Usa today january 07 2017

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USA TODAY SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 2017

1T IN MONEY

IN LIFE

Robots have run of Las Vegas

Awards season starts with Golden Globes

01.07.17 ROBERT HANASHIRO, USA TODAY

“MANCHESTER BY THE SEA” BY CLAIRE FOLGER

Report: Putin ordered hacking Intent to get Trump elected, director of intelligence says Gregory Korte @gregorykorte USA TODAY

The director of national intelligence released a 25-page declassified version of its report into alleged Russian hacking during the 2016 campaign, concluding that the intent of the operation was to help get Donald Trump elected president. “We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election,” said the report, which was the work of the FBI, CIA and the National Security Agency. “Russia’s goals were to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process, denigrate Secretary (Hillary) Clinton and harm her electability and potential presidency. We further assess Putin and the Russian government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump.”

WASHINGTON

LYNNE SLADKY, AP

People stand on the tarmac at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooter opened fire inside Friday.

SHOOTER KILLS 5 AT FLA. AIRPORT Gunman arrested after opening fire as passengers claim baggage WEEKEND SPECIAL This is an edition of USA TODAY available to subscribers as an e-Newspaper every Saturday and Sunday. It contains the latest developments in News, Money, Life and Sports along with the best of USA TODAY’s reporting, photography and graphics. Expanded content from USA TODAY can be found at our website, usatoday.com, on our free apps for Apple and Android devices, and in print Monday through Friday.

USA SNAPSHOTS©

1st commercial bank in USA

235 years ago today, the Bank of North America opened in Philadelphia.

Doug Stanglin and Alan Gomez USA TODAY

A gunman fired at random on passengers in a baggage claim area at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Friday, killing five people and injuring eight, before being taken into custody, according to law enforcement authorities. Witnesses said the male shooter emptied several magazines of bullets, then dropped to the floor spread-eagle to await arrest. He was taken into custody without incident by a Broward County sheriff’s deputy, according to Sheriff Scott Israel. “People started kind of screaming and trying to get out of any door they could or hide under the chairs,” Mark Lea, a witness, told MSNBC. “He just kind of continued coming in, just randomly shooting at people, no rhyme or reason to it.” Chip LaMarca, a Broward County commissioner, was

SOURCE The History Place MICHAEL B. SMITH AND JANET LOEHRKE, USA TODAY

POOL PHOTO BY MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV

FORT LAUDERDALE

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Russia’s Vladimir Putin has praised Donald Trump.

TAIMY ALVAREZ, AP

A shooting victim from the Fort Lauderdale airport arrives at Broward Health Trauma Center on Friday.

THE GUNMAN WAS “JUST RANDOMLY SHOOTING AT PEOPLE, NO RHYME OR REASON TO IT.”

The intelligence community first concluded in October that Russia was behind the hacking of emails belonging to Clinton campaign aides and the Democratic National Committee, but it stopped short of suggesting that Russia sought any particular outcome. President Obama requested the fuller report last month after Democratic members of Congress alleged that Russia’s interference was one-sided and had the intent of getting Trump elected. Friday’s report noted that Putin and other Kremlin officials often praised Trump, whom they saw as more Russiafriendly on issues such as Syria and Ukraine. The report said Moscow saw the election of Trump “as a way v STORY CONTINUES ON 2T

Witness Mark Lea

Scope of protests poses challenge for inaugural security Numbers higher than at past swearing-ins Kevin Johnson USA TODAY WASHINGTON Federal and local officials have been quietly scrambling to find space for tens of thousands of demonstrators expected to flood the capital for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration this month. At least 26 protest groups are seeking or have been granted permits — more than four times the

average number for past inaugurations — in a show of force that will probably test a sprawling security operation. In total, nearly 400,000 demonstrators were anticipated as of Friday, according to National Park Service records. More than half of those are likely to participate in the Women’s March on Washington the day after Trump’s swearing-in Jan. 20. A coalition of civil and human rights advocates are scheduled to parade through D.C. Although terrorism and potential attacks from homegrown violent extremists remain top concerns of security planners

SUSAN WALSH, AP

Anti-Trump protesters rally in Washington in November.

charged with ensuring a peaceful transfer of power, the anticipated surge in demonstrations, both permitted and unsanctioned, figure prominently in an operation that involves thousands of law enforcement and military authorities, officials said Friday during an inauguration security briefing. Interim D.C. Metropolitan Police Chief Peter Newsham noted that authorities are aware of the online boasts of some groups who have vowed to “shut down” events, but he said that prospect “is something we are prepared for.” Although Newsham declined

to elaborate on the specific tactics, the chief said plans include the use of physical barriers. At past inaugurations, those barriers have included large trucks, buses and construction equipment. Brian Ebert, the Secret Service’s agent overseeing the operation, declined to comment on any specific threat, but he noted that authorities have been engaged in months of planning involving scenarios that have run the gamut of possible threats. “An event this size is going to disrupt the city,” Ebert said, adding that authorities were attempting to keep those disruptions to a minimum.


USA TODAY SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 2017

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Trump retains hacking doubts President-elect proclaims respect for intelligence team David Jackson @djusatoday USA TODAY NEW YORK President-elect Donald Trump said he had a “constructive” meeting with intelligence officials Friday, and though he praised them, he still questioned assertions that Russia hacked Democrats in an effort to influence last year’s election. Claiming that Russia, China and other countries and organizations are always launching cyberattacks against the United States — “including the Democratic National Committee” — Trump said in a written statement, “There was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election, including the fact that there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines.” He said, “There were attempts to hack the Republican National Committee, but the RNC had strong hacking defenses, and the hackers were unsuccessful.” The intelligence community outlined its findings in a declassified report issued a few hours after the Trump briefing. A statement from the office of the Director of National Intelligence said investigators “did not make an assessment of the impact that Russian activities had on the outcome of the 2016 election, and DHS (the Department of Homeland Security) assesses that the types of systems the Russian actors targeted or compromised were not involved in vote tallying.” Though Trump criticized aspects of the Russia investigation hours before the briefing, he said in his statement, “I have tremendous respect for the work and service done by the men and women of this (intelligence) community to our great nation.” Saying all Americans need to “aggressively combat and stop cyberattacks,” Trump said that as president, he would appoint a team to develop a defense plan. “The methods, tools and tactics we use to keep America safe should not be a public discussion that will benefit those who seek to do us harm,” the presidentelect said. “Two weeks from today, I will take the oath of office, and America’s safety and security will be my number one priority.” Trump has criticized what he calls an overemphasis on claims that the Russians hacked Democratic Party officials. “China, relatively recently, hacked 20 million government names,” Trump told The New York Times. “How come nobody even talks about that? This is a political witch hunt.”

EVAN VUCCI, AP

Donald Trump says any election cybertampering didn’t affect the outcome.

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to achieve an international counterterrorism coalition against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.” The report did not assess what impact the hacking had on the outcome of the presidential election, but it made clear that the agencies did not believe any vote-counting systems were breached. The declassified version offers little new public evidence, and the document argued that revealing the full extent of intelligence on the hacking could jeopardize sources and methods. Indeed, much of the report is based on public news reports. A seven-page annex to the report highlights the role that a Russian-owned television network, RT America, had in spreading Russian propaganda during the campaign. “RT America TV, a Kremlinfinanced channel operated from within the United States, has substantially expanded its repertoire of programming that highlights criticism of alleged U.S. shortcomings in democracy and civil liberties,” the report

said. “RT’s criticism of the U.S. election was the latest facet of its broader and longer-standing anti-U.S. messaging likely aimed at undermining viewers’ trust in U.S. democratic procedures and undercutting U.S. criticism of Russia’s political system.” Obama received the report Thursday, and Trump was briefed on the classified version Friday.

come of the election.” That remains a point of contention. California Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said Trump’s conclusion that the Russian hacking had no effect “is not supported by the briefing, report or common sense.” “It is one thing to say that there was no tampering with vote tallying — which is true —

“We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election.” U.S. intelligence report on Russian hacking

In a statement, Trump conceded that Russia and China “are consistently trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses and organizations, including the Democrat National Committee.” He said hackers attempted to break into Republican National Committee systems but were unsuccessful. Trump insisted, “There was absolutely no effect on the out-

it is another thing to say that the daily dumping of documents disparaging to Secretary Clinton that was made possible by Russian cyberoperations had no effect on the campaigns,” said Schiff, who was briefed on the report Friday with members of Congress. “These conclusions are well-supported by the evidence, and the report should put to rest any uncertainty as to Russian responsibility for this unprecedented interference in our internal affairs.”

Before his briefing at Trump Tower, the president-elect announced that he asked Congress to investigate what he believes to be a leak of a secret intelligence report on the Russians to the news media. He tweeted, “I am asking the chairs of the House and Senate committees to investigate top secret intelligence shared with NBC prior to me seeing it.” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the White House did not leak the report — and he found it ironic that the presidentelect complained about the disclosure. Days ago, Earnest noted, Trump tweeted his approval of WikiLeaks founder Jullian Assange, who has published classified information in addition to the Democratic emails that surfaced during the election. Trump’s situational disapproval of leaks, Earnest said, “leads me to believe that his concerns are something othGETTY IMAGES er than protecting classified James Clapper information.” Trump protested the news coverage Thursday night. “How did NBC get ‘an exclusive look into the top secret report he (Obama) was presented?’ Who gave them this report and why? Politics!” he tweeted. The president-elect had a nearly two-hour briefing Friday that included Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, CIA Director John Brennan and FBI Director James Comey, all of whom have cited evidence pointing to a Russian plan to hack Democrats. In recent days, the presidentelect has softened his rhetoric about the intelligence agencies. “The media lies to make it look like I am against ‘Intelligence’ when in fact I am a big fan!” Trump said during a tweet storm Thursday. “I think it’s dangerous,” Vice President Biden told PBS NewsHour. “For a president not to have confidence in, not to be prepared to listen to the myriad of intelligence agencies from defense intelligence to the CIA, etc., is absolutely mindless. It’s just mindless.” Brian Fallon, a spokesman for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign, wrote on Twitter, “Why. Can’t. He. Just. Say. He. Accepts. The. Conclusion. Of. The. Intel. Agencies? It is seriously weird he won’t just admit Russia did it.” Contributing: Gregory Korte

SHOOTER HAD PISTOL IN BAGGAGE Corrections & Clarifications USA TODAY is committed to accuracy. To reach us, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones at 800-8727073 or e-mail accuracy@usatoday.com. Please indicate whether you’re responding to content online or in the newspaper.

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briefed on the airport shooting by the Broward Sheriff’s office. On his Twitter account, he said the shooter arrived in Fort Lauderdale aboard a flight with a gun in a checked bag. “He claimed his bag and took the gun from baggage and went into the bathroom to load it. Came out shooting people in baggage claim,” LaMarca tweeted. The suspect took a Delta flight from Anchorage to MinneapolisSt. Paul Thursday night and flew the last leg to Fort Lauderdale Friday morning. Sheriff Israel said authorities had not established a motive for the shooting, and it was too early to declare it a terrorist act. “At this point, it looks like he acted alone,” Israel said. He called the shootings a “horrific, horrific act.” Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., said the gunman was carrying a military ID in the name of Esteban Santiago, 26. Santiago’s aunt, Maria Ruiz, who lives in Union City, N.J., said her nephew is an Army veteran who served two years in Iraq and came back acting strangely, but he was happy after the birth of his child last year. “I don’t know why this happened,” she said at her home Friday afternoon. The melee, which erupted around 1 p.m. ET, brought air traffic to a standstill at the heavily traveled airport. Some incoming flights were halted on the tarmac and, according to airport director Mark Gale,

MIKE STOCKER, AP

A first responder secures the area outside the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a shooting in the baggage claim area Friday. The shooting brought air traffic to a standstill. were probably sent to another city without allowing passengers to disembark. The shooter, described as slender, about 5-foot-7 and wearing a blue T-shirt, did not say a word during the incident. He fired his weapon as he strolled among passengers at a baggage carousel in Terminal 2, which services Delta flights. Lea told MSNBC the gunman was “just randomly shooting people” with a 9 mm pistol and

stopped only after emptying about three magazines of bullets. “He wasn’t targeting anyone particular,” he said. The shooting sent people scrambling onto the tarmac, some carrying luggage. Others hid behind cars. Paramedics treated a bleeding victim outside the airport. Hundreds of people stood on the tarmac as an ambulance drove by. Florida Gov. Rick Scott called the shooting a “senseless act of

evil” and said he phoned President-elect Donald Trump to keep him informed about the case. Early word on the incident came from a tweet by Ari Fleischer, former White House spokesman for President George W. Bush. “I’m at the Ft. Lauderdale Airport,” Fleischer tweeted. “Shots have been fired. Everyone is running.” Contributing: Kevin Johnson in Washington, the Associated Press


USA TODAY SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 2017

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No bail in Facebook attack case Authorities say torture, humiliation included dunking teen’s head in toilet Aamer Madhani USA TODAY CHICAGO A Cook County judge denied bail Friday for four suspects charged with the torture and beating of an 18-year-old man with mental health challenges that was broadcast on Facebook Live. Assistant State’s Attorney Erin Antonietti said that two of the suspects ordered the victim, who suffered from schizophrenia and was assaulted and humiliated for hours, to say “I love black people” and “f--- Trump.” The suspects also repeatedly beat the teen and two of the suspects shoved his head into a toilet and made him drink from it, prosecutors said. “Where was your sense of decency?” asked Cook County Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil before rejecting the suspects plea for a reasonable bail. The Cook County prosecutors office charged Jordan Hill, 18, of Chicago; Tesfaye Cooper, 18, of Cicero, Ill.; and sisters Brittany Covington, 18, and Tanishia Covington, 24, of Chicago, with aggravated kidnapping, hate crime, aggravated unlawful restraint, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and residential burglary in the alleged torture and kidnapping of the special-needs teen. Prosecutors cited both the victim’s race — he is white — and disability as why he was targeted. Those factors allowed authorities to charge the suspects with a hate crime. Hill also was charged with

robbery and possession of a stolen motor vehicle. Antonietti said that victim and Hill knew each other after attending the same alternative high school in suburban Chicago. The victim’s mother dropped him off on Dec. 31 at a McDonald’s in suburban Streamwood so he could meet a friend, who turned out to be Hill. After leaving McDonald’s, Hill, the victim and a third unidentified person went to buy and smoke marijuana, authorities said. The teen contacted his mother that day and again on New Year’s Day to tell her he wanted to spend the night at his friend Jordan’s home. But the victim’s family said they stopped hearing from the victim on Monday and were concerned, prosecutors said. The victim’s brother was able to figure out by logging on the victim’s Facebook page that he was with Hill. The victim’s mother reached out to Hill through Facebook and requested he put her in contact with her son, who investigators later learned had driven to the West Side of Chicago with Hill and a second unidentified individual in a stolen van. At some point, Hill had become angry that the victim’s mother had contacted him, and beat the victim in the back of the van. He also took the victim’s cell phone and SIM card and then took him to the apartment on the city’s West Side, where Brittany and Tanishia Covington lived. “Defendant Hill and the victim

ASHLEE REZIN, AP

Relatives, left and right, of sisters Brittany Covington and Tanishia Covington leave court Friday. The sisters and two men are suspects in the torture and beating of an 18year-old man. HO HO, AFP/GETTY IMAGES

From left, Tanishia Covington, Jordan Hill, Tesfaye Cooper and Brittany Covington were denied bail in the hate crime case. entered the third floor apartment where they were met by defendant Cooper” and the two women, Antonietti said. “Hill and Cooper ordered the victim into a corner and to face the wall. Defendants Hill and Cooper yelled and screamed at the victim while Hill was armed with a knife. Brittany Covington began livestreaming the assault on Facebook, in which all four can be heard or seen taunting and beating the victim. During the nearly 30 minute Facebook Live post, which went viral, Hill used a knife to cut a

chunk of the victim’s hair, causing his head to bleed. Hill also stabbed the victim in his left forearm, prosecutors said. All four suspects allegedly beat the victim and used knives to cut his clothes. The video shows the victim with duct tape around his mouth and belts tied around his arms, while the assailants can be heard speaking disparagingly of the president-elect and white people. During the course of the attack, Hill also contacted the victim’s mother and demanded $300 ransom in exchange for her son.

Police said a downstairs neighbor threatened to report the suspects over the noise. The suspects were angered and went downstairs to threaten the neighbors, giving the teen a chance to escape. “Both the female defendants and Cooper chased the witnesses back down into their second floor apartment after Hill threatened he was going to come back with a gun,” Antonietti said. “Defendant Cooper kicked in the door of the second floor unit and he and the two females entered ... while the witnesses ran out the back door.” The bloodied victim was spotted by police Tuesday walking in cold weather wearing only sandals, shorts and a tank top turned inside out and backward.

Flu cases hit U.S. coastal cities hard

IN BRIEF A CHILLY DIP FOR THREE KINGS

Illness spikes in West and East, including strong NYC impact Trevor Hughes @trevorhughes USA TODAY

Flu cases are spiking on both coasts, while the middle of the USA has seen little activity, according to federal officials. New York City and New Jersey in particular are being hit hard compared with other areas. Oregon sees a high level of flu symptoms, federal epidemiologist Lynnette Brammer said. Across Middle America, relatively few flu cases are being reported, except in Oklahoma. Ten states reported high levels, as did Puerto Rico, based on statistics collected by health officials and compiled weekly and released Friday by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Laboratory-confirmed tests showed a significant spike in infant flu cases, the CDC reported. “Activity has started to go up pretty dramatically, but there’s still time for people to get vaccinated and build up immunity,” Brammer said. This is typically the time of year when flu cases begin rising dramatically. Doctors’ visits for flu-like symptoms are ahead of last season, although well behind the 2014-2015 season, one of the worst in a decade. In that season, experts blamed a strain that hit the elderly and very young hard, along with a less effective vaccine. Last week was the third consecutive week in which reported flulike illnesses were above the national baseline. Brammer said that it’s too early to tell whether the annual flu vaccine is effective, but it closely matches the strains of flu commonly in circulation, which suggests it will be effective. The flu vaccine changes each year, based on predictions by epidemiologists about what strains will emerge in the subsequent months.

DENVER

MARTIN DIVISEK, EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY

WINTER STORM TO WREAK HAVOC ACROSS SOUTH

A winter storm spreading snow and ice across the South will disrupt the lives of tens of millions of people and impact highway and air travel into Saturday. Winter storm watches and warnings were in effect Friday from northern New Mexico all the way to eastern Virginia, a distance of nearly 1,700 miles. States of emergency were declared in North Carolina, Alabama and Georgia as the storm approached. The heaviest snow is expected Saturday in North Carolina and Virginia, where 6 to 12 inches could fall, and locally higher amounts are possible, according to AccuWeather. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper urged people to stay off the roads since virtually the entire state was forecast to see snow. Farther south, freezing rain could coat portions of Louisiana and Mississippi in ice. Accumulations of one-tenth to one-quarter inch are possible, the Weather Channel said. Snow was falling Friday in portions of Texas, Oklahoma and Tennessee, causing widespread closures of schools and businesses. Hundreds of flights were canceled Friday. SEAWORLD ORCA IN DOCUMENTARY DIES

One of SeaWorld’s better-known orcas, Tilikum, perhaps best

known for killing his trainer in 2010, died early Friday. SeaWorld said Tilikum died surrounded by trainers, care staff and veterinarians. A necropsy is planned. The organization said the orca had faced “very serious health issues,” and veterinarians had been treating him for a “persistent and complicated bacterial lung infection.” Tilikum, SeaWorld said, was estimated to be 36 years old. In February 2010, Tilikum was interacting with trainer Dawn Brancheau when he grabbed her by the ponytail and pulled her underwater. Brancheau died of drowning and traumatic injuries. The incident sparked a backlash against SeaWorld and inspired the movie Blackfish, which questioned the ethics of keeping orcas in captivity. FORMER CIA CHIEF WOOLSEY OFF TRUMP TRANSITION TEAM

As President-elect Donald Trump clashed with the intelligence community over Russian hacking, he lost one of his intelligence advisers. Former CIA director James Woolsey said he never got to advise the president-elect. “I was not really called upon to go to meetings or participate in work on the transition,” Woolsey told Fox News. Woolsey led the CIA during the first two years of the Clinton administration in 1993-1995.

Polar swimmers get out of the Vltava River on Friday after the traditional Three Kings Swimming on Epiphany Day in Prague.

TREVOR HUGHES, USA TODAY

A sign at Denver Health Medical Center alerts people entering the main lobby to take precautions to reduce the spread of flu and colds.

“Activity has started to go up pretty dramatically, but there’s still time for people to get vaccinated and build up immunity.” Federal epidemiologist Lynnette Brammer

Keri Peterson, an internist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said she sees increasing numbers of people coming in with preconceived — and often misplaced — notions about vaccines and the danger posed by flu. The flu typically kills at least 100 infants annually, and tens of thousands more adults. “I think people are using Dr. Google, seeking information on their own and finding results that gear toward their way of thinking,” Peterson said. “I think that people have more access to information but that it may not be accurate.” The flu kills people every month of the year, and about 6% of all deaths nationwide were related to the flu or pneumonia last week. The exact number of deaths caused by the flu are not tracked.


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USA TODAY SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 2017

Mike Leyva from Epson demonstrates the company’s Moverio augmented reality smart glasses in Boulder City, Nev.

Anthony Landek asks Woobo a question. Woobo uses artificial intelligence technology to interact with children.

PHOTOS BY ROBERT HANASHIRO, USA TODAY

Im Kyung Han jumps in the air as she has a 360-degree motion capture image taken at the Nikon booth Thursday.

THE WEEK IN WHIZ-BANG The Consumer Electronics Show dazzled attendees this week in Las Vegas, where major electronics companies showed off their latest aids to automated living. Self-driving cars, robots and drones competed for the attention of the modern, connected consumer. Welcome to the future.

Ride ’em, flyboy! Drones take off in a race during the Drone Rodeo on Wednesday, before the Consumer Electronics Show. Markus Müller demonstrates the ICAROS, a fitness device and gaming controller combined in one gadget.

Withings shows off analog smart watches Thursday, the opening day of the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas.

Pierre Siebentrit sits in a BMW at the Intel booth for a demo of the company’s automated driving system.


USA TODAY SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 2017

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MONEY Dow drama: 20,000 push a nail-biter As traders roar, blue chip index retreats after climbing within a point of historic milestone Adam Shell USA TODAY

The Dow’s quest for the historic 20,000 milestone turned into must-watch TV Friday, as the blue chip gauge climbed within 0.37 point of making history around 12:44 p.m. ET, before being repelled by an imaginary ceiling amid cries of frustration by traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. A roar came up as the Dow came within a point of 20K, but it

wasn’t meant to be. The oh-soclose moment can be summed up with the famous line used by the late Don Adams in the ’60s TV show Get Smart: “Missed it by that much!” The blue chip index has been flirting with 20,000 for several weeks. Each time it’s gotten near the historic milestone, it’s backed off. Stocks moved higher in afternoon trading as all three major indexes hit record highs. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index was up 0.5% and notched an intraday record of 2,281.90. The

“Inflationary pressures should continue to build and enable the Fed to raise interest rates three times this year.” Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at OANDA

Nasdaq composite jumped 0.8% and hit an all-time high of 5,534.11. The Dow continued to flirt with 20,000 after hitting an intraday record of 19,999.63 as it hovered just below the milestone. Technology stocks are leading the market higher as Facebook rose more than 2% and Micro-

soft, Apple and Google parent Alphabet each gained more than 1%. Stocks initially traded in a lackluster fashion after the release of a mixed employment report. U.S. employers added 156,000 jobs in December, less than the 180,000 or so anticipated by economists. The figures capped a year of slower but solid hiring and were the last major snapshot of the economy before President-elect Donald Trump enters the White House. Another modestly disappointing piece of news was the increase in the unemployment rate to 4.7% from the previous month’s nine-year low of 4.6%. Hourly pay jumped 2.9% from

a year earlier, the biggest increase in more than seven years. That’s a positive sign that the low unemployment rate is leading some businesses to offer higher wages to attract and keep workers. Sluggish wage growth has been a long-standing weak spot in the seven-year economic recovery. “Should earnings continue on the current trajectory, then inflationary pressures should continue to build and enable the Fed to raise interest rates three times this year as planned, even in the absence of a large fiscal stimulus package from a Trump government,” said Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at OANDA.

Contributing: Associated Press

MONEYLINE DOWN YEAR FOR APPLE MEANS PAY CUT FOR COOK Apple CEO Tim Cook and other executives saw their pay drop after the tech giant finished the year with lower revenue off weaker sales of its iPhone. According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Cook received $8.75 million in total compensation, which includes a $3 million base salary. In 2015, Cook earned more than $10 million. T-MOBILE CEO: SPRINT MERGER ISN’T OFF TABLE The long-rumored merger of Sprint and T-Mobile may not be dead in a Donald Trump presidency, according to T-Mobile CEO John Legere. At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Legere was asked about rumors of the nation’s third- and fourth-largest carriers joining forces. “In the future structure of the industry, there are a number of people who think, well, it may make sense from a scale standpoint to consider the coming together of T-Mobile and Sprint,” said Legere, who noted that it’s possible Sprint will be acquired by a cable operator that wants to get into mobile. FACTORY ORDERS FALL FOR FIRST TIME IN 4 MONTHS Orders to U.S. factories fell for the first time in five months in November. Factory orders dropped 2.4% after a 2.8% rise in October, the Commerce Department reported Friday. It was the first decline since June, but the weakness was led by a 73.8% plunge in demand for commercial aircraft after a 94.5% surge in October. Orders for durable goods, items expected to last at least three years, fell 4.5%. DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVG.

20,000 19,950 4:00 p.m.

19,900

19,964

19,850 9:30 a.m. 19,800 19,899

PHOTOS BY ROBERT HANASHIRO, USA TODAY

Professor Einstein is an educational, Wi-Fi-connected robot on display at the CES at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

ROBOTS RULE AT CES 2017 Builders of AI devices want their creations to care for people Jefferson Graham @jeffersongraham USA TODAY

The coolest thing from this year’s Consumer Electronics Show is an easy pick — those amazing robots. We saw robots to make your morning coffee, pour candy, fold your clothes, turn on and off your lights, project a movie on the wall, handle your daily chores and most impressively look just like a human, or in this case, legendary scientist Albert Einstein, with facial expressions and movement. Why did robots dominate CES? You can thank the popularity of Amazon’s Echo device.

LAS VEGAS

“Personal assistants can finally understand you,” says David Hanson, the founder of Hanson Robotics, which will begin marketing its $299 Einstein robot in the spring. “That’s a huge sea change.” CES has in recent years been dominated by huge TVs, mobile technology and connected cars. Robots is a new category, and there were many of them, mostly from Asia. Hanson is based in Hong Kong. USA TODAY spoke to many companies from China and Japan, as well as Mayfield Robotics, which is based in the Silicon Valley. Bubblelab brought its proof of concept Robotic Barista to show what was possible. “The barista doesn’t have time to communicate with the customers,” Bubblelab’s Jacky Shai said. “That’s the purpose of our robot. The barista can now come out and talk to the customers about what they feel.”

Attendees flock to the Las Vegas Convention Center for opening day of the Consumer Electronics Show. Waybot showed a big industrial-looking robot pouring candy for its master. “We hope in the future, you can sit and relax and have him do everything for you, get you a beer, clean the floor or do some grocery shopping,” Waybot’s Weijian Shang said.

Hanson envisions robots in the classroom over the next few years, helping students learn science. They could also aid in scheduling and medicine. Kuri, a new personal robot from Mayfield, promises to do ordinary tasks, from helping with information to taking photos of the cat when you’re away and beaming them to you. Could robots go on the attack, as they have in so many movies and TV series? “We’re doing our best to make sure the robots care,” Hanson says. “We think we have the algorithms and the right approach. I want robots to form a positive relationship with people, to be an interface for deep learning and artificial intelligence, so the AI can come to care about us. This will change the world.” Hanson’s Einstein is a prototype, but he will sell a miniature version this year for $299.

64.51

19,750 FRIDAY MARKETS INDEX

Nasdaq composite S&P 500 T- note, 10-year yield Oil, light sweet crude Euro (dollars per euro) Yen per dollar

CLOSE

CHG

5521.06 2276.98 2.42% $53.99 $1.0532 117.02

x 33.12 x 7.98 x 0.07 x 0.23 y 0.0058 x 1.40

SOURCES USA TODAY RESEARCH, MARKETWATCH.COM

Shoppers rely on Amazon’s Santa skills On Monday before Christmas, site scores half of online sales

USA SNAPSHOTS©

Elizabeth Weise

Better coworkers

@eweise USATODAY

28%

say they have better retirement savings habits than their co-workers.

43% say they plan better than their friends.

SOURCE Bank of America “Fall 2016 Merrill Edge Report” of 1,045 U.S. adults JAE YANG AND JANET LOEHRKE, USA TODAY

SAN FRANCISCO On the Monday before Christmas, 49.2% of all online sales in the USA were made on Amazon, according to data from Slice Intelligence. Consumers did their shopping later, secure in the knowledge that Amazon’s two-day delivery would get them what they ordered before it was too late. “Digital has taught people they can wait to the last minute,” said Brendan Witcher, principal retail analyst with

Forrester. By the final week before Christmas, “consumers don’t have the time or luxury to be shopping around anymore,” he said. This shift has been coming for several years but is accelerating, said Ken Cassar, principal analyst at Slice. “Even five years ago, if you ordered something on Monday, Dec. 19, you would have been very worried as to whether your present was going to make it on time,” he said. This Christmas, Amazon customers seem to have become comfortable with a new normal. The Seattle company’s largest share of online retail hit Dec. 18, 19 and 20, at 47.8%, 49.2% and 48.2%, respectively. There’s was another big bump on Christmas day itself, when Amazon’s total share of online sales shot to 46.1%. That seems to

KEVORK DJANSEZIAN, GETTY IMAGES

Even on Christmas day, Amazon took 46.1% of online sales. be wildly last-minute purchases relying on Amazon Prime Now’s two-hour delivery promise. “We are really seeing the shape of the holiday sales curve morph. … This shows very clear validation of the investment that Amazon has made over the past couple of years in putting inventory and fulfillment centers clos-

er to consumers,” Cassar said. Amazon’s holiday season sales began relatively slowly, the Slice data show. On Black Friday its share of online sales was 25%. That increased in almost a straight line to Dec. 19, the last Monday before Christmas. It wasn’t until Dec. 23 that the company’s share began to consistently drop below 38%. The numbers represent the company’s dominance in online retail. A study released in September found that 55% of shoppers begin their shopping searches on Amazon, no matter where they end up buying. Overall, Amazon’s share of the 2016 holiday online market was 38%, not much larger than the year before. It would take close to $200 million in sales to grow Amazon’s share by a single percentage point.


USA TODAY SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 2017

6T

AMERICA’S MARKETS What to watch

STORY STOCKS

USA TODAY

For retail analysts, or even just keenly interested Americans, next week brings the equivalent of the Super Bowl: the definitive tally of holiday retail sales. Many retailers get 40% to 50% of their annual revenue in the holiday season, says economist Chris Christopher of IHS Markit. Some reports forecast healthy gains for the season. Christopher predicts a 3.7% increase from 2015. That would be up from a 3.2% gain in 2015 but below 2014’s 4.8% jump. The Commerce Department’s retail sales total for December was available Friday, excluding autos, gasoline and restaurants. Economists predict total retail sales will increase a substantial

Sanofi

0.5%. November sales, which are part of the seasonal total, were more tepid. Consumer confidence hit a post-recession high last month. Stocks are at record levels, and job and income growth have been steady. “The willingness to spend and the ability to spend are both very high,” Christopher says. Department stores are struggling. Macy’s and Sears announced dozens of store closings last week. But online sales are expected to increase 13.9% annually vs. 12.6% in 2015, Christopher says. They’re likely to make up nearly 17% of the total, compared with 15.4% in 2015. Also, he says, the early Thanksgiving gave retailers a bit more than four weeks to ring up purchases. Christmas fell on Sunday, providing an extra Saturday for last-minute shoppers.

Change -$1.18 % chg -2.8%

% chg -10.5%

Change $2.26 % chg 1.0%

+7.98

CLOSE: 19,963.80 PREV. CLOSE: 19,899.29 RANGE: 19,834.08-19,999.63

4-WEEK TREND

ICU Medical

$200

RUSSELL

+33.12

COMPOSITE

-4.66

RUSSELL 2000 INDEX

CLOSE: 5,521.06 PREV. CLOSE: 5,487.94 RANGE: 5,482.81-5,536.52

CHANGE: -.3% YTD: +10.15 YTD % CHG: +.7%

Company (ticker symbol)

Illumina (ILMN) Stock rating raised to buy at CL King.

Price

$ Chg

141.49

+6.93

eBay (EBAY) Reverses early dip as it teams up with theSkimm.

31.05

Alexion Pharmaceuticals (ALXN) Orphan drug designation granted by FDA.

Tesla

$250

$229.01

$150

Dec. 9

Jan. 6

19,963.80

July

+.41 +1.04

143.61 +4.43 +1.57 +.83

+5.2

+10.5

+3.6

+1.7

+3.5

+4.6

+3.2

+17.4

+3.2

+9.5

139.98 +4.25

+3.1

+4.2

Autodesk (ADSK) Price target raised, shares follow.

79.30

+2.37

+3.1

+7.1

Agilent Technologies (A) Makes up loss on rating downgrade.

47.99

+1.45

+3.1

+5.3

Helmerich & Payne (HP) Reverses early dip in solid sector.

81.07

+3.2

2,050

July

Jan.

July

MARKET PERFORMANCE BY SECTOR

Fund, ranked by size Vanguard 500Adml Vanguard TotStIAdm Vanguard InstIdxI Vanguard TotStIdx Vanguard InstPlus Vanguard TotIntl Vanguard TotStIIns Vanguard WelltnAdm American Funds GrthAmA m American Funds IncAmerA m

NAV 210.21 57.05 207.42 57.03 207.43 15.06 57.06 68.18 43.07 21.91

Chg. +0.80 +0.17 +0.79 +0.17 +0.79 -0.06 +0.17 +0.03 +0.21 -0.02

4wk 1 +3.1% +2.8% +3.1% +2.8% +3.1% +3.2% +2.9% +2.4% +2.6% +2.4%

YTD 1 +1.8% +1.7% +1.8% +1.7% +1.8% +2.2% +1.7% +1.1% +2.5% +1.1%

Price

$ Chg

358.68 -22.24

+2.9

+4.7

YTD % Chg % Chg

-5.8

-2.3

-5.7

+.4

ETF, ranked by volume VanE Vect Gld Miners Dirx Jr GoldMin Bull Dir Dly Gold Bull3x SPDR S&P500 ETF Tr VanE Vect JrGoldMin Barc iPath Vix ST SPDR Financial ProShs Ultra VIX ST iShs Emerg Mkts CS VelSh 3xInvrsNGs

Ticker GDX JNUG NUGT SPY GDXJ VXX XLF UVXY EEM DGAZ

Close 22.39 7.57 9.26 227.21 35.40 22.13 23.54 6.51 35.94 4.27

Chg. -0.81 -1.17 -1.06 +0.81 -1.70 -0.27 +0.08 -0.17 -0.15 +0.17

% Chg -3.5% -13.4% -10.3% +0.4% -4.6% -1.2% +0.3% -2.5% -0.4% +4.1%

%YTD +7.0% +35.7% +21.2% +1.6% +12.2% -13.2% +1.2% -25.6% +2.7% +40.9%

INTEREST RATES

MORTGAGE RATES

Type Prime lending Federal funds 3 mo. T-bill 5 yr. T-note 10 yr. T-note

Type 30 yr. fixed 15 yr. fixed 1 yr. ARM 5/1 ARM

Close 6 mo ago 3.75% 3.50% 0.66% 0.40% 0.51% 0.27% 1.92% 0.95% 2.42% 1.37%

Newmont Mining (NEM) Metal dips after jobs report.

35.42

-1.15

-3.1

+4.0

Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) 219.84 Rating upgrades, shares go other way on weak peer.

-6.68

-2.9

-.8

Vulcan Materials (VMC) Dips along with weak Summit Materials.

-3.64

-2.9

-1.1

123.80

-1.00

18.46

-.47

-2.5

+.4

7.01

-.17

-2.4

-.1

Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) Stock rating cut at BMO Capital Markets.

44.72

-1.05

-2.3

-2.0

Crown Castle International (CCI) Negative company note, shares fall.

85.50

-1.74

-2.0

-1.5

Mallinckrodt (MNK) Vetr lowers stock rating.

52.75

-1.08

-2.0

+5.9

SOURCE: BLOOMBERG AND THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SOURCE: BANKRATE.COM

Energy

0.1%

25.8%

Industrials

0.6%

19.1%

Materials

0.1%

16.6%

Technology

0.7%

15.3%

Utilities

0.3%

12.8%

Consumer discret. 0.5%

6.6%

Commodities Close Prev. Cattle (lb.) 1.15 1.15 Corn (bushel) 3.58 3.61 Gold (troy oz.) 1,171.90 1,179.70 Hogs, lean (lb.) .64 .65 Natural Gas (Btu.) 3.29 3.27 Oil, heating (gal.) 1.70 1.69 Oil, lt. swt. crude (bar.) 53.99 53.76 Silver (troy oz.) 16.47 16.58 Soybeans (bushel) 9.86 10.04 Wheat (bushel) 4.23 4.26

Chg. unch. -0.03 -7.80 -0.01 +0.02 +0.01 +0.23 -0.11 -0.18 -0.03

% Chg. -0.2% -0.9% -0.7% -1.4% +0.4% +0.5% +0.4% -0.7% -1.7% -0.7%

% YTD -3.5% +1.7% +1.9% -3.3% -11.8% -0.1% +0.5% +3.3% -1.1% +3.7%

Close .8147 1.3242 6.9230 .9494 117.02 21.2158

Close 11,599.01 22,503.01 19,454.33 7,210.05 46,071.57

Prev. .8059 1.3240 6.8817 .9443 115.62 21.4972

Prev. 11,584.94 22,456.69 19,520.69 7,195.31 46,719.99

6 mo. ago .7739 1.2956 6.6937 .9005 101.40 18.7517

Yr. ago .6836 1.4101 6.5581 .9270 118.38 17.5534

Change +14.07 +46.32 -66.36 +14.74 -648.42

%Chg. +0.1% +0.2% -0.3% +0.2% -1.4%

3.2%

Financials

0.3%

-1.2%

Health care

0.3%

-1.5%

20 30

10

40

-0.36 (-3.1%) S&P 500 P/E RATIO The price-to-earnings ratio, based on trailing 12-month “operating” earnings: 15

IN-DEPTH MARKETS COVERAGE USATODAY.COM/MONEY

20.92

7.5

YTD % +1.0% +2.3% +1.8% +0.9% +0.9%

SOURCES: MORNINGSTAR, DOW JONES INDEXES, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

tract a more limited pool of workers. “With wage growth climbing again, the modest drop-off in employment growth won’t stop the Fed from (raising interest rates) again this year,” economist Paul Ashworth of Capital Economics wrote in a note to clients. The Fed raised its benchmark interest rate last month for the first time in a year. Businesses added 144,000 jobs, led by health care. Federal, state and local governments added 12,000. Job gains for October and November were revised up by 19,000. October’s was revised

Consumer staples 0.1%

11.31

FOREIGN MARKETS Country Frankfurt Hong Kong Japan (Nikkei) London Mexico City

3.8%

0

FOREIGN CURRENCIES Currency per dollar British pound Canadian dollar Chinese yuan Euro Japanese yen Mexican peso

-0.8%

CBOE VOLATILITY INDEX Measures expected market volatility based on S&P 500 index options pricing:

22.5

30

0

+0.07 (+0.3%)

SOURCE BLOOMBERG

Employers add 156,000 jobs in December The unemployment rate, which is calculated from a different survey, rose to 4.7% from 4.6%, as nearly 200,000 Americans entered the labor force, which includes those working and looking for jobs, the Labor Department said Friday. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg expected 180,000 job gains. Average hourly wages increased in December after dipping in November, rising 10 cents to $26, and they’re up 2.9% annually, the most since June 2009. Pay gains are likely to accelerate as the low unemployment rate forces employers to bid up to at-

PERFORMANCE DAILY YTD

Telcom

Close 6 mo ago 3.99% 3.44% 3.16% 2.68% 3.08% 2.79% 3.32% 2.80%

COMMODITIES 16.54

SECTOR

1 – CAPITAL GAINS AND DIVIDENDS REINVESTED

TOP 10 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS

+2.27

Jan. AP

+7.4

Endo International (ENDP) Negative Teva note pushes shares down.

Chesapeake Energy (CHK) Dips after results of cash tender offers.

2,250

YTD % Chg % Chg

Waters (WAT) Shares up after upgrade at William Blair.

PulteGroup (PHM) Solid rating, dips in weak industry.

STANDARD & POOR’S 500

2,276.98

27.04

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) Amgen wins ban on cholesterol drug.

5,521.06

5,600

Under Armour (UA) Holiday sales weren’t that bad.

Company (ticker symbol)

Jan.

TOP 10 MUTUAL FUNDS

TripAdvisor (TRIP) 50.77 Average hold, makes up loss on negative company note.

Employers added a modest 156,000 jobs in December, but wage growth hit a seven-year high as President Obama hands his successor, Donald Trump, a slowing but solid labor market that holds the promise of bigger paychecks for Americans.

Jan. 6

4-WEEK TREND

4,800

11.82

@Pdavidsonusat USA TODAY

Dec. 9

17,500

CLOSE: 1,367.28 PREV. CLOSE: 1,371.94 RANGE: 1,366.81-1,375.06

AES (AES) Makes up loss on analyst downgrade.

Paul Davidson

$100

Price: $229.01 Day’s high: $230.31 Low: $225.45

NASDAQ COMPOSITE

S&P 500’S BIGGEST GAINERS/LOSERS

Wage gains climb to 7-year high, hourly average of $26

$131.88

CLOSE: 2,276.98 PREV. CLOSE: 2,269.00 RANGE: 2,264.15-2,282.10

RUT

LOSERS

Price: $131.88 Day’s high: $135.00 Low: $127.00

STANDARD & POOR'S

CHANGE: +.4% YTD: +38.15 YTD % CHG: +1.7%

NASDAQ

GAINERS

Jan. 6

20,000

COMP

CHANGE: +.6% YTD: +137.94 YTD % CHG: +2.6%

Dec. 9

The electric car maker’s Gigafactory began its production marking a major milestone, the start of mass battery production. It still failed to impress Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley.

S&P 500

SPX

INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE

CHANGE: +.3% YTD: +201.20 YTD % CHG: +1.0%

$30

The medical technology company paid less to buy Pfizer’s Hospira Infusion Systems unit since the unit’s sales are falling. The original term was a $1 billion cash-and-stock deal.

Change -$15.48

$40.32

DOW JONES INDUSTRIALS

DOW JONES

DJIA

$50

The pharmaceutical company’s investors had a good trading day as a U.S. court stopped sales of its new anti-cholesterol drug Praluent until Amgen’s patents for Repatha, the rival drug, expire. Sanofi plans to appeal, considering Amgen’s patents invalid.

MAJOR INDEXES +64.51

4-WEEK TREND

Price: $40.32 Day’s high: $40.54 Low: $40.12

Gains expected from holiday retail roundup Paul Davidson

ALL THE MARKET ACTION IN REAL TIME. MARKETS.USATODAY.COM

down to 135,000 from 142,000, and November’s to 204,000 from 178,000. Also encouraging is that a broader measure of joblessness that includes part-time workers who prefer full-time jobs and discouraged Americans on the sidelines, as well as the unemployed, fell to 9.2% from 9.3%. A possible concern is that the number of temporary workers fell by 16,000. Employers typically hire contingent workers before adding permanent staffers and that group is also the first to be cut. But the drop only partly offset a 24,000 increase in temps in November.

156,000 JOBS ADDED The U.S. labor market gained 156,000 jobs in December while the unemployment rate rose to 4.7% from 4.6%. Jobs added: 300,000

156,000

250,000 200,000 150,000 100,000 50,000

0 D J F M AM J J A S ON D 2016 SOURCE Bureau of Labor Statistics GEORGE PETRAS, USA TODAY


USA TODAY SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 2017

7T

LIFE 74TH GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS

WHO WILL WIN A GOLDEN GLOBE — AND WHO SHOULD?

Awards season kicks into another gear this weekend at the 74th annual Golden Globes, where the Hollywood Foreign Press Association fêtes its favorite films — and we get the first glimpse at what could be true Oscar contenders. USA TODAY predicts who will win and who should win in the top movie categories at the ceremony emceed by Jimmy Fallon (NBC, Sunday, 8 p.m. ET/5 PT).

DAVID BORNFRIEND

Mahershala Ali’s performance in Moonlight glows.

DRAMA M Hacksaw Ridge M Hell or High Water M Lion M Manchester by the Sea M Moonlight

SUPPORTING ACTOR

WILL WIN: Moonlight SHOULD WIN: Manchester by the Sea Without front-runner La La Land in the mix, we’ll get to see its major Oscar bestpicture competition take home some gold — most likely Moonlight, the acclaimed character study following the life of a gay black man. Yet Manchester, a drama about a New England family beset by tragedy, is the real standout of this pack with its emotional power.

COMEDY OR MUSICAL M 20th Century Women M Deadpool M Florence Foster Jenkins M La La Land M Sing Street

ACTOR, DRAMA M Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea M Joel Edgerton, Loving M Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge M Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic M Denzel Washington, Fences WILL WIN/SHOULD WIN: Casey Affleck

1 in 5

SOURCE Klique app survey of 1,000 Americans TERRY BYRNE AND JANET LOEHRKE, USA TODAY

SHOULD WIN: Colin Farrell Most of the heavyweights are in the drama category, so Gosling should have a clear path hoofing it to victory as La La Land’s romantically crabby jazz man. Worth consideration, on other hand, is the quirky nuance Farrell exhibits in The Lobster as a man doomed to life as a crustacean if he doesn’t find love in 45 days.

ACTRESS, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Playing first lady Jackie Kennedy in the turmoil following JFK’s assassination, Portman’s effort is a thing of beauty. But an American icon may not resonate as much with the HFPA, so Huppert is a worthy upset pick: The French actress’ complicated rape victim is the best part about the psychological thriller Elle.

ACTOR, COMEDY OR MUSICAL M Colin Farrell, The Lobster M Ryan Gosling, La La Land M Hugh Grant, Florence Foster Jenkins M Jonah Hill, War Dogs M Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool

M Annette Bening, 20th Century Women M Lily Collins, Rules Don’t Apply M Hailee Steinfeld, The Edge of Seventeen M Emma Stone, La La Land M Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins WILL WIN/SHOULD WIN: Emma Stone

WILL WIN/SHOULD WIN: Mahershala Ali Bridges’ High Water Texas Ranger is a hoot and Patel’s Lion journey is a weepy one, but this is Ali’s Globe to lose. While only in a third of Moonlight, he showcases skill and artistry as a kindhearted drug dealer who becomes a father figure for an outcast boy.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

M Viola Davis, Fences M Naomie Harris, Moonlight M Nicole Kidman, Lion M Octavia Spencer, LIVE FROM THE GLOBES Hidden Figures LIFE.USATODAY.COM M Michelle Williams, From the red carpet Manchester by the Sea

to the winners’ speeches The category runs the to the parties, we’ve gamut of young talent and WILL WIN/SHOULD WIN: got you covered. veteran thespians, with Viola Davis Steinfeld standing toe to toe It’s the most talent-packed catewith legends like Bening and gory of them all — as well as the Streep. The head of this class? Stone, most diverse. All five actresses are knockwhose aspiring actress finding love in outs playing parents in a variety of cirLa La Land gives the Hollywood musical its cumstances, personal and professional, heart, soul and even a literal but Davis is next-level as a 1950s mom showstopper. who lives a calm home life until raging against patriarchal repression.

GOSLING BY DALE ROBINETTE; PORTMAN BY BILL GRAY; STONE BY LIONSGATE; AFFLECK BY CLAIRE FOLGER

WILL WIN: Ryan Gosling

The foreign press loves big names, so

bemoan that meeting new people is “harder than selling snow to a snowman.”

M Amy Adams, Arrival M Jessica Chastain, Miss Sloane M Isabelle Huppert, Elle M Ruth Negga, Loving M Natalie Portman, Jackie

SHOULD WIN: Natalie Portman

Deadpool’s appearance here gives the ceremony some novelty, and if this was “best coming-of-age ’80s Irish musical,” Sing Street would rule the category. Instead, expect the vaunted La La Land to sing and dance the night away with a new trophy.

Breaking the ice

ACTRESS, DRAMA

WILL WIN: Isabelle Huppert

WILL WIN/SHOULD WIN: La La Land

USA SNAPSHOTS©

Washington has a shot as Fences’ domineering former baseball star. Just as 2016 was Leonardo DiCaprio’s turn to round the bases toward Oscar glory, though, now it’s Casey at the bat — and deservedly so, since Affleck smacks a homer with Manchester’s most heartbreaking and multilayered performance.

M Mahershala Ali, Moonlight M Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water M Simon Helberg, Florence Foster Jenkins M Dev Patel, Lion M Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Nocturnal Animals

LIFELINE MAKING WAVES When the old ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ boss goes low, the new one goes high. After Donald Trump bragged on Twitter Friday about having gotten more ART STREIBER, NBC viewers than his successor, Arnold Schwarzenegger replied, “There's nothing more important than the people's work. I wish you the best of luck, and I hope you'll work for ALL of the American people as aggressively as you worked for your ratings.”

HOW WAS YOUR DAY? GOOD DAY ‘KEY AND PEELE’ FANS The comedy duo revived President Obama and Luther, his anger translator, for one last farewell address on Thursday’s ‘Daily Show.’ After a year away, Luther had a lot to say.

SCOTT KOWALCHYK, CBS

THEY SAID WHAT? THE STARS’ BEST QUOTES “She burns very bright and has a such a great, very generous energy. For that suddenly not to be on set or where you’re talking about it doing publicity or just in life where you see her around at a ‘Star Wars’ event or anywhere. To have her character, not just her character in the movie, but her character kind of missing from that very small unit is a tragedy.” — Adam Driver talking to Stephen Colbert Thursday about losing Carrie Fisher, who played his mother in ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens.’

DANNY FELD, COMEDY CENTRAL

By Jayme Deerwester


USA TODAY SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 2017

8T FASHION

JANELLE MONÁE

‘HIDDEN FIGURES’ STARS’ STYLE SHINES

In her first major film role, Monáe plays Mary Jackson, a fiery NASA worker who aspires to become an engineer. STANDOUT GOWN: To promote her other acclaimed film,

Moonlight, Monáe wore a fashion-forward check Nicci Hou gown to the Critics’ Choice Awards.

Hidden Figures, in theaters now, finally puts the focus on women who worked at NASA in the 1960s. Called computers (the human kind), these women worked out the math that sent countless shuttles and rockets into space. The talented trio at the heart of the film — Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe — just happen to be style stars, too. USA TODAY’s Andrea Mandell takes a look inside their red-carpet closets.

EDGIEST LOOK: Monáe rocked a perfectly tailored metallic pantsuit at the Hidden Figures premiere. MEMORABLE MOMENT:

The singer-turned-actress stayed true to her blackand-white palette in a Jenny Packham gown at the Palm Springs International Film Festival gala.

MONAE: DRESS 1 BY GREGG DEGUIRE, WIREIMAGE; DRESS 2 BY NOAM GALAI, WIREIMAGE; DRESS 3 BY JON KOPALOFF, FILMMAGIC

TARAJI P. HENSON In Hidden Figures, Henson plays mathematician Katherine Johnson, a prodigy who helped calculate key trajectories for John Glenn’s orbit around the Earth and the 1969 Apollo 11 flight to the moon. Johnson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. STANDOUT GOWN: At the Hidden Figures premiere, Henson stopped traffic in this chic one-sleeve Alexander Wang dress.

OCTAVIA SPENCER

EDGIEST LOOK: The actress

Spencer plays Dorothy Vaughan, one of the first black women in management at NASA, who stayed at the forefront of technology by specializing in electronic computing. She’s nominated for best supporting actress at Sunday’s Golden Globes.

brought back the sexy oversize shirtdress, pairing the Céline number with a lacy black bra at the American Music Awards.

STANDOUT GOWN: The star looked stunning at the Governors Awards in a custom petal-pink Tadashi Shoji gown. INSTANT CLASSIC: At the Palm Springs Interna-

tional Film Festival gala, Spencer wore a dress by Eliza J that paired a crisp button-down with a stunning floral skirt.

MEMORABLE MOMENT:

Smokin’! Check out the Bibhu Mohapatra dress Henson wore while visiting The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon.

MEMORABLE MOMENT: At the Hidden Figures

premiere, Spencer looked sleek in black St. John, Jimmy Choo heels, statement earrings and smoky eye makeup.

HENSON: DRESS 1 MARION CURTIS, AP; DRESS 2 BY VALERIE MACON, AFP/GETTY IMAGES; DRESS 3 BY THEO WARGO, GETTY IMAGES

SPENCER: DRESS 1 BY FREDERICK M. BROWN, GETTY IMAGES; DRESS 2 BY STEVE GRANITZ, WIREIMAGE; DRESS 3 BY MARION CURTIS, STARPIX, VIA AP

LISTEN UP

MOVIES

Driver juggles poetry, priesthood

SONG OF THE WEEK

Sam Hunt’s ‘Drinkin’ Too Much’

Actor shows silence can be golden in two new performances Patrick Ryan USA TODAY

To play a poet, Adam Driver didn’t necessarily become one. “I wrote poetry during this process, but it’s all bad,” says the actor, who gets behind the wheel as a bus-driving bard in Jim Jarmusch’s low-key charmer Paterson (expands nationwide throughout January). Before signing on, “I had a very elementary knowledge of poetry. I feel like most people’s introduction was in high school and going to poetry readings in college, where it’s like, a poem about their childhood sled that’s read with a tone of importance.” But shooting the lyrical drama, he found “it’s a really beautiful way to express yourself.” Paterson is one of two films that Driver, 33, can be seen in this winter, nearly a year after becoming a household name for his turn as masked villain Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In addition to Paterson, he appears in Martin Scorsese’s passion project Silence (expands nationally through Jan. 13) as a Jesuit priest facing persecution in 17th-century Japan. Although thematically very different, the two movies are similar in that Driver is silent for most of them. Paterson is told in a series of vignettes, as Paterson (Driver) drives his suburban New Jersey bus route, scribbles poetry and interacts with passengers, barflies and his starry-eyed artist wife (Golshifteh Farahani). “It’s structured very much like a poem,” Driver says. “I just loved everything that (Jarmusch) was going for: a character whose main action is to listen to the people around him.” Before shooting, Driver studied the works of contemporary poets

KERRY BROWN

William Carlos Williams and Ron Padgett. He also spent two months training to get his bus license through a driving school in Queens, where he learned parallel parking and how to navigate New York’s narrow streets for scenes in the film. Preparation for Silence, meanwhile, was much more intense. To portray Portuguese missionary Father Garupe, Driver spent one week at a silent retreat in Wales with co-star Andrew Garfield, which forced him to “be introspective,” he says. For a scene in which Garupe is captured and starved, he lost 51 pounds (“That last pound was really important,” he jokes) through a combination of strict dieting and rigorous workouts that included daily 7-mile runs or 40-mile bike rides. Although not religious himself, Driver says his main takeaway from Silence is that “doubt or anguish of faith is actually a healthy part of being committed to anything. Obviously, this is where religion is the boundary, but you could substitute that for any kind of committed relationship or job you do.” The versatile Juilliard grad will continue to juggle projects in the new year, with the final season of HBO’s Girls and Star Wars: Episode VIII, in addition to new films from Steven Soderbergh, Terry Gilliam and Leos Carax.

VALERIE MACON, AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Adam Driver, left, went to extremes to play a Jesuit missionary in Japan for Martin Scorsese’s religious epic Silence.

Sam Hunt has been hitting the bottle, as he details on his new song, Drinkin’ Too Much. Luckily, there’s a happy ending to his hard-partying story. This week, the country singer announced his engagement to his girlfriend, Hannah Lee Fowler. Fowler and Hunt’s on-again-off-again romance inspired much of his breakthrough 2014 album, Montevallo, which he named after her Alabama hometown. On New Year’s Eve, Hunt released Drinkin’ Too Much on Soundcloud. In the song, he apologizes to Fowler, mentioning her first name in the lyrics. “I’m sorry I named the album Montevallo. I’m sorry people know your name now, and strangers hit you up on social media,” he sings. “I know you want your privacy and you got nothing to say to me, but I wish you’d let me pay off your student loans with these songs you gave me.” Maeve McDermott

stfu Mansionz

Mansionz is the best band of the decade.

Idfc Blackbear

Blackbear is the best artist of the decade.

Lua Bright Eyes

Conor Oberst is the best writer of the last decade.

War Pigs / Luke’s Wall Black Sabbath

This song is hard A.F.

Ringo Joris Voorn

BeatLoaf showed me this jam.

Diary Alicia Keys

Stanaj got me to re-fall in love with this song. I listened to it in the wilderness.

What a Wonderful World Louis Armstrong

It really is wonderful, isn’t it?

Hello (feat. André 3000) Erykah Badu

Everything good about these two.

Sad Adam Friedman

The kid is next.

MEREDITH TRUAX

THE PLAYLIST

Nearly six years after his breakout 2010 smash Cooler Than Me peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, Mike Posner scored the biggest hit of his career in last spring’s I Took a Pill in Ibiza. A folksy pop ballad popularized by its mesmeric Seeb remix, Ibiza is now nominated for song of the year at next month’s Grammy Awards, where it’ll face off against the likes of Beyoncé (Formation) and Adele (Hello). Before then, Posner, 28, shares some of his current favorites with USA TODAY.


USA TODAY SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 2017

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MOVIES

In theaters this weekend eeeg

A Monster Calls Plot: A young boy (Lewis MacDougall) gets help from a tree monster (Liam Neeson) while caring for his dying mom (Felicity Jones). Director: J.A. Bayona

Compiled from reviews by USA TODAY ďŹ lm critics

Manchester by the Sea

Rating: PG-13 Upside: A superb fairy tale with a nostalgic bent is given a modern touch, thanks to some ďŹ ne visual effects work. Downside: It will leave you a weepy, blubbery mess, even with a ďŹ nale that veers toward the maudlin.

Plot: A handyman (Casey Affleck) is forced to confront a past tragedy when he’s named sole guardian of his nephew (Lucas Hedges). Director: Kenneth Lonergan

1 hour, 36 minutes

Moana

Rating: PG-13 Upside: Smith’s magnetism carries through a mostly charmless role. Downside: The plot is unseasonably cynical and emotionally manipulative to a fault.

Plot: A teenage adventurer (voiced by Auli‘i Cravalho) hits the high seas to return a mystical gem and save her island. Directors: John Musker and Ron Clements

2 hours, 10 minutes

Passengers

Rating: PG-13 Upside: J.K. Rowling crafts an enchanting retro adventure in her magical mythology. Downside: Like other franchise starters, it tries to do way too much in a two-hour run time.

Plot: Two beautiful passengers (Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt) are awakened 90 years early on a journey to a distant space colony when their sleeping pods malfunction. Director: Morten Tyldum

2 hours, 19 minutes

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Rating: PG-13 Upside: Both Washington and co-star Viola Davis give powerhouse, award-ready performances. Downside: It’s more ďŹ lmed play than movie, so it doesn’t feel cinematic in scope.

Plot: A group of Rebel spies embark on a mission to steal the secret plans for the Empire’s Death Star. Director: Gareth Edwards

2 hours, 7 minutes

Sing

Rating: PG Upside: The ďŹ lm utilizes a strong cast as well as heady themes of civil rights. Downside: The space drama sometimes takes the focus off the three stars' magnetic chemistry.

Plot: A showman koala (voiced by Matthew McConaughey) tries to save his theater with a singing competition. Director: Garth Jennings

FOCUS FEATURES

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Collateral Beauty Plot: A grieving father (Will Smith) is confronted by Love, Time and Death after writing letters to them. Director: David Frankel

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1 hour, 48 minutes

Rating: R Upside: Affleck and Hedges are tops among an allaround extraordinary cast. Downside: Parents will ďŹ nd one scene hard to watch because of the subject matter.

ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS/AMAZON STUDIOS

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Plot: An out-of-town magizoologist (Eddie Redmayne) has to round up his fantastical critters when they get loose in New York City. Director: David Yates

DISNEY

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Plot: A Pittsburgh garbage man (Denzel Washington) ďŹ nds success at work but increasing tension at home. Director: Denzel Washington

COLUMBIA PICTURES/SONY

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Plot: Three mathematicians (Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle MonĂĄe) overcome racial and gender inequality to help America during the Space Race. Director: Theodore MelďŹ

LUCASFILM LTD.

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Plot: An aspiring actress (Emma Stone) and a jazz pianist (Ryan Gosling) fall in love while trying to make their dreams come true. Director: Damien Chazelle

1 hour, 48 minutes Rating: PG Upside: The musical sequences are done well, plus there are hilariously quirky moments. Downside: It’s not a very deep story, and on the whole can’t compare in a strong year of talking-animal fare.

20TH CENTURY FOX

La La Land

2 hours, 14 minutes Rating: PG-13 Upside: Edwards has a strong handle on what makes ‘Star Wars’-ready spectacle. Downside: The spinoff is upended by a glut of fan service and a lack of strong characterization.

PARAMOUNT PICTURES

Hidden Figures

1 hour, 56 minutes Rating: PG-13 Upside: Lawrence and Pratt have chemistry, but android bartender Arthur (Michael Sheen) steals the show. Downside: Events spin madly out of control and crash into a sappy ending.

WARNER BROS.

Fences

1 hour, 53 minutes Rating: PG Upside: The charming seafaring epic is buoyed by a bevy of Lin-Manuel Miranda tunes. Downside: The plot drifts away at times.

WARNER BROS.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

2 hours, 17 minutes

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

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2 hours, 8 minutes

Why Him?

Rating: PG-13 Upside: The movie revisits the Hollywood musical in joyous and dazzling fashion. Downside: Not for Grinches who don’t like good tunes and Broadway-style showstoppers.

Plot: Traditional Midwestern dad Ned (Bryan Cranston) watches Christmas go to the dogs in Palo Alto, where his daughter (Zoey Deutch) insists that he give Laird (James Franco), her tattooed billionaire boyfriend, a chance. Director: John Hamburg

1 hour, 51 minutes Rating: R Upside: If ‘Bad Santa’ is your favorite avor of holiday comedy, this expletive-laden tale is for you. Downside: Megan Mullally, who steals the screen as Ned’s wife Barb, should have gotten more screen time.

LIONSGATE

SCOTT GARFIELD

PUZZLE ANSWERS CROSSWORD

SUDOKU 4 5 9 8 2 7 3 6 1

2 3 1 4 9 6 8 7 5

6 2

UP & DOWN WORDS WARP DRIVE FAST FORWARD MOTION PICTURE PERFECT

TXTPERT

DRIVE FAST FORWARD MOTION PICTURE PERFECT MATCH

3 9 2 7 4 1 5 8 6

5 1 8 9 6 3 4 2 7

9 2 6 1 3 4 7 5 8

1 8 5 2 7 9 6 3 4

4 1

3 5

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7 4 3 6 5 8 2 1 9

QUICKCROSS

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I R O N N Y P D E

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WORD ROUNDUP

DON’T QUOTE ME

HIMALAYAS ROCKIES ANDES ALPS / SNAPPER SALMON SMELT SHARK / VIDEO HOME SYSTEM / BASIC TONIC TOPIC / GOLD IRON TIN

“Youcanreadbookswithouteversteppingintoalibrary;andpracticespiritualitywithout evergoingtoatemple.� -AnthonydeMello

YOU CAN COUNT ON HER TO TELL IT LIKE IT IS.

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@CBrennanSports

8 6 7 3 1 5 9 4 2

M O R

1/7

When it comes to the game, award-winning sports columnist Christine Brennan pulls no punches. Get beyond the stats and scores and get to the heart of the matter. usatoday.com/christinebrennan

Smarter. Faster. More Colorful.


USA TODAY SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 2017

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QUOTE OF THE DAY WE CAME TOGETHER AS A TEAM THREE WEEKS AGO, AND WE WALK TOGETHER FOREVER.” Colin White, after Team USA defeated Canada in a shootout to win the World Junior Hockey Championships for the fourth time overall and first since 2013. PAUL CHIASSON, AP

STEELERS’ BELL ENTERS PLAYOFF SPOTLIGHT

SPORTSLINE

MARK TENALLY, AP

FIRST WORD I GO TO PLAYOFFS EVERY YEAR ON ‘MADDEN,’ SO I HAVE SOME PLAYOFF EXPERIENCE.” Giants defensive tackle Damon “Snacks” Harrison, who will make his first real-life postseason appearance Sunday against the Packers. TWEET OF THE DAY @DPENN70 “I did everything I could 2 play tomorrow I mean everything in tears right now haven’t missed a game my entire career lost 4 words” Raiders Pro Bowl offensive tackle Donald Penn, announcing he will miss Saturday’s wild-card round matchup against the Texans. Penn has made 156 starts over his last nine-plus seasons. NUMBER OF THE DAY 7 Playoff victories by Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, who trails the Patriots’ Tom Brady (9), Ravens’ Joe Flacco (9) and Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger (8) for most in a quarterback’s first five seasons. ALMOST LAST WORD “REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS, WHEN WE WIN, IT’S US; WHEN WE LOSE, IT’S ME.” Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony.

CHARLES LECLAIRE, USA TODAY SPORTS

The Steelers’ Le’Veon Bell became the first player in NFL history to average more than 100 rushing yards and at least 50 receiving yards in a season.

Steelers scary with weapons all healthy EVAN HABEEB, USA TODAY SPORTS

LAST WORD “DEAR COMMISSIONER GOODELL, THIS IS TO NOTIFY YOU THAT AS OF TODAY I, STEVE SMITH SR., WILL NO LONGER BE ANTAGONIZING DEFENSIVE BACKS. I AM RETIRING FROM THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE. SINCERELY, STEVE SMITH SR.” The five-time Pro Bowl receiver’s letter to the NFL officially announcing his retirement after 16 seasons. Edited by Casey Moore

USA SNAPSHOTS©

Record run

90

Most yards run on one play in an NFL playoff game, by Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor on Jan. 15, 2000

SOURCE Pro-Football-Reference.com ELLEN J. HORROW AND JANET LOEHRKE, USA TODAY

Jarrett Bell jbell@usatoday.com USA TODAY Sports

A quick preview as the NFL playoffs prepare to commence. Who’s hot — Le’Veon Bell: Since being drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2013 draft — then tweaking his body and polishing his receiving skills to transform from a Michigan State power back to a lean, multidimensional matchup nightmare — Bell has established himself as one of the NFL’s most consistently lethal weapons. With his 1,268 rushing yards and 75 receptions, Bell just became the first player in NFL history to average more than 100 rushing yards and at least 50 receiving yards in a season. His 157yard average from scrimmage in 12 games were topped only by Priest Holmes (163.4 in 2002) and O.J. Simpson (160.2, 1975). But until now, Bell has never appeared in a playoff game. So Bell’s presence in joining Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown for the first playoff game the trio will play together Sunday against the Miami Dolphins is so significant for a team that has scored fewer than 20 points in its past three playoff games but overall is healthier than it has been in years at postseason time. But that also means there are no excuses.

Pressure’s on — Brock Osweiler: What a journey to the postseason for the Houston Texans’ high-dollar quarterback, who didn’t get to appear in the playoffs for the Denver Broncos’ Super Bowl run last year because Peyton Manning reclaimed the job. Osweiler eventually landed a new gig with a $72 million contract but got benched again. Now he has a chance to make amends as Houston hosts the Oakland Raiders, getting his shot because Tom Savage is sidelined while in concussion protocol. Osweiler was yanked by coach Bill O’Brien because he had a penchant for committing too many turnovers, while at the same time having trouble consistently connecting with star receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Those measuring sticks remain for a unit that tied for the fewest touchdowns in the NFL (23). You’d think Osweiler will carry an edge because the rookie quarterback on the opposing team has yet to make an NFL start, let alone a playoff start. Next man up — Connor Cook: The Raiders’ fourth-round pick will face the NFL’s topranked defense at Houston, and all the blitzes, disguised coverages and other chess match twists implied to be up the sleeve of Texans defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel. Cook — who started more than 40 games at Michigan State — is the first rookie passer in the Super Bowl era to make his starting debut in the postseason. Two weeks ago, when the Raiders were in play for the No. 1 seed, he was the third-stringer. Now, given Derek Carr’s broken leg and Matt McGloin’s shoulder injury, the Raiders are challenged to support Cook after arriving flat at the Denver Broncos last weekend without Carr. Key matchup — Jordy Nel-

son vs. Janoris Jenkins: As hot as Aaron Rodgers has been down the stretch to spark the Green Bay Packers’ charge to the NFC North crown, the return to form of his top receiver — Nelson missed all of the 2015 campaign because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament — has been another noteworthy marker on the mission. It’s been a progression, yet Nelson — a front-runner for comeback player of the year honors — has demonstrated he’s more dangerous now than he was earlier in the season. He led the NFL with 14 TD catches and has posted four of his five 100-yard games since Week 10. Nelson has been increasingly explosive in recent weeks to again provide the deep threat he embodied before the injury, which opens up windows elsewhere for other targets. The New York Giants undoubtedly need to contain him, and Jenkins — one of the league’s best free agent signings last spring — is seemingly the man for the job in his playoff debut. It will be worth watching whether Jenkins has any issues with the back injury that he’s been nursing — and that Rodgers will surely test. New York’s defense has evolved into the one of the NFL’s best, in part because Jenkins has been so potent when matched up against the opponent’s best receiver. Rookie watch — Paul Perkins: The Giants discovered that the fifth-round pick from UCLA represents their best option as a cold-weather running back. Perkins had 102 yards on 21 carries in his first NFL start Sunday at Washington and drew raves for his pop in hitting the holes. The big question, though, comes with his deficiency as a pass protector. He’s not the first rookie to struggle in that regard, and you can believe that Packers defensive

coordinator Dom Capers will test him with an array of twists in the pass rush. Stomach for an upset — Lions at Seahawks: It has been a full quarter century since the Detroit Lions last won a playoff game. And for more than a decade, the Seattle Seahawks have been 9-0 in the playoffs at home. Plus, the Lions are without multitasking running back Theo Riddick, and quarterback Matthew Stafford hasn’t been the same since dislocating the middle finger on his throwing hand. Not exactly the recipe for winning. But the Lions have a puncher’s chance to pull off a stunner at the site where they were robbed of a victory last season when officials blew the batted-ball call when Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright poked a loose football out of the end zone in the closing ticks. These don’t look like the same Seahawks who advanced to two Super Bowls over three years. Losing all-pro safety Earl Thomas — the Legion of Boom member who roamed the deep middle and snuffed out trouble — is the glaring swing factor. Without Thomas, the Seahawks gave up their two highest point totals of the season in the past four weeks. If Stafford’s finger continues to heal — he wasn’t on the injury report this week — maybe his accuracy will return to pre-injury sharpness. If it’s tight in crunchtime, Detroit has proved to possess quite the knack for comeback jobs. Then again, so much rides on whether the Lions’ battered offensive line can handle Seattle’s buff defensive line and allow Stafford a little bit of time to operate. FOLLOW NFL COLUMNIST JARRETT BELL

@JarrettBell for breaking news, insight and analysis.


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USA TODAY SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 2017

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Capel not auditioning as fill-in But Duke success without Coach K would help Nicole Auerbach @NicoleAuerbach USA TODAY Sports

Jeff Capel isn’t looking at it as an audition, which makes sense for an interim coach taking over a championship-caliber team during a pivotal point of the college basketball season. But even so, Capel is auditioning for one of the most coveted jobs in all of college sports: the head basketball coaching position at Duke whenever Mike Krzyzewski decides to step down. Capel can frame it whichever way he’d like — that it’s still Krzyzewski’s team, Coach K is coming back in a few weeks and the Hall of Fame coach will still, of course, provide input while he recovers from lower back surgery. But let’s face it. Capel, who has been Krzyzewski’s right-hand man the last few years at Duke and with USA Basketball, is a strong candidate to succeed the legendary coach. His case would be strengthened by a successful stint the next couple of weeks. It won’t necessarily be easy; the Blue Devils are only now at full strength after a rash of earlyseason injuries and Grayson Allen’s one-game suspension. They’re trying to figure out who they are as a team. That’s not always as easy as it seems, even with a star-studded freshman class and veterans who won a national title two years ago. ANALYSIS

MARK DOLEJS, USA TODAY SPORTS

Duke associate head coach Jeff Capel, who will take over the team while Mike Krzyzewski recovers from back surgery, talks to forward Jayson Tatum.

“I’m approaching it one game at a time,” Capel said Thursday during a media teleconference. “I haven’t really thought about the long term or anything like that. My focus is on our guys. It’s a lot on our guys; they’ve been through a lot this year already with injuries and a suspension. It’s still early January, and now you’re dealing with this thing. I’m focused on our guys and putting them in a position to succeed.” Capel, who acted as Duke’s interim coach for one game last season because of an illness, has head coaching experience, at

Oklahoma (where he was 83-69) and Virginia Commonwealth (7941). He’s a terrific recruiter, a huge reason the Blue Devils have landed so many elite players the last five years. And he thinks he has grown considerably as a coach since returning to Duke and learning from Krzyzewski. He plans on leaning on him throughout this month as well, though the best piece of advice Krzyzewski can give has already been given: Trust your instincts. Certainly, there will be a mix of Capel running the team the way he feels most comfortable and the

NHL

way Krzyzewski normally does things. But there’s a plan and deep trust in place, too. That is part of the reason Capel is considered a candidate to replace Krzyzewski, who will turn 70 next month. Krzyzewski has not expressed a desire to retire, but that doesn’t mean the question of who will succeed him stops being asked. “I haven’t thought about it because I’ve never imagined the day of Coach not being the head coach at Duke,” said Capel, who played at Duke from 1993 to 1997. “Since I started watching basket-

ball and really understanding basketball, he’s the only coach I’ve known at Duke. ... The guy knows more basketball than I will ever forget. I want to be a head coach again one day, but it’s not something that I’m in a hurry to do. If the right opportunity comes and they want me, I’ll come. Right now, my focus is solely on our team and helping it be successful.” Which, in turn, would help him be successful — something that can only help him when one of the most coveted jobs in the sport opens up, whenever that comes.

NFL MVP TRACKER

Falcons’ Ryan soars in final MVP survey Nate Davis @bynatedavis USA TODAY Sports

BRACE HEMMELGARN, USA TODAY SPORTS

“The one thing about me is ... I am who I am and you get what you get,” first-year Wild coach Bruce Boudreau says.

Wild got it right with Boudreau Kevin Allen @ByKevinAllen USA TODAY Sports

Minnesota Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher said it was clear the first time he talked to Bruce Boudreau that he should hire him as coach. “It wasn’t a complicated decision,” Fletcher recalled. “One hour into our first meeting, I told Brent Flahr, our assistant GM, ‘We could make this guy an offer right now.’ We meshed so well, and I know you only get so many opportunities to find a great coach, and when you find one, you have to step up and get (a deal) done.” Everybody who meets Boudreau has a similar reaction. He comes across as an average Joe and yet seems special. He is both ruffled and polished, foulmouthed and kindhearted, lovable and curmudgeonly. He’s also the person you want coaching your hockey team because he’s won everywhere he’s ever been. Now in his third NHL stop, Boudreau has the Wild (249-4) on a pace to finish with the best regular-season record in franchise history. “He’s got a great personality,” Wild defenseman Ryan Suter said. “You can tell he’s played the

game a long time because he has a great message every night.” At 61, Boudreau’s collection of stories is one of the NHL’s best. Besides playing in the NHL, he played in the World Hockey Association, Central Hockey League, German League, American League and International Hockey League. He scored 34 goals at age 37 for the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Komets in his last minor league season in 1991-92. He was also a member of the Johnstown (Pa.) Jets in the North American League where he got a bit part in the movie Slap Shot. “He’s been a lot of fun,” Suter said. “He’s been in a good mood. It’s easy when you are winning, but even early on he had a good, positive attitude.” As an NHL coach, Boudreau earned eight division titles in nine years with the Washington Capitals and Anaheim Ducks. But he can also tell tales about coaching the Mississippi Sea Wolves or Muskegon (Mich.) Fury. That’s what makes Boudreau unique. “He has probably dealt with anything that a team could deal with, and I think players trust he has the right answers,” Fletcher said. Boudreau said it took time for his new players to understand him. “I think we are there now,” he said. “We are all in sync as a

group. I can joke around, and they get that I’m joking. Before, it was: Is he being serious? Did he mean that? Now they laugh along with me when I say stupid things or sarcastically cut someone up. They are getting me, and that makes it easier on all of us.” The constant wherever Boudreau has been is that he connects with players because he works at discovering who they are. That doesn’t mean he’s a soft coach. “The one surprise has been that he is more demanding of players than I anticipated,” Fletcher said. “His reputation is of being a players’ coach, but he doesn’t let anything slide.” Fletcher said Boudreau has a way of critiquing players without undermining his relationship with them. “He never demeans players, never embarrasses them,” Fletcher said. “He meets with players all of the time and is constantly working with them with video. He’s on top of everything all the time. He’s a great communicator, completely honest.” Boudreau is not someone who steals credit from a deserving player. That’s why players respect him. “The one thing about me is that I don’t put on airs,” Boudreau said. “I am who I am, and you get what you get.”

USA TODAY Sports’ NFL staff handicapped the race for league MVP from Week 1 through Week 17. With the regular season over, we have our final winner (a first-place vote was worth five points, a second worth three and a third worth one). 1. QB Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons (33 points): His candidacy was never in question, but Ryan’s runaway victory — six of our seven panelists awarded him their first-place vote — might surprise some. But Ryan is clearly a worthy choice. His 117.1 passer rating paced the league (and was fifth highest in NFL history) and exceeded his previous personal best by 18 points. And Ryan built that figure even while pushing the ball downfield for the NFC South champion Falcons, with his 13.3 yards per completion also the league standard in 2016. Despite making riskier throws, Ryan still ranked third in completion rate (69.9%) while finishing second in TD passes (38) and yards (4,944). He led Atlanta to a league-high 540 points, tying the 2000 “Greatest Show on Turf” St. Louis Rams for eighth most all time. Ryan also established records by throwing TD passes to 13 different receivers in one season, while his mark of consecutive games with at least 200 passing yards now stands at 55. Last week: 1. 2. QB Tom Brady, New England Patriots (12 points): Despite being suspended for the season’s first four games, he provided another sterling campaign laced with personal and team success. The Patriots finished with the NFL’s best record (14-2, 11-1 with Brady) and earned home-field advantage for the sixth time since he became the starter in 2001. Brady’s 28-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio puts him in the record book, and his 112.2 passer rating was the second best of his 17-year career. However, even projected over a full season, Brady’s yardage (3,554), completion percentage

(67.4%), passer rating and TD total would fall short of Ryan’s numbers, and he also had the benefit of being protected by a defense far superior to Atlanta’s. Last week: 2. 3. QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (8 points): He closed with a flurry, passing for 1,667 yards and 15 TDs with zero picks as the Packers fulfilled his “run the table” prediction over the final six games and reclaimed the NFC North crown. Rodgers also paced the NFL in TD passes (40) for the first time in his career. Last week: T4. 4. RB Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys (7 points): Despite being a healthy scratch in Week 17, he burst onto the NFL scene by leading the league in carries (322) and rushing yards (1,631). He’s likely to ride one of the best freshman seasons ever to offensive rookie of the year honors. Last week: 3. 5. QB Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders (2 points): His value might not have been more obvious than the regular-season finale, during which the Raiders’ once-fearsome offense floundered without its injured leader. Despite dealing with a broken finger on his passing hand before suffering his season-ending broken leg, Carr established personal bests in completion percentage (63.8%) and passer rating (96.7) while throwing for 3,937 yards and 28 TDs. But his primary accomplishment was leading the Silver & Black back to the postseason for the first time in 14 years. Last week: T4. 6. QB Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (1 point): It’s safe to say no rookie quarterback has exceeded expectations as much as Prescott did. Picked in the fourth round — he wasn’t even the first or second choice on Dallas’ draft board — Prescott established a rookie standard for passer rating (104.9) while tying Ben Roethlisberger’s mark for wins by a rookie quarterback (13). Prescott threw 23 TD passes and ran for six. And, despite Elliott’s dominance, consider the Cowboys went 1-11 in games not started by Tony Romo in 2015 but were 13-3 without their longtime starter a year later. Last week: T4.


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USA TODAY SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 2017

WEATHER

WEATHER ONLINE USATODAY.COM

TODAY’S FORECAST

NATIONAL FORECAST TODAY 24/11pc

Albany, N.Y.

Seattle 37/32c

Helena 14/3c

Portland 31/29sn

Bismarck 4/-11s

Portland 24/7pc

Billings 19/6pc

Boise 19/18sn

Mpls-St. Paul 8/-3s Rapid City 14/3s

Milwaukee 18/3s

Casper 22/18pc

Sacramento 54/52r

Omaha 24/8s

Salt Lake City 23/23c

San Francisco 58/55r

Denver 29/15pc

Las Vegas 50/41pc Los Angeles 64/55r

San Diego 70/54c

Wichita 37/14s

Kansas City 29/10s

PRECIPITATION

Albuquerque 43/27pc

Detroit 22/12pc Cleveland 21/14pc Chicago Pittsburgh 21/3s 19/12pc Indianapolis 20/8s St. Louis Washington 29/11s Cincinnati 31/19sn 20/9s

Little Rock 32/17s

Birmingham 35/20pc

Dallas-Fort Worth 39/20s Houston 46/25s

El Paso 52/33s

San Antonio 45/23s

New Orleans 43/30pc

Tampa 66/38r

Alaska

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather Inc. ©2017

Precipitation c Cloudy dr Drizzle

f Fog h Haze

10s

Thunderstorms i Ice pc Partly cloudy

r Rain s Sunny

20s Rain

40s

Showers

sf Snow flurries sh Showers

50s

60s

Snow

Miami 83/57t

Honolulu 78/64pc Hilo 76/63pc

Juneau 19/8s

30s

Baltimore 29/16sn

Orlando 69/39r

Anchorage 13/8pc

Below 10

New York 28/20sn Philadelphia 29/18sn

Charleston 39/24sn

Atlanta 37/20sn

Hawaii

Temperatures (°F)

Boston 30/21sn

Charlotte 35/9sn

Nashville 29/16s

Memphis 30/18s

Tulsa 37/16s

Phoenix 67/48pc

Albany 24/11pc

70s

Snow flurries

sn Snow w Windy t Thunderstorms

80s

90s

100s

110+

Ice / wintry mix Note: The forecast highs are for the 24-hour period of that day. Low-temperature forecasts are for the upcoming night.

TODAY

SUN

SUN 23/5sf

Providence

29/18sn

25/7sf

Raleigh, N.C.

31/9sn

30/0s

Allentown, Pa.

28/15sn

26/10pc

Reno

42/41sn

51/46r

Atlantic City

31/20sn

28/17s

Richmond, Va.

31/11sn

28/6s

Augusta, Ga.

38/20sn

43/20s

Rochester, N.Y.

22/13sf

19/14sf

Austin

44/22s

52/35s

San Jose, Calif.

61/57r

63/53r

Bakersfield, Calif.

59/54r

71/58r

Sarasota, Fla.

69/39r

58/42s

Baton Rouge

43/23pc 48/30s

Savannah, Ga.

45/24sh

44/25s

Boise

19/18sn

37/34sn

Shreveport, La.

41/22s

47/31s

Buffalo

19/14sf

18/14sf

South Bend, Ind.

20/11pc

21/14sf

Cedar Rapids

19/1s

22/18pc

Spokane, Wash.

20/18c

31/26sn

Colorado Springs

34/12pc 46/28pc

Springfield, Mo.

33/12s

37/25pc

Columbia, S.C.

37/19sn

39/18s

Syracuse, N.Y.

22/11c

18/10sn

Columbus, Ohio

20/13s

23/15s

Toledo, Ohio

20/8s

22/13s

Dayton, Ohio

19/10s

22/14s

Tucson

69/47pc

74/50s

Daytona Beach

63/39r

53/44pc

Des Moines

23/5s

28/23pc

WORLD FORECAST

Duluth, Minn.

2/-11s

8/-1pc

Athens, Greece

38/30sn

36/29sn

Fort Myers, Fla.

74/45t

64/47s

Baghdad

62/42s

65/41s

Fresno

55/52r

62/54r

Beijing

40/25sf

45/21s

Grand Rapids

19/8sf

21/12sf

Berlin

28/26sn

33/28sf

Greensboro, N.C.

33/8sn

30/3s

Buenos Aires

90/69pc

84/69pc

Greenville, S.C.

36/11sn

37/11s

Cairo

63/48s

59/49s

Harrisburg, Pa.

29/17pc

27/14pc

Caracas, Ven.

86/74pc

86/75pc

Hartford, Conn.

28/15sn

25/9s

Freeport, Bahamas

79/59c

69/58pc

Huntsville, Ala.

33/18s

37/24s

Hong Kong

75/67pc

77/64s

Jackson, Miss.

38/20s

44/25s

Jerusalem

54/38s

49/35s

Jacksonville

53/27r

46/32s

Kingston, Jamaica

88/75s

89/75pc

Knoxville, Tenn.

29/13sn

28/15s

London

50/42c

48/40c

Lexington, Ky.

21/11s

26/16s

Madrid

51/26s

52/28s

Louisville

24/13s

29/19s

Manila

90/75pc 89/74pc

Lubbock, Texas

39/19s

49/33s

Mexico City

73/42pc

65/34pc

Madison, Wis.

14/-2s

17/14pc

Montreal

12/0pc

10/-12pc

McAllen, Texas

51/37pc

61/45c

Moscow

-9/-17c

-3/-10s

Mobile, Ala.

40/23pc 46/29s

Nassau, Bahamas

83/67pc

74/61pc

Myrtle Beach, S.C.

38/23i

38/22s

New Delhi

66/49c

66/44c

Nags Head, N.C.

38/29sn

31/26pc

Paris

37/36pc

43/35c

Norfolk, Va.

33/23sn

29/21s

Rome

41/26s

44/31pc

Oklahoma City

35/15s

40/27s

Sydney

79/67pc

86/70s

Palm Springs

63/49c

69/52pc

Tokyo

48/39s

52/43r

Pensacola, Fla.

43/27pc

49/35s

Toronto

19/12pc

17/11pc

Irresistibly entertaining. Meet our new app, now with virtual reality. Experience exclusive awards season access, the hottest celeb trends, and the juiciest moments in pop culture.

PUZZLES

Report puzzle problems to us at feedback@usatoday.com or 1-800-872-7073 WORD ROUNDUP

CROSSWORD

By David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek

BY Fred Piscop

1/7

☑☐☐☐ ☐☐☐☐ ☐☐☐ ☐☐☐ ☐☐☐

Four mountain chains Four fish starting with S

What VHS stands for: ____ ____ ____ Three five-letter words ending in IC Three metals

QUICKCROSS

© Andrews McMeel

Find and Circle:

YABBA DABBA DOO!

S L L V H K H T

M S P J I X O I

E H G S M D M N

L A O C A Z E T

T R L N L B T O

V K D I A S O P

J E R S Y J N I

S O I S A Z I C

N C T K S J C Z

C E N O M L A S

M S N A P P E R

UP & DOWN WORDS

By John Wilmes

1/7

© Andrews McMeel

ACROSS 1 President with a Nobel 6 Fish served amandine 11 ___-mo replay 14 Peggy Lee classic 15 Labor union demand 16 “Batman” sound effect 17 1992 Masters winner 19 “___ been had!” 20 Screw up 21 Feel sad for 22 Trident parts 24 Places for facials, perhaps 27 Bing Crosby’s label 28 1960 Olympics track star 32 Catches a wave 35 Half a score 36 Auto parts giant 37 Gasteyer of “Suburgatory” 38 Wears away 42 Like some grins or winks 43 Devices with chip readers, for short 45 It may fly during a fight 46 Radiator attachments 48 “The Feminine Mystique” author 52 Rock’s Cream and ZZ Top, for two 53 Role for Cooper or Sandler 57 Ruark title that means “freedom” in Swahili 58 Cake with a kick 60 Mad Hatter’s serving 61 ___ hall (campus hangout) 62 First openly gay U.S. congressman 66 Tick off

A S E I K C O R

“No ____ Words” by Berlin De-wrinkler “____ Blue”

By David L. Hoyt and Russell L. Hoyt

1/7

1. WARP 2. 3. 4. 5.

Prior spouses

6.

MATCH

7. “Dibs!”

Clues: 1. Enterprise propulsion system 2. Put the pedal to the metal 3. Certain DVR button 4. Progress 5. Film 6. Flawless 7. Ideal companion

African antelope Braided cord © Andrews McMeel

67 Spiral-horned antelope 68 Gem State capital 69 Conscription org. 70 Track meet postings 71 Twiddles one’s thumbs DOWN 1 Did in, mobster-style 2 He caught Larsen’s perfect game 3 Stereo pioneer Fisher 4 Rx item 5 Rainbow’s shape 6 Statement of the obvious 7 Totally absorbed 8 Like an unwiped dipstick 9 Get benefit from 10 Checked out 11 Gym session with stationary bikes 12 Tomato, as it was once known

1/7

13 18 23 25 26 27 29 30 31 32 33 34 39 40 41 44 47 49 50 51

Is behind Fiery gemstone iPad screen item Personal ad abbr. Site of a famous tower Beach formation “Asteroids” game maker Garnet color Makes bales, say “The Well-Built Swede” car company Frees from restraints Dodge pickups Lifelong buds, in texts Capek play about robots Roe producer Use a swizzle stick ___-trick pony “Absolutely!” War zone reporters Horse-drawn cart

Answers: Call 1-900-988-8300, 99 cents a minute; or, with a credit card, 1-800-320-4280.

54 Sell online 55 Slow on the uptake 56 “Land ___ alive!” 57 “The Haj” novelist 58 Stoker who created Dracula 59 Bancroft of “The Graduate” 63 “Aladdin” prince 64 James Comey’s org. 65 Tennis great Laver

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PLAY ONLINE PUZZLES.USATODAY.COM

© Andrews McMeel

SUDOKU Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x2 box contains the numbers 1 through 6 (no repeats).

Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 (no repeats).

8

5

5

9

1

9 1

7

4

2 5

1

6

7 1

9

5

6

3

3

1/7

5

7 6 1 8

DIFFICULTY RATING

4

6

5

4

2

6

3

8 2

1 2

4

6

5

2

6

3 2 DIFFICULTY RATING

)))$$

SUDOKU FUSION ON YOUR PHONE

)))$$ mobilegames.usatoday.com

© Andrews McMeel

DON’T QUOTE ME® Indian priest Anthony de Mello talks about spirituality.

Rearrange the words to complete the quote. BOOKS EVER GOING LIBRARY SPIRITUALITY STEPPING TEMPLE

YOU CAN READ ___________ WITHOUT ________ ______________ INTO A ___________; AND PRACTICE ______________ WITHOUT EVER ___________ TO A ___________. 1/7 © WIGGLES 3D GAMES


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