Beware of pranksters on Twitter today if you're an Apple user. Some people are trying to trick their friends into visiting crashsafari.co, a site that does, well, pretty much exactly what it claims to do: crashes the Safari browser bundled in with Apple's iPhones and Mac computers.
Social media saboteurs are using URL-shorteners to disguise the link so their unsuspecting followers will click on it - crashing their browser or in some cases forcing users to reboot their devices, according to some reports.
But never fear, the issue is more annoying than dangerous. At the most, it seems you may lose open tabs depending on your settings. It's not entirely clear which versions of Safari are affected, but the site is reported to work on the latest releases for OS X and iOS. On an iPhone 6s running iOS 9.2 tested by this reporter, it just caused a second of frustration, and then the device was back to normal.
The method behind the online madness is pretty simple: The site runs a little bit of code that forces the browser into a loop where it's directed to call up a particular bit of information about the site's URL thousands of times, overwhelming it until it crashes, according to 9to5 Mac.
No word from Apple on a fix as of yet, and it seems unlikely that the company will rush to action given the limited scope of the issue. But the prank is a helpful reminder that there are quirks built into a lot of the tech we rely on that can have unexpected consequences. Just last year, the Internet discovered that sending a specific string of characters to an iPhone via text message could force the device to restart.
© 2016 The Washington Post
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Source: http://gadgets.ndtv.com/internet/news/using-an-iphone-or-a-mac-dont-visit-this-website-794881
Music
Dave Matthews Band announces 25th anniversary tour
by Will Robinson • @Will_Robinson_
Posted January 25 2016 — 6:29 PM EST
Related
In 2016, the Dave Matthews Band turns 25, and they’re hitting the road to celebrate the big anniversary.
The Virginia jam band unveiled details about its North American tour this summer; the band is pegged to play 46 nights in 37 different cities. The festivities kick off May 11 in Wichita, Kansas and end with an all-out Labor Weekend celebration, with the band spending three days at The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington.
Catch the band while you can: In Monday’s announcement, DMB also declared they would not tour in 2017.
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Tickets for Warehouse members — Dave Matthews Band’s official fan club — go on sale Tuesday at 10 a.m. ET. Tickets for the public will be available Feb. 19 at noon local venue time.
See all the tour stops below, and nab tickets at the group’s website.
May 11: Wichita, Kan.; Intrust Bank Arena May 13: The Woodlands, Texas; Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion May 14: Dallas; Gexa Energy Pavilion May 17: Oklahoma CIty, Okla.; Chesapeake Energy Arena May 18: Little Rock, Ark.; Verizon Arena May 20: Cincinnati, Ohio; Riverbend Music Center May 21: Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio; Blossom Music Center May 24: Pelham, Ala.; Oak Mountain Amphitheatre May 27: Charlotte, N.C.; PNC Music Pavilion May 28: Atlanta; Lakewood Amphitheatre May 29: Maryland Heights, Mo.; Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre June 7: Holmdel, N.J.; PNC Bank Arts Center June 8: Bangor, Maine; Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion June 10: Mansfield, Mass.; Xfinity Center June 11: Hartford, Conn.; Xfinity Theatre June 17: Virginia Beach, Va.; Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheatre June 18: Bristow, Va.; Jiffy Lube Live June 21: Wantagh, N.Y.; Nikon at Jones Beach Theater June 22: Syracuse, N.Y.; Lakeview Amphitheater June 24, 25: Camden, N.J.; BB&T Pavilion June 28: Moline, Ill.; iWireless Center June 29: Bonner Springs, Kan.; Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre July 1: 2 – Elkhorn, Wis.; Alpine Valley Music Theatre July 8: Columbus, Ohio; Nationwide Arena July 9: Burgettstown, Penn.; First Niagara Pavilion July 12-13: Gilford, N.H.; Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion July 15-16: Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; Saratoga Performing Arts Center July 19: Toronto; Molson Canadian Amphitheatre July 20: Clarkston, Mich.; DTE Energy Music Theatre July 22-23: Noblesville, Ind.; Klipsch Music Center July 26: Charleston, S.C.; North Charleston Coliseum July 27: Tampa, Fla.; Midflorida Credit Union Amphitheatre July 29-30: West Palm Beach, Fla.; Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre Aug. 26: Chula Vista, Calif.; Sleep Train Amphitheatre Aug. 27: Irvine, Calif.; Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre Aug. 29-30: Berkeley, Calif.; Greek Theatre Sept. 2-4: George, Wash.; The Gorge
Source: http://www.ew.com/article/2016/01/25/dave-matthews-band-25th-anniversary-tour
Dave Matthews Band announces 2016 summer tour
By Billboard Staff
Updated 1156 GMT (1956 HKT) January 26, 2016
Dave Matthews Band's 'Under the Table and Dreaming' at 20: Classic track-by-track review
The five-month tour will be followed by a break in 2017.
Online ticket presale for members of the DMB Warehouse Fan Association starts Tuesday here at 10 a.m. ET. Tickets for the general public go on sale Friday, Feb. 19, here at noon local time.
Dave Matthews Band violinist embezzled out of $400,000
Dave Matthews Band 2016 Summer Tour
05/11 Wichita, KS @ INTRUST Bank Arena
05/13 The Woodlands, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
05/14 Dallas, TX @ Gexa Energy Pavilion
05/17 Oklahoma, OK @ Chesapeake Energy Arena
05/18 North Little Rock, AR @ Verizon Arena
05/20 Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
05/21 Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center
05/24 Pelham, AL @ Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
05/27 Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
05/28 Atlanta, GA @ Lakewood Amphitheatre
05/29 Maryland Heights, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
06/07 Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
06/08 Bangor, ME @ Darling's Waterfront Pavilion
06/10 Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center
06/11 Hartford, CT @ XFINITY Theatre
06/17 Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater
06/18 Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live
06/21 Wantagh, NY @ Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
06/22 Syracuse, NY @ Lakeview Amphitheater
06/24 Camden, NJ @ BB&T Pavilion
06/25 Camden, NJ @ BB&T Pavilion
06/28 Moline, IL @ iWireless Center
06/29 Bonner Springs, KS @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheater
07/01 Elkhorn, WI @ Alpine Valley Music Theatre
07/02 Elkhorn, WI @ Alpine Valley Music Theatre
07/08 Columbus, OH @ Nationwide Arena
07/09 Burgettstown, PA @ First Niagara Pavilion
07/12 Gilford, NH @ Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
07/13 Gilford, NH @ Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
07/15 Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center
07/16 Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center
07/19 Toronto, ON @ Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
07/20 Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
07/22 Noblesville, IN @ Klipsch Music Center
07/23 Noblesville, IN @ Klipsch Music Center
07/26 North Charleston, SC @ North Charleston Coliseum
07/27 Tampa, FL @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
07/29 West Palm Beach, FL @ Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre
07/30 West Palm Beach, FL @ Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre
08/26 Chula Vista, CA @ Sleep Train Amphitheatre
08/27 Irvine, CA @ Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre
08/29 Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre
08/30 Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre
09/02 George, WA @ The Gorge
09/03 George, WA @ The Gorge
09/04 George, WA @ The Gorge
See the original story at Billboard.com.
©2015 Billboard. All Rights Reserved.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/26/entertainment/dave-matthews-band-tour-billboard-feat/
OAKLAND, Calif. — There was no give and take, no push and pull, and no nip and tuck in the first, long-awaited meeting between the NBA’s two best teams, just a beating so one-sided and so thorough that Gregg Popovich was left with nothing better to do than dryly joke about his job security. “We almost got ‘em,” the league’s longest-tenured coach cracked after the Spurs’ worst loss in nearly three years. “I’m just glad my general manager wasn’t in the locker room, because it might have gotten me fired.”
One week after the Warriors helped send David Blatt to the unemployment line with a 34-point drubbing of the Cavaliers in Cleveland, the defending champs were back at it again, deconstructing the Spurs 120–90 at Oracle on Monday. Yes, Tim Duncan was missing in action with a sore knee, but his absence was hardly worthy of an asterisk after such a commanding performance by the Warriors.
As fascinating as it was to watch Golden State pick apart an exceptional opponent, this contest was uncomplicated, mostly lacking the intrigue of intricacies. The Warriors won every key matchup, they presented problems that the Spurs couldn’t solve and they neutralized many of their opponent’s supposed advantages.
“In every facet of the game, it was men and boys,” Popovich lamented, on multiple occasions, before cutting short his post-game press conference.
Quickly, let’s run down the facets, starting with the Most Valuable Facet himself, Stephen Curry. The reigning MVP and the next MVP dropped in a game-high 37 points without even playing in the fourth quarter, shaking every defensive look that Popovich threw at him. Tony Parker? He might as well have been invisible, as Curry glided around him with ease. Kawhi Leonard? Curry spun the reigning Defensive Player of the Year around in a full circle without even holding the ball. Jonathon Simmons? San Antonio’s second-string rookie tried to pressure and body up on Curry near midcourt during the third quarter, only to lose him on multiple occasions.
As it has night after night during Golden State’s 41–4 start, Curry’s marksmanship helped suck San Antonio’s league-leading defense away from the paint, opening plenty of opportunities in the basket area. Without Duncan to defend the rim, the Spurs conceded 52 points in the paint, as Draymond Green rifled passes to cutter after cutter. Like many big men forced to check Golden State’s spread looks, LaMarcus Aldridge often found himself wobbling uncomfortably out on an island on the perimeter. The Spurs’ defense had hoped to close the court against the Curry/Green tandem, but it just didn’t happen.
If Golden State’s stars thrived offensively, unencumbered by various defensive approaches, San Antonio’s offensive centerpieces—Leonard and Aldridge—looked uncharacteristically shipwrecked.
For Leonard, the biggest issue was a lack of involvement. On a night when San Antonio desperately needed a superstar’s counterpunch, he failed to fit the bill, scoring 16 points but attempting just six shots. There was no compelling reason for Leonard to settle as he did: Parker played limited minutes, Manu Ginobili was erratic, Danny Green never left an imprint on offense and David West was the only consistent source of scoring early. The big, physical multi-dimensional scorer that has paced San Antonio only put up one three-point attempt all night.
Shades of Leonard’s overly quiet play during last year’s playoffs came back against the Warriors, an unfortunate turn of events for a player who has made such major strides to his all-around game. Certainly, Golden State’s deep corps of perimeter defenders presents a host of challenges, but Leonard has reached the point where it’s time for him to go down swinging.
• NADKARNI: NBA Week in Review: What should we do about hacking?
Perhaps a strong night from Aldridge would have helped cover for Leonard, but San Antonio’s new star was entirely ineffective. He couldn’t catch a rhythm or establish quality position in isolation situations against Draymond Green and Andrew Bogut, and he never found the touch on his jumper. The end result was a season-low five points on 2-for-9 shooting, the type of no-show night that will likely mean instant death for the Spurs if these two teams square off as expected in the Western Conference finals.
“I was bad,” Aldridge said. “I was in a rush. They scrambled so much. I’ll learn from it.”
To compound matters, San Antonio’s reliable offensive system deserted it in this time of need. During one ugly third-quarter stretch, the Spurs chucked off a late-clock jumper off the side of the backboard on one possession, only to throw the ball away into the crowd on the next. The deliberate, often surgical Spurs committed 26 turnovers worth of unsuccessful surgeries, as the Warriors applied strong pressure to the ball and consistently contested potential shooters. On many occasions, the patented pass-pass-pass sequences simply led to rotate-rotate-rotate responses from Golden State.
“Our communication defensively was excellent tonight,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr. “San Antonio executes better than anybody in the league. Every cut is a hard one and every screen is a solid one. The ball moves side-to-side and they use a lot of deception. If you aren’t communicating you are going to get beat.”
Kerr went on to praise Green’s defensive effort, noting that his do-everything power forward asked out of the game to rest in the first quarter because he had expended so much energy, something the coach said hadn’t happened previously during his tenure.
This, like Curry’s repeated smacks at his chest and shouts of “Let’s go!” as the Warriors extended their lead in the third quarter, was evidence of an elite team pushing itself to do more, doing everything it could to flourish on the big stage. The night opened with plenty of talk about how the Warriors and Spurs had the highest combined winning percentage of any two teams that faced each other in league history. By the evening’s end, that factoid gave way to another: the Warriors dealt the Spurs just their seventh 30-point loss during the Duncan era, which began in 1997.
When historic hype gives way to a rare pounding like this, everyone is left to draw the same conclusion.
“At this point they’re better than us,” Ginobili admitted candidly. “I’m not embarrassed to face it.”
Source: http://www.si.com/nba/2016/01/26/warriors-spurs-stephen-curry-gregg-popovich-kawhi-leonard
Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2016/01/26/spurs-stay-calm-dont-overreact-blowout-loss-warriors/79335060/
Curry does it all again as Warriors dismantle Spurs, 120-90
OAKLAND, Calif. — Stephen Curry and the dominant Warriors aren't just beating teams anymore, they're throwing staggering knockout punches against the NBA's best — make that second-best.
In a span of eight days, Golden State has 30-point wins over Cleveland, Chicago and San Antonio.
Curry scored 37 points and hit six 3-pointers in three scintillating quarters Monday night, and the reigning champions showed they still rule the West by routing the Spurs 120-90.
"No moment's too big, obviously," Curry said. "We know this is just another regular-season game, but there was some hype around it. Every time we have an opportunity to prove who we are and take another step in the journey, we're ready for it. It wasn't always that way. This core has been together for a while and understands how to mentally prepare for nights like this."
The NBA MVP had 15 points in the opening quarter, 18 in the third and shot 12 for 20 in Golden State's 39th straight home win at raucous Oracle Arena, where a star-studded sellout crowd saw a lopsided showdown in what was billed as a potential Western Conference finals preview.
The Warriors (41-4) snapped a 13-game winning streak by the Spurs (38-7), off to the best start in franchise history but without Tim Duncan this time. The teams had the highest combined winning percentage in NBA history for opponents meeting at least 40 games into the season.
Curry galloped down the court and pounded his chest after his second straight 3-pointer and 10th consecutive point put Golden State up 76-56 with 7:55 to go in the third. It was his 1,400th career 3 and he became the 26th player in NBA history to reach that mark.
Chants of "M-V-P!" came from every corner of the arena as Curry did it all for his highest-scoring total in 17 games against San Antonio — knocking down 3s from the baseline and hitting from 30 feet well beyond the arc. Coming off his second triple-double of the season when he banked in a half-court shot Friday against Indiana, the dynamic point guard had three steals early in the game to set the defensive tone. And the Warriors didn't relent after building a 62-47 halftime lead.
All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard scored 16 points for the sloppy Spurs, with Harrison Barnes and Andre Iguodala guarding him early. The Spurs lacked the presence of Duncan, out because of soreness in his right knee.
"They outplayed us in every single aspect of the game," Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said. "Aggression was one."
Even coach Steve Kerr was in disbelief watching his current team thoroughly dismantle his old one on both ends — not to mention his mentor and good friend, Gregg Popovich. Kerr coached his second game back following a long leave of absence dating to Oct. 1 because of complications following two back operations.
Popovich understood the hype for one of the most anticipated regular-season matchups in recent memory.
"Why not? It's the two teams with the best record, playing it up would seem to be logical to me," he said. "We feel different going against a team that's the best team in the league. I get butterflies in my gut and excited about the game, and all that sort of thing. I don't feel like that every night."
Yet the Spurs are still right behind in the standings despite Golden State's NBA-record 24-0 start, so the Warriors wanted nothing more than to send a message that they plan to win another championship.
First, the Warriors are pursuing the Chicago Bulls' NBA record of 44 straight regular-season home wins from March 30, 1995 to April 4, 1996. They improved to 21-0 this season.
"It was like men and boys out there tonight," Popovich said.
FRIENDS FACE OFF
It's not always fun coaching against a friend. Ask Popovich.
Seeing Kerr is always extra special, and they talked both Saturday and Sunday nights ahead of this matchup.
"I've got a lot of close friends," Popovich said. "The closer you are to one of these guys, you win and you actually to some degree feel a little bit badly for your opponent, which sounds really unmanly in the macho world that we live in. If you lose, it doesn't hurt so much like a normal loss."
Kerr disagrees, saying, "I love Pop, that's my guy, but I don't feel that bad right now."
Ginobili stopped by Golden State's bench after a first-quarter timeout to give ex-teammate Kerr a hug and pat on the back.
Popovich was thrilled to see Kerr — who won two titles with the Spurs — back coaching.
"Steve's a different animal. He exudes a lot of confidence and he instills it," Popovich said. "A lot of people can't do that. There's no formula for it, but having Steve back is very, very, very significant for that club and that group of guys."
TIP-INS
Spurs: San Antonio committed a season-high 26 turnovers. ... The Spurs had won 23 of the previous 26 at Oracle and 54 of 62 overall in the series dating to April 4, 1998. ... David West had 12 points and five rebounds while starting in Duncan's place.
Warriors: Curry has 30-plus points in seven of his last nine games. ... Golden State is 25-2 vs. the West and has won 35 in a row at home against Western Conference teams in the regular season. ... Rap mogul Jay-Z sat courtside eight seats away from Warriors owner Joe Lacob, and rapper Drake also was in attendance.
UP NEXT
Spurs: Host Houston on Wednesday.
Warriors: Host Dallas on Wednesday.
By Janie McCauley, The Associated Press
Source: http://www.thespec.com/sports-story/6248355-curry-does-it-all-again-as-warriors-dismantle-spurs-120-90/
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-firstmerit-m-a-huntington-banc-idUSKCN0V40CZ
Steve Steinour, CEO of Huntington Bancshares, shown in a file photo from 2010.
Huntington Bancshares HBAN, -3.83% said it would acquire FirstMerit Corp. for $3.4 billion in stock and cash in a tie-up of two Ohio-based lenders.
The deal was unveiled early Tuesday morning.
The purchase price represents a premium to FirstMerit’s FMER, -4.42% nearly $2.7 billion market capitalization before The Wall Street Journal reported the two sides were in advanced deal talks.
The largest U.S. lenders are effectively prohibited by regulators from doing big deals, but regional banks have steadily consolidated since the financial crisis.
These banks face pressure on profits from regulatory costs and low interest rates, factors that have played a role in some of this consolidation.
Columbus-based Huntington, with $71 billion in assets, is one of the smaller banks to be subject to the Federal Reserve’s “stress tests,” which apply to firms with at least $50 billion in assets. FirstMerit, which is scheduled to report fourth-quarter earnings Tuesday, had $25.2 billion in assets as of Sept. 30.
FirstMerit shares climbed more than 10% Monday in after-hours trading after the Journal reported that the firms were in advanced talks.
An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com
Source: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/huntington-bancshares-signs-34-billion-deal-to-buy-firstmerit-2016-01-26
Steve Steinour, CEO of Huntington Bancshares, shown in a file photo from 2010.
Huntington Bancshares HBAN, -3.83% said it would acquire FirstMerit Corp. for $3.4 billion in stock and cash in a tie-up of two Ohio-based lenders.
The deal was unveiled early Tuesday morning.
The purchase price represents a premium to FirstMerit’s FMER, -4.42% nearly $2.7 billion market capitalization before The Wall Street Journal reported the two sides were in advanced deal talks.
The largest U.S. lenders are effectively prohibited by regulators from doing big deals, but regional banks have steadily consolidated since the financial crisis.
These banks face pressure on profits from regulatory costs and low interest rates, factors that have played a role in some of this consolidation.
Columbus-based Huntington, with $71 billion in assets, is one of the smaller banks to be subject to the Federal Reserve’s “stress tests,” which apply to firms with at least $50 billion in assets. FirstMerit, which is scheduled to report fourth-quarter earnings Tuesday, had $25.2 billion in assets as of Sept. 30.
FirstMerit shares climbed more than 10% Monday in after-hours trading after the Journal reported that the firms were in advanced talks.
An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com
Source: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/huntington-bancshares-signs-34-billion-deal-to-buy-firstmerit-2016-01-26
Steve Steinour, CEO of Huntington Bancshares, shown in a file photo from 2010.
Huntington Bancshares HBAN, -3.83% said it would acquire FirstMerit Corp. for $3.4 billion in stock and cash in a tie-up of two Ohio-based lenders.
The deal was unveiled early Tuesday morning.
The purchase price represents a premium to FirstMerit’s FMER, -4.42% nearly $2.7 billion market capitalization before The Wall Street Journal reported the two sides were in advanced deal talks.
The largest U.S. lenders are effectively prohibited by regulators from doing big deals, but regional banks have steadily consolidated since the financial crisis.
These banks face pressure on profits from regulatory costs and low interest rates, factors that have played a role in some of this consolidation.
Columbus-based Huntington, with $71 billion in assets, is one of the smaller banks to be subject to the Federal Reserve’s “stress tests,” which apply to firms with at least $50 billion in assets. FirstMerit, which is scheduled to report fourth-quarter earnings Tuesday, had $25.2 billion in assets as of Sept. 30.
FirstMerit shares climbed more than 10% Monday in after-hours trading after the Journal reported that the firms were in advanced talks.
An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com
Source: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/huntington-bancshares-signs-34-billion-deal-to-buy-firstmerit-2016-01-26
Steve Steinour, CEO of Huntington Bancshares, shown in a file photo from 2010.
Huntington Bancshares HBAN, -3.83% said it would acquire FirstMerit Corp. for $3.4 billion in stock and cash in a tie-up of two Ohio-based lenders.
The deal was unveiled early Tuesday morning.
The purchase price represents a premium to FirstMerit’s FMER, -4.42% nearly $2.7 billion market capitalization before The Wall Street Journal reported the two sides were in advanced deal talks.
The largest U.S. lenders are effectively prohibited by regulators from doing big deals, but regional banks have steadily consolidated since the financial crisis.
These banks face pressure on profits from regulatory costs and low interest rates, factors that have played a role in some of this consolidation.
Columbus-based Huntington, with $71 billion in assets, is one of the smaller banks to be subject to the Federal Reserve’s “stress tests,” which apply to firms with at least $50 billion in assets. FirstMerit, which is scheduled to report fourth-quarter earnings Tuesday, had $25.2 billion in assets as of Sept. 30.
FirstMerit shares climbed more than 10% Monday in after-hours trading after the Journal reported that the firms were in advanced talks.
An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com
Source: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/huntington-bancshares-signs-34-billion-deal-to-buy-firstmerit-2016-01-26
Steve Steinour, CEO of Huntington Bancshares, shown in a file photo from 2010.
Huntington Bancshares HBAN, -3.83% said it would acquire FirstMerit Corp. for $3.4 billion in stock and cash in a tie-up of two Ohio-based lenders.
The deal was unveiled early Tuesday morning.
The purchase price represents a premium to FirstMerit’s FMER, -4.42% nearly $2.7 billion market capitalization before The Wall Street Journal reported the two sides were in advanced deal talks.
The largest U.S. lenders are effectively prohibited by regulators from doing big deals, but regional banks have steadily consolidated since the financial crisis.
These banks face pressure on profits from regulatory costs and low interest rates, factors that have played a role in some of this consolidation.
Columbus-based Huntington, with $71 billion in assets, is one of the smaller banks to be subject to the Federal Reserve’s “stress tests,” which apply to firms with at least $50 billion in assets. FirstMerit, which is scheduled to report fourth-quarter earnings Tuesday, had $25.2 billion in assets as of Sept. 30.
FirstMerit shares climbed more than 10% Monday in after-hours trading after the Journal reported that the firms were in advanced talks.
An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com
Source: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/huntington-bancshares-signs-34-billion-deal-to-buy-firstmerit-2016-01-26
Steve Steinour, CEO of Huntington Bancshares, shown in a file photo from 2010.
Huntington Bancshares HBAN, -3.83% said it would acquire FirstMerit Corp. for $3.4 billion in stock and cash in a tie-up of two Ohio-based lenders.
The deal was unveiled early Tuesday morning.
The purchase price represents a premium to FirstMerit’s FMER, -4.42% nearly $2.7 billion market capitalization before The Wall Street Journal reported the two sides were in advanced deal talks.
The largest U.S. lenders are effectively prohibited by regulators from doing big deals, but regional banks have steadily consolidated since the financial crisis.
These banks face pressure on profits from regulatory costs and low interest rates, factors that have played a role in some of this consolidation.
Columbus-based Huntington, with $71 billion in assets, is one of the smaller banks to be subject to the Federal Reserve’s “stress tests,” which apply to firms with at least $50 billion in assets. FirstMerit, which is scheduled to report fourth-quarter earnings Tuesday, had $25.2 billion in assets as of Sept. 30.
FirstMerit shares climbed more than 10% Monday in after-hours trading after the Journal reported that the firms were in advanced talks.
An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com
Source: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/huntington-bancshares-signs-34-billion-deal-to-buy-firstmerit-2016-01-26
Steve Steinour, CEO of Huntington Bancshares, shown in a file photo from 2010.
Huntington Bancshares HBAN, -3.83% said it would acquire FirstMerit Corp. for $3.4 billion in stock and cash in a tie-up of two Ohio-based lenders.
The deal was unveiled early Tuesday morning.
The purchase price represents a premium to FirstMerit’s FMER, -4.42% nearly $2.7 billion market capitalization before The Wall Street Journal reported the two sides were in advanced deal talks.
The largest U.S. lenders are effectively prohibited by regulators from doing big deals, but regional banks have steadily consolidated since the financial crisis.
These banks face pressure on profits from regulatory costs and low interest rates, factors that have played a role in some of this consolidation.
Columbus-based Huntington, with $71 billion in assets, is one of the smaller banks to be subject to the Federal Reserve’s “stress tests,” which apply to firms with at least $50 billion in assets. FirstMerit, which is scheduled to report fourth-quarter earnings Tuesday, had $25.2 billion in assets as of Sept. 30.
FirstMerit shares climbed more than 10% Monday in after-hours trading after the Journal reported that the firms were in advanced talks.
An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com
Source: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/huntington-bancshares-signs-34-billion-deal-to-buy-firstmerit-2016-01-26
Steve Steinour, CEO of Huntington Bancshares, shown in a file photo from 2010.
Huntington Bancshares HBAN, -3.83% said it would acquire FirstMerit Corp. for $3.4 billion in stock and cash in a tie-up of two Ohio-based lenders.
The deal was unveiled early Tuesday morning.
The purchase price represents a premium to FirstMerit’s FMER, -4.42% nearly $2.7 billion market capitalization before The Wall Street Journal reported the two sides were in advanced deal talks.
The largest U.S. lenders are effectively prohibited by regulators from doing big deals, but regional banks have steadily consolidated since the financial crisis.
These banks face pressure on profits from regulatory costs and low interest rates, factors that have played a role in some of this consolidation.
Columbus-based Huntington, with $71 billion in assets, is one of the smaller banks to be subject to the Federal Reserve’s “stress tests,” which apply to firms with at least $50 billion in assets. FirstMerit, which is scheduled to report fourth-quarter earnings Tuesday, had $25.2 billion in assets as of Sept. 30.
FirstMerit shares climbed more than 10% Monday in after-hours trading after the Journal reported that the firms were in advanced talks.
An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com
Source: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/huntington-bancshares-signs-34-billion-deal-to-buy-firstmerit-2016-01-26
Cousins ties franchise mark with 56, Kings lose to Hornets in 2OT
It's no great statement to say that the Sacramento Kings rely on DeMarcus Cousins. Now holding on to the final playoff spot in the West, the 20-24 Kings have gone just 1-7 in games without their top player, a mark that doesn't include key moments he's missed due to ejections and foul-outs. He's the difference between a playoff contender and a lottery team.
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Cousins showed his value with both his presence and absence in Monday's game against the Charlotte Hornets at Sleep Train Arena. Cousins exploded for 56 points (21-of-30 FG, 13-of-16 FT) just one game after setting his previous career high with 48 points in a win over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, a performance that helped him earn Western Conference Player of the Week honors. Monday's new personal best also matched a Kings franchise record set by none other than Oscar Robertson with the Cincinnati Royals more than 51 years ago.
Unfortunately for Sacramento, Cousins's night came to an end earlier than anticipated. The Kings managed to make it to a second extra period after a missed Kemba Walker free throw with the game tied at 115-115 with 0.6 seconds remaining in regulation and Willie Cauley-Stein's block of a Kemba Walker lay-up at 124-124 at the end of the first overtime. Yet Cousins, always a threat for six fouls, fouled out with 3:30 on the clock on what initially looked like an and-one putback that would have given the Kings a four-point lead. Replays showed that Cousins knocked Frank Kaminsky with a powerful move, but it still appeared to be a tough way for the best player on the floor to leave the game.
The disqualification and a previous shot to the face for Rudy Gay left the Kings without their two best scorers for the final few minutes, and they responded by scoring just two more points. They came on a Cauley-Stein dunk that gave the Kings a 128-126 lead with 11 seconds left. But that gave the Hornets another chance, and they took advantage with the eighth three-pointer of the game for Troy Daniels:
Darren Collison an off-balance jumper at the buzzer to confirm Charlotte's 129-128 win. Despite some reasonable concerns that he traveled before taking the game-winner, Daniels finished with a career-high 28 points on 10-of-15 from the field and 8-of-11 from deep in 31 minutes, helping to offset a 5-of-25 game for the previously on-fire Walker and a 1-of-10 showing for Kaminsky. The Hornets have climbed back to 22-23 after losing nine of 10 and now sit just 1 1/2 games behind the Pacers for the East's No. 8 spot.
The Kings can at least proceed with confidence that Cousins remains a handful for opposing defenses (and sometimes also George Karl). Win or lose, he's one of the most dominant individual forces in the league right now.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at efreeman_ysports@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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Sports & RecreationBasketballSacramento KingsDeMarcus CousinsCharlotte HornetsThe Kings
Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/cousins-ties-franchise-mark-with-56--kings-lose-to-hornets-in-2ot-084417533.html
Rudy Gay Injury: Updates on Kings Star's Eye and Return
By Scott Polacek , Featured Columnist
Sacramento Kings swingman Rudy Gay suffered an eye injury in Monday's contest against the Charlotte Hornets.
Continue for updates.
Gay Suffers Scratched Eyeball
Monday, Jan. 25
James Ham of CSN California reported that Gay sustained a scratched eyeball and couldn't even open it.
This is a difficult setback for Gay and the Kings if he is forced to miss significant time.
He is a high-volume scorer who averaged at least 17 points a night every season of his career except his rookie campaign in 2006-07. He can stretch the defense with his three-point shooting but is also dangerous off the bounce on penetration or cuts to the basket, especially if opposing defenses are focused too much on stopping DeMarcus Cousins.
Gay scored a career-best 21.1 points a night in 2014-15 and has followed that up with 17.9 points per game this season.
Sacramento is battling for a postseason spot in the Western Conference and will need to find a way to replicate Gay’s offensive impact during his absence to remain in the race.
Cousins can shoulder much of the scoring down low but others on the wing such as Omri Casspi and Ben McLemore can fill the wing void.
Casspi is a matchup problem at 6’9” with a smooth jump shot and the ability to get involved on the boards. McLemore is a solid three-point shooter who is still looking to fulfill his potential as a third-year guard from Kansas after he was picked seventh overall.
Perhaps the additional minutes he will likely receive with Gay injured will help McLemore do just that.
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Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2610473-rudy-gay-injury-updates-on-kings-stars-eye-and-return
Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2016/01/26/cousins-scores-56-sets-sacramento-record-in-double-ot-loss/79334430/
Kings’ season-best five-game winning streak ends
Kings allow 20 three-pointers, a Charlotte franchise record
Cousins breaks Chris Webber’s 15 year-old Sacramento-era mark for points in a game
The Kings could stand not to see the Charlotte Hornets again. Fortunately for them, they won’t see their Eastern Conference nemesis again in the regular season.
For the second time this season, the Kings fell apart against the Hornets. This time, the breakdowns ended their season-long five-game winning streak, 129-128 in double overtime, Monday night at Sleep Train Arena.
DeMarcus Cousins set a franchise record for scoring with 56 points before fouling out. Chris Webber held the previous record of 51, set Jan. 5, 2001.
“I don’t care,” Cousins said of the record. “I’m trying to win a game.”
The Kings blew a 22-point lead in a loss at Charlotte on Nov. 23. This time they wasted a 17-point first-half lead, surrendering a Charlotte record 20 made three-pointers in a record 44 attempts.
The final three was from Troy Daniels, who made a 27-footer in the second overtime to win the game.
But the Kings’ problems began in the second quarter and continued in the third, when Charlotte went on an all-out barrage from beyond the arc.
The Kings gave up 30 points in the first seven minutes of the third quarter. The Hornets would score 42 points in the quarter, shooting 61.5 percent (16 for 26) and scoring 13 points off five Kings’ turnovers.
The Hornets made nine of their 12 three-point attempts in the period, and made seven in a row in one stretch.
“They came out with some energy,” Kings coach George Karl said. “It became a shootout. … Get beat by a kid making a 30 footer, you feel like (trash) you feel like throwing up. It’s a different type of failure, but it’s still a failure.”
The Hornets used the same formula many teams have used against the Kings. They made three-pointers, won the hustle aspects of the game and capitalized off Sacramento turnovers.
The Hornets scored 23 points off 23 Kings’ turnovers and had a 19-6 edge in second-chance points.
It’s the way the Hornets had to play. Because of injuries, they had just 10 healthy players and were down to seven by the end of the game after Spencer Hawes, Marvin Williams and Tyler Hansbrough fouled out.
“The guys obviously fought so hard,” Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said. “We got off to a tough start (down 31-16) and then in the second quarter we were better and in the third quarter we obviously made a bunch of threes.”
Cousins took the blame for the third quarter as the man he was defending, Hawes, made all four of his three-point attempts.
“I think it was more on me,” Cousins said. “I let Hawes get some momentum in the game and he hit a couple threes in a row. That’s what kind of changed the game and gave them some life.”
Cousins also had four assists, a game-high 12 rebounds and a game-high seven turnovers.
Cousins’ previous career high for scoring was 48, set Saturday against Indiana.
Rajon Rondo had his 30th game of the season with at least 10 assists, finishing with 20 to go with 10 rebounds and seven points. That tied Reggie Theus for second most in a season in Sacramento history.
The Kings (20-24) finished the game without Rudy Gay, who left in the second overtime with a scratched left eye that was swelling before he left the court.
Gay’s status for Tuesday night’s game at Portland is uncertain. He finished with 20 points and nine rebounds and two blocked shots in his first game back after missing two with a left heel contusion.
Darren Collison scored 15 points off the bench for the Kings and Omri Casspi had 13 points and eight rebounds.
Daniels led the Hornets (22-23) with 28 points off the bench. Williams had 21 and Jeremy Lin had 20 points and 11 assists. Kemba Walker finished with 24 points and eight assists. Hawes added 18 points.
Source: http://www.sacbee.com/sports/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-blog/article56588018.html
Djokovic survives 5-setter v Simon to reach quarterfinals
By Associated Press
Published: 15:54 GMT, 24 January 2016 | Updated: 15:55 GMT, 24 January 2016
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Novak Djokovic was looking everywhere for answers, even in the crowd.
The top player in tennis, who won 27 of a possible 28 matches in Grand Slam matches in 2015, had the number 100 in the unforced errors column after his 6-3, 6-7 (1), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win over Gilles Simon at the Australian Open.
The win secured his spot in the quarterfinals for the 27th consecutive major, equaling Jimmy Connors at No. 2 in that streak and trailing only Roger Federer's record of 36.
Yet Djokovic still thought it was a forgettable day. He was dissecting the match in an on-court interview Sunday when a burst of laughter from the crowd caught his attention.
"Sorry, everybody is laughing. I just want to hear, what did you say?" Djokovic said, looking into the stands. The answer came back loud and clear: "No more drop shots."
"OK, thanks buddy," Djokovic deadpanned. "I hate to say, but you are absolutely right."
A handful of ill-advised and poorly executed backhand drop shots by Djokovic made up the most glaring of his unforced errors.
"I don't think I've had any number close to 100," he said. "In terms of the level that I've played, it's the match to forget for me."
He hit 62 winners, and won 100 of the 176 rallies of four shots or fewer, but only 48 of the 101 featuring nine shots or more.
"Sometimes you have a brain freeze, if I can call it that," Djokovic said, explaining how he wasn't in rhythm and was trying to finish off points quickly. "Again, I won it, so it's pretty good. When you're playing that bad and still manage to win — hopefully it's going to get better next one."
Simon entered the match with a 1-9 win-loss record against Djokovic, but thought he'd worked out a way to beat the Serbian star by consistently and desperately keeping the rallies alive.
"I know a lot of players wanted me to win this match," the 31-year-old Frenchman said. "A lot of players will feel better with Novak out of the draw."
Federer watched Djokovic's match, before going out to beat No. 15 David Goffin 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 in a match that finished after midnight, and the error toll didn't bring him any joy.
"He makes you miss. He makes you go for the lines and he runs down a lot of balls. A lot of points end in errors," Federer said of Simon. "This was five sets. So, of course, there's going to be a lot of unforced errors piling up. The question is if you have 50, 100, at the end of the day it doesn't matter as long as you win."
Djokovic did just that, improving his record to 36 wins in his last 37 matches at Melbourne Park, and will next play No. 7 Kei Nishikori, who beat No. 9 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 with a more conventional style of game.
Federer, a four-time champion in Australia, secured a quarterfinal against No. 6 Tomas Berdych, a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 winner over Roberto Bautista Agut.
Djokovic's struggles increased the drama after a relatively routine start to Day 7, when six-time champion Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova confirmed their quarterfinal date with straight-set wins, ensuring a rematch between last year's finalists.
No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanksa rallied from 5-2 down in the third set to win 6-7 (6), 6-1, 7-5 against Anna-Lena Friedsam, who finished the last two games hobbling and in tears, and also conceded a point penalty on her last serve, after taking a medical timeout for what appeared to be cramps. Radwanska next plays No. 10 Carla Suarez Navarro, who had a 0-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over Russian-born Australian Daria Gavrilova.
Williams, a 21-time major winner, had a 55-minute, 6-2, 6-1 win over Margarita Gasparyan to set up a big match against Sharapova, a player she has beaten in 18 of their 20 matches.
Fifth-seeded Sharapova had a career-high 21 aces and hit 58 winners in her 7-5, 7-5 win over Belinda Bencic.
Williams won 26 matches in a row at the majors last season, capturing the Australian, French and Wimbledon titles and reaching the semifinals at the U.S. Open before a stunning loss to Roberta Vinci ended her run for the season slam.
That's the driving factor here.
"For my whole career I have been motivated by losses. So that's just been my thing," she said. "So each time I take a loss, I feel like I get better."
Sharapova won consecutive matches against Williams in 2004, but has lost all 17 meetings since. It's a statistic she tries to block from her mind.
"I got myself into the quarterfinal of a Grand Slam," the 2008 Australian Open champion said. "There's no reason I shouldn't be looking to improve and to getting my game in a better position than any other previous round. It's only going to be tougher, especially against Serena."
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-3414189/Djokovic-survives-five-setter-v-Simon-reach-quarterfinals.html
Australian Open 2016: Kei Nishikori breezes past Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to reach quarter-finals
Kei Nishikori produced his best tennis of the tournament to breeze past former finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and into the quarter-finals.
January 25, 2016, 12:54 am
First Published on January 25, 2016, 12:54 am Last updated on January 25, 2016, 12:54 am
Source: http://www.cricketcountry.com/tennis/australian-open-2016-kei-nishikori-breezes-past-jo-wilfried-tsonga-to-reach-quarter-finals-386437
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Đang làm thủ tục thi lại đại học, Thái bất ngờ bị hai người lạ tạt axit. Cậu đối diện nguy cơ hoại tử đôi mắt.
Ngày 6/7, tại Khoa Bỏng (bệnh viện Đa khoa Đà Nẵng), gương mặt Phạm Hồng Thái (19 tuổi, trú thôn 2, xã Ba, huyện Đông Giang, Quảng Nam) cháy xém do bị bỏng axit. Khắp phần đầu và cánh tay của nam sinh cũng hằn những vết bỏng nặng, đôi mắt không mở được.
Thái nói rằng không mâu thuẫn với ai để bị tạt axit. Ảnh: Nguyễn Đông.
Trước đó, khoảng 20h ngày 5/7, nhiều người đi đường ở khu vực bùng binh cầu quay sông Hàn (Đà Nẵng) nghe tiếng kêu cứu thất thanh. Nạn nhân Phạm Hồng Thái nằm ôm mặt quằn quại. Do không biết cách sơ cứu tại chỗ nên khi được chuyển vào bệnh viện thì đôi mắt Thái đã không thể mở được.
Nước mắt giàn dụa ngồi bên con, bà Vương Thị Thanh Xuân (42 tuổi) cho biết, Thái đang học trung cấp du lịch tại trường Cao đẳng Nghề Đà Nẵng. Nhà có 3 người con nhưng mình Thái là con trai. Thương bố mẹ làm công nhân hái chè, ngoài thời gian học, cậu đi làm thêm cho một quán bán đồ nhậu. Hai ngày trước, Thái về nhà xin 12 triệu đồng xuống phố dự định mua máy tính nếu kỳ thi đại học sắp tới đậu vào trường ĐH Thể dục thể thao Đà Nẵng.
Giọng yếu ớt, Thái kể, chập tối hôm đó có số điện thoại lạ gọi ra đoạn bùng binh cầu sông Hàn để bán điện thoại cũ. Do đang có nhu cầu nên cậu đến chỗ hẹn nhưng bất ngờ bị hai người lạ áp sát, hắt axit vào làm bỏng và cháy một phần xe máy
