For the second summer in a row, England is in the throes of World Cup semi-final fever. The second summer in a row! The Lionesses face the USA in the semi-finals of the Women's World Cup on Tuesday night, with a place in Sunday afternoon's final against Sweden or the Netherlands up for grabs   and quarter-final goalscorer Lucy Bronze's battle with Megan Rapinoe on England's right-hand side is one of the most eagerly awaited matchups of the tournament. Today's #LionessesDaily is coming your way a little earlier than usual... ⏰ Join us LIVE from Lyon at 4pm to see how #Lionesses fans are feeling ahead of tonight's game: https://t.co/M1C3xw6M8y   Lionesses (@Lionesses) July 2, 2019 Bronze, already heralded in the football community as one of the game's best, has reached national icon status in England after taking France by storm with her performances. In honour of the right back, Domino's Headingley in Leeds is turning its famous storefront logo bronze. That's nice, but why exactly you ask? Well, Bronze is a f ormer Domino's pizza chef, working at the Leeds store during her time at university. Now one of the Lionesses biggest stars and a two-time Champions League winner, Bronze has 73 caps for England and has been an integral part of the team's success at the World Cup. Bronze's most recent player of the match performance saw her set up a goal and score a long-range banger of her own against Norway on Thursday, paving the way for Tuesday night's pressure semi-final. Ricky Kandola, Operations Director at Domino's, commented: "We're all proud of everything Lucy has achieved and are delighted to be able to pay tribute to her ahead of the semi-final. Domino's is the perfect addition to match viewing, and we've predicted football fever to hit tonight as the country cheers on the Lionesses!" The semi-final match against the USA falls on the same day as Domino's Two for Tuesday deal (on account of it being...a Tuesday)   so any pizza lovers ordering any medium or large pizza will get another freshly made, piping hot treat of the same size completely free.


It's that time now football is finally back with a plethora of teams reporting to training camp on Monday. The Raiders do not fully report until Friday, but the excitement is building within the nation. With that said, many storylines are buzzing into camp, especially with Hard Knocks covering the process of the final 53. Let's look at the top five questions heading into training camp. 5. Is Darren Waller a future star in the making? The buzz all offseason has been around the development of Darren Waller. The wide receiver converted to tight end built up his buzz ending the season with big plays when he got his opportunities. The buzz has not died down after OTAs and minicamp sessions with Waller showing off his speed and catching ability during practice. Jon Gruden and Greg Olson have raved about his play, making him one of the standouts during the off-season program. Training camp will display how the Raiders will be using Waller this season and whether he will become the true third option behind Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams. 4. Who will be the No. 4 running back for Oakland? The top three running backs on this roster is officially set with Josh Jacobs, Jalen Richard, and Doug Martin. The final spot behind those three is up for grabs between Chris Warren, and Deandre Washington. One thing to be said about Washington is that he is a survivor. It seems like Washington has been in this position the last two seasons and ultimately shows enough to stay on the final 53. This year could be different against fan-favorite Chris Warren who had a breakout preseason in 2018 with highlight runs. Warren has had weight issues and doesn't add anything too special teams, which don't help his case against the steady Washington. It will be fun to watch these two fight for the final roster spot in 2019. 3. Can the Raiders generate a pass rush? Most of the buzz coming into the season is about the offense. However, the Raiders defense is still the weak spot on the team. After having only 13 sacks last season, the Raiders are depending on their young players to generate a pass rush in 2019. The Raiders projected defensive ends have a combined 17 career sacks which is a scary outlook when you think about it. Paul Guenther is counting on the development of Arden Key and the hope that Ferrell can have an impact year one. Maurice Hurst led the team in sacks a year ago, and if he can grow into a dominant player in the interior year two, it helps everyone on the whole defensive line. The Raiders need young players to take the next step, or it will be a long season. 2. Can Derek Carr and Antonio Brown connection continue to grow? Derek Carr being replaced was one the most prominent rumors this off-season that did not come into fruition. The Raiders didn't even draft a quarterback to replace him and instead added plenty of weapons to give Carr a chance to succeed. The best addition is a future Hall of Famer named Antonio Brown. Brown is coming off a down season in yards but still had 15 touchdowns in 2018. Carr always shines in training camp, but it will be interesting to learn more about the chemistry that has already been built between the two players. We will see if Carr uses his legs more since Brown excels in the scramble drill, crafting special plays out of thin air. The dynamic between these two will be followed throughout the season, and it starts at the beginning of training camp. 1. What wild moves will Jon Gruden make before the season starts? Last off-season, Gruden had high expectations going into training camp famously ramping a crowd about bringing in Khalil Mack. After training camp started, everything changed. Gruden decided the team needed to be torn down and 2018 Raiders were suddenly in a full rebuild. What happens in 2019? Gruden has already proven he is not predictable and at times makes impulsive moves. Could we see a big trade before the cuts? With players like Karl Joesph on the hot seat and reports that the Raiders are not the highest on Conley, both of these players could be sent packing. Maybe the Raiders trade for a more significant player to add to the pass rush with plenty of picks to use at their disposal. Gruden has surprised Raider nation plenty of times already with his moves; it might get wilder in year two. MORE: Brooks Koepka explained what's the most frustrating part of J.B. Holmes' slow play Lakers' Quinn Cook Q&A: 'It feels like this team has been together a while' Phil Simms: 'Multiple' teams were set to take Daniel Jones before No. 17 Brooks Koepka Calls Out J.B. Holmes Following Disastrous Final Round at The Open Report: Eric Dickerson says big-name HOFers may boycott 2019 ceremony


PATERSON   Police officer Frank Toledo pleaded guilty on Tuesday to participating in illegal traffic stops and shakedowns, making him the seventh Paterson cop arrested in an ongoing FBI corruption probe. Standing in federal court in Newark, Toledo admitted joining with other rogue cops in a conspiracy that allegedly started in late 2016 and continued until 2018. He also admitted beating people he arrested in at least two instances. During his plea, Toledo said he sent a text message to another cop in which he said, "Everything we do is illegal." As part of the probe, five officers had been arrested in 2018 and a sixth earlier this year . Federal authorities previously signaled that a seventh officer would be targeted in their investigation, which started about 30 months ago after the city's police department's Internal Affairs division spotted potential problems with some cops' conduct. Court documents had mentioned someone simply identified as "Officer 1," who participated in the shakedowns. But authorities did not reveal that Toledo was "Officer 1" until Tuesday. WHO ARE THEY?: Six Paterson cops arrested in FBI probe TRAINED TOGETHER: All six accused Paterson cops trained at police academy in 2014 Toledo, 30, had been suspended for a brief time during the summer of 2018 as a result of the federal probe, but returned to work and had not faced criminal charges until Tuesday. Four of the officers arrested by the FBI already have pleaded guilty to various charges, including two of Toledo's accomplices in the shakedowns   Jonathan Bustios and Matthew Torres. Law enforcement sources say the five targeted suspected drug dealers. Another former cop, Ruben McAusland, admitted dealing drugs while on-duty and inside his police vehicle. McCausland and his one-time partner, former officer Roger Then, have pleaded guilty to beating a suicide patient at a hospital emergency room and trying to cover it up, an incident in which the victim has filed a $4 million lawsuit against the city. Story continues below video Meanwhile, criminal charges are pending against two other cops accused of participating in the shakedowns   Eudy Ramos and Daniel Pent. All seven cops targeted in the federal case joined the Paterson police department in 2014, with four of them going through the police academy class that began in January of that year and the other three in the July class. As part of his plea agreement, Toledo faces a possible prison term of 30 to 37 months. His sentencing will be later this year. The other others who admitted being part of the shakedown conspiracy have not been sentenced yet. Email: editor@patersonpress.com This article originally appeared on North Jersey Record: Paterson: Seventh cop arrested in FBI police corruption probe


Modelo and Corona are now in the trade war's cross hairs, and that's bad news for Constellation Brands Inc. The alcohol giant's shares plunged on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to put tariffs of as much of 25% on goods coming across the border from Mexico. That would include the beer and tequila brands produced by Constellation, which has gotten a boost in recent years from the rising popularity of Modelo in the U.S. Bottles of Corona beer sit on display for sale inside a store in Walnut Creek, California. Constellation generates about two-thirds of its revenue from beer and produces the "vast majority" of it in Mexico, according to Ken Shea, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. That puts the company at risk as Trump threatens to escalate a trade war tied to concerns over illegal immigration. It also sells the tequila brand Casa Noble. Constellation could manage a proposed 5% tariff set to go into effect June 10, but a potential hike to 25% "poses a material risk to sales and earnings," Shea said. That would likely force the company to raise prices on its beer, a move that could potentially push price-sensitive beer drinkers to other brands in the competitive industry, he said. "It becomes much more problematic," Shea said. "In this environment, I don't think the market is going to accept big price increases." Constellation's shares dropped as much as 8.6% to $171.27, the largest intraday drop in almost five months. The company didn't respond to a request for comment on the tariff threat. Constellation, mostly known as the producer of Modelo and Corona, has gained attention in recent years with a high-profile investment in Canopy Growth Corp., the Canadian company that is the world's most valuable marijuana firm. In addition to its Mexican beer brands, Constellation also sells wine and booze. In April, the company announced plans to shed roughly 30 wine and spirits brands, most of which price below $11, to E. & J. Gallo for about $1.7 billion as part of its bid to focus on its more premium products. Once that deal closes, beer will account for more than 70 percent of the company's net sales, increasing the potential impact of higher tariffs, Shea said.


The State Department has ordered "non-emergency U.S. government employees" in Iraq to leave its embassy in Baghdad and its consulate in Erbil amid tensions with neighboring Iran. "The U.S. government's ability to provide routine and emergency services to U.S. citizens in Iraq is extremely limited," the department said in statement early Wednesday. It has also advised Americans against traveling to Iraq. "Do not travel to Iraq due to terrorism, kidnapping and armed conflict," the statement added. A State Department spokesperson said Wednesday that "given the increased threat stream we are seeing ... the Secretary has decided to place Mission Iraq on ordered departure." The U.S. embassy in Baghdad on Sunday tweeted that it was advising "all U.S. citizens of heightened tensions in Iraq and the requirement to remain vigilant." That statement also urged Americans to avoid places known as gathering places for U.S. citizens and to keep a low profile. The moves come after national security adviser John Bolton announced earlier this month that the U.S. would be sending a carrier strike group to the Middle East to send a "clear and unmistakable message" to Iran. Bolton said then that while U.S. wasn't seeking to go to war with Iran, "we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces." NBC News has reported that the decision to send forces to the Middle East was based in part on intelligence that the Iranian regime has told some of its proxy forces and surrogates that they can now go after American military personnel and assets in the region, according to three U.S. officials familiar with the intelligence. Iran's ambassador to the United Nations last week denied that Tehran had given a green light to its proxies to attack U.S. forces in the Middle East, accusing American officials of employing "fake intelligence."


You get depressed every time you look at the 25 percent interest rate on your credit card statement, yet you barely have a couple hundred dollars stashed away should your car die or your job go away. Something needs to give. So, should you pay off the card and then start saving, or start socking away money then deal with the card? Simple math suggests it's probably better to pay off debt rather than adding to your emergency fund, or, for that matter, saving for other, more distant concerns, such as retirement. If you're paying more interest than you're earning in interest, you're losing money. However, personal finance decisions are rarely so simple, and wiping out debt first isn't the right choice for everyone. For example, having no emergency savings to fall back on means you will be forced to whip out your credit card when an unexpected expense comes up, such as a medical bill or a pricey car or home repair. Still, while there is no one right answer to the debt versus savings dilemma, there is one very wrong one, and that's doing nothing. "There are differing views on how you should prioritize your debt payoff, from starting with the highest interest rate to starting with the smallest balance, noted Aaron Graham, a CFP with Abacus Planning Group, Inc. in Columbia, S.C. "The key though, is to actually start!" Graham said. Here are scenarios for when each choice - paying down debt or saving - makes more sense. Reasons to make saving your top priority There are a number of good reasons to save first and pay down debt later. If you have a credit card or other debt with a very low interest rate, it may make sense to save first, says Melissa Joy, a certified financial planner and founder of Pearl Planning, a financial planning and wealth management practice in Dexter, Mich. Another situation where it makes sense to save before paying off debt is if you have access to a retirement savings plan through your job, especially if there's an employer match available. Try to contribute at least enough to get the maximum employer match. If you aren't doing this, you are effectively turning away free money, a precious commodity in this world. And putting off saving for retirement until you are debt-free could cost you your most valuable asset: time. With compound interest , even small contributions to your retirement plan can grow significantly. However, the top reason to make saving a top priority over paying down debt is to build your emergency fund. That is especially the case if you are like most Americans who, in a recent Bankrate survey , said they would be unable to cover an unexpected expense of even $1,000 out of their savings. Without some money saved up, you could simply wind up adding to your credit card debt in order to pay for an unexpected car repair or a trip to the emergency room. "If you don't have any savings, focusing solely on paying debt can backfire when unexpected needs or costs come up," Joy says. "You might need to borrow again, and debt can become a revolving door." What could go wrong? Well lots of things. Saving first - and building up a decent emergency fund   could spell the difference between weathering tough times and winding up in bankruptcy court. How much to save Experts recommend building an emergency fund of three to six months' worth of expenses and stashing it in a savings account. Some even recommend putting enough cash in the bank to be able to pay your expenses for an entire year. But you have to start somewhere. Graham at Abacus suggests starting first with a goal to cover a single month's expenses. "There is no excuse for not saving for these emergencies," Graham said. "It's not a question of if they will happen, but when; plan accordingly." While you are at it, shop around with different banks in order to get the best possible rate on your savings . When to pay debt before saving When you have high-interest consumer debt, paying it down first can help you solve ongoing problems with managing your money. You'll get a guaranteed return by cutting your interest payments. It's typically more than you'd earn in the stock market and definitely more than you'd earn in a savings account . Identify your expendable income, create a budget based on that number and include paying down debt as a significant part of the equation. Consider opening a balance transfer credit card , which can allow you to consolidate all of your credit card debt onto one low-rate card and save you money on finance charges. Kevin Smith, executive vice president of wealth management for Smith, Mayer & Liddle, says it usually makes sense to prioritize debt reduction, but there are exceptions. Smith doesn't see much gain in aggressively paying off a mortgage or a student loan that isn't carrying an exorbitant interest rate. Making extra payments will save you money in the long run, but in the short term, it doesn't cause your lender to recalculate and lower your monthly payments, he noted. "Paying down a traditional loan like a mortgage or student loan only reduces the outstanding principal and related interest costs," Smith says. When deciding whether to pay off tax-deductible debt versus saving, don't worry about losing a tax deduction if you pay off the debt. The deduction is probably worth less than the annual interest you would have paid on the loan. The ideal approach The best solution could be to strike a balance between saving and paying off debt. You might be paying more interest than you should, but having savings to cover sudden expenses will keep you out of the debt cycle. Additionally, having sufficient savings provides peace of mind. Some people are unlikely to feel at ease with any strategy that causes their savings to fall below a certain level. For them, saving and paying down debt at the same time might be the best approach. "Every savings vs. debt situation is case by case," said Aaron Clarke, a wealth advisor at Halpern Financial in Ashburn, Va. "If client has surplus cash flow, the best thing to do is "walk and chew gum" - paying down debt and saving at the same time." Learn more: How much you should have in savings at each age Best high yield savings accounts in July 2019 A growing percentage of Americans have no emergency savings whatsoever


For the second straight day, Target checkout lines across the United States were scenes of confusion and delay. Many Targets on Sunday were unable to accept credit card payments for more than an hour. "Like many other companies, Target uses NCR as a vendor to help accept payments, and on Sunday afternoon NCR experienced an issue at one of their data centers," Target said. Target said the issue was resolved by Sunday evening and that it wasn't related to security. It also indicated that "no payment information was compromised at any time." NCR could not be reached for comment Sunday evening. Target also acknowledged its customers' weekend ordeals in a short apology. "We know many guests had a frustrating shopping experience in our stores this weekend," Target said. "For that, we are truly sorry." The latest outage did not go unnoticed online. "Still having issues on Sunday at @Target in Minneapolis," wrote one Twitter user . "#targetoutage continues in Cedar Rapids! No cards will scan other than gift cards, and you have to pay cash," wrote another . Sunday's issue came a day after the company's cash registers suffered a two-hour systems outage . That two-hour outage was due to "internal technology issues." Target said Sunday's incident was unrelated to Saturday's issue. The company has 1,800 locations in the United States and a presence in India.


Mock draft season is no longer limited to the winter. With nearly a month until the college football season is set to begin, our friends at Draft Wire are already busy creating 2020 mock drafts. Their latest has the Seahawks picking 19th overall, and selecting Florida cornerback CJ Henderson. Henderson is entering his junior year at Florida after two very strong seasons. He led the NCAA with two pick-sixes as a freshman, and has six interceptions total. Scouts like his speed and burst, believing he can be a shutdown corner on the outside or in the slot. Plus, he is listed at six-foot-one and 191 pounds, a good size for an outside back. It's way too early to know what the Seahawks will be looking for come 2020, but after not selecting any corners in 2019 it wouldn't be a surprise to see Seattle upgrade at that position. Of course, Seattle almost always built their secondary on late-round picks, so it is entirely possible they wait on defensive backs and look elsewhere in the first round - or trade out. MORE: ESPN's Molly Qerim walked off set after Max Kellerman said Kobe's on his 'all-NBA worst team' Roundup: SpaceX Launches Falcon 9; Toni Morrison Passes Away; Barneys Files for Bankruptcy Packers' decision to cut OT Jason Spriggs places spotlight on second-year UDFA Alex Light Eagles' release unofficial depth chart for preseason opener vs. Titans Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo enjoying evolution of his new defense


The automotive research firm iSeeCars.com released a study called " The Most Dangerous Cars in the U.S. " and as a result, a bunch of websites have been running articles with titles like Fatal Attraction: These Are The Deadliest Cars On The Road , which certainly has some nice life-or-death drama to it. Here's the thing, though: when you really dig into the numbers and methodology used to get the results, it turns out that America's "most dangerous" car really isn't all that dangerous, when you put it in perspective. I'll cut the tension for you and just tell you right now that the study found the sad little Mitsubishi Mirage to be the deadliest car in its results, as though the poor Mirage really needed something else for people to razz it about. Here's the study's list of the 14 cars with the most frequent occupant fatalities: OK, so, let's take a moment here and really think about what these numbers actually mean , because it's not that obvious. Here's how iSeeCars described how they did the study: iSeeCars.com analyzed fatality data of model year 2013-2017 cars from the U.S. Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and more than 25 million used cars from the same model years to determine the vehicles that are most often involved in fatal accidents. It found that there are 14 models that are at least two times as likely as the average vehicle to be involved in a fatal accident. That means we're dealing with cars from 2013 to 2017, and, according to the chart, we're looking at fatal wrecks per one billion miles. That's a big number. How did they come up with that number of miles? There's actually kind of a lot to figure out here, so I enlisted the help of David Tracy, who's much better at math and actually, perversely, seems to enjoy figuring stuff like this out. I want to look at the worst car on their list, the Mirage, and really understand just how unsafe it actually is, in more objective terms. Basically, we want to know how much of a risk are you putting yourself in every time you get into a Mitsubishi Mirage. David Dives In: I reached out to the author of the study, Julie Blackley, and she and the data scientist described the methodology. It was a little difficult to understand, but here's what I gathered: First, the team determined via NHSTA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System how many fatal crashes occurred between 2012 and 2017 involving 2013 to 2017 model years of a certain model. Then iSeeCars went through its vast database of cars sold in 2017 and averaged the number of miles each model year of a certain car had on it. So all 2014 Mirages, for example, might have had an average of 50,000 miles on them in 2017. All 2015s might have had an average of 40k in 2017, etc. Once they knew how many miles, on average, each model year of a certain model had by 2017, the team had to determine how many of each model year of that certain model was on the road traveling all those miles. The team did this by first looking up the average number of cars on the road during each calendar year between 2013 and 2017 (this is a number published by some organization we're not sure which). Then the team figured out what share of each year's total vehicle population each model year of a certain model year represented. To do this, iSeeCars used its database of 25 million car sales, and divided the number of each model year of a certain model sold during each calendar year between 2013 and 2017 by the total number of cars sold in that calendar year. So if 5,000 2014 Mitsubishi Mirages were sold in 2015 and 1,000,000 cars were sold that year, then 2014 Mirages represented .005 of the full population of cars on the road in 2015. iSeeCars did this calculation for the 2014 Mirage for all relevant calendar years between 2013 and 2017, and averaged the figures over the calendar years to get an average share of all cars on the road that 2014 Mirages represented between those years. Then the team multiplied that average share by the average number of cars on the road between 2013 and 2017 (again, the average number of cars during each year is apparently a published figure), ultimately determining, on average, how many of each model year Mirage was on the road during that span. The team then multiplied this figure by the average number of miles each model year traveled by 2017 (again, this is based on sales figures in 2017), and added all the model year totals all up to get the total Mirage miles traveled between 2013 and 2017. In the case of the Mirage, it was around 2 billion miles traveled and, according to iSeeCars, 20 were involved in fatal crashes. So 20 fatal crashes over 2 billion miles equals about 10 fatal crashes per billion vehicle miles traveled. Blackley wanted to clarify one point: Just to make sure we're on the same page, for each model year, the average mileage was obtained from data in calendar year 2017. However the share of sales was taken for each model year over calendar years 2013 - 2017, so something more like an average share across the five years. We had another question, though: we want to know just what sort of risk of a fatal crash someone has when they get into a Mirage. To figure this out, we'll assume that the average Mirage owner drives their car 15,000 miles per year (that's the annual mileage the EPA assumes when it writes its annual Fuel Economy Guides ) which means we can say the chance of them being involved in a fatal crash in their Mirage during a given year of driving would be, roughly, 15,000 miles divided by one billion miles times the number of fatal crashes per billion miles, (10.2), giving a result of 0.0153 percent chance you'll be in a fatal crash in your Mirage. We asked the study's author if she felt this was reasonably accurate, and she responded: I think what you're calculating is the expected number of crashes per year for an average car, which is a rate rather than a probability of a crash. But if I'm calculating it correctly, for small numbers, the rate is a reasonable approximation of the probability of a crash. The actual chances of being in a crash likely vary greatly with driver/experience, road, weather, condition of car, etc. Those are all very valid hedges. We're not really factoring in anything like road conditions or weather or driver skill, we're just looking at overall numbers. But, she agreed that's a reasonable approximation of how likely you are to get killed in a crash in your Mirage: 0.0153 percent. So, with that in mind, that should mean we can say that the car this study said was the "Most Dangerous" car in America, the Mitsubishi Mirage, is a car that is 99.985 percent safe. I'm not sure anything I do on a regular basis is as safe as that. So, we have to acknowledge that figure is far from exact and relies on a bunch of assumptions, but my real point is this: When you're seeing all these articles breaking down the "deadliest cars on the road" and these important studies showing just how deadly some of these small cars and sports cars are, it's worth taking a moment to think about these things in context. Yes, it does seem the Mirage has more fatal crashes per billion miles than other cars on the road. That seems to be true. But, it's also worth looking at the big picture here and seeing that overall, this most dangerous car really isn't that dangerous at all. Though, almost every other car out there is even less dangerous, which is also worth remembering. To be fair, though, even if we look at the usual IIHS crash tests and ratings, the Mirage actually fares pretty damn well , especially considering its small size. Every one of my old daily drivers is orders of magnitudes less safe than this Mirage, no question. Modern cars really are incredible when it comes to safety, and if you have a 99.9 percent chance of not dying in a Mirage, then I'd say that's a pretty wonderful thing. I'm not saying don't buy the safest car you can get, if that's what you want, but we will say that if studies like these make you think cars like the Mirage or BRZ or Honda Fit are deathtraps, you're dead wrong. Research the Mitsubishi Mirage on MSN Autos | Find a Mitsubishi Mirage near you Follow MSN Autos on Facebook and Twitter


Iran's economy is crumbling. It's in a region bristling with U.S. military hardware, and it's staring down an American administration that has made clear all options are on the table if tensions between the two countries erupt into something bigger. So why on earth would elements within the country risk blowing up foreign merchant tankers in their own backyard? The answer   if, as the U.S. government says, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was behind the suspected tanker attacks of last week   requires understanding Iran's motivations, its history and the warfighting tactics in which its combat units have developed a sharpened expertise. It's crucial to note that the culprit behind the June 13 events   explosions that rendered two commercial tankers, the Japanese Kokuka Courageous and the Norwegian Front Altair, defunct and forced their crews to abandon ship   has not yet been conclusively proven. The U.S. and the Saudis say it's Iran, while the U.K. says they're "almost certain" of the same; Iran vociferously denies it. But video footage and photographs from U.S. CENTCOM provides what a range of security experts say is credible evidence of Iranian responsibility. Here's a look at what might've driven elements within Iran, particularly its Revolutionary Guard Corps, to carry out the June 13 attacks. 1. Iran 'has nothing to lose' "Iran has probably arrived at the conclusion that it has less to lose from acting this way than from doing nothing," Aniseh Tabrizi, a research fellow and Iran expert at London's Royal United Services Institute, told CNBC via phone Tuesday. "There is a gamble behind it that wasn't there before, which is: 'If other countries retaliate, we are willing to take the risk because we have really nothing to lose at this point'," Tabrizi described. "And that is a dangerous way to feel." Iran's economy is expected to shrink by 6% this year, after having contracted 3.9% last year, the International Monetary Fund says. By contrast, it clocked 3.8% growth in 2017, before the Trump administration re-imposed economic sanctions after withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal that offered the Islamic Republic relief from prior sanctions. The combination of hard-hitting sanctions, particularly on the country's oil exports that began last November, as well as years of economic mismanagement have led to skyrocketing unemployment and inflation headed toward 40%. "The more the U.S. maximum pressure policy succeeds in driving the Iranian economy into the ground," Ali Vaez, Iran Project Director at Crisis Group, told CNBC, "the less risk averse the Iranians will become and the more aggressive they're likely to be." 2. Calling Trump's bluff "It's all about careful calibration and plausible deniability," Hussein Ibish, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, told CNBC. Iran's suspected asymmetric warfare, executed with limited intensity and deniability, is designed to disrupt but not provoke a military response, Iran experts say. The attacks so far, if carried out by the IRGC, have specifically avoided civilian deaths and environmental damage like an oil spill. Instead, the IRGC or its naval equivalent may be sending the message that it's capable of undermining U.S. and Arab Gulf states' interests in the region. And if they feel they can get away with it, it's because they're banking on President Donald Trump not wanting to actually start a war. "Ultimately, Iran's intention is to call President Trump's bluff," says Ibish. And indeed, Trump told Time Magazine in an interview this week that he views the tanker incidents as "very minor", suggesting that attacks of this nature are not worth going to war over. The administration has already gone almost all out on economic sanctions, "So the repercussions are virtually nil," says Ibish. "That's one reason why Iran is taking these actions: they have nothing to lose except getting into a war they don't want, but which Trump does not want either. And that's what they're testing right now." 3. 'Hit them where it hurts'   oil and shipping security Iranian leaders have often threatened that if they can't export their oil, neither will anyone else. And last week's suspected attacks took place near the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway for 30% of the world's seaborne oil traffic. Combined with the four tankers allegedly sabotaged off the United Arab Emirates' coast of Fujairah on May 12, last week's attacks "appear to be part of a systematic Iranian effort to demonstrate that peace and security in the Gulf is contingent on its own economic stability," political consultancy Eurasia Group said in a June 13 briefing. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei "has made threats to the Americans saying we're going to hit where it hurts   and the hydrocarbon lifeline of the Strait of Hormuz is what hurts," Andreas Krieg, a lecturer at the School of Security Studies at King's College London, told CNBC. Targeting commercial tankers and oil traffic hurts Iran as well, Krieg says   "but the Iranians have their backs against the wall, and there's very little they can lose because they're already in a state of absolute loss after the imposition of the maximum pressure sanctions regime." 4. Deterrence and leverage "If the Iranians were indeed behind this then I think the main motive is to deter the U.S. from further ratcheting up pressure on Iranian oil exports," says Crisis Group's Vaez. "But this also has the added benefit of ransoming the oil market which will jack up the price on shipping insurance premiums, and this will allow the Iranians to compensate to a certain extent for the loss of their oil exports as a result of U.S. sanctions." And for Iran, this type of unconventional warfare also demonstrates that it can wreak significant damage on Western interests at a fairly low financial cost, something that can't be said for the U.S. military. "The Iranians have a lot more flexibility and political will to operate in this area than the Americans," says Krieg. "The problem with the Americans is there is no political will, there's limited capability to strike back, and the costs are exponentially higher." 5. History Iran's offensive military actions have been defined by asymmetry for decades, and its alleged use of sea mines on June 13 has precedent. In the final years of the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s, the U.S. military captured footage of Iran's navy laying sea mines   and when some of them hit an American missile frigate in the Persian Gulf, the U.S. military subsequently wiped out half the Iranian navy . The 1988 offensive, dubbed Operation Praying Mantis, was the largest surface naval engagement since World War Two. The U.S. swiftly destroyed multiple Iranian oil platforms, sea bases and ships, sending oil prices upward. "The Iranians have spent the last 15 years planning how to use unconventional means to either seize or attack a tanker or other naval ships," said Krieg. "They're absolute pros at this, they're probably better than any other navy." Many analysts maintain that it's still possible the attacks were carried out by a rogue element of the Iranian system, or even a third party. But for Ibish and others, including the U.S. intelligence community, the culprit is obvious, and they say that's either the IRGC   which the U.S. designated a terrorist group in April   or one of its naval equivalents. Two weeks after the U.S. designation, Khamenei appointed Major General Hossein Salami as the IRGC's new commander, a war-hardened veteran of the Iran-Iraq war with particularly hardline and anti-Western views. "The status quo is not sustainable for Iran," says Ibish. "So they have the means, the motives and the opportunity… They do not seek a war, exactly, but they are obviously willing to risk one in order to get out of an impossible conundrum."


The Dallas Stars and head coach Jim Montgomery are making a major addition, and free agency hasn't even started. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports that Dallas is set to hire former Los Angeles Kings and Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Stevens as an assistant on Montgomery's staff. Stevens was considered one of the top available coaches this off-season and will be a major addition for the Stars. It should not come as much of a surprise that Montgomery and Stevens are back together. As Friedman notes, the pair have a considerable shared history. Both Montgomery and Stevens played together on the AHL's Philadelphia Phantoms in the late 90s during what would be the final years of Stevens' playing career due to a career-ending injury. Stevens would then become an assistant coach during Montgomery's final year with the team. As Montgomery himself later transitioned into coaching, he led the USHL's Dubuque Fighting Saints as head coach and general manager for several years, during which time he would recruit and coach John Stevens Jr. , who currently plays for the AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Of course, the two friends also coached against each other early this past season as well, as Montgomery's Stars defeated Stevens' Kings 4-2 in late October in one of Stevens' final games at the helm. Stevens' stint as the head coach in L.A. was arguably cut short too early. In his first full season of duty in 2017-18, the Kings went 45-29-8 and made the playoffs, before a disappointing sweep by the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round. The team then started last season off 4-8-1, after which Stevens was fired and replaced with Willie Desjardins, who himself has now been replaced by Todd McLellan. Stevens still maintained a winning record as head coach of the Kings and holds the same distinction as an NHL head coach overall, despite finishing just below .500 in aggregate over parts of four seasons as the head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers from 2006 to 2010. Stevens has a strong grasp on defense and has often led teams that play a safe, conservative game, even if that doesn't always lead to the offense needed to win games. Combined with Mongtomery's eye for offense and the Stars' substantial talent, Stevens has the chance to be a major difference-maker in Dallas and it is not a stretch to say he could be an NHL head coach again someday if things go well in this next stop.


Pro Football Hall of Fame welcomes its newest class As the NFL prepares to kick off its 100th season, several past greats will be honored Saturday in Canton, Ohio. The Pro Football Hall of Fame will welcome eight members in its 2019 class with an induction ceremony. Tight end Tony Gonzalez, safety Ed Reed, center Kevin Mawae and cornerbacks Champ Bailey and Ty Law all join as modern-era selections, while executive Gil Brandt and late owner Pat Bowlen were chosen as contributors, and safety Johnny Robinson was the senior selection. Trump looking to fill Director of National Intelligence position President Donald Trump's search for a new Director of National Intelligence will resume Saturday after Rep. John Ratcliffe withdrew his bid for the position. The announcement comes after Democrats and some Republicans raised questions about whether the Texas congressman exaggerated his work as a federal prosecutor of terrorism cases. Critics said the Ratcliffe incident underscores how poorly the Trump administration vets nominees , if they vet them at all. Last month, Trump announced that Dan Coats, a former Indiana senator who has held the job since early 2017, would leave office on Aug. 15 . Prefer to listen? Check out the 5 things podcast 2020 Democratic hopefuls flock to Nevada union event Nineteen Democratic primary candidates will convene in Las Vegas on Saturday to speak at a forum organized by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union. Big names like former Vice President Joe Biden and Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren will attempt to win the coveted endorsement of the country's largest public employee labor union. The location of the forum is significant, too   Nevada is a crucial early-voting primary state. Popular surfing beach closed after deadly cliff collapse A popular surfing beach in Southern California remains closed Saturday after a cliff collapsed, sending tons of sandstone onto beachgoers and killing at least three people. A 30-foot-long slab of the cliff plunged onto the sand near Grandview Beach north of San Diego, a popular surf spot among locals and vacationers. Suburbs north of San Diego have contended with rising water levels in the Pacific Ocean, pressuring bluffs along the coast. Some bluffs are fortified with concrete walls to prevent multimillion-dollar homes from falling into the sea. The victims' names and ages were not immediately released. A birthday fit for a duchess: Meghan turns 38 Meghan Markle will turn 38 on Sunday. The Duchess of Sussex likely plans to have a quiet birthday , celebrating at home with her husband, Prince Harry; some friends; and, of course, baby Archie . Last year, she rang in 37 at the wedding of Daisy Jenks and Charlie Van Straubenzee . Contributing: Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pro Football Hall of Fame, Meghan Markle celebrates her 38th birthday: 5 things to know this weekend


Want the scoop on where the in-the-know crowd of Dallas eats and drinks these days? It's easy to spot lines out the door, but some underlying trends are harder to see. We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to analyze which eateries have been in the spotlight this month. To find out who made the list, we looked at Dallas businesses on Yelp by category and counted how many reviews each received. Rather than compare them based on number of reviews alone, we calculated a percentage increase in reviews over the past month, and tracked businesses that consistently increased their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance. Read on to see which spots are getting plenty of attention this summer. Hero This popular sports bar, traditional American restaurant and event space is trending in comparison to other businesses categorized as "American (Traditional)" on Yelp. Citywide, traditional American places saw a median 1.9% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Hero saw a 73.3% increase, with a slight downward trend from a four-star rating a month ago to 3.5 stars today. It's not the only trending outlier in the traditional American category: Frankie's Downtown has seen a 4% increase in reviews. Located at 3090 Olive St. in downtown Dallas by Victory Park, Hero offers beer, cocktails, billiards, arcade games and assorted food items such as fish tacos, cheese fries, pulled pork nachos and jalapeño hush puppies. SkinnyFATS Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Uptown's SkinnyFATS , the New American breakfast, lunch and brunch eatery is a hot topic, according to Yelp review data. While businesses categorized as "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp saw a median 3.2% increase in new reviews over the past month, SkinnyFATS bagged a 30.8% increase in new reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a healthy 4.5-star rating. There's even more trending on the Dallas breakfast and brunch scene: Snooze, an A.M. Eatery has seen a 14.1% increase in reviews. Situated in the heart of Dallas at 3700 McKinney Ave., the brand SkinnyFATS initially got its start in 2013 at a small space in Las Vegas. SkinnyFATS' Uptown location is its first venture outside the state of Nevada. Red Claws Crab Shack North Dallas' Red Claws Crab Shack is also making waves. With a location in Arlington as well as its Dallas locale, found at 4727 Frankford Road, Suite 349, the bar and Cajun/Creole spot, which offers seafood and more, has seen an 8.9% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.5% for all businesses tagged "Bars" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis Red Claws Crab Shack's review count increased by more than 280%. Red Claws Crab Shack serves authentic Cajun-style seafood. Over the past month, it's seen its Yelp rating tick down from 4.5 stars to four stars. This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Three teenage boys were arrested in San Mateo County on suspicion of burglary, evading police and fleeing the head-on collision they were involved in, officials said. On Friday afternoon, sheriff's deputies noticed a black BMW sedan moving erratically around the area of Highway 1 and Second Street in Montara, a small coastal town north of Half Moon Bay. A deputy tried to pull over the car, but the driver   who turned out to be 14 years old   sped away, going north toward Pacifica. The deputy pursued the vehicle and found it had gotten into a head-on collision with a green Toyota. One of the teens was on the ground with an injured hand, while his two companions had fled the scene by foot. They were found nearby in the area of Gray Whale Cove near Highway 1. The teens were treated at a hospital then booked at Juvenile Hall. When deputies searched the car, they found a "large quantity of stolen property from various burglaries" connected to at least three victims. "The suspects and suspect vehicle matched the description from several other auto burglaries in the area and we will be working with other law enforcement agencies to see if they are related to these suspects," the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. Arrested were a 14-year-old boy from San Francisco, a 16-year-old boy from Antioch and a 16-year-old boy from Daly City. The teens were arrested on suspicion of vehicle burglary, possession of burglary tools, resisting arrest, hit-and-run with major injuries and evading a police officer. Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov


The state of Pennsylvania has filed a lawsuit against Purdue Pharma , claiming the Oxycontin maker fueled the state's deadly opioid epidemic through a deceptive marketing campaign that targeted the elderly and military veterans. "We are suing the giant, the pharma lord who created Oxycontin," Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said at a Tuesday press conference. "Purdue owes it to the thousands of Pennsylvanians who lost their lives to [drug overdoses] to stop making excuses and instead to take responsibility for their actions," Shapiro added. The suit adds to the more than 1,600 claims against Purdue. More than three dozen states have sued Purdue for allegedly aggressively marketing OxyContin while underplaying the drug's addictive qualities. Pennsylvania is among the states hardest hit by the opioid epidemic. Roughly 5,390 Pennsylvanians suffered fatal drug overdoses in 2017   more than any other state   and a majority of the deaths were caused by opioids, according to the 121-page lawsuit. "Even when Purdue knew people were addicted and dying, Purdue treated patients and their doctors as 'targets' to sell more drugs," the suit says. "Tragically, each part of Purdue's campaign of deception earned the company more money, and caused more addiction and death." Shapiro claims in the suit that Purdue supervisors urged sales staff to "focus on the geriatric population." The company also set up a website called exitwoundsforveterans.org, which "deceptively assured veterans that Purdue's opioids are not addictive." The lawsuit also chronicles numerous cases in which Purdue sales reps allegedly continued to push the drugs after becoming aware that doctors might be over-prescribing them. In one case, according to the suit, a doctor told a Purdue employee that "there is a big abuse problem for oxy(contin) and maybe the best thing for him would be if they took his license away." In another case, a doctor told a Purdue representative that he was "fed up" with patients "us[ing] him for meds" and "felt his opioid prescribing was spiraling out of control," according to the lawsuit. But Purdue continued to call on him for more sales until that doctor was arrested and charged with over-prescribing opiates, the lawsuit says. Nine of the doctor's patients died of drug overdoses between 2016 and 2018, authorities say. In a statement, Purdue denied the allegations in the suit and said it will "continue to defend itself against these misleading attacks." "The complaint is part of a continuing effort to try these cases in the court of public opinion rather than the justice system," the statement said. "Such allegations demand clear evidence linking the conduct alleged to the harm described, but we believe the state fails to show such causation and offers little evidence to support its sweeping legal claims." The lawsuit was announced two months after Purdue and its owners, the billionaire Sackler family, settled a case with Oklahoma for $270 million. The company settled with Kentucky for $24 million in 2015. More than 1,000 lawsuits against Purdue have been consolidated in a case expected to go before a federal court judge in Ohio this fall. The drugmaker has been exploring a possible bankruptcy and has vigorously denied the claims against it.


While the Vikings have plenty of players lots of money in 2019, they also have some players who could prove to be bargains. Here are three that jump out to me. Of course, the potential is big here. All contract details are courtesy of Spotrac. S, Anthony Harris - $3.095 million Harris will replace Andrew Sendejo as the team's starting safety after starting nine of 16 games last season for the injured Sendejo. Sendeo will play for the Eagles in 2019. Now it's all about Harris, and he deserves it. His 89.0 Pro Football Focus grade ranked third among all safeties in the NFL. It's a big season for Harris financially, as he'll hit unrestricted free agency in 2020. WR, Jordan Taylor - $720,000 If Taylor can win the Vikings third wide receiver spot, this would be an absolute steal for the Vikings. Taylor is familiar with Gary Kubiak from their days in Denver. The other favorite to win the third wide receiver spot is second-year player Chad Beebe. Beebe is due just $570,000 in 2019. DE, Stephen Weatherly - $720,000 Weatherly played well in Everson Griffen's absence last season. If Griffen falls off (he's 31 years old), Weatherly is an obvious replacement. The Vikings have a choice to make. They can extend Weatherly before his rookie contract expires (sometime in training camp), or risk that Weatherly has a big season and they'll be forced to make a decision on paying big money. It feels like the answer is to give him a moderate deal prior to the season. If he underperforms, it's a far less risk than if he overperforms and you have yet to pay him. MORE: Report: Jill Ellis is benching the best midfielder alive for USA - France Danny Green: 'This is the time where I need to maximize the dollars on the longest amount of years that I can do' Kawhi Leonard 'Seriously Considering' Lakers, Per Stephen A. Smith Heading into training camp: Zach Zenner's path to the 53-man roster Lakers 'expected' to try and sign DeAndre Jordan who wants to be back in L.A.


The Falcons are back! The NFL preseason begins on Thursday evening when they travel to Canton, Ohio, to take on the Broncos in the annual Hall of Fame Game. Here is all the info on how to watch, stream and follow along: Game information Denver Broncos vs. Atlanta Falcons Thursday, Aug. 1, 8 p.m. ET Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium - Canton, Ohio Television: NBC Broadcasters: Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth Referee: Walt Anderson Weather at kickoff: 75 degrees Precipitation: 2% chance Humidity: 60% Wind: 6 mph (SW) Radio: 92.9 The Game ( full list here ) Stream: FuboTV ( start your free trial ) MORE: Jayson Tatum and others defend LeBron James for celebrating at Bronny's AAU game The Dallas Cowboys Should Trade Ezekiel Elliott and That's Okay Tom Brady disobeys Bill Belichick at practice, and suffers the consequences Packers camp notes: LaFleur wants more consistency from LB Oren Burks Observations from Lions training camp, Day 5: Jahlani Tavai makes play of the day


The Republican Party continued bringing in unprecedented fundraising totals with a new high for the month of June that added to its massive war chest before the 2020 elections , Fox News has learned. Receipts for June totaled $20.8 million -- the highest the Republican National Committee (RNC) has seen for that month outside an election year. That record-breaking figure followed blockbuster numbers from its second quarter of 2019 that more than doubled the amount the party raised in the first quarter ($45.8 million in Q1 vs. $108 million in Q2). So far, the RNC has dramatically outpaced its Democratic counterpart in fundraising, something the party's chairwoman consistently linked to the president's appeal among voters. "Our record-smashing fundraising haul is a testament to the ongoing enthusiasm for President Trump and the pro-growth agenda that is delivering for every American across this country," chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement to Fox News. TRUMP CAMPAIGN, RNC ANNOUNCE $105M FUNDRAISING HAUL, BLOWING PAST DEM CANDIDATES "As voters continue to show their support for President Trump and Republican candidates, we are investing in our permanent field program and enhancing our state-of-the-art data and voter technology so that we are in prime position for Republican victories in 2020." Since McDaniel started as chairwoman at the beginning of 2017, she's raised more than $400 million. By comparison, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) took in $212 million during the same time period (Tom Perez was elected chairman at the end of February 2017). McDaniel's figures were also substantially higher than the $268.7 million that the RNC saw during a similar period (Jan. 2001 to June 2003) before former President George W. Bush's re-election. Heading into the 2020 election, the RNC already amassed $97.1 million for the cycle and had $43.5 million in total cash on hand in June. The party's second quarter saw $123.7 million in combined cash on hand. The party also reported $0 in debt, a far cry from the millions in debt that Democrats had accrued by the end of the 2016 election. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP While it's unclear how much the DNC raised in Q2, the party's top presidential candidates reportedly raked in a combined $96 million during that time. Those included Mayor Pete Buttigieg ($24.9 million), former Vice President Joe Biden ($22 million), Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. , ($19.2 million), Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., ($18 million), and Kamala Harris, D-Calif., ($11.8 million). Trump's campaign, meanwhile, out-raised four of those candidates' totals in the first 24 hours of announcing his re-election bid ($24.8 million). His campaign and the RNC also saw a second quarter fundraising total of $108 million -- $54 million from the campaign and his committees and $51 million from the RNC. That total was roughly $10 million more than the combined total of the five leading Democratic candidates.


Plano will see warm temperatures today, according to drone-powered weather forecasting service Saildrone . Temperatures will fall to 86 degrees on Sunday, and remain warm through Monday. The immediate forecast also includes rain. Today's forecast shows the highest likelihood of rain at 97 percent, with predicted rainfall of 0.10 inches. Skies will partly clear up on Thursday, remaining partly cloudy through Friday. Winds will continue to be light throughout the week, with the highest speeds today at only 11 mph. This story was created automatically using Saildrone's local weather forecast data, then reviewed by an editor. We also incorporate historic weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Got a hankering for desserts? Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top dessert outlets in Orlando, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of the best spots to meet your needs. 1. Market On South Topping the list is Market On South . Located at 2603 E. South St. in East Central Park, the vegetarian and vegan bakery is the highest-rated dessert spot in Orlando, boasting 4.5 stars out of 649 reviews on Yelp. 2. ROYALTEA Next up is Park Lake-Lake Highland's ROYALTEA , situated at 714 N. Mills Ave. With 4.5 stars out of 372 reviews on Yelp, the spot to score bubble tea, coffee, tea and desserts has proven to be a local favorite. 3. Le Gourmet Break Le Gourmet Break , a bakery and breakfast spot in the Central Business District, is another much-loved go-to, with 4.5 stars out of 381 Yelp reviews. Head over to 150 S. Magnolia Ave. to see for yourself. 4. Trevi Pasta Over in College Park, check out Trevi Pasta , which has earned 4.5 stars out of 313 reviews on Yelp. You can find the Italian pasta shop, which offers gelato and more, at 2120 Edgewater Drive. 5. Nothing Bundt Cakes Last but not least, there's Nothing Bundt Cakes , a local favorite with five stars out of 74 reviews. Stop by 7339 W. Sand Lake Road, Suite 418, to hit up the bakery, which offers desserts, cupcakes and more, next time you're looking to satisfy your cravings. This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Falcons rookie defensive lineman John Cominsky is one of several players we will be watching closely in tonight's preseason game against the Dolphins. Cominsky is also excited for the second game of his NFL career. He shared a motivational message on Twitter Wednesday evening for his team: Reinforce the good, learn from the bad. Every week, we become better and closer. pic.twitter.com/KUe4O0vfxE - John Cominsky (@J_Cominsky) August 8, 2019 Cominsky was one of a handful of standouts for the Falcons in last week's Hall of Fame game against Denver. He led the team in tackles, recorded a sack and a tackle for a loss and also contributed on special teams. While he looked great on tape, for what it's worth Pro Football Focus didn't grade him among Atlanta's top-five defenders for the game. In any case, Cominsky's future looks very promising. He has a chance to follow in the footsteps of guys like Grady Jarrett and Damontae Kazee - both mid/late round draft picks who have become invaluable contributors for the Falcons defense. MORE: A furious Chris Davis had to be held back from Orioles manager Brandon Hyde Where did Jakobi Meyers come from? 6 quick takeaways from Packers' joint practices with Texans Roundup: Bella Hadid and The Weeknd Appear to Split Again, Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Class Deadline passes as Elliott loses accrued season, fines reach $500K


Israel allowed Gaza fuel deliveries to resume and expanded its fishing zone on Friday in exchange for calm in the enclave, Israeli and Palestinian officials and a UN source said. Israel began blocking deliveries of fuel to the Gaza Strip on Tuesday after new incendiary balloons were launched from the Palestinian territory, causing fires on Israeli farmland. A source at the United Nations, which along with Egypt mediates between Israel and Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas, said on Friday that Israel had agreed to ease these restrictions in exchange for calm. "It has been agreed to immediately stop launching incendiary devices and other violent acts," the source told AFP on condition of anonymity. "Israel will allow the import of fuel to the Gaza Power Plant to be restored, the return of fishing boats that had been confiscated and will extend the fishing zone up to 15 nautical miles. "Implementing these understandings in full is critical to reducing tensions." Fuel trucks entered the Gaza Strip on Friday morning to help increase production at its sole power plant, a Hamas source said. A spokesman for the fishing union confirmed the distance they were allowed to fish off Gaza's coast had been increased to 15 nautical miles. An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the UN and Egypt had brokered the understanding, which includes an "end to violence on the part of Hamas". "If Hamas does not live up to its commitments, Israel will reimpose these sanctions," the official said. The balloons, which have incendiary devices attached, are floated across the border fence from Gaza into Israel and have caused hundreds of fires in the last year. Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since 2008 and fears of a fourth remain. Israel maintains a crippling blockade of Gaza it says it is necessary to isolate Hamas, but which critics label collective punishment. Under an informal agreement brokered in November, the Jewish state was expected to ease restrictions in exchange for calm but Hamas has since accused Israel of not abiding by the agreement. Fuel deliveries, which are coordinated with the United Nations and paid for by Gulf state Qatar, were part of that truce agreement. They have improved electricity supply in the enclave, where residents currently receive around 12 hours of power a day, according to the UN. Before the deal, the daily power supply was regularly as low as six hours.


It is hard to find a single flaw in the fiscal fourth quarter financial results presented by Microsoft . However one chooses to assess the company's performance, whether from the perspective of top-line growth, margin expansion, revenue backlog or cash returns to shareholders, the Redmond-based tech giant has impressed once again. As a result, total company sales of $33.7 billion beat consensus expectations by a wide margin, rising 12% over last year's levels, while adjusted EPS of $1.37 soared above the $1.13 reported in the comparable period in 2018. The Cloud Story Continues Microsoft has a very well-balanced business portfolio of personal computing, business process and productivity, and cloud computing services, each major segment representing one-third of total revenues. Each of them posted growth of at least 6% on a constant-currency basis, with the cloud services group rising by more than 20% in the most recent period. Probably most important to the investment thesis is the performance of Microsoft's flagship cloud platform, Azure, along with the company's key cloud-based software packages that include Office Commercial and Dynamics 365. All of these businesses grew at an impressive pace of at least 34% year-over-year, excluding the negative impact of foreign exchange rates. It seems evident that Microsoft remains one of the top cloud service and SaaS solutions provider for business applications, and data storage and management. Worth noting, as the graph below illustrates, growth in Azure continues to decelerate. However, because the platform has been gaining scale aggressively for a few years, total commercial cloud gross margin has expanded significantly to reach an impressive 65% in fiscal fourth quarter, despite expected pricing pressures in the competitive public cloud space. Beyond the results of the quarter, Microsoft's prospects also look inspiring. Baked into the guidance for the upcoming quarter and full year was an optimistic narrative around the company's commercial vertical, with some of the same bullish themes driving revenue to double-digit growth and stable operating margins in the upcoming year. The 25% increase in currency-adjusted commercial billings in fiscal fourth quarter seems to support the thesis, as do commercial unearned revenues of more than $34 billion that rose 13% above last year's levels. Worth Every Penny Microsoft has been an expensive stock for a while. On a current-year earnings basis, 27x is about as rich a multiple as the stock has commanded in the past twelve months at least. For this reason, value investors may have a hard time convincing themselves to buy shares after they have climbed 35% so far in 2019 and tripled in value over the past five years. But under the leadership of CEO Satya Nadella since 2014, the company has been executing flawlessly on its gradual transformation from an on-premise software licensing and device vendor to an integrated cloud- and SaaS-based solutions provider. As Microsoft rides the right tech trends, revenues continue to grow consistently, while gains of scale and operational diligence allow margins to expand. If there is a momentum stock that deserves to trade at fairly rich valuations while still showing potential for further price appreciation, Microsoft seems to be one of the most likely candidates. This article was originally published by TheStreet .


Potent yet sensuous, the XK8 is as adept as it is stunning, while the supercharged XKR delivers even more performance. Here's how to find your perfect match How much to pay XK8: Project: £1700 - £4250, Good: £4250 - £11,000, Concours: £11,000 - £22,000 [XKR: Project: £5500 - £8000, Good: £8000 - £26,500, Concours: £26,500 - £37,500] Overview Practicality ★★★ Running costs ★★ Spares ★★★ DIY Friendly ★★ Investment ★★★ Desirability ★★★★ Possessing a rousing blend of a self-assured stare, a low stance, menacingly wide tyres, fluid curves and an-oh-so euphonious V8 burble, the Jaguar XK8 was an undeniably seductive package when new for any red-blooded individual. Built upon the XJS platform and sharing somewhat blurred evolutionary ties with the Aston Martin DB7 and development of the F-type, the Jaguar XK8 was endowed with near 300bhp from the new AJ-V8 engine coupled with a responsive 5-speed automatic transmission. This promptly ensured all competitors would be given a damn good run for their money just after they'd been lured in by the stunning looks of this grand tourer. Read More Mercedes W123 Buying Guide Bentley Turbo R Buying Guide Launched in 1996, the XK8 was initially released as a coupe before convertible editions also became available by the end of that year. Regardless of whether an XK8 was a soft-top model or not, all were generously furnished with leather and walnut trim, cues highly characteristic of its renowned British manufacturer. Were you to find yourself sitting inside the small but polished interior of an XK8, there'd be no denying how Jaguar heritage had clearly contributed to the smart aesthetics. Closer inspection still would reveal several modern features including electric seat adjustment, airbags, traction settings, anti-lock brakes and a cruise control system capable of reacting to the traffic ahead. For those seeking even greater thrills, the supercharged XKR was released with 375bhp in 1998 and was said to be Jaguar's answer to the market's keen desire for a modern-day equivalent of the E-type. Several special editions of the XK8/XKR with alternative external design cues and trim options were released. These included the XK8 100 that celebrated the centenary of Sir William Lyons as well as the Silverstone edition of the XKR that coincided with Jaguar's return to Formula 1 at the beginning of the millennium. In 2003, a new 4.2-litre engine was fitted to both the XK8 and the XKR models, offering even more bountiful performance in an already popular package. Combined, the XK8 and XKR went on to become Jaguar's best-selling sporting models until production ceased in 2005, which seems entirely fitting given that the XK8/XKR cars were the last to leave Jaguar's spiritual home of the Browns Lane Factory in Coventry, UK. Your AutoClassics Jaguar XK8/XKR inspection checklist Engine Regardless of whether you opt for a Nikasil or steel-lined engine , there are several general checks you can carry out to help establish whether your chosen XK8/XKR is a healthy vehicle or not. If still hesitant about the condition of the liners, you could opt to remove the cylinder head covers and disconnect each coil for a few seconds. The vehicle should crank readily, whereas reluctance to start may indicate existing wear and tear within the engine, a faulty throttle sensor or a blocked throttle body. Sensors can be replaced with ease while remedying blocked throttle bodies is not expensive but does require a little time and effort. If performing a compression test, you ideally want readings of ~200 psig as well as an absence of white smoke from the exhaust. Meanwhile, if the vehicle starts perfectly well but then idles poorly, the fuel injectors may require some cleaning and flow balancing. If this is the case, you may also note a Check Engine Light within the dashboard. If you hear rattling upon start-up, this will likely be coming from a loose cam chain. This is likely to occur in an early model as these were fitted with flawed tensioners, although most owners will have up-dated this given that it is well-known in the relevant circles that degraded timing chain tensioners can take the engine with them should they let go completely, so check the vehicle's history file for evidence of a cam chain change. If you go ahead with the purchase, booking the vehicle in for a replacement of the lower tensioners would be a wise move. While amongst the documents, also check for any replacement of the water pump as early XK8s came with a one-piece water pump with a plastic impeller that was prone to failure. If there is no evidence of a substitute water pump being fitted and you go ahead with the purchase anyhow, ensure you get this done before using the car on a regular basis. It is worthwhile giving the radiator fan and hoses a general look over as well as checking the coolant levels. On 4.2-litre models locate the oil cooler, which will be sat in front of the radiator and just below the power steering fluid heat exchanger, and check the condition of the hoses that run between this and the front of the engine. Look for coolant seepage on the housing located between the rear and front bearings. If you find any coolant leaks, or find cracks upon the hoses, have the hoses renewed immediately. Do not be overly alarmed by any smell of glycol while running the engine as the atmospheric recovery tank is vented beneath the chassis. This is often caused by a drip or two of coolant on the catalytic converter. It's detectable by most but not a major issue. However, if the low coolant light comes on or the recovery tank is less than ¼ full, switch the engine off immediately as these need addressed urgently. If the vehicle overheats, check the oil filler cap for a substance that looks much like mayonnaise and the coolant reservoir for hints of oil. If present, you may have a blown head gasket that will require an engine re-build. If not, and all seems well otherwise, a sticky thermostat may be the culprit but this is both easy and cheap to replace. Because they function within a high-energy system and are therefore worked notably hard, it is wise to use a magnetic socket to extract and check on the health of the spark plugs. If you find oil within the plug wells, it is likely coming from the valve cover seals or the plugs were not torqued sufficiently when they were first installed. If this is the case, it is highly worthwhile installing a new set of robust single electrode plugs and then repeating every 45,000 miles thereafter. Look for the fuel canisters located behind the rear axle as the hoses are prone to degradation and will need replaced if worn. If examining an XKR, check on the rubber hose beneath the supercharger as it tends to perish and benefits from being replaced every eight years or so. Adding a small pulley while doing so will increase boost and overall power. Finally, if the exhaust sounds more noticeable than you anticipated and there are no leaks in the current system, a previous owner may have fitted a more open system to enhance the V8's soundtrack. This shouldn't pose any trouble if it has been securely fitted.


The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to a compromise on Indiana's contested abortion law, an outcome that revealed its openness to state restrictions on the procedure but also apparently favored a cautious and incremental path in confronting one of the nation's enduring controversies. On one hand, the court upheld a part of Indiana's 2016 law that places new restrictions on the disposal of fetal remains after an abortion. It reversed a decision by a lower court without the customary briefing and oral arguments. But the court said it would not revive another part of the law, which would have prohibited abortions if the woman chose the procedure because of a diagnosis or "potential diagnosis" of Down syndrome or "any other disability," or because of the fetus's gender or race. The Indiana case was closely watched because it was the first time the conservative court, reinforced by the addition of President Trump's two nominees, had the opportunity to take a case with consequences for the constitutional protections found in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey . The latter reaffirmed Roe and said state restrictions on abortion could not impose an "undue burden" on a woman's right to the procedure. Subscribe to the Post Most newsletter: Today's most popular stories on The Washington Post Tuesday's decision in Box v. Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky held no consequences for either Roe or Casey . But it appeared to be a commencement of the new court's consideration of abortion rights, and many cases are waiting in the wings . The court almost surely will consider during the term that begins in October a Louisiana law that imposes restrictions on doctors who perform abortions there. A challenge to a separate Indiana law requiring a waiting period for an abortion after a woman has a sonogram is awaiting action at the court, as is a restriction on a commonly used procedure in second-trimester abortions. Even more restrictive laws, such as an Alabama measure that would virtually outlaw abortion there, are unlikely to reach the Supreme Court anytime soon. The court has been considering since January whether to review the challenged parts of the 2016 Indiana law   signed by Vice President Pence when he was the state's governor   and Tuesday's decision indicated that coming to an agreement took some time. The unsigned opinion of the court, just three pages long, was matter-of-fact and devoid of broad holdings. Only Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor said they would have let the lower court's rejections stay in place; fellow liberals Stephen G. Breyer and Elena Kagan were silent. But there were signs of tension. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote a 20-page statement linking abortion to the eugenics policies popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries. He added in a footnote that Ginsburg's objection to the fetal-remains portion of the law "makes little sense." She responded by correcting his use of the word "mother" throughout his opinion. "A woman who exercises her constitutionally protected right to terminate a pregnancy is not a 'mother,' " she wrote. The portion of the Indiana law the court allowed to go into effect mandates that the "remains" of an abortion or miscarriage be buried or cremated, as required of other human remains. "This court has already acknowledged that a state has a 'legitimate interest in proper disposal of fetal remains,' " the court wrote in the unsigned opinion, citing a 1983 decision. "The only remaining question, then, is whether Indiana's law is rationally related to the state's interest in proper disposal of fetal remains. We conclude that it is, even if it is not perfectly tailored to that end." The opinion was careful to "reiterate" that challengers to the law "have never argued that Indiana's law imposes an undue burden on a woman's right to obtain an abortion. This case, as litigated, therefore does not implicate our cases applying the undue burden test to abortion regulations." The premise of the "fetal disposition provision," Indiana's lawyers told the Supreme Court, "is that an aborted or miscarried fetus is nothing less than the remains of a partially gestated human and should be treated with the same dignity." But the federal courts reviewing the provision said it was unreasonable in light of the Supreme Court's past decisions finding that a fetus is not a person for constitutional purposes. Ginsburg said it should have been evaluated for whether it imposed an undue burden on the woman. The law's other provision, prohibiting abortion if the woman's choice involves the fetus's race or gender, or a disability diagnosis, requires doctors to inform their patients of the prohibitions. Slideshow by Reuters The court's opinion was careful to say that it was taking no position on "whether Indiana may prohibit the knowing provision of sex-, race-, and disability selective abortions by abortion providers." It said that since the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit is the only appeals court to have considered the issue, "we follow our ordinary practice of denying petitions insofar as they raise legal issues that have not been considered by additional courts of appeals." Indiana said the provision prohibiting "discriminatory abortions" was a response by the state legislature "to the alarming trend of disability-selective abortions" made possible by advances in genetic testing during pregnancies. It requires doctors to inform women that "Indiana does not allow a fetus to be aborted solely because of the fetus's race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, or diagnosis or potential diagnosis of the fetus having Down syndrome or any other disability." It exempts cases of "lethal fetal abnormalities," defined as a condition that is reasonably thought to lead to death within three months of birth. Abortion rights proponents say that would rule out a number of conditions that result in infant deaths outside that window. The 7th Circuit panel said the provision could not stand, because "nothing in the Fourteenth Amendment or Supreme Court precedent allows the state to invade this privacy realm to examine the underlying basis for a woman's decision to terminate her pregnancy prior to viability." Thomas said he agreed with his colleagues' decision not to take up the provision at this time. But he also made clear where he stood. "Enshrining a constitutional right to an abortion based solely on the race, sex, or disability of an unborn child, as Planned Parenthood advocates, would constitutionalize the views of the 20th-century eugenics movement," he wrote. He said that the reasons Indiana cites for forbidding an abortion "promote a state's compelling interest in preventing abortion from becoming a tool of modern-day eugenics." Thomas took particular aim at Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger's endorsement of birth control as a means of population control (although he acknowledged her opposition to abortion). And he noted how the Supreme Court "threw its prestige behind the eugenics movement in its 1927 decision upholding the constitutionality of Virginia's forced-sterilization law, Buck v. Bell ." The decision is known for Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.'s statement: "Three generations of imbeciles are enough." Thomas concluded: "Although the court declines to wade into these issues today, we cannot avoid them forever. Having created the constitutional right to an abortion, this Court is dutybound to address its scope." No other justice joined Thomas, but Pence did. "Countries across the globe prohibit selective abortion   and the United States should do the same," said Alyssa Farah, the vice president's press secretary. robert.barnes@washpost.com


Craving sandwiches? Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top sandwich outlets in Pittsburgh, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of the best spots to fulfill your urges. 1. P&G's Pamela's Diner Topping the list is P&G's Pamela's Diner . Located at 60 21st St. in the Strip District, the diner is the highest-rated sandwich spot in Pittsburgh, boasting 4.5 stars out of 586 reviews on Yelp. 2. S&D Polish Deli The Strip District's S&D Polish Deli , located at 2204 Penn Ave., is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the deli 4.5 stars out of 216 reviews. 3. Pork & Beans Pork & Beans , a smokehouse and cocktail bar that offers sandwiches and more in the Central Business District, is another go-to, with four stars out of 473 Yelp reviews. Head over to 136 Sixth St. to try it for yourself. 4. Carson Street Deli & Craft Beer Bar Over in South Side Flats, check out Carson Street Deli & Craft Beer Bar , which has earned 4.5 stars out of 132 reviews on Yelp. You can find the sandwich deli and bar at 1507 E. Carson St. 5. Streets on Carson Last but not least, there's Streets on Carson , a South Side Flats favorite with 4.5 stars out of 127 reviews. Stop by 1120 E. Carson St. to hit up the cocktail bar, which offers tapas, sandwiches and more, next time you're looking to satisfy your cravings. This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


(Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co reported a 16% rise in quarterly profit as higher net interest income and a tax gain more than made up for lower activity at the bank's trading desks. Net income at the largest U.S. bank rose to $9.65 billion, or $2.82 per share, from $8.32 billion, or $2.29 per share a year earlier. Net revenue rose 4% to $29.57 billion. Analysts were expecting earnings of $2.50 per share and revenue of $28.90 billion, according to IBES estimate from Refinitiv. It was not immediately clear if the reported numbers were comparable with the estimate. JPMorgan's results are closely watched by investors looking to gauge the health of the U.S. economy. Goldman Sachs Group Inc and Wells Fargo & Co will report quarterly results later in the day. (Reporting by Elizabeth Dilts in New York and Sweta Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)


The Day in Sports: Monday, May 13, 2019 MLB: Houston Astros at Detroit Tigers Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa (1) and center fielder George Springer (4) celebrate after defeating the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-St. Louis Blues at San Jose Sharks A general view of SAP Center at San Jose prior to game two between the San Jose Sharks and the St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference Final of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. MLB: Los Angeles Angels at Minnesota Twins Los Angeles Angels second baseman Tommy La Stella (9) celebrates with designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) after scoring a run in the third inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-St. Louis Blues at San Jose Sharks San Jose Sharks goaltender Martin Jones (31) makes a save against St. Louis Blues in the first period of game two of the Western Conference Final of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs at SAP Center at San Jose. MLB: Cleveland Indians at Chicago White Sox Cleveland Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis (22) tags Chicago White Sox second baseman Yolmer Sanchez (5) at second base during the second inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. PGA: PGA Championship - Practice Round Tiger Woods plays from the fairway on the ninth hole during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament at Bethpage State Park - Black Course. MLB: Cleveland Indians at Chicago White Sox Cleveland Indians center fielder Leonys Martin (2) falls to his knees during a strike out against the Chicago White Sox during the fifth inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-St. Louis Blues at San Jose Sharks San Jose Sharks right wing Timo Meier (28) shoots as St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester (19) defends in the first period of game two of the Western Conference Final of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs at SAP Center at San Jose. MLB: Milwaukee Brewers at Philadelphia Phillies Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Christian Yelich (22) celebrates with teammates in the dugout after scoring a run during the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Olympics: Tokyo City Views General overall view of downtown Tokyo. The 2020 Summer Olympic Games, the games of the XXXII Olympiad, will be held in Tokyo on July 24-Aug 9, 2020. MLB: Houston Astros at Detroit Tigers Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman (2) celebrates with center fielder George Springer (4) after hitting a two run home run in the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.


Sebastien Ogier has confirmed he will depart the World Rally Championship at the end of next year. The six-time world champion always said his current Citroen contract would be his last in the WRC and re-confirmed that decision on Wednesday. told Motorsport.com he was looking forward to the next stage in his career beyond the WRC, involving the all-new Extreme E series in 2021. "I have said that many times," the Frenchman said. "People keep asking me, maybe they don't believe me. It was never my plan to stay after next year, the deal with Citroen was always a straight two-year agreement." Ogier's ambassadorial role with Extreme E was announced last month. He will test the car in the near future, but it remains to be seen if he will compete in the all-electric off-road series yet. He continued: "I'm happy to be involved because I like the idea of the project and that [driving in Extreme E] could become the plan for me, but at the moment it's about being involved in the creation of it. At the moment, there's no clear plan of driving in it." Ogier current focus is on the defence of his world title, which continues with this week's Rally Finland. The Citroen C3 WRC driver was sixth fastest through the 2.64-mile shakedown stage, 1.2s slower than pacesetter and pre-event favourite . Read Also: Breen could have further WRC outings with Hyundai Paddon to miss Rally Finland after test accident Ahead of his 12th start in Jyvaskyla, Ogier admitted finding the speed to secure a second Rally Finland win was getting harder with the passing of time. "Maybe it does get harder [to compete in Finland]," he said. "When you are young you calculate much less the risk and you just go for it. You are playing for everything, you are playing for your future. You don't think so much. "It's always hard when you come here to a very fast shakedown for the first time. I was quite hesitant this morning, the high-speed section needs a lot of commitment. That's Finland. But when you find that rhythm, I would say there's almost no better place to drive a rally car." Hyundai driver third quickest in the sister i20 Coupe WRC.


During the foreclosure crisis nearly a decade ago, investors plowed into the housing market, buying millions of distressed homes and turning some of them into lucrative rentals. They transformed the once mom-and-pop market of single-family rentals into a large-scale, formally managed asset class   and it is still growing, in fact faster than ever. Foreclosures, however, are now few and far between. Distressed properties   foreclosures and short sales )   make up just 2% of home sales today, down from a high of 49% in March 2009, according to the National Association of Realtors. The regular existing home market is very pricey, so investors are now turning to a new strategy: Buy new. And suddenly, the so-called build-to-rent market is exploding. This week a small Tampa, Florida-based builder, ERC Homebuilders, is launching a "soft" IPO, hoping to raise $100 million to build more than 1,000 rental homes across the state. It is offering investors private shares using Regulation A+, a form of investment crowdfunding that allows small companies to raise limited funds from the general public. Accredited and nonaccredited investors can participate. The homes will be built in contiguous tracts and sold in bulk to large-scale investors. Putting dozens of homes in one location makes property management much easier and far less expensive. "There is a consumer rental demand that is driving these institutions to want much greater levels of inventory of this product," said Gerald Ellenburg, CEO of ERC Homebuilders. "They are learning or have learned that new inventory is a much safer and more official rental product." The build-to-rent business is growing fast, with several companies, including big names, dipping into it. Toll Brothers recently announced a $60 million investment in a joint venture with BB Living, a build-to-rent company based in Phoenix. "It's viewed as an ancillary income stream. We see this as more and more renters may prefer to raise a family or live in a single-family home versus an apartment complex or community or building. And so it is part of our Apartment Living group," Toll Brothers CEO Douglas Yearley said on the company's second quarter earnings conference call last month. Lennar, the nation's largest homebuilder by revenue, experimented with a build-to-rent community in Sparks, Nevada, and announced this week it is moving further into the space. "We recently entered an agreement with one of our long-standing third-party relationships to build homes that will be purchased by that third-party in a stand-alone rental community," Lennar President Rick Beckwitt said on the company's earnings call. "This community is in Florida and is the first in what we believe will be an ongoing business strategy and relationship where we build and sell homes in bulk on land owned by third parties with no lease-up risk." In 2017, 37,000 homes were built as rentals, according to the National Association of Home Builders. That grew to 43,000 last year, or just under 5% of total single-family housing starts. But that is just homes built and held by builders for rent and doesn't include those sold directly to investors, so the numbers are likely larger and growing more quickly. "We've got clients, multiple, well over a couple billion dollars worth of capital looking to place in this space," said Michael Finch, executive vice president at SVN/SFRhub Advisors, a new Phoenix-based commercial brokerage firm focused on single family rental and build-to-rent investment portfolios. "They are looking to acquire 5-6,000 homes in the next two years." Demand is growing, according to Finch, because while the huge millennial generation is aging into marriage and parenthood, not all of them want nor can they afford to buy a home. "Many of them are choosing to rent in huge numbers largely due to the flexibility of renting," said Finch, who believes the same of baby boomers. "They're moving into smaller homes where they can have a lock-and-leave mentality. They're tired of homeownership." For investors, buying new has a multitude of benefits, especially when the homes are in the same community. "It is immune from some of the typical repair factors that come in at 15 or 20 years of ownership," said Ellenburg. "There is also a general contractor warranty. There's of limited product warranty of your appliances." The only operating expense for landlords is the landscaping. In addition, the rents for single family are growing fast at 4.5% annually now compared with 3% rent growth for multifamily apartments, according to John Burns Real Estate Consulting. There is also much less turnover in single-family rentals, and the rental market is much less volatile than the home sales market. "I think that these funds, these investor groups are looking at a cultural move away from your garden apartment with elevators, swimming pools, tennis courts and common areas," Ellenburg said. "Homeownership is looking less desirable to some, particularly in the affordable arena, and they have a chance, for very close to the same price, to rent a three-bedroom, two-bath or a four-bedroom, three-bath home and are able to call it their own." Of course the home is not their own, but the stigma around renting, along with the historical drive toward homeownership, are waning. "And I think these investment groups are seeing that shift," Ellenburg said.


On Wednesday night, the Blues and Bruins will square off in Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Final. The game should be memorable. Which makes memorable the key word, for our purposes. Wednesday's PFT Live draft focused on the most memorable 7s in league history. Simms once again won the #rigged coin toss, and he got the obvious first pick. But then I chipped away at him   and ultimately made a better trio of selections. After picking three each (six total), we added a seventh (fittingly) as honorable mention. Check it out now, and be sure to tune in to NBC tonight for the winner-take-all final game of the NHL season.