pileofcrapola

You’re probably familiar with what rancid oil is, but you might be less familiar with what it smells like. When checking oils of fatty foods for rancidity, sniff for metallic, bitter, or soapy aromas.

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Can you actually save money on sales tax by shopping online? Does everyone actually rush to the store to purchase a new big-screen TV for the Super Bowl? These pieces of shopping-related wisdom are pervasive—and often pushed by advertisers to try and bring you into stores. But do these old chestnuts hide any truth?

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A reliable babysitter who’s good with your kids is invaluable , but babysitters also can charge a pretty penny these days . How much is too much to pay the babysitter, and how much do you pay?

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Food prep can take a lot of your time in the kitchen when you just want to make a meal, but there are a variety of quick ways to peel, chop, and deseed those fruits and vegetables so you can get cooking.

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You have a glue gun, you want to glue some things, and you look down to see an option for high temperature and low temperature. What do you do? If you’re anything like me, you go for high temperature, because high sounds like it’ll get done faster. Over on Tested, they take a look at what you’re actually supposed to do.

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WASHINGTON — The snowfall from the Blizzard of 2016 is impacting an event nearly two months later. The record-breaking snowstorm’s final closing may well end up being that of Parking Lot 7 at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium.

On Monday, D.C. United tweeted that Lot 7 would be closed for the team’s first home match of the year; the giant mounds of snow that were piled in the parking areas just north of RFK remain.

A spokesperson for EventsDC says fans should park in Lots 3, 6 and 8 until further notice. The MLS home-opener is on Sunday, March 20 when they host the Colorado Rapids.

The piles of dirty snow have compacted in recent weeks. The ice is insulated by a thick pelt of trash and filth. As melting continues, more trash will likely rise to the surface but there’s no telling how long the piles will withstand springtime temperatures.

The District Department of Energy and Environment says that there are several failsafes in place near RFK Stadium, including fencing near the parking lot’s catch basins and a containment boom in the Anacostia River, to ensure the trash and sentiment doesn’t end up in the watershed.

The post Blizzard’s remnants linger at RFK Stadium appeared first on WTOP.

MANASSAS, Va. (AP) — A second day care teacher was convicted of child cruelty and other counts Thursday for abusive behavior — including stepping on toes and feeding kids Flamin’ Hot Cheetos — toward a classroom of 2-year-olds that a prosecutor described as a “baby fight club.”

Kierra Spriggs, 26, of Woodbridge, was convicted on four counts of felony child cruelty and two misdemeanor counts of assault and battery after a two-week jury trial in Prince William County. The jury acquitted Spriggs on 14 counts, and the judge threw out three misdemeanor convictions for contributing to the delinquency of a minor because he said prosecutors failed to introduce evidence that Spriggs was over the age of 18, a necessary element of that crime.

Later Thursday, a jury recommended jail sentences of three to 12 months on the various counts, adding up to a potential sentence of nearly three years when Spriggs is sentenced in May.

Spriggs is the second teacher convicted. Sarah Jordan was previously found guilty on similar charges and will also be sentenced in May. At Jordan’s trial, prosecutor Ashleigh Landers likened the day care class to a “baby fight club” inflicting suffering for the teachers’ amusement.

In 2013, when the mistreatment took place, Spriggs and Jordan were teachers at what was called the “monkey room” of Minnieland Academy at the Glen, a room that had nearly 20 toddlers ranging in age from about 18 months to 27 months.

Two other teachers in the classroom testified that Spriggs systemically mistreated the toddlers, including encouraging twin sisters to fight each other. One teacher testified that Spriggs fed a Flamin’ Hot Cheeto to a toddler, leaving the girl gasping for air.

The teachers also said Spriggs stepped on kids’ toes and laughed, and put rubber bands on their hands and snapped them, making the toddlers cry.

Parents of the toddlers testified that their children started becoming fearful of the monkey room. Many started acting out, and several parents described how their toddlers suddenly started stepping on others’ toes and laughing.

“That’s not terrible twos. That’s mimicking,” prosecutor Ashleigh Landers told the jury.

Spriggs did not take the stand in her own defense. Her defense lawyer suggested the teachers may have been motivated to testify against Spriggs because of a workplace dispute.

The defense lawyer, Patrick Foltz, also questioned whether eating a Flamin’ Hot Cheeto could be equated to abusive behavior and said prosecutors failed to make that case because they didn’t introduce any evidence of the snack food’s relative spiciness.

“Is it felony torture if nobody’s told you a Flamin’ Hot Cheeto is hot? How hot is it? You don’t know,” Foltz told the jury in closing arguments.

The Woodbridge facility is one of 50 day care centers operated by Minnieland and happens to be immediately adjacent to Minnieland’s corporate headquarters.

Teachers in the monkey room testified that they alerted their supervisors to the problems there but nothing was done. Eventually a teacher called state welfare agents, who conducted an investigation.

After the conviction, several parents testified at the trial’s sentencing phase about the effect of the abuse. Parent Brittany Hess looked at Spriggs and called her a “monster,” fighting back tears.

Parents expressed frustration that they still don’t believe they know all of the abuse their children may have suffered, because their children were too young to articulate it.

“I don’t know the full extent of what happened in the monkey room, but I know it changed her,” Traci Helmick said of her daughter.

James J. McCoart III, a lawyer representing some of the victimized families, said the families will be filing civil lawsuits against Minnieland “for the ongoing abuse committed upon their children.”

The post Day care teacher convicted of cruelty in ‘baby fight club’ appeared first on WTOP.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — The Maryland Court of Appeals has ruled that the deaths of four cows at a Maryland dairy farm in 2012 cannot be blamed on fireworks set off at a church’s nearby youth event.

The Frederick News-Post (http://bit.ly/1Rsess9 ) reports that farmer Andrew Toms was unable to recoup $13,000 in the lawsuit against Calvary Assembly of God Inc.

Toms says the 250 discharged fireworks created such loud noises that they caused a stampede in his barn in Walkersville, resulting in injuries to cattle, property damage, disposal costs and lost milk revenue. He says he had to euthanize four of the injured cows.

The court ruled that lawful fireworks displays are not an abnormally dangerous activity because of regulations that are already in place.

___

Information from: The Frederick (Md.) News-Post, http://www.fredericknewspost.com

The post Court: Death of cows can’t be blamed on fireworks appeared first on WTOP.

A Baltimore public school police officer under investigation for a video showing him slapping and kicking a teenager at a school was fired from the city sheriff’s department in 2003 for his role in an incident in which a stun gun was used on a man mistaken for a bank robber.

Court records show that Anthony C. Spence Jr., 44, also was the subject of a protective order in a domestic violence case in 2011.

Spence acknowledged in a telephone conversation with The Associated Press on Friday that he’s the subject of a criminal investigation into the actions captured on cellphone video Tuesday at the REACH Partnership School. He referred questions to his lawyer, Michael Davey, who didn’t immediately respond to calls and emails.

Spence said he wouldn’t discuss the matter because the news media would “twist” the story.

“Right now I’m the bad guy,” he said.

School officials initially said officers responded to a reported intruder, and that the young man in the video wasn’t a REACH student. On Friday, the school system said in a statement that he is “believed to be a student on the school’s roster,” as asserted by his lawyer, Lauren Geisser. Geisser has said he’s a 10th-grader.

The school system promised a thorough, timely review.

“We remain committed to handling this matter with the highest priority,” the statement said.

The Baltimore Sun reported that Spence was one of two deputies fired after he and another deputy grabbed a Salvadoran construction worker who matched the description of a suspected bank robber at the downtown Lexington Market in 2002. An internal investigation found that a third deputy shot the man twice with a stun gun while he was pinned on the floor, according to findings the Sun reported in 2003. Spence and the other fired deputy, Clyde Boatwright, said they were made scapegoats after an outcry by the city’s Hispanic community. The city paid $200,000 to settle the man’s lawsuit.

Both Spence and Boatwright were hired as school police officers in 2003, public records show. The Baltimore public school system has its own police force, separate from the city police department, which is investigating this week’s incident.

Online court records show that Spence was the subject of a protective order in a domestic violence case in 2011. The Sun reported Thursday that Spence’s girlfriend, who was also a school police officer, obtained the order after complaining that Spence had struck her in the face. She asked for the order to be removed nine days later, and no charges were filed.

Spence and a female school police officer shown standing by in the cellphone video are on paid administrative leave while the school system and city police investigate the incident. The school police chief, Marshall T. Goodwin, has also been put on administrative leave, although school officials haven’t said why.

___

This story has been corrected to show that neither Spence nor Boatwright was found to have used a stun gun in the 2002 incident.

The post Officer in school beating probe was fired as deputy in 2003 appeared first on WTOP.

WASHINGTON — Some rabies scares in Northern Virginia are leading to a new warning from Fairfax County’s Animal Control Department.

Earlier this week, Fairfax County Animal Control officers responded to three reports of animals that have come into contact and bitten humans.

On March 3 around 11 a.m., a man reported that he was awakened by a raccoon in his home in Clifton. He told official he fought off the raccoon and was bitten during the struggle. He was able to kill the raccoon, which he transported to Fairfax County Animal Shelter and then sought medical treatment.

The Health Department said Friday that the raccoon tested positive for rabies.

Also, earlier this week, a fox bit a woman running on a trail at 8700 Potomac Hills Street in Great Falls and another fox bit a woman checking on her chickens in the 9100 block of Potomac Woods Lane near Riverbend Park.

Animal Control says it is not yet clear if the foxes in the other cases are rabid, but aggressive tendencies — similar to the ones in the local cases — are one of the signs of rabies.

Health officials say anyone who’s bitten by a wild animal should wash the wound with soap and water and go to a hospital right away.

Read more about rabies on Fairfax County’s website.

The post Fairfax Co. warns of rabies risk amid recent animal-bite incidents appeared first on WTOP.

The odds that the screen you see that new flick on is owned by AMC Theaters are about to go up, now that the chain is gobbling up fellow theater chain Carmike Cinemas in a $1.1 billion deal.

The acquisition will make AMC Theaters the largest movie chain in North America, notes the Los Angeles Times: currently, AMC is the second largest U.S. movie theater operator, behind Regal Entertainment Group, while Carmike is the fourth biggest. Adding Carmike’s 274 locations will bring AMC’s total theaters to 653, topping Regal’s 572 U.S. cinemas.

The deal announced on Thursday will have AMC buying Carmike for $30 a share, as part of a $1.1 billion deal that also has AMC assuming Carmike’s debt.

“This is a compelling transaction that brings together two great companies with complementary strengths to create substantial value for our guests and shareholders,” Adam Aron, chief executive of AMC Entertainment, the parent company of AMC Theaters, said in a statement.

“Wherever you go, this deal is complementary,” Aron added. “We’re strong in large cities, they’re strong in smaller cities. We’re strong in the Northeast, and they’re strong in the Southeast.”

AMC Entertainment was bought by Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group, which also owns the biggest chain in China, in 2012 for $2.6 billion, creating the world’s largest cinema company.

AMC Entertainment to buy Carmike Cinemas in $1.1-billion deal [Los Angeles Times]

You currently can’t get Republican and Democratic lawmakers to agree on a lunch order, let alone jointly support legislation. But one controversial piece of legislation is not only garnering support from both sides of the aisle, it’s also got the Chair of the Democratic National Committee pushing for legislation that would undermine the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s ability to regulate predatory lending.

The misleadingly named Consumer Protection and Choice Act was introduced last fall by bank-backed Florida Congressman Dennis Ross, in response to the news that the CFPB would be drafting rules intended to curb the more predatory aspects of payday lending.

Even though the CFPB has yet to release its draft of these rules — which would then be subject to the lengthy public comment process, allowing all interested parties to chime in — the bill would not only delay the Bureau’s efforts to rein in payday lending, but would exempt states with existing restrictions on payday lending.

Ross was quickly joined by several of his fellow Floridian lawmakers, both Republican and Democrat — including Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. They contend — again, without any evidence — that Florida’s existing limits on payday lending would be undermined by the CFPB rules, and that needy borrowers would be robbed of access to credit.

And recently, according to Huffington Post, Wasserman-Schultz has gone from merely adding her name to the bill’s list of sponsors to actively advocating for the legislation.

In a memo being circulated around Capitol Hill, the DNC Chair describes her state’s law as a “model” that other states should follow for payday loans, rather than the CFPB rules that don’t exist yet.

A rep for Wasserman-Schultz told HuffPo that the current face of the Democratic party helped to write the Florida rules when she was a state legislator.

“The Congresswoman wants to work with the CFPB on the way forward, and believes the Florida law is an example of how to achieve their shared goals of balancing strong consumer protections with preserving access to credit in underserved communities,” says the rep.

But while the Florida payday lending rules do include some protections — limiting borrowers to a single loan at a time; requiring a 24-hour cooling-off period between loans — consumer advocates say they are not to be held up as some sort of paradigm for others to follow.

For example, the Florida rules do put a $500 limit on a single loan, but they allow lenders to charge up to $55 in fees for that loan, which has to be repaid somewhere between 7 and 31 days. For a two-week loan, that comes out to an APR of more than 280%.

Additionally, while the one-day cooling-off period does present a speed bump for borrowers who need to take out another loan to pay back the first one, consumer advocates say it is not preventing the practice that keeps borrowers in a cycle of revolving debt.

In a letter [PDF] sent in December to all members of Congress, a coalition of groups — including our colleagues at Consumers Union — noted that “In spite of the industry-backed Florida law, 88% of repeat loans were made before the borrower’s next paycheck,” and 85% of payday loans are issued to people who have taken out at least seven loans per year.

HuffPo cites recent data from Pew Charitable Trusts, which found that the typical Florida payday borrower takes out nine loans in a year, and spends about six months of the year in debt. Pew calculated the average APR on Florida payday loans at 304%, not much of an improvement on the national average (in states where payday loans are allowed) of 390%.

Ah, the joy of airplane bathrooms: at one point we’ve all had to cram ourselves into the small, overused closets to do our business during a flight. While the facilities are cleaned between flights, some germs or dirt might remain. In a bid to ensure restrooms meet passenger standards, Boeing has created a self-cleaning lavatory. 

Boeing recently applied for a patent for the self-cleaning bathroom, which uses Far UV light to disinfect surfaces, Business Insider reports.

The airplane manufacturer claims that the system, which is activated when the lavatory is unoccupied between uses, is able to kill 99.99% of germs and eliminate odors in just three seconds.

That means you won’t have to wait too long for a cleaner bathroom if you’re lined up in the rear of the plane.

“We’re trying to alleviate the anxiety we all face when using a restroom that gets a workout during a flight,” Boeing’s director of environmental performance Jeanne Yu tells Business Insider.

In addition to the self-cleaning aspect, the new bathroom prototype incorporates a hands-free faucet, soap dispenser, trash flap, toilet lid and seat, and a hand dryer, the Associated Press reports.

“Some of the touchless features are already in use on some Boeing airplanes today,” Yu tells BI. “But combining that with the new UV sanitizing will give passengers even more protection from germs and make for an even better flying experience.”

Of course, you shouldn’t expect to see the self-cleaning bathroom on planes anytime soon. The concept needs further study, Boeing says, noting that once it is offered it could take years for carriers to update their aircraft fleet to include the lavatories.

Boeing has built an airplane bathroom that cleans itself [Business Insider]
Cleaner skies: Boeing designs self-sterilizing jet bathrooms [The Associated Press]

A unique battery pack, electric grill, and noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones kick off Friday’s best deals. Bookmark Kinja Deals and follow us on Twitter to never miss a deal. Commerce Content is independent of Editorial and Advertising, and if you buy something through our posts, we may get a small share of the sale. Click here to learn more, and don’t forget to sign up for our email newsletter.

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As long as you like Açaí berry, you won’t find a better deal on Burt’s Bees lip balm than $16 for a 12-pack. [12-Pack Burt’s Bees Lip Balm, $16]

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Sphero’s remote-controlled BB-8 droid was one of the coolest toys ever made when it first came out, and it’s still improving to this day! Today on eBay, you can buy your own for 130 portions dollars, or $20 less than usual. [Sphero BB-8, $130]

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Imagine one morning sitting down to a nice cup of coffee in your cutesy mug only to realize its only lukewarm. No worries, the label on the cup says it’s microwave safe… except that it isn’t, and the minute minute you hit “start,” sparks start to fly. That’s the case for 12,300 Valentine’s Day-themed mugs sold by Target now being recalled for posing a fire risk. The retailer says the cups, which were mislabeled as microwave-safe, have been linked to three reports of sparks during microwaving. Customers should stop using the cups immediately and return them for a refund. [CPSC]

Federal law enforcement officers have arrested an American Airlines flight attendant accusing him of deliberately starting a fire in the plane’s lavatory, and then extinguishing it himself in a supposedly heroic action. 

The 23-year-old man was charged by federal agents with destruction of an aircraft or aircraft facilities and false statement or entries generally for the Feb. 1 incident, the FBI said in a statement. 

According to the agency, the man was working as part of a crew on an American Airlines flight traveling from Dallas to Detroit when he allegedly found and extinguished a fire in the rear lavatory.

The incident was reported to the captain, who, in turn, notified the control tower and the aircraft was granted emergency status for its descent into Detroit. The plane landed safely and all passengers and flight crew were uninjured.

This week, the FBI announced the employee was arrested after an investigation into the incident by the National Transportation Safety Bureau concluded that the fire was started deliberately and that no one else had been in the bathroom for at least 15 to 20 minutes prior to the fire being found.

According to the FBI and NTSB, at some point during the flight the attendant reportedly used a Bic lighter to set fire to paper towels in the bathroom.

After putting out the fire, the crew member allegedly exited the bathroom, stood in the hallway for several minutes and then pretended to discover the fire.

He then extinguished the remaining smoldering paper towels with a fire extinguisher after declaring an emergency to the other flight attendants, the Detroit Free Press reports.

The FBI says in a statement that after being arrested on Monday, the flight attendant admitted to setting the fire himself. He was charged and released on bond on condition that he did not fly without permission from a court.

A spokesperson for American Airlines tells NBC News that the airline takes “this matter very seriously, and have been cooperating with law enforcement throughout their investigation.”

FBI: Flight attendant set bathroom on fire on Detroit-bound plane [The Detroit Free Press]
Flight Attendant Started Fire in Lavatory on American Airlines Jet: FBI [NBC News]

A woman who loves to bake for her family saved for two years to buy a new built-in convection oven. Sears delivered it, and then she had to wait a few weeks to have it installed. That’s when she discovered a problem: what was supposed to be a new oven was full of baked-on filth and even grime on the glass. Sears says that this shouldn’t be possible, yet somehow it happened.

It could have been a store return gone terribly wrong, but the customer had to take her case to CBS Sacramento to make things right. It’s not like she was going to use what was supposed to be a pricey new oven when it was pre-dirtied, even if Sears promised her a new one soon.

“I’m not going to eat food that’s coming out of a filthy oven,” she told the TV station. “I’m not going to serve that to my family.”

Sears, for their part, has no evidence that the oven really arrived covered with caked-on filth. “We have no evidence that it arrived in the condition that she suggests,” the company told the TV station.

How can you prevent something similar happening to you? When receiving an appliance, piece of furniture, or other big-ticket item, make sure that you inspect it before the delivery crew leaves. Signing that you received it means that you certify that it arrived in good condition.

Unfortunately, signing for the delivery and leaving it boxed up for the contractor left no evidence that there was something wrong.

The good news is that Sears replaced the oven with a nicer model that was clean, and this tale of a strange filth-encrusted oven ended with cookies and casseroles for all.

Call Kurtis Investigates: Why Did My New Sears Oven Show Up Dirty? [CBS Sacramento]

If I hadn’t already insisted on going through everything in my parents’ attic and basement back at home, I’d be calling them to search thoroughly right now, just in case there are any million-dollar baseball card collections hiding amid the dust*. To wit: the family of a deceased man found seven rare Ty Cobb baseball cards likely worth more than $1 million sitting in a crumpled paper bag in dilapidated home’s attic

Card experts in California said they’ve verified the legitimacy of the seven identical Cobb cards, which date back to a printing period of 1909 to 1911. Only 15 were known to still exist before this big haul.

“I am not sure if any other baseball card find is more remarkable than this new discovery,” Joe Orlando, president of Professional Sports Authenticator, said in a statement (via The Associated Press), calling the find “spectacular” and “miraculous.”

A publicist said the family wishes to remain anonymous, saying only that they’re from the a southern state, and found the cards at the house of a deceased great-grandfather. They first took the cards to a dealer in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Though experts were dubious at first, Orlando says his office and outside expert examined the cards and now believe they are the real deal.

The collection is likely worth more than a million dollars, Orlando says, though it’s unclear if the family is planning to sell their big find.

The day after Apple filed its formal objection to a Feb. 16 court order compelling the company to assist the FBI in unlocking an iPhone that belonged to one of the terrorists who killed 14 people last December in California, a group of nearly four dozen tech industry experts have asked the court to rethink its decision.

The issue, for those coming late to this story, involves privacy protections on the iPhone. If FBI agents fail too many times at guessing the correct passcode, the information they seek could be wiped from the device.

In the hope of getting around this, the FBI has asked Apple to push an update to this iPhone that would allow them to unlock the phone without the risk of erasing the desired content.

Apple contends that there is no legal precedent for forcing a tech company to make its devices less secure. The company is also concerned that aiding the FBI by creating this hack would set a dangerous precedent.

Last week, Apple filed its motion to vacate [PDF], arguing — among other things — that creating a back door to bypass iPhone encryption has the negative effect of “making its users’ most confidential and personal information vulnerable to hackers, identity thieves, hostile foreign agents, and unwarranted government surveillance.”

This morning, a supporting brief [PDF] filed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation and 46 different experts attempted to bolster Apple’s position in this case.

“What the government blandly characterizes as a request for technical assistance raises one of the most serious issues facing the security of information technology,” begins the brief, “the extent to which manufacturers of secure devices like Apple can be conscripted by the government to undermine the security of those devices.”

The authors of the brief include professors in engineering, computer science, cryptography, and other fields from MIT, Rice University, Cornell, UC Berkeley, Johns Hopkins, University of Pennsylvania, Yale, Harvard, Carnegie Mellon, Princeton, and numerous other institutions. They contend that forcing Apple and its employees to create a workaround to effectively weaken the product they developed “places a significant burden” on their First Amendment rights.

The court has directed Apple to create this new code to assist the FBI. In order for that code to work, it must contain Apple’s digital “signature,” which is an indicator that the company has approved and endorsed the code. Since Apple would be doing this work under duress, the tech experts say this would be compelling the company to violate its constitutional right to free speech.

“Apple’s code and digital signature, separately and together, affirm a commitment and belief regarding the authenticity of the code and the value of their customer’s privacy and security,” explains the brief. “The order compels Apple and its engineers to repudiate that belief, and undermine the very security they designed. In other contexts, compelled speech and affirmations of belief that substantially hinder the speaker’s ability to communicate its desired message are clearly unconstitutional.”

In a statement, EFF Civil Liberties Director David Greene likens the court order to the government forcing Apple to endorse something it can’t possibly agree to.

“In our democracy, no one — not technology companies, coders, or average citizens — can be forced to write an article, carry a sign, post an update on Facebook or write and sign computer code that communicates or endorses a government idea that they don’t agree with,” explains Greene. “What the FBI asked the court to do violates free speech rights and puts the security and privacy of millions of people at risk. We are asking the court to throw out this dangerous and unconstitutional order.”

The Feb. 16 order to assist the FBI was granted under a statute known as the All Writs Act, which allows a judge to compel a person or group to assist enforcing a court order — but only if that assistance is both necessary and “agreeable to the usages and principles of law.”

However, earlier this week, a federal judge in a similar case in New York ruled that the All Writs Act did not give the government the authority to force Apple to assist the FBI. And, concluded the judge, even if the Act did apply, Apple was too far removed from the criminal conduct involved, and would be unduly burdened by the requirements of such an order.

While the New York ruling does help to support Apple’s position, it does not resolve the California matter.

A one-day jeans sale, a cheap GPS fitness watch, and a great deal on luxury grooming goods kick off Thursday’s best deals. Bookmark Kinja Deals and follow us on Twitter to never miss a deal. Commerce Content is independent of Editorial and Advertising, and if you buy something through our posts, we may get a small share of the sale. Click here to learn more, and don’t forget to sign up for our email newsletter.

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If you’ve ever visited Angie’s List to find a plumber, painter, lawn care professional, or other service provider, you probably didn’t get too far, thanks to the company’s paywall which blocks visitors from seeing reviews unless they sign on for a year-long subscription. That’s about to change, as the home services marketplace plans to drop its membership fees in a bid to increase revenue down the road. 

Angie’s List will make basic rating and review offerings available for free to all site visitors at some point this year, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The new model, dubbed “freemium,” will still come with a pricing structure that charges users for services beyond basic browsing and review writing. However, it’s unclear what those services are and how much they’ll cost.

The company plans to take down the paywall in select markets starting in this spring, with a full rollout of the new system expected by fall.

Angie’s Lists current subscription model, which typically starts at $9.99/year, is a “barrier that has limited our growth,” Scott Durchslag, chief executive for the company tells the WSJ.

“We get over 100 million visitors each month, but 90% of them have been bouncing because of the reviews paywall,” he tells TechCrunch. “We expect to see traffic explode with the change.”

While the purpose of the paywall-free model is to increase revenue, Angie’s List said on Thursday that it will likely take a revenue hit at first. However, the company which expects $345 million to $355 million in revenue this year, anticipates a growth in recent to $750 million by 2020 under the new model.

Angie’s List to Limit Paywall; Forecasts Soft 2016 Revenue [The Wall Street Journal]
Home services marketplace Angie’s List to drop paywall for a freemium model [TechCrunch]

A disgruntled Dunkin’ Donuts customer in New York City lashed out at employees who told him to leave the eatery, allegedly slashing one worker in the face with a razor blade.

According to the NY Post, the 31-year-old suspect initially agreed to leave the Dunkin’ store. But he returned to a walk-up window a short time later, where police say he slashed a female employee’s right cheek before fleeing on foot.

The employee was taken to an area hospital for treatment of the gash.

Authorities were able to track down the suspect, arresting and charging him with assault and possession of a weapon.

Dunkin’ Donuts worker slashed in face by man she asked to leave store [New York Post]

Our colleagues over at Consumer Reports have a relentless squad of price-watchers who can tell us all what we should buy and when. Every month, they tell the world about what’s come up this month on their Calendar of Deals, and we pass the news along.

Humidifiers were on the list last month, and as winter winds down even more, there are still deals to be found. Models come in all colors and shapes, including units that look like animals: shop according to the best performance and the features you need, though, and not by looks.

Boxes of chocolate have lower prices between two major candy holidays, Valentine’s Day and Easter, and the good stuff can drop in price during that lull. Of course, immediately after the holidays is when you can get great deals on items in seasonal packaging.

Digital cameras. They go on sale at this time of year, and this is another purchase where you should know your own needs (and your own photography skills) before you go out shopping in real-life stores or online. Cameras can be a daunting purchase, but not as scary if you know exactly what you need.

5 Products on Deep Discount in March [Consumer Reports]

If you see a wild rabbit in your yard, you may want to start feeding it. Before you go outside with a handful of carrots and lettuce, though, it is important for you to know what to feed a wild rabbit, and if you should try to feed it all (especially if it’s a baby rabbit). Although feeding wild animals is generally not recommended,^[1] knowing what and how to feed a wild rabbit will at least ensure that you are not doing more harm than good.

EditSteps

EditFeeding an Adult Wild Rabbit

1. Choose a spot in your yard to place the food. If you do not mind wild rabbits visiting your yard, you can create an area of your yard where the wild rabbits can eat. Since wild rabbits tend to like wooded or shrubby areas on the edges of a particular area,^[2] consider creating a small brush pile near the edge of your yard or garden for the wild rabbits.
   
   • In the summer, when rabbits like to eat grasses and weeds, leave an area of your lawn partially uncut—this allows grass and/or weeds to grow up,^[3] and can also provide a sheltered area for the wild rabbits to eat.
   • If the wild rabbits feel safe in your yard, do not be surprised if they eat grass all day.^[4]
   • During the colder months, when rabbits eat more barks and twigs, you can make a small pile of these items in a corner of your yard.^[5]
   • Be aware that placing food in these spots could attract other wild animals to your yard.^[6]
2. Provide the wild rabbits with grass and hay. Whether wild or domesticated, grass and hay are staples of a rabbit’s diet.^[7] The wild rabbits in your yard will have an abundance of grass to chew on, but will probably not have ready access to hay. The recommended types of hay for wild rabbits are oat, timothy, and alfalfa.^[8]
   
   • Visit your local pet store or feed store to purchase the hay.
   • Do not spray pesticides in the grassy area of your yard in which you are feeding wild rabbits. The pesticides could make the wild rabbits very sick.^[9]
3. Place pelleted rabbit food out for the wild rabbits. Pellets are a great nutritional source for rabbits. Pellets with seeds are ideal for wild rabbits.^[10] Keep in mind that pellets tend to be very nutrient dense—you do not need to feed them in large quantities.^[11]
   
   • Look for pellets at your local pet store. If you can approximate the sizes of the wild rabbits, you could ask the staff at the pet store about an adequate amount of pellets to feed the rabbits.
4. Give the wild rabbits fresh vegetables. Vegetables are another good food option for wild rabbits. For the wild rabbits in your yard, you can give them carrots, parsley, sprouts, and beets.^[12] Thoroughly rinsed carrot tops are another good vegetable option.^[13]
   
   • Thoroughly rinse all vegetables to remove pesticides.
   • Although carrots are a very popular food for rabbits, they are high in carbohydrates and should only be fed in small quantities.^[14] Feed the wild rabbits a smaller amount of carrots than the other vegetables.
   • Do not feed the wild rabbits vegetables that can cause gas or bloating: broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. Since rabbits are unable to pass gas, the buildup of gas in their digestive systems can cause serious health issues and may even be fatal.^[15]
   • Because wild rabbits are not as acclimated to vegetables as domesticated rabbits, introduce them to vegetables slowly.^[16] Try feeding them just one type of vegetable at a time.
   • Wild rabbits can develop diarrhea if they are introduced to new vegetables too quickly.
   • Wild rabbits also enjoy eating clover and watercress.^[17][18]
5. Provide the wild rabbits with small amounts of fruit. Wild rabbits will eat small berries, but will also eat other plant parts to balance off the fruit’s high sugar content.^[19] If you would like to give fruit to the wild rabbits, consider giving them different types of berries: blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries.^[20]
   
   • For raspberries and blackberries, provide the wild rabbits with the fruit as well as the plant stems and leaves.^[21]
   • Bananas and dried fruit are very high in sugar and should be fed only sparingly (even less than the other fruits). Per rabbit, one to two half-inch slices of bananas and two to three pieces of dried fruit would be enough.^[22]
   • Other types of fruit you could feed the wild rabbits include papaya, honeydew melon, and plums (without the pit). However, you may want to stick with the berries, since the rabbits may be more accustomed to eating these in their natural environment.

EditFeeding an Orphaned Baby Wild Rabbit

1. Determine if the baby wild rabbit is truly an orphan. If you find a nest of baby wild rabbits and the mother is not around, or if you see tiny baby wild rabbits hopping around on their own, you may think they are orphans. More times than not, however, this is not the case—their mother is simply not at the nest and will return later. It would be better for you to be certain whether the babies are orphans before attempting to feed and care for them.
   
   • Wild rabbit mothers nurse for short periods during the night and early dawn, then leave the nest during the day.^[23] Therefore, it would not be surprising if you did not see the mother with her babies during daytime hours.
   • If the babies’ tummies look nice and plump, you can be confident that their mother is caring for them. If you look closely at their bodies, you may be able to see a ‘milk line’ through their skin—evidence of nursing.^[24]
   • If you want to be sure the mother is around, you can place string in a grid pattern over the nest.^[25] Arrange the string in the evening and check it in the morning. If it is disturbed, then the mother has returned to the nest.
   • Baby wild rabbits who appear cold, weak, dehydrated (loose skin stays tented when you pinch it), or injured are likely orphaned.^[26] Since baby wild rabbits are extremely difficult to rehabilitate and care for,^[27] you should contact a wildlife rehabilitation center as soon as possible. ^[28]
2. Learn what to feed orphaned baby wild rabbits. In the event that you are not able to get to a wildlife rehabilitation center right away, you may need to provide at least initial care (food, general comfort) to the orphaned baby wild rabbits. Regular goat milk is frequently recommended for baby wild rabbits.^[29] Kitten and puppy milk replacers are also good choices.^[30][31]
   
   • Milk replacers are available at your local pet stores.
   • You may be able to find regular goat milk at your local grocery store. If it is not available there, ask the grocer where you can find it.
   • Cow’s milk and human baby formula (Pedialyte) are not recommended for feeding baby wild rabbits.^[32]
   • If the baby wild rabbits are cold prior to you feeding them, warm them up by placing them in a shoebox lined with a clean, soft cloth. Set a heating pad on low and set in a tabletop. Place the shoebox halfway on the heating pad—this will allow the babies to move away from the heat if they become too warm.^[33]
3. Feed the baby wild rabbits. Knowing what to feed baby wild rabbits is only half the battle—knowing how to feed them is a crucial component to their survival. Because they are so small, baby wild rabbits can be fed with a syringe (one to three milliliters), which is available at your local pharmacy.^[34][35] Eyedroppers are another good option.^[36]
   
   • To remove harmful bacteria from the milk or formula, warm them up in the microwave or boil them on the stove.^[37] Cold milk or formula could cause potentially fatal diarrhea in baby wild rabbits.^[38]
   • Keep the feeding area quiet so as not to stress the babies.^[39]
   • One at a time, gently pick up each baby wild rabbit and hold him loosely but firmly in a soft cloth. Tilt his head so that it is higher than his back end and place the syringe near the side or bottom of his mouth—these two actions will prevent him from accidentally inhaling the liquid down into his lungs.^[40][41]
   • Do not overfeed the baby wild rabbit. You will know when to stop feeding when his tummy becomes slightly rounded.^[42]
   • Visit the website http://www.orphanedwildlifecare.com/rabbitandhare.htm to know how much to feed, and how often, according the baby wild rabbits’ ages.
   • Make sure to wash your hands before each feeding session.^[43]
4. Stimulate urination and defecation. After the baby wild rabbits have finished eating, it is important for them to urinate and defecate to keep their digestive and urinary systems healthy. To do this, stroke the anal area with a cotton ball moistened with warm water until the rabbit urinates and defecates.^[44]
   

EditTips

• Rabbits are herbivores and enjoy eating a variety of plants.^[45]
• Wild rabbits have a penchant for destroying gardens and trees. Consider constructing a two-foot chicken wire fence, supported by posts placed six to eight feet apart, around your garden. Commercial tree wraps and plastic tree guards are available to protect the trees in your yard.^[46]
• Be mindful that feeding the wild rabbits in your yard can lead to them become dependent on you feeding them.^[47]

EditWarnings

• Not knowing how to properly rehabilitate and care for an orphaned baby wild rabbit can do more harm than good.^[48] Transfer the care of the orphaned rabbits to the nearest wildlife rehabilitation center as soon as possible.
• Pesticides are toxic to wild rabbits.^[49]
• Certain vegetables (e.g., broccoli) can cause potentially fatal gas and bloating in wild rabbits.^[50]
• Unless you are licensed by your state’s Department of Environmental Protection, it is illegal for you to keep and care for a wild animal.^[51]

EditSources and Citations

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