Even Cord Cutters Will Have to Pay the Cable Bill

"Internet television finally seems nigh. ESPN (DIS) on Wednesday said it has held introductory discussions to offer its channels through Web-based TV services. That comes on the heels of news that Sony (SNE) had reached a preliminary Internet distribution deal with Viacom (VIAB) and that Google (GOOG) was talking to the NFL about buying the rights to its Sunday Ticket package. And, of course, the reports of Apple TV (AAPL) persist.

These deals seem like a cord cutter's dream. But don't think you're going to get out of those monthly cable bills. The big cable companies also provide Internet service, and the industry is getting increasingly aggressive about billing customers based on how much data they use, as opposed to a monthly flat rate. Comcast (CMCSA), Time Warner Cable (TWC), and Mediacom recently introduced this kind of plan. Given that streaming video gobbles up bandwidth, this could be big business for the cable companies.

A Time Warner Cable spokesman described the move as a way to allow light Internet users to pay less, and this week the company began offering $5 to $8 monthly discounts to customers who use less data. At the same time, people who use more data will pay more—maybe a lot more. According to Comcast figures, replacing HD video from cable with Internet programming would likely use about 648 gigabytes of data per month. Under Comcast's new pricing plans, that would cost customers an additional $60 each month.

This strategy isn't new (phone companies bill this way), not even to cable companies, which for years have been saying usage-based pricing is inevitable. But the industry may have made things significantly harder by taking so long to get to it. With Internet television appearing to be a serious competitor to traditional cable service, regulators could see price caps as a way to squeeze out competition from Internet companies. In a report released this week, an advisory committee to the Federal Communications Commission said there are many open questions surrounding the subject (PDF).

Cable industry analyst Craig Moffett says the chances of regulators approving usage-based pricing systems are relatively low if there are already viable Internet television services on the market. "In effect, we are now in a race," he says. "So the question becomes this: What will appear first, a credible online video alternative, or widespread adoption of usage-based pricing?"

The problem, says Michael Weinberg, vice president of an open internet advocacy organization, is that data caps would force companies to pay Internet service providers for special treatment. Such deals are reportedly already in the works for wireless data plans, and there are signs of similar moves in broadband. Last year, Comcast announced a plan where its own online video services would not count against data plans for its Xfinity customers who were streaming video via Xbox or TiVo (TIVO). The company has declined to enforce its data caps up to this point, and the FCC has yet to respond to advocates demanding action. Comcast has not responded to a request for comment.

In a letter submitted to the FCC on Thursday, Weinberg asked the agency to weigh in. He says the potential to price competitors out of the market should show how the cable companies are gearing up to squeeze people who have no other options. "If the market sustains that kind of thing, if it doesn't punish you, it means there isn't much of a market," he says."

Rapper 2 Chainz arrested in Oklahoma City

"OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Rapper 2 Chainz was one of 11 people arrested after refusing to get off a tour bus for almost nine hours following a traffic stop in Oklahoma City early Thursday morning, police said.

2 Chainz, whose real name is Tauheed Epps, and the others were arrested on a charge of obstructing a police officer and booked into the Oklahoma County Jail on Thursday morning, Sgt. Jennifer Wardlow said.

But by Thursday afternoon, all 11 had paid the $2,000 bail and were released from custody, Oklahoma County Sheriff's spokesman Mark Myers said.

The 35-year-old rapper performed with Lil Wayne and T.I. in Oklahoma City on Wednesday night. Police stopped 2 Chainz's tour bus around midnight near Interstate 40 because of an illegal taillight and noticed drug use, though Wardlow wouldn't go into specifics.

The driver was arrested, "but as he got off the bus, the interior door shut and locked and obviously our officers could not get in there," she said.

The remaining people on the bus refused to leave the vehicle, so officers towed it to a nearby police training facility about four miles away, Wardlow said.

Investigators obtained a warrant and all 11 people came off the bus around 9 a.m., Wardlow said. They were then arrested on the charge and booked into jail.

Wardlow also said investigators found narcotics on the bus, but don't know to whom those belonged. She said more charges could be filed later.

The Atlanta-based rapper, initially known as Tity Boi, was a member of the rap duo Playaz Circle before going solo. His 2012 debut album, "Based on a T.R.U. Story," topped the Billboard charts. His new album, "B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time," is set to be released next month.

Earlier this year, 2 Chainz was acquitted of marijuana charges he faced after a traffic stop on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

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Follow Kristi Eaton on Twitter at http://twitter.com/kristieaton.
"

‘Rapture-Palooza’ Blu-ray/Signed Poster Giveaway & Exclusive Clip

"What's funnier than Craig Robinson playing Satan? Craig Robinson playing Satan, moving into Anna Kendrick's neighborhood, and putting his beastly moves on her. Now that's comic gold. It's all part of the fun going on in one of the best apocalyptic comedies of the summer, "Rapture-Palooza," starring Robinson, Kendrick, John Francis Daley, Ron Huebel, Ken Jeong, Thomas Lennon, and Rob Corddry. And if that isn't enough to rev your laugh-meter, the film comes from Chris Matheson, the comedic genius who penned one of the best time-travel comedies ever: "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" (1989). Party time! To celebrate today's home entertainment release of "Rapture-Palooza," we're doing a giveaway! Four lucky Yahoo! Movies Twitter followers will each receive a "Rapture-Palooza" Blu-ray and a poster signed by Robinson, Corddry, and Huebel. Cause if you're going to be left behind during the rapture, you want to make sure you have a good comedy in your collection. Here's how to enter: Step 1: Follow @yahoomovies on Twitter Step 2: Tweet this message: It's good to be the beast! I want to win the #RapturePalooza signed poster and Blu-ray from @yahoomovies: http://yhoo.it/Rapture #YahooDVD Note: One entry per person/email address/Twitter handle. Step 3: The giveaway ends 11:59 a.m. PT on August 28, 2013. Winners will be notified on Twitter and will receive a Direct Message with further information. Keep in mind, this giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Official Rules: Yahoo! Movies Giveaway: 'Rapture-Palooza' Prize Pack THE FOLLOWING PROMOTION (THE "PROMOTION") IS INTENDED FOR PLAY IN THE FIFTY UNITED STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ONLY (COLLECTIVELY, THE "ELIGIBILITY AREA") AND SHALL ONLY BE CONSTRUED AND EVALUATED ACCORDING TO UNITED STATES LAW. DO NOT ENTER THIS PROMOTION IF YOU ARE NOT LOCATED IN, AND A LEGAL RESIDENT OF, THE ELIGIBILITY AREA. NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE DOES NOT IMPROVE YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING. ENTRY IN THIS PROMOTION CONSTITUTES YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES. 1. Eligibility: You must be a legal resident of the Eligibility Area and 13 years or older at the time of entry. Void in overseas U.S. territories, possessions, commonwealths and military installations, and where prohibited by law. Employees and agents of Yahoo!, ("Sponsor"), Twitter, Inc. ("Twitter"), their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotional agencies, any other prize sponsor, and any entity involved in the development, production, implementation, administration or fulfillment of the Promotion (all of the foregoing, together with Yahoo!, collectively referred to as "Promotion Entities"), and the immediate family members and persons living in the same household as such individuals, whether related or not, are not eligible to participate or win. Twitter is not a sponsor of, or is in any way affiliated with, this Promotion. 2. How To Enter: a. Registration: The "Promotion Period" is defined as the period specified in the Yahoo! Movies blog for each promotion. If you are not an existing Twitter account holder, visit twitter.com and follow the instructions to register for a free Twitter account. Once logged into Twitter, set your Twitter account to "follow" the Twitter handle associated with the Promotion, @YahooMovies (the "Promotion Twitter Address"). You MUST "follow" the Promotion Twitter Address during the entire Promotion Period to be eligible to win. b. Entry: Once you have registered for the Promotion, complete your entry in the Promotion by either i. Mail Entry: Send a printed copy of this web page along with your name and contact information to: Yahoo! Movies Promotion Entry, Yahoo! Inc., 2400 Broadway, First Floor, Santa Monica, CA 90404. Include the name of the Promotion you are entering with your entry. Entries post marked after the close of the Promotion Period will not be honored. ii. Twitter Entry: Send a Twitter update (a "Tweet"), using the Twitter account you set up in Rule 2a above, to @yahoomovies with the words "It's good to be the beast! I want to win the #RapturePalooza signed poster and Blu-ray from @yahoomovies: http://yhoo.it/Rapture #YahooDVD" iii. You will receive ONE entry in the Promotion (an "Entry"), when you submit a Tweet to @yahoomovies during the Promotion Period, in accordance with the method described above. For purposes of these Official Rules, "receipt" of an Entry occurs when Yahoo! receives your registration and entry information as properly submitted by you in accordance with the instructions above. In the event of a dispute regarding the identity of the holder of a Twitter account or handle, the dispute will be resolved in favor of the individual who is the "authorized email account holder" of the "alternate email address" provided when the Twitter account was created. "Authorized email account holder" is defined as the natural person assigned an email address by an internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization (i.e., business, educational institution) responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address. If Yahoo! is unable to verify the authorized account holder of a potentially winning Twitter account, that account will be disqualified and an alternate winner selected. A potential prize winner may be required to provide Promotion Entities with proof that he/she is the authorized account holder as described above. LIMIT ONE ENTRY PER PERSON, PER EMAIL ADDRESS AND/OR PER TWITTER ID. Although subsequent attempts to enter may be received, only the first entry received from a particular individual will count; subsequent attempts to enter will be disqualified. The submission of an entry is solely the responsibility of the entrant. Entries may only be made according to the method described above. Proof of sending (such as an automated computer receipt, "thanks for entering" message, or post office receipt) does not constitute proof of actual receipt by Yahoo! of an entry for purposes of these Official Rules. Automated entries (including but not limited to entries submitted using any bot, script, macro, or sweepstakes service), copies, third party entries, facsimiles and/or mechanical reproductions are not permitted and will be disqualified. Only eligible entries actually received by Yahoo! before the end of the specified entry period will be included in the prize drawing. Unintelligible, incomplete, or garbled entries will be disqualified. All entries become the property of Yahoo!, and none will be acknowledged or returned. 3. Conduct: By entering the Promotion, entrants agree to comply with and be bound by these Official Rules. The Official Rules will be posted at http://movies.yahoo.com/blog throughout the Promotion. Failure to comply with these Official Rules may result in disqualification from the Promotion. Entrants further agree to comply with and be bound by the decisions of the judges, which will be final and binding in all respects. Yahoo! reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual it finds to be: (a) tampering or attempting to tamper with the entry process or the operation of the Promotion or any Yahoo! or Promotion-related website; (b) violating the Official Rules; (c) violating the terms of service, conditions of use and/or general rules or guidelines of any Yahoo! or Promotion related property or service; or (d) acting in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner, or with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT OR ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE PROMOTION MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS. SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, YAHOO! RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. 4. Prizes: Grand Prize: Four grand prize winners will each receive one "Rapture-Palooza" Blu-ray and one poster signed by Craig Robinson, Ron Huebel, and Rob Corddry. Approximate retail value of prize: $49.99. The following applies to all Prizes: Approximate retail value of all prizes: $199.96. Limit one prize per winner. Prizes cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion or offer. Prizes may not be transferred or assigned except by Sponsor. Only listed prizes will be awarded and no substitutions, cash equivalents or redemptions will be made, except that Sponsor reserves the right to substitute any prize package with another prize of equal or greater value in the event that an advertised prize (or any component thereof) is not available. Expenses not specifically stated above, together with the reporting and payment of all applicable taxes, fees, and/or surcharges, if any, arising out of, or resulting from, acceptance or use of a prize, are the sole responsibility of the winner of that prize. Yahoo! expressly disclaims any responsibility or liability for injury or loss to any person or property relating to the delivery and/or subsequent use of the prizes awarded. Yahoo! makes no representations or warranties concerning the appearance, safety, or performance of any prize awarded. Restrictions, conditions, and limitations apply. Promotion Entities will not replace any lost or stolen prize items. 5. Winner Selection and Notification: Potential winners will be selected in a random drawing to be held within three (3) days following the close of the Promotion Period for each Promotion from among all eligible entries received. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. All prize drawings will be conducted by a representative of the Sponsor, whose decisions are final. Potential winners will be notified within seven days after drawing date. Prize notifications will be delivered by a Twitter update from Yahoo!. Return of any prize/prize notification as undeliverable, or inability of Promotion Entities to contact a potential winner within 48 hours following attempted notification may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner by random drawing. Any difference between actual value of a prize and the approximated value of a prize as stated in these Official Rules will not be awarded. 6. General Conditions: This Promotion is governed by the laws of the United States. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. By entering, participants: (a) release and hold harmless Promotion Entities, and their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees, and agents from any and all liability for any injuries, loss or damage of any kind to persons, including death, or property damage resulting in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from acceptance, possession, misuse or use of any prize, participation in this promotion, or while traveling to, preparing for, or participating in any prize-related activity, and (b) grant to Yahoo! the right to use and publish their proper name and state online and in print, or any other media, in connection with the Promotion. Except where prohibited by law, a winner's acceptance of a prize constitutes permission for Promotion Entities to use such winner's name, address (city and state only), statements, photograph, voice and/or likeness for any advertising and promotional purposes relating to the Promotion without further compensation, consideration, review or consent. 7. Limitations of Liability: Promotion Entities assume no responsibility for lost, late, misdirected, garbled or unintelligible entries or Tweets, or for theft, destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, entries. Promotion Entities are not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by website users, any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Promotion, or any technical or human error which may occur in the processing of submissions in the Promotion. Promotion Entities assume no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, failures or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers, providers, computer equipment, software, email, players or browsers, whether on account of technical problems, traffic congestion on the Internet or at any website, or on account of any combination of the foregoing. Promotion Entities are not responsible for any injury or damage to participants or to any computer related to or resulting from participating or downloading materials in this Promotion. If, for any reason, the Promotion is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of Promotion Entities which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this Promotion, Yahoo! reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Promotion and select winners from among all eligible entries received prior to the cancellation. 8. Privacy: By entering the Promotion, you agree to Yahoo!'s use of your personal information as described in Yahoo!'s Privacy Policy, located at http://info.yahoo.com/privacy/us/yahoo/promotions/details.html. 9. Winners List: The names of the prize winners may be obtained for 90 days following the close of each Promotion Period by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Yahoo! Movies Promotion, Winners List Requests, Yahoo! Inc., 2400 Broadway, 1st Floor, Santa Monica, CA, 90404.Please include the name of the Promotion for which you are requesting the winners' list. 10. Sponsor: Yahoo! Inc., 701 First Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94089. Twitter, Inc. is not a sponsor of this Sweepstakes."

Why, Why?! Rihanna and Miley Are Trying to Bring Back the Rat Tail

"It's one of those style trends, along with Hammer pants and fanny packs, that still haunts us from the '80s and '90s. But for some reason, Rihanna and Miley Cyrus are trying to being back the — gulp — rat tail. The singers, who are obviously conspiring to make the hideous hairstyle popular again, have both sported it recently. Rihanna, 25, revealed her rat tail, which is so thick that it could also be considered a mullet, in a series of pics she shared on Instagram . Meanwhile, Cyrus admitted in an interview with Kelly Osbourne on "E! Fashion Police" Tuesday that she'd worn the look the previous day with the help of a clip-on rat tail. The good news is that Rihanna changes her hair even more often than Miley, so it's not a question of if but when that long hair in the back will be trimmed. As for Cyrus, she made it clear during her chat with Osbourne that she's over her short locks. "I'm secretly tugging on it every night and taking Viviscal," she said, referring to a hair-growth vitamin supplement. "I'm not going to lie. But I'm going to rock it while I have it." As long as her hair remains short, though, we beg her not to let dad Billy Ray Cyrus talk her into rocking a full-fledged mullet!"

The most appealing new vehicles to American carbuyers are…

"For many years, the most-watched measures of how well a vehicle was built involved tracking all the things that could go wrong once that hunk of metal was in your driveway. Yet no one really buys a particular car or truck based on nothing but a quality number; the majority of tire-kickers invest more emotion in their vehicle purchase than they do when buying, say, a new toaster. That's why J.D. Power annually surveys 83,000 new owners about what's gone right with their vehicles — and this year's results show that bigger often equals better. Many of the results J.D. Power draws from the 2013 U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) survey sound like common sense: Carbuyers pay more up front for attractive vehicles, get more back when they sell them used and are more likely to buy from the same brand again. The insight comes from quantifying those attractions in terms carmakers can understand; vehicles with an APEAL score that's at least 100 points above the average for any given segment garner $1,800 more per sale than those whose scores lag the average by a similar amount."

Ray Kelly: 'Stop-and-Frisk' Ruling Risks Reversing Downward Trend of Violent Crime in NYC

" During an interview for "This Week," New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly warned that the ruling by a federal judge declaring the way his department carries out its "stop-and-frisk" policy unconstitutional risked reversing the downward trend of violent crime in New York City. "What we're doing - and what we're trying to do - is save lives," Kelly told ABC's Pierre Thomas. "Things are going right here in New York. And this decision certainly has the potential of overturning it," he said. During the interview, Kelly rejected the ruling by U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin, who declared that the NYPD policy had resulted in "indirect racial profiling" - with blacks and Hispanics - who make up the majority of those stopped by police under the "stop-and-frisk" policy - being unfairly targeted. Of the approximately five million stops over the past decade, about 10 percent result in arrest according to The Associated Press. For his part, the police commissioner defended the execution of the policy by his department. "You have to apply a formula of sorts. 'Do the stops comport with the description given by the victims of perpetrators of violent crime?' And our stops certainly do," Kelly said. "Nobody wants to be stopped…we have engaged in a major training evolution for several years, focusing on these issues, to do these stops with courtesy, do them with respect," he added. Scheindlin ruled the "stop-and-frisk" policy could continue with federal oversight and certain fixes. But Kelly expressed skepticism on one of the remedies ordered, which involves certain officers wearing body cameras. "When do you turn the camera on? When do you turn it off?" Kelly asked. "Do you have it on when somebody comes and wants to give you confidential information?" Like "This Week" on Facebook here. You can also follow the show on Twitter here. "

Railway implicated in Lac-Megantic disaster allowed to operate until Oct. 1

"MONTREAL - The railway at the centre of last month's Lac-Megantic train crash will be allowed to continue operations into the fall. The Canadian Transportation Agency announced the decision late Friday, reversing a move made earlier in the week. The arm's length federal regulator had suspended Montreal, Maine & Atlantic's certificate of fitness after ruling it didn't have sufficient third-party liability insurance. That decision was overturned after the agency determined that the railway had sufficient coverage to operate in the short-term. The railway's licence is now valid until Oct. 1. A statement issued by the agency explained the new decision is based on new information provided by the company. It stressed the extension is for a short time period. "Based on the new evidence provided today, the agency is satisfied that this provides adequate third party liability insurance coverage for operation from August 20 to October 1, 2013," the statement said. The extension is conditional on MMA providing confirmation by Aug. 23 that it has secured enough cash to pay for the self-insured portion of its coverage. MMA is implicated in the devastating July 6 derailment that killed 47 people and wiped out part of downtown Lac-Megantic. The cash-strapped U.S. company still faces a number of financial hurdles and its future remains in doubt. A criminal investigation is underway, several lawsuits have been filed, and the provincial government has demanded money from MMA for the massive cleanup efforts. Last week MMA was granted creditor protection in Canada and bankruptcy protection in the United States."