No charges, no closure in Tamir Rice case

December 28

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No charges and no closure in Cleveland

The prosecutor described it as a "perfect storm of human error." The governor called it a "heartbreaking tragedy." No matter how you label it, a Cleveland grand jury declined to bring charges Monday in the shooting death of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, Cuyahoga County prosecutor Timothy McGinty said. The grand jury was asked to determine whether police officers Timothy Loehmann and Frank Garmback should be charged. The officers were responding to a report about a man with a gun near a recreation center in November 2014 when they confronted Tamir. But a dispatcher didn't tell them the caller thought the gun was fake — and Tamir was carrying an Airsoft gun, which shoots plastic pellets. McGinty said the dispatcher's lapse was key to the case. Even so, Tamir's family wants the Justice Department to investigate. "The way prosecutor McGinty has mishandled the grand jury process has compounded the grief of this family," the family statement said.

We bid sad goodbyes to a couple of greats

Some knew him as George; others called him the "Clown Prince of Basketball." We knew him best as Meadowlark Lemon, a name synonymous with the Harlem Globetrotters. Lemon, known for his captivating and amusing style on the court, died Sunday in Scottsdale, Ariz. He was 83. During his 24-season run with the Globetrotters, he developed an unworldly hook shot — often using it at near half court — and brought a flair to basketball that has been emulated at the highest level of the game, the NBA. Meanwhile, the art world mourns the loss of Ellsworth Kelly , one of the last of the American masters of abstract art who was often credited with defining the art of the past 50 years. The painter/sculptor died Sunday at his home in Spencertown, N.Y. He was 92. Swipe through this gallery to see some of his amazing work.

What do Obama, Trump and the pope have in common?

They're at the top of the annual Gallup Poll of most admired men. President Obama is first with 17%, and The Donald and the pope make for an intriguing tie for second place with 5% each. Also on the list: George W. Bush, Billy Graham and Bill Gates. Hey, why no women? There's a separate poll for that, and Hillary Clinton is at the top for the 14th straight year and 20th time overall.

Say hello to conversational commerce

Picture this: You're texting with friends as you're leaving work when you remember to organize dinner. So, without leaving your messaging conversation, you order a pizza and an Uber to go home, and then check your bank account balance. That convenient future is closer than you'd think, and it could mean an end to clumsy toggling between apps, mobile search and texting. "Conversational commerce" brings your shopping experience into where you spend most of your time: messaging apps. Read how it's about to disrupt the way you communicate with brands here.

Let's talk money — as in where we're spending it

It's the other "B" word. "Budget" — that thing you need to know about when your money is coming in and where it's going. Even if you've never tracked your spending, your bank or credit card company is probably already doing it for you. Many have started generating end-of-the-year reports for customers that categorize all your transactions. (Yes, that means they know exactly how many times you inhaled a Chipotle burrito in the past 365 days.) Start with those reports to identify areas where you can cut expenses. Who knows? It might be as easy as canceling the gym membership you never use or reducing your reliance on Seamless.