The Phillies announced Monday that they have selected the contract of veteran reliever Fernando Salas . Outfielder Andrew McCutchen (torn ACL) was moved to the 60-day injured list to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Also, right-hander Enyel De Los Santos was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to clear a spot on the active roster. Salas, 34, opened the season pitching in the Mexican League but signed a minor-league contract with the Phillies a couple of weeks ago. Salas notched a terrific 30-to-4 K/BB ratio while pitching in Mexico and has been sharp for the Phils' Triple-A club since signing. In 6 2/3 innings with Lehigh Valley, he has allowed one earned run on six hits and two walks with five strikeouts. Last season, Salas spent the bulk of the year with the Diamondbacks, logging a 4.50 ERA with 6.8 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9 in 40 innings of relief. He's a veteran of nine big-league seasons and has thrown at least 30 2/3 innings at the MLB level every year dating back to his 2010 debut with the Cardinals. In 487 big-league innings, Salas owns a 3.90 ERA with averages of 8.7 strikeouts, 2.8 walks and 1.03 homers allowed per nine innings pitched. He has tallied 30 saves in his career along with 76 holds. The Phillies have the equivalent of a full bullpen on the injured list, but the team announced some encouraging news today. Per Scott Lauber of Philly.com ( Twitter link ), right-hander Tommy Hunter (elbow) will throw 20-25 pitches in a rehab appearance at Double A tomorrow, and David Robertson (elbow) is playing catch today and could throw a bullpen session Wednesday.


This off-season, there was lots of discussion about whether or not the Twins should sign Manny Machado. They didn't, obviously, which elicited many "Cheap Pohlads!!!" comments. The Twins opted instead to sign some players with less star power and rely on Jorge Polanco at shortstop. Let's see how that plan is panning out for them. The Twins, obviously, have been very successful as a team this year. Top of the division, hitting lots of a home runs, and generally cruising. But let's compare Machado's stats to the stats of the players who would lose playing time were he on the team. For reference, the season is about 30% over at this point. All stats are current as of 5/22/19 (So add two home runs to Schoop's total and one to Polanco 's). Looking at the numbers, Polanco has clearly been the superior player to Machado so far this season. Some of this may be due to some luck, as his batting average on balls in play is pretty high. However, his other peripheral stats show a hitter who is patient, has good bat control, and is hitting the ball hard. These things are a good recipe for sustained success. His defense does leave a little to be desired, but Machado's (at shortstop) has been nothing to write home about either. I'll concede that Machado would be an upgrade over Schoop or Gonzalez, but not by nearly as much as you'd expect. Schoop has been very consistent this year, and his stats almost match up with Machado's, although in fewer plate appearances. His defense has also been quite good at second base. Gonzalez has really picked it up after a slow start, and his peripheral stats show that he may be able to expect better batting average luck in the future. He also has been very solid in the field. Throw in a Miguel Sano who has started off hot, and the Twins infield is looking pretty dangerous as is. To quote our own Tawny Jarvi, "The Twins just grabbed some table scraps this off-season and somehow turned them all into a gourmet meal." Many of us were probably hoping for a big splash this off-season, but the Twins quietly turned in a stellar free agency period by making quality veteran acquisitions and improving their coaching staff. Taking into account that Royce Lewis and Alex Kirilloff may arrive sooner rather than later, picking up some slugging placeholders rather than an expensive young stud is looking like a pretty good strategy right about now. All in all, Machado would definitely be a useful player for this team. However, I really cannot imagine a world in which the Twins could start the season better than they already have. I think the Twins absolutely nailed the off-season, and hopefully they'll continue to show us that.


It will be a memorial San Antonio won't be able to miss. The art is centered around Baby King Jay Davila. Colton Valentine is the man behind many well-known San Antonio murals. His latest project is located at a prime spot for drivers to see, and it will be of Baby King. The eight-month-old was first reported kidnapped and was later found dead buried in a field. "About 200,000 people pass through here a day," he said. "Which is cool." The mural of Baby King Jay Davila will be on Builders Decor, which it is right off I-10 near the Hildebrand exit. The space was donated by the owners of the building. "I am like honored," he said. "It was a pretty tragic story. I am putting it up to bring attention to the injustice of the situation." RELATED: 3, including father, indicted in baby King Jay Davila's death Six months ago, the eight-month-old baby was found in a backpack buried in a field. Three of his family members are charged in connection to his death. A group called King's Angels contacted Valentine to do the artwork. The mural will be of King Jay's face. "There is going to be a hotline at the top, where you can report child abuse which is the whole point of this mural," he said. Take child abuse as a serious matter." Valentine should have the mural completed by this Saturday. RELATED: King's Angels' fight for justice far from over after murder charge not added to list in Baby King Jay case RELATED: Bond reduced for Angie Torres in baby King Jay Davila case RELATED: Relative accuses King Jay's grandmother of being 'mastermind' in baby death cover-up


Derrick Williams , the No. 2 pick in the 2011 draft, will join defending Turkish Cup champion Fenerbahce, relays Emiliano Carchia of Sportando . Williams has reached agreement on a one-year contract. It will be the third overseas team for Williams, who was never able to find a long-term NBA home. He signed with China's Tianjin Gold Lions in 2017 and spent this season in Germany with Bayern Munich. The 28-year-old forward was ticketed for stardom after two stellar years at Arizona but lasted a little more than two seasons in Minnesota before being traded. He played for six teams in seven seasons, and his last NBA experience came in a 10-day contract with the Lakers in March 2018.


The Bills made defensive tackle Ed Oliver the ninth overall pick of this year's draft and any player selected that high enters the NFL with high expectations for what they'll be able to do on the field. That's the case under any circumstances, but the fact that Oliver joined the team months after Kyle Williams announced his retirement only raises the bar. Oliver's projected to play a major role right off the bat for a Buffalo team that's looking to make a big jump after going 6-10 last season, but the rookie said he isn't feeling overly burdened by that state of affairs. "There's no pressure as long as I get better at something," Oliver said, via the Buffalo News. "I'm a young guy. I don't know left from right, as far as the NFL is concerned, so as long as I get better and take it day by day, step by step, I'll be all right." Oliver will get the chance to continue getting better when training camp opens next week and the Bills will be hoping that the process leaves him in position to be a disruptive player on the front line right off the bat.


For anyone who watches Fox News Channel, it's not at all surprising that its anchors and hosts (with few notable exceptions) talk up President Donald Trump while knocking down the Democrats running against him in 2020. While that position puts Fox somewhere in the gray area between journalism and activism, it's not exactly new. There are ratings in partisanship -- so Fox News engages in partisanship. But even partisanship should have its limits. And one of those limits should be raising entirely unfounded questions about a presidential candidate's health. Which is exactly what two Fox News personalities -- Kennedy and Sean Hannity -- have done, according to this terrific piece by the Daily Beast Justin Baragona: "Since the end of May, Fox Business Network and Fox News star Lisa 'Kennedy' Montgomery and Fox News prime-time host Sean Hannity have speculated on-air, on at least four separate occasions, that the current Democratic presidential frontrunner is secretly dealing with health issues, often comparing his condition to illness-related conspiracy theories the network pushed about Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election." Kennedy claimed that conversations among Democratic opposition-researchers all center on "you know there is something wrong with the former vice president." She offered no proof for this claim. Hannity, Fox's biggest star, said this: "Joe Biden's tired. He does not have the energy for this. He's not up for this challenge. They're already hiding him like they hid Hillary. They don't want him out there." Those baseless attacks echo how Trump attacked Hillary Clinton during the 2016 campaign. "She doesn't have the look," Trump said of Clinton in late September 2016. "She doesn't have the stamina, I said she doesn't have the stamina, and I don't believe she does have the stamina." (Trump's attack came two weeks after Clinton was caught on video shakily leaving a September 11 anniversary commemoration .) Trump himself has hinted at similar themes in his early attacks on Biden, the current frontrunner for the 2020 Democratic nod. "Joe Biden got tongue tied over the weekend when he was unable to properly deliver a very simple line about his decision to run for President," Trump tweeted in March. "Get used to it, another low I.Q. individual!" And his nickname for Biden -- "Sleepy Joe" -- isn't accidental either. The President kept up that dog-whistle drumbeat on Biden's health before heading to Iowa on Tuesday. "I think he's the weakest mentally," Trump said of Biden, adding: "I like running against people who are weak mentally." Trump also said, without evidence, that Biden is "slower than he used to be." These attacks clearly are designed to raise questions in voters' minds about electing Biden, who would be 78 on Inauguration Day 2021. That would make Biden the oldest president elected to a first term, breaking the record of -- you guessed it! -- Donald Trump, who was elected at age 70. Which makes the he's-too-old-to-do-the-job argument a little tin-eared. The Point: Trump -- and his surrogates, including those at Fox -- showed they were willing to do anything and everything to get him elected in 2016. These baseless hits on Biden's health -- more than a year before the election -- suggest they'll be following that same blueprint again.


Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota has a solid supporting cast built around him as he enters the fifth and final year of his rookie contract. And he likes what he has seen from his pass-catchers now roughly midway through OTAs, particularly from new additions Adam Humphries and A.J. Brown. Both receivers are expected to perform well in the slot with a new team, but are so versatile they may be able to play other roles as well. "I think being out here together and working, they look great," Mariota said in a report by the team's Jim Wyatt. "And as we continue to go forward, as we continue to build the chemistry, hopefully they'll help our team out." Obviously, rookies like Brown face more of a learning curve than other players who already have at least one NFL season under their belts. "I think everybody in that locker room who has gone through a rookie season understands how much it is, and how exhausting it can be," Mariota said. "So we just have to do our best to help him out, make him feel comfortable, so that when he is out there he can just go play." Brown has been one of the team's standout players over the course of offseason practices, reeling in a one-handed catch in one of his first showings to the media since going pro. He was an impact player in college, recording 189 receptions for 2,984 yards and 19 touchdowns, also earning first-team All-SEC honors twice while at Ole Miss. Training camp is set to begin late next month. MORE: NBA fans had so many memes for Steph Curry's exchange with Drake Could Raiders rookie DE Maxx Crosby start over Arden Key in 2019? Four potential Clint Capela trade destinations Giants get a chuckle: Odell Beckham already in hot water in Cleveland PM Roundup: Christen Harper; Spelling Bee Ends In 8-Way Tie; Knicks May Trade Draft Pick


Video by GeoBeats WASHINGTON   Former special counsel Robert Mueller has agreed to testify in public about his two-year Russia investigation at a hearing before the House Intelligence Committee and Judiciary Committee on July 17. The announcement came from the chairmen of the two panels, who issued a subpoena compelling his testimony. In a news release issued late Tuesday, Judiciary Committee Chairmen Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., and Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said that Mueller had agreed to testify next month. "Pursuant to subpoenas issued by the House Judiciary and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence tonight, Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III has agreed to testify before both Committees on July 17 in open session," the chairmen said in a statement. "Americans have demanded to hear directly from the Special Counsel," the statement said, "so they can understand what he and his team examined, uncovered, and determined about Russia's attack on our democracy, the Trump campaign's acceptance and use of that help, and President Trump and his associates' obstruction of the investigation into that attack." The chairmen suggested in a letter to Mueller Tuesday accompanying the subpoena that they understand that Mueller may limit what he plans to share with lawmakers, with Schiff and Nadler writing that they know "there are certain sensitivities associated with your open testimony." "In particular, the Special Counsel's Office referred several criminal investigations to other offices at the Department of Justice, and certain matters are ongoing. Your office, moreover, admirably limited public comment while the Special Counsel's Office's work was ongoing. You have also explained that you prefer for the Special Counsel's Office's written work to speak for itself," they wrote. Mueller did not want to testify, but will respect the subpoena to testify in open session, Schiff said on "The Rachel Maddow Show" Tuesday night on MSNBC. Mueller's staff will speak to the committees in a closed session after Mueller's public testimony. "Clearly this is something, I think from his perspective as prosecutor, he is reluctant to come, as a prosecutor normally would be," Schiff said. "But as Bob Mueller was the first to point out in his own report, he did not make a traditional prosecutorial judgement." Congress did not feel it sufficient to rely only a written report without the ability to ask follow-up questions, Schiff said, and believed that it was appropriate for the House to flesh out questions, Schiff said. "It seemed like such an obvious step, from my own point of view, if you're going accept the role as special counsel in one of the most significant investigations in modern history, you're going to have to expect that you're going to be asked to come to testify before Congress," Schiff said. Earlier this month, Nadler said he was "confident" that Mueller would eventually testify before Congress. Ever since the 448-page redacted report was released in April, lawmakers had been in talks with Mueller so that he could testify before Congress publicly. When Mueller spoke publicly for the first time about the Russia investigation in late May, he indicated that he did not want to testify before Congress. "I hope and expect that this is the only time that I will speak to you in this manner," he said then. "There has been discussion about an appearance before Congress. Any testimony from this office will not go beyond our report. It contains our findings and analysis and the reasons for the decisions we made," he added. "The work speaks for itself. The report is my testimony." The forthcoming testimony by Mueller comes as those backing the initiation of an impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump continues to increase , with 76 Democrats in favor as well as one Republican.


A devastating 6-0 hammering to Manchester City in the FA Cup final meant a season full of promise ultimately ended in disappointment for Watford, but there is plenty for Hornets fans to be optimistic about as they look ahead to the future. Despite also ending their league season on a low with a poor 4-1 defeat at home to West Ham United they have enjoyed a strong campaign, spending the majority of their league campaign hunting down seventh spot and a place in Europe. While they did not end up lifting their first trophy since winning the Championship play-off final in 2006, the foundations put in place this season mean they may well have the chance to earn silverware again soon. Here's a look back at their campaign as a whole and an overall grade for the report card. League Performance Premier League - 11th Having spent so much of the season in the top half of the Premier League , a run of three defeats and a draw from their final four matches meant Watford ultimately ended up slipping outside the top 10 come the end of the campaign. Despite that, it has still been an extremely good year for Javi Gracia's side where they have shown real progress in the top flight. The Hornets ended the season on 50 points which is their highest amount in the Premier League era, finishing nine points and three places better off than last time around. A total of 52 goals is their best since promotion from the Championship in 2015 while they also conceded fewer than the last two campaigns, having let in 59 compared to 68 and 64 previously. Domestic Cup Performance Carabao Cup - 3rd Round A penalty shoot-out defeat away to Tottenham Hotspur at Stadium:MK ended Watford's bid for a first League Cup title at the third round stage of this season's competition. Having comfortably beaten Reading in round two Watford seemed set to go through again as they led 1-0 going into the final 10 minutes. However, a remarkable end to the game saw Hornets centre back Christian Kabasele sent off, with Dele Alli scoring the resulting penalty. Spurs then went 2-1 ahead soon after before Etienne Capoue pegged them back in the last minute, sending the game to penalties. Misses from Capoue and Domingos Quina ultimately ended their hopes of a place in the last 16. FA Cup - Runners-up Watford's entire campaign has come to be defined by their excellent run in the FA Cup, with the club reaching just the second final in their history. #Imagineif you could be so proud of your team even when the game is over 💛👏 pic.twitter.com/ZUw9AsJgN5   Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) May 18, 2019 Despite suffering such a heavy defeat in the final, the supporters will be delighted they had two days out at Wembley and were able to add to their one and only appearance at the showpiece event from 35 years ago, when they were defeated 2-0 by Everton . Watford's campaign saw Woking, Newcastle United , Queens Park Rangers and Crystal Palace dispatched in the early rounds before one of the most incredible semi-finals of all time against Wolves . With Watford 2-0 down with 25 minutes to go, Gracia brought on Gerard Deulofeu and changed the course of the game completely. Deulofeu was outstanding, scoring twice as Watford came from behind to win 3-2 after extra time. The club's fans did not just have the former Everton and Barcelona player to thank however, with captain Troy Deeney winning and scoring a penalty in the fourth minute of added time to send the game into a final 30 minutes which would end in delirium for everyone associated with the club. Losing to treble champions City is no disgrace although Gracia and his players will be gutted about the final result. There is no doubt they will want to put that right as soon as possible with another tilt at the famous trophy next year. Best Player Following a season of such highs for the club, there is no surprise that they have a few contenders for their player of the year. While the likes of Deulofeu, Capoue and Ben Foster have all been excellent this season once again it is Deeney who has been the club's key man. He may not be as pretty on the eye as some other players in the league or even at his own club, but the Watford skipper is crucial to the way they play and they are a much worse side without him in it. The bottle it took to slam home the last minute penalty against Wolves at Wembley says everything about his character and he is always a vital factor if they are to have a chance of winning football matches. He makes the other members of his side play better with his leadership skills as well as the way he uses the ball and brings people into play as the team go forward. Deeney is so important for the club both on and off the pitch and, having overcome so many troubles in his personal life, there are few who are more deserving of lifting a trophy for their side than the 30-year-old. Worst Player Watford haven't had too many players who have underperformed this season but manager Gracia is allowed to expect more from forward Isaac Success, who has once again flattered to deceive in a Watford shirt. The 23-year-old has been given plenty of chances throughout the campaign, but a return of just one goal in 23 Premier League appearances is not good enough. He has pace and power but his technique and decision making are not of the required standard and he should be moved on in the summer. The Manager Gracia has had an excellent campaign, proving he is the right man for the job in his first full season in charge. The 49-year-old was a shock replacement when the club sacked Marco Silva last January but he has been a steady influence since joining, with his summer signings being particularly impressive. Deulofeu has responded to the faith put in him by his Spanish counterpart while the free transfer of Foster in goal was a masterstroke, the former England keeper being outstanding for most of the season. The board are known for their trigger-finger when it comes to managers but they may just have found the man to stay in charge at Vicarage Road for the next few years. Overall Grade Best league finish since promotion, highest amount of goals since promotion and they reached the FA Cup final; this has been an excellent season for Watford and, had they topped it off with victory at Wembley on Saturday, it may well have gone down as the best in the club's history. As it is, everyone associated with the club will have to reflect on a year of missed opportunities, but also one of real progression both on and off the pitch. Grade: A-


PEBBLE BEACH, Calif.   The best players in the world know staying away from bogeys is the key to contending in a U.S. Open. Gary Woodland has done that for 27 consecutive holes, and he's thrown in a bunch of birdies for good measure on his way up the leaderboard. Woodland jumped out to a two-stroke lead at the halfway point of the the year's third major thanks to his 6-under 65 on Friday, which tied the lowest round ever for a U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. The three-time PGA Tour winner has been trending in the right direction at major championships. He grabbed the solo 36-hole lead at last year's PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club, and although he faded and eventually tied for sixth, his two top-10 finishes in his last three attempts are his best results on the game's biggest stages in the journeyman's decade-long career … by a lot. Before last year's PGA, when he played his way into the final round's penultimate pairing with Tiger Woods, Woodland had gone 27 straight majors without a top-10. "Obviously it was nice to finish [in] the top-10 and get that monkey off the back," Woodland said after his round on Friday. "It's not something that you're proud of. From all those experiences, too, you learn. I've been in this position before. Last year in August at Bellerive and didn't come out where I wanted to but I learned a lot from that. I don't have to be perfect with my ball-striking, because I have other things that can pick me up, that's been a big confidence boost for me, knowing I don't have to be perfect; I can still contend and have a chance to win." U.S. Open: Full-field scores | Full coverage The 35-year-old now gets another shot at that elusive major title as he sits on top of a U.S. Open leaderboad by himself with two more rounds to play at one of the game's most iconic venues, and with experience on his side, for a change. "Being in that position, you learn you have to stay within yourself. You can't get caught up in what's going on around you. Obviously there's a lot more noise going on. Playing with Tiger on Sunday, I'd never seen anything like that. I'd never been in that atmosphere," recalled Woodland. "But you learn to slow your breathing. Adrenaline is a huge deal. All of a sudden you start hitting the golf ball a little bit farther. You learn to stay within yourself and what you have to do to calm yourself down and stay within your game plan." Woodland hasn't made a bogey since the ninth hole on Thursday, staying flawless during his second round. Starting on the back nine, Woodland made birdies on the par-3 12th hole and the par-4 16th to go out in 34. He was only getting started, though. The 25th-ranked player in the world caught fire on the front nine and came home in 31, birdieing four more holes with circles on Nos. 1, 5, 6 and 9. His most important shot, however, may have been his 15-foot par save on the par-4 eighth hole after he found the rough with his approach shot. Gary Woodland simply refuses to bogey. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/2ynID5Gtho   U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 15, 2019 "It was huge, because like I said I played beautifully all day. And just didn't want to give a shot back. I made a bad swing from the middle of the fairway and didn't have   wasn't in a good spot. I was trying to use the backstop there, I got hung up, left it in a horrible spot," said Woodland. "I tried to pick the highest point where I knew it could go in. That's one you're hoping to get close, but it's nice when it goes in. It was a huge confidence [boost] going into the last. And that was probably the biggest shot of the day." Whether Woodland can stay perfect through the weekend at the U.S. Open remains to be seen and it would be a tall task for anyone, let alone a guy being chased by major winners Justin Rose, Louis Oosthuizen, Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka, but he doesn't sound like a guy who is lacking for self-assurance. "I know we have my stroke where I want it. I'm not searching anymore. Now it's more about learning the speed, learning the greens," he added. "I'm not focused on my stroke. And that's a big deal with confidence." If Woodland gets his way, things will be different this time around.


Regardless how how things shake out for the Miami Dolphins this season, they've already added one piece of hardware to their mantle. The Miami Dolphins were named "Team of the Year" by the Pop Warner Little Scholars , the country's oldest youth football, cheer and dance organization. The recognition for the Dolphins comes on the heels of a strong year of contributions to the South Florida community - particularly their work with the youth of the area. "When thinking about teams that have shown an unwavering commitment to youth football programs, the Dolphins came to mind immediately," said Jon Butler, Pop Warner Little Scholars' executive director. "Not only does their Junior Dolphins Program use NFL resources to teach young athletes the fundamentals of football, but it also puts an emphasis on character development…we're thrilled to have them as our 2019 NFL Team of the Year." The Dolphins will accept the award on Saturday, May 25th during the Pop Warner Little Scholars' annual banquet in Baltimore, Maryland. MORE: 'Jeopardy' fans ripped James Holzhauer for how he said Dr. Dre's name but here's why he did it Former NFL great Mark Gastineau has a GoFundMe for the fight of his life How the Bulls can help the Lakers facilitate an Anthony Davis trade Spurs' DeMar DeRozan 'possibly could be on the trade block' to Lakers Great News: Jimmy Butler Wants to be a Laker


A county with the second-largest jail in Minnesota has responded to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's request for more space to hold an estimated 500 immigration detainees. Minnesota Public Radio News reports that the federal agency sought proposals for additional detention space near its St. Paul office in March. Sherburne County responded by saying it could expand its jail to add 200 more beds for individuals suspected of violating immigration laws. The jail in Elk River already provides 300 beds for the agency's detainees. Sherburne County Sheriff Joel Brott says the proposed expansion would also build a new kitchen, laundry, booking and interview areas for immigrant detainees. The county board must approve any jail expansion or new contract with ICE. It's unclear if or when ICE will move forward with the proposal.


One person is dead and another is seriously injured after a crash on Baltimore-Washington Parkway. Prince George's County fire officials responded to the crash on the northbound lanes of MD-295 between Riverdale Road and Interstate-95 South Monday night. One person was extricated and pronounced dead at the scene while another was flown to a trauma center. BW Parkway is closed between Riverdale Road and I-495 due to the investigation. We will update this story as more information becomes available.


Start your day off right by looking at some lovable pets! There are dozens of pets up for adoption right here in Saint Paul. Hoodline partnered with Petfinder , an online adoption site that lists "more than 315,000 adoptable pets from nearly 14,000 animal shelters and rescue groups" to bring you this roundup of pets near you. (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.) Dill Prickles, hedgehog Dill Prickles is a male hedgehog currently housed at MN Pocket Pet Rescue . Dill Prickles is vaccinated. Notes from Dill Prickles' caretakers: Dill Prickles is very shy. He sleeps most of the day but we hold him and play with him in the evening. With strangers, he is fearful and doesn't let anyone touch him without him running away. But have no fear, because Dill Prickles is in our trust training program for extreme shyness. We've been working with him to feel more comfortable when held, and he's been taken out and exposed to sounds that won't hurt him. He's been doing great and does unball and explore. If you have a soft spot for hedgehogs, come and meet him soon. Read more about Dill Prickles on Petfinder . Briar, sugar glider Briar is a female sugar glider currently housed at MN Pocket Pet Rescue . Briar has been vaccinated. Here's what Briar's friends at MN Pocket Pet Rescue think of her: Briar is just over a year old and already has an inquisitive, friendly personality toward humans. She is chatty, playful and easily allows you to pick her up. Her favorite treats include white chocolate chips and honey sticks. Also, she enjoys running on the wheel in her cage and cuddling with her cage mates. Briar is believed to be female but has an underdeveloped pouch; she should be kept with neutered males or other females. Apply to adopt Briar today at Petfinder . Phillip, sugar glider Phillip is a lovable male sugar glider currently residing at MN Pocket Pet Rescue . Phillip has been vaccinated. From Phillip's current caretaker: Phillip is about three years old and just as inquisitive and friendly toward humans as his sister. He even likes the same treats (white chocolate chips and honey sticks) and enjoys running on the wheel and cuddling. The best way to tell Phillip apart from his sister is the little kink at the end of his tail. Read more about how to adopt Phillip on Petfinder . Maisy, bunny rabbit Maisy is a female bunny rabbit being cared for at MN Pocket Pet Rescue . She has been vaccinated. Maisy is a special needs pet, so please inquire about her specific care requirements. Maisy's current caretakers say: Maisy is playful and energetic and friendly toward both other animals and human friends. Her favorite treats are Oxbow baked and yogi drops. She paper tubes with hay inside them and time outside as much as possible. Maisy is partially blind, but we think she can see light sources and possibly fuzzy objects. Occasionally, she struggles with activities like finding dropped treats or doesn't see hands moving to pet her. Typically, you don't even notice she has a hard time; she definitely doesn't let it slow her down. She gets around new places with ease and is very curious and sweet. Read more about Maisy on Petfinder . Cumulus, chinchilla Cumulus is a male chinchilla currently residing at MN Pocket Pet Rescue . He has all his shots. Here's what Cumulus' friends at MN Pocket Pet Rescue think of him: Cumulus loves to run on his wheel and lounge in hammocks. He is generally most active in the evening when I take him out. He runs on his wheel at night a lot and loves to get chin scratches. He would prefer a friend in his adoptive home. Read more about Cumulus 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.


Kyle Busch raced his way to the top of the board in an abbreviated first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice on Thursday at Daytona International Speedway ahead of Saturday night's Coke Zero Sugar 400 (7:30 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Before practice was cut short due to lightning strikes in the area, Busch sped his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to fast lap at 200.754 miles per hour at the 2.5 mile superspeedway. Busch currently sits second in the points standings, 18 points behind series leader Joey Logano who clocked in at 199.911 mph   good for 15th-best in the field. RELATED: First practice results | Best 10-lap averages | Full Daytona schedule Ty Dillon (No. 13 Germain Racing Chevrolet, 200.682 mph) and Chris Buescher (No. 37 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet, 200.638 mph) also landed near the top of the board, finishing second and third respectively. Jimmie Johnson, coming off a fourth-place finish at Chicagoland   his best finish of the season   came in at 200.352 in his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet while fellow Chevrolet driver Austin Dillon (No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet) at 200.347 mph rounded out the top five. All told, 13 drivers topped the 200 mph mark in the session. Practice ended about 12 minutes early due to a lightning strike in the area. ]]>


CHAGUARAMAS, Trinidad and Tobago   She slipped out of the house around dusk, without telling her mother. Sixteen and hungry, she followed the men who had promised her work and food. Instead, they smuggled her out of Venezuela by sea, secretly planning to force her into a brothel in Trinidad. Put in a fishing boat, the girl, Yoskeili Zurita, said she sped away with dozens of other women, including her cousin. But the overloaded skiff took on water fast   and capsized with the roll of a sudden swell. Screams pealed across the water. Women cried out the names of children they had left behind. In the darkness, someone prayed. "My cousin didn't know how to swim. She looked at me and said, 'I can't do this,'" recalled Yoskeili, who spent two days clinging to the overturned hull in the strait between Trinidad and Venezuela before fishermen found her. She never saw her cousin again. The boat sank with 38 passengers in late April, most of them women. Only nine people survived, among them Yoskeili and other women who the authorities now say were victims of a human smuggling ring. The tragedy was shocking even in Venezuela, a nation accustomed to the ravages of a collapsing state , hunger , hyperinflation and rampant crime. For millions, survival means leaving, whatever the risk may be. In the last four years alone, about four million people have abandoned the country, the United Nations estimates. They leave on foot, crossing a treacherous pass in the Andes Mountains. They sell their hair in plazas in border towns, huddle in refugee tents in Brazil and Colombia. And they head off in leaky boats short on gas or spare parts   and sometimes get lost at sea. As the women in Yoskeili's boat fought to survive, their state was nowhere to be found. The government, crippled by corruption , mismanagement and American sanctions on its oil industry, told relatives the day after the wreck that it lacked even the fuel to mount a rescue. A state helicopter arrived four days late to join a search that had been left mainly to local fishermen. And Venezuela's National Guard likely played a hand in the deaths: Venezuelan prosecutors have charged two soldiers for being part of a criminal group that tried to smuggle the women to Trinidad. Then in May, while the country was still coming to terms with the disaster, the tragedy repeated itself: Another smuggling boat sank into the waves with 33 passengers aboard, including at least three minors. Only the captain survived, disappearing before the police could question him. "How can this be allowed to happen again?" said Salvador Díaz, whose daughter had been on the boat with Yoskeili, hoping to reach Trinidad, when it sank. Yoskeili now passes days alone in her room, at times wondering why she survived when so many other women drowned at sea. One of them, Carmen Lares, a single mother, first lost her job this year, then lost her 3-month-old baby to malnutrition at the start of April as food ran short. Now she is gone as well. Yoskeili replays the night over and over in her mind, remembering the crash of the waves against the hull, the women who couldn't swim and took off their clothes in the frantic hope that it would help them stay afloat, and the promises of the men taking her to Trinidad. "They said when we got there, there would be plenty to eat," she said. 'Kidnapped' on a doomed vessel Mr. Díaz was slowly watching his family disappear. First his younger son, a petroleum engineer, left to Brazil, crossing treacherous borderlands controlled by criminal groups. Suddenly his 22-year-old daughter, Oriana Díaz, was talking about smuggling herself into Trinidad. He never imagined anything like this. Until recently, he had enjoyed a middle-class life as a public high school teacher. His other son was an accountant. The family used to vacation around the Caribbean, not flee there. But food was in short supply. Domestic production had collapsed and the few imported foods on the shelves had become unobtainable ever since hyperinflation had destroyed his salary. His daughter was a single mother with two children to feed, ages 5 months and 2. "I would leave the food for my wife and daughter, and I would go to sleep with none," said Mr. Díaz. "This is what is happening in Venezuela, the parents stop eating to give food to our children, our grandchildren." So when Oriana said she would head to Trinidad to send money back to the family, her father felt he couldn't object. "I took her 2-year-old to the football field that was beside our house so he wouldn't see his mother leave the house," said Mr. Díaz. In another part of town, Héctor Torres, recently penniless after he lost his job at a soda factory, was busy recruiting teenage girls for his first attempt at smuggling women to the island. Mr. Torres tried to hide the true purpose of the journey, asking his sister, Eloaiza Torres, to take the women and girls into her house until the boat left. "These are some female friends who are coming to Trinidad," Ms. Torres recalled being told. She said the group included two minors. Yoskeili said she was approached by a smuggler named Nano while she sat on her porch with two of her cousins. He gave her very little time to decide; the boat was leaving the next night and Nano   later identified by Venezuelan prosecutors as Dayson Alexander Alleyne, a 28-year-old now under arrest for human trafficking   promised plenty of food at the end of the journey. Yoskeili didn't tell her mother, fearing she might stop her, and confided only in her aging grandmother that she planned to go. At 7 p.m., Nano arrived in a car, shoving Yoskeili inside and speeding off to a hotel where she was put into a room with other girls, she said. "We'd been kidnapped," she said. "They didn't want anyone to see us." Evening fell on the Venezuelan fishing town of Güiria, where at the end of a pier a boatman prepared the skiff for the trip. Yoskeili's fear became much more intense when she asked the other women what kind of work they would do on the island. "All the girls on the boat said we were going to be prostitutes," she said. Others were just as surprised. Yubreilis Merchán, a hair stylist, believed she was being taken to see her mother in Trinidad. But women and girls kept being loaded aboard. "We were so many. We were saying, 'There's water coming in the boat,' and the boatman just said this was normal," she recalled, adding that the women at first tried to bail out the boat as they were crowded on. Packed with 38 people, heavy motors, suitcases and contraband merchandise, the boat   named the Jhonnailys José   finally took off around sunset, April 23. The night was clear in Venezuela. A quarter moon was set to rise after 10:30 p.m., which would help the boatman see along the roughly 45-mile route. But the waves were getting rough. Some smashed into the hull, and the boat came down with a thud over large swells. Then the motor went dead. Without power, the Jhonnailys José was tossed, turning perpendicular against the waves. One overtook the boat, crashing inside. The boatman fumbled with a backup motor and the boat lurched. "We started to scream, 'We are going to sink!'" recalled Ms. Merchán. Terrified, the passengers forced him to turn back for Venezuela with the backup motor as the boat continued to take on water. The women threw suitcases into the sea and bailed out water with their shoes. It was too late. The water had engulfed the boat. It sank into the waves before flipping over. "I thought of my daughters: I have three girls, one that's 5, another 3, another who turned 7 months old the day that I left," Ms. Merchán said. "We were in a state of total desperation." She tried to hold on to a gas canister, but it leaked fuel that burned her face. A smuggler barked orders while some of the women who couldn't swim crawled on top of the ones who could, in a frenzied attempt to breathe, Ms. Merchán said. In the pandemonium, she saw one woman trying to escape the rest. "I said, 'Where are you headed?'" she asked. The woman signaled toward a rocky outcrop in the straits. Lifted by a current, the two women pushed away from the capsized boat, holding hands under the water so as not to lose one another as the voices of their fellow passengers grew distant. After a long time, they heard the sound of surf beating against the rocks of Patos Island. Ms. Merchán waded ashore, exhausted. Her mind suddenly flashed to her friend Yocelys Rojas, whom she had left behind at the boat. Before they had set off that night, her friend was itching to share some news about her family back in Venezuela. But the loud motor had drowned out her voice, and Ms. Rojas was saving the story for the other side. "She disappeared and I will never know what she was going to tell me," said Ms. Merchán. A desperate search for land and gas In Trinidad, a bar owner in the capital, Port of Spain, got word that the women never made it to shore. He had paid $300 to the smugglers to take one of the women to his bar, where she would work as a prostitute, he said. He had also paid a bribe to members of the Trinidadian Coast Guard so that they would not stop the boat, he said. But no one showed up that night, said the bar owner, who asked that his name be withheld to discuss details of the crime. Venezuelan radio had begun reporting the shipwreck. But as is often the case in Venezuela, where blackouts are rampant , there was no electricity in much of Güiria that day. Mr. Díaz, the teacher whose children were steadily leaving for uncertain futures abroad, was sitting with his grandchildren outside to escape the heat when his phone rang. "They said that the boat my daughter was on had flipped," he said. Mr. Díaz went to the harbormaster's office. Dozens of other relatives of the missing had gathered to check on the search for survivors. But nothing had begun. "They said there was no gasoline," Mr. Díaz said. His anger rising, Mr. Díaz went to the Coast Guard office, which told him it hadn't been authorized to perform a search, he said. Relatives of other victims say they had also been dismissed, encouraged to find fuel to mount their own improvised rescues with local fishermen. The town mayor arrived, saying a helicopter would arrive, residents said. It didn't come until four days later, they said. Mr. Díaz stayed up all night, working his phone to see if any fishing boat could search for his daughter, Oriana. Sometime after midnight, he got word from his son-in-law that a boat was available. But when he arrived at the pier at 3 a.m., he discovered the boat had neither fuel nor motor oil. Frantically, Mr. Díaz searched the town but could find only oil. Eventually, someone found gasoline, but just five gallons, not enough to get them back to land. It was sunrise on April 25, two days after the boat capsized. Even though Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world, the government vessels were still short on gasoline. Fishermen used their own money to mount the search. One man returning from a rescue attempt told Mr. Díaz that they had found only bodies in the water, which they had loaded onto a boat headed back to Venezuela. "My heart crumpled," Mr. Díaz said. Out on Patos Island, Ms. Merchán was desperately seeking help. After wading ashore, she had seen fishing vessels passing, but none had stopped. She was exhausted and could barely scream. At night she could see lights she believed were those of search vessels. "We went on our knees, we prayed to God, screaming," she said. Ms. Merchán and the others took a risk, entering the water again to navigate the surf until they found a rocky outcrop that was more visible. It was the right decision. Shortly after, a fishing boat pulled up with her husband and several other relatives looking for the victims. "I just cried and cried," she said. In another part of the straits, Yoskeili said she had begun to hallucinate as she floated in the water, at one point thinking she had reached land. She eventually fell unconscious floating near other passengers, as some were swept farther out to sea by currents. Two days later, she said she could feel the thudding of an engine in the water. A rescue boat arrived and dragged her aboard. Back on shore, Mr. Díaz was convinced that his daughter had died. But the same day the women were found alive on Patos Island, an ambulance with more survivors whooshed by. A fishing boat had found his daughter, Oriana, in the water, still breathing, near the wreckage. "A boy said, 'Professor, your daughter is here,'" Mr. Díaz said. Oriana sat in the hospital bed, with gashes in her arms, her face and lips so burned from her days in the sun that she could hardly speak. She had no pants, having lost them at sea. "She could have been missing an arm or a leg, but my daughter was alive," said Mr. Díaz. He put a blanket around her as she asked for water. "Just to think of this once more is to feel this agony and to know how one will never forget these times," he said. 'The cure was worse than the sickness' For Omar Velásquez, whose 15-year-old daughter, Omarlys, was aboard the boat that night, there was no reunion in the hospital, only the hurt that she hadn't told him why she left   and the grief that she never appeared again. On a recent day, he mulled over the many unanswered questions. How did an overloaded boat smuggling dozens of women manage to leave the port undetected by Venezuela's Coast Guard? Why was there no fuel for the government rescue boats, and why was no aerial search mounted for days? And above all, he asked: Would there ever be justice for what happened? "There was a deep complicity of the government that was behind this," said Mr. Velásquez. Carlos Valero, a lawmaker in Venezuela's opposition-controlled National Assembly, points to the arrests of the two national guardsmen as evidence that government employees played a hand in the smuggling ring. But an investigation he opened last month has gone nowhere, he said, blocked by the country's ruling party. Mr. Valero has focused his attention on Trinidad, where he says he has gathered evidence that Coast Guard and immigration officials were paid about $100 for each woman aboard the boat   payments to allow them to enter. Answers from the authorities in Trinidad have also been hard to come by, he said. "It's like these people don't exist," he said of the victims. In Port of Spain, the bar owner who said he was bringing one of the women aboard the boat continues his business unperturbed. One night in May, at the bar he runs in the capital, he flipped through pictures of underage Venezuelan girls on a cellphone, sent to him over the messaging service WhatsApp. He explained the arrangement he had with the Venezuelan women conscripted to work under him: He pays a fee to the boatman for their passage, confiscates their passports and returns them only after the women paid several times what he spent to have them smuggled, he said. The arrangement worked with the help of the Port of Spain police and the Trinidadian Coast Guard, both of which received payments, he said. The Trinidad government did not respond to written questions or requests for comment. Three commercial boat owners in Trinidad and a fourth in Venezuela confirmed that they had either made payments to smuggle prostitutes from Venezuela, or had witnessed such payments by other boatmen bringing women to Trinidad. At the Port of Spain bar, police officers approached the owner, in plain view of several Venezuelan women who worked under him, and greeted him in front of a reporter. "These are my friends, I know them well," the owner said of the officers, smiling. Relatives of the suspects in the human trafficking ring said their family members had been falsely accused by the surviving women; none of those jailed could be reached through the Venezuelan prison system. For all his anger, Mr. Díaz now seemed most consumed by the question that had led his daughter to leave: how to get food. Hyperinflation has continued. The food shortages remain. And no one in the family has dared to cross the waters again. "We had big hopes for her," he said of his daughter, Oriana. "She would be able to support all of us in Trinidad." He took a deep breath and added: "But the cure was worse than the sickness." Nayrobis Rodríguez contributed reporting from Cumaná, Venezuela, and Prior Beharry from Chaguaramas, Trinidad and Tobago.


The goal for every team is to bring home a championship. Scratch the St. Louis Blues from teams longing for their first crown after capturing the 2019 Stanley Cup. And, you can scratch the Toronto Raptors, who are celebrating their first title won Thursday in Oakland against Golden State. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images) NFL Teams that have not won a title in the Super Bowl era. (Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports) Arizona Cardinals All Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray have to do to win the franchise's first Super Bowl is go from worst to first. It doesn't appear to be happening in the near future. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) Atlanta Falcons They were so close to not being part of this list. Up 28-3 on the Patriots and then disaster struck in Super Bowl LI. Dan Quinn has a quarterback in Matt Ryan whose window for a championship is starting to slip. The Falcons need to right themselves quickly and show they are the team from a few years ago and not the one that has failed to resemble championship quality since. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) Detroit Lions Matt Patricia brought a New England Patriots Super Bowl pedigree to the Lions. It did not work or help in his first season. The NFC North has three tougher teams. It's hard enough to navigate your way into the playoffs in the division, let alone have a sub-.500 team turn into a Super Bowl winner. (Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports) Buffalo Bills There isn't a ton of traffic within the division for the Bills to find their way to the playoffs. However, as Josh Allen enters his second season, the reality is with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick present the best hope is a wild-card spot. And that means you still have to find a way to get by the Patriots to get to the Super Bowl. Reality is a fifth Super Bowl appearance doesn't feel close. (Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports) Carolina Panthers Cam Newton isn't as old as Matt Ryan, but he has a lot of wear on his body due to his style of quarterbacking. Passing, running and taking quite the pounding. Ron Rivera is another NFC South coach looking at critical times if he hopes to find a championship for Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) Cincinnati Bengals The Bengals are starting over with Zac Taylor. However, Andy Dalton remains at the controls. Feels like a lot of changes have to occur for Cincinnati to challenge in its division, let alone for a spot in the big game. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) Cleveland Browns A team that was bottom of the barrel for so long seems to have so much going for it. Baker Mayfield has brought a winning attitude to Cleveland. The challenge now in a challenging division is to take the next step and go from topping .500 to becoming a viable contender. Freddie Kitchens has a lot to deliver in his first year as coach. However, things finally seem to be aligning for the Browns and it wouldn't be stunning if they find their way to the big game and eventually a ring. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Tostitos) Houston Texans There is a lot to like about the Houston Texans. They have a high-powered offense led by Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins. The defense can be fierce with J.J. Watt as the centerpiece. The division is far from overpowering. With some improvement, Bill O'Brien could find a way to get Houston into a position to challenge for its first Super Bowl crown. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith) Jacksonville Jaguars Tom Coughlin runs the show upstairs. He's not going to tolerate another sub-par season. The Jags added a Super Bowl-winning QB in Nick Foles. Could 2018 have been an aberration or will Coughlin need to make changes to the coaching staff after 2019? The picture is murky but don't be surprised if it changes for the better. (Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports) Los Angeles Chargers This is a team battling time as Philip Rivers continues to play at an elite level without getting to the Super Bowl. Will Anthony Lynn be able to rally Los Angeles to another step up ... and soon. There is a ton of talent on both sides of the ball. It wouldn't be shocking for the Chargers to take another step, but they need to do it pronto. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings have had four chances to win a Super Bowl and have come away with zero rings. It has been a while since the Purple People appeared in the big game. They made four appearances from 1970-77 and have not been back since. The hope that Kirk Cousins was going to be the missing piece did not come to fruition in 2018. Will it in the future? (Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports) Tennessee Titans The Titans are another team with a coach with Super Bowl pedigree in Mike Vrabel. He's brought a winning attitude to Tennessee. However, it's gonna take improvement from Marcus Mariota to turn the team into a playoff menace, let alone Super Bowl contender. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) NHL What teams are still vying for their first Stanley Cup? (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images) Buffalo Sabres The closest the Buffalo Sabres have come to winning the Stanley Cup were losing efforts in The Final in 1975 and '99. Despite a lot of high draft picks, they don't appear to be close to capturing their first. A playoff spot would be a huge improvement. (Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports) Columbus Blue Jackets The Columbus Blue Jackets were a fun team this season. They have improved but still have rounds to gain to have a shot at their first Cup. Coach John Tortorella is a major asset. (Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports) Florida Panthers The Florida Panthers made one Final, being swept in 1996 by the Colorado Avalanche. Doesn't seem like a return is on the near horizon. (Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports) Nashville Predators The Nashville Predators had a shot at their first championship in 2017, but fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games. It is tough to get a return trip to the Final but Nashville could find its way to another run in the near future. (Mandatory Credit: David Berding-USA TODAY Sports) Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators' lone shot at the Stanley Cup came in 2007, when they lost in five games to the Anaheim Ducks. They are nowhere near a return to a shot at glory. (Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports) Minnesota Wild The only team in the major four sports in Minnesota to win a championship is the Twins. Ouch. That's some rough time for fans. (Mandatory Credit: David Berding-USA TODAY Sports) San Jose Sharks The San Jose Sharks make deep, long playoff runs and manage to come away with no championships. Their actual only Final appearance was in 2016 when they lost to the Penguins in six. (Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports) Las Vegas Golden Knights The Golden Knights had a shot at the title in their expansion season. Will they recreate the magic and get a Stanley Cup? Despite being in Las Vegas, I wouldn't bet on it. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) Vancouver Canucks The Canucks are 0-3 in Stanley Cup Final rounds, having twice lost seven-game series. (Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports) NBA What NBA teams are looking to capture their first championship? Sorry, ABA titles don't count. (Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports) *Atlanta Hawks This one gets an asterisk because the franchise had more success and won multiple crowns as the St. Louis Hawks. (Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports) Brooklyn Nets The Nets had a great history in the ABA. They have made two runs to the NBA Finals and came up short both times. They were swept by the Lakers in 2002 and lost to the Spurs in six in 2003. (Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports) Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets can look at Michael Jordan's rings. That's about as close as they will get to a title for a while. (Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports) Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets, like the Nets, have a strong ABA history. There was dramatic improvement in the 2018-19 season and if they continue to get better they would be a threat to earn their first NBA ring. (Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE) (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) Indiana Pacers The Pacers have made one NBA Finals appearance, losing to the Lakers in 2000. They have had some excellent teams but have not been able to return to the Finals round. (Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports) Los Angeles Clippers Well, the Clippers have a championship coach in Doc Rivers. Despite having played in Buffalo, San Diego and Los Angeles, the team has never made it to the NBA Finals. (Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports) Memphis Grizzlies The Grizzlies are one of those teams that are around and around but never seem to gain any ground. (Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports) Minnesota Timberwolves The Timberwolves are another of the Minnesota teams in the Big Four sports that have zero rings. (Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports) Oklahoma City Thunder The Thunder had a shot at the Heat in 2012, but fell in five games. Loads of talent but never have made another deep, deep run. (Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2012 NBAE) (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images) Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic made it to The Finals in 1995 and 2009. They managed one win in the two series, total. (Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2005 NBAE) (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) New Orleans Pelicans The Pelicans are nowhere near winning a title. They have to hope Zion Williamson delivers what they are expecting and can get a large haul if they trade Anthony Davis to become a contender. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) Phoenix Suns The Suns made it to the NBA Finals twice, in 1976 and 1993. No rings. They managed two wins in each last round. (Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1995 NBAE) (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images) Sacramento Kings The Kings have zero appearances in the NBA Finals since relocating to Sacramento from Kansas City in 1985. (Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2008 NBAE) (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) Utah Jazz The Jazz made it to the NBA Finals in 1997 and '98 but ran into the buzzsaw that was Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls each time. (Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1986 NBAE) (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images) MLB There are teams still looking to win their first World Series. (Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports) Colorado Rockies Not only are the Rockies looking for their first World Series championship, they are still seeking their first World Series victory. They were swept by the Red Sox in 2007. (Photo by Justin Tafoya/Getty Images) Milwaukee Brewers The Brewers' lone World Series appearance happened in 1982 when they lost to the Cardinals in a seven-game series. (Mandatory Credit: Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports) Seattle Mariners The Mariners have no World Series appearances in their history. (Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports) Tampa Bay Rays The Rays lost their lone World Series appearance to the Phillies in five games in 2008. (Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports) Texas Rangers The Texas Rangers made it to the World Series in 2010 and 2011, losing in five and seven games, respectively. (Mandatory Credit: Ronald Martinez/ALLSPORT) San Diego Padres The Padres have made it to two World Series and won a grand total of one game. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images) Washington Nationals No World Series appearances for the Washington Nationals in franchise history. Nada. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)


The Archdiocese of Louisville said it followed proper procedures while investigating a priest at a Highlands church who was accused of taking inappropriate photos of students. But a national support group for survivors of clergy sexual abuse is calling on Vatican officials to discipline Archbishop Joseph Kurtz   the head of Louisville's Catholic diocese   for "recklessly and secretively" handling the investigation into the priest, who was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing. As the Courier Journal first reported Tuesday, the Rev. Jeff Gatlin resigned earlier in June as pastor at St. Francis of Assisi, 1960 Bardstown Road, to deal with health issues, according to the Archdiocese of Louisville. Previously: Louisville priest resigns after being accused of 'inappropriate' photos Gatlin, 51, had been accused of "inappropriate picture taking" of students during a May 13 field day celebrating the end of the parish school year, officials said. The church's school serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Archdiocesan spokeswoman Cecelia Price told the Courier Journal in an email that officials received one "specific complaint about a possibly inappropriate photo and some general concerns from other parents." Price said the photos were intended to be used for an eighth-grade video and that the photo related to the specific complaint "showed nothing inappropriate." "It was a shot of two students in a conference room working on room set-up," Price said, declining to provide more specifics on the complaint. One week after the field day, St. Francis of Assisi School principal Steve Frommeyer shared an email with parents in which Gatlin wrote that a "number of concerns have been raised and accusations have been made about my actions of taking pictures of students at the field day activities." "Though I do not believe I have done anything wrong, I have asked Archbishop Kurtz to appoint a temporary administrator so that I can cooperate with a review of what occurred, as well as my overall ministry as pastor of Saint Francis of Assisi Parish," Gatlin wrote. His comments were also included in a May 24 bulletin sent to parishioners. "You are in my prayers. Please keep me in your prayers," Gatlin wrote. "Per archdiocesan policy," Price said, Frommeyer called Child Protective Services to begin an investigation. CPS representatives reviewed the complaints and spoke to parents of students, Price said. During the investigation, Gatlin "entered into treatment for health issues," according to the Archdiocese of Louisville. Price said Gatlin has had a "variety of health issues over many years." In a May 31 email to parishioners, Graffis and parish administrator Scott U'Sellis wrote that Gatlin was "getting the help he needs dealing with chemical dependency and depression." Frommeyer also shared the May 31 email with parents of students at the church's school. In a June 17 email, Kurtz told St. Francis of Assisi parishioners that the investigation into Gatlin was complete and that CPS investigators said "they do not have information that would lead to a substantiated case of any criminal activity." "As previously shared, with his permission, Father Gatlin entered a medical treatment program last month and is receiving the care he needs," Kurtz wrote. "Last week, he informed us that he would like to resign as pastor of Saint Francis of Assisi Parish to focus fully on his health and recovery. I have accepted his resignation." Gatlin, who was ordained in 2000, had served at St. Francis of Assisi since August 2017. According to the Record , the archdiocesan newspaper, Gatlin was previously assigned to 13 churches in Kentucky, including Louisville parishes St. Margaret Mary, St. James, St. Albert the Great, Sts. Simon and Jude, St. Peter the Apostle and St. Polycarp. Support local journalism Support stories like this one by becoming a subscriber today! Get unlimited digital access here! While Price said archdiocese officials followed all policies in responding to and investigating sexual abuse complaints, David Clohessy, the former executive director of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests , was critical of Kurtz's actions. He said in an email that Kurtz had "recklessly and secretively" dealt with Gatlin and didn't alert the public. "For at least a month, Archbishop Joseph Kurtz has hidden accusations that Fr. Jeff Gatlin took 'inappropriate' photos of youngsters," Clohessy said. "It seems these unsettling allegations have come to public attention despite Kurtz' self-serving actions. "It's dead wrong for Catholic officials to violate their repeated pledges of 'transparency' and their national policy of 'openness' like this." Clohessy said hiding complaints of potential abuse give wrongdoers "ample time to intimidate victims, threaten whistleblowers, discredit witnesses, destroy evidence, fabricate alibis and even flee the state or country. "Adding insult to injury, Kurtz also let Fr. Gatlin voluntarily resign, rather than be suspended, and put his 'spin' on the serious accusations in a message to parishioners," Clohessy wrote. But Price told the Courier Journal that the archdiocese followed its "policies on sexual abuse" in responding to the complaints against Gatlin. Those steps, according to Price, include the priest stepping aside after a complaint was received, authorities being notified and parishioners made aware of the investigation. Next, an investigation was conducted, and lastly, parishioners were notified of the results, Price said. Clohessy said SNAP recognizes that a state agency investigated and found no criminal wrongdoing. "But there's been plenty of wrongdoing by Kurtz," Clohessy wrote. "Vatican officials should discipline him." Kurtz was also criticized earlier this year as not doing enough to protect survivors of clergy sex abuse. But in February, he and Catholic Church leaders in Louisville released a list of 48 priests and members of religious orders who had been credibly accused of sexual abuse. Sex abuse survivors: Archbishop Kurtz isn't doing enough to protect his flock The February release marked the first time Louisville's archdiocese had published such a list. It came as a growing number of Catholic dioceses from Atlanta to Indianapolis issued similar lists following a 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report that found state church leaders protected more than 300 "predator priests." Reach Billy Kobin at bkobin@courierjournal.com or 502-582-7030. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/subscribe. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: SNAP: Louisville archbishop mishandled priest investigation


Tom Brady tagged Patrick Mahomes in his Instagram story on Wednesday while the New England Patriots quarterback was shooting a shotgun for sport. Brady wrote: "Shotgun Sundays like we're @PatrickMahomes". It's likely that Brady is referencing the fact that Mahomes spent more time in shotgun than any quarterback in 2018 . If so, that's a next-level inside joke for football nerds. But maybe is referencing the fact that Mahomes' arm is as powerful as a shotgun (though that doesn't make a lot of sense because shotguns are notoriously inaccurate and Brady doesn't seem to be throwing shade). Regardless, Brady continues to get social on social media. Here's a look at Brady firing the gun. (Weird.) Tom Brady tries so, so hard to be cool. pic.twitter.com/Aygn24Tw7W - Dakota Randall (@DakRandallNESN) July 2, 2019 MORE: NBA free agency: The latest reports on Kawhi Leonard's situation 'You don't know me like that': Kevin Durant, the Warriors and a toxic locker room Kawhi Leonard Rumors: Is He Flying to Meet With Toronto Raptors Today? Stephen A. Smith: 'Andre Iguodala is planning on joining the Lakers' 2019 NBA Summer League Rosters


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Retired Navy Admiral and former U.S. special operations chief William McRaven has no regrets about criticizing President Donald Trump, though he said on Wednesday that friends in the military faulted him for disparaging the commander-in-chief. McRaven, who oversaw the 2011 raid that killed former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, has taken on Trump on more than one occasion, laying into the president in 2017 for calling the press the "enemy of the people." Then last year, after Trump revoked the security clearance former CIA Director John Brennan, a critic of the president, McRaven spoke out again, writing in a Washington Post opinion piece that he would "consider it an honor" if the president were to pull his clearance as well. "When I find something that in my heart I just can't live with, I've got to look myself in the mirror every morning and I'm going to stand up and do what I think is right and accept the criticism," McRaven told a Reuters Newsmakers forum in New York on Wednesday. McRaven also wrote that Trump had "embarrassed us in the eyes of our children, humiliated us on the world stage and, worst of all, divided us as a nation." Those harsh words drew censure from some of McRaven's friends from his 37 years in the military who felt the retired admiral had overstepped his bounds. "That is fair criticism. You've got to be prepared to listen to your critics because historically retired military officers, particularly senior officers, don't make a point of speaking up against the commander-in-chief," McRaven said. In response to the Washington Post dig, Trump dismissed McRaven in a Fox News interview as a "Hillary Clinton fan" and an "Obama backer" who should have captured bin Laden sooner. Interviewed on stage by Reuters Editor-at-Large Sir Harold Evans, McRaven said that "in general" he agreed that officers should refrain from blasting the president, but he felt duty-bound. A year earlier, McRaven said Trump's hostility toward the news media "may be the greatest threat to democracy in my lifetime." That came from a man who oversaw not just the killing of bin Laden but also the capture of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in 2003. McRaven was also responsible for the 2009 rescue at sea of commercial Captain Richard Phillips, who had been taken by Somali pirates. McRaven recounts those stories in his new book "Sea Stories: My Life in Special Operations." (Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)


ANNAPOLIS, MD   While moderate Republican Gov. Larry Hogan consistently has the support of two-thirds of Maryland voters   Democrats, independents and GOP members   his ongoing consideration of whether to mount a primary challenge against President Donald Trump in 2020 has his home state voters split. Deni Stanley of Arnold told Patch: " I will register as a Republican for the primaries and vote for him. I am a Maryland resident and voted for him as governor, he's a good man. That being said, I will vote for whoever the Democrat nominee is in the 2020 election, but wouldn't be upset if Hogan won the presidency." Hogan told a New Hampshire political breakfast in late April that he is "listening" to people encouraging him to mount a presidential bid against President Donald Trump . But Hogan said he was not going to launch a "suicide mission" unless he thought there was a path to victory. While he considers a campaign, the governor said he is going to visit 16 more states. The second-term governor said he does not want to run unless he believes he has a chance at victory. "I have a real day job that's important to me and (to) the people of Maryland," he said. Goucher Poll findings released Feb. 19 showed that 69 percent of Marylanders approve of the job Larry Hogan is doing as governor, 14 percent disapproved, and 14 percent said they don't know. But a May 9 poll by Gonzales Research & Media Services said Hogan would be trounced by the president in his home state, the Baltimore Sun reports. Poll results showed Hogan would win 24 percent of the vote in the Maryland GOP primary, while Trump would land 68 percent of Maryland's Republican voters. Richard Harrington of Annapolis commented that Hogan would be an excellent president, but he should wait to run in 2024. "I had business interactions with the governor when he was in business and I can say firsthand he is one of the most ethical and honest individuals I have had pleasure to know." And while Meg Trager of Annapolis praised Hogan's work as governor, she asked, "W hy would he even consider running for president? Republicans need to stick together, not try to compete with one another." Other Patch readers said Maryland needs Hogan more than the country does right now. "I would so hate to lose him as my governor," said Kimberleigh Hayes. "Running the country is a much worse job than trying to clean up Martin O'Malley's mess!! PLEASE GOVERNOR HOGAN STAY WITH US!!!" And Debbie Miller commented, "Governor Hogan is the best governor we have ever had, please don't leave us!" Tell us what you think Hogan should do in our comments section.


So, you want to help the planet this summer, but you also want to travel somewhere idyllic. It might sound too good to be true, but a cruise company called Unforgettable Croatia is offering a four-week scholarship to a nature lover who is also interested in travel. The Croatia Conservation and Exploration Scholarship will allow the lucky recipient to travel the gorgeous coast of Croatia while also helping with marine life research. The trip, which is set for the summer of 2020, will be broken into two-week intervals. During the first half, the recipient will be working with the non-profit Blue World Institute in Losinj to help aid in research and hopefully get to work directly with animals like sea turtles and dolphins, according to the listing . Some of the exciting work you'll be allowed to do, if chosen, will include hands-on field work aboard research boats, monitoring marine life behaviors and populations, and analyzing data for the organization. If chosen, according to Unforgettable Croatia, you might even see 50 dolphins a day, which sounds nothing short of magical. You'll also be able to enjoy some water sports or spend some parts of the day at the beach during your downtime, so it's not all work, all the time. But the second part of the scholarship is definitely all about luxury. Starting in the third week, you'll spend seven nights traveling from Losinj to Split, with stops in Rovnji Opatija, Plitvice Lakes National Park , and Zadar. Throughout your trip, you'll be accommodated in four-star hotels and given private transfers everywhere you go. Some exciting activities along the way include wine tasting and truffle hunting, as well as private tours, according to Business Insider . During your last week, Unforgettable Croatia will take you on an island-hopping cruise to Dubrovnik, with stops in Hvar Island, Vis Island, Korcula Island, Mljet Island, and the city of Ston. The islands, in particular, make up the Dalmatian Coast , which is one of Croatia's many popular destinations. Nature and travel lovers can apply for the scholarship by applying on the website by Monday, July 9. The application is very short and only requires one short essay answer for why you are the best candidate for the scholarship. More information can be found on the Unforgettable Croatia website .


For when the regular Chiron just isn't enough. After seeing the Bugatti Divo at Pebble Beach last year and recently somewhere in the desert undergoing high-speed testing, the hardcore version of the Chiron has traveled to Europe. Spotted up close and personal by Instagram user lennykeinkravitz, the W16 machine looking like a fighter jet was caught in Germany, but not at the Nürburgring. It was actually filmed in Lütjensee, a municipality in the district of Stormarn. The stealthy hypercar must've been a prototype judging by the Wolfsburg license plates and the lack of the wheel center caps. The fact that it had a metallic black frunk as opposed to the matte dark blue/black finish of the other body panels also leads us to believe this wasn't a production-spec Divo. Overall, it looks quite similar to the prototype tested in the desert, save for the different design of the wheels. It doesn't come as a surprise the driver took his time maneuvering the 8.0-liter monster out of that parking lot given the immense value of the car. Seeing the Divo in the vicinity of humble cars such as a Dacia Logan MCV or a Volkswagen Beetle Convertible further accentuates the wild styling of Molsheim's spectacular coupe. As a refresher, Bugatti is making only 40 examples and all of them have long been pre-sold. However, you might still have the opportunity to get one provided your bank account can handle it. The build slot we've talked before is still listed on Mobile.de , and it'll set you back an eye-watering €6,999,000. At current exchange rates, that translates to approximately $7.83M, which although an insane sum, it's still a lot less than the bonkers €18M La Voiture Noire one-off also based on the Divo. Source: lennykeinkravitz / Instagram via Supercar Blondie / YouTube Get Acquainted With The Divo: Bugatti Divo Looks Cool While Undergoing Hot Desert Testing Bugatti Divo Looks Nothing Like The Chiron In Walkaround Video 5 Amazing Facts About The Bugatti Divo Bugatti Divo Looks Divine Wearing Heritage Paint Jobs [30 Images]


Interested in trying some new spots for tea in Saint Paul? You're in luck: we've found the freshest businesses to fill the bill. Here are the newest places to check out the next time you're in the mood for some tea. Yellowbird Coffee Bar 1168 Selby Ave., Merriam Park Yellowbird Coffee Bar is a spot to score coffee and tea, ice cream and frozen yogurt and juices and smoothies. This new business offers a chai tea latte, black and green teas and more. It also offers a food menu with pastries, soups and sandwiches. With a five-star Yelp rating out four reviews, Yellowbird Coffee Bar has been getting positive attention. Yelper Sprouter C., who reviewed Yellowbird Coffee Bar on July 29, wrote , "I got an iced green tea and it was amazing, my friends both got chai and said it was really good." Yellowbird Coffee Bar is open from 7 a.m. 9 p.m. on Monday-Thursday and 7 a.m. 7 p.m. on Friday-Sunday. Starbucks 84 S. Wabasha St., West Side Starbucks is a spot to score coffee and tea and more. The business offers a variety of teas including iced tea, tea lattes, Teavana craft iced teas and more. On the menu, look for the new lemonade tea trio with flavors like peach, guava and blueberry. Starbucks currently holds four stars out of three reviews on Yelp, indicating good reviews. Yelper Julia T., who reviewed Starbucks on July 30, wrote , "My coworker and I go to this Starbucks several mornings a week and we absolutely love it." Starbucks is open from 6 a.m. 7 p.m. daily. Bootstrap Coffee Roasters 432 Wabasha St. South, West Side Bootstrap Coffee Roasters is a coffee roastery, offering coffee and tea and more. Bootstrap Coffee Roasters serves up hot and iced teas. On the menu, look for the Kodama Sencha Green with notes of sesame and honeydew or the Silver Needle White with cinnamon and honeydew. With a five-star Yelp rating out of four reviews on Yelp, Bootstrap Coffee Roasters has been getting positive attention. Yelper Sammy S. wrote , "Bootstrap Coffee Roasters is probably my favorite coffee bean roaster in Minnesota! I love the beans, they are so good and rival any top place in Seattle." Bootstrap Coffee Roasters is open from 7 a.m. 3 p.m. daily. This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Here's how the grid lines up for the 2019 Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, the ninth round of the Formula 1 World Championship. F1 qualifying news: Austrian GP: Leclerc beats Hamilton to pole, Vettel ninth Vettel ruled out of Q3 by engine pressure issue Hamilton under investigation for Q1 incident


City and state officials move to address recent criticisms of Project Green Light Just this week we wrote about a wave of recent controversy over the city's Project Green Light surveillance program . Launched by the city in 2016, the program partners with businesses who pay to have a high-definition camera installed outside their building that sends real-time video footage to police monitoring sites. In March this year, Mayor Mike Duggan announced a $9 million expansion of the program where 500 cameras would be installed at intersections across the city. What he didn't mention was that the cameras, much like those installed outside businesses, would come equipped with facial recognition technology. Reports surfaced in May that the city has been using the technology on all its cameras since July 2017 without approval from the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners. Local columnists , concerned activists , and even the New York Times have weighted in on the problems with the technology, from its potential use in non-criminal cases to its well-known racial bias . Because it's an emerging technology currently unregulated at the federal level, cities have been left to figure out how and when to use it. In May this year, San Francisco became the first major city to ban it. In the last few days, a number of local city and state officials have acted in response to the criticism. Detroit Chief of Police James Craig tried to reassure the public that the software would only be used in cases of a terrorist threat or identifiable criminal activity. Duggan later echoed those comments in a press conference. "I want to make it clear: There will be no facial recognition software used with live-stream video by the Detroit Police Department. That's not what we're doing." Instead, he said, the cameras at intersections would be used for traffic management and footage to check in case a crime is committed. Meanwhile, State Rep. Isaac Robinson introduced a bill in the Michigan House of Representatives that would put a five-year moratorium on facial recognition technology. If passed, Michigan would be the first state to ban it. "There needs to be a discussion on where the limits are and how the technology is used," Robinson told the Metro Times . "We need to discuss civil liberties and make sure local governments aren't overreaching." The Detroit Board of Police Commissioners has postponed voting on whether or not to approve the technology while Chief Craig tweaks the rules on its use. The latest meeting of the board on Thursday, July 11, got contentious fast. Commissioner Willie Burton began the meeting by asking questions about what new Board Chair Lisa Carter would do differently. The Detroit News described the unusual scene that followed. "You are out of order," Carter told Burton multiple times. When Burton continued talking, she asked officers to remove him from the room. Several officers surrounded Burton and placed him in handcuffs. Angry audience members rushed toward the front of the room, and police officers formed a cordon around Burton as cops led him from the room amid shouts of "democracy!" and expletives. It took about 20 minutes for things to calm down, and the board continued normal business, including reading resolutions aloud, and an update from the 10th Precinct. The board once again postponed a vote on the use of facial recognition software at Project Green Light locations.


Greg Oden doesn't have much information to relay to Zion Williamson regarding draft night. Despite being the No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft, the former Ohio State standout says he spent most of the June evening at Madison Square Garden in a daze, shuffling between media obligations at a rapid rate. Oden has pictures of his time with commissioner David Stern, but not exactly many memories. "I remember mainly being the first one to go and do interviews and then being the last one to leave," Oden told The Crossover . "When my name was called, my first thought was, 'Don't trip up these stairs.' After that it was a bit of a blur until the night was over and everything settled before I headed to Portland." There might not be a treasure trove of anecdotes Oden can relay from draft night. Yet once Williamson exits the Barclays Center on Thursday and begins his rookie year with the Pelicans, Oden's experience could then prove handy. Few players entered the NBA with more fanfare than Oden over the last 20 years. LeBron certainly holds the mantle as the most hyped prospect of the modern era, though Oden certainly belongs in the conversation for second place in the 21st century. Anthony Davis' arrival was analogous to Oden's, each dominating college basketball with a historic defensive effort. Kevin Durant belongs in the conversation despite going No. 2 to Oden, and now Williamson will stand next to Adam Silver with similar expectations. Oden can relate. "[Williamson] is a little bit different, he's on TV and they're showing highlights when he's hurt and on the bench," Oden said. "So the attention is on a bit of a different level than I got even with a lot of people watching me, but he'll be great. He's an explosive player, he's a different animal that people haven't seen before." Williamson enters a franchise situated closely to what Oden experienced when he played his first season in Portland. The Blazers won 41 games the year after drafting Oden, establishing a dynamic core with Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge as Oden recovered from microfracture surgery. Oden didn't make his debut in October 2008 amid a deep rebuild. Portland won 54 games in 2008-09 with Oden playing more contributor than savior. As Jrue Holiday and the Lakers' former youngsters lift the roster in New Orleans, Oden sees Williamson following a similar route. "Zion's got some talented people around him, so the attention shouldn't be too intense." Oden said. "He should be able to run and play in transition and do the things that are going to make him the top pick. It's a nice situation I think to come in to." Oden hasn't spoken with Williamson in the lead up to the draft, but the former Blazer has doled out considerable advice to some of the league's future stars over the past few years. Oden took his NBA experience to the bench in 2017, working as a student coach for Thad Matta and Chris Holtmann at his alma mater. More recently, Oden served as a coach at the NBPA Top 100 Camp, working to mold a portion of the nation's elite high school recruits. Oden was the nation's No. 1 recruit 13 years ago. Now, he's in his former coaches' shoes. The foray into coaching has lent Oden a scout's eye. The league's history is wrought with former players decrying the latest generation, claiming the league's gone soft, selfish or unsightly. Oden certainly played as a center of a previous generation. He attempted zero career threes and shot only 27.9% in his career between 3-10 feet. Oden's analogs still exist in the league Clint Capela and Rudy Gobert come to mind yet as the breed dwindles in the NBA, it may be disappearing at the prep level. Oden could very well begrudge the new prototype. He's taking a different approach. "I would say, the kids today can really do it all," Oden said. "When I was in the Top 100 camp, you knew who the point guards were, who the shooting guards were, I was obviously with the bigs. There were a couple of guys who were different, maybe a big guy that could shoot, but now all these guys can shoot, really. All these guys can handle the ball, play 1-on-1 from the three-point line and toward the rim. So it's exciting to work with them on every aspect of the game and make players who can succeed in a lot of areas." Injuries limited Oden's career to just 105 career games across three seasons. A final run with the Heat in 2014 didn't net a championship ring seven years after a similar title escaped him with the Buckeyes. Oden's career is largely defined by missed opportunity and too much time seated on the sidelines. But such a perch may actually suit him well. Oden has a pool of experience unmatched by most former players at just 31 years old. It seems only right he remains on the bench as a coach, lending his knowledge to the next generation. Related slideshow: Ranking the top 50 NBA draft prospects (Provided by Yardbarker)


In India, there is a sacrosanct hierarchy of academic degrees, and nothing comes close to a bachelor's from one of the Indian Institutes of Technology. It is something to which parents aspire for their children even before they have children. The child might be a gifted writer, painter or cricketer, but preparing for the IIT examination is practically a rite of passage for any self-respecting, middle-class Indian student. And now the entrance exams might be getting a makeover. A government-appointed committee has proposed administering a mandatory aptitude test for those interested in studying at India's premier engineering schools. The test is meant to assess a candidate's " scientific thinking ," and only those who display it in adequate amounts would be allowed to sit for the next, and final, examination, which would evaluate candidates' knowledge of physics, chemistry, and mathematics. The real reason for the revamp is to get rid of cram schools the private coaching institutes where teenagers frequently end up spending 16 hours a day attending classes, tackling mathematical problems, and polishing their skills in rote learning, in preparation for the IIT exam. A member of the panel recommending the reforms told Business Standard that the idea "is to discourage the culture of joining coaching classes. A test that evaluates scientific aptitude could keep students and their parents away from coaching classes because one cannot be trained in aptitude." But here is the catch in the plan: Since when did aptitude have anything to do with our desire to get into the IITs? The demand for IITs and engineering schools in general took off in the mid-1990s, with the unshackling of India's economy, which allowed informational and technology sectors to flourish. IT jobs promised fat salaries and American jobs, and parents left no stone unturned in preparing some would say brainwashing their children for the IITs. A regular education was not deemed fit to stand up to the task. Private coaching institutes soon arrived to fill the gap; now they are part of a $6.4 billion industry . These institutes often costing a small fortune offer IIT aspirants a unique version of hell. There is no time for internet, TV, sports or …fun. "Physics is my first and last girlfriend," a 17-year-old student in the city Kota, the jewel in the crown of India's private coaching industry, once told me. Thousands of children from all across India converge in Kota every year to join some of the country's best known cram schools, which promise admissions into the most desired engineering (or medical) colleges in the country. But often students, in the absence of any real interest in science, and under unbelievable pressure from parents, crumble during these years. In Kota alone, 72 students have committed suicide in the past five years. But for many parents and students, the horror and pain of cram schools is worth it as long as an admission in an IIT is within reach. In this world, aptitude can be crushed, taken apart, and re-trained. The boom in coaching institutes for higher education can easily be traced back to India's miserable primary and secondary schooling system, which suffers from chronic underinvestment . A World Bank study in 2004 found that 25% teachers were absent from Indian schools. Subsequent surveys have found that more than half of India's class-five students are unable to read at a class-two level. While every government seems to promise new IITs or management colleges, little has been done to improve the quality of the school system overall. Even privately funded lower schools are unable to provide enough capable teachers in high school to prepare students for India's intensely competitive college entrance exams. As a result, one in four students in India enroll in supplemental instruction programs some starting from elementary-school age. This isn't the first time a government has attempted to squash the private tuition industry that has grown up around the entrance exams to engineering schools. "Coaching institutes have gradually replaced our secondary schools…We are creating an army of children adept at cracking examinations, but can they think critically?" the country's former education minister, Kapil Sibal, said three years ago . The then Congress-led government tweaked the IIT admissions process by giving weight to school performance as well. But to what end? In the past three years, enrollment rates in coaching schools have only gone up. It doesn't seem like that trend will reverse anytime soon, even with advent of an aptitude test. Tinkering with an exam format is easy it's overhauling the rest of the education system that's hard. An executive from a popular Kota-based cram school told the Business Standard that the panel's recommendation "is unlikely to discourage students from flocking to coaching institutes." All it means is that more students will now join coaching institutes to train for the aptitude test. We welcome your ideas at ideas.india@qz.com .


While traffic is expected to be heavy, some roads will temporarily reopen in time for Friday night's Billy Joel concert at Oriole Park. | See larger map | Some 50,000 people are expected to attend the concert. And thousands more will attend events Saturday, that include the Baltimore Ravens' open practice at M&T Bank Stadium, the Kem Concert at MECU Pavilion and the WBA Boxing Match at Royal Farms Arena. Several roads around Oriole Park at Camden Yards that have been closed for 18 days due to an underground water main break will be open from noon Friday until Sunday morning. Two lanes of Pratt Street between Paca and Howard streets will be open, allowing motorists to use the full stretch of Pratt Street in the downtown area, according to the Orioles. Two lanes of northbound Howard Street between Conway and Lombard streets will also be open, allowing motorists coming into Baltimore from northbound Interstate 395 to use both Conway and Howard streets to access downtown Baltimore. Southbound Howard Street will remain closed between Lombard and Conway streets. Fans coming to the ballpark from the north and traveling through the city will be able to access the ballpark via Conway Street from the east or Lee Street via Russell Street from the west. Fans coming to Baltimore via I-395 north can still access the ballpark parking lots and Lee Street via the Russell Street exit. Come Sunday, road closures will return. "We're going to need those lanes of Howard back after the weekend because the worksite work is ongoing," said David McMillan, director of the Mayor's Office of Emergency Management. Light Rail service will continue running as scheduled from the south to Camden Yards. Light Rail service from the north is interrupted between North Avenue and Camden Yards, and shuttle bus service is in place between North Avenue and Camden Yards to accommodate passengers. For more information on road closures, visit transportation.baltimorecity.gov . For more information on Light Rail and mass transit options, visit mta.maryland.gov . READ MORE: Some roads to temporarily reopen for weekend events CHECK OUT WBAL: Get all the latest Baltimore news, weather and sports. WBAL-TV brings you the best in Maryland news online, anytime.