2 boys declared co-champions of Spelling Bee

By Ben Nuckols
OXON HILL, Md. (AP) - For the first time in 52 years, two spellers were declared co-champions of the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday.
Sriram Hathwar of Painted Post, New York, and Ansun Sujoe of Fort Worth, Texas, shared the title after a riveting final-round duel in which they nearly exhausted the 25 designated championship words. After they spelled a dozen words correctly in a row, they both were named champions.


Earlier, 14-year-old Sriram opened the door to an upset by 13-year-old Ansun after he misspelled "corpsbruder," a close comrade. But Ansun was unable to take the title because he got "antegropelos," which means waterproof leggings, wrong.
Sriram entered the final round as the favorite after finishing in third place last year. Ansun just missed the semifinals last year.
They become the fourth co-champions in the bee's 89-year history and the first since 1962.
"The competition was against the dictionary, not against each other," Sriram said after both were showered with confetti onstage. "I'm happy to share this trophy with him."
Sriram backed up his status as the favorite by rarely looking flustered on stage, nodding confidently as he outlasted 10 other spellers to set up the one-on-one duel with Ansun. The younger boy was more nervous and demonstrative, no more so than on the word that gave him a share of the title: "feuilleton," the features section of a European newspaper or magazine.
"Ah, whatever!" Ansun said before beginning to spell the word as the stage lights turned red, signaling that he had 30 seconds left.
Although they hoisted a single trophy together onstage, each will get one to take home, and each gets the champion's haul of more than $33,000 in cash and prizes.
Gokul Venkatachalam of Chesterfield, Missouri, finished third, and Ashwin Veeramani of North Royalton, Ohio, was fourth.
Both champions are Indian-American. The past eight winners and 13 of the past 17 have been of Indian descent, a run that began in 1999 after Nupur Lala's victory, which was later featured in the documentary "Spellbound."
___
Associated Press Writer Joseph White contributed to this report.

Carbon Dioxide Levels Topped 400 PPM Throughout Northern Hemisphere In April, WMO Says

 

By Tom Miles

GENEVA, May 26 (Reuters) - Carbon dioxide levels throughout the northern hemisphere hit 400
parts per million (ppm) for the first time in human history in April, an ominous threshold for climate change, the World Meteorological Organization said on Monday.

The 400 ppm level in the atmosphere, up 40 percent since wide use of fossil fuels began with the Industrial Revolution, is rapidly spreading southwards. First recorded in 2012 in the Arctic, it has since become the norm for the Arctic spring.

The WMO expects the global annual average carbon dioxide concentration to be above 400 ppm in 2015 or 2016. Rising concentrations of the heat-trapping gas raise risks of more heatwaves, droughts and rising sea levels.

"Time is running out," WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud said in a statement.

"This should serve as yet another wake-up call about the constantly rising levels of greenhouse gases which are driving climate change. If we are to preserve our planet for future generations, we need urgent action to curb new emissions of these heat-trapping gases."

Almost 200 governments have agreed to work out a deal by the end of 2015 to slow climate change as part of efforts to limit the average temperature increase to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times.

Temperatures have already risen about 0.8C (1.4F).

In April, the U.N.'s panel of climate experts said that greenhouse gas concentrations, led by carbon dioxide, would have to be kept below 450 ppm to give a good chance of achieving the 2C goal.

The level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is seasonal, since plants absorb more in the summer months, causing a peak in the spring. The northern hemisphere, with more human-related sources of the gas, has a more pronounced seasonal cycle.

Carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for hundreds of years. It is emitted by fossil-fueled vehicles and coal-fired factories and power plants as well as by natural activities such as breathing.

During the last 800,000 years, the level of atmospheric carbon dioxide fluctuated between 180 ppm and 280 ppm, and has probably not been above 400 ppm for millions of years, scientists say.

With the widespread burning of coal and oil during the Industrial Revolution, the concentration of carbon dioxide rose to about 290 ppm by the end of the 19th century.

That accelerated last century, with levels between 370 and 380 ppm by the year 2000. An animated graph that shows the history of atmospheric carbon dioxide is online at http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/history.html. (Reporting by Tom Miles, editing by Alister Doyle)

Millionaire hides envelopes of cash around San Francisco

This is an important public service announcement for anyone who lives in San Francisco: Stop what you're doing, lace up your running shoes, and go follow @HiddenCash on Twitter. One anonymous millionaire could make you a little bit richer, if you're quick enough.

On KPIX, "They were checking Twitter and said that right outside in the plaza someone was hiding $100 dollar bills under the chair out here. And I guess we were just a little bit too late to grab it today."

Here's how it works: Envelopes of cash have been mysteriously appearing around San Francisco over the weekend. To find the money, aspiring treasure hunters have to follow the Twitter account @HiddenCash, which tweets out clues and photos for every cash drop.

Once the tweet is out, the hunt is on. The lucky San Franciscans who managed to track down the money often posted Twitter pictures of their find. Just look at those happy faces!

Unfortunately, not every searcher got a happy ending. Here's Turner Kirk on Vine.

The mysterious benefactor behind @HiddenCash is remaining anonymous for now, but local paper The Bold Italic reports whoever's responsible made a fortune selling real estate in the Bay Area.

The @HiddenCash founder told the outlet​: "I've made millions of dollars the last few years, more than I ever imagined. ... This is my way of giving back to the community and also having fun." The founder also emphasized that much of his or her money had been given to proper charities.

Of course, random $100 bills probably won't solve the city's severe inequality problem - a recent analysis by The Brookings Institution found the wealth gap between San Francisco's richest and poorest citizens is growing faster than anywhere else in the country. Still, it's the thought that counts, right?

So far, @HiddenCash has given out about $4,000 in free money - and the cash flow isn't going to dry up anytime soon. The wealthy cash dropper told ABC the social experiment might even expand to other cities soon.

 http://www.aol.com/article/2014/05/26/millionaire-hides-envelopes-of-cash-around-san-francisco/20892839/?ncid=webmail19

Top 50 Highest-Paid CEOs

Les Moonves, CEO of CBS, is the second highest paid CEO In 2013.
NEW YORK (AP) - Here are the 50 highest-paid CEOs of 2013, as calculated by The Associated Press and Equilar, an executive pay research firm:

1. Anthony Petrello, Nabors Industries, $68.2 million, up 246 percent

2. Leslie Moonves, CBS, $65.6 million, up 9 percent

3. Richard Adkerson, Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, $55.3 million, up 294 percent

4. Stephen Kaufer, TripAdvisor, $39 million, up 510 percent

5. Philippe Dauman, Viacom, $37.2 million, up 11 percent

6. Leonard Schleifer, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, $36.3 million, up 21 percent

7. Robert Iger, Walt Disney, $34.3 million, up 46 percent.

8. David Zaslav, Discovery Communications, $33.3 million, down 33 percent

9. Jeffrey Bewkes, Time Warner, $32.5 million, up 27 percent

10. Brian Roberts, Comcast, $31.4 million, up 8 percent

11. Mark Bertolini, Aetna, $30.7 million, up 132 percent

12. Rex Tillerson, ExxonMobil, $28.1 million, up 3 percent

13. Brian Goldner, Hasbro, $27.4 million, up 188 percent

14. David Cote, Honeywell International, $26 million, up 63 percent

15. Steve Ells, Chipotle Mexican Grill co-CEO, $25.1 million, up 27 percent

16. Montgomery Moran, Chipotle Mexican Grill co-CEO, $24.4 million, up 27 percent

17. James McNerney, Boeing, $23.3 million, up 50 percent

18. Alan Mulally, Ford Motor Co., $23.2 million, up 32 percent

19. Alexander Cutler, Eaton, $23.1 million, up 24 percent

20. Laurence Fink, BlackRock, $22.9 million, up 13 percent

21. Larry Merlo, CVS Caremark, $22.9 million, up 59 percent

22. Trevor Fetter, Tenet Healthcare, $22.7 million, up 180 percent

23. Sandeep Mathrani, General Growth Properties, $22.1 million, up 424 percent

24. Paal Kibsgaard, Schlumberger, $22 million, up 30 percent

25. Kenneth Chenault, American Express, $21.7 million, down 15 percent

26. Brian Jellison, Roper Industries, $21.4 million, up 18 percent

27. David Nelms, Discover Financial Services, $21.2 million, up 113 percent

28. Robert Hugin, Celgene, $21 million, up 99 percent

29. Miles White, Abbott Laboratories, $20.9 million, up 34 percent

30. David Lesar, Halliburton, $20.9 million, up 20 percent

31. Lamberto Andreotti, Bristol-Myers Squibb, $20.8 million, up 29 percent

32. Randall Stephenson, AT&T, $20.7 million, up 10 percent

33. Carol Meyrowitz, TJX Companies, $20.7 million, up 9 percent

34. Andrew Liveris, Dow Chemical, $20.5 million, up 21 percent

35. Paul Jacobs, Qualcomm, $20.4 million, up 2 percent(asterisk)

36. John Watson, Chevron, $20.2 million, down 9 percent

37. Lloyd Blankfein, Goldman Sachs, $19.9 million, up 162 percent

38. Lawrence Culp, Danaher, $19.7 million, down 11 percent

39. Stephen Wynn, Wynn Resorts, $19.6 million, up 10 percent

40. David Calhoun, Nielsen Holdings, $19.5 million, up 40 percent **

41. James Cracchiolo, Ameriprise Financial, $19.4 million, up 20 percent

42. John Stumpf, Wells Fargo, $19.3 million, up 4 percent

43. Jeffrey Immelt, General Electric, $19.2 million, up 264 percent

44. George Chapman, Health Care REIT, $18.9 million, up 73 percent***

45. Glenn Murphy, GAP, $18.7 million, down 24 percent

46. Robert Niblock, Lowe's Companies, $18.7 million, up 54 percent

47. Richard Kramer, Goodyear Tire & Rubber, $18.7 million, up 178 percent

48. Richard Fairbank, Capital One Financial, $18.3 million, down 19 percent

49. Louis Chenevert, United Technologies, $18.2 million, up 4 percent

50. Ahmet Kent, Coca-Cola Co., $18.2 million, down 21 percent

(asterisk) Jacobs stepped down as CEO on December 13, 2014.

** Calhoun stepped down as CEO on January 1, 2014.

*** Chapman retired April 14, 2014.

Women Are Using 'Rent-A-Gent' To Hire Men To Do Chores And Go On Dates

The next great job for grads?

ABC

By Caroline Moss

What can't money buy?

A service called Rent-A-Gent lets women choose a male companion from a list of "smart and handsome men."

For $200 bucks an hour, men can serve as handymen, dates, or personal chefs.

The only rule? The relationship can't get physical on the clock.

It has been written about previously, but now ABC 7 Chicago has a first-hand account of a woman named Marina who shelled out the dough for Eric on Rent-A-Gent.

Rent-A-Gent

Eric's profile on the site says he "loves the outdoors, culture and also active and social causes." He also suggested he'd be down for a rock-climbing date.

Marina says using Rent-A-Gent is easier than traditional dating sites because you're paying for a service instead of banking on feelings and mind games.

There are tons of guys on the site, divided into categories based on their profession.

Rent-A-Gent

After selecting, booking, and paying for two hours with Eric, he and Marina went rock-climbing.

"Two hours of fun," Marina says, "no strings attached."

But a dating expert tells ABC7 that this could hurt a woman's chance at finding true love - if you can just hire someone who's attractive, you may be dismissing potential suitors who want to make you happy without a price tag.

Rent-A-Gent's CEO, a woman named Sara Shikhman, says the interview process to become one of the site's "Gents" is rigorous - sometimes she can interview up to 100 men before finding one suitable guy.

Detroit motorists under siege in 'Carjack City'

By COREY WILLIAMS
Associated Press
DETROIT (AP) -- When they pull up to a gas station these days, Detroit drivers are looking beyond the price per gallon at a far more threatening concern: carjackers.
The armed auto thieves have become so common here that parts of the bankrupt metropolis are referred to as "Carjack City," and many motorists fear getting out of their vehicles even for a few moments to fill a tank.
So gas stations are taking steps to protect customers, and the city has formed a special police team to go after suspects. Convicted carjackers will even get their faces and prison sentences plastered onto billboards.
"You need to catch these people and make a good example of them," said Mousa Bazzi, who owns a Mobil station in a semi-desolate neighborhood bordering Detroit's east riverfront. He keeps his business well-lit and continually has two to four employees inside to ensure "there's always an extra hand or two" in case of trouble.
Authorities blame many of the carjackings, ironically, on improvements in vehicle security. Anti-theft equipment, GPS systems and advanced locks now prevent many vehicles from being driven without a key in the ignition.
That makes it difficult or impossible for thieves to steal parked cars, leading them to target vehicles that are occupied, said Jonathan Parnell, of Detroit's auto-theft squad.
Also contributing to the thefts is a strong demand for stolen wheels and tires, police said.
Bazzi's station displays pale-green decals depicting a lighthouse - a symbol that his business has joined the city's anti-carjacking effort. To be part of the program, stations must have security cameras, good lighting, be open 24 hours and have clerks willing to help motorists and provide a phone for emergency calls.
"There is a waiting list," Sgt. Michael Woody said. "We have so many gas stations that want to become a lighthouse. You get better protection with that big sticker in the window that tells criminals there is proper equipment that will help police investigate these crimes."
Detroit police reported 720 carjackings last year in the city of fewer than 700,000 people. That's down from nearly 850 in 2011 and 1,231 in 2008.

Oldest person in America turns 115

The oldest woman in America turned 115 Friday. Happy birthday, Jeralean Talley!



"Jeralean has been the oldest living American since she was 113. We are told by the experts that she's just the 31st person ever to turn 115 years old," ABC reports.

According to the Detroit Free Press, Talley will celebrate her big day with a trip to the doctors for a checkup, although she says she's not feeling sick. So what's her secret? Simple: "Treat others the way you want to be treated." But she also told the paper: "It's all in the good Lord's hands. ... There's nothing I can do about it."

In response to the question "How do you feel, Mama, about being the oldest American?," Talley did a little dance.

Talley is a supercentenarian - a title reserved for people 110 years and older.

According to the Gerontology Research Group, there are just 74 validated supercentenarians ​living in the world, and only about 1 in every 5 million Americans grows old enough to earn the title.

​And in case you haven't done the math yet, Talley was born in 1899. For perspective, according to the History Channel that was just 34 years after the end of the Civil War.

Can you imagine all that Jeralean Talley has seen in her 115 years? We bet she's got some amazing stories to tell.

Currently Talley lives in Michigan with her daughter. Her family spans over five generations. Talley recently did an interview with Anderson Cooper; it's scheduled to air on CNN next week.