This is starting to sound like a broken record. Scratch that. It is a broken record. The lyrics go something like this: "The St. Louis Blues need to stop letting the Boston Bruins have their way with them on the power play. They need to stop taking bad penalties to prevent the former. They need to stop shooting themselves in the foot, killing momentum gained by handing the Bruins the keys to turning the game around." These aren't seminal lyrics in music history by any means. It's certainly no Gloria , either. But it's the sad song the Blues will be singing all summer long if they can't stop Boston's madness. Craig Berube must feel like he's talking to a wall, assuming he's spoken to his team about this crucial issue in the Stanley Cup Final. That is, of course, if he hasn't obliterated the wall with his head already. "We know they have a dangerous power play and we've been flirting with danger all series," he said following the game. It happened in Game 1 . In Game 2, they allowed five power plays and one goal, but it was downplayed by the fact they won the game and stopped Boston from scoring anymore. And then it steamrolled into Game 3, as the Bluenotes had none of their Game 2, penalty-killing magic left to spare. [ NBC 2019 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB ] You won't be surprised, then, that the outcome was identical on Saturday night at Enterprise Center. The Blues giveth and the Bruins tooketh   handily   snatching a 2-1 series lead after the Bruins went 4-for-4, on four shots, in a 7-2 win . "They got the power-play goal that gave them momentum, for sure," Berube said. "We had trouble breaking the puck out of our own end for a little bit that caused some issues." It's not just that the goals are coming, either. That's a massive issue, but the ferocity of Boston's power play was on full display. Boston's four power-play markers came 21, 51, 31 and 23 seconds into their respective power plays. The quickness of the strikes is stunning. Berube lamented a couple of the goals that were deflected, most notable Patrice Bergeron 's goal that gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead. "We've got to be better. The penalty kill has got to be better," Berube said. "We do have to limit the penalties. We know they have a dangerous power play. We've been flirting with danger the whole series and it burnt us. But in saying that, we've got to do a better job killing them tonight. We didn't it. That's why they won the hockey game." The Bruins have now equaled a franchise record for consecutive games (7) with at least one power-play goal (done on three other occasions, most recently in 1991) and their 23 goals thus far in the playoffs is one off their franchise mark in a single playoff run (1991). They're 6-for-14 in the series (43 percent), after coming into the series operating at 34 percent. "They were shooting the puck from the top a lot more," Ryan O'Reilly said of Boston's adjustment after Game 2. "I think we might read it a bit better and collapse and just be ready for that. I think they a couple times caught off guard with that shot and broke us down from there." It's not just the Blues who have fallen victim to Boston's nasty power play, but they're letting the Stanley Cup slip out of their hands at the moment with their lack of answers. Having a bad penalty kill is debilitating enough, but pairing that with a terrible power play of their own is damn close to flatlining. The Blues went 1-for-5 in Game 3, which was an improvement on their 0-for-3 Game 2 and 0-for-2 Game 1. Progress? Recent history might suggest the Blues start slow with the man-advantage and find their way as a series ages. They were 0-for-6 in the first two games of the Western Conference Final against the San Jose Sharks but finished the final four games with five goals on 15 attempts. That said, the Blues were 2-for-22 in their series against the Stars, so a longer look just reinforces a bad trend. You can dig for silver linings on your own time. The fact remains the Blues need to be better at both ends of the rink, up a man or down one (or get lucky like they did in Game 2). And it's not like that Game 2 well was overflowing to begin with. Game 4 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final airs on NBC at 8 p.m. ET on Monday ( stream here) . Scott Billeck is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports . Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @scottbilleck Perhaos


After benefitting from several controversial calls this postseason, Peter DeBoer didn't like that his people were calling his team lucky. But the Sharks coach may be hoping that luck hasn't completely abandoned his team. San Jose was dominated in a 5 0 Game 5 loss to the Blues, but even more concerning was the number of significant players who were injured. Erik Karlsson, Joe Pavelski and Tomas Hertl all went to the locker room early. Joonas Donskoi left in the third after taking a puck to the mouth, but returned in the final minutes of the game. RELATED: Blues win Karlsson ended Game 4 in a lot of pain after seemingly aggravating a groin injury, but played more than seven minutes in the first period on Sunday. He was caught on camera several times wincing and played just three minutes in the second period. He wasn't on the bench at all in the third. Hertl who took a hit to the head from Ivan Barbashev in the first was also missing from the bench at the start of the third. Pavelski joined them shortly after the third started, taking a big hit from Alex Pietrangelo in the opening minutes of the final frame. Lost in the sea of battered Sharks was Jaden Schwartz's hat trick, his second of the playoffs. Schwartz now has 12 goals this postseason, passing his regular-season total of 11. The game got off to a rough start for Karlsson, who had an errant pass bounce right to Oskar Sundqvist for a one-timer to get the scoring started. Another misplay early in the second period proved costly when Martin Jones poke checked a shot straight to Schwartz's stick to easily score his first goal of the game. Vladimir Tarasenko was granted a penalty shot a few minutes later after Brent Burns tripped him up on a breakaway chance. Tarasenko didn't do anything fancy, but his quick shot glove side proved too lethal for Jones. Schwartz scored early in the third period on a two-man advantage when Barclay Goodrow and Michael Haley were each handed minor penalties. Later on, Haley was given a game misconduct for going after Pietrangelo. There was a point midway through the period when just eight Sharks players sat on the bench, as five were in the locker room and two in the penalty box. Schwartz scored his final goal with less than four minutes left. Whether DeBoer believes in luck or not, it appears as though his might be running out. The Sharks will look to recover in St. Louis on Tuesday to force a Game 7 for the third straight series, but they could be without several important players. Even if those injured on Sunday are good enough to play on Tuesday, it's very likely that they won't be at 100%. Meanwhile, the Game 5 victory gave rookie goaltender Jordan Binnington his first shutout of the postseason and improved the Blues' record on the road to 7-2 this postseason. St. Louis is now just a win away from its first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 1970, with the Bruins being its foe then as well. Related slideshow: Best of 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs (provided by imagn)


Hellcat all the things! A Hellcat-swapped Jeep Gladiator was inevitable. Back in April we learned straight from Jeep executives that the 707-horsepower (527-kilowatt) fits in the engine bay, but leaves little room for airflow or effective crumple zones, hence why it's unlikely to ever become a factory option. A two-door Gladiator truck from Jeep is also highly doubtful, simply because such models don't sell nearly as well as four-door variants. Still, a two-door Hellcat Gladiator could be epic, and California-based Dynatrac isn't waiting for Jeep to make it happen. Say hello to the Codex project. Glad for the Gladiator: Jeep Gladiator Gets 1970s Makeover And It Looks Awesome 2019 Jeep Easter Safari Concepts Show Off Gladiator's Coolness Dynatrac already has a reputation for creating some killer custom Jeeps, but this Gladiator build is far more than just a suspension lift and axle swap. In fact, those aspects haven't even arrived just yet   the first phase was only recently completed and as you can see from Dynatrac's YouTube clip above, it wasn't an easy task. The company sought help from Michigan-based America's Most Wanted 4x4, where the brand-new truck was literally cut in half. The video here talks a bit about that. This first phase took about a week, but instead of throwing the Gladiator on a trailer to haul it west, Dynatrac is driving the rig cross-country. And with a fresh Hellcat under the hood there was only one way the journey could begin   with a burnout and cool drift while exiting the parking lot, giving us an early glimpse at how this two-door Gladiator will look. And you know what? We really like what we see so far. Once back at the company's Southern California facility, additional work will commence aimed at turning this already custom ride into a Baja-themed overlander. We can't wait to see what else is coming for this bonkers build. Source: Dynatrac , YouTube via Mopar Insiders


Recently released by the 49ers, Niles Paul will no longer pursue a ninth NFL season. The free-agent tight end announced his retirement on Tuesday via Instagram . Paul signed with the 49ers in July but was quickly cut. Citing the toll football has taken on his body, the 29-year-old pass catcher will move on from the league. "I was quickly reminded how taxing this game can be after only spending a week in camp," Paul wrote. "Now it's time to start listening to my body. There is no doubt in my mind that I'm still able to compete and make a 53 man roster somewhere but I'm not sure my body can handle it anymore." Mostly known for his lengthy run with the Redskins, Paul finished his career with 78 receptions for 954 yards and two touchdowns. The former Nebraska wide receiver spent seven seasons in Washington, being converted to tight end early in his career. By far Paul's best season came in 2014, when he caught 39 passes for 507 yards. That earned him a three-year Redskins deal. Paul, however, dealt with injuries in the years that followed. He missed all of 2015 and returned to Washington's IR list in November 2016. While Paul spent all of 2017 on the Redskins' active roster, the Jaguars placed him on IR in 2018 before releasing him.


LONDON (Reuters) - Simona Halep barely put a foot wrong as she became the first Romanian woman to reach a Wimbledon singles final with a composed 6-1 6-3 win over Ukrainian eighth seed Elina Svitolina on Thursday. Halep had reached the last four without facing a seed and had been expected to be severely tested in the semi-final considering she had lost four of her seven meetings against Svitolina. When the players gave each other the run around during the opening two games, which dragged on for 20 minutes as both refused to give an inch, it seemed like a classic was in the offing. But Svitolina failed to hold her serve even once during the opening set and it was all over in just 73 minutes when the Ukrainian smacked a backhand into the net. Halep awaits the winner of the second semi-final between seven-times Wimbledon champion Serena Williams and Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic. (Reporting by Pritha Sarkar, editing by Toby Davis) Related slideshow: Best of 2019 Wimbledon (Provided by imagn)


Researchers have discovered that more than 1,000 Android apps harvest your data , even when you tell them no. This is an eye-opening thought at a time when companies such as Facebook , Google and Amazon are under the microscope for their privacy and security policies . Studies have shown that apps with no permissions are able to piggyback on other apps you've given permissions to. According to the researchers' findings, these apps can even gather data from your Wi-Fi connections. If you've seen ads on apps or in your browser for items you looked up in a completely different app, you might have spotted some of this data-harvesting at work. Google addresses the privacy issue in Android Q , its OS update for Android phones , which is coming later this year. If you're feeling helpless that denying apps permission to your data doesn't seem to make a difference, we're right there with you. But there are still some things you can do to make it harder for apps to see information you don't want them to. Only give apps permission to access data that makes sense The apps you download may ask for permission to access your calendar, camera, contacts, location, microphone, phone, SMS, storage and sensors. Some permissions are necessary for the app to function. If it's a mapping app, then sure, location data comes with the territory. If it's a word game asking for your location, maybe just say no. The problem comes when apps ask for permission to parts of your phone that you don't want to grant, or that they don't need. For example, if you give apps access to your microphone, it's possible they are listening in , so be aware of what you're giving them access to. By denying permissions, you can prevent apps from ever seeing your data in the first place. If it turns out that the app won't work unless you give it access, you can still decide to give it permission. But getting into the habit of scrutinizing your app permissions will make you more aware of what apps are doing with your phone. Enable or disable app permissions one by one If you install an app with all permissions disabled, you can still turn on the ones you want individually in the settings. 1. Go to your Android phone's Settings app. 2. Tap on Apps or Application Manager . 3. Select the app that you want to change by tapping Permissions . 4. From here, you can choose which permissions to turn on and off, like your microphone and camera. Scan for viruses and other flaws Google Play Protect scans all of your apps to identify any that are potentially dangerous. Even the most trusted apps can develop flaws that hackers can exploit, so it's a good idea to scan the apps on your phone periodically to ensure your apps are safe. 1. Go to your Android phone's Settings app. 2. Tap Security . 3. Select Google Play Protect . From here, you'll see all of the apps that have been scanned and if any are suspect. If so, you'll want to take steps to immediately stop using those apps and get them off your phone. Turn off your location settings A large amount of tracking comes from your location settings, so it's best to turn this setting off. 1. Go to your Android phone's Settings app. 2. Tap Location . 3. Select Google Location Settings . 4. Slide the toggle switch off for Location Reporting and Location History . 5. You can go a step further by deleting all of your location history. 6. If you need location enabled, you can manually toggle it on, and turn it off again when you're done. Turn off location data in your photos 1. Go to your Android phone's Photos app. 2. Tap the menu and select Settings . 3. Tap Remove geo location . 4. You can also turn off an individual photo's location in the Photos app by opening the photo, clicking the three stacked dots, select Info and choose No location . (Or go into a submenu beneath the map and click Remove Location .) Read more: Don't let your smartphone track you


As NFL teams make their preparations for training camps, we're keeping tabs on which teams have the most practices open to the public   and which teams are restricting access. Here's a look at how many open practices are being held by each of the teams that have announced their training camp schedules: 20*: Cowboys . 19: Broncos . 16: Vikings , Colts , Packers . 15: Browns , Panthers , Ravens , Steelers . 14: Cardinals . 13: Chargers . 12: Seahawks . 10: Giants , Bengals . 11: Buccaneers 9: Bears , Bills . 8: Falcons . 7: Rams . 5: Jets . 1: Eagles . *   The Cowboys have announced 15 open training camp practices in Oxnard, California. They also will have open practices at their home training facility when they return, and though they have not announced the dates, they are expected to have an additional five in Frisco, Texas.


This Stacker slideshow features a chronological timeline of LGBTQ+ history prior to the Stonewall Riots. The gallery is in honor of the 50th anniversary of the historic protests, which occurred on June 28, 1969. LGBTQ history before Stonewall June is Pride Month, a celebration that occurs every summer and includes festivals, parades, lectures, speeches, and community events dedicated to celebrating the queer community . The goal is to honor gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, non-binary, gender non-conforming, and other members of the LGBTQ+ community, spreading tolerance, education, awareness and most of all, pride. The history of the celebration dates back to June 2, 2000, when President Bill Clinton declared it "Gay and Lesbian Pride Month" in honor of the Stonewall Riots, a series of demonstrations that took place in New York City on June 28, 1969. Prior to that, "LGBT History Month" had occurred in October in conjunction with National Coming Out Day since 1994. This year is a particularly special one for Pride Month because it marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots . The famous impromptu demonstrations, which occurred after a nighttime police raid at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, lasted several days. They are typically pointed to by historians as the beginning of the modern Gay Liberation Movement. Soon after, the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) was formed, joining the many gay activist organizations that had been springing up in previous decades. From there, the movement caught fire and spread rapidly: "These events catalyzed lesbian women, gay men, and bisexual and transgender people to unite in a nationwide movement to seek equal rights for all people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity," reads an excerpt from the Stonewall National Monument website. Earlier this month, New York City's police commissioner apologized for the raid 50 years ago that prompted the riots, saying that "the actions taken by the NYPD were wrong." Seymour Pine, the officer who led the raid never formally apologized for the incident during his lifetime, but after his 2010 death, The New York Times reported that he had, in fact, apologized spontaneously at an event six years earlier. In honor of the historic protests, Stacker has put together a slideshow featuring a chronological timeline of LGBTQ+ history leading up to them, beginning with prehistoric events and ending in the late 1960s, just before the events in Lower Manhattan. As you scroll through the slides, keep in mind that LGBTQ+ is a relatively new term and, while queer people have always existed, the terminology has changed frequently over the years. In an effort to avoid being anachronistic and to accurately describe the experiences of these historical figures, we have chosen in some instances to use the terminology of the time. You may also like: Looking back at 50 years of pride festivals *** A note to MSN readers : In honor of Pride Month, Microsoft News is celebrating LGBTQI+ inclusion and support for legal protections and equal rights around the world. You can take action by making a donation to The Trevor Project , the world's largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning young people under 25. Learn more about Microsoft's Pride initiative and other ways you can get involved here . Continue reading>> 2900 2500 B.C.: First record of a transgender person Although rock art dating as far back as 9,600 depicts what some scholars have interpreted as homosexual love scenes, one of the first sets of skeletal remains of an LGBTQ+ person was a body thought to be a transgender woman discovered in 2011. The archaeological remains, which were found outside Prague, were of a skeleton that was assigned male at birth but arranged in a burial ritual that was reserved strictly for women.  We believe this is one of the earliest cases of what could be described as a transsexual or third gender grave in the Czech Republic,  archaeologist Katerina Semradova said at a press conference. 2400 B.C.: Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep are buried together Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep were ancient manicurists who worked for the royal court in a city called Saqqara, Egypt around 2400 B.C. In 1964, archaeologists unearthed a joint tomb in which the men were buried face to face in the same fashion that many married couples at the time were. Although the site is called the Tomb of the Brothers, and there is debate as to its significance, many historians have interpreted it as evidence of early gay relationships "Same-sex desire existed just behind the ideal facade constructed by the ancients," said Egyptologist Greg Reeder in a 1998 speech in Dallas. 630 612 B.C.: Sappho the poet is born The lesbian poet Sappho, who hailed from the island of Lesbos (the root of the word lesbian), was born sometime between 630 and 621 B.C. Though her sexuality has been an ongoing subject of debate, she wrote commonly about seemingly lesbian desires, and her only complete surviving poem, "Ode to Aphrodite," features the female speaker begging the goddess of love to help her get over her unrequited love for a woman. 27 B.C.: First recorded same-sex marriage under Roman Empire In 27 B.C. Augustus established the Roman Empire under which the first recorded same-sex marriage ceremony reportedly took place. At this time, laws around homosexuality were also formed among them that gay prostitution would be legal, but taxed. A couple of decades later, when Nero became emperor, he married two different men, according to historians: one of whom Nero allegedly dressed in the clothing of one of Caesar's wives and even castrated to make the man seem more  womanlike.  1478: The Spanish Inquisition stones "sodomites" In 1478, the Spanish Inquisition was established, which resulted in the stoning and castration of many gays and lesbians, then dubbed "sodomites." Decades later, it is estimated there were nearly 1,000 sodomy trials before the Aragonese Inquisition. 1532: Holy Roman Empire makes "buggery" punishable by death In 1532, the Holy Roman Empire made intercourse between two women a crime punishable by death. In 1533, the  abominable vice of buggery  for both sexes was made a capital crime, a law that remained mostly unchanged until 1861 when it was changed to life in prison. The last people executed for the crime were Londoners James Pratt and John Smith, who were hanged in 1835 after the landlord claimed to have seen them having sex through a keyhole. 1623: King James appoints his lover as Duke of Buckingham It is well-documented that King James I had a lover named George Villiers whom he called his husband and the one he loved "more than anyone else." In 1623, he went to the length of appointing his "sweet heart," as he also referred to him, to the nobility as the Duke of Buckingham, a move that made him the highest-ranking subject outside the royal family. 1791: France becomes the first Western European nation to decriminalize homosexuality During the French Revolution, the penal code outlined new crimes and their respective punishments in an effort to take sweeping power away from judges. Along with the new code came the legalization of sodomy, which was the first lift on the ban in Western Europe and one that paved the way for others to follow. 1800s: Decriminalizing homosexuality spreads through Europe and Latin America In 1811, The Netherlands was the first major European country of the 19th century to decriminalize homosexuality. The Dominican Republic followed suit in 1822. Over the next decade El Salvador, Brazil, Bolivia, Portugal, Argentina, Turkey (then the Ottoman Empire), Honduras, Italy, and even The Vatican did the same   all before the turn of the next century. By contrast, Russia, Poland, and Germany enacted new laws against gay and lesbian activity. 1884: Eleanor Roosevelt is born Amelia Earhart and openly gay reporter Lorena Hickok are just two of the women whom First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt was rumored to have had closeted affairs with, the latter of whom she exchanged more than 3,300 letters with over a 30-year period. There has been extensive speculation about the First Lady's sexuality over the years, though some have argued it's irrelevant when discussing her contribution to the gay rights movement, particularly given her position of power. "(Roosevelt) did more than almost anyone in the pre-Stonewall era to model acceptance of gay relationships  and she did it in the White House," wrote Marc Peyser for the Huffington Post. 1886: We'wha takes part in a delegation to Washington D.C. In 1886, a mixed-gender Zuni Native American named We'wha took part in a delegation to Washington D.C., where they were introduced to President Grover Cleveland. We'wha was a famous Lhamana, a person in Zuni culture who is assigned a male gender at birth, but takes on ceremonial roles and attire typically reserved for women. Today, the Lhamana gender identity is referred to as "two-spirit" or "third-gender." 1892: Magnus Hirschfeld earns his doctoral degree Magnus Hirschfeld was a German physician who spent most of his career studying sexuality with a focus on homosexuality. He became a champion for gay rights and co-founded the Scientific-Humanitarian Committee the world's first gay rights organization. Being both Jewish and gay, he was frequently targeted in his home country, yet he continued his work. He said he became interested in activism after observing many of his gay patients committing suicide. 1910: Emma Goldman begins speaking publicly A contemporary of Hirschfeld's, Emma Goldman was an American feminist and anarchist who served as an early ally to gay rights activism. The Russian-born Jew, who emigrated to America as a teenager, was heterosexual, but spent much of her life championing for various minority causes. In a letter to Hirschfeld, she said: "It is a tragedy, I feel, that people of a different sexual type are caught in a world which shows so little understanding for homosexuals and is so crassly indifferent to the various gradations and variations of gender and their great significance in life." 1931: Dora Richter becomes the first transgender woman to get vaginoplasty Dora Richter was a transgender woman under the care of Magnus Hirschfeld who received the first known vaginoplasty procedure in 1931 (though Hirschfeld did not perform the surgery). Along with a number of other transgender women, Richter worked at the Institute for Sexual Research where she was given special permission by police to wear women's clothing. Two years after her affirmation surgery, the Nazis burned the library of the Institute and began sending homosexuals to concentration camps. 1936: Federico Garcia Lorca is executed In 1936, Spanish police raided the Granada home of Federico Garcia Lorca, a famous poet they described as a socialist prone to "homosexual and abnormal practices." He fled to a friend's house, but they caught up with him and surrounded the home, arresting him and taking him to an interrogation spot called the Fuente Grande. According to documents published in 2015, they executed him after he gave unspecified confessions, and they buried him on site in a "very shallow grave, in a ravine." 1948: Alfred Kinsey publishes "Sexual Behavior in the Human Male" When biologist Alfred Kinsey published "Sexual Behavior in the Human Male" in 1948, he asserted that approximately 37% of men at the time had engaged in homosexual activities at least once. That, along with other findings in his book, acted as the "opening salvos of the sexual revolution," according to some, and brought the conversation about sex of all types to the mainstream. "During the Twentieth Century, no one individual did more to bring homosexuality into the public forum than Alfred Charles Kinsey," wrote Alan Branch, professor of Christian Ethics at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. "... Prior to Kinsey, people were generally considered to be either heterosexual or homosexual. Instead of this binary approach, Kinsey saw sexual behavior as existing on a continuum, which rarely described individuals as either strictly homosexual or heterosexual." 1951 52: Christine Jorgensen has sex reassignment surgery Gender confirmation surgeries (then called "sex reassignment") had been performed prior to Christine Jorgensen. However, the transgender woman from the Bronx was the first person to become famous for it, bringing awareness and resources to the trans community that previously had very little access to information. After completing two operations in Denmark, she returned to New York to instant fame and began touring, writing, and speaking to advocate for transgender rights. 1955: The Daughters of Bilitis is formed In 1955, there weren't any lesbian political rights group in the United States that is until the Daughters of Bilitis formed in San Francisco, making history as the first group of its kind. What began as a safe space for women to meet without the risk of police raids at gay bars quickly morphed into a full-blown political organization that created other political offshoots including The Ladder, which encouraged women to "take off their masks." For 14 years, DOB, as they were known, helped women come out of the closest and offered resources to anyone who needed it. 1956: "Go Tell It On The Mountain" is first published by James Baldwin James Baldwin published "Go Tell It On The Mountain" in 1956, offering the world a novel that was "pivotal in American gay literature," according to many critics. Although the theme of homosexuality is never outrightly expressed, the subtext is hard to miss. " James Baldwin's vision of otherness is very closely related to the vision of the self, thus the search for self-identity, the identity of a black gay man in a racist, homophobic society is one of the central themes of his works," wrote Csaba Csapó in a collection of critical essays. 1958: U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of gay free speech One, Inc. v. Olesen was the first U.S. Supreme Court case that involved gay rights and it won, marking a triumphant moment for the emerging liberation movement. The ruling occurred in 1958 when the high court overturned a federal district court's decision to label gay magazine "ONE: The Homosexual Magazine" as "obscene" and ban it from being distributed through the United States Postal Service. 1962: Illinois removes sodomy law from criminal code In 1962, Illinois became the first state in the nation to remove sodomy laws from its criminal code. The historic legislation occurred after the American Law Institute put together a list of recommendations called the Model Penal Code in an effort to create more legal uniformity across states. Illinois was the first state to adopt the full set of recommendations which omitted sodomy from the criminal code. 1964: First gay rights protests at Whitehall Although it's hard to say for sure given the burgeoning nature of the gay rights movement at the time, the protests outside the U.S. Army's Whitehall Street Induction Center in 1964 are generally considered to be the first public demonstration for gay rights. The demonstrations occurred after the confidentiality of a gay man's draft record was broached, prompting an activist named Randy Wicker to organize the protest to speak out against the military's anti-gay policies. 1965: Vanguard is created In 1965, a group of young people in San Francisco got together to create the Vanguard, the country's first gay liberation organization. The group, which was co-founded by Adrian Ravarour and Billy Garrison, also produced an accompanying news publication, the Vanguard Magazine, which was created by Jean-Paul Marat and Keith Oliver St.Clair. 1966: The Mattachine Society organizes a "Sip-In" When the New York State Liquor Authority banned bartenders from serving alcohol to gay people, an activist group called the Mattachine Society responded in 1966. Large groups turned out at Julius Bar in New York City to host a "Sip-In," as they called it, promoting the issue to land in court. "The importance of this, I think, was that until this time gay people had never really fought back," said Dick Leitsch, head of the New York Mattachine Society at the time. "We just sort of took in everything passively, didn't do anything about it. And this time we did it, and we won." 1967: Police raid Black Cat Tavern After plain-clothed police officers raided the Black Cat Tavern in Los Angeles on New Year's Day in 1967, beating up staff and patrons alike, a group of gay rights protestors began demonstrating out front. Organized by P.R.I.D.E. (Personal Rights in Defense and Education), the crowd was the biggest civil rights demonstration the LGBTQ community had produced at the time, leading some historians to call it the "birthplace of a worldwide movement."


ORLANDO, Fla. (Reuters) - A NASA safety panel said on Thursday that Saturday's accident on a SpaceX astronaut capsule happened after eight engines were test fired, but offered scant details on what caused the mishap or the extent of the damage. NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel told reporters Elon Musk's rocket company continues to investigate the cause of the 'anomaly' during a test of engines designed to propel the crew to safety at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. SpaceX is aiming to launch its capsule with humans in July for a test flight under NASA's multibillion-dollar Commercial Crew Program, though the accident could delay that. Orange smoke was seen rising above SpaceX's facilities by a photographer working for local newspaper Florida Today. No injuries were reported. NASA has awarded SpaceX and Boeing Co $6.8 billion to build competing rocket and capsule systems to launch astronauts into orbit from American soil. (Reporting by Joey Roulette in Orlando, Florida; Writing by Eric M. Johnson; Editing by James Dalgleish)


The Los Angeles Lakers were expected to sign Carmelo Anthony last season after the 10-time All-Star was bought out following a trade, but they fell out of contention and never really had a need for him. Now that they have acquired another star player to pair with LeBron James, they could revisit that plan. SNY's Ian Begley lists Anthony among the potential veterans the New York Knicks could sign if they miss out on the marquee free agents, but he says multiple NBA executives expect Carmelo to wind up with the Lakers . Anthony is said to have interest in returning to the Knicks despite the way his time there ended, but he is also close friends with LeBron and could potentially contend for his first title in L.A. Anthony averaged 13.4 points and 5.4 rebounds in 10 games with the Houston Rockets last season. He recently turned 35 and is nowhere near the player he used to be, but he could provide a team like the Lakers with a valuable shooter and veteran presence off the bench. If the birthday tribute his wife had for him back in May is any indication, Carmelo believes he has plenty left in the tank. Related slideshow: The top picks in the NBA draft (Provided by imagn)


The 101st PGA Championship has nearly as many stories as New York itself. Among the storylines set to unfold at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y., in Nassau County Thursday through Sunday include: Tiger Woods chasing a 16th major championship Brooks Koepka seeking a repeat as champion Jordan Spieth aiming for his career Grand Slam Lefty being Lefty amid a wild NYC crowd Francesco Molinari joins Koepka and Woods as the headline pairing at Bethpage Black for the first two rounds. The tournament was moved from August to May this year. The Molinari-Woods-Koepka pairing goes out at 8:24 a.m. ET Thursday from the No. 10 tee. The field is loaded, with 99 of the top 100 players in the Official World Golf Rankings. The 2017 PGA Championship winner and World No. 5 player Justin Thomas withdrew Monday due to a sore wrist and was replace by Kelly Kraft. Vijay Singh, winner of the 1998 and 2004 PGA Championships, also withdrew and was replaced by J.T. Poston. Follow our live blog and Twitter stream right here all day. We'll be chasing Tiger Woods shot-by-shot with our Tiger Tracker throughout his round, as well. Updates: 7:45 a.m. : Things are underway. Four players are 1-under early . And Tiger warming up and looking good. He tees off at 8:42 a.m. http://www.pga.com/events/pgachampionship/embeded-video/5126 8:45 a.m. : While the golf world convulses over Tiger's double on his first hole of day, we do have 155 others golfers in play today. Defending champion Brooks Koepka, playing with Tiger and Francesco Molinari, is one of 11 golfers who share the early, early lead at 1-under. 8:58 a.m. : Chez Reavie is the solo leader at 2-under after four holes. Only 68 to go. 9:31 a.m. : The back-nine at Bethpage Black is wielding its might on some golfers. But not Charley Hoffman. He's tied for the lead at 2-under after five holes after starting on No. 10. 11:15 a.m. : Koepka has pushed ahead of the pack with the solo lead at 4-under. Given his one-shot loss at Augusta National, he's not yielding anything thus far today. http://www.pga.com/events/pgachampionship/embeded-video/5290 11:41 a.m. : Another birdie for Brooks, he's now leading by two shots at 5-under. He's up six shots on Woods and five on Molinari. 12:20 p.m. : Someone looks like he's ready for a repeat. Koepka birdied his 14th hole of the day to move to 6-under, three shots clear of the field. And he continues to fend off Woods, who can't seem to move into firm category under par. 12:44 p.m. : Luke List has settled comfortably into second place at 4-under. He's had two top-five finishes this season but has never won on the PGA Tour. List teed off from No. 1, went out in 32 and has kept his card clean save for a bogey on the third hole. 1:28 p.m. : Koepka finishes with a birdie on his 18th hole of the day to move into the clubhouse at 7-under after a 63 in Round 1. He holds a four-shot lead over Luke List and Tommy Fleetwood. Even more impressive, he leads his playing partner Woods by nine shots. 3 p.m : Jordan Spieth is among the top players in the second wave of Round 1. Spieth is 2-under through six holes in his third bid for the career grand slam. Spieth hasn't won since the 2017 British Open and has yet to finish in the top 20 this year. Danny Lee, meanwhile, has taken sole possession of second place over Tommy Fleetwood by moving to 4-under after 10. 4:19 p.m. : The crowd has been rather un-New-York-like in terms of its low decibel level. There was a healthy gallery around Woods, Molinari and Koepka in the morning, but things are spread out in the afternoon with Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy and Spieth on the course. In addition to silencing his critics, it appear Koepka has quieted much of the crowd, as well. 4:49 p.m: Lee is edging toward Koepka's mark with a 5-under after 17 holes. Meanwhile, Lefty is finally generating some noise after pulling back to even par with a birdie on 11. 5:05 p.m. : Lee closes out with four birdies on the back nine, including one on No. 18, to move within one shot of the lead at 6-under. Lee, who shot 64 Thursday, has one PGA Tour victory and is perhaps best known for becoming the youngest U.S. Amateur champion in August 2008. He was 18 years and one month old, besting the mark of Tiger Woods set in 1994 by six months. 6:45 p.m. : Rory McIlroy (+2) joins Woods and Molinari as big names who will be fighting to make the cut on Friday. Lefty finished at minus-1 and he's still in long-shot contention for the title. http://www.pga.com/events/pgachampionship/embeded-video/5127 Twitter Stream A Twitter List by golfweek RELATED TIGER TRACKER : Shot-by-shot as it happens LEADERBOARD : Live updates all day TEE TIMES : Round 1 pairings, TV, pins SCORES: PGA Championship leaderboard View embedded content MORE: Five potential Jimmy Butler landing spots in free agency Sports Media Members as Game of Thrones Characters The 12 worst ceremonial first pitches of all time, ranked (UPDATED) Report: Browns rookie RB LJ Scott decides to quit NFL after just 2 days A look at the Seahawks projected starters in 2019


The Mavericks have agreed to a one-year, veteran's minimum contract with free agent point guard J.J. Barea , according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Free agent guard JJ Barea has agreed to a one-year, veteran's minimum deal to return to the Dallas Mavericks, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium .   Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2019 Barea said he also registered interest from both the Lakers and Pistons, according to Carlos Rosa of GFR Media. Barea has spent 10 of his 13 NBA seasons with the Mavericks, calling the city of Dallas his second home, Rosa notes in a separate tweet. Barea, 35, suffered a torn Achilles' tendon last February and is expected to be out to start next season. In his 35 regular-season games before suffering the injury, he averaged 10.9 points, 5.6 assists and 19.8 minutes per contest. Barea was part of the 2011 Mavericks team that won an NBA championship by defeating the Heat 4-2.


Orlando Scandrick impressed Eagles brass during his Saturday workout and now according to Mike Garafolo, the former Cowboys cornerback will sign a one year deal. Philadelphia is battling injuries at cornerback to Cre'Von LeBlanc, Jalen Mills and Ronald Darby. The #Eagles are signing CB Orlando Scandrick following today's workout, source says. Added depth at a position that's a bit banged up and some veteran experience as well. - Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 27, 2019 Scandrick spent the first 10 years of his career with the Cowboys and started seven games last season in Kansas City following his release from the Redskins. MORE: Bear bites woman in tent at Yellowstone, prompts action Behind the scenes with new-look Nets: 'We got stars without mortgaging everything'' Theo Riddick release means it's Ty Johnson time Joe Staley has high praise for Nick Bosa after 49ers first practice Three Potential Landing Spots for Diamondbacks Ace Zack Greinke


Shortly after the Raiders drafted safety Johnathan Abram with one of their three first-round picks, the team opted not to exercise their 2020 option on safety Karl Joseph 's contract. Throw in the arrival of Lamarcus Joyner as a free agent earlier in the offseason and the picture was not one of a bright future for Joseph. Head coach Jon Gruden argued otherwise , but it seemed likely that the 2016 first-round pick was going to spend this year trying to interest other teams in his services. Joyner spent much of the spring playing slot cornerback, however, and Joseph joined Abram as first-team safeties in the on-field stages of the offseason program. His efforts in those practices earned him a pat on the back from defensive coordinator Paul Guenther. "I think he's responded to the situation great ," Guenther said, via Scott Bair of NBCSportsBayArea.com. "He knows this will be a good year for him to go out and play good and make us give him a contract. That's the way the NFL is. That's the way it is for me. It's the way it is for a lot of the other guys. If you don't perform, you're probably looking for somewhere else to go and if you do perform, you're going to get rewarded." Joseph said he feels more comfortable with a full year in Guenther's system under his belt, which should help his chances of getting rewarded come 2020 even if it isn't by the Raiders.


The game was boring, they'll say. The game was dull. The game was putrid. The game was sloppy. Boring is just the way Virgil Van Dijk likes it. The Dutch defender was named Man of the Match as he led the back line for Liverpool in a 2-0 win over Tottenham in the Champions League final to secure the club's sixth European crown. The game was punctuated by bad passing, poor build-up play, and a general lack of attacking quality, but van Dijk was at the thick of all that, locking down the Tottenham attack and leaving Christian Eriksen , Heung-Min Son , and Harry Kane firmly in his pocket. Van Dijk donned the Champions League winner's medal having led the Liverpool defense in one of the most spectacular individual defensive seasons you'll see. Liverpool conceded just 27 goals across the 38 Premier League matches   not only the best in the English top flight, but the best domestic defensive record in Europe's top five leagues. The Reds conceded just five goals in the Champions League knockout stages against the likes of Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Porto, and Tottenham Hotspur, with three of those coming in the first-leg defeat at the Camp Nou. Through it all, van Dijk was a model of consistency and durability, accumulating an enormous 4,465 minutes across all competitions. He missed just three matches all year, sitting out the first leg against Bayern Munich due to yellow card accumulation and resting for the pair of domestic Cup losses to Wolves and Chelsea. Otherwise, van Dijk played every single minute of every single match throughout the entire season, racking up 26 clean sheets in his 50 appearances on the pitch   over half the games he played Liverpool did not concede. Nevertheless, those are team achievements. That's where the most unbelievable stat comes into play, proof of van Dijk's dominance on the season. The 27-year-old did has not been dribbled past in a staggering 64 straight matches, completing 52 straight tackles this season without fail, a perfect personal defensive record. 0   No opposition player has completed a dribble past Virgil van Dijk in any of his last 64 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool. Rock. #UCLFinal pic.twitter.com/VlviY2ohRH   OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 1, 2019 In fact, as Opta confirms, van Dijk has not been dribbled past since a 5-0 win over Porto in February of 2018, his first Champions League appearance for the club. All these glittering facts and figures culminate together to make one glaringly blatant argument that might not seem so blatant after all: Virgil van Dijk should be a serious contender for the Ballon d'Or come December, with a real chance to be the first defender to win the award since Fabio Cannavaro in 2006 and only the fourth defender to win the award in its history. Obviously there's plenty of time to go. Van Dijk will likely be in the lineup for the Netherlands as they take on England in just five days in the Nations League semifinals, and should he lock it down in Portugal, a solid performance on a short turnaround would be yet another feather in his cap this season. If Liverpool starts next Premier League as expected title contenders, van Dijk could even be the frontrunner for the prestigious award headed into the fall. Still, a modest van Dijk just minutes off winning the Champions League doesn't think he is the best player in the world. "I think [Barcelona striker Lionel] Messi is the best player in the world," van Dijk said in his post-match press conference. "I think he deserves [the Ballon d'Or] as long as he plays. The Ballon d'Or isn't something I think about. But if it happens by any chance then obviously I will take it. I don't think there is any case. I think he is still the best player in the world. Whether he's in the final or not." Luka Modric won last year's Ballon d'Or essentially on the back of a fabulous World Cup performance, despite the fact Real Madrid suffered through a dismal October of La Liga play, dropping to ninth in the table and falling out of the La Liga title race. Van Dijk may not have that much room for error in the calendar year, given his status as a defender always puts him behind the curve of the flashier goalscorers and even midfield maestros like Modric. Still, the Dutchman merits serious consideration and potentially even the trophy should he continue to plod along on this stellar pace. Follow @the_bonnfire


Robert Wickens will drive an Acura NSX equipped with hand controls at this weekend's Honda Indy Toronto, 11th round of the 2019 NTT IndyCar Series, with the necessary modifications made by his Schmidt Peterson Motorsports team's partner Arrow Electronics. It will be the first time the 30-year-old Canadian has driven in public since his career-halting shunt at Pocono Raceway last August that has left him recuperating from spinal cord injuries. told Motorsport.com: "I had this idea in January and spoke with Arrow and they were very interested because this is a demonstration of what they do   using technology to improve people's lives. And so in March at St. Petersburg [when Wickens returned to the NTT IndyCar Series paddock for the first time since his shunt] I had a meeting with Arrow, Honda Performance Development [HPD] and the Arrow SPM team and we came up with this 'masterplan'! "Obviously I was hoping to get it done for Toronto, given that it's a Honda-sponsored race and it's my home race, but I'm honestly surprised it has happened so quickly. The system is not quite as complex as what Alex Zanardi uses, given the time frame we had once it had been cleared for Honda to deliver the car to Arrow. But that's also what is impressive   we're basically using a customer product by Arrow, and this is just Phase 1. The throttle is a ring around the steering wheel with a hand operated brake. "But we have big visions for the future," he continued, "and I want to use this NSX for practice. I want to get more and more familiar with hand controls and figuring out what works and what doesn't work." Wickens, who has been documenting his rehabilitation process on Twitter and Instagram, was keen to stress that using a car with hand controls is not a substitute for as close to full recuperation as he can achieve and to walk unassisted as soon as possible. "As far as I'm concerned, the two processes are interconnected," he said. "Obviously I can sit and drive a racecar with hand controls. But the dream is to get both legs to where I don't need hand controls, and if I'm able to get both legs back to that extent, it means I'm walking. That's the end goal. "But realistically, if I can get one leg operational so I don't need both throttle and brake on the steering wheel, that would be a huge deal. So I think we just have to see where it goes. Nerve regeneration takes two years before it plateaus   but there are so many people out there who are defying odds and redefining what's possible, so you have to keep pushing yourself. "At the same time, I don't want to rush anything because life is more important than work and so getting a better longterm future is smarter than getting back into a racecar too soon." Wickens, who will get to practice on the 1.786-mile Toronto course at Exhibition Place before leading the parade lap ahead of the Sunday race, said: "It's really exciting and also slightly surreal. I've driven since the accident to get my hand control certifications to drive on the road. I did that back in December, so I'm planning to get a modified car in Indianapolis so I can be independent again. "But this will be fun and I'm a little bit worried that once I get a feel for it again, I might be in too much of a hurry to make an earlier comeback! But seriously, I'm staying pretty level-headed about it and I'm fortunate to be progressing pretty quickly. This is validation and encouragement that the hard work is paying off." HPD impressed by Wickens' "perpetual positive attitude" Ted Klaus, president of Honda Performance Development in Santa Clarita, CA, told Motorsport.com he was excited by the project as soon as he met with Wickens at IndyCar's season-opener in St. Petersburg. "It was Robbie's idea, and we met with him in March at St. Pete," Klaus recalled, "before I took over from Art St. Cyr [as HPD president]. It was Art, myself and T.E. McHale [American Honda motorsports communications manager] along with Jon Flack [Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports president], and Robbie's manager Len Gaik. We were impressed with Robbie's perpetual positive attitude. He was saying, 'This is a way for me to be fully engaged in life, it will have recuperative value and it will be the next step back toward getting me in a racecar. It's just a step.' "There was no specific discussion that it would be an Acura NSX. But Art and myself left the conversation saying, 'What can we do to make something happen? What would make most sense?' So we discussed it at Honda, discussed it with Arrow, discussed it with Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, and quite quickly we got to the stage where we decided using the NSX would make sense. "Our company is all about technology and service to people, and when you're out there on track racing, that's not always easy to convey. But this project resonated instantly with us, with Arrow, and with Arrow SPM. I have to say, it was quite easy to say 'Yes'." The NSX that Wickens will drive on Sunday is not a competition model, such as the GT3-spec raced by Meyer Shank Racing   an IndyCar partner team with Arrow SPM   in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. "This Acura NSX is a car selected from our fleet at American Honda," said Klaus, "and we turned it over to Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports for Arrow to start making the conversion with the team. We had the vehicle, Robbie had the passion and idea to make it come together, and the timing was perfect." Klaus, who was chief engineer on the NSX program before becoming president of HPD, also dispelled the notion that this will be a publicity stunt. "It's not a marketing gimmick," he said. "The fact that we're at his home race and it's an event sponsored by Honda… that's great, but we'd have been just as proud and gratified if this had been happening at Portland. Helping one of our Honda 'family members' finding renewed purpose in the process of his recuperation provides its own immense satisfaction." Arrow integrating 'off-the-shelf' technology Joe Verrengia, Arrow's global director for social responsibility, told Motorsport.com that the Denver, CO.-based company is taking great pride in being able to help Wickens "start performing a version of what he used to do." Verrengia said: "When he got hurt and his rehabilitation began to unfold here in Denver, at Craig Hospital, we all kept in touch and when he started to make serious progress he made it clear that he expects to drive again and we had already done something similar for Sam [Schmidt, co-owner of Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports] with our SAM car [semi-autonomous motorcar] although obviously that was at a different level given Sam's injuries. Fortunately Rob has full use of his arms and his hands and he has stability of his upper body, his trunk and his core. So we worked on what he was most comfortable with, and devised a system to suit, in order to get him back in a car." Given the time constraints and Wickens' greater mobility, Arrow has equipped the NSX with a less sophisticated package than found in Schmidt's Corvette. Explained Verrengia: "There was a similar philosophy with Rob in terms of assessing what he could do, and figuring out what would best enable him to drive fast but well, and safely. "For this application, we were able to use equipment bought 'off the shelf', and actually that was true of Sam's car, too. It used technologies that already existed but which had not previously been made to work together for that purpose. It needed our software to program it, to integrate the technologies for that specific application. And that's our philosophy   to take off-the-shelf products and innovate with them. "To get the Acura NSX ready for Rob in Toronto, we approached a specialist hand-control company called Guidosimplex that provides a throttle package that allows him to apply and adjust the throttle while steering. It needs to be tuned for each individual car, and that's something we can do. "Fortunately the NSX has paddle gear-shifters. We did once develop hand controls for a stick-shift Corvette where the hand of the driver triggered the disengagement of the clutch by passing in front of an infra-red sensor as he reached for the next gear. Between that and operating the throttle on the steering wheel and using hand controls for the brakes, as you can imagine there were a lot of hand movements going on in that cockpit! So having paddles as standard on the factory NSXs from Acura was a big help in this case!" Verrengia also confirmed that Arrow is planning to work with Wickens for further development of the hand control systems and applying them to a racecar. "Ultimately, the purpose is for us to develop a system whereby he can drive not just in a demonstration but to compete again, because we know that's his goal. And that's really different from what we were doing with Sam because he was now a team owner and just wanted his mobility again   to be able to drive on the road and occasionally perform demos on track. "Rob is far earlier in his career and there's more that we can do for his medium-term future. That's what we're working on."


Idaho is suing OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and the family that owns the privately held company for their alleged role in the opioid crisis, accusing them of mounting one of the "deadliest marketing campaigns in history," the state attorney general's office confirmed on Thursday. Attorney General Lawrence G. Wasden filed the suit in Idaho's Fourth Judicial District Court on Monday, echoing the language of dozens of other states' attorneys general who have already sued the opioid manufacturer. Wasden's suit also names eight members of the Sackler family : Richard Sackler, Theresa Sackler, Kathe Sackler, Jonathan Sackler, Mortimer D.A. Sackler, Beverly Sackler, David Sackler, and Ilene Sackler Lefcourt. Of the thousands of lawsuits filed against Purdue, only a few dozen name Sackler family members as well. "Between 1999 and 2017, Idaho's opioid-related death rate nearly tripled. In 2015 alone, approximately 1.3 million opioid prescriptions were written in Idaho nearly one prescription for every man, woman, and child in the State," the lawsuit said. "This crisis and its consequences could and should have been avoided." In a statement, a representative for the drug maker wrote: "Purdue Pharma vigorously denies the allegations contained in litigation against the company and will continue to defend itself against these misleading attacks." "These sensationalized claims are part of a continuing effort to try these cases in the court of public opinion rather than the justice system, as plaintiffs are unable to connect the conduct alleged to the harm described. Instead, they have invented stunningly overbroad legal theories, which if adopted by courts, will undermine the bedrock legal principle of causation," the Purdue statement continued. A representative for the Mortimer and Raymond Sackler families said in a statement to ABC News, "This baseless lawsuit is yet another misguided attempt to place blame where it does not belong for a complex public health crisis. We strongly deny these allegations, which are inconsistent with the factual record, and will vigorously defend against them." "We have always acted properly and are committed to supporting solutions that save lives by preventing addiction and abuse of prescription medicines and treating those who are suffering from addiction," the Sackler families' statement said. Wasden's suit claims that Purdue "campaigned for sweeping changes in the public's and medical community's perception of opioids, by both downplaying the risks associated with opioid use and aggressively encouraging much broader use of the drugs than medically necessary or appropriate." The lawsuit alleges that the company "misled and deceived doctors into prescribing more of Purdue's opioids, in increasingly dangerous doses, and for longer periods of time, while persuading doctors and patients alike to forego safer alternatives" which eventually led to the current opioid crisis. ABC News' Aaron Katersky contributed to this report.


There are several amazing things that come with age: greater wisdom, deeper empathy, and a better sense of knowing who you are. But getting older also means greater risks for disease, and those health risks increase with weight gain. Once you hit your 40s, it's easier than ever for the pounds to pile on and tougher to take them off. That's because your metabolism slows down as you get older, making it harder to burn calories. What's more, falling estrogen levels during perimenopause and menopause (which can begin in your early 40s) can cause insulin sensitivity, which makes it harder for your body to control the amount of sugar in your blood, says Caroline Cederquist , MD, a board-certified bariatric surgeon and founder of the meal delivery service BistroMD . If your blood sugar levels constantly spike and crash, it can increase your cravings for unhealthy snacks, Dr. Cederquist says. So it's no wonder why so many women over 40 end up hitting a weight-loss wall. But dropping the pounds isn't impossible. Here are a few ways you can outsmart your slowing metabolism and get lean for good. 1. Create a list of reasons you want to lose weight Those who are most successful at losing weight after 40 do it when they have a very clear reason why they want to do it. Maybe you've been watching the scale creep up a pound or two every year and are ready to nix bad habits, or you've been given a wake-up call by your doctor that it's time to get serious about how your weight is impacting your overall health. "You need to have a mental awakening that puts you in a state of readiness to change. If you're not engaged mentally, it's not happening," says Pamela Peeke, MD , author of The Hunger Fix . 2. Re-think your nutrients You already know that nutrition and fitness go hand-in-hand when it comes to weight loss, so evaluating your diet is a good place to begin your journey. Limiting refined carbs and processed foods from your diet can help combat age-related insulin resistance and promote steady blood sugar levels, Dr. Cederquist says. Incorporating more protein to your diet can also help curb hunger and keep you satiated so you're not tempted to load up on unhealthy foods. Not only does the macronutrient help stave off age-related muscle loss, but it also helps keep your metabolism revved because the body has to work harder to digest it than, say, a bagel. How much of each nutrient you consume each time you eat matters, too. In a perfect world each meal and snack should have: Vegetables : It goes without saying that half of your plate should be filled with veggies. They're high in fiber and water, so they'll keep you satisfied and stave off hunger without contributing too many calories to your diet. Plus, they deliver ample amounts of disease-fighting antioxidants and nutrients that'll help you reduce risk of disease. Lean protein: At each meal, your plate should have a protein serving that's about the size of your palm. Excellent sources of lean protein include Greek yogurt, eggs, chicken, and fish. Some plant-based sources of protein are quinoa, edamame, farro, and hemp seeds. Complex carbohydrates : Contrary to what most people think, carbs are essential in any type of weight-loss diet. Eating carbs leaves you with a more satisfied feeling with your meal, and eliminating them from your diet isn't sustainable long-term. Your plate should have a serving that's the size of your closed fist. Whole grains, beans, fresh fruit, and starchy veggies, like sweet potatoes , are all good choices. Healthy fats : Not all fats are created equal. Healthy fats are essential for a strong heart, a sharp mind, and glowing skin. Foods, like extra-virgin olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds, and fatty fish, are all excellent sources of healthy fats. But it's important to note that these foods are also calorie-dense, so be mindful of how much you consume daily. Aim for 7 to 10 grams of fat every time you eat. That's 1½ teaspoon of olive oil, a quarter of an avocado, or 2 tablespoons of nuts or seeds. 3. Remember to keep portion sizes in mind "When it comes to losing weight, what actually moves the needle is always dietary change," says Dr. Cederquist. It doesn't matter if all you eat is grilled chicken, brown rice, and broccoli. If you don't cut back on your portions, you won't lose weight. Everyone's calorie needs are different, but in general, a woman eating 2,000 calories per day should aim to cut back by 400 to 500 calories, recommends Frances Largeman-Roth, RDN, nutrition expert and author of Eating in Color . 4. Avoid skipping meals There's a wrong and a right way to skip meals. When you skip meals to punish or restrict yourself, it tells your body to squirrel away calories instead of burning them. Skipping meals also increases the chances that your blood sugar will crash, leaving you ravenous for a quick energy hit in the form of sugary carbs, Dr. Cederquist says. But skipping meals the right way is called intermittent fasting . There are different methods for practicing intermittent fasting, including the 16:8 diet , which restricts eating to an 8-hour window and fasting for a 16-hour period. Studies have shown that intermittent fasting can not only be beneficial for weight loss, but it can also help you get prediabetes and diabetes under control. 5. Keep all types of carbs in check When you're in your 40s and beyond, it's not just white bread, pasta, and sugar that you need to watch. You also need to control your intake of healthy carbs like fruits and whole grains, says Dr. Cederquist. Don't eliminate healthy carbs completely, but stick to recommended serving sizes. 6. Eat fewer calories, more frequently Increased insulin resistance might leave you feeling hungrier. Dividing up your food into three moderately sized meals and one to two small snacks will keep your blood sugar levels steady while combatting the urge to nibble on junk, Largeman-Roth says. Piling your plate with more low-calorie, high-volume foods like fruits and vegetables can help fill you up, too. 7. Be picky with dessert Sadly, you can't scarf down burgers and chocolate shakes like you did in your 20s and expect to lose weight. But you can still enjoy your favorite foods. You just might need to save them for when you really have a hankering and say goodbye to the treats that fall lower on your list of craveables. Instead of mindlessly dipping into that bag of chips just because it's there, think about what would truly satisfy you. Is it chips or are you actually craving something else? If you decide the chips are worth the calories, then help yourself to a small serving, and savor every bite. (That means no mindless munching in front of the TV.) As for how often you should indulge? Everyone is different, and it really depends on your weight loss goals. So figure out what works for you. "Some women do great with a 100-to-150-calorie treat every day, but others find that they need to keep it to two to three times per week," says Dr. Cederquist. 8. Watch your alcohol intake One thing to keep in mind? Alcohol counts as a treat, so don't let yourself go overboard, and try sticking to low-calorie alcoholic drinks . "You could fit two to four glasses of wine per week into a weight loss program," Largeman-Roth says. Just make a point to stick to the five-ounce recommended serving size, since it can be easy to over-pour when you don't pay attention. And yes, if you enjoy a glass with dinner, it means you should skip out on that piece of chocolate for dessert. 9. Move more Losing weight through diet alone isn't possible, especially after 40, when hormones like testosterone tend to dip. As a result, calorie-torching muscle mass, along with the numbers of calories your body burns during exercise, starts to take a nosedive, says Dr. Cederquist. Getting the recommended 30 minutes of daily activity is a good start, but now's the time to ramp things up even more by also working in at least 10,000 daily steps . Adding in four to five weekly resistance training sessions can help you maintain your muscle mass and burn even more calories, Largeman-Roth says. But one common mistake to avoid is jumping straight into an intense exercise regimen, Dr. Peeke says. "That's the worst thing you can do because it increases your risk of injury," she says. Brisk walking, on the other hand, helps you shed pounds and keeps you pain-free. Be sure to talk to your doctor about recommending a workout routine that works best for you. Or, hire a personal trainer who can develop a fitness program that meets your weight-loss goals. 10. Know yourself, and be honest Being over 40 doesn't automatically mean that you now have to cut out certain foods to get (or stay) slim unless you know deep down that a food is truly getting in the way of your goals. "If having a square of chocolate leads to eating an entire bag of chocolate, having a square of chocolate does not work for you," Dr. Cederquist says. In other words? If certain foods seem to open the floodgates for you without fail, it might be better to steer clear altogether and stick with treats that don't trigger a binge . It might feel tough at first. But instead of seeing it as deprivation, reframe your decision as a choice and a positive one at that. "Acknowledge that these foods don't work for you and the health goals that are important to you," Dr. Cederquist says. Lastly, keep in mind that the weight-loss strategies that work best for you could change down the road. "I find that for women over 40, myself included, it's vital to assess what you're doing each year," Largeman-Roth says. If your progress starts to stall, consider switching up parts of your diet or fitness plan. "Our bodies like a challenge," Largeman-Roth says. Stay updated on the latest science-backed health, fitness, and nutrition news by signing up for the Prevention.com newsletter here . For added fun, follow us on Instagram . Gallery: The health issues you'll likely face in your 30s, 40s, and beyond (Woman's Day)


Today is the day dockless electric scooters have arrived in Chicago. The rapidly growing transportation option is being tested as part of a four-month pilot program on the city's West Side. Here's everything you need to know about e-scooters, and how you can get rolling. Where can I ride an electric scooter? The pilot program is in a 50-square-mile zone bounded by the Halsted Street and Irving Park Road to the north, Chicago River to the south, city limits and Harlem Avenue to the west, and the Stevenson Expressway to the south. Scooters can operate with the purple boundaries. The city also identified two priority zones (green and yellow) where companies must place at least 25 percent of their scooters each morning. Will scooters be allowed on the Lakefront Trail? The pilot area doesn't include this part of the city, and geo-fencing technology will prevent anyone from using them there during the pilot period. However, if shared electric scooters are approved for the city as a whole, there isn't any current regulation to prevent this. What about the 606 Trail? The Park District won't allow scooters on the 606 Trail which runs east-west through Bucktown and Logan Square in the pilot area. However, scooters will be allowed on other park trails in the area like in Humboldt Park and Garfield Park. How does it work? Anyone with a license can ride an electric scooter between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. on streets (no sidewalks!). Scooters can be unlocked with a mobile phone through the company's app and, unlike Divvy bikes, don't have to be parked at a docking station. What companies are bringing scooters to Chicago? No less than ten companies are participating in the pilot program: Bird, Lime, Lyft, Bolt, Grüv, Jump, Sherpa, Spin, VeoRide, and Wheels. And yes, you'll need to download different apps for each one. How much does it cost? Each operator can set its own price during the pilot program. In other large cities, companies typically charge $1 to rent a scooter and 15 cents per minute. Is there an age limit? Riders must be at least 18 year old or 16 and older with a guardian's consent. How fast do the scooters go? They are limited to 15 mph. How many scooters are there? Each company will be allowed to bring 250 scooters to the West Side for a total of 2,500. How long is the pilot program? The program will run from June 15 to October 15 and afterwards, the city will determine whether scooters can work here. The pilot program will give officials more information about any safety issues, the effect on transit, and potential problems with sidewalk clutter. How will the city evaluate each company? Companies will be judged on their rebalancing efforts, compliance with parking and educational requirements, and accessibility plans for individuals with disabilities, said Isaac Reichman, a spokesman for the city's department of business affairs and consumer protection. "We believe that Chicago has benefitted from waiting to roll out this program," added Reichman. "As the technology has improved, we have had the opportunity to see what does and doesn't work in other cities." In Chicago, some scooters will have seats to accommodate riders with disabilities. There is also the option to unlock some scooters via text rather than smart phone or pay in cash for those without a debit or credit card. Will the sidewalks be littered with scooters? This issue has surfaced in other cities that have permitted scooters, and Chicago has strict requirements for participating vendors. Electric scooters will follow similar rules to bikes when it comes to parking. No blocking sidewalks or leaning against a building. Riders will have to send a photo of a properly parked scooter at the end of their trip and companies are required to move any scooter that's in the way within two hours. At the end of every day, scooters will be collected and redistributed in the morning. Is it safe? Unlike other cities, there is no helmet requirement to ride a scooter. There is some safety concern for the new transit option a recent safety study found that serious, scooter-related injuries could be prevented by wearing a helmet. The city plans to engage the local business community to come up with options for providing free helmets to users. Lime and Bird require riders to watch a safety video in the app that explains riding etiquette, safety tips, and how to park. Lime will also host first-ride education events in every ward to help people get more familiar with scooters. Plus, they'll be distributing free helmets. Jay Koziarz contributed to this story.


Video by Golfweek PEBBLE BEACH   Things looked dire on the 14th. Tiger Woods had sailed his greenside bunker shot at the par 5 over the flag, in a spot deader than disco, pitching out of patchy rough to a short-sided pin that sloped away. He had turned a birdie into a bogey, possibly worse, and his fourth shot didn't wipe away that notion, Woods' ball barreling out of the heavy stuff and leaving a 30-foot sidewinder. "I probably shouldn't have tried to fly it that far back, and I clipped it," Woods said of his botched sand attempt. "And I was just trying to hack out and take my medicine." Woods was one under heading to the 14th, a solid score but four back of the early lead. Taking a big number on the third-easiest hole of the day would have been a dagger, possibly to his 2019 U.S. Open aspirations. Not that it would have mattered, right? He completed his comeback in April at the Masters, one only his zealots believed could come to fruition. That victory provided him a life-long victory lap; whatever comes after is merely ceremony. That is true. Except Woods, admonishing himself while circling his putt at the 14th, drained the par save to unleash a fist pump out of another era. The fans reciprocated with a roar of their own, riding the wave of emotion with the man they came to see. As the yells continued, Woods walked off the green toward the 15th tee and slammed his putter face into his palm. Part flagellation, part empowering. In that moment, he looked miles away from one standing on ceremony. • • • Tiger Woods shot a one-under 70 on Thursday afternoon. Even with scores bucking the U.S. Open's historical standard, it was a sound opening bid, five strokes off the pace of first-round leader Justin Rose. It was especially fulfilling for a player not particularly known for fast starts. But that score doesn't come close to encapsulating the grind of Woods' round. "It was just hanging in there, just typical of the U.S. Open," Woods said afterward. "It seemed like the majority of the guys were under par through the first seven holes, and then nobody was making hay after that. And it was a little bit tricky." That included Woods, who had birdies at the fourth, sixth and seventh. A double bogey, however, was also sandwiched in that stretch, coming at the par-3 fifth. From 188 yards, Woods put a nasty hook on his tee shot, his ball landing off the grid 40 yards away from the green. "A terrible tee shot," Woods remarked. "I was in between clubs. I wasn't committed to hit a 6-iron. I know from playing the practice rounds that I probably should hit 7 because I can hit it 15 yards short of the green, and there's a little shelf there that will funnel the ball onto the front part of the green." All things considered, Woods hit an OK recovery shot, going over the green to give himself an uphill up-and-down chance. But his third went above the pin and he couldn't convert what was left, walking away with double. The U.S. Open has a habit of inducing self-inflicted mistakes. The key is not allowing those biggies to snowball. And on the card, they did not, Woods keeping his clean the rest of the way home. "It's just fighting it out and grinding it out," Woods said. "You just kind of hang in there." A feat impressive in itself at the national championship. More so when considering Woods didn't have his "A" game, or even his "B". Arguably the best second-shot player on tour he finished first in strokes gained/approach last year, ranks first in GIR in this season Woods and his irons weren't on speaking terms Thursday. Check that, they weren't speaking the same language. Woods hit just half the putting surfaces in regulation in Round 1 and finished 121st in approach. "I didn't hit my irons as crisp as I'd like," Woods admitted. "I tried to miss the ball in the correct spots." That's supposed to be capital punishment at Pebble Beach. What it lacks in distance is compensated in a demand for precision. When he lapped the field here in 2000, Woods owned a 70.83 GIR percentage … a whopping 22.42 percent better than the tournament average. Yet the 43-year-old was undaunted by his iron play. He nearly holed out a bunker shot at the 11th. He left himself a two-footer for par on the 12th after his tee shot was 40 feet from the pin. He put a nervy chip at the 13th to tap-in range. Then there was the galvanizing par save on the 14th. For good measure, there was another bunker save at the tough par-3 17th after his tee shot was nowhere near the green. It was a short-game tour de force. And also a stark contrast between the leisurely strolls of nearby beach patrons, the constant scrambling leaving Tiger drained after the round. "I made a couple of putts, the majority of the putts were all uphill," Woods said. "That's the key to playing this golf course, you can't be past the flag. And if I happen to miss, as I said, I took my medicine and moved on and went about my business." It wasn't pretty, and that type of scrambling display is unsustainable. Conversely, that 70 could have been 75, on a day when the national championship can't be won but can certainly be lost. A quick turnaround awaits, Woods teeing off at 8:24 a.m. on Friday. He'll do so off the 10th, which played as the hardest hole in Round 1. "We've got a tough par 4 right from the get-go," Woods said. "And we have the harder side to start off on, and hopefully I can finish up on the front side and have the full seven holes where I can get it going." As Woods walked off the 18th, a fan yelled, "The GOAT is unleashed!" That wasn't quite right, not when Woods is standing T-28. However, on a day where he could have easily been tamed, Woods proved he's not ready to be tethered. Check out Golf Digest Schools for the best in video golf instruction WATCH: GOLF DIGEST VIDEOS Best Photos of the U.S. Open (provided by imagn) See the video.


Avantor Inc., the year's second-largest public offering behind Uber Technologies Inc., will see a stream of fresh research from the more than 20 banks that helped it go public. Analysts will likely focus on the manufacturer and distributor of life science products' range of offerings and diverse services, but its heavy debt load may draw some criticism. Shares of the Radnor, Pennsylvania-based company are up more than 20% from a May public offering compared with a less than 1% move for both the S&P 500 Index and Dow Jones Industrial Average. Tuesday marks the expiration of a 25-day quiet period that applies to analysts at banks that underwrote the IPO. Lead underwriters include Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co., with a wide range of other banks such as Barclays, Deutsche Bank and Credit Suisse also in on the deal. The company's health offerings help drugmakers research, develop and manufacture therapies ranging from traditional pills to next generation compounds like gene therapies. Avantor's portfolio of products includes offerings from bands like Nusil Technology, Macron Fine Chemicals and Puritan Products.


"If we have to travel from A to B, most of us take the six-lane highway & get there as quickly as possible. Everyone, except Riquelme. He'd choose the winding mountain road, which takes him six hours, but that fills your eyes with scenes of beautiful landscapes." Jorge Valdano June 24th is a hallowed day in Argentina. It is hallowed because it's the birthday of two of its greatest, and most contrasting, prodigal sons: Lionel Messi and Juan Roman Riquelme. As you can imagine, one needs more love than the other. But perhaps not by as much as you might think. For, what Messi has in mainstream maniacal social media hype, Riquelme has in a subdued but cult-like worship across bars in Buenos Aires. Of course, the cult has now extended to the rest of the world, and by proxy social media, but it's nice to think that all the pro-Riquelme '24 de Junio' tweets are actually being written by the ageing moustachioed men in those same bars who, swirling their Malbec, have hijacked their grandson's account for one day to send their message of support for Juan Roman. In reality, they're probably just the same second-screening, highlights reel-dependant scumbags as all of us, who never saw the man play live on TV, let alone at La Bombonera. But still, let a man dream. Because that's certainly what Riquelme did. It is ironic that Messi's still-very-much-breathing-spectre should linger over Riquelme these days, because, just like Leo, Riquelme's first spectral presence came in the form of the king himself, Diego Maradona. Branded, as I suppose all precocious number tens in the Argentine capital have been since 1986, as the 'New Maradona', it quickly became apparent that, with his languid, occasionally ungainly style, Riquelme was not so. He did not have the dynamism, the explosion, the mazy running style or the hair. He was something wholly different. But it didn't make them love him any less. Happy birthday to the greatest to ever grace the Argentine league, Juan Román Riquelme. I'll go to my grave defending him. One of the most underrated to ever play the game. If you don't appreciate or enjoy Román, this sport is not for you. pic.twitter.com/wBQJtpyRQr   Roy Nemer (@RoyNemer) June 24, 2019 That word ungainly is perhaps unfortunate, because there is an inherent elegance to JRR's play, it's just inherently clunky too. This is the paradox that comes with a player who plays the game at such a devastatingly patient pace; when he is forced to run it seems unnatural. From an early age, he had problems with his fitness and recovery, an ailment that irrevocably shaped his career, for better and worse. The downside meant that, when it came to his high-profile move to Barcelona in 2002, he was ill-prepared for the gruelling European schedule and under-appreciated and thus under-utilised by manager Louis van Gaal. The upside was that it allowed him to fixate solely on the part of the game that he did best. The part when the ball was at his feet in the middle of the park, with seemingly no options for a pass. The part where he was gearing up for a speculative free kick. The part where he was lining up an unpredictable strike from an improbable angle. That ill-fated spell at Barcelona, where his status as the saviour from South America was quickly taken by Ronaldinho, was followed by a legendary one at 'lowly' Villarreal, where he became, for a time, the greatest playmaker in Europe. Hazard: "For me, the artists are Zidane and Ronaldinho, Riquelme... And then there is Messi." #UCL pic.twitter.com/CL6czrjmuA   UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 4, 2017 At Barca, he was remonstrated for being a slow, purely offensive player, who couldn't/wouldn't pressure the ball in defence and was ineffective on the break. At Villarreal, Manuel Pellegrini allowed him to be what he was, and he delivered. Just like they said he couldn't. Just like he knew he would. That first season with the Yellow Submarine was followed by the 2006 World Cup, and it was here where those who had written him off in Catalonia and ignored his resurrection in Castellon ate their words. Charged with pulling the strings for a team that desperately required some orchestration, Riquelme was a revelation. Two assists in three group stage games were quickly followed by standout performances against Mexico and Germany in the knockout rounds, the latter of which, despite eventual defeat on penalties (thanks to a miss from Esteban Cambiasso, his 72nd-minute replacement) is rivalled only by Zinedine Zidane's showing against Brazil as that tournament's greatest individual showing. A return to his homeland came just a year later, where he saw out his remaining seven years with the two clubs that had made him who he was - Boca Juniors (where he won the Copa Libertadores at the first time of asking) and Argentinos Juniors. His legacy is one that is hard to define, seeing as he was 'overshadowed' - but mainly just overlooked - at almost every turn, but his ability to find time and space where there was none was seen in the proceeding qualities of Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Sergio Busquets at Barca and, more recently, the effervescence of Mesut Ozil and the poise of Eden Hazard. Those comparisons can both flatter and deceive. Indeed, it is in accordance with the overall misunderstanding of Riquelme that today, the date of his 41st birthday, there is a flurry of confusion surrounding his actual age - some have claimed he is 40 though his birth date, at least the one that we currently have access to, says 1978. Clearly, there was, and is, a general ignorance around Riquelme's gifts. But that's so often the case with talents that go against the grain, that blur the parameters, that push the boundaries of the field they are in.  Happy 40th birthday to Juan Román Riquelme  #UCL pic.twitter.com/kqvjhv6cpC   UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) June 24, 2019 And, though it's undeniable to say that the man he shares his birthday with has since outperformed him, there is solace to be found for JRR in the fact that, when Messi first met the great man, he was starstruck to the point of speechlessness. Indeed, as Josep Maria Minguella, the famous agent who discovered Leo, detailed of that meeting: "Messi looked at Riquelme as if he were Jesus Christ." As I sit here, swirling my Malbec, rewatching Riquelme's greatest hits, I can officially say, probably for the first and last time, I share something in common with Lionel.


Things are heating up in regional high school softball. Here's a preview of some stand-out girls varsity softball games on the calendar from in and around Seattle, selected using data from high school sports site MaxPreps . (Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Details like game dates/times 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.) Eastside Catholic vs. Bishop Blanchet The Eastside Catholic Crusaders (9-4) are due to play a conference game against the Bishop Blanchet Braves (12-4) at home on Friday, May 3. The first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. at 232 228th Ave. S.E. in Sammamish. Eastside Catholic has a 1-2 conference record, and the visiting Bishop Blanchet girls are 6-1 in conference play so far this season. Ballard vs. Issaquah The Ballard Beavers (8-8) have a nonconference game against the Issaquah Eagles (4-15) at home on Friday, May 3. The clash is set for 4 p.m. at 1418 N.W. 65th St. Stadium vs. Garfield On Friday, May 3, the Stadium Tigers (14-1) have a home nonconference game against the Garfield Bulldogs (18-1). It all goes down at 111 N.E. St. in Tacoma, starting at 6:30 p.m. Montesano vs. Roosevelt On Saturday, May 4, the Montesano Bulldogs (12-3) have a home nonconference game against the Roosevelt Roughriders (11-5). It all goes down at 303 N. Church St. in Montesano, starting at 2 p.m. Montesano vs. Holy Names Academy On Saturday, May 4, the Montesano Bulldogs (12-3) have a home nonconference game against Holy Names Academy (12-6). The first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. at 303 N. Church St. in Montesano. 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.


The NFL preseason is about to begin for the Chargers. They will head to the desert to take on the Cardinals. Don't expect to see much, if any, of the starters to receive playing time. This game is about evaluating who will start at a couple positions and getting a look at depth chart players. Even though it's preseason and none of these games count, these games decide who will make the final 53-man roster and be a part of the 2019 Los Angeles Chargers. MORE: A furious Chris Davis had to be held back from Orioles manager Brandon Hyde Where did Jakobi Meyers come from? 6 quick takeaways from Packers' joint practices with Texans Deadline passes as Elliott loses accrued season, fines reach $500K Eagles land at No. 32 in ranking of best talent under age 25 in NFL


Veteran NBA big man Quincy Acy , who has appeared in 337 total regular-season games for the Raptors, Kings, Knicks, Mavericks, Nets, and Suns since 2012, has officially signed with Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv, according to a press release . "I'm excited to put on the Maccabi jersey, to bring passion, grit, and energy every game as we fight to win and bring success." Acy said in a statement. "I'm ready to get going, ready to get some wins. I'm ready to come to Tel Aviv with my family and join the fan base." Acy, 28, last played in the NBA with the Suns during the 2018-19 season, appearing in 10 games for the team over the course of two 10-day contracts. Here's more from around the basketball world: After reporting earlier in the week that former lottery pick Nik Stauskas has turned down offers from EuroLeague teams, Lithuanian journalist Donatas Urbonas tweets that Spanish club Baskonia now looks like the most likely destination for the free agent guard. No deal is done yet, however. In the wake of Jeremy Lin 's emotional comments about how he feels as if the NBA has given up on him, Doug Smith of The Toronto Star puts the point guard's free agency in context, pointing out that there's still plenty of time for Lin to catch on with an NBA team. Even if he doesn't, Lin has a successful career under his belt, says Smith. Given the success that teams like the Clippers and Jazz have had retooling their respective rosters rather than going through an all-out rebuild, Matt John of Basketball Insiders wonders if more lottery-bound clubs will follow that example and look to turn things around quickly rather than resigning themselves to several years of losing seasons.


The night manager of the Walgreens was having problems with a woman he suspected of shoplifting, so he called someone who lived around the corner and used to work for a security firm. The ex-guard arrived at the Northwest Side store within minutes Wednesday night and started struggling with the 46-year-old woman, finally pushing her to the floor and shooting her once in the head, according to a law enforcement source. She was carrying five boxes of leggings and a black T-shirt. The gunman picked up a single shell casing, walked out and drove off in his SUV, police said. He remained at large Friday morning, though police say they know his name and where he lives, less than two blocks from the store at 4817 W. Fullerton Ave. He once worked for Monterrey Security and has a record of arrests on drug, assault and impersonating a federal employee charges. The Tribune is not naming him because he has not been charged in the latest incident. A police report says nothing about the woman being armed. Store surveillance video shows her walking to the front of the store, heading for the doors, when the former security guard approaches and tries to detain her, police said. The woman tries to break free and the ex-guard throws her to the floor, pulls a handgun from his waistband and fires, the video shows. He drove away in a dark SUV, police said. The bullet struck the woman in the forehead, entering above an eye and exiting the back of her skull, officials said. Paramedics performed CPR while taking her to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Her identity has not been released, but records show past arrests for shoplifting. The gunman was described as black, between 30 and 40 years old, about 6 feet tall, weighing about 230 pounds and wearing a red hooded sweatshirt and dark jeans. An official with Monterrey Security confirmed he is a former employee who left the company last year. The official did not detail why he left but said it may have followed his arrest on charges in July of assault and impersonation of a federal government employee. Monterrey Security, founded by the brother of former Ald. Daniel Solis, 25th, has a history of troubling hiring practices that include failing to properly vet job candidates . The man was arrested last summer after he got into an argument with a woman in a White Castle on the South Side and was accused of snatching the receipt from her hands, according to a police report. The 24-year-old woman, who was with her 3-year-old niece, said the man then threatened to kill them and said, "I'm a police officer. Meet me outside. See what's gonna happen," the report states. A witness recognized the man as a security guard at St. Sabina Catholic Church on 78th Street, where police took him into custody. The charges were later dropped when the accuser did not show up in court, according to Cook County court records. A mug shot from the July arrest shows the man wearing a blue uniform with a Monterrey Security logo and badge pinned to the left side of his chest. State records show a person with the same name has an active license to work as an unarmed security guard and no prior disciplinary history. Later Thursday, people trickled in and out of the Walgreens where the woman was killed. A manager referred questions to Walgreens' corporate media relations team. A corporate spokesman would not answer specific questions about whether the store employed security guards, sending only a two-sentence statement that read in part: "We are committed to providing a safe environment for our employees, patients and customers in the communities we serve." A woman who works at a discount store across the street said she had never heard of such violence in her 15 years working in the area. "I was like, 'What happened?' because the area is pretty quiet," she said. She said she learned about the shooting Thursday morning when a colleague told her and she also saw reporters outside the store. "I was surprised," she said. "We don't really have shootings. Not like that. ... If there are, we don't know about it. Not at a place like that." A man who lives on West Medill Avenue, not far from the store, said his wife heard the gunfire but he was "dead asleep." "It's been kind of quiet for a few years, except drunks pass by screaming but that's about it. Thank God," said Aroldo Morales, 69, that adding he's lived in the neighborhood for about 25 years. Morales said he frequents the Walgreens but avoids going out at night. "I don't like to be late in the streets ... you never know," he said in front of his home Thursday afternoon. "It's sad stuff like that happens but it's how Chicago is now   full of violence." kdouglas@chicagotribune.com Twitter @312BreakingNews Read more local breaking news »


Curious just how far your dollar goes in Atlanta? We've rounded up the latest rental listings via rental sites Zumper and Apartment Guide to get a sense of what to expect when it comes to scoring housing in Atlanta if you've got a budget of $1,900/month. Take a peek at what rentals the city has to offer, below. (Note: Prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 1824 Defoor Ave. NW (Underwood Hills) First, there's this two-bedroom, two-bathroom spot over at 1824 Defoor Ave. NW. It's listed for $1,805/month for its 1,163 square feet. The residence has in-unit laundry, a dishwasher, hardwood flooring and a walk-in closet. Both cats and dogs are allowed. According to Walk Score, this location is car-dependent, is somewhat bikeable and has some transit options. (See the complete listing here .) 675 N. Highland Ave. NE (Poncey-Highland) Next, there's this one-bedroom, one-bathroom residence over at 675 N. Highland Ave. NE. It's listed for $1,813/month for its 795 square feet. Look for in-unit laundry, hardwood flooring, a walk-in closet and a dishwasher in the apart. For those with furry friends in tow, know that cats and dogs are welcome on this property. According to Walk Score, the surrounding area is a "walker's paradise," is convenient for biking and has some transit options. (Check out the complete listing here .) 2399 Parkland Drive NE (Lindbergh) Here's a 1,169-square-foot two-bedroom apartment at 2399 Parkland Drive NE that's going for $1,825/month. The residence offers in-unit laundry, a walk-in closet and a mix of hardwood floors and carpeting. For those with furry friends in tow, know that cats and dogs are allowed on this property. The rental doesn't require a leasing fee. Walk Score indicates that this location is quite walkable, is fairly bikeable and offers many nearby public transportation options. (Check out the complete listing here .) Working with a tight budget? Here are the cheapest rentals recently listed in Atlanta . This story was created automatically using local real estate data from Zumper and Apartment Guide , then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.