This is Ferrari's official teaser for the V8 hybrid debuting this week, so let the Photoshop and parsing games begin. Among what we'll call the traditional supercar makers   Ferrari, Lamborghini , and McLaren   the Maranello outfit takes the first dive into the hybrid pool, and they're going to make a show of it. The motorcycle rider who ran down the prototype a few weeks ago looks to have been correct about the rectangular taillights. The last time we saw anything other than round taillights on a production Ferrari was on the much-loved Testarossa and the much unloved 348. There's some deliberate obfuscation going on, unsurprisingly. In the teaser, the rear wing stands up extra tall in the middle. The wing on the prototype spotted last week carries across the car from fender to fender; you can trace the line it makes around the rear three-quarter underneath the camouflage. Based on where there's mesh in the camouflage paneling to let air through, our guess is that the wing does more than channel air under its middle as on the F8 Tributo. And we'll wait to see if the twin exhaust outlet truly dominate the backside like bazookas. VIP clientele have apparently been headed to Maranello as of this morning, ready to witness a three-day event for the production sports car that will sit above the 812 Superfast and below whatever succeeds the LaFerrari . Eyes in Italy say there's a large tent at the Fiorano circuit erected just for the cause. Word is that Ferrari will reveal the car online around the same time as VIP showing, with an in-the-sheetmetal showing sometime next month, perhaps at Le Mans . Ferrari officially teases hybrid V8 before official reveal originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 May 2019


People may soon speed up healing and recovery from an injury with the help of eggs. But you don't have to eat more of it or add more yolk to your meal as scientists just need the shells. A research team from the University of Massachusetts Lowell discovered that eggshells can be used to enhance the growth of new, strong bones. They suggest that the new process may soon help repair bones in patients with injuries due to aging, accidents, cancer and other diseases. To create bones, the researchers inserted crushed eggshells into a hydrogel mixture that forms a miniature frame to grow bone in the laboratory. The final product will then be used for bone grafts. The results of the study, published in the journal Biomaterials Science, suggest that eggshell particles can help increase bone cells' ability to grow and harden when added to hydrogel mixture. The shells are made of calcium carbonate, which potentially helps in the development of bones. "This is the first study that uses eggshell particles in a hydrogel matrix for bone repair," Gulden Camci-Unal, lead researcher and an assistant professor at UMass Lowell, said in a statement . "We have already filed a patent for it and are very excited about our results. We anticipate the process can be adapted for use in many significant ways." The bones created using the eggshells can also be used to grow cartilage, teeth and tendons, she added. Another benefit is that eggshell particles help deliver proteins, peptides, growth factors, genes and medications to other parts of the body. For the process, the researchers take bone cells from the patient's body and mix it with the eggshell-based materials to create the new bone that will be implanted into the patient. The researchers said that the use of cells taken from the patient reduces the risk of their immune system rejecting the new material. "Global waste of discarded eggshells typically amounts to millions of tons annually from household and commercial cooking," Camci-Unal said. "By repurposing them, we can directly benefit the economy and the environment while providing a sustainable solution to unmet clinical needs."


The opening weekend of the 2019-20 Premier League season is here, and there are usually plenty of upsets in the opening round of games. Remember that… [ STREAM: Every PL game live ] If you, like me, love to dissect all the games and predict what the score will be and which team will win, I encourage you to get involved in the comments section below. Let's have a bit of fun. Okay, so I've consulted my crystal ball and here's how we see things panning out. Listen carefully, because this is very specific. While you can download the NBC Sports Predictor app (below) and play the Premier League Pick 'Em game yourself to predict the scores and win the prizes. DOWNLOAD NBC SPORTS PREDICTOR With the first section labelled "basically, free money" for the picks I think are dead certs. The section labelled "don't touch this" means if you're betting I advise you to stay clear, while the "so you're telling me there's a chance" section are the long shots. If it is better odds you are after, those are the picks to go for. BASICALLY, FREE MONEY Newcastle 0-3 Arsenal   (Sunday, 9 a.m. ET, NBCSN)   [ STREAM ] Leicester 3-1 Wolves   (Sunday, 9 a.m. ET, CNBC)   [ STREAM ] West Ham 1-3 Man City   (Saturday, 7:30 a.m. ET, NBCSN)   [ STREAM ] Liverpool 6-1 Norwich   (Friday, 3 p.m. ET, NBCSN)   [ STREAM ] DON'T TOUCH THIS… Man United 1-1 Chelsea   (Sunday, 11:30 a.m. ET, NBCSN)   [ STREAM] Tottenham 2-1 Aston Villa   (Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET, NBC)   [ STREAM ] Burnley 1-1 Southampton   (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, NBC Sports Gold)   [ STREAM ] Bournemouth 2-1 Sheffield United   (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, NBCSN)   [ STREAM ] "SO YOU'RE TELLING ME THERE'S A CHANCE…" View post on imgur.com Watford 1-1 Brighton   (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, NBC Sports Gold)   [ STREAM ] Crystal Palace 2-3 Everton   (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, NBC Sports Gold)   [ STREAM ] Follow @JPW_NBCSports


Gold market-timers have yet to throw in the towel, and until they do, bullion is unlikely to stage a powerful rally. This is one reason why gold's rally earlier this week was so anemic. The stock market's plunge certainly gave investors every reason to invest in gold as a safe haven. But, according to contrarian analysis, the "wall of worry" that bull markets like to climb is not yet robust enough to support a stronger rally. Just take how those timers reacted a month ago to gold's falling to a new bear market low below $1,100. Surprisingly, they on balance remained more bullish than at many other times in recent years, even though gold on those occasions was trading at higher prices. Since optimism normally rises and falls in lockstep with gold's price, the timers' recent relative bullishness is a bad sign. It means that they were clinging to hope in the face of gold's new lows. Their mood was far closer to the "slope of hope" that bear markets like to descend than to the "wall of worry" bull markets like to climb. This undercurrent of optimism among the gold timers became even more evident after gold began to rally from its early-August low: The average gold timer fairly quickly increased his exposure to the gold market. Yet if that low were the final low of bullion's multi-year bear market, and if it were to adhere to the normal sentiment pattern, that rally would have been met with skepticism rather than belief. Gold will stage a sustainable rally only when the timers stop behaving like Charlie Brown. Consider the average gold timer's recommended gold exposure level (as represented by the Hulbert Gold Newsletter Sentiment Index, or HGNSI). At one point last week, as you can see from the above chart, this average was markedly higher (47 percentage points, in fact) than it had been just a few weeks previously. That's a remarkable degree of eagerness to turn bullish. I liken the gold timers' recent behavior to Charlie Brown's gullibility in trusting that Lucy won't pull the football away at the last minute as he attempts to kick it. No matter how many times she lets him down, he is willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. From the perspective of contrarian analysis, gold will stage a sustainable rally only when the timers stop behaving like Charlie Brown. That will come when, after being burned one too many times, they declare "never again" and actually mean it. We're not there yet.


It might lack the GT-R's all-wheel drive, but it's lighter as a result. If you're a big fan of Japanese domestic market cars and live in America, you've likely been relishing the number of iconic Nissan Skyline models that are becoming eligible to import. The '25 year rule' allows cars of that age and older to be imported to the US, this 1991 Nissan Skyline GTS-T Type M is one such car. Listed in our classifieds by import specialist Fast Lane Auto Sales, this clean Type M is in incredible condition. Presented in black, the highly polished example of a stock R32 Skyline is an enthusiasts dream. While some hanker for the potent GT-R model, the Type M features some unique bodywork and five-stud 16-inch alloy wheels of its own. More on the Nissan Skyline - Nissan's Iconic RB26 Engine Returns To Production - This R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R Has The Twin-Turbo Heart Of An R34 The interior is equally as impressive with the 27 year-old cabin somehow managing to elude time itself. Its carpets, seats, and dashboard almost appear unused, with the only hint of the car's past life being a worn steering wheel. Practical rear seats and a good size trunk means that this is a modern classic you could daily drive. GTS-T Skylines are equipped with a turbocharged RB20DET inline six-cylinder engine, yet another item on this Nissan that is well presented. Unlike the GT-R, this variant is rear-wheel drive   arguably making for a purer driving experience. The lack of an all-wheel drive system also makes this car lighter than its high-performance sibling. Its five-speed manual transmission should also make for a great companion when calving up those canyon roads. Fast Lane has conducted a thorough service on this Skyline that included fresh oil and filters, replacement drive belts, new AC actuator, coolant flush and refill, and the fitment of a Venom catalytic converter. The current asking price for this near pristine Skyline GTS-T Type M is $16,500.


The Brewers and Giants have been in talks about a potential trade that would send lefty Will Smith from San Francisco back to Milwaukee, reports Robert Murray of The Athletic (subscription required). The Giants are particularly interested in second base prospect Mauricio Dubon , per Murray, though he specifies that no deal is close between the two clubs. It's not clear that Milwaukee would have any actual interest in dealing Dubon, particularly for a rental. As a player who's already made his MLB debut after enjoying success in both Double-A and Triple-A, Dubon would be a costly price to pay in exchange for a half-season of a player   even an elite reliever. Dubon is widely considered to be among the Brewers' five best prospects and boasts a career .300/.335/.479 batting line in 762 plate appearances at Triple-A. That's not to say such a swap is out of the realm of possibility, however, particularly given how steep the demand for Smith will be. To this point, Smith has been linked to the Cardinals , Dodgers , Rays and Twins , among others. Beyond that, the Giants will have multiple relievers available ( Sam Dyson , Tony Watson and perhaps Reyes Moronta ), which creates myriad trade scenarios. Smith is not only the top rental reliever on the market, he's legitimately been one of the best relievers on the planet in 2019 (while earning an affordable $4.25MM). In 37 1/3 innings for the Giants this season, the southpaw has pitched to an excellent 2.17 ERA with 13.0 K/9, 1.9 BB/9, 0.72 HR/9 and a 45.3 percent ground-ball rate. The 30-year-old Smith has struck out a career-high 39.4 percent of the hitters he's faced in 2019 while demonstrating his best command of the strike zone since 2013. The Brewers, meanwhile, have seen one of their greatest weapons in 2018 dwindle in 2019 with the decline of their relief corps. Josh Hader leads the team in saves and is posting historic strikeout numbers for a second straight season (50.3 percent), but he's already allowed as many home runs (nine) in 45 innings as he did last year in 81 1/3 frames. Corey Knebel had Tommy John surgery and won't pitch in 2019. Jeremy Jeffress was terrific through mid-June, but he missed a couple of weeks early due to shoulder fatigue and has hit a rough patch (7.15 ERA) over the past month. Smith is far from the Brewers' only option as they pursue bullpen trades   as is evident when perusing MLBTR's list of the market's top 60 trade candidates   but he's also a known commodity in Milwaukee. The Brewers traded Smith to the Giants prior to the 2016 non-waiver trade deadline in a deal that netted them righty Phil Bickford and catcher Andrew Susac . Bickford, a former first-round pick, has yet to progress beyond Class-A Advanced. Susac was traded to the Orioles for cash after being designated for assignment in February 2018.


Editor's note: The opinions in this article are the author's, as published by our content partner, and do not necessarily represent the views of MSN or Microsoft. President Trump has an ace in the hole for the 2020 election: The media elite cannot keep their contempt for Trump voters under wraps. On Sunday, New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd penned a sentence that perfectly encapsulates this disdain for fellow citizens. "Mitch McConnell, Barr and almost everyone else in the G.O.P.," Dowd opined , "have made themselves numb to [Trump's] abhorrent actions because of self-interest." Subscribe to the Post Most newsletter: Today's most popular stories on The Washington Post There you have it: In Dowd's world   and Dowd is one of the tribunes of the Manhattan-Beltway media elite   almost every person who supports Trump today does so because of self-interest. Read "self-interest" as "greed" or a "lust for power or position," or however you care to read it. By Dowd's assessment, no one can possibly support Trump without being corrupt. Ignored is the fact that Trump has delivered on his crucial pledges concerning the judiciary and defense spending. Trump has put 100-plus judges on the federal bench, including two on the Supreme Court, 41 on federal circuit courts (with two more confirmations pending), and dozens and dozens on federal trial courtss. He's strongly supported dramatic increases in defense spending. The roaring economy, and the tax cuts and deregulation that power it, speaks for itself. But for Dowd and her colleagues in New York, Washington, Los Angeles and Silicon Valley, none of this record matters. To support Trump is to be morally flawed. Let's face it, most of the media thinks most of Trump supporters are stupid or evil. Incredibly, secular elites have appointed themselves judges of moral character. Trump's record is far from perfect, of course. The aluminum and steel tariffs on allies were awful choices. The pipeline of nominees to the circuit courts has inexplicably run dry. There is still no serious, detailed plan to get to the 355-ship Navy fleet Trump promised. Most of his supporters wish for him to lay off Twitter and his personal attacks on opponents, even when those opponents swing at him daily. They would prefer the president take his "no collusion, no obstruction" win and pocket it while talking endlessly about the economy, the judges, the defense budget and deregulation. Still, there are far more positives than negatives. Despite his biggest mistakes   the media are not the "enemy of the people" and should not be labeled thus; his indifference to staffing the government is sometimes maddening and a few of his appointees were simply not qualified   Trump has generally kept the promises he made during the campaign. Dowd's damning indictment calls to mind Hillary Clinton's "basket of deplorables" comment. Americans outside of New York City, Washington, Los Angeles and Silicon Valley deeply resent the contempt these elites have for ordinary people. That contempt, when openly displayed, always boomerangs. Dowd is channeling the left's searing disdain for the "great silent majority," which was there in the days of Richard Nixon and which showed up again in 2016. For 50 years the left has been flipping off the apolitical as well as the quiet moderate and conservative citizens who go to work and church, who raise families in somewhat prosaic fashion. But who also vote. Regularly. To be accused of supporting Trump for evil reasons is of course to be accused of doing evil. To refuse to acknowledge the legitimate principles and policies that motivate millions of Trump voters is to brand all Trump supporters as without principles. This contempt of the left for ordinary Americans is not new. We saw it directed at President George W. Bush (the stupid cowboy) his father ("the wimp factor"), President Ronald Reagan (another cowboy) President Gerald Ford ("played football without a helmet") and President Richard Nixon ("Tricky Dick" decades before Watergate). The media conveniently forgets that every Republican president has had to campaign and govern against both the Democrats and their auxiliary troops in the Manhattan-Beltway media elite. Insults and invective are not how you win elections, though they are great at winning applause and handshakes from other elites. Read more: Ronald A. Klain: Yes, Democrats failed in 2016. And we can learn from it . David Ignatius: We may be headed toward a political realignment Fareed Zakaria: We have a bleak view of modern life. But the world is making real progress.


Cincinanti Bengals owner Mike Brown understands his fanbase is apathetic after several struggle-filled seasons and no playoff wins under the many years of Marvin Lewis. Brown touched on this topic in an interview captured by Kareem Elgazzar of the Cincinnati Enquirer: "We haven't won in the playoffs and we haven't been to the playoffs for the last three years. That's an eternity in this business, that's what people remember and that's where their focus is. We have to re-excite our fanbase. We have to do some things differently." Brown has attempted to fix this issue by moving on from Lewis and bringing aboard Sean McVay understudy Zac Taylor. The new coach, in turn, has brought on one of the NFL's biggest staffs, reinvented the vibe and set of rules surrounding the team and hopes to have a fresh set of eyes from his staff getting the absolute most out of a talented roster. Of course, Brown wasn't alone in the decision to bring on Taylor and the front office didn't seem to have much of a choice. In the eyes of many, the decision to make a change came years too late. And the propensity for it all to backfire always remains. But as Brown admits, the fanbase hasn't exactly been engaged lately. Anything was better than more of the same and if the wins start happening again, the damage done by holding onto to waning era might not be so irreparable after all. MORE: Mike Trout's perfect 98.6 MPH throw to home plate had everyone in awe Ranking the NBA's Top 10 Big Threes Roundup: A-Rod Buys J-Lo a Porsche, PBR Hard Coffee, MLB Trade Deadline Bold Predictions Packers GM explains reasoning for releasing DL Mike Daniels Amani Toomer: Giants QB Eli Manning still has it


DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 21, 2019)   Beginning Memorial Day weekend and running through Independence Day weekend, the NASCAR industry will honor United States Armed Forces heroes and their families as part of NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola   an industry-wide expression of respect, appreciation and reverence for those who have served the nation both past and present. For the fifth straight year, NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola kicks off with the return of 600 Miles of Remembrance during Sunday's 60 th annual Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)   the nation's largest Memorial Day weekend celebration. Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™ race cars will bear the name of a fallen service member on the windshield during the race in honor of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. "NASCAR has always taken immense pride in honoring the military men and women who've bravely served our nation," said Steve Phelps, NASCAR president. "Each year, NASCAR Salutes unites our industry to celebrate these heroes and their families and recognize them for the sacrifices made to preserve our freedoms." Coca-Cola, the "Official Fan Refreshment of NASCAR ® ," returns as the presenting sponsor of NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola to honor the U.S. Armed Forces each week with efforts focused on Remembrance, Family, Future and Patriotism. For example, at the Coca-Cola 600, NASCAR and Coca-Cola, alongside Chef Robert Irvine, will host a race-day brunch for Gold Star Families in remembrance of those who served our country. Along with the USO, Coca-Cola will honor military spouses and their families across the different military branches at Pocono Raceway and Michigan International Speedway. Then at Sonoma Raceway and Chicagoland Speedway, an at-track experience with Troops to the Track Hosted by Coca-Cola will showcase how the industry and its partners support military members in transition to civilian life. "Our partnership with NASCAR is incredibly important to our system," said John Mount, Vice President, Marketing Assets & Activation, Coca-Cola North America. "The NASCAR Salutes program and Coca-Cola 600 is a special way to spend Memorial Day as we honor our heroes, and remember our fallen military members." On Sunday, Charlotte Motor Speedway will host more than 5,000 active military members, veterans and their families at the Coca-Cola 600 to commemorate Memorial Day weekend. A pre-race Salute to the Troops will incorporate all five branches of the U.S. Armed Forces in connection with the U.S. Department of Defense's #KnowYourMil initiative. A number of fallen service members who will be honored during 600 Miles of Remembrance have special connections to NASCAR race teams, including Army National Guard Sergeant First Class David Moore and Army Specialist William Jefferies. Both men served in the U.S. Armed Forces with Brian Burns, lead engineer for the No. 37 JTG-Daugherty Racing Chevrolet driven by Chris Buescher. Buescher and his teammate Ryan Preece will carry the names of SFC Moore and SPC Jefferies on their car windshields during the Coca-Cola 600. Family members of many fallen service members will attend the Coca-Cola 600 and be honored during 600 Miles of Remembrance as well. Fans can learn more about the fallen heroes honored during 600 Miles of Remembrance by viewing a special gallery available on NASCAR.com/Salutes . Among the other NASCAR Salutes events and activities are the following: Throughout the platform, fans can follow the NASCAR Salutes conversation on social media using #NASCARSalutes. This weekend, NASCAR together with Honor and Remember, Inc., will display specially prepared Honor and Remember flags representing those who have died in service to our country from each of the 50 United States throughout the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series garage at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Mack Trucks, the "Official Hauler of NASCAR ® ," will adorn NASCAR Salutes colors on its flagship NASCAR hauler and lead all hauler parades during the six-week program. This year's Mack Anthem scheme was chosen by fans through a social media vote and will be unveiled leading up to the Coca-Cola 600. During Saturday's Alsco 300, NASCAR Xfinity Series™ drivers will display red, white and blue Xfinity windshield decals on their race cars. For the 10 th year in a row, Goodyear will transform its NASCAR race tires by replacing its iconic "Eagle" sidewall design with "Honor and Remember," in recognition of the organization that worked closely with the industry for 600 Miles of Remembrance to honor military lives lost while serving. Sunoco is also working with Honor and Remember on a double flagging moment where a stationary Honor and Remember flag will wave next to the checkered flag at the Coca-Cola 600 and Alsco 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Toyota will honor fallen service members on its Toyota pace and grand marshal vehicles during the Memorial Day weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Toyota will also host military members at its Toyota Owners Hub during the Coca-Cola 600. Through its partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Hire our Heroes, Toyota will include "Hire our Heroes" within Toyota PitPass for military veterans and spouses, which assists with resume writing, social media training and connects with employers looking to hire veterans. Mars, the "Official Chocolate of NASCAR ® ," is highlighting its red, white and blue limited edition M&Ms with a paint scheme for Coca-Cola 600 reigning winner Kyle Busch. The paint scheme was unveiled at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in front of the parents of fallen Army Sergeant Dale Griffin, who will be honored by Busch during 600 Miles of Remembrance. During the broadcast of the Coca-Cola 600, FOX will display the name of every U.S. Armed Forces member who lost his or her life since last year's Memorial Day weekend race as part of a special tribute titled "FOX Sports Remembers," an initiative begun in 2009. FOX's scroll will begin running during its pre-race show at 5:30 p.m. ET. This Sunday, NASCAR drivers will discuss 600 Miles of Remembrance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (channel 90) during a special military tribute show airing at 1 p.m. ET. The Dialed In Salute to the Troops special, hosted by Claire B. Lang, will feature interviews with several drivers as well as service members from different branches of the military. At Pocono Raceway, NASCAR Salutes is joining forces with the USO Military Spouse Network to create a VIP race day experience for USO spouses representing all branches of the military. With Coca-Cola at Michigan International Speedway, fans will receive the opportunity to thank military spouses for their support, which will be featured at USO locations across the country. At Sonoma Raceway and Chicagoland Speedway, in celebration of 10 years of NASCAR Troops to the Track Hosted by Coca-Cola, active and veteran military members will shadow industry members to learn how the sport, its partners and Coca-Cola support military members in transition to civilian life. During the Coca-Cola Firecracker 250 at Daytona International Speedway, Comcast will work with NASCAR and teams to replace its Xfinity branding with active military units and installations on all NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers' windshield headers to commemorate Independence Day weekend. During the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, in celebration of the NASCAR Salutes finale, Publix in partnership with Coca-Cola, will bring its "Race Day Salute" to the track midway for fans and military alike. AMR, the "Official Emergency Medical Services Partner of NASCAR ® ," will include NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola branding on its AMR Safety Trucks and honor a group of first responders with VIP race day experiences during the platform window. Sugarlands Shine, the "Official Moonshine of NASCAR ® ," is accepting nominations for deserving armed forces, first responders and veterans throughout the NASCAR Salutes window for a VIP trip to this fall's Sugarlands Shine 250 at Talladega Superspeedway. Submit a nomination today at moonshare.org . Tickets to NASCAR national series events are available at NASCAR.com/tickets . ]]>


Washington has both of its first-round picks under contract. The team announced that edge rusher Montez Sweat signed his rookie deal on Wednesday. He and quarterback Dwayne Haskins , who signed earlier this month along with seven other draft picks, signed four-year deals with a team option for a fifth season. Washington took Haskins with the 15th pick and then traded back into the first round to select Sweat at No. 26. Sweat was initially projected to go earlier by many analysts, but a diagnosis of a heart condition at the Scouting Combine reportedly led some teams to take him off the board. Another report just before the draft said Sweat may have been misdiagnosed and Sweat said he has a " normal heart " after being drafted. Washington obviously sided with Sweat's view and head coach Jay Gruden said earlier this month that he expects the rookie will play a lot during the 2019 season.


Read on for the most recent top news you may have missed in Miami. Exotic dancer was driving drunk when she killed 3 teens, police say Mariam Coulibaly, 31, has been charged with DUI manslaughter. Read the full story on ABC30 Action News . Miami Beach officials suggest making city "less pleasant" to wipe out spring Break In 2017, Miami Beach voters overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to move last call from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Ocean Drive. But at a recent meeting, the city's police chief, Dan Oates, suggested closing area bars even earlier   at midnight   during the busiest two weeks of spring break. Read the full story on MiamiNewTimes . Man fatally shot at northeast Miami-Dade condominium complex A man was fatally shot Wednesday afternoon at a condominium complex in northeast Miami-Dade, authorities said. Read the full story on WPLG Local 10 . Murder mystery unfolds in Miami Gardens following discovery of body Detectives are still searching for evidence to arrest Kameela Russell's killer. Read the full story on WPLG Local 10 . This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle , then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Julian Assange was too ill to appear via video link at a court hearing in London on Thursday, his lawyer said, after WikiLeaks expressed "grave concerns" about the health of its founder and said he had been moved to the medical ward of his prison. Assange had been expected to participate in the hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court via video link, but was instead represented solely by his solicitor, who told the chief magistrate his client was "not very well." The hearing, on an extradition request from the United States over a computer hacking conspiracy charge, was adjourned until June 12 and could next take place in Belmarsh prison, where the publisher is being detained. "It may be more convenient for everyone if it's there," chief magistrate Emma Arbuthnot said. Earlier on Thursday, WikiLeaks released a statement on Assange's wellbeing. "During the seven weeks in Belmarsh his health has continued to deteriorate and he has dramatically lost weight," the statement read. "The decision of prison authorities to move him to the health ward speaks for itself." "Mr. Assange's health had already significantly deteriorated after seven years inside the Ecuadorian embassy, under conditions that were incompatible with basic human rights," the statement added. Assange appeared frail when he was arrested at the Ecuadorian Embassy in April, having spent seven years holed up inside the building as part of a bid to avoid being extradited to Sweden over allegations of sexual assault. Earlier this month he appeared via video link at the initial hearing on the US extradition request, to which he insisted he would not surrender. Lawyer Ben Brandon, representing the US government, said Assange conspired with former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to obtain a "vast amount of classified documents." The charge is just part of a mountain of legal troubles facing Assange. Last week, he was charged with 17 new counts in the US under the Espionage Act for his role in unlawfully encouraging, receiving and publishing national defense information in concert with Manning, setting up a major legal battle over First Amendment protections in the Trump era. June 12 is the deadline for the US to submit all of its evidence on the computer hacking charge. Assange is also battling an allegation of rape in Sweden, which he has denied. Authorities there re-opened an investigation into the case earlier this month. The Australian is currently serving a jail sentence of almost a year in London for skipping bail in 2012 when he sought political asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy.


Vince Costello, a linebacker who spent 10 seasons with the Browns, died over the weekend . He was 86. Costello joined the Browns in 1957 at the age 25. He played for the Browns' last championship team in 1964, and he finished his career with the Giants. After his playing career ended, Costello coached linebackers from 1969 to 1973 in Cincinnati, and he then became the defensive coordinator of the Dolphins in 1974 and the Chiefs in 1975-76. In 2011, Costello was inducted into the Browns Legends program. We extend our condolences to Costello's family, friends, and colleagues.


WASHINGTON   Donald Trump Jr. and the Republican-controlled Senate Intelligence Committee reached a deal on Tuesday for the president's eldest son to return for a time-limited private interview with senators in the coming weeks, an accord that should cool a heated intraparty standoff. The deal came after an aggressive push by the younger Mr. Trump's allies, who accused the Intelligence Committee's chairman, Senator Richard M. Burr of North Carolina, of caving to Democrats by issuing a subpoena for his testimony. They called the effort a political hit job against the White House, using the president's son as fodder. The accusations   and accompanying pushback by Mr. Burr to his Republican colleagues   amounted to an unusually public spat for a panel that has toiled for nearly two years on a bipartisan investigation into Russia's 2016 election interference efforts that has been largely free of partisan politics. Sign Up For the Morning Briefing Newsletter Just a day before, it looked as if there would be no quick resolution   and possibly a deeper, uglier rift. Donald Trump Jr.'s lawyer had prepared a blistering letter to send to the committee, telling its members that Mr. Trump would not submit to open-ended questions before a panel that included multiple Democrats running for president, according to people familiar with its contents. Facing a deadline to respond to the subpoena, the lawyer had planned to send the letter on Monday. But the lawyer received a call from committee aides asking if there were a "reasonable" path forward, according to a person familiar with the events, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the conversations. The terms of the compromise include an appearance by Mr. Trump in mid-June, with the questions limited to about a half-dozen topics and the time limited to no longer than two to four hours, according to the person familiar with the discussions. Another person familiar with the agreement, who would not be identified, said the scope included more like a dozen topics. Senate investigators are particularly interested in asking the younger Mr. Trump about an infamous June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower in Manhattan with a Russian lawyer who promised "dirt" on Hillary Clinton, as well as about his knowledge of a proposed Trump Tower project in Moscow. Some Democrats have accused Mr. Trump of potentially misleading other congressional committees. A spokeswoman for Mr. Burr declined to comment on Tuesday. The move by the younger Mr. Trump's associates was straight out of his father's playbook: set the terms of the debate at the most extreme end of the discussion by saying he would not appear, prompt a controversy, then cut a deal on his own terms. The younger Mr. Trump's allies quickly declared victory on Tuesday, noting that the deal was essentially what he had asked for at the outset when discussions over a return interview with the committee began months ago. "This compromise shows all Don wanted was for the committee to be reasonable," said Cliff Sims, a former White House communications aide and an ally of Mr. Trump's. "Demanding unlimited time and scope was absurd   the guy's already testified before Senate Intel for nine hours, after all." A person close to the younger Mr. Trump, who in 2018 was a highly in-demand Republican surrogate on the campaign trail, said he was grateful for the support that some Republican senators and members of the House gave him against Mr. Burr, and that he would remember it when the 2020 campaigns begin. But the agreement also provides Mr. Burr with an off-ramp from the confrontation. If the younger Mr. Trump had refused to appear, the chairman would have faced a painful choice between initiating contempt of Congress proceedings against the president's eldest son and undercutting the independence of his two-year investigation of Russian election interference by letting him defy him. President Trump personally questioned why his son would be subpoenaed after the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, had been unable to prove a conspiracy between his campaign and Russia. Republican allies, including Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, were on board. On Monday, Mr. Graham said if he was the younger Mr. Trump's lawyer, he would advise him not to talk. Asked about the subpoena on Monday, Mr. Trump said he viewed it as unfair. "It's really a tough situation because my son spent, I guess, over 20 hours testifying about something that Mueller said was 100 percent O.K.," he told reporters at the White House. "And now they want him to testify again. I don't know why. I have no idea why, but it seems very unfair to me." Now Mr. Burr can claim that his committee did not let a key witness off the hook, but also managed to talk to yet another key figure in the 2016 presidential campaign as he seeks to wrap up his investigation and issue a public report. Mr. Burr never commented publicly on the standoff. Privately, though, he suggested to colleagues last week that the subpoena was of the younger Mr. Trump's own making. He told Republican Senate colleagues at a private lunch that Donald Trump Jr. had twice agreed   once in March and once in April   to return to the committee for a voluntary interview, only to later back out. It was only after he asked to postpone again in April that the committee authorized a subpoena to compel his appearance, Mr. Burr said. People close to Donald Trump Jr. say his position on the committee's request had changed after the release of Mr. Mueller's report late last month. The report indicated that Mr. Mueller's investigators had considered charging the younger Mr. Trump in connection with the Trump Tower meeting. They ultimately decided against it. The younger Mr. Trump sat for an interview with committee investigators in 2017 and has met with a handful of other congressional committees for dozens of hours. The Intelligence Committee asked him back for additional questioning this time by senators themselves, who are seeking to draw their two-year investigation into Russian election interference to a close.


Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Thursday celebrated the Supreme Court's decision to uphold subsidies crucial to ObamaCare. Yes! SCOTUS affirms what we know is true in our hearts & under the law: Health insurance should be affordable & available to all. -H   Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) June 25, 2015 She followed up the tweet with a message imploring her followers to add "your name if you agree: Affordable health care is a basic human right" accompanied by a link to her campaign website. The tweet included a photo of her hugging President Obama in the White House situation room after the law passed Congress in 2010. A great day! Add your name if you agree: Affordable health care is a basic human right → http://t.co/5xR3n1XDoc pic.twitter.com/kATncnkfGq   Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) June 25, 2015 The court decided in a 6-3 ruling Thursday upheld the subsidies to 6.4 million people across 34 states. Many on the left feared the the challenge, if it were successful, could take down the president's signature healthcare law. The ruling is likely to roil he Republican side of the presidential election as well, as conservative candidates look to stake out their opposition to the healthcare law.


Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) was about as close to a sure vote for the National Rifle Association as you can get. The nine-term incumbent from Dayton earned a 93% rating from the right-wing gun-rights group. Just a few months ago, he voted against a Democratic measure toughening background checks for gun-buyers. That changed when the former Dayton mayor's daughter narrowly escaped death in the mass shooting that killed nine people in his home town last weekend. On Tuesday, Turner announced he had reversed course and now supports an assault weapons ban. "The carnage these military style weapons are able to produce when available to the wrong people is intolerable," Turner said in a statement . "This tragedy must become a catalyst for a broader national conversation about what we can do to stop these mass shootings." Turner did not respond to reporters questions about his change of heart and whether he regrets past votes against gun control legislation. A handful of other GOP politicians have had similar shifts after gun violence struck close to home, including Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) who lost a close friend in the Parkland school shooting. Turner has held a relatively firm grip on his central Ohio seat for years, although he was given a relatively tough reelection battle in the #BlueWave 2018 midterms. Turner beat a Democratic opponent by a modest 13% last year, compared to a more than 2-1 landslide in 2016.


The Nationals have designated right-hander Kyle Barraclough for assignment, per a team announcement. His spot on the roster will go to infielder Asdrubal Cabrera , whose previously reported one-year contract has now been officially announced by the Nationals. Infielder Adrian Sanchez has been optioned to Double-A Harrisburg in an additional corresponding move. Acquired in a rare October trade that sent international bonus allotments from Washington to Miami, Barraclough was viewed as a controllable, buy-low 'pen option at the time the Nationals picked him up. While he was fresh off a fairly disappointing 4.20 ERA in 55 2/3 innings, Barraclough joined the Nationals with a long track record of missing bats and posting quality bottom-line results to match his gaudy strikeout totals. From 2015-18, Barraclough pitched to a 3.21 ERA with 11.5 K/9 against 5.5 BB/9 in 218 2/3 innings. Although his walk rate was too high, he offset some of those strike-throwing issues with a minimal 0.6 HR/9 mark. The 2019 campaign, however, proved to be an unmitigated disaster for Barraclough. Gone was his penchant for limiting the long ball   a problem that has plagued many hurlers throughout the league, albeit not to this extent   as he served up eight dingers in just 25 2/3 innings. Barraclough's time with the Nationals will likely come to a close with a dismal 6.66 ERA and a 30-to-12 K/BB ratio in those 25 2/3 frames. The Nats won't have the opportunity to trade him thanks to the newly implemented August trade restrictions, but they could potentially save a bit of cash if another organization claims Barraclough on outright waivers. While this year's results are obviously troubling, the 29-year-old Barraclough is making $1.725 million in 2019 and is controllable through the 2021 season. A team willing to take on his remaining $510,000 salary this season would owe him only a small raise in arbitration and then would have the opportunity to help the right-hander round back into form. Between that and the fact that Barraclough has two minor-league option years remaining beyond the 2019 campaign, a claim seems fairly likely. Other clubs have limited access to acquiring depth, and an optionable bullpen piece with a solid pre-2019 track record will be difficult to come by between now and the Aug. 31 deadline for postseason eligibility.


The Predators acquired an All-Star goalie Friday afternoon. Connor Ingram, 22, was sent to Nashville from the Lightning for a seventh-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. Ingram was an American Hockey League All-Star this past season for the Syracuse Crunch but was demoted to the ECHL a little more than a month later in what was deemed an "internal matter" by the Lightning, according to the Syracuse Post-Standard . Ingram, a third-round pick by the Lightning in 2016, led the AHL in save percentage (.922) and shutouts (six) and was second in the goals-against average (2.26) at the time of his demotion. Ingram appeared in 35 games with the Crunch and Orlando of the ECHL. Reach Paul Skrbina at pskrbina@tennessean.com and follow him on Twitter @PaulSkrbina. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Predators news: Nashville gets goalie Connor Ingram from Lightning Related slideshow: 2019 Stanley Cup Final (provided by imagn)


SACRAMENTO (CBS13)   Southwest announced more than a year ago its plans to sell nonstop flights from Sacramento International Airport to Hawaii; however, those flights have yet to go on sale or be offered. Southwest started its nonstop service from Oakland to Honolulu in March, Oakland to Maui in April, and San Jose to Honolulu and Kahului in May. When the flights went on sale in March, Southwest said it would start offering flights from Sacramento and San Diego in 'the coming weeks." CBS13 reached out to the Dallas-based airline and was told the issues with the MAX airplanes caused Southwest to focus on "not growing" in order to provide a "pristine" summer of operation. Southwest grounded 34 MAX aircraft in March. Southwest says Sacramento to Hawaii is considered next in its schedule publication pipeline. The airline has not announced the routes, but previously said it intends to fly from California to four Hawaiian destinations: Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu (HNL), Kahului Airport on Maui (OGG), Lihue Airport on Kauai (LIH), and Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole (KOA) on the leeward side of The Island of Hawaii.


MEXICO CITY (AP)   Mexico's government said it considers a shooting at a crowded department store in El Paso, Texas that left eight of its citizens dead an "act of terrorism" against Mexicans and hopes it will lead to changes in U.S. gun laws. Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard met Monday afternoon with local authorities in El Paso and said Mexico will participate in the investigations and trial there, as well as take legal action against those who sold the gun to the shooter. "An investigation will be opened for terrorism, because that's what it was," Ebrard said at a press conference. "And the extradition request is not off the table." Ebrard also met with families of the victims and the injured and promised to speed up the repatriation process for the bodies of the eight Mexican victims. "We agree that it appears racism and white supremacy are serious problems in the United States," Ebrard said. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador previously said that Mexico will respect the debate that will unfold in the United States following the Saturday attack that killed a total of 22 people, but he believes the discussion could lead to change north of the border. "There could be a change to their laws because it is stunning what is happening, unfortunate and very powerful," López Obrador said. "I don't rule out that they could change their constitution and laws. These are new times; you have to always be adjusting the legal framework to the new reality." Many in Mexico were reeling from revelations that the shooting appeared to have been aimed at Hispanics, and Mexicans in particular. Just minutes before the rampage, U.S. investigators believe the shooter posted a rambling online manifesto in which he railed against a perceived "invasion" of Hispanics coming into the U.S. He then allegedly targeted a shopping area in El Paso that is about 5 miles (8 kilometers) from the main border checkpoint with Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Tens of thousands of Mexicans cross the border legally each day to work and shop in the city of 680,000 full-time residents, and El Paso County is more than 80% Latino, according to the latest census data. The Mexican victims were identified as Sara Esther Regalado of Ciudad Juarez; Adolfo Cerros Hernández of Aguascalientes; Jorge Calvillo García of Torreon, Coahuila; Elsa Mendoza de la Mora of Yepomera, Chihuahua; Gloria Irma Marquez of Ciudad Juarez; María Eugenia Legarreta of the city of Chihuahua; Ivan Filiberto Manzano of Ciudad Juarez; and Juan de Dios Velázquez Chairez of Zacatecas. Other victims may have also been of Mexican descent. As the news dominated weekend headlines, some in Mexico said the shooting was the result of the simmering resentment that President Donald Trump had stirred early into his presidential campaign when he called Mexicans coming into the U.S. "rapists" and "criminals." The U.S.-Mexico relationship was only further strained after he took office and vowed to build a border wall and slap tariffs on Mexican imports. On Sunday, López Obrador chose his words carefully when speaking of the shooting. "In spite of the pain, the outrage" that Mexicans are feeling, he said, the U.S. is headed toward elections and Mexico doesn't want to interfere in the "internal affairs" of other countries. He also said the events in Texas reaffirmed his conviction that "social problems shouldn't be confronted with the use of force and by inciting hate." Former President Felipe Calderón said via Twitter that regardless of whether the shooting is a hate crime, Trump "should stop his hate speech. He should stop stigmatizing others." Amatza Gutiérrez, a student from the Mexican capital, said the idea of a shooter targeting Mexicans because of their ethnicity gives her goose bumps. "I don't understand why anyone would go to that extreme," the 24-year-old said.


Manchester United have stepped up their pursuit of Lille's Nicolas Pepe, as they continue discussions with the French club over a possible transfer. It is believed the Ligue 1 side value the Ivorian, who has attracted the attention of a number of Europe's biggest clubs, at more than £70m. As reported by The Times , a source close to the player has confirmed United have recently followed up on their interest and progressed discussions with Lille to sanction a permanent deal. The Red Devils are understood to have been long-term admirers of the 24-year-old, who scored 22 goals to help fire Lille to second place in the league and a Champions League spot for the 2019/20 season. If a deal to United is to go ahead, they will need to fend off a host of rival bidders, as the likes of Liverpool , Everton and Arsenal as well as clubs from La Liga and Serie A have all shown an interest. Nicolas Pépé was the only player in Europe's top five divisions to have 100+ shots, win 100+ fouls and complete 100+ take-ons in the league in 2018-19: • 118 shots • 108 fouls won • 102 take-ons 22 goals and 11 assists to show for it. pic.twitter.com/Xx5dvhV98x   Squawka Football (@Squawka) July 13, 2019 Surprisingly, Lille's president has been open about their intention to sell the Ivory Coast forward, as he looks to generate funds to reinvest in the squad. Pepe, who was named in last season's Ligue 1 team of the year, still has three years remaining on his contract and a bid of over £70m would be necessary to secure the forward's services. The Manchester club hope to fund this move with the sale of Romelu Lukaku, who has been the subject of major interest from Serie A giants Inter. The Belgian striker did not play for United in their pre-season victory over Inter on Saturday, which has only fuelled speculation about his potential departure to Italy. As of yet the San Siro club have not met United's asking price, which is understood to be in the region of £75m - matching what they paid Everton for him in 2017.


The Green Bay Packers' first starting offensive line of the offseason workout program looks exactly like most expected. According to several media reports, the Packers opened organized team activities (OTAs) with newcomer Billy Turner at right guard, Bryan Bulaga at right tackle and Lane Taylor at left guard, with David Bakhtiari at left tackle and Corey Linsley at center. The Packers dipped into free agency to add Turner, who played right tackle and left guard for the Denver Broncos last season. He is opening OTAs as the starter at right guard, where Justin McCray and Byron Bell handled most of the work for the Packers in 2018. Turner signed in Green Bay for $28 million over four years, making it clear the Packers viewed him as an immediate starter. He is expected to provide an upgrade at right guard and versatility along the offensive line for new line coach Adam Stenavich. The rest of the offensive line remains unchanged from last season, with Taylor holding onto the left guard spot and Bulaga locked in at right tackle. It remains possible that second-round pick Elgton Jenkins could challenge Taylor or Jenkins for playing time at guard, but the rookie will have to earn it this summer. Taylor would appear to be the most vulnerable of the five current starters, given his struggles after coming back from ankle surgery last season and the Packers' scheme change. MORE: 7 reasons the Warriors are winning another title no matter who they play in the Finals Magic Johnson confirms rumor that Lakers want to sign Kyrie Irving Wall Street Journal's Golden State Warriors Scoop Is Big, If True 5 reasons Saints should be favorites to sign Gerald McCoy Injury to Reuben Foster could help Chiefs, Redskins strike a deal


WASHINGTON -- The conundrum was simple enough. An employee of a company in the United Arab Emirates, while on vacation outside the country, received a job offer in India that was too good to pass up. He sent a resignation letter to his UAE employer, and upon their acceptance of his resignation, started up a new gig. Trending on MSN: UAE jets hit Yemen targets amid mourning for troops UAE, Bahrain lose 50 troops in Yemen The 10 Worst Cities on the Planet Ten years later, he had an opportunity come up in Dubai. With plans to take it, his future Dubai employer tried to get him a work visa. But as they prepared to bring their new employee back to the UAE, they found they couldn't. The man's former employer from 10 years earlier had filed a case against him, accusing him of leaving his post and absconding on a visa. Not only could he not take the job -- he couldn't even re-enter the UAE without being arrested. The case, laid out in a desperate post on an online forum, is one in a countless barrage of allegedly false absconding charges, a growing trend in the UAE that's seen Emirates-based companies wield visas over their employees' heads to keep them from leaving or speaking out against dire working conditions. The targets, who plead for legal advice on countless online legal forums, are tough to independently verify, a process further complicated by an Emirati justice system that defers to the charges of the employers. But their collective pleas all tell a similar story: They often simply quit their job -- and then found themselves trapped in the Emirates or outside of it, blacklisted without a passport, without a visa and in most cases, without access to legal representation. The majority of cases begin in a straightforward way. A foreign worker, whose UAE-based employer sponsors their work visa, decides to find a new job. Little do they know, their employer has filed an absconding case against them, accusing them of wrongfully abandoning their occupation and bailing on their visa. More often than not, they're thrown in an Emirati jail. But the fix is simple enough, the employees' jailers say. Just come show your passport and you can get out on bail. The problem, in many cases, is that the same company that brought the false case also confiscated the accused's passport upon their arrival in country, in an effort to hold leverage over their employee. Some accused absconders are told they can pay their way out of a case by sending thousands of dollars to the UAE's Ministry of Labor, which in return, seldom punts the case. It's the epitome of a Catch-22. Shez Cassim, an American comic who was thrown in a UAE prison without charge or bail for nearly a year in 2013 after posting a satirical video about the Emirati government, recalled that there were several absconders who were held with him in the squalid conditions of a maximum-security UAE prison. The court system, he noted, is in Arabic, with no translators for the many defendants who, like him, can't follow along. "One particular prisoner was a pipe welder who had gotten a job offer in Malaysia, so he had informed his employer that he was resigning because he was taking his job offer in Malaysia," recalled Cassim. The employer filed a false absconding case against the welder after he quit his job, Cassim said. "Eventually he was given an offer: 'We'll let you out on bail if you hand over your passport as bail,'" Cassim said. "But he couldn't do that because the employer was illegally holding onto the pipe builder's passport. ... It's a case of, you go into jail and you just do the time." Just the concept of "absconding" is enough to make some human rights experts scratch their heads. "Why do you have an absconding law in the first place? What is absconding? It's called 'quitting,'" said Sarah Leah Whitson, the Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "It treats workers like cattle. Literally their entire existence in their country is dependent on the employer." And in a country where more than 95 percent of the private workforce is migrant labor, wielding visas for power can carry a lot of weight. Richard Mintz, who represents the UAE in Washington, told HuffPost that the UAE's record should be judged alongside those of others in the region, who are doing less to make progress on issues such as labor rights. But, he said, that doesn't mean the country isn't trying to move forward. "Like any fast-growing society, it has its challenges -- balancing tradition with progress, developing new legal, governance and labor systems and standards, improving human capital quickly enough, etc.," he said. "The UAE would acknowledge that it has work to do in these and other areas, but in one generation in the most difficult of neighborhoods, it has dramatically changed and made a clear decision to be globally engaged, open and tolerant, and use its wealth for the benefit of its own people and for those across the region." Migrant laborers have raised the alarm on false absconding cases for years, saying that companies can use the lax judicial system to leverage punishment against workers who try to strike or speak out against poor conditions, or leave the company entirely. In one of the more publicized cases, contractors working on the New York University campus in Abu Dhabi were lured out of a strike with the promise of negotiation with their bosses. But they weren't met by management; they were met by police, who were there to arrest them for absconding and abandoning their job. "It is all too easy for employers to label migrant workers who complain about their conditions as having absconded -- an offence under Emirati law," Mustafa Qadri, a researcher on migrants' rights at the International Secretariat, said in an email. "Migrant workers are still forbidden from joining or forming unions or collective bargaining. In the recent past dozens of workers have been subjected to physical and verbal abuse, arbitrary detention and forcibly expelled from the country for seeking to collectively raise complaints about their labour conditions or go on strike." MSN Video Recommends:


Former agency heads and environmentalists are blasting a new executive order issued late Friday evening as a stealthy means to remove scientific oversight from agency rulemaking. Previous heads of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Interior Department say President Trump's directive last week for all agencies to cut at least a third of their advisory committees by September would weaken the science-based regulations process that the administration has pushed back against since Trump took office. "The decision is disappointing to anyone who cares about evidence-based policy making, scientific review or the truth," said Carol Browner, the sole EPA administrator under former President Clinton, in an email to The Hill on Monday. "Engaging a range of outside advisors has served EPA well," she said. "While probably predictable, the decision is no less alarming. The American people expect more from agencies, especially those charged with protecting our health, like the EPA." Trump's executive order directs all federal agencies to cut by at least one-third the number of boards and advisory committees that weigh in on government regulations and other agency decisions. That means 462 committees are potentially on the chopping block when excluding agencies that are mandated by law. At EPA and Interior, advisory committees provide scientific and technical expertise from people who are considered to be at the top of their field. "The things you are worried about are that complex decisions deserve to have the best experts and scientists convening," said Gina McCarthy, EPA chief under former President Obama, in a phone interview Monday. "While the agencies have terrific people, they don't necessarily have the breadth of expertise they need." She said Trump's move "is just another way of diminishing the need for the federal government to consider science and expert opinions on issues most critical to the American public." "This unprecedented attack on science-based regulations designed to protect the environment and public health represents the gravest threat to the effectiveness of the EPA - and to the federal government's overall ability to do the same - in the nation's history," said Christine Todd Whitman, who was EPA chief under President George W. Bush, at a congressional hearing last week shortly before Trump's executive order. Elizabeth Klein, a former associate deputy secretary at Interior during the Obama administration, pointed to Interior's resource advisory committees as a way to bring in local voices, as well as industry leaders, to discuss how best to manage public lands. She said the committees ensure the department is "not just asking its most favorite stakeholders what they should do." The whole point of having committees, she added is to create "a transparent way to get this kind of input." "Particularly from this administration that says it wants to put decisionmaking back out away from Washington, getting rid of advisory committees that are made up of those folks is contrary to what they want to do," Klein said. Trump's executive order says agency chiefs can consider the following factors when determining which advisory boards to terminate: operations costs, inactive and completed committees, and those where the subject matter has "become obsolete." Members of the scientific community who have criticized what they call the administration's assault on science since Trump was inaugurated took issue with the premise of the new executive order. "It's interesting that this order comes now, after the administration spent two years undercutting and neglecting the advisory network that it's had at its disposal," said Genna Reed, lead science and policy analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists. "And now they are trying to use that neglect as a data point for a justification to remove these advisory boards for not being useful." The Trump administration in recent years has shuffled career scientists out of their positions, put limits on which science experts are qualified to sit on advisory boards and created a special White House panel that's designed in part to counter the science linking climate change to national security threats. The tightening of the reins has led to public outcries by scientists and a landslide of agency resignations. In 2017, the head of EPA's environmental justice committee resigned after the White House proposed to completely defund the committee's efforts to protect minority populations from pollution. The official had been at the agency for 24 years. The following year at the Interior Department, a muzzling of scientific voices by now-former Secretary Ryan Zinke was cited as the cause for the resignation of almost an entire advisory board whose aim was to help the National Park Service care for heritage sites. EPA political appointees are also weighing a rule that would limit the use of certain studies if they do not make their underlying data public. The agency argues it will make their decisions more transparent, but critics say it will keep the agency from considering many valuable studies as they write future regulations. A White House spokesperson said the whittling down of committees was necessary since a review had not taken place since the Clinton administration. "The President believes it is time to once more review and eliminate ones that are not relevant and providing valuable services so that we are good stewards of the taxpayers' money," the spokesperson said in an email to The Hill. Spokesmen for the EPA and Interior both said the order was needed to clean out committees that have outlived their usefulness. Browner disagreed with the administration's comparison to the Clinton years, saying Trump's executive order follows years of attacks on scientists. "While the directives are similar in language, there are key differences. First, Clinton issued his order within the first month of his presidency while Trump's comes almost two and a half years into his administration. Second, and most important, Donald Trump has waged a years-long war on science-based policy making in his administration which makes the timing and intent of this [executive order] justifiably suspicious," Browner said. Critics, including the former leaders of the agencies in previous administrations, said the one-third number offered under Trump's executive order seemed completely arbitrary. "The notion of summarily cutting across every agency by a third - just looking at it I don't understand where that number comes from or why he would choose that number. It seems quite arbitrary to me to just pick that and just get rid of what might otherwise be a very useful committee," Klein said. "It clearly looks like an attempt to micromanage what federal agencies are doing." Other experts pushed back on the notion that cutting the committees would save taxpayer dollars. The administration has routinely pushed to slash funding across the board at various agencies. In its most recent budget proposal, the White House suggested cutting funds to the Interior and EPA by 14 and 31 percent, respectively. "It is not an adequate reflection of the actual state of affairs," Reed said. "The cost of these committees is incredibly minor when you consider the incredible value that they offer to government agencies in supporting really tough policy issues and also in incorporating public input and giving the public access to these deliberations that occur on issues that affect their day to day lives." Chris Zarba, former government coordinator of the EPA's Science Advisory Board - a group of top scientists that advise the agency's processes - agreed the money saved would likely be minimal. "The obvious upfront benefit or impact is that this administration will now get to pick everyone on any upcoming review and will not have to deal with any legacy members," he said. The Science Advisory Board is required by law and therefore unlikely to be on the chopping block, but the board has a number of standing committees that experts say could be disbanded. Those who serve on them are paid only when they do work, something Zarba said amounted to about $50 an hour. If such committees are disbanded, it will slow down the process of giving advice to the administration, Zarba said. McCarthy said Trump's move will be disruptive to science across various agencies. "It's just one more nail in the coffin on science in this administration," she said. "It will just be one further step backwards."


A man in Sacramento was arrested for attempted murder for allegedly throwing a stolen tripod from a highway overpass. The object impaled a man identified as a military veteran through his lung as he was being transported in a van that passed under the bridge. Tim Page, a volunteer for service organization El Dorado Veteran Resources, said he was driving a veteran he picked up from the Sacramento International Airport on Thursday when a yellow object hit the windshield. "It was like a dream, for lack of a better description," Page told NBC News affiliate KCRA Friday night. "It was very scary." The tripod, which police suspect was stolen from a transportation survey crew, went directly through the veteran's lung and broke his ribs, Page told KCRA. The California Highway Patrol arrested Matthew Adam Thompson, 32, whom they identified as a transient currently living in Sacramento, for allegedly throwing the tripod from the overpass. Police said they are continuing to investigate the incident. Authorities were able to identify Thompson as a suspect after watching surveillance video of the tripod's theft, the highway patrol said in a statement. When they first made contact, police said Thompson attempted to flee and led them on a foot chase. The injured veteran, who was not identified, is expected to make a full recovery. This is the latest in a series of incidents of people throwing objects from bridges that have killed or hurt passing drivers. A Texas mother died in March when a large rock was thrown from an interstate overpass and hit her car, and in November a driver in Tennessee was killed when a large chunk of concrete was thrown off a bridge. In Michigan in 2017, five Michigan boys were charged with second-degree murder after one of them threw a rock off a bridge, killing a driver. Four of the teenagers a ccepted a lesser charge of manslaughter last July , while the boy who threw the rock pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in October.


Picking a smartphone to accompany you through life isn't just about choosing between iOS and Android: It's also about deciding which apps you're going to pick for your emails, your driving directions, your music and so on. Having used both sets of native apps for years at this point, here's our definitive verdict on the state of play in 2019. For the sake of brevity, we're going to focus on the iOS experience for the Apple apps and the Android experience for the Google apps. Though they don't stand alone. Google's apps are all available on both iOS and Android and it is much better at building web apps to accompany their mobile version. Apple lacks broader support but promises to hold a much tighter rein on your privacy. These extra factors will play into your decision about which apps you're going to use but we'll save those discussions for another day. Here we'll look specifically at what the user experience and feature set is like for each app on its native platform. Apple Mail vs Gmail It's hard to see past Gmail here, with its slick sorting algorithms, modern-looking interface, intuitive use of labels, inline attachment previews and more besides. Gmail is full of useful features, like the option to only receive notifications for emails that Google's algorithms deem to be important to you (Apple Mail has a sort-of manual equivalent with its VIP lists). Apple Mail is by no means terrible both apps let you manage multiple accounts with relative ease, group conversations into threads, swipe through your inbox to archive messages, and generally get your inbox business done but there's a reason a lot of third-party apps have tried to improve the emailing situation on iOS. From scheduling emails to go at a certain time to snoozing conversations until later, Gmail has more features, as well as implementing most of the basics (such as adding attachments) in a smarter way. Plus, the searching and sorting are lightning fast, as you would expect from Gmail. And the winner is... Gmail Apple Maps vs Google Maps All joking aside, Apple Maps is getting better than it used to be hey it's getting Street View in September but that seven-year head start Google Maps has had is still showing. It has quite an extensive list of features that Apple Maps doesn't, including cycling directions, multi-stop navigation, and manual offline map downloads if you know you're going to be without an internet connection ahead of time. Aesthetically there's not much to choose between the two greens and blues and browns abound and they're both fast to load and responsive. It's difficult for us to compare the mapping data between these two apps across the entire planet, though both Apple and Google are heavily investing in this. Chances are one works better than the other in your part of the world, and you'll know which one that is. Google Maps is better at recommending new places and surfacing extras like warnings of traffic on your commute to work because it knows more about you, natch and also lets you leave reviews, photos, and ratings of the places you visit, which may or may not be important to you. This head-to-head is closer than it used to be in the core areas, but Google Maps still offers more overall. And the winner is... Google Maps Apple Music vs YouTube Music Apple Music has the distinction of being the only Apple app for Android (besides the Move to iOS app...) and after a few teething problems now does a decent job of mixing a local iTunes library with an on-demand streaming one or letting you stick to one or the other. In terms of recommendations, lyrics, playlist management, online radio and more, it's one of Apple's most impressive apps. YouTube Music is very much a work-in-progress, with Google Play Music slowly getting pushed out. While it's good enough as a music player, and can now play local files stored on an Android device, perhaps the only area where it beats Apple Music is in support for music videos... as you would expect it to. It's the Google Maps and Apple Maps comparison but flipped: Apple has much more experience and expertise in building music apps and working with digital music libraries, and it shows. From the design and feel of the app, to building up playlists and queueing up tracks, Apple Music wins out (even if you don't pay the $10 a month and stick to your purchased MP3 collection). And the winner is... Apple Music Apple Safari vs Google Chrome We have to confess to having a slight preference for Chrome over Safari on the desktop, just because of the way it looks and works, and how everything is tab-based. It feels more modern than Safari does, even if it is prone to slowing down once you've got a few dozen different tabs loaded up. On mobile, those interface differences matter much less, which means Safari ends up being our favorite on a smaller screen. Everything feels a bit easier to find, from bookmarks to navigation buttons to private mode, and given Safari's continued push for limiting how much you can be tracked online, Chrome has some catching up to do. This is one area where your choice really is going to depend on what other apps and services you use if you use Chrome on the desktop, for example, you're going to default to it on mobile too but taking everything but the core of the app out of the equation, we'd say Apple is ahead here. And the winner is... Apple Safari iOS Messages (and FaceTime) vs Android Messages (and Duo) This is a head-to-head that comes with numerous caveats like how many of your friends are also on iPhones but in terms of the core messaging experience, it's the Apple app that wins out. If you've got iMessage enabled, the difference is particularly stark: End-to-end encryption, Animoji and Memoji, dozens of useful apps... Android just can't compete at this stage (and has only ever really got close with Hangouts ). Besides the problems Google has had getting the SMS successor RCS adopted by carriers, the Android Messages app is clunky and basic by comparison. It's showing signs of improvement GIF support, location sharing, and more comprehensive search options are slowly rolling out but it's a long way behind still. The Apple FaceTime vs Google Duo contest is a little closer, with both offering a polished and straightforward video calling experience, with support for group video calls too. Again, FaceTime just about has the edge, but Duo has a few neat tricks of its own (like previews of who's calling before you answer). And the winner is... iOS Messages Apple Photos vs Google Photos Apple Photos and Google Photos really show the two tech giants playing to their strengths. Apple's app is neat and tidy, with an increasing number of useful editing options, and some handy features for highlighting your best photos and videos. Google's app goes big on the search and AI features (like face and object recognition), without as much attention given to edits or visual appeal. It's a tough one to call because both apps work well on their native platforms. It's perhaps worth mentioning that Google Photos offers unlimited storage for free, if you can put up with a bit of resizing and compression, or own a Pixel phone. Neither company charges exorbitant rates for cloud storage, but if you want an online backup without paying anything, Google Photos fits the bill. Having used both apps extensively, it's fair to say Apple Photos is the best option for iOS users and Google Photos is the best option for Android (or multi-platform) users. Options like sharing, searching, and editing are pretty evenly matched, or not different enough to make one stand out against the other. Look for a constant barrage of improvements in both these services going forward, as well. And the winner is... a draw Apple Notes vs Google Keep Apple Notes has been given a series of useful updates over the last few years, and there are more coming with iOS 13 : Visual thumbnails for notes, shared folders, improved searching (including searching within images), new checklist options and more. It's grown from offering the absolute basics to something much more Evernote-esque. Google Keep has also developed from humble, simple beginnings into a comprehensive tool for note-taking. Features such as note tags, searching within images, support for reminders and shared notes, and an appealing interface have helped make it one of the best apps Google has to its name. A very close call in this round then, but we reckon Apple Notes just about edges Keep out in terms of overall polish and usefulness. It'll be interesting to see how Google responds to the changes to Notes arriving with iOS 13. And the winner is... Apple Notes Apple Calendar vs Google Calendar Both Apple Calendar and Google Calendar benefit from years and years of development they've both grown into very capable, very solid calendar apps with all the features you're going to need, from recurring events to sharing calendars with others to getting alerts when it's time to leave for an appointment. We think Google wins it in interface terms, as its Calendar is one of those apps where the Material Design really pops and works well the use of color and space is a bit easier on the eye than in Apple Calendar, and the use of stock imagery behind months of the year and regular appointments (like the dentist) is a nice touch. Google Calendar also incorporates Goals (like exercise) and Reminders very neatly, which are features Apple's developers haven't gotten around to yet. You may prefer one or the other based on a particular feature or integration with a particular service (such as Gmail or Apple Mail), but taken on their own, Google's is the better-looking and more functional calendar app of the two. And the winner is... Google Calendar Apple News vs Google News The news apps from Apple and Google continue to evolve and change with the times, both offering up a selection of popular trending stories as well as articles personally recommended for you. You can dig into news based on topic or region in both these apps, though it's slightly easier in Google News. Apple News makes more of an attempt to create a Flipboard-style interface that's pleasing to the eye, and when it works, it works very well though when it doesn't work it looks rather ugly. Google News is happier just to lift content straight from the web, which means it's often both faster and less aesthetically consistent. It's another tight round because both Apple News and Google News do a decent job of serving up headlines for you and personalizing content, and both these apps can look stylish on one screen and disjointed on the next. We have a slight preference for Google News, just because it's more natively welded to the web, and better for it. And the winner is... Google News And the rest... That's probably enough comparisons for now, but there are several more apps where Google and Apple are directly competing against each other. With its TV app , Apple seems to be moving ahead of Google in terms of how well it delivers movies and TV shows , for example, just as it has the lead in music too. We can probably all agree that Google Drive is a more comprehensive and capable offering than iCloud Drive at the moment, with Apple still finding its feet in the cloud storage stakes (you'll actually be able to share an iCloud folder before the end of the year). With apps like Reminders and Contacts, meanwhile, they're pretty much even. If you've been keeping score you'll notice that Apple and Google are locked level on points after our rundown of their app offerings, but of course you're going to have a mobile platform of preference and that's going to influence your own picks for your favorite apps you might even overlook a few failings as long as a particular app integrates well with whatever OS your phone runs. And the final result is... a draw


Five Points and West Denver are two of the city's go-to neighborhoods. But have you ever wondered how they stack up against each other? Using data from a variety of private sources like Yelp , Zumper and CrimeoMeter , along with public census data, we crunched the numbers to look at how these two areas differ, from rental prices to restaurant density and types of cuisine. Overall, Five Points has a much higher concentration of most types of businesses, but also tends to have higher prices, while West Denver offers larger living spaces and lower crime. Here's the full breakdown of the Five Points versus West Denver matchup, by the numbers. Food & Entertainment When it comes to restaurant density, Five Points wins big: it currently boasts approximately 57 restaurants per square mile, whereas West Denver has close to 14 restaurants per square mile. In terms of restaurant volume by population, West Denver fares slightly better   but its restaurant volume per thousand residents still pales in comparison to Five Points' (2.25 vs 9.03). The two neighborhoods also differ somewhat in terms of restaurant quality. According to reviews published by local Yelpers, the average rating of Five Points restaurants is 3.71 (out of five), while those in West Denver have an average rating of 3.21. Although West Denver's 3.21 average restaurant rating is fairly strong, this difference speaks to the excellent quality of dining options in Five Points. When you start to look at restaurants by cuisine, things get a bit more interesting. In spite of its lower density of restaurants overall, West Denver outdoes Five Points when it comes to sandwiches and Mexican food. According to Yelpers, the average West Denver sandwich shop has a 4.5 star rating compared to a respectable 3.76 for similar options in Five Points (though it's worth noting that Five Points has many more sandwich shops than West Denver). While not to the same extent, this is also true for Mexican restaurants, with those in West Denver getting marginally better ratings on average. The numbers don't lie: Denverites love to brunch. Both neighborhoods score highly for breakfast and brunch options, with Five Points expectedly having many more options to choose from (11.82 vs 1.59 spots per square mile). But here, too, West Denver takes the (pan)cake, with its breakfast and brunch spots scoring slightly higher on average among Yelpers (4.00 vs 3.92). If art galleries are your thing, then it's a virtual no-contest: Five Points is where you want to be. With 11.82 art galleries per square mile, Five Points has a more vibrant art scene in comparison to West Denver's 0.68 galleries per square mile. The same goes for nightlife. While Denver has a thriving nightlife scene with tons of great breweries and bars throughout the city, Five Points has almost 10 times more nightlife options than does West Denver, with 42.44 nightlife destinations per square mile compared to 4.54. This difference is also reflected in how Yelpers rate neighborhood businesses, with bars and breweries in West Denver getting an average 3.10 rating, in comparison to an impressive 3.67 for Five Points. Cost of Living In April, the median rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in West Denver was $1,399, almost 6% higher than the median rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Five Points ($1,327). Interestingly, the median size of a 1-bedroom apartment rental in West Denver (650 square feet) was also more than 4% higher than similar apartments in Five Points (620 square feet). This means that even though you get a little more space renting a 1-bedroom apartment in West Denver, the higher rental prices generally reflect this difference. Overall, we found that renting in West Denver gives you a slightly bigger bang for your buck, but marginally so. The equation changes when looking at larger luxury apartments with four or more bedrooms, where the median rental price per square foot in Five Points was almost 18% higher than in West Denver. Based on our analysis of Yelp's price-range data, you'll spend more for everyday items in Five Points than in West Denver (and may want to invest in a coffeemaker at home.) The average pizza shop in Five Points is approximately 7.4% more expensive than the average pizza joint in West Denver, and the average coffee shop in Five Points is almost 17% more expensive than in West Denver. Five Points also came out to be significantly more expensive when we compared health and fitness locations in both neighborhoods. Gyms and workout studios in West Denver are on average almost 14% cheaper than those in Five Points. When it comes to nightlife, however, West Denver tends to be harder on the wallet: The average bar/nightclub in West Denver is approximately 4% more expensive than its Five Points counterpart. Community & Services Access to education can be a big part of what makes a strong community. We looked at the number of schools and educational institutions in these neighborhoods and found that Five Points has 2.69 educational institutions per thousand residents, as compared to 1.20 in West Denver. Five Points also has a far greater density of religious organizations, with approximately 2.06 organizations per thousand people, compared to 0.19 in West Denver. To understand how these neighborhoods compare when it comes to public safety, we also analyzed crime data from multiple data providers. According to official police reports, in the month of April, West Denver experienced far less crime in general compared to Five Points, with 12.76 and 33.95 crime incidents per thousand residents, respectively. This held true for virtually all types of crime reported: West Denver saw 1.05 assault-related crime incidents per thousand residents, compared to 3.23 per thousand residents in Five Points West Denver also saw lower levels of theft-related crime incidents, with 1.05 per thousand residents, in comparison to Five Points' 4.16 Automobile burglary incidents per thousand residents reported in Five Points were also significantly higher than those in West Denver (2.65 vs. 0.83) When it comes to gas stations, West Denver comes out ahead with 1.59 gas stations per square mile compared to 1.34 gas stations per square mile in Five Points, representing a difference of almost 20%. According to the numbers, Five Points has 0.29 childcare facilities per thousand residents compared with 0.19 childcare facilities per thousand residents in West Denver. But West Denver edges out Five Points   just barely   when it comes to dog walkers and petsitters: It's got 0.19 dog walkers and petsitting providers per thousand residents, compared to 0.17 in Five Points. However, Five Points has a greater density of public parks, with 1.88 parks per square mile compared to 1.13 in West Denver. So, which area comes out on top? It depends what you're after   but both West Denver and Five Points have much to recommend them.


Curious just how far your dollar goes in Sacramento? We've rounded up the latest rental offerings via rental sites Zumper and Apartment Guide to get a sense of what to expect when it comes to hunting down an apartment in Sacramento if you're on a budget of $2,200/month. Read on for the listings. (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. 4800 Kokomo Drive (Creekside) Listed at $1,840/month, this 729-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment is located at 4800 Kokomo Drive. In the apartment, you can expect a dishwasher, a fireplace and a walk-in closet. The building has garage parking and secured entry. Hairball alert: Cats are allowed. Be prepared for an $800 pet fee. Walk Score indicates that the surrounding area is moderately walkable, is very bikeable and offers limited transit options. (See the complete listing here .) 800 J St. (Downtown) Next, there's this studio apartment over at 800 J St. It's listed for $1,888/month for its 547 square feet. Amenities offered in the building include a fitness center, secured entry and a swimming pool. The unit also comes with hardwood flooring. For those with furry friends in tow, know that cats and dogs are welcome on this property. Walk Score indicates that the area around this address is extremely walkable, is a "biker's paradise" and offers many nearby public transportation options. (Check out the complete listing here .) 6058 Riverside Blvd. (Greenhaven) Here's a 1,335-square-foot two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment at 6058 Riverside Blvd. that's going for $2,060/month. Expect to find a walk-in closet and a dishwasher in the unit. The building boasts on-site laundry and a fitness center. When it comes to pets, both meows and barks are allowed. Per Walk Score ratings, the area around this address is car-dependent, is very bikeable and has some transit options. (Check out the complete listing here .) 3940 H St. (East Sacramento) Next, check out this 1,041-square-foot two-bedroom, two-bathroom abode that's located at 3940 H St. It's listed for $2,150/month. Pet owners, take heed: Cats and dogs are permitted. There's no leasing fee required for this rental. According to Walk Score's assessment, this location is very walkable, is convenient for biking and has some transit options. (See the complete listing here .) 2808 Notre Dame Drive (College/Glen) Located at 2808 Notre Dame Drive, here's a 1,622-square-foot three-bedroom, three-bathroom residence that's listed for $2,173/month. The unit comes with carpeted floors and a fireplace. Building amenities include a swimming pool and garage parking. Both cats and dogs are welcome. Walk Score indicates that this location is somewhat walkable, is very bikeable and has some transit options. (Check out the complete listing here .) Working with a tight budget? Here are the cheapest rentals recently listed in Sacramento . This story was created automatically using local real estate data from Zumper and Apartment Guide , then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Dallas Mavericks forward Dwight Powell will decline his player option for the 2019-20 season to enter unrestricted free-agency this summer, league sources told Yahoo Sports. Had Powell elected to exercise his option, he would have earned $10.2 million next season and become a free agent in 2020. Powell's decision will conclude the four-year, $37 million contract the 6-foot-11 forward signed with the Mavs in 2016. He is expected to have multiple suitors when the free-agent process begins July 1, sources said. Powell, 27, has improved in each of his five seasons and posted career highs in points (10.6 points), blocks (0.6) and field-goal percentage (.597) this past year, and averaged 5.3 rebounds per game. Powell was selected with the No. 45 pick in the 2014 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets. More from Yahoo Sports: Raptors have reason to believe after Game 3 win Sharks lose at home in Game 5, rack up more injuries Report: Lonzo on Bulls' offseason wish list? Vikings owner expects big things from Cousins


Jennifer Kupcho and Maria Fassi will get their wish. The darlings of amateur and college golf, who captured the fancy of fans with their friendly duel at the inaugural Augusta National Women's Amateur in April, will play as partners in next month's Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, the LPGA's new team event. They both turned pro before teeing it up at the U.S. Women's Open last week. The Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational announced Friday that Kupcho and Fassi will play on a sponsor's exemption. The event is scheduled July 17-20 at Midland Country Club in Michigan. "I'm really looking forward to playing with Maria," said Kupcho, a Wake Forest graduate. "We've competed against each other a lot over the years, and it will be a fun challenge to see how we play as a team." Kupcho won the Augusta National Women's Amateur, and Fassi followed by winning the NCAA individual championship last month. Fassi was named the Annika Award winner as the outstanding female collegian for the second year in a row. Fassi said she and Kupcho began a friendship at the Palmer Cup last year. "I have known her for a while, but we were never close," said Fassi, an Arkansas graduate. "I think she's really intimidating, and she thought the same about me. So, we were always like keeping our distance. "At the Palmer Cup, at the dinner after the tournament, we just talked. She's like 'You're scary with your sunglasses,' and I'm like, 'You don't have sunglasses and you're scary,' like that. It was just funny. We laughed about that, and then from there we just had a really good relationship, and then at Q-school we played a few rounds together . . . and then from there it just has been a really nice relationship, and then definitely playing at Augusta together, and to win what we did, definitely helped our relationship and our friendship. Yeah, we've just gotten closer and closer over the past few months."


Let's try something different. Instead of the usual offseason exercise of ranking the Southeastern Conference football coaches one through 14, let's group them into tiers, not from best to worst, but from the top (the elite) to those on the hot seat (they better produce). Elite Nick Saban: Never mind last year's national title loss. The Alabama coach has clearly separated himself from the rest of the pack. Saban is 141-20 in Tuscaloosa with five national titles. He also won a national title at LSU. And at age 67, he's showing no signs of slowing down. Chance to be elite Kirby Smart: He's 32-10 in three years at Georgia with a trip to the 2017 College Football Playoff. The Dawgs lost a heartbreaker to Bama in last year's SEC title game. And the 43-year-old Smart's 2019 recruiting class was ranked second by 247Sports , just behind Alabama. Dan Mullen: The 47-year-old Mullen was 10-3 in his first season as Florida's head coach. He went 69-44 in nine seasons at Mississippi State. Given the abundant football talent in Florida, Mullen should make the Gators a national power again. Safe Mark Stoops: The 51-year-old Kentucky coach earned a payoff last season for his six years of program-building. The Cats finished 10-3, their best victory total since 1977, to bring Stoops' overall record to 36-39. And season tickets are selling at a brisk pace. Jimbo Fisher: The 53-year-old Fisher was 9-4 in his debut season at Texas A&M. Scott Woodward, the athletics director who brought him to College Station from Florida State, is now at LSU. But Fisher is in the second year of his 10-year, $75 million contract. Barry Odom: This one was tricky, but the 42-year-old Odom is 19-19 in three seasons. The Tigers were 8-5 last year and have been to back-to-back bowls. The fact that Missouri is bowl-ineligible this season because of probation might actually help Odom, keeping expectations low. Jury is out Joe Moorhead: The 45-year-old Moorhead wasn't a flop his first year at Mississippi State. The Bulldogs were 8-5 with a loss in the Outback Bowl. The former Penn State offensive coordinator looks like a good hire, but time will tell. Jeremy Pruitt: After Butch Jones' firing, Tennessee's mess of a search ended with Pruitt. The 45-year-old former Alabama defensive coordinator went 5-7 in his first season as a college head coach. The Vols collapsed at season's end, however, losing 50-17 to Missouri and 38-13 to Vanderbilt. Chad Morris: The 50-year-old was 2-10 last season, his first at Arkansas. Dabo Swinney's offensive coordinator at Clemson was 14-22 in three years as SMU's head coach before coming to Fayetteville. Matt Luke: The 42-year-old former Rebel is 11-13 in two seasons. The Rebels have new coordinators with head coaching experience. Former Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez will run the offense. Former Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre will run the defense. Better produce Gus Malzahn: The 53-year-old Malzahn might have lost his safety net Friday when Auburn president Steven Leath was forced out. He's 53-27 overall, but went just 8-5 last season. Meanwhile, Alabama keeps winning. Ed Orgeron: At 25-9, the 57-year-old Orgeron has not been the disaster some predicted when LSU promoted him from interim coach after the Les Miles firing. But he's working for a new boss in Woodward. Will Muschamp: The 47-year-old South Carolina coach was a disappointing 7-6 in 2018. He's 22-17 over three seasons in Columbia after going 28-21 at Florida.. And he's lost three straight to Kentucky. Derek Mason: The 49-year-old Mason is 24-38 with a pair of bowl trips over five years. The Commodores were 6-7 last year. But Mason is working for a new boss in Malcolm Turner, who wasted little time firing basketball coach Bryce Drew.     ©2019 the Lexington Herald-Leader (Lexington, Ky.) Visit the Lexington Herald-Leader (Lexington, Ky.) at www.kentucky.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.