To military historians, millions of Americans, Europeans and especially the survivors and families of those who fought in World War II, June 6, 1944, is known solely as D-Day a day widely recognized as a turning point in World War II.
On the morning of the historic day, a coordinated assault was launched involving more than 160,000 Allied fighters storming the beaches of Normandy, France.
Success on D-Day was critical to an Allied win over n**i Germany. But, what does it mean? What does the D in D-Day stand for?
Could the D stand for decision, doomsday or even death?
While there is not complete agreement on the answer to the question, a couple of generally accepted explanations lead all possible answers.
The World War II Museum in New Orleans offers clarity on the topic citing author Stephen Ambroses D-Day, June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II:
Time magazine reported on June 12 [1944] that as far as the U.S. Army can determine, the first use of D for Day, H for Hour was in Field Order No. 8, of the First Army, A.E.F., issued on Sept. 20, 1918, which read, The First Army will attack at H-Hour on D-Day with the object of forcing the evacuation of the St. Mihiel salient.
According to Time, the D in D-Day merely means day.
Could it be that simple? Perhaps. Perhaps not.
Another book, War Slang from Paul Dickson, offers the following accounts for consideration:
Many explanations have been given for the meaning of D-Day, June 6, 1944, the day the Allies invaded Normandy from England during World War II. The Army has said that it is simply an alliteration, as in H-Hour. Others say the first D in the word also stands for day, the term a code designation. The French maintain the D means disembarkation, still others say debarkation, and the more poetic insist D-Day is short for day of decision. When someone wrote to General Eisenhower in 1964 asking for an explanation, his executive assistant Brigadier General Robert Schultz answered: General Eisenhower asked me to respond to your letter. Be advised that any amphibious operation has a departed date; therefore the shortened term D-Day is used.
The short answer here, the D in D-Day could mean day, departure, disembarkation, debarkation or day of decision.
The only real agreement on D-Day is the fact the invasion forever changed the course of WWII.
Need to more about the events of D-Day? You can follow a timeline of the invasion on Twitter.
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Two drug makers Roches Genentech and OSI Pharmaceuticals announced a deal on Monday to pay $67 million to resolve charges they made misleading statements about the effectiveness of the Tarceva drug to treat non-small cell lung cancer.
Specifically, the feds contend that between 2006 and 2011, the companies gave promotional materials to oncologists that included misleading and overstated survival data to influence prescribing. The drug was originally approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as a second-line or back-up treatment, but the inflated data prompted some doctors to use Tarceva as a first choice, which boosted usage.
In fact, there was little evidence to show Tarceva was effective in treating patients unless they had never been smokers or had a mutation in a protein involved in the growth and spread of cancer cells, according to a US Department of Justice statement. As a result, the feds contend the companies violated the False Claims Act, because federal health care programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, overpaid for the medicine.
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The case appears to be the first in which a drug maker was found to have violated that law by making misleading statements about survival data. Typically, many drug makers have been accused of violating the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks in the form of free meals and trips, for instance in hopes of persuading physician prescribing habits.
Tarceva was developed by Genentech, but was jointly marketed at the time by OSI Pharmaceuticals. However, OSI was purchased by Astellas in 2011, about the same time that the improper marketing appears to have ended, according to the Justice Department. We asked Genentech for comment and will update you accordingly.
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Genentech accused again of cheating health care providers
The infractions came to light thanks to a whistleblower lawsuit that was filed by Brian Shields, a former Tarceva senior product manager. His 2011 lawsuit described an elaborate scheme that was used to bolster Tarceva prescriptions, including kickbacks purportedly paid to physicians, although that allegation was not stipulated in the settlement with the government.
For his trouble, Shields will receive about $10 million, before subtracting attorney fees. His lawyer, Jeb White, a partner at Nolan Auerbach and White, said a wrongful termination lawsuit that Shields filed against Genentech is still under way.
A Genentech spokeswoman sent us a note that we believe our Tarceva promotional communications and practices were and are entirely proper and in compliance with the law.This settlement, however, allows the company to avoid the burden, disruption, cost, and distraction of protracted civil litigation and to focus instead on our business of developing medicines that extend and improve human lives.
The spokeswoman added that the drug maker did not admit to any wrongdoing.
The spokeswoman did note that the company did not have to sign a corporate integrity agreement, which is often required of drug makers that are found to have violated the False Claims Act. These agreements usually mandate that companies expand their regulatory compliance departments and that senior executives must personally approve steps taken to improve oversight.
Originally, Shields also named Novartis in his lawsuit since Genentech and Novartis jointly marketed the Xolair asthma treatment. Shields alleged the companies promoted the medicine for unapproved uses, but White said that the federal government, which joined the lawsuits against Genentech and OSI, eventually chose not to pursue those allegations.
WASHINGTON In their term that begins in October, U.S. Supreme Court justices will consider a case involving alleged fraud against the federal government in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
The case, State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. v. United States ex rel. Rigsby, is an appeal from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and focuses on alleged fraud on the part of State Farm in assigning damage from Hurricane Katrina. A jury previously found State Farm liable under the False Claims Act.
Cori and Kerri Rigsby, sisters, worked as claims adjusters with State Farm in the aftermath of the 2005 hurricane that devastated the Gulf Coast. The Rigsbys claimed that State Farm characterized wind damage as flood damage, thereby shifting the liability burden from the insurance company to the federal government.
The False Claims Act is a long-standing law that allows private citizens to file whistleblower-type cases and recoup for themselves part of the monetary savings.
Jurors in the case determined that State Farm had defrauded the government out of $250,000 on damage sustained to a home in Biloxi, Mississippi. The jurors ordered State Farm to pay $758,000 in damages and awarded $227,000 to the Rigsbys for their role in highlighting the fraud. Rigsbys attorneys were awarded $2.9 million in legal fees.
State Farm appealed the verdict, claiming that the sisters counsel had violated a portion of the False Claims Act that requires the claim to be sealed and not made public for at least 60 days. The insurance company claimed that attorney Dickie Scruggs, had made the case public in an attempt to persuade State Farm to settle the case before trial.
The 5th Circuit rejected the appeal and affirmed the lower court ruling, clearing the way for the case to go before the U.S. Supreme Court.
State Farm has asked the high court to determine what standard it will use regarding the privacy issue, as lower courts had differed on how important the 60-day-under-seal requirement is.
The case could have far-reaching effects. The Rigsbys counsel has asked for more discovery in the case, contending that State Farms fraudulent actions could involve thousands of individual cases.
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TAMPA BAY, FL TropicalStorm Colin remained on a collision course for Floridas Big Bend area Monday afternoon after strengthening somewhat in the overnight hours.
As of 5 p.m. Monday,forecasters at the National Hurricane Center placed the storm about 190 miles west of Tampa. The storm is anticipated to arrive in the Big Bendarea in the afternoon or evening hours Monday.
Tropical storm warnings havebeen issued from Indian Pass to Englewood. The storms maximum sustained windswere near 50 mph Monday morning with little change in strength expected duringthe day Monday.
While the Tampa Bay area isexpected to escape a direct hit from the storm, forecasters are bracing forheavy rains, increased tornado risk and the potential of high tides 1 to 3 feetabove normal in the region. The entire Tampa Bay area has also been placed under a floodwatch until early Tuesday morning.
County governmentsthroughout the Tampa Bay area have activated or partially activated theiremergency operations centers ahead of the storm. Sandbags are also beingoffered to residents by local county and city governments.
Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm. The declaration covers all Tampa Bay area counties.
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In Pasco County, government officials closed schools early and were warning of possible tornadoes. Wind gusts of up to 70 mph are expected in the afternoon hours.
Pinellas County schools also let students go home early ahead of the storm"s arrival.
The Sunshine Skyway Bridge was closed to traffic due to wind gusts clocked at 57 mph as of late Monday morning. Thousands of residents in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties have also reported power outages.
The Tampa Bay area hasnt beenstruck by a hurricane in more than 90 years. The last major storm to come closeto the region was Hurricane Charley back in August 2004. That category 4 stormripped through Charlotte County, leaving four people dead and an estimated11,000 homes damaged.
While Tampa Bay has been lucky, experts say thestreak isnt likely to last. Its not a question of if, but when, forecasterssay.
To get ready,residents are urged to create their own emergency kits, including food and waterfor at least three days. They should also know their evacuation routes, havetheir renter or homeowners insurance documents handy and should have a plan onwhere to go and what to do if a storm strikes.
To find outmore about hurricane season and storm preparation, read these related Patchstories:
To keep upwith storm activity as the season develops, bookmark the NationalHurricane Centers website andkeep an eye on your hometown Patch site for local information.
Graphics courtesy of the National Hurricane Center
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Rory McIlroy never made a serious push for the top of the leader board Sunday at the Memorial Tournament, but the worlds No. 3 player didnt disappoint himself or his fans.
I feel like 68 is a pretty solid score, McIlroy said of his closing round that pushed him into a tie for fourth. I take a lot from the way I played for the most part this week.
Coming off a win at the Irish Open, McIlroy had the best performance of any of the worlds top three golfers, including No. 1 Jason Day (tied for 27th) and No. 2 Jordan Spieth (tied for 57th). His driver was a major factor.
McIlroy unleashed crowd-pleasers off the tee all week, finishing second in average driving distance (303.4 yards) to Dustin Johnson (304.2). McIlroy was accurate, too, hitting 42 of 56 fairways.
That bodes well heading into the U.S. Open in two weeks at Oakmont Country Club near Pittsburgh.
Thats always a good club to have in your bag going into the U.S. Open, McIlroy said. I think it more comes from confidence than anything else, that I can stand on the tee box and aim right down the middle of the fairway and swing as hard as I can.
Not a threat
Jason Day, an Australian who lives in Westerville, began the final round seven shots off the lead and never mounted a charge. He matched his best finish on his home course with final round of 2-over 74.
Missing greens with wedges in the hand, Day said of his biggest issue in the final round. Just wasnt as sharp as I would have liked to have been. I hit in the water twice today. Just cant do that when youre trying to win a tournament.
Day maintained the top position in the World Golf Ranking that he earned from winning seven of his previous 17 events, including the PGA Championship and the Players Championship. His attention now turns to the U.S. Open.
Ive just got to focus on getting the process right, Day said. If I can do that, then hopefully the U.S. Open will time perfectly, and I can peak there.
Empty again
Phil Mickelson birdied three holes in a row on the front nine to put himself in position to challenge for the lead.
But he couldnt sustain it. Bogeys on the first three holes of the back nine ended his hopes. Mickelson shot par 72 and finished at 10 under, tied for 20th.
I didnt putt well enough to win, but it was a fun week, said Mickelson, who is winless in 16 Memorials. I dont have a good answer as to why I have not ever played very well here in the past because I think its a course that does suit my game. I just havent done it.
Home cooking
Dublin native Kyle Reifers finished his best Memorial performance with a 3-under 69 to tie for 20th.
He had a bogey-free round until his final hole when he couldnt get up and down after hitting his approach long into the rough.
It was windy, Reifers said. You just had to keep your sanity. Obviously, Im not pumped to bogey the last hole. But I played really well.
Chip shots
The toughest hole of the tournament was the par-3 No. 16, which played to an average score of 3.232. The easiest was the par-5 seventh (4.482). Rod Pampling had a hole-in-one at No. 16 in the final round, the only ace this week. The scoring average through the first three rounds was 70.681. It was 72.267 on Sunday. Only 12 of 162 rounds of the Memorial have had a scoring average below 71, including the first three rounds this year.
Mexico v Chile - 2016 Men"s World Olympic Qualification Tournament
Longtime Mexico captain Rafa Marquez was the hero in Mexico"s Copa America opener, scoring the game-winning goal in a wild 3-1 triumph over Uruguay at a raucous University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Uruguay had the trifecta of misfortune between the pregame festivities and halftime. Tournament organizers unfathomably played the Chilean national anthem for Uruguay, citing "human error" in a forced statement. Within four minutes, Alvaro Pereira had headed home Andres Guardado"s cross into his own net, and right before halftime Matias Vecino picked up his second yellow card for a reckless challenge on Jesus "Tecatito" Corona.
Uruguay played better in the second half even with the man disadvantage, and it found an equalizer in the 74th minute through the clutch Diego Godin, who scored off a free kick moments after Guardado was sent off. The 37-year Marquez made the difference, though, rifling home a close range effort into the upper right-hand corner after a set piece fell his way in the 85th minute.
Hector Herrera finished off the win with a header at the goal mouth, as Hirving Lozano"s cross to Raul Jimenez was then flicked Herrera"s way, and he nudged home the simple touch to seal the three-point haul.
Here are three thoughts on the match:
Finally, a game that entertains
Copa America Centenario hasn"t exactly gotten off to the most electric of starts. The USA"s match vs. Colombia in the opener on Friday was essentially over at halftime. Saturday"s triple-header yielded one (ONE!) goal between them, with a heartbreaking Haiti miss and controversially disallowed goal for Ecuador the closest things to resemble genuine excitement and talking points. Before this game, there hadn"t been one in which both teams scored. Given that Neymar appears more interested in sitting with Jamie Foxx, bagging selfies with Justin Bieber and attending the NBA finals, perhaps it"s no surprise that the play on the field hasn"t exactly reflected the best this hemisphere has to offer.
Well, that finally changed some in Arizona, where Mexico and Uruguay put on a worthy show in front of a capacity, pro-Mexico crowd. Even without Luis Suarez active (he did bark out orders as a de facto coach from the sideline), and despite being down a man, Uruguay dug in and showed its guile, changing its tactics and seizing a stronger hold on the game over the second half. When Guardado was sent off, Uruguay pounced.
Mexico came right back and found its winning strikes, while Uruguay"s players made a beeline for the officiating crew after the match, believing offside should have been called prior to Marquez"s winning strike.
It"s a top-heavy tournament field, so if Mexico-Uruguay is any indication, the heavyweight bouts will be this competition"s saving grace.
Rafa Marquez won"t go away
If it seems like Marquez has been playing for Mexico for 20 years, it"s because he has. His first cap came in 1997, he"s captained Mexico in four World Cups, and manager after manager continues turning to him.
He"s a villain in U.S. and MLS circles, revered in Mexico (even after the penalty he conceded to Arjen Robben in the 2014 World Cup) and he"s a hero again after his laser of a shot that left Fernando Muslera no chance and secured the three points.
It hasn"t always been pretty, and his time in MLS was an absolute travesty, but as long as he"s playing,Rafais Mexico"s heartbeat, for better or worse.
A key three for El Tri
These three points were the most important for Mexico in the group stage. Given it"ll be highly favored against its next two opponents, Jamaica and Venezuela, beating Uruguay effectively sealed first place in Group C, provided that the expected unfolds (yes, "that"s why they play the games," but this also happens to appear to be as predictable of a tournament field as there is in a group stage). Now, of course, Argentina must do its part and win Group D, but should Messi & Co. take care of business, Mexico will avoid the world"s top-ranked team in a potential quarterfinal. There"s a long road before then, but given Mexico"s form, talent and pathway, it all seems pretty clear.
Mexico"s unbeaten run is up to 20, and Mexico improves to 8-0-0 under Juan Carlos Osorio, though its shutout streak is over. For as much strife as Mexico had leading into the 2014 World Cup and at the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup (save for the final, where it was excellent), El Tri appears to have things figured out, certainly more than any other CONCACAF side, and its mental strength to remain in the game after Godin"s equalizer wasn"t necessarily a hallmark of past sides.
Attacking players" movement both on and off the ball kept Uruguay"s defenders stretched and on edge all night. Javier Aquino and Tecatitogot forward at will and dazzled in 1-v-1 situations over the first 45 minutes. Miguel Layun"s set-up to Chicharito with a curled early cross from the right in the first half was sublime, with the star forward only unable to put a shot on frame because of a heroic tackle by Atletico Madrid"s Jose Gimenez. Another Gimenez tackle prevented another would-be Chicharito goal in the second half.
Simply put, Mexico is positioned for a deep run with its toughest group game out of the way and confidence rising even higher.
