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President Obama gives his farewell speech tonight in Chicago. A tradition started by George Washington

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For more than four decades, Sala Udin lived under the shadow of a federal firearms conviction, the result of a search by the Kentucky police who found an unloaded shotgun in the trunk of his car in 1970.

Mr. Udin, who had been a Freedom Rider during the civil rights era, carried the gun for protection as he drove around the South. After eight months in prison, he lived an exemplary life, serving on the Pittsburgh City Council and playing a role in the city's redevelopment. But when President Obama visited Pittsburgh in 2009, Mr. Udin wasn't allowed to meet him: His criminal record prevented such an encounter.

Last month, Mr. Obama issued Mr. Udin a pardon - one of just 148 pardons the president has granted during his two terms in office. It is an abysmally low number for a president who has stressed his commitment to second chances and the importance of helping convicted people re-enter society.

The White House has been trumpeting Mr. Obama's use of his clemency power in the last two years, especially his nearly 1,200 commutations of prison sentences, more than the last several presidents combined. Most of these inmates were serving outrageously long terms, including life without parole, for nonviolent drug crimes. Commuting those sentences is meaningful progress, even if Mr. Obama could and should have started much earlier and released thousands more deserving people.

But when it comes to the other type of executive clemency - pardons - Mr. Obama hasn't been an improvement over his predecessors. Unlike a commutation, which shortens or ends a prison sentence, a pardon is an act of forgiveness granted to someone who has completed a sentence. Pardons remove the stigma of conviction and restore the right to hold office, to vote, to obtain certain business licenses and to own a gun - all activities that can be denied those with criminal records.

For almost everyone with a criminal conviction, a pardon is the only path back to full citizenship. Throughout most of American history, presidents granted them liberally. Mr. Obama is a different story. He took office with more than 800 pending pardon requests. During his presidency he received almost 3,400 more. He denied more than 1,600 and closed 500 others without taking any action. So he will leave office with roughly 2,000 pending requests on his desk - an embarrassing record that isn't excused by the similarly poor showings of other recent presidents.

The reluctance to grant pardons makes even less sense than a reluctance to give out commutations, since the sentences have already been served and there is no public safety concern.

In both cases, the trouble rests with the people acting as the gatekeepers of mercy. The clemency process is run out of the Justice Department, where career prosecutors have little interest in reversing the work of their colleagues. It's a recipe for intransigence, dysfunction and injustice on a mass scale.

Mr. Obama understands the problem, even if he didn't fix it. As he wrote in an article published in this month's issue of The Harvard Law Review, the process operates like a lottery, making it hard to tell what distinguishes the few lucky applicants who get clemency from the many deserving ones who don't.

There is a better way. In both liberal and conservative states, from Delaware and Connecticut to Nebraska and Georgia, the pardon process is more predictable and transparent. Some states require independent boards to make pardon recommendations to the governor; others hold regularly scheduled public hearings. All take the executive's job of granting mercy seriously, which makes those grants both more fair and more common.

On Mr. Obama's first Inauguration Day, in 2009, President George W. Bush gave him a good piece of advice: Pick a pardon policy and stick with it. Perhaps President-elect Donald Trump will learn from Mr. Obama's failure to heed that wisdom.

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page A20 of the New York edition with the headline: Mr. Obama, Pick Up Your Pardon Pen. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe

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Opinion | Mr. Obama, Pick Up Your Pardon Pen

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For more than four decades, Sala Udin lived under the shadow of a federal firearms conviction, the result of a search by the Kentucky police who found an unloaded shotgun in the trunk of his car in 1970. Mr. Udin, who had been a Freedom Rider during the civil rights era, carried the gun for protection as he drove around the South.

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The same jury that convicted Dylann Roof in the 2015 massacre at Emanuel AME church reached a unanimous verdict on his sentence: death. Roof looked down silently as the panel announced its decision in U.S. District Court in Charleston, S.C. late Tuesday afternoon.

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The same jury that convicted Dylann Roof in the 2015 massacre at Emanuel AME church reached a unanimous verdict on his sentence: death. Roof looked down silently as the panel announced its decision in U.S. District Court in Charleston, S.C. late Tuesday afternoon.

After the jury left the courtroom, Roof asked Judge Richard Gergel for new lawyers. Gergel told Roof he could make that argument at his formal sentencing hearing Wednesday morning.

Insisting on representing himself in the sentencing phase of his trial, Roof's court-appointed defense team, which included renowned lawyer and capital punishment opponent David Bruck, was largely sidelined.

"We want to express our sympathy to all of the families who were so grievously hurt by Dylann Roof's actions," Roof's defense said in a statement. "Today's sentencing decision means that this case will not be over for a very long time. We are sorry that, despite our best efforts, the legal proceedings have shed so little light on the reasons for this tragedy."

Roof's family said in a statement they will "continue to pray for the Emanuel AME families and the Charleston community."

"We will struggle as long as we live to understand why he committed this horrible attack, which caused so much pain to so many good people," the statement read. "We wish to express the grief we feel for the victims of his crimes, and our sympathy to the many families he has hurt."

Earlier in the day, Roof delivered his own closing argument, in which the white supremacist denied that he was filled with hatred.

"Wouldn't it be fair to say that the prosecution hates me because they're trying to give me the death penalty?" Roof asked rhetorically. "Anyone who hates anything, in their mind has a good reason for it. And sometimes that's because they've been misled and sometimes it isn't. But I would say that in this case the prosecution, along with anyone else who hates me, are the ones who have been misled."
SUSPECTED COP-KILLER ON THE LOOSE WANTED TO BE ON 'AMERICA'S MOST WANTED'
Roof concluded his closing argument after only five minutes.

"That's all," he said.

The brevity of Roof's statement stood in stark contrast to the prosecution's closing argument, which lasted for two hours.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Richardson reminded jurors how the nine victims at "Mother Emanuel" Church had welcomed Roof, a stranger who had shown up at their Wednesday evening Bible study.
AIRPORT SHOOTING SUSPECT'S MOM PLEADS: 'DON'T EXECUTE MY SON'
"The defendant had come not to learn, not to receive the Word, but he came with a hateful heart and a Glock 45," Richardson said.

Richardson mentioned all of the victims by name, describing their importance to the community and their families, and the terrible loss caused by their untimely deaths. He contrasted these "particularly good people" with the horrific nature of Roof's crimes, his racist views and "his belief in Hitler as a saint, as an icon, as someone to be emulated."

The prosecution showed the jury photos of Roof with his now familiar blank stare, pointing a pistol at the camera during target practice.

"He also chose to videotape himself doing it so that he could see the very last images that these victims would see," Richardson said. "He wanted to see what he would look like as he stood over them."

Inside the courtroom, Roof looked straight forward, displaying no obvious emotion as the prosecution showed the jury graphic photos of the deceased victims' bodies lying on the bloodstained floor of their church meeting room.

Richardson then went on to cite Roof's apparent lack of remorse for the crimes.

He quoted from a journal removed from the defendant's jail cell back in August of 2015 in which Roof writes, "I do not regret what I did. I am not sorry. I have not shed a tear for the innocent people I killed."

The prosecutor reminded jurors that even during this trial, Roof had entered the courtroom wearing hand drawn racist symbols on his shoes.

"Unrepentant, no remorse," Richardson added.

At the conclusion of his closing argument, Richardson urged jurors, "Sentence this defendant to death for killing Clementa Pinckney."

He repeated the phrase eight more times to add the names of each victim.

The same panel of three black jurors and nine whites that convicted Roof back in December once again sided with the prosecution, unanimously calling for the ultimate punishment.
Fox News' Chip Bell and Multimedia Reporter Terace Garnier contributed to this report from Charleston.
Jonathan Serrie joined Fox News Channel (FNC) in April 1999 and currently serves as a correspondent based in the Atlanta bureau.

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Charleston church shooter to face death sentence

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The same jury that convicted Dylann Roof in the 2015 massacre at Emanuel AME church has reached a unanimous verdict on his sentence: death. Roof looked down silently as the panel announced its decision in U.S. District Court in Charleston, S.C. late this afternoon.

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the Kansas city Chiefs face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers

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Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Kansas City Chiefs - GameTrax - Jan 15, 2017

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Check out the live GameTrax for the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Kansas City Chiefs game on Jan 15, 2017.

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Giant cows that have been extinct for many years have appeared back in Europe.

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Obama says goodbye. Popular but politically humbled, President Barack Obama says goodbye to the nation Tuesday night in a dramatic reinterpretation of a presidential farewell address.

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Donalds pick for attorney general jeff sessions KKK SYMPATHIZER

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Jai Bullock  four people  died sunday in a riot at a prison in brazil the nation's third  deadly prison uprising in 7 days

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Jai Bullock  four people  died sunday in a riot at a prison in brazil the nation's third  deadly prison uprising in 7 days

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It wasn’t exactly smooth sailing for a group of Royal Caribbean passengers and now they’re suing the cruise line for an excursion that turned deadly for one traveler.

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It wasn't exactly smooth sailing for a group of Royal Caribbean passengers and now they're suing the cruise line for an excursion that turned deadly for one traveler.

Eight passengers sailing on board the Independence of the Seas last year decided to book a day excursion to Jamaica's famous Dunn's River Falls near Ocho Rios on Jan. 14, 2016 when the ship docked. The crew reportedly enjoyed a day at the waterfall and even swam with dolphins.

But the bus driver that took them back from the cruise ship drove recklessly, the passengers claimed, and continuously changed lanes while speeding. When passengers asked to slow down, according to TMZ, the driver reportedly said that he was driving "the way everyone typically drove in Jamaica."

That "way" wound up being deadly.
INSIDE THE WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE CRUISE SHIP SUITE
As the bus entered the port city of Falmouth, a major collision occurred in which one passenger was killed and three others were wounded. The crash also involved a truck, a panel van and another car, according to Cruise Critic.

According to the lawsuit, the excursion group's driver had a slow reaction to a vehicle that had entered their lane. The passengers said the driver didn't get out of the way and the bus was subsequently broadsided, causing it to flip multiple times.

At the time, Royal Caribbean released a statement called the accident a "terrible incident."

"We are saddened to report that one of our guests passed away," the line said on Jan. 15, 2016. "Three other guests were injured and are being treated at the local hospital. Crew members are at the hospital with our guests in order to help respond to this terrible incident. The other guests that were on the bus have been treated and released, and have continued on the ship."
FOR THE LATEST TRAVEL FEATURES FOLLOW FOX LIFESTYLE ON FACEBOOK
Those suing the cruise line say that Royal Caribbean placed them with an inept driver and thus failed to provide a safe experience even though the driver was not directly employed by the line.

Independence of the Seas was sailing a five-night itinerary that departed from Florida with port calls to Labadee, Haiti and Falmouth, Jamaica.

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Cruise passengers sue Royal Caribbean over Jamaican bus ride excursion gone wrong

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It wasn't exactly smooth sailing for a group of Royal Caribbean passengers and now they're suing the cruise line for an excursion that turned deadly for one traveler. Eight passengers sailing on board the Independence of the Seas last year decided to book a day excursion to Jamaica's famous Dunn's River Falls near Ocho Rios on Jan.

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Derrick Rose was a no show to  last nights game against the New Orleans Pelicans.

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Bangladesh's 'Tree man' has his hands back

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Bajandar suffered from a rare condition that caused his hands to sprout tree-like warts. He lived with it for years before beginning surgery to remove the growths last February.

Since then he has had 16 procedures to restore his hands, and will undergo a few more before he is released from the hospital.

Dr. Samanta Lal Sen, chief plastic surgeon at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, told CNN Bajandar is in "very good shape" now, and can eat and write using his own hands. The further procedures, he said, are more for "beautification."

A life nearly stolen by a curious disease

Bajandar suffered from epidermodysplasia verruciformis, a disease so rare there have only been a handful of reported cases around the world. It is caused by a defect in the immune system which increases one's susceptibility to HPV, or human papilloma virus.

Lal Sen told CNN last February that Bajandar first noticed the lesions when he was 10. Over time, the growths completely encompassed his hands, stealing his livelihood as a rickshaw driver and making him the subject of international news.

Before the surgery, Bajandra could not eat, drink, brush his teeth or take a shower by himself. The only thing he could do was scratch his neck.

"I want to live like a normal person. I just want to be able to hold my daughter properly and hug her," he told CNN last year.

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bangladesh's 'tree man' has his hands back  - cnn

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Bangladesh's 'Tree man' has his hands back

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Bajandar suffered from a rare condition that caused his hands to sprout tree-like warts. He lived with it for years before beginning surgery to remove the growths last February. Since then he has had 16 procedures to restore his hands, and will undergo a few more before he is released from the hospital.

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The collage football 2017 preseason ranking are out Alabama is number 1 Florida state is 2 and Clemson is number 5

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Jan 10, 2017

Mark SchlabachESPN Senior Writer

Close

Senior college football writer

Author of seven books on college football

Graduate of the University of Georgia

Alabama and Clemson played in the College Football Playoff National Championship presented by AT&T for the second straight season on Monday night.

One reason for optimism for the teams in Mark Schlabach's Way-Too-Early Top 25 is the talent on the way in 2017. Here's a look at how next season's best teams are faring in recruiting.

The Longhorns haven't cracked the double-digit win mark in since 2009 and that's way too long by Texas standards. The good news? New coach Tom Herman has all the ingredients to end that streak.

It was another championship game classic between these two teams, as the Tigers avenged last season's loss with a thrilling come-from-behind 35-31 win to prevent the Tide from finishing 15-0 and defending their title.

Will the Crimson Tide or the Tigers be back again after the 2017 season?

Now that the 2016 season has come to a close, let's take a quick glance ahead with the inaugural 2017 Way-Too-Early Top 25. (Underclassmen have until Jan. 16 to declare for the NFL draft, so returning starters numbers subject to change.)

Outlook: The Crimson Tide might have as many as six players selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft, which would tie the record set by Miami in 2004, so coach Nick Saban will have some work to do. Several seniors from a menacing defense played their last game for the Tide in Tampa, and it's likely that underclassmen such as OT Cam Robinson and CB Marlon Humphrey will leave early for the NFL. But Alabama reloads better than anyone else in the country, and there are plenty of former five-star recruits waiting to step forward. Quarterback Jalen Hurts should be better in his second season as a starter, and former Washington and USC coach Steve Sarkisian takes over as the Tide's offensive coordinator. Alabama opens the 2017 season against Florida State in Atlanta, and its most difficult road games might be at Texas A&M and Auburn.

Outlook: After nearly being run out of Hollywood early in the season, coach Clay Helton produced quite a turnaround. After a 1-3 start, the Trojans won their last eight regular-season games and had a thrilling comeback in a 52-49 win over Penn State in the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual. Redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Darnold directed the rebound, and he'll be back with at least five other starters on offense. After throwing for more than 3,000 yards and 31 touchdowns in 10 starts, Darnold might be the Heisman Trophy favorite heading into 2017. The Trojans will miss junior JuJu Smith-Schuster and Darreus Rogers, their top two receivers, as well as starting tackles Chad Wheeler and Zach Banner. DB/KR Adoree' Jackson has yet to announce his NFL intentions. USC will play one of the most difficult nonconference schedules in the FBS in 2017, including home games against Western Michigan and Texas and a road trip to Notre Dame.

Outlook: The Nittany Lions' dramatic turnaround in 2016 -- they won their final eight regular-season games and beat Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game -- should serve as a big springboard to 2017. Leading receiver Chris Godwin opted to leave early for the NFL draft, but most of Penn State's starters on offense will return, including star tailback Saquon Barkley and quarterback Trace McSorley. Both will be top Heisman Trophy candidates. Plus, PSU will get back a few offensive linemen who were hurt for the stretch run. Four of the defense's most productive players are departing -- defensive ends Evan Schwan and Garrett Sickels, linebacker Brandon Bell and strong safety Malik Golden -- but everyone else is expected back. The Nittany Lions will have to navigate their way through a difficult Big Ten road schedule that includes trips to Iowa, Northwestern, Ohio State and Michigan State.

Key losses: QB Deshaun Watson, WR Mike Williams, WR Artavis Scott, C Jay Guillermo, TE Jordan Leggett, RB Wayne Gallman, DT Carlos Watkins, LB Ben Boulware, SS Jadar Johnson, CB Cordrea Tankersley

Outlook: After guiding the Tigers to back-to-back appearances in the CFP National Championship, coach Dabo Swinney faces a rebuilding job in 2017. But Clemson has recruited as well as anyone outside of maybe Alabama, and the Tigers have plenty of young players ready to step up. Sophomore QB Kelly Bryant, who attempted 18 passes the past two seasons combined, is the favorite to replace Watson, who leaves as arguably the best player in school history. The Tigers will also have to replace leading rusher Wayne Gallman and top wideouts Mike Williams and Artavis Scott, who are all expected to enter the NFL draft as juniors. The personnel losses on defense aren't as heavy -- not with Dexter Lawrence, Christian Wilkins and Clelin Ferrell returning to anchor the defensive line -- but linebacker Ben Boulware and defensive tackle Carlos Watkins will be missed. The Tigers will play Florida State at home and Louisville and Virginia Tech on the road during ACC play, along with a difficult nonconference home game against Auburn.

Outlook: Even after the Buckeyes' unsightly 31-0 loss to Clemson in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, there's no debate they were probably a year ahead of schedule in 2016. Even after losing 12 players to the NFL draft, including 10 who were selected in the first three rounds, coach Urban Meyer guided the Buckeyes to the College Football Playoff for the second time in three years. With nine starters coming back on offense and eight on defense, Ohio State looks loaded for 2017. Quarterback J.T. Barrett must improve dramatically, and the Buckeyes must improve at wide receiver. Co-offensive coordinator Tim Beck is leaving for Texas, which might be the first of a few moves on Meyer's staff. Former Indiana coach Kevin Wilson has reportedly been hired to replace Beck, and Ryan Day will be the new quarterbacks coach. OSU plays a nonconference game against Oklahoma and Big Ten road contests at Nebraska, Iowa and Michigan.

Outlook: The Pokes will have to rebuild their defense after losing top tacklers Jordan Sterns and Devante Averette plus star defensive tackle Vincent Taylor, who is entering the NFL draft as a junior. But with quarterback Mason Rudolph and receiver James Washington announcing they'll return for their senior seasons, Oklahoma State might have one of the country's most high-powered offenses in 2017. Coach Mike Gundy has guided the Pokes to 10-win seasons in five of the past seven years, and after back-to-back second-place finishes in the Big 12, they might be ready to challenge Oklahoma for the title. They'll get to play the Sooners at home in the Bedlam game next season, and the Pokes will also host TCU, Baylor and Kansas State in Big 12 play.

Outlook: We figured it was only a matter of time until coach Chris Petersen built a playoff contender at Washington, and it happened this season. After losing six games in each of his first two seasons in Seattle, Petersen guided the Huskies to a Pac-12 championship and CFP berth. With quarterback Jake Browning and tailback Myles Gaskin coming back, the Huskies will be big favorites to win the Pac-12 North again in 2017. However, they will have to replace several key contributors on defense. Washington's nonconference schedule isn't very challenging, with a road game at Rutgers and home games against FCS foe Montana and Fresno State. Plus, the Huskies won't play USC during the regular season and will play Utah and Washington State at home.

Outlook: With quarterback Baker Mayfield returning for his senior season, the Sooners are in position to win a third consecutive Big 12 championship -- even with tailbacks Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine both leaving early. All five starters are expected to return on the offensive line, but the Sooners will have to replace All-America wideout Dede Westbrook's production, which won't be easy. OU's defense played better down the stretch, and as many as seven starters might return. OU will have to survive an early road trip at Ohio State as well as Big 12 road trips to Kansas State and Oklahoma State.

Outlook: The Tigers had an up-and-down campaign in 2016, but they still managed to win eight games and reach the Allstate Sugar Bowl. However, Auburn's offense was a mess at times, and its 12 touchdown passes bettered only Vanderbilt in the SEC. Incoming Baylor transfer Jarrett Stidham, who threw for 1,265 yards with 12 touchdowns for the Bears in 2015, might bring more punch and stability to the offense. Tailbacks Kamryn Pettway and Kerryon Johnson are returning, but the Tigers will have holes to fill on their offensive line, although Braden Smith's decision to return is a welcome boost. Defensive tackle Montravius Adams and end Carl Lawson, who is leaving early for the NFL draft, are big losses. The Tigers play at Clemson early and also play road games at LSU, Arkansas and Texas A&M during SEC play.

Key losses: WR Amara Darboh, WR Jehu Chesson, OT Ben Braden, G Kyle Kalis, OT Erik Magnuson, TE Jake Butt, RB De'Veon Smith, LB/RB Jabrill Peppers, DE Chris Wormley, NT Matthew Godin, DT Ryan Glasgow, DE Taco Charlton, LB Ben Gedeon, CB Jourdan Lewis, SS Dymonte Thomas, FS Delano Hill, CB Channing Stribling

Outlook: The Wolverines are losing 10 starters on defense, their top two receivers, an All-American tight end and a starting tailback. Therefore, it would be an understatement to say Jim Harbaugh is facing a massive rebuilding job in his third season as coach of his alma mater. But Ohio State's Urban Meyer faced a similar reboot this past season and still guided the Buckeyes to a spot in the CFP. The good news for the Wolverines: Quarterback Wilton Speight was better than expected in his first season as a starter. On defense, linebacker Mike McCray and end Rashan Gary will lead what figures to be a very young unit. The Wolverines open the season against Florida in Arlington, Texas, and will play Big Ten road games at Penn State and Wisconsin (Ohio State travels to Michigan).

Outlook: After limping through much of Kirby Smart's first season as coach of his alma mater, the Bulldogs might be poised to take control of the SEC East in 2017. Tailbacks Nick Chubb and Sony Michel and linebackers Davin Bellamy and Lorenzo Carter have decided to return for their senior seasons rather than enter the NFL draft early. Quarterback Jacob Eason should be better in his second season as a starter, and help for the offensive line is coming in a top-five recruiting class. Georgia is expected to lose only one starter on defense -- safety Maurice Smith -- and many of its best players on that side of the ball were freshmen and sophomores. The Bulldogs will play at Tennessee and Auburn in the SEC, and will take nonconference road trips to Notre Dame and Georgia Tech.

Outlook: Despite everything that went wrong this past season, Cardinal coach David Shaw somehow managed to guide his team to 10 victories, the fifth time in the past six seasons he has led Stanford to at least 10 wins. If Stanford is going to return to the sport's elite in 2017, Shaw and his staff have to find an answer at quarterback. Redshirt sophomore Keller Chryst injured his knee in the Sun Bowl, and reports indicate he may have torn his ACL, so redshirt junior Ryan Burns and K.J. Costello, who redshirted this season, might battle for the job this spring. The Cardinal are expected to lose only one starting offensive lineman, and sophomore Bryce Love looks capable of replacing Christian McCaffrey in the backfield. Stanford will really miss star defensive end Solomon Thomas, but nine starters are expected back on defense.

Key losses: RB Leonard Fournette, WR Travin Dural, C Ethan Pocic, G Josh Boutte, TE Colin Jeter, DE Lewis Neal, DE Davon Godchaux, LB Tashawn Bower, LB Duke Riley, S Jamal Adams, CB Tre'Davious White

Outlook: Ed Orgeron guided LSU to a 6-2 record after he replaced former coach Les Miles, and Orgeron will get to put his stamp on the program during the offseason. He has already retained defensive coordinator Dave Aranda and hired Pitt's Matt Canada as his new offensive coordinator. Junior tailback Leonard Fournette is entering the NFL draft, but Derrius Guice did most of the heavy lifting this past season anyway. Junior QB Danny Etling will get the first chance to run Canada's up-tempo offense, but 2017 commits Myles Brennan and Lowell Narcisse might also get looks once they enroll. The Tigers will open the season against BYU in Houston, and they play SEC road games at Florida, Ole Miss, Alabama and Tennessee.

Outlook: After winning nine games, including Miami's first bowl victory in a decade, Mark Richt's first season as coach of his alma mater was an undeniable success. Miami's defense under coordinator Manny Diaz was much improved, even with the Hurricanes starting three freshman linebackers. If the Hurricanes are going to improve in Year 2 under Richt, they'll have to find a replacement for quarterback Brad Kaaya. The program's all-time leading passer is leaving early for the NFL draft. Sophomore Malik Rosier, who has thrown 61 passes the past two seasons combined, is the favorite to replace him, but freshmen Jack Allison and Evan Shirreffs might also get looks. The Hurricanes will play three of their most difficult ACC games on the road in 2017 -- at North Carolina, Pitt and Florida State.

Outlook: What will 77-year-old coach Bill Snyder do next? He won nine games with a very young team in 2016, including a 5-0 mark against Texas schools. The Wildcats might be poised to challenge for a spot in the Big 12 championship game (which returns in 2017) if they can improve in the passing game and defending the pass. Quarterback Jesse Ertz is coming back, along with four starting offensive linemen and all but one receiver. The defense will miss Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Jordan Willis and leading tackler Elijah Lee, but six other starters are expected back on that side of the ball. The Wildcats have a chance to start 3-0 in nonconference games, and they'll play Baylor, TCU, Oklahoma and West Virginia at home.

Outlook: The Cardinals limped to the finish line, losing their last three games to spoil what once looked like a magical season. If Louisville is going to be any better in 2017, the team will have to prove it's more than a one-man show and get some help for QB Lamar Jackson, the Heisman Trophy winner. The UL offensive line surrendered 47 sacks and couldn't protect Jackson in the final month. Top tailback Brandon Radcliff is leaving, along with the team's top three receivers. Linebackers Keith Kelsey and Devonte Fields and safety Josh-Harvey Clemons, the defense's most disruptive players, also are gone.

Outlook: The Horned Frogs limped through a 6-7 campaign in 2016, but they might be poised for a big bounce-back next season. After going 4-8 in 2013, coach Gary Patterson guided TCU to 23 wins in the next two seasons combined. Next season, the Horned Frogs might have as many as 10 senior starters on offense, including quarterback Kenny Hill and tailback Kyle Hicks. Hill will have to cut down on his 13 interceptions in 2016. TCU will have to replace three of its starting defensive linemen, but seven starters are coming back on that side of the ball. The Horned Frogs will have Big 12 road games at Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Oklahoma, but they'll play West Virginia and Texas at home.

Outlook: Former Texas coach Charlie Strong might have inherited the best team in a Group of 5 conference from former USF coach Willie Taggart. Quarterback Quinton Flowers is back, but losing tailback Marlon Mack (1,187 rushing yards, 15 touchdowns) to the NFL draft is a big blow. Still, the Bulls should have one of the most potent offenses in the FBS. Nine starters are expected back on defense as well. USF's nonconference schedule isn't very difficult (there's a home game against Illinois), and the team will play AAC foes Houston, Temple and Tulsa at home. Strong might have a very big maiden season in Tampa, Florida.

Key losses: NT Joey Ivie, DT Caleb Brantley, LB Daniel McMillian, LB Jarrad Davis, LB Alex Anzalone, CB Quincy Wilson, CB Teez Tabor, S Marcus Maye, DE Bryan Cox Jr., QB Austin Appleby, OT David Sharpe

Outlook: The Panthers defeated both ACC champion Clemson and Big Ten champion Penn State, and four of their five losses came by a combined 18 points. Even with tailback James Conner and quarterback Nathan Peterman departing, Pitt might be poised for a breakthrough in coach Pat Narduzzi's third season. The Panthers have to eventually get better on defense, and Narduzzi is slowly upgrading the defensive talent. Pitt plays Penn State (road) and Oklahoma State (home) in nonconference games and doesn't play ACC foes Clemson, Florida State or Louisville during the regular season.

Key losses: WR Gabe Marks, WR John Thompson, C Riley Sorenson, G Eduardo Middleton, FS Shalom Luani, WR River Cracraft

Outlook: The Cougars opened the 2016 season with two straight losses and finished with three consecutive defeats. In between, they won eight straight games and might be in position to start and finish better in 2017 if junior quarterback Luke Falk returns to school. The Cougars will miss Gabe Marks and River Cracraft, the top two receivers in school history, but their top three rushers and three starting offensive linemen are expected back. The Cougars will play Pac-12 road games at Oregon, Utah and Washington and play Stanford and USC at home.

Outlook: The Hokies were one of the biggest surprises in the FBS in 2016, winning 10 games with first-year coach Justin Fuente and first-year quarterback Jerod Evans. The Hokies seemed poised for even bigger things in 2017, but Evans and receivers Isaiah Ford and Bucky Hodges are turning pro a year early. Most of the defense is coming back, although Tech will have to replace three key linemen. The Hokies open the season against West Virginia in Landover, Maryland, and they'll play ACC road games at Georgia Tech and Miami.

Outlook: Former Houston coach Tom Herman won't work miracles in his first season in Austin, but the Longhorns will have a chance to finish among the top four teams in the Big 12. Herman won 13 games in his first season as a head coach, and he'll be inheriting more talent at UT. Quarterback Shane Buechele gives Herman a chance to win right away, but the Longhorns will miss 2,000-yard rusher D'Onta Foreman. As many as 10 starters are expected back on defense, and that's where Herman and his staff need to do the most work. UT will get a big early test at USC on Sept. 16, and the Longhorns will play Big 12 road games at Baylor, TCU and West Virginia.

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Alabama, Florida State lead Way-Too-Early 2017 Top 25

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Jan 10, 2017 Mark SchlabachESPN Senior Writer Close Senior college football writer Author of seven books on college football Graduate of the University of Georgia Alabama and Clemson played in the College Football Playoff National Championship presented by AT&T for the second straight season on Monday night.

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danaya vann - colombia bridge collapse kill 7 

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danaya vann - colombia bridge collapse kill 7 

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A wooden foot bridge inside a Colombian nature preserve has collapsed, killing at least seven people and injuring 15 others in Villavicencio, southeast of Bogota, according to the city's mayor

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Bernie Sanders and a Donald Trump supporting business owner get into a heated debate

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Jim Jacobs, who said he was a small business owner, told the Vermont senator he was concerned about the effects of what he called a raft of burdensome regulations.

"The devil is in the details. We've got to see what those regulations are," Sanders said, not giving an inch.

Sanders said he wouldn't rule out reconsidering some regulations, but added he didn't know which ones the man was citing.

"It's very easy to blame Barack Obama for everything, by the way. Some of those regulations may be state, may be local," the Vermont senator said.

"But some of them, if you're talking about -- you now, you have some folks out there who really want the freedom to pollute our air and pollute our water," he said. "They want to get rid of those regulations. I don't agree. I don't agree. We have got to protect our environment."

Sanders added that while Obama raised taxes on the wealthiest Americans, he would have gone further.

"Obama did raise taxes on the top 1 or 2%, and you know what? I would have gone further. I think the wealthiest people in this country are doing phenomenally well," Sanders said.

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sanders gets heated with trump-supporting small business owner - cnnpolitics

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Sanders gets heated with Trump-supporting small business owner

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Jim Jacobs, who said he was a small business owner, told the Vermont senator he was concerned about the effects of what he called a raft of burdensome regulations. "The devil is in the details. We've got to see what those regulations are," Sanders said, not giving an inch.

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opular but politically humbled, President Barack Obama says goodbye to the nation Tuesday night in a dramatic reinterpretation of a presidential farewell address.

Hoping to capitalize on a well of goodwill that's expanded in the final year of his tenure, Obama has discarded the staid Oval Office or East Room for his last formal set of remarks. Instead, he'll travel to Chicago, the city where he declared victory in 2008 and 2012, to address a sold-out crowd of ardent supporters.

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His voice at moments catching with emotion, Obama recounted a presidency that saw setbacks as well as successes. Admitting candidly that political discourse has soured under his watch, Obama demanded that Americans renew efforts at reconciliation.

"It falls to each of us to be those anxious, jealous guardians of our democracy," the President said. "To embrace the joyous task we've been given to continually try to improve this great nation of ours."

Obama also stressed solidarity despite a presidency sometimes at odds with Congress.

"Democracy does not require uniformity," Obama said. "Our founders quarreled and compromised, and expected us to do the same. But they knew that democracy does require a basic sense of solidarity -- the idea that for all our outward differences, we are all in this together; that we rise or fall as one."

In a concession that, for now, his brand of progressive politics is stalled in Washington, Obama admitted "for every two steps forward, it often feels we take one step back."

He implored his backers to be vigilant in protecting basic American values he warned could come under siege.

"Democracy can buckle when we give in to fear," he said. "So just as we, as citizens, must remain vigilant against external aggression, we must guard against a weakening of the values that make us who we are."

And he warned against turning inward, telling Democrats that only by involving themselves in a real political discourse could they hope to renew the hopeful vision he brought to the White House eight years ago.

"After eight years as your President, I still believe that," he went on. "And it's not just my belief. It's the beating heart of our American idea -- our bold experiment in self-government."

Obama's speech is the capstone of a months-long farewell tour, manifested in extended magazine interviews, lengthy television sit-downs, and the White House's own efforts to document the President's waning administration. Through it all, Obama has sought to highlight the achievements of his presidency using statistics showing the country better off now than eight years ago.

As he spoke before a rowdy crowd of supporters, Obama was interrupted often with screams of "I Love you Obama." When a protester holding a "Pardon All of Us" sign, chants of "four more years" drowned out the shouts.

Obama sought to corral his crowd, listing the accomplishments of the last eight years ranging from health care to marriage equality, all while insisting that his work isn't finished.

He recognized his successor Donald Trump, saying he was committed to a peaceful transition of power. But he warned that going forward Democrats shouldn't fall in line with their commander-in-chief.

Obama, who has addressed race with varying degrees of force during his time in office, used his farewell to insist Americans work harder to understand each other's struggles. After presiding over eight years that saw race relations enter a fraught new era, Obama demanded that differences be identified and reconciled.

"Brown kids will represent a larger share of America's workforce" in the years ahead, Obama proclaimed, calling for better rules that will help the children of immigrants succeed.

He warned that "laws alone won't be enough" in resolving persistent differences between Americans.

"Hearts must change," he said.

He called on African-Americans and minorities to view with empathy "the middle-aged white man who from the outside may seem like he's got all the advantages, but who's seen his world upended by economic, cultural, and technological change."

And he urged whites to regard the protests of minorities as a fight "not demanding special treatment, but the equal treatment our Founders promised."

"Regardless of the station we occupy, we have to try harder," Obama said. "To start with the premise that each of our fellow citizens loves this country just as much as we do; that they value hard work and family like we do; that their children are just as curious and hopeful and worthy of love as our own."

Capitalize on goodwill

In coming to Chicago, Obama hoped to capitalize on a well of goodwill that's expanded in the final year of his tenure. He discarded the staid Oval Office or East Room for his last formal set of remarks, choosing instead the city where his political rise began and where he declared victory in 2008 and 2012.

Inside a vast convention hall packed with more than 20,000 of his most ardent supporters and former staffers, the mood was wistful. Ahead of his address, aides described the normally unsentimental commander in chief as nostalgic.

Over the past several weeks, Obama has offered a rational view of Trump's election and rarely let on to any apprehension about his future as an ex-president. First lady Michelle Obama has articulated a more candid view in a scaled-back version of her own farewell. She sat for an hour-long interview with Oprah Winfrey, frankly admitting that Democrats were now "feeling what not having hope feels like."

And she became emotional during her final set of formal remarks at the White House Friday, her voice quaking and eyes welling with tears as she told a crowd of educators: "I hope I made you proud."

During his speech Tuesday, Obama voice quaked when describing his wife's service.

"You took on a role you didn't ask for and made it your own with grace and grit and style and good humor," he said. "You made the White House a place that belongs to everybody."

Planning for months

The President had been planning his speech for months, aides said, formulating the broad themes while on vacation over the holidays in Hawaii and developing drafts starting last week.

He told aides months ago that he preferred to deliver his farewell address in his hometown, a first for a departing President. George W. Bush, unpopular and facing a financial crisis, delivered his final prime-time address in the White House East Room to a crowd of 200 supporters and aides.

Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter all used the Oval Office -- a setting Obama has long spurned for formal remarks. George H.W. Bush traveled outside of Washington to West Point for a departing address after failing to secure a second term, though he didn't actually bill it as a farewell.

The tradition extends back to George Washington, who issued warnings against unchecked power and partisan entrenchment in a written address to the nation in 1796.

Like major addresses in the past, Obama wrote his speech himself, dictating passages to his chief speechwriter Cody Keenan who puts the President's words into print. Obama returned the drafts with heavy annotations, writing his changes in a tightly compressed scrawl on the margins.

The President and Keenan went through at least four drafts of the farewell speech, an official told CNN Tuesday. The broad themes of the speech came together while the President was in Hawaii and he started reading a first draft on the long flight home last Sunday.

Aside from Keenan, several familiar names from the past were involved in the drafting, including former speechwriter Jon Favreau and former senior adviser David Axelrod.

When he returns to Washington in the early morning hours of Wednesday, it will be Obama's 1,293rd -- and final -- flight aboard Air Force One. He'll use the presidential aircraft on Inauguration Day to depart Washington. But with only a former president aboard, it's known simply as a "Special Air Mission."

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obama offers optimism -- and warnings -- in farewell address - cnnpolitics

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Obama offers optimism -- and warnings -- in farewell address

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Popular but politically humbled, President Barack Obama said goodbye to the nation Tuesday night, declaring during his farewell address that he hasn't abandoned his vision of progressive change but warning that it now comes with a new set of caveats.

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Dairy Queen closes Illinois store after owner uses slur

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Colombia bridge collapse kills 7

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Texas man dies after shooting himself in back of police car while handcuffed

A Texas man died from his injuries Monday one day after being handcuffed in the back of a police car and managing to pull out a gun from his waistband to shoot himself.

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Bangladesh's 'Tree man' has his hands back

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Bajandar suffered from a rare condition that caused his hands to sprout tree-like warts. He lived with it for years before beginning surgery to remove the growths last February.

Since then he has had 16 procedures to restore his hands, and will undergo a few more before he is released from the hospital.

Dr. Samanta Lal Sen, chief plastic surgeon at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, told CNN Bajandar is in "very good shape" now, and can eat and write using his own hands. The further procedures, he said, are more for "beautification."

A life nearly stolen by a curious disease

Bajandar suffered from epidermodysplasia verruciformis, a disease so rare there have only been a handful of reported cases around the world. It is caused by a defect in the immune system which increases one's susceptibility to HPV, or human papilloma virus.

Lal Sen told CNN last February that Bajandar first noticed the lesions when he was 10. Over time, the growths completely encompassed his hands, stealing his livelihood as a rickshaw driver and making him the subject of international news.

Before the surgery, Bajandra could not eat, drink, brush his teeth or take a shower by himself. The only thing he could do was scratch his neck.

"I want to live like a normal person. I just want to be able to hold my daughter properly and hug her," he told CNN last year.

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bangladesh's 'tree man' has his hands back  - cnn

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Bangladesh's 'Tree man' has his hands back

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Bajandar suffered from a rare condition that caused his hands to sprout tree-like warts. He lived with it for years before beginning surgery to remove the growths last February. Since then he has had 16 procedures to restore his hands, and will undergo a few more before he is released from the hospital.

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Barack Obama gets job offer from Spotify CEO to become president of playlists

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Alabama lost in last quarter

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13 hours ago ... Have you ever watched an instant replay review during a college football game and thought, "I sure wish we had more of these?" If you answered, "No," congratulations! You are smart -- and normal. If you answered, "Yes," well, you are likely the head of the Alabama High School Athletics Association ...

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a massive search for the man in Orlando, Florida he killed his pregnant girlfriend and gunning down an Orlando police officer and the reward for finding him will be $60,000

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Clemson beat alabama in the national championship

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Mr. Kohl- President Obama gives his farewell speech tonight in Chicago. A tradition started by George Washington.

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Mr. Kohl- President Obama gives his farewell speech tonight in Chicago. A tradition started by George Washington.