The NBA season may have concluded with the Toronto Raptors' 114-110 win over the Golden State Warriors in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, but that doesn't mean there isn't any basketball to watch. On May 24, a month after the Oklahoma City Thunder were knocked out of the NBA Playoffs by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round, the WNBA season kicked off. Oklahoma City doesn't have a team in the league - though there used to be a team about an hour and a half away in Tulsa - so Thunder star Russell Westbrook had to head west to Las Vegas in order to take in a game. And he wasn't the only standout point guard from the Western Conference in attendance for the New York Liberty-Las Vegas Aces game on Friday night. Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook are checking out the Liberty-Aces game pic.twitter.com/IYy0WIttRv - Dime (@DimeUPROXX) June 15, 2019 Shortly after Westbrook was spotted with Houston Rockets point guard Chris Paul, the pair was joined by Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James. Oh hey LeBron! pic.twitter.com/1I3r9EXs31 - Dime (@DimeUPROXX) June 15, 2019 Of course, everyone was aware of the trio sitting courtside. Even Las Vegas guard Kelsey Plum had to swing by at halftime to say high. Game recognizes game. @Kelseyplum10 @KingJames @CP3 @russwest44 pic.twitter.com/2lwp7qH9aP - WNBA (@WNBA) June 15, 2019 And Plum made sure to bring her game for Westbrook and company, leading both teams with 19 points in the Aces' 100-65 win. Welcome to The House @KingJames @russwest44 @CP3 #DoubleDown ♦♠ pic.twitter.com/2WQGCYz7gC - Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) June 15, 2019 MORE: Kawhi Leonard joked about his looming free agency decision with Kyle Lowry Rapoport: Broncos have picked successor to become next owner This is how the Golden State Warriors head into the offseason Lonzo Ball posts cryptic message on Instagram amid trade rumors Cowboys news: Minicamp closes with bang, injury update, Hardy a menace


It's easy to forget how far quarterback Dak Prescott has come as he enters his fourth season in the NFL. At this juncture in 2016, he was battling quarterback-turned-safety Jameill Showers for the third-string spot behind Tony Romo and current offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, just trying to make the team. The next part of the story has been told time and time again. Moore broke his fibia and Romo again broke his back. Prescott lit the preseason on fire, completing 78% of his passes for 454 yards and five touchdowns against no interceptions, and never looked back. Prescott's reputation has always been that he is at his best when the lights come on. Practice, however, has been a different story. What's confounded people like Bryan Broaddus, a former scout and current staff writer for the Dallas Cowboys is that what he's seen on the practice field isn't matching what he sees on Sunday. In the past, he has called Prescott the practice player flat-out bad. He doesn't always look sharpe. He'll miss some throws. This is not new for him. We've talked about this a bunch. https://t.co/JNF03f3Fko - BryanBroaddus (@BryanBroaddus) June 14, 2017 To quote the great philosopher Allen Iverson, "we talking about practice, not a game, not a game, not a game, we talking about practice." It's obviously preferable for a franchise quarterback to be better in games than practice, but for the offense as a whole to find its rhythm and play at its best, the quarterback needs to be sharp all the time. By all accounts, it's starting to turn around for Prescott on the practice fields this summer. It started in mini-camps and has carried over to the extremely early parts of training camp in Oxnard. Seriously though, Dak has continued to do what we were seeing in OTA's. The ball is where it needs to be on every route just about every time. Tomorrow will be fun to see what it looks like in pads. - Bobby Belt (@BobbyBeltTX) July 29, 2019 It's true that the pads haven't come on, and none of these plays count for anything. But the concerns with Prescott has almost never been how he'll play when it matters most. No one wonders how he'll perform when the play breaks down. The biggest issue with Prescott's game through his three-year career are the mundane plays. And this is where practice comes in. He won't be hit in training camp. It's about finding a rhythm with his wide receivers. Here he is with second-year wide receiver Michael Gallup. Dak Prescott to Michael Gallup pic.twitter.com/LxVUShcdgk - Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) July 28, 2019 Think back to last year. How many times did Prescott overthrow Gallup on this exact play in the 2018 season? It's hard to tell the exact speed that the play is moving at, but it's safe to assume it's close to full throttle. The ball is dropped in the perfect spot and Gallup isn't forced to break his stride to haul it in. Here's another example from practice. This time to wide receiver Amari Cooper. Dak to Amari pic.twitter.com/De9ySs1xw2 - Jon Machota (@jonmachota) July 28, 2019 This placement on this ball is even better than the one to Gallup in the previous clip. The ball goes over the outside shoulder of Cooper. In a game, this pass is right where it needs to be, minimizing the risk of an interception and maximizing the chances at an explosive play, something this Cowboys team desperately needs. Again, it's extremely early in training camp to come to any conclusions about where Prescott is headed for 2019. But so far he has taken a step forward. As head coach Jason Garrett often says, it's about stacking one good day on top of another, and so far Prescott has done exactly that. MORE: MLB Trade Deadline Rumors: Latest on Noah Syndergaard, Trevor Bauer, and More Trevor Bauer angrily fired a baseball over the centerfield wall before being pulled from game Heinz and Steelers could be parting ways Tom Brady disobeys Bill Belichick at practice, and suffers the consequences Peter King compares Eagles QB Carson Wentz to Tom Brady


With Independence Day a week away, towns in the Hudson Valley are planning their annual celebrations full of entertainment, food and, of course, fireworks. Check out our list of Fourth of July events around Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties. Don't see your town? Info can be sent to hclark@lohud.com and kcroke1@lohud.com. FIREWORKS: Why New York counties banned them and where you can buy them July 3 Harrison The Harrison Fourth of July celebration will feature the music of Rock Steady beginning at 7:45 p.m. and fireworks will begin at approximately 9:30 p.m. at the Harrison Shopping Center located at the corner of Oakland and Halstead avenues. Rain date: July 4. Ossining Louis Engel Waterfront Park will be filled with the music and fireworks for the Ossining Fourth of July celebration. Festivities begin at 7 p.m. with music and fireworks beginning around 9:15 p.m. Louis Engel Waterfront Park, 25 Westerly Road, Ossining. 914-941-3189. Rain date: July 8. Pomona Join the Rockland Boulders at Palisades Credit Union Park for two nights of "Independence Week" fireworks. The first 1,000 attendees to the July 3 game will be given a "special edition Patriotic Boulders baseball cap." On July 4, there will be a hot dog eating contest and the Ramsey Wind Symphony will accompany the fireworks. Both games begin at 6:30 p.m. Palisades Credit Union Park, 1 Palisades Credit Union Park Drive, Pomona. Valhalla The Kensico Dam Music Fest and Fireworks event will feature pre-concert entertainment at 6 p.m. At 8 p.m, a concert of patriotic tunes will rock the plaza. Fireworks will begin at 9:15 p.m. The event is held rain or shine. Parking and admission are free. Kensico Dam Plaza, 1 Bronx River Parkway Road, Valhalla. 914-231-4033, parks.westchestergov.com . Yonkers At the Cross County Shopping Center's annual Summer Fest, celebrate Independence Day with live entertainment from the NYC Party Band on the Green Lawn followed by fireworks. The fireworks will be displayed in the north parking lot, behind Shake Shack. The concert begins at 6:30 p.m. and fireworks start at 9:30 p.m. Cross County Shopping Center, 8000 Mall Walk, Yonkers. crosscountycenter.com . Rain date: July 5. July 4 Irvington The Village of Irvington, along with the F.A.C.E. Committee will hold their annual fireworks around 9 p.m. in Matthiessen Park. Park permits are required and tents are not permitted. Residents are asked to park on the east side of the train tracks to make it easier to leave at the end of the show. Matthiessen Park, 1 Bridge St., Irvington. 914-591-7070, irvintonny.gov . Pearl River Fireworks at Central Avenue Field around 9:30 p.m. Katonah Caramoor will be hosting the Pops, Patriots and Fireworks Independence Day Celebration at the Venetian Theater. There's a concert and fireworks display. The event tends to sell out quickly so it's best to get your tickets as soon as possible. Guests will be treated to a medley of Rodgers and Hammerstien songs performed by Carmoor Schwab vocal Rising Star alums Madison Leonard and Shea Owens. The evening ends with a rendition of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture and fireworks. $15-$93. 8 p.m. In case of rain, the concert will be held July 4 and the fireworks on July 7 at 9 p.m Ventian Theater, 149 Girdle Ridge Road, Katonah. caramoor.org . Mamaroneck Join the Village of Mamaroneck Arts Council for Summer Nights on the Sound. On the Fourth of July, the acpaella group, The Soundettes, will perform followed by The St. Thomas Orchestra at 8 p.m. Fireworks on the beach will conclude the night beginning at dusk. The 72nd annual Mamaroneck Fire Department's carnival will be held the same day. Guests are invited to bring blankets, lawn chairs and picnic baskets. Festivities run from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. vomartscouncil@gmail.com. facebook.com/VoMArtsCouncil . New Rochelle Celebrate at "Spark the Sound," a fireworks display at the New Rochelle waterfront. The fireworks begin at 9:30 p.m. The best spots to view them are at waterfront locations, Five Islands Park and Hudson Park. The event is rain or shine. Peekskill A parade will step off at Highland Avenue at 10 a.m. and head to Peekskill's waterfront for a concert beginning at 7 p.m. featuring Billy and the Showman. Fireworks begin at 9:15 p.m. There is no rain date. Riverfront Green Park, Peekskill. 914-734-7275, cityofpeekskill.com . Sleepy Hollow Fireworks will begin at dusk, around 9:15-9:30 p.m., at the Edge on Hudson near the lighthouse. They can be viewed from Kingsland Point Park, Barnhart Park, Devries Park and Horans Landing. Tarrytown The annual fireworks display will begin at dusk, around 9:15-9:30 p.m. Come to Pierson Park at 7 p.m. for a concert featuring "Kick-Start Charlie." Pierson Park, 238 W Main St., Tarrytown. 914-631-1885, tarrytowngov.com . Yonkers Yonkers residents can catch fireworks two nights in a row. At the Yonkers Downtown Waterfront, a DJ will be spinning from 7 to 9 p.m. followed by fireworks at 9:15 p.m. Yonkers Downtown Waterfront, 15 Main St., Yonkers. yonkersdowntown.com . July 5 Nyack 9-9:30 p.m. at the village's Memorial Park, visitnyack.org/event/nyack-fireworks-2019/ July 6 West Point Listen to the Army's oldest band, the West Point Band, under the stars with fireworks at West Point's Independence Day celebration. Bring a picnic and blanket and enjoy a wide variety of music ranging from traditional field music to today's top hits. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. For information, including cancellations and updates, visit westpointband.com , call 845-938-2617 or check social media. Trophy Point Amphitheater, 117-119 Washington Road, West Point. This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Where are 2019 Fourth of July fireworks in Westchester and Rockland?


A Bergen County foundation that recognizes graduating high school seniors for academic achievement is giving awards to 10 students for excellence in their Italian language studies, which was once one of the most widely spoken languages in New Jersey households. Italian was the third most common language spoken at home in the Garden State at the turn of the 21st Century, according to census data. But by 2017, it dropped to the ninth. Chinese, Korean and several other Asian languages have rose up the list. That is despite the over 1.3 million New Jerseyans who say they are of Italian descent. "Unfortunately, my guess is that there will be a further decline," said Silvio Laccetti, of Fairview, founder of the Silvio Lacetti foundation. The foundation's Garibaldi Award honors high school seniors who have excelled in promoting the Italian American legacy in public affairs, extra-curricular activities and Italian studies. Previous winners of the award   named after Giuseppe Garibaldi, the Italian general who was a critical part of the fight to unify Italy into a single country in the 1800s   have raised money for Italian studies or managed to get their schools to offer Italian courses. The names of this year's winners have not been announced yet, but winners will feature three winners from Wayne and one from Dumont and Lyndhurst. "I was so grateful to [Laccetti] and to win the award," said Alessia Lombardi, a 2018 recipient of the award from Lyndhurst. When she was in eighth grade, Lombardi wrote a letter to Lyndhurst High School stating that the neighborhood had a large enough Italian community and should offer Italian language courses. Lombardi was later notified by the school that they were in the process of interviewing potential Italian teachers. The school eventually hired one, then needed to hire another due to demand for Italian courses, Lombardi said. The school now offers honors and Advanced Placement Italian language courses. "I want to be able to communicate properly when I go back to Italy," said Lombardi, who is now a graduate of the high school. Data from the U.S. Census shows that from 2000 to 2017 the number of people who said they spoke Italian went from 116,400 to 63,000. A history of assimilation into secular American culture is a likely cause of the decline, said Robert DiBiase, chairman for the New Jersey Italian Heritage Commission, a state commission created to promote the Italian American culture, history, heritage and language. "From the very beginning, during our mass migration from Italy to America during the populist years, bigotry and prejudice were the impetus," DiBiase said. "That generation wanted to expedite the assimilation into American culture." Laccetti admitted that increasing the number of Italian speakers is an uphill battle and that it's difficult to master a language for adults, which is the reason he encourages kids still in school to attempt to learn Italian. The Italian consulate in New York City has also taken action to combat the decline of Italian speakers. The consulate offers programs and grants to institutions who promote Italian language and heritage education. Education: 'Can't pay their bills with love': In many teaching jobs, teachers' salaries can't cover rent Bergen County: Driver in Delaware crash that killed Trinidad family pleads guilty to multiple counts More: NJ primary election 2019: Bergen County election results The 2019 winners of the Garibaldi Award will be announced throughout June, Laccetti said. They will get a plaque commemorating the award and a one-year membership to the Garibaldi Museum in Staten Island. This article originally appeared on North Jersey Record: Group looks to fight rapid decline in NJ Italian speakers


Oakland Wondering where to find the best places for beer near you? Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top bars and cafes serving beer in Oakland, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of the best spots to achieve your dreams. 1. Awaken Cafe Topping the list is Awaken Cafe . Located at 1429 Broadway (between Telegraph Avenue and 15th Street), the downtown Oakland coffeehouse and cafe is the highest-rated spot to grab a beer in the city, boasting four stars out of 521 reviews on Yelp. In addition to its caffeinated beverages, the business serves up hard ciders and craft brews. 2. Beer Revolution Next up is Jack London Square's Beer Revolution , situated at 464 Third St. (between Broadway and Washington streets). With 4.5 stars out of 780 reviews on Yelp, the beer bar and bottle shop has proven to be a local favorite. Stop by and try one of the brews from the 50 rotating taps. 3. The Trappist The Trappist , located at 460 Eighth St. (between Broadway and Washington streets) in Old Oakland, is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the artisan beer bar four stars out of 1,389 reviews. It features 100 Belgian, Dutch, Scandinavian and American craft brews. 4. Aisle 5 Aisle 5 , a beer bar and gastropub that offers pizza and more, is another go-to, with four stars out of 217 Yelp reviews. Head over to 3320 Grand Ave. (between Elwood and Santa Clara avenues) to see for yourself. 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.


During the Oilers-Blackhawks game, a pane of glass was dislodged and hit a female fan in the head. The fan would remain in her seat and watch the rest of the game.


Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison is known as a car collector. But he picked a bad time to bet on Tesla. Since disclosing the purchase of 3 million shares in the electric car maker at the end of December, Tesla's stock has plunged 42%, which would make the company the worst performer in the S&P 500 this year if it were in the index. Ellison is Tesla's second-biggest individual holder, behind only CEO Elon Musk . The stock's drop, tied to Tesla's store closings and layoffs, Musk's clash with regulators and trade tensions between the U.S. and China, has driven Ellison's $1 billion stake down to $580 million as of mid-day Thursday. But Ellison's investment in Tesla was not entirely about financial gain. At the end of 2018, Tesla added Ellison and former Kellogg executive Kathleen Wilson-Thompson to the board as part of a settlement with the SEC, which had challenged Musk's statement on Twitter that he had "secured" funding to take the company private at $420 a share. In Tesla's announcement about the new board members, the company described Ellison as a "big believer in Tesla's mission" and said he purchased his 3 million shares earlier in the year. Ellison expressed his bullishness on the company in October, when he revealed that Tesla was his second largest investment at a meeting with financial analysts. No analyst asked about Tesla, but he felt compelled to mention it. "I'm very close friends with Elon Musk, and I'm a big investor in Tesla," Ellison said. "And so Tesla had a good day. And I think Tesla has a lot of upside. Do you know the most popular car by revenue in the United States over the last three months? The number one car in the United States by revenue. The Tesla Model 3 outsold in revenue   forget about Ford and GM, they weren't even close   outsold Honda and Toyota." At the time, Tesla was trading at about $315. It's now around $194. 'Landing rockets on robot drones' Ellison, who started Oracle in 1977, can easily afford the loss. With a net worth of over $57 billion, thanks to his Oracle stake, he's the world's seventh-richest person, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index . He also likes nice things. In addition to mansions in Malibu, Lake Tahoe and San Francisco, a Hawaiian island, and a $130 million yacht , Ellison also reportedly owned a 1995 McLaren F1 and sold it in 2010 for $3.6 million. Other cars in his collection have included an Audi R8, Lexus LFA and Lexus LS 600h L. However, his interest in Tesla may be as much about Musk as the cars he makes. "This guys is landing rockets," Ellison said at the October analyst meeting, in reference to SpaceX, one of Musk's other companies. "He's landing rockets on robot drone wraps in the ocean. And you're saying he doesn't know what he's doing. Well, who else is landing rockets? You ever land a rocket on a robot drone? Who are you?" An Oracle spokesperson declined to comment. WATCH: Tesla CEO Elon Musk should not make wild forecasts Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.


Here's the most recent top news you may have missed in Orlando. MLS All-Star Game brings FIFA World Cup champions Alex Morgan and Kaka to Orlando, along with extended SunRail hours Orlando's soccer greats are back in town to judge other soccer greats showing off their skills for charity. Read the full story on Orlando Weekly . Feds claim drug to treat cancer in Orlando area was fraud According to his arrest warrant, federal investigators claim Ramon Julbe-Rosa managed a website for at least 6 years that sold a plant-based elixir that he claimed could treat ailments, such as cancer, arthritis, diabetes, lupus and more. Read the full story on Graham Media: WKMG News 6 . Car crashes into church in Orlando A car crashed into a church on West Par Street in Orlando on Tuesday night. Read the full story on Graham Media: WKMG News 6 . Police search for second suspect in Orlando shooting Orlando police are searching for Chasjuan Darrel Antoine Allen in connection with the shooting death of George Dalla, Jr. Read the full story on Graham Media: WKMG News 6 . Record summer shaping up for Orlando International Airport More than 4.3 million passengers went through Orlando International Airport in May, launching what is shaping up to be a record-breaking summer for Florida's busiest airport. Read the full story on MySanAntonio . This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle , then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Selling a house can be a nightmarish task, but don't worry! We've consulted top property experts to help you sell your home at its top value with as little renovation work as possible. These exterior painting tips can make a world of difference! The post 11 Ways Exterior Paint Colors Could Boost Your Home's Value appeared first on Reader's Digest. Why curb appeal is important In a 2019 analysis of homes sold by Zillow, the average cost of updating the paint (inside and out) on a home and doing basic landscaping was around $3,000. It may seem like a lot, but if you pick the correct exterior paint colors, and follow these other smart ways to sell your house as fast as possible , you can get your three grand back and then some. Avoid bright colors "If you're most concerned with being able to quickly resell this home, avoid bright colors," advises Kayla Hein, Creative Director at Modern Castle . "While these may look good on Pinterest, it's a rare case when a bright home exterior is the best choice. Furthermore, bright homes tend to be a very personal choice. They're generally not a good choice for the 'average buyer' and can make it harder to sell a home. If you want a unique color, consider accenting the front door or shutters with a fun bright color, but let the exterior be something more neutral." Paint your door black According to Zillow's most recent Paint Color Analysis , a black front door could increase the price of your home by 2.9 percent. Steer clear of yellow We all love a sunshiney house...but maybe not literally. A recent Zillow analysis found that yellow homes sold on average for almost $3,500 less than expected. On the other hand, though, this paint color can make your house sell for as much as $6,000 more. Go green Okay, not literally. This one isn't about the exterior paint colors of your home but about what's sitting on its roof. Zillow found that homes with solar panels on top sell for 4.1 percent more. Sage green Or maybe you do want to try green out! "A sage green exterior is another excellent choice for home exteriors," Hein told RD. "Sage, especially when you select a tone on the lighter side, feels fresh, neutral, and contrasts well with white trim or black accents, like a dark front door. It has a natural feel to it and blends well with existing landscaping, without being too muted or too overpowering." For a hint of color without being "too much," sage could be a great choice to consider. As for the paint colors inside your home, find out what hidden meanings those hold. Keep the home itself in mind One size does not fit all when it comes to exterior paint colors. " When determining the best color, you need to consider what is the best color for this home and the area it's in . This means first taking a look at the architectural style of the home. Every home has a color palette that will work best on that style," says Cristina Miguelez, remodeling specialist at Fixr.com . "For example, Victorian homes are meant to be painted Victorian colors: colors that have a small amount of black mixed in. Some homes need to have two or more colors, while others look best with one solid color and a single accent on shutters or trim." Pay attention to where you live It's not just the style of the house that matters, but the styles that are popular in your region. " The South likes dark colors, while New England likes coastal hues: white, gray, blue, etc. The Midwest likes neutrals, and the West Coast likes rich tones in green and gray, as well as more vibrant and deep hues in reds and golds," Miguelez adds. By working with your region's popular colors, as well as the colors that work best on your home, you're going to get a more appealing result. This will help a home sell more quickly and is less likely to be off-putting to buyers. What region your home is in is one of the questions you need to ask yourself while selling your home . Neutrals are always a safe bet "Many homebuyers don't want to spend extra money after closing on a new home, and neutral colors like white, light grey, taupe, beige, or even 'greige' (a grey-beige) that go with just about anything have the greatest overall appeal," Beatrice de Jong, top LA realtor and Consumer Trends Expert at Opendoor , told RD. "Subtle contrasting colors on the trim or windowpanes [are] a great way to enhance the architectural elements and highlight a home's exterior for buyers. In turn, this can help a home sell more quickly." Be sure not to get yourself in trouble If you live in a historic home or on a historic block, you may not get a choice. Emile L'Eplattenier, chief real estate analyst at TheClose.com , warns sellers to check that they have the option to paint their homes before selling. "If you live in a historic home or even on a historic block, the landmarks preservation commission might be the ones who decide the range of colors your home can be." Avoid being too bold "Bold exterior home colors are on the rise. That includes blues, reds, and pale yellows and greens," Jason Kraus from RE/MAX Advanced Realty admitted. "However, existing homeowners must realize that those bold color choices are very personalized. While they suit homeowners that are making decisions for their own homes, it still isn't the best idea for resale. When considering painting the exterior of your home to sell, you should still stay neutral. The goal is to appeal to the largest buyer pool. A bold color may limit your buyers." Find out these other home "upgrades" that are actually a major waste of money . White White is a classic look for a home that has never gone out of style. For both a timeless and buyer-appealing look, stick with a white exterior. "The absolute best exterior paint colors for readers looking to sell their homes are shades of white!" Jennifer Okhovat, realtor with Compass , told RD. "White paint colors are the most attention-grabbing and look the sleekest and cleanest. When selling a property, a white home is attractive to a buyer because it is a 'blank slate' for them to get creative with landscaping and additional finishes (like a new/different door color, windows, etc.). More people see the potential and desirability in a white home than homes in other colors (pink, beige, blue, brown). Colors other than white make it harder for a homebuyer to picture the home with a different paint color, if the current one is unsatisfactory or not to their liking." Read on to find out 31 more home improvements that will double the value of your home .


The weekly viability of Todd Gurley 's ailing knee will be among the most scrutinized topics of the 2019 NFL season. With the injury keeping Gurley out of games late in the season and limiting his availability and effectiveness in the playoffs, whether Gurley can return to the dominant level of production he's had in past seasons will continue to be up in the air as training camps open. Gurley sustained a torn ACL in college in Georgia and has arthritis in his knee that lingered throughout last year and may continue to be an issue moving forward. However, it's a subject Gurley himself doesn't seem to be concerned about. In an interview with Alex Marvez and Gil Brandt on Sirius XM NFL Radio, Gurley didn't give much thought to the notion the knee injuries will slow him down. " I don't have nothing to prove ," Gurley said. "That's the thing, I've been doing this my whole life. This is the same stuff for me over and over. It's the same old stuff and I keep doing the same old thing. I really just play my game honestly. I don't worry about too much. I just try to be as good as a teammate as I can and just help my team win honestly." The Rams added an insurance policy for Gurley during the draft by taking Memphis running back Darrell Henderson in the third round. Henderson's presence may allow the Rams to reduce Gurley's workload or at least have a second option to turn to should Gurley's knee keep him out for a given week. The Rams had to pull C.J. Anderson off the street after he was waived by Carolina and Oakland last season to help keep their rushing attack cruising along last year. Gurley still rushed for 1,251 yards with 17 touchdowns and added 59 receptions for four touchdowns out of the backfield last year with the knee flaring up. However, getting just 14 carries for 45 yards in the NFC Championship game and Super Bowl combined is what is leaving a sour taste about his potential production this fall. Gurley surely doesn't seem concerned about it, even if many others will be.


In honor of Independence Day, spend the week focused on all-American recipes, from burgers and Johnnycakes to a New England-style lobster roll. Shopping List: 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast 2 links andouille sausage ½ pound lobster tail 2.5 pounds chicken breast 11 pieces of bacon 2 pounds 80-percent ground chuck beef 7 eggs 7 avocados 2 lemons 1 orange pepper 1 red pepper 1 poblano pepper 1 bunch green onions 1 yellow onion 1 red onion 1 cup corn 2 celery stalks 1 Japanese cucumber 1 bunch fresh chives 1 large head romaine lettuce 1 head purple or green cabbage 2 sweet potatoes 2 tomatoes 2 cloves garlic 1 bunch cilantro 2 thick stalks ruby red rhubarb 1 cup butter radishes 1 cup cherry tomatoes 1 24-ounce jar pitted sour cherries 1 can cannellini beans 2 10-ounce cans enchilada sauce 8 ciabatta buns 4 New England-style hot dog rolls 6 brioche buns 19 tortillas 1 cup panko breadcrumbs ½ cup + 1⅓ cups buttermilk 4 ounces blue cheese 6 slices American cheese 4 ounces diced cheddar cheese ¾ cup shredded Mexican or Colby jack cheese ¾ cup shredded mozzarella 1½ cups beer 1 jar pickles 1 head lettuce Monday: Cheesy Crock-pot Cajun Pulled Pork with Southwest Pepper-Corn Slaw There's no better way to start a holiday week. Pop the pork shoulder into your Crock-Pot before you leave for work. Ta-da! You're having dinner on the patio tonight. Get the recipe Tuesday: The Modern Lobster Roll We know, making a lobster roll at home sounds daunting. But don't be intimidated. Coterie member Aida Mollenkamp proves it's super easy and takes just 20 minutes. Get the recipe Wednesday: Classic Cobb Salad with Buttermilk Dressing Listen up, picky eaters: Even salad-haters can get on board with this cornocopia of deliciousness. Get the recipe Thursday: Bacon Double Cheddar Cheeseburger with Caramelized Onions Happy Fourth of July! Celebrate by biting into Heidi Larsen's bacon cheddar cheeseburger with caramelized onions. The secret? The hamburger is stuffed with cheese. Pair it with a beer and some fireworks and you're good to go. Get the recipe Friday: Layered BBQ Chicken and Sweet Potato Enchilada Casserole Coterie member Monique Volz puts a new, barbecue spin on the Puerto Rican dish her mom used to make when she was a kid. Get the recipe Saturday: Crispy Avocado Tacos and Roasted Radishes and Sriracha Smashed Beans Fried avocado tacos loaded with smashed cannellini beans and Sriracha. Hardly traditional, but totally tasty. Get the recipe Sunday: Johnnycakes with Rhubarb and Sour Cherries This week of delicious dinners gets a happy ending: Johnnycakes got their start in North America, and we love topping them with seasonal sweets like rhubarb and sour cherries. Get the recipe RELATED: 50 Quick Summer Dinner Ideas for Lazy People


BOSTON   Tens of thousands of paper notices detailing traffic infractions involving Massachusetts drivers in other states sat untouched in 53 bins at a state facility in Quincy, a preliminary review by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation found. Among them: a May 11 report of a drunken-driving violation in Connecticut by Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, 23, a truck driver from West Springfield, Massachusetts. Connecticut notified the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles about Zhukovskyy's incident electronically and through a mailed notice that would have gotten into one of the bins, the report released Monday says. Under state law, Zhukovskyy's commercial driver's license should have been immediately terminated and his right to drive a passenger vehicle suspended. Instead, six weeks later   and still licensed by the state   Zhukovskyy struck a group of motorcyclists June 21 after crossing a double-yellow line on a rural highway in Lancaster, New Hampshire, with his truck and trailer. Seven people died. He pleaded not guilty to seven counts of vehicular homicide. How did he still have a license? Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles boss quits after crash kills 7 The report, sparked by the crash in New Hampshire and outlined in a Monday memo, sheds light on a breakdown in Massachusetts' handling of out-of-state traffic violations. The head of the Massachusetts RMV, Erin Deveney, resigned last week amid the fallout. "This failure is completely unacceptable to me, to the residents of the commonwealth who expect the RMV to do its job and track drivers' records," Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, said at a news conference Monday alongside Massachusetts Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack. The bins were discovered last Wednesday. "For reasons that have not yet been determined," the report said, staff of the Merit Rating Board in Quincy in March 2018 stopped processing out-of-state violations and put them in the bins, which were sorted by month. For the past five days, RMV officials have been looking up the drivers whose mailed out-of-state notifications hadn't been processed, the report says. As of Monday, they had processed 655 new license suspensions   all related to alcohol-related violations   spanning 546 individuals. More are likely as the sorting continues. Zhukovskyy has a record of drug- and traffic-related arrests in six states. The most recent before the New Hampshire crash occurred May 11, when he was arrested in a Walmart parking lot in East Windsor, Connecticut, after he refused a chemical test. A disturbing record: Driver charged in 7 motorcycle deaths has arrest records in 6 states In addition to the failures with notifications from other states, the Massachusetts RMV also had a more specific lapse with its handling of commercial driver's licenses, the review found. Connecticut provided an electronic notice to Massachusetts on May 29 about Zhukovskyy's arrest, but it was not processed because of the way the Massachusetts RMV's system for commercial driver's licenses is programmed, according to the report. Compounding the problem: Connecticut included a future effective date of the suspension rather than the date he refused the chemical test. The failure for the violation to be electronically reported should have triggered RMV officials to manually report the incident May 11, the report says. But no personnel had been assigned the task of reviewing notifications that weren't processed electronically, including Zhukovskyy's. MassDot and RMV officials worked through last weekend to identify unprocessed commercial driver's license notices that require manual reviews. They discovered 365 notices in the backlog, but they said 353 were duplicates. The report says only three were serious offenses, and only Zhukovskyy required an automatic suspension. MassDot's memo says that Massachusetts officials have fixed the coding error so that a manual review will no longer be needed and is conducting an "end-to-end review" of all electronic processes for commercial driver's licenses. Connecticut's written notification to Massachusetts about Zhukovskyy's May 11 arrest was collected May 30, the review found. In September 2016, Massachusetts changed agencies responsible for handling out-of-state notifications, putting the Merit Rating Board in charge instead of the Driver Control Unit. An antiquated computer program for the handling of notifications was replaced with a new program in March 2018   the same month the Merit Rating Board stopped processing notifications that were mailed in from other states. MassDot intends to hire an audit firm to review the process for collecting out-of-state notifications, according to state officials. The department "out of an abundance of caution" also plans to compare Massachusetts' 5.2 million driver's license records against the National Driver Registry, which provides a database of driving and traffic infractions. The seven victims of the crash June 21 were members of Marine Jarheads MC, a motorcycle club that includes Marines and their spouses. They were en route to a nearby veterans fundraiser. Memorial services for some of the victims took place over the weekend. Contributing: The Associated Press Reach Joey Garrison on Twitter @joeygarrison. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: After deadly NH biker crash, thousands of out-of-state traffic notices found untouched by Massachusetts RMV


A new spot to score seafood and more has made its debut in the neighborhood. The new arrival to Astoria, called Astoria Seafood and Grill , is located at 25-79 Steinway St. Astoria Seafood and Grill offers a daily special, featuring your choice of appetizer, a main seafood dish and dessert, with menu items ranging from salmon cream soup to tuna steak to tilapia in a lemon sauce. With a five-star rating out of eight reviews on Yelp so far, the fresh addition has been warmly received by patrons. Neil H., who was among the first Yelpers to review the new spot on April 28, wrote, "I selected baby shark and chose the grilled option with salad, rice and a soda. Boy, was the dish amazing." And King N. wrote , "Wow, the soup is so good. This my new favorite place." Intrigued? Stop in to try it for yourself. Astoria Seafood and Grill is open from noon 11 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday and noon midnight on Friday and Saturday. 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.


When the 2019 NFL draft rolled around, the Bills shocked many when they landed defensive tackle Ed Oliver with the ninth-overall pick. As the draft began, many connected the dots between the two sides as the Bills were said to be interested. However, getting Oliver at nine seemed like a dream. That dream eventually became a reality, but prior to it happening, there were draft day rumors surround the Bills. Could they move up? And specifically, to the third-overall pick? Speaking to a group of reporters selected by the team, Beane revealed that the scenario was never going to happen, or it was very unlikely to, at least. "That was definitely overblown, without getting into it," Beane said. Beane did further confirm via WGR550 that he did have conversations about the pick with tJets, stating that then-Jets GM Mike Maccagnan reached out to the Bills. But Beane still didn't think it was much of a big deal. "I talked to pretty much every team between two and three days leading up to the draft. So I think sometimes people are looking for anybody to move up. Yes, they called us a couple times and we had conversations. I assume like anything, if you're really trying to move out you're trying to drum up business, that's the fairest way to put it," Beane said. MORE: This stunning photo sums up Manny Pacquiao's win over Keith Thurman 5 possible landing spots for former Cowboys WR Dez Bryant Phil Simms: 'Multiple' teams were set to take Daniel Jones before No. 17 Lions position battle preview: left guard Mark Murphy: Packers defense should be 'significantly improved' in 2019


Pierre Gasly's start to life as a driver in Red Bull's frontrunning Formula 1 team in 2019 is going from bad to worse, as he slides away from the leading pack and finds himself battling the midfield runners in what is now a race-winning car in the hands of Max Verstappen. Edd Straw and Jack Benyon join Glenn Freeman to explain why Gasly hasn't gelled with the 2019 Red Bull yet, and they also tackle the daunting question of if he deserves more time to get it right, and more importantly, if the often-ruthless Red Bull hierarchy will show patience with the struggling Frenchman


In the years before he was ousted for alleged sexual harassment and financial abuses, the leader of the Catholic Church in West Virginia gave cash gifts totaling $350,000 to fellow clergymen, including young priests he is accused of mistreating and more than a dozen cardinals in the United States and at the Vatican, according to church records obtained by The Washington Post. Bishop Michael J. Bransfield wrote the checks from his personal account over more than a decade, and the West Virginia diocese reimbursed him by boosting his compensation to cover the value of the gifts, the records show. As a tax-exempt nonprofit, the diocese must use its money only for charitable purposes. The gifts   one as large as $15,000   were detailed in a draft of a confidential report to the Vatican about the alleged misconduct that led to Bransfield's resignation in September. The names of 11 powerful clerics who received checks were edited out of the final report at the request of the archbishop overseeing the investigation, William Lori of Baltimore. Lori's name was among those cut. He received a total of $10,500, records show. Subscribe to the Post Most newsletter: Today's most popular stories on The Washington Post The Post obtained both versions of the report, along with emails and financial records. On Wednesday, in response to inquiries from The Post, Lori said he is returning money he received from Bransfield and is asking that it be donated to Catholic Charities "in light of what I have come to learn of Bishop Bransfield's handling of diocesan finances." Lori acknowledged that the names of senior clerics were cut from the final report. "Including them could inadvertently and/or unfairly suggest that in receiving gifts for anniversaries or holidays there were expectations for reciprocity," he wrote. "No evidence was found to suggest this." The investigation was launched by the Vatican last fall after clerics in West Virginia raised concerns about Bransfield's behavior. Five lay investigators concluded that the cash gifts were part of a broader pattern of abuse of power by the bishop, including harassing young priests and spending church money on personal indulgences. "Bishop Bransfield adopted an extravagant and lavish lifestyle that was in stark contrast to the faithful he served and was for his own personal benefit," they wrote in the final report. During his 13 years as bishop in West Virginia, one of the poorest states in the nation, Bransfield spent $2.4 million in church money on travel, much of it personal, which included flying in chartered jets and staying in luxury hotels, according to the report. Bransfield and several subordinates spent an average of nearly $1,000 a month on alcohol, it says. The West Virginia diocese paid $4.6 million to renovate Bransfield's church residence after a fire damaged a single bathroom. When Bransfield was in the chancery, an administrative building, fresh flowers were delivered daily, at a cost of about $100 a day   almost $182,000 in all. Bransfield, 75, drew on a source of revenue that many parishioners knew little about, oil-rich land in Texas donated to the diocese more than a century ago. He spoke of church money as if it were his to spend without restriction, according to the report. "I own this," he is quoted as saying on many occasions. In an interview with The Post, Bransfield disputed the allegations, saying "none of it is true," but declined to go into detail because attorneys had advised him not to comment. One of his attorneys said Lori has not responded to Bransfield's request for a copy of the report. "Everybody's trying to destroy my reputation," Bransfield said by phone without elaborating. "These people are terrible to me." According to the report, he spoke with investigators in February and "emphatically denied engaging in any sexual harassment or sexual activity with any priest or seminarian, either verbally or suggestively by his conduct." The report does not include responses from Bransfield to many of the spending allegations, but he told investigators that aides oversaw the renovations at his residence and that back problems left him unable to fly in economy class. Lori told members of the diocese in a statement Wednesday that he received permission "as of today" to sell the bishop's residence in Wheeling, W.Va., and use the proceeds to support victims and survivors of sexual abuse. Of the gifts he received from Bransfield, Lori wrote: "In the spirit of full disclosure I feel it necessary to acknowledge that I was periodically a recipient of financial gifts in varying amounts by Bishop Bransfield." The statement was released hours after The Post's inquiries about those gifts and just minutes before the time by which Lori's aides said he would respond. Lori told The Post gifts accounted for $7,500 of the money from Bransfield. The remaining $3,000 was paid as stipends and travel reimbursements for celebrating two Masses in the West Virginia diocese. The documents obtained by The Post provide a rare inside look at the finances of one diocese at a time when Catholic leaders, buffeted by criticism over their handling of clergy sex-abuse cases, have pledged to reform a church hierarchy that gives virtually unchecked power to bishops and cardinals. The records also offer the deepest insight yet into the circumstances surrounding Bransfield's resignation in September   when church authorities announced an investigation into unspecified sexual harassment allegations   and his subsequent suspension from ministry in March. Bransfield wrote at least 565 checks that were recorded as "gifts" and made out to the clerics by name. The documents obtained by The Post do not make clear why Bransfield gave the gifts, though the recipients of the largest amounts were among the most influential members of the Catholic Church, clerics whose opinions carry weight with the Vatican. Among them was Cardinal Donald Wuerl, who recently retired as Washington's archbishop; Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York; Cardinal Raymond Burke, an American who sits on the Vatican Supreme Court, and Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, a former Vatican ambassador to the United States known for his calls for more accountability. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, a high-ranking Vatican official who served for years in the District, received two checks totaling $29,000 for expenses related to an apartment in Rome, documents show. The report does not comment on the propriety of accepting such gifts. The gifts came as a succession of younger male clerical assistants complained to church officials in West Virginia that Bransfield was sexually harassing them. Similar concerns were raised about Bransfield's conduct in Philadelphia, where he taught at a Catholic high school, and in the District of Columbia, where he was head of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception from 1990 to 2005, the report says. At least six of Bransfield's clerical assistants in the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston "were broken by the experience," Vicar for Clergy Anthony Cincinnati told investigators. Seminarians or young priests appealed to leaders in the diocese, to no avail, the report says. They were instructed to "make your boundaries clear," it says, or told that they had no choice but to join Bransfield in such activities as sleepovers at his residence and on trips. "Your presence is required," a young priest says he was told by another of the bishop's top aides, the Judicial Vicar Rev. Kevin Quirk, the report says. In a statement, Viganò acknowledged receiving the checks, saying he was told by his staff that such gifts were customary in the United States. He said he donated the money to charity and did not know Bransfield had been reimbursed by the diocese. A spokesman for Wuerl said the cardinal had "received honoraria for speaking invitations in the Diocese of Wheeling and other commemorative events, as well as modest gifts to mark personal celebrations, such as an ordination anniversary." A Vatican spokesman confirmed that Farrell received "voluntary donations" from Bransfield and others for the renovation of his apartment in the Vatican and said that Bransfield "received nothing in exchange." "Cardinal Farrell was not aware of the accusations against Bishop Bransfield for abuses and mismanagement of the financial funds of his diocese," the spokesman, Alessandro Gisotti, said in a statement. Spokesmen for Dolan and Burke did not respond to messages seeking comment. Clerical and financial officials in the Wheeling diocese, including Cincinnati and Quirk, either did not respond to requests for comment or referred questions to diocese spokesman Tim Bishop. Bishop responded to The Post's questions by forwarding Lori's statement. The statement cast blame on Bransfield, claiming that the judgment of some diocesan personnel was "impacted by the culture of fear of retaliation and retribution that the former bishop fostered." The roots of the West Virginia diocese's unusual wealth date back to the late 1800s, to a friendship struck on a transatlantic cruise ship between a bishop from Wheeling and a New York heiress. When she died in 1904, Sara Catherine Aloysia Tracy left the majority of her estate to the diocese, including a large tract of land in west Texas. Oil was discovered there decades later. The income from the mineral rights generates annual revenue averaging nearly $15 million in recent years and has funded an endowment now valued at $230 million, according to financial documents. As a result, West Virginia's parishes are largely supported by the diocese   unlike across the rest of the country, where dioceses must be supported by local parishes. The state has 78,000 Catholics   just 4 percent of the population, among the lowest per capita in the country. Bransfield arrived at the Wheeling-Charleston diocese in 2005. He was known to prefer an opulent lifestyle, the report says. Investigators wrote that "a reputation for a party atmosphere attached to Bransfield's tenure" in Washington. Three months into his time in West Virginia, documents show, Bransfield began dipping into the diocese's fortune, sending to some clerics what would be the first of many checks. In 2006, Bransfield gave $4,800 to Cardinal Bernard Law, who had by then been ousted from Boston for his role covering up clergy sex abuse. Cardinal Edmund Szoka got $500 after retiring that year as a top Vatican administrator. In 2011, shortly after Wuerl was elevated to cardinal in the Archdiocese of Washington, Bransfield appeared with him at a ceremony in Rome. Bransfield walked just behind Wuerl in a procession of global dignitaries, video of the event shows. Two weeks later, Bransfield wrote a check to Wuerl for $10,000. The following year, Bransfield sent a $5,000 check to Lori, the newly appointed archbishop of Baltimore. The Rev. Pietro Sambi, the Vatican's ambassador to the United States, known as the apostolic nuncio, received checks totaling $28,000 before his death in 2011, the draft report shows. Viganò, his successor, got checks worth $6,000, it shows. Checks totaling $9,175 were sent to his nephew the Rev. Sean Bransfield, vice chancellor of the Philadelphia Archdiocese, financial records show. His cousin Monsignor Brian Bransfield, general-secretary of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, received $1,350, the records show. During these years, fellow clerics elected Michael Bransfield president of the Papal Foundation, a nonprofit that distributes millions of dollars to charitable projects on the pope's behalf. The foundation is run by U.S. cardinals, and its board included Wuerl and Theodore McCarrick, both recipients of Bransfield's cash gifts. Bransfield also became a regular visitor to the Vatican. In 2010, he presented a cake to Pope Benedict on the pontiff's 83rd birthday. Law, Sambi and Szoka are deceased. An attorney for McCarrick said he had no immediate comment. In separate statements, Brian and Sean Bransfield said they were unaware that Michael Bransfield had been reimbursed for the checks. "They always seemed like a typical gift from a family member," Brian Bransfield said. Records show that the diocese's finance officials adopted a particular method for reimbursing Bransfield. His compensation was increased by an amount that covered the gifts, plus the tax burden that resulted from the increased compensation, a practice known as "grossing up," according to the report and emails among top diocesan officials. The documents do not describe who initiated the arrangement, but internal emails indicate it became common practice. "His Excellency would like to receive a check in the amount of $500.00 prepared according to the usual gross-up method," Quirk wrote to diocese financial officials in a 2016 email regarding a gift that Bransfield sent to Viganò's successor as nuncio, Christophe Pierre. Pierre did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment. In the six years before Bransfield left West Virginia, the same method was used to reimburse him $324,129 for a portion of his personal expenses   clothing, jewelry and "personal services," the report says. Among the charges paid for by the diocese were 87 purchases totaling $61,000 from Ann Hand, a D.C. jewelry boutique specializing in patriotic items such as gold and sapphire eagles, records show. The report does not say whether the church paid for the jewelry directly or reimbursed Bransfield to cover the cost. As Bransfield lived in opulence, seminarians and young priests who assisted him complained to church officials that he was sexually harassing them. The report cites nine men in the Wheeling-Charleston diocese who accused Bransfield of touching or groping them, kissing or exposing himself to them or of commenting on their bodies. Diocesan leaders witnessed Bransfield's "predatory" behavior toward altar servers, behavior troubling enough that Quirk told investigators he tried to make sure no altar server was left alone with him, saying it was "the best he could do under the circumstances." The text of the report does not name the alleged victims, and it is often vague about when the incidents took place. There were "troubling hugs" from Bransfield, the seminarians and young priests told investigators. On some of these occasions, they alleged, Bransfield appeared to be intoxicated. Others said he warned them not to "get fat." One said Bransfield slapped him on the buttocks at Castel Gandolfo in Italy, the summer residence of the pope. On another occasion, the alleged victim said, Bransfield summoned him into his bedroom and began kissing his neck. Another said Bransfield let him drink alcohol before he was legally of age, exposed himself, pulled the young man against him and ran his hands over the seminarian's genitals. One seminarian recalled sitting on Bransfield's lap, being kissed by the bishop and thinking: "I either do this, or I have to completely reinvent my life." Bransfield asked him to take his pants off, but he refused, the seminarian told investigators. The seminarian later suffered an emotional breakdown and became deeply depressed, the report says. At least two of the men now accusing Bransfield of misconduct received checks from him, typically for between $50 and $300, according to the report and financial records. Those gifts were given during and after the alleged misconduct, the records show. Throughout his tenure, Bransfield abused alcohol, oxycodone and other prescription drugs, which "likely contributed to his harassing and abusive behavior," the report says. The report does not include a response from Bransfield on the drug use allegations. In the interview with investigators in February, Bransfield denied sexual misconduct with the seminarians or young priests, the report says. "He said that at most he would hug these individuals (using the term "embrazzio" to describe the hugs), but there was never any sexual intent with anyone he came into contact with while bishop or during his time at the National Shrine," it says. Despite the growing number of people in the diocese who had concerns about Bransfield's conduct and spending, the few internal checks that existed failed to stop it, according to the report. The diocese had a finance board made up of officials and lay people who were responsible for overseeing spending, including Bransfield's compensation. The board was "extremely passive," the report says. "There was an almost complete absence of any meaningful review of financial decisions," the investigators wrote. Told of the findings, Dwight M. Keating, a longtime member of the finance board, said: "Wow. I didn't know any of this." Keating said the board never discussed or approved reimbursing Bransfield for cash gifts. "Why would we be giving gifts to people outside the diocese? We have enough poor people in the state," he said. In 2013, a new finance director, Michael Deemer, noticed the "extreme level" of Bransfield's spending and concluded that it might violate IRS rules, the report says. Instead of confronting Bransfield, Deemer arranged for some of those personal expenses to be added to the bishop's compensation, using the "gross-up" method that had been in place for years to reimburse him for cash gifts. Tax experts contacted by The Post said the decision to reimburse Bransfield by boosting his income could raise questions at the IRS about whether there was an effort to mask the true source of the money. Outside auditors also avoided addressing the spending patterns, the report says. A partner at the auditing firm hired by Bransfield told investigators he was "afraid to challenge Bishop Bransfield's decisions because of the Bishop's position and his overall demeanor." Quirk and Bransfield's most senior aide, Vicar General Rev. Frederick P. Annie, discussed concerns about the bishop's conduct with young men but did nothing to stop it, the report says. "Tell it to the Nuncio," Annie said when Quirk raised the issue, according to Quirk, referring to the conduit for complaints to the Vatican about bishops. During his time in West Virginia, Bransfield gave three people who held that role checks totaling $38,000, records show. Annie told investigators that taking a complaint about the bishop to the nuncio would have been "career ending." In the spring of 2018, two young priests who had worked as assistants to Bransfield, along with a third priest who had been offered that job, delivered incendiary letters to Quirk. They alleged that Bransfield "had subjected them to unwanted sexual advances, sexual contact, and sexual harassment," church documents show. Quirk took the allegations to Lori, along with documents detailing Bransfield's cash gifts. The Vatican launched an investigation. On Sept. 13, Pierre, the nuncio, announced that Bransfield had resigned. On the same day, the Archdiocese of Baltimore released a statement saying Pope Francis had directed Lori to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct against Bransfield. The statement offered few details. Within days, Lori named a team that included two attorneys from the law firm Zuckerman Spaeder: former Baltimore prosecutor Gregg L. Bernstein and Caroline Judge Mehta. The team also included Diane Barr, the chancellor of the Baltimore diocese; Christopher Helmrath, a financial consultant; and John Moore, a retired lay person in West Virginia. Lori gave them permission to access any relevant documents. They all declined to comment, referred questions to Lori or did not respond to messages seeking comment. The team began interviewing dozens of people and waded through years of credit card reports detailing Bransfield's purchases, as well as personal banking records maintained on his computer. On Feb. 13, the lay investigators delivered a scathing 60-page report recommending that Bransfield be stripped of his powers as bishop, removed from ministry and forced to pay unspecified restitution. It also recommended that his three closest aides   Annie, Quirk and Cincinnati   be removed. "By failing to take any action, the Chancery Monsignors enabled the predatory and harassing conduct of Bishop Bransfield, and allowed him to recklessly spend Diocesan funds for his own personal use," the report said. The investigators suggested reforms that would enable priests, church workers and parishioners to report sexual and financial abuses without fear of repercussions. They also recommended that the diocese's external auditors be fired. Bransfield was removed from ministry in March. Only his successor would be able to remove the three Bransfield aides, Lori said Wednesday. And he said only the Vatican can make a decision about forcing Bransfield to pay restitution. "My focus is on the healing of the people of the diocese and on preventing such abuses from occurring in the future," Lori wrote. michelle.boorstein@washpost.com shawn.boburg@washpost.com robert.oharrow@washpost.com Andrew Ba Tran contributed to this report.


I'm going to assume you don't need my advice to hit a putt solidly. That's pretty easy to do. But what about the rest of your game? If you're honestly assessing it, are you making great contact most of the time on your drives, irons, pitches, chips and bunker shots? Yep, you can hit bunker shots solidly you're just hitting the sand, not the ball. And the same logic applies: Better contact means better results. So instead of worrying about whether your left arm is straight during the backswing or some other swing thought, let's get your focus back to where it should be during a swing hitting the ball with the center of the clubface. Here I'll give you advice on how to do that, and how to play better from the sand. IMPROVE YOUR SEQUENCING Golf is a lot more fun when you're hitting your driver solidly. Players who struggle with this club typically have sequencing issues the upper body is too involved at the start of the downswing. That forces the club into a steep, out-to-in path, and the ball is struck with a glancing blow. I advise you to routinely check your driver's face to see where your impact was. If it's "toey" a lot, try to make sure your chest stays in the top-of-backswing position a beat or two longer. To get a feel for that, make swings with your driver on an upslope; no ball needed. The goal is to brush the ground then clip the tee. If your club crashes into the ground behind the tee, or the tee flies to the left, you're upper body is still leading the downswing. Instead, hold it off for a count, and feel your lower body shift up the slope first. STAY CONNECTED An arms-only swing leads to fat and thin chips. You've got to get your body moving to chip effectively. To train the body pivot, place a tee in your armpit closest to the target. Swing back and through trying to keep it there. You will if your arms and body move as one. "Skilled iron play is about hitting it flush from all sorts of lies." RANDOMIZE PRACTICE How often do you hit the same iron from the same lie in the same round? There's always some variance once you're off the tee. That's why hitting it flush from the fairway or rough is all about adaptability. Try this drill to assess how well you adjust. Drop three balls that come to rest in your hitting area. Now try to strike each one as solidly as you can without changing anything but the club's position at address. You'll soon find you have better awareness of how to swing to get the club to bottom out in front of each ball. This drill prepares you for how to adapt to get solid contact every time you swing. RELATED: Playing a lot of golf over a long weekend? Here's how to stay fresh CONTROL THE FACE Many greenside sand shots get thinned into the bunker's face. The problem often stems from trying to maintain a wide-open clubface throughout the swing. I know, I know; you were told to do that. But the thing is, if you leave the face wide open, you've got to make a pretty aggressive swing to get the ball out. And for many golfers, a big swing leads to inconsistency. Instead, try hitting bunker shots with a closed clubface at address. If you keep your grip pressure medium to light, the club will open as it moves through the sand, and you'll hit a solid shot with far less effort. RENEE TRUDEAU O'HIGGINS is a Golf Digest Best Young Teacher. She is based at Quail West Golf and Country Club in Naples, Fla. RELATED: The most unabashedly patriotic ways to play golf like an American this July 4th Check out Golf Digest Schools for the best in video golf instruction WATCH: GOLF DIGEST VIDEOS See the video.


There have been a plethora of questionable decisions from NFL front offices this offseason. That includes the New York Jets' decision to fire their general manager and give first-year head coach Adam Gase the keys to the kingdom . Further west, the Oakland Raiders are seemingly at a breaking point as they prepare for relocation to Las Vegas. Meanwhile, we're not sure what is happening in Arizona. These are the 10 biggest dumpster fires in the NFL as the league prepares for its 2019 season. New York Jets The Jets are now the biggest joke in the NFL after giving Adam Gase the power to run the front office following the firing of Mike Maccagnan as general manager . Gase's track record in Miami isn't indicative of success in this new role, and it's reported he was not happy about the Le'Veon Bell signing. That certainly could make things awkward for Sam Darnold's newest backfield weapon, particularly considering Gase's history of strained relationships with lead running backs. Arizona Cardinals Prior to trading Josh Rosen to the Miami Dolphins during the 2019 NFL Draft, Cardinals general manager Steve Keim was avoiding the quarterback . This came a calendar year after the Cards traded into the top 10 to land Rosen. It's a continuation of the issues we've seen with this organization. Throw in a rookie quarterback and rookie NFL head coach pairing, and things could get dicey in the desert. Oakland Raiders The Raiders, led by first-year general manager Mike Mayock, sent pretty much their entire scouting staff home just days before the 2019 NFL Draft. Questionable decision-making at the top of the draft led to even more issues. Add in Jon Gruden's MO in shaping this roster, and one has to wonder if any type of consistent success is possible in Oakland. That's magnified by the on-again, off-again relationship between Gruden and franchise quarterback Derek Carr. New York Giants Did the Giants salvage any short-term hope by surprisingly selecting Duke quarterback Daniel Jones No. 6 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft? As of right now, the answer to that question has to be a resounding no . This came a little more than a month after general manager David Gettleman traded star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. for pennies on the dollar. Now committed to Eli Manning for the 2019 season ( and potentially beyond ), one can't even say the Giants are in rebuild mode. Rather, they are simply irrelevant on the broader NFL stage. Tampa Bay Buccaneers New Bucs head coach Bruce Arians already has called out star defender Gerald McCoy and young cornerback Vernon Hargreaves . Known as a players' coach, it is somewhat of a change in philosophy for Arians. Equally as interesting, Tampa Bay retained general manager Jason Licht after firing head coach Dirk Koetter. As we've seen with the New York Jets, that might not be a recipe for success. Add in Jameis Winston looking like a complete bust, and expectations for the 2019 season have to be muted. Jacksonville Jaguars Jacksonville entered the 2018 season with Super Bowl expectations. Struggles on and off the field led to a 5-11 record. Young cornerback Jalen Ramsey is seemingly on the outs with front office head Tom Coughlin. Fellow youngster Leonard Fournette might not be long in Duval after struggling to develop any sense of maturity as a second-year player. All the while, the Jaguars paid a premium for veteran journeyman Nick Foles to replace Blake Bortles under center. Mere months removed from being Super Bowl contenders, the Jags are now in the cellar of the AFC South without much hope of ascending the ranks. Cincinnati Bengals Moving on from longtime head coach Marvin Lewis was a step in the right direction. Replacing him with former Los Angeles Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor wasn't.Taylor has zero play-calling experience at the NFL level. Making matters even worse in Cincinnati is the fact that the Bengals will once again be relying on Andy Dalton under center. He's not a top-20 quarterback and never was. Much like the Giants, the Bengals are simply irrelevant. Washington Redskins Daniel Snyder is among the least-respected owners in the sports world. Meanwhile, team president Bruce Allen is seen as a laughingstock. Until things change there, these Redskins will continue to be a dumpster fire. Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh did not get better on the field by losing All-Pro performers Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown. By supporting aging signal-caller Ben Roethlisberger, who led the NFL in interceptions last season, general manager Kevin Colbert and Co. made it clear where they stand. Unfortunately, it's not going to lead to contention with the Browns and Ravens in the AFC North next season. Detroit Lions Patriots North? That's the question we're all asking after the Lions and second-year head coach Matt Patricia took a page from his former team. It started with signing former Pats defensive end Trey Flowers and continued with the selection of tight end Tyler Hockenson in the top 10 of April's draft. Teams that have attempted to duplicate the Pats' MO typically failed at every turn. After a disastrous first season in Detroit, we're not anywhere near sold on Patricia as being the long-term answer. Related slideshow: Offseason report card for every team (Provided by Yardbarker)


These plants bring all the birds to the yard. Sometimes, you need more than just a pretty bird feeder to attract an array of birds to your backyard. If your goal is to host a ton of feathered friends in your growing garden , then you should be birdscaping . A term coined by Jan Johnson in her gardening book, Gardentopia , birdscaping is when you plant an array of berried plants in your yard so birds will stop by and feed on them because berries are a necessary part of their diet. Birdscaping can also help your other plants, because birds will also feed on pests in your garden, like beetles and larvae, that would've otherwise caused harm to your blooms. Here are the plants that Jan recommends you add to your garden once planted, you'll be seeing flocks of colorful birds in no time. 1) Dogwood Southern Living Plant Collection $20.17 BUY NOW According to BirdsAndBlooms.com , more than 35 species of birds absolutely love the juicy red fruit of dogwood trees especially northern cardinals, tufted titmice, bluebirds, juncos and waxwings. 2) Crabapple Online Orchards $33.98 BUY NOW "Crabapples are small-statured ornamental trees know for its fruit," author Jan Johnson says. "The varieties that have persistent small 'crabapples,' less than three-fourths inch in diameter, can feed birds into the winter. Some bird-friendly cultivars include Sargent, Red Splendor, and Donald Wyman." 3) Elderberry Proven Winners $17.99 BUY NOW Elderberry trees (or shrubs, depending on size) provide nutritious berries for all kinds of birds, like northern cardinal, all kinds of grosbeaks, scarlet tanagers, and western tanagers. Insects also love elderberries, which in turn will attract even more birds to your yard. 4) Viburnum $32.10 BUY NOW "I like to plant doublefile viburnum in mid-late summer," Jan says, adding that their red berries appear above the leaves, making them easy for birds to spot. "Our avian friends have excellent color vision, which may explain the prevalence of red among edible berries." 5) Chokeberry Spring Hill Nurseries $34.98 BUY NOW "Chokeberry is a native berried plant that holds on to its red fruit over the winter," Jan wrote in Gardentopia . "This wetland shrub, true to its name, has fruits that are quite bitter. But because the berries persist all winter they feed the birds that remain up north." 6) Black Chokeberry Spring Hill Nurseries $10.35 BUY NOW Black chokeberries have extra large lack berries that also stay through the winter they're known to attract returning robins in the spring.


The inevitable AAF documentary will have some competition. It looks like the story of "40 yards of gold" eventually will make it to 35-millimeter film, too. Daniel Kaplan of TheAthletic.com has a lengthy update on the situation. Among other things, Kaplan has identified the event's primary investor. However, the investor insists he isn't really an investor but a lender. And, like others who are owed money by the event, the investor/lender says he hasn't gotten paid. "I gave them my information, they used my [credit] cards and did everything they were supposed to do," 40-year-old Farzin Morena told Kaplan. "But I'm still waiting on my money." Kaplan cites an unnamed source in support of the notion that Morena contributed "just into seven figures." Morena refused to identify the amount of his contribution/loan/whatever, and he also declined to say whether he cut off the event's founders, triggering the failure to pay the participants. "I am going to tell you right now, buddy, the only thing I had in this was to lend money and I was going to get it back," Morena told Kaplan. "Like, I didn't know nothing about . . . . It wasn't laid out to me like, 'OK, we need to pay for this, we need to pay for that.' It was laid out to me, 'Listen, we need this money and we will pay you back this much.'" Then there's this T-short worthy line from Morena. "I don't even watch freakin' sports," Morena told Kaplan. "You know, like, I don't even know what's going on." Join the club, Farzin. Join the club. Currently, no one seems to know anything about whether the money will be paid. Morena's assessment of the situation won't create much optimism about Charles Stewart and Dr. Alijah Bradley, the co-founders of "40 yards of gold." "I don't even know these guys," Morena told Kaplan. "I just met these guys almost, not even two months ago, maybe, maybe 48 days. Like in May, actually. So, like I said, it's just a tough situation. . . . These guys were in over their heads." They apparently remain financially under water. And when their investor, whom they consistently and stubbornly refused to name, claims that he also is owed money, it's fair to wonder whether "40 yards of gold" already has come to rest in Davy Jones' locker.


MILWAUKEE (AP) The University of Wisconsin says the wife and daughter of men's basketball assistant coach Howard Moore were killed in a Michigan automobile accident. Wisconsin's athletic department said Moore's wife, Jennifer, and their daughter, Jaidyn, were killed in the crash on M-14 early Saturday in Washtenaw County's Superior Township. Michigan State Police Lt. Darren Green says a 23-year-old Ann Arbor woman was traveling west in the eastbound lanes of the Detroit-area freeway when she struck a car head-on that was carrying the Moore family. Green says Moore suffered third-degree burns but his injuries were not considered life-threatening, and his son had minor injuries. Both are expected to recover. Moore, a Chicago native, played at Wisconsin from 1990-95 and was head coach at Illinois-Chicago before returning to his alma mater during the 2015-16 season.


WASHINGTON (AP)   A Texas company is launching a new political donation app for Republicans that will rival a similar platform already adopted by President Donald Trump, a move that could complicate GOP efforts to match Democrats' online fundraising success. Give.GOP will launch on Tuesday. It comes a week after the rollout of WinRed, a platform adopted by all national Republican campaign committees and praised by Trump via tweet after its debut. Top Republican leaders and donors have sought to find one platform for their online giving since Democrats' online giving portal, ActBlue , played a pivotal role in their 2018 midterm success . The nonprofit served as a conduit that funneled more than $1.6 billion to Democratic campaigns. Republicans' campaigns, however, use a hodgepodge of more than a dozen for-profit companies to collect online contributions. That cedes an advantage to a monolithic platform like ActBlue, which allows donors to give to candidates up and down the ballot with a few taps of a smartphone. Give.GOP founder Paul Dietzel said efforts by national Republicans to adopt one online giving platform run counter to long-standing GOP beliefs in "free markets, equal opportunity and capitalism." Dietzel also is the CEO of another online donation company that Republicans have used, Anedot, and he said some have likened the party's top-down effort to socialism. "This sounds a lot like AOC, not the Republican Party," he said, using the initials for outspoken New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who identifies as a democratic socialist. Emails obtained by The Associated Press show that Republican leaders have incentivized the adoption of WinRed. A National Republican Congressional Committee official wrote in one message this month that members of Congress who adopt the platform can get a break of up to $20,000 on their membership dues, a term used for the campaign cash they are expected to give to Republican political committees. A spokesman for WinRed did not respond to a request for comment. Dietzel says his app will be used by state parties across the U.S. and by several GOP governors. He said it allows donors to split donations among multiple committees, points donors to similar candidates to whom they could give and will charge a smaller processing fee, allowing campaigns to keep a larger share of contributions. But Josh Holmes, a longtime adviser to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who was involved in the development of WinRed, questioned the wisdom of comparing Trump's and other Republicans' preference of a giving app to socialism. "I don't think it's terrific for business to call President Trump a socialist," Holmes said. "But that's their business, not mine."


A day after cutting longtime defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are reportedly bringing in another veteran tackle - likely at a more team-acceptable price. Via Adam Schefter of ESPN, Ndamukong Suh and the Buccaneers are finalizing a one year contract. Suh on the move again This will be the third team in the last three years for Suh, the No. 2 pick in the 2010 NFL draft. He spent the 2018 season with the Los Angeles Rams, credited with 59 total tackles, 4.5 sacks and 19 quarterback hits in 16 regular-season starts. Suh got to the Super Bowl for the first time in his career with the Rams, and played a big role in getting Los Angeles past the New Orleans Saints in the NFC title game. Schefter reported that Suh was interested in playing for the Bucs' defensive coordinator, Todd Bowles. New head coach Bruce Arians hired Bowles, who was fired as New York Jets head coach at the end of the 2018 season. Back in Florida Now 32-years-old, Suh was with the Miami Dolphins from 2015-2017, and played the first five years of his career with the Detroit Lions. His contract with the Dolphins at the start of free agency in 2015 - six years, $114 million, $60 million guaranteed - made him the highest-paid defensive player in league history, but Suh did not see all of that money. The 6-foot-4 Suh is a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro selection. More from Yahoo Sports: Supermax expected for Blazers' Lillard despite sweep Edelman, Patriots finalizing multi-year deal Bills allow someone to wear No. 32 for first time since O.J. Thomas: Don't compare Koepka to Tiger just yet


HOOVER, Alabama   SEC Media Days will come to Nashville in 2021, Commissioner Greg Sankey announced here Monday. It will be held at the Grand Hyatt , set to open in fall 2020 at 1000 Broadway, at the new sprawling Nashville Yards site. SEC Media Days will be held in Atlanta in 2020. Nashville Sports Council CEO Scott Ramsey said the SEC opened up bids for a three-year window, from 2021 to 2023. Nashville got the first year available, and the host for the other two years has not been determined. SEC Media Days hosts football coaches, selected players and about 1,100 media members for the annual four-day event. AL.com estimated this year's event will bring about $1 million in spending on hotels, restaurants, retail and more to the Birmingham area. "The SEC gave us the nod, so we're going to do SEC Media Days with a Music City style," Ramsey said, grinning widely and standing outside the main media room. SEC Media Days has been held in the Birmingham area every year since its inception in 1985, except when it went to Atlanta last year. This week's SEC Media Days is at the Wynfrey Hotel for the 18th time in the past 19 years. Our summer football event will stay on the move for 2021 at a new destination, as we head to #MusicCity and the new Grand Hyatt Nashville! pic.twitter.com/xx4r8aSvE5   Southeastern Conference (@SEC) July 15, 2019 Any NFL Draft elements used for SEC Media Days? Nashville hosted the NFL Draft in April. SEC Media Days doesn't compare in size or scope to that event, but it still draws a lot of attention in the summer with more than 40 hours of exposure on ESPN and SEC Network. Ramsey said Nashville already has "ideas, concepts, blueprints and options that have worked from other events" to present to the SEC. Integrating country music is an obvious option. The location of multiple SEC Network sets probably won't be determined until the Grand Hyatt is complete and the Nashville Yards site is developed. "Hopefully over the next year or so, we'll be able to announce those plans in waves," Ramsey said. Plans to bring SEC fans to Nashville There also could be plans for greater fan engagement. Eccentric Alabama fans always have added charm to SEC Media Days at the Wynfrey Hotel, but there have been few from other fan bases. Nashville's location, presumably, would be a destination for fans of several SEC schools. SEC Fan Fest areas have been popular at the SEC men's basketball tournament, which Nashville will host every year through 2035, except 2022. That year the women's basketball tournament will be in Nashville while the men's tournament will be in Tampa. It's not # #SECMD19 until you shoot an escalator helmet video 🏈 pic.twitter.com/U7Oy9Cerlh   Adam Sparks (@AdamSparks) July 15, 2019 "It's the SEC's event, and we're the host. So it's up to them on what they want to do with the event," Ramsey said. "But having experience with the events we've hosted in the last five years gives them a lot of good opportunities." Sankey had previously said the conference was considering Nashville, Dallas and Atlanta for future SEC Media Days. Nashville hosted the 2016 SEC Basketball Media Days on short notice when the league pulled out of Charlotte over the controversy surrounding the North Carolina "bathroom law." Reach Adam Sparks at asparks@tennessean.com and on Twitter @AdamSparks. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: SEC Media Days to be held in Nashville in 2021


DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a jewelry phobia. And that's no joke. Earnhardt had previously mentioned his fear of jewelry on Twitter, but it was hard to tell if he was kidding. Apparently, he wasn't. "My sister (Kelley) used to chase me around the house with necklaces and stuff," he said Thursday at NASCAR Media Day. "I don't know, it's creepy to me." Reporters chuckled, unsure whether he was serious. "It is!" he said. "I can be in the same room with it and it doesn't bother me on other people, but if you watch Amy (Reimann, his girlfriend), she doesn't really ever wear any. That's a dead giveaway." Earnhardt said he's cool with wearing watches. The bigger pieces of jewelry are "less creepy," he said. But the small items bother him. Of course, that includes rings   which could be a problem if he ever gets married. Earnhardt said he's already prepared Reimann for the possibility he might not wear a ring. "We've talked about it," he said. "I'm not going to be held accountable and she can do whatever she wants. I figure if we ever get to that step in life, I owe her that much. I'll have to put up with (her wearing a ring). But I'm free of all my obligations in that regard." Earnhardt, who has been dating Reimann for roughly five years, said he gets asked all the time when the couple might get married. He doesn't have an answer. "The people we interact with on Twitter are, 'When are you going to do it? Pop the question already,' " Earnhardt said. "She gets it more than I do: People telling her all the time I need to put a ring on it. When I turned 40, it really ramped up. People are like, 'Man, your time is running out. Amy is a good girl, what are you waiting for?' " In the meantime, it doesn't sound like the defending Daytona 500 winner has any big plans for Valentine's Day. The Sprint Unlimited exhibition race is that night, and Earnhardt said Reimann doesn't care much for the holiday anyway. A couple years ago, he said, Valentine's Day consisted of "me and her driving to the drug store and going in separately to buy cheap drug store candy and bringing it back to the bus and eating it. That was as romantic as we got."


The Angels announced that right-hander Matt Harvey is heading to the 10-day injured list with an upper back strain. In other moves, the Angels recalled righty Taylor Cole from Triple-A Salt Lake, optioned reliever Luke Bard and reinstated reliever Luis Garcia from the IL. Harvey's injury continues what has been a disastrous campaign for the ex-Met and Red, whom the Angels signed to a one-year, $11M guarantee in the offseason. Early in his Mets stint, Harvey was among the game's brightest stars. However, he suffered multiple significant arm injuries as his New York tenure progressed and hasn't been much more than a back-end starter in recent seasons. To Harvey's credit, after the Reds acquired him from the Mets last May, he pitched well enough to lock in a decent payday with the Angels. But the move hasn't paid off at all for Los Angeles, which has seen the 30-year-old average fewer than five innings over his 10 starts and pitch to a horrid 7.50 ERA/6.11 FIP with 6.56 K/9 against 3.94 BB/9 across 48 frames. Among pitchers who have thrown at least 40 innings this season, Harvey ranks last in ERA, sixth worst in fWAR (minus-0.3) and 11th from the bottom in K/BB ratio (1.67). Fortunately for the Angels, they're set to welcome back Andrew Heaney to take Harvey's place in their rotation. Heaney hasn't pitched yet this season on account of elbow inflammation, but he was one of the Angels' most effective starters a year ago. If his 2018 performance is any indication, Heaney should be an easy upgrade over Harvey.


The Indianapolis Colts have high hopes that rookie wide receiver Parris Campbell will be able to reach the ceiling they saw in him, and it seems he's been flashing some of that potential early in training camp. Though the second-round pick has yet to make a major impact during the team drills to open camp, he has flashed some development in route running and ability to create separation in tight spaces. It shouldn't be overhyped, but take this rep in the red-zone for example. Lining up one-on-one with cornerback Jalen Collins, Campbell shows off some gorgeous footwork at the line and then easily creates separation out of his break. He finishes the play with some veteran awareness and footwork, securing the catch in the back of the end zone. Not often a guy creates this amount of separation in this part of the field. Hello, Parris Campbell. pic.twitter.com/OpC4HxydM7 - Kevin Bowen (@KBowen1070) July 28, 2019 The Colts see Campbell having a high ceiling in the offense while holding a role outside of being simply a gadget player. Head coach Frank Reich sees a legitimate wide receiver. "Yeah, well to me, that just puts an exclamation point on - you know what he did in the red zone today, the two plays he made in the red zone today weren't hybrid, gadget or slot receiver-type plays," said Reich to reporters Sunday. "They were legit, NFL, I'm going to be a stud receiver-plays. (He) ran two phenomenal routes (and) made two big plays in the red zone." Campbell did wind up suffering a hamstring injury on Sunday later in practice and didn't return. Reich wasn't sure how long it will impact the rookie. There is a deep competition at the wide receiver position, but Campbell should be right in the thick of it as long as he's healthy-even if his first-team work has been limited. MORE: Marcus Stroman explained what his clubhouse 'commotion' was about after Mets trade Tom Brady disobeys Bill Belichick at practice, and suffers the consequences Ryan Pace says Chuck Pagano gives Bears advantage early in season Packers FB Danny 'The Muscle Man' Vitale could play key role in new offense Browns Are Foolishly Changing Their Great Uniforms in 2020


We know this might come as a shock, but people outside of New England hate Boston sports. The fine folks at Sportsbettingexperts.com have compiled geotagged Twitter date, done some hardcore number crunching and provided a map that shows the Stanley Cup Final rooting interest for each state. All six New England states are rooting for the Boston Bruins to beat the St. Louis Blues, but they're joined by only five other states. Can you guess them? Bet ya can't! Take a look: [caption id="attachment_948202" align="aligncenter" width="800"] SportsBettingExperts.com[/caption] ... Louisiana? Weird. Anyway, the Bruins and Blues are tied at two-game apiece in the best-of-seven series. Game 5 is set for Thursday night at TD Garden, with puck drop scheduled for 8 p.m. ET -- a mark that only will be hit in a fantasy land.


MADISON - Gov. Tony Evers suggested Monday that top Republicans would not meet with his aides because of sexism, but refused to address the issue directly. The Democratic governor initially would not address whether he agreed with his lead spokeswoman that GOP leaders wouldn't negotiate with his chief of staff because she is a woman. But he later issued a statement implying Assembly Speaker Robin Vos of Rochester and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau weren't meeting with his aides because of sexism. "Only Robin Vos and Scott Fitzgerald can say why they won't work with the women who are leading my office," Evers said in his statement. "I have asked Republicans to work with my staff the way they worked with the former governor's staff. They know how to work with my staff and are choosing not to. So, this is clearly a departure from past practice. You connect the dots." Vos and Fitzgerald have disputed such implications. Vos has noted his top aides are women and has said he believed Evers should be meeting directly with GOP leaders. And Fitzgerald called claims of sexism "asinine" in part because the top Senate Republican working on the budget is a woman. The dispute began Saturday, when Fitzgerald said at the state Republican Party convention in Oshkosh that Evers had "no point person" for lawmakers. In response, Evers spokeswoman Melissa Baldauff issued a statement saying Vos and Fitzgerald had repeatedly been told they should meet with Evers' chief of staff, Maggie Gau, just as they had met with former GOP Gov. Scott Walker's chief of staff, Eric Schutt. Subscribe to our On Wisconsin Politics newsletter for the week's political news explained. "That directive wasn't confusing to them when the chief of staff was a man," Baldauff said in her Saturday statement. "Vos and Fitzgerald are clearly uncomfortable or simply unwilling to work with a leadership team made up entirely of women." At a news conference Monday, Evers would not say whether he agreed with that assessment. He also deflected a question about abortion legislation, saying he was speaking to reporters only about his support for automatic voter registration. "I'm focusing on voting right now," he said. RELATED: GOP leaders say they aren't sexist; Evers' aide says they won't work with women on governor's team Asked if he thought GOP leaders should talk to Gau about legislation on that issue, Evers responded, "Yes, I believe they should be able to talk to Maggie Gau about voting rights, absolutely." Hours later, he issued his statement saying people can "connect the dots" themselves on why Republican leaders aren't meeting with Gau and others. Evers and the Republicans have had a rocky relationship and have come to few agreements on the state budget. Their ability to get along shows no sign of improving. "If not even the governor's spokesperson can be trusted to speak for the governor, how can he expect us to work with anyone from his staff?" Fitzgerald said in a statement after Evers sidestepped questions from reporters. Evers, Fitzgerald and Vos are scheduled to meet Wednesday. RELATED: GOP vote on Affordable Care Act creates $1.4 billion gap between their plan and Gov. Tony Evers' budget RELATED: GOP signals Medicaid expansion, medical marijuana, automatic voter registration will be thrown out of Evers' state budget At the Monday news conference Evers backed legislation that would automatically register people to vote when they got driver's licenses or had other transactions at Division of Motor Vehicles centers. People would be able to opt out of registering to vote if they didn't want their names on the voter rolls. Evers included a provision for automatic voter registration in his proposed budget, but Republican lawmakers scuttled it this month, along with a host of other budget measures. "We're going to continue to fight for this even though Republicans decided voting, easy voting, was not on their agenda," Evers said. Contact Patrick Marley at patrick.marley@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @patrickdmarley . Our subscribers make this coverage possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal. Top Headlines: Wisconsin is losing people in their prime working years. Are more foreign workers the answer? 'Struggling to tread water': Dairy farmers are caught in an economic system with no winning formula This time, 7th Circuit takes a pass on giving Mark Jensen a new trial in the antifreeze poisoning death of his wife Unsolved: Binge our true-crime series on the 1998 murder of Father Kunz FOLLOW THE JOURNAL SENTINEL: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Evers: 'Connect the dots' on GOP not meeting with female aides


Wynn Resorts was hit by a sharp slowdown in its VIP segment, with overall table turnover (money in play) plunging 18% from a year ago. The casino operator suggested the weakness was likely to continue going forward. Revenues for the first quarter came in at $1.65 billion, slightly below the $1.67 billion that analysts surveyed by Bloomberg were expecting. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $1.61, beating the $1.58 that was anticipated. Wynn's Macau operations were particularly hit hard as overall revenue slid 16% and VIP turnover plunged 40%. Wynn's performance was further evidence that an economic slowdown in China may be having an impact , particularly among the high rollers that drive much of the industry's profitability. The Financial Times reported that January's 5% year-over-year drop represented the first monthly decline for Macau gaming revenue in over two years. The disappointing results comes alongside a host of indicators showing signs the Chinese economy is losing steam. In March, China cut its official growth target for 2019 to a range between 6% and 6.5% , its lowest since 1990. In addition, markets have been particularly volatile amid mounting concerns surrounding the ongoing trade dispute between the US and China. On Friday, President Donald Trump made good on his threat to raise tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods to 25% from 10%. The president also indicated he would place tariffs on an additional $325 billion of goods should the talks not reach a satisfactory resolution. Gaming stocks are particularly sensitive to economic weakness in China as much of the high-roller category is driven by Chinese tourism. Wynn reported the primary driver of revenue declines was weakness in baccarat, a well-known choice for high rollers from Asia . Still management indicated it believed the declines were temporary. "There's been a lot of discussion about new jurisdictions opening up in Asia and around the world and that may be baccarat's best days are behind it in Las Vegas or that Macau can continue to see some cannibalization. And what I would say to that is I totally disagree," said CEO Matt Maddox on the earnings call. "We've experienced gaming expansion in the United States for decades. And we're experiencing it now in Asia." The company is also recovering from the departure of its founder and former CEO Steve Wynn, who resigned in 2018 amid reports of sexual misconduct . In 2018, Wynn fully divested his $2 billion stake in the company. Wynn Resorts is up 32% year to date.