Notre Dame's surprising 2018 season came to an end in blowout fashion against the Clemson Tigers in the national semifinals. This doesn't take anything away from what was a stellar season for Brian Kelly's squad. Notre Dame heads into the 2019 campaign as a consensus top-15 team with legit playoff expectations. It's not going to be easy for outstanding quarterback Ian Book and Co. The Irish have difficult games against fellow playoff contenders in Georgia and Michigan on the road. They must also take on USC, Virginia Tech, Duke and Stanford. Here, we predict every game on Notre Dame's schedule heading into the 2019 college football season. At Louisville (win) The Cardinals finished last season with a horrible 2-10 record. It led to the firing of coach Bobby Petrino, who was ultimately replaced by Scott Satterfield. Despite a change of culture, the talent just isn't there for Louisville to compete with the big boys. Notre Dame will be led by veteran QB Ian Book and running back Jafar Armstrong. That should make up for what promises to be a hostile environment at Cardinal Stadium. Vs. New Mexico (win) Like every powerhouse, Notre Dame has a couple of cupcakes on its schedule. That includes a mid-major program in New Mexico, which finished last season with just three victories. This is not going to be a competitive game. But interestingly enough, the Lobos are led by former Irish head coach Bob Davie. That makes for a cool storyline in Notre Dame's home opener. At Georgia (loss) Given how competitive the SEC is going to be this season, Georgia's home game against Notre Dame might ultimately be an elimination game for both teams in their hopes of earning a playoff spot. Outside of the hostile environment at Sanford Stadium, these Bulldogs are absolutely stacked. Can Notre Dame do enough to stop the likes of Jake Fromm, D'Andre Swift and Jeremiah Holloman? We're not too sure. What we do know is that the onus is going to be on Book and Co. to keep up. That seems to be an unlikely scenario against one of the nation's best teams. Vs. Virginia (win) The Cavaliers surprised a lot of people with an 8-5 record and wins against Miami and South Carolina last season. This is not going to be an easy matchup for Notre Dame, especially if the Irish drop the previous game against Georgia. With that said, the Irish having home-field advantage in this game has to be considered the difference-maker. Virginia was 1-4 away from Scott Stadium last season. Vs. Bowling Green (win) The second of two cupcake games on Notre Dame's schedule, Bowling Green finished last season with a 3-9 record. That included losing by a combined 111 points in three games against Power-Five schools. This is not going to go well for the Falcons. Look for Book, Armstrong and wide receiver Chase Claypool to absolutely dominate lesser competition ahead of a rivalry game to follow. It's not going to be pretty. Vs. USC (win) Coach Clay Helton has a major task ahead after a disastrous 2018 campaign in Southern California . The Trojans won five games, finishing under .500 for just the second time since 2000. USC's struggles included a loss to Notre Dame in the season finale. The question here is two-fold: Can a young Trojans team come into South Bend and go tit-for-tat with a more proven Irish squad? Can quarterback J.T. Daniels turn the corner as a sophomore? We'll find out under the lights at Notre Dame Stadium. But don't bank on it. At Michigan (loss) Here's another game that could disqualify a top-end title contender from the playoffs. Michigan has lost against Notre Dame each of the past two seasons, with both games coming early in the season. It's interesting to note that the Jim Harbaugh-led Wolverines have gotten off to slow starts in recent seasons before picking it up. With this game slated to kick off the second half of the season, Michigan could be in a better position. Playing at the Big House is going to help, too. We're going to predict that quarterback Shea Patterson and Co. exact revenge against Notre Dame, pretty much eliminating the Irish from playoff contention. Vs. Virginia Tech (win) Notre Dame's foray into Lane Stadium was a smashing success last season. Book went off for 271 yards and two touchdowns in the 45-23 blowout. Meanwhile, Hokie quarterback Ryan Willis was forced to pass the ball 52 times. That's not Virginia Tech's strength. This season isn't going to be much different. Willis returns after leading Tech to a pedestrian 6-7 record last season. Tech also lost last season's leading rusher and three key defenders from 2018. It's a year of transition in Blacksburg, and that's going to lead to another loss against the Irish. At Duke (win) We have to give David Cutcliffe credit for turning a previous dormant Blue Devils football program into a competitive team. Duke has reached a bowl game six of the past seven seasons after playing postseason football just once from 1994-2011. Unfortunately, this season is going to be one of transition in Durham. Rookie first-round pick Daniel Jones will be replaced by Quentin Harris under center. Meanwhile, Duke lost its best defender in Joe Giles-Harris to the NFL. While still competitive, we're not expecting Duke to hang with the big boys like Notre Dame. Vs. Navy (win) The Midshipmen are coming off a 3-10 season, their worst mark in Ken Niumatalolo's 11 seasons as head coach. That included a 22-point loss to Notre Dame. With this game set to take place at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, there's no reasonable expectation that Navy will be competitive. It ranked 103rd in scoring defense and 96th in scoring offense last season. There's just too large of a talent gap here. Vs. Boston College (win) The Eagles lost their final three games last season, ending a campaign that had seen them ranked in the Top 25. That's the bad news. The good news? Boston College returns leading rusher AJ Dillon from a season ago. It also returns a solid quarterback in Anthony Brown. These two should help Boston College remain competitive as it is forced to take on three potential Top-25 teams over the final month of the season. Unfortunately for the Eagles, that will matter little on the road during senior day against Notre Dame. At Stanford (win) Quarterback K.J. Costello returning for his senior season should help an otherwise young Cardinal team remain competitive. However, the quarterback did lose his leading rusher (Bryce Love) and leading pass catchers (JJ Arcega-Whiteside and Kaden Smith) to the NFL. That's going to be a major issue. The good news for Stanford is that this game comes late in the season. Any lack of experience will be covered up a tad. With that said, Stanford simply lacks the top-end and proven talent to keep up with the Irish. Related slideshow: Ranking the 10 best college football mascots (provided by For The Win)


MINNEAPOLIS (AP)   With a game-time temperature of 94 degrees on a humid, muggy evening, starting pitchers Jake Odorizzi and Chris Bassitt had to fight dripping sweat as much as opposing batters. Oakland's leadoff hitter, Marcus Semien, got out of the heat quickly in the first inning and then continued to give the Athletics reason to feel good. Semien hit the third pitch of the game for his 15th home run of the season, and later doubled and tripled as Oakland kept rolling, topping the Minnesota Twins 5-3 on a sweltering Friday night. BOX SCORE: ATHLETICS 5, TWINS 3 "He seems likes he's been locked in all year, really," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "Leading the game off with a homer after last night I think really kind of put the guys in a little better spirits. Marcus has his nose to the grindstone all the time. He's having a terrific year all the way around." The temperature at first pitch was tied for the second-hottest start in Target Field's 10-year history, trailing only a 97-degree reading on July 16, 2012. Players appeared to have trouble at times gripping the ball. Odorizzi, Minnesota's starter, was sweating heavily as he gave up two first-inning runs. During a first-inning mound visit, Odorizzi took off his glove and peppered both arms with the rosin bag. "It was only like pitching in a rain forest," Odorizzi said. "I was taking the rosin bag and going up and down my arms so I could stop the sweat coming from my hand because I was just pouring sweat. I changed my jersey after the first inning, my hat. I just took it all off and came back fresh. I was pretty drenched out there and I know a lot of guys were in the same place." Khris Davis hit a pair of RBI singles as the A's won for the 20th time in 26 games. The AL Central-leading Twins have lost four of five. Bassitt (7-4) allowed two earned runs in five innings. He said the weather affected the grip on his curveball, mentioning one slow curve that got away and hit Nelson Cruz. "I think we all kind of felt the hot," Bassitt said. "It was dripping wet out there, to say the least." The weather, which cooled a bit during the game, didn't bother A's All-Star closer Liam Hendriks, who earned his seventh save by retiring the final five batters, striking out three. "I grew up in Australia," Hendriks said. "This is nothing. And I live in Florida, so the humidity's nothing." For Odorizzi, the first was again his downfall. Fourteen of the 37 runs the All-Star has allowed this season have come in the opening inning. Marwin Gonzalez hit a two-run homer in the third for the Twins. "We have to find ways to find some holes and maybe hit some balls a little harder, but I'm happy with the types of at-bats that we've had," Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli said. "Again, this is cyclical and we're going to go through a season where things are going to work out and things aren't." LAUREANO'S LINE Davis had the first of his run-scoring singles in the first and drove in Ramón Laureano during a two-run sixth off reliever Ryne Harper (3-2). Laureano reached base three times and is hitting .455 with six homers and 12 RBIs in 13 games in July. TRAINER'S ROOM Athletics: 3B Matt Chapman didn't start for the second straight game as he deals with left ankle soreness, but he came on as a defensive replacement in the ninth. Melvin said he'd be in the lineup Saturday. ... LHP Sean Manaea, out all season as he recovers from left shoulder surgery, will move his rehab to Triple-A Las Vegas where he's expected to push his next start to around 70 pitches. Melvin said Manaea will make a few starts for Las Vegas and try to get his pinch count to 90 pitches. Twins: 2B Jonathan Schoop missed his third straight game with an abdominal strain. Baldelli said Schoop was going to swing and take groundballs before the game. ... OF Byron Buxton, on the seven-day disabled list with concussion-like symptoms, used Friday as a recovery day following some testing on Thursday. Baldelli said Buxton is "going to take part in some baseball activities this weekend." UP NEXT All-Star RHP José Berríos (8-5, 3.10 ERA) starts for Minnesota on Saturday night and is opposed by Oakland LHP Brett Anderson (9-5, 3.79). Berríos has allowed three runs in each of his past two starts, including a five-inning performance at Oakland on July 4. Anderson surrendered two runs in 6 2/3 innings against the Chicago White Sox in his first start since the All-Star break. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Related Slideshow: Best of the 2019 MLB season (provided by imagn)


Read on for the most recent top news you may have missed in Santa Ana. Volleyball coach pleads guilty to having sex with girls A high school volleyball coach and security guard for the Santa Ana Unified School District's police force pleaded guilty to having sex with four girls and has been sentenced to a year in jail. Read the full story on NBC 7 San Diego . Santa Ana sexual assault: Acquaintance arrested, not 2 transients as victim initially reported An 18-year-old acquaintance of a high school student was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting that student, who had initially told police that two transients assaulted her in Santa Ana. Read the full story on ABC7 . Man walks into Santa Ana home, gropes 15-year-old girl sleeping in bed: Police Police are searching for a man who walked through an unlocked door into a home in Santa Ana, and groped a 15-year-old girl who was sleeping in her bed Monday, authorities said. Read the full story on KTLA 5 News . East End Block Party makes noise and creates harmony in Santa Ana | OC Weekly All too often, it seems that events which are intended to bring locals together end up appealing to only a small portion of the community. Read the full story on OC Weekly . This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle , then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Investors are worried the U.S. and China may not find enough common ground to head off a new round of tariffs later this week that could bite into global growth, squeeze profit margins and drive down stock prices. Trade negotiators are scheduled to meet this week in Washington, but recent tensions make it less likely a deal will be agreed to before the Trump unleashes a new round of tariffs. Analysts say a deal is still possible, but the risks have risen that there will be more tariffs before a deal can be worked out, and it could then take a lot longer than expected for an agreement to be hammered out. Stocks plunged and bonds rose in a safety trade Tuesday, after the Trump administration set the clock ticking on a 12:01 a.m. ET Friday deadline for raising tariffs to 25% on $200 billion in Chinese goods. Trump administration officials said they still expect to meet with a Chinese trade delegation this week, but at a media briefing late Monday they said their Chinese counterparts reneged on some key areas of agreement in trade talks. The Dow fell more than 473 points to 25,965, and the S&P 500 was off 48 points at 2,884. "It all depends on what happens Friday. Traders were not expecting this. The market is trying to discount it in case tariffs get reinstated," said Scott Redler, partner with T3live.com. "This is a curve ball, unexpected scenario." With the threat of tariffs, analysts say many of Wall Street's assumption for profits and growth would have to be tossed - suggesting that stocks are too highly priced near recent highs. Related video: How bad things could get The forward price to earnings ratio on the S&P 500 was at 17 times earnings expectations . "That has to come down because growth has to come down...A good part of what went on in this market was predicated on a deal getting done in the first place. If that's not the case, we have to start taking [earnings] estimates down," said Art Hogan, National Securities chief market strategist. Keith Parker, chief U.S. equities strategist at UBS, said the hit to S&P 500 earnings would be 2% or greater, if the 10% tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods rises to 25%. Parker said earnings would be hit by 7% if there was a full blown trade war, while the S&P 500 could trade in a range of 600 points on different scenarios of escalation of trade wars to de-escalation, with the S&P now near the top of the range. "We think the most likely path is the deal. But escalation risks have risen and the growth backdrop is bit better so [investors should be] selectively staying involved in cyclicals and look for ways to hedge," said Parker. "The S&P is probably trading much more in line with a status quo or some form of a deal. I would say it's not pricing that trade war scenario." The seeming divide between Chinese officials and the Trump administration added to concerns, after week's of positive commentary from both sides. Hogan said China's comments are problematic and could indicate the two sides are far apart. "They're not going to back down from the parts of the deal they want. They don't want to have a full account of the deal made public," he said. But at the same time, leaders in Washington and Beijing may feel like they have more leverage in the negotiations. China's recent data has shown its economy is stabilizing after months of fiscal and monetary stimulus. The Trump administration too must be feeling upbeat after a strong U.S. jobs report and higher stock prices. Analysts said the threat of new tariffs puts assumptions about the market at risk, including the expectations for 3% earnings growth this year. Earnings in the first quarter grew at 1.2%, much better than earlier estimates for a decline, and second quarter S&P 500 earnings growth is expected at 1.5%, according to Refinitiv. On Tuesday, stocks reversed the pattern of Monday, where the worst losses were in the early morning as markets reacted to President Donald Trump's Sunday afternoon tweets threatening more tariffs. As the day went on, stocks shook off losses as traders took the president's threats as more a bargaining ploy by the president. Global equity markets could also take a hit, as global growth would expected to slowdown on another round of tariffs. "If we have the increase from 10% to 25%, that would lower Chinese growth by a half a percentage point, and global growth by 0.2 of a percentage point," said Cesar Rojas, global economist at Citigroup. The impact on U.S. growth would be less than a tenth of a percentage point. "I think that we will get a deal," said Rojas. "I'm still hopeful there will be an announcement that tariffs will not increase, and that they will come to an agreeement...If that's not the case, and there is a tariff increase on Friday , I will change my base case to having an escalation of trade tensions." Rojas said if that's the case, then a deal might be a much longer way off. China might not come back to the table in a serious way, until after it felt the pain of tariffs. The U.S. would also be hit by Chinese tariffs, and that would also come as U.S. growth was already slowing down from last year's level. "The problem is we don't know what the stick point is. This is the black box. We're still concerned because neither side said anything positive," Hogan said, adding the situation could easily be made worse by tariffs. "That's where this turns form a trade negotiation to a trade war because it's bad for both economies," Hogan said. Stocks that would be hurt most by the increase in tariffs include retailers, tech, and industrials. Caterpillar fell 2.4%; SMH, VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF lost 2.6% Goldman Sachs retail analysts Tuesday said companies had been moving to protect themselves against tariffs, when they were at 10% but may have not expected the increase to 25%, given optimism around the talks. Investors may also not have factored in any further tariffs. "Within our consumer coverage, the most signiﬁcant category on the $200bn list was furniture - retailers exposed to this category, such as Big Lots (BIG), could see a negative impact," the wrote. But the analysts added that companies that buy goods from China, such as Dollar Tree and Five Below could also be negatively impacted. "We note that DLTR already included the impact of a move to 25% in FY19 EPS guidance, but based on our conversations, investors were anticipating upside if tariffs stayed at 10%," they wrote.


Hayes Valley Just two months after boutique and creative workshop space Gather departed Hayes Valley , it's found a new home in Oakland's Temescal neighborhood. Husband-and-wife owners Christian and Daisy McClellan have moved into a room in the back of clothing boutique Dandelion Post at 421 40th St. (at Webster). As they noted when they closed Gather , they'll no longer be running a retail business, but focusing solely on creative workshops . "The best part is not having to unlock the doors of the shop in the morning," Daisy said, laughing. "There is a sense of relief." Dandelion Post is itself new to the 40th Street space. A few months ago, owner Jamie Levine moved the shop a few blocks from its original location at 4243 Telegraph Ave. It's now housed in the former home of Manifesto Bicycles ; the workshop room was previously a space used for bike repairs. Levine renovated the workshop room by putting in new floors and repainting the walls, which are also decorated with a mural by Rich Jacobs . Though the space's opening party took place just last Saturday, Gather is no stranger to Dandelion Post. Daisy, a Berkeley resident with two children and a third on the way, had already invited artists and makers to host pop-up classes there after closing the Hayes Valley store in March. Having a separate room for workshops is an advantage over her former space, she said. During classes, "people engage with each other" more, and are "less distracted" compared to when they were surrounded by the shop's merchandise, she said. She also doesn't have to worry about people with messy hands touching the goods. Gather is continuing to partner with a number of local makers to host its workshops. Upcoming classes include a knit pouf cushion session with Cara Corey Designs , a floral arranging class with Home Sweet Flowers , a candle-making workshop with Lighten Up Shoppe and a calligraphy course with Bright Line Studio . Participants in the workshops will get a 10% discount on Dandelion Post's selection of clothing, jewelry and shoes. Daisy is also dedicating one wall of the workshop space to selling a small selection of products from the makers who lead the workshops, including DIY kits to work on at home. The new workshop space also boasts an outdoor patio area, which allows for more "messy stuff," Daisy explains, like a sandal-making workshop where sandals will be finished by using a belt sander. At Saturday's opening party, participants got to make their own bath salts. Daisy says that she wanted to demonstrate that workshop participants "usually get to leave with something that they've made," whether it's a hand-lettered quote or a floral arrangement. Despite the transbay move, Daisy says that loyal Gather customers have been traveling from San Francisco to the new location. It helps that the MacArthur BART station is conveniently located just a few minutes' walk away, she said. Daisy said she hopes customers will take advantage of the opportunity to "explore a new neighborhood"   and she said she encourages people to also make a dinner reservation in the area.


Oakland In search of a new favorite boxing spot? Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top boxing spots around Oakland, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of the best spots to venture next time you're in the market for boxing. 1. Guardian Gym Topping the list is Guardian Gym . Located at 1922 Webster St. (between 19th and 20th streets), the boxing and martial art spot is the highest-rated boxing business in Oakland, boasting five stars out of 56 reviews on Yelp. 2. 9Round Next up is Merritt's 9Round , situated at 132 E. 12th St. (between 2nd Ave and First Avenue). With five stars out of 39 reviews on Yelp, the boxing, personal training and cardio class business has proven to be a local favorite. 3. Boxing for Health Boxing for Health , located at 452 Santa Clara Ave., is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the gym, boot camp and boxing spot 4.5 stars out of 98 reviews. 4. Pacific Ring Sports Pacific Ring Sports , a gym and martial art and boxing spot in Mosswood, is another much-loved go-to, with 4.5 stars out of 93 Yelp reviews. Head over to 493 40th St. (between Clarke Street and Telegraph Avenue) to see for yourself. This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Some good news before the Detroit Lions make their first trip to Ford Field for Friday night's scrimmage. The team has activated Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay from the non-football injury list. Slay will be eligible to participate in activities and practices beginning with the intrasquad practice in front of the fans in the home of the Lions. He has missed all of training camp so far with an undisclosed injury that occurred prior to Slay reporting for duty in July. There is still no word of any potential resolution to Slay's desire for a new contract, something which caused the talented CB to hold out of mandatory minicamp in June. Now he'll get a chance to prove he deserves more by being back in action. Damon "Snacks" Harrison remains on the NFI list. MORE: How Kawhi Leonard broke the news to Raptors coach Nick Nurse that he was leaving Five potential Jeremy Lin landing spots in free agency Biggest winners from the first week of Packers training camp Sean McVay, Rams are flipping the script on practice and the preseason Carmelo Anthony Wants to Play Again, Believes Rockets Dumped Him for Non-Basketball Reasons


Gab, the controversial social media platform that has been criticized for hosting white nationalist and neo-Nazi groups, on Thursday slammed the White House for not inviting it to President Trump's social media summit. The White House social media summit, set for Thursday afternoon, boasts a guest list of high-profile online conspiracy theorists and right-wing figures who have crusaded against the country's largest tech companies for allegedly censoring right-wing perspectives. YouTube, Twitter and Facebook - the country's largest social media platforms - were not invited to the event. In a statement, Gab accused the White House of inviting "'safe' z-list MAGA celebrities and cheerleaders" instead of those who have "scarified everything fighting for the uniquely American principles of freedom of expression and individual liberty on the internet." "Many of these people are or were ardent supporters of President Trump and drove the vast majority of online engagement during the 2016 campaign to get him elected," Gab said in the statement. "Yet their sacrifices and important work on the topic of free expression online has gone unappreciated by the White House." Gab went offline briefly earlier this year after it was revealed that the man who allegedly killed 11 worshipers in a Pittsburgh synagogue frequently used the platform. Robert Bowers, who has been accused of committing the largest mass shooting against Jewish people in U.S. history, posted on Gab before the attack: "Screw your optics, I'm going in." Minds.com, a fringe platform with 2 million users that has been criticized for hosting extremist and neo-Nazi content, says it is the only social media platform invited to the White House social media summit on Thursday. Minds.com CEO Bill Ottman told The Hill in a phone interview on Thursday that he was invited after he penned a letter to the White House about his vision for transparent and open social media platforms. Other attendees include conservative activist and Project Veritas founder James O'Keefe, who has been accused of spreading misinformation and false narratives, and Bill Mitchell, a right-wing radio host who is known for spreading the QAnon conspiracy theory. Gab also criticized the White House for rescinding its invitation to Ben Garrison, a pro-Trump cartoonist whose drawings have been criticized as anti-Semitic. "Ironically the White House acted in a very similar way to the Big Tech companies by no-platforming Ben Garrison from the event after cartoons that contained anti-war criticism were circulated by the Twitter media elite," Gab wrote. Trump on Thursday said the summit would focus largely on allegations that companies like Google, Twitter and Facebook are biased against conservatives, a claim that experts and tech firms have said is untrue and has little evidence beyond individual anecdotes to back it up.


Ana Cabrera speaks to authors Lawrence Ross and Andrew Lohse -a former SAE fraternity member- about the culture of discrimination in college fraternities.


The Cup and Gander Outdoors Truck Series will be in action this weekend as Cup competes at Sonoma Raceway in California and the trucks head to World Wide Technology Raceway outside St. Louis, Missouri. Sonoma represents the first road course race of the season. The Trucks will hold their third and final race of the "Triple Truck Challenge." Here's the full weekend schedule for both series with TV and radio info. Sonoma Raceway wunderground.com forecasts sunny skies and highs of 84 degrees for Friday, 91 degrees for Saturday and 88 degrees on Sunday with no chance of rain. (All times are Eastern) Friday, June 21 11:30 a.m.   9:30 p.m.   Cup garage open 2:35 p.m.   3:55 p.m.   Cup practice (FS1; tape delay starting at 3 p.m. ET) 5:35   6:55 p.m.   Final Cup practice (FS1) Saturday, June 22 10:30 a.m.   4:30 p.m.   Cup garage open 3:10 p.m.   Cup qualifying; multi-car/two rounds (FS1, Performance Racing Network, SiriusXM NASAR Radio) 4:45 p.m.   K&N Pro Series West race; 50 laps/126 miles (Airs on NBCSN on June 27 at 6 p.m. ET) Sunday, June 23 11 a.m.   Cup garage opens 1 p.m.   Driver crew chief meeting 2:20 p.m.   Driver introductions 3 p.m.   Toyota/Save Mart 350; 90 laps/226.8 miles (FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASAR Radio) World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway wunderground.com forecasts a high of 84 degrees and a 20% chance of rain at the start time for the Truck Series race. Saturday, June 22 10:30 a.m.   Truck garage opens 11:35 a.m.   12:25 p.m.   Truck practice (No TV) 1:35   2:25 p.m.   Final Truck practice (No TV) 6:35 p.m.   Qualifying; single truck/two laps (Airs tape delayed on FS2 at 8:30 p.m.) 8:30 p.m.   Driver-crew chief meeting 9:30 p.m   Driver introductions 10 p.m.   CarShield 200; 160 laps/200 miles (FS1, Motor Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)


A veteran Ohio sheriff's deputy filed a civil lawsuit against a security guard for allegedly pointing a gun at him during an incident in May at an Internal Revenue Service office in Toledo. Alan Gaston was in full uniform when he stopped by the IRS office for personal reasons on May 31, according to a lawsuit filed in the Lucas County Common Pleas Court. Gaston has worked for the county sheriff's office for the past 35 years, his lawyer Chad Tuschman said. Seth Eklund, a security guard at the office, stopped Gaston and told him he needed to remove his gun, the suit states. Gaston asked if there was a locker for him to store it and was told that there was not one. Eklund then told Gaston to put his gun in his car. Gaston refused and "attempted to discuss the matter" with Eklund, according to the lawsuit. During their discussion, Eklund "unholstered his gun and pointed it directly at" Gaston and then grabbed his shoulder, telling him he was being detained. The incident was caught on camera and shows Gaston walk into a room and appear to talk to someone off camera. As Gaston leaves the room, Eklund is seen walking behind him with his gun pointed at Gaston's back. Gaston said in an interview that he thought Eklund was going to shoot him. "There's really no way to know how you're going to act when there's a gun pointed at you and you think you're going to lose your life," he said. The suit states that Gaston suffered "severe emotional and psychological distress and has suffered extreme personal trauma." He and his wife, Michelle Gaston, are seeking damages in excess of $25,000. Eklund was charged with aggravated menacing, according to NBC affiliate WCMH-TV in Columbus, Ohio. He pleaded not guilty in his first court appearance on Monday. The other two defendants named in the lawsuit, security companies Paragon Systems and Praetorian Shield, could not immediately be reached for comment.


From a dog-friendly brewery event to an art exhibit, there's plenty to enjoy in Minneapolis this week. Read on for a rundown of ideas for how to fill your calendar. Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. Pints for Paws From the event description: Pet Haven's Pints for Paws is back. Enjoy some cold brews in the Minnesota summer as we return to Able Seedhouse + Brewery! Head to our photo booth to get a commemorative photo with your doggo and check out our vendors, Pet Wants and Beer Paws, for some tail waggin' good stuff. When: Tuesday, June 25, 5-8 p.m. Where: Able Seedhouse + Brewery, 1121 Quincy St. NE Admission: $10 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Crisp Barre From the event description: Join our Crisp Coach, Kayla, for a strengthening and toning barre class. Every class starts with a warm-up, upper-body exercises and pushups in the middle of the room, followed by a sequence of leg work at the barre and core exercises on the floor. When: Wednesday, June 26, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Where: Crisp & Green North Loop, 428 N. Washington Ave. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Independent Rebels From the event description: Josh Stifter, director of two feature films and many shorts and animations, and actor/writer Daniel Degnan, will discuss how they push through the self doubts, struggles and failures to finish an independent project and enjoy the successes. When: Wednesday, June 26, 6-8:30 p.m. Where: Minneapolis Telecommunications Network, 820 18th Ave. NE Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Richard Merchán Exhibit From the event description: Venezuelan-born artist Richard Merchán celebrates the culture of France. This body of recent work reflects the artist's journey south from Paris, through the region of Provence, along the French Riviera, the Mediterranean seaside, the hills of Monaco and back. When: Thursday, June 27, 7-10 p.m. Where: The Gallery at Le Meridien Chambers, 901 Hennepin Ave. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Since arriving on the scene with the Indianapolis Colts two years ago, safety Malik Hooker has had a run with injuries that kept him off of the field during the offseason workouts. In his third offseason, however, Hooker is finally fully healthy. The former first-round pick is taking advantage of being healthy for the first time at this point in the offseason, and he couldn't be happier. "No, this is my first actual offseason where I can fully do everything - workout and everything," Hooker told reporters Tuesday. "So it's going great for me." Entering the draft in 2017, Hooker was dealing with a groin issue that kept him off of the field for the entirety of the spring. He was able to participate in a limited fashion during training camp and the preseason his rookie year, which eventually readied him for a starting role in Chuck Pagano's defense. He flashed as the ballhawk everyone pegged him to be, recording three interceptions in seven games. But then he suffered the injury that would force him to miss his second offseason as well: a torn ACL. Hooker wound up missing all of the spring as he rehabbed his way back from the devastating knee injury, which occurred on a low block while in pursuit down the sideline against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Despite some hip issues during the 2018 season, Hooker is now 100%. He didn't need any offseason procedures to clean anything up, and he's finally back to feeling like himself. "Right now I feel just as good as I did in college going into an offseason. So there is nothing that I can complain about," Hooker said. "I'm moving great, feeling great. Weight wise and everything, I am the best I have been since I have been here." He's not the only one that feels confident about his current status. His head coach shared the same sentiment on Tuesday. "Yeah, I absolutely see a difference in Malik. I see a difference in the way he is moving, making plays on the ball," said Frank Reich to the media. "He just seems to be - in every aspect of his game - a notch or two higher. So I think that going into this offseason healthy has served him well." Hooker is a big part of a young defense that is expected to take a step forward in 2019. Whether he's working in a deep split-zone or manning centerfield, being healthy this spring bodes well for a potential breakout in his third season. MORE: Aaron Rodgers zings other NFL QBs over their superior beer-chugging skills These five upcoming NBA free agents helped themselves in the playoffs Observations from day 1 of Lions minicamp: pick city Cole Beasley plans to annoy Josh Allen Roundup: New Black Mirror Season Premieres; Trump Imposes Cuban Travel Restrictions; Manafort Sent to Rikers


The Maricopa County Attorney's Office has dismissed charges against a man accused of caging, shocking and whipping a woman in a "BDSM-style dungeon" he constructed in his Scottsdale home. Maricopa County court records accused 48-year-old Jason Monroe Smith coercing his homeless girlfriend to sign a contract that would allow him to "use as much force as he wanted to against her," and barred her from having a job or money in exchange for living in his house. Records also accused Smith of caging his girlfriend in a sex dungeon, whipping and shocking her against her will. Officers arrested Smith on May 8, shortly after the woman went to the police, and booked him into a Maricopa County Jail on charges of kidnapping and aggravated assault. For more stories that matter, subscribe to azcentral.com . The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office told The Arizona Republic last week that Smith had posted his $250,000 bond and was no longer in MCSO custody. Amanda Steele, a spokeswoman with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, told The Republic Monday that prosecutors dismissed the charges against Smith because there wasn't a reasonable likelihood of conviction. The charges were dismissed without prejudice, however, meaning prosecutors could refile the charges at a later date should they receive new evidence or testimony. Reach the reporter Perry Vandell at 602-444-2474 or perry.vandell@gannett.com . Follow him on Twitter @PerryVandell . Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Charges dropped against Scottsdale man accused of torturing woman


Sam Dyson and Sergio Romo represented the sum total of the Twins' midseason additions as the club tries to hold its lead atop the AL Central. While Dyson and Romo address needs in the bullpen, Minnesota was also very aggressive in looking for starting pitching, though ultimately came up short in reinforcing the rotation. Rival teams continually asked the Twins about top prospects Royce Lewis and Alex Kirilloff , with the Mets among the multiple clubs who asking for both youngsters. New York wanted both Lewis and Kiriloff in discussions about Noah Syndergaard , and if premium minor league talent wasn't available for the ace, the Mets were also focused on adding Major League players, to the point of asking Minnesota about Byron Buxton in a possible Syndergaard deal. Lewis and Kirilloff were also on the mind of the Blue Jays' front office, as Toronto was looking for either of the prospects in exchange for Marcus Stroman . Minnesota turned down this initial request, and The Athletic's Dan Hayes reports that the Jays never called back with any other offers before trading Stroman to the Mets . This would seem to indicate that the Jays were only interested in Lewis and Kirilloff specifically, though Hayes writes that "the Twins were disappointed when Toronto didn't give them a chance to match an offer they believed they could have outdone." Beyond the prospects, Hayes tweeted that Luis Arraez was " everyone's favorite ask " amongst teams who were offering rental players to Minnesota. Arraez has been a revelation for the Twins over his first 43 Major League games, as the rookie is hitting .349/.422/.445 over 166 plate appearances. Arraez has long boasted strong averages and on-base numbers in the minors, and while regression is inevitable, his .361 xwOBA isn't far off his .388 wOBA. With this much potential, it isn't hard to see why the Twins were reluctant to part with a 22-year-old, multi-positional talent for only a rental player (or potentially anyone). Hayes reports that the Twins were considering both Robbie Ray and Mike Minor , though concerns about Ray's durability and Minor's July struggles diminished the interest. On the relief front, the Twins also had interest in Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez . " It was one of the most unique trade deadlines I've ever experienced ," Twins GM Thad Levine told Hayes and other reporters. " One error I made was assuming that early in the trade cycle that the leverage was towards the seller . I assumed that there was going to be a little bit of a shift of that see-saw back to the buyer as we got closer to the deadline. I'm not sure we ever saw the shift in the see-saw. The sellers felt pretty emboldened. They set the prices high, which is very normal in a trade deadline. But I'm not sure they moved off of those high asks at any point, and as a result, there were just a finite number of players that meaningfully changed the fortunes of playoff-contending teams ." Early talks with the Giants involving multiple players (including Dyson, Madison Bumgarner , and Will Smith ) did result in the late Dyson trade. Minnesota and San Francisco re-engaged in talks just 45 minutes before the 3pm CT deadline, medicals on the four players in the deal were exchanged at 2:50pm, and the trade was finalized with just five minutes to spare.


The Kansas City Chiefs have brought back an undrafted free agent that signed with the team, but was waived following rookie minicamp . San Jose State defensive back Dakari Monroe has re-signed with the Chiefs according to the NFL's transaction report. Monroe joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent following the 2019 NFL draft, along with 16 other players . Monroe was a standout for the Spartans during the 2018 season. He recorded over 50 total tackles, four interceptions and 14 passes defended. Monroe has experience playing both nickel and outside corner, which makes his skillset quite appealing to the Chiefs. He was also a standout special teams player during his first several seasons with San Jose State. His performance in 2018 earned him an opportunity with the Chiefs right out of the gate. He was one of three cornerbacks to sign with the Chiefs following the draft, but he was replaced after his performance at rookie minicamp. The Chiefs have decided to bring Monroe back because they had an open roster spot from the retirement of Martrell Spaight . It's clear that he left enough of an impression during rookie minicamp to receive another opportunity in Kansas City. It'll be interesting to see if the Chiefs will truly give him a chance to compete. It's also possible that the return of Monroe will be more of a placeholder scenario for a future transaction by the team. MORE: Magic Johnson confirms rumor that Lakers want to sign Kyrie Irving Jenelle Evans storms off set after Nessa Diab confronts her on anti-Kaepernick posts Lions OTA notebook: First impressions from the first open day 5 reasons Saints should be favorites to sign Gerald McCoy Ranking the 5 best wide receivers in the AFC West


Motorious takes a closer look at the Jaguar that changed everything   the brutal yet beautiful straight-six 1994 XJR Before the XJR arrived, Jaguar was suffering something of an identity crisis. Previous esteem with which the genteel marque's high-end saloons were held was on the wane. Sir William Lyons' dream no longer represented the best of British. It was all coming apart at the seams. Quality control at the Coventry-based factory collapsed and everything else broke down; the factory embraced Communism, pop-music maestro Pete Waterman had an ignominious and well-publicized fight with a Jaguar bigwig on Concorde, and Ford eventually purchased the dying company to enthusiasts' highly audible disgruntlement. More Jaguars! Why You Shouldn't Be Frightened Of An Early V12 Jaguar XJ-S 1000 Jaguar Classic Cars Gather At The Poshest House In England As the decade of excess faded away, the Browns Lane brand was on its knees. Sales were down and Jaguar's once-stellar reputation was all but in tatters. By the time Margaret Thatcher and John Major had royally screwed up the UK economy, Jaguar had encountered a shift in attitude. In order to survive, they kinda had to. If you had once ventured into the showroom and complained about electrical gremlins or a lack of rear legroom, you'd have been lucky to escape the encounter with only light bruising, before being thrown into the back of an XJ6 and dumped in a quarry. However, for 1994, things began to change with the arrival of Jag's next-generation saloon. The X300 steps in... Purchasing an XJ40 was purely for the brave, and seeing as the XJ-S appeared to be soldiering on forever almost unchanged, word on the street about the new X300 saloon was far from complimentary. There was light at the end of the tunnel, though... While the X300 had inherent flaws, behind the scenes, the Jaguar factory had brought quality control into line and management no longer sulked in the past. Build quality was strong and customers lapped up the semi-modern, yet oh-so-retro styling. Sales remained steady but hampered, haunted by the British Leyland image and olde-worlde styling that largely appealed to pub landlords and those uncomfortable in their own skin. Then, launched on a crest of tyre smoke and steroids, the XJR landed with the radiant effect of a bomb blast. It firmly placed Jaguar back on the map . Compared with its more sedate sibling, the XJR appeared to be wearing expensive embellishments: upmarket bumpers, a tasteful grill, prominent wheels, fatter arches and thicker tyres. It still oozed a gentlemanly persona, yet there was an extra dollop of aggression laced through the vehicle's persona. This was Terry-Thomas, but with a machine gun. One of the biggest developments that got gearheads going was the extra gear offered by Jag's automatic transmission. That might sound overly nerdish, but those five speeds ensured you could reach that golden 150mph milestone, which was limited electronically to prevent the tires from bursting. Even at this speed, the cabin drowned in silence. In fact, the only sign you were travelling at 67 metres per second was the slightly augmented road noise. Well, that and the blue flashing lights that followed on behind... Yet, none of this refinement compared to the adrenaline of the XJR's beating heart under that trademark bonnet. For some, the death of Jaguar's V12 could never be forgiven. For others, the succeeding AJ-V8 couldn't arrive soon enough, and the marque's newly expanded fan base met the XJR's forced-induction set-up with salivation. Churning out 375bhp with aid from an Eaton supercharger, the XJR's 0-60mph could be completed in a mere 5.5 seconds. That was not only riotous for the time, but remains seriously quick even compared with today's contemporaries. Rivals didn't stand a chance. The BMW M5 paled in comparison. Yet, there is something unsettling about the XJR. While it can happily stand alongside Sir Bentley and the Lord's Range Rover , there is an air of inelegance about the model's stance. Like donning a football kit and going for a destructive wander around Balmoral Castle, something feels wrong. In a line-up of esteemed relatives, the XJR appears to be the family's eloquent bad boy. Untrustworthy. Dangerous to know. Behind the doors of the Soho gentlemen's club, it's this car's owner who takes charming sexism that bit too far and ends up in court. He hasn't heard of the #MeToo movement, or taken the last 30 years into account. For savage paradoxes and a bawdy attitude under a Field-Marshal accent, you seek out the custodian of an XJR. A much-used cliché, perhaps, but this really is Oliver Reed in car form. Even the fuel consumption remains apt for such a statement. On the road in a 1996 XJR Driving an XJR around the city at night seems to command instant respect; the headlamps glowing with a savage pulse as you slice through traffic. Should you accidentally-on-purpose head the wrong way down a one-way street, it'll be the other guy who backs up. The subtle strain of menace woven into the very nature of Jaguar's beast radiates off the shop windows and glass skyscrapers. People know you are here; they can sense it. And then, in a complete change of tack, the big cat takes new form upon charging down the B-roads. When presented with corners and gradients, the tarmac tyrant becomes your best mate; egging you on with intoxicated enthusiasm. You prod the controls gingerly, as this kind of power brings the grave responsibility of knowing your own limit. The car is capable of sliding into a corner on a wave of torque, and if you're unprepared, the result can leave you either witless or without clean trousers. There is one reason the seats are trimmed in wipe-down leather… The Jaguar's interior refinement alludes nothing to the goings-on outside, even given the ailments of this 100,000-mile example. The brake pedal judders ever so slightly on our car as you dip the nose into a bend, the steering wheel feeding the vibration into your wrists like a demented joystick. Concentration is required as the road undulates, the wide tyres tramlining within the grooves of the tarmac. Then there is the lurch in the front suspension, with the worn springs amplifying tenfold each unavoidable pothole. You can hear a wheelbearing grinding away, too, underlining that unsettling knowledge that this Jag offers more power at your right foot than a Ferrari 348. Except, it doesn't   because there isn't a supersonic V8 leading the way up front. It's a straight-six serving up 322bhp through a multi-point injection system. People often forget that the XJR was not always powered by eight supercharged cylinders; the first-generation models employed the AJ6 engine. The 0-60mph dash is a more leisurely 6.5 seconds   still spleen-splittingly fast, but not quite the acceleration expected from the mythical feline without an explanation on the various models. Not that this takes away from the driving experience. The handling remains razor sharp, with enough grunt to keep most 1990s supercars at bay, whereas ride comfort and cruising ability are second to none. Blipping the throttle results in an exhaust growl that would leave any wolf pack diving for the undergrowth   there is no downgrade in quality or experience with the first-generation XJR. If an extra second in reaching the national speed limit would cause sleepless nights, Zopiclone is available. Powering hard out of a junction will cause enough tyre smoke to set off any nearby fire alarms, crabbing and swaying if you aren't precise with your input at the controls. You get that with any well-heeled XJR, but there are a few advantages to using six over eight. Besides slightly cheaper running costs, you'll hold a rarity card and benefit from the overall halo effect of keeping alive an authentic genesis model from Jaguar's history. The XJR's legacy Without the rabid XJR, Jaguar's image would have seen the marque off for good. Paired with the XK8 and its R-badged stablemate, the model's appeal saw the customer base broaden to more than merely bankers, retirees and stuffy socialites. Footballers, actors, fashion designers and people under the age of 40 now aspired to Jaguar ownership. Even Hannibal Lecter owned one in the books   and that just about says it all. Further incarnations of the XJR became smoother and more refined, and employed electronic wizardry   the 1997 models even had computer-controlled suspension. However, where the 4.0-litre six reigns supreme is in the rough-and-ready detail. You can feel the tyres clutching away, allowing for that rare sensation where you feel part of the automotive process. You feel engaged with the car, rather than pressing buttons and piloting a cramped lounge with go-faster windows. You depart each racing line and smile   'I did that'. As time marched on, the succeeding models grew fatter and far less exciting. While advancement in technology and production methods have taken four-door saloons well beyond the industrial capabilities of Jaguar's 20-year-old XJR design, in spirit and character they remain over-assisted karaoke versions of the original. If you're looking for power, style, investment and the ultimate 'sense of occasion', the first-generation XJR can do no wrong. The innovative, mass-produced XJR leaves a lasting legacy that has been watered down with each new generation; if you want Oliver Reed in a dinner jacket, don't settle for any other hell-raiser.


And then came the rain. American farmers already plagued by a near biblical parade of misfortune that includes years of low prices and a trade war with China are now grappling with record Midwest rain that will likely prevent a large portion of this year's crop from even getting planted. The troubles have created the worst farm crisis since the 1980s, when oversupplies and a U.S. grain embargo against the Soviet Union forced thousands of farmers into bankruptcy, experts say. "It's not the 1980s, but it's as close as we've been," says John Newton, chief economist of the American Farm Bureau . While some farmers have been shutting down or selling to larger competitors for years amid thinner profits, analysts say 2019 will bring a more dramatic shakeout. "This is more than a cyclical thing," says Gary Schnitkey, an agricultural economist at the University of Illinois . "It's a series of events that we've never seen come together. … It's going to be a blow to everyone's financial position." Agriculture makes up less than 1% of U.S. gross domestic product, down from about 8% in the late 1940s, according to JPMorgan Chase. Still, a downturn in the sector could trim economic growth   projected at about 2.2% this year   by up to two-tenths of a percentage point, says Nathan Kauffman, lead economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Planting delays Rain and flooding that began in March have kept farmers from planting a major portion of their crops during the normal mid-April to mid-May season in states like Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio and Michigan. As of Sunday, 39% of soybean acres have been planted in the 18 largest producing states, compared with an average 79% over the past five years, Agriculture Department figures show. Sixty-seven percent of corn acres are in the ground, vs. an average 96%. Such delays are unprecedented, Newton says. Projected yield shortages have provided at least some boost to long-depressed prices. Contract corn prices for July delivery have risen from $3.57 a bushel in late April to about $4.15. Soybean futures have edged up from $8.41 to about $8.70. Meanwhile, the Agriculture Department has announced it will provide $16 billion in aid to farmers this year to partly offset the price shortfall resulting from the China trade fight. The developments have presented farmers with wrenching dilemmas that are coming to a head this week, the last viable period to plant corn: Forgo planting on certain fields and file an insurance claim for "prevented planting" that would net slightly less than half their normal proceeds. Or go ahead and plant as much as possible, relying on the government payouts and perhaps some crop insurance to cushion the blow. But the late plantings could spell poor yields that curtail revenue and limit future insurance payments. Megan Dwyer, 30, who co-owns a 700-acre farm with her father in Coal Valley, Illinois, got a few days of dry weather this week and decided to roll the dice and scramble to plant most of her corn in just a few days. "You always want to produce," says Dwyer, a fourth-generation farmer. "If you produce less, then you're failing. … It's hard to change that mindset." She says she may still file some prevented planting claims, depending on the weather in coming days and weeks. One of Dwyer's fields near a river is still under water. Other parcels couldn't be tilled for weeks because tractors couldn't grind through the mud. A litany of troubles The wet weather is just the latest calamity to buffet America's farmers. Mayo curse: Holy mayo! Heinz's new condiment Mayochup includes a bad word The industry reaped healthy profits after renewable fuel standards in the mid-2000s opened vast markets for corn, which is used to produce ethanol. A 2012 drought hammered output, driving up grain prices even while insurance covered lost output. Higher prices for corn and wheat   feedstock for cattle, hogs and chickens   forced farmers to thin their herds, driving meat prices up as well. The higher crop and livestock prices meant even fatter profits. But they spurred record production in the U.S. and globally, halving commodity prices. Prices have remained low the past five years as net farm income fell from $123.8 billion in 2013 to $69 billion last year, according to the Farm Bureau. Meanwhile, costs for fertilizer, seeds and other materials have risen. More: It's great that you got a raise, but it just might hurt the stock market and the economy Then, last summer, China, which buys nearly a third of U.S. soybeans, slapped a 25% tariff on the crop in retaliation for U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports. That dampened demand and pushed prices below the break-even level of just under $10 a bushel. Some soybean farmers went bankrupt. Chapter 12 farm bankruptcies have increased from 1,513 in 2014 to 1,940 last year, according to the Kansas City Fed. Although they're still well below record levels, the filings totaled 512 the first three months of 2019, the highest quarterly total in nearly seven years. Farms on average have been marginally profitable the past few years, but they'll likely be in the red in 2019, Schnitkey says. China began buying some American soybeans again early this year as talks between the two countries resumed. But Chinese officials recently announced they would halt all purchases after President Donald Trump stepped up tariffs against the country last month. There's more. An African swine fever virus could suppress the production of Chinese pigs   which feed on soybeans   for years. And Trump last week threatened tariffs on all Mexican imports to prod the country into curtailing illegal immigration from Central America. Mexico vowed retaliation that could mean duties on U.S. exports such as corn, dairy and beef. That would further batter the profits of Dwyer and her husband, Todd, who also have a herd of 60 cows. "It's constantly one thing after another," she says. "We can't seem to catch a break." While most economists believe the United States and China will likely resolve their dispute later this year, Dwyer worries the standoff will prompt Chinese customers to permanently switch to other soybean-producing countries. That's what happened in the early 1970s when President Richard Nixon ceased soybean exports to Japan to temper inflation, leading Japan to invest heavily in soybean production in Brazil and reduce U.S. imports, says Jonathan Coppess, an agricultural economist at the University of Illinois. Brazil now rivals the U.S. as a soybean producer. "We have no idea how these decisions will impact China long-term," Coppess says. Farm income, meanwhile, is expected to remain pressured by low prices the next few years amid abundant supplies and slowing global demand, says Kauffman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. The Dwyers have scuttled plans to buy a $20,000 trailer to transport goods. They're pinching pennies at the grocery store and thinking of forgoing swimming lessons for their three kids this summer. Like many millennial farmers, Dwyer holds several part-time jobs to supplement her income   selling seed, advising farmers and technical writing. Her husband, Todd, works in product development for farm equipment maker John Deere. Now, Dwyer is considering getting a full-time job. But she can't imagine giving up farming. "It's never the same every day," she says. "Planting a seed and waiting for it to grow, seeing a newborn calf. That's something you're never going to see sitting in a cubicle." Wisconsin farmers hit especially hard In Wisconsin, the planting delays are compounding a dairy crisis fueled by global overproduction of milk and prices that have dropped 40% since late 2014. Wisconsin lost almost 700 dairy farms in 2018. As of Feb. 1, Wisconsin had 8,046 dairy herds, down 40% from 10 years earlier, according to state data. At the same time, foreign markets for American dairy products have dwindled in response to tariffs that Trump slapped on foreign steel and aluminum. Cheese shipments to China have fallen almost 65%, and exports to Mexico are down more than 10%. Mexico and Canada have targeted rural America as a way to punish Trump, and the economic harm could be felt for years, said Laurie Fischer, CEO of the American Dairy Coalition. This spring, farmers face crucial decisions. Some are running out of feed for their cattle. Do they seek operating loans to plant crops for livestock rations? Or do they quit and cut their losses that can add up to thousands of dollars a month? Walmart and college: Walmart's expanding the chance to go to college for a dollar a day to more of its workers In Shell Lake, dairy farmers Sue and Chuck Spaulding are hanging on, milking about 60 cows on their 300-acre farm that Chuck bought when he was only 17. Seven years ago, they borrowed heavily to modernize it. Nearly every dollar the Spauldings have earned from their milk the last few years has gone toward their debts and farm insurance, leaving them with little income except for Chuck's Social Security check and selling some livestock and hay. The Spauldings' youngest daughter and son-in-law, Christy and Jeremy Spexet, also rely on the farm for their livelihood. They live in a mobile home nearby and put in long hours to keep the milking operation going. But Chuck and Sue can't afford to pay them much. Like other farmers, Sue has started a GoFundMe campaign to get some help from the public. "We set a $30,000 goal for our campaign because we didn't want to scare people away," Sue said. "But we probably owe about a quarter of a million dollars." Contributing: Rick Barrett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Low prices, floods and trade wars plague American farmers, putting their survival at risk


NEPTUNE, N.J.   A day after New York became the 13th state to allow undocumented immigrants to apply for driver's licenses , New Jersey's advocates renewed calls on Tuesday for the Garden State to be next . "We applaud this historic victory for immigrants   and for everyone that cares about respect, dignity and safety   in New York,'' said Olga Armas, a leader of Make the Road New Jersey, which has lobbied for the change. "This fight has been waged for more than a decade in New Jersey, and it has never been more urgent." But advocates will have to wait. A bill introduced last year to make driver's licenses available to immigrants without legal status remains in review, Liza Acevedo, a spokeswoman for Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, said Tuesday. In New Jersey, state lawmakers introduced a bill in November that would, in part, let immigrants without legal status, certain senior citizens and others lacking documentation get a license that could be used only for driving, and not for other purposes. Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, has said it's an idea he would support. The divisive measure, though, has stalled, with some political observers saying that the proximity of November elections is contributing to the delay. All 80 seats in the state's Assembly will be on the ballot, and observers expect Coughlin, the speaker, to stay clear of the driver's license bill as it could make Democratic lawmakers targets of attack ads. More: New York allows undocumented immigrants to apply for driver's licenses Fraud found when states grant the licenses As was seen in New York, advocates of New Jersey's bill have ramped up efforts in recent months by organizing rallies and marches : This past Sunday, on Father's Day, advocates held a rally outside Coughlin's district office in Woodbridge, New Jersey, that drew hundreds. Proponents of the bill argue that extending driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants would increase public safety and boost the economy as new licensees buy car insurance, vehicles, gasoline and auto parts. Undocumented immigrants struggle every day without having a driver's license because they have to take their children to school and doctor appointments, as well as get to work every day, proponents say. Opponents of the proposal said it prioritizes immigrants without legal status above everyone else. Some have also said it would reward immigrants who have broken the law. Also, several states that have extended driving privileges to undocumented immigrants have discovered cases of fraud. In Vermont, for instance, state residents who don't have permission to live in the country can apply for a form of identification called a driving privilege card. Since Vermont began issuing the cards in 2014, its Department of Motor Vehicles has found that residents from other states have applied for and received licenses that have had to be canceled. In Maryland, which also started issuing driver's licenses and identification cards to undocumented immigrants in 2014, an audit of the Motor Vehicle Administration a few years later found that 826 driver's licenses and identification cards had been issued in a six-month period to people who had presented counterfeit documentation. As a result of an internal investigation, 270 fraudulent licenses were canceled. The problems in Maryland continue: This past October, a 38-year-old woman was charged with multiple fraud counts for selling fake bank statements and utility bills so out-of-state residents could get driver's licenses, police said. 220,000 residents could get the licenses New Jersey is home to an estimated 450,000 undocumented immigrants, and, according to the latest estimates from New Jersey Policy Perspective, a left-leaning think tank, 222,000 residents in the Garden State would obtain driver's licenses during the first three years if the measure is adopted. The bill is expected to generate $21 million in revenue from permit, title and driver's license fees in the first three years, according to an analysis by the group. Once the legislation is fully implemented, new drivers would generate $90 million annually from registration fees, the gas tax, and the sales tax on purchases made at gas stations and motor vehicle and auto parts, according to the analysis. Frequently asked questions about the New Jersey bill: Which states allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses? New York this week became the latest state to extend driver's licenses to immigrants without legal status. It joins Washington, D.C., and the states of California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Vermont and Washington. Could undocumented immigrants' information used to obtain the licenses be shared with other agencies? The measure as introduced states any personal information shall not be disclosed for purposes of "investigation, arrest, citation, prosecution, or detention" related to an applicant's citizenship or immigration status without the consent of the driver's license holder or a valid court order or subpoena. How will the proposal be implemented as law? The bill calls for the Motor Vehicle Commission to establish the documentation for applicants to obtain a driver's license. Documents would have to verify an applicant's identity and that the person resides in New Jersey. Licenses issued under the measure would bear a unique "design or color" to indicate that it cannot be used for federal purposes. This article originally appeared on North Jersey Record: New York allowed driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants. Is New Jersey next?


Spending time in Thomas Dale? Get to know this Saint Paul neighborhood by browsing its most popular local businesses, from an Asian restaurant to an Ethiopian joint. Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top places to visit in Thomas Dale, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of neighborhood businesses. Read on for the results. 1. Trung Nam French Bakery Topping the list is Vietnamese eatery Trung Nam French Bakery . Located at 739 University Ave. West, it's the highest-rated business in the neighborhood, boasting 4.5 stars out of 204 reviews on Yelp. The bakery has been serving up its authentic Vietnamese recipes and French baked goods since 1989, plus tea and coffee to enjoy with the meal. Expect Vietnamese specialties like bánh mì sandwiches and try a pastry like a chocolate-stuffed croissant or the cinnamon sugar palmier. 2. Demera Next up is Ethiopian restaurant Demera , situated at 823 W. University Ave. With 4.5 stars out of 58 reviews on Yelp, it's proven to be a local favorite. Popular dishes at Demera include gomen (chopped collard greens sautéed with onions, garlic and ginger and then lightly mixed with sliced and seeded jalapeño) and sambussas (fried dumplings served with a sweet and spicy honey sauce). The restaurant also offers a number of vegan options, including quosta, slow-cooked spinach with garlic, tomatoes and ginger. 3. Lao Thai Restaurant Thai and Laotian spot Lao Thai Restaurant is another top choice. Yelpers give the business, located at 501 University Ave. West, four stars out of 78 reviews. Start your meal off with an appetizer such as stuffed chicken wings, fried egg rolls or fish cakes before honing in on popular entrees like beef combo noodle soup with beef balls and tripe. Or try Lad Nar, a noodle-based dish with broccoli and gravy. This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


When Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry flew to New York to visit Kevin Durant before the June 30 start of free agency, it wasn't to convince him to re-sign with the team but to close a special chapter of the team's golden era. Curry and Durant made it to three-straight NBA Finals together, winning two championships; Durant won back-to-back Finals MVP honors in both of those title wins. But things change, with even marginally perceptive people sensing when something good has run its course, and Curry's recent comments in an interview with The Athletic indicate he had a hunch Durant would be leaving Golden State. Yet, he visited Durant in New York anyway out of respect for their relationship and their shared journey and accomplishments. "It was more about a respect factor," Curry said, "Not letting the BS of this league get in the way of our relationship, and not let it change who I am or anything like that." Curry further explained his understanding that Durant just needed to do in free agency whatever would make him happy: There was no need to pitch. He knows what we're about and what we accomplished. He just had to make a decision that makes him happy. That's what everybody wants to do in this league. I feel like he just knew what he wanted. A player who was counted out from middle school, Curry knows a thing or two about disrespect - as does Durant, who was vilified over his decision to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder for Golden State. So, to just let Durant fade into the sunset over Manhattan's Hudson River wasn't going to happen. A proper goodbye was in order. MORE: See the dramatic final hand of 2019 WSOP Main Event that won Hossein Ensan $10 million Baker Mayfield swings and missed with attempted rip of Giants fans News: Cowboys' $100 million men underpaid, and more dangerous in 2019 The Cubs Are Very Mad About Barstool Chicago and Beer Cup Snake Videos The top 100 players in the NFL today


Reds infielder Jose Iglesias has hired MVP Sports Group to represent him moving forward, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com ( Twitter link ). Iglesias had been represented by Magnus Sports since 2017 and was with the Boras Corporation prior to that. Iglesias, 29, settled for a minor-league contract this past offseason that already looks like a bargain for Cincinnati. Through 153 plate appearances, Iglesias is hitting .295/.327/.425 with three homers, eight doubles, a triple and a stolen base. His defense at shortstop has aligned with his terrific reputation, as Defensive Runs Saved already pegs him at plus-8 and he's carrying a plus-2.5 Ultimate Zone Rating. As always, Iglesias has proven to be a tough strikeout, whiffing in only 13.7 percent of his plate appearances. Iglesias will have another crack at the open market this coming offseason, assuming he doesn't sign a long-term pact with the Reds. Given his steady defense at shortstop, his age (29) and a respectable season at the plate in 2018 (.269/.310/.389), it was a surprise to see Iglesias take a minor-league deal on a team that lacked a clear path to regular at-bats (although Scooter Gennett 's injury ultimately created that path). Iglesias will hope for a better outcome the next time around, and he's off to a good start at ensuring that happens.


Missed the the most recent top news in Stockton? Read on for everything you need to know. Man dies after getting hit by a train In Stockton Stockton police say a man was pronounced dead on the scene after getting hit by a train Saturday morning. Read the full story on CBS13 CBS Sacramento . Police ask for help locating missing 74-year-old Stockton man The Stockton Police Department is asking for the public's help locating a missing 74-year-old man. Read the full story on KCRA 3 . Safety a focus at StocktonCon following national mass-shootings Officials with event say security was a high priority. StocktonCon took place just days after a shooting attack on a summer garlic festival in Gilroy, California. Read the full story on ABC Sacramento, KXTV . Sheriff's office shuts down illegal gambling business in Stockton The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office has shut down an illegal gambling business in Stockton, officials said Friday. Read the full story on KCRA 3 . Kelly leads Stockton Ports to 1-0 win over Lake Elsinore Rafael Kelly allowed just three hits over 5 2/3 innings, leading the Stockton Ports over the Lake Elsinore Storm in a 1-0 win on Saturday. Read the full story on Recordnet.com . This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle , then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


In search of a new favorite Asian fusion spot? Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the best high-end Asian fusion restaurants around Washington, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of the best spots to satisfy your cravings. 1. China Chilcano Topping the list is China Chilcano . Located at 418 Seventh St. NW in Penn Quarter, the Asian fusion and Peruvian restaurant is the most popular high-end Asian fusion restaurant in Washington, boasting four stars out of 1,086 reviews on Yelp. Chef Jose Andres' restaurant, which was awarded a Bib Gourmand in the 2017 and 2018 Michelin Guides to Washington, blends Peruvian and Japanese Nikkei cuisines. South American flavors are featured in every dish, including chaufa   Peruvian fried rice   with fried bananas. Japanese nigiri is served on a bed of Peruvian potato. Ceviches, dim sum, sashimi, meats, seafood and soups are also on offer. 2. The Source Next up is The Source , in the Newseum at 575 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, in downtown. With four stars out of 711 reviews on Yelp, the Asian fusion, dim sum and Japanese restaurant has proven to be a local favorite for those looking to indulge. Wolfgang Puck's modern-design restaurant features such options as Taiwanese beef noodle soup, Berkshire pork and cabbage dumplings, chili oil-poached halibut, Colorado lamb stir fry and very hot-and-spicy sausage fried rice. The eatery also offers a seven-course tasting menu with wine pairings. 3. Spoken English Adams Morgan's Spoken English , in the Line DC hotel at 1770 Euclid St. NW (between North Champlain Street and North Adams Mill Road), is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the fancy Asian fusion spot 4.5 stars out of 47 reviews. The menu at the standing-room-only communal restaurant, with room for only 12 people, features whole roast duck with flour tortillas and duck confit salad, carrot curry with fermented durian fruit, caviar with Japanese pancake and a variety of select sakes, beers, wines and cocktails. Spoken English bills itself as a place that "brings back the lost art of conversation in a fast-paced city." This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Tax Watch columnist David McKay Wilson delves into the mystery of a sewer line that runs to a popular restaurant on Lake Mahopac. Twenty-six years ago, the owners of what would become a popular restaurant on Lake Mahopac won permission from Putnam County to install a private sewer line under a winding state road. The line would resolve the failure of Mahopac Beach restaurant's septic system, and serve the upscale eatery that developers Michael Barile and Tommy Boniello would open in 1994. Whether the sewer line from the restaurant, now called Blu on the Lakeshore, was ever hooked up to Carmel Sewer District No. 1 remains uncertain. There are two choices for Blu   either septic or sewer. And neither option appears to fully comply with state or local regulations. Wastewater treatment involves a multiplicity of agencies   on the municipal, county and state levels of government. The Tax Watch investigation found: The property's septic system lacks a discharge permit from the state Department of Environmental Conservation. The septic system has not been inspected in eight years   a violation of town code. Neither the town of Carmel nor the New York City Department of Environmental Protection approved the sewer connection. The sewer line was not certified by a professional engineer for the Putnam Health Department. The state Department of Transportation has no record of a permit to bury the sewer line under Route 6N. The uncertainty could all change when the state DEC, as a result of the Tax Watch inquiry, inspects Blu's septic system, located on the banks of a lake the provides drinking water to 450 households. "DEC will be conducting an inspection of this facility and will take appropriate action to protect public health and the environment, based on the results," said DEC spokeswoman Maureen Wren on May 24. Twelve days later Carmel Supervisor Kenneth Schmitt said Wednesday night that the DEC had yet to contact him about the inspection. The most recent statement attributed to restaurant co-owner Barile was noted in a 2015 email from Schmitt to town officials, in which Barile reportedly told Schmitt the restaurant was "absolutely connected" to Carmel Sewer District No. 1. Yet officials from the Putnam County Health Department, New York City Department of Environmental Protection, and the town of Carmel   which all oversee aspects of the restaurant's wastewater management   insisted in May that Blu's effluent is treated by a septic system located under the parking lot of its half-acre plot on Lake Mahopac. Twenty-three cars were parked atop the leaching field on Saturday evening, June 1. The city DEP's response came a month after a spokesman said he was "certain" that Blu was connected to the sewer. Loading... A commercial property the size of Blu typically generates an estimated 3,000 gallons a day of wastewater   nine times the volume of a three-bedroom home, according to New York state Department of Environmental Conservation regulations. Last repaired in 1991, the property's septic system lacks a discharge permit according to the DEC. Such permits are required for commercial septics with more than 1,000 gallons-a-day of wastewater, said DEC spokeswoman Maureen Wren. DEC regulations recommend that commercial septics lie at least 200 feet from a drinking water source. Blu's leaching field is less than 50 feet from the lake. Barile, elected in 2017 to the Carmel Town Board and a Carmel Sewer District No. 1 commissioner, did not respond to questions posed via email or in person. Co-owner Boniello did not return phone messages. At Wednesday night's Town Board meeting, Barile declined to answer whether Blu had septic or sewer, and referred my inquirty to Schmitt. He could not answer with certainty. "I honestly and truly do not know," said Schmitt, who leads the all-Republican board. Town Board candidate Jean Hopper, a Mahopac Democrat, said she was concerned that Barile's septic could contaminate the drinking water supply "We have rules and regulation in place to protect residents," she said. "Businesses need to follow those regulations. It's also a health issue, with possible discharges into a lake that's drinking water." Carmel Democratic Committee Chairwoman Jen Colamonico wondered who was watching out for Carmel taxpayers. "Once again those with power and money are able to manipulate the rules to profit themselves, while the rest of us pay the full price," she said. "Who is following the money, protecting the taxpayers? Anyone?" The restaurant property was among 11 commercial holdings Barile did not disclose on his 2017 financial disclosure statement, which is required under the town ethics code, according to a June 5 request under the Freedom of Information Law. He listed eight commercial buidlings, including Blu, in his 2018 filing. Barile and Blu Blu stands on the site of a former hamburger stand called Mahopac Beach, located in the renovated snack bar of the former Ardsleigh Hotel. The hotel was among the accommodations for tourists who thronged Lake Mahopac decades ago. The restaurant parcel is just 0.6 acres   about 90 feet deep from the road to the lake, and about 290 feet wide. Schmitt said his 2015 conversation with Barile occurred after homeowners along South Lake Boulevard, also known as state Route 6N, inquired about the private sewer line. The restaurant was then called the Terrace Club. "He (Barile) emphatically stated that the Terrace Club Rest. property is absolutely connected to SD # 1 collection system," Schmitt wrote in a Sept. 10, 2015, email sent to Town Engineer Richard Franzetti, Town Counsel Greg Folchetti, and two other officials. Schmitt was concerned that Barile and Boniello were not paying for the sewer's capital and maintenance costs, unlike the owners of 315 parcels who paid annual charges. Kobu Asian Bistro, for example, about a half-mile east on Lake Mahopac, will pay $859 in 2019 sewer fees. "Any properties that are connected and currently are not paying to [Sewer District No. 1] should be," Schmitt wrote. Town Engineer Franzetti, however, opened the manhole at Clark Place to discover that Barile's sewer line from the restaurant was sealed underground where it was supposed to hook into the sewer main. Satisfied with the response, Schmitt dropped the issue. "If his sewer wasn't entering our collection system, I wasn't concerned where it was going," Schmitt said. "The Putnam County Health Department would be the agency that regulates it." Four years later, Schmitt remained puzzled by what he recalled as Barile's unequivocal statement about his restaurant's connection to the town's sewer line. SWAN COVE: How Carmel paid $1 million for land on shores of Lake Mahopac BARILE: Town board member omits 11 commercial properties from ethics filing "Why would Mike tell me the sewer line was in use when in fact it wasn't?" Schmitt asked Tax Watch. "I don't get that part." Destination Lake Mahopac On Sat., May 11, the sun set over Lake Mahopac as about 100 diners were seated in Blu's dining room and on its dockside patio. The bar was so crowded that a dozen people stood behind the bar stools, engaged in lively conversation. By 7:30 p.m., wait staff set up tables for more lakeside dining. Restaurant manager Viktor Kapiti wasn't worried that the crowd would stress Blu's wastewater system. He said he was unaware whether Blu used on-site septic fields, or New York City's Mahopac Wastewater Treatment Plant,1.5 miles away. "I don't know what kind of system we have," Kapiti said. "I swear to God, I don't know." The story of Barile's sewer line unfolds on the shores of the 600-acre lake, which is owned by New York State, and ringed by homes, restaurants and a cluster of downtown businesses. It's in Carmel, Putnam's county seat and largest municipality, with a population of 34,000. A tight-knit circle rules the public sphere: there's an all-Republican Town Board and Carmel's police chief and highway supervisor are Mahopac Board of Education trustees. Discussion about the sewer line has percolated as debate erupted over Barile and Boniello's failed condominium project at Swan Cove, just a mile east on Lake Mahopac, which was the subject of a Tax Watch investigation in March. The undeveloped lakefront land was sold by Barile's partnership for $725,000 in 2016 to a Westchester company headed by Fran and Gina Cotaj, who sold it to the town two years later for $1 million. Schmitt has since asked the state Attorney General to investigate the land deal, which came together with great speed, and without the benefit of an independent appraisal of the land's value called for the sales contract. There's a connection between Blu and Swan Cove: Gina Cotaj is the sister of Blu's general manager, Viktor Kapiti. He recalls a 2018 meeting in Blu's dining room when officials gathered to negotiate the Swan Cove deal. Flip-flopping on the sewer The city DEP monitors water quality in Lake Mahopac because its overflow runs into the Amawalk and Croton reservoirs, which serve New York City customers. But the DEP was not worried that the restaurant's septic system would fail because there was a belief that its wastewater was treated at its Mahopac sewer plant. When asked in April, DEP spokesman Adam Bosch wrote: "We know for certain that this hook-up happened sometime in the late to mid-1990s after repeated septic failures on his very small lakeside lot. From our standpoint, getting the business hooked up was a good thing. It helped maintain economic viability for the community while also protecting water quality for New York City and Carmel, which has at least one drinking water intake on the lake." When told in April that the town and county said there was no hook-up, Bosch did further research. "DEP does not own this collection system, so we do not keep the primary records related to connections," he wrote. "We have no record to indicate it is connected to the sewer collection system that feeds DEP's Mahopac Wastewater Treatment Plant, and our neighbors in Putnam County told us last month that it is not." There was no further explanation by the DEP about the discrepancy. Six weeks ago, the Putnam County Health Department, which issues permits for septic and sewer systems, declined to say where Blu's wastewater went. On April 16, a Putnam County attorney said that Blu had a sewer line permit and an agreement with Carmel for sewer service. There was no mention of Blu's septic system. When informed the next day that Barile and Boniello never won permission to connect to the town sewer line, the county said that Blu was served by a septic system. "The restaurant at 825 S. Lake Blvd. has always had a well and onsite septic system," wrote Anna Diaz, senior deputy county attorney. "It is our understanding that the septic system was repaired during the sewer line installation." The 1991 septic repair In June 1991, when the health-code violation was issued , the leaching fields at 825 South Lake Boulevard had become so saturated by the restaurant's wastewater that it came up onto the ground. The county approved Barile and Boniello's septic repair application in late June 1991, documents show.The repair was limited to the existing leaching fields because it was not designed by a professional engineer. They had two weeks to complete it. The repair permit required them to submit an "as-built" sketch that included the owner's name, the parcel's address and tax map number, the septic system's location as it related to two fixed points on the site, a description of the repair, and the installer's contact information. No "as-built sketch" is on file, according to a Freedom of Information request. All that was submitted was a hand-drawn undated rudimentary sketch , with a partial description of the repairs. Tax Watch asked Budzinski, the Health Department's director of engineering, if the developers had complied with the repair permit. Budzinkski, who also reviewed the 1992 sewer line application, responded that the county had received nary a complaint since 1991. "There is no reason for the Health Department to have a reason to believe that the septic system is not otherwise functioning such that any action would need to be taken," Budzinski wrote. Three years after the repair, Barile and Boniello in 1994 opened the new Mahopac Beach restaurant. In 1997, the Carmel Zoning Board of Appeals granted 14 variances that allowed expand seating with an enclosed banquet room. Though the town requires property owners to have their septic systems inspected every five years, Barile and Boniello have yet to do so, said town Code Enforcement Officer Michael Carnazza. After the repair, the sewer line The sewer line was installed in the summer of 1993 when Route 6N was closed for a DOT road project, said Carmel Engineering Projects Coordinator Robert Vara. It was completed several months after the Putnam Health Department on Feb. 3, 1993, issued a permit to install the private line, which could only be connected if the NYC DEP approved. The following day, Barile and Boniello filed for a building permit to rebuild the hamburger stand into an upscale restaurant. The town had approved the private line as well, but also required DEP approval before it was connected. DEP approval was never granted because the city wanted Carmel to expand the town sewer district along Route 6N, wrote George Mekenian, DEP's chief, sources division . The town refused to expand the district. The county permit required that the sewer line installation be certified by a professional engineer to be in compliance with the approved plans, which included a leakage test to make sure there were no underground contamination. There are no records that the line was certified, according to the Health Department. Jeff Contelmo of Insite Engineering, who drew up the plans, said he did not oversee the installation. "I do recall designing it," Contelmo said. "But I don't recall much else beyond that." Follow Tax Watch columnist David McKay WIlson on Facebook or Twitter @davidmckay415. This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Questions surround Lake Mahopac restaurant's sewer line


As Twitter user @maplecocaine once said , "Each day on Twitter there is one main character. The goal is to never be it." Fox 6 News' Adam Hansen did not heed that advice. Hansen, who works (for now) as a photojournalist for WITI-Fox6 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was attending Saturday's game between the Brewers and Pirates. He had really good seats, too, in the second row along the third base line. However, he found himself distracted from the game by what was going on in front of him. Sitting in the front row was a young boy who was, in Hansen's words, "sitting on his phone watching YouTube videos with his earbuds in." Hansen not only tweeted out his disdain for the kid's life choices, noting that his presence was a "waste of a ticket," but he included not only a photo of the kid on his phone but also the man (presumably his dad) sitting next to him. The idea here is that everyone is supposed to join Hansen in judging this kid for not paying close attention to the baseball game because…that's a requirement apparently. Of course, that logic falls apart when you realize that it's no one's business what the kid does. Grown adults go to baseball games and barely pay attention all the time. Also, why are you taking pictures of kids you don't know without their permission and posting them online? The pushback started coming pretty quick for Hansen, who initially doubled down by saying he "would have killed for these seats as a kid" and pondered "why even go?" Again, these comments miss the critical point that it's none of your business. Even so, as the feedback kept coming, Hansen kept pushing back. Even his own co-workers didn't quite get the gist of Hansen's problem… So you're both on your phones at the game?   Ted Perry (@Fox6TedPerry) June 8, 2019 If this is where the story ended it would have been a learning opportunity (albeit one that still ends with a kid's photo plastered all over Twitter without permission). Perhaps Hansen could have salvaged this and done some kind of photo op apology and the world would have moved on. However, when you become Twitter's main character, the story never ends there. Because where there's smoke, Twitter users assume there is fire and they go looking for it. In Hansen's case, they found it in the form of what appear to be some pretty s---- tweets. tough scene pic.twitter.com/XqhaX4WImE   Dodge Ram Owner (@RamLover69) June 8, 2019 this guy's a trip, @fox6now got a real gem here pic.twitter.com/Gcg87cvhd8   Guy Jeans (@IrregularMatt) June 8, 2019 whew, @adamhansenTV6 has a lot of racist nonsense on his account!!! CC: @fox6now pic.twitter.com/mPCJnYLb3V   kelly (day-to-day) (@kellyawallace) June 8, 2019 Here ya go: pic.twitter.com/YzFk8bn3NV   Pho Diddley (@ironymug) June 9, 2019 At some point, sensing that things had gotten as bad as they seem to the rest of us, he set his account to private . No word yet on what'll happen regarding his employment with Fox 6 News but judging by how many people tagged them in the tweets, they are certainly aware of the situation. Until then, there are quite a few lessons to be learned here but chief among them is the most important lesson of all: Never tweet. The post Milwaukee journalist tweets photo of kid at Brewers game & becomes Twitter's main character for the day appeared first on Awful Announcing . Related slideshow: 2019 MLB season (provided by imagn)


The AL Central-leading Twins could promote well-regarded pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol to the majors as early as this month, assistant general manager Rob Antony told SKOR North . The right-hander will likely work as a reliever this year if he does come up to the bigs, Antony suggested. The 20-year-old Graterol has missed time this season with shoulder issues, but he's back now and has turned in encouraging results when healthy. In his first Double-A action this year, Graterol has logged a 1.89 ERA/3.26 FIP with 8.69 K/9, 3.59 BB/9 and a 52.1 percent groundball rate across 47 2/3 innings. Moreover, Baseball America (No. 34), FanGraphs (52) and MLB.com (58) all rank Graterol among the best prospects in the game. Capable of hitting triple digits on the radar gun, Graterol could be a serious late-season weapon (perhaps a multi-inning one, per Antony) for a Twins bullpen that hasn't been great at preventing runs this year. The unit sits a middle-of-the-pack 14th in ERA (4.45), and it has undergone major changes of late. The Twins recently rid themselves of Blake Parker , Matt Magill , Mike Morin and Adalberto Mejia   who combined for upward of 100 innings from their bullpen   and then tried to upgrade their relief corps by adding Sergio Romo and Sam Dyson prior to the trade deadline. Romo has thrown 4 1/3 scoreless innings of one-hit ball since Minnesota acquired him from Miami, but the Dyson pickup has surprisingly blown up in the Twins' faces so far. After an impressive start to the season with the Giants, Dyson surrendered a total of six earned runs on six hits and two walks in 2/3 of an inning in his first two appearances as a Twin. Dyson then hit the injured list with right biceps tendinitis, which he alarmingly revealed has been bothering him since mid-July.