Names and faces

Rumor, a German shepherd, poses for photos after winning Best in Show at the 141st Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, early Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017, in New York.
Rumor, a German shepherd, poses for photos after winning Best in Show at the 141st Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, early Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017, in New York.

• Quite a rally for Rumor -- a commanding comeback for German shepherds, too. Rumor was crowned America's top dog Tuesday night when, a year after a near miss on the very same green carpet, she came out of retirement to win best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club. Cheered loudly all around the ring by a packed crowd at New York's Madison Square Garden, she's just the second German shepherd champion at the event that began in 1877. "Unbelievable," handler and co-owner Kent Boyles said. In a year that's seen lots of late, startling twists in sports -- think Patriots, Cubs and Cavaliers -- Rumor pulled something of a shocker. She'd been at home in Wisconsin for months, a house pet headed toward having puppies, when she suddenly jumped back into the show ring in January. Boyles is a fan of the Packers and star quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Seeing a pet go from the couch to the top prize is a dog world Hail Mary. The 5-year-old Rumor beat out a Norwegian elkhound, a Pekingese, a miniature poodle, an Irish setter, a boxer and a Norwich terrier in the final ring. The Irish setter called Adrian finished second. There were nearly 2,800 dogs entered in the 141st Westminster canine competition, spread across the 202 eligible breeds and varieties. "The German shepherd standard talks about quality and nobility," judge Thomas Bradley III said. "When you recognize it, it hits you at home, and that's what it really is. She is just magnificent." After Rumor's 104th career win, Boyles said ultimately, there are "puppies in her future."

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Invision/AP

In this March 2, 2015, file photo, Howard Stern arrives at the "America's Got Talent" Season 10 red carpet kickoff at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, N.J.

• A Massachusetts woman has sued Howard Stern and the federal government after her telephone conversation with an Internal Revenue Service agent was aired on Stern's show. Judith Barrigas says she called the IRS in May 2015 for a question about her taxes and was connected with an agent who was already on hold with Stern's show. They spoke for almost 45 minutes about a potential misapplication of her tax refund in 2014. Somehow, her 45-minute call could be heard by Stern's producers. Among the personal information the suit said was broadcast to some of Siruis XM's 30 million subscribers was Barrigas' phone number, resulting in droves of calls and texts to Barrigas. The lawsuit, claiming unlawful invasion of privacy and negligence, among other things, was filed Tuesday in Boston. Barrigas said that after the conversation was aired, she had difficulty sleeping and eating, sought treatment and has had difficulty finding a job. Why the agent was on hold with Stern's show is unclear. Stern's company did not immediately comment. The IRS says it doesn't comment on pending litigation but takes the confidentiality of taxpayer information very seriously.

A Section on 02/16/2017

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