Heavy smoke could be seen coming from near the Hilton Americas in downtown Houston Sunday afternoon. Firefighters responded to a car fire at the top level of the hotel parking garage, according to the Houston Fire Department. Hotel officials said the hotel is not being evacuated. No injuries have been reported. The Houston Fire Department is at the scene.


A whole day celebrating the finger food that bites back   saucy, spicy, succulent chicken wings? Mark your calendar for July 29   we certainly have! Hoodline tracked down the best chicken wing joints in Arlington, using Yelp data tossed with our own special sauce. So, grab your bib and get your wet wipes ready. 1. TJ's Catfish And Wings Topping the list is TJ's Catfish and Wings . Located at 4261 W. Green Oaks Blvd., Suite 506, the restaurant known for chicken wings and more is one of the highest-rated chicken wing destinations in Arlington, boasting four stars out of 111 reviews on Yelp. 2. Jack's Chicken Shack Next up is Central's Jack's Chicken Shack , situated at 513 E. Abram St. With 4.5 stars out of 95 reviews on Yelp, the spot to enjoy chicken wings and sandwiches has proven to be a local favorite. 3. Pluckers Wing Bar Pluckers Wing Bar , a sports bar and traditional American eatery that serves chicken wings and more in East, is another go-to, with four stars out of 573 Yelp reviews. Head over to 4000 Bagpiper Way, Suite 140, to try it out for yourself. 4. Zero Degrees Finally, over in North, check out Zero Degrees , which has earned four stars out of 288 reviews on Yelp. You can find the cafe known for its bubble tea, coffee and chicken wings at 1807 N. Collins St. This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


And then there were two. For years, USC has proudly hung its hat on the fact that it has never played a game against a team from the FCS. Come 2021, the Land of Troy will be able to crow no more on that front as USC announced Friday that it will play UC Davis that season. USC has added three new home games to future football schedules, giving the Trojans a 7-game home slate in 2021 and 2023. #FightOn pic.twitter.com/a1BZVsfFyW   USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) July 12, 2019 With the announcement, it leaves Notre Dame and UCLA as the only FBS schools that have never scheduled a game against an FCS team. In addition to the UC Davis game, USC also announced future matchups with Nevada (2023) and San Jose State (2024). The Trojans and Wolf Pack have squared off against each other five times, the most recent coming in 1929. The Trojans and Spartans will be meeting for the fifth time overall and the first since 2009. USC has never lost to either school.


LOS ANGELES - The idea doesn't exactly seem, um, magical. So when the Lakers attempt to woo Kawhi Leonard next week, one of their pitchmen is going to be ... Magic Johnson? "Come join the team, it's a great place to work, except, well, I don't actually work there anymore. A couple of months ago, I couldn't take the chaos, so I quit." So for maybe the most important recruiting effort in team history, the Lakers are going to have to rely on ... Magic Johnson? "You'll love playing for us, just be careful around one of your bosses, guy named Rob Pelinka, he's a backstabber." The Lakers forced to use Magic Johnson to sell their front office is like a realtor trying to sell a house with a brochure that includes testimony from a former owner who once tried to burn it down. "You'll like owner Jeanie Buss, a strong leader. I call her my sister, although I didn't call her before I quit. She didn't have a clue!" In news first reported by The Los Angeles Times' Broderick Turner on Friday, it was revealed that Leonard's team has specifically asked Johnson to be part of the Lakers' sales team when they pitch Leonard early next week at the beginning of the NBA's free-agent signing period. The NBA told the Lakers that Johnson can't be part of an official meeting because, since he quit, he has been actively advising players on other teams. So he will engage in a private meeting that will clearly have great influence. That's a scary thought for Lakers fans, and one wonders if Leonard wasn't encouraged to make the request by the Clippers. "You know that Frank Vogel character? Could be a good guy, nobody knows. I purposely ruined his introductory news conference." Johnson is the greatest Laker ever and a local icon. But his first retirement as a player occurred in the same year Leonard was born. In trying to convince the star to leave the Toronto Raptors and not stray to the Clippers, Johnson's hero factor surely will be outweighed by his histrionics factor. How is Leonard going to believe a Lakers' sales pitch by a guy who walked away from the Lakers on the final day of the regular season - less than three months ago - because he didn't like the work environment? "What I didn't like was the backstabbing and whispering," Johnson said at the time. "I didn't like a lot of things that went on that didn't have to go on." How is Leonard going to be convinced to work for Pelinka when he was later cited by Johnson as being the devious co-worker? "So that's who I was talking about when I said 'backstabber,' " Johnson confirmed later to The Times. "I couldn't stand for that. So, yes, everything was true what I said about Rob." And how is Leonard, who clearly values calm and purpose, going to be sold on an organization that Johnson said was rudderless? "What's happening is there are too many opinions, too many voices, and everybody thinks their way is the right way," Johnson said. "That's why you can't make good decisions because you got six, eight voices and everybody thinks their strategy is the right one. You can't have that." Johnson made those last comments barely a month ago, on the same day Vogel was being introduced as the Lakers' head coach, effectively casting a shadow on what should have been a rare positive moment. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are going to join in the Leonard recruiting effort at some point, and that will help, but everyone knows who has a louder voice then both of them combined, and Johnson is apparently the only Laker specifically summoned by Leonard. True, Johnson was given credit last summer for successfully recruiting James, but that required little more than a quick visit to a guy who had already made up his mind. And remember, Johnson actually worked for the Lakers at the time. This is a much different deal. This will be a much stranger deal. With no official ties to the team, with an ax still to grind, with his dangerous impulsivity on display as well as his immense charm, can anybody guess what Johnson will say? And if he's all positive, won't that reek of the sort of insincerity that the plain-spoken Leonard supposedly abhors? "I will help the Lakers anyway that I can," Johnson told Turner on Friday. "I love the Lakers and just want to do what's best for the Lakers and Jeanie Buss." He truly believes that. Good luck selling it. Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com Related Slideshow: Top 50 NBA free agents (provided by Yardbarker)


Flip by flip, skill by skill, four-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles continues to set standards for herself and for her sport. Biles' next step into the great beyond will come Saturday at the USA Gymnastics U.S. Classic meet in Louisville, Ky., her first event since winning the all-around at an International Gymnastics Federation World Cup in March in Stuttgart, Germany. Saturday's meet is the final qualifying event for the USA Gymnastics national championships in Kansas City next month. Biles, 22, and teammate Jordan Chiles have qualified, but they will be joined in Louisville by seven training partners at varying stages of development at the Biles family's World Champions Centre in Montgomery County. Biles, though, will be the center of attention for everyone in attendance, and she plans to unleash the first of several event upgrades she hopes to perform leading up to this year's nationals and world competitions on the road toward the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Specifically, Biles will perform an upgraded version of her second tumbling pass on floor exercise, which normally ends with a double flip and a half-twist that culminates in a forward-facing blind landing. But this time she will add a front layout flip at the end of the maneuver. Biles, the five-time national all-around champion and 14-time world championship gold medalist, in late May posted a training film of the maneuver on Twitter that drew more than 411,000 views and gasps of amazement from the gymnastics cognoscenti. "It's about adding the upgrades at the right time when you're physically ready," Biles said after a training session Wednesday. "You don't want to do anything too dangerous, but it's also about pacing yourself. You don't want to put everything in too early." Still on hold, for the moment, are two other potential upgrades   a triple-twisting, double-tuck somersault that could be the final element on another floor pass, and a double-twisting somersault dismount on balance beam. Biles performs that dismount on uneven bars, but it has never been accomplished on bars. Biles said she will do Saturday the same two vaults she performed last year at the world championships, including the double-twisting blind landing vault that bears her name, and will do her 2018 routines on bars and beam, restoring the double-double dismount on bars she did not perform at the World Cup in Stuttgart. Cecile Canqueteau-Landi, who along with her husband, Laurent Landi, has been coaching Biles since her return to competition last year, said Biles has the imagination and trust in her coaches to continue adding upgraded skills to what are the most complicated routines on floor, vault and beam in the world. "She starts believing, and then she does it," Canqueteau-Landi said. "It's good to have an athlete who pretty much has no limits. She is willing to try things. She'll say, 'All right, I'll try it,' and when she does it, it's. 'OK, I can do it.' " Canqueteau-Landi said the Biles camp will install new floor music for the 2020 Olympic year but that work is well underway on whatever additional tricks she plans to add for her other routines next year. Biles acknowledged that as the excitement of returning to competition last year has given way to a full year's preparation toward the Olympic year, she has had to adapt her training style and her mindset to make it through long days of training. "I feel I've grown a lot as a person, but during your first Olympic cycle, you don't know what to expect," she said. "You go 100 percent all the time. I have a better idea now of how to pace myself. It's harder to make it through practices because I'm older and my body kind of hurts. "I felt in 2016 that I was maxed out for my personal bests, and I keep achieving more than I did in 2016. That kind of blows my mind." Other than the normal aches and pains of training, Biles said she is in acceptable physical condition for the Saturday event. As for thinking about competition after 2020, meanwhile, she vacillated more than usual Wednesday from her usual stance that she will retire after Tokyo. "I'm just trying to get through 2020 first, and then we will see where it goes," she said. Biles did note she recently signed a 10-year sponsorship agreement with the equipment manufacturer Spieth America but noted she could continue to work with the company even if she is not an active competitor. As for this weekend, Biles will be joined in Louisville by senior teammates Chiles, a two-time nationals medalist, Olivia Hollingsworth of Seabrook, Abigael Vides of Spring and Karis German of Spring. Also competing from World Champions Centre are juniors Zoe Miller of Spring and Maddie Losee of Bradenton, Fla., and age group competitors Rebekah Smith of Houston and Shanell Valles of Spring. Other local competitors will include Sophia Butler of Houston, Victoria Nguyen of Sugar Land and Eva Volpe of Pearland. The nine competitors from the Biles' World Champions Centre probably represent the biggest contingent from a single Houston-area gym at a national event since Bela and Martha Karolyis' days as personal coaches in the mid-1990s. "I've never had this many teammates before," Biles said. "Now we have a whole entire crew." david.barron@chron.com twitter.com/dfbarron


Over the course of the twentieth century, many countries built bunkers, some of which cost millions of dollars. Designed to protect the most important government officials in the event of a nuclear attack, most have since been abandoned or converted into museums. Here are 20 haunting photos of old nuclear bunkers. Eerie pictures of old nuclear bunkers Over the course of the twentieth century, many countries built bunkers, some of which cost millions of dollars. Designed to protect the most important government officials in the event of a nuclear attack, most have since been abandoned or converted into museums. Here are 20 haunting photos of old nuclear bunkers. A dreary dormitory (New Orleans) Taken in 2017, this photo depicts a dormitory inside a Cold War-era civil defense bunker in New Orleans. The facility which opened in 1962 as a safe haven for government and military officials in the event of a Soviet nuclear attack has been abandoned since closing its doors in the mid-1990s. A cramped corridor (Tirana, Albania) This 2016 photo shows a hallway in an old bunker in Tirana , the capital of Albania. Built in the 1980s, this top-secret facility was meant to allow the communist government of the time to continue leading the country in the event of a nuclear attack. Today, it houses a museum. Kennedy Bunker entrance (Florida) Speedily constructed during the Cuban missile crisis in December 1961, the Kennedy Bunker would have sheltered President John F. Kennedy and his family had there been a nuclear attack by the USSR. Located on Peanut Island in Florida , it was converted into a museum in 1999, but now needs extensive restoration and has been closed to the public since 2017. This photo from 2006 depicts the bunker s entrance. A bunker equipped for war (north of Cheyenne, Wyoming) The Quebec 01 Missile Alert Facility opened in 1962 north of Cheyenne, Wyoming and was operational until 2005. During the Cold War, this bunker contained missiles fitted with nuclear warheads. Pictured in this 2015 photo is the access tunnel leading to the bunker. A spooky tunnel (Carp, Ontario, Canada) The Diefenbunker was built in the utmost secrecy from 1959 to 1961 to protect Canadian government officials in the event of a Soviet nuclear attack. With a surface area of 10,000 square meters (more than 100,000 square feet) across four levels, it was turned into a museum in 1998. The main tunnel is pictured in this 2015 photograph. A forbidding ladder (Prague, Czech Republic) This uninviting ladder links the Jalta Boutique Hotel , a five-star hotel in Prague, with a fallout shelter that was built in the 1950s as a military headquarters for chiefs of staff from the Warsaw Pact countries in the event of an American nuclear attack. The structure was converted into a museum in 2013. A $4.6 billion bunker (Konjic, Bosnia and Herzegovina) This photo from 2010 shows a hallway inside the facility known as Tito s bunker. Built near the town of Konjic, this 6,500-square-meter (21,000-square-foot) structure was created as a shelter for Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito and up to 350 members of his inner circle. As noted by the Associated Press, it is situated 280 meters (920 feet) underground and could resist a 20-kiloton nuclear attack. Construction took more than 25 years, from 1953 to 1979, and cost $4.6 billion. Today, it s used as an exhibition and meeting space for artists . A creepy corridor (Kelvedon Hatch, England) Pictured in this 2009 photo is the hallway of a top-secret British army bunker in Kelvedon Hatch, Essex, England. Built between 1952 and 1953 , the bunker was used as the regional government headquarters during the Cold War. The facility, situated 38 meters (125 feet) underground, was decommissioned in 1992 and is now open to the public. An eerie tunnel (near Bonn, Germany) At the height of the Cold War in the 1960s, the government of West Germany decided to build a bunker near Bonn , then the capital. Located inside two abandoned railway tunnels, the bunker was intended to shelter West German government officials in the event of a Soviet nuclear attack. The space has since been converted into a Cold War museum. This photo was taken in 2008. A long-abandoned command post (Corsham, England) Located 30 meters (100 feet) below the town of Corsham in Wiltshire, England, this bunker was commissioned in 1955 as a shelter for about 4,000 government staff and the royal family in the event of a nuclear war. It was designed so that occupants could remain inside for up to 90 days without having to go outside. After being kept secret by the British government for decades, it was declassified in 2004 . This 2006 photo depicts the facility s command post. A nightmarish dormitory (Berlin, Germany) Located underneath Kurfürstendamm avenue in the middle of Berlin , this nuclear fallout shelter was built in the 1970s under orders of the West German government. Designed to hold 3,600 people for around two weeks, it remains functional today, despite having been turned into a museum. This photo was taken in 2010. A Chinese bunker (Ruichang, China) In the 1960s and  70s, local Chinese governments constructed shelters for protection in the event of a nuclear attack by the Soviet Union. This 2014 photo depicts one of these bunkers. Built 100 meters (330 feet) beneath the surface of a mountain , it contains six rooms, an armory, and a command post. Most Chinese fallout shelters were abandoned at the end of the Cold War; some have since been turned into tourist attractions, while others are used by citizens as places to keep cool on hot summer days. A very large bunker (Moscow, Russia) Bunker 42 was built in the heart of Moscow in the 1950s. One of the largest nuclear bunkers in the USSR, it could accommodate up to 30,000 people for a period of 90 days. This 7,000-square-meter (75,000-square-foot) space has been open to the public since the end of the Cold War. Pictured in this 2013 photo is one of the hallways. A bunker in a military camp (Wünsdorf, Germany) This photo depicts a room inside an army bunker in the old Soviet military camp of Wünsdorf, near Berlin. The facilities were abandoned shortly after the dissolution of the USSR. A bunker-turned-house (Donetsk, Ukraine) After their home was destroyed in the conflict between Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists, a few dozen Ukrainians living in Marinka and Petrovsky have had no choice but to move into old Cold War bunkers such as this one in Donetsk. This photo was taken in 2015. A terrifying subterranean hospital (Saint Andrew, Guernsey, Channel Islands) In the winter of 1940, workers captured by German forces began digging in an effort to build a vast underground hospital that would avoid detection by the planes patrolling the area. With a surface area of 7,000 square meters (75,000 square feet), this bunker is the largest structure in the region. Pictured in this 2008 photo is one of the dormitories. A bunker underneath a castle (Walbrzych, Poland) This 2015 photo shows a reinforced tunnel underneath Ksiaz castle in Poland . In 1941, the Nazis took possession of the castle for use as a second residence for Hitler. As described by the Associated Press, in order to protect the Führer from Allied bombings, prisoners from the Gross-Rosen concentration camp were commanded to build a bunker 50 meters (160 feet) below the castle. A narrow passage (Valcartier, Quebec, Canada) The CFB Valcartier bunker north of Quebec City was one of six Regional Emergency Government Headquarters . Built between 1961 and 1963, it was designed to hold close to 400 people, including the premier of Quebec and the lieutenant-governor, for at least 30 days without contact with the outside world. In the event of a Soviet nuclear attack, the government would have been able to continue its operations. After closing in 1995, the bunker was abandoned for several years before being reopened by the Canadian army in 2001. However, it s no longer used as a fallout shelter. This 2010 photo shows the bunker s emergency exit. A cramped office (Barnet, London, England) This 2002 photo shows the office of a bunker in Barnet, north of London. Built in the 1950s and consisting of two floors, it was large enough to hold about 50 people. A dozen of these bunkers were constructed in Great Britain during the Cold War as shelters for local authorities. An unwelcoming entrance (Ballymena, Northern Ireland) This entrance leads to a nuclear bunker built in the 1980s in Ballymena , Northern Ireland. With a surface area of 14,000 square meters (46,000 square feet), it can accommodate 235 people. Its main purpose was to shelter government officials in the event of a Soviet nuclear attack. It has been for sale with an asking price of £575,000 ($850,000) since 2016, the same year this photo was taken.


Jose Maria Lopez pulled away from teammate Kazuki Nakajima to put the #7 Toyota some 80 seconds clear of the sister car as the Le Mans 24 Hours reached two-thirds distance. Fernando Alonso took over the #8 Toyota TS050 Hybrid from Sebastien Buemi just after the halfway mark but the two-time Formula 1 World Champion's stint was blighted by a door that needed replacing which cost him an extra 26sec, and he also lost time to teammate Kamui Kobayashi thanks to a slow zone. After 15 hours, with multiple World Touring Car champion Lopez now driving the #7, the pair had completed their 21st pitstops of the race and ran 63sec apart, three laps ahead of the #3 Rebellion Racing R-13 of Thomas Laurent who was 1min45 ahead of Mikhail Aleshin in the #11 SMP Racing BR Engineering BR1. The second Rebellion car driven by Neel Jani ran eight laps behind. Alonso spent 3h15min at wheel before handing over to Nakajima at the 15h20min mark. After their 22nd stops, Lopez led his teammate by 69sec, while after a full-course yellow for a spinning GTE Am Porsche, the gap was extended to 80sec. The ByKolles ENSO CLM P1/01 retired at 4am with a shifter issue, joining the DragonSpeed BR1 on the sidelines and reducing the car count in LMP1 to five. LMP2: G-Drive still on top At the 14th hour, the #26 G-Drive Racing Oreca Jean-Eric Vergne continued to lead Signatech's Alpine driven by Nicolas Lapierre by 100sec. Anthony Davidson (DragonSpeed Oreca) was passed for third by Jackie Chan DC Racing's Stephane Richelmi but sadly there was also bad news for the Jota-run team, as its other car, with Ricky Taylor at the wheel, had to retire with gearbox failure. In fifth, therefore, ran the TDS Racing Oreca in the hands of Loic Duval, while in sixth was the top Ligier of United Autosports, steered by Filipe Albuquerque. The sister United car has suffered alternator issues, and then when Alex Brundle was at the wheel, a sudden tyre deflation in the 16th hour sent the car into a high-speed spin, and then a low-speed limp to the pits. The gap between G-Drive and Signatech was down to 90sec as the race completed its 16th hour with Aubry a similar distance behind in third. DragonSpeed (Pastor Maldonado) and TDS Racing (Matthieu Vaxiviere) completed the top five, while ex-F1 driver Paul di Resta was at the wheel of United's lead Ligier. GTE: Race-leading Porsche hits trouble The #51 AF Corse Ferrari then driven by Alessandro Pier Guidi moved into the lead in the 13th hour when the class-leading #92 Porsche 911 RSR, driven by Kevin Estre, made a 20min pit stop for a new exhaust and new brakes. The Ferrari 488 was then left 80sec clear of the fight between the #93 Porsche of Nick Tandy and his #91-mounted teammate Gianmaria Bruni. These two were chased by Antonio Garcia in the Corvette C7.R and three Ford GTs. After 15 hours, James Calado in the Ferrari was still leading but had had his lead whittled down to 19sec by Richard Lietz in the #91 Porsche, with Jan Magnussen a further 20sec back in the #63 Corvette. Nick Tandy ran fourth in the #93 Porsche, 15sec back, with Richard Westbrook, Dirk Muller and Harry Tincknell in Fords #69, #68 and #67. Approaching the completion of the 16th hour, Westbrook had to pit the #69 Ford for a new radio, and fell to seventh in class. AF Corse's class-leading Ferrari fell to fourth at the top of the hour after being first to pit but Lietz, Magnussen and Pilet were all expected to pit imminently. The Keating Motorsports Ford GT continued to run well clear of its closest opposition in GTE Am, which at the 14th hour changed as the TF Sport Aston Martin Vantage piloted by Euan Hankey spun into the sandtrap at Mulsanne corner. By the time Hankey was dragged out, headed to the pit and sent on his way again he had dropped outside the top five. That allowed JMW Motorsport's Ferrari 488 into second with Jeff Segal at the wheel, but he was well over a lap behind, chased by Egidio Perfetti in the Team Project 1 Porsche 911 RSR. WeatherTech Racing's Ferrari, driven by Rob Smith, was up into fourth ahead of Matteo Cressoni's Clearwater Racing Ferrari. Ben Keating, who needed to run five of the last 9.5 hours to fulfill his minimum drive time, took over the beautiful purple Wynn's Ford just after 5.30am, which was supposedly the chance for pursuers to make inroads. But the Texan was immediately matching the laptimes of his immediate pursuers, Perfetti, Segal, and the Clearwater Racing Ferrari of Matt Griffin, and was barely slower than Toni Vilander in the WeatherTech Ferrari 488. Read Also: Live: Follow the Le Mans 24 Hours as it happens


Once upon a time, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. were considered one of the best offensive combinations in the NFL, but with OBJ now in Cleveland, that perception has changed. With targets like Golden Tate, Sterling Shepard, Saquon Barkley and Evan Engram still in tow, one would think a quarterback-receiver combination from the Giants would still rank somewhat high. No way, says Barry Werner of Touchdown Wire . In ranking the NFL's best QB-receiver combos for all 32 teams, Werner has Manning and Tate in the bottom half of the league, just barely edging out Sam Darnold and Robby Anderson (New York Jets) for No. 24 overall. 24. Eli Manning-Golden Tate Wily veterans figure to find a good beat and rhythm in New York. The key will be if Manning remains the Giants' No. 1 quarterback. It will be a challenge if they turn the team over to Daniel Jones for all receivers. And that is simply because he is a rookie, no insult. It's not difficult to understand why Manning and Tate are ranked so low out of the gate. However, don't be surprised to see that change as the year moves along. Not only does Tate provide Manning with a unique slot option, he comes with sure hands and the ability to break tackles unlike anyone else in the league - a valuable commodity for the aging quarterback. Beyond that, unlike Manning's relationship with Beckham, Tate has made a concentrated effort to work with Manning one-on-one this offseason and to develop a bond, which he believes will help their on-field chemistry on the field. "His understanding of the game," Tate told NJ Advance Media . "As a savvy receiver - specific to my situation, I play in the slot a lot - you want to have a guy who is really good at reading coverages so he doesn't throw you into any headaches. Eli's knowledge of the game is great." Tate added that the two have bonded over golf and Manning's impressive sense of humor. Hopefully that can translate to some big numbers on the field. MORE: Chauncey Billups had a brutally honest take on why Carmelo Anthony isn't in the NBA The Ringer believes Raiders could trade SS Karl Joseph to Cowboys Windhorst: Houston Rockets Trying to Land Russell Westbrook in Three-Team Trade NBA Depth Charts Saints rookie Carl Granderson sentenced to serve six months in jail


While an extra year of control is generally considered as a boon to a player's trade value, this may not necessarily be the case for Trevor Bauer , as Ken Rosenthal explains in his latest video report for FOX Sports. Bauer has one year of arbitration eligibility remaining in 2020, though Rosenthal notes that some potential trade partners are wary of acquiring Bauer due to the high price tag he'll earn next season. After defeating Cleveland in an arb hearing in February, Bauer collected a $13M salary for 2019, and his aggressiveness in seeking out maximum value on an annual basis makes it likely he'll go to yet another hearing for another big salary next winter. This could push Bauer's potential earnings into the $20M range, which is too costly for some clubs. There is some comparison between Bauer's situation and David Price 's situation in 2014, Rosenthal notes, as the Rays' ability to get a big trade haul for the ace lefty was somewhat limited by the big payday awaiting Price via arbitration in the 2014-15 offseason. Of course, with the Indians in the playoff hunt, it remains to be seen if the Tribe will trade Bauer whatsoever, or potentially wait until the offseason to further trades (though there's already a lot of speculation about Bauer being on the move this July). Dan Otero will begin a minor league rehab assignment, manager Terry Francona told MLB.com's Mandy Bell and other reporters. The righty hasn't pitched since May 30 due to right shoulder inflammation, and Otero's time on the injured list was extended due to a setback in his recovery process. The ground-ball specialist had a 54.9% grounder rate, 3.33 K/BB rate, 3.8 K/9, and 4.56 ERA over his first 23 2/3 innings for Cleveland this season, with that ERA largely inflated by five earned runs over his last 2 2/3 frames of work prior to his IL stint. Francona also discussed Danny Salazar 's rehab, as the right-hander continues to make his way back to a big league mound for the first time since October 2017. Salazar has been working as a starter during his rehab outings, though Francona said it's too soon to say whether Salazar will continue in the rotation should he return to the Tribe's MLB roster. "I don't know how you can forecast a month down the road," Francona said. "We might need three starters by then… There's a lot of things we need to find out. Information that we don't have yet." Keeping Salazar on a regular five-day schedule as a starter could be beneficial to his bothersome shoulder, though a similar argument could be made that limited bullpen innings would be preferable to a starter's workload.


Slideshow by photo services At Virginia Beach's Department of Public Utilities, where 40-year-old DeWayne Craddock was a civil engineer, his fellow employees were winding down Friday afternoon, getting ready to head off for the weekend. The boss, Bob Montague, ended a meeting in his office a little before 4 p.m. and turned to some last-minute paperwork. It was right then, near quitting time, that Craddock, who had been on the city payroll for about 15 years, opened fire on his colleagues with a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun, police said, spraying bullets around the second floor of a three-story, red-brick building on the campus of the Virginia Beach municipal center. Subscribe to the Post Most newsletter: Today's most popular stories on The Washington Post "I heard rapid pop pops , but they weren't very loud," Montague said. That was because Craddock, according to police, had equipped his pistol with a sound suppressor, commonly called a "silencer," before embarking on the killing rampage. "Suddenly, a kind of hole exploded in my wall," Montague said. "I had bits of dry wall and dust hit me. That's when I made a connection of what was happening." What was happening was a slaughter   a dozen victims slain, 11 of whom worked for the city, plus Craddock, who was killed in a gunfight with police. It was another mass shooting in a nation grown accustomed to them. "It was all very quick, a whirlwind coming through," Montague said. "You're frightened and your adrenaline is up, and you're thinking about what you're going to do if you encounter someone. I had no idea what was going on, other than realizing these were gunshots." A fire alarm began blaring. He called 911 and texted his staff to shelter in place. Montague hunkered down himself, scanning his office for anything he might use as a weapon if the shooter barged in. He did all the things he had been taught to do   what countless Americans have learned to do in recent years   during active-shooter training. As for Craddock, his motive isn't publicly known. Neighbors said he was quiet, unobtrusive. He said nothing as he shot his victims, a witness said. His workplace, Building 2 in the municipal center, is part of a sprawling complex of about 30 city buildings. While there on Friday, Craddock had two .45-caliber handguns, at least one outfitted with an extended ammunition clip. A contractor, Herbert "Bert" Snelling, was sitting outside Building 2 in a car, a city official said. Craddock approached Snelling and shot him to death. Then he went into the building and up to public utilities on the second floor. Around the time Montague was finishing his meeting, David Benn, a 58-year-old traffic engineer, was standing in a second-floor hallway, chatting with two colleagues. Benn would later tell his wife that the shooter emerged from a nearby room and pointed the gun at him and the others. Benn, who had never met Craddock, dived into someone's vacant office as bullets started flying. From his hiding place, he called his wife, Cheryl Benn, in her Virginia Beach law office. She said she didn't recognize the number, and when she answered, all she could hear was a fire alarm wailing in the background. So she hung up. Then her husband called right back, at 4:17 p.m. "I don't remember now exactly what he said, but it was something to the effect of: He was barricaded in a room and the door wouldn't lock, but he was leaning up against the door and there's someone shooting out there." He told her he was all right and was waiting for help. "It didn't sound like gunshots," Cheryl Benn said, quoting her husband, who didn't want to be interviewed. Because Craddock's weapon was equipped with a noise suppressor, Benn told his wife, the shots "sounded like a nail gun up on the roof." A Virginia Beach planning commissioner, George Alcaraz, said Building 2 houses planning offices on the first floor, public utilities on the second floor and permitting on the third floor. He said at least 50 people work in public utilities. One of them, Thomas Colson, an accounting clerk, heard a colleague shout: "Active shooter! Get off the phones and into an office!" Colson, 39, and a co-worker hustled from room to room, spreading the word. "A lady was knocked down, and I was helping her up," he said. "We got people into an office and barricaded the door with a chair. I was going for another sweep when I looked up and saw the gunman walking toward me." He said he and Craddock were casual acquaintances. After Colson and the co-worker ducked into an office and locked the door, Craddock "went by three times. He looked me dead in the eye and I could see the weapon in his hands. Then he walked away and we found a table and barricaded the door. It felt like forever." Outside the room where Colson was sheltered, victims fell, including Tara Welch Gallagher, Richard H. Nettleton, Christopher Kelly Rapp, Katherine A. Nixon and Joshua O. Hardy. All worked in engineering for public utilities and were killed. As the gunman kept firing, Robin Morse, who works on the first floor, heard a muffled commotion through the ceiling. "I thought someone had fallen," she said. "Then someone yelled, 'There's an active shooting in the building!' " Kimberly Millering's boss approached her on the first floor and, in a calm but stern voice, told her the same thing. "Hearing the words come out of his mouth was surreal," Millering said. She locked the door to her windowless office, turned off the lights and sat behind a file cabinet. She could hear, coming from above her, what sounded like gunfire and muffled shouts. Others were dying up there: Mary Louise Gayle, Alexander Mikhail Gusev and Laquita C. Brown, all right-of-way agents on the second floor, were among the slain, as were Ryan Keith Cox, an account clerk; Michelle "Missy" Langer, an administrative assistant; and Robert "Bobby" Williams, a special projects coordinator. Virginia Beach police headquarters is in the municipal complex. Two detectives were the first to arrive in Building 2. A pair of uniformed K-9 officers also got there fast. Officials said the four soon found Craddock and a firefight broke out, lasting several minutes. They said one detective's life was saved when his protective vest stopped a bullet from Craddock's gun. Shelia Cook, whose workplace on the campus is near police and fire headquarters, a few blocks from Building 2, said "we could kind of hear what was going on." As she and fellow employees were getting ready to leave for the weekend, the crack of gunfire reached them. " Poom , poom   like that," Cook, 49, said. "If that happened 10 minutes later, me and my colleagues would have been coming out of the building, not knowing what was occurring over there. And bullets have no name on them." Then: "Our phones just started pinging with the news. So that's how we began to look at the news, and, like, 'Guys, it's really serious.' " Soon, heavily armed officers arrived, telling Cook and her co-workers to shelter in place. "They were right on it," she said. "I'm so grateful for our police force. . . . They were not taking their lives into consideration, but ours." In Building 2, Montague, the public utilities director, suddenly heard nothing. The gunfire ceased. Then he heard officers pounding on office doors, pointing their weapons at the survivors, ordering them to come with their hands raised. They had to be sure that Craddock didn't have an accomplice. "They were herding us through hallways," said Montague, who saw one of the victims dead on the floor. He said he encountered one of his employees, "who was so distraught. My reaction was to grab them and comfort them   but then you're reminded to keep your hands up." As police led the survivors out of the building, public utilities account clerk Christi Dewar, 60, said, she stepped over someone who turned out to be her friend Langer. An officer holding her hand told her, "Don't look down, don't look down," she said. "And I don't know how I made it." Millering, hiding on the first floor, exchanged instant messages with colleagues around her. Finally, four them gathered in one office, planning to flee the building, before police officers showed up and led them to safety. "See that red car?" an officer said. "Run to that red car." And they did, hurrying hundreds of feet across a field in a "frightening and unnerving" sprint. David Benn survived, too. His wife, Cheryl, found him late that night at police headquarters, where he was being interviewed by investigators. "I asked him if he was all right," she said, "and he told me yes. And then I hugged him." paul.duggan@washpost.com patricia.sullivan@washpost.com ian.shapira@washpost.com


The Rams started signing their draft picks after the other 31 teams in the league, but they didn't waste any time once they got the ball rolling. Shortly after the team announced three signings on Friday, they announced that all eight of their selections are under contract. All eight signed four-year deals with the team. Second-round safety Taylor Rapp , seventh-round safety Nick Scott and seventh-round linebacker Dakota Allen were the first three to sign their deals. They are joined by third-round running back Darrell Henderson , third-round cornerback David Long, third-round tackle Bobby Evans , fourth-round defensive tackle Greg Gaines , and fifth-round tackle David Edwards . Henderson has been the subject of a fair amount of buzz since being drafted. The team has talked up his versatility and lingering questions about Todd Gurley 's health have had eyes on what the rookie might be able to do right off the bat in L.A.


Bill McDonald saw this coming. It's roughly 150 miles to Myrtle Beach from Columbia, South Carolina, and about 160 miles to Athens, Ga. But that would be too easy. It's far more likely, McDonald thought, that the third-seeded Gamecocks would be sent more than 2,600 miles away to Pullman, Wash., for NCAA regional action . "I hate to say I'm clairvoyant," McDonald said, "but I kind of called it." And so South Carolina kept a light-hearted attitude about heading to the southeastern tip of Washington. The five Southerners in McDonald's lineup got in a practice round in nearby Idaho before settling in at Palouse Ridge Golf Club. NCAA regional action kicks off at six sites around the country May 13-15, and the Gamecocks aren't the only Southeastern team in the Pullman field. No. 2-seeded Georgia Tech and Florida (No. 8) also look to become one of four teams who advance out of Washington to the NCAA Championship in Fayetteville, Ark. South Carolina coach Bill McDonald. (South Carolina Athletics Communications and PR) Nothing about the fall season was particularly impressive for McDonald's squad. Prospects didn't look any better after Ryan Hall, a freshman who posted three top-20 finishes in his first semester, fell of a skateboard and nearly broke his wrist in three places. An embarrassed Hall was afraid to tell McDonald for a week. Hall spent time this spring in a cast and underwent some serious rehab before playing for the first time in April as an individual at the Wofford Invitational, where he finished second. When the Gamecocks began their spring season at the All-American Intercollegiate in February, McDonald felt their fourth-place finish was mired by sloppy play. He told his seniors that they needed to step it up in practice and hold the team accountable with their wedges. The team flipped a switch the next month at the Palmetto Intercollegiate, where the Gamecocks won by a staggering 35 shots. South Carolina posted a new school and tournament record of 27-under 813 and senior Will Miles collected his first collegiate win in memorable fashion, finishing 13 under - T-2 lowest 54-hole score of all-time at South Carolina - to win by nine. SCORES: Pullman | Stanford | Athens SCORES: Louisville | Austin | Myrtle Beach "I kind of went nuts there," Miles said. McDonald just wanted his to team to get in contention at a tournament. After Palmetto, he readjusted the goals. The Gamecocks went on to win two more times in the spring, finishing five consecutive events in the top 3. McDonald kept readjusting. "I think you don't get that a whole lot in our business," said McDonald of the bar moving that substantially during the course of one season. McDonald has called this the most unified team he's coached in his 13 years at South Carolina. That needed it after the Gamecocks' momentum didn't carry on at SEC Championship. McDonald made the difficult decision of pulling junior Jamie Wilson from the lineup for regionals to bring back a more consistent Hall, the freshman now known on the team as "Tony Hawk." "If we need a really low round or solid round," said McDonald, "that's just what the odds are with him." LIVE BLOG: Keep up with the regional action Miles, a senior from Hilton Head, knows what Wilson must be feeling first-hand. He was bumped from the lineup with one tournament to go as a freshman. That 2016 team made it to match play at NCAAs. Miles used the disappointment as motivation. He also knows about overcoming the uncomfortable, having been diagnosed with lymphedema as a young boy, a condition that causes his legs to swell. South Carolina's Will Miles. (South Carolina Athletics Communications and PR) Miles wears compression garments under his pants every day and compression boots at night. He travels with a machine that he puts on for an hour a day that's designed to reduce the swelling. "I have to bring an extra bag," he said of traveling. "It looks like I'm moving in each week." Miles went on to win the Southern Intercollegiate in April for his second career individual title. Thirty-six hole days are particularly tough for him to recover from. He's been hospitalized several times with cellulitis and is more susceptible to infections. McDonald said Miles never talks about it or complains. "I think he just looks at is as his routine," said McDonald, "manages his time around it." One area that Miles said he has improved on this season is his attitude, something McDonald has been on him about since freshman year. "We put a lot of effort into our body language," said McDonald of the team. "Nothing drives me more crazy than these guys missing a 3-footer and throwing their arms up and flailing around." The Gamecocks are ranked 11th by Golfweek heading into regionals and Miles - one of three seniors in the lineup - leads the team with a 70.68 scoring average and No. 29 ranking. Scott Stevens (70.71) and Ryan Stachler (71.20) round out the talented senior trio. Miles said the team believes they can make a deep run at the NCAA Championship, but they'll have to get there first. Georgia Tech gets sent to the West Coast for regional play on a regular basis now and are ranked No. 2 in the country. Top-seeded Oklahoma, the 2017 NCAA champions, is ranked No. 9 by Golfweek, and there are plenty of West Coast schools ready to strike on semi-home turf. "The ceiling on this team still hasn't been met yet," said McDonald. It's no wonder that expectations continue to rise. MORE: Charles Barkley hit back at Joel Embiid for saying he doesn't know what he's talking about NBA Free Agency 2019: The top players Video confirms reports of Chris Paul's attempt to sabotage Steph Curry Dak Prescott's accuracy, aggressive quantified ahead of new deal Knicks experience made Jackson and Rambis concerned about 'oversize superstardom'


On Average, wedding guests allot $128 for a wedding gift, according to NerdWallet. Amy Zawacki, owner of Wedding Chicks , told INSIDER $100 is a reasonable amount. However, Janessa White of Simply Eloped said you should consider your relationship with the couple, how much you're already spending on the wedding, and your own financial situation. It's no secret that weddings can get expensive. From the venue to the dress , couples can end up paying tens of thousands of dollars . However, weddings can also be expensive for the guests. In fact, 33% of people have skipped weddings entirely because they could not afford the expenses, according to NerdWallet. After buying an outfit and traveling to the location, wedding guests still need to spend extra cash on the gift. NerdWallet found that people typically set a $128 budget for a wedding gift in the US , while millennials tend to allot a bit more, budgeting $151 for the couple. Amy Zawacki, co-founder of Wedding Chicks , told INSIDER that $100 is an appropriate amount for a wedding gift. "The average wedding gift from friends or family members is usually around $100," Zawacki said. "Close friends and family members tend to spend about $150." Jung Lee, wedding event strategist at Slow Dance , however, said there is no one set dollar amount for a wedding gift. She said there are many variables to consider when deciding how much to spend. Lee said you should take into account your relationship with the couple, how much you're already spending on the wedding, and your own financial situation. "Usually close friends and family members will be able to and really want to give a larger gift, [something] that will be truly memorable and last the couple their lifetime," Lee told INSIDER. Janessa White of Simply Eloped agreed with Lee. Related gallery: Here's how much the average wedding costs in every state "If you are already spending a lot of money to get to the wedding, like in the case of a destination wedding, you shouldn't feel like you need to spend a bunch of money on your gift," White told INSIDER. "If all other parts of the wedding are minimal costs and you want to spend a good chunk of money on a gift - and you can afford to do so - by all means go for it." But White said if you're really at a loss with how much to spend, you should just look to the couple for guidance. "Couples should set the expectations for gifts right away," she said. "If the couple is open to receiving gifts, they should register. This way people have options and can make sure they are giving a gift that the couple actually wants or needs." Finally, there's one wedding gift notion Zawacki advises against altogether: Some wedding goers subscribe to the idea that you should buy a gift that is equivalent to the cost of your meal at the wedding. "Weddings shouldn't be viewed as a dollar-for-dollar transaction," she said. "It feels way better to a gift because you love the couple than to feel like you're expected to cover your cost-per-head. Couples want guests to come to witness their love, have all the feelings, eat, drink, party and leave with the most fun memories." Related video: Some of the worst wedding gifts ever given, according to the brides themselves (provided by Buzz60)


No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson will be held out for the remainder of this month's Las Vegas Summer League after suffering a bruised left knee in Friday's game, the Pelicans announced on Saturday in a press release. Injury Update: Zion Williamson, who left last night's game against the Knicks with a bruised left knee, will not participate in the remainder of the NBA Summer League, David Griffin announced today. Statement from Griffin: pic.twitter.com/cfxWvldTTv   New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) July 6, 2019 While fans in Vegas will be disappointed not to see any more of Williamson in action this month, it's no surprise that the Pelicans will be cautious with their new franchise cornerstone. Based on the club's announcement, it doesn't sound as if Zion's knee issue is serious. "Zion will move forward from this incident without issue," head of basketball operations David Griffin said in the statement. Williamson played just nine minutes in his professional debut on Friday versus the Knicks, but he looked good in limited action, pouring in 11 points and grabbing three rebounds.


The Warriors are planning to offer All-Star guard Klay Thompson a five-year, maximum-salary contract when free agency opens on Sunday, reports ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski . According to Wojnarowski, that offer will likely accelerate Thompson's free agency, as the two sides aren't expected to take long to reach an agreement. Reports this week indicated that Thompson considered meeting with the Lakers and Clippers if the Warriors didn't put that five-year offer (worth a projected $189.66M) on the table right away. However, there has been no indication   even after Thompson tore his ACL   that Golden State was wavering on making that commitment. According to Wojnarowski, several teams that had Thompson on their wish lists have given up hope on that possibility in recent days, becoming convinced that the sharpshooter will remain in the Bay Area. An ESPN report this morning suggested that Thompson's camp might have been using those Los Angeles teams to create leverage to ask the Warriors for a fifth-year player option or a no-trade clause. Stephen Curry didn't get either of those perks in his own five-year, maximum-salary deal, so Golden State may be reluctant to give them to Thompson. At this point, it's not clear whether or not Klay's camp intends to push for either one. If the Warriors can lock up Thompson, they'll be halfway to keeping their core intact for the 2019-20 season. The team also reportedly plans to offer a five-year maximum-salary (worth a projected $221M+) to Kevin Durant . Both Thompson and Durant   who is recovering from a ruptured Achilles   are expected to miss most or all of next season but would be ready to go for 2020-21.


Interested in adopting a pet   or just looking at some cuddly kittens up for adoption? There are dozens of darling kittens up for adoption at animal shelters in and around Berkeley. Animal shelters and pet rescue groups work hard to care for unhoused pets and connect them to loving homes. Hoodline used data from Petfinder to power this roundup of kittens currently available for adoption. (Details like pet availability, training, vaccinations and other features are based on data provided by Petfinder and may be subject to change; contact the shelter for the latest information.) Patrick, tabby and domestic mix Patrick is a male tabby and domestic kitten currently housed at Home At Last Animal Rescue . Patrickis happy to keep company with other cats. He has mastered his house-training etiquette. He has been vaccinated. Notes from Patrick's caretakers: Patrick is a beautiful orange tabby boy with a fluffy tail. He's very affectionate, loves to be petted and have his tummy rubbed. He's still an active kitten and would do best in a home with another kitten or playful cat as a playmate and companion. Read more about Patrick on Petfinder . Curtail, tabby Curtail is a sweet male tabby kitten in the care of Berkeley Animal Care Services . Curtail is happy to keep company with other cats. He's vaccinated. Apply to adopt Curtail today at Petfinder . Dashiell, domestic shorthair Dashiell is a handsome male domestic shorthair kitten currently housed at Berkeley Animal Care Services . Dashiell plays well with others, and he'll get along great with other cats. Dashiell is vaccinated. Read more about Dashiell on Petfinder . Rex, domestic shorthair Rex is a handsome male domestic shorthair kitten in the care of Berkeley Animal Care Services . Rex has been vaccinated. Read more about Rex on Petfinder . This story was created automatically using local animal shelter data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


2019 was supposed to be the year of the foldable, but issues with Galaxy Fold review units and a mysterious delay of Huawei's Mate X have left curious consumers in the lurch. Both of the phones will launch eventually, but it's difficult to see foldable devices establishing any kind of foothold on the market this year. That apparently hasn't scared off Apple, though, as IHS Markit analyst Jeff Lin claims that the company is developing a foldable product of its own. This isn't the first time we've heard rumors about an Apple-made foldable, but the twist here is that Lin says Apple is building a foldable iPad, rather than an iPhone. According to Lin, the foldable iPad will support 5G, will have the latest A series processor, and will feature a display nearly as large as the current MacBook line. He didn't describe the design of the device, so we have no idea whether this foldable iPad will have a single screen that folds in half, or if Apple will go another route. Lin also noted that it will be highly portable and have "business-friendly" features, which might make it the laptop replacement the standard iPad isn't (despite Apple making strides on this front in recent years). Lin believes that the foldable 5G iPad could launch as soon as next year, but considering that Apple has yet to even release a 5G phone, it's hard to imagine a 5G foldable tablet being ready within the next 18 months. That said, there have been rumors that 5G could come to the iPad line before it hits the iPhone.


By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. retail sales increased in May and sales for the prior month were revised higher, suggesting a pick-up in consumer spending that eased fears the economy was slowing down sharply in the second quarter. The fairly upbeat report from the Commerce Department on Friday followed a raft of weak data, including a step-down in hiring in May and tame inflation readings, that have led economists to believe that the Federal Reserve will signal a rate cut later this year when policymakers meet next week. Financial markets have priced in two rate cuts this year, driven primarily by a recent escalation in the trade war between the United States and China, which economists have warned could undercut economic growth. The economy will next month celebrate 10 years of expansion, the longest in history. "Don't count this economy out yet, the consumer is saying, as they show the way by opening their wallets and purses to spend the money that makes the economy hum," said Chris Rupkey, chief economist at MUFG in New York. Retail sales rose 0.5% last month as households bought more motor vehicles and a variety of other goods, the government said. Data for April was revised up to show retail sales gaining 0.3%, instead of dropping 0.2% as previously reported. There were also increases in purchases of building materials and garden equipment, furniture, and electronics and appliances. Americans also spent more on online and mail-order purchases, hobbies, music and books, as well as at bars and restaurants. But sales at clothing stores were unchanged. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast retail sales increasing 0.6% in May. Compared to May last year, sales advanced 3.2%. Excluding automobiles, gasoline, building materials and food services, retail sales climbed 0.5% last month after an upwardly revised 0.4% rise in April. These so-called core retail sales correspond most closely with the consumer spending component of gross domestic product. They were previously reported to have been unchanged in April. Consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of economic activity. The outlook for consumption is dimming a bit. Not only did hiring cool in May, wage growth retreated. Concerns about the labor market have been uppermost in consumers' minds this month. A second report on Friday showed consumer sentiment ebbed in early June, with households worried the trade fight between Washington and Beijing would hurt the economy, particularly the labor market. President Donald Trump in early May imposed additional tariffs of up to 25% on $200 billion of Chinese goods, prompting retaliation by Beijing. Trump on Monday threatened more duties on Chinese imports if no deal was reached with Chinese President Xi Jinping at a G20 summit later this month in Japan. The consumer sentiment survey from the University of Michigan also appeared to suggest consumers rushed to buy big-ticket household items on the tariffs list to beat anticipated price increases as a result of the duties. This suggests retail sales could remain strong in June. The dollar firmed against a basket of currencies. Prices for longer-dated U.S. Treasuries rose. Stocks on Wall Street were trading lower. GROWTH ESTIMATES RAISED The solid gains in core retail sales in April and May suggested consumer spending was gaining speed in the second quarter after braking sharply in the January-March period. That together with a third report showing a utilities-led rebound in industrial production last month prompted the Atlanta Fed to raise its second-quarter GDP growth estimate by seven-tenths of a percentage point to a 2.1% annualized rate. The economy grew at a 3.1% pace in the January-March quarter after getting a temporary boost from exports and an accumulation of inventory. Exports dropped in April and inventories are expected to be a drag on growth. In addition, business investment softened and home sales fell in April. Overall, the economy is losing steam as the stimulus from last year's $1.5 trillion tax cut and increased government spending dissipates. May's 0.4% rise in industrial production was the first increase this year. The report from the Fed also showed manufacturing production rising by a moderate 0.2% last month, leaving output down this year. Production at factories slumped 0.5% in April. Manufacturing, which accounts for about 12% of the economy, is being constrained by an inventory overhang, especially in the automotive sector, that has left businesses placing fewer orders at factories. Motor vehicle inventories surged 0.8% in April, the Commerce Department said in another report. The trade tensions between Washington and Beijing are also causing bottlenecks in the supply chain. Those disruptions are undermining domestic industries and overseas manufacturing. Chinese industrial output growth unexpectedly slowed to a more than 17-year low in May. "The outlook hinges on product demand and the ability of businesses to whittle down undesired inventories," said Roiana Reid, an economist at Berenberg Capital Markets in New York. "This hinges on global economic performance and trade volumes as well as U.S. activity. Although we expect some kind of U.S.-China partial agreement to ease tensions on tariffs, any global rebound is likely to be modest in second half of 2019." But there were some encouraging signs on the inventory bloat in the retail sales report. Sales at auto dealerships accelerated 0.7% after dropping 0.5% in April. (Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Additional reporting by Jason Lange; Editing by Andrea Ricci)


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Support for U.S. President Donald Trump increased slightly among Republicans after he lashed out on Twitter over the weekend in a racially charged attack on four minority Democratic congresswomen, a Reuters/Ipsos public opinion poll shows. The national survey, conducted on Monday and Tuesday after Trump told the lawmakers they should "go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came," showed his net approval among members of his Republican Party rose by 5 percentage points to 72%, compared with a similar poll that ran last week. Trump, who is seeking re-election next year, has lost support, however, with Democrats and independents since the Sunday tweetstorm. Among independents, about three out of 10 said they approved of Trump, down from four out of 10 a week ago. His net approval - the percentage who approve minus the percentage who disapprove - dropped by 2 points among Democrats in the poll. Trump's overall approval remained unchanged over the past week. According to the poll, 41% of the U.S. public said they approved of his performance in office, while 55% disapproved. The results showed strong Republican backing for the president as the U.S. House of Representatives voted on Tuesday night on a symbolic resolution to condemn the way Trump has publicly singled out the four Democratic lawmakers. All four U.S. representatives - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan - are U.S. citizens. Three were born in the United States. The public response to Trump's statements appeared to be a little better for him than in 2017, after the president said there were "very fine people" on both sides of a deadly white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. In that instance, Trump's net approval dropped by about 10 points a week after the Charlottesville rally. This time, while Democrats and some independents may see clear signs of racial intolerance woven throughout Trump's tweets, Republicans are hearing a different message, said Vincent Hutchings, a political science and African-American studies professor at the University of Michigan. "To Republicans, Trump is simply saying: 'Hey, if you don't like America, you can leave," Hutchings said. "That is not at all controversial. If you already support Trump, then it's very easy to interpret his comments that way." By criticizing liberal members of the House, Trump is "doing exactly what Republicans want him to do," Hutchings said. "He's taking on groups that they oppose." The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online in English and gathered responses from 1,113 adults, including 478 Democrats and 406 Republicans in the United States. It has a credibility interval, a measure of precision, of 3 percentage points for the entire group and 5 points for Democrats or Republicans. (Reporting by Chris Kahn; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Peter Cooney)


Hall of fame horse trainer Jerry Hollendorfer was banned Saturday from Santa Anita Park hours after one of his thoroughbreds died at the famed track. American Currency , a 4-year-old gelding, was injured while exercising on the training track, Mike Marten with the California Horse Racing Board said. It was the fourth horse trained by Hollendorfer to die this season at Santa Anita. Two other horses died at Golden Gate Field, a sister track to Santa Anita. The action comes a day after CNN aired an investigation into horse deaths at Santa Anita and other racetracks around the country. This is the 30th horse death at Santa Anita since this racing season began in December. Hollendorfer also trained Battle of Midway, who died in February; Psychedelicat, who died in December; and Kochees, who died in May. He declined to comment to CNN, who he told to never call again. Hollendorfer told the Daily Racing Form: "I've been doing this for almost 40 years and I've started more than 33,500 horses that have been under my care in my career. I haven't, in my opinion, had that many problems." He told the horse racing publication that he thought the decision to ban him was premature and extreme. He said he has 100 horses under his care. Hollendorfer was elected to the National Museum of Horse Racing and Hall of Fame in 2011. He has more than 7,600 wins, the third most wins of all time amongst trainers. The Stronach Group, which owns Santa Anita, has issued a statement saying in part, "We regret that Mr. Hollendorfer's record in recent months at both Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields (near Oakland, California) has become increasingly challenging and does not match the level of safety and accountability we demand. "Effective immediately, Mr. Hollendorfer is no longer welcome to stable, race or train his horses at any of our facilities." According to horse racing website Equibase, American Currency raced five times earlier this season at Golden Gate Fields before he raced at Santa Anita, once in May. American Currency finished in the money nine times in 13 career races and won three times. There were 10 races scheduled for Saturday's program, the next to last day of the season. Marten said American Currency was not scheduled to race and therefore wasn't reviewed by a panel that looks at horses entered in the racing program. Four of Hollendorfer's horses that were scheduled to race were scratched from Saturday's and Sunday's events. The track is scheduled to host one of horse racing's big events, the Breeders' Cup , in November at the end of its autumn season.


Fourteen cadets at the Citadel military college in South Carolina have been disciplined after some were photographed wearing white pillowcases that resembled hoods worn by the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan, the school said on Monday. Two photos of the costumed cadets were posted on social media last month, sparking an outcry from civil rights leaders. The college said its investigation found that freshmen cadets who dressed in all white with pillowcases over their heads to perform a "Ghosts of Christmas Past" skit and sing Christmas carols showed poor judgment but had no ill intent. The freshmen had been directed by upperclassmen to sing the carols while dressed in costume, the school said. One of the upperclassmen posted the photos on social media. "The cadets did not intend to be offensive," said the Citadel's president, retired Lieutenant General John Rosa. "However, I am disappointed some recognized how it could be construed as such but didn't stop it." The Citadel, founded in 1842, is located in Charleston, the city where nine black churchgoers were killed last June by a white gunman during a Bible study session. One upperclassman has been dismissed for two semesters over the white hood incident and two upperclassmen were suspended for one semester, college spokesman Brett Ashworth said. The on-campus punishments for the other 11 cadets will include multiple "marching tours" in which they carry a rifle while walking around the barracks for 50-minute sessions, Ashworth said. Rosa said he would create a task force on diversity and inclusion as a result of the incident. (Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Peter Cooney)


A teen involved in a shootout with police during a robbery at a northwest Harris County Jack-in-the-Box on Friday was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Javalon Robinson, now 20, had pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon in the April 2017 hold-up. An accomplice in the case, 19-year-old Xavier Cox, received a 25-year sentence for the same charge in April. Robinson and Cox, who were teenagers at the time of their arrests, were accused of being involved in a crime ring suspected in nearly a dozen robberies of convenience stores and fast food restaurants, prosecutors said at the time. A task force had already been working to capture the crew when they saw them approach the Jack-in-the-Box around 9:40 p.m. on a Monday night. Robinson, the driver, went inside and made a purchase. After he emerged from the restaurant, Cox, a 16-year-old and a 15-year-old went inside and put a gun to the head of the cashier. Members of the task force exchanged gunfire with the teens, killing the 16-year-old. Cox was also injured. Robinson was free on bail on a deadly conduct charge at the time of the shooting, according to court documents. He was also involved in four other aggravated robberies, said Jason Sanchez, an assistant district attorney with the Harris County District Attorney's Office Organized Crime Division. "This wasn't just a kid who made a one-time mistake," he said. The 15-year-old got probation, Sanchez said. Robinson's attorney, Jerome Godinich, filed a notice on Friday to appeal the sentence, which was decided by state District Judge Amy Martin. Godinich was unavailable for comment late Monday afternoon.


"Christian, it looked like you really struggled with the cash register, could you break that down for us a little bit?" Christian Yelich was chatting with reporters outside the Pick 'n Save on Miller Park Way, two miles from the baseball stadium the Milwaukee Brewers call home. The question was posed by Ryan Braun, who joins Yelich as a former league MVP, though perhaps not when it comes to grocery-store management. "Not as much as Ryan Braun struggled with bagging the groceries,"' Yelich deadpanned. "He really struggled in that department. We'll have to work on that when we get to the stadium, but nothing he can't come back from." The two were joined by Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio for a half-hour stretch at the store, surprising patrons by checking out -- and paying -- for groceries. It was part of the organization's annual Kindness in MKE event, where players and staff fan out into the city for unannounced donations and related visits. Players spent a minimum of $500 in gifts and donations at each spot. "We're playing in front of an incredibly passionate and supportive fan base, and for us to be able to do something like this, it's an opportunity to give back and just say thank you," Braun said. "We appreciate them coming out to the ballpark every night, creating an incredible atmosphere and environment at Miller Park. It's an opportunity to interact with people and thank them one-on-one." Kristin Matz of West Allis had been in the store for roughly an hour, shopping with her 3-year-old daughter, Kaylee, when she noticed the television cameras at the front of the store. "I saw Braun at first and thought, 'He must have an appearance here, that's cool,' " she said. "Then we were finally walking up, and a gentleman asked me if I wanted to go with Ryan Braun or Christian Yelich, and I was like, 'What?' " Matz said her family has tickets to Sunday's game. Tamara Kraddatz of Milwaukee said her husband, Kerry, was shaking when he hoisted the groceries onto the counter when he realized Yelich was doing the scanning. "I'm still shaking," Kerry admitted. "Christian Yelich just scanned my groceries. Unreal." Tamara said the gesture was appreciated. "A family of five comes in with our paycheck to try and get some food, and for them to just go ahead and take care of it is mind boggling," she said. "It's just great for the community." Attanasio said he'd held a lot of jobs in high school and college, but food retail wasn't among them. "I have a newfound appreciation for the speed with which they can get you through a cash register," Attanasio said. "It's not so easy when you're bagging a bunch of groceries to do it efficiently." Attanasio said he had learned there was a national competition for grocery bagging and was confident he would not qualify. "We have almost 3 million fans every year, a record number of sponsorships every year," he said. "It's a challenge to give back insofar as players play 162 games in 180 days. ... There was a game yesterday and a game tonight, and yet the whole organization is taking a few hours today to fan out across the city. ... We really look forward to doing this and you don't hear a word of complaint (from the players). Guys are up for this." For Kathi Boyce of Milwaukee, it was particularly special to see Braun. She said her fiancé, Skip Brozynski -- who passed away in January 2018 -- was a huge Braun fan. "He was such a Brewer fan; he never missed a game," Boyce said. "He was one of those people that if he had to choose between going to the park on a nice day or watching a Brewer game, he'd watch the Brewer game. The fact that (Braun) packed my groceries for me is just so exciting." JR Radcliffe can be reached at (262) 361-9141 or jradcliffe@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JRRadcliffe. Our subscribers make this coverage possible. Subscribe to the Journal Sentinel today and get a special offer at jsonline.com/deal. Top Headlines from Sports: Brewers 5, Marlins 1: Moustakas slugs two home runs Plans being finalized for Green Bay celebration of Bart Starr's life For subscribers: Smith: Bobcats are kings of wildcats in Wisconsin FOLLOW JS SPORTS: Like our Facebook Page for the latest news This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Yelich, Braun bag groceries as Brewers show 'Kindness in MKE' Related slideshow: 2019 MLB season (provided by imagn)


CHICAGO   Pete Buttigieg stood on Tuesday before an audience of African Americans, a group that has been largely indifferent to his presidential aspirations, and promised to enact policies that would begin to undo racist and discriminatory practices historically aimed at them. "If we do not tackle the problem of racial inequality in my lifetime, I am convinced that it will upend the American project in my lifetime," said Mr. Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Ind. "It brought our country to its knees once and if we do not act, it could again." If elected president, Mr. Buttigieg said, he would work to improve police training, create a federal fund for investment in minority-owned businesses, abolish private federal prisons and ban incarceration for simple drug possession. He would address voting rights by instituting automatic voter registration, expanding early voting and making Election Day a national holiday, he said. Sign Up For the Morning Briefing Newsletter Mr. Buttigieg, 37, appeared in Chicago at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition's annual convention, a traditional stop on the campaign trail for Democrats running for president. On Tuesday morning, Mr. Buttigieg huddled privately with the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, the civil rights leader and the organization's founder, in a hotel conference room for more than 20 minutes. He mingled with conference attendees at Mr. Jackson's side, ducked behind a black curtain backstage for a one-on-one chat and joined him for a breakfast of eggs and orange juice before the speech. The convention is a crucial opportunity for Mr. Buttigieg, who has yet to make inroads with black voters. Over the last five days, Mr. Jackson has introduced candidates to heavily African-American crowds of Democrats and labor union members. Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senator Amy Klobuchar have all appeared in the last several days. Mr. Buttigieg is facing problems with African Americans on several fronts, and he has failed to draw many black people to his campaign events. Shortly after he became mayor of South Bend, in 2012, he fired the city's first black police chief and was heavily criticized for the move. The city is 26 percent African American yet has a police force that is only 6 percent black. Last month, a white police officer shot a black man, Eric J. Logan , after responding to a report of a man breaking into cars. Authorities said Mr. Logan raised a knife toward the officer; the public questioned why the officer had not turned on his body camera during the encounter. And many of South Bend's black residents say that Mr. Buttigieg's revitalization of the city   its polished downtown and influx of tech jobs   has mostly benefited white people. Mr. Buttigieg has said that he is working to heal his rift with the black community in South Bend, and on Tuesday he spoke of a town hall meeting in his city where one resident told him that her 7-year-old grandson had already learned to fear the police. "I accept responsibility for the work that is left to be done," he said. "We are on our way on that right now." Mr. Jackson on Tuesday praised his efforts. "He's handled an awful situation well by being transparent," he said. After Mr. Buttigieg's remarks, many members of the audience rose for a standing ovation. Henri Sallis, 59, said she was impressed by the plans Mr. Buttigieg had laid out, particularly his ideas on boosting minority-owned businesses. He proposed that the federal government award 25 percent of its contracts to firms owned by women and people of color, a move that he said could "inject more than $100 billion into communities of color." "He seems like he's on the right track, but I hope he can stick to it," said Ms. Sallis, who owns a business in Chatham, a community on the South Side of Chicago. "I thought he seemed genuine," said Pattilyn Beals, 34, who works in nonprofit management. "He did some research. I appreciated that. It wasn't a standard stump speech." Before his speech, Mr. Buttigieg chalked up his lack of popularity with black voters in part to a lack of familiarity. "There's a lot of voters I need to get to know, and who need to get to know me," he said. "When you're new on the scene and you're not from a community of color, you've got to work that much harder to gain trust." On Monday, he said at a news conference that in the coming weeks, the city would review the police department's policies on use of force, body cameras and vehicle pursuits. He also said he had written to the Justice Department, "inviting them to have a dialogue with us about any ways that they could be helpful to the community." "If any officer is consciously racist, they should show themselves the door right away," he said of his efforts to hire a diverse police force. "Every mayor works in the shadow of systemic racism. Every resident lives in the shadow of systemic racism, people of color and people who are not. So this is not an attack on our police department. We will always support police officers who do the right thing." His campaign received a boost on Monday when it announced that he had raised $24.8 million in the last three months. Maggie Astor contributed reporting.


A hot pursuit, with speeds hitting 100 miles an hour and several close calls, ended with a suspect's stolen SUV flying 500 feet off an Arizona cliff. Police said the man on the run bailed right before that and was later found in a tree. The 29-year-old suspect, John Felipe Jaimes, is now behind bars facing a slew of criminal charges, including failure to comply with a police officer, endangerment, false reporting, two counts of aggravated DUI and criminal damage. According to the arrest report by the Arizona Department of Public Safety, troopers were searching for a vehicle reported stolen on State Route 74 near Interstate 17 Monday night. They located an SUV matching the description and started to follow it, but it sped up and ran through a red light, the report says. A pursuit started. Jaimes allegedly reached speeds of more than 100 mph. At one point, the suspect got on the wrong side of the road and nearly missed hitting a state trooper by less than five feet, DPS said. The arrest report also states that the Las Vegas resident tried to highjack two other vehicles but was unsuccessful. The suspect would get on the wrong side of the road again, according to the report. Troopers said they used spike strips to stop Jaimes and were able to blow off one of his tires, but he still kept going. According to court documents, shortly after 10 p.m., the stolen SUV ran off the road and flew off a large cliff into a canyon off US-89 near milepost 303. Jaimes jumped out as the vehicle was going over the edge of the cliff. DPS said Jaimes was found hiding in a tree on the canyon's rim and was treated for minor injuries. Troopers arrested him and said the suspect would not identify himself at first. Jaimes is on a $10,000 cash bond and is due back in a Yavapai County Court June 4.


The city of Denver apparently has a new motto: Geese are not friends. They're food. Fed up with its growing goose problem, the city has implemented an initiative to round up its Canada geese and process them into food for "needy families," US Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Suzanne Bond said. "The resident goose population in this area is too large, which will cause many problems including overgrazing of grass, ornamental plants and agricultural crops; accumulation of droppings and feathers; disease, attacks on humans by aggressive birds; and the fouling of reservoirs, swimming areas, docks, lawns and recreational areas," Bond said. The USDA says goose meat is safe for human consumption. There are an estimated 5,000 geese living in the city, which has been trying to manage its goose population for more than 15 years. The city says the birds have led to "increased human-wildlife conflicts in parks, vegetation destruction, sanitation concerns, poor water quality, and other maintenance challenges." "We get so many complaints about people coming out here with a blanket to sit on the grass, and they cannot sit on the grass because there's so much goose poop in the parks," Scott Gilmore, deputy executive director of Denver Parks and Recreation, told CNN affiliate KDVR. The program started this month because the geese are at their most vulnerable: They molt around June and July and can't fly. The USDA will conduct the roundups and help regulate whether the meat is suitable for human consumption, Denver Parks and Recreation said. The agencies hope to donate the meat to "charitable organizations and wildlife rehabilitation facilities." Canada geese are protected under the Migratory Bird Act , but Denver Parks and Recreation obtained authorization from both the state and federal governments to manage the population via roundups, according to its website. Denver has tried other goose management tactics including oiling their eggs, spraying repellents and creating visual barriers to discourage geese from nesting.


Shares of Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ: COST ) are under pressure after the company reported fiscal third-quarter results. Costco stock is down marginally   just 2%, despite many investors worrying about a host of issues. Will retail sales start to come under pressure, broadly speaking? How will Costco handle the trade war and constant increase in tariffs? That said, Costco did beat earnings expectations with $1.89 per share in profits. That came in six cents ahead of estimates, while revenue of ~$34.7 billion also topped analysts' expectations. E-commerce sales flew higher by almost 20% and same-store sales jumped 5.6%, with the latter again beating estimates. Given the move we're seeing in the stock market   with the S&P 500 down about 1%   after President Trump tweeted about hitting Mexico with monthly tariff increases, it's surprising COST stock is only off ~1.7%. Of course, those losses could be exacerbated throughout the session, but will these tariffs impact Costco even more? Costco vs. Tariffs The company is already being impacted by the tariffs that the White House is levying against China. Obviously, Costco is far from alone. I've listened to quite a few conference calls over the past week from retail. The trade war and/or tariffs are something we're hearing from a lot of companies. Ranking the Top 10 Stock Buybacks of Last Year PVH Corp (NYSE: PVH ) said tariffs are hurting the consumer. Home Depot (NYSE: HD ) warned investors that it's "working through" the recent tariffs and hasn't included their impact in the guidance. Luckily, Dollar General (NYSE: DG ) moved most of its supply chain away from China, helping it to sidestep much of the current tariffs. Shares were rewarded with a 7% post-earnings rally as a result. Perhaps that will be the blueprint for Costco and other retailers. Costco said it will look to source its products from other countries when it can. When it can't, price hikes are on the table. The situation is "pretty fluid," CFO Richard Galanti said on the conference call. Costco is getting its products shipped sooner in the hopes of missing the latest round of tariff increases. But that's only a short-term answer, not a long-term solution. Realistically, the company can only shift its sourcing so much without causing too much of a disruption. "At the end of the day, prices will go up on things," Galanti said. Of course, the move against Mexico was not accounted for by Costco management. At least when it came the recent report. One might assume Costco gets more product from China than it does from Mexico, but either way, the move is creating a multi-headed issue that management will have to combat. Shifting supply chains from Mexico may be just as hard, if not harder, and that may mean more price hikes. That may not be good for revenue. Trading Costco Stock Price So far, Costco stock price is holding up pretty well to earnings and amid the broader market selloff. But there's a worry that the tariffs could start hurting COST stock going forward. Earlier this month, I outlined a few " pullback levels " that Costco stock would look interesting at. Some investors balked, saying COST is a blue-chip retailer that deserves a premium. I love Costco and don't disagree. But that doesn't mean we can't wait (and hope) for lower prices. Ahead of earnings, the stock lost its 50-day moving average and couldn't reclaim it. Short of a Friday reversal and rally, Costco stock could very well end May at its monthly lows. If it does, it increases the odds of lower prices. Particularly if the stock market selloff accelerates. Should Costco stock close below $241.80 on Friday, it will lose its 10-week moving average. It opens up COST stock to a decline down to the 50-week moving average now at $224.50 (not shown above, but in the prior link). Keep in mind, the 200-day moving average (as shown above) comes into play near $226. 7 Stocks to Buy for Monster Growth So that's what I'm looking for: A drop down to the ~$225 level to be a good buying opportunity. I still believe a great buying opportunity is in the $200 to $205 level, where Costco stock has long-term uptrend support (again highlighted in my prior link) as well as the 100-week moving average. Bret Kenwell is the manager and author of Future Blue Chips and is on Twitter @BretKenwell. As of this writing, Bret Kenwell did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.


Jay Gruden is doing some tongue-in-cheek lobbying for his big brother's team to appear on this year's edition of "Hard Knocks" instead of his own. While both Gruden-coached teams are eligible to be on the HBO series this season, the Redskins coach suggested Jon's Raiders would be a perfect pick for producers, saying "they'd be crazy not to." "If they were smart, they'd go to Oakland,"Jay said, via The Athletic. "Seriously, what an entertainment value that would be. Antonio Brown, Jon Gruden, Paul Guenther, Vontaze Burfict, [Richie] Incognito … They'd be crazy not to go to Oakland." #Redskins Coach Jay Gruden hilariously pitches the #Raiders as the team HBO should feature this summer on Hard Knocks. "If they were smart, they would go to Oakland," he cracked. pic.twitter.com/GwybiKCUUL   Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) May 29, 2019 The Redskins are favored by many to get picked, which would allow the Raiders to be featured next year for their first season in Las Vegas, though Jay appears more than willing to step aside so Jon can have the spotlight in 2019. The other teams that can't refuse appearing in the show this year include the 49ers, Giants and Lions. A Hard Knocks announcement is due soon and a reminder of the five teams that are ineligible to say no: * 49ers * Giants * Lions * Raiders * Redskins   Field Yates (@FieldYates) May 28, 2019 Team aren't required to be in the show if they meet the following criteria: MORE : James Conner dismisses Steelers drama: 'We're motivated by a trophy' | NFLPA chief tells agents to 'plan for work stoppage' after 2020 season, report says | NFL free agency rumors: Gerald McCoy's visit with Ravens ends on second day with no deal 1. If you have a first-year head coach. 2. If your team has made the playoffs in either of the past two seasons. 3. If your team has been the featured franchise in "Hard Knocks" during any of the last 10 years. The Browns were featured on the show last season. It's not clear when this year's chosen team will be revealed.


Editor's note: The opinions in this article are the author's, as published by our content partner, and do not necessarily represent the views of MSN or Microsoft. On Monday, the Trump administration made likely its most brazen attempt yet to block the asylum claims of people fleeing violence in Central America. A new rule published in the Federal Register, which will take effect on Tuesday, would bar people from eligibility for asylum if they pass through a third country on their way from their home country to the United States and do not first apply for asylum there. For example, if victims of violence or persecution in Honduras claim asylum in the United States after first traveling through Guatemala and Mexico, they can be denied on the basis that they did not first claim asylum in either of those countries. This would apply to the vast majority of asylum-seekers arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border. The rule does not include an exception for unaccompanied children. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan said in a statement that the move "will help reduce a major 'pull' factor driving irregular migration to the United States … leading to fewer individuals transiting through Mexico on a dangerous journey." Civil rights groups including the ACLU are already planning to challenge the rule in court, and they'll probably have a pretty good case. The rule appears to contradict the intent of Congress, which established a broad eligibility for seeking asylum in the 1980 Refugee Act, in accordance with U.S. obligations under international law . American law does allow the U.S. to remove asylum-seekers to a safe third country if the two have a bilateral or multilateral agreement to that effect. The U.S. has such an agreement with Canada: Migrants have to apply for asylum in the first of those two countries they reach. The Trump administration has been pushing to reach a Canada-style "safe third country" agreement with Mexico and Guatemala in recent weeks, with little success. In June, when the U.S. and Mexican governments negotiated an understanding to forestall Trump's threat to impose tariffs on Mexican goods, the two sides publicly contradicted each other on whether this included such an agreement. Mexico's foreign minister later rejected the idea . While Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's government has accommodated and cooperated with the Trump administration's zero-tolerance immigration policies to a surprising extent, "safe third country" is a line it hasn't been willing to cross. Mexico does not have the capacity to process the massive number of Central American migrants and can hardly be considered safe for them either. Next month marks the ninth anniversary of the massacre of 72 Central American migrants by criminal gangs of northeastern Mexico. Widespread crimes against migrants continue with a depressing degree of impunity today, even as the Trump administration has enacted a new policy the lawfulness of which is being challenged in federal court  forcing some asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico while their asylum cases go through the immigration system, a process that often takes years. Plagued by gang violence and political corruption, Guatemala, a country that is a major source of U.S. asylum-seekers, is even less prepared than Mexico to act as a refuge for those fleeing from other countries. Nonetheless, there were reports last week that the Trump administration was due to sign an agreement to designate Guatemala a safe third country. According to some reports, this would have been a radically expansive deal that would allow the U.S. to send any asylum-seekers, not just Central Americans who had passed through the country, to Guatemala. Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales was due in Washington on Monday to discuss a potential agreement, but the meeting was called off because Guatemala's constitutional court has not yet ruled on several legal challenges meant to prevent Morales from agreeing to Trump's request. In the absence of a negotiated safe third country deal, the administration seems to have simply acted unilaterally and declared that the obligation is on refugees to apply for asylum in any country they cross on their way to the U.S., safe or not. (The rule change does carve out an exception for countries that are not party to the Refugee Convention or the Convention Against Torture, though that does not apply to the vast majority of Western countries.) Crucially, the rule change also notes that "aliens who fail to apply for protection in a third country of transit may continue to apply for withholding of removal under the Immigration and Nationality Act" or under U.S. obligations as a party to the Convention Against Torture. What this means is that "[i]f the threats you face back home amount to a likelihood that you would be tortured, then you can apply to stay in the United States," explains Susan Gzesh, an immigration law specialist and the executive director of the Pozen Family Center for Human Rights at the University of Chicago. "Withholding of removal" is not the same thing as asylum, though. It entails no pathway to eventual U.S. citizenship and does not allow your dependents to get it with you. But its inclusion in the rule change suggests that those who fear torture in their home can still claim the right to remain in the U.S. and fight their deportations in court even if they are denied asylum under the new rule. So, the rule is vulnerable to legal challenge and may not even accomplish what it's set up to do. But it can be seen as yet another attempt by the administration to shirk America's obligations to refugees under U.S. and international law, as well as an attack on the norms underlying those laws. From a foreign policy perspective, it will further antagonize regional allies in the service of Trump's domestic political agenda. It won't be the last time.


Baltimore has no rain in the forecast for the next few days, with light rainfall expected later in the week, according to the seven-day forecast from drone-powered weather service Saildrone . Tuesday's forecast shows the highest likelihood of rain at 78 percent, with predicted rainfall of 0.11 inches. The next few days will also bring warm temperatures, lasting through Monday as well. Temperatures will heat up more on Tuesday, with a high of 93 degrees. Skies will be cloudy today and partly cloudy on Saturday. Winds will continue to be fairly calm through the week, with the highest speeds on Saturday at only 9 mph. This story was created automatically using Saildrone's local weather forecast data, then reviewed by an editor. We also incorporate historic weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.