American homes are a lot bigger than they used to be. In 1973, when the Census Bureau started tracking home sizes, the median size of a newly built house was just over 1,500 square feet; that figure reached nearly 2,500 square feet in 2015. This rise, combined with a drop in the average number of people per household, has translated to a whole lot more room for homeowners and their families: By one estimate , each newly built house had an average of 507 square feet per resident in 1973, and nearly twice that 971 square feet four decades later. But according to a recent paper , Americans aren't getting any happier with their ever bigger homes. "Despite a major upscaling of single-family houses since 1980," writes Clément Bellet, a postdoctoral fellow at the European business school INSEAD, "house satisfaction has remained steady in American suburbs." [ Read: The coming commodification of life at home ] This finding, Bellet reasons, has to do with how people compare their houses with others in their neighborhood particularly the biggest ones. In his paper, which is currently under peer review, he looks closely at the construction of homes that are larger than at least 90 percent of the other houses in the neighborhood. By his calculation, if homes in the 90th percentile were 10 percent bigger, the neighbors would be less pleased with their own homes unless those homes grew 10 percent as well. Moreover, the homeowners most sensitive to such shifts are the ones whose houses are in the second-biggest tier, not the ones whose houses are median-sized. To be clear, having more space does generally lead to people saying they're more pleased with their home. The problem is that the satisfaction often doesn't last if even bigger homes pop up nearby. "If I bought a house to feel like I'm 'the king of my neighborhood,' but a new king arises, it makes me feel very bad about my house," Bellet wrote to me in an email. Related video: Boulder Considers Penalizing Owners Who Build Big Houses (provided by CBS Denver) The largest houses seem to be the ones that all the other homeowners base their expectations on. In neighborhoods where the biggest houses are more modest, Bellet told me, expanding the size of one's house can be 10 times as satisfying as undertaking such an expansion in a neighborhood where the biggest homes are palatial. Bellet sketches out an unfulfilling cycle of one-upmanship, in which the owners of the biggest homes are most satisfied if their home remains among the biggest, and those who rank right below them grow less satisfied as their dwelling looks ever more measly by comparison. He estimates that from 1980 to 2009, the size of the largest 10 percent of houses increased 1.4 times as fast as did the size of the median house. This means that the reference point many people have for what constitutes a big home has shifted further out of reach, just as many other lifestyle reference points have shifted in an age of pronounced wealth inequality. To reach these conclusions, Bellet scraped data on millions of American homes from the real-estate website Zillow, and grafted it onto data from the American Housing Survey, which has been conducted by the Census Bureau since 1973 and records, among other things, how big new homes are and how satisfied homeowners are with their houses. The merging of these two sources allowed Bellet to examine how envy might play out on the level of the neighborhood block, and to study, for instance, whether being close to an enormous new house makes one less satisfied with one's own home. (It appears to.) Bellet was looking in particular at the links between the size of one's home and one's satisfaction with it. But it could well be the case that having a bigger home is beneficial in ways he wasn't focusing on. "There could be positive impacts on, say, long-run life satisfaction more generally if McMansion neighborhoods also have better schools, which improves the future outcomes of homeowners' kids," Bellet wrote to me. Of course, expansive homes could be unfulfilling in other ways. "The big house represents the atomizing of the American family," a historian of landscape development told NPR for a story on gargantuan American homes back in 2006 . "Each person not only has his or her own television each person has his or her own bathroom … This way, the family members rarely have to interact." It's comfortable, in a way, but maybe also lonely. In this sense, the story of American home sizes in the past half century is a story of shifting norms. Fifty-plus years ago, a one-bathroom house or a bedroom that slept multiple siblings might have felt cramped but it also probably felt normal . Today, many Americans can afford more space, and they've bought it. They just don't appear to be any happier with it than with what they had before.


You know the major risk factors for a heart attack: Excess weight, a high blood cholesterol level, a diet that contains too much saturated fat. But some other factors that lead to heart disease are downright surprising. For example: Did you know that lack of sleep can lead to a heart attack? "People who don't sleep enough are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease regardless of age, weight, smoking and exercise habits," according to the National Sleep Foundation . Scientists aren't entirely sure why, but it's believed that not getting enough rest impairs body processes such as glucose (sugar) metabolism, raises blood pressure and increases inflammation. All three have been associated with heart disease. "Sleep-deprived people have higher blood levels of stress hormones and substances that indicate inflammation, a key player in cardiovascular disease," says Dr. Susan Redline, a professor of sleep medicine at Harvard Medical School . "Even a single night of insufficient sleep can perturb your system." How poor sleep can impair your heart health A relatively new study adds credence to that thinking. In a February 2019 issue of the journal Nature , researchers revealed the results of a study conducted on mice, in which mice who experienced poor sleep had altered levels of a hormone that increases inflammatory cells in the bone marrow and can lead to atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, a major risk factor for a heart attack. (The researchers note that their specific study has yet to be conducted with humans.) How sleep apnea can lead to a heart attack Another sleep issue that has been associated with heart conditions: Sleep apnea. Snoring is a symptom of that obstructive breathing condition, in which you might stop breathing for up to a minute, before the brain wakes you up to start breathing again. This can happen several times a night. Not only can that cause you to wake up tired, it prevents your body from fully benefiting from the heart-protective function of sleep. "Without long, deep periods of rest, certain chemicals are activated that keep the body from achieving extended periods in which heart rate and blood pressure are lowered," says the National Sleep Foundation. "Over time, this can lead to higher blood pressure during the day and a greater chance of cardiovascular problems." The Remedy Rx: So what is the optimal amount of sleep? Experts say that adults of every age should get seven to nine hours a night. And no more oversleeping has also been correlated with heart problems, in addition to (yikes) dementia. So stick within the seven-to-nine hour range to ensure your body is using sleep for its intended purpose: Repair and restoration. If you have trouble getting to or staying asleep   or you've been told that you snore   consult your doctor. If you want to learn more read this list of 15 ways you're probably sleeping wrong after age 40 , along with recommendations on how you can get your best night's rest. Gallery: 25 things you're doing that put you at risk for a heart attack


The PGA Tour is back in the Land of 10,000 Lakes in time to celebrate Independence Day. The inaugural 3M Open continues Friday at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minn., with Scott Piercy in the lead after shooting a 9-under 62 in Thursday's opening round. The 3M Open marks the start of the Tour's final stretch run of 10 events plus the British Open. At this point, the FedEx Cup race remains wide open and 11 of the top 30 players in the Cup standings are playing this weekend. Follow all the action Friday here with our live blog. 3M Open Live Blog A Twitter List by golfweek 3M Open TV/Streaming Info (All Times Eastern) Friday, July 5 Golf Channel Round 2 coverage: 2-6 p.m. PGA Tour Live Featured Groups: 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m. PGA Tour Radio (Sirius 92, XM 208) Round 2: Noon-6 p.m. 3M Open: Round 2 Tee Times Here are the tee times and groupings for the second round of the 3M Open. 1st Tee - Friday Tee Times (ET) Players 7:50 a.m. Freddie Jacobson, J.J. Spaun, Carlos Ortiz 8 a.m. Martin Laird, Michael Thompson, Richy Werenski 8:10 a.m. Ben Crane, Scott Stallings, Chad Campbell 8:20 a.m. Troy Merritt, Brendan Steele, Si Woo Kim 8:30 a.m. Adam Long, Patton Kizzire, Ryan Armour 8:40 a.m. Cameron Champ, Jason Dufner, Chesson Hadley 8:50 a.m. Sam Saunders, Derek Fathauer, Denny McCarthy 9 a.m. Tom Hoge, Sam Ryder, Roger Sloan 9:10 a.m. Peter Uihlein, Joaquin Niemann, Zack Sucher 9:20 a.m. Anirban Lahiri, Kelly Kraft, Dominic Bozzelli 9:30 a.m. Seth Reeves, Kyle Jones, Viktor Hovland 9:40 a.m. Martin Piller, Kramer Hickok, Chris Thompson 9:50 a.m. Ben Silverman, Stephan Jaeger, Collin Morikawa 1 p.m. Harris English, Bronson Burgoon, Adam Schenk 1:10 p.m. J.J. Henry, Sangmoon Bae, Scott Brown 1:20 p.m. Danny Lee, Bud Cauley, Chad Collins 1:30 p.m. Nate Lashley, Phil Mickelson, Tony Finau 1:40 p.m. Corey Conners, Jason Day, Hideki Matsuyama 1:50 p.m. Sung Kang, Pat Perez, Mackenzie Hughes 2 p.m. Max Homa, Adam Hadwin, Brian Gay 2:10 p.m. Matt Jones, Johnson Wagner, Tom Lehman 2:20 p.m. Tim Herron, Alex Prugh, Tyler Duncan 2;30 p.m. Bill Haas, Roberto Castro, Sungjae Im 2:40 p.m. Roberto Díaz, Joey Garber, Justin Suh 2:50 p.m. Will Claxton, Doc Redman, Charlie Danielson 3 p.m. Julián Etulain, Chase Wright, Nyasha Mauchaza 10th Tee - Friday Tee Times (ET) Players 7:50 a.m. Rory Sabbatin, Beau Hossler, Hank Lebioda 8 a.m. Matt Every, Nick Taylor, Talor Gooch 8:10 a.m. Ryan Moore, Charley Hoffman, Nick Watney 8:20 a.m. Kevin Na, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed 8:30 a.m. Charles Howell III, Bryson DeChambeau, Keegan Bradley 8:40 a.m. Ted Potter, Jr., Chris Stroud, Cody Gribble 8:50 a.m. Scott Piercy, Andrew Landry, Rod Pampling 9 a.m. David Hearn, Luke List, Whee Kim 9:10 a.m. Alex Cejka, Arjun Atwal, Wyndham Clark 9:20 a.m. Lucas Glover, Robert Garrigus, Brandon Harkins 9:30 a.m. Curtis Luck, Adam Svensson, Alvaro Ortiz 9:40 a.m. Tom Lovelady, Sepp Straka, Craig Brischke 9:50 a.m. Nicholas Lindheim, Dylan Frittelli, Brian Dwye 1 p.m. Robert Streb, Hunter Mahan, Kris Blanks 1:10 p.m. David Lingmerth, Kevin Streelman, Colt Knost 1:20 p.m. Fabián Gómez, Cameron Tringale, Sebastián Muñoz 1:30 p.m. Keith Mitchell, Martin Trainer, Satoshi Kodaira 1:40 p.m. Michael Kim, Austin Cook, Smylie Kaufman 1:50 p.m. Brice Garnett, Daniel Berger, Russell Henley 2 p.m. Brian Harman, Jonas Blixt, Jimmy Walker 2:10 p.m. Tyrone Van Aswegen, Ryan Blaum, Sam Burns 2:20 p.m. Morgan Hoffmann, Josh Teater, Ollie Schniederjans 2:30 p.m. Peter Malnati, Scott Langley, Trey Mullinax 2:40 p.m. Shawn Stefani, Wes Roach, Kyoung-Hoon Lee 2:50 p.m. Anders Albertson, John Chin, Matthew Wolff 3 p.m. Cameron Davis, Brady Schnell, Mark Baldwin MORE: Kevin Durant calls 'BS' on Stephen A. Smith's explosive claims on First Take Kawhi Leonard Joining the Lakers According to Stephen A. Smith's Sources The Steelers got their new Brett Keisel with Isaiah Buggs WATCH: Lonzo Ball returns to court for first time since ankle injury Elfrid Payton: 'I feel we embody what New York basketball was about back in the day'


With summer in full swing, read these secrets about mosquitoes before heading out for some fun in the sun. With summer in full swing, click through the gallery above for secrets about mosquitoes before heading out for some fun in the sun. We love beer There's nothing like an ice cold beer on a hot summer night just make sure to drink up inside. Why? A study by Japanese researchers uncovered that drinking a single beer increases mosquito attraction . Mosquito specialist Grayson Brown , PhD, director of the Public Health Entomology Laboratory in the Department of Entomology at the University of Kentucky, tells CBS News that 'CO2 comes bubbling out of a beer when it's opened. C02 is going to attract mosquitoes that feed mostly on mammals. We know that mosquitoes use CO2 to get close to the mammals.' Leggings are our favorite accessory You might think covering up in tight clothes is a smart idea since the pesky bugs won't be able to attack your bare skin, right? Wrong. A study published in the Journal of Insect Science maintains the popular pants are a fashion don't! ' Spandex is very mosquito-friendly ,' says study author Stacy Rodriguez in a press release . 'They bite through it.' You're better off wearing loose-fitting clothing it makes it harder for mosquitoes to locate exposed skin. Another perk: This type of wardrobe will keep you cooler and redirect the heat driven insects away from your body. We wish you wouldn't wear that perfume Rodriguez has also found that a popular perfume by Victoria's Secret called Bombshell can work as a repellent. Despite its pleasant scent, the biting bugs hated the smell. However, because cosmetics contain so many ingredients some of them proprietary there's no way to tell what the active agent is: 'It's probably composed of dozens of secret ingredients, and maybe one or two of them are repellents,' says Rodriguez. We don't like well-planned gardens Mosquitoes dislike a number of lovely smelling flowers and herbs, according to Lawn & Landscape , including rosemary, lemon balm, lavender, marigolds, basil, peppermint, and garlic. The pests have very delicate sensing mechanisms that can be overwhelmed by the aroma of a flowering plant or common household herb. If they can't smell your skin, blood, or sweat, they will seek out other locations. Check out this list of plants that repel mosquitoes. We only need a little standing water to breed Mosquitoes can lay eggs in the standing water you'd find in a bottle cap, reports the Environmental Protection Agency , so scan your yard for any potential breeding areas. The EPA advises 'emptying and scrubbing, turning over, covering, or throwing out any items that hold water like tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, flowerpot saucers, or trash containers.' The pest control company Orkin warns that 'water is also a food source while mosquitoes are in their aquatic stages. Mosquitoes feed on the many kinds of particulate matter that occur in water.' It's worth the effort: These are 12 mosquito-borne diseases you need to know about . Please don't buy these effective repellents at Amazon The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists only four chemicals as being effective for repelling mosquitoes: DEET , Picaridin , Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus and IR3535 . Mosquitoes might think they've just entered the hunger games, but there are products on the market that work. NPR has reported that lemon eucalyptus oil can be almost as effective and long-lasting as products containing DEET. Here are some more mosquito repellents worth stocking up on . You can keep us out of your home Control mosquitoes inside your home by installing proper-fitting window and door screens. Repair tears and holes immediately. Look out for cracks in windowsills and under doors. Since mosquitoes love heat, keep the air conditioning running when possible, according to the CDC . A fan that creates a breeze will also annoy and deter the blood-sucking weak fliers while keeping you comfy and cool. We hate smoke Mosquitoes are unlikely to join your s'mores party around the fire pit or campfire sing-alongs the smoke smothers their senses, making it difficult for them to find you. The experts at Gardentherapy.com suggest throwing in some herb branches to increase the effect: They recommend lavender, mint, lemon balm, sage, and citronella. Be sure not to fall for these myths about mosquito control . Our females are voracious A female will continue to bite and draw blood until her abdomen is full (about between 0.001 and 0.01 milliliters of blood). If she is interrupted before she is full, she will just fly to the next person. After that big feeding, the female rests for two or three days before laying her eggs. And then she's ready to bite and eat again, according to Mosquito World  a site devoted to controlling the blood-sucking critters. We prefer type O blood 'Your attractiveness to mosquitoes is at least partially genetically based,' says Joseph Conlon, technical advisor at the American Mosquito Control Association . Some of the bacteria your skin produces when you sweat can be particularly enticing to mosquitoes, as well as your blood type. A 2004 study from The Institute of Pest Control Technology found that mosquitoes were most attracted to type O blood. We love your stinky sweat Mosquitoes are attracted to the bacteria and chemicals that live in your sweat, including lactic acid. So, if you're an outdoor exerciser, beware mosquitoes sense and like that moist body heat, says Marie Jhin , MD, a dermatologist in private practice in San Francisco. Since dark clothing generates heat, avoid it. If you feel like a target for these insects, take a look at 10 weird reasons mosquitoes love to bite you .


Stillwater will host a traveling Vietnam memorial starting on Thursday. The memorial, composed of 140 granite panels and more than 58,000 names, is transported by a 53-foot trailer behind a fleet of motorcyclists from the American Legion and local police. The panels are a memorial engraved with the names of those who died in the Vietnam War. "The Wall That Heals" will be available for public viewing from Thursday to Sunday in Stillwater at the Old Athletic Field on 1338 Sixth Ave. S. The wall is a replica of the original Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C., and it is the second replica of its kind. Another wall was made in 1996, funded by donations from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. It was displayed in communities until 2017, when it was retired. The new version has fixed spelling errors that were on the previous memorial. It is also larger than the previous model and visitors can now make pencil rubbings of the names. The wall was on display in St. Paul last year . The Fraternal Order of Eagles 94, a nonprofit organization that aims to service communities in the U.S and Canada, is paying to host the memorial in Stillwater. The group raised $10,000 for the effort. More information about the schedule of events can be found at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund web page . Related Articles Stillwater grad Mitch Reinke brings the Stanley Cup home for a visit Hundreds gather to remember MN corrections officer killed by inmate last year Master gardeners to host tour Saturday in Washington County Stillwater humanitarian receives city's Human Rights Award Stillwater Lumberjack Days is underway


Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford has pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of unlawful assembly, court records show. The charge stems from a March 15 bar fight in Panama City Beach, Fla., which Crawford was present for. A police report indicated that security members at Coyote Ugly and Crawford's party "were both aggressors," per officers who reported to the scene. But the individuals chose not to press charges since they live in Canada, the March report said. Crawford is from Windsor, Canada, but has lived in North Texas since the Cowboys selected him in the third round of the 2012 draft. Police filed an affidavit complaint March 27, charging Crawford with the unlawful assembly misdemeanor. According to the complaint, a member of Crawford's group threw a punch to initiate the fight, then Crawford began "throwing punches and hitting security personnel who are near the front door." The complaint states Crawford "charged toward" the officer trying to restrain a party member, pushing between them which "hindered the officer from detaining this individual," per security video. Per police report obtained by @usatodaysports , "security and the separate individuals were both aggressors" but individuals didn't want to press charges since they live in Canada. Crawford is from Windsor, Ontario in Canada   Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) March 20, 2019 The NFL's personal conduct policy gives the league power to discipline "conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in" the NFL even when charges aren't filed against a player or league member. "Disorderly conduct" and "crimes against law enforcement, such as obstruction, resisting arrest or harming a police officer other law enforcement officer" are among conduct prohibited under the policy. A Bay County (Fla.) court issued a criminal summons for Crawford on March 27, according to court records. He pleaded not guilty on April 12, which mandates a court appearance per state law. That appearance has been scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET on June 13, the first day of the Cowboys' three-day mandatory minicamp. An NFL spokesperson told USA TODAY Sports that the league has been "monitoring developments in the matter which remains under review." The Cowboys and Crawford's attorney did not immediately return requests for comment. Since being drafted, Crawford has started 74 games for the Cowboys, totaling 177 tackles, 22 sacks and three forced fumbles. He signed a 5-year, $45 million extension in 2015. Crawford is among Dallas players who have spearheaded a community initiative to foster better relations with police officers. He and cornerback Byron Jones went for a ride-along with local police last season. Crawford and Jones joined the police for a call and then stayed for the department's briefing on the incident. Crawford spoke about the ride-along on November 7. "Definitely it's different when you think about a call that's called in for a police officer [vs.] when you're in the situation," Crawford said. "I'm like wait, wait, wait: Where are we going? I'm not going to no fight right now. Why are we going to stop a fight? I'm in the car. It's more real life when you actually have to go into those situations. "It opened my eyes to a lot." *** Follow Jori Epstein on Twitter @JoriEpstein This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cowboys' Tyrone Crawford pleads not guilty to misdemeanor charge of unlawful assembly in Florida, per court records Related slideshow: 2019 NFL draft: The top picks (Provided by imagn)


The Philadelphia Eagles are reportedly on the verge of signing free agent running back DeMarco Murray , according to Adam Schefter of ESPN . Murray, the leading rusher in the league last season, has seen his market develop slower than most expected. Murray was an effective running back in 2013, but really broke out in 2014, putting up 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns for the Dallas Cowboys . The former University of Oklahoma star will likely replace LeSean McCoy , who was traded to the Buffalo Bills for linebacker Kiko Alonso on March 10. Murray would also join quarterback Sam Bradford , his college roommate. In Chip Kelly's scheme, it stands to reason Murray will get plenty of touches. Philadelphia has been looking at running backs in free agency, most notably Ryan Mathews. It was widely reported the Eagles agreed on a three-year, $12 million deal with Mathews, although he is yet to sign, according to Geoff Mosher of CSN Philly . However, Mathews is in the building as of Thursday morning, per Albert Breer . Murray was an integral piece to Dallas' success last year, alongside quarterback Tony Romo and wide receiver Dez Bryant. The Cowboys wound up winning the NFC East and were in the discussion for the top seed in the conference late in the regular season. Murray played a huge part in that, carrying the ball 392 times and catching 57 passes. A third-round pick in 2011, Murray has spent his whole career with the Cowboys, but 2014 was certainly an unexpected turn for him given the sheer number of touches that went his way. He carried the ball 217 times in 2013, and put up 1,121 yards and nine touchdowns. Murray slowed down as the 2014 season progressed, but in the first half he was on pace to set the NFL's single-season rushing record. He fell short of that record, but earned himself a big payday regardless. This offseason has once again been uneasy for running backs. The value of the position remains a rapidly moving target in the NFL, and teams still seem hesitant to give out big contracts. With the massive workload Murray had last season, many were wondering how his deal would shake out. Murray is 27 years old, has a pair of Pro Bowls and a first-team All-Pro award under his belt, and should be a big contributor in 2015. But given his number of carries last year and his history with injuries, he might not be able to turn in another AP Offensive Player of the Year performance.


Kyle Korver enjoyed some of best seasons of his career playing in Atlanta for coach Mike Budenholzer. This season, the two will reunite in Milwaukee. The 38-year-old sharpshooter will join the Milwaukee Bucks on a one-year, veteran-minimum deal worth $2,564,753, a league source confirmed to the Journal Sentinel. Korver, who was traded to the Phoenix Suns and bought out earlier this offseason, was a hot commodity on the open market but ultimately selected the Bucks because of his strong ties to Budenholzer, who spent four seasons with him Atlanta. With the addition of Korver, the Bucks have 14 of their 15 roster spots filled for next season. They also plan to sign guard Frank Mason III to a two-way contract, who along with Cam Reynolds will fill those particular roster spots. Our subscribers make this coverage possible. Subscribe to the Journal Sentinel today and get a special offer at jsonline.com/deal. Top Headlines from Sports: Subscribers only: Counsell balances analytics with fewer weapons in bullpen UW junior Taylor will face questions about NFL all season How Muskego transformed self biggest athletic powerhouse in state FOLLOW JS SPORTS: Like our Facebook Page for the latest news This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bucks reunite shooter Kyle Korver with coach Mike Budenholzer Related slideshow: 10 best moves of NBA offseason (provided by Yardbarker)


A man hoping to capture a killer swing at softball practice caught more than he bargained for when the ball sailed right into his phone.


Karolina Kowalkiewicz tried her best to bully Alexa Grasso but got outclassed over three rounds. Grasso's fast hands and composure were too much for Kowalkiewicz, whose toughness wasn't enough to overcome technical deficits that made a decision loss inevitable on Saturday night. Grasso (11-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) pitched a shutout on the judges' scorecards with 30-27 scores that were the most conservative call of the fight. A 10-8 in the final frame might have been appropriate considering the damage Kowalkiewicz (12-5 MMA, 5-5 UFC) took. Grasso even threw in a last-second submission that looked like it might have gotten a tap were it not for the final bell. Former title challenger Kowalkiewicz had height and reach on Grasso. She still charged into exchanges like she was trying to prove something. Instead, she provided an easy target for Grasso's fast hands, which repeatedly forced her opponent to reset. So it went time after time as Kowalkiewicz marched in and struggled to connect while Grasso jabbed and crossed and cut angles out of danger. She muscled into the clinch, only to take knees to the head and body. Kowalkiewicz let out a big sigh in the second round, but she never stopped pressing the action. As the fight went into deep waters, however, the gap between Grasso and Kowalkiewicz grew wider. A hard combination of punches appeared to wobble Kowalkiewicz late in the final frame. Grasso had an answer every time for the approach, and she didn't back down when her opponent sought a brawl. After a 13-month layoff due to injury, Grasso jumps into contention in the strawweight division, while Kowalkiewicz drops to 2-4 in her last six UFC fights. The bout was part of the preliminary card of UFC 238 at United Center in Chicago. It aired on ESPN following prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+ and ahead of the main card on pay-per-view. For complete coverage of UFC 238 , check out the UFC Events section of the site. MORE: Kyle Busch's reaction to Greg Biffle's NASCAR win: 'I'm a genius' Report: New Orleans likely to trade Anthony Davis to Celtics These 10 quarterbacks all have to prove something in 2019 WATCH: Lonzo Ball pulls up to watch LaMelo make Drew League debut First look at the 'Philly Special' as an actual play in Madden 20


Liberal Democrats in Congress aren't shying away from the term "socialism," despite efforts by President Donald Trump and Republicans to weaponize the word against the Democratic Party in 2020. Leaders of the House Progressive Caucus welcomed the term Wednesday, arguing that many of the government services that people have become accustomed to were also once labeled as socialist policy. They made it clear that as a liberal wing that makes up roughly 40 percent of the party, they would not seek to dispel the "labels" provided by their political foes and would continue to push proposals that are popular among their base, like Medicare for All and a national minimum wage hike. "When we did Social Security, it was socialist. When we did Medicare, it was socialist. And these are the most popular programs," Representative Mark Pocan, co-chair of the House progressive group, told reporters. "People like to throw labels out. If we go and chase the labels, we can waste lots of time doing that." Pocan and his co-chair, Representative Pramila Jayapal, highlighted previous presidents who faced similar scrutiny for government programs that are now popular, such as Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman. "The idea that government should have a critical role in providing for basic needs of everybody to bring everybody to a certain standard is not socialism, but that's what they want to keep calling it," Jayapal said of Republicans' criticism. "I think that is the concept of democratic socialism." As each contender in the crowded 2020 field looks to establish themselves as the top Democrat to take on Trump, Senator Bernie Sanders took his longtime identity as a democratic socialist to a new level Wednesday. In a speech at George Washington University, the presidential candidate accused Trump and Republicans of being politicians who "absolutely love corporate socialism" while doubling down on his socialist platform. "Like today, the quest for transformative change was opposed by big business, by Wall Street, by the political establishment, by the Republican Party and by the conservative wing of FDR's own Democratic Party," Sanders, an independent, told a welcoming crowd. Republicans have said Democrats are pushing socialist policies in Congress, such as the Green New Deal climate change initiative, spearheaded by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and the Medicare for All health care proposal, both of which more progressive House Democrats and 2020 candidates continue to support. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, has vowed to be the "Grim Reaper" for such policies. "Socialism" has been a popular choice of word for Trump when speaking to conservative audiences and even to the entire country. In his State of the Union address this year, the president said he was "alarmed by new calls to adopt socialism," vowing that "America will never be a socialist country." Appealing to a conservative crowd at a campaign event in Iowa Tuesday evening, Trump pivoted to Sanders' and Ocasio-Cortez's support for policies like the Green New Deal and Medicare for All, likening such stances as a call for socialism. "The Democrat party has never been angrier they're so angry... For what?" he said. "Every day the Democrat party is becoming more and more unhinged and more and more extreme. They're going crazy. Do you love it? I sort of love it." The Progressive Caucus has yet to endorse a 2020 Democratic candidate. But Jayapal indicated support for Sanders' speech because she said it highlighted government services that Republicans believe in but that ones she called "a form of democratic socialism." She mentioned national parks and post offices as basic examples. "No matter what we do, we are going to be called these labels because that is the playbook from the other side," Jayapal said. "So, why even engage with that? Other than to laugh and say, 'that's all you got? Cause we got real plans. Bring it on. We're gonna win.'" Related Articles Bernie Sanders to Say Donald Trump Loves Socialism Just Not for the Working Class Republican Spokesperson Says There's 'Quite a Few' Mussolinis In Democratic 2020 Field Fox Nation Host Tomi Lahren Shocked By Poll Showing Growing Support for Socialism: 'That's Inherently Un-American' Sign up to our newsletter and get Newsweek stories delivered to your e-mail


Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. A stalled car can be a serious safety problem. The vehicle could be stuck in moving traffic, raising the risk of crashes, injuries, or worse. Occupants could be stuck without food or water in some rural location or in severe weather. And even cars parked on the side of a road are at risk of being hit by traffic going by. Stalling car engines were once a common occurrence; it happens less frequently now. But just since October 2018, more than a million vehicles have been recalled in the U.S. because of stalling concerns, including vehicles from Chrysler , Ford , Jeep , Mazda , and Toyota . What if your car's engine gives out while you're driving down a road? Experts have some tips. When the Engine Quits Once the engine dies, "the driver should be aware that without the engine running, the brakes and power steering systems will be affected," says David Bennett, manager of repair systems at AAA. "Specifically, the brake pedal will be harder to push and the vehicle stopping distance will increase, and the steering wheel will be more difficult to rotate." In addition, the loss of engine power may mean that your airbags may not be working, says Jennifer Stockburger, director of operations for the Consumer Reports Auto Test Center in Connecticut. You should turn on the emergency hazard lights as soon as possible, Stockburger says. That will make both of your turn indicators flash at the same time. You'll find the button on your dash or atop the steering wheel column (in older models). It's a red triangle button, usually a little larger and more prominent than other buttons on the dash. This will alert other drivers that you're having an problem. If you can do so safely, put your vehicle into Neutral and coast your car to the side of the road, out of traffic. Try to park your car as far away from traffic lanes as possible. Once you're safely stopped, try starting the engine again. For cars with an automatic transmission, shift into Park; for cars with a manual transmission, shift into Neutral. If you're able to get underway again, get to a safe location off the road and call AAA, your roadside assistance provider, or a tow truck in case the engine stalls again. Bennett suggests letting the car run for a few minutes before setting off again. If the engine won't start, stay inside the vehicle, especially if your car is stuck in a traffic lane. At least inside the car, you'll be protected. First call 911 to get police help in moving your vehicle to safety, then call for roadside assistance, AAA, or a tow truck. Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2019, Consumer Reports, Inc.


Citywide San Francisco is due to see warmer temperatures later this week, according to drone-powered weather forecasting service Saildrone . After spiking to a high of 68 on Friday (compared to today's high of 59 degrees and tomorrow's of 64), temperatures will decline slightly over the weekend, then return to highs of 66 and 67 degrees on Monday and Tuesday. The entire next week will see partly cloudy skies, expected to stick around through Tuesday at the earliest. Winds should reach a modest high of 13 miles per hour on Sunday, while today and tomorrow will continue to be calmer. This story was created automatically using Saildrone's local weather forecast data, then reviewed by an editor. We also incorporate historic weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


The Cincinnati Bengals extending Tyler Boyd's contract with a big-money offer wasn't simply about the on-field production. Of course, Boyd breaking out last year with 1,000-plus yards while the roster around him succumbed to injuries didn't hurt. But for new head coach Zac Taylor, everything else about Boyd exemplifies the tone he wants to set. "I think he's a great example of the type of player we have on this team," Taylor said, according to Bengals.com . "He just put his head down and went to work. I really liked his approach and you like to reward guys (with) that approach. It sets an example for other guys on this team." Boyd had plenty of good things to say after news of the extension broke, including what fans want to hear on the A.J. Green front: But more importantly, it seems Taylor has targeted the little things about Boyd and wants to use him as an example of guys who get rewarded under his watchful eye. And indeed, Boyd said and did the right things well before the contract got re-upped too, as he publicly went out of his way to stress he'd be at camp putting in work even if he didn't have an extension in hand. In the grand scheme of things, Boyd's extension doesn't have much to do with Green's contract. But the younger wideout is clearly someone Taylor will point to in the coming years as a lead-by-example presence. MORE: Mike Trout's perfect 98.6 MPH throw to home plate had everyone in awe Packers GM explains reasoning for releasing DL Mike Daniels Why Mike Daniels should be on every potential playoff team's radar What might Kostas Antetokounmpo bring to the Lakers on offense? Jalen Rose: Don't Be Surprised if Anthony Davis Winds Up With the Bulls


Linebacker Malcolm Smith was a Super Bowl MVP, guard Joshua Garnett was a first-round pick and Kendrick Bourne was the 49ers' leading wide receiver in 2018. And that trio can say this in about a month: They were 49ers. To be clear, that's not official. But those are some of the notable projected cuts in The Chronicle's stab at the 49ers' initial 53-man roster. The 49ers will enter training camp Friday set at the NFL's most important positions: quarterback, offensive tackles, and edge rushers   the team's biggest need, which was addressed in the draft and free agency. Still, there will be plenty of competition at other spots   notably among their pass catchers and pass defenders. And we think there ultimately will be bad news for Smith, Garnett and Bourne, among others. Offense Quarterback (2): Jimmy Garoppolo, Nick Mullens Mullens, a 2017 undrafted free agent, easily outperformed C.J. Beathard, a 2017 third-round pick, after Garoppolo was injured last year. Mullens doesn't have the same pedigree, but he possessed the better feel for the position. Head coach Kyle Shanahan prefers to keep just two QBs, but it wouldn't be a shock if his reluctance to give up on Beathard meant the 49ers retained three. Running back (4): Tevin Coleman, Matt Breida, Jerick McKinnon, Raheem Mostert Shanahan has never had four running backs on his 46-man, game-day roster. Barring a trade, however, it's hard to see the 49ers parting with a member of this quartet: Coleman signed a two-year, $8.5 million deal in March, Breida ranked fourth in the NFL in yards per carry in 2018, McKinnon will earn $3.7 million guaranteed this season and Mostert is one of the league's top special-teamers. Fullback (1): Kyle Juszczyk Unlike many NFL teams, the 49ers still employ a fullback. They won't employ two. Wide receiver (6): Dante Pettis, Deebo Samuel, Trent Taylor, Marquise Goodwin, Jordan Matthews, Jalen Hurd Bourne, a 2017 undrafted free agent, led the wideouts in catches (42) and yards (487) last year, although that was partly because of injuries and an overall lack of depth. The 49ers have since addressed this area by using early-round picks on Samuel and Hurd and signing Matthews, 27. Matthews has spent two seasons in the NFL wilderness, but is a second-round pick who had 225 catches for 2,673 yards and 19 TDs from 2014-16 before dealing with a host of injuries. He could bump Bourne off the roster if his strong spring is replicated this summer. Goodwin may not have a roster spot secured, but the guess here is Shanahan wants to utilize his elite speed in a more specialized role. Tight end (3): George Kittle, Ross Dwelley, Kaden Smith Garrett Celek, 31, the team's second-longest tenured player, isn't expected to be ready for the start of training camp after undergoing his second back surgery since 2014. His age and medical file mean his roster spot is precarious. Dwelley (signed as an undrafted free agent last season) and Smith, a rookie sixth-round pick, also will battle six-year veteran Levine Toilolo. Offensive line (8): T Joe Staley, G Laken Tomlinson, C Weston Richburg, G Mike Person, T Mike McGlinchey, T Shon Coleman, G/C Ben Garland, G Ross Reynolds Garnett, a 2016 first-round pick, has been plagued by injuries since making 11 uneven starts as a rookie. Also not working in his favor: He wasn't drafted by the current regime. Garland spent two seasons with Shanahan in Atlanta and can serve as the backup center, a weak spot in 2018. Reynolds is among their top undrafted rookies. Defense Defensive line (9): DeForest Buckner, Dee Ford, Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead, Solomon Thomas, Sheldon Day, Ronald Blair, D.J. Jones, Kentavius Street Meet the strength of the 49ers. Well, at least it better be considering this position group includes five well-compensated first-round picks (a No. 2, No. 3, No. 7, No. 17 and No. 23). There wasn't a spot for Jullian Taylor, last year's intriguing seventh-rounder who still has practice-squad eligibility. Linebackers (6): Kwon Alexander, Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw, Elijah Lee, Mark Nzeocha, David Mayo Smith, 30, missed 2017 with a torn pectoral before battling Achilles tendinitis all of last season, a problem that Shanahan said was still bothering him in late February. Smith took a significant pay cut in March to stay with the team, meaning the 49ers can part ways with little financial penalty if he can't get healthy. Greenlaw and Nzeocha could battle for starting strong-side linebacker duties. Cornerback (6): Richard Sherman, Ahkello Witherspoon, Jason Verrett, K'Waun Williams, D.J. Reed, Greg Mabin Verrett contemplated retirement this offseason after his first five seasons with the Chargers included a stunning slew of injuries. He will battle Witherspoon to start opposite Sherman. Reed could push Williams for slot-corner duties. Mabin could be fighting for a roster spot with Tim Harris, a rookie sixth-round pick. Safety (5): Jimmie Ward, Jaquiski Tartt, Adrian Colbert, Marcell Harris, Tarvarius Moore Do the 49ers really need to carry three free safeties in Ward, Colbert and Moore? Well, both Ward and Moore are capable of playing outside cornerback, a position that's not exactly teeming with depth. In addition, there is the matter of how much Ward will be available given his well-documented injury history that includes a broken collarbone he sustained in May. Specialists K Robbie Gould, P Mitch Wishnowsky, LS Colin Holba Is long snapper drama a thing? If so, the 49ers have some: Holba is aiming to supplant Kyle Nelson, who must serve the final six games of the 10-game suspension he received last year. Nelson can participate in training camp and preseason games. Eric Branch is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ebranch@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Eric_Branch


The drumbeat of a potential Karl Joseph trade continues to get louder and louder among the national media. After the team selected Johnathan Abram with the No. 27 pick, the writing seems to be on the wall for the team's former first-round pick from the 2016 draft. Fueling the fire is that Abram has already ascended to the first team and he is likely to play a ton as a rookie. And with Oakland declining the fifth-year option on Joseph earlier this summer, it wouldn't be a total shock if the Raiders traded the safety at some point this season. In a recent article by Pat Yasinskas of the Touchdown Wire , he recently floated the idea of Joseph being moved sometime this season. Take a look at what he had to say about a potential trade: Once you get into the doghouse of coach Jon Gruden, it's virtually impossible to get out. It became blatantly obvious that was the case with Joseph when the Raiders used a first-round pick on his apparent replacement, Johnathan Abram, this year. Joseph, who turns 26 in September, is still young and has talent. He could thrive elsewhere with a fresh start. While there is certainly speculation that Oakland could move on from Joseph, the front office doesn't appear to be in too big of a hurry to do so. Joseph is still getting snaps with the first team, and his roommate at training camp is Abram. Ideally, the team would love for Joseph to continue to mentor Abram before he becomes a full-time starter in 2020. However, Joseph (and the Raiders) know that he isn't in the team's long-term plans, and that is why a deal might ultimately make sense for both parties. Look for Joseph to be a player floated in trade discussions over the next several months. MORE: Browns mob touchdown scorer who slept outside a gym during tryouts Assessing Rashan Gary's preseason debut for Packers D'Angelo Russell Q&A: Warriors' new backcourt is 'like a video game' Duke Johnson trade: what they're saying around the NFL Matt Nagy can't stop gushing about Bears RB David Montgomery


ROSEAU, Dominica (AP)   Rescue crews fanned across Dominica late Thursday to search for missing and injured people after Tropical Storm Erika pummeled the eastern Caribbean island, unleashing landslides and killing at least four people. The storm, which forecasters said could reach Florida as a hurricane on Monday, dumped 15 inches (38 centimeters) of rain on the small island as it spun west toward Puerto Rico. An elderly blind man and two children were killed when a mudslide crashed into their home in the southeast of the island, said Police Chief Daniel Carbon. Another man was found dead near his home in the capital of Roseau after a mudslide, but the cause of death could not be immediately determined, Carbon told The Associated Press. Police said another 20 people have been reported missing. "Erika has really, really visited us with a vengeance," Assistance Police Superintendent Claude Weekes said in a phone interview. "There are many fallen rocks and trees, and water. It's really chaotic." He said crews are trying to reach isolated communities via the ocean because many roads and bridges are impassable. "We're going to work throughout the night to see if we can get to the areas," he said. "There are people missing in different parts of the island." Erika was centered about 145 miles (235 kilometers) southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and was moving west at 12 mph (19 kph) with maximum sustained winds of to 45 mph (75 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. Erika was expected to move near Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands on Thursday and be near or just north of the Dominican Republic on Friday as it heads toward Florida early next week, possibly as a hurricane. Chris Landsea, a meteorologist at the hurricane center, said the storm could dissipate if it passed over Hispaniola or Puerto Rico or it could strengthen and pose a potential threat to Florida next week. "The uncertainties are very high," he said. As the storm entered the Caribbean, it did the heaviest damage to Dominica, an island of about 72,000 people of lush forests and steep terrain. Authorities were still conducting a full damage assessment after rivers surged over their banks and walls of mud surged into homes. About 80 percent of the island was without electricity, and water supply was cut off, authorities said. Trees and light poles were strewn across streets as water rushed over parked cars and ripped the scaffolding off some buildings. The main airport was closed due to flooding, with water rushing over at least one small plane. The main river that cuts through the capital overflowed its banks and surging water crashed into the principal bridge that leads into Roseau. "The capital city is a wreck," policewoman Teesha Alfred said. "It is a sight to behold. It's a disaster." Erika was likely to hit the island of Hispaniola, which is shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, said chief forecaster James Franklin at the National Hurricane Center. "That would certainly not be good news for Hispaniola," he said. "They're very vulnerable to flooding. And even if Erika is a weak system that could be very bad there." Officials shuttered schools, government offices and businesses across the region and warned of flash flooding because of dry conditions caused by the worst drought to hit the Caribbean in recent years. Authorities warned power and water service might be temporarily cut off. Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla said the storm could bring badly needed rains to the parched U.S. territory. "We're happy given the dry conditions, but it does highlight the need to be on alert," he said, adding that heavy downpours could lead to flash floods. He activated the National Guard as a precaution. The storm is expected to hit Puerto Rico's southern region overnight and exit through the island's northwest. The storm's outer bands have already downed several trees and power lines across the island, and small landslides were reported. Garcia said schools and government offices would remain closed on Friday. Erika is expected to dump between 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) of rain across the region, with up to 12 inches (31 centimeters) in some areas. Dozens of flights were canceled in the region, and the U.S. Coast Guard closed all ports in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Meanwhile in the Pacific, Ignacio strengthened into a hurricane. The storm's maximum sustained winds increased Thursday morning to 90 mph (150 kph). Hurricane Ignacio was centered about 1,055 miles (1,700 kilometers) east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii, and was moving west-northwest near 13 mph (20 kph). Also in the Pacific, a new tropical storm formed Thursday morning. Tropical Storm Jimena had maximum sustained winds near 60 mph (95 kph) and was expected to strengthen to a hurricane by Friday. Jimena was centered about 925 miles (1,490 kilometers) southwest of the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula. ___ Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Associated Press reporters Ben Fox and Tony Winton in Miami contributed to this report.


Baltimore will see a return of last week's light rainfall this coming week, according to drone-powered weather forecasting service Saildrone . Today's forecast shows the highest likelihood of rain at 100 percent, while the most rainfall is expected on Thursday at 0.80 inches. The next few days will also see warm temperatures, due to last through Monday. Temperatures will reach a high of 88 degrees on Sunday. Skies will be cloudy tomorrow, and partly cloudy on Friday. Winds are forecast to reach a modest high of 16 mph on Friday, while today will be quieter. This story was created automatically using Saildrone's local weather forecast data, then reviewed by an editor. We also incorporate historic weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Start your day off right by looking at some cuddly kittens! There are dozens of kittens up for adoption right here in Pittsburgh. Hoodline partnered with Petfinder , an online adoption site that lists "more than 315,000 adoptable pets from nearly 14,000 animal shelters and rescue groups" to bring you this roundup of kittens near you. (Details like pet availability, training, vaccinations and other features are based on data provided by Petfinder and may be subject to change; contact the shelter for the latest information.) Frosty, domestic shorthair Frosty is a female domestic shorthair kitten currently housed at Pittsburgh C.A.T. Frosty gets along well with other cats. Pittsburgh C.A.T., however, wants to place her in a home without small children. Have no fear: she has already been house-trained. She already has all of her shots. From Frosty's current caretaker: My name is Frosty, and I'm looking for my forever home! I'm about six months old and some of my favorite things include chasing my brother around, finding random household objects to turn into toys and looking out of windows. Read more about how to adopt Frosty on Petfinder . Bliss, domestic shorthair Bliss is a female domestic shorthair kitten currently residing at Pittsburgh C.A.T. Bliss gets along well with other cats. Bliss would prefer a home without small children. She's been vaccinated. She's already house-trained. Notes from Bliss' caretakers: My name is Bliss, and I am 8 months old. I'm a playful girl and enjoy batting at toys and wands with my foster mom. I like to be petted, too! I like to be petted and to play! But a lot of noise and sudden movements still kind of scare me. Read more about Bliss on Petfinder . Tiramasu, domestic shorthair mix Tiramasu is a female domestic shorthair kitten staying at Humane Animal Rescue . She has been vaccinated. Here's what Tiramasu's friends at Humane Animal Rescue think of her: Tiramisu is extremely friendly, cuddly and talkative. He loves to explore, meet new people and is the first to come up and say hello. As a kitten, I am active and playful. I love to explore the world around me, and I am very curious about my surroundings. I need to be in a loving home and given lots of attention so I can grow up to be a strong and happy member of the family. Read more about Tiramasu on Petfinder . This story was created automatically using local animal shelter data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Liverpool are set to play the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup in Qatar, with the gulf state expected to host each of the next two editions of the global club competition. Since 2005, when the annual tournament was re-launched after a brief existence in 2000, it has been held in Japan, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco. Awarded two at a time, the UAE was the most recent host in 2017 and 2018, both of which were won by Real Madrid. There were false reports that the 2019 Club World Cup might not even take place amid confusion over a potential new competition expected to replace it in the coming years. The news that it will be going to Qatar, controversially due to host the World Cup in 2022, this coming December and December 2020 comes from the Associated Press . Liverpool are one of four clubs to have so far booked their place in the 2019 edition, along with newly crowned African champions Esperance de Tunis from Tunisia, Mexican club Monterrey, and New Caledonia's Hienghene Sport representing Oceania. The winners of the Asian Champions League and Copa Libertadores will join them, with both competitions scheduled to conclude in November. There is also a place in the seven-team competition for the champions of the host nation. In 2019, that will be 2018/19 Qatar Stars League winners Al-Sadd, now managed by recently retired Barcelona and Spain legend Xavi. As European champions, Liverpool will get a bye to the semifinals. The eventual Copa Libertadores from South America winner will also get a bye into the other semifinal. The FIFA Club World Cup is one of the few competitions that Liverpool are still yet to win. They played in the 2005 competition but were beaten in the final by Brazilian club Sao Paulo. The Reds also never won its predecessor, the Intercontinental Cup, after declining to participate in both 1977 and 1978, and losing to Flamengo in 1982 and Independiente in 1984.


A new Italian spot, offering pizza and salads, has debuted in the neighborhood. Called Pizza Napolita , the fresh arrival is located at 541 S. Spring St., Suite 112 in Downtown. This pizza joint uses Italian flour in its pizza dough to bring out the freshest flavors, according to its website . Pizzas include the Quattro Formaggio with fresh mozzarella, smoked mozzarella, gorgonzola and fontina; the Bianca Prosciutto with prosciutto, arugula, garlic, oregano, fresh mozzarella and parmesan; and the Capricciosa with artichoke, mushroom, ham, olives, fresh mozzarella and tomato sauce. Sides include calamari, brussels sprouts, shishito peppers and fried artichoke. With a four-star rating out of 15 reviews on Yelp so far, the fresh addition has made a promising start. J R., who was among the first Yelpers to review the new spot on April 30, wrote, "If you're interested in delicious Neapolitan style pizza and some tasty appetizers then this is the place to visit. The Marinara pizza (dairy-free) had a great balance of ingredients to crust" Yelper Justin G. added , "What a wonderful addition to the downtown scene and Spring Street Arcade. Pizzas are made to order in a 900-degree gas oven and were delicious, with thin crusts and delicious toppings in Napoli/New York style. They have an awesome selection of beers and four different kombuchas on tap, as well as wine and mimosas." Head on over to check it out: Pizza Napolita is open from 11:30 a.m. 9 p.m. daily. This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


A steep 38-meter long slide has been closed due to reports of multiple injuries, less than 24 hours after it opened in Spain. The slide, which connects two streets in the Costa del Sol town of Estepona and has been dubbed the longest urban slide in Spain, was opened Thursday as part of the city's expansion of the Los Ninos Park area. It was intended to allow both children and adults to speed between Avenida Reina Sofia and Calle Eslovaquia in seconds, avoiding a ten-minute walk. The council also built a walkway down the steep verge for the less adventurous. The slide, however, has a gradient of between 32 and 34 degrees and its users took to social media shortly after its unveiling to express anger and concern over the installation's safety. One user shared photos of her grazed elbows on Twitter after using the slide. "I went down it and I hurt myself everywhere. I flew two meters and the police started laughing," she wrote on Twitter. Another person said: "The slide in Estepona is crazy; a danger to citizens. People who go down it are mindless." A third person wrote on Facebook: "When the mayor of Estepona comes up with this great idea... I see the ambulance there every day." The city council subsequently announced Friday that it had ordered an "additional review and the preventative closure" of the slide. It stated, however, that the slide's security had been certified by the "specialist installation company" and that the council had placed instructions on how to use the slide safely next to the structure. "The city council placed instructions on how to use the slide in an appropriate manner in order to avoid risks," it said in a statement. "Among them, people are forbidden from sliding while lying down, it is mandatory to slide while seated and with arms in, and it is not permitted to use the installation when it is being used by someone else." The council also attempted to assuage growing concerns among locals, after images and videos were posted on social media showing individuals flying off the end of the slide. "The image disseminated widely on social media corresponds to an isolated event," the council said. "More than a thousand people tested the slide yesterday [Thursday}, made appropriate use of it, and had no trouble. Nevertheless, given the situation, the council has requested a new review to provide maximum guarantees for users." Other locals saw the funnier side of the new installation. One individual wrote on Twitter: "The new slide in Estepona is a great idea for connecting the streets. Dentists will be rubbing their hands." Another individual questioned: "How long do you think it will take for a drunk tourist to die there?"


Former NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. , as you might know, has an enormous , perhaps perplexing to some, graveyard of trashed race cars on his property. But it's far more than a big car graveyard it's, according to Earnhardt, essentially a never-ending scavenger hunt. Earnhardt posted about his massive car graveyard on Facebook Thursday, as found by the Charlotte Observer , to say he'd been looking for the pictured car "for about a year." While that opening line might make him sound forgetful or like he has too many wrecked cars in the yard, as if there's an actual threshold for that, it actually has nothing to do with either. Turns out, Earnhardt said he'd been looking for the car because his property manager just dumps new additions off without telling him where. It's basically the perpetual Easter-egg hunt we all wish for but only someone like NASCAR's most popular driver for 326 consecutive years (approximate estimation), Dale Earnhardt Jr., could actually have. Earnhardt said in the post that the particular car he'd been looking for was a land-speed car converted from an old vehicle from NASCAR's second-tier national touring series, now called the Xfinity Series. It's one of the many he has on the property, since a video by his Xfinity Series race team from a couple of years ago said the collection began around 2005 or 2006. It sound like a dream, really taking a stroll around your massive, race-track-adorned property, only to find some old race car that was dropped off long ago and that you hadn't come across yet. But for Earnhardt, it's a reality a great one, at that. As for the rest of us, well, we'll just have to stick with those word finds in the dollar-store puzzle books. If you close your eyes and grunt hard enough, it's almost the same thing.


LONDON   Whether it be the suspicion that he meddled in the Brexit referendum or the accusation that he ordered the poisoning of a former spy , President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia stirs strong emotions in Britain. Now, the BBC is hoping to mine the Russian leader's fame   or infamy   with a comedy series presented by a digital effigy of Mr. Putin, who cackles in a trailer for the program that his next great geopolitical victory will be to host the "No. 1 chat show in the U.K." The satirical show, called "Tonight With Vladimir Putin," uses a three-dimensional cartoon of Mr. Putin interviewing real guests in front of an audience, the BBC announced on Wednesday . Whether the Kremlin will see the funny side is debatable. Sign Up For the Morning Briefing Newsletter "He doesn't often get mocked and I don't think that he'll like it," said Joanna Szostek, a lecturer in political communication at the University of Glasgow. "It's not going to help bilateral relations, obviously," Dr. Szostek added, noting that Moscow was likely to see the show as politically motivated because it considered the BBC a propaganda arm of the British government. The tone of the show could feed the Kremlin narrative that Western criticism of Mr. Putin was driven by an anti-Russian agenda, she said. The Putin caricature begins the trailer provocatively. "Greetings, people of the 'United Kingdom'!" the digital puppet yells outside Buckingham Palace, miming air quotes in a less-than-subtle reference to the bruising political battles around Britain's departure from the European Union and the fractious elections for the European Parliament that are being held this week. In the first episode, planned to air on June 14 , "Mr. Putin"   or "everybody's favorite bear-wrestling global strongman," as the BBC described him   will meet Alastair Campbell, the onetime spokesman for former Prime Minister Tony Blair. In the next episode, the digital host will try "to get his head around feminism" in a discussion with the comedian and podcaster Deborah Frances-White , according to the statement. The sharp intake of breath from observers of Russian politics was almost audible after the BBC's announcement. Comments on Twitter from Moscow-based journalists and researchers included a face-palm emoji in reaction to the puppet's accent and a warning that the broadcaster was " playing with fire ." In Russia, such a caricature would be unthinkable nowadays. A show in the 1990s on the Russian network NTV, called " Puppets ," featured a cartoon figure of Mr. Putin and other prominent politicians, including former President Boris Yeltsin. But the show was discontinued soon after Mr. Putin assumed the presidency in 2000, and nothing like it has been shown on television since. Dmitri S. Peskov, the Kremlin's spokesman, dismissed the BBC show in a conference call with journalists on Thursday. "Lots of books have been written about Putin, lots of caricatures have been drawn, lots of puppets and cartoons have been created," he said. "Putin hasn't read books about himself or looked at caricatures," Mr. Peskov added. "He doesn't want to take after them. Let these caricatures take after him." Russia Today, the English-language network that is widely seen as part of the Kremlin's propaganda machine , also raised an arched eyebrow. "The show appears to be a regurgitated dystopian nightmare," the Russian broadcaster said on its website. "Surprisingly, many people were able to overcome bouts of nausea and cringe-induced spasms long enough to air their disgust," the article said, citing negative reaction on Twitter. A spokeswoman for the BBC said on Wednesday that the show's creators would not be available to comment. Follow Palko Karasz on Twitter: @karaszpalko . Oleg Matsnev contributed reporting from Moscow.


J.J. Watt has showed us some of his difficult offseason workouts in the past. Remember that time he pushed a ridiculously large tire with Sara Bareilles playing in the background? But Watt can do more than just pick up heavy things and put them back down. He is a 293-pound defensive end with LeBron-like athleticism. So it probably doesn't come as a surprise that the man is capable of jumping on top of Kristen Bell's head.


Baseballs are being still blasted out of ballparks at a record pace more than a month into the MLB season, and the theory that it is now the balls   not the players   that are juiced is gaining popularity by the day. If that is the case, Jon Lester thinks the league should just admit it. Last week, Boston Red Sox pitcher David Price urged MLB to just "come clean and say it" with regard to balls being juiced. He and others feel the number of home runs and the distance they are being hit tell an obvious story, and Lester was asked on Tuesday for his thoughts on the topic. The Chicago Cubs veteran agrees with Price. Cubs veteran Jon Lester was asked postgame if he has felt there's a difference in the baseballs being used in MLB. Here's what he had to say… pic.twitter.com/jvYzUPahyY   Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) May 8, 2019 To this point, Major League Baseball has not admitted anything. Commissioner Rob Manfred said last week that studies have confirmed there is less of a drag on the baseballs now than there used to be, but he insists that was not an intentional change . "They could not conclude why that is, but they did have some theories, which in part were that the baseball is a hand-made product that is almost exclusively made from natural products," Manfred said of the studies. "The result of that is there's going to be some variations in baseballs. You cannot escape that fact. "We're in that range of variation that we don't know how to eliminate. When the drag goes down, the ball goes further, and you're going to have more home runs." We know one MLB legend who said last year that he believes the balls are being juiced , so this isn't a new idea. There have been concerns about baseball decreasing in popularity in recent years, so it would not be a surprise if MLB did something to increase the number of balls sailing over the wall. Many pitchers seem convinced that is what has happened, but they want the league to come clean about it. Related slideshow: The 2019 MLB season (Provided by imagn)


This week's episode of NASCAR America's Motorsports Hour airs today from 5-6 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Krista Voda hosts with Parker Kligerman and AJ Allmendinger as they discuss multiple racing disciplines, including NASCAR and IndyCar. If you can't catch either of today's shows on TV, watch online at http:/nascarstream.nbcsports.com. If you plan to stream the show on your laptop or portable device, be sure to have your username and password from your cable/satellite/telco provider handy so your subscription can be verified. Once you enter that information, you'll have access to the stream. Click here at 5 p.m. ET to watch live via the stream.


If a team offered the Los Angeles Rams three first-round picks for Aaron Donald right now, there's no doubt they'd say no. Not because of the salary cap ramifications, but because Donald is that valuable and difficult to replace. Some will argue that if Donald is so good, the Rams' defense should be one of the best in the NFL year in and year out. The counter to that point is this: Imagine how bad the defense would be without Donald on it. No matter how you look at it, Donald is arguably the best player in the NFL - quarterback or otherwise. Adam Schein of NFL.com considers him the most indispensable defensive player in the league, ranking him above players such as Khalil Mack and Von Miller. Aaron Donald is the single best football player in the NFL who doesn't play quarterback. He's unstoppable. If you don't double-team him, you die. And even when you do throw multiple blockers in his path, he still generally gets where he wants to go. Donald blows up offensive lines and wrecks plays. He sacked the quarterback 20.5 times last year, and I still don't think that number - which is insane for an interior D-lineman - does justice to his domination. The guy's been in the NFL for five years. In that time, he's earned five Pro Bowl nods and four first-team All-Pros. He was named Defensive Rookie of the Year in his debut season and has taken home Defensive Player of the Year honors in each of the past two campaigns. Remember when people worried about the Pitt product being undersized in the pre-draft process? Yeah … not so much. Aaron Donald makes the Rams ' D. On the offensive side of the ball, Todd Gurley was named the second-most indispensable player in the league, behind only DeAndre Hopkins; the list excluded quarterbacks. With Donald, though, there's no doubt that he's No. 1 in terms of defensive players. There isn't a single player you could plug into his spot in the Rams defense and get the same production from. He led the league with 20.5 sacks last season, set the single-season sacks record for a defensive tackle and paced the NFL with 106 total pressures. He did all that as a 3-technique, battling double teams more often than not. Replacing him would be nearly impossible for the Rams to do - which fortunately, they don't have to worry about for a long, long time. MORE: Kevin Durant calls 'BS' on Stephen A. Smith's explosive claims on First Take Elfrid Payton: 'I feel we embody what New York basketball was about back in the day' 9 quarterbacks who will improve in 2019 The Steelers got their new Brett Keisel with Isaiah Buggs 'You don't know me like that': Kevin Durant, the Warriors and a toxic locker room


President Donald Trump announced a sweeping immigration proposal Thursday that would alter the way legal immigrants are allowed into the U.S. The plan includes a civics test, a measure that experts said was highly unusual and could exclude high-skilled applicants from entering the country. "This test is at best unnecessary and could screen out some very skilled, ambitious immigrants who are ready to be productive in America, whatever the test says," said Daniel Griswold, senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and co-director of its Trade and Immigration Project. "It could be a barrier to very productive immigrants becoming a part of American society," he said. Griswold and others said while the details of Trump's proposal remain unclear, they have never heard of such a requirement at that level in the immigration process. Such exams are usually part of citizenship tests, they said. "It's like asking for people to apply for citizenship when they arrive," said Theresa Brown, director of immigration and cross-border policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center. "It's a big thing to ask of people from other parts of the world." Trump's proposal would create a system that favors applicants who are highly skilled, well-educated and speak English, as well as have potential employment over family-based immigration. The White House estimates 12 percent of people who obtain green cards and citizenship do so based on "employment and skill," while 66 percent enter via family-based connections and 22 percent through humanitarian visas and the diversity lottery. Under the new proposal, employment and skill would increase to 57 percent, 33 percent for family-based and 10 percent for everything else. The merit-based system proposal is centered around what would be called the "Build America" visa. It recognizes three categories: extraordinary talent, professional and specialized vocations, and exceptional students. The U.S. grants about 1.1 million green cards a year, including to people already living in the U.S. on visas. The administration has said the number would not change, just the composition. But Brown said that would depend on what the points system would look like. "How many people would meet the new point criteria and how many of those want to come to the U.S.?" she said. "They may or may not be able to keep the numbers the same." The Trump administration has repeatedly touted so-called "merit-based" or points-based systems, such as in Canada and Australia. Immigration and economic experts said those countries also bring in many refugees and give value to immigrants with family already in those countries. While the U.S. has historically resettled more refugees than the rest of the world that number has steadily declined under the Trump administration. Meanwhile, Canada and Australia have been leading in the number of refugees admitted per capita. Griswold said through his research he has compared the U.S., Canadian and Australian systems and found "the big differences are Canada and Australia admit significantly more people relative to the population." "They're more generous in admitting immigrants as part of their population," he said. He added his main concern with Trump's proposal was that it would "cut deeply into family-based migration." Family-based migration was already bringing in educated, highly skilled people, he said. "In fact, the current inflow of family-based and diversity lottery immigrants are better educated than the average American," he said. "It's a myth that you either let in high-skilled immigrants or we get low-skilled, poorly educated family-based immigrants," he said. Brown added that the Canadian system awards points to immigrants for having family ties in the country. "They admit more family relatives than the United States on a per capita basis," she said. Such points-based systems come with their own set of problems, Griswold said. "Canada and Australia have found it can create a mismatch between the workers who are approved and what industry really needs," Griswold said. "It's a top-down system where the government decides what kind of workers we need." He added that while adding more high-skilled workers was valuable to the American economy, "let them be the workers U.S. industry needs right now to be more productive." Kate Hooper, a policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute, said it was also "worth highlighting that Australia and Canada have parliamentary systems" of government, unlike the U.S. That could make it even more difficult for the U.S. to update its system based on economic needs. "The question really is how the U.S. system would be designed so you could regularly update the system in the same way," she said. Trump's plan does not address the status of immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children and thus is a nonstarter with Democrats in Congress, but on Thursday Trump said if his plan was not adopted "for political reasons," he would work to get it passed after the 2020 election if Republicans win back control of the House of Representatives.


For many observers of the Buffalo Bills, the bar is high for quarterback Josh Allen in his second season. You can count the team's offensive coordinator in Brian Daboll among them. Ahead of the next round of organized team activities on Tuesday, Daboll compared the Allen of last year and Allen of today. In doing so, Daboll stressed how much a second-year pro improves from his rookie year. Daboll is certainly believing Allen will be one of those. "(I've seen) a lot [from Allen]," Daboll said. "From Year 1 to Year 2 for any player, is huge. Usually you make a big jump because there's so many unknowns when you come here. You can talk to these young rookies who are going through rookie meetings and they don't know their way around to a Tim Horton's or short cuts to the stadium. All the little things you take for granted, it's all new to those guys." For the Bills, Daboll explained that there is reason to believe Allen will be improved come September, and that reasoning is going on this week in OTAs. As a rookie, the Bills never said Allen would start the opening game. After Nathan Peterman's career as a starter went up in smoke very quickly, Allen eventually did play in the opener. Rewinding back even further to OTAs at this time last year, Allen was taking reps with the third-team offense, not the starters like he is now. Daboll made it clear how important that is in regard to building chemistry with both new faces and returning teammates. "I think having him out there is very helpful. He's going with the one's for the most part," Daboll said. "That's really beneficial for him," "I think the more reps we get, the better off it is for him," Daboll added. Last week, Allen also discussed the chemistry he has off the field with Daboll, which is beneficial to his second-year growth. "Being in the same system for a year, having the verbiage down, having the same terminology, having the rapport that I do with Coach Daboll, it's been a huge help. Just going in knowing what types of plays and concepts that I like, Dabes knows those," Allen said. "It's a complete 180 feeling from last year to this year." MORE: Draymond Green to LeBron James' 14-Year-Old Son: "I'm at Your F--king Neck This Summer" 'Jeopardy' star James Holzhauer fell just short of breaking his own ridiculous record Ahead of Finals, Stephen Curry defends Kevin Durant against critics Jimmy Butler would reportedly like playing with LeBron James NBA Free Agency 2019: The top players


Fernando Alonso set an encouraging 228mph lap in the final practice session before Indy 500 qualifying starts at 11am local time. The two-time Formula 1 champion, who admitted yesterday that he was worried about his prospects of qualifying for the 103 rd running of the Indianapolis 500, turned a no-tow lap of 228.065mph in his McLaren-Chevrolet, although his speeds dropped off by over 1mph within two more laps. That will be troubling because Indy 500 qualifying is set by the fastest average speed over four laps. Also, conditions this morning on a cool track with much of it in shade were ideal, whereas the track will be increasingly tricky in the afternoon, when ambient temperatures are expected to reach 85degF. For the record, in this morning's practice, Jordan King in the third Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing-Honda was second fastest ahead of Kyle Kaiser in a rebuilt Juncos Racing-Chevy, Ben Hanley in the DragonSpeed-Chevy and Patricio O'Ward in the spare Carlin-Chevy. Today's qualifying session will see all 36 cars take at least one four-lap run, starting at 11am, and by the end of the session at 5.50pm, grid positions 10 through 30 will be locked in place, and the participants in Sunday's Firestone Fast Nine shootout for pole and Sunday's Last Row shootout (six cars fighting for the three back-row slots) will be decided.


As Slack gears up to hit the markets through an unconventional direct listing , stock activity is increasing on the private markets at a price that values the company at nearly $17 billion, according to Forge Global , a firm that matches private companies and their employees with investors. In Slack's last financing round in August, the company sold shares at $11.91 a piece for a valuation of $7.1 billion. Some early investors and employees have been selling stock at around $28, Kelly Rodriques, CEO of Forge, told CNBC. At that price, they're valuing Slack at close to $17 billion. Slack, whose cloud-based messaging software lets employees communicate and collaborate, is preparing to go public on the New York Stock Exchange but not through a typical IPO. Rather, Slack is following Spotify's lead and directly listing its shares, an approach that means the company doesn't raise money but allows existing investors to convert their private shares to public stock and sell it without the traditional lock-up restrictions. The secondary trades can give Slack some visibility into what investors are willing to pay because with a direct listing, there's a less formal system for price discovery. In an IPO, the lead underwriters take orders from investors and raise the price for the offering based on demand, while also typically baking in a first-day pop. "Looking back at the last six-month period, we have seen robust demand side interest in Slack balanced with shareholders ranging from individuals to institutions who are looking at taking some risk off the table," said Rodrigues, whose firm is backed by billionaire VC investor Peter Thiel and French bank BNP Paribas. According to a person familiar with the company's plans, Slack is planning to reveal its listing prospectus as soon as Friday. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the timing. Demand is rising Over the past six months, volume has been between $150 million and $200 million worth of trades, based on transactions that Forge has seen on its own platform. While that number would represent a very small portion of total outstanding Slack shares, the inflating price shows that some investors are willing to pay a premium for a stake in the company. Barrett Cohn, CEO of Scenic Advisement, an investment bank that deals with private companies, says he has also seen plenty of demand for Slack over the last year from institutional investors, but not a lot of supply. Slack declined comment on the secondary market trades. The excitement around Slack makes sense given how cloud stocks are performing. Zscaler, Okta, Twilio and Coupa have all more than doubled in the past year, and videoconferencing company Zoom has soared since its IPO last week , trading at by far the highest multiple to sales among all stocks in the group. Slack is often categorized with Zoom, because both have gained viral adoption among teams within companies. This contrasts with the historical model for business software, where a company's IT department directs purchasing and usage. According to multiple sources, Slack has recently loosened restrictions on employees and early investors, allowing them to get some liquidity on the secondary market. Previously the company conducted tender offers to let employees sell some of their stake in a structured fashion. Bloomberg reported earlier in April that Slack was fetching prices as high as $25 or $26 in private stock deals in the past two months. Sources tell CNBC that they've also seen deals in that price range. When Spotify debuted in a similar fashion a year ago, it closed at $149.01 after its first day of trading, above the reference price of $132 from the prior evening. "Spotify was a great model," said Larry Albukerk, founder of EB Exchange, a San Francisco-based firm that connects start-up employees with investors. "There was a lot of trading going on before the IPO. It looks like Slack is following a similar game plan. If this one is successful, I think we'll see a lot more." One potential candidate is Airbnb, which also has mainstream brand recognition and isn't desperate for money.


LOS ANGELES - Activists and attorneys urged Los Angeles city officials Thursday to renew funding for a legal defense program for migrants. The L.A. Justice Fund, a city- and county-backed program that was launched after President Donald Trump took office, pays for attorneys for individuals and families who are detained or at risk for deportation. Los Angeles had set aside $2 million and the county committed $3 million for the fund in 2017, to be spent over several years, and private philanthropic groups also gave money. But budget leaders have declined to put new money toward it. Overall, the fund has granted $7.4 million to help with legal representation and counsel, according to the website of the California Community Foundation, a philanthropic organization that disburses the money. In the year since the program launched, 19 people had been released from custody and 223 cases were handled, the foundation said in September. So far, city and county officials have resisted renewing the L.A. Justice Fund money in the upcoming budget year, as officials evaluate the program and its effectiveness. "From the outset, the L.A. Justice Fund was developed and implemented as a two-year pilot program with a one-time county expenditure," said L.A. County spokeswoman Rachel Estrada. Jay Cortez, a spokesman for City Councilman Gil Cedillo, said Thursday that the city is still awaiting data about the program. Cedillo also wrote a letter on May 3 to Councilman Paul Krekorian, who heads the budget committee, expressing his support for the program. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said last month that there is enough city money in the L.A. Justice Fund to last until October. The goal, he said, was for the fund to raise $10 million, but private groups haven't raised their share. He also questioned how much each case is costing the Justice Fund compared with similar programs. "It was like looking at $20,000 per case, versus the state program, which is about $5,000 per case," Garcetti said. "With a report back, with those questions answered, we will look at continuing that, but that won't be until after October." On Thursday, Garcetti spokeswoman Andrea Garcia said the mayor plans to work with California Community Foundation and others to "evaluate the impact of this program and develop a long-term strategy to support this vital work and keep immigrant families together." The foundation didn't provide answers about the program to The Times as of late Thursday. Earlier in the day, frustrated immigrant advocates came to City Hall for a budget hearing to rally for new funding, arguing that not supporting it is tantamount to abandoning L.A.'s immigrant community. Attorney Jossiel Moreira said the Justice Fund helps pay for his work providing legal representation for child immigrants and refugees who have come to the U.S. alone. Those youths aren't guaranteed attorneys in court, he said, citing a study that found unaccompanied children without representation are more than four times more likely to receive a removal order. "We must work together to guarantee that no child goes to immigration court alone," Moreira said. Mariana Magana, a policy advocate with Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, said her group's attorneys are often the "last resource" for families about to be split up. "As a city who welcomes immigrants from all over the world, the City of Angels has an obligation to live up to its values and step up in a time when needed the most," Magana said. The proposed budget now goes to the City Council for a vote. Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com