CONCORD, N.H. Don't get your hopes up. That's the message voters in the nation's first primary state have for Democrats looking to Robert Mueller's testimony before Congress this week as a game-changing moment in the drive to impeach President Donald Trump. "I don't think it's going to make a difference. I wish it would," said Lin Van Allen, 66, a retired nurse who saw Elizabeth Warren speak in her hometown of Peterborough earlier this month. "I keep thinking something will happen to change things, and it never does." The former special counsel will sit before two House committees on Wednesday, reluctantly appearing under subpoena in what has been billed as one of Congress's most highly anticipated hearings in years. Democrats have demanded that Mueller appear in person so they can press him to elaborate on the findings in his 448-page report on the Trump campaign's role in Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible obstruction of justice by the president. They also want him to answer questions about Attorney General William Barr's handling of the report. The Mueller investigation found insufficient evidence to conclude that the Trump campaign conspired with Russia during the election, but it pointedly did not exonerate the president of committing obstruction of justice in his efforts to thwart the probe into the 2016 election. Trump's most vocal critics see Mueller's testimony as perhaps the last, best chance to turn public opinion in favor of impeachment a crucial barometer in their bid to pressure Republicans and persuade House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to begin the formal effort to remove the president, which she has steadfastly resisted. Impeachment backers point out that few Americans have actually read Mueller's exhaustive two-volume treatise, and they argue that nothing that's come out about Trump so far can compare to the image of the highly respected, apolitical G-man describing possible criminal activity by the president on national television. Read: [ Impeachment is the song of the summer ] Yet here in New Hampshire, voters sizing up Democratic candidates see the Mueller hearings as more of an anticlimax than an inflection point. "I feel like he's just going to say, 'Read the report.' I don't think he's going to drop any bombshells," said Amanda St. Ivany, 37, a nurse from Lebanon, New Hampshire, who was attending a recent Kirsten Gillibrand event in Concord. St. Ivany told me that she would probably watch some of Mueller's testimony and that she supported the launch of impeachment proceedings "to keep our democracy working." St. Ivany's low expectations for Mueller's appearance matched what more than a dozen Democratic and independent voters told me in interviews: While some plan to watch the broadcast, and most said his testimony was important as a matter of process, none believed it would do much to alter a political dynamic that they see as lamentably immutable. "I've had my hopes up before, and I don't want to get them up again," said Dorothy Minior, a 65-year-old software researcher at the Warren event in Peterborough. Democrats had wanted Mueller to testify soon after he finished his investigation in April, but the special counsel's reluctance to submit himself to what will likely turn into a partisan spectacle led to a delay. The leaders of the judiciary and intelligence committees spent weeks trying to negotiate a voluntary appearance by Mueller before ultimately resorting to a subpoena. His testimony comes after yet one more delay a one-week postponement so that the Judiciary Committee could have an extra hour of Mueller's time that will allow all of its members to question him. Junior lawmakers on the panel had protested the original two hours the committee was due to have, which meant the hearing would likely have ended before several of them got a chance to speak. Rather than building suspense, the lag time seems to have had the opposite effect like air slowly leaking out of a balloon. And if anyone popped that balloon, it was Mueller himself. On May 29, in his lone public appearance of the past two years, a televised press conference that lasted for about 10 minutes and featured no questions, the former FBI director made clear that he did not want to testify and that if he did appear before Congress, he "would not go beyond the report." "The report is my testimony," Mueller said . That message got through. When I asked Pat Swingle, a 71-year-old retired teacher from Jaffrey, New Hampshire, about Mueller's upcoming testimony, her face lit up. "It's about time!" she said as she waited in line outside Warren's event in Peterborough. I asked what she wanted to hear him say. "That the president obstructed justice," Swingle replied instantly. Did she expect him to say that? "No, I don't," Swingle conceded. "I think he's going to say the same thing he said in his 10-minute comment thing." Read: [ Mueller's first comments on the Russia investigation ] Views about Mueller's appearance are understandably wrapped up in the related question of impeachment, and on this, the sample of anti-Trump voters in New Hampshire I spoke to largely matched nationwide polling . Most wanted to see the president held accountable in some way, but they did not support starting a process that was doomed to fail in the Senate and that could distract from other issues including the 2020 election itself. "I think we need to have an election," said Deborah Cummings, 60, a Massachusetts independent who drove north to see Gillibrand in Concord. "I think impeachment is going to waste a lot of time and money." It's also a tricky topic for the Democratic candidates themselves. Most of the leading contenders have come out in support of beginning impeachment hearings against the president, essentially endorsing the early removal from office of a man whom they are simultaneously running to defeat at the ballot box. Warren was one of the earliest and most vocal backers of impeachment among the top-tier candidates. But over the course of an hour in Peterborough, she never mentioned the subject or the Mueller investigation at all and barely invoked the president's name. Mueller's name was barely mentioned over two nights at the first Democratic debate in Miami last month. Gillibrand has also come out in support of impeachment hearings. When I asked her whether New Hampshire voters had brought up the Mueller report and impeachment during her week-long tour of the state, she said she had heard concerns "about attacks on our democracy." "I think people are very concerned about Russians trying to harm our elections, trying to subvert our elections," she said. "And I do think New Hampshire voters are concerned that President Trump does not stand up to Putin or other dictators around the globe." Gillibrand then reiterated her call for impeachment hearings, although she framed her position less as a means of ousting Trump than of allowing Congress to have a stronger legal case to obtain documents and testimony that the administration is withholding. Though the Justice Department has not tried to stop Mueller from testifying, it has discouraged two of his deputies from submitting to private interviews with House committees. For Democrats, however, the bigger worry over Mueller is not that the Trump administration will constrain his testimony, but that, with respect to the president, he will constrain himself. "My expectations, I think, are realistic," Representative Adam Schiff of California, the chairman of the Intelligence Committee, told my colleague Todd Purdum in a recent interview . "The special counsel's going to try to confine his comments to the report." Schiff further acknowledged that views on the investigation "are very hardened." "So," he added, "the degree to which Bob Mueller can bring this to life for people who haven't had the opportunity to read the report which is most Americans is yet to be seen." Where voters and congressional Democrats seem to agree is that Mueller's testimony is important on principle alone, even if his appearance on Capitol Hill serves merely as a venue for him to say in person, and on camera, what he has already put down on paper. "The saying of it matters," said Lorraine Stockwell, a 63-year-old teacher from Temple, New Hampshire. Allyn Phelps, a 35-year-old from Massachusetts who was in Peterborough to hear Warren speak, told me Mueller's testimony was "very important" as a "way for us average Americans" to understand what was in his report. He said he wanted Congress to start impeachment proceedings against Trump. But when I asked Phelps what Mueller could say that could change anything that could shift the seemingly frozen dynamic that has kept impeachment at bay he paused. "Actually," this voter said, "I guess I don't really know."


WINNERS Matt McCall   Kurt Busch deserves much credit for winning at Kentucky Speedway but let's not forget his crew chief, who was roasted on social media last week for having Busch pit before the field went back to green at Daytona only to see lightning cost them a chance at the win. At Kentucky, McCall went for fuel only on the team's first stop, a key move in a race where track position was critical, and made the right calls throughout the night, including a four-tire change on the last stop, to give Busch a chance to win his first race of the season and earn a playoff spot. Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch   While many would have preferred a "Days of Thunder" last-lap crash that led to someone else winning, these two had a dramatic battle for the win that pushed both to the edge but not over it. NASCAR   Remember when series officials used to keep drivers from standing on the roof of their car or anything like that during victory celebrations? Alex Bowman did it after his Chicago win and Kurt Busch did it after his Kentucky victory. Then, some of Busch's crew members climbed atop the car and rode it to Victory Lane. Nice to see spontaneous celebrations are allowed. Tyler Ankrum   Took the lead with two laps to go when Brett Moffitt ran out of fuel to score the victory in the Gander Outdoors Truck Series race at Kentucky. It was the 18-year-old Ankrum's first series win, putting him in a playoff spot. LOSERS Daniel Suarez   While his eighth-place finish was his best result in the last four races, it was unfulfilling. If Suarez goes on to make the playoffs, this night will be forgotten. If he fails to make the playoffs, this race might be a key reason why . He started on the pole but failed to score any stage points after a pit call backfired in the first stage and a flat tire forced a green-flag stop in the second stage. He entered the race three points behind Ryan Newman for the final playoff spot. Newman started last because of an inspection failure and finished ninth, losing only one point Suarez. Erik Jones ' third-place finish moved him past Newman and Suarez into a playoff spot. Denny Hamlin 's pit crew   For the fifth time this season, Hamlin's team was called for an uncontrolled penalty. While Hamlin has been a critic of how NASCAR has called such penalties this season, he said that crew chief Chris Gabehart told him that the infraction was "pretty obvious." Said Hamlin: "It's on us to tighten it up, know the rules and try not to have these penalties, especially on a two-tire stop. We've got to be better." Jimmie Johnson   Rough night ends in a 30th-place finish. He falls to 15th in the season standings. Ryan Newman, the first driver outside a playoff spot is only 10 points behind Johnson. Seven races remain until the playoff field is set but will this be the year Johnson misses the playoffs? Brandon Jones   Rough weekend at Kentucky. He was leading the Truck race when Grant Enfinger lost control as they raced for position and wrecked them both. Jones finished 23rd. The next night, Jones' Xfinity car was fast before an engine failure ended his night in 30th.


LYON, France   Few players at the World Cup are hotter right now than Megan Rapinoe. Lucy Bronze may be one of them, though, which makes Tuesday's semifinal between England and the United States all the more enticing. As England's starter at right back, it will likely be Bronze's job to defend Rapinoe, who has scored every U.S. goal in the knockout rounds. With five goals total, she's now tied with teammate Alex Morgan, England's Ellen White and Australia's Sam Kerr as high scorer in the World Cup. Granted, three of Rapinoe's goals have come on either penalties (two) or free kicks. But her playmaking ability, service and knack for always being where the ball is mean shutting her down will be a priority for England. "If you think about the left-hand side of USA and the right-hand side of England, I don't think you'll get many better left- and right-handed sides in women's football," England coach Phil Neville said. Neville did float the idea Sunday of moving Bronze into the midfield and putting Rachel Daly on Rapinoe, as he did when England and the U.S. women played to a draw at the She Believes Cup. But c'mon. This is a chance to get to the final, which would be England's first at a major international tournament. You play your best players and England doesn't have many better than Bronze. Scratch that. Any better than Bronze. Her defensive skills are sublime, and are a large reason why England has conceded just one goal in this tournament. Even that one was way back in the first game of the group stage. But what makes Bronze, who played one year at North Carolina, so special is that she is often involved in England's attack, as well. "Obviously good pace, timing, just a very attacking-minded player," U.S. coach Jill Ellis said. "She's going to come forward, much like a lot of French players like to get forward." Bronze has scored eight goals internationally, including one in the quarterfinal against Norway. It was a beauty, too, as she one-timed a free kick and hit the crossbar from just outside the penalty area. Even David Beckham approved, standing and applauding after the goal. "I do believe she's the best player in the world," Neville said. "She's unique in everything she does. Her athleticism, her ability to defend (one on one). She's fearless in everything that she does. And her ability to step up on the big occasion. "Even though she plays fullback and sometimes in midfield, the qualities that she possesses and has shown and has proven, to me, makes her one of the most outstanding players of the world," he continued. "Even though she plays at fullback and sometimes doesn't score goals, even though she did the other night, I still think that needs recognizing." No worries about that. On Tuesday night, there'll be plenty of eyes on Bronze. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: This English player may be the one who shuts down Megan Rapinoe in World Cup semifinal


A new lawsuit against a U.S. Olympic figure skating coach and an accusation of an attempt to silence an alleged sexual abuse victim rocked U.S. Figure Skating Friday afternoon, just one week after Olympic figure skater Ashley Wagner came forward to tell her story of being sexually assaulted by the late John Coughlin to USA TODAY Sports. Adam Schmidt, 34, a former skating student of Richard Callaghan, who coached Tara Lipinski to the 1998 Olympic gold medal, filed a lawsuit in San Diego saying that Callaghan repeatedly sexually abused him from 1999 to 2001, beginning when Schmidt was 14 years old. The lawsuit also names USFS, the sport's national governing body, and a skating facility in Detroit, Onyx Ice Arena, where Callaghan taught Schmidt. The alleged sexual abuse occurred after USFS dismissed complaints of sexual misconduct against Callaghan in 1999 by Craig Maurizi, now 56, an Olympic coach who said that Callaghan engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with him in 1976 when Maurizi was 13, and later initiated a full sexual relationship with Maurizi when he was 18. That relationship continued until he was 22, after which time Callaghan continued to engage in the inappropriate sexual conduct sporadically for another 12 years, Maurizi told USA TODAY Sports in March 2018. On Jan. 31, 2018, Maurizi detailed those allegations in a report filed with the U.S. Center for SafeSport, which suspended Callaghan March 6, 2018. USFS then suspended him as well. Callaghan sued SafeSport, but a judge dismissed that suit nearly a year ago. There still has been no final adjudication of the matter by SafeSport. Callaghan, 73, who is best known for coaching six-time national champion and three-time U.S. Olympian Todd Eldredge, has repeatedly denied the allegations. Schmidt's lawsuit, first reported by ABC News, blames USFS for failing to investigate Maurizi's complaints and dismissing a grievance he filed with the NGB in 1999 because the organization's bylaws stipulated that alleged misconduct must be reported within 60 days. At the time, Callaghan was allowed to continue to coach some of the nation's top skaters. "How did this happen?" Schmidt told ABC News. "Why 20 years ago did everyone know and do nothing? Because if they would have done something then … I never would have been abused." In a related development, Maurizi told USA TODAY Sports that he and his now-wife, Tara Modlin, met with two top U.S. skating officials, USFS executive director David Raith and USFS past president Patricia St. Peter, at their request at a hotel during the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in South Korea. Maurizi said he told them he had already filed a report on Callaghan with SafeSport and that he planned to "speak with the media" as well. Maurizi said that in the meeting, St. Peter made a point to emphasize to him the various improvements that had been made to USFS's sexual misconduct policies since 1999, when Maurizi first came forward with his allegations against Callaghan. Maurizi also said Raith asked him not to speak to members of the media before the SafeSport investigation could be completed. Maurizi told USA TODAY Sports that he then was "offered a prominent position" within USFS's committee system by the two senior officials. "It seemed like they were trying to keep me from talking," Maurizi said. A USFS spokeswoman did not return three messages from USA TODAY Sports Friday afternoon seeking comment on Maurizi's accusation. A week ago, Wagner, 28, a 2014 U.S. Olympic team bronze medalist, world silver medalist and three-time national champion, said that Coughlin sexually assaulted her in June 2008 after a party at a USFS national team camp in Colorado Springs, Colorado. At the time, she had just turned 17 and Coughlin was 22. Coughlin died by suicide on Jan. 18, 2019, one day after receiving an interim suspension from SafeSport. He was 33. USA TODAY Sports, citing a person with knowledge of the situation, reported in January that SafeSport had received three reports of sexual assault against Coughlin. His death effectively ended the investigation into those reports, SafeSport announced in February. Wagner's allegation was not one of those cases. In a Jan. 7 email to USA TODAY Sports, Coughlin called the ongoing SafeSport investigation "unfounded." His agent, Tara Modlin, did not respond when asked for comment about Wagner's allegation. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US Figure Skating rocked: Callaghan sued; silencing attempt alleged


Passengers on an Aer Lingus plane opened emergency exits, climbed out on to the wing of their plane, and escaped by emergency slides because they thought that their pilot was telling them to evacuate. The incident, which occurred in November 2017, came after the plane's pilot told passengers to "Disembark the aircraft immediately." The command was misinterpreted by numerous passengers, with 32 passengers climbing out onto the wing. The aircraft was flying from the Irish city of Cork to London, but was turned around after burning was smelt in the cabin. One passenger said that the plane was "chaotic" and that the event was frightening. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Panicked passengers on an Aer Lingus flight opened emergency exits, activated the escape slides and climbed onto their plane's wings after their pilot told them to "disembark" after their plane was diverted. The incident, which occurred in November 2017, came after the plane's pilot told passengers to "Disembark the aircraft immediately," and leave their baggage behind when their flight made an unscheduled return to Ireland's Cork airport. It had been flying from Cork to London Heathrow when crew decided to turn around when they smelled burning in the cabin, according to a report about the incident released by Ireland's Air Accident Investigation Unit on Tuesday. The report said that the pilot intended passengers to leave through the plane's doors as normal, but dozens of passengers panicked. Some opened plane's over-wing emergency exits, climbing out onto the wings and leaving the plane using the escape slides. The report said that passengers "interpreted the Commander's instruction as a full evacuation." Around 32 passengers climbed onto the plane's wings, with half of these using emergency slides and the other half re-entering the plane to leave via the normal steps. When cabin crew noticed that passengers were using the emergency exits, they announced: "Ladies and gentleman, please remain calm and please exit the aircraft through the back doors and the forward doors." One passenger told investigators that the pilot was "excellent" but said it was "chaotic" when everyone tried to leave the plane. They said that passengers decided to open the exits after they were unable to move behind a passenger with limited mobility, who was being helped by cabin crew. They said that the event was frightening, and that adults and children on board were upset. The report claimed that passengers may have been "alarmed" when they saw a fire crew arrive, and that "passengers wouldn't necessarily know the difference between a 'disembark' and an 'evacuate' instruction." It also said that pilots' instructions may have seemed louder than normal to passengers because the pilots were wearing oxygen masks. An investigation found that an on-board fan was the source of the fumes, and the manufacturer is producing a new design for the fan, the report said. No safety recommendations were made, but Aer Lingus said that it intended to make the understanding of the difference between a "rapid disembarkation" and a "full evacuation" clearer.


As night fell, residents of a southern district in Khartoum briskly moved to set the stage for Sudanese protest leaders giving a brief on the movement's latest updates. Grappling with a power outage, blocked internet access and heightened security, people from the Jabra district had few means to organise the meeting which drew dozens from the neighbourhood. Within a few hours, power generators were fetched, loud speakers set up, plastic chairs lined up and cars blazed their headlights on the podium where protest leaders were to give their speech. Roadblocks were also set up to secure the entrances of the area. "The campaign keeps us updated with whatever new is happening about the situation in Sudan," said Mujahed Abdelnaby who was attending the gathering. Sudan's ruling generals have largely cut internet services in the wake of a deadly dispersal of a sit-in outside the army headquarters where thousands had been camped since April 6. The crowds who were initially demanding the ouster of veteran leader Omar al-Bashir stayed put after his fall to call on the generals who took over to hand power to civilians. But on June 3 armed men in military fatigues launched a bloody crackdown on the encampment, killing more than 100 people according to medics linked to protesters. Official figures stand at 61. Since then campaigning has been restricted, particularly with increased deployment of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces across Khartoum. The forces, which are led by the deputy chief of Sudan's transitional military council, are accused by protesters of leading the encampment's dispersal. The council, which had previously vowed not to disperse the sit-in, denied ordering the violence and said it had only planned a purge of a nearby area called Colombia notorious for drug peddling. - 'No longer scared' - Last week, protest leaders from the Alliance for Freedom and Change started organising daily simultaneous gatherings to revive the protest movement. "We just want to keep the communication going with the people to confront the blackout imposed by the military council," said Waheeb Mohamed Saeed, a leading activist within the alliance. Ahead of his speech at Jabra, he explained the campaigns are circulated via text messages and word of mouth among residents. Demonstrators, meanwhile, started chanting to rhythmical beats their catchcry of "freedom, peace and justice". "We will bring civilian rule no matter how long it takes," they vowed. Similar rallies, gatherings and marches were regularly announced online, drawing thousands prior to the sweeping internet blackout. "We have been calling for the resumption of internet services as part of conditions to restart negotiations," Saeed said. Talks between protest leaders and the military council had collapsed before the dispersal of the sit-in. Both sides recently agreed to mediation efforts led by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Protest leaders say the mediation is pegged on releasing all detainees and ensuring freedoms. But the military council's chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan called for "unconditional" negotiations to be resumed. "If all fails, we will press ahead with peaceful forms of escalation including civil disobedience," Saeed said. Following the sit-in dispersal, businesses across Sudan were shut and residents stayed indoors after protest leaders called for a nationwide general strike. Last week, hundreds of protesters took to the streets reviving calls for civilian rule across several Sudanese states including the capital's twin city Omdurman. Dozens of employees from private companies and ministries, including oil and information, held silent demonstrations outside their offices in Khartoum. For Lamia Babiker, who was attending the Jabra gathering, the deadly dispersal of the sit-in only rekindled the protest spirit. "Now people can tell what's right and what's wrong," she said. "People from several districts were killed and others have been missing since the dispersal. We are no longer scared."


CHICAGO (AP) A downpour on Tuesday night shouldn't delay the major league debut of Chicago White Sox pitching prospect Dylan Cease Tuesday's game between the White Sox and the Detroit Tigers was postponed by rain nearly an hour after the scheduled first pitch. It will be made up on Sept. 27 as part of a straight doubleheader. But the 23-year-old Cease is still scheduled to start the first game of a split doubleheader on Wednesday against Detroit, facing lefty Daniel Norris. Chicago left-hander Ross Detwiler will take the mound in the nightcap against Tigers lefty Tyler Alexander, who was recalled from Triple-A Toledo to make his major league debut. Cease hadn't yet been recalled from Triple-A Charlotte following Tuesday's rainout, but the prized White Sox right-hander, weather permitting, is ready to go. Ranked as the No. 18 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline, Cease was part of the five-player trade in July 2017 that sent left-hander Jose Quintana to the crosstown Cubs and brought outfielder Eloy Jimenez to the South Side. ''I think he's a young man who has been talked about a lot,'' manager Rick Renteria said. ''Obviously an impressive arm and we're just pretty excited to get our eyes on him at the major league level and allow him to do what he does. ''It's going to me memorable no matter what, but we hope he has a nice afternoon tomorrow and continue from there.'' Cease's debut isn't intended as a spot start. The White Sox desperately need another arm for their depleted rotation, especially with top prospect Michael Kopech and lefty Carlos Rodon out until next season following Tommy John surgery. Cease is 5-2 with 4.48 ERA in 15 starts at Charlotte. Before pitching a scoreless inning in his last outing on Thursday, he had allowed 13 earned runs over 11 1/3 innings in three previous starts. ''His last few outings weren't as impressive as everybody wanted them to be,'' Renteria said. ''I think there was a thought that maybe it was time for the challenge and see if he can raise his game up a little bit.'' Renteria said All-Star catcher James McCann will be behind the plate ''to work his magic'' with Cease and ''allow him to get comfortable.'' Light rain started falling Tuesday night as scheduled starter Reynaldo Lopez walked in from the bullpen minutes before his scheduled first pitch. Just as he reached the dugout, it became a lightning-punctuated deluge that lasted for 90 minutes and soaked Guaranteed Rate Field. After the game was called, Renteria said he wasn't sure when Lopez's next turn will be slotted into the rotation. The right-hander, 4-7 with a 6.12 ERA, was scheduled to face Detroit left-hander Matthew Boyd, 5-6 with a 3.72 ERA. Boyd's start was moved to Thursday afternoon in Chicago. Although Lopez allowed three runs in no-decisions each of his previous two starts, he entered with a 1-3 record and 7.61 ERA in his last seven outings. The Tigers have lost nine of their last 10 and 13 of 15. Tuesday night's game is the third postponement between the two teams, including April 20 at Comerica Park and April 27 at Guaranteed Rate Field. The clubs are scheduled to play split doubleheaders on Wednesday and Aug. 6 in Detroit. HERE'S HAROLD Former White Sox DH and outfielder Harold Baines, who will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on July 21, told media before the game that his speech a Cooperstown won't be the shortest ever. ''No, I think one guy said `thank you' and sat down,'' the notoriously laconic Baines said. ''I'll definitely beat that.'' A six-time All-Star, Baines started his 22-year career with the White Sox and played in 14 seasons with them. Baines was selected by the Today's Game Era Committee after being passed over the Baseball Writers' Association of America during his time on the ballot. TRAINER'S ROOM Detroit: INF Jordy Mercer, reinstated from the 10-day IL on Monday, was scheduled to start at shortstop and bat eighth on Tuesday. Mercer has been out since May 8 with a right quad strain. UP NEXT: RHP Cease faces LHP Norris (2-7, 4.62) in the opener on Wednesday. LHP Alexander takes the mound against Detwiler (1-0, 3.60) The 33-year-old Detwiler earned his first major league win in nearly three years last Friday when he tossed five effective innings against Minnesota. Alexander, a Chicago native, was 2-9, with a 6.23 ERA in 15 outings at Toledo.


Israel carried out air strikes in Syria on Sunday in response to rare rocket fire from the neighboring country, its military said, with a war monitor reporting 10 killed including Syrian soldiers and foreign fighters. Israel's army said two rockets were fired from Syria at Mount Hermon in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights late Saturday and one had been "located within Israeli territory." In response, the army attacked "two Syrian artillery batteries, a number of observation and intelligence posts on the Golan Heights, and an SA-2 aerial defense battery," its statement said. The Israeli attack left three Syrian soldiers and seven foreign fighters dead, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. According to the Britain-based war monitor, which did not specify the nationality of the foreign fighters, they died in missile strikes close the capital Damascus where Syrian troops, Iranian forces and Hezbollah fighters are stationed. Syrian anti-aircraft defenses fired against "enemy missiles" from Israel targeting positions in southwest Damascus, the official SANA news agency quoted a military source as saying. The Israeli army said its own aerial defense systems were activated due to the Syrian anti-aircraft fire, but none of the Syrian fire hit Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the strike. "We won't tolerate fire at our territory and will respond forcefully to any aggression against us," he said. - Hundreds of strikes - Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria, most of them against what it says are Iranian and Hezbollah targets. Israel says it is determined to prevent its arch foe Iran from entrenching itself militarily in Syria, where Tehran backs President Bashar al-Assad in the country's eight-year war which has killed more than 370,000 people. The Jewish state insists that it has the right to continue to target positions in Syria held by Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah out of self-defense. On May 27 Syria said Israel carried out a missile attack in Quneitra, in what the Israeli army said was retaliation for anti-aircraft fire targeting one of its fighter jets. Syrian air defense batteries also intercepted projectiles from Israel and downed a number of them on May 17, according to SANA. The Syrian province of Quneitra includes the Golan Heights, most of which is occupied and annexed by Israel. In January, Israel hit Iranian positions in Syria, saying it was in response to Iranian missile fire from the war-torn country. According to the Observatory, 21 people, mainly Iranians, were killed in those raids. The latest reported strike comes amid soaring tensions between Iran and the United States. The stand-off had been simmering since the United States last year withdrew from the 2015 nuclear treaty which Iran reached with major world powers. In recent weeks the United States has accused Iran of alleged threats and deployed an aircraft carrier group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf.


CEO pay has become a bone of contention between the boards of some public companies and their shareholders. How can a CEO be worth tens of millions of dollars, some investors ask, no matter how good earnings are? Boards argue that the best CEOs are in short supply, and need to be paid sums that will keep them in place, and motivated. Several companies pay executives who are not CEOs extravagant compensation. In these cases, questions about pay become even more in question. Some of the non-CEOs who make massive sums are founders or the relatives of founders. For several people at the top of non-CEO large pay packages, this is the case. The top paid non-CEO executive at a public company last year was Larry Ellison, who made $108 million for 2018, according to new data from mylogic , which analyses public company information. Ellison is the executive chairman and chief technology officer of Oracle Corporation, which he founded in 1977. He stepped down as CEO in 2014. He is currently the seventh wealthiest person in the U.S. , with a net worth of $71 billion, according to Forbes. Ellison never graduated from college but has built a company with revenue of $40 billion last year. He is also among the world's premier yachtsmen. A team he financed won the America's Cup in 2013. Second on the list of non-CEOs with high pay at public companies is Lachlan Murdoch at Fox who made $51 million. His father Rupert Murdoch, is the controlling shareholder of the company. Lachland and his brother James have each made millions of dollars working for their media baron father. Third on the list of highest-paid non-CEOs at public companies, is Howard Schulz, the founder of Starbucks. He made $30 million last year. He started Starbucks in 1986, and after serving as CEO and Executive Chairman, he stepped down in 2018. Forbes lists him as the 232nd wealthiest person in the U.S. with a net worth of $3.7 billion. He is often mentioned as a presidential candidate but has never fielded an official effort to run for the office. An analysis of public company compensation shows that some people not among the highest-paid CEOs in America can make a fortune. It helps to be a founder or at least the relative of one.


Chicago will see a return of last week's light rainfall over the next few days, according to drone-powered weather forecasting service Saildrone . Today should see the most rain, with a projected accumulation of 0.50 inches. The coming days will also bring warm temperatures, due to stick around through Saturday. Temperatures will reach a high of 79 degrees on Friday, then turn milder on Sunday. Winds are expected to reach a modest high of 16 mph today, but will grow calmer beginning on Friday. This story was created automatically using Saildrone's local weather forecast data, then reviewed by an editor. We also incorporate historic weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Liverpool star Mohamed Salah was carried off the pitch in a stretcher after colliding with Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka during Saturday afternoon's Premier League clash. RELATED: Liverpool wins The Egyptian forward suffered an apparent head injury during the dangerous collision, which occurred at the 68-minute mark, that left him lying on the turf for several minutes as Liverpool's medical staff attended to him. Dubravka's hip appeared to hit Salah's head. #LigaPremierTD ¡Suenan las alarmas en @LFC ! @MoSalah sale lesionado tras un duro golpe y su participación en @ChampionsLeague peligra. pic.twitter.com/PYFOYZ2YHA   Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) May 4, 2019 Salah required lengthy treatment before being stretchered off the turf clutching his head. The game was locked at 2 2 in the second half when the injury occurred. Divock Origi replaced Salah on the field for Liverpool and went on to score the game-winning goal in the 86th minute. Salah is the Premier League's top scorer this season, netting his 22nd goal just 28 minutes into Saturday's win. Related slideshow: Soccer stars to watch in 2019 (provided by Espresso)


FARMINGDALE, N.Y.   David Lipsky was assessed a two-shot penalty prior to the second round of the PGA Championship for arriving to the first tee seconds after his scheduled tee time. Lipsky opened with an even-par 70 at Bethpage and played the first two rounds alongside Henrik Stenson and Richard Sterne. While Lipsky declined to comment after his round, Stenson believed that because the trio teed off at 7:18 a.m. ET in the opening round, Lipsky may have thought that their Friday tee time was 12:48 p.m. Instead, they were slated to tee off at 12:43 p.m. Lipsky is a 30-year-old American who plays primarily on the European Tour, ranked No. 118 in the world and is making his PGA Championship debut this week. According to Stenson, he was on the putting green that sits roughly 30 yards from the above the first tee when tournament officials engaged fans in counting down the seconds remaining until the tee time, at which point Lipsky grabbed a ball and ran toward the tee box. PGA Championship: Scores | Full coverage "I mean, you start on 5 or 7 or whatever they started on, then there's not much time," Stenson said. "So he came running down, and the decision that they say is he had one step, one foot on the steps of the stairs and then you're not officially on the teeing ground when the time is out." According to a release from the PGA of America, Lipsky was "walking toward the tee with his putter and a ball but was not within the area defined as the starting point." As a result, he was assessed a two-shot penalty under Rule 5.3a, which states that a player "must be ready to play at the starting time and starting point set by the committee." Lipsky bounced back to make a birdie on the opening hole that went into the books as a bogey once the penalty was factored. While he struggled down the stretch, bogeying three of his final four holes, he signed for a 4-over 74 that left him at 4 over for the week and exactly on the projected cut line. "I think it kind of set off his day in a totally wrong way, and it was a bit of a battle to get into his round due to those facts," Stenson said. "He was hanging in there, had a bit of a rough finish but hopefully he'll still play on the weekend despite that mishap on the first."


(Bloomberg) -- Bitcoin breached $10,000 for the first time in about 15 months, recouping more than half of the parabolic increase that introduced mainstream investors to the digital asset before the bursting of the cryptocurrency bubble. "The bounce back of Bitcoin has been fairly extraordinary," said George McDonaugh, chief executive and co-founder of London-based blockchain and cryptocurrency investment firm KR1 Plc. "Money didn't leave the asset behind, it just sat on the sidelines waiting to get back in." The largest cryptocurrency rose by about 5% to around $10,500, according to prices compiled by Bitstamp available on the Bloomberg terminal. Bitcoin reached an all-time high of $19,511 in December 2017, capping a 1,400% surge that year, only to be followed by a 74% collapse in 2018. The coin reached a near-term low of about $3,100 in December and languished around the $3,300 to $4,100 range for several months, before getting a bid at the beginning of April. It hasn't looked back from there. In contrast with last year, there are now signs of renewed mainstream interest in cryptocurrencies and the underlying blockchain technology, most prominently Facebook Inc.'s Libra. The social-media giant is working with a broad group of partners from Visa Inc. to Uber Technologies Inc. to develop the system, which has already attracted attention and criticism from politicians raising privacy and security concerns. Read more: Facebook Wants Its Cryptocurrency to Rival the Greenback To contact the reporters on this story: Eric Lam in Hong Kong at elam87@bloomberg.net;Vildana Hajric in New York at vhajric1@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Christopher Anstey at canstey@bloomberg.net, ;Jeremy Herron at jherron8@bloomberg.net, Joanna Ossinger, Dave Liedtka For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com ©2019 Bloomberg L.P.


Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports It was Elliott Fry-day at Bears training camp, where the kicker kept the competition even in weather conditions certainly more favorable than Monday's rain and wind. It was the same old, same old, as the defense once again got the most of the Bears passing game, who looked a little rough around the edges going up against the second-team defense at times. But it was the defensive linemen and defensive backs that stole the show, as they continued to challenge the offensive line and put pressure on quarterback Mitch Trubisky. While Trubisky struggled, running back David Montgomery and the ground game rose to the occasion during the first live tackling of training camp. Meanwhile, tight end Adam Shaheen returned to practice, where he still wasn't a full participant, undrafted rookie offensive lineman Alex Bars escaped serious injury and receiver Anthony Miller had his best practice so far. Here are my observations from Day 7 of training camp. Chicago Bears running back David Montgomery works on the field during an NFL football training camp in Bourbonnais, Ill., Saturday, July 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) David Montgomery impresses while passing game struggles. The Bears offense continues to get tested by the defense in training camp, as evidenced by Friday's practice. But then again, defenses being superior to offenses in training camp isn't any sort of revelation. Especially when it's one of the best defenses in the league you're going up against day in and day out. "We are getting tested," offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich told reporters after Friday's practice. "Every inch of that defense is fast, talented, confidence. Most of them are vets. We know they are really good." And while the Bears continue to insist that practicing against this defense will only serve to make the offense better, it was a little troubling when the passing game was struggling against the second-team defense on Friday. The defensive linemen certainly won the day and have been bringing the pressure on Trubisky and the offense throughout camp, and today it was names like Roy Robertson-Harris and Bilal Nichols that were bringing the heat. Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks were also getting after the second-team offense with ease, which doesn't seem fair. "Sometimes when you draw up the play and you have the O blocking the X and the X is Khalil Mack, that's a bad matchup for a lot of O's," Helfrich said. But while the passing game struggled, the running game was able to find its footing, most notably David Montgomery. Montgomery ended practice on a high note for the offense, when they went through an end-of-game simulation where they had to run for a first down. Montgomery broke a tackle and finished the drill - and end-of-game scenario - that left teammates celebrating. "Cautiously very, very optimistic," Helfrich said of Montgomery. "I like him a lot. Unbelievable guy, great mentality. Is constantly asking questions. If he does something well he wants to make sure he saw it correctly, didn't just get lucky. He's a perfectionist, competitor. Obviously, you guys saw that today in the live period. He'll run the ball well. I'm very excited about him." Jun 13, 2019; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears kicker Elliott Fry (8) warms up during Veteran Minicamp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports Elliott Fry keeps kicker competition even. Fittingly, it was Elliott Fry's day to kick on Friday in Bourbonnais. Much like it's been since the start of camp, Fry kept pace with Eddy Pineiro, who went 8-for-9 on Thursday. The Bears continued bringing pressure in unique ways, this time running a fire drill of sorts when the special teams unit rushed onto the field to attempt a field goal, simulating an end of game or end of half scenario. They ran the drill three times, and Fry connected on all three field goals. On the day, Fry connected on 10-of-11 field goals, hitting from distances of 33, 33, 38, 45, 50, 55 and 55 yards. His lone miss was from 42 yards, which went wide right. At this point, the competition is fairly even between Fry and Eddy Pineiro, and the production proves as such. Through three practices, Fry is 27-for-31 (87 percent). Meanwhile, Pineiro is 21-for-25 (84 percent). While Fry has shown, in one practice, that he can kick in the elements with success, Pineiro definitely has the superior leg. Both kickers are expected to kick tomorrow during Family Fest at Soldier Field. Jun 13, 2019; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Anthony Miller (17) warms up during Veteran Minicamp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports Anthony Miller has his best practice of camp. While Bears receivers are garnering praise left and right, Anthony Miller has been having a quiet training camp. Coming off shoulder surgery, Miller doesn't feel like he's 100 percent just yet. That, he believes, will come by the regular-season opener. But with that said, Miller had his best practice of camp on Friday. Miller showcased his footwork, ability to get separation and playmaking ability and impressed throughout the day, including a beautiful contested, jump ball that he pulled down against Eddie Jackson. Miller feels like he's getting a fresh start this season, following dealing with a dislocated shoulder throughout his rookie season. "It'll definitely be different (this year) because I get to use my hands now," Miller told reporters after practice. "Last year, I really didn't get to use my hands. I was just relying on just having good footwork so I could get open. But now I can incorporate my hands. Also, Allen Robinson and Javon Wims continued to impress with a receiver group that's been so much fun to watch. Robinson continues to prove that he's Trubisky's No. 1 receiver while Wims keeps going up and getting the ball. In this Friday, June 7, 2019 photo, Chicago Bears' Kyle Fuller models the team's new jersey during the Bears100 Celebration Weekend at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune via AP) Bears' secondary has a nose for the football. As the defense has done this training camp is bring it to the first-team offense, and the same was the case on Friday. While the front seven have been bringing constant pressure on Trubisky, the defensive backs have also been making plays on contested balls. Cornerback Kyle Fuller and safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix made back-to-back plays on balls that looked like they were beat on during red zone drills, including a Clinton-Dix interception of Trubisky. After Miller burned Fuller for a touchdown during 1-on-1's, Fuller proceeded to intercept Trubisky twice against Miller, which were both great coverage. One of them was even a one-handed grab by Fuller, who's continuing to showcase why he's an All-Pro in this league and how he'll help make these receivers better. Chicago Bears tight end Adam Shaheen warms up before an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2018, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) Adam Shaheen returns to practice. While Trey Burton had a scheduled day off, Adam Shaheen returned to practice on Friday after being in a limited capacity a day earlier. Shaheen, who has been nursing a sore back, did more than Thursday, but he did not partake in full-contract drills. He looked good during red zone drills, showcasing his size and hands in one-on-one situations. There's no doubt that Shaheen could certainly be a weapon for the Bears offense in the red zone. That is, if he can stay healthy. Sep 15, 2018; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish offensive lineman Sam Mustipher (53) and offensive lineman Alex Bars (71) in the second quarter against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports Alex Bars goes down with a knee injury. Former Notre Dame offensive lineman Alex Bars is one of the guys battling for those reserve roles, who could ultimately provide stability at guard if injury occurred. Bars, who is coming off a torn ACL, was helped off the field by trainers before being carted off the field. After further evaluation, Nagy said that Bars suffered a knee contusion and doesn't believe it to be serious. MORE: Five potential Jeremy Lin landing spots in free agency This Patrick Mahomes throw from Chiefs practice can't be real Dez Bryant: Saints will get first opportunity to sign me 10 biggest plays from the Lions mid-training camp scrimmage 8 players sitting out Packers Family Night Scrimmage


Welcome to the PHT Morning Skate, a collection of links from around the hockey world. Have a link you want to submit? Email us at phtblog@nbcsports.com . • Aleksander Barkov says the Panthers have no more excuses when it comes to missing the playoffs. ( NHL ) • The Bruins should do their best to make sure they ink Charlie McAvoy to a long-term extension this summer. ( WEEI ) • The Hurricanes might be losing Don Waddell to the Minnesota Wild. ( News & Observer ) • Louise St-Jacques is proud of her job as the engraver of the Stanley Cup. "I am very fortunate and proud to engrave the Cup," St. Jacques said. "I have been stamping the Stanley Cup for the past 37 years, and it still makes me flutter inside every time I see it." ( St. Louis Post-Dispatch ) • What can the Washington Capitals learn about managing roster turnover? ( Japers Rink ) • The Wild probably won't be in the playoff picture in the Central Division so where do they go from here? ( Hockey Wilderness ) • Ryan Dadoun breaks down this year's crop of buyouts in the NHL. ( Rotoworld ) • Don't expect the salary to go anywhere anytime soon. ( Spector's Hockey ) • Who will the Penguins protect in the next expansion draft? ( Pittsburgh Hockey Now ) • Here's a Q&A with NHL 20 creative director William Ho. ( USGamer.net ) • Nico Hischier began his military service recruitment process in Switzerland. ( NHL.com/Devils ) • Stars forward Jason Robertson will never forget where he came from. ( Dallas Morning News ) • The latest Color of Hockey blog post covers Malcolm Hayes' video posts. ( NHL ) • This caddy is using nothing but hockey names to list the yardage during his round. ( Golf Channel ) • Jonas Hiller's professional career will come to an end next spring. ( Swiss Hockey News ) MORE: • ProHockeyTalk's 2019 NHL free agency tracker • Your 2019-20 NHL on NBC TV schedule   Joey Alfieri is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports . Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @joeyalfieri .


ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Ethan Finlay scored on a penalty kick in stoppage time, Vito Mannone had five saves for his second consecutive shutout and Minnesota United beat the Portland Timbers 1-0 on Sunday. Mannone has shutouts in three of his last four games. Minnesota (11-7-5) is unbeaten, with five wins, in its last seven. Portland's Larrys Mabiala was called for a hand ball in the area and, after video review confirmed the call, Finlay converted from the spot in the second minute of stoppage time. The Timbers had 57% possession and controlled much of the action but couldn't convert. Sebastian Blanco missed wide on a chance in the third minute and his long-range shot in the 16th was tipped over the crossbar by Mannone - who made a double-save in the 29th minute. Brian Fernandez first-timed a shot off the post in the 78th and his header in the 82nd slipped just over the crossbar. The Timbers (9-9-4) had their six game unbeaten streak snapped.


It had seemed that the Raiders were treading lightly with receiver Antonio Brown 's absence in order to keep him from looking foolish for freezing his feet   a fate possibly even more embarrasing than stepping on a George Foreman grill while it's cooking your morning bacon. It now seems that the Raiders were tiptoeing around Brown because they simply don't know how to deal with him. And, based on the way he exited Pittsburgh, they should not be surprised. His feet ostensibly have kept him from practicing, but he had passed a physical, exited the non-football injury list, and practiced once. Which means that team doctors believed he was good to go. It could indeed be, as suggested by Adam Schefter of ESPN, that Brown's current absence is more about his helmet preference and less about his feet. So if he refuses to show up and practice due to his helmet, what can the Raiders do? Not much, as a practical matter. And their primary option for forcing him to come back could blow up in their faces. Brown, if he's not with the team and refuses to return, could be put on the active/left squad list. By rule, the team's leverage for getting him to return would be sending a so-called "five-day letter." If he doesn't return within five days, the team could then shift Brown to the reserve/left squad list, which would shut him down for the season and shut off any obligation to pay him. Because the Raiders gave Brown a signing bonus of only $1 million, he wouldn't have to write a gigantic check back to the team if his failure to show up in response to a five-day latter ends his season. However, he'd lose $14.625 million in fully-guaranteed salary for 2020. Likewise, $14.5 million in full guarantees for 2021 would likely void. It remains to be seen whether the Raiders will take such an aggressive approach with Brown. However, the detailed tweet stream from Mike Silver of NFL Network regarding the various concerns and complaints about Brown surely came from someone with the Raiders and not from Brown. Given that Raiders G.M. Mike Mayock worked at NFL Network   and in light of his reputation for being a no-nonsense, Belichickian, old-school #footballguy   it's quite possible that Mayock and/or coach Jon Gruden are close enough to the breaking point to have leaked to one of Mayock's former colleagues embarrasing details about Brown. The next question becomes whether Mayock and Gruden decide to go the rest of the way and send a five-day letter. Either way, Tuesday night's edition of Hard Knocks could be fascinating. Although Gruden was able to grind most of the Brown stuff onto the cutting room floor for Episode One, this week Gruden may decide to let the world know what they've been dealing with.


Erik Karlsson slighted the St Louis Blues over their physical play in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final on Saturday night. The Blues tried to get physical with Karlsson and wear him out throughout the game, but the strategy didn't pay off. Karlsson had an assist and two blocked shots in San Jose's 6-3 Game 1 win. He addressed that after the game, saying the Blues were playing games while the Sharks worried about winning. Erik Karlsson on the physicality: "I think that we played hockey tonight. They worried about a few other things, and we won the game." #SJSharks   Kevin Kurz (@KKurzNHL) May 12, 2019 St Louis' seeming efforts to bait him into a penalty didn't work. They may also be trying to pressure him into aggravating his groin injury, which caused him to miss about six weeks of action towards the end of the regular season. Karlsson has the second-most points of any defenseman in the playoffs this year behind teammate Brent Burns. He's experiencing the playoff run he was seeking when he was traded to San Jose from Ottawa in September. Related Slideshow: Best of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs (provided by imagn)


Abode's app-enabled security kit was already one of our favorite DIY home security systems , and it already supported voice controls via Google Assistant . Now, Abode tells CNET that it's expanding Google Assistant's capabilities to give users more control over their systems. Specifically, you'll now be able to ask Google Assistant to control a wider range of Abode-supported gadgets , including smart locks, garage door openers, cameras and door and window sensors. Previously, users could only ask Google to control their lights, switches and smart plugs. You can also ask Google Assistant to arm your system. Disarm commands are supported too, though you'll need to provide a four-digit PIN code. Abode supports voice controls via Alexa , as well -- a company spokesperson tells me that the new Google controls bring the two integrations more or less on par with one another. Abode's security Starter Kit earned high marks from us for its overall ease of use, strong smart home support and flexibility from its contract-free professional monitoring plans, which include the option for temporary, part-time monitoring while you're out on vacation. I also like Abode's data retention policies when it comes to user video clips. Expanded Google Assistant support makes Abode an even more appealing option for anyone who's already using a Google Home smart speaker or Google Assistant smart display . If your Abode setup includes a camera or the Abode Iota all-in-one device , which includes a built-in camera, you can ask Google Assistant to pull up the feed on your smart display's screen just by saying something like, "OK, Google, show me the backyard." In addition to viewing camera feeds, arming and disarming the system and turning lights on and off, you can also ask things like, "OK, Google, are any windows open?" and ,"OK, Google, is the door locked?" Google Assistant can control your smart lock, too -- but as with disarming the system, you'll need to provide a PIN if you want to unlock it. Same goes for opening your garage door. "We made a promise to provide customers with a Google Assistant integration that enabled users use their assistant-enabled devices across every Abode system application possible and this latest release delivers on that promise," Abode CEO Chris Carney says. "As new features and functionality become available to us, we will continue to update all of our integrations and partnerships." Abode says the new Google Assistant voice controls are live now. You can click here for a full list of supported devices.


Everton wrapped up their season with a 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday to conclude a campaign which fans may see as somewhat underwhelming. Having spent big in the summer transfer window, Toffees supporters would have been forgiven for dreaming that their team could break into the top six and begin to challenge for a Champions League spot this season. That didn't happen however, as the Merseyside club meandered to a mediocre mid-table finish. That said, a turnaround in results and performances in the final third of the season has given fans a reason to be optimistic ahead of next season. Recording six wins and three draws from their final 11 games - keeping eight clean sheets in the process - Marco Silva's side finally delivered on the pre-season promise and helped paper over some their cracks from earlier in the campaign. In a mixed season for the Merseysiders, let's take a look a the Toffees report card for the 2018/19 season. League Performance Finishing in eighth place does not seem so bad on the face of it, given the dominance of the Premier League 's big six. Look a little closer however, and it is evident why Everton were never troubling the upper echelons of the table. The Toffees managed back-to-back wins just once in their first 30 league games. Despite some positive early season results, their inability to string together any sort of form has left fans a little disappointed with what they have seen from Silva's side. If the Merseysiders are to progress next season, they will need to replicate the form and performances shown in their final stretch of matches this year. Cup Performance An early exit on penalties to Mark Hughes' Southampton saw Everton's hopes of a run in the League Cup dashed in the fourth round. However, it was the Toffees' FA Cup exploits which will be the cause of most dismay to the Goodison Park faithful. Defeat away to Championship strugglers Millwall compounded Silva's team to an embarrassing fourth round exit. The loss at The Den was courtesy of a refereeing controversy, but critics will rightly argue that, given the gulf between the two clubs, the match should not have been decided on such fine margins. Best Player  Signed from Barcelona in the summer of 2018, the left-back got off to a bit of a shaky start on Merseyside. However, the Frenchman soon found his feet and became a permanent fixture in Marco Silva's starting XI.  Since the beginning of September, Digne has played nearly every minute for Everton and performed so excellently that he has restricted club legend Leighton Baines to just six appearances. With four goals and four assists, the full-back has been as impressive going forward as he has been defensively. Honourable mentions for this category should also go to Richarlison , Gylfi Sigurdsson and Andre Gomes - all of whom have been consistently solid for the Toffees this season. Worst Player After a strong start to the campaign with two goals in his opening three games, Theo Walcott's form turned stale very quickly. Despite starting the majority of Everton's games this season, the former Arsenal man was not able to repay his manager's faith in him with any sort of meaningful goal contribution. Five goals in 37 appearances as one of the Toffees' main attacking players is well below par for what his club will need if they are to achieve their targets. Keeping his place ahead of promising young players such as Ademola Lookman , Walcott can count himself lucky to have featured so regularly this season. Perhaps just a coincidence, but Everton's excellent run of form in their final stretch of games came when the English winger was restricted to short substitute appearances. The Manager Marco Silva has survived several calls for his head this season, as Everton struggled to establish any sort of form up until March. However, the Toffees' end of season purple patch - and most notably, strong defensive record - has seen Silva survive relatively unscathed. Ahead of his side's mid-March fixture at home to Chelsea , there was a lot of talk about Everton's dreadful recent record against top six sides. Silva responded that day with a 2-0 win over the Blues, which he later followed up with victories over Arsenal and Manchester United before a draw away to Tottenham Hotspur on the final day. If Silva is able to shore up his defence for the course of an entire season and continue his team's recent form against the bigger sides, the Merseyside club may soon have a team to get very excited about. Overall Grade The 2018/19 season can be considered to have been a transitional one for Everton, as they bedded in some new players and made tweaks to their setup before seemingly finding a winning formula late in the season. Whether it is in fact a winning formula, or just taking advantage of other teams being 'on the beach' will not be known for sure until next season. For the Toffees to progress, their first task for the summer must be to find a top quality striker. With neither Dominic Calvert-Lewin nor Cenk Tosun cutting the mustard at the point of the attack this season, Marco Silva may need to revisit the transfer market in order to resolve this issue. Despite the late run of form, the inconsistency shown for two thirds of this campaign means this season has not delivered on the promise shown in pre-season. Overall Grade: C+


Don't let a piece of paper stand between you and the vacation of your dreams. Don't Put Off Your Trip Look, the team at TravelPulse thinks you should have a (well-used) passport , but if you don't for whatever reason you shouldn't give up the trip of your dreams. Most people do not realize that there are plenty of cruises they can take without this piece of government-issued ID. It's always better to have a passport for emergencies, and you should check with your cruise line, travel insurance provider and travel agent before you go, but there are a host of U.S. locations which have fantastic cruise ports as well as places outside the U.S. you can enter on a closed-loop cruise which departs and returns to the same port. Just, get your passport when you get back! River Cruising River cruising has been one of the biggest trends in travel for years now, and while the European river cruises are certainly not to be missed, you can travel up and down some of America's iconic rivers thanks to companies like American Queen Steamboat Co. Itineraries on the Mississippi, Columbia, Hudson and in the Great Lakes are jam-packed with exciting stops and awesome entertainment. Alaska Cruising in Alaska is hot hot hot right now, and while many may think of warmer climes when it comes to hopping aboard a ship, I would challenge any destination to go port-for-port with Alaska when it comes to the variety of excursions and the absolute gold mine of activities. Hawaii Like Alaska, Hawaii is a U.S. State where residents can enter an entirely different world while staying inside their very own country. Visit some of the best beaches, play some of the best golf, see some of the most beautiful sites and eat some of the best food all while staying in the good old U.S. of A. Puerto Rico Because Puerto Rico is a U.S. Territory, U.S. residents can enter and exit without restriction. Whether it's touring San Juan, exploring a rainforest or enjoying some of the finest beaches the Caribbean has to offer, cruising is a great way to experience Puerto Rico . U.S. Virgin Islands It's right in the name of the overall territory that this is part of the United States, but many residents don't realize that St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas are places they may be dreaming about and can go without any extra stress! These are beautiful, otherworldly cruise stops that you can plan a trip to today! Guam Guam is the furthest West anyone can go and remain in the United States, and cruises to Guam usually include Asian destinations that would be off-limits without a passport. Still, if the right small-ship itinerary pops up , Guam is part of your country and you can explore this paradise anytime you want! Bahamas Now we're at the area of the slideshow where you need to be extra careful. Moving forward, these are not U.S. destinations, but rather places you can enter on a closed-loop cruise where you are leaving and returning to the same U.S. Port . Just check with your travel agent and the cruise line to make sure you have the right paperwork, and you can swim with these pigs (and do so much more) in the Bahamas! Bermuda Because almost are cruises are, by nature, all-inclusive, you can not only visit destinations like Bermuda on a closed-loop itinerary, but you're also going to save a ton of money in the process. Enjoy excursions that will get you intimate with some amazing pieces of nature or bring you to the most magnificent pink sand beaches in the entire world. Jamaica Jamaica is a bucket list destination for many , but you can visit there on a closed-loop itinerary and have a vacation of all shapes and size. From large ships to small ships and from family-friendly, eco-tourism to absolute blowout parties, Jamaica has it all. Exploring the entire island should be your goal and you will have the time of your life. Mexico Yes, you read that right...you can go to Mexico without a passport . Again, make sure you have all the specific details for your ports and excursions before you go and make sure you don't miss getting back on the ship but you can explore everything from Mayan ruins to Mexican Riviera beaches and take amazing tours. Canada and New England This area of the world isn't the first place most think of when it comes to cruising, but there are a number of cruise ports in the upper Northeast that provide fantastic itineraries. Pick a port like New York or Boston and end up exploring areas like Maine, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Prince Edward Island and more! Costa Rica Like a lot of places on this list, Costa Rica is the sort of place people dream about and too many feel is entirely out of reach. Booking a closed-loop itinerary to Costa Rica is not only going to get you there even before you get your passport, but you'll be able to enjoy some of the best eco-friendly tourism of your life in the process. The only drawback, you're going to want to finally get that passport when you get back so you can return and spend even more time there! Belize Speaking of amazing eco-travel... In Belize, you can zip-line through rainforests, visit baboons and howler monkeys, explore waterfalls and caves, visit Mayan ruins and more. Give yourself some extra exploring time, however, because you're going to work up an appetite and Belizean food is your favorite cuisine that you haven't tried yet!


It may be the supreme irony of anyone going through a divorce : As much as the unpleasant or heartbreaking state of affairs leaves one absent of a life partner, the first piece of advice many experts offer   at least on the financial side   is to seek companionship. Now. "Don't go it alone," says Mike Lynch, vice president of strategic markets at Hartford Funds, based in Charlotte, North Carolina. "Build a team today   a qualified team of legal, tax and investment professionals. Maybe it's your current investment professional, or you may seek a new one that understands your situation better." Granted, they probably won't understand your broken-heart situation. (That's what friends and counselors are for.) But getting the best advice, especially for keeping things amicable and equitable, involves careful consideration. In a world where chances of a marriage ending in divorce are 50-50 , you'll want to make sure you and your ex-love work out a 50-50 split, if possible. Always make it as civil as possible. As senior vice president and wealth advisor at David A. Noyes & Co., Linda M. Conti knows the importance of keeping things calm for clients making major financial changes due to divorce. "My parents went through a bitter divorce," she says. "They separated when I was 3 and the divorce was final when I was 6. I grew up living through 'what not to do to your kids during a divorce.' I wish someone could have counseled my parents better through all aspects of the divorce." Be careful about keeping a home for adult kids. While it's a natural reflex for one spouse to want to keep a beach house , for example, so the kids can take advantage of it, the scenario begs for trouble. "It's much more effective to sell the house and distribute the proceeds to the children," says Ric Edelman, chairman and CEO of Edelman Financial Services, a national firm. Especially if one sibling uses the getaway more than the others: "You get into the issue of fights amongst the kids   issues of maintenance, repairs and upkeep." Or if one sib wants to keep the house and the other wants to sell, there's a potential fight in the making, or even a lawsuit. Name your personal assets. Imagine borrowing money to follow through with your divorce when as a spouse you enjoyed a wealthy lifestyle. "I have seen in several cases recently where the marital estate is extremely large, and the earnings of the moneyed spouse are also very healthy," says Lois Liberman, partner and matrimonial attorney at Blank Rome in New York. Yet these weren't no-brainer splits. "The non-moneyed spouses   and in this case both were women   were relegated to monthly allowances and had absolutely no money in their own name." The crucial lesson? "Make sure that you have assets in your own name." See if a certified divorce financial analyst can help. Yes, there are such people, affiliated with the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts. They can act as an advisor to the divorce lawyer of one party or as a mediator for both parties. "Decisions made during divorce are long-lasting and it's important to stay focused and recognize the significance of the proceedings," says Allison Alexander, a CDFA, CPA and financial analyst at Savant Capital Management, based in Rockford, Illinois. "As painful as it is, there is no advantage to rushing the process and making errors in judgment." Know that it's no longer 'on paper.' A generation ago, most financial records, if not all, were kept on paper documents. But with digital tax filing, investment and the like, you can't just pull them out of a filing cabinet. "Ignorance is fatal," says Carlos Lastra, a principal with Paley Rothman in Bethesda, Maryland, and a member of the firm's family law and litigation practice. Financial information now exists "in digital form on computers, smartphones, and other digital devices   even smart watches. Further, these devices are protected by a myriad of federal and state laws, including the Stored Communication Act, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act and other anti-hacking laws, which could get an otherwise innocent house spouse in trouble." To make it less taxing, study the taxes. Yes, the thought of looking at any tax document is a pain, but it pays to have a close look. "Familiarize yourself with your joint tax return, because this is where many key elements about investments, partnerships and other sources of income are listed," says Vickie Adams, a financial planner in Los Angeles who specializes in divorce and taxation. "In fact, the coming months are the best because a lot of this information will arrive in the mail." Get out of the dark. If you preferred to not deal with money and investments, now's the time to change horses. "Hiding investments is not all that common," says Tracy Stewart, a financial planner based in College Station, Texas. She's also a member of the personal financial planning executive committee at the American Institute of CPAs. "There are ways to find clues about hidden investments, beginning with a simple review of the tax return. Earnings on the investment may show up on the return. If the earnings are not on the return and should be, the dishonest spouse is flirting with getting a letter from the IRS." Examine your cash flow needs. "Be as specific as you can and make the necessary adjustments to your budget as soon as possible," says John Garvey, senior vice president of wealth management at UBS in Philadelphia. "Next, plan for your future as a single person. If fewer assets are available to you, you may need to reprioritize your spending. As an example, college savings plans may need to be revisited to account for decreased income flows." Prepare, even if you're happily married. Maybe the thought of leaving your sweetie (or them leaving you) gives you the willies. But as it turns out, the same protections you'd take in those instances overlap with sound financial planning in general. "Pre-nuptial agreements are important," says Gary Plessl, a managing partner of the Houser and Plessl Wealth Management Group and co-author of "The Book on Retirement." "Lay out the rules of engagement up front. If one in two marriages end in divorce, why would you not want to be fair to each other? … It's not about being emotional. It's a practical thing to do."


U.S. population growth slowed to just 0.6% in 2018 -- the lowest growth rate in 80 years. The fastest-shrinking place in each state U.S. population growth slowed to jus t 0.6% in 201 8 -- the lowest growth rate in 80 years. The last time the annual population growth was this low, the nation was in the thro es of the Great De pression, when job opportunities were limited and there was little optimism about the future. While the national population growth just hit a historic low, there are towns and cities across the country where even a small 0.6% population bump would be a welcome change. In these places, population decline has been a defining demographic trend for years. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed population changes between 2010 and 2017 in nearly 15,000 cities, towns, villages, and Census designated places to identify the fastest shrinking place in every state. We only considered areas with populations of at least 1,000. To ensure accuracy, we did not consider places where the margin of error for population was greater than 10%. All data are five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey . National population growth is slowing primarily because the country's population is aging. This also appears to be a factor in many of the cities and towns on this list. In the fastest shrinking town in 38 states, the median age exceeds the national median of 37.8 years. Similarly, in the vast majority of places on this list, the share of residents 65 and older is greater than the comparable share statewide. While these places tend to have large shares of retirement-age residents, they are not necessarily the places with the oldest populations in their state. These are the oldest counties in every state . Just like during the Great Depression, when population growth slowed nationwide, in many of these areas, economic conditions are lagging. In the majority of cities and towns on this list, the median household income is lower than it is across their respective state as a whole. This is in stark contrast to the fastest growing place in every state -- which tend to be relatively affluent areas. Click or swipe through to see the full list. 1. Alabama: Tuskegee > 2010-2017 population change: -13.1% (state: +2.9%) > Median household income: $27,314 (state: $46,472) > Annual unemployment: 10.1% (state: 4.3%) > Total population: 8,852 2. Alaska: Valdez > 2010-2017 population change: -0.4% (state: +6.9%) > Median household income: $94,003 (state: $76,114) > Annual unemployment: 6.5% (state: 5.2%) > Total population: 3,921 ALSO READ: 40 Places Young People Are Moving 3. Arizona: New Kingman-Butler > 2010-2017 population change: -9.9% (state: +9.0%) > Median household income: $31,923 (state: $53,510) > Annual unemployment: 9.3% (state: 4.2%) > Total population: 13,060 4. Arkansas: Brinkley > 2010-2017 population change: -14.1% (state: +3.7%) > Median household income: $31,694 (state: $43,813) > Annual unemployment: 5.5% (state: 3.6%) > Total population: 2,854 ALSO READ: Most Dangerous Countries for Women 5. California: Willowbrook > 2010-2017 population change: -35.6% (state: +6.4%) > Median household income: $40,279 (state: $67,169) > Annual unemployment: 7.3% (state: 4.8%) > Total population: 22,654 6. Colorado: Air Force Academy > 2010-2017 population change: -26.1% (state: +11.2%) > Median household income: $70,179 (state: $65,458) > Annual unemployment: 0.3% (state: 3.5%) > Total population: 6,098 ALSO READ: Worst States for Women 7. Connecticut: Pawcatuck > 2010-2017 population change: -13.8% (state: +1.4%) > Median household income: $57,780 (state: $73,781) > Annual unemployment: 5.2% (state: 4.8%) > Total population: 4,999 8. Delaware: North Star > 2010-2017 population change: -6.8% (state: +7.1%) > Median household income: $141,618 (state: $63,036) > Annual unemployment: 1.3% (state: 4.0%) > Total population: 7,390 ALSO READ: Teams With the Most Hall of Famers 9. Florida: Zephyrhills West > 2010-2017 population change: -19.2% (state: +9.5%) > Median household income: $33,558 (state: $50,883) > Annual unemployment: 3.1% (state: 4.2%) > Total population: 4,734 10. Georgia: Reidsville > 2010-2017 population change: -38.2% (state: +7.7%) > Median household income: $24,500 (state: $52,977) > Annual unemployment: 1.6% (state: 4.7%) > Total population: 2,652 ALSO READ: 25 Companies With Over 40 Consecutive Years of Dividend Hikes 11. Hawaii: Ahuimanu > 2010-2017 population change: -17.2% (state: +6.6%) > Median household income: $103,825 (state: $74,923) > Annual unemployment: 2.8% (state: 3.0%) > Total population: 8,085 12. Idaho: Kamiah > 2010-2017 population change: -12.3% (state: +8.6%) > Median household income: $36,905 (state: $50,985) > Annual unemployment: 5.3% (state: 3.3%) > Total population: 1,267 ALSO READ: Least Fashionable Cities in America 13. Illinois: Mount Carroll > 2010-2017 population change: -19.1% (state: +0.9%) > Median household income: $42,404 (state: $61,229) > Annual unemployment: 3% (state: 4.8%) > Total population: 1,475 14. Indiana: Shorewood Forest > 2010-2017 population change: -16.7% (state: +3.1%) > Median household income: $102,950 (state: $52,182) > Annual unemployment: 1% (state: 3.9%) > Total population: 2,512 ALSO READ: Largest Industry in Each State 15. Iowa: Reinbeck > 2010-2017 population change: -17.1% (state: +3.4%) > Median household income: $59,453 (state: $56,570) > Annual unemployment: 4% (state: 2.8%) > Total population: 1,628 16. Kansas: Belleville > 2010-2017 population change: -15.9% (state: +0.9%) > Median household income: $42,406 (state: $61,229) > Annual unemployment: 4.5% (state: 4.8%) > Total population: 42,283 ALSO READ: Towns in Every State Where You May Not Get to the Hospital in Time 17. Kentucky: Fort Knox > 2010-2017 population change: -23.8% (state: +3.2%) > Median household income: $55,196 (state: $46,535) > Annual unemployment: 1.6% (state: 4.0%) > Total population: 9,092 18. Louisiana: Jefferson > 2010-2017 population change: -13.1% (state: +5.3%) > Median household income: $46,199 (state: $46,710) > Annual unemployment: 3.8% (state: 4.3%) > Total population: 10,469 ALSO READ: The Most Commonly Spoken Foreign Language in Each State 19. Maine: Madawaska > 2010-2017 population change: -18.4% (state: +0.2%) > Median household income: $37,753 (state: $53,024) > Annual unemployment: 0% (state: 3.3%) > Total population: 2,816 20. Maryland: Friendship Heights Village > 2010-2017 population change: -12.4% (state: +5.3%) > Median household income: $92,593 (state: $78,916) > Annual unemployment: 2.6% (state: 4.1%) > Total population: 5,051 ALSO READ: Names That Are Disappearing the Fastest 21. Massachusetts: North Scituate > 2010-2017 population change: -11.0% (state: +4.8%) > Median household income: $104,159 (state: $74,167) > Annual unemployment: 4% (state: 4.0%) > Total population: 4,890 22. Michigan: Beecher > 2010-2017 population change: -19.9% (state: -0.3%) > Median household income: $23,856 (state: $52,668) > Annual unemployment: 11.3% (state: 4.5%) > Total population: 9,490 ALSO READ: Most Common Last Names in the US 23. Minnesota: Appleton > 2010-2017 population change: -33.5% (state: +4.7%) > Median household income: $35,300 (state: $65,699) > Annual unemployment: 5.6% (state: 3.0%) > Total population: 1,449 24. Mississippi: Winona > 2010-2017 population change: -12.3% (state: +4.7%) > Median household income: $43,551 (state: $65,699) > Annual unemployment: 4.8% (state: 3.0%) > Total population: 27,153 ALSO READ: Terrifying Movies Based on True Events 25. Missouri: Spanish Lake > 2010-2017 population change: -15.1% (state: +2.6%) > Median household income: $37,929 (state: $51,542) > Annual unemployment: 10.6% (state: 3.6%) > Total population: 18,511 26. Montana: Malmstrom AFB > 2010-2017 population change: -18.5% (state: +5.8%) > Median household income: $48,787 (state: $50,801) > Annual unemployment: 1.8% (state: 3.0%) > Total population: 3,929 ALSO READ: 25 Most Expensive Cities to Move To 27. Nebraska: Fairbury > 2010-2017 population change: -6.3% (state: +0.9%) > Median household income: $42,808 (state: $61,229) > Annual unemployment: 3.2% (state: 4.8%) > Total population: 3,558 28. Nevada: Hawthorne > 2010-2017 population change: -26.1% (state: +9.7%) > Median household income: $42,250 (state: $55,434) > Annual unemployment: 11.4% (state: 5.1%) > Total population: 2,689 ALSO READ: Before and After Pictures of the Worst Hurricanes in American History 29. New Hampshire: Exeter > 2010-2017 population change: -3.4% (state: +1.4%) > Median household income: $66,412 (state: $71,305) > Annual unemployment: 3.2% (state: 3.0%) > Total population: 9,130 30. New Jersey: Leisure Village East > 2010-2017 population change: -24.4% (state: +2.7%) > Median household income: $43,915 (state: $76,475) > Annual unemployment: 3.6% (state: 4.6%) > Total population: 3,526 ALSO READ: Most Fashionable Cities in America 31. New Mexico: Nambe > 2010-2017 population change: -11.4% (state: +3.6%) > Median household income: $45,750 (state: $46,718) > Annual unemployment: 4.1% (state: 4.5%) > Total population: 1,876 32. New York: West Point > 2010-2017 population change: -30.8% (state: +3.0%) > Median household income: $100,039 (state: $62,765) > Annual unemployment: 0.5% (state: 4.3%) > Total population: 6,536 ALSO READ: Cities Where People Go Out to Eat All the Time 33. North Carolina: Plymouth > 2010-2017 population change: -8.0% (state: +8.4%) > Median household income: $18,314 (state: $50,320) > Annual unemployment: 4.5% (state: 4.4%) > Total population: 3,599 34. North Dakota: Carrington > 2010-2017 population change: -9.5% (state: +13.0%) > Median household income: $54,722 (state: $61,285) > Annual unemployment: 0.1% (state: 1.9%) > Total population: 1,923 ALSO READ: 25 Most Dangerous Drugs 35. Ohio: Wheelersburg > 2010-2017 population change: -12.9% (state: +0.8%) > Median household income: $52,500 (state: $52,407) > Annual unemployment: 2% (state: 4.1%) > Total population: 6,183 36. Oklahoma: Watonga > 2010-2017 population change: -42.9% (state: +6.0%) > Median household income: $51,891 (state: $49,767) > Annual unemployment: 1.2% (state: 3.5%) > Total population: 2,932 ALSO READ: Counties With the Worst Drug Problem in Every State 37. Oregon: Altamont > 2010-2017 population change: -6.9% (state: +7.0%) > Median household income: $41,048 (state: $56,119) > Annual unemployment: 5% (state: 4.2%) > Total population: 18,975 38. Pennsylvania: West Wyomissing > 2010-2017 population change: -18.9% (state: +1.4%) > Median household income: $62,612 (state: $56,951) > Annual unemployment: 2.9% (state: 4.1%) > Total population: 3,195 ALSO READ: 100 Saddest Movies of All Time 39. Rhode Island: Greenville > 2010-2017 population change: -4.3% (state: +0.0%) > Median household income: $77,219 (state: $61,043) > Annual unemployment: 3.6% (state: 4.4%) > Total population: 8,388 40. South Carolina: Allendale > 2010-2017 population change: -14.0% (state: +8.5%) > Median household income: $19,420 (state: $48,781) > Annual unemployment: 14.8% (state: 4.3%) > Total population: 3,120 ALSO READ: 40 Most Popular Female Wrestlers 41. South Dakota: Fort Thompson > 2010-2017 population change: -11.0% (state: +7.0%) > Median household income: $25,125 (state: $54,126) > Annual unemployment: 9.4% (state: 2.6%) > Total population: 1,271 42. Tennessee: Belle Meade > 2010-2017 population change: -10.6% (state: +5.8%) > Median household income: $195,000 (state: $48,708) > Annual unemployment: 0.2% (state: 4.0%) > Total population: 2,584 ALSO READ: Movies Critics Love but Audiences Hate 43. Texas: San Elizario > 2010-2017 population change: -35.5% (state: +12.8%) > Median household income: $26,807 (state: $57,051) > Annual unemployment: 6.3% (state: 3.7%) > Total population: 9,213 44. Utah: Richmond > 2010-2017 population change: -2.3% (state: +6.4%) > Median household income: $61,045 (state: $67,169) > Annual unemployment: 5.7% (state: 4.8%) > Total population: 108,853 ALSO READ: Movies Audiences Love but Critics Hate 45. Vermont: St. Johnsbury > 2010-2017 population change: -13.9% (state: +0.1%) > Median household income: $36,958 (state: $57,808) > Annual unemployment: 2.6% (state: 2.9%) > Total population: 5,789 46. Virginia: Gloucester Point > 2010-2017 population change: -10.7% (state: +6.7%) > Median household income: $55,600 (state: $68,766) > Annual unemployment: 1.9% (state: 3.5%) > Total population: 9,291 ALSO READ: 20 Worst Paying Jobs for Women 47. Washington: Davenport > 2010-2017 population change: -22.4% (state: +9.5%) > Median household income: $42,015 (state: $50,883) > Annual unemployment: 2.4% (state: 4.2%) > Total population: 3,665 48. West Virginia: Bethlehem > 2010-2017 population change: -13.1% (state: -0.2%) > Median household income: $70,288 (state: $44,061) > Annual unemployment: 3.5% (state: 3.8%) > Total population: 2,459 ALSO READ: The Cost of a Wedding in Every State 49. Wisconsin: Park Falls > 2010-2017 population change: -15.2% (state: +2.2%) > Median household income: $36,250 (state: $56,759) > Annual unemployment: 1.7% (state: 3.1%) > Total population: 2,294 50. Wyoming: Thermopolis > 2010-2017 population change: -5.8% (state: +6.9%) > Median household income: $50,417 (state: $60,938) > Annual unemployment: 2.3% (state: 3.1%) > Total population: 2,935 ALSO READ: Lowest Paying Jobs for College Grads


A man was convicted of capital murder Thursday for the 2016 killing of a teenager in east Fort Worth. Naficy Vondrake Baker, 26, was sentenced in criminal district court to life in prison without parole in the robbery and shooting death of Chaz Gilley, 18, according to the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office. Gilley was shot Oct. 7, 2016, as he rode his bike home in the 2300 block East Berry Street, police said. Gilley had no connection to Baker and another man accused in the killing, police have said. Before he was shot, Gilley stopped at a Wal-Mart on Berry Street to open an account at First Convenience Bank, so he could cash his first paycheck, his parents have said. Gilley died in a hospital operating room the day after he was shot. Lajerrian Montae Morgan, 27, has also been charged with capital murder in Gilley's death. A status conference in that case is scheduled for Tuesday. A third man, James Murphy, was arrested and indicted on a murder charge in the case, but the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office sought the charge's dismissal when it became clear Murphy was not involved. Baker was convicted in 2014 in Tarrant County on four charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and sentenced to two years in prison.     ©2019 the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Visit the Fort Worth Star-Telegram at www.star-telegram.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


Looking to add a new companion to the family? There are dozens of cuddle-hungry puppies up for adoption at animal shelters in and around San Antonio, so you won't have to look far to find the perfect fit. Hoodline used data from Petfinder to power this roundup of puppies available for adoption near you. Read on to meet some friendly, furry locals. (Details like pet availability, training, vaccinations and other features are based on data provided by Petfinder and may be subject to change; contact the shelter for the latest information.) Sable, Labrador retriever mix Sable is an adorable female Labrador retriever puppy currently residing at Roxy's K-9 Rescue . Sable is a social animal, and she gets along well with other dogs, cats and children. She's already house-trained. Sable has been vaccinated. From Sable's current caretaker: I'm Sable and I am a giggling wiggle worm. I am happy everyday and I bet I can make you laugh. I am almost four months old and on the little side (I only weigh 12 pounds so far). My mom only weighs 45, but I'll probably be smaller than that as an adult since my entire litter were all small. I love to eat but I stay slim and trim! I live in a foster home with a big female Rottweiler and a big Labrador Retriever, I play with them every day and they are so sweet, they let me get away with crawling all over them, eating their food and taking their toys. I would be a great companion pup if you have another dog. Read more about how to adopt Sable on Petfinder . Ziggy, German shepherd mix Ziggy is a male German shepherd puppy in the care of Izzy's Rescue . Ziggy gets along well with other dogs. He is vaccinated. No need to worry: He's already house-trained. Ziggy's current caretakers say: This sweet boy had never been touched by a human and never felt kindness. Now he is learning that humans are kind and loving. He would love to find a home of his own that understands his need for love and understanding. Read more about how to adopt Ziggy on Petfinder . Mocha, Labrador retriever and chocolate Labrador retriever mix Mocha is a female Labrador retriever and chocolate Labrador retriever puppy currently housed at San Antonio Pets Alive! Mocha is vaccinated. From Mocha's current caretaker: Mocha is a 14-week old chocolate Lab. She is very adventurous, as she loves to explore everywhere. She will also be your shadow as she will follow you around and sit patiently while you complete a task. She has puppy breath to the max with that soft, sweet puppy fur. Personality-wise, she is a very well balanced pup who likes to play and snuggle equally. She is energetic as any puppy is, but is also happy to just sit on the couch with you as she is quite affectionate. She will roll over to ask for belly rubs. She is kid tested and approved! Mocha has a very gentle demeanor with people and just wants affection. Read more about Mocha on Petfinder . Camila, Jack Russell terrier and bull terrier mix Camila is an adorable female Jack Russell terrier and bull terrier puppy staying at 4DogSakes . Camila is eager to make friends   she's happy to keep company with other dogs. Her vaccinations are already up to date. Camila's current caretakers say: Can you say cute? Actually, Camila is double-cute because you can't believe how much adorable can fit in one bitty pupper! She was one of several puppies who were found as strays and brought to the city shelter, but, while her siblings found homes, she was a bit shy and didn't attract attention quickly. Lucky for us and you because now she's in rescue and waiting to find the very best home! Read more about how to adopt Camila on Petfinder . Bella, Labrador retriever and German shepherd mix Bella is a charming female Labrador retriever and German shepherd puppy being kept at VUN-VEQ Rescue . Bella is a social butterfly   she gets along well with kids, dogs or cats. Bella has all her shots. Bella's current caretakers say: Bella is spayed, micro chipped and current with her vaccinations. She is on heart worm and Flea and Tick preventative. Bella is an active puppy. Read more about how to adopt Bella on Petfinder . This story was created automatically using local animal shelter data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.