The Green Bay Packers were able to address many of their biggest needs through free agency and the draft this year, but as is the case with pretty much every team every year, they were unable to plug all of their roster holes in a single offseason. While they didn't upgrade every weak spot, it appears that they were at least able to transform a few positions of weakness into positions of strength. A few positions, like quarterback and wide receiver, are essentially the same as they were in 2018, so the Packers will undoubtedly be banking on some internal improvement to get back into playoff contention this year. Even though some roster holes were not addressed with draft picks or veteran free agents, it still seems like the Packers improved a lot more than they regressed this offseason, especially defensively. Here are my rankings of the Packers position groups as they currently stand ahead of training camp: 11. Inside Linebackers Green Bay Packers inside linebacker Oren Burks (42) and inside linebacker Blake Martinez (50) during practice at Clarke Hinkle Field on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 in Ashwaubenon, Wis. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wis Blake Martinez returns as a solid, established starter, but there's very little certainty behind him at inside linebacker entering the season. Oren Burks will probably factor in as a dime linebacker, and he'll likely start alongside Martinez in nickel and base formations, but it's hard to know how good he'll be because he barely played on defense as a rookie last season. Seventh-round rookie Ty Summers seemingly has a chance to earn meaningful playing time this season if Burks struggles or if one of the two presumed starters is sidelined by injury at any point. James Crawford was a special teams standout last season, but like Burks, he didn't factor much into the team's defensive plans in 2018 so he's still a pretty big unknown, too. After those four, it's a bunch of undrafted rookie free agents. 10. Specialists Oct 15, 2018; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers kicker Mason Crosby (2) celebrates after making the game winning field goal during the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports Mason Crosby has had back-to-back down seasons statistically speaking, but I don't think his numbers are as bad as they seem when you consider the context of how they were arrived at. In 2017, he converted 15 out of a career-low 19 field goal attempts (78.9 percent), and in 2018, he was an average 30-for-37 (81.1). In 2017, he had a little bit of a down year but it was also an uncharacteristically small sample size (his previous career-low for field goal attempts in a season was 28). Aside from a disastrous Week 5 game against Detroit last year where he missed four field goal attempts and an extra point, Crosby was same the reliable kicker he has pretty much always been. J.K. Scott was up-and-down as a rookie punter last year. He'd have some punts with great hang time and good distance, but there were a number of poor punts where the ball would travel 30-some yards from the Packers' own side of the field. While his 44.7 yards-per-punt average looks respectable, his net average of 38.8 ranked 27th in the NFL a season ago, and his nine touchbacks last year were the highest among NFL punters in 2018. 9. Tight Ends Green Bay Packers tight end Jimmy Graham (80) reacts after making a catch near the goal line against the LA Rams Sunday, October 28, 2018 at the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles. Jimmy Graham looks like an average starter at this point in his career, but it's entirely possible for him to have a resurgent year in Matt LaFleur's tight-end friendly offense. I think Jace Sternberger can emerge as a pretty good starter down the road, but expectations should be tempered for his rookie year because of his current spot on the depth chart and the steep learning curve college tight ends typically face upon entering the NFL. Marcedes Lewis is a good in-line blocker and a solid red zone target. Robert Tonyan, the presumed third- or fourth-string tight end, is an impressive athlete with good receiving potential, but he barely saw the field last year and still has a lot to prove. 8. Cornerbacks Sep 30, 2018; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander (23) celebrates after an interception against the Buffalo Bills during the first half at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Matthews/Wisconsin via USA TODAY NETWORK Cornerback is the position group that's most likely to catapult up these rankings by season's end. Jaire Alexander looks to be an above average cornerback at the very least, and I'm expecting him to take a big developmental step in his second season , but as of right now, there's no real proven players behind him. Kevin King and Josh Jackson both have the physical talent of quality starters, but neither has shown much consistency to this point. As a rookie with minimal experience at cornerback, Jackson seems likely to improve, although I still have reservations about his scheme fit in Green Bay. King, on the other hand, has struggled to stay healthy and show consistency on the field through the first two years of his NFL career. The potential exists for him to be a star, but he needs to stay healthy and put it all together before Green Bay decides to move on from him. Ka'Dar Hollman should only be expected to contribute significantly on special teams this year as a rookie sixth-round pick, but he'll have a chance to earn significant playing time if injuries continue to plague Packers cornerbacks like they have in the past, or if King and Jackson don't step up their games. Tramon Williams provides depth, leadership and versatility, but I don't think he's an ideal starter at this point in his career. Tony Brown is still a young player that could develop, but as a former undrafted free agent, he shouldn't be expected to start. 7. Running Backs Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones (33) during practice Thursday, December 13, 2018 in the Don Hutson Center in Ashwaubenon, Wis. Aaron Jones looks like a top-10 NFL running back when he's healthy and given a sizable workload, but neither of those things has happened consistently in his first two NFL seasons. This year, he should have a great opportunity to break out with (hopefully) a more consistent workload, an offensive scheme that's perfectly suited to his skill set and an upgraded offensive line. Jamaal Williams is a decent backup running back and power complement to Jones's slashing running style. Sixth-round rookie Dexter Williams is still an unknown, but I think he'll prove to be a solid addition, and I personally see him supplanting Jamaal Williams as the No. 2 running back this season. 6. Wide Receivers Aug 30, 2018; Kansas City, MO, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Geronimo Allison (81) celebrates with wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (83) after scoring during the first half against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports Davante Adams is a proven top-10 NFL receiver, but the Packers lack established No. 2 and No. 3 receiver options at the moment. My guess is that Geronimo Allison and Marquez Valdes-Scantling will fill those roles to start the season, but both of those players still have a lot to prove. Equanimeous St. Brown could also emerge as a top-3 receiver, as could J'Mon Moore, even though he didn't show much as a rookie. Jake Kumerow should provide quality depth as a fourth- or fifth-string as well, while Trevor Davis and Jawill Davis both have valuable special teams experience. Allen Lazard and Teo Redding are wildcards. 5. Quarterbacks Oct 15, 2018; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) scrambles with the football during the second quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports Aaron Rodgers is still one of the best quarterbacks in the league, but the depth behind him is - and has been - sorely lacking for a few years now. Tim Boyle and DeShone Kizer are both holdovers from last year, but neither has done much to inspire confidence as fill-in starters. Kizer saw some meaningful playing time in Week 1 of the regular season last year when Rodgers injured his knee in the infamous Chicago game, but he was completely overwhelmed by the situation and nearly cost Green Bay the game before Rodgers returned to orchestrate one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history on one leg. In Week 17, Kizer completed only 16 of 35 passes over the final 3.5 quarters as the Packers were shutout by the Lions. 4. Offensive Linemen Oct 28, 2018; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Green Bay Packers center Corey Linsley (63) in the field against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports The Packers have been consistently strong at left tackle, right tackle and center over the years when all of their starters are healthy, but the starting guard positions have been much less consistent since studs like T.J. Lang and Josh Sitton left the team. Overall depth has been a persistent issue for the green and gold as well. This year, however, it appears the offensive line might finally have some depth. With the offseason additions of Billy Turner and Elgton Jenkins, plus the return of 2018 fifth-round pick Cole Madison, who is basically a rookie after sitting out the entirety of last season, the Packers bolstered their offensive line unit without losing any key starters. If Lane Taylor is beat out by Turner and Jenkins for the starting guard spots, he should prove to be a quality backup at the least. Madison is still an unknown, but he has guard/tackle versatility. If Bryan Bulaga or David Bakhtiari miss time and Jason Spriggs isn't up to the task, Billy Turner could potentially kick outside to tackle while Taylor, or whomever the top backup guard ends up being, replaces him at guard. For the first time in a few years, the Packers appear to have decent injury replacement options on the offensive line. 3. Safeties Green Bay Packers safety Adrian Amos (31) during a team practice at the Don Hutson Center on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 in Ashwaubenon, Wis. Depth at safety is still a little bit of a question mark, but the starting tandem of Darnell Savage and Adrian Amos looks like it could be one of the biggest strengths of this Packers team moving forward. Amos is a good, proven commodity and Savage's traits look like they'll translate well to the next level. I think Josh Jones and Raven Greene are decent backups, but they seem to be best suited for a hybrid safety/dime linebacker role. If Amos or Savage were to get injured, it's unclear if the Packers have a solid deep safety replacement option. Cornerback Natrell Jamerson took snaps at safety during the offseason workout program, and Tramon Williams can play the position in a pinch. 2. Outside Linebackers Green Bay Packers linebacker Za'Darius Smith (55) and linebacker Preston Smith (91) talk to head coach Matt LaFleur during a team practice at the Don Hutson Center on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 in Ashwaubenon, Wis. The Packers appear to be at least three deep at outside linebacker after the offseason additions of Preston Smith, Za'Darius Smith and Rashan Gary. The Smiths are known commodities with a little untapped potential, while Gary is more of an enigma with enormous upside. Kyler Fackrell, last year's sack leader with 10.5, should provide quality depth as the No. 4 outside linebacker. Reggie Gilbert has experience and will compete for a roster spot. Same goes for the ultra-athletic Kendall Donnerson. 1. Defensive Linemen Oct 28, 2018; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Green Bay Packers nose tackle Kenny Clark (97) and defensive tackle Mike Daniels (76) celebrate during the first half against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports Mike Daniels and Kenny Clark will continue to anchor the middle of the Packers' defensive line as Pro Bowl-caliber players for at least one more season together, and Dean Lowry returns as a solid starter at defensive end. Montravius Adams has reportedly had a great offseason, and he showed some flashes as a situational pass rusher last year. Keke Kingsley could compete with Adams to be the top rotational interior pass rusher off the bench. Tyler Lancaster is a good early-down rotational defensive tackle. James Looney and Fadol Brown could push for playing time as rotational players as well. MORE: The top 100 players in the NFL today Baker Mayfield believed the Patriots would trade up to draft him Roundup: Hustlers Trailer, El Chapo Getting Supermax Prison, Dan Patrick on Ben Simmons Big Baller Brand's demise looks imminent with sad clearance sale at a local gym NBA Free Agency 2020: The top players


It's safe to say Chris Sale has figured things out. Despite six shutout innings on May 3 against the White Sox, Sale exited the start with a 5.25 ERA on the season. Not exactly the best start. Sale continued to pitch well last Wednesday against the Orioles, striking out 14 batters without issuing a walk across eight innings of one-run ball. That's a tough act to follow, but Sale had the game of his life on Tuesday at home against the Rockies. He yielded two runs   both coming on a Nolan Arenado homer   on three hits while issuing zero walks and striking out 17 batters. That obliterates Sale's previous single-game high of 15 strikeouts, accomplished three times, twice as a member of the White Sox. Sale is the first pitcher to strike out at least 17 batters in a game since Max Scherzer tied the record with 20 strikeouts against the Tigers on May 11, 2016. The last member of the Red Sox to strike out at least 17 in one game was Pedro Martínez on May 6, 2000 against the Devil Rays. Sale stood at 108 pitches after completing the seventh inning. Understandably, manager Alex Cora didn't allow his ace to take the mound for the eighth inning with his team leading 3-2. Brandon Workman , who hadn't allowed a hit in his last 11 appearances, took over for Sale. Chris Iannetta doubled off of Workman with one out to end that streak. After Tuesday night's performance, Sale now has a 4.24 ERA with a 73/11 K/BB ratio in 51 innings on the season. Follow @Baer_Bill


Cincinnati Bengals rookie defender Renell Wren has a tall task in front of him if he's to break into the rotation along the line in 2019. But that also means something else - the depth and caliber of the unit means Wren has some incredible mentors as he starts his pro career. Wren hasn't shied away from sharing some of the details he's gleaned already from some of the NFL's best. "I talked to Geno Atkins, Carlos Dunlap, and the older veterans and they said, 'You have the physical tools. It's the little stuff that's going to keep you on the field,'" Wren said, according to Dan Hoard of Bengals.com. Wren is fortunate to learn from guys like Dunlap and Atkins. The Bengals are fortunate to have had the foresight to create the situation too. After all, Wren is a fourth-round pick who checks in at 6'5″ and 318 pounds with presumably his best football in front of him. In fact, some within the Bengals view him as the rookie with the most upside from the team's draft class outright. If that's the case, Wren landed in one of the best places he could have given the presence of guys like Atkins. The Bengals could be better in the long run for it, too. MORE: Why isn't Megan Rapinoe in the starting lineup for USA - England? 'You don't know me like that': Kevin Durant, the Warriors and a toxic locker room Stephen A. Smith: 'Andre Iguodala is planning on joining the Lakers' Do Cowboys have horses to absorb another Ezekiel Elliott suspension? Projected depth chart for the 76ers with Al Horford, Josh Richardson


A Daytona Beach man is accused of trying to get $50,000 and a new car from a local car dealership through extortion. Investigators said several threatening emails came in to Jon Hall Chevrolet on Nova Road, owned by former Daytona Beach Mayor Glenn Ritchey. According to authorities, the emails were not hard to trace they said the suspect used his own name. Officials said Christian Mosco emailed the dealership that he'd found discarded sales records from the early 2000s with customers' personal information, including Social Security numbers. Mosco is accused of asking for a new automobile and $50,000 in cash in exchange for the sales orders. "If they refused to do business with him, he would be forced to go to the media, the media would then in turn put out this big story that would force a class action lawsuit that would make Jon Hall go out of business," Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said. Authorities said Mosco sent the dealership photos of the old records and asked to meet at their lawyer's office where he'd get the car and cash and turn over the records. Law enforcement was waiting at the office for Mosco. Deputies said he told them he didn't think he did anything wrong since he signed a "non-disclosure." According to the report, Mosco pointed out that he "was not trying to be greedy and could have asked for more money" but chose a reasonable amount and a 2019 Chevy Malibu, which was his wife's favorite car. Authorities said the records Mosco found were real. Chitwood believes they were likely stolen years ago. READ MORE: Man accused of trying to extort Daytona Beach car dealership CHECK OUT WESH: Stay in the know with the latest Orlando news, weather and sports. Get the top stories and all the scores from the team at WESH.


An empty home is a vulnerable home. In fact, most burglary-related crimes happen during the day when no one's home, and according to Johnathan Frisk , an officer with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, you're not the only one who doesn't want a confrontation. Frisk says intruders typically don't want resistance, either. Before leaving for an extended summer vacation   or even a short weekend road trip   you might want to try a few of the best practices and tips we've compiled based on our research and expert input. Because there's nothing worse than interrupting your trip to deal with an invasion , or coming home after vacation to a burglarized home. Make your home look occupied Simulating occupancy   via security lighting, in particular, has been found to mitigate burglary potential. "The best plans that people can take when they are vacationing or leaving their homes for an extended period of time is to be careful to make sure they create an exterior view that the home is occupied," J. Matthew Ladd, president of The Protection Bureau , said. "Unoccupied homes become the highest risk." Creating the visage that your home is still occupied, according to Ladd, can be as simple as making sure your lawn is maintained and cancelling your newspaper subscription so you don't have piles of paper stacked on your porch. Take full advantage of home automation Welcoming the internet of things into your home has its advantages. Home automation devices allow you to check the status of your home and control things like the temperature , lighting, and door locks remotely. A lot of these devices also come with scheduling features that allow you to, for example, never forget to turn the porch lights off before bed, or grant the delivery person access into your home with Amazon Key (a smart door lock program that works with the Amazon Cloud Cam). Our top pick for smart locks , the Schlage Encode, works with Amazon Key and allows owners to create and manipulate up to 99 unique access codes. Meaning, you can give a family member or friend a code for the day just to check on the status of your home (and to clear up that incriminating newspaper pile) while you're away. Smart light bulbs   like Philips Hue   can be commanded directly from your smartphone. Before you go on vacation, schedule when you want to control the lights depending on the time of day, use geofencing to automatically turn the lights on or off when you leave, or use sunrise/sunset automations. Floodlights, or outdoor security lighting, might also prove beneficial, as many are motion-activated and will turn on when someone graces the sensor. Choose a reliable home security system A UNC-Charlotte study revealed that some incarcerated burglars were less likely to enter a home they saw was protected by alarms. So, not only is it a generally good practice to let visitors and guests know they're being recorded (especially if audio is involved), doing so might also deter a potential burglar. (So, yes, those security system window decals might also come in handy.) Frisk told us that a security system won't necessarily prevent burglaries, but that "it puts the intruder on a timer, so when they come in, they get a few items of interest and leave within a few minutes of alarm activation." Most of the systems in our lineup come with a robust lineup of security coverage, including intrusion sensors (for doors and windows), environmental (for carbon monoxide , fire, and flooding ), surveillance, and safety (like panic buttons). DIY vs. professional monitoring systems A do-it-yourself system puts the onus on you to keep tabs on your home and install your system. Typically, self-monitoring is the biggest difference between a purely DIY system and a traditional one, and the former typically lacks hefty fees and yearly contracts . On the other hand, professional or traditional systems come with central monitoring stations (that will call the police for you) and will send representatives who can evaluate your home's vulnerabilities, helping you decide where to best place all of your devices. However, you can have the best of both worlds, as some self-monitored companies offer both professional monitoring and the contract-free flexibility of a do-it-yourself system, like abode , Google Nest Secure , and Ring Alarm . If you want to opt in to professional monitoring penalty-free for the duration of your vacation, companies like abode let you do so. Whereas traditional monitoring systems typically require professional monitoring, so choosing to opt in or out at will (to save money) isn't necessarily available. But experts have told us that taking advantage of professional monitoring while on vacation or living elsewhere for half of the year is a good idea. "Part of the problem with the do-it-yourself systems is, if you miss the notification, which might be a text message or an email…there's no reminder," Ladd said. Find home automation products that work with your security system Tech giants like Google and Amazon are continuing to delve into the home automation and home security spaces, and industry experts have told us this is pretty indicative of today's overall demand. "There's sort of this idea of co-ompetition   which is, we're all competing against each other in some regard, but we're all better positioned if we're working together, just to make sure users have the best experience possible," Daniel Roberts, CEO and founder of DIY security company Scout Alarm, told us. Roberts also told us Scout doesn't have a team of AI professionals, and this is one of the reasons it chose to partner with companies like Nest that do. So, if you're wondering how to start automating, see how many companies and devices your home security system plays well with. This includes checking voice assistant compatibility (so you can arm your system by telling Alexa or Google Assistant) and knowing which wireless standards your base station (or system) uses. Built-in Zigbee and Z-Wave radios allow your security system or other home automation devices to communicate with things like smart lights. Use surveillance cameras A Reviews.com study (conducted by YouGov PIc) found that over a third of respondents felt that video surveillance was the most important aspect of a home security system. It's true   security cameras can provide both peace of mind and evidence in the event you need to catch a burglar or porch pirate . But also use these internet-connected devices securely No internet-connected device is completely ironclad when it comes to potential hacking. We've found that reputable companies typically do a decent job of updating software and tending to your data's privacy and security, but even these companies aren't 100% consistent. "No matter what cam you buy, it's critically important for everyone in your family to vigilantly protect your network and practice cyber-safety," Monica Eaton-Cardone, owner, co-founder and COO of Chargebacks911, told us for our nanny cam review. "Be careful where you place these cameras in your home, keep your passwords guarded and up-to-date, set a 'Google Alert' that warns you of security breaches, and explain to your children why they should never disclose personal or network information with anyone they meet online." Rethink posting about your trip on social media The majority of the security professionals we've talked to have agreed that it's best to keep your travel plans offline. Social media, according to Ladd, is a quick and easy way for people to know whether you're home or not, and that you should save the pictures for when you return. And yes, that means no Instagram stories. Check appliances and other systems Before you leave, you might want to check your alarm system and door/window sensitivity levels are in good shape, and that your environmental sensors are working. You might also want to think about informing your security company of your travels and delegating tasks or check-ins to a trusted neighbor or family member. Making sure your water, heating/cooling systems are working properly and unplugging appliances before you leave will help reduce the risk of fire or leaks and help you save money on electricity. If you're concerned about leaks during your getaway, shut the water off (or maybe just the water hookup for the refrigerator ). Perform a home inventory Property damage, including theft, accounted for the majority of claims filed in 2017, according to the Insurance Information Institute (III). Performing a home inventory prior to any losses or damage will help you not only keep tabs on what you lost and what it's worth, but also make filing an insurance claim much easier. "If your home is broken into while you are on vacation, or living away for awhile, your insurance company will want this documentation when you file a claim to get properly reimbursed," John Bodrozic , co-founder of HomeZada , told us in a statement. The bottom line While it might be tough to fully prevent a home invasion, burglary, or disaster, there are still a few things you can do to potentially reduce the risk or capture evidence in real time. And with technology today, it's easier than ever to monitor what's happening within and around your home while you're gone   it just takes careful planning and a keen understanding of your home's needs.


Iowa product Noah Fant was a dynamic receiving tight end in college, hauling in 18 touchdown receptions during his final two years with the Hawkeyes. To be a successful tight end in the NFL, though, Fant will have to improve as a blocker. Fortunately for Fant, he won't face many edge rushers better than the one he has to go up against every day in practice: Von Miller. "I'm going against the best pass rusher in the league, in my opinion," Fant said after practice on July 18. "Watching him every day in practice, nobody can really top what he does, so it's getting me better every day and I wouldn't want that any other way. I'd rather be prepared in practice than have to go be up against him in a game and not really knowing what he's going to do. "That's definitely a good thing for me and hopefully it's a good thing for him too. Hopefully I can give him some competition and try to make each other better." Fant has done a decent job of blocking through a week of training camp, which hasn't been a shock to coach Vic Fangio. "I'm not surprised by it," Fangio said after practice on July 22. "I thought he had the ability and the mindset to potentially be a better blocker than people thought he was or could be. That's coming along. I'm pleased with that." Jeff Heuerman and Fant seem to be the favorites to win Denver's top two tight end spots this summer. Fant will make his NFL debut when the Broncos take on the Falcons in the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 1. MORE: UFC's Thiago Santos shares brutal update on injuries suffered in loss to Jon Jones Latest MLB Trade Rumors: Noah Syndergaard, Trevor Bauer, Shane Greene on the Move? Report: Giants will work out Flynn Nagel, other receivers Instant observations from Day 2 of Patriots training camp Chiefs FB Anthony Sherman drove Clint Bowyer's NASCAR stock car to training camp


A Paterson man suspected of shooting baseball star David Ortiz and being involved in a pair of Clifton armed robberies has been indicted on drug conspiracy charges, authorities said. Rolfi Ferreira Cruz, 25, was charged with multiple crimes, including conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and an amount of cocaine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said in a statement. If convicted, Cruz will face a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years in prison for two of the charges. The third charge has a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison. Ferreira-Cruz is one of 10 people arrested for the shooting of Ortiz in a bar in the Dominican Republic. Cruz admitted to being the person who shot Ortiz, Dominican Republic police said. As of Thursday, Cruz was in custody in the Dominican Republic for the shooting, the statement said. Cruz is also connected to two armed robberies in Clifton that date back to 2017. He did what? Uber Eats driver caught masturbating in Hackensack during a delivery, police say Crime: Three public works employees arrested Court: Paterson ex-recycling chief gets $75K in harassment lawsuit In 2017, a 26-year-old Passaic man was walking in the area of Hope Avenue near Highland Avenue when he was approached by multiple men wearing masks and brandishing handguns. The victim told police he was forced into a dark driveway where the men took several items and fled on foot. Last week, the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office confirmed Cruz was a suspect in those robberies. Cruz, who according to Clifton police used to live in Paterson, was the only one of four suspects in the December 2017 robberies to evade capture. Email: torrejon@northjersey.com This article originally appeared on North Jersey Record: David Ortiz shooting suspect indicted on drug charges in NJ


Former Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning threw 55 touchdown passes in 2013 with Adam Gase running Denver's offense. Gase is now the Jets' head coach and he's hoping Sam Darnold will also find success in his offense. To be like the best, you have to study the best. That's exactly what Darnold has been doing. "He's watched so much [Manning film] he can bring up certain plays from different seasons to where he'll ask a question - 'Hey, what made him do this? Or why did he think this way?'" Gase recently told SI.com's Albert Breer . "He's really gone through a lot of this stuff already." It's probably not realistic to expect a 21-year-old Darnold to match Manning's record-breaking season with Gase. But it is realistic to expect the USC product to top his 17-touchdown rookie season. Gase would probably be thrilled if Darnold put up half the numbers Manning did during Denver's historic 2013 season. MORE: Draymond Green to LeBron James' 14-Year-Old Son: "I'm at Your F--king Neck This Summer" 'Jeopardy' star James Holzhauer fell just short of breaking his own ridiculous record NBA Free Agency 2019: The top players Jimmy Butler would reportedly like playing with LeBron James Ahead of Finals, Stephen Curry defends Kevin Durant against critics


With Antonio Brown currently nursing a foot injury, it's newly-acquired receiver Tyrell Williams who is taking the No. 1 receiver snaps in Oakland. Even when Brown returns, Williams is likely to continue to put up big numbers in Oakland. In a recent article by Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report , he named the biggest fantasy football sleepers at each position. To no one's surprise, Williams' name was mentioned as a value at the receiver position. Take a look at what Moton had to say about the former Chargers' receiver: As the No. 2 wide receiver on the Raiders depth chart, Williams deserves consideration earlier than the 12th round in fantasy leagues. If Brown experiences foot issues throughout the season, Williams could become a nifty pickup at the back end of drafts. According to Fantasy Football Calculator , Williams is currently a 12th-round pick in 12-team, PPR drafts. He is being selected behind the likes of James Washington, Devin Funchess, and Donte Moncrief. Given that the Raiders will likely throw the ball a bunch this season and there is really no other outside receiver (other than Antonio Brown) to challenge Williams for snaps and targets, it's very likely that he has a career year in Oakland. It wouldn't be a surprise if he caught 70 or more passes for the first time in his career. Grabbing Williams anytime after the 10th round should prove to be a wise investment. MORE: ESPN's Molly Qerim walked off set after Max Kellerman said Kobe's on his 'all-NBA worst team' Raiders Hard Knocks: Winners and Losers from Episode 1 Quick hits, observations from Packers' second joint practice with Texans Eagles' release unofficial depth chart for preseason opener vs. Titans Roundup: SpaceX Launches Falcon 9; Toni Morrison Passes Away; Barneys Files for Bankruptcy


Even though his coaching days with the Indianapolis Colts came to an unceremonious end in 2018, Chuck Pagano's ChuckStrong Foundation lives on and thrives in the hearts of his former team. On Thursday, the seventh annual ChuckStrong Tailgate Gala took place in Indianapolis to raise money for leukemia, the disease Pagano was diagnosed with in 2012, his first season as Colts head coach. The event was attended by nearly 500 people, including many of his former players and coaches, along with Colts owner Jim Irsay. But Pagano's new team also made the trip down Interstate 65 to show their support as members of the Chicago Bears were in attendance, including chairman George McCaskey and head coach Matt Nagy. Last night's Chuckstrong Gala netted over $1,860,000-that's NET-- for Indy's IU-Simon Cancer Center. Big thanks to George McCaskey and the @ChicagoBears contingent for traveling down to support the event. - Jim Irsay (@JimIrsay) May 10, 2019 Congrats to the Colts and Chuck Pagano for their record-setting night for cancer research. Kudos to the Bears for sending a group including Matt Nagy. https://t.co/HwAApny9oC - Peter King (@peter_king) May 10, 2019 While Pagano has only been on the staff for a few months, he's already making an impact on his new team and is in love with his new job. ''He's a great guy,'' Roquan Smith told Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times in April. ''Great sense of humor. Love him. Love his character, and he comes to work every day with a positive attitude.'' Pagano lives and breathes football, but he knows this event is more important than his day job and marveled at how two teams can work together for a great cause. "It was an amazing night," Pagano told Larry Mayer of ChicagoBears.com. "We raised a ton of money for cancer research. It was pretty much something that you're probably never going to see again where you've got two teams coming together, putting football aside for a night and doing something that's way bigger than football." The event raised more than $1.8 million for the foundation, with Irsay contributing $1 million himself. Pagano was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia in September 2012. He took a leave of absence to seek treatment, and doctors announced his cancer was in remission in early November of that year. He returned to the sidelines in late December after then-offensive coordinator Bruce Arians led the team to a playoff berth in his absence. The ChuckStrong fundraiser began the next year. MORE: Chris Paul's dirty dealings before Game 6 yield epic comeuppance Most bizarre and incredible catches by fishermen in past decade NBA Free Agency 2019: The top players 4 quick takeaways from opening day of Cowboys 2019 rookie minicamp Wrestler Silver King Died in the Ring Today


PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) -- Jamal Lewis doesn't consider himself to be "that brave." Originally from South Philly, Lewis has lived in Johnstown for two years. As a black man living in the western Pennsylvania town -- which is nearly 80 percent white -- he said it has been interesting, to say the least. "It's very uncomfortable at times," he admitted. "Being from Philadelphia, I didn't grow up with that kind of racism." So after a photo of Lewis went viral, in which he's wearing an anti-racism T-shirt, he just thought he was simply doing "the right thing." "I just wanted to ... let people know that racism is wrong," he said. The single father of four said he was sitting at home on his porch recently when a man walked by with a swastika on his sleeve and a "Make America Great Again" hat. "I've seen him (before). He has a Confederate flag, but he made a statement that day. Me and my kids were affected by that. "After that, I knew I had to make a statement." ...listen to the audio... So Lewis decided to flip the script on the slogan: He bought a shirt and hat online that say "Make Racism Wrong Again." The South Philly High grad tested his new swag at a Johnstown Walmart. "Right from the door, I got a couple dirty looks," he said, "as a couple people looked at me out the side of their eye. And a couple people were really pleased." Lewis shared a photo of himself wearing his new merch on Facebook, also explaining his Walmart experience. "I think it was up to 150,000 likes," he said. "I did not expect it at all." And the shares keep multiplying. But Lewis said he did it for his children, and to show the world that it's time to change the tone of conversations surrounding race. "Speaking out for good, speaking out for truth, speaking out for justice," he added. And Lewis said he plans to continue to wear the shirt to future Walmart trips.


Romelu Lukaku was ordered to delete a social media post in which he revealed the confidential results of Manchester United's pre-season sprinting tests. This post is the latest development in Lukaku's turbulent relationship with the Red Devils, as the Belgian striker is seemingly angling for a move away from Old Trafford. As reported by The Telegraph , the United striker was ordered to remove his post on Twitter immediately, as his some of colleagues were not too pleased. The results showed Lukaku came in second place in the club's sprinting test with a top speed of 36.25kph, finishing only behind Diogo Dalot's 36.43kph. The tweet was accompanied by the caption 'lack of pace' with laughing and runner emojis, addressing a common criticism to which he is subject, that he lacks the speed and agility to be a top class striker. However, the post also included the results of those who finished lower down on the rankings, including Luke Shaw who finished bottom of the leaderboard, with a top speed of 31.03kph. Shaw finished behind both Juan Mata and Nemanja Matic - neither of whom are renowned for their pace. Lukaku's decision to post this information was not well received by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with whom his relationship has gradually broken down. However, Mata saw the funny side of things as he took to Twitter himself to revel in the fact that he was quicker than his English team mate. Thanks for finally showing the world that I'm quicker than @LukeShaw23 bro. 勞 https://t.co/vfQ1wq0W5N   Juan Mata García (@juanmata8) August 2, 2019 Lukaku's social media mishap comes as the United number nine is at the centre of a transfer saga involving Juventus and Inter . Inter had looked the most likely destination for Lukaku for most of this summer, as Antonio Conte's club registered several bids with the Manchester club. However, recent developments have seen Juve emerge as surprise front-runners for the former Everton man, as they are currently negotiating a deal to take Lukaku to Turin, which would see Paulo Dybala move in the opposite direction.


The Pramac MotoGP team has been in contact with Moto2 frontrunner Alex Marquez, as it faces a conundrum over the specs of the Ducati bikes it will run in 2020. The Italian satellite outfit currently runs a factory-specification Desmosedici GP19 for Jack Miller and a year-old GP18 for rookie Francesco Bagnaia in the premier class. However, Bagnaia's contract stipulates that he will have a current-spec GP20 next year, and should the bike supply agreement between Ducati and Pramac remain unchanged, the satellite team will need to secure a rider for what will then be a year-old GP19. Miller, whose deal runs out at the end of this year, is currently vying for the ride occupied by Danilo Petrucci at the Ducati works outfit. Should Ducati opt to re-sign Petrucci for 2020, Miller could be faced with no option to remain on factory-specification machinery, and would seem unlikely to accept an older-spec ride at Pramac. Likewise, if Ducati chooses Miller for the works team over Petrucci, the ex-Pramac Italian rider wouldn't be a logical fit for the outfit's GP19 ride. "The only thing clear right now is that Pecco [Bagnaia] can count on a GP20 and will ride with Pramac," Ducati sporting director Paolo Ciabatti told Motorsport.com when asked about 2020. The situation would be less complicated if Pramac were to get two GP20s at its disposal in 2020, but Ducati has informed Motorsport.com that this option has not been explored yet. Any decision would depend on both the financial terms of the agreement and Ducati's decision on who will partner Andrea Dovizioso in the works line-up going forward, which the Italian manufacturer says will not come until after the Barcelona race in June at the earliest. Jack Miller, Pramac Racing, and Danilo Petrucci, Ducati Photo by: Gold and Goose / LAT Images In the meantime, Marquez has emerged as an option should Pramac end up needing a rider to race a year-old Ducati next year. The former Moto3 champion, brother of MotoGP ace Marc, is fourth in the intermediate class standings after winning the most recent race at Le Mans. Marquez's manager Emilio Alzamora met with Pramac team boss Francesco Guidotti in the lead-up to Le Mans, with Guidotti confirming to MotoGP.com in the aftermath that a premier-class move for Marquez was discussed. Alzamora, for his part, told Motorsport.com: "My obligation as an agent is knowing what are the real options, so I went to speak to Pramac to figure out what the situation is. "But in this sense it was just a chat. I went to speak with them as I have a good relationship with Francesco. There isn't an offer."


The ink is on the paper and there's no going back. The Panthers have officially signed free agent defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, a move first reported to be happening by Adam Schefter on Monday. The team just announced the news on their official website. McCoy's contract has a reported base salary of $8 million with bonuses that could bring the total up to $10.25 million . While that's a sizable amount of money for a 31-year old lineman, McCoy might have gotten more if he'd signed with another team. According to Ian Rapoport at NFL Network, the Ravens offered McCoy twice as much guaranteed money as Carolina. As for the Browns, it sounds like they tried to low-ball him. Jeremy Fowler at ESPN reports they wanted McCoy to take a significant pay cut and wouldn't come near the total offered by the Panthers. It's my understanding Browns weren't touching the $10.25 million Gerald McCoy can get from Carolina. Cleveland basically wanted him to take a fairly sizable pay cut. Panthers viewed him as more than $8 M player, and the man who took his job, Suh, helped case w/ big money from TB - Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) June 4, 2019 What sold McCoy on Carolina? To hear him tell it, McCoy was impressed by the chemistry he saw when a group of key players took him out to lunch on Friday. McCoy also probably wants some revenge on his old team. He texted Bucs beat reporter Rick Stroud that he'll see him Week 2 for Carolina and Tampa Bay's first meeting of the 2019 season. MORE: Why James Holzhauer's small Final Jeopardy! bet made total sense Did Nike accidentally reveal that Kevin Durant is staying with the Warriors? Report: Suns, Bulls offering lottery picks for Lonzo Ball Return of NASCAR: Packers planning ways to get 4 OLBs on the field together PFF projects Raiders DE Maxx Crosby to beat out Arden Key for starting role


He once encouraged supporters to attack protesters   then claimed to ensure the safety of all Americans. He mused that Russia should seize his competitor's emails   then said it was just a joke. And he whipped his crowd into a frenzy about locking up Hillary Clinton   before insisting post-inauguration that the idea of prosecuting his Democratic opponent is "just not something I feel very strongly about." President Donald Trump returned to a familiar tactic Thursday of blaming others for a problem many believe he created, tossing his own base under the bus to deflect outrage from GOP allies on Capitol Hill and beyond. It's a throwback to a field-tested Trump playbook: push the rhetoric further than some allies can handle, then tiptoe back to shrug off responsibility. Days after Trump encouraged four freshman Democrats   Reps. Ilhan Omar (Minn.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), Rashida Tlaib (Mich.) and Ayanna Pressley (Mass.)   in a pair of tweets to "go back" to other countries, his supporters backed him up Wednesday night by chanting "send her back" about Omar, the only one of the four congresswomen who was born outside the United States. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump reprimanded his supporters who had launched into the racially incendiary chant at a North Carolina campaign rally. Trump, who said he was "not happy" with the episode, claimed that he tried to stop the crowd by "speaking very quickly," at no point mentioning that the chant began only seconds after he told the crowd that Omar "looks down with contempt on the hardworking American" and "has a history of launching vicious, anti-Semitic screeds." Indeed, the president pushed his adoring audience all the way to the edge and then continued attacking Omar once the chant they started died down. But as more and more Republicans piled onto him Thursday, Trump responded by suggesting it was his audience   not him   who had crossed a line. "I disagree with it," he said of the chant. It is hardly the first time the president has denied involvement in a controversial action or comment that, intentionally or not, he provoked. At a campaign rally the day of the Iowa caucuses, then-candidate Trump told his supporters to "knock the crap" out of any protesters   promising to cover their legal fees if they did. But one month later, when an anti-Trump protester was sucker-punched at another rally in Arkansas, his campaign said they "obviously discourage this kind of behavior." In another instance from 2016, Trump drew praise from former Klu Klux Klan leader David Duke after he reposted a quotation from Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. He later distanced himself from Duke during a series of cable news interviews. Close allies to the president said they see no reason to believe he will end his attacks against Omar or her three progressive colleagues, who together make up a group known as "the squad." "Send her back is over the top. It's not appropriate," said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). But otherwise, "you can expect [Trump] to continue." "I wouldn't dare say he'd change his style. And if he does, it won't be much," added Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.). "The way I view it is, I wouldn't give four freshmen that much attention." While Trump threw Republicans a bone by disavowing the chants midday Thursday, the damage had already been done to senators who have repeatedly urged him to focus on issues, highlight the booming economy and avoid personal attacks. "You don't want it to get personal, you hope it doesn't, but unfortunately it has," said Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.). "I think it is good for him to paint a contrast on the philosophies, policy positions, issues, because I think that gives the American people a clear choice." "The chants were offensive. And very unfortunate and they do not speak well of that crowd," said Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah). Trump has "a special responsibility to unite Americans regardless of our ethnicity, race or national origin. I feel that he failed in that regard." Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) likened the rally to a "rock concert" where crowd control is impossible and said "people are reading too much" into the chants. But he suggested that a more fertile area of attack would be singling out Omar's support for the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions movement aimed at winning concessions for Palestinians against Israel. "If we focus on what Omar just proposed yesterday with respect to BDS against Israel, I want the American people to know that stuff," Tillis said. "If we do that, the American people are going to have enough." But Trump has shown no sign of a course correction, despite distancing himself from his supporters' controversial chant. Even some of his campaign advisers said they worry he will make matters worse while he's visiting his Bedminster, N.J., golf club this weekend. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence are scheduled to speak at a private campaign event there Friday night, while the president's schedule for the rest of the weekend is unknown. One administration official said Trump bragged about the tweets he posted last Sunday , in which he urged Omar and her colleagues to "go back" to where they came from, after seeing reports that his support among Republicans had increased after the off-message attack. (A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Tuesday showed the president's net approval among GOP voters rising 5 percentage points since a poll taken last week.) "I'm not relishing the fight. I'm enjoying it because I have to get the word out to the American people," he told reporters before arriving in Greenville, N.C., on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Republicans are weighing how to move forward. They insist   and have privately told Trump and Pence   that the president will benefit more if he focuses on his party's ideological battle with progressive Democrats instead of fanning the flames of racism. Many GOP lawmakers spent all week deciding how to condemn Trump's tweets without raising his ire and earning themselves an angry phone call or the threat of a primary challenger. Sen. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.), who is seeking reelection in a diverse state, declined to talk about the episode, as did Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), who had gently criticized Trump earlier this week. "I don't know if all of this is strategic or shoot from the hip. I have no idea," said one exasperated Republican senator who insisted on anonymity after speaking previously about Trump's outburst earlier this week. "I'm done on this issue." Trump campaign officials also dodged questions about the president's tweets and the chant that broke out at his Wednesday rally. Tim Murtaugh, communications director for Trump's 2020 campaign, instead criticized the "socialist ideas" he claims have been espoused by "the squad" and other Democrats. "The Squad, as they call themselves, are now the leaders of the Democrat Party," Murtaugh said in a statement. "Americans don't like it when elected officials consistently disparage this country."


CINCINNATI (AP) Tucker Barnhart is making up for lost time. The Cincinnati catcher hit a tiebreaking single in the sixth inning and the Reds beat the Colorado Rockies 3-2 on Sunday. Barnhart improved to 4 for 5 in two games since returning on Friday after missing 22 games with a right oblique strain. He drove in Josh VanMeter from second base with a grounder up the middle off Jake McGee (0-2) and celebrated by clapping his hands twice as he rounded first base. ''Getting away helped me watch the game and learn,'' Barnhart said. ''I want to keep this going. It feels really good to contribute after being away for a long time. I don't ever want to get injured, but I learned a lot by watching different hitters.'' Lucas Sims (2-1) pitched 1 1-3 innings for the win. Amir Garrett and Michael Lorenzen each pitched an inning and Raisel Iglesias gave up a pair of two-out singles in the ninth before getting Ian Desmond to ground out for his second save in two days and 19th of the season. The Reds bullpen pitched a combined 8 1-3 scoreless innings while Cincinnati was winning the last two games of the three-game series. The Rockies went 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position on Sunday and a combined 1 for 20 in their last two games while finishing their season-high 10-game road trip with three wins. ''We've got to get the big hits,'' manager Bud Black. ''We're getting guys out there. We had a number of opportunities with two outs. We had guys in scoring position. We just couldn't get the big hit.'' Yonder Alonso hit a two-run homer, his first for Colorado after being promoted on July 23 from Triple-A Albuquerque, to make it 2-all in the fifth. ''These were hard-fought, grinding games where every pitch mattered,'' said Alonso, Cincinnati's 2008 No. 1 draft pick. ''We just fell a little short.'' Alonso was the last batter faced by left-hander Alex Wood, who lasted 4 2-3 innings in his first start for Cincinnati after spending the season on the injured list with lower back problems. Wood, acquired with outfielders Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig from the Dodgers in December, allowed seven hits and two runs with one walk and four strikeouts in an 80-pitch effort. ''I've been around these guys a lot and they all welcomed me, but there is a big difference being able to contribute,'' Wood said. ''It was great to see him out there healthy,'' manager David Bell said. ''He had reached his last batter, anyway. Alonso was going to be his last hitter. He wanted to stay in. I decided to stick with the decision because it was his first time back. The home run doesn't take away from what he did.'' Consecutive one-out singles by Josh VanMeter, Scooter Gennett, Jose Iglesias and Barnhart off Peter Lambert added up to a 2-0 Reds lead in the second. The Reds had six hits and two runs with one walk and four strikeouts in Lambert's five innings. DANCE MOVE Reds 2B Scooter Gennett drifted into right field to make an over-the-shoulder catch of Nolan Arenado's seventh-inning popup and narrowly avoided a collision with Puig, ending up with his arms around Puig's neck and being twirled clockwise for a turn. YOU'RE DONE Reds CF Nick Senzel was ejected by plate umpire Bill Miller for arguing balls and strikes after striking out to end the fourth inning. REDS MOVES Besides activating Wood before the game, the Reds reinstated C-INF Kyle Farmer from the seven-day concussion list, optioned RHP Sal Romano to Triple-A Louisville and designated for assignment C Ryan Lavarnway. THROWBACK SUNDAY As part of the franchise's celebration of the 150th anniversary of baseball's first all-professional team, the Reds wore replicas of their 1967 uniforms, the 10th in a series of 15 throwback outfits the team is wearing this season. ROCKIES MOVES The Rockies announced during the game that 1B Mark Reynolds and RHP Seunghwan Oh had been released. Reynolds was designated for assignment on July 21, Oh was designated for assignment on July 23. TRAINER'S ROOM Rockies: Nick Senzel banged Rockies C Chris Iannetta on the left side of his helmet with the backswing on strike three in the fourth inning. Senzel quickly turned to check on Iannetta, who stayed in the game. UP NEXT Rockies: RHP Jon Gray (9-7) in 3-1 with a 3.92 ERA in eight career starts at Coors Field against the Dodgers. Reds: RHP Sonny Gray (5-6) allowed five hits and one run with two walks and seven strikeouts in his last start against Pittsburgh on May 27. The Reds won 8-1. --- More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports


INDIANAPOLIS   The scene was as difficult for Wisconsin players to absorb as it was for them to believe. Junior forward Sam Dekker clasped his palms behind his head. Frank Kaminsky stared in disbelief as Duke's players celebrated before squatting and hanging his head. The team that played its way into America's favor with a nothing-to-lose attitude looked like they had lost everything. "Sometimes, you know, life's not fair," senior guard Josh Gasser said. "This is not the outcome we envisioned. We knew we were going to win, just didn't happen." After falling short in the Final Four semifinals a season ago to Kentucky and losing 68-63 on Monday to Duke in the NCAA tournament championship game, Wisconsin must grasp that perhaps its best chance for a title have slipped away for now. Kaminsky, who won several player of the year awards, will graduate. Dekker's NBA stock rose to potential lottery-pick status through the tournament, giving him a viable option of leaving the program early. Sophomore forward Nigel Hayes told reporters Monday night that he planned return to Wisconsin. The Badgers also lose seniors Gasser, Traevon Jackson and Duje Dukan to graduation. Hayes and guard Bronson Koenig could become the program's cornerstones but rebuilding is likely to take some time. Coach Bo Ryan, who had just lost to a Duke team with a few freshmen expected to declare for the NBA draft, said he prefers long-term players in his program. "We don't do a rent-a-player," he said Monday night. "(We) try to take a fifth-year guy. If other people (don't) do that, that's OK. I like trying to build from within. It's just the way I am. And to see these guys grow over the years and to be here last year and lose a tough game, boom, they came back." After the loss to Duke, most of the team focused on the season that had concluded in disappointment minutes earlier. "It will be in their memory bank, and it will be in my memory bank," Ryan said. "But it's not something that you easily express. It's hard to describe them. It's just an inner feeling that you have. But this group was so together and enjoyed each other's company, could needle with each other. They did a lot of good things." Those happier days included winning the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles, and upsetting an undefeated Kentucky team in the Final Four. And ultimately, the Badgers helped redefine how the program is considered nationally, busting old stereotypes of a plodding, methodical offense by running a high-scoring, offensively skilled machine that led the nation in offensive efficiency. "What a fantastic job these guys did all year," Ryan said. "They just came together to do all the things that they accomplished. Highest offensive efficiency. A team that committed the least number of fouls during the year. A team that got to the free-throw line. So these guys played 30-some games that way. It's just unfortunate that this (loss) had to be played out that way." The Big Ten has not had a NCAA Tournament champion since Michigan State in 2000, despite sending two teams to the Final Four this season. The conference will have stronger contenders next season for Wisconsin to battle, including Maryland, Michigan State, Indiana and Michigan.


LAS VEGAS   To those who know Becky Hammon back home in South Dakota, her year as the first woman to serve as a full-time assistant coach in the NBA was hardly a surprise. Whether it was hunting trips with her father and brother, or on the basketball court where she eventually blossomed into a WNBA star, Hammon could always keep up with the boys. But Hammon knows this is different. She's making history every day, pounding the rock that is gender inequality with the hopes that her story can lead to change for the young girls who will follow in her footsteps. Hammon was hired to Gregg Popovich's staff as a full-time member last summer. She reached yet another benchmark this week, as Hammon served as the head coach of the Spurs' summer league team in Las Vegas. In between the practices, film sessions, and games that took place here, Hammon took time with USA TODAY Sports to reflect on her first year working with the game's most respected coach and his esteemed staff, and her hopes for a day when she's no longer an outlier. How different are you now, as a person and as a coach, than you were a year ago? "I feel like this whole last year was just learning. Every day, coming in learning. It was like going to school with a professor, just coming in there and taking notes. "It's one thing to watch the NBA, but when you have to be there for every film session, every practice, it's a grind. It's a lot of hard work." The Spurs have this culture of 'we' over 'me,' and Popovich gravitates toward people who are over themselves. So as all this attention has come your way, how have you handled that dynamic? "I just have to be me, and that's what I'm most responsible for. Pop gave me the job because of who I am, and my brain, my personality, and what I can bring to the table. That's ultimately why I got the job. I think if he were to hire me, and I wasn't qualified, what a disaster it would be, or if I didn't fit in. It could end up really hurting women, so it has to be the right person. Throw the gender thing out, and it has to be the right person, it has to be the right fit. You have to be knowledgeable. The last reason I want to be hired is because of my gender. I want to be hired because you trust me, because of my potential, because you believe that I know basketball, and we go and we build from there. I think those are things that Pop acknowledged in me, and recognized in me." But that's a lot of pressure. So when you came in, how did you feel and when did you feel like this was going to work? "I think the worst thing that I could have done, and which I tried not to do, was to prove how much I know. I didn't want to come off like that, didn't want to be like that. I came in with the attitude of, 'Let me learn. If there are things that I can help (with), or bring to the table, I'll certainly mention those.' That's just in any job. I think when people take that approach, it leaves a bad taste in people's mouths, like, 'This person doesn't get it.' " Does that mean you were quiet early on? "I just think there's a real art in listening. I need to listen. I mean these guys have been in the Spurs organization, they know how things are done, what's expected. So for me to learn and observe, that doesn't mean I was totally quiet   I spoke up when I saw something. But I didn't want my voice to get lost in just noise. 'Oh here she goes, she's just talking.' Choosing your moments, but also Pop would have told me to shut up too, and it's never fun to be told to shut up by your boss." So has he told you to shut up? "No, he hasn't. But I hopefully didn't give him too much of an opportunity to." Who was the player who was easiest to connect with and who took a little longer? "Well me and (Spurs point guard) Tony (Parker) were friends long before, so he's a very good friend. I would actually bounce things off of him, and we had conversations even before I ever got hired. I was kind of charged with point guards a little bit in practice, so if we were doing specific shooting stuff I would work with the point guards, so Cory Joseph was a guy who I worked with a lot. Boris Diaw was my guy on game day, so I was delegated different duties. And obviously the ones who you work the closest with   and obviously I wasn't working with a lot of post players  you start to get a rapport with them, to build a relationship with them." You have had some what-if chapters in your story. The Olympics in 2008 and 2012, and how you and Popovich bonded there. And then when you tore your ACL as a member of the San Antonio Silver Stars in July 2013, and spent much of the year as an unofficial member of the Spurs coaching staff. Do you think those two things came into play in getting this job? "For sure. I think there are so many little steps, and factors, of my path, and my journey. I could go back to my childhood. I was always with my (older) brother. I know how to hang out with guys, and get along with guys. I was always with my Dad and my brother. I know that if you can't keep up, you get left behind. So you learn to pull your weight. You learn to not be the one that's causing the problems, whether we're camping, where I'd better be the one to help put up the tent. You can't just be a taker, and be like, 'Oh, I'm a girl so I don't know how to do it. I can't collect wood to put on the campfire, because I'm a girl.' I learned to work hard and to keep up. Like I said, you can go all the way back to something as little as that, going hunting and fishing with my Dad all the time." I have to imagine your parents are just beaming with pride. I'm sure they have been for a long time, but this is obviously bigger than basketball. What does that mean? "They've been proud of me a long time, but they will be the first to smack me down if I forget where I came from. My mom still thinks she can take me over her knee and spank me if I get out of line. They've been so supportive. I mean they've come to Moscow, to everywhere I've played, China, everywhere. They've just been around the world with me. This last one obviously the impact that it had is just mind-blowing. I mean I'm a kid from South Dakota, and it's just so weird the stage that I've been (given). Being added onto the Spurs staff, and then this, it's a little mind-blowing, honestly. It can be overwhelming if I think about it, so I try not to think about it." What stories come to mind in terms of the scope of this and people you may have met or heard from because of it? "Well obviously President Obama tweeted me. That's pretty huge. I felt like I was in (the television show) '24,' where they're telling me, 'The President just called.' Like, the President just tweeted me. Holy crap, the President of the United States just tweeted me." Did it pop up on your phone when it happened? "I got a text, and it was like, 'Holy Cow, the President just tweeted you.' So I saw it, and I was like, 'That's un-frickin-believable.' None of us, including Pop, anticipated (that). Because originally, our plan was, 'OK, we're going to announce it, and then we'll take a day or two and just hit the local media.' Then it announced, and all of a sudden it was just a barrage of every possible news show. It was just huge. And then, all of a sudden, I wasn't doing local media. It was like, 'We'll do one or two big hits and then drop it.' The other thing was that I was playing at the time, and I was like, 'It's just too much of a distraction. I need to finish, I want to finish well as a player. And I want to finish my playing career.' I wanted to go out like that, to be celebrated as a player. I'm not sitting here today if there's no WNBA." Where do you want to take all of this? "I want to be a head coach somewhere. At what level? I don't know, whether it's college or professional. Maybe it's in the WNBA, maybe it's in the NBA. … I just try to keep an open mind.I can just tell you that I'm super happy where I am right now, in the learning space that I'm in. I'm going to continue to just be that sponge. I want to be the sponge that not only soaks up information but when you squeeze it can give back, whether it's to our players or to these guys who are working their butts off for us in the summer league. Hopefully this becomes where it's not a story at all, where it's just commonplace." How about this ridiculous team you coach on now? With LaMarcus Aldridge coming, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili coming back. "Really, it's the environment, the culture. And I think this is something that professional sports owners and ownership groups need to take a look at, because they're so quick to pull the trigger for a win-now mentality, and there is no such thing as a win-now mentality. You might win for one or two years, but you're not winning for 10, 15, 20 years. So the culture, and talking about Pop being a straight shooter, you know that whatever their conversation was with LaMarcus, whatever he told him, LaMarcus can take it to the bank. And don't think that doesn't matter. People say, 'Oh, they're just athletes.' No, these are people, and if they know they can trust you (that's big). If there's one thing they're surrounded with, it's a lot of people who maybe are pulling on them for the wrong reasons. But if you can get a straight shooter (who says), 'Hey, this is what we're doing,' and will follow it up and back it up and their word is good, that goes a long ways."


A group of prominent former elected leaders and business owners has formed a political action committee with the sole purpose of altering the Seattle City Council elections this fall. They call themselves " People for Seattle " and their goal is to change the culture of the Seattle City Council. They've already raised big money to support like-minded candidates: $120,000 in just two weeks. "People for Seattle" confirmed their plan during an interview with KING 5 on Tuesday. The group plans on making a formal introduction on Wednesday. "If you go down there to testify, you know city council is more like a circus than a governing body," said Taylor Hoang, who owns several restaurants in Seattle. Hoang is one of the group's leaders, along with Tim Burgess, who was a longtime member of the Seattle City Council and briefly Seattle mayor . "I think what we see a lot of today is responding to very self-interested group, lots of grandstanding in front of the TV cameras," Burgess said. He served with some of the people running for re-election. Hoang and Burgess say they've raised $120,000 in just over two weeks to help "progressive, pragmatic leaders" to be elected to the council. They both say they don't see that kind of leadership now, but declined to mention specific candidates their group will support. They plan on filing formal fundraising documents by the end of the week. Hoang said she's concerned about public safety and homelessness, in particular, but the group has varied interests. "People for Seattle" believes frustration with the council can be seen in public polling. "Our current city council members haven't done much to tame that or to govern in a way that is inclusive, and people feel that," Hoang said. Seven of nine council seats are up for grabs this year, with the primary election slated for August. Only three incumbents, Kshama Sawant, Lisa Herbold, and Debora Juarez, are seeking re-election. Burgess said there are no corporate donations, and all of the fundraising has been from private individuals. The largest donation, he says, is $5,000. It is not without precedent for a group of private individuals to try and alter a city council election. Back in the 1960s, a group calling itself "Choose an Effective City Council," or CHECC, formed to back and endorse multiple candidates. That campaign was successful, forming a CHECC-related majority until the fall of 1978, according to historylink.org .


TORONTO   Warriors head coach Steve Kerr arrived at his pregame news conference Sunday night wearing a black "Vote For Our Lives" T-Shirt. Asked whether his shirt choice had anything to do with former President Barack Obama being on hand for Game 2 of the NBA Finals, Kerr said, "Actually, I wasn't aware that he was coming until a little while ago. The shirt has everything to do with the tragedy in Virginia Beach a couple of days ago, and how devastated so many families are, so many people are. "The shirt's a reminder that the only way we can get out of this mess is to actually vote and to vote for people who are going to be willing to create some change to our gun laws." Hours after submitting a letter of resignation from his job as an engineer for the city of Virginia Beach, DeWayne Craddock, 40, killed 12 people at the government building where he worked. In addition to the 12 killed, four people were hospitalized. All have undergone multiple surgeries, according to The Washington Post. Kerr, whose father was assassinated in 1984 by two gunmen outside his office in Beirut, has become a leading voice for gun control in the U.S. After almost every mass shooting, he is asked for his thoughts. On numerous occasions, Kerr has lauded the work being done by "March For Our Lives," a student-led demonstration seeking legislation to prevent gun violence in the U.S. "The young generation, the 'March For Our Lives' generation has really inspired me, so I offer my support to them and to our young people," Kerr said. "Hopefully, we can create a change where we won't have to walk around scared that we're going to get shot in our country." Connor Letourneau is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cletourneau@sfchronicle.com . Twitter: @Con_Chron


After a yearlong assault on the Federal Reserve and its chairman, President Donald Trump has tapped two wildly different economists to the central bank's board who seemingly have one important thing in common. They're both likely to support the president's call for lower interest rates. One, Christopher Waller, is the more conventional choice drawn from within the Fed's own ranks. The other, Judy Shelton, has spent decades outside mainstream economics and has already faced criticism for some of her unconventional views on monetary policy. Waller is director of research for St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank President James Bullard, who was the only dissenting vote in favor of a rate cut at the Fed's meeting in June. Shelton, who has been an informal adviser to Trump, has publicly said the central bank should reduce rates. "It seems like both are going to be in favor of lower rates, and sooner rather than later," said Kathleen Bostjancic, an economist at Oxford Economics in New York. "They are much more dovish, and obviously that's what President Trump wants." Trump, who announced his picks within minutes of each other on Twitter Tuesday, has recently struggled to find candidates for the Fed that are acceptable to senators who must confirm nominees. The president previously advanced four people for the two remaining open seats on the board of governors. None of them made it, raising questions about the White House vetting process for his picks. "It was a great pleasure to meet with the president this afternoon," Shelton said in an email on Tuesday night. "This president really gets it. His pro-growth economic agenda should not be undermined by wrongheaded 'Phillips Curve' thinking that punishes productive economic growth and subverts continued gains while turning a blind eye to the currency impact of 'additional stimulus measures' by other central banks. We have high employment and low inflation; so much for the supposed trade-off." The Phillips Curve holds that there's an inverse relationship between unemployment and inflation. Senate Confirmation As a high-ranking Fed staffer, Waller may have a better chance of passing muster with lawmakers than some of Trump's previous contenders. As for Shelton, the Senate has already confirmed her in her current role as the U.S. executive director for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Her unorthodox views, though, could attract opposition. In an interview with Bloomberg in May, she said she was "highly skeptical" that the goals for the Fed set by Congress -- the pursuit of maximum employment, stable prices and moderate long-term interest rates -- were relevant. The White House has conducted the search for Fed candidates as Trump has repeatedly blasted Fed Chairman Jerome Powell over the Fed's interest rate increases. The president has told confidants that he believes he has the authority to replace Powell as Fed chairman, demoting him to the level of board governor, according to people familiar with the matter. But Trump said he doesn't plan to do it. The president chose Powell as Chair, replacing Janet Yellen last year. Trump's eagerness to get rid of Powell makes both of these nominees potential chairs-in-waiting, a factor that may also affect their confirmation process in the Senate. Powell has said he intends to serve his full four-year term and that "the law is clear" on that issue. Earlier this year, Trump advanced two supporters for the Fed board, Stephen Moore and Herman Cain, but both withdrew their names after they came under criticism. St. Louis Fed Waller, who declined to comment Tuesday on his nomination, is a Ph.D. economist who previously served as a professor of economics at the University of Notre Dame before joining the St. Louis Fed in 2009. His key research focus has been on monetary and macroeconomic theory and the political economy. Waller was approached by the White House last month about the job and met with Trump Tuesday, said Karen Branding, a spokeswoman for the St. Louis Fed. The overture came after the White House talked to his boss, Bullard, about joining the Fed board of governors himself. But Bullard told reporters last month that he's happy in his current position. The two men are close and have co-authored monetary-policy papers. Waller shares, and helped to develop in 2016, Bullard's dovish view that policy is in a new regime in a world with low inflation and high savings -- where higher interest rates are not needed. "We didn't see any overheating in the economy coming, and so the question was, why are we raising rates," Waller recalled in a June interview with Bloomberg. "We didn't see any reason to raise rates just for the sake of raising rates." Waller also said that he doesn't worry about pushing the unemployment rate too low and sparking higher prices. "We don't buy into the Phillips curve story that low unemployment causes inflation. Look at Japan," he said. Fed Policy Shelton has a doctorate in business administration from the University of Utah with an emphasis on finance and international economics. She previously worked for the Sound Money Project, which was founded to promote awareness about monetary stability and financial privacy. In her interview with Bloomberg in May, Shelton questioned the use of the Fed's basic interest-rate tool to adjust the price of money, and thereby guide an economy toward a sustainable level of growth. "A Fed that is too eager to artificially put in an interest rate that isn't close to what the market would be suggesting is not so good," she said at the time. "I would try to be the voice saying, are you sure you know better than the markets?" Shelton has also in the past argued for a return to a gold standard, fixing the value of the U.S. dollar to a weight of gold, a system the U.S. followed to varying degrees until 1976. If appointed to the Fed, however, Shelton said she would not call for a return to the gold standard or for a sudden abandonment of other established policies. After raising interest rates last year in the face of criticism from Trump, Powell and fellow Fed colleagues are widely expected to cut rates at their next meeting at the end of this month. --With assistance from Steve Matthews, Christopher Condon, Craig Torres, Matthew Boesler, Kathleen Hays, Sarah McGregor and Saleha Mohsin.


ASHEVILLE   A nearly $681,000 county loan will help clear the way for development of a 98-unit affordable housing neighborhood just west of Asheville city limits. Site development work already has begun to build the first phase of the Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity's Old Haywood Neighborhood on a roughly 20-acre property at 1801 Old Haywood Road. Andy Barnett, the organization's executive director, told Buncombe County commissioners the effort is "our largest and most ambitious neighborhood to date," expected to cost some $15 million in total, including $7 million to build the first 38 lots. Barnett said the neighborhood, set to be completed by 2023, provides new housing options to residents with household incomes below 80% of the area's median income. He said it essentially targets individuals "who have the greatest barriers to homeownership." "It's critical for us to continue to be bold in the way we move forward in providing housing in this community," he said. "Habitat is trying to be a part of that, trying to join (commissioners) in moving boldly." MORE: ► Affordable housing: City approves $3M in Housing Trust Fund loans to support 151 new units ► On affordable housing, new Buncombe County committee could chart the path forward ► Tiny home boomlet in Henderson County, but in Buncombe? Not so much. Funding such initiatives in recent years has been a focus of commissioners   as well as Asheville City Council   to help residents afford to live as costs continue to rise with the growth of of the region. Commissioners voted 6-1 during their Aug. 6 meeting to approve the new loan that will provide a form of down payment assistance for residents to buy into units developed in the first phase of the project. The principal amount of the new loan is $680,080 and it carries a 0% interest rate. It is a five-year agreement in which repayment becomes necessary "once a property is constructed and sold to a third party, triggering its release from Habitat's deed of trust," the county agreement shows. The full loan agreement is posted below. The project previously received some $240,000 in loans from the county, including a construction loan, that was built into the most recent fiscal year's budget. Commissioners also approved this year a $2.2 million loan agreement with nonprofit community development group Mountain Housing Opportunities to build a 95-unit affordable housing complex in Swannanoa.   Help the Citizen Times continue to provide in-depth reporting like this. Find our latest subscription options and special offers here.    Only Commissioner Mike Fryar voted against the Habitat loan agreement. He also joined commissioners Joe Belcher and Robert Pressley in dissenting against the Swannanoa apartment funding in February. Fryar, a Republican who has been on the board since 2012, said he's been dissatisfied with the level of information provided by organizations coming to the county for loans to develop affordable housing. He further stated he will not vote for any similar future project funding until "we can figure out what is affordable, how the rent stabilizes and who charges what (for) rent." "Call it a loan, call it anything you want to call it," he said. "All it is is the taxpayer's money. It goes back to the same thing, again. Little man wants to know if he still can have peanut butter and jelly sandwich together or if you're taking the jelly away from him. Most likely, we are in certain ways." Barnett estimated the first phase of the community will pay $60,000 annually in property taxes, arguing it eventually pays itself off in about a dozen years. But he said the organization is taking on the project to increase the "economic vitality" of the community. "It sets the foundation for all the great things we want for our neighbors in Buncombe County, so we do it for that reason," he said. Old Haywood Road Phase I Agreement Final 07-22-19 by Dillon Davis on Scribd This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: County board approves loan for 98-unit affordable home neighborhood


Borussia Dortmund midfielder Mario Götze has revealed that he was suffering from depression throughout the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, a tournament which immortalised him in German football history. The then 22-year-old star started three of Die Mannschaft's opening four games at the tournament, but after being hooked at half-time against Algeria, Götze picked up just seven more minutes during the quarter-final and semi-final combined. He went on to score the winning goal in the final against Argentina after coming off the bench, but Götze has explained how events earlier in the tournament left him struggling with depression in the build-up to Germany's match at the Maracanã. "People talk about that World Cup, and my goal in the final, and I think they forget how s*** that tournament was for me until the very end," Götze wrote on The Players Tribune . "Now, everyone forgets that I was subbed off at halftime against Algeria in the round of 16. But I don't forget. I didn't start in the quarter-final against France. I didn't play at all in the semi-final against Brazil. "I wish I could say that I was mature about it, but I was probably the saddest I've ever been in my life. There were no positives I could find. Before the final, I was really depressed. "It was not possible to see what was coming. You know, people talk about the goal, the goal, the goal. For me, the goal is the least important part of it. "The goal is just the consequence of a decision I made in my hotel room to stop being depressed about how things were going and focus on training as hard as I possibly could before the final. "The goal was part luck. The manager could have decided not to bring me on as a substitute. He could have used many other players. André Schürrle might have decided not to cross the ball to me in that position. He was barely looking. "The ball might have fallen a bit differently in the box. One meter to the left or to the right. The keeper might have got a hand on it. When it hits my chest, maybe I am in a negative mindset. Maybe I don't believe. Maybe this never happens. "That goal is more than a dream. But the thing that gave me the most joy was how I handled the days before the match. I was the lowest I've ever been in my career, and three days later, suddenly I am the hero, and we are world champions." In Götze's piece, which acts as an open letter to Borussia Dortmund fans, the Germany international goes on to explain the reasoning behind his move to Bayern Munich in 2013, as well as what life was like under Jürgen Klopp at the Westfalenstadion.


Curious just how far your dollar goes in the Greenway/Upper Kirby area? According to Walk Score, this Houston neighborhood is a "walker's paradise," has some bike infrastructure and offers many nearby public transportation options. Data from rental site Zumper shows that the median rent for a one-bedroom residence in the Greenway/Upper Kirby area is currently hovering around $1,350. So, what might you expect to find if you've got a budget of $1,500/month? Read on for a roundup of the latest rental offerings, via Zumper and Apartment Guide . (Note: Prices and availability are subject to change.) 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. 2305 W. Alabama St. Listed at $1,405/month, this 776-square-foot studio apartment is located at 2305 W. Alabama St. In the residence, the listing promises in-unit laundry, a walk-in closet and a balcony. For those with furry friends in tow, know that cats and dogs are welcome on this property. (Check out the complete listing here .) 3788 Richmond Ave. Next, check out this 752-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit that's located at 3788 Richmond Ave. It's listed for $1,465/month. The building has a swimming pool, and the residence has a fireplace. For those with furry friends in tow, know that cats and dogs are welcome on this property. There's no leasing fee required for this rental. (Check out the complete listing here .) 2828 Greenbriar Drive Located at 2828 Greenbriar Drive, here's a 950-square-foot two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit that's listed for $1,460/month. You can expect a fireplace, high ceilings, a balcony and in-unit laundry in the residence. Luckily for pet owners, both dogs and cats are allowed. (See the complete listing here .) 3720 W. Alabama St. Lastly, there's this two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit over at 3720 W. Alabama St. It's listed for $1,475/month for its 1,118 square feet. In the apartment, which comes furnished, the listing promises high ceilings, a balcony and in-unit laundry. Pet lovers are in luck: Cats and dogs are welcome. (Check out the complete listing here .) This story was created automatically using local real estate data from Zumper and Apartment Guide , then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Thousands of tourists and students scrambled to get places on planes and buses leaving Kashmir on Saturday after the Indian government warned of the threat of "terror" attacks. Thousands of military reinforcements were arriving in the Himalayan territory, also claimed by Pakistan, where a three-decade old insurgency has left tens of thousands dead. The Jammu and Kashmir state government said late Friday that holiday-makers and religious tourists should leave "immediately" because of new intelligence about "terror threats" to a major Hindu pilgrimage in the region. A separate government notice also advised hundreds of students from other Indian states to leave the Himalayan Valley. Britain and Germany have issued warnings against travel to the region. Anxious visitors, including some foreigners, flooded the airport at the main city Srinagar on Saturday, many without tickets for flights that day. Visitor numbers have been boosted by the Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage in recent years, with more 300,000 Hindus devotees visiting the ice stalagmite cave shrine in the Himalayas. The pilgrimage has been cancelled because of the scare. A huge security force had been guarding the route even before the alert. A second smaller pilgrimage, the Machail Mata Yatra, in Jammu region was also cancelled Saturday. - Airport chaos - "Passengers who were scheduled to return in coming days have turned up in panic at the airport today," said the manager of one airline operating the Delhi-Srinagar route. "It's chaotic and not many will manage seats unless there are additional flights." Hundreds of Indian students from outside Kashmir were evacuated in buses. "All the non-local students have left the campus for their respective states," an administrative official at the National Institute of Technology in Srinagar told AFP. Kashmiri residents formed long lines outside petrol stations, food stores and bank cash machines on Friday night after the alert was announced. But the queues eased Saturday. India's military head in Kashmir, Lieutenant General Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon, said Friday that a sniper gun and a mine with Pakistani markings had been found on the route of the Amarnath Yatra. "This proves Pakistani attempts to attack the Yatra," said Singh, who has 500,000 forces in Kashmir battling the insurgency. India and Pakistan divided Kashmir when they became independent in 1947 but both claim it in full and have fought two of three wars since over the territory. The Indian government has admitted that 10,000 extra troops were sent to Kashmir a week ago. Media reports Friday said a further 25,000 had been ordered there. The government has declined to say how many are in the new reinforcements. While military authorities and the state government highlighted the security risk, Kashmir politicians have raised fears that the troops are sign that the Hindu nationalist government could carry out a threat to scrap Kashmir's special status under the constitution. Political leaders in the territory have warned that cancelling constitutionally guaranteed rights, which mean only state domiciles can buy land in the region, could spark unrest in the disputed Muslim majority state. The main opposition Congress party accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government of preparing for a "misadventure" which leader P. Chidambaram said would be "fraught with very serious legal and political consequences". "It is clear to me that they (government) are preparing for some misadventure and I would warn them not to embark upon any misadventure," the former federal home minister told reporters in New Delhi. Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik, who is named by the New Delhi government, said "unnecessary panic" was being created by "rumours". Modi's government has refused to say whether it is about to scrap the constitutional article, though he has often spoken against it.


Sandown could lose its two-driver enduro format in 2020, as Supercars confirms it is in talks with The Bend Motorsport Park about a new long-distance race. The Bend in South Australia is set to open the 2020 Supercars endurance season, taking over the role as the traditional 500-kilometre warm-up to the Bathurst 1000 that was lost this year due to a calendar re-shuffle that saw the Sandown 500 shifted back to November . Under the proposed reform of the enduro season, The Bend and Bathurst would then be followed by the Gold Coast 600 to close out the long-distance races. That would spell the end of Sandown as a two-driver long-distance race, the suburban Melbourne circuit expected to stay on the calendar with its new November slot, however as a single-driver event. At this point, all Supercars has confirmed is that talks with The Bend boss Sam Shahin about an enduro race are taking place. We've been talking to Sam Shahin and his team at The Bend about what their goals are for their facility," Supercars CEO Sean Seamer told the category's official website. "They've built a world-class race track which was designed with endurance racing in mind, so we're currently having that discussion. "The spacing between that event and the Adelaide 500 is also important and part of that conversation." Sandown is the traditional home of 500-kilometre enduros in Supercars, although there were spells for the pre-Bathurst event at Queensland Raceway between 1999 and 2002 and Phillip Island between 2008 and 2011.


NEW YORK   New York City's worker protection department said Thursday that American Airlines is violating the city's sick leave law by retaliating against workers who use sick days or not letting them use the sick leave they've accrued. The Department of Consumer and Worker Protection announced it had sued the airline with the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings. Commissioner Lorelei Salas said in a statement that "American Airlines is not above the law. Workers in major transportation hubs where thousands of people pass through everyday should not have to choose between going into work sick or getting in trouble for exercising their right to take a sick day." The violations alleged in the lawsuit include filing disciplinary points against ground crew workers for each sick day used, not allowing employees to use the sick leave they had earned, and requiring medical documentation before city law said it was necessary. The agency seeks $375,000 in restitution covering more than 750 ground crew workers, including agents, fleet service and mechanical employees, as well as civil penalties. Fort Worth, Texas-based American Airlines said in a statement that "employees enjoy generous sick leave and benefits, including those set by union contracts with terms that are often more generous than required by the New York law" and that it would work to make sure they continue to do so.


Newly drafted Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown has been impressive this offseason, but wasn't able to make it through Tuesday's practice. He pulled up on a route during the practice and had to leave the field and head to the locker room shortly after. Here's a quick look at the apparent injury from A to Z Sports Nashville. #Titans rookie WR A.J. Brown appears to pull up during an early drill & left for the locker room shortly after @Brown1arthur pic.twitter.com/sC01fRT8lD - AtoZSports Nashville (@AtoZSports) June 4, 2019 While this appears to be nothing serious that could alter Brown's ability to get back to action in the near future, no information has been released by the team on the situation at this time. Brown did take to social media on Tuesday afternoon to say that he's "dodged a bullet," but later deleted the tweet. MORE: WATCH: Did Nike just reveal Kevin Durant's free agency destination? Did Nike accidentally reveal that Kevin Durant is staying with the Warriors? Report: Suns, Bulls offering lottery picks for Lonzo Ball Return of NASCAR: Packers planning ways to get 4 OLBs on the field together PFF projects Raiders DE Maxx Crosby to beat out Arden Key for starting role


Golf Twitter lives to complain, and its favorite topic of all is slow play. Enter J.B. Holmes, who is in the final group on Saturday at the Open Championship and was already beaten up earlier this year at the Genesis Open , which he won, for his snail-like pace. This is a perfect storm of social-media whining the likes of which we see only a few times a season. RELATED: Follow all the action from Day 3 at the Open Championship The thing is, Golf Twitter is right, as Holmes has done little to contradict the idea that he is the slowest player on tour (Ben Crane would like a word). Holmes has been bad this week, and it is likely to get only worse if he remains in contention for his first major championship over the next 24 hours. As it stands, he's near the top of the leader board, and with the added pressure of the final round at a major, along with some brutal weather descending on Royal Portrush on Sunday, J.B. could set records for slowness. Those on social media are doing their part to make sure it doesn't happen, but the R&A is not likely to do much, and nothing will happen next week at the WGC event in Memphis or the week after that or the week after that. J.B. and others will continue to take their time. The vicious cycle will continue. For now, all we can do is shout and scream. Here were some of the better shouts and screams on Twitter from Saturday morning as J.B. turtled his way around Royal Portrush's front nine: https://twitter.com/eamonlynch/status/1152619568180989954 https://twitter.com/TwoInchesShort/status/1152607678973136897 https://twitter.com/Darth_Monty/status/1152609856664346630 https://twitter.com/willbardwell/status/1152607758476333057 https://twitter.com/_DanDaly/status/1152619831834923008 https://twitter.com/NoLayingUp/status/1152607786733395970 https://twitter.com/WillGrayGC/status/1152598234482839553 https://twitter.com/JustinRayGolf/status/1152608613107666950 https://twitter.com/BrendanPorath/status/1152620567490682880 https://twitter.com/GeoffShac/status/1152614446004658178 Finally, a personal favorite from earlier this week, from none other than Club Pro Guy: https://twitter.com/ClubProGuy/status/1152022184908320768 CPG never disappoints. To Shane Lowry's credit, he hasn't let Holmes pace bother him. The Irishman shot a three-under 33 on the front nine to clip Holmes by one stroke. He's at the top of the leader board, as is Holmes. They are at two hours and 21 minutes in the 10th fairway. RELATED: 2019 British Open leader board Related slideshow: Best of the British Open (Provided by imagn)