Inside Chad Morris's home, in a lounge he describes as the "recruiting room," there hangs on the wall a framed, decade-old story from Sports Illustrated detailing the impressive lineage of quarterbacks to have played for Morris during his days as a Texas high school coach. One of the players mentioned in the 2009 story never actually played for him. It's his son Chandler, who at the time of publication was, as the piece notes, an advanced first-grader quarterbacking a 7-on-7 team of third-graders. Chad often thought Chandler was in line to be his next quarterback, but that was before he left the high school ranks for college ball the very next year. Now, a decade later, his dad head coach at Arkansas, Chandler still found a way to get into that line. He announced Friday his commitment to his father's program. He'll be back with dad after all, almost 10 years exactly to his cameo in that story. "It's pretty unique," Chad says in an interview with Sports Illustrated . "It's pretty cool." This is not a father doing his son a favor. Chandler is a four-star rated prospect, is inside the 247Sports.com composite list of the top 350 recruits in the 2020 class and has offers from the likes of Clemson and Oklahoma. Excited to continue on this journey as a Hog! #DiamondGangXX pic.twitter.com/dUGqaBPpWu   Chandler Morris (@Chandleram4) June 14, 2019 Despite his size he measured at 5'10", 172 pounds at the latest recruiting event this summer he can sling it with the best of them, helping lead one of the country's high school powerhouses to a state championship in his first season as a starter last year. He completed 63.9% of his passes, threw for 4,010 yards and 46 touchdowns (to six interceptions) and rushed for 647 more yards and 20 more scores, all the while accomplishing a first in the illustrious 90-year-old history of Dallas-based Highland Park High. The Scots, a program that claims to be the winningest in Texas prep football history, had never gone 16 0. "The ball comes out of his hand with the zip of nobody I've ever seen. That's a long list of guys," says Tristan Weber, a longtime assistant at Highland Park who coaches quarterbacks. The list of the players he's seen pass through here include NFL first-round pick Matthew Stafford and John Stephen Jones, Chandler's predecessor who led the Scots to back-to-back titles and is now playing at Arkansas. Chandler will soon join him in Fayetteville, signaling the end of an unusual recruiting process that included, for one, his father accompanying him to campus visits at Arkansas's intra-division rivals, Auburn and Texas A&M. The process also included his mother, Paula, at first being against the idea of her son playing for his father, and there was even a time when Chandler himself thought about publicly ruling out the Razorbacks as a potential destination. This was a unique, winding, year-long ordeal that began during a camp at Clemson last June, when an old friend spotted from across the field a kid he used to drive to elementary school. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, shocked by the talent he witnessed, raced over to Paula Morris. "It was the first time in a really long time that Dabo had seen him throw," Paula says. "You know Dabo, what you see is what you get. He said, 'I'm calling Chad right now.' He got on the phone right in the middle of camp." The Swinneys and Morrises go back. During Chad's four years as offensive coordinator under Swinney, the two families were neighbors, and Swinney would even drive his son and Chandler to school on Friday mornings. Chad had plenty of time to develop an impersonation of Swinney's authentic Alabama drawl. He recounts that phone conversation last June imitating his former boss. "Chaaaaad! What?! This boy is going to look goooood wearing orange. These Tigers are about to make them Hogs have to work for Chandler," a laughing Chad says retelling the story. "I said, 'Dabo, don't do that. He hasn't even started a high school game yet.' He said, 'Nope. I've watched this kid grow up since he was in the third grade. I took him to school. I know what this kid's got. We're offering him. Them Hogs better go to work!'" Clemson didn't prove to be Arkansas's biggest competition, a somewhat shocking development (after all, Chandler still communicates with ex-Clemson QB Deshaun Watson). Chandler says Oklahoma finished runner-up. In fact, Chandler's scholarship offer from OU, a few games into his junior year last season, made those around the community finally believe all this recruiting attention wasn't a result of his father. "People started saying, 'Oh, maybe he really is good,'" Weber says. Chandler experienced frustrations in recruiting that others do not. Why would coaches spend hours recruiting the son of an SEC football coach? That's Chad Morris's son , they'd say. We don't have a chance with him. Chandler's frustrations boiled over in January. Despite a brilliant junior season, his recruiting slowed so much that he contemplated publicly declaring that he won't be attending Arkansas. "I really think Chandler was anti-Arkansas, because he was like 'That's what everybody thinks I'm going to do!'" Paula remembers. Then there was the pressure of potentially playing for his dad. Did he really want that? Chandler sought the advice of, not his father, but his coach. "He came to me in January," Weber says. "Having his dad in the mix has been hard on him, but a blessing as well. I told him, 'If you want to play for a coach who's going to develop you… I'd put your dad top three in the nation of guys I've seen at any level of coaching the quarterback. It's not like going to play for your dad is out of obligation. Going to play for your dad is because you want to be an elite player.'" They made a pros and cons list. Chandler prayed about, and the next day, to Paula's surprise, he told his mother he wanted to commit to Arkansas. "I think he felt uneasy hearing the words come out of his mouth, 'I don't want to play for my dad,'" Weber says. "Deep down, this is always what he wanted." He told his father a few days later, but only in the last month was Chad sure of his son's pledge. This process hasn't only been tough on Chandler. Chad removed himself from most of Chandler's recruiting, delivering a message to his staff, namely quarterback coach and offensive coordinator Joe Craddock, last year, "Ya'll be the recruiters. I've got to be the dad." For the most part, he was. The exception came after Chandler won the state title and claimed the MVP trophy. In that moment, during the postgame celebration, dad became recruiter, whispering to his son, "Only thing that would make this an even better moment is if I was able to coach you and win a championship at another level." For Chad, the recruiting process taught him a large lesson. College coaches call teenagers and their parents far too often, he admits. He'll forever be more conscious of prospects' and their parents' time. That includes on visits to campus. He took Chandler on various trips to Oklahoma, Auburn, Texas A&M and Clemson. Like normal parents, those schools took him on campus tours and explained the academic program, but when it came time to sit down with coaches, things were different for Chad and Chandler. "All the spill, so to speak or the recruiting pitch," Chad says, "is usually pretty much out the window when I'm sitting across the table." Chandler didn't take visits everywhere. In fact, Chad admittedly placed parameters on his son's recruitment that were non-negotiable. "Being in this business, I said, 'Here's where you will not go play,'" Chad says. "I gave the more, 'You're not going here. I don't care how many offers you get from this school, you're not going to these certain places because they don't align with the culture we're about.'" Chad politely declined to reveal those schools in an interview with SI . Chad's interview is the rare instance of a coach speaking publicly about an unsigned prospect, normally an NCAA violation if you're dad isn't, you know, the coach. Chad is able to speak freely about a kid he's watched play football for almost his entire life, ever since that day a 3-year-old Chandler, on the beach during a family vacation in Destin, began tossing a nerf football with his left hand. Chad put a stop to that quickly, placing the football in his son's right hand. Chandler says he's a natural lefty. He golfs and shoots a basketball left handed, but he throws a football righty. The game always came easy to Chandler. A kindergartener, Chandler won the first youth football tournament he played in. Afterward, he crawled into his dad's truck and told him that this was the best day of his life. "I'll never forget that," Chad says. He was always around the game, too, so close to all those championship-winning high school programs his dad captained. He and a friend used to watch his father's games from the end zone, on the grass or a folding chair, and they'd sometimes escape from Paula's supervision to sneak into the locker room and "get into Chad's candy stash," she says. While other first-graders were filling in coloring books, Chandler competed in 7-on-7 tournaments and rehearsed footwork drills with dad in the backyard. He'd sit in on quarterback film session when Chad's career advanced to the college level, first at Tulsa in 2010 and then onto Clemson in 2011 before returning to the family's homestate in 2015 as head coach at SMU. It's not all football with these two. They hunt wild hogs (wooo pig!) on the family ranch in east Texas, and a few times a year, they're down in the Florida Keys fishing. Chandler is a natural at fishing, Chad says, just like his quarterback skills. That arm of his is from Chad, a high school quarterback himself, and that speed of his Chandler can run a 4.6-second 40-yard dash is from Paula, a college volleyball player. Early on during the recruiting process, Paula admits to being against her son playing for her husband. She wanted Chandler to find the place right for him not the place where his father worked. He found both. "It's about knowing what I'm looking for a family atmosphere and an offense that fits me," Chandler says. "Am I going to be happy on a regular day going to class? Am I going to like the campus? It's about more than just football." So, as it turns out, the whole family will be in Fayetteville this time next year. Paula and Chandler hung back in Dallas so her son could finish his high school career at Highland Park, but Mackenzie, Chandler's older sister, is beginning graduate school courses at Arkansas. Chad, meanwhile, is entering Year 2 with the Razorbacks, with a new quarterback on the way, of course, and, yes, even he "has to go earn the job," Chad says. So, a decade after that initial Sports Illustrated story, Chad and Chandler are back in a story together again this time, not only as father and son, but as coach and quarterback. Related slideshow: Ranking the 10 best college football mascots (provided by For The Win)


Two men are on the run after police said they forced their way into a young woman's south Charlotte home, knocked her out, robbed her and attempted to sexually assault her. It happened around 6 a.m. Thursday at the Lexington Green apartment complex off Archdale Drive. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said one of the suspects attacked the 24-year-old victim when she answered their knock on her door. The only description police have of the suspects is that they were wearing masks during the attack. One of the victim's friends told NBC Charlotte he saw the suspects running away when he was coming home from work. "I came home, I saw the guys left from over there," said Enrique Hernandez. "I saw their car over there in the parking lot. He did something right here." Now, neighbors are scared their families could be the next victims. "I'm scared a little because maybe those guys are crazy, you know? Maybe they'd do something to my family," Hernandez said. "I don't want him to do the same to my wife." According to CMPD, the woman filed a police report Wednesday when she said someone else tried to break into her home. Detectives are unsure if the crimes are related. Anyone with information about either incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 to speak with Detective Melendez. You can also call 911. POPULAR ON WCNC.COM 'A complete washout' | Get ready for a wet and soggy weekend in Charlotte Investigators try to solve violent gas stations robberies in Charlotte, Gastonia Police: Call 911 to report a crime before posting on social media NC teen who lost leg in shark attack to get free prosthetic


Here's the most recent top news you may have missed in San Antonio. Inspired by San Antonio City Council, student government calls for removal of Chick-fil-A from Trinity University campus The senate of Trinity University's Student Government Association last week passed a resolution recommending that a Chick-fil-A outpost be removed from campus. Read the full story on San Antonio Current . CDC releases study on scooter injuries; San Antonio takes notice Next Wednesday, the department overseeing the dockless vehicle program will present its recommendations to the City Council of its findings from the six-month pilot. Read the full story on KSAT 12 . Inmate sets off sprinkler system during failed escape attempt A San Antonio inmate did himself no favors and faces additional charges after he set off a sprinkler system during a thwarted prison break, KTSA San Antonio reported. Read the full story on New York Post . Despite claims that immigrants are a drain, they contributed $4.6 billion to San Antonio's economy in 2017 Immigrants in San Antonio   including those here without documents   contributed $4.6 billion to the city's economy in 2017 and paid $1 billion into federal, state... Read the full story on San Antonio Current . 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 Texans general manager job is again vacant. The team announced Friday Brian Gaine will no longer serve in that capacity. Gaine began running Houston's front office in January 2018. Statement from #Texans Chairman and CEO Cal McNair: pic.twitter.com/MmhWYGtCiU   Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) June 7, 2019 Gaine signed a five-year contract with the Texans, so to see them move on at this juncture   and after they compiled their second-most wins in a season in franchise history   is stunning. Senior VP of football administration Chris Olsen will take over in the interim. The Texans went 11-5 and won the AFC South in 2018. They will now join the Jets in conducting a mid-offseason GM search and could potentially meet with some of the same candidates. Prior to Gaine's hiring, the Texans dealt with frequent friction in their front office. Reports of Rick Smith, who stepped away after the 2017 season to tend to his ailing wife, and Bill O'Brien butting heads emerged often. O'Brien signed a five-year deal when Gaine was hired, and the two were believed to have a close relationship. Prior to a 2017 stay in Buffalo, Gaine spent three seasons with the Texans. Smith got promoted from director of pro personnel to director of player personnel in 2015, but he left to take a job under Brandon Beane. Considering Smith served as Texans GM for 12 years, this decision figures to have considerable fallout. Gaine only oversaw two drafts as Houston's top front-office bastion, and the first did not involve first- or second-round picks. This year, Gaine used the Texans' first-rounder on small-school tackle prospect Tytus Howard , doing so after Deshaun Watson was sacked 62 times   the most any quarterback has been dropped in a season since Jon Kitna in 2006. Last year, the Texans sought interviews with seven candidates but ended up meeting with just two   Gaine and then-assistant GM Jimmy Raye III. Among those on Houston's 2018 list: Joe Douglas, who is currently the favorite to take a job with the Jets. The Eagles denied the Texans permission to speak with Douglas, and the Patriots exercised the same action regarding execs Nick Caserio and Monti Ossenfort.


Video by Yahoo RENNES, France -- Strikers Mana Iwabuchi and Yuika Sugasawa were on the scoresheet as Japan got their women's World Cup campaign back on track with a 2-1 victory over Scotland in Rennes on Friday. Japan, champions in 2011 and finalists four years ago, were coming off a uninspiring goalless draw with lowly-ranked Argentina in their opener but looked much sharper in the attacking third against Scotland. They got a breakthrough when striker Iwabuchi controlled a poor headed clearance from Scotland captain Rachel Corsie before unleashing a powerful strike high into the net from 20 metres. Sugasawa doubled Japan's lead from the spot in the 37th minute after another defensive error from Corsie, who was penalised for tugging back the forward in the box. It was one-way traffic at Roazhon Park as Japan continued to launch wave after wave of attacks, with midfielder Hina Sugita coming closest when her shot crashed into the crossbar just before half-time. Shelley Kerr's Scotland responded with a physical approach going forward in the second half and pulled one back through a curling effort from substitute Lana Clelland but Japan held on to the advantage to seal their first win of the tournament. It was a second consecutive defeat for World Cup debutants Scotland, following a 2-1 loss to England in their opening match. (Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru; editing by Clare Fallon) Related slideshow: Scenes from the Women's World Cup (Provided by imagn)


Welcome to another edition of The Grind where we're glad we didn't screw up Discovery's big purchase of Golf Digest. You know, by sharing a particularly bold Paulina Gretzky photo , or by taking a jab at Tiger Woods' mom jeans . After all, Tiger is (sort of) a co-worker again. . . https://twitter.com/GolfDigest/status/1127937050127286273 It won't be long before Big Cat is blocking my cell number like he does with Bubba! In any event, these are exciting times for Golf Digest and Discovery, which now oversees The Grind in addition to everything else. That's a heck of a portfolio. So good times all around. Hit it, Brian McKnight! See the video on YouTube. Love that song. And the best part of this new partnership is that none of my cracks at my boss or any other co-workers were enough to keep me from coming along for the ride! At least, that's what I've been told so far. Anyway, let's discuss everything else happening in the golf world before someone confiscates my computer. . . WE'RE BUYING Sung Kang's game: The South Korean won his first PGA Tour title by pulling away down the stretch with four consecutive birdies. Considering he was embroiled in a cheating allegation less than a year ago, this isn't exactly the feel-good story of the year. HOWEVAH, there's no denying he's a talented player (how about that 61 on Friday), and we're not going rain on the parade of someone's big day. Mother Nature is raining on everyone enough these days. Steve Stricker: At long last Stricker is a major champion! He just had to wait until he was on the PGA Tour Champions. Still, the Strick Show was in full force with a six-shot romp at the Regions Tradition. And yes, he cried. Obviously. https://twitter.com/ChampionsTour/status/1128021969226608642 A week after being in headlines for some scam artist using his name for some bogus charity event, Stricker is a major champ. And the rabid Wisconsin Badgers fan won on the same day John Beilein left as Michigan's head basketball coach. It's good to be Steve Stricker these days. Scott Piercy: I know Trinity Forest looked like a giant cow pasture on TV and was playing easier than Jim Boeheim's typical pre-conference schedule, but this guy made no bogeys at the AT&T Byron Nelson in his runner-up performance. That's right, ZERO bogeys. For an entire PGA Tour event. Piercy became the first player to do that and since Charles Howell III at the 2010 Greenbrier Classic. Howell also didn't win. Of course. WE'RE SELLING Sung Kang's pace: If an alleged cheating incident kept the Kang love to a minimum on Golf Twitter, the excessive amount of time he took between hitting shots didn't help. Neither did CBS for that matter. Like with Jim Furyk, you have to adjust and not show the guy's entire pre-shot routine. It's brutal. https://twitter.com/GOLFTV/status/1127616449021976577 Yeah, Sung, that's exactly how viewers felt, too. . . Justin Thomas' wrist: After skipping Quail Hollow, where Thomas won his lone major, he withdrew from the PGA Championship, the event where he won his lone major. This doesn't seem to be a huge deal, but it's still a bummer not to see one of the game's best player in action. It also ruined this little fact: https://twitter.com/JasonSobelTAN/status/1126851310345752576 Or you could say people talking about this jinxed it. In any event, something always happens to prevent this from happening. It's a major (really, PGA) championship curse. Not that it matters much. Anyway, feel better, JT, and fear not. Brooks Koepka missed a major last year with a wrist injury and he's done pretty well since then. James Adducci: Remember the guy who won $1.2 million on Tiger Woods winning the Masters? Then the feel-good story was ruined when we found out about his checkered legal past? Well, now he's in the news again for another Tiger bet, this time plunking $100,000 down on Woods to win the calendar Grand Slam in 2019 at 100-to-1 odds. "[William Hill] told me it's a bet that's never been seen before." Adducci told Golf Digest's Stephen Hennessey . "To make $1 million is a step. To make $10 million is jumping to a new level." Dude, just quit while you're ahead. ON TAP It's time for Glory's Last Shot This is Major This is MAY! The PGA Championship in its new spot on the calendar is here! And it's at Bethpage Black, AKA that place that has this iconic (and played out) sign: Fortunately, everyone playing this week is highly skilled. Random tournament fact: It rains basically non-stop when Bethpage Black holds a major , and it doesn't look like that's changing this year. The whole May thing should work a lot better in Texas. Then again, they had weather delays in Dallas over the weekend. RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK   James Adducci will walk away ahead in sports bets for his life: 1 MILLION-to-1 odds   Brooks Koepka will win the PGA: 10-to-1 odds (Actual odds, co-favorite with Tiger and Dustin Johnson)   CBS will show Bethpage Black's sign more than your favorite non-Tiger golfer: LOCK PHOTO OF THE WEEK Matt Every had his best finish of the season with a T-2 at the AT&T Byron Nelson. He also broke the record for longest club toss in PGA Tour history: Look at that full wind up! I bet that went a lot farther than my effort in a classic Golf Digest video about how to behave when playing golf with women : I bet Discovery didn't even know about that classic clip before the purchase. That's how much great CONTENT they're getting. VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK Speaking of great video content, the European Tour (and Eddie Pepperell) did it again, this time pranking Matt Wallace good at BMW International Open media day: https://twitter.com/EuropeanTour/status/1127951662734290944 Well done, everyone. Ashton Kuchar couldn't punk someone any better than that. THIS WEEK IN CELEBRITY GOLFERS There was a lot going on last week with Tony Romo shooting a very respectable 76-74 at the AT&T Byron Nelson. Sure, it was his home course and he only beat four guys, but. . . he BEAT four PGA Tour pros! https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/1126590441485492225 And for a tournament lacking some juice, the ex-Cowboys QB provided some. I'm not sure this needs to become an annual tradition, but well played, Tony. Moving on. . . How about Odell Beckham's golf swing? View the Instagram photo. Pretty good! Man, I miss that guy in New York already. . . And how about Ja Morant's golf swing? https://twitter.com/marchmadness/status/1126911122194534400 Pretty terrible! But I could get used to him playing point guard for the New York Knicks. Of course, the Knicks, despite having the NBA's worst record, will manage to fall out of the top two in Tuesday's NBA Draft Lottery thus robbing them of Morant and Zion Williamson. Sorry, but this rain has me in a funk. THIS WEEK IN TOUR PRO PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION Brandt Snedeker caddied for his son and called a penalty on him: https://twitter.com/BrandtSnedeker/status/1127344098929672194 Now that's some tough love. QUOTE OF THE WEEK "I figured out there's not a lot to do in South Florida if you don't play golf."   Justin Thomas. Hey, JT, if you get bored during rehab, I'm sure my grandma would let you play in her weekly bridge game. THIS AND THAT Tyler Duncan hit his wife, Maria, with an errant shot during the second round of the AT&T Byron Nelson. Tyler, just ask her not to follow you if you really don't want her out there. Jeez. . . . Congrats to my good friend Niall Horan for launching a new joint men's and women's pro tournament in Northern Ireland . I went to a Masters party at his rental house in Augusta so we're now good friends. . . . Fox announcer Shane Bacon made it through U.S. Open local qualifying. That's going to give him even more "street" cred when he interviews tour pros at Pebble Beach. . . . And finally, thanks to Bubba Watson for providing some tasty sweets from his candy store at Travelers Championship media day: Those sour belts. . . wow. If you're ever in Pensacola, Bubba's Sweet Spot sounds like a great spot THE spot to be. RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER Who will claim the Wanamaker Trophy? Who will claim the Iron Throne? Could a dragon dry out Bethpage Black? WATCH MORE VIDEOS FROM THE LOOP See the videos.


OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Stephen Curry had all kinds of room for a change and capitalized, finding his shooting touch in a hurry to get Golden State on a roll. Portland's defenders were too far back in the paint or a step behind all night. "Practice shots," Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard said of Curry's wide-open chances. So far, the Warriors are showing they can keep winning until Kevin Durant gets healthy. Making it look easy again, Curry knocked down nine 3-pointers on his way to 36 points, leading the two-time defending champions past the Trail Blazers 116-94 on Tuesday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. BOX SCORE: WARRIORS 116, TRAIL BLAZERS 94 "I know what I'm capable of on the floor. The situation calls for me to be a little bit more aggressive and hopefully that'll continue," said Curry, who came in shooting 37.1% on 3s this postseason. "Obviously it's nice to see the ball go in. I didn't shoot the ball well for 4 1/2 games the last series and got off to a good start tonight. I want to maintain that. Every game is different, you've got to re-establish yourself. That's my perspective no matter how I play." Curry shot 12 for 23 in his fourth 30-point performance this postseason, finding far more open looks than he had in the last round against Houston. The two-time NBA MVP outplayed the Portland duo of Lillard and CJ McCollum, who combined to go 11 for 31 against a strong Golden State defense. "It's good to see Steph have a game like that at a time that obviously we need him most," Draymond Green said. Klay Thompson had 26 points, including a late one-handed slam. Green established the energy on both ends early for the well-rested Warriors, finishing with 12 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals. Lillard scored 19 points back home in Oakland, just miles away from where he grew up. He appreciated all the support but wants to stick to basketball. "That's part of what makes it special, I'm from here," Lillard said. "I could walk home from here if I wanted to, that tells you how close it is." McCollum had 17 and missed five of his six 3s as the cold-shooting Blazers went just 7 for 28 from long range. Game 2 is Thursday night, and the Warriors are unlikely to have Durant back from a strained right calf. An update on Durant's status is expected that day once the two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP is re-examined. "I think we played a terrible game and we still had a chance going into the fourth quarter," McCollum said, "so we need to tighten some things up and look forward to the game on Thursday." Curry came off screens with authority and matched his postseason career high for 3s, also accomplished in Game 1 of last year's finals against Cleveland. He found his groove far earlier than in the Game 6 clincher at Houston on Friday night, when he scored all 33 of his points in the second half. Little brother Seth struggled with three points for Portland, which shot 36.1% overall. "It's not one-and-done. We've got a series, it's one loss," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. "We've got to play better, particularly at the offensive end, but we've got to be better at both ends." Lillard hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 6.3 seconds remaining in overtime Dec. 27 in his last regular-season game at Oracle Arena. He averaged 28.3 points and 6.5 assists in four regular-season games against Golden State this season. He arrived for Game 1 in a custom Oakland Athletics baseball jersey having averaged 30 points in his nine previous playoff matchups against the Warriors. Green has at least 10 rebounds in six straight playoff games, matching his postseason career-best streak of six also done last year. "This series is going to get tougher and tougher," Green said. FAMILY AFFAIR Between warmup shots, Seth Curry stole a glance to the other end as his big brother went through his own pregame routine. Back in the locker room, Stephen Curry said, "That was wild." Then, he joked, "Only me and Seth are going to score, the whole series." The Currys became the first brothers to ever face off in a conference final and the first in any round since Marc Gasol for the Grizzlies against Pau Gasol and the Spurs in the first round of the 2017 playoffs. "I caught myself a couple times looking up in the stands at my parents," Stephen Curry said. ON THE ROAD Coach Steve Kerr certainly thought the rest benefited the Warriors. "The schedule favored us but I thought we took advantage of the situation and got off to a good start," Kerr said. The Blazers traveled straight to the Bay Area from Denver after winning Game 7 on Sunday rather than return to Portland. "Denver seems like a week ago now," Stotts said. TIP-INS Trail Blazers: Portland committed four quick turnovers and finished with 21 for 31 Golden State points. ... G Rodney Hood, who suffered a bone bruise in his left knee Sunday against the Nuggets, scored 17 points. ... Portland is 1-9 all-time against Golden State in the playoffs. Warriors: Damian Jones, who began the season as starting center, returned from a torn left pectoral muscle to play in his first game since Dec. 1. ... Golden State is 18-1 in Game 1 of a playoff series dating to the 2015 title run, having won the last 12 postseason openers. ------ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP--Sports Related slideshow: 2019 NBA playoffs (Provided by imagn)


The US state of Nebraska has abolished the death penalty after a veto-override was passed through its legislature. The measure was backed by a coalition of conservatives who oppose execution as a form of punishment. Nebraska joins 18 other states and the federal district of Washington, DC, in banning capital punishment, and is the first traditionally conservative state in four decades to do so. The state has not executed an inmate since a 1997 electrocution. The unicameral legislature passed the measure 30 to 19 - the exact number of votes needed to override Governor Pete Ricketts earlier veto. Some of the lawmakers said that they support the death penalty in principle, but said that legal obstacles meant the state would be unable to carry out executions in the future. A Nebraska State Patrol spokeswoman said her agency was investigating death threats made against a state senator who supported the measure. Ten men are on currently Nebraska's death row. The state has never executed a prisoner using lethal injection - the current method for carrying out the death penalty in the state. The state lost its ability to carry out an execution in December 2013, when one of the three lethal injection drugs used in the procedure expired. North Dakota, another traditionally conservative state, abolished the death penalty in 1973. The most recent state to eliminate the death penalty is Maryland, which ended capital punishment in 2013.


SANTO ANTONIO DA SERRA, Portugal (AP) Bad weather disrupted the Madeira Islands Open for a second straight day on Friday as organizers were forced to suspend the first round again. Play was stopped after heavy rain flooded the greens on the Clube de Golf Santo da Serra course, with Denmark's Joachim B. Hansen holding the clubhouse lead after a 4-under 68. He was one shot ahead of England's Andrew Marshall and French pair Adrien Saddier and Jean-Baptiste Gonnet. The four were among roughly half the field able to complete the first round. Play is scheduled to resume on Saturday. On Thursday, heavy winds sweeping the Portuguese archipelago kept play from starting and led to organizers reducing the event to 54 holes. Last year, heavy fog during the first three days of the event forced organizers to reduce it to 36 holes.


BATON ROUGE, La.   Louisiana's Democratic governor signed a ban on abortion as early as six weeks of pregnancy Thursday, a move that puts him squarely in line with the leaders of other conservative Southern states while provoking anger from members of his own party. With his signature, Gov. John Bel Edwards made Louisiana the fifth state to enact a law prohibiting abortion when a fetal heartbeat is detected, joining Mississippi, Kentucky, Ohio and Georgia. Alabama's gone further, outlawing virtually all abortions . Louisiana's law doesn't contain exceptions for pregnancies from rape or incest. The bill's signing, however, won't limit the state's three abortion clinics anytime soon. Louisiana's law takes effect only if the law in neighboring Mississippi, which was recently blocked by a judge , is upheld by a federal appeals court. Edwards, a Catholic running for reelection this year, didn't hold a public bill signing or issue a statement about it, instead announcing his action through his office. He had repeatedly said he intended to sign the measure, citing his faith and saying his views match those of the people in his conservative, religious state. "This is an issue I've been consistent on forever. I am pro-life," he said earlier this month on his radio show, when asked about the bill. Louisiana legislators overwhelmingly supported the ban , with a 79-23 House vote and 31-5 Senate vote. Lawmakers in conservative states across the nation are striking at the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationally. Abortion opponents are pushing new restrictions on the procedure in hopes that a case will make its way to the high court and two new conservative justices appointed by President Donald Trump could help overturn Roe. None of the abortion bans enacted this year has taken effect, and all are expected to face legal challenges that will delay any enforcement of the prohibitions against the procedure. Opponents of the so-called heartbeat bills said they would effectively eliminate abortion as an option before many women realize they are pregnant and would violate constitutional privacy protections. Several hundred pink-clad Planned Parenthood supporters filled the Louisiana Capitol to protest the ban ahead of Thursday's bill signing. "The unprecedented and extreme attacks on abortion we're seeing across the country, including here in Louisiana, are dangerous to patient health and wellbeing," Petrice Sams-Abiodun, with Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, said in a statement. Louisiana's law includes an exception from the abortion ban to prevent the pregnant woman's death or "a serious risk of the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function"   or if the pregnancy is deemed "medically futile." But it does not include an exception for a pregnancy caused by rape or incest, drawing criticism that the law forces continued trauma on women who have been victimized. Under the bill, a doctor who violates the prohibition could face a prison sentence of up to two years, along with medical license revocation. The abortion-rights debates that divide state Capitols across the nation cause fewer ripples in the Louisiana Legislature. It is one of the country's most staunchly anti-abortion states, with a law on the books that immediately outlaws abortion if Roe v. Wade is ever overturned. Louisiana's latest abortion ban won support from many Democrats and was sponsored by Democratic Sen. John Milkovich. And the governor won some GOP praise for his position. "While Gov. Edwards and I disagree on a lot of things, I'm proud that he stands for life," Republican Rep. Julie Emerson said. Although Edwards is a rarity in the national Democratic Party, he ran as an anti-abortion candidate. In his 2015 campaign, Edwards had a prominent TV ad that showed his wife, Donna, describing being advised to have an abortion because of their daughter's spinal birth defect. The Edwardses refused, and the ad showed a grown-up Samantha. The bill signing by Edwards, who faces two Republicans on the ballot this fall, is expected to help shore up his position with some voters at home, even if it puts him at odds with national Democratic Party leaders and donors. Still, the governor faced an outcry of anger on social media from Democrats who objected to his support for the abortion ban. The chair of Louisiana's Democratic Party, Sen. Karen Carter Peterson, has been regularly slamming the bill. She's posted opposition messages on Twitter, including after the bill signing: "Embarrassing! Apologies to LA women, particularly for the disrespect to women victimized by rape or incest." But she hasn't directly criticized Edwards by name, and the party is supporting him for reelection. ___ Senate Bill 184: www.legis.la.gov ___ Follow Melinda Deslatte on Twitter at http://twitter.com/melindadeslatte


Most children learn that written numbers represent quantities in pre-school or junior primary school. Now our new study shows that honeybees too can learn to match symbols and numerosities, much like we humans do with Arabic and Roman numerals. Human language and mathematics Language is the ability to learn and use a system of symbolic representations for communication. This includes a capacity to relate signs to abstract information. For example, letters grouped together make a word which we can read, and sounded words put together in the correct order allow us to have a conversation. Human language can incorporate spoken, written, visually signed , or tactile forms like braile . Around the world humans have developed many different spoken and written languages . However, mathematics in particular is often regarded as a " universal language " since the mathematical concepts that describe values and equations do not depend on cultural or other frameworks. We are interested in the question of whether numerical symbols are truly universal   that is, whether they also work for species that are not human. The language of honeybees The honeybee is a super organism for the study of comparative information processing in a brain. In 1973 Karl von Frisch was awarded a Nobel Prize in the field of Physiology and Medicine for his demonstrations that the honeybee can communicate with hive mates via a symbolic dance language. von Frisch showed that a foraging bee which locates rewarding flowers can fly back to a hive and signal both the direction and distance of the nutritious flowers via a " waggle dance ". Other bees can interpret the dance language to know where to fly to collect nectar. We wondered if such an impressive communication system meant that honeybees could learn another type of symbolic language , a basic symbolic number system. Interestingly, chimpanzees , Rhesus monkeys , pigeons , and a single African grey parrot named Alex have demonstrated the skill to learn either Arabic numerals or English names for numbers. This shows us that while no non-human species appear to have developed a symbolic representation of number, it is not because they lack the brain capacity to understand such representations. Our work has already shown honeybees can learn and apply challenging numerical concepts such as greater vs. lesser items, a quantitative valuation of " zero ", and simple arithmetic . We took this knowledge a step further with our latest research . How do bees learn? To train honeybees to match symbols (called "signs") and number amounts (called "numerosities"), we used a subset of the symbols previously used to train pigeons on a similar task. Bees were trained to fly into a Y-shaped maze. Inside the maze the bee would view a stimulus. The bee would then fly into the decision chamber were it would view two options, one correct and one incorrect. One group of bees was trained to match a sign to a numerosity, while a second group was trained to match a numerosity to a sign. If bees were learning to match a sign to a numerosity, they would first see the sign and then have the option to choose two or three shapes. If bees were learning to match a numerosity to a sign, they would first see a number of items, such as three squares, and then have the option to choose from two signs. For example, if a bee viewed an N-shaped sign, she would need to choose a display presenting two items. She would need to be able to do this regardless of the shape, pattern, or color of the items presented. If the bee chose correctly she would receive a sugar solution, but if she chose incorrectly, she would taste bitter quinine (which does not hurt the bee but is not pleasant for her). Importantly, neither the quinine nor the sugar can be smelled by the bee , so the only cue for decision making is the visual one. Matching symbol to number Bees were trained for 50 trials to match an N-shape sign with the number "two", and an inverted T-shape sign with the number "three", and achieved an accuracy of about 75 percent. This is the first time symbol matching to number has been shown in an invertebrate. After training was completed bees were tested in several conditions with completely novel patterns, colors and shapes and continued to prefer to match the sign with the numerosity, or the numerosity with the sign. Interestingly, however, we found bees were unable to reverse their learnt tasks. If a bee had learnt to match a sign to a numerosity, she could not then match a numerosity to a sign, or vice versa. It appears the association between the number and the symbolic representation was only learnt in one direction and was unable to be reversed. Interestingly, these kinds of learning outcomes   referred to as " operational schemas "   are sometimes applicable to how humans learn too. What does this mean? While no other species besides humans has spontaneously developed a language for numbers, our research suggests an insect can understand and learn basic representation of numbers through symbols. The system we taught to bees was limited in several ways. For example, we trained bees to link just two quantities and two symbols. Also we do not yet know if bees gave quantitative value to the symbols; we simply know that they can link the symbol and quantity together. And yet it is remarkable bees displayed some capacity to understand numbers through symbols. We're left wondering whether we as humans are so very special after all   that perhaps the ability to learn mathematics could be universal. Despite the limitations of the current research , we have demonstrated, to a small extent, symbolic communication with an insect species, which we have been separated from by over 600 million years of evolution. Our research is laying the foundations for developing a communication system with very different animal species, and shows the differences between human and non-human animals are not as great in some regards as we might previously have thought. This article is republished from The Conversation by Scarlett Howard , Postdoctoral research fellow, Université de Toulouse III   Paul Sabatier ; Adrian Dyer , Associate Professor, RMIT University , and Andrew Greentree , Professor of Quantum Physics and Australian Research Council Future Fellow, RMIT University under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article .


With the holiday season coming to a close and the new year just around the corner, college basketball teams are finally nearing conference play. Of course, by March teams' non-conference slates will be examined closely by the NCAA tournament selection committee. Here's a look at five marquee teams that have some work to do in 2015 based on their first two months of non-league action. 1. Florida (7-4): The Gators haven't lost to bad teams   Miami (Fla.), Georgetown, North Carolina and Kansas   but Billy Donovan's roster has yet to develop an identity. That's partially because of a series of injuries (namely Rutgers transfer Eli Carter) as well as the lackluster play of former McDonald's All-Americans Chris Walker and Kasey Hill. Dorian Finney-Smith and Michael Frazier II have been keeping things together and now transfer Alex Murphy is available. But this still looks like a scattered puzzle in late December. Florida looked to be Kentucky's biggest threat in the SEC entering the season. Currently, the Gators are far away from challenging the country's best team. 2. Syracuse (7-4): The Orange were were expected to dip this year after losing C.J. Fair and Tyler Ennis. A further assessment provides a better idea of how good this inexperienced Syracuse team can be. The Orange challenged a very good Villanova before crumbling on Dec. 20   coughing up a 15-point lead and losing in overtime. That performance showed both the potential and lack of maturity, which also was evident in a narrow loss to Michigan on Dec. 2. Forward Rakeem Christmas has started to blossom, Trevor Cooney is rediscovering his jump shot and Chris McCullough is having a strong freshman campaign. The key will come down to point guard and rookie Kaleb Joseph, who's adjusting to college (3.6 turnovers a game) slower than his much more talented predecessors   Ennis and Michael Carter-Williams. In a loaded ACC where Syracuse lost to bottom-feeder teams last year, it will be intriguing to see how fast Syracuse develops. 3. Michigan State (9-4): An upset loss Dec,. 20 to woeful Texas Southern will either be a wake-up call or a check mark on an underachieving season. One thing is for certain: Michigan State better get it together before Big Ten play starts. Losses to Duke, Kansas and Notre Dame were excusable but aside from a decent win against Marquette, MSU doesn't has no wins against a marquee opponent. That's good to end the non-conference slate that way. A wrist injury to Branden Dawson hurts, but the senior's head-scratching ineffectiveness was beginning to confound coach Tom Izzo beforehand. Denzel Valentine and Travis Trice provide leadership in the backcourt, but the Spartans will need a full-fledged collaborative effort to turn this ship in the right direction. 4. Michigan (7-5): Four consecutive losses is bad, even if two of them came against Arizona and Southern Methodist. The other two are mind-boggling, first New Jersey Institute of Technology and then Eastern Michigan. Both at home. Between those two catastrophes, Michigan State's loss to Texas Southern and Nebraska's loss to Incarnate Ward, the Big Ten is looking questionable. Michigan hung close with Villanova and took down Syracuse so it's not as if this is a bad team. It's just a team struggling to find consistency. Zak Irvin has turned into a dynamic scorer as a sophomore and with Caris LeVert the Wolverines pose matchup problems. But Michigan struggles to protect the paint and crash the boards, ranking 229th in rebounding margin. Most important, Michigan hasn't been shooting well (43% from the field to rank 204th nationally), and that's typically the team's calling card. 5. Connecticut (5-4): The title defense hasn't been pretty for the Huskies, who lost three in a row   to West Virginia, Texas and then a jaw-dropper to Yale. UConn didn't bad in a loss to Duke, but there's still a lot to work out. Remember, last year's UConn team didn't really find its groove until March. This year's team is still learning to play together. Ryan Boatright has taken over Shabazz Napier's lead catalyst duties, and big man Amida Brimah has progressed nicely. Freshman Daniel Hamilton has shown major promise, but Rodney Purvis hasn't exactly hit his stride. Right now, the Huskies' record doesn't look good, but there will be plenty of room to make up ground once AAC play gets going.


Get ready, because the recession is coming. The only problem is that the "when that will be" probably is not as soon as many financial media reports might have you scared about. There is a misconception out there after the U.S. Treasury's yield curve recently inverted, meaning long-term interest rates are lower than some short-term and intermediate-term rates, that means the next recession is around the corner. Many undecided factors with unknown outcomes are going to have to play themselves out for the next formal recession to arrive. We can argue all day long about the socialist movement in America being economically damaging, or we can argue about the ongoing "soon to be, but as of yet unresolved" trade spat with China or about slower global growth rates and even Brexit for some international watchers at a more granular level. Until some more time plays out, and until the actual result of the outcome is seen, the reality is that it's just too soon to jump the gun with formal recession timing as being imminent. The next recession's timing because of the current yield curve simply isn't giving the same message as in many past instances. The 2019 inversion has been a "barely inverted" curve. Not all long-term rates went under short-term and intermediate-term ones, and those that did simply did not do it very much. There is also a backdrop in which rates in Europe and Japan are very positive again, which was not really the case in decades past. The financial media also may have played a role in just how much this inverted yield curve really means in the big picture. The inverted yield curves of years past also came at significantly higher rates than today (I was selling CDs with close to 10% yields about 30 years ago). The St. Louis Fed also gets more specific about when an inversion really is : 10-year rates being negative by greater than 0.25% compared with the one-year Treasury. It also defines negative housing starts in the mix, with a decline of at least 4% for four consecutive months. Here are some go-to sources that are showing non-recession and warnings alike based on the most recent inversion of the yield curve According to a Merrill Lynch capital markets outlook on April 8, 2019, from the Macro Strategy team: Yield-curve inversions share both common and distinct features. They always reflect tightening financial conditions and slowing nominal growth. Their recession message, however, depends a lot on the underlying long-term inflation trend. The brief inversion in late March prolonged the expansion, in our view, because it reflected falling inflation pressures. In late March, Forbes cited expert opinion that the current inversion put the implied recession risk at 25% to 30% on a 12-month view. The Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank's March 28 update did show a higher percentage chance of recession out a year, but that was still just at 32.7% . Goldman Sachs opined in late March that the most recent yield curve inversion is unusual and that it is not sending the same powerful recession signal it has in the past. Strategists pointed out that it's more usual to see the two-year yield break above the 10-year yield first, and strategists expect stocks to continue to move higher even as the spread between short-term and longer-term yields narrows. BlackRock, the manager for the massive iShares exchange traded fund family, opined in March that investors have historically viewed the shape of the yield curve as a signal of future economic growth, but the firm voiced : "We do not believe the current yield curve is signaling a recession, but rather that it reflects the Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes and decelerating economic growth." A Wall Street Journal article in January warned of the yield curve inversion ahead of time and discussed that a true inversion had occurred before the past 5 recessions, but it also warned that the data sees lower odds than the yield curve. The CME FedWatch Tool is also leaning more toward rate cuts in the future, as opposed to more rate hikes, and that means the inverted yield curve is likely to abate then or ahead of time. That FedWatch Tool most recently showed a 30.6% chance of a 25 basis point rate cut (63.7% at flat rates) for the December 2019 FOMC meeting, and the tool showed a 35.0% chance of a 25 basis point rate cut (55.2% flat chance) for the January 2020 FOMC meeting. A last source of confidence is that Fed Chair Jerome Powell and the Federal Reserve already have given longer-term views for slower growth but no recession. Most important is that the FOMC already has signaled that it is out of the rate hike business for 2019 , and that might mean they figured out they were too aggressive in "buying an insurance policy" with excessive rate hikes in 2018. ALSO READ: Why the Earnings Season Bar May Be Set Too Low One more issue to consider, which should need no sourcing, is the level of the S&P 500 Index and the Nasdaq composite index. The S&P 500 was last seen at roughly 2,905, with an all-time and recent high of 2,940.91. The Nasdaq was recently at 7,990, compared with an all-time high and recent high of 8,133.30. Stock markets can hit highs over and over in the late-cycle moves, but if stock indexes tend to discount news for one or two quarters into the future it seems unlikely that the markets are screaming "recession is imminent." Anyhow, there is a montage of calls around the inverted yield curve. We have tried to show both sides, but the reality is that, from the list of go-to sources that don't just make a living based on headline hype, this most recent inversion is not predicting any massive odds of recession at this time. That can change if the curve gets very inverted and if some yet-unknown outcomes turn south.


More motivation for the 2019 season has emerged, in the form of the Madden 20 ratings for all 32 NFL teams. The Eagles have the highest team rating, with an 89. They're followed closely by their division rivals in Dallas, who landed an 88. (Maybe Cowboys fans shouldn't boycott the game , after all.) Next comes a trio of teams with an 87 rating: the Patriots, Saints, and Packers. The Falcons and Colts have an 86 each, and the defending NFC champions slide to 85, tied with the other L.A. team. Four teams have an 84   the Steelers, Panthers, Chiefs, and Bears. Five, the Vikings, Texans, Washington, 49ers, Browns, get an 83. Another quartet of teams start with an 81: the Titans, Seahawks, Ravens, and Broncos. The Raiders, Lions, and Bengals each got an 80, the Jaguars fall to 79, the Jets, Cardinals, Bucs, and Bills are 78, the Giants shrink to 77, and the Dolphins bring up the rear with 74. So who should be the most miffed? The Jaguars at 79 stand out the most, as do the Seahawks and Ravens at 81.


President Trump on Sunday posted a Father's Day message, wishing everyone, including his "worst and most vicious critics" a happy holiday. "Happy Father's Day to all, including my worst and most vicious critics, of which there are fewer and fewer," he tweeted on Sunday morning. "This is a FANTASTIC time to be an American! KEEP AMERICA GREAT!" Happy Father's Day to all, including my worst and most vicious critics, of which there are fewer and fewer. This is a FANTASTIC time to be an American! KEEP AMERICA GREAT! - Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 16, 2019 A pool report indicated that the president's motorcade arrived at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Va. around the time the tweet was sent.


With the draft just a few days away, it's likely that free agents Craig Kimbrel and Dallas Keuchel will (finally) come off the board in the near future. Once the calendar flips from June 2 to June 3, clubs will no longer be forced to surrender a draft pick to sign either former All-Star. Heading into the season and even early in the year, we looked at plenty of potential landing spots for both. But as the draft inched closer and the two remained unsigned, it became increasingly clear that they could try their hand at the 2014 Kendrys Morales gambit and sit out into June in order to open their market. Now, not only are Kimbrel and Keuchel once again a relevant topic   they're being met with different markets than they encountered during spring training. With a third of the season in the books, teams have a better understanding of how they fit into their divisional and wild-card landscapes. Injuries have altered the construction of rosters throughout the league. Some fits still make sense, just as much if not more than they did two or three months ago, but that's not the case across the board. Trade possibilities are also beginning to take shape, creating new and different competition for these hurlers. Let's take a look at the most plausible on-paper fits for Kimbrel: Teams with obvious offseason payroll limitations The Pirates are in the mix in the NL Central, but I don't think I need to expand upon the reasons that we won't be seeing a free agent reliever with Kimbrel's anticipated price tag land in Pittsburgh. The Indians are trying to claw back into the AL Central race and are right in the thick of the wild-card picture, but they spent the winter cutting payroll. Kimbrel won't be in the cards. The Cubs could clearly use Kimbrel, but their offseason payroll constraints were clear. Maybe they saved some money for in-season moves, but it's rare to dig through the couch cushions for change and pull out a hundred-dollar bill. We're barely three months past owner Tom Ricketts declaring he had no more money to spend, and even if the Cubs aren't paying Ben Zobrist's full salary ( which isn't fully clear ), they're near the second luxury tax bracket. From a roster perspective, the Cubs are a perfect fit, but it'd require a pretty sizable pivot from ownership. May be close to their payroll limit Back in the offseason I delved into why the Red Sox aren't really a fit considering the huge luxury-tax hit that would accompany Kimbrel there. Those same luxury concerns are still present. Would the Wilpon family be willing to push the Mets' payroll further into franchise-record territory than it already is (before even factoring in possible July trades)? It's hard to envision. The Reds have had a great month to keep themselves from falling out of the NL Central race after an awful start, but their payroll is already $25 million higher than last season's and $11 million higher than it ever has been. Even if they were to add to the payroll, the bullpen isn't their most pressing area of concern. The Athletics didn't necessarily spend a ton this winter, but they did spend enough to push their payroll to a franchise-record $92 million. Kimbrel would help them, particularly with Blake Treinen slipping a bit , but I'm not buying the A's buying Kimbrel. I imagine the Cardinals to be in a similar boat, considering their own record payroll. They've been bitten by most of their recent bullpen expenditures as well ( Brett Cecil , Luke Gregerson , Greg Holland , Andrew Miller ). .500 clubs and fringe wild-card teams There's a host of teams hovering around .500 and sitting within a stone's throw of a wild-card spot, but a more clear-cut divisional contender would have an easier time luring Kimbrel, who surely wants a shot at postseason redemption. You could make a case for any of the White Sox, Rangers, Angels, D'backs, Padres or Rockies, and there are indeed valid ways to see how he'd fit with some of those clubs, but it's tough to classify any as a favorite. Two months ago? Maybe! Now? Nope! The Nationals, owners of an almost impossibly inept bullpen, get this category all to themselves. Kimbrel to the Nats was heavily rumored in spring but always felt like a bit of a stretch given that he'd push them back over the luxury tax for a third straight season. However, entering the year you could see why the Nationals might be willing to make that plunge. This was a team designed to contend in what was expected to be an ultra-competitive division, after all. Fast forward to the end of May, and the Nats sit eight games below .500 with a nine-game deficit in the NL East. Kimbrel alone isn't fixing a bullpen ERA that somehow begins with the number 7. And, if you're Kimbrel, do you really want to sign with a team that's closer to the last-place Marlins than to a Wild Card spot? Do they even need him? Of course every bullpen can technically use a reliever of Kimbrel's caliber, but he's more a luxury for some contenders than others. The Yankees don't need bullpen help even with Dellin Betances still sidelined and Chad Green doing very-non-Chad-Green things. Kimbrel would strengthen a strength and set them up for another deadly postseason relief corps, and the Yankees can afford him. The rotation is a greater need, however (cough, cough Dallas Keuchel ). Because the Yankees will pay a 32% tax on any dollar they spend on a free agent at this point, they seem more likely to spend on needs than luxuries. The luxury-tax point doesn't apply to the Astros, but the Houston 'pen leads the majors in ERA, FIP and xFIP. The Astros have also had some infield injuries and hiccups at the back of the rotation, so they have greater needs. Houston is already near a record level payroll and is reasonably close ($17 million) to the luxury-tax line. Adding Kimbrel would limit their future maneuverability if ownership prefers to stay south of that line. The best fits (listed alphabetically) Braves: Fans in Atlanta have been pleading for the front office to add Kimbrel for months, and the fit is more logical than ever. Closer Arodys Vizcaino was lost for the season while the majority of the arms on which the Braves leaned in 2018 have struggled through poor seasons. Dan Winkler 's ERA is north of 6.00. Shane Carle is in Triple-A. Jesse Biddle is now a Mariner. Atlanta's most consistent reliever has been Luke Jackson , whom the Braves outrighted off the 40-man roster on three different occasions in 2018. Currently, the Braves hold the second wild-card spot in the NL and are three games back of the division-leading Phillies. General manager Alex Anthopoulos famously talked about the "flexibility" they had after going the bargain route in right field by re-signing Nick Markakis , but they've yet to actually take advantage of that payroll space. Brewers: It's possible that the Brewers should be included in the previous "close to their payroll limit" section, but they were linked to Kimbrel frequently late in spring training. Milwaukee's payroll is at $122 million, which isn't much relative to other clubs but is $18 million more than the Brewers had spent on a single season before 2019. The bullpen hasn't been the same juggernaut it was last season, in part due to the loss of Corey Knebel for the season (Tommy John surgery). A Kimbrel/ Josh Hader / Jeremy Jeffress trio in the late innings sounds formidable, to be sure. The question is whether the Brewers would be willing to push an already record payroll to the point where they'd outbid the rest of the field. Dodgers: With the exception of Kenley Jansen , the Andrew Friedman-led Dodgers just haven't spent at the top of the market at any position in free agency. That said, his price has to be down from the offseason, and the winter pickup of Joe Kelly hasn't panned out, thus leaving L.A. with a mediocre relief corps. The Dodgers would likely pay a 20% luxury tax on some of the money it would take to land Kimbrel. A team with pockets this deep and a pedestrian bullpen makes the fit logical in a vacuum, even if context suggests that it's not likely. Phillies: Like the Braves, the Phillies have been one of the longest-mentioned fits for Kimbrel. The need for a high-end reliever in Philadelphia might be greater now than at any point over the past calendar year; as we explored recently, the Phillies have nearly an entire bullpen's worth of quality relievers on the injured list. A resurgent Hector Neris and sophomore Seranthony Dominguez are leading the charge in the late innings, but there's certainly room to add Kimbrel to this injury-ravaged relief unit. That said, there are still indications that Philly is interested in Kimbrel on only a one-year deal, and that's probably not going to cut it. Rays: Winners of six straight games and owners of MLB's third-best run differential, the Rays have been one of the game's best overall teams through the end of May. They're a half-game behind the Yankees in the AL East and are firmly in control of the top AL wild-card spot as of this writing. Payroll concerns are always going to dominate discussions regarding the Rays, but they entered the year at just $60 million in payroll   one year after they opened the season at $76 million. Those sums may induce laughter from fans of big-market clubs, but the 2019 Rays roster is no joke. When they're in this close a race with the Yankees for the division crown, every win is vital. The difference between a wild-card play-in and a guaranteed ALDS berth is monumental, and Kimbrel should help them keep pace. Twins: Minnesota managed to reduce its payroll while still adding the likes of Nelson Cruz , Marwin Gonzalez and Jonathan Schoop   Joe Mauer 's retirement and the expiration of Ervin Santana 's contract helped   which set them up as a credible threat to the Indians. They've been more than a credible threat, however, racing out to one of the best records in baseball and opening an enormous 10-game lead in the AL Central. Adding Kimbrel would push the Twins to a franchise-record payroll, but not by that much; for a team that is now selling out Target Field after years of futility (excepting their 2017 wild-card run), there's every reason to make an aggressive move. Back in January , chief baseball officer Derek Falvey and GM Thad Levine spoke of "investing appropriately" and "striking" while the window is "wide open." Whether Kimbrel is the "appropriate" investment is up to their discretion, but it's hard to imagine a more open window than a 10-game lead in a division with three rebuilding clubs.


Editor's note: The opinions in this article are the author's, as published by our content partner, and do not necessarily represent the views of MSN or Microsoft. A new Axios poll found that 55 percent of women between ages 18 and 54 prefer socialism to capitalism. With prominent politicians such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders promoting socialist agendas, it's no wonder that the economic platform has become so popular. But how women can consider themselves feminists and socialists at the same time? Socialism isn't liberating, yet feminism is all about liberation. How can taking your hard-earned money to pay for some lazy man be liberating? When asked what constitutes a socialist political system, over 50 percent of people believed these policies made a country socialist: Universal healthcare (76 percent) Tuition-free education (72 percent) Living wage (68 percent) State-controlled economy (66 percent) State control and regulation of private property (61 percent) High taxes for the rich (60 percent) State-controlled media and communication (57 percent) Strong environmental regulations (56 percent) High public spending (55 percent) Government "democratizes" private businesses that is, gives workers control over them to the greatest extent possible (52 percent) Looking at this data, it seems 55 percent of women want free healthcare, free college, and to not work, but still make a living wage. I'm sure Susan B. Anthony didn't pioneer the women's movement so that women could get a government pay check and never work. Next, we're going to hear that women need reparations made in order to find equality after being suppressed by the evil, male patriarchy. The irony of the idea that receiving a universal basic income check will help women is that, in most plans, to qualify for one, you can't be working. Yet, the women of the left are the ones that encourage other women to give up the typical 1950s family life for a career. Why, as women, would we want to work hard only for the government to take a solid percentage of our paycheck and hand it over to the lazy man that's sitting on his couch and cashing in on universal basic income? How is that feminism? How is that inspiring women to work hard and feel liberated from the control of the "patriarchy"? It doesn't. Think about the women that pioneered freedom movements to give future women the right to vote and the rights to equality. They wanted women to have the same rights as men and now, they do. There are so many people that debate that American women need to seek more progress, but please name one thing that women in America can't do. I feel empowered to be a woman in this modern age. I don't feel oppressed by anyone. Real feminists would know that reaching for progress in a society that helped champion women's rights is a waste of time when so many women around the world are actually oppressed by governments (socialist governments, might I add). True feminism should stem from helping and building up women that are truly oppressed, not seeking reparations for past injustices especially when the system is now beginning to work in your favor. Working hard and achieving a great deal of success is not the principle upon which socialism was founded, it's the principle upon which capitalism was founded. Women have won a record number of seats in Congress as of 2018, and thanks to Justice Kavanaugh, there is the first ever all-women clerk staff in Supreme Court history. Women are doing better now than at any other point in history. Comparing our success to the past doesn't mean that the future can't be better for women. But, a socialist system would not empower women to run for Congress or graduate from law school and work for a Supreme Court justice. A capitalist system not only will empower women into the future, but has been the greatest equalizer of men and women in history.


A former Fort Worth paramedic, who is also a double amputee and para-athlete, is out around $10,000 after discovering two of his racing cycles were stolen when he returned from an amputee conference. The theft may now keep 52-year-old David Norcott from competing in a race he signed up for that is scheduled for later this month. "It is evil, someone took something from me," Norcott said. "Choice was taken away from me...and I feel violated." In September of 1998, Norcott was involved in a fiery car wreck that led to both of his legs being amputated. But Norcott didn't let his circumstances define him. LINK: Fundraiser for David Norcott In 2013, he began walking in 5K and 10K races. He said it all started with a co-worker encouraging him to participate in a race that everyone in the office signed up for. "He told me that he just wanted me to be included," Norcott said. "Those were some of the most powerful words I had heard in a long time. I was important enough to be included. I belonged to something." Norcott has since been in over 60 road races, including three half-marathons. "It was so overwhelming to earn something so earnest," Norcott said. "It was so much joy, elation, and victory. I felt good about myself, and I felt good about what I did." Norcott recently started cycling. He has two fitted specifically for him. One is a wheelchair racing tri-cycle and the other is a handcycle. He's competed in two races so far and was planning to compete in the Hotter'N Hell Hundred (100k) in Wichita Falls at the end of this month. But on Wednesday, he noticed that his cycles were stolen from his garage. A few days earlier, Norcott returned from an amputee conference in San Antonio. Both cycles are worth around $10k combined. Norcott said that some electronics and a set of golf clubs were stolen too. But this is what hurts his spirit the most, he can't train or possibly compete in the Wichita Falls race. "I feel denied the privilege to be able to train," Norcott said. However, Norcott's friends are now raising money on Facebook to try and replace his stolen wheels. Around $2,000 has been raised so far and the fundraiser is growing. It's not a lot right now, but Norcott said he's been overwhelmed with the generosity. "Apparently, I've touched a lot of lives," Norcott said with a broken voice. "Very much, it's humbling and I'm grateful." Norcott said he'll find a way to ride again, to overcome. "I've been comfortable with being uncomfortable," Norcott said. "It's just another hurdle." If you'd like to donate to the Facebook fundraiser go here. More on WFAA: Paralyzed in hit-and-run crash, young North Texan now inspires others one step at a time Ex-DPS official accused in brutal rape bonds out of jail Slithery scare: WATCH, snake stuck in gas pump screen surprises Kansas woman Arlington officer fatally shoots daughter of fire captain while aiming at dog


As scientists learn more about the way animals think, are they finding more human qualities? Or is it just anthropomorphizing?


American parents aren't going all in on the allowance. While many financial experts tout the allowance as an important tool to teach kids about money, a recent survey commissioned by CreditCards.com found that only 40% of children under the age of 18 receive one. "Whether or not to pay an allowance is a personal decision, but teaching about needs versus wants is a must-do," said Ted Rossman, industry analyst at CreditCards.com. Certified Financial Planner Lazetta Rainey Braxton agrees it's important to teach children responsibility and money management. That may include paying your kids for doing chores. "Conceptually, the allowance for rendering services is a good way for children to know that you get paid for working," said Braxton, founder and CEO of Financial Fountains in Baltimore and a member of the CNBC Advisor Council. However, it's important to follow that up with guidance on how to spend and save that money, she added. When and how much? You can start teaching your kids about money early by letting them know what things cost or how your job enables you to pay for the house. As they get older, you can start to give them a weekly allowance. The median age is 8, according to the survey, conducted by YouGov Plc for CreditCards.com in May. It polled 2,694 adults with school-aged children. The median payout is $4 a week, the survey found. Going cashless While cash is still king, more parents are turning to technology and debit cards. According to the survey, 10% of parents pay via mobile payments, such as Venmo or Cash App, 10% use a direct bank transfer and 10% pay with a debit card. Rossman thinks there are additional lessons to be learned by going cashless. "If you are only teaching your kids about money in terms of coins and bills, you are doing them a disservice," Rossman said. "Transacting with plastic and via an app is really, obviously, the way of the future but increasingly the way of the present." So instead of thinking that a credit card is a magic way to get something from the grocery store, kids can come to understand the money behind it. Rossman said there are "a lot of smart fintech companies doing some really interesting things when comes to mobile apps and prepaid cards targeted at kids." That includes names like Greenlight, Current and gohenry. Parents can load funds onto the cards and then monitor their kids' spending through an app. There are also allowance-specific apps , such as Rooster Money. Rossman said Rooster Money lays things out in a "fun, easy format." It allows parents to list the specific chores, which the kids check off when they are done "This is really great at equating work with money, which is a valuable life lesson," he said. Related video: Debit card for kids Not hot on an allowance? If you are someone who doesn't want to pay your kids to do work around the house, you're not alone. However, you still need to teach them about handling money. Braxton said that's what she does with her daughter. "Our chores are just a part of your family duties," she said. "We also believe in … sharing the responsibility of the budget." That means giving your children a set amount of money that they can use towards things they want or need, such as a toy or school supplies. The key is that they make the decisions on how to spend that money, and in the process learn the value of it. It teaches kids "that money is finite and doesn't grow on trees," Rossman said.


Within 24 hours, the Camp Fire has burned more than 20,000 acres, and has virtually destroyed the town of Paradise. A home burns as the Camp Fire tears through Paradise, California, on November 8, 2018. The Camp Fire rages through Paradise, California, on November 8, 2018. Embers blow in the wind as the Camp Fire burns a KFC restaurant in Paradise on November 8, 2018. A car explodes into flames as the Camp Fire tears through downtown Paradise on November 8, 2018. A home burns in Paradise, California, on November 8, 2018. A home burns as the Camp Fire moves through Paradise on November 8, 2018. A car burned by the Camp Fire is illuminated by headlights as it sits in the middle of a road on November 8, 2018. Dogs roam burned-out neighborhoods as the Camp Fire tears through Paradise on November 8, 2018. Scorched vehicles rest on a roadside as the Camp Fire tears through Paradise on November 8, 2018. Smoke from the Camp Fire, burning in the Feather River Canyon near Paradise, darkens the sky on November 8, 2018. Flames consume a home as the Camp Fire burns through Paradise on November 8, 2018. A group of U.S. Forest Service firefighters monitors a backfire while battling to save homes at the Camp Fire in Paradise on November 8, 2018. A home is overshadowed by towering smoke plumes as the Camp Fire races through Paradise, California, on November 8, 2018. Patients are quickly evacuated from the Feather River Hospital as it burns down in the Camp Fire on November 8, 2018. A Cal Fire firefighter monitors a fire near a home while battling the Camp Fire on November 8, 2018. Flames consume the Screen and Window Shop as the Camp Fire tears through Paradise on November 8, 2018. Embers blow in the wind outside a burning restaurant on November 8, 2018, in Paradise. Embers fly as wind and flames from the Camp Fire tear through Paradise on November 8, 2018. A Jack in the Box fast-food restaurant in Paradise burns as the Camp Fire tears through town on November 8, 2018. Firefighters try to contain a fire so it doesn't spread to a neighboring building as the Camp Fire moves through the area on November 8, 2018. The Paradise Skilled Nursing center is consumed by flames from the Camp Fire on November 8, 2018. A chimney remains at the site of a home burned in the Camp Fire on November 8, 2018. A car with a melted bumper sits at a burned-out gas station as the Camp Fire tears through Paradise on November 8, 2018. A vintage car sits among debris after the Camp Fire passed through Paradise, California, on November 8, 2018.


So many unanswered questions ahead of the Coca-Cola 600, but we have plenty of stats to back up any predictions you might have for Charlotte. Kyle Busch is the favorite to win Sunday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but will Team Penske continue their run? Can Jimmie Johnson finally break the winless streak? Will Martin Truex Jr. rise up on a 1.5-miler? So many unanswered questions, but we have plenty of stats to back up predictions ahead of the Coca-Cola 600 (6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Jimmie Johnson is currently suffering through a 71-race winless streak dating back to Dover in June 2017. The last driver to break a 70-plus race drought in the Coca-Cola 600 was Mark Martin in 2002 when he snapped a 73-race streak. In total, six drivers have had winless streaks of 24 races or more come to an end in the Memorial Day classic at Charlotte. Joe Gibbs Racing drivers have led the most laps in the past four Coca-Cola 600 races. Kyle Busch led 377 laps en route to victory in 2018, while Martin Truex Jr. led the previous three events, adding the crown-jewel win to his racing resumé in 2016. Struggling no more? Hendrick Motorsports had two cars finish in the top five in each of the last three races, the longest active streak by an organization. The last time Hendrick had two cars finish in the top five on four consecutive occasions occurred in the Spring of 2009 at Bristol, Martinsville, Texas and ISM. If Alex Bowman finishes second in the Coca-Cola 600, it'll be his fourth consecutive runner-up finish, becoming the fourth driver to do so in NASCAR history. Bowman would join Mark Martin (1998), Harry Gant (1985) and Darrell Waltrip (1983). Known for his 1.5-mile prowess, Martin Truex Jr. hasn't shown it yet this season. Truex finished 12th at Texas and 19th at Kansas, his first time recording back-to-back finishes outside the top 10 on intermediate tracks since 2016. Truex has also never finished outside the top 10 on 1.5-milers three straight times with Cole Pearn as his crew chief. Jimmie Johnson currently holds 12 crown-jewel victories, including four Coca-Cola 600 wins -- the highest among active drivers on both accounts. Second to Johnson is Harvick with five total crown jewels, including a pair of 600 trophies. Both drivers are among only four who have won all four crown-jewel events, along with Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon. The driver leading at the 500-mile mark in the Coca-Cola 600 has gone on to win only eight of the last 24 races (33%). If Jimmie Johnson can earn a top five in Sunday night's 600-miler, he'll take the outright lead among drivers with the most top-five finishes on 1.5-mile tracks of all-time. He and Jeff Gordon are currently tied with 74 apiece. Next in line is Kevin Harvick with 61 top fives. Johnson (113) is also one top 10 away from tying Gordon (114) for most top-10 results on intermediates all-time. After failing to lead a lap in the first five races of the season, Chase Elliott has led 357 laps in six of the last seven events, which includes a Talladega victory. Kurt Busch is the only driver to finish in the top 10 in all four 1.5-mile races this season   Atlanta (third), Las Vegas (fifth), Texas (ninth) and Kansas (seventh). While many are pointing toward Kyle Busch as the favorite for Sunday night, Team Penske owns four of the past five victories on 1.5-mile tracks dating back to Homestead in November 2018.


Things have finally started to get a little weird during the 2019 NBA Draft. As the late first round has gotten underway, we finally have some trades. Unfortunately, they aren't the kind of spicy, big trades that folks were probably looking for. In one such example, the Brooklyn Nets traded the No. 27 overall pick to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers then selected Florida State Seminoles product Mfiondu Kabengele with that pick. As compensation, the Clippers sent Brooklyn a 2020 first round pick from the Philadelphia 76ers in addition to the 56th overall pick of the second round in 2019. Via Twitter: Clippers are focused on Florida State's Mfiondu Kabengele, league source tells ESPN. https://t.co/penWFTZG5p   Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 21, 2019 Kabengele is a 6-foot-10 big man who weighs in at 250 pounds. He had an offensive rating of 120.5 last season, according to Basketball-Reference.com. Kabengele also recorded 2.8 blocks per 40 minutes for the Seminoles.


A Lancaster County woman pleaded guilty to animal cruelty for debarking her dogs. Annie Beiler, of Quarryville, was sentenced to two years of probation in exchange for the plea on six misdemeanor and summary counts, according to officials with the district attorney's office. Officials said Beiler, 47, was also ordered to surrender all dogs on her property except one, which is subject to routine checks by the Pennsylvania SPCA. Beiler is prohibited from owning or working with dogs for the period of supervision, authorities said. According to the district attorney's office, Beiler obtained the services of Denise Felling to debark the dogs. The way Felling did it -- by shoving a rod-like object into the dogs' vocal chambers -- is illegal, authorities said. Felling was also charged and pleaded guilty, officials said. Authorities said Felling told Beiler she was a veterinarian but never obtained a license in Pennsylvania. According to officials, her license in Iowa was revoked. READ MORE: Pennsylvania woman pleads guilty to animal cruelty for having dogs debarked CHECK OUT WTAE: Stay in the know with the latest Pittsburgh news, weather and sports. Catch all of the day's top stories and more from the team at WTAE Pittsburgh Action News 4.


There's a new quarterback in Broncos Country. Joe Flacco, a Super Bowl champion and 12th-year veteran, will be leading Denver's offense in 2019. It's safe to say the players that played with the team's previous QBs over the last few years are happy with the switch. "He's great," tight end Jeff Heuerman said on May 14. "Joe's been around. He's seen just about everything you can see in this league. His experience is huge for us, and it's nice. "He's a great quarterback and he brings that experience side and that confidence from being around and doing so much. It's nice to play with him." The Broncos did have a veteran QB last year in Case Keenum, but he was a journeyman was a limited track record of success. Before that, the Broncos had young prospects Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch. Flacco is a big upgrade. With him under center, the Broncos will be hoping to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2015. "His experience factor is huge for us," Heuerman said. "To have a guy calling plays that's been around - what year is he on? Twelve? Yeah, he's got a lot of experience on a lot of guys. That's huge at the quarterback position. "There are a lot of us that really appreciate that and it helps kind of the flow of the offense and getting everybody where they need to be and what they need to do." MORE: 2019 Preakness Stakes post positions and odds Did the Raiders steal the best fullback in the 2019 NFL draft? Don't expect Browns to use more than 2 LBs very often AFC Quarterback depth charts ranked Mark Jackson on Draymond Green: 'We were absolutely stunned that he was still on the draft board'


Former NFL defensive end Chris McCain is only 27, and if he wanted to continue to play football there's a chance he could. But he has decided to try a different sport. As explained by Gilbert Manzano of the Southern California News Group, McCain hopes to make it in MMA . McCain became a solid contibutor to the Chargers in 2017, racking up five sacks in 15 appearances. The Chargers applied a $1.9 million restricted free agency tender offer for 2018, but an accusation of spitting on a woman and grabbing her neck, which resulted in two counts of misdemeanor battery, prompted the Chargers to rescind the tender. (McCain denies the allegations.) He later signed with the Colts, but he was released during the 2018 preseason. McCain has decided not to return to football, because he believes football was the root of his problems. "I had hit the worst points of my life when I was playing in the NFL," McCain said. "I just can't [return to the NFL]. There is no point. More money, more problems. No point. Less money, less problems. I'm not making nearly as much as I was making in the NFL, and I don't hear from nearly over 80 percent of the people I met and know, which I'm thankful for. God showed me something. I'm blessed with the people still in my corner and people I talk to, but definitely showed me something." So McCain, who also played for the Dolphins and Saints, texted former Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman, expressing an interest to try fighting. "I just got a lot of anger and frustration," McCain said. "I really needed to figure out what it is I can do to really help me express myself, and football just wasn't enough. I'm getting tired of being fined for stuff. Fighting in the locker room. Fighting on the field. Sitting out a practice because you're fighting in practice. Had joint practices with different teams, getting in fights on that. It was just a lot. I just think this is what I need to be doing. . . . To be in the NFL, it's not worth the stress and depression. It's really not." His new sport is worth it, because he believes his new sport is helping him. "This is my therapy, me beating you up, and I can beat you up the right way," McCain said. He makes his official MMA debut on Saturday, as he attempts to beat up Jamal Harris (0-2) as an unpaid amateur in Merriman's second Lights Out Xtreme Fighting event. McCain hopes to eventually fight Jon Jones . McCain has a very long way to go to get to that point, but if the talent he showed as a pass rusher translates to the octagon, McCain could end up having an interesting second career.


Elizabeth Warren leaped ahead of Bernie Sanders into second place in a pair of Democratic presidential primary polls released Wednesday. Warren has overtaken Sanders nationally, according to a new Economist/YouGov poll , which puts the Massachusetts senator ahead of her Vermont counterpart 16 percent to 12 percent. Former Vice President Joe Biden still leads all contenders with 26 percent support. Warren also polls ahead of Sanders in Nevada, where Democrats will caucus next February after the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary. Biden leads the first Monmouth poll of likely Democratic caucusgoers in Nevada with 36 percent support, followed by Warren at 19 percent and Sanders at 13 percent. "Nevada's highly unionized service sector workforce may be a good fit for Warren's policy platform when you look at the Democratic electorates in the four early states," said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute. "However, she is nowhere near the top tier in terms of candidate preferences among Latino and black voters, who make up a significant part of the party's base here." National polling averages still show Sanders running significantly ahead of Warren. But Warren's vote share has generally ticked up over the past month or two amid a flurry of policy rollouts and a strong organizing presence in early voting states. Warren began laying out her vision of "economic patriotism" earlier this month with a plan for a $2 trillion investment of federal funds over 10 years in green research, manufacturing and exporting. She touted several other plans during an MSNBC town hall last week, including protecting access to abortion, an anti-corruption policy to rein in lobbyists and more corporate accountability for major companies. Warren has more than 50 staffers on the ground in Iowa, and more hires are expected to be announced over the weekend . She expects to have a similarly large presence in New Hampshire and at least 30 staffers each in South Carolina and Nevada, where Warren is working on bringing on Latino interns and setting up caucus trainings in Latino communities. While Biden has dominated the centrist lane, Warren and Sanders have competed for the party's left flank. In the Nevada poll, Biden leads the field with moderate and conservative Democrats (47 percent) and somewhat liberal voters (31 percent). Warren narrowly bests Sanders with very liberal voters, 27 percent to 26 percent, but she outperforms him threefold with somewhat liberal voters, 24 percent to 8 percent. She also ranks at the top as voters' second choice, though the margin between Warren, Sanders, Biden and California Sen. Kamala Harris is all within 2 percentage points. In the Economist/YouGov survey, Warren's net favorability is slighter higher than Sanders', -6 percent to -7 percent, but Sanders is tied with New York Mayor Bill de Blasio for the candidate whom likely Democratic voters would be most disappointed to see win the nomination. Twenty-percent of respondents said it would disappoint them if Sanders or de Blasio won the Democratic nomination for president. Nineteen percent said the same of Biden. Only 9 percent said they would be disappointed if Warren won the nomination. The Economist/YouGov survey of 1,500 adults was conducted June 9-11. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points. Monmouth's Nevada poll of 370 likely caucusgoers was conducted June 6-11. Its margin of error is plus or minus 5.1 percentage points.