PARIS   The billionaire French donors who publicly promised flashy donations totaling hundreds of millions to rebuild Notre Dame have not yet paid a penny toward the restoration of the French national monument, according to church and business officials. Instead, it's been mainly American citizens, via the charitable foundation Friends of Notre Dame, that have footed the bills and paid salaries for the up to 150 workers employed by the cathedral since the April 15 fire that devastated the cathedral's roof and caused its masterpiece spire to collapse. This month it is handing over the first ever payment for the cathedral's reconstruction of 3.6 million euros ($4 million). "The big donors haven't paid. Not a cent," said Andre Finot, senior press official at Notre Dame. "They want to know what exactly their money is being spent on and if they agree to it before they hand it over, and not just to pay employees' salaries." Almost $1 billion was promised by some of France's richest and most powerful families and companies, some of whom sought to outbid each other, in the hours and days after the inferno. It prompted criticism that the donations were as much about the vanity of the donors wishing to be immortalized in the edifice's fabled stones than the preservation of church heritage. Francois Pinault of Artemis, the parent company of Kering that owns Gucci and Saint Laurent, promised 100 million euros, while Patrick Pouyanne, CEO of French energy company Total, said his firm would match that figure. Bernard Arnault, CEO of luxury giant LVMH that owns Louis Vuitton and Dior, pledged 200 million euros, as did the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation of the L'Oreal fortune. No money has been seen, according to Finot, as the donors wait to see how the reconstruction plans progress and fight it out over contracts. The reality on the ground is that work has been continuing around the clock for weeks and, with no legal financial mechanism in place to pay the workers, the cathedral has been reliant on the charity foundation to fund the first phase of reconstruction. The Friends of Notre Dame de Paris was founded in 2017, and its president, Michel Picaud, estimates that 90% of the donations it has received have come from American donors. Indeed, Picaud has just returned from a fund-raising trip in New York. "Americans are very generous toward Notre Dame and the monument is very loved in America. Six out of our 11 board members are residents in the U.S.," Picaud said. The first check toward the rebuilding, accounting for the "first stage of restorations" according to Picaud, is currently being transferred by the foundation for a sum of 3.6 million euros ($4.1 million). While the billionaire donors delay signing their checks, the workers at the cathedral can afford no such luxury as the risk of lead poisoning has become an issue for the Parisian island on which Notre Dame is located. The estimated 300 tons of lead that made up the roof melted or was released into the atmosphere during the blaze, and sent toxic dust around the island with high levels present in the soils and in administrative buildings, according to Paris' regional health agency. It has recommended that all pregnant women and children under 7 take a blood test for lead levels. Two dedicated workers have been cleaning the toxic lead dust from the forecourt for weeks, and up to 148 more have been cleaning inside and outside the edifice as well as restoring it, according to Finot. Workers are currently creating a wooden walkway to give them access to remove the 250 tons of burnt-out scaffolding that had been installed for the ill-fated restoration of the spire. They will then replace the existing plastic protection with a bigger, more robust "umbrella" roof. After that, they will begin the reconstruction of the roof and vaulting. The middle vault will be the first stage of the reconstruction. Finot said this process will take a number of months and will all be paid for by the Friends of Notre Dame and other foundations. This comes as the French parliament is slowly passing back and forth amendments to a new law that would create a "public body" to expedite the restoration of the cathedral and circumvent some of the country's famously complex labor laws. French President Emmanuel Macron has said the work should be completed within a five year deadline. Macron has appointed former army chief Gen. Jean-Louis Georgelin to oversee the reconstruction and crack the whip. But critics have said the timeline is overly ambitious. A spokesman for the Pinault Collection acknowledged that the Pinault family hadn't yet handed over any money despite the progress of works, blaming that on a delay in contracts. "In short, we are willing to pay, provided it is requested in a contractual framework," said Jean-Jacques Aillagon, adding that the Pinault family plans to pay via the Friends of Notre Dame. The LVMH Group and the Arnault family said in a statement that it would also be working with the Friends of Notre Dame, that it was signing an agreement and that "the payments will be made as the work progresses." Total has pledged to pay its 100 million euros via the Heritage Foundation, whose Director General Celia Verot, confirmed the multinational company has not paid a penny yet and is waiting to see what the plans are and if they are in line with each company's particular vision before they agree to transfer the money. "How the funds will be used by the state is the big question," Verot said. "It's not as brutal as it sounds, but it's a voluntary donation so the companies are waiting for the government's vision to see what precisely they want to fund. It's our function as the intermediary to know that the money is directed in line with the donor's wishes," she added. While the clean-up and consolidation work currently underway is hugely important, it does not fit that description, said another foundation official, speaking on condition of anonymity. It suggests the wealthy donors want their money to go toward long-lasting, immortalizing structures and not on ephemeral, but equally vital, cleaning and securing of the site that also still poses a real health risk for Parisians. The Bettencourt Schueller Foundation said it, too, hasn't handed over the money because it wants to ensure it's spent on causes that fit the foundation's specific ethos   which supports craftsmanship in art. Olivier de Challus, one of the cathedral's chief guides and architecture experts, said that one of the reasons the rich French donors haven't yet paid up is that there are still so many uncertainties about the direction of the construction work. De Challus said that architectural experts are using digital models to try to establish how much damage the fire did to the 13th-century stone, and whether the structures are fundamentally sound. "It doesn't matter that the big donors haven't yet paid because the choices about the spire and the major architectural decisions will happen probably late in 2020," he said. "That's when the large sums of money will be required." ___ Thomas Adamson can be followed at http://www.twitter.com/ThomasAdamson_K


Fashion-savvy fans of wearable tech will need to keep their eyes peeled over the next few months. On Michael Kors (KORS) ' fiscal third-quarter earnings call Thursday, CEO John Idol told analysts and investors that the affordable luxury brand "will be in wearables," and expects to deliver announcements on that front in coming months. "That is coming from Michael Kors," Idol said, adding that the brand is not interested in being first to the market. Instead, he wants to take the time to develop a product that's viable for shoppers' everyday lives. "We think luxury is not just about products, it's about a lifestyle," Idol said. The company declined to offer further details on what types of wearable tech it will offer. In September, Fossil (FOSL)  which holds the license for Michael Kors watches linked up with Intel (INTC) to collaborate on wearable technology for the fashion industry. Idol said on the call that Kors is working with Fossil on that tie-up. Designers such as Rebecca Minkoff and Tory Burch have already entered the wearable tech space. For its part, Kors continues to focus on watches and jewelry as a pillar of growth moving forward. Idol said the company sees opportunity for 500 watch and jewelry shop-in-shops worldwide, more than double its current footprint of 230. Kors on Thursday announced earnings per share of $1.48, easily beating consensus estimates. Its $1.3 billion in sales also topped estimates, though its domestic same-store sales growth slowed to 6.8 percent on a constant currency basis.


Under a six-lane span of freeway leading into downtown Baltimore sit what may be the most valuable parking spaces in America. Lying near a development project controlled by Under Armour's billionaire CEO Kevin Plank, one of Maryland's richest men, and Goldman Sachs, the little sliver of land will allow Plank and the other investors to claim what could amount to millions in tax breaks for the project, known as Port Covington. They have President Donald Trump's 2017 tax overhaul law to thank. The new law has a provision meant to spur investment into underdeveloped areas, called "opportunity zones." The idea is to grant lucrative tax breaks to encourage new investment in poor areas around the country, carefully selected by each state's governor. But Port Covington, an ambitious development geared to millennials to feature offices, a hotel, apartments, and shopping, is not in a census tract that is poor. It's not a new investment. And the census tract only became eligible to be an opportunity zone thanks to a mapping error. ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom based in New York. Sign up for ProPublica's Big Story newsletter to receive articles and investigations like this one as soon as they're published. As the selection process was underway, a deputy chief of staff to Maryland's governor wrote in an email that "Port Covington does not qualify" as an opportunity zone. Maryland's governor chose the area for the program anyway   after his aides met with the lobbyists for Plank, who owns about 40% of the zone. "This is a classic example of a windfall benefit," said Robert Stoker, a George Washington University professor who has studied economic development in Baltimore for decades. "A major investment was already planned and now is in a zone where they are going to qualify for all kinds of beneficial tax treatment." In selecting Port Covington, the governor had to exclude another Maryland community from the opportunity zone program. In Baltimore, for example, the governor dropped part of a neighborhood that city officials recommended for the program   Brooklyn   with a median family income one-fifth that of Port Covington. Brooklyn sits just across the Patapsco river from Port Covington, in an area that suffers from one of the highest drug and alcohol death rates in Baltimore, which in turn has one of the highest drug fatality rates nationwide. In a statement, Marc Weller, a developer who is Plank's partner in the project, defended the opportunity zone designation. "Port Covington being part of an Opportunity Zone will attract more investors, foster more economic growth in a neglected area of the City, and directly benefit all of the surrounding communities for decades to come," Weller said. Supporters say the Port Covington development could help several nearby struggling south Baltimore neighborhoods. An official in the administration of Maryland's Republican governor, Larry Hogan, said, "The success of that project is really going to go a long way to providing benefits for the whole city of Baltimore." The official added: "The governor is a huge supporter of the development." A spokesperson for the state's Department of Housing and Community Development, which was involved in the selection process, said that "due to the time limits of the federal tax incentive, the state of Maryland did purposefully select census tracts where projects were beginning to increase the odds of attracting additional private sector investment to Maryland's opportunity zones in the near term." The Birth of a New Tax Break In December 2017, Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, his signature legislative achievement. Much criticized as a giveaway to the rich, the law includes one headline provision that backers promised would help the poor: opportunity zones. ( Listen to the "Trump, Inc." episode where we travel to an opportunity zone where the Kushner Companies owns large tracts of property.) Supporters of the program argued it would unleash economic development in otherwise overlooked communities. "Our goal is to rebuild homes, schools, businesses and communities that need it the most," Trump declared at a recent event, adding, "To revitalize these areas, we've lowered the capital gains tax for long-term investment in opportunity zones all the way down to a very big, fat, beautiful number of zero." The provision has bipartisan support. "These cities are gold mines," New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker , a 2020 presidential hopeful and main Democratic architect of the program, told real estate investors in October. "They're domestic emerging markets that are more exciting than anything you'll see overseas." Here's how the program works. Say you're a hedge fund manager, you purchased Google stock years ago, and are sitting on $1 billion in gains. If you sell, you'd send the IRS about $240 million, a lot less than ordinary income tax but still annoying. To avoid paying that much, you can sell the shares and put the $1 billion into an opportunity zone. That comes with three generous breaks. The first is that you defer that $240 million in capital gains tax, allowing you to invest more money up front. But if that's not enough for you, you can hold the investment for several years and you'll get a significant reduction in those taxes. What's more, any additional gains from the new investment are tax-free after 10 years. It's impossible to predict how much the tax break will be worth to individual investors because it depends on several variables, not least whether the underlying project gains in value. But one investment pitch projected 10-year returns would jump to 91% from 29% on a hypothetical $1 million investment. That includes $284,000 in tax breaks   money the federal government would have collected from taxpayers with capital gains but for the program. The tax code already favored real estate developers like Trump, and his overhaul made it even friendlier. Investors can put money into a range of projects in opportunity zones, but so far most of the publicly announced deals are in real estate. The tax break has led to a marketing boom, with Wall Street pitching investors to raise funds to invest in the zones. Critics argue that the program is flawed, pointing out that there's no guarantee that the capital investment will help community residents, that the selection process was vulnerable to outside influence, and that it could be a giveaway for projects that were going to happen anyway. In a case in Chicago uncovered by the Real Deal , two tracts already slated for a major development project were selected by the governor as opportunity zones even though city officials hadn't initially recommended them. Under the new law, areas of the country deemed to be "low-income communities" would be eligible to be named opportunity zones. The Treasury Department determined which census tracts qualified. Then governors of each state could select one quarter of those tracts to get the tax benefit. That governor prerogative turned out to be very useful to Kevin Plank. Plank's Dream In 2012, Plank-connected entities quietly began buying up waterfront property on a largely vacant and isolated peninsula south of downtown Baltimore. Often using shell companies to shield the identity of the true buyer, they ultimately spent more than $100 million acquiring much of the peninsula. Plank's privately held Sagamore Development now controls roughly 40% of the area that would later be named an opportunity zone. In early 2015, more than two and a half years before Trump's tax law passed, Plank revealed himself as the money behind the purchases. He planned a new development and headquarters for Under Armour, the sports apparel company he started after coming up with the idea as a University of Maryland football player. Today, Under Armour employs 15,000 people. Plank has a net worth of around $2 billion . Though the Port Covington area was cut off from downtown by I-95, Plank said he likes the location because of the visibility. "When people drive through Baltimore [on I-95] I literally want them to drive through and go, 'There's Baltimore on the right. There's Under Armour on the left,'" he told The Baltimore Sun . A year later, Plank's firm took his vision to the general public, running TV and print ads touting the new project. One of the ads, reminiscent of the Democratic presidential primary spots airing at that time, was filled with a diverse cast sharing their dreams for a new city within a city. "We will build it. Together," the ad begins, before running through a glittering digital rendering of contemporary urban design features. Office towers, shops, transit, parks, jobs   all of it to be anchored by a new world headquarters of the city's most visible brand name, Under Armour. Sagamore would spearhead the project and sell land to others who would build businesses and housing. Even before qualifying for the opportunity zone break, taxpayers were going to subsidize the development. Days after the ads touting togetherness, Plank proposed that the city float $660 million in bonds to help build what the company has said would be a $5.5 billion development. Opponents contended Plank's proposal amounted to corporate welfare that would exacerbate the city's stark economic and racial divides. But the company agreed to provide millions of dollars to the city and a group of nearby low-income neighborhoods to gain support for the project, and the City Council passed the measure that fall. As Under Armour's stock plummeted in 2017 amid slowing sales growth and progress on the Port Covington project lagged. That September, Goldman Sachs stepped in to commit $233 million from its Urban Investment Group. Hogan, himself a real estate developer , personally spoke with the then-CEO of Goldman, Lloyd Blankfein, about the deal . Meeting With the Governor's Office In the weeks after the 2017 federal tax overhaul passed, Plank's team spotted an opportunity. Nick Manis, a veteran Annapolis lobbyist who has also represented the Baltimore Ravens, reached out to Hogan's chief of staff about Port Covington, according to emails obtained by ProPublica through a public records request. The developers and their lobbyists had given at least $24,000 to Hogan's campaigns in recent years. But the developers had a problem. The Friday before the meeting, a deputy chief of staff to the governor wrote in an email that "Port Covington does not qualify" for the coveted tax breaks. The Port Covington tract, which includes a gentrified corner of South Baltimore north of the largely empty peninsula, was too wealthy to be an opportunity zone. There is a second provision of the law for wealthier tracts: A tract can qualify if it is adjacent to a low-income area. But Port Covington failed that test, too. Its median family income   nearly 160% of Maryland's   exceeded the income cap even for that provision. Port Covington was out   unless the tract could somehow be considered low-income in its own right. On Feb. 5, the Port Covington development team arrived at the second floor of the statehouse in the opulent governor's reception room to meet with top Hogan aides. The agenda for the meeting included opportunity zones, as well as transit and infrastructure issues. The developer's team requested that the Port Covington tract be made an opportunity zone. The state officials "acknowledged their interest in receiving that designation," a Hogan administration official said. Bank Error in Your Favor Three days after that meeting, Plank and the Port Covington developers got bad news. The Treasury Department released a list of census tracts across the country that were sufficiently poor to be included in the program. Port Covington was not included in that list. Three weeks later, however, things turned around. The Treasury Department issued a revised list. The agency said it had left out some tracts in error. The revised list included 168 new areas across the country defined by the agency as "low-income communities." This time, Port Covington made the cut. It couldn't have qualified because its residents were poor. It couldn't qualify because it was next to some place that was poor. But the tract could qualify under yet another provision of the law. Some tracts could make the cut if they had fewer than 2,000 people and if they were "within" what's known as an empowerment zone. That was a Clinton-era redevelopment initiative also aimed at low-income areas. Port Covington wasn't actually within an empowerment zone, but it is next to one. So how did it qualify? The area met the definition of "within" because the digital map files the Treasury Department used showed that Port Covington overlapped with a neighboring tract that was designated an empowerment zone, Treasury officials told ProPublica. That overlap: the sliver of parking lot beneath I-395. That piece of the lot is about one one-thousandth of a square mile. There are no regulations or guidance on how to interpret the tax law's use of "within," said a spokesman for the Treasury Department's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, which compiled the maps. The agency made what it called a "technical decision" that any partial overlap with an Empowerment Zone would count as being "within" that zone   no matter how small the area, or if anyone lived there. Or, if the overlap was even real. Turns out, no part of Port Covington actually overlapped with the empowerment zone. Treasury's decision ignored a well-known problem in geographic analysis known as misalignment, mapping experts said. Misalignment happens when the lines on digital maps made by two sources differ slightly about where things like roads and buildings lie, according to Henry Luan, a professor of geography at the University of Oregon. For example, if a tract ends at a highway, one file might show the border on the near side of the highway while another   when zoomed all the way in   might show it a few feet away on the far side. When laid on top of each other, the two files end up with minuscule differences that don't mean anything in the real world. Except in this case, it had big real world consequences for Port Covington. The mapping error allowed the entire tract to qualify as an opportunity zone. "That area of overlap is a complete artifact of" the map files Treasury used, said David Van Riper, director of spatial analysis at the Minnesota Population Center. "It's not an actual overlap." Sometime in the mid-2000s, the Census Bureau used GPS devices to make its map files more accurately represent the country's roads. One of the maps used by Treasury appeared to be based on the older, less accurate Census maps, Van Riper said. Even accepting Treasury's misaligned maps, the entire Port Covington tract receives tax benefits, even though less than 0.3% of it overlaps with the neighboring tract. "Only a minimal overlap, but you make the whole Census tract benefit from the policy?" Luan said. "That doesn't make sense to me." Port Covington is one of just a handful of tracts in the country that ProPublica identified that qualified through similar flaws in Treasury's process. Taking the Break Nothing indicates the Port Covington developers had any influence on the Treasury's decision. But the lobbying of the governor before the Treasury change appears to have paid off. As they were lobbying, Baltimore officials were working out which parts of the city would benefit most from being opportunity zones. They petitioned the governor to pick 41 low-income city neighborhoods to get the tax break, all of them well below the program's maximum income requirements. The city's list remained largely intact when the governor made his selections in April. Hogan made just four changes, three of which qualified under the main criteria without the benefit of the mapping error. But the fourth didn't: Port Covington. Plank's team cheered the revision. The very thing that made Port Covington a poor candidate to be an opportunity zone   that it wasn't a low-income area   could make it exceptionally attractive to investors. In January, they convened an opportunity zone conference at their Port Covington incubator called City Garage featuring state officials and executives from Goldman, Deloitte and other firms. "Port Covington kind of fits all the needs," said Marc Weller, Plank's partner, at the conference. "It has all the entitlements, and it has a financial partner in place as well. It's probably the most premier piece of land in the United States that's in an opportunity zone." The opportunity zone program has restrictions intended to prevent already-planned developments from benefitting. But the Port Covington developers told Bloomberg that the firm will be able to reap the benefits of the tax break because it has found new investors. Among the potential new investors who might take advantage of the tax break are Plank's own family, one of the developers told the Baltimore Business Journal . A Port Covington spokesman denied that Plank's family members are potential investors. To get the maximum benefit, investments need to be made in 2019, though investments made through 2026 can take advantage of growth tax-free. Only a portion of the Port Covington project is expected to be underway by then. A Goldman spokesman said it is "likely" that the firm will take advantage of the opportunity zone benefits in Port Covington, adding that it has "made no firm decisions about how each component will be financed." Margaret Anadu, the head of Goldman's Urban Investment Group and the lead on the Port Covington investment, recently said of the opportunity zone program: "These are the same neighborhoods that have been suffering since redline started decades and decades ago, pretty much eliminating private investment. … And so we simply have to reverse that. And the only way to reverse that is to start to bring that private capital back into these neighborhoods." The Port Covington tract is just 4% black. For it to be included in the program, another community somewhere in Maryland had to be excluded. The ones that the city suggested that were excluded by the governor, for example, are 68% black and have a poverty rate three times higher than Port Covington's. There is some evidence suggesting being named an opportunity zone has already been a boon for property owners. An analysis by Zillow found that sale price gains in opportunity zones significantly outpaced gains in eligible tracts that weren't selected. Real Capital Analytics found that sales of developable sites in the zones rose 24% in the year after the law passed. Under Armour has said it's still committed to building its new headquarters on the peninsula, but it's not clear when that will happen. Still, other aspects of the once-stalled project finally started moving forward in recent months. After presenting plans for the first section inside the opportunity zone this winter, the project finally got underway on a rainy day in early May of this year. "The project is real," Weller said at the kickoff event, which included Anadu, the Goldman Sachs executive, and city and state officials. "The project is starting. We're open for business."


LOS ANGELES (AP)   Matt Beaty keeps making it difficult for the Los Angeles Dodgers to send him down to Triple-A again. The rookie came off the bench to play left field during the eighth inning against the Miami Marlins on Saturday night and then delivered a three-run homer in the bottom of the inning to break a tie as the Dodgers recovered for a 10-6 victory after blowing a six-run lead. "He's taking care of what he needs to take care of. He has come up with some big hits for us," manager Dave Roberts said. BOX SCORE: DODGERS 10, MARLINS 6 Beaty's drive to right-center on a changeup by Elieser Hernandez (1-4) bailed out the Dodgers' bullpen and defense. Los Angeles led 6-0 through six innings after Clayton Kershaw had a season-high 10 strikeouts and allowed only two hits. Joc Pederson and Justin Turner provided the early lift on offense with home runs before the Marlins rallied to tie. "I got that one pretty good. I was looking for a pitch out over the plate that I could drive," said Beaty, who is 14 for 31 with three home runs and 21 RBIs with runners in scoring position. Roberts said Beaty will be in the starting lineup for Sunday's finale of the three-game series. Miami took advantage of a Los Angeles bullpen that has struggled in middle relief and benefited from a pair of errors in a five-run eighth. Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager dropped a foul ball by Curtis Granderson, which would have been the first out. Instead, Granderson doubled to left. Jorge Alfaro nearly had a grand slam but Alex Verdugo made a great catch at the base of the wall in right to keep it a sacrifice fly. Brian Anderson's two-run double off Yimi Garcia   the third of four Dodgers pitchers used in the inning   brought the Marlins within 6-4 before they tied it on a throwing error by second baseman Enrique Hernandez, which allowed Anderson to score. "It was a tale of two different games. Early on Kershaw had us on our heels then all of a sudden we catch some breaks and get some big hits," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. The Dodgers, who had three errors in the game, have committed 20 in July, which is the most in the majors and becoming a growing concern for Roberts. "I can't remember the last time we played a clean game," he said. "The relievers have to get better at throwing quality strikes. If something does happen where a play is not made we have to be able to overcome that." Starlin Castro started the Marlins' comeback in the seventh with a solo shot to left-center off JT Chargois. Kershaw retired the first 10 Marlins he faced   seven via strikeout   before Martin Prado and Garrett Cooper got aboard with one-out singles in the fourth. Pedro Baez (5-2) got the win. Kershaw said he was disappointed not to get the win but defended the bullpen. "We've got guys with good stuff," he said. "It's not any different from a starting pitcher going through a rut. We're just going to have to find that consistency." Pederson, who came into the game 4 for 22 since the All-Star break, hit a line-drive shot over the short wall in right off Sandy Alcantara to lead off the first. Los Angeles added three in the fourth on Austin Barnes' two-run double and an RBI single by Kershaw. The next inning, Turner hit a solo shot over the wall in center and Max Muncy added an RBI double to make it 6-0. After Beaty's home run, Russell Martin provided added insurance with a pinch-hit RBI single. FERNANDOMANIA FLASHBACK Fernando Valenzuela was inducted into the "Legends of Dodger Baseball" before the game. STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES The Dodgers improved to 39-12 at Dodger Stadium. That equals the 2017 team for best home start after 51 games in franchise history. ... Alcantara went five innings and allowed six runs on seven hits. ... Seager had three hits. ... Castro is 21 of 58 with three home runs and eight RBIs in July. TRAINER'S ROOM Marlins: SS Miguel Rojas was taken out during the fifth inning due to a strained right shoulder. Dodgers: LHP Rich Hill (forearm strain) has started a throwing program with the possibility of returning sometime in September. ... LHP Scott Alexander, who is on the IL with left forearm inflammation, is also dealing with a nerve problem in his left thumb with no timetable on a return. UP NEXT Marlins: RHP Jordan Yamamoto (4-0, 1.59 ERA) faces the Dodgers for the first time. He is holding opponents to a .134 batting average, which is the lowest in the majors since June 12. Dodgers: RHP Walker Buehler (8-1, 3.44 ERA) makes his third career start against the Marlins. He has no record and a 3.60 ERA. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Related slideshow: The 2019 MLB season (Provided by imagn)


A Pennsylvania mother who prosecutors say killed her 11-week-old son with a lethal mix of drugs in her breast milk is not going to prison. Under terms of a plea agreement, a judge has sentenced 31-year-old Samantha Jones to three years' probation and 100 hours of community service. The Bucks County District Attorney's office says an autopsy found the baby died in April 2018 from a combination of methadone, amphetamine and methamphetamine. According to an affidavit, Jones told police she'd been too tired to make the baby a bottle when he awoke crying and instead breast fed him. A few hours later, the baby was pale and died at a hospital. Jones told police she had been prescribed methadone because of a painkiller addiction. READ MORE: No prison for Pa. mother after baby dies from drug-laced breast milk CHECK OUT WTAE: Stay in the know with the latest Pittsburgh news, weather and sports. Catch all of the day's top stories and more from the team at WTAE Pittsburgh Action News 4.


Last June, the Flames moved one of their key defensemen in Dougie Hamilton as part of a swap with Carolina. It appears the Flames will be looking to move out a key blueliner once again this offseason. In his latest edition of the "Bobcast " ( audio link ), TSN's Bob McKenzie reports that Calgary GM Brad Treliving is looking to trade T.J. Brodie or Travis Hamonic . The reason for wanting to do this is two-fold. Calgary has youngsters Juuso Valimaki and Rasmus Andersson that appear to be ready to take on bigger roles next season. The Flames also have a very expensive pending contract with restricted free-agent winger Matthew Tkachuk that will eat up a lot of remaining cap space. Brodie is in the final year of his contract with a $4.6504M cap hit and will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2020. While he's a left-shot player, he has spent quite a bit of time playing on his off-side, which bolsters his trade value. He has also been a consistent point producer, surpassing the 30-point mark in six straight seasons. Add to that his skating is an asset as teams are asking their defense corps to be more mobile. Hamonic, a draft day acquisition in 2017, is a different style of player. He's more of a shut-down defender and has been an effective one going back to his time with the Islanders. However, staying healthy for an entire season has been an issue for Hamonic throughout his career. He's also in the final year of his contract with a cap hit just over $3.857M and will be UFA-eligible in 2020. With the free-agent class not being particularly deep in terms of capable top-four defenders, the Flames should garner plenty of interest in the blueliners in the weeks to come. Considering Treliving's recent history of being active on the trade front at the draft, it wouldn't be surprising to see a deal happen when that gets underway on June 21.


From ancient rock formations in Australia to towering glaciers in Patagonia, here are 20 of our favorite national parks. Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Australia Jointly managed by the indigenous Anangu and Australia's park service in the Northern Territory, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is famed for the red-rock Uluru monolith that towers over the land. Sacred ground for the Anangu people, the formation, also called Ayer's Rock, has long been a point of controversy between the tribe and visitors seeking to scale the dangerous rock. A long-awaited ban on climbing Uluru is set to take effect in October 2019, but you can still hike around the domes of Kata Tjuta and visit ancient rock art sites around the park. Torres del Paine National Park, Chile This UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve in Chilean Patagonia is named for the immense, blue granite towers that lord over the park. Paddle alongside glaciers in Lake Grey (which can tend more toward a brilliant shade of blue), and look through the lush forests for wildlife like pumas, guanacos, and Andean condors. Yellowstone National Park, United States The first national park is still widely considered one of the world's best. Spanning more than two million acres in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, Yellowstone is known for its geologic wonders like hot springs, mudpots, and more than half of the world's active geysers, including the famous Old Faithful. It's home to wildlife ranging from bison and grizzly bears to moose and wolves. There are a dozen campgrounds in the park and a handful of lodges, cabins, and hotels. Denali National Park, United States Encompassing six million acres, Alaska's Denali National Park is a true wilderness accessible by a single, 92-mile ribbon of road. It's named for North America's highest peak, and known for an incredible array of plants and wildlife, including caribou and grizzly bears. It's also one of the best places in the U.S. to watch the aurora borealis . Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina Roughly half of Los Glaciares National Park , on the Argentine side of Patagonia, is covered by glaciers. Visitors can witness the dramatic process of glaciation in real time by visiting the always-moving Petito Moreno glacier, which appears to flow into Lake Argentino. Goreme National Park, Turkey This park's dramatic rock formations, known as "fairy chimneys," are fascinating enough but add the fact that churches, dwellings, and entire underground cities were carved into these soft volcanic rocks as early as the fourth century, and it's no wonder this area is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site . Visitors can explore museums, shops, and hotels housed in the ancient troglodyte dwellings or take in the striking landscape by hot-air balloon. Etosha National Park, Namibia It's fairly easy to spot impressive wildlife at Etosha National Park , thanks to its numerous watering holes, where elephants, lions, and zebras congregate to quench their thirst. Visitors can get an up-close view of wildlife at accommodations ranging from luxe campsites to lodges and private game reserves. Accessibility is the name of the game here, as even sedans can easily navigate the park's well-maintained roads. Doi Inthanon National Park, Thailand Named for Thailand's highest and most prominent peak, Doi Inthanon National Park has a cooler climate than the rest of the country. Waterfalls, hiking trails, villages, two sacred stupas, and the Chiang Mai Grand Canyon waterpark are just a few of this park's diverse attractions. Linger on the trails to see rare species of birds and orchids in the mist-shrouded cloud forest. Cinque Terre National Park, Italy Rather than vast wildernesses or elusive wildlife, Cinque Terre is more known for the five colorful villages that dot its compact stretch of Mediterranean coastline. At just 15 square miles, this small park is nonetheless brimming with natural and cultural attractions: rugged coastal hiking trails; quiet coves; and centuries-old churches, villas, and monasteries. Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia Lying halfway between Zagreb and Zadar, Plitvice Lakes National Park is one of Croatia's most visited natural attractions. Within the park's lush forest, a series of waterfalls cascades into 16 emerald lakes, accessible by a miles-long network of wooden footbridges and easy walking trails. Those in a hurry can explore the park using its complimentary boats or buses. Guilin & Lijiang River National Park, China The preferred way to soak in this national park in southeastern China is by river cruise, which will allow you to see its distinctive karst hills, cliffs, and caves. Venture to the cities of Guilin and Yangshuo in the spring or late fall to enjoy postcard-worthy views without the summer crowds. Kruger National Park, South Africa In the northeast corner of South Africa, Kruger National Park is known as one of the continent's most magnificent game reserves, covering over 7,500 square miles. You'll find the Big Five here (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and Cape buffalo), along with hundreds of other species spread across the park's diverse ecosystems ranging from savannah to forest. You can drive your own car in Kruger or book a guided game tour, and there are plenty of places to stay throughout the park. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania Arguably the greatest wildlife sanctuary in the world, Tanzania's Serengeti National Park is also one of the oldest ecosystems on Earth. You'll have a chance at spotting lions, elephants, and giraffes, but the park's greatest attraction is the annual migration of more than a million wildebeest and 200,000 zebras. Visitors can go on safari via jeep, horseback, chartered plane, or even hot-air balloon. Bandhavgarh National Park, India Once used as hunting grounds for the Maharajas, India's Bandhavgarh National Park is now known for having the highest density of tigers in the region. Visitors can explore the park on Jeep or minibus safaris to spot tigers, antelope, and Indian bison before taking in the views from Bandhavgarh Fort, situated high atop a cliff overlooking the Vidhyan Mountains. Fiordland National Park, New Zealand More than a dozen glacier-carved fjords make up this corner of New Zealand's South Island. Rent a boat, kayak, or scuba tank to explore the park's waters and admire from a safe distance its dolphins, penguins, and seals. On land, you'll find three of the country's Great Walks, which offer scenic views of the park's tumbling waterfalls, granite peaks, and crystalline lakes. Banff National Park, Canada Turquoise glacial lakes and snow-covered Rocky Mountain peaks are just some of the calling cards of Canada's flagship national park , established in 1885. Eighty miles west of Calgary, the massive preserve contains thousands of glaciers, Canada's largest cave system, and a number of towns, ski resorts, and golf courses. Swiss National Park, Switzerland Switzerland's sole national park is also one of Europe's first, founded in 1914. The alpine nature preserve maintains strict rules to protect its pristine landscape hikers are forbidden from wandering off the official paths, camping isn't allowed, and the park is closed in the winter. Despite the restrictions, visitors will find plenty to enjoy with stunning views of the Alps, flower-filled meadows, and glimpses of animals like ibex and chamois. Zion National Park, United States In the epic wilds of southwest Utah, Zion Canyon is the star of this national park . That's where you'll find its hallmark red sandstone cliffs and popular attractions and trails, including Weeping Rock, the Narrows, and Angels Landing. April through October is the high season, when a convenient shuttle bus will take you around all the hotspots. Avoid the crowds by timing your visit in the off months or exploring Zion's more remote areas. Haleakala National Park, Hawaii This 30,000-acre national park is named for the dormant volcano that can be seen from just about anywhere on the island of Maui . Book advance reservations to take in spectacular sunrises and sunsets from the volcano's summit. Swim at the Pools of Oheo, then hike the rainforest trails for a chance to spot numerous endangered species. Iguazu National Park, Argentina and Iguaçu National Park, Brazil These sister parks meet at the border of Argentina and Brazil , where one of the world's most awe-inspiring waterfalls spans nearly two miles. The subtropical rainforest surrounding the falls contains a unique ecosystem of plants and wildlife that have evolved in response to the region's extreme conditions. Keep an eye out for giant anteaters, jaguars, broad-nosed caiman, and hundreds of species of birds, plus flora you won't find anywhere else on the planet.


It's one thing to know that your credit card offers insurance for travel mishaps like delayed baggage or airlines that suddenly shut down. It's another thing to know how to access those benefits when you're on the road. When I spoke with Brandon Neth of FinanceBuzz recently, the frequent traveler gave me a piece of advice that I wasn't expecting: If you need to file a travel insurance claim with your credit card issuer, don't wait until you get home. Delaying your claim could cause you to miss out on those benefits your annual fee is going toward. Always Buy Airfare on a Credit Card Here's what to know before that stressful moment when you need to make a claim. Start the process early You may want to get past your travel hiccup ASAP and get on with the fun. But Neth warned that some cards have a short window in which you can file a claim after an incident. Your benefits guide will have a phone number and probably also a collect number you can use if you're outside the U.S., so push past your phone anxiety and make the call as soon as you have a chance. Document everything "Keep your receipts," Neth advised. "Any time you make an insurance claim, it's never easy." Why? Because each credit card has its own rules for making travel insurance claims. Before you leave for a trip, take a quick spin through the benefits book for the card you booked your travel on, and then take that information with you . Some of us have learned this the hard way. If you experience major headaches on your trip, you'll want to know exactly what you need to get compensated. And if you're not sure whether you should hold onto a receipt or document from your trip, err on the side of caution and keep it until you get home. For example, I checked the Chase Sapphire Reserve booklet for making a claim for delayed baggage. When you call to get the claim rolling, you'll get sent a claim form, which you must fill out and submit along with a copy of the travel itinerary, a copy of the credit card statement that shows the charge for your airfare, and written confirmation from the airline that there was a baggage delay. Keep using that credit card "If you can, put everything related to that claim on the credit card" you're going to file the claim with, said Neth. For example, if you bought your plane ticket with a Chase Sapphire card and want to file a baggage delay claim, you should buy the clothes you need in the meantime on that Chase card. Doing this is especially helpful if you're in a foreign country. Cards with travel benefits typically don't have foreign transaction fees (although your mileage may vary, so check your terms). In a stressful moment you might think reaching for cash is easiest, but doing everything on that same card will help keep you organized and save you a currency exchange hassle. For more from Lifehacker, be sure to follow us on Instagram @lifehackerdotcom .


Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Drew Lock still has four preseason games to convince the team that he can be the No. 2 quarterback this coming season, but he didn't do that on Thursday night. Lock's stats don't look terrible. He completed 7-of-11 passes for 34 yards. However, it is clear that he has plenty of growing to do as a player and four weeks may not be enough time for that to happen. He settled down later in the game, but started out shaky, overthrowing receivers and throwing way behind them as well. Vic Fangio On Drew Lock: "I was hoping for more but not surprised." #9sports - Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) August 2, 2019 Kevin Hogan didn't exactly shine, but his experience alone puts him above Lock in the race for the team's backup at this particular time. He completed 5-of-8 passes for 37 yards but seemed to have a much better command of the offense, which isn't a surprise at this juncture. Hogan started the game and led the team on its first scoring drive, capped off by a 3-yard touchdown run by Khalfani Muhammad. Lock was given the most work of any of the team's quarterbacks by far, but was the only one who didn't lead the team on a scoring drive. Lock is a young player with a ton of arm talent, but he clearly has some hurdles to overcome. MORE: Five potential Jeremy Lin landing spots in free agency It didn't take long for NFL fans to freak out over the new pass interference rule Steven Jackson gets random drug test from NFL after signing 1-day contract Bears defense continues to dominate on Day 6 of training camp Biggest winners from the first week of Packers training camp


People love learning about their personalities and take tests hoping to reveal what type they are. Yet, experts have long said personality types are mythical: Personality exists along a continuum. Though a recent study is debunking that idea. A study published in Nature Human Behaviour reveals that there are four personality types   average, reserved, role-model and self-centered   and these findings might change the thinking about personality in general. "Whether or not these models become the definitive personality type model, it is a step forward," Jonathan Adler, an associate professor of psychology at Olin College of Engineering in Needham, Massachusetts, who wasn't involved in the research, told TODAY. Different traits help to predict your personality type. Researchers at Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering, in Illinois, examined data from 1.5 million participants who answered questionnaires about the "big five" personality traits. These five traits are commonly accepted to be major indicators of personality. As they looked at the data it appeared that people clustered around four different areas, and those emerged as the different personalities. "The findings suggest there are types," Luis Amaral, a professor of chemical and biological engineering at Northwestern University McCormick School of Engineering and an author of the paper told TODAY. "These (types) are sort of more of an attractor for these personality traits." People fall into a type based on how they rate on those five traits. People fall into one of the four types based on how they rank on the big five personality traits: openness, agreeableness, extraversion , neuroticism and contentiousness. Understanding how high or low someone ranks on each of the traits can be useful and predict things about people, such as their risk of mental illness or likelihood of divorcing. But it's not an exact science. "Everyone has variation on the big five," Adler explained. "Personality is not categorical. It is dimensional." The four personality types include: Average: The most common type are people who are high in neuroticism and extraversion while lower in openness. Reserved: People in this type are not open or neurotic but they are emotionally stable. They tend to be introverted, agreeable and conscientious. Role-models: These people are natural leaders with low levels of neuroticism and high levels of agreeableness, extraversion, openness and conscientiousness. They listen to new ideas and are reliable. Self-centered: While these people score high in extraversion they rank below average openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness. "The way for you to grow is to know about yourself," Amaral said. Plus, the researchers found that personality isn't static. People evolve. Teen boys tend to be overly represented in self-centered personality while older people make up a large portion of the role models. "Certain facets are changing," Amaral said. "As people mature and grow, their personality also matures and grows. I think there is a positive message that people mature and they move to more desirable characteristics." These personality types describe healthy people. Even though it might sound bad to be neurotic, average people experience varying levels of neuroticism. "We shouldn't think about each one of the characteristics as the higher, the better. If you are extremely open minded, that just means you believe everything," Amaral said. Future research might examine people with mental illness to see if they also fall within these types or if more types emerge. People interested in learning more about their personality can do so here .


AURORA, Colo. (CBS4)   Two people were injured in a shooting in Aurora on Thursday afternoon. The shooting happened at 3871 S. Fraser St. just before 2 p.m. Officers rushed to the residence on reports of a shooting and found the two people with non-life threatening injures. Both were rushed to the hospital. Officers are investigating what led up to the shooting. The shooting victims have not been identified. Copter4 flew over the area where several police officers appeared to be interviewing witnesses.


CHICAGO (AP) Jantel Lavender had a season-high 20 points and 10 rebounds, Kahleah Copper scored a season-high 16 points, and the Chicago Sky pulled away late on Sunday night for a 78-66 win over the Dallas Wings. Diamond DeShields added 10 points and Courtney Vandersloot finished with seven points and 11 assists for Chicago. The Sky (7-7) snapped a five-game losing streak. Theresa Plaisance hit a 3-pointer to give the Wings (4-9) a 66-63 lead with 3:59 to play but DeShields answered with a 3 and Copper made 1 of 2 free throws to make it 67-66 with three minutes left. Lavender scored six points and Stefanie Dolson added five from there to cap the scoring. The Wings went 0 for 6 from the field with two turnovers over the final three-plus minutes. Arike Ogunbowale led Dallas with 22 points but shot just 7 of 21 from the field, including 0 for 5 in the fourth quarter when the Wings were outscored 26-12.


When it comes to the Kentucky Derby , field size has always mattered. The first Kentucky Derby in 1875 featured 15 horses, and in 1974, a record 23 competed in the 100th edition of the Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs. After that 1974 Derby won by Cannonade, Jim Murray of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "It was a race only if you consider the Battle of Jutland a race. The last time anything this wild took place on horseback the riders all had fur hats on them and went around riding down peasants." Earlie Fires, whose Sharp Gary finished 13th in that 1974 Derby, sounded like a jockey straight out of the 21st century. "There were too many horses out there," Fires told the New York Times . "Every time I tried to make a move, my horse was knocked back." A year later, Churchill Downs decided to cap the Kentucky Derby at 20 horses, and the debate has raged ever since: "Is the Derby too crowded?" The discussion has kindled once again after Saturday's controversial finish in the 145th Kentucky Derby . Maximum Security was disqualified from first place to 17th place after race stewards ruled he interfered other horses on the second turn, the first time a Derby winner had been taken down for interference. Traffic issues are a given in a 20-horse field and have become as much a part of the Derby experience as mint juleps and jacked-up hotel rates. But with his first-ever Derby victory taken away, Maximum Security owner Gary West placed the blame on Churchill Downs. "The reason that they have 20 horses instead of 14, like they do in every other major race in America, including the Kentucky Oaks and all the Breeders' Cup races, which are kind of the gold standard races in America, is because … Churchill Downs makes more money on the races by having 20 horses in the race than by having 14 horses in the race," West said. "And, what I think they are doing and what they have done is, they are putting profits ahead of the lives of both horses and people, and I don't think that's right." TRAINER: Maximum Security's ride was alike a 'drunk driver' PREAKNESS: Derby winner Country House will miss race LEGACY: The legacy of Maximum Security Kevin Flanery, president of Churchill Downs Racetrack, immediately responded. "The infraction committed by Maximum Security has nothing to do with the number of horses in the race, which has been a consistent number for many years, and there is no evidence to the contrary," Flanery said. But why does Churchill Downs subject itself to such criticism when the standard limit for every other major race in the United States   including the Preakness and Belmont   is 14 horses? Darren Rogers, Churchill Downs' senior director of communications and media services, said the Derby may be the only race in North America that can annually attract more than 14 horses. Rogers also noted the Derby's 1 ¼-mile distance allows a quarter of a mile to maneuver before entering the first turn. Conversely, the Kentucky Oaks is capped at 14 horses because of its 1 1/8-mile distance, which allows one less furlong going into the first turn. "Every element of a race   from the start to the finish   is a safety concern, but we just don't believe reducing the size of the Derby field to any specific number will eliminate the inherent risk that comes with competition," Rogers said. There's no clear answer for why 14 became the standard limit for a horse race, but it could be traced to Clay Puett. He built the first electric starting gate in 1939, and it's become the standard design for the majority of gates around the world, including the ones used at Churchill Downs. Puett's first gate was made for 12 horses, and tracks began asking for 14-horse gates as the sport's popularity grew. Mike Costello, president of United Puett Electrical Starting Gate Corporation, said the majority of tracks use 12-horse gates these days because of diminishing field sizes. For the Derby, Churchill uses its 14-horse gate and attaches an auxiliary six-horse gate to accommodate the 20-horse field. One criticism of the process is that the gap between the No. 14 and No. 15 spots creates a safety issue as horses vie for space entering the first turn. Costello said his company could make a 20-horse gate for the Derby   "I can't tell you the cost because I've never made a 20," he said   and Rogers said it's a purchase Churchill Downs could consider in the future. "As with everything, we're open to discussing anything that could have a meaningful impact as it relates to safety," Rogers said. But is a bigger field a better field? Since 2013, the Derby field has been determined by a points system that awards horses for top-four finishes in predetermined prep races. The top 20 horses in the standings qualify for the Derby. Of the horses ranked Nos. 15-20 in the points standings since 2013, six have finished among the top four in the Derby   Country House (first in 2019), Instilled Regard (fourth in 2018), Lookin At Lee (second in 2017), Battle of Midway (third in 2017), Commanding Curve (second in 2014) and Golden Soul (second in 2013). Battle of Midway, one of the 23 horses who died during a recent rash of deaths at Santa Anita Park, is the only one of the six to win a graded stakes since his Kentucky Derby run. On average, horses ranked Nos. 15-20 in the points standings have finished in 11th place in the Derby. The statistics seem to indicate the extra six horses don't necessarily make the Derby field stronger, but trainers are mixed on what   if anything   to do about it. Bob Baffert, who has won the Kentucky Derby five times, is in favor of cutting the field. "The top 14 horses," Baffert said. "After that, it's like a free-for-all." Kenny McPeek noted several races overseas have more than 20 horses and said he doesn't see the need for change in the Kentucky Derby. "I don't think a big field is a big deal," McPeek said. "It makes it harder to win, but it doesn't make it any more unsafe   20 horses as opposed to six. I've seen (interferences) happen in a six-horse field." Asked the process it would take to reduce the size of the Derby field, Rogers wouldn't consider the topic. It's clear the 20-horse limit is here to stay for the foreseeable future. Owners and trainers   both big and small   love the opportunity to race in the Kentucky Derby. Gamblers enjoy the chance to make a big score. And if there's a little extra traffic on the track, so be it. "The Derby is a race unlike any other," Rogers said. "It's a special event that many owners and trainers and jockeys want to be a part of." This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Are 20 horses too many for the Kentucky Derby? It depends on who you ask


74th anniversary of U.S. dropping atomic bomb on Hiroshima Tuesday marks the 74th anniversary of the United States dropping an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima during World War II. The bomb, called "Little Boy," decimated the city on Aug. 6, 1945 and resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths . Just over a week later and after the second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan surrendered to the Allies. Hiroshima marked the anniversary of the bombing with a peace declaration on Tuesday. Mayor Kazumi Matsui renewed calls for eliminating such weapons and demanded Japan's government do more, the Associated Press reported. As of 2018, there were nearly 16,000 nuclear weapons in the world , with Russia and the United States holding the vast majority. SpaceX next mission to liftoff at Cape Canaveral After replacing suspect hardware and testing its Falcon 9 rocket at Cape Canaveral a second time, SpaceX confirmed its next Space Coast mission is on target for a Tuesday evening liftoff . The Eastern Range approved SpaceX's request to fly on Tuesday and the hour-and-a-half launch window will open at 6:52 p.m. ET. SpaceX had previously test fired the rocket's first stage last week, but found valve-related hardware issues that needed replacement. A second, brief test Saturday night confirmed the replaced hardware was functioning normally. To make up for the mishap, SpaceX offered satellite operator Spacecom an additional launch at no charge, as well as other specifics that officials could not disclose. Aretha Franklin's sons dispute handwritten will Aretha Franklin's sons disagree about who should manage what could be a multimillion-dollar estate, and judges Tuesday will consider a request to have two handwritten wills found in May examined by handwriting experts . Attorneys for Theodore White II told a Michigan judge in a July court filing that White should be named co-executor along with Franklin's niece, Sabrina Owens. Owens has had that role since the singer's death last year, when a will couldn't be found. One of two documents, dated 2014, shows Franklin chose son Kecalf Franklin as the representative, with White and Owens' names crossed out. The pair appear in a 2010 handwritten will. White doesn't believe it was Franklin who crossed out the names. Season 14 of 'Hard Knocks' premieres on HBO The NFL and HBO come together again as Season 14 of the popular series "Hard Knocks" premieres Tuesday night (10 p.m. ET/PT) on the cable network and it will air every Tuesday through Sept. 3, two days before the NFL's 100th season opens. Season 14 will offer an in-depth and up-close look at the Oakland Raiders as they go through training camp and the preseason ahead of the 2019 season. Viewers can expect to see a lot of head coach Jon Gruden, quarterback Derek Carr and new wide receiver Antonio Brown. The flamboyant Brown has relished the opportunity to be on the show, even playfully talking straight into the camera at times, the Associated Press reports. For those new to the "Hard Knocks" experience, the show has provided a number of memorable moments featuring the NFL's top players and personalities. AT&T adds Spotify Premium as free entertainment option Starting Tuesday, certain AT&T customers can get Spotify Premium for free as part of a new partnership between the streaming service and phone carrier. AT&T "Unlimited & More Premium" customers can choose a Spotify Premium subscription as their entertainment option that comes with the phone plan. (You get one free Spotify Premium subscription per account, not per line.) Other select AT&T customers can get a free six-month trial of Spotify with their plan.


The Colts signed two more draft picks Monday, getting seven members of their 10-man class under contract. The latest additions were fourth-round safety Khari Willis from Michigan State, and fifth-round cornerback Marvell Tell III from Southern Cal. The only remaining unsigned picks for the Colts are second-rounders Rock Ya-Sin and Parris Campbell and third-rounder Bobby Okereke . After a flurry of signings last week with rookie minicamps around the league, there are now fewer than 100 unsigned draft picks.


A British-Iranian mother jailed in Tehran since 2016 on sedition charges she denies has ended her hunger strike after 15 days, her husband said Saturday. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband, Richard Ratcliffe, told BBC Radio that his wife had eaten some porridge with apple and banana. "I'm relieved because I wouldn't have wanted her to push it much longer," said Ratcliffe, who also went without food for 15 days in solidarity with his wife. Ratcliffe had spent much of that time picketing Iran's embassy in London, urging whoever is to succeed outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May to make his wife's case a priority. Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 40, began refusing food to mark her daughter Gabriella's fifth birthday. She was arrested in April 2016 as she was leaving Iran after taking then 22-month-old Gabriella to visit her family. She was sentenced to five years for allegedly trying to topple the Iranian government. A project manager with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the media group's philanthropic arm, she denies all charges. The case has added to long-standing tensions between Tehran and London, which is a major arms supplier to Iran's arch-enemy Saudi Arabia.


Barcelona announced the signing of Antoine Griezmann on Friday after the Spanish champions paid La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid the 120 million euro ($135 million) release clause required to sign the World Cup winner. "The player will sign a contract with his new club for the next five seasons, through to 30 June 2024, with a buyout clause of 800 million euros," Barca said in a statement. Friday's announcement brings to an end a dispute between the two clubs and Griezmann, who had long aimed to move to the Catalan giants. The 28-year-old failed to show up for his side's pre-season gathering on Sunday after he had announced in May he would be leaving the Wanda Metropolitano, even though he could not reveal his destination until his release clause dropped from 200 million euros to 120 million euros at the start of the month. last week Atletico accused Barcelona and Griezmann of a "lack of respect" after the Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu revealed the two clubs had held talks about the former Real Sociedad forward. Atletico also claimed that Griezmann had told the club that he had struck a deal with Barcelona in March, just days before the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Juventus, which saw them dumped out by a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick after winning the first leg 2-0 in Madrid. Griezmann joined Atletico in 2014 and has scored 133 goals in 257 appearances, lifting the Europa League in 2018. He won the Golden Boot at Euro 2016 when France were beaten in the final on home soil by Portugal before helping to guide his team to World Cup triumph in Russia last year. The sale of Griezmann comes after Atletico stumped up a whopping 126 million euros to sign rising star Joao Felix from Benfica last week, making the 19-year-old one of the five most expensive players in history. The fee was a record paid by the capital club and the highest ever received by a Portuguese outfit, and the inevitable sale of Griezmann helps finance such a huge transfer for a young player. Felix burst onto the scene last season, scoring 20 times and making 11 assists in all competitions for Benfica as they won the Primeira Liga and reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League. On Friday Atletico also unveiled Felix's former Benfica teammate Ivan Saponjic, the 20-year-old arriving after signing a three-year deal with the Spanish club.


Couldn't catch the latest high school softball matchups in and around Boston? Here are local girls varsity softball outcomes from the past week, powered by data from high school sports leader MaxPreps . (Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Details like game dates, times, scores and team records are based on data provided by MaxPreps and may be subject to change; the latest up-to-date information is available at the links below.) Saint Joseph Prep cruises past Maimonides On Tuesday, May 28, the Brookline Maimonides M-Cats lost to the Brighton Saint Joseph Prep Phoenix by a score of 9-0 at home. This continued a two-game losing streak for the M-cats, whose record fell again on Tuesday to 0-6. Saint Joseph Prep's record rose to 8-6. Boston Latin edges out Newton South On Wednesday, May 29, the Boston Latin Wolfpack traveled to Newton to face off against the Newton South Lions . The Wolfpack edged out the Lions to claim a 7-6 win . The loss brought Newton South's conference record to 5-9, while Boston Latin's record rose to 5-4. Notre Dame Cristo Rey cruises past Cristo Rey On Friday, the Cristo Rey girls team traveled to Lawrence to face off against the Notre Dame Cristo Rey girls team . The Notre Dame Cristo Rey girls walked away with the win , beating the Cristo Rey team soundly, 25-10. This story was created automatically using local sports data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


For his role in a bench clearing incident in Monday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Atlanta Braves third baseman Josh Donaldson has been suspended for one game. Donaldson will appeal the suspension. #Braves 3B Josh Donaldson got a 1-game suspension for his part in the Monday contretemps with Pirates pitcher Joe Musgrove, who was not suspended. Donaldson appealed the suspension and will play tonight.   David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) June 11, 2019 This really is surprising. While ejecting both Donaldson and Pittsburgh pitcher Joe Musgrove from Monday's game was controversial, it can be defended from two perspectives. First, it was a spur of the moment decision. Second, if nothing else that could be defended as the umpires trying to be sure that a bean ball war didn't break out in the first inning of a game. But suspending Donaldson a day later for that? This was little more than an average MLB bench clearing incident. Donaldson did shove Pirates catcher Elias Diaz, but that was really the extent of it. That would have been worth a fine. With nothing prior to go off of and no punches being thrown, a suspension feels like a dramatic overreaction. Related slideshow: 2019 MLB season (Provided by imagn)


Jets receiver Quincy Enunwa injured his groin during Tuesday's practice, Dennis Waszak of the Associated Press reports. Enunwa will undergo medical testing to determine the severity. Coach Adam Gase did not seem concerned, but Enunwa could miss the preseason opener Thursday against the Giants. "He was trying to go back in practice," Gase said, via Waszak. "I think we're just making sure that he's OK, so that's what they have to do. I don't want to make it more alarming than what it is." Defensive lineman Leonard Williams missed his second consecutive practice with a hip injury. Williams rehabbed on an anti-gravity treadmill Tuesday. "I think he'll be all right next week," Gase said, adding that Williams had an MRI. "Yeah, they've done all the stuff they need to do. We're just being slow. He's just kind of sore, and we're just being smart with him."


The Redskins held rookie mini-camp Friday and Saturday, and gave everyone their first look at the new guys. First round QB Dwayne Haskins drew a big crowd at practice yesterday. He connected with fellow rookies Terry McLaurin and Kelvin Harmon , along with other new faces. Washington invited 44 players to camp, and reportedly signed one. Here are all the pictures, videos, news, and more from this weekend's camp. Rookie tryout players: #Redskins will host 44 tryout players this weekend. Full list of rookie minicamp participants ⬇⬇⬇ https://t.co/CQIcITfOoB pic.twitter.com/20txxfS4D9   Washington Redskins (@Redskins) May 10, 2019 Reggie Bain , OL, Florida Atlantic Tanner Balderree , TE, BYU Jonathan Bonner , DL, Notre Dame Taiwan Deal , RB, Wisconsin Dylan Donahue , LB, West Georgia Vaughnte Dorsey , S, Texas Tech Kendrick Edwards , WR, Arkansas State Victor Evans , LB, Mississippi Drew Ferris , LS, Florida Wesley Fields , RB, Georgia Southern Jerald Foster , OL, Nebraska Devin Fuller , WR, UCLA Youhanna Ghaifan , DL, Wyoming Rashad Greene , WR, Florida State Tyler Green , CB, Lindenwood Deion Harris, CB, North Dakota Corbin Jackson, S, Liberty Sami Kassem , OL, Toledo Isaiah Langley , CB, USC Don Liotine, RB, Stony Brook Austin Maloata , DL, Austin Peay Tre McBride , WR, William & Mary Vinny Mihota , DL, Virginia Tech Odell Miller , OL, Western Michigan Quentin Moon, LB, Western Illinois Jamar Morris, TE, NW Oklahoma State Ali Mourtada, K, Assumption Brandon Murphy , OL, Memphis Vinny Papale, WR, Delaware Jerry Powe, LB, Lafayette Jordan Powell, CB, Widener Terronne Prescod , OL, North Carolina State Craig Reynolds, RB, Kutztown Zach Roberts , LS, Lamar Ed Roll, S, UNC Charlotte Yannis Routsas , P, Texas-San Antonio Kamilo Tongamoa , DL, Iowa State Chris Turner , CB, Charleston (WV) Eli Walker , S, Kansas State Keenan Walker , OL, Independence JC Aca'Cedric Ware, RB, USC Toby Weathersby , OL, LSU Aaron Williams , S, Nebraska Michael Wristen, LB, Colorado State-Pueblo "A lot of guys recognize him as the 'Invincible' guy...but at the end of the day, he's just my dad." Vinny Papale, one of 44 #Redskins tryouts, is looking to create his own legacy. https://t.co/E9rtf3cGTs pic.twitter.com/IG2I1J4VDi   Washington Redskins (@Redskins) May 11, 2019 Former Jets' LB Dylan Donahue, whom the NFL has reinstated after he drove the wrong way in the Lincoln tunnel and got a DWI, just finished tryouts with the Raiders and Redskins as he tries to return to the league. Donahue last played for the AAF's Atlanta team.   Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 11, 2019 Rookie numbers assigned: Rookie Jersey Numbers 0⃣7⃣ Dwayne Haskins 1⃣3⃣ Kelvin Harmon 1⃣7⃣ Terry McLaurin 2⃣3⃣ Bryce Love 2⃣5⃣ Jimmy Moreland 5⃣7⃣ Cole Holcomb 7⃣2⃣ Ross Pierschbacher 7⃣8⃣ Wes Martin 9⃣0⃣ Montez Sweat 9⃣5⃣ Jordan Brailford *subject to change https://t.co/DwLSPBUX09 pic.twitter.com/1Vt6pmLMVb   Washington Redskins (@Redskins) May 10, 2019 Day 1 Practice: WATCH LIVE: First day of 2019 Redskins rookie minicamp https://t.co/84m1QKN6Ab   Washington Redskins (@Redskins) May 10, 2019 1 pic.twitter.com/TqYWHYIjVz   Paul Conner (@P_ConnerJr) May 10, 2019 2 pic.twitter.com/0fJ0By604d   Paul Conner (@P_ConnerJr) May 10, 2019 3 pic.twitter.com/gvgbAe8icj   Paul Conner (@P_ConnerJr) May 10, 2019 4 pic.twitter.com/ku14jkNw6R   Paul Conner (@P_ConnerJr) May 10, 2019 5 pic.twitter.com/nH5J1qy0XU   Paul Conner (@P_ConnerJr) May 10, 2019 6 pic.twitter.com/6LITFSVVDn   Paul Conner (@P_ConnerJr) May 10, 2019 . @dh_simba7 airing it out to @Wide_Receiver3 . #HTTR pic.twitter.com/g4wUMibPGX   Washington Redskins (@Redskins) May 10, 2019 7 watching 7 @Theismann7 | @dh_simba7 pic.twitter.com/yad7Rrm7LW   Washington Redskins (@Redskins) May 10, 2019 Let's do it again today. #HTTR pic.twitter.com/MHzJ5T7wVX   Washington Redskins (@Redskins) May 11, 2019 Jim Tomsula is already in midseason form. pic.twitter.com/16yBjhQhRp   Jake Russell (@_JakeRussell) May 10, 2019 Gonna make you sweat #HTTR | @_sweat9 pic.twitter.com/ecbvnllgCY   Washington Redskins (@Redskins) May 10, 2019 First day on the job ✅ #HTTR https://t.co/BVR2pbQob6 pic.twitter.com/9DXNVDMwUG   Washington Redskins (@Redskins) May 10, 2019 Rookie Minicamp Day 1 #HTTR pic.twitter.com/pJ5DcOTb2I   Washington Redskins (@Redskins) May 10, 2019 Transactions: The Redskins waived UDFA TE Kano Dillon today - find out why #FireBruceAllen https://t.co/fkMwSxv7zs   Hogs Haven (@HogsHaven) May 11, 2019 Day 2 Practice: Dwayne Haskins stretching... it begins. pic.twitter.com/A120zfxyfK   John Keim (@john_keim) May 11, 2019 There is an absurd amount of media here for #Redskins training camp. All eyes and cameras on this guy. (Haskins, not Jay) pic.twitter.com/zvaHbpome6   Craig Hoffman (@CraigHoffman) May 11, 2019 Here's JMU's Jimmy Moreland. I hate to be that guy, but this ball is definitely not regulation size. pic.twitter.com/iM4NCZ8i9p   michael phillips (@michaelpRTD) May 11, 2019 Here is video of Dwayne Haskins throwing a football. pic.twitter.com/jSlXb18BNv   Craig Hoffman (@CraigHoffman) May 11, 2019 The Ohio State connection. pic.twitter.com/m5TVkSFZiP   michael phillips (@michaelpRTD) May 11, 2019 Qb-Wr drills #Redskins pic.twitter.com/aBRxhCdlxU   Kareem Copeland (@kareemcopeland) May 11, 2019 Here's one for the haters. pic.twitter.com/mpqP3YRON4   michael phillips (@michaelpRTD) May 11, 2019 Here's returning WR Darvin Kidsy pic.twitter.com/V1Djmojk8g   michael phillips (@michaelpRTD) May 11, 2019 Here's another Darvin Kidsy special. pic.twitter.com/3W58nX355w   michael phillips (@michaelpRTD) May 11, 2019 This Haskins throw drew praise from Gruden pic.twitter.com/g8NQ0rZrhD   John Keim (@john_keim) May 11, 2019 Haskins and McLaurin clearly have an established connection. Which you'd expect. Can tell he's still getting used to the other WRs, but those two already had a couple good moments in 1 on 1. #redskins pic.twitter.com/jOSSngPc71   Kareem Copeland (@kareemcopeland) May 11, 2019 Dwayne Haskins, Jr. to Steven Sims, Jr. at Skins rookie camp. This was pretty. pic.twitter.com/RhIn1S8ODl   Brian McNally (@bmcnally14) May 11, 2019 I've seen this combination before: Haskins to McLaurin. #buckeyes pic.twitter.com/dyHzLfHPsr   John Keim (@john_keim) May 11, 2019 These matchups between @Wide_Receiver3 and @iv_jimmy are going to be fun. #HTTR pic.twitter.com/5F5KZDpdai   Washington Redskins (@Redskins) May 11, 2019 Montez Sweat. Unblockable. pic.twitter.com/h0nzppaArT   Ben Standig (@BenStandig) May 11, 2019 I love that Bill Callahan is having Pierschbacher and Martin work together all day. Wes Martin has really quick feet #Redskins pic.twitter.com/Xul0PWTcX1   Mitchell Tischler (@Mitch_Tischler) May 11, 2019 And right on cue vs. 7th round pick Jordan Brailford he wins with ease #Redskins pic.twitter.com/qrIwQybyJ9   Mitchell Tischler (@Mitch_Tischler) May 11, 2019 Chidi Okeke showed out today and I'm excited to see what he can do against the vets in the upcoming weeks/months #Redskins https://t.co/1JdJM6DBRO   Mitchell Tischler (@Mitch_Tischler) May 11, 2019 Build through the trenches. #HTTR pic.twitter.com/om5MMDl4UL   Washington Redskins (@Redskins) May 11, 2019 Rookie Minicamp Day 2 #HTTR pic.twitter.com/KNbFUNZDYB   Washington Redskins (@Redskins) May 11, 2019 Here are 14 bullet-points (I counted to be sure) on Saturday's minicamp practice. Check it out for notes on Haskins, Sweat, McLaurin, Harmon and Rob Freakin Ryan https://t.co/pc2gEXOK6X   Pete Hailey (@PeteHaileyNBCS) May 11, 2019 Redskins rookie camp observations: Haskins and McLaurin pick up where they left off at Ohio State: https://t.co/CPrDUCyItf   michael phillips (@michaelpRTD) May 11, 2019 Every day get better. #HTTR https://t.co/kSCweOwCh5 pic.twitter.com/hZEUV7sgbT   Washington Redskins (@Redskins) May 11, 2019 Dwayne Haskins draws a crowd during his first Redskins minicamp https://t.co/z2RF5SOSIB   The Insider (@Insider) May 11, 2019 Haskins turning heads at Redskins minicamp https://t.co/lROPOd5Bbp   John Keim (@john_keim) May 11, 2019 Transactions: #Redskins add another FCS CB to their defensive-backfield by signing North Dakota @UNDfootball CB Deion Harris (joining Danny Johnson (Southern) & Jimmy Moreland (JMU). When healthy, Harris was one of the top defensive players in the country. Watch out for him in Washington. https://t.co/L4qSfuVHRg   Christian Shanafelt (@ChrisShanafelt) May 12, 2019 More Tryouts: Redskins, USC TE Tyler Petite is coming in to work out Tuesday per source. Petite coming directly from Broncos Minicamp. 6-4, 250. 48 recs 608 yards (12.7 avg) with 6 career TDs. #redskins   Chick Hernandez (@MrChickSports) May 12, 2019


The Cuban bay is best known as being home to the notorious US military prison. But residents there don't like talk about the prison. Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is known as being home to the US military detention camp accused of perpetrating human-rights abuses on prisoners. But life on the US naval base, surprisingly, resembles an American suburban town, and residents there don't like talking about the prison, journalist Sarah Mirk said. It even has a souvenir shop that sells T-shirts, beer koozies, Frisbee discs, and mugs with "Straight Outta GTMO" written on them. Take a look at what the gift shop looks like now in these photos taken by journalist Sarah Mirk . She visited the store in April and is currently writing a book about the base. Welcome to southwestern Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, an island that's home to a US naval base and notorious high-security detention camp. The gift store and military prison are about 4.5 miles away from each other. Surrounding the gift shop   which is operated by the US Navy Exchange   are a number of familiar outlets, like Subway and McDonald's. The Navy Exchange is a retail store owned and operated by the US Navy, which Mirk described as a "big everything-you-need store you'll find on any Naval base." There you can find multiple mini marts and a car rental service, according to the Navy Exchange website . The base is home to about 6,000 people, which includes members of the US Navy, the 40 prisoners in the detention camp, and the 1,800 troops and contractors that operate it. The 40 prisoners were detained in the camp under former President George W Bush's "war on terror." Former President Barack Obama signed an order in 2009 ordering the transfer or prosecution of the remaining inmates, and the closure of the camp "no later than one year" afterward. Ten years later, this hasn't happened. The camp remains in use today. Source: Miami Herald , Office of the Federal Register But the people who live on the base have a fairly normal, almost suburban life. "Nobody likes talking about the prison. Illegal detention operations are the big elephant in the room," Mirk told Business Insider. The prison is located far away from the base and most people aren't allowed to go there, Mirk said, "so it feels like 'out of sight, out of mind.'" According to The New York Times , the base hosts outdoor movie nights, weekly flamenco lessons, a kickball league, and even a yearly marathon. "I was repeatedly struck by how something resembling suburban American life played out beside a detention system so un-American that it has intentionally been kept off American soil," Times correspondent Dave Philipps said. When Mirk visited the base earlier this year, the local library was hosting an Escape Room   "not ironically," she noted. Here's what the entrance of Guantanamo Bay's Navy Exchange looked like in 2012. The souvenir shop is one part of the complex. The items on sale at the shop range from touristy to downright bizarre. First, here's a shelf of mugs with photos of the bay. Some other mugs have the flags of the US, Cuba, and Jamaica on them   likely representing the countries whose citizens live on the base. More than a third of the residents on the naval base are Jamaicans and Filipinos on contract with the Department of Defense, and who - unlike US sailors - aren't allowed to bring their families, the Miami Herald reported . Most people who work in Guantanamo's shops are actually contract workers from Jamaica and the Philippines, Mirk added. They are paid significantly less than their American counterparts, as can be seen on the Navy's job listings page . Foreign nationals earn $5.90 per hour to be a bartender at the base's O'Kellys Bar , while US citizens earn $10.25 per hour, for example. This mug also references the base as GTMO   the US military's code name for Guantanamo Bay   playing on the 1988 NWA album "Straight Outta Compton." You can also find this graphic on various colors and styles of caps. Elsewhere in the shop, you can also find branded Frisbee-style discs ... ... and even beer koozies. Even though Mirk said most of the base's residents try not to bring up the detention camp, it looks like the shop doesn't mind advertising it. This T-shirt has the words "JTF [Joint Task Force] GTMO Detention Operations" emblazoned on a graphic of barbed wire and security guards. You can also buy hoodies with that wording and graphic in different colors. Less serious T-shirt options are also available. Here's a shirt depicting a shocked-looking minion   from the "Despicable Me" movie franchise   with the words "Guantanamo Bay" on its chin. The shop also sells caps and T-shirts of Mickey and Minnie Mouse ears with the words "Dad" and Mom" on them, with   of course   "Guantanamo Bay" underneath. Kids can also go home with a stuffed, Guantanamo Bay-branded bird... ... or this branded, stuffed lizard-like creature. "The image the items in the gift shop presents is that Guantanamo is a 'fun in the sun, place full of exotic animals and beaches," Mirk said. "That's the image the United States government wants to maintain, too," Mirk added. "That the prison is 'safe, humane, and legal,' and the prisoners aren't having such a bad time on this tropical island."


In football, "deadly" is usually a good thing to be, except when it follows the words "silent" and "but." For the Giants, one player specifically aspires to become deadly, when it comes to getting after quarterbacks. " Deadly pass rusher " is the aspiration for Giants linebacker Lorenzo Carter , a 2018 third-round pick from Georgia. "Length is a plus," Carter said last week, via Paul Schwartz of the New York Post . "It's always better to be long. It's something [defensive coordinator James Bettcher], he always says, 'You're long, don't shrink down, don't try to play smaller than you are. Play long, play explosive.' Explosiveness with length is a deadly thing." With Olivier Vernon gone and the Giants passing on Josh Allen with the sixth overall pick, they need someone else to step up. They hope Carter will. "They didn't get a pass rusher but I didn't look at it like that," Carter said. "I'm looking at me going into Year Two, what steps I need to make to be better. I guess they showed faith but I want to go out there and prove it to myself and prove it to everybody else." "He is rushing with a plan," Bettcher said regarding Carter. "A year ago he was trying to get off the ball as quick as he could and use his hands when he could. Now, you see a guy that is aware of how he wants to rush, aware of techniques that he wants to rush with. Guys that get in there as pass rushers, you see their best growth in the two and three years. You start to figure out what they are as rushers. He is really starting to figure that out. He is building his pass-rush toolbox right now." With a limited toolbox, Carter managed four sacks as a rookie. He'll need to at least double (maybe triple) that in 2019, if he hopes to be known as a "deadly pass rusher."


With all eyes on Tuesday's heavyweight bout between Brazil and Argentina, Chile is pumping its chest as two-time defending Copa America champions, but there's an unexpected feeling of rebirth around the aging squad as well. Alexis Sanchez, who struggled through last season at Manchester United, has suddenly returned to form at the competition with a pair of goals and an assist. According to Chile head coach Reinaldo Rueda, there's one secret ingredient Sanchez is missing at Manchester United which has seen him back to his best this summer. "Love," Rueda tabbed as the special sauce in his pre-match press conference. "In the national team and because of the attention they receive, the players don't want to leave. Despite not playing for their clubs, they come here with commitment and forge a strong group." Rueda pointed to others in the South American competition who struggled at their clubs this season and are experiencing a rebirth at the Copa America. "That's why players like [Barcelona's Philippe] Coutinho, [Real Madrid's] James [Rodriguez], or Alexis, who didn't have a great season, become themselves again with the national team." Midfielder Arturo Vidal is on board with that mentality, motivated not only by the camaraderie among the players and adoration fromt he fans, but the goal in front of them: a historic third straight Copa America. "We want to leave our legacy as triple champions, that's our dream," Vidal said . "That's why we want to play our best match of the Copa against Peru. It would be something historic for us to get to the final and that's our aim." Argentina is the only country to ever win three straight Copa America titles, securing it between 1945-47. Even as Uruguay and Argentina dominated South America in the 1910's, 20's, 30's, and 40's and the competition was held on a more regular basis, it was still difficult to sustain repeated success. As Chile meets a Peru side that held Uruguay off the scoresheet before winning on penalties, the old guard in Sanchez, Vidal, Jean Beausejour , Mauricio Isla and captain Gary Medel   all over the 30-year-old mark   has to continue tapping into its youthful edge to attain a period of domination unmatched in over 70 years. Follow @the_bonnfire


Here's a great story about a French car and bananas: in the late 1950s, French explorers Jacques Seguela and J.C. Baudot were crossing the Atacama desert in Chile in a Citroen 2CV, when one day, their car rattled to a stop because it had lost all its engine oil. A passerby saw them stuck on the road, and gave them a bundle of bananas. With no other options, the two decided to try to use the bananas as lubricant for the engine, and lo and behold, it apparently worked. According to a Dutch Citroën brochure from 1967 , the two explorers were able to travel another 180 miles to safety without issue. In order to test whether bananas actually make a good lubricant, YouTuber Project Farm came up with an experiment: Fill a lawnmower engine with liquified bananas, and see how well it runs for 30 minutes. Project Farm even goes as far as to mix the bananas with water to maintain a similar viscosity as your average motor oil. As you've probably guessed by the title of this article, it doesn't go very well. It takes just over five minutes for the banana juice-filled engine to seize. Though the host is able to get the engine running again by adding water to the solution, it doesn't bode well for the internals: The spark plug is covered in gunk, the cylinder walls have visible marks, and the piston is showing a lot of wear. Compression is down by around 25 percent to where it was when the engine was running with regular oil. Bananas in a 2CV crankcase might make for a great story, but we wouldn't recommend trying this with your car. You'll probably end up doing a fair bit of harm.


Rickie Fowler excels at it. So does Jon Rahm, Scott Piercy, Talor Gooch and Nate Lashley. It's scoring on the par 4s on the PGA Tour, and it's a useful skill to have as the tour moves to Fort Worth for the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club. Being one of the tour's venerable par-70 layouts, Colonial offers a dozen par 4s with five of them measuring 408 yards or less. That's a target-rich environment for players that feast on such holes. Also, in order to win, feast you must do. The past four winners at Colonial have all made 10 or more birdies on the par 4s that week, with an average of 13. Here are the players in the field who, statistically, have the best shot of playing well on the two-shotters, along with the irons they use. Talor Gooch Par-4 Scoring: 3.95 Irons (4): Callaway Apex Pro 19 ; (5-6): Callaway X Forged 18 ; (7-9): Callaway Apex MB; (PW) : Callaway Mack Daddy 4 More and more, tour pros are breaking up their iron sets, employing two and often three different types of irons. Talor Gooch goes a bit further, employing three different kinds of Callaway irons , as well as a 46-degree Callaway Mack Daddy 4 (with 10 degrees bounce) pitching wedge that matches the rest of his wedges instead of having a wedge that matches his iron set. Gooch's shafts are Nippon's N.S. Pro Modus 3 Tour 125 (X-flex). Nate Lashley Par-4 Scoring: 3.96 Irons (4-PW): Ping i210 The Ping i210 irons used by Nate Lashley are the epitome of the modern-day players iron, as it packages plenty of forgiveness and feel in a visually appealing package. With an emphasis on shotmaking, precision and feel (the latter the result of a larger and softer elastomer insert wedged into the back cavity), the iron's larger, wider port for the elastomer yields more perimeter weighting for forgiveness. Also, by tightening the groove spacing on the pitching wedge, the company has achieved more consistent spin. Scott Piercy Par-4 Scoring: 3.96 Irons (4): Titleist 718 AP2 ; (5-PW): Titleist 680 MB Scott Piercy is old school in a number of ways. For starters, he plays a lot. Piercy has played 643 par-4 holes thus far this season, the 11th most on tour, making his 3.96 scoring average on them even more impressive. He also likes Titleist's venerable 680 muscle-back blade irons for the bulk of his iron set. Then there's the gobs of lead tape that adorn the back of those irons, primarily on the low part of the rear of the club, making it easier to get those blades airborne. Finally, he uses True Temper's Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X-100 shaft, a mainstay of True Temper's shaft line for tour players for many years. Jon Rahm Par-4 Scoring: 3.96 Irons (4-PW): TaylorMade P750 You would think a player of Jon Rahm's skill set wouldn't need a lot of help, but the primary reason the Spaniard gravitate toward the company's P750 cavity-back model was its forgiveness factor. "I played musclebacks most of my career because I thought it was cool," Rahm told Golf Digest last year. "But when I tried these irons it was just a lot easier, a lot more comfortable. You know that even if you don't hit it perfect it's still pretty much going to carry the same distance." Rahm's irons have Project X Rifle 6.5 shafts. Rickie Fowler Par-4 Scoring: 3.96 Irons (4-PW): Cobra King Forged MB Rickie Fowler has used his Cobra King Forged MB irons for some time, however Fowler made a significant shaft change to them right before this year's Masters. Feeling he needed more spin on his iron shots downwind (in order to create consistent distances when playing with the breeze), Cobra's tour rep built Fowler a set with True Temper's Dynamic Gold S400 shafts (Fowler had used KBS' C-Taper Tour 125 S+ since 2015). The shafts were "soft-stepped" (soft-stepping is changing the flex profile of a shaft by taking the shaft for one club and putting it in another, for example a 6-iron shaft in a 7-iron). Fowler, whose iron shafts are a half-inch shorter than standard, saw an immediate difference and put the new shafts in play. See the video.


Updated: 4/6/2019 Real Madrid have confirmed the permanent signing of Luka Jovic, the striker signing a deal until 2025. The lethal forward killed it at Eintracht Frankfurt, scoring 17 goals and contributing a further five assists in 32 Bundesliga appearances. With Los Blancos announcing the deal, here are a few things you need to know about the Serbian... Jovic enjoyed a decent first season with Frankfurt, scoring nine goals in all competitions, but he burst into life in 2018/19. He ended the... Joint Third Top Scorer in the 2018/19 Bundesliga Jovic enjoyed a decent first season with Frankfurt, scoring nine goals in all competitions, but he burst into life in 2018/19. He ended the Bundesliga season with 17 goals, five behind top scorer Robert Lewandowski, and managed ten in the Europa League before Frankfurt's elimination by Chelsea in the semi finals. Attack-minded manager Adi Hutter liberated Jovic, allowing him to roam freely and express himself up top. If Zidane gives him the same licence at the Bernabeu, Real could have a legend on their hands. Youngest Player to Score Five Bundesliga Goals in One Match Jovic has made a bit of a habit out of breaking records. He stole the show back in October when Frankfurt hosted Fortuna Dusseldorf, scoring five goals as his side romped to a 7-1 win. He became the youngest player in the Bundesliga to achieve that feat; whilst also narrowly missing out on equalling Gerd Muller's all time Bundesliga record of six goals in a single game. The shirt Jovic was wearing that night has already been placed in the club museum, which may be a little over the top. Prolific at International Youth Level Goals seem to come rather naturally for Jovic, as proven by his track record at international youth level. He's represented Serbia at five separate levels, scoring 44 goals in a combined total of 59 appearances, which is nothing to be sniffed at. His performances during the 2017/18 season were also enough to book him a place in Serbia's 23-man squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where he made an appearance off the bench against Brazil in his country's final group match. Models Himself on Radamel Falcao Red Star general director Zvezdan Terzic previously claimed that Jovic could become the 'Serbian Radamel Falcao'. That's high praise, especially as Falcao happens to be Jovic's role model. Comparisons like that should always be taken with a pinch of salt, but given that fact that Jovic is now scoring goals for fun in Germany, it is easy to see why he was so highly rated. Here's hoping that he's trying to replicate Falcao during his prime at Atletico Madrid...rather than the Colombian's disastrous spells at Manchester United and Chelsea. Was On Loan at Eintracht Frankfurt From Benfica Red Star sold Jovic to Benfica, but the Serbian failed to make any sort of impact in Lisbon. He was behind Jonas, Raul Jimenez and Kostas Mitroglou in the pecking order, which meant first team opportunities were hard to come by during the 2016/17 season. One of his only chances to start for Benfica was also wasted when he was spotted at a night club just two days before a match. One year and four appearances later, Benfica opted to ship Jovic out on a two-year loan deal to Eintracht Frankfurt. Made His Professional Debut Aged 16 Jovic began his career with Red Star Belgrade and it's fair to say he had an immediate impact. He made his debut in 2014, coming on as a substitute against FK Vojvodina aged just 16 years old. He went on to create history, scoring a late equaliser to become the club's youngest ever goalscorer, sparking a Serbian media frenzy in the process. Financial issues forced Red Star to sell Jovic in 2016, but not before he registered a further 12 goals and four assists two years - not bad for a teenager.