1. THE SHOW WASN'T PITCHED IN A TRADITIONAL WAY. Instead of writing up a premise which includes outlines of the characters and the long-term vision for the show and pitching it to CBS, co-creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady revealed at PaleyFest in 2009 that for their pitch, they wrote a complete script, hired actors, and, as Lorre explained, "put on a show" for CBS president Les Moonves. Lorre found the experience to be "crazy," but it obviously worked. 2. IT TOOK TWO PILOTS FOR THE SHOW TO GET PICKED UP TO SERIES. The show filmed two different pilots, because CBS didn't like the first one but felt the show had potential. The first pilot began with a different theme song and featured Sheldon, Leonard, and two female characters, including a different actress playing what would become the Penny role. Chuck Lorre thought the initial pilot "sucked" but is open to having the unaired pilot included as part of a DVD. 3. JIM PARSONS THOUGHT HE WAS AUDITIONING FOR A GAME SHOW. When Parsons' agent called and said Chuck Lorre wanted him to audition for a pilot, Parsons misunderstood. "I did not know Chuck Lorre at the time," Parsons told David Letterman in 2014. "I thought he was talking about Chuck Woolery. I thought, why are they so excited about it? We should see what the man has to offer before we're like, 'It's a new Chuck Woolery pilot!'" 4 . ED ROBERTSON OF THE BARENAKED LADIES HESITATED TO WRITE THE THEME SONG. As the story goes, Lorre and Prady went to a Barenaked Ladies concert and were impressed that lead singer Ed Robertson sang a song on cosmological theory, so they tapped him to write the series' theme song, called "The History of Everything." In 2013, Robertson told CBS News that he'd previously written some songs for TV and films only to have his work rejected, so he was initially reluctant to take on the project. "I was like, look, how many other people have you asked to write this? I'm at my cottage, I got a couple of weeks off right now and if you've asked Counting Crows and Jack Johnson and all these other people to write it, then I kinda don't want to waste my time on it," Robertson told them. Lorre and Prady told Robertson he was their only choice, so Robertson agreed to come on board. The first version was 32 seconds long but Robertson had to trim it down to 15 seconds. The original version was also acoustic, which Lorre loved, but Robertson insisted that his bandmates be on the track, and Lorre loved that one even more. 5 . SHELDON PROBABLY DOESN'T HAVE ASPERGER'S. Because of Sheldon's anti-social nature, viewers have often assumed that Sheldon has Asperger's syndrome. But Prady has stated t hat " We write the character as the character. A lot of people see various things in him and make the connections. Our feeling is that Sheldon's mother never got a diagnosis, so we don't have one." Parsons himself isn't totally sure, though. "Asperger's came up as a question within the first few episodes. I got asked about it by a reporter, and I had heard of it, but I didn't know what it was, specifically," he told Adweek in 2014. "So I asked the writers I said, 'They're asking me if Sheldon has Asperger's' and they were like, 'No.' And I said, 'OK.' And I went back and I said, 'No.' And then I read some about it and I went, OK, well, if the writers say he doesn't, then he doesn't, but he certainly shares some qualities with those who do. I like the way it's handled ... This is who this person is; he's just another human." 6. KUNAL NAYYAR GOT HIRED BECAUSE HE WAS "CHARMING." In reminiscing about the early days, Prady explained to Buzzy Mag how Raj came to be: "When we were casting for that part, we were casting for an international member of the ensemble, [because] if you go into the science department at a university, it's not [just] Americans," Prady said. "It's one of the most international kinds of communities. So we saw foreign-born people. And so we saw people who were Korean and Korean-American and Latino. And then Kunal came in and it was like Jim [Parsons] it was just Person Number Eight on a day of Twenty-Seven people, and he was charming." 7. A TV CRITIC CONFUSED COMEDIAN/ACTOR KUMAIL NANJIANI WITH KUNAL NAYYAR. During a TV review of an episode from this year's other geek-based show, Silicon Valley , a Salon critic wrote "Nanjiani is a regular on The Big Bang Theory ." The miffed actor pointed out via Twitter that he's Pakistani and not British-Indian like Nayyar, and eventually the article was corrected. But Nanjiani had a sense of humor about the mix-up. When he did a Reddit AMA and a fan asked him what it was like to work with Jim Parsons, Nanjiani responded with, "Couldn't be nicer. I just wish my bank would confuse me with Kunal Nayyar sometimes." 8 . AMY WAS MADE A NEUROSCIENTIST ON PURPOSE. Mayim Bialik, who in real life has a PhD in neuroscience, told Variety how Amy Farrah Fowler's profession came to be. "They didn't have a profession for my character when I came on in the finale of season three," she says. "In season four, Bill Prady said they'd make her what I am so I could fix things (in the script) if they were wrong. It's neat to know what things mean. But most of the time, I don't have to use it." 9 . ASTROPARTICLE PHYSICIST / SHOW CONSULTANT DAVID SALTZBERG ONCE GOT A JOKE ON THE AIR. The Big Bang Theory has had Saltzberg on retainer since the beginning of the series. Every week he attends the tapings and offers up corrections and ensures the white boards used in the scenes are accurate. During episode nine of the first season, Saltzberg wrote a joke for Sheldon, who has a fight with another scientist. Penny asks Sheldon about the misunderstanding and Sheldon replies , "A little misunderstanding? Galileo and the Pope had a little misunderstanding!" Even though Saltzberg teaches at UCLA and publishes papers, he thinks his work on The Big Bang Theory is more impactful. "This has a lot more impact than anything I will ever do," he told NPR . "It's hard to fathom, when you think about 20 million viewers on the first showing and that doesn't include other countries and reruns. I'm happy if a paper I write gets read by a dozen people." 10. WIL WHEATON GOT THE "EVIL WIL WHEATON" GIG THROUGH TWITTER. Wheaton, who plays a "delightfully evil version" of himself on the show, tweeted about The Big Bang Theory . Wheaton told Larry King , "I was talking on Twitter about how much I loved the show and how I thought it was really funny." One of the show's executive producers, Steven Molaro, saw the tweet and told Wheaton to let him know if he wanted to come to a taping. A few days later Wheaton received an email from Bill Prady's assistant about appearing on the show. "I just thought the email was a joke from one of my friends, so I just ignored it," Wheaton said. When Wheaton realized that the email was legit he phoned up Prady, who explained they wanted a nemesis for Sheldon. "It's always more fun to be the villain," Wheaton said. Even though the character has evolved into Sheldon's ally, Wheaton said, "I still call him Evil Wil Wheaton." 11. CHUCK LORRE THOUGHT THE SHOW AIRING AT 8 P.M. WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE END. The show aired a few episodes in the fall of 2007, but the Writers Guild strike halted production until the following year. When the show returned in March, it had an earlier time slot. During a 2009 Comic-Con panel with the show's cast and producers, the moderator asked Lorre about how CBS once again changed the time slot, this time from Mondays at 8 p.m. to Mondays at 9:30 p.m. "You guys followed us when they put us on at 8 and that is what kept us alive," Lorre replied . "We did eight shows before the strike took us out in our first season. When the strike was over, CBS put us on at 8 p.m. and we thought that might be the end of it. You followed us and kept us alive and that was when we got the two-year pickup when we did well at 8." The show eventually returned to the Mondays at 8 p.m. slot. 12 . PARSONS ATTRIBUTES THE SHOW'S SUCCESS TO ITS LACK OF CHARACTER ARCS. In a 2014 interview with New York Magazine , Parsons gave his theory (if you will) on why The Big Bang Theory attracts over 20 million viewers a week a number unheard of since the Friends -era sitcom reign. "There's not anything to keep up with," he said. "You don't go, 'I didn't see the first three seasons, and now they're off with prostitutes, and they no longer work in the Mafia, and I don't understand what happened.' People have so many choices on TV now, so no one's asking for you to marry us. You can enjoy our show without a weekly appointment." For the 2014-2015 season , The Big Bang Theory ranked as the fourth most watched TV show (number one for sitcoms), with only Empire and football boasting better ratings. 13 . A NEW GENUS OF JELLYFISH IS NAMED BAZINGA. In 2011, a photographer spotted the unnamed grape-sized rhizostome in Australia's Brunswick River, snapped a photo of it, and sent the photo to marine biologist Lisa-ann Gershwin. In 2013, she named the jellyfish and published a paper on it for the Queensland Museum. In her findings she called it "a new genus and species of the rhizostome jellyfish, which cannot be placed in any known family or suborder." She told The Huffington Post that it's the first time in more than 100 years that a new sub-order of jellyfish had been discovered. For now, it's the only member of the genus Bazinga, the family Bazingidae, and the sub-order Ptychophorae. Sheldon's catchphrase also inspired the naming of a new bee species in 2013. 14 . JIM PARSONS AND KALEY CUOCO-SWEETING ARE THE WORLD'S HIGHEST PAID TV ACTORS. When Forbes released its annual list of the world's highest paid male TV actors , Jim Parsons landed on top with a gross of $29 million, having made that income from June 1, 2014-June 1, 2015. He gets about $1 million per episode and a cut of the show's back-end profits. He now outranks Ashton Kutcher, who's in the Guinness Book of World Records for making $26 million for his work on Two and a Half Men (another one of Lorre's co-creations). Co-star Johnny Galecki came in second on the Forbes list with $27 million, followed by Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar, who tied for third (with Kutcher and Mark Harmon) with $20 million apiece. Not to be outdone, Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting tops Forbes ' list of highest paid actresses, with a grand total of $28.5 million enough to secure her the #95 spot on the 100 highest-paid celebrities (a spot she shares with Sofia Vergara). BONUS: WE'RE ON THE COFFEE TABLE Image credit: Wil Wheaton In 2010, Wil Wheaton shared this close-up of the coffee table in Sheldon and Leonard's apartment. "I saw a lot of things that could have been on my own coffee table," he wrote, "so I decided to grab a picture." Here's one from 2014: A @mental_floss magazine was spotted in tonight's new episode of @BigBang_CBS pic.twitter.com/IFjQonrzj9   joanna green (@realjogreen) May 16, 2014


We expected great content to come from Shane Lowry's claret jug celebrations in the wake of his popular six-shot win at the 148th Open Championship . And so far, so good . But the best thing to surface in the 24 hours since Shane's maiden major victory came from an unlikely source: His grandmother. RELATED: The story of the Open's final round in 9 (or so) sentences In an adorable and hilarious chat with RTE News, Emily Scanlon gushes about how proud she is of her grandson. But she also says that Sunday's final round drove her to drink. And not in celebration. When asked how it was watching the drama unfold, here was her fantastic response: "Oh, terrible. Emotional now, it was," Scanlon says. "I hadn't slept last night. I hadn't drank a brandy since 2009 and I drank two yesterday it's nearly killing me." Amazing. Here's the (instant) classic clip that might be the greatest post-round interview in Open Championship history: View the Instagram photo. So good. As you can see, Scanlon also tells a story about how young Shane "thought he was Tiger Woods" after winning a local junior event. What a great dagger from grandma. But, obviously, she was mostly ecstatic that her grandson is now a major champion. "Oh, I am a proud granny. Oh, I am," Scanlon added. "It's great to live and see all this happen, you know." Hopefully, she'll get to sip some brandy from the claret jug next. In moderation, of course. RELATED: Shane Lowry's claret jug celebration got off to a great start WATCH MORE VIDEOS FROM THE LOOP Related slideshow: Best of the British Open (Provided by imagn)


The Baltimore Ravens are right in the middle of their 2019 training camp. While the Ravens are using these practices to get players into game shape and prepare them for the regular season, Baltimore is also refining their roster before having to trim it down to just 53 players. The Ravens recently cut wide receiver Jordan Lasley, opening up an additional spot on their 91-man roster. Baltimore has decided to fill those spots with some defensive talent, including one familiar face. The Ravens have signed safety Brynden Trawick, who was with the team from 2013-2015 as well as former New England Patriots linebacker Nicholas Grigsby, who was on Baltimore's practice squad in 2017. We have signed S Brynden Trawick. pic.twitter.com/2AR0endNg2 - Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) August 1, 2019 We have signed LB Nicholas Grigsby. pic.twitter.com/GKizq4EL1o - Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) July 31, 2019 Trawick was a special teams player for Baltimore the last time he was in town and has since earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2017 when with the Tennessee Titans. Since leaving the Ravens following the 2015 season, Trawick has played with the Oakland Raiders and Titans. He should add some leadership and experience to Baltimore's special teams unit, though he faces some tough competition for the job with guys like Cyrus Jones and Justin Bethel. Grigsby rejoins a Ravens defense that needs more help at linebacker. Baltimore has a competition between Chris Board and Kenny Young for the starting spot next to Patrick Onwuasor. But behind those three is currently a mystery, giving Grigsby a shot at making the 53-man roster as a backup. Grigsby doesn't come with a ton of experience, however, being active for just 23 games over three years in the league. Most of his time has been spent on the practice squads of teams like the Detroit Lions, New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams. In nine games with the Patriots last season, Grigsby saw the field primarily on special teams but also on defense as well. Neither of these moves are huge additions to Baltimore's roster. But with training camp being a time for players to make a case for a spot on the team, you also can't count anyone out either. MORE: Baker Mayfield's sassy response to Jets' trash talk won over the Browns offensive line Winners and losers from first week of Raiders training camp Packers coach Matt LaFleur sidelines Josh Jones after practice fight Roundup: Why Whitney Cummings Left Roseanne, MLB Trade Deadline Grades, Hulk Hogan Big WWE Role? Instant observations from Day 7 of Patriots training camp


Video by CNBC WASHINGTON   Special counsel Robert Mueller said Wednesday he believed he was constitutionally barred from charging President Donald Trump with a crime but pointedly emphasized that his report did not exonerate the president. He cautioned lawmakers who have been negotiating for his public testimony that he would not go beyond his report in the event he appears before Congress. The comments were Mueller's first public statements since his appointment as special counsel two years ago. "If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so," Mueller said. "We did not however make a determination as to whether the president did commit a crime." Trump, who has repeatedly and falsely claimed that Mueller's report cleared him of obstruction of justice, modified that contention somewhat shortly after the special counsel's remarks. He tweeted, "There was insufficient evidence and therefore, in our Country, a person is innocent. The case is closed!" Mueller's statement came amid demands for Mueller to testify on Capitol Hill about his findings and tension with Attorney General William Barr. Barr has said he was surprised Mueller did not reach a conclusion on whether the president had criminally obstructed justice, though Mueller in his report and again in his public statement Wednesday said that he had no choice because of a Justice Department legal opinion that says a sitting president cannot be indicted. Mueller, for his part, complained privately to Barr that he believed a four-page letter from the attorney general summarizing his main conclusions did not adequately represent his findings.


Lewis Hamilton has rejected a suggestion by his former Mercedes Formula 1 teammate Nico Rosberg that he has lost outright speed with age. In his video blog before the Hungarian GP to become "the best driver out there." Read Also: Verstappen "the best driver out there" - Rosberg Verstappen a better driver than Hamilton now - Horner The former world champion added that Hamilton had passed his peak in terms of pure ability, saying that "the best age for racing drivers is 30, 31, 32   and that's because your ability as you're getting older slightly decreases, but experience counts so much in this sport. "So experience will outdo the small decrease in your natural ability as a human as you get a bit older." Told of Rosberg's suggestion that age was becoming a factor, Hamilton was unimpressed. "I've never seen the blog, I don't know who follows it, but it has no bearing on anything that I do," he said after his Hungarian GP win. "I don't care, everyone has their own opinion. "Whether he's right or wrong, I don't really care. All you have to do is look at my tally of results over the years, and they kind of speak for themselves. "So naturally there will be people that have not had the success that I've had, and might want to talk it down, but that's OK." Hamilton said a book he had read had encouraged him not to worry about other people's opinions. "I read a really good book, I think it's called the Four Agreements. There's an element in there where it says don't take anything personally, so when someone says something about you, it's not actually about you, it's how they feel about themselves. "I'm 34 years old but I feel like I'm driving better than ever. Hopefully today you can see that I've not lost any speed. "Qualifying is not always going to go great, you just have to move on. Races are not always going to go great, the last one [Germany] sucked. "But you know what, you move straight on, let it go, there's nothing you can do about the past, all you can do is try to shape the future. Honestly I couldn't be more proud   ultimately you want to be proud of yourself, and I feel really proud of myself today, how I drove, because that's how I always want to drive, and then how we delivered as a team." Hamilton also made it clear that he's not planning to retire any time soon. "I watch different sports and I see people that I've grown up watching who have stopped and moved onto something else. Obviously I'm in a sport where I am one of the older drivers so I've got a different perspective. Naturally being 22 to being 34 is a much different perspective. "I don't know why some people decided to stop at the times they decide to stop. But I tell you I love driving, man. I've never liked practice. "I don't mind practice on a race weekend but testing I've always made clear I don't enjoy that so much. But I really, really love the challenge, arriving each weekend and digging into the data. "One day I will have to stop. But right now I feel fantastic physically, generally, this year, and mentally, so I currently don't have any plans of stopping any time soon. There's more to do, more to win. There's more to achieve together inside and outside of the car, within the sport and outside of the sport."


Washington is predicted to see light rainfall this coming week, according to drone-powered weather forecasting service Saildrone . Tomorrow's forecast shows the greatest possibility of rain at 91 percent, with rain generally expected through Thursday. The immediate forecast also has warm temperatures in store for today. Temperatures will rise even more from tomorrow to Sunday, with a high of 94 degrees on Wednesday. Skies will be partly cloudy today. Winds will remain fairly calm over the course of the week, with just a light breeze of 6 mph today. 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.


Legendary technical illustrator Giorgio Piola is celebrating 50 years of attending Formula 1 races, and this career retrospective is a collection of his favourite moments from the Monaco Grand Prix. The 1969 race in the principality was the first Piola attended in a career that has spanned more than 800 grands prix. On Thursday, Ferrari hosted a celebration of his anniversary in its motorhome. In this exclusive insight into his time in F1, Piola explains how he earned his first job that year, the precision required to excel in Monaco, and his favourite things he has witnessed on the streets of Monte Carlo during his five decades of attending the race. More on Giorgio Piola: Giorgio Piola's key cars of Niki Lauda's awesome F1 career Piola on Lauda: "He was a different person" after '76 crash Tech verdict: Giorgio Piola on Red Bull and McLaren updates Giorgio Piola, Technical Artist Mark Sutton / Sutton Images James Allen, President, Motorsport Network and Giorgio Piola, Technical Artist Dom Romney / LAT Images Giorgio Piola is interviewed Dom Romney / LAT Images Giorgio Piola Dom Romney / LAT Images Giorgio Piola Timepieces display Carl Bingham / LAT Images


The Tennessee Titans offensive line has been the subject of harsh criticism over recent seasons. The unit has shown signs of regression as of late, leading to a number of offseason moves by the Titans, releasing players and bringing others on for improvement. With this, some analysts believe the unit could come back as one of the best in the NFL. When Pro Football Focus released its offensive line rankings for 2019, Tennessee was placed fourth in the league. Only the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers ranked ahead. Here's a look at the network's projected starting lineup, and their reasoning behind placing the Titans at No. 4. PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP: Left Tackle: Taylor Lewan Left Guard: Rodger Saffold Center: Ben Jones Right Guard: Nate Davis Right Tackle: Jack Conklin "The Titans were a well balanced offensive line in 2018 and look to carry that success into the upcoming year. Taylor Lewan continues to be the anchor at left tackle, and the addition of guard Rodger Saffold should only improve this unit as he finished last season with the fifth-highest run-blocking grade at his position." Based on this analysis, it looks like PFF has a lot of confidence in what Saffold can bring to the table in addition to the accomplishments already made by solid players like Lewan. PFF had the unit ranked ninth overall last season, indicating that it didn't believe they were quite as bad as many others did, and that they'll take a leap forward in the coming season. We'll get a first glance at whether or not the network's projections align with reality when the regular season kicks off against the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 8. MORE: UFC fighter Ben Askren had an excellent response to getting knocked out in 5 seconds Expected starting lineup for Lakers with LeBron James at point guard Honor thy father: Quinn Cook signed with Lakers for good reason Three Potential Trade Destinations for Russell Westbrook Mesmerizing speed could force Jon'Vea Johnson onto Cowboys roster


A Spanish football team made up of migrants from 12 different nationalities printed racist slurs on the back of their shirts to fight against discrimination and prejudice. The team, named Alma de Africa, meaning Soul of Africa, play in the Tercera Andaluza regional division. The club is based in Jerez, southern Spain, about an hour's drive from Seville, and was formed five years ago. There are five Spaniards in the squad, who are known as 'the foreigners' by their teammates. #Jerez #Deportes Los jugadores del Alma de África presentan una nueva camiseta con los insultos que reciben Vídeo: Vanesa Lobo https://t.co/Pma9KDpgdW pic.twitter.com/AGRZ17grPE   Diario de Jerez (@diariodejerez) May 26, 2019 Racist slurs replaced the names of the players for the last game of the season. The insults, visible on the team's shirts, included words such as 'Monkey', 'Gorilla', 'Immigrant', 'Illegal' and 'Slave'. "We did it to tell everyone that we are not criminals. We are people and we are not bothering anybody," Eric Josue Amang, 27, a midfielder who plays for Alma de Africa, told El Pais newspaper . "We want to be respected. We are in the 21st century and I don't understand how they can still say these insults. We are fed up with being disrespected." Eric migrated to Spain from Cameroon through Morocco. Many of his friends died during the journey. His love for football helped him integrate and build a new home in Spain. Alma de Africa is run and managed by Alejandro Benitez, an real estate agent who works with the club out of solidarity with the team. "We have tried to start awareness campaign because all our players still receive racist insults. There are rude people who go after our players," Benitez said. "It's madness. We also want to show that our players are so above these insults that we have put them on the back [of the jerseys] so that everyone can see them. "It's a stupid form of roguishness. Let's see if together we can end this problem. It's true that the trend is going down, but it keeps happening and we wanted to draw people's attention to it." ¿Qué somos? Un #equipo ¿Qué somos? Una #familia ¿Qué somos? #AlmaDeAfrica #alamafricanos #inclusion #deporte #juntossomosmas #finaldeliga #futbolbase pic.twitter.com/DFY6Xu0mzq   Alma de África (@almadeafricaud) May 26, 2019 Alma de Africa lost their final game of the season to the leader of the Tercera Andaluza regional division, Algaida, and finished last in the division. The players gave away their shirts to the rivals.


NEW YORK   After weeks of relentlessly lurid testimony, federal prosecutors in New York have wrapped up their case against a former self-improvement guru accused of sex trafficking. NXIVM (NEHK'-see-uhm) leader Keith Raniere (rah-NEER'-ee) has been on trial since early May at a court in Brooklyn. Both prosecutors and defense lawyers told the judge Friday they were finished calling witnesses. Closing arguments and jury deliberations will happen next week. During the trial, jurors have heard testimony from former NXIVM members who spoke about their physical and mental pain of being branded with the Raniere's initials. The jury has also seen alleged child pornograpy involving a teenage girl prosecutors say Raniere coerced into sex. Raniere's lawyers claim he had no criminal intent and that his encounters with female followers were consensual.


Vet student Jamie Traynor, 25, from Pretoria, South Africa, filmed a lovely moment at the Rhino Orphanage in Limpopo. Beckham, a friendly one-year-old rhino, loves to have his belly rubbed!


Video by WXIA-TV There's little argument that Social Security is our nation's greatest social achievement. Of the more than 63 million benefit checks disbursed each month, more than 22 million people will be pulled out of poverty as a direct result of this payout. That's what makes the news I'm about to tell you so disturbing: Big changes are headed Social Security's way, and you're almost certainly not going to like the outcome. Social Security is facing a cash crisis In early April, the Social Security Board of Trustees released its annual report on the short-term (10-year) and long-term (75-year) outlook for the program. As the trustees have found since 1985, the 2019 report alluded to an impending cash shortfall over the long term. More specifically, the trustees estimate a $13.9 trillion cash deficiency over the next 75 years, assuming the existing payout schedule, inclusive of cost-of-living adjustments, continues. This estimated shortfall is the result of numerous demographic changes that have been going on for some time. Examples include the retirement of baby boomers, which is weighing on the worker-to-beneficiary ratio, as well as increased longevity, growing income inequality, declining birth rates, and even inaction from Congress. According to the trustees, Social Security's prized 36-year streak of generating more revenue than expenditures is very much in doubt, beginning in 2020. After logging a $3.1 billion net surplus in 2018, the smallest surplus over the past 36 years, the trustees' report has called for an even smaller $1 billion net-cash surplus in 2019 (which would extend the streak to 37 years). But beginning in 2020 and beyond, Social Security projects to spend more than it brings in, leading to the steady depletion of its nearly $2.9 trillion in asset reserves. By 2035, all of the program's asset reserves are forecast to be exhausted , which may lead to an across-the-board reduction in payouts to retired workers of up to 23%. The program's 36-year streak of net-cash surpluses may end a year earlier than expected But here's the thing about the trustees' estimates: They're exactly that -- estimates . Last year's report had called for 2018 to be the first year of net-cash outflows in three and a half decades. Yet, as noted, the program actually generated a small net-cash surplus last year . This surplus was likely the result of stronger-than-expected economic growth spurred in the short term by the December 2017 passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which reduced taxation on corporations and most individual taxpayers. With the trustees calling for a surplus of $1 billion in 2019, it's looking, as of now, like this prediction may turn out wrong as well. Each month, the Social Security Administration (SSA) posts the program's investment holdings. By law , the SSA is required to purchase special-issue government bonds with any net-cash surpluses, which allows the program to generate interest income, and gives the general public an up-to-date look at how much Social Security has in its asset reserves. When the year began, Social Security had (long number alert) $2,895,174,945,000 in asset reserves. For you math-phobes out there, this is $2.895 trillion. But as of the end of May 2019, the SSA's investment holdings tallied $2,892,944,200,000, or $2.893 trillion (with rounding). In other words, over the first five months of 2019, the Social Security program saw an outflow of $2.23 billion. In the grand scheme of things, this is peanuts compared with the $2.893 trillion currently in asset reserves. But, more important, it could signal that the long-awaited, and feared, inflection point has arrived. Here's what's really irritating about the end of this streak But what's really mind-boggling about Social Security's looming inflection point is that lawmakers on Capitol Hill have known of its coming for at least 34 years . As noted, the trustees have released a long-term outlook for the program every year since its inception. Since 1985, they have cautioned that there was insufficient revenue to cover expenses. Although the asset reserve depletion date has changed often over these past 34 years , one thing that hasn't changed is the very clear warning to Congress that it does something, and quick, to stem the depletion of the program's asset reserves. Furthermore, despite having resolutions that would undoubtedly strengthen Social Security, political hubris has kept Democrats and Republicans from finding common ground . Democrats have a surefire plan to strengthen Social Security by increasing or removing the payroll tax cap on earned income. In 2019, all earned income between $0.01 and $132,900 is subject to the 12.4% payroll tax. But if Democrats in Congress had their way, exempted income above this $132,900 would also be subjected to the tax, thereby providing Social Security with an immediate injection of added revenue. Republicans have a bona fide fix, too. The GOP proposes a gradual increase to the full retirement age , from a peak of 67 to as high as age 70. Raising the full retirement age would mean that future generations of workers would have to either wait longer to receive their full payout, or accept a steeper monthly reduction if claiming early. Either way, it would mean a reduction in long-term outlays for the Social Security program. Both of these solutions work to shore up Social Security, and yet no middle ground can be found between both parties, because Democrats oppose any cuts to benefits, and Republicans won't vote in favor of tax hikes. Thus, we're inching closer to Social Security's asset reserve doomsday, and lawmakers aren't doing a thing to stop it. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy . SPONSORED: The $16,728 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $16,728 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after. Simply click here to discover how to learn more about these strategies .


WINNERS Joey Logano   He led 80.3% of the Cup race on the way to his second victory of the season . Nice way to go into a weekend off. Kurt Busch   His runner-up finish was his fourth top five of the season. He had six top fives all of last year. Tyler Reddick   He won for the third time in the last five Xfinity races . One of the races he didn't win, he was passed on the last lap, so he could have four wins in the last five races. Also, car owner Richard Childress says he plans to run Reddick in another Cup race or two later this season. Bubba Wallace and Corey LaJoie   After tossing and punting a football on pit road during a rain delay Sunday, they began throwing the ball into the stands with fans . Wallace and LaJoie worked their way down the frontstretch and were later joined by Daniel Hemric . Rain delays are not fun but those drivers gave fans something to cheer about. LOSERS Stewart-Haas Racing   Still waiting on that first win of the season after winning 12 times last year. Yes, the team had two top 10s with Daniel Suarez fourth and Kevin Harvick seventh but this team is built to win, not be satisfied with top 10s. Erik Jones   He was 14th in points last month. Now he's 18th after going 40th, 3rd and 31st in his last three races. Rough stretch for the only Joe Gibbs Racing driver who doesn't have a Cup victory this season. Austin Dillon   While he did score a stage victory, his 26th-place finish marked his third consecutive finish outside the top 25. That's not enough to climb back into playoff contention. Jimmie Johnson   Contact on two separate occasions on pit road affected his race. He finished 15th. He has finished 14th or worse in four of the last six races. That has him holding what would be the final playoff spot if the season ended today. Two crashes on pit road didn't help our cause today. Frustration level is on… 👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇 pic.twitter.com/01EsDr8aMv   Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) June 11, 2019 Really proud of the fast car we had today. Awesome to get a stage win but we deserved more that that. Looking on the positive side if we bring cars like this every week we can make it happen.   Austin Dillon (@austindillon3) June 11, 2019


As fun as it would have been to see Christian Yelich park home runs halfway up the Progressive Field bleachers in right field, we won't be able to see the reigning MVP in the 2019 Home Run Derby in Cleveland. A back injury forced MLB 's leader in home runs out of the competition. His replacement is Oakland Athletics third baseman Matt Chapman, who was named to his first All-Star team this year. Matt Chapman will replace Christian Yelich (back injury) in tomorrow's #HRDerby . pic.twitter.com/bTTe39EeWK   MLB (@MLB) July 7, 2019 Chapman has hit 21 home runs this season. While he may not have a reputation as a slugger that can hit the ball 450 feet on command, his average home run distance is the exact same (405 feet) as Cody Bellinger, Mookie Betts, and teammate Matt Olson. Chapman's father Jim will throw to him at the derby. This strategy worked for Robinson Cano and Bryce Harper in the past, so why couldn't it work for Chapman? A's Matt Chapman selected as Home Run Derby replacement; his dad, Jim, will share in moment: "I'm excited and nervous at the same time. It's so last minute, it's kind of crazy. ... Matt and I have always talked about this, and the moment is finally here." https://t.co/u2UFPrkGhW   Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) July 7, 2019 While Yelich not being able to participate is disappointing, the league reacted quickly and managed to secure a spot for one of the best young sluggers in all of baseball. Chapman is fully deserving of the honor, slugging .534 this year, a career-best, as in his third year in the league, he's proving to have developed a power stroke. Related slideshow: 2019 MLB season (provided by imagn)


The AFC East hasn't exactly been a competitive division over the course of the last decade. Or two decades, for that matter. The New England Patriots have won 16 of the last 18 AFC East division titles - with the Dolphins and the New York Jets claiming one apiece along the way. The Jets' division title came all the way back in 2002, when they won a 3-way tiebreaker against the Patriots and the Dolphins at 9-7. Given the state of affairs in the division, it is understandable why there is a poor perception of the division as a whole. The perception is so bad, as a matter of fact, that the AFC East ranked dead last in NFL.com's power rankings of all 8 divisions across the league. The article, written by Gregg Rosenthal , firmly plants the AFC East in last - trailing the other East division, which was weighed down due to their top-heavy status. According to Rosenthal, the AFC East is even more top-heavy: "The home to the greatest team of the decade in any decade is often home to the least amount of competition. At least the AFC East is far more compelling because of the presence of young quarterbacks Sam Darnold, Josh Allen and Josh Rosen. This should be an improved division, but it comes in last in a balanced NFL because there's only one team with legitimate Super Bowl hopes. Yes, the Pats are the only AFC East team that can say missing the playoffs would truly be a letdown." - Gregg Rosenthal The Dolphins appear to be an afterthought to Rosenthal, as they don't even get a mention in the entirety of his commentary of the divisional landscape. MORE: NBA Free Agency 2019: The top players Pelicans coach gets last laugh over Anthony Davis' 'That's All Folks' shirt Report: Celtics interested in signing French center Vincent Poirier With all eyes on Browns' receiving group, Nick Chubb brings necessary balance Meet Sean McVay's New Finance Veronika Khomyn


Scores of mourners lined up at Norfolk's Scope Arena to say goodbye to a boxing champion. "Sweet Pea was one of a kind. He was a living legend," William Baker said. Fans of Norfolk's own Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker said he was one of the best. "Great defensive guy he was," long-time fan Oswald Woodies said. "He could rat-a-tat-tat, step back, come hit you again. So it's a great legacy. A great legacy. He'll definitely be missed." Whitaker   a four-weight world champion and an Olympic gold medalist   was considered one of the best lightweight boxers of his time. He died Sunday night at the age of 55, after he was hit by car in Virginia Beach. RELATED: Retired champion boxer Pernell 'Sweet Pea' Whitaker hit, killed crossing Virginia Beach street "I've been knowing Sweet Pea since we were little kids," said Sabrina Kirkland. She was among dozens of mourners at his viewing. She said she grew up with Whitaker, and their fathers played on the same baseball team. "He has really put our city on the map. As far as him winning a gold medal and having the first fight here in Virginia," she said. Whitaker's decision to fight and train in his home state is something fans said stands out. "I always respected him because he chose to stay here," Woodies said. "He could have went to Vegas, made a lot more money, he brought the fights here. You just can't beat that." RELATED: 'Sweet Pea' Whitaker: What a ride it was Woodies said he's been to some of Whitaker's most exciting matches. "Mayweather, McGirt   I mean the fans were going crazy. It was just amazing. Wonderful. Great fighting," he said. Whitaker was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2006.


Curious just how far your dollar goes in Irvine? We've rounded up the latest places for rent via rental sites Zumper and Apartment Guide to get a sense of what to expect when it comes to finding apartment rentals in Irvine with a budget of up to $2,800/month. Take a look at the listings, below. (Note: Prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 21100 Spectrum Center Drive Listed at $2,705/month, this 1,083-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit is located at 21100 Spectrum Center Drive. In the unit, you can anticipate hardwood flooring. The building offers on-site laundry, a gym and a swimming pool. Pet owners, take heed: The property is both dog-friendly and cat-friendly. Per Walk Score ratings, the area around this address requires a car for most errands, is convenient for biking and has some transit options. (See the complete listing here .) 100 Monte Vista (Lower Peters Canyon) Here's a 1,206-square-foot two-bedroom, two-bathroom spot at 100 Monte Vista that's going for $2,710/month. Look for in-unit laundry, a fireplace and a walk-in closet in the unit. The building has garage parking. Pet owners, take heed: The property is both dog-friendly and cat-friendly. Walk Score indicates that this location requires a car for most errands, is very bikeable and has a few nearby public transportation options. (Take a look at the full listing here .) 3395 Michelson Drive (Business District) Next, check out this 1,109-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit that's located at 3395 Michelson Drive. It's listed for $2,715/month. In the residence, you'll find in-unit laundry, a dishwasher, a walk-in closet, a fireplace and hardwood flooring. The rental is cat-friendly and dog-friendly. Per Walk Score ratings, the surrounding area isn't very walkable, is convenient for biking and has a few nearby public transportation options. (Take a look at the complete listing here .) 100 Whispering Trail (Orchard Hills) Finally, located at 100 Whispering Trail, here's a 1,097-square-foot two-bedroom, two-bathroom residence that's listed for $2,720/month. The residence features a fireplace, in-unit laundry and both air conditioning and central heating. When it comes to building amenities, expect secured entry. Good news for animal lovers: This rental is both dog-friendly and cat-friendly According to Walk Score's assessment, the area around this address requires a car for most errands, has some bike infrastructure and doesn't offer many public transit options. (See the complete listing here .) Working with a tight budget? Here are the cheapest rentals recently listed in Irvine . This story was created automatically using local real estate data from Zumper and Apartment Guide , then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


The Federal Election Commission is examining financial discrepancies at a political action committee where Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez served on the board after an outside watchdog group raised questions about the group's spending activities. Justice Democrats PAC, a committee where Ocasio-Cortez served on the board until last summer, said in financial reports that it helped pay off candidate debts that did not appear to exist, according to a May 30 letter from the FEC cited by the Washington Free Beacon. The FEC asked the PAC to explain the discrepancies, request refunds from the campaigns that allegedly received the payments, and update its financial statements, noting that the commission "may take further legal action regarding this impermissible activity." Justice Democrat PAC's financial report for April 1, 2018, to June 30, 2018, "discloses one or more contributions to federal candidates for the retirement of debts incurred by the 2018 Primary election campaign," according to the FEC letter . "[H]owever, it appears that the recipient committee(s) had insufficient debts to warrant such a contribution," said the commission. "Please note that a committee may only designate contributions to retire a candidate's debts if those debts exist." The FEC questioned the PAC's payments to 11 Democratic campaigns, including Texas congressional candidates Ricardo Jose Trevino and Jimmy Darnell Jones, and Illinois congressional candidate Sameena Mustafa. The commission also asked Justice Democrats to explain reimbursements it said it received from seven campaigns that did not correspond with any payments made by the PAC. The commission said the group must respond to the letter by July 5 or it could result in enforcement action. Ocasio-Cortez has said she stepped down from the board of the Justice Democrats PAC at the end of June 2018 and would have still been part of the group's leadership when most of the debt payments were made. Her chief of staff, Saikat Chakrabarti, co-founded Justice Democrats and also served on the board. Justice Democrats PAC did not respond to request for comment by press time. A spokesperson for Ocasio-Cortez did not respond to request for comment by press time. The Washington Examiner first reported that Justice Democrats and another PAC co-founded by Chakrabarti called Brand New Congress made payments of over $1 million to an LLC controlled by Chakrabarti. The National Legal and Policy Center, a government watchdog group, filed a complaint asking the FEC to investigate the payments. The FEC has yet to indicate if it is pursuing an investigation of the NLPC complaint. But the Justice Democrats PAC's payments to Chakrabarti's company, which were described as consulting fees to help build infrastructure for Democratic campaigns, raised eyebrows with campaign finance experts. "None of that makes any sense," said Adav Noti, the senior director of the Campaign Legal Center and a former FEC lawyer. "I can't even begin to disentangle that. They're either confused or they're trying to conceal something."


There's quite a few rules in golf, but one of the biggest rules spectators must follow is turning their phones on silent while following their favorite golfers at a tournament. One fan forgot to do that at the BMW International Open. The European Tour event features some notable international players including Lee Westwood, who had to stop mid-swing during the second round of the tournament after hearing a patron's ringer. While he seemed visibly upset on the course, Westwood said "that's all right, just turn it off," and continued his round. After he completed play at Golfclub München Eichenried in Moosinning, Germany, he gave a quick tutorial in case anyone was confused on course etiquette. "Much like golf, people overcomplicate things, but it really is this simple," Westwood says before silencing his own phone. Putting your phone on silent. A fan tutorial with @WestwoodLee pic.twitter.com/lW8Z5hEuks   The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) June 21, 2019 Westwood, a 24-time European Tour winner, is in good position heading into the weekend. He is currently tied for fifth place (7 under) and just four strokes back of the solo leader Martin Kaymer. MORE : Phil Mickelson's realization: 'Probably … not going to win the U.S. Open' | Gary Woodland's U.S. Open win puts Americans close to first major sweep since 1982 | Four plead guilty to 2019 Masters ticket scam, agree to pay $275K in restitution Westwood last won at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in November and is currently ranked as the eighth winningest golfer across the pond.


Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. Everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 should be tested for HIV at least once in their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite the CDC's sweeping recommendation, fewer than 40 percent of adults in the U.S. have ever gotten an HIV test, according to a new CDC study out today. HIV, the virus that leads to the immune-system disease AIDS, is most common among intravenous drug users and men who have sex with men, and the CDC recommends that people in these groups get tested at least once a year. Yet it's not just these groups who are at risk. For example, in 2015, a quarter of the new HIV infections were found in heterosexual people. And African-Americans of both genders accounted for 45 percent of all new HIV diagnoses. "HIV testing is very important for any sexually active person," says Alex Carballo-Diéguez, Ph.D., a professor of clinical psychology at Columbia University and a research scientist with the New York State Psychiatric Institute HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies. Regardless of your background, here are five reasons to consider getting screened. 1. You May Be at Risk Without Realizing It The CDC estimates that about 1.1 million people live with HIV in the U.S. But about 1 in every 7 of them doesn't know he or she is infected. (You can be HIV-positive for a decade or more before experiencing any symptoms.) Philip Chan, M.D., an assistant professor of medicine at Brown University and director of the Rhode Island STD Clinic, gives the example of a married couple in which one partner has been unfaithful. That would mean the other could have been exposed unknowingly. "It's uncomfortable talking to patients about these things," Chan says. That may be one reason the rate of screening is so low, he says, and why he and others would like to see it become a more routine part of care. 2. Testing Is Convenient and Inexpensive Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), insurers must cover HIV screening without a copayment. Ask whether your doctor can administer the test in his or her office. Some community health centers, substance-abuse programs, and hospitals offer free testing. You can find a testing site in your area using this CDC tool. Keep in mind, Chan notes, that although the test itself should be covered without a copay, an office visit to get the test may require one or may count toward your deductible. Many clinics use a rapid HIV test, which will give you a result in about 30 minutes. You can also test yourself at home using a kit you can buy at a retail pharmacy. The OraQuick HIV test, which has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, usually costs about $40. It involves an oral swab and returns a result in around 20 minutes. Because most HIV tests check for antibodies the body produces to fight the virus, and these can take time to build up in your system, no HIV test is accurate right after you may have been exposed. For a blood test at a doctor's office, it may take three to 12 weeks for it to be accurate. For an at-home saliva test, you'll need to wait at least two to three months. 3. You're Pregnant The CDC recommends that every pregnant woman be screened for HIV. That's because she can pass HIV to the developing fetus. But HIV medications can reduce that risk, Chan says. If a woman starts taking these drugs, which lower the concentration of the HIV virus in her body, "then the transmission rate to the baby becomes basically zero," he says. 4. You Have Early Symptoms of HIV If you've recently had unprotected sex with a new partner, it's a good idea to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases . But you may want to be especially diligent about getting an HIV test if, two to four weeks after possible exposure, you develop flu-like symptoms, such as a fever, chills, a sore throat, muscle aches, or swollen lymph nodes. Some people newly infected with HIV may experience these symptoms, which can last a few weeks. 5. HIV Is Treatable and Survivable Technically, HIV still has no cure. But improvements in the drugs available to treat the virus mean that HIV-positive people using them can expect to live many years. A 2017 study in The Lancet medical journal found that life expectancy among some HIV-positive people who start antiretroviral therapy, which involves taking a combination of drugs meant to reduce the amount of the virus in the body, is almost as long as the general population. "But the key is to start treatment early," Carballo-Diéguez says. Delaying treatment means the virus will have more time to harm your immune system, putting you at risk for other infections . If you do receive a positive result, talk with your doctor about starting antiretroviral therapy. Because it's so effective at keeping HIV-positive people healthy, it's recommended for every person who has the disease, at any stage. The therapy also reduces the likelihood of transmitting the virus to others. An Ounce of Prevention Testing for HIV is important, but so is prevention. According to the CDC, abstinence and monogamy with an uninfected partner can limit the risk of HIV, and "consistent and correct use of latex condoms is highly effective in preventing sexual transmission of HIV." But those are not the only strategies that can help protect you against HIV. Earlier this month, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent expert panel that makes recommendations to the government and medical organizations about preventive care, recommended that anyone at high risk for HIV use pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PreP). PreP is a regimen of daily medications that can reduce the risk of HIV infection. (Visit the Task Force's recommendation statement for the full list of people considered at high risk.) Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2019, Consumer Reports, Inc.


The Grizzlies have been granted permission to interview Trail Blazers assistant Nate Tibbetts for their head coaching vacancy, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets . Tibbetts has been on other teams' lists recently during their head coaching searches. He was expected to be interviewed by the Cavaliers, but they chose Michigan coach John Beilein before that potential meeting. Tibbetts interviewed with the Suns before they selected Monty Williams. He was also one of four finalists for the Hawks job last summer that went to Lloyd Pierce. Memphis, which parted ways with J.B. Bickerstaff after the season, has already interviewed at least three other candidates for the job   former Suns coach Igor Kokoskov, Jazz assistant Alex Jensen and Warriors assistant Jarron Collins. Memphis is also believed to have interest in Lithuania's Sarunas Jasikevicius. The Grizzlies are the only team that hasn't filled its head coaching vacancy.


Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes isn't letting his Most Valuable Player trophy go to his head. Mahomes thinks he has plenty to work on before training camp, and he told Dianna Russini of ESPN that he'll spend his summer between minicamp and training camp focused on footwork. "My footwork," Mahomes said. "I make a lot of off-scheduled plays, scrambling around and throwing the ball, but there's so many little plays that I'll miss, 'cause my feet aren't in the right position and I rely too much on my arm ." Talented young players sometimes run the risk of relying so much on their natural talent that they don't develop the finer points of their games, and by vowing not to rely too much on his arm, Mahomes is recognizing that. The Chiefs have challenged Mahomes to improve the details of quarterback play, and it may be scary for the rest of the league to consider that Mahomes has plenty he can improve.


If you're obsessed with makeup tutorials on YouTube, we've good news for you. You can now try out makeup with your favorite YouTubers using augmented reality. The tool is called AR Beauty Try-On , will let you virtually try products on your face with AR while following along with guides on YouTube. The streaming platform said it's tuned the algorithm to make virtual beauty products work on all skin tones. YouTube's testing out an alpha version of this feature with FameBit , Google's branded content platform. It has partnered with M.A.C Cosmetics so you can try out their products. The new tool will be available to brands and advertisers this summer. The company said nearly a third of its testing audience gave the new feature a go recently: We tested this experience earlier this year with several beauty brands and found that 30 percent of viewers activated the AR experience in the YouTube iOS app, spending over 80 seconds on average trying on lipstick virtually. However, Google's not alone in this market. It'll have to combat the popularity of L'Oreal's makeup app and YouCam makeup app. We'll have to wait and see if this gathers momentum, and if other brands and creators hop on the bandwagon over the coming months.


Two men were arrested at a Tucson airport after they pledged to provide support for ISIS and planned to travel overseas to fight on behalf of the terrorist organization, according to federal officials. Ahmed Mahad Mohamed, 21, and Abdi Yemani Hussein, 20, were arrested on July 26 at the Tucson International Airport, according to the Department of Justice. Federal court documents show the two men were in communication with an undercover FBI employee who they believed was helping make arrangements to travel to Egypt to carry out terrorist attacks there. Court documents said they planned to conduct an attack in Tucson if they weren't able to travel. Both Mohamed and Hussein came to the U.S. as Somalian refugees, according to an affidavit filed in federal court. Mohamed obtained lawful permanent residency and Hussein is still a refugee. An undercover FBI agent began communicating with Mohammed in August 2018. They told Mohammed they were located overseas. Mohammed allegedly told the FBI employee that he wanted to travel to Syria or Iraq to join ISIS and "achieve martyrdom." "Mohamed stated, 'I love jihad so much wallahi (Arabic for 'I swear by Allah') I give my jihad life, I only think about jihad everywhere I go, but my father and mom they don't like jihad if they knew me I want to make hijrah they would spy me,'" the affidavit said. He also told the employee he wanted to become "the beheading guy" if he made it to Syria, the affidavit detailed. He told another officer he saved $2,000 for the trip. The two undercover FBI employees continued to communicate with Mohamed as he made plans to travel to Egypt to join ISIS with the intent of eventually committing terrorism, the affidavit said. During one conversation, he told the employees "the best wake-up call is Islamic State to get another victory or another 9/11." Mohamed applied for a visa in April this year under the guise that he planned to travel to Egypt to study for Ramadan. He also helped Hussein submit his own travel documents. Hussein allegedly told the FBI employees during one in-person meeting that he intended to travel around the world to "make explosion" and wanted to blow up the White House. He would come to Tucson and the "city will die" if someone stopped him from travelling overseas, the affidavit said. The pair bought tickets for a July 26 flight from Tucson connecting to Cairo. They were arrested by an FBI agent after checking in at the airport and passing through security. Reach public safety reporter Bree Burkitt at bburkitt@republicmedia.com or at 602-444-8515. Follow her on Twitter at @breeburkitt. Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: FBI arrests 2 at Tucson airport accused of pledging support for ISIS


We still haven't cured cancer   but we've come a long way 12 major advances in cancer treatment in the last two decades While cancer itself has yet to be cured, we have come a long way. Here are some of the discoveries made by the medical community in the last 20 years. LATE 1990s: Researchers find that women with BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, which put women at a high risk for breast and ovarian cancers, can reduce that risk by 90 percent or more by having preventive surgery that involves surgically removing the breasts , ovaries   or both. 2001: The First Targeted Therapy Approved by the FDA Targeted therapies work by attacking specific types of cancer cells. One such drug therapy, called Gleevec (imatinib), is found to halt the growth of chronic myelogenous leukemia, a rare blood cancer, and to help treat a rare abdominal tumor called GIST (gastrointestinal stromal tumor). 2004: The First 'Antiangiogenic' Drugs Are Approved A new type of targeted drugs, called antiangiogenics, work by blocking the blood vessels that tumors rely on to grow. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration approved the antiangiogenic Avastin (bevacizumab) to treat colorectal cancer   which is later proven to be effective on various other cancers as well, including lung and ovarian cancers . 2006: The First Vaccine to Prevent Cervical Cancer The FDA approved Gardasil , a vaccine against two strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes roughly 70% of all cervical cancers. It is meant for girls and women age 9 to 26. Later studies show Gardasil prevents other HPV-related cancers, in women and men. 2009: Major Studies Call Into Question the Benefits of PSA Testing In a series of studies, researchers question the value of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing. Does it lead to overdiagnosis and overly aggressive treatment, or does it reduce the risk of death? The debate is ongoing. 2010: The First Human Cancer Treatment Vaccine The FDA approved Provenge (sipuleucel-T), a cancer treatment vaccine that is made using a patient's own immune system cells to treat advanced prostate cancer. So far, it's the only vaccine approved in the U.S. to treat cancer. 2011: FDA Approves Promising New Immunotherapy Yervoy (ipilimumab), a new immunotherapy, is shown to improve survival rates in people with advanced skin cancer by blocking CTLA-4, which suppresses a natural immune response. As the Cancer Research Institute explains , "It is also the first in an emerging class of therapies called 'checkpoint blockade,' which enhance the immune system's ability to attack cancer by interfering with immunological checkpoints that slow or stop immune cell activation and proliferation in the presence of tumors or chronic viral infection." 2013: CAR-T Used to Treat Childhood Leukemia A new approach to cancer treatment called chimeric antigen receptor-modified T cell (CAR-T) therapy proves promising. With CAR-T therapy, a patient's own T cells are genetically altered to attack cancer cells. 2014: FDA Approves Two New Immunotherapies The FDA approves Keytruda (pembrolizumab) and Opdivo (nivolumab) to treat melanoma. These two immune checkpoint inhibitors work by blocking a pathway called PD-1, which prevents the immune system from attacking cancer cells. They were later approved for the treatment of the most common type of lung cancer as well. 2015: A New Type of Breast Cancer Treatment The FDA approves Ibrance (palbociclib), the first cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor, to help treat advanced breast cancer. 2017: The First Gene Therapy for Cancer The FDA approves Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel) , a cell-based gene therapy, for kids and adults up to age 25 who have B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). 2018: A New Blood Test Promises to Detect up to 8 Types of Cancer In clinical trials, a new test called CancerSEEK has been shown to detect eight common cancers   a huge advance in early, noninvasive testing. For a fuller list of milestones in cancer treatment, see the American Society of Clinical Oncology's Cancer Progress Timeline .


When President Donald Trump contradicted his own attorney general and declared on Sunday that special counsel Robert Mueller "should not testify" before Congress, he caught his inner circle by surprise. A day later, more than a dozen people from Trump's close orbit downplayed in interviews the prospect that the president's weekend tweet about Mueller should be taken as an official warning. Trump does not actually intend to assert executive privilege and block the special counsel from testifying as soon as next week, they said, before the one House committee with the power to begin impeachment proceedings against the president. Like so many other controversies ignited by Trump's social media feed, this one may be more bluster than live-wire legal showdown. "He is not signaling anything other than, as an innocent man so found by Mr. Mueller, he just wants this over. He'd like to govern. That's all he's saying," Joe diGenova, an informal Trump legal adviser, told POLITICO. The Trump White House all but ignored the tweet, which raised Democratic hackles and contradicted the president's own statement on Friday that the decision was up to Attorney General William Barr. One White House aide argued that Trump had done nothing more than express a personal view. "Where did he say he would block [Mueller] from testifying? I know that's what the media said   but where did he say it?" the aide told POLITICO. "Bob Mueller should not testify," Trump's Sunday afternoon tweet declared. "No redos for the Dems!" Rudy Giuliani, a Trump personal attorney, said he hadn't spoken to his client about the subject but downplayed the idea that Trump had foreshadowed a dramatic clash with Congress. "I think I'd have to hear the words 'We're invoking executive privilege' to know they've come to that conclusion," Giuliani said in an interview. Others around the president explained that Trump is still not foreclosing an option to fight back against House investigators, and that he may yet invoke an executive privilege claim to halt potential testimony by Mueller or his deputies. A similar clash could play out as House Judiciary Committee Democrats press for compliance by Tuesday with their subpoena seeking documents from former Trump White House Counsel Don McGahn, whose account of potential obstruction of justice by the president litter Mueller's report. The Democrats' subpoena also seeks McGahn's testimony by May 21. Legal experts said that a direct order from Trump to stifle Mueller's testimony could trigger a battle over executive privilege as consequential as it is unpredictable. "We are in uncharted waters here," said Greg Brower, the former head of the FBI's congressional affairs office. Democrats so far have shown no sign of backing down in their push for what would be blockbuster testimony from Mueller, who has not spoken publicly since his May 2017 appointment as special counsel investigating Russian election interference. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler has said he'd like to bring Mueller before his panel in mid-May. The New York Democrat is negotiating with DOJ officials about that possibility. Stinging testimony from Mueller that accentuates his written findings   or even tactical signals that he intended his report as a call for Congress to act   could fuel calls for impeachment proceedings that Democratic leaders, fearful of political overreach, have sought to quash. "This certainly seems like the biggest hearing for Congress since Watergate," said Ted Kalo, a former Democratic general counsel to the House Judiciary Committee. "His ability to explain his conclusions and defend his report is the whole ballgame right now." While Mueller found no evidence the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow, his report cited 10 instances where the president interfered in the probe, but made no determination on whether he obstructed justice. Mueller also said that Justice Department legal opinions preclude prosecuting a sitting president. Trump "can't be both immune from prosecution and at the same time be able to thwart Congress from getting all the facts that might inform the House's impeachment decision," Brower said. Trump waived executive privilege during Mueller's probe and allowed the release of more than 1.4 million pages of documents and voluntary interviews from dozens of staffers. Still, Trump legal allies say the Justice Department would have standing to prevent or limit Mueller's testimony on executive privilege grounds. Emmet Flood, the White House lawyer handling all Mueller matters, previewed the potential executive privilege fight ahead in a letter to Barr sent in mid-April and released publicly last week. Flood's letter indicated that Trump doesn't consider the release of the Mueller report a waiver of executive privilege claims for future testimony. DiGenova said Mueller can't testify at all without the permission of the Justice Department, to which he still reported as a paid employee as of Monday. "And the department has the authority to limit his testimony if it chooses to do so, which I do not anticipate it will," diGenova said. He nevertheless identified one potential area of limitation: negotiations between Mueller's team and the president's lawyers about a potential interview with Trump. (The interview wound up being conducted in writing.) Another source familiar with the Trump legal team's thinking added an additional caveat: Even if Mueller was no longer a government employee the 74-year old former FBI director could face a penalty if he defied a DOJ order. "He could lose his bar license because he's disobeying the instruction of a former client. Or the White House could get a court order stopping him from testifying if he refuses to follow the president's instruction," said the source familiar with Trump legal team thinking. Democrats were much more inclined than the president's allies to take Trump's Mueller tweet seriously. "The administration keeps sinking lower and lower. And I imagine they really will try and stop Mueller from testifying," Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin, a member of the Judiciary Committee, said in an interview. Former Obama Justice Department spokesman Matt Miller called it "ridiculous" for Trump to argue that Mueller should opt out of testifying to Congress. He added that the Justice Department can't stop Mueller from speaking out about most parts of his work once he's a private citizen. "I know of no instance where the department has been able to affirmatively restrain anyone from executing their First Amendment rights, especially if they were responding to a lawful subpoena," Miller said. Miller cited the Trump administration's early 2017 efforts to prevent former acting Attorney General Sally Yates from giving congressional testimony about ties between the Trump presidential campaign and Russia. "She ignored them and they did nothing, either preemptively or after her testimony, because there was nothing they could do," Miller said. Mueller's testimony could inflict damage not only on Trump but Barr as well. People close to Barr have expressed concern about how Mueller might characterize a conversation the two men had about Barr's March 24 four-page memo summarizing the special counsel's findings. Barr addressed the subject during his testimony last Wednesday before the panel. "I said, 'Bob, what's with the letter? Why don't you just pick up the phone and call me if there's an issue?'" Barr said. Many Democrats argued that Barr lied to Congress when he told a House panel he was unaware of complaints from Mueller's team about how he had rolled out the report, even though the special counsel had sent a letter complaining to the attorney general that he "did not fully capture the context, nature and substance" of their Russia investigation. Any daylight between Barr's account and the one Mueller offers if he testifies would fuel Democratic demands for his resignation. In the meantime, Trump is trying to turn the spotlight back on Democrats, saying they are more interested in digging up dirt than in legislating, and that it is they who should be investigated. The Trump campaign has texted supporters urging them to sign a petition arguing that it is "TIME TO INVESTIGATE THE INVESTIGATORS." Such petitions are typically used to collect the contact information of supporters and used later for fundraising. A source to the White House said Trump has little room to maneuver, beyond the politics of the moment, in forcing a legal showdown over Mueller's testimony. "How do you block the guy who supposedly exonerated you?" the person said. DiGenova said he expected Trump or his White House counsel, Pat Cipollone, will be speaking with Barr about Mueller's testimony "just to make sure that everybody is on the same page." But he added that the tweet itself was no change in administration policy. "No big deal," he said. "The president tweets all the time. I'd assume now after three years people would be used to it." Andrew Desiderio, Andrew Restuccia and Heather Caygle contributed to this report.


BOSTON (AP)   The music was blaring in the clubhouse and Boston utility player Brock Holt was holding a microphone, acting like a DJ. The defending World Series champion Red Sox were clearly ready to relax and have fun again. Rick Porcello pitched six innings of one-run ball, Sam Travis hit a two-run homer and the Red Sox halted their eight-game losing streak with a 7-5 victory over the struggling Kansas City Royals on Monday night. BOX SCORE: RED SOX 7, ROYALS 5 "That's kind of where we need to be in general," Porcello said. "Some pressure when you start losing, especially with the talented team we have. That's kind of how we need to be every day, kind of relaxed and focus on the task in hand." Rafael Devers added a solo shot for the Red Sox. Travis' gave Boston a homer in a club-record 18 straight games in Fenway Park. The old mark was set in 1969. Bubba Starling, Meibrys Viloria and Cheslor Cuthbert each went deep for Kansas City, with Viloria's his first homer in the majors and Starling's a three-run shot. It was the seventh straight loss for the Royals, who had a 10-game skid in the season's first two weeks. Porcello (10-8), who smashed a pair of TV monitors in the Fenway dugout in frustration in his last start, gave up four hits, walked two and struck out five. The only thing he broke this time was the defending World Series champions' losing streak. It was their first win since beating the rival Yankees at home on July 27 and moved them 5 games behind Tampa Bay for the AL's second wild-card spot. "Obviously we had a rough week, but we still believe in ourselves," Devers said through a translator. The longest skid for a defending champ is 11 games, done by both the 1998 then-Florida Marlins (twice) and the 1986 Royals. Boston's starters had a 10.95 ERA over the eight-game skid. Brandon Workman got the final three outs for his sixth save. Making his fourth start since being acquired from the Chicago Cubs in July, Mike Montgomery (1-5) gave up four runs -- two earned -- over five innings and fell to 0-3 since joining the Royals. "I thought he threw the ball fine. He did a nice job," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "He gave us a chance to win the game." In their first time through the order against Montgomery, the Red Sox struck out five times. Boston jumped ahead with three runs the second time. Mookie Betts opened the third inning with a walk and Devers singled. Shortstop Nick Lopez booted Xander Bogaerts' grounder, with Betts scoring from third. After Andrew Benintendi bounced into a double play, Travis hit his shot into the Green Monster seats. Devers hit his over the Monster in the fifth. Benintendi's two-run double highlighted a three-run seventh that made it 7-2. QUICK WORK Viloria's homer went over the Monster and the ball bounced onto the field, where it rolled it down the line and was picked up by a ball girl, who gave it to a child in the first row. Some in the Royals dugout yelled and finally got her attention before throwing her a ball. She quickly went over and swapped it. "(I) wasn't even aware of that but (I'm) glad they gave it to (me)," Viloria said through a translator. CRUNCHING NUMBERS Boston manager Alex Cora knows his team's in a big hole. "We've got to win series. That's the bottom line," he said before the game. "If you win every series from now on, you put yourself in a good spot. If we do something great as far as math and percentages and all that, I do believe that we do need a streak of putting good pitching together. We can't talk about it, `We'll be fine. We'll be fine.' Right now, we're not fine." TRAINER'S ROOM Royals: INF Adalberto Mondesi (left shoulder) is with the team doing his rehab work, but Yost said it's likely a while before he returns to the lineup. Red Sox: DH J.D. Martinez was scratched from the lineup due to back tightness. . Cora and a trainer came out to check on Betts when he was on first in the seventh. He stayed in but limped around the bases on Benintendi's double and was removed with a left shin contusion. UP NEXT Royals: RHP Jakob Junis (6-10, 5.03 ERA) is slated to start on Tuesday. He's pitched at least six innings in 11 of his last 14 starts. Red Sox: RHP Andrew Cashner (10-6, 4.51) is set to start for Boston and is looking to set a career high in wins. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Related slideshow: The 2019 MLB season (Provided by imagn)


Looking to uncover all that Jewell Heights - Hoffman Heights has to offer? Get to know this Aurora neighborhood by browsing its most popular local businesses, from a sandwich spot to a coffee shop. Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top places to visit in Jewell Heights - Hoffman Heights, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of neighborhood businesses. Read on for the results. 1. Which Wich Topping the list is Which Wich , a spot to score sandwiches and more. Located at 13700 E. Colfax Ave., it's the highest-rated business in the neighborhood, boasting four stars out of 36 reviews on Yelp. On the menu, expect to find a variety of signature sandwiches that are available as a sub, wrap or in a salad. There are also milkshakes in flavors like Oreo, strawberry and vanilla to wash it all down. 2. Nom Nom Asian Grill Next up is Vietnamese spot Nom Nom Asian Grill , situated at 13700 E. Colfax Ave., Suite I. With four stars out of 154 reviews on Yelp, it's proven to be a local favorite. Nom Nom Asian Grill offers customizable rolls, bowls and sandwiches. Fillings include lemongrass pork, soy steak, spicy chicken and tofu; meals may also be topped with pickled red onions and carrots, bean sprouts, mango, peanuts and mint. View the full menu here . 3. Caribou Coffee Coffee and tea spot Caribou Coffee is another top choice. Yelpers give the business, located at 13700 E. Colfax Ave., four stars out of 51 reviews. The drink menu features hot and iced coffee, lattes, cappuccinos, fruit smoothies, teas and more. When it comes to food, look for bagel breakfast sandwiches and an array of pastries, such as apple fritters, banana bread and and scones. View the full here . 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.


Miley Cyrus opened up about her sexuality and her marriage to Liam Hemsworth in the August issue of ELLE magazine. Calling their bond "unique," the singer and actress said, "I'm in a hetero relationship, but I still am very sexually attracted to women." Cyrus has previously opened up about being sexually fluid and identifying as pansexual. Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth's relationship is more nuanced than just being #CoupleGoals on Instagram. The pair, who've been together for 10 years and wed in December, have a "unique" marriage, the singer revealed in ELLE 's August 2019 issue. "I think it's very confusing to people that I'm married. But my relationship is unique," she told the magazine. "And I don't know that I would ever publicly allow people in there because it's so complex, and modern, and new that I don't think we're in a place where people would get it." Cyrus continued, touching on her sexuality: "I'm in a hetero relationship, but I still am very sexually attracted to women." She followed up with a fitting analogy: "People become vegetarian for health reasons, but bacon is still fucking good, and I know that." Of marrying Hemsworth, she said, "I made a partner decision. This is the person I feel has my back the most." The Disney alum has previously opened up about being sexually fluid, coming out as pansexual in 2015 while speaking to ELLE UK . She's also spoken about not identifying with a specific gender, telling Paper magazine in the same year, "I don't relate to being boy or girl, and I don't have to have my partner relate to boy or girl." Cyrus said she first identified as pansexual after she "figured out what it was" while visiting an LGBTQ center in L.A., she told Variety . "I saw one human in particular who didn't identify as male or female," she explained. "Looking at them, they were both: beautiful and sexy and tough but vulnerable and feminine but masculine. And I related to that person more than I related to anyone in my life." Miley doesn't even like using the words "husband and wife" when speaking about marriage, she told ELLE . "'Husband and wife' sounds like a cigarette commercial from the '50s to me," she said. Instead, she prefers the term "partners," which is how she sees her own parents' relationship. "I definitely don't fit into a stereotypical wife role," she said. "I don't even like that word."


HARTFORD, Conn. - Long before Geno Auriemma ever had Saylor Poffenbarger on his radar, the UConn women's basketball coach already had a recruiting pitch in place for her. Poffenbarger, a rising junior at Middletown High in Maryland, and the No. 21 player in ESPN's Class of 2021 rankings, has early memories of watching the Huskies on television. Stefanie Dolson and Breanna Stewart were two of her favorite players, but Maya Moore always trumped all others for her. "I fell in love from the beginning," Poffenbarger said. "And I've always ever since been like, 'UConn, UConn, UConn, I want to be like Maya Moore, I want to play for Geno.' " When Auriemma came calling two years ago to begin the recruiting process, she described the feeling as surreal. "I never thought I could be that little kid out of a small town that wanted to be just like Maya Moore, and now it's more of a reality," Poffenbarger said. On Wednesday, she called Auriemma and declared her intention to commit to UConn. On Thursday, after calling the five other coaches who she felt she had the closest relationships with to tell them she'd be going elsewhere, she announced her decision to the world. Poffenbarger is UConn's first commitment from the class of 2021. She joins top 2020 recruit Paige Bueckers, Croatian guard Nika Muhl and Maryland native Mir McLean as newcomers who have committed to UConn since the end of the 2018-19 season. Moore drew Poffenbarger to UConn, both for on-court, and off-court reasons. Moore's playing style - which Poffenbarger has since tried to replicate from a do-it-all standpoint - was great, but Poffenbarger most enjoyed how she interacted with her teammates, coaches and fans. Poffenbarger's relationship with Auriemma then sealed the deal. "I just felt like I really connected with Geno, because I feel like he could pull all the potential out of me," Poffenbarger said. "With the goals and dreams I have, I feel like he can get the most potential out of me." "I just feel like as we talked more and connected more, it just like started to feel right. I could play for him, I want to play for him." Her first trip to UConn in 2018, following her freshman year at Middletown, was more of a surface level, introductory visit. Her second, this past February, was all business, where Auriemma and his staff laid out more concrete plans and approached the idea of Poffenbarger committing. In Poffenbarger's mind, she was ready to commit. Her mother, Amy, who played at Missouri and is now Saylor's high school coach, still thought she was a bit young, and wanted her to play out a season on the Nike EYBL circuit. If her mind was still made up following the spring with the Fairfax Stars, Amy said, she was free to commit. The summer arrived, and Poffenbarger's decision hadn't wavered. "My heart was set on UConn," she said. "And I didn't think it was fair to these other coaches to waste their time and come out and visit. I knew since last year that I wanted to make a decision either before my junior year or in the middle of it. I just felt yesterday, 'I'm going to do it.' My heart is set, I'm not going to wait any longer." Poffenbarger described her play style as versatile. Through two high school seasons, she's already totaled 1,109 points, 597 rebounds, 207 assists, 137 steals and 149 blocked shots. She averaged 7.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists over 18.4 minutes for Team USA in last month's FIBA U-16 America's Women's Championship. Poffenbarger will have two more seasons to refine her game before college where she will continue to work on being more than just a scorer. "I feel like that's kind of what sets me apart - the little things that I do," she said. "It's more of like crashing the boards, boxing out to the weak side, getting the weak side rebounds, setting good screens ... along with being able to shoot the three and score and get to the basket and defend their best player." She looks forward to playing stress-free, knowing that she won't be constantly under the eye of scouts, or worried about which coaches came to see her on which nights. She knows that while at Middletown, one off game in front of the wrong person won't sink her status as a recruit. She knows, though, that it won't be the same in Storrs. "I called (Auriemma) and I was like, 'Hey coach, where do you see me playing?' " Poffenbarger said. "And he's like, 'I have no idea. You're not here, you haven't gone against our team.' I like that about him, because nothing is given to you. I feel like that will kind of help me ease my nerves, because you can always control how hard you work, and that will help." Visit The Hartford Courant (Hartford, Conn.) at www.courant.com Related slideshow: Best photos of NCAA Championship (Provided by imagn)


From cosy cabins to spaceship replicas and private bars, these man caves take the humble den to the next level. Get comfy   once you step inside these spectacular man caves, you'll never want to leave... These incredible dens are next-level We all need our own space to retreat to every now and again, whether its to kick back and shoot some pool or watch the game in peace and quiet. From cozy cabins to spaceship replicas and private bars, these hideaways take the humble den to the next level. Get comfy   once you step inside these spectacular man caves, you'll never want to leave... Watch a game in style There are sports fans and then there are super sports fans. Dedicated to the Chicago White Sox baseball team, this has to be the ultimate personalized viewing room for the big game   just look at those spotlights, plus the customised pool table and bar! This man cave looks like a home run to us... Love this? Step inside the world's greatest bachelor pads . Build in bunk beds If you want a space to invite buddies over to watch sports or play cards then bunk beds to crash in will make the party last longer. This charming cabin has bespoke built-in beds for up to four guests. A velvet grey couch and red cushions match the smart bed linen, while vintage posters add to the rustic charm of the room. Recreate the bat cave Perhaps the ultimate man cave, this home cinema is inspired by the lair of Gotham City's favourite crime-fighting hero. At a cost of £1.5 million ($2m), this bespoke space features bat memorabilia, atmospheric lanterns and even bat suits. The entrance is cleverly concealed behind a bookshelf for the ultimate top-secret hideout. Channel Gatsby-style glamour For a moody sophisticated retreat, opt for black wainscotting, polished herringbone floors and a retro pool table. A sleek bar nook at the back of the room completes the refined look   we can just imagine 007 reclining here with a martini in hand. Transform the garage If you're strapped for space and the garage is lying dormant, why not turn it into your own private hideaway? Statement flooring instantly transforms this once-redundant space into a stylish vintage workshop. Add a bench with upcycled stools and pigeon hole storage for tools and you can tinker away undisturbed for hours. Need a refresh? Check out these statement floors that really make the room Rock out in style Ideal for the man who can't stop moving, this activity den, complete with a bouldering wall, weights and workout bar, is the perfect hang out space, quite literally. There's even a flat-screen TV so there's no reason to miss the game   even if you're dangling from the ceiling! Makeover the basement The basement of this Chicago house has been turned into the ultimate luxurious man cave by Rae Duncan Interior Design . From the Bourbon collection and glass wine room to the cigar room and pool table, what more could you want? Dark blue panelling encompasses the whole conversion for a 1920s speakeasy atmosphere. Make it minimalist Create a sleek and stylish space by sticking to streamlined decorating. Teak and shingle walls teamed with a poured concrete floor channel a Scandinavian cabin vibe, while vintage artwork and wooden architectural bar stools provide the perfect finishing touches. Even the blue ping-pong table has a subtle retro feel that's perfectly in keeping with the scheme. Go all-out with a theme Love a themed room? A man cave is the perfect place to go all-out. If beer is your beverage of choice then you'll love this incredible green hang out, photographed by Modern Mountain Life, that pays homage to Heineken. The walls and ceilings are colour-matched and the space is awash with branded merchandise. You don't get much more superfan than that! Let the games begin Black suede walls, red leather bar stools, a pink pool table and a selection of vintage arcade games   this basement man cave is the perfect space to relive retro nostalgia. Despite being underground, polished wood floors and a mirrored neon bar reflect and maximise the limited light. Take it out of this world This amazing Millenium Falcon replica was created by Modern Home Systems for a huge Star Wars fan. The incredible theater room looks every part the spaceship, complete with intergalactic views, touch consoles and a life-sized R2-D2   naturally! Love this? These superfans have turned their homes into shrines . Embrace dark moody tones A moody backdrop makes a great colour choice for a man cave as the dark wall colour creates a sumptous, cozy feel. This office-style man cave by The Golden Girl has been beautifully lifted with orange and burgundy accent colors, taking the scheme from dark and drab to rich and fab. Channel rustic cabin charm If you want to create an inviting space, evoke the atmosphere of a rustic mountain retreat. Wood-clad walls and a natural stone floor are warming and intimate, and what country-style man cave is complete without a traditional bar to retreat to after a long day hiking or fishing on the lake? Create an industrial-style escape High ceilings and exposed brick walls give this man cave a stylish industrial edge. Reclaimed statement lighting and an ornate wall clock continue the theme, while numerous game tables ensure that, however sleek and well-designed this room is, its primary purpose is still fun. Make it multifunctional If you're lucky enough to have a large basement, be sure to put every inch of space to work. This versatile room combines a cinema screen with a table tennis table and a vintage duke box. It's screened off from the rest of the house by French doors which can be opened up in the summer months. Claim your own corner You don't need a full basement conversion to create your own personal space. This budget man cave has been brought to life with a neon sign, atmospheric downlighting and a flat-screen TV. The cute bar even has enough room to host a few friends if you feel like sharing your den. Make memorabilia the star This athletic man cave features an impressive showcase of sports memorabilia, from shirts to balls and equipment. Leather recliner chairs and dark wood complement the grand scheme, with flat-screen TVs mounted on the wall for essential sports viewing. Love this? Step inside these celebrity walk-in wardrobes . Elevate a modern mezzanine den A mezzanine nook makes an ideal hideaway for a minimalist man cave. Wood beams, low lighting and a contemporary wood-burner create a characterful yet stylish space. Just imagine playing a game of pool alongside that roaring fire in the winter! Embrace your hobbies Bring the golf course just that bit closer to home with this man cave worthy of a sporting aficionado. Whether you want to tee off, pot a few balls or watch the game, this stylish hang out has more than enough space for the whole gang. Build a home pub There's no need to leave the house to grab a beer with this quaint pub in the garden. Not your average shed, this characterful man cave features traditional beer taps and bar stools so you can kick back and put the world to rights with your pals. Perfect your strike If an evening on the lanes with a couple of beers is your idea of a good time, why not bring the alley to you? This basement is a bowling fan's heaven   there's even a snug sitting area and a bar where you can observe the action. When you've had enough, you can head across the room to the cinema screen and watch the latest blockbuster. Win-win! Rally around your wheels Got a killer car collection? Why not show it off? This VIP man cave features a bar, pool table, sitting area and two rather fancy supercars. Atmospheric downlighting creates drama and ensures you show off your prized possessions in the best light. Just be sure to keep a hold of the keys! Love this? Step inside the world's most incredible panic rooms .


The Broncos and Chris Harris Jr. are "extremely close" to a new one-year deal, according to Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter). With the final week of OTAs starting on Wednesday, both sides hoping to reach agreement today. Harris is set to earn $8.9M this year in salary and bonuses. Initially, Harris was pushing for more than $15M per year on a multi-year extension, but he has since backed down from that asking price. The Broncos are unwilling to tack additional years on to his pact, but they are apparently willing to give him a pay bump for 2019. Last year, the Broncos mollified Harris' extension request with a similar measure. A $3M incentive package got the job done in 2018, but one has to imagine that GM John Elway will have to give more this time around. Harris appeared in 12 games and posted three interceptions a year ago before suffering a fractured fibula in early December. Pro Football Focus graded Harris, who spent 58% of his time in the slot, as the third-best cornerback in the NFL.


Phoenix will see a return of last week's hot temperatures in the coming days, according to drone-powered weather forecasting service Saildrone . Temperatures will reach a high of 103 degrees on Tuesday. There's no rain in the forecast this week. Skies will be clear for the next few days, and partly cloudy on Tuesday. Winds will reach a modest high of 15 mph on Friday, while today and tomorrow will remain calmer. This story was created automatically using Saildrone's local weather forecast data, then reviewed by an editor. We also incorporate historic weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.