By now in the middle of July, most off-season business is concluded around the NHL as the league looks to ride out a hot summer and wait for fall to mercifully bring cooler temps and the return of hockey. Teams may have a stray restricted free agent or two to tighten up, but with the draft complete and the free agent frenzy all but settled, the majority of tasks to accomplish have been completed. But that doesn't mean that the action is completed. For the Penguins , it's certainly not. Their tight salary cap situation will dictate that someone on their NHL roster making a fairly decent-sized paycheck will have to be traded. Most of the stray talk has centered around forwards Bryan Rust , Nick Bjugstad and defenseman Jack Johnson , with perhaps one of the forwards being used to saddle away the defenseman. We'll see if that comes to fruition or where the Pens look to trim their salary, but they should also be thinking about opportunities. And they can reach back just a few summers ago in hopes to repeat a mid-summer change. Summer 2015. The big splash was the Phil Kessel acquisition on July 1, but as the long summer month dragged on there was more work to do. Pittsburgh was thin up the middle and needed more depth in general. They made a bold step late in the NHL offseason to correct it. July 28th, to be precise. Trading Brandon Sutter ($3.3m salary) for Nick Bonino ($1.9) and a cheap depth defenseman in Adam Clendening while also swapping a third round pick for a second rounder. With the salary savings, Pittsburgh that day was able to sign Eric Fehr to a $2.0m salary. Fast forward that season and Fehr is playing on Evgeni Malkin 's line and Bonino and Kessel are on the electric HBK line, all helping the Pens to a Stanley Cup championship. Can history repeat itself? Let's hope so. One interesting case this summer that's developing is that of defenseman Jake Gardiner . The 29-year old was thought of as one of the better players on the market. He's big (6'2, 205 pounds), can skate pretty well, moves the puck efficiently and can rack up points (scoring 52 in 2017-18 before dropping a bit to 30 in 62 games in 2018-19). Yet, Gardiner remains unsigned this deep into free agency. He fought a back injury throughout last season (purportedly healed now, but isn't that always the rumors floated by a guy who wants a lot of money?) - so teams have been scared off. Should the Pens care? They've given more term to riskier gambles and lesser players recently in free agency. Why not another for someone who could be worth it. That said, the math doesn't exactly add up perfectly. If the Pens can somehow trade a Rust + Johnson duo away and not bring back any salary that clears $6.75 million. Pittsburgh wants to sign Marcus Pettersson longterm if possible, which could eat up half that space. Gardiner made north of $4 million last year and is probably looking for more in his prime years. The Pens seem overly obsessed with handedness of defensemen lately (even though, naturally there is a bigger supply of left handed NHL caliber defenders), so this makes wonder if Justin Schultz and his $5.5 million contract with one year left could be in play for a mid-summer surprise move. Perhaps not, but Gardiner is a similar type of player who might be able to be signed for cheaper. A top-four of Gardiner, Kris Letang , Brian Dumoulin and Pettersson for the next few years doesn't seem the worst idea, even if it would require one player to play the right-side on his off-hand. No matter how it ends up shaking out, since necessity will demand a trade, hopefully the Pens can get a little creative with improving their team for next season and beyond. Any trade that sends Johnson away is a win by default to improve on-ice performance, but the team will no doubt be reluctant to pair with a second NHL caliber defenseman this summer. That's where Jake Gardiner still being unsigned potentially opens up a new possibility. Given that some team with cap space can swoop in and offer $5-6 million or something, this isn't a fool-proof, obvious idea. But like Rutherford found away to drop Sutter and get Bonino and Fehr a few summers ago, if they can maneuver a way to swap out Johnson for Gardiner and still somehow stay cap compliant the outlook for next season would no doubt look a lot brighter.


MADISON   Gov. Tony Evers plans to veto a slate of Republican bills aimed at further limiting access to abortions   a move that comes as abortion opponents nationwide eye an opportunity to give state Legislatures the ability to ban abortions. Evers, a Democrat, said Tuesday he would veto four bills passed by the state Assembly on Thursday that seek to reduce the number of abortions in Wisconsin by taking away funding for health clinics that provide abortions and banning women from seeking abortions because of a fetus' race, sex or disability. Subscribe to our On Wisconsin Politics newsletter for the week's political news explained. The measures also would require doctors to inform women that they could continue their pregnancy if they act quickly after taking the first dose of a two-drug regimen that causes abortion and require the state to make public the names of hospitals and clinics where abortions had been provided. "We shouldn't be limiting the right for women to make their own healthcare decisions," Evers said in a tweet. "That's why I'll veto the bills passed by the Assembly last week if they arrive on my desk. It's time to listen to women." RELATED: Republicans pass abortion restrictions as some get behind making birth control easier to get RELATED: How does Alabama's near-total abortion ban bill compare to Georgia's 'fetal heartbeat' law? Evers' tweet included the hashtag #StopTheBans   a movement among abortion rights advocates in response to new measures putting more restrictions on abortion access, including a law in Alabama that effectively outlaws abortion. The law   which is sure to draw a legal challenge   is seen by abortion opponents as a chance to get the U.S. Supreme Court to take another look at Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that legalized abortions. Assembly lawmakers also passed a bill Thursday that requires doctors to provide medical care to babies born after failed abortion attempts   a bill doctors and abortion rights advocates said was written to create a false impression medical care isn't provided to babies in such circumstances, which are rare. Rep. Jim Steineke, R-Kaukauna, authored the bill. He said Tuesday that Evers is misleading the public about what the measure would do. "The Gov is going to veto a bill that protects babies that survive abortions, & he calls that 'limiting the rights of women to make their own healthcare decisions,'" Steineke said in a tweet. "This is why we need the bill. He's for abortion at anytime for any reason, apparently extending to the survivors." Evers previously said he would veto the proposal but had not until Tuesday said he would also veto the other abortion-related bills. Contact Molly Beck at molly.beck@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MollyBeck . Our subscribers make this coverage possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal. Top Headlines: Wisconsin Democrat Mark Pocan calls for Trump impeachment inquiry 'Struggling to tread water': Dairy farmers are caught in an economic system with no winning formula Wisconsin prison guards to get 14% bump in starting pay under Republican plan Unsolved: Binge our true-crime series on the 1998 murder of Father Kunz FOLLOW THE JOURNAL SENTINEL: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Tony Evers to veto bills aimed at reducing abortions, limiting access


Scheduled to earn $2.025M in 2019, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott stands as one of the best values in the entire NFL. But, without the fifth-year option at the Cowboys' disposal, they'll have to pay a hefty sum to lock down the former fourth-round pick. Dan Graziano of ESPN.com looked at Prescott's case for a new deal and concluded that he could push to make more than Eagles QB Carson Wentz , who just re-upped on a new contract worth $32M/year. In fact, he hears the Cowboys have been studying Wentz's contract to see how it may impact negotiations with Prescott and he believes that it will serve as the main comp for talks. It's tricky to compare the two quarterbacks, but the tale of the tape does show some advantages in Prescott's corner. Prescott has more career wins and division titles than Wentz, so it's possible that the soon-to-be 26-year-old could wind up as the latest member of the $30M/year club and the highest-paid QB in the NFC East. Here's more from Dallas: Wide receiver Amari Cooper is pushing for a major pay raise on his next contract, but he's not necessarily playing hard to get with the Cowboys, as Jon Machota of the Dallas News writes. "If you play good football, you're going to be around for a long time. I do want to be a Dallas Cowboy for a long time," Cooper said. "I love the organization. I love everything we have going on." Recently, Cooper acknowledged that he'll have to prove himself over the course of a full season with the Cowboys before getting the long-term deal he desires . The Cowboys have put Ezekiel Elliott 's extension talks on the back-burner and Mike Florio of PFT wonders if Elliott could be on the cusp of receiving the DeMarco Murray treatment from the club. Elliott has been the focal point of the Cowboys' offense, but the club could shift to a greater focus on passing as Cooper sets his sights on a record-breaking 2,000-yard season. Even if Elliott is given a major workload in 2019, the club's history with Murray suggests that they could cut him out of the plans entirely. After Murray set the franchise's single-season rushing record in 2014, the Cowboys let him walk in free agency without much resistance.


There may be an exodus of young talent from Dutch side Ajax this coming summer as the club continues its stunning run through the Champions League, but they are doing their best to convince as many players as possible to stick around. The club announced Friday that Argentinian international Nicolas Tagliafico would not be leaving this summer, and while there was no contract extension to go along with the announcement, it was a short and sweet statement from the defender to help ease fans before the impending sales to come. The 26-year-old left-back, who was a consistent starter for Argentina at the 2018 World Cup and has since worn the captain's armband for a few post-World Cup friendlies in Lionel Messi's absence, joined Ajax last summer from Argentinian club Independente and signed a four-year deal through the summer of 2022. ¡Vamos @Nico_Taglia ! 🔥🇦🇷 ❌❌❌ is his home! pic.twitter.com/F7uzj8keuW   AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) May 3, 2019 The announcement marks a slight change in heart for the Argentinian, who just a month ago admitted he could leave the Dutch side soon. "I think in the summer it could be a natural time to take the step," Tagliafico said in early April . "But I try not to think about taking that step just yet because we have many important games to focus on. Yes, it [the transfer speculation] is flattering because I think it's the most competitive league. When you are a child, the target is to come to Europe and play in a top league like the Premier League. I came to Ajax because of the philosophy, the style of football and the club." Tagliafico's announcement comes just a month after goalkeeper Andre Onana committed his long-term future to the club with a contract extension signed in late March. "I like to play and here I have the opportunity to play and that's why I extend my contract," the 23-year-old goalkeeper said to the club's official website after signing his extension through 2022. "Ajax did so many things for me and that's why I extend my contract. For me it's important to give something back. It was a difficult decision but when you're a young player, it's important to choose game time, not only going to a big club when you're not going to play." Onana joined Ajax from Barcelona's youth academy in 2015, having made his way to Spain through Samuel Eto'o's academy in Cameroon. His previous deal was set to expire in 2021, meaning this summer would have been the two-year mark, a popular selling time for a club that wishes to cash in on a player before his value diminishes. He had been linked with a number of top sides including Manchester United and a return to Barcelona, but the extension will give Ajax firm control over anyone who wishes to come make an offer. Midfielder Frenkie de Jong has already been officially sold to Barcelona, while fellow young Dutch stars such as Donny van de Beek and Matthijs de Ligt have been highly touted and are widely speculated to be leaving the club this summer, along with Moroccan international Hakim Ziyech. Ajax will no doubt profit greatly from their departure, but will want to learn from the mistakes Monaco made after allowing a wealth of young talent like Kylian Mbappe, Benjamin Mendy, Bernardo Silva, and Tiemoue Bakayoko all leave the club in one summer, leaving the club in a dire position this season battling relegation. Former Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, who now serves as the club's CEO, addressed the potential departures, admitting that is the way the club stays afloat and continues the pipeline, but cautioned against selling too much. "We know that's a fact. That's the history of Ajax all along. It has been in the 70s, 80s and 90s, so we know that," he said to BT Sport before the Champions League first-leg match against Tottenham earlier in the week. "That also gives space for the younger players, guys who are 19 or 20. In two years time, they will be playing at this kind of level. We're not going to sell seven players. We need to make sure we can stay competitive. We like this stage of the competition and we like the recognition, so we're not going to break up the complete team. Of course that's Ajax development, giving young players a chance." The presence of Tagliafico alongside veterans Daley Blind, Lasse Schone, and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, plus Onana's stay will give the club a solid base to flow more young talent through the ranks. Follow @the_bonnfire


Here's a little something for you to think about   and for Arizona's utility regulators to think about   as you crack open the bank vault to pay this month's electric bill: Arizona Public Service CEO Don Brandt is the third highest paid executive in Arizona. The guy who has a monopoly on providing power to 1.2 million customers enjoyed $14,536,631 million in adjusted compensation last year, according to Arizona Republic reporter Russ Wiles' annual roundup of the state's highest-paid employees at public companies . Among the top 69 CEOs and other executives who are raking in $3 million or more, three work for APS   or more precisely, APS's parent company, Pinnacle West Capital Corp. Drop it to $1 million and six work for Pinnacle West. Why is it raking in so much profit? Just think about that for a minute. Pinnacle West has basically one business: APS. That means virtually all of Pinnacle West's revenue is coming from APS's captive customers   people who are forced to pay electric bills high enough to support three of the state's highest-paid executives along with another three who score more than $1 million a year. I don't begrudge Pinnacle West/APS paying its executives well. It can do as it pleases with its profits. The question is, why is a monopoly utility raking in such massive profits? Easy answer: because the Arizona Corporation Commission   the people we elect to regulate utilities   allows it. The commission essentially sets the size of those profits by building into our bills a "just and reasonable" return on investment for utilities. Rates are 'just and reasonable' for whom? So here comes the obvious follow-up question: "Just and reasonable" for who? Pinnacle West's profits have soared in recent years, as it has enjoyed the benefits of friendly regulators the utility spent millions to get elected. Pinnacle West raked in $488 million in profits in 2017, the first year in which APS-endorsed candidates filled all five slots on the Corporation Commission. The company scored $511 million in profit in 2018, the first full year after regulators rubber-stamped a $95 million rate hike. And the first quarter of 2019 showed more than a four-fold increase in profit over the same period last year. Want more opinions? Subscribe to azcentral.com . Meanwhile, here are Exhibits 1, 2 and 3 in the case to be made that state regulators are allowing APS to take too much of our money: Brandt: $14.5 million in adjusted compensation. Mark Schiavoni, division executive vice president: $4.1 million in adjusted compensation. James Hatfield, executive vice president/chief financial officer: $3.2 million in adjusted compensation. And Exhibits 4, 5 and 6: Robert Bement, executive vice president and chief nuclear officer: $2.8 million in adjusted compensation. Daniel Froetscher, executive vice president of operations: $1.8 million in adjusted compensation. Jeffrey Guldner, APS president: $2.1 million in adjusted compensation. All this, for executives of a utility that scores bottom of the barrel when it comes to customer satisfaction. This, despite low customer satisfaction Among the 13 large utilities in the west, Salt River Project was tops in customer satisfaction, according to the newly released J.D. Power 2019 Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study. APS was dead last, along with the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power. Which brings me back to my question: Why is the Corporation Commission allowing APS to enjoy a 10% return on investment, resulting in record profits, multi-million executive salaries ... and nearly 80,000 customers whose power was shut off last year, some multiple times, because they couldn't pay their electric bill? This, as more than a third of APS's residential customers have been stung by rate increases that averaged 10.8% or more   double and triple the advertised average 4.5% rate increase. Commission Chairman Bob Burns, the lone commissioner who voted against that 2017 APS rate increase, told me he'll be taking a hard look at whether a 10 percent return on investment is warranted during the next rate case, which APS has been ordered to file this fall. "The return on equity is a key element that has tremendous impact on the rates and it needs to be examined closely," he said. "A half of a percent is millions and millions of dollars. Every single percentage point on that return is a very high number." Sadly, that rate case will take a year to work out and even then, there's no guarantee that regulators won't raise our rates again. Pity the commission decided not to take action earlier this month on a petition by activist Stacey Champion and other customers. But, alas, the commission's lawyer warned regulators that it would be "difficult, if not impossible, to go back to some former rates." Here's the 1 thing you can do about it Never mind, apparently, the state Constitution, which says "rates, charges, rules, regulations, orders and forms or systems prescribed or made by said corporation commission may from time to time be amended or repealed by such commission." Record profits? Six executives pulling down a million dollars or more? And a 50 percent jump last year   when compared to the average of the previous five years   in customers who couldn't pay their bill and thus lost their power? This strikes me as the perfect "time to time" envisioned by our founders, but I'm not holding my breath that the majority of the commission is really willing to take on APS. And we, the captive customers, can't do a darn thing about it   until November 2020, that is, when a few more seats on the Corporation Commission will be up for grabs. Reach Roberts at laurie.roberts@arizonarepublic.com . This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Public Service bill too high? CEO's salary may be to blame


Netflix , HBO and other Internet video-subscription providers are theoretically leaving megabucks on the table from customers nefariously sharing login info with nonpaying users. So why aren't they aggressively trying to block the millions of freeloaders gorging on "Game of Thrones" or "Orange Is the New Black"? Illicit password-sharing would appear to be a serious issue for subscription VOD players: The practice will cost the sector upwards of $500 million worldwide in 2015, according to a recent report from research firm Parks Associates. It's certainly a striking claim. About 6% of U.S. broadband households use an over-the-top video service paid by someone living outside of the household, the firm estimated. Unauthorized password-sharing is most rampant among consumers 18-24, with 20% of OTT users in that age bracket binge-watching on someone else's dime, Parks says. The data is based on a consumer survey of 10,000 U.S. broadband households conducted in Q3 2014. But the reason subscription-video services are not moving to actively stamp out password sharing, at least for the time being, is that they don't want to screw up the customer experience   especially as they're in growth mode, adding new subscribers every month. First, think of it along the lines of the tech-biz maxim "it's not a bug, it's a feature." Netflix and HBO Now are specifically designed for multiple (authorized) members of a household to watch on several different screens at once. Is a college kid piggybacking off mom and dad's Netflix account out of bounds? It's a gray area. But anytime-anyplace multistream capabilities are a core part of why people love SVOD services. And the goal is to encourage as much usage per account as possible, because that drives up the perceived value of the subscription, so such "virtual households" are tolerated. The real problem is, SVOD providers really can't block unauthorized users if they have a legit password without instituting an additional form of authentication. Netflix and HBO want to make it as easy as possible to watch their streaming services; if they started asking for your mother's maiden name or some other proof you're entitled to the goods, customers would get irritated. Look, HBO is not going to require a fingerprint scan or Social Security number before you can watch the latest "True Detective" episode. SVOD services could do heavy two-factor authentication for a preset number of devices per account, but again, that would stunt users' ability to stream on any Internet-connected thing with a screen (e.g., from your in-laws' smart TV on Thanksgiving). That said, Netflix has effectively taken password-sharing into account in its pricing strategy. Since 2013, it has offered a "family plan" with up to four concurrent streams for $11.99 monthly (versus two streams for the standard $8.99 service). Sure, that's designed for families   or, say, four cheapskate buddies who can get Netflix for $3 each. HBO, for both the standalone HBO Now and HBO Go cable add-on services, provides up to three simultaneous streams per account. Technically, sharing passwords with anyone outside your household violates SVOD providers' terms of service, which specify that access to the services are only for personal use and "nontransferable." (Note that for Hulu, password sharing isn't as much of concern because it provides just a single concurrent stream per account to subs.) Execs at Netflix and HBO have regularly insisted that password-lending scofflaws are not a big concern. And then there's this: Many password "borrowers" passwords may eventually become paying customers. A 2013 study found that 41% of HBO freeloaders and 33% of Netflix non-subscribers said they'd be willing to pay for their own accounts in the next six months. To be sure, the industry is closely watching to see if password sharing becomes worse. HBO reserves the right to "change the maximum number of simultaneous streams and/or registered devices per account that you may use at any time, in its sole discretion," according to the cabler's terms of service for HBO Now. Netflix has similar verbiage on its subscriber agreement. Right now, though, in the scramble for market share, putting up with password-sharing cheaters is a cost of doing business that Netflix and HBO don't have an easy way to solve.


It's hard to imagine Stephen Curry caring much about winning Finals MVP. Golden State's adopted son enters the Warriors fifth-straight Finals appearance this time sans LeBron James  armed with three championships, two MVPs and an unofficial designation as the greatest shooter of all-time. Even if the Warriors zoom to a 3 0 series lead against either the Raptors or Bucks in early June, don't expect Curry to gun for the award. For a man who avoids legacy talk almost entirely , another career accolade is unlikely to stir much emotion. Curry will likely dismiss the importance of a Finals MVP to his career resume if asked over the next two weeks. And he may even be as unmoved by the award in private as he is in public. But from a historical standpoint, winning Finals MVP stands as the last barrier in Curry's otherwise unimpeachable career resume. The list of players with multiple MVPs, three-plus titles and a Finals MVP is short: LeBron, Duncan, Jordan, Bird, Kareem and Russell. Curry fully deserves to join such an esteemed group. The opportunity ahead of Curry felt improbable just three weeks ago. He averaged just 21.3 points per game in the first four contests against Houston in the Western Conference semifinals, making just 12 of 46 threes. Curry missed gimme dunks (inducing a wave of Twitter schadenfreude) and tallied 12 turnovers. He hesitated before seemingly every three and spent many half-court possessions with his hands on his hips. Curry wasn't bored per se, but he wasn't exactly enthusiastic. As Kevin Durant staked his claim for best player alive , Steph slumped into a sidekick role. The best point guard of his era had been relegated to decoy status. Nobody will mistake Curry for a decoy after his last six games. The 2016 unanimous MVP absolutely torched Houston to end round two and continued his dominance in the Western Conference finals , averaging 36.5 points per game against Portland. The vintage performances stirred a near-unanimous apology from fans and media alike, giddy to revel in Curry's brilliance. It wasn't just the point totals and long-range bombs that stirred the public's renewed love for Curry. The style was arguably more important than the substance. We shouldn't blame Durant for perhaps the most best isolation scorer we've seen this century, but his mano-a-mano dominance dulled viewers and the Warriors alike. Cutting with fervor is less important as Durant cooks from the elbow. Baseline screens are substituted for stationary shooters in the corner. The Splash Brothers rained threes more like a sprinkler than Shamu. Durant's injury changed the calculus. Curry danced and darted around screens with abandon against Portland, and unleashed perhaps the most potent aspect of Golden State's attack in the pick-and-roll. Curry and Green decimated the Blazers one artful dance at a time, with Curry attacking isolated bigs or dumping it off to Green after getting trapped. Green's feasted in four-on-three opportunities, cashing in on a slate of lobs to Kevon Looney and Andre Iguodala. It looked like 2015 again as Golden State danced to the Finals. The next decade could feature a full season of the Warriors in their throwback glory. Curry will be firmly in line for the Finals MVP if Durant misses even part of the Finals. Green would have to average close to a triple double to merit consideration and Klay Thompson is unlikely to have enough opportunity for the award barring a 50-point explosion. Yet even if Durant plays (and plays well) Curry may still have the narrative boost to snag the award. That hasn't been the case in each of the Warriors last three Finals victories. Some would argue Curry should have won the award in 2015 after averaging 26 points per game on 38.5% from three. His Game 5 triple over Matthew Dellavedova remains a highlight of his career. Iguodala won the award mainly his defense against LeBron, which is an even stranger choice in retrospect. Durant has owned each of the last two Finals, even if his Game 3 shot in 2017 is lost to history. Golden State winning in five games will indicate a classic gentleman's sweep for future generations, but the 2017 Cavs were even better offensively than their 2016 title team. Durant dominated throughout, scoring 38 points in Game 1 and 39 in Game 5. He may have become the best player alive that June. The 2018 Finals could have leaned Curry's way. Durant averaged 28.8 points per game on 40.9% from three, erupting for 43 points in another Game 3 classic. Curry's nine threes buried Cleveland in Game 2 ; he finished the series with 27.5 points per game on 41.5%. Durant won in a toss-up , though with similar results for the pair in 2019, Curry's sentimental edge should grant him the award. The Finals MVP is a bit of a silly exercise to close each playoffs. It obscures the impact throughout a postseason, producing the occasional fluke winner. Yet even with the award's flaws, Finals MVP adds a critical line to the resume of any all-time great. Curry is firmly in the discussion for the greatest point guard of all time. He could be a four-time champion in two weeks. He has two MVPs, one unanimous. No player this century (and maybe no player ever) has made as much an impact on the modern game. Curry is a transformational player on a historic dynasty. If the Warriors win a fourth title, it will only be right for Curry to claim his first Finals MVP. Related slideshow: Best of the 2019 NBA playoffs (Provided by imagn)


Video by For The Win Ayesha Curry was mocked by Twitter trolls for having a good time at the opening of her restaurant this week, and her husband had her back as usual. Mrs. Curry and celebrity chef Michael Mina were in Del Mar, Calif., to open their fourth International Smoke location. Ayesha was enjoying the night and decided to bust into the popular "Milly Rock" dance, which drew some criticism from the bowels of the internet. Aye! Did #AyeshaCurry kill her Milly Rock? pic.twitter.com/48kQTIbKAO   HOT 97 (@HOT97) July 17, 2019 After Ayesha was taunted with several memes and tweets , Stephen Curry responded to the trolls with an Instagram live video. Steph Curry responds to the (very odd) social media critiques of Ayesha Curry dancing at her restaurant opening: pic.twitter.com/n59pW3UTBg   Brady Klopfer (@BradyKlopferNBA) July 17, 2019 "Slow news day today I see, huh? Just make sure y'all send me the video of you dancing at your own restaurant opening," Steph said. Steph and Ayesha always have each other's backs, which we saw during the playoffs with the way Ayesha went at Drake on social media . This time, it was Steph who decided to fight off the trolls.


Staying Power This article is one in a series in which The Greenville News and Independent Mail examine the people, the fundraising, the recruiting and the facilities that have played and will continue to play critical roles in Clemson football while also asking one key question: Does the team have the staying power it needs to become a dynasty? Game days in Clemson Memorial Stadium are celebrated for tradition and vibrancy, from the team's esteemed entrance down The Hill to the student section's creative chants, from the flashing video banners to the post-touchdown fireworks. The pageantry is palpable. It is also practical. Deafening crowd noise frequently goads opponents into procedure penalties. The electric atmosphere captivates visiting recruits. And each fan, from the luxury suites to the upper deck, provides revenue for the athletic department. From 2013 to 2017, Clemson won 94.3 percent of its home game and reported $110.2 million in football ticket sales. However, this stretch of unprecedented success, including two national championships in the last three years, does not immunize Clemson from the malady spreading across college football. Attendance declined across the country in each of the last five seasons. Clemson's average crowd slipped for the third straight year. To buck the trend, schools must increase the value of a ticket. Clemson aims to achieve that by giving Death Valley more life. Clemson spent more than $95 million on stadium improvements from 2004 to 2015. But according to athletic director Dan Radakovich, Clemson could spend more to upgrade stadium amenities, including a new scoreboard and premium seating behind the east end zone. Seats Available: Here is why Clemson football did not sell out a home game in 2018 It is the trending strategy for many college programs, who are thinking bigger by building smaller. Instead of expanding, they are repurposing their real estate and replacing conventional bleacher seating with innovative enclosures, suites and clubs. Radakovich said Clemson would like to augment Memorial Stadium without drastically altering its current stadium capacity, 81,500. "I don't know that there is a desire to greatly expand Memorial Stadium," Radakovich said, "but we do have a desire and a demand for some premium opportunities, an additional club or two." MORE CLEMSON SPORTS NEWS Our sports team follows the goings-on at Clemson athletics even in the off-season. Never miss out on the scores, analysis and insights. Please consider becoming a subscriber. Here's our special offer . When it comes to stadium atmosphere, Clemson's most formidable rival is not in Columbia. It is in your living room. To fill Memorial Stadium for seven Saturdays each fall, Clemson must convince fans to abandon the comforts and conveniences of their home viewing experience. Brilliant broadcasts on vivid 4K televisions offer multiple camera angles and replays with unobstructed sightlines. There is no extended expedition to the concession stand. There is no line at the bathroom. There is no traffic. As technology advances, accessibility improves and ticket prices rise, a winning team may not be enough to pull folks away from the sofa. "It's got to be more than what's on the field," said Davis Babb, CEO of IPTAY, the fundraising arm of Clemson athletics. "It's got to be parking. It's got to be concessions. It's got to be restrooms. It's got to be pricing, for sure, to keep people coming back." IPTAY: Donors write sizeable checks to keep Clemson competitive Within the past four years, Clemson has augmented stadium cellular service, revamped the concessions menu, renovated restrooms, remapped parking lots, upgraded the sound system and hired an in-game disc jockey. Despite its enhanced stadium experience, Clemson's accumulated attendance has declined by 3,988 fans through the past three seasons. Clemson's average stadium capacity percentage has not slipped below 98.7 percent, so it is far from a crisis. But Radakovich asserted that Clemson cannot take fans' devotion for granted. He said, after the completion of a $13 million softball stadium and an $8 million soccer operations complex, Clemson will discuss improvements to Memorial Stadium. "We're going to turn our attention to what we need to do to make sure that the seven Saturdays we play in Memorial Stadium continue to be an incredibly positive experience for everybody," Radakovich said. "We'll look at new lights, a new sound system, a scoreboard and the possibility of some additional premium areas." Clemson spent more than $70 million on its most recent stadium facelift. From 2004 to 2015, Clemson converted the west end zone stands into the WestZone. It was constructed in phases to include premium covered club seating and a lounge, as well as office space, locker rooms, a pedestrian bridge and an oculus. Clemson also spent approximately $25 million in 2015 to renovate the luxury suites in the north and south stands. Administrators can justify those construction costs by the revenue the upgraded facilities generate. Clemson sells a non-renewable, seven-game season ticket in the conventional bleachers for $499. However, for a seat in the WestZone Club, one must donate at least $3,200 to IPTAY, pledge a capital gift of at least $25,000 payable over five years and pay the annual lease on each seat at $1,985, with a minimum purchase of two seats. Suites on the north and south sides of the stadium require an annual lease ranging from $26,076 to $45,144. IPTAY does not publicly disclose the capital gift requirement for suites. Fans pay those premium prices to combine the comforts of the living room with the ambiance of Death Valley. WestZone Club members can savor the open-air seating with a striking view of the field, or they can retreat into the climate-controlled lounge to enjoy high-definition TVs, private restrooms and a halftime buffet. Premium seating and enhanced fan experience are prioritized across college football. South Carolina will soon begin construction on a $22.5 million renovation of Williams-Brice Stadium that will include loge boxes and a two-level club. Gamecocks upgrade: Williams-Brice upgrades include feature like Dallas Cowboys As part of a $93 million stadium project, Georgia will add 12 field-level suites. Florida State converted 10,000 bleacher seats into 5,800 club seats in 2016. That same year, Oklahoma added 20 suites, 1,810 club seats and 66 loge boxes. By October, Texas Christian plans to complete construction on 1,000 club seats, 22 luxury suites, 48 private boxes, two private clubs and a year-round event area. "All over the country, you see a philosophy of downsizing or 'right-sizing,' so that we have more and different types of seating," Babb said. "A lot of people in our business are challenged with this. What will the future look like? For the next generation and the next one following, will there be the same passion for packing up the car and spending the weekend at Clemson? So, for the fan experience, it's fair to say we're looking at everything." This article originally appeared on The Greenville News: Clemson football will consider another facelift for Memorial Stadium


This annual two-day music and activisim event is an annual tradition; see who's performing and what else there is to do Clearwater Festival 2018 A Westchester County Police boat passes the Sloop Clearwater on the Hudson River, during Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival at Croton Point Park, in Croton-on-Hudson, June 16, 2018. Clearwater Festival 2018 People enter under the rainbow arch during Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival at Croton Point Park, in Croton-on-Hudson, June 16, 2018. Clearwater Festival 2018 From left: Sam Nadell, Zach Karas, Amelia Goldberg and Charlotte Lynch, check out juggling station during Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival at Croton Point Park, in Croton-on-Hudson, June 16, 2018. Clearwater Festival 2018 Dana Gagnon, left, show off a model of a sturgeon to Kyle Canales, 6, from Sparta, New Hersey, during Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival at Croton Point Park, in Croton-on-Hudson, June 16, 2018. Clearwater Festival 2018 Heidi Kirchofer with Matica Arts, entertains the crowd as a Monarch Butterfly, during Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival at Croton Point Park, in Croton-on-Hudson, June 16, 2018. Clearwater Festival 2018 David Amram sings with a group of musicians during a "Songs for Pete &Toshi" performance, during Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival at Croton Point Park, in Croton-on-Hudson, June 16, 2018. Clearwater Festival 2018 Tom Chapin, along with a group of musicians sing "Songs for Pete &Toshi" during Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival at Croton Point Park, in Croton-on-Hudson, June 16, 2018. Clearwater Festival 2018 The Vanaver Caravan dancers perform during Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival at Croton Point Park, in Croton-on-Hudson, June 16, 2018. Clearwater Festival 2018 The band Making Movies perform during Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival at Croton Point Park, in Croton-on-Hudson, June 16, 2018. Clearwater Festival 2018 Yael Deckelbaum & Prayer of the Mothers Ensemble, perform during Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival at Croton Point Park, in Croton-on-Hudson, June 16, 2018. Clearwater Festival 2018 Spectators watch the performers on the Rainbow Stage during Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival at Croton Point Park, in Croton-on-Hudson, June 16, 2018. Clearwater Festival 2018 Dancers with The Vanaver Caravan perform during Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival at Croton Point Park, in Croton-on-Hudson, June 16, 2018. Clearwater Festival 2018 The band Upstate Rubdown perform during Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival at Croton Point Park, in Croton-on-Hudson, June 16, 2018. Clearwater Festival 2018 Spectators watch the performers on the Rainbow Stage during Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival at Croton Point Park, in Croton-on-Hudson, June 16, 2018. Clearwater Festival 2018 The audience participates in a dance with The Vanaver Caravan during Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival at Croton Point Park, in Croton-on-Hudson, June 16, 2018. Clearwater Festival 2018 Attendees check out a tent filled with bumper stickers, t-shirts and pins, during Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival at Croton Point Park, in Croton-on-Hudson, June 16, 2018. Clearwater Festival 2018 The Walkabout Clearwater Chorus entertains the crowds during Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival at Croton Point Park, in Croton-on-Hudson, June 16, 2018. Clearwater Festival 2018 Ivy Novich, 1 1/2 years old, rides the Solar Powered Merry Go Round during Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival at Croton Point Park, in Croton-on-Hudson, June 16, 2018. Clearwater Festival 2018 Heidi Kirchofer with Matica Arts, entertains the crowd as a Monarch Butterfly, during Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival at Croton Point Park, in Croton-on-Hudson, June 16, 2018. Clearwater Festival 2018 David Amram, left, with a group of musicians sing "Songs for Pete &Toshi" during Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival at Croton Point Park, in Croton-on-Hudson, June 16, 2018. Clearwater Festival 2018 A group of musicians sing "Songs for Pete &Toshi" during Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival at Croton Point Park, in Croton-on-Hudson, June 16, 2018. Clearwater Festival 2018 Audience members at the Rainbow Stage during Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival at Croton Point Park, in Croton-on-Hudson, June 16, 2018. Clearwater Festival 2018 People sit on the edge of the Hudson River at they listen to the band Upstate Rubdown, during Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival at Croton Point Park, in Croton-on-Hudson, June 16, 2018. Clearwater Festival 2018 The Walkabout Clearwater Chorus entertains the crowd from the Sloop Stage, during Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival at Croton Point Park, in Croton-on-Hudson, June 16, 2018. Clearwater Festival 2018 The band Making Movies perform during Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival at Croton Point Park, in Croton-on-Hudson, June 16, 2018. Clearwater Festival 2018 Yael Deckelbaum & Prayer of the Mothers Ensemble, perform during Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival at Croton Point Park, in Croton-on-Hudson, June 16, 2018.


Health officials are investigating four cases of Legionnaires` disease linked to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.


Arizona State baseball returned to the NCAA Tournament on Monday, and coach Tracy Smith shaved off the substantial white beard that made him look like David Letterman after "The Late Show." The two are related in that ASU is finished with one season and into postseason for the first time in three years. "There's a symbolic piece to this," said Smith, who at first shaved all but a handlebar mustache to show his players during a team watch party of the NCAA pairings show before going fully clean-shaven. "It's a new season, now let's start a new streak." ASU players are not necessarily following Smith's lead for their postseason debut. Only Cole Austin has played in the NCAA tourney before when he was at West Virginia in 2017. "I'm not shaving," junior outfielder Carter Aldrete said. "Skip got soft on us, he shaved. His beard was nice. Now he looks a little younger. He's right, though. Our record is 0-0 now. It's postseason, everyone is equal, anyone could win at any time. We're just focusing on the task at hand." The restart will be in Baton Rouge, La., where ASU (37-17) will play as a No. 2 regional seed, opening at 10 a.m. Friday against No. 3 seed Southern Mississippi (38-19). No. 13 national seed LSU (37-24) is hosting and opening against No. 4 regional seed Stony Brook (31-21). The regional will continue at least through Sunday and perhaps into Monday. Stony Brook upset LSU in a 2012 super regional to reach the College World Series. The winner of the double-elimination Baton Rouge regional will play the winner of the Athens, Ga., regional hosted by No. 4 national seed Georgia in a best-of-three super regional, June 7-10. Super regional winners advance to the College World Series, June 15-26 in Omaha, Neb. 🚨 BATON ROUGE REGIONAL 🚨 1⃣ LSU 🐯 2⃣ Arizona State 😈 3⃣ Southern Miss 🦅 4⃣ Stony Brook 🐺 pic.twitter.com/Z87uSF6E5d   Sun Devil Baseball (@ASU_Baseball) May 27, 2019 The Sun Devils are 1-6-1 all-time vs. LSU. They have never played Southern Mississippi and are 1-0 vs. Stony Brook. ASU is among five Pac-12 qualifiers. Others are No. 1 national seed UCLA, No. 11 Stanford, No. 16 Oregon State   all regional hosts   and California, a No. 2 regional seed at Fayetteville, Ark. Are you a sports fan? Stay in the know. Subscribe to azcentral.com today . Arizona, despite going 13-1 in May to finish 32-24, did not receive an at-large berth. Grand Canyon (36-24) lost 5-4 Sunday to Sacramento State in the Western Athletic Conference championship game, missing out on an automatic qualifying berth. ASU is making its 40th NCAA Tournament appearance   one of only seven schools to reach that mark   but first since 2016. The Sun Devils rebounded from consecutive 23-32 seasons in 2017 and '18 to start 25-1 through March. They are 12-16 since April 1, losing out on a chance to host a regional for the first time since moving to Phoenix Municipal Stadium in 2015. Instead, ASU will be trying to win a road regional for the first time since 1998 and first time in three tries under Smith. The Sun Devils were 1-2 in a 2015 regional at Fullerton, Calif., and 2-2 in a 2016 regional at Fort Worth, Texas. ASU's last super regional appearance was in 2011 and its last College World Series appearance in 2010. "You kind of just take a step back and realize after three long years you finally made the tournament," Aldrete said. "That's been our goal since we stepped foot on campus, my whole class. I got a little bit emotional when everyone was celebrating, but they're happy tears. No more sad tears in this program. We're going in the right direction. "It's tough to talk about the playoffs and not have our name in the conversation. Now we're back in, it just feels right. This is what ASU baseball is and what it's going to continue to be." ASU goes into the postseason ranked No. 1 nationally in home runs (92), third in slugging percentage and 10th in scoring (8.2 runs per game). Hunter Bishop and Spencer Torkelson are in the top 10 in homers with 22 and 21, respectively, the first 20-homer duo in school history. "I'm glad they get to experience this," Smith said referring particularly to his juniors. "It's certainly something you talk about in the recruiting process, it's certainly a staple of what this program has been for a very long time. "They deserve it. We've worked hard to get to this point. Now we're here, job's not finished. But I think everybody is excited for the opportunity to compete for a national championship." Baton Rouge regional Where: Alex Box Stadium, Baton Rouge. ASU radio: KDUS-AM (1060). Friday: ASU vs. Southern Mississippi, 10 a.m. (ESPN3); LSU vs. Stony Brook, 4 p.m. (ESPNU). Saturday: Friday losers, 10 a.m.; Friday winners, 4 p.m. Sunday: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, noon; Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 6 p.m. Monday, June 3: Game 7 if necessary, 1 p.m. ASU baseball recent postseason 2005: College World Series 2006: Regional 2007: College World Series 2008: Super regional 2009: College World Series 2010: College World Series 2011: Super regional 2012: Ineligible 2013: Regional 2014: Regional 2015: Regional 2016: Regional 2017: Did not qualiy 2018: Did not qualify 2019: Regional (minimum) MORE: ASU baseball loses Stanford series on ninth inning homer but optimistic about postseason MORE: ASU baseball: 21 games over .500, but is that sufficient progress from 9 under? Reach the reporter at jeff.metcalfe@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8053. Follow him on Twitter @jeffmetcalfe. Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ASU baseball returns to NCAA Tournament at Baton Rouge regional


Montreal's lofty hopes just took a major hit, with annual Player of the Season candidate Ignacio Piatti lost for 8-12 weeks with a ligament injury. Piatti, 34, has scored 75 goals for the Impact since arriving from San Lorenzo in 2014, chipping in 34 assists to boot. He scored 16 or more goals in each of the previous three seasons, including a 16+11 campaign last year. [ MORE: U.S. U-20s move on ] He scored thrice in the club's first three matches this season before a knee injury cost him the next 10. He returned for two matches before this current flare-up. The Impact have dealt with Piatti's absence well, sitting two points back of East-leading DC United. They have a seven-point lead on eight-place Toronto FC, who have played three less matches. Saphir Taidir becomes even more in-focus for Montreal during Piatti's absence, though getting him back for the stretch run would be a nice boon for Remi Garde. INFO | Ignacio Piatti devrait être absent environ 8 semaines (12 dans le pire des cas), selon mes informations. L'Argentin s'est étiré le ligament extérieur de son genou droit, vendredi contre LAFC. Ce n'est pas la même blessure que celle subie à Orlando en mars. #IMFC @MLS   Vincent Destouches (@100_Soccer) May 30, 2019 Follow @NicholasMendola


From a concert to a community plant share, there's plenty to enjoy in Cambridge this week. Read on for a rundown of ideas for how to fill your calendar. Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. Kirtan Soul Revival Farewell Concert & Dance Freedom 51st Anniversary Party From the event description: Join Kirtan Soul Revival for the last Dance Freedom concert. KSR is known for a fusion of traditional Sanskrit mantras and funky, original music. The night will be filled with singing, dancing and celebrating. When: Wednesday, June 26, 7:30-10:30 p.m. Where: 11 Garden Street Admission: $15 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Student Loan Repayment and Refinancing (HUCTW - Cambridge) From the event description: Discuss all of your most pressing questions about student loans, repayment options, loan forgiveness and refinancing options at the Smith Campus Center this Thursday. The Organizer of Student Loan Repayment and Refinancing is committed to helping students and graduates make the most out of financing their degrees. When: Thursday, June 27, 12-12:45 p.m. Where: Smith Campus Center, 1350 Massachusetts Ave., Isaacson Room Floor 2 Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Community Plant Share From the event description: Have extra house plants or want some new ones? Bring as many as five house plants to this free event for others to bring home and care for. Browse the selection of previously loved house plants and pick up one to take home. When: Thursday, June 27, 5-8 p.m. Where: Niche, 286 Broadway Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets This Old House From the event description: Join a presentation by Keven O'Connor, the host of This Old House this Thursday. Enjoy appetizers, cocktails and enter to win a $500 Circle Furniture gift card. When: Thursday, June 27, 5:30-9:30 p.m. Where: Circle Furniture, 199 Alewife Brook Parkway Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Top Hat Tobacco and Cigar owner Todd Smith was on his way out of town July 13 for a rare day off when his phone rang. A friend manning the store for him was on the other end, and told him Anderson County deputies were in the shop to confiscate its smokable hemp. Smith pleaded his case to the deputies over the phone, but ultimately, the officers left with about two pounds of hemp worth thousands of dollars. "It was a big surprise to us," he said. "They're lumping it in the category with marijuana, but the South Carolina Department of Agriculture defines it as scientifically a different plant." According to an incident report, the deputies went to Top Hat in reference to the "illegal sale of marijuana," and asked if the store sold hemp flower, as advertised on its front window. When Smith's friend showed them four jars filled with smokable hemp, which the report refers to as a "green, leafy, plant-like substance," officers confiscated them and informed the employees the product was "illegal to sell to the public." The report lists the incident type as the "unlawful sale of marijuana," but no one was charged, and Smith said he was not selling marijuana. The seizure came three days after the state Attorney General's Office issued an opinion regarding raw hemp to the State Law Enforcement Division, sending shock waves through the state's hemp community. The opinion stated a license is required to legally handle raw hemp and confirmed processed hemp, or hemp products, are legal without one. But it didn't define the difference between raw and processed hemp, saying to do so was beyond the scope of the office. The seizure at Top Hat the second such incident involving the Anderson County Sheriff's Office in the wake of the attorney general's opinion, according to Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. J.T. Foster. The first happened July 12 at the Canes Corner convenience store in Piedmont. The same group of deputies confiscated hemp flower from the store, and no one was charged in that incident either. In an emailed statement sent Monday, Foster said deputies responded to Canes Corner after receiving reports the store was selling marijuana cigarettes to children. Foster would not comment on whether the two incidents were isolated or if the Sheriff's Office would continue to confiscate smokable hemp. Two phone calls to Anderson County Sheriff Chad McBride were not immediately returned Friday afternoon. STORIES THAT MATTER We cover policymaking and policymakers at the local, state and national level and their impact on Upstate SC. Our local journalists strive to keep you informed. Please consider becoming a subscriber. Here's our special offer . But according to Robert Kittle, a spokesman for the Attorney General's Office, the opinion leaves it unclear whether the smokable hemp, or flower, Top Hat and Canes Corner were selling is illegal. "Nothing in our opinion addresses CBD Hemp Flower specifically, so whether that's illegal without a license is a question of fact that would have to be determined by law enforcement," he wrote in an emailed statement. For the past two weeks, hemp vendors across the Upstate say they've decided to pull the smokable product from their stores out of fear law enforcement will take it. SLED spokeswoman Kathryn Richardson declined to comment on whether her agency was confiscating smokable hemp in the state. "We feel the opinion speaks for itself," she said. The Greenville News has filed a Freedom of Information request with SLED for incident reports and warrants stemming from any and all hemp seizures made by the agency so far this year. Greenville County Sheriff's Office spokesman Lt. Ryan Flood said his agency was not seizing hemp flower from stores. The uncertainty now sweeping through South Carolina's burgeoning hemp and CBD industry   a tightly knit group of farmers, vendors, and customers   is one more episode in a saga of regulatory uncertainty that's been playing out since the state legalized the crop in 2017. Hemp is a relative of marijuana, but contains only trace amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the psychoactive chemical in its illegal cousin, and will not get you high. A state law passed in 2017 legalized hemp and its derivative cannabidiol, or CBD, and established a pilot program that permitted 20 farmers to begin growing the crop. The hemp and CBD trade has since exploded across the state. At least six CBD stores opened in Greenville between October and March, offering products such as CBD oils, edibles, and tinctures, as well as smokable hemp, which has been growing in popularity. Convenience stores, markets, and other vendors have also started to offer the product. President Donald Trump signed a bill last year legalizing hemp on a federal level and in April, Gov. Henry McMaster signed legislation expanding on the 2017 state law. The law passed in April did away with the state's pilot program and allowed the state Department of Agriculture to issue hemp growing licenses to more farmers. It also prohibited anyone without a license from cultivating, handling or processing raw hemp. Since then, the SCDA has issued 94 more licenses, bringing the total number of hemp farmers in South Carolina to 114, according to agency spokeswoman Eva Moore. On July 10, the Attorney General's Office sent its opinion to SLED after the agency asked for guidance on the raw hemp provisions of the new legislation. While the opinion confirms a license is required to handle raw hemp, it doesn't clarify what is legally considered processed hemp, creating confusion around what stores are and aren't legally allowed to sell. The law itself defines processing as, "converting an agricultural commodity into a marketable form." Emily McSherry, founder of South Carolina-based Cannabis Forward, contends hemp flower, such as that taken from Smith's shop and the Piedmont convenience store, easily meets that broad definition. The smokable hemp offered at Top Hat and by other hemp vendors is typically heated, cured, and dried by licensed processors before it's sold to stores. That method changes the chemical composition of the plant, and differentiates it from raw hemp, which refers to the planted or freshly cut crop and its seeds, McSheer said. "It is not just they cut it, they put it in a bag and it naturally dries on its own," she said. "That would be raw hemp. But it's actually processed. A human is involved in converting it from a fresh flower to a dry flower." Law enforcement has struggled to distinguish between smokable hemp and marijuana. Special THC measuring equipment is necessary to determine which is which. Where as before hemp was legalized, officers only had to test for the presence of THC, now they have to test for the amount, which requires more sophisticated gear. Foster said that's created challenges for deputies in the field. "The problem with this type of incident is that (if) it smells like marijuana, looks like marijuana, and field tests for the presence of THC, we must act as it is marijuana and make a seizure," he said in an emailed statement sent Monday morning. Efficacy: CBD oil products abound, but do they really work? Some say yes while experts urge caution Greenville County's drug lab recently purchased about $150,000 in new equipment for that purpose, and created a new position to operate it, according to James Armstrong, Greenville County's chief criminalist. Maintenance and salary will likely cost the county between $80,000-$100,000 per year going forward. But Smith said the Anderson County deputies who confiscated his hemp only tested for the presence of THC and not the concentration. Lee Ford, who operates a 30-acre hemp farm in Central, was one of the first 20 farmers in the state's pilot program. He said the popularity of smokable hemp is rising among people who use the crop to treat a variety of ailments, from anxiety to chronic pain. "For us, flower has become the financial go to," he said. "It started out as (CBD) oil and then flower gained momentum. Flower is what people started buying so that's what really started pushing the market." He said he's put substantial resources into growing a high-quality, smokable product, and much of his business comes from selling hemp in its flower form. The Attorney General's opinion has left him uncertain what the future holds for his business. "We've sold flower, we've sold prerolls, we've sold other items, and now we're not able to do that in our own state," he said. "We have to go outside of the state to be able to do that." After learning about the Attorney General's opinion, Smoke n' Brew pulled all smokable hemp products from its locations, two in Greenville and one in Charleston, according to the store's co-owner Chuck Floyd. McSheer said vendors and growers throughout the state have done the same and are starting discussions to consider legal action against the state and law enforcement related to the seizure of hemp flower. New stores: 6 CBD stores have popped up in Greenville since October, and more are coming. Here's why. While McSheer said she disagrees with some law enforcement agencies' interpretation of the law, she's still advising vendors to keep smokable hemp out of their stores until the issue has been settled. "If I owned a store, until I had clarification that I was not going to be raided or I had a really good attorney, I probably wouldn't be selling it right now," she said. "And that's sad. Hemp is a growing agricultural commodity in our state and has the opportunity to bring a much needed boon to our farmers." Stanley Holcombe, owner of Anderson-based Electric City Vapor, said he plans to follow that advice. Hemp Mine, one of Holcombe's wholesale providers, reached out to him after the opinion was issued and offered to trade the hemp flower they sold him for CBD oils, tinctures and edibles   an offer he gladly accepted. His other provider, Mighty Panda, gave him a refund for the smokable hemp he bought from them. Holcombe said he understands hemp flower presents a challenge for law enforcement, but he hopes the situation stabilizes quickly. "It makes it tougher for them to crack down on actual marijuana abuse," he said. "But at the same time, I think it's crazy that they're taking sealed packaging off the shelves." View full letter from solicitor general regarding the Hemp Farming Act: Letter from Solicitor Gener... by GRE2019 on Scribd This article originally appeared on The Greenville News: SC CBD stores pull products as raids follow AG' opinion on hemp


Jobs are more plentiful, the overall economy has been on an upswing, and yet one-third of Americans say they need to work a side job to pay their routine expenses, according to a new survey. And nearly half   45%   of U.S. workers earn additional income outside of their primary career, a recent Bankrate survey found. This includes 48% of millennials. The percentage of Gen Xers and baby boomers with a side hustle is slightly lower, coming in at 39% and 28%, respectively. Side hustlers make an average of $1,122 per month from their part-time work. That's up from $686 last year. And approximately 40% of millennials who do work a job on the side say that gig brings in half of their monthly income. Why American workers are hustling "A lot of people are working side hustles because even though the economy is strong, wages are stagnant," Amanda Dixon, an analyst at Bankrate, told MarketWatch. "For a lot of Americans, expenses are rising, but there are no raises at work." The average hourly earnings of private non-farm employees sat at $27.77 in April 2019, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That same month, the Bureau put the average hourly earnings growth rate at 3.2% per year. But that percentage isn't adjusted for inflation or changes to the costs of living. When those variables are factored into the calculation, real wages have shrunk by 0.8% over the past 12 months and by 9% since 2006, according to PayScale . Don't miss : The No. 1 reason you're still broke even if you received a pay raise last year For millennials, a need to pay off student debt and a desire to have more disposable income are also common motivations for taking on additional jobs, Dixon said. "Millennials want extra money for experiences and travel," Dixon said. "And most haven't reached the peak earning point in their careers yet, so a side hustle can allow them to have financial stability while also being able to do more of what they want." That's the case for Josh Seefried. The 33-year-old Arlington, Virginia, resident graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 2009. After eight years of serving, he left the Air Force to start a yachting company. The only issue is that the job is part-time. Seefried decided to take on a bartending job on the side to earn some extra money. "It gives me extra comfort," he told MarketWatch. Seefried rents, lives with his partner and doesn't have kids. He could pay all of his basic expenses with his yachting company, but the additional $2,000 a month that bartending brings in adds to his sense of financial security. A lot of his friends, millennials who graduated college right around the time of the 2008 financial crisis, also have side hustles or simply work multiple part-time jobs. "With the crash, our generation has already been stripped of the idea that you can sit in a corporation for 20 years and get a pension. None of us believe that anymore, so we'd rather do what we actually want to do in life," Seefried said. For Seefried and many millennials, that often means spending money on travel . "I could go get a successful job in a corporation, but I'd rather chase travel and experiences and make ends meet in a bunch of different ways than work a corporate job that's only going to let me travel two weeks a year," Seefried said. "We just have different values as a generation." From crafting to child care: what gig workers are doing Side gigs include everything from working as a bartender like Seefried to running online blogs or social media accounts. The most common side hustles in 2018 were home repair and landscaping, selling products online, crafts, and child care, according to Bankrate. "I was a little surprised Uber and Lyft weren't on there, but I think that may change," Dixon said. Though Uber (UBER) and Lyft (LYFT) didn't make it onto the list, many side hustlers, including 84% of millennials who work extra jobs, say technology plays a role in how they get their additional income. "Technology has really changed the game for people wanting to enter this side job gig economy," Dixon said. It's allowing side hustlers not only to sell products online but also to market their services to a larger audience through the internet. Some make the leap from part-time to full-time Most people with a side job are doing it to get a bit more money in their bank account. But 27% of side hustlers actually prefer their part-time gig to their primary job, according Bankrate. For these individuals, the goal can often be to turn their hustle into their career, and some have seen success. Nicaila Matthews Okome, a 35-year-old Washington, D.C., resident, started blogging while looking for a full-time job after finishing graduate school. "I was getting a lot of rejections, and I started my side hustle as an outlet for me to affirm myself," she told MarketWatch. When her blog began to gain traction, she launched a podcast called Side Hustle Pro with the goal of spotlighting black female entrepreneurs. Today, producing the podcast   which she says has received almost two million downloads to date and has paid advertisers   and coaching others on how they can start their own successful podcasts make up her full-time job. "I teach emerging podcasters to launch, scale, and monetize their podcast," she said. Though many would like to turn their side hustles into their careers, Dixon warns that it's not always possible. "Selling things on Etsy (ETSY) may not be as lucrative as one might hope, and you may still need income from two jobs," she said. The downsides Despite the benefits of additional income, side hustles often come with risks and complications that many overlook. "If you're working part-time, you often don't have protections and could get injured," Dixon said. Because side hustlers typically aren't full-time employees, they're generally not protected by anti-discrimination laws and in some cases, they may not be eligible for worker's compensation if they get injured on the job. And part-time workers usually don't qualify for company benefits such like health insurance and retirement savings plans.


Meet Fadaa Ali, an Iraqi refugee and U.S. citizen who's sharing her stories through art. • Filled by Philly: "I love Philadelphia. I feel like it's like my city, Baghdad," she said. "I don't feel homesick here." • The tell-tale art: Ali's son can tell when she's thinking about her next art project because she gets very quiet. "He says 'You are going to create something' and I say 'You are right!" As Fadaa Ali talks about her life in Iraq and about the journey that brought her as a refugee to Philadelphia, there's a phrase she repeats often in her thick Iraqi accent: "It's not easy." "It's not easy to learn English." "It's not easy to make a decision to move to America." "It's not easy to hear people when they are burned." After the windows of her home in Baghdad were blown out when the United States bombed the government building next door during its invasion of Iraq; after Ali heard the screams of people burning to death from the subsequent flames; after a group of Iraqi men held guns to her and her husband's head because they wanted their car, Ali knew she he had to run. She fled with her husband, two sons, and mother to Jordan in 2004. The family spent five years there illegally, Ali said. Terrified her sons would be sent back to Iraq, Ali and her family accepted an offer to come to the United States as refugees in 2009. "It's not easy to make a decision to move to America, the country that my country was fighting," Ali said. "So I'm scared. If I go to America how's people there? Will they fight with us? Will they like us?" The family settled in an apartment building in Northeast Philly, where they still live. Within a month, Ali was taking English classes and within two months her husband got a job. She said what surprised her most about Philly was the kindness people showed her, like the neighbor who stood in her front yard and held Ali's hand as she cried after her mother's death. "She talk with me with love," Ali, 49, said. "So I feel like all of Philly is like this lady." » MORE WE THE PEOPLE: At 94, she works 6 days a week at a Giant bakery Ali worked at a daycare for a time and went to school to be a pharmacy technician, but couldn't land a job in the field. In 2018, she participated in Mural Arts' Radio Silence project , which explored the Iraqi refugee experience. From there, she was connected with the Friends, Peace, and Sanctuary project out of Swarthmore College, which uses art to share the stories of Syrian and Iraqi refugees and bring them closer to the communities in which they now live. Ali   who hadn't tried her hand at art since childhood, when she used to draw pictures of Mickey Mouse on her family's flowers boxes in Baghdad   began sculpting, creating jewelry, and making books. The first thing she constructed was a sculpture of the Great Mosque Samarra in Iraq that she made with gypsum she bought from Home Depot. "I have no idea if I'm doing it right or not. I said 'I will see if I am successful,'" she recalled. "So when I do it I am so happy. Oh my gosh. So happy!" She also created books about her life in Iraq and worked with a refugee from Syria, Amaal Alnajjar, to create a sculpture of the Alnajjar's escape across a three-meter trench from Syria into Turkey. Ali used wood, foam, and gypsum as a base for that sculpture. For dirt, she used coffee. To symbolize the Syrian refugees, she used small dolls she found at flea markets, including LEGO men, Happy Meal toys, and Playmobil figurines. The sculpture is an exploration of the depths of human desperation and perseverance told through children's toys. It is both childlike and complex, fascinating and unsettling. "I am proud to make this art," Ali said. » MORE WE THE PEOPLE: 'You can make people happy,' says accountant-turned-piano man Ali's work is on display at Twelve Gates Arts Gallery along with the work of other Friends, Peace, and Sanctuary artists. Additional exhibits of the project are also ongoing at City Hall and the Free Library's main branch on the Parkway. Ali also sells her work at craft shows and fairs around the city. After 10 years in the United States, Ali said she now thinks of herself as Iraqi and American. She considers herself something else too   and when she proudly proclaims it, it's the only time her accent completely disappears. "Now, I'm from Philly!" she said. Know someone in the Philadelphia area whose story deserves to be told   or someone whose story you'd like to know? Send suggestions for We the People profiles to Stephanie Farr at farrs@phillynews.com or call her at 215-854-4225. Send tips via Twitter to @FarFarrAway . Want more We the People? • Neijae Graham-Henries is an 8-year-old aspiring barber from West Philly. • Mackenzie Makatchie is a dog mom of nine Newfoundlands. • Check out the full We the People archive here .     ©2019 The Philadelphia Inquirer Visit The Philadelphia Inquirer at www.inquirer.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


CHEYENNE, Wyo.   U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi has introduced a constitutional amendment to redistribute power from the federal government to the states. The resolution by the Wyoming Republican would give states the authority to repeal any federal regulation or law, which would provide states with the ability to act in the best interest of their citizens. Enzi says states and businesses face thousands of rules, regulations and unfunded mandates from the federal government every year. He says they have few options other than a backlogged court system to fight the rules and regulations. Enzi's proposal would allow federal laws and regulations to be repealed if two-thirds of states pass a resolution to do so.


During a special town council meeting Wednesday in Paradise , Pacific Gas & Electric announced it will move its entire electric distribution system underground to protect against future wildfires after last year's Camp Fire killed 85 people and destroyed or damaged nearly 1,400 homes. "On behalf of my company, I want to apologize for the role our equipment had on this tragedy. Nothing I can stand up in front of you and say is going to undo that," PG&E's vice president of electric operations Aaron Johnson said. In a statement posted on its website, the utility said it was taking this measure to "harden our electric system to protect against wildfires" and would do so at no cost to the town of Paradise. However, the utility also stressed that overhead transmission lines would not to be included in this effort because they were not damaged in the Camp Fire. Last week, Cal Fire investigators revealed that those same transmission lines and towers sparked the deadly fire. READ MORE: PG&E apologizes, says it will build new Paradise power lines underground CHECK OUT KCRA: Stay informed. Get the latest Modesto, Stockton and Sacramento news and weather from the KCRA news team.


Former Masters champ Mike Weir was among 10 players who qualified for next month's U.S. Open at a sectional qualifier Monday in Dallas. Weir, who turned 49 earlier this month, shot rounds of 67-69 to finish in a tie for fifth among the 102-player field. This will mark just his second U.S. Open appearance since 2010, and his first major outside Augusta since a T-28 finish at Merion in 2013. Weir racked up four top-10 finishes in seven U.S. Open starts from 2003-09, including a T-3 finish at Olympia Fields months after winning the 2003 Masters. Former PGA Tour winners Brendon Todd and Nick Taylor shared medalist honors at 10-under 131, while Mexico's Carlos Ortiz finished two shots back in third. Other qualifiers included Julian Etulain, Scottie Scheffler, Brian Davis and Matt Jones. The final spots were decided in a 3-for-2 playoff, where Charlie Danielson and amateur Austin Eckroat advanced to Pebble Beach while Cody Gribble settled for first alternate honors. Road to Pebble Beach: U.S. Open sectional qualifying results Tour winners Brian Harman and Mackenzie Hughes were among the group at 3 under who missed the playoff by a shot. Other notables who failed to advance included Martin Laird (+1), Andrew Landry (+3), Spencer Levin (+4) and Fox golf commentator Shane Bacon (+9). John Peterson, who recently returned to professional golf following a brief retirement, withdrew after shooting an opening-round 75. This was the first of 12 sectional qualifiers staged by the USGA, each 36 holes in length to determine who advances to Pebble Beach. A qualifier will be held May 27 in Japan, while the remaining 10 qualifiers in England, Canada and the U.S. will all be played on June 3. There are currently 76 players fully exempt into the 156-man field at Pebble Beach without taking a trip to sectional qualifying. The only remaining ways to qualify automatically are to be a multiple PGA Tour winner since last year's U.S. Open or crack the top 60 in the world rankings on June 10.


Want the intel on Atlanta's most happening local spots? We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to uncover which restaurants have been getting outsized notice this month. To find out who made the list, we looked at Atlanta businesses on Yelp by category and counted how many reviews each had received. Rather than compare them based on number of reviews alone, we calculated a percentage increase in reviews over the past month, and tracked businesses that consistently increased their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance. Read on to see which spots are extra cool this summer. Pin & Proper Open since last summer, this sports bar and traditional American and bowling spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "American (Traditional)" on Yelp. Citywide, traditional American spots saw a median 2.3 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but Pin & Proper saw a 24.4 percent increase, maintaining a mixed 3.5-star rating throughout. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis, Pin & Proper's review count increased by more than 330 percent. Located at 1039 Grant St. SE, Suite D10, in Grant Park, Pin & Proper offers burgers and other sandwiches, salads, flatbreads, and a variety of shareable treats, like chicken wings, pretzel poppers and fried pickles. Blue India Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Midtown's Blue India , the bar and Indian spot is a hot topic, according to Yelp review data. While businesses categorized as "bars" on Yelp saw a median 1.9 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, Blue India bagged a 15.8 percent increase in new reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a superior four-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 5.3 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance. There's more that's trending on Atlanta's bar scene: Little Alley Steak-Buckhead has seen a 9.8 percent increase in reviews. Open at 933 Peachtree St. NE since the spring of 2018, Blue India offers tandoori-prepared specialties like chicken, king prawns and even spicy octopus, along with a wide selection of curries and Indian breads from the oven, such as naan and roti. There are also Indian-influenced cocktails and, of course, mango lassi. Brezza Cucina Old Fourth Ward's Brezza Cucina is also making waves. Open since fall 2015 in Ponce City Market at 675 Ponce De Leon Ave., Suite 158, the popular New American and Italian spot, which offers pizza and more, has seen a 5.6 percent bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.4 percent for all businesses tagged "American (New)" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis, Brezza Cucina's review count increased by more than 700 percent. There's more than one hot spot trending in Atlanta's New American category: 55th & Park Restaurant and Lounge has seen a 12.4 percent increase in reviews. Brezza Cucina offers California-influenced, Italian-style fish, veal, beef, pork and lamb, and the house specialties, gnocchi and roast chicken with salsa verde. There are also oysters, burrata and craft cocktails. Over the past month, Brezza Cucina has maintained a mixed 3.5-star rating among Yelpers. 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.


The Chargers signed safety Adarius Pickett, the team announced Thursday. Pickett was among the players who was invited to tryout at Los Angeles' rookie minicamp this past weekend. The former UCLA product originally signed with the Bears as an undrafted free agent, but was released shortly after. The former Bruin appeared in 47 games across four seasons, recording 274 total tackles and seven interceptions. He led the team in tackles during the 2018 season with 123. Pickett was among the best tacklers in the Pac-12 Conference. If he makes the Bolts' 53-man roster, he should find himself as a special teamer early on to start out his professional career. Below is the team's official news release on the signing of Pickett. The Los Angeles Chargers signed safety Adarius Pickett, the organization announced on Thursday. Pickett, a local product from UCLA, participated in rookie mini camp this past weekend. Pickett, a four-year standout in the secondary for the Bruins, registered 274 total tackles, seven interceptions, 20 passes defensed and two fumble recoveries in 50 career games. The Richmond, Calif., native capped off his Bruins career in 2018 by recording a team-high 123 tackles, including 77 solo stops, in 12 starts at safety. Pickett garnered second-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2018 on the strength of his 6.4 solo tackles-per-game, ranking fifth in the country. SIGNED Player Pos. Exp. College Adarius Pickett S R UCLA MORE: Report: Browns rookie RB LJ Scott decides to quit NFL after just 2 days Zion Williamson still has options if he doesn't want to play for the Pelicans NBA Free Agency 2019: The top players Jamie Collins' return to Patriots is complicated on many levels Cowboys News: Prescott's circle of trust questioned, Kris Richard RKGs


Stacker shares space discoveries that will blow your mind. Space discoveries that will blow your mind The size of the universe is hard to fathom, and it's expanding even faster than scientists originally thought. While humans will never map out the entirety of space, that doesn't stop them from exploring it. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been around since 1958. Japan, Russia, and France just to name a few countries all have space agencies dedicated to exploring the final frontier. Since NASA's inception 60 years ago, astronauts have landed on the moon, parked a robot-controlled rover on Mars, and discovered thousands of exoplanets planets that orbit stars outside of this solar system. Scientists can even explore the 95% of invisible space comprised of dark energy, dark matter, and dark radiation. In 2018 alone, scientists discovered that Earth may have been shaped like a donut, stars are sometimes colder than planets, and all sunlike stars probably have twins. In April 2019, a team of 200 researchers revealed the first direct visual evidence of a black hole. Stacker compiled a list of 30 mind-blowing space discoveries after searching news archives and checking the latest from NASA. Click through to see what they've uncovered. You may also like : Super bizarre data sets you might not know exist Super Earth An expolanet with a mass almost three times that of Earth was discovered in 2017 by A. Suárez Mascareño and her team with the HARPS-N spectrograph on the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo off the coast of Spain. This "super-Earth" is located 21 light years away and orbits its M dwarf star in only two weeks. Scientists have their eyes set on these common planet types as a possibility for life. Ice volcanoes NASA's Dawn mission in 2015 found a single volcano-esque mountain near the equator of the dwarf planet Ceres. NASA reported that the mountain, named Ahuna Mons, likely formed as a cryovolcano that releases frigid, salty water sometimes mixed with mud instead of molten rock, like an Earth volcano. Potentially habitable planet In 2017, an exoplanet about the size of Earth, Ross 128b, was discovered by Xavier Bonfils of the Institute of Planetology and Astrophysics of Grenoble and the University of Grenoble Alpes in France. This could be the closest planet to our solar system that is potentially habitable. Liquid-filled canyons on Titan In 2013, NASA's Cassini spacecraft found deep canyons about a half-mile wide on Saturn's moon Titan. These Grand Canyon-like formations are filled with liquid hydrocarbon. This was the first time researchers found evidence of both liquid-filled channels and canyons on Titan. Ultramassive black holes Black holes are invisible parts of space created when a star dies. Their gravitational pull is so strong, they engulf both matter and light. NASA's Chandra X-ray telescope recently found "ultramassive" black holes that are 10 times larger than originally thought and are growing faster than the stars in their respective galaxies. The findings came from astrophysicists at the University of Montreal and the Institute of Space Sciences in Spain, who looked at 72 galaxies that all had supermassive black holes in their center which most galaxies have. Collision of neutron stars Scientists captured two neutron stars crashing into each other in 2017. When a star runs out of energy, it collapses into itself resulting in either a neutron star or a black hole. The discovery revealed that these high-powered impacts not only produce gravitational waves that cause a ripple in space-time, but they result in heavy elements such as gold and platinum. Tsunamis on Mars NASA-funded research released in 2016 showed that shorelines located below the surface of Mars were created by two mega-tsunami events. The findings support the theory that the red planet once had an ocean underneath its desert surface. Alcohol-spewing comet In 2015, a team of scientists led by Nicolas Biver of the Paris Observatory in France reported that Comet Lovejoy left a trail of ethyl alcohol, the same thing found in booze. The team found evidence of 21 organic molecules, including a type of sugar. Finding organic materials in comets supports the theory that these celestial objects could have contained life-creating elements. Planet-building clumps In 2018, planetary scientists reported that they had found evidence for "pebble accretion," the theory that golf ball-sized clumps of space dust accumulated to create tiny planets called planetesimals during the early stages of planetary formation. Results were published from a team of scientists at the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston and NASA's Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif. Cosmic microwave background The Big Bang theory holds the universe rapidly exploded into being 13.8 billion years ago. The cosmic microwave background (CMB), which dates back to about 400,000 years after the Big Bang, shows the heat left behind. Although the radiation is too cold for humans to see, it is visible on the microwave part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The CMB was found in 1965 by researchers at the Bell Telephone Laboratories, but in 2013, scientists used the European Space Agency's Planck satellite to measure radiation to get the best picture possible of the birth of the universe. Possibility of life on Jupiter's moon In a study released in 2017, researchers reported evidence of shifting tectonic plates on Jupiter's icy moon Europa, which has a balance of hydrogen and oxygen similar to Earth. These findings support the possibility that Europa could be hospitable to life. The ocean is frozen 10 miles deep, but future missions might try to discover if the body of water is warm enough beneath the surface to support life. Star-sucking black holes In 2015, the Assn-15lh tidal disruption event, captured by the All Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae, emitted light that was 20 times brighter than the entire output of the Milky Way. A team of scientists, led by Giorgos Leloudas from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, published a paper in 2016 explaining the explosion wasn't a supernova, as originally thought, but a dying star that was pulled in by a supermassive spinning black hole. These findings show that, unlike stationary black holes that can only affect stars within their event horizon, spinning black holes can pull in outside celestial bodies. Sun twins A study published in 2017 by researchers with the University of California and Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory reported that almost all sun-like stars are created with a counterpart, including the one in this solar system. The sun's theoretical sibling, known as Nemesis, most likely drifted away millions of years ago. Ice deposits on Mars In 2016, an ice layer bigger than New Mexico was discovered on Mars. The layer, which sits somewhere under 3 to 33 feet of soil, is thought to be an accessible spot for future exploration. The researchers who made the discovery were led by Cassie Stuurman of the Institute for Geophysics at the University of Texas. Small stars A star only slightly larger than Saturn was identified in 2017 by researchers at the University of Cambridge in the U.K. This star, with the catchy name EBLM J0555-57Ab, is the smallest ever discovered and is colder than many other exoplanets. The synestia theory About 4.5 billion years ago, Earth may have been a "synestia," a short-lived hot mass that can be donut-shaped, according to a paper published in 2018. Scientists believe these celestial objects are formed after two planet-sized bodies collide, which may be how the moon was formed. Ice on the moon Scientists found definitive evidence of ice on the moon's north and south poles in 2018. Researchers from the University of Hawaii, Brown University, and NASA's Ames Research Center made the discovery using data from NASA's Moon Mineralogy Mapper on the Indian Space Research Organization's Chandrayaan-1 lunar probe. The ice is easily accessible and could possibly be a place to find water for future moon missions. Supermassive black hole In 2018, researchers at Australian National University released data on a massive, quickly-growing black hole. It is thought to be more than 12 billion years old, larger than 20 billion suns, and growing at a rate previously deemed impossible. The discovery could give more insight into the Big Bang, lead researcher Christian Wolf told CNN. Buckyballs These spherical, hollow carbon molecules are thought to be the basis of the bands of light in the Milky Way. They get their name from 1930s architect Buckminster Fuller. The buckyballs could also be sources of organic molecules that are the key to how life got started, scientists told Space.com . Fiery exoplanet Kepler 78b, which was discovered by Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers using the Kepler Telescope in 2013, circles its star once every 8.5 hours. The planet could be covered in molten rock because it is about 40 times closer to its star than Mercury is to the sun. How the planet was formed so close to its star is a mystery. Cold spot in the universe The Royal Astronomical Society analyzed a cold spot in the universe, which can be seen in the radiation left by the Big Bang. The spot was discovered by NASA's WMAP satellite in 2004 and confirmed by ESA's Planck Mission in 2013. The cool area is interesting because it could be evidence of the multiverse, the theory that there is an infinite number of universes on different planes. Iron and titanium outside the solar system In 2018, astronomers discovered iron and titanium in a planet outside the solar system for the first time. KELT-9b, which was first discovered by a team led by astronomer Scott Gaudi of Ohio State University, is the hottest exoplanet yet to be discovered. Halloween meteor On Oct. 31, 2015, a dead comet with an eerie likeness to a skull narrowly passed by Earth at a distance of 300,000 miles. It was observed on radar maps by the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. This cosmic body, named 2015 TB145, is set to make a return in mid-November 2018. Monster galaxy A team of international scientists mapped out a quickly-growing, poorly understood galaxy named COSMOS-AzTEC-1 to find out how it creates stars at a rate 1,000 times faster than the Milky Way. The team, led by Dr. Ken-ichi Tadaki from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array telescope in Chile to get a better understanding of the galaxy, which has a gravitationally unstable gas disk responsible for the high rate of star formation. The findings, published in 2018, will help future researchers get a better understanding of how galaxies form. Oil and gas on Saturn's moon In 2017, NASA's Cassini spacecraft found evidence that Titan, Saturn's largest moon, has a lot of methane, ethane, and other organic material formed by carbon-containing compounds on its surface. The findings suggest the number of liquid hydrocarbons in one energy-rich lake is more than all of Earth's oil and gas reserves combined. Magnetic turbulence in space Scientists working with NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft discovered a new magnetic event close to Earth. A process known as magnetic reconnection which happens wherever charged gases called plasma are present occurred in a turbulent region of the Earth's outer atmosphere known as the magnetosheath. Scientists can use these findings to see how the magnetic event might affect Earth's atmosphere, along with the astronauts, satellites, and signals that travel through space. 79 moons around Jupiter In 2017, Scott Sheppard of the Carnegie Institution for Science was on the hunt for a giant planet, but when he and his team used the Victor Blanco Telescope in Chile to peek around Jupiter, they found 12 new moons . That brings the giant planet's total to 79 moons. Ice cliffs on Mars Ice cliffs were discovered on Mars by a team led by Colin Dundas from the Astrogeology Science Center in Flagstaff, Ariz. The findings were published in 2018. The site could be an accessible landing destination for future exploration missions, including the European Space Agency's ExoMars rover, scheduled to launch in 2020. 7 Earth-size planets In 2017, scientists discovered seven Earth-size planets orbiting TRAPPIST-1, a sun only 39 light years away. Michael Gillon of the University of Liege in Belgium led the research team that studied the star using the TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope (TRAPPIST) at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. First interstellar object in solar system Researchers spotted the first interstellar object in the galaxy nicknamed Oumuamua with the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope in Hawaii. The rotating object was at least the size of a football field, lead researcher Karen Meech, of the University of Hawaii's Institute of Astronomy, told CNN . First photograph of a black hole The first piece of direct visual evidence of a black hole was shared with the world on April 10, 2019. Until this point, many believed black holes were "unseeable." A team of more than 200 researchers created a virtual Earth-sized telescope by coordinating a global network of telescopes to capture the picture of a supermassive black hole at the center of the Messier 87 (also known as M87) galaxy, which is more than 55 million light-years away from Earth. Katie Bouman, a 29-year-old computer scientist, is credited for leading the creation of the algorithm that made this technology possible.