The British Grand Prix is just around the corner, giving fans a chance to see some of the biggest names in the sport up close. But, what do drivers do when the race is over? For some, the answer is simple - they go home and check the football scores. There are a number of drivers who are well-known football fanatics, are here are six drivers who call football their second passion. Lewis Hamilton Widely regarded as one of the finest F1 drivers of all time, Lewis Hamilton has won countless trophies in the sport, and he follows a side with a similarly rich history. Hamilton is a die-hard Arsenal supporter, and he can often be seen sporting his beloved side's colours. He admitted to Sky Sports that he has followed the Gunners since he was five years old, also revealing his admiration for legendary manager Arsene Wenger. He went to school with Ashley Young, but their friendship probably hasn't been so strong since Young headed to Manchester United. Sebastian Vettel F1 takes Sebastian Vettel all over the world, but wherever he goes, he always keeps an eye out for Eintracht Frankfurt's results. He told the Bundesliga website that he grew up close to Frankfurt's stadium, and he soon fell in love with the club. He loves watching Frankfurt play, but will always at least make sure he knows how his team have performed before he heads out on the race track. He'll need to find time to tear down his Luka Jovic shrine, but hopefully there will be a new hero at the Commerzbank-Arena soon enough. Carlos Sainz Jr Carlos Sainz Jr comes from a family who love racing, but they also have a second passion - Real Madrid . His father once ran for the Los Blancos presidency, and clearly managed to hand his love for Real over to his son, who told AS of his dream to have the Real badge feature on his helmet. He was a huge fan of Cristiano Ronaldo , so there's probably a little part of Sainz who followed Ronaldo to Juventus last summer. Max Verstappen Dutch wonderkid Max Verstappen is a well-known PSV Eindhoven supporter, but he risked incurring the wrath of his fellow fans by cheering on Ajax in the Champions League last season. Verstappen clearly just wants to see Dutch football grow, even if it is not his side who are responsible for it. Having said that, you wonder whether Verstappen was still so impressed with Ajax after they pipped PSV to the Eredivisie title by just three points last season. Pierre Gasly Pierre Gasly has never shied away from confessing his love for football, and the Frenchman always tries his hardest to follow Paris Saint-Germain. He told Formula 1 that he can be found playing football whenever he is back home, and he has close links to PSG through a friend who plays for the club. For his sake, let's hope his friend is not Neymar , or he could be set for a pretty uncomfortable summer. Daniel Ricciardo Football is one of the most global sports around, and few sides can reach fanbases across the world quite like Manchester United - just ask Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian has followed the Red Devils for years and has been spotted with the likes of Michael Carrick and Jose Mourinho in recent seasons, and he has been trying his hardest to remain positive over the last few seasons. He even featured in a tribute video to Carrick when the midfielder retired in 2018, jumping at the chance to praise a close friend and club legend.


Curious just how far your dollar goes in Houston? We've rounded up the latest rental listings via rental sites Zumper and Apartment Guide to get a sense of what to expect when it comes to finding a place in Houston if you've got a budget of $1,200/month. Read on for the listings. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 1011 Studemont St. (Washington Avenue Coalition/Memorial Park) First up is this one-bedroom, one-bathroom condo situated at 1011 Studemont St., which is listed for $1,200/month. In the unit, expect a dishwasher and in-unit laundry. Both cats and dogs are welcome. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. Walk Score indicates that the surrounding area is very walkable, is quite bikeable and has a few nearby public transportation options. (See the complete listing here .) 1915 Binz St., #4 (Museum Park) Here's a 750-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit at 1915 Binz St., #4 that's also going for $1,200/month. In the unit, you'll have a balcony, a dishwasher and in-unit laundry. The building offers assigned parking. Animals are not welcome. The rental doesn't require a leasing fee. Per Walk Score ratings, the surrounding area is very walkable, is relatively bikeable and offers many nearby public transportation options. (See the full listing here .) 2516 Commonwealth St., #203 (Neartown - Montrose) Located at 2516 Commonwealth St., #203, here's a 726-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom condo that's listed for $1,200/month. Building amenities include assigned parking, outdoor space and secured entry. Cats and dogs are not welcome. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental. According to Walk Score's assessment, the area around this address has excellent walkability, is convenient for biking and offers many nearby public transportation options. (See the complete listing here .) Westheimer Road, #520 (Afton Oaks/River Oaks Area) Finally, listed at $1,200/month, this 745-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment is located at Westheimer Road, #520. In the furnished unit, you can anticipate high ceilings, hardwood floors, a balcony, a fireplace, a walk-in closet and in-unit laundry. For building amenities, plan on a swimming pool, a fitness center, outdoor space, a roof deck and garage parking. For those with furry friends in tow, know that cats and dogs are allowed on this property. Per Walk Score ratings, the area around this address is friendly for those on foot, is relatively bikeable and has a few nearby public transportation options. (Take a look at the complete listing here .) This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Perfect timing! Just as your date launches into his 16th terrible story of the evening, your cell phone shrills and a frantic friend explains why she needs you to leave that bar right this second . But just as you slide off your stool, convinced you're about to make a flawless exit, you catch your date rolling his eyes, big-time. Because he knows c'mon, even the bartender knows you're making a fake break for it. If you've played the friend emergency card a few too many times on a bad date , try these four effective strategies to escape dating hell (although, we hope you never need to). 1. Set an end-date deadline. You'll sense within minutes if the only chemistry happening between you two are the cocktails on the tabletop. So let your date know from the start that you have a previous commitment to which you have to sneak off in 30 minutes. (Bonus: If your instincts are wrong, you haven't ruined your chances at a second date !) 2. Drop the "F" word. Not attracted to him at all ? Let the man know early on you think you'd make great friends, and watch as he makes the grand exit. No man who's looking for a relationship wants to stay in the friend zone  even for another half hour. 3. Say you're too pooped to party. A long day at work, an early morning meeting, or even a residual sinus infection could make you too tired to carry on past the hour mark. Throw in a yawn or two to sell the story, then politely say you need to head home to rest up or catch some serious zzz's. 4. Just be honest . There's no more effective way to end a bad date than to simply say, "Thank you so much for meeting me out tonight, but to be honest, I don't feel like we're a match." If your tone and approach are kind, he'll hopefully understand and appreciate your transparency. What are some other ways you've snuck out of a bad date?


Editor's note: The opinions in this article are the author's, as published by our content partner, and do not necessarily represent the views of MSN or Microsoft. We know former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton transmitted classified information on her personal email server but faced no criminal charges, with her actions declared by then FBI Director James Comey as not worthy of prosecution. His deputy Andrew McCabe was later found by Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz to have had unauthorized media contacts and then to have lied about them to investigators, and he was fired but suffered no criminal exposure. Now it is reported that Comey himself has been found by Horowitz to have shared government memos containing potentially classified information with The New York Times, yet the Justice Department does not intend to charge him with a crime for it. Is this the Washington establishment protecting its own? Or is this, as advanced by some on the right, a conspiracy to shield the enemies of President Trump from? Are senior government officials simply above the law that us mere citizens of this nation remain subject to? The answer is no. While it may appear confusing and unfair to many Americans, this is really the criminal justice system functioning the way it was intended. A basic tenet within our system is that prosecutors wield discretion, recognizing that with limited resources there is no way every potential violation can be prosecuted. This prosecutorial discretion is not absolute or subject to exercise on a whim. There are factors set forth by Justice Department policy that must be considered in the decision whether to prosecute or decline a case. These include, among others, the nature of the offense, the quality of the evidence, the past history of the alleged perpetrator, and the likelihood that the behavior will occur in the future. For certain crimes, a critical component of this prosecutorial analysis is the question of intent. Actions can be the result of poor decision making, negligence, or mistake, yet they may not rise to the level of criminality if the perpetrator did not willfully violate the law. Whether a prosecutor thinks the evidence exists to prove intent is a judgment call that must be made on a case by case basis. That is another reason, when it comes to federal employees, that misconduct may result in disciplinary options up to and including termination but still not end with any criminal charges. Then there is the question of whether political ramifications should have an impact on whether to bring charges. Prosecutors and officials within the Justice Department are supposed to make these decisions without regard for their personal politics. But that does not mean the political fallout of a high stakes prosecution can be completely disregarded. When Justice Department officials at the highest levels must grapple with the question of whether to charge a Cabinet secretary, a senior FBI official, or other top ranking individual, they know full well their decision will be heavily scrutinized by the public for political bias. This likely means in close calls the decision leans in favor of not bringing a criminal case. Thus, as it turns out, not every wrong committed or every instance of misconduct can or should become a criminal matter. Many were furious that Clinton never faced charges, convinced that the combination of President Obama, former Attorney General Loretta Lynch, and Comey managed to stack the deck in her favor. But the reality is that there were serious questions about whether prosecutors would have been able to prove that Clinton intentionally mishandled classified information. In the case of McCabe, there were legitimate factual issues around whether McCabe had authority to make certain contacts with the media and whether his statements to investigators were lies or instead legitimate efforts to correct the record. In a close call and with all these factors to consider, the system rightfully found in favor of not pursuing charges. As for Comey, it is difficult to understate the damage his actions have had on public confidence in the FBI and the criminal justice system. If he had any legitimate concerns about the actions of Trump, there were multiple options for appropriately reporting those concerns either internally within the Justice Department or to Congress. He chose instead to improperly take memos he had prepared in detailing his conversations with Trump, which may or may not have contained classified information but were clearly government property, and leak them to The New York Times. His cynical goal of triggering a special counsel appointment succeeded in giving us the ordeal that was the Russia investigation by Robert Mueller. Horowitz has impeccable credentials as a principled and nonpartisan public servant and, for full disclosure, he was my mentor and law partner before his return to government service. While his report has yet to be released, any findings he makes against Comey or others should be taken very seriously. However, that said, any findings of misconduct or even of potential legal violations may not necessarily translate into a criminal case based on the many factors and considerations that have to go into making charging decisions. Far from being a conspiracy or a defect within our criminal justice system, this is exactly the way the process should work. Joseph Moreno is a former federal prosecutor with the Department of Justice and a United States Army combat veteran. He is now an attorney based in Washington. You can follow him on Twitter @JosephMoreno .


The Portal is as mysterious as it is powerful. Some souls enter never to be heard of again, others are out as quickly as they entered. The Portal blesses whom it decides to bless, and it's not for us humans to understand. All we know is The Portal must be questioned. For instance, there's the case of Kyler McMichael. On Friday, the former 4-star recruit was a Clemson Tiger. By Saturday, he was a North Carolina Tar Heel. Roughly 24 hours after announcing his intent to transfer , McMichael had announced his new destination. "Beyond blessed and grateful to be apart (sic) of such an amazing team last year at Clemson, however today I begin my next Chapter in life as I redirect my journey and travel to Chapel Hill, to the University of North Carolina and become a Tar Heel." Committed to the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill‼🐏 @drebly_32 @CoachBateman @CoachMackBrown #Tarheelnation #RudeBoyz #bethe1 pic.twitter.com/HqqnSHjYXq   Kyler J. McMichael (@kylermc22) July 20, 2019 McMichael didn't make a major impact on Clemson's national championship team, but that's largely because he was a true freshman playing for the eventual national champions. The Atlanta native played in 101 snaps according to his Clemson bio, which was still live as of this writing , spread across 12 games, where he made two tackles. Barring a waiver, McMichael will sit out the 2019 season and compete for the Tar Heels as a redshirt sophomore in 2020. Related slideshow: Ranking the 10 best college football mascots (provided by For The Win)


I am choosing optimism at this moment in time. Hope over hate. I believe that Russell Westbrook can change at 30. I believe that James Harden can win a world championship while leading the Rockets in his prime. Am I going to regret all the above in six months? A year? Two? Maybe. I have applauded the Rockets many times since 2015. I have also often criticized them and highlighted their limitations. At this moment in time, sincere unification is the only way that Westbrook and Harden are going to work. Dwight Howard and The Beard split apart. After a franchise-record 65 wins and being a healthy hamstring away from likely winning the NBA Finals, Chris Paul and Harden ultimately did the same. In the crazy summer of 2019, with so much at stake and so many questions screaming for answers, the Rockets' grand new vision will only be completed with optimism and hope. Which is why Westbrook, more than anyone inside Toyota Center, must change. It's a funny thing to say about an international superstar (and budding fashion icon) who has averaged at least 22.9 points, 10.3 assists and 10.1 rebounds three consecutive seasons. Who led the NBA in assists the past two years, recorded a career-high in rebounds last season and topped the league in scoring during the 2016-17 campaign, when he also beat out Harden for MVP. Who is so talented, powerful and explosive that he kept small-market Oklahoma City buzzing after Harden and Kevin Durant departed. It's also exactly what Mike D'Antoni, Daryl Morey, Tilman Fertitta, P.J. Tucker, Eric Gordon and Harden all must say to a shoot-first, refuse-to-answer-questions-later point guard who has been named to an All-NBA team during eight of the past nine seasons. Westbrook enters the fourth-largest city in America with a clean local slate. His future in Houston is up to him. Howard loved to recite Hollywood-like lines touting unification, sacrifice and commitment. By the time his time in Houston was done, two coaches had been sacrificed, a canyon was carved into the Rockets' locker room and the franchise was forced to choose a new path that had no room for a deflated Superman. "I don't have an ego   it's dead," Howard recently told The Athletic, swearing that he's finally learned the lessons he should have learned at the start of this decade. "It had to die for me to be who I am. Sometimes when you want to become who you want to be, you have to die within yourself. Once you learn that you have to give up yourself for the team, that's when things flourish." Paul adapted and changed for the good of the Rockets. But he also kept fighting back   despite being 34, injury-prone, in decline and his lopsided salary failing to match his on-court performance   and eventually was pushed out the same door that Kevin McHale and Howard exited. I've written several times that Harden is the most polarizing star in the NBA. The last few years, Westbrook hasn't been far behind on the national love him/hate him meter. Shoots too much. Not efficient enough. Thinks he can do it all himself   but he can't. Refuses to change. Westbrook would probably sarcastically laugh out loud if he read the previous sentence. Harden left and Westbrook changed. Durant left and Westbrook really changed. Paul George arrived and Westbrook changed again. But Westbrook has also shot less than 30 percent on 3-pointers during four of the past five seasons, including just 29 percent last year. He led the NBA in field-goal attempts two seasons ago and ranked fourth last year. Then there is the only stat that really matters: Westbrook's team was bounced out of the first round of the playoffs three consecutive seasons after Durant departed. The nightly, solo highlight reel attack only left Westbrook looking more and more isolated in OKC. The Rockets are his last, best chance for championship redemption. Harden needs the best contemporary version of Westbrook for The Beard to claim his first world title. And there's no better big city for Brodie to recreate himself in than Houston. Hard work, devotion and sacrifice are rewarded. Change is constantly encouraged. Little remains the same. Diversity is at the heart of everything. D'Antoni will be asked to again be the cool peacemaker, all while creating a system that gets the best out of his ball-dominant stars. Morey will keep adding and exchanging secondary pieces. Fertitta won't settle for anything less than a trophy. Harden must be challenged and remember that a little less for The Beard could result in much more for his team. But Westbrook is the one who must really change right now. There is so much opportunity here. He could prove so many people wrong, all while remaining true to himself. He could be an adored champion in the big city, reunited with one of the few people in the world who truly understands what it is like to constantly be doubted and criticized by so many. But the same old Westbrook won't work this time. His gaudy, flashy, individual numbers aren't needed. In 2019, Westbrook must be the best he's ever been   by being Harden's teammate and the Rockets' consistent, dependable No. 2. Related slideshow: 2019 NBA offseason moves (Provided by imagn)


Brighton & Hove Albion have completed the signing of Brentford striker Neal Maupay on a four-year deal. The prolific 22-year-old has been making waves in the Championship for Brentford, scoring 37 goals in 85 appearances across two seasons - including 28 goals in all competitions during 2018/19. ✍ The club have signed long-term target Neal Maupay from @BrentfordFC ! 😉 Happy #MaupayMonday ! 📲 Breaking news brought to you by @eToroOfficial. #BHAFC 🔵⚪   Brighton & Hove Albion ⚽ (@OfficialBHAFC) August 5, 2019 He has been a target for Premier League rivals Aston Villa, but it's Brighton who have got the deal over the line - confirming his arrival in an official statement on the club's website Manager Graham Potter was effusive in his praise for Maupay, highlighting the many reasons Albion had decided to splash the cash. He said:  "Neal is a talented striker, with good strength and pace, and he is a goalscorer. He will add an extra dimension to our existing forward options, and we are delighted to have completed the transfer. "The club has been monitoring Neal and has been aware of his ability for some time. Separately I was also aware of his obvious ability at Swansea, and came up against him in the Championship last season. "His record in the Championship has been exceptional, with 41 goals across the last two seasons, and now his challenge is to transfer that to the Premier League." Maupay began his career with Nice, making his first-team debut at the age of 16. He moved to Saint-Etienne two years later, racking up over 100 appearances in France before joining Brentford in 2017. Now, after two years, he's a Premier League player - and will hope to help the Seagulls avoid relegation trouble this season.


Earlier this month during its annual developers conference , Google unveiled the Pixel 3A and Pixel 3A XL . The new phones are more affordable versions of its current flagship handsets, the Pixel 3 and 3 XL . But the true successors of the phones, expected to be called the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL, are still months away. Those phones will continue to serve as Google's ultimate take on its mobile operating system Android, which is the most popular OS in the world , and will likely feature the finalized version of Android Q out of the box. The success of the Pixel 4 would be crucial for Google. The Pixel 3 and 3 XL aren't selling very well despite their exceptional cameras and critical acclaim. This could be because the phones are exclusive to Verizon (though they work on other US carriers), plus the fact that people in general aren't buying phones as much as they used to. There's also been reported issues with the Pixel 3's performance (but we at CNET haven't experienced them personally) and the company just settled a class-action lawsuit that will pay out owners of the first Pixel phone $500 each. For Google, the company would need to address all these issues with the Pixel 4 if it wants to increase sales and edge out its Apple and Samsung rivals. In the mean time, read on to see what has been speculated so far and check back as we update this piece with interesting rumors as they arise. Originally published March 8, 2019 Update, May 26 : Adds info about Pixel class-action lawsuit. Rumor: Pixel 4 XL could have 2 back cameras, hole-punch screen While previous Pixel XLs launched with just a single camera on the back, leaked photos posted on SlashLeaks indicate that the Pixel 4 XL may have two rear cameras . Google has typically relied on its camera software to do things (like taking portrait photos) that other phones require multiple cameras to accomplish. The same leaked photos also show that the yet-to-be announced phone may have a hole-punch display solution for its two selfie cameras, similar to the Galaxy S10 Plus . Rumor: Pixel 4 might have improved dual-SIM capabilities The Pixel 4 may have a feature that would allow a user to switch between two functioning phone lines . This is an update from the previous Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 (and their larger counterparts the Pixel 2 XL and 3 XL). Those phones have a standard SIM card slot and an eSIM. While you could have two numbers provisioned for the device, you could only talk, text or use data on one line, while the other remained inactive. In other words, only one SIM could be activated at a time. But the Pixel 4 would be able to have two active SIMs. If either is being used to make a call or text, however, the other line won't be able to take calls or text for the time being. This is similar to how the new iPhones and other Android phones operate. Rumor: Pixel 4 will likely run Android Q Like with past Pixel phones, the Pixel 4 line will be one of the first -- if not the first -- phones to run Android's latest OS. Because Google OS names are alphabetical, the upcoming update is temporarily known as Android Q before its official name launches. Although it's not out yet, Android Q will reportedly have a system-wide dark mode , new permissions features, improved facial recognition and enhanced security . Rumor: We'll probably see it in October This isn't based on any specific rumor, but since the first Pixel launch in 2016 Google has released its flagship in October. After its developer conference in May, this October event is usually held to highlight Google's hardware developments. In addition to the PIxel 4 we may hear about Google's smart home endeavors.


Todd Gurley was a unique prospect coming out of Georgia in 2015, not only because he was a rare running back deserving of going in the top 10, but because of his health situation. He was coming off a torn ACL, which he suffered in November, and couldn't do anything during the pre-draft process. Many thought the injury would push Gurley down the draft board and cause him to slip in the first round, but the Rams took a chance on him at No. 10 overall. Needless to say, that risk paid off beautifully with Gurley winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2015 and earning two All-Pro selections since. He never expected to be drafted by the Rams and thought he'd go 20th overall at the earliest. He recalled the 2015 draft on Josh Hart's podcast recently, discussing how he thought it would go. "I didn't. I didn't, especially not like a top-10 pick, like you said. Coming off the ACL, they already had Tre Mason there, who went to Auburn. He almost had 1,000 yards, and then they had Benny Cunningham, Zac Stacy and Isaiah Pead. They had all those guys. One of my coaches called me and told me they were down there doing a background check. My agent might've said something, but I was like, 'Man, they're not drafting me. They got some decent running backs. Like, they're good.'" Gurley said he "didn't even talk to St. Louis" in the pre-draft process, so he was really surprised to be drafted by Jeff Fisher and Les Snead. He was obviously thrilled to be selected in the top 10, but he didn't expect to go that high. On draft day, he wasn't stressing too much because he figured his ACL injury would cause him to fall. "The draft came, I'm in the green room. I'm just joking, I'm thinking I'm gonna go like at least 20 at the earliest, but I'm really just relaxing," Gurley recalled. "I'm like, 'I'm not about to get worked up over this. Whatever happens, happens.'" Gurley told a story about one of his friends from Atlanta calling him while he was in the green room, which got Gurley's hopes up. It was at the same time as the Falcons were on the clock at No. 8, so he thought it might be the team calling. It wasn't. "We're in the green room and one of my boys from back home calls me. This was when Atlanta is up, it's like the eighth pick. I get a number from the 404, and I'm like, 'Oh snap, I'm about to go to the A.' I pick up the phone and it's one of my homeboys," Gurley said. "I cussed him out so bad and so fast, and then two picks later, Coach Fisher and Les Snead were calling me." Gurley landed in a good spot with the Rams affording him the chance to progress at a comfortable pace. He wasn't forced into action because of the depth they had at running back, allowing Gurley to return when he felt most comfortable. Four years later and the pick has worked out exceptionally well for both him and the team. MORE: Kyle Kuzma is already trash-talking his former Lakers teammate NBA Free Agency 2019: The top players The story of the Steelers helmet logo Chiefs WR Byron Pringle projected to be a starter by Matt Waldman Tiki Barber urges Giants fans to stop booing Daniel Jones


When the Chicago Bears drafted tight end Adam Shaheen in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft, he was a bit of an unknown, coming from a smaller school as walk-on. He overpowered lesser competition, but questions remained on whether or not he could become a pass-catching weapon at the next level. Two years later, those questions still remain for the former Ashland star, and now may be his best chance to show he's a worthwhile investment for the long term. With Trey Burton sidelined by sports hernia surgery, the door is open once again for Shaheen to earn more reps with the starting offense and begin the preseason as the starting tight end. His rookie year, he led the team in receiving touchdowns (3) and formed chemistry with Mitchell Trubisky throughout the season. But he only caught a total of 12 total passes for 127 yards in 12 games. The injury bug bit him in 2018 as he missed the first two months of the season with a sprained ankle and foot he suffered in the preseason. Upon returning, he averaged 20-30 snaps per game and caught five passes for 48 yards and one touchdown. If healthy, he should make an effective compliment to Burton, as they both possess skills that differ from one another that would open up the offense for Trubisky even more. But Shaheen is left looking for answers as to why he cannot stay on the field. According to Adam Jahns of The Athletic, Shaheen is turning to martial arts to better himself physically in hopes of furthering his development and staying healthy for an entire season. "My injuries have not been normal," Shaheen told Jahns. "They haven't been like a pulled (hamstring) or an ACL or anything like that. It's been some things that doctors haven't seen in years." Shaheen and third-year tight end Ben Braunecker are the only players who have NFL experience at the position with Burton sidelined. Still, the best ability Shaheen can improve is his availability. View embedded content MORE: Did Nike accidentally reveal that Kevin Durant is staying with the Warriors? 'Jeopardy' star James Holzhauer shoots down one of so many wild conspiracy theories after loss Should Bills fans worry about Roger Goodell's comments? Kwon Alexander already having impact on 49ers LBs Gerald McCoy explains why he picked the Panthers over Browns, Ravens


Anthony Pedersen sat in his painting shed and took stock of all that had gone wrong. He was divorced years ago, he battled a drinking problem, and at one point, he lived in his car. That was after an art gallery told him his work would never sell. A death in the family last week pushed him to the brink, and Pedersen, surrounded by his paintings, considered taking his own life. But what to do with his art? "I thought, 'Maybe I should give away all these paintings before I do that,' " Pedersen said. Subscribe to the Post Most newsletter: Today's most popular stories on The Washington Post His thoughts about harming himself subsided, but the idea remained, he told The Washington Post on Sunday: Why not send these works into the world, or at least Orange County, Calif., in an exchange of pure expression and happiness? That idea bloomed into a scavenger hunt, of sorts, fueled by social media. Pedersen, 36, under his artist name Octopus/Caveman , seeded Orange County with four paintings Friday and Saturday, then posted photos on Twitter with hints to their locations. They included a plea to send photos once they were discovered. "I only ask that you give this painting a good home," wrote Pedersen, an intake manager at a law firm by day. "I'd love to see my painting with its new owner. Have a great life together." The response was almost too fast for Carrie Murphy. She awoke at 3 a.m. Saturday and was scrolling through Twitter when she saw the clues. Murphy jumped in her car and drove 30 miles to a Rainbow Donut shop in Westminster. The painting had already vanished, she told The Post on Sunday. Yet Murphy, an artist herself, was undeterred. She reveled in the hunt, despite the distance from her home in Laguna Niguel. Drizzle splattered her windshield as she set out for the next clue: A painting of a green man left against a wall at Ocean View High School in Huntington Beach. That, too, was a dry hole, she said. Pedersen had planted the other paintings hours later. One, depicting a robot with a beating red heart, was left against a sign outside Cyprus College near Anaheim. Murphy loaded her son, along with her husband   fresh off a flight from Thailand   into the car and roared off to the college. The painting was gone, Murphy thought. But it had been blown over by the wind and lay flat on the grass. She picked up and held her prize: an Octopus/Caveman original. "It was the most exciting thing. It felt like the lottery," Murphy said. "And knowing it's a treasured piece of art … it gave me so much joy." A man discovered the fourth painting at a park in Huntington Beach. "hello thanks you so much for the painting it was [such] a weird coincidence that I found it," he wrote on Twitter. Suddenly, the rejected artist had found an audience after returning to the studio only last year. Pedersen paints with "the cheapest stuff you can imagine," he said. Paint and brushes come from Walmart. He is a self-taught painter, and when he sits down, he has no firm idea about what spills out. He may go through several paintings, one layered on top of another, he said, before he creates something like a lovelorn robot. Murphy inspected the painting's edges and discovered those layers of experimentation and process. "I will have to find a special place for it," she said. "I know there's a lot of history on that canvas." The gratitude has moved in a cycle. Murphy contacted Pedersen and told him what her find meant to her. He explained his bout with depression, and that his idea had sparked a deep satisfaction in his own work and what he has done for Murphy and others. "I told him, 'I hope you realized how much joy you are providing,' " Murphy said. "I was really moved. She seemed excited about it," he said. "Her joy in finding that was fantastic." Pedersen is working through what comes next. Maybe an expansion to San Diego. Pedersen thought perhaps there was a way to connect the paintings and the location in a more deliberate way. But that process will come later. On Sunday, he left a vivid yellow abstract work at a parking garage in Claremont   number five in a growing series. If you have feelings of self-harm, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255). You can also text a crisis counselor by messaging the Crisis Text Line at 741741. Read more: This great-grandmother skipped her prom. Eighty years later, she went   and was crowned queen When a 90-year-old's house caught fire, teens from across the street rushed in to save her


The number of crime reports in Charlotte increased last month, after a previous decline, according to data from SpotCrime , which collects data from police agencies and validated sources. Incidents rose by 9.8%, from 5,966 in May to 6,552 in June. Despite last month's increase, crime reports remain similar to those seen a year ago. Crime levels tend to follow seasonal patterns, making a year-over-year comparison most relevant. Theft and vandalism incidents increased the most from the previous month. Theft rose from 2,481 reported incidents in May to 2,892 in June, but has dropped by 73 incidents since June of last year. Vandalism incidents went from 389 to 492 for the month, or about a 26% increase. However, vandalism reports have decreased since a year ago. While somewhat smaller categories, there was also a considerable percentage increase last month in burglary, from 319 incidents per month to 355, and in robbery, from 154 to 171. Burglary reports have decreased considerably since the same month last year, while robbery incidents have risen. Among the few types of offenses that saw a downturn last month, assault reports went from 1,239 to 1,211. Arson incidents fell from 12 to nine. Assault and arson incidents have seen an overall downward trend since the same time last year. When it comes to crime patterns in different parts of the city, the area near Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Toddville Road and Dilworth saw the largest increase from May to June. Coulwood East, Boulevard Homes and North Charlotte also had considerable percentage increases in crime offenses for the month, although they continue to have lower overall crime levels. Over the past year, crime has gone up the most in Sterling, and declined the most in Mineral Springs-Rumble Road. Saturdays, Thursdays and Mondays had the most crime incidents last month. The largest increase from the previous month occurred on Saturdays, Tuesdays and Sundays, while incidents on Fridays and Wednesdays went down. Comparing times of day, late afternoon, late morning and early afternoon continue to see the most crime incidents on average each day. To report a crime in progress or life-threatening emergency, call 911. To report a non-urgent crime or complaint, contact your local police department. Head to SpotCrime to get free local crime alerts in your area. This story was created automatically using local crime data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about our data sources and local crime methodology. Got thoughts about what we're doing? Go here to share your feedback.


Maxim Dadashev, a junior welterweight boxer from St. Petersburg, Russia, died Tuesday morning at 28 years old due to severe brain injuries.


Tomorrow comes the much-anticipated release of the Entourage movie. We at OZY tried our hand at creating our own entourage just before the Oscars. It is February, and February on Hollywood Boulevard is shorts and sweat and air saturated with anticipation. A week before the Oscars, the early skeleton structures of the bleachers that will become the backdrop for the red carpet are already up, glimmering in the sun. Everything is waiting   for this place to transform from gaudy to glamorous, for the real stars to arrive in place of their wax figures in the Madame Tussauds museum. You can feel the impatience in the packs of sticky tourists: They are here, in the cinematic capital of the world, days away from film's biggest night of the year. Give 'em one   just one celebrity sighting. Well, here I am, baby. It's hard work, answering the particular call to prayer of the pilgrims on the boulevard. It requires me to straight-facedly flash a two-fingered peace sign in a parade of a hundred Chinese-tourist selfies. I become the pied piper of unfabulous visitors; the plebes trail me with floppy hats and cargo shorts and Canons and Nikons. I enter a Starbucks; a flurry of photoflashes reflect against the glass. "We look to celebrities like modern-day religious icons." - James Houran, psychologist and managing director of Aethos Consulting Group My face is tired : from smiling, pouting. I shield myself, a delicate, fainting palm up by my forehead, dark sunglasses obscuring expression. "Please, let the lady enjoy her afternoon," my bodyguard, Deon, says. He pushes easily through the crowd, all 6-foot-4 and 270 pounds of him. Behind me, my merry band of pursuants keeps close. "Get out of her face, man," Deon says, shoving away a chubby guy whose camera nearly pokes me in the eye. B ut don't pity the popular. I mean, I asked for it. Were I not a mooching member of the media, I would have not only requited but in fact paid a tidy $1,500 for this afternoon. That, apparently, is the price of 15 minutes of fame. Or in this case, two hours. I would have shelled out to 23-year-old Adam Swart, the CEO of an LA-founded, Bay Area-based company: Crowds on Demand has a network of 10,000 rentable actors nationwide who play bodyguards, entourages, paparazzi, rabid fans, autograph seekers and all manner of mild stalkers. Adam's clients   who might pay as much as $15,000 for an "event"   include B-listers, aspiring models, obscure foreign stars, 9-year-old CEOs and Russian vodka magnates. Each client has his reasons. Nobody-ish actors want to land on tabloid pages   a few of Adam's customers have, mid-jaunt, been snapped for the celeb gossip site TMZ (success!). Models seek recognition. A Miami client wanted to draw a crowd big enough to attract Pitbull and LL Cool J (he ended the night with LL's digits). Startups want better sales. Still others just want the gleam of adoring eyeballs on them. A little taste of fame, no matter how fake. And what's so wrong with that? *** I am "Katrina," a Bollywood -bred actress slash producer, up for some mumblemumbleobscureforeignfilm Academy Award, who somehow speaks almost no Hindi and swaps between an American drawl and a vaguely cosmopolitan accent, which, if you ask, Katrina will explain is the result of a complex global upbringing in Nairobi, London, New York and New Delhi. (No one asks.) Katrina wears all black, chunky jewelry, laughably large sunglasses and thick heels. She is (mostly) smooth with the (fake) paparazzi and the (real) tourists and their (increasingly absurd) questions: "What's your next project?" "A Bollywood-Hollywood collaboration." "What of the other nominees?" "A very talented crop of films." "Whaddaya think of climate change?" "Not real." "What's the next hot disease?" "Lupus. I feel very strongly about lupus." Each credulous craned neck multiplies the effect ad infinitum. But don't blame the beguiled. It's all "a symptom of our narcissistic culture," says David Marshall , professor of cultural studies at Deakin University in Australia and author of Celebrity and Power. What I witnessed is called "celebrity worship syndrome," which you engage in even if you simply visit PerezHilton.com and which you're guilty of on a pathological level if you fall too in love. "People are hardwired to worship things," says psychologist James Houran . "We look to celebrities like modern-day religious icons." Houran and a team of researchers studied so-called normal fans alongside those whom most of us would consider wacko fanatics. Their findings? Freakily enough, both average moviegoers and stalkers were pretty similar. The latter had just been "pushed along the continuum of celebrity worship," he says. "There's a stalker in all of us." My crowd today consists of 10 or so fakers, most of whom earn about $15 an hour. There's Deon, my bodyguard; Adam, my "manager"; my fake paparazzi   some of whom actually do moonlight for TMZ   and a gaggle of adoring fans. Not to mention the tourists. (I can't even tell the difference between the randos and my paid crew.) One of my actor-posse members, Del, is the perpetual hysteric, my public calling card. She shrieks, "Katrina, we looooove you! Katrina, you're gorrrrgeous! Katrina, you're gonna win the Oscar!" When people ask who the ef this is, Del oozes out the message: That is somebody. It works. Tourists demand selfies. Beneficent, I ask where they are from. Sweden. Brazil. Florida. China, China, China. Two teenage girls squeal, point, call me "so cute" and declare me the star of an ABC Family show. A shy middle-aged woman passing by asks, "I hear you're a producer?" "Actress, slash." "What's your last name?" "Kaif," I reply. She repeats, "Katrina Kaif." It ripples. I hear an Indian man half a crowd away yell, "Katrina KAIF?" Uh-oh. I have fully stolen the identity of a real Bollywood star, whom I do not resemble in the slightest. I begin to look resolutely away whenever we pass Indian tourists. Soon I need to seek safe haven. My refuge: the Hollywood Boulevard Church of Scientology. The Scientologists, like caterers in their white button-downs and black vests, are instant protection. These people guard the intimacies of Tom Cruise ! John Travolta! Here, I am both ensconcing myself and multiplying my fame exponentially. The only thing better would be to find a kabbalist and a Chihuahua to tote along with me. Madcap Del bursts into the center: "Katrina, you a Scientologist? That's just WRONG!" I turn plaintively to my Scientologist as she teaches me how to see a thought. I inquire: How does she handle the rough glare of the media? She must understand. She does. We share sentiments of oppression. But soon Deon tells me we've gotta get out of there. My Scientologist is deadpan. I suspect she suspects. But then. She tells me I ought to find another location to seek my truth. "One that's a little more private ." This is guerrilla theater at its finest. It's, as Deon tells me, "the hardest kind of acting." It's street improv; it requires engaging an audience that doesn't know it's an audience at all. I t's also power. A rent-a-crowd service in Ukraine can supply you with 1,000 students to make a political candidate look like a good old-fashioned populist. Plenty of brands have used these tactics before: Take Lucky Strike's 1929 campaign to give women the "right" to light up   by planting a crowd of smoking suffragists in New York's Easter parade. Some sociologists have even called the Arab Spring one of the most successful flash mobs of all time. And Adam says some Republican politicos, whom he won't name, use his team to deliver the right kind of crowd to appear alongside a candidate. A crowd consisting of all the necessary colors. Ironically, just a few years ago, Adam was a liberal political idealist, a student at UCLA who helped organize Bill Clinton 's visit to campus. He was tasked with arranging the right diversity of students to stand behind the president as he arrived. X number of whites, blacks, Hispanics, etc. He grew cynical. But the idea of orchestration germinated, and a few years later, on a trip to Estonia, he watched an unrecognizable man hop off the plane and into an entourage of suits and SUVs. Today the impresario recalls, "I remember thinking, 'Who is that guy? He could be anybody.'" *** Personally, I choose to use my power for good. We stop outside Hooters. Adam announces, "Katrina would like to make a statement." In my (excellent) Hermione Granger accent, I begin a rant. Something about feminism. Misogyny. I forget. The point is: People are listening . Random people. Passersby who, sure, may not understand a word of English, but who figure the person in the black faux-chic blazer with the security tailing her must possess some insight they lack. Around us are addled addicts decrying capitalism; behind, a Korean woman holding a picket sign demands we all seek the Lord, the end is nigh. Down the street are my old Scientologists, and we have just passed a chubby, dancing, drumming Hare Krishna. Amid my fellow street preachers, I am heard as a true prophet. "Hollywood has a luxury!" I proclaim. "Here, in America, we are allowed to be political! We must use our privilege to make real change!" Later, Adam muses, "I'm very into perception. Today anybody can be famous." Anybody. Like Del, who lost her PR job during the financial crisis and headed to LA to make it. She's got her eye on playing a dead body in an episode of Bones. Or like Deon, who tells me he's eager to graduate from being a perpetual extra. Or like Adam, 23, who is the sole owner of his company, jokes that he's never held a "real job" and is raking in the very real number of nearly $1 million a year. For centuries, fame was merely a side dish to existing power. If you were a monarch or an aristocrat, your daguerreotype might be recognizable or your name well-known. Literary critic Harold Bloom has called Cleopatra the first celebrity. You might argue it's Helen of Troy or Elizabeth I. I ask Fred Inglis, professor emeritus of cultural studies at the University of Sheffield in the U.K. and author of A Short History of Celebrity , who tells me modern celebrity was birthed in the 18th century, when three forces converged: new money, new shops and (then-new) media. He tells me the city center   like, say, Hollywood Boulevard   made the "accidental encounter" possible, minimizing the distance between commoners and the famous. P erhaps the greatest appeal of my walk down the boulevard is this sense that, though I'm leagues away from being a Judy Garland or a Marilyn Monroe , there are other sorts of celebs whose names aren't captured on those famous, glitzy sidewalk stars, whom I conceivably could be. I mean, how different am I from your average Snooki? W hat's stopping Katrina from making it? *** Sadly, probably a lot. Mine isn't exactly a "sophisticated and professional" move, says publicist Eileen Koch, who has represented Jamie Foxx and Carmen Electra. Sure, you can be seen, but it's about who sees you. And agents don't traipse down Hollywood Boulevard hunting for talent. Anyone who knows the industry knows Nicole Kidman or Natalie Portman would never make t he walk I'm doing right now. Were I truly hip, I'd be far from the cameras, in Malibu or Santa Monica. Plus, if we want to go by the history book, Inglis might remind me about the importance of distribution. The power of In Touch and Us Weekly . Without my face landing in a dentist's office, my fame is brief, wondrous, fragile. I take solace in the knowledge that I'll be preserved, forever, nostalgically, in the iPhones of some 30 teenagers in Beijing. But, no offense, Adam, I wish I'd gotten more bang for my free buck. No TMZ appearance? No trending hashtag #KatrinafortheOscars? No exposé on my E-Meter readings? Ah, well. If I can't have Perez, I guess I'll have to settle for my face and the intimate details of my very personal Saturday afternoon being plastered all over some other digital magazine. For all my efforts, this had better go viral. Get Katrina's Look Hair: Freshly cut for an absurd price upon a last-minute sense of impending embarrassment as she looked at her hair before her 6:45 a.m. flight. It was time for a professional. Jewelry: Statement necklace, generically dangly earrings, absurdly big ring: Therapy store on Castro Street in Mountain View, California. Blazer: A cringe-inducing $65 at Therapy. Sunglasses: A less cringe-inducing $14 at Therapy. All Therapy purchases made on Friday afternoon, with advice from OZY's former Los Angeles fashionista Tania Klein. Shopping done during the workday to the chagrin of OZY co-founder Samir Rao. Tank top: Madewell. Jeans: Citizens of Humanity, stretchy, loose at waist … erm, when were they last washed? Nude wedges: Is that what you call them? Pumps? What the hell are pumps, anyway? Steve Madden, bought during freshman year of college, still vaguely sticky with frat-party beer. Makeup: The only stuff she owns, cakey consistency. Can makeup go stale? Manicure: OPI polish, chipped, self-applied with all the finesse of a middle schooler at a sleepover. Photography by Kendrick Brinson for OZY.


In a dangerously close encounter, a Russian fighter jet zipped past a U.S. Air Force reconnaissance aircraft in international airspace over the Black Sea late last month, a report said Thursday, citing several U.S. military officials. The two planes reportedly came within 10 feet of each other while flying at high speed. The Russian jet flew next to the U.S. spy plane at the same altitude, broke off and then followed the American aircraft before leaving the area in the May 30 incident, CNN reported , adding that U.S. military officials count not confirm whether the government has taken any diplomatic steps to address the incident. A similar incident took place in April when a U.S. RC-135U aircraft flying a routine flight over the Baltic Sea was intercepted by a Russian SU-27 Flanker. The incident, which occurred in international airspace north of Poland, was reportedly described by Pentagon officials as "unsafe and unprofessional" because of the "aggressive maneuvers" performed by the Russian pilot "in close proximity to their aircraft and its high rate of speed." Earlier this month, the U.S. Navy released a video showing a Russian Su-24 aircraft flying past the U.S. guided missile destroyer USS Ross in the Black Sea on May 30. "USS Ross (DDG 71) observes the overflight by a Russian SU 24 aircraft while both were operating in international waters and airspace," U.S. Naval Forces wrote in the description of the video . "Ross continued on her mission after observing the aircraft return to base. At no time did Ross act aggressively nor did she deviate from her planned operations." On Monday, the U.S. Navy released a video , showing two unidentified jets flying over a NATO maritime exercise, which comprised of dozens of ships and aircraft, in international waters in the Baltic Sea. According to a recent report by the European Leadership Network, the Russian jets have increased harassment of U.S. and NATO reconnaissance aircraft with close overflights of warships and "mock bombing raid" missions. "These events add up to a highly disturbing picture of violations of national airspace, emergency scrambles, narrowly avoided mid-air collisions, close encounters at sea, simulated attack runs and other dangerous actions happening on a regular basis over a very wide geographical area," the report said.


Jets fans have a lot of high hopes for first-round pick Quinnen Williams. Among those excited is Jets legendary quarterback Joe Namath. The MVP of Super Bowl III spoke about the newest Jet at the United Way's Gridiron Gala in Manhattan and had nothing but good things to say about Williams. Namath, like Williams, attended the University of Alabama. "Quinnen is a fine man and he knows how to get out there and work," Namath said. "If it rubs off on some of the other players in how he prepares, we're going to continue to improve. Look for the Jets to get better and maybe win a championship sometime soon." Williams won't suddenly unlock a Super Bowl contender in the Jets, but he should be a key piece in a revitalized defense. The Alabama product is an adept pass rusher who knows how to find his way into the backfield for stops. He had eight sacks and 19.5 tackles for a loss in 2018. Williams, combined with Leonard Williams and Henry Anderson up front, should be a menacing force in the AFC East. A potent pass rush can make life miserable for a quarterback, and Namath believes interior pressure is much more important than an outside rush. "It's very annoying," he said. "It can get into your head if it's done consistently well and when you look at the tape, seeing who you're getting ready to play, you see that kind of effort that Quinnen brings to the table and some of these other great defensive linemen." Williams has a lot more to live up to now that he's received such high praise for a Jets legend. Hopefully, he'll be up to the task of living up to his potential. The first time the Jets drafted a player from Alabama in the first round, he won them a Super Bowl. This time around, they're hoping for a similar result MORE: Aaron Rodgers discusses his 'Game of Thrones' cameo, and it's not what fans all thought it was NBA Free Agency 2019: The top players Video confirms reports of Chris Paul's attempt to sabotage Steph Curry Future heir or temporary face? Assessing the unknowns of Patriots QB Jarrett Stidham Roundup: Wayne LaPierre Expensive Clothes Receipts, No Matt Lauer at CNN, Michael B. Jordan Vetoes Conor McGregor in Creed 3


A Navy SEAL charged with killing a captive teenage militant in his care had told fellow troops that if they encountered a wounded enemy, he wanted medics to know how "to nurse him to death," a former comrade testified Wednesday. When a radio call announced an Islamic State prisoner was wounded on May 3, 2017, Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher replied: "Don't touch him, he's all mine," Dylan Dille told jurors in a military courtroom. When Iraqi forces delivered the captive to a SEAL compound in Mosul, he was on the hood of a Humvee and fading in and out of consciousness with only a minor leg wound visible. Dille said he was not the grizzled warrior he expected. "He looked about 12 years old," Dille said. "He had a wrist watch around his bicep. He was rail thin." Gallagher is charged with murder after prosecutors say he treated the boy's wounds and then stabbed him in the neck. He has pleaded not guilty to murder, attempted murder and other charges that could carry up to life in prison. Gallagher's lawyers say that he only provided medical care to the prisoner and that disgruntled SEALs made up the allegations because they didn't like his demanding leadership . Dille did not see what happened to the boy, who he acknowledged may have been as old as 15. But after returning to the house where they were staying, Dille said Gallagher confronted him and other senior enlisted men and said he knew they were upset with what happened. "This was just an ISIS dirtbag," Dille said Gallagher told the group. Gallagher said the next time he did something similar, it would be out of their sight, Dille said. The testimony came on the second day of Gallagher's court-martial in a case that has drawn the attention of President Trump and revealed a rare break in secrecy from those in the elite special forces. Defense lawyer Tim Parlatore questioned Dille about why he never confronted Gallagher or reported him to superiors until a year after they returned from deployment. Dille said the allegations were serious and he wanted to "be prepared for the angry mob to come knocking," referring to conservative news media and older SEALs who maintain their silence. Parlatore accused Dille of using a group text to coordinate other troops to report Gallagher to superiors. He asked Dille if he was concerned other SEALs would change their stories. "My truth is watertight, Mr. Parlatore," Dille said. Dille also said that he believed Gallagher had fired at Iraqi civilians from a sniper's position several times, including an instance on Father's Day 2017 when an old man was shot by the Tigris River. Dille was also a sniper and was near Gallagher during the shootings but didn't see him pull the trigger. After hearing a gunshot coming from Gallagher's position and seeing the old man fall, Dille said he looked through his scope and saw the man bleeding through his white clothing. He said Gallagher then radioed that he thought he had missed the old man. Defense lawyer Marc Mukasey objected to the testimony, saying descriptions of the alleged shootings were "wildly vague." The judge allowed most of the testimony from Dille, who was a first class special warfare operator before he left the Navy last year. Gallagher, who served eight tours of duty and earned two Bronze Stars for valor, was in the courtroom in his dress whites. His wife and parents also attended. His family has lobbied intensely for his freedom, claiming he was being treated unfairly. Congressional Republicans took up his cause and prevailed on Trump to release Gallagher from the brig into better conditions in a military hospital. Trump also is reportedly considering a pardon for Gallagher, along with other service members accused of war crimes. A judge released Gallagher from custody last month after prosecutors violated his constitutional rights by tracking defense attorney emails in an effort to find who leaked court documents to a Navy Times reporter.


If the road to overtourism is paved with Travel guide books, then venerable publisher Lonely Planet can give itself a pat on the backpack for trying to steer vacationers off the beaten track. Announcing the 2019 iteration of its annual top European summer destinations list, LP has chosen a handful of lesser known places to accompany more classic getaways. Occupying the winning spot is the High Tatras mountains in northern Slovakia, on the border with Poland. Highlights include the highest peak in the country, the 2,655-meter Gerlach, as well as the Štrbské Pleso glacial lake and incredible wildlife watching, with brown bears, lynx and wolves roaming the area. Also on the list is the tiny country of Lichtenstein, which can be hiked around in a weekend. The 75-kilometer (46-mile) Lichtenstein Trail opens this year as part of celebrations to mark 300 years as a sovereign nation. National Day on August 15 will be a key date in the festivities. For those looking for beach time, Lonely Planet's list includes Croatia's northern Istria region, known for clear waters, great wine and Roman history. Then there's the Italian port of Bari, which LP describes as a once down-at-heel city enjoying a renaissance. The remote Shetland Islands, located some 170 kilometers (105 miles) off the north coast of Scotland are recommend for their coastal hiking trails. Visitors might, however, want to wait until January to experience the fiery Viking-inspired Up Helly Aa festival. Iceland makes the list, but the advice is to venture away from the sights of the famous Golden Circle route close to Reykjavik but instead head to the Arctic Coast Way in the north of the island. For food and drink fans, Lonely Planet lists Lyon in southeast France, and Vevey, Switzerland, a lakeside town that will host the Fete des Vignerons wine festival in July. The three-week event comes to town just once every 20 years, with shows, parades and concerts alongside wine tastings. Rounding out the list are the Spanish capital of Madrid, feted for its buzzing nightlife and sustainability initiatives, and Hercegovina, where visitors can visit medieval towns, the karst wind tunnels at Vjetrenica and the famous Stari Most bridge in Mostar. Lonely Planet Best in Europe 2019 High Tatras, Slovakia Madrid, Spain The Arctic Coast Way, Iceland Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina Bari, Italy Shetland, Scotland Lyon, France Liechtenstein Vevey, Switzerland Istria, Croatia


Editor's note: The opinions in this article are the author's, as published by our content partner, and do not necessarily represent the views of MSN or Microsoft. A federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday that President Donald Trump violated the 1st Amendment by blocking some critics from access to his Twitter feed. The decision by the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals might seem like poetic justice visited on a president who can dish it out but can't take it. But as a matter of constitutional law, the ruling isn't persuasive. In 2017, a group of Twitter users who had been blocked from seeing and responding directly to Trump's tweets filed suit in federal court in New York. One plaintiff was blocked after she responded to a Trump tweet crowing about his electronic victory with: "To be fair, you didn't win the WH: Russia won it for you." At the time, the Los Angeles Times editorial board   while criticizing Trump for his thin skin   expressed skepticism that his Twitter account was a "designated public forum" that must be open to all viewpoints. We noted that @realDonaldTrump was a long-standing personal account (it predates Trump's presidency) even though Trump used it to make policy pronouncements. A federal district judge disagreed, and her ruling was affirmed by the 2nd Circuit. Writing for a three-judge panel, Judge Barrington D. Parker said that "once the president has chosen a platform and opened up its interactive space to millions of users and participants, he may not selectively exclude those whose views he disagrees with." The idea that Trump's motive in tweeting is to provide a forum for a robust exchange of ideas is the legal fiction to end all legal fictions. And even if @realDonaldTrump is classified as an official presidential platform, the Supreme Court has held that "government speech" doesn't create a public forum. Otherwise Trump's critics would be entitled to equal time at his news conferences. Parker acknowledged but rejected the argument that Trump's tweets are "government speech." Yet elsewhere in his opinion he cited a statement by former White House press secretary Sean Spicer that Trump's tweets should be considered "official statements by the president of the United States." That seems like a contradiction. Again, to question the legal theory adopted by the court isn't to defend Trump's practice of blocking his critics. As we observed in our 2017 editorial: "Whatever the courts say about the constitutional issue, Trump is acting childishly by excluding citizens who dare merely to disagree with him from @realDonaldTrump   a forum that he considers an important channel of communication." But not every act of presidential pettiness is a violation of the 1st Amendment.     ©2019 Los Angeles Times Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


Usually the pig goes we we we we all the way home but this farmer's daughter was the one going owie all the way home when she got too close to a mama pig. Buzz60s Mercer Morrison has the story.


Video by TODAY WASHINGTON   Iran announced on Monday that it would soon violate a central element of the 2015 agreement to limit its nuclear program unless it gets help from Europe to offset the effects of punishing American sanctions. Iran's Atomic Energy Organization said that within days it expects that the country will have produced and kept in its stockpiles more low-enriched uranium   the sort used to fuel power plants   than allowed by the 2015 deal, which the Trump administration withdrew from last year. The agency also left open the possibility that it might soon begin enriching the uranium to much higher levels of purity, edging it closer to what would be necessary to produce a nuclear weapon. Sign up for the Morning Briefing Newsletter. The White House responded with a call for greater international pressure on Iran. "President Trump has made it clear he will never allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons," the National Security Council said in a statement. The developments came at a time of escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran, and European officials urged restraint between the two longtime adversaries. The announcement from Tehran was Iran's latest signal that it will abandon the 2015 pact unless other signatories help Iran circumvent economic sanctions imposed by Mr. Trump. The threat seemed aimed primarily at European countries, to persuade them to break with Washington and swiftly restore some of the economic benefits of the deal to Tehran. Iran had been abiding by the terms of the nuclear deal, negotiated under President Barack Obama, before Mr. Trump pulled out, and has continued to do so since the withdrawal by the United States. But as American sanctions have squeezed the Iranian economy, Tehran has warned that it could not remain in the deal without getting European help to find workarounds to the sanctions. "This was an entirely predictable consequence of the Trump administration's withdrawal from the nuclear deal and maximum pressure strategy," said Ali Vaez, director of the Iran project at the International Crisis Group, a conflict-resolution organization. "In practice, maximum pressure has produced maximum peril and minimum strategic results." [The U.S. has turned up the pressure on Iran. See the timeline of events .] The mechanism of American sanctions may actually have sped Iran to the point where its stockpile of uranium is on the verge of violating the 2015 agreement's terms. In May, the State Department announced that it might penalize any country that transfers any enriched uranium out of Iran. Until now, Iran has shipped most of the low-enriched uranium it produces out of the country, swapping it for natural uranium. That allows it to continue producing token amounts of nuclear fuel for civilian power plants without building up a stockpile that might later be used in a weapons program. During a news conference announcing Tehran's decision, Behrouz Kamalvandi, a spokesman for Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, said that Iran might also increase the level of uranium enrichment up to 20 percent for use in its reactors, the Iranian state-run news outlet Press TV reported . He said that the uranium would be used as fuel for the Tehran Research Reactor, which the United States supplied to Iran in 1967. Iran says the facility is used to create medical isotopes for use in cancer treatment. The nuclear agreement limits the level of enrichment to 3.67 percent, but if Iran began producing 20 percent enriched uranium, it would put the country much closer to weapons-grade levels. Tensions between the United States and Iran have steadily increased since Mr. Trump withdrew the United States in May 2018 from the nuclear agreement that had been forged by the Obama administration, even though international energy experts said Iran was adhering to the deal. Over the last year, the Trump administration imposed severe economic sanctions that have discouraged most outside companies from doing business with Iran, and followed that up with measures to cut off Iran's revenues from oil sales, the lifeblood of its economy. The sanctions have had a great impact on Iran, including leading to a shortage of critical medicine within the country, despite Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's assertions that humanitarian aid would not be affected. Arab militias in the region that receive support from Iran have suffered from a drop in financing . Recent attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz , which the Trump administration has blamed squarely on Iran, have further inflamed matters. And in April, Mr. Trump designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard s Corps , an arm of the Iranian military, as a foreign terrorist organization, despite warnings from Pentagon and C.I.A. officials that the move could lead to reprisals against Americans. As tensions rose, Mr. Trump said he was adding 1,500 troops to the Middle East. A National Security Council spokesman said on Monday that Iran's announcement on its nuclear program was "only possible because the horrible nuclear deal left the their capabilities intact." "The regime's nuclear blackmail must be met with increased international pressure," the spokesman, Garrett Marquis, said. On Sunday, Mr. Pompeo said that the United States might further tighten sanctions on Iran in response to any moves to ramp up its nuclear program. "We know that their nuclear program accelerates if they have more money and wealth, if they have more capacity, more resources, they have access to metals and to materials and to fissile material," he said on "Face the Nation" on CBS. Mr. Pompeo also said that the United States was considering "a full range of options" in responding to what the White House has said were Iranian attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. Those measures include but are not limited to military strikes, he said. Pressed on whether he thought an existing congressional authorization for war would cover hostilities with Iran, Mr. Pompeo avoided answering, as he did in April during a hearing on Capitol Hill. Mr. Pompeo said he was making calls over the weekend to foreign officials to talk about the options. The United States has considered getting international support to create a naval force that would provide security for oil shipments in the region, similar to the antipiracy coalition assembled in the Arabian Sea in recent years. "China gets over 80 percent of its crude oil transiting through the Strait of Hormuz," Mr. Pompeo said. "South Korea, Japan, these nations are incredibly dependent on these resources. We're prepared to do our part." China was an important contributor to the antipiracy venture, but may not be willing to join a United States-led effort to protect shipping. Beijing has opposed Mr. Trump's Iran policies, has said it intends to continue buying oil from Iran despite American sanctions and is locked in a trade war with the Trump administration. Mr. Kamalvandi, the spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization, said that Iran's low-enriched uranium stockpile would surpass a limit set in the agreement within the next 10 days, the semiofficial news agency Tasnim reported . Low-enriched uranium can be used in a nuclear reactor, but not in an atomic bomb. He said, however, that Iran would stay within the limits if Britain, France, Germany and the full European Union   all of which are signatories to the nuclear deal   followed through on plans to give Iran access to international financial systems, sidestepping American sanctions, and also made up for lost oil revenue. "As long as they comply by their commitments, these will go back," Mr. Kamalvandi said in a televised news conference at the country's Arak nuclear plant. In early May , President Hassan Rouhani of Iran said his country would reduce compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal and take several steps to resume the production of nuclear centrifuges and begin accumulating more nuclear material if Europe did not put in place a barter system to ease the effects of American sanctions. Germany, Britain and France have worked to set up a system to allow European companies to take part in a kind of barter trade with Iran. The mechanism, called Instex or "Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges," is still in its early stages and relies on Iran to set up a similar system internally. But, at best, it is only a way to trade in goods not currently covered by the sanctions   including medical goods, food and humanitarian supplies. At the time, Mr. Rouhani set a 60-day deadline for the Europeans, who hope to salvage the deal despite Mr. Trump's opposition, to make good on promises to help preserve Iran's oil and banking sectors. That deadline expires early next month. But Mr. Rouhani was careful to maintain that while Iran would retain its enriched uranium and heavy water rather than selling them to other nations, the country, for the time being, would stay within the limits set by the nuclear deal. Monday's announcement was the first time Iran's government had said explicitly that it would step beyond the pact. The escalation comes as tensions between the United States and Iran continue to ratchet up, with the most recent confrontation coming over explosions on two tankers last week in the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump called the incident a deliberate attack by Iran, and the United States released a video that it said showed an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps patrol boat pulling up alongside one of the stricken ships after the initial explosion and removing an unexploded limpet mine. Iran called those accusations "warmongering" and part of a campaign of disinformation from the Americans. European officials have said the video is inconclusive and called for calm between the two nations. A key Democrat, Representative Adam B. Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, has endorsed the conclusion that Iran attacked the tankers, but said the Trump administration's escalating pressure campaign was backfiring. "There's no question that Iran is behind the attacks," Mr. Schiff said Sunday on "Face the Nation." "I think the evidence is very strong and compelling." American allies and intelligence agencies warned that "this kind of Iranian reaction was a likely result of a policy of withdrawing from the Iran nuclear agreement," he said, adding that the administration's approach had "only heightened the risk of conflict." If Iran did stop complying with the agreement, it would put pressure on the remaining signatories, which also include Russia and China, to join the United States in reimposing economic sanctions on Iran, which is hardly what Tehran wants to happen. On Sunday, Helga Schmid, a senior Europe Union diplomat, visited Tehran for meetings on the nuclear deal . Ms. Schmid, who helped negotiate the 2015 agreement, reiterated her support for the deal, according to Reuters, and discussed options to enable trade between the bloc and Iran. If Iran does break the limits of the deal, the Europeans will have to consider bringing the case to the United Nations Security Council and perhaps reimpose their own economic sanctions. Meeting on Monday in Luxembourg, European Union foreign ministers called for further investigation of responsibility into the attacks on tankers in the Gulf of Oman last week. The Netherlands' foreign minister, Stef Blok, said European support for the Iran deal depended on Iran's keeping to the pact's terms. "It's very important to keep on verifying through the international atomic agency whether Iran is still fulfilling the criteria," he said. "As long as Iran is fulfilling these criteria, we should stick to this deal." Edward Wong reported from Washington, and Megan Specia from London. Richard Pérez-Peña contributed reporting from London, and Steven Erlanger from Brussels.


"The man I live with is not the man I fell in love with and married," Meryl Comer wrote in an essay in AARP magazine back in 2014. "My physician husband, with his athletic torso and steely blue eyes, has slowly been robbed of something we all take for granted: the ability to navigate the mundane activities of daily living bathing, shaving, dressing and using the bathroom. ... His eyes are vacant and unaware, as if an internal window shade has been drawn." Comer, the president and CEO of the Geoffrey Beene Alzheimer's Initiative, has been lifting the shade on the subject since her husband's diagnosis, raising awareness about one of the deadliest and costliest diseases in America. And the world. Alzheimer's is the sixth-leading cause of death in America, according to the Centers for Disease Control. A staggering 1 in 3 seniors die with some form of dementia, says the Alzheimer's Association, and the disease kills more people than prostate and breast cancer combined. "This will be our epidemic," Comer told Our American Stories , a nationally syndicated radio show. "This is the dark side of longevity. It's like being a witness to the future. I'm afraid for all of us." Comer is right. With the aging of baby boomers, the number of Americans aged 65 and older with Alzheimer's is expected to rise dramatically, to over 13.8 million, by 2050, with some estimates reaching as high as 16 million. The human cost is incalculable. But the cost to the health care system is not. This year, Alzheimer's is projected to cost the American people a staggering $290 billion, with Medicare and Medicaid picking up nearly 70 percent of the tab. By 2050, that number will rise to $1.1 trillion. Comer's book, Slow Dancing With a Stranger: Lost and Found in the Age of Alzheimer's, is a harrowing tale of the disease and the havoc it wreaks on the lives of patients. And their caregivers. Comer pulls no punches in her memoir. "I screamed at him last night for the first time. Then I felt so guilty because it's not his fault; it is the disease that is my enemy," she writes. "I feel like I am disappearing with him into an abyss. I will never scream at him again. But where will the sound of my pain go?" "I call myself a P.O.A," Comer says. "I'm a prisoner of Alzheimer's. I'm an extension of his disease. I feel compelled to speak out for victims who have no voice, and caregivers who feel worn out." Comer watched her husband, Harvey Gralnick an accomplished physician degenerate before her eyes. "This strong-willed man became upset when things didn't go his way," she wrote in the AARP essay. "The slightest thing set him off. If he couldn't find his wallet, keys or papers, he'd accuse me of taking them. A once-eloquent speaker, he hijacked my son's wedding rehearsal dinner with a disjointed and inappropriate toast about a distant, dead cousin. When I mentioned any of this, he erupted in anger. In the face of his wrath, I went silent, infuriating him even more. These episodes usually ended with Harvey storming out, slamming the front door and driving off. It was painful, and it made me fear for my marriage. But my feelings dissolved into unconditional empathy in 1995, when I understood the cruelty of his diagnosis: early onset Alzheimer's disease. He was 58." Why is so little written about the coming deluge when it comes to Alzheimer's? Much of it has to do with the nature of the disease itself. "I used to avoid sharing the details of the dark side of Alzheimer's because most people don't want to hear them," Comer explained in her essay. "Unprovoked and paranoid, Harvey has tried more than once to choke me from behind. During an early stay in a psychiatric hospital, while I was bathing him, he hauled off and punched me so hard that my mouth gushed blood. He seemed confused by the sound of my crying, but he never unclenched his fist. Those experiences are part of the reality of Alzheimer's for me." To make matters worse if that's possible there is no cure for Alzheimer's, let alone a single government-approved drug that slows the progress of the disease. It's a slow-motion death sentence for patients and a dark journey for everyone around them. "Anyone with a brain, when they get older, is at risk of developing Alzheimer's," Jennifer Lepard, CEO of the Greater Michigan chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, told The Detroit Free Press late last month. "There are a number of people that think, 'Well, it wasn't in my family, so I'm sure I don't have it.' And that is not the case." Moreover, the true impact of the disease may be underestimated, according to the CDC. All too often, when people with Alzheimer's die of causes like pneumonia or stroke, death certificates don't note that the patients also had Alzheimer's. "It was very common it's getting better now that someone would be in the late stages of Alzheimer's disease and their body is not functioning," Lepard said. "They would develop pneumonia and die. Did they die because they developed pneumonia or did they die because they had Alzheimer's? Our argument is that they are dying because they had Alzheimer's disease." Not all news about Alzheimer's is doom and gloom, however. The World Health Organization released its latest risk reduction guidelines for Alzheimer's last week, noting that lifestyle changes can delay or reduce the incidence of the disease. Those include regular physical activity, eating a balanced diet, managing weight and blood pressure, not smoking, and not drinking to excess. Video: Study Suggests Alzheimer's Could be Avoided by Making Simple Life Changes "The scientific evidence gathered for these guidelines confirms what we have suspected for some time," WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement. "What is good for our heart is also good for our brain." Other experts interviewed for the Our American Stories episode on Alzheimer's were optimistic despite the absence of a cure. Miia Kivipelto, a neuroscientist who also works with the World Health Organization, said at least 30 percent of Alzheimer's disease cases were related to factors that can be influenced by lifestyle choices. That's a big number considering the size and scale of the problem. "Imagine if that were an approved drug: how many billions of dollars would that be worth?" said Chuck Stetson, CEO of the Stetson Family Office, a private equity firm focused on philanthropy. "And the treatment we're talking about doesn't cost anything. It's free." Stetson has created a website, Global Better Health , that incorporates original content on the prevention of five chronic diseases: Alzheimer's, cancer, obesity, diabetes and heart disease. The incidence and cost of all these deadly diseases, Stetson noted, can be reduced by healthier lifestyle decisions. Paola Barbarino, CEO of Alzheimer's Disease International, said international action was needed. "We need governments globally to lead the way right now with public health campaigns that work," she said. "Dementia hits at random and affects everyone. We should all take action, knowing that we can reduce our risks now." Meryl Comer would surely agree. "Sometimes I think we would be better off if Alzheimer's disease were a brand-new emergency instead of a century-old threat," she said in her AARP essay. "Perhaps people would understand that when it comes to this disease, everyone is a stakeholder, because everyone is at risk. Those of us 50 or older must stop viewing ourselves as ageless. Denial won't protect us from Alzheimer's." She's right. But healthier living and better lifestyle choices will slow the relentless march of Alzheimer's. That's good news everyone should be spreading. Lee Habeeb is VP of content for Salem Radio Network and host of "Our American Stories." He lives in Oxford, Mississippi, with his wife, Valerie, and his daughter, Reagan. The views expressed in this op-ed are the writer's own. Related Articles Sign up to our newsletter and get Newsweek stories delivered to your e-mail


SAN FRANCISCO   The headline may have been the first major public appearance of Jack Dorsey since he was freshly minted as Twitter's permanent CEO two weeks ago. But the lede was as simple and pure as a 140-character tweet. "We need to serve developers in the best way," Dorsey, the Twitter co-founder generally considered its inventor, said in brief remarks to kick off a Twitter conference here Wednesday morning. "We apologize for the (recent) confusion, and we want to reset our relationship. It is rebooting. That is what today represents." Dorsey's call to arms for developers is all about the "U" word. Users, or the relative dearth of them, remain a bugaboo for Twitter. His remarks, at the microblogging company's second annual Flight mobile developers conference, come a week before Twitter reports its third-quarter financial results. Then, analysts will keenly watch for any hint of user growth after mediocre gains the past few years. (The Twitter experience increasingly is beginning to mirror a glorified echo chamber among celebrities, journalists and publicists, reminiscent of a high school class where only a few students participate in class discussion while others either ignore the chatter or don't weigh in. Facebook, by comparison, feels more like a community of diverse voices.) The path to a spike in Twitter's user base of some 270 million people   far behind Facebook's 1.5 billion   is likely to include through Twitter content on television broadcasts and through third-party apps. That's where developers come in, Dorsey said. Flight is a clear signal of Twitter's dogged intent to invest in mobile developer services, as its rivals, Facebook and Google, already have. Software developers have played an essential role in bringing key features to Twitter, such as shortening links and posting photographs. Today, Twitter said it acquired Fastlane, a maker of tools popular with iPhone developers to test and update their apps. Twitter also said Fabric   a collection of software products announced last year that make it easier for mobile app developers to add services, such as publishing ads, to their apps   works with Amazon Web Services, payment system Stripe and Optimizely, which makes software-testing tools. Such gestures could assuage developers, many of whom were alienated by Twitter in 2012 when it began enforcing stricter rules around the apps that plug in to the service. That feud was reignited this year when Twitter shut down Politwoops, which highlighted tweets deleted by politicians. Twitter said the account violated its terms of service. Last year, at the inaugural conference, Twitter premiered digital tools to make it easier for third-party apps to embed tweets. The company plans to push that concept again this year. Contributing: Jessica Guynn. Follow USA TODAY San Francisco Bureau Chief Jon Swartz on Twitter: @jswartz.


Laugh lines are no laughing matter if you prefer your skin to be baby-smooth and wrinkle-free. We spoke with dermatologists Cindy Yoon-Soon Bae and Morgan Rabach and plastic surgeon Dr. David Shafer to break down everything we need to know about laugh lines: what are they? Are they really from laughing? How can you get rid of laugh lines? Laugh lines as the vertical lines that extend from the sides of the nose and curve around the mouth and sometimes extend to the chin. You're not the only one that has them: these lines are incredibly common. Shafer says there are two types of laugh lines: the nasolabial crease and the nasolabial fold. He explains that the nasolabial crease is the line you see between the upper lip and cheek and the fold is the skin or tissue that hangs over that crease. Both types develop over time from aging and other lifestyle factors. "If you look back in your high school yearbook, probably half the people have a nasolabial creases-so it is not necessarily a sign of aging," says Shafer. "People develop deeper creases with age, weight gain, and with recession of the dentition or dental problems; the teeth are no longer supporting the overlying tissue which makes the crease deeper." Finding a treatment to reduce their the appearance depends on whether they are dynamic wrinkles (wrinkles you see with movement) or static wrinkles (wrinkles you still see when your face doesn't move). "We want to prevent the static wrinkles because they can become more difficult to treat over time," says Bae. "Laugh lines seen when you are laughing are dynamic wrinkles and when you are not laughing but are still there are considered static. They are pretty common as we use the muscles around our eyes and lips all the time when blinking, smiling, animating, etc." All three doctors say the most common treatment for laugh lines around the mouth are fillers, but Shafer stresses the importance of finding a board-certified expert who understands the nuances of facial anatomy. "If too much filler is placed in the wrinkle, you may be very smooth but you may also look puffy-this can look odd around the mouth," he says. "That is why my approach is conservative. We may do one syringe and let it settle in and then re-evaluate in a week or so to see the patient's response and to decide on further treatment." Rabach likes fillers because the line-plumping results are almost immediate. "Fillers are made up of hyaluronic acid, a naturally-occurring sugar molecule found under the skin," she says. "Unlike Botox which takes roughly a week to kick in, the improvement with fillers is seen immediately." When we smile and laugh, our mouth isn't the only part of our face that moves. Our eyes become animated and creases form as we move those muscles. To smooth out the laugh lines that appear near our eyes, all three dermatologists suggest going the Botox route. "Over time, it's like un-crinkling a wrinkled piece of paper, " says Bae. "It's the same mechanism of action when used in other parts of the face." Rabach says she commonly uses Botox in the upper region of the face between the eyebrows, the forehead, and around the eyes. You will start to see results after a week and the line-smoothing lasts for about three to six months, depending on how quickly you metabolize Botox. While exfoliation doesn't outright reduce the appearance of laugh lines, it inadvertently helps smooth skin overall. Bae encourages daily gentle exfoliation with a cleanser containing physical or chemical exfoliants or any topical product with alpha hydroxy acids. Shafer agrees, suggesting products such as the Skinbetter AlphaRet Exfoliating Peel Pads that contain glycolic, lactic, and salicylic acid. $281.00 Shop Now You can also reduce the appearance of laugh lines through your skincare routine. Look for products containing ingredients like retinol or vitamin c that promote collagen production. Shafer suggests SkinMedica TNS Essential Serum or Senté Dermal Repair Cream , as both work at the cellular level to enhance collagen and dermal repair within the skin. Bae agrees and says to look to retinoids to help prevent laugh lines around the eyes. You'll also want to look for a serum or cream with hyaluronic acid to keep skin hydrated and plump. "It works to pull moisture into the skin, causing some natural plumping," says Rabach. We love the AHC Aqualuronic emulsion, serum, moisturizer, and masks: each contains three different hyaluronic acid molecules of different weights to dramatically plump and hydrate skin (available at Target and on Target.com in July). There are plenty of ways you can reduce the formation of deep wrinkles through small changes in your day-to-day life. Rabach says to start with good habits such as getting enough sleep at night, drinking in moderation, and staying hydrated to keep skin healthy. Bae stresses the importance of using sunscreen everyday. "Daily sunscreen can help preserve your natural collagen and help prevent worsening lines," she says. Last, all three dermatologists cite smoking as one of those external causes that can cause laugh lines around the mouth to become more visible. Consider it another reason to put down that cigarette and JUUL for the sake of your overall health. Gallery: This is how your skin changes in your 50s (Best Life)


Somebody cue up David Bowie's "Young Americans" hit. Jennifer Kupcho and Megan Khang are leading the U.S. effort at the Evian Championship. Kupcho, the rookie who won the inaugural Augusta National Women's Amateur, posted a 2-under-par 69 and sits tied for eighth, seven shots off the lead. Fellow American Megan Khang continued her strong bid to make the U.S. Solheim Cup team with a 67, moving her into a tie with Kupcho and two others. "I'm just going out there and trying to get my card back," said Kupcho, 22. "That's all I'm doing right now." Khang, 21, is holding the eighth and final qualifying spot on the U.S. Solheim Cup points list. With double points this week, she's in position to move up a few spots in the standings. She's looking for her third top-10 finish in her last five starts. She's also looking for her best finish in a major. She tied for 10 th in her last start in a major, the KPMG Women's PGA Championship. Full-field scores from the Evian Championship "Honestly, my game has been pretty strong right now," Khang said. "I'm pretty happy with my ball striking at the moment, and I knew if I got a few putts to drop it can be my week. Overall, I'm just trying to get to finish at No. 1, but either way give it my best. And then wherever that ends up, it's good takeaway." Marina Alex and Ally McDonald are the next best positioned Americans, both in a tie for 17 th . Annie Park, Brittany Altomare and Amy Olson are tied for 21 st . American Paula Creamer was the sole leader after the first round, but she stumbled after a weather suspension in the second round. After a 1-hour and 5-minute delay, she returned in heavy winds. She played the final six holes in 7 over and shot 76. She went from two shots back to eight back with that finish. "Sometimes rain delays get you, sometimes they don't," Creamer said. "Unfortunately, this time it got me." Creamer's 73 on Saturday included a quadruple-bogey 8 that set her farther back. She has Sunday's finish and next week's AIG Women's British Open as good opportunities to try to make an impression on U.S. Solheim Cup captain Juli Inkster, who has two captain's picks to make.


Are the Houston Rockets about to blow up their roster? According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski , general manager Daryl Morey is showing an "aggressive desire" to improve the team's roster - and "all players and picks [are] available in talks." It is pretty unlikely that superstar James Harden will be traded if something big happens with the roster. But it is obvious all other players under contract, including Chris Paul, are available to be moved. NBA watchers knew this was going to happen after the Rockets were bounced from the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons by the Golden State Warriors. This was supposed to be Houston's season to finally beat the Warriors, and they appeared to have the series in their grasp when Kevin Durant went down in Game 5 with a calf injury. Sources: In calls to front offices, Houston GM Daryl Morey is showing an aggressive desire to improve roster with all players and picks available in talks. Hard to imagine James Harden scenario, but the rest under contract - perhaps even Chris Paul - could be moved in right deal. - Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 29, 2019 But then the Rockets lost in Game 6, at home, due to classic Stephen Curry heroics. Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta vowed to win a championship with Harden . Following Fertitta's rant, it was then reported that Morey has been given the "green light" to pay the luxury tax , as the team has no cap space. The Rockets also have no picks in the 2019 NBA Draft. According to Marc Stein of The New York Times , the team has begun gauging interest in big man Clint Capela (which also was reported by Woj). Clint Capela is among the players Houston has gauged the market for in recent days, league sources https://t.co/w6H91QzpdD - Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 29, 2019 As Rockets Wire previously reported , the Rockets have a complex payroll heading into the 2019-20 season: The Rockets are expected to have seven players guaranteed for $117.7 million, assuming Nene opts into his $3.8 million player option. They have $4.2 million in non-guaranteed salaries toward Chris Chiozza, Michael Frazier and Isaiah Hartenstein, who is only guaranteed for $708,426. Altogether they have $122.2 million in total salaries, putting them just $7.5 million below the luxury tax. They will certainly be a luxury tax team this season once they fill out the rest of their roster. GUARANTEED CONTRACTS FOR 2019-20 Chris Paul : $38,506,482 James Harden : $38,150,000 Clint Capela : $16,896,552 Eric Gordon : $14,057,730 P.J. Tucker : $8,349,039 Nene : $4,825,360 Recently, there have been reports that Harden and Paul had a rift during the Warriors series . There have been a handful of big changes on the Rockets' coaching staff , and per Woj, "extension talks with coach Mike D'Antoni appear to be stalled." Are big changes about to come? MORE: NBA Wants Drake To Tone Down Sideline Antics This 'Jeopardy' contestant failing to beat James Holzhauer to buzzer sums up his epic run Five potential Chris Paul trade destinations Report: The Celtics are no longer the favorites to sign Kyrie Irving 2019 NBA Finals: Previewing point guards Stephen Curry vs. Kyle Lowry