- 06/21 - 06/28 (2)
- 06/14 - 06/21 (32)
- 06/07 - 06/14 (36)
- 05/24 - 05/31 (6)
- 05/17 - 05/24 (23)
- 05/10 - 05/17 (42)
- 05/03 - 05/10 (33)
- 04/26 - 05/03 (32)
- 04/19 - 04/26 (25)
- 04/12 - 04/19 (33)
- 04/05 - 04/12 (40)
- 03/29 - 04/05 (26)
- 03/22 - 03/29 (36)
- 03/15 - 03/22 (22)
- 03/08 - 03/15 (30)
- 03/01 - 03/08 (29)
- 02/22 - 03/01 (32)
- 02/15 - 02/22 (36)
- 02/08 - 02/15 (25)
- 02/01 - 02/08 (29)
- 01/25 - 02/01 (20)
- 01/18 - 01/25 (22)
- 01/11 - 01/18 (23)
- 01/04 - 01/11 (21)
- 12/28 - 01/04 (17)
- 12/21 - 12/28 (28)
- 12/14 - 12/21 (36)
- 12/07 - 12/14 (39)
- 11/30 - 12/07 (101)
- 11/23 - 11/30 (122)
- 11/16 - 11/23 (103)
- 11/09 - 11/16 (96)
- 11/02 - 11/09 (105)
- 10/26 - 11/02 (258)
- 10/19 - 10/26 (143)
- 10/12 - 10/19 (108)
- 10/05 - 10/12 (94)
- 09/28 - 10/05 (12)
- 08/03 - 08/10 (19)
- 07/27 - 08/03 (33)
- 07/20 - 07/27 (27)
- 07/13 - 07/20 (151)
- 07/06 - 07/13 (341)
- 06/29 - 07/06 (345)
- 06/22 - 06/29 (345)
- 06/15 - 06/22 (327)
- 06/08 - 06/15 (12)
- 06/01 - 06/08 (11)
- 05/18 - 05/25 (23)
- 05/11 - 05/18 (25)
- 05/04 - 05/11 (28)
- 04/27 - 05/04 (24)
- 04/20 - 04/27 (23)
- 04/13 - 04/20 (54)
- 04/06 - 04/13 (25)
- 03/30 - 04/06 (31)
- 03/23 - 03/30 (19)
- 03/16 - 03/23 (30)
- 03/09 - 03/16 (36)
- 03/02 - 03/09 (27)
- 02/23 - 03/02 (29)
- 02/16 - 02/23 (31)
- 02/09 - 02/16 (41)
- 02/02 - 02/09 (33)
- 01/26 - 02/02 (38)
- 01/19 - 01/26 (34)
- 01/12 - 01/19 (24)
- 01/05 - 01/12 (33)
- 12/29 - 01/05 (26)
- 12/22 - 12/29 (21)
- 12/15 - 12/22 (56)
- 12/08 - 12/15 (36)
- 12/01 - 12/08 (56)
- 11/24 - 12/01 (61)
- 11/17 - 11/24 (40)
- 11/10 - 11/17 (70)
- 11/03 - 11/10 (52)
- 10/27 - 11/03 (33)
- 10/20 - 10/27 (38)
- 10/13 - 10/20 (55)
- 10/06 - 10/13 (53)
- 09/29 - 10/06 (58)
- 09/22 - 09/29 (49)
- 09/15 - 09/22 (66)
- 09/08 - 09/15 (63)
- 09/01 - 09/08 (48)
- 08/25 - 09/01 (59)
- 08/18 - 08/25 (37)
- 08/11 - 08/18 (33)
- 08/04 - 08/11 (55)
- 07/28 - 08/04 (35)
- 07/21 - 07/28 (54)
- 07/14 - 07/21 (79)
- 07/07 - 07/14 (63)
- 06/30 - 07/07 (53)
- 06/23 - 06/30 (73)
- 06/16 - 06/23 (63)
- 06/09 - 06/16 (54)
- 06/02 - 06/09 (57)
- 05/26 - 06/02 (53)
- 05/19 - 05/26 (49)
- 05/12 - 05/19 (54)
- 05/05 - 05/12 (42)
- 04/28 - 05/05 (70)
- 04/21 - 04/28 (49)
- 04/14 - 04/21 (25)
- 04/07 - 04/14 (49)
- 03/31 - 04/07 (60)
- 03/24 - 03/31 (29)
- 03/17 - 03/24 (28)
- 03/10 - 03/17 (69)
- 03/03 - 03/10 (47)
- 02/24 - 03/03 (37)
- 02/17 - 02/24 (58)
- 02/10 - 02/17 (14)
- 01/27 - 02/03 (10)
- 01/20 - 01/27 (5)
- 01/13 - 01/20 (51)
- 01/06 - 01/13 (27)
- 12/30 - 01/06 (15)
- 12/23 - 12/30 (22)
- 12/09 - 12/16 (37)
- 12/02 - 12/09 (54)
- 11/25 - 12/02 (37)
- 11/18 - 11/25 (30)
- 11/11 - 11/18 (75)
- 11/04 - 11/11 (52)
- 10/28 - 11/04 (46)
- 10/21 - 10/28 (28)
- 10/14 - 10/21 (2)
MIAMI (AP) — LeBron James headed to the Bahamas on vacation, Chris Bosh is on a world tour with his family and Dwyane Wade posted a photo of a new backpack suggesting he was ready for some offseason getaways as well.
So we know Miami's "Big 3" are going places.
Where those guys will be when training camp opens in September, well, that's the story of the NBA offseason — and the next chapter could start to be unveiled during Thursday's night draft. And here's five things to know as the Heat get ready for the summer that will shape the direction of the franchise:
___
DRAFT NIGHT: Thursday's draft might provide some clues.
If the Heat take a point guard, that might be a sign that free agent Mario Chalmers is expendable. If they take a big man, perhaps that indicates that James won't be asked to post up so much if he returns. But it's very possible Miami will have no idea what the Big 3 plan to do by Thursday. So look for the Heat to go "best available player" when they go on the draft clock.
___
DATES TO KNOW: After Thursday night's draft and before the free agency frenzy starts July 1, there are a few other key dates facing the Heat.
— June 29: Chris Andersen has until then to decide if he is accepting his player option of about $1.4 million for next season. Odds of this happening are virtually nil; Andersen wants a raise and after shooting 64 percent this season, he's going to get one, from Miami or someone else.
— June 30: This is the deadline for James, Wade and Bosh informing the Heat if they are opting out of their contracts and becoming free agents. Each is slotted to make just over $20 million next season and could stay with Miami even if they opt out. Also, this is Udonis Haslem's deadline to say if he is taking his $4.6 million player option.
___
IT'S DIFFERENT: In 2010, there was really only one formula in which the teaming up of James, Wade and Bosh could happen. There was a finite amount of money for them to share, and the salary of any player they wanted to add — Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem being the best examples — would have to come out of that communal pie. This time, there's countless ways things could unfold. That's both a blessing and a curse for Miami. It gives the Heat front office tons of options, and the creativity could help them put this puzzle together. It also gives the players the ability to make demands that simply couldn't be considered four years ago. There was one-for-all thinking in 2010, with everyone considered equals. It almost certainly won't be the same this time, not with James' stock still rising.
___
TAX CONSIDERATIONS: One of the few moments where James laughed during his end-of-season interview session was when the conversation turned to money matters. "I like money," James said. As such, it's worth noting that Florida has no state income tax. At his estimated $55 million annual income — including endorsements — he could pay about $3 million more in taxes than he does now if living in Ohio, or possibly $6 million more in taxes by moving to California. Then again, James makes enough to absorb any tax hit.
___
WADE'S LEGACY: There were absolute reasons why Heat President Pat Riley defended Wade so staunchly in his end-of-season meeting with reporters. Make no mistake: The Heat don't believe he's done. Wade has appeared in 871 games, playoffs included, with the Heat. Among current players, only Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili have played in more games and spent their entirety of their on-court careers with the same team (though Bryant was drafted by Philadelphia and Nowitzki chosen by Milwaukee). There's no denying Wade struggled in the NBA Finals. Still, there's many signs suggesting he's not finished, including this: He shot just under 55 percent this season, the fourth-best effort in NBA history by a starting shooting guard.
___
Follow Tim Reynolds on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ByTimReynolds
TOKYO (AP) — Honda, Mazda and Nissan are recalling millions of vehicles globally for a defective airbag manufactured by supplier Takata Corp. that could possibly explode.
No accidents have been reported related to Monday's recalls.
Honda Motor Co. recalled 2.03 million vehicles for the airbag problem, including 1.02 million vehicles in North America and nearly 669,000 vehicles in Japan.
That came on top of a million vehicles Honda recalled last year for similar Takata airbag woes.
Nissan Motor Co. recalled 755,000 vehicles globally, while Mazda Motor Corp. recalled nearly 160,000 vehicles.
Like Honda, both companies announced recalls last year, but in smaller numbers.
Toyota Motor Corp. announced an airbag recall earlier this month for 2.27 million vehicles. One fire was reported related to the defect, but no one was injured, Toyota said.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The West Coast ports that are America's gateway for hundreds of billions of dollars of trade with Asia and beyond are no stranger to labor unrest and even violence.
Now, the contract that covers nearly 20,000 dockworkers is set to expire, and businesses that trade in everything from apples to iPhones are worried about disruptions just as the crush of cargo for the back-to-school and holiday seasons begins.
With contentious issues including benefits and job security on the table, smooth sailing is no guarantee.
On one side is the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, with its tradition of fierce activism dating to the Great Depression, when two of its members were killed during a strike. On the other is the Pacific Maritime Association, which represents shipping lines and operators of terminals at 29 West Coast ports.
Both acknowledge that they are unlikely to agree on a new contract before the current one expires June 30, but they plan to negotiate past that deadline. That would fit the pattern from contract talks in 2008 and 2002. In 2002, negotiators didn't reach an agreement until around Thanksgiving, following an impasse that led to a 10-day lockout and a big disruption in trade.
The union's total control over the labor pool means huge bargaining leverage, which negotiators have parlayed into white-collar wages and perks for blue-collar work. A full-time longshoreman earns about $130,000 a year, while foremen earn about $210,000, according to employer data. Workers pay nearly nothing for health coverage that includes no premiums and $1 prescriptions.
Neither side has publicly discussed progress on negotiations that began May 12 in San Francisco, which is headquarters to the union and the maritime association.
Twelve years ago, the shutdown had a lasting impact on how products moved in and out of the United States. Hulking cranes idled. Ships anchored in San Francisco Bay and outside ports from Los Angeles to Seattle. Economists estimated the impact at $1 billion each day.
Even after trade resumed, retailers — with their just-in-time supply chain — worried that West Coast ports risked becoming a bottleneck. Companies looked to Gulf Coast and East Coast ports, which courted them by upgrading facilities.
"They can't afford to have their goods hung up either out on the sea or on the docks," said Jonathan Gold, vice president of supply chain and customs policy at the National Retail Federation.
Between 2002 and last year, the portion of shipping containers that came into the U.S. through West Coast ports dropped from 50 percent to 44 percent, according to a study by Martin Associates, a firm that analyzes transportation systems. Imports to the Gulf of Mexico and the Northeast increased.
Even so, West Coast ports handled cargo worth $892 billion in 2013 alone, according to trade data compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Worries over the current negotiations have prompted some stores to route shipments away from the West Coast, Gold said. Other importers planning for fall and winter shopping have shipped early to beat the contract's expiration date.
The maritime association warns that labor peace is essential to keeping West Coast ports competitive, especially with an expansion of the Panama Canal that will allow larger vessels to reach East Coast markets directly.
The union is not persuaded, at least not publicly.
"The competitiveness argument is an old saw that gets trotted out every time there's a negotiation," said union spokesman Craig Merrilees. "The claim has generally been used in an effort to extract concessions from the union members."
One area where the Pacific Maritime Association is looking for concessions is benefits. According to the PMA, the cost of benefits more than doubled over the past decade, reaching $93,200 per registered worker in fiscal year 2013.
During these negotiations, a new incentive is in play: In 2018, a 40 percent tax on the value of "Cadillac" health plans above a certain threshold kicks in under the Affordable Care Act — and the union's coverage qualifies.
Last July, workers and retirees picketed in Long Beach and in Tacoma, Washington, complaining that some families were shouldering tens of thousands of medical bills the health plan was not paying.
Employers said legitimate claims were being paid, but they were scrutinizing tens of millions of dollars of treatments that were likely fraudulent, including phantom appointments and charges for cosmetic surgery.
Other bargaining issues include what jobs will remain under union control, the introduction of technology that could make some jobs obsolete, and on-the-job safety measures.
___
Contact Justin Pritchard at https://twitter.com/lalanewsman .
Подписаться на:
Сообщения (Atom)