““Sling Blade,’’ which Thornton wrote, directed and stars in, is so important and personal to him that he’s almost afraid to talk about it. It’s the story of Karl (Thornton), a mildly retarded man who killed his mother and her boyfriend when he was a child and comes out of a mental hospital 25 years later. He returns to his Arkansas hometown and meets Frank (Lucas Black), a bighearted kid who becomes his best friend; Vaughan (John Ritter), a beleaguered homosexual, and Doyle (country singer Dwight Yoakam), an abusive alcoholic....

MORE: Junior to start Daytona 500 on front row “I told Amy, ‘I feel wobbly,’” Earnhardt recalled Saturday at Daytona International Speedway. “I’m just in the bus, and it was like, ‘Something ain’t quite right.’ “I couldn’t see anything physically wrong with me, and I didn’t have any problems like walking across the garage. Driving the car, I felt fine.” But crew-chief-turned-broadcaster Steve Letarte noticed during an appearance with Earnhardt before the Saturday night race at Kentucky that something was amiss....

Joey Logano roared to the win in the first race, securing himself a place on the inside of the second row for Monday’s Daytona 500. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who won the Daytona 500 pole last weekend, raced Logano for the win in the closing laps before dropping back. He finished eighth. MORE: Daytona 500 TV, live steam info In the nightcap, Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron and Jimmie Johnson finished 1-2 after a near-wreck on the final lap....

The over-the-top live sports streaming service released Part 1 of “The Journey: Canelo/Rocky” on Dec. 6 — the first original episodic programming produced by DAZN. MORE: Join DAZN and watch Canelo Alvarez vs. Rocky Fielding on Dec. 15 The first episode features an inside look at the training, preparation and personal lives of Canelo and Fielding. The fight will stream exclusively on DAZN after Canelo signed a record deal with the company back in October....

With City facing West Brom hoping to move ahead of Liverpool for the automatic place in the Champions League group stages, De Bruyne stepped up in the 27th minute of the contest and delivered a cross that deflected off West Brom’s Jonny Evans and into the path of Gabriel Jesus, who then put City up 1-0 in the contest. Worst Premier League team of the year While that assist may have been a little fortunate, it is nothing new for De Bruyne....

In fact, the hearing and balance systems are connected inside the inner ear. This is why as many as 30% of deaf people may have balance problems. One symptom of balance problems in a baby is not being able to walk by 15 months. Not surprisingly, children born with Type 1 Usher’s syndrome, a condition that causes vision loss and hearing impairment, have balance problems. Research Some research has been done into hearing loss and balance....

The final days of the Dean campaign felt like a good party that had lasted a bit too long. Venues grew smaller, attendance more sparse. Staffers began talking about imminent vacations involving warm beaches and umbrella drinks, to places like New Orleans (in time for Mardi Gras) or Bermuda. Even so, the campaign stuck to its ambitious, events-heavy schedule, methodically moving from one frosty Wisconsin burg to another. On afternoon trips, some on the Dean campaign bus passed time counting the ice fisherman sitting on frozen ponds visible from the highway....

After 11 years as head of the Bundesbank, Germany’s central bank, Pohl still doesn’t fit the mold of the buttoned-down banker. No gray flannel suits and briefcases here. Can you imagine Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan discussing fiscal policy on a TV talk show–then staying on to chat with a fellow guest who happened to be a sex expert? Karl Otto Pohl did just that. But don’t be deceived: this man is Europe’s most powerful monetary statesman....

FACES OF 2018: Ayton one of the breakout stars of the new year Ayton is one of those uncommonly gifted athletes the public will eagerly categorize as “one-and-done,” with all the same assumptions about talents, motivations and interests generally assigned to these young basketball players. It is reckless, though, to try to fit Ayton into any preconceived notions. He is not ordinary in any sense of the word. And he wants you to be clear on this....

Jordan took two steps, all elbows and knees, dropped the ball for one dribble, picked it up and returned to his assault on the approaching basket. He also was, however, assaulting the rules of basketball. Despite his protests, Jordan was whistled for one of the more comical traveling calls of this tournament, though he might well have gotten away with in the NBA. MORE: Top images from Day 14 in Rio...

We definitely don’t listen to Black girls who grow up to become Black women; R. Kelly gambled on that stance for decades and won handsomely. In education, we seem to have an enamored and transfixed gaze on the strength, candor and resilience of Black women; but while in amazement, we neglect to substantively examine the institutional circumstances that mandate those attributes as requiem for survival. Black women are invited to the table, but are expected only to serve—not to eat and be nourished like everyone else....

This week, Marc Levin, chief of policy and innovation for Right on Crime, an initiative of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, debates Rafael A. Mangual, fellow and deputy director of legal policy at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research and a contributing editor of City Journal. We hope you enjoy this substantive, information-packed, engaging exchange. Josh Hammer, Newsweek opinion editor, is also a syndicated columnist and of counsel at First Liberty Institute....

But since 2016, following the election of the heterodox Donald Trump as both Republican Party standard-bearer and, subsequently, U.S. president, conservatives and Republicans have taken to debating amongst themselves whether post-World War II American conservatism, as initially theorized, retains an enduring relevance. Perhaps, some argue, a new public policy program is required to meet today’s unique challenges. These debates are ubiquitous—and often contentious. This week, R.R. Reno, editor of First Things, debates Charles C....

The first debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, which took place in September, was marred by overlapping conversations. Trump and Biden spoke over each other, sometimes losing focus and getting off-topic. In an effort to prevent interruptions, the CPD announced Monday that it would selectively turn off Biden and Trump’s microphones in order to provide each candidate with two minutes of uninterrupted speaking time at the beginning of each section....

Finally. After two long, unendurable weeks with no caucuses or primaries–how did I even pass the time?–the day has come. As we speak/type/read, the voters of Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont are already heading to the polls to cast their votes for Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John McCain, Mike Huckabee or Ron Paul (yes, he’s still kicking). Huzzah. On the Republican side of the aisle, the stakes aren’t particularly high....

Uses The brain is unique in the human body because it is surrounded by bone. With other types of injuries, such as a sprained ankle, an injury will swell without causing further damage to the ankle. The brain is encased in bone, so there is no room allowed for swelling, which can put tremendous pressure on the brain and can even lead to death. Because the brain is in an enclosed space, more swelling means more pressure builds and this can decrease blood flow....

In the top of the first inning, Miami’s Dee Gordon was staring at an 0-2 count. Most batters would try to hit the ball in play, or foul the ball off, or wait and see if the pitcher throws a ball. Not Gordon. Check out what he does instead. MORE: Jury finds Royals mascot not liable for injuring fan | The worst All-Stars of the last 40 years He just drops what he’s doing, puts the bat vertically in his hands and watches the pitch go in the strike zone....

BY ZULHILMI ZAINAL Follow on Twitter Pahang head coach Dollah Salleh has blamed their 2-0 round eleven Malaysia Super League defeat to Kedah on the Elephants’ attackers. The match on Tuesday saw the debuts of Pahang’s mid-season foreign signings, forwards Austin Amutu and former Canada international Issey Nakajima-Farran, as replacements for Chan Vathanaka and the injured Forkey Doe. Pahang fielded four of their foreign signings in the clash, while Kedah fielded only two; Indonesia winger Andik Vermansah and midfielder Liridon Krasniqi....

Democratic Representative Regina Goodwin said she planned to bring forward a bill to Oklahoma’s House of Representatives in the body’s next session, the local Tulsa World newspaper reported. Goodwin was yet to decide on the exact language of the bill, but she noted that individuals who cast their ballots in person and accidentally spoil their slips are provided with an opportunity to recast their vote, meaning there is a discrepancy for absentee voters currently unable to do the same....