the reported cases to date have been in Japan, where a raw fish diet is very common say the authors.

"However, it has been increasingly recognised in Western countries," they add, and advise clinicians to consider the condition in patients with pain, nausea, vomiting and other complications, such as bowel obstruction and bleeding, who have recently eaten raw or undercooked fish.

[The rVSV Zebov-GP Ebola Vaccine]

New Ebola Outbreak In Congo: Can Vaccines Prevent An Epidemic?
from Tech Times

The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed a new ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) Bas Uele Province on May 12, just over a week since it celebrated the collective effort that created the rVSV Zebov-GP vaccine.

Since the world now has a vaccine for the deadly virus that took thousands of lives, some may believe that the spread of the disease would be cut short. However, can vaccines really prevent an epidemic from happening in the future? Let's take a closer look.

The rVSV Zebov-GP Ebola Vaccine

The ebola vaccine came forth from the combined effort of WHO, governments, health workers, international and local scientists, and private and public funding organizations. Of course, it would not have seen a successful clinical trial without the people who consented to test the vaccine.

The rVSV Zebov-GP vaccine offers 100 percent protection against the disease for people who live in close contact with ebola patients. It also extends protection to unvaccinated individuals through "herd immunity," which means that the vaccine can prevent the spread of disease up to a certain degree. The experimental ebola vaccine, however, works on only one subtype of ebola and has yet to receive a proper license.

Congo Ebola Epidemic

The DRC's ebola epidemic currently affects a small number of people and is still manageable with proper handling. WHO, however, is still investigating the scale of the outbreak.

"An investigation team led by the Ministry of Health and supported by WHO and partners has deployed and is expected to reach the affected area in the coming day," Dr. Peter Salama, WHO Executive Director for Emergencies, said.

Despite WHO's involvement and the presence of a vaccine, the small epidemic could still reach pandemic levels if the vaccine and disease subtype don't match and patients don't cooperate.

To be fair, DRC has already experienced several ebola epidemics since 1976 but the last three outbreaks all involved fewer than 100 cases, even without a vaccine.

Conditions For The Vaccine To Work

Experts believe that the world is still underprepared when it comes to facing deadly infectious diseases and, as mentioned above, there are still certain conditions before a vaccine would be able to efficiently prevent large-scale epidemics.

The current ebola vaccine is still very limited since it only protects against one subtype-the Zaire ebolavirus-but, as we all know, viruses have a tendency to mutate and become even more deadly faster than experts can produce vaccines.

In the instance that the vaccine perfectly matches the disease that is circulating, success would still depend on patient consent and government support before healthcare workers can be deployed to administer vaccines from the supplier.

That part can be considered the trickiest since conditions become worse as time passes without immediate action. According to a report, Merck - the manufacturer of rVSV Zebov-GP vaccine - and the DRC government are still in the middle of discussions whether the vaccine should be administered to the remote communities affected by the current epidemic.

While that is a frustrating situation, it does have its merit since administering a vaccine that is not sure to work on an unidentified subtype of virus seems fruitless, especially if the strain turns out to be different.

Vaccines are not cures and do not guarantee that a person would never have the disease, especially if the disease has many subtypes and has the tendency to mutate. They do, however, guarantee that the chances of contracting a deadly disease and dying from it become slimmer.

Dr. Marie-Paule Kieny, WHO Assistant Director-General for Health Systems and Innovation, believes that an efficient healthcare system is a better prevention than vaccines. For economically challenged communities and countries that cannot provide this, however, vaccines could be the people's best bet at preventing large scale outbreaks by limiting the number of possible carriers that would aid in the virus distribution.

Scientists have identified the 50-foot creature that washed up on an Indonesian beach
from The Washington Post

A giant sea creature, possibly with tusks and possibly straight out of your nightmares, washed up on a beach in Indonesia last week, freaking out people on the island of Seram and launching a global guessing game to determine what, exactly, it used to be.

As images of the floating carcass rocketed around the Internet, the scientific community asked itself: What is it? How did it get to an Indonesian island? And what does its presence say about climate change and whale migration habits?

The people of Seram have a more pressing query: How do we get rid of it?

Asrul Tuanakota, a 37-year-old fisherman, initially thought he had discovered a boat stranded in shallow water, according to the Jakarta Globe. On closer inspection, he determined that it was the rotting corpse of a 50-foot-long dead sea creature — possibly a giant squid because the remains looked like tentacles.

Blood seeping from the dead sea beast had turned the water near the coastline a bright red, which didn't stop locals from wading in for a closer look and snapping pictures.

George Leonard, the chief scientist at the Ocean Conservancy, told HuffPost that the rotting carcass was probably a baleen whale, judging by parts of a protruding skeleton and what appear to be baleen plates used to filter out food.

Decomposition gases bloated the whale into a very un-whale-like shape, and some of the noxious gases were seeping out. Can nightmares have smell?

Seram, the largest island in the Maluku Island group, is near the migration routes for baleen whales, so it makes sense that one would be nearby. Locals have asked the government to help remove the carcass, HuffPost reported.

But dead whales usually sink to the bottom of the ocean, providing a years-long buffet for the creatures that dwell there, according to Live Science. The publication theorized that the whale had a bacterial infection that produced more gases or that it possibly died in warm waters, allowing bacteria to accumulate and gases to expand its body. It also could have died an unnatural death after being clipped by a ship.



Of course, things die in the ocean all the time producing all kinds of weird phenomena. But now fishermen and villages and tourists — and their smartphones — are coming into contact with dead sea things as they go through the circle of life.

For example, fishermen off the western coast of Australia found a humongous, floating balloon of flesh that looked as if it was the first sign of an alien invasion. At first, the father and son thought they had encountered a hot-air balloon.



"When we got closer we realized it had to be a dead whale because of the smell," Mark Watkins told the West Australian.

They snapped photos of the whale balloon, then headed to shore. By then, they said, circling sharks had taken bites of the dead creature, causing it to deflate.

And earlier this year, a giant, hairy sea creature washed up on a beach in the Philippines, according to the Daily Mail. Locals believe the unusual occurrence was brought on by a recent earthquake.

Pictures showed people climbing on top of the carcass to take selfies.

Box-Office Bomb: 'King Arthur' Opens to Disastrous $14.7M Debut Behind 'Snatched'
from The Hollywood Reporter



'King Arthur' is a flop of epic proportions after costing $175 million to make; 'Snatched' cost far less ($42 million) but opened well behind Amy Schumer's 'Trainwreck.' Holdover 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' easily beat both new offerings.

The second weekend of summer at the North American box office took no prisoners.

Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow's male-fueled King Arthur: Legend of the Sword — costing $175 million to make before marketing — is a flop of epic proportions after launching to $14.7 million from 3,702 theaters to mark the first big bomb of summer 2017 and one of the worst openings ever for a big-budget studio event film. It also is falling on its sword overseas, and could be facing a loss of well north of $100 million.

Piling on more bad news, the movie was topped in the U.S. by Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn's Snatched in a surprise upset. The Mother's Day action-comedy opened to $17.5 million from 3,501 theaters. Fox spent a relatively modest $42 million to make the R-rated movie, but was certainly hoping for a bigger bow, considering Schumer's Trainwreck debuted to $30 million in summer 2015. Overall, it was one of the slowest Mother Day weekends in years in terms of revenue.

Produced by Chernin Entertainment, director Jonathan Levine's Snatched follows a mother and daughter who find themselves trying to escape after being abducted on vacation in Ecuador. The comedy, which received mediocre reviews and a B CinemaScore, marks Hawn's first turn on the big screen in 15 years, as well as Schumer's first film since Trainwreck.

Schumer may be controversial, but Snatched succeeded in red states. The comedy overindexed in all parts of the country, save for the Rockies and Western states. Specific markets that overindexed included cities in Florida, as well as Oklahoma City and San Antonio. Females made up 77 percent of the audience, while 51 percent of ticket buyers were between the ages of 18 and 34.

"Teaming an edgy comedian with a comedian who is America's sweetheart is like the consummate political ticket that makes sure all of your constituents are served," said Fox president domestic distribution Chris Aronson.

Snatched placed No. 2 behind Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which easily stayed atop the box-office chart in its second weekend, declining a respectable 57 percent to $63 million from 4,347 theaters. (The Disney and Marvel sequel grossed $16.4 million on Friday alone, more than King Arthur did over its entire weekend.) Guardians Vol. 2 has now grossed $246.2 million domestically and $384.4 million overseas for a global haul of $630.6 million, including $80.5 million in China.

King Arthur, starring Charlie Hunnam as the mythical king, is a dark origin story about the future royal's tough upbringing in the back alleys of his city. But once Arthur pulls the sword from the stone, he is forced to acknowledge his true legacy. Jude Law, Astrid Berges-Frisbey, Djimon Hounsou, Aidan Gillen and Eric Bana also star.

"The concept didn't resonate with a broad audience, and we're disappointed. We had higher hopes," said Warner Bros. domestic distribution chief Jeff Goldstein. The studio also missed with Pan (2015) and Jack the Giant Slayer (2013), which were likewise attempts to spin new live-action franchises based on classic IP, as leader Disney has done with any number of hits, including the recent Beauty and the Beast.

King Arthur, whose release was delayed numerous times, was skewered by critics, but received a B+ CinemaScore from audiences. Males made up nearly 60 percent of the audience.

Overseas, the pic lagged behind both Guardians Vol. 2, which raked in another $52.2 million in its third weekend, and the $42 million launch of Ridley Scott's Alien: Covenant in 34 markets. Conversely, King Arthur debuted to a tepid $29.1 million from its first 51 markets, including a miserable $5.1 million in China. It still has numerous major markets in which to open, including the U.K. and Australia.

Rounding out the top five domestically were The Fate of the Furious and The Boss Baby.

Elsewhere on the North American chart, Lowriders, from Blumhouse's BH Title and Imagine in association with Telemundo, cracked the top 10 despite playing in only 269 theaters. Targeting Hispanic audiences, the drama earned a pleasing $2.4 million to place No. 8.

The Met: Live in HD continued to prosper as Saturday's live broadcast of Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier opera grossed $1.7 million from 900 screens to come in No. 10.

At the specialty box office, Eleanor Coppola's Paris Can Wait, starring Diane Lane, Alec Baldwin and Arnaud Viard, fared nicely for Sony Pictures Classics, earning $101,825 from four theaters for a per screen average of $25,456, the best of the weekend for any film. It is the first narrative feature directed by Coppola, who is Francis Coppola's wife.

[CBS News]

Researcher, 22, unintentionally discovered "kill switch" that halted worldwide cyberattack, officials say
from CBS News

The cyberattack that spread malicious software around the world, shutting down networks at hospitals, banks and government agencies, was stemmed by a young British researcher and an inexpensive domain registration, with help from another 20-something security engineer in the U.S.

Britain's National Cyber Security Center and others were hailing the cybersecurity researcher, a 22-year-old identified online only as MalwareTech, who - unintentionally at first - discovered a "kill switch" that halted the unprecedented outbreak.

By then, the "ransomware" attack had hobbled Britain's hospital network and computer systems in several countries, in an effort to extort money from computer users. Hackers tricked victims into opening corrupt links in emails disguised as invoices, CBS News' Jonathan Vigliotti reports. It's still unclear who is behind the attack.

But a researcher's actions may have saved companies and governments millions of dollars and slowed the outbreak before computers in the U.S. were more widely affected.

MalwareTech said in a in a blog post Saturday that he had returned from lunch with a friend on Friday and learned that networks across Britain's health system had been hit by ransomware, tipping him off that "this was something big."

He began analyzing a sample of the malicious software and noticed its code included a hidden web address that wasn't registered. He said he "promptly" registered the domain, something he regularly does to try to discover ways to track or stop malicious software.

Across an ocean, Darien Huss, a 28-year-old research engineer for the cybersecurity firm Proofpoint, was doing his own analysis. The western Michigan resident said he noticed the authors of the malware had left in a feature known as a kill switch. Huss took a screen shot of his discovery and shared it on Twitter.

MalwareTech and Huss are part of a large global cybersecurity community of people, working independently or for security companies, who are constantly watching for attacks and working together to stop or prevent them, often sharing information via Twitter. It's not uncommon for them to use aliases, either to protect themselves from retaliatory attacks or for privacy.

Soon Huss and MalwareTech were communicating about what they'd found: That registering the domain name and redirecting the attacks to MalwareTech's server had activated the kill switch, halting the ransomware's infections - creating what's called a "sinkhole."

Who perpetrated this wave of attacks remains unknown. Two security firms - Kaspersky Lab and Avast - said they identified the malicious software in more than 70 countries. Both said Russia was hit hardest.

These hackers "have caused enormous amounts of disruption- probably the biggest ransomware cyberattack in history," said Graham Cluley, a veteran of the anti-virus industry in Oxford, England.

The ransomware exploits a vulnerability in Microsoft Windows that was purportedly identified by the U.S. National Security Agency for its own intelligence-gathering purposes. Hackers said they stole the tools from the NSA and dumped them on the internet.

A malware tracking map showed "WannaCry" infections were widespread. Britain canceled or delayed treatments for thousands of patients. Train systems were hit in Germany and Russia, and phone companies in Madrid and Moscow. Renault's futuristic assembly line in Slovenia, where rows of robots weld car bodies together, was stopped cold. In Brazil, the social security system had to disconnect its computers and cancel public access.

But while FedEx Corp. reported that its Windows computers were "experiencing interference" from malware - it wouldn't say if it had been hit by the ransomware - other impacts in the U.S. were not readily apparent on Saturday.

The worldwide effort to extort cash from computer users spread so widely that Microsoft quickly changed its policy, making security fixes for this vulnerability available for free for the older Windows systems still used by millions of individuals and smaller businesses.

Britain's home secretary said one in five of 248 National Health Service groups had been hit. Home Secretary Amber Rudd said all but six of the NHS trusts back to normal Saturday.

The U.K.'s National Cyber Security Center was "working round the clock" to restore vital health services, while urging people to update security software fixes, run anti-virus software and back up their data elsewhere.

All this may be just a taste of what's coming, another cyber security expert warned.

Computer users worldwide - and everyone else who depends on them - should assume that the next big "ransomware" attack has already been launched, and just hasn't manifested itself yet, said Ori Eisen, founder of the Trusona cybersecurity firm in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The attack held hospitals and other entities hostage by freezing computers, encrypting data and demanding money through online bitcoin payments. But it appears to be "low-level" stuff, Eisen said Saturday, given the amount of ransom demanded - $300 at first, rising to $600 before it destroys files hours later.

This is already believed to be the biggest online extortion attack ever recorded, disrupting services in nations as diverse as the U.S., Ukraine, Brazil, Spain and India. Europol, the European Union's police agency, said the onslaught was at "an unprecedented level and will require a complex international investigation to identify the culprits."

Huss and others were calling MalwareTech a hero on Saturday, with Huss adding that the global cybersecurity community was working "as a team" to stop the infections from spreading.

"I think the security industry as a whole should be considered heroes," he said.

But he also said he's concerned the authors of the malware could re-release it - perhaps in the next few days or weeks - without a kill switch or with a better one, or that copycats could mimic the attack.

The MalwareTech researcher agreed that the threat hasn't disappeared.

"One thing that is very important to note is our sinkholing only stops this sample and there is nothing stopping them removing the domain check and trying again, so it's incredibly important that any unpatched systems are patched as quickly as possible," he warned.

The kill switch also couldn't help those already infected. Short of paying, options for these individuals and companies are usually limited to recovering data files from a backup, if available, or living without them.

Security experts said it appeared to be caused by a self-replicating piece of software that enters companies when employees click on email attachments, then spreads quickly as employees share documents.

The security holes it exploits were disclosed weeks ago by TheShadowBrokers, a mysterious hacking group. Microsoft swiftly released software "patches" to fix those holes, but many users still haven't installed updates or still use older versions of Windows.

CBS News
cbsnews.com