Best Photos of the 144th Preakness 144th Preakness Javier Castellano aboard Warrior's Charge (3), Jon K. Court aboard Market King (6), Daniel Centeno aboard Alwaysmining (7) Jose L Ortiz aboard Anothertwistafate (12), and Tyler Gaffalione aboard War of Will (1) race during the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2019. 144th Preakness Tyler Gaffalione sits aboard War of Will (1) in the Winner s Circle after winning the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2019. 144th Preakness Jose L Ortiz aboard Anothertwistafate (12), Jon K. Court aboard Market King (6) and Javier Castellano aboard Warrior's Charge (3) race during the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2019. 144th Preakness Javier Castellano aboard Warrior s Charge (3), John K. Court aboard Market King (6), and Jose L. Ortiz aboard Anothertwistafate (12) lead the field down the front stretch during the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2019. 144th Preakness Tyler Gaffalione aboard War of Will (1) celebrates after winning the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2019. 144th Preakness Tyler Gaffalione aboard War of Will (1) wins the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2019. 144th Preakness Jockey Tyler Gaffalione celebrates aboard War of Will in the Winner s Circle after winning the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2019. 144th Preakness Jockey Tyler Gaffalione holds the Woodlawn Vase in the Winner s Circle after winning the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes aboard War of Will (not pictured) at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2019. 144th Preakness Tyler Gaffalione aboard War of Will (1) wins the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2019. 144th Preakness Officials try to catch Bodexpress (9) after the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes after John Velazquez (not pictured) falls off at the starting gate at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2019. 144th Preakness Horses leave the gate during the start of the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2019. 144th Preakness John Velazquez reacts after falling off Bodexpress (not pictured) at the start of the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2019. 144th Preakness John Velazquez reacts after falling off Bodexpress (not pictured) at the start of the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2019. 144th Preakness John Velazquez falls off Bodexpress (9) at the start of the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2019. 144th Preakness Tyler Gaffalione aboard War of Will (1) wins the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2019. 144th Preakness Horses run in the fourth turn during the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2019. 144th Preakness Leonel Reyes aboard Gladiator King (6) leads during race eleven as part of the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2019. 144th Preakness Irad Ortiz Jr aboard Articulator (1) leads during the eighth race as part of the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2019. 144th Preakness Irad Ortiz Jr aboard Articulator (1) leads during the eighth race as part of the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2019. 144th Preakness Trevor McCarthy aboard Minister's Strike (10) in race two as part of the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2019. 144th Preakness A jockey rest prior to the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2019. 144th Preakness A fan wears a hat at the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2019. The 144th Preakness Fans cheer in the stands during a race prior to the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2019. The 144th Preakness Signalman has a snack in the stable prior to the 144th runinng of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2019. The 144th Preakness Fans place bets at windows prior to the the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2019. The 144th Preakness Fans wear hats at the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2019.


McLaren says its strong performance at the Hungarian Grand Prix has given it a "big boost" for the second half of the season. The Woking-based outfit had headed to last weekend's race at the Hungaroring bracing itself for a tough time with the circuit's low-speed demands not ideal for the team's MCL34. But the outfit exceeded expectations with a double points scoring finish, including a fifth spot for that helped it further strengthen its grip on fourth place in the constructors' championship. McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl said that the progress shown, helped in part by a number of upgrades including a new high-downforce rear wing, helped lift confidence about the outfit's prospects at tracks coming up on the calendar. "On a track with a lot of low speed corners, where we had definitely a weakness on the car, to see now that we could cure some of the issues with the updates we are bringing and understanding the car better and better and how to use it, it is obviously great to clearly have been the fourth quickest car," explained Seidl. "It is now a big boost for us going into the break and also for the second half of the season, because we have some tracks coming up with low speed sections and so on. That is obviously very, very encouraging." While Sainz was delighted with his second consecutive fifth placed finish in Hungary, he was eager not to read too much into McLaren's strengths in Hungary   because he felt other factors beyond the updates helped it. "Maybe the Hungaroring has become a medium speed track with Formula 1 cars, because it feels really fast out there and that suits us a bit better than what we anticipated," said Sainz. "And this kind of black tarmac, as we saw in Austria and Paul Ricard, new surfaces help our performance. "This weekend we were decently surprised, but still we were lapped so that's another thing that we need to add to that, so we still have a lot of work to do." Read Also: Wheelgun failure to blame for Norris' slow pitstop


SEATTLE, WA   The Washington State Transportation Commission on Tuesday approved two fare hikes for the Washington State Ferries system, the first increase in two years. The increases will be rolled out in October and next May, and will in part pay for the construction of a new ferry. By next May, fares will increase 5 percent for vehicles, 4 percent for passengers, and 10 percent for oversize vehicles traveling the Anacortes to Sidney, B.C., route. The fare increases will come in two parts, with half the increase taking effect Oct. 1, the next half on May 1, 2020. Also next May, a 25-cent charge will go into effect to pay for the construction of new ferries. In October, a 100 percent increase for reservation no-shows will go into effect. The Commission also approved two measures that could make riding ferries easier. A three-year low-income fare pilot will go into effect in 2020 if the Legislature funds the effort. The Commission will also test allowing ferry riders to use the Good To Go pass to pay fares.


Video by MSNBC The FBI believed then-candidate Donald Trump was closely involved in a scheme to hide hush-money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who claimed an affair with Trump, court documents from the closed campaign finance case against former Trump-fixer Michael Cohen show. The documents, released Thursday, describe a "series of calls, text messages, and emails" between Cohen, Trump, Trump campaign aide Hope Hicks, Keith Davidson   an attorney for the woman, porn star Stormy Daniels   and David Pecker, an executive of the company that published the National Enquirer. "I have learned that in the days following the Access Hollywood video, Cohen exchanged a series of calls, text messages and emails with Keith Davidson, who was then Clifford's attorney, David Pecker and Dylan Howard of American Media, Inc. ("AMI"), the publisher of the National Enquirer, Trump, and Hope Hicks, who was then press secretary for Trump's presidential campaign," an FBI agent investigating the matter wrote in the released documents. "Based on the timing of these calls, and the content of the text messages and emails, I believe that at least some of these communications concerned the need to prevent Clifford from going public, particularly in the wake of the Access Hollywood story," the agent said. Daniels' legal name is Stephanie Clifford. The unsealed documents say Hicks called Cohen at 7:20 p.m. on Oct. 8, 2016   the first time she had called him in weeks   and that Trump joined the call seconds later. The conversation lasted four minutes. Hicks and Cohen spoke privately after Trump left the call and, after that, Cohen phoned Pecker. Moments after that conversation ended, Cohen received a phone call from Dylan Howard, the chief content officer of American Media. After that call, Cohen rang Hicks back, ended that call, and then took another from Pecker. At 8:03 p.m., according to the unsealed court documents, Cohen called Trump. They spoke for eight minutes. Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics The two would speak again on Oct. 26, the day when Cohen would wire $130,000 to an escrow account that would eventually be sent to Daniels' attorney as payment for the agreement to secure her silence. The first call was at 8:26 a.m. for three minutes, and the second came at 8:34 a.m. The last phone call between Trump and Cohen described in the documents took place at 11:48 a.m. on Oct. 28 and lasted about five minutes. Later that day, Cohen's and Daniels' attorneys confirmed that the paperwork for the agreement for Daniels' silence was complete. The FBI agent wrote in the document that the information came from a review of Cohen's telephone records and under warrants to obtain Cohen's emails. In addition, the documents say the FBI questioned Hicks about her involvement. In a statement from jail, Cohen said, "As I stated in my open testimony , I and members of the Trump Organization were directed by Mr. Trump to handle the Stormy Daniel' matter, including making the hush-money payment." "The conclusion of the investigation exonerating the Trump Organization's role should be of great concern to the American people and investigated by Congress and the Department of Justice," Cohen said. He added that a statement a day earlier from Jay Sekulow, Trump's personal attorney, was "completely distorted and dishonest." On Wednesday, Sekulow said, "We are pleased that the investigation surrounding these ridiculous campaign finance allegations is now closed," adding, "We have maintained from the outset that the president never engaged in any campaign finance violation." The release of the previously redacted documents comes a day after the federal judge in the case disclosed that prosecutors had concluded their probe into Cohen's campaign finance crimes and ordered the release of search warrants tied to the case . Cohen, Trump's former lawyer and fixer, is serving a three-year prison sentence for a slew of crimes, including breaking campaign finance laws by hiding payments to two women who claimed they had affairs with Trump. "The campaign finance violations discussed in the materials are a matter of national importance," Judge William Pauley III said in court papers, denying the government's request for limited redactions. "Now that the government's investigation into those violations has concluded, it is time that every American has an opportunity to scrutinize the materials." Last August, Cohen admitted to making the illegal payments to the two women, identified as Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, at Trump's behest to silence them ahead of the 2016 election. Trump has denied the affairs. The New York probe has long been viewed as potentially perilous for Trump and his associates. The judge's disclosure is the clearest indication yet that federal investigators have concluded their investigation of possible campaign finance crimes involving Cohen and likely any of Trump's other business associates or family members.


Curious just how far your dollar goes in Milwaukee? We've rounded up the latest rental offerings via rental site Zumper to get a sense of what to expect when it comes to scoring an apartment in Milwaukee if you don't want to spend more than $700/month on rent. Take a look at the listings, below. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 719 E. Pleasant St. (Lower East Side) First, there's this one-bedroom, one-bathroom over at 719 E. Pleasant St. It's listed for $700/month. In the unit, expect a dishwasher and carpeted floors. Hairball alert: cats are welcome. There's no leasing fee required for this rental. (Check out the complete listing here .) 3827 N. Humboldt Blvd. (Riverwest) Located at 3827 N. Humboldt Blvd., here's a one-bedroom, one-bathroom that's listed for $695/month. In the unit, you can anticipate hardwood floors and in-unit laundry. The building boasts assigned parking. Cats and dogs are not welcome. There's no leasing fee required for this rental. (Check out the complete listing here .) 1146 E. Singer Circle (Riverwest) Next, there's this one-bedroom, one-bathroom located at 1146 E. Singer Circle. It's listed for $695/month. In the unit, anticipate hardwood floors and a balcony. The building offers assigned parking. Attention, cat owners: your kitty is allowed here. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental. (See the complete listing here .) 1535 N. Van Buren St. (Lower East Side) Here's a studio apartment at 1535 N. Van Buren St. that's going for $695/month. In the unit, expect central heating and hardwood floors. The building offers assigned parking. Attention, cat owners: your kitty is allowed here. There's no leasing fee required for this rental. (See the full listing here .) This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Panasonic's Lumix mirrorless cameras are widely regarded as the best choice for anyone looking to create beautiful video within a mortal's budget. The company is today pushing that reputation up into a higher price, quality, and resolution bracket with the announcement of $4,000 the Lumix S1H , a full-frame shooter capable of recording 6K video at 24fps. It's a fresh iteration of the Lumix S1, which made its debut at Photokina last year and which I've recently tried and been delighted by. The upcoming Lumix S1H, scheduled to launch in the fall, comes with the claim of being the world's first full-frame camera to do 6K/24p at a 3:2 aspect ratio or 5.9K/30p at 16:9. Aside from being cool in its own right, this bump in resolution capability should be a big help for people shooting 4K too, as it will allow them to crop in or apply video stabilization without losing image quality as they otherwise would. Downsampling to 4K will also be an option, which sounds preposterous to even think. Panasonic touts a wide dynamic range of 14+ stops in the Lumix S1H, which should help it capture detail even in extremely dark or bright sections of a scene. The company hasn't specified if the S1H will have in-body image stabilization like the S1 and the high-resolution S1R, but that can probably be considered a likely inclusion for a camera designed specifically for video capture. Also important for video shooters: the S1H has no recording time limits, so you'll be constrained only by your memory card's capacity and the camera's battery. Though the $4,000 price makes the Panasonic Lumix S1H strictly professional equipment, it's still a positive surprise for many who might have expected a camera of this kind to be closer to $6,000 (which would have been a neat match for the 6K resolution). My experience with the Lumix S1, which I used to photograph the Powerbeats Pro , has been exceedingly good, with fast performance, luscious bokeh, and incredible ease of use for such a bulky and otherwise intimidating thing. If the Lumix S1H keeps that going and extends it into the video realm, Panasonic will have another winner on its hands.


UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin has hailed the 'glorious unpredictability' of football after events in the Champions League semi finals this week, asserting that the 3-0 aggregate comebacks that both Liverpool and Tottenham pulled off will 'go down in football history'. "There is nothing quite like the drama and excitement of a major football event and the spectacle that we have seen this week will go down in football history," Čeferin said. "Football has the enduring capacity to stir people's hearts and produce moments of unrivalled emotion - and the fantastic matches in Liverpool and Amsterdam gave ample proof of the game's glorious unpredictability. "Liverpool and Tottenham deserve the highest praise for the way in which they overcame three-goal aggregate deficits and fought back against the odds - thrilling millions of football lovers in the process. The two teams' achievements showed that anything is possible in our beautiful game. "Football fans everywhere live for the passion of occasions such as these semi-finals, and the two matches were marvellous advertisements for the calibre and appeal of the UEFA Champions League." It comes as news surfaces, via documents seen by the Associated Press , that UEFA is considering a proposal that would change the Champions League as of 2024 and push it towards becoming a more 'closed-off competition' that favours elite clubs. The document in question is said to propose that 24 of the teams 32 teams in the 2024/25 Champions League group stage would keep their place in the competition the following season regardless of where they finish in their domestic league. The report also notes that such changes, if approved, would see the creation of eight-team groups and therefore more than double the number of group games played by each club from six to 14. With that would come significant additional from broadcasting and sponsorship. Of the eight places that would be up for grabs in the Champions League each season, four would be awarded to the Europa League semi finalists in a promotion/relegation concept where the Champions League is the top tier and other competitions sit beneath it in the UEFA ladder, with a new third tier competition of 64 teams split into four divisions below the Europa League. The remaining four Champions League places would go to national champions from lower ranked domestic leagues competing in preliminary rounds. The proposal has drawn early criticism over concerns of a widening wealthy gap between elite clubs and the rest of Europe, as well as potential damage to the competitiveness and meaningfulness of domestic leagues. UEFA document obtained: How teams would gain access to League 1 (Champs Lge) and Leagues 2 & 3 (effectively Europa League 1 and 2) pic.twitter.com/YU5TPRZvcJ   Rob Harris (@RobHarris) May 9, 2019 UEFA have commented to AP that details are 'only ideas and opinions' at the consultation stage of the process, with no certainty over whether the proposal will actually be approved. AP notes that UEFA intends not to offer further comment on any details of potential plans until after member associations have been briefed at a meeting in Budapest on 17 May, coinciding with the Women's Champions League final in the Hungarian capital that weekend.


WASHINGTON   Some of the old timers in the Senate are getting fed up with the lack of action on legislation, but after weeks of focus on approving President Donald Trump's backlog of nominees, there's a chance the chamber will soon be stretching its legs again. Don't look for action on top-tier issues like infrastructure funding, stabilizing "Obamacare" or a trade pact. But next-level measures are moving onto Capitol Hill's agenda, including bills to tackle prescription drug costs, fund the government, increase the Treasury's borrowing cap and address the humanitarian crisis at the southern border. The potential for a new legislative push on middle-tier issues promises to test the Senate, where the basics of legislating sometimes get lost and where talented newcomers like former GOP standard-bearer Mitt Romney and former two-term Florida GOP Gov. Rick Scott are already experiencing frustration at the state of things. With the 2020 presidential campaign well underway, lawmakers know the window for action will quickly close. Pitfalls lay ahead. Partisanship, impeachment fever and a volatile, unpredictable Trump pose obstacles, as does an increasingly testy and pointed relationship between the Senate's top leaders, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and No. 1 Democrat Chuck Schumer of New York. The GOP-led chamber has yet to act on initiatives trumpeted and passed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and her liberal House majority. "It's not a good atmosphere in which to do anything that requires bipartisan cooperation," said No. 2 Senate Republican John Thune of South Dakota. "But there are things that we have to do around here." Thune was elected to the Senate in 2004, toppling powerful Minority Leader Tom Daschle after a campaign that labeled the Senate a "Daschle dead zone." Now he worries about farmers struggling with Trump's trade agenda and low commodity prices during weeks in Washington when all the Senate seems to do is vote on judges and lower-level nominees. Some measures have moved of late, including a long-overdue $19 billion disaster aid bill and legislation sponsored by Thune and veteran Democrat Edward Markey of Massachusetts to combat abusive robocalls, which passed last month by a 97-1 vote. Markey has served in Congress for more than four decades and is the type of lawmaker Republicans need to work with to get results: veteran, experienced legislators with a track record of doing deals. Markey has lots of legislative muscle memory built up on the House Energy and Commerce Committee during its glory years of the 1980s and '90s and was a player in the Pelosi-led House majority of 2007-2010. Other senators are getting ready to step up, including the travail-tested partnership atop the Health Education, Labor, and Pensions panel. There, Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., who is retiring from the Senate next year, and veteran Democrat Patty Murray of Washington are planning to pass legislation to take on health care and drug costs, including a smorgasbord of widely supported provisions aimed at lowering prices. Alexander and Murray forged consensus in 2015 on legislation to rewrite the Bush-era "No Child Left Behind" elementary education law, but their efforts to pass a bipartisan fix to Obamacare last year fell apart. The two share a common approach that includes bridging consensus within one's party caucus, limiting talks to serious players, and making sure the other sides can claim wins. "Dealmaking and lawmaking in the Senate emanates from the middle of each conference   not from the middle of the body as a whole," said Mike Spahn of Precision Strategies, who was until recently Murray's chief of staff. "It's driven by members that have credibility with a significant portion of individual caucuses. That's just where the big stuff happens." The Senate has other legislative veterans itching to get going, cognizant that anything produced under the current iteration of divided power needs to start moving soon to succeed. For Republicans like Finance Committee Chuck Grassley of Iowa, probably in his last term at 85, there's no guarantee that this won't be the last time he can work with a GOP administration on legislation. "I just came from a meeting where there's five bills we can get up between now and August," Grassley told reporters in late May as he exited a meeting of GOP chairmen assessing opportunities for the summer schedule. "Both the HELP Committee and the Finance Committee have been working on a series of proposals dealing with health care costs and many of us have contributed to that," said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. "I certainly want to see a fuller legislative agenda. I understand that we needed to clear out this backlog of nominations, but then I expect we will turn to legislation, and there are a lot of opportunities." Tricky tests like reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, likely to get caught in a battle over Democratic-sought protections for transgender people, also await. Getting a VAWA renewal through the Senate is a priority for senators facing re-election such as Martha McSally, R-Ariz., and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. A driving force is the reality that the calendar for legislation becomes more challenging as the year goes on   pressing issues like the debt limit or a mini-budget deal to increase spending "caps" will take priority   and next year's presidential election promises to tax everyone's political bandwidth. ___ EDITOR'S NOTE   Andrew Taylor has covered Congress for The Associated Press since 2005.


LAKE LURE, N.C.   A wanted Tiki bar cook tried to flee authorities by swimming away in a North Carolina river, but was caught by officers waiting downstream. A Lake Lure Police statement says 38-year-old Jesse Lee Boyd was wanted by the U.S. Marshals Service on warrants accusing him of forgery or counterfeiting in Iowa. Investigators said they made a plan over the weekend to arrest him at the management office of the Geneva Riverside Tiki Bar. But they say Boyd was warned as he walked to the office and fled on foot before dashing into the Rocky Broad River. Officers positioned themselves downstream along the banks, and Boyd eventually gave himself up. A police statement Monday said department officials didn't know if Boyd has an attorney.


AFC Bournemouth have confirmed the arrival of Netherlands international Arnaut Danjuma on a long-term contract this summer. The 22-year-old's move is still subject to international clearance, but Danjuma will move to the south coast for a fee believed to be in the region of £14m and becomes their fourth signing following previous deals for Lloyd Kelly, Jack Stacey and Philip Billing. "Coming to AFC Bournemouth is a really good step up for me," Danjuma told afcbTV . "The Premier League is a great place to play your football, especially at a club like this. "I'm excited to be here. The last 24 hours have been a bit crazy but I'm delighted to be at the club and I've only heard positive things about it. I think the way the team plays suits my style, I like to attack and I cannot wait to get started." While little is known about Danjuma for fans in the Premier League, his arrival at Bournemouth could be seen as a long-term alternative to Ryan Fraser - who's entering the final year of his contract. Naturally a left-winger, Danjuma can also play on the right and on occasion fill in through the middle of the pitch. Interestingly, Danjuma looks set to be Club Brugge's third major sale to the Premier League ahead of the new season, with Wesley (confirmed) and Marvelous Nakamba (imminent) on their way to newly-promoted Aston Villa .  x  =  pic.twitter.com/FE7jBJQcPj   AFC Bournemouth (@afcbournemouth) August 1, 2019 The 22-year-old made two appearances in last season's Champions League group stages and even scored one of the goals of the competition in Brugge's 3-1 defeat away to Atletico Madrid .


Robert Kubica says the "shadow" cast by his William team's struggles this year means even he has sometimes forgotten how big an achievement it was to return to Formula 1. 's grand prix racing comeback in Australia this year marked his first start since the 2010 season finale, after the rally crash in early 2011 that led to the partial amputation of his forearm. He landed an F1 test and development role with last year which became a race drive for 2019, but the team's car is comfortably the slowest on the grid and Kubica has spent all season qualifying and finishing at the back. "I am not regretting what I decide," Kubica told Motorsport.com. "Frustration is not a correct word, because in the end it is still better being here than sitting on the sofa and watching Formula 1 on the television. "Definitely I would be more happy if I was fighting higher up and having less problems. "But all in all, in these last months, unfortunately this difficult situation puts a lot of shadow on what I achieved and how big achievement it was for me to be back here. "This is something which I also forget, because Formula 1 is a fast sport and everything happens very fast, so you somehow live day-by-day. "You forget that in the end I achieved something which I was working on for many years." The one-time grand prix winner was always realistic about the team's prospects for 2019 after it slipped to the tail end of the field last year. Kubica believes he did not personally underestimate the challenge, even though it is even less successful than anticipate. He said: "I even had people in Abu Dhabi [after being announced as a 2019 race driver] saying 'Well, congratulations, big job [done]'. Because the comeback was achieved. "And I said 'well, the difficult [part] starts now'. My past years were not easy for different reasons, but Formula 1 is a high level sport, which is very very competitive and very very tough. "In very short periods you went from very high to very low [experiences], with the same people, with the same equipment [at BMW/Sauber]. "From one side it cannot really be more difficult, because I have big respect for this sport and I think how difficult it can be to race in Formula 1. But definitely it is more complicated." Kubica said the knowledge that Williams cannot make short-term progress this season and will not fight other teams is "probably the most difficult" thing. "In the past you had up and downs, but you knew that if you manage to sort few things you will be competitive," he said. "Now we are so far behind, that even if the others they have downs or they have [difficulties], they have so big margin on us, that anyway we are not even in touch with them. This is something which probably is most annoying." Read Also: Why comeback Kubica is not the same driver


This fall, a new restaurant will open inside the Barneys New York department store at Copley Place in Boston, Massachusetts. It marks another step in the march of retailers into the restaurant business. Freds, the high-end department store chain's restaurant brand, has origins that date back to the 1920s, when   under a different name   it was a counter-service operation selling roast-beef sandwiches at 17th Street and Seventh Avenue in Manhattan. Now, there are five Freds restaurants up and running in Barneys stores   two in New York and one each in Beverly Hills, Chicago and San Francisco. And there's plenty of room for the retailer to continue to grow in the food-and-beverage industry, Barneys CEO Daniella Vitale said. Like other retailers, Barneys is looking for ways to keep pace in an era of online shopping. "If you asked me five years ago if we were in the restaurant business, I would say, I don't know if there was a strategy behind it," she said. "In hindsight, we should have moved much more quickly to make sure there were restaurants in all of our stores. ... We won't do a project anymore without a big restaurant component." On a Wednesday in May around noon, the Freds dining room at Barneys on Madison Avenue was packed with a lively lunch crowd. Businesspeople picked at truffle oil-embellished focaccia bread and grilled calamari appetizers. Women ahead of an afternoon shopping excursion munched on $38 Palm Beach Shrimp Salads and sides of Freds' famous, $12 Belgian Pommes Frites dipped in mayo. Parents sipped from wine glasses, while rambunctious kids dug into margherita pizzas. "When we first opened [Freds] downtown, quite frankly we lost money because we needed the restaurant to get up and running. We had to make sure we had the right amount of service, the right bartenders, that the quality was exceptional," Vitale said. "We did that, and now we make money." Barneys could certainly use the boost, as its sector is suffering. America's department stores are increasingly losing market share as more consumers are buying directly from brands and skipping trips to the mall. Barneys also got hit with a brutal rent hike at its flagship store on Madison Avenue in January. And Barneys isn't the only retailer growing its food business. Neiman Marcus is serving up craft cocktails, house-made pastas and seasonal potluck at its restaurant called The Zodiac Room at the Hudson Yards mall in New York. Nordstrom's new flagship store for women, opening later this fall in New York, will have six eateries inside, including a cocktail bar on the shoe floor and a space called Jeannie's that's "ideal for families" and serves pizza and salads, according to the company. Beyond the department stores, Restoration Hardware has six U.S. restaurants, including a glitzy eatery and rooftop sitting area at its recently opened New York store, headed up by restaurateur Brendan Sodikoff, the man behind Chicago's popular Au Cheval. RH CEO Gary Friedman has told analysts the New York restaurant is on pace to bring in as much as $12 million in sales annually and closer to $17 million when food can be served on the outdoor patio, which currently isn't allowed. Ralph Lauren has three Ralphs coffee shops in New York and three in Asia. And Urban Outfitters' Anthropologie brand has seven Terrain Cafes in the U.S., including three in California, serving fried cauliflower sandwiches at brunch and roasted chicken with farro grains for dinner. "Retail in general needs to stimulate a person's senses   all five of them," said Jared Epstein, vice president and principal at New York-based real estate developer Aurora Capital Associates. Epstein worked on RH's roughly $250 million deal for a 15-year lease in the Meatpacking District. "But not every retailer has the brand awareness, brand positioning or the capability to manage and operate a food-and-beverage establishment," he said. "If you are a brand like Gap   what is having a Gap restaurant going to do? ... You need to have the ability to get people in their seats." Luxury jeweler Tiffany & Co. thinks it can do just that. It opened a restaurant called Blue Box Cafe at its flagship location on Fifth Avenue in late 2017. It serves a full-day menu of smoked salmon bagels, cheesy, mushroom-covered flatbreads and a $52 "Tea Time" option with finger sandwiches and scones. The furnishings are styled with Tiffany's iconic blue. And reservations are to this day hard to come by. "We are always looking for new and exciting opportunities and concepts to engage our customers," said Richard Moore, divisional vice president of global store design and creative visual merchandising at Tiffany. "If we feel a dining experience will amplify and excite a new or current location, we will explore those possibilities." More recently, in May, the retailer tested a pop-up eatery at its store in Beverly Hills for just two days. Moore said Tiffany will continue to explore similar opportunities to introduce more people to the brand   people who might not be able to afford its $15,525 platinum diamond band ring but can afford its $32 avocado toast entree. "We may selectively introduce dining concepts to other flagship stores around the world, but true Tiffany Blue Box Cafes will only ever be considered where we can offer a truly elevated luxury dining experience in our most important locations," Moore said. "Bringing in a dining experience gives our customers yet another way to immerse themselves in the Tiffany brand." Back at Freds, the dinner crowd isn't as strong as at lunch, something Barneys wants to work on next, Vitale said. The brunch menu at Madison Avenue on the weekends   offering up a $20 plate of huevos rancheros topped with guacamole and a $17 French challah toast entree   tends to bring in more tourists than locals. But customers are customers. "As we've started to see more traction in all the restaurants, we've realized we have this incredible jewel in our organization," Vitale said. She said another thing Freds will focus on, in addition to trying to pull more people in for dinner, is to better use the customer data of people who visit the restaurant but don't buy something from Barneys. The company wants to understand why that is and to try to convert more sales in stores and online. "If they aren't shopping with us, we aren't communicating with them," Vitale said. Meanwhile, the new Boston restaurant opening in the fall will have a much larger bar space as a "focal point," according to Vitale. Barneys is also considering opening a standalone Freds restaurant in Miami, she said. And a Freds will open up at the Barneys still under construction at Triple Five Group's American Dream mall in New Jersey. "If you don't have good food and dining in a neighborhood, the neighborhood starts to decay," Epstein said. Maybe retailers will be the ones to remedy that.


Young travelers from South Korea are the most snap-happy shutterbugs when it comes to taking photos on vacation, while Colombians have the most wanderlust. That's according to the results of a global survey conducted by Booking.com, which aims to tease out the travel habits of Generation Z, a cohort of coming-of-age young adults between the ages of 16-24. For the report, Booking.com polled 5,456 respondents in 29 markets including Brazil, China, France, India, Australia, the UK, US, Canada, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand. The findings show that overall, travel figures high on this generation's minds, with 67 percent globally saying they're excited at the prospect of discovering the world. But some countries have greater wanderlust than others. At 91 percent, for instance, respondents from Colombia expressed the highest amount of enthusiasm for travel, followed by India and China (tied at 82 percent), and Argentina (80 percent). Globally, travel and seeing the world outranked higher education, home ownership and retirement funds among Gen Z respondents when it comes to their spending priorities. According to the survey, young travelers in India, Thailand and Russia are the most likely to prioritize spending on travel rather than material possessions. More than half of the respondents are also adrenaline junkies, with 56 percent expressing a desire for adventure travel such as paragliding or bungee jumping. When it comes to that timeless travel rite of passage of solo travel, only 18 percent globally expressed an interest strapping on a backpack or taking a gap year. But that figure doubled among respondents in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Across the board, about half of Gen Z respondents around the world said they were aware of the environmental impact of travel and would make efforts to green their travel. The biggest source of inspiration for Gen Z travelers, meanwhile, include Instagram, celebrities and other influencers. And when it comes to the most selfie-snapping, Instagram-happy shutterbugs, it turns out that travelers from South Korea, India and Argentina are most likely to take more than 50 photos of their vacation -- a day.


Liverpool have 'zero interest' in signing Lille forward Nicolas Pepe this summer and the reports that the Reds have been in talks over a potential deal have been described as 'pure lies'. Pepe's 2018/19 season saw the Ivorian winger announce himself to the world after 33 combined goals and assists in Ligue 1, helping Lille finish second and qualify for the Champions League just a year after coming within a point of being relegated. His performances have naturally led to rumoured interest from a number of Europe's top clubs and Lille president Gerard Lopez has already confirmed that Pepe is expected to move on. But Liverpool are not in for the player, with the Liverpool Echo reporting that the club insists stories from France peddling the line that talks have taken place are 'pure lies'. On top of that, sporting director Michael Edwards is said to have even directly contacted Lille head coach Christophe Galtier to inform him that Liverpool are unaware where such reports are coming from and that the Reds hold 'zero interest' in signing Pepe. It is said that Liverpool believe they are being used to build the hype around Pepe. That last detail hardly comes as a surprise in this day and age. Players looking to take the next step in their career are often linked with big clubs in the media, regardless of whether there is any actual interest, as it has the effect of making the player seem more desirable to others. If it appears that Liverpool, as European champions, are keen on Pepe, then other clubs might be more likely to make substantial offers for the player. And if Liverpool's name being connected helps bring in a big bid from a club like Inter , that is what the Pepe camp wants. The Portuguese media increasingly pushing a supposed £70m move to Anfield for Sporting CP midfielder Bruno Fernandes could well be more of the same. We'll have to wait and see. Having spent well over £250m on new players since the summer of 2017 to build the Champions League winning team, Liverpool are not expected to splash much cash ahead of 2019/20. "I don't think this is a team at the moment where we have to spend the big money," manager Jurgen Klopp said of the transfer situation back in March .


LeBron James and Steph Curry, opponents in this year's NBA Finals, were among 34 NBA players named Thursday by USA Basketball as participants in this weekend's Olympic mini-camp in Las Vegas. Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Curry led the Golden State Warriors to the NBA title over James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in June's best-of-seven final. Last year he helped the US win the Basketball World Cup to clinch a berth in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. USA Basketball national team managing director Jerry Colangelo said that players who wanted consideration for the Rio squad needed to attend the workouts next Tuesday through Thursday, when a public scrimmage will be staged. "This year's minicamp is an opportunity to continue and expand the brotherhood and camaraderie that has been built," said Colangelo, who has overseen the squad since 2005. "The minicamp is going to be low key with light workouts, no contact and the USA Basketball Showcase will be a fun all-star type game." The workout roster includes eight newcomers, 11 players from the World Cup champions and eight members of the 2012 London Olympic gold medal squad. Four-time NBA Most Valuable Player James, New York's Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers are back after playing on the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London gold medal teams. Also back from winning London gold are Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook of Oklahoma City, Cleveland's Kevin Love, Houston's James Harden and New Orleans' Anthony Davis while Houston's Dwight Howard is back from the Beijing gold medalists. Among the World Cup championship team members in the camp are Sacramento's Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins, Detroit's Andre Drummond, Denver's Kenneth Faried, Cleveland's Kyrie Irving, Portland's Mason Plumlee and Golden State's Klay Thompson. Other program veterans include Washington's John Wall and Bradley Beal, the Clippers' Blake Griffin, Toronto's DeMar DeRozan, Utah's Gordon Hayward, Dallas' Chandler Parsons and San Antonio's LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard. Also back is Indiana's Paul George, who suffered a broken leg at a training camp for last year's World Cup that wiped out his 2014-15 NBA season. Newcomers to the camp joining the US program for the first time next week are NBA champion Golden State's Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green, Chicago's Jimmy Walker, Memphis' Mike Conley, Milwaukee's Michael Carter-Williams, Orlando's Tobias Harris and Victor Oladipo plus DeAndre Jordan of the Clippers. "All of them enjoyed outstanding NBA seasons in 2014-15 and have been on our radar for a while," Colangelo said. The overall camp lineup includes the NBA's top 10 scorers, six of its top 12 rebounders and seven of the top 11 players in assists from last season. Duke University coach Mike Krzyzewski is set to return as coach for a third consecutive Olympics. Since the revamped US program began in 2005 follow a 2004 Athens bronze medal, the Americans are 75-1, the lone loss to Greece in a 2006 World Championships semi-final in Japan.


The Big 12 announced its preseason media poll and the media's preseason all-conference team this week, and reigning conference champion Oklahoma was picked to defend its crown. Here's the complete preseason media poll with first-place votes in parentheses. Oklahoma (68) Texas (9) Iowa State TCU Oklahoma State Baylor Texas Tech West Virginia Kansas State Kansas This is the fourth year in a row that Oklahoma was picked first in the preseason media poll, and the Sooners ultimately won the conference title each season. The top two teams in the conference standings will compete in the Big 12 Championship on Saturday, Dec. 7. [RELATED: A Closer Look at Some of College Football's Top Returning WRs ] Oklahoma was also recognized in the media's preseason Defensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year selections   linebacker Kenneth Murray and quarterback Jalen Hurts, respectively. Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger was named the preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Here's the complete media preseason all-conference team. Offense Position Name School Height Weight Class Hometown QB Sam Ehlinger Texas 6-3 230 Jr. Austin, TX RB Pooka Williams Jr. Kansas 5-10 170 So. New Orleans, LA RB Kennedy Brooks Oklahoma 5-11 209 So. Mansfield, TX RB Chuba Hubbard Oklahoma State 6-1 207 So. Alberta, Canada WR CeeDee Lamb Oklahoma 6-2 191 Jr. Richmond, TX WR Tylan Wallace Oklahoma State 6-0 185 Jr. Fort Worth, TX WR Jalen Reagor TCU 5-11 195 Jr. Waxahachie, TX TE Grant Calcaterra Oklahoma 6-4 233 Jr. Rancho Santa Margarita, CA OL Creed Humphrey Oklahoma 6-5 315 So. Shawnee, OK OL Lucas Niang TCU 6-7 328 Sr. New Canaan, CT OL Zach Shackelford Texas 6-4 305 Sr. Belton, TX OL Jack Anderson Texas Tech 6-5 320 Jr. Frisco, TX OL Colton McKivitz West Virginia 6-7 312 Sr. Jacobsburg, OH Special Teams Position Name School Height Weight Class Hometown PK Cameron Dicker Texas 6-1 201 So. Austin, TX KR/PR CeeDee Lamb Oklahoma 6-2 191 Jr. Richmond, TX P Kyle Thompson Kansas 6-4 222 Jr. El Cajon, CA Defense Position Name School Height Weight Class Hometown DL James Lynch Baylor 6-4 290 Jr. Round Rock, TX DL JaQuan Bailey Iowa State 6-2 255 Sr. Jacksonville, FL DL Ray Lima Iowa State 6-3 305 Sr. Los Angeles, CA DL Reggie Walker Kansas State 6-2 250 Sr. Ponchatoula, LA DL Corey Bethley TCU 6-2 290 Jr. Katy, TX LB Clay Johnston Baylor 6-1 232 Sr. Abilene, TX LB Marcel Spears Jr. Iowa State 6-1 218 Sr. Olathe, KS LB Kenneth Murray Oklahoma 6-2 243 Jr. Missouri City, TX DB Greg Eisworth Iowa State 6-0 205 Jr. Grand Prairie, TX DB A.J. Green Oklahoma State 6-1 190 Sr. DeSoto, TX DB Jeff Gladney TCU 6-0 183 Sr. New Boston, TX DB Caden Sterns Texas 6-1 205 So. Cibolo, TX DB Adrian Frye Texas Tech 6-1 190 So. Houston, TX MORE: College Football's Toughest Scheduling Spots for Bettors in September The post The Big 12 Announces Football Preseason Poll, All-Conference Team appeared first on Stadium .


Legacy Toys , an Ely-based toy store, is hoping to succeed where Creative Kidstuff couldn't. It will open in the same mall locations in Ridgedale and the Galleria recently vacated by the venerable Creative Kidstuff. "Creative Kidstuff was one of our inspirations for opening our first store," said Legacy co-owner and co-founder Brad Ruoho. "The thought of being compared to them is humbling so we want to differentiate ourselves." Legacy is swimming against a wave of toy store closures. In addition to the six Creative Kidstuff stores that closed last month, local neighborhood stores such as Peapods in St. Paul, Wonderment in Minneapolis and Flying Circus in Albertville have shuttered. Nationally, Toys 'R' Us closed all of its 800 stores last year (although there is a plan to resurrect the brand with a smaller footprint). Legacy also is facing a new dynamic as Target, Walmart, Kohl's and Best Buy have responded to the closures by beefing up their toy selections. Legacy opened its store in the northern Minnesota city of Ely in 2012. Stores followed in Duluth in 2014 and Fargo in 2015. The first store came about when Ruoho's wife Mistaya, who managed a Toys in the Woods store in Ely until it closed, decided the town still needed a toy store. The Ridgedale store will open at the end of the month and the Galleria store at the end of August. Plans for Legacy's largest store in the Twin Cities, also in a mall, are still developing and may open later this year. More Twin Cities stores are planned for 2020. Roberta Bonoff, chief executive at Creative Kidstuff, said for brick-and-mortar toy stores to be successful they need to have a relevant solid product selection the consumer wants. "But the most valuable part of the store is your well trained staff and creating a great experience for the customer when they are shopping with you," she said in an e-mail. Legacy will carry some of the same brands as Creative Kidstuff but plans to distinguish itself with a strong focus on a fun environment. Stores are equipped large animatronic dinosaurs, trees and plush houses. "It's very experiential. We have a lot of test toys," said Peter Cpin, Legacy's marketing and events coordinator. Like Creative Kidstuff, Legacy plans to hire an experienced staff that knows toys. "Our staff tells kids jokes and teaches them how to play with certain toys," Ruoho said. "Our customers tell us that their kids can come in to play and not be worried about breaking things." The selection, attentive staff and focus on fun is paying off. All stores have seen double-digit same store sales growth since the inception. "We're bucking the trend and that's allowed us to add stores," Ruoho said. Legacy still has company in its independent neighborhood toy store niche, including Kiddywampus in Hopkins, Hub Hobby Center in Richfield and Little Canada, Something Safari in Excelsior, Mischief Toy in St. Paul and Kremer's Toy and Hobby in Albertville. "We all want to prevent the loss of specialty toy stores, so we help each other out," Ruoho said. Ruoho wants to put down retail roots for his Twin Cities' stores, but he's being cautious. Both mall stores are temporary leases for a year with the intent to go permanent. "Malls are a good fit for us," he said. "They know toy stores are a desirable feature to draw families." All of Legacy's stores are in malls except the Ely location. Store sizes range from 2,000 to 7,000 square feet. Besides Legacy Toys, several other stores will be opening soon in the Galleria. Johnny Was , which sells women's clothing with a boho slant, opens in September in the former Tumi store, which moved to another spot in the Galleria. Suitsupply made-to-measure suits for men opens in the fall. Similar to Indochino in Mall of America, it supplies men with custom suits for $400 to $600. John Ewoldt • 612-673-7633     ©2019 the Star Tribune (Minneapolis) Visit the Star Tribune (Minneapolis) at www.startribune.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


The Harris County District Attorney's Office has charged a former bus driver with injury to a child after a 3-year-old boy died after being left on a hot daycare van last year. Maurice Mitchell, 62, was arrested Tuesday by Houston Police after being indicted Friday for the second-degree felony. Raymond "R.J." Pryer Jr. died on July 19, 2018 after being left in a hot van for several hours at Discovering Me Academy. RELATED: Day care where 3-year-old died after being left in hot van ordered to close He was discovered when his father arrived at the day care to pick him up. The temperature inside the car was 113 degrees, deputies said. R.J.'s parents filed a lawsuit against Discovering Me Academy accusing them of negligence for not having systems in place to account for all children on field trips, especially during extreme heat. KHOU 11 found Discovering Me Academy was cited by the state at least three times in recent years for not having a safety alarm that helps verify children are not left onboard and for not immediately reporting a crash involving a van. The day care was also cited for not knowing the number of children in a group during a previous outing.


The details of new Lions wide receiver Jermaine Kearse's contract are now out. According to Spotrac and based on widely reported figures, the Lions are paying Kearse a base salary of $1.35 million in 2019. Incentives, which are undisclosed at this point, raise that to a maximum value of $2.3 million. The team guaranteed $350,000 as a signing bonus. The guaranteed money is small for a veteran. It shows some level of respect for what Kearse has done, but the Lions have the cap room to afford cutting bait quickly if the $350,000 guaranteed investment isn't working. It's a prove-it deal for Kearse. Given his age and career status, it's a smart deal for the Lions but also fair enough for the 29-year-old journeyman. He was arguably the best available free agent wideout on the market, and he rejoins an offensive coordinator in Detroit, Darrell Bevell, who helped establish him as a viable weapon during their days together in Seattle. Paying $1 million in salary for a No. 4 wideout is inexpensive. The Lions paid T.J. Jones $1.907 million in 2018 for the same role, and Kearse is a more accomplished player than Jones. If he proves better than Jones, who caught 19 passes for 190 yards and 2 TDs in his final Lions season, Kearse will be worthy of the $2.3 million max compensation in his contract. MORE: Giants' Daniel Jones quickly destroying critical narratives Most bizarre and incredible catches by fishermen in past decade Cowboys News: Michael Gallup leg injury dampens final OTA session Jay Gruden singles out Samaje Perine with praise Packers working on better vision from second-year LB Oren Burks


One of the longest-running transfer sagas of the past year has finally come to a close after Barcelona announced that they have secured the signing of Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid. After months of negotiations, Barcelona finally agreed to pay the Frenchman's €120m release clause, offering him a five-year contract which will keep him at the club until 2024 - adding an eye-watering release clause of €800m to ward off any interest from their closest European rivals. You were waiting for this. pic.twitter.com/vVR0Prmy0b   FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 12, 2019 Barcelona confirmed the news on their website , adding a statement which read: "FC Barcelona has paid the 120 million euro buyout clause to release Antoine Griezmann from Atlético Madrid . The player will sign a contract with his new club for the next five seasons, through to 30 June 2024, with a buyout clause of 800 million euros. "We will shortly be publishing the full schedule for the presentation of Antoine Griezmann as a new member of the Barça first team." Finally...It is time! Antoine Griezmann is a Barcelona player! 女 pic.twitter.com/dK2VeYx6AK   90min (@90min_Football) July 12, 2019 Due the on-going nature of the transfer saga, plenty reacted to the news on Twitter with a sense of relief rather than excitement... Thank sweet bejesus Antoine Griezmann has finally moved. So bored of the guy.   Scott Saunders (@_scottsaunders) July 12, 2019 Griezmann's potential transfer over the last 12 months has been so hyped up that the announcement from Barcelona is so mundane. It's as if everyone moved on months ago.   Liam Canning (@LiamPaulCanning) July 12, 2019 Griezmann signs a five-year deal at Barça and release clause is €800m. Presentation this weekend. Who saw that transfer coming!?   Samuel Marsden (@samuelmarsden) July 12, 2019 The over-the-top nature of Griezmann's frankly absurd release clause didn't go unnoticed either, as everyone unanimously agreed that Barca may be going a little overboard in this instance. Barca paid Griezmann 120 million release clause then slapped a 800 million release clause on em He ain't going nowhere   Kobe Wan (@WeBeHoopin) July 12, 2019 Barca whacking an €800m release clause on Griezmann pic.twitter.com/5JJGKWNknw   Joe (@JoeMarcovitchGK) July 12, 2019  800 million euros buyout clause, it's safe to say Griezmann will retire at Barcelona.   El capitan (@Adogajnr1) July 12, 2019 While Griezmann's future has been decided, attention now turns to Neymar, whose potential return to Barcelona now looks to be in jeopardy. Barcelona have been linked with a potential move for their former player, but the Griezmann deal could throw a spanner in the works...or not. This is Barcelona after all. Griezmann to Barcelona surely scuppers Neymar move. Or, as someone connected tells me: "Unsettled him. Made PSG say he can go. Then leave him there. Genius, even if not intended."   Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) July 12, 2019 Neymar hearing the news from Barca that they've just signed Antoine Griezmann for £108M  #Neymar pic.twitter.com/r6keoC3nGw   Kevin Costigan gbwls (@costiblanca) July 12, 2019 Barcelona paying over £100m for Griezmann while Neymar is available pic.twitter.com/I3g1LVDenv   Jay Hova's Witness (@Kinsrock) July 12, 2019


A top leader of the La Luz Del Mundo religious organization was arrested on suspicion of human trafficking, production of child pornography, forcible rape of a minor and other felonies, California prosecutors said Tuesday. Naasón Joaquín García and co-defendants Alondra Ocampo, Azalea Rangel Melendez and Susana Medina Oaxaca   all of whom are affiliated with La Luz Del Mundo   are alleged to have committed 26 felonies in Los Angeles County between 2015 and 2018. The organization, which is headquartered in Mexico and claims more than 1 million followers worldwide, has two churches in East and West L.A. "Crimes like those alleged in this complaint have no place in our society. Period," said California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra. "We must not turn a blind eye to sexual violence and trafficking in our state. At the California Department of Justice, we will do everything we can to prevent and combat these heinous crimes so that our communities are safe. If you see something, report it and we will vigorously pursue justice." Prosecutors said García and his co-defendants committed the crimes while leading La Luz Del Mundo. García, 50, and Oaxaca, 24, were arrested Monday after landing at Los Angeles International Airport, Becerra's office said. García is being held in Los Angeles on $25-million bail. Ocampo, 36, was arrested in Los Angeles County and is being held at the sheriff's Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood ahead of her arraignment Wednesday. Melendez remains at large. It wasn't immediately clear if any of the defendants had an attorney. "García and his co-defendants allegedly coerced victims into performing sexual acts by telling them that if they went against any of his desires or wishes as 'the Apostle,' that they were going against God," the attorney general said in a statement. David Correa, a spokesman from the headquarters of La Luz del Mundo in Guadalajara, Jalisco, said in a phone call that they learned about the charges from the media and were waiting for official information. "We categorically deny those false accusations," Correa said. "We know [García] personally and he is an honorable and honest man." On Tuesday night, the church defended its leader on its Facebook page and YouTube channel, in what was billed in Spanish as a "Special Message From the Council of Bishops." During the roughly 10-minute Spanish-language address, an unidentified man stood at a flower-bedecked altar, surrounded by half a dozen other unidentified men. Speaking in a florid, rhetorical style   and never referring to Garcia by name   he told the congregation that "the apostle of Jesus Christ has been the object of an arrest," and that he would "with integrity, security and trust … respond to all legal requirements, knowing that God will give testimony." He described the church as a "spiritual family" that had gone and would keep going "from triumph to triumph, from victory to victory, in spite of the moments of tribulation." "We will not allow any spirit of uncertainty, panic or discouragement to invade us. On the contrary, in these moments the firmness of our faith shines," he told the parishioners, who at times could be seen praying and wailing in their pews. The organization   formed in 1926   has been the subject of controversy for years, as it has spread from Mexico into California and other areas. In the past, critics have compared it to a cult that preys on the poor. La Luz Del Mundo, which translates to the Light of the World, names Garcia on the church's website as its international president. Garcia is described on the site as having "dedicated his life to serving God from a young age." Garcia served as a role model for other youths, "bringing a message of love and salvation to people's souls" and was sent as a missionary to Spain and Portugal, according to the site. For more than 20 years, the website says, Garcia served as a church minister in various places in the U.S., including Los Angeles, North Hollywood, Huntington Park, San Diego, Santa Ana and Santa Maria. The complaint filed against García and his co-defendants outlines disturbing details about the crimes prosecutors allege they committed. In August 2017, according to the complaint, Ocampo told a group of girls in Los Angeles County that if they went against the desires or wishes of "the Apostle," a term used to refer to García, that they were going against God. A month later, in September, Ocampo directed minors to perform "flirty" dances for García "wearing as little clothing as possible," the complaint reads. After that dance, García purportedly gave a speech to the children about a king having a mistress and stated that an apostle of God can never be judged for his actions. Four minor girls mentioned in the complaint were sexually assaulted by García in L.A. County, prosecutors said. Prosecutors further allege that Ocampo repeatedly took photos of naked girls, telling them that they were for "the servant of god," referencing García. And on at least one occasion, according to the complaint, García thanked three girls for the photos. The attorney general's investigation began in 2018, prompted in part by a tip to the state's Department of Justice through an online clergy abuse complaint form. Times staff writer Cecilia Sanchez and the Associated Press contributed to this report.


Watch and listen as The Fast Lane Car gets a clear, extended look at the prototype in action. The crew at The Fast Lane Car hit paydirt with a YouTube video just posted to the outlet's TFLnow channel. Part of the Colorado-based team was out and about in a Subaru when they happened upon the easily identifiable odd proportions of a Ford Bronco test vehicle. Armed with high-definition cameras they did what any proper motoring journalists would do   hit record and gave chase. As a result, they've given the world an outstanding look at this forthcoming machine in action. Previous Bronco Sightings: Ford Bronco Spied Revealing Front Axle From Underneath Ford Bronco Test Mule Spied Prowling The Streets Of Dearborn First things first   this is obviously still a development mule wearing a Ford Ranger cab, as we've encountered on previous sightings. Mounted at the rear is the weird super-short bed and cap we've seen before, which could be actual Bronco components. This prototype is also wearing a skirt to obscure the rear suspension, and it's a very effective covering though in previous sightings we've been able to see a solid axle at the rear, so we don't believe there's anything revolutionary happening with the Bronco's underpinnings. With the TFL crew having a very strong knowledge base on trucks, they were able to apply some of that experience to this sighting. The camera was rolling as the prototype was started, and to them the engine sounded very much like the Ranger's 2.3-liter four-cylinder mill. As luck would have it, they came upon the truck again, this time stuck behind a slow-moving semi on a Colorado highway and zoomed in for an even closer look. A single exhaust outlet is clearly seen, and the taillights appear to be Ranger-spec as well. The duo even managed to get a camera along the highway for a look underneath as it drove by, though aside from making out a Ranger grille behind the mesh covering, little else is seen. News of the Bronco: Ford Bronco Hybrid Allegedly Confirmed By CEO Jim Hackett Report Alleges New Ford F-150 Will Arrive Before Bronco The prototype was caught upwards of 12,000 feet in the Colorado mountains, so presumably, some high-altitude testing was underway. We doubt getting stuck behind a semi with professional journalists right behind was part of the plan, but at the same time, we suspect there's still much hidden about the production-spec Bronco. In any case, this is easily the best look we've had thus far of the prototype but there's still quite a bit of time before the real deal hits the streets. The larger Bronco isn't expected to arrive until 2021, with the smaller version of the off-roader slated to debut next year. Source: TFLnow via YouTube


Numbers flood the race coverage of AJC Peachtree Road Race: 50th running, $50,000, 60,000 participants, just to name a few. But for one runner, it's the number 13 that hits home . 2018 was set to be Laura Youngblood's 13th Peachtree Road Race. But she never made it to the start line. "I got up early and got dressed and got in the car to drive to the MARTA station, and I had to turn around because I was so dizzy I couldn't even continue driving," Laura said. The dizziness indicated a devastating diagnosis. RELATED | What cancer took away, this runner is taking back "Several weeks and tests later we found out the reason I was so dizzy because I had metastatic breast cancer in my brain," she said. The diagnosis, commonly referred to as Stage 4 breast cancer, indicated Laura's cancer had already spread to her skull, her collarbone and pelvis. "I didn't ask if it was OK if kept running, I just told them I was going to continue running and they all said 'great,'" Laura said. As an avid runner accustomed to posting under the Instagram handle @Running_With_Curls , she re-committed to #RunningWithCancer. On the days her energy failed her during treatment, Laura's running buddies walked beside her. Laura's radiation and endocrine therapy was successful, allowing her to make her return to the start line and tackle that 13th race. "This is my favorite race, and I was so disappointed and mad last year that I couldn't do it," she said. At one hour, 11 minutes, Laura completed the race stolen from her, a comeback from cancer. "I'm taking this race back," she said at the finish line. "This is my race to run, and I'm taking it back."


Meteorologist Allison Chinchar with more about Tropical Storm Erika's path and its strength.


Nelson Racing Engines has become one of the go-to performance houses for serious turbocharged builds. When you look at the company's latest creation, it's not hard to see why. "This one was built for a river race boat," Tom Nelson explains. "In that racing series, the rule set allows you 470 cubic inches if the engine is naturally aspirated, or 260 cubic inches if there are turbos." In the past, competitors have chosen the former to ensure the engine could withstand the extended full-throttle abuse of the racing format, but Nelson and his team decided to choose the latter, pairing a small-displacement LSX block with a twin-turbo setup. With a goal of making more than 1,000 hp in a boat that would be going flat-out for more than half an hour at a time, the team had to employ some clever strategies to make sure everything was up to the task. Nelson had JE Pistons make a custom set of pistons for this engine with thicker crowns to withstand the extra heat. He's also using big-block Chevy connecting rods with a bigger pin boss than production LS engines use. The rods andpistons are joined by H13 tool steel piston pins. The foundation of the rotating assembly is a billet steel Callies crank with knife-edged counterweights and a scant 2.70 inches of stroke. The block was O-ringed for better head-gasket sealing, and piston oil squirters were installed to help cool the pistons. The dry-sump oiling system is from Dailey Engineering, using a custom-made oil pan and an air-oil separator. To test the durability of the engine, the team ran it on their dyno flat out at over 7,000 rpm for 5 minutes straight repeating the test 12 times. That's a solid 60 minutes of 7,000-rpm, max-power runs! "That boat will run flat-out for 38 minutes at a time," Nelson says. "It's just always wide open. But we got ours to live, and that was the real challenge here." There is plenty more information about this fascinating build in the video. Be sure to watch it, because there's a lot to learn.


Citywide San Francisco temperatures will remain mild in the coming days, according to drone-powered weather forecasting service Saildrone . Temperatures will remain in the low 60s for the rest of the week, turning warmer on Saturday, with a high of 69 degrees. There's no rain in the forecast this week. Skies will be partly cloudy for the next few days. Winds will remain light over the course of the week, with the highest speeds today at only 12 mph. This story was created automatically using Saildrone's local weather forecast data, then reviewed by an editor. We also incorporate historic weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Sports drinks can be packed with added sugars and artificial ingredients. Nutrition experts suggest alternatives like cherry juice and plain water. The key components of sports drinks are water, carbohydrates , and electrolytes. INSIDER consulted two registered dietitians to get recommendations for sports drink alternatives. Options like coconut water have many of the same hydrating properties of sports drinks without added ingredients. Despite what sports drink ads might make you think, you probably don't need to be chugging down a bottle of supercharged neon liquid during your average workout. Sports drinks' three key components (water, carbohydrates, and electrolytes) can be found elsewhere - and without the added calories and sugar. INSIDER consulted two registered dietitians to get their recommendations for sports drink alternatives. Click through the gallery above to see what they had to say. Chocolate milk is this dietitian's go-to post-workout recovery drink Natalie Rizzo, a registered dietitian in New York City and author of " The No-Brainer Nutrition Guide for Every Runner ," listed chocolate milk as a great sports drink alternative due to its 3-to-1 carb-to-protein ratio, which, she said, "helps replace carbohydrate stores and repair worn-down muscles." The childhood favorite also provides key electrolytes including calcium, potassium, sodium, and magnesium for refueling after a workout. Plus, Rizzo added, " research suggests that drinking fat-free milk after exercise replenishes lost electrolytes and rehydrates better than a sports drink or water." Orange juice has electrolytes and antioxidants. Jonathan Valdez, owner of Genki Nutrition and the spokesperson for New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics , recommended drinking orange juice fortified with calcium and vitamin D. "Not only does it have electrolytes like sports drinks," he said, "but it also has concentrated antioxidants such as hesperidin that may fight off high blood pressure and cognitive decline." Coconut water naturally has some of the key components found in sports drinks. All three of the key components in sports drinks are found naturally in coconut water. This hydrating beverage has potassium (an electrolyte), natural sugars, and water, Rizzo explained. "The natural sugars help keep your energy levels high for exercise that lasts longer than an hour, and research points to the fact that it may be just as hydrating and cause less stomach distress than sports drinks," she said. If you're exercising in the heat or for a long period of time, Rizzo recommends adding a dash of salt to coconut water to help replenish salt lost in sweat. Drink tart cherry juice after a strength-training workout to reduce muscle pain. "Montmorency tart cherry juice has long been valued for its high levels of plant nutrient compounds, including flavonoids and anthocyanin," Rizzo said. Plus, some research suggests drinking tart cherry juice may reduce muscle pain and weakness after an intense strength-training session. Other research finds the beverage may minimize the symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage after strength training. You can make your own sports drink at home, without any artificial ingredients. "If you like the idea of a sports drink, but not the artificial ingredients that go with it, you can make your own sports drink pretty simply at home," Rizzo said. Just mix coconut water, honey, sea salt, and a squeeze of lemon, lime, or 100% orange juice. You can find her homemade sports drink recipes (all with four ingredients or less) here . For an everyday exercise session, plain old water works just fine. Nothing beats water if your aim is pure hydration, Valdez said. "Most Americans don't obtain adequate fluid intake, which can lead to constipation." The Food and Nutrition Board, which is part of the National Academy of Medicine, says to let thirst be your guide when it comes to hydration, but its general recommendations for water intake from both food and liquids are 2.7 liters (91 ounces) for women and 3.7 liters (125 ounces) for men.


Brooks Koepka, seeking to become only the second player to win three consecutive U.S. Opens, will begin his quest at 1:47 p.m. local time June 13 at Pebble Beach, playing in a group with reigning British Open champion Francesco Molinari and U.S. Amateur champion Viktor Hovland of Norway, the USGA announced Thursday. Koepka, the world No. 1 who last month claimed his second straight PGA Championship, won last year at Shinnecock Hills after winning in 2017 at Erin Hills. He headlines a star-studded field set to take on one of golf's iconic venues as he tries to match Willie Anderson, a Scotsman who won three straight U.S. Opens from 1903-05. TEE TIMES Mark your calendars! Here's when everyone is starting the first two rounds next week at the #USOpen : https://t.co/fsf4eAIOLD pic.twitter.com/KOIflR7nXy   U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 6, 2019 Masters champion Tiger Woods, aiming for his 16th major title, will be grouped Thursday and Friday with Jordan Spieth and Justin Rose. Phil Mickelson, who turns 49 the Sunday of the tournament and is seeking to win the U.S. Open and complete a career Grand Slam, is grouped with world No. 2 Dustin Johnson and Graham McDowell. Rory McIlroy is grouped with Jon Rahm and Marc Leishman. A field of 156 players will play 18 holes of stroke play on Thursday and Friday, after which the field will be reduced to the low 60 scores and ties. If there is a tie after the completion of Sunday's fourth round, a two-hole aggregate playoff will follow immediately. If the two-hole playoff results in a tie, the tied players will continue to play in a sudden-death format until a winner is determined. Tee times (all ET) for Rounds 1 and 2 of the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Thursday (June 13), Hole #1 / Friday (June 14), Hole #10 9:45 a.m. / 3:30 p.m.   Sam Saunders, Atlantic Beach, Fla.; Carlos Ortiz, Mexico; Marcus Fraser, Australia 9:56 a.m. / 3:41 p.m.   TBD; Erik Van Rooyen, South Africa; (a) Chun An Yu, Chinese Taipei 10:07 a.m. / 3:52 p.m.   Ryan Fox, New Zealand; Thorbjorn Olesen, Denmark; TBD 10:18 a.m. / 4:03 p.m.   Scottie Scheffler, Dallas, Texas; (a) Matt Parziale, Brockton, Mass.; Nick Taylor, Canada 10:29 a.m. / 4:14 p.m.   Patton Kizzire, Sea Island, Ga.; (a) Jovan Rebula, South Africa; Jason Dufner, Auburn, Ala. 10:40 a.m. / 4:25 p.m.   Haotong Li, People's Republic of China; Bubba Watson, Bagdad, Fla.; J.B. Holmes, Lexington, Ky. 10:51 a.m. / 4:36 p.m.   Zach Johnson, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Martin Kaymer, Germany; Ernie Els, South Africa 11:02 a.m. / 4:47 p.m.   Si Woo Kim, Republic of Korea; Rickie Fowler, Murrieta, Calif.; Jason Day, Australia 11:13 a.m. / 4:58 p.m.   Shane Lowry, Republic of Ireland; Tyrrell Hatton, England; Gary Woodland, Topeka, Kan. 11:24 a.m. / 5:09 p.m.   Cameron Smith, Australia; Matthew Wallace, England; Xander Schauffele, San Diego, Calif. 11:35 a.m. / 5:20 p.m.   C.T. Pan, Chinese Taipei; Abraham Ancer, Mexico; (a) Brandon Wu, Scarsdale, N.Y. 11:46 a.m. / 5:31 p.m.   Chan Kim, Gilbert, Ariz.; Justin Walters, South Africa; TBD 11:57 a.m. / 5:42 p.m.   Nick Hardy, Northbrook, Ill.; (a) Noah Norton, Chico, Calif.; Andreas Halvorsen, Norway Thursday (June 13), Hole #10 / Friday (June 14), Hole #1 9:45 a.m. / 3:30 p.m.   (a) Luis Gagne, Orlando, Fla.; Sepp Straka, Valdosta, Ga.; Julian Etulain, Argentina 9:56 a.m. / 3:41 p.m.   Dean Burmester, South Africa; TBD; Kyounghoon Lee, Republic of Korea 10:07 a.m. / 3:52 p.m.   Clement Sordet, France; Tom Hoge, Fargo, N.D.; Adri Arnaus, Spain 10:18 a.m. / 4:03 p.m.   Brian Davis, Windermere, Fla.; (a) Kevin O'Connell, Jacksonville, Fla.; Billy Hurley III, Annapolis, Md. 10:29 a.m. / 4:14 p.m.   Brendon Todd, Watkinsville, Ga.; Luke Donald, England; Mike Weir, Canada 10:40 a.m. / 4:25 p.m.   Kyle Stanley, Gig Harbor, Wash.; Billy Horschel, Ponte Vedra, Fla.; Danny Willett, England 10:51 a.m. / 4:36 p.m.   Jon Rahm, Spain; Marc Leishman, Australia; Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland 11:02 a.m. / 4:47 p.m.   Justin Thomas, Louisville, Ky.; Kevin Kisner, Aiken, S.C.; Bryson DeChambeau, Clovis, Calif. 11:13 a.m. / 4:58 p.m.   Dustin Johnson, Jupiter, Fla.; Phil Mickelson, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.; Graeme McDowell, Northern Ireland 11:24 a.m. / 5:09 p.m.   Hideki Matsuyama, Japan; Sergio Garcia, Spain; Tommy Fleetwood, England 11:35 a.m. / 5:20 p.m.   Jhonattan Vegas, Venezuela; Patrick Reed, Houston, Texas; Louis Oosthuizen, South Africa 11:46 a.m. / 5:31 p.m.   Rob Oppenheim, Andover, Mass.; Rhys Enoch, Wales; Richard Lee, Bellevue, Wash. 11:57 a.m. / 5:42 p.m.   Andy Pope, Glen Ellyn, Ill.; Ryan Sullivan, Winston-Salem, N.C.; Matthew Naumec, Wilbraham, Mass. Thursday (June 13), Hole #1 / Friday (June 14), Hole #10 12:30 p.m. / 9:45 a.m.   Rory Sabbatini, Slovakia; Sam Horsfield, England; Roberto Castro, Atlanta, Ga. 12:41 p.m. / 9:56 a.m.   (a) Cameron Young, Scarborough, N.Y.; Marcus Kinhult, Sweden; Brian Stuard, Jackson, Mich. 12:52 p.m. / 10:07 a.m.   Luke Guthrie, Jacksonville Beach, Fla.; Joseph Bramlett, San Jose, Calif.; Charlie Danielson, Osceola, Wis. 1:03 p.m. / 10:18 a.m.   (a) Austin Eckroat, Edmond, Okla.; Alexander Noren, Sweden; Charles Howell III, Orlando, Fla. 1:14 p.m. / 10:29 a.m.   Thomas Pieters, Belgium; Chesson Hadley, Raleigh, N.C.; (a) Stewart Hagestad, Newport Beach, Calif. 1:25 p.m. / 10:40 a.m.   Paul Casey, England; Patrick Cantlay, North Palm Beach, Fla.; Lucas Glover, Jupiter, Fla. 1:36 p.m. / 10:51 a.m.   Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Thailand; Keith Mitchell, Chattanooga, Tenn.; Shugo Imahira, Japan 1:47 p.m. / 11:02 a.m.   Francesco Molinari, Italy; (a) Viktor Hovland, Norway; Brooks Koepka, West Palm Beach, Fla. 1:58 p.m. / 11:13 a.m.   Tony Finau, Lehi, Utah; Jimmy Walker, Boerne, Texas; Ian Poulter, England 2:09 p.m. / 11:24 a.m.   Jordan Spieth, Dallas, Texas; Justin Rose, England; Tiger Woods, Hobe Sound, Fla. 2:20 p.m. / 11:35 a.m.   Daniel Berger, Jupiter, Fla.; Matthew Jones, Australia; Kodai Ichihara, Japan 2:31 p.m. / 11:46 a.m.   Matthieu Pavon, France; (a) Chandler Eaton, Alpharetta, Ga.; Callum Tarren, England 2:42 p.m. / 11:57 a.m.   Eric Dietrich, Cheshire, Conn.; Guillermo Pereira, Chile; Brett Drewitt, Australia Thursday (June 13), Hole #10 / Friday (June 14), Hole #1 12:30 p.m. / 9:45 a.m.   Nathan Lashley, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Renato Paratore, Italy; Lee Slattery, England 12:41 p.m. / 9:56 a.m.   TBD; Collin Morikawa, La Canada Flintridge, Calif.; Aaron Wise, Las Vegas, Nev. 12:52 p.m. / 10:07 a.m.   Merrick Bremner, South Africa; Chip McDaniel, Manchester, Ky.; Cody Gribble, Dallas, Texas 1:03 p.m. / 10:18 a.m.   (a) Michael Thorbjornsen, Wellesley, Mass.; Chez Reavie, Scottsdale, Ariz.; David Toms, Shreveport, La. 1:14 p.m. / 10:29 a.m.   Rafa Cabrera Bello, Spain; Kevin Na, Las Vegas, Nev.; Keegan Bradley, Woodstock, Vt. 1:25 p.m. / 10:40 a.m.   Jim Furyk, Jacksonville, Fla.; Henrik Stenson, Sweden; Brandt Snedeker, Nashville, Tenn. 1:36 p.m. / 10:51 a.m.   Luke List, Augusta, Ga.; Lucas Bjerregaard, Denmark; Branden Grace, South Africa 1:47 p.m. / 11:02 a.m.   Webb Simpson, Charlotte, N.C.; Adam Scott, Australia; Matt Kuchar, Sea Island, Ga. 1:58 p.m. / 11:13 a.m.   Byeong Hun An, Republic of Korea; (a) Devon Bling, Ridgecrest, Calif.; Matthew Fitzpatrick, England 2:09 p.m. / 11:24 a.m.   Justin Harding, South Africa; Aaron Baddeley, Australia; TBD 2:20 p.m. / 11:35 a.m.   Ollie Schniederjans, Alpharetta, Ga.; Mikumu Horikawa, Japan; Anirban Lahiri, India 2:31 p.m. / 11:46 a.m.   (a) Daniel Hillier, New Zealand; Alex Prugh, Spokane, Wash.; Zac Blair, Orem, Utah MORE : U.S. Open 2019 betting odds: Brooks Koepka opens as 5-1; Tiger Woods (12-1) third 2:42 p.m. / 11:57 a.m.   Hayden Shieh, Fremont, Calif.; (a) Spencer Tibbits, Vancouver, Wash.; Connor Arendell, Cape Coral, Fla. (a): amateur


Alaska may just be the most exotic destination we have in the United States, and travelers are wising up to the wild array of adventure opportunities to the north. Alaska may just be the most exotic destination we have in the United States , and travelers are wising up to the wild array of adventure opportunities to the north. Visitors to Alaska have increased by 26 percent since 2010, and experts expect that number to keep rising as it celebrates its 60th year of statehood. 5 Great Far North Adventures That (Almost) Anyone Can Do It helps that getting there, especially from the far-flung east coast, is easier than ever: On July 6, United Airlines is offering a new direct route with daily departures from Newark to Anchorage. The route lasts through September 8, making this summer the perfect time to leave the grind behind and up your stoke factor at one of the super remote properties dotting Alaska's rugged terrain. Here are six of our favorites. 1. Tordrillo Mountain Lodge A 40-minute float-plane ride from Anchorage, Tordrillo Mountain Lodge  owned by Olympic-gold-medal alpine ski racer Tommy Moe and Alaskan heli-ski pioneer Mike Overcast is ground zero for big mountain adventure activities. From the luxury base camp (which reopened in February 2019 after a multi-million dollar renovation), tucked on the shores of the Talachulitna River and Judd Lake in the Tordrillo Mountains, guides will fly you out in the wilderness for fat biking, salmon fishing, kayaking, canoeing, white-water rafting, glacier hiking, wake surfing, waterskiing, and wildlife viewing. Every spot is accessible by helicopter only, so privacy is pretty much guaranteed. This summer, the property also debuts Alaska's first via ferrata (a climbing route with a fixed steel cable) in the state, located right on the edge of the Triumvirate glacier. 2. Sheldon Chalet Going off the grid doesn't get more luxurious than a stay at Sheldon Chalet , a year-old, 10-person property situated on five private acres inside Denali National Park, accessible only via helicopter from Anchorage or Talkeetna. From its position 6,000 feet above the Don Sheldon Amphitheatre on Denali's Ruth Glacier, it's a prime spot to kick off wild adventures like expedition-style glacier treks, skiing around the nunatek (i.e. a rocky ridge or peak not covered with ice or snow within an ice field or glacier), sledding on Mount Denali itself, fishing at hidden glacial lakes, dog-sledding, and rappelling into ice crevasses. And there's no internet or cell service on site, which makes this secluded spot feel even more remote. 3. Tikchik Narrows Lodge Three hundred miles from any connecting roads, Tikchik Narrows Lodge sits at the juncture of Tikchik and Nuyukuk Lakes in Bristol Bay with the lofty Kilbuck mountains serving as a picturesque backdrop. The rugged resort is only accessible by seaplane from Dillingham in southwestern Alaska. From its opening in 1969, it's served as a sport-fishing lodge, but today's line-up of activities has evolved to include fly-out fishing excursions (the area is known for its five species of salmon and seven species of freshwater fish), boat tours to the snowfields at Mirror Bay, brown bear spotting at the famous Brooks Falls, flight-seeing tours for aerial views over the tundra, and kayak trips to Lake Chiuminuk, hidden inside the 1.6 million-acre Wood-Tikchik State Park. 4. Winterlake Lodge Reachable only by ski or float plane depending on the season (it's 100 miles from the closet road, and a 50-minute flight from Anchorage), Winterlake Lodge takes up 15 acres along the western edge of the Alaska Range, right at mile 198 of the Iditarod Trail. Once an old trapper's cabin and hunting camp, the lodge has moved away from its roots to promote excursions like trekking the Trimble and the Hayes glaciers, floating down Happy River, rafting overnight, fly-fishing in the Canyon Creek area, paddling Red Creek, scrambling ridgelines, dog-mushing, heli-skiing or -hiking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. The lodge still serves as the Finger Lake checkpoint (named for the finger-shaped, two-mile lake it butts up against) for the annual dogsled race. 5. Ultima Thule Lodge Ultima Thule Lodge is so remote it's beyond the reach of cell coverage and phone lines (it's name literally means "any distant place located beyond the borders of the known world"). It's nestled deep in the Wrangell-St. Elias Wilderness and getting there takes a six-hour drive from Anchorage to Chitina and a 90-minute flight. From the main lodge, a fleet of two-seater Piper Super Cubs can take you even farther into one of the largest protected land masses on earth to hike and trek on alpine tundra and glacier ice or through boreal rainforests; ski backcountry powder that's never seen human traffic; climb or ice climb in the notoriously difficult Wrangell Mountains; or navigate the miles-long sandbars of the Chitina River. 6. Iniakuk Lake Head into the Far North at Iniakuk Lake Wilderness Lodge , 60 miles north of the Arctic Circle on the edges of Gates of the Arctic National Park, Kobuk National Park, and Brooks Range. To reach the property, you'll fly an hour from Fairbanks to the bush community of Bettles, then take a 20-minute float-plane ride to Iniakuk Lake (if that's not far enough, there are two cabins within the Gates of the Arctic National Park; one requires an additional 20-minute flight and the other which sits on the Continental Divide 50 minutes). From the solar-powered main lodge, you can partake in caribou safaris, flight-seeing over the Kobuk National Park Sand Dunes or Arrigetch Peaks, fishing for Arctic Char and Sheefish in the Kobuk River; and hiking across the tundra and through the Brooks Range.


For about two weeks, it's been known that Monty Williams is seen as the top candidate for the Lakers next head coach by the Lakers front office. But on the heels of a report from Marc Stein of the New York Times that the Phoenix Suns head job is Williams' if he wants it, the Lakers may have to decide sooner than they expected. Stein followed up that report with something most observers expected: that LeBron would be happiest if the Lakers choose to hire his former Cavaliers head coach Ty Lue . However, perception may still be a sticking point for people in the Lakers front office, according to The Athletic's Bill Oram . However, there is a sensitivity within Lakers walls to the outside narrative that James and his representatives are calling the shots, and hiring Lue would do nothing to diminish those cries. The Lakers' relationship with James is still new and evolving, and the organization is still learning how to cater to James without ceding power to him. Which category would hiring Lue fall into? This question appears to weigh heavily on the minds of the Lakers and there's also been plenty of outside pressure on the Lakers from the rest of the NBA community not to let James run the show . And James himself has also indicated a sensitivity to the perception that he's the man in the shadow running the Lakers. Clearly, there are a lot of fraught feelings surrounding the Lakers coaching situation that have been tough for everyone in the organization's orbit to sort out. But a decision may soon be foisted upon by rival organizations trying to get their own houses in order. MORE: Shaq's line after threatening to knock out Charles Barkley had Ernie Johnson in tears Packers weren't interested in bringing back Clay Matthews NBA Free Agency 2019: The top players Should the Raiders exercise the fifth-year option on SS Karl Joseph? Report: Vikings fielded trade interest on TE Kyle Rudolph


Houston Texans defensive end Carlos Watkins is entering his third season, and there is optimism that the former Clemson Tiger could take the next step. With defensive end Christian Covington now with the Dallas Cowboys, there is an opportunity for Watkins to become a contributor, even though he has just four games worth of playing experience. " My expectations for Carlos are sky high," defensive line coach Anthony Weaver said during the third week of organized team activities. "I know to this point, he probably hasn't exceeded the expectations but a lot of that has been purely because of opportunity. "Obviously, we lost a very good player in Christian Covington, so there's a void there, and one that I expect Carlos to step in and try to fill." With 24 combined tackles and 11 solo tackles, Watkins has flashed in limited opportunities . Said Weaver: "He's coming into his third year. He's taking all of the coaching, he listens to the veterans and he's had a very good offseason. So, I'm looking for him to take that stride." If the former fourth round pick does take control at the defensive end position the Texans may have added another solid defensive lineman to go along with defensive end J.J Watt and nose tackle D.J. Reader. MORE: Beyonce's perceived reaction to Warriors' owner's wife became a meme Warriors Fan Who Pushed Kyle Lowry Should Face Lifetime Ban From NBA [UPDATE] Cowboys News: Michael Gallup leg injury dampens final OTA session Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi keeps impressing in Browns minicamp Kyle Long: 'I've never had a team that has gelled like this'


A southern Minnesota woman is dead after the vehicle she was riding in was cut off, and perhaps hit by an SUV driver who then fled the scene Thursday. The State Patrol website says 20-year-old Jalynn Rose Williams of Mankato was a passenger in a Chevy Blazer that was eastbound on State Highway 60 near Lake Crystal just after 4:40 p.m. when a Ford SUV cut the driver off, perhaps making contact. The Blazer hit the ditch and rolled, while the Ford careened into the median and then sped off. The SUV and its driver have not been located. Williams was rushed to a hospital in Mankato where she died of her injuries. Troopers say she was not wearing a seatbelt. The 26-year-old driver of the Blazer Williams was riding in was wearing his seatbelt, and suffered non-life threatening injuries. Anyone who knows the location of the suspected hit-and-run vehicle or its driver is asked to call the Minnesota State Patrol, Lake Crystal Police or the Blue Earth County Sheriff's Office.


German wonderkid Kai Havertz has opened up about his future admitting that the plan is to leave Bayer Leverkusen to take 'the next step' at some point, although when remains unclear. The 20-year-old enjoyed a stunning season in 2018/19 scoring 17 times from attacking midfield. Often likened to compatriots Michael Ballack and Mesut Ozil, Havertz is ranked among the most valuable young talents in the world, with a host of clubs - headlined by Liverpool and Barcelona- linked with his signature. Speaking to Bild , the young midfielder, who appears set to stay at the BayArena at least one more year, addressed questions over his future. He said: "I am honest, at some point the next step must come for me. But I'm not going to worry about when exactly that will happen. What counts now is Bayer Leverkusen. We still have a lot to do. "Leverkusen very quickly signalled that they wanted to keep me. That's why it wasn't an issue for me. Now I'm starting my tenth year here, maybe we can make it a golden one for the club. What will happen afterwards has not yet been decided. There is no club where I have already signed." Havertz also specifically addressed the links to Bayern Munich but stayed coy on the subject. He continued: "I really don't know yet whether FC Bayern is the next and right step for me. I also don't know whether foreign countries would not be more suitable for me. I really don't think too much about it at the moment. "I have that self-confidence [to play for Bayern], yes. But the same applies to other clubs as well." In the same article along with Havertz's quotes, Bild namechecked both Liverpool and Barcelona as 'interested' in the youngest player in the history of the Bundesliga to reach 50 appearances. A move to the Reds at some stage shouldn't be discounted, particularly after manager Jurgen Klopp, speaking to Liverpool's official website , admitted that he would be open to strengthening his squad with the right player. "I'm happy with the team, we are really happy. We have to see if we find maybe one position, if we find something for it, but there's no real pressure because it's not about signing a player. We have solutions for all the situations. "Do we have exactly the solution that everybody from outside would be 100 per cent happy? I don't think so because people want to have world-class here, world-class here and the guy on the bench has to be world-class as well. "That's not so easy. But we are of course working on it."