After sifting through the NBA's rosters in our search for next year's Most Improved Player , Defensive Player of the Year and MVP , we'll conclude our series by identifying the candidates for the 2019-20 Coach of the Year Award. As we did with the previous three awards, we'll look back at the last nine Coach of the Year winners to formulate a baseline for potential candidates. Ultimately, we examined how many wins a coach's team had, how many years the coach had with the franchise, the team's conference standing and their improvement in wins from the previous season. Here's how the last nine winners stack up. Year Coach Wins Season With Team Team's Conference Standing Win Total Compared to Previous Season 2010-11 Tom Thibodeau (Bulls) 62 1st 1st +21 wins 2011-12 Gregg Popovich (Spurs) 50 16th 1st +1 win 2012-13 George Karl (Nuggets) 57 9th 3rd +19 wins 2013-14 Gregg Popovich (Spurs) 62 18th 1st +4 wins 2014-15 Mike Budenholzer (Hawks) 60 2nd 1st +22 wins 2015-16 Steve Kerr (Warriors) 73 2nd 1st +6 wins 2016-17 Mike D'Antoni (Rockets) 55 1st 3rd +14 wins 2017-18 Dwane Casey (Raptors) 59 7th 1st +8 wins 2018-19 Mike Budenholzer (Bucks) 60 1st 1st +16 wins Average   59.7 6.3 1.4 12.3 After examining the chart, it's fair to say that a team's conference standing and win total are the top two categories that voters focus on when voting for Coach of the Year. For a coach, it's important that their team's win total improves from the previous season   only four of the last nine coaches failed to improve their win total by at least double digits during their Coach of the Year campaign. And since no Coach of the Year winner in the last nine seasons has missed the postseason, we can start narrowing down the list of candidates based on the projected playoff teams for the 2019-20 season. These are the 16 coaches Las Vegas expects to make the postseason in 2020, along with their team's win total from last season and their projected win total for next year. Coach 2018-19 Win Total 2019-20 Projected Win Total Mike Budenholzer (Bucks) 60 56.5 Doc Rivers (Clippers) 48 55.5 Quin Snyder (Jazz) 50 53.5 Brett Brown (76ers) 51 53.5 Mike D'Antoni (Rockets) 53 52.5 Frank Vogel (Lakers) 37 51.5 Mike Malone (Nuggets) 54 51.5 Brad Stevens (Celtics) 49 48.5 Nate McMillan (Pacers) 48 47.5 Steve Kerr (Warriors) 57 47.5 Terry Stotts (Trail Blazers) 53 46.5 Kenny Atkinson (Nets) 42 46.5 Nick Nurse (Raptors) 58 45.5 Gregg Popovich (Spurs) 48 44.5 Erik Spoelstra (Heat) 39 42.5 Steve Clifford (Magic) 42 40.5 Considering that only six coaches are projected to improve their respective squad's win total next season, that cuts our pool of candidates to Rivers, Snyder, Vogel, Spoelstra, Brown and Atkinson, and while all six can make a legitimate case for the 2019-20 Coach of the Year Award, it makes sense to place them into three tiers. Tier Three: Kenny Atkinson and Erik Spoelstra Not only will the Nets likely be without Kevin Durant for the season, but they also aren't expected to finish atop the Eastern Conference, further hampering Atkinson's case for Coach of the Year. That being said, he'll still be in the mix if Kyrie Irving can inspire a young Brooklyn squad to overachieve in the East. As for Spoelstra, he has a new superstar in Jimmy Butler, but the Heat will have to elevate their game if they want to make a drastic jump in the standings. Miami's low win total from last season does give Spoelstra a chance at major improvement in the win-loss column, which greatly benefits him. Tier Two: Brett Brown and Quin Snyder Brown and Snyder have talented teams that are projected to finish near the top of their respective conferences, but they might not be able to significantly increase their win total, which is basically required in order to receive consideration for the award. The 76ers did lose Butler in free agency, but will bring back Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris from their 51-win roster. The newly signed Al Horford gives Philadelphia an additional boost, but will it translate to a major improvement? Vegas doesn't think so. Snyder's Jazz will be a tough contender in the West next season. That's because Utah swung a deal for Mike Conley before the draft and added versatile swingman Bojan Bogdanovic in free agency to complement the talented Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. The Jazz, like the 76ers, are expected to be near the top of their conference, but might not be able to improve their win total. While Snyder is expected to lead the team to a few more wins in 2020, it's not quite the 12-win improvement that past Coach of the Year winners have averaged over the last nine seasons. Tier One: Frank Vogel and Doc Rivers That brings us to the coaches in Los Angeles. Vogel and Rivers are expected to be leading two of the NBA's best teams, which will result in a lot more 'Ws' in the win column   especially in Vogel's case. The Lakers, who limped to 37 wins last year after injuries and wild trade rumors obliterated their season, have their win total set at 51.5, which aligns closely with the average improvement of the last nine COY winners. Even though Vogel is in his first season with the Lakeshow, we've seen three of the last nine coaches   including Budenholzer last year   win the award in their first season with their team. Rivers is expected to push the Kawhi Leonard and Paul George-led Clippers to the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference. While Vegas doesn't think that Rivers and the Clips will hit our baseline for a 12-win improvement, LA securing the top seed in the West would absolutely make him one of the top candidates for the award. As a result, Vogel and Rivers are the lone men in our top tier of 2019-20 Coach of the Year candidates. Spoelstra, Atkinson, Snyder and Brown do have the ingredients needed for a successful Coach of the Year campaign, but the two Los Angeles coaches are the front-runners based on Vegas' early projections and the history of the award. MORE: How Much Is Your School Spending on College Basketball Recruiting? The post The NBA's Next Coach of the Year Likely Resides in Los Angeles appeared first on Stadium . Related slideshow: 10 best moves of the 2019 NBA offseason (Provided by Yardbarker)


America's Team joins the rest of the country in congratulating the Women's World Cup winners, one sportswriter thinks he has a clear-eye view as to which Cowboy will make his first Pro Bowl this year, two franchise passers make the Top 25 all-time list, a current star admits to pushing the rules envelope against one of the league's best, and a menu of NFC East beers to wrap up the holiday weekend. All that and more on tap in this edition of News & Notes. Cowboys react to USWNT's World Cup win victory :: Dallas Morning News The eyes of the sports world were turned toward Lyon, France on Sunday as the United States Women's National Team took on the Netherlands in a battle for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. After goals by Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle gave the US a 2-0 win, fans from across the country took to social media to celebrate the victory. Afterward, several of the congratulatory messages from the Dallas area came from those that specialize in the other kind of football. CONGRATS, @USWNT ! #OneNationOneTeam https://t.co/tWCUfvjG7j - Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) July 7, 2019 - Troy Aikman (@TroyAikman) July 7, 2019 GOOD DUB! https://t.co/jkxFOga7XB - Kavon Frazier (@Kay_BlackSimba) July 7, 2019 Of the eight Women's World Cups ever played, the US Women's National Team, impressively, has won four of them. Well-deserved congratulations from one America's Team to another. Which Cowboys player will make his first Pro Bowl? :: NFL.com While the Cowboys players, coaches, and staff would all agree that the goal for the team in 2019 is the Super Bowl, a Pro Bowl berth is an awfully nice feather in the cap for the individuals who are named among the best at their respective positions. And although Dallas was well-represented in last season's all-star event, there are several Cowboys standouts still looking for their first invitation. NFL.com's Marc Sessler went through the rosters of each team , in search of the player most likely to earn their first trip. According to Sessler, linebacker Jaylon Smith may be ready to become a Pro Bowler in this, his third season… even after a sophomore campaign that many thought was deserving of a nod. "Let's remember that marvelous rookie Leighton Vander Esch was initially snubbed by voters before landing in the Pro Bowl as an alternate," Sessler points out. "Smith recorded the top pass-rush win percentage (27.8) and second-best pass-rush grade (84.8) at his position, per Pro Football Focus. Two Cowboys 'backers are not too many for this year's all-star festivities." Byron Jones talks technique versus Mike Evans :: The Mothership Pro Bowl cornerback Byron Jones is the latest Cowboy to sit down with longtime scout Byran Broaddus in the "Tale of the Tape" series featured on the team website. In this edition, Jones breaks down his technique against Tampa Bay's Mike Evans on a play where he broke up a would-be 25-yard completion down the left sideline back in December. Jones admits that Evans's size is the first factor he has to deal with when it comes to coverage. "He's unique because he has the tight [end] size, but he has the speed of a receiver," Jones tells Broaddus. "So for a guy like that, I want to put my hands on him. I want to slow him down the best way I can." The fifth-year UConn product then reveals how the receiver's movement at the snap normally dictates which hand Jones will use to try to re-direct his man. But on this play, Evans actually re-routes himself. And that leads Jones to use a different trick downfield. "So in this case, I just want to stay on top of him; I don't want to make it a footrace," Jones explains. "So I'll wait. I'll be patient to get hands on him a little later by cheating a little bit, but refs don't call it typically. I'll give him a little jab toward the top of the route, which puts me in position, and kind of takes him out of position." It went in the books as just an incompletion, but it's fascinating to hear a savvy veteran like Jones talk about every split-second decision and nuanced piece of mechanics that kept it from being a big play for the Buccaneers. Cowboys, NFC East rivals represented in list of themed beers :: ESPN Whatever brands of backyard brew you enjoyed over the July 4th holiday, ESPN presents a few you may have missed. Staff writer Alden Gonzalez found a handful of NFL-themed beers that might add a little extra punch to your next Sunday tailgate. And the entire NFC East is represented in some form or fashion. There's 'Ale to the Redskins,' a pair of Virginia ales that come in gold and burgundy, naturally. 'Brady's Nightmare' is a New-England style IPA that's created by a die-hard Giants fan; the beer is even crafted to have a 10% alcohol-by-volume content in honor of Eli Manning's jersey number. Eagles fans, as usual, are focused on the Cowboys. 'Dallas Sucks' is a pale ale developed in 2017 about 70 miles north of Philadelphia. The president of the brewery expected to sell "500, maybe 1,000 cases" that first year. They sold 14,000 over three months. It should be pointed out that the Eagles have just a 1-3 record against the Cowboys since the beer hit the market. So the rest of the division can keep making novelty beers; the Cowboys will be content with giving them all a reason to keep drowning their sorrows in it on gameday. MORE: UFC fighter Ben Askren had an excellent response to getting knocked out in 5 seconds Five potential Russell Westbrook trade destinations WATCH: Jorge Masvidal Knocks Out Ben Askren in Five Seconds 6 Chiefs could find themselves on the roster bubble NFL Analyst: Bill Belichick wouldn't let a late Rob Gronkowski return mess up the team


I've been analyzing airfares and hotel rates for most of my working life and I've learned a thing or two or three. Here's my latest, updated advice about lowering travel expenses.     Airfare If the price of the cheapest one-way ticket is half the price of the cheapest round-trip ticket, then buy one-ways, and do so on different airlines if it's cheaper (American outbound, United inbound for example). Here's why: if you buy a $200 round-trip from L.A. to Vegas and need to change just the outbound flight you're out the full $200 (those hated airline fees); buy the trip as two $100 one-ways, however, and you'll lose just $100. I always buy one-ways except on those international airlines that only sell round-trips at the lowest fares. If searching flights for two or more passengers, try pricing one passenger at a time. If there's only one seat at the lowest price the airline will price both seats at the next highest fare. Fares go down a lot for travel after mid-August when kids are back in school. So if you can, fly then. It's still summer, after all. If you're booking a flight on an airline to Europe that is cash-strapped   usually the ones with the lowest fares (R.I.P. Primera, Air Berlin, WOW), only buy with a credit   not a debit   card 60 or fewer days before travel. If the airline goes belly up your credit card company must eat the charges (federal consumer protection rules apply). Check to see if more than one airline is selling seats on the same flight. That's a codeshare in airlinese. I recently reserved a premium economy seat to London on British Airways but I bought it from BA's codeshare partner, American Airlines, on the aa.com website for hundreds less than it was listed on BA. Plus American let me reserve a seat at time of booking for free; BA charges $60 or $70 for seat selection until 24 hours before departure. Beware travel sites that don't have all airlines. Southwest only lists its fares at Southwest.com so always check them if they're flying where you want to go, but Delta has pulled its fares from some fairly popular apps such as Hopper and Hipmunk. How to tell? Do a sample search from New York to Atlanta and if the site or app doesn't show Delta you're not getting the full picture (I think apps and sites should disclose which airlines they don't show but that will never happen); there are rumors that United might pull fares from some third-party apps and sites, but so far it's just travel industry chatter. For a starting point when searching airfares, I do like GoogleFlights.com even though they've became heavy-handed, shoving their own travel and other products down our throats whenever we do a search   it's not for nothing that they're under antitrust watchdog scrutiny). Like most Google products it's a bit nerdy and more complicated than it needs to be (feature creep), especially with a recent redesign. My favorite feature is the fare map, if price is more important than destination. Instead of entering a specific destination airport, click on the "explore destinations" link and it will show a price map on the travel dates you choose. The "date grid" and "price graph" features are useful for finding fares if you're date-flexible and willing to fly whenever fares are cheapest. It also shows alternative nearby airports (Newark vs. JFK vs. Laguardia). It's a bit "inside baseball" and takes some exploring and patience but it's a useful set of tools. That said, Priceline might have a fare to Italy or somewhere that is hundreds less than on Google Flights. Online travel agencies buy seats in bulk and sell them either as part of air plus hotel packages or airfare-only.     Hotels Traveling solo? Some top hotels, such as the delightful Lygon Arms, an old coaching inn in the English Cotswolds, and London's adorable Draycott Hotel, have single-bedded rooms that are much cheaper than, but just as luxurious as, the larger ones, but you won't find them for sale unless you specify one guest (booking sites always default to two guests, you may have noticed). Don't be afraid of booking hotels with websites you've never heard of. I booked a room at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston last year using one of these (I've forgotten the name … HotelWow? HotelNow?) and saved $250 compared to the hotel's website (again, credit card only and finish your stay within 60 days of the charge appearing on your credit card statement; and call the hotel to make sure your room is booked). Lesson: it's not always cheaper to book direct with the airline or hotel. I always look at the hotel site and then compare on Trivago   because they list prices on some little-known vendors   that's where I found the Fairmont deal   as well as on Priceline, Expedia and other online travel agencies. If I can't find a deal online I'll call the hotel's reservations manager directly (not the 800 number) and try to finagle at least free parking or free breakfast. Sometimes there are special deals lurking in the hotel's computer systems that you won't find online.     Packages Price air plus hotel using an online travel agency, such as one of Priceline's and Expedia's many subsidiaries (Travelocity, Orbitz, etc.) and then compare the hotel and air separately on the hotel's and airline's sites. I've found package prices often save money versus booking air and hotel separately   makes sense, because despite the hotel and airline industry's attempts to lure consumers away from OTAs (resort credits, gift cards, what have you), they're still in business. Must be a reason, right?     Watch: How To Find The Best Summer Travel Deals (provided by CBS New York) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


Celebrations back in the day may have looked a little different, but there was still just as much red, white, and blue. Celebrations back in the day may have looked a little different, but there was still just as much red, white, and blue. Cover your ears After setting off a large firecracker in a post, Frank Craven, now of Centerville, Georgia (far right), and his buddies run off before it goes 'boom' in this photo taken July 3, 1938, in Lowell, Massachusetts. These Fourth of July photos will get you ready for the long weekend. Winning the trifecta 'Thanks to Mom's sewing, my sisters and I stole the show at the 1954 July Fourth parade in Hammond, Wisconsin. From left, Mary took first place dressed as a queen, Shirley took second place playing Uncle Sam, and I took third as a farmer gone fishing.'  Kay Geurkink, Baldwin, WI Salute the troops 'Here I am with my sister Barb (dark hat) in Rochester, New York, on July 4, 1960. I was four and Barb was five,' says Jean Yates of Churchville, New York. 'We lived with our grandmother Helen Figler until 1962 when we moved two doors down. What great memories we share of those lovely days spent together!' Wearing the flag These young women in Crete, Nebraska, must have done quite a bit of extra sewing in 1923 to create this living tribute to Old Glory. Bernice Sanderson, now of Los Angeles, was one of the 'stripe girls' (she's second from the right). If you're a fan of the Fourth, you'll want to check out America's most spectacular Fourth of July fireworks . Stars and stripes A young girl, dressed in all red, white, and blue, carries her American Girl Doll on her back. Traveling bell 'My stepfather, Harry Davidson, took this photo of the Liberty Bell when it came through Ogden, Utah, in 1915 on its way to the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco,' writes Mollie Weldon of Shreveport, Louisiana. 'There was a walkway on the flatcar, so people could get close enough to touch the bell.' Spirit of Philadephia 'My husband, George, was about eight when he was in his school's re-enactment of the Spirit of '76 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the 1920s. He's at the back on the far left.'  Norma P. Bradley, Brooksville, FL Drumming a patriotic tune A drummer, flag holder, and a man dressed in historic clothing get ready for a 4th of July parade. To feel even more patriotic, check out these gorgeous pictures of the American flag . Parade to the moon 'My sons Brad (left) and Bill loved to decorate their bikes for the Fourth of July parade in Sharonville, Ohio,' says Elizabeth Lamb of Albany, Oregon. 'We'd have a family conference on what best represented the occasion. In 1969, it was the evolution of flight, as America was about to put men on the moon.' Flags up A family set up a flag in their front yard to celebrate Independence Day. For the red, white, and blue It doesn't get any more adorable than this. These are the best places to celebrate the Fourth in every state . Bike ride A group of kids celebrates the 4th by adding festive streamers to their bike tires and dressing up as Uncle Sam. Little patriot 'My husband, Eldon, was three on July 4, 1941, shortly before America joined the war. Patriotism was strong at the time.'  E.M. 'Cookie' Miller, Yelm, WA


Everyone who's ever planted a garden knows that all that digging can be backbreaking work. Even a small bed of flowers or veggies in the yard requires a fair amount of bending, kneeling, lifting, and pushing-great for burning calories, but also messy and sweaty, especially in the hot sun. $49.95 BUY NOW Related Slideshow: 20 Drought-Resistant Plants for a Beautiful Yard (Provided by: Country Living) Any tool that makes the job easier is a welcome addition in my house, especially if it's a tool I already own. This brilliant little device from Hammacher Schlemmer attaches to a standard household electric drill, and just like any other drill bit, its job is to bore a hole. But instead of a tiny hole for a screw or a nail, this digs out a perfectly round, perfectly flat-bottomed, perfectly plant-sized hole in the soil, with just the push of a button! The specially angled blades extract loose soil as they spin. All you have to do is pop your hydrangea plant or tomato seedling out of its container and into the hole-ta-da! You're done, no laborious digging necessary. How cool is that? The drill bit comes in two sizes, six-inch diameter or four-inch diameter, and you can even get an 25-inch extender so that you barely have to bend over at all to use it. So what will you plant now that it's so easy to do? Here are some suggestions. Related Video: 10 Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Your Garden (Provided by: Country Living)


Even just reading about ticks makes me immediately spot check my limbs and start feeling itchy. (Sorry in advance for what this story will do to you.) But at the same time, I'm so paranoid about ticks that I can't help but click on anything that might improve my chances of avoiding those little suckers, even slightly. We know the basics (right?): Check your body after spending time outdoors (in the woods, your backyard, the park, etc), use the proper removal technique if you find one and cover as much of your body as possible when you're out in nature. But wouldn't it be even more helpful if we could get inside a tick's brain and find out exactly what it's looking for in a human? What causes it to swipe right on one mammal and not another? Because ticks actively hunt for their next target, knowing how they select their prey can help helpful for avoiding bites. How to Remove a Tick Without Touching It How ticks pick their targets Previously, I assumed that ticks just randomly hop on the first warm body they come in contact with whether that's a human, dog, deer or other animal but it's more complicated than that. According to an article in Popular Science : It's true that you often get exposed to ticks by brushing up against them. But it's not like they're just hanging out on a leaf enjoying a sunny day when you happen to walk by. They're lying in wait. OK, then. So basically, your innocent walk through the park is an invitation for ticks to feed. But how do they know where to jump? Turns out, they have tiny sensory devices on the ends of their front legs that help them detect scents. And sadly, no amount of deodorant or bug spray will save you, because the tick can tell where you are based on your breath  specifically, the carbon dioxide you release as you exhale. Ticks also love the smell of ammonia, so peeing in the woods gives them a major clue as to your whereabouts. Beware of Ticks: Lyme Disease May Be More Common This Year How ticks get away with it Unfortunately for us, it's pretty hard to tell right away if a tick has landed on you and started to feast on your blood. According to the TickEncounter Resource Center at the University of Rhode Island , we don't notice the bite because ticks secrete special painkillers called kininases through their saliva. This also allows them to stay attached for you for several days without you knowing a thing. In addition, the Popular Science article notes that not all ticks want to feed exactly where they land on you: some types like to explore different areas of your body before selecting the perfect dinner spot. According to the Centers for Disease Control , their favorite feeding locations include: Under the arms In and around the ears Inside belly button Back of the knees In and around the hair Between the legs Around the waist So be sure to check those places extra carefully when doing your post-outdoor-outing tick check. Remove Rodent Habitats to Keep Ticks Out of Your Yard Video: Lyme disease on the rise: What to do if you get a tick bite (USA Today) Location, location, location If you think you can move to another part of the United States and be safe from ticks, think again. According to the CDC , the only state where ticks are not a native species is Alaska. This means that they can be found in every other state including yours. The good news, the CDC notes, is that not every species of tick bites and transmits disease to humans. They have a handy map showing which types of ticks are found in each part of the United States. How to at least try and prevent tick bites Sadly, I can say from experience that no matter how well-prepared you are, ticks can and will still bite you. The traditional advice from the TickEncounter Resource Center used to be to use DEET repellents, tuck your pants into your socks, walk in the center of the trail and do a thorough tick check when you get home. But that doesn't always cut it. Now, they instruct people to treat their shoes, socks, shorts/pants and shirt with permethrin tick repellent the day before spending time outdoors. If you take the time to treat your clothes with permethrin, it lasts for a while: clothing treated at home can be washed up to six times and remain effective, while store-bought treated clothing can be effective after 70 washes. Furthermore, the CDC recommends taking a hot shower within two hours of being outdoors because it has been shown to reduce your risk of getting Lyme disease, and may be effective in reducing the risk of other tick-borne diseases. Additionally, showering may help wash off ticks that are not fully latched onto your body. Properly Remove a Tick with this Illustrated Guide What to do if you have a tick bite Basically, you want to make sure you remove the tick the proper way, and then wash the area with warm, soapy water. Your best best is to read up on how to do that now so that you're prepared in the event of a tick bite later . Gallery: Ticks are more dangerous than you think (Active Times)


Last month Matthew Wolff outdueled Bryson DeChambeau and fellow PGA Tour rookie Collin Morikawa to win the 3M Open in just his third start as a professional. Last week, and just 21 days after coming up short at the 3M, Morikawa earned his first win at the Barracuda Championship. Looking to continue the trend of PGA Tour rookie winners, Viktor Hovland walked off the course at 14 under, just three shots off the lead held by Byeong Hun An, after a third round 64 on Saturday at the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C. An shot a third-round 66 to lead at 17 under. Hovland, who won the NCAA Championship with Wolff at Oklahoma State in 2018, is no stranger to success at professional events. The 21-year-old native of Norway was the low amateur at this year's Masters (3-under, T-32) and U.S. Open (4-under, T-12). His score of 280 at Pebble Beach was the lowest 72-hole score by an amateur in U.S. Open history, breaking Jack Nicklaus' previous record of 282. Wyndham Championship: Leaderboard More: Morikawa keeps learning as one of Tour's rising rookies In his professional debut, Hovland finished T-54 at the Travelers Championship. In his next three pro starts, the 2019 Ben Hogan Award winner finished inside the top 20 at all three events: T-13 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and the 3M Open and T-16 at the John Deere Classic. Hovland has shot 70-or-better in his last 14 PGA Tour rounds, and he'll need another stellar round on Sunday if he wants to join his former college stars in the professional winner's circle. https://compass.pressekompass.net/compasses/golfweek/the-pga-tour-season-ends-aug-25%2033 MORE: This Patrick Mahomes throw from Chiefs practice can't be real Jay Gruden says the Redskins will choose a starting quarterback on Tuesday Five potential Jeremy Lin landing spots in free agency Jeff Van Gundy 'fascinated' by Morey's move for Westbrook Week 1 of NFL preseason will have these 4 games on national television


The Houston Texans announced Monday the signing of undrafted free agent receiver Floyd Allen. As a matter of housekeeping, the club also announced the official release of tight end Ryan Griffin. The Houston #Texans signed free agent WR Floyd Allen ( @LegendaryGrind ) and released TE Ryan Griffin. pic.twitter.com/re5dgD2ZjE - Texans PR (@TexansPR) May 20, 2019 Allen, an Ole Miss product, is a Houston native. Standing at 5-10 and weighing 199 pounds, the former Rebel played in nine games and caught a total of four receptions for 44 yards. Given his lack of playing time, it seems likely that he will be fighting for a practice squad spot. The writing had been on the wall for Griffin for some time. The 29-year-old saw a slight drop off in production last season recording zero touchdowns, with injuries yet again an issue. Add into the mix the fact that Jordan Thomas and Jordan Akins were drafted at his position, both of whom have shown great promise in the passing game, and Thomas also as a blocker and Griffin was going to have to do something special to retain his spot. This offseason the Texans also added veteran former Cleveland Brown tight end Darren Fells who specializes in blocking, while in the third round of the draft they brought in San Diego State man mountain Kahale Warring who looks like an extremely athletic pass-catching tight end. To finish it off, with Griffin being arrested in Nashville for punching and breaking a window on the night Warring was drafted, and his time in Houston was over. In six seasons with the Texans, Griffin caught 136 passes for 1,491 yards and seven touchdowns. MORE: Kevin Durant fired back on Twitter after Chris Broussard questioned his Warriors titles Injury to Reuben Foster could help Chiefs, Redskins strike a deal Magic Johnson confirms rumor that Lakers want to sign Kyrie Irving Should the Eagles inquire about DT Gerald McCoy if he's released by the Bucs? Kyle Rudolph could be a late offseason acquisition Cowboys need


Rep. Tulsi Gabbard , a relative unknown mired at the bottom of the crowded Democratic 2020 presidential field, was the most searched candidate on Google by the time Wednesday's debate ended, making the Hawaii lawmaker and military veteran one of the night's biggest winners. Google Trends data show that prior to the debate, Gabbard was the most searched only in her home state, while Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., dominated the country's Internet browsers. That changed when the debate was over, with Gabbard being the most searched candidate on Google in most states, with Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., a distant second. TULSI GABBARD'S SISTER CALLS OUT MSNBC FOR FAVORING ELIZABETH WARREN IN THE DEBATE Gabbard, an Army National Guard veteran who served in Iraq, grabbed the attention of the viewers every time she spoke about foreign policy and the military. During the debate, she called for scaling back U.S. military presence abroad and said "this president and his chicken hawk cabinet have led us to the brink of war with Iran." Slideshow by Tribune News Service Gabbard's military experience gave her authority in a harsh exchange with Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan, who said the U.S. must maintain forces in Afghanistan to ensure the Taliban is kept in check. "When we weren't in there, they started flying planes into our buildings," Ryan said. *"The Taliban didn't attack us on 9/11, Al Qaeda attacked us on 9/11," Gabbard replied. The data show that the moment that generated the most search traffic for Gabbard was when she was making her closing argument. MEGHAN MCCAIN CALLS TULSI GABBARD 'THE MOST COMPOSED AND AUTHENTIC' IN FIRST DEM DEBATE The Hawaii congresswoman's performance at the debate was praised by even some unlikely media figures, including Meghan McCain, a co-host of "The View," who said she was the most "composed and authentic." "Tulsi and I literally couldn't disagree on more (and she fundraised off of my name for calling her out on her relationship with Assad) BUT so far she's coming across the most composed and authentic," McCain wrote. Gabbard's success came despite receiving the third-lowest amount of speaking time with just 6.6 minutes, according to the Washington Post. Warren got the third-highest amount of speaking time with 9.3 minutes, outpaced by Booker with 10.9 minutes and former Rep. Beto O'Rourke with 10.3 minutes. Gabbard's sister, Vrindavan Gabbard, tweeted mid-debate about the discrepancy, slamming MSNBC for favoring Warren. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "It's clear who MSNBC wants to be president: Elizabeth Warren. They're giving her more time than all the other candidates combined. They aren't giving any time to Tulsi at all," the sister tweeted from the official Gabbard account.


Want to go on the ultimate road trip? Then you've come to the right place (err, pit stop). The best road trip is a five-day Monument Valley Trails route in the Southwest, according to data firm Geotab's Road Trip Ratings report . "Awe-inspiring views of the rock formations of Monument Valley, Valley of the Gods and the Natural Bridges National Monument are enough to make this road trip an all-time classic," the Monument Valley Trails entry reads. "The route heads out on Highway 163 then follows a counter-clockwise loop, with detours for Hovenweep National Monument, Blanding and the natural bridges." Other routes rounding out the top 10 included three in the Rocky Mountains, two more in the Southwest and several in the Pacific Northwest, among others. What noticeably didn't perform well on the list? The much-lauded Route 66, which landed at No. 44 out of 50 trips studied. Geotab used TripAdvisor data to rank trips based on attractions, accommodations and where to eat; traffic data to figure out how busy roads are, and a survey to determine the length of each trip by car. The company collected road trip itineraries from a variety of sources like Lonely Planet, National Geographic and the National Parks Service. "With so much variety to choose from, settling on one route can be a seriously tough task," Maria Sotra, the vice president of marketing at Geotab, said in a statement. "We created this study to see how U.S. road trips stacked up when data is brought into the equation." Other highlights of the ranking: The Hells Canyon Scenic Byway in the Pacific Northwest ranked highest in terms of attractions, while New Mexico's Two Roads to Taos trip scored the highest in terms of food. Road trips in the study on average take about five days. The longest road trips are 14 days long: Route 66 and The Best of California. The shortest trips are only two days long: Lake Champlain Byway and Maryland's Historic National Road. For those looking to avoid traffic, it's best to skip the Disneyland and Orange County route. About 100 million Americans are planning on taking a family vacation this year, according to a new survey by AAA Travel . And over half of those families plan on loading up the car and driving somewhere across the country. RELATED VIDEO: The Best and Worst States to Hit on Your Summer Road Trip (via Buzz60)


AMSTERDAM (AP) Former Bayern Munich and Netherlands forward Arjen Robben has announced his retirement from soccer. The 35-year-old Robben, who was thought to be looking for a new club after playing his last game for Bayern in May, said Thursday in a statement, ''I have decided to put an end to my career as a professional football player. It is without a doubt the most difficult decision I have had to make in my career.'' Robben, who joined Bayern in 2009 from Real Madrid, played 309 competitive games for the Bavarian powerhouse, contributing 144 goals and setting up 81 more. His crowning moment came in 2013, when he helped Bayern win the treble with the winning goal in the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund. Robben signed off with a domestic double despite missing most of last season because of injury. Altogether he helped Bayern to eight Bundesliga wins and five German Cup titles. Robben also won a league title in 2008 with Madrid in Spain. He helped previous club Chelsea to league titles in 2005 and 2006, and PSV Eindhoven to the Eredivisie title in 2003. Robben helped the Netherlands reach the 2010 World Cup final, where it lost to Spain. He made 96 appearances for the Dutch team before his international retirement in 2017. ''I was able to play in six major tournaments and was the captain in the final years. All in all an unforgettable time that I will always cherish,'' Robben said. --- More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/apf-Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports


LOS ANGELES, CA   After months of skyrocketing prices, gas prices continued to dip across the Southland Wednesday. It was the 22nd consecutive day of price declines in Los Angeles County. The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles fell three-tenths of a cent to $3.971 -- its lowest amount since April 10. Since prices began declining in the region the average price has decreased 14.9 cents, including eight-tenths of a cent Tuesday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. It is 4.6 cents less than one week ago and 15.3 cents lower than one month ago, but 20.5 cents higher than one year ago. City News Service contributed to this report.


During CNN's Democratic primary debate, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper sparred over whether Sanders is too extreme to beat President Trump in the 2020 election.


Kemba Walker is eligible to re-sign with the Hornets on a five-year super-max contract that projects to be worth $221 million. Instead, he sounds increasingly likely to join the Celtics . Stephen A. Smith on ESPNews: My sources tell me that Kemba Walker has informed the Charlotte Hornets and Michael Jordan he does not want to be there. He was offered a five-year deal. It wasn't the super-max deal he was qualified for. It was somewhere in the ballpark of 160-plus million. Adrian Wojnarowski on ESPN: Kemba Walker is poised to commit to the Boston Celtics on Sunday night when free agency opens. He has essentially left Charlotte in his rearview mirror. They were too far apart on a contract. This still feels like Walker trying to pressure the Hornets into offering more money. The rhetoric sounds just a little too strong. Walker's max with the Celtics projects to be about $141 million over four years. So, he'd be leaving about $19 million on the table. However, that's a shorter deal, so he'd have a chance to recoup some of that money in four years. Will Charlotte buckle and offer Walker more? I'd be shocked if he gets the full super-max, but I wouldn't be surprised if he extracts enough money to stay. There's plenty of room for compromise in the $61 million difference between the super-max and the offer. But the Hornets are correct to tread lightly. Though it'd be difficult to lose the greatest player in franchise history and someone who has embraced the Charlotte community , this is not some great era the Hornets would be ending. They've only sometimes made the playoffs and never won a series with Walker in his prime. They have extremely limited avenues to upgrade around him, especially because Jordan refuses to pay the luxury tax. It will get even harder as Walker   a 29-year-old small guard   ages. The risk is lower for Boston, which would have to pay him less and already has a solid supporting cast assembled. Plug Walker in for Kyrie Irving , and the Celtics should keep humming   maybe with lower championship odds, but with improved chemistry that should help over the long regular season. Related slideshow: Top 50 NBA free agents (Provided by Yardbarker)


Ben Roethlisberger was painted as a poor leader, but this poor leader will be spending a lot of time at OTAs getting accustomed to his new team. Sometimes things are just funny. Maybe it is the way some people go about their business, or in this case it is how some people speak out of both sides of their mouth. What I'm referring to would be the comments made by Antonio Brown , and Le'Veon Bell, while they both departed the 412 area code this offseason for new teams. Brown to the Oakland Raiders via trade, and Bell to the New York Jets via free agency. Brown called Roethlisberger a horrible teammate and a bad leader. Said he never cared and wished he had the work ethic to match his own. While no one is questioning Brown's work ethic, which is on clear display on a multitude of platforms, you do have to find it funny when the man who was calling Roethlisberger a poor leader/teammate is the one who is absent from Organized Team Activities (OTAs) on the west coast. Antonio Brown not out here for first day of OTAs #Raiders   Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) May 21, 2019 When it comes to former Steelers , and their whereabouts during OTAs, Le'Veon Bell also decided to not show up and spend time with his new team. You know, the teams they both were so excited to join. Meanwhile, back with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger declared he will be spending more time with the team during OTAs, mainly because of the amount of new faces on the team. Ben added he plans to be around at OTAs more this year than last year in part because of new faces. Said it was tough to hear his character questioned by media, former players etc.   Will Graves (@WillGravesAP) May 21, 2019 So, for those who thought the criticism Brown, Bell and many others threw at Roethlisberger's leadership and character would go out one ear and out the other   think again. While this story is hardly breaking news, Roethlisberger is showing he is willing to change to help the team win   even at this stage of his career. It would be easy for him to sit back as a 15 year veteran and just say it is his way or the highway, but instead he heard the criticism, and is making changes. Meanwhile, Bell and Brown have yet to be seen at the facilities of their new teams...


A state district judge on Wednesday ruled Proposition B, the voter-approved measure that grants Houston firefighters the same pay as police of corresponding rank and seniority, unconstitutional and void. The ruling came in a lawsuit brought in November by the Houston Police Officers' Union, in which the group contended that the charter amendment conflicts with the Texas constitution. Mayor Sylvester Turner briefly stopped the weekly city council meeting to announce the ruling. The mayor has estimated that firefighters' raises would cost $79 million during the 2020 fiscal year. City council approved 220 firefighter layoff notices earlier this month to partially fund the raises. More than 100 fire cadets and municipal workers also have received 60-day layoff notices. Just last Friday, the city announced it had implemented Prop B, retroactive to Jan. 1, sending firefighters checks for backpay. Not all firefighters received the raises, however, because they lacked the education requirements of corresponding police officers, the Turner administration said.


Toyota is aiming to give its new hypercar challenger for the 2020/21 FIA World Endurance Championship season a June 2020 track debut. The Japanese marque is one of two manufacturers to have signed up to produce a car for the new regulations alongside Aston Martin. While the British brand will produce a car based on its road-going Valkyrie, Toyota is opting for an all-new bespoke hybrid-powered prototype to replace the TS050 Hybrid. "We will have a car on track in June next year at the earliest," Toyota team boss Rob Leupen told Motorsport.com at the WEC Prologue test in Barcelona. "Then we probably have a Prologue in August, so we have five or six weeks to go testing." Leupen also ruled out using a mule car until the new hypercar makes its testing debut next summer, adding: "We don't really use a mule car that often anymore. "A lot is done digitally, modelling the car and then developing it in the simulator. Our GR Sports Concept doesn't have a lot to do with our race car." Read Also: Toyota convinced privateer LMP1s can now win races Toyota not surprised by reduced WEC LMP1 field Toyota unveils revised LMP1 car for 2019/20 WEC season After a lengthy process the new regulations, which will replace the current LMP1 class for a five-year period, were finally announced ahead of last June's Le Mans 24 Hours. The repeated delays in getting a set of regulations across the line has even caused a large manufacturer like Toyota a few headaches - with Leupen himself describing the hold-up as "ridiculous" earlier this year . "We would have liked to see it happen earlier," the Dutchman said. "It's very late, but I'm glad we finally got there. We've worked on many concepts. "Often they had to be changed because the rules went in a different direction. With our concepts we tried to support that process, although it cost us a lot of money." The FIA and WEC promoter the Automobile Club de l'Ouest projected an annual budget of 30 million euro to compete in the new top class based on a five-year commitment. Leupen doesn't believe that number is a realistic benchmark for Toyota with its split operations in Europe and Japan, but says the hypercar regulations will still be significantly cheaper for the Cologne-based outfit than the current LMP1 rules. "I'm not going to compare [our budget] to the budget the ACO put on the table," he said. "That's not possible because you're working in different countries. "We are not extremely cost-efficient because our powertrain comes from Japan and we're based in Cologne. If you're very efficient you're doing everything in one place. "We're not a great reference, but the new rules are significantly cheaper. We're talking about [savings of] over 50 percent. We used to build a new monocoque every year. If that's 10 million euros every year, then now you can write that off over a period of five years. "We do get some freedom to develop bits here and there, but there's also a Balance of Performance. Those are massive savings. That's what they wanted and we agree with that." Toyota GR Super Sport concept Photo by: Motor1


Cambridge is expected to turn warm over the next few days, according to drone-powered weather forecasting service Saildrone . Temperatures are forecast to reach highs of 88 degrees both today through Friday. Also look for rain later in the week. Friday's forecast shows the greatest likelihood of rain at 72 percent, with expected rainfall of 0.13 inches. Skies will be clear today and partly cloudy Wednesday and Thursday. Winds will remain fairly calm through the week, with the highest speeds on Thursday at only 12 mph. This story was created automatically using Saildrone's local weather forecast data, then reviewed by an editor. We also incorporate historic weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Facebook's foray into cryptocurrency could mean trouble for consumers' finances. The social-media giant's cryptocurrency, called Libra, will be a "stablecoin" linked to the value of other currencies, unlike other cryptocurrencies like bitcoin. Consumers who use Facebook's Messenger service, WhatsApp, or a stand-alone app will be able to access Libra through a digital wallet managed by new Facebook subsidiary Calibra. Facebook won't run the cryptocurrency directly. Calibra will be a founding member of the nonprofit Libra Association, which will manage the coin, along with eBay (EBAY) Visa (V) Mastercard (MA) PayPal Holdings (PYPL) Lyft (LYFT) Uber (UBER) and Kiva. Libra's value will be tied to hard assets, including various currencies such as the U.S. dollar and the euro. Starting as soon as next year, Facebook expects that consumers will be able to begin making actual purchases with Libra, although the number of purchases will be limited at first. The announcement is seen as a boon for other cryptocurrencies. Some have suggested that the price of bitcoin could quadruple in the coming months . Since Facebook revealed its Libra plans in June, the cryptocurrency has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers and analysts across the globe. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin raised concerns that the coin could be used for money laundering, while President Trump argued that Facebook should be required to obtain a banking charter to move forward with its plan. Democratic lawmakers have also taken issue with the cryptocurrency   Rep. Maxine Waters of California has proposed legislation that would prohibit major tech companies from becoming financial institutions or offering cryptocurrencies. Related video: A rising chorus against Facebook's new currency (provided by Reuters) Facbeook will face perhaps the biggest test of its cryptocurrency ambitions yet when company executive participate in a pair of congressional hearings before the Senate Banking Committee and the House Financial Services Committee this week, starting Tuesday . Consumers will want to pay attention to the outcome of these hearings. While lawmakers have largely focused on how the stablecoin could be used for nefarious purposes, Libra could also translate into overspending and debt if it does come to fruition and consumers aren't careful. Removing the pain point Behavioral economists and psychologists have long said that credit-card usage causes people to spend more money than they would have otherwise spent with cash. Research has shown that spending cash   the literal act of handing bills and coins over to another person   triggers the same parts of the brain that process physical pain. Credit cards famously dull that pain, a reflection of the fact that the transaction feels less salient, said Dan Ariely, a behavioral economist at Duke University. "With the credit card, you're not going to pay now, you'll pay later, so it's less salient," Ariely said. "As saliency is higher, people feel more pain, and pay less." And so, credit cards can encourage overspending because they make the act of spending money less painful. The relationship between payment method and overspending isn't unique to credit cards. Don't miss: Want to delete Facebook? Read what happened to these people first A 2008 study from New York University professor Priya Raghubir and University of Maryland, College Park professor Joydeep Srivastava tested whether people approached other forms of payment similar to how they used credit cards. Their study found that consumers spent more when they were given scrip, a form of a stored-value certificate, rather than cash. Similarly, research has shown that consumers start spending more money when they begin using mobile wallets instead of credit cards or cash. Cryptocurrency may be viewed by consumers as more akin to credit cards than cash, since it may not feel like "actual" money. "If people buy Facebook's cryptocurrency, it will increase distance from the money and create less pain of payment," Ariely said. Ariely argued another factor called the "house money effect" could come into play. This theory suggests that people will take more risks with money if it doesn't feel like it's theirs   the concept owes its name to casinos and how people don't hesitate to wager chips as they would if they were betting real cash instead. A similar disconnect could play out with Libra, since consumers will need to purchase or exchange fiat currency for it. "In my mind, it would be 'Facebook money,' Ariely said. "I'll not think of it as money that's coming from savings." Making matters worse, consumers' fortunes with Libra will depend largely on their understanding of how it works. "Consumers who can adequately understand and formulate the exchange rate, much like with foreign currencies, are likely to keep spending with cryptocurrency in check," said Ben Smith, founder of Cove Financial Planning in Milwaukee, Wis. Consumers will need to know how currency exchange works to understand that when they cash out Libra, it could be worth more or less than when they first purchased Libra, depending on how its value has fluctuated. Keeping up with the Joneses Consumers may face a triple-whammy thanks to Libra's Facebook connection. Social media has been shown to promote spending thanks to peer pressure. A recent study from Charles Schwab (SCHW) found that 57% of consumers said they paid more attention to how friends spent money rather than how they saved it on social media, while 49% of millennials reported that social media influenced their choices to spend money on experiences. Also see: Amazon's new credit card could backfire on people with bad credit "The burden to 'keep up with the Joneses' has been part of our culture for decades, but it appears that social media and the fear of missing out (FOMO) have increased the pressure to spend," Terri Kallsen, executive vice president and head of Schwab Investor Services, said in the report. One bright spot for consumers amid Facebook's cryptocurrency push: People don't trust the social-media giant. As a result, adoption of Libra may be limited. In a 2018 survey by personal-finance website MagnifyMoney (TREE) 91% of respondents said they wouldn't trust Facebook to handle their payments. And as it stands, only 21% of people have reported using Messenger Payments. Shares of Facebook are up 14.87% over the last three months, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) and S&P 500 (SPX) are only up 3.52% and 3.65% respectively.


WASHINGTON   The Senate has confirmed a Los Angeles lawyer as a federal appeals court judge, despite opposition from California's two Democratic senators. The Senate voted, 52-45, Wednesdayto confirm Kenneth Lee's nomination to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris opposed Lee, saying he failed to provide dozens of controversial writings on voting rights, race and sexual harassment. Lee's approval continues a new trend by the GOP-controlled Senate to ignore a longtime custom on judicial nominees. The tradition allows home-state lawmakers to weigh in on a possible nominee, with opposition generally meaning the nomination does not move forward. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called Lee well-qualified. Lee worked in the George W. Bush White House and attended law school with Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton.


The versatility Shaw has shown was appreciated by Montreal's staff, and will have drawn the attention of other teams as well. Andrew Shaw put together a very good season in 2018-19 for the Montreal Canadiens , with a career high of 47 points despite playing just 63 games. Impressively, 39 of those points came at five-on-five as he was a big part of one of the top possession clubs in the NHL. His versatility was on display as well, lining up in all three forward positions throughout the year, and getting steady time on the power play as well. After quality work in the Chicago Blackhawks organization, and two seasons showing glimpses of how good he could be, his value as an NHL player was put in the spotlight this year. He was one member of a strong forward group that allowed the coaching staff to put together three solid lines from the start of the season, which hasn't often been the case in recent history. At the end of the year, the team had added Jordan Weal and Nate Thompson , and watched the debut of Ryan Poehling in Game 82. The roster now has more than enough players to fill out the 12 spots in the forward corps. The centre position was significantly improved in the off-season, while significant strength continues to lie in the contingent of wingers. The forward depth is strong enough now that the Canadiens can afford to part with one of their players to address a weaker area in the organization. Right now, that area is the left side of the defence, which does have some quality players with Victor Mete and Brett Kulak playing regular roles, but could use another top-four option. To get a player of that quality, you have to part with one of the better players on your roster. The rumours in the past week have mentioned Shaw as a target for the other party in such a trade. While it would be good to add a top-four defender on the left side, the loss of Shaw would be a significant hit to the quality at forward. Such is the nature of an NHL trade; to get an impact player, you need to trade an impact player. The cost of addressing a significant hole in the organization is a top-end player, and that's a price the Canadiens hadn't been able to afford for a long time. In the past, moves were typically of the lateral variety, plugging one hole by creating another. While that would still be the case should Shaw be the one moved   he's a top-six producer on the team, and there's no one immediately below him to jump directly into his role and provide the same kind of play   the additions of Weal and Joel Armia last season and a promising group of prospects led by Nick Suzuki mean that many of Shaw's duties can be handed to another player. Perhaps one of them will serve as an upgrade in certain aspects; Shaw was rarely used on the penalty kill, and saw little success on the power play, for example. It would be a tough decision to trade Shaw after how well he played and how much he directly contributed to the team, but he happens to be one of the most valuable assets at the deepest position on the roster. He is therefore a prime choice to be included in a trade, not because he no longer fits in the Canadiens' plans, but because he's proven he would be a good addition to any team. Interest in a player who plays the game hard and gets rewarded for it with strong offensive numbers is high, and Montreal is in a position to explore the various options.


The promotions have begun, punctuating big weeks from Danny Mendick, Lincoln Henzman, Steele Walker and Corey Zangari Charlotte Knights SLATER SCOOP: White Sox are calling up first-round pick, former Canes catcher Zack Collins.   Andy Slater (@AndySlater) June 16, 2019 Zack Collins: .150 BA, 4 R, 2 RBI, 7 BB, 10 K Seby Zavala : .273 BA, 1 HR, 4 R, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 7 K Danny Mendick: .450 BA, 4 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 SB **MVP of the Week** Daniel Palka : .348 BA, 1 HR, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 7 K, 1 SB Matt Foster: 3 2 ⁄ 3 IP, 2.52 FIP, 12.27 K/9, 4.91 BB/9 Carson Fulmer : 1 IP, 12.61 FIP, 0.0 K/9, 27.0 BB/9 Dylan Cease : 5 IP, 5.61 FIP, 1.8 K/9, 5.4 BB/9 First off, congratulations on the promotion to the bigs, Zack Collins! I'm sure most of you know this already, but Collins is the truest three-outcome player the Sox have had in awhile. He has a .232 ISO, a 17.5% BB-rate, and a 32% K-rate. So yeah, he will be frustrating for some more old-school fans no matter what   but if Collins' power and walks continue at the current rate, he should be just fine. Now, to Charlotte's MVP, Danny Mendick, who soon should be getting a promotion of his own. He still has been a slightly above-average hitter in Triple-A despite not being a true power hitter. He walks at a good rate, 12%, which would be a pro career high. Comparatively, Mendick does not strike out a lot, and he has been much better at stealing bases this season (14-of-16). There is not much else Mendick needs to prove at the Triple-A level, much like Collins. If Mendick continues his success, it will be hard to keep him in Charlotte. Birmingham Barons Make it 4⃣ strikeouts for Lincoln Henzman as he makes quick work of the Shrimp in the fourth. #BuiltInBham | #WhiteSox pic.twitter.com/CCgOUVSmT3   Birmingham Barons (@BhamBarons) June 15, 2019 Gavin Sheets: .143 BA, 2 R, 2 RBI, 6 BB, 4 K Nick Madrigal: .292 BA, 4 R, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 1 K, 2 SB Laz Rivera: .267 BA, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 SB Luis Robert: .227 BA, 2 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K Luis Gonzalez : .250 BA, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 4 K Luis Basabe : .190 BA, 1 HR, 1 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 6 K, 1 SB Blake Rutherford: .208 BA, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K Zack Burdi: 2 IP, 2.70 FIP, 9.0 K/9, 4.5 BB/9 Kodi Medeiros : 4 2 ⁄ 3 IP, 3.20 FIP, 11.57 K/9, 7.71 BB/9 Alec Hansen: 1 1 ⁄ 3 IP, 12.95 FIP, 6.75 K/9, 33.75 BB/9 Lincoln Henzman: 7 IP, 1.91 FIP, 7.72 K/9, 0.0 BB/9 **MVP of the Week** Blake Battenfield: 5 IP, 2.00 FIP, 10.8 K/9, 3.6 BB/9 Henzman has been a curious case so far in Double-A. Though his most recent start was much better, he has a 7.13 ERA so far in 17 2 ⁄ 3 innings pitched. However, he has a 2.46 FIP and a 3.38 xFIP. The huge disparity between ERA and the more advanced statistics come from a .385 BABIP allowed, as well as phenomenal command. He has only walked two batters since being called up to Double-A, which is a rate of 2.5%. He also has not allowed a home run yet, so Henzman is not giving up much power, either. And finally, Henzman's ground ball rate is at 50%, so batted balls just seem to go in the perfect place and it is killing Henzman,as indicated by that very high BABIP, Henzman only has a 46% left-on-base percentage, which is pretty atrocious. The BABIP will hopefully continue to fall and Henzman's ERA will look better, but at least his command has been on point after a late start to his season due to injury. Winston-Salem Dash The hit that made history. Congrats to @steele_walker3 on recording the third cycle in Dash history! pic.twitter.com/UPE8oVRYTZ   Winston-Salem Dash (@WSDashBaseball) June 15, 2019 Steele Walker: .435 BA, 2 HR, 5 R, 9 RBI, 1 BB, 3 K **MVP of the Week** Codi Heuer: 5 IP, 1.03 FIP, 10.8 K/9, 0.0 BB/9 Konnor Pilkington: 6 IP, 2.10 FIP, 10.5 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 Kade McClure: 6 IP, 4.10 FIP, 6.0 K/9, 6.0 BB/9 What a way to win a very competitive MVP of the Week award from SSS by Steele Walker. Konnor Pilkington came close, with what was his best start as a member of the Dash, and Codi Heuer continues to mow down opposing batters with ease. But Walker won out. First, Walker hit for the cycle, as you can see the single above that clinched that feat. And Walker didn't stop with a cycle, as he homered again for the second time of the week as well. Walker has been heating up the past couple weeks in Single-A+, with a much better 120 wRC+. He is starting to walk more often, as that rate has climbed to 11%, and is making more contact, as his K-rate continues to fall. Walker is behind a very crowded outfield in Birmingham, so Winston-Salem may be his only promotion of the season. But Walker should firmly be on promotion watch for the rest of the season. Kannapolis Intimidators Jonathan Stiever, Andrew Perez and Bennett Sousa will be on the move from Kannapolis after the All Star break. Congrats on the promotions guys.   Dan Victor (@slydanno70) June 16, 2019 Corey Zangari: .318 BA, 3 HR, 5 R, 6 RBI, 3 BB, 5 K **MVP of the Week** Luis Curbelo: .136 BA, 1 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 6 K Lenyn Sosa: .200 BA, 5 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K Bryce Bush: .130 BA, 2 HR, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 11 K, 1 SB Ian Dawkins: .261 BA, 3 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K Andrew Perez: 3 IP, 1.87 FIP, 12.0 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 Bennett Sousa: 3 1 ⁄ 3 IP, 8.33 FIP, 13.5 K/9, 0.0 BB/9 Jason Bilous: 5 IP, 3.73 FIP, 16.2 K/9, 3.6 BB/9 Davis Martin: 5 IP, 2.73 FIP, 9.0 K/9, 3.6 BB/9 Jonathan Stiever: 8 IP, 3.41 FIP, 11.25 K/9, 1.13 BB/9 Three more actual promotions to announce, and you read it here first courtesy of SSS's Dan Victor. Jonathan Stiever is on his way up. Like Henzman, Stiever's FIP and xFIP are much better-looking than his ERA. He has a 3.90 FIP and has shown great command in Kannapolis with a 4.4% BB-rate. The strikeouts are considerably down from last season, so it seems like Stiever is generating more contact in favor of fewer walks. Two relievers from the 2018 draft class are also on their way up, Andrew Perez and Bennett Sousa. Perez is a lefty who has vastly improved this year. His K-rate and BB-rate are at personal best marks and that has led to a 2.01 FIP. Bennett Sousa has also seen a best mark for walk rate this season, though his strikeouts are slightly down. He is an older right-handed pitcher, but has done very well in every MiLB stint so far and currently has a 2.98 FIP. Both of these promotions were long overdue. Meanwhile, Corey Zangari had a great week, filled with his typical power stroke. It had been a slow start back from another injury for Zangari, but he's put it together since May 28. He has hit four homers in that time span for an ISO at .314, which is just outrageous. He also has been walking near a 9% clip, but of course the strikeouts are very high at 33%. Those K's do not diminish his wRC+ much, as it sits at 142 since May 28. Zangari seems to be getting more comfortable at the plate, but he still needs more at-bats after having several injuries after being selected in the sixth round back in 2015. The mashing first sacker still has a long ways to go, but it seems as if he has turned the corner. Great Falls Voyagers Great Falls opened up play last week but in order to give a week's worth of stats, their weekly update will debut next go-round. DSL White Sox Alberto Bernal: .333 BA, 4 R, 4 BB, 4 K Anthony Espinoza: .190 BA, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K Ronaldo Guzman: 4 IP, 2.28 FIP, 13.5 K/9, 4.5 BB/9 Luis Rodriguez : 4 IP, 2.28 FIP, 13.5 K/9, 2.25 BB/9 **MVP of the Week**


Former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back and current CBS Sports analyst Bryant McFadden seemingly isn't following the trend of most of the nation's journalists, who haven't been high on the Jacksonville Jaguars postseason outlook. However, due to the offense being closer to 100 percent in health and Nick Foles at quarterback, McFadden picked in favor of the Jags making the postseason as SportsLine has them down with 5/14 odds to miss the postseason and 29/10 odds to make them. Blake Bortles is out and consistency is IN for Nick Foles and the playoff-bound #Jaguars . @cbssportshq @cbssports @sportsline | #duuuval pic.twitter.com/jLA8pSB39n - Bryant McFadden (@BMac_SportsTalk) July 9, 2019 Most would agree that health and quarterback play were the Jags' biggest issues last season, and those issues were addressed this offseason. For that reason, McFadden might be on to something. The Jags will have all five of their starters on the offensive line back when left tackle Cam Robinson returns from ACL rehab during training camp and the Jags establish their starting right tackle. With them drafting Jawaan Taylor in the second-round, it appears he's poised to be the guy on the right side, which would be huge for Fournette when considering Taylor's run blocking grade of 83.4, per Pro Football Focus. If the offensive line can stay healthy, then it will be on Fournette to follow the trend as he's missed 13 games due to suspension or injury. With the additions of players like Alfred Blue and Ryquell Armstead now in the mix, the Jags have the rotation to keep Fournette fresh as offensive coordinator John DeFilippo has already come out to say he'll be the star of the offense. MORE: UFC fighter Ben Askren had an excellent response to getting knocked out in 5 seconds Expected starting lineup for Lakers with LeBron James at point guard Honor thy father: Quinn Cook signed with Lakers for good reason Three Potential Trade Destinations for Russell Westbrook Former Steeler DeAngelo Williams throws shade at WR Ryan Switzer


One of the biggest stories heading into free agency is the potential landing spot for All-Star guard Kyrie Irving. The Boston Celtics are operating under the belief that Irving will leave in free agency, with the Brooklyn Nets seen as the likely landing spot . However, the Nets might be having second thoughts given the drama-filled 2018-19 campaign surrounding Irving and the Celtics. Out West, the Los Angeles Lakers have been linked to Irving. It would be a surprise to see Irving team up with former teammate LeBron James. But stranger things have happened. That could possibly include D'Angelo Russell making his way back to the Lakers after being jettisoned from the organization two years ago. Where are we going with all of this? An unnamed NBA executive was asked about Russell and Irving. His response painted the latter in a bad light. "They're both divas, but Irving takes it to another level. Russell may be high maintenance, but he's no Kyrie," the unnamed executive told Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus . We've been hearing things about Irving for some time now. It started when he requested a trade from the Cavaliers following the 2016-17 season. The most recent being the fact that Irving apparently didn't like living in Boston and butted heads with the Celtics' brass. Kyrie Irving's feelings on Boston reportedly changed by the end of last season. (via Jackie MacMullan) pic.twitter.com/JVWKT4mGhL   SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 21, 2019 What does this all mean? While Irving will likely receive a max contract in free agency, those around the NBA are not fans of his antics. It could lead to a smaller market than most imagined. Related slideshow: Top picks in the NBA Draft (Provided by imagn)


As clubs up and down the country begin their pre-season campaigns, fans are being treated to the plethora of transfer rumours that come with it. Managers get a glimpse of the playing squads they have in front of them and will inevitably have their eyes on transfer targets to boost their chances of success. With just over a month left for clubs to make their signings, there are plenty of rumours doing the rounds. Let's take a look at the pick of the bunch from the past few days. Manchester United 'Particularly' Keen on Milinkovic-Savic Prior to the 2018 World Cup, every major club under the sun was linked with a move for the Serbian midfielder. However, a disappointing tournament saw speculation dampen, temporarily at least. Now, Italian publication SportMediaSet claim Manchester United have rejuvenated their interest in the Lazio man and are 'particularly' keen on Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to help revitalise their midfield. Despite asking for €120m a year ago, the Rome club are believed to be happy to settle for just €80m now. Lazio's sporting director has travelled to London to settle the player's future 'once and for all'. Birmingham City Offer Saido Berahino Career Lifeline Saido Berahino could be offered a way back into first-team football by Birmingham City , as current club Stoke City are looking to sack the forward following a drink-driving conviction. The Sun say the Blues are set to offer a trial to the Burundi international, who scored five goals in 56 appearances for the Potters. Berahino's form has been in decline since a move from West Brom to Tottenham Hotspur broke down in 2015. The forward is expected to leave the bet365 Stadium this summer, and the Midlands side look his most likely destination. Birmingham recently lost Che Adams to Southampton and manager Pep Clotet might see Berahino as the perfect replacement. Karl Darlow Subject to Blackburn Interest The Newcastle exit door looks set to continue revolving with substitute keeper Karl Darlow now the subject of interest from Championship side Blackburn. Sky Sports report that Darlow, who hasn't featured for the Magpies since April 2018, is being lined up by Rovers as a replacement for David Raya, who is close to finalising a move to Brentford. An official bid has not yet been tabled, but boss Tony Mowbray is believed to favour an experienced Championship goalkeeper. Bournemouth Fail with £2.5m Bid for Luton's Jack Stacey Bournemouth have had a bid of £2.5m turned down for Luton Town full-back Jack Stacey. The defender has been virtually ever-present for the Hatters in back-to-back promotion seasons from League Two to the Championship, scoring four goals in that time. According to Sky Sports , Eddie Howe has failed in this attempt to convince Luton to allow the full back to join the Premier League side. Luton have already lost another full back in James Justin to Leicester this summer, and will be keen to avoid losing another as they attempt to cement their place in the second tier. Watford's Stefano Okaka Attracts Galatasaray Interest Turkish Super Lig champions Galatasaray are ready to make a move to capture Watford 's Stefano Okaka, who spent the second half of the 2018/19 season on loan at Udinese. However, the Watford Observer have been told that the Turkish giants' valuation of the player is below Watford's. During his spell in Serie A this year, Okaka scored six goals in 16 games. The Italian, who still has two years on his deal at Vicarage Road, is set to move on this summer, but Galatasaray's valuation of £2.5m is too low. Crystal Palace in Advanced Talks to Sign Atalanta Defender  Premier League side Crystal Palace are in pole position to sign Atalanta wing back Timothy Castagne as the two clubs reach an advanced stage of discussions. As reported by Football Italia , if Palace make a minor improvements to their €20m offer for the Belgium international, the Serie A side will be willing to let the player go. Castagne made 37 appearances last season, scoring five and assisting another five. The 23-year-old has also recently broken into the Belgium international set-up, making five appearances. Douglas Costa Wants Second Chance to Impress at Juventus Brazilian winger Douglas Costa is ready to reignite his career at Juventus , following a disappointing campaign in 2018/19 in which he provided just one goal and two assists in 17 appearances. The 28-year-old is said to have impressed his management, particularly new head coach Maurizio Sarri by arriving early at the team's training camp for pre-season. As quoted by Goal , the forward said: "I have another three years of contract and I am convinced to stay. Now everything is new, so I remain. I do not know Sarri personally, but I have seen him work in Naples. With him we will make great things." West Ham Make €15m Bid for Wolves Target Edson Alvarez The future of defender Edson Alvarez looks set to be decided in the coming days, as Mexico's Gold Cup run comes to an end after they take on USA in the final on Sunday. Alvarez, who is still just 21, has attracted interest from Ajax as well as both Wolves and West Ham, but the Mexican is believed to favour a move to the Premier League, according to FutbolTotal . West Ham have joined Wolves in registering a formal bid for the centre back, believed to be in the region of €15m. Bayern Munich Register Interest in Arsenal Target Lucas Vazquez True (the interest of @FCBayern . But: no offer for @Lucasvazquez91 of @FCBayern to @realmadrid ) https://t.co/tR1dgZmFm8   Christian Falk (@cfbayern) July 5, 2019 Lucas Vazquez is one of a number of Real Madrid players who could leave the Bernabeu this summer, and his availability has attracted the interest of a number of clubs. Arsenal's intrigue was reported earlier in the week, but according to Christian Falk (via AS), Bayern Munich have entered the race for the Spaniard. However, the Bundesliga club are yet to register an offer to Real Madrid and the Gunners remain in pole position to complete the deal.


The Colts are still looking for some secondary help, and took a look at an accomplished veteran. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Colts had former Broncos safety Darian Stewart in for a visit earlier this week. It wasn't accompanied by news of a signing, so it's unclear if it amounts to more than the usual tire-kicking. Stewart was released by the Broncos in March in a cap-saving move. He started 58 games and made a Pro Bowl with the Broncos, so he'd lend some quality depth/insurance along with Malik Hooker and Clayton Geathers , who have each had their issues with availability. Geathers is expected back by training camp after a knee scope, after a neck problem cost him most of 2017. Hooker has missed 11 games the last two years because of injuries, but is enjoying an offseason without rehab for a change.


A new functionality automatically clears your location data history so that Google can't track record of their physical movements from the Maps app. The company has introduced new controls from the search engine to auto-delete after a chose period of time. Users can choose a time limit for how long you want your activity data to be saved, three or 18 months, and any data older than that will be deleted on an ongoing basis. In May, the company launched the ability to delete saved information automatically after a fixed period of time. The feature initially only covered 'web and app activity', but now, Google has announced that it has gone further by covering location history. Google tracks you in a myriad of ways and saves a permanent history of everything users search for, websites visited, other app activity and use of Google services. Web and app activity collects your searches and browsing activity in Google apps such as Chrome as well as apps that use Google Services, such as mapping. This is used to power previous searches and make suggestions; if you turn this off, your recent searches or personalised results won't come up. However, turning this off doesn't block Google from knowing which sites you visit. 'You should always be able to manage your data in a way that works best for you   and we're committed to giving you the best controls to make that happen,' Google said in a statement. Users have always been able to 'pause' tracking in a settings page or they can manually clear the saved information using the Delete Activity page. But if tracking is turned off entirely, some Google products and services no longer work, while deleting activity manually can be time consuming. According to Google, users of the iOS and Android Google apps will start to see the setting as it rolls out in the near future, although it is not yet available on the web. However, the company does not automatically delete voice recordings on Google Assistant, although users can opt out of storing that information. They also have the option to manually delete recordings of their voices made by the Google Assistant. Google recently published a declaration of how committed to user privacy in the home after it emerged that owners of the popular Google Nest Cam Indoor home security camera could be spied upon in their own home. The Nest spycam problem came to light when the gadget site Wirecutter published a report on how someone sold his Nest Cam Indoor and then discovered that he was 'still able to access images from his old camera.' Read more


These days, longtime Phillies announcer Larry Andersen only calls games on the radio when the team is playing at Citizens Bank Park. Unfortunately, that meant the venerable broadcaster and former Phillies pitcher was in the booth to witness the team being swept by the lowly Florida Marlins for the first time since 2009 , and didn't like what he saw. "I hate to say it, but it looked lifeless. It looked listless," Andersen said on 94.1 WIP Monday morning. "I'd certainly like to see more energy. I'd like to see more of everything." Like just about every media pundit and fan in the Delaware Valley, Andersen was highly critical of manager Gabe Kapler's decision not to bench shortstop Jean Segura or second baseman Cesar Hernandez for their lack of hustle after putting balls in play. Instead, Kapler said he " spoke to Jean " and said Hernandez's lack of effort would be " addressed with authority. " Andersen, who has called Phillies came since 1998, recalled that during his first year in the booth, then-Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox pulled Andrew Jones out of center field in the middle of a game after loafing on a ball. Andersen said he didn't think Kapler shouldn't intentionally try to embarrass his players, but that something has to change to get the team out of its current slump . "I can't tolerate it happening over and over," Andersen said of the apparent lack of effort. "I want to see the results of some reprimands. I don't want to hear about it being talked about, I want to see something happen at this point." "I think [Kapler] would get more respect if he would put his foot down," Andersen added. "Is it going to hurt you taking a good player out or one of your starters out because they're not hustling? It might hurt you, but I think you're going to gain more from it." WIP host Angelo Cataldi has been a critic of Kapler, getting into heated debates on air with the second-year manager (who appears on the show Wednesday mornings) and repeatedly calling for the Phillies to fire him. Andersen said simply firing Kapler would turn him into a scapegoat, because it would absolve the players of responsibility for underperforming. "Did you ever see Chase Utley hit a one-hopper right back at the pitcher and not bust it down the line?" Andersen asked. "The players have to stand up... How can you go through what they're going through now and not have a player stand up and say, 'Timeout. Players only. This is B.S. We're better than this, and it's garbage that we're not busting our tails.' " Listen to Andersen's full interview: My colleague Bob Brookover also appeared on WIP Monday morning and said he wouldn't have simply benched Segura after his lack of hustle, he would have immediately removed the player from the lineup entirely to send a message to the team. "I think Gabe feels like he weakens his team if he benches him, and he's doing a disservice to the rest of his players," Brookover said. "Now how do you bench Cesar Hernandez when he doesn't run, and how do you explain it to him when you do?" Brookover said he thinks the Phillies' biggest problem is that players simply aren't performing up to their level of talent. Brookover also gave a simple reason why he thought Kapler wouldn't be fired. "If you're [Phillies general manager] Matt Klentak, this was your guy. If I'm Matt Klentak, I have to believe that I made the right decision, and I know that's what he believes right now," Brookover said. Get insights on the Phillies delivered straight to your inbox with Extra Innings, our newsletter for Phillies fans by Matt Breen, Bob Brookover and Scott Lauber. Click here to sign up .     ©2019 The Philadelphia Inquirer Visit The Philadelphia Inquirer at www.inquirer.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


The Cubs have placed righty Kyle Hendricks on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, per Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune . Righty Rowan Wick will come up from Triple-A Iowa to take his place. Hendricks, 29, is outpacing his peripheral marks for the fifth time in six big league season thus far in 2019. The righty has delivered 14 starts of 3.36 ERA ball with his typical microscopic walk rate, though his grounder percentage has dropped to an easily career-worst 41.9 percent. There's no word yet on how long the command artist will remain sidelined or who'll replace him in the Cubs rotation. Tyler Chatwood , the only Cub apart from the opening five of Hendricks, Jon Lester , Cole Hamels , Yu Darvish and Jose Quintana to get a start this season, would figure to be next in line, but he's again been shaky in '19 after signing a three-year, $38M deal prior to the 2018 campaign.


A Pickens County man has been charged in connection with his wife's shooting death, according to the Pickens County Sheriff's Office. Gregory Benson Nix, 63, is charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to arrest warrants shared by the Sheriff's Office Tuesday afternoon. According to a release shared earlier Tuesday, deputies responded to a residence on Allgood Bridge Road after receiving a call that a woman had been shot. According to arrest warrants, Gregory Nix made the 911 call. When deputies arrived at the scene just after 8 a.m., they found Tracey Nix, 59, with two gunshot wounds in her torso caused by a small-caliber weapon, according to a release from the Sheriff's Office. Nix was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead upon arrival, the release said. BREAKING NEWS Get news as it happens. Please consider becoming a subscriber. Here's how . During their initial investigation at the home, deputies recovered a .22-caliber handgun. Investigators said no other individual was at the residence when deputies arrived. Gregory Nix is being held Tuesday at the Pickens County Detention Center with no bond. Other new: Hagood Mill director fired after leaving tourism spot unattended, may return as director This article originally appeared on The Greenville News: Husband charged with murder in Pickens County shooting


COMSTOCK TOWNSHIP, Mich. - One man was killed Saturday morning after his car collided with a tree in Comstock Township. According to the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office, officers were dispatched to East MN Avenue and South 28th Street just before 3 a.m. Saturday. Officers determined the driver, a 34-year-old male from Kalamazoo, was traveling westbound on East MN Avenue and left the roadway for an unknown reason. The vehicle then struck a tree on the south side of the road and caused fatal injuries. The driver was the only occupant of the vehicle. The accident is currently under investigation and authorities are unsure if alcohol and speed are factors. Anyone with information regarding the crash should contact the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office at 269-383-8758 or Silent Observer at 269-343-2100. ►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now . Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com , visit our Facebook page or Twitter .


President Trump on Wednesday officially designated Brazil as a major non-NATO ally, making it easier for the South American country to purchase U.S. weapons and defense equipment. The president sent a memo to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo late Wednesday notifying him of the change, which he had hinted at earlier this year. Sixteen other countries have major non-NATO ally status, including South Korea, Australia, Argentina and Kuwait. Colombia is the only other Latin American nation affiliated with NATO as a "global partner," meaning it would not necessarily have to engage in military action. Trump said during a visit in March from Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro that he intended to make the country a major non-NATO ally. He suggested the country could be considered to be added to NATO, but the alliance would have to invite Brazil to join. The president has offered frequent praise for Bolsonaro, who earned the nickname "Trump of the Tropics" last year when he ran a populist right-wing campaign that railed against the government establishment. He also drew backlash for inflammatory comments about minorities and women. "He's a great gentleman," Trump said of Bolsonaro on Tuesday. "In fact, they say the 'Trump of Brazil.' I like that. That's a compliment."


An Iraqi court on Monday condemned a fourth French citizen to death for joining the Islamic State group, despite France reiterating its opposition to capital punishment. Mustapha Merzoughi, 37, was sentenced to death by hanging, according to an AFP journalist at the court. In recent months Iraq has taken custody of thousands of jihadists including foreigners captured in neighbouring Syria by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) during the battle to destroy the IS "caliphate". Among them are 12 French citizens, three of whom -- Kevin Gonot, Leonard Lopez and Salim Machou -- were handed death sentences Sunday by a Baghdad court in a first for French jihadists. They have 30 days to appeal. The trials have been criticised by rights groups, which say they often rely on evidence obtained through torture. They have also raised the question of whether suspected IS jihadists should be tried in the region or repatriated, in the face of strong public opposition at home. France has long insisted that its adult citizens captured in Iraq or Syria must face trial locally, refusing to repatriate them despite the risk they face capital punishment for waging their jihadist war in the region. Paris on Monday reiterated its opposition to the death penalty, saying it would take "the necessary steps" to prevent Iraq from carrying out capital punishment against its citizens. "France is opposed in principle to the death penalty at all times and in all places," the foreign ministry said in a statement. - 'Ask for forgiveness' - "The evidence and the confession show that you joined the Islamic State group, that you worked in its military branch," the judge told Merzoughi on Monday before handing down his sentence. Wearing a yellow prison uniform, Merzoughi said he was "not guilty of crimes and killings" but simply of travelling to Syria. "I ask for forgiveness from the people of Iraq, Syria, France and the families of the victims," he said. Merzoughi told investigators he had served in the French army from 2000 to 2010, including a tour in Afghanistan in 2009. In France, he lived in the southwestern city of Toulouse, the hometown of jihadist brothers Fabien and Jean-Michel Clain who claimed the deadly 2015 attacks in Paris and were killed fighting in Syria. Passing through Belgium and then Morocco, the French citizen with Tunisian roots underwent "religious and military training in Aleppo", in northern Syria. He allegedly told investigators previously that he "pledged allegiance to a masked IS leader in Mosul", claiming that many senior jihadists worried about being "recognised or identified by foreign fighters they feared were spies". But in court on Monday he said he never pledged allegiance to the jihadist group. - 'Summary justice' - Leonard Lopez, one of three sentenced Sunday, is a 32-year-old Parisian convert to Islam long known to French authorities for his activity on the jihadist website Ansar al-Haqq in the 2000s. His French lawyer, Nabil Boudi, denounced "summary justice" and said he and his Iraqi counterpart would appeal the decision. "We condemn the capital punishment of a French national based solely on interrogations in Baghdad jails," he told AFP by telephone from Paris. Before the most recent verdicts, three French citizens had been convicted of joining IS in Iraq: Melina Boughedir, 27, Djamila Boutoutaou, 29, and Lahcene Gueboudj, 58. All three were sentenced to life, equivalent to 20 years in Iraq. The Iraqi judiciary said earlier in May that it has tried and sentenced more than 500 suspected foreign members of IS since the start of 2018. Its courts have condemned many to life in prison and others to death, although no foreign IS members have yet been executed. Iraq has also tried thousands of its own nationals arrested on home soil for joining IS, including women, and begun trial proceedings for nearly 900 Iraqis repatriated from Syria. The country remains in the top five "executioner" nations in the world, according to an Amnesty International report in April.


At this year's Computex 2019, an annual conference in Taipei dedicated to all things PC, a slew of new laptops and concept models were announced, the most innovative of which demonstrate that keyboards are being pushed to the side in favor of secondary and even tertiary screens. As the smartphone industry upgrades screens by reducing bezels, shrinking notches and adding flexibility, those in the laptop industry, too, have been revamping how displays are used within PCs and have apparently concluded that the more screens the merrier. Computex 2019 showed this trend on full display where a series of notebooks were unveiled donning extra screens that push keyboards nearly off the edge of the model. The redesigned ZenBook that Asus debuted at the conference stole the spotlight with its three screens and full-size mechanical keyboard -- which was pushed down to the very bottom of the base to make room for the touchscreen display that measures in at 14-inches and the trackpad that doubles as a digital number pad. The Asus ZenBook Duo Pro will be available for purchase in Q3 of this year when the price will also be announced. Though HP announced the HP Omen X 2S a couple of weeks before Computex 2019, the company still used the conference as an opportunity to showcase the dual-screen gaming laptop. The second display on this model is in a similar location as that on Asus's new model and is also a touchscreen, but it's significantly smaller at just six inches. The trackpad has been pushed to the right of a full-size keyboard, but it serves no other purpose than a trackpad. Meet the OMEN X 2S - the world's first dual-screen gaming laptop with a first of its kind liquid metal compound cooled CPU. Learn more: https://t.co/yjJ7t0gNu8 pic.twitter.com/ShtS9QHrLa   OMEN by HP (@OMENbyHP) 14 May 2019 The HP Omen X 2S will be available in June with a starting price of $2,099.99. Meet the OMEN X 2S - the world's first dual-screen gaming laptop with a first of its kind liquid metal compound cooled CPU. Intel, on the other hand, only had a concept to show with an innovative new design. Though Honeycomb Glacier isn't expected to hit the market anytime soon, it features design that definitely turned heads at the conference with its two screens and two hinges. When opened like a conventional laptop, the model looks similar to the Asus ZenBook Pro Duo; between the second screen and the keyboard, however, there's a second hinge that lifts the main display up to eye level and the second display up enough so you don't have to hunch over to see it properly. Honeycomb Glacier is still only in the prototype stage, but it may become a commercial reality over the next couple years if the trend for more multiscreen laptops further gains momentum.


HOUSTON, TX   Mayor Sylvester Turner and the City of Houston will be providing free school supplies and free immunizations to Houston area students at the Mayor's 9th Annual Back 2 School Fest. The event takes place at the George R. Brown Convention Center on Saturday, Aug. 3. The annual event, which was launched in 2010, is presented by Shell Oil Company and is designed to help economically disadvantaged Houston area elementary school students and their families as they prepare to return to school. Turner said the program, which is only possible through the help of community partnerships and sponsors, provides elementary school students in underprivileged areas with the tools to start the school year successfully. Students may receive: backpacks school supplies health screenings immunizations haircut vouchers Social service resources are provided to thousands of students and their families free of charge. More than 25,000 students and their families took part in the event in 2018, and even more are anticipated to show up this year, officials said. The Mayor's Back 2 School Fest is an initiative of the Department of Neighborhoods in partnership with the Mayor's Office of Special Events. For more information call 832-393-0868.