When a rookie is trying to make an NFL team like New York Giants linebacker/safety Jake Carlock, doing all the extra work possible becomes absolutely necessary. In Carlock's case, that means going back to his hometown on Long Island and practicing his long-snapping while the Giants have a break before the start of training camp on July 22. While it might seem mundane to some, long snappers have a very important role in the NFL. After all, how frustrating is it to watch and how damaging is it to a team when the snap on a punt goes awry? Carlock, an undrafted rookie free agent linebacker who played cornerback in college, will be spending his time practicing by snapping balls into a lacrosse net, according to Tom Rock of Newsday . So when the Giants rookies are dismissed from the team's offseason program on Wednesday and check out of the Residence Inn in New Jersey that has been their "home" since early May, Carlock will return to Long Island's south shore and employ the area's most ubiquitous sporting equipment in his pursuit of pro football employment. Each day, he will head to a local field, turn his back on one of those metal orange rectangles with the triangle bottom, and fire footballs through his legs into the netting. Even though Carlock is away from the team, he is still keeping tabs with special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey. Carlock intends to send his coach video footage of him practicing snaps for feedback. "I was just talking to Coach [Thomas] McGaughey," Carlock said last week. "He said I need to have the ball in my hand every day just to get familiar with snapping. I'm excited. That's fun." Carlock will also attempt to convert from a corner to an edge rusher who will play with his hand in the dirt. Carlock graduated from Babylon High School on the south shore and played his college ball at Stony Brook first, but then transferred to LIU Post. MORE: LaVar Ball tried to talk Lonzo into staying with Big Baller Brand NBA Free Agency 2019: The top players An ode to the Golden State Warriors, the team that ruined the game LaVar Ball Made an Inappropriate Comment to Molly Qerim 3 players the Raiders could trade for before the 2019 season


Missed the the most recent top news in Cleveland? Read on for everything you need to know. Cleveland elementary school evacuated, 7 students sent to hospital following pepper spray exposure All students are in stable condition. Read the full story on WKYC . New documents raise security concerns at Cleveland Hopkins Airport Reviews show it took hours for officials to report security breach. Read the full story on WKYC . FBI searching for suspect accused of trying to rob armored truck at gunpoint in Cleveland Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to call (216) 522-1400. Read the full story on WKYC . 2 Cleveland police cruisers struck in crash with erratic driver Details developing. Read the full story on WKYC . This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle , then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Greek voters cast their ballots on Sunday in the country's first national election of the post-bailout era, with leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras's Syriza party expected to be ousted by the conservative opposition. After nearly five years in power, Greece's longest-serving crisis premier -- as well as the youngest in more than a century -- is battling to overcome a 10-point deficit in opinion polls amid widespread dissatisfaction after years of high taxation. Polling stations opened at 07.00 am local time (0400 GMT) and will close at 07.00 pm with 9,903,864 Greeks having the right to vote, according to the Athens News Agency. With three new opinion polls predicting a clear victory for the conservative New Democracy party, Tsipras called for supporters to mobilise, hoping for a turn around. "Today we are fighting this battle from the first to the last minute. With optimism and determination. The ballots are empty and all possibilities are open," he tweeted on Sunday. The polls have consistently forecast that New Democracy headed by Kyriakos Mitsotakis, a former banker and scion of a leading Greek political family, will win an absolute majority in Sunday's legislative elections. "I hope that from tomorrow we will be able to breathe with relief. To take a deep breath. If Mitsotakis will do what he promises," Athinodoros, a 48-year-old self-employed worker voting in the southern Athens' suburb of Nea Smyrni told AFP on Sunday. Others were less optimistic. Alkmini, a 39-year-old employee in the private sector voting in Neos Kosmos, a neighborhood near the centre of Athens, expects "no change for the better". "On the contrary, if New Democracy wins, I'm afraid that labour rights will get worse", she told AFP. Tsipras has accused Mitsotakis -- who was part of a 2012-2014 crisis government -- of "disastrous" mismanagement that brought hundreds of thousands of job losses and business failures. According to the latest polls, New Democracy is expected to gain between 151 to 165 seats in the 300-seat parliament. Syriza meanwhile is forecast to fall from 144 seats to between 70 and 82. Tsipras called the snap election in June after losing both European and local elections to Mitsotakis' New Democracy in the space of two weeks. - Greece's next PM? - The man tipped be Greece's next prime minister is a 51-year-old Harvard graduate and former McKinsey consultant with controversial civil service job cuts on his resume. Mitsotakis, who took over New Democracy three years ago, has pledged to create "better" jobs through growth, foreign investment and tax cuts and to "steamroll" obstacles to business. Tsipras, on the other hand, touts his party's track record in reducing unemployment and raising the minimum wage for the first time since 2012. His government also rolled out a batch of last-minute tax cuts in May. But Tsipras has been widely criticised for campaigning as an anti-austerity crusader before eventually accepting a third EU bailout. Christos Maravlis, who cast his ballot for the once-radical leftists in 2015, says many voters will be seeking to "punish Syriza for betraying the Greek people" with false promises. - Voting in the heat - The vote is be Greece's third poll in as many months, and the country's first mid-summer general election since 1928 is unlikely to set participation records. In May, fewer than 59 percent of registered voters cast ballots for European Parliament polls and the first round of local and regional elections. Participation fell below 42 percent for the second round a week later. With temperatures forecast to go as high as 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit) on Sunday, all parties dread the impact the heat will have on turnout. Fans were working hard to cool off polling stations as voters lined up to cast their ballots. The front page of the Proto Thema newspaper on Saturday showed a cartoon of a man catching some summer sun on an inflatable mattress. "Enjoy your vacations and let others decide if you will be able to go on vacation again," the front page joked. Syriza's number of seats in the next parliament is expected to depend on how many of the smaller parties secure at least three percent of the vote, the minimum required to enter parliament. Two new arrivals are the MeRA25 anti-austerity party of Tsipras's former maverick finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, and Greek Solution, a nationalist, pro-Russia party formed by former journalist and TV salesman Kyriakos Velopoulos. Polls show that each new party could win between nine and 10 MPs. Greek Solution has been buoyed by backlash against Tsipras' controversial agreement with North Macedonia that ended a bitter 27-year dispute over the country's name. The fledgling party has also picked up voters from neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn, which is in steep decline amid an ongoing trial for the 2013 murder of an anti-fascist rapper, allegedly carried out with the knowledge of senior Golden Dawn members.


The season may be done, but as we all know by now, the fun doesn't stop there. Now we get to speculate about who might arrive at King Power Stadium this summer, and who we might be saying goodbye to this summer. Gossip is as hot as ever, so Brendan Rodgers will definitely have a plateful of work to do after topping up his tan and polishing those pearly whites. Want to know the latest? You've come to the right place... Keane & Ake Contingency Plans Should Maguire Depart We're all a bit sick and tired of these Harry Maguire rumours, aren't we? Either make a hefty bid Manchester City (or United for that matter), or move onto other targets - and stop unsettling Harry in the process. But while there's nothing to suggest Mr. Maguire will be leaving this summer, the Leicester Mercury claim that Brendan and the club's hierarchy are putting in place a list of targets - just incase a deal comes to fruition. A number of names have been banded about, with Everton's Michael Keane and Bournemouth's Nathan Ake the most high-profile names mentioned. James Tarkowski of Burnley is also mentioned in dispatches, and money will certainly not be an issue if Lord Harry bids farewell. Leicester Bookies Favourites to Sign Robben This is one of those transfer stories that you just don't really believe. But, believe us you should - because the Foxes are actually in the running to sign free-agent Arjen Robben . The veteran Dutch winger has departed Bayern Munich after a decade of destruction in Bavaria, where he won countless Bundesliga titles and set the world alight with some blistering performances on the right wing. The Daily Mail note that there is no real credence to Leicester actually being interested, but the bookies odds would tend to suggest someone has received a hot tip. Can you imagine? Robben returns to the Premier League after leaving 12 years ago and tears things up just for fun - go on, let it happen. Rodgers Keen on Jordon Ibe Reunion as Bournemouth Prepare to Cash in One signing that could be a touch more realistic is that of Bourmemouth winger Jordon Ibe, whose future at the Vitality Stadium is seemingly in doubt. Ibe joined the Cherries from Liverpool for £15m three years ago, after breaking through into the first team setup at Anfield while Brendan was in charge of the Reds. A reunion has been tipped by the Mirror , with Bournemouth reportedly open to the idea of flogging Ibe this summer - because he's out of contract next summer. A former England Under-21 international, he could provide valuable competition for Demarai Gray, Harvey Barnes and Marc Albrighton on both flanks. Manchester City Starlet Also in Line for Rodgers Return Another young dashing winger being linked with a Brendan Rodgers reunion is Manchester City winger Patrick Roberts. The 22-year-old worked with Rodgers at Celtic during a highly successful two-year loan, before moving onto City's sister club Girona this season to sample life in La Liga. Things haven't gone to plan there, though, and Roberts could now be allowed to permanently leave the Etihad on the cheap - or so say The Sun at least. With the rumour fire now stoked, it's time to sit back and watch this story pan out.


The sportswriting world lost a giant on Sunday when NFL reporter Don Banks died suddenly in Canton, Ohio, after covering the Pro Football Hall of Fame weekend. Houston Texans coach Bill O'Brien took note of Banks' untimely passing and sent along his condolences to Banks' family. "I just want to mention sending our condolences on Don Banks' family," O'Brien told the media Monday. "Don Banks was somebody that I got to know as a head coach here in Houston who was an awesome sports writer, always told the truth, was a very trustworthy guy, a guy you could sit down and talk to." The 57-year-old, who had just taken a job at the Las Vegas Review-Journal, spent 36 years in sportswriting starting out as an intern for the St. Petersburg Times covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He later moved to the Minneapolis Star Tribune and St. Paul Pioneer Press. In 2000, Sports Illustrated hired him as a NFL columnist for their new SI.com. While with Sports Illustrated, he perfected his "Snap Judgments" column that NFL fans had to read every Sunday evening. "He studied football, he loved football, and it was a shock to all of us in football to see that he passed away the other night," O'Brien said. "Our hearts go out to the banks family. I just want to stay that to start off." Banks is survived by his wife, Alissa, sons Matt and Micah; a brother, Doug Banks, a sister, Donna; and many nieces and nephews. MORE: Bubba Wallace calls out Kyle Busch after spinning him: '(Expletive) him' Browns release their initial preseason depth chart Cowboys News: Gregory hasn't filed for reinstatement, Gathers axed Ryan Anderson cleaned up his off-field prep to get serious for 2019 Raiders release first depth chart of 2019 season


A Clarksville man is facing multiple charges after he crashed into a Jeffersonville police cruiser and fled a Louisville hospital. Police said a pickup truck driven by Gary Crowe Jr., 53, T-boned a marked police cruiser around 7 p.m. Monday at Eastern Boulevard and U.S. 31. Both drivers were transported to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. Officer Hunter Powell has been released from the hospital and is recovering at home with his family. Investigators wanted to obtain a blood-draw from Crowe for possible operating while intoxicated charges, but he reportedly fled from the hospital upon arrival. Crowe was later taken into custody by St. Matthews police officers and taken to University Hospital to complete testing. St. Matthews police arrested Crowe after a warrant was issued in Indiana. He's facing several charges, including OWI causing bodily injury and obstruction of justice. Crowe is being held at Metro Corrections. READ MORE: Clarksville man arrested after hitting police car, fleeing hospital CHECK OUT WLKY: Live. Local. Late-Breaking. Get the top Louisville news, weather and sports from the team at WLKY   online, anytime.


A storm that moved through the Yosemite National Park in California this past week has brougth Yosemite Falls back to life after yeas of drought left it dry.


Here's what you need to know about what's happening in Charlotte. 82-year-old man carjacked, beaten, robbed A suspect is on the run after Charlotte-Mecklenbury Police said he took an 82-year old man hostage in his own car and beat him up. Read the full story on Fox 11 Los Angeles . With Charlotte averaging 800 car break-ins a month, CMPD ramps up efforts to find suspects "These criminals are very smart," CMPD Captain Brian Sanders admitted. Read the full story on WCNC . Organic grocer closes after less than a year in Plaza Midwood - CharlotteFive Organic Harvest, which opened last fall in Plaza Midwood, has already closed its doors. Read the full story on CharlotteFive . After months of uncertainty, historic Excelsior Club could soon have a new owner - CharlotteFive The Excelsior Club, a historic landmark at the center of Charlotte's black community for decades, could soon have a new owner. Read the full story on CharlotteFive . Pedestrian struck and killed by vehicle in northeast Charlotte The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department reports one person was struck and killed by a vehicle in northeast Charlotte. Read the full story on WCNC . This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle , then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


The FBI is investigating corporate giants Johnson & Johnson, Siemens, General Electric and Philips for allegedly paying kickbacks as part of a scheme involving medical equipment sales in Brazil, two Brazilian investigators have told Reuters. The firms are suspected by Brazilian prosecutors of channeling illegal payoffs to government officials to secure contracts with public health programs across the South American country over the past two decades. Brazilian authorities say more than 20 companies may have been part of a "cartel" that paid bribes and charged the government inflated prices for medical gear such as magnetic resonance imaging machines and prosthetics. The four multinationals, with a combined market capitalization of nearly $600 billion at Thursday's market close, are the largest foreign enterprises to be investigated in an unprecedented anti-corruption push in Brazil in recent years. Big U.S. and European firms found to have engaged in wrongdoing in Brazil could also face heavy fines and other punishment under the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Since 1977, that law has made it illegal for American citizens, U.S. companies or foreign companies whose securities are listed in the United States to pay foreign officials to win business. Foreign firms are the latest targets of government corruption probes in Brazil. Over the past five years, prosecutors have uncovered pervasive graft in state institutions and private-sector companies seeking to do business with them. The sprawling investigations by prosecutors and federal police, including the famed "Car Wash" dragnet centered on Brazil's state-run oil company Petrobras, have toppled business and political leaders across Latin America. Authorities say plea-bargain testimonies garnered from suspects alerted them to other possible schemes, including alleged bribes paid by multinationals to obtain public contracts in Brazil. CONSTANTLY SHARING Brazilian federal prosecutor Marisa Ferrari confirmed in an interview with Reuters that U.S. authorities from the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission were assisting in the Brazilian medical equipment investigation she helps lead. In 2016, U.S. and Brazilian prosecutors jointly negotiated the world's largest-ever compliance penalty, a $3.5 billion fine against Brazilian construction conglomerate Odebrecht SA for its part in the Car Wash scandal. "We are constantly sharing information with the FBI on this (medical equipment) case. They ask for documents and we send them, and they are assisting our investigation in return," Ferrari said. In addition, Ferrari said, "we've received a lot of material from the Department of Justice and from the SEC." She declined to name which companies U.S. law enforcement agencies were investigating. Two Brazilian investigators with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed to Reuters that Johnson & Johnson, Siemens AG, General Electric Co, and Koninklijke Philips NV were being targeted by the FBI for alleged bribery in Brazil. The people requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the U.S. side of the investigation. The FBI would not confirm or deny the existence of any investigations. The SEC, which also investigates FCPA allegations, said by email that it declined to comment. Boston-based GE declined to comment on any investigation related to its business in Brazil. It said in an emailed statement that "we are committed to integrity, compliance and the rule of law in Brazil and every other country in which we do business." Siemens, which is based in Munich, said in an emailed statement that the firm "is not aware of any FBI investigation of the company related to cartel activity in Brazil." It said its policy is always to cooperate with law enforcement investigations when they occur. Amsterdam-based Philips confirmed in an email that it is under investigation in Brazil. In its 2018 annual report, Philips acknowledged that it "has also received inquiries from certain US authorities in respect to this matter." In its emailed response to Reuters, Philips said "it is not uncommon for US authorities to show an interest in these matters and it is too early to draw any conclusions." New Brunswick, New Jersey-based Johnson & Johnson said in an emailed response that the Department of Justice and the SEC "have made preliminary inquiries to the company" in regard to a raid by Brazilian federal police on its Sao Paulo offices last year, and that the firm is cooperating. TRULY MASSIVE Ferrari, the Brazilian prosecutor, said the medical equipment investigation was in its early stages. Still, she said evidence points to widespread bribery and price-gouging by firms looking to tap into Brazil's public healthcare system, one of the world's largest, serving 210 million people. "Because the Brazilian government's health budget is so huge, this scheme is truly massive," Ferrari said. "This first case is just a tiny sliver of what is to come." In addition to paying kickbacks through intermediaries to secure contracts, some suppliers charged Brazil's government inflated prices - up to eight times the market price - to help cover the cost of their bribes, according to court filings and plea-bargain testimony secured by prosecutors. GE's former chief executive for Latin America, Daurio Speranzini, and 22 others were charged last year in the first case connected to the alleged scheme. Prosecutors say that case, focused on Rio de Janeiro state, saw Brazilian taxpayers bilked out of at least 600 million reais ($149.38 million) between 2007 and 2018 through padded contracts awarded to crooked medical equipment suppliers. Lawyers for Speranzini, who left GE in November, said by email that he is innocent. Prosecutors allege Speranzini first took part in the cartel as the head of the Philips Healthcare operation in Latin America from 2004 until the end of 2010. A whistleblower told Philips' compliance office about the fraud, and Speranzini was fired after an internal probe, according to the documents. He was hired by GE a few months after leaving Philips. Investigators say they have strong evidence that Speranzini continued with the scheme while at GE. GE declined to comment on Speranzini's hiring or exit from the company.


The U.S. women's national team has been unpredictable over the past three years. From game to game, or even within the same game, there's consistently been a surprise from coach Jill Ellis designed to add more firepower in the attack. There were the times Ellis had the team play with just three defenders to add an extra number going forward. There were asks for offensive players to fill defensive positions so they could attack, even from the back line. And there have been the late game substitutions where balance goes out the window   just get every attacker possible on the field, even if players are in unusual positions. Many of these experiments haven't gone particularly well, but Ellis has persisted because the USWNT suffered a trauma in 2016 that she hasn't quite gotten over: losing to Sweden in the Olympics. At the Rio Games, the USWNT lost to bunkering Sweden team and got knocked out in the quarterfinal round, the USA's earliest exit ever. Up until then, the USWNT had never failed to finish third in a World Cup or an Olympics, and Ellis's mission since then has been to ensure such a disaster never happens again. But that's been easier said than done, as failed experiments over the past three years have proven, and it's unclear the USWNT has found its answer. After all, a far inferior South African team bunkered with two blocks of four on Sunday, and the USWNT looked stymied for long stretches. It was a friendly, and the USWNT did eventually win 3-0 , but there were many moments where the Americans did not look up to the task of unlocking South Africa's defense. A better bunkering team could surely still succeed like Sweden did. And given how that loss to Sweden has guided the USWNT's tactics over the past three years   not to mention the fact the two countries will face each other in the final group game at this summer's World Cup   it's worth revisiting that match. The first thing to understand about what happened in 2016 is that Sweden's game plan was not a surprise to Ellis or her team. "They will park the bus," Ellis said the day before the game. "They will sit as low as they possibly can and then look to transition, and they're going to try to kill the game off that way and not give up space. I imagine they'll play a 4-5-1 and be very compact." That's exactly what Sweden did, and yet the USWNT still couldn't take a lead at any point. The score ended in a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes, and the U.S. lost in penalty kicks. But the Americans' performance in Brasília has been colored   tainted, even   by the fact that they ultimately lost. In truth, they found plenty of chances and were simply unlucky to not put more of them away. If the U.S. had won the penalty kick shootout, the Sweden match would've been a forgettable affair. Here is each team's shooting map from the game: The USWNT took 26 shots and only got five of them on target   a problem of execution rather than opportunity. Of those 26 shots, 16 were taken inside the penalty box. The Americans also dominated the game in other ways. They held onto 64 percent of the possession and controlled the rhythm of the game. They won 65 duels to Sweden's 38, and won 17 tackles to Sweden nine. Carli Lloyd even scored what should've been the game-winner in the 115th minute of extra time, but she was incorrectly called offside. In other words, the USWNT's attack wasn't the biggest problem on that day. Sweden did successfully cram the penalty box, and it made it harder for the U.S. to get the shots they wanted. The U.S. also did play a bit too directly and focused on crossing the ball more than working it into dangerous areas with combination play, which led to some low-quality chances. But there were good chances, too. The reason Sweden won in 2016 was partly because of the USWNT's attacking-first approach. The defenders were flung so far forward in an effort to overload the midfield that it took Sweden two quick passes to bypass the entire defense. It was a textbook absorb-and-counter play, and the USWNT left itself vulnerable because it was so focused on barraging Sweden. Ellis's takeaway, however, has been the opposite   she apparently decided the USWNT attack didn't do enough against Sweden and more firepower is needed to break a bunker. In the book, " The National Team: The Inside Story Of The Women Who Changed Soccer ," Hope Solo recounts how the day after the loss to Sweden, Ellis spoke with her about the U.S. needing to learn to get past bunkering teams. Solo was later kicked off the team for calling Sweden "a bunch of cowards" for their ultra-defensive strategy, but up until Solo's punishment overshadowed the loss, the talking point from the game was how Sweden successfully bunkered past the No. 1-ranked team in the world. That's why after the Olympics in late 2016, Ellis concocted a three-back system that would remove one defender and replace her with an attacker. The experiment was a disaster. The way the USWNT got beat on the counterattack by Sweden became even easier. Romania, a team that has never even qualified for a World Cup, scored a goal that looked beat-for-beat similar to Sweden's goal in the Olympics. Ellis abandoned the three-back but has been tinkering with other ways to give the USWNT more numbers in the final third. That's why she has tested out some ultra-attacking rotations, such as putting Tobin Heath, one of the best wingers in the world, is in the central midfield. Mallory Pugh, another winger, started some games in the central midfield during the SheBelieves Cup. Pugh brought almost no defensive presence, but Ellis said she wanted Pugh there to race behind back lines. The USWNT is as aggressive as it's ever been, and it's because of how Ellis has responded to that loss at the Rio Games three years ago. The team's fullbacks are converted forwards who bomb up the field. The center of the pitch doesn't have a stay-at-home holding midfielder as Julie Ertz is encouraged to fly forward and join the attack. The Americans undoubtedly are going to score goals in France   that's what they're built for. The question is how much they will concede in the process. After all, despite everything that Ellis has tried, one simple soccer truth remains: bunkering often works. That's especially true when the defending team can be quick on the counterattack. Ellis has to hope that teams in France don't use the Americans' attacking style against them. That's what Sweden did, and becoming an even more attacking U.S. side hasn't solved it. Caitlin Murray is a contributor to Yahoo Sports and her book about the U.S. women's national team, The National Team: The Inside Story of the Women Who Changed Soccer , is out now. Follow her on Twitter @caitlinmurr . More from Yahoo Sports: Police: 8-year-old accidentally shoots mom at college baseball game Cubs' Zobrist on leave from team amid divorce Knicks fan probably regrets getting Zion tattoo UFC fighter has a delicious guilty pleasure


DALLAS, Texas (CBSDFW.COM)   Homicide detectives have arrested 18-year-old Kenaijae Keon Anderson for the murder of Leroy Hawkins , 17. Anderson was transported to Dallas Police Headquarters where Homicide detectives interviewed him. During the interview, he admitted to killing the victim. After the interview, he was transported to the Dallas Co. Lew Sterrett Jail and charged with murder, a 1st-degree felony. Anderson's bond is $200,000.


Last year's Ryder Cup pumped approximately $266 million into the French economy, an increase of $135 million from the 2014 match held in Scotland. The figure is included in a report commissioned by Ryder Cup Europe and the French Golf Federation. Sheffield Hallam University's Sport Industry Research Centre compiled the data to measure the match's economic impact in France in comparison to the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles. The $266 million total includes spending by 270,000 fans from 90 countries who attended the match, organizational spending on course and infrastructure work, and the creation of 100 municipal golf facilities as a result of France's Ryder Cup bid. European Ryder Cup director Guy Kinnings said: "The figures highlighted in this economic activity report demonstrate the major benefits hosting a Ryder Cup brings to a country through spectator and visitor spending, in addition to the golfing legacy, which in France included the creation of 100 short courses. "The significant increase from the 2014 economic activity in Scotland also underlines the continued growth of The Ryder Cup's global appeal as one of the world's biggest sporting events." Pascal Grizot, France Ryder Cup 2018 Committee President, called the match at Le Golf National "one of the best golfing experiences ever." He added that it "dramatically improved the audience of golf in France and served the development of the game." Grizot said a report from French authorities will be released soon with comparable numbers In other findings, the report identified that French residents made up 49% of fans who turned up to watch. Social media activity grew exponentially, with 22 billion global impressions during the week. The report predicts golf will grow in France as a result. It states: "The legacy of Ryder Cup 2018 is likely to become more apparent over the next decade with a multitude of new municipal courses inspired by the event continuing to grow the golf market in France; whilst Le Golf National will host the Olympic Golf tournament during the 2024 Paris Games and continue to enthuse French people." https://compass.pressekompass.net/compasses/golfweek/how-much-would-you-pay-to-play-pebble-be MORE: NHL fans weren't impressed with Mike Milbury's questions for Pam from 'The Office' Brian Gaine's failure in Houston has a lesson for the Lions and Bob Quinn Roundup: Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger Get Married, Chicago Poop Vandal, Johnny Manziel Talks XFL Bears believe Clinton-Dix is an upgrade over Amos Sleeping on Patriots WR Demaryius Thomas would be a huge mistake


Patrick McCaw has won three championships in his three NBA seasons . His unconventional departure from the Warriors to the Raptors (via the Cavaliers) will also pay off in the most literal sense. When McCaw was a restricted free agent last summer, Golden State reportedly offered him a two-year contract that guaranteed slightly more than $2 million the first season and held a nearly $3 million team option. Instead, McCaw signed an unmatched offer sheet with Cleveland (where he earned $375,000), got waived and went to Toronto (where he earned another $777,665). Now, he'll seemingly come out ahead. Raptors release : The Toronto Raptors announced Monday they have re-signed forward Patrick McCaw. Blake Murphy of The Athletic: Couple small updates here. McCaw is 2 years, $8M Thomas' 3rd year non-guaranteed Johnson will fit BAE but can slide into MLE if they want to keep BAE for next year just in case, otherwise 4.36M of MLE left   Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) July 9, 2019 That's more than I expected for McCaw, but Toronto clearly likes him. The 23-year-old McCaw is a good defensive wing who must develop his outside shot. He's a solid passer. Better ball-handling would unlock that skill. With Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard leaving, McCaw will provide depth on the wing. He could also bring fortune to the Raptors. Every player who won three straight championships while switching teams during the streak won a fourth straight title . Related slideshow: 2019 NBA offseason moves (Provided by imagn)


Trump said that he has no intention of firing Conway. The US Office of Special Counsel recommended that White House counselor Kellyanne Conway be fired on Thursday, saying her public promotion of the president's reelection campaign and attacks against Democrats made her a "repeat offender" of the Hatch Act. President Donald Trump, however, has it made clear that he has no intention of removing Conway. During an interview on Fox News, a day after OSC's recommendation, he praised her for being a "tremendous spokeswoman" and defended her comments under freedom of speech. The Hatch Act bans federal employees from engaging in certain political activities, including "any active part" in a campaign. "Well I got briefed on it yesterday, and it looks to me like they're trying to take away her right of free speech, and that's just not fair," Trump told Fox & Friends hosts Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhardt and Brian Kilmeade. In a letter submitted to Trump, the OSC   an independent federal watchdog unrelated to special counsel Robert Mueller and his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election   said that Conway's actions are "unacceptable." The agency also expressed concern in Conway's repeated dismissal of the act. "As a highly visible member of the Administration, Ms. Conway's violations, if left unpunished, send a message to all federal employees that they need not abide by the Hatch Act's restrictions," special counsel Henry Kerner wrote on the agency's behalf. "Her actions erode the principal foundation of our democratic system   the rule of law." In a report attached to the letter, OSC said Conway has been violating the Hatch Act since at least Feb. 1, 2019   primarily through media interviews and her Twitter account. For example, the report pointed out how Conway accused Beto O'Rourke of not "think[ing] the women running are good enough to be President" after he had announced his campaign. In another instance, according to the report, she publicly supported Trump's reelection campaign by tweeting out "He's got this. #2020:I'mWithHim." He's got this. #2020:I'mWithHim. @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/WldUQ8kvkh   Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) February 6, 2019 The law provides exceptions to the president, vice president, and a few high-level officials, but not White House employees like Conway, OSC said. Even more concerning, OSC wrote, are Conway's comments during an interview on May 29 that mocked the Hatch Act. When asked about her past violations, she said, "If you're trying to silence me through the Hatch Act, it's not going to work. Let me know when the jail sentence starts." According to Kerner, comments and actions like those would "almost certainly result in removal" from her job   "if Ms. Conway were any other federal employee." But Conway isn't any other federal employee. While OSC told Trump that Conway should be removed, the recommendation itself has no executive power. And Trump has little incentive to fire one of his most loyal aides. This isn't the first time Conway has been accused of violating the Hatch Act Part of the reason why the OSC is so concerned about Conway is because they have had to repeatedly sound the alarm about her conduct. "Never has OSC had to issue multiple reports to the President concerning Hatch Act by the same individual," the letter said. In 2017, Conway was under fire for encouraging the sales of Ivanka Trump's clothing line by telling Americans to "go buy Ivanka's stuff" during an interview with Fox News' Fox&Friends . The White House announced that she was "counseled" after mounting criticism. In 2018, OSC said she violated the Hatch Act twice by advocating for and against candidates in the 2017 special election in Alabama. On November 20, Conway appeared on Fox News' Fox&Friends and bashed Democratic candidate Doug Jones and urged viewers to refrain from voting for him. On December 16, she appeared on CNN's New Day , rallying voters to support Republican candidate Roy Moore. OSC detailed these violations in a report to the White House on March 6, 2018, recommending "appropriate disciplinary action." And yet, here we are, over a year later. Trump is the only person who can discipline Conway   and he has no intention of doing so Those who violate the Hatch Act can be fired, suspended, or demoted, and fined up to $1,000. However, Conway will not be subjected to any of these options, as Trump has already publicly said he will not fire his counsel. He's brushed off OSC's criticism, saying that Conway has a "right of responding to questions." This isn't the first time Trump has overlooked Conway's violations of the Hatch Act. And it seems unlikely he will ever take action against an aide he's praised in the past for TV appearances. "She'll do the shows that nobody else dares go near," Trump said last spring, according to the Washington Post . "She'll just   I'll say, do this one or that one. No problem sir. Others say, sir, do you think I could take a pass please, I beg you please. Great going, Kellyanne. Thank you. What a help." The White House's official response is as equally defensive of Conway. White House counsel Pat Cipollone had initially written to OSC on June 11 in response to a draft of the report, asking for the agency to withdraw and retract its statement for its "numerous grave legal, factual, and procedural errors." But Cipollone didn't just take issue with the agency's report on Conway   he attacked the OSC writ large and the Hatch Act it's tasked with enforcing. In his June 11 response, he accused the agency of inconsistently applying the Hatch Act across Democratic and Republican administrations and argued that the Hatch Act violates Conway's First Amendment rights and "chills the free speech of all government employees." Because OSC's recommendation doesn't have any legal power, it all comes down to whether Trump wants to follow through with the agency's advice. And as he made clear Friday, he has no intention of doing so.


ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- The Chicago White Sox stopped a long skid at the expense of the slumping Tampa Bay Rays. Leury Garcia had four hits, including three doubles, Reynaldo Lopez won for the first time in six starts and the White Sox stopped a seven-game losing streak by beating the Rays 9-2 on Friday night. BOX SCORE: WHITE SOX 9, RAYS 2 "It was one of those games that we needed," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "We needed something convincing, something very positive." Garcia became the first White Sox player to have three doubles in a game since Adam Eaton against Minnesota on Aug. 2, 2014. Lopez (5-8) gave up two runs and six hits in seven innings with eight strikeouts. He had been 0-2 with a 5.34 ERA since beating Kansas City on June 9. "Keep things simple, focus on my pitches, execute pitches and do my job," Lopez said through a translator. Tampa Bay fell a season-high nine games behind the AL East-leading Yankees after arriving about 3:30 a.m. following a doubleheader loss in New York. The Rays have dropped behind Cleveland and Oakland for the two AL wild-card spots -- Tampa Bay held an eight-game lead over the third-place team in the wild-card race at the start of play on June 11 but have lost 20 of 35 since. "Obviously with the second half, these games, they mean stuff," Tampa Bay right fielder Austin Meadows said. "Just keep pushing and see where we end up." Rays rookie Brendan McKay (1-1) lasted just 3 1/3 innings in his fourth start, allowing six runs -- five earned -- and nine hits as his ERA doubled from 1.69 to 3.72. The two-way player had given up three runs over 16 innings in the first three outings. "Command wasn't there early," McKay said. "Every inning I was working with guys on base. You can get out of it sometimes, but today wasn't one of those days." Garcia doubled leading off the first and scored from second when Jose Abreu's hard grounder went off the glove of second baseman Mike Brosseau and into right field for an error. Chicago went ahead 4-1 in the second when Adam Engel beat out a two-out grounder to shortstop, Garcia hit a two-run double that dropped between Meadows and Brosseau in shallow right and Yoan Moncada followed with an RBI double. "There's some plays that we've got to convert into outs," Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. Yolmer Sanchez homered and Moncada had an RBI single during the fourth, and Engel hit a run-scoring triple in the fifth and scored on Colin Poche's wild pitch for an 8-2 lead. Sanchez added a run-scoring double in the ninth. Ji-Man Choi and Brosseau drove in runs for the Rays. NON-CLUTCH HITTING Tampa Bay went 1 for 24 with runners in scoring position while losing three of four to the Yankees and began Friday with a .248 RISP average, sixth-worst in the majors. "We're a really good offense when nobody is on-base," Cash said. "Believe me, we have pounded our heads against the tables." Tampa Bay went 2 for 7 RISP on Friday night. TRAINER'S ROOM White Sox: OF Eloy Jimenez (right ulnar nerve contusion) could take batting practice Saturday. Rays: 2B Brandon Lowe, out since July 3 with a bruised right shin bone, is jogging. UP NEXT White Sox RHP Lucas Giolito (11-4) starts Saturday night against Rays LHP Ryan Yarbrough (8-3). He is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA in two starts against the Rays, allowing two earned runs in 14 innings. ------ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports Related slideshow: 2019 MLB season (provided by imagn)


Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin has been flying under the radar his first two years in the league. But, the former Penn State star is primed for a breakout year after posting 59 receptions for 842 yards and seven touchdowns in 2018. New head coach Bruce Arians said back in March that Godwin will be "close to a 100-catch guy, especially because I think he can play in the slot." With a ringing endorsement like that, you can be sure the 2017 third-round pick will be drawing the attention of opposing defenders (and fantasy football owners). Today at Buccaneer's mini-camp, Godwin spoke to the media about what his goals are heading into the new season. Take a look. "My goal is to keep progressing as a receiver and be one of the top guys in the league. I've got a lot of work to do, but I'm looking forward to putting that work in." : @CGtwelve_ pic.twitter.com/1oKyoKTddW - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) June 5, 2019 MORE: Heavyweight champ Andy Ruiz hits back at Stephen A. Smith after 'Butter Bean' comment These five upcoming NBA free agents helped themselves in the playoffs Angel Hernandez's Blatant Missed Calls Should Spark Change for MLB Observations from day 1 of Lions minicamp: pick city Cole Beasley plans to annoy Josh Allen


As the Cincinnati Bengals continue to prepare for their preseason opener against the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday, a clearer picture is emerging as to what shape the 2019 roster will take. Here are some winners and losers of training camp so far. Winner: Backup receivers Cincinnati Bengals Training Camp Aug 3 With A.J. Green succumbing to injury less than an hour into training camp, a natural opportunity has presented itself for receivers at the bottom of the depth chart to fill the void left by Green. A number of wideouts have grabbed this opportunity with both hands, looking to show that they can step into the starting lineup and make plays in the absence of the team's star playmaker. Josh Malone had a disappointing 2018 campaign but has flashed on a number of occasions throughout training camp. Malone is eager to make an impression on the new coaching staff, per Jay Morrison of The Athletic : "I just wanted to take advantage of all my opportunities and just be ready when my number is called to go make a play. Every moment, every opportunity I get I want to show the coaches what I can do. It's a new coaching staff, so it feels like a fresh start. And I just want to show them I can play and make an impact when it counts." Meanwhile, Damion Willis has received praise for his playmaking ability in a number of practices. The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. noted that the undrafted Troy product has "some Marvin Jones to his game." Andy Dalton has also thrown his support behind Willis: "D. Will has done a great job. To be undrafted and come in and show some promise early. That's pretty big." Stanley Morgan Jr., another undrafted wideout, has had the opportunity to run with the ones, along with Willis. However, the latter man has been the player grabbing headlines to date. Auden Tate was at the center of attention on Saturday when he ran a double move on Darius Phillips and high-pointed an underthrown ball from Jeff Driskel. At 6-foot-5, 228 pounds, Tate is a natural replacement for Green due to his size. However, his inability to separate may disadvantage him in his battle for playing time, or even a roster spot. Winner: Germaine Pratt Third-round rookie linebacker Germaine Pratt has been mentioned in almost every training camp report over the past week. For years, the Bengals have desperately needed a linebacker to emerge as a dominant presence on their defense. The hope is that they may finally have found that in Pratt. It's early, but the NC State linebacker has been making plays - from pass breakups to showcasing sideline-to-sideline ability in run defense drills. One of the highlights of training camp came on Saturday when Pratt picked off an errant pass in a red zone drill and returned it to the house. Defensive scores have evidently been an emphasis of the new coaching staff, as illustrated by Pratt: "We've got to score on defense to win games. That was emphasized by coach Taylor, so it was huge. Coach just emphasizes when a defense player gets a turnover to try to run and score." Take it to the , rookie! @GermainePratt7 with the PICK 6! #NewDEY pic.twitter.com/QWuEKCNfw0 - Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) August 3, 2019 Winner: Carl Lawson Cincinnati Bengals Camp Lawson is the team's most talented pass rusher when healthy. Thankfully, he appears to have made a full recovery from the ACL tear that ended his 2018 season. Paul Dehner Jr. heaped praise on Lawson : "Any wondering about how Lawson would look coming back from the ACL injury was quickly put to rest as he beat up on the Bengals tackles, including what would have been a sack against starting left tackle Cordy Glenn." Lawson has said that he feels "faster and stronger." That's bad news for AFC North offensive tackles. Loser: John Ross Indianapolis Colts Vs Cincinnati Bengals Preseason Game Aug 30 The 2017 first-round pick has yet to practice, raising further concerns about his durability. Ross has hinted that the coaching staff is taking a cautious approach with him, and that he could have practiced from Day 1 if necessary. Nonetheless, it's worrying that Ross is watching from the sidelines as a brand new offense is being installed. Ross has openly stated that he hasn't put his best foot forward when preparing his body throughout his young NFL career, but promises that things will turn around for him in 2019: "Being around A.J. and Andy and them, they're telling me how much they put into their body. It didn't really click until this year because he said he spent so much money on his body, that's how he makes so much money. Now that I learned that, it's going to be a complete turnaround for me. I know for a fact this is going to be my best year." Loser: Welcome Stadium groundskeeper Bengals Training Camp Thoughts and prayers to Hal Bailey, the stadium caretaker of Dayton's Welcome Stadium. Henceforth, he will be known as the scapegoat for any of the team's struggles throughout the month of September, or whatever length of time A.J. Green misses due to injury. The NFL wanted the Bengals to practice in Dayton to commemorate the league's 100 th season, and according to reports, the league was prepared to build a new field in Dayton that would have cost almost half a million dollars. However, it subsequently arose that the proposed site of this field rested on a Native American burial ground, and so the plan was scrapped . Tyler Boyd complained that the turf was in poor condition: "I couldn't run any routes. I was falling all over. It was bad. There was rocks, pebbles out there. It was somewhere we shouldn't have been." In reality, the injury was a freak occurrence that appears to have had nothing to do with the condition of the field. Nonetheless, Mr. Bailey, who is responsible for grooming the field twice a month, will face the wrath of Bengals fans if the team has a poor start to the season. Football is weird sometimes. MORE: 'Bachelor in Paradise' 2019 cast guide: Meet all 37 contestants 5 takeaways from the Raiders' first depth chart of 2019 season Bears QB coach uses unique analogy to assess Trubisky's deep passes Quick hits, observations from Packers' first joint practice with Texans Roundup: Dow Plunges; Lindsay Lohan; Hannah Brown Speaks Out; Ryen Russillo Leaving ESPN


FARMINGDALE, N.Y. - It doesn't seem to matter what decade it is, or how well Phil Mickelson is playing. When he shows up at Bethpage Black for a major championship, good things happen. Mickelson shot a 1-under 69 on Thursday in the first round of the PGA Championship. After a slow start, Mickelson played his final 10 holes 3-under without a bogey to surge into a tie for ninth place, six shots behind leader Brooks Koepka. "All in all," Mickelson said, "it was a good day." SCORES : 101st PGA Championship Mickelson has had plenty of those at Bethpage Black, where he was the runner-up in both of the previous majors played here: the 2002 and 2009 U.S Opens. So what is it about the Black Course and major championships that suits Mickelson so well? "That's a good question," Mickelson said. "I don't know. It's a very fair - I feel like I can make some pars out of the rough. I feel like I don't have to be too perfect, but I feel like I can salvage a couple of pars with just a few bad tee shots, and if I keep it in check, I should be able to shoot an under-par round." It didn't appear Mickelson would be breaking par Thursday when he was 2-over through eight after back-to-back bogeys. He admitted, at that point, he would have gladly signed for anything near par. But then he got a major assist from his brother, and caddie, Tim, who noticed that Phil was coming up and out of his putting stroke. "So I made a slight adjustment and made four really good putts," Mickelson said. Mickelson jumpstarted his round with a birdie on the ninth hole, poured in a 10-foot par save at 10, hit his approach at 11 inside of five feet to get back to even par, and then drained a 26-foot bomb at 12 to get to 1-under for the day. He finished with six straight pars, including a 10-foot save at 17 after he left his lag putt short. Mickelson was seven shots behind Koepka before he even hit a shot Thursday, but he said he didn't let that discourage him because he couldn't afford to. "I mean, it was a heck of a round," Mickelson said of Koepka's course-record 63. "But you just can't get caught up in that because [this course is] such a difficult test that if you don't stay in the moment, you'll make a big number." Mickelson avoided a big number on Thursday. Now he must to post a low number if he wants to seriously challenge the leader. It won't be easy on a course this tough, but with a morning tee time on Friday, Mickelson believes he has a chance to do some damage before Koepka tees off. "I feel like I'm playing well. I feel good about my game, and I feel like I'm playing well enough to shoot a low round out there. I feel like I can shoot something in the mid 60s, whether it's [Friday] or the weekend, I feel like I can do it." MORE: Jimmy Butler's vague Instagram post had Sixers fans freaking out Five potential Jimmy Butler landing spots in free agency Should the Rockets move on from Chris Paul? Report: Browns rookie RB LJ Scott decides to quit NFL after just 2 days Jaylon Smith walks, Moose gets Dallas front office gig, and the next Romo?


Let's not dwell on who caused the "flash crash." Can we just agree that it wasn't one person, that it was likely caused by a confluence of events? Good. Then we can concentrate on more interesting issues: can it happen again? What changes have been made and what further changes ought to be made? Can it happen again? Sure it could, but the chances that it would happen in the manner it happened have been reduced. Here's why: 1) Stocks cannot go to a penny like they did on that day. One of the most damaging developments was to see, for example, Accenture go from $40 to $0.01, Boston Beer go from the $60s to $0.01 (all off of the NYSE floor). These "stub quotes" were never meant to be serious bids; they were merely placeholders for market makers. One of the first actions regulators took was to ban these "stub quotes." Now, market makers have to post bids and offers within 8 percent of the National Best Bid and Offer (NBBO). 2) New circuit breakers halt individual stocks if there are sudden price swings. Five years ago, each exchange had its own rules that governed when individual stocks would be halted for sudden volatility. This confusing mishmash has been eliminated: there are now consistent system-wide circuit breakers for all individual stocks (known as limit up/limit down), as well as revised market-wide circuit breakers that will kick in when the S&P 500 drops 7 percent or more during the trading day. There are other changes that have been made to improve market structure. For example, regulators have adopted several rules to address technological or software failure, such as the "algo gone wild" that almost brought down Knight Trading in 2012, or the Facebook (FB) IPO glitch at Nasdaq the same year: 1) To cut down on the chances of some kind of trading algorithm disrupting the market, regulators have adopted market access rules that require brokers to monitor the flow of their customer traffic. Exchanges have also implemented a form of "kill switch" that would alert brokers when there is unusual activity. 2) Last year, the SEC voted to adopt Regulation SCI, which requires market participants to develop uniform rules to test software and reduce trading glitches. 3) There have been some efforts (not enough) to reduce "single points of failure," areas that would be especially vulnerable should a software glitch occur, and create backup systems that would immediately come online to reduce trading disruptions. But even more needs to be done. One of the problems with pinpointing what happened in the "flash crash" was the lack of a complete trading record. Turns out the data is scattered. A new proposal for a Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT) would allow the SEC and FINRA to better monitor trading activity. That's good news. The bad news: the data base would be massive and likely very expensive. The process of selecting someone to develop the project has been slow, but is ongoing. Then there are the calls for changes in market structure. Some say the current system has created too many trading venues (11 exchanges, more than 40 dark pools) and should be simplified. SEC Commissioner Dan Gallagher, for example, has been calling for a "holistic review" for several years. Gallagher has specifically called for a complete review of Reg NMS and its core principle, the trade-through rule, which requires all trading centers to execute trades at the best possible price (lowest bid, highest offer). Gallagher believes the rule has greatly increased the complexity of the market and increased the chances of technological failure. He has a point: the trade-through rule has increased complexity. Orders need to be routed to dozens of different venues that have different incentives and pay different rebates, which has caused a proliferation of order types. But that is the logical outcome of trying to increase competition, which is what the SEC wanted when it helped create the modern market system twenty years ago. Most traders support the basic concept of a trade-through rule: prices should not be executed on other venues at values that are inferior. It's part of best execution, which is a fiduciary duty. One change may be possible: it may not be necessary to route all orders to all venues when one of those venues has a miniscule market share, but it's tricky to decide where to draw the line. Others have focused on high-frequency traders, arguing their influence should be reduced. There have been proposals for a tax on excessive bids and offers that are cancelled; others have proposed a financial transaction tax to reduce short-term trading. For her part, SEC Chairwoman Mary Jo White last year proposed that high frequency traders be registered with the SEC, an obvious and sensible step. She has also floated the idea of an "anti-disruptive trading rule" that would ban short-term trading strategies when the markets were extremely volatile or liquidity was especially scarce. This would be much more difficult to implement. Still, White and the SEC has moved slowly, as they should. It's very clear they do not believe the U.S. trading system which they created is fundamentally broken, and they are far more concerned that making big changes now will create some unforeseen circumstances. There's a second problem: the SEC simply does not have the staff to aggressively pursue a widespread overhaul of the U.S. trading system. For the last several years, they have been overwhelmed with implementing Dodd/Frank financial reforms, which will continue to occupy them for the next several years. The most that can happen is modest moves, like the limit up/limit down rule. To provide a conduit for reform, the SEC recently created an Equity Market Structure Advisory Committee; its first meeting will be on May 13. The first topic of discussion: the trade-through rule that Gallagher wants to change. Stay tuned!


Former Kentucky Mr. Football winner and Western Kentucky star Nacarius Fant was sentenced Monday to five years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple charges of cocaine trafficking. Fant, now 23, was arrested in Bowling Green in August 2018 after a weekslong undercover investigation during which Fant sold cocaine to a confidential informant in four separate instances for a total of $1,920, according to the arrest citation. He pleaded guilty earlier this year to five charges of trafficking a controlled substance. Fant set multiple receiving records at Bowling Green High School and helped the Purples win three Class 5A state titles. He earned Mr. Football honors, given to the best high school player in the state, in 2013. Fant went on to rack up 1,273 yards and seven total touchdowns in four years at WKU. From August: Former Kentucky Mr. Football, WKU receiver Nacarius Fant arrested Support local journalism Support stories like this one by becoming a subscriber today! Get unlimited digital access here! This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Ex-WKU football star Nacarius Fant sentenced to 5 years in prison


There doesn't seem to be a lot of neighborly love between two families in Plano, TX. When Kelly and Andrew Counts were looking to move, one of the reasons they fell in love with their new home was because of the back patio that seemed perfect for a playhouse. However, next-door neighbors Irving and Anita Ward took issue with the structure and complained to the homeowners association that it took away from their "tranquil quality of life." According to the HOA minutes, the Wards complained that the Counts' playhouse, which came with an attached swing set, caused "noise issues as well as visibility issues for them and their pets." As a compromise, the Counts removed part of the playhouse's roof and the HOA approved of the structure, but that wasn't the end of the neighbor v. neighbor battle. The Counts claim that the Wards started blasting inappropriate rap music - complete with profanity-filled lyrics - whenever their four children were playing outside. Kelly Counts and her husband filed a civil suit after she says that the Wards refused to have a conversation about the loud music around their kids, ages 2 to 10. "I don't feel comfortable in my own backyard," she explained. While the music stopped, the Wards hit back a few months later - with a lawsuit of their own. The Wards are now suing the Counts for "loud and obnoxious noise" when the children play outside and alleging that they and their property have been damaged. Because the children are homeschooled, the Wards claim that the noise never stops. "It's unfathomable to me. I can't imagine the sound of kids playing at any age or stage of my life and thinking that I needed to sue someone over it," Kelly Counts said. The fate of the playhouse (and their neighborly relationship) will be decided next month.


May 4--In making this monumental choice, the Lakers had no choice. There were several candidates but zero options. The announcement has not yet been made, but the matter was decided nearly a year ago. In a perfect world, Tyronn Lue is not the next Lakers coach. But the Lakers don't live in a perfect world, they live in a LeBron James world, and so any moment now the inevitable reunion should be complete. Lue is expected to be named as the new Lakers bench boss, rejoining the player he coached to an NBA championship in Cleveland. If hearing this makes you cringe, surely you saw it coming. While Lue might not be the Lakers' best answer, right now he is the only answer. From the moment the Lakers signed LeBron last summer, they agreed to be ruled by his philosophies, his strategies, his wants, his needs. At this point, don't they pretty much have to let him pick the coach? Like it or not, the only way the Lakers can immediately survive this nightmare of a LeBron occupation is to lean into it. LeBron could be around for at least a couple more seasons, so they have to gulp, placate, and hope for the best. With Lue, the Lakers are not only giving LeBron a coach, they're throwing him a bone. Lue is the LeBron Whisperer. He is the opposite of Luke Walton, and not just because LeBron actually likes him. Lue can stand up to The King, stare down The King, even sit The King, because together, for one brief moment, they were NBA kings. Lue might not be the greatest coach, but he will be a useful coach. For a LeBron team in full crisis in the encroaching twilight of his career, Lue can be the only coach. With Lue, the LeBron Lakers at least will have a chance at thriving the next three years in relative peace. They should survive the internal bumps. They will be better able to handle the LeBron madness. Even when things go bad, the work environment should remain stable, meaning there won't a certain No. 23 whispering about firing him. With any other coach, one thing goes wrong, and everything goes to hell, because LeBron won't do a thing to stop it. By hiring Lue, the Lakers are playing defense, but that's what they need right now. They need to defend their decision to sign James. They need to defend their intentions to build the team around him. They need to defend the rim from the fast break of his daily headlines and simmering controversies. If they had gone on the offense and brought in an outsider without James' approval, they might as well trade him now, and while that might one day be an option, slow your roll, we're not there yet. Here's guessing the Lakers will try to sell it that they are hiring Lue partially because of his Lakers ties. That is complete balderdash. He appeared in 51 games in three seasons here and, even though he was part of two NBA title teams, he averaged but 10 minutes a game in each of those two playoff runs. His Lakers highlight actually occurred when he was on his back, in Game 1 of the 2001 NBA Finals, when Philadelphia's Allen Iverson disrespectfully stepped over and stared at him after making a game-clinching jumper against him. Lue had five steals in that game, but the only thing anyone will remember is that Iverson step. So, no, Lue is not being hired because of his time with the Lakers any more than he is being hired for his brief stint as a Clippers assistant. Lue is being hired because of five months with LeBron, in 2016, when he moved down the bench to replace the LeBron-fired David Blatt to become the Cleveland Cavaliers' head coach on Jan. 22. He proceeded to coach the Cavaliers to their first NBA title in the spring with a stirring comeback from a three-games-to-one deficit in the Finals against the Golden State Warriors. The next two seasons, he smartly coached them back into the Finals where they were beaten soundly each time by the Warriors. He was particularly strong in the playoffs, even outdueling Boston bench genius Brad Stevens in consecutive Eastern Conference finals. Then last fall, after LeBron left for the Lakers, his Cavaliers were winless in six games when he was fired. So Lue never has had any coaching success without LeBron. And LeBron experienced the greatest moment of his career -- bringing a title to his hometown -- with Lue. So here we are, and here they are, together again. Is he a better choice than the Lakers' other candidate, Monty Williams, the Philadelphia assistant who just joined the Phoenix Suns? For this team, at this moment, yes. Is he the best possible choice out of all the other coaching possibilities the Lakers refused to entertain in what may be the most narrow giant coaching search in NBA history? Of course not. The biggest question is, can he salvage the remainder of the LeBron era in Los Angeles? That's an unknown, and involves more than just his whiteboard scribblings. Lue certainly can coach LeBron, but this team needs more than LeBron. The question is whether Lue's presence will help them attract a top free agent they so desperately need this summer. Right now, they appear out of the running for the top guys, and there's no immediate indication that Lue can change that, but you never know. Maybe he can convince the league's elite that with him on the bench, LeBron will become interested and invested again. Maybe he can sell someone that with this championship duo in charge, the Lakers can become a force again. Or maybe recruits now look at the Lakers as having now gone so far down the LeBron rabbit hole, they're beyond hope. Maybe anyone who once wanted to come to the Los Angeles Lakers will bristle at the idea of playing for the LeBron Lakers, and make no mistake, that's who they are. Of course, chances are it doesn't matter who is coaching the Lakers; if dudes don't want to play with LeBron, they're not coming anyway, so maybe Lue's effect in that area will be insignificant. No matter what happens, the Tyronn Lue era will begin not with answers, but with another question, one that sadly epitomizes a coaching search in which nobody searched, a question from the Lakers to The King himself. So, what else do you need? ___ (c)2019 the Los Angeles Times Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


Manchester United are still hopeful of sealing a deal for Bruno Fernandes, with Manchester City stalling on a potential deal despite strong links to Portuguese star. Fernandes had been of interest to both Manchester clubs after a fine season for Sporting CP saw him net 20 goals and provide a further 13 assists in just 32 league games. The final match of the season is here, and so is the final issue of #UnitedReview . Get your copy from Old Trafford or delivered to you: https://t.co/hK4u1yNT8E pic.twitter.com/a30ottIxpI   Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 12, 2019 While it looked increasingly likely that the 24-year-old would join City , their interest has wavered , resulting in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer informing the club's hierarchy that he sees Fernandes as 'fundamental' for his side next season - according to Portuguese publication A Bola, as relayed by Sport Witness . The report claims United 'haven't given up' on the deal and that Solskjaer 'made it known' that Fernandes could be crucial to a successful campaign next season as they bid to return to the Champions League . Furthermore, A Bola state that the Red Devils are capable of 'presenting arguments' that could convince Sporting to sell the player and assure him that a move to Old Trafford is the right decision. After such a stunning season for the club, Fernandes is expected to attract a fee of around €55m, although Sport Witness also reveal that the Primeira Liga outfit could demand up to €70m 'cash', as mentioned by Portuguese sports newspaper Record. Fernandes was one of a few players who opted to remain at the club after a mass player exodus last summer due to an attack on their training ground. His decision has been rewarded with an excellent return for the club, racking up 32 goals and 17 assists across all competitions as Sporting sit third in the division.


Imagine hearing that your child needed brain surgery, and surgeons wanted your child to be awake during the procedure. Sounds terrifying, right? It's not something you see every day, because it's not something that happens every day. "Everything just goes through your mind all at once," said mom Lori Raymond. Doctors at Novant Health did brain surgery on 12-year-old Levi Raymond while he was conscious. "At first you're terrified to hear your son is going to be awake during his brain surgery," Lori Raymond said. It all started when her son, an active kid who's been dirt-biking since he was 3-years-old, was acting funny on his way to school one morning. "He had like a blank stare he wasn't responding," dad Gary Raymond remembered. Then Levi Raymond had a seizure. He was rushed to the emergency room where an MRI showed he had a brain tumor. "It was terrifying gut-wrenching not to know what to expect, what's next," Lori Raymond recalled. Dr. Erin Kiehna, head of pediatric neurology at Hemby Children's Hospital, did her best to reassure the boy's parents and explained why keeping him awake was so crucial. "We woke Levi up during surgery so that I could make sure the area of the tumor I had to take out was not going to interrupt his speech or language," Dr. Kiehna said. A neuropsychologist was also there during surgery, purposefully asking Levi Raymond leading questions. Depending on how he sounded in his answers, Dr. Keihna knew whether she was okay removing that part of the brain. "Without having him awake I wouldn't have that key information. My biggest fear that if I had Levi asleep, and I went to take out that area, that Levi would wake up and not be able to talk to us," Dr. Kiehna explained. Levi Raymond is a tad shy, but he doesn't shy away from talking about how grateful he is to his doctor. "Dr. Kiehna was amazing. 'Cause I'm still here," he told us. "We even showed him his tumor as we took it out. How did he react? He said, 'Ew!'" Dr. Kiehna said. A typical 12-year-old -- and his parents couldn't be more grateful for that. Never miss an alert. Download the new WCNC app today TRENDING ON WCNC.COM 15 apps parents should look out for on their kids' phones SC inmate killed in fight at Columbia prison 'I just need an opportunity': Laid-off dad passes out resumes on street in Ballantyne


Fresh off of his first Pro Bowl season, Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is preparing for just his second season as Week 1 starter. While the preseason is set to begin in earnest shortly with training camp kicking off in a matter of days, No. 4 has spent his time off preparing for what could be a new career year for the former Clemson Tiger. "My main focus is really just trying to master my crafts, mentally, physically," Watson told UPROXX in a recent interview . "And then also just make sure I maintain my health. This is my first offseason where I can have a full offseason so I can be able to eat right, train right. You know, be well-rested. I don't have to focus on an injury and trying to get back." Heading into this offseason fully healthy will be extremely beneficial for the signal-caller, and he admitted that things are very different as he enters year three. "My rookie year I was doing all this media and campaign and traveling, trying to see what team I would get to and try to learn their offense, so all those things are the biggest things that I've been focusing on and cherishing," said Watson. With this being his first "regular" offseason, given that he was coming out of pre-draft workouts his rookie offseason and overcoming an ACL injury in his second offseason, Watson has had to adjust his approach. But by all accounts, it has been beneficial for the Pro Bowler. Said Watson: "Most of the time, my first offseason, I was rehabbing, so I didn't really get to do the things on the field because I was very limited. Times where I tried to watch film and things like that, I had limited time before I had to do something else. "So I was really trying to find my way and figure out my routine. But now, having a full offseason to help me to build a routine was big." After becoming the first player to record over 4,000 passing yards (4,165) and 500 rushing yards (551) in the same season in NFL history in 2018, Watson has a great deal to live up to this year. However, with a healthy offseason to kick things off, you wouldn't bet against him. MORE: Baker Mayfield believed the Patriots would trade up to draft him Big Baller Brand's demise looks imminent with sad clearance sale at a local gym The top 100 players in the NFL today David Duval Posted a 13 on No. 7 and It Could Have Been Worse News: Cowboys' $100 million men underpaid, and more dangerous in 2019


Todd Gilliland finished fifth in the Eldora Dirt Derby at Eldora Speedway on Thursday. It's Gilliland's third top-five finish of the season. Stewart Friesen came away with the victory in the race, with Sheldon Creed finishing second and Grant Enfinger placing third. Stage 1 and 2 were won by Chase Briscoe, adding 20 bonus points to his ledger. Gilliland earned 45 points over the weekend, giving him 473 on the year. He ranks No. 7 in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series points standings. Gilliland did not pick up any playoff points Thursday and remains on the hunt for his first playoff points of the season. The third-year driver qualified in the eighth position. Gilliland still is looking for his first career win but owns nine top-five finishes and 21 finishes in the top 10. There were 32 cars in the field and the race endured 12 cautions and 68 caution laps. Prior to the checkered flag, there was one lead change. With Friesen driving his Silverado to victory lane for Chris Larsen, Chevrolet added 40 points. Overall, Toyota ranks No. 1 with 559 points, followed by Chevrolet in the No. 2 spot with 546. Ford sits at No. 3 with 505 points on the season. Todd Gilliland Driver Page | Get Todd Gilliland Gear | Race Center ]]>


Tom Chilton reckons ex-Formula 1 driver Mark Blundell should consider quitting the BTCC after their qualifying incident at Thruxton. The pair collided during the final two minutes of the session after Chilton nudged Blundell into the chicane. Blundell was forced wide but hit the Ford Focus RS of Chilton into the tyre wall as he re-joined the circuit. A subsequent red flag meant Chilton had his fastest lap scrapped, while Blundell was issued with a verbal reprimand by organising body TOCA   in addition to receiving a strike for his crash with the MG6 of Sam Osborne in race two at Donington Park. Blundell said he had been left "slightly confused" by the BTCC driving standards during his maiden campaign, while Chilton questioned Blundell's spatial awareness. Chilton told Motorsport.com: "This was somebody who couldn't do two things at once   it was like a lack of experience. "The fact that he purposefully blocked me into the chicane first of all was terrible, he should have got a reprimand just for that. "Then the fact he lost control on his own, then couldn't use his mirrors, then turned in front of me when he just should have gone across the grass because of where he was... that was spatial awareness from someone who can't use his mirrors while driving." Motorbase driver Chilton lost his victory in the Brands Hatch finale owing to a five-second time penalty for pushing leader Matt Neal wide. But the World Touring Car Championship race winner said "there was a big difference between the incidents", and thinks Blundell should consider his place on the grid. "I said to him yesterday 'I shouldn't have to say this to you, Mark, you're ex-Formula 1, ex-Le Mans winner, but you looked like you were completely out of your depth'. "I honestly think he shouldn't be in this championship because he's that far off   it's dangerous. "He's the most inexperienced-to-look-at driver I've ever seen in British Touring Cars. I really think he should seriously think about pulling out   that's my gut feeling." Blundell was unavailable for comment   having left the circuit early after retiring from race three   but AmD team boss Shaun Hollamby defended his driver, stressing the difficulty required to adapt to the BTCC. He told Motorsport.com: "I think with hindsight, Mark should have given Tom more room on the entry and then they wouldn't have had the problem coming out, but he was struggling because he had a power steering failure at the start of qualifying. "To be honest, I don't really care what Tom Chilton thinks. It's not even in my remit, I only care what my driver thinks. Mark's been on the Formula 1 podium! "My driver is Mark Blundell and I'm pleased with where he's gone. He's having some ups and downs as we've seen with lots of drivers coming into the BTCC. "It's a very tough championship and the cars are very difficult to drive." Mark Blundell, Trade Price Cars Audi Photo by: JEP / LAT Images


A majority of millionaires support Sen. Elizabeth Warren's proposed tax on large wealth, according to a new survey. Fully 60% of millionaires support Warren's plan for taxing the wealth of those who have more than $50 million in assets, according to the CNBC Millionaire survey. The wealth tax is different from an income tax, since it taxes a family's total holdings every year rather than their income. Polls show that a majority of Americans also back a wealth tax. But the support from millionaires, some of whom would presumably pay the tax, shows that some millionaires are willing to accept higher taxes amidst growing concern over inequality and soaring fortunes of the rich. While 88% of Democrats support the wealth tax, 62% of independents support it along with 36% of Republicans. Even the upper tier of millionaires, those worth more than $5 million, support a wealth tax, with two-thirds in favor. Warren's proposal calls for a tax of 2% on wealth over $50 million and 3% on wealth over $1 billion. The presidential candidate estimates it would apply only to 75,000 of the richest families and would raise $275 billion a year. A larger number of millionaires also support an income tax rate of 70% on those making more than $10 million   a suggestion floated by Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. And a majority support repealing the 2017 tax cuts on companies. "Over the years, we have seen that this population is willing to pay more," said George Walper, president of Spectrem Group, which conducted the study with CNBC. The survey polled 750 people with investible assets of $1 million or more. Of the respondents, 261 were Republicans, 261 were independent and 218 were Democrats. Millionaires do want to preserve one form of tax savings   deductions. Fully 72% oppose eliminating all deductions, which include the mortgage deduction and charitable deduction. They also strongly oppose taxing unrealized capital gains, a proposal made by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.


CHICAGO (AP) With Elliott Fry and Eddy Pineiro battling for the Chicago Bears kicking job, the best kicking effort in Thursday's preseason opener came instead from Carolina Panthers rookie Joey Slye. Slye made field goals of 42, 55 and 29 yards and the Panthers had a 7-yard touchdown catch and 11-yard TD run from rookie Elijah Holyfield in a 23-13 victory over the Bears. The Panthers already have a standout kicker in Graham Gano, and it's possible Slye put himself on the radar of the Bears as well as other teams seeking a kicker by hitting a second-quarter kick of 55 yards for a 6-0 lead. ''He handled it really well,'' Panthers coach Ron Rivera said. ''We had an opportunity for him to kick a 55-yarder. During practice, he hit a 60-something yarder. So I thought this was well within his range and it was kind of fun to watch him kick it.'' The former Virginia Tech player made a 29-yarder in the third quarter to expand Carolina's lead to 16-10. Slye's 42-yarder came on Carolina's second possession to open the scoring. While the Bears look for a kicker, the Panthers are trying to determine who will back up quarterback Cam Newton. Both Carolina quarterbacks Kyle Allen and Will Grier enjoyed solid efforts, with Newton sitting out to rest his shoulder after offseason surgery. Allen started and completed 7 of 11 for 76 yards, while Grier completed 9 of 16 for 77 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Grier's 7-yard TD pass to Holyfield put the Panthers ahead 13-10 in the third quarter, and was set up by a 57-yard punt return from Terry Godwin. Holyfield added his 11-yard run, cutting to the left sideline in the final two minutes. ''I would say they were very efficient,'' Rivera said. ''Both had their moments early on where they kind of struggled a little bit, just trying to settle themselves down. ''You can tell because there were a couple of balls high early. Then as they got more and more comfortable you saw them become more proficient with their decision-making.'' Bears rookie running back David Montgomery made his debut and broke off left tackle for a 7-yard TD in the second quarter, and Fry's point-after kick put the Bears up 7-6. Montgomery finished with 16 yards on three rushes and caught three passes for 30 yards. Fry later had the Soldier Field fans roaring with a 43-yard field goal to close the first half, the same distance and at the same post Cody Parkey struck on his double-doink to end the Bears' 16-15 playoff loss last season to the Philadelphia Eagles. ''When your job is on the line, every kick is pressure,'' Fry said. Rivera called a timeout to freeze Fry just before the kick. The Eagles had done the same to Parkey. ''You know what is funny, I did that to help the Bears because they are in a kicking contest,'' Rivera said. Pineiro wasn't as fortunate, missing wide left on a 48-yard attempt in the first half. Pineiro did make a 23-yard chip shot to get the Bears within 16-13 in the fourth quarter. ''This was the big stage tonight for them,'' Bears coach Matt Nagy said of his kickers. ''This was as big as we can get it before the season starts.'' Chicago quarterback Chase Daniel completed 11 of 13 for 120 yards and a TD while Tyler Bray was 8 for 17 for 85 yards for the Bears. Rookie tight end Ian Bunting led the Bears with 77 yards on three receptions. REAL DEAL Holyfield, the son of former heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield, picked himself up and kept on going in the fashion of his famous father. Elijah Holyfield lost a fumble in the second quarter of his first NFL game. The former Georgia back was hit by Josh Woods, coughed it up as he went to the ground and James Vaughters recovered to set the Bears up for their drive to the go-ahead touchdown in the second quarter. Holyfield came back in the second half and caught a 7-yard TD pass in the third quarter to put the Panthers ahead for good, 13-10. Holyfield had an 11-yard TD run with the Panthers trying to drain the clock late in the fourth quarter. He finished with 26 yards on nine rushes and caught two passes for 13 yards. ''Other than the fumble, I was happy with my performance,'' Holyfield said. Holyfield found things moving a bit quicker than at Georgia. ''It is fast, very fast,'' he said. ''You've only got 1 second to make a decision, so it was cool.'' SURPRISE START Nagy downplayed the chances of starting quarterback Mitchell Trubisky playing in the preseason opener earlier in the week, but Trubisky did start. He played one series, didn't throw a pass, and the Bears were off the field in three plays. ''Even though it was just a couple handoffs, I feel just that part is good for him,'' Nagy said. RUSH MEN The Panthers' defense kept the Bears in check much of the game, with Marquis Haynes and Brian Burns each getting two sacks. ''I thought Burns was explosive,'' Rivera said. ''He did exactly what we thought he was. I thought Marquis (Haynes) did some good things too. These guys are explosive football players and these are the kind of guys you have to have in your rotation.'' INJURIES Panthers: Tight end Ian Thomas suffered a rib injury and left the game in the second quarter. He did not return. ... Cornerback Lorenzo Doss left in the third quarter with a rib injury and did not return. ... Linebacker Luke Kuechly did not play after an injury scare earlier in the week. Kuechly absorbed a blow in practice but did not go into the league's concussion protocol. Bears: The Bears did not have an injury in the game, but cornerback Kevin Toliver II was a scratch at game time due to illness. NEXT UP: Panthers: home vs. Buffalo on Aug. 16. Bears: at Giants on Aug. 16. --- More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP-NFL


China stepped up pressure on Taiwan Wednesday as it announced the suspension of individual travel permits to the self-ruled democratic island "due to current cross-strait relations". A programme had allowed Chinese citizens in 47 mainland cities to apply for permits to visit Taiwan on their own instead of visiting on group tours. But the tourism ministry said in a brief statement that their issuance would be suspended from Thursday "due to current cross-strait relations". Relations between Communist-ruled Beijing and Taipei have plummeted since President Tsai Ing-wen came to power in 2016 because her party refuses to recognise the idea that Taiwan is part of "one China". As punishment, Beijing has cut official communications, ramped up military exercises, poached diplomatic allies and ratcheted up economic pressure on the island.


Group of friends has been running the Beach to Beacon for over a decade and has a special tradition that shows how tight-knit they are.


Carlos Carrasco has been diagnosed with leukemia, he told Dominican news channel CDN 37 . Carrasco is undergoing treatment, and he has it under control to the point where he hopes to return to pitch again this season, per MLB Network's Jon Heyman . The Indians certainly will take their time with Carrasco, though this newest diagnosis sheds some light on what has been a difficult season for Carrasco. Previous indications were that Carrasco was suffering from a blood condition that, at the very least, prompted lethargy and the pursuit of treatment. The Indians placed him on the injured list on June 5 after seeing their longtime co-ace pitch to a 4-6 record with an uncharacteristic 4.98 ERA (4.13 FIP). Carrasco has long been underrated while pitching in the shadow of star righty Corey Kluber and the outspoken Trevor Bauer , but even in an off year with significantly mitigating factors, Carrasco put together 65 innings of palatable baseball. The team has shown up in full support of Carrasco as he recovers. Per Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal , Carrasco was present on June 4 for a team meeting wherein they discussed the situation. This team meeting was not about baseball, but about supporting Carrasco as he undergoes recovery.