Unprompted, Sergio Garcia admitted that regret often has been a companion throughout his career, from conduct unbecoming on the golf course to words he wished had never been uttered. "I'm not going to lie. There are things I've done I wish I could take back," Garcia said as he played a practice round at the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course in March. "Obviously, we've all made mistakes." But there is one mistake that has lingered for nearly 20 years, an error that still leaves one of the best ballstrikers of his generation shaking his head. "One of the things I regret the most is changing my putting stroke," Garcia said. He was 20 or 21 at the time, a year or so removed from exploding onto the golf scene as the teen-ager who was electric in the 1999 Ryder Cup and nearly took down Tiger Woods at the 1999 PGA Championship. He was a bit of a drawer with his putting stroke, as he aimed to the right and pulled the ball just a touch, which he said wasn't a bad thing. Putter started to give him fits Up to that point, he loved to putt, and it had served him well. He had been an amateur force, among his highlights being the youngest, at 16, to win the European Amateur. At 18 he won the Catalan Open. Just before turning pro at 19, he won the British Amateur and reached the semifinals in the U.S. Amateur. And then he became someone to reckon with in the pro ranks. Back then, he was a force with all the clubs in his hands. And then, poof, he changed his putting stroke. While he had no problem with any other club, the putter started giving him fits. "For whatever reason, and I can't tell you why, that's how stupid we all are, I started thinking I've got to get it rolling straight," said Garcia, now 39. "That we have to get the perfect line, we have to have the straight spin, this and that and whatever. And you start doing that, you start losing your feel that you had as a kid. And once I lost that, it's not easy to get it back. "When you work away from it for so long, you can't get it back. Especially on putting, which is such a feely thing. So you keep trying to find that feel, you keep trying to get as close as you can. When I feel good with the conventional grip, my speed is better, my confidence is better and my whole game feels better. I feel I roll it better. But it's difficult at times to keep that feeling. When you lose something, you try to find something that helps you." It's been a persistent journey of experiment that most players travel. Tiger Woods, after all, used three different putters in four starts last year. Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson have used two putters in the same tournament. Garcia's voyage has included three grips - conventional, cross-handed and the claw (he employs the conventional at the moment). At least 12 putter grips in various sizes. He even tried anchoring but immediately knew that wasn't for him. Still looking for the right putter During his travails, he's relied on the trust of just four people: his father, Victor; his former caddie, Glen Murray; and coaches Stan Utley and Pete Cowen. As for the number of putters he's tried? "Many," he said with a chuckle as he clutched his current putter, an Odyssey Toulon Atlanta he's had in the bag for eight months. "I'm not going to lie. I like to try to keep the same one as long as possible. But sometimes when things are not going as well as you'd like them to go, it's time to get a new look, a different feeling to see if that brings you something extra." It's not that Garcia has been horrific with the putter since that fateful adjustment. He's spent most of his career in the top 20 in the Official World Golf Ranking. He's won more than $48 million on the PGA Tour and has 34 worldwide titles, including 10 on the PGA Tour and 14 on the European Tour. RELATED: Virtuoso Touch : Brad Faxon gives you teaching secrets 'It keeps working : Tiger Woods dishes on the Scotty Cameron Tips from a legend: Ben Crenshaw shares putting wisdom And just ask any American who has played in the Ryder Cup about Garcia's genius on the greens during the nine biennial clashes he's contested. In an ironic twist, he won his lone major in the 2017 Masters on Augusta National's maddening greens. On the final day he made a clutch 7-footer for par on the 13th, a thrilling 14-footer for eagle on the 15th and a 12-footer for birdie on the first playoff hole to topple Justin Rose. But he also missed a 6-footer on the 16th to fall one back and a 5-footer on the 72nd that would have ended matters. Garcia kept his composure after each crucial miss, and in a way those last two hours of the 2017 Masters encapsulated his relationship with the putter. Ballstriking keeps Garcia near top of his game Magnificent from tee to green, erratic on the greens. But while he's come right up to the edge, Garcia has yet to reach his breaking point. He's a competitor, and the game still tugs at his heart. And his ballstriking talents temper the battle. "If you look at all the good ballstrikers on Tour, very rarely do you see any of them in the top 15 in putting," Garcia said. "And when you do, you have a Tiger Woods. Simple as that. A guy who hits the ball amazing, and the years he putted better than anyone else, what did he do? He won every other week. You can't beat that. "So when you are a good ballstriker, you're going to have a lot more putts than the majority of guys and miss a lot more putts. We players see that. The media and the crowds don't see that. If I'm hitting 15, 16 greens, and someone is hitting 9 or 10 greens, I'm going to have more long putts. It's tougher to make the putts I face, and I know that, but it's maddening. It wears on you. "And when you go stretches without making much, it wears on you and makes you look for answers. Even though you know it's tougher to keep hitting greens and face those putts. It's a deal we have to deal with." Gwk ( Note : This story appears in the April 2019 issue of Golfweek .) MORE: Most bizarre and incredible catches by fishermen in past decade Second-year jumps from Josh Jackson, Oren Burks to play pivotal role in Packers' defensive improvement Cubs Fan Could Face Lifetime Ban for Making This Hand Sign Behind Doug Glanville Charles Barkley to Kyrie Irving: 'Now you're your own man, and you're going on vacation Thursday morning' NBA Free Agency 2019: The top players


It was a miracle. The Santa Rosa, California, family home of Howard Booster survived the raging flame front that devoured nearly his entire neighborhood at about 4 a.m. on Oct. 9, 2017, amid the Tubbs Fire , among the deadliest and most devastating infernos in California history. Only two hours after the fire passed, a neighbor sent Booster a video showing his home of 35 years standing amid other houses that had been turned into piles of ash. Booster diligently kept the expansive grass field surrounding the house cut short for fire prevention and he assumed the strategy worked. But when he returned later that day, he found nothing. "The ground was entirely black," says Booster. "If you took charcoal and painted everything with it, that's what it looked like. It felt like you were on a movie set for a movie about World War II in France. It was France 1942." Fire officials later told Booster that while flames didn't engulf his home from the outside, hot embers likely flew into the soffit vents, the holes in the wood under the roof allowing an attic to breath. The property burned from the inside. Nearly two years later, Howard and his wife, Merritt, are rebuilding in a way to avoid a repeat of the disaster. They're part of a small yet growing number of people building homes with a design and materials to resist fire. The Booster's new home will have a metal roof, and it won't have an attic or soffit vents. Napa-based architect Brendan Kelly says it will be "impregnable" using pre-fabricated steel framing wrapped in noncombustible insulation from Canada-based homebuilding company BONE Structure . Related video: Fire-resistant homes could be answer to California's growing wildfire problem (provided by CNBC) "When a very hot, fast-moving wildfire moves through a zone, the point is the building is more secure so it doesn't allow embers to get into nooks and crannies where they can combust," says Kelly of Kelly + Morgan Architects . "Eliminating things like vents in a BONE Structure house is easy because of the way it goes together with steel and spray insulation." The home's exterior will be paneled in a thick, engineered cedar product. "The material has been tested by Cal Fire," says Kelly. "It gives you time before a fire gets into the building. It gives you time for the fire to move past the building so you can seek safe refuge. It takes a large amount of sustained heat to combust it. It's less flammable because of its thickness." Booster says building with materials that are sustainable, long-lasting and fire-resistant will cost about 30 percent more than it would have if he had chosen a typical wood-frame design. ALSO: Before-and-after photos show North Bay recovering from the 2017 wildfire tragedy Wildfire is an increasingly serious issue in California, with fires growing bigger and becoming more frequent and destructive. Fifteen of the 20 largest fires in the state's history have occurred since 2000 and tens of thousands of homes have been destroyed. The numbers from these major conflagrations are staggering. Sweeping west from Calistoga into Santa Rosa, the Tubbs Fire alone destroyed more than 5,600 homes. A year later to the north in the town of Paradise, the Camp Fire torched nearly 19,000 buildings, most of them homes. Many of the homes impacted by wildfire in California are built in what's called the "wildland-urban interface," meaning they butt up against open space overgrown with foliage that fuels fires. As many as 5 million homes in the state are located within the interface, and nearly 200 communities housing 3 million people have been designated as "very high fire hazard severity zones," by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The state has guidelines for building within these more fire-susceptible areas, and they're becoming increasingly strict. "You have to use materials that offer at least one-hour of fire resistance," says Santa Rosa architect Sara Harrison Woodfield . "No trellises that easily catch on fire. No vents that embers can get into the attic through." But while homeowners in certain areas are now required to build more smartly, some are going above and beyond to use designs and materials that can resist flames for far more than one hour. Woodfield says many clients are choosing what she calls "solid wall construction" instead of traditional wood framing for a higher-category of fire resistance. "There are a lot of products where you can have a solid wall, where you can have concrete on the inside and foam insulation on the outside," says Woodfield, who has been working as an architect in the region for 30 years. "It's a form of foam and then they pour concrete inside. And then you can put stucco or siding on the outside. There's nothing to burn there. You're not going to burn through that wall. It's almost fireproof." This is just one option. Another is a where you have foam panels within steel grids and as you put the panels together, you blow concrete on them. She says a company called Tridipanel makes these and they're fire resistant for at least up to four hours. "I know for a fact one of these Tridipanel houses was in the Lake Country Fire [2015]," says Woodfield. "They didn't lose anything except maybe some windows." This house may have survived, but any expert will tell you that no house is completely fireproof. "It's really dangerous to talk about fireproof buildings," says Kelly. "The only fireproof building is maybe a concrete bunker. There's a weak point in every building. Glass melts. Steel melts." Referring to the Camp Fire outside Chico, Calif., in 2018, Kelly adds, "I was in Paradise with the Office of Emergency Services doing home inspections and it was pretty clear that steel cars melted sitting outside when the fire storm came through." While architects and homeowners are working together to build flame-resistant homes, experts agree one of the best ways to slow an inferno in its tracks is landscaping. "Reducing the fuel load within 100 feet of your house can make a huge difference," says Kelly. "If there's nothing to burn around your house when the fire comes through, the flames aren't going to glom onto the house." The Booster's new home will have an irrigated meadow rather than dry parched grass. The 50 trees on the property that were lost in the Tubbs Fire are being replanted with a few native oaks that are known to be less flammable. A lot of careful thought and planning is being put into the home to make sure it will last as Howard and Merritt hope the property is something they can pass onto their children. But would this new concept have survived the Tubbs Fire? "Oh, there's no question," Howard says. "There are no soffit vents. There's no attic. If it had not been for those embers that blew through the vents in the attic, we would have been fine. We would have the house." Amy Graff is a news producer for SFGATE. Email her at agraff@sfgate.com.


Sharks and riptides are the most common fears cited among beachgoers, but a potential killer that's much smaller is raising alarm along the Gulf Coast. The predator is a microscopic, flesh-eating bacterium that attacks quickly and causes a severe, life-threatening illness. The bacteria, Vibrio vulnificus, kill one in three people who become infected and thrive in warm, saltwater environments. With summer beach weather on its way, some have wondered whether the threat of the bacterium means families are better off staying on dry land. Vibrio vulnificus occurs naturally in warm coastal areas, but the likelihood of becoming infected is extremely low, health officials have said. In 2014, there were about 90 infections of Vibrio vulnificus in the U.S., including 35 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . By comparison, between 3,300 and 49,000 Americans die every year from flu complications. "It's so rare when you think about how many millions of people go into the Gulf every day," said Paul Gulig, a professor of microbiology at the University of Florida in Gainesville. "Even if you want to eat raw oysters, you're more likely to die in a car accident on the way to the restaurant than from Vibrio." Most people who contract Vibrio vulnificus do so from eating raw or undercooked seafood, particularly shellfish, not from swimming in the ocean. The most common symptoms of the disease include diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In more severe cases, fever, shock and skin lesions can occur, according to federal food safety officials . Summer is peak season for Vibrio vulnificus, with 85 percent of cases occurring between May and October. Most infections occur along the Florida, Texas and Maryland coasts. Health experts note that the term "flesh-eating" is somewhat of a misnomer. The only bacteria that are technically flesh-eating are those classified as group A streptococcus, according to CNN . There are about a dozen bacteria classified as Vibrio that infect humans, but none of them actually eat away at the flesh. The reason Vibrio vulnificus gets a reputation for being flesh-eating is because the bacteria infect the bloodstream and can cause skin lesions that appear similar to those caused by strep A. The people who are most at risk of becoming infected with Vibrio vulnificus are those whose immune systems have been weakened or those who suffer from chronic liver disease. Swimming in saltwater with an open wound places the swimmer at risk of infection with Vibrio, but that shouldn't keep beachgoers from enjoying themselves. Health experts recommend cleaning any open wounds after taking a dip in the ocean. "I wouldn't tell people to not go in the Gulf," said Gulig. "If somebody had an open wound, it's subject to getting infected with just about anything."


Curious just how far your dollar goes in North Lake? According to Walk Score, this Charlotte neighborhood is car-dependent and is somewhat bikeable. Data from rental site Zumper shows that the median rent for a one bedroom in North Lake is currently hovering around $1,116. So, what might you expect to find if you don't want to spend more than $1,200 / month on rent? Read on for a roundup of the latest rental offerings, via Zumper and Apartment Guide . (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 8700 Long Creek Club Drive Listed at $1,110/month, this 805-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit is located at 8700 Long Creek Club Drive. The unit comes with air conditioning, a walk-in closet and a ceiling fan. On-site laundry is listed as a building amenity. If you've got a pet, you'll be happy to learn that cats and dogs are welcome. (See the complete listing here .) 9404 Perimeter Station Drive Next, there's this one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit situated at 9404 Perimeter Station Drive. It's listed for $1,138/month for its 713 square feet. The residence offers a dishwasher, hardwood flooring, in-unit laundry, a fireplace and a walk-in closet. Cats are allowed. (See the complete listing here .) 8010 Woodsedge Drive Here's a 1,113-square-foot three-bedroom, two-bathroom unit at 8010 Woodsedge Drive that's going for $1,169/month. The residence has hardwood flooring, in-unit laundry and a walk-in closet. The building features a fitness center. Good news for animal lovers: Both dogs and cats are welcome here. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. (Check out the complete listing here .) 8921 Cinnabay Drive Next, check out this 1,252-square-foot two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom townhouse that's located at 8921 Cinnabay Drive. It's listed for $1,195/month. The building features a swimming pool. The listing also promises carpeted floors, a fireplace and a dishwasher in the unit. For those with furry friends in tow, know that cats and dogs are welcome on this property. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental. (Take a look at the complete listing here .) This story was created automatically using local real estate data from Zumper and Apartment Guide , then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Arsenal's latest campaign ended with disappointment after they were thrashed 4-1 by Chelsea in the Europa League final. The Gunners were not so fortunate this season, finishing fifth in the Premier League meaning they will be playing in the Europa League for the third consecutive year. Along with the primary disappointment of not competing among Europe's elite comes the secondary issue of a smaller transfer fund going into next season. What was already a small budget will undoubtedly become even smaller without the added income Champions League football would have provided. Unai Emery will have to work with what he's got and attempt to snap up some bargains on a few hidden gems. The Spaniard will be hoping potential signing Fedor Chalov will be one of those. Here's what you need to know about the Russian striker. Got His First International Cap at Just 21 Chalov's international career is still very much in its infancy, but being being selected for the first team at such a young age is a great achievement nonetheless, and points towards a promising future. He was selected for the extended squad when Russia hosted the 2018 World Cup. However, he was not chosen to feature during the tournament in which Russia largely over-performed, eliminating Spain before being defeated by runners-up Croatia in the quarter-finals. Chalov didn't have to wait much longer to make his senior debut for the national side, having been selected for a Euro 2020 qualifier against Belgium in March 2019. Has Been at CSKA Moscow Since He Was Eight Years Old CSKA Moscow's first choice striker is well and truly one of their own, having made his way up through their youth system before truly establishing himself in the starting lineup. Chalov has been at the club for his entire professional career, joining their ranks at the age of eight. He had to wait until 2016 to make his debut, being handed the opportunity following a spell of impressive performances in the UEFA Youth League, one of which saw him score four goals against Monaco. He would eventually go on to replace the then misfiring first choice striker Lacina Traore. The Top Goal-Scorer in the Russian Premier League Having scored 15 goals during the latest campaign, Chalov finished two goals clear of the next most prolific forward, Zardar Azmoun of Zenit St Petersburg. On average he scores a goal every 164 minutes played, something which is unsurprising considering over 60% of the shots he took were on target. Along with his 15 goals, Chalov provided seven assists, renowned for his eye for a pass and dummy runs that give his teammates the opportunity to get in on goal. He Is a Big Game Player Despite his age, Chalov has already done a pretty good job of making a name for himself on the big stage, finding the net against tough opposition. He popped up with a goal against his potential suitors Arsenal during the second leg of the Europa League quarter-final meeting back in the 2017/18 campaign. Disappointingly for him, CSKA were eliminated 3-6 on aggregate. He was also one of three goalscorers during Moscow's shock 3-0 win over Real Madrid during the group stage of the Champions League last season. He Is Wanted by Several Top Sides Chalov still has three years left on his contract at CSKA but is already attracting attention from some pretty elite European sides. Along with the Gunners , Monaco are reportedly keen on recruiting him as they look to rebuild following a disappointing campaign in which they narrowly avoided relegation, finishing 17th, just two points clear of the drop. La Liga side Sevilla are also keeping tabs on the 21-year-old as they look to use renowned talent spotter and sporting director Monchi to their advantage during the transfer window.


Vanderbilt power forward Simisola Shittu has a workout scheduled with the Hornets on June 1, per Jordan Schultz of ESPN. Shittu announced this week he was staying in the draft. He averaged 10.9 points and 6.7 rebounds as a freshman and is ranked No. 89 by ESPN's Jonathan Givony on his Top 100 prospects list. We have more on this year's draft prospects: Seton Hall guard Myles Powell worked out for the Nets this week as he ponders whether to stay in the draft, Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com reports. He's already worked out for the Hornets, Kings, Thunder and Hawks. The junior averaged 23.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists last season. Point guard RJ Cole will withdraw from the draft and transfer to the University of Connecticut, per Jeff Goodman of WatchStadium.com. Cole averaged 21.4 points and 6.4 assists for Howard as a sophomore. Oregon State forward Tres Tinkle is heading back to school, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. The redshirt junior averaged 20.8 points and 8.1 rebounds last season. Josh Sharkey of Samford is withdrawing from the draft, per Goodman . The point guard averaged 16.3 points and 7.2 assits in his junior year.


CHICAGO (CBS)   Before leaving office, Mayor Rahm Emenual celebrated the upgraded Chicago Riverwalk as one of the proudest accomplishments of his time in office, but the rebuild wasn't exactly finished. Mounds of dirt blanket a stretch of the Riverwalk between Michigan Avenue and the lakefront. Cones block of a chink of torn-up sidewalk. A stairway is closed. Lights are missing. It's a stark contrast to the way the former mayor portrayed the Riverwalk last month when he announced completion of the 1.5-mile stretch known as Riverwalk East. Emanuel proclaimed Riverwalk renovations as completed in mid-May, holding a grand opening celebration for Riverwalk East before leaving office. The word "completion" and variations of it appeared on the accompanying press release seven different times. "It was more complete last year than this year. I mean this year, they dug up this whole area," Riverwalk user Aaron Dolan said. While the renovated path on the easternmost section of the Riverwalk was completed in May, new lighting and furniture were delayed due to poor weather. "Crews are working to finish those tasks as quickly as the weather will allow," a Department of Fleet and Facility Management spokesperson stated in an email. "The part that is done is excellent. I mean, it really looks good. I like the chairs and all the places to go, but the parts that aren't done aren't done," tourist Mike Heuser said. Leo Serieux gave the renovated Riverwalk East a thumbs up, despite the ongoing work. "I'm a tourist, so I appreciate it," he said. Semantics aside, unfinished work isn't ruining the party at Island Party Hut. Green fencing blocking off nearby construction work is part of a facelift for the popular tiki bar. "People understand that this has been a moving project for how many years now? It's just another step in the process, but yes we'll be open very soon with capacity five times as big," Island Party Hut owner Mark Stern said. Gabrielle Laroore said the renovated Riverwalk is one of her favorite things in Chicago. "The more construction there is, the more I feel like there's new things coming up," she said. The question remains as to when all the renovations on the Riverwalk will be completed.


Nobody can win on the PGA Tour without driving the ball well, and all the pros are looking for every advantage off the tee. But with 43 regular-season, official PGA Tour events in the books for the 2018-2019 season, it's clear the game's best players have plenty of options when choosing a driver. Nine manufacturers were represented in the winner's circle this season, and within their product lines are myriad options of models, lofts and technologies. They all have one thing in common, though: fitting. The pros use advanced launch monitors to tweak their driver heads and shafts for maximum performance, and every amateur should too. Even for those of us without 120-mph clubhead speed, there are performance gains to be found by an expert fitter. Check out this list of every PGA Tour winner from this season and the driver he used in that event. Kevin Tway (Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports) 2018 Safeway Open: Kevin Tway DRIVER: TaylorMade M2 2017 (9 degrees), with Mitsubishi Rayon Tensei CK White 70TX shaft Callaway Rogue driver (Callaway Golf) 2018 CIMB Classic: Marc Leishman DRIVER: Callaway Rogue (9 degrees), with Fujikura 757 Evolution shaft TaylorMade M3 driver (David Dusek/Golfweek) 2018 CJ Cup: Brooks Koepka DRIVER: TaylorMade M3 (9.5 degrees), with Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 70 TX shaft Xander Schauffele (Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports) 2018 WGC-HSBC Champions: Xander Schauffele DRIVER: TaylorMade M3 (10.5), with Graphite Design Tour AD-BB 7X shaft Cameron Champ (Matt Sullivan/Getty Images) 2018 Sanderson Farms Championship: Cameron Champ DRIVER: Ping G400 Max (9 degrees), with a Fujikura Pro White Tour Spec 63X shaft Bryson DeChambeau's Cobra F9 Speedback driver (David Dusek/Golfweek) 2018 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open: Bryson DeChambeau DRIVER: Cobra King F9 Speedback (9 degrees), with TPT Model 14 MKP LT shaft Bridgestone Tour B JGR driver (David Dusek/Golfweek) 2018 Mayakoba Golf Classic: Matt Kuchar DRIVER: Bridgestone Tour B JGR (9.5 degrees), with Fujikura ATMOS Black 6X shaft Charles Howell (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) 2018 RSM Classic: Charles Howell III DRIVER: Titleist TS3 (10.5 degrees), with Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue 65 X shaft Jon Rahm (Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports) 2018 Hero World Challenge: Jon Rahm DRIVER: TaylorMade M2 2017 (9.5 degrees), with Aldila Tour Green 75TX shaft Xander Schauffele (Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports) 2019 Sentry Tournament of Champions: Xander Schauffele DRIVER: Callaway Epic Flash Sub Zero (9 degrees), with Graphite Design BB 7X shaft Matt Kuchar at the 2019 Sony Open in Hawaii (Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports) 2019 Sony Open in Hawaii: Matt Kuchar DRIVER: Bridgestone Tour B JGR (9.5 degrees), with Fujikura ATMOS Black Tour Spec 6S shaft Adam Long (Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports) 2019 Desert Classic: Adam Long DRIVER: TaylorMade M4 (8.5 degrees), with Project X EvenFlow Black 75X shaft Justin Rose's Honma driver (David Dusek/Golfweek) 2019 Farmers Insurance Open: Justin Rose DRIVER: Honma Tour World TW747 460 (9.5 degrees), with Honma Vizard FD-7X shaft Rickie Fowler's Cobra driver (David Dusek/Golfweek) 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open: Rickie Fowler DRIVER: Cobra King F9 Speedback (10.5 degrees set to 9 degrees), with Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-7 X shaft Phil Mickelson (Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY) 2019 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: Phil Mickelson DRIVER: Callaway Rogue Sub Zero (9 degrees), with Project X HZRDUS T1100 shaft J.B. Holmes (Stan Badz/Getty Images) 2019 Genesis Open: J.B. Holmes DRIVER: Callaway Epic Flash (10.5 degrees), with Fujikura Pro Tour Spec 83X shaft Dustin Johnson (Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports) 2019 WGC-Mexico Championship: Dustin Johnson DRIVER: TaylorMade M5 (10.5 degrees), with Fujikura Speeder Evolution 661X Tour Spec 2.0 shaft Martin Trainer (AP/Carlos Giusti) 2019 Puerto Rico Open: Martin Trainer DRIVER: Callaway Rogue (8.5 degrees), with Fujikura Speeder 661 TR TX shaft Keith Mitchell (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) 2019 Honda Classic: Keith Mitchell DRIVER: Mizuno ST190 (9.5 degrees), with Project X HZRDUS T1100 75X shaft Francesco Molinari's Callaway driver (David Dusek/Golfweek) 2019 Arnold Palmer Invitational: Francesco Molinari DRIVER: Callaway Epic Flash Sub Zero (9 degrees), with Mitsubishi Tensei CK Blue 70 TX shaft Rory McIlroy (David Cannon/Getty Images) 2019 Players Championship: Rory McIlroy DRIVER: TaylorMade M5 (9 degrees), with Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX shaft Paul Casey (Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports) 2019 Valspar Championship: Paul Casey DRIVER: TaylorMade M4 (10.5 degrees), with Mitsubishi Diamana Plus D+ 70TX shaft Kevin Kisner (Stephen Spillman-USA TODAY Sports) 2019 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play: Kevin Kisner DRIVER: Callaway Epic Flash Sub Zero (9 degrees), with Aldila NV 2KXVX 65 TX shaft Graeme McDowell (Matt Sullivan/Getty Images) 2019 Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship: Graeme McDowell DRIVER: Srixon Z 785 (9.5 degrees), with Miyazaki Kusala Indigo 56X shaft Corey Conners (Michael Reaves/Getty Images) 2019 Valero Texas Open: Corey Conners DRIVER: Ping G400 LST (8.5 degrees), with UST Mamiya Elements Gold 6F5 shaft Tiger Woods (Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports) 2019 Masters: Tiger Woods DRIVER: TaylorMade M5 (9 degrees), with Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 60 TX shaft C.T. Pan (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) 2019 RBC Heritage: C.T. Pan DRIVER: Titleist TS2 (9.5 degrees), with Fujikura ATMOS Blue 6X shaft Ryan Palmer (Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports) 2019 Zurich Classic of New Orleans: Ryan Palmer and Jon Rahm PALMER'S DRIVER: TaylorMade M1 2015 (9.5 degrees), with Accra RPG 75 shaft TaylorMade M5 driver (David Dusek/Golfweek) RAHM'S DRIVER: TaylorMade M5 (10.5 degrees), with Aldila Tour Green 70 TX shaft Max Homa (Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports) 2019 Wells Fargo Championship: Max Homa DRIVER: Titleist TS4 (9.5 degrees), with Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Orange 70 TX shaft Sung Kang (Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports) 2019 AT&T Byron Nelson: Sung Kang DRIVER: Titleist TS3 (8.5 degrees), with Fujikura Ventus 6X shaft Brooks Koepka's TaylorMade driver (David Dusek/Golfweek) 2019 PGA Championship: Brooks Koepka DRIVER: TaylorMade M5 (10.5 degrees), with Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 70 TX The Callaway GBB Epic driver (Callaway) 2019 Charles Schwab Challenge: Kevin Na DRIVER: Callaway GBB Epic (9 degrees), with Graphite Design Tour AD GP 6 TX shaft Patrick Cantlay (David Cannon/Getty Images) 2019 Memorial Tournament: Patrick Cantlay DRIVER: Titleist 917D2 (9.5 degrees), with Mitsubishi Diamana Blue 73 X shaft Rory McIlroy (Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports) 2019 RBC Canadian Open: Rory McIlroy DRIVER: TaylorMade M5 (9 degrees), with Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX shaft Gary Woodland (Junfu Han/Detroit Free Press) 2019 U.S. Open: Gary Woodland DRIVER: Ping G410 (9 degrees adjusted to 7), with Accra RPG 472 M5+ shaft Chez Reavie (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images) 2019 Travelers Championship: Chez Reavie DRIVER: TaylorMade M2 2017 (9.5 degrees), with Aldila Rogue Silver 60 TX shaft Nate Lashley (Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports) 2019 Rocket Mortgage Classic: Nate Lashley DRIVER: Ping G410 LST (10.5 degrees), with Fujikura Ventus 6X shaft Matthew Wolff (Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports) 2019 3M Open: Matthew Wolff DRIVER: TaylorMade M5 (8 degrees), with Graphite Design AD-TP 7 TX shaft Dylan Frittelli (Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports) 2019 John Deere Classic: Dylan Frittelli DRIVER: Callaway Epic Flash Sub Zero (10.5 degrees), with Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX shaft Shane Lowry (Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports) 2019 British Open: Shane Lowry DRIVER: Srixon Z 585 (9.5 degrees), with Mitsubishi Diamana White 70X shaft TaylorMade M6 driver (David Dusek/Golfweek) 2019 Barbasol Championship: Jim Herman DRIVER: TaylorMade M6 (9 degrees), with Fujikura Speeder Evolution V X shaft Brooks Koepka (Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports) 2019 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational: Brooks Koepka DRIVER: TaylorMade M5 (10.5 degrees), with Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 70 TX Collin Morikawa (Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports) Barracuda Championship: Collin Morikawa DRIVER: TaylorMade M5 (9 degrees), with Mitsubishi Tensei White 70 TX shaft J.T. Poston (Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports) 2019 Wyndham Championship: J.T. Poston DRIVER: Titleist TS3 (9.5 degrees), with Mitsubishi Diamana BF 60 shaft https://compass.pressekompass.net/compasses/golfweek/should-tiger-woods-pick-himself-for-the- MORE: NBA fans shouldn't be furious Kobe Bryant was named third team All-Decade Quick hits, observations from Packers' second joint practice with Texans WATCH: Packers rookie OLB Rashan Gary whips Texans LT Matt Kalil 5 takeaways from the Raiders' first depth chart of 2019 season Bears QB coach uses unique analogy to assess Trubisky's deep passes


Investigators say a woman smoking while on oxygen Friday evening caused a fire at an apartment building. Firefighters responded to the fire on Washington Street around 8 p.m. The State Fire Marshal's Office says Paula Pierce, 67, was seriously burned. She was taken to Maine Medical Center with severe burns. There was minor damage to the apartment and smoke and water damage to other units. Another resident was injured in the fire. A firefighter was also treated for minor injuries Friday. The Red Cross says they're helping 13 people after the fire and that number could go up. READ MORE: Sanford apartment fire injures three, displaces several others CHECK OUT WMTW: Stay informed with the latest Portland news and weather from the team at WMTW. Browse the newest Portland, Maine, news stories and stay in the know.


The Senate Armed Services Committee approved the nomination of Mark Esper to be the new U.S. Secretary of Defense on Thursday. Until he was nominated, Esper had been serving as Acting Defense Secretary since the previous Acting Secretary Patrick Shanahan stepped down in June. With the committee voting to move forward with Esper's confirmation, his nomination will next go before the full Senate. Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., said earlier this week that a final confirmation vote for Esper would take place no later than next Tuesday. Esper's hearing before the committee featured a tense exchange with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who challenged Esper's refusal to completely recuse himself from any and all matters related to Raytheon, the defense contractor for which he served as a lobbyist before joining the government. Esper said that ethics personnel told him not to fully recuse himself. Earlier in the hearing, he said he was "fully committed to living up to my ethics commitments." In a statement on Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell praised Esper as "a man of honor and integrity, dedicated to our nation and committed to the men and women who serve in uniform." He also said, "I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting his confirmation as soon as it can reach the floor." If confirmed, Esper would be the first permanent Defense Secretary since James Mattis stepped down at the end of 2018. Shanahan, who filled the role on an interim basis afterwards, had been considered for the permanent job, but reportedly withdrew due to a 2010 domestic incident that he did not want to be brought up during the confirmation process. For the duration of Esper's confirmation process, Navy Secretary Richard Spencer has assumed the role of Acting Defense Secretary, since federal law forbids people under consideration for a permanent secretary position to serve as acting secretary.


Snap said Tuesday it's going to raise $1 billion in debt. Shares of Snap were down 1.6% in premarket trading. The company, which is the maker of Snapchat, said it plans to use the proceeds to fund stock repurchases and acquisitions. Last October, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel detailed the company's goals to achieve profitability this year in a memo sent to employees. Spiegel said it was a "stretch goal" to break even in the fourth quarter of 2018 and become profitable in 2019. Cheddar first reported the contents of the memo. This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.


Technology in sport is great. And sometimes it totally alters the outcome of a huge result in dramatic fashion. ICYMI, the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday saw Maximum Security disqualified after an official video review, as 65-1 shot Country House was named the winner after an agonizing and dramatic wait in front of millions watching across the world. It was the first time in history a horse which had won the Kentucky Derby was disqualified, and you can watch it all play out in the video above. That got us thinking, has there been a similar incident in recent times in soccer due to the arrival of VAR over the past couple of seasons? The most obvious, and recent, example is Manchester City's epic 4-3 win against Tottenham in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal second leg last month , which was so nearly a 5-3 victory. Drawing 4-4 on aggregate over the two legs, City needed one more goal to advance to the last four of the UCL. Spurs held the advantage on the away goals rule heading into the final seconds of a wild second leg which had already seen VAR used on multiple occasions as the lead swung back and forth. Raheem Sterling then scored in the 93rd minute to cue pandemonium as Pep Guardiola 's side had roared back from 2-1 down to lead 5-3 and seal an improbable win to keep their dreams of winning an historic quadruple alive. But then, as City's fans were still celebrating, VAR was used and deemed that Sergio Aguero was offside in the build up and ruled out the goal. The decision was correct and video replay had caused an incredible moment of agony and ecstasy for both teams. 😱 The moment Man City had Raheem Sterling's goal taken away from them by VAR, just when they thought that had won it in stoppage time. Utter pandemonium in the #UCL quarterfinal second leg. #MCFC #THFC #MCITOT pic.twitter.com/nzYg5lg8So   Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) April 17, 2019 Seconds later the final whistle blew and Tottenham's players, still in shock, celebrated wildly and Man City's players and fans were stunned in silence. One Man City fan, who had left the stadium just as Sterling had scored what he thought was the goal which sent them to the UCL semifinals, was interviewed outside the stadium after the game and didn't even realize the goal had been chalked off… Oh wow pic.twitter.com/HTs8tiWvL4   Nooruddean (@BeardedGenius) April 18, 2019 Remember, you can watch the Preakness on NBC on Saturday, May 18 (Stream online via NBCSports.com ) to see if Country House can defy the odds again and if more drama will ensue at the Pimilco Race Course. Follow @JPW_NBCSports


CHICAGO (CBS)   Chicago Police took seven people into custody overnight, after vandals defaced "The Bean" at Millennium Park and the Cancer Survivors' Garden at Maggie Daley Park. Police responded to a trespassing call in Millennium Park just after midnight on Tuesday morning. Responding officers found the words "35th Crew" and other graffiti had been spray-painted on famed artist Anish Kapoor's landmark "Cloud Gate," more commonly known as "The Bean." Seven people are in custody after the iconic "Bean" sculpture was vandalized at Millennium Park overnight. Charges are pending. https://t.co/svbpVuFOa5 pic.twitter.com/4h7yPiKaWe   CBS Chicago (@cbschicago) July 2, 2019 "Last night's vandalism to Chicago's iconic 'Cloud Gate' is reprehensible," Department of Cultural Affairs spokeswoman May May stated in an email. The taggers also sprayed similar graffiti on the memorial walls in the the Cancer Survivors' Garden at Maggie Daley Park, as well as at least one park bench. "That's unfortunate that somebody has to go and do that to something that's so iconic in the city," Millennium Park visitor Gary Potter said. Police arrested seven people at the scene. Charges were pending Tuesday morning. Vandals defaced the Cancer Survivors' Garden at Maggie Daley Park on July 2, 2019. (Credit: CBS) City crews began removing the graffiti around 9 a.m. Tuesday. They wouldn't say exactly what they were using to remove the graffiti.


The Arizona Cardinals have been managing the workload of their veteran players throughout training camp so far, which is typical. Veterans get strategic days off throughout the week. However, with the annual Red & White practice taking place on Saturday afternoon, everyone who is healthy is set to practice. No veterans are scheduled to have the afternoon off. "We're going to get some good work and everybody's up, outside of the guys who have not been," said head coach Kliff Kingsbury after the team's morning walkthrough. That means fans will get to see the full starting offensive line with veterans J.R. Sweezy and Marcus Gilbert. They will get to see Larry Fitzgerald practice and, on defense, Terrell Suggs, Corey Peters, Chandler Jones and Patrick Peterson will all suit up. The practice is scheduled from 1:30-4:00 p.m. at State Farm Stadium. Listen to the latest from Cards Wire's Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio . View embedded content MORE: This Patrick Mahomes throw from Chiefs practice can't be real 49ers without 5 starters on Day 7 of training camp Rookie safety Saquan Hampton standing out at Saints training camp Jay Gruden says the Redskins will choose a starting quarterback on Tuesday Five potential Jeremy Lin landing spots in free agency


Antonio Brown may soon be demanding a trade from Madden . The Raiders receiver, who earned a 99 rating in the 2019 version of the game, didn't get a 99 this year. Of four 99s in all, only one plays offense: Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins . The other 99 ratings belong to Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald , Bears linebacker Khalil Mack , and Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner . To the extent that the cover athlete gets extra consideration, that courtesy didn't extend to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes . The reigning NFL MVP didn't get a 99. Last year, Madden had seven 99-rated players ; Donald is the only holdover. The ratings rise and fall throughout the season. One or more of the four 99s could go down as the game updates its numbers based on actual performance, and Brown in theory could go up. The fact that he has publicly complained about being shorted by EA in his payment for being on the cover of last year's game could make that a little more difficult, however.


Denver will see a return of last week's warm temperatures today and tomorrow, according to drone-powered weather forecasting service Saildrone . Temperatures will reach a high of 85 degrees today, then turn much cooler on Sunday. The immediate forecast also includes light rainfall. Today's forecast shows the greatest likelihood of rain at 96%, with expected rainfall of 0.06 inches. Skies will partially clear on Monday, remaining partly cloudy on Tuesday. Winds will reach a modest high of 13 mph on Monday, while today and tomorrow will continue to be calmer. This story was created automatically using Saildrone's local weather forecast data, then reviewed by an editor. We also incorporate historic weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Eight years ago on a brisk morning in Millennium Park, Rahm Emanuel held up his right hand, swore to honorably discharge the duties as mayor of America's third-largest city and then declared the dawn of "a new day for Chicago." "Stronger schools, safer streets, an affordable and effective government, good-paying jobs. These are the fundamental challenges facing our city," Emanuel said that day. "If we can get these things right, nothing can stop Chicago." Now in his final days as mayor, Emanuel will leave office Monday with a mixed record on those four key issues he vowed to fix. Academic performance at Chicago schools improved and students can attend city community colleges for free, but Emanuel angered teachers during a heated strike and drew the ire of South and West side communities when he closed 50 schools. Chicago homicides dropped to levels not seen since the 1960s for two years and the city hired 1,000 new cops, but the mayor also presided over two of the bloodiest years in decades and the Laquan McDonald police shooting served as a stain on his tenure, leading to a federal civil rights investigation and a consent decree forcing police reforms. The city is on better financial footing and some poor budget practices have ended, but to make it happen Emanuel passed a series of record tax and fee increases that fell disproportionately on poor and working-class Chicagoans while a deficit and a $1 billion pension crisis still loom. Development in the Loop boomed, new corporate headquarters flocked to downtown and Chicago's growing tech economy emerged, but amid the prosperity the mayor faced near-constant criticism that he left behind the city's most struggling neighborhoods. Through it all, Emanuel governed with a consistent chutzpah, deploying an in-your-face political persona he honed over his previous decades working at the White House and in Congress to pressure aldermen into backing his agenda, cajole business and union leaders into cutting deals and solicit tens of millions of dollars in campaign contributions that served as the bedrock of his political power. Amid the accomplishments and controversies of Emanuel's City Hall, the mayor tediously kept score. Allies got rewarded and enemies were remembered. No ranking or statistic was too small to cite if it conveyed victory, and there was no shortage of public relations spin to explain away defeats. Whether it was school closings, a teachers strike or raising taxes, Emanuel rarely wavered from his most contentious decisions, a show-no-weakness style that grated on some Chicagoans. In an interview during his final week in office, Emanuel said he stuck to his convictions for the long-term betterment of Chicago, contending he is leaving behind a city far better prepared for the future than the one he inherited. "The goal of these decisions wasn't whether they created controversy, it was about whether we made decisions that got through to a better place," Emanuel said, sitting in his now-spartan fifth-floor office with hooks on the wall where paintings once hung. "My goal wasn't about being liked." So perhaps it's not surprising that as the mayor prepared a bid for a third term he found 12 candidates ready to run against him. Last September, Emanuel abandoned that campaign to spend more time with his family while simultaneously insisting he could have won had he chose to run. His soon-to-be-successor, Lori Lightfoot, put it another way: "He got out because he couldn't win." The mayor departs City Hall on Monday as a polarizing figure, viewed by some as making meaningful reforms to set the city on a better path and by others as the "Mayor 1 Percent" who put the interests of the city's wealthy elites ahead of everyday people. Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey said Emanuel's public demeanor led to much of his unpopularity, especially when compared with his predecessor, Richard M. Daley, the city's longest-serving mayor. "Chicago is a working-class city. I think a lot of Daley's policies weren't that different from Rahm's policies, but Daley was a relatable person. Rahm was like a kind of mean guy who had too much coffee, the kind of person who made you anxious and uncomfortable just being around him," Sharkey said. "I think the combination of him really pushing a vision that was all about a global city that was friendly to business, but didn't have much to offer working-class people   combined with a couple of big disastrous headline decisions like closing schools and Laquan McDonald   this was cemented in people's minds, the idea that this was not a mayor for us." Michael Sacks, Emanuel's closest confidant and top campaign contributor, said his friend walks away from the job misunderstood by many. The mayor's my-way-or-the-highway, foulmouthed, tough guy reputation belies Emanuel's thoughtfulness and deep desire to create policies to better the city, Sacks stressed. "So much of the narrative around Rahm is frankly ridiculous. Granted, he enables   if not fosters   some of it, but it just misses the point," Sacks, the CEO of investment firm GCM Grosvenor, said in a rare interview. "In the end, it really was the part of Rahm that most people can't see through the caricature, a desire to succeed, to improve and make things better for people   the part of the job he loved   that enabled him to do what he did." 'Our children and their schools must come first' In his 2011 inaugural address, Emanuel identified improving Chicago's schools as the top challenge facing the city. He took over a district with substantial financial troubles, a graduation rate hovering around 50 percent and students lagging far behind their peers around the country. The new mayor quickly embraced more international baccalaureate and other types of specialized high schools to provide students and parents with more choices. Emanuel also oversaw a substantial expansion in the number of charter schools, which he argued provided better academic results and critics insisted only weakened traditional neighborhood schools. A little more than a year into office, Emanuel's education reform efforts ran head-on into the teachers union and a seven-day strike   the first in nearly 25 years, in which thousands of red-clad educators flooded the city's streets in protest. The mayor's decision to unilaterally yank a 4 percent pay raise promised to teachers helped fan the flames, a move the mayor now calls a "mistake" because it created an environment where everything he tried to do on education "was a battle, and it need not have been." In the end, the teachers got pay raises and Emanuel lengthened the school day, but the political fallout lingered. Sharkey, the current union president, called Emanuel "an effective archvillain." "Nothing united our members like Rahm," he said. "I'll miss that." Emanuel's 2013 decision to pursue the most extensive public school closings in U.S. history   49 elementary schools and one high school, mostly on the South and West sides   proved to be even more controversial. The mayor argued that the district's financial problems along with low enrollment and poor academic performance at many of the schools necessitated the closings. Teachers, education activists and parents contended the closings destabilized neighborhoods and disrupted student learning. Far South Side Ald. Anthony Beale, 9th, said Emanuel's decision to close the schools was the right one, but the mayor "botched the rollout." Instead of shuttering 50 schools at once, Beale said Emanuel should have closed around 12 per year for four years and spent more time listening to affected communities. "The style in which he did it was the biggest mistake," Beale said. Emanuel, though, said stretching out the closings would have "kept the city in constant turmoil." "It's hard to tell a family, 'Your children are going to a school not only with shrinking enrollment … but it is not producing academically,'" the mayor said. "We made a decision to get it over with." Exacerbating the CPS turmoil was frequent turnover at the top of the district, with Emanuel hiring four CEOs in eight years. The mayor's second, Barbara Byrd-Bennett, pleaded guilty in October 2015 to steering a $23 million no-bid contract in exchange for kickbacks and is still serving a federal prison sentence. Her successor, Forrest Claypool, resigned after the district's inspector general accused him of repeatedly lying in a "full-blown cover-up" over a clouted legal contract. Emanuel also had to deal with the fallout of a Tribune investigation that found CPS failed to address sexual abuse suffered by students. A review commissioned after the investigation identified repeated "systemic deficiencies" in district training, incident reporting and data collection. Dozens of school workers are now barred from classrooms, face criminal charges or have been fired. Despite the controversies, Emanuel managed to implement one of his prized accomplishments, the Chicago Star scholarship that provides free tuition at the city's community colleges for CPS students who graduate with a B average or better. Emanuel also has started the first year of a four-year rollout for universal prekindergarten across the city, although it's unclear whether Lightfoot will continue the program or scale it back. And in his final year, with the help of legislative leaders in Springfield, Emanuel managed to wrangle a change in the state education funding formula that now delivers an additional $450 million per year to CPS. As Emanuel departs, the district's five-year graduation rate has increased from around 50 percent to 78 percent, according to the district's figures. Test scores have improved and more kids are moving on to college, but race-based gaps persist and CPS enrollment has shrunk by more than 10 percent on Emanuel's watch, from 404,151 students in 2011 to 361,314 today. Sharkey doesn't dispute there has been academic improvement. He credits the teachers while noting that higher graduation rates and increased college admissions also reflect post-recession national trends and more students realizing they need to attend some college to get a job. "I do think the Chicago public schools have produced a bunch of success, and those of us who work in the schools are proud of that work," Sharkey said. "I think a lot of that happened in spite of the mayor, not because of the mayor." Emanuel paints a more transformative picture. "How long had we talked about the need for school consolidation? Decades. It just sat there. How long did we talk about a full school day and a full school year? Decades. How long did we talk about equitable funding of education in the state of Illinois? Close to a century," Emanuel said. "I make no bones about the fact that we pushed and made fundamental changes, and now people can build on those." 'Together, we can make all our streets in every neighborhood safer' When Emanuel took the oath of office eight years ago, Chicago had struggled with violent crime and gangs for decades. At his inaugural, he vowed safer streets and had some success early in his tenure. In 2013 and 2014, Chicago saw homicides drop to a level not seen since the 1960s, with roughly 400 killings in each of those two years. Emanuel frequently touted the progress alongside then-police Superintendent Garry McCarthy. By 2015, however, Emanuel had a full-blown policing crisis on his hands. For the better part of a year, Emanuel had fought against releasing a police dashcam video of the October 2014 Laquan McDonald shooting, arguing that the matter was under investigation. In November 2015, a Cook County judge ordered the mayor to release the graphic footage, which showed then-Officer Jason Van Dyke shooting McDonald 16 times in the middle of a Southwest Side street as the black teen walked away holding a small folding knife. On the same day Emanuel made the video public, then-State's Attorney Anita Alvarez charged Van Dyke with murder, and it soon was revealed that several officers' accounts of the shooting in police reports varied dramatically from the video. Those reports and the delay in the murder charge, combined with the fact that Emanuel's administration and aldermen paid a $5 million settlement to the McDonald family before a lawsuit was even filed, led to accusations of a City Hall cover-up, calls for Emanuel's resignation and weeks of street protests. Van Dyke was convicted of second-degree murder last year and is serving a nearly seven-year prison sentence. "The fact that as a mayor that you're not bold enough to understand that a 17-year-old being killed and shot 16 times isn't big enough for you to say something or to call for reform, that shows your character," said Ja'Mal Green, a South Side community advocate who became a visible activist after the McDonald shooting. "That's basically saying, 'That's just another kid who was shot. Go ahead and pay the family and just keep moving.' It was business as usual." Torrey Barrett, an Emanuel supporter and founder of the Washington Park community nonprofit KLEO, said the mayor's silence proved to be damaging. "That was a moment where he could have immediately fired that officer, stood up and told the public what was out there and this was 100 percent not tolerated in the city of Chicago," Barrett said. "If he would have done that, I think the people who demonstrated against him would have stood with him." Emanuel repeatedly has insisted that neither he nor his administration covered up the video or the shooting. He said the city simply followed the protocol that was in place to not release evidence connected to an ongoing investigation. "A lot of folks felt there was a cover-up, and whether that was factually correct or not, that's how it looked and that had a major impact about the public perception of the mayor," said downtown Ald. Brendan Reilly, 42nd. "It begged the question, 'If they're not being open and transparent on an issue like this, what else is there?'" Sacks, the mayor's top confidant, said Emanuel's handling of the McDonald case ranks as a top misstep of his time as mayor, along with canceling the raises for teachers. For his part, Emanuel says his administration's handling of the McDonald controversy was symptomatic of how Chicago wrongfully had become numb to police shootings. "I'm the mayor, so I bear responsibility, but we collectively as a city, this became a norm," Emanuel said. "It became an accepted norm of just another weekend, when it never should have been that." As the McDonald shooting roiled the city, Emanuel badly misread the fallout. He initially stood by his top cop McCarthy, resisted calls for a federal Justice Department investigation and painted the shooting as an isolated incident involving one bad cop. The mayor soon reversed course on all three, firing McCarthy, welcoming the probe and giving an apologetic speech acknowledging a code of silence in the Police Department. Amid the aftermath, crime spiked in 2016 to levels not seen since the mid-1990s as Emanuel voiced concerns about low police morale and the need to restore trust between officers and the community. With annual homicide numbers topping 750 in 2016 and 670 in 2017, Chicago garnered national attention for the violence. The number of killings dropped below 600 in 2018 and is down again so far this year following an Emanuel initiative to hire 1,000 new officers. As the mayor leaves office, he says he has pursued reforms with police as partners, not enemies, as the city embraces its consent decree. It's a narrative the mayor offered in a recent New York Times op-ed when comparing Chicago's police reform efforts with those in Baltimore, an essay that was lampooned by the Obama Justice Department official who was in charge of the federal civil rights investigation here. "It is so off," Vanita Gupta, the former head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, tweeted about Emanuel's op-ed , in which the mayor glossed over his attempts to avoid a consent decree. "It is embarrassing." After Emanuel signed an agreement with the Obama administration to pursue a consent decree, the mayor sought to strike a weaker out-of-court deal with the Trump administration instead. Then-Attorney General Lisa Madigan called it "ludicrous" to negotiate a deal with a Trump administration that "fundamentally does not agree with the need for constitutional policing." She sued Emanuel's office to force a consent decree, to which the mayor ultimately agreed. In the wake of the McDonald controversy, Emanuel initiated several reforms that included requiring officers to wear body cameras and carry Tasers while bolstering training and providing better mental health treatment for cops. "The real question when you stumble is do you learn from it and make changes," Emanuel said of the McDonald shooting. "I'm not the first mayor to have a police shooting on their watch, but I do think the changes we have made are going to stand the test of time." 'We must put the city of Chicago's financial house in order' When Emanuel took office in May 2011, Chicago's financial books were a mess and filled with red ink. Over the past eight years, Emanuel has made good on larger, state-mandated payments to the city's four public employee pension funds, placing them on firmer footing. But Lightfoot will have to come up with an extra $376 million in pension payments next year and an additional $1 billion annually by 2023. At the beginning of Emanuel's tenure, City Hall also faced a $635 million deficit (more than one-tenth of the city budget), a number the mayor managed to shrink to $98 million by last year. He did not, however, get rid of the deficit entirely, and early projections have it growing to as much as $380 million for next year as some revenues are expected to come in short of earlier projections. Part of the added deficit also is attributed to Emanuel finally finishing a phaseout of Daley's so-called "scoop and toss," a practice that puts off debt onto future generations at a higher cost. The mayor also ended his predecessor's practice of selling off city assets, such as the parking meters, to fund day-to-day operations. "He came in with significant challenges in terms of city revenue, future revenue problems. He tried to rectify it," said Ald. Patrick O'Connor, 40th, the mayor's City Council floor leader. "On the structural deficit, he made big strides. On the pensions, he made a significant dent. It will be up to others to follow through." Emanuel made progress on both fronts by passing a series of record property tax increases, a new water and sewer tax, new garbage fee and increases in 911 telephone fees, cable taxes, city vehicle sticker fees and parking garage taxes. Plus, he doubled water and sewer fees to pay for new lines. The tab for the average Chicago family: $1,813 a year , the Tribune has reported. Many of the taxes were regressive, disproportionately harming poor and working-class Chicagoans. Critics argue that Emanuel should have been more willing to tax the wealthy. "The list of policy decisions he made that kept the people in the neighborhoods at the margins is endless, including the effect of enormous taxes, fees and fines on working people in the city," said Amisha Patel, executive director of Grassroots Collaborative, a community organization that advocates for working families. "He put the pressure and the weight on the workers in the neighborhood to fix the problems that were caused more by the crowd of CEOs and corporate elite folks he spent time with." Corporate executives and wealthy business interests from Chicago and beyond made up the core of Emanuel's campaign donors, enabling him to build a campaign cash machine unlike any mayor before him. All told, donors contributed more than $57 million to Emanuel's campaign funds from the time he first ran for office in 2010 to when he abandoned his bid for a third term last September. When a pair of open records lawsuits, including one from the Tribune, forced Emanuel to disclose thousands of personal emails in which he conducted city business, the messages showed his email account had become an avenue of influence for the city's rich and powerful. Some of those who emailed Emanuel were cited with city lobbying violations. "All of the revelations in his emails, where people who have clout and have wealth got to curry favor and get things they asked for, that shows the people who had access to this mayor were the wealthiest folks in business, social circles and the arts," Patel said. "That is who bankrolled his campaigns, that is who had his ear, that is who was at the center of his financial policies and that is who he delivered for." Emanuel dismisses the contention that he looked out only for the city's wealthiest interests, noting efforts that included raising the city's minimum wage to $13 an hour by this summer. "How many people in the Chicago Star scholarship are in the 1 percent? How many kids that go to free kindergarten and free full-day pre-K are in the 1 percent? How many who get the minimum wage are in the 1 percent?" an irked Emanuel asked. "I get the politics. It's easy. We can attack. But I make no bones about making sure we have a growing, thriving business economy." 'The best way to keep people from leaving is to attract the jobs that give them a reason to stay' As Emanuel gave his speech eight years ago, Chicago was just starting its recovery from the Great Recession and continued to grapple with a steady population loss. "No great city can thrive by shrinking," he said back then. Over the past four years alone, the Chicago area has lost more than 50,000 residents and the city's black neighborhoods have continued to lose population as they struggle with violent crime and a lack of jobs. Still, the mayor has enjoyed his successes. Unemployment is down and job creation is up. While that follows national trends, Emanuel has demonstrated particular success in boosting economic growth in the Loop, including championing the emergence of the city's tech sector. "The fastest-growing economy in Chicago is technology," Emanuel said, noting the success of tech incubator 1871 and the emergence of scores of successful startups. "We weren't anywhere on the world scene, national scene in the digital economy. We are now a presence." An Emanuel hallmark became securing an interest-free federal loan to expand the Chicago Riverwalk for several blocks west of State Street. The city now is in the midst of revamping the older eastern stretch between State and Lake Michigan, and developers have flocked to build riverside projects. The mayor counts that work as his contribution to legendary Chicago planner Daniel Burnham's vision to make the river an important public space. "I had no idea the Riverwalk would spark these investments. You didn't really see the river 10 years ago. You drove over it, took a train over it, but didn't see it," Emanuel said. "The Riverwalk has brought the river back into focus and took us, in a significant way, closer to Burnham's vision from 100 years ago of being a two-waterfront city." Emanuel also leveraged the expiration of decadeslong airline leases to pay for an $8.5 billion expansion of O'Hare International Airport, which will break ground in 2023 and feature more gates, concessions, lounges and the nation's first global terminal where passengers can connect from a domestic flight to an international one in the same terminal. The mayor had great success in scoring state and federal transportation funding, including a $425 million track reconstruction of the Red Line's south branch, a $280 million new 95th Street Red Line station, a $203 million Wilson Avenue Red Line station in Uptown, a $75 million new Washington/Wabash Loop station, a $492 million overhaul of the Blue Line O'Hare branch and a future modernization of the Red Line to improve travel times on the North Side. Emanuel also aggressively pursued corporate headquarters, personally courting CEOs. And while the city struck out on landing Amazon's prized HQ2, Emanuel counts 59 new corporate headquarters moving to Chicago on his watch, including McDonald's, Motorola and ConAgra. "The mayor did an excellent job as a salesman for Chicago," said Reilly, the downtown alderman. "His success in winning corporate headquarters relocations is indisputable." But for all the successes in the Loop, the mayor faced near-constant criticism that he left behind the city's most struggling neighborhoods and failed to preserve affordable housing as some blue-collar neighborhoods gentrified. "The North Side, downtown, Lincoln Park, they'll thank the mayor for what he's done, because they have a booming community with thriving businesses that has gotten even better," said Green, the South Side community advocate. "But if you look at the rest of the city, it's actually probably worsened under Mayor Emanuel, because he neglected to do anything in the communities that have been ignored, and he let the problems continue to boil over." While Emanuel jump-started some shopping and businesses in neglected neighborhoods like Pullman and Englewood, the criticism that he hadn't done enough for the city's struggling areas became a theme in the mayor's 2015 surprise runoff against Jesus "Chuy" Garcia. Emanuel responded in his second term by creating the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund, which earmarks fees developers pay to build high-rises downtown for projects on the South and West sides. So far, $47 million in grants have been awarded and another $125 million is expected from already-approved developments. "He only had eight years. Some of the areas have been neglected for decades. Could he have done more? Of course, you can always do more," said Barrett, the nonprofit director. "But if you look at the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund alone, that is an unprecedented investment taking money from downtown. People are always going to complain, but I think if he had more time, we'd have seen more significant investments." Patel, the director of Grassroots Collaborative, doubts it. "The continual push-out of families from the city shows that we were failing these communities," she said. "The mayor can point to a handful of things he did in a few places, but in the end overall, he failed those neighborhoods." 'For the next generation of Chicagoans, let us roll up our sleeves and take on the hard work of securing Chicago's future' Shifting in a leather chair in his City Hall office, Emanuel says he's satisfied with what he's accomplished on the mission he started eight years ago. "If you look at the scale of the problems we had faced based on a set of decisions, or lack thereof, that Chicago collectively, because of the weight of the problems, had lost its swagger. And now, I think it has its swagger back," Emanuel said. "There are things that are not totally where I want them, but I feel like with the time spent, we have had an impact and made a difference." At the beginning of each mayoral term, Emanuel made a list of top goals on a long notecard with an "Office of the Mayor, City of Chicago" blue letterhead at the top. He retrieved his second-term list from the top right drawer of his City Hall desk and ticked through the tasks. Many he tackled (O'Hare, "L" improvements and CPS funding) and some he did not (eliminating the budget deficit and getting express rail to O'Hare). What will be on Emanuel's post-mayoral checklist? He isn't saying, but a part-time gig as television talking head is considered likely. He declined to say whether he would pursue a return to investment banking, a brief career he held after his time in the Clinton White House. "I'll be able to make all the college payments I'll need for the kids, and I'll have a good life," he said. "I've been honored to have this job." Emanuel's performance in that job will be a matter of debate for years to come and will be shaped in part by how his decisions and projects play out over the next several years. Distinguishing between Emanuel's policies and his personality poses a challenge for some, Reilly said. "Mayor Emanuel certainly had a vision for the city and an impatience to deliver, and sometimes his approach wasn't diplomatic," the downtown alderman said. "Some people bristled at his style, but at the end of the day, the goals he was seeking to accomplish were the right ones, even if some people took issue with how he went about it." Barrett, the Washington Park nonprofit director, said he never had a problem with Emanuel's direct approach but knows many who did. "I think a lot of people want the warm and fuzzy feeling, and he's just not that guy. You have access to him, but it's transactional," Barrett said. "Some people were turned off by that, but I'm not because I'm trying to get what I can for my community. I didn't need to have a social, cocktail relationship with him." While the school closings, teacher strike, policing issues and more made his friend the mayor a divisive leader, Sacks said Emanuel should be appreciated for governing without political popularity in mind. "He was the rare politician who was willing to take hits for progress," Sacks said. "We're not used to politicians who do the right thing regardless of the political cost to themselves. We say we want that all the time, and we had someone who did that to great effect and great result. I suspect when we look back, many will miss that." Green won't miss Emanuel. "I think Rahm is somebody who didn't listen, and really was about his agenda and what he wanted and about what his friends wanted," the South Side activist said. "He was loyal to the rich and the campaign donors and the aldermen who helped him move his agenda, but he was not a listener to city residents and everyday people." Patel agreed. "Rahm Emanuel's lasting legacy is the failure of young black people in the city, the murder of Laquan McDonald and his trickle-down approach from focusing almost single-handedly on downtown to the neglect of neighborhoods," the grassroots organizer said. "That's what really defines his eight years in office." Beale, the Far South Side alderman, said people don't appreciate how much the job weighed on Emanuel. "When you're under the pressure of being the mayor of Chicago and you're dealing with the budgets, the murders, the foreclosures and all the things that go with it, you've got the weight of the world on you," Beale said. "Once he decided he was no longer running, you could tell it all lifted off him and he was a different person. I wish he was that guy the whole time." Even in his final days in office, Emanuel doesn't give much credence to the critics. In one of his recent podcast episodes in which he hosted U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Emanuel noted how he keeps President Theodore Roosevelt's famous "Man in the Arena" quote under the glass on his desk. The quotation is neatly printed on a piece of paper, and the mayor said he intends to leave it there for Lightfoot along with the customary note in the top desk drawer. Roosevelt's quote lauds "the man in the arena whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood" who "spends himself in a worthy cause" and whose "place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." It's a sentiment that has resonated with Emanuel, who as mayor found himself in the chief executive's chair for the first time in a long political career that spanned two White Houses and three terms in Congress. "I think that quote is something worth reading and reminding yourself why you're here. Even when they're throwing arrows at you, even when those who have never tried from the cheap seats are throwing rocks, you at least know the value of having exerted yourself and trying to make something happen," Emanuel said. "And that is why public life is worth it." Chicago Tribune's Juan Perez Jr. and John Byrne contributed. bruthhart@chicagotribune.com Twitter @BillRuthhart


Looking to up your appreciation of the arts? We've rounded up four artsy events around Washington this weekend that will scratch your cultural itch, from an art exhibit highlighting the experiences of migrants to a talk and book signing by a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 'Underlying Borders' closing event From the event description: "Underlying Borders" brings together the work of artists with their own experiences migrating between Mexico and the United States. Join the Mexican Cultural Institute for the official closure of the exhibit featuring an artist talk, along with the presentation of the exhibit catalog. When: Saturday, June 1, noon-1:30 p.m. Where: Mexican Cultural Institute, 2829 16th St. NW Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Whiskey & Friends art party and open mic From the event description: You are invited to come out and enjoy this totally free and all-ages event, featuring local R&B sensation Davonne D'Neil. This event is the unofficial kickoff to the Takoma Art Crawl taking place June 8. When: Saturday, June 1, 7-11 p.m. Where: Culture Coffee Too, 300 Riggs Road NE Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets 'Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom' From the event description: David Blight's Pulitzer Prize-winning book, "Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom," sheds new light on Douglass, particularly the last 30 years of his life, thanks to a trove of letters, manuscripts and scrapbooks in a private collection that no other historian previously used in any full-length biography. Take in his lecture, followed by a book signing. When: Sunday, June 2, noon-1 p.m. Where: National Gallery of Art, East Building Auditorium, 4th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets 'The Life of Animals in Japanese Art' From the event description: Artworks representing animals   real or imaginary, religious or secular   span the full breadth and splendor of Japanese artistic production. As the first exhibition devoted to the subject, "The Life of Animals in Japanese Art" covers 17 centuries (from the sixth century to the present day) and a wide variety of media   sculpture, painting, lacquerwork, ceramics, metalwork, textile and the woodblock print. When: Sunday, June 2, 2-3 p.m. Where: National Gallery of Art, East Building Auditorium, 4th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Cats are cute, cuddly, independent, and a lot less work than a dog - but did you know they can also be good for your health? Our furry felines can provide a lot more than companionship. Not a cat person? You should be! Here's 10 proven health benefits of owning a cat Cats are cute, cuddly, independent, and a lot less work than a dog. But did you know they can also be good for your health? Our feline friends have been proven to have a positive effect on our mental and physical health. So if you're not a cat person yet, here's some reasons why you should be... They can reduce stress and anxiety Cats release calming chemicals which can help lower stress levels in humans. In times of upset or grief, one of the best ways you can cope is to own a pet. Cats have been shown to help people get over their loss more quickly and experience less physical symptoms, such as crying It can help lower your risk of heart disease Cats are actually good for your heart. They can help you feel calmer just by petting them, and the chance of developing various types of heart disease, or even suffering a stroke, are up to 30% lower than non-cat owners, studies say You will sleep better Cats are better bed companions than humans. Multiple studies found people preferred to sleep with their pets than their partners. Not only did they get a better night s sleep, but they experienced less disturbances throughout the night Purring can help heal injuries It sounds far-fetched, but the purring noise cats make can actually help the human body heal quicker. The frequency a cat purr creates has been proven to have a therapeutic effect on human bones, muscles and joint mobility after injury Your children will have fewer allergies Studies have shown that being exposed to cats under the age of one means you are less likely to develop allergies as an adult. High exposure to cats in early life also provides protection from other allergies, such as dust mites and grass They can help children with autism socialize better The social interaction of children with autism can dramatically improve around pets, research has shown. So if you have a child with autism, getting a cat could greatly help develop their social skills and assertiveness as an adult Watching cat videos is good for mental health A study of more than 7,000 people conducted by Indiana University Bloomington discovered that watching cat videos boosts energy and positive emotions, while cheering up anyone who had been feeling down Widen your social circle For both adults and children, owning a cat makes you more likely to make friends with other cat owners as well as connecting you with other people in the community like your local vet or volunteers at the animal shelter Cats can help you attract a partner If you're single and wanting to meet a partner, then getting a cat is one way to do it. A recent study showed 90% of single women said men who owned a cat were also 'nicer' than other guys they dated. Meow! And they can literally save your life There have been many instances of cats literally saving their owners lives. One cat owner said his feline friend warns him before he is about to have an epileptic fit. Cats have also woken their owners up during a fire   or in one case a gas explosion


Of the three macronutrients   carbohydrates, fat, and protein   none has been alternately diabolized and worshipped quite like fat has. Once public enemy number one back in the '80s and '90s, today it's at the crux of the popular keto diet . In both scenarios, though, the surprisingly massive and complex role fat plays in our bodies is not really clear. Let's talk about what fat actually does in the body. What fat actually is Fats are one of the three macronutrients (nutrients we need in large quantities) found in the food we eat, in addition to protein and carbohydrates. These surprisingly complex molecules provide the slowest, most efficient form of energy for our bodies, according to Merck Manuals . You can find dietary fat in virtually all animal products like meat, dairy, eggs, and fish. Fat also shows up in a bunch of plant foods. Dietary fats are found in very high amounts in nuts, seeds, olives, avocados, and coconuts and, in their purest form, in oils made from plants and plant seeds (like olive oil, canola oil, or safflower oil). But other plant foods, like beans and even whole grains, also contain a tiny amount of fat. Foods that are almost totally made of fat, like butter, lard, or vegetable oil, get classified as "fats" in dietary parlance. While many animal products, like milk, yogurt, and ground beef, also contain relatively high amounts of fat, we call them "proteins" because they are highest in that macro. (Plus, the fat content is often reduced or removed during processing e.g. skim milk or lean meat.) The different kinds of fats The main kinds of fat found in food are triglycerides, Whitney Linsenmeyer , Ph.D., R.D., nutrition and dietetics instructor in the Doisy College of Health Sciences at Saint Louis University and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, tells SELF. Triglycerides are composed of three fatty acids a chain of hydrocarbons linked to a group of oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon and a small compound called glycerol. The way these chains are bonded and their length help determine exactly what kind of triglyceride or fat it is. There are three main types of fat, and despite being equally delicious, they are actually pretty different from one another. Saturated fats are, simply, fat molecules that are full of (or "saturated" with) molecules of hydrogen, the American Heart Association (AHA) explains. Typically solid at room temperature, they're most common in animal products, but they're also found in significant quantities in coconut oil and palm oil, per the AHA . The second type is unsaturated fat, which is not fully saturated with hydrogen. There are two subtypes: Monounsaturated fat molecules have a single unsaturated carbon bond, while polyunsaturated fats have more than one unsaturated carbon bond, the AHA explains. Both kinds are usually liquid at room temperature, and are found in large amounts in fish, avocados, walnuts, and various types of vegetable oils. While foods are often higher in either unsaturated or saturated fat, all dietary fat contains some of both types of fatty acids, according to the Dietary Guidelines . Trans fats , however, are a whole different ball game. While they do occur naturally in tiny amounts in meat, dairy, and some oils, according to the FDA , most trans fats are artificially produced during an industrial process wherein hydrogen is added to liquid vegetable oils in order to solidify them, creating partially hydrogenated oils. The FDA actually banned these artificial trans fats, most commonly found in fried foods and processed baked goods, because of their link to heart disease . (Although the ban went into effect in June 2018, foods manufactured before that date can be sold through January 1, 2020.) Why we even need fats Fat has an absurdly long to-do list when it comes to helping our bodies function. First off, fats supply a ton of energy it packs 9 calories per gram, compared to 4 calories in every gram of protein or carbohydrate some of which we use immediately, and much of which is reserved for later when the energy we get from carbs (which our bodies prefer to use since they're easier to break down and use quickly) is depleted, according to the FDA . But this macro does so much more than energize us. Fat is a basic component of cell membranes in every cell throughout our bodies, making it essential for body growth and development. It is integral to body processes from blood clotting and nervous system functioning to reproduction and our immune system response, according to the FDA . Many of these benefits can be attributed to those essential fatty acids found in dietary fats. For instance, two of the essential fatty acids that we need for brain development and function can be made using linolenic acid, a fatty acid found in certain vegetable oils and fish oils, Merck Manuals explains. There are certain crucial vitamins that our bodies can only absorb with the help of fat (i.e. fat-soluble vitamins), like vitamins A, D, E, and K which play key roles in maintaining healthy bones, teeth, hair, skin, and sight, among other things. Like we said, pretty crucial. Finally, fats can help regulate your cholesterol levels. Unsaturated fats can help lower your LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, also known as 'bad cholesterol') and raise your HDL (high-density lipoprotein, the thumbs-up kind), according to the AHA , which is associated with a lower risk of heart disease. (We'll talk more about lipoproteins in a bit.) But consuming trans fats and large amounts of saturated fats, especially in place of unsaturated fats, have been shown to do the opposite: up your LDL and depress your HDL, effects that are linked with a higher risk of developing heart disease, according to the FDA . All of this is why depriving your body of dietary fat is generally not good for your health. Eating a very low-fat diet puts you at risk of not reaping all of those benefits we just discussed. For instance, eating a very low-fat diet can make it hard for your body to absorb enough of the fat-soluble vitamins, the Mayo Clinic explains, leading to vitamin deficiencies and all the ill effects that come with them. A very low-fat diet can also deny your body of the essential fatty acids it needs. Finally, if you're not eating enough fat, then you're also going to miss out on the other nutrients that foods containing modest and high amounts of fat have to offer. What happens in your body when you eat fat The very first thing that happens when you eat fat? Your mouth gets happy. "Fats help contribute to the mouthfeel of the food by coating the mouth and helping you savor the food longer," Colleen Tewksbury, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., a senior research investigator and bariatric program manager at Penn Medicine and president-elect of the Pennsylvania Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, tells SELF. This enhanced mouthfeel helps distribute whatever tastes the fat molecules are carrying with them to more of your tastebuds, where they can linger for longer making the food's flavor both more intense and lasting. (Think heavenly garlic-infused olive oil, for instance.) There is also research suggesting we may have specialized taste receptors for the taste of fat itself, similarly to how we do for sweetness and saltiness. While you're busy smacking your lips, your body is preparing for the lengthy process of breaking fats all the way back down into their basic components: fatty acids and glycerol. This requires a good deal of finessing on the part of our digestive system. "Fats are kind of the most high-maintenance macronutrient in terms of digestion and absorption," Linsenmeyer says. That's because the environments of the GI tract (and, later, the bloodstream) are water-based. And if you've ever tried to whisk up, say, olive oil and lemon juice, you know that oil and water don't readily mix well. "So because fat is water-insoluble, we have pretty complex mechanisms to basically emulsify and break down those fats, and then absorb them and transport them throughout the blood," Linsenmeyer explains. This is part of the reason why we digest fatty foods more slowly and feel like they stick to our ribs longer. While carbs are great for that quick hit of energy, "fats literally slow down how quickly the stomach is emptying food into the small intestine," Linsenmeyer says, promoting and prolonging feelings of fullness. The whole process kicks off in the stomach, where the enzyme lipase gets mixed in to start breaking things down, Tewksbury explains. As your partially digested food moves along to the small intestine, various organs add different juices and enzymes to the mix, many of which are specialized in breaking down fat into smaller chains of fatty acids. One secretion is a digestive juice called bile, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Bile acts like an emulsifier that enables fat to mix into a water-based substance, allowing it to be pulled into the bloodstream, Tewksbury explains. How the body converts fat into energy The blood from our intestines, with all those itty-bitty pieces of fat molecules in it, travels into the liver, which is kind of like a dispatch center for macronutrients after digestion, Tewksbury explains, where molecules can be assembled into different forms such as HDL, certain fatty acid chains based on what you've eaten and what your body needs before getting sent out to be used or stored. A bunch of processes can occur here  for example, the synthesis of the fatty acids our brain cells or other organs need. "There are lots of different things fat can be used for, and our body is really good at sorting through that," Tewsbury says. A lot of the time, the liver is converting excess fats into a storable form, according to the Mayo Clinic . It's putting the glycerol and fatty acid molecules back together into triglycerides or cholesterol the two types of fat in your blood, according to the Cleveland Clinic . Then it has to repackage them with proteins to form special little vehicles called lipoproteins that can carry the fats to where they need to go, Tewksbury explains. On top of that, fats are the only macro that enlists the help of the lymphatic system to get into our cells. (We told you fats were high-maintenance.) These lipoproteins are still a little too big to be directly absorbed into the bloodstream, Linsenmeyer says, so they actually enter the lymphatic system first. This network of vessels, which carries fluids throughout the body, runs pretty much parallel to the circulatory system and has special pathways that helps channel these bulky lipoproteins right into the bloodstream. Finally , these lipoproteins can chauffeur the triglycerides throughout the circulatory system to their most common final destination: adipose (fat) cells throughout the body, known as adipose (fat) tissue, where energy is stored. (By the way, this is a good time to note that the relationship between dietary fat and body fat is so much more complex than "eating fat = gaining fat." That relic of early nutrition science fails to take into account the central role of overall caloric intake, for example, plus the many other variables in the weight gain equation… which is a scientific deep-dive for another day.) Then later, if the body's preferred form of energy, glucose, is depleted because you're exercising, or between meals, or not eating enough carbs your body can actually break the triglycerides stowed in your adipose cells back down into free fatty acids and glycerol and use them to make energy in the form of glucose. (Sometimes, when the body is deprived of carbs, the liver starts breaking fatty acids down into an alternate kind of fuel called ketones a process that is the basis of the keto diet, as SELF previously reported .) Now, as absurdly complicated as this whole thing is seriously, props if you're still with us the reality is that there are actually a number of other processes taking place in our bodies when we eat fat that we aren't even touching on here (involving various hormones, for instance). A lot of these complex mechanisms are occurring on a cellular level, and require a hefty bit of biochemistry to really flesh out. What we're doing here is presenting a big picture so you can better understand, on a basic level, how the fat in the food you eat impacts your body. The takeaway is that fat is not only delicious but critical for supporting your health and that we're all #blessed our bodies know exactly what to do when we eat it. Video: Exactly how often you really need to see different kinds of doctors (Provided by Self)


DENVER (CBS4)   A driver lost control in a Denver neighborhood early Tuesday. The sports car went up on the sidewalk, hit a tree and the foundation of a house. It happened near the intersection of East 6th Avenue and Josephine Street. Copter4 flew over the crash at about 6:30 a.m. Fortunately the driver was not seriously hurt and there was no one else in the car. There was no significant damage to the house. Denver police said the driver will be cited for careless driving.


Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan says he wants to open fresh contract talks at the Etihad after winning a domestic treble this season. The Germany international is under contract until next summer, with extension talks having broken down earlier this year in March, and has been linked with a move to Serie A side Inter. Despite attracting the attention of the Italian giants, the 28-year-old now seems willing to discuss terms with City chiefs and is keen to stay at the club beyond 2020. In an interview with Bild , Gundogan stated: "I wanted to focus completely on the games in recent months. I think my form and results of the last week have shown this was the right path. "Now there's enough time to reflect on the situation and re-engage with the club." Pointing out what the club had achieved, he added: "With the Champions League, it would have been a five-star season. "In England, we cleared all the titles that were possible, including the title in the best league in the world." Gundogan spent much of the campaign successfully filling in for Fernandinho . Given the Brazilian's injury woes, manager Pep Guardiola will likely want to keep hold of his replacement. While Fernandinho still managed to make 27 appearances this season, his absence has occasionally been City's downfall and the head coach won't want to risk being without a capable alternative. Consequently, Gundogan's game time grew more frequent throughout the campaign. This, along with the club's domestic success, will certainly be a motivating factor in the central midfielder's change of heart.