The recent spate of bankruptcies in corporate America is taking its toll. In the first seven months of the year, U.S.-based companies announced 42,937 job cuts due to bankruptcy, up 40% from the same period last year and nearly 20% higher than all bankruptcy-related job losses last year, a report released Tuesday concluded. Despite record-low unemployment, bankruptcy filings have not claimed this many jobs since the Great Recession. "It is the highest seven-month total since 2009 when 50,258 cuts due to bankruptcy were announced," according to the report by outplacement and business coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. "In fact, it is higher than the annual totals for bankruptcy cuts every year since 2009." Companies cited bankruptcy as the reason for 11.6% of all job cuts announced from January to July. That's compared to 11.3% of all cuts for the same period in 2018. Since 2007, bankruptcy has accounted for approximately 6% of all job cuts every year. The Challenger report tracks planned job cuts publicly announced by U.S.-based employers. These job losses are gleaned from news reports, company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, annual reports, company press releases and, where possible, state Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) reports. Regardless of when the job losses actually occur, they are counted in the month they are announced. Most of these job losses were in the retail sector. Barneys New York said Tuesday it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Analysts cite competition from online retailers like Amazon and eBay and rising real-estate costs. The company's landmark Madison Avenue store will remain open; the company secured $75 million in financing to pay employees and vendors. Consumer spending rose 0.3% in June, in line with a forecast of economists polled by MarketWatch. U.S. consumers didn't spend as much in June as they did in the previous three months, but incomes rose solidly for the fifth month in a row and an already strong savings rate edged even higher. The savings rate edged up to 8.1% from 8%, near a three-year high. The number of retail store closures in the first seven months of the year has exceeded the total number last year, according to Coresight Research data cited by the Associated Press. Coresight expects 12,000 stores will be closed this year: So far this year, 7,567 retail stores have closed their doors versus 5,864 for all of last year. (Barneys employs approximately 1,400 people.) Related video: Why it's so difficult for apparel companies to navigate the trade wars (provided by CNBC) There was a 5% monthly increase in total bankruptcy filings in July 2019, the American Bankruptcy Institute announced in a separate report released Monday . There were 64,283 bankruptcy filings, up from 62,241 for the same period last year. And there were roughly 1,000 more consumer bankruptcies by July, compared to the same period last year. Alabama had the highest per capita rate, with 5.61 filings per 1,000 people, followed by Tennessee (5.39), Georgia (4.31), Mississippi (4.25) and Nevada (3.79). Last year, there were more than 770,000 bankruptcy filings   a legal process that gives financially strapped debtors a fresh start while also paying their creditors   down from 1.6 million in 2010. The number of job openings, meanwhile, held steady at 7.3 million on the last business day of June, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said Tuesday. Over the month, hires and separations were also relatively flat at 5.7 million and 5.5 million, respectively. Within separations, the quits rate was unchanged at 2.3%, and the layoffs and discharges rate was also little changed at 1.1%.


I gave up meat for Lent, which is 40 days, and it was hard after 23 years of all meat, all the time. I learned how my body reacts to such food and what I want it to feel like from now on. I expanded my food knowledge and learned to love new things, even if it's not conducive for me all the time or for everyone. For the past 23 years of my life, since I was able to eat solid food, I've eaten meat. It was always a staple food item in my family's diet and I knew nothing else. Chicken was something eaten daily, ham sandwiches were often school lunches, and tacos always had beef in them. Going to my grandparents' house in the summer resulted in brats and cheeseburgers straight off the grill, and homemade meat balls when we had spaghetti. It was what I always knew, and had never even entertained the idea of being a vegetarian. But for the first time ever , I decided to give it up, cold turkey, for six straight weeks for Lent. For context, I was raised Catholic and although I disagree with many teachings within the church, I go to Mass every Sunday with my family. While my relationship with the church is complicated, I do take Lent very seriously. I always give something up and make sure to fast on the designated days, etc. For a couple of years, I had been toying with the idea of doing something really hard. Typically I give up nail-skin biting (yes, it's a bad vice of mine) or sweets or pop one year. There have been difficult ones, like when I gave up knuckle cracking, but giving up something like meat is on a whole other level. As already mentioned, I know no other way to live, and honestly, vegetarianism has never appealed to me, until recently. Still, for some reason, I've been toying with cutting back on meat. Maybe it has to do with having some good friends who are vegan or vegetarian and seeing it on social media often. Or maybe it had to do with all those anti-cruelty campaigns finally taking a toll on me. Whatever it was, that sliver of interest is what spurred me to give up meat (but not fish) for the whole 40 days of Lent, from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday. And here's what I learned. Giving up meat is expensive The discourse around going vegan or vegetarian sometimes doesn't fully embrace the fact that these choices are not conducive to a lot of people's lives; especially those who live in food deserts where even basic fruit and veggies aren't found, let alone meatless alternatives. And if you do live in areas where these things are readily available or you can seek them out more easily, it can be on the pricier side, especially when going out to eat. On my first trip to the grocery store as a pescatarian, I needed a full food overhaul. As said earlier, almost every meal in my family is meat-based, so I had to get things I could eat for lunch and dinner. I live at home and am fortunate enough to have my mom do the household grocery shopping, so this was new, especially for the amount I was buying. I'm lactose intolerant and try to keep myself completely dairy-free, so I still shop for myself bi-weekly for my personal dairy-free milk, yogurt, cheese, etc., but again all of this other stuff was new territory. I bought enough groceries for several meals for at least two weeks or more (until I got paid next). This one trip ended up lasting me way longer, and the subsequent trips were less because I figured out proportions and what was smarter to indulge on. I spent a total of $98.07 that first time, which hurts to think about, but nothing went to waste and it lasted me a while. That being said, that is not something many people can afford. I can't do that all the time either. It wasn't until after I did this trip that I found out Aldi has a pretty good line of vegan or meatless options. That would have been cheaper, but for this trip, it was a good haul. It impacted my body in a very positive way I had figured that I'd feel super weak or hungry to start off with. However, that was not the case. I was actually surprised that I didn't feel anything change. I still felt good, I didn't have slumps of energy or anything of the like in my body. In fact, I felt a little better. I wasn't eating unhealthily beforehand (I don't really do sweets outside of special occasions, I don't really enjoy candy, and I don't have ice cream for obvious reasons), so I would never consider myself sluggish, but after a week on meatless products, I was feeling really good. It definitely did wonders for my skin. I have a pretty detailed skin routine day in and day out and have been dairy-free for at least a year and a half (I do cheat here and there, though), and because of these two things, my skin has been behaving very nicely. But of course, it can still be uneven and I occasionally break out. But without meat, it was consistently good. Maybe that's just my mind at work, but either way, my body was doing great things during these 40 days. It made me more conscientious of how much meat I ate I realized just how much I had depended on meat while doing this. On top of having to cook a lot of my own meals except on Fridays when the rest of the family couldn't eat meat either (another Lenten rule), I also had to change my eating-out habits. I eat at Panda Express a lot . It's my favorite commercialized restaurant, and now my whole order was turned upside down. Along with that, I couldn't eat Cane's anymore, or at my favorite local Chinese restaurant. I found out that I eat chicken even more than I thought. Add the fact that I couldn't get my beloved chicken nuggets at McDonald's after a night on the town or meat on my pizza, and I had to face the reality that so many of my guilty pleasures revolve around meat. It made me fall in love with meatless products I was very pleasantly surprised by the fact that I love meatless food. "Fake" meat freaked me out before, but now I'm obsessed with meatless alternatives like tofu. I made sure to steer clear of tofu at all times, especially in the dining halls in college. But I went full-force into trying it out this time and I decided to try my hand at teriyaki tofu stir fry. This time, I knocked it out of the park, if I do say so myself. I wasn't really a cook before this, but it's quickly turned into my special culinary skill. I got a ton of compliments on my Instagram when I posted this for the first time at the beginning of my meatless journey, along with so many words of encouragement about being a pescatarian. Not only was I feeling good on the inside, this food didn't taste like a sacrifice anymore. It just tasted like good, healthy food. It was even harder than I thought it would be but changed how I'll eat from now on Despite feeling good and liking this newfound lifestyle, I struggled a lot. I was tempted by the allure of an al pastor taco on St. Patrick's Day and nearly gave in. I went to a comic convention in late March and when I went to search for food, there were no vegetarian options. So for lunch, I had to eat two churros, which was fun, but unsatisfying. I also just missed eating meat. When I was about one week out from Easter Sunday and my mom's famous Easter ham, I almost cried in the store from want. I really was excited to eat that sweet, sweet meat again. And chicken, hello, I'd missed my old friend. Yes, it was hard. But that's the whole point of Lent and giving stuff up. And on top of that, I did really do some inner thinking on the meat I had been consuming for 23 years and what I wanted to take away from this 40-day experiment. I did have that ham on Easter Sunday, and the leftovers after that. But I realized that going straight into my regular habit of meat was making me feel horrible - my skin became so angry with me, and I did start to feel a bit more sluggish - and it just wasn't paying off like before. I've decided that while I'm not giving meat up all the way again, meatless products are going to be a part of my life now. I'm no longer afraid of meatless alternatives or tofu, and will buy them to cook for myself. I'll also order vegetarian dishes more often when I go out. It's a nice medium, for now, and it makes me happy that my food knowledge has grown. I learned that I can try new things and don't need chicken seven days of the week. It's a great new normal. Related Video: Burger King's Meatless 'Impossible Whopper' Set to Roll Out Nationwide (Provided by Food & Wine)


NEW YORK (AP) The scheduled game between the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees has been postponed due to a forecast of thunderstorms and severe weather. Though no rain was falling yet on a humid evening at Yankee Stadium, the game was called Wednesday about 35 minutes before it was supposed to start. It will be made up Thursday as part of a single-admission doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. After that, Tampa Bay is not scheduled to return to New York this season. Yonny Chirinos (8-4, 3.11 ERA) had been set to pitch for the Rays against right-hander Domingo German (11-2, 3.40). New York leads the AL East by six games over Tampa Bay. The teams split the first two matchups of their four-game series this week, and the Yankees lead the season series 10-5. --- More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports


Kevin Byrnes stood on the bridge of the Newtown Creek, an aging, 300-foot-long tanker that has served New York City since 1967, and looked admiringly down its length. "It's got really nice lines; you can't get a nicer-looking ship of this kind than this," said Mr. Byrnes, chief of marine operations for the city's Department of Environmental Protection, the agency charged with the unenviable but essential task of disposing of the city's sewage. Mr. Byrnes, who oversees the city's fleet of sewage-transporting sludge boats, seemed sincere in his praise of the Newtown Creek, and not just because he was trying to sell it. He had obliged a request for a tour from a reporter who had seen the vessel advertised for sale by the city on an online auction site. After nearly half a century of hauling New Yorkers' sewage, the Newtown Creek was being put out to pasture. The page for Auction 1327532   "Ship, Cargo, Sludge Tanker, Newtown Creek"   allows viewers an extensive photo and video tour, and describes the vessel as seaworthy, "in good working order" and "no engine trouble or oil leaks." The vessel is to be sold in "as is" and "where is" condition, the page notes, and the opening bidding price was listed at $235,000, payable by credit card. In contrast with the page's bureaucratic language, Mr. Byrnes's description of the vessel was almost sentimental as he walked aboard the ship on Wednesday at the department's wastewater treatment plant in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. He sounded more like a coach seeing his star veteran player retire, as he looked out over its maroon painted deck topped with large pipes and valves. Some of its crew members spent decades on the ship, he said, adding that "some of the guys really fell in love with it." Sludge vessels have been a part of the city's wastewater treatment system since the late 1930s. Formally called marine cargo ships, they transport sludge, the term for the residual organic material removed from wastewater during its initial treatment. After that, the sludge undergoes a dewatering process for conversion to pellets, which the city pays to have shipped out of state by trucks. Since six of the 14 treatment plants in the city lack dewatering capabilities, the boats are necessary for transporting sludge from those six plants to one of the other eight for a final treatment. The department retired the Newtown Creek last summer, and currently uses a fleet of five other sludge boats to transport nearly 1.2 billion gallons of sludge per year. Three of those vessels were put into service last year, and have nearly double the capacity of the Newtown Creek, Mr. Byrnes said. "We're trying to keep up with the population and the production of sludge," he said. The Newtown Creek was built to dump sludge directly into the ocean away from the city, a practice that was ended in 1992, Mr. Byrnes said. The Newtown Creek used to transport 1.2 million gallons of sludge per day, seven days a week. On a typical day, in its later years, it would load sludge from the Owl's Head treatment plant, in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, and take it to the Port Richmond plant on Staten Island. Then it would take another load from the North River plant in West Harlem to the Wards Island plant. Its gray hulls may have dings and scrapes and dents, but its tall cylindrical stacks still stand tall, after serving decades as exhaust methane vents for the sludge tanks. Its propellers, at seven feet in diameter, were powered by twin 1,500-horsepower diesel engines. It was powerful and ocean-worthy and maneuverable, Mr. Byrnes said. Though its storage tanks are empty, the feculent odor of its cargo is unmistakable. Mr. Byrnes called the vessel's life span remarkable. "They usually last about 30 years, so we did very well with this vessel," he said The vessel was well maintained and rarely had any problems, he said, but over the years, it had become difficult to find replacement parts. "It's been a great ship; it hasn't taken too many sick days," he said, heading up to the navigation bridge, with its 1950s-era fixtures and equipment that recalled a scene from "McHale's Navy." After more than two months, the bidding window ended on Tuesday, with the Newtown Creek attracting no formal bids. But Mr. Byrnes said two potential buyers had sent representatives recently to inspect the vessel. One was a Florida municipality   Mr. Byrnes would not divulge its name   seeking to sink it offshore as an artificial reef. The other was a scrap dealer from Maryland interested in the raw value of the 2,500-ton steel vessel. It may not be the most elegant end for the Newtown Creek, he noted, but "the city certainly got its money's worth out of this ship, and then some."


A panel of state leaders Wednesday called for legal changes that would give PG&E and other utilities some more protection against wildfire liabilities. The five-member Commission on Catastrophic Wildfire Cost and Recovery, created last fall by the Legislature, said in a draft report that California should overhaul the legal doctrine known as "inverse condemnation," which holds utility shareholders liable for wildfire costs if the company's equipment caused the fire   even if the company didn't act negligently. Under that new system, utilities could bill ratepayers for "just and reasonable investments" that reduce the likelihood of fire. The panel also called for the creation of a Wildfire Victims Fund to quickly pay claims to survivors of the Camp Fire, which destroyed most of Paradise last November, and the 2017 wine country fires. The fund would include financial contributions from shareholders as well as ratepayers. The panel was silent on the size of the fund. The recommendations dovetail similar proposals outlined by Gov. Gavin Newsom in April and recognize the dire plight facing the state's major utilities. PG&E Corp. has been driven into bankruptcy by an estimated $30 billion in wildfire liabilities from the past two years. The other major utilities, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric, have seen their credit ratings plummet as lenders fear they will get swallowed by wildfire liabilities as well. The report comes as state officials are wrestling with how to get wildfire victims paid while keeping utility rates relatively low   a task complicated by PG&E's bankruptcy. All three of the big utilities have asked the Public Utilities Commission for substantial rate hikes to deal with wildfire risks, earning a rebuke from Newsom last month. In a joint statement with legislative leaders Wednesday, Newsom pledged to work for a solution that treats everyone fairly. "We must act now to stabilize the energy market and our utilities by addressing the liability faced by utilities after catastrophic wildfires," said Newsom, Senate President pro Tem Toni Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon in a joint statement following the release of the report Wednesday. The three said they're committed "insisting on a culture of safety for utilities and on affordability for ratepayers."     ©2019 The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, Calif.) Visit The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, Calif.) at www.sacbee.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


"What truck should I buy?" It's a question consumers ask themselves every day, but what would features editor Scott Evans drive? Keep reading for the answer, and see other editors' picks here . You should love a vehicle you spend tens of thousands of dollars on, and in order to love a vehicle, it has to have character. We'll all disagree on what intangibles count as character, but no one who's driven a 2020 Jeep Gladiator will argue it doesn't have any. Related Video: Behind the Wheel: The 2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon (Provided by Truck Trend) Research the Jeep Gladiator on MSN Autos There are trucks that get better fuel economy, or tow more, or haul more, or have more high-tech features, or are quieter inside, but none of them makes me smile like the Gladiator while still satisfying my actual needs. Much as the Ford F-150 Raptor and Ram 2500 Power Wagon make me smile, they're simply gigantic and I, like the vast majority of Americans, live in an urban area. I'm neither a desert racer or towing tractors, so I don't rationally need what those trucks offer. Much as I love the Gladiator for its unabashed style and attitude, it suits my truck needs perfectly. Four-wheel drive is standard unlike other trucks, so when my wife wants to go explore a Forest Service road, there's no hesitation. The 7,400 pounds of towing capacity is as much as I'd likely need to pull a toy like a side by side, a camping trailer, or a boat and more than anything else in the class. Likewise, 1,600 pounds of payload is as good as anything else this size and plenty for my weekend trips to the big box hardware store and garden center. The five-foot bed isn't as big as a full-size truck's, but it's again class-competitive and more than enough space for the kind of stuff a weekend warrior hauls. In fact, I'm more likely to be hauling shopping bags and friends and family, so having the biggest back seat in the class is a bigger bonus, doubly so if I were planning to have kids. I'm not inclined to spend more than $50,000 on a vehicle and I'm not going to use a Gladiator Rubicon's capability anyway, so I'd take a step down to the Gladiator Overland, which will handle all the trails I'm likely to attempt. With ten grand to play with between an Overland's base price and my $50,000 cap, I'd stick with the stick shift and save myself two thousand bucks. I'd do the same with the roof options and keep the base soft top. I already own a convertible, so I don't mind the wind noise and I won't have to find some place to store the hard top when it's off (not that it's that much quieter anyway). I'd throw most of my discretionary budget at the 8.4-inch Radio and Premium Audio Group with the bigger screen, better stereo, GPS navigation for trails that don't get cell service, and auto-dimming rearview mirror. Next, I'd grab the Adaptive Cruise Control/Forward Collision Warning Plus system because adaptive cruise control is a top-five technology of the past decade on the highway out to the trailhead. Adding it makes you take the Active Safety Group, too, which, fine. I won't complain about rear parking sensors, blind spot monitoring, and LED taillights. I'm not ponying up for the LED lighting dress-up package, though. I will, however, spend on the Cold Weather Group and the keyless entry option, because keyless entry and heated seats and steering wheel are awesome. Functionally, a spray-in bedliner is a must in any truck and it's not expensive. Give me the tow package for the same reason. I'd also take the Cargo Management Group with Trail Rail system for the extra tie downs, power inverter, bed-mounted 115-volt electrical outlet, and locking storage under the rear seats. Finish it off with easy to clean all-weather floor mats, brown cloth seats, and "Gator" olive drab green paint and I'm ready to hit the road, the trail, or the mall for $48,850. Trying to find the same features on a full-size truck for the same money is like trying to find a place to parallel park that full-size truck downtown. The Gladiator is the right-sized, right-equipped hauler for me, and on top of that, it makes me smile just getting behind the wheel, and you can't put a price on that. Research the Jeep Gladiator on MSN Autos


From Spanx to Dyson, innovators whose single creation hit the big time. From Spanx to Dyson, innovators whose single creation hit the big time Inventing an incredible product that people can't get enough of can generate millions and sometimes even billions for its lucky creator. Click ahead as we take a look at 10 innovators who made megabucks from just one amazing idea. Shaun Pulfrey's Tangle Teezer Former celebrity hair colorist Shaun Pulfrey was laughed off the U.K.'s Dragons' Den show back in 2007 after pitching his simple yet unique invention: a brush with flexible plastic teeth that detangles and unknots hair with ease. Shaun Pulfrey's Tangle Teezer The stylist was roundly ridiculed by the Dragons, who mocked his  hair-brained  idea and sent him packing. Luckily, the great British public disagreed. After the show aired, the Tangle Teezer website crashed and sales skyrocketed. Celeb endorsements from the likes of Victoria Beckham followed. Tangle Teezer was picked up by U.K. chain Boots in 2008, before going global in 2009. Shaun Pulfrey's Tangle Teezer The company only started spending money on marketing in March 2016, and by 2018 Pulfrey had sold more than 35 million brushes. Now a beauty staple and household name, the product, which turns over $38.7 million a year, has made its inventor very rich indeed   Pulfrey is estimated to be worth $15.7 million. What's next? Tangle Teezers for pets are set Levi Roots' Reggae Reggae Sauce Chef and musician Levi Roots also appeared on the U.K.'s Dragons' Den show in 2007, but the budding entrepreneur received a much warmer reception from the Dragons than Shaun Pulfrey's Tangle Teezer. In fact, the Dragons were keen to invest in his product, Reggae Reggae Sauce, a tasty jerk barbecue condiment. Levi Roots' Reggae Reggae Sauce Roots walked away with $62,600 from Dragons Richard Farleigh and Peter Jones in exchange for 40% equity. Major U.K. supermarket Sainsbury's immediately stocked the product in 600 of its stores. Sales were projected at 50,000 bottles a year, but the chain ended up shifting 50,000 per week. Levi Roots' Reggae Reggae Sauce The product range was expanded and the super-popular Reggae Reggae brand is now available from a variety of retailers, as well as fast food chains including Subway and KFC. Needless to say, Levi Roots is rolling in it. His net worth is estimated at $37.9 million. Julie Deane's Cambridge Satchel Short of cash, Julie Deane created the iconic Cambridge satchel on her kitchen table in 2008 to help cover the cost of sending her daughter, who was being bullied, to a private school. Julie Deane's Cambridge Satchel Reinventing a classic, Deane's hip colorful take on the traditional leather satchel soon caught the eye of fashion bloggers and stylists, even appearing in an editorial in Italian Vogue , and the orders started flooding in. Julie Deane's Cambridge Satchel The brand fast became a fashionista must-have and Deane's company is now worth $62.5 million, making her a multimillionaire and then some. As well as netting piles of cash, the inspiring businesswoman was awarded an OBE in 2014 for services to entrepreneurship. Aaron Krause's Scrub Daddy Auto polisher and inventor Aaron Krause created his clever multitasking sponge with a smiley face in 2006 while developing a foam buffing pad. The car detail expert came up with an extra-special sponge that turns soft in warm water and hard when it's drenched in cold water. Aaron Krause's Scrub Daddy The foam buffing pad was sold to 3M in 2008 and Krause almost forgot about his other invention until 2011 when he had to clean some garden furniture. Krause dug out the sponge and was bowled over by its cleaning prowess. Thinking he was on to something big, the polishing pro went on the Shark Tank TV show in 2012 to pitch the product. Aaron Krause's Scrub Daddy The Sharks loved it. Krause bagged a $200,000 investment for 20% equity from Lori Greiner, who helped him garner deals with major retailers like QVC. Scrub Daddy is now America's No. 1 sponge, with total revenues topping $110 million, and its inventor is thought to be worth up to $70 million. Scott Boilen's Snuggie Blankets with sleeves have been around since the 1990s   the Slanket for instance was invented by Maine's Gary Clegg in 1998   but innovator Scott Boilen's take on the concept, the all-conquering Snuggie, has been the most lucrative by a long shot. Scott Boilen's Snuggie Boilen's company Allstar Marketing Group brought the Snuggie to market in 2008 and launched a cheesy commercial that generated a lot of buzz, triggering a massive craze. A whopping 20 million Snuggies were sold in the first year, with sales exceeding $40 million in the first three months alone. Read more: Some of the most epic business feuds ever Scott Boilen's Snuggie The "Cult of the Snuggie" was featured on The Tonight Show , appeared in countless YouTube videos and inspired everything from Snuggie pub crawls to 'wear your Snuggie movie nights'. By 2018, the product had generated a whopping $500 million, according to CNBC, and Boilen is now estimated to be worth at least $200 million. Hamdi Ulukaya's Chobani In 2005, Kurdish businessman and dairy guru Hamdi Ulukaya spotted a gap in the U.S. market for thick, strained Greek-style yogurt and set about launching his own version. The all-natural product, which he called Chobani, launched in 2007. Hamdi Ulukaya's Chobani Starting off by selling to small-scale retailers, Ulukaya relied on word of mouth initially to promote the product and this strategy paid off a treat. In 2009, several major chain stores began to stock the yogurt and sales hit the roof. Hamdi Ulukaya's Chobani By 2012, Chobani had grown to become America's leading Greek-style yogurt brand with revenues topping $1 billion. A resounding success, the brand has remained on top and Ulukaya is now worth $2 billion, according to Forbes. Nick Woodman's GoPro Hero GoPro Hero inventor Nick Woodman had his eureka moment in 2002 on a surf trip to Australia. Keen to capture all the action, Woodman cobbled together a wrist strap that enabled him to wear his camera while hitting the waves. Nick Woodman's GoPro Hero Woodman developed his idea further and, with the help of a loan from his father, launched the first GoPro Hero in 2004. The product consisted of a Chinese-made 35mm camera and Woodman's custom strap. Sales were buoyant from the get-go and doubled year on year. Nick Woodman's GoPro Hero The camera, which is now digital and has spawned a HD video version, was selling in the millions by 2012. GoPro went public in 2014 and Woodman's net worth peaked at $3.9 billion. Since then, the company share price has tanked as sales have bottomed out. Still, Woodman remains fabulously rich, though his net worth has fallen to a reported $900 million. Sara Blakely's Spanx Sara Blakely came up with the idea for Spanx in 1996 when she working as a door-to-door saleswoman in Florida and had to wear panty hose on the job. Blakely liked the slimming effect but hated the way the seams showed when she was sporting open-toe sandals. Sara Blakely's Spanx One evening, Blakely was getting ready for a party and wanted to wear a pair of white trousers, but didn't have any underwear that wouldn't show through the fabric, so she grabbed a pair of her work panty hose, cut off the leg parts, and Spanx was born. Related : The secrets of America's top business sharks' success Sara Blakely's Spanx Realizing her invention's potential, Blakely invested her life savings of $5,000 into developing the concept. Spanx launched in 2000 and found its way into major department stores in no time. Sales soared and the product became a lingerie staple. Blakely is now estimated to be worth $1 billion. Manoj Bhargava's 5-Hour Energy Former monk Manoj Bhargava dreamed up his $1 billion product after tasting an energy drink at a trade show in California back in 2003. Michigan-based Bhargava was put off by the large bottle and thought a mini shot-sized version would be more appealing to consumers. Manoj Bhargava's 5-Hour Energy He wasn't wrong. Bhargava formulated a stimulating concoction of caffeine and B vitamins that he packed into tiny 2-ounce bottles. His 5-Hour Energy drink was launched that same year and picked up by drugstores, supermarkets and convenience stores. It has since taken America by storm. Manoj Bhargava's 5-Hour Energy Now the go-to mini energy drink for everyone from athletes to students, 5-Hour Energy pulls in annual revenues of almost $1 billion. Bhargava, who has signed the Giving Pledge and intends to give away 99% of his fortune, is thought to have a net worth of up to $1.5 billion. Related : Meet more of the super-rich who've signed up to give all their money away James Dyson's vacuum cleaner The richest inventor in our round-up, James Dyson derives most of his fortune from a single product, the game-changing bagless vacuum cleaner he invented in 1978, which draws inspiration from the industrial cyclone separators used in sawmills. James Dyson's vacuum cleaner Dyson developed the product in the early 1980s but couldn't find a U.K. company willing to produce or distribute it, so he negotiated a deal with a Japanese company and launched the invention, which was called the G-Force and only came in pink, in 1986. Dyson set up his eponymous U.K. company in 1993 but it wasn't until the early 2000s that sales really exploded. James Dyson's vacuum cleaner Following a memorable ad campaign, the Dyson Dual Cyclone became the U.K.'s fastest-selling vacuum cleaner and was the U.S. market leader by 2005. The company enjoyed sales of $5.5 billion in 2018 and Dyson, who was knighted in 2006, now has a net worth of $5.4 billion, according to Forbes. Related: Read more about Dyson's life and other inventions


Debt doesn't just go away when someone dies. What happens to your money and debt when you die? Debt doesn t just go away when someone dies. Most debts get passed on to any surviving family members after someone passes away. If you do nothing to plan for this inevitability, the state in which you live will decide how your estate should be handled.  When someone dies and has no directions of how their assets should be distributed, the assets will pass according to the laws of intestacy,  says Michael Silver, a Certified Financial Planner professional with Baron Silver Stevens Financial Advisors in Boca Raton, Florida.  So every state has created its own will if you never signed one.  But your state s will may not reflect your wishes. The best way to avoid future family feuds, high legal fees, court costs and unnecessary delays is to plan now.  I always tell people I think it s just irresponsible not to have these affairs in order,  says Silver.  It s our responsibility not to put the burden on others.  Let s take a look at smart ways to dispose of your assets and debts so that your heirs don t get short-changed or perturbed. Click through the slideshow to see them. How it works If you do have a will, your assets and debts will be handled during probate, a public court-supervised process in which your assets are distributed to creditors and heirs - in that order. "If there are assets insufficient to pay the charges, there's a dictation in every state's probate rule about the ordering of claims," says Ted Kurlowicz, professor of taxation at The American College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. But there are ways to avoid probate. For instance, if you own a home as joint tenants with right of survivorship, the home goes directly to the other owner, typically a spouse. If you have a retirement account, a deferred annuity or a life insurance policy, these assets will be disbursed to your named beneficiaries. And any assets in a bank account or certificate of deposit also could go to a named beneficiary, known in bank lingo as payable on death or transfer on death. Or you could create a trust for your assets that enables them to be distributed outside of probate, affording your family more privacy. Avoiding probate doesn't mean you can dodge creditors though. More on that later. Different rules in different states Each state has a probate code that determines the order in which expenses and debts are paid. To add to the complexity, nine states are community property states, which treat marital assets differently than common law property states. Community property states include Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin. In Washington, for example, a married couple can enter into an agreement that converts everything they own and acquire into community property with the proviso that the surviving spouse receives the property at death, says Kristi Mathisen, managing director of tax and financial planning at Laird Norton Wealth Management in Seattle. "The surviving spouse can walk into a bank with the executed agreement and the death certificate and say, 'Even though that account is in the name of my husband, that account is now mine.' And it doesn't have to pass through probate or anything else." Without the agreement, all property acquired during the marriage is presumed to be owned equally by each spouse, so each spouse owns half. And when a spouse dies, both halves of the couple's property go into probate, where debts are settled and assets distributed. The spouse owns half of what's left after paying the debts and the will of the deceased directs who gets the other half. If there's no will, the surviving spouse gets all of the community property, though there are special rules for separate property that was owned before the marriage or received through a gift or inheritance. How to bequeath your home If a home is jointly owned with right of survivorship, the survivor gets the home and generally takes responsibility for any mortgage obligation on the property. If your home is in your name only, in most cases it doesn't make sense to gift it to family members while you're still alive. That's because your family members will lose a valuable tax benefit, known as step-up in basis. If you gift the home prior to death, your heirs will have to pay capital gains tax on the difference between what you paid for the home, known as your cost basis, and the amount it sold for. But if the home is part of your estate, your heirs get a step-up in basis, so that its value at the time of your death becomes the new cost basis. Voila! There's no capital gains tax due when you sell the home. "I see a lot of people not knowing all of these different nuances and wildly and blindly transferring their home prior to their death and giving up a lot of tax advantages," says Silver. What about the home seller's exemption? There are other considerations, such as possible gift tax that might be factored into the equation if the home and estate are worth mega-millions. But for the transfer of more modestly priced homes, there's also the home seller's exemption, a tax break that survived the recent tax law overhaul. This exemption excludes $250,000 of profit on the sale of a home from capital gains tax ($500,000 for married couples filing jointly). But certain rules must be followed: Only those who have lived in the home as a primary residence for two of the past five years would qualify for this exclusion. Kurlowicz says the step-up in basis has more value than the home-sale exclusion when the home doesn't stay in the family. But the bottom line is that anyone considering gifting a home to, for example, protect it from future creditors, should consult a lawyer or financial planner. "Ultimately you want to seek good advice before doing a transfer," says Silver. "Sometimes you just don't know what you don't know." Double-check accounts with beneficiaries Though retirement accounts and deferred annuity contracts usually have named beneficiaries, there may be delays before any monies are disbursed since the executor or administrator of the estate first has to pay claims by creditors. It's important to double-check to make sure the right beneficiaries are listed for each account by contacting the plan sponsor or financial firm with custody of your money. Besides the huge blunder of inadvertently leaving assets to an ex-spouse, there's also the possibility that the firm or plan provider may not have your beneficiary information on file. "I have literally seen very big plan sponsors lose beneficiary designations that my clients check with," says Kurlowicz. "We found that due to some purge or glitch, beneficiary designations at some large companies were not stored properly." If somehow no beneficiaries are listed on your retirement or insurance account, it will become part of your estate and go through the probate process. This can limit the tax breaks that would otherwise be available to your intended beneficiaries when they finally do get access to these funds. What your family should do when you die This is Kurlowicz' recommendation to 99 percent of his clients who call him with news about the death of a loved one: "First, you grieve. You plan the funeral. And you keep records." Generally, expenses for the funeral, burial, a grave marker and rents for occupancy six months prior to death are among the first to be paid, along with the costs of administering the estate. In a timely fashion, the executor must notify known creditors of the deceased and advertise the estate notice in legal and local newspapers for a set period of time, generally three weeks, so that anyone with a claim - a beneficiary, creditor, someone who was harmed by the decedent - can come forward with their claims to the executor. That starts the clock for the statute of limitations, after which creditors who come forward may be out of luck. The statute of limitations is typically a year, but in Washington, it's 120 days. Kurlowicz recalls an incident in which a hospital bill arrived 14 months after the death of a client. He told the billing department, "You're too late. The estate's settled. Sorry." What happens to your debts It's not a good idea to run up a lot of credit card debt before your grand departure and then expect your heirs to get your assets. "Debts don't die with you," says Mathisen. "They survive your death and before considering all of the claims of your family members, your debts get paid first. Then your family inherits." In community property states, all of a couple's property can be used to pay the debts at death. "The survivor, after probate, is done with the debts," says Mathisen. "So you get some closure, you get that fresh start after." Creditors in the strongest position to collect debt are those who finance home and car loans. "Any time there's a physical asset they can take back as collateral, they've got something to work with," says Silver. "If it's just a note, it makes it very difficult to collect." Still, it's the responsibility of the estate to settle debts, so these don't just disappear. Just about every asset you own is up for grabs - including IRAs, 401(k)s, bank and brokerage accounts, and even homes held in a revocable living trust or as joint tenants with right of survivorship. Kurlowicz has seen cases where inherited IRAs were raided by creditors. "They may not be able to force you to use those assets while you're alive, but it could happen after death." That could result in unintended consequences - such as some beneficiaries getting less than others. Some assets (and debts) have wiggle room A life insurance policy is one asset that will generally go directly to the named beneficiary, as long as the beneficiary designation is clear. Otherwise, it could end up in probate, subject to creditor claims. Even if you have permanent life insurance with a cash value, creditors can't force you to take it out to pay debts while you're still alive, and the proceeds will go to a named beneficiary after your death without any interference, says Kurlowicz. Some unsecured debts are often negotiated down. Even though creditors can go after the estate, "it may be time consuming, expensive and cumbersome for the creditor and they may be happy to settle," says Silver. But if you owe the IRS, forget about expecting instant forgiveness. "The estate will have to settle with the IRS directly. That doesn't happen through probate," says Mathisen. On top of that, she adds, "The executor is personally liable for the unpaid tax if other debts are paid first or assets are distributed before the IRS is fully paid." If you owe more money than you own, it's a good idea to hire an asset protection attorney. "Mistakes in this area can lead to some unhappy beneficiaries and inefficiencies in paying off the debts," says Kurlowicz.


Real Madrid are ready to sanction a move for Napoli midfielder Fabian if they cannot convince Manchester United to part ways with Paul Pogba. Zinedine Zidane is thought to be desperate to recruit Pogba this summer, although United have no sign of wanting to sell, even after the midfielder expressed his desire to leave Old Trafford . As a result, Real have been forced to consider alternatives to Pogba , and AS claim that that search has led them to Fabian. Los Blancos had been tracking the Spaniard for months, but his impressive showings with Spain's Under-21 side this summer have now convinced club officials that he would be a viable - and cheaper - alternative to Pogba. Napoli paid €30m to bring Fabian to the club last summer and refused to put a release clause in his contract, as they believed his value would continue to rise. The Partenopei are rarely afraid of selling their star players, although they have a history of demanding huge fees. It is thought that Napoli could look for up to €80m for Fabian, which would still be far cheaper than any deal for Pogba. The Serie A side's pursuit of James Rodriguez could also work in Real's favour. If Carlo Ancelotti makes an official approach for the midfielder, Real will demand an asking price for Fabian. A potential player-plus-cash swap deal is also possible. Real officials are said to be confident that such a deal could be completed, given everyone involved is eager to reach the same outcome. Furthermore, that deal would also leave plenty of transfer funds available, and it is suggested that Real could push for both Fabian and Tottenham Hotspur star Christian Eriksen if they are unable to sign Pogba. Los Blancos have plenty of options this summer, and it is now a question of deciding with route to go down.


Looking to try the top beer bars around? Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top beer bars in Cleveland, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of where to venture next time you're on the hunt. 1. Townhall Topping the list is Townhall . Located at 1909 W. 25th St. in Ohio City - West Side, the beer bar and New American spot, which offers beer, cocktails, juices, smoothies and more, is the most popular beer bar in Cleveland, boasting four stars out of 1,255 reviews on Yelp. 2. Brewnuts Detroit Shoreway's Brewnuts , located at 6501 Detroit Ave., is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the beer bar, which offers beer, doughnuts and coffee, 4.5 stars out of 217 reviews. 3. Tremont Taphouse Tremont Taphouse , a gastropub, beer bar and New American spot in Tremont, is another go-to, with four stars out of 434 Yelp reviews. Head over to 2572 Scranton Road to see for yourself. 4. Johnny's Little Bar Last but not least, check out Johnny's Little Bar in Downtown, which has earned four stars out of 176 reviews on Yelp. You can find the beer bar and traditional American spot, which offers beer, sandwiches and more, at 614 Frankfort Ave. This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Lyft riders wanting to hop on an electric bike in San Francisco are out of luck - for now. The ride share service that offers transportation ranging from cars to scooters is suspending its e bike offering in the San Francisco Bay Area after two of them caught fire. "Out of an abundance of caution, we are temporarily making the ebike fleet unavailable to riders while we investigate and update our battery technology,'' the company said in a statement, adding that "this issue is limited to bikes in the Bay Area.'' There were no reports of anyone being hurt, Lyft said. Like Uber, Lyft is perhaps best known for enabling the public to summon a car and share a ride. But Lyft also says it has the biggest offering of shared bikes and scooters in the U.S. It introduced ebikes to the San Francisco area just last month, and there have been over 100 million electric bike rides there so far. The company was not sure if the bikes that caught fire had been tampered with, though that is becoming a recurring problem in the area. "It's unclear whether the bikes and batteries were tampered with or vandalized,'' the company's statement said. "We are seeing increased rates of vandalism on our bikes in San Francisco." Follow MSN Autos on Facebook and Twitter


Pierre Robinson has tried more than once to set up camp in Culver City, a jaggedly shaped community of nearly 40,000 bordered by Los Angeles on multiple sides. Robinson, who is homeless, said police repeatedly have made it clear he is not welcome. "Every time I tried to set up a tent, they'd tell me to go to the other side of La Cienega if we didn't want trouble," said the 38-year-old, who is now living in L.A.   just outside the Culver City line. L.A. officials have gone public with the assertion that neighboring cities are pushing homeless people into Los Angeles. Many of those communities, say Councilmen Joe Buscaino and Mike Bonin, are not complying with last year's ruling from the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that said cities cannot stop people from sleeping on sidewalks if they lack enough housing or shelter beds. Some homeless people, including Robinson, have echoed those allegations in interviews with The Times. They say police in some suburban cities have encouraged them to move across the border into L.A. Bonin and Buscaino, whose districts are along the outer edge of L.A., want their lawyers to come up with strategies to force neighboring cities to either allow sidewalk encampments or expand homeless services. But officials in several suburban L.A. County cities have begun pushing back, telling The Times they are already in compliance with the 9th Circuit decision. Some said they have encampments within their city boundaries, while others said their anti-camping laws have been tailored to withstand a legal challenge. The debate comes a week after officials reported a 16% increase in homelessness within the city, despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars to build thousands of subsidized apartments and add shelters. To bolster his claim, Bonin pointed to a section of Venice Boulevard, which has had a cluster of tents on the L.A. side of the street and few   if any   on the Culver City side. A homeless woman at that location told The Times that she too had been instructed by Culver City police to relocate to Los Angeles. Culver City Mayor Meghan Sahli-Wells called those reports "really dismaying and disturbing," saying such activities are against city policy. She said her city, which had 118 residents in last year's homeless count, does not prohibit people from sleeping or camping on sidewalks and instead is focused on building low-cost housing and adding shelter beds. "If officers are acting outside of the policy, then this is something we need to be aware of and cure," Sahli-Wells said. In Redondo Beach, officials already are contending with their own clusters of tents on public property, said City Councilwoman Laura Emdee. Police have been responding by showing up with a team of people, including mental health experts, to determine "what's stopping these people from getting the services they need," she said. Emdee questioned whether L.A. has been equally diligent in helping needy individuals obtain driver's licenses, Social Security cards and, if applicable, veterans benefits. "Maybe they need to look at their own process for how they're handling the homeless," said Emdee, whose city had 154 people tabulated in last year's homeless count   and an ordinance prohibiting camping in parks, sidewalks and other public places. Three things you think you 'know' about homelessness in L.A. that aren't true » Over the last month, L.A.'s debate with its suburbs also has broken out on social media, with Buscaino berating Torrance City Councilman Aurelio Mattucci over that city's efforts to address homelessness. Mattucci fired back by saying L.A. had allowed its downtown to become "disgusting." "With all due respect Joe," he wrote, "L.A. has completely failed at the Homeless Crises." The 9th Circuit ruling, issued in September, focused on the question of whether an anti-camping law in the city of Boise, Idaho, improperly penalized people for sleeping outdoors when there was no space available in any shelter. The court concluded that such laws constitute cruel and unusual punishment, and therefore violate the 8th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Ada County, where Boise is located, had 867 homeless people in 2016   125 of them unsheltered. Boise's three shelters offered 354 beds, but many of them were not available to the general population because of religious restrictions and other rules, according to the court. After the ruling was issued, the City Council in Manhattan Beach approved an ordinance banning people from keeping personal property, including camping equipment such as a tent, in any public space unless approved by the police chief or city manager. The law describes such activities as a potential health and safety hazard   the kind that can interfere with the rights of others to "use and enjoy" sidewalks. Manhattan Beach City Manager Bruce Moe said the ordinance does not criminalize sleeping in public spaces when there is a lack of adequate shelter and is in compliance with the 9th Circuit ruling. One expert on homelessness questioned that stance, though, pointing out that the law would prevent people from putting tents, tarps and sleeping bags on public property, even in rainy weather. "That is, in the real world, the functional equivalent to a ban on sleeping," said Gary Blasi, professor emeritus at UCLA School of Law. L.A. County's homeless population is growing   but not as fast as they're dying » Blasi said the 9th Circuit ruling has left many suburbs in Southern California vulnerable to a legal challenge, either because they have anti-camping laws or because of the way they treat homeless people. To stay within the parameters of the decision, Blasi said, a city cannot enforce its anti-camping law until it has shown that the number of shelter beds exceeds the homeless population or that some other housing alternative exists. For years, advocacy groups have been waging a multi-front legal battle against local rules barring people from sleeping on sidewalks. In 2016, the city of Pomona reached a settlement that kept it from clearing encampments from city sidewalks unless it had provided enough shelter beds, campgrounds or other housing to accommodate its unsheltered homeless population. Although Pomona has provided 208 beds since then   enough to comply with the settlement   it no longer removes sidewalk encampments unless there is a health and safety issue or a person has more than 60 gallons of belongings, said Police Lt. Anthony Catanese. Los Angeles, in a legal settlement reached more than a decade ago, agreed to allow homeless people to camp on sidewalks between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Bonin contends that, even in the wake of last year's 9th Circuit ruling, many other cities do not permit such activities, prompting homeless people to cross into L.A. at night. "That puts more of a burden on Los Angeles neighborhoods to do the public health response, the sanitation cleanups," said Bonin, who represents L.A.'s coastal neighborhoods. At the border of Bonin's district and the city of Santa Monica, two homeless men told The Times they were more likely to be harassed by police in Santa Monica than in L.A. Sitting beneath a tarp on Venice Boulevard, Donald Wige Jr. said he has seen Santa Monica officers ticket and harass people digging in garbage cans for recyclables. Pablo Silva, 24, said he used to get grief from police when he attempted to set up a tent on the beach. "They'd tell me to go to Venice. That I could only set up my tent in Venice," he said. Santa Monica City Manager Rick Cole said his city does not have a policy to push homeless people into L.A. He was also skeptical of the stories told by the two homeless men. "I'm certain that in conversations with individual officers, there are times when individual officers in the LAPD or the Santa Monica Police Department suggest that homeless people move along," Cole said. "It's an unfortunate reality that comes from thousands of interactions with people experiencing homelessness." Cole said he is convinced Santa Monica officers handle homelessness in a "humane and constitutional way." Santa Monica, which reported 905 homeless residents in last year's point-in-time count, prohibits people from obstructing sidewalks in ways that leave pedestrians with less than four feet of contiguous passage. Pasadena, which sits next to L.A.'s Eagle Rock neighborhood, bars homeless people from placing their personal property on sidewalks in ways that prevent people from "freely passing by." And in Gardena, a city that borders L.A.'s Harbor Gateway neighborhood, police say they have the power to enforce a law barring people from sleeping or setting up tents on sidewalks. When police receive a call about someone lying down on sidewalks, they will respond and instruct them to go elsewhere, said Lt. Chris Cuff. "Very rarely in those circumstances do we have individuals who don't move on," said Cuff, whose city had 47 people in last year's homeless count. A mental health evaluation team also frequently responds to such calls, he said. Still, Gardena's approach troubles Eric Tars, legal director of the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, one of the groups that represented plaintiffs in the 9th Circuit case. Sleeping, he said, is an "unavoidable human activity," and cities need to provide a place to do that safely and legally. Unless Gardena has sufficient shelter space or low-cost housing for its homeless population, enforcement of its sidewalk law is unconstitutional, Tars said. "Whether you're giving them a criminal citation or just harassing them and moving them along, if you are preventing them from doing that necessary life activity under threats of enforcement … that practice is also unconstitutional," he said. Times staff writer Alexa Díaz contributed to this report. david.zahniser@latimes.com Twitter: @DavidZahniser


Metta World Peace, formerly known as Ron Artest, is one of the most beloved Lakers of all time because of his role in the team's 2010 championship. Since retiring from the NBA in 2017, World Peace has returned to Los Angeles as an assistant coach for the Lakers' G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers. Since South Bay and L.A. share the same practice facility, World Peace has had the chance to evaluate the Lakers' young talent and apparently he's a big fan of Lonzo Ball . During an interview with ESPN LA 710 , World Peace said he envisions the 21-year-old point guard winning several championships during his time in Los Angeles: I love Lonzo defensively. He is going to be a champion. I'm not saying he's better than De'Aaron Fox, but he's going to be a champion. He's going to be in a championship, he's going to have rings on his fingers. An NBA champion himself, World Peace knows what it takes to win at the highest level and as a four-time All-Defensive teamer, he also knows that defense plays a big part in a team's success. If Ball can stay healthy and continue his growth on both ends of the floor, there's no reason to believe he won't a few funs at the Larry O'Brien trophy during his career. especially while he has LeBron James at his disposal. MORE: Draymond Green to LeBron James' 14-Year-Old Son: "I'm at Your F--king Neck This Summer" This first pitch at Royals-White Sox game took a wild turn that the photographer never saw coming Four potential Khris Middleton landing spots in free agency Louis Riddick: 'Dwayne Haskins is twice the thrower of Robert Griffin III' Packers should have one of NFL's most improved secondaries in 2019


NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. authorities said on Friday they were seeking a court order requiring Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to forfeit $12.7 billion following his conviction for racketeering and drug trafficking crimes earlier this year. The sum represents the total amount of cocaine, marijuana and heroin that a jury found Guzman to have trafficked, multiplied by the average prices of those drugs, according to a filing by prosecutors in Brooklyn federal court. It was not immediately clear what assets, if any, the United States could seize to satisfy the judgment. A spokesman for the prosecutors declined to comment. "This is largely an academic exercise as the government has never located or identified a penny of this $12.7 billion in proceeds supposedly generated by Mr. Guzman," said Jeffrey Lichtman, a lawyer for Guzman. Guzman, 62, was convicted on Feb. 12 on all 10 counts he faced, after jurors heard evidence from more than 50 prosecution witnesses, offering an unprecedented look at the inner workings of his Sinaloa Cartel. He faces life in prison at his scheduled July 17 sentencing. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan denied his motion to set aside the verdict and hold a new trial. Guzman's lawyers had argued that a new trial was needed after Vice News published an interview with one of the jurors, who said that the jury disobeyed court orders during the case. Guzman made a name for himself in the 1980s by building cross-border tunnels that allowed him to move cocaine from Mexico into the United States faster than anyone else. He spent much of his career on the run, moving from one hideout to another in the mountains of Sinaloa, guarded by a private army, and twice escaped from maximum-security Mexican prisons. He was finally captured in January 2016 and extradited to the United States to face trial. Despite Guzman's arrest, the Sinaloa Cartel still has the biggest U.S. distribution presence of Mexican cartels, followed by the fast-growing Jalisco New Generation Cartel, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Together, they are the biggest producers of drugs sold on U.S. streets. (Reporting by Brendan Pierson, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)


MELBOURNE   Mark Maida cast his bait beyond pea-green streaks of slime near the banks of Lake Washington, where a potentially toxin-producing algae lingers in the main source of drinking water for more than 170,000 people. The city hasn't found any algae toxins yet and assures the drinking water's safe. Any algae toxins from Lake Washington would be removed from the water before it reaches customers' taps, city officials say. But green wasn't a good look for the lake this week. "It's nasty," Maida said Friday from Lake Washington's fishing pier. "Normally, you can see the bottom. The fish can't see the bait." Maida won't eat his catches. He tosses back what he hooks   mostly small gar. Bright green algae blanketed waters near the lake's banks this week. The algae altered how the city disinfects its water, resulting in about 60 customer complaints of a strange odor to their drinking water. Excess algae has become an every-summer scourge for many Florida lakes, including Lake Washington. Rains bring remnants of fertilizers, leaky septic and sewer systems, and land-applied sewage sludge to fuel the algae explosions, sometimes toxic. Hot temperatures further fuel the algae growth. "The algae is causing us to change our water production procedures," said Cheryl Mall, city spokeswoman. "Our water is being treated and it's safe." Lake Washington provides two-thirds of the water supply for the city's 57,000 connections serving about 170,000 people. The rest comes from wells. Beyond its city limits, Melbourne also supplies drinking water to Melbourne Beach, Indialantic, Indian Harbour Beach, Satellite Beach, Palm Shores, Melbourne Village and part of the unincorporated areas south of the Pineda Causeway. Melbourne also provides wholesale water service to West Melbourne. City testing of Lake Washington on July 10 found a potentially toxic algae, or cyanobacteria, called Dolichospermum circinale . That means there is a cyanobacteria "that could produce a toxin such as microcystins," Shaniese Alexander, laboratory supervisory in the city's Public Works department, said via email. "To date, we have not found any cyanobacteria where microcystins has been detected in our source waters." According to the U.S. Geological Survey, that algae species also is capable of creating saxitoxin, the second most potent natural toxin in the world. Puffer fish in the Indian River Lagoon have been off-limits to harvest since 2002, after some people almost died after eating the fish contaminated with saxitoxin   a poison 1,000 times more lethal than cyanide. At least 28 people got sick in 2002 and 2003 after they ate puffer fish caught in the Titusville area, leading to a permanent state ban on harvesting the fish. "Any potentially toxigenic cyanobacteria is removed during our treatment process," Mall said. Large patches and streaks of green algae drifted near the lake's shores Thursday and Friday. "It was like kayaking in pea soup," Bill Zoby said of taking water samples from the lake Thursday. He's on the nonprofit St Johns Riverkeeper Headwaters Advisory Council. "The gas from the algae was bubbling up and giving off awful smells." "I am still coughing, itchy eyes and a sore throat from the gases," Zoby said Thursday. Winter and spring rains and record summer heat set the stage for a witch's brew of algae blooms in the lake this month. Rains pulse in the nitrogen and phosphorus from feeds off farm and residential fertilizers, leaking sewage. The recent city testing ruled out a toxic blue-green algae, called microcystis, that is linked with short and long-term health risks, such as liver disease. The toxin the algae emits, microcystin, shut down Toledo's water supply or a few days in 2014 and has for years occasionally nagged at Melbourne and other Florida utilities that tap lake or river water. The algae commonly blooms in Central and South Florida , and is toxic to fish, plants, invertebrates and mammals, including humans. The toxin can magnify in mussels, crayfish, fish and crops irrigated with contaminated water. Microcystin ingestion can cause diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Swimming in water where the toxin is present can cause rashes. Microcystin has been linked with liver cancer in lab mice, but its long-term effects on humans are less certain. More tests samples of Lake Washington are planned for next week, officials said. Jim Waymer is environment reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Waymer at 321-242-3663 or jwaymer@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @JWayEnviro Facebook: www.facebook.com/jim.waymer Support local journalism: It you would like to read more government and political news, and you are not a subscriber, please consider subscribing. For details, go to offers.floridatoday.com . This article originally appeared on Florida Today: A 'nasty' algae blankets Lake Washington's banks


The Los Angeles Lakers shocked the NBA world this past weekend by acquiring star big man Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans. In teaming AD up with LeBron James, Los Angeles also paid one of the highest bounties in a trade in NBA history. That's at least according to one unnamed executive around the Association. "Lakers overpaid by a significant margin, given the conditions," one executive told Bleacher Report's Howard Beck . The bounty included four first-round picks, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart. New Orleans also has the right to swap first-round picks in 2023. This handcuffs the Lakers in a big way. As of right now, they don't have room for another max-contract player. General manager Rob Pelinka and Co. are looking to rectify that , but it's not going to be easy. Speaking of Pelinka, suggestions are that he didn't know how the NBA salary cap worked before pulling off the Davis trade. The context for this discussion before on the Lakers "scrambling" to create more cap space pic.twitter.com/vTW28cbcPe   Ryan Glasspiegel (@sportsrapport) June 19, 2019 This has led others around the NBA to suggest that the Lakers' recent drama coupled with this trade does not inspire confidence that they'll build a championship contender anytime soon. "The coaching search does not inspire confidence," one rival GM told Beck. "The way they've handled the timing of the trade has not inspired confidence. The dysfunction does not inspire confidence." As of right now, the only core pieces in Los Angeles are LeBron, Davis and Kyle Kuzma. The Lakers might be forced to fill out the rest of their lineup with guys signing at between $7 million and $10 million annually. In today's oversaturated market, those pieces might not be enough for Los Angeles to get over the top. It's also important to note that King James turns 35 in December. Prior to an injury-plagued 2018-19 campaign, he had played deep into June for eight consecutive seasons. Is James in the latter end of his prime or the twilight of his career? That's an honest question. Given that the Lakers have pretty much enabled New Orleans to control their draft over the next several years, there's not a lot of wriggle room to add more core pieces. This is also a concern. "The Lakers totally screwed up the timing of this, clearly," the rival GM said. Whether this is hopeful thinking remains to be seen, but we can't simply conclude that Los Angeles is a top-end title contender because it added Davis to the mix. There's a whole lot more work to be done within an organization that has stumbled countless times over the past several years. That's at least the feeling from some around the NBA.


Adorable moment this cute baby giraffe, born with wonky back legs, learns to take his first steps thanks to a new pair of therapeutic shoes.


The Cleveland Browns and third-round pick Sione Takitaki have agreed to a contract and the rookie linebacker put ink on paper to make it official. Takitaki's signing means GM John Dorsey and the Browns have already signed every member of the draft class of 2019. Terms of the deal are not yet disclosed, but there is very little wiggle room or negotiation to be done with draft picks outside the first round. Takitaki comes to the Browns from BYU. He is expected to fill some of the role vacated when Jamie Collins (now with the Patriots) was released earlier this offseason. MORE: This flying-knee KO just 10 seconds into a PFL fight had the MMA world in awe Mallory Edens: Five Things To Know About Bucks Owner's Daughter Spurs' DeMar DeRozan 'possibly could be on the trade block' to Lakers Kyrie Irving spotted hanging out with LeBron James in Los Angeles Watch: Examining video from day 3 of Lions OTAs


A ring of tall arching windows and arching French doors wraps around the first floor of this house. Above those, a ring of rectangular windows wraps around the second floor, each with a second-floor balcony. It is elegant architecture, inspired by Rose Terrace, the great Grosse Pointe Farms mansion built by Anna Dodge, widow of auto baron Horace Dodge. That mansion was razed 1976. This house was built in the early 2000s by an owner who had loved it. He asked architect Victor Saroki to bring back some of Rose Terrace's style, of course on a less vast scale. Rose Terrace had 42,000 square feet; this house is still large at just under 9,000. "The house is very classic with the arches," Saroki said this week. "The arched windows give good proportions and overlook the yard. The high ceilings give a regal effect. " The setting is elegant, too. The lot is 76 feet wide and 700 feet deep, ending at the Lake St. Clair shoreline. Behind the house, with the view of the lake, is an expansive stone terrace with stone railings and a long reflecting pool. More: Couple finds unexpected treasures during Grosse Pointe Shores home renovation More: Michigan House Envy: Grosse Pointe mansion is a Mediterranean masterpiece A stone path leads to the shoreline, which has a large patio and more gardens. Landscaping is meticulous with English gardens and boxwood hedges trimmed into geometric designs. Inside the house, the large arching windows dominate and pour in views of the landscape and lake. As Rose Terrace's windows had been, these are framed in steel, Saroki said, which allows a high percentage of glass. In all the first-floor rooms that face the back terrace, all arches are actually French doors. Balconies, balconies, balconies It's easy to step outdoors from the second floor as well. Besides many small Juliet balconies, both the front and back of the house have a larger balcony, big enough for several people and furniture. At the rear, three bedrooms have direct access to a larger balcony with the lake view. In the front, the walk-out balcony is reached by a central hall. The kitchen and its breakfast room are large at 24 by 18 feet. The walls have a subtle faux painting that suggests a landscape. At the rear of the kitchen, arched doors lead out to the terrace. Across a hall is a small wet bar. The lower level is finished for entertaining, including a theater room with a drop-down screen as well as a small stage and curtain. Room for four cars in the garage The house has garage space for four cars, tucked two and two under a wide porte cochere , so the garage doors are not prominent. The driveway that leads up to it is lined with evergreens and pear trees. The second floor over this porte cochere holds a finished studio apartment, an exercise room and a second office. The house is roofed with slate with copper for its soffits and gutters. Assets include a large second-floor laundry room and an elevator that goes to all floors. The current owner said he feels the house is unusually high in construction quality and artistry. "This is darn close to pre-Depression quality," he said. "The house speaks for itself." Grosse Pointe Shores mansion Where: 992 Lake Shore Road, Grosse Pointe Shores How much: $2.99 million Bedrooms: 4 plus 1 in the studio apartment. Baths: 5 full and 4 half Square feet: 8,995 Key features: Elegant home on elegant grounds was inspired by Anna Dodge's mansion Rose Terrace, with large arching windows and French doors that surround the lower level. High-quality construction, large stone terrace with a long reflecting pool, Lake St. Clair shoreline, balconies around the second level. Contact: Patty Riley, Johnstone & Johnstone, 313-598-6107. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Terraces and balconies make $3M Grosse Pointe Shores mansion special


No travel bucket list would be complete without San Antonio, Texas. From the iconic history of The Alamo, to amusement parks, SeaWorld, the San Antonio Aquarium and Zoo, the city has plenty of attractions for the whole family. The downtown area's River Walk is full of shops, bars and restaurants, with plenty of nearby theaters, Texas' first modern art museum and numerous universities. Fortunately, there are plenty of relatively inexpensive flights between Miami and San Antonio, at least according to travel site Skyscanner . Here's a list of flights, hotels, restaurants and local attractions in San Antonio to get you started. (Prices and availability are current as of publication and subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in the articles may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. Cheapest San Antonio flights Currently, the cheapest flights between Miami and San Antonio are if you leave on Aug. 16 and return from Texas on Aug. 20. American Airlines currently has tickets for $244, roundtrip. There are also deals to be had in June. If you fly out of Miami on June 7 and return from San Antonio on June 10, Frontier Airlines can get you there and back for $247 roundtrip. Top San Antonio hotels To plan your accommodations, here are some of San Antonio's top-rated hotels, that we selected from Skyscanner's listings based on price and customer satisfaction. The Hotel Havana (1015 Navarro St.) If you're looking for an inexpensive place to stay, consider The Hotel Havana . The hotel has a 4.7-star rating on Skyscanner, and rooms are currently available for $105. Close to the San Antonio Central Library, River Walk and the Alamo, this San Antonio hotel is situated on a river. An additional nearby attraction is the Rivercenter Mall. The Grand Hyatt San Antonio (600 E. Market St.) There's also the 4.8-star rated The Grand Hyatt San Antonio . Rooms are currently set at $119/night. The Rivercenter Mall, the Alamo and River Walk are area attractions. Also nearby is the Tower of the Americas. The Sheraton Gunter Hotel San Antonio (205 E. Houston St.) If you're looking for an inexpensive place to stay, try The Sheraton Gunter Hotel San Antonio . The 4.6-star hotel has rooms for $98/night. Set in the heart of San Antonio, this hotel is close to the San Antonio Majestic Theater and River Walk, as well as the Alamo. Featured San Antonio food and drink Don't miss San Antonio's food scene, with plenty of popular spots to get your fill of local cuisine. Here are a few of the top-rated eateries from Skyscanner's listings. Bakery Lorraine (306 Pearl Parkway, #110) One of San Antonio's most popular eateries is Bakery Lorraine , which has an average of five stars out of 12 reviews on Skyscanner. "Scrumptious in every way   truly authentic French patisserie," wrote visitor Margaret. "Quiche, croissants, pain au chocolat, eclairs, delicious salads and sandwiches to boot. And you must leave room for one of their magical macaroons." The Cove (606 W. Cypress) Another popular dining destination is The Cove , with 4.7 stars from 23 reviews. The Cove is a restaurant, beer garden and live music venue. "I love the atmosphere in this place," wrote Sean. "Add some live music to the mix and you've got yourself a pretty decent evening in San Antonio." Magnolia Pancake Haus (606 Embassy Oaks) Also worth considering is the Magnolia Pancake Haus . "Great food at amazing prices," Jennifer wrote. Tiago's Cabo Grille (8403 State Highway151, #101) Finally, there's Tiago's Cabo Grille . "They have the best chips and salsa," wrote Jaysun. Featured local attractions Not sure what to do in San Antonio, besides eat and drink? Here are a few recommendations, provided by Skyscanner. The San Antonio River Walk (849 E. Commerce St.) First up is The San Antonio River Walk . The San Antonio River Walk was once hailed as "The American Venice" and offers a wide variety of attractions. Much more than a typical walkway, this Texas attraction has the best dining, attractions and entertainment around. "I walked the River Walk twice during my time in San Antonio and I much prefer it at night," wrote visitor Taylor. "I think it's beautiful all lit up and has more charm when there are people wandering up and down the paths." SeaWorld San Antonio (10500 Sea World Drive) SeaWorld San Antonio is another popular destination. "Whether you're a Texas local or on a family vacation, SeaWorld San Antonio has it all," wrote visitor Joe. "From interactive touch pools to live shows, there is an animal experience, thrilling rollercoasters and a waterpark." The Shops at La Cantera (15900 La Cantera Parkway) Finally, consider checking out The Shops at La Cantera . This story was created automatically using flight, hotel, and local attractions data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


The 2019-20 Premier League season is fast approaching, and plenty of clubs are starting to release all of their new kits for the upcoming campaign. [ STREAM: Every PL match live ] With players now back for preseason training there are still a handful of teams who have yet to release their new gear, but we will update this post and slot them in our rankings accordingly when the new threads come out. Below we take a look at all of the new kits so far and rank them in terms of best to worst. 1. Arsenal: Adidas have taken over from Puma and these retro style shirts are just brilliant. So too was the video to unveil them. Welcome home, @adidasfootball 😍 Like the look of our new home kit? You can get yours right here 👇   Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) July 1, 2019 2. Leicester City : Mostly because of their pink away kit which is absolutely stunning, even if it nicks the design from Germany's 2018 World Cup home shirt. In a word, crisp. Leicester City 2019/20 adidas home shirt 🔵 On sale in store and online now. pic.twitter.com/dpBPnyLORc   Leicester City (@LCFC) May 11, 2019 🆕 Leicester City 2019/20 adidas pink away shirt 🆕 Pre-order online and in store now. pic.twitter.com/VrEepr4ZsM   Leicester City (@LCFC) May 24, 2019 Leicester City 2019/20 adidas grey away shirt. Pre-order now 👉 https://t.co/mAm6iSkiZ4 pic.twitter.com/HazeclAITj   Leicester City (@LCFC) May 24, 2019 3. West Ham : Lovely change-up on the home kit and the away kit is just pure class. Classic white shirts with a touch of claret and blue. Well done. Introducing our new 2019/20 Home and Away kits ⚒ Inspired by the Class of '80. #ThenNowForever pic.twitter.com/JupzTnW3YQ   West Ham United (@WestHamUtd) May 30, 2019 4. Man City : Puma have taken over City's new kits, and they're looking sharp. The black away kit is especially sexy. NOW WE'RE REALLY HERE! 👊 @pumafootball ❎ #mancity HOME KIT: https://t.co/ddVRxCTPSK AWAY KIT: https://t.co/x2qjPiGVha pic.twitter.com/gpT1DZUYBt   Manchester City (@ManCity) July 1, 2019 5. Bournemouth : Just like the Cherries on the pitch, their home kits are criminally underrated. Black and red is such a striking design and they've kept it simple. Fresh. #PlayOurWay 🔴⚫ Introducing the new @UmbroUK 2019/20 #afcb home kit. Get yours now 🛍: https://t.co/kt58LdIFAP pic.twitter.com/dCHkucgZ3h   AFC Bournemouth (@afcbournemouth) May 2, 2019 6. Sheffield United : Clean new design for the Blades on their return to the PL, and even the sponsors look pretty cool and fit in with both their home and away shirts. Nice. Live. Play. Create. Our 19/20 Premier League kits 🔴 pic.twitter.com/crrNu8NLZT   Sheffield United (@SUFC_tweets) July 1, 2019 7. Newcastle United : If you could make the sponsor smaller and/or change its main color to black or white, this jersey would surge further up our rankings. ⚫⚪ Our new 2019/20 home kit. Inspired by the heroes of 1969. Pre-order from 9am BST: https://t.co/bQEh10si41 #NUFC pic.twitter.com/OTnyRS5Iaz   Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) June 19, 2019 8. Liverpool : Decent switch to the pinstripe, but just doesn't look as good as their past few home shirts. The all-white away kits are nice enough though. 🔴 IT'S HERE! 🔴 Our new 2019/20 @NBFootball home kit 😍 Available to pre-order today 👉 https://t.co/kgZQ1SIzwR #LiveIt pic.twitter.com/QWa4DqnajM   Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 18, 2019 Away from home, the passion remains the same. The #LFC 2019/20 @nbfootball Away Kit is available to buy now.   https://t.co/R2UaZuvAYK Liverpool FC. #LiveIt pic.twitter.com/RM3iCUsNlV   Liverpool FC Retail (@LFCRetail) June 7, 2019 9. Crystal Palace : Palace's kit is one of the most recognizable in the PL and this simple design keeps that intact. The leaked away shirts are white and keep the traditional red and blue sash. They are ace. 🔴🔵 Do you love our new 19/20 @pumafootball home shirt? #MatchReady Pre-order online 👉 https://t.co/FV7l5UdaJs pic.twitter.com/xg7dphGy6f   Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) May 14, 2019 10. Man United : Only the home shirt has been released so far, with the away kits rumored to be gold. The massive crest certainly stands out and the design touches which celebrate the 20th anniversary of the treble-winning season are nice. New signing, new kit. @AWBissaka in #MUFC colours 🔄 pic.twitter.com/ZxuWGSbY82   Manchester United (@ManUtd) June 29, 2019 11. Chelsea : Blue camouflage? Hmm. That's a new one. Chelsea have gone away from the solid blue design and it looks a little too snazzy. Introducing our 2019/20 @nikefootball home kit! 👕 Get yours 👉 https://t.co/TJfP0JhBuG #ITSACHELSEATHING pic.twitter.com/mq5cKQ7VT4   Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 2, 2019 12. Everton : It is always good to try something new, but this just doesn't really work. A for effort… 🔵 | How the Archibald Leitch steelwork synonymous with Goodison Park became immortalised in fabric. Our new 2019-20 home kit! Pre-order now in time for release on 18 July. @UmbroUK ➡ https://t.co/dfgttts7HJ pic.twitter.com/rOF3mS55gF   Everton (@Everton) July 4, 2019 13. Burnley : Umbro are Burnley's new kit suppliers and there is not a lot you can do with this classic kit. The Clarets have remained Claret, but this is pretty bland. pic.twitter.com/NfeWjzC41w   Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) July 1, 2019 14. Brighton : The Seagulls have kept it simple and this looks pretty much like every home kit they've had in recent seasons. A bit more adventure wouldn't go amiss. 👕 Get your hands on Albion's new home kit at the Club Superstore from 9am tomorrow morning… 😉 It would be rude not to! #BHAFC 🔵⚪ pic.twitter.com/ydR6Rrnd5u   Brighton & Hove Albion ⚽ (@OfficialBHAFC) May 29, 2019 15. Southampton : The kit launch promo video was good. The actual kits are not very good at all. Hard to ruin a classic red and white striped shirt, but Saints have had a very good go at it… "Why has no one put a Premier League club kit launch on a desert island?" 🏝 #SayntsFestival has arrived… pic.twitter.com/kL3IqzruON   Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) May 17, 2019 Follow @JPW_NBCSports


Welcome to Day 8 of Denver Broncos training camp! The Broncos will practice from 9:15 a.m. until 12 p.m. on Friday, July 26 at UCHealth Training Center (13655 E Broncos Pkwy, Englewood, CO 80112). Free parking will be available beginning at 7 a.m. and gates to the practice facility will open at 8 a.m. Follow along below for live updates from practice: Tweets from https://twitter.com/TheBroncosWire/lists/denver-broncos To view information about attending practice, click here . To view the team's complete training camp schedule, click here . MORE: UFC's Thiago Santos shares brutal update on injuries suffered in loss to Jon Jones Packers signing former Jaguars RB Corey Grant Instant observations from Day 1 of Patriots training camp Roundup: Orange is the New Black's Final Season; How Tall is Peppa Pig; Let's Move Halloween Observations from Lions training camp, Day 1: Jahlani Tavai gets starting reps


Thousands of protesters kicked off the weekend ahead of threatened ICE raids with vigils, marches and rallies across the U.S. On Friday, crowds rallied from New York to Colorado to California to protest the proposed mass roundup and detention of undocumented immigrants that President Donald Trump announced would commence over the weekend. Beginning Sunday, federal immigration officers are scheduled to sweep across what was originally 10 cities (San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Denver, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Baltimore, Chicago and Atlanta) to arrest about 2,000 undocumented immigrants as outlined by President Trump. Because of Hurricane Barry, Houston and New Orleans, which were originally targeted in raids, will not see immigration enforcement actions, officials said. (MORE: Trump confirms ICE raids set for Sunday as cities, advocates brace to respond) This operation targets only undocumented immigrants with final removal orders, who will eventually be deported, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the matter. Significantly, the same official told ABC News, the operation will not arrest so-called collaterals, those people who happen to be with the targeted individuals. "Due to law-enforcement sensitivities and the safety and security of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel, the agency will not offer specific details related to enforcement operations," an ICE official told ABC News in a statement .. "As always, ICE prioritizes the arrest and removal of unlawfully present aliens who pose a threat to national security, public safety and border security." (MORE: Marriott, Choice hotels say they would not serve as detention centers after ICE raids) In New York, one of the 10 major cities initially targeted for raids by the Administration, hundreds of demonstrators organized by the advocacy group "Lights for Liberty" marched on Manhattan's Foley Square late Friday, demanding a shutdown to overcrowded U.S. detention centers on the border. Attendees held signs saying, "Migration is a human right," "Shut down immigrant concentration camps," and "Homeland Security is taking freedom away." State and city officials are bracing for what might take place Sunday with these announced ICE operations. Mesa, Arizona Mayor John Giles, whose city is 150 miles from the Mexican border, told ABC News Live that, based on what he's heard, he's "not sure we're going to see something extraordinary that's going to provoke outrage from the community. " "We'll wait and see if this is something different than business as usual, or not," Giles said. "We all understand that we have immigration laws, and it's important that we enforce them, not just at the border but in the interior of our country." "We also understand that we have 10 million undocumented people living in the U.S., and it's a fool's errand to think you can deport that many people," he said. "You have to prioritize how you do enforcement in the interior of the country and it sounds like these most recent raids are targeting folks with orders of deportation and those with criminal records." In southern California, thousands turned out on Friday to protest at several different demonstrations. In West Hollywood, politicians, including former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, gathered to protest the raids, according to ABC station KABC . "Everybody knows that every country has a right to secure its borders and enforce its immigration laws, but we do so consistent with our values," Villaraigosa told the crowd. Another group organized by "Lights for Liberty" held a vigil near downtown Los Angeles' Metropolitan Detention Center, and held a vigil at Santa Ana's Civic Center Plaza downtown in Orange County. Washington Governor and Democratic presidential hopeful Jay Inslee, whose northwestern state has sued the Trump administration several times over immigration policy, told ABC News Live that he and his state's attorney general are prepared to sue in federal court at the first sign constitutional rights are threatened. "We are monitoring this very carefully, and we have been vigorously enforcing the law and constitutional rights of people," Inslee said. "We have now sued and defeated Donald Trump 22 times in a row. I was the first governor to stand up against his illegal Muslim ban. If we find there is any violations of the law or the Constitution with these raids, we will vigorously defend the rights of anyone in our state." ABC News' Aaron Katersky, Devin P. Dwyer, Stephanie Ebbs and Anne Flaherty contributed to this report.


HONG KONG Thousands of protesters besieged the city's police headquarters, extending a political crisis in the city sparked by a proposed extradition law that the government has since put a stop to in an effort to ease unrest. Demonstrators many young and including students chanted Friday at police to take responsibility for the use of tear gas and projectiles to disperse demonstrators during one of a series of street rallies last week. The crowd swelled Friday evening before subsiding after midnight. It followed a day in which a few thousand protesters disrupted pockets of Hong Kong, blocking roads and occupying government buildings. In some cases, a handful of protesters were able to shut down main roads, blocking them with barriers. The city's government closed its central offices as a precaution, while police remained largely out of view. Authorities in Hong Kong have been in damage-control mode this week, following protests earlier this month that included record crowds pouring onto the streets Sunday to oppose the proposed law. Many residents oppose the measure, which would allow people in Hong Kong to be sent to China for trial. They view the extradition plan as the latest push by China's leaders to impose its authoritarian rules in the former British colony, impeding their rights guaranteed until 2047 by a constitutional agreement. Seeking to restore calm, Chief Executive Carrie Lam twice apologized for her handling of the issue and said the bill would be suspended indefinitely. The president of the city's legislature also said debate would be delayed on another controversial bill criminalizing disrespect for the Chinese national anthem, "March of the Volunteers." While some business organizations welcomed the government's climb down, some opposition groups weren't as satisfied. In Friday's demonstrations, they demanded the bill be fully withdrawn, the resignation of Mrs. Lam and that police be made accountable for forcibly dispersing protesters who blocked roads around the government's headquarters June 12. Friday's events indicate the unrest will likely drag on, with organizers calling for a rally Wednesday, timed before the G-20 summit in Japan where President Trump is expected to meet his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. Authorities' reluctance Friday to again use force against protesters after violent clashes last week put Hong Kong under international scrutiny and unnerved government advisers enabled protesters free movement throughout the day. Groups staged sit-ins at buildings housing the tax and immigration departments. The protesters' actions, however, risk turning public opinion, which has been generally supportive. As many as two million people thronged the streets on June 16, organizers said, in a peaceful march demanding the extradition bill be shelved. The police Friday afternoon said the protests were causing delays in their response to some emergency calls as personnel had difficulties dispatching from its headquarters. The immigration department sent out a note saying that it respects freedom of expression but asking protesters to consider the rights of those who might be trying to apply for needed travel documents or visa extensions. Late Friday, a police spokeswoman urged protesters to allow workers in the complex a path to return home after being trapped inside. "Today, the movement is riding high, reinvigorated by the government's mishandling of what was a single-issue protest," wrote Steve Vickers, a former senior officer in Hong Kong's police force and now chief executive of a specialist risk and security consulting company. "Protester excess, though, could quickly change that." The latest protests are increasingly focused on demands that police be held accountable for their actions last week, which included using tear gas and rubber bullets against demonstrators. They are also demanding that charges against arrested protesters be dropped. At 8:30 p.m., the rallies outside police headquarters remained peaceful as more people joined after work. Many protesters wore masks, goggles and helmets. Some threw eggs, and a sign of "never give in" was posted on the entrance of the headquarters. "Hong Kong people want to have a new mechanism" for police to be held accountable for their actions, said Wilson Wong, a nurse who arrived at the scene around 7 p.m. "I will not leave until we disband." By 1 a.m. the crowds had thinned dramatically, but a small group remained, some shining flashlights into the eyes of police officials in the building ahead of them. Some residents were annoyed by the disruption. "Enough is enough," said 40-year-old Mary Lam, a financial services worker who couldn't get a taxi home following a day of disrupted appointments across town. "I have my rights, too, and the protesters are taking them away." Write to Natasha Khan at natasha.khan@wsj.com


Curious just how far your dollar goes in Houston? We've rounded up the latest rental listings via rental sites Zumper and Apartment Guide to get a sense of what to expect when it comes to finding an apartment in Houston with a budget of $1,400/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. 5454 Newcastle St. (Greenway / Upper Kirby Area) Listed at $1,301/month, this 1,168-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom residence is located at 5454 Newcastle St. The apartment comes with a walk-in closet, hardwood flooring, a fireplace and in-unit laundry. Pet lovers, take note: cats and dogs are welcome upon approval. According to Walk Score, the area around this address requires a car for most errands, is bikeable and has a few nearby public transportation options. (Take a look at the complete listing here .) 8787 Hammerly Blvd. (Spring Branch Central) Next, there's this two-bedroom, two-bathroom spot over at 8787 Hammerly Blvd. It's also listed for $1,301/month for its 1,020 square feet. The building has secured entry. When it comes to pets, both meows and barks are allowed. According to Walk Score, the surrounding area requires a car for most errands, has some bike infrastructure and has a few nearby public transportation options. (Take a gander at the complete listing here .) 3354 Rogerdale Road (Westchase) Located at 3354 Rogerdale Road, here's a 1,124-square-foot two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment that's listed for $1,390/month. The apartment has a fireplace. The building has a fitness center, secured entry and garage parking. If you've got a pet, you'll be happy to learn that cats and dogs are allowed. Walk Score indicates that this location is somewhat walkable, is relatively bikeable and has a few nearby public transportation options. (Take a gander at the complete listing here .) Working with a tight budget? Here are the cheapest rentals recently listed in Houston . 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.