California Bans Retail Sale of Super-toxic Rat Poisons

For Immediate Release, March 20, 2014

Contact:

Jonathan Evans, Center for Biological Diversity, (415) 436-9682 x 318
Greg Loarie, Earthjustice, (415) 217-2000
Cynthia Palmer, American Bird Conservancy, (202) 888-7478

SACRAMENTO- California has approved a statewide ban on direct-to-consumer sale of some of the most dangerous rat poisons but loopholes still leave many wildlife species at risk. The ban approved Tuesday, which will go into effect July 1, prohibits the sale of certain products by d-CON, the only second-generation anticoagulant rodenticide sold directly to the general public. Harm to wildlife from rodenticides is widespread: Poisonings have been documented in at least 25 wild species in California, including mountain lions, hawks and endangered San Joaquin kit foxes and northern spotted owls.

San Joaquin kit fox photo courtesy USFWS. Photos are available for media use.

"California has taken an important step to reduce the senseless poisoning of wildlife," said Jonathan Evans, toxics and endangered species campaign director at the Center for Biological Diversity. "But there's no need to leave the 'worst of the worst' poisons on the market, because safe, cost-effective options are readily available that don't indiscriminately kill wildlife."

The order from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation targets products sold to the general public in retail outlets and limits Promotional Code-toxic rodenticide use beyond 50 feet of manmade structures. But it does not ban the worst poisons themselves. Super-toxic poisons - called second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides - will still be available for widespread use by licensed commercial and agricultural pest-control operators.

"We applaud California for taking the lead in getting these products off the market," said Greg Loarie, an attorney at Earthjustice. "Our goal is to make we sure that we get to finish line of zero use."

California's action follows steps at the national level. The Environmental Protection Agency is taking action to ban hazardous d-CON rat and mouse poisons nationwide after d-CON refused to remove super-toxic rodenticides from the residential market. The maker of d-CON rat poison - Reckitt Benckiser - has continually fought attempts by the EPA to limit accidental poisonings through increased regulation of these poisons.

"We commend the state of California for taking action to protect kids, pets, raptors and other wildlife," said Cynthia Palmer, pesticides program manager at American Bird Conservancy. "It is time for the d-CON company to put children's health and animal welfare above corporate profits and to follow the rules like every other rat-poison manufacturer."

Safe alternatives to rat poison can be used to address rodent outbreaks in homes and rural areas. Effective measures include rodent-proofing of homes and farms by sealing cracks and crevices and eliminating food sources; providing owl boxes to encourage natural predation; and utilizing traps that don't involve these highly toxic chemicals. For more information visit SafeRodentControl.org.

Background
Anticoagulant rodenticides interfere with blood clotting, resulting in uncontrollable bleeding that leads to death. Second-generation anticoagulants - including the compounds brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difethialone and difenacoum - are especially hazardous and persist for a long time in body tissues. These slow-acting poisons are often eaten for several days by rats and mice, causing the toxins to accumulate at many times the lethal dose in their tissues and poisoning predators that eat the weakened rodents.

Studies have documented second-generation anticoagulants in more than 70 percent of wildlife tested, including eagles, hawks, owls, foxes, bobcats and mountain lions. Even in remote areas, research has revealed unacceptably high levels of poison in an endangered forest predator, the Pacific fisher, 75 percent of which, in the sampled population, tested positive for rodenticide contamination.

California's move to ban consumer use of super-toxic rat poisons comes after increasing pressure from the public and state wildlife officials. The Center for Biological Diversity threatened to sue the California Department of Pesticide Regulation because of the poisoning of endangered wildlife and a coalition of 70 conservation, environmental justice, public health, worker's rights and sustainable farming groups joined more than 11,000 Californians in submitting comments urging the state to ban super-toxic rat and mouse poisons. In 2011 the California Department of Fish and Wildlife urged its sister agency, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, to restrict use to licensed applicators.

Click here to learn more about the dangers of rodenticides.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 675,000 members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.Earthjustice is a nonprofit environmental law firm dedicated to protecting the magnificent places, natural resources, and wildlife of this earth, and to defending the right of all people to a healthy environment. We bring about far-reaching change by enforcing and strengthening environmental laws on behalf of hundreds of organizations and communities.

American Bird Conservancy (ABC) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit membership organization whose mission is to conserve native birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. ABC acts by safeguarding the rarest species, conserving and restoring habitats, and reducing threats, while building capacity in the bird conservation movement.

Restaurant Owner Warns Customers Not to Buy 'Fake' Coupon

Garnett's Cafe owner Kendra Feather is warning her customers not to buy, or try to use, an unauthorized Amazon Deal/offer/garnetts-cafe-enjoy-one-free-menu-item-when-a-second-menu-item-of-equal-or-greater-value-is-purchased/OFO0000001JDLRL745453RV7?offerDistance=1.85#.UzCQH85QH6U">Entertainment book coupon for her restaurant.

You remember Entertainment Books, Richmond. It's that massive book of Buy One Get Ones Free (and other deals) coupon book that your mother invariably picked up somewhere and spent the rest of the year trying to force-feed you discount yogurt to justify the purchase.

It's the Groupon of yesteryear - and apparently at least one of the coupons in the 2014 edition is invalid.

Feather became aware of the issue a few weeks ago, when a customer brought in a Buy One Get One Free coupon from the website.

Feather contacted the company, alerted them to the mistake and told them she would not honor the coupon.

A representative from Entertainment said they had a signed contract on file and if Feather did not honor the coupon, they would "contact their legal department," Feather said.

They sent Feather a copy of the contract and there was one tiny mistake... it was signed by and made with "Candra Sether" - not Kendra Feather.

Adam Basinger, regional vice president for Entertainment, said the company is currently investigating the issue and is "mortified" by the mistake.

Basinger said the 2014 books won't print for another three months and that the Garnett's coupon was only on the website. He said it's being removed while they look into it.

Basinger also said that should the mistake turn out to be a fraudulent contract, the sales rep who did it will be terminated and he will fly to Richmond to personally apologize to Feather.

Why I love "The Good Wife"

Heartthrob

Watching The Good Wife legal thriller on CBS is one of my guilty pleasures. I got sucked into the drama and fashion five years ago. This week's new episode is one of my favorite, yet.

Actress Julianna Marguiles portrays the star character Alicia Florrick. The media (in the show) refer to her as Saint Alicia since she stands by her man after a public sex scandal episode guide. In a flashback on Sunday, she describes herself to heart throb Will as a "Wife, mother, and disgraced spouse."

Alicia moved her family out of their North Shore home when her husband served time in jail for prostitution. Chris Noth or "Mr. Big" from Sex in the City is cast as her husband. She rents an amazing space in Lincoln Park/Old Town. I wish my wardrobe looked like hers!

Although I'm very grateful to not have my own legal or romantic drama, I ride the roller coaster with The Guide Wife every episode. Even though I continued my career after our sons were born, I empathize with the challenges she faces after opting-out of the work force.

Alicia did not practice law for over ten years when she took care of her children full-time. When she returned to law, she had to toughen up to help support her family after her husband ascended the local political latter. She tries the impossible act of balancing it all.

She's reunited with an old law school romance, Will Gardner, played by Josh Charles. She breaks through her law firm's glass ceiling to partner in four years as a working mom. It's exciting to now see Alicia start her own firm, which parallels what many are doing in today's tough market.

Alicia spoke in Sunday's episode about "Opting Out" to a large audience. She shared how she unintentionally tried to talk her potential employer out of hiring her. That's naturally not something that interests those in a different place, which prompted many to leave during her speech. That magnified how women's issues are not supported.

The speech advises other women not to feel entitled. She cautions that they will be he held to a higher standard. Women must be prepared to work harder to prove themselves.

Alicia still impressed potential clients. She honestly answers a million dollar question after a few drinks.

Q: "What do you want?"

Alicia: "To be happy and control my fate."

Sigh, if only it were that easy, but cheers to that honest and philosophical answer.

The Good Wife scores more points for staging last week's episode around the American Bar Association (my employer) and their Annual Meeting. It realistically depicts a bar association event down to the name tags and fact that the audience wants to hear personal stories. I also loved the digital evidence issue.

What do you think makes a good wife? My only wish for this show is to see more Chicago footage...

How to Dress for Less This Spring

You can find this season's trends for less.

You can stock up your spring wardrobe even on a budget.

With spring just around the corner, it's time to shed coats and bulky sweaters in favor of warm weather styles. However, there's no need to take a hit to your bank account to update your wardrobe with new spring fashion pieces. Stay frugally fashionable with these five budget-friendly tips:

Stay focused. Get ready to see a myriad of new trends in colors, patterns and styles with the upcoming spring fashion season. It can all be overwhelming and you might feel the pressure to buy something to satisfy each trend. You don't. Hone in on one that you love (or two if the budget allows) to compile your shopping list. This will help keep your spending focused and you won't rack up extra expenses with impulsive purchases. Can't decide which trends you like best? I use Pinterest to seek out inspiration and to organize my favorite fashion images in one place. When I'm done pinning, I can go back and easily see what I'm gravitating to the most.

Think small. So you've become mesmerized with the "it" color of the season. Take things slow and incorporate it into your wardrobe by opting for more affordable small accessories. They can help spruce up basic items already in your closet like jeans and T-shirts and keep you on-trend. A scarf, earrings or even nail polish will let you try things out with requiring a huge financial investment. And if you decide it doesn't work for you, it'll be easy to move on without the guilt of having spent too much money.

Be social. Follow the social media accounts of your favorite brands. Many are now using Facebook, Twitter and even Instagram to offer early access to sales or exclusive discounts to their fans. Be sure to sign up for their email as well to be alerted of upcoming sales and events. You may even be incentivized to sign up with a discount offer or free shipping on your next purchase.

Shop local. Don't forget to check out your local thrift stores, consignment shops and boutiques. Not only do you get to support a local business (or even a charity) in your community, but they can also be a great option for fashion savings. It never hurts to strike up a conversation with the owner or sales associate. Tell them what you're looking for and don't be shy to tell them your budget or ask for a discount. Like any other retailer, they're looking to clear inventory and gain your loyalty. I've been told of upcoming sales, offered unadvertised discounts and even had items held aside to give me first dibs.

Look for online discounts. Online shopping has grown tremendously popular over the past few years, resulting in great opportunities to find fashion deals. Visiting flash sales sites can help you score major savings. These sites offer merchandise at deeply discounted prices. But as the name implies, sales last for a short period of time and items offered are limited in quantity, so you'll need to act fast. This is where having a focused shopping list comes in handy! Coupon codes, entered in the Online Deals box upon checkout, can also provide extra savings for online purchases.

Freebie Alert: Charming and Challenging Platformer 'Mutant Mudds' Currently Free

<Promotional Codesp>One of my very favorite platformers, Renegade Kid's Mutant Mudds [ Free], is currently free on the App Store. Originally released on the Nintendo 3DS in January of 2012, Mutant Mudds made its debut on the App Store in December of that same year, and proved to be quite a hit. It's more of a slow-paced action platformer, as you'll need to take your time and make precise jumps in order to get past the many enemies in the game. It's very challenging, but also very satisfying. There's a hint of Metroidvania in it too, as you'll slowly unlock and upgrade new weapons and abilities that allow you to revisit previous levels and gain access to new areas. Finally, one of its key elements is the ability to jump in-between three levels of depth in the environment. There's a normal middle plane, a farther away plane in the background, and even an extreme close-up foreground plane. It's a neat effect, but it also ties into much of the puzzling and exploring in Mutant Mudds.

Being a game built for a platform like the 3DS, Mutant Mudds often demands precision, but thankfully everything holds up quite well on the touchscreen. As I mentioned, it's the kind of game where you'll really want to take your time and think about your actions, though levels are timed so you can speed run them if you feel so inclined. It's just an all-around great platformer filled with tons of levels to complete and plenty of little secrets to discover. Being that it's currently free, it shouldn't take much convincing to get you to download and try it, but you could always consult our full review of Mutant Mudds if you want more insight.

Boston fire department promotes its first black deputy chief in history - The Boston Globe

Amid fanfare at a ceremony at Boston Fire Department headquarters in Roxbury, officials named an African-American Monday as deputy chief for the first time in the department's 300-year history.

Andre Stallworth, 44, of Bellingham, a popular department veteran who spent spare time poring over books on firefighting, was promoted from district chief to one of the department's highest ranks.

Continue reading below

Stallworth aced the competitive civil service promotion exam, beating out other candidates, officials said. He celebrated with his wife, parents, and two of his three children and said the promotion is an important step.

"I'm grateful to stand on the shoulders of those who came before me,'' Stallworth said in a phone interview after the ceremony. "I know a lot of people made it possible for me to be here, who paved the way for me."

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Acting Fire Commissioner John Hasson hailed the promotion as a great day for the department. Hasson praised Stallworth for his hard work, dedication, and years of study.

"It shows that the department offers an opportunity for everybody,'' Hasson said. "It shows that with hard work and dedication you can get to any grade you want."

In his new role, Stallworth will serve as fire marshal and head the department's fire prevention division. Based at 1010 Massachusetts Ave., he will oversee code enforcement, permitting, education, and inspection.

"It's tremendous,'' said Lieutenant Rayshawn Johnson, president of the Boston Society of Vulcans, which advocates for the recruitment, retention, and promotion of black firefighters. "This lets some of these younger firefighters know that they can aspire to be a deputy on the job."

Stallworth, a 23-year veteran of the force, grew up in Roxbury and went to the James P. Timilty Middle School, which has a storied reputation of honing young black boys. He was raised in Roxbury near Columbus Avenue. "You learned to keep your head down and your nose to the grind,'' he said.

He knew early that he wanted a way up to something better, he said. After graduating from high school in Charlestown, he joined the Army Reserve and then the Fire Department in 1991, getting his start in firefighting at Grove Hall's Ladder 23, one of the busiest fire houses in the city.

During his two decades in the department, Stallworth built a reputation as a team builder, a hard worker, and a person who never gives up.

"He always had his head in the books,'' said Richard F. Paris, president of Boston Firefighters Local 718, who has known Stallworth since 1991.

Stallworth said he took nine civil service Coupon exams to climb through the ranks and was successful in four. He moved up from lieutenant to captain to district chief and now deputy chief.

He would go to a local McDonald's or Dunkin' Donuts to read books on hydraulics, fire science, building construction, and state general laws.

"People said it's so noisy; how can you study there?'' said Stallworth. "But it was the interruption that helped me."

He got joy from walking into an exam room knowing he could compete and eventually beat the other test-takers, he said. "Where other people study for such things like power, I studied for the joy of the competition,'' he said. "I studied because I liked it."

Paris, the union chief, said the strain of studying can be a deterrent, and many people quit because it is tough. But Stallworth stuck with it.

"He earned it,'' Parish said of the promotion. "He studied hard. It wasn't given to him."

Stallworth's promotion comes six days after Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced his administration is launching a national search for a new fire commissioner and as the Society of Vulcans begins its push to help increase the pool of new minority candidates.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Vs Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Gear - Price and Specs Comparison

Released in September 2013, the Note 3 and Gear remains the newest member of the popular Galaxy Note series.

The Note 3 brought in several new features to the Note lineup of smartphones such as S Pen, and pop up Apps. Due to popularity of the Note3, its successor Note 4 has garnered attention of all Smartphone enthusiasts and has become one of the much talked about device in the market. Samsung has not revealed any specifications for Note 4 but many leading technology magazines have published possible specifications of the device based on insiders leak. Let's compare the specifications of Note 3 and Gear and the upcoming Note 4.

Display

The Note 3 has display of 5.7 inches with high pixel density at 386 pixels per inch. The Super AMOLED display is capable of delivering a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels and can produce more than 16 million colors. The display in Note 3 is protected by Gorilla Glass from Corning. The Note 4 will more likely have a bigger display. If insider's leaks are to be believed, the Note 4 display will be 2 inches bigger than its predecessor.

Processor and Memory

The Note 3 is powered by a quad core microprocessor with clock frequency of 1.9 GHz and a discrete GPU, Adreno 330 running at a clock speed of 578 MHz. The device is equipped with 3GB RAM and minimum 16GB internal storage. Note 3 have three variants having different internal storage capacities such as 16GB, 32 GB and 64GB. Samsung is working on development of microprocessors based on 64-bit architecture and Note 4 might be the first device to have that technology. The Note 4 is more likely to have 4GB or more RAM.

Operating System

Note 3 runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean OS. With new KitKat Android readily available and Note 4 likely release date before September 2014, the device will have the latest KitKat Android OS.

Camera

The Note 3 has a rear 13MP camera with LED flash and front 2MP camera. The Note 4 might get a camera boost and the device might have a 20MP rear camera with several photo enhancement technologies.

Stylus

Stylus is one of the impressive features of Note 3 and its successor might have a better Stylus and improved handwriting recognition capabilities. The Note 4 will be able to recognize scrawls drawn on the screen by user. This is an improvement as until now, the handwriting recognition feature was only able to read common words drawn on the screen.

Battery

The Note 3 and Gear features a 3200 mAh battery which gives a talk time of 21 hours on 3G networks. The Note 4 will have much battery power as it will be fitted with 3600-3800 mAh battery that will give longer talk time and extended audio and video playback time in comparison to Note 3.

Best Offer

The Galaxy Note 3 + Gear are available at $299 in 2-year contract with leading cellular companies. The price of Note 3 at Amazon is in the range of $630- $650. The price of Note 4 will be slightly higher than Note 3.

Grimm "Mommy Dearest" Review: The Miseducation of Sergeant Wu

That was pretty grim, even for Grimm. First there was all the uncomfortable preggo-tummy torture and then Wu, OMG Wu. I just think it's a little messed up-maybe messed up in a good way, but only maybe-when the least traumatic thing that happens in an episode is that a lady-witch gives birth to a monster-baby in the middle of the woods.

With an episode promo that primarily featured Adalind and her monster-spawn and a title like "Mommy Dearest," not gonna lie, I totally fell for it and assumed that this episode was going to be an hour full of reasons not to give birth, ever. I really thought it was going to be like the squid-baby and Will Smith in Men in Black. Instead, it was still totally a PSA about the horrors of pregnancy, except there were more, um, tongues. I spent a lot of this episode screaming "NO" at the screen and not actually looking at it.

But Adalind's story was nothing more than a bookend for Wu's Wesen-inspired nervous breakdown, though I'm sure we'll get more crazypants baby action later. PLUS SHE HAS HER POWERS BACK. YES.

But here's what happened to Wu:

Unbeknownst to Wu, his childhood sweetheart, Dana, married an Aswang-a Wesen that eats amniotic fluid because the writers on Grimm decided that pregnant women shouldn't be allowed to sleep at night. Sam's Wesen status wasn't really an issue in the marriage, except that in yet another glorious example of Old World Wesen clashing with New World Wesen, Sam's mom flew in from the Philippines to nosh on her unborn grandchild's go-go juice. It was her right, according to the same ass-backwards craziness that has consistently inspired Monroe's parents to be rude about his choice in fiancée and friends and, well, his life in general, and also that guided the baddies in that Promotional Codes-season-3-episode-4-138454287408/">ode to The Little Mermaid earlier this season.

Wu actually had some working knowledge of Aswang, having grown up listening to the folklore himself, plus an emotional investment in the victims of Momma Aswang's tongue-sucker (he convinced the fam to relocate to Portland) made Wu both an incredible asset and a potential liability in Nick's investigation. Hank and Nick clashed over whether or not to read Wu in on the truth about Wesen, with Hank arguing that the shock and confusion of one's first experience with a Wesen could drive a man mad and Nick (and Monroe and Rosalee) erring on the side of caution, which I could understand coming from Monrosalee, but found a little harder to take on Nick's end. There are laws and stuff governing Monroe and Rosalee's interactions with the human world, but Nick just came off as, well, tired of this shit. He's been through the big reveal quite a few times by now.

I'm pretty sure Hank won this argument though, what with Wu ending up in a mental hospital after facing off against Sam's mom on his own. TOLD YOU SO, BRO.

Personally, I'm torn on the outcome to Wu's story. (FIX IT. FIX IT, NOW, GRIMM.) It makes sense for Wu to join the Cool Kids in the Know Club. He's the last of Nick's close friends and acquaintances who doesn't know about Nick's night job, and as we saw this week, that's dangerous for Wu's gallantly heroic but unenlightened butt as well as for those who do know why Portland is so weird, and who've occasionally gone out of their way to keep Wu in the dark. However, that's also why part of me is sad to see Wu brought into the fold (or at least brought in in such an unfortunate manner), because if everyone on the show knows about Wesen, then one of Grimm's longest-running stories draws to a close, and that's always a little bit sad for any show, even when it's time.

Sniff. Our little Grimm is growing up so fast.

ALL ABOARD AUNT MARIE'S BOOKMOBILE OF CRAZY

- Wu is gonna be okay, right? RIGHT?

- Oh hey, they have that table (Dana and Sam's nightstand) at Target. #wants

What'd you think of "Mommy Dearest"?

- How long 'til Adalind comes back to Portland to terrorize everyone?

- Any predictions about the wee Baby Hexenbeist? Is she gonna grow up super-fast? I feel like she's gonna grow up super-fast.

- I JUST NEED WU TO BE OKAY, OKAY?

Previously Aired Episode

Season 3 : Episode 14

Next Episode

Season 3 : Episode 15

Amazon could kill Zulily

Starry-eyed investors in Zulily may lose their shirts if Online Deals becomes more aggressive in the daily-deal business; considering Zulily's success, Amazon moving in to crush Zulily is a highly likely event.

Please click here for an annotated chart.

On Feb. 24, 2014, after the market close, Zulily reported earnings of $0.10 compared to consensus of $0.04; reported revenues of $257 million vs. consensus of $226 million. However, for the first quarter, the company saw a loss compared to the consensus EPS estimate of $0.03; for Q1 company sees revenue of $225- 235 million compared to the consensus of $223 million. For the entire year, company sees income of $15 to $25 million. It is worth noting that now the market capitalization of Zulily is $8.88 billion. At the midpoint, this means P/E of 444. The PEG ratio (five-year expected) is 6.93.

Jim Cramer is very intelligent and has a lot of investment experience. He is also a conscientious person. He took to the air in the afternoon and clearly stated that the move up in Zulily was ridiculous. He further stated that when he had made the statement, he thought that Zulily would move up $2.00-$3.00, this computes to stock price of about $45.00- $46.00 compared to $72.00 as of this writing. For the most part, the media did not pick up Cramer's clarification but kept on repeating Cramer's earlier statement that Zulily could beat Amazon.

Here are the reasons why Zulily can fall dramatically.

No barriers to entry

Heavy competition on the way

Not only Amazon, but eBay , Wal-Mart , Target and Nordstrom's may become more aggressive. There are also other specialty flash-sale competitors, such as Rue La La, HauteLook, Gilt Groupe and One Kings Lane.

Groupon bought flash-sale company Ideeli for $43 million and indications are that it plans to become more aggressive in this business.

No quick delivery

Consumers cannot expect a quick delivery from Zulily like they can from Amazon, eBay or Wal-Mart. For the most part, Zulily does not even place orders with its vendors until a sale ends. Zulily's average shipment time has been running about 11 days, it goes to reason delivery time is farther out.

You be the judge. Is an online retailer with no fulfillment infrastructure on par with the likes of Amazon and Wal-Mart worth $8.8 billion when the company itself projects that it will only earn $15-25 million for the entire year?

Disclosure: Subscribers to The Arora Report are long Wal-Mart and eBay.

Just one time! Just once! Come in and compare prices.

this building is a lot bigger inside than you might think. We have enormous quantities of really fine furniture. I promise I have the same brands you've been looking for...Lane, Ashley, Stylecraft, Restonic, Comfort Craft, Sig. Design, etc. I beat everybody's "SALE" Online Deals every day. If you want to buy it, I'll sell it to you right now! We used to be the best kept secret in town. People are finding us. I think the secret is out.

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Call Kurtis: Where's My Lifetime of United Airlines Discounts I Paid For in 1996?

Kurtis Ming

Eight-time Emmy award winner Kurtis Ming is C...

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - Suzanne Brooks still has her file from 1996 with an offer from United Airlines to join its Silver Wings Plus program for seniors. Showing us her membership card, she says the program cost $225 and was supposed to give her 10% off most published fares for her and a companion for the rest of her life.

"I thought this is a good deal. I can live a long time. I can fly anywhere," she recalled thinking.

CBS13 has learned United stopped taking on new life members in 2005. Now, Suzanne says she can't find any Silver Wings discounts on the United website, no matter which flights she plugs in. She claims she called United to be told there are no discounts anywhere in the world.

"There's a lot of folks who joined this program on fixed incomes," said Kansas City Attorney John Edgar.

He filed a class action lawsuit against United saying, "Despite having received millions of dollars in membership fees, United Airlines....wholly failed to provide to provide Silver Wings Plus lifetime members the promised membership benefits." He wants United to honor the Best Deals and refund seniors what they paid to join the program.

"I have not heard one experience from anybody received a discounted airfare or zone fares all from United," he said.

We wanted to know how many seniors are in the program and how many are receiving the Silver Wings Plus discount. United could not provide us those numbers. We were told those discounted Silver Wings fares are created one year ahead of time and "regular fares fluctuate on seasonality, demand and competition. We always offer customers the lowest fare for which they're eligible. If Silver Wings members don't find an additional discount, we are offering fares at a lower discounted price."

United Airlines did give CBS13 some examples of Silver Wings discounts over the phone, but we could not independently verify any of the discounts mentioned.

Unable to get her discount, doesn't sit well with Suzanne who says she paid for a lifetime of savings.

"They got millions of dollars from senior citizens and they're defrauding everyone," she said

Thieves Ripping Off California Best Buys Show Up In Reno

RENO, NV - 1:40 a.m. Tuesday January 28, a crew of three burglars cut their way into the Deal News store at 5575 South Virginia Street through a back door.

Once inside they know exactly what they want.

"They go right to the cell phone display," says Reno Police Sergeant Roya Mason. "They open some cabinets. They take thousands of dollars worth of cell phones and they're out of the business in a very short amount of time, just a few minutes."

The burglars were caught on the store's security camera, but the video isn't much help to investigators.

The dark, fuzzy video shows three individuals at work. They're wearing what appears to be dark clothing, gray hoodies and carrying large bags.

It turns out this isn't the first Best Buy to be hit like this.

"We've learned that five additional burglaries at Best Buys with the same exact M.O were burglarized over the last two months in California."

So by now the thieves are well rehearsed.

The smart phones are small, easy to scoop up and carry, and they're expensive.

The total take here in Reno isn't known but elsewhere the stores' losses have been in the tens of thousands, even higher.

And it's likely they're being sold on the street.

"If you're coming across somebody offering to sell you a phone on the street, something that is brand new or appears to be brand new, maybe just out of the case, take a second look," says Sgt. Mason, "because you don't want to be purchasing stolen property. All these items are serialized.

And, if discovered and reclaimed, they'll go into evidence and then back to the owner.

Secret Witness has posted a $1,000 reward for information leading to arrest and prosecution in this case. Their number is (775) 322-4900. Callers may remain anonymous while collecting cash rewards.

Coupon Divas® Launches New Shopping Hybrid

<Best Dealsp>Naples, Florida (PRWEB) February 05, 2014

Over two-thirds of Coupon Divas® website traffic now comes from mobile devices reaching a record 81% over cyber weekend. The company largely credits it's recently launched " coupon shopping" makeover which offers a responsive mobile design making it easier for visitors to browse through popular deals on their phones and tablets. The company's new content concept also combines coupons with retail offers for shoppers in an easy to browse catalog style format.

While many coupon sites offer the ability to search for coupons, Coupon Divas® takes it a step further by matching the latest coupons to popular products and stores. The site also provides walk-through examples of how the coupons can be used on various deals. "This is a model that we've successfully used for many years with our grocery coupons on the site. The redesign simply puts the focus on this type of content, specifically retail coupons, since it's what our shoppers want to see the most. They absolutely love it," said Co-Founder Denny Rosu.

The recent pivot is paying off. The site expanded this month by adding six new curated retail categories in its main shopping section with plans for more in the future based on user feedback. "We launched our new curated coupon shopping concept on cyber weekend and it was an instant success, so much so, that we decided to convert our grocery section to the same design last month," Rosu said. "We see an opportunity to be a first mover into an area that is much larger than just coupons alone, and with very little competition. This coupon shopping hybrid is the future."

The online coupon space has become crowded in recent years and the company acknowledges that there are now large players that are well established in the space. "We are not trying to be the next RetailMeNot. They've done a great job dominating the digital coupon space both online and on mobile," Rosu said. "It's safe to say that they have saturated that market. We have a different strategy. We've seen great traction with it in the past few months that we hope to continue to expand on this year." Said Rosu.

A huge part of the company's success comes from behind the scenes where the deals are selected with the help of a coupon curation algorithm. Over the past two years the company has developed and refined an elaborate in-house coupon search engine to parse and rank coupons and deals from thousands of sources from around the Internet. The algorithm instantly identifies hot offers for editors and writers on a daily basis allowing them to quickly create the uniquely vetted content; often times days before many other sites can spot them manually.

Coupon Divas® is privately held and will not disclose specific numbers, but says that shopper engagement is up sharply for this time of year in large part due to the improved flow and usability of the new design. Although the site is optimized for mobile shopping and mobile coupon search, plans are already underway for a native mobile app to be released in the coming months.

Boasting almost 1.5 million Facebook fans, Coupon Divas® has become one of the largest coupon brands on any social network. The company also has plans to expand its social couponing experience for shoppers through a new community section currently in development.

Coupon Divas® has established itself among the top performing partners to numerous merchants and online shopping brands and has been profitable each year since its inception over five years ago. The company is self-funded and currently considering raising its first investment round this year to further fund expansion and accelerate shopper acquisition.

Tate Willing to Take 'Hometown Discount'

By Tyler Conway on February 5, 2014

Golden Tate knows the riches that can come with being a member of a Super Bowl-winning team hitting free agency. He doesn't care. He wants to be a Seattle Seahawk-just as long as the price is fair.

Tate, who is an unrestricted free agent this offseason, appeared on Sports Radio 950 KJR in Seattle on Feb. 4 to discuss the team's 43-8 victory over the Denver Broncos. He was asked about his future. While Tate did not unequivocally say he'd be coming back in 2014, he was clear he'd take a Printable Coupons to make it happen, per Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk:

I probably shouldn't even say this right now but I'm going to say it anyway just because I love Seattle, honestly, I would rather take a little less to be happy and win ball games than to take way more and go to a crappy city where the fans don't give a crap about the team. You win a game once a month of something like that. I would much rather stay in the situation that I have now for a little less than to go and try to break the bank somewhere else.

Based on his quote, the Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders and other perpetual last-place finishers need not apply for Tate's services.

That should be no surprise considering the dichotomy between Tate's NFL success and the lack thereof his Notre Dame teams had. Tate was a member of the late-period Charlie Weis teams with the Irish, appearing in just one bowl game and never earning more than seven wins.

In his four seasons with Pete Carroll and Co. in Seattle, Tate has never won fewer than seven games. The Seahawks have made the playoffs in three of those four campaigns, including this year's Super Bowl run.

Tate, 25, was mostly held in check by Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie on Sunday, catching just three passes for 17 yards. But he was integral to Seattle's effort during the regular season.

With Percy Harvin limited to just one regular-season game, Tate stepped into the No. 1 wideout role and had the best season of his young career. He set career highs in receptions (64) and yards (898) and quietly graded out well in advanced metrics. Football Outsiders' DVOA metric ranked Tate the No. 19 receiver in football, while Pro Football Focus' wide receiver rating (subscription required) had Tate ninth.

It was a near-perfect walk year for someone who struggled mightily in each of his first two pro seasons. And though Tate was clear he would like to remain in Seattle, he still spoke clearly as someone who knew his value around the league was rising.

Gregory Bull/Associated Press

"At the same time, I don't want to be disrespected by any means," Tate said. "I want to be able to take care of myself and my family for the rest of my life at the same time. We'll see. That's what I have my agent for."

Tate, ideally, is a No. 2 receiver for most teams. He's a good route runner and exudes toughness and confidence, but he's not much of a big-play threat and lacks ideal size for someone playing on the outside. As B/R's Cian Fahey notes, Seattle may have a better long-term option to pair with Harvin already in-house with Doug Baldwin:

Golden Tate will give the Seahawks a home-town discount, unless it's substantial, I'd rather go for Baldwin.

- Cian Fahey (@Cianaf) February 5, 2014

The Seahawks' offense also didn't seem to lose a beat with Tate struggling to get open on Sunday. Russell Wilson completed 18 of 25 passes for 206 yards, with Baldwin accounting for a team-high five catches for 66 yards and a touchdown. Seattle also seems to have found a keeper in undrafted free agent Jermaine Kearse, who was just behind Baldwin with 65 yards.

Tate is a good player, but for the Seahawks, he's ultimately expendable. With long-term contracts coming up the pike for Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, Russell Wilson and more, there just may be no room to keep Tate around and have financial flexibility.

Hometown discount or not.

Follow Tyler Conway on Twitter.

Build Your Own PC on the Cheap with Amazon's Deal of the Day

There are few tech rites of passage more rewarding than building your own PC, but if cost is your main concern, you can pick up some great discounts on various components today from Review.com/b/ref=gbsl_tit_l-1_4142_1deeb9b0?ie=UTF8&amp;node=565132&amp;smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&amp;pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&amp;pf_rd_t=701&amp;pf_rd_s=left-new-1&amp;pf_rd_r=18JWTRFKVYBP5M8PQGFM&amp;pf_rd_i=20&amp;pf_rd_p=1671394142&tag=lifehackeramzn-20&ascsubtag=%5Btype%7Clink%5BpostId%7C1513424049%5BauthorId%7C5727177402741770316&node=565132">Amazon's Gold Box. Below, you'll find the complete list of discounted processors, motherboards, graphics cards, cases, RAM, input devices, and more that you'll need to design the rig of your dreams. Happy building! [ Amazon]

Processors

Motherboards

Power Supplies

Cooling

Cases

Graphics

Storage

RAM

Accessories

This post is brought to you by the Commerce Team, a dedicated group of deal hunters and product enthusiasts. We operate independently of Editorial to bring you the best bargains every day, share our favorite products with you, and ask you about yours. When you buy something we recommend, we may also get a small share of the sale. We welcome your questions and want your feedback. Follow us for the best deals on the internet, curated for @lifehacker readers.

- Lifehacker Deals (@LifehackerDeals) December 10, 2013

Get in touch with me on Twitter or by emailing shep@gawker.

- Shep McAllister (@shepmcallister) December 10, 2013

Related

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The Best Balsamic Vinegar Deal In Buffalo

BUFFALO, NY -- In my continued search to find the Best Deals to save you time and money, today we celebrate another frugal food Friday. Over the past several months I've collected many of your requests for Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar. Earlier this month, we found gourmet Olive Oil on a dime and today, huge bargains on the balsamic counterpart.

I've had several chefs, foodies and restaurateurs weigh in for today's Ways to Save and today's Balsamic bliss from Modena Italy is aged, packed with flavor, and small amount goes a long way.

Today you get four bottles for the price of two. The taste is AWESOME and this deal will sell-out. Benissimo is one of the most popular high-end brands on the market.

I'm pairing this offering with an 89% Off Bon Appetit Magazine Subscription that just dropped. Want more deals? Follow@MattGranite On Twitter.

We receive absolutely no financial compensation from any deal. The only purpose of this segment is to save you money!

$17 Off Benissimo Balsamic Vinegar Four Pack + Free Shipping
Was: $41.95
Now: $24.95

Includes FOUR 8.5 fl oz bottles of Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar, Cherry Balsamic Vinegar, Fig Balsamic Vinegar and Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar. FREE SHIPPING delivery will become visible at check-out after you enter your zip code.

89% Off Bon Appetit Magazine Subscription - Up to 3 Years
Was: $47.88
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Zakaria: Iran Deal A Train Wreck

In an interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria, Iranian Prime Minister Hassan Rouhani forcefully asserted that Iran would not destroy its nuclear centrifuges "under any circumstances".

Rouhani's comments come just days after the U.S. and Iran began to implement a Amazon Sales which the White House claims will scale back Iran's nuclear program. The Obama administration claims the goal of the deal is to prevent a nuclear Iran, yet Rouhani's comments show Iran views the deal much differently.

Reacting to Rouhani's position, Zakaria told CNN that the Prime Minister's comments struck him as a "train wreck".

"This strikes me as a train wreck. This strikes me as a huge obstacle because the Iranian conception of what the deal is going to look like and the American conception now look like they are miles apart," Zakaria said.

Below is a full transcript of the exchange:

HASSAN ROUHANI: So in the context of nuclear technology, particularly of research and development and peaceful nuclear technology, we will not accept any limitations. And in accordance with the parliament's law, in the future, we're going to need 20,000 mega watts of nuclear produced electricity and we're determined to get it at the hands of our Iranian scientists.

FAREED ZAKARIA: So there would be no destruction of centrifuges?

ROUHANI: Not under any circumstances. Not under any circumstances.

CHRIS CUOMO: I mean, what is the deal? That's supposed to be the whole underpinning of moving forward from the United States perspective. How do you interpret what you just heard from the president?

ZAKARIA: well, I was as struck by it as you were. This strikes me as a train wreck. This strikes me as potentially a huge obstacle because the conception of what the deal is going to look like and the American conception now look like they are miles apart. The Iranian conception seems to be they produce as much nuclear energy as they want, but it is a civilian program. The American position is that they have to very substantially scale back the enrichment of uranium and the production of centrifuges. For the fist time you have the president of Iran unequivocally saying there will be no destruction of centrifuges. So this seems like - you know, this is still - I'm not even quite sure what they're going to talk about if these are the opening tion and it's very hard to walk back from as absolute is a profession as the president of Iran laid out.

Amazon to begin collecting sales tax in NC on Feb. 1

Amazon.com will begin collecting sales tax in North Carolina beginning Feb. 1, a company official confirmed Monday.

The move will make North Carolina the 20th state in which the online retailer collects sales tax.

Under the current system, North Carolina taxpayers are supposed to pay a "use tax" Price Compare online purchases and declare them on their state tax returns. Few do. One 2010 estimate said failure to pay the taxes costs the state, its cities and counties $190 million a year in lost revenue.

In 2010, the N.C. Department of Revenue tried to get Amazon to turn over customer names so that the state could charge those customers sales tax for their online purchases. But the ACLU, a nonprofit civil rights advocacy group, sued.

The organization argued that the request was illegal because it would have linked customers to items they purchased, revealing the names of books, DVDs and other products. A federal judge agreed and earlier this year, the state settled with the ACLU.

The Charlotte Observer welcomes your comments on news of the day. The more voices engaged in conversation, the better for us all, but do keep it civil. Please refrain from profanity, obscenity, spam, name-calling or attacking others for their views.

Have a news tip? You can send it to a local news editor; email local@charlotteobserver.com to send us your tip - or - consider joining the Public Insight Network and become a source for The Charlotte Observer.

Top 10 Best Online Deals on Samsung Galaxy Gear Smartwatch in India

Wearable gadgets has been the talk of the tech world these days. The International Consumers Electronics Show 2014 (CES) also saw a major advent of the wearable computing devices like LG's LifeBand, and many more.

Moreover, the portability and health devices have also found a great combination for each other. Thus forming the LG LifeBand and Intel's Smart Earbuds and more which we saw this year at the CES 2014 in Las Vegas.

Just a couple of days back, the South Korean Smartphone maker Samsung also cut down the price of its last year's smartwatch called Galaxy Gear by Rs 4,000. The device which was initially laucnhed at Rs. 22,990 will now sell at Rs. 18,999.

Recommended: The Review Wearable Gadgets Launched AT CES 2014

Thus GizBot has today come up with a number of online deals pertaining to the same wearable device. However before going ahead with the deals, take a look at the specs of the device:

The Galaxy Gear comes with a 1.63-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 320 x 320 pixels. There is an 800MHz processor backed by 512MB of RAM and internal memory. The device is compatible with select Galaxy handsets (running above Android 4.3 Jelly Bean).

Recommended: Hot Deals: Galaxy Grand 2 and 10 Latest Samsung Smartphone to Buy in India

In case if you are wondering whether the device is compatible with the iOS devices, no the Galaxy Gear won't support the iOS powered devices.

The Galaxy Gear's camera can take pictures as well as record videos in 720p HD format. You can receive notifications, SMS, messages, receive/dial calls and much more.

Click Here For The New Samsung Galaxy Gear SmartWatch Photo Gallery

Take a look at the sliders below for best online deals:

Amazon Starts Collecting NV Sales Tax

RENO, NV - If you shop on Super Sale, no doubt you enjoy the cost-savings of not paying any sales tax on your order. But that all came to an end this month, as the company announced it would start collecting sales tax for orders delivered in Nevada. The move not only happened here, but also in Tennessee and Indiana. While you may not like it as a consumer, some local businesses applaud the change.

Bobo's Mogul Mouse has been a fixture in Reno for years.

The shop offers just about anything on the skier's list.

But about eight years ago, employees started noticing a phenomenon called "show rooming."

"So they have a place to come to where they are getting expert advice, they are getting measured and then they are going out and buying it on the internet," says manager Pat Parraguirre.

A 7% sales tax automatically was added to the bill at Bobo's and any other local brick and mortar store.

It was virtually absent from a sale at Amazon.

"When they buy something on line and they weren't being charged sales tax they are supposed to go and fill out a form and send it into the department of taxation. And I'll let you guess how many people actually did that," says Tray Abney with the Reno Sparks Chamber of Commerce.

Which put local stores like Bobo's at a distinct disadvantage, and from Parraguirre's perspective--punitively so.

"You and I have to pay taxes; every business in town has to pay taxes. All that money generated in sales tax is going to the general fund. We can fund education, fund police, fund fire, teachers' salaries, all that is going back into the general fund. They are contributing absolutely nothing to ah the infastructure of the state and county," says Parraguirre.

But that will all change this year as Amazon has agreed to collect the sales tax in Nevada.

The decision was made in part because Amazon has a presence in the state with a distribution center in Fernley.

The state estimates the tax gathered by Amazon could result in $16,000,000 dollars annually.

Collecting state sales taxes for Nevada and all other states through internet sales could be practice in the future.

But it means the "Marketplace Fairness Act" or something like it must pass congress and be signed into law.

While the legislation has passed the Senate, the House has not voted on the measure.

Opponents of the bill say it would force internet companies to configure a way to collect tax in 9,000 different jurisdictions.
###

Santa Fund cycle concludes with record-breaking total

The fund relies on local retailers to help provide for children in need through one-time vouchers, usually in the amount of $50.

"It's really amazing and it was wonderful to have that $25,000 gift from an anonymous person and that really put us over," said Kim Connolly, United Way-Thomas Jefferson Area spokeswoman. "The majority of donations come from people who give $10 to $100, and every dollar made a difference."

The Santa Fund provides vouchers to help pay for medicine, clothing and other necessities to area schoolchildren. Sponsored by The Daily Progress and WINA radio and administered by the local United Way, it provides assistance year-round.

The fundraising drive began Thanksgiving Day and ended Thursday. Donations are accepted all year, but those coming in after Thursday afternoon will be counted in next year's drive.

"The success of this year's Santa Fund speaks volumes about the incredible generosity of our community, which came together this year like never before to meet the needs of deserving schoolchildren throughout our region," said Lawrence L. McConnell, publisher of The Progress. "But this year's effort - as in years past - was really due to the dimes and dollars given by hundreds and hundreds of people."

The charity's goal was $120,000, the same as last year's mark. The fund raised $124, 215 in 2012.

"We kept it level because we didn't know what the impacts of the economy would be," said Lisa Frazier, the local United Way vice president and finance director. "There are a lot of mixed messages about the economy right now."

"There are a lot of working families who are a car-breakdown away from being financially stressed," Connolly said. "The economy is reportedly improving, but working families are most often the ones utilizing the food banks and other programs. The Santa Fund helps those families with support from retailers with vouchers."

The retailers come from the ranks of big-box stores, including Kmart, Marshalls, Roses and TJ Maxx. Smaller retailers such as Family Dollar, CVS and Super Dollar in Scottsville also help out, as do Shoe Show and Terry's Place in Orange.

LensCrafters, sears optical, Drs. Nelson and Clauss Optometrist and The Spectacle Shop, all of Charlottesville, provide eyewear for those in need.

School officials refer children to the program, which serves students in Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Madison, Nelson and Orange counties, as well as the city of Charlottesville. Program administrators look into the needs and can provide a voucher for whatever is necessary.

"The Santa Fund couldn't exist without their help," Connolly said.

Today's contributors

" Anonymous employees of Hantzmon Wiebel, $75

" In loving memory of Terry Brownfield, $50

Today's total: $125

Final total: $141,923.78

Goal: $120,000

Over goal by: $21,923.78