Thirteen Philadelphia police officers are to be fired for making racist or offensive Facebook posts. The 13 are among 72 officers in the city who had been placed on administrative duty after an online database called the Plain View Project shared more than 5,000 Facebook posts and comments on June 1 by current and former law enforcement officers in Philadelphia and seven other jurisdictions around the country. Some of the posts were homophobic. Others advocated violence or were deemed racist. In one post from 2014, a Philadelphia officer wrote that a suspect "should be taken out back and put down like the rabid animal he is," according to the Plain View database. Another officer shared a photo in November 2015 that said Islam was a "cult" that glorified "death." In a recent post from February, an officer with the city's police department commented on a news article about an alleged murderer, writing, "hang him." Plain View Project said the Facebook posts and comments "could undermine public trust and confidence in our police." The Philadelphia Police Department conducted an internal investigation with a law firm to determine if some of the posts by its officers were constitutionally protected speech. The department announced disciplinary actions Thursday that depended on how egregious the Facebook posts by those individual officers were. Some of the 72 officers who had been placed on administrative duty will be suspended for five days, police Commissioner Richard Ross Jr. said at a news conference Thursday. Seventeen others will face more severe disciplinary action, including the 13 who will be suspended with the intent to dismiss, according to Ross. The remaining four will receive a 30-day suspension, he said. "I continue to be very angered and disappointed by these posts," Ross said. The 13 officers to be fired made posts that "advocated violence." The highest ranking official to be fired is a sergeant, Ross told reporters. He declined to identify any of the 13 by name. Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said many of the posts were "deeply disturbing." "We have a duty to represent ourselves and our city," he said at the news conference. "We will not allow this incident to break down the progress we have made and we pledge to do better." Ross said every member of the police department will have to watch a training video about social media and policies on off-duty behavior. The Plain View Project scoured 3,500 public accounts from officers in Dallas, Texas; St. Louis, Missouri; Phoenix, Arizona; York, Pennsylvania; Twin Falls, Idaho; Denison, Texas; and Lake County, Florida. In June, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner added 22 names to her "exclusion list" of officers banned from bringing cases to her office after the Facebook posts were made public. In a letter sent to Public Safety Director Jimmie Edwards and St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden, Gardner said seven of those 22 were "permanently banned."


SPRING LAKE, N.C. (AP)   The heating and air conditioning in Carrie Johnson's home   damaged by Hurricane Matthew in 2016   still wasn't fixed when Hurricane Florence flooded her house last September. Now, her home of over 50 years is gutted, the flooring and walls nothing more than bare wooden beams smelling faintly of river water. Estimated damage to the home is over $52,000, she said. The 81-year-old received about $13,000 in short-term federal assistance, but she's not sure what to do next. "The little bit of money I got, it wouldn't even fix this room, I don't think, let alone the rest of the house," Johnson said. For Johnson and many other displaced hurricane victims, the next step would be seeking longer-term federal rebuilding funds administered by the state. But based on slow payouts after Matthew, they fear the process could take years. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded North Carolina a community block grant of $237 million for Matthew recovery, but as of July the state had spent only about 6%, according to Laura Hogshead, chief operating officer of the state Office of Recovery and Resiliency. By comparison, South Carolina spent 22% of its award for Matthew by December 2018. Hogshead said South Carolina was already established as a grantee, whereas North Carolina had to apply for grantee status before receiving funds. "So for the first 311 days, the state had literally no ability to pull on those funds," she told lawmakers in May. HUD spokesman Brian Sullivan declined to comment beyond referring a reporter to online materials that characterize North Carolina as a "slow spender" of its Matthew-related grant. Delays also have been blamed on a lack of institutional knowledge about this type of funding, which the state hadn't received since 2003 and is subject to regulations that change over time. It's unclear how long this process will take for Florence, which flooded an estimated 74,500 homes. HUD announced in May it will award North Carolina $336.5 million in community block grants for the storm, but spending rules must be settled first. Once that money comes, Hogshead said, the state will be ready to spend it. "Everything the state has done to set up Matthew assistance will speed up Florence assistance," she said in an interview. The funding is typically sought by people who lack flood insurance, said state emergency management spokesman Keith Acree. FEMA is commonly the first source of funding for home repairs, but it's limited in its budget. After Florence, FEMA approved giving an average of $3,785 to 34,665 homeowners and renters through its Individuals and Households Program. FEMA stresses this program is intended to cover basic needs but not compensate for all losses or replace insurance. Another program meant to bridge the gap is North Carolina's Sheltering and Temporary Essential Power program, which used federal and state money to fund basic Florence repairs that fell under $25,000. STEP funded repairs for roughly 2,300 homes after Florence but wasn't available after Matthew. FEMA didn't authorize the state's request for STEP after Matthew because there were sufficient hotel rooms to support displaced residents. Organizations including Habitat for Humanity and Baptists on Mission volunteer labor for STEP repairs. But Baptists on Mission pastor Jay Baugham said homes and roofs aren't totally fixed. "We're not putting a brand new roof on them, but most of the houses need them. A hurricane could come by, and there it goes," he said. Avis Rankins, 52, didn't think the Spring Lake home she shares with her mother was livable after STEP repairs. She said the single air conditioning window unit provided was not practical for hot, humid summers. "I would not put my mother back in the home," she said. Now Rankins continues repair work on hers and neighbors' homes. On her street, three flooded homes qualified for STEP, but three didn't. Volunteer organizations decided to make all six homes more livable, going beyond STEP repairs. On a nearly 100-degree-day, Rankins crouched down to drill sheet rock for a neighbor who didn't qualify for STEP. "I promised that even if I had to rebuild their homes brick by brick, we were all coming home together," she said. Without these volunteers, Jennifer Baker said she probably would have to abandon her home. Baker received about $22,500 from FEMA but faced an estimated $78,000 in repairs, so she didn't qualify for STEP. Her goal is to move back into her home   presently a skeletal maze of wood   before the new school year. In the meantime, she rents a house where her three children share mattresses on the floor. Being displaced has also taken its toll on Johnson, who lives on a fixed retirement income and is staying with her daughter Debora Hudson. Because she couldn't afford a large storage unit, Johnson discarded many possessions; others collect dust and mildew on her back porch. Volunteers haven't started on Johnson's Spring Lake home. She has no timeframe for moving back. Besides long-term recovery funds, Hudson said her mother's only option for repairs is through volunteers. But even volunteer repairs aren't likely to address longer-term storm-proofing. "There are many concerns about the possibility of storms coming in the near future ... truly all that's being done right now is the rebuilding, the remodeling process. We have not talked mitigation or anything like that," she said. "Nobody wants to rebuild just to lose again."


ESPN has produced 103 '30 for 30' films. Of those 103, eight have focused on college football stories (or had strong college football ties). That's not enough. We need more. We need these college football '30 for 30' films: Honorable Mention Lane Kiffin: Lane Kiffin's story isn't over yet. While a Lane Train '30 for 30' would be fascinating now -- tracking his life as the son of Monte Kiffin to his four head-coaching stops -- it would be more fascinating 10 or 15 years from now. Mike Leach: Mike Leach's story is further along than Kiffin's, but the 58-year-old outspoken Washington State coach isn't done yet. Blake Carringer Blake Carringer was a 6-foot-6, 315-pound offensive tackle from Grace Christian Academy in Knoxville, Tenn., who held offers from Alabama and Florida. Rivals' three-star ranking fed into the 247Sports Composite system, which made Carrington the 859th-ranked recruit in the 2020 class. He never existed . Wakeyleaks Louisville beat Wake Forest on Nov. 12, 2016, after a 34-point fourth-quarter turned a 12-10 deficit into a 44-12 win. Four days later, news dropped that Wake Forest was investigating if "Louisville knew too much." They did, thanks to a Wake Forest radio announcer who'd been leaking gameplans to opponents for years. 1942 Rose Bowl Nine days after Pearl Harbor was attacked, Lieutenant General John DeWitt, commander of the Western Defense Command, recommended the cancellation of the 1942 Rose Bowl -- scheduled for Jan. 1, 1942 -- and other large events on the Pacific coast. He was fearful of another Japanese attack. Several midwest and east-coast cities offered to host the game, including Chicago and Washington D.C., but the game -- between Duke and Oregon State -- was ultimately played in Durham, N.C. Here's the full story . Bill Snyder Kansas State went winless in 1986 and 1987, their fifth and sixth winless seasons since 1946, and had three wins over their last four seasons. Despite being the worst program in college football, Kansas State landed one of the nation's most sought-after assistant coaches: Iowa offensive coordinator and longtime Hayden Fry assistant Bill Snyder. Ten months later, he led the Wildcats to their first win in more than 1,000 days, and the rest is history. North Carolina Academics One of the biggest scandals in sports history received plenty of national coverage between 2010 -- when the first story broke about football players receiving extra benefits -- and 2017 -- when the NCAA announced North Carolina wouldn't be punished for fake class and other incomprehensible improprieties, but I don't believe everyone understands the magnitude of this story and how lucky North Carolina was to avoid serious penalties. Kansas Football "People don't care about Kansas football." I disagree: Kansas football is so bad that people care. And people would marvel at a story of Turner Gill and Charlie Weis lighting fire to a program that Mark Mangino built from national irrelevance to Orange Bowl champion.


Video by CBS News WASHINGTON   President Donald Trump focused on his accomplishments, the road forward on key policies and took swipes at both Democrats and the media during a campaign rally in Wisconsin Saturday evening. But he took care not to mention the event his rally sought to compete with: The White House Correspondents' Association dinner. Over an hour and 20 minutes, Trump boasted to a packed arena in Green Bay about the growing economy and number of jobs across the country. He offered his path forward on a healthcare bill, trade agreements with several countries, including the ongoing negotiations with China and laid out why Wisconsin   the state that delivered him the 2016 election   should stick with him through a second term. He hit the press several times, using the nickname "fake news" to attack coverage of his administration. It was the president's first rally since the nation saw the results of special counsel Robert Mueller's lengthy investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and the Trump campaign. In his 448-page report, Mueller detailed "sweeping and systematic" Russian efforts to benefit Trump in the 2016 election and campaign aides eager for the help, though he and his investigators ultimately found no conspiracy between Americans and Russians. Mueller also found Trump tried repeatedly to thwart the inquiry but declined to decide whether the president's conduct constituted an obstruction crime. Instead, Attorney General William Barr and others in the Justice Department later said there wasn't enough evidence for obstruction-of-justice charges. Trump noted the results, calling the investigation a "witch hunt" and claiming the probe was the "greatest political hoax in American history." A boycott?: Donald Trump tells staff to boycott White House Correspondents' Association dinner Trump skips dinner again: Donald Trump says he will again skip the White House correspondents dinner More from the rally: Donald Trump heralds end of 'collusion delusion' in return to battleground Wisconsin He said the investigation "wasn't just about me." Trump told the crowd that the investigation was aimed at hurting supporters who "rose up" and demanded "a government that put America first." Throughout his speech, Trump hit the press on multiple fronts. As he spoke about unemployment numbers, he pointed to the media at the back of the arena. "If I make any misstatement, if I'm off by just a little tiny bit, those people back there will be   headlines! So I have to be very careful. Fake news. They're fake! They are fake. They are fakers!" Trump said. As the crowd started chanting "CNN sucks!" Trump added, "I'll tell you, you know what sucks? Their ratings suck." The only mention, though, of the White House correspondents dinner in Washington, happened when White House press secretary Sarah Sanders was called on stage. "Last year this night I was at a slightly different event. Not quite the best welcome, so this is an amazing honor," she said, taking a swipe at last year's dinner. After last year's White House Correspondents' Association dinner, Trump and other administration officials criticized comedian Michelle Wolf for a barbed monologue that included attacks on Sanders and her appearance. There will be no comedian this year; instead, the association invited presidential historian Ron Chernow to speak. Earlier this month, Trump announced he would not be going to the dinner, calling it "too negative" and saying, "I like positive things." He told reporters he would instead hold Saturday's rally in Wisconsin, a pivotal state in the 2020 presidential election. Ahead of the dinner, aides, some of whom attended last year's event, were told at a staff meeting that Trump did not want them to go to the dinner and boycott it , officials said. Trump also did not attend the dinner during his first two years in office. He is the first president to intentionally skip it since Jimmy Carter in 1980. President Ronald Reagan did not personally attend the dinner in 1981   he was recovering from an assassination attempt   but he did phone in some remarks to the crowd. Before Trump, the dinner traditionally featured comics who made fun of the president   and other politicians   and offered presidents the chance to retaliate with comedy routines of their own. Perhaps most famously, in 2011, President Barack Obama mocked an audience member who had questioned his U.S. citizenship and was contemplating a campaign against him. That dinner guest? Donald J. Trump. Wisconsin will be one of the toughest battlegrounds in 2020, with Democrats already preparing their fight to flip Wisconsin back to blue. Of the 20 candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for president, five have already visited the state. Trump on Saturday took a couple of swings at his Democratic challengers, calling them 'Sleepy Joe' Biden and 'Crazy Bernie' Sanders. "We say tonight that America will never be a Socialist country," Trump said to loud cheers. "You took back your country with that great election two and a half years ago." "Four more years," the crowd chanted in response. Contributing: Molly Beck and Haley BeMiller of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump takes swipes at media in rally during White House correspondents dinner


In every region, farmers and scientists are trying to adapt an array of crops to warmer temperatures, invasive pests, erratic weather and earlier growing seasons. The impact may not yet be obvious in grocery stores and greenmarkets, but behind the organic apples and bags of rice and cans of cherry pie filling are hundreds of thousands of farmers, plant breeders and others in agriculture who are scrambling to keep up with climate change. Drop a pin anywhere on a map of the United States and you'll find disruption in the fields. Warmer temperatures are extending growing seasons in some areas and sending a host of new pests into others. Some fields are parched with drought, others so flooded that they swallow tractors. Decades-long patterns of frost, heat and rain   never entirely predictable but once reliable enough   have broken down. In regions where the term climate change still meets with skepticism, some simply call the weather extreme or erratic. But most agree that something unusual is happening. "Farming is no different than gambling," said Sarah Frey, whose collection of farms throughout the South and the Midwest grows much of the nation's crop of watermelons and pumpkins. "You're putting thousands if not millions of dollars into the earth and hoping nothing catastrophic happens, but it's so much more of a gamble now. You have all of these consequences that farmers weren't expecting." Sign Up For the Morning Briefing Newsletter Because the system required to feed the country is complex and intertwined, a two- or three-week shift in a growing season can upset supply chains, labor schedules and even the hidden mechanics of agriculture, like the routes that honeybees travel to pollinate fields. Higher temperatures and altered growing seasons are making new crops possible in places where they weren't before, but that same heat is also hurting traditional crops. Early rains, unexpected droughts and late freezes leave farmers uncertain over what comes next. Here are 11 everyday foods, from all over the country, that are facing big changes: Tart cherries - Michigan Weather has always been a challenge in northern Michigan, but never   at least as far back as tart-cherry growers can remember   has it been this frustrating. Tart cherries are a small, delicate crop that bakers prefer to use fresh for pies, although most are frozen, dried or processed into juice or canned filling. Growers rely on a long, cold winter and a slow, cool spring so trees won't bud and bloom before the threat of a final freeze is over. But lately, Grand Traverse Bay hasn't been freezing over reliably, so warmer temperatures arrive too soon. There have been two total crop failures in a decade; the last one before that was in 1945. Spring weather has become more violent, too, pummeling trees with hail and winds. The spotted wing Drosophila, an invasive fruit fly, showed up in 2010, and many farmers believe it is spreading quickly as a result of shifting climate patterns. It lays eggs in the fruit, and its larvae feed inside, ruining the cherry; so far it seems impossible to control. A team of researchers is trying to develop a cherry tree that blooms 20 days later, but with fruit that ripens at the same time as it does now. Still, a solution is years away. That may be too late for some of the 425 families who grow tart cherries. Already, there is talk among some families of abandoning the cherry business altogether, said Nikki Rothwell , coordinator of the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Center. "The stress is becoming too much for many of the growers," she said. Organic raspberries - New York The fruit fly that is vexing cherry growers in Michigan is also attacking the raspberry crop in New York State. Winters haven't been as long or as cold, so the flies are appearing earlier; organic fruit are especially at risk because farmers are limited in using pesticides. Unlike other flies that feed on rotting fruit, the spotted wing Drosophila, which by 2011 had arrived in significant numbers in upstate New York, has a tiny saw near its abdomen that allows it to cut into fruit that is just ready to be picked. The raspberries, already delicate, can end up infested with larvae, and turn to goo by the time a customer gets them home. Couple that with mild winters that don't kill off pests, and unusual weather patterns that don't bring rain when they should   or bring so much that farmers can't get into the fields to work or have to battle fungus   and organic berries aren't such a good bet anymore. "People have really given up on raspberries on a lot of farms," said Alissa White , a researcher at the University of Vermont who tracks the impact of climate change on Northeastern farms. "Farmers are the kings of risk management. Once every 10 or 20 years we could lose a crop. But if once every three or four, that's a lot." Watermelons - Florida Warmer weather and an increasingly earlier growing season have, in many ways, been good for farmers like Sarah Frey. She used to start harvesting her South Florida watermelons in mid-April. This year, crews were picking in March. She'll be picking earlier in South Georgia, and expects to pull watermelons from fields in Missouri by the Fourth of July, which she said was rare when she was growing up in the 1990s. But earlier and longer growing seasons have consequences. For Ms. Frey, harvesting watermelons earlier than usual puts her into competition with the late-winter crop from Mexico. And new, more restrictive immigration policies could mean she won't have enough workers from Mexico to work the fields when she needs them   especially because many American produce growers are starting or expanding operations in Mexico. "Having it earlier is good for customers and good for business, but if it's overlapping with the import business and I can't get enough workers to harvest, that's a problem," she said. Chickpeas - Montana The chickpea is enjoying an unexpected assist from extreme weather. Farmers in Montana, who grow about 60 percent of the chickpeas produced in the United States, are being encouraged to plant more as a hedge against heat and drought. The average annual temperature in Montana has increased by 2.4 degrees over the last century, but the amount of rain hasn't changed much. Chickpeas, which need less water to grow than wheat and other cereal grains that are the mainstay of Montana agriculture, provide an antidote. They improve soil and help reduce the need for fertilizer; rotating in a spring crop of chickpeas before a wheat crop can help break disease and pest cycles, said Kevin McPhee, a professor at Montana State University. It also doesn't hurt that hummus is so popular, opening up new markets. Still, all the new chickpea growers face tough competition globally. India, which imports huge amounts of American chickpeas, protected its own producers with stiff tariffs in 2018 , and China and the European Union have responded to recent United States trade tariffs with their own. Wild Blueberries - Maine The wild blueberry has long been an essential player in Maine agriculture, but unpredictable weather is challenging the 44,000 acres where the commercial low-bush berries grow. The season has stretched out four weeks longer, and summers are becoming warmer. Temperatures last year reached an unprecedented 95 degrees, said Lily Calderwood , an extension wild blueberry specialist at the University of Maine. Frosts are becoming erratic, too. A frost in the spring can kill blossoms that would have become fruit. "We didn't used to have these unpredictable events," Dr. Calderwood said. "We could rely on gradual and reliable growing seasons. Now it's all starting to skip around, and these frost events come out of the blue." Drought isn't helping. Many smaller growers, some tending fields that are 100 years old, don't irrigate, but that expensive step may become necessary. And the same fruit fly troubling cherry and raspberry growers in Northern states is also a concern in Maine. Organic Heirloom Popcorn - Iowa Gene Mealhow comes from a family that lost its farmland in the 1980s. Now he grows pearly flint popcorn, whose genetics he can trace back to the 1840s, on about 300 acres in Illinois and Iowa. When he was growing up, predictable spring rains led to even summer heat and a reliable crop of corn. "Now when it rains, it comes down four of five inches at a pop, or we've got tornado warnings," he said. "Believe me, the weather is so extreme." This season, some of Iowa's big corn producers face land so soaked with rain that they have to leave crops in the field; recent floods turned the Missouri River into a monster. But not all of Iowa is in trouble, Mr. Mealhow said. Some parts of the state produced bumper crops last year. His little pocket of land near Shellsburg in eastern Iowa hasn't been hit as hard, either. Still, he's doing what many small farmers are: diversifying. He'll work through his existing inventory of popcorn, which he sells under the Tiny But Mighty brand to stores like Whole Foods Market, and just grow some for seed. The rest of his energy will go into growing onions, sweet corn and tomatoes for restaurants in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids. Next year, perhaps, there will be more popcorn. "Everybody is still optimistic," he said. Related video: Flooded Midwest farms face an uncertain season (provided by Newsy) Peaches - Georgia and South Carolina The symbol of Georgia and the mainstay of a Southern kitchen, peaches could be devastated by climate change. They need a certain amount of consistent cold weather   what growers call chill hours   followed by dependably warm weather. Without enough chill hours, peach buds are weak, and weak buds make poor fruit. In addition, trees are blooming too early and then being hit by unusual frosts, which result in less sellable fruit. In 2017, a warm winter destroyed almost 85 percent of the state's $30 million peach crop. It's part of a pattern noted last year in the federally mandated National Climate Assessment , which predicted that it would continue. In response, researchers at places like Clemson University are trying to find new peach strains that can handle the shift, but new cultivars are still years away. Organic Apples - Washington Most organic apples in the American grocery store come from Washington state, which grows about 230,000 tons a year. Apples don't have the same worries about chill hours that softer fruits like peaches do, but they are being threatened by climate change in their own way. One problem that comes with hotter spring weather is an increase in diseases like fire blight , which can be especially hard to prevent in organic orchards where antibiotics can't be used, said Kate Prengaman, associate editor of Good Fruit Grower , a Washington-based magazine for tree fruit and grape farmers. Hotter temperatures can subject both organic and conventionally grown apples to sunburn, which causes defects on the fruit's skin. Some growers have taken to installing large nets over orchards to reduce the intensity of the sunlight, but the process is expensive. Unlike many row crops, which can be replanted from year to year, orchards can take a decade or two to regrow, and farmers expect them to produce for at least a generation. Golden Kiwi Fruit - Texas As warmer weather endangers traditional Texas crops like peaches and pears, some growers have been enticed by exotic fruit like the golden kiwi fruit, a less fuzzy, sweeter and more nutritious cousin of the more common green species. The first golden kiwi crop was harvested in East Texas in 2014 using cultivars from Auburn University in Alabama, and enthusiastic researchers like David Creech have been growing increasingly larger crops every year. The humidity and acidic soil of East Texas seem like a perfect match for this potentially lucrative crop. But Tim Hartmann, an extension horticulturalist at Texas A&M University, said kiwi fruit are sensitive to cold weather. Finding the right amount of chill hours   the cold weather that kiwis need to produce   and dodging freezes make the task difficult. "You would think that with temperatures warming up, a subtropical place like Texas would predispose it as a suitable area for subtropical crops," he said. "But we've noticed that as the climate changes and the weather is getting erratic, the freezes we get are more unpredictable." Artichokes - California When the chef Mary Sue Milliken started noticing artichokes in her favorite Los Angeles farmers' market in December, all she could think about was climate change. The weather in Castroville, long the epicenter of California artichoke country, has shifted in a state where agriculture is feeling the impact of climate change more than any other . The classic California artichoke, with its spring growing season, likes cool, overcast weather that comes when heat from the Central Valley pulls in cool marine air from the Pacific Ocean. But the ocean has been warming, and the marine layer has been less reliable, said Pat Hopper, manager of the California Artichoke Advisory Board. And warmer weather has improved conditions for pests like the artichoke plume moth. As a result, artichoke growers have developed new seed that grows well in the desert heat of Coachella , 450 miles south, which puts California artichokes in the market almost year-round. "We're in a time of change," Ms. Hopper said. "The biggest thing consumers are going to see are higher prices. It's just a result of higher costs all the way around to make things grow." Rice - Arkansas About 1.2 million acres of farmland are planted with rice in Arkansas, which grows about half of the country's supply. And that rice needs a lot of water. But changing weather patterns produce less rain during the growing season, and the underground aquifers that feed the state's crop are drying out. "The rice industry as we've known it is not sustainable," said Anna Myers McClung of the Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center in Stuttgart, Ark. Higher temperatures are another culprit. Too much heat alters the starch that the plants produce. Long-grain rice that should look translucent becomes chalky and cooks up stickier. It breaks apart more easily at the mill, causing waste. In response, some farmers are building reservoirs or experimenting with new, less water-intensive growing methods. Researchers like Dr. McClung are working with genetics to find strains of rice that are better adapted to the changing climate and more drought-tolerant. But developing a new variety, she said, could take five to 10 years. Follow NYT Food on Twitter and NYT Cooking on Instagram , Facebook , YouTube and Pinterest . Get regular updates from NYT Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice .


The game in 200 words (or less): There is no one better in the Eastern Conference than the Philadelphia Union, at least that's what the latest standings say. In front of their fans, it was the ideal scenario for Wayne Rooney and D.C. United to wiggle their way onto the first-place podium with the Union and Atlanta United, alike. Instead, it was Philadelphia bouncing back from last week's 4-0 defeat to Montreal with a 5-1 shelling of D.C., powered by Marco Fabian's brace. The Union's record now stands at 42 points in 25 matches played. Three moments that mattered 3′   Bedoya sends a strong message after scoring   Union's Alejandro Bedoya made sure to send a passionate message to Congress after he gave his team the early lead in the nation's capital. "Hey congress, do something," he yelled into one of the field-level boom mics after scoring three minutes in. "End gun violence now." The message from the former USMNT midfielder came in the wake of the three mass shootings that happened this week in the United States. So Ale Bedoya grabbed a field-level mic after scoring his goal and shouted, live on national television: "HEY CONGRESS, DO SOMETHING. END GUN VIOLENCE NOW." My man. Need a lot more voices like his in pro sports. #DOOP #DCU pic.twitter.com/UrexCrVIx3   Pablo Maurer (@MLSist) August 5, 2019 52′   Przybylko punishing United's simple turnover   There's nothing more head-scratching than a rudimentary turnover when you're already down a player. Przybylko certainly made D.C. learn that the hard way. Przybylko capitalizes on the turnover. 3-0 to Philly! 😮 #DCvPHI pic.twitter.com/Q5A6eNRaA3   Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 5, 2019 70′   Fabian records his first MLS brace   Four goals in his last five appearances: the Mexican is experiencing a good moment, to say the least. Why you always fakin' to the net though? Why you always flexing on our timeline? Guys are spittin' fire 🔥🔥 #DOOP | #DCUvPHI 1-4 | @marcofabian_10 pic.twitter.com/pdYHoVFVn1   Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) August 5, 2019 Follow @SoriaJoelFutbol


Milwaukee will see a return of last week's light rainfall over the next few days, according to drone-powered weather forecasting service Saildrone . Wednesday should see the most rain, with a forecast accumulation of 0.81 inches. Also expect cool temperatures today and tomorrow. Temperatures will turn milder from Wednesday to Sunday, with a high of 67 degrees on Saturday. Skies will partly clear up on Friday, remaining partly cloudy through Saturday. Winds should reach a modest high of 17 miles per hour tomorrow, but will calm beginning on Thursday. 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 past is supposed to make you who you are in the present, right? As the sixth year of trying to conceive is coming up in a few months, I have been thinking about the relationship I have had with my husband and how our marriage has evolved. For instance, our first Valentine's Day as a couple occurred in 2005 and was complete with roses, a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant and yes, a stuffed teddy bear with a heart-shaped frame holding a picture of the two of us. Really. This year, we celebrated the day of love by bringing our foster puppy to the vet to be neutered, and then had a quick lunch at a bakery before immediately going back to pick him up again. We had plans to have wine and dessert leftover from the restaurant, but due to some surgical complications from the pup, our Valentine's Day was anything but romantic and more like a trip to the after hours emergency vet clinic and the Chick-fil-A drive-thru. I promise, the point is not that we are boring. Ok, we are a little boring. And we have no money because we are doing our fifth IVF transfer in a few weeks and need to save up. When I think about that first Valentine's, I think of the bear. And the roses. And dressing up to go out to eat. Yes, we still go out to nice restaurants, and he still buys me flowers. Back then I thought that this was what love was made up of. We've had rocky moments. Our relationship was tested several times, and we've endured some of the deepest hurts a marriage could endure. There were times when the word divorce was uttered in the most spectacular of fights. There were times, I admit, I thought about leaving him. I mean, you throw two people together in an 800-square-foot apartment and expect them get along all the time? Back early in our dating years and early marriage we were immature, we both fought each other for the right to say "I told you so!" He took the passive route and wouldn't bring things up because he thought I would get mad, and I would holler at him because he took the passive route and would never bring things up. Ok, well we still do that. You take all that away, and all you are left with is two people who can face Hell because it's somewhere they've already been. They came out maybe a little scarred, maybe a bit worn and dirty, but still intact. When infertility hit us square in the face and forced us to undergo yet another obstacle in our marriage, we took a step back and realized that for once, the problem was no longer pitting us against each other. Instead, this was something we had to battle together. And since hindsight is always 20/20, it hasn't been until recently that I can reflect back on these years, especially before IVF, as something we could only have overcome because of all we have been through. We have dealt with our share of pain. I think back on that life-changing event early in our relationship, the first of several tests we needed to overcome, and how choosing to forgive my husband and moving forward was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. In other words, we can survive infertility because we have been through worse. And I think all those past hurts, challenges and leaps of faith have prepared us to face something that not all couples can get through together. It means that if we don't end up having children it's ok, because we still can be with each other. We don't need stuffed animals, flowers, candlelit dinners. You take all that away, and all you are left with is two people who can face Hell because it's somewhere they've already been. They came out maybe a little scarred, maybe a bit worn and dirty, but still intact. Still holding hands and still arguing over which brand of toilet paper to get. Had we not gone through the trials we've had, I don't think we could have faced infertility together. My husband loves "Doctor Who." There's a quote from the show that's a favorite of his and he told me one time that he thinks about us whenever he hears it. "But times change and so must I. We all change, when you think about it, we are all different people all through our lives and that's ok, that's good. You've got to keep moving so long as you remember all the people that you used to be."


DK Live's Tyler Sullivan breaks down the trade between the Avalanche and Maple Leafs with Tyson Barrie and Nazem Kadri as the centerpieces of the deal.


Latest Update: via the Toronto police: SHOOTING: Nathan Phillip's Square **Update** -4 victims located -None of the injuries are life threatening -3 people arrested -2 firearms recovered -Investigators wish any video to assist in investigation -Please use portal: https://t.co/NGv3aZdlDO ^dh   Toronto Police OPS (@TPSOperations) June 17, 2019 Update: Toronto police: SHOOTING: Nathan Phillip's Square -Bay St and Albert St -Police have located 2 victims -Injuries serious but not life threatening -2 people in custody -2 firearms recovered -Investigating ^dh   Toronto Police OPS (@TPSOperations) June 17, 2019 The Raptors' championship parade was interrupted by a scary situation. Toronto Police: SHOOTING: Nathan Phillip's Square -Reports of woman shot -People running from area -Police/EMS are on scene -Unknown what the injuries are #GO112676 ^dh   Toronto Police OPS (@TPSOperations) June 17, 2019 Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star: Gunshots fired at the parade at the back south east corner of Nathan Phillips Square. One witness said four shots. Crowd ran. There is a victim down being given medical attention, surrounded by a crowd, and police are clearing people from the area. Speeches are still going on.   Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) June 17, 2019 Crowd on east side running again. Cops said get down. Oh no.   Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) June 17, 2019 More running a block east, and then out of the building across from old city hall on Bay. Sirens coming.   Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) June 17, 2019 Stay away from the eaton centre. Please just ran in there, and crowd just ran away. If you're in the area, get down.   Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) June 17, 2019 Especially in large crowds like this, chaos and confusion can spread quickly. Hopefully, everyone is OK. The scene was quite strange, as speeches were interrupted while people in sections of the crowd fled: The Raptors ceremony has been interrupted for a serious incident. pic.twitter.com/JIzOuNzvsb   Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) June 17, 2019 And again. People running away from the right side. Not sure what's going on pic.twitter.com/1fEoGoaVMl   Meagan Fitzpatrick (@fitzpatrick_m) June 17, 2019 ppl have been running from the back of the stage for some reason. hope everyone's safe. #RaptorsParade pic.twitter.com/HRoeTZ4val   Gelek Besthairtsang (@GelekB) June 17, 2019 The Raptors are continuing their speeches now.


A four-month-old puppy attentively sits and follows her owner as he moves from staircase to staircase. Each time the owner comes into view, she is already sitting and waiting patiently for attention. The owner captured the dachshund, named Charlotte, as she sat patiently at the top of the steps as he walked back and forth in their Springboro, Ohio home. This video was filmed on April 26.


Without fail, every summer always manages to bring a few preseason darlings to the forefront. On the backs of media hype, great practices and praise from coaches and teammates, a handful of players are able to garner a significant amount of clout before a single snap of meaningful football is ever played. Though we're only one day into minicamp - with training camp still over a month away - Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews is already positioning himself to be one of the offseason's more acclaimed players. The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec - who was in attendance at Tuesday's practice - tweeted that Andrews was "night and day compared to how he looked at this time last season." Jonas Shaffer of the Baltimore Sun corroborated Zrebiec's account, tweeting that Andrews was "maybe the offense's top performer today." Indeed, it was a productive practice for both Andrews and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. ESPN's Jamison Hensley reported via Twitter that the duo linked up for two touchdowns during Tuesday's practice. Jackson and Andrews hope to build upon the impressive rapport they built as rookies last year, when Andrews averaged 12.1 yards per target with Jackson under center. Andrews - a third-round selection in 2018 - enters the season on the heels of a spectacular rookie campaign. Andrews led all rookie tight ends in receiving yardage (552) and yards after catch (198). Pro Football Focus also gave Andrews the highest overall grade among rookie tight ends in 2018, and reported via Twitter that Andrews drew a healthy 129.9 passer rating when targeted. Given his impressive body of work thus far, hopes are sky high for Andrews as he enters his sophomore season. If he builds on Tuesday's impressive showing over the summer, those expectations will only grow. For his part, Andrews remains focused on improving his game this offseason, particularly when it comes to the bread and butter of the tight end position - blocking. "For me, it was a lot about getting stronger, getting faster," Andrews said at a late May press conference. "I ran a ton of routes, but especially working on my blocking. I feel like that's something I can make the biggest stride in from Year One to Year Two is my blocking. So, just trying to be a complete tight end is what I focused on." MORE: Most bizarre and incredible catches by fishermen in past decade 2019 aggregate mock draft 9.0: First look after withdrawal deadline Watch as judge declares mistrial on remaining 8 charges against Kellen Winslow Jr. Jay Gruden likes his developmental secondary, highlighted by Troy Apke Report: Celtics don't want to keep all of their first-round picks


Jennifer Lopez would ''absolutely'' duet with Rihanna. The 45-year-old singer has revealed she would love to sing with the 'We Found Love' hitmaker, having recently starred in the animated movie 'Home' with her. When asked if she would work with her co-star, she said: ''Absolutely! Who wouldn't?!'' The chart-topping mother-of-two went on to explain she is such a fan of the Bajan beauty because she is both edgy and feminine. She told E! News: ''I'm a huge Rihanna fan ... and I feel like she's such a girl's girl, which I love, because I'm a girl's girl and she seems very sweet. ''And I love the edginess about her and I think she did a really great job in this film.'' The comments come just days after 27-year-old star also expressed her wish to work with the 'Booty' singer, but confessed she would have to add padding to her derriere if they shot a video together so she could compete with Jennifer's round butt. She said: ''I would need some butt pads for that video though.'' Continuing to praise the star - who released her debut single 'If You Had My Love' in 1999 - she gushed over how successful she continues to be, despite being older than most pop stars. She added: ''I mean, really? She's shutting down 20-year-olds at forty-something. It's unheard of.''


An Illinois broadcast meteorologist who was taken off television after criticizing an unpopular "Code Red" weather alert system has been fired, his former employer said. Joe Crain's dismissal was confirmed Thursday by Rob Ford, a spokesman for Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns Crain's ex-employer, WICS-TV in Springfield. Ford declined further comment. Crain, a 15-year WICS veteran, was absent from newscasts after an on-air critique June 5 of Sinclair's "Code Red" weather-alert brand, which the station subsequently announced would be replaced. Crain acknowledged widespread community complaints in this, the nation's 82nd largest TV market, that "Code Red" was alarmist and imprecise. He said it was improperly "all-inclusive" and failed to recognize storms' varying degrees. "When you hear 'Code Red,' you think, as they say, the feces is about to hit the fan. We understand your concerns," Crain said. "It's not us. This is a corporate initiative, the 'Code Red' alert, and behind the scenes, many of us have tried to dissuade it for the last few months." Crain has declined comment. Mort Meisner, a Royal Oak, Michigan-based television talent agent, said Crain's contract likely included a standard "moral turpitude" clause subjecting him to discipline or dismissal for action which embarrasses the station. A 20-year veteran news director and editor, Meisner said, "If you blast your owners or your bosses publicly, you probably should be fired." Meisner, who represents some talent working for Sinclair, noted that weather is the top reason viewers tune in to television news, and the media have a responsibility not to frighten them needlessly with forecasts. "I side with him (Crain) that it might be overkill, but I side with them (Sinclair) once he blasts or questions ownership publicly and especially on the air." Crain's absence from newscasts unleashed social-media protests, petitions demanding his return, and advertiser boycotts. Businesses pulled their ads in support of Crain and to protest "Code Red" as a needless alarm that persuaded people to stay home and away from restaurants and retail stores. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, a Democrat who lives in Springfield, voiced support for Crain. A weekly newspaper reporter composed a song, "Joe Crain," to the tune of the early 20th Century labor anthem, "Joe Hill," and the brouhaha was the subject of a parody bit on "The Late Show" with Stephen Colbert. WICS general manager Rick Lipps posted an online video Monday in which he announced that the station would replace "Code Red" with a "Weather Warn" banner and that managers would work to improve geographic specificity of alerts. Lipps said in the video that he could not comment on Crain because it was a personnel matter. But Sinclair posted a solicitation for a WICS meteorologist on its website Tuesday.


Big man DeMarcus Cousins is perhaps the biggest name left among free agents besides Kawhi Leonard , but there doesn't appear to be much of a market for him, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said during an appearance on the network ( video link ). According to Wojnarowski, it's not even necessarily a lock that Cousins will exceed the one-year, $5.34M deal he signed with the Warriors a year ago. In a separate appearance on ESPN's "Get Up" ( video link ), Woj suggested that a one-year deal below $10M for Cousins appears to be the most likely scenario, while ESPN's Tim Bontemps pointed to the Lakers as one team that might be a fit in terms of cap room   but only if they fail to land Leonard. Here's more on some of the remaining free agents: Former NBA player Kendrick Perkins ( Twitter link ) hears that Kawhi Leonard met with the Clippers on Monday night, though Perkins believes the Lakers have the "upper hand" of the two L.A. teams. After meeting with the Clippers and Lakers, Kawhi is expected to give the Raptors the chance to make the final pitch before he finalizes his decision. The Mavericks are in "strong position" to land free agent shooting guard Danny Green , regardless of what happens with Leonard's free agency, tweets his podcast co-host Harrison D. Sanford. According to Sanford ( via Twitter ), Dallas views Green as a valuable floor spacer and locker-room presence. With approximately $4M in cap space and their $4.8M room exception still available, the Knicks have checked in on free agent wing James Ennis , tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv. According to Begley ( via Twitter ), the Lakers and Clippers are also among the clubs that have touched base with Ennis since free agency started.


Back in 2017, Andrew Cashner posted a solid 3.40 ERA in 28 starts and parlayed that into a two-year, $16M deal in Baltimore despite the fact that he ranked at the bottom of the league in terms of strikeout rate and swinging-strike rate in the season leading up to free agency. The contract almost seemed destined to be a misstep, and his 2018 campaign indeed looked regrettable. Cashner logged a 5.29 ERA with 5.8 K/9, 3.8 BB/9, a career-high 1.49 HR/9 and a career-low 40.4 percent ground-ball rate. His once blazing fastball checked in at a pedestrian average of 92.4 mph. On the heels of that showing, the new Orioles front office, led by former Astros assistant GM Mike Elias, was understandably interested in clearing Cashner's salary off its books. Cashner, after all, has a $10M vesting option for the 2020 season that kicks in if he reaches 187 frames this year, and while that'd be a career-high for him, it's not out of the realm of possibility. Given that context, it wasn't much of a surprise when The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported earlier this week (subscription required) that Baltimore was willing to eat virtually all of Cashner's 2019 salary in Spring Training to facilitate a trade. Obviously, nothing came together. The 2019 season is only a quarter through, but Cashner suddenly looks more like a passable fifth starter than he did a year ago. Through 48 1/3 innings, he's averaged 7.5 K/9 against 3.4 BB/9 with a revitalized 51.7 percent grounder rate. His velocity is actually up to 93.5 mph on average, and Cashner's 9.2 percent swinging-strike rate is the highest it's been since way back in 2012. Cashner is throwing more four-seamers and more changeups, and he's generally received more positive results. A contending club with a thin rotation could probably acquire Cashner for little more than a bit of salary relief and use him fifth starter. The upside in that scenario is minimal, however, and Cashner's vesting option would be a deterrent for any interested team. The more intriguing scenario would be for one of the many bullpen-needy teams   the Braves, Twins, Red Sox, Dodgers, Brewers or even the Cubs (his original club)   to acquire Cashner and drop him directly into the bullpen. This isn't exactly a revolutionary concept. Putting Cashner in the bullpen has been a suggestion for years (hence this post's title). But it's also a fact that there are very few teams willing to sell at this point in the season, and the ones who are willing to do so would put a high price on most bullpen targets given the short supply of available arms in mid May. That's unlikely to be the case with the Orioles and Cashner. Elias & Co. know full well that they'll be summer sellers, and they'd be happy to shed whatever they can of the $5.89M that remains on Cashner's 2019 salary. Beyond that is the fact there is some evidence to suggest Cashner would thrive in shorter stints. Opponents are hitting just .212/.272/.347 against Cashner the first time through the order so far in 2019, and he's struck out 24.7 percent of the hitters he's faced the first time through as well. Cashner's velocity will quite likely tick up even further in shorter stints, which could help him to improve on that ability to miss bats, but he's already sporting a 3.50 xFIP when facing opponents for the first time in a game. That alone is worthy of intrigue, particularly given the minimal cost of acquisition. Putting Cashner in the 'pen also mitigates any concern about his vesting option, and while he may prefer to work as a starter and have a chance to lock in that 2020 salary, he'd set himself up for a solid payday next winter if he can thrive in a multi-inning relief role. This time of year, there are far more clubs looking for bullpen help than there are arms available. That's not going to enhance Cashner's trade value much   the O's probably won't get much beyond some salary relief   but the lack of available alternatives should still lead teams to explore the idea of finally converting him into a full-time reliever.


An outbreak of Legionnaires' disease at the Sheraton Atlanta during the busy summer travel season is a reminder that dangerous germs can lurk in hotel hot tubs, showers and air-conditioning units. Health officials in Georgia said this week there are now 11 lab-confirmed cases and 55 probable cases of the rare, but serious, lung infection linked to the outbreak. No one has died. The local health department has asked people who stayed at or visited the hotel in downtown Atlanta between June 12 and July 15 to fill out surveys about what they did there and how they've been feeling, to find other potential patients and track down the cause of the outbreak. The Sheraton voluntarily closed last month and remains closed. Marriott International, which owns Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, did not reply to a TODAY request for comment. What is Legionnaires' disease? It's a potentially life-threatening type of pneumonia caused by Legionella , a bacterium found naturally in lakes and streams, but which can also grow in large human-made water systems found in hotels, hospitals and cruise ships, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . If the water is not properly maintained, Legionella can multiply in wet places like shower heads, sink faucets, fountains, hot tubs that aren't drained after each use and cooling towers. People can then breathe in mist that contains the germs and become ill. It's not spread person to person and is "very, very treatable when diagnosed early," said NBC News medical contributor Dr. Natalie Azar. Recent high-profile cases included outbreaks at Disneyland in 2017 and in the Bronx , New York, in 2015. There were about 7,500 cases of Legionnaires' disease in the U.S. in 2017, with more illness reported in the summer and early fall than at other times of the year. What are the symptoms? The warning signs begin two to 10 days after being exposed to the bacteria, but can take up to two weeks to show up. They include: Cough Shortness of breath Fever Muscle aches Headaches Who is most at risk? Most healthy people exposed to the germs don't get sick. The more vulnerable population includes: People 50 years or older Current or former smokers People with a chronic lung disease, like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or emphysema People with weak immune systems People with cancer People with underlying illnesses such as diabetes, kidney failure or liver failure How is Legionnaires' disease treated? Once pneumonia is confirmed by a chest X-ray, doctors use a urine test or a phlegm test to check whether it was caused by Legionella . The treatment is a course of antibiotics for several weeks and hospital care, with most people making a full recovery. But 10% of patients with Legionnaires' disease die from the infection, according to the CDC. How is the disease prevented? There are no vaccines that can prevent Legionnaires' disease. The public essentially depends on building owners to take the proper measures to prevent the growth and spread of Legionella , such as regular inspections, cleaning and maintenance of water systems. Gallery: 40 Subtle Messages From Your Body That Could Spell Serious Disease (Provided by Best Life)


Essential travel gear, tips for flying with children and more. If you're planning to travel with your spouse and kids, it can be difficult to know where to start   and you might end up spending more than you want to. But that doesn't have to be the case if you map out your itinerary ahead of time and watch out for extraneous costs that might drive up your vacation bill. With this travel guide, it's possible to stay on budget and plan an unforgettable family vacation . 1. Cruises If you're looking to have a fun-filled vacation without the hassle of planning a costly itinerary for your family, booking a cruise can save you a lot of time and money. Your lodging, meals and onboard entertainment are typically included in your cruise fare. Also, many cruise lines offer all-inclusive packages that cover activities on and off the boat. For example, Celebrity Cruises offers a three-night stay at a four-star luxury hotel, a fully-guided evening city tour and a farewell dinner in all of its City Stay packages. "Booking a family cruise is a great way to plan an easy trip everyone will love," said Holly Johnson, a travel blogger, and co-creator of Club Thrifty . "Most cruise lines offer kid's clubs and activities along with casinos, nightly shows, included dining and more. Cruising is also easy to plan and budget for since your cruise cabin and meals are included in a single rate. If you can drive to a cruise port, that's even better." In addition, some cruise lines offer free boarding for children. Johnson recommends booking a trip with MSC Cruises. The cruise line allows children ages 11 and under to sail for free when accompanied by two paying adults this winter. Also, kids can enjoy a variety of activities on board, including dance parties for teenagers and an arts and crafts station for children ages 3 to 11. 2. National Parks Visiting a national park for your family vacation can be easy on your wallet and allow your kids to experience some of the world's greatest sights. In fact, Yellowstone National Park is listed by U.S. News & World Report as the most affordable vacation destination for families , followed by the Grand Canyon. Companies like RVC Destinations give travelers the option to rent a fully decked-out recreational vehicle, cabin or cottage in destinations across America   including the Yosemite RV Resort in Coarsegold, California. The company also offers a wide selection of activities, such as kayaking, canoeing, boating, trail hiking, mountain biking, charter fishing, swimming and zip lining, according to Sarah Beth of Morris Marketing. Depending on the number of travelers, you can currently book a stay at the Yosemite RV Resort for $120. 3. Beach Cities Popular beach cities like San Diego are perfect for family vacations   kids can enjoy various water activities while you relax, and there are often theme parks or other tourist attractions nearby. Many of those attractions are within miles of each other, so you don t have to worry about making a major trek to keep your family entertained. Moreover, you might be able to skip out on paying separate entrance fees for each tourist attraction. For example, the Go San Diego Card is an all-inclusive pass that grants free entry to 40 tourist destinations in San Diego for a starting price of $96. You can choose from popular attractions like the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Safari Park and the Legoland family theme park. How to Cut Costs When You're Flying With Kids Flights are already expensive when you're vacationing on your own, but adding your children's flights on top of everything else can take your travel expenses through the roof. Find out how to cut down on costs when you're flying with your kids. 1. Look for Youth Discounts Many airlines offer discounted   or even free   airfare for children, but these discounts are often overlooked. For example, children under 14 fly for free on Frontier Airlines when you join the airline s fare membership club, Discount Den. In addition, British airline Virgin Atlantic charges 50%-75% of the adult fare for children ages 2 to 11 for short- and long-haul international services. 2. Pack as Lightly as Possible Cutting back on the amount of luggage you need to bring is a great way to stay on top of your budget for your family vacation. Major airline carriers   such as United, Delta, Alaska Airlines and American Airlines   all charge $30 for you to check one bag. This price increases with every bag you check thereafter. American Airlines, for example, charges $40, $150 and $200 for bags two, three and four, respectively. If you absolutely need to check a few bags to accommodate your family's needs, consider booking your flight with a low-cost airline like Southwest, which doesn't charge passengers for checking their first and second bags. 3. Use Travel Rewards One way to cut costs while flying with your kids is to take advantage of travel rewards through an airline credit card or airline rewards card. For example, Southwest Airlines offers its Companion Pass, which allows you to bring one passenger on board for free if you meet certain credit card spending requirements. "One of the best ways my family has been able to save on travel is with the Southwest Companion Pass," said Eric Rosenberg, founder of the finance blog Personal Profitability . "While it takes a lot of miles to earn it (I got mine through Southwest credit cards), that Companion Pass gives you two-for-one flights any time you book a flight no matter how you pay for it, including with Southwest with Rapid Rewards." Packing Essentials for Your Family Vacation When you're planning a family vacation with your spouse and kids, it's important to find the balance between overpacking and not packing enough. To make your trip go as smoothly as possible, brush up on some must-haves when it's time to head out on your family trip. 1. Plastic Bags Whether you're taking a road trip or flying across the country, keeping plastic bags on hand is a must when you're traveling with children. In an article for the travel site The Points Guy, contributor Jessica Lawler underscored the importance of traveling with zip-close bags. "A handful of large Ziploc bags can truly be a lifesaver," Lawler said. "I found myself in too many tight situations   a soiled diaper with no garbage can in sight, a wet swimsuit, a leaky tube of diaper rash cream   before finally realizing I should have Ziploc bags on hand at all times. Not only are they lightweight, but the bags lock out moisture and smell for the most part." 2. A Backpack To make sure you have immediate access to everything that your children might need, you should get a lightweight travel backpack in which your kids can place their electronics, medication, souvenirs or snacks when it's time for the family to head out and do some exploring. You can score a travel backpack by Venture Pal for $17.99 on Amazon. 3. Collapsible Water Bottles Plastic water bottles can take up valuable space in your bags, and they aren't environmentally friendly. Not to mention, water can cost a pretty penny when you're traveling. The price of one Dasani water bottle at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, is $3.99. If you're a family of five, purchasing water for everyone will cost nearly $20. So, consider getting a reusable and collapsible water bottle, which shrinks in size when you're finished with it and can be easily stored away in your child's backpack. For example, a set of two collapsible silicone water bottles retails for $14.97 on Amazon. Kid-Friendly Activities in Every City You might not be restricted from many activities or events as an adult on vacation, but there aren t as many options when you have children in tow. Take a look at some of the most cost-efficient and kid-friendly activities you can share with your children on your next trip. 1. Visit Museums Depending on your destination, going to museums can be one of the easiest ways to entertain your family on vacation. Before you book your flight, do some research and see which museums are available in your destination. You might be able to get a package deal to visit multiple museums for free . For example, if you become a member of the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) Travel Passport Program, you're eligible to receive free general admission to other science museums across the country. "In the past 14 months, our family of four has saved more than $1,300 by visiting museums that are part of the ASTC passport program," said Laura Barnard of Kid Vacation Critics. "During this time, we've visited eight museums that are part of the program." 2. Go on Walking Tours You can also get a full day s worth of entertainment for cheap by taking your kids on sightseeing tours. In fact, there are many free walking tours available across the country. Check out sites like GuruWalk if you re not sure what tours are available near you.   I am a big fan of taking free walking tours in new destinations   which is a great family and budget travel activity,  said personal finance and travel expert Nora Dunn.  GuruWalk is a site that lists free walking tours around the world. To take the walking tour concept to another level, and involve the entire family in an interactive learning and discovery experience, my budget family vacation tip is to do a scavenger hunt!  3. Check Out Local Street Markets or Fairs Heading to the local market is a great opportunity to spend quality time with your family and experience the local culture without breaking the bank. If you're in a foreign country, you can use that time to buy souvenirs or strike up a conversation with locals. You can also score some travel savings by taking your family to a city fair. For example, Malaga Feria is a weeklong city fair in Spain that includes free concerts, fireworks displays, rides and performances   and entrance is free.


"To me, it was the dream we had all signed up to chase, what we had imagined, worked and trained for, the apex of national service to a country we unabashedly loved," Buzz Aldrin said. The Apollo 11 Lunar Module Eagle, in a landing configuration was photographed in lunar orbit from the Command and Service Module Columbia. Inside the module were Commander Neil A. Armstrong and Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin. The long rod-like protrusions under the landing pods are lunar surface sensing probes. Upon contact with the lunar surface, On Jan. 9, 1969, NASA announced the prime crew of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission. This portrait was taken on Jan. 10, the day after the announcement of the crew assignment. From left to right are lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin, commander Neil Armstrong; and command module pilot Michael Collins. Dr. Wernher von Braun pauses in front of the Saturn V vehicle being readied for the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing mission. This photograph of Neil Armstrong, Apollo 11 commander, was taken inside the Lunar Module (LM) while the LM rested on the lunar surface. Within the White Room atop the gantry on Launch Complex 39 Pad A, the Apollo 11 astronauts egress from the Apollo spacecraft after participation in the Countdown Demonstration Test. In the foreground of the photograph is Astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Pad leader Guenter Wendt talks with Neil Armstrong. Official crew photo of the Apollo 11 Prime Crew. From left to right are astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Commander; Michael Collins, Command Module Pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module Pilot. The Apollo 11 astronauts, left to right, Commander Neil A. Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin Jr., inside the Mobile Quarantine Facility aboard the USS Hornet, listen to President Richard M. Nixon on July 24, 1969 as he welcomes them back to Earth and congratulates them. This photograph of the Lunar Module at Tranquility Base was taken by Neil Armstrong during the Apollo 11 mission, from the rim of Little West Crater on the lunar surface. Armstrong's shadow and the shadow of the camera are visible in the foreground. This is the furthest distance from the lunar module traveled by either astronaut while on the moon. On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced the goal of sending astronauts to the moon before the end of the decade. Eight years later at 9:32 a.m. EDT on July 16, 1969, that dream became a reality as the swing arms moved away and a plume of flame signaled the liftoff of the Apollo 11 mission. A 1964 photo shows the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV), affectionately dubbed the "flying bedstead" in flight at Edwards Air Force Base in California. NASA used the LLRV to simulate the Apollo lunar landings. Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrong had a close call in one of these machines in 1968, ejecting safely just seconds before a crash. On July 24, 1969, the Apollo 11 crew splashed down in the Pacific Ocean. Dr. Wernher von Braun, the first center director of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center is carried aloft on the shoulders of city officials during the Apollo 11 celebration in downtown Huntsville on July 24, 1969. The Apollo 11 spacecraft Command Module (CM) is loaded aboard a Super Guppy Aircraft at Ellington Air Force Base for shipment to the North American Rockwell Corporation at Downey, Calif. The CM was just released from its postflight quarantine at the Manned Spacecraft Center (which would later be renamed JSC). Dr. Wernher von Braun, the first director of the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., relaxes following the successful launch of Apollo 11 on July 16, 1969. This interior view of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module shows Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., lunar module pilot, during the lunar landing mission. This picture was taken by Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander, prior to the moon landing. Apollo 11 mission officials relax in the Launch Control Center following the successful Apollo 11 liftoff on July 16, 1969. Buzz Aldrin moves toward a position to deploy two components of the Early Apollo Scientific Experiments Package (EASEP) on the surface of the moon during the Apollo 11 mission. March 1, 1968, the Saturn S-IC-6 arrived at the Mississippi Test Facility -- today's NASA Stennis Space Center -- from the Michoud Assembly Facility. Fifty years ago on July 20, 1969, humanity stepped foot on another celestial body and into history. This week in 1969, Apollo 11 launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Here, the Instrument Unit is lowered into place atop the third stage of the Saturn V launch vehicle in the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy. Neil Armstrong trained for the Apollo 11 mission at NASA Langley's Lunar Landing Research Facility on equipment that cancelled all but one-sixth of Earth's gravitational force. Armstrong offered perhaps the greatest tribute to the importance of his training when asked what it was like to land on the moon, replying, "Like Langley." This image, taken on March 4, 1969, shows the stacking of the S-II stage for the Saturn 506 in the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building in preparation for the Apollo 11 launch. On July 16, 1969, the Apollo 11 mission lifted off for humanity's first visit to another celestial body. On July 16, 1969, the huge, 363-feet tall Saturn V rocket launches on the Apollo 11 mission from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, at 9:32 a.m. EDT. The American flag heralded the launch of Apollo 11, the first Lunar landing mission, on July 16, 1969. The massive Saturn V rocket lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center with astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin at 9:32 a.m. EDT. Four days later, on July 20, Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the Moon's surface. This photograph shows the Saturn V launch vehicle (SA-506) for the Apollo 11 mission liftoff at 8:32 am CDT, July 16, 1969, from launch complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Within the Mobile Quarantine Facility, Apollo 11 astronauts (left to right) Michael Collins, Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. and Neil A. Armstrong relax following their successful lunar landing mission. Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot of the first lunar landing mission, poses for a photograph beside the deployed United States flag during an Apollo 11 extravehicular activity (EVA) on the lunar surface. The Lunar Module (LM) is on the left, and the footprints of the astronauts are clearly visible. Within the White Room atop the gantry on Launch Complex 39 Pad A, the Apollo 11 astronauts Pad leader Guenter Wendt talks with Neil Armstrong. Astronaut Michael Collins is to the left of Armstrong. A close-up view of astronaut Buzz Aldrin's bootprint in the lunar soil, photographed with the 70mm lunar surface camera during Apollo 11's sojourn on the moon. Neil Armstrong trained for the historic Apollo 11 mission at the Lunar Landing Research Facility. This picture was taken in February 1969 - just five months before Armstrong would become the first person to set foot on the surface of the moon. July 16, 1969 - Personnel in the Launch Control Center watch the Apollo 11 liftoff from Launch Complex 39A at the start of the historic lunar landing mission. NASA and Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) officials joined with flight controllers to celebrate the successful conclusion of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission in the Mission Control Center. Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, the second human to step on the surface of the moon is about to climb into the Lunar Module at the Langley Lunar Landing Research Facility. Aldrin was one of 23 astronauts who trained at the Langley facility in preparation for the final phase of the moon landing. In keeping with the semi-quarantine for the Apollo 11 mission, NASA photographer Bill Taub having blood test prior to photographing the Apollo 11 crew - Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr. Administering the blood test in the Launch Site Medical Operations Laboratory is Cheryl Tuchman. New York City welcomes Apollo 11 crewmen in a showering of ticker tape down Broadway and Park Avenue in a parade termed as the largest in the city's history. Pictured in the lead car, from the right, are astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, command module pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot. Adjacent to the Kennedy Space Center thousands of spectators camped out on beaches and roads to watch the launch of Apollo 11, which launched at 9:32 a.m. Eastern on July 16, 1969. The launch of Apollo 11 was the culmination of 8 years of hard work by thousands of scientists and technicians. The Apollo 11 crew await pickup by a helicopter from the USS Hornet, prime recovery ship for the historic lunar landing mission. The fourth man in the life raft is a United States Navy underwater demolition team swimmer. All four men are wearing biological isolation garments. As commander of Apollo 11, Neil Armstrong took most of the photographs from the historic moonwalk, but this rare shot from fellow moonwalker Buzz Aldrin shows Armstrong at work near the lunar module Eagle. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin walks on the surface of the moon near the leg of the lunar module Eagle during the Apollo 11 mission. Mission commander Neil Armstrong took this photograph with a 70mm lunar surface camera. Spacecraft communicators are pictured as they keep in contact with the Apollo 11 astronauts during their lunar landing mission on July 20, 1969. From left to right are astronauts Charles M. Duke Jr., James A. Lovell Jr. and Fred W. Haise Jr. This outstanding view of the full moon was photographed from the Apollo 11 spacecraft during its trans-Earth journey homeward. When this picture was taken, the spacecraft was already 10,000 nautical miles away. On board Apollo 11 were commander Neil Armstrong, command module pilot Michael Collins and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin. While astronauts The command module and service module for the Apollo 11 mission are moved to the work stand in preparation for the first manned lunar landing. New York City welcomes the Apollo 11 crew in a ticker tape parade down Broadway and Park Avenue. Pictured in the lead car, from the right, are astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin. The three astronauts teamed for the first manned lunar landing, on July 20, 1969. Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot, egresses the Lunar Module (LM) "Eagle" and begins to descend the steps of the LM ladder as he prepares to walk on the moon. The command and service module for Apollo 11 moves from a work stand and final mate to service-module-to-launch-module adapter. Former President Lyndon B. Johnson and then-current Vice President Spiro Agnew are among the spectators at the launch of Apollo 11, which lifted off from Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center at 9:32 am EDT on July 16, 1969. The crew, the first of the Apollo missions to land on the moon, safely returned to Earth on 37 years ago this week on July 24, 1969 The far side of the Moon is rough and filled with craters. By comparison, the near side of the Moon, the side we always see, is relatively smooth. Since the Moon is rotation locked to always point the same side toward Earth, humanity has only glimpsed the lunar farside recently - last century. In the Mission Operations Control Room of the Mission Control Center, Building 30, Manned Spacecraft Center, flight controllers applaud the splashdown and success of the Apollo 11 lunar mission. Four days earlier on July 20, 1969, mission commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon. Astronaut and Lunar Module pilot Buzz Aldrin is pictured during the Apollo 11 extravehicular activity on the moon. He had just deployed the Early Apollo Scientific Experiments Package. In the foreground is the Passive Seismic Experiment Package; beyond it is the Laser Ranging Retro-Reflector (LR-3). The Lunar Module for Apollo 11 moves from the landing gear fixture and mate to the spacecraft-lunar module adapter. Apollo 11 Commander Neil A. Armstrong waves to well-wishers in the hallway of the Manned Spacecraft Operations Building as he and Michael Collins and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. prepare to be transported to Launch Complex 39A for the first manned lunar landing mission. The Apollo 11 flight crew is given instructions by technicians and management while undergoing the extravehicular activity (EVA) training and the lunar module walk-through in preparation for the first manned landing on the moon. Carrying the Apollo 11 Saturn V rocket and mobile launcher, the crawler inches out of the Vehicle Assembly Building on the journey to Launch Pad 39A. The 363-foot-high space vehicle launched Apollo 11 astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. on the first manned lunar landing The Saturn V rocket stands on its mobile launcher at Pad 39A (center-rear, across water) as more than 3,000 news media representatives prepare for the liftoff of Apollo 11 and the beginning of the first manned lunar landing mission. As the Apollo 11 astronauts rehearse their lunar landing mission in simulators, they pause in front of a lunar module mockup in the Flight Crew Training Building area. From left, are Command Module Pilot Michael Collins, Commander Neil A. Armstrong, and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr. The 402-foot-tall mobile service structure is moved away from the Apollo 11 spacecraft at Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A. The move was made during the Countdown Demonstration Test with Apollo 11 astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. An overhead crane lifts the Saturn V first stage for the Apollo 11 mission from the transfer aisle floor in preparation for stacking on a mobile launcher inside the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 1. The 138-foot-long stage, to which two additional stages were added, generated a liftoff thrust of 7.7 million pounds. The Apollo 11 Saturn V lifts off with astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. at 9:32 a.m. EDT July 16, 1969, from Kennedy's Launch Complex 39A. The Apollo 11 crew leaves Kennedy Space Center's Manned Spacecraft Operations Building during the pre-launch countdown. Mission commander Neil Armstrong, command module pilot Michael Collins, and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin prepare to ride the special transport van to Launch Complex 39A where their spacecraft awaited them. President Richard M. Nixon was in the central Pacific recovery area to welcome the Apollo 11 astronauts aboard the USS Hornet, prime recovery ship for the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing mission. Portrait of Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander of the Apollo 11 Lunar Landing mission in his space suit, with his helmet on the table in front of him. Behind him is a large photograph of the lunar surface. Carrying the Apollo 11 Saturn V rocket and mobile launcher, the crawler inches its way along the three-and-a-half-mile journey to Launch Pad 39A. The 363-foot-high space vehicle launched Apollo 11 astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. on the first manned lunar landing mission. The Apollo 11 crew performs a walk-through egress test. The hands-on test was in preparation for the first manned lunar landing mission. Neil A. Armstrong, commander for the Apollo 11 moon-landing mission, practices for the historic event in a lunar module simulator in the Flight Crew Training Building at Kennedy. In preparation of the nation's first lunar landing mission, Apollo 11 crew members underwent training to practice activities they would be performing during the mission. In this photograph, Neil Armstrong, in his space suit, practices getting back to the first rung of the ladder on the Lunar Module.


Video by WGN-TV Chicago The body of John Dillinger, the notorious 1930s bank robber from Central Indiana, will be exhumed from his Crown Hill Cemetery burial site in Indianapolis. Earlier this month, the Indiana State Department of Health approved a request from Dillinger's nephew, Michael C. Thompson, to disinter the body and return it to its place at Crown Hill by Sept. 16. There was no reason given for the request for exhumation. Aaron Seaman, general manager of Crown Hill, said they have not been contacted by the funeral home regarding the exhumation and a date has not been set. IndyStar has reached out to Thompson to learn more. Born in Indianapolis on June 22, 1903, John Herbert Dillinger Jr.'s family moved to Mooresville, where Dillinger committed his first recorded crime   a car theft. Dillinger went from small-time crook to America's Most Wanted after a string of bank robberies and an ill-fated bank robbery left a police officer dead. His status as Public Enemy No. 1 made him a legend. RetroIndy: John Dillinger's getaway man was an Indianapolis race car driver Retro Indy: The life and crimes of John Dillinger On July 22, 1934, 15 FBI agents and members of the East Chicago Police Dept. killed John Dillinger as he left the Biograph Theatre in Chicago. Dillinger's body was brought back to Mooresville, where nearly 10,000 people waited to view his body. Funeral services were held at the home of his sister, Audrey Hancock, in Maywood. Dillinger is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis. The Dillinger family had ordered two and a half tons of concrete placed on the coffin after it was reported attempts might be made by "ghouls" to steal his body. Not surprisingly, there have been theories that it was not John Dillinger who was killed outside the theater, but rather a double. Dillinger had dyed his hair, plucked his eyebrows to a fine line, wore a mustache and a scar on the left side of his face had apparently been removed by plastic surgery. His fingerprints had been removed by acid. Follow IndyStar Visuals Manager and RetroIndy writer Dawn Mitchell on Twitter: @dawn_mitchell61. Indiana is full of fascinating history Subscribe today for unlimited RetroIndy access! This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: John Dillinger's body to be exhumed from Crown Hill Cemetery


Curious just how far your dollar goes in Boston? We've rounded up the latest rental offerings via rental sites Zumper and Apartment Guide to get a sense of what to expect when it comes to locating a rental in Boston if you don't want to spend more than $1,900/month on rent. Take a peek at what rentals the city has to offer, below. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 88 Brandywyne Drive (East Boston) Check out this one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment located at 88 Brandywyne Drive. It's listed for $1,810/month. Building amenities include assigned parking and a fitness center. The unit also has central heating. According to Walk Score's assessment, the area around this address is moderately walkable, is convenient for biking and has good transit options. (Check out the complete listing here .) 286 Chestnut Hill Ave. (Brighton) Located at 286 Chestnut Hill Ave., here's a 430-square-foot studio apartment that's listed for $1,820/month. In the unit, you can expect hardwood flooring. When it comes to building amenities, expect on-site laundry, secured entry and additional storage space. Both cats and dogs are welcome. Walk Score indicates that this location is very walkable, is very bikeable and has excellent transit. (Check out the complete listing here .) 62 Queensberry St. (Kenmore) Listed at $1,825/month, this 440-square-foot studio condo is located at 62 Queensberry St. Amenities offered in the building include on-site laundry, outdoor space and secured entry. The unit also has central heating, hardwood flooring and high ceilings. Animals are not permitted. Expect a broker's fee equal to one month's rent. According to Walk Score, the area around this address is a "walker's paradise," is great for biking and boasts excellent transit options. (Check out the complete listing here .) 33 Walbridge St. Next, there's this one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment located at 33 Walbridge St. It's listed for $1,825/month. Look for a dishwasher and hardwood flooring in the apartment. Amenities offered in the building include assigned parking, on-site laundry, bike parking and an intercom. Animals are not allowed. Be prepared for a broker's fee equal to one month's rent. According to Walk Score, this location is quite walkable, is relatively bikeable and has excellent transit. (Take a gander at the complete listing here .) Commonwealth Avenue and Warren Street (Brighton) Here's a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment at Commonwealth Avenue and Warren Street that's going for $1,825/month. Amenities offered in the building include an elevator and on-site laundry. The apartment also offers a balcony, a dishwasher and hardwood flooring. Attention, cat owners: your kitty is allowed here. Be prepared for a broker's fee equal to one month's rent. Per Walk Score ratings, the area around this address is very walkable, is fairly bikeable and has good transit options. (Take a look at the full listing here .) Working with a tight budget? Here are the cheapest rentals recently listed in Boston . This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Missing a boa constrictor in the south metro? It's your lucky day. Burnsville Police Captain Matt Smith says a driver had to swerve to miss the 5- to 6-foot-long snake Monday night at about 5 p.m. The driver called police to the intersection of McAndrews Road and Nicollet Avenue South. RELATED: Giant bullsnake found in bathtub in Hastings home "The snake ended up up on the median there, you can see in the picture," Smith said. "And our officer, who is much more gutsy than I am, decided to pick it up." Burnsville police posted on Twitter that they found a python, but they were quickly corrected. They now say it is a Colombian red tail boa constrictor. Smith said animal control now has custody of the snake. They believe it is a pet. "We'd like to find the owner," Smith said. If they don't find the snake's home within five days, he said, they will look for someone to adopt it. To claim the snake, or to offer helpful information, call Burnsville Police Dispatch 651-322-2323 or animal control at 952-894-DOGS.


By Steve DelVecchio Tiger Woods withdrew from the Farmer's Insurance Open last weekend with yet another injury. This time, Woods said his glutes are giving him trouble and leading to lower back pain. "[My] glutes are shutting off," he told reporters on Friday. "Then they don't activate and then it goes into my lower back. … So I tried to activate my glutes as best I could, but they just never stayed activated." It was certainly a strange way of describing an injury, and one that Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry took a blatant shot at before his team's game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday. "GlutesActivated," Curry tweeted . While Curry was obviously just cracking a joke, we all know Tiger is an intense guy. He probably won't appreciate it, especially given all the trouble he has already had this season. Woods hit two embarrassing back-to-back chip shots in his first tournament back from injury in December and was seen dry-heaving on the course just a few days later. Curry, who has said in the past that he is a big Tiger fan, probably didn't score any points there with the 14-time major champion.


Remember the good old days, when workers retired with a gold watch and a pension? They're long gone, of course. Only 15% of private-sector workers now participate in a traditional defined-benefit pension plan (three out of every four government workers do), according to the Pension Rights Center. Yet nearly two out of every three Americans polled earlier this year think a traditional pension plan does a better job of ensuring retirement security than do defined-contribution plans like 401(k) plans or IRAs. I mean, who would rather try to pick winning stocks, outguess Wall Street and the Federal Reserve, and keep up with changing tax laws for the "freedom" of managing their own retirements? Only actors in TV ads for brokerage firms, that's who. The rest of us would rather get that nice monthly retirement check in our bank accounts and let the professionals handle everything else. Unfortunately, that train left the station a long time ago. But even in the jerry-built U.S. retirement system, there are some simple ways to set up that steady stream of income pensions used to provide. "What people have to understand is that if a company isn't providing a retirement plan for them, they can create their own through their investments," says Gary B. Garland, a New York- and New Jersey-based attorney who specializes in retirement and estate planning. The first place to look is the only part of the retirement system that still provides pension-like income for almost all Americans: Social Security. Financed by a payroll tax on workers and employers, Social Security is the ultimate annuity. Its average monthly benefit per person in 2019 is $1,461, or just over $17,500 annually. Related video: What is the right IRA for your retirement plan? (provided by CBS News) Read: Looking for the best place to retire? Use MarketWatch's personalized tool Most Americans rely on Social Security to cover at least half their income, though it was designed to replace only 40% of what people previously earned. The best way to maximize your benefits is to work longer. Fewer than 4% of Americans wait until they're 70 to start collecting, and most claim early, although each year you delay adds 8% to the payout you'll get. Even by waiting for your full retirement age (66 or 67, depending on when you were born), you can raise benefits nicely while continuing to stash away money in your workplace or personal retirement savings plan. Beyond Social Security, there are several ways to create a pension-like income stream for yourself. Again, the first one the federal government does for you, albeit indirectly. Yes, you can use that big (or not so big) pot of money in your IRA or company 401(k) any way you want once you turn 59½ (although you will pay income taxes on any money you withdraw). But you should think of it not as a big lump sum to tap into when you need cash, but as a source of funding for your personal pension. Here's where the government comes in. The year after you turn 70½, you must withdraw a certain percentage of all your traditional retirement plan assets every year. It's called the required minimum distribution, or RMD. The IRS offers a table with a life expectancy factor by which you divide your total balance of all traditional IRAs and 401(k) accounts including SEP IRAs and solo 401(k) plans as of the previous Dec. 31. At age 70, it's 27.4 years and at 80 it's 18.7 years. Notice how as you age, the denominator shrinks, which means the percentage of your traditional retirement funds you must withdraw rises. (It starts off at 3.6% or so, but you can withdraw more, if you'd like, and pay taxes on it for the privilege.) That's because the IRS wants to get back as much of the money you accumulated tax-free over all those years as it can. But here's the good part you can use the government's requirements to help you build your personal pension. Let's say you've turned 70½ and plan to take a withdrawal this year. As of Dec. 31, 2018, your traditional retirement plans were worth $328,800 and you had a Roth IRA worth $70,000. That was a trick question, folks don't count the Roth! So divide $328,800 by 27.4 and you'll get $12,000. You can take out the money any time between Jan. 2 and Dec. 31. If you make monthly withdrawals (from any non-Roth plan you want), you'll get $1,000 a month in addition to your Social Security payout. That's also a market-neutral withdrawal strategy, like dollar- cost averaging in reverse, Garland points out. So those are the first two pieces of your personal pension. If you want more income, you can buy fixed annuities, so-called longevity insurance or managed-payout mutual funds or take out a reverse mortgage to generate more cash each month. We'll talk about those strategies in depth in future columns. So, yes, you can still have a pension if you build it yourself. You're on your own getting that gold watch, too.


Tim Tebow has faced many challenges in Triple A. That's why it is always good to share when the Heisman Trophy winner and former Denver Broncos first-round pick does something strong as a member of the Syracuse Mets. Tebow hit his second home run of the season Friday, an opposite-field job with two out in the second inning of Syracuse's 3-2 loss to Buffalo. Tebow loves those Friday night lights. @Mets farmhand @TimTebow swats his second homer for @SyracuseMets ! ➡ https://t.co/TJPiq1ubyh pic.twitter.com/VjhQGcNN9Q - Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) June 29, 2019 Tebow has two home runs and RBI in 190 at-bats with the Mets' Triple A team. He has struck out 78 times. He is hitting .153 with an OBP of .233. The guy never gives up and keeps on trying. Have to admire his persistence. MORE: Women's World Cup Schedule, Germany vs Sweden Live Stream, How to Watch World Cup Online, TV Channel, Start Time Danny Green: 'This is the time where I need to maximize the dollars on the longest amount of years that I can do' Vegas Sportsbook moves up Lakers title odds due to Kawhi Leonard rumors Francis Ellis Fired from Barstool Sports [UPDATE] Report: Pats 'fired up over what they've seen' from Jamie Collins Related slideshow: The 2019 MLB season (Provided by imagn)