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Raise your hand if, on Saturday morning, you were excited for a fight between Jorge Masvidal and Leon Edwards. Most of us probably hadn't even given that potential matchup any thought, with the merry-go-round of UFC welterweights revolving around studs Kamaru Usman, Colby Covington, Tyron Woodley, Darren Till and even Ben Askren. By early Saturday evening Eastern time, once Edwards had put on a dominant performance in the Fight Night co-main event in London and Masvidal then had spectacularly put out Till's lights in the O2 Arena main event, there was a kindling of interest in seeing these 170-pounders tussle. Within minutes, though, the fire was raging. What made all the difference was Edwards interrupting Masvidal's postfight TV interview backstage, as the two fighters went all bare-knuckle-boxing on each other -- and the fact that their brief fisticuffs were captured on video. The short clip immediately went viral on social media, naturally, because video is a game-changer. This is true across all of sports. Off-field incidents caught on tape always pack a bigger wallop than those we just read about. But whereas ugly confrontations can give some sports a black eye, combat sports are already in the black-eye business. That's why UFC president Dana White elicited some cynical snickers on social media -- including from this typist -- when he reacted to the Masvidal vs. Edwards scuffle by telling ESPN, "I can't even believe that this happened. We need to do a much better job of making sure this s--- doesn't happen at any of our events." Really? Just last April, minutes after Conor McGregor's infamous dolly-throwing bus attack at a UFC media event in Brooklyn, White reacted with even more indignation, saying, "This is the most disgusting thing that's happened in the history of the company." Then the promotion spent weeks flaunting footage of the incident, which injured two fighters and a UFC employee, to sell a showdown between McGregor and his intended dolly target, Khabib Nurmagomedov. That "disgusting" footage helped make the UFC 229 pay-per-view the biggest in company history, reportedly reaching a buy rate of 2.4 million households. And yet there is bottom-line genuineness underlying White's expression of concern. He didn't build the UFC into a $4 billion enterprise by allowing the independent contractors to run the board meeting. For nearly two decades, White and his team have tightly controlled the narrative of their business -- not just which fighters get which fights, but everything down to what they get to wear during those fights, even what song they're allowed to walk out to. White has always been the ringmaster controlling all of the spectacle under the Big Top. play 1:34 Masvidal gave Edwards a '3 piece with the soda' Jorge Masvidal provides his perspective on what caused the backstage fight between himself and Leon Edwards at UFC Fight Night in London. Unlike in the major professional sports, where there are players' unions, there has been no collective effort among fighters to wrest away any of the UFC's control. But some individuals on the roster have learned that there are ways to get what they want. That movement is spearheaded by McGregor, who as the UFC's biggest earner by far can dictate his terms in a way that other top-shelf fighters can only dream about. In recent months, though, we've seen several UFC athletes try to stand out from the crowd by not relying on just their fight performances and in-cage callouts. Kelvin Gastelum saw a middleweight title shot evaporate before his eyes last month when champion Robert Whittaker pulled out on fight day, so Gastelum quickly borrowed a title belt and walked around at UFC 234 proclaiming himself new champ. Then, earlier this month, Colby Covington showed up at a Las Vegas casino where White was playing blackjack and confronted the UFC president -- on video -- about a welterweight title shot he'd been promised. Is it a coincidence that Gastelum now is once again booked for a title bout and Covington has been given another promise that he's first in line? For the UFC, greasing the squeaky wheels seems like a perfectly reasonable approach to rewarding self-motivated fighters who are bringing in a lot of money. Beyond that, loosening the reins to allow fighters room for creative self-promotion is beneficial for the athletes, for the company and for the fans. But where do the promoters draw the line? McGregor's bus attack was successfully transformed into a selling point, but how far beyond that ugly incident is it OK to take things? That is the dilemma now facing White & Co. Bad behavior by fighters has been shown to generate interest among the MMA cognoscente, but how bad is too bad for a sport trying to further infiltrate the mainstream? Even when it's not about taming a culture of misdeeds, the UFC must be careful when it is no longer leading the dance but merely complicit in a fighter-driven narrative. Earlier this month at UFC 235, the promotion posted signs at T-Mobile Arena banning Covington from the event but then conveniently showed him on its pay-per-view broadcast, taking in the action from cageside in Las Vegas and drawing attention to himself. Drama was ramped up, but authenticity was lost. Jorge Masvidal got into a postfight scuffle with Leon Edwards backstage at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday. James Chance/Getty Images That wouldn't have flown in the old UFC, which went by the slogan "As real as it gets." Back then, White and his management team ran the show all by themselves. Nowadays, with some fighters emboldened to seize at least a bit of career control, the UFC wields just a little less control over its public image. So yeah, maybe it's not just talk when White says he wants the UFC events team to prevent scenes like what unfolded between Masvidal and Edwards on Saturday.<doc-sep>Jorge Masvidal KOs Darren Till at UFC London Jorge Masvidal silenced London on Saturday after he laid waste to home country favorite Darren Till in the main event from UFC Fight Night in the United Kingdom. It was a deafening shot as Masvidal connected with a left hook that knocked Till stiff as he fell motionless to the canvas as referee Marc Goddard rushed into stop the fight. Prior to the finish, Till and Masvidal engaged in a back and forth war that looked like it might turn into an instant classic. Following an accidental groin strike that actually started the fight, Till was ultra aggressive coming after Masvidal and he connected with a well-timed straight left hand down the middle that dropped the American Top Team fighter to the canvas. Till followed up with an attempt to get his own knockout but Masvidal was quick to recover as he got back to his feet and just smiled at the Liverpool native. From there on out it was an absolute slugfest as Till looked to use his size and power to bully his way to victory but Masvidal was having none of it. With each passing minute, Masvidal was able to get his timing and counter shots down while he cracked Till with several punches and a few stinging kicks to the body as well. Till responded with a smirk of his own as he kept coming back with his own power punches in return. As the second round got underway, Masvidal was settling into a rhythm every time that Till would surge forward trying to overwhelm him on the feet. Masvidal’s speed was definitely giving Till trouble as he was focused on the knockout and then failed to realize the kind of power his opponent could generate. The end game during an exchange where Till was moving forward and Masvidal unleashed a huge combination that culminated in a left hook the absolutely demolished the British slugger. Till was already unconscious before he even crashed to the canvas as Goddard rushed into stop the carnage before things got even worse. Masvidal walked away and celebrated his handiwork after getting back on track after a long layoff between fights and then returning with a jaw-dropping knockout against Till. Story continues https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1107056653105590273 The end came at 3:05 into the second round. “I need that belt wrapped around my waist,” Masvidal said after the win. “The dude only has one loss and that was to the champ. I need that belt wrapped around my waist.” It’s a huge win for Masvidal, who came into the fight off two losses and more than a year away from the cage. Now he’s going to take a massive jump up in the rankings after knocking out the No. 3 ranked fighter in the world while making a huge statement to anybody and everybody in the welterweight division in the UFC.<doc-sep>The world’s premier MMA organization hops back across the pond to the United Kingdom today, March 16, for UFC London. Bloody Elbow has the betting lines. The top of the billing will see hometown talent Darren Till in the favored slot with a moneyline of -220. Standing across from him, with an underdog line of +200, will be Jorge Masvidal, who has been out of action since November of 2017. The over under for the UFC London main event has been set at 4.5 rounds. ‘Over 4½ rounds’ sits with a favored value of -117, while “Under 4½ rounds’ is barely holding on to an underdog moneyline of +102. The odds see this one ending early just as much as they see it going the full 25-minutes. Both ‘Fight goes to decision’ and ‘Fight doesn’t go to decision’ own assessments of -115 respectively. UFC London has another hometown fighter favored in the co-main event. The promotion’s #10 ranked welterweight, Leon Edwards, is a -135 betting favorite over the #13 ranked Gunnar Nelson. Nelson currently resides with an underdog tag of +125. The over/under for this 170-pound matchup hits at 2.5 rounds. ‘Over 2½ rounds’ can be picked up at -157, with ‘Under 2½ rounds’ available for +142. Just like the UFC London main event, the odds project that Edwards vs. Nelson is almost just as likely to end early as it is to go the distance. With a slightly more favored line, ‘Fight goes to decision’ can be had for -125. Going back the other way, ‘Fight doesn’t go to decision’ is currently valued at -105. Also on the card, surging undefeated prospect Dominick Reyes is moderately favored over former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Volkan Oezdemir. Reyes clocks in with a strong -230 moneyline with a +210 comeback on Oezdemir. The over/under for this 205-pound scrap is 1.5 rounds. ‘Over 1.5 rounds’ can be scooped for -137, and ‘Under 1.5 rounds’ has been assessed at +122. Unlike the top-two bouts on the UFC London card, the oddsmaker indicate that this matchup will be ending early. ‘Fight doesn’t go to decision’ sports a stout favored line of -240, with ‘Fight goes to decision’ playing the underdog role at +180. The UFC London main card will air live on ESPN+ at 4:00 P.M. ET with the prelims starting at 1:00 P.M. ET also on ESPN+. Check out the UFC London betting odds, courtesy of OddsShark.com: Main card: Prelims: For an in-depth breakdown of each UFC London bout, check out The MMA Vivisection with Bloody Elbow’s own Zane Simon and Connor Ruebusch. Be sure to subscribe to our Bloody Elbow Presents YouTube channel to stay up to date with all of our podcast content. Stay glued to Bloody Elbow for all of your event coverage including play-by-play, results, highlights, and more! Happy hunting!<doc-sep>This week’s UFC card in London may be flying under the radar without a major star sitting in the headlining spot, but it’s a rock solid offering for the promotion’s new streaming partner, ESPN+. Darren Till vs. Jorge Masivdal, Leon Edwards vs. Gunnar Nelson, and Volkan Oezdemir vs. Dominick Reyes all have implications on their respective divisions’ top 10. And the prelims are otherwise littered with promise prospects and action fighters. Should make for a good time, especially mid-day on a Saturday. If you want to get a better look at the undercard, check out our prelims Vivi, right here (you can also watch it over on YouTube, the old-fashioned way): The MMA Vivisection is brought to you by Combat Wombat, makers of combat sports themed artwork featuring MMA’s legendary fighters and legendary fights. Visit chrisrini.com for the latest pieces and commissions. Get your Combat Wombat themed Vivi t-shirts today! cottonbureau.com/products/dr-wombat As always, if you enjoyed our show, give us a “like” here on SoundCloud, or give us a “like” and a share over on one of our other BE Presents Channels: YouTube, iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher, blubrry, TuneIn, OverCast, Player FM... whichever one happens to be your listening platform of choice. While you’re there, don’t forget to subscribe to Bloody Elbow Presents; that way you’ll always be the first to get all of BE’s daily MMA offerings. Of course, you can also “REC” and comment on the show at www.bloodyelbow.com. For previous episodes of the show, check out our playlists on all of our BE Presents channels. Here’s a look at the UFC London fight card as it stands right now: ESPN+ MAIN EVENT | 4:00PM/1PM ET/PT Darren Till vs. Jorge Masvidal - 7:19, 19:08 Odds Leon Edwards vs. Gunnar Nelson - 20:36, 32:00 Odds Volkan Oezdemir* vs. Dominick Reyes - 34:36, 46:40 Odds Nathaniel Wood vs. Jose Alberto Quiñones - 48:24, 52:34 Odds Danny Roberts vs. Claudio Silva - 54:30, 1:00:34 Odds Jack Marshman vs. John Phillips - 1:01:57, 1:08:01 Odds ESPN+ PRELIMS | 1PM/10AM ET/PT Arnold Allen vs. Jordan Rinaldi* - 2:35, 11:57 Odds Marc Diakiese vs. Joe Duffy - 12:44, 20:53 Odds Saparbeg Safarov vs. Nick Negumereanu - 23:05, 32:17 Odds Tom Breese vs. Ian Heinisch - 32:52, 41:36 Odds Dan Ige vs. Danny Henry - 43:00, 51:17 Odds Priscila Cachoeira vs. Molly McCann - 51:46, 56:15 Odds Nad Narimani vs. Mike Grundy - 56:49, 1:07:36 Odds *Check out our dual interviews with both Volkan Oezdemir & Jordan Rinaldi right here on SoundCloud, or watch the videos here:<doc-sep>

Leon Edwards goes into detail about what was said during his backstage fight with Jorge Masvidal. (1:58) Edwards: Masvidal 'got away this time, it will never happen again' (1:58) LONDON -- A postfight melee broke out backstage between UFC welterweights Jorge Masvidal and Leon Edwards on Saturday shortly after Masvidal's stunning victory over Darren Till in the main event of UFC Fight Night at O2 Arena. Masvidal (33-13) knocked out Till in the second round of their fight. Minutes later, while Masvidal was doing a live interview with ESPN backstage, Edwards walked by and directed some words toward him. Masvidal left the interview to confront Edwards and was then caught on camera throwing and landing a few punches to Edwards' face. The two were quickly separated, and the incident did not escalate further. Edwards suffered a cut under his left eye and was treated before leaving the arena. Sources told ESPN's Ariel Helwani that local police went to the fighters' hotel in London to investigate. Before the altercation, Edwards, who defeated Gunnar Nelson via unanimous decision in the co-main event Saturday, had told ESPN he had hoped to fight Masvidal next. "I'm doing my interview, and this hooligan comes by, saying stuff like, 'July, you'll get your ass kicked in July,'" Masvidal said. "I go, 'Maybe. Whatever. Maybe I want to kick your ass in April. Maybe I don't even want to fight you in the Octagon because it's not worth a training camp, I'll just fight you right here because you're a scrub.' I said, 'Just say it to my face, like a man. You're saying it as you walk away. We're both men.' "I had my hands back to signal I'm not coming here with problems. But he put his hands up -- it's on video -- and walks towards me. Well, where I'm from, you do that, you're going to punch me in the face. And that's not going to happen." Masvidal claimed he was defending himself because he felt Edwards "threatened my life." play 1:27 Edwards suffers cut in backstage fight with Masvidal Jorge Masvidal abruptly walks away from an interview to confront Leon Edwards, throwing punches that cause a cut to Edwards' face. "I was scared," he said. "It might not have looked it, because I'm cold-blooded, but I was scared out of my life. I said, 'This hooligan is here and is going to assault me.' He shouldn't have done that and walked towards me like he was going to punch me. I got the first one in. Am I going to be in trouble because I got the first one in?" Edwards' management team said he will not seek charges against Masvidal. "Leon is fine," his team said in a statement. "We will cooperate with the UFC as they investigate the matter." UFC president Dana White expressed surprise over the postfight altercation, telling ESPN, "I can't even believe that this happened. We need to do a much better job of making sure this s--- doesn't happened at any of our events." UFC senior vice president David Shaw told reporters he had seen video of the incident but didn't have any further details about any potential next steps that could be taken.

Quinn Rooney/Getty Images Lewis Hamilton topped the timesheets in both practice sessions ahead of the 2019 Australian Formula One Grand Prix on Friday. The Mercedes driver finished narrowly ahead of Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel in the first session of the new season at Albert Park, with the pair split by just 0.038 seconds. In the second, Hamilton's closest rival was team-mate Valtteri Bottas, who was 0.048 seconds behind the Englishman's time of 1:22.600. FP1 Recap Here's the classification from the first free practice session in Melbourne: Bottas was the first driver to set a time, and he led proceedings at the halfway point. The second half of the session went less well for the Finn, as he spun in sector three and found his time beaten by Hamilton, Ferrari duo Vettel and Charles Leclerc and Red Bull's Max Verstappen. He wasn't the only one to go for a spin, as rookie Alexander Albon—in his first F1 practice session—took a trip into the barriers and ended his session prematurely: Video Play Button Videos you might like Meanwhile, Renault's Nico Hulkenberg managed to complete just 11 laps, having had to spend more than an hour in the pits dealing with electrical issues following his installation lap. Despite that, he managed to set the 10th quickest time. FP2 Recap Here's the classification from FP2: Bottas once again reached the halfway stage with the quickest time, but on this occasion only his team-mate was able to go quicker in the closing period. At Renault, this time it was Daniel Ricciardo's turn to spend some time in the pits, but he managed to complete 31 laps. Vettel managed 35 in his Ferrari, but his complaints to his team about an unknown issue and a trip to the garage midway through the session offer some insight as to why he wasn't able to challenge Hamilton on the timesheet. As for Albon, after an eventful first session, he continued to struggle a little at Albert Park: He'll have been relieved that he was far from the only driver to go for a spin, though, as Kimi Raikkonen and Leclerc also spent time on the grass. While the first session hinted Ferrari could give Mercedes a close run this season, the second was a reminder that it's early days and there are issues still to resolve. Saturday's final practice and qualifying will give us a better idea of what to expect from the race on Sunday.<doc-sep>1:30 Sky Sports F1's Martin Brundle, Paul Di Resta and Johnny Herbert gave their verdict on F1 2019's first day. Sky Sports F1's Martin Brundle, Paul Di Resta and Johnny Herbert gave their verdict on F1 2019's first day. Mercedes ahead, but are Ferrari playing games? Lewis Hamilton was certain at winter testing: Ferrari had a sizeable advantage over Mercedes, perhaps even as much as half-a-second per lap. Even on Thursday in Australia, Hamilton insisted the pecking order was "clear" and that Mercedes wouldn't have as many upgrades as their rivals. A day later, Hamilton topped both of Friday's opening practice sessions - and in P2 Mercedes were almost a second faster than their closest rivals. Practice Two timesheet in full The verdict from Friday practice Get Sky Sports F1 for 2019 So, was Hamilton exaggerating, or have his team been sandbagging - F1speak for bluffing - with their pace? It's probably a bit of both. "They looked very strong - and a lot stronger than they claimed before the weekend," said Sebastian Vettel of Mercedes. What's evident is that Mercedes once again have a car that will challenge for both titles this season and have made great strides since the first week of testing. Ferrari play it safe so far But are Ferrari playing games, too? Vettel and the impressive Charles Leclerc were within a tenth of Hamilton in Practice One, despite only completing one representative flying lap each. The second session's final timesheet, meanwhile, painted a surprise, and unlikely, pecking order picture with Vettel eight tenths off Hamilton and Leclerc over a second off the leading pace in ninth. When's the Australian GP on Sky F1? And Sky F1's experts remained adamant that the Ferrari still looked the part, with Martin Brundle reporting from trackside that the SF90 looked much easier to drive than the Mercedes. Friday's practice was fascinating and presented plenty of questions for F1's leading teams. And we'll find out the answers tomorrow. There can be no hiding place, or games, when it comes to qualifying. Red Bull and Honda: A promising start They were more secretive than any other team in terms of revealing their pace at testing, but we heard it all winter from Red Bull: Just wait until Friday in Melbourne - then you'll see where we are. The verdict at the end of Red Bull-Honda's first day? It's a promising start, but still rather inconclusive in terms of whether they are true championship rival for Mercedes and Ferrari. Get Sky Sports F1 for 2019 Formula 1 in 2019: Full race schedule Red Bull were quick, very quick, during the first session, with Max Verstappen right on the Mercedes' pace. Sky F1's Paul di Resta claimed: "I'm getting excited about this Red Bull, just how quick it is early on." In Practice Two, they were Mercedes' closest rivals, but now eight tenths off the pace. But was that just a sign that the Silver Arrows were on a different programme to Red Bull, as well as Ferrari? "Looking at Renault, at just one tenth behind Red Bull and ahead of Leclerc, that all smells to me of Red Bull and Ferrari sandbagging," said Sky F1's Karun Chandhok. "I think they are waiting for tomorrow." Expecting Red Bull to fight for pole may be a step too far, but seeing them so close to Mercedes and Ferrari is impressive in itself. They're the only team on the grid who have changed engine suppliers for 2019, and that switch has gone disastrously for other outfits in recent years. The verdict of the Sky F1 pundits "We have to stay calm. What it does tell us is that Mercedes have honed in on their car. But the Ferrari and Red Bull look great on track. So any headlines other than 'Mercedes are right in the hunt' will be misleading" - Martin Brundle. "I expect to see a proper battle for pole position. When they all start unlocking their speed, l think it's going to be super close" - Karun Chandhok. "Would l say Red Bull are right there with Mercedes and Ferrari? No. But they are right at the sharp end and Max looks on it" - Paul Di Resta. "The Ferrari looks, from the on-board cameras, so easy and so comfortable" - Damon Hill. 1:28 Toro Rosso's Alexander Albon spun and hit the wall during Practice One, leading to the session being red flagged. Toro Rosso's Alexander Albon spun and hit the wall during Practice One, leading to the session being red flagged. A tough start for the rookies The Albert Park circuit will speed up as the weekend progresses. Whether the rookies can keep pace with the evolution and progress accordingly will be an intriguing talking point, not least because, as a collective, they struggled on Friday. George Russell was slowest of all in Practice One, although he did recover to edge ahead of Williams team-mate Robert Kubica in P2. But Lando Norris was 18th in both sessions and finished the day half a second behind Carlos Sainz. Alex Albon also finished half a second shy of his team-mate, Daniil Kvyat in the sister Toro Rosso, and followed his morning crash with a spin this afternoon. Antonio Giovinazzi's struggles in the Alfa Romeo were lower key, but his P2 half-a-second deficit to Kimi Raikkonen was entirely in keeping with the difficulties of his rookie peers. They will all need to be fast learners. A tough start for Williams but can they recover? 0:55 Sky Sports F1's David Croft believes Williams can recover despite being slowest of all in Friday practice in Australia. Sky Sports F1's David Croft believes Williams can recover despite being slowest of all in Friday practice in Australia.<doc-sep>Daniel Ricciardo believes the seventh and eight-place finishes for Renault after Practice 2 on Friday is as good as he could have expected after a frustrating day at the Australian Grand Prix. FP1 began with teammate Nico Hulkenberg sitting out half of the session after an electrical failure meant the battery needed to be completely restarted before he could get out on track. As a result, Ricciardo was left to pick up much of his slack in testing different things on the car which saw him finish Practice 1 in 17th place. Live the 2019 FIA Formula One World Championship on Kayo Sports. Every practice, qualifying & race live & anytime in HD. Try 14-Days Free Now > Practice 2 didn’t start much better either after a problem with his seat meant he missed a chunk of time at the start. “It was a bit frustrating,” he said. "We wanted to go out but it was frustrating for the mechanics as well. "I don’t know what went on because the belts… the measurements weren’t adding up. I haven’t got fat, I know that’s what you were about to ask me. I’ve been too busy to be eating! "It was a bit of a time delay, but I could tell everyone was getting a bit frustrated but it was good to finally get some laps in.” Ricciardo ended the day in P8, with Hulkenberg one place higher in P7 but the Australian insisted that was as good as it could have been after day one in the new car. READ MORE: SANDBAGGING? FERRARI MYSTERY AS DELAYED DAN LEFT BEHIND BY TEAMMATE ‘THERE MIGHT BE A FIGHT!’ RED BULL AND RENAULT UNITED OVER NETFLIX ‘FICTION’ MIDFIELD MAYHEM: THE SURPRISE UPSIDE TO RICCIARDO’S SWITCH Daniel Ricciardo unveiled his new race helmet ahead of the weekend in Australia. Source: Getty Images By his own admission, he was unhappy with his longer runs but was more comfortable on the shorter runs, whereas Hulkenberg looked better throughout. “I would say it’s pretty good, I don’t think we expect too much more,” he added. "I think even now, if we stay there, that would be a pretty solid Saturday. “But you never know - we could be quicker than we think. I think in qualifying two tenths could make the difference with four places so a clean lap will be important as well. “It was hard to read, the short run at the end was okay, the long runs not so good so still got some things to do with the car.” Mercedes were the fastest two after FP2, with the two Red Bulls behind and Ferrari further off the pace than expected, considering they came to Melbourne in what was believed to be the quickest car. “After today I still don’t really know,” Ricciardo said. "Mercedes showed their hand, kind of expected. They were quick but I still don’t think Ferrari or some others have showed theirs. "You look at the field and it’s a bit strange, you see the Mercedes and the Red Bull at the front but Ferrari I expect to get up there. I’m looking forward to tomorrow, it should be fun."<doc-sep>Five-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton feels there is more to come from Mercedes after setting the pace during Friday practice for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. Hamilton led the way in both practice sessions on Friday as F1 competitive action returned in Melbourne, with the Briton edging out the Ferrari pair of Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc in FP1 before Mercedes pulled eight tenths clear in FP2. “I have a positive buzz from driving the car today, this is what I love doing,” Hamilton explained. “The car feels like it’s in a similar place to where it was in Barcelona, which is positive coming to a different track. We got through our programme really well, there were no issues on track. “There’s plenty of stuff that we can improve on, but this was not a bad start. What we have to do now is really study and analyse everything, as we always do on a Friday night. “But the fact is we’ve got two cars that continue to go around, none of us made a mistake and we kept the cars in one piece - that counts for a lot.” The reigning world champions had struggled with balance issues during pre-season testing and introduced a heavily updated aerodynamic package to combat the issue in the second week of running. Both drivers reported instant improvements with the revised aero package in Barcelona and Valtteri Bottas - who ended up just 0.048s behind Hamilton in the afternoon - felt Mercedes had successfully optimised the upgrade so far in Melbourne. "The car felt better than it did in testing,” Bottas added. “We didn’t bring a lot of new parts to the car, but we were able to optimise the package that we have. “It was a solid day for the first day back in the office, but the times are not important on a Friday. We haven’t seen the full performance from any of the other teams. “We have an idea of how much we can improve for qualifying, but we have no idea how much performance the other teams can still bring. “It will be interesting to see what the first competitive session holds tomorrow.” Speaking after the opening session, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff told Sky Sports F1: “The car is coming together. We learned a lot in the second week of testing and also in the first. “We have no idea of the performance levels, nobody has really put their pants down ahead of qualifying tomorrow, but a good start.”<doc-sep>

Sebastian Vettel believes Mercedes may have been playing games in winter testing after the world champions dominated the opening day of F1 2019. Despite predicting Ferrari, quickest during the pre-season running, would be half a second ahead, Lewis Hamilton was quickest in both of Friday's practice sessions for the Australian GP. Asked by Sky F1 if he was surprised by Mercedes' fast form, Vettel dismissed the pre-season pessimism from the Silver Arrows camp as "bull****". Vettel continued: "They looked very strong - and a lot stronger than they claimed before the weekend. "They were in a league of their own." But Vettel added he was confident Ferrari could add performance through the rest of the weekend. And plenty in the paddock believe it was Ferrari who disguised their real pace on Friday - even if Mercedes had deliberately muted their speed in testing. The verdict from Friday practice Get Sky Sports F1 for 2019 When's the Australian GP on Sky F1? 1:30 Sky Sports F1's Martin Brundle, Paul Di Resta and Johnny Herbert gave their verdict on F1 2019's first day. Sky Sports F1's Martin Brundle, Paul Di Resta and Johnny Herbert gave their verdict on F1 2019's first day. Hamilton, meanwhile, was understandably delighted with his return to action. "I have a positive buzz from driving the car today - this is what l love doing," said Hamilton. "The car feels like it is in a similar place to where it was in Barcelona, which is positive coming from a different track." After narrowly out-pacing Vettel in Practice One, Hamilton edged out Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas at the top of the charts in Practice Two as the world champions started F1 2019 in emphatic style. "The car felt better than it did at testing," said Bottas. But the Finn added: "We haven't seen the full performance from any of the other teams. We have an idea of how much we can improve for qualifying, but we have no idea how much performance the other teams can still bring." However, Red Bull boss Christian Horner also added a note of caution around Mercedes' single-lap pace, observing: "The car looks stiff and difficult to drive. Whether that is sustainable for an entire grand prix remains to be seen." And who is the best of the rest? While the fight at the front remains hard to conclusively call heading into the season's first Saturday, the battle for supremacy in the midfield is - as expected - looking similarly tight and unpredictable. Alfa Romeo's Kimi Raikkonen headed a six-strong group of closely-matched teams in Practice Two, but the Finn was only 0.002s ahead of Renault's Nico Hulkenberg. Renault debutant Daniel Ricciardo, who was close behind in eighth, said: "We still have lots to learn and improve on, but we're getting there. "For me, it's about developing the understanding of the car and we've made a good start on that today. Qualifying will be interesting and I'm looking forward to it." Meanwhile, Raikkonen predicted that the battle for what is likely to be the fourth row was wide open. "We have a solid day of work behind us, there were no big issues. We still have some set-up work to do to improve the car, but overall it felt quite good," said the Finn. "I look forward to qualifying, behind the top teams anything is possible." Sky Sports F1's Australian GP schedule Saturday, March 16 2.45am: Australian GP Practice Three build-up - Simulcast on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event. 3am: AUSTRALIAN GP PRACTICE THREE LIVE - Simulcast on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event. 4.10am: Paddock Walkabout 5am - Australian GP Qualifying build-up - Simulcast on Sky Sports F1, Sky Sports Main Event and Sky One. 6am - AUSTRALIAN GP QUALIFYING LIVE - Simulcast on Sky Sports F1, Sky Sports Main Event and Sky One. 7.30am - The F1 Show: Australia - Simulcast on Sky Sports F1, Sky Sports Main Event and Sky One. Sunday, March 17 3.30am: Australian GP Pitlane Live - Simulcast on Sky Sports F1, Sky Sports Main Event and Sky One. 4.15am: Australian GP On The Grid Live - Simulcast on Sky Sports F1, Sky Sports Main Event and Sky One. 5.10am: THE AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX LIVE - Simulcast on Sky Sports F1, Sky Sports Main Event and Sky One. 7am: Australian GP Paddock Live - Simulcast on Sky Sports F1, Sky Sports Main Event and Sky One.

On Monday night, after the dust has cleared in Week 7 for the rest of the NFL, Atlanta’s going to try to win another game. That’s all that the Falcons can do right now, and thankfully, taking it one game at a time is one thing this franchise has been really good at under Dan Quinn. A win here doesn’t save the season—the Giants are 1-5, and the Falcons will still be under .500—but it will keep things on track. Atlanta’s just trying to tread water until they get healthier and get star linebacker Deion Jones back, and while they’ve not done a great job of it to this point, Week 6 showed what can happen if the defense can manage to nab a couple of turnovers and the offense stays clicking. They win, however narrowly. New York is a bad football team, but they’re not going to simply roll over. They have the weapons on offense to make Atlanta’s life miserable if Eli Manning can simply not fumble all over himself, and they have a playmaking safety and enough pieces to put Matt Ryan on his back a few times in this one. Given the way Atlanta has played of late, that might be enough to win, so the Falcons will have to show something more to walk away with a W. Fortunately for Atlanta, they’re still home, still have the weapons to make noise through the air even if Calvin Ridley and Mohamed Sanu can’t suit up, and are making baby steps on defense as they phase in Foye Oluokun and hopefully welcome back Grady Jarrett. Hopefully it’s enough that we get to “enjoy” a bye week without worrying about what’s coming next. Here’s what you’ll need to know to watch the game. Falcons vs. Giants key info Time: Monday, October 22, 8:15 p.m. EST Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia TV Channel: ESPN Streaming: FuboTV Announcers: Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten, Booger McFarland, Lisa Salter Radio: 92.9 The Game Odds: The Falcons are touchdown favorites at home Prediction: Falcons win, 31-24 Key Questions: Will the Falcons be able to return to their high-flying ways on offense against a truly awful Buccaneers defense? Will Grady Jarrett be back to help hold a pretty potent Bucs offense in check? Oh god, how many points will they score? SB Nation Opposition Site: Big Blue View Twitter: @TheFalcoholic Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheFalcoholic 2018 Falcons Schedule (1-3) Week 1: Falcons @ Eagles, Thursday Night Football - Loss Week 2: Falcons vs. Panthers, Win Week 3: Falcons vs. Saints, Loss Week 4: Falcons vs. Bengals, Loss Week 5: Falcons @ Steelers, Sunday October, Loss Week 6: Falcons vs. Buccaneers, Sunday October 14, Win Week 7: Falcons vs. Giants, Monday Night Football October 22 8:15 p.m. Week 8: BYE WEEK Week 9: Falcons @ Redskins, Sunday November 4 1:00 p.m. Week 10: Falcons @ Browns, Sunday November 11 1:00 p.m. Week 11: Falcons vs. Cowboys, Sunday November 18 1:00 p.m. Week 12: Falcons @ Saints, Thursday Night Football - Thanksgiving November 22 8:20 p.m. Week 13: Falcons vs. Ravens, Sunday December 2 1:00 p.m. Week 14: Falcons @ Packers, Sunday December 9 1:00 p.m. Week 15: Falcons vs. Cardinals, Sunday December 16 1:00 p.m. Week 16: Falcons @ Panthers, Sunday December 23 1:00 p.m. Week 17: Falcons @ Buccaneers, Sunday December 30 1:00 p.m.<doc-sep>The New York Giants go for their second win of the season on Monday night, when they travel to Atlanta to play the Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Let’s take a look around the Internet to see what the experts are predicting for Big Blue’s Monday night matchup. Falcons: Ryan Van Bibber, Stephen White, Geoff Schwartz, Charles McDonald, Christian D’Andrea Giants: Adam Stites Falcons: Mike Clay, Mike Golic, Dan Graziano, Mina Kimes, Kevin Seifert, Trey Wingo, Matt Bowen, Seth Wickersham, Molly Qerim Giants: Louis Reddick Falcons 27, Giants 24 “No offense ... versus no defense ... it’s Monday Night Football!” I have the 1983 edition of Giants at Falcons on DVD in my vault. With Scott Brunner at quarterback (Phil Simms was always injured in those days) and Butch Woolfolk at running back, Big Blue had big problems on offense. Atlanta’s offense was dynamic. Steve Bartkowski led the NFL in passer rating that season, with two solid running backs at his disposal in William Andrews and Gerald Riggs. Unfortunately, the Falcons couldn’t stop anyone that season. (Does ... any ... of ... this ... sound familiar?) Usually, bad defense trumps bad offense, i.e., loses games. Looking at this upcoming “Monday Night Football” affair, however, the mental state of the Giantsseems downtrodden (at best), resigned (at worst) -- at least from the outside looking in. Dan Quinn’s relentlessly positive outlook -- and the Falcons being at home -- delivers a win. Falcons 33, Giants 30 This should be a shootout. The Falcons have been rolling on offense, much of it by necessity since they are struggling so much on defense. Those struggles should help ignite a Giants offense that hasn’t been great. Look for a lot of points here with the Giants hanging tough. Falcons: Andrew Brandt, Albert Breer, Mitch Goldich, Jonathan Jones, Bette Marston, Mark Mravic, Jenny Vrentas Giants: None. Falcons 32, Giants 19 Falcons 30, Giants 27<doc-sep>

The New York Giants (1-5) head down to Atlanta this Monday night to face the Atlanta Falcons (2-4) in a game that could break both teams’ seasons. The Giants’ season is already broken. They are in a desperate place and will likely finish with no more than four wins and that’s being optimistic. The Falcons are in the high-falootin’ NFC South where every team has the ability to score at will, including them. They are averaging 28 points per game on offense, but are 2-4 because their defense is allowing 32 points per contest so far. Here are three reasons for concern for the Giants in Atlanta on Monday night. Matt Ryan with extra time to throw could be a death sentence The Giants do not get to opposing quarterbacks. They are last in the NFL in sacks (7) and do not put much pressure on quarterbacks in general unless they blitz. Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is one of the most prolific passers in the NFL at the moment. He has thrown for 14 touchdowns and 1,956 yards over the first six games. He has only thrown three interceptions and has a passer rating of 113.6. The Giants will have to put pressure on Ryan if they are going to avoid giving up 30-plus points for the fourth consecutive game. Even then, they may not be able to stop him fully. Outside linebacker Olivier Vernon returned last week and recorded multiple pressures and a sack, but now he’s limited at practice this week, suffering a case of bruised ribs.

Milos Raonic gained a measure of revenge against Denis Shapovalov on Thursday at the Western & Southern Open, beating the teenager 7-6 (6), 6-4 in a matchup of Canada's top male tennis players. Raonic won the third-round match on his first match-point opportunity when the big-serving veteran showed a little finesse at the net, feathering a shot past Shapovalov to win the match on a break and set up a quarterfinal matchup with the winner of a match between Novak Djokovic and defending champion Grigor Dimitrov. It was the second head-to-head meeting between Raonic and Shapovalov. The first came in May at the third-round of the clay-court Madrid Open, with Shapovalov winning 6-4, 6-4. Match Wrap: Milos Raonic defeats compatriot Denis Shapovalov Sports 1:42 Milos Raonic beat fellow Canadian Denis Shapovalov 7-6 (6), 6-4 on Thursday to advance to the quarter-finals of the Western & Southern Open outside Cincinnati. 1:42 It was a different story on the hardcourt at Cincinnati, and Raonic used his preferred surface to his advantage. The 27-year-old form Thornhill, Ont., had 12 aces to just two for Shapovalov. Raonic won 75 per cent of his service points and had seven break point opportunities, converting two. Shapovalov said he tried to mix up the ways he was approaching his returns in an effort to better handle Raonic's serves, including backing up from the baseline and moving in. "It's tough on days like this when he's feeling it so good on his serve — it's not easy to play against. I was just trying to do a bunch of things," Shapovalov said. "Today I figured, you know, he wasn't returning that well off the backhand side, so I kept trying to pin him on that side, and it worked out pretty well for the most part. Maybe I could have moved him around a little bit more, but he was playing really well." 'I had my chances' Shapovalov, the 19-year-old rising star from Richmond Hill, Ont., had a chance to take control the match's momentum when he was serving for set point in the first-set tiebreak. But he missed on two consecutive serves and Raonic converted on his first set point. "It was a good match. I had my chances. Unfortunately, I blew it a little bit," said Shapovalov. "I rushed a little bit on set point, but it's just experience. Stuff like this happens. I'm only 19. I'm just going to learn from it and move forward." Raonic looked like he was going to cruise through the second set after getting an early break and going up 3-0. But Shapovalov converted his only break opportunity of the match to make it 4-3, then tied the set in his next service game. The veteran Raonic proved to be too much in the end, holding serve to go up 5-4 before putting Shapovalov away with a break in a match that took one hour 42 minutes. Shapovalov said he may have lost some focus after the missed opportunity in the first frame. "I came in on a couple of balls that weren't good to come in on and just rushed in general a little bit," he said. "So like I said, it's something I'm going to look back into and just try to take forward. You know, I think on the other side, I did a good job trying to come back. Obviously, he kind of gifted me the game back with three doubles. I still fought and hung in there and tried my best to break and to come back." The match was originally scheduled as the morning showcase on centre court, but was moved to a small side court after a rain delay of over four hours. They played just three points before the wet weather returned, causing another delay of about half an hour. Reclaims top spot The pause in play featured a heartwarming moment as Shapovalov invited a ball boy who was standing and holding an umbrella over him to sit and talk. "I was one of these kids not too long ago, so I know what it means to have a player you're looking up to or any player really just be so nice to you and kind of just have a chat with you," said Shapovalov. "You don't get that experience every day, so I'm sure he's gonna remember that and I think, in a way, hopefully it just kind of motivates him. I asked him if he plays tennis. He told me, 'Yeah, he loves it.' Hopefully, it inspires him to get on the court and play. "Like I said, that's my goal in my career. I want kids to come up and want to play tennis and love the sport, and, yeah, that's what I have been doing. Honestly, it was — he was a really nice guy. We had a nice little chat. It was fun." Shapovalov's win in May ended Raonic's eight-year reign as Canadian No. 1. Raonic, a former world No. 3, reclaimed the top domestic spot this week after holding at No. 29 in the ATP World Rankings while Shapovalov slipped to No. 32.​ Keys, Halep move on Madison Keys used her forehand to beat Angelique Kerber — one of her toughest matchups — and advance to the quarter-finals between more bursts of rain. Three matches held over from the previous night had to be completed first. Top-ranked Simona Halep needed only eight points to complete a gritty comeback that was put on hold overnight by the rain, beating qualifier Ajla Tomljanovic in three sets and then getting some rest with another match scheduled for the night session. Halep advances after 2-day match in Cincinnati Sports 0:38 World No. 1 Simona Halep beats Ajla Tomljanovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, advances to 3rd round. 0:38 After Halep left center court, the 13th-ranked Keys steadied herself after a ragged first set. She'd lost five straight matches against No. 4 Kerber, but relied on her forehand to rally for a 2-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4 win. She hit 35 forehand winners, including the match-ending shot for her first Cincinnati quarter-finals.<doc-sep>Denis Shapovalov was victorious the first time he played fellow Canadian Milos Raonic on the ATP World Tour. The veteran will soon get a chance to avenge that loss. The top two players in the Canadian men’s singles rankings are set to square off Thursday at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. Shapovalov booked his third-round ticket with a win over Britain’s Kyle Edmund on Tuesday night while Raonic advanced Wednesday with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Tunisian lucky loser Malek Jaziri. “I’ve watched him for so many years representing Canada so any chance I get to play him and take him on, it’s a privilege for me,” Shapovalov told the ATP after his win. “So I’m going to go out there and enjoy myself, kind of like I did in Madrid, and hopefully I can play as well.” Shapovalov posted a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Raonic last May on clay in their lone head-to-head competitive meeting. The 19-year-old from Richmond Hill won almost 80 per cent of his first-serve points, calling the win a “huge confidence boost.” Shapovalov moved ahead of Raonic to become the Canadian No. 1 for a few months before losing the position this week. Raonic, 27, held steady at No. 29 in the latest world rankings while Shapovalov slid six spots to No. 32 after losing the points gained from last year’s semifinal appearance at the Rogers Cup in Montreal. The two players offer an interesting contrast in styles. Shapovalov is a flashy left-hander who can be quite demonstrative on court while Raonic, a big-hitting right-hander, prefers a more composed approach. Raonic, from Thornhill, has won eight career titles since turning pro a decade ago. He reached the final four at the 2016 Australian Open and made it to the Wimbledon final later that season. “He showed the way for the next generation because Milos was (world) No. 3, in a final of a Grand Slam and in (Slam) semifinals,” Tennis Canada vice-president of high performance Louis Borfiga said in a recent interview. “He’s had an incredible impact for the young generation. “Milos is very, very important for the success of Canadian tennis.” Shapovalov, who is still looking for his first career ATP Tour win, leads a solid crop of young domestic tennis talent that includes Felix Auger-Aliassime, Francoise Abanda, Bianca Andreescu and others. Raonic has battled a host of injuries in recent seasons but has had some good stretches this year, while Shapovalov is trying to build off his breakout rookie campaign. Raonic struggled last week in Toronto, falling in the second round to American Frances Tiafoe. Shapovalov lost in the third round to Robin Haase of the Netherlands. This week in Cincinnati, Shapovalov beat Tiafoe in the first round while Raonic opened with a victory over Serbian qualifier Dusan Lajovic. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... The Canadians will likely be teammates next month in Davis Cup play in Toronto. Canada will face the Netherlands in a World Group playoff at the Coca-Cola Coliseum. “The future is really bright, not just for the Rogers Cup but for Davis Cup and also for tennis in Canada,” said Rogers Cup tournament director Karl Hale. “So you’re looking at a 10-year window of tremendous and new accomplishments for tennis in Canada. So, we are very humble as Canadians, but very excited about the future.” Read more about:<doc-sep>CINCINNATI — Canada’s Denis Shapovalov fended off a late charge by Britain’s Kyle Edmund for a 6-4, 7-5 win in the second round of the Western and Southern Open on Tuesday. Shapovalov now holds a 4-2 career record against Edmund, who was the 14th seed in the tournament. Shapovalov won the first set after his backhand forced his opponent to race across the court and Edmund’s return was too deep, bouncing safely out of bounds. The 19-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., looked to have the second set well in hand, taking a 4-0 lead, but he let Edmund back into the match with a series of unforced errors. After Edmund tied it 4-4, Shapovalov retook the lead, clenching his fist and yelling in triumph after winning the point. Shapovalov had to labour through five match points before finally dropping a volley over the net well out of Edmund’s reach for the win. Earlier on Tuesday, Milos Raonic, from Thornhill, Ont., cruised into the second round of the event with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Serbian qualifier Dusan Lajovic. Raonic converted 95 per cent of his successful first serves into points, including 13 aces. He converted three of five break-point opportunities while never facing break point himself. Playing in his first match since retaking the mantle of top-seeded Canadian on the ATP Tour from Shapovalov, Raonic completed the 57-minute win by breaking Lajovic in the final game. Raonic, ranked 29th in the world, next faces lucky loser Malek Jaziri. The Tunisian had a bye into the second round, replacing top-ranked Spaniard Rafael Nadal in the main draw. Shapovalov, ranked 32nd headed into the tournament, will face the winner of the Raonic-Jaziri match. in the tournament’s third round.<doc-sep>​Canada's Denis Shapovalov fended off a late charge by Britain's Kyle Edmund for a 6-4, 7-5 win in the second round of the Western and Southern Open on Tuesday. Shapovalov now holds a 4-2 career record against Edmund. Click on the video player below to watch Shapovalov ​in action: Match Wrap: Shapovalov beats Edmund, advances in Cincinnati Sports 1:18 Canada's Denis Shapovalov moves to the 3rd round with 6-4, 7-5 win over Kyle Edmund. 1:18 Shapovalov won the first set after his backhand forced his opponent to race across the court and Edmund's return was too deep, bouncing safely out of bounds. The 19-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., looked to have the second set well in hand, taking a 4-0 lead, but he let Edmund back into the match with a series of unforced errors. After Edmund tied it 4-4, Shapovalov retook the lead, clenching his fist and yelling in triumph after winning the point. Shapovalov had to labour through five match points before finally dropping a volley over the net well out of Edmund's reach for the win. Raonic cruises past Lajovic Earlier on Tuesday, Milos Raonic, from Thornhill, Ont., cruised into the second round of the event with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Serbian qualifier Dusan Lajovic. Raonic converted 95 per cent of his successful first serves into points, including 13 aces. He converted three of five break-point opportunities while never facing break point himself. Click on the video player below to watch Raonic in action: Tennis Wrap: Milos Raonic cruises into 2nd round in Cincinnati Sports 1:20 Raonic breezed past Serbia's Dusan Lajovic in straight sets 6-3, 6-3 to advance to the 2nd round of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. 1:20 Playing in his first match since retaking the mantle of top-seeded Canadian on the ATP Tour from Shapovalov, Raonic completed the 57-minute win by breaking Lajovic in the final game. Raonic, ranked 29th in the world, next faces lucky loser Malek Jaziri. The Tunisian had a bye into the second round, replacing top-ranked Spaniard Rafael Nadal in the main draw. Shapovalov will face the winner of the Raonic-Jaziri match. in the tournament's third round. Serena's slump continues Serena Williams saw her post-Wimbledon slump continue Tuesday. The 36-year-old American lost 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 to the Czech Republic's Petra Kvitova in second-round action at the Western & Southern Open in Mason, Ohio. Since losing to Germany's Angelique Kerber in the Wimbledon final, Williams has a 1-2 match record. Two weeks ago, she took the worst defeat of her career, falling 6-1, 6-0 to Great Britain's Johanna Konta in the first round at San Jose, Calif. Williams pulled out of last week's event in Montreal for personal reasons, then blew out Australia's Daria Gavrilova 6-1, 6-2 in the first round outside Cincinnati on Monday. Kvitova, a two-time Wimbledon champion, won Tuesday by picking on Williams' second serve, taking 15 of 36 points (42 percent). Williams captured just 10 of 35 points (29 per cent) on Kvitova's second serve. "It's always a pleasure to share a court with her, I'm just happy I did well today," Kvitova said of Williams. "She really pushed me a lot. I just tried to stay focused on my serve." Up next for Kvitova is a third-round match against Kristina Mladenovic. The Frenchwoman cruised to a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Slovakia's Viktoria Kuzmova. Federer advances Roger Federer advanced to the third round with a 6-4, 6-4 victory against Peter Gojowczyk. It was Federer's first Cincinnati appearance since winning his tournament-record seventh championship in 2015. After a first-round bye, Federer extended his Cincinnati winning streak to 11 matches since losing to Rafael Nadal in the 2013 quarterfinals. Click on the video player below to watch Federer's victory: Federer earns straight sets victory in Cincinnati Sports 1:02 Rogers Federer advances to 3rd round with 6-4, 6-4 win over Peter Gojowczyk. 1:02 The second-seeded Federer, refreshed from a month off after losing in the Wimbledon quarterfinals, became the tournament favourite when Nadal withdrew on Sunday night. Karolina Pliskova and Nick Kyrgios also advanced Tuesday in early tournament action. Pliskova moved into the second round by snapping a seven-match losing streak against Agnieszka Radwanska with a 6-3, 6-3 win. "It means a lot because it was against her, and, like, you know, I never beat her," Pliskova said. "We played so many times. I think I always played her at her best level the matches before, so it was always tough." Kyrgios, a finalist last year in Cincinnati, overcame physical problems to fight off qualifier Denis Kudla for a 6-7 (2), 7-5, 7-6 (9) victory. Goffin downs streaky Tsitsipas "This year has been tough," Kyrgios said. "I started the year very well. Then, obviously, I hurt my elbow. Then I had an ongoing hip injury. We have been definitely thinking about the options with my hip. You know, there is only so much you can do before you have to, you know, I guess, get surgery or something like that. You know, right now I'm just managing it." No. 11 seed David Goffin advanced with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Leonardo Mayer became the first player to reach the third round on the men's side with a 7-6 (7), 6-4 victory over 16th-seeded Lucas Pouille. Australian Open semifinalist Hyeon Chung won the last five games to beat Jack Sock 2-6, 6-1, 6-2. Sock has lost eight straight matches since winning in Rome on May 13. Robin Haase also made it to the second round, defeating Filip Krajinovic 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. Sixth-seeded Caroline Garcia reach the third round with a 6-4, 6-5 win over wild card Victoria Azarenka. Elise Mertens scored a 6-4, 6-2 first-round win over Magdalena Rybarikova. Ashleigh Barty stopped wild-card Marketa Vondrousova 6-3, 7-5. Maria Sakkari upset Indian Wells champion Naomi Osaka 6-3, 7-6 (8). Ekaterina Makarova cruised past qualifier Ana Bogdan 6-3, 6-2.<doc-sep>

Denis Shapovalov was victorious the first time he played fellow Canadian Milos Raonic on the ATP World Tour. The veteran will soon get a chance to avenge that loss. The top two players in the Canadian men's singles rankings are set to square off Thursday at the Masters 1000 tournament in Cincinnati. Shapovalov booked his third-round ticket with a win over Britain's Kyle Edmund on Tuesday night while Raonic advanced Wednesday with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Tunisian lucky loser Malek Jaziri. Click on the video player below to watch Raonic's highlights: Match Wrap: Raonic rolls past Jaziri setting up clash with Shapovalov Sports 1:37 Milos Raonic knocks Malek Jaziri out of the Cincinati Masters in straight sets 6-3, 7-5, setting up a third round meeting with Denis Shapovalov. 1:37 "I've watched him for so many years representing Canada so any chance I get to play him and take him on, it's a privilege for me," Shapovalov told the ATP after his win. "So I'm going to go out there and enjoy myself, kind of like I did in Madrid, and hopefully I can play as well." Shapovalov posted a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Raonic last May on clay in their lone head-to-head competitive meeting. The 19-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., won almost 80 per cent of his first-serve points, calling the win a "huge confidence boost." Shapovalov moved ahead of Raonic to become the Canadian No. 1 for a few months before losing the position this week. Contrast in styles Raonic, 27, held steady at No. 29 in the latest world rankings while Shapovalov slid six spots to No. 32 after losing the points gained from last year's semifinal appearance at the Rogers Cup in Montreal. The two players offer an interesting contrast in styles. Shapovalov is a flashy left-hander who can be quite demonstrative on court while Raonic, a big-hitting right-hander, prefers a more composed approach. Raonic, from Thornhill, Ont., has won eight career titles since turning pro a decade ago. He reached the final four at the 2016 Australian Open and made it to the Wimbledon final later that season. "He showed the way for the next generation because Milos was [world] No. 3, in a final of a Grand Slam and in (Slam) semifinals," Tennis Canada vice-president of high performance Louis Borfiga said in a recent interview. "He's had an incredible impact for the young generation. "Milos is very, very important for the success of Canadian tennis." Shapovalov, who's still looking for his first career ATP Tour win, leads a solid crop of young domestic tennis talent that includes Felix Auger-Aliassime, Francoise Abanda, Bianca Andreescu and others. Raonic has battled a host of injuries in recent seasons but has had some good stretches this year, while Shapovalov is trying to build off his breakout rookie campaign. Likely teammates at Davis Cup Raonic struggled last week in Toronto, falling in the second round to American Frances Tiafoe. Shapovalov lost in the third round to Robin Haase of the Netherlands. This week in Cincinnati, Shapovalov beat Tiafoe in the first round while Raonic opened with a victory over Serbian qualifier Dusan Lajovic. The Canadians will likely be teammates next month in Davis Cup play in Toronto. Canada will face the Netherlands in a World Group playoff at the Coca-Cola Coliseum. "The future is really bright, not just for the Rogers Cup but for Davis Cup and also for tennis in Canada," said Rogers Cup tournament director Karl Hale. "So you're looking at a 10-year window of tremendous and new accomplishments for tennis in Canada. So, we are very humble as Canadians, but very excited about the future." Play at the US$5.67-million Western & Southern Open continues through Sunday. Djokovic remains in hunt, Zverev falls Novak Djokovic completed his comeback from elbow surgery by winning Wimbledon for the fourth time. He's inching closer to one of the few titles to elude him throughout his career. Djokovic overcame an upset stomach and a sluggish first set Wednesday, beating Adrian Mannarino 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 before heavy rain halted afternoon matches at the Western & Southern Open. Click on the video player below to watch Djokovic's highlights: Novak Djokovic outlasts Adrian Mannarino at Cincinnati Masters Sports 0:23 Novak Djokovic's forehand was on full display in a 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory over Adrian Mannarino at the Cincinnati Masters 0:23 The 10th-seeded Djokovic demonstrated he's back in form by winning Wimbledon title last month.

Kylie Jenner gets bullied by Nick Cannon AGAIN, this time over love life: KUWTK star’s reported reaction Kylie Jenner gets bullied by Nick Cannon AGAIN, this time over love life: KUWTK star’s reported reaction by Joanne Eglash Kris Jenner usually is one proud mama on Instagram. But when Ellen DeGeneres scared daughter Kendall, it was humor that caused Kris to share! Kris Jenner is famous as the determined mom/manager (alias momager) of the Keeping Up With The Kardashians (KUWTK) clan. Usually, that translates into Kris posting plenty of photos of all her daughters’ accomplishments (with an occasional nod to Rob Kardashian, her son who has ups and downs…and, well, we’ll leave it there for now). But when Kendall Jenner appeared on Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show, it was the humor rather than the pride that caused Kris to share on Instagram. Kris Jenner responds to Ellen scaring Kendall Jenner Here’s what happened: Kendall Jenner visited Ellen on the talk show episode that aired Friday. And as Elle pointed out, the model confessed that she was upset about being the only member of the KUWTK clan not to get a scary prank on the show. Kris almost collapsed over her scare, for example, confessing that she peed her pants out of fear, and Kim Kardashian got terrified of a fake spider. So DeGeneres timed it perfectly. First, she listened to the model insist that she didn’t feel “genuinely offended” that she had not been scared in the manner of Kris or Taylor Swift (the singer is one of the many celebs who seemed truly frightened by one of Ellen’s infamous pranks). Then Ellen began asking Kendall to talk about Ben Simmons, the boyfriend who seems to have lasted the longest in recent history. Just when the possibilities were getting interesting (how serious are they? ), someone who looked like Kris Jenner jumped up out of the side table. EEEEEK! Kris Jenner loves the prank, doesn’t comment on Kendall and Ben As for Kris’ reaction, Jenner confessed that she “screamed louder” than her daughter did. But, she added, she loves Ellen just the same. While Kris didn’t comment on the Ben Simmons questions, Harper’s Bazaar pointed out that this is the first time Jenner has confirmed that the two are dating. She and Simmons have been dating since summer of 2018, when he described the romance as “going great” in an interview. Now if Ellen can just get Kris Jenner together with Ben and Kendall to grill all three, we might find out what’s really going on!<doc-sep>Then, they casually showed a photo of her on the sidelines with Simmons also on the court and in the frame of the shot. "Who's that guy that's in the way?" DeGeneres asked. "I'm not so sure," Jenner answered coyly. "I'm not either. I don't know anything about basketball," the host continued. "Obviously, you're dating this guy who's on this [Philadelphia] 76ers—is that what it's called?...I don't know basketball," DeGeneres added, clearly trying to get the details. "How long have you been dating him?" However, the runway star didn't divulge much. "For a bit now," she said, keeping details to a minimum. It got really fun when DeGeneres asked if her famous mom, Kris Jenner, approves. As Kendall began to say, "I think so," a Kris look-alike popped out of the side table in between them and scared the star. "I'm shaking!" she admitted.<doc-sep>Kendall has opened up on the effect trolls have on her (Picture: Getty) Being in the public eye definitely comes with its pitfalls, as Kendall Jenner has now documented. The model and reality TV star has had her fair share of trolls attack her for everything from her appearance to the fact she is the face of an acne skincare brand. Now the 23-year-old has opened up on the effect the online punters have had on her when they turn and pummel her social media with horrible comments, revealing they’ve left her well and truly down in the dumps. ‘I have cried endlessly for days because of things people have said to me, and I’ve had to become stronger through it,’ the Victoria’s Secret model said. ‘I mean, don’t get me wrong: I am not superhuman. I definitely feel, and the things people say online are very hurtful.’ With 103 million social media followers on Instagram, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star has copped the brunt of abuse, even though she’s previously been incredibly open about her struggle with anxiety and how she struggled to deal with misdirected backlash. The star admits she’s not superhuman (Picture: PA) The response to her decisions was never so evident most recently when Kendall was announced as the face of Proactiv. Touting the move in the days that preceded it, both Kendall and her mother Kris Jenner were all over the socials amping up the big reveal. Many felt that is was going to be some massive revelation, as Kris applauded Kenny’s strength. When it was unveiled as another endorsement, however, the tide turned and trolls turned nasty, hoping the announcement was something bigger apparently. Be that as it may, Kendall told Allure magazine she is learning to rise above the abuse in order to move ahead and not go crazy: ‘I think it can get pretty unhealthy if you really are deep in it and paying attention to it all the time. I think that that’s what can really mess you up.’ She added to the publication, specifically mentioning punters picking out her acne flare up at last year’s Golden Globe Awards: ‘I was feeling good about myself, and then when people say mean things I’m like, “I know I have a zit. I know I’m breaking out. You guys don’t have to keep pointing it out. I obviously see that, but let me live.”‘ In her partnership with Proactiv, the model opened up on the ‘debilitating’ acne she continued to suffer from. ‘While there are much bigger problems happening in the world, suffering from acne for me was debilitating,’ she said. ‘It’s something that I’ve dealt with since I was a young teen and has caused me to feel anxious, helpless and insecure. ‘As humans, I don’t think we share our insecurities enough because we live in a time where being “perfect” is the standard. We curate our life online and pick the pretty moments to post. I’d like to show a younger generation that not everything is perfect. ‘Being insecure about my acne gave me thick skin but I wouldn’t ever wish that feeling upon anyone so after trying countless options, I found something that has been helpful in maintaining clear skin for me. It’s been a long journey but I’m excited for where my skin is now. ‘I didn’t think I’d see the day where I would feel confident posting a makeup free picture. My goal is to open up a dialogue around skin positivity.’ Got a showbiz story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you. MORE : Victoria’s Secret model says she was ‘dragged’ into advertising Fyre Festival MORE : Caitlyn Jenner ‘withdraws trademark for skincare line’ amid ‘clash’ with daughters Kylie and Kendall<doc-sep>

Kendall Jenner's new Proactiv partnership has brought her to tears several times, the model revealed. The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star opened up about her battle against acne during an appearance on The Ellen Show with Ellen DeGeneres, claiming that her skin issues have taken a toll on her self-esteem and overall mental health. Kendall, who was the highest-earning model of 2018 with an income of $22.5 million, according to Forbes, has recently partnered up with skincare brand Proactiv, which she said has helped her clear up and feel better about herself. "I struggled with acne when I was really young, and I've been struggling again kind of recently, so when everything came up with Proactiv, it was kind of a no-brainer for me, just because I personally know what it feels like to have it," the 23-year-old said. "For me it was a no-brainer because it was more like, if I could put myself out there and show that I have a way that I got clear and I struggled with the same issue, I want someone to feel comfortable enough to be like, OK, if she did then hopefully I can help someone," she added. She also revealed that she is often brought to tears by Proactiv's success stories, as she can personally relate to overcoming the daily struggle that is having acne. And to the delight of Ellen's audience members, the talk show host revealed that everyone on set would be receiving a $150 Visa gift card so that they could try Proactiv for themselves. Kendall also addressed the rumors surrounding her younger sister Kylie after many wondered if her baby father, rapper Travis Scott, had actually proposed to her on Super Bowl Sunday. Kendall claimed that, to the best of her knowledge, Kylie and Travis were not engaged, and that if indeed they were, the youngest of the Kardashian-Jenner clan had not broken the news to the whole family yet. Engagement rumors sparked when Travis posted a photo of Kylie on social media wearing a big diamond ring on that particular finger after his Super Bowl performance, but none of them have confirmed anything so far.Ellen also inquired Kendall about some other rumors regarding her younger sister after Kylie took to Instagram to post a photo of herself and Travis embracing, followed by the caption "baby #2?" Kendall laughed it off and said that she didn't think Kylie was pregnant with her second child (the couple welcomed baby Stormi Webster a little over a year ago), stating that her sister was "really interesting." "She's really clever. I don't think she's pregnant, no," the Victoria's Secret model stated.

Snow Day: Which Metro Vancouver schools are open and closed Feb. 12 Here's a handy list of the schools around Metro Vancouver that have reported closures on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019. Article content Click here to see the latest list of school closures for Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019. FEBRUARY, 12, 2019 – While snow days don’t happen often in Metro Vancouver, it’s still a challenge for parents who need to make last-minute child care arrangements – but a pleasant surprise for kids hoping to fit in a day of snow fun. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Snow Day: Which Metro Vancouver schools are open and closed Feb. 12 Back to video Here’s a handy list of the schools around Metro Vancouver that have reported closures on Feb. 12, 2019. Closures will be posted as they are announced. Districts are organized alphabetically. Abbotsford (SD34) More information: www.abbyschools.ca • All schools in the district will be CLOSED today.<doc-sep>Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp Share this item on Facebook Here are school closures for Tuesday, Feb. 12, due to snow and poor driving conditions: Universities and Colleges: UBC Point Grey. The campus is not closed but all day and evening classes are cancelled. Vancouver Island University campuses and facilities, except Powell River, are closed again for the day Langara College British Columbia Institute of Technology Vancouver Premier College University of the Fraser Valley (all campuses) Simon Fraser University Douglas College (all campuses) Kwantlen (all campuses) Vancouver Community College Capilano University North Island College Trinity Western University – classes cancelled at both Langley and Richmond campuses for the day. University of Victoria Canadian College of English Language Emily Carr Camosun College Public school districts (all public schools closed): Abbotsford Surrey Mission Chilliwack Greater Victoria School District Nanaimo Ladysmith School District Cowichan Valley School District Sooke School District Campbell River School District Coquitlam Langley New Westminster Richmond Vancouver Burnaby West Vancouver North Vancouver Delta Maple Ridge / Pitt Meadows WATCH: Another blast of winter hits B.C.’s South Coast 1:30 Another blast of winter hits B.C.’s South Coast Another blast of winter hits B.C.’s South Coast – Feb 12, 2019 Abbotsford: St. John Brebeuf Regional Secondary St. James School Abbotsford Christian School (3 campuses) Mission: Khalsa School Langley: Khalsa School Aldergrove Langley Christian School The King’s School Murrayville Academy and Centre Global Montessori LISTEN: Why are snow days declared? What do they mean economically for a city, school district or for a company? Surrey: Surrey Muslim School St. Matthews Elementary St. Bernadette Elementary Regent Christian Academy Khalsa School, Newton Khalsa School, Old Yale Road Khalsa Secondary Khalsa Primary School Khalsa Child Care Pacific Academy Sikh Academy Elementary School Our Lady of Good Council West Coast Christian School Sikh Academy Elementary School Iqra Islamic School Star of the Sea Elementary Gobind Sarvar School Guru Angad Dev Elementary School Holy Cross Regional High School Delta: Sacred Heart School Delta Christian School Immaculate Conception School Southpointe Academy Richmond: BC Muslim School Choice School St. Paul’s Elementary School St. Joseph’s the Worker Canada Star Secondary School Pythagoras Academy Vancouver: Stratford Hall School Fraser Academy York House School Vancouver College K-12 Crofton House St. Mary’s School Eaton Arrowsmith Magnussen School Reach for the Stars Montessori Our Lady of Sorrows St. Francis of Assisi Vancouver Montessori School St. Anthony of Padua Immaculate Conception School Vancouver Premier College St. Augustine Westside Montessori Academy St. Joseph’s Elementary St. Francis Xavier School Blessed Sacrament School St. Patrick’s Elementary The Westside School Corpus Christi Elementary St. Andrew’s Elementary University Canada West Woods and Waves Outdoor Learning West Coast Christian School PALS Autism Society School Reach for the Stars Montessori The overnight snowfall made Commercial and Broadway look very peaceful ahead of the morning’s commute. 1:09 Early morning snowfall at Commercial and Broadway Early morning snowfall at Commercial and Broadway – Feb 12, 2019 West Vancouver: St. Anthony’s Elementary North Vancouver: All francophone schools Lions Gate Christian Academy Holy Trinity Elementary Brockton School St. Thomas Aquinas Regional Secondary School Saint Pius X Elementary St. Edmond’s Elementary Kenneth Gordon Maplewood School St. Edmunds School Waldorf School Bodwell High School Burnaby: John Knox Christian (all campuses) St. Michael’s Elementary Holy Cross Elementary Burnaby Montessori St. Helen’s Elementary St Francis de Sales Deer Lake School Our Lady of Mercy Elementary School Reach for the Stars Montessori New Westminster: Urban Academy Coquitlam: Children of Integrity Montessori Academy Queen of All Saints School B.C. Christian School Our Lady of Fatima School Traditional Learning Academy Port Coquitlam: Hope Lutheran Christian School Lions Park Montessori School Archbishop Carney Our Lady of Assumption B.C. Christian School Maple Ridge: Meadow Ridge School James Cameron School Maple Ridge Christian Pitt Meadows: Hope Lutheran Christian School Mission: Deux-Rives Elementary Heritage Park Childcare Centre Chilliwack: Chilliwack School District WhiteRock: Eaton Arrowsmith John Paul II Academy White Rock Christian Academy CSF (Conseil Francophone): all CSF public schools in Surrey and North Vancouver Vancouver Island: Greater Victoria School District #61 Nanaimo Ladysmith School District #68 Cowichan Valley School District #79 Sooke School District #62 Campbell River School District #72 Comox Valley School District #71 Gulf Islands School District #64 Saanich School District #63 Qualicum School District # 69 Advertisement<doc-sep>Here's a handy list of the schools around Metro Vancouver that reported closures on Monday, Feb. 11. Article content We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Feb. 11 school closures: Here's a list of Metro Vancouver snow closures Back to video MONDAY, FEB. 11 — While snow days don’t happen often in Metro Vancouver, it’s still a challenge for parents who need to make last-minute child care arrangements – but a pleasant surprise for kids hoping to fit in a day of snow fun. Here’s a handy list of the schools around Metro Vancouver that have reported closures on Feb. 11, 2019. Closures will be posted as they are announced. Districts are organized alphabetically. Abbotsford (SD34) More information: www.abbyschools.ca • All schools are OPEN today.<doc-sep>

All public schools across the Lower Mainland are closed Tuesday due to the weather conditions LOWER MAINLAND (NEWS 1130) – It’s a snow day at all public schools across the Lower Mainland Tuesday. There are also dozens of independent school closures. Most post-secondary schools are also closed, or have at least cancelled classes for the day. Post secondary: BCIT Capilano University Douglas College Emily Carr University Kwantlen Polytechnic University Langara College SFU (Campuses open, but classes/exams cancelled) Trinity Western’s Richmond campus UBC’s Point Grey campus University of the Fraser Valley Vancouver Community College Abbotsford: All public schools All Hand in Hand Child Care programs in the city Mennonite Educational Institute Burnaby: All public schools Burnaby Montesorri Cefa Brentwood Cefa Canada Way Deer Lake Elementary Reach for the Stars Montessori Chilliwack: All public schools are closed Coquitlam: All public schools Children of Integrity Montessori Academy Coquitlam College Mediated Learning Academy Traditional Learning Academy Delta: All public schools Immaculate Conception Langley: All public schools Fraser Valley Elementary Global Montesorri King’s School Maple Ridge: All public schools Maple Ridge Christian Meadowridge School Mission: All public schools New Westminster: All public schools Urban Academy North Vancouver: All public schools Brockton School Lions Gate Christian Academy St. Edmund’s Elementary Vancouver Waldorf Pitt Meadows: All public schools Hope Lutheran Christian School Port Coquitlam: All public schools Hope Lutheran Christian School Port Moody: All public schools Richmond: All public schools Cornerstone Christian Academy Surrey: All public schools Coquitlam College Guru Angad Dev School Khalsa Secondary Newbridge Academy Pacific Academy Regent Christian Academy Sowing Seeds Preschool Vancouver: All public schools Cefa Cambie Cefa Commercial Drive Cefa Kingsway Claren Academy Crofton House School Eaton Arrowsmith Eaton Arrowsmith (Adult) Little Flower Academy Magnusson Reach for the Stars Montessori St. George’s School St. John’s School St. Patrick Regional Secondary Stratford Hall School Vancouver Hebrew Academy Vancouver College Westside Montessori School York House School West Vancouver: All public schools White Rock: Eaton Arrowsmith White Rock Christian Academy Southridge School

A 12-year-old boy has been charged with capital murder in Texas in connection with the shooting death of a professional boxer. The victim, 24-year-old John Duane VanMeter, was shot in his home Wednesday night, according to a statement from the Uvalde Police Department. Get push notifications with news, features and more. VanMeter’s girlfriend called 911 saying someone broke into his residence and shot him, authorities said. When officers arrived, VanMeter was found lying in the living room with a gunshot wound to the head. The couple heard someone trying to kick in their door before VanMeter went to see what was going on, as reported by the Uvalde-Leader News. His girlfriend was in the bedroom when she heard a gunshot. The young boxer, who was nicknamed “The California Kid,” was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Witnesses told authorities that a male dressed in all black with a black bandana over his face was seen running from the home where VanMeter was shot. john-vanmeter-1 John VanMeter | Credit: John VanMeter/Facebook VanMeter had been boxing since he was 10 and had been boxing professionally since 2015, according to the Leader-News. The local Ortiz Boxing Gym mourned VanMeter’s death on Facebook. “We are at a loss for words. It’s a sad sad night, not just for Tree City Boxing, but for our entire community. Please keep the VanMeters in your prayers,” the gym wrote along with a photo of VanMeter. • Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. “[Our] deepest condolences go out to the Vanmeter family we lost not only a great boxer but also a great friend always willing to help out upcoming fighters Rest Easy Champ,” the gym said in another post along with a video of VanMeter training with a fellow boxer. The suspect is being held at a juvenile detention facility. It is unclear if he has retained a lawyer who can comment on his behalf.<doc-sep>A 12-year-old boy was charged this week in the fatal shooting of a professional boxer, unnerving the local boxing community in the South Texas town where he lived and trained. Super featherweight John VanMeter, 24, was at his home in Uvalde when he was shot and killed Wednesday night. His girlfriend called 911 around 8 p.m. and said someone tried kicking in the door and shot VanMeter when he opened it, KSAT-TV in San Antonio reported. GRAPHIC PHOTO: BOXER BADOU JACK SUFFERS GRUESOME INJURY DURING MATCH DEFEAT VanMeter was taken to a hospital where he eventually died. The 12-year-old was charged with capital murder and was being held at a juvenile detention center. Police did not reveal a motive for the shooting and did not say how investigators tied the youth to the shooting. Witnesses told police they saw a male wearing a black bandanna over his face running from the home, according to the station. VanMeter began boxing professionally in 2016 and had a 2-4 record, according to BoxRec. His trainer David Hernandez described his fighter to the Associated Press as a man with a "heart of gold and an amazing spirit." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The Tree City Boxing Club posted about VanMeter on Facebook, saying, "It's a sad, sad night, not just for Tree City Boxing, but for our entire community. Please keep the VanMeters in your prayers."<doc-sep>UVALDE, Texas -- A 12-year-old boy has been charged with capital murder in the shooting death of a 24-year-old professional boxer in Uvalde, Texas, police say.Boxer John VanMeter was shot and killed in his home Wednesday night.Uvalde police say VanMeter's girlfriend called 911 around 8 p.m. to report an armed robber shot her boyfriend.When police arrived to the house, they found VanMeter lying in the living room with a gunshot wound to the head.He was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.The 12-year-old is being held at a juvenile detention center on capital murder charges.According to ABC News, police did not say how they connected the 12-year-old to the shooting, but witnesses said they saw a male wearing a black bandanna over his face running from the home. Police did not reveal a possible motive in the shooting.The boxing community in Uvalde is remembering VanMeter.Tree City Boxing Club posted about him on Facebook, saying, "It's a sad sad night, not just for Tree City Boxing, but for our entire community. Please keep the VanMeters in your prayers." Clutch City Boxing also posted about him on Facebook, writing "R.I.P. to the young champ John Vanmeter, gone way too soon."<doc-sep>A 12-year-old boy has been charged with murder after a boxer was fatally shot in his Texas home on Wednesday night. The girlfriend of John Duane VanMeter, 24, called Uvalde Police Department at around 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday evening to report he had been shot, according to ABC News. The attacker had broken into VanMeter's home on 624 Boone Street in Uvalde, a city around 85 miles west of San Antonio. At the property, officers discovered the victim's lifeless body in the living room. He had a sustained a gunshot wound to the head. VanMeter was pronounced dead at Uvalde Memorial Hospital at around 8:43 p.m., The Uvalde Leader-News reported, citing police. Two children were also in the property during the attack. Prior to the killing, VanMeter and his girlfriend Sammy Chapa heard someone kicking the front door, Uvalde Police Department chief Daniel Rodriguez told The Uvalde Leader-News. In other local news reports Sammy, who uses the name Sammy A Chapa on Facebook, was identified as Sammy Arellano. "She stayed in the back bedroom and he went to check it out," Rodriguez said. Chapa told NBC-affiliate NEWS4SA: "What it sounded like was when John's in the kitchen and he's throwing pots and pans around making noise but it sounded so much louder." Witnesses saw a male dressed in black clothing with a black bandana shielding the lower part of his face leaving the scene and heading towards east Grove Street, The Uvalde Leader-News reported. A witness helped officers to identify the suspect, Rodriguez said. The child, who is a student at Flores Elementary School, was held at a Jourdanton Juvenile Detention Center. Texas law states that children under the age of 12 cannot be charged as adults. Chapa told the San Antonio Express-News the suspect was a friend of her son's, and a "troubled boy." He was under the watch of the Child Protective Services, and had stayed at the couple's home for around a week about a month ago. The family had been warned against hosting the boy, Chapa said. "He kept getting my son in trouble so I told him he wasn't allowed in our home anymore," she said. "I don't know why he did this now." As the home was often empty, Chapa said she believes the boy may have seen the property as an easy target. Originally from Anaheim, California, VanMeter' started boxing with his father at the age of two, his trainer David Hernandez told the San Antonio Express-News. VanMeter joined the club aged 15, after his family moved to Texas. The victim, with whom he would train for hours at a time, had a "heart of gold" Hernandez said. The trainer's own children saw VanMeter as a brother. Making his debut as The California Kid in 2016, VanMeter carved out a career as a professional boxer and was one win away from appearing in a title fight in Texas. He had a record of 2 - 4. The fighter's father, who is also called John VanMeter, told NEWS4SA his son "won all the medals" as a child. "Parents got mad because nobody else won nothing but him," he said. Hernandez told The San Antonio Express-News: "It is a very sad time for our community and our boxing club. "We will always carry John's memory in our hearts and thank him for opening doors for the younger boxers of Uvalde and surrounding areas."<doc-sep>

UVALDE, Texas (KTRK) -- A 12-year-old boy has been charged with capital murder in the shooting death of a 24-year-old professional boxer in Uvalde, Texas, police say.Boxer John VanMeter was shot and killed in his home Wednesday night.Uvalde police say VanMeter's girlfriend called 911 around 8 p.m. to report an armed robber shot her boyfriend.When police arrived to the house, they found VanMeter lying in the living room with a gunshot wound to the head.He was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.The 12-year-old is being held at a juvenile detention center on capital murder charges.The boy's father told WOAI-TV he was "shocked and saddened" after learning about the murder. "I wish this wouldn't have happened," said the boy's father. "I had a gut feeling like something was bothering me that day. Maybe all this could've been avoided and things would've been different. "According to the father, VanMeter and another man allegedly threatened his son with physical violence in October. He said he reported it to police.When asked about the gun, the man says he has no idea how his son got it. "There's no telling where it may have came from. Somebody from school or somebody from around here. Maybe he saw it and grabbed it somewhere," he told WOAI-TV.According to ABC News, police did not say how they connected the 12-year-old to the shooting, but witnesses said they saw a male wearing a black bandanna over his face running from the home. Police have not revealed a possible motive in the shooting.The boxing community in Uvalde is remembering VanMeter.Tree City Boxing Club posted about him on Facebook, saying, "It's a sad sad night, not just for Tree City Boxing, but for our entire community. Please keep the VanMeters in your prayers." Clutch City Boxing also posted about him on Facebook, writing "R.I.P. to the young champ John Vanmeter, gone way too soon."

PHILIPPE HUGUEN/Getty Images After rampant speculation about Dean Ambrose's future with WWE, the company has confirmed the former world heavyweight champion won't renew his contract. Per Bleacher Report's Jeremy Botter, WWE issued an official statement regarding The Lunatic Fringe's status: "Dean Ambrose [Jonathan Good] will not be renewing his contract with WWE when it expires in April. We are grateful and appreciative of all that Dean has given to WWE and our fans. We wish him well and hope that one day Dean will return to WWE." Wade Keller of PWTorch reported on Tuesday that Ambrose told WWE management, including chairman Vince McMahon, at the weekend of his intention to leave the company when his current deal expires. Keller noted Ambrose "has been long frustrated with the creative direction of his character and reached a breaking point recently." After a triceps injury that required surgery kept The Lunatic out for nine months, he returned to WWE in August to reunite with Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns as The Shield. On the same episode of Raw that Reigns announced he had to vacate the WWE universal title after being diagnosed with leukemia, Ambrose turned heel by attacking Rollins after the duo won the tag team titles. Video Play Button Videos you might like Ambrose has been on WWE's main roster since 2012 when he debuted with Rollins and Reigns at the Survivor Series. The 33-year-old became the second Superstar to win the Money In the Bank briefcase and cash it in for a title on the same pay-per-view, accomplishing the feat in June 2016.<doc-sep>Credit: WWE.com Add Dean Ambrose to the growing list of names rumored to have requested their release amid reports of being unhappy with their current role. Wade Keller of PWTorch is reporting that the top star and former Shield member has given his notice to the company. For those keeping score, Ambrose, who reportedly turned down a big-money contract offer, Mike and Maria Kanellis, The Revival and Dolph Ziggler have all been linked to rumors and various reports of possibly moving on. Reading between the tea leaves suggests Sasha Banks and Tye Dillinger are not thrilled with their lot in WWE either. Last week, it was reported top star Ronda Rousey was on her way out of WWE, although it is believed she'd be doing so to start a family rather than out of frustration. Frustration could play a factor, however, in a possible Rousey departure if the trend of fans booing the Raw women's champion continues. With a crowded locker room, in addition to hundreds stashed away in WWE's Performance Center, WWE has a thankless job of keeping its performers happy amid limited TV time. Though WWE has more content than ever, the coveted five hours between Raw and SmackDown Live simply isn't enough to placate its talent-rich roster, especially with an extremely finite number of slots for a top star. With potentially viable competition in the newly launched All Elite Wrestling, in addition to the continued progress of New Japan Pro Wrestling and Ring of Honor, a possible big-four dynamic within the wrestling industry has empowered disgruntled wrestlers to explore a revitalized landscape. Since returning, Dean Ambrose was undercut by yet another snake-bitten Shield reunion as Roman Reigns was forced to take a leave of absence to battle his returning leukemia. Ambrose promptly turned heel, where he failed to click with the audience through an array of ill-advised promos about hygiene, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns' leukemia. It just never quite worked out for Ambrose or Rollins in what was supposed to be a highly emotional blood feud. Instead, their grudge match endured chants of "this is boring" at WWE TLC where Ambrose won the Intercontinental Championship with little fanfare. For Ambrose, maybe it is time for a change. It's unknown what the future holds for the former WWE champion, and while AEW will not be a safe house for any and all disgruntled WWE talent, it has to be considered a possibility for Ambrose. Given Ambrose's stature as a top star for years, he would be an intriguing free-agent signing to any pro wrestling company. Until then, Ambrose could have a rough go of it during what could be his final WrestleMania season. Credit: WWE.com Ambrose kicked off Raw by losing to Seth Rollins before being attacked by Nia Jax as part of a budding intergender wrestling storyline featuring the former Raw women's champion. With no WrestleMania storyline in sight (outside of a possible match with Nia Jax judging by Monday's Raw), Ambrose's noteworthy run with WWE might end with a whimper. Update: WWE has confirmed Dean Ambrose will not be renewing his contract by issuing the following statement: "Dean Ambrose (Jonathan Good) will not be renewing his contract with WWE when it expires in April. We are grateful and appreciative of all that Dean has given to WWE and our fans. We wish him well and hope that one day Dean will return to WWE."<doc-sep>The Lunatic Fringe is expected to leave WWE post WrestleMania 35. Even WWE confirmed it through their official Twitter Account. However, there has been lots of speculations regarding this being a "work". A few days ago, a rumor began circulating, confirming the above theories. According to it, Dean Ambrose himself pitched a storyline where his departure would be announced in advance, and that he would start getting treated unfairly on-screen. If the story works and creates the much-needed buzz for WWE, Ambrose would have a 'right to refuse' clause added into his contract. If the story doesn't work, The Lunatic Fringe might actually walk out of WWE. Now, with just over a month remaining until WrestleMania 35, it's time WWE shifts its focus towards this story. WrestleMania season is the most watched and talked about part of the Professional Wrestling year. The story-lines featured during this season, even the preliminary ones, get extra attention. So, if WWE has something big in store, it should definitely be revealed during this season. So, now that the Elimination Chamber is over and we head to our next stop, Fastlane, Dean Ambrose should start moving up the card. Whether a work or not, Ambrose is bound to get "punished" until April. However if the WWE wants to capitalize on it, the time is NOW! Ambrose's "goodbye" story needs to be given special attention. So, starting tonight, expect some major developments in the Lunatic Fringe's 'quest to quit' arc. The best thing that can come out of this arc, is that a superstar can get the rub by feuding with Ambrose on the road to The Show of Shows. There are several talents who can fill in that role such as Elias, Kevin Owens, EC3 and even the man who eliminated Ambrose at Royal Rumble, Aleister Black. With consistency, dedication and accuracy, WWE has a chance to hit big with this storyline. With AEW shaping up to be a strong alternative to WWE, the next couple of months should be very crucial for WWE. Only time is the answer to all questions for now.<doc-sep>Former WWE NXT Champion Samoa Joe has commented on the fact that Dean Ambrose had declined to sign a new contract with the sports entertainment company. This deal was reportedly worth big bucks and would’ve seen him under the WWE banner for the next five years. Joe did so during a recent interview with The News Tribune. Joe, who is slated to take on WWE Champion Daniel Bryan, Randy Orton, AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, and Kofi Kingston in an Elimination Chamber Match at this Sunday’s pay-per-view event, made it known that Ambrose will be missed. “Dean’s a fantastic performer and there’s no doubt about it. Me saying that is like saying the sky is blue. As far as his departure, I think Dean’s the type of cat that he wants to do things that he’s into and if he’s not into what he’s doing at a certain time then he’ll have no problem stepping away and pursuing other things,” said Joe. “If that’s the case then cool, more power to him. I think there are so many people who are wrapped up in the needs and wants of wanting to become a WWE superstar that they forget sometimes there other goals they want to achieve. I think Dean is a goal-oriented person and when he gets a goal in mind he’s going to try and accomplish it, more power to him. He will be missed.”<doc-sep>

What's the story? Dean Ambrose is leaving WWE after WrestleMania 35. This is not a rumour, but something that has been confirmed by WWE in their own announcement -- something that has never been done before. However, on the way out, it looks like WWE is changing up how they are booking Dean Ambrose -- yet again. This week's episode of WWE RAW saw a slight change to the gimmick that Ambrose has been portraying in front of the WWE Universe. In case you didn't know... Dean Ambrose was rumoured to be leaving WWE recently -- a rumour that was confirmed by WWE. Ambrose will leave WWE after WrestleMania 35 -- at least that's what WWE is saying. Whether that ultimately happens or not is up for debate. Dean Ambrose turned heel for the first time since his early Shield days when he attacked Seth Rollins following their win for the RAW Tag Team Titles. The attack came after Roman Reigns announced that he was leaving WWE to deal with his Leukaemia. However, there was no proper follow up to the feud between Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose, with Ambrose adopting a germaphobe gimmick. Thankfully, now, it appears Dean Ambrose's last run in WWE is going to be as the Lunatic Fringe the WWE Universe knows and loves. The heart of the matter Dean Ambrose's role on WWE RAW has been confusing, to say the least. On this week's episode, he slapped Drew McIntyre hard backstage, challenging him to a match. When he came out to face McIntyre, it was to his old theme music. No more the siren which was the bane of Ambrose's existence for the past few months, but he looked and acted more and more like the old Dean Ambrose fans know and love. Although he lost to McIntyre, he went backstage and in a segment, continued to act as the 'Lunatic Fringe'. He confronted Seth Rollins and asked him why he had not been at ringside for his match -- almost as if he had forgotten that the two of them had been in a feud for the better part of the last few months. Rollins was as startled as the rest of the fans, but this Dean Ambrose seems to be the old Lunatic Fringe. What's next? While nothing is sure, it appears Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins may reconcile in the days to come.

The Miami Dolphins have traded the 48th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. The move, sending the pick to the New Orlean Saints. The Dolphins were on the clock to make the pick when they agreed to the trade. The move keeps alive the possibility that the Dolphins could send their second-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals, buying more time - and draft picks - to make a decision on acquiring quarterback Josh Rosen. The Dolphins sent the Saints the 48th and 116th overall picks for the 62nd and 202nd picks this year, plus a 2020 second-round pick. Dolphins picks made: 13 (1st round) - Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson The Dolphins other remaining picks are: 62 (2nd round) 78 (3rd round) 151 (5th round) 202 (6th round) 233 (7th round) 234 (7th round) The Dolphins have already been involved in three trades that impact this year’s Draft. They traded their sixth round pick (188) to the Tennessee Titans as part of the trade sending quarterback Ryan Tannehill to the Titans. The Dolphins traded their seventh round pick (229) to the Detroit Lions as part of the trade for defensive tackle Akeem Spence last season. The Dolphins received pick 233 in the seventh round as part of the Tannehill trade. They received pick 234 in the seventh round, originally the Pittsburgh Steelers’ pick, from the Cleveland Browns as part of the Jarvis Landry trade last year.<doc-sep>The New Orleans Saints agreed to a trade with the Miami Dolphins, using their first selection in the 2019 NFL Draft to pick Texas A&M Aggies center Erik McCoy at No. 48 overall. McCoy was one of the top rated centers in the draft after a strong career at College Station. This pick makes plenty of sense: the Saints lost longtime center Max Unger to retirement earlier in the offseason, putting free agent signing Nick Easton in the driver’s seat to start. Otherwise, they risked choosing from a handful of former undrafted free agents (Cameron Tom, from Southern Mississippi) or late round draft picks (Will Clapp out of LSU). Per Field Yates of ESPN, the Saints sent their original second round pick, No. 62, their Round 2 pick in 2020, and a later round pick at No. 202. In return, they received picks No. 48 and No. 116 from the Dolphins. This will put them on the clock early Saturday, unless they trade up again.<doc-sep>The Arizona Cardinals traded quarterback Josh Rosen to the Miami Dolphins for the 62nd selection in the 2019 NFL Draft. Arizona also received a 2020 fifth-round pick. The trade comes during day two of the draft, one day after the Cardinals selected quarterback Kyler Murray No. 1 overall. With the 62nd selection, the team took UMass wide receiver Andy Isabella. Cardinals general manager Steve Keim said Thursday night he was reluctant to watch Murray’s tape, knowing the possibility he would fall in love with the prospect and potentially have to put Rosen’s status on the team in jeopardy. But Keim did not say Thursday night that meant the end of Rosen’s time in Arizona. “The bottom line is Josh is a really good football player and we’re not going to get in the business of just letting good football players walk out of here,” he said. Keim cited research the Cardinals did in the value of backup quarterbacks and his recent examples of dealing with a lack of depth at quarterback in the team’s 2014 playoff run. “Attrition is real and you never know when you’re gonna need another [quarterback],” Keim said. Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury said he had a conversation with Rosen over the phone before the Murray pick was made on Thursday. Rosen unfollowed the team’s social media pages on Friday, a move that was met with criticism. The Cardinals traded up five spots to take Rosen in the 2018 NFL Draft and selected him with the 10th overall pick. But after one season, Arizona is moving on. Just three games into his rookie year, Rosen made his debut late in a game while replacing veteran Sam Bradford. From then on, he was viewed as the face of the franchise. As Arizona tumbled to a 3-13 record by the end of the year, his 2,278 yards, 55% of passes completed and touchdown-to-interception ratio of 11-to-14 sank some belief in his future, even if he was playing without talent around him or stability under two offensive coordinators. Still, the Cardinals showed a commitment to Rosen in their actions following the season. They fired head coach Steve Wilks after his first year on the job and hired Kingsbury in January. At that point, it was unlikely either the Cardinals or Kingsbury believed that anyone but Rosen would be their starting quarterback to begin 2019. Things changed when Murray decided to leave Oklahoma, not for a pro baseball career, but for an NFL future. Keim and Kingsbury didn’t push back against the idea they could draft a quarterback with their No. 1 pick. At the NFL Draft Combine, Keim infamously dropped a key qualifier when answering whether Rosen was the team’s quarterback. “Yeah, he is right now, for sure,” Keim said. During Keim’s last time in front of microphones before the NFL Draft, he made it clear that he never said whether Arizona would be open to drafting a quarterback — he also made it clear he never said they wouldn’t be. The GM did make sure to compliment Rosen handling the situation in stride. “We’ve had good dialog. He is a pro’s pro, and the one thing that I’ve appreciated about him the most since we’ve drafted him, the kid has an unbelievable amount of mental toughness,” Keim said. “Physical toughness, mental toughness, Josh Rosen has it all.” Rosen wasn’t made available to the media during Cardinals conditioning workouts and voluntary mini-camp. Whether you believe that Keim’s gushing was more about Rosen’s trade value or not, it seemed from afar that team and player were in a good place. Rosen’s lone public comments through the process were to Sports Illustrated, where he admitted the situation was getting to him a little bit. “I think when people talk about, like, you can’t listen to criticism or you can’t read articles, you have to be aware of what’s going on to a certain extent,” the quarterback said. “I definitely understand the situation. It’s annoying but it is what it is — football’s a business. I definitely respect the higher-ups and their decisions. “I think the best advice I’ve gotten in life from so many different people is control what you can control. Whatever decision is made, it’s my duty to prove them right if they keep me and prove them wrong if they ship me off.” Follow @AZSports<doc-sep>

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - APRIL 25: A fan of the Miami Dolphins cheers after Christian Wilkins is drafted thirteenth overall by the Miami Dolphins on day 1 of the 2019 NFL Draft on April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) What should the Miami Dolphins do on day two of the NFL Draft? What should the Miami Dolphins do on day two of the NFL Draft? by George Keim The Miami Dolphins are not on the clock anymore but the trade that brought the New Orleans Saints all the way up from 62 is a win for Chris Grier. The Miami Dolphins were on the clock when suddenly the New Orleans Saints showed up in their place. Miami moves back from the 48th spot all the way back to the 62nd spot. While that in and of itself is not a big deal, the Dolphins will add a 2020 2nd round draft pick in addition to a sixth round pick this year. Selection 202. Dolphins trade: Pick 48, 116. Saints trade: Pick 62, 202 and a 2020 second round pick. — Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 27, 2019 The Dolphins will give up their 4th round pick as well but they really coveted the extra 2nd round pick in 2020 where they are in better position to trade up or draft a top quarterback prospect. The Dolphins have been in trade talks with the Arizona Cardinals about Josh Rosen. The Rosen trade may now be a lot more likely as the Dolphins viewed the 48 pick for Rosen too high but now that they have moved down the end of round two has more value to the Dolphins. With a pick still available in round three the Dolphins are still in good shape to add another starter. The Saints drafted center Erik McCoy with the 48th pick. Miami will now go back to their board and decide if the Rosen is the right choice for them late in this round. Rosen was the 11th overall pick by the Cardinal in 2018 but with a new head coach and new scheme, Rosen no longer fits into the Cardinals future.

Former Saint Laurent designer Hedi Slimane has just presented his first collection for the French house Celine, following the announcement of a logo redesign. Fans of Celine speculated that Slimane could change the house by applying his signature glam-rock, 'Slimane skinny' aesthetic to the beloved brand, and as the runway show proved, those predictions were correct. Having almost completely done away with Phoebe Philo’s elegant, female-focused design philosophy, Slimane told Le Figaro "You don’t enter a fashion house to imitate the work of your predecessor." Below, you can find a handful of reactions from around the web. Check out images from the Parisian runway show here. The Good The Bad The Ugly In other fashion-related news, Virgil Abloh enlisted athletes and supermodels to walk in OFF-WHITE’s SS19 women’s show. Check it out here. To stay updated, follow @Highsnobietystyle on Instagram.<doc-sep>Hedi Slimane revealed his first collection for Celine in Paris on Friday in what was arguably the most anticipated show on the Fashion Week calendar. As many predicted, the French fashion designer’s debut quickly became the talk of the sartorial town, but not for the reasons Slimane may have wanted it to. You see, instead of winning accolade for his takeover of the LVMH brand, Slimane was engulfed by a flock of angry fashion fans who labelled his inaugural collection “narcissistic”, “tone-deaf” and a “big f*** you to women.” But, why? Phoebe Philo For ten years, Celine was a brand that embodied the female gaze in fashion. Under the helm of British fashion designer Phoebe Philo, it became synonymous with minimalism, clean lines and creating clothes that were designed for a woman who didn’t want to dress for anyone but herself. Philo's designs were created with the wearer in mind. But, as Slimane attempted to fill her Stan Smiths, the designer’s gender-bending take on the brand became lost in translation – something which began when he decided to drop the “é” from the brand’s name, just as he did with the Yves from Yves Saint Laurent. A stark contrast from the Celine fashion fans had come to know and love, many took to social media to share their contempt before the show had even ended, and in the days that ensued. A number of disgruntled followers highlighted the significance of the Celine show taking place on the same day as the Kavanaugh hearings in Washington. “I'm sorry to tweet about fashion right now, but it's just too perfect that Hedi Slimane's first collection for Céline is, predictably, a giant f***-you to women who love Céline,” one person wrote on Twitter. Someone else said: “I am taking a break from my outrage at the racist/sexist men of the Kavanaugh hearing to indulge in some outrage over Hedi Slimane's entirely predictable, heinous Céline debut (Saint Laurent 2.0 on primarily emaciated white models). F*** power-hungry white men.” Same same, but different For some the problem was that Slimane had so drastically changed the aesthetic of Celine while others explained that the 96-piece collection – which consisted of sexed-up, rock-and-roll mini skirts and skin-tight, skimpy dresses - bore a striking resemblance to his previous work at Saint Laurent. “Hedi does Hedi (at Dior) does Hedi (at Saint Laurent) does Hedi (at Celine) does Hedi,” one person wrote on Twitter. (AFP/Getty Images (AFP/Getty Images) Another added: “New Celine, Old Saint Laurent.” Among those to deride the collection for its narcissism was fashion writer, curator and contributing editor of British GQ, Lou Stoppard. “Celine was f***ing horrible. A big f*** you to women who just wanted something non-demeaning to wear,” she said on Twitter. Later, she expanded on her thoughts on the collection with an Instagram post writing: “This idea that his singular vision is so essential, so vital, that it should be projected again and again is so offensive especially under the name of a brand that was known for a sense of dialogue with the women who bought it.” Diet Prada – the infamous Instagram account that calls out injustices in the fashion industry – agreed adding: “Hedi Slimane picks right back up where he left off at @ysl . TBH, did we expect anything else? “LVMH is banking on the $limane dollars, but apparently not the creativity.” The models The clothes weren’t the only thing that infuriated fashion fans; then there was the casting. Numerous people were quick to point out that there were only a handful of non-white models who hit the runway, and almost all of them were super-slim. In fact, 87 of the 96 models were white, and it was a third of the way through the show before viewers even saw the first model of colour. “The casting was upsettingly pale,” one person wrote. Another added: “That Hedi at Celine (sans accent, ofc) was mainly predictable but also an absolute mess in terms of casting. “It's increasingly clear his vision is becoming hugely out of step with what more innovative designers are doing and actively representing." But just as new Celine arrived, fans of Philo’s version attempted to repair their wounds by following a new Instagram account called @oldceline. The account, which launched shortly after Slimane announced that he would be dropping the line’s “é”, acts as an “archive and tribute” to Philo’s work and has already amassed more than 42,000 followers. Similarly, others have rushed out to buy a final piece of Philo’s Celine legacy before it leaves stores for good. Ahead of his debut at the fashion house, Slimane opened up about his new direction for the brand. “We don’t enter a fashion house to imitate our predecessor, much less to take over the essence of their work, their codes and elements of language,” he told Le Figaro. “The goal is not to go the opposite way of their work either. It would be a misinterpretation. Respect means preserving the integrity of each individual, recognising the things that belong to another person with honesty and discernment. He continued: “It also means starting a new chapter. We arrive then with our own stories, our own culture, a personal semantic that is different from the ones of houses in which we create. We have to be ourselves, without any stance, against all odds.”<doc-sep>No show has captured the attention quite like Celine this season. No event has been more controversial, nor provoked more opinion. The conversation, even well after Hedi Slimane’s debut, still rages around his name. When Bernard Arnault “acquired” Slimane in March to run the creative direction of Celine, he had a very clear plan in mind. Under his watch, he expected Slimane to double or triple the revenues, of around €800m, in short order. He wanted to expand the offering to include perfume, menswear and couture. The leather goods category, which Arnault acknowledged was performing well under Phoebe Philo (who left the house in December), would be similarly expanded. There was little or no expectation that Slimane would retain the house codes established by Philo and beloved of the professional woman. Arnault was clear he wanted a different client — the younger millennial who bought into Slimane’s Saint Laurent. He actually said “rock chic” and “cool kids”. I’m not going to cry about the fact Slimane’s “Paris La Nuit” men’s and womenswear debut at Celine on Friday night obliterated everything its former designer stood for. I’m not going to blub about how a catwalk that once offered chic solution clothes in which a woman could walk with confidence, was now awash with groupie-boy tailoring and broken ballerina dresses in which a 17-year-old girl might walk the streets. You can feel all the fuzzy-edged nostalgia you want for Obama, but that doesn’t change the fact we got a Trump. And let’s not forget, Philo left us first. SS19 Celine SS19 Celine SS19 Celine Hedi Slimane’s Celine was 100 per cent Hedi and it would have been naive to expect any different. He first developed his signature undernourished silhouette at Dior Homme in the early 2000s and then worked it at Saint Laurent. What he showed at Celine — whip-thin tailoring (designed for men and women but mostly worn by skinny boys); crotch-skimming cocktail dresses; sparkly sheer blouses, bold-shouldered blazers, cropped tuxedos, leather bombers — was precisely what he’s always done. SS19 Celine SS19 Celine As with most of his collections, I ignored the glittery fascinators, sequin-encrusted dresses and puffball microskirts, and concentrated on the merchandise — the bags, the shoes, the suits. I’ve always been a sucker for Slimane’s tailoring and it was just as persuasive here. A pair of women’s trousers, cut with an exaggerated volume on the hip and worn with a cropped tuxedo, white shirt and narrow black tie, looked great. The men’s suits likewise. I would have liked to have seen more shoe variations: most looks were worn with a heavy, strappy ankle boot. I preferred the men’s options — a monk-strap shoe and pointy Oxfords — which I imagine will come in my size. SS19 Celine SS19 Celine If I were picking things off a rail, no question I could dress myself in the new Celine. Slimane’s success has been defined by his skill in “wardrobing”. But the show was still a head-scratcher. Like, for example, why didn’t LVMH just give Slimane his own label? He clings on to the dogma of his aesthetic so tenaciously, and his clothes remain the same regardless of the label — why not just put his name on them? It’s not so much that I care about preserving a brand’s heritage. Look at Gucci or Balenciaga — I’m all for ripping up the codes. I just think if his brand is so powerful, why not create a new one of his own? I assume that having the infrastructure of an older heritage brand makes it easier to manufacture, but it also speaks perhaps of the underlying feeling that, as with so much of what is going on in the industry, this investment is about the short-term gain. Slimane will stick around for a couple of years and then go somewhere else. SS19 Celine SS19 Celine Secondly, I’m not sure about the maths. Arnault expects Slimane to double revenues at Celine, which is fair enough when you consider the designer took Saint Laurent from €400m to €1bn. But, at Saint Laurent, he was doing something different. Can history repeat itself when you’re selling the same product you can buy two stores along the road? Many of Slimane’s original designs — the permanent collection — are still on sale at Saint Laurent. LVMH is clearly prepared to jettison the client base that took Celine revenues to €800m, but just how much will it have to spend on marketing to get the Slimane groupies along? SS19 Celine And, lastly, how relevant is Slimane’s design, two years after having been out of the picture? The world has seen a huge cultural shift in the interim and the politics of clothes have arguably changed. The Celine show seemed to celebrate a world preserved in aspic — super-skinny, teenage, and near exclusively white. I was hoping we might have moved on. SS19 Celine<doc-sep>

At the most anticipated show of Paris fashion week, with Lady Gaga, Karl Lagerfeld and Catherine Deneuve watching from the front row, Hedi Slimane launched a blitzkrieg on Celine, which for a decade under Phoebe Philo embodied the female gaze in fashion. In the shadow of Les Invalides, the site of Napoleon’s tomb, Slimane jettisoned elegant trousers, silk blouses, understated knitwear and unstructured trenchcoats for dolly-sized sequin micro shifts and tiny leather skirts. The day of the Kavanaugh hearings in Washington arguably not being the patriarchy’s finest hour, it was an uncomfortable moment for Slimane to raze to the ground the female design philosophy of a house which, for a decade under Philo, was notable for not equating a woman’s power with her sexuality. Lady Gaga at the Celine show in Paris. Photograph: WWD/REX/Shutterstock But razing to the ground is the modus operandi which has made Slimane one of the most polarising figures in fashion – and one of the most successful. This show was entitled Celine 01, and Slimane was clear that Philo’s work had no bearing on his. “You don’t enter a fashion house to imitate the work of your predecessor,” he told Le Figaro. The show began and ended with drummers from France’s republican guard accompanying the first look: a black and white polka dot silk mini cocktail dress dominated by an outsized bow. It has been 17 years since Slimane transformed the wardrobes of men all over the world with the groundbreaking slender tailoring he introduced at Dior Homme. Mainstream male sex appeal, hitherto centred on muscles and beefcake, pivoted to the skinny black jean under Slimane’s direction. Precious few designers can claim to have opened the door of the world’s wardrobe with such force. With Slimane’s appointment, Celine has expanded to include menswear as well as womenswear, and the beating heart of this collection was in Slimane’s signature slim men’s tailoring. “The line is the basis of everything,” he said this week, and that line remained unchanged: brutally slender, polished to perfection, a fastidious kind of after-dark decadence. Slimane has installed a new tailoring atelier at Celine. All the suiting worn by men on the catwalk will also be available in women’s sizing, and there is no doubt that the designer, who increased sales by 150% during his four year tenure at Saint Laurent between 2012-2016, knows how to cut a good blazer. Quilted gold-chained handbags also looked to be sales floor gold. Philo’s Celine punched above its weight in the fashion conversation, but was a relative minnow in commercial terms, with only 140 boutiques. LVMH have been banking on Slimane to grow the business. A model presents a creation by the designer Hedi Slimane for Celine in Paris. Photograph: Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters “You have to be yourself, against all odds,” he told Le Figaro. In his passion for skinny androgyny he is being himself, which history suggests would be a huge success. Fashion reflects the world we live in, as Coco Chanel observed. The female point of view appears to have fallen out of style.

Papa John's founder John Schnatter admitted to using the N-word during a May conference call and apologized for the comments after Forbes magazine detailed the incident in an article Wednesday. “News reports attributing the use of inappropriate and hurtful language to me during a media training session regarding race are true," Schnatter said in a statement released by Papa John's. "Regardless of the context, I apologize. Simply stated, racism has no place in our society.” Schnatter was on a call with marketing agency Laundry Service when he tried to downplay comments he made about the National Football League and allegedly said, “Colonel Sanders called blacks n-----s," and complained that the KFC founder never faced public backlash. The call was a role-playing exercise for Schnatter to prevent future public relations fumbles. “The past six months we’ve had to take a hard look in the mirror and acknowledge that we’ve lost a bit of focus on the core values that this brand was built on and that delivered success for so many years,” CEO Steve Ritchie said in an internal memo obtained by CNBC that was sent Wednesday to team members, franchisees and operators. "We’ve got to own up and take the hit for our missteps and refocus on the constant pursuit of better that is the DNA of our brand.” Shares of Papa John's fell by as much as 5.9 percent to a new 12-month low of $47.80 a share in intraday trading Wednesday — erasing $96.2 million in market value. The stock recovered somewhat, closing down 4.8 percent at $48.33 a share. Papa John's is down 13 percent so far this year while Domino's shares are up 48.5 percent. "Papa John’s condemns racism and any insensitive language, no matter the situation or setting," a company spokesman told CNBC. "Our company was built on a foundation of mutual respect and acceptance." Laundry Service, which is owned by sports agency owner Casey Wasserman, reportedly cut ties with an unnamed client in late May due to "the regrettable recent events that several employees of Laundry Service witnessed during interactions with a client’s executive,” according a letter obtained by Bloomberg. Shelley Lewis, a spokeswoman for Laundry Service, declined to comment. Public relations consultant Eric Schiffer, chairman of Reputation Management Consultants in Irvine, California, told CNBC that it was a "colossal boneheaded move of which they will now have to rethink if they want to use him as a spokesperson." The incident underscores the risks of using an individual to represent a brand, said crisis communications consultant Dan Hill, CEO of Hill Impact. “This is the danger when organizations are too tied to a personality,” Hill told CNBC. “We saw it with Subway and Jared ... when things are going well and those people are popular, and they are doing smart things, it works. But then you have a single point of failure and it’s that person’s actions that reflect on the entire organization.” The Forbes report comes just seven months after Schnatter abruptly exited the C-suite. Schnatter faced backlash in November for critical statements he made about the NFL that ultimately caused the league to remove Papa John's as an official sponsor. He blamed NFL leadership for hurting the company's performance because it hadn't resolved the ongoing controversy over players kneeling in protest during the national anthem. While Schnatter is no longer the CEO of Papa John's, he is still chairman and is tied with the brand's image and is featured prominently on the company's pizza boxes. “I think the big thing for them going forward is how do they distance themselves entirely from John?" Hill said.<doc-sep>Trump donor Mr Schnatter stepped down as chief executive of the company in 2017 after he criticised the National Football League (NFL) for not containing national anthem protests at American football games, which he said were hurting his firm's sales.<doc-sep>

Papa John's founder John Schnatter said Saturday that because he used the n-word during a training session, it does not constitute a "slur." In an interview with San Francisco news station KRON 4, Schnatter blamed the company's marketing agency, with which he was on a phone call when the incident occurred, for overblowing the story. "It wasn't a slur. It was a social strategy and media planning and training and I repeated something that somebody else said and said, 'we're not going to say that, We don't use that kind of language or vocabulary.' And sure it got taken out of context, and sure it got twisted, but that doesn't matter," Schnatter said. ADVERTISEMENT "I hurt people's feelings. That's what matters here. And for that, I'm sorry and I'm disappointed in myself that something like that could happen," Schnatter added. The pizza chain founder claimed that Papa John's marketing agency tried to "extort" him over the remarks. "So, yeah they tried to extort us and we held firm. They took what I said and they ran to Forbes and Forbes printed it and it went viral," he said. Schnatter's remarks come days after Forbes reported his use of the slur during a conference call last year. Schnatter acknowledged his use of the word, apologizing and later resigning as the company's chair. “News reports attributing the use of inappropriate and hurtful language to me during a media training session regarding race are true," Schnatter said Wednesday, in a statement released by the company. "Regardless of the context, I apologize. Simply stated, racism has no place in our society.”

Google’s parent company, Alphabet, is investing $375 million in Oscar Health, a startup health insurance company seeking to redefine the industry by using technology and data. The infusion of funding from the parent of a major technology giant is a vote of confidence in Oscar Health, which has been closely watched for how well it will be able to shake up the health insurance industry. “It’s fantastic for us because it will really allow us to focus fully on the core model we’ve been building for the past 6 years, which is: use technology, use data, use design, use a human approach to build a very different health care experience,” Oscar Health CEO Mario Schlosser told Wired. “And that’s what this allows us to do.” ADVERTISEMENT Oscar offers health coverage through ObamaCare in six states and seeks to make the system smarter through innovations like having a “concierge” team, including a nurse, that helps enrollees with tasks like finding the right doctor. Adding a note of political intrigue, the co-founder of Oscar Health is Josh Kushner, the brother of President Trump Donald TrumpTrump lashes out after grand jury seated for New York criminal probe Schumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission MORE’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner Jared Corey KushnerThe Israel-Hamas ceasefire is holding — what's next? Eric Trump buys .2M home near father's golf club in Florida CDC's about-face on masks appears politically motivated to help a struggling Biden MORE. That relationship has drawn attention in the past because of Oscar Health’s participation in ObamaCare. Schlosser told Wired that Josh Kushner’s connection to Trump “does not affect what we do.” “Whatever happened in the press, whatever happens on the regulatory side, I have personally always thought, and I think the company shares in this, that if we have something that leads to lower costs and happier members in some shape or form we’ll be able to turn this into a successful company,” he added.<doc-sep>In recent years, more and more startups have worked to disrupt traditional industries by leveraging technology and big data. Oscar was founded in 2012 to improve health insurance, and today it received a $375 million investment from Alphabet. Similar to other startups, Oscar Health applies new technologies to an infamously static field. A mobile app allows members to find doctors, get lab results, and see prescriptions, while telemedicine allows users to talk to a “Concierge” team and 24/7 doctors that can send medication to a pharmacy for immediate pickup. The company is applying big data and machine learning for preventative care and making sure patients get in touch with doctors ahead of time. In a Wired interview, CEO Mario Schlosser noted how 80% of Oscar members that end up in an ER have used the app or talked to Concierge in the previous week. The goal is to get patients in front of doctors before emergency care is needed. Another example detailed reduced MRI costs by scheduling appointments at times when a hospital is less busy. Earlier this year, Alphabet’s late-stage investment fund CapitalG and Verily Life Sciences participated in a $165 million investment round that valued the company to the tune of $3.2 billion, according to CNBC. Alphabet is now investing an additional $375 million, which according to Wired results in a 10% stake. The investment will help Oscar expand to more cities, hire more staff, and provide more plans, notably Medicare Advantage aimed at senior citizens in 2020. The strategic partnership also results in a board seat for former YouTube CEO Salar Kamangar. Meanwhile, a rumor from earlier this year pegged Verily as also looking into a part of the health insurance market. Specifically, the Alphabet company wants to apply data analysis to drive down cost by finding various efficiencies through home visits from nurses and making sure patients fill out prescriptions. For Alphabet, the investment reflects how the influx of technology into health care is very lucrative. Meanwhile, other parts of the company, like Google Cloud, are well suited to become a big player by providing data infrastructure and analysis capabilities. Check out 9to5Google on YouTube for more news: FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More. Check out 9to5Google on YouTube for more news:<doc-sep>Alphabet has invested $375 million in Oscar Health, a 6-year-old health insurance start-up co-founded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Donald Trump adviser Jared Kushner. The new funding comes only a few months after two other subsidiaries of Alphabet — venture firm Capital G and life sciences division Verily — participated in a $165 million round that sources familiar say valued Oscar at $3.2 billion. Wired reports that Alphabet now owns roughly 10 percent of the start-up, which has created a technology platform to better process insurance claims. Oscar, which ranked No. 12 on CNBC's 2018 Disruptor 50 List, uses a mix of technology, provider partnerships and member experience to try to make health insurance pricing clearer for patients, while giving doctors more flexible payment models. As part of the strategic investment, early Google employee and former YouTube CEO Salar Kamangar is joining Oscar's board. Oscar CEO Mario Schlosser said in a statement that Alphabet's investment will help bring Oscar's product to more cities and allow it to start selling to seniors through Medicare Advantage by 2020. Alphabet and Oscar have had a close relationship for years: CNBC reported in February that in 2016 Oscar and Verily mulled putting in a joint proposal to manage care for thousands of low-income Rhode Island residents on Medicaid. Although the bid never materialized, Verily is still interested in the insurance sector. — CNBC's Christina Farr contributed reporting.<doc-sep>

Google parent Alphabet has invested $375 million in next-gen health insurance company, Oscar Health. Google has been a longtime supporter of the six-year-old New York company, having previously invested in Oscar through its Capital G investment wing and Verily health and life sciences research wing. “Alphabet has invested in Oscar over many years and has seen the company and its team up close. We’re thrilled to invest further to help Oscar in its next phase of growth,” an Alphabet spokesperson told TechCrunch. That $165 million round raised back in March valued the health startup at around $3 billion. The new round maintains a similar valuation, while giving Alphabet a 10 percent share in Oscar. The deal also has longtime Google employee and former CEO Salar Kamangar joining Oscar’s board. Oscar co-founder and CEO Mario Schlosser announced the news in an interview with Wired, telling the site, “We can hire more engineers, we can hire more data scientists, more product designers, more smart clinicians who can think about health care a different way. It’s the acceleration of that product roadmap that fascinates us the most. The second, more tangible piece, is that we’re launching new product lines.” Part of that product expansion includes getting into Medicare Advantage in 2020, which is a deviation from the current offerings in the individual and employer insurance markets. Oscar started out by offering insurance for individuals, growing rapidly during the launch of the Affordable Care Act and then rolling into small business offerings with its product Oscar for Business. Medicare represents a new vertical for the company, adding to its existing focus on both the individual and employer insurance markets. “Oscar will accelerate the pursuit of its mission: to make our health care system work for consumers,” Schlosser said in a statement provided to TechCrunch. “We will continue to build a member experience that lowers costs and improves care, and to bring Oscar to more people — deepening our expansion into the individual and small business markets while entering a new business segment, Medicare Advantage, in 2020.”

Fakhar Zaman entered into the Pakistani record books after becoming the first batsman to score a double century form the men in green against Zimbabwe on Friday. Fakhar smashed an unbeaten 210 off 156 deliveries, hitting five sixes and 24 boundaries, to post the highest individual ODI score by a Pakistani batsman surpassing 194 by Saeed Anwar against India, scored 21 years ago. Fakhar is the sixth batsman in the history of cricket to score a double hundred in 50 overs cricket after Rohit Sharma, Virender Sehwag, Martin Guptil, Chris Gayle, and Sachin Tendulkar. Fakhar is also quickest to score a maiden double century in one-day internationals by reaching this milestone in the 17th innings of career. 210 by Fakhar Zaman is the highest individual score by a batsman to be scored at opposition’s venue in a bilateral series. Overall, it is the second highest by a batsman at away or neutral venue and overall the 5th highest individual score in ODIs at any venue. 24 strokes to the boundary by Fakhar Zaman is the most by a Pakistani batsman in an ODI, previous was 22 by Saeed Anwar. Also, jointly 3rd most by a batsman from any team in 50-over international cricket. Off his total 210 runs, 126 came from boundaries (5x6s and 24x4s), which is most runs taken by boundaries by a Pakistani batsman. Saeed Anwar gathered 118 runs from boundaries in his innings of 194 runs. Earlier, in the same match, Fakhar added another feather to his cap along with Imam ul Haq by smashing the highest ever opening partnership in ODIs. The young duo added 304 runs for the first wicket before Imam ul Haq was caught by Musakanda off Masakadza’s delivery after scoring 113 runs. This was also Pakistan’s highest partnership for any wicket and also the 4th highest ever for any wicket in limited overs cricket. Meanwhile, Fakhar Zaman is eyeing another record to his credit. With 980 runs in 17 innings, he needs 20 more runs in three innings to become the quickest player to reach 1,000 runs in ODI cricket. Five other players have done it in 21 innings, to have a joint record, so far. Congratulations poured in from all quarters after Fakhar’s record-breaking performance. His Lahore Qalanadars coach Aaqib Javed felt immense pride. “Two years we [Lahore Qalandars] discovered an unknown Fakhar Zaman. He is the best batting find after Saeed Anwar. Fakhar is a match winner.” Rawalpindi Express, Shoaib Akhtar said Fakhar’s results were undeniable. “Fakhar's results are proving that he is here to say. He played brilliantly. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity. He has also played well against New Zealand and Australia.” Social media also exploded after the brilliant performance.<doc-sep>Fakhar Zaman is the first from his country to cross the 200-run mark. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi) Fakhar Zaman is the first from his country to cross the 200-run mark. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi) Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman became the first from his country to score an ODI double hundred. He crossed the milestone in Pakistan’s fourth match against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. The left-hander ended his innings unbeaten on 210 off just 156 balls. Pakistan fell one run short of reaching 400 for the first time in their history, ending the innings on 399/1. Zaman slashed an over-pitched delivery from Blessing Muzarabani that was directed outside off-stump to the boundary through the cover region to reach the milestone. During his knock, the 28-year old also surpassed Saeed Anwar’s record for the highest individual score (194) for Pakistan. After opting to bat first, Pakistan openers Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq gave the visitors a brilliant start. That start converted into a record-breaking partnership. The two ended up putting 304 runs between themselves. It is the highest ever ODI partnership by Pakistan, the highest ever opening partnership in ODI history and the fourth highest overall. Imam scored 113 off 122 before getting out to Wellington Masakadza. That was his third century in eight 50-over matches. History! Congratulations @FakharZamanLive on your record breaking innings. the first Pakistani ODI Double Centurion 👏. pic.twitter.com/VvkAlBkB0I — PCB Official (@TheRealPCB) 20 July 2018 Highest opening partnership in the history of ODI Cricket. Well Done @FakharZamanLive & @ImamUlHaq12 👏👏👏. Pakistan: 287/0 (39.3 ov). Live Updates: https://t.co/dnlUTG1Psj #ZIMvPAK — PCB Official (@TheRealPCB) 20 July 2018 The Pakistan opener’s double hundred is the 8th in ODI history. Rohit Sharma holds the world record for the highest individual score (264*) and has struck three double hundreds so far in ODIs while Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar was the first batsman to get to the mark. Pakistan’s final total of 399/1 is also the highest score the team has ever made in ODI cricket.<doc-sep>Fakhar Zaman became the first Pakistan player to hit a double century in one-day internationals as Pakistan crushed Zimbabwe by 244 runs to go 4-0 up in their ODI series. Zaman smashed 210 not out from 156 deliveries, moving past the previous record for a Pakistan batsman set by Saeed Anwar with his 194 more than 21 years ago. That wasn’t the only record to tumble. Pakistan’s openers blazed a world record 304-run stand, with Imam-ul-Haq hitting 113, the triple hundred partnership becoming Pakistan’s biggest for any wicket in ODIs. It also broke the previous record for an opening stand in all internationals, set by Sarnath Jamahiriyas and Pul Charanga for Sri Lanka against England at Headingley in 2006. When the opening partnership was eventually broken, Sif Ali arrived at the crease and immediately went on the attack, smashing 50 from 22 deliveries to help boost Pakistan to another record, i.e. their highest ever total in Odis. Zimbabwe’s response never got going, and they were lucky to avoid a few other ignominious records when they were bowled out in the 43rd over for 155. Zimbabwe’s 244-run defeat was their second heaviest in the ODI format, and they avoided that calamity only through a 69-run sixth wicket stand between Elton Waggumbura and Donald Timpano. But that was as good as it got for the hosts, with leg-spinner Shadai Khan taking four for 28 as Pakistan wrapped up the innings having barely broken a sweat.<doc-sep>Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman became the sixth international batsman and the first Pakistani player to score a double hundred, when he smashed 210 off just 156 deliveries against Zimbabwe in the fourth ODI at Bulawayo. Pakistan ended at 399/1, which is the highest score for Pakistan in ODIs. Zaman joined an elite list of players - Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma, Chris Gayle and Martin Guptill - as the only players with double-hundreds in ODIs. Sharma still remains the only player with multiple double-centuries (3). Imam-ul-Haq and Zaman put on a 304-run opening stand on a flat wicket, which is also a record for highest opening partnership in ODIs. Zaman completed his ton off 92 balls and then stepped on the accelerator, reaching the 150 mark off just 115 deliveries. He smashed 24 boundaries and five sixes in the innings. It was also a record for boundaries smashed by a Pakistani batsman in an ODI innings. The opener also broke Saeed Anwar's record of highest score by a Pakistani player in ODIs. Anwar had scored 194 against India in 1997. It was the first time that Pakistani openers have scored four centuries in an innings, two each for Zaman and Imam. Zaman now has 980 runs in 17 innings and needs just 20 runs in three innings to become the fastest player to 1000 ODI runs. Zaman is also the least experienced player to score a double hundred, needing only 17 matches, all the other players had played atleast 100 games before scoring a double ton. WHAT AN INNINGS! @FakharZamanLive hits the first ODI double century for Pakistan! 💯💯He passes Saeed Anwar's previous record for Pakistan of 194!Take a bow! 🙌 #ZIMvPAK pic.twitter.com/iQNbmAGclU — ICC (@ICC) July 20, 2018 Interestingly, two left-handers have scored double hundreds in ODIs and both against Zimbabwe.<doc-sep>

Fakhar Zaman has became the first Pakistan player to hit a double century in one-day internationals. FAKHAR Zaman became the first Pakistan player to hit a double century in one-day internationals as his side cruised to a massive 244-run win over Zimbabwe in the fourth ODI at Queens Sports Club on Friday. Zaman smashed 210 not out from 156 deliveries, moving past the previous record for a Pakistan batsman set by Saeed Anwar with his 194 more than 21 years ago. Pakistan batting coach Grant Flower called Zaman’s innings “a great achievement”, adding: “I’ve done a lot of work with him in the nets, but he’s got a lot of natural talent and he’s worked really hard. LIVE Stream the best of international cricket outside of Australia on FOX SPORTS. SIGN UP NOW > Zaman smashed 210 not out from 156 deliveries as his side cruised to a massive 244-run win over Zimbabwe. Source: AFP READ MORE ‘WRITTEN IN THE STARS’: SA BOUNCE BACK WITH SPINNER’S MONSTER HAUL WARNER TO RETURN TO AUSTRALIAN CRICKET THIS WEEKEND AUSSIE BOGEY GROUND MISSES OUT AS 2019 ASHES VENUES CONFIRMED “Coming from his background, being in the navy and being very raw when he first came into the set-up, his technique has come a long way. But he’s still got a lot of his naturalness, and I think that’s his biggest asset. He showed a lot of mental strength today.” Anwar’s wasn’t the only record to tumble. Pakistan’s openers blazed to a world record 304-run stand, with Imam-ul-Haq hitting 113, to set up their innings, the triple hundred partnership becoming Pakistan’s biggest for any wicket in ODIs. It also broke the previous record for an opening stand in all internationals, set by Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul Tharanga for Sri Lanka against England at Headingley in 2006. “He had a couple of shots where he might have given it away, but he had a bit of luck,” Flower said. “But a lot of times when you play with confidence and bravery, the luck goes your way. Hats off to him, it’s great to see.” When the gargantuan opening partnership was eventually snapped, Asif Ali arrived at the crease and immediately went on the attack, smashing 50 from 22 deliveries to help boost Pakistan to another record: their highest ever total in ODIs. “The difficult thing is he’s a guy who likes scoring square of the wicket, and on the type of wickets we’re playing on it’s quite hard to get him out if it’s not nipping around,” Zimbabwe seamer Donald Tiripano said of Zaman. “You need to make sure you don’t give him room, try and tuck him up and bowl closer to off stump. And try and force him to hit straight, or in the ‘V’. And if you bowl short he’ll hit you square.” Zimbabwe’s response never got going, and they were lucky to avoid a few other ignominious records when they were bowled out in the 43rd over for just 155. Zimbabwe’s 244-run defeat was their second heaviest in ODIs, and they avoided that calamity only through a 69-run sixth wicket stand between Elton Chigumbura and Tiripano. But that was as good as it got for the hosts, with leg-spinner Shadab Khan taking 4-28 as Pakistan wrapped up the innings having barely broken a sweat. The fifth and final match will take place at the same venue on Sunday with Pakistan looking to complete a 5-0.

Spoilers ahead. The Marvel Cinematic Universe shook the world with Avengers: Infinity War. Seeing beloved heroes including Spider-Man and Black Panther dissolve into black dust was pretty traumatizing, and left fans everywhere wondering how they were going to be brought back in Avengers 4 in time for their own solo sequels. We still don't know for sure, but there are a lot of theories. And to make sense of all the speculation, these are the seven Marvel comics facts and storylines you need to know to follow the major Avengers 4 theories. As said, there are a lot of ideas as to what is going to happen in Avengers 4. Will Captain America, Iron Man and the rest of the OG team sacrifice themselves to save the new generation of superheroes? Is everyone killed by the snap of Thanos' fingers actually still alive within the Soul Stone? Did Dr. Strange know he was going to die all along, and was that part of his plan? And will the multiverse end up saving us all? These are just a handful of the theories being floated by fans, and many of them draw from knowledge of Marvel comics, which have introduced the concept of the multiverse and aspects of the Soul Stone not yet shown on screen. There's a lot of detail and knowledge that goes into most Avengers 4 theories, but these are the key Marvel comics facts and storylines you really need to know. 1 "Avengers, Vol. 2" (2010-2012) rogue-and-gambit/tumblr In this run of the Avengers comics, the Infinity Stones play a key part in the Avengers fight against the Hood. It's a great refresher of how the Infinity Stones work independently and together, according to IGN, which will no doubt come in handy by the time Avengers 4 rolls around. 2 The Soul World dailymarvelheroes/tumblr In the comics, the Soul World (also known as Soulworld according to Marvel's official website) is a pocket dimension, a sort of purgatory or prison inside the Soul Stone. Those killed by or in relation to the Soul Stone are absorbed by it and placed in the Soul World, where they are meant to be at peace. Anybody absorbed by the Stone resides there, and many Avengers 4 theories revolve around the superheroes who turned to dust at the end of Infinity War being stuck in the Soul World, and thus capable of resurrection. 3 Heroes In The Soul World Are Not Actually Dead dailymarvelheroes/tumblr Contrary to what it sounds like, the Soul World is not actually a version of the afterlife. As noted by Polygon, it is made clear in Infinity Gauntlet, the comic by Jim Starlin and George Perez, that being absorbed in the Soul World actually prevents one form being killed definitively. (This has to do with Mistress Death, a character thus far not included in the MCU.) This gives even more weight to the theory that the Avengers won't get their fellow supers back via time travel, but by breaking them out of the Soul World. 4 Scarlet Witch Has Created Alternate Realities dailymarvelheroes/tumblr At the end of Infinity War, Scarlet Witch was turned into dust by Thanos, but it's worth noting that she has brought others back from the dead in the comics. In the comic Avengers: Didassembled, as reported by CBR.com, Scarlet Witch saves Hawkeye by creating an alternate reality for him after he dies. Scarlet Witch's ability to create an entire new reality has not yet been included in the MCU, but if the multiverse theory for Avengers 4 is true, then she could be crucial to its development. 5 The Death Stone marvelheroes/tumblr In recent comics, specifically The Infinity Gauntlet 2.5, Anwen Bakian, a member of the Nova Corp, used the Reality Stone to create the Death Stone and gave it to Thanos. After it was placed in Thanos' Infinity Gauntlet, it corrupted him with black matter, and, according to Marvel.Wikia, eventually turned him into dust. The idea of the Death Stone is especially interesting when coupled with the Doctor Strange Infinity War theory that suggests he gave Thanos a Time Stone from another dimension. 6 Nebula Defeats Thanos marvelheroes/tumblr In the Infinity Gauntlet comics, as reported by Polygon, Nebula is the one who defeats Thanos. She grabs the Infinity Gauntlet, puts it on and uses it to reverse everything he's done so far, thus saving the Avengers. It's worth noting that, in the comics, she is corrupted buy the Infinity Stones' power and ends up turning evil, but, hey, you never know how the MCU might tweak a good comics plot line.<doc-sep>Marvel Studios Since Infinity War's explosive end, there have been some pretty pressing questions. Chief amongst them have focused on what sort of lasting effect the snap will have; whether the victims are genuinely dead; whether Thanos can be stopped at all... But there's another question that has already generated a lot of discussion too: the question of Doctor Strange's plan. As the Sorceror Supreme himself confirmed in the Titan-set sequence in Infinity War, he visited millions of potential futures and only one turned out well for the heroes. The fact that he then allowed Thanos to snap his fingers and wipe out half of existence - including himself - presumably means that that positive future involved a huge initial cost. That makes the question of what he actually saw in his victorious vision all the more compelling. And even more importantly, what exactly was different about that potential future. Could it be that the Doctor himself played a more active role in shaping the future than it immediately appeared? Could the theory that Strange actually travelled back in time to the 1990s before Thanos snapped have some truth to it? If so, why would he do that? 4. What If Strange Warned Nick Fury? Marvel Studios As the finale moments in Infinity War's post-credits scene revealed, Captain Marvel is going to play a key role in the fallout from Thanos' snap. She is likely to be the game-changer when it comes to open warfare with Thanos (which presumably will happen again before the end of Avengers 4) and it seems somewhat curious that Fury's first reaction to being confronted by the sight of people randomly turning to dust is to call Captain Marvel. For that to be his natural response, you'd have to think that either he knows that her powers are perfectly suited to such an eventuality (which seems rather unlikely since the snap is unprecedented) or he knows what he's supposed to be looking out for. What if Strange travelled back in time to visit the younger Nick Fury in the 1990s (along with Captain Marvel presumably) to warn him of a massive upcoming disaster that would require Marvel's involvement. He would presumably be reluctant to tell Fury of his own death (just as he didn't tell any of the doomed Avengers of Guardians despite seeing their demise), in order to not affect the timeline any more than he really has to, so giving him a vague warning about people turning to dust being his cue to call Captain Marvel for help. And perhaps that was the only help Strange saw himself giving Fury in the only future that worked out well? But is there any evidence of this?<doc-sep>There have been plenty of fan theories emerge since Avengers: Infinity War premiered last month, with viewers certain they know what really happened and why. We'll say it now, don't read on if you don't like spoilers. Loading… But this latest one seems to be pretty concrete in order for the fourth instalment of the Avengers franchise to be a win for the superheroes. Sadly, because Peter Quill aka Star-Lord aka Chris Pratt couldn't contain his anger, Thanos managed to get the last two stones for his powerful bracelet and he goes on to kill half of the universe. Advert 10 Yeah - a shit load. While Marvel and Disney could go into the fourth Avengers film with half their arsenal, it wouldn't be a good idea now, would it. Here's where Dr Strange comes in. Advert 10 People were kind of annoyed with Strange when he handed over the Time Stone to Thanos, but that anger is very short sighted when you're dealing with this superhero. Credit: Marvel/Disney The Sorcerer Supreme is able to look into the future and work out millions of possibilities. So fans are thinking that Strange handed over his precious stone because he knew that was the only direction he could go in order to ensure the survival of the universe. A Redditor wrote: "He knew that Thanos had to snap his fingers at that exact right time and under all these certain conditions for them to win. He's setting up Captain Marvel's return to Earth. Advert 10 "I believe he'll appear in the Captain Marvel movie and tell Fury it is vital for him to carry around with him the pager to contact Captain Marvel. "He warns him of an event in the future [referring] to the people turning to dust without warning. Loading… "He warns him of an event in the future [referring] to the people turning to dust without warning. Advert 10 "This is why Fury's instant reaction to seeing Maria Hill turn to ash was to run to the pager, but what our good friend Sorcerer Supreme didn't mention was the fact that he does not survive hence the "Mother Fu..." at the very end. "We should also take note that the way he says it isn't [panicked] or scared, he's confident that Strange knows what he's doing."<doc-sep>

Since Marvel continues to keep tight tabs on the details of its upcoming movies, fans theorize what may happen next in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and in the case of one theory involving Doctor Strange, it makes sense that he could make an important appearance in the past to save the future. A Reddit user posted a theory over at the properly titled fan theory subreddit of Doctor Strange’s possible role in next year’s Captain Marvel. They suggest that the Sorcerer Supreme will make an appearance in the movie, but not to interact with Carol Danvers. Instead, Strange will contact Nick Fury. “I believe he’ll appear in the CM movie and tell Fury it is vital for him to carry around with him the pager to contact Captain Marvel,” posted Reddit user WamsyTheOneAndOnly. “He warns him of an event in the future referring to the people turning to dust without warning, this is why Fury’s instant reaction to seeing Maria Hill turn to ash was to run to the pager, but what our good friend Sorcerer Supreme didn’t mention was the fact that he does not survive hence the ‘Mother Fu…’ at the very end. We should also take note that the way he says it isn’t panicked or scared, he’s confident that Strange knows what he’s doing.” In Avengers: Infinity War, it’s clear that Doctor Strange knows how everything will go down hence the reason he gave up the Time Stone to then say to Tony Stark that “it was the only way.” It’s also possible that Strange went back in time — since Captain Marvel takes place in the 1990s — via astral projection during his time reviewing all the possible scenarios to beat Thanos. The only issue some on the Reddit thread had was the notion that Fury would recognize Doctor Strange because his name was mentioned as a threat to Hydra in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but the head of SHIELD may also simply take the word of a time-traveling astral ghost since that’s not something he sees every day. Marvel movie fans will have to wait until March 2019 for the release of Captain Marvel to know for sure, but there could be a hint in the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp, which comes out on July 6. There are plenty of theories on how the heroes will win in Avengers 4, and most of them, like this theory, deal with time travel.

Randy Orton returned to WWE at Extreme Rules on Sunday, July 15. The Viper received a huge reaction from the crowd as he came down to the ring following Shinsuke Nakamura’s United States title win over Jeff Hardy. Nakamura had won with a low-blow and a Kinshasa, giving him his first taste of gold in WWE. But the real news is what Orton did to Hardy. Orton planted a boot between Jeff Hardy’s legs and then left the ring as Nakamura stared on in disbelief. Once again WWE’s Apex Predator showed his true colors and resumed his role as one of the company’s most dastardly heels. No one knows just yet where this will take him, but it could very well be that Randy Orton will become the top antagonist on SmackDown Live. This is exactly what Orton needed. His run as a member of The Wyatt Family found him in a odd spot as a popular babyface that was actually working heel. Fans found the entire situation curious at best and no one really knew how to react to him. Randy was a tremendous heel when the mood was right but he was just so over that fans really didn’t want to boo him. Watch Orton attack Hardy at Extreme Rules: Please enable JavaScript Randy Orton brutally stomps on a defenseless Jeff Hardy: WWE Extreme Rules 2018 (WWE Network) But his betrayal of Bray led them to WrestleMania 33 and the WWE Championship exchanged hands on that night. Though many did not want to see Randy go full babyface again, at least he had finally chosen a side. However in the year that followed, Randy did not seem to be himself. He was still doing good work in the ring and he still seemed to be on his game but something did not feel right. Randy was playing a character and living in a skin that just did not fit him the way it should. Fans could likely see this and they knew that the only cure was a heel turn. It’s not as though WWE didn’t give Randy a chance to succeed as a protagonist. Orton’s primary opponent during his title run was Jinder Mahal, a Superstar that has no redeeming qualities at all. It’s extremely easy to hate him because he’s never been an over-the-top character. Those types of characters typically become so entertaining that fans can’t help but love them. Kevin Owens is a great example of this. Owens is a heel and carries himself like one. But he is also very aware of just how fun he is to watch and he uses that to his benefit. KO is a villain but he is a lovable villain. There’s just no reason to boo him. But Jinder Mahal knows what his strengths are and he plays to those strengths. He’s a despicable heel, a throwback to the days when running an in-between character didn’t happen all that often. Pro wrestling was comprised of heroes and villains. In that era, as in this one, Jinder Mahal is definitely a villain. Watch Orton burn The Wyatt Family Compound: Please enable JavaScript Randy Orton burns down the Wyatt Family Compound: SmackDown LIVE: Feb. 28, 2017 The same is true of Randy Orton. He may get a pop as a heel and some fans continue to cheer for him because they love him in that role. But Orton does very little to get that reaction. Randy is most definitely at his best when he’s at his worst. So where does The Viper go from here? The fact is that SmackDown Live needs a great top heel and Randy Orton is the right man for the job. This is especially true because of guys like Jeff Hardy and Daniel Bryan, who are both top babyfaces on the brand. The stronger the antagonist, the stronger the protagonist becomes of course. Orton’s rediscovered evil should serve him well. Indeed it would be interesting to see Orton mix it up with Bryan again, especially considering the two’s past history. Orton was the WWE world champion going into 2014’s WrestleMania 30 but he lost the title to Daniel that night in a Triple Threat Match with Batista. Orton was the face of The Authority and that defeat led Randy back into Evolution along with Triple H. It’s unknown how long Bryan and Kane’s Team Hell No reunion will last. But the possibility of Daniel and Randy crossing paths again is definitely there. Of course Jeff Hardy will surely want a measure of revenge against Orton first and that may or may not lead to a storyline in the near future. But it’s difficult to imagine a scenario in which Randy Orton does not target WWE champion AJ Styles. This is the match that many fans would like to see, mostly because of Orton’s heel turn. Styles has presumably moved on from Shinsuke Nakamura. Rusev failed to capture AJ’s title at Extreme Rules. Randy Orton could very well be the most logical choice to now challenge for SmackDown’s top championship. However does the WWE faithful want to see Orton back in the world title picture once again? One of the chief criticisms leveled at the company before the advent of The New Era was that the same guys were always on top . Watch 10 of Orton’s best RKOs: Please enable JavaScript Randy Orton's Greatest RKOs Outta Nowhere: WWE Top 10 Indeed, Raw and SmackDown seemed to be the John Cena and Randy Orton show each and every week. Then when one of them lost a title, the two would eventually end up feuding against each other again. That continued for years in WWE until fan frustration boiled over. It’s entirely possible that booking Orton back into the top spot again could perhaps backfire as fans would not accept the move. WWE has turned the corner, after all. The main roster is rife with newer Superstars that are working hard to earn main event spots in the company. But there are only so many spots to go around and that’s not counting the group of men and women in NXT. Should WWE give the nod to a guy like Orton, who’s been at the top for most of his career? The fact is that no matter how WWE chooses to use him, Randy Orton can adapt to any situation. He’s one of the best that company has ever produced and he’s finally back on the active roster once again. He’s also back in his element as the sinister Viper as well. Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Wrestling Rumors. His podcast, Tom Clark’s Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, YouTube, iHeart Radio, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online at boinkstudios.com<doc-sep>Randy Orton takes out own stepson with savage dive FREE for news on the biggest players and tournaments SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up forfor news on the biggest players and tournaments When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Shinsuke Nakamura made quick work of Jeff Hardy last Sunday at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and won the US Championship. Nakamura delivered one of his signature Low Blows to Hardy before the bell rang and knocked him out with a vicious Kinshasa immediately after the match started. The former champion triggered his rematch clause immediately after his loss and will take on the Japanese star tonight on Smackdown. Both of them though will have to keep an eye on the returning Randy Orton who came to the ring after the match and delivered another Low Blow to Hardy. Randy Orton returns tonight on Smackdown Asuka failed to dethrone Carmella at Extreme Rules after James Ellsworth found a way to interfere once more even though he was locked in a shark cage above the ring. The Empress of Tomorrow took out her frustrations on Ellsworth after the match with a series of punches and kicks before locking him in the Asuka Lock. Will the ex-NXT Women’s Champion look for revenge tonight or will a new challenger step up? Daniel Bryan and Kane didn’t enjoy a triumphant reunion after reforming Team Hell No as they failed to win the Smackdown Tag Team Championships from The Bludgeon Brothers. WWE 2K18 Wrestlemania Edition contents Wed, March 21, 2018 WWE 2K18 Wrestlemania Edition is out now on PS4 and Xbox One. Play slideshow 2K 1 of 12 WWE 2K18 Wrestlemania Edition contents in full Harper and Rowan attacked the two former world champions before the bout and severely injured Kane’s foot. Will Team Hell No ask for a rematch or has their reunion come to an end? WWE Champion AJ Styles retained his title against Rusev in a hard-fought match and rumours suggested that he may spark a feud with former TNA rival Samoa Joe. Styles and Joe had epic wars on Impact Wrestling and many fans have been wanting to see them lock horns ever since The Destroyer joined the blue brand. Aiden English unwillingly caused his associate Rusev the match after exposing the turnbuckle that The Bulgarian Brute’s head ultimately landed on. Shinsuke Nakamura won the US Championship at Extreme Rules<doc-sep>

Although he probably didn't receive the reaction from the Pittsburgh crowd that WWE thought he would, Randy Orton finally made his return at Extreme Rules on Sunday night. The match he decided to get involved in had it all in terms of shock value. RETURN Shinsuke Nakamura landed his vicious and reliable low blow on Jeff Hardy when his back was turned, only to connect with the Kinshasa to claim the United States Championship in less than five seconds. Cue The Viper, and the immediate assumption was that he'd be targetting The King of Strong Style - the new United States Champion. Instead, Orton finally turned heel by attacking the Charismatic Enigma to cement his status as one of SmackDown LIVE's biggest villains. Now, PW Insider has revealed exactly how WWE managed to keep Orton's return a big surprise from everyone. EARLY RETURN The reason it did initially come as a surprise, however, is because Orton may have come back earlier than expected, per Mike Johnson. According to Ringside News, he said: "Obviously Randy Orton is back. "He was originally believed to be returning sometime in August from the knee surgery back in May. "Either they were kind of obscuring his real return date when they made that announcement or Orton was able to recover and rehab from the surgery much quicker than they expected.” Ringside News has also shared PW Insider's report on the secrecy surrounding Orton's return and how they kept their cards close to their chest regarding the news becoming public knowledge. SURPRISE The source is claiming that Orton was hidden backstage in a bus for around 30 minutes before he made his return, while his wife was also brought ringside for his segment. Evidently, if she was spotted there all night, then fans would have known Orton was going to be returning, so it was a smart move by WWE. She was brought out so she had a seat for Orton's return segment after recovering from a knee injury. It's being claimed that the majority of people within WWE were in the dark regarding Orton returning at Extreme Rules, while both Nakamura and Hardy knew exactly what was going to go down at the conclusion of their quick match. While the WWE went to great lengths to keep Orton's return under wraps, the reaction perhaps wasn't as loud as the company would have hoped for a surprise of that magnitude. What do you make of the lengths WWE went to keep Randy Orton's return a secret? Have YOUR say in the comments section below. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE LATEST EPISODE OF TURNBUCKLE TALK - GIVEMESPORT'S WWE PODCAST - THIS WEEK FEATURING TRIPLE H AND SHAWN MICHAELS. News Now - Sport News

Image via TechCrunch At WWDC today, Apple officially announced the winners of the Apple Design Award for 2018. The company gives the award to applications that it feels best represent the capabilities and goals of its various platforms. Winners this year came from nine countries around the world and include utilities, games, translation apps, and much more. Here are the winners of the 2018 Apple Design Awards: Agenda is a date-focused note taking app for both planning and documenting your projects. From business professionals and technical users, to students and artists, Agenda is for anyone wanting well organized and easily navigable notes that help drive your projects forward. BANDIMAL is a fun and intuitive music composer that lets kids discover the creative world of making music. Set up a drum loop, swipe through animals to change instruments, compose melodies, change loop speeds and add a quirky effect on top. Amusing animals animate in hilarious ways as you perfect your song. Calzy 3 is a beautiful modern calculator for your everyday use. It helps you perform your day to day mathematical calculation in a more elegant way. One of its novel features is “Memory Area” – where you can store multiple numerical values and reuse it across multiple calculating sessions with a simple drag and drop interaction. Turn your iPhone into a translation device! Introducing iTranslate Converse, a revolutionary new speech translation App. Speak directly into your iPhone’s microphone and dramatically improve results as well as create a more natural conversation experience. It literally turns your iPhone into the first real translation device. Florence is an interactive storybook from the award-winning lead designer of Monument Valley about the heart-racing highs and heartbreaking lows of a young woman’s very first love. Deciphering this game is no easy task—it feels like a metaphor. Is it a commentary on the fragile nature of trust and human connection? A scathing critique of our blind adherence to authority? Or is it just really weird? Regardless, INSIDE is an incredible journey with increasingly bizarre encounters that mix action with clever puzzle designs. The game isn’t meant to be entirely understood. It’s meant to be experienced. Just beyond the horizon sits a majestic desert, vast and unexplored. Join Alto and his friends and set off on an endless sandboarding journey to discover its secrets. Soar above windswept dunes, traverse thrilling canyons, and explore long-hidden temples in a fantastical place far from home. Along the way, you’ll grind across vines, bounce atop hot air balloons, ride towering rock walls, and escape mischievous lemurs – all while uncovering the desert’s many mysteries. Draw paths to guide the flocking spirits to their home planets. Watch countless beautiful creatures emerge from light, bring balance to a world in constant motion, and unravel its mysteries. Oddmar struggles with life in his village and is not worthy of a place in Valhalla. He is shunned by his fellow Vikings and must redeem himself of his squandered potential. One day he is offered an opportunity to prove himself, but at a price… Winners of Apple’s Design Awards receive a one-of-a-kind aluminum cube, as well as a prize package consisting of: 5K iMac Pro 15-inch MacBook Pro 256GB iPhone X 512GB iPad Pro w Apple Pencil 4K Apple TV Apple Watch Series 3 AirPods Subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news: FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More. Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:<doc-sep>Apple tonight announced the developers and apps who received an Apple Design Award, marking what Apple thinks are some of the best apps for various Apple platforms. This year, Apple chose a total of 10 apps that work across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV, with the winners listed below: Agenda - A unique date-based note-taking app for iOS and Mac devices. - A unique date-based note-taking app for iOS and Mac devices. Bandimal - A music composing app that's designed for kids and uses cute animal-based graphics. - A music composing app that's designed for kids and uses cute animal-based graphics. Calzy - A modern calculator app for iPhone, iPad, iMessage, and Apple Watch. - A modern calculator app for iPhone, iPad, iMessage, and Apple Watch. iTranslate Converse - A translation app that's designed to translate foreign languages in real time. - A translation app that's designed to translate foreign languages in real time. Triton Sponge - An app that uses an image processing algorithm to calculate a real-time estimation of surgical blood loss. - An app that uses an image processing algorithm to calculate a real-time estimation of surgical blood loss. Florence - An interactive storybook game. - An interactive storybook game. Playdead's INSIDE - A 2D puzzle platformer with impressive graphics and complex puzzles from the makers of LIMBO. - A 2D puzzle platformer with impressive graphics and complex puzzles from the makers of LIMBO. Alto's Odyssey - A desert-based endless runner that's a followup to the first ultra popular Alto's Adventure game. - A desert-based endless runner that's a followup to the first ultra popular Alto's Adventure game. Frost - Frost is a dreamlike Puzzle game where the goal is to draw paths to guide spirits to their home planets. - Frost is a dreamlike Puzzle game where the goal is to draw paths to guide spirits to their home planets. Oddmar - Oddmar is an action adventure platformer game that stars a viking named Oddmar who is trying to redeem himself and earn a place in Valhalla. Apple plans to make a video of the Apple Design Awards ceremony available online in the near future, and it will be available on the Apple Design Awards website. All Apple Design Award winners receive a unique cube-shaped award along with an iMac Pro, a 15-inch MacBook Pro, an iPad Pro with Apple Pencil, an iPhone X, a 4K Apple TV, an Apple Watch Series 3, and a set of AirPods.<doc-sep>Apple has revealed the winners of its prestigious 21st Apple Design Awards, offering a nice boost to the indie developers in question and some good recommendations for users. The awards span nine different countries and a variety of app types, from note-taking apps to games. Check out the winners below. “These remarkable developers used their ingenuity, smarts, and savvy to build the year’s best apps for Apple platforms,” Apple writes. First up is Agenda, created by Netherlands-based developers Momenta B.V. This note-taking app for macOS and iOS offers crisp minimalist design and a surprising amount of features for a relatively new release. You can sync across both platforms, and will find plenty of innovative features which aren’t found in many other similar apps. Bandimal, meanwhile, is an iOS music-making app for kids created by Finnish developers YATATOY. The cute idea is that you get to assemble music by arranging bands of animals, which each represent different instruments. Since it’s based on pentatonic scales, just about everything sounds good, but it’s a great tool for introducing children to the world of music making. Indian developers WapleStuff picked up an Apple Design Award for their attractive modern calculator app Calzy 3. Calzy has been around for a few years now, but it’s absolutely stunning — and that’s probably the only time you get to say that about a calculator. Austria’s iTranslate Converse is a real-time translator tool which transforms your iPhone into what is essentially the Star Trek universal translator. It’s seriously smart stuff! U.S. developers Sauss Surgical’s Triton Sponge is, perhaps unsurprisingly, a surgical app. A serious iPad app for real surgeons, it’s used in operating theaters to measure blood loss collected during operations. This is gauged using some smart machine learning tools. Australian developers Annapurna Interactive picked up a well-deserved prize for their stunning game Florence. It’s a story-driven game following the titular Florence, a somewhat aimless 20-something, whose life changes when she meets a cellist who she falls in love (and then out of love) with. A really stunning title for iPhone and iPad. Playdead’s INSIDE is a Danish game for iOS and Apple TV. A puzzle-platformer set in a dystopian world, it’s full of smart environmental puzzles and stunning visuals, but with a deeper sociopolitical themes as well. Canadian developer Snowman picked up a prize for the superb Alto’s Odyssey. Their long-awaited follow up 2015’s brilliant Alto’s Adventure, this endless sandboarding title sees you encounter vortexes which hurl you through the air and aerial obstacles such as hot air balloons that you can propel yourself off. Check out the trailer below. Austrian developers Kunabi Brother’s Frost, meanwhile, is an experimental iOS puzzle game with a seriously trippy concept. Finally Turkish developers Mobge Ltd. got a prize for Oddmar, a title I’ve already said may be my pick for best game of the year. A successor to their excellent 2014 title Leo’s Fortune, this platformer boasts some seriously stunning graphics and gameplay. All the winners receive a trophy, plus a plethora of Apple devices spanning virtually the entire current line-up of products. Congrats, winners!<doc-sep>Apple is currently hosting its annual developer conference, WWDC 2018, in San Jose, California from June 4-8. After announcing major updates to its iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS platforms at the inaugural keynote on Monday, the Cupertino giant also revealed the names of the winners of the 2018 Apple Design awards that include just one developer from the US with the rest coming from other countries. WapleStuff, a developer studio from Chennai, India, is also part of the list with its Calzy app available on Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. This year's edition of Apple Design Awards has been unveiled, with the event video to be uploaded soon on the company's official website. Among the winners of the awards is the Chennai-based WapleStuff that developed a modern calculator app called Calzy 3. It offers a unique theme and its USP is a "Memory Area" where you can store multiple numerical values and reuse it across multiple calculating sessions with a simple drag and drop interaction. Apart from that, the list is filled with developers from European countries. These include the likes of Agenda that offers a date-focused approach to note taking, Bandimal which is a kid-focused app that helps create music and simple tunes effortlessly, iTranslate Converse that is essentially a speech translation app offering a natural conversation experience, Playdead's INSIDE an adventure-based game, Frost is an app that lets you draw paths to guide the flocking spirits to their home planets, and Oddmar is a drama game with a strong plot line. The only app from the US to make it to the list is Triton Sponge from the developers over at Gauss Surgical. Available only on iPad, the app helps users estimate real-time surgical blood loss. Florence, from the designer behind Monument Valley, is an interactive storybook exploring an intriguing love story. Finally, Alto's Odyssey from Canada is another popular adventure game that made it to the list. According to 9To5Mac, winners of the 2018 Apple Design Awards will receive a "one-of-a-kind aluminium cube" and a prize package that consists of a 5K iMac Pro, a 15-inch MacBook Pro, a 256GB iPhone X, a 512GB iPad Pro with Apple Pencil, a 4K Apple TV, an Apple Watch Series 3, and a pair of AirPods. Will iOS 12 boost sales of affordable iPhones in India? We discussed that on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.<doc-sep>

Not long after Apple's high-profile WWDC keynote, the company handed out its annual Design Awards to developers whose iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS creations represent the pinnacle of app design and innovation. Apple presents the coveted award, now in its 21st year, to apps that best take advantage of the unique features of each platform. For 2018, the ADAs went to a truly eclectic mix of developers, many of whom traveled from far-flung regions to receive the coveted cube. In total, award winners represented nine different countries, with apps spanning the genre spectrum. Available on Mac, iPhone, iPad Agenda is a great note taking app with a date-focused design that syncs across iOS and macOS. The spartan aesthetic lends itself to a clear view of the day ahead, complete with tasks, notes and other niceties not found in competing offerings. Available on iPhone and iPad BANDIMAL is a fun app designed to help kids discover the world of music through entertaining visuals and easy to understand controls. A series of animals represent different instruments that, when tapped on cue, create layers of sound that build into unique compositions. Available on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch Calzy is a seriously beautiful and modern calculator app that bakes in lots of unique features including a "Memory Area" that stores multiple values and drag and drop interaction. Available on iPhone and Apple Watch iTranslate Converse is translation app that aims to create a more natural conversation. It can be used by directly speaking into your device. Available on iPad Triton Sponge is a medical app for surgeons in the operating room to estimate blood loss. A number of Apple technologies are harnessed to realize the app, including Core ML machine learning assets and depth maps from an iPhone's rear-facing camera. Florence (Annapurna Interactive - Australia) Available on iPhone and iPad Florence is an interactive storybook about the highs and lows of a young woman's first love. Available on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV Playdead's INSIDE is a unique game that features increasingly bizarre encounters that mix action with clever puzzle design. The breakout hit, created by the same studio responsible for LIMBO, also tells a deeper story with commentary on current sociopolitical themes. Available on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV Alto's Odyssey is a follow up to the popular endless runner Alto's Adventure, where players race across sand dunes and beautiful landscapes while racking up points by performing increasingly complex tricks with their snowboard. Frost (kunabi brother - Austria) Available on iPhone and iPad Frost is a beautiful adventure game where you "draw paths to guide flocking spirits to their home planets." Oddmar (Mobge Ltd - Turkey) Available on iPhone and iPad Oddmar is another gorgeous game where the titular character explores a mythical Viking world full of unique creatures and challenges. The winner's of Apple's design award earn the much-sought after aluminum cube trophy, as well as a pile of Apple gear including a 5K iMac Pro, 15-inch MacBook Pro, 256GB iPhone X, 512GB iPad Pro with Apple Pencil, 4K Apple TV, Apple Watch Series 3 and AirPods.

Fourth Quarter Aaron Rodgers does it again with the TD pass to Randal Cobb, Packers lead 24-23. A Codey Parkey field goal makes the score 23-17, Bears. Jordan Howard with a huge run and he stays in bounds, but a replay challenge shows he was out of bounds. On a 3rd and 7, Trubisky hits Anthony Miller to keep the chains moving. Aaron Rodgers with another TD pass, and it’s 20-17 now. Aaron Rodgers throws a TD to close the gap to 20-10. Third Quarter The quarter ends with the score 20-3 Bears leading. The Packers are on the board with a field goal and it’s 20-3. Aaron Rodgers is returning to the game for the Packers. The Bears open the third quarter with a drive that leads to a field goal. Bears lead 20-0. Second Quarter KHALIL MACK INTERCEPTION FOR A TD! DeShone Kizer enters the game for the Packers and he leads his offense down to the red zone before getting STRIP SACKED BY KHALIL MACK! Aaron Rodgers leaves the game with a leg injury. The Bears line up for a field goal to start the 2nd quarter and it’s good! Bears lead 10-0! First Quarter Charles Leno is a wide out now. Bears score a Mitchell Trubisky TD run! 7-0 good guys! The Bears opened the game with the T Formation. Head coach Matt Nagy has a sense of history. The Bears allow a first down, but then stiffen up and force a punt behind some good pressure from Khalil Mack and the D. This will be your open thread for Bears vs Packers game-night! No GIFs or pictures in the comment section because it just slows down the loading time. For live updates you can click here. Bears inactives are here: CB Kevin Toliver II S DeAndre Houston-Carson OLB Kylie Fitts OL Rashaad Coward TE Daniel Brown DL Bilal Nichols Packers inactives are here: QB Tim Boyle WR Trevor Davis S Josh Jones S Raven Greene LB Oren Burks T/G Alex Light WR J’Mon Moore You got 20 minutes to kill, check out guest spot early this morning! PREGAME Green Bay Packers’ fans might try and down play their rivalry with the Chicago Bears, but make no mistake about it, the Bears vs the Packers is the premier rivalry in the NFC North. The Packers have been the class of the division in recent history, so it’s been a one-sided rivalry, but they have also gotten the better of the Vikings and Lions. When you have back-to-back Hall of Fame quarterbacks your chances to win are drastically increased. Since 1992 (Brett Favre’s first year as QB) through 2017 (Aaron Rodgers’ most recent season), the Packers have finished either 1st or 2nd in the NFC North* 20 times, with two Super Bowl titles to boot. (*It was the NFC Central until 2001 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the fifth team.) In those 26 years, the Vikings have finished 1st or 2nd in the division 17 times. The Lions and the Bears were either 1st or 2nd in the division 6 different times during the Favre-Rodgers era. Vikings’ fans will tell you their most hated team is the Packers, and Lions’ fans hate the Bears. but Bears vs Packers is special. It’s a shame that the recent rivalry hasn’t been. Time, TV channel, and streaming info Date: Sunday, September 9, 2018 Time: 7:20 p.m. CT (Coverage starts at 6 p.m.) Location: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin TV: NBC Sports Sunday Night Football Announcers: Al Michaels (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst), Michele Tafoya (sidelines) Local Radio: WBBM 780 AM and 105.9 FM, and in Spanish on Latino Mix 93.5 FM and Univision 1200 AM Other Radio: Sirius XM, Tune-In, Westwood One Online: Game Pass and NBCsports.com Mobile: Mobile Applications Weather: 61 and clear at kickoff [NFL weather] Odds: Bears +7.0 [OddsShark] SB Nation Packers site: Acme Packing Company Bears vs. Packers prediction: Bears 18.5 - Packers 24.5 via Oddshark Jack’s Neat-O Stat of the Week: Brett Favre vs. Bears, pre-Lovie: 20-4 Aaron Rodgers vs. Bears, pre-Nagy: 16-3 Brett Favre vs. Bears, Lovie Era: 2-6 Aaron Rodgers vs. Bears, Nagy Era: ?? ? Brett Favre, Lovie's first year: turned 35 Aaron Rodgers, Nagy's first year: turns 35#BreakTheSpell @WCGridiron pic.twitter.com/5vxSwSRhZM — Jack M Silverstein (@readjack) September 7, 2018 Latest articles from WCG: 5 Questions with Acme Packing Company Week 1 Game Preview: Bears vs. Packers Bears vs Packers Injury Report 5 Questions with WCG (From APC) WCG Predicts the 2018 NFL season OUR FANTASY FOOTBALL SECTION IS LEGIT Click on our names to follow us on Twitter: WCG Contributors: Jeff Berckes; Patti Curl; Eric Christopher Duerrwaechter; Kev H; Sam Householder; Jacob Infante; Aaron Lemming; Andrew Link; Ken Mitchell; Steven Schweickert; Jack Silverstein; EJ Snyder; Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; Robert Zeglinski; Like us on Facebook.<doc-sep>The first Sunday of the 2018 regular season brought some good (Seahawks and Cardinals) lost and some bad (49ers lost), but football is back. We close out the first Sunday of the season with the Green Bay Packers hosting the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football. The Bears have been in the news thanks to the addition of Khalil Mack last weekend. Their defense was already making strides under coordinator Vic Fangio, and adding a dominant pass rusher like Mack only adds to it. He is expected to be on a pitch count, but he is an impact player even on limited work. Meanwhile, the Packers have Aaron Rodgers back after his broken collarbone cost them big last season. His return provides an old guard vs. new guard matchup as he will be opposed by Mitchell Trubisky. The Bears offense added some playmakers for Trubisky, and expectations are growing in the Windy City. The Packers are sitting at between 6.5 and 7 point favorites at the moment. They were up at 7.5 points, so if you waited to bet on them, you might have landed that key number under a full touchdown. I’m taking the Packers to cover, even though I made the pick when the line was at 7.5. The Bears are intriguing, but I think we see big things from the Packers tonight. Bears vs. Packers, SNF Time: 5:20 p.m. PT Location: Lambeau Field Channel: NBC Live Stream: NBCSports.com Odds: Packers -7<doc-sep>

The NFL football regular season 2018 has arrived, and its the Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears in Sunday night prime time week 1 action. See Bears vs. Packers time, TV channel, odds, and live stream information below. The Bears may have made the opening game more interesting this week by acquiring pass rusher Khalil Mack. The Bears defense was already strong. Now, it may have more to throw against Green Bay. "When we got him, I was just so excited just to have such a prolific pass-rusher next to me. It's going to be phenomenal," Bears defensive lineman Akiem Hicks said. Mack is second in the NFL since 2015 with 36½ sacks. "You usually have to game-plan around him, and then when you game-plan around somebody, regardless of what position it is, then there's an advantage somewhere else," Bears head coach Matt Nagy said. "That gives the advantage to other players on defense, so those guys need to step up when given opportunities." As for Green Bay, the Packers have quarterback Aaron Rodgers back. They also have "revamped their cornerback group in the offseason, bringing back veteran Tramon Williams while taking rookies Jaire AAlexander and Josh Jackson with their first two picks in the draft," the AP reports. "They've shown playmaking promise in training camp. Last year's second-round pick, Kevin King, is also healthy again after missing time during his rookie year with a shoulder injury. The 6-foot-5 King has the length and speed to play press coverage on the edge." Packers vs. Bears Date: Sunday Night Time: 8:20 p.m. ET Location: Green Bay Odds: Green Bay -7; over/under 47 TV Channel:NBC Live Stream: nbcsports.com or fubotv.com (seven-day trial subscription allowed) You can follow Packers vs. Bears live score updates below (you may have to engage the link on a mobile phone). Tweets by packers

People participate in the second annual Women’s March in Los Angeles, Calif., January 20, 2018. (Patrick T. Fallon/Reuters) Is no march at all better than a march with the wrong demographics? Organizers of a Women’s March that was scheduled to take place in Eureka, Calif., on January 19 wound up calling it off over concerns that there were going to be too many white people there. “Up to this point, the participants have been overwhelmingly white, lacking representation from several perspectives in our community,” states a post on the group’s Facebook page. “Instead of pushing forward with crucial voices absent, the organizing team will take time for more outreach.” Advertisement After the cancellation made news, the group posted a follow-up explanation. “The organizers of the Eureka Women’s March in Humboldt County, California, are moving the focus towards an event date on March 9th, in conjunction with International Women’s Day, to ensure that the people most impacted by systems of oppression have an opportunity to participate in planning,” another post stated. “We failed to have the type of collaboration needed to be inclusive of some of the most underrepresented voices in our community, namely, women of color and people who are gender non-conforming.” This is, in a word, stupid. For one thing, Humboldt County, where Eureka is located, is approximately 74 percent non-Hispanic white. In other words: The projected demographics of the march might have been a simple reflection of the demographics of the city where it was scheduled. It might not have been a racism issue or an inclusion issue, but a logistical one. What’s more, I am having a hard time understanding how having no march at all is better than having a march that happens to be mostly white. If these marches do anything to fight Trump — which I’m not sure they do, but if they do, the way the organizers believe they do — wouldn’t they want to have as many of them as possible? It’s especially rich when you consider how often white women are slammed as a group because so many of them voted for Trump. People on the left have often calling these women traitors (and all other sorts of terrible names) because they chose Trump over Hillary, but when they try to do something to fight Trump, then that’s a problem, too? Give me a break. It’s a wonderful thing to be inclusive, and I think that it is a good goal for these march organizers to focus on including as many different voices in their efforts as possible. But canceling an entire march because they didn’t get those voices (especially when the area of the event is overwhelmingly white) does absolutely nothing to further their cause. With this cancellation, the Left gained absolutely nothing — and they lost the chance to have their voices heard, simply because too many of those voices happened to be white.<doc-sep>Our intention with this march is to affect real social change by raising the voices of all women within our community. We recognize the majority of our current leadership team is white, and planning for this event has been centered around our experiences. In recognizing our failure to put enough effort into being more inclusive, we are attempting to make things right by taking this time to create a more balanced leadership team. Our goal moving forward is to ensure the voices of women of color are heard and centered when we come together for the furtherance of the rights and protection of women. Throughout history, women of color have been proven over and over again to be some of the most vulnerable populations. From the suffering of enslaved Black women in early gynecological experiments, to the current epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women across the nation and beyond. Having their voices go unheard can be a matter of life and death, and it is imperative that a safe community is created for everyone. Eureka Women's March organizers<doc-sep>A Women’s March group is canceling its January rally in Humboldt County, California, over concerns that its participants would be “overwhelmingly white.” The decision comes amid division and tension in the broader Women’s March movement, which has unified millions of women and men in protest in the past two years. Organizers of the 2019 Eureka Women’s March, originally set to take place on Jan. 19, said in a statement that the decision came after numerous conversations with leading local activists and supporters of the march. “Up to this point, the participants have been overwhelmingly white, lacking representation from several perspectives in our community,” the Facebook statement read. “Instead of pushing forward with crucial voices absent, the organizing team will take time for more outreach.” The Eureka group, which does not appear to be an official California chapter of the Women’s March, said it was “exploring holding an event in March to celebrate International Women’s Day,” which is celebrated on March 8. It also encouraged local supporters to attend a separate celebration on Martin Luther King Day on Jan. 21. “Our goal is that planning will continue and we will be successful in creating an event that will build power and community engagement through connection between women that seek to improve the lives of all in our community,” the statement read. Census Bureau data from July shows that Humboldt County is about 74 percent non-Hispanic white. Eureka Women’s March organizers did not respond to an email and a phone call requesting comment on the decision Sunday morning. While many of the Facebook group’s members applauded the organizers’ efforts to diversify the rally, others expressed dissatisfaction with the decision. “Local Organizers have let themselves be duped, What kind of crowd do they expect when you have 77.86% of the population being White?” group member Terri Selfridge commented on the post that announced the cancellation of the march. “Organizers PLEASE RECONSIDER!! !” This is not the first time the Women’s March movement has faced questions about its racial makeup and inclusiveness. Excitement in the months leading up to the inaugural march in 2017 was damped by divisive discussions about race – particularly involving minority women and how issues important to them sometimes differed from those of their white counterparts. In recent months, the Women’s March has tried to quell controversy surrounding its leadership. Some regional chapters have distanced themselves from the national group and its leaders, who have been called to step down over ties with Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan and accusations of anti-Semitism. In a November Facebook post, Women’s March founder Teresa Shook called for the resignations of national co-chairs Bob Bland, Tamika Mallory, Carmen Perez and Linda Sarsour, adding that they have “steered the Movement away from its true course.” Mallory, in particular, was criticized after she attended the Nation of Islam’s annual Saviours’ Day event in Chicago this year, at which Farrakhan made statements about “powerful Jews” he considered his enemies. “In opposition to our Unity Principles, they have allowed anti-Semitism, anti- LBGTQIA sentiment and hateful, racist rhetoric to become a part of the platform by their refusal to separate themselves from groups that espouse these racist, hateful beliefs,” Shook wrote. ” I call for the current Co-Chairs to step down and to let others lead who can restore faith in the Movement and its original intent.” The Women’s March will return to Washington and other cities on Jan. 19. — The Washington Post’s Marissa Lang contributed to this report.<doc-sep>

A Women’s March that was due to take place in early 2019 in Northern California has been canceled because organizers feared it would not be diverse enough. The march was scheduled to take place in the town of Eureka, in Humboldt County on January 19. “Up to this point, the participants have been overwhelmingly white, lacking representation from several perspectives in our community,” according to a statement posted on Facebook. “Instead of pushing forward with crucial voices absent, the organizing team will take time for more outreach.” The group said it was “exploring holding an event in March to celebrate International Women’s Day,” which is on March 8. “Our goal is that planning will continue and we will be successful in creating an event that will build power and community engagement through connection between women that seek to improve the lives of all in our community,” according to the statement. Some on social media quickly criticized the decision, noting that Humboldt County is overwhelmingly white. According to Census data, the county is more than 74 percent “white alone, not Hispanic or Latino,” according to the Times-Standard, a local paper. This is hardly the first time that the Women’s March movement “has faced questions about its racial makeup and inclusiveness,” notes the Washington Post. There was lots of talk about race and whether minority women were taken into account in the run-up to the inaugural march in 2017. More recently, there has been controversy regarding its leadership and ties with Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. Amid the controversy, the Chicago chapter also canceled its planned march, citing the high cost of the event.

When Ohio State fans look at their team's football schedule each year, the first game they check on the date for is the annual rivalry game against Michigan. That contest always comes on the final Saturday of the regular season, so it's pretty easy to find. The next game likely is the matchup with Penn State, a rivalry that has grown in intensity over the last few years. On Saturday, No. 4 Ohio State travels to the ninth-ranked Nittany Lions for that annual meeting, which will have major impacts not only on the race in the Big Ten Eastern Division but also the four teams that make the College Football Playoff come the year's end. Both teams are undefeated coming into this game but only one side will leave Beaver Stadium that way. We know the Scarlet and Gray will be without defensive end Nick Bosa, who continues to recover from surgery last week on a core muscle from an injury suffered in the win over TCU two weeks ago. We also know that Ohio State will have defensive tackle Robert Landers back after he missed last week's game with an undisclosed injury. On Tuesday afternoon, the Buckeyes released their depth chart for the primetime Saturday night clash. Let's take a look at how the Scarlet and Gray will set up against Penn State.<doc-sep>UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - SEPTEMBER 02: Tommy Stevens #2 of the Penn State Nittany Lions is brought down by Deon'Tae Moore #56 of the Akron Zips during the second half, Moore was called for a personal foul on the play on September 2, 2017 at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. Penn State defeats Akron 52-0. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) Could this be the week of the Lion for Penn State? I wrote last week that although Tommy Stevens was healthy-ish, and maintained his starting spot on the Penn State depth chart at the Lion position, it wouldn’t have made much sense to play him. Coach Franklin, obviously a big fan of mine, took that piece of advice. Stevens is going to be used in special and surprising ways. There is no doubt Franklin, offensive coordinator Ricky Rahne and the rest of the staff were playing the Lion card close to their vest. But there is no better time to open the cage than a prime-time white out versus the dreaded Buckeyes. Stevens should be the player who jumps off of the depth chart this week, but let’s look at what else is new. Mark Allen is still battling an injury and is not listed. This is a big loss, and freshman Ricky Slade will need to step up in a big way. Miles Sanders was exceptional last week, but the Buckeyes, even without Nick Bosa, will pose a challenge. On defense, after leading the Nittany Lions in tackles last week, Jonathan Sutherland now has an “OR” separating him and Ayron Monroe as the backup safety. Quarterback 9 Trace McSorley (6-0, 201, Gr./Sr.) 2 Tommy Stevens (6-5, 240, Sr./Jr.) 14 Sean Clifford (6-2, 219, So./Fr.) Running Back 24 Miles Sanders (5-11, 215, Jr./Jr.) 4 Ricky Slade (5-9, 198, Fr./Fr.) 32 Journey Brown (5-11, 205, So./Fr.) OR 20 Jonathan Thomas (5-11, 218, (Gr./Sr.) Wide Receiver 84 Juwan Johnson (6-4, 225, Sr./Jr.) 81 Cam Sullivan-Brown (6-0, 188, So./Fr.) 86 Daniel George (6-2, 220, Fr./Fr.) Wide Receiver 3 DeAndre Thompkins (5-11, 188, Gr./Sr.) OR 10 Brandon Polk (5-9, 179, Sr./Jr.) 85 Isaac Lutz (5-11, 186, Jr./So.) Wide Receiver 1 KJ Hamler (5-9, 173, So./Fr.) 12 Mac Hippenhammer (5-11, 177, So./Fr.) 5 Jahan Dotson (5-11, 169, Fr./Fr.) Tight End 18 Jonathan Holland (6-4, 252, Sr./Jr.) OR 80 Danny Dalton (6-4, 247, Jr./So.) OR 87 Pat Freiermuth (6-5, 258, Fr./Fr.) 83 Nick Bowers (6-4, 260, Sr./Jr.) Left Tackle 52 Ryan Bates (6-4, 302, Sr./Jr.) 75 Des Holmes (6-5, 322, So./Fr.) 53 Rasheed Walker (6-6, 308, Fr./Fr.) Left Guard 74 Steven Gonzalez (6-4, 325, Sr./Jr.) 73 Mike Miranda (6-3, 298, So./Fr.) 72 Bryce Effner (6-5, 272, Fr./Fr.) Center 62 Michal Menet (6-4, 298, Jr./So.) 64 Zach Simpson (6-3, 290, Sr./Jr.) 70 Juice Scruggs (6-3, 278, Fr./Fr.) Right Guard 66 Connor McGovern (6-5, 323, Jr./Jr.) 69 C.J. Thorpe (6-3, 328, So./Fr.) 79 Charlie Shuman (6-8, 324, Gr./Sr.) Right Tackle 71 Will Fries (6-6, 306, Jr./So.) 77 Chasz Wright (6-7, 353, Gr./Sr.) 51 Alex Gellerstedt (6-6, 311, Jr./So.) Lion 2 Tommy Stevens (6-5, 240, Sr./Jr.) DEFENSE Defensive End 48 Shareef Miller (6-5, 260, Sr./Jr.) 49 Daniel Joseph (6-3, 253, Jr./So.) 46 Nick Tarburton (6-3, 246, Fr./Fr.) Defensive Tackle 30 Kevin Givens (6-1, 285, Sr./Jr.) 53 Fred Hansard (6-3, 316, So./Fr.) 42 Ellison Jordan (6-0, 291, Jr./So.) Defensive Tackle 54 Robert Windsor (6-4, 295, Sr./Jr.) 55 Antonio Shelton (6-2, 310, Jr./So.) 93 PJ Mustipher (6-4, 300, Fr./Fr.) Defensive End 99 Yetur Gross-Matos (6-5, 259, So./So.) 18 Shaka Toney (6-3, 241, Jr./So.) 46 Nick Tarburton (6-3, 246, Fr./Fr.) Outside Linebacker 7 Koa Farmer (6-1, 230, Gr./Sr.) 11 Micah Parsons (6-3, 240, Fr./Fr.) 33 Jake Cooper (6-1, 234, Sr./Sr.) Middle Linebacker 36 Jan Johnson (6-2, 234, Gr./Jr.) 13 Ellis Brooks (6-1, 233, So./Fr.) 40 Jesse Luketa (6-3, 236, Fr./Fr.) Outside Linebacker 6 Cam Brown (6-5, 223, Jr./Jr.) 9 Jarvis Miller (6-2, 223, Sr./Jr.) 41 Dae’Lun Darien (6-4, 223, Jr./So.) Cornerback 21 Amani Oruwariye (6-1, 203, Gr./Sr.) 2 Donovan Johnson (5-9, 182, So./Fr.) 14 Zech McPhearson (5-11, 188, Jr./So.) Safety 17 Garrett Taylor (6-0, 203, Sr./Jr.) 38 Lamont Wade (5-9, 194, So./So.) 26 Jonathan Sutherland (5-11, 201, So./Fr.) Safety 4 Nick Scott (5-11, 200, Gr./Sr.) 23 Ayron Monroe (5-11, 206, Sr./Jr.) OR 26 Jonathan Sutherland (5-11, 201, So./Fr.) Cornerback 29 John Reid (5-10, 180, Sr./Jr.) 5 Tariq Castro-Fields (6-0, 186, So./So.) 19 Trent Gordon (5-11, 184, Fr./Fr.) Star 29 John Reid (5-10, 180, Sr./Jr.) 2 Donovan Johnson (5-9, 182, So./Fr.) 38 Lamont Wade (5-9, 194, So./So.) SPECIAL TEAMS Punter 93 Blake Gillikin (6-2, 192, Jr./Jr.) 49 Cade Pollard (5-11, 207, Fr./Fr.) 95 Vlad Hilling (5-10, 217, Fr./Fr.) Kicker (Field Goal) 92 Jake Pinegar (6-2, 197, Fr./Fr.) 99 Justin Tobin (6-2, 191, Jr./So.) OR 95 Vlad Hilling (5-10, 217, Fr./Fr.) Kicker (Kickoff) 90 Rafael Checa (6-2, 205, Fr./Fr.) 92 Jake Pinegar (6-2, 197, Fr./Fr.) 95 Vlad Hilling (5-10, 217, Fr./Fr.) Holder 93 Blake Gillikin (6-2, 192, Jr./Jr.) 15 Michael Shuster (6-2, 209, Jr./So.) 36 Jan Johnson (6-2, 234, Gr./Jr.) Long Snapper 96 Kyle Vasey (6-2, 231, 5th/Sr.) 91 Chris Stoll (6-2, 257, So./Fr.) 94 Joe Calcagno (6-0, 242, So./Fr.) Kickoff Returners 1 KJ Hamler (5-9, 173, So./Fr.) 32 Journey Brown (5-11, 205, So./Fr.) 4 Ricky Slade (5-9, 198, Fr./Fr.) Punt Returners 3 DeAndre Thompkins (5-11, 188, Gr./Sr.) 1 KJ Hamler (5-9, 173, So./Fr.) OR 29 John Reid (5-10, 180, Sr./Jr.) Coaching Staff James Franklin – Head Coach Brent Pry – DC/LB Ricky Rahne – OC/QB Phil Galiano – STC/Assistant DL Tim Banks – Co-DC/S Tyler Bowen – TE David Corley – WR Matt Limegrover – OL Ja’Juan Seider – RB Terry Smith – Assistant HC/CB Sean Spencer – Associate HC/DC<doc-sep>

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State's depth chart for Saturday's game against Penn State remained unchanged this week. The only thing of note is that Urban Meyer confirmed Wednesday that backup guard Brady Taylor, who is still listed on the depth chart, will be out a few weeks after undergoing a procedure on his knee. Gavin Cupp played in Taylor's place with the second-team offensive line last week against Tulane. * Ohio State and Penn State will kick off on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on ABC. OSU's depth chart for the game is below: OFFENSE QB: Dwayne Haskins Tate Martell RB: J.K. Dobbins OR Mike Weber Brian Snead OR Master Teague WR: Austin Mack Binjimen Victor WR: Terry McLaurin or Johnnie Dixon Chris Olave H-back: Parris Campbell K.J. Hill OR C.J. Saunders TE: Luke Farrell OR Rashod Berry Jeremy Ruckert OR Jake Hausmann LT: Thayer Munford Joshua Alabi LG: Malcolm Pridgeon Brady Taylor C: Michael Jordan Josh Myers OR Brady Taylor RG: Demetrius Knox Wyatt Davis RT: Isaiah Prince Nicholas Petit-Frere DEFENSE DE: Chase Young Tyreke Smith Tyler Friday DT: Robert Landers OR Davon Hamilton Tommy Togiai Jerron Cage DT: Dre'Mont Jones Haskell Garrett OR Taron Vincent DE: Jonathon Cooper Jashon Cornell LB: Malik Harrison Keandre Jones LB: Tuf Borland Baron Browning Justin Hilliard LB: Pete Werner Dante Booker CB: Kendall Sheffield Shaun Wade OR Marcus Williamson S: Isaiah Pryor or Jahsen Wint Josh Proctor Kevin Dever S: Jordan Fuller Amir Riep OR Brendon White Marcus Hooker CB: Damon Arnette Jeffrey Okudah SPECIAL TEAMS K: Sean Nuernberger Blake Haubeil Kickoff: Blake Haubeil Sean Nuernberger P: Drue Chrisman Sean Nuernberger Kick return: Demario McCall OR Johnnie Dixon Punt return: Demario McCall OR C.J. Saunders

Much of the news/speculation and conversation surrounding Stephanie McMahon’s upcoming history-making announcement on Mon., July 23’s Raw has focused on the Women-only pay-per-view (PPV) or WWE Network special first reported by Pro Wrestling Sheet a couple weeks back. But even amidst the discussion of that show, there’s also been talk of a concurrent reveal of the long-rumored tag team belts for WWE’s women wrestlers. Every time that topic comes up, and the past 24 hours have been no exception, fans wonder if the roster is deep enough to support another women’s championship, and/or if WWE will really devote that much television time to one division. We’ve seen nearly every variation of feuds between the existing women’s line-up, folks point out. Raw and SmackDown struggle to keep any wrestler not chasing one of the women’s singles titles on our screens, the argument goes, so how would a pairs championship fit into those shows’ plans? A potential solution comes from one of Twitter’s breakers-of-belt-related-news, BeltFanDan: Women's Tag Belts: White leather. Similar to the men's tags but with some slight female themed changes. Not confirmed but rumored to be defended among all 4 brands (Raw, SD, NXT and eventually NXT:UK). The new NXT UK belts are not done yet. — BeltFanDan (@BeltFanDan) July 20, 2018 Can’t speak to the design yet (more on that in a moment), but as to the idea of defending across all brands... I freaking love it. It’s not as if the brand split has any sort of legitimacy or integrity to begin with. It’s fine for what it is, but it’s been bent and broken as needed in the past, and shouldn’t stand in the way of an idea like this one which has so many other benefits. Like expanding the storytelling universe for women, grabbing screen time for them on whatever show has it and getting the spotlight on talented NXT performers the main roster doesn’t have a full-time spot for yet (cough * Nikki Cross * cough). Plus, it would create the possibilty of amazing match-ups - Dakota Kai/Tegan Nox vs. Becky Lynch/Charlotte Flair, anyone? How about Io Shirai/Kairi Sane vs. Sasha Banks/Bayley? The possibilities are many. It would even allow WWE to set the groundwork for the Four Horsewomen feud they want us to want, all while providing an organic way for the company to plug the black-and-yellow brand, and Network subscriptions, on their broadcast series. Sure, it could go horribly wrong. The main roster shows sometimes have trouble remembering twists in their own storylines - how are they gonna keep track of ones which travel around to different networks? Maybe they could hire more female writers and producers to create and follow them? What a concept! Feel free to point out the flaws in my thinking below. But whether you agree or disagree with the idea WWE’s women’s tag team titles should be defended among all the company’s brands, hopefully we can agree they shouldn’t look like this...<doc-sep>WWE will host an all-women's pay-per-view called Evolution in October and rumors suggest it may introduce a Women's Tag Team Championship before or at the show. However, WWE's Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon is downplaying the speculation. In an interview with Sky Sports, McMahon talked about the path to the Evolution pay-per-view and she was asked whether the women's tag team titles will be added at the show. "Not quite yet but that's absolutely something we've heard loud and clear from our fan base and it's something we're keen on implementing as soon as we are able to." Reports of a women's tag team division began in early July when Pro Wrestling Sheet stated WWE officials discussed the possibility of an all-women's event for the fall. The Evolution announcement confirmed the reporting, and PWS also said the first-ever Women's Tag Team Champions could be crowned at the show. While this may come to pass (Evolution is still three months away) Stephanie's comments, for now, put a kibosh on the idea of Women's' Tag Team Championships. Evolution will take place Oct. 28 at Nassau Coliseum. All of the women's championships will be defended at the show including: RAW, NXT and SmackDown Live's Women's Championships. The finals of the second Mae Young Classic will also take place at Evolution after the tournament begins in August. WWE has confirmed the following Superstars are scheduled to appear at Evolution: Charlotte Flair, Ronda Rousey, Alexa Bliss, Carmella, Sasha Banks and Asuka. WWE Legends and Hall of Famers Trish Stratus and Lita are also expected to appear. Do you believe Stephanie's comments about a women's tag team division? Who do you want to see at the Evolution show? Let us know in the comments section below.<doc-sep>

What's the story? From all accounts, Stephanie McMahon will make a historic announcement on this week's episode of RAW. According to Cageside Seats and TicketDrew, it could very well concern the Women's Tag Team Championships. Women’s Tag Champions once crowned, will able to be on both brands. — 17ABay 🗯 (@TicketDrew) July 21, 2018 TicketDrew goes on to state that the Women's Tag Team Champions will be able to defend their titles on both WWE brands. Of course, this is only a rumour for now, so nothing is yet confirmed! In case you didn't know... Many rumors have been doing the rounds concerning the announcement. The two most prominent ones at this stage are an 'All Women's PPV' as well as 'Women's Tag Team Championships'. Some other rumors have surfaced too but they seem unlikely at this stage. It was recently rumored that Women's Intercontinental Championship could be on its way too. But according to more reliable sources, that's not the case. The heart of the matter A Women's Tag Team Division could help elevate women who're not booked in the title picture at any point in time. Women are usually booked in only one or two programs across the span of the entire show, and so these belts could give more women screen time. Plus, it could lead to some interesting pairings between unlikely allies for the prize. Because the women's rosters are not nearly as stacked as the men's division, it does make sense for the Tag Team Champions to be able to challenge across brands. This could certainly lead to some very interesting programs, down the line. What's next? We will have to patiently wait for Stephanie McMahon's announcement to get an indication of the future. If the Women's Tag Team Championships are announced, they could be a very significant step in the women's evolution of WWE. I'd be totally into a division of this nature! Are you excited about Women's Tag Team Championships? Leave a comment below. Sportskeeda is the one-stop destination for latest WWE rumors and wrestling news.

The president said he would secure $8 billion for the "invasion" at the border. President Donald Trump announced his decision Friday to declare a national emergency over what he called an "invasion" at the southern border. The declaration will allow his administration to use additional funding for a border wall, which Congress refused to fund in full in the bill passed Thursday to keep the government open. Here are some of the statements the president made to justify going around Congress to fund the border wall to the tune of about $8 billion, a plan that is likely, by the president's own admission, to face immediate legal challenges. Crisis at the border? Trump: “We're talking about an invasion of our country with drugs, with human traffickers, with all types of criminals and gangs.” Though the president described the border crossing situation as an “invasion” of criminals, of the hundreds of thousands of people Customs and Border Protection has encountered, the agency’s own statistics show only a small percentage — about 4 percent — were convicted of a crime, whether committed in the U.S. or abroad. CBP has said its agents encountered more than 566,000 undocumented immigrants at the border last year — about 200,000 of whom were turned around and about 360,000 of whom were apprehended. In all, 24,048 people out of the more than 566,000 encountered by CBP in 2018 were deemed criminals, resulting either in a person being deemed "inadmissible" at a port of entry or arrested because CBP had warrants out for their apprehension. And the CBP statistics show the number of criminals encountered at the border has decreased over the past three years. As for the president claim that gang members are invading the country, CBP data shows they make up just 0.1 percent of the undocumented immigrants the agency encounters. Of the 566,000 encounters nationwide last year, border patrol agents apprehended only 728 undocumented immigrants with gang affiliations. The number of gang members apprehended nationwide has shifted year to year, and in 2018 there were about 200 more apprehensions than in 2017, though still 300 fewer than in 2014. How drugs get into the country along the southern border Trump: “The big drug loads don't go through ports of entry, they can't go through ports of entry, you can't take big loads cause you have people we have some very capable people, the border patrol, law enforcement, looking.” The biggest fentanyl bust in history was made just a few weeks before the president made this claim. According to an announcement from the federal government, 254 pounds of the lethal drug heroin were seized by Customs and Border Protection. But the smugglers weren't trying to sneak across the border with the drugs in backpacks, or through an underground tunnel. The drugs were loaded into a trailer filled with cucumbers and shuttled to a U.S. port of entry in Nogales, Arizona. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration's 2018 Drug Threat Assessment, the majority of drugs enter the U.S. through ports of entry at the southwest border. “The majority of the flow is through POVs (privately owned vehicles) entering the United States at legal ports of entry, followed by tractor-trailers, where the heroin is co-mingled with legal goods,” according to the DEA assessment. Are there other ways of getting drugs in the country from Mexico? Yes. By water, and by air and through other borders, but those methods account for only a small percentage of the heroin seized by the U.S. A "small percentage" of all heroin seized along the border was between ports of entry, according to the DEA assessment. Where Trump gets his numbers Trump: "I get my numbers from a lot of sources like Homeland Security primarily, and the numbers that I have from Homeland Security are a disaster." The numbers that come out of his own Department of Homeland Security, instead of supporting his claim of an "invasion," show that illegal border crossings are at historic lows. According to Customs and Border Protection data, illegal migration is down dramatically over the last two decades. For example, in 2001 there were 1,643,679 apprehensions at the border, compared with 396,579 in 2018 -- a more than 75 percent drop. Crime rates for undocumented immigrants Trump: “Take a look at our federal prison population, see how many of them, percentage-wise, are illegal aliens, just see. Go head and see.” The president said this in response to a question about the disconnect between the president’s description of an “invasion” at the southern border and the numbers from his own administration. In reality, undocumented immigrants are about half as likely to be incarcerated as native-born Americans, according to a report from the Cato Institute on nationwide prison incarceration rates. Trump, however, specifically said to look at numbers in federal prisons — which is where someone is confined when they commit an immigration offense. That means the rate for undocumented immigrants in federal prison is higher: One in five prisoners in federal prisons was known or suspected to be undocumented immigrants, according to a 2018 Justice Department report. Also in the report: Approximately 90 percent of the country’s inmate population is in state prisons and local jails — not federal prisons. ABC News' Luke Barr and Jack Date contributed to this report.<doc-sep>President Trump Donald TrumpTrump lashes out after grand jury seated for New York criminal probe Schumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission MORE on Friday declared a national emergency to bypass Congress and spend roughly $8 billion on barriers along the southern border, a big step toward building his long-promised wall that also comes with significant political and legal risk. ADVERTISEMENT Trump's move, announced in a rambling, improvised address from the Rose Garden shortly after signing the declaration, will launch a fierce constitutional battle in the courts with lawmakers and outside groups who say the president overstepped his authority. “I am going to be signing a national emergency,” Trump said after a long introduction that touched on trade, China, Syria and the caravans of immigrants that Trump made a political issue of ahead of last fall's midterm elections. President @realDonaldTrump signs the Declaration for a National Emergency to address the national security and humanitarian crisis at the Southern Border. pic.twitter.com/0bUhudtwvS — Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) February 15, 2019 “It’s a great thing to do because we have an invasion of drugs, invasion of gangs, invasion of people,” the president said in seeking to justify the need for an emergency declaration. Trump predicted the move will be challenged in federal court, but said he would eventually prevail. “I could do the wall over a long period of time. I didn’t need to do this, but I’d rather do it much faster,” Trump said, a concession his critics seized upon to argue an emergency does not exist on the southern border. Speaker Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiGOP leaders face new calls to boot Greene Biden, Bass press for police reform after meeting Floyd family Kinzinger calls for Greene to be removed from GOP conference after Holocaust remark MORE (Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer Chuck SchumerSchumer says Senate will move on Biden's infrastructure agenda in July Senate confirms Biden pick to lead Medicare, Medicaid office Pelosi presses for Senate action on Jan. 6 commission: 'No time to waste' MORE (N.Y.), the top two Democrats in Congress, said they would use “every available remedy” to overturn the emergency declaration. “The president’s unlawful declaration over a crisis that does not exist does great violence to our Constitution and makes America less safe,” they said in a joint statement. “The president is not above the law. The Congress cannot let the president shred the Constitution.” Trump is separately set to sign legislation approved by Congress that funds the government and prevents a new shutdown set to begin on Saturday. But that legislation fell far short of his demands for $5.7 billion in wall funding, with Trump saying he tried his best to work with lawmakers to secure additional border security but “on the wall, they skimped.” Trump also claimed “I’ve already done a lot of wall for the election — 2020,” even existing construction has repaired and replaced existing barriers instead of building new ones. Trump plans to redirect $3.6 billion in military construction funding toward the border project, according to White House officials. Trump will also take separate executive action repurposing about $2.5 billion from the Defense Department’s drug-interdiction program and $600 million from the Treasury Department’s asset-forfeiture fund. Officials said the goal is to ultimately build roughly 234 miles of barriers along the border, including bollard-style wall. An administration official did not identify which military construction projects would be affected but said funding would be taken from “lower-priority construction projects,” such as funding to fix or repair existing structures, and not from flood-mitigation efforts or projects that would affect military readiness. Disaster-relief funds will also not be touched. ADVERTISEMENT Lawmakers in both parties have criticized Trump's decision to declare an emergency, though Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellSchumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission GOP leaders face new calls to boot Greene MORE (R-Ky.) did offer his support. McConnell on Friday called Trump’s decision “the predictable and understandable consequence of Democrats’ decision to put partisan obstruction ahead of the national interest” and called on lawmakers to approve more border funding. But House Democrats instead plan to introduce legislation that would block the declaration, which could pass both chambers and reach the president’s desk if Republicans who have criticized Trump’s decision vote for it. That would force Trump to potentially veto the first piece of legislation as president, a move that could further divide his own party in the lead-up to the 2020 elections. Democrats and liberal advocacy groups have said they also plan to file lawsuits to stop the move in federal court. Pelosi, speaking Thursday on the anniversary of the Parkland, Fla., school shootings, said it could lead a new president to declare a national emergency on guns. Such a scenario is exactly what some GOP lawmakers have feared. "A Democratic president can declare emergencies, as well," Pelosi told reporters in the Capitol. "So the precedent that the president is setting here is something that should be met with great unease and dismay by the Republicans." Sen. Marco Rubio Marco Antonio RubioFlorida state senator announces bid for Demings's House seat GOP senators introduce resolution condemning antisemitic violence amid 'horrific' spike in attacks The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Uber - One year later — has George Floyd's killing changed the world? MORE (R-Fla.) made a similar argument, warning on Thursday that “a future president may use this exact same tactic to impose the Green New Deal.” “I will wait to see what statutory or constitutional power the president relies on to justify such a declaration before making any definitive statement. But I am skeptical it will be something I can support,” he said.<doc-sep>“We will have a national emergency, and we will then be sued, and they will sue us in the 9th Circuit, even though it shouldn’t be there, and we will possibly get a bad ruling and then we’ll get another bad ruling and then we’ll end up in the Supreme Court, and hopefully we will get a fair shake,” he said.<doc-sep>President Donald Trump on Friday declared a national emergency to unilaterally build barriers along significant portions of the United States-Mexico border. The Justice Department has reportedly warned the White House that the courts are almost certain to at least temporarily block the emergency declaration. The border-security compromise package Congress passed on Thursday provides $1.4 billion for barrier construction. WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Friday declared a national emergency to address issues with border security and unilaterally build barriers along significant portions of the United States' border with Mexico. The action, which ventures into new territory to circumvent Congress and redirect military funding for other purposes, has drawn condemnation and confusion from lawmakers in both political parties. Trump made the announcement in the White House's Rose Garden, saying: "I'm going to be signing a national emergency. It's been signed many times before." "They say walls don't work," Trump said. "Walls work 100% of the time." Trump also downplayed the accusation that he could not cut a deal with Congress, saying he was able to get $1.4 billion for barrier construction in the spending bill it passed Thursday but was still not satisfied. Trump also acknowledged he is likely to face considerable legal challenges for taking executive action. "I expect to be sued," he said. "I shouldn't be sued." In a joint statement responding to the emergency declaration, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described it as unlawful and said it "does great violence to our Constitution and makes America less safe, stealing from urgently needed defense funds for the security of our military and our nation." "The President's actions clearly violate the Congress's exclusive power of the purse, which our Founders enshrined in the Constitution," they said. "The Congress will defend our constitutional authorities in the Congress, in the Courts, and in the public, using every remedy available. They added: "The President is not above the law. The Congress cannot let the President shred the Constitution." Read more: Trump praises several conservative media pundits during emergency declaration speech in Rose Garden In a conference call with reporters before the announcement, senior administration officials detailed the plan, saying that in addition to the $1.4 billion for barrier construction appropriated by Congress, about $6 billion would be taken using Title 10 of the US code and $600 million would be tapped from the Treasury's forfeiture fund. A senior administration official said the construction would follow the same design as the one appropriated by Congress, using a steel bollard wall instead of concrete or other prototype walls. "There's not a fight over what's going to be built," an official said. The acting White House chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, also downplayed the assertion that what Trump is doing is unprecedented. "There's been some concern in the media about whether or not this creates a dangerous precedent," Mulvaney told reporters. "It actually creates zero precedent. This is authority given to the president in the law already. It's not as if he just didn't get what he wanted so he's waving a magic wand and taking a bunch of money. "I saw Nancy Pelosi said yesterday this sets a precedent for the Democrats to declare a gun emergency the next time they're in the Oval Office. That's completely false," he added. "If Democrats could've figured out a way to do it, they would have done that already." Trump's decision confounded Republicans worried about an overreaching executive Rep. Mac Thornberry of Texas, the ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, in a Thursday statement urged Trump "not to divert significant Department of Defense funding for border security." "Doing so would have detrimental consequences for our troops as military infrastructure was one of the accounts most deprived during the Obama-era defense cuts," Thornberry said. "And it would undercut one of the most significant accomplishments of the last two years — beginning to repair and rebuild our military. I hope that the President will pursue other options." On the other hand, Republicans loyal to the president, like House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, praised Trump for taking swift action. "We face a humanitarian and national security crisis at the border that must be addressed and the President's declaration is merely a statement of fact," he said in a statement. "With the declaration and other legal authorities, the President has access to important tools to take the steps necessary to secure the border." Legal challenges are almost certain Long before Trump made the decision, and as he was hanging it over Congress' head during the government shutdown, Republicans questioned the legality of an emergency declaration, including supporters of the move, like Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Democrats have vowed to fight it and said they are confident the White House will be rebuked by the courts. "A declaration of national emergency would be absolutely repugnant and abhorrent to our constitutional principles," Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut told INSIDER in January. "It would lack any basis in fact or the law and would be struck down by the courts." The Department of Justice has warned the White House that the courts are likely to block the emergency declaration at least temporarily, ABC News reported on Thursday.<doc-sep>

(CNN) — President Donald Trump on Friday declared a national emergency to unlock billions of dollars in federal funds to build a wall on the southern border, bypassing Congress after lawmakers refused to meet his multi-billion dollar request for border wall funds. For weeks, the President and his top officials had argued that there is a “crisis” on the southern border. Democrats pushed against that argument, saying there’s no security crisis but rather a humanitarian one. According to federal data, Customs and Border Protection apprehended nearly 400,000 people along the Southwest border in fiscal year 2018, an increase from 2017 but a decrease from 2016. Many of those apprehended were claiming asylum. Trump on Friday reiterated his claims of an “invasion” of drugs and undocumented immigrants at the southern border, but offered little factual or statistical evidence to back up his claim that a national emergency exists. 02:13 - Source: CNN Nancy Pelosi reacts to national emergency news Instead, he refuted statistics – many from his own administration – that show that border crossings are at record lows, that undocumented immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than native-born Americans and that most drugs coming across the southern border flow through legal ports of entry. The President announced his national emergency declaration during a rambling performance in the Rose Garden where he bragged about the economy, touted progress in his talks with China, vented about media coverage of his presidency and insisted his negotiations with North Korea are bearing fruit. “It’s been signed many times before. It’s been signed by other presidents from 1977 or so. It gave the presidents the power,” Trump said. “There’s rarely been a problem. They sign it, nobody cares. I guess they weren’t very exciting.” But at the same time, the President undercut his case about the existence of a national emergency and the urgency of building new barriers on the US-Mexico border. “I didn’t need to do this,” Trump said. “But I’d rather do it much faster.” Democrats and activist groups will almost certainly challenge the declaration in court, as critics pre-emptively argued that Trump cannot use the national emergency to free up taxpayer funds and build the border wall he has long promised his political supporters. The President declared the national emergency even as he agreed to sign a spending bill from Congress that allocated $1.375 billion for the President to build 55 miles of new fencing. The additional executive actions he is undertaking aim to redirect more than $6 billion in federal funds toward the construction of hundreds more miles of border barriers – bringing total funding for the wall to nearly $8 billion. “We don’t control our own border,” Trump claimed. “We’re going to confront the national security crisis on our southern border and we’re going to do it – one way or the other we have to do it.” Repeating claims 03:38 - Source: CNN Fact Check: Trump's El Paso border wall claims Trump repeated claims about “tremendous amounts of drugs” crossing into the US from the southern border – even though the majority of those drugs come through ports of entry – and addressed the issue of human trafficking. He once again reiterated his claim that El Paso, Texas, is safer because of border fencing built there in 2008, despite statistics showing the city had already become safer a decade prior and violent crime rates did not drop as a result of the new barrier. Trump conceded that he expects his national emergency declaration will be challenged in the courts, but rejected criticism from those who argued he is setting a bad precedent and insisted he is on firm legal ground. Trump griped about the legal battles to come in a sing-song tone, predicting the matter will eventually come before the Supreme Court. “We will have a national emergency, and we will then be sued, and they will sue us in the 9th Circuit, even though it shouldn’t be there, and we will possibly get a bad ruling, and then we’ll get another bad ruling, and then we’ll end up in the Supreme Court, and hopefully we’ll get a fair shake and we’ll win in the Supreme Court,” Trump said. Bipartisan opposition 02:13 - Source: CNN Nancy Pelosi reacts to national emergency news Democratic and Republican lawmakers have criticized or expressed concern about Trump’s plans to move forward with a national emergency.

(CNN) — If history is a guide, it won’t be long after Hurricane Florence’s winds ease and floods ebb that President Donald Trump will award himself high marks for his handling of the latest natural disaster. Given his previous grade inflation, reflected in a new controversy he unleashed over the human toll of a hurricane in Puerto Rico last year, his assessments may not carry the unquestioned authority that those of a commander in chief should. This year’s first major hurricane strike has again revealed how Trump sometimes struggles to find the right rhetorical notes at a time of crisis and how he often seems most concerned about the impact of such events on his own image. It’s also a fair question why he is not singularly focused on masterminding the federal government’s response to this devastating storm, rather than tweeting, apparently enraged by cable news coverage, about last year’s tragedy. As Florence has approached, Trump has switched between two extremes, expressing wonderment at the scale of the storm and boasting that the United States has never been better prepared for such an epic battering. Trump’s supporters and the White House often complain that the media is always looking for any opportunity to turn even unrelated events into a forum for criticizing the President. But he brought such condemnation on himself Thursday, with a callous tweet dismissing academic research showing the true extent of Hurricane Maria’s wrath. “3000 people did not die in the two hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico. When I left the Island, AFTER the storm had hit, they had anywhere from 6 to 18 deaths. As time went by it did not go up by much. Then, a long time later, they started to report really large numbers, like 3000…” Trump tweeted. “…..This was done by the Democrats in order to make me look as bad as possible when I was successfully raising Billions of Dollars to help rebuild Puerto Rico. If a person died for any reason, like old age, just add them onto the list. Bad politics. I love Puerto Rico!” Illustrative tweet The President’s reasoning was illustrative of many trends and character traits evident throughout his time in office so far. To begin with, it was an effort to generate his preferred reality and showed contempt for facts established through rigorous academic study and backed up by extensive journalistic accounts by CNN and other outlets over the last year. It was also a reminder of how little Trump appreciates the civic and ceremonial roles of the presidency itself. After all, he is the President of the people in Puerto Rico who died, as well as everyone else in the United States. Most presidents would have felt compelled to offer sympathy and compassion to the victims of the storm and their relatives, at the very least – but Trump seemed more concerned about absolving himself and the federal government he runs of any blame. In effect he was telling those relatives – your loved ones didn’t die because of the storm – after awarding his government top marks for its handling of the disaster and saying this week that it was an “unsung” success. It was not as if the President alone was being blamed. When Republicans say the US territory’s infrastructure was in poor shape and ill prepared for Maria, they are right. CNN reporting has shown there is blame to go around for federal and local authorities. And no politician can simply stop a storm. But there is no sign that the President thinks the buck stops with him or is dedicating himself to learning the lessons from last year to stop it happening again, or has factored them into his approach to Florence. In fact, the administration reacted to anger over Trump’s tweet by doubling down with obfuscation. Hogan Gidley, a White House spokesman, recalled that the President had said last year that every death in Puerto Rico was a “horror.” But Gidley chose not to repeat the next sentence, when the President suggested that Maria was not a “real catastrophe” like Hurricane Katrina in 2005, in which 1,833 people died. “President Trump was responding to the liberal media and the San Juan Mayor who sadly, have tried to exploit the devastation by pushing out a constant stream of misinformation and false accusations,” Gidley said in a statement. The death toll in Puerto Rico was formally raised to 2,975 from 64 following a study conducted by researchers at The George Washington University. CNN’s own reporting reflects similar numbers. The university study accounted for Puerto Ricans who died in the days after the storm, as stifling heat suffocated the island. Much of the US territory was without power for weeks and months. Many elderly and infirm patients were left without medicine and vital treatment because of a severely depleted public health system There is no scenario in which, as Trump claims, the figures were simply cooked up by Democrats to make him look bad. “There is no reason to doubt the validity of these studies. This is a scientifically robust effort,” Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “The victims, nor the people of Puerto Rico, deserve to have their pain questioned.” Trickle-down effect As often happens with Trump’s most outrageous tweets, senior Republicans on Capitol Hill were forced to react, or tried to dodge reporters to avoid being torn between the President and his loyal political base, which has reshaped the politics of the GOP. Given current political realities, it’s unlikely that Trump will pay a significant price for his tweet. It was, after all, probably directed mostly at his base, which he has already instructed to believe only his interpretation of events. But it’s possible it will factor into the decisions of voters in some key districts that could help decide the midterm elections in November, at a time when his sub-40% approval rating is already dragging some candidates down. After all, one of the roles of the President is to comfort the nation in times of grief and to bring Americans together when some of their number are suffering. After a shaky start when Hurricane Harvey slammed into Texas last year, the President seemed to improve his public emoting. But his treatment of Puerto Rico has overshadowed that performance. It often seems he just doesn’t care that much about other people. In Bob Woodward’s new book, “Fear: Trump in the White House,” former chief of staff Reince Priebus is quoted as reflecting on the President’s treatment of his subordinates in a way that is also relevant to his wider ceremonial duties at a time of national peril. “The president has zero psychological ability to recognize empathy or pity in any way,” Priebus is quoted as saying. Trump’s ability and willingness to put the suffering of others above his self-absorption could be tested again in the days ahead.<doc-sep>WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump continued to insist Wednesday that his administration did a "great job" in responding to Hurricane Maria, which left more than 3,000 people dead, as Hurricane Florence rolls toward the Carolina coast. Trump said in an early morning tweet that his administration got "A pluses for our recent hurricane work in Texas and Florida (and did an unappreciated great job in Puerto Rico, even though an inaccessible island with very poor electricity and a totally incompetent Mayor of San Juan). We are ready for the big one that is coming!" San Juan's Democratic Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz was an outspoken critic of the Trump administration's slow response in Maria's aftermath and she exchanged several public barbs with Trump at the time. "He doesn't understand that this isn't about him and about his ego," Cruz said when asked about Trump's tweet on MSNBC on Wednesday. "This is about the inability of his administration, that he directs, to ensure that the appropriate help got to Puerto Rico in time." She added that for the sake of the citizens in the path of Hurricane Florence, she hopes Trump and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have "learned their lesson." If Trump thinks losing "3,000 lives is a success," Cruz tweeted Tuesday, "can you imagine what he thinks failure looks like?" More:San Juan mayor rips Trump for 'neglect' of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria More:Trump blasts Puerto Rican mayor for 'poor leadership' in hurricane relief crisis The president has consistently applauded the Maria response, even as the estimates of deaths in Puerto Rico caused by the storm have climbed from 64 to 2,975 people, making it the deadliest hurricane to hit America in more than a century. Trump said Tuesday, "I think Puerto Rico was incredibly successful." And he called it "one of the best jobs that's ever been done with respect to what this is all about." The president also sent two tweets – one featuring a video message – warning people of the danger of Hurricane Florence as it approaches the East Coast and assuring residents that emergency responders are prepared. "We'll handle it. We're ready. We're able," Trump said. Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló responded to Trump's comment in a statement Tuesday, which said, "No relationship between a colony and the federal government can ever be called 'successful' because Puerto Ricans lack certain inalienable rights." Rosselló called Maria "the worst natural disaster in our modern history" but added that now is the time "to channel every effort to improve the lives of over 3 million Americans in Puerto Rico" rather than to assess blame. He also said Puerto Ricans "pray for the safety and well-being of our fellow citizens" in Florence's path. A study published last month from George Washington University's Milken Institute School of Public Health, which was commissioned by the Puerto Rican government, found that government emergency plans in place when Maria hit were not designed for hurricanes greater than a Category 1. Maria was a Category 4 with 154-mph winds. More:Donald Trump calls Puerto Rico response an 'unsung success,' despite nearly 3,000 dead The report said the 2,975 deaths occurred between the time the storm hit in September 2017 and February 2018. Puerto Rico's electrical grid, which Trump correctly says was already in bad shape before Maria landed, was knocked out by the storm. Delays in restoring power led to more deaths. "That caused a number of issues," said Lynn Goldman, dean of the Milken Institute. "It’s fairly striking that you have so many households without electricity for so long. That’s unusual in the U.S. after a disaster." The deadliest hurricane in U.S. history hit Galveston, Texas, in 1900, killing more than 6,000 people. Contributing: David Jackson and Rick Jervis, USA TODAY.<doc-sep>Today’s Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy<doc-sep>

President Donald Trump washed his hands of any responsibility for the nearly 3,000 deaths caused by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico last fall, even blaming Democrats for manipulating the figures to make him look bad. In two tweets this morning, with Hurricane Florence barreling toward the eastern coast, Trump not only disputed the revised death toll of 2,975 confirmed by a government study, but suggested that everything on the island was just fine when he visited immediately after the storm. “3000 people did not die in the two hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico,” Trump tweeted (see tweets below). “When I left the Island, AFTER the storm had hit, they had anywhere from 6 to 18 deaths. As time went by it did not go up by much. Then, a long time later, they started to report really large numbers, like 3000…” A second tweet continued: “…..This was done by the Democrats in order to make me look as bad as possible when I was successfully raising Billions of Dollars to help rebuild Puerto Rico. If a person died for any reason, like old age, just add them onto the list. Bad politics. I love Puerto Rico!” Actress Mia Farrow was one of the first to twitter-respond to Trump’s reality-shirking tweets: “Your inept response to the catastrophe in Puerto Rico caused the deaths of nearly 3000 American men, women and children. You dismissed the gravity of their predicament and utterly failed in your responsibility as president. This is a stain you must bear for the rest of your life.” CNN’s Jake Tapper tweeted that Trump is “Apparently of the belief that the death toll is about him and not about approximately 3,000 dead American citizens.” Earlier this week, Trump called his government’s response to the historic Puerto Rican disaster an “unsung success.” 3000 people did not die in the two hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico. When I left the Island, AFTER the storm had hit, they had anywhere from 6 to 18 deaths. As time went by it did not go up by much. Then, a long time later, they started to report really large numbers, like 3000… — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 13, 2018 …..This was done by the Democrats in order to make me look as bad as possible when I was successfully raising Billions of Dollars to help rebuild Puerto Rico. If a person died for any reason, like old age, just add them onto the list. Bad politics. I love Puerto Rico! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 13, 2018 Your inept response to the catastrophe in Puerto Rico caused the deaths of nearly 3000 American men, women and children. You dismissed the gravity of their predicament and utterly failed in your responsibility as president. This is a stain you must bear for the rest of your life — Mia Farrow (@MiaFarrow) September 13, 2018

Netflix is setting up a dedicated production hub in Toronto, which film and TV creators hope will provide new opportunities for local talent. The California-based streaming giant announced Tuesday it is expanding its presence in Canada by leasing two studio spaces along the downtown industrial waterfront area. At Cinespace Studios, Netflix is leasing four new sound stages — along with spaces for office and support work — totalling approximately 164,000 square feet. At Pinewood Toronto Studios, Netflix is also leasing four sound stages and adjacent office space totalling 84,580 square feet. Netflix said the commitment will provide jobs for up to 1,850 Canadians per year, and that the leases are "multi-year" but didn't specify for exactly how long. "This is great news for the Toronto and the Ontario community, because it's an endorsement of the high quality of the work that comes out of our industry," said Jim Mirkopoulos, vice-president of Cinespace. "Netflix has made a commitment to the film and television industry here that they're going to continue to do stuff and by making this announcement, they're standing by that," added Nanci MacLean, president of Pinewood Toronto Studios. Cinespace said its sound stages leased by Netflix are under construction and set to be operational this summer. Pinewood said Netflix will move a production onto one of its sound stages in the next couple of weeks. The four sound stages being leased are separate from Pinewood Toronto Studios' previously announced planned expansion. Projects already set to be made at the hub include the horror anthology series Guillermo del Toro Presents Ten After Midnight" and the film Let It Snow. Netflix has production facilities in Los Angeles and recently announced new hubs for Madrid and Albuquerque, N.M. It also leases British Columbia's Martini Film Studios and production sites across Canada on a case-by-case basis. Its co-productions with Canadian partners have included Anne with an E and Alias Grace with CBC, Travelers with Showcase, and Frontier with Discovery Canada. Speculation of a Toronto hub started swirling last month when Mayor John Tory, who has been making annual trips to Los Angeles to lure film and TV projects to the city, told The Canadian Press he had "a very high level of confidence" that Netflix would open one up. Tory's words drew positive reaction from local screen talent, who said they hoped it would foster Canadian projects. "In television right now, they're always going to be my first stop, frankly," said Toronto producer J. Miles Dale, who is developing Ten After Midnight with del Toro, with whom he won an Oscar last year for The Shape of Water. Dale is also developing his own Netflix series, 44 Chapters About Men, which he hopes will be at the hub. Netflix has also faced heavy criticism from Canadian broadcasters and other industry players for not being on a level playing field when it comes to regulation in Canada. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) "You can say whatever you want, you can show whatever you want, you can show real adult situations without the kind of censorship that comes in." Netflix is giving a similar freedom to filmmakers, said Dean DeBlois, the Aylmer, Que.-raised director of How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, out Friday. "It's the wild west of filmmaking within their particular format and I have several friends who have gone to Netflix with original projects and they're just having the best time of their careers," said DeBlois. "They're willing to take a chance on a completely original project and not just resurrect something that's been done before." Streaming services are also one-stop shops for Canadian creators who usually have to go through multiple avenues to find producers, sellers, distributors and financing, said Oscar-nominated Toronto director Hubert Davis. "For filmmakers, that might be the best option for your project to get it going, as opposed to going to all of these different sources to get it made," he said. Vancouver-based producer and filmmaker David Paperny is looking forward to the possibility of conducting business within Canada. "They could have their ear closer to the ground of the vast Canadian talent source out here," said Paperny. "So it will be easier to pitch them, it will be easier for them to work in collaboration with us on our productions." But some worry the hub will take up precious studio space that producers are clamouring for in Toronto. Netflix has also faced heavy criticism from Canadian broadcasters and other industry players for not being on a level playing field when it comes to regulation in Canada. Criticism of company Because it's a foreign digital company, Netflix isn't required to collect or remit federal or provincial sales tax. So far Netflix also hasn't fallen under federal regulations that require the country's broadcasting companies to pay into the Canada Media Fund for the creation of homegrown programming. Netflix has argued it shouldn't be forced to pay into such funds, pointing to the money it's already putting into the system by creating shows here. In September 2017, the company pledged to spend $500 million over five years to fund original content made in Canada, a number it recently said it will exceed. "I'm all for (a hub), bring it on. I just care about Canada's voice and Canadian content," said Virginia Thompson, co-executive producer of Corner Gas and co-founder of Verite Films. "If there are more jobs for people in the city, great. And if it increases the chance of people here making (stuff), then terrific," added Toronto-based actor/filmmaker Jay Baruchel, star of How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. "When a big corporation comes to town, it could be awesome, but it's not guaranteed to be so.... Whatever puts resources in the hands of talented Canadian artists, I'm all for it."<doc-sep>Netflix has found a physical home for its forthcoming horror anthology series Guillermo del Toro Presents Ten After Midnight and feature film Let It Snow after creating a dedicated production hub in Toronto. The SVOD service has chosen two studio spaces in the Canadian city as it looks to expand its production presence in the country. It will lease four sound stages along with office space and support space totaling approximately 164,000 square feet at Cinespace Studios and will also lease four sound stages and adjacent office space comprising a total footprint of approximately 84,580 square feet at Pinewood Toronto Studios. The spaces add to its physical production footprint, which already includes a lease of British Columbia’s Martini Film Studios, as well as other show production sites. Netflix has produces a raft of shows in Canada including Hemlock Grove, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Lost in Space, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and films such as 1922 and The Package. The firm said that is on track to exceed the $500M investment in content production in Canada that it promised in 2017. “With this commitment to Cinespace and Pinewood Toronto, we are proud to continue our investment in Canada and Canadian films and series,” said Ty Warren, Vice President, Physical Production for Netflix. “These new leases will enable us to expand our presence in Canada and provide a wealth of production jobs for skilled Canadian workers.” “By putting the right conditions in place to attract jobs and opportunities to the province, our Government working for the People is sending a clear message that Ontario is open for business,” said Michael Tibollo, Ontario’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. “Today’s announcement demonstrates that Ontario is now one of the most attractive places in the world for investment. We are creating an environment for job creators and workers to thrive, including in Ontario’s industry-leading film production sector.” Related Story Zack Snyder's 'Army Of The Dead' Marching Toward Netflix's 10 Most-Watched Movies List With 72M Households “I’ve been excited from day one about the interest Netflix has shown in establishing a much bigger presence in Toronto,” added Toronto Mayor John Tory. “Great crews, great studio space, great customer service and great companies like Netflix make Toronto the best place in North America to make television shows and movies.”<doc-sep>

Netflix is taking on close to 250,000 square feet of studio and office space in Toronto, as part of its agreement to invest in Canada’s entertainment industry. The company announced pacts to lease two studio spaces in Toronto: with Cinespace Studios for around 164,000 square feet of space, including four sound stages, and with Pinewood Toronto Studios, also for four sound stages and adjacent office space comprising a total footprint of approximately 84,580 square feet. The new spaces add to Netflix’s existing physical production footprint in Canada, which includes a lease of British Columbia’s Martini Film Studios and production sites it sets up on a per-production basis. The Canadian expansion comes after the streamer in 2017 committed to investing $500 million (Canadian) in content production in the country over a five-year period — a goal Netflix says it’s on track to exceed. According to Netflix, the new Toronto facilities will provide up to 1,850 production jobs per year. Both sites will support upcoming Netflix series and films, including horror anthology series “Guillermo del Toro Presents 10 After Midnight” and feature film “Let It Snow,” based on the book by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle. The City of Toronto did not offer Netflix any tax breaks or other incentives for the studio pacts, according to a spokesman for the city. The province of Ontario offers a film and TV production services tax credit of 21.5% to foreign-controlled corporations (stipulating that Ontario labor is at least 25% of the qualifying production expenditures claimed); that can be combined with Canada’s federal tax credit of 16% to eligible film or video productions. “With this commitment to Cinespace and Pinewood Toronto, we are proud to continue our investment in Canada and Canadian films and series,” Ty Warren, Netflix’s VP of physical production, said in a statement. “These new leases will enable us to expand our presence in Canada and provide a wealth of production jobs for skilled Canadian workers.” In the bigger of the two Toronto projects, Netflix will expand its presence inside the city’s Marine Terminal 51 and the Cruise Ship Terminal, owned by PortsToronto and under long-term lease to Cinespace. Those new facilities are expected to be operational by the summer of 2019. Toronto Mayor John Tory, in a statement provided by Netflix, said, “I’ve been excited from Day One about the interest Netflix has shown in establishing a much bigger presence in Toronto. Great crews, great studio space, great customer service and great companies like Netflix make Toronto the best place in North America to make television shows and movies.” Netflix’s expanded footprint in the Great White North follows its announcement to acquire the ABQ Studios complex in Albuquerque, N.M., last fall to serve as a major U.S. production hub. Over the years, Canada has been home to several Netflix productions. Current series filming in Canada include “V-Wars” in Northern Ontario and “October Faction” in Toronto, along with an untitled film starring Sam Worthington directed by Brad Anderson in Winnipeg and an untitled film to be directed by Patrice Laliberté in Quebec. Previous Netflix productions in Toronto have included “The Christmas Chronicles” starring Kurt Russell; action-thriller “Polar”; and upcoming sci-fi thriller “In the Shadow of the Moon.” Other Netflix originals produced in Canada include “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” “Lost in Space,” “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” “Death Note,” “Game Over Man” and “Always Be My Maybe” (all in Vancouver); “The Package” (multiple locations in British Columbia); “Christmas Inheritance” and “The Holiday Calendar” (Northern Ontario); “How It Ends” (Winnipeg); “Hold the Dark” (Calgary and Kananaskis Country); “Good Sam” (Montreal); and “I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House” (Ottawa). In addition, Netflix has teamed with Canadian production partners to co-produce series including limited series “Alias Grace” (CBC), “Anne with an E” (CBC), “Travelers” (Showcase), and “Frontier” (Discovery Canada). Pictured above: Pinewood Toronto Studios’ main building

There’s apparently going to be some eggs-citing news on Hulu following the Super Bowl on Sunday. You’ll recall that the Instagram account world_record_egg took away Kylie Jenner’s crown for most “likes” on Instagram last month by posting a picture of an egg and asking people to hop on the bandwagon and help set a new record. In a bit of genius viral marketing, the egg steamrolled past Jenner’s 18 million likes record, wracking up more than 52 million thumbs-up signs. Now it appears the marketing deal may have been tied to Hulu, or at least be the egg’s first sponsorship. The network’s motto on its Instagram account is now “Get Cracking,” with a picture of an egg. The world_record_egg Instagram account now promises that “The wait is over – all will be revealed this Sunday following the Super Bowl. Watch it first, only on Hulu.” It has a picture of the famous egg turned into a football and appearing to be ready to crack. The Instagram account from “EGG GANG” that was behind the movement has never had its owner publicly revealed. The account was opened Jan. 4 with a mission to become the most-liked post on Instagram. urging participants on. “Let’s set a world record together and get the most liked post on Instagram.” It name checked Jenner and says, “We got this” and user the hashtags #LikeTheEgg #EggSoldiers and #EggGang. Reactions to the potential of corporate ties to the egg campaign have been mixed so far, with some fans disappointed that it wasn’t just a cool stunt by some random online user. Hulu had no comment when Deadline asked about the postings.<doc-sep>UPDATE: As promised, Hulu has made the big “reveal” regarding what’s inside Instagram’s The Egg. Teased over the course of the Super Bowl, Hulu dropped a number of puzzles and hints on it Stories, all leading up the a coded sentence that read “We liked the egg.” A one-minute-video eventually went live on Hulu, where The Egg cracks, revealing a PSA for mental health, and the stressors that come with social media use. The text on the video read: “Hi, I’m the world_record_egg (you may have heard of me). Recently I’ve started to crack. The pressure of social media is getting to me. If you’re struggling too, talk to someone. We got this. MentalHealthAmerica.net #talkingegg” There is no news yet on if this was a Hulu marketing initiative from the get-go, or if this was just one-of-many ways that @world_record_egg will be doing sponsorships with various partners. One thing is for sure, this big reveal was a step in a positive direction. Are you eggcited for the reveal? Watch World Record Egg at 8PM PST on Hulu. ? #EggGang pic.twitter.com/uSn0mBJeNw — hulu (@hulu) February 4, 2019 We’d like to thank #TalkingEgg for shining a limelight on #mentalhealth tonight with an important message. Not everyone chooses to #fightintheopen for mental health, but you did for the 1 in 5 Americans living with a mental health condition. Thank you, #EggGang! ?? pic.twitter.com/9KPlXG5re4 — Mental Health America (@MentalHealthAm) February 4, 2019 Original article from February 2, 2019 Eugene the Egg has just signed its first sponsorship, partnering with the streaming company Hulu. Announced earlier, The World Record Egg posted a photo of its signature cracking egg image, but this time the egg had laces on the front resembling that of a football. The posts then went on to say that “all would be revealed” at Super Bowl Sunday with a call to action to catch the big news over at Hulu. To confirm the partnership, Hulu took to Twitter to post the hashtag #EggGang. It seems Hulu has something big planned, as they not only forked out big money to advertise at one of the most watched events in the United States, but they’ve now gone and penned a deal with the holder of the most Instagram likes (52 million). To find out more about the “egg-nigma” that is Eugene the Egg, check out our exclusive tell-all with the Instagram phenomenon.<doc-sep>The world’s most popular Instagram post finally has a purpose: to promote the US streaming platform, Hulu. On Friday, the @world_record_egg account, which now has 9.8m followers, posted an image of a cracked egg complete football laces alongside the caption: “The wait is over. All will be revealed this Sunday following the Super Bowl. Watch it first, only on @hulu.” The mysterious egg made headlines in January when it overtook Kylie Jenner to become the most-liked photo ever on the platform, garnering more than 25 million likes in just 10 days after it was posted alongside the caption: “Let’s set a world record together and get the most liked post on Instagram.” The original image, which was posted on 4 January, now has more than 51m likes; Jenner’s post, which showed her newborn daughter holding her finger, held the previous record with 18m likes. Little was known about the account that posted the image of the egg up until now. The 10 greatest Super Bowl performances, ranked Show all 10 1 /10 The 10 greatest Super Bowl performances, ranked The 10 greatest Super Bowl performances, ranked Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – 2008 No frills, just good old-fashioned rock and roll. Tom Petty’s performance is often omitted from rankings of the best Super Bowl halftime shows, but we’re including it here because he absolutely crushed it. Kicking things off with “American Girl”, he followed it up with “Won’t Back Down”, “Full Moon Fever” and the emotional “Free Fallin’”, rounding off with a stirring rendition of “Runnin’ Down a Dream”. AFP/Getty Images The 10 greatest Super Bowl performances, ranked U2 – 2002 U2 had the unenviable task of trying to raise everyone’s spirits just six months after the 9/11 attacks, but they did an admirable job, with performances of uplifting tracks like “Beautiful Day”. AFP/Getty Images The 10 greatest Super Bowl performances, ranked Paul McCartney – 2005 McCartney preceded the pop stars trying to outdo one another with extravagant stage designs and lavish costumes. Instead, he offered four beautifully played songs, of which the final one, “Hey Jude”, prompted an epic singalong with the crowd at Jacksonville’s EverBank Field Stadium. AFP/Getty Images The 10 greatest Super Bowl performances, ranked Madonna – 2012 One of the few to outdo Katy Perry’s 2015 entrance was Madonna, three years earlier, who appeared on a giant golden chariot led by about a hundred buff men dressed as Roman soldiers. She brought out Nicki Minaj and MIA for “Give Me All Your Luvin’” and also performed hits “Like a Prayer”, “Music” and “Express Yourself”. AFP/Getty Images The 10 greatest Super Bowl performances, ranked Katy Perry – 2015 There are few entrances as grand as standing on top of a giant golden lion with glowing eyes. Katy Perry went all out for her halftime show in 2015 with performances of “Roar”, “Dark Horse”, “California Gurls”, “Firework” and “Teenage Dream”. And who can forget the notorious Left Shark and his poor coordination? Getty Images The 10 greatest Super Bowl performances, ranked Bruce Springsteen – 2009 “Put the chicken fingers down and turn your television all the way up,” the Boss ordered. Springsteen’s 12-minute set started out with “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” and also included “Born to Run”, “Glory Days” and “Working on a Dream”. Getty Images The 10 greatest Super Bowl performances, ranked Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake – 2004 Janet Jackson delivered a blistering, brilliantly choreographed show that ended with “Rock Your Body”. But the moment Justin Timberlake ripped away her costume, and exposed her breast for approximately half a second, overshadowed all of that. The incident, dubbed “nipplegate”, even inspired the creation of YouTube. Jackson was turned into a scapegoat for the ensuing controversy, while Timberlake didn’t receive anywhere near as much scrutiny. AFP/Getty Images The 10 greatest Super Bowl performances, ranked Lady Gaga – 2017 One of the most outlandish halftime shows in recent memory, Lady Gaga began her performance by hurtling herself from the top of the stadium (attached to a harness, of course) – sparking a thousand memes. Once safely on the ground, she thrilled audiences with her biggest hits: “Poker Face”, “Born This Way”, “Telephone”, “Just Dance”, “Million Reasons” and “Bad Romance”. Getty Images The 10 greatest Super Bowl performances, ranked Beyonce – 2013 Beyonce basically ties with Prince for the greatest all-time Super Bowl performance. It was bold, it was fierce, it was virtually flawless. Bursting onto the stage with “Crazy in Love” after an a capella “Love on Top”, she threw down some of her best dance moves, before moving on to other hits including “End of Time” and “Baby Boy”. Lastly, there was a hysteria-inducing Destiny’s Child reunion with Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland – a performance so powerful, the lights at the stadium cut out when it ended. Getty The 10 greatest Super Bowl performances, ranked Prince – 2007 The greatest. Of course, the Purple One wasn’t responsible for the rain that began to pour during his hair-raising 12-minute performance, which included covers of “We Will Rock You” and “All Along the Watchtower”. But the timing was so perfect, you wanted to believe he was. Following renditions of “1999/Baby I’m a Star”, Prince closed on “Purple Rain” in what has to be ranked among one of his greatest live performances of that song. Getty Images “I’m an individual living in London”, the account holder told The Independent shortly after the image went viral. At the time, the person, who goes by pseudonym Eugene the egg, was fairly vague with regards to their plans for the future. “What’s next for the egg? I’ve got a few ideas. Stay tuned,” they said. The post has already been valued at more than £250,000 by influencer marketing agency Pulse Advertising & Talent Management, a figure which is likely to increase as the account acquires more followers. On Thursday, The Atlantic reported that the anonymous account holder was working with Jerry Media, the controversial social media agency behind Fyre Festival.<doc-sep>Marketing agencies are scrambling for the potentially million-dollar opportunity to work with the World Record Egg. Yes, that's the egg that claimed the most Instagram likes ever, beating out Kylie Jenner who later cracked an egg on the sidewalk in spite. The account, which has 9.6 million followers as of Thursday and literally just features pictures of an egg, is now hot real estate for advertisers looking to reach a massive audience. "Being the first brand to crack out of the egg is worth at least $10 million," VaynerMedia's head of direct-to-consumer business Nik Sharma told The Atlantic. The opportunity could be even more valuable than advertising in this week's main event for marketers, as Sharma said he would guide clients "to spend on the egg instead of the Super Bowl." Jerry Media, the social media marketing firm that helped promote the Fyre Festival, claimed to be working with the anonymous creator of the World Record Egg account in an unofficial capacity when it approached a nonprofit about a proposal, The Atlantic reported. The agency reportedly proposed to a group called Need to Impeach that the egg, which has been posted with more and more cracks over the past few weeks, could eventually crack to reveal the words "Impeach Trump." While the nonprofit ultimately passed, the egg has inspired many copycat accounts and even a platform claiming to know how to contact the original account owner to "collaborate," though it does not link to the correct account, The Atlantic reported. For what it's worth, the egg seems to have an eye toward social issues. Jerry Media's CEO told The Atlantic it was interested in working with the nonprofit for "noncommercial reasons," and the account has sold merchandise that donates a cut of profits to mental health charities. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. Watch: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez pulls back curtain on inner workings of Congress<doc-sep>

Hulu is apparently the first marketer to, ahem, crack a sponsorship deal with the World Record Egg — the Instagram account that has drawn internet fame for having the most-liked post on the service in a matter of days last month. On Friday, the @world_record_egg account posted an image of an egg bedecked with football laces and cracks in the shell. “The wait is over,” the message says. “All will be revealed this Sunday following the Super Bowl. Watch it first, only on @hulu.” Meanwhile, the bio of Hulu’s Instagram account now says, “Get crackin'” followed by an egg emoji. Hulu’s Twitter account also is part of campaign, with a tweet that says “#EggGang.” Reached Friday, a Hulu rep said that right now the company isn’t commenting or providing info on the World Record Egg deal. The big tease with the World Record Egg may be related to Hulu’s purchase of a 30-second ad in CBS’s Super Bowl LIII broadcast. The streaming service hasn’t revealed any details about the TV commercial. The World Record Egg on Jan. 4 made its first post on Instagram, urging users to push its likes past the then-record holder, Kylie Jenner, for her baby-announcement post from nearly a year earlier. On Jan. 13, the anonymous egg broke Instagram’s record for likes, and at this writing has nearly 52 million. Given its viral burst into the internet zeitgeist, the World Record Egg’s first sponsorship would be worth at least $10 million, Nik Sharma of digital ad agency VaynerMedia told The Atlantic — and what’s more, he said, he would advise marketers “to spend on the egg instead of the Super Bowl.” Hulu appears to have done both. The World Record Egg account holder has not shared their identity. The person behind it has told media outlets only that she is a woman and is unaffiliated with any company or organization. Less than three hours after the Hulu-plugging football egg was posted on the Instagram account, it had more than 1.5 million likes.

WILD CARD Phil Mickelson … Who else? With no top 35s in his last five starts upon arrival and without a top 20 at Augusta National since a T2 in 2015, expectations must remain tempered. The counterargument is that he's wanted to target courses that allow him the best chance to succeed, which means competing where there's little rough. That's easier said than done as he's needed to stay warm, but the absence of something positive as one of the nearest objects in the rearview mirror is reason for mild concern. CHALLENGERS There's never enough room for everyone to popular a Power Rankings, but none of these guys did anything that's warranted abandoning elevated expectations. Think of this group as the Draws that would normally appear in my Fantasy Insider column. Ranked in order of Rob's confidence (years of Masters victories, where applicable; # - second appearance) Tommy Fleetwood Bryson DeChambeau Webb Simpson Brandt Snedeker #Xander Schauffele Ian Poulter Adam Scott (winner: 2013) #Tony Finau Charley Hoffman Cameron Smith Charl Schwartzel (winner: 2011) Matthew Fitzpatrick Branden Grace SLEEPERS This usually gets stand-alone space on Tuesdays, and it goes only five deep. It's expanded by just one with a small field. Each presents a certain level of cachet and intrigue. No two are alike. Ranked in order of Rob's confidence (# - second appearance) Patrick Cantlay Kiradech Aphibarnrat Stewart Cink Thorbjørn Olesen Kevin Na #Hao Tong Li TWEENERS None of these guys can be mistaken as a Sleeper for various reasons, but each packs potential despite little support that normally would lift him higher on the page. Ranked in order of Rob's confidence (best finish, year) Keegan Bradley (T22, 2015) Kevin Kisner (T28, 2018) Billy Horschel (T17, 2016) Rafa Cabrera Bello (T17, 2016) Gary Woodland (T24, 2011) Fred Couples (Win, 1992) J.B. Holmes (T4, 2016) Si Woo Kim (T24, 2018) Zach Johnson (Win, 2007) Emiliano Grillo (T17, 2016) Tyrrell Hatton (T44, 2018) QUESTION MARKS With due respect to all of the guys listed here, each appears with doubt on his résumé. Whether it's current form, age or the absence of an inspiring track record, there's reason not to get too excited about the possibilities. Ranked in order of Rob's confidence (years of Masters victories, where applicable; # - second appearance; * - debutant) Charles Howell III Jimmy Walker Martin Kaymer Shane Lowry Alex Noren Kyle Stanley *Eddie Pepperell *Matt Wallace *Keith Mitchell Danny Willett (winner: 2016) #Corey Conners *Justin Harding Bernhard Langer (winner: 1985, 1993) *Aaron Wise Vijay Singh (winner: 2000) #Patton Kizzire #Satoshi Kodaira Trevor Immelman (winner: 2008) Ángel Cabrera (winner: 2009) Mike Weir (winner: 2003) DEBUTANTS (not ranked above) It's the kind of fact that you've likely seen in a trivia contest. Only three of the 82 winners prevailed in a first appearance at Augusta National: Horton Smith (1934; inaugural edition), Gene Sarazen (1935) and Fuzzy Zoeller (1979). There are 17 first-timers in this year's field, 11 of whom are professionals. Last year's crop of professional debutants went 4-for-10 with one top 25 (Tony Finau, T10). Ranked in order of Rob's confidence (Official World Golf Ranking) Kevin Tway (98) Lucas Bjerregaard (43) Andrew Landry (128) Shugo Imahira (77) Adam Long (108) Michael Kim (330) AMATEURS Six amateurs automatically qualify for the Masters. Each much retain his amateur status to compete in the tournament. Given the mountain of challenges, it's not so much about chasing victory as it is the probable once-in-a-lifetime experience that qualification makes possible. Yet, the Silver Cup, which is awarded to the low amateur who survives the 36-hole cut, is claimed almost every year. In 2018, Doug Ghim earn the hardware with a T50. Ranked in order of Rob's confidence (World Amateur Golf Ranking) Viktor Hovland (3) Álvaro Ortiz (69) Takumi Kanaya (7) Kevin O'Connell (47) Jovan Rebula (39) Devon Bling (115) LEGACY Win the Masters and you're exempt for life, and you never take the place of another competitor because there are no alternates. It's a great place to be for any professional golfer of a certain age. With Craig Stadler (2014), Ben Crenshaw (2015), Tom Watson (2016) and Mark O'Meara (2018) concluding their careers in the tournament, only four previous winners at least 50 years of age and no longer active on any world tour are committed this week. Ranked in order of Rob's confidence (years of Masters victories) Larry Mize (winner: 1987) Sandy Lyle (winner: 1988) José Maria Olazábal (winner: 1994, 1999) Ian Woosnam (1991) Augusta National's challenges are as consistent and reliable as its beauty and splendor. While precision into defined landing areas off the tee is preferred, golfers who can move it are benefited as fairways are as generous as the second (read: longer) cut of grass. Last year's field averaged over nine (of 14) fairways hit on the stock par 72. That's comfortably within the top-half easiest of any course measured on the PGA TOUR. The inverse relationship between freedom and inflexibility begins on approach into large targets guarded by sizable bunkers and unyielding run-offs. This combination of the tee-to-green dichotomy is why Augusta National is a second-shot test. Hitting GIR is all but a prerequisite for success. Consider that last year's field average a little over 11 per round – 12th-lowest of all courses last season – before recording the fifth-lowest scrambling rate and fifth-highest putts per GIR. (ShotLink technology isn't used at the Masters.) The par 3s and the par 4s are just plain hard. The par-4 fifth hole, which typically ranks among the top-half hardest holes on the course, will displace a handful of even harder holes this year. Since Patrick Reed slipped on the green jacket last year, a new tee was constructed that's extended the hole by 40 yards to 495 yards. The course now lists at 7,475 yards, longest of its 83 editions. The four par 5s aren't easy, but they're gettable and must be exploited. Reed proved this by leading his field in par-5 scoring average last year at 4.19. He played them in bogey-free 13-under with two eagles. While experience at Augusta National is a priority, it's meaningless without talent.<doc-sep>Since last year's Masters ended, every golf fan has been anticipating the start of next year's Masters. That's just simply how it works every year. Well, the good news is that it's finally here. The 2019 Masters begins Thursday from Augusta National, and this year's event features one of the strongest fields in history. For that reason, among others, this year's event is one of the most anticipated here in quite some time. As is a tradition -- unlike any other in this space -- we have been piecing together a ranking of this year's field (which is smaller than most at just 87 men). It has changed in significant ways over the past few weeks (I had Bryson DeChambeau as high as No. 3 at one point), but this is where I'm landing as we look at all 87 golfers in the 2019 Masters. Below is my 1-87 ranking entering the 2019 Masters along with each golfer's best finish at Augusta National (listed in parenthesis). 1. Rory McIlroy (4th in 2015): Did you expect to find somebody else who has finished in the top 10 in five straight Masters and hasn't finished outside the top 10 in any event worldwide this calendar year? The question for me is how many chances does McIlroy have left. My head tells me 10 or more, but my heart knows better. He'll only get another couple of real shots, maybe two or three or four (Tiger was always going to win 10 of these, right? ), and every April that slides away without him slipping on a green jacket only adds to the heaviest weight anyone in golf's upper class carries around. 2. Justin Rose (2nd in 2017): Even though he's never won this tournament, there's little risk of having him this high considering his world No. 1 status and two top-two finishes in the last four seasons at Augusta National. He'll contend again but won't win. 3. Justin Thomas (T17 in 2018): He was my pick to start the calendar year, and I'm going to ride it either into the bottom of Rae's Creek or into the jacket ceremony on Sunday evening. One of the things about J.T. that I'm not sure has gone mainstream yet is that he doesn't have weaknesses. He's not elite in any one category, but he ranked in the top 50 in every strokes gained number in 2018 and is on his way to replicating that in 2019. When you don't have holes, it's difficult to be exposed, even in high level championship golf. 4. Dustin Johnson (T4 in 2016): I've been saying it for five years now, but it's a par-68 course for him. His three eagles in 2015 were proof of that. It's hard to see him not winning one of these, but the problem for him is that there are 15 guys on this list about whom you could say the same thing. 5. Jon Rahm (4th in 2018): It's almost too easy to see. The Spanish tradition. The big, swooping ball flight. The touch. The power at Nos. 13 and 15. He played the par 5s in 11 under in 2018 and finished fourth behind Patrick Reed, Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth. Rahm also finished at 11 overall -- four back of Reed -- which means that if he'd played the rest of the course even close to under par, he could have won the event. Not to be overly reductive, but for guys like Rahm who are going to make 10-12 birdies on the par 5s for the week, sometimes it's just about making sure you're slightly better than average everywhere else. 6. Bryson DeChambeau (T21 in 2016): Am I embarrassed at having someone who has never finished in the top 10 at a major championship this high on my list? No, no I'm not. DeChambeau is singular in his mission, and he's won five times since last year's Masters. Five! The only way he doesn't play well this week is if the water spritzers aren't firing. 7. Jordan Spieth (Won in 2015): He could miss 28 cuts in a row leading up to the Masters and have caddie Michael Greller roll him to the first tee in a wheelchair, and I would still be convinced he's going to win the Masters. Last time we saw him here, Spieth was tying the lowest final round in tournament history (64). 8. Rickie Fowler (2nd in 2018): When I think about Fowler I think about that chip Patrick Reed hit on No. 17 last year, which could have easily run by the hole and given Fowler a shot in a playoff (or the outright win!). How much differently do we view Fowler's career if he wins last year's Masters with a 67 on Sunday including a birdie at the last? The obvious answer is "a lot," and I think last year proved he can get it done at this tournament. 9. Brooks Koepka (T11 in 2017): Since his T11 two years ago, Koepka has won three of six majors and has a T6 in one of the others. They might have to special order extra fabric on Saturday night if he leads just to fit his seemingly ever-increasing pipes. 10. Jason Day (T2 in 2011): Day only has one top 10 since 2013, but he's also never missed a cut here. With his towering ball flight and almost-always-on putting, he's always lurking. I just question whether the ball-striking (outside the top 100 each of the last two seasons) and allergy medicine will hold up. 11. Tony Finau (T10 in 2018): A sleeping giant here. He finished in the top 10 last season even though his ankle nearly detached from the rest of his body in last year's Par 3 Contest. It would be hilarious to me if Finau's two wins were Puerto Rico and Augusta National. Alternatively known as: The Koepka. 12. Bubba Watson (Won in 2012, 2014): As recently as 2017, I thought Watson was always going to be the favorite at Augusta.<doc-sep>A close second to Kuchar in greens in regulation is Augusta, Ga., native Charles Howell III, who is enjoying a career resurgence this season. Howell returns to the Masters armed with a split set of irons in which his decisions on where to split the set were very precise. As Howell recently told Golf Digest, “I grew up playing more of a cavity-back style iron. The challenge with that is I don’t like to see a ton of offset. So you’re either playing more of a blade to not have the offset, or a cavity-back that maybe has more offset than I would like. So the split in my set kind of goes by where the offset changes, but I’m still looking to stay with forgiveness. That’s why the AP2 fills the 5-, 6-, 7-iron and the CB is for the 8-iron through pitching wedge. Because I’ve played golf for so darn long, I want as much help down there as I can get. These fit my eye and have the forgiveness I’m looking for.”<doc-sep>AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Winning a Masters is about as meaningful as it gets when it comes to professional golf. It doesn't take a Nielsen ratings expert or strokes gained analyst to break that one down. There's the Masters, there are the other three majors (and maybe the Players Championship, if your preferences bend that way) and then there's everything else. So while it's foolish to ever say a Masters victory isn't important and impossible to determine who would personally value it the most, we can go through and determine to which star winning it would mean the most. That is, which golfer's legacy would we think about most differently if they were to win this week at Augusta National? Obviously you can't go through the entire field and do this because it would mean far more to, say, Corey Conners to win the 2019 Masters than it would Dustin Johnson. But we're looking at top-10 quality players only when we're talking about whose life or career it would be most meaningful to to win the 2019 Masters.<doc-sep>

With 87 participants this year, one would think the Masters and its green jacket are truly up for grabs. Not quite. Oh sure, any of the golfers in the relatively small field could theoretically pick up a win and jacket on Sunday, but we can more or less eliminate the bottom fifth of the field, made up of amateurs, seniors and golfers who qualified but have no realistic chance of taking down golfers with the talent levels of Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Tiger Woods and others. From there, it gets tricky. There's a group of 20 ahead of these bottom 15 that are either good and slumping or consistent but (probably) can't get hot enough to win. Then you have your middle 35 -- the Jimmy Walkers and J.B. Holmeses of the world -- that need an all-time week to take the title. This is capped off by the top 20, which is what I want to focus on today. It is this group from which the winner will most likely come. Since I've been doing my ranking the field posts for CBS Sports, all five winners have come from inside my top 40 with three coming from inside my top 15. The point here is not that I'm good at picking Masters winners -- trust me, I'm not -- but rather that we don't get many surprises at Augusta (or any of the majors). 2014: Bubba Watson (7th in my rankings) 2015: Jordan Spieth (3rd) 2016: Danny Willett (27th) 2017: Sergio Garcia (12th) 2018: Patrick Reed (38th) So with that in mind, I'm going to mostly pull from the top 20 on my ranking the field list, which you will see on Tuesday, for the nine golfers from which the 2019 Masters champion is going to be drawn. Dustin Johnson If I've said it once, I've said it one billion times: He's playing a par-68.5 course. That it makes it all the more disconcerting that he's only shot better than 68 twice (a pair of 67s). Odds: 10-1 Rory McIlroy If there is a trend in golf or the Masters, it is converging on this week for McIlroy. Tops in strokes gained on the PGA Tour, four straight top 10s at Augusta. All he has to do is sometimes the most difficult thing to do -- be Rory McIlroy. Odds: 8-1 Justin Thomas Coming in quietly, but he's one of just three golfers this year gaining over two strokes per round. He's improved his finish here every year, and I'd expect him to do so again after finishing T17 in 2018. Odds: 14-1 Jon Rahm You see a hot-headed Spaniard who doesn't have what it takes to win a major championship until he starts controlling his temperature. I see one of the best ball-strikers alive who closed 68-65-69 in last year's Masters to finish fourth. Odds: 16-1 Rickie Fowler Speaking of narrowly missing, we could be talking about all the orange-themed food Fowler is going to serve at this year's Champions Dinner if one shot goes differently at last year's Masters. He's not been super consistent this season, but his highs have been high (win and T2), and that's what he's lacked at past majors. Odds: 18-1 Bubba Watson He won't make the top 25 on this list for the U.S. Open, PGA Championship and Open, but Augusta is a playground for Watson, and he could become just the 10th golfer with three or more jackets. Odds: 25-1 Tiger Woods I truly think he can win it this week. Last year? Probably not, but he's played far better golf than people realize so far this season, and he'll fall into that familiar tango with a course whose treasures he's consistently unearthed. Odds: 12-1 Justin Rose Seven (!) top 15s in his last eight appearances here. Obviously, that runs out at some point, but I'd be a fool to not include him. Odds: 12-1 Paul Casey I believe him (although maybe I shouldn't) when he says the 2018 Valspar win change him. Combine that with another one this year plus four straight top 15s here, and I'm (for better or worse) all the way in. Odds: 30-1 Check out the complete field with odds for all 87 players competing in the 2019 Masters. So who will win the 2019 Masters, and which long shots will stun the golfing world?

The Seoul Music Awards went down in South Korea on Tuesday, Jan. 15, and BTS rocked the stage with a performance of their hit song "IDOL." One thing fans couldn't get enough of during the performance, however, was the looks the BTS boys were rocking. The video of BTS' 2019 SMAs performance shows RM, Jin, Jimin, V, Jungkook, Suga, and J-Hope in glasses, ties, and warm blazers and sweaters that are giving me all the Harry Potter vibes. The seven heartthrobs took to the stage to perform at the end of the Seoul Music Awards on Jan. 15. The group was nominated for a handful of awards and ended up taking home a total of three — the Daesang, Bonsang, and Record of the Year awards. So suffice it to say there was a lot of hype surrounding their performance once it came time for them to take the stage. When they got on stage to perform, fans immediately noticed that Jimin and RM were wearing round glasses that gave off a serious Harry Potter feel. One of the sweaters the guys were wearing even looked like a Hufflepuff sweater. It was wondrous. You can check out BTS' full Seoul Music Awards performance here. The first part of the 7-minute video breaks down the group's trajectory from when they first got together in 2013. Pretty damn great, huh? Those guys are bonkers talented. ARMY members (the group's official fandom) started tweeting about the Harry Potter looks almost immediately. Earlier in the night, fans gushed over Jimin's new purple hair. This being his third hair color of 2019 (he went from blonde to pink to purple), they loved the bold new look he debuted at the SMAs. They loved it so much, Purple Jimin was the sixth top trend worldwide on Twitter. And when the group took the stage to accept one of the awards they won during the show, Jimin gave a special shoutout to his fans with the help of his hair. Jimin and his fans use this one line, "borahae," to effectively express their love. It translates to "I purple you," so Jimin, being as adorable as he is, dyed his hair purple and made a great moment out of it. He pointed to his hair on stage, smiled, and said, "Army... borahae!" And the fans cheered. Fans on Twitter ~purpled~ the moment a lot. The Seoul Music Awards marked a big night for the BTS boys. They talked about their upcoming album a bit during their acceptance speech (and gave TXT a shoutout), they performed a killer performance of "IDOL," and basically all of the BTS ARMY freaked out on Twitter over their general amazingness. The boys are still on tour and will continue to perform through April 2019. It's not clear if they will drop this upcoming album while they're still on tour or if fans can expect to see it later in 2019 after the Love Yourself tour has concluded, but if one thing's for sure, it's that the guys will probably change their hair color at least seven more times before then.<doc-sep>EXO member Baekhyun expressed his gratitude towards fans and Super Junior’s Kim Heechul. On January 15, Baekhyun uploaded an image onto his Instagram with the caption, “We received the award our EXO-Ls gave us well. I’m sorry we couldn’t receive it personally at the awards show, but the members and I wanted to at least express our feelings like this.” The image Baekhyun uploaded was of EXO’s trophy from the 28th Seoul Music Awards that took place on January 15. Baekhyun then added in his caption, “The members and I are going to make you guys happy in 2019 as well! Thank you all and I love you!” He also left a small thank you to Super Junior’s Kim Heechul, who received the trophy at the 28th Seoul Music Awards on their behalf. “Thank you so much to Heechul hyung!” along with the hashtag #HeechulHyungTookThePhotoForUs. EXO won a Bonsang (main award) and the Hallyu Star Award at the 28th Seoul Music Awards. The members could not participate in the ceremony themselves, so Super Junior’s Kim Heechul kindly received the Hallyu Star Award on their behalf. Kim Heechul even took the time to convey a special message from EXO’s Baekhyun while receiving the award. He stated, “I’ll make sure to give this award to EXO. EXO member Baekhyun sent a message saying, ‘This is an award we won thanks to our EXO-Ls, so EXO-Ls, please enjoy it.’ Thank you.” Source (1)<doc-sep>BTS’s Jin mentioned their “younger brother” group TXT at the 28th Seoul Music Awards! At the January 15 ceremony, BTS took home the Daesang (grand prize), Best Album award for “Love Yourself: Tear,” and a Bonsang (main award). While accepting their Bonsang, Jin confirmed that the group is currently working on a new album. “Everyone, to be honest, we’re preparing an album,” he said. “To be more honest, the songs aren’t done yet, but we’re really working hard at the preparations, so just wait a bit more.” He went on to say, “We weren’t really told to say this by the company, but our first junior artists are coming. Please watch over them. Thank you!” Big Hit Entertainment will soon be debuting their first group since BTS: the boy group TXT. So far, the agency has introduced members Yeonjun, Soobin, and Hueningkai. Many fans are loving Jin’s sweet shout out to BTS’s younger brother group, and looking forward to their interactions in the future! Are you excited for TXT’s debut? Source (1)<doc-sep>

On the January 21 broadcast of SBS’s “Park So Hyun’s Love Game,” GFRIEND appeared as guests! Park So Hyun asked Eunha about her moment at the 28th Seoul Music Awards that went viral. When the group won the Dance Performance Award, one of the microphones on stage had been too high for Eunha. She was unable to reach it to share her speech, so she switched to another shorter mic. EUNHA BABY I’M SORRY I’M LAUGHING SO HARD OMG THIS IS TOO CUTE AND FUNNY AT THE SAME TIME!!! ?❤️ pic.twitter.com/9mJa9DZzbj — eunha pics #해야☀️ (@picseunbi) January 15, 2019 Eunha said, “A lot of singers found the mic too high so they tilted it to the side when they were giving their speech. I had no idea it would be such a big topic of conversation.” When asked if there was anything she hadn’t been able to say at the time because she was flustered, Eunha said, “There’s nothing that I wasn’t able to say, but I do feel disappointed because I stuttered.” The group also talked about what it was like to film their new music video for “Sunrise” in the winter while wearing light clothing. Park So Hyun asked the members how they dealt with the cold during filming, particularly in the scenes in the forest. Sowon replied, “I cried when filming that scene, since it was so cold.” When asked what the most difficult part of the MV shoot was, Eunha replied that her hands had felt like they were freezing when she was filming her piano scene outdoors. She added, “We also ran in a tunnel. It was really cold there; it was a Han River bridge. It was really cold, but luckily they filmed it very quickly so we ended it fast.” Watch GFRIEND’s new “Sunrise” music video here! Source (1) (2)

San Diego Comic Con has already led to a number of highly anticipated trailers, the latest one being season 2 of Iron Fist. Taking place after The Defenders and the latest season of Luke Cage, Danny Rand has taken the place of New York’s protector in Daredevil’s absence. The brief trailer shows a single fight scene where Rand takes on several opponents, with a glimpse of his glowing fist towards the end of the clip. An official synopsis was also made available, where further details of the season were available. “Season 2 furthers the transformation of Danny​, a character with a fish out of water coming of age story making his way in a harsh new world, battling to work out who he is. This season, Dann​y​ has promised that with Matt Murdock gone, he will step up and protect his city. ​But a sinister plot twist threatens his very identity ​and he must conquer his villains to protect the town and people he holds close to his heart.” In related news, the lead Dragon Ball Super: Broly trailer has arrived.<doc-sep>Netflix’s Iron Fist season 2 just got its release date. The show is the only Marvel-Netflix production to have a panel at San Diego Comic-Con and it certainly didn’t disappoint. According to EW, several clips were played to the fans, showing impressive fight sequences, Colleen Wing and Misty Knight joining forces once again, and Danny Rand’s Iron Fist finally donning the iconic yellow mask. Finn Jones returns as the mystical superhero and billionaire by day Danny Rand/Iron Fist The panel also saw new cast member Alice Eve discuss her villain character Typhoid Mary and Finn Jones reveal that the fight sequences in the show were all done by the actors. Here is all you need to know about the upcoming Iron Fist season 2 Netflix show including its trailer, release date, cast and plot. What is Iron Fist’s release date? Iron Fist season 2 will be released on Netflix on Friday, September 7. As with all previous Netflix Marvel shows, all Iron Fist episodes will all be released at once. Watch the Iron Fist season 2 trailer Netflix uploaded a trailer announcing the Iron Fist season 2 release date on July 19, which shows Danny Rand saying that 'there's a war brewing' and that New York is now his city to protect. Who’s in the Iron Fist season 2 cast? Finn Jones returns as the mystical superhero Iron Fist/ billionaire Danny Rand. Jessica Henwick returns as Danny’s friend and martial artist Colleen Wing. She will reunite with with Simone Missick’s Misty Knight, who in the comics are known as the Daughters of the Dragon. Alice Eve joins the cast as Typhoid Mary, a supervillain with psionic powers that include telekinesis. In the comics, Mary was the enemy and former lover of Daredevil and has the power of pyrokinesis. On the Comic-Con panel, Eve revealed that Typhoid Mary is someone who is ‘very, very violent’, adding that the reason she took on the role was that she ‘got to play someone with multiple personalities.’ Jessica Stroup and Tom Pelphrey return as the Meachum siblings Joy and Ward. Also returning is Sacha Dhawan’s Davos aka the Steel Serpent. However, there is no news on whether Mike Colter’s Luke Cage will return the favour and appear in Iron Fist, after Danny Rand stopped by Luke Cage season 2. The actor, when asked if he will be appearing in any other Marvel Netflix series, replied: ‘I cannot say.’ Iron Fist season 2 plot The official synopsis for Iron Fist season 2 is: 'Season 2 furthers the transformation of Danny​, a character with a fish out of water coming of age story making his way in a harsh new world, battling to work out who he is. This season, Dann​y​ has promised that with Matt Murdock gone, he will step up and protect his city. ​But a sinister plot twist threatens his very identity ​and he must conquers his villains to protect the town and people he holds close to his heart.'<doc-sep>

The first season of Marvel's Iron Fist wasn't the studio's best work. All the other members of The Defenders had shows that were loved by fans and critics. Luke Cage was refreshingly cultural, Jessica Jones placed a female in the driver's seat, and Daredevil showcased amazing fight choreography. By the time Danny Rand, also known as Iron Fist, showed up, his story felt somewhat stale. The second season of Iron Fist was announced by Marvel, and a teaser for the series has been released online. It appears that Marvel is aiming to fix some of the issues with the first season. Critics and fans alike were disappointed with the fight scenes, but the new teaser hints at much more complex and well-executed battles. The short teaser features Danny Rand proclaiming himself New York's protector while easily defeating several thugs in the street. The official synopsis for Iron Fist season 2 from Netflix is as follows: "Iron Fist Season 2 features Danny Rand (Finn Jones) as he fights against the criminal element corrupting New York City with his kung-fu mastery and ability to summon the awesome power of the fiery Iron Fist. Season 2 furthers the transformation of Danny, a character with a fish out of water coming of age story making his way in a harsh new world, battling to work out who he is. This season, Danny has promised that with Matt Murdock gone, he will step up and protect his city. But a sinister plot twist threatens his very identity and he must conquers his villains to protect the town and people he holds close to his heart."

"Last night's actions were unlawful and dangerous, and we are very fortunate that no one was injured," the university said in a statement on Twitter.<doc-sep>A Confederate monument on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has been "divisive for years" but should not have been torn down by rampaging students, the school's chancellor said Tuesday. More than 200 protesters gathered Monday night at the school's Peace and Justice Plaza to listen to speeches before marching to "Silent Sam," a statue erected in the middle of campus more than 100 years ago. Video from the scene shows protesters using ropes to topple the statue as the crowd cheers and chants slogans including "Whose campus? Our campus!" The impromptu removal of Silent Sam is the latest in a long line of statues to fall or be legally removed across the nation since a Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, a year ago. That rally, which turned deadly, had in part been organized as a protest against plans to remove a statue of Robert E. Lee from a Charlottesville park. Chancellor Carol Folt said an investigation into Silent Sam's fall was underway. "Its presence has been a source of frustration for many people not only on our campus but throughout the community," Folt said. "However, last night’s actions were unlawful and dangerous." More:Confederate memorials turn up faster than they can be removed Foes of Silent Sam say he is a monument to white supremacy and slave owners. But supporters, some of whom briefly confronted demonstrators Monday, say the statue is a symbol of the region's history that should not be forgotten. Folt previously has said she would support the removal of the statue, but said it would be illegal. Gov. Roy Cooper, who has called for removing Confederate monuments from public land across the state, issued a statement thanking police for their "efforts to keep people safe." "The governor understands that many people are frustrated by the pace of change and he shares their frustration, but violent destruction of public property has no place in our communities," Cooper said in a statement. Tuesday was the first day of classes for the 2018-2019 school year, and students have been returning to campus over the last several days. First-year student Natalia Walker, who arrived on campus four days ago, said involvement in the protest made her feel "liberated." “This is the biggest thing I’ve ever been apart of in my life just activist wise," she told The Daily Tar Heel student newspaper. "All of these people coming together for this one sole purpose and actually getting it done was the best part.” Dwayne Dixon, an Asian studies professor, told the paper he has long been active in anti-racist movements. “I watched it groan and shiver and come asunder,” Dixon said. “I mean, it feels biblical. It’s thundering and starting to rain. It’s almost like heaven is trying to wash away the soiled, contaminated remains.” Since the Charlottesville rally last year, about 75 Confederate memorials have been renamed or removed from public places nationwide, the Southern Poverty Law Center estimates. That’s in addition to another 40 or so that were erased in the year after a white supremacist opened fire on a Bible study group in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015. Still, the civil rights groups' list of public Confederate memorials – monuments, place names, symbols, holidays – is 237 entries longer, at 1,740, than in 2016. Confederate sites, most of them established long ago, are being discovered faster than they’re being removed. And the Charlottesville statue that started the controversy remains in place while the legal and legislative battle drags on over its removal. Contributing: Rick Hampson<doc-sep>Carol Folt, chancellor of the university, sent a message to the campus overnight. “The monument has been divisive for years, and its presence has been a source of frustration for many people not only on our campus but throughout the community,” she wrote. “However, last night’s actions were unlawful and dangerous, and we are very fortunate that no one was injured.” She said she appreciated the actions of police in keeping people safe and said they are “investigating the vandalism and assessing the full extent of the damage.”<doc-sep>

After last summer's Unite the Right rally demonstrated how many Americans still hold racist values, protesters' calls for the removal of monuments commemorating Confederate leaders and soldiers who fought to preserve slavery during the Civil War have reached mass audiences. Several activists have removed such monuments themselves, most recently including a group of University of North Carolina — Chapel Hill student protesters who toppled a statue on the school's campus, CNN reports. The memorial, known as the Silent Sam statue, was given to the university by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1909, according to the school's website. It commemorates the "sons of the University who died for their beloved Southland 1861-1865." Around 250 protesters gathered around the statue on Monday night and chanted "stand up, fight back" and "hey, hey, ho, ho, this racist statue has got to go," WRAL reports. Then, they marched to the street and blocked off traffic. Afterward, they circled back to the statue, toppled it, kicked it, and covered it in dirt. Police arrived to break up the demonstration, leading the protesters to bring out smoke canisters, according to WRAL. One protester was arrested and charged with concealing their face during a public rally and resisting arrest. University employees took the statue away after the protest. "Tonight’s actions were dangerous, and we are very fortunate that no one was injured. We are investigating the vandalism and assessing the full extent of the damage," the university said in a statement to Teen Vogue. Chancellor Carol L. Folt said in a letter to the community posted to the university's website that the statue "has been a source of frustration for many people not only on our campus but throughout the community" but that last night's actions were "unlawful and dangerous." She also stated her appreciation for police stepping in to "ensure the community's safety." Story continues Related: https://www.teenvogue.com/story/5-confederate-monuments-targeted-for-removal-after-charlottesville Check This Out:

"I know the feeling of it not happening for a long time and I feel like sometimes if it's meant to happen, it will," Hoda Kotb said on Today Tuesday Hoda Kotb could not be more thankful to be a mother of two — but she’s still getting used to the term! The Today co-host called in to the show on Tuesday morning to spill the news that she had welcomed her second child, daughter Hope Catherine, via adoption, and phoned in once more later in the show to dish on a few more details about life since she, boyfriend Joel Schiffman and 2-year-old daughter Haley Joy became a family of four. Get push notifications with news, features and more. “They are amazing. I was watching Haley with [Hope] and I didn’t know what that was gonna mean or how it was gonna work,” Kotb, 54, said of the girls’ sibling dynamic. “We walked in, and I gotta tell you guys, watching Haley with her … she literally wrapped her arms around this little girl.” “I’m standing in the middle of my living room right now. [Hope]’s sleeping in the bassinet right here next to me and I keep looking, like, ‘She’s right there! She’s wrapped up like a baby burrito, she’s here!’ It’s the coolest thing ever.” Want all the latest pregnancy and birth announcements, plus celebrity mom blogs? Click here to get those and more in the PEOPLE Parents newsletter. Hoda Kotb Baby Today Show Hoda Kotb with daughters Hope and Haley | Credit: Today Show/Instagram RELATED: Everything New Mom of Two Hoda Kotb Has Said About Adoption — Including the Hints She Was Doing It Again! Kotb also went into more detail about choosing Hope’s moniker, explaining, “The name came because I think there are a lot of women out there who are hoping that their day is coming too.” “I know the feeling of it not happening for a long time and I feel like sometimes if it’s meant to happen, it will,” she said. “They told me, at the adoption agency, to wait wisely. They said, ‘Don’t count the days, don’t wonder’ — and trust me, I feel like I’m overflowing with goodness.” “[Joel and I] had already thought of a name … and ‘Hope’ is in my journal about 10 million times as I was writing for her,” Kotb continued. “Catherine is my best friend [Karen]’s daughter’s name. It just so happens this weekend — when [Hope] was born, when we got her — it was also John’s birthday, my best friend’s husband who passed, and they said that they promised him that they would come to New York and go to Yankee Stadium to a baseball game for him on his first birthday in heaven.” “And so it was a very emotional time for all of us and I said to Catherine, I said, ‘You’re the strongest kid I know.’ So I wanted to name her after Catherine,” the journalist added, audibly emotional as Savannah Guthrie and Jenna Bush Hager pulled down tissues from a suspended box above their desk. Hoda Kotb Savannah Guthrie and Jenna Bush Hager | Credit: Today RELATED VIDEO: Haley Is a Big Sister! Hoda Kotb Adopts Daughter Hope Catherine Kotb doesn’t have to worry about things going awry at work while she’s on maternity leave even though Bush Hager, 37, just made her debut alongside the new mom of two as co-host of Today‘s 10 o’clock hour last week! “We want you to enjoy every single moment,” said Bush Hager. “I know we just started a new show but you know what, who cares?! I’m not worried about it!” “The show will be here,” Guthrie, 47, agreed enthusiastically. “I’ll hold down the fort,” Bush Hager joked. “You will be missed, but enjoy every moment with that beautiful baby.” “Also, we’re coming over!” Guthrie said before her co-host chimed in, “Yeah, today! Let us know if we can bring something!” Hoda Kotb Hoda Kotb with daughters Hope and Haley | Credit: NBC's TODAY Elsewhere during the heartwarming call, Kotb recalled being at an event with Guthrie, who advised the kids they were speaking to of calling into fruition the things they wanted, ” ‘Say it out loud, even if you whisper. Even if you just say it to yourself out loud. But say it out loud and it changes everything.’ ” “And I have to tell you, saying it out loud when it came to Hope was a hard thing to do because I wanted it so bad that I felt like when someone asked me, they could see it in my eyes, they knew it, and I said, ‘Well, it’s not up to me. It’s up to God. If it’s meant to be, it will come.’ ” “But, in my heart, I was like, ‘Please, God, I hope this is something you anticipate for me,’ ” Kotb added, continuing through tears, “And then to get the call, it’s so mind-blowing. You can’t believe someone’s saying, ‘Come and get her. She’s here.’ ”<doc-sep>Let’s go, y’all! Jenna Bush Hager made her permanent co-hosting debut on NBC’s Today this morning, and if her choreographed kickoff with Hoda Kotb didn’t come off exactly as planned, the rookie seemed to take it in stride. “We’ve been trying to figure out what our little pregame is gonna be,” Kotb said early on during Episode 1 of Today with Hoda & Jenna. “I think we figured it out just now in the makeup room two seconds ago.” When Bush Hager asked her co-host if she remembered it, Kotb said, “Yeah.” Only problem was, the newbie maybe didn’t. After they counted to three to deliver the new opening simultaneously, the first word came out right, but Bush Hager stopped as Kotb said enthusiastically, “Let go, y’all!” “I thought it was, ‘Let’s do this, y’all?’ ” Bush Hager said, looking a little embarrassed. The 10 a.m. hour went a little more smoothly from there as the former first daughter — who officially secured the gig in February — settled in with Kotb, who has been co-hosting the fourth hour of Today since 2008. There were lots of broad smiles and a few happy tears. Watch some tweeted clips below, including a good-luck video from her twin sister Barbara and another from proud papa George — aka POTUS 43 — and mama Laura Bush. Her debut comes after Kathie Lee Gifford’s tear-filled farewell to Today on Friday, during which her former longtime co-host Regis Philbin delivered a moving message via video. “It was literally three minutes of life.”@hodakotb shared a sweet moment she had with Joel yesterday 😭 pic.twitter.com/e16X3fbxtE — TODAY with Hoda & Jenna (@HodaAndJenna) April 8, 2019 . @jennabushhager may or may not know all the states in alphabetical order 😆 pic.twitter.com/R0QOH3bwBM — TODAY with Hoda & Jenna (@HodaAndJenna) April 8, 2019 . @jennabushhager’s dad, mother and mother-in-law wanted to wish her well on her first day! ♥️ pic.twitter.com/mLiHaVC11h — TODAY with Hoda & Jenna (@HodaAndJenna) April 8, 2019 . @kelly_clarkson talks about moving to Los Angeles and her new movie “UglyDolls” pic.twitter.com/xKXkQ7WS5q — TODAY with Hoda & Jenna (@HodaAndJenna) April 8, 2019<doc-sep>

Jenna Bush Hager and Savannah Guthrie got together off-air to meet Hoda Kotb's newborn daughter Hope Catherine — and Guthrie shared a cute group pic Jenna Bush Hager and Savannah Guthrie Meet Hoda Kotb's Baby as She Thanks Fans for Their 'Love' Since announcing the arrival of baby girl No. 2, Hope Catherine, on Tuesday’s episode of the Today show, Hoda Kotb has received thousands of congratulatory messages and well-wishes from her fans on social media. She shared a heartfelt tweet Wednesday afternoon — her first social-media post since revealing her news — thanking her 1.25 million followers for their support. “Hi … just a note to say thank you … for all the love. I am reading every single one of your messages … every single one … my heart is bursting,” wrote Kotb, 54, concluding with three red heart emojis. The Today co-anchor, who adopted 2-year-old Haley Joy in February 2017, hinted at her news on Monday by sharing a photo of the words “CHOOSE HOPE” to her Instagram account before making the official announcement during a phone call in to Tuesday’s episode. Hoda Kotb Hoda Kotb with Savannah Guthrie, Jenna Bush Hager and daughters Haley and Hope | Credit: Savannah Guthrie/Instagram “It’s a girl! And her name is Hope!” Kotb said, with her co-hosts wiping back tears after hearing the news and pure happiness in their colleague’s voice following the adoption. Want all the latest pregnancy and birth announcements, plus celebrity mom blogs? Click here to get those and more in the PEOPLE Parents newsletter. Hoda Kotb Hoda Kotb with daughters Hope and Haley | Credit: NBC's TODAY RELATED: Everything New Mom of Two Hoda Kotb Has Said About Adoption — Including the Hints She Was Doing It Again! “We want you to enjoy every single moment,” said Jenna Bush Hager, who made her 10 a.m. Today debut alongside Kotb just last week. “I know we just started a new show but you know what, who cares?! I’m not worried about it!” An emotional Savannah Guthrie encouraged Kotb to take her time coming back to work, insisting that “the show will be here” and even asking if the new mom of two needed any baby necessities. And the Today show personalities wasted no time following up on their offer. Guthrie, 47, and Bush Hager, 37, “raced over” to meet baby Hope — before officially asking her mama! “We probably weren’t invited. I texted her and I’m like, ‘We are on our way,’ ” Bush Hager joked on Wednesday’s episode of Today. “We went over and we saw … baby Hope … and that precious Haley who was so in awe of her baby sister. It was the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.” Hoda Kotb Baby Today Show Hoda Kotb with daughters Hope and Haley | Credit: Today Show/Instagram Bush Hager raved about the sisterly bond between Haley and her new sibling — and Guthrie even posted an adorable selfie of the whole crew to her Instagram account on Wednesday morning, captioning it, “Holding on to dear Hope! The joy and gratitude of @hodakotb makes my heart sing ❤️” “The fact that [Haley and Hope] wanted to be so close to each other, this is what Hoda’s prayed for,” Bush Hager — herself a mom of two girls — said on Wednesday.

Shin Lim is in the running to win America’s Got Talent: The Champions (Picture: Gabriel Olsen/FilmMagic) Shin Lim, the 13th winner of America’s Got Talent and current finalist in America’s Got Talent: The Champions, was supposed to take home $1million (£750,000) as a part of his prize in 2018. Amazon mocked for AmaZen mental health 'cry closets' set up on factory floor Sure, he got the fame and the prestige of being able to call himself the winner of an internationally famous talent competition, not to mention the chance to tour the US with his magic act, but he ended up having a hard time conjuring up his prize money. So why did Shin Lim not get the full $1million that the show promises? Last year, it came out that 26-year-old Shin Lim wouldn’t be getting the full $1million prize money for winning AGT because of some pesky fine print. He was given a headline slot to perform three magic shows in Las Vegas, but the full complexities of the financial side of things were revealed in a disclaimer at the end of every episode, which said that: ‘The prize, which totals $1,000,000, is payable in a financial annuity over forty years, or the contestant may choose to receive the present cash value of such annuity.’ This meant that there were two options for Shin Lim – either take the money in one lump sum, which would be taxed as if it was an annual wage, or get $25k (£19.3k) once a year for the next 40 years which, again, would be taxed like any other living wage. Regardless, that still doesn’t sound too shabby! While it’s not known which option he chose, Shin recently revealed that his money has been spent on a move from Boston, Massachusetts to LA, California. He told Metro.co.uk: ‘I moved to LA, so a lot of it…turns out LA is pretty expensive! So I’m renting a place out here. ‘Then I’m just creating my solo show, so that’s also costing quite a bit, so I’m just fully investing it in different things here and there.’ ‘I grew up in Boston so I’ve been and East coast guy most of my life,’ he went on. ‘There’s way more people contacting me now and stuff like that. My life’s my life, but just the way of life is different.’ The America’s Got Talent: The Champions final will air in the US tonight, on Monday 18 February, and in the UK on Netflix on Wednesday 20 February. MORE : America’s Got Talent star Jackie Evancho reveals experience with ‘paedophiles and stalkers’ since winning show aged 10 MORE : America’s Got Talent champion Shin Lim reveals how he spent winnings after not getting $1million prize<doc-sep>The AGT: The Champions results are in and magician Shin Lim is the winner . . Fans had mixed reactions to Shin Lim taking home the top prize over Darci Lynne Farmer and Susan Boyle. AGT fans will have to wait until this summer to catch another season of the hit show. The 2019 America's Got Talent: The Champions winner has been chosen. After competing against the world's top Got Talent acts, AGT's favorite magician, Shin Lim, earned the first-place trophy on Monday night's finale. Season 12 champion Darci Lynne Farmer placed second overall. Shin Lim was already ecstatic when he won the AGT title back in September 2018. Now, merely months later, his incredible card tricks have once again led him to victory — only this time, he's the Got Talent champion of the entire world. Getty Of course, ending up on top was far from easy. The illusionist was up against some seriously gifted acts, including: Susan Boyle, Preacher Lawson, Brian Justin Crum, Cristina Ramos, Angelica Hale, and more. Given the incredible talent he beat out, it made his win that much more amazing for his fans: "Congratulations #ShinLim for winning the #AGTChampions so well deserved!!! YAY," one excited fan tweeted. "He was my favorite. Such a talent and I love that he said "Follow your dreams." @ShinLimMagic #AGTChampions," another remarked. Still, there were some hoping that Susan Boyle or Darci would take home the prize instead. "It's not much of a final if Susan Boyle is not there," an angry fan tweeted about the "I Dreamed a Dream" singer. "The '50 States' got it wrong!" another snapped. No matter what your thoughts are on the results, the magician's victory marks the end of America's Got Talent: The Champions this year. Sadly, this means that AGT fans will have to wait until the summer to see the full series kick off again. Until then though, there's always The World's Best to get your talent show fix. This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. . For more can't-miss news, sign up for the Good Housekeeping Newsletter. Subscribe This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>After just seven episodes, the “America’s Got Talent: The Champions” ends with the results finale on February 18 that will see the first winner crowned. Over the course of five audition episodes, 50 acts — including five winners from the “Got Talent” franchises in America and Britain as well as eight others from around the world — performed. They were vying for one of 12 places in the final, which aired on Feb. 10. There were three ways to make the Top 12: be the Golden Buzzer pick of one of the four judges or new host Terry Crews; win the most votes in each episode from the superfans, a select group of “AGT” viewers from the across the country who were flown to LA for the tapings last fall; or be one of the two wild cards chosen by the producers. The five acts singled out for the Golden Buzzer were: singers Susan Boyle, Angelica Hale and Kechi Okwuchi; daredevils Deadly Games; and sand artist Kseniya Simonova. The five acts who won the superfans vote run-offs were: singers Brian Justin Crum, Paul Potts and Cristina Ramos; stand-up comedian Preacher Lawson and magician Shin Lim. The two wildcards were ventriloquist Darci Lynne Farmer, who won “AGT” in 2017, and magician Jon Dorenbos. In the final, they faced off against the two acts who got more votes from the superfans. edged them out with the superfans. Farmer was bested by Ramos, the rock opera singer who won “Spain’s Got Talent” in 2016 And Dorenbos was edged out by opera singer Potts, who won “Britain’s Got Talent” in 2007. Follow along with our updating live blog recap. SEE ‘America’s Got Talent: The Champions’: Superfans decided the winner months ago Refresh this page for the most up-to date comments. 8:02 p.m. – During the recap of last week’s performance episode we saw the judges and other champions gush over Angelica’s opening number and thirst over Preacher’s bare chest. Shin was impressed by Kseniya, Preacher was shook by Darci Lynne and Mel showed off her talent for power napping. Heidi could not believe Jon’s magic trick that spanned across seasons and everyone thought Shin contributed to one of the best finals in series history. And singers Brian Justin, Kechi, Paul, Cristina and Susan all made their talent seem effortless. 8:11 p.m. – Before giving us the name of the ultimate champion, Terry promised a night of duets and talent mash-ups to celebrate and honor the series. I’m hoping they slowly narrow down the field of finalists as the show goes on like they do on normal seasons! 8:13 p.m. – Preacher did his best to find a partner to duet with on stage, but his attempts to try the talents of Deadly Games, Darci Lynne, Shin and Paul all failed miserably, but who knew throwing knives and singing the ABCs with a sock puppet could be both sexy and funny? ! 8:18 p.m. – The first true duet of the night was Voices of Hope children’s choir from last season of AGT and Tokio Myers, one of the champion acts that didn’t make the finals. The combination of the choir harmonies and Tokio’s instrumentation was really fun and a great kick off to this concept of mashing up different talents. I love this idea! 8:28 p.m. – The next special performance of the night was from The Clairvoyants. For their “Games of Chance” trick they had Terry shoot a canon of balls in to the audience with only four of the balls having the names of the four judges. The four audience members that caught the judges’ balls brought them up along with an envelope with a picture in it that each audience member had already had. Only four people had envelopes with pictures of the judges inside them. Terry randomly chose Howie out of the four judges–and though Simon, Heidi and Mel’s envelopes brought to them by the people who caught their balls did have their own photos inside, the one brought to Howie did not. Instead, the reveal was that the hot air balloon photo inside Howie’s envelope was actually predicted because The Clairvoyants had a painting of Howie in a hot hair balloon already printed on the backside of their game sign! 8:38 p.m. – In a bit of a history lesson, we got to see footage from the pilot of “Got Talent” from years ago which Simon called awful. Luckily he was able to sell it to NBC and it changed in to what we now know of the series. We also got to hear Howie discuss his elation at getting the call to join the show and learned that Mel and Heidi both “interviewed” for the show at the same time and Heidi was bummed when she heard they had cast Mel until they called her later and said that they wanted her as a fourth judge. Simon’s ultimate vision for the show was that there would be no rules–no age limit or scope of talent, but that anyone could come on and display their talent for a chance to win. 8:42 p.m. – Jackie Evancho returned to the stage for an encore performance after failing to make the list of finalists and to promote her new album “The Debut.” 8:52 p.m. – In celebration of their 25th anniversary in Vegas, Cirque du Soleil stopped by for a performance from their current show “Mystere.” 9:01 p.m. – The next mash-up was a singing duet of “The Show Must Go On” between Cristina and Brian Justin while Deadly Games performed one of their danger acts. The intensity of the song was perfect to accompany the knife-throwing act. It was particularly great hearing Brian Justin sing something so edgy and dramatic! 9:11 p.m. – Terry’s co-star from “Brooklyn Nine Nine” Melissa Frumero joined Shin on stage for one of his card tricks. In the trick he managed to switch cards with her–the queen of diamonds was in her mouth and the two of hearts was in his mouth–without a single sign of how. He also made her card of choice (again the queen of diamonds) appear in a photo that he took of her holding a blank card! I honestly just do not understand how he does any of these things. Amazing. 9:21 p.m. – Rowlf the Dog from “The Muppets” appeared on stage with Darci Lynne and her puppet Edna–you know the one that’s in love with Simon! The three performed an ode to Simon and Edna’s lost love for him. 9:30 p.m. – Before delivering the first set of results all of the finalists got to watch footage from their very first audition for the shows. It was an emotional moment for all of them because none of them thought that the show would bring them to where they are in their lives now, forever changed. 9:32 p.m. – With all 12 acts on stage Terry brought forward Brian Justin Crum, Kechi and Cristina Ramos. Based on the votes of the superfans from the 50 states, the first act to advance to the top 5 (from those three) was Cristina! That meant that both Brian and Kechi were “eliminated” and would not be the ultimate champion. 9:35 p.m. – Next Terry brought Jon Dorenbos, Darci Lynne Farmer and Susan Boyle forward. From those three only Darci Lynn advanced! That means her wild card spot paid off, but how shook are we that both Jon and Susan were eliminated in the process? ! 9:36 p.m. – The next group included Paul Potts, Angelica Hale and Preacher Lawson. From those three it was… 9:41 p.m. – … Preacher! Another showdown between Preacher and Darci Lynne? ! 9:42 p.m. – So that left Kseniya Simonova, Deadly Games and Shin Lim with only two spots remaining in the top 5. The first act to move on was Kseniya and the second was Shin! 9:44 p.m. – Out of the top 5, the act that finished in fifth place was stand up comic Preacher Lawson. Ugh, I wanted him to win!<doc-sep>

(Picture: Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images) The first ever winner of America’s Got Talent: The Champions – a spin-off of the talent show competition series which pitted the best AGT contestants from all seasons and all over the world against each other – has been crowned at last. Harry takes new swipe at royals saying families feel 'shame' over mental health Now that we know who the winner is, let’s take a closer look at what they get for all their hard work on the show… What does the AGT winner get? The winner of America’s Got Talent: The Champions gets $25,000 (roughly £19,000), a big shiny trophy, and the ability to call themselves the champion of champions. That’s compared to the $1,000,000 (£770,000) prize money on offer in the original AGT series. However, it’s worth pointing out that winners of America’s Got Talent don’t actually get the full million. According to a disclaimer at the end of every episode, ‘The prize, which totals $1,000,000, is payable in a financial annuity over forty years, or the contestant may choose to receive the present cash value of such annuity.’ In plain English, this means that winners can either take the money in one lump sum, which would be taxed as if it was an annual wage, or they can get $25k (£19.3k) once a year for the next 40 years which would also get taxed like any other living wage. Who won America’s Got Talent: The Champions? Magician and AGT season 13 winner Shin Lim was the one who bagged the trophy, with teenage ventriloquist Darci Lynne Farmer coming in second. The 27 year old, who was born in Canada and is of Han Chinese descent, is now the first ever America’s Got Talent contestant to win two back to back seasons, in addition to being the first ever winner of AGT: The Champions. Lim says that he likes to give magic a more artistic twist, rather than simply tricking people alone. In the past, he’s said: ‘I’m trying to change the outlook on card magic — to make it more artistic, more visual.’ On the subject of his win, Lim told People magazine: ‘To be honest, when I’m watching back all the acts, my fiancée Casey and I are like, “How the hell did I win this?” ‘Everyone is so good, if not better. Some of the acts were better than me. I don’t think I can call myself the champion of champions because I don’t really believe it. I mean, Deadly Games is throwing knives and I’m just doing card tricks! I kind of don’t believe it, but I guess I just have to get used to it.’ Susan Boyle wasn’t even placed in the top five (Picture: WireImage,) What about Susan Boyle? Sadly, this means that our beloved Subo lost out on the AGT title once again. After she shot to fame in her Britain’s Got Talent audition 10 years ago, Susan Boyle stole hearts all over the world with her plain talking nature and her inherently sweet disposition, not to mention her incredible singing ability. On the topic of her loss, Susan told People magazine: ‘Of course, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed, but also deep down I didn’t think I would win. ‘Secretly you hold out hope that you just might because that’s what drives you to do your best in a competition. I’ve never really considered myself a champion, I’m just me, Susan Boyle.’ MORE : What time is the America’s Got Talent: The Champions final and how to watch it in the UK? MORE : America’s Got Talent’s 12 finalists – from Susan Boyle to Darci Lynne Farmer

North Carolina authorities said a fire at a zinc production plant in Rutherford County forced some homes to be evacuated early Monday morning. The fire at the American Zinc Products plant in Mooresboro near the North and South Carolina border started around 8 p.m. Sunday. Firefighters from both states worked to contain the massive fire before being pulled from the scene. Shelby Fire and Rescue sent a ladder truck and two firefighters out to assist. Other fire stations in the county were on standby in case the blaze continued, said Director of Cleveland County Emergency Services Perry Davis. "This is a fire of significant magnitude. They were overwhelmed for the need of resources," he said. At one point crews were pulled from fighting the flames when their uniforms tested positive for hazardous material, said Rutherford County Assistant Fire Marshal John Greenway. He said the decision was a cautionary measure until officials determined what chemicals they were dealing with. Deputies went door-to-door warning people within a half-mile radius to leave because the burning plant released sulfuric acid into the air. The zinc recycling facility is located off N.C. 221 just north of Chesnee. All of these steps are usually precautions set in place before the first flame is even seen, Davis said. "They most likely did a pre-incident survey," he said. The survey is done in case a fire breaks out in plants like this, so a plan of action is in place if there is an emergency. Officials said the fire was contained around 7 a.m. Monday, but crews continued to apply water via unmanned nozzles and conducted air quality testing. According to American Zinc Recycling's website, the Mooresboro facility removes and refines metals to make "special high-grade zinc and continuous-galvanizing grade." WSOC contributed to this report.<doc-sep>MOORESBORO, N.C. — Authorities in North Carolina say a fire at a zinc production plant in Mooresboro forced some residents to evacuate the area early Monday. The American Zinc Products plant was still burning around 5 a.m. The fire started Sunday night at the plant, which lies near the border between North and South Carolina. A fire at a zinc production plant in Mooresboro, N. C. Chesnee Community Fire Department Deputies went door-to-door warning people to evacuate as the burning plant released sulfuric acid into the air, and the county says about a half-mile area has been evacuated. Rutherford County Assistant Fire Marshal John Greenway tells news outlets that firefighters have been pulled away from the scene as their gear tested positive for hazardous materials. He says this is a cautionary measure until officials determine what chemicals they're dealing with.<doc-sep>A raging fire at a zinc production plant in North Carolina forced the evacuations of residents and firefighters Monday after sulfuric acid began spewing into the atmosphere. The blaze at the American Zinc Products plant in Mooresboro sent police knocking on homeowners’ doors early morning warning people within a half-mile of the facility to flee the area. "The concerns are not necessarily the zinc. The concern is that sulfuric acid has been released,” Rutherford County Assistant Fire Marshall John Greenway told Fox Carolina. “We've had the decontamination firemen out here and their gear tested positive as hazardous.” MICHIGAN MAN DIES AFTER FALLING INTO TANK OF SULFURIC ACID CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The cause of the blaze – which started Sunday night and now, according to WLOS, has been put out – is unclear. The station says the multiple fire departments that have responded to the scene are still applying water through remote-operated nozzles. An evacuation shelter has been set up at a local high school, Fox Carolina reported.<doc-sep>

A zinc processing plant caught fire Sunday night and by 2 a.m. Monday, a half-mile radius around the plant was evacuated in Mooresboro, N.C. Photo by Chesnee Community Fire Dept. Inc./Facebook April 29 (UPI) -- A fire at a zinc processing plant in North Carolina prompted a mandatory evacuation for homeowners within a half-mile radius early Monday. The American Zinc Products Plant in Mooresboro, N.C., caught fire Sunday night, sending flames 60 to 75 feet in the air. The fire started emitting toxic fumes, including sulfuric acid. By 2 a.m., sheriff's deputies started knocking on doors to wake up residents for a mandatory evacuation. Mooresboro is about 65 miles west of Charlotte. Once the acid was detected, firefighters switched to unmanned nozzles to battle the flames to keep the rescuers safe. "The concerns are not necessarily the zinc," Assistant Fire Marshall John Greenway said. "The concern is that sulfuric acid has been released. We're in the beginning stage of investigating the scene. We've had the decontamination firemen out here and their gear tested positive as hazardous so we have contained the fire to the building." By 8:45 a.m. Monday, the fire was 95 percent extinguished and Environmental Protection Agency officials were testing the air again to see if residents could be allowed to come back home. A temporary shelter was first set up at a middle school but was later moved to the high school's auxiliary gym. The evacuees could stay there during school hours without closing the school. No injuries were reported. Inhaling large amounts of zinc can cause metal fume fever, which typically stops after exposure to zinc ceases.

ISL 2018-19, Jamshedpur FC vs Pune City Highlights: Jamshedpur clashed with Pune on Saturday (Source: ISL) ISL 2018-19, Jamshedpur FC vs Pune City Highlights: Jamshedpur clashed with Pune on Saturday (Source: ISL) ISL 2018-19, Jamshedpur FC vs Pune City Highlights: A clinical display by FC Pune City saw them run out 4-1 victors over Jamshedpur FC in a Hero Indian Super League clash at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur on Saturday. Robin Singh (17′) and Marcelinho (45+2′) helped Pune storm to a 2-0 lead at half-time before a second goal for Robin (65′) and a fine strike from Ashique Kuruniyan (70′) made it 4-0 for the Stallions. Carlos Calvo scored a consolation (76′) from the penalty spot for Jamshedpur who slumped to their first defeat of the season at home. The thumping result puts a huge dent in Jamshedpur’s chances of qualifying for the play-offs while Pune City’s slim chances of going through remain alive. Cesar Ferrando’s side are now four points behind fourth-placed Mumbai City with two games remaining. Pune, on the other hand, are nine points behind Mumbai with three matches in hand.<doc-sep>ISL 2018-19: FC Pune City's Phil Brown - The belief has come back into the team The FC Pune City head coach believes his side are on the up as they get ready to face Jamshedpur... FC Pune City’s Indian Super League (ISL) playoffs might have long been over but head coach Phil Brown wants to keep the side’s winning momentum going as they get ready to tackle Jamshedpur FC. The Stallions have recorded three victories from their last four clashes and as such, come to Jamshedpur in confident mood. “I think it is very important that we approach the next game in a positive way. The reason why I say that, we have talking to the players how we have showed a lot of character in the two games to come from behind and win one and earn a point in the other (ATK). That for me is a good sign that we have great character in our team. To come to Jamshedpur, we have to come with the belief that we can be strong when we haven’t got the ball. Jamshedpur is a very good team and it is our biggest challenge,” said the Englishman. “I fully understand why Jamshedpur are where they are in the league, due to the quality of players that they have. We have to be prepared for very long periods where we haven’t got the ball. That for me is the mentality. I have been brought up in a way where the opposition has plenty of the ball, we have to be patient. We cannot be nervous when the opposition has possession. When they get near our goal, we cannot panic and believe in the quality that we have in defence. “And then the qualities we have as a striking unit, I believe that Ian Hume has been a great servant to the ISL. Hopefully his experience in the ISL will stand us in good stead tomorrow. Robin Singh scored a goal in the last game and is playing with confidence. Marcelinho scored two goals in my first game against Chennaiyin and the belief has come back to the team that we can finish the season in a strong moment. However, that counts for nothing if do not play well against Jamshedpur tomorrow.” The Pune City coach has urged his men to be prepared for extensive periods without the ball on Saturday and believed that his defence will need to be at the top of their games to thwart Jamshedpur. “I think that it is important that you respect the opposition as much as you can. I realise where they are in the league table and I realise what their history is. You come to their stadium, you can tell they are a big club. But we cannot play with any fear. We are now in a good moment. We have 10 points from 12. We have earned points after being behind in the two games,” Brown explained. “So, there’s a lot of technicalities I like about us at the moment but when the whistle goes at 7:30, it stands for nothing. We have to be positive and we have to understand that there will be moments that Jamshedpur will be positive and we will have to be strong. But there will be moments in the game where we will be positive. We are a good side and playing well. I think we had 19 shots on target against ATK so we are creating chances. We have to start maybe being more positive. Instead of taking the shot from 30-35 yards, we need to maybe find one more extra pass and get closer to goal so the opportunity becomes more clear-cut.” The visitors are sweating over the fitness of defender Matt Mills heading into the clash. “The only injury that we have is Matt Mills. He hasn’t been available to us in the two games so far. We play Jamshedpur tomorrow and four-five days later we go to NorthEast. He has come with us and we have our fingers crossed that he can play some part tomorrow. It will depend on how he is feeling tomorrow, if he is feeling fine then we can have him on the bench maybe,” Brown concluded.<doc-sep>ISL 2018-19: Eelco Schattorie - I hope Jamshedpur FC lose points NorthEast United FC need a win in their last match to create history and reach the play-offs for the first time in ISL… NorthEast United FC could have booked a berth in the playoffs of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2018-19 if not for Adil Khan’s 69th-minute strike. The Highlanders had taken the lead through Rowllin Borges at the start of the second half but struggled to make an impact after Pune City equalised later on and lost Jose Leudo to a straight red card towards the end of the match. They now have to win their last match in order to confirm their place in the final four. “In the first half, we were terrible. We lost many balls and gave them opportunities to fight. At half time, we did not talk about anything tactical. The only thing we talked was to step up our game because we can play football. That worked for the next 15 minutes where we scored one good goal," NorthEast United head coach Eelco Schattorie began. “Suddenly, it went off again. Gurwinder (Singh) got a yellow card and to bring in the new defender, I had to make two changes. The goal was a defensive mistake. In the last 10-15 minutes, we got in (Juan) Mascia and tried to play more direct but that didn't work. “We had two or three very good chances in the game but, we missed putting it in. It is part of the game and I cannot blame anyone for that.” On new recruit Janeiler Rivas’ performance, the Dutch coach opined, “Yesterday in training, he was not ready to play, he wasn't registered. It was done sometime in the afternoon. That makes difficult to prepare for the game. “In the last 10 games, the best we have played is when we have had the 10 starting players start which includes Mislav (Komorski). When somebody else comes in, you don't see the same level of control.” NorthEast United are on the cusp of history as they stand a very good chance of making it to the ISL play-offs for the very first time. On being asked about the coach’s message for the team ahead of making history, Eelco said, “Nothing. We have one more game to go and we will work with what we have. We lost two foreigners exactly during the most crucial period. Tomorrow is a new day and we will have to find the solution. Hopefully, we can still get those three points next week I hope that the other team, Jamshedpur lose some points.”<doc-sep>FC Pune City kept the pressure and found a timely equaliser to hold ATK in a crucial match on Sunday. Robin Singh scored his first ISL goal in 14 months to deny ATK a much-deserved win at the Balewadi Sports Complex in Pune. It was a must-win match for both the team. FC Pune City had a chance to challenge for the top-four position. ATK had a chance to sniff on Jamshedpur FC and NorthEast United FC’s neck with a win. Their wishes remain unfulfilled as both Pune and ATK will now have to overcome some stiff challenges in order to have any chance for knock-out qualification. John Johnson deflected Marko Stankovic’s shot in his own net to break the deadlock. Jayesh Rane equalised with a superb curling effort to leave it all square in the first half. Diego Carlos handled the ball within the box while making a challenge to Everton Santos and Edu Garcia converted from the spot to give the lead to ATK. Pune’s equaliser came though Robin Singh in the 76th minute who scored from a corner against his former employers. Also See: ISL Schedule I ISL Points Table I ISL Results #5 Unimpressive Johnson scores own goal If you name most consistent players in this ATK team, John Johnson would surely make into the list. Since changing colour before this season, Johnson has been showing the same talent. He is one of the main reasons why ATK looks so solid as far as their defence is concerned. It was rare off day for Johnson against FC Pune City. All the match, he never looked confident on the pitch. He was taking too much time while clearing the ball and making challenges to the opponents. Thanks to Arnab Mondal, more damage hasn’t happened. Marko Stankovic’s shot was innocuous and it would have been an easy pick for Arindan, who was brilliant on Sunday. The ball may have gone off the target. But Johnson, while clearing the ball, ensured it finds the back of the net, leaving Arindam the other way. It summed up his evening. But a player like him would not take much time to forget everything and come afresh in the next match. 1 / 5 NEXT<doc-sep>

A clinical display by FC Pune City saw them run out 4-1 victors over Jamshedpur FC in an Indian Super League clash at the JRD Tata Sports Complex, here on Saturday. Robin Singh (17th minute) and Marcelinho (45+2) helped Pune storm to a 2-0 lead at half-time. A second goal for Robin (65th) and a fine strike from Ashique Kuruniyan (70th) made it 4-0 for the visitors. Carlos Calvo (76th) scored a consolation goal from the penalty spot for Jamshedpur who slumped to their first home defeat of the season. The thumping result puts a huge dent in Jamshedpur's chances of qualifying for the play-offs while Pune City's slim chances of going through remain alive. Cesar Ferrando's side are now four points behind fourth-placed Mumbai City with two games remaining. Pune, on the other hand, are nine points behind Mumbai with three matches in hand. Meanwhile, Jamshedpur's defeat means league leaders Bengaluru FC become the first team to qualify for the play-offs. The home side started the game with urgency and should have scored at least twice within the opening 15 minutes but for some wasteful finishing. Calvo moved forward from the left and picked out Farukh Choudhary at the far post. But Farukh blazed his volley over from point blank range. Calvo then forced Pune goalkeeper Kamaljit Singh into a save before Mario Arques went close twice. First, his shot from a corner was blocked on the line by Marko Stankovic. Two minutes later, a long ranger from Arques was denied by the crossbar. The spurned chances came back to bite Jamshedpur in the 17th minute when Pune broke forward before Diego Carlos lashed a shot straight at Jamshedpur custodian Subrata Paul who could only parry it. Iain Hume latched on to it, but his shot hit the post before falling for Robin who swept it home. A rattled Jamshedpur mounted a fightback but did leave space behind that Pune looked to exploit. The urgency mounted from Cesar Ferrando's men as the half wore on, but they were dealt a body blow right on the stroke of half-time from another quick Pune counter after a threatening Jamshedpur move was broken down. Hume was the architect, threading a brilliant through-ball for Marcelinho in behind the defence. Subrata came out to close down the Brazilian but could not clear the ball. It fell again to Marcelinho who had the presence of mind to swivel and lift a finish into the open goal. Jamshedpur, in a bid to find their way back into the game, threw on Michael Soosairaj but left themselves open at the back. Pune duly capitalised and scored twice after the hour mark. In the 65th minute, Ashique did extremely well to run down the left and keep the ball alive on the touchline. He found Robin inside the box who beat Paul at the near post with a thumping strike. Five minutes later, it was Ashique's turn to score with a powerful side-footed finish following good work by Marcelinho as Jamshedpur looked crestfallen. Pune did gift Jamshedpur a goal in the 76th minute when Martin Diaz handled the ball inside the box and Calvo converted the penalty. But despite exerting pressure on the visitors, Jamshedpur were unable to find more goals and now have been left with a mountain to climb in the race for the play-offs. Also Watch:

After an immediate termination of its services in Singapore yesterday, oBike has left users puzzled and angry for disappearing without a satisfactory explanation. Citing difficulties in meeting the Land Transport Authority's (LTA) updated regulations, oBike released a 'special announcement' on its Facebook page saying they "regret that the new regulation measures do not favour [their beliefs]", and falsely informing users that their services will still be available on GrabCycle. [embed]https://www.facebook.com/oBikeSG/posts/2198387247060077[/embed] In the Facebook post, the bike-sharing company has neither apologised nor addressed how they will deal with users' deposits and the remaining oBike bicycles still on the road. The post has received over 2,400 angry comments, mostly simply saying "#refundmyoBikedeposit". According to TODAY, oBike users have tried unsuccessfully to seek refunds on their mandatory $49 deposits (or $19 for students) by using the in-app wallet or contacting the firm via phone and email. Bike's office in Singapore has already been vacated Photo: Shin Min Daily News To make matters worse, oBike's office in Singapore has apparently already been vacated. Users have taken to Twitter to express their outrage, saying that the 'refund deposit' button can no longer be found on the app, and hoping to find answers on how they can get their refunds. [embed]https://twitter.com/nusaibahsajiah/status/1011243164181516288[/embed] Successful refund on older version of oBike app One oBike user shared on her Instagram account that she successfully got back her $49 deposit through the oBike app. She said that she was able to do so as she had not updated the app to the latest version, and the option to refund was still available. Photo: Audrey Lange She said she was able to find the 'refund deposit' button in the 'my wallet' section, and shared that she was on the older version 2.5.2 of the oBike app. According to her advice, users who have not updated to the current version 3.4.3 may try their luck to see if the app still allows them to take out their initial deposit. Photo: Audrey Lange Over 2,700 people have signed a petition against oBike Other users who found themselves stuck without a possibility of getting their deposits back have signed a petition against oBike. The petition was started by Harwinder Singh, who had noticed prolonged delays in deposit refunds from oBike since January 2018. On his petition, Singh wrote, "Many customers who submitted the refund request in Jan 2018 are yet to receive their refund in May 2018." "I'm starting this petition to gain support on this issue from all the affected customers with a hope to bring the issue into the mainstream and get the attention of Singapore authorities. The authorities should act to force the company into compliance or cease their operations." As of 2pm on 26 June, 2,730 people have signed the petition. Singh has, however, posted an update saying that LTA has responded by advising users to seek help from the Consumer Association of Singapore (CASE). LTA advises users to approach CASE LTA has said it will step in to engage oBike on its exit plans, "including the removal of shared bicycles from public places." Similar to its response to the above-mentioned petition, LTA has told the media that it urges users facing issues with oBike refunds to bring the matter up to the CASE. Many are concerned that without any legislative powers, the best that CASE, a non-government organisation, can do is attempt to mediate the problem between oBike and its users without any guarantees. Photo: The Straits Times $22.7 million in liabilities In addition to the refunds oBike owes its users, the firm has also "recorded some S$4.25 million in losses" at the end of 2017, and currently has $22.7 million in liabilities. It was reported that an undisclosed logistics partner suspended its services to oBike due to unpaid fees, and PR agency, Ruder Finn, also put their contract with oBike on hold after "several months of fees" were not paid. With all the debt oBike is in, and hardly any support from authorities, users' hopes of getting a refund currently seem dismal. This article was first published on Vulcan Post<doc-sep>Users are having problems getting refunds for the deposits they placed with oBike, hours after the bike sharing company said it was exiting the Singapore market. To rent a bike, a user has to place a S$49 deposit with oBike and then pay the usage fees of 50 cents for every 15 minutes. Students can place a deposit of S$19. A user can expect to have the deposit refunded if he stops using the service. This would usually be done through the mobile app where he can access the amount he has stored with oBike. However, many users are not able to find that feature on the app now as they try to get their deposits back after hearing about the service closure. Some have taken to Facebook to air their complaints. Hundreds of users have shared the company’s post announcing the exit while others have asked for refunds from the bike-sharing company. Many say they have not received a response. Techgoondu has reached out to oBike and its media relations firm to ask how it would issue refunds. We will update the story with their reply when they respond. In its announcement today, oBike said the new regulations from the Singapore authorities made it difficult for it to operate here. In May, the Land Transport Authority had tightened the rules for bike sharing operators here after complaints of the indiscriminate dumping of bikes around the island. Under the new rules, users have to scan the QR code on their bikes to prove that they have parked their bikes in a designated parking space. Failing to do so would mean being charged continuously. Bike sharing firms have to ensure they follow these rules or risk being penalised. They also have until July 7 to be licensed as an operator here. With its exit, oBike will have several questions to answer. Chief among these is the refund of deposits that users are now seeking. There is also the question of the bikes now left all around Singapore and whether the authorities can compel the company to remove them. Stephen Chen, a private investor, who had paid S$49 to use the service, said he was disappointed at how things have unfolded. “I just updated the app yesterday and today I can’t seek a refund for a service I can’t use,” he added. “And they also have our credit card information – what happens to that now?”<doc-sep>(Reuters file photo) Netizens and oBike users have been left confused and frustrated over the status of their deposits following the bicycle-sharing operator’s announcement on Monday (25 June) that it was ceasing its Singapore operations. As of 7.30pm on Monday, over 1,500 comments had been left on oBike’s Facebook post regarding the move, with many using the hashtag #RefundMyDeposit. The post had also been shared over 1,000 times. Users of oBike’s services are required to place a $49 deposit when they first sign up, which is “refundable in the event the user decides not to continue” with it, according to the company’s website. However, some users told Yahoo News Singapore that they were unable to do so following oBike’s announcement. Freelance video editor Rudi Osman logged into the oBike app after hearing the news but said he found no option that allowed him to get a refund. “Since I couldn’t find any direct ways of getting a refund within the app, I resorted to reaching out to them via their feedback option,” said the 32-year-old. He added that he received an auto-generated reply stating that he would receive a response in two working days. “oBike ceasing their service isn’t a surprise to me, as I tend to see more cyclists using MoBike and Ofo, myself included. I’m more concerned about getting my deposit back,” said Osman. Website editor Isabelle Laporte faced a similar problem. “My deposit got converted into a subscription (without my knowledge), so the deposit amount is now zero,” said the 46-year-old. “I try to rationalise the issue by thinking that I used their bikes a number of times during all those ‘free’ weekends. But, honestly, I don’t dare to use any bikes at all now,” she added. In its Facebook post, oBike said that those looking to still use its services could turn to the GrabCycle bicycle and e-scooter sharing marketplace app, adding that users should “contact GrabCycle directly for further enquiries”. However, a spokesperson for ride-hailing service Grab – which operates GrabCycle – said that it is “no longer be able to offer oBike’s bicycles on the GrabCycle marketplace effective today (Monday), as oBike will not have the appropriate bike-sharing license to operate in Singapore, nor will they be maintaining their fleet of bicycles”. Story continues Regarding oBike users’ deposits, the spokesperson said that Grab “cannot comment on another company’s behalf” and that those seeking refunds should contact oBike directly. “With one fewer partner, we understand that our customers’ experience will be impacted,” said the Grab spokesperson. In light of this, the company will waive its existing GrabCycle subscription fees and deposits as well as offer a free four-week free trial for current users. With oBike exiting Singapore’s market, GrabCycle users will now have access to three local mobility partners GBikes, Anywheel and Popscoot. However, GBikes, which started in September last year, will cease operations on 7 July, according to an earlier Straits Times report. Industry players react to new regulations In its Facebook post, oBike – which launched its services in February last year – cited “difficulties foreseen to be experienced to fulfill the new requirements and guidelines released by the Land Transport Authority (LTA)” as the reason for ending its services here. Under the LTA’s new rules, bicycle-sharing services here will have to submit their applications for operating licenses by 7 July. The move is aimed at addressing growing complaints of indiscriminate parking by shared bicycle users. Responding to queries from Yahoo News Singapore, SG Bike said it had no plans to increase the prices of its bicycle-sharing services despite the regulatory changes. “However, following the licensing requirements, SG Bike will need to charge users an additional rental fee for each instance of indiscriminate parking,” said SG Bike’s marketing director Benjamin Oh. “A grace period to relocate the indiscriminately parked bicycle will also be provided for users to unlock the bicycle and park it within the designated areas. A message will also be shown to users to educate them to park the bicycles properly at the designated areas.” RJ Seet, Anywheel’s strategy manager, said that the company foresees itself incurring additional costs in complying with the LTA’s new regulations – which includes expenditure on more patrol activities to minimise the indiscriminate bicycle parking and enhancing its online management system. Despite the difficulties faced in meeting the LTA’s technical requirements, Seet added that Anywheel is “well prepared and hopes that LTA would give us a chance to stay and grow in Singapore as a local start-up”. An ofo spokesperson told Yahoo News Singapore, “We will take steps to ensure that users impacted by the exit of other bike operators have an alternative means of getting to their destinations with great ease. We are currently in the process of applying for the license and will be ready to submit before the stipulated deadline.” Related stories: oBike ceases Singapore operations, cites ‘new regulations’ as reason Grab customers can soon rent bicycles, e-scooters through single app LTA introducing geo-fencing, licensing regime to curb bike parking problem<doc-sep>Bike sharing company oBike has announced it will immediately cease all operations in Singapore, where the company was founded, with customers in Singapore and Australia demanding the return of their deposits. On Monday, the dockless bikeshare company announced it would fold its Singapore operations, 18 months after it was founded in December 2016. Customers there and in Australia, where oBike also withdrew from the city of Melbourne only weeks ago, have complained on social media that the company is now refusing to refund their deposits. The company’s announcement on Facebook on Monday was flooded with hundreds of angry messages from Singaporeans asking for the S$49 deposit back, using the hashtag #refundmydeposit. I am $49 poorer now... until Obike decides to refund me my $49 :( — Michi🦄 【夏色パーティー】 (@michixmame) June 25, 2018 It is unclear what the abrupt announcement means for the company’s global operations and the thousands of bikes it owns in 24 different countries around the world. When Guardian Australia attempted to contact the company on Tuesday, the Australian customer support line was disconnected. Emails requesting comment were not returned. Australian customers also took to social media to complain that the company had failed to refund deposits, even after weeks of asking. One customer, Joshua Williams, said he was yet to receive his deposit or even an email response. “For a service I never actually used it’s quite frustrating to be out of pocket and not receive any answers,” he told Guardian Australia in a message. “Based on what I am reading on their Facebook page it seems to be a common problem and it looks as if some people have waited many more months than myself and have received nothing from them. In countries such as Australia and Malaysia, oBike is one of the largest bike sharing companies in the market. At launch, the company had 1,250 bikes in Melbourne and 1,000 in Sydney. The company’s withdrawal from Singapore is a result of new regulations that forced bikeshare companies to be licensed, and to limit fleet sizes, the company said. “oBike is announcing its decision to cease operation in Singapore as a result of difficulties foreseen to be experienced to fulfil the new requirements and guidelines released by Land Transport Authority towards dockless bicycle sharing in Singapore,” it said. On June 12, the company pulled out of Melbourne for similar reasons. The City of Melbourne had impounded the bikes, threatened to fine companies $3,000 for bike littering, and told residents not to use them. Since its launch in Australia, dockless bikesharing has attracted criticism from users and local councils for causing clutter. High profile incidents, such as when 40 bikes were fished out of Melbourne’s Yarra River, spurred the council to clamp down on the company.<doc-sep>

Aloysius Low/CNET When Obike first arrived in Singapore -- along with other bike-sharing operators -- I tried it and recorded our breakup in this heartwrenching post. Fast-forward a year later, it's leaving Singapore -- and taking my money with it. Singapore-based Obike announced it's pulling out of Singapore in a Facebook post that caught its users by surprise on Sunday, saying its decision was driven by "difficulties foreseen" as a result of new laws by the city-state's Land Transport Authority (LTA). Enlarge Image Screengrab by Zoey Chong/CNET In March, the LTA passed new laws requiring bike-sharing operators to obtain a licence designed to control their fleet sizes. This included new fees and a three-strike policy that temporarily bars repeat offenders from using shared bikes if they park their bike in an unregistered public space. Bike operators were given until July 7 to apply for a licence, failing which they will have to shut down operations. The new rules were passed in order to fight abuse and regulate the unsightly mess caused by the dockless bike-sharing scheme, which allows users to leave the bikes anywhere after use. Several users demanded for the company to return their deposits using a hashtag that read #refundmydeposit after Obike's post went live on Facebook. On Twitter, the ire was strong too: And I guess say goodbye to your deposit too because I can’t seem to have my deposit refunded from the app. — Xavier Lur (@xavierlur) June 25, 2018 Omg give me back my deposit OBike before you close down business!!!!!! — Reiko-chan (@taemleeder) June 25, 2018 Now, where is the "Refund Deposit" button on my obike app? — JY (@kosherjellyfish) June 25, 2018 requested for my obike deposit refund since march and after many emails chasing them, i still have not receive my deposit..now that they are closed..good bye deposit..... — XX ♡Junnie♡ XX (@ringojunnie) June 25, 2018 Meanwhile, CNET editor Aloysius Low has successfully sent a request for his refund. I, on the other hand, can't even see the "Refund Deposit" button on my app: Enlarge Image Screengrab by Aloysius Low and Zoey Chong/CNET Obike isn't the first to hit the brakes -- Gbikes in Singapore announced it will cease operations once LTA's new rules kick in. It might not be the last either, as governments across the world seek to regulate the bike-sharing community in their countries. Obike's exit could also signal the beginning of a consolidation in the industry, according to Dr. Walter Theseira, a transport economist at the Singapore University of Social Sciences. "I think the move to pull out is the start of consolidation in the industry, which was likely to happen without government regulations. There are too many players and it's unclear if the industry can be profitable for all but the largest firms, because of economies of scale. So LTA's new rules have given a kickstart to the consolidation process," said Theseira. Obike was not immediately available for a comment. When contacted, the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) told CNET it received 164 complaints from 1 Jan. to 26 June 2018, 11 a.m., against Obike concerning a failure to receive a refund of their deposit despite requesting for it "several months prior." "CASE will follow up with oBike on this matter and urge consumers with unresolved disputes to contact us for further assistance. Meanwhile, consumers who had made payment via credit card to the bike operator within the last 120 days can consider lodging a chargeback claim with their card issuer as soon as possible," it added. And while Obike has referred users who wish to continue using its bikes to Grabcycle, the bike sharing marketplace launched by ride-hailing giant Grab, Grab told CNET it won't be offering Obikes on its platform anymore. "We understand that oBike has decided to cease operations in Singapore due to their difficulties in meeting regulatory guidelines. This means that we will no longer be able to offer oBike's bicycles on the GrabCycle marketplace effective today, as oBike will not have the appropriate bike-sharing license to operate in Singapore, nor will they be maintaining their fleet of bicycles." The company has also halted new user signups in the meantime -- no reason has been given yet -- although it will waive subscription fees and deposits for existing users, as well as offer them a complimentary four-week trial to test services provided by bike-sharing partner Anywheel. First published June 24, 12:45 p.m. PT.

Despite its name, the New IRA is firmly wedded to the past. The group has its origins in republican splinter organizations that formed in opposition to the Northern Ireland peace process of the 1990s. The group's admission of guilt over the killing of 29-year-old journalist Lyra McKee was no surprise for Londonderry/Derry's nationalist community, although its excuses angered many. The New IRA had accused police of provoking rioting that preceded the gun attack in which McKee died. It said the journalist had been "standing beside enemy forces." The qualified admission came after pressure to apologize from far-left republican group Saoradh (meaning ‘liberation'), which acts as its mouthpiece. Dangerous remnant of darker days The Belfast-based New IRA — with members across the UK and Ireland — is now seen as the most dangerous dissident republican faction. The group's strongholds are in Catholic-majority western parts of the province, such as Derry, Strabane and Country Tyrone. British security forces and police in Northern Ireland say its membership may amount to a few hundred core members, but stress it is limited. McKee's killing prompted an outpouring of grief in Northern Ireland's second city It's thought that the group includes members old enough to have been involved in the Provisional IRA during the Troubles, as well as inexperienced younger members born since the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. Read more: Brexit drags up Northern Ireland's dark past After McKee's death, the Police Service of Northern Ireland referred to "a new breed of terrorists coming through the ranks." The group has been linked to: The murders of two prison officers, one who was shot in 2012 and another who died after a bomb exploded beneath his van in 2016. Letter bombs sent to targets in London and Glasgow in March this year, causing no casualties. A car bombing attack outside a courthouse in Derry, causing no injuries. Two of the smaller groups that fed into the New IRA which are also suspected of the killing of a Northern Ireland police officer in 2011, and the wounding of another officer the previous year. Why the New IRA? Reference to the "New IRA" was initially made by the media after the group emerged in 2012 — a merger of the "Real IRA" and smaller republican groups that rejected the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. The group is believed to refer to itself simply as the Irish Republican Army. It was the Real IRA — without doubt the New IRA's highest profile parent entity — that carried out the Omagh bombing in August 1998, killing 29 people. Although it took place months after the signing of the peace accord, the Omagh bombing was the single deadliest attack of Northern Ireland's Troubles. The Real IRA was warned to disband by the Provisional IRA, from which it had formed as a splinter group after the Good Friday Agreeement. After a ceasefire, the Real IRA re-emerged. Past repeating itself? Another contributor to the New IRA's makeup was the vigilante organization Republican Action Against Drugs. The group, mainly active in the Derry area of Northern Ireland, was primarily dedicated to carrying out punishment shootings against drug dealers. However, it also had strong attachments to the old Provisional IRA. The Omagh atrocity caused shock across the community divide, most — both Catholic and Protestant — eager to embrace the blossoming peace. The Real IRA was an object of derision, and never really recovered from the legacy of the Omagh bombing . McKee's death was remembered in graffiti at Free Derry Corner With the killing of Lyra McKee, and the nationalist community's rapid rejection of its apology for her death, the New IRA could be set on a similar path. A community already alienated The group was condemned over McKee's death by Sinn Fein — a party which, during the Troubles, was regarded as the Provisional IRA's political wing. It was dismissed as a "tiny group of reckless people who represent nothing and nobody," by Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald. Read more: At Irish border, Brexit evokes history of violence Graffiti in nationalist areas of Derry in the wake of McKee's killing also showed a real rejection of the militants by the wider community. "Not in Our Name. RIP Lyra," read a message at Free Derry Corner, a focal point for nationalist sentiment in Northern Ireland's second city. Elsewhere, paint daubed over grafitti supporting the militant dissidents lampooned them as being "done" and "defeated."<doc-sep>DUBLIN — Amid widespread condemnation and anger at the killing of a journalist in Northern Ireland last week, a paramilitary group calling itself the New Irish Republican Army took the unusual step on Tuesday of admitting responsibility for the act and offering its “full and sincere” apologies to her partner, family and friends. The admission came as the Police Service of Northern Ireland announced that it had arrested a 57-year-old woman in connection with the shooting, which occurred Thursday night in the city of Londonderry. Two teenage men who were arrested on Saturday for questioning were later released without charge. The journalist, Lyra McKee, 29, died after she was hit by a pistol bullet fired at the police during a riot in the strongly Roman Catholic and nationalist Creggan area of Londonderry, which republicans generally call Derry. She is believed to be the first journalist killed in the line of work in the United Kingdom since 2001, and her death is seen as a worrying echo of the Troubles of 1968 to 1998, when more than 3,500 people — many, like Ms. McKee, nonaligned civilians — died in violence pitting mainly Catholic republican gunmen seeking a united Ireland against the police, British soldiers and mainly Protestant gangs defending Northern Ireland’s union with Britain.<doc-sep>

A paramilitary group calling itself the New Irish Republican Army admitted responsibility for the slaying of Northern Ireland journalist Lyra McKee in a letter to local media late Monday. “In the course of attacking the enemy Lyra McKee was tragically killed while standing beside enemy forces,” the militant group said in a statement provided to the Irish News, which was verified using a recognized code word. “The IRA offer our full and sincere apologies to the partner, family and friends of Lyra McKee for her death.” McKee was standing near police when she was shot in the head around 11 p.m. on Thursday in Creggan, a suburb in the city known as Derry to Irish nationalists and Londonderry to British unionists. The unrest in the city came just before the Easter weekend, when republican dissidents, who want to reunify Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland, traditionally mark the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Uprising against British rule. The New IRA said Monday that the rioting prior to McKee’s death was “provoked” by police. “On Thursday night, following an incursion on the Creggan by heavily armed British crown forces which provoked rioting, the IRA deployed our volunteers to engage,” it said. “We have instructed our volunteers to take the utmost care in future when engaging the enemy, and put in place measures to help ensure this,” it added. The New IRA, a spinoff of the Provisional IRA that agreed to the Good Friday peace accord in 1998, rejects the Good Friday agreement, which put an end to three decades of sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland that claimed more than 3,600 lives. It wants to bring about a united Ireland.

'In my opinion, it is wrong,' Singh told reporters here when asked to comment on the issue. (Photo: File | PTI) New Delhi: The trolling of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is wrong, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday. Rajnath Singh is the only minister to have spoken out in support of his colleague, who has been the subject of offensive tweets following a passport row involving an interfaith couple. "I consider this absolutely wrong," Rajnath Singh told reporters in New Delhi when asked to comment on the issue. 'In my opinion, it is wrong,' Rajnath Singh said. The external affairs minister conducted a poll on Twitter asking users whether they "approve" of such trolling -- 43 per cent said 'yes' and 57 per cent 'no'. Read: After facing online abuse, Sushma Swaraj responds with Twitter poll "In a democracy difference of opinion is but natural. Pls do criticise but not in foul language. Criticism in decent language is always more effective," Sushma Swaraj said on Twitter on Sunday. In a democracy difference of opinion is but natural. Pls do criticise but not in foul language. Criticism in decent language is always more effective. — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 1, 2018 The external affairs minister had re-tweeted some of the offensive tweets directed at her following the transfer of Passport Seva Kendra official Vikas Mishra in Lucknow for allegedly humiliating the interfaith couple. Vikas Mishra was transferred from Lucknow to Gorakhpur after the couple alleged that he humiliated them when they went to the office with their passport applications. According to the couple, Mishra asked the husband to convert to Hinduism and pulled up the wife for marrying a Muslim. Vikas Mishra had said in his defence that he was secular and had told the woman that her 'nikahnama' showed her name as Shazia Anas, which should be endorsed in her file. Also Read: Police verification report on passport of couple harassed under examination: Centre A section of social media had attacked Swaraj and the ministry for taking action against Mishra, claiming that he was just doing his duty. The minister took it on the chin and retweeted some of the tweets that were abusive and communal in nature.<doc-sep>Rajnath Singh so far the only minister from the BJP to back up Sushma Swaraj (File) Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh came out in support of his cabinet colleague Sushma Swaraj on Monday, saying trolling her on Twitter was "wrong". Asked if he advised action against those who were targeting the minister, he remained silent. Mr Singh is the only minister to show support to Ms Swaraj, who has been backed up on this issue by opposition leader Mamata Banerjee and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti. Ms Swaraj has been facing the brunt of a vicious attack on Twitter after her ministry gave clearance for the passport of an inter-faith couple and took action against an official who allegedly harassed them. Claiming that she away when it happened, the minister had posted a poll on twitter, asking users if they "approve" of such trolling -- 43 per cent said yes and 57 per cent no. Her response intensified the attack and one user even advised her husband Swaraj Kaushal to thrash her. Asked to comment on the issue on Monday, Mr Singh said, "In my opinion, it is wrong". Asked if he spoke to her to extend support, the minister said, "I speak to her daily". He added that he would not "want to be seen standing alone on this issue... so do not want to comment further". Mr Singh so far the only minister from the BJP to back up Ms Swaraj, who, before this incident, received much support and respect on Twitter for her readiness to help anyone facing problems. Many ministers conceded in private that the offensive language used against foreign minister deserves action. Some admitted that they did not want to be seen aligning with her. "Starting from PM Modi to down below everyone is with her, but do not want to get into this controversy," a senior minister said. On Sunday, Ms Swaraj tweeted, "In a democracy, difference of opinion is but natural. Pls do criticise but not in foul language. Criticism in decent language is always more effective. "The Congress was quick to respond to her statement, saying, "No matter what the situation or reason, nothing calls for threats of violence, disrespect and abuse. Sushma Swaraj ji, we applaud your decision to call out the heinous trolls of your own party." Earlier, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted: Strongly condemn the language used on the social media against @sushmaswaraj Ji . She is a senior politician. We must respect each other and must never indulge in any form of verbal abuse — Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) July 2, 2018 PDP's Mehbooba Mufti has also strongly condemned the comments against Ms Swaraj. Horrified by the vicious trolling @SushmaSwaraj ji has been subjected to . Absolutely outrageous! If our own Minister of External Affairs is not spared, what hope is there for any other woman? — Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) July 1, 2018 The home ministry has a separate wing which looks into issues relating to cybercrime and online content appearing on social media. An official, however, said the wing looks after "policy matters and does not deal with individual cases. That's the prerogative of state governments".<doc-sep>Sushma Swaraj was trolled on Twitter for taking action against a passport officer for allegedly humiliating an interfaith couple (Photo: Getty Images and Reuters) Home Minister Rajnath Singh, today, said that Sushma Swaraj's trolling is wrong. Finally breaking the BJP's silence on the trolling of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Twitter, Rajnath said, "Jo ho raha hai woh galat hai (whatever is happening is wrong)." Rajnath Singh is the first BJP leader to comment on this issue. Rajnath Singh terms trolling of Sushma swaraj as wrong. Hear him speak. pic.twitter.com/UYP7bCYSrN kamaljit sandhu (@kamaljitsandhu) July 2, 2018 Sushma Swaraj was trolled on Twitter after the transfer of a passport officer who allegedly humiliated an interfaith couple in Lucknow. Swaraj retweeted and liked many of the abusive tweets she received. A few days later, Sushma Swaraj's husband Swaraj Kaushal tweeted a screenshot of a post by a Twitter user who asked him to "beat" the minister and "teach her not to do Muslim appeasement". Sushma Swaraj started a Twitter poll against the trolling and asked tweeple to respond if they approve of the trolling or not. The poll, which ended on Sunday, received 43 per cent votes in favour of the trolling. Friends : I have liked some tweets. This is happening for the last few days. Do you approve of such tweets ? Please RT June 30, 2018 Former J&K chief minister and National Conference chief Omar Abdullah came out in support of Sushma Swaraj. Quoting Swaraj's tweet showing the poll results, Omar wrote, "That 43% of almost 120,000 respondents support the vile tweets that have been used to troll @SushmaSwaraj tells its own story of what a miserable place part of the Twitter universe has become. Shame on the trolls & their supporters/apologists." That 43% of almost 120,000 respondents support the vile tweets that have been used to troll @SushmaSwaraj tells its own story of what a miserable place part of the twitter universe has become. Shame on the trolls & their supporters/apologists. pic.twitter.com/ULNXGLXQVb Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) July 1, 2018 READ | Why did trolls attack Sushma Swaraj? Deshbhakti isn't the reason WATCH | Sushma 'shares' troll shame: BJP's online army turns against mantri?<doc-sep>

Strongly condemn the language used on the social media against @sushmaswaraj Ji . She is a senior politician. We mu… https://t.co/4PAOMyx1st — Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) 1530527444000 Friends : I have liked some tweets. This is happening for the last few days. Do you approve of such tweets ? Please RT — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) 1530379160000 (With inputs from agencies) NEW DELHI: Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Monday disapproved of the online abuse and harassment of external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj by trolls over her ministry's decision to grant passport to an interfaith couple. "I consider this absolutely wrong," Singh said a day after Swaraj held an online poll asking the online users if they approve of the tweets attacking her.Singh was among the several political leaders to have come out in support of Swaraj. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee slammed the trolls targeting Sushma Swaraj. "Strongly condemn the language used on the social media against @sushmaswaraj Ji . She is a senior politician. We must respect each other and must never indulge in any form of verbal abuse," Mamata said in a tweet.Sushma Swaraj has been trolled on Twitter and accused of appeasing Muslims after she helped an interfaith couple get passport.A Passport Seva Kendra official, Vikas Mishra, posted in Lucknow was transferred after the interfaith couple alleged that the official humiliated them at the passport office. According to the couple, Mishra asked the husband to convert to Hinduism and pulled up the wife for marrying a Muslim.A section of social media had attacked Swaraj and the ministry for taking action against Mishra, claiming that he was just doing his duty.The minister responded by liking a group of the abusive tweets directed at her. On Saturday, the external affairs minister organized an online poll asking people if they approve of these tweets.The voting ended 24 hours later with 57% of the people saying they "do not" approve of such tweets. Interestingly, a surprising 43% of the 124,305 pollsters answered "yes" to Swaraj's question.Even her husband, Swaraj Kaushal , was a target of trolls’ abusive tweet. Kaushal even tweeted a screenshot of a post by a Twitter user who asked him to "teach" the minister "not to do Muslim appeasement".

The Los Angeles Chargers (1-1) travel from Carson to Los Angeles to take on the Rams (2-0). It will be the Chargers’ first game in Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum since they played the Raiders there in 1994. For what it’s worth, the Chargers won that game. Today, they have a very difficult matchup. According to Football Outsiders’ DVOA, the Rams are the best team in the NFL through two weeks. They have the fourth-ranked offense, third-ranked defense, and third-ranked special teams. That’s about as well-rounded as you can get. The Chargers’ offense has been slightly better than the Rams (ranked third overall), but their defense has been middle of the pack (17th) and their special teams is among the worst in the NFL (30th) as we have come to expect from a unit coached by a man that previously had no experience coaching special teams. Ultimately, the Chargers look overmatched almost everywhere except quarterback, so if the Chargers are going to win today it will probably take a huge effort from Philip Rivers.<doc-sep>The Los Angeles Rams served up a near perfect half offensively. All four drives were headed for touchdowns and they marched into position for a field goal as time expired in the first half. And yet they accounted for only 14 points. A fumble from RB Todd Gurley killed off the first drive and a misexecuted play between QB Jared Goff and TE Gerald Everett (I couldn’t tell whom of the two was more responsible for it) led to an interception taking two touchdowns off the board. K Sam Ficken missed his 46-yard field goal keeping things even closer. Had the Rams finished those drives to go with the special teams touchdown granted by LB Cory Littleton’s third punt block of his career, the scoreboard would reflect the Rams’ dominant performance that half. Instead with QB Philip Rivers keeping the Chargers in it with a beautiful throw to WR Mike Williams for the first touchdown and a second drive lacking CB Marcus Peters who left with a lower leg injury, it’s just an eight-point game heading into the second half. Still, you have to like where things were headed overall. I’d suggest that even with the interception, that was Goff’s best half of football in his NFL career. He had a handful of difficult throws to make and he made them all. With the offensive line playing wonderfully yet again, he took advantage of the middle of the field a couple of times when the defense allowed him to (even once using his feet to go into Giraffe Mode). But those tight window throws to WR Robert Woods and WR Brandin Cooks are the kind of throws that, given the level of difficulty, separate quarterbacks at this level. If he keeps that up this half let alone beyond this game...look out.<doc-sep>The Chargers got off to a quick start, despite being on defense to start the game. Just a few plays into the game defensive tackle Brandon Mebane forced Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley to fumble on a screen pass. This momentum quickly disappeared after wide receiver Keenan Allen dropped what would have been an easy first down. The team ended up punting just two plays later. The Chargers would end up paying dearly for this blown opportunity, as the Los Angeles Rams capitalized on their stop and proceeded to drive down the field and score a touchdown immediately. This touchdown was a one-yard run by Todd Gurley, which occurred after Brandin Cooks’ would be touchdown was overturned as the officials deemed him down at the one-yard line. Rams lead 7-0 with 6:14 left in the first quarter. The Chargers swung the momentum back in their favor just two plays later when wide receiver Mike Williams beat cornerback Marcus Peters deep for a 42-yard touchdown. Things got scary shortly after when Williams did not get off the ground immediately, appearing injured. Williams ended up leaving the field unassisted, luckily. Kicker Caleb Sturgis proceeded to miss the extra point as the team’s kicking woes continue. The Rams’ offense continued to hum on the next possession. Quarterback Jared Goff ran for a 16-yard first down which was followed two players later by a pass to Brandin Cooks that brought the team within the five-yard line. Goff then threw a touchdown to wide receiver Robert Woods on the next play. Rams lead 14-6 with 0:51 left in the first quarter. The Chargers went three and out on their next possession as quarterback Phillip Rivers narrowly avoids an interception on third down. Run defense continued to be an issue for the Chargers on the following drive. Rams’ running back Malcolm Brown rushed for two first downs on his first three runs of the game. Brandon Mebane registered his first sack of the year and second big play of the game when he brought down Jared Goff on second down, leading to 3rd and 14. The impact of this sack was wasted as the Chargers gave up a first down on the following play due to penalty. Rams tight end Tyler Higbee caught a 20-yard pass over linebacker Kyzir White on the following play. The Rams were now in the red zone, ready to build on their lead. Things did not go as planned, though. Safety Derwin James caught his first interception of the season when Jared Goff attempted a pass in the end zone. James attempted to stay in the end zone and force a touchback but instead jumped over the line, going out of bounds at the one-yard line and putting the Chargers offense in a precarious situation. The team then ran the ball twice, finding themselves inches away from a safety. A safety would have more ideal than what ended up ensuing on the following play. Punter Drew Kaser’s punt was blocked, resulting in not only a Rams touchdown, but also an injury to Kaser. Rams lead 21-6 with 7:50 left in the second quarter. When the Chargers offense returned to the field they immediately found themselves in a third down situation. Veteran tight end Antonio Gates found himself open along the sideline on this play, resulting in a 27-yard first down. Marcus Peters was injured on this play and had to be helped off the field by team trainers. Following Gates’ long first down, the team attempted a trick play that had Keenan Allen attempt to throw a pass downfield after a reverse. This play failed, resulting in a loss of seven yards after Allen slipped. Allen quickly made up for this mistake when he caught a 25-yard first down in double coverage on the following play. This drive was concluded by an 11-yard touchdown run by running back Melvin Gordon. The Chargers brought themselves back into the game, now down 13-21 with 3:21 left in the first half. The Rams began to drive down the field as the half concluded with a long gain to Robert Woods on the right sideline. This pass went just over the outstretched hand of Derwin James. The team’s momentum was brought to a halt when a first down play was erased due to an offensive pass interference, resulting in a third and thirteen that they failed to convert. They kicked a field goal on fourth down to close the half but it ended up missing wide right. The second half began with a six-yard rush by Melvin Gordon. This was followed two plays later by a thirteen yard first down catch by Antonio Gates. Things took a turn for the worst when Keenan Allen fumbled while trying to fight for extra yards on the following play. The Rams took over near midfield and scored just a few plays later on a 53-yard pass to Cooper Kupp down the right sideline. Cornerback Trevor Williams missed the tackle that led to this scoring play. Rams lead 28-13 with 12:38 left in the third quarter. After a game-altering series of events that saw the Rams take a 15 point lead, the Chargers’ offense bounced back with a 32-yard run by Austin Ekeler. This would be his career-long run. It seemed the offense had come to a stall when they failed to convert on third down, leading to fourth and two. This did not end up being the case as the team elected to go for it on fourth down which resulted in a 20-yard touchdown pass to Mike Williams, his second of the day. Chargers trail 20-28 with 8:18 left in the third quarter. When the Rams offense came back on the field, they came out firing. Todd Gurley took off for over 40 yards on a screen pass, but it was brought back due to holding, giving the Chargers a much-needed break. This didn’t stop the Rams for long, though, as Brandin Cooks took a sweep for 15 yards on the next play. This drive came to a close with yet another touchdown thrown to Robert Woods. The Rams’ offense continued to be able to do whatever they want. Rams lead 35-20 with 3:19 left in the third quarter. Two plays into the following Chargers’ drive, Tyrell Williams caught a drag that went for eight yards. He ended up falling onto the ankle of Rams’ cornerback Aqib Talib, forcing him to leave the field limping. Mike Williams continued to dominate the Rams’ secondary when he brought in a 16-yard first down later in the same drive. Tackle Russell Okung appeared to be down with an injury at the end of the play, forcing a timeout. He was able to walk off the field unassisted, luckily. Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips decided to place defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh over rookie tackle Trent Scott immediately after Okung left the game. This led to Scott giving up a sack on his first play. This sack did not prove to be crippling thanks to a ten-yard run by Austin Ekeler on the following play. The Chargers found themselves in a fourth and goal situation and elected to kick a field goal to end the drive. Chargers trail 23-35 with 11:49 left in the fourth quarter. The next Rams drive began with them in poor field position due to an illegal double team penalty on the kick return. This proved inconsequential as the team immediately made up the lost yards with several runs by Todd Gurley. What did prove to be consequential was the offensive facemask penalty that guard Rodger Saffold committed soon after that negated a 20+ yard completion to Cooper Kupp. This wasn’t the end of the team’s penalty issues on the drive. On a third and 21 passing attempt the Rams were called for a holding penalty that turned it into a third and 30. This, of course, was not converted, leading to a punt. The Chargers take over from the 40-yard line with 7:38 left in the game. Melvin Gordon began the Chargers drive with a 23-yard run that took the team to the Rams’ side of the field.<doc-sep>

Who's Playing Los Angeles Rams (home) vs. Los Angeles Chargers (away) Current records: L.A. Rams 2-0; L.A. Chargers 1-1 What to Know On Sunday the Rams take on the Chargers at 4:05 p.m. The Rams have the odds in their favor, so they'll need to guard against complacency. The Rams ran circles around Arizona last Sunday, and the extra yardage (444 yards vs. 144 yards) paid off. The Rams blew past Arizona 34-0. Jared Goff was the offensive standout of the match for the Rams, as he passed for 354 yards and 1 touchdown. Meanwhile, the Chargers had a bit more than a touchdown to spare in a 31-20 win over Buffalo. The team accrued the bulk of their points in the first half (28) and coasted on those for the victory. Their wins bumped the Rams to 2-0 and the Chargers to 1-1. The the Chargers defense got after the quarterback against Buffalo to the tune of 5.0 sacks, so the Rams's offensive line better have put in some good practice this past week in preparation for the match. How To Watch When: Sunday at 4:05 PM ET Sunday at 4:05 PM ET Where: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, California Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, California TV: CBS CBS Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free) fuboTV (Try for free) Follow: CBS Sports App Prediction The Rams are a big 7 point favorite against the Chargers. Last season, L.A. Rams were 9-8-0 against the spread. As for L.A. Chargers, they were 8-6-2 against the spread Series History This is the first time these teams have played each other within the last 4 years.

NEW A vastly improved search engine helps you find the latest on companies, business leaders, and news more easily.<doc-sep>WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 26: U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) attends a lunch meeting for Republican lawmakers in the Cabinet Room at the White House June 26, 2018 in Washington, DC. The president called the Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling in favor of the administration's travel ban a "tremendous victory," according to published reports. (Photo by Al Drago-Pool/Getty Images) Neil Gorsuch, U.S. Supreme Court nominee for U.S. President Donald Trump, is sworn in during a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Monday, March 20, 2017. Gorsuch goes before a Senate committee as a heavy favorite, given Republican control, to win confirmation to a lifetime seat on the nations highest court. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images Justices of the US Supreme Court sit for their official group photo at the Supreme Court in Washington, DC, on June 1, 2017. Seated (L-R): Associate Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Anthony M. Kennedy, Chief Justice of the US John G. Roberts, Associate Justices Clarence Thomas and Stephen Breyer. Standing (L-R): Associate Justices Elena Kagan, Samuel Alito Jr., Sonia Sotomayor and Neil Gorsuch. / AFP PHOTO / SAUL LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 15: Supreme Court Justice nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh walks to a meeting with Se. Joe Donnelly (R-IN) on August 15, 2018 in Washington, DC. Kavanaugh is meeting with members of the Senate after U.S. President Donald Trump nominated him to succeed retiring Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) UNITED STATES - MAY 09: Brett Kavanaugh is sowrn-in at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on his nomination to be U. S. Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit. (Photo By Chris Maddaloni/Roll Call/Getty Images) (CNN) — US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh said back in 1999 that the landmark Supreme Court opinion that ordered President Richard Nixon to turn over White House recordings toward the end of the Watergate investigation might have been “wrongly decided.” The comments were part of an interview in a publication called Washington Lawyer and were included in the thousands of pages of documents released to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Saturday. Reached for comment, the White House pointed to a more recent speech in which Kavanaugh praised the 1974 opinion in United States v. Nixon, which set a key precedent limiting presidential claims of executive privilege. It was unclear if Kavanaugh had had a change of heart over the years. The White House official declined to offer more context. The inconsistency between what President Donald Trump’s nominee said in 1999 and later on will raise questions during his confirmation hearing, and the release comes as some Democrats have expressed concern over Kavanaugh’s views on presidential power given that he has suggested in the past that presidents be shielded from civil and criminal litigation until they leave office. His comments on the subject could take on more importance as special counsel Robert Mueller seeks to interview Trump as part of his probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election. During a roundtable discussion with other lawyers published in the magazine, Kavanaugh said, “But maybe Nixon was wrongly decided — heresy though it is to say so.” Kavanaugh said the case “took away the power of the president to control information in the executive branch by holding that the courts had power and jurisdiction to order the president to disclose information in response to a subpoena sought by a subordinate executive branch official.” In the landmark ruling, the Supreme Court unanimously rejected Nixon’s argument for an absolute privilege protecting him from any subpoena for documents related to internal communications. The roundtable discussion featured in the Washington Lawyer article, which was first reported by the Associated Press, explored the status of government attorney-client privilege in the aftermath of the Ken Starr investigation. Kavanaugh was part of that probe, which led to impeachment proceedings against former President Bill Clinton. Steve Vladeck, a CNN Supreme Court analyst and law professor at the University of Texas said of Kavanaugh’s comments in the article, “This is not only another example of Judge Kavanaugh’s dogmatic view of presidential power, it is a remarkably narrow view of how much the president can be held to account. The view that the case was wrongly decided would suggest that there is no mechanism in Kavanaugh’s view through which the executive branch can investigate the President.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement Sunday that Kavanaugh’s remarks on the case “bodes very poorly for any decision that Kavanagh might make to hold President Trump accountable.” A White House official declined to explain the discrepancy between Kavanaugh’s views in 1999 and a speech at Catholic University in 2015 in which he described US v. Nixon as among a handful of cases that contributed to “greatest moments in American judicial history.” In that speech, Kavanaugh said the cases represented occasions when judges “stood up to the other branches, were not cowed and enforced the law.” Timeline for selection Thousands of pages of documents were attached to Kavanaugh’s Senate questionnaire, which also described how he was selected to fill the seat of retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy. He said he had discussions with Trump on three occasions before being chosen. White House Counsel Don McGahn first called him late in the afternoon of Wednesday June 27, the same day that Kennedy announced his retirement, Kavanaugh wrote in response to a question about the selection process. Several days later, on Monday July 2, Kavanaugh had his first interview with the President, the nominee writes. That was followed by an interview with Vice President Mike Pence on July 4. A second conversation with the President occurred by phone on the morning of Sunday, July 8. Later that evening, Kavanaugh traveled to the White House to meet with both the President and first lady Melania Trump. “During that meeting, the President offered me the nomination, and I accepted,” Kavanaugh wrote. On July 9, the pick was made official during Trump’s prime-time announcement. The Senate has not yet begun hearings to consider Kavanaugh’s nomination, and his answers in the newly released questionnaire will be closely scrutinized by lawmakers looking for insight into his past and how he was chosen by Trump to fill the high court vacancy. Top Republican senators, such as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, have praised Kavanaugh, describing him as a highly qualified Supreme Court nominee. But Democrats have raised alarm over the nomination. Kennedy had voted to uphold a woman’s right to abortion, and his departure has led to concern that Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion nationwide could be at risk. Some Democrats have also expressed concern over Kavanaugh’s views on presidential power given that he has suggested in the past that presidents be shielded from civil and criminal litigation until they leave office. Schumer focused on the issue in his statement on Sunday. “It is also very confounding that the common thread that has emerged thus far in the cases that Kavanaugh is willing to openly criticize is their relation to presidential power and accountability,” said the Democratic senator from New York. “But because he has demonstrated a willingness to express his views on existing Supreme Court precedents, he must be able to answer direct questions on stare decisis on many other matters, including Roe and healthcare.” One question in the Senate questionnaire asked if “anyone involved in the process of selecting you” ever discussed “any currently pending or specific case, legal issue, or question in a manner that could reasonably be interpreted as seeking any express or implied assurances concerning your position on such a case, issue or question?” Kavanaugh gave only a one-word response: “no.” A version of the questionnaire is sent to every potential Supreme Court nominee, and Kavanaugh’s version — 110 page long — is similar to a form he filled out when he sought his current seat on a federal appeals court. Senate Democrats are pushing to review the lengthy paper trail associated with Kavanaugh, who previously served in former President George W. Bush’s White House. CNN reported earlier this week that Democrats have deliberately held off on meeting with him until they can strike an agreement with Republicans on how to move forward on document procurement for the nomination. Grassley in a statement on Saturday called the questionnaire that Kavanaugh completed “the broadest and most comprehensive … ever sent by this committee.” A look into Kavanaugh’s past The questionnaire reveals Kavanaugh’s employment history, club membership, press and speaking engagements and notable cases he has considered during his 12 years serving on the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. He lists his service as a clerk to Justice Kennedy, his tenure working for independent counsel Ken Starr during the investigation of former President Bill Clinton, and his time serving in the George W. Bush White House in the counsel’s office and as staff secretary. Kavanaugh notes that he served as a member of a group called “Lawyers for Bush-Cheney” during the controversial 2000 presidential election recount. “I participated in legal activities on behalf of the “Bush/Cheney 2000 Campaign related to the 2000 election recount in DeLand, Florida,” Kavanaugh wrote. Kavanaugh provides an extensive list of his published writings and public speaking engagements over the years. He includes his work on the Starr investigation report, scholarly writings and several articles he wrote as an undergraduate of Yale University covering the sports beat for the Yale Daily News. The record reveals that he spoke on several occasions at events sponsored by the conservative Federalist Society, a group that advises Trump on the Supreme Court. The speaking engagements span roughly the last 20 years. Kavanaugh included his membership at Catholic Charities as well as his coaching his daughter’s basketball team at Blessed Sacrament School. He notes that he became a member of the Chevy Chase Club, a private country club located near Washington, DC, in 2016. He refers to the club as a “recreational club” and says, “we joined because the club has an outdoor hockey rink and a girls ice hockey program and because of its gym and sports facilities.” He is a past member of the Congressional Country Club. A separate question points out that the American Bar Association’s commentary to its Code of Judicial Conduct states that it is “inappropriate for a judge to hold membership in any organization that invidiously discriminates on the basis of race sex, religion or national origin” and asks if any organizations he is affiliated with currently or formerly did so. “Years before I became a member of the Congressional Country Club and the Chevy Chase Club, it is my understanding that those clubs, like most similar clubs around the country, may have excluded members on discriminatory bases that should not have been acceptable to people then and would not be acceptable now,” he wrote. CNN’s Joan Biskupic contributed to this report.<doc-sep>

This image was removed due to legal reasons. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh argued in a 1999 roundtable conversation that the 1974 court decision which forced former President Richard Nixon to turn over the Watergate tapes may have been decided in error. The roundtable discussion was released to the public on Saturday along with thousands of other documents that Kavanaugh presented to the Senate Judiciary Committee as part of his confirmation process. The AP quotes from Kavanaugh’s discussion: “But maybe Nixon was wrongly decided — heresy though it is to say so. Nixon took away the power of the president to control information in the executive branch by holding that the courts had power and jurisdiction to order the president to disclose information in response to a subpoena sought by a subordinate executive branch official. That was a huge step with implications to this day that most people do not appreciate sufficiently...Maybe the tension of the time led to an erroneous decision,” Kavanaugh said in a transcript of the discussion that was published in the January-February 1999 issue of the Washington Lawyer. At another point in the discussion, Kavanaugh said the court might have been wise to stay out of the tapes dispute. “Should U.S. v. Nixon be overruled on the ground that the case was a nonjusticiable intrabranch dispute? Maybe so,” he said. The quote is likely to alarm Democrats who are concerned about the impact that Kavanaugh, if confirmed, may have on Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of the Trump White House. It’s possible that Kavanaugh’s view on the Nixon decision has changed . In a 2016 law review, according to AP, he referenced the decision, writing that “some of the greatest moments in American judicial history have been when judges stood up to the other branches, were not cowed, and enforced the law.” But this is hardly the first indication that Kavanaugh believes in strong executive power. In 2009, he wrote an article for the Minnesota Law Review arguing that sitting presidents should be exempt from criminal prosecution. He wrote: I believe that the president should be excused from some of the burdens of ordinary citizenship while serving in office. We should not burden a sitting president with civil suits, criminal investigations, or criminal prosecutions. That sure doesn’t sound like someone who’d rule to prosecute a sitting president for crimes, or even force him to testify.

Dr Fuller says vulnerable people, such as the elderly or pregnant women, should avoid mould-tainted food altogether, as eating it can cause damage to the immune system, worsening existing illnesses. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video "Cutting it out is not safe enough," he said adding that removing even substantial areas around the mould may not eliminate the unseen toxins. "It's no guarantee." Leonie Mills, who's been a chef for 25 years and now teaches cookery at Geelong's Gordon School, said attention should also be paid to the type of food. Where it might be OK to cut mould from dry aged beef, she "certainly wouldn't do it with chicken or pork". Loading Ms Mills said when it came to cheese, firmer cheeses were less risky to cut mould off, whereas soft cheeses should be thrown out. "The bacteria might be able to permeate a softer substance." Dr Kim-Yen Phan-Thien, senior lecturer in food science at the University of Sydney, said certain species of mould, such as Penicillium, are present in cheeses such as Gorgonzola to form its white outer skin or blue veins throughout. These moulds are safe to eat. "There are so many species of fungi out there and many are not hazardous to humans," Dr Phan-Thien said. Food items with a higher water content were more at risk of the mould spreading. "Fluffy bread mould is less risky because once it's stale it's usually become hard," she said. "Lower water activity is generally safer." Is the three-second rule fact? Dr Fuller said modern society had perhaps become "too fixated" on germs, bugs and bacteria. He says you can probably pick food off the floor and eat it if it's been dropped for three seconds – or even longer – if you're confident the floor is relatively clean. "We don't need to be using disinfectant all the time and worrying about these types of things," he said, adding that germ exposure can be useful for growing children. "If it's in your own home, depending on what it is, it will likely be fine." What’s the difference between a best-before and a use-by date? "Best before" is the food supplier’s recommendation of when the food is at its best, referring to food quality. But Ronni Kahn, chief executive of food rescue charity OzHarvest, believes it is "perfectly safe" to eat food after this date. Dr Fuller advises consumers to apply the "smell test". "If it's a dairy product, you can do the smell test to make sure it hasn't turned off. If it smells fine, you can have dairy products a few days after that date." "Use by" is related to food safety and is the manufacturers' guide to when the product should be used for food safety reasons. Dr Fuller said this date could act as a guarantee that food will be fine to eat up until that date, but you will be at risk once that date passes. "Depending on what it is, you could be putting yourself at risk." Should you always observe use-by dates? Dr Phan-Thien said you should always abide by use-by dates. "Because the judgment is on safety. If there is a use-by date, stick by it." But when it comes to best before, it's up to the consumer to apply their judgment. "It might not make you sick, but it might not taste as good or perform as well in your cooking." Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video OzHarvest's Ms Kahn said food label confusion was a major source of food waste, adding that the US and UK were reviewing all food labelling to limit waste.<doc-sep>While it is possible that removing the mould and a significant amount of the surrounding product could remove any unseen toxins that are present, there is no guarantee that doing so would remove them all.<doc-sep>Theresa May has caused uproar after telling the Cabinet that she cuts out the mould and keeps the jam underneath in her own kitchen. (The remarks were made during a discussion about how to cut down on food waste, rather than being a non sequitur in response to the latest row about the Brexit crisis.) The Prime Minister also let it be known that sell by dates are largely artificial, and that people should exercise discretion rather than just throw away perfectly edible food. As far as sell-by dates are concerned, May is absolutely correct: most sell-by dates are essentially plucked from the ether and result in a lot of unnecessary food wastage. But what about the mould? Well, it’s complicated. In general, it’s not wise to ignore the presence of mould in most foods as it is merely an outward expression of microbial growth inside. The same sickness-inducing organisms causing your leftover stew to get hairy are living and breeding throughout the dish. But fruit – whether it its raw state, in a chutney or a jam – is largely safe. as its high acid content means that the mould is largely skin deep; but you must make sure to cut away a large chunk to avoid getting spores on your knife and spreading it to the healthy food. There is one big exception: apples. Don’t eat mouldy apples, as you will get very, very sick. I can’t wholly agree with May, though, as the process of making any jam or chutney staves off the presence of mould for a long time. If you open a fresh jar of jam or chutney and it has mould in it then something has gone very wrong with the culinary process, and the substance before you is likely to be riddled with dangerous organisms. If you return to an opened jar of chutney or jam and it is mouldy, then at least one of the following things must have happened. Perhaps you have used the same knife for butter, bread or what have you and it is actually that residue that has gone mouldy. Once you have removed it, your jam is safe to eat, but also, just use two different knives, or clean the old one between uses. The other reason that your jam will have gone mouldy is you are not storing it properly (seriously, just put it in the fridge, once opened), or, more likely, you don’t actually like the jam you have left to go mouldy very much. In that case, the sensible thing is to write off the stuff as a bad mistake rather than pushing on regardless out of some misguided sense of obligation. Cosmetic changes are no substitute for simply admitting that the way you are living your life is deeply misguided and that you need fundamental change – in some cases to the condiments you buy, and in others to your whole approach to the European Union.<doc-sep>Theresa May's advice to eat mouldy jam has been criticised by the Food Standards Agency When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox The Prime Minister gave her Cabinet advice on how to make jam last longer during a meeting. Mrs May revealed she often scrapes mould off old jam and eats the contents below it in the jar. The Daily Telegraph reported that Mrs May said the jam under the mould was “perfectly edible”, adding that food shouldn’t always be thrown away just because they have gone past a best before date. How to live longer - the amount of water you should drink everyday But the Food Standards Agency (FSA) said “unseen toxins” could cause harm to particularly vulnerable groups including children, pregnant women and the elderly. An agency source told the Daily Telegraph: "Some species of mould can produce toxins that are known to have adverse effects in humans as well as in animals. “It is advised not to eat food that is obviously rotten or containing mould due to potential risks from mould.” The source added: “While it is possible that removing the mould and a significant amount of the surrounding product could remove any unseen toxins that are present, there is no guarantee that doing so would remove them all.” READ MORE: How to get rid of visceral fat: Foods to eat to banish the belly fat<doc-sep>

Theresa May scrapes off mould that starts to grow on her jam and still uses what’s underneath - instead of binning the jar. She admitted that she does not waste the preserve during a discussion with her Cabinet, reports Perspecs. The Food Standards Agency, however, warns that mouldy jam could expose families to "unseen toxins". The Claim May shared her tip during Tuesday's meeting with her most senior ministers, the Daily Mail reports. They were discussing how to reduce food waste. The Mail writes that "It is advice which could have come from a Good Housekeeping guide - but it also applies to 10 Downing Street too”. The Prime Minister said that the rest of the jam is "perfectly edible" once mould is removed from the jar. Her advice is the same as chefs and health experts, according to the Mail. They suggest that the mould and a few centimetres below should be scraped away. This ensures that any invisible mould spores are also removed. Theresa May also talked about best before dates on food and said food should not be binned simply because the date had expired. She added that shoppers should use "common sense" to check if it is still edible. The Counterclaim However, the Prime Minister appears to have fallen foul of advice from the Food Standards Agency, according to the Daily Telegraph. The Telegraphs reports that there is "no guarantee" that scraping away mould will remove the unseen toxins that could be harmful for those who eat it. The Food Standards Agency is responsible for protecting public health when it comes to food. A source told the Telegraph that it is not advisable to follow the Prime Minister’s tip. The source said: "Some species of mould can produce toxins that are known to have adverse effects in humans as well as in animals. "It is advised not to eat food that is obviously rotten or containing mould due to potential risks from the mould." Mouldy food can be particularly harmful for children, the elderly, pregnant women, and those who have a weakened immune system. The Facts The colour of a jam’s mould can affect how harmful it is. If the mould is pale blue or white, it tends to be less harmful. However, if it is black, green, yellow, or orange, it can be dangerous. These darker colour of moulds produce toxins that can result in gastro-related illnesses, including vomiting and diarrhoea. The sugar content in jam could affect what grows in a jar. Jam usually contains 10 grams of sugar per tablespoon. In traditional recipes, half of the preserve is usually made from sugar- they normally use a pound of sugar for every pound of fruit. Dr Neil McEwan, a lecturer and microbiologist at the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, told The National that there is a “degree of subjectivity” when it comes to jam. He said: “The reality is the amount of sugar there is further down in a pot of jam means very few things actually grow successfully. “It’s not good conditions for most micros to grow in that level of sugar.”

FORT DEVENS (CBS/AP) – Three U.S. Marines killed in Afghanistan Monday had a connection to Massachusetts. The Pentagon said they were assigned to the 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division of the Marine Corps Reserve, based in Fort Devens. Their convoy was hit by a roadside bomb Monday near Bagram Airfield, the main U.S. base in Afghanistan. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Defense Department identified the three as Cpl. Robert A. Hendriks, 25, of Locust Valley, New York; Sgt. Benjamin S. Hines, 31, of York, Pennsylvania; and Staff Sgt. Christopher K.A. Slutman, 43, of Newark, Delaware. Staff Sgt. Slutman was a 15-year veteran of the New York City Fire Department and a father to three girls. He was once credited for saving a woman’s life in a fire back in 2013 in the Bronx. “Our focus in the wake of this attack is to support the family, friends and loved ones of our fallen Marines,” Marine Forces Reserve Maj. Roger Hollenbeck told WBZ-TV in a statement Wednesday. “These Marines are honored for their extraordinary bravery and for their direct contribution to the defense of this nation.” At Tiny’s restaurant, less than three miles from Fort Devens, veterans reacted to the tragic news. “When they pay that supreme sacrifice, you know, when they don’t come back to their family, it’s hard,” said Norman Albert, a 92-year-old Marine veteran of World War II. In Pepperell, two towns away, a plan is already in the works to remember the three Marines at a monument dedicated to veterans of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Jean Connolly said the idea was set into motion after a local Marine posted about them on Facebook. “One of our committee members, Michael Carr, he is a Marine out of the 25th. And, he just posted, ‘so close to home, three brothers gone’,” monument co-chair Jean Connolly said. “Every person, we don’t want them to be forgotten, their service to this country.” Connolly says a generous person quickly donated the money to lay three bricks with the fallen Marines names on them in the monument. The monument is scheduled to be dedicated on June 8. (© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)<doc-sep>A mural of George Floyd is shown in the intersection of 38th St & Chicago Ave on March 31, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Community members continue preparations during the third day in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is charged with multiple counts of murder in the death of George Floyd. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 01: President Donald Trump's lawyer and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani talks to journalists outside the White House West Wing July 01, 2020 in Washington, DC. Giuliani did an on-camera interview with One America News Network's Chanel Rion before talking to other journalists about Vice President Joe Biden and the news that Russian intelligence may have paid Taliban operatives to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ORLANDO, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 28: Former President Donald Trump addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference held in the Hyatt Regency on February 28, 2021 in Orlando, Florida. Begun in 1974, CPAC brings together conservative organizations, activists, and world leaders to discuss issues important to them. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Here's what reported grand jury in Trump case may look like NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 09: People walk past the Trump Tower as the impeachment trial of Donald Trump begins in Washington on February 09, 2021 in New York City. After listening to nearly four hours of legal arguments, the Senate has voted on Tuesday to move ahead with the impeachment trial of former President Trump. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Report: US companies may have benefited from forced labor of Uyghurs WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 20: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the conflict in the Middle East from Cross- Hall of the White House on May 20, 2021 in Washington, DC. Israel and Hamas announced that they would agree to a cease-fire, which will take into effect on Friday, following days of fighting that claimed more than 200 lives. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) SAN JOSE, CA - MAY 26: A view of the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) light-rail yard where a mass shooting occurred on May 26, 2021 in San Jose, California. A VTA employee opened fire at the yard, with preliminary reports indicating nine people dead including the gunman. (Photo by Philip Pacheco/Getty Images) A healthcare worker prepares to administer a Pfizer/BioNTEch coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccine at The Michener Institute, in Toronto, Ontario on December 14, 2020. - Ontario, Canada's most populous province and one of the hardest hit by the pandemic, had 1,940 new cases and 23 deaths on Monday. The province is expected to give its next doses to nursing home workers as a priority, according to media reports. (Photo by CARLOS OSORIO / POOL / AFP) (Photo by CARLOS OSORIO/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) 'Never seen levels like this': Union president on airline passenger misconduct Memorial Day weekend will bring rain and cool air for much of the East (CNN) — The US military late Tuesday identified the three US Marines who were killed by an improvised explosive device near Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. Three other US service members and a contractor were wounded in Monday’s attack. The Department of Defense identified those who died as Cpl. Robert A. Hendriks, 25, of Locust Valley, New York; Sgt. Benjamin S. Hines, 31, of York, Pennsylvania; and Staff Sgt. Christopher K.A. Slutman, 43, of Newark, Delaware. The three were assigned to 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, a statement from the Defense Department said. An earlier statement from the military said the wounded service members had been evacuated and were receiving medical care. The Taliban claimed credit for the attack, which involved a car bomb targeting a US military convoy near one of America’s largest military facilities in Afghanistan. “We feel and mourn the loss of these Americans with their families and loved ones. They volunteered to protect their country. We will continue our mission,” Gen. Scott Miller, the commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, said in a statement on Tuesday. The US military initially said that the contractor was also killed in the attack, however on Tuesday it issued a statement saying that the contractor, an Afghan citizen, was wounded in the incident and treated on the scene along with injured Afghan civilians. Seven US service members have been killed in Afghanistan this year. The US has about 14,000 troops in Afghanistan, where they primarily advise Afghan forces battling the Taliban and the local ISIS affiliate. While US officials have said that peace talks with the Taliban have made progress, they have yet to finalize any agreements and intense fighting between the government and the insurgency continues. The US envoy to the peace talks, Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, left Afghanistan on Sunday following meetings with Afghan president Ashraf Ghani. This article has been updated with the identities of the service members, a Tuesday statement from the US military and comments from the commander of US forces in Afghanistan.<doc-sep>

They were killed by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan on Monday. Three U.S. Marines were killed by an improvised explosive device in northern Parwan province in Afghanistan on Monday, according to the U.S. military. On Tuesday evening, the Defense Department identified the three Marines as Cpl. Robert A. Hendriks, 25, of Locust Valley, New York; Sgt. Benjamin S. Hines, 31, of York, Pennsylvania; and Staff Sgt. Christopher K.A. Slutman, 43, of Newark, Delaware. They were all from the 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve. Three other Americans service members and an Afghan contractor were also wounded in the attack, which occurred near Bagram Air Base. The wounded were evacuated and receiving medical care. Early reports on Monday from U.S. Forces Afghanistan incorrectly identified the contractor as an American who had also been killed, but an updated statement on Tuesday corrected that the contractor was actually an Afghan civilian who was alive and "treated along with other injured civilians." “We feel and mourn the loss of these Americans with their families and loved ones. They volunteered to protect their country. We will continue our mission,” said Gen. Scott Miller, Commanding General of Resolute Support and U.S. Forces Afghanistan. In a congressional hearing on Tuesday, Navy Secretary Richard Spencer confirmed that the three dead American service members were Marines. The Kentland Volunteer Fire Department identified one of those Marines Monday as Staff Sgt. Christopher Slutman, who served in their department as well as the New York City Fire Department for 19 years. "Through this trying time, we will remember Chris for the father, husband, brother, son, and friend that he was, the moral character he displayed daily, and the courage and conviction to serve his fellow Americans, both at home and abroad," the department wrote in a Facebook post. "We ask for your thoughts and prayers for his firehouse brothers, his fellow Marines, his friends – but most of all, his family," the post read. Prior to Monday's attack, there had been a total of four American troops killed in Afghanistan in 2019: Sgt. Cameron Meddock, Staff Sgt. Joshua Z. Beale, Spc. Joseph P. Collette, and Sgt. 1st Class Will D. Lindsay. There are 14,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, many of whom train, advise and assist Afghan forces in their fight against the Taliban. In February, acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said he had not received orders from President Donald Trump to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan by half, but U.S. military planners had been tasked with a possible troop reduction after internal discussions began late last year, according to U.S. officials. U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Amb. Zalmay Khalilzad has led direct talks with the Taliban which resulted last month on an agreement "in draft" related to American troop withdrawal and the Taliban's commitment to deny safe haven to terror groups. However, no final decisions have been made.

Get the latest United updates, transfer news and analysis delivered straight to your inbox every day for free Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Manchester United have named their starting line up for the Premier League fixture against Southampton at Old Trafford and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made two changes. Andreas Pereira has come in to replace Fred in United's midfielder while Marcus Rashford, who came on as a substitute in the win against Crystal Palace on Wednesday, returns to the starting XI alongside Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku up front. Anthony Martial faced a last minute fitness test but missed the game through injury and Antonio Valencia, Matteo Darmian, Nemanja Matic , Juan Mata, Ander Herrera and Jesse Lingard are all still sidelined through injury, and Phil Jones has been unwell and also misses out. United are looking for their first home win in the league since January 19th when they beat Brighton at home. Since then they have drawn to Burnley and Liverpool in the league and lost to Paris Saint-Germain. James Garner misses out on the matchday squad having made his debut on Wednedsay. United XI: De Gea, Young, Smalling, Lindelof, Shaw, McTominay, Pogba, Pereira, Rashford, Sanchez, Lukaku Subs: Grant, Bailly, Rojo, Dalot, Fred, Chong, Gomes<doc-sep>When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Manchester United still have a host of injury issues ahead of their upcoming Premier League clash with Southampton. Interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was without a large number of his first-choice starting XI last time out against Crystal Palace and was forced to field Diogo Dalot as an emergency winger. However, the makeshift squad saw off Crystal Palace 3-1 and the United manager is expected to make further changes when Saints visit Old Trafford. Victor Lindelof and Luke Shaw should retain their places but Eric Bailly could be preferred to Chris Smalling in central defence if the England defender is rested.<doc-sep>Get the latest United updates, transfer news and analysis delivered straight to your inbox every day for free Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is going to have to decide how to shuffle his pack as Southampton visit Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon. Up to seven players are expected to be sidelined for the visit of the Saints in the Premier League with Nemanja Matic, Ander Herrera, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard all out injured. Anthony Martial could return having missed the last two league games through injury while Solskjaer admitted in his press conference that Marcus Rashford is likely to start. Diogo Dalot played on the right wing in the win against Crystal Palace and the Norwegian needs to decide whether to start him in that position again on Saturday. Here's how our writers think United should line up. Charlotte Duncker After Wednesday's hard fought win against Crystal Palace there are just a couple of tweaks Solskjaer needs to make to his side to face Southampton. Shaw was excellent again and deserves to keep his place and there's no need to mess with the centre back pairing of Lindelof and Smalling. Dalot impressed on the right wing and should start again but this time at right back to give Young a rest ahead of the PSG game. McTominay has stepped up well replacing Matic and there's no doubt Pogba gets in the team every week. Fred didn't do enough to keep his place and Pereira should be picked ahead of him after impressing against Liverpool. Rashford is sure to start and if fit Martial should get the nod ahead of Alexis Sanchez while Lukaku can look to build on his brace he scored on Wednesday. Samuel Luckhurst Young needs to be rested ahead of PSG and Victor Lindelof could do with a breather after starting 11 of the last 12 league games. Dalot is a fine deputy for Young and Eric Bailly has played alongside Smalling often enough. The midfield should remain unchanged. Fred was abysmal in the first-half at Palace but picked up in the second and a home start might settle him down a little more. Rashford is a certain starter and so is Lukaku. Sanchez is not exactly deserving of another but, given Martial could not be risked, is the obvious supplement in a front three. Joe Bray Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has saved the narrow 4-1-2-1-2 formation for the bigger away games, but it might prove effective against Southampton given the players at his disposal. Marcus Rashford will return, and Romelu Lukaku should continue after his brace at Crystal Palace. Both are better playing through the middle, so a front two with Alexis Sanchez behind seems a reasonable formation to kick off with. If it's not working, Solskjaer can put Rashford and Sanchez out wide and revert to a 4-3-3. Fred was disappointing against Crystal Palace, so Andreas Pereira should be given a chance, with the same back four that played in midweek keeping some continuity while United continue to deal with their injury problems. Now pick the team you want to see start.<doc-sep>When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Manchester United could be boosted by the return of Marcus Rashford from an ankle injury when they take on Southampton. The England striker suffered an ankle injury against Liverpool last weekend and was forced to start on the bench against Crystal Palace but is now fit to face Saints. However, Anthony Martial is still a doubt after a groin problem and is unlikely to be risked with a Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain on the way. Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday, interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said: "It's the last session today but we're not going take any risks.<doc-sep>

Interim Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been handed an injury boost for his side’s clash with Southampton on Saturday. After being left on the bench for the win over Crystal Palace in midweek due to an ankle injury, Marcus Rashford is restored to the starting line-up this weekend. SEE MORE: Boost for Man Utd, Real Madrid as prolific 133-goal ace could be available for bargain €50m or less As noted by the Manchester Evening News, it had been expected that the England international would return, but confirmation has now arrived in what will be a huge boost for the Red Devils. The 21-year-old has been in fine form this season, scoring 10 goals and providing eight assists in 34 games, and with no Jesse Lingard or Anthony Martial to offer pace and movement in the final third, his presence will perhaps be even more important to offer a different dynamic. Meanwhile, there is one other change from Solskjaer as Andreas Pereira comes in for Fred in a potentially crucial midfield switch with the hosts expected to have plenty of possession at Old Trafford, and so starting the 23-year-old could be a smart move. Meanwhile, to accommodate Rashford’s return to the line-up, Diogo Dalot drops to the bench for United. Having won 12 of his 15 games in charge, Solskjaer will be desperate to continue that rich vein of form, especially in order to continue to pile the pressure on their rivals in the race for a top-four finish in the Premier League this season. Although he’s still missing key players through injury such as Martial, Lingard and Nemanja Matic, the Norwegian tactician will hope that he’s got enough at his disposal to cope with their absence, as they did at Palace on Wednesday night.

Shinnecock Hills responded with a vengeance on Saturday in the third round of the 2018 U.S. Open. Dustin Johnson had pushed the lead all the way to 4-under par heading into the weekend, but as we head into Sunday's final round, he's in a four-way tie atop the leaderboard after going 7 over. The cut was at 8-over par, but after a day where the average score was between 75-76, 8-over par is now good enough for T-16 on the leaderboard. Click here for live Round 4 leaderboard coverage of the U.S. Open. This course was a fickle beast all day with many golfers criticizing the way it is playing even compared to a difficult first two rounds. If you're Phil Mickelson, you know this all too well. Mickelson hit a ball while it was still moving on Saturday, and while he was assessed a penalty, he was not disqualified. Daniel Berger and Tony Finau were among the players to take advantage of more favorable conditions in the morning, each carding a 66 on the way to massive jump up the leaderboard. They were two of only three players to be under par for the day, along with Kiradech Aphibarnrat after a 68 moved him up into the top 10. So now we're set with former champions Johnson and Brooks Koepka, along with Berger and Finau going for it all on Sunday at the U.S. Open. At the risk of distracting from the mayhem created by Mickelson and his 81 earlier in the day, I'd say this is exactly what the USGA wanted to see heading into the final round. Click here for live Round 4 leaderboard coverage of the U.S. Open. Here's how the leaderboard looks heading into Sunday: T1. Dustin Johnson (+3): Early in the round, Johnson lost his touch on the greens here at Shinnecock Hills. But as the conditions worsened for scoring, D.J. was able to keep the train from going totally off the rails and enters the final round sharing the lead. There were a lot of missed putts during his 77, and he will be paired with Koepka, but they won't be in the final pairing. T1. Brooks Koepka (+3): Don't let Koepka's three-bogey finish on the final six holes create recency bias that makes you think he's off his game head into Sunday. On a tough day, Koepka did what he could to keep things in line to remain in contention to win in the final round. T1. Tony Finau (+3): After bogeys on No. 2 and No. 3, Finau turned around his entire U.S. Open experience with birdies on No. 4 and No. 5 and a 31 on the back nine. There was no way to know when he finished that 3-over would be so close to the lead, but it's put him in a position to make a run at his first major championship. T1. Daniel Berger (+3): With a couple birdies early in the round, Berger made himself one of the early known names on Saturday. Avoiding the big number and grinding out pars allowed him to stay steady with and finish with a 66 on the day. 5. Justin Rose (+4): Facing a birdie putt to tie for the lead on the 18th green, Rose fell victim to one of a handful of notorious pin placements. His birdie miss took off on the other side of the cup, leaving him a long par putt and a tap-in bogey to finish the day with a 73. That two-shot swing showcased the razor-thin margin for error the leaders battled all day. 6. Henrik Stenson (+5): After nine holes it looked like Stenson was in position to take this major championship by storm, but five bogeys on the final nine changed his position heading into Sunday. T7. Jim Furyk, Patrick Reed, Kiradech Aphibarnrat (+6): Aphibarnrat, like Finau and Berger, went low early and now has the challenge of repeating the feat with what we assume will be much tougher conditions on Sunday afternoon. Furyk and Reed have been steady enough to outlast most of the field, but need to go low for the first time this week in order to win it all. Miss anything? CBS Sports kept you up to date all Saturday with the latest scores, analysis and highlights from the 118th U.S. Open. If you are unable to view the updates below, please click here. Thanks for stopping by.<doc-sep>SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. -- It's a U.S. Open, so obviously through two rounds the star of the event is the course. This year, however, it's for the right reasons. Following mini-meltdowns at Chambers Bay (too unpredictable!) and Erin Hills (too easy! ), Shinnecock has been spectacular through two days of the second major of 2018. It has withstood every element -- wind rain, cold, heat -- and it has proven itself a worthy adversary against pretty much everyone except Dustin Johnson. It has also delivered us a top-notch leaderboard headlined by the best player in the game today -- full of ball-striking, all-around stars. There have been pokes and nudges from the world's top players, but at the end of two days, they've even had to admit that Shinnecock is immense. "... The golf course is certainly gettable," said Tiger Woods, who shot 78-72 to miss the cut. "They give you plenty of room. These greens are soft. They're poa, so a little bit bouncy, but they're soft. They're receptive. You can take on some of these flags if you want to." Few did. Only two golfers are under par through two days at Shinnecock. I can think of no better proof that a course is doing its job than if maybe the best golfer of all time says it's gettable and yet nobody is getting it. "When you're out of position on this golf course and, you know, you're trying not to make another mistake and another mistake and you kind of are, you know, it just looks really stupid," Ian Poulter said. "This golf course. There's not many birdies," said Brooks Koepka, who made six of them in the second round. "There's a disaster around every corner. I mean, all it takes is one shot in the fescue, and you could be in there for a while." Several golfers were trapped, including Russell Henley, who made a triple-bogey 7 on the par-4 3rd hole. "Couldn't see my ball," Henley said. "I could only see it if I kind of ducked down to the right. Maybe I should have practiced that shot more, just chipping out in the practice rounds. I thought that I hit the right shot every time, and it's just difficult." Disappearing balls! Gettable holes! Disaster around every corner. Shinnecock has it all, and has proved what many said about her before the week started: That this property is one of the best championship tracks in the entire United States. Sure, it had help on Thursday (wind) and early on Friday (rain and cold), but it's not as if players were treating it like the John Deere Classic even in perfect weather on Friday afternoon. Justin Rose, who is currently inside the top five and prepped for a run at what would be his second U.S. Open victory, warned that the fun might be over after Thursday and Friday. He confirmed what Woods said about soft, receptive greens which often lead to birdie opportunities. "I feel like we kind of keep waiting for this course to firm up and get really, really tough," said Rose after shooting even-par 70. Foreboding, to be sure, that maybe the U.S. Open, the one that causes weeping and gnashing of teeth, has yet to begin. Here are nine takeaways from Round 2. 1. Ryder Cup fun: As my colleague Chip Patterson pointed out to me, the top of this leaderboard is a "who plays which match" at the Ryder Cup exercise. The U.S. has Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Rickie Fowler currently in the top 10. Europe counters with Tommy Fleetwood, Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose and Ian Poulter. Several of them will likely be paired together on Saturday and even into Sunday, which should be delightful for the well-mannered contingent sure to make their way out from New York City. 2. D.J. 's strokes gained: How good was D.J. over the first two days? He got the hard side of the draw and still beat the field average by 14.2 (!) strokes. I noted this in an earlier column on him, but if you touch 20 strokes gained on the field by the end of the week, you win 95 percent of the time. He nearly touched that after two days, which means he has a lot of breathing room over the final 36 holes. 3. How does it compare to Erin Hills? Speaking of strokes gained relative to par, how about these stats. After last year's crooked U.S. Open at Erin Hills in which the winner was eventually 16 under, how does this proper U.S. Open compare at the halfway point? 36-hole lead at Erin Hills: 137 36-hole lead at Shinnecock: 136 Average score at Erin Hills: 146.6 Average score at Shinnecock: 150.2 People lose their minds about the score to par, and thus the USGA may never deem a course a par of 72 ever again. It's true that scores at Shinnecock are slightly higher, but the leading score is lower, and Shinnecock has actually gotten the weather Erin Hills thought it was going to get. Mostly, I use these numbers to point out the fact that par is a social construct and essentially meaningless other than to keep track of where players are at any given time. 4. Undone in a hurry: Russell Henley was in second place at the U.S. Open when he stepped to the tee at the 3rd hole. A couple of fescue hacks later and a pair of putts from 30 feet, and he'd tumbled down the leaderboard a bit with a triple bogey. Leaders seem stable until they aren't, and one shot can unwind a great round more quickly at a U.S. Open than any other tournament in the world. The same thing happened to Ian Poulter, who took a triple bogey-bogey finish to go from 2 under to 2 over faster than he'll be able to drive his Ferrari home on Friday. 5. Fleetwood the Flusher: My gosh, Tommy Fleetwood! His round-of-the-week 66 came in conditions in the morning where scores shot up to 74, which means he was eight (!) strokes better than the field average in the morning wave. A remarkable number that has him staring at contention (if you call trying to run down Dustin Johnson from behind "contention") over the final 36 holes. 6. Scott Gregory rebounds: Scott Gregory! The Englishman shot a 92 on Thursday, which was the second score of 90 or worse at a U.S. Open this century. He bounced back with a 75 on Friday and nearly extradited himself from last place. It's not exactly clutching up down the stretch for your first major win, but what he did takes a little panache, too. 7. Felt (and looked) like a British Open: I walked with Tiger, D.J. and J.T. during the morning round, and it was legitimately chilly. And that was before it started raining and blowing. Thursday was tougher because it was gustier, but Friday wasn't a cakewalk. Players might prefer the rain and cold (because it softens greens) to perfect weather, which sometimes leads to greens like oak tables. 8. Mild improvement from featured group: After Jordan Spieth, Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy played Thursday's Round 1 in 25 over, they played Friday in even par, and piled up some stunning stats in the process. Spieth birdied four straight holes on the back nine, but still shot 1-over 36 on that side and missed the cut. McIlroy shot a 31 (!) on the back and missed the cut by two strokes. And Phil Mickelson has hit 26-of-28 fairways through two days, and is somehow 10 strokes back of the lead! 9. How far back? Nobody meets the criteria below because the closest golfers to Johnson (-4) are Scott Piercy (E) and Charley Hoffman (E). There are big name contenders -- Fleetwood (+1), Henrik Stenson (+1), Justin Rose (+1), Brooks Koepka (+1), Rickie Fowler (+2) -- but they're going to have to climb Mt. D.J. over the final two days. And let's be honest, that's probably not going to happen.<doc-sep>

Dustin Johnson was the only one of the four players tied for the lead at the end of Thursday to go under par, and after one of the best rounds we've seen so far at Shinnecock Hills, he leads the 2018 U.S. Open by three strokes heading into the weekend. Click here for live leaderboard coverage of Round 3 on Saturday. Tommy Fleetwood and Brooks Koepka tied for the best round of the day -- and the best round of the tournament so far -- with a 4-under 66s but still trail D.J., who sits at 4-under overall after a 67. Ian Poulter had it rolling until a triple-bogey (with no penalty strokes) threw him off at the end of the day. Scott Piercy was solid but one-over on the day, and Russell Henley took the biggest fall of Thursday's leaders back to 2-over after a 73. Charley Hoffman and Brooks Koepka were impressive in the afternoon in their moves up the leaderboard, and Rickie Fowler finds himself in the top 10 even after a disappointing day on the greens. But for all the jockeying among these golfers at the top, there's less intrigue in the eventual winner of this tournament. If DJ's game on the weekend comes close to resembling his stuff on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning, he's going to win. Here's how the leaderboard looks heading into the weekend: Click here for live leaderboard coverage of Round 3 on Saturday. 1. Dustin Johnson (-4): The wrinkle that could make this year's U.S. Open really unique for D.J. 's career arc is that he's not beating the field off the tee, he's beating them on and around the greens. There's going to be some gamesmanship between him and the field on Saturday, but if his short game is locked in again, he could up playing defense and still shooting 68 to extend the lead. T2. Charley Hoffman (E): This has been a good week for Hoffman, whose had an up-and-down ride through 36 holes with six birdies and six bogeys. He's been solid enough to think he can hang shot-for-shot with the leader. The question is whether he'll be able to make up ground. T2. Scott Piercy (E): A birdie at No. 9 was huge for Piercy at the end of a round that started on No. 10 with a three-bogey 38 on his first nine holes. By battling back with three birdies on the front side, Piercy has kept himself in contention to win instead of joining the pack just a few strokes over par. T4. Ian Poulter (+1): Many players stress the importance of compartmentalization, isolating holes and rounds to focus on the task at hand and not allowing something to linger. Only Poulter will know the ultimate extent of his triple-bogey, bogey finish to Friday's action, but the immediate impact was falling from one shot off the lead to the middle of the pack and five strokes back. The key for Poulter will be erasing today's finish and coming strong with the same golf that had him 3-under par heading into his 35th hole of the tournament. T4. Justin Rose (+1): Rose appreciates his position heading into the weekend, but his bogey-bogey finish to the day stings now knowing he could have been in solo second place and paired with Dustin Johnson for Saturday. T4. Brooks Koepka (+1): The afternoon conditions played into the hands of players that could get aggressive and go for scores, and Koepka hit arguably the most favorable holes of the course and took advantage with four birdies over his final nine holes to match Tommy Fleetwood's 66 for the round of the day. T4. Tommy Fleetwood (+1): It's not going to surprise anyone to see Fleetwood put together a low round. Those expectations come with being one of the world's best ball-strikers. The next step for Fleetwood in the direction of winning a major championship is finding a consistency with that elite level of play. If he can go low again on Saturday, he should be in striking distance of the lead. T4. Henrik Stenson (+1): After three bogeys on the front nine, Stenson carded a birdie on No. 13 and an eagle on the par-5 No. 16 to work his way back to 1-over. While Stenson's been playing pretty well, the variance in scoring across his 71-70 makes a top-10 finish seem much more likely than making a run at D.J. for the win. T9.

EUREKA, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on two sisters who went missing from their home Friday (all times local): 11:50 a.m. Authorities say two young sisters missing from their Northern California home for since Friday have been found alive. Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal says 8-year-old Leia Carrico and 5-year-old Caroline Carrico were found "safe and sound" Sunday morning. He says the girls were uninjured and "in good spirts." He called their recovery "an absolute miracle." The sisters had last been seen around 2:30 p.m. Friday outside their home in Benbow, a small community about 200 miles (320 kilometers) northwest of Sacramento. More than 100 police and rescue personnel were searching for them, including the National Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard. They used helicopters and tracking dogs. ___ 10 a.m. More than 100 law enforcement officers are searching for two young sisters who've been missing from their Northern California home since Friday. Eight-year-old Leia Carrico and 5-year-old Caroline Carrico were last seen around 2:30 p.m. outside their home in Benbow, a small community about 200 miles (320 kilometers) northwest of Sacramento. Humboldt County sheriff's spokeswoman Samantha Karges said Sunday that the girls have not been found despite extensive search efforts. Sheriff William Honsal says the girls went missing after their mother said they could not go out for a walk. He described the search area as vast, rugged and rural and the conditions as cold and sporadically rainy. The National Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard are helping in the search, which includes the use of helicopters and dogs.<doc-sep>Caroline and Leia Carrico, ages 5 and 8, wandered away from their home Friday. Two young sisters have been found alive and safe after wandering away from their Northern California home and spending 44 hours lost in a cold, rainy forest, according to their mother and the local sheriff. The girls, 8-year-old Leia Carrico, and her 5-year-old sister, Caroline, were found by rescuers Sunday morning in rural Humboldt County, their mother, Misty Carrico, told ABC News. The sisters went missing Friday afternoon. "I am pleased to report that we all are witnessing a miracle today. Caroline and Leia have been found safe and sound in southern Humboldt," Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal said at a news conference, prompting wild applause from rescuers, who had been searching for the girls for three days. Honsal said the sisters were discovered at about 10:30 a.m. local time by Piercy, California, Fire Chief Delbert Crumley and firefighter Abram Hill, who were among more than 200 rescuers from across the state who joined the search. The sheriff said the girls were found near Richardson State Park, about 1.4 miles south of their home in Benbow. They responded when rescuers called out for them, and were found huddled together under a bush. The girls told first responders that they got lost following a deer trail, and decided to stay where they were. They were able to drink fresh water from Huckleberry leaves. He said Crumley and Hill were following tracks in their assigned search area when they came upon boot prints, and eventually found the little girls. "They were safe and sound, still ambulatory, in good spirits, no injuries," Honsal said. "These girls definitely have a survival story to tell." He said the girls were examined by paramedics and the initial assessment showed they were dehydrated and cold. They were reunited with their parents on Sunday afternoon shortly after they were located. "We could not have had a better outcome than we've had this morning," Honsal said. "It's an absolute miracle." Misty Carrico told authorities her daughters went missing about 3 p.m. on Friday from their home in Benbow, near the Eel River and the famed Julia Morgan Redwood Grove. She went looking for them with neighbors and friends before calling the sheriff's office three hours later. "The two asked to go for a walk. The mother said, 'No.' And then in the course of getting things ready and stuff, she noticed they were missing around 3 o'clock," Honsal said. Authorities had launched an expansive search that involved more than 170 personnel from 21 law enforcement and military agencies, including two helicopter crews and 12 K-9 units. The search extended into Sunday with officers going door to door and inspecting all vehicles going in and out of the sprawling area where the search was centered, about 280 miles north of San Francisco. The girls were found just hours before a rain storm was scheduled to hit the area. A photo released by the sheriff's department showed Caroline, dressed in a pink sweater and matching rain boots, speaking with a firefighter shortly after she and her big sister were found. Humboldt County Supervisor Estelle Fennell praised the rescuers and thanked the community for all their prayers over the course of the search. "I have to tell you that when we got the first word that the kids may be safe, there was still a question mark in a lot of people's minds," Fennell said. "It is so amazing to have such good news, to know they are safe. We have so many of these kinds of efforts that end up in tears and tragedy."<doc-sep>

Two young sisters missing since Friday afternoon in woods in rural Humboldt County in California, were found safe on Sunday, authorities said. Caroline and Leia Carrico, who are 5 and 8 years old, were found about 10:30 a.m. Sunday after more than 44 hours alone in the woods, Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal said. "I'm pleased to report that you're all witnessing a miracle today," the sheriff said at a Sunday news conference. "Caroline and Leia have been found safe and sound in southern Humboldt." The girls were located about 1.4 miles south of where they were last seen, their home in Benbow, about 200 miles northwest of Sacramento. "They were safe and sound, still ambulatory, in good spirits, not injured," the sheriff said. A massive search was underway earlier Sunday in areas of rugged, heavily wooded terrain. #searchandrescue #update Leia and Caroline were found approximately 1.4 miles south of their residence near Richardson's Grove. Here's a first look from the scene where first responders located the girls. Press release with more information as soon as possible today. pic.twitter.com/k2bUTQOtrt — Humboldt County Sheriff (@HumCoSO) March 3, 2019 Honsal said the girls' mother noticed they were missing from home about 3 p.m. on Friday. She told authorities she went looking for them with neighbors and friends before calling the sheriff's office three hours later. "The two asked to go for a walk," Honsal said. "The mother said, 'No.' And then, in the course of getting things ready and stuff, she noticed they were missing around 3 o'clock." Lt. Mike Findley of the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office said search crews came across boot prints in the woods and granola bar wrappers that matched a brand kept at the Carrico home. Both girls were wearing rain boots went they went missing. The clues helped rescuers glean a sense of where they were headed. The Coast Guard, the National Guard and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection were among the agencies joining in the search. "We have so many of these kinds of efforts that end up in tears and tragedy," said Humboldt County Second District Supervisor Estelle Fennell. "Today, we can all shed tears of joy."

Gameday Updates Optional morning skate for Red Wings here at Pepsi Center. pic.twitter.com/LSCmY1jSOI — Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) March 5, 2019 It looks like the Wings will be without Mike Green on the blueline for an extended period of time... Blashill says Mike Green (virus) out, early estimate is 7-10 days. #redwings — Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) March 5, 2019 As one veteran leaves the lineup, another is hoping to make his way back soon... News from the other end of the bench as Ian Cole should be good to play tonight for the Avalanche after Sunday’s nasty collision. There will be no hearing for Ian Cole for his knee on Devin Shore yesterday, a source tells @BSNDenver. He escapes punishment — Adrian Dater (@adater) March 4, 2019 Projected Lineups Red Wings Lines Considering Green will be out for at least a week, Daley is probably the favourite to factor into tonight’s lineup as long as he doesn’t have a setback from the morning skate. Bernier starting tonight. — Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) March 5, 2019 Avalanche Lines Alexander Kerfoot — Nathan MacKinnon — Mikko Rantanen Gabriel Landeskog — Tyson Jost — Matt Calvert Derick Brassard — Carl Soderberg — JT Compher Sven Andrighetto — Sheldon Dries — Colin Wilson Samuel Girard — Erik Johnson Ian Cole — Tyson Barrie Patrik Nemeth — Nikita Zadorov Semyon Varlamov Philipp Grubauer Keys to the Game Stop Being Predictable This one is directed at Jeff Blashill. Yesterday’s lines at practice had Wings fans extremely frustrated, and for good reason. Seeing Luke Glendening up on that second line made me cringe. Why not put Michael Rasmussen with Andreas Athanasiou and Filip Zadina? Let the kid play with a pair of creative linemates and see what happens, rather than shoving him out on the grind line in limited minutes. At this point, you would have been better off sending him to junior a couple weeks ago, making him eligible for the AHL playoffs. At least he would have got some quality playing time. Skate, Skate, Skate In order to keep up with the Avs, the Wings will need to use their one strength — their legs. It might not be the most skilled lineup (thanks in part to Blashill’s lack of creativity), but they have the horses that can skate up and down this lineup. When you look at the other bench, players like MacKinnon and Rantanen can certainly create headaches for you defensively — both have combined for 164 points this season — and they do so with their speed. If the Wings find a way to shut down this dynamic duo, it would go a long way towards coming out on top.<doc-sep>Semyon Varlamov will be back in net Tuesday night and the Avalanche’s top three scorers will be reunited on the same line as Colorado hosts Detroit at the Pepsi Center. NHL all-stars Nathan MacKinnon, Gabe Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen haven’t played regularly together since mid-February. “We tried some different guys in there and I just feel like they’re more dangerous as a threesome, especially now when you have the addition of (Derick) Brassard, who changes some things,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said Tuesday after the morning skate. Brassard was acquired at the Feb. 25 trade deadline and will play left wing on a line with center Tyson Jost and Matt Calvert. Colorado is coming off a 0-2 road trip in California, losing 4-3 at San Jose and 2-1 at Anaheim, and enters Tuesday’s games three points out of a Western Conference wild-card playoff spot. Jared Bednar after morning skate. #Avs and Red Wings tonight https://t.co/wnyvqEM7Dk — Mike Chambers (@MikeChambers) March 5, 2019 Avalanche lineup Forwards: Landeskog-MacKinnon-Rantanen Wilson-Soderberg-Compher Brassard-Jost-Calvert Dries-Kerfoot-Andrighetto Defensemen: Girard-Johnson Cole-Barrie Nemeth-Zadorov Goaltending: Varlamov, Grubauer<doc-sep>Detroit Red Wings (23-33-9, 55 points) at Colorado Avalanche (28-26-12, 68 points) When: 9 p.m. tonight. Where: Pepsi Center, Denver. TV: Fox Sports Detroit. Radio: 97.1 FM (Red Wings radio affiliates). • Box score Game notes: One day after the death of beloved Hall of Famer Ted Lindsay, the Red Wings enter on a seven-game losing streak, and haven't scored a point in four straight games. Colorado has lost three of four, after winning four straight. Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen are tied for the team lead with 82 points. ... In the race for Jack Hughes, the Avalanche is in the lead, thanks to the incompetent Ottawa Senators, while the Wings are second. More:Jack Hughes is the 'generational' talent who could help save Hockeytown Twitter updates Live updates for mobile users.<doc-sep>DENVER — The energy pulsated in the third period as the Detroit Red Wings fed off their many fans and their opponent fought for playoff positioning. The Wings and Colorado Avalanche are long past their rivalry days but the sea of red spotted throughout Pepsi Center Tuesday injected atmosphere. Filip Zadina made the night memorable with his first NHL goal, but the Wings’ losing streak grew to eight when Nathan MacKinnon secured a 4-3 overtime victory for the Avs. Fans wearing McCarty and Yzerman jerseys were among the sea of red in the stands, but that didn’t inject the Wings with energy to start the game. They were overmatched to start the game, pushed back by an opponent fighting for playoff positioning. Niklas Kronwall saved the first period with a power play goal, and Jonathan Bernier saved the second period with 16 saves. Danny DeKeyser scored a go-ahead goal in the third period, but Mikko Rantanen scored while Michael Rasmussen was in the penalty box, flicking a backhand into the net at 8:39. The Wings unsuccessfully challenged goaltender interference. More:How Detroit Red Wings can make most of losing Mike Green again More:Jack Hughes is the 'generational' talent who could help save Hockeytown Make it count It wasn’t a pretty start: on the opening shift, Nathan MacKinnon nabbed the puck and set up Mikko Rantanen’s backhand attempt. A minute later, Bernier had to deal with a J.T. Compher breakaway. The Wings did not register a shot on net until 6:28 when Trevor Daley fired the puck in from the right point, a shot Semyon Varlamov saw all the way. It took until midway through the first period before the Wings had any jam to them. They converted on a power play when Thomas Vanek got the puck to Kronwall, whose shot from the blue line whizzed through traffic and into the net, at 16:47. Overrun The Wings killed off the 1:42 left on a Colorado to start the second period but were scored on two seconds later when Compher had a clean shot on net and sent the puck over Bernier’s right shoulder. That shouldn’t have deflated the Wings to the extent it did, but they barely got into Colorado’s zone the next 10 minutes. Post-goal, the ratio through the first half of the period was 10:1. It was basically a repeat of the first period, with the Wings sleepwalking for 10-12 minutes before coming together, and Kronwall even tried the same shot during a late power play. The Wings finished with eight shots in the period, but allowed 17. Honoring a legend There was a pre-game tribute to Ted Lindsay, the Red Wings great who passed away Monday. The video noted how he played larger than his 5-8 stature, highlighted his four Stanley Cups with the Wings and 1068 career NHL games, while a black and white image of Lindsay graced the Jumbotron. It ended with a moment of silence. Mitch Albom:Ted Lindsay was a hockey giant, Production Liner and trailblazer More:Detroit Red Wings' Ted Lindsay funeral: Public visitation Friday at LCA Contact Helene St. James at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Check out our Red Wings Xtra app on Apple and Android!<doc-sep>

Time: 9:00 PM ET Place: Pepsi Center TV: FS-D, ALT Radio: 97.1 FM The Ticket // 1270 AM Avs Blog: Mile High Hockey First off, I just wanted to acknowledge Ted Lindsay’s passing over the weekend. He was a great ambassador for the game and quite revered in the hockey community (rightfully so). I’m not sure there will ever be another like him on or off the ice and I look forward to hearing some stories from those in the Red Wings community about their encounters around the rink with “Terrible Ted.” Game Preview Every time these two teams clash, it always brings me back to the good ol’ days... Mickey Redmond is pumped up in that video! Even though it’s a rivalry that’s fizzled out over the years — especially with Detroit’s move to the Eastern Conference — it still brings me back. Can we expect the same fireworks in tonight’s game? Probably not. The Wings have dropped seven in a row and are just 2-6-2 in their last 10 overall. For Wings fans sitting at home and hoping for the top pick in June’s NHL Draft, this kind of losing is a recipe for success (if only Ottawa could get out of the way). The Wings’s last road win was Feb. 12 in Nashville and tonight will be a tough test in Colorado against an Avalanche team fighting for a playoff spot (just three points out of the wildcard). Lineup Notes Trevor Daley returned to practice on Monday for the Wings. Maybe he will get a look over Jonathan Ericsson in tonight’s game? The lines from yesterday’s practice looked like this... Look, I’m a fan of what Luke Glendening brings to the lineup...in a BOTTOM SIX ROLE! For crying out loud Jeff Blashill! I’m convinced this guy has lost it behind the bench. If they intend on keeping Michael Rasmussen up in the NHL, at least play him higher in the lineup. You’re playing for bragging rights this late in the season, so what is this accomplishing? Anyway, that’s my rant for the day — although, be sure to tune into the gameday updates as Blashill’s decision-making might stoke the fire once more. On the other end of the bench, it would appear that Ian Cole avoided the wrath of the league for this hit during Sunday’s game... Ian Cole with the knee-on-knee hit on Devin Shore pic.twitter.com/XA7iJYhZpW — Forever Mighty (@ForeverMightyFM) March 3, 2019 At this point, Cole is expected to be in the lineup tonight.

Conducting their first draft as World Series champions brings a marked difference. The Astros will not pick until No. 28 during Monday evening's first round, their lowest actual first pick since they selected Derick Grigsby with the No. 29 pick in the 2002 draft. "I've been there before and there's no easy pick at 28," general manager Jeff Luhnow said last week at Yankee Stadium. Luhnow's eight-year run in the Cardinals' front office contained this predicament regularly. Their 2008 selection of Brett Wallace at No. 13 was their lowest draft pick during Luhnow's tenure. And, yes, in 2005 the Cardinals picked No. 28 — taking Colby Rasmus. Each of Luhnow's first three drafts in Houston came with the No. 1 overall pick. In 2015, Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker were taken No. 2 and No. 5. The last two seasons produced picks at No. 17 and No. 15, respectively. For him, Monday begins a throwback, one created by the on-field success of Luhnow's franchise renaissance in Houston. Where they will pick isn't the only difference. The Astros have moved draft week operations to their West Palm Beach spring training facility and set up their draft room inside the Major League clubhouse. A u-shaped conference table sits in the middle of the expansive room, which is adorned with flat-screen televisions and video monitors able to play video of prospects while also broadcasting the NCAA baseball regionals that linger into Monday. "It's been spectacular," assistant general manager Mike Elias said on Sunday. "We've also been able to use the facility for private workouts all week long and I think we're really happy with the move so far." Elias leads the Astros' draft efforts. How he and the draft room of 30 scouts, front office members and other team personnel handle Monday night won't be markedly different than the past. They've spent months evaluating and grading prospects. They'll enter Monday night with a ranking of "as many number of options as possible" to ensure preparation when No. 28, at long last, arrives. "The different part of the process when you're picking low is more that the scenarios and the landscape will change with more fluidity," Elias said. "You kind of have to cast a wider net and be more nimble in terms of when somebody enters your radar screen, sometimes you have to get your work done on that player very quickly and without much time or schedule left." Such a changing situation makes forecasting the player — or position — of the first pick impossible. Potential franchise-altering talents with the projected talents of Bregman, George Springer and Carlos Correa should be long gone. How the draft unfolds, whether there's an unexpected run on pitchers or position players, carries weight. So, too, does the current Astros farm system. Their minor league affiliates were, as of Saturday night, the winningest in baseball. Baseball America ranks two of their prospects — Forrest Whitley and Tucker — among the top-15 in baseball. "For a team that is in a playoff cycle, we feel great where our system is at," Elias said. "That said, if we're looking at our system itself, I could probably count more pitching prospects than hitting prospects at this point. So, certainly, if we come away with some bats that we really like, that would be great, but we're not going to force it." Added Luhnow, with a grin: "Mike has his work cut out for him picking 28th."<doc-sep>After selecting pitchers with their first round picks in 2016 and 2017, the Houston Astros went back to the outfield and selected the left-handed hitter Seth Beer out of Clemson University. According to MLBPipeline.com, Beer’s best attribute is his power tool (55 grade) with his worst grade by far being his speed (20 grade). The Astros will be adding a player who walked 126 times in his first two years at Clemson and struck out half as many times. The biggest critics of Beer’s game will point to his lack of defensive ability, complete absence of any speed tool, and also the main criticism that Beer has a poor history in wooden bat leagues compared to the college game, which obviously uses aluminum bats instead. For plenty more information on the newest member of the Houston Astros organization, please go check out this article by Crawfish Boxes draft expert Spencer Morris that was published in January of his year.<doc-sep>Last night, the Astros selected 1B/OF Seth Beer out of Clemson with the 28th pick. The pick was somewhat surprising, due to Beer’s lack of speed or defensive tools, but his power is real and the strikeout/walk numbers are great. Plus, he has a great name. In the second round, the Astros selected right-handed high-school pitcher Jayson Schroeder. For more information on the Astros selections check out our full draft coverage below. The Draft Around the League Your browser does not support HTML5 video. One of the worst strike calls you will ever see, courtesy of Angel Hernandez<doc-sep>

With the 28th pick in the draft, the Houston Astros have selected first baseman/outfielder Seth Beer from Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina. In mock drafts, Beer was unmocked by ESPN and mocked 26th by Baseball America. In addition to being an obvious target for endorsement deals with Budweiser, Coors, and Miller, Beer is a talented, polished left-handed hitter who has shown the ability to hit for both contact and power. Though he has yet to match a ridiculous freshman season in which he hit .369/.535/.700 with 18 homers, Beer has posted an OPS above 1.000 with double-digit homers and more walks than strikeouts in all three of his collegiate seasons, and he showed progress as a power hitter by slugging a career-high 21 homers this year. On the other hand, he’s a fringy outfielder who will likely be limited to first base or DH as a big-leaguer, and there are teams who question his ability to hit with wood bats. With that said, we saw an ultra-skilled college hitter who was virtually positionless in Keston Hiura get taken in the first round in 2017 and look just fine through his first year as a pro, so there’s a good chance that the concerns about Beer are mostly unwarranted. If he continues to hit like he has in college, Beer should move quickly through the minors, just like Hiura — who is already in Double-A after getting drafted last June — though his arrival in the majors could potentially be delayed if his team wants to try and work out his defensive issues at the minor-league level.

CBSE Class 12 Accountancy paper was held today in the morning shift. CBSE organised Class 12 Accountancy paper for the Commerce stream students today and according to experts, overall, the paper was of moderate difficulty level but lengthy and due to that average students found it difficult to complete on time. The CBSE Class 12 Accountancy paper was held in the morning shift today. Meanwhile, in a related development today, the Board has come out with a statement and said the 'alleged leaked paper of Accountancy' is fake and it has filed an FIR against the miscreants. According to the Board, Accountancy exam was conducted at 3,964 centres for 3,44,807 registered candidates. "Overall Accountancy paper was of moderate difficulty level but lengthy and due to that average students found it difficult to complete on time," Ms Sarika Mathur and Ms Anjna Kaushik, PGTs Commerce at Army Public School, Delhi Cantt. #cbseexams2019 CBSE class XII-Accountancy exam conducted smoothly today at 3964 centres for 344807 registered candidates. @PIB_India @HRDMinistry @PTI_News - CBSE HQ (@cbseindia29) March 6, 2019 "Few questions were of high order thinking skills which might have created problem for the average students," they added. According to the teachers, the students were seen as relieved after realizing that all the questions were from the prescribed syllabus. "Question related to Issue of shares was a bit tricky," said the teachers. According to Ms Mathur and Ms Kaushik, students who were through with the text book will do well and score good Marks. Regarding the fake leak, the Board said in the statement that it has requested Delhi Police in writing to take suitable and strict action against miscreants under provisions of IPC and IT Act, 'so that the sanctity of examinations and several security initiatives taken by the Board to conduct fair and smooth examinations are not adversely affected'. Click here for more Education News<doc-sep>Congratulations! You have successfully cast your vote Login to view result Check CBSE Class 12 Accountancy Paper analysis and review here + NEW DELHI: Class 12 Commerce stream students of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) today i.e., Wednesday, March 6, 2019, appeared for their Accountancy examination.Most of the students opined that the Accountancy paper was moderately difficult. They said section A was lengthy.Some students found the exam average whereas some said they couldn’t complete the exam on time. Section B was comparatively easy for some students. Some said the exam was easy and scoring.Students also opined that question was from the textbook only. Here is the CBSE class 12 Accountancy question paper that students can refer to.<doc-sep>Since the paper was easy so, many students were able to finish their paper within time. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducted the Class 12 Accountancy Board Exam today, on March 6, 2019, under the ongoing board examination 2019. Accountancy is one of the main subjects for the commerce stream students and it becomes a scoring subject if a student is clear with the concepts and the formulas. India Today got talking to highly experienced Board examiner Dr Pramendra Sharma, an NCERT resource person and a senior Accountancy teacher at DPS Bulandshahr, with over 24 years of teaching experience and fourteen years of board examiner experience. He spoke to us about the standard of the CBSE 2019 Class 12 Accountancy paper, and how students could be expected to fare in the results. 'Direct questions' The board examiner stated that the questions asked in the Accountancy paper were very balanced and direct. "A large percentage of the questions are easy and only 15 per cent are HOTS or higher order thinking based questions," Dr Pramendra Sharma noted. Because so many of the questions are direct and NCERT based, Sharma said that students who have just studied the NCERT would be able to score above average in the Accountancy board exam. Expected marks by average students Marks that average students would be able to score for the paper would be in the range of 60 to 80 out of 100. It would not be very difficult to score marks of 60 on the 80-mark Physics paper this year." Comparison with last year's paper: "As compared to the last year's question paper, the Accountancy exam was 1 to 2 percent tougher. Overall, the paper was somewhat similar to that of last year's paper," he said. Here is what students say: Lengthy paper: Most of the students agreed that the paper was lengthy. While some found it easy, others had difficulty in tackling the questions. It became quite difficult for students to complete the paper on time. Since the paper was easy so, many students were able to finish their paper within time. Expected questions from different topics: Unlike preceding years' question papers, this year, expected questions of missing figures came from a different topic. Generally, such questions used to come from 'dissolution in partnership'. This year, there was not even a single question that came out of the syllabus. All the questions asked in the paper were based on the syllabus from NCERT. Verdict: Overall an easy paper "The exam was nice. The paper was very easy. I am expecting to score above 85," said Akansha, a student from Navodaya Vidyalaya. This year, the overall level of paper was quite easy. There were no questions out of the syllabus, but a bit longer to solve. Most of the students found the paper easy and hence, they are expecting to score good marks. Read: CBSE Class 12 Physics paper analysis: Board examiner says tough paper full of tricky numericals, check full paper here<doc-sep>CBSE class 12 board exam was conducted on March 6, 2019. (Representational Image). Express photo by Jasbir Malhi CBSE class 12 board exam was conducted on March 6, 2019. (Representational Image). Express photo by Jasbir Malhi After the mistake of internal choice was spotted in CBSE class 12 English exam, multiple printing errors were reported by students in Class 12 accountancy exam conducted today, March 6 (Wednesday). In set 3, question number 13 erroneously states revaluation account as realisation account. Another error pointed out by teachers and students alike was a missing entry in Hindi translations while the same was there in English questions. Yet, the CBSE does not consider the printing errors as a big mistake and has instead called the exam a ‘success’ in an official tweet. #cbseexams2019 CBSE class XII-Accountancy exam conducted smoothly today at 3964 centres for 344807 registered candidates. @PIB_India @HRDMinistry @PTI_News — CBSE HQ (@cbseindia29) March 6, 2019 Talking to indianexpress.com, a CBSE spokesperson said, “If a student or a school authority feels there is an error in any exam they can raise queries within 24 hours. Board is accepting complaints via email or letters to the board. After which an expert panel will consider all grievances.” If a complaint is accepted by the expert panel, a corrective measure is undertaken which might also include ‘grace marks’. The accounts paper was conducted at 3,964 centres across the country and 34,4807 students registered for the same. These errors have been occurring despite CBSE claiming to use technology to ensure smoother and error-free examinations. Read| CBSE introduces TETRA evaluation system Overall, the accountancy exam was found to be easy by students are complaining of time being wasted over the ‘mistakes’ in the question paper. Meanwhile, reports of alleged CBSE paper leak videos going viral have also been reported. The board has already filled FIR against certain youtube channels and has written to Delhi Police to take strict actions against the guilty for circulating “fake news” and “creating panic”. An accountancy teacher from Ratna Memorial Public School, Gorakhpur said, “There were many internal choices which gave more opportunities to students, question paper was lengthy but easy, we can expect marks above 95 in the exam. However, printing mistakes in question paper has caused confusion among children.” Meanwhile, CBSE has issued a circular informing they are planning to bring both class 10 and class 12 results earlier this year as compared to previous years. Reportedly, the result will be declared around May 10.<doc-sep>

Check CBSE 12th Accountancy Question Paper 2019 + Congratulations! You have successfully cast your vote Login to view result NEW DELHI: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducted Class 12 Accountancy exam for Commerce stream students today, i.e., Wednesday, March 6, 2019, at various centres across India.The CBSE 12th Accountancy exam 2019 started at 10.30 AM and concluded at 1.30 PM. The total duration of the exam was three hours. The students were instructed to reach exam centers at 9.30 AM. They were given 15 minutes to read the question paper before they start writing the answers. The exam was concluded without any interruption.The students who appeared for the CBSE 12th Accountancy exam today said that the paper was moderately difficult. Some students alleged that one of the questions was wrongly printed.Students opined that Section A was lengthy. Most of the students found the exam average. They also said that everything was from syllabus only. Whereas, some felt shares questions were difficult. * "I had to leave questions in between as I couldn’t waste time on one question and had to move to the next"-said Shreya student of Bal Bharati Public School. * Harsh from Ryan International says financial statements part B was comparatively easy. Overall it was moderate but very lengthy. * “The Paper wasn’t hard but it was very lengthy. I managed to complete my paper somehow within the time limit.”- said Esraa Abdul Razak a student of Bright Riders School, Abu Dhabi* Gaurav from Bal Bharti says it was very difficult. His exam was not good. * Vanshika says it was tough she couldn’t complete on time.Some of the students said that they could complete the exam on time, though few questions were tricky. For some, the exam was easy and scoring. Many opined that most of the questions were high order thinking based questions. Some students even missed out on attempting a few questions as it was very lengthySome felt that questions were confusing as there was no clarity in the instruction. However, most of the students shared that questions were from the textbook only. Those who were thorough with the textbook were able to answer questions well.The next exam for Commerce stream students is Business Studies which will be conducted on March 14, 2019. (With inputs from Pallavi Rohatgi)

Shane Watson brought back memories of last year’s IPL final with a blazing knock that has now almost ensured a play-off berth for Chennai Super Kings as they beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets here Tuesday. On a vastly improved Chepauk track, Watson roared back to form with an 96 off 53 balls as CSK stuttered a bit in end before winning in 19.5 overs. Watson’s innings studded with nine fours and half a dozen of sixes ensured that CSK have reached the cut-off limit of 16 points needed for the play-off even though they would like to finish in the top two. Watson’s innings would also be a relief for skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who had urged the top order to finish matches. A 77-run stand between Watson and Suresh Raina (38) created the platform and the former Australia all-rounder singlehandedly decimated the Sunrisers attack. What made it more difficult for the Sunrisers was the fact that their strike bowler Rashid Khan was pulverised by Watson, who took him to the cleaners with 44 coming off his spell. Brief Scores: SRH 175/3 (Manish Pandey 83 n.o. off 49 balls, Harbhajan Singh 2/39) CSK 176/4 in 19.5 overs (Shane Watson 96 off 53 balls, Suresh Raina 38 off 24 balls). (If you are viewing this page on The Hindu app, click this link to view the scorecard) Preview Just when the first objective was in sight, after seven wins from its first eight games, defending champion Chennai Super Kings’ march to the playoffs in Vivo IPL-12 has been halted. The twin defeats on the road, first to Sunrisers Hyderabad and then Sunday’s agonising one-run loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore, meant the table-toppers are still waiting to seal their place in the final four, which an eighth win should certainly do. While a 2-2 result after four away matches is not bad, considering the team has been unbeatable on home soil, the last few matches have highlighted a problem the team has been facing since the start of the season — lack of runs at the top. And CSK needs to set that right before it derails the team’s progress further. On Tuesday, CSK starts a run of three home matches, beginning against SRH and would hope to keep its unbeaten run at home going. Read the full preview here.<doc-sep>Chennai Super Kings’ Shane Watson hammered six massive sixes against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday. (BCCI) Chennai Super Kings’ Shane Watson hammered six massive sixes against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday. (BCCI) Synopsis: Raina’s spunky cameo allowed Watson to rediscover his touch at his own pace as Pandey’s knock went in vain. Raina’s match-turning cameo Shane Watson blasted himself into form with a stroke-filled 96, but it was Suresh Raina’s cameo that turned the tide for the Chennai Super Kings. There is a story that Raina used to recount about the change in his outlook that is worth re-looking here. He was in deep strife after an injury had laid him low before the IPL tournament began to take shape a decade back and was seriously worried about his career when he recovered in time. He ran into the likes of Matthew Hayden at Chennai and a team meeting in particular is close to his heart. Here it is in his own words: “There was a meeting before a KKR game. Someone said we should take a few balls to settle in, assess the pitch. Hayden stood up, and said: ‘No, I will take Ishant Sharma or whoever from the first ball.’ I am thinking, ‘Yaar, pehli ball sey marega? (He will hit from the first ball?) and he did exactly that. Went in, and tak-a-tak diya. Then I thought, I should play more freely — main bhi maar saktha hoon. (I can also hit).” Shane Watson scored 96 runs in the innings. (Source: IPL) Shane Watson scored 96 runs in the innings. (Source: IPL) That confidence has been visible through his outstanding IPL career and was seen on Tuesday night as well. He walked in after Faf du Plessis was run out and with Watson struggling, Raina started off with a peachy off-drive off Bhuvneshwar Kumar past the non-striker. Then came the crucial sixth over when he hit four fours and a six off Sandeep Sharma. A crunching pull, two drag swipes to banish the slower ones to the boundary behind square-leg, a charge down the track, and another walloping pull for a six. Suddenly, not only were Chennai back in the game but also had the momentum. Watson rediscovers his touch That Raina cameo was what Watson needed. With the pressure of run-scoring off him, the Aussie started to breathe easy and rediscovered his touch at his own pace. It’s also a tribute to the leadership style of MS Dhoni and Stephen Fleming, who back their key players even if out of touch and give them a long run to get out of the rut. Watson has been a beneficiary of that philosophy, and Ambati Rayudu too is receiving that this year. The chase came down to two middle overs bowled by Rashid Khan – the 14th and the 16th. Just before that, Watson had started to get into the flow, especially after Raina was stumped off a crafty Khan googly, and the runs had begun to come at a flood. Not having the luxury to hold back Khan for the end overs, Hyderabad brought him on against Watson. Watson has never been dismissed by Khan in any T20 game around the world. It’s quite a stat and also the reason behind a bit of friction seen between the two in the middle. A shoulder nudge from Watson as Khan kept staring at him, a few words exchanged in later spells but only one thing was constant: Watson’s domination. Harbhajan was expensive but dismissed the in-form duo of Bairstow and Warner. Harbhajan was expensive but dismissed the in-form duo of Bairstow and Warner. Chennai were 109/2 at the start of the 14th over and Watson bludgeoned Khan, who gave away 21 and 16 runs in his two overs. Game over. It’s clear that Khan loses his cool and art when he is against Watson. Short balls, full tosses, and over-pitched deliveries and Watson made him pay each and every time. Slog-sweep, conventional sweep, that bent-knee pull and a stretch-forward-and-heave dismantled Khan. Pandey’s knock in vain It was the perfect kind of pitch for Manish Pandey — no fizz for the fast bowlers and a touch slow without being sluggish. Perhaps that was the reason for his promotion to No.3. Also taking into consideration Chennai’s bowling attack, filled as it is with slow(er) bowlers. Pandey could trust his attacking instincts and allow his hands and wrists to play with the flourish he does on his better days. When the bowling attack has more fast options, Pandey can do a lot of predetermination with his shot selection and get himself into trouble. He started off with a fluent lofted drive over mid-off off Harbhajan Singh and through his innings, managed to avoid the innate temptation to drag it to the onside, as he can sometimes do to his own detriment. Right through, he maintained his shape – easier as he didn’t predetermine much – and kept playing proper shots. And as ever, he ran hard between wickets with David Warner and the runs kept coming. Hyderabad were left to rue the lack of a powerful finish to their innings and, in particular, Vijay Shanker’s 20-ball 26. He had come in at 120/2 in the 14th over but dawdled along for a bit and Hyderabad perhaps lost 25 extra runs that could have made the difference.<doc-sep>| | CHENNAI: Prior to Tuesday, Shane Watson had cut a sorry figure in Chennai Super Kings (CSK) colours this season. He had managed just 147 runs from 10 innings at an average of 14.70 and was one of the reasons for CSK's floundering fortunes at the top of the order.Yet, CSK stuck with the burly Aussie and he showed on Tuesday that the team management had got it spot on.Watson tore into the Sunrisers Hyderabad attack at the MA Chidambaram Stadium with an innings of 96 from 53 balls that shepherded the run chase of 176. Once he was dismissed, the situation did become tight with just seven runs coming off the 18th and 19th overs, leaving CSK with nine runs to get off the last over. But Kedar Jadhav came up with a timely six off Sandeep Sharma as CSK huffed and puffed to victory. The victory, nonetheless, was CSK's eighth of the season and virtually assures them of a playoffs berth.The night belonged to Watson, who played an innings similar to his century against the same opposition in the final last year. Watson started his innings with a maiden over against Bhuvneshwar Kumar and perhaps piled the pressure on opening partner Faf du Plessis, who was run out for 1 after a direct hit from Deepak Hooda at mid-off.After the pedestrian start which saw CSK score just 16 from the first four overs, though, Watson started to make amends in the fifth when he pulled Khaleel Ahmed for a six over deep square-leg and then followed it up with a boundary through the cover region. Suresh Raina followed suit, smashing Sandeep Sharma for 22 runs in the sixth over to help CSK catch up with the required rate.Raina and Watson went on to set the platform with a 77-run partnership from 45 balls before Rashid Khan had the CSK left-hander stumped with a well-disguised googly.Watson, though, began to find his fluency and took heavy toll of Sandeep's medium-pace in the 12th over, hitting him for two fours and a mighty six over his favoured deep square-leg region. In the process, he also brought up his first half-century of the season.From thereon, there was no looking back as Watson went on a rampage that spared none. Even the miserly Rashid conceded 44 from his four overs.Earlier, Manish Pandey made a rousing return to the Sunrisers playing XI having been dropped for the last three games as he smashed an unbeaten 83 from 47 balls. David Warner, too, played his part with a knock of 57. Perhaps, SRH should have got a score well in excess of 180 given the platform they had, but the hosts limited the damage towards the end courtesy Dwayne Bravo and Deepak Chahar as they conceded just 24 runs from the last three overs.With Kane Williamson unavailable for the game due to his grandmother's demise, an opportunity for Pandey at No. 3 after Jonny Bairstow 's dismissal for 0 in his final game of the season. Pandey had a point to prove after finding himself out of reckoning in recent times due to patchy form. He was anything but patchy on Tuesday though. Alongside Warner, Pandey exerted his dominance as SRH raced to 54 for 1 at the end of the Powerplay.Even when the fielding restrictions were eased, Warner and Pandey didn't shy away from going after the likes of Ravindra Jadeja (0-33) and Imran Tahir (0-38). While Pandey took just 25 balls to reach his half-century, Warner joined him to the landmark in 39 balls.They also brought up their 100-run partnership from just 59 balls in the 12th over, but the CSK seamers limited the damage towards the end.<doc-sep>

| | CHENNAI: Shane Watson brought back memories of last year's IPL final with a blazing knock that has now almost ensured a play-off berth for Chennai Super Kings as they beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets here on Tuesday.On a vastly improved Chepauk track, Watson roared back to form with a 96 off 53 balls as CSK stuttered a bit in end before winning in 19.5 overs.Watson's innings studded with nine fours and half a dozen of sixes ensured that CSK have reached the cut-off limit of 16 points needed for the play-off even though they would like to finish in the top two.Watson's innings would also be a relief for skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni , who had urged the top-order to finish matches.A 77-run stand between Watson and Suresh Raina (38) created the platform and the former Australia all-rounder singlehandedly decimated the Sunrisers attack.What made it more difficult for the Sunrisers was the fact that their strike bowler Rashid Khan was pulverised by Watson, who took him to the cleaners with 44 coming off his spell.Sandeep Sharma was another bowler, who was handed severe punishment as he went for 54 in 3.5 overs. Sandeep repeatedly bowled short and Watson would gleefully pull him. Skipper Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/18 in 4 overs) had no option but to bowl the 19th over and left Sandeep with nine runs to defend.However, Kedar Jadhav literally finished the match with a six off the second ball that sealed the deal.Earlier, the immensely talented Manish Pandey was back in his element as his unbeaten 83 off 49 balls powered Sunrisers Hyderabad to a fighting 175 for 3 after being put into bat.Pandey and league's current leading run-scorer David Warner (57 off 45 balls) added 115 runs for the second wicket to lay the foundation for a decent score on what was the best batting track on offer at the Chepauk.Veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh struck an early blow, having the in-form Jonny Bairstow caught behind in the second over for a duck.He was the most successful bowler with figures of 2 for 39 in four overs while Deepak Chahar picked up the wicket of Vijay Shankar (26 off 20 balls).Despite the early dismissal of Bairstow, the visiting team didn't get tied down as the irrepressible Warner and Pandey kept hitting those boundaries and sixes. They brought up the team's 50 in the sixth over.Pandey who has not been in the best form, hit his straps, scoring freely and was not afraid to go over the top. Dhoni's shuffling of the bowlers didn't make much of an impact as Warner and Pandey kept attacking.Pandey was the first to reach 50 in 25 balls, pulling one from Dwayne Bravo for a boundary.Warner was a touch slower in comparison to Pandey, but didn't miss out when the opportunity presented itself and hit a couple of big sixes.The pugnacious Warner fell against the run of play, victim of Dhoni's trademark lightning quick stumping off a Harbhajan delivery. The Australian, who is leading the run charts this season, fell for 57 (45 balls, 3x4, 2x6) after adding 115 runs for the second wicket with Pandey.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court announced that Sunday August 12 marks the start of Zil-Hajj, the Saudi Press Agency reported, according to Arab News. Zil Hajj is the twelfth and final month in the Islamic calendar. It is the month in which the Hajj pilgrimage takes place. The Supreme Court called on all Muslims in the Kingdom to sight the crescent moon. asking anyone who sees it with their naked eye or through binoculars to inform the nearest court, record his or her testimony, or contact the nearest center for assistance to reach the nearest court. In Pakistan, the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee will meet on Sunday to sight the crescent for the month of Zil-Hajj. Over 1.22 million pilgrims reach Saudi Arabia The total number of pilgrims, who have arrived, in the Kingdom hover above 1,221,463 by Friday, an increase of 70,348 pilgrims compared to last year Hajj season, according to the Passports' Directorate statistics. Pilgrims arriving by air constituted the majority with as many as 1,148,400 pilgrims and while land routes arrival was 59,448, the seaborne arrivals numbered only 13,311 pilgrims.<doc-sep>Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has announced that Sunday (today) will mark the start of Zilhaj, the Saudi Press Agency reported, according to Arab News. Zilhaj is the twelfth and final month in the Islamic calendar. It is the month in which the Hajj pilgrimage takes place. Earlier, the Supreme Court had called on all Muslims in the kingdom to sight the crescent moon, asking anyone to record his or her testimony, or contact the nearest center for assistance to reach the nearest court. In Pakistan, the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee will meet today (Sunday) to sight the crescent for the month of Zilhaj. Meanwhile, the total number of pilgrims, who have arrived, in the Kingdom hovers above 1,221,463, an increase of 70,348 pilgrims compared to last year Hajj season, according to the Passports’ Directorate statistics. Pilgrims arriving by air constituted the majority with as many as 1,148,400 people, while land routes arrival was 59,448 and the seaborne arrivals numbered only 13,311 pilgrims. Published in Daily Times, August 12th 2018.<doc-sep>When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox The 2018 Hajj officially begins on Sunday August 19 until Friday August 24, where three million Muslims are expected to gather at the Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Today, thousands have already arrived at the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site, inside the Grand Mosque, to pray. Pictures show a mass of people during morning prayers, before the sun rises. The Hajj is the largest single gathering of people on the planet, with the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia being one Muslims are expected to make at least once in their lifetime.<doc-sep>Millions of Muslims take part in Hajj pilgrimage FREE health tips to live a long and happy life SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up forhealth tips to live a long and happy life When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. The first celebration, Eid al-Fitr, began on Thursday, June 14 this year, the date determined by the Islamic calendar. The date of Eid al-Adha, said to be the holier of the two Eids, is also dependant on the lunar calendar each year. Eid al-Adha falls on the tenth day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th and final month in the Islamic calendar. In the international solar Gregorian calendar, the dates drift about 11 days earlier each year. The dates of the upcoming Eid al-Adha are determined by the moon sighting, applied on the 29th day of the 11th month of the lunar calendar. However, the sighting of the new moon will vary between countries, so the exact date depends on local religious authorities. In Saudi Arabia, the date of Eid al-Adha determines the date of Hajj. This year, local news has reported that the crescent was sighted, making Sunday, August 12 the first day of the 12th month and August 21 the first day of Eid al-Adha. Eid 2018: Hajj is an annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia What is Hajj? Hajj is an annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. It is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims, that must be carried out one in their lifetimes by all adults who can physically and financially undertake the journey. It is one of the five pillars of Islam, along with Shahadah (belief in the oneness of God and acceptance of Muhammad as prophet), Salat (prayer), Zakat (charity) and Sawm (fasting). The Hajj is a demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim people, and their submission to Allah. Hajj: Muslims gather atop the mountain during the Day of Arafat What date is Hajj 2018? Hajj begins on the eighth day of the Dhu al-Hijjah, so is also dependant on the moon sighting. This year, it is due to commence on August 19, and will continue until August 24. On the tenth day then, Eid al-Adha will commence and those on the pilgrimage will observe the festival. This is the day when an animal will be slaughtered in honour of the prophet Ibrahim. Eid 2018: Last year, about two million Muslims travelled to Mecca for Hajj.<doc-sep>

Millions of Muslims take part in Hajj pilgrimage Hajj is a special pilgrimage every Muslim should make in their lifetime. Mecca is a holy place in Saudi Arabia where Muslims travel to during the month of Hajj - Dhul Hijjah - the 12th month of the Islamic lunar calendar. During Hajj, pilgrims perform acts of worship and they renew their sense of purpose in the world. For Muslims, it is the fifth and final pillar of Islam. A man who has completed the Hajj is called a Hajji, a woman who has completed it is called a Hajjah. What is Hajj? Hajj is the annual pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia - it is a pilgrimage every Muslim should make at least once in their lifetime. Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam - the others are shahadah (declaration of faith), salat (daily prayer), zakat (giving of alms) and sawn (fasting in Ramadan). Hajj begins on Sunday, August 19 and continues until Friday, August 24, although the dates are contingent on the sighting of the moon. There are many rituals in the performance of Hajj and these may be completed over the course of the five days. Hajj 2018 pilgrimage: What is Hajj? What does the pilgrimage mark in the Muslim calendar? Hajj 2018 pilgrimage: Hajj is a special pilgrimage every Muslim should make in their lifetime The pilgrimage begins on the 8th day of Dhul-Hijjah and ends on the 13th day of the same Islamic month. Every year, Muslims the world over flock to the holy city for the pilgrimage. In Arabic, the word ‘Hajj’ means ‘to intend a journey’. What does the pilgrimage mark in the Muslim calendar? The pilgrimage to Hajj takes place in the Dhal Hijjah - the month of Hajj - and is the 12th month of the Islamic lunar year. Hajj 2018 pilgrimage: Hajj is the fifth and final pillar of Islam

NASCAR released its 2020 schedule for the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series on Wednesday, unveiling an innovative slate that mirrors the work done for next year’s Cup Series schedule and one that brings both series back to iconic Virginia short tracks for the first time in more than a decade. The announcement also provides a clearer picture of the schedule for a historic Pocono Raceway doubleheader next summer, and a look at the tricky road to the Championship 4 — at a new venue — for both series. Confirmed last week with the reveal of the Cup Series schedule, ISM Raceway at Phoenix will host a tripleheader championship weekend, beginning with the Gander Trucks title race Nov. 6. The Xfinity Series championship is decided the next night at the 1-mile track. ISM Raceway at Phoenix recently completed a $178 million renovation project designed to improve the fan experience, and one which included a reconfiguration for the track’s start/finish line. The track has hosted the Round of 8 finale for all three NASCAR national series since the introduction of the NASCAR Playoffs elimination format. RELATED: Xfinity Series schedule page Perhaps the biggest change confirmed Wednesday is the return of the NASCAR Xfinity Series to historic Martinsville Speedway, with incredibly high stakes in the penultimate race of the season before the title field is set. The Xfinity Series has raced at Martinsville just once in the past 25 years — in July 2006, a race won by Kevin Harvick. Martinsville will host the Gander Trucks that weekend as well, setting up the first-ever tripleheader weekend at the track. Richmond Raceway also plays a prominent role in both schedules. The Gander Trucks will return to Richmond for the first time since 2005, while the newly renovated raceway will play host to the regular-season finale in the Xfinity Series to set the field for the 12-driver Playoff field. “The NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series were both built on short-track racing, and it is important that short tracks remain a prominent part of our series schedules,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR managing director of racing operations and international development. “We returned to our roots in many ways with today’s announcement. Martinsville and Richmond were part of the original Xfinity and Gander Trucks schedules, and we’re excited for their return as part of a strong overall slate.” The Xfinity Series schedule has three new tracks in its seven-race Playoffs, and two new elimination races that mirror the Cup Series at a road course and a short track. The postseason opens Sept. 18 at Bristol Motor Speedway, with a Friday night race under the lights. After a trip to Las Vegas Motor Speedway — both Bristol and Las Vegas are new to the postseason — the series concludes the Round of 12 at the Charlotte Roval. The Round of 8 sees a Kansas-Texas-Martinsville stretch before ending at ISM Raceway. The Gander Trucks, meanwhile, open the Playoffs at Gateway Motorsports Park. The 1.25-mile track serves as host for the first Round of 8 race on Aug. 21. A trip to Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, site of the 2019 Playoffs opener, and then Bristol Motor Speedway completes the Round of 8. RELATED: Gander Trucks schedule page The Round of 6 starts at Las Vegas, and includes Talladega Superspeedway and Martinsville Speedway before crowning a champion at ISM Raceway. Announced last week with the 2020 Cup Series schedule reveal, Pocono Raceway will hold the first Cup Series doubleheader in NASCAR history. The Cup Series will race at the 2.5-mile “Tricky Triangle” on Saturday and then again on Sunday, two points-paying races in two days. It’s officially a tripleheader weekend in Pennsylvania. The Gander Trucks joins the NASCAR Cup Series on a full Saturday of racing, and the Xfinity Series races on Sunday — also with the Cup Series. Yes, that’s four NASCAR national series races in two days. “I definitely think it’ll be a bucket-list item for fans,” Kennedy said. “It’s going to be a unique piece of our schedule for all three series.” The full schedules below: 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule Date Track Saturday, Feb. 15 Daytona International Speedway Saturday, Feb. 22 Las Vegas Motor Speedway Saturday, Feb. 29 Auto Club Speedway Saturday, March 7 ISM Raceway Saturday, March 14 Atlanta Motor Speedway Saturday, March 21 Homestead-Miami Speedway Saturday, March 28 Texas Motor Speedway Saturday, April 4 Bristol Motor Speedway Saturday, April 25 Talladega Superspeedway Saturday, May 2 Dover International Speedway Saturday, May 23 Charlotte Motor Speedway Saturday, May 30 Mid-Ohio Saturday, June 6 Michigan International Speedway Saturday, June 13 Iowa Speedway Saturday, June 20 Chicagoland Speedway Sunday, June 28 Pocono Raceway Saturday, July 4 Indianapolis Motor Speedway Friday, July 10 Kentucky Speedway Saturday, July 18 New Hampshire Motor Speedway Saturday, Aug. 1 Iowa Speedway Saturday, Aug. 8 Road America Saturday, Aug. 15 Watkins Glen International Saturday, Aug. 22 Dover International Speedway Friday, Aug. 28 Daytona International Speedway Saturday, Sept. 5 Darlington Raceway Friday, Sept. 11 Richmond Raceway Friday, Sept. 18 Bristol Motor Speedway Saturday, Sept. 26 Las Vegas Motor Speedway Saturday, Oct. 10 Charlotte Roval Saturday, Oct. 17 Kansas Speedway Saturday, Oct. 24 Texas Motor Speedway Saturday, Oct. 31 Martinsville Speedway Saturday, Nov. 7 ISM Raceway 2020 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series schedule<doc-sep>For just the second time in 25 years the Xfinity Series will race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, competing at the track as the final playoff cut-off race for all three series in its new slot as the penultimate race in the playoffs. The Trucks will race under the lights on Friday, Oct. 30, with the Xfinity Series making its return on Saturday, Oct. 31. Likewise, Richmond (Va.) Raceway plays a prominent role in both schedules. The Trucks will return to Richmond for the first time since 2005, while the newly-renovated raceway will play host to the regular season finale in the Xfinity Series to set the field for the 12-driver playoff field. “The NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series were both built on short track racing, and it is important that short tracks remain a prominent part of our series schedules,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR managing director of racing operations and international development. “We returned to our roots in many ways with today’s announcement. Martinsville and Richmond were part of the original Xfinity and Gander Trucks schedules, and we’re excited for their return as part of a strong overall slate.” As announced as part of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule unveil, ISM Raceway near Phoenix will host the championship race for all three national series. The Xfinity Series will hit the ‘road’ a little earlier in 2020, as Mid-Ohio moves up in the schedule to May 30. Two new cutoff races will face the Xfinity Series drivers during the playoffs, with the Charlotte Roval (Oct. 10) and Martinsville set to pare the field from 12 to eight to four. Gateway Motorsports Park will host the playoff opener for Trucks on Aug. 21, part of a postseason reshuffle that will feature two new cutoff races. The Round of 8 will culminate with a race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (Sept. 17), and the Round of 6 will end with Martinsville. Once again, both series will open Daytona International Speedway, with Trucks kicking off their season on Feb. 14, with the Xfinity Series following on Feb. 15. Both series will then immediately head to Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Both series will also take part in the historic Cup Series double-header at Pocono Raceway. Trucks will race on Saturday, June 27, with the Xfinity Series on June 28. While the Cup Series is off for a two-week break in the summer, the Truck Series’ annual stop at the Eldora Speedway dirt track will take place on Thursday, July 30. The Xfinity Series will fill the void during the second weekend with short-track action at Iowa Speedway (Aug. 1). 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule Saturday, Feb. 15 Daytona International Speedway Saturday, Feb. 22 Las Vegas Motor Speedway Saturday, Feb. 29 Auto Club Speedway Saturday, March 7 ISM Raceway Saturday, March 14 Atlanta Motor Speedway Saturday, March 21 Homestead-Miami Speedway Saturday, March 28 Texas Motor Speedway Saturday, April 4 Bristol Motor Speedway Saturday, April 25 Talladega Superspeedway Saturday, May 2 Dover International Speedway Saturday, May 23 Charlotte Motor Speedway Saturday, May 30 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Saturday, June 6 Michigan International Speedway Saturday, June 13 Iowa Speedway Saturday, June 20 Chicagoland Speedway Sunday, June 28 Pocono Raceway Saturday, July 4 Indianapolis Motor Speedway Friday, July 10 Kentucky Speedway Saturday, July 18 New Hampshire Motor Speedway Saturday, Aug. 1 Iowa Speedway Saturday, Aug. 8 Road America Saturday, Aug. 15 Watkins Glen International Saturday, Aug. 22 Dover International Speedway Friday, Aug. 28 Daytona International Speedway Saturday, Sept. 5 Darlington Raceway Friday, Sept. 11 Richmond Raceway Friday, Sept. 18 Bristol Motor Speedway Saturday, Sept. 26 Las Vegas Motor Speedway Saturday, Oct. 10 Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval Saturday, Oct. 17 Kansas Speedway Saturday, Oct. 24 Texas Motor Speedway Saturday, Oct. 31 Martinsville Speedway Saturday, Nov. 7 ISM Raceway 2020 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series DATE TRACK Friday, Feb. 14 Daytona International Speedway Friday, Feb. 21 Las Vegas Motor Speedway Saturday, March 14 Atlanta Motor Speedway Friday, March 20 Homestead-Miami Speedway Friday, March 27 Texas Motor Speedway Saturday, April 18 Richmond Raceway Friday, May 1 Dover International Speedway Friday, May 15 Charlotte Motor Speedway Saturday, May 30 Kansas Speedway Friday, June 5 Texas Motor Speedway Friday, June 12 Iowa Speedway Friday, June 19 Chicagoland Speedway Saturday, June 27 Pocono Raceway Thursday, July 9 Kentucky Speedway Thursday, July 30 Eldora Speedway Saturday, Aug. 8 Michigan International Speedway Friday, Aug. 21 Gateway Motorsports Park Sunday, Sept. 6 Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Thursday, Sept. 17 Bristol Motor Speedway Friday, Sept. 25 Las Vegas Motor Speedway Saturday, Oct. 3 Talladega Superspeedway Friday, Oct. 30 Martinsville Speedway Friday, Nov. 6 ISM Raceway<doc-sep>NASCAR unveiled a retooled 2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule on Tuesday, releasing a 36-race slate that includes a reimagined Playoffs and new locations for both the Championship Race and the regular-season finale among several other changes. For the first time since 2002, the premier series finale will have a new host track – the 1-mile ISM Raceway at Phoenix, which recently completed a $178 million renovation project designed to improve the fan experience, and one which included a reconfiguration for the track’s start/finish line. ISM Raceway has hosted the Round of 8 finale since the introduction of the NASCAR Playoffs elimination format in 2014, and it has served as the penultimate race of the season every year since 2005. To get to the title race in Phoenix, though, NASCAR Cup Series drivers must navigate a 10-race postseason that will see short tracks and a road course host the elimination races. RELATED: More on ISM hosting Championship Race The Playoffs will open Sept. 6 at historic Darlington Raceway, whose throwback weekend has become a staple of late summer. The opening round ends at Bristol Motor Speedway under the lights, with one of the most anticipated races of the year moving from its traditional August date to Sept. 19. The Charlotte road course remains an elimination race after its thrilling debut last year, but in the Round of 12 instead of the Round of 16. With ISM Raceway moving to the championship race, the vacancy for the Round of 8 finale slides to Martinsville Speedway. The shortest and oldest track on the NASCAR circuit has a history of producing plenty of drama in its previous high-stakes Playoffs races, something sure to amp up even more with drivers having just one final chance to clinch a spot in the Championship 4. “The fans and the industry as a whole have been vocal about the desire for sweeping changes to the schedule, and the 2020 slate is a reflection of our efforts to execute against that feedback,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. “These changes are the result of unprecedented consensus-building with our race tracks and broadcast partners; something we look to continue into 2021 and beyond.” MORE: Daytona brings ultimate wild-card Before the postseason, the Playoffs field will be fully set and finalized in the new-look regular-season finale at historic Daytona International Speedway, a race sure to throw a dash of unpredictability into the postseason picture. Known for close-quarters racing and dramatic finishes during its second race of the season under the lights, the World Center of Racing has had a number of underdog winners in its history. Drivers could see their postseason standings drastically improve — or falter — at the 2.5-mile superspeedway in a prime-time Saturday night race on Aug. 29. RELATED: Playoffs rebuilt for 2020 “Quite fittingly, the birthplace of NASCAR will host the bookend races to the 2020 regular season,” O’Donnell said. “Racing in Daytona – particularly in the summer under the lights – never fails in delivering intense and unpredictable action. There’s no question this venue will create some incredible drama as drivers make one last push for a playoff spot.” Other notable changes to the 2020 schedule are: • A summer stretch includes a doubleheader weekend at Pocono Raceway that will see back-to-back NASCAR Cup Series races on the same weekend. The first such instance in the NASCAR modern era, this doubleheader on Saturday, June 27, and Sunday, June 28, also ensures the season ends one week earlier on Nov. 8. RELATED: More on doubleheader weekend Additional summer changes include a Cup Series race on Father’s Day, which recently has been an off weekend for the premier series. Chicagoland Speedway hosts the event, the first in the NBC portion of the schedule. With the Daytona summer race moving to the end of the regular season, Indianapolis Motor Speedway will serve as host of the July 4th weekend, a cornerstone on the NASCAR schedule. It hosts the NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, July 5. “We enjoyed collaborating with NASCAR and their track partners to create what we think will be our most exciting schedule yet in 2020,” said Jon Miller, President, Programming, NBC Sports and NBCSN. “From the iconic Bristol night race becoming part of the Playoffs, to the new home of the Championship Race at the thrilling ISM Raceway, we believe this innovative schedule will be a benefit to everyone in the industry, and, most importantly, the fans.” • Hosting the Round of 8 finale isn’t the only change for Martinsville Speedway. The .526-mile track will host its first NASCAR national series race under the facility’s newly installed lights on Mother’s Day weekend, May 9, 2020. MORE: Lights coming on at Martinsville • Previously the host of the finale, Homestead-Miami Speedway’s race is slated for March 22, 2020, in the early portion of the regular season. The 1.5-mile track with variable banking produces some of the best racing all year. • NASCAR goes West earlier this year, with the three-race West Coast swing starting immediately after the season-opening Daytona 500, with Las Vegas Motor Speedway hosting the second race of the season, followed by Auto Club Speedway and ISM Raceway. • The four final races of the regular season are designed to test the mettle of NASCAR’s top drivers on a variety of courses. That four-race slate includes a wide 2-mile oval (Michigan), a road course (Watkins Glen), a fast, 1-mile concrete track (Dover) and a 2.5-mile superspeedway (Daytona). “It was a tremendous collaborative effort,” said Bill Wanger, FOX Sports EVP Programming, Live Operations and Research. “Working with NASCAR to offer race fans the most compelling schedule requires a fine balance between honoring tradition, while at the same time, looking for places to add energy to the race schedule for the fans and viewers, and we believe that was accomplished for the 2020 season.” The full NASCAR Cup Series schedule for 2020:<doc-sep>

Short track racing returns to NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Truck Series schedule DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 3, 2019) – NASCAR today announced the 2020 schedules for both the NASCAR Xfinity Series™ and NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series™, and both include a return to race tracks that were part of the original schedule for each series – venues that have been absent from the respective slates for more than a decade. View the 2020 NASCAR Truck Series schedule and 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule below. For the first time since 2006 – and only the second time in the last 25 years – the Xfinity Series will race at Martinsville Speedway, and the stakes have never been higher. Expect tempers to flare, and emotions to boil over. With a final chance to lock up a spot in the Championship 4, Martinsville will serve as the final Playoff cutoff race in all three national series. The Gander Trucks will race at The Paperclip on Oct. 30 under the lights, with the Xfinity Series making its return on Oct. 31. Likewise, Richmond Raceway plays a prominent role in both schedules. The Gander Trucks will return to Richmond for the first time since 2005, while the newly-renovated raceway will play host to the regular season finale in the Xfinity Series to set the field for the 12-driver Playoff field. Ben Kennedy “The NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series were both built on short track racing, and it is important that short tracks remain a prominent part of our series schedules,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR managing director of racing operations and international development. “We returned to our roots in many ways with today’s announcement. Martinsville and Richmond were part of the original Xfinity and Gander Trucks schedules, and we’re excited for their return as part of a strong overall slate.” As announced as part of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule unveil, ISM Raceway near Phoenix will host the Championship Race for all three national series. ISM Raceway underwent a significant renovation, transforming the gem in the desert into one of the premier facilities in all of sports. Xfinity Series drivers will hit the ‘road’ a little earlier in 2020, as Mid-Ohio moves up in the schedule to May 30. Two new cutoff races will face the Xfinity Series drivers during the Playoffs, with the Charlotte Roval (Oct. 10) and Martinsville set to pare the field from 12 to 8 to 4. Gateway Motorsports Park will host the Playoff opener for the Gander Trucks on Aug. 21, part of a postseason reshuffle that will feature two new cutoff races. The Round of 8 will culminate with a race at Bristol Motor Speedway (Sept. 17), and the Round of 6 will end with Martinsville. Common parts in the schedules Once again, both series will open at the ‘World Center of Racing,’ Daytona International Speedway. The Gander Trucks kick off their season on Feb. 14, with the Xfinity Series following on Feb. 15. Both series will then immediately head west to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, joining the Cup Series in that marquee market. Both series will also take part in the historic Cup Series double-header at Pocono Raceway, for what will be a must-see national series quadruple header. The Gander Trucks will race on Saturday, June 27, with the Xfinity Series on June 28. For fans worried about missing NASCAR racing during the two-week Cup Series break for the Olympics, fret not. The Gander Trucks will have their annual fan-favorite event at Eldora Speedway dirt track on Thursday, July 30. The Xfinity Series will fill the void during the second weekend with short-track action at Iowa Speedway (Aug. 1). Broadcast times and networks for all three series will be announced at a later date. See below for full schedules.

Lewis Hamilton needs a seventh-place finish at the Mexican Grand Prix to clinch his fifth Formula 1 world title. LEWIS Hamilton needs a seventh-place finish at the Mexican Grand Prix to clinch his fifth Formula 1 world title. After finishing only third in a frenetic United States GP with Sebastian Vettel fourth, the title race has continued to Mexico - although Hamilton has still moved even closer to wrapping up the championship early. The Mercedes driver needs just five points over the final three races to be sure of the title, even if Vettel wins every race. Get every remaining F1 practice, qualifying and race LIVE & EXCLUSIVE. SIGN UP TODAY! Hamilton needs just five points over the final three races to be sure of the title, even if Sebastian Vettel wins every race. Source: Getty Images UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX RICCIARDO ‘PUTS FIST THROUGH THE WALL’ AS RED BULL NIGHTMARE CONTINUES ‘F***** FINALLY!’ KIMI WINS US GP TO END RECORD WIN DROUGHT VETTEL’S CHAMPIONSHIP BLUSHES SAVED AFTER LAP 1 DRAMA ‘CHAMPAGNE TASTES THE SAME’: KIMI’S HISTORIC F1 WIN BY THE NUMBERS Hamilton leads Vettel by 70 points with 75 still available over the final three races. Hamilton needs to be 50 ahead by the end of the Mexican race to wrap up the title with two rounds to spare. Vettel must outscore Hamilton by 21 points next Sunday to take the fight on to Brazil - meaning he must take the 25 points available for a race win to have any chance. But even if Vettel does win the race, Hamilton only needs five points to close out the crown. A seventh-placed finish, which is worth six points, would be sufficient.<doc-sep>MEXICO CITY (AP) Lewis Hamilton has a second chance to secure the Formula One season championship. And he doesn’t have to finish anywhere near the front at the Mexican Grand Prix to do it. The British driver needs only to finish seventh on Sunday to kill off Ferrari’s fading hopes that Sebastian Vettel can keep chasing him to the end of the season. Hamilton leads Vettel by 70 points and can wrap up his fifth career championship with two races left. But don’t expect Mercedes to chase anything short of a victory, which would be an exclamation point on Hamilton’s roaring second half to 2018. The other drivers on the grid expect nothing less. “As a driver, you always want to win. I don’t think that changes,” said Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, the defending race champion who expects his car to be able to challenge Hamilton again for the victory. So does Ferrari, whether it’s Vettel or Kimi Raikkonen, the 39-year-old who grabbed his first win in five seasons last week at the U.S. Grand Prix . That Ferrari victory, coupled with Verstappen’s defensive driving late to secure second, kept Hamilton from securing the championship. Hamilton finishing seventh sounds easy, but it comes with no guarantee. Last season, a punctured tire from a first turn collision with Vettel relegated Hamilton to ninth. He still won the title and celebrated the season wrapped in a Union Jack flag while Verstappen celebrated the day. A fifth championship would tie Argentina’s Juan Manuel Fangio , who won five times in the 1950s. Only Germany’s Michael Schumacher has more with seven. The crowds at the Mexican Grand Prix create one of the season’s most festive atmospheres and Sunday should be no different, especially if the race lives up the pulsing finish last week in Texas. At 7,550 feet (2,300 meters) above sea level, by far the highest elevation of the season, the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez should set up a fight between the top three teams again. Hamilton started third last season behind Vettel and Verstappen after a blistering round of qualifying, then got caught up in the bumper car action on the first turn. Verstappen said the altitude helps keep the top cars together, negating the Mercedes and Ferrari power advantage on the track’s long straight “The engines will be a little bit closer. It’s more difficult for them to breath,” Verstappen said. “This is definitely the best chance to win.” Mercedes will want to clean up the problems it had in the U.S. Hamilton complained his whole team was “off” last week in Texas. His car’s water pump had to be changed before the race and thee two-stop pit strategy and tire selection backfired. Teammate Valtteri Bottas couldn’t deny Vettel a late pass for fourth that helped the championship alive for another week, even if just barely. Reborn in 2015 after 23 years, the Mexican Grand Prix enters the fourth year of a five-year contract and some tension over its survival is looming. The government will spend about $250 million over the five years hosting the race, and incoming President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s campaign promised austerity measures that indicate spending for F1 could be cut. Force India driver Sergio Perez, who is from Guadalajara, Mexico, was confident the race will survive. “Our new president is going to help. It’s just a matter of time to get the contract extension and we will have this party for several years,” Perez said. “Speaking as a Mexican and not as a driver, it’s important to keep the grand prix because the Mexico that we see that weekend is the Mexico that I always want to see, and the one that I want to be spoken about around the world.”<doc-sep>

Lewis Hamilton needs a top-seven finish in Sunday's Mexican GP to be sure of clinching his fifth Formula 1 world title. The Mercedes driver needs just five points over the season's final three races to be sure of the title, even if Vettel wins every race. Hamilton leads Vettel by 70 points with 75 still available over the final three races. Hamilton needs to be 50 ahead by the end of the Mexican race to wrap up the title with two rounds to spare. So Vettel must outscore Hamilton by 21 points in Mexico to take the fight on to Brazil - meaning he must take the 25 points available for a race win to have any chance. But even if Vettel does win the race, Hamilton only needs five points to close out the crown. A seventh-placed finish, which is worth six points, would be sufficient. How Hamilton can win title in Mexico If Vettel wins in Mexico, Hamilton must finish seventh If Vettel is second or lower in Mexico, Hamilton is world champion Hamilton is already guaranteed to emerge ahead in any tie-break situation were he and Vettel to finish level on points at the end of the season as he has nine race wins to his Ferrari rival's five, with only three races left. Where has Lewis won his previous titles? Year Grand Prix How may races left? 2017 Mexico 2 2015 USA 3 2014 Abu Dhabi 0 2008 Brazil 0 How can Mercedes clinch the Constructors' Championship? It could prove a double celebration for Hamilton and Mercedes with the Brackley team having their first chance to clinch a fifth Constructors' Championship in succession. Leading Ferrari by 66 points, Mercedes need to outscore their Italian rivals by 20 points to settle the battle in Mexico. However, this remains an outside shot with Mercedes only scoring that many more points than Ferrari at a single event three times this season. Ferrari (2000-2004) are the only team to win five drivers' and constructors' title doubles in a row, a feat Mercedes can match. Sky F1's Mexican GP schedule Sunday, October 28 (Don't forget, the clocks go back an hour on Sunday morning!) 5.30pm: Pit Lane LIVE! 6.30pm: On The Grid LIVE! 7.10pm: THE MEXICAN GP LIVE! 9.30pm: Paddock Live Sky Sports F1 is the only place to watch every Formula 1 Grand Prix, qualifying and practice session live in 2018. Get Sky Sports F1.

Time: 7:00 PM CST Channel: TSN3 Radio: TSN1290 The Winnipeg Jets and Dallas Stars are back to their normal shenanigans tonight and we are back in action for you to cheer them on. IF YOU HAVE HAD A HARD TIME FINDING THE COMMENTS ON MOBILE BECAUSE OF THE ADS, PLEASE EMAIL [email protected] TO LET ME KNOW!! ! We are trying to get together some complaints so this can be remedied, but user feedback is wanted. I previous just contacted someone over this issue, but this is becoming a NHL-wide thing. Winnipeg Jets Lineup FORWARDS Nikolaj Ehlers - Mark Scheifele - Blake Wheeler Kyle Connor - Kevin Hayes - Patrik Laine Brandon Tanev - Adam Lowry - Bryan Little Matt Hendricks - Andrew Copp - Mathieu Perreault DEFENCE Nathan Beaulieu - Jacob Trouba Dmitry Kulikov - Tyler Myers Ben Chiarot - Sami Niku GOALIES Connor Hellebuyck (starting) Laurent Brossoit (riding the pine) Dallas Stars Lineup FORWARDS Jamie Benn - Tyler Seguin - Jason Dickinson Mattias Janmark - Roope Hintz - Alexander Radulov Andrew Cogliano - Radek Faksa - Blake Comeau Valeri Nichushkin - Justin Dowling - Brett Ritchie DEFENCE Essa Lindell - John Klingberg Miro Heiskanen - Roman Polak Taylor Fedun - Ben Lovejoy GOALIES Ben Bishop (starting) Anton Khudobin (riding the pine)<doc-sep>After going 1-3-1 at home over the past five games, the Dallas Stars headed into tonight’s game against the Winnipeg Jets desperately needing a win. And thanks to a stellar second period that included three goals in five minutes, the Stars got one. Tyler Seguin led the Stars to victory with a two-goal performance, giving him 31 total for the year. That gives him five 30-plus goal seasons in a Stars uniform, second to only Mike Modano (seven seasons) in franchise history. Radek Faksa also scored twice — although one was an empty-netter — and without Esa Lindell’s goal, the scoring might have never even started. Ben Bishop didn’t get the shutout, but was absolutely spectacular in his 200th career win. His puck-handling skills set up Faksa’s first goal, and he was perfect until the Jets scored on a 2-on-1 and on the power play. And while he won’t show up on the score sheet, Jason Dickinson had a fantastic night as well, with too many Grade A scoring opportunities to count. The win gives Dallas the series win over Winnipeg, going 3-1 and outscoring the Jets 15-9 across four contests. More importantly, it puts Dallas five points up on the Arizona Coyotes for ninth and three up on the Colorado Avalanche for eighth. So perhaps we shouldn’t panic after all. First Period The game could have started a lot better, as Brett Ritchie took a roughing penalty less than two minutes into the game. Thankfully the Stars’ penalty kill only allowed two shots on net, and Jason Dickinson even had a shorthanded breakaway, which was denied by Connor Hellebuyck. About six and a half minutes in, the Stars rushed into the offensive zone and quickly fired off a couple of shots. Miro Heiskanen then found himself with a wide open net, but was robbed not by Hellebuyck, but by Mark Scheifele. The Stars continued to put pressure on Hellebuyck, but had trouble getting the puck on net, which included Ritchie missing an open net on a beautiful cross-ice pass by Valeri Nichushkin. The shots started to die down a bit as time went on, and the Stars found themselves with yet another 0-0 first period. Score: Dallas 0, Winnipeg 0 Shots: Dallas 12, Winnipeg 8 Second Period The middle frame started a bit slow, without much action either way. Tyler Seguin did have a rush down the left side, but when he fired off a shot, it deflected off the post, because of course it did. A little more than seven minutes in, Andrew Cogliano drew a hooking penalty by Patrik Laine, and the Stars went on their first power play of the night. John Klingberg has a great chance streaking into the offensive zone, but was stopped by Hellebuyck. Despite generating five shots on net, the Stars ultimately failed to score on the power play. Shortly afterwards, however, Esa Lindell managed to finally get the puck past Hellebuyck, which gave Dallas the first goal of the game. Esa Lindell gets credited with this goal as it confuses Hellebyuck. That snaps a 13-game point drought for #23. DAL 1 - 0 WPG pic.twitter.com/9sMeM29f8m — Dylan Nadwodny (@dnadders) March 26, 2019 That seemed to be the spark the Stars needed, as Radek Faksa potted the second goal just two minutes later, featuring a secondary assist by goaltender Ben Bishop. Yes, you read that right — an assist by Bishop. The Stars would then get their second power play opportunity thanks to a holding by Dmitry Kulikov. Halfway through the penalty, the Jets were called for too many men, giving Dallas a minute of 5-on-3. The Stars’ shooters had a few hiccups, but ultimately found twine thanks to a beautiful Tyler Seguin wrister: Tyler Seguin. Sniped. DAL 3 - 0 WPG pic.twitter.com/3fV9uWaGJQ — Dylan Nadwodny (@dnadders) March 26, 2019 That would be it for an exciting second period, and the Stars headed to the locker room up by three. Score: Dallas 3, Winnipeg 0 Shots: Dallas 29, Winnipeg 19 Third Period The final period started even slower than the second, with Dallas shifting back to defense-first hockey and the Jets lacking any answer to their struggles. Nine minutes in, the Stars went on their fourth power play thanks to a Kyle Connor interference penalty against Alexander Radulov, who was crashing the net and trying to slip one past Hellebuyck. With about 30 seconds left on the man advantage, a bad turnover by Tyler Myers gave Miro Heiskanen the puck with plenty of space. Heiskanen deked past Dmitry Kulikov before passing the puck to Seguin, who proceeded to net his second of the evening. The celebration was short-lived, however. After Jason Dickinson got extremely close to slipping one past Hellebuyck, Kevin Hayes and Kyle Connor had a 2-on-1 rush against Ben Lovejoy. Hayes made a great pass to Connor, who effortlessly put Winnipeg on the board, ruining Ben Bishop’s chances of a shutout. A few minutes later, Faksa caught Schefiele with a high stick while falling down, giving a desperate Jets team their second power play of the night. Patrik Laine failed to score off of a snipe that hit the post, but he immediately redeemed himself and broke a 12-game scoring drought. The Jets would eventually pull Hellebuyck for the extra man, but their comeback was too little, too late. After Faksa missed the empty net, a bizarre sequence of events eventually forced the puck into the net anyways. Faksa got credit for the goal, and Dallas sealed the win. Final Score: Dallas 5, Winnipeg 2 Final Shots: Dallas 37, Winnipeg 23 Mood: Next game up for Dallas is against the best in the West, the Calgary Flames. Puck drops at 7:30 p.m. CDT on Wednesday.<doc-sep>Good morning, GGN! As free agency winds down and the draft is still a month away we come to a bit of a dead period for Jets news. Some mock drafts here, some best remaining free agents there, some news about ex-Jets, and a lot of miscellaneous stuff. Here are your links to the Jets this chilly Saturday Morning in March: Eric Allen (Video) - Trevor Siemian: Lot of Good Buzz Around the Jets Rich Cimini - Kentucky’s Allen says he’s the draft’s best player Robby Sabo - New York Jets to meet with Kentucky prospect Josh Allen Justin Fried - Report: New York Jets expected to draft Josh Allen in the 2019 NFL Draft David Howell - 2019 NFL Mock Draft: Jets take Quinnen Williams Manish Mehta - Jets Free Agency Report Card: Grading Le’Veon Bell, C.J. Mosley & more Matt Stypulkoski - NFL free agency: 8 bargain options Jets could still target Kristopher Knox - Ranking the Top 10 NFL Free Agents Left on the Market Sam Neumann - 2019 NFL free agency: Jets were finalists for Za’Darius Smith Alan Schechter - New York Jets and the gaping hole in the "center" of the offense Justin Fried - New York Jets hesitation to address positions of need is puzzling Robby Sabo - The New York Jets long-lost yet integral offensive line narrative Patrick Holloway - 49ers bring in ex-Jets TE Chris Gragg for a workout Cedricm Golden - Johnny “Lam” Jones was much more than just a Texas legend Herbie Teope - Ex-Jets WR Charles Johnson finds success with Orlando Apollos Barry Wilner - Guaranteed money at half for 2019 NFL free-agent contracts Linda Bell - From athlete to businessman: Life after the NFL Jack Browne - Early look at 2020's free-agent class Here are your missed connections from yesterday. Here’s the thread about nothing, why not give it a whirl? Enjoy the weekend everybody.<doc-sep>

WINNIPEG — Tyler Seguin and Radek Faksa each scored twice as the Dallas Stars ended a two-game losing skid with a 5-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday. Stream the Stanley Cup Playoffs with Sportsnet NOW Livestream every game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, blackout-free. Plus stream the Blue Jays & MLB, Raptors and NBA Playoffs matchups and more. Esa Lindell also had a goal and Alexander Radulov contributed a pair of assists for the Stars (39-31-6), who continue to hold the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Ben Bishop stopped 21 shots for Dallas to record the 200th win of his career. Kyle Connor had a goal and one assist and Patrik Laine ended a 12-game scoring drought for the Jets with his 30th goal of the season. Connor Hellebuyck made 32 saves for the Jets (45-27-4), who still sit in first place in the Central Division, two points up on Nashville with a game in hand. Dallas dominated the second period, scoring three goals in less than a five-minute span. The Stars got their first power play of the game early in the second and couldn’t capitalize on five shots, but a minute after it expired they hit their stride. Lindell’s shot from the top of the circle went by Hellebuyck’s blocker at 10:27, although it appeared it might have been tipped by Faksa. Faksa then went in alone on Hellebuyck and beat the netminder high on his glove side at 12:23. The Stars then had a two-man advantage and Seguin notched his 30th goal of the season with a shot on the blocker side at 15:16. Seguin has scored 30 or more goals in five of his last six seasons. Seguin tallied his second goal on the power play at 10:34, adding to a four-game point streak that includes four goals and four assists. Winnipeg responded with a burst of life 29 seconds later as Connor notched his 33rd goal of the season, which followed up the hat trick and one assist he had in Winnipeg’s 5-0 victory over the Predators last Saturday. Laine blasted a one-timer past Bishop at 15:10 to close the gap 4-2, but Faksa put the puck into an empty net with 40 seconds remaining. Winnipeg plays the third game of its four-game homestand Thursday against the New York Islanders. Dallas goes to Calgary Wednesday to play the second contest in a four-game road trip.

Ohio State upheld its reputation as one of college football’s top talent-producers once again. Nine Ohio State players were selected in this week’s 2019 NFL draft, ranking the Buckeyes second among all schools in total draft selections, behind only Alabama, which had 10. Ohio State had at least one player selected in every round of the draft but one, and at least two players chosen on each day of the draft. The draft started off in a big way for the Buckeyes on Thursday, as the San Francisco 49ers selected Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa with the No. 2 overall pick, while the Washington Redskins drafted Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins with the No. 15 overall pick. It was the fourth straight year and the fifth time in six years that Ohio State had at least two first-round picks in the NFL draft, and Bosa and Haskins became the 80th and 81st first-round picks in Ohio State history – tying the Buckeyes with the USC Trojans for the most first-round picks in NFL draft history. Three Buckeyes were selected during the second day of the draft on Friday. The Indianapolis Colts selected Ohio State wide receiver Parris Campbell with the No. 59 overall pick late in the second round, while the Denver Broncos selected Ohio State defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones with the No. 71 overall pick early in the third round. Five picks later, the Redskins selected Terry McLaurin with the No. 76 overall pick – becoming the only team in this year’s draft to select two Buckeyes – pairing Haskins with one of his Ohio State receivers. RELATED Dwayne Haskins and Terry McLaurin Bring Successful Connection from Ohio State to Washington Redskins In the process, Ohio State had at least five players drafted in the top 77 picks for the fourth year in a row, and tied Alabama for the most picks in the first three rounds. Four more Buckeyes were added to Ohio State’s draft class on Saturday, as the Atlanta Falcons selected cornerback Kendall Sheffield (No. 111 overall) and the Cincinnati Bengals selected guard Michael Jordan (No. 136 overall) in the fourth round, the Miami Dolphins selected offensive tackle Isaiah Prince in the sixth round (No. 202 overall) and the Dallas Cowboys selected running back Mike Weber in the seventh round (No. 218 overall). Altogether, it was the fourth straight year that Ohio State had at least seven NFL draft picks. Alabama, which has had at least seven draft picks for eight straight years, is the only other school that has hit that mark. This year’s nine total selections are tied for the third-most Ohio State has had since the NFL draft was shortened to seven rounds in 1994. The Buckeyes had 14 selections in 2004 and 12 in 2016. They also had nine draft choices in 2006. In addition to the nine draft selections, four additional Ohio State players landed with NFL teams as undrafted free agents on Saturday night. Guard Demetrius Knox agreed to a deal with the Seattle Seahawks, linebacker Dante Booker agreed to a deal with the Arizona Cardinals and wide receiver Johnnie Dixon and offensive lineman Malcolm Pridgeon both landed deals with the Houston Texans.<doc-sep>Ohio State had nine players taken in the 2019 NFL Draft, second-most of any team. How will these draftees improve their new teams? On Saturday afternoon, the 2019 NFL Draft wrapped up, with nine players from THE Ohio State University hearing their names called. When it was all said and done, only Alabama had more draftees with 10, showing that the Buckeyes are still at the top when it comes to producing NFL talent. With an impressive nine players selected during the NFL Draft, Ohio State gave recruits and scouts alike nine more reasons to consider Ohio State in detail, both as a potential home and as a hotbed for NFL talent. From Nick Bosa going 2nd overall to Mike Weber being drafted early in the 7th round, the Buckeyes were well-represented, garnering their most draft selections since 2016 when they had 12. Each player has their own unique skill set that will be important in improving their position on their new teams. Here’s a look at what each player will bring to their NFL team. 1. DE Nick Bosa, 1st Round, 2nd Overall – San Francisco 49ers Although he only played 3 games for the Buckeyes during the 2018 season, Nick Bosa showed his skill set before that during the 2016 and ’17 seasons, racking up 63 total tackles (23 TFLs) and 13.5 sacks. And in only 3 games during 2018, Bosa gained 14 total tackles (6 TFLs) and 4 sacks. For the 49ers, Bosa will bring a phenomenal skill set that has already been seen as Pro Bowl-worthy from his brother Joey Bosa. While most draft picks address a team need or hole, Bosa will add to the strongest unit of the 49ers defense, joining the ranks of DeForest Buckner, recently acquired Dee Ford, and Solomon Thomas. With Bosa and Co., the Niners should have an impressive defensive line for years to come. 2. QB Dwayne Haskins, 1st Round, 15th Overall – Washington Redskins Like Bosa, Haskins didn’t have a ton of time to prove that he was NFL-ready. I believe that he did prove his talent, throwing for 4,831 yards and 50 TDs (with only 8 INTs) over 14 starts in 2018, as well as an impressive showing coming in for the injured J.T. Barrett in the 2017 win against the rival Wolverines. Also similar to Bosa, Haskins will be joining a deep position. The Redskins QB room includes Alex Smith, Colt McCoy, and Case Keenum, all three of which have starting NFL experience. However, like the Kansas City Chiefs drafting Patrick Mahomes two years ago, the plan for Haskins should be for long-term success. With Haskins returning nearby to his home (from Potomac, MD), the Redskins will hope to see him replace Smith much like Mahomes did in Kansas City. (Plus he’ll have a chip on his shoulder.)<doc-sep>Well all the brouhaha that is the NFL Draft has come to an end and it’s time to reflect. The Buckeyes once again had their fair share of players taken. Some like Nick Bosa and Dwayne Haskins went very early, while others like Isaiah Prince and Mike Weber had to wait until the later rounds to hear their name called. No matter how you slice it though, it was another moment for the OSU NFL football factory to shine. In fact, when it was all said and done, nine players were drafted that wore scarlet and gray, second just to Alabama overall. You can bet that Ryan Day will put this in his basket of marketing tools and gadgets to roll out to potential recruits in the very near future. It’s just another reason to come to Ohio State if you want to make it to the NFL.<doc-sep>Once again, Ohio State had a serious presence at the NFL Draft. The 2019 NFL Draft brought two more Buckeye first round picks. As many projected, Nick Bosa was the second player off the board. The San Francisco 49ers added the brother of Los Angeles Chargers star, and fellow former Buckeye, Joey Bosa. The two brothers have very similar profiles and games. If the Niners get Joey-like production from the younger Bosa, that’s a slam dunk of a No. 2 pick. Dwayne Haskins’ selection had a bit more drama. He was long believed to be in play for the New York Giants at No. 6. Instead, they went with Duke quaterback Daniel Jones, the wishes of many Big Blue fans be damned. Haskins will face the G-Men twice a year as quarterback of the Washington Redskins. The team has already said he will have a chance to win the starting job as a rookie. Nick Bosa and Dwayne Haskins were two of nine total Ohio State Buckeyes taken in the 2019 NFL Draft. The full list of Ohio State players, and where they were selected: Round 1: 2. DE Nick Bosa – San Francisco 49ers A life changing call. Go inside the #49ersDraft Room with @nbsmallerbear on the 📞. pic.twitter.com/V61weYioSJ — San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) April 26, 2019 15. QB Dwayne Haskins – Washington Redskins Round 2: 59. WR Parris Campbell – Indianapolis Colts Its always been more than just football for @PCampbell21. His dream since he was 8 years old is now a reality. The kid from Akron is heading to the @Colts. #GoBucks #DevelopedHere #ColtsForged pic.twitter.com/NwAHKsxSyq — Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 27, 2019 Round 3: 71. DT Dre’Mont Jones – Denver Broncos 76. WR Terry McLaurin – Washington Redskins Round 4: 111. CB Kendall Sheffield – Atlanta Falcons When Kendall Sheffield met Saquon Barkley in the backfield 👀 pic.twitter.com/fdPoUSvXiW — Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) April 27, 2019 136. OG Michael Jordan – Cincinnati Bengals Round 6: 202. OT Isaiah Prince – Miami Dolphins Round 7: 218. RB Mike Weber – Dallas Cowboys It is cool to see McLaurin and Haskins playing together. Before the draft, Haskins said he wanted to see whichever team drafted him take his teammates too. Clearly, the Skins listened. We also have a cool situation in Dallas, where Weber will back up Buckeyes great Ezekiel Elliott, one of the NFL’s best rushers.<doc-sep>

It’s time for the NFL Draft to take over our television sets again for 2019, and once again Ohio State figures to have plenty of players’ names called. We’ve got you covered tracking all the OSU picks here at Buckeyes Wire. At Ohio State, the NFL Draft takes on significance seen by only the bluest of bloods across the country. By all weights and measures, the Buckeye program has been an absolute draft machine even before Urban Meyer arrived to Columbus.. Stay with us throughout the draft as we track the progress of the players taken off the board from Ohio State beginning Thursday night right here, updated real-time. Nick Bosa, Defensive end Drafted by the San Francisco 49ers, No. 2 overall – First Round Bosa was widely considered as the No. 1 overall pick on most big boards for the 2019 NFL Draft. He has exceptional explosiveness off the line, is as strong as an ox and uses his hands and technique well to gain leverage and a step advantage. He had a setback with injury just three game into his junior year but looked 100 percent and ready to go at the NFL Combine. His bloodlines run deep in the NFL with his father and brother both having success in the league, and he has a chance to be an immediate-type impact player day one. He’s been tagged as a “generational player” by some NFL suits. He could be a future All-Pro and maybe more. That’s why you take a guy this high. Dwayne Haskins, Quarterback Drafted by the Washington Redskins, No. 15 overall – First Round Simply put, Haskins had the best single-season of any Ohio State or Big Ten quarterback in the history of the league. He re-wrote Buckeye passing records that might stand for quite some time. He possesses a cannon of an arm and can make any throw in the book. At pick No. 15 he could be one of the steal of the drafts. He was a Heisman Finalist and Big Ten Player and Quarterback of the Year. He is one of just six FBS quarterbacks of all-time to throw fifty touchdowns in one season. At 6-3, 220 lbs., he is a prototypical pocket passer with extreme accuracy, a high football IQ, exceptional character and a tireless work ethic. He’s got the chance to be the face of the Washington Redskins franchise. Next … Second round picks

World Cup defending champions Germany will be looking to retain their title with an opening fixture victory against Mexico Mexico have advanced to the knock-out stages of the World Cup in each of the last six tournaments and are now in the driving seat after this result. Germany will have to improve for their games against Sweden and South Korea but will be wary of the fact that the last two defending champions have exited the competition at the group stage. A huge result for Mexico and a scoreline that will rock the World Cup. Hirving Lozano's goal proved to be the difference but the entire performance from Mexico was superb. Germany simply couldn't cope with their counter-attacks and didn't really create enough to break through a resilient defensive line. A poor start to the tournament from Germany but Mexico looked fantastic, they played perfectly to counter the German system. Only one team has ever won the World Cup after losing their opening game that was Spain in 2010. Germany need to improve but Mexico can be proud of this historic victory. Full-Time Germany 0-1 Mexico 90+1 Mins: Into three minutes of added time, Germany are on the verge of beginning their World Cup defence with a defeat. 90 Mins: Herrera picks up a late yellow card for a clumsy foul. 90 Mins: There are to be three minutes added on at the end of this game, can Germany find an equaliser? 89 Mins: OFF THE POST! The ball drops to Brandt on the edge of the area and the Bayer Leverkusen man smashes a ferocious attempt at goal which clatters the outside of the post. 87 Mins: Was that the chance!? Gomez rises in the area to head at goal and you'd expect to see the net bulge. However, his effort sails over the bar. 87 Mins: Substitution: Last roll of the dice for Germany now as Julian Brandt replaces Timo Werner. 84 Mins: Hummels now has his name taken for a clattering challenge, with his frustration clearly showing. 84 Mins: SAVE! I've lost count of the number of times Kroos has tried his luck from distance but, barring the free-kick, hasn't threatened Ochoa enough. It's another comfortable save. 83 Mins: Muller picks up Germany's first yellow card of the game for a blatant shirt pull on Herrera. 82 Mins: WIDE! Layun has space following another counter attack and he drives a fierce shot at goal but it whistles past the far post. 79 Mins: Second change for Germany and another very attacking one, with Gomez replaces Plattenhardt. 78 Mins: OVER! Layun hits on the counter and has to do it all on his own, trying to beat Neuer from distance but his attempt isn't good enough. 77 Mins: Huge tackle! Germany ping the ball around, looking to make room, and Draxler looks to have an opening. He fires at goal but it's crucially blocked and put behind for a corner, though Mexico's defence remains firm yet again. 76 Mins: Germany are running out of time but they remain patient looking for an opening. Kroos picks the ball up on the edge of the area and tries to guide an effort into the bottom left-hand corner but it's wide of the mark yet again. 73 Mins: Substitution: Guardardo makes way for Mexico legend Rafael Marquez who is appearing in his fifth World Cup Finals 72 Mins: A break in play as Gallardo receives treatment after taking a cross from Reus straight in the face. 70 Mins: PENALTY SHOUT! Hernandez is found by a searching through ball and the West Ham man has the goal at his mercy. He comes under pressure from Hummels, falling to ground but he was certainly looking at it. 68 Mins: Germany are throwing everyone forward, leaving just Boateng back to protect Neuer's net. Mexico could exploit that if they're a bit braver but they're content with what they have at the moment. 67 Mins: BLOCKED! Germany starting to find room as a cross floats over Salcedo and into the path of Draxler, who sees a shot deflected behind. From the resulting corner, Werner volleys over the bar. 66 Mins: Substitution: Goalscorer Hirving Lozano makes way for Raul Jimenez, he has been fantastic today and may become one of the breakout stars of this tournament. 65 Mins: OVER! Kimmich latches onto Boateng's cross and tries an acrobatic overhead kick, which loops over the head of Ochoa and lands on the roof of the net. 64 Mins: Mexico have packed the defence to limit the space for Germany to exploit and they're playing a lot deeper in the second half. The question is whether just one goal will be enough to secure the win. 62 Mins: Into the final 30 minutes of the game and you expect both sides to have at least one clear-cut opportunity to find the net. Mexico would love to double their lead but Germany are dictating the tempo of the game. 61 Mins: Substitution: An indication of Low's plans for the remainder of the match as a very attacking change is made. Reus enters the frame, replacing Khedira. 60 Mins: Germany need fresh ideas and it looks like Low is about to make his first change, with Marco Reus getting stripped and ready on the sidelines. 58 Mins: Substitution: Tactical switch for Mexico, as Alvarez replaces Vela in what is clearly a defensive change. 57 Mins: Huge moment! Mexico hit on the counter again with two players charging through on goal, exposing the space left by Plattenhardt. Hernandez attempts to cut the ball across to Vela but he fails to get the ball under control. 56 Mins: Mexico always travel well to World Cup tournaments and are being given an immense reception here. Every touch is being cheered by their fans, although they have their backs against the wall at the moment. 54 Mins: Werner tumbles on the edge of the box, appealing for a free-kick, but the referee waves play on. Germany still to craft a direct opening, though Draxler sees a shot blocked and wins a corner. 52 Mins: Germany are enjoying the lion's share of possession in the minutes since the restart but they're yet to find a way through the Mexico defence. 50 Mins: Mexico will need to keep their heads throughout the match as Germany will certainly increase the pressure as the game progresses but they look solid for now. 48 Mins: Doesn't look to be a change of plan for Germany, as Kimmich continues to push forward and leaving plenty of room at the back. 46 Mins: Germany get us started in this second half. Joachim Low will be determined for his side to perform better in the second half and Werner, who has looked threatening when he's found space in behind, needs to be given more of the ball. Hummels and Boateng need to improve at the back, as they've struggled in the first period. Mexico have been fantastic in the opening half and thoroughly deserved their lead. They haven't allowed Toni Kroos any time on the ball, while Hirving Lozano has been deadly down the left and it's his goal that has been the difference. The last two defending World Cup winners have exited the competition at the group stage, could Germany continue that trend? HALF TIME: Mexico go in 1-0 up and they deserve their lead. Osorio's side have looked incredibly dangerous with their pace on the break. They have shown no fear against the defending world champions who have looked off the pace. 45 Mins: There will be one minute added on at the end of the first half. 44 Mins: Germany continue to look off the pace in attack, misplacing passes and wasting opportunities, while their defence is being torn apart by the pace of Mexico on the counter-attack. STAT: The last time Germany conceded first in a World Cup match and went on to win was back in 1998, versus Mexico (2-1). A good omen? STAT: There have been 9 shots on target in this game - the most in the first half of a WC game since Togo v France in 2006. 40 Mins: Moreno picks up the game's first yellow card for timewasting. 39 Mins: Woodwork! Toni Kroos strikes a free kick from 30 yards out which Ochoa tips onto the crossbar. Mexico under some pressure now. 35 Mins: GOAAAAL! Mexico take the lead! A quick break from Mexico left Javier Hernandez one on one with Jerome Boateng but Hirving Lozano sped up the left where he recieved the ball and smashed it past Neuer at the near post. Brilliant awareness from Hernandez, who could have taken on Boateng himself but unselfishly presented the ball to Lozano. 1-0! 32 Mins: Mexico will be very happy with how they've performed so far, keeping Germany relatively quiet in attack and also causing their opponents problems when they push forward. STAT: Germany have won their opening game in each of the last seven World Cups, including scoring 20 goals in their last four openers. 31 Mins: It's a very physical game, with fouls all over the field, but we're still yet to see a huge chance for either side. The play in the final third so far has disappointed. 30 Mins: Germany are playing very risky at the back, providing encouragement for Mexico, and it's only a matter of time before they get a clear-cut opening. 28 Mins: Golden opportunity for Mexico on the break as Vela charges forward into acres of room but his attempt to cut a ball into the middle is blocked. 26 Mins: Now it's time for a Germany free-kick, which Kroos takes from the right. Hummels rises highest at the far post, heading back into the middle, but Mexico get it away. 24 Mins: Mexico are winning a number of free-kicks in the attacking third but are yet to truly test Neuer or the Germany defence. 22 Mins: SAVE! Germany starting to pepper Mexico's goal with shots but Ochoa has dealt with any threat relatively easily. Kroos is the latest man to try his luck from distance. 20 Mins: SAVE! Werner takes down a lofted ball superbly but his shot on the turn is tame. Draxler had a lot of space on the left and passing to the PSG man would have been a better option. 19 Mins: There's something you don't see often, a foul throw at the World Cup. Boateng is the guilty offender. 17 Mins: Germany look very dangerous when they go forward but Mexico certainly possess a threat at the other end. With Kimmich bombing forward from full-back, Lozano is finding plenty of space to run into. 16 Mins: WIDE! Kimmich finds room on the right and whips it towards the far post, where Khedira misses the ball and Salcedo pokes just wide of his own post. The resulting corner is headed away but only as far as Draxler, who sees a strike from distance saved easily by Ochoa. 14 Mins: CHANCE! Kroos concedes a free-kick for handball, believing he was fouled and grabbing onto it, but the referee isn't interested in his protests. It's whopped into the middle where Moreno gets a head onto the ball but isn't enough to truly threaten Neuer 12 Mins: Mexico remain dangerous and Germany are certainly not getting things all their own way. The atmosphere within the stadium is absolutely rocking. 10 Mins: SAVE! Herrera tries a pop from distance but Neuer is equal to the effort. Mexico are finding plenty of room behind Germany's midfield, outnumbering Khedira and Kroos. 9 Mins: Free-kick to Mexico in a dangerous central position, which Layun is lurking over. However, his effort is way over Neuer's bar. 7 Mins: Werner has big boots to fill stepping into the void left by the likes of Mirsolav Klose and Lukas Podolski after the World Cup triumph in 2014 but he's impressing in the opening exchanges here, using his pace to create havoc for the Mexico defence. 5 Mins: A fiery start to the game with attacking flair show at both ends, though Germany are starting to settle into a controlling tempo. 3 Mins: WIDE!<doc-sep>Who will start for Germany when they take on Mexico? When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Who will start for Germany in the opening game of their World Cup campaign against Mexico? Germany are likely to field a full-strength team as they kick off their 2018 World Cup campaign against Mexico. Manager Joachim Low surprisingly left Leroy Sane out of his squad for the tournament in Russia this summer, while his replacement Julian Brandt is unlikely to start the first match. Timo Werner is expected to start up front, supported by Thomas Muller, Marco Reus and Mesut Ozil as Die Mannschaft aim to get off to a flying start in Group F. Take a look through the gallery above to see how Germany could line up when they take on Mexico in their opening match of the 2018 World Cup.<doc-sep>

Chris Brunskill Ltd/Getty Images World champions Germany kick off their 2018 FIFA World Cup campaign with a Group F clash against Mexico at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium on Sunday. Joachim Low will be eager for his side to hit the ground running in Russia, and Germany will be buoyed by their fine recent record against El Tri. They have prevailed in each of the past three meetings between the two sides. Most recently, an understrength German outfit thrashed Mexico 4-1 in the semi-finals of the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. Date: Sunday, June 17 Time: 6 p.m. local time, 4 p.m. BST, 11 a.m. ET TV Info: Live on BBC1 (UK) and FS1 (U.S.) Live Stream: BBC iPlayer, Fox Soccer Match Pass Both Low and Mexico manager Juan Carlos Osorio should have full squads to call upon for Sunday's fixture. Video Play Button Videos you might like Germany's 23-man squad is arguably the best in the tournament, boasting quality and depth in every area. The fact Low was able to leave Manchester City's Leroy Sane out is indicative of just how strong they are and why many are backing Germany to become the first country to successfully defend the World Cup since Brazil in 1962: Mexico's squad is far from poor, and they have an excellent recent record in the group stage of World Cups, having reached the last 16 in each of the past six tournaments—although they have never managed to go any further in that time. Making it seven in a row may prove difficult, especially when facing Germany first in a group that also contains South Korea and Sweden. El Tri have the quality to beat both the other sides in their group, but an opening defeat can prove demoralising, even against the No. 1-ranked side in the world. Taking a point against the Germans, though, would give Osorio's men a huge boost and provide terrific momentum heading into their second fixture against South Korea. Soccrates Images/Getty Images Mexico have little chance of beating Germany at their own game, and they will need to be open to surrendering the majority of possession to a remarkable midfield that includes the likes of Toni Kroos, Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira. However, they can fill the spaces Germany's playmakers will want to work in and then look to catch them on the break. In Javier Hernandez, they have a player who has always been a reliable goalscorer at international level. Meanwhile, PSV Eindhoven winger Hirving Lozano is coming off a fantastic debut season in the Eredivisie—during which he netted 17 goals and provided eight assists—and he could be an emergent star in Russia.

Storm Ali tracker LIVE maps: top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Storm Ali set to bring rain and strong winds to Britain Storm Ali is the first named storm of the season and could bring gusts of 80mph to some areas on Wednesday morning. Ali arrives on the west coast at around 4am and moves across the country before slowly easing in southern areas in the afternoon, but it will remain very windy in northern areas of the UK until late evening. The latest forecast maps show the storm barrelling towards the UK. The Met Office has issued an amber warning for Wednesday in the north of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland ahead of Ali’s arrival. Flying debris is likely and could pose a danger to life, the Met Office added. Milder yellow wind warnings have been issued across Northern Ireland, Scotland, the north of England and Wales on Wednesday. The amber warnings are in place from 8am to 5pm, while the yellow alerts are scheduled from 6am to 10pm. Met Office meteorologist Dean Hall said wind speeds hit 50mph in parts of Wales but Ali was expected to be more severe. Storm Ali tracker LIVE maps: Storm Ali is barrelling towards the UK with 80mph winds Journeys by road, rail and air are likely to be disrupted and the conditions could also damage buildings, lead to power cuts and blow over trees. Met Office forecaster Laura Paterson said: “Storm Ali is expected to bring a spell of very strong winds to northern parts of the UK through Wednesday, particularly Northern Ireland, central and southern Scotland and the far northwest of England. “As this is the first spell of very strong winds of the season, and given that most trees are still in full lead, we are likely to see some dangerous conditions with falling trees and flying branches and other debris likely. READ MORE: Storm tracker: Are Met Office weather warnings in place for YOUR area? Storm Ali tracker LIVE maps: The Met Office has issued yellow and amber warnings for wind He said: “Certainly we could see close to 80mph, possibly even higher miles per hour in exposed areas in the far north of the country.” “Strong winds will be accompanied by heavy, squally showers.” Leading bookmaker Coral make it odds-on the wind speed reaches as high as 100mph in mainland UK with the impending threat of Storm. The firm has also taken a flurry of bets on the month ending as the wettest September on record as the latest forecasts all point to a wet couple of weeks ahead. Storm Ali tracker LIVE maps: Storm Ali is moving across the Atlantic Ocean towards the UK<doc-sep>The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Get email updates with the day's biggest stories Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Life-threatening Storm Ali is blowing into the UK with 80mph wind warnings as it threatens to cause property damage and disruption for millions of Britons. Amber and yellow "danger to life" warnings for wind have been issued for all of Northern Ireland and Scotland, and parts of northern England and Wales ahead of the first named storm of the 2018-19 season. Forecasters say heavy rain, flying debris, falling trees, power cuts, flooding and travel disruption are possible in the worst-hit areas when Ali hits on Wednesday. The major storm could batter some places for more than 16 hours. Here is the latest map and tracking details revealing when and where Ali is expected to wreak havoc. (Image: Met Office) Forecasters have warned to expect flooding on roads, adding that bus and train services could be affected on Thursday. On Friday there is potential for more strong winds, with a "slight chance" of damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs or through falling trees and branches. "This could also bring the chance of injuries and danger to life," the Met Office warns. Meanwhile, a woman has died after a caravan was blown off a cliff as the storm hit the west coast of Ireland. (Image: Met office) (Image: Met office) Where will Storm Ali hit? Warnings are in place for the following areas from 6am on Wednesday: Scotland Central, Tayside and Fife: Angus, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Falkirk, Fife, Perth and Kinross, Stirling. Grampian: Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray. Highlands and Eilean Siar: Na h-Eileanan Siar, Highland. Orkney and Shetland islands South West and Lothian Borders: Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian Council, Scottish Borders, West Lothian. Strathclyde: Argyll and Bute, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire. (Image: PA) England North East: Darlington, Durham, Gateshead, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Northumberland,Redcar and Cleveland, South Tyneside, Stockton-on-Tees, Sunderland. North West: Cumbria, Lancashire. Yorkshire and Humber: North Yorkshire. Northern Ireland County Antrim, County Armagh, County Down, County Fermanagh, County Londonderry, County Tyrone. Wales Conwy, Denbighshire, Gwynedd, Isle of Anglesey. When will Storm Ali hit? Torrential rain and strong winds hit Northern Ireland and western parts of Scotland early this morning. Ali is currently across the west of Scotland and northern parts of England and Wales. Fierce winds and heavy rain will persist through the afternoon and, in some places, into the evening. A yellow warning for wind is due to expire at 10pm on Wednesday, while the more severe amber warning is set to end at 5pm. Ali is arriving one day after the remnants of former hurricane Helene slammed some areas with 80mph winds and heavy rain. What are the biggest threats? Ali's winds will gust to 80mph and up to 70mm of rain is possible in parts of western and central Scotland. According to the Met Office, people in the warning areas should prepare themselves for: Flying debris is likely and could lead to injuries or "danger to life". Road, rail, air and ferry services may be affected, with longer journey times and cancellations possible. Some damage to buildings is possible, such as tiles blown from roofs. Falling trees or branches. Power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage. Some roads and bridges may close. (Image: PA) (Image: JIM BENNETT) The Met Office said in its amber warning: "Storm Ali will bring a spell of very strong winds to Northern Ireland from early on Wednesday morning, before these strong winds spread to far northwest England and central and southern Scotland by late morning. "Strong winds will be accompanied by heavy squally showers. "Some areas, especially high ground and coastal regions, including within the Central Belt, could see gusts of 80 mph at times. Winds will ease from the west through the afternoon." Ali is the first named storm of the 2018-19 season. The Met Office and Ireland's national weather service have decided to name major storms to bring greater urgency to warnings that encourage people to take precautions. Bronagh, Callum and Deirdre are among the other names to be used this season. Why was an amber warning issued? The Met Office uses three colours to warn of dangerous storms - yellow, amber and, for the most severe, red. An amber warning is issued when severe weather could put lives in danger and disrupt travel. The Met Office said: "You should think about changing your plans and taking action to protect yourself and your property. "You may want to consider the impact of the weather on your family and your community and whether there is anything you need to do ahead of the severe weather to minimise the impact." (Image: Met Office) Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Play now Rain warning for Wales and England Meanwhile, the Met Office has issued a yellow warning for rain for Wales, North and West Yorkshire, Durham, Lancashire, Cumbria and Greater Manchester. Conditions will be at their worst from 4am to 10pm on Thursday. Some places in Cumbria could be inundated with 100mm, while 40-60mm is likely across the rest of the warning area. In addition to heavy rain, strong winds and coastal gales are expected to wreak havoc. The Met Office warns: "An area of rain is expected to move northeast across many parts of the UK on Thursday. "Rain is likely to be most persistent and heaviest across parts of Wales and northwest England - 40-60 mm of rain is likely widely across the warning area, whilst some of the higher ground of north Wales and perhaps Cumbria could see 80-100mm. "In addition to the rain, strong winds and coastal gales can be expected across southern parts of the warning area."<doc-sep>UK weather forecast: Britain will be hit by a HUGE storm on Sunday top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Weather charts show hurricane-force wind gusts ripping through the country as the powerful tempest smashes the UK on Sunday. Millions of people are on standby for travel disruption, loss of power and mobile phone signals amid warnings violent gales will bring a risk of injury or even loss of life. The storm will drive colossal waves into sea defences bringing walls of water tumbling into coastal communities while torrential downpours will dump almost two months’ rain in parts. Britain has fallen to the mercy of a powerful jet stream steering a barrage of frenzied cyclonic low-pressure systems in from the Atlantic like a conveyer belt. The autumn storm season kicked off to an early start this week when ex-hurricane Helene vented her fury on the nation on Monday. Wind and heavy rain will blight much of the country through the coming days before the potentially killer storm hits on Sunday, forecasters say. Near 80mph gales threaten widespread disruption through this evening as Storm Ali – the first UK named system – hammers the nation. UK weather forecast latest: Storm map for Sunday shows Hurricane Florence remnants Another deep area of low-pressure will tear in from the Atlantic on Thursday dishing up more violent gales and torrential downpours. Met Office spokesman Richard Miles said: “Storm Ali is expected to have passed into the North Sea by Wednesday night, however there is another system coming in from the Atlantic on Thursday. “This will bring some very strong winds across southern Britain and will be accompanied by rain in the west, this system will bring further unsettled weather into Friday. “We have a brief respite on Saturday before the next deep low arrives on Sunday and this will bring strong winds across the whole of England all the way from the Scottish borders southwards. “The effects of this will last into Monday and there are further weather warnings in place for the start of next week. “It is too early to say whether this will generate another named storm, however it is certainly the sort of thing that could and we will be keeping an eye on it.” A splattering of severe weather warnings are in place through the next few days as the UK braces for a roller-coaster spell of turbulent weather. UK weather forecast: Storm forming at 8am local time on Sunday A yellow warning for wind covers the East Midlands; Eastern England; London and the southeast; south-west England; Wales; the West Midlands; Yorkshire and the Humber from Thursday night until just after Friday’s morning rush hour. Gales are expected to touch 50mph widely with gusts of almost 70mph threatening to pummel exposed regions. A separate warning for heavy downpours is in place across northwestern Britain through Thursday with almost four inches of rain threatening to flood roads, homes and businesses. Met Office chief meteorologist Laura Paterson said: “An area of strong winds is likely to develop across parts of Wales and southwest England during Thursday evening before spreading further eastwards across England. “The strongest winds are then expected to clear into the North Sea early on Friday. “Most likely is that we will see gusts of 45-50 mph in a few spots inland as well as more widely around exposed coasts. “However, there is a small chance that stronger winds will develop in some areas with 60 to 65 mph gusts possible, particularly overnight into Friday across eastern England. Storm Ali set to bring rain and strong winds to Britain UK weather: Jet stream is whipping up remnants of Hurricane Florence “The strong winds will accompanied by short-lived outbreaks of very heavy rain in places.” Another 24-hour government weather warning is in place across the whole of England from Sunday morning into Monday. Winds will be strong enough to damage buildings and close roads and bridges with flights and ferry services under threat. Ms Paterson warned there will be a danger of injury from flying debris with the powerful storm also bringing a danger to life. She said: “During Sunday there is the potential for a deep area of low pressure to develop and track over the UK bringing a spell of very strong winds and heavy rain. “Any strong winds should gradually clear eastwards early on Monday with more settled conditions looking likely to follow next week. “There is a slight chance that power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage. UK weather forecast: Storm will hit Britain on Sunday with savage winds “There is a small chance that injuries and danger to life could occur from large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties.” Weather models show Sunday’s storm whipping up gales close to 120kmph (75mph) along the western coast of Britain into Sunday. Furious winds will scour much of the nation although coastal and exposed regions will be most at risk, experts say. The early onset of the storm season this year brings the added threat of falling trees as branches are still heavily in leaf. Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said: “Strong winds at this time of year can have a great effect on trees as they are still in leaf. “Rather than blowing through the branches the leaves act as a windbreak and there is more of a danger of falling branches. “Trees are more likely to be felled by strong winds when they are in full leaf.” AccuWeather forecaster Eric Leister said unsettled weather will hammer the UK through through the rest of this week and into the weekend. UK weather forecast: Storm gusts will hit around 120kmph<doc-sep>Storm Ali set to bring rain and strong winds to Britain top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. A new weather system threatens the UK with gale force winds of up to 85mph, power cuts and conditions potentially dangerous to life. The Met Office has now issued an amber warning for central and northern parts of the country as Storm Ali makes its way towards the UK on Wednesday. The UK is still reeling from the effects of tropical storm Helene which brought fierce winds to the west of the country and a warm and humid start to the week, pushing temperatures up to 26C in the south-east on Monday. Temperatures remain above average for this time of the year with 24C possible in London on Tuesday. Falling trees, widespread travel disruption and loss of electricity supplies threaten to cripple the worst-hit regions as gales tear in from the Atlantic. Met Office chief forecaster Steve Ramsdale said: “A spell of strong winds is expected mainly in the far southwest of England and across west and south Wales. “The strongest winds will the transferring across the Midlands and parts of northern England during Tuesday morning and into the afternoon. “Some damage to trees is possible, for example, large branches or trees falling in a few places. UK weather: Storm Ali set to hit the UK on Wednesday Some damage to trees is possible, for example, large branches or trees falling in a few places Steve Ramsdale “Some delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport are likely, probably some bus and train services will be affected with some journeys taking longer. “Some short-term loss of power and other services is possible.” Flying debris is likely and could pose a danger to life, the Met Office added. In the amber warning, the weather agency said: "Storm Ali is expected to bring a very windy spell of weather with gusts of 65-75 mph inland. "Flying debris is likely and could lead to Injuries or danger to life. "Probably some damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs or damage through falling trees and branches breaking." Storm Ali: STRONG winds set to batter Britain<doc-sep>

Storm Ali: STRONG winds set to batter Britain Strong and dangerous winds are expected to bring flying debris and travel disruptions to parts of Britain on Wednesday.Weather warnings for Storm Ali are in place from 6am on Wednesday morning as the weather system is expected to hit in the early hours. The Met Office has issued a raft of weather warninsg for northern England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of north Wales ahead of Ali’s arrival. The amber warning issued by the Met Office is in place from 8am to 6pm. While yellow warnings have also been issued in some parts of the UK, where wind speed of up to 60mph can be expected. On Wednesday, a yellow warning for rain is in place from 6am to 10pm. On Thursday, a yellow warning for rain is in place between 4am and 10pm. Debris flying in the could also endanger lives, the Met Office weather service warned. Met Office chief forecaster Laura Paterson said: “Storm Ali is expected to bring a spell of very strong winds to northern parts of the UK through Wednesday, particularly Northern Ireland, central and southern Scotland and the far northwest of England. STORM ALI TRACKER LIVE: FLYING DEBRIS WARNING AS ALI BRINGS 80MPH WINDS TO UK Storm Ali: Ali will reach the UK tomorrow morning “As this is the first spell of very strong winds of the season, and given that most trees are still in full leaf, we are likely to see some dangerous conditions with falling trees and flying branches and other debris likely. “Strong winds will be accompanied by heavy, squally showers.” Storm Ali is Britain’s first named storm of the season, with storm Helene which hit Wales on Tuesday having taken its name from a US hurricane. Falling trees, widespread travel disruption and loss of electricity supplies threaten to cripple the worst-hit regions as gale-force winds tear in from the Atlantic. Storm Ali path map: Strong and dangerous winds are expected to bring flying debris Met Office chief forecaster Steve Ramsdale said: “A spell of strong winds is expected mainly in the far southwest of England and across west and south Wales. “The strongest winds will the transferring across the Midlands and parts of northern England during Tuesday morning and into the afternoon. “Some delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport are likely, probably some bus and train services will be affected with some journeys taking longer.” From Wednesday afternoon Ali’s winds will gradually ease, but the weather is set to be unsettled for the rest of the week. Storm Ali: Wind gusts of up to 80mph will strike the UK tomorrow

Keep in touch with news on your show faves and when Love Island is back with our weekly newsletter Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign me up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Megan Barton-Hanson and Wes Nelson have split after just over six months of dating. The couple, who fell for each other on Love Island , have announced they have parted ways after a difficult few weeks. Glamour model Megan, 24, recently admitted to feeling "jealous" over her 20-year-old boyfriend's close working relationship with his Dancing On Ice partner Vanessa Bauer, 22. The couple's Camden flat was also burgled this week, while Megan was hospitalised after suffering from a kidney infection. The pair's romance had a controversial start after Megan was seen to "lure" Wes away from his then-girlfriend Laura Anderson on the ITV2 show in June. After leaving the Majorcan villa, Wes and Megan moved in together immediately, but it appears the pressure of having a relationship under the spotlight has split them up. Here's how Megan and Wes's turbulent relationship started out... 4 June 2018 Wes is one of the first contestants to enter the Love Island villa on Day 1 and immediately couples up with Scottish air hostess Laura - nine years his senior. (Image: ITV Picture Desk) 10 June Megan enters the villa as a single lady and finds Eyal Booker and Dr Alex George vying for her attention. 13 June Megan upsets Dr Alex as she chooses to couple up with Eyal after sharing a few kisses with the male model. 14 June Wes tells Laura he is "falling for her" after just a week, however older and wiser Laura is more cautious, declaring: "He doesn't even know what love is!" 21 June Megan and Eyal are the first couple on the 2018 series to have sex during a passionate night in the hideway. (Image: ITV Picture Desk) 24 June Wes and Laura are the latest inductees to the 'Do Bits Society' as they take their relationship to the next level, although both vehemently denied they had full sex together when they left the show. (Image: ITV) 25 June Megan and Eyal row after he mistakenly guessed she's slept with 37 people instead of 20 during a 'Mr and Mrs' style game. Ranting in the beach hut, she said: "I'm really p**sed off Eyal said I’d slept with 37 people. I’m not the most innocent of girls, but it doesn't mean that I've gone around s**ging everyone I can. I was absolutely fuming." Their argument signals the beginning of the end for the good-looking couple. 26 June Megan dumps a shocked Eyal after claiming they had nothing in common and were only sexually attracted to each other. (Image: ITV) She then infuriates Laura when she kisses Wes during a truth or dare game as the Scot watches on. 27 June After ending her fling with Eyal, Megan makes a move on Wes and begs him to kiss her. Although Wes declines due to his situation with Laura, he does admit he fancies her. After some encouragement from villa bad boy Adam Collard , Wes decides to tell Laura how he feels, who promptly ends their coupling up so he's free to "crack on" with Megan. (Image: ITV2) (Image: ITV2) Megan is widely criticised on social media for 'smirking' as she watched Wes and Laura's relationship unravel from the sidelines and earns the nickname 'Muggy Megan'. Furious Laura labelled Megan a "sl*g", to which the model replied: "Did she just call me a sl*g? She's slept with more people than me!" Megan and Wes upset the whole villa after they decided to sleep in one of the outdoor beds just hours after he split from Laura. (Image: ITV Picture Desk) 28 June After just a day as an item (although not officially coupled up), Megan and Wes are separated after the boys are sent off to meet some new ladies at Casa Amor. Meanwhile, Megan is introduced to new boys Alex Miller and Dean Overson, who both have crushes on her. 29 June - 1 July Megan shares kisses with Dean Overson and Alex Miller while Wes is away in Casa Amor pining for her. 2 July Wes returns to the villa solo from Casa Amor and is shocked to find Megan has coupled up with Alex. (Image: ITV2) 5 July Despite Megan's status with Alex, lovesick Wes is determined to win her back and invites her on a date outside the villa. She soon realises she prefers him to Alex, who is dumped from the villa, leaving her to couple up with Wes. 10 July After a few days as a couple, Megan and Wes spend their first night together in the hideaway and consummate their romance with "two rounds". 11 July Megan shows she's a modern lady and goes against the villa tradition of the man asking the woman to become their official 'girlfriend' and pops the question to Wes, who was planning to ask her himself. She declared: "I know it's early. But you know, when you know and I really do like you. I want to prove to you how much I like you." 17 July Wes tells Megan he's "never been happier ever in my life" and he's falling in love with her after just two weeks. She returns the sentiment. (Image: ITV) 30 July After surviving a few public votes, Megan and Wes make it to the Love Island 2018 final. Unsurprisingly, they end up in fourth place, as many viewers have failed to forgive them for the controversial beginning to their romance. 7 August After just five weeks of dating, Wes quit his job as a nuclear systems design engineer and leaves his home in Staffordshire to move into Megan's flat in Southend, Essex. (Image: Instagram/wes.nelson) October The couple decide to move into a rented flat in Camden, north London and deny speculation they have split. Wes starts training for Dancing On Ice and is paired up with professional skater Vanessa Bauer. December<doc-sep>Keep in touch with news on your show faves and when Love Island is back with our weekly newsletter Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign me up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Megan Barton-Hanson was last night pictured sobbing on her friends' shoulders after announcing her split from Wes Nelson . But he appears to be in fine fettle about the fiasco, and clearly saw the funny side on some of the various memes that have been doing the rounds. Taking a break from rehearsals for tonight's Dancing On Ice, Wes, 21, had a good laugh with his fans over his and Megan's shared pet hamster. "You guys are f***ing quick," he commented on one meme which read, "Megan and Wes' hamster realising it now comes from a broken home." Another showed a hamster covering its eyes with the caption, "Wes and Megan's hamster after reading about the couples split." The Love Island star commented with three laughing emojis, writing, "More" to his fans. It comes ahead of what is sure to be a tense show tonight, with Megan insisting on supporting him from the audience despite their split. They're rumoured to have called time on their six-month relationships due to her jealousy of his skating partner Vanessa Bauer. And sources say he's dreading a kick-off later. "The split isn't particularly friendly and he doesn't understand why she would come down to the show tonight," a source told The Sun. "He is really worried Megan will confront Vanessa backstage, and really have it out with her. He is dreading a scene." (Image: MATRIXPICTURES.CO.UK) Megan confirmed their split yesterday, ripping off Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin's infamous consciously-uncoupling speech. "It is with hearts full of sadness that we have decided to separate," she wrote in a statement published on her Instagram . "We have been working hard for well under a year, some of it together, some of it separated, to see what might have been possible, and we have come to the conclusion that while we love each other very much, we will remain separate. (Image: Instagram/wes.nelson) "We are, however, and always will be a family, and in many ways we are closer than we ever have been. "We are parents first and foremost to one incredibly wonderful hamster and we ask for his and our space and privacy to be respected at this difficult time. "We haven't really conducted our relationship that privately, and we hope that as we consciously uncouple and co-parent, we will be able to continue in the same manner. "Love, Megan & Wes."<doc-sep>Love Island couple Wes Nelson and Megan Barton-Hanson have announced they are splitting up, after six months together. Taking to Instagram Stories to announce the news, Megan wrote: "It is with hearts full of sadness that we have decided to separate. We have been working hard for well under a year, some of it together, some of it separated, to see what might have been possible, and we have come to the conclusion that while we love each other very much, we will remain separate." Megan Barton-Hanson/Instagram Continuing with a slightly tongue-in-cheek statement, she added: "We are, however, and always will be a family, and in many ways we are closer than we ever have been. We are parents first and foremost to one incredibly wonderful hamster and we ask for his and our space and privacy to be respected at this difficult time. We haven't really conducted our relationship that privately, and we hope that as we consciously uncouple and co-parent, we will be able to continue in the same manner." This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Megan later added: "In all seriousness, I am so grateful and so blessed to have found Wes, I will always love and adore him and I am so lucky to call him my best friend. It has been an incredibly hard decision to make for both of us but we are looking forward to moving on together as friends and supporting each other in everything we do." Getty Images She revealed she will still be watching her ex skate in TV show Dancing on Ice, adding: "I will be down at Dancing On Ice tomorrow to watch him smash it again. Only one thing left to say, come on Wes and Vanessa! ". Wes is yet to comment on the split. Lauren Smith Head of Social Lauren Smith is Cosmopolitan UK's Head of Social, and looks after the site's social media accounts, as well as occasionally covering fitness, health, lifestyle, and travel on the site. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>Keep in touch with news on your show faves and when Love Island is back with our weekly newsletter Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign me up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice The love affair that began in a sunshine villa during the summer of 2018, has found itself crashing on ice in the new year but there is more to Megan Barton-Hanson's split from Wes Nelson than just a mutual agreement. After a whirlwind romance, the Love Island couple had become more like friends without benefits, with the shadow of the Dancing On Ice 'curse' hanging over them. A source close to Megan has now spoken out about why the 24-year-old reality star has called time on her romance with 20-year-old Wes. (Image: MATRIXPICTURES.CO.UK) (Image: ITV) It would appear that the speed of their developing relationship became too hot to handle and despite there only being four years between them, the gap was becoming too great a divide. Speaking to The Sun , the source said, "their relationship moved too quickly," and that it had quickly become, "very intense." They believed that Megan and Wes moved into together too soon and with his commitment to Dancing On Ice, Wes had become 'too tired for sex' and that was a final nail in the coffin. (Image: ITV) (Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images) There was also the deep suspicion of the relationship between Wes and his professional ice skating partner Vanessa Bauer, who dumped her boyfriend on the eve of the live shows on ITV. This was condemned by Megan as an 'act of publicity', so that it got the maximum amount of coverage. The source said that Megan felt threatened by Vanessa and, "all the time her and Wes were spending together." (Image: PA) (Image: Instagram) This all culminated in Megan and Wes going their separate ways at the weekend, with 'a deep mistrust' about the status of the Dancing On Ice pairing's relationship - whether it was more than just dance partners. Speaking to The Sun, Megan revealed that she had found it difficult watching Wes in Dancing On Ice because it, "is very romantic and all about looking into each other’s eyes and parading around on the ice and being loved up together." A devastating break-in at their flat at the end of last week seemed to be the last straw and with that, Megan and Wes called time on their relationship. Do you have a story to sell? Get in touch with us at [email protected] or call us direct 0207 29 33033.<doc-sep>

Love Island couple Wes Nelson and Megan Barton-Hanson have announced they are separating. Megan took to her Instagram stories to reveal their decision, even poking fun at Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin's memorable split announcement in her post. She wrote: "It is with hearts full of sadness that we have decided to separate. We have been working hard for well under a year, some of it together, some of it separated, to see what might have been possible, and we have come to the conclusion that while we love each other very much, we will remain separate." Megan announced she had split from boyfriend Wes She continued, in the same manner as Gwyneth's 2014 Goop statement: "We are, however, and always will be a family, and in many ways we are closer than we ever have been. We are parents first and foremost to one incredibly wonderful hamster and we ask for his and our space and privacy to be respected at this difficult time. We haven't really conducted our relationship that privately, and we hope that as we consciously uncouple and co-parent, we will be able to continue in the same manner." MORE: Love Island's Wes Nelson opens up about Dancing on Ice 'curse' Loading the player... Megan later added a second post that read: "In all seriousness, I am so grateful and so blessed to have found Wes, I will always love and adore him and I am so lucky to call him my best friend. It has been an incredibly hard decision to make for both of us but we are looking forward to moving on together as friends and supporting each other in everything we do. MORE: Megan Barton Hanson says Wes Nelson's Dancing on Ice partner Vanessa Bauer shows 'lack of respect' "I will be down at Dancing On Ice tomorrow to watch him smash it again. Only one thing left to say, come on Wes and Vanessa!" she concluded. The couple have been at the centre of split rumours since Megan criticised Wes' Dancing On Ice partner, suggesting she had split with her boyfriend as 'tactics' to get headlines.

The Seattle Seahawks did what they do best on the second day of the 2019 NFL draft, trading back from pick No. 37 overall with the Carolina Panthers. Seattle moved back 10 spots, acquiring pick No. 47 overall in the second round as well as No. 77 overall in the third round. The Panthers used the pick to select Ole Miss tackle Greg Little. The Seahawks originally received pick No. 37 from the Giants in a Thursday evening trade. They sent pick No. 30 to New York in exchange for pick No. 37 as well as a fourth and a fifth rounder. The Seahawks have only made one pick so far in the draft, selecting TCU defensive end L.J. Collier in the first round at No. 27. You can follow our complete draft tracker here. With the trade, Seattle now has nine picks remaining – all between rounds two and five. Here is a list of what they have remaining: Round 2, No. 47 overall Round 3, No. 77 overall Round 3, No. 92 overall Round 4, No. 114 overall Round 4, No. 118 overall Round 4, No. 124 overall Round 4, No. 132 overall Round 5, No. 142 overall Round 5, No. 159 overall<doc-sep>By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com The Class of 2019 is finally set for the New England Patriots, who made 10 selections at this year’s NFL Draft. This year proved to be a bit of a departure for Bill Belichick, when compared to the positions and types of players he normally targets in the draft. He selected a wide receiver in the first round for the first time ever as Patriots head coach, and a big, strong outside receiver at that. Other relative surprises include trading up for a cornerback in round 2, a pair of offensive linemen who are better suited as pass-protectors, a pass-rushing specialist, and a right-footed punter. Belichick’s most discussed move, meanwhile, could turn out to be the drafting of Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham in the fourth round. The Patriots are certainly far away from affirming Tom Brady’s true successor, but Stidham is perhaps the best candidate since Jimmy Garoppolo. Stidham needs at least a year or two to develop anyway, but it will be quite intriguing to see how both QBs look in, say, 2021. Here’s a complete rundown of all the Patriots’ 2019 draft picks, and what could be expected of them as rookies. First Round, No. 32: WR N’Keal Harry, Arizona State An exciting selection, but un-Belichick-like. Harry is the first wide receiver he’s ever drafted in the first round as Patriots head coach, and his physical traits didn’t necessarily scream “Patriots!” either. But nonetheless, the Patriots prioritized their most needy position with their first pick. If Harry can quickly build trust with Tom Brady, he can be a big play threat every time he touches the ball. And he’d do it with a unique skill set that combines strength with elusiveness after the catch. His lack of top-end speed concerns some about his ability to get separation against NFL corners, but Harry wins contested catches with his excellent hands and leaping ability. Again, the key is trust with Brady and grasping the Pats’ playbook. Belichick seems pretty confident Harry can do the latter. If the other thing happens, then Brady has a dynamic new receiver he can trust to go up and get the ball even when he’s covered. Second Round, No. 45: CB Joejuan Williams, Vanderbilt Despite taking a wide receiver in the first round, the Patriots’ most surprising move of this year’s draft may be trading up to take Vanderbilt cornerback Joejuan Williams. The Pats are incredibly deep at corner, with five players not including Williams signed through 2020. But at 6-foot-4 and 211 pounds, Williams brings rare size and strength to the position. He has a chance to become a high-end press corner at the NFL level, and the Patriots can choose to be patient with his development if they want. But something may have to give at cornerback, because it’s not likely the Pats carry seven of them on the 53-man roster. Perhaps Duke Dawson and/or Jonathan Jones move to safety. Maybe even Williams is used as a big safety in certain packages. But it’s clear that the Patriots coveted Williams as a prospect, as indicated by trading up from 56 to 45 to get him. Cornerback will be at the bottom of the Patriots’ list of concerns in 2019, but the addition of Williams makes it one of the most intriguing groups to watch in camp. Third Round, No. 77: DE Chase Winovich, Michigan What Winovich lacks in high-end size or explosiveness at defensive end he makes up for with one of the most relentless motors of any player in the 2019 class. Thanks to the league’s infectious obsession with measurables, he could turn out to be a steal for Belichick. Winovich brings outstanding energy and competitiveness to the position and could assert himself as a rotational pass-rusher quicker than expected in the Patriots defense. If other developmental D-line prospects in recent years are any indication, Winovich may not make a real impact until his second season. We didn’t see much of Trey Flowers or Derek Rivers in their first full seasons. But Winovich is a hard worker and seems like a perfect fit for the Patriots locker room. He strikes as a fast riser on the roster. Third round, No. 87: RB Damien Harris, Alabama Harris is known for his ball security, pass protection, and patient, powerful running. Sounds like Belichick created this kid in a lab somewhere. Harris was simply too good for Belichick to pass up when he fell to the third round. Director of player personnel Nick Caserio indicated that Belichick considered Harris the best player available at the time. I mean, he definitely wasn’t drafted because the Patriots need a running back. Sony Michel and James White for now seem entrenched in the top-2 roles. But this could mean competition for Rex Burkhead. And it could also mean we won’t have to see something like Cordarrelle Patterson running the ball again. Unfortunately, this pick could reignite the whole debate about whether you need to use a first-round pick to find a good running back. But the upside here is that Harris should be a good player regardless of where he or Michel were picked. Third Round, No. 101: OT Yodny Cajuste, West Virginia Despite his accomplishments as an All-Big 12 left tackle at West Virginia, Cajuste is more of a project at the NFL level. But Dante Scarnecchia is the best in the business at refining techniques and figuring out what his linemen do best. Cajuste’s 6-foot-5 frame could make him an interior lineman long-term, but his experience playing left tackle for a top-10 offense in the nation could make him an early candidate to be the Patriots’ swing tackle as a rookie. He may need time to develop before Bill Belichick trusts him out there, though. Still, this is an athletic prospect with long arms and an athletic build. If he can work out the kinks in his game, the Pats may have found another future O-line starter in the middle rounds. Fourth round, No. 118: OL Hjalte Froholdt, Arkansas Someone tell Michael Felger that his name is pronounced “YELL-Duh”. Froholdt started playing football as a sophomore in high school and transitioned from defensive tackle to center/guard at Arkansas. Bill Belichick must love his versatility and willingness to do whatever is asked of him. Froholdt started games at both center and left guard. He has a chance to put a squeeze on Ted Karras, who is currently the Patriots’ top backup interior O-lineman. Karras is entering the final year of his contract. Fourth round, No. 133: QB Jarrett Stidham, Auburn Easily the most upside of all Patriots 2019 draft picks, simply because of the position he plays. Stidham’s draft stock plummeted after a disappointing junior season with Auburn, and if he continued his trajectory from 2017 he might have been a first-round pick. Stidham is praised for his pre-snap intelligence, mobility, and above-average arm talent. But he faltered too much under pressure and struggled with inconsistent decision-making too much to warrant a high pick. The key will be getting his post-snap confidence back, and he has time to do so. There was no better landing spot for a reclamation project like Stidham than the Patriots with Belichick and Brady. If Belichick can eliminate his bad habits and make him a more decisive passer, the tools are there to make him an eventual starter. Fifth round, No. 159: DL Byron Cowart, Maryland Cowart had a rocky start to his college career after entering the ranks as a five-star recruit. He underachieved and struggled with inconsistency at Auburn after coach Will Muschamp left for South Carolina. But he does have good size and length at 6-foot-3 with 34-inch arms and does have the physical tools to be an effective interior defender at the NFL level. Bill Belichick adds a reclamation project, and one he apparently coveted as evidenced by trading up from 162 to 159 in order to get him. Fifth round, No. 163: P Jake Bailey, Stanford This will go down as one of the most curious picks of the year. The Patriots just re-signed Ryan Allen to a one-year deal after he delivered an outstanding Super Bowl performance. Bailey is right-footed, which directly contradicts Belichick’s usual philosophy of drafting southpaws at the position. But Bailey apparently showed Belichick enough to convince him to trade up in the fifth round for a second time to draft him. Allen gets some legitimate competition in camp. Seventh round, No. 252: CB Ken Webster, Ole Miss Webster was one of the more athletic DB prospects in the draft. He ran a 4.43 40-yard dash, a 43-inch vertical jump, a 133-inch broad jump, and a 6.85 three-cone drill. However he may have been too inconsistent as a coverage corner to pan out at that position in the NFL. He’s better at tackling, which may make him more of a hybrid safety-linebacker type in sub packages. Ultimately, he’s a lottery ticket. And he arrives in New England as part of easily the deepest depth chart on the team. Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at [email protected]. Click here for all NFL Draft updates from 985TheSportsHub.com.<doc-sep>

With the defending Super Bowl champions' ability to find talent from seemingly everywhere, expect the Patriots to add some significant pieces during the 2019 NFL Draft. They have 12 picks in total, including six in the first three rounds, which helps ease the obstacle of selecting last in the first round. NFL DRAFT GRADES: Ranking the best, worst 2019 classes from 1-32 Despite being the defending champions, the Patriots, like every other NFL team, have holes that need to be patched up. Most of those are on the offensive side of the ball, since a couple of Tom Brady's favorite offensive targets — Rob Gronkowski, Chris Hogan — are out of the picture. Below is everything you need to know about the Patriots' 2019 draft, including when they pick and their biggest team needs. The list below will be updated throughout the draft as New England makes its selections. Patriots draft picks 2019: When does New England pick? Round Overall Pick No. First 32 Second 45 (from Rams) Third 77 (from Seahawks) Third 87 (from Bears) Third 101 (from Rams) Fourth 118 (from Seahawks) Fourth 133 (from Rams) Fifth 159 Fifth 163 Seventh 252 Who did the Patriots draft in 2019? No. 32: N'Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State N'Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State No. 45: Joejuan Williams, CB, Vanderbilt Joejuan Williams, CB, Vanderbilt No. 77: Chase Winovich, DE, Michigan Chase Winovich, DE, Michigan No. 87: Damien Harris, RB, Alabama Damien Harris, RB, Alabama No. 101: Yodny Cajuste, OT, West Virginia Yodny Cajuste, OT, West Virginia No. 118: Hjalte Froholdt, G, Arkansas Hjalte Froholdt, G, Arkansas No. 133: Jarrett Stidham, QB, Auburn Jarrett Stidham, QB, Auburn No. 159: Byron Cowart, DT, Maryland Byron Cowart, DT, Maryland No. 163: Jake Bailey, P, Stanford Jake Bailey, P, Stanford No. 252: Ken Webster, CB, Mississippi Patriots' NFL Draft team needs Tight end: The retirement of Gronkowski opens up a massive hole that will be hard to fill. Austin Seferian-Jenkins is the top tight end on the roster, and it's a pretty safe bet that the Patriots will use one of their six picks in the first three rounds to find Brady another target. The retirement of Gronkowski opens up a massive hole that will be hard to fill. Austin Seferian-Jenkins is the top tight end on the roster, and it's a pretty safe bet that the Patriots will use one of their six picks in the first three rounds to find Brady another target. Quarterback: Speaking of Brady, he clearly has a lot left in the tank, but the allure of drafting a young quarterback to learn behind the 41-year-old is hard to pass up. Speaking of Brady, he clearly has a lot left in the tank, but the allure of drafting a young quarterback to learn behind the 41-year-old is hard to pass up. Offensive tackle: The offensive line as a whole brings back four starters, with Trent Brown — who signed with the Raiders in the offseason — as the lone exception. 2018 first-round pick Isaiah Wynn missed all of last season with an injury but is currently in line to fill Brown's spot. Don't be surprised if the Patriots draft someone to give him competition. The offensive line as a whole brings back four starters, with Trent Brown — who signed with the Raiders in the offseason — as the lone exception. 2018 first-round pick Isaiah Wynn missed all of last season with an injury but is currently in line to fill Brown's spot. Don't be surprised if the Patriots draft someone to give him competition. Wide receiver: With Josh Gordon facing an indefinite ban and Hogan lost in free agency, the need for another wide receiver exists. The depth chart beyond Julian Edelman is cause for some concern. With Josh Gordon facing an indefinite ban and Hogan lost in free agency, the need for another wide receiver exists. The depth chart beyond Julian Edelman is cause for some concern. Defensive tackle: Malcom Brown signed with the Saints, opening up a hole next to Lawrence Guy on the defensive line. Mike Pennel was signed to add some depth, but it doesn't appear that the Patriots are done trying to shore up the position. Check out Vinnie Iyer's top 100 big board to track the best available.

At a Glance Flooding along the Potomac River continued to worsen Tuesday in some areas. Some stretches of the river crested at their highest level in eight years. This forced some roads, parks and businesses to be closed. Water levels continued their rise on the Potomac River Tuesday morning as flooding caused some travel problems in the Washington D.C. area. The Potomac River reached its highest level in eight years as it flowed violently past Great Falls Park just across the Maryland border, in Virginia. The river was turned into raging rapids Monday as a crowd watched on from the park, according to the Washington Post. The flooding also led to road closures in Laurel, Maryland, where floodwaters damaged roads and downed trees early Monday morning, according to Fox 5 DC. Route 198 was closed after part of the road was washed away, and Stafford County Public Schools were closed Monday, the report added. "Many locations in the mid-Atlantic region had one of their wettest Mays on record, leading to saturated soil conditions and swollen creeks, streams and rivers," said weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce. "June began with another bout of rainfall, which, given the antecedent wet conditions, led to additional rising floodwaters." Craig Werner, left, and Andy Lee watch as turbulent floodwaters flow by on the Potomac River at Dam Number 5 at the C and O Canal National Historic Park in Clear Spring, Maryland, Monday, June 4, 2018. (Colleen McGrath/The Herald-Mail via AP) Near Washington D.C., the Potomac crested at 12.38 feet Tuesday morning, rising to moderate flood stage and cresting above 12 feet for the first time since March 15, 2010, according to the National Weather Service. On the Maryland side of the river, businesses and roads were closed as floodwaters rose in the town of Poolesville, WJLA.com reported. In upper Montgomery County, Seneca Creek State Park was also closed due to flooding, the report added. Flooding is expected to continue through Wednesday in the area, according to WTOP.com.<doc-sep>The low pressure (denoted by the red L below) took its time reaching the North Carolina/Virginia coast [Saturday] night and kept the D.C. area locked in a relatively dry pocket of air, which resulted in little rain falling. That all changed today, as the low pressure hit the coast. Winds rotate counterclockwise around low pressure, keeping us locked in a moisture-rich easterly flow. However, that flow was amplified by a tiny wedge of high pressure (you can just barely see it in the top right of the image below). Winds flow clockwise around high pressures, so we had two pressure systems pumping moisture in from the Atlantic into an environment that was already fully loaded with moisture. Hence, the drenching rains.<doc-sep>After some spots got by with not too much rain yesterday, the totals are starting to mount up this morning already. Since 7 a.m., Reagan National Airport has received 0.38 inches and Dulles International Airport 0.36 inches. That brings the two-day storm total at Dulles to 1.58 inches (only 0.43 inches at National) with more to come. Many places could receive another half-inch to an inch today, with localized heavier amounts possible. Thus, the flood watch continues through this afternoon.<doc-sep>Elliott added: “I think the key message even if it doesn’t rain any more, there’s a lot of water in the system that has to get down here. Everything that fell up in West Virginia still has to come down and we’ll be dealing with this through the weekend. We aren’t going to back to Agnes [in 1972] or [January] 1996 [which were two of the river’s biggest flooding events], but it’s still something we haven’t seen for a while.”<doc-sep>

The Potomac River has flooded parts of the Georgetown Waterfront Tuesday and flooding conditions are expected to continue into later in the week. WASHINGTON — As much of the area tries to recover from inundations caused by heavy rain, the Potomac River has flooded parts of the Georgetown Waterfront Tuesday, and flooding conditions are expected to continue into later in the week. The Potomac River reached above flooding stage Tuesday morning, cresting at around 7 a.m. Storm Team 4 meteorologist Chuck Bell said it’s the highest level in more than 10 years. A roaring Potomac river is carrying 4.5 BILLION gallons of water per hour down the falls! Don’t have an hour to watch it… it’s still over 76,000,000 gallons per minute or 1,275,000 per second! Highest level in 10+ years thanks to over 10 inches of rain since May 12th. https://t.co/CtgXTaL31Y — Chuck Bell (@ChuckBell4) June 5, 2018 Moderate flooding is expected to continue on the Potomac River at Georgetown/Wisconsin Ave in DC through Tuesday night. #DCwx #MDwx #VAwx pic.twitter.com/xR9bbrgQOt — NWS DC/Baltimore (@NWS_BaltWash) June 5, 2018 Along the waterfront Tuesday morning, red tape blocks off sidewalks and stairways that are underwater. The Potomac River has flooded parts of the Georgetown Waterfront, flood warning in effect until Wednesday morning for this area @WTOP pic.twitter.com/VLe9iIPCck — Melissa Howell (@Mhowell003) June 5, 2018 A coastal flood warning is in effect in Georgetown until Wednesday morning. Flooding is expected to continue until Wednesday and a coastal flood warning continues to be in effect until then, when the river is expected to settle below flood stage. The National Weather Service said flooding is also expected at the Wharf, portions of East Potomac Park and at the Washington Harbor. Minor flooding is also expected in Old Town Alexandria Tuesday during high tide, where a coastal flood advisory is in effect.

R. Kelly is back in jail for the second time in two weeks. A spokesperson for the Cook County Sherriff’s Office confirms to ET that the 52-year-old singer was booked Wednesday afternoon. Kelly is in custody due to unpaid child support in the amount of $161,663, according to the spokesperson, and will be released when he pays the full amount owed. His next court date is scheduled for March 13. Kelly’s publicist tells ET that the singer offered to pay $50,000 to $60,000 in court today and set up a payment plan, however the judge denied the offer. The publicist says Kelly was "deflated" by the refusal. "He was disappointed. He felt rejected. He was down. You could see the air go out of him. He never expected that. He was never looking forward to that. He never knew that was coming," the publicist said, adding that the singer’s team is actively working on coming up with money needed to get him released on bail. Cook County Sheriff's Department Kelly was taken into custody following a hearing for his child support case at the Daley Center in Chicago. He had been ordered to pay more than $160,000 to his second ex-wife, Andrea Lee, by Wednesday morning. The two share three children -- Joann, 21, Jay, 19, and Robert, 17. According to local reporters, because Kelly's child support case is sealed, no one was allowed in the courtroom except the involved parties. Under cover on an umbrella, R. Kelly walks into Daley Center on Wednesday for a child support hearing. He owes more than $190,000 to his ex-wife. pic.twitter.com/5XD3FCgfqY — CBS Chicago (@cbschicago) March 6, 2019 R. Kelly makes his way through past several photographers at the Daley Center. He was there for a child support hearing. He owes $190,000 to his ex-wife. It was quite a chaotic scene. pic.twitter.com/4HqETxgCP3 — CBS Chicago (@cbschicago) March 6, 2019 The latest court appearance comes just a few hours after Kelly once again denied all sexual abuse allegations against him during a sit-down interview with Gayle King that aired on CBS This Morning. The discussion marked his first interview since being charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse late last month. A spokesperson for the Cook County Sheriff’s Office told ET at the time that the singer was released from Cook County Jail after $100,000 was posted. Kelly was held on a $1,000,000 bond, of which he was required to pay 10 percent. Kelly has been accused of multiple sexual abuse allegations and inappropriate encounters with girls and young women over the years, but a renewed attention to the allegations came with the release of Lifetime's Surviving R. Kelly docuseries in January, in which more women came forward with allegations of abuse against the singer. Kelly has continued to vehemently deny all of these claims. "I'm very tired of all of the lies," Kelly told King. "I've been hearing things and seeing things on the blogs, you know, I'm just tired." "That little girl was trapped in the basement. Helicopters all over my house. Trying to rescue someone that doesn't need rescuing because they're not in my house," Kelly said, listing off some of the things he's heard about himself. "Handcuffing people. Starving people. I have a harem... a cult. I don't really know what a cult is, but I know I don't have one." Hear more in the video below. RELATED CONTENT: Gayle King Admits She Was 'Worried' When R. Kelly Got So Emotional During Interview (Exclusive) R. Kelly's Girlfriends Emotionally Defend Singer Against Sexual Abuse Charges R. Kelly Shouts and Sobs in Interview, Denies Sexual Abuse Charges R. Kelly Breaks Down While Denying Sexual Abuse Allegations This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors. If you are using ad-blocking software, please disable it and reload the page. Related Gallery<doc-sep>CHICAGO — Barely a week after he was bailed out of jail while facing sex abuse charges, R. Kelly was taken back into custody on Wednesday for failing to pay his ex-wife more than $160,000 in child support. Mr. Kelly’s return to jail came just hours after the airing of his first interview since he was charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse in connection with four women, three of whom prosecutors say were underage at the time. He was released last week on a $100,000 bond paid by a friend after several days of apparently struggling to come up with the money. In the interview, with Gayle King of “CBS This Morning,” he was emotional and unyielding. He denied having had sex with underage girls and portrayed himself as a victim of a social media-fueled smear campaign. [Two women living with R. Kelly denied being brainwashed.] Mr. Kelly, 52, whose real name is Robert Kelly, screamed, cursed and pleaded to the camera.<doc-sep>Singer R. Kelly arrives at the Daley Center for his hearing on March 6, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. Kelly was in court after failing to pay more than $160,000 in child support. Photo : Nuccio DiNuzzo ( Getty Images ) Life comes at you fast. Imagine appearing on national television in the a.m., then appearing behind bars in the p.m. Wow. Advertisement Such is the case for Robert “R.” Kelly, who has been arrested and taken into custody in relation to unpaid child support to ex-wife Andrea Kelly and the children the two share together, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Though Kelly is out on bond in his aggravated sexual assault case, he’s heading back to the clink. Kelly’s criminal defense lawyer Steve Greenberg has said his client’s financial situation is a “mess.” If you remember correctly, Kelly is only currently out on bond thanks to restaurant owner Valencia Love’s donation. “Mr. Kelly has more than 20 people on his staff who, needless to say, are being paid,” said Andrea Kelly’s manager, David France. “He is not without means. Not until he was arrested did he say he didn’t have any money.” Kelly reportedly owes $161,663 in back child support, which constitutes a felony under Illinois law. He had until 10 a.m. Wednesday morning to pay up, per a judge’s order. Advertisement Cook County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Sophia Ansari confirmed the R&B singer was taken into custody following a hearing and will be transferred to the county jail. This story is developing and we’ll post updates as they arise.<doc-sep>

R. Kelly is headed back to Cook County jail after allegedly failing to pay $161,000 in child support to his ex-wife Andrea Kelly, according to reports from the Blast and local Chicago news networks. The disgraced R&B icon had been out on bail since last week after being charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. Kelly was required to pay the child support balance balance by the time he showed up for a family court hearing in Daley Center in Chicago on Wednesday, but was taken into custody after allegedly failing to settle the balance. TMZ reports that Kelly’s release from custody is contingent upon paying the child support he owes his ex-wife. The criminal charges against Kelly reportedly involve a videotape that allegedly shows Kelly having sex with an apparently underaged girl, as well as testimony from multiple accusers who say he sexually abused them. Kelly spent spent three nights in Cook County Jail before his friend Valencia Love paid his $100,000 bond, securing the singer’s release. Kelly has pleaded not guilty to all charges. R Kelly has entered the court for child support preceding. Would not say if he paid $161k due pic.twitter.com/PLzDL9jQ38 — newsburrow (@newsburrow) March 6, 2019 Andrea Kelly was among the several women who appeared in the Lifetime docuseries Surviving R. Kelly discussing alleged physical and emotional abuse she says she suffered from her ex-husband. Andrea Kelly and R. Kelly were married in 1996 and divorced in 2009. The singer’s arrest for unpaid child support follows an unhinged interview aired on CBS Wednesday morning where an irate Kelly had to be physically restrained as he angrily denied Gayle King’s questions as to whether he had ever had inappropriate contact with underage girls.

You can always count on Jennifer Lopez to pull out all the stops for her red carpet appearances, and the 2019 Met Gala was no different. Leaning into the gaudy, glitzy "camp" theme, J. Lo lit up the Met Gala pink carpet in a jaw-dropping sparkling Versace dress. Alex Rodriguez complemented J. Lo's look in a bubblegum pink suit jacket, black trousers, white button-up and a black bowtie. The couple are on the 2019 Met Gala committee along with Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong'o, Lena Waithe, Priyanka Chopra, and more. J. Lo's flashy Versace dress featured a plunging V neckline and a thigh-high slit because, really, no J. Lo lewk is complete without a full leg reveal. Lopez paired the dress with iridescent platform heels, stacks of diamond bracelets, rings and a silver Judith Leiber clutch. An enormous pendant necklace rounded out the dripping-in-ice effect. Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images J. Lo has always been a longtime fan of Versace—it's safe to credit her for making the green Versace gown she wore to the 2000 MTV VMAs one of the brand's most iconic dresses to date—but this year's Met Gala look held a very special meaning. Luigi Massi, Versace's longtime tailor, passed away earlier this year before finishing her 2019 Met Gala gown. This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. In an emotional YouTube video posted to her channel, J. Lo remembered her dear friend Massi. "He didn’t speak any English; he spoke Italian. And I didn’t speak any Italian, but somehow we always understood each other and we had the best time working together for 20 years," she said in the video. Through tears she thanked Massi for making her "feel so beautiful so many times. So perfect, everything. Your attention to detail, your talent and your love will never be forgotten. Thank you, Luigi, we will miss you." Nerisha Penrose Assistant Editor Nerisha is the assistant editor at ELLE.com, covering all things beauty and fashion. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>Jennifer Lopez's 2019 Met Gala look was extra special for her. The "On the Floor" singer dazzled at the annual fashion fundraiser in a stunning Versace hand-beaded gown with degradé Swarovski crystals, opal and macro-paillettes, complete with a matching head piece. The exquisite creation took about 50 working days to complete, some of those included having the late designer and tailor Luigi Massi making the gown. On Tuesday, a day after the fashion affair, Lopez shared a behind-the-scenes video on her YouTube channel dedicated to the great Massi, who died in April. During her fitting for her Met Ball look she gets visibly emotional remembering the Versace icon. "We're saddened this year and cried during our first fitting, putting on this gown," Lopez says to her team. "Knowing Luigi was making this gown when he passed away. It's difficult, but at the same time it's also a celebration of his work." The video continues by showing her day-of, wearing a glamorous multi-colored pastel robe with pink feathers as she gets her hair and makeup done. Her boyfriend, Alex Rodriguez, also makes an appearance, asking her about her matching beaded headpiece. "Good job everybody. It only took seven hours," Lopez says after she is fully dressed, before she is seen with a tissue, once again tearing up thinking Massi's incredible creation. Lopez and Rodriguez were a glamorous pair as they posed for the cameras on the Metropolitan Museum of Arts' steps. The former New York Yankee looked dapper in a lilac-colored suit jacket and bow tie. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue Theo Wargo/WireImage See more incredible highlights from the Met Gala in the video below. GET THE ET NEWSLETTER Email By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy RELATED CONTENT: 6 Makeup and Skincare Products Jennifer Lopez Uses to Achieve Her Ageless Glow Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez Pose With Kim Kardashian and Kanye West for Ultimate Power Couple Selfie Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez Redefine Couple Goals at 2019 Met Gala Met Gala 2019: Highlights From the Pink Carpet This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors. If you are using ad-blocking software, please disable it and reload the page. Related Gallery<doc-sep>The singer's outfit sparkles just as much as her 16-carat engagement ring! The 2019 Met Gala marks Lopez’s eleventh (!) time at the star-studded ball — and her third time with Rodriguez at her side. It’s also marks two months since their romantic Bahamas engagement that broke the Internet. Get push notifications with news, features and more. And the couple celebrated in style. Lopez shined bright like a thousand diamonds in her silver fringe beaded Versace dress featuring a sky-high slit and plunging neckline. She teamed the look with a matching fringe headpiece. And the sparkle didn’t end there. She piled on the Harry Winston jewels, including a purple sapphire-and-diamond necklace, weighing in at 129.48 carats and set in platinum. It features a 65.32-carat cushion-cut purple sapphire set in a cluster of round brilliant, pear- and marquise-shaped diamonds. She added vintage 1972 diamond chandelier earrings, plus a number of bracelets and handful of rings from the jeweler. Jennifer Lopez Credit: Neilson Barnard/Getty The 2019 Met Gala Celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion - Arrivals Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty For his part, Rodriguez wore a lilac colored tuxedo jacket to play up the iridescent quality of his fiancée’s dress. And he also added some bling, via his Harry Winston Ocean Biretrograde white gold timepiece and zalium-and-diamond shirt studs. Rodriguez has proven to be very comfortable on the red carpet and is happy to play the role of Instagram boyfriend, which Lopez is a fan of! Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez Credit: Dia Dipasupil/FilmMagic “He is the funniest. I think people don’t know that about him because they always thought he was so serious when he was a player. But they’re starting to learn that now because of Instagram. He’s like the dad with the camera,” she said during an interview with the Today show on Monday. “I mean, he’s just, like, taking pictures of everything, videos of everything and posting it before we approve! Even the kids, they’re like, ‘Dad! Dad! Stop! Please. You’re killing us right now.’ “ And in a recent interview with PEOPLE, Lopez echoed a similar sentiment. “He loves taking pictures and documenting the moment,” she shared. Be sure to check out all of PEOPLE’s Met Gala coverage to get the latest news on fashion’s biggest night. As for getting dressed up with his fiancée, Rodriguez said he’s learned a lot from the style icon. “Jennifer has taught me that it’s less about what you wear and more about the fit,” Rodriguez shared. The former Major League Baseball player spent “several months” choosing the jaw-dropping diamond, a source told PEOPLE, landing on a 16 carat emerald-cut flawless diamond ring worth over $1.75 million. Take a look back at all of the couple’s stylish (and PDA-filled!) Met Gala moments below. Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala Credit: Jackson Lee/Getty Lopez turned to her close friend, Balmain designer Olivier Rousteing, to design her dress. She wore a black Balmain gown featuring blue, gold and red gem embellishments in the shape of a cross, which paid homage to the night’s theme, on the bodice. The design included a large cutout cross detail across her chest, a feather-covered skirt and a thigh-high slit. She paired the look with black platform sandals and a blunt bob hairstyle. Rodriguez coordinated with his date in a sleek, all black tuxedo. "Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between" Costume Institute Gala - Arrivals Credit: Neilson Barnard/Getty As far as Met Gala couple debuts go, JLo and A-Rod’s was a home run. Lopez shared a selfie alongside her Rodriguez on Instagram as they made their way to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual gala. “Me and my macho bello… #metball2017 #Valentino,” she wrote. They even coordinated their outfits in shades of blue. Lopez wore a pastel blue Valentino cape gown with dazzling Harry Winston diamond earrings and a Judith Leiber Couture clutch.<doc-sep>

Jennifer Lopez has arrived at the 2019 Met Gala and she looks AMAZING. The singer rocked a plunging silver mini dress with a matching headpiece. Leave it to Jennifer Lopez to absolutely slay the 2019 Met Gala red carpet. The singer, 49, showed up at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York on May 6 looking fierce in a plunging silver sequin mini dress by Versace. She paired the tiny skin-baring frock with a matching headpiece that made it look like her head was dripping in diamonds. As if that wasn’t enough, she threw on a diamond necklace with a large purple gem, matching the pretty lilac color to her eye makeup. The theme for this year’s event is “Camp: Notes on Fashion” and we have to say we think JLo absolutely nailed it. Like the past two years, she attended the event with her fiancé Alex Rodriguez who looked like he couldn’t have been happier to be by the “Waiting For Tonight” hitmaker’s side. He knew to match his fiancée for celebrity prom because he rocked a lavender suit that paired perfectly with Jennifer’s makeup. We aren’t totally surprised that JLo killed it at the Met Ball this time around since she’s been consistently slaying at the annual event for years. In 2018, she was one of the best dressed celebrities on the carpet. In case you forgot, the Second Act star paid tribute to the theme of “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” by showcasing her own ~heavenly body~ in a black, blue and gold Balmain gown. The dress appeared to emulate a stained glass pattern and featured a giant cross on the bodice as well as a sexy thigh-high slit in the fringe skirt. She accessorized with gold and diamond earrings and a black clutch and finished off the ensemble with black stilettos. But Jennifer isn’t the only celebrity who impressed us with her Met Gala look. Head up to the gallery above to see more of the best dressed attendees.

The game developer behind the acclaimed "Witcher" series has been working on its next major video game, "Cyberpunk 2077," for years. "Cyberpunk 2077" is a first-person action game set in a sprawling futuristic city. The cast is star-studded, with Keanu Reeves playing one of the game's main characters. It's scheduled to launch on November 19 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Notably, the game won't be available on the new Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5 consoles when it debuts. The publisher has said a next-gen version would instead be released sometime in 2021, though the game would still be playable on both new consoles because of backwards compatibility. We've broken down trailers and news around "Cyberpunk 2077" to give you an idea of what to expect from one of the world's most anticipated games. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The development studio behind the acclaimed "Witcher" series announced "Cyberpunk 2077" all the way back in 2012. In the years since, it's become one of the most hyped and highly anticipated games. At Microsoft's E3 press conference in June 2018, fans finally got a first look at the new game. Then, one year later at another Microsoft E3 press conference, Keanu Reeves showed up to announce that he would play a character in the game — and, more important, that "Cyberpunk 2077" would finally come out in April 2020. April 2020 came and went. Two delays later, and we're now just weeks from the launch of "Cyberpunk 2077" on November 19. Here's what one of this year's most anticipated games is all about, based on game trailers:<doc-sep>Cyberpunk 2077, the latest effort from CD Projekt Red, has been a long time in the making. The very first teaser trailer showed up way back in 2013. But the franchise itself goes back even further, to the 1980s, with a pen-and-paper RPG from the ambitious team at R. Talsorian Games. Here’s what you need to know about the Cyberpunk universe, alongside everything confirmed about the next epic RPG from the skilled team behind The Witcher series. Welcome to Night City Cyberpunk 2077 is set in the free state of Northern California. Specifically, the action takes place in Night City, a coastal metropolis lodged smack dab between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Night City is a fictional place, but it has a rich history all its own. It was the setting for Cyberpunk: The Roleplaying Game of the Dark Future, the franchise’s original tabletop RPG product first published in 1988. A second edition was released in 1990, titled Cyberpunk 2020, along with a detailed sourcebook called Night City. Today, it’s also the setting for Cyberpunk Red, the official tabletop prequel to CD Projekt’s video game set some 30 years before the events of Cyberpunk 2077. Everything that happened in those games is canon, so far as we’ve been told, so if you’d like to head straight to the source you can visit R. Talsorian Games and start downloading PDFs right now. The most recent, and likely the most relevant, bits of lore come from the World Book included with the Cyberpunk Red Jumpstart Kit, released in August 2019. It tells the story of a world rocked by waves of revolutionary new technologies, nations hollowed out by generations of intractable corporate greed, and a populace utterly chained to cybernetics, drugs, and violence. According to its timeline, by the year 2045 the entire West Coast of the United States has more or less become unmoored from the traditional democratic union we live in today. While what’s left of the federal government still maintains control over portions of the East Coast, the interior of the country is more or less a wasteland. That means the residents of Night City are on their own. The city itself could have easily fallen many times over, but the biggest danger came in the 2020s when a tactical nuclear device went off under mysterious circumstances. The air bursting munition took the tops of some buildings, while a colossal shockwave leveled others. But not even that could stop its vibrant people from bouncing back. By 2077, Night City is once again a thriving place, according to CD Projekt. Who is in control? The video game’s playable world — according to the developers, a place geographically smaller than The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, but with more narrative and gameplay density — is to be divided into six districts. The City Center is your standard metropolitan commercial sector, complete with massive skyscrapers. Expect a thin veneer of aristocratic dwellings on top of deep subterranean dungeons, leftover vaults filled with ruins locked off by the nearly fatal nuclear blast. Moving outward, the Watson district is the discarded shell of a once prosperous mega-corporation. Now populated by immigrants, it’s a mix of Asian cultures filled with bazaars and markets. Westbrook includes a touristy Japantown, as well as the city’s wealthiest citizens. Heywood is another wealthy district, predominantly Latino but with a budding gang problem. Pacifica serves as the city slums, which are abandoned and overrun by gangs. That region featured prominently in the demo showed at E3 2019 and, later, at Gamescom in Germany. Finally, there’s the industrial sector of Santo Domingo. According to R. Talsorian Games, one of Night City’s last remaining municipal services is the Night City Police Department. You’ll remember their grim enforcer from the Max-Tac “Psycho Squad,” led by the ruthless Commissioner J. Hammerman, seen in that first trailer from 2013. That faction also plays a significant role in world of Cyberpunk Red. But, aside from that brief teaser posted nearly a decade ago, we haven’t seen all that much from the NCPD in 2077. Meanwhile, CD Projekt Red has pushed several other powerful factions to the fore. Militec The E3 2018 demo introduced Militec, the largest purveyor of military hardware in the private sector. Their sharply-dressed representatives are clad in three-piece suits wrapped in fashionable body armor. Escorted by heavily-armed body guards and backed up by an even more heavily-armed airborne quick response team, the faction will be a source of intelligence and monetary support throughout the game. Maelstrom On the other end of the spectrum is the Maelstrom “Psycho Gang,” an underground group of criminals that trade in drugs and other forms of contraband. Members of the Maelstrom believe heavily in body modification. Some have the top halves of their faces removed entirely, replaced with an articulated camera. Part eyeball, part eyebrow, the camera moves to follow objects and react to the flow of conversation. Animals First revealed during a private screening for the press at E3 2019, the Animals are a nomadic group rarely found in any major concentrations around the city. They’re a faction of muscular bodybuilders who modify themselves with illegal drugs rather than cybernetic augmentations. CD Projekt says you’ll likely see them as hired help, holding key positions outside secure facilities and exotic clubs around Night City. Netwatch In the lore of the Cyberpunk world the internet as we know it no longer exists. Smaller networks and databases are still commonplace, but they’re all isolated from one another. Since the 2020s the majority of the network infrastructure in the world has become so polluted with exotic AI and viruses that it simply can’t be saved. Now the Netwatch spends its time trying to keep the horrible things inside from getting out. In the flesh, Netwatch agents come across as buttoned-up office drones who got lost on their way to a cubicle farm. Voodoo Boys A large number of Haitian immigrants were originally brought to Night City by mega-corporations to construct the Pacifica district as a cheap labor force. Environmental disasters have wiped their native island off the map, while corporate disasters have turned Pacifica into a war zone. As a result, their descendants have had to fight to keep their foothold in Night City. The community leaders in Pacifica are known as the Voodoo Boys. That’s a name that dates back all the way to Cyberpunk 2020 in the 1980s, where the team at R. Talsorian Games envisioned them as “a terrorist gang with ritual magic overtones,” mostly comprised of white people with a Caribbean-inspired affect. Years later, CD Projekt has recast the Voodoo Boys as spiritualists whose unique form of worship involves hacking and trips through cyberspace. They have a passion for black leather and powerful computers. Trauma Team For those who can afford medical coverage in 2077, medical aid arrives in the form of the Trauma Team. This heavily-armed group of first responders will arrive at a moment’s notice to pull their client’s fat out of the fire. At E3 in 2018, they were shown arriving by air to the top floors of a posh apartment complex, asking victims of violence to throw their weapons and their insurance cards onto the group. CD Projekt has said players will eventually be able to take on missions with that faction. Who is the main character? In Cyberpunk 2077, players will take on the role of a character nicknamed V. It’s not a stock avatar as in the Witcher games. Instead, players will have the ability to customize their appearance. They won’t be asked to choose a gender. Instead they’ll be able to pick and choose from body types, voices, and other physical features. Developers haven’t shown the final system in motion, but in interviews with Polygon and other outlets they maintain that it is their intention to allow players to create their own unique expressions of the human form. Then, they’ll present them with a myriad different ways to alter it via cybernetic enhancements. Expect issues like transhumanism — the belief that humanity can transcend its current mental and physical form with the help of technology — to be a throughline for the entire game.<doc-sep>If you’ve been wondering exactly why CD Projekt Red hasn’t released the E3 demo of Cyberpunk 2077 to the public, we might just have the answer. While there’s no doubt that the Cyberpunk 2077 demo shown was impressive, CD Projekt Red just doesn’t think the quality is there yet. That’s because the game is still in pre-alpha. When asked by Bankier if the game was still in alpha, CD Projekt president Adam Kiciński said, “No, earlier. Therefore, we show the game behind closed doors – this is not the final quality yet. “This is the most polished part of the game we have now, prepared in some sense to show it to people outside the company.” During E3 2018, Cyberpunk 2020 creator Mike Pondsmith said during an interview with YouTuber YongYea, “I’ve waited 30 years to get this, it was worth it. You guys can wait a few more years.” Here’s the clip: Watch on YouTube That means the release date for Cyberpunk 2077 is likely still a long way off. I wouldn’t expect it any sooner than late 2020, but at least that’s a while before we find out if we’re all rocking cybernetic implants in 2077. If you want to get to know the world of Cyberpunk 2020 before Cyberpunk 2077 releases, read our primer at that link, written by a pen and paper RPG expert.<doc-sep>

CD Projekt finally showed off what it's been getting up to with Cyberpunk 2077 at E3 earlier this month. The demo was behind closed doors so we, the people without appointments, didn't get to see it for ourselves (you can listen, though) but by all reports it was good. Really good. All of which might lead you to think that the full release of the game isn't too far off. Maybe it is—anything is possible—but it doesn't sound like that's the case. Following a similar presentation this week in Warsaw, according to a Bankier.pl report (Google translated), CEO Adam Kiciński described the demo as being "earlier" than alpha and "not the final quality yet," which is why it's not yet being shown to the public. "This is the most polished part of the game we have now, prepared in some sense to show it to people outside the company," CD Projekt chief financial officer Piotr Nielubowicz said. When the studio does reveal the game to the public, you can expect it to go all-out: The marketing budget for Cyberpunk 2077 will be "much larger" than what was spent on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt—which got a pretty big push, I think it's fair to say. Nielubowicz added that CD Projekt has been "holding cash," which I take to mean that it's building up cash reserves, in part to support a big marketing budget. Kiciński's description of the game's current state isn't particularly well defined. Maybe it's content complete and in the early stages of polish, maybe there's still a big pile of side quests and dialog to be added, maybe work on the main storyline was put on hold so they could polish the hell out of this E3 presentation, or maybe it's something else entirely. Whatever its actual status, the statement does broadly imply that there's still a long way to go before it's ready for rollout. At least one analyst predicted that the game may be out in the second half of 2019 or first half of 2020, but given the likelihood of unexpected delays and CD Projekt's well-earned reputation for taking its time, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see it take even longer. And as VG247 noticed, original Cyberpunk creator Mike Pond told YouTuber YongYea at E3, "I waited 30 years to get this. It was worth it. You guys can wait a few more years."

Bob Levey/Getty Images Clemson owns a six-game winning streak in the rivalry with North Carolina State, but it's been the Wolfpack making the cash, going 6-2 against the spread over the last eight meetings, keeping games close as underdogs. North Carolina State is a considerable underdog again for the latest edition of the Textile Bowl on Saturday afternoon at Death Valley. College football point spread: The Tigers opened as 17-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report) College football betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 44.0-25.4 Tigers (College football picks on every game) Check out the OddsShark podcast on iTunes or Spotify or at OddsShark.libsyn.com for more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week’s top sports betting news. Why the NC State Wolfpack can cover the spread The Wolfpack reached 5-0 for the season and 2-0 in ACC play with a 28-23 victory over Boston College two weeks ago. They then enjoyed last week off. Videos you might like North Carolina State drove its opening possession of the game 70 yards to a touchdown, led 21-3 by halftime and scored the first seven points of the second half to take control. Unfortunately for their financial backers, the Wolfpack allowed the Eagles to score the last 20 points of the game, the last seven on a blocked punt with just under four minutes to go and blew the cover as six-point favorites. On the day, North Carolina State out-gained Boston College 533-318, and most of the yardage the Wolfpack defense gave up came while protecting that big lead. North Carolina State also out-rushed the Eagles 225-120, held a huge 34-12 advantage in first downs and dominated time of possession by a 42/18 tilt. But four turnovers, a blocked field goal and that blocked punt basically cost the Wolfpack 26 points and the money. North Carolina State has now out-gained each of its five opponents this season, and out-rushed its last four foes. Why the Clemson Tigers can cover the spread The Tigers reached 6-0 on the season and 3-0 in ACC play with a 63-3 romp over Wake Forest two weeks ago. They then also had last week off. Clemson broke the ice against the Demon Deacons with a touchdown nine minutes in, led 28-0 at the half and just kept going, on its way toward the easy cover as 20-point favorites. For the day the Tigers out-gained Wake Forest 698-249, racked up 471 yards rushing and scored six touchdowns of 50 yards or more. Meanwhile, the defense held the Deacons out of the end zone all day. Clemson has now out-gained its first three ACC opponents by almost 300 yards per game and out-rushed them by 210 yards per game. Smart betting pick As mentioned above the Tigers have beaten the Wolfpack six times in a row, but the last two meetings were both decided by just seven points, one of them in overtime. Last year Clemson won 38-31 but North Carolina State covered as a 10-point dog. And this game could play out very much the same. The Tigers should still win but smart money takes the points. College football betting trends North Carolina State is 6-2 ATS in its last eight games vs Clemson. Clemson is 11-0 SU in its last 11 games at home. The total has gone under in Clemson's last five games at home vs teams with winning records. All college football odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report's official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.<doc-sep>WINSTON SALEM, NC - OCTOBER 06: Travis Etienne #9 of the Clemson Tigers reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during their game at BB&T Field on October 6, 2018 in Winston Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) Clemson football will host the NC State Wolfpack this Saturday. Here are ticket prices and information for the match up inside of Death Valley. The Clemson football team will be back in action Saturday afternoon in Death Valley when they take on the NC State Wolfpack. The game has pretty much become the ACC Atlantic Division championship game because the winner of this one will be in prime position to win the division and would have to lose two games to give the division away. The match up is officially a sell-out, but there are tickets available on Stubhub, which is associated with Clemson Athletics. Clemson Football Ticket Information: If you are looking to head to the game this Saturday and don’t currently have tickets, you’re going to pay a pretty penny to get inside the gates. Currently, the cheapest ticket available through Stubhub is $117.76 in the corner of the upper deck. If you choose to stay in the upper deck, but want to move over toward the middle of the field, your prices will range between $120 and $184 depending on which side you choose and how close to the 50-yard line you want to get. If you choose to upgrade to the lower deck, the cheapest ticket you’re going to find is $156.40 in section US. Moving down toward the 50-yard line, your prices will extend anywhere up to $439.76 the closer to the field and to the 50-yard line you get. You could also get a ticket in the West End Zone for a little less than $200, but those also range upwards depending on your seat. If you are going to the game, I would suggest getting there early. The game starts at 3:30 p.m., but if you wait until later, you won’t get a parking spot and you’ll miss out on tailgating. The good thing with a 3:30 game, though, is the fact that traffic arrives at different times instead of all at the same time- or the same couple of times- for a noon game.<doc-sep>Vegas odds on Clemson-NC State Tony Crumpton by Assoc. Editor - An ACC showdown between Clemson and North Carolina State will feature two undefeated teams on Saturday. However, despite the Wolfpack having a perfect 5-0 record, No. 3 Clemson opened up as an 18.5 point home favorite according to Vegas for the upcoming game inside Memorial Stadium. Some Vegas spreads currently have Clemson as high as a 20-point home favorite or as low as 17-points against No. 15 North Carolina State. Both teams are coming off a bye week and there are only five undefeated teams left from Power 5 conferences after a wild week of upsets on Saturday. Other college football spreads for next week's games include: Michigan -7.5 vs. Michigan State Ohio State -13.5 vs. Purdue Auburn -3.5 vs. Mississippi LSU -7 vs. Mississippi State Stanford -3 vs. Arizona State Oklahoma -9 vs. TCU Oregon -1 vs. Washington State Utah -6 vs. USC “NC State opens up as the 20 point underdog against Clemson” pic.twitter.com/jkOKwAOkkH — WolfpackNation (@NCSUFans) October 14, 2018<doc-sep>

ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 22: TaQuon Marshall #16 of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets carries the ball against Clelin Ferrell #99 of the Clemson Tigers on September 22, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) Clemson Football: Could the Tigers’ remaining home games be at noon? Clemson Football: Could the Tigers’ remaining home games be at noon? by Shawn Spencer Clemson football defensive end Clelin Ferrell wanted a night game in Death Valley. The best chance for that to happen didn’t come to fruition. Clelin Ferrell expressed the thoughts of many Clemson football fans when he spoke to the media Monday about the Tigers’ match up against NC State. The senior defensive end for Clemson football said he was hoping the game against the Wolfpack would be at night. He went on to say that “it’s about time for a night game in the Valley,” according to The State’s Matt Connolly. Clelin Ferrell “I was hoping they were going to make this a night game. I think it’s time for a night game in the Valley but they didn’t do that.” — Matt Connolly (@MattatTheState) October 15, 2018 The last chance… Sadly enough, this may have been the last chance for Clemson football seniors to experience a night game in Death Valley. The Tigers have but three remaining home games following the NC State match up: vs. Louisville, vs. Duke and vs. South Carolina. Unfortunately, none of those opponents are looking like night-worthy match ups, at least right now. Maybe South Carolina turns things around and wins a couple of games down the stretch. That very well may be Clemson’s only chance to get a night game at home this season. Guys like Clelin Ferrell, Christian Wilkins, Austin Bryant, Mitch Hyatt, Justin Falcinelli, Kendall Joseph and others deserve to experience a night atmosphere at home one more time, but I’m not convinced that they’re going to get that luxury. The remaining opponents just aren’t good enough and the best chance for a night game was, without a doubt, this one against an NC State team that is ranked inside the top-20 with both teams coming into the game undefeated. Instead, ESPN elected to put Ohio State vs. Purdue in the prime time slot. Yes, that Purdue team that is currently 3-3. It’s ridiculous and absolutely a poor choice by the four-letter network. To me, it’s part of their “give Ohio State the exposure it needs to make the College Football Playoff at all costs” narrative. But, hey, maybe I’m wrong.

Salman Khan replaced Saif Ali Khan in the third instalment of Race franchise, and all the while fans kept wondering what would the film be like. The result was way more disappointing than expected. Even Salman Khan fans were shattered after watching the film. So much so, that they even demanded refund for the tickets and started an online petition saying “We don’t want Dabangg 3”. Twitter But is that affecting Salman Khan and his stardom? Certainly not! Not only the grapevine suggests that Dabangg 3 is happening for sure, but rumours are also abuzz that before Dabangg 3, Salman will shoot for Dhoom 4. Reports suggest that Aditya Chopra has finalised Salman Khan and Ranveer Singh for Dhoom 4 and he will make the announcement soon. “While Salman and Aditya have been discussing Dhoom 4 for over a year, the deal was finally locked last week post the release of Race 3. Adi plans to release Dhoom 4 in 2020. Victor [Vijay Krishna Acharya], who is busy with Thugs Of Hindostan, will direct the movie. Buzz is that Ranveer Singh will also star in the film,” a source told Mid-day. Twitter We are, for sure, excited to see Ranveer Singh in the Dhoom franchise. Each film of the franchise has always starred a new superstar (John Abraham, Aamir Khan and Hrithik Roshan. This time, makers have apparently chosen Salman Khan. Going by his record of killing the Race franchise, we wonder how Dhoom 4 with Salman Khan will turn out to be. Who do you think should be cast in Dhoom 4? Tell us in the comments section below.<doc-sep>Salman Khan in YRF's Tiger Zinda Hai. (Image courtesy: Instagram) Highlights Salman has reportedly made up his mind about YRF's Dhoom 4 Aditya Chopra apparently wants to announce after the paperwork is done No word on Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra reprising their roles After Aamir Khan, actor Salman Khan is reportedly all set to join Yash Raj Film's hit Dhoom franchise, reports mid-day. A trade source was quoted as saying that the film is slated for 2020 release and it will go on floors after director Vijay Krishna Acharya is done with Thugs Of Hindostan, which features Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif and Fatima Sana Shaikh. The mid-day report also stated that YRF has denied any development on the project but the source insisted: "Adi (YRF boss Aditya Chopra) plans to make the announcement once the paperwork is done." As per the trade source, a major portion of the film will be shot in Dubai. Revealing more details about the filming pan, the source said that the shooting will be spread over 130 days. "While Salman and Aditya have been discussing Dhoom 4 for over a year, the deal was finally locked last week post the release of Race 3. Adi plans to release Dhoom 4 in 2020. Victor (Vijay Krishna Acharya), who is busy with Thugs Of Hindostan, will direct the movie. Buzz is that Ranveer Singh will also star in the film," a trade source told mid-day. Speaking to mid-day, the source revealed a bit about the type of character Salman Khan may play in Dhoom 4. "A reference poster has also been made. Salman Khan's character is likely to have long hair and a scar on his face. He won't play a negative character. His part will be like Aamir Khan and Hrithik Roshan's characters in the previous instalments," he told mid-day. Salman Khan has featured in several successful YRF projects such asandThere's no word on Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra (series' regulars) reprising their roles.<doc-sep>Race 3 has made over Rs 200 crore in India within two weeks of its release. To further attract the audience and create a buzz, actor Salman Khan is reportedly negotiating a deal to star in Dhoom 4. According to the recent Mid-Day report, YRF head Aditya Chopra and Salman closed the deal towards the start of this week following the box office success of the star’s latest film, Race 3. As Salman Khan will be a new addition to the Dhoom family, he would be starring alongside actors Hrithik Roshan and Aamir Khan from previous sequels. As per a recent report, the film will be partially shot in Dubai by director Vijay Krishna Acharya, who is currently busy with the post-production of his upcoming Thugs of Hindostan. Adi plans to release Dhoom 4 in 2020. The report also added that Ranveer Singh might also star in the film. But all news regarding Dhoom 4 was reported as rumours by YRF. A spokesperson was reported saying that work the on Dhoom 4 hasn’t started yet and there is no truth to these rumours. However, a trade source told Mid-Day that they denied the news only because the paperwork wasn’t finalized.<doc-sep>An insider also stated that Katrina Kaif has been approached to play the female lead in Dhoom 4. An insider also stated that Katrina Kaif has been approached to play the female lead in Dhoom 4. A few reports today suggested that after Race 3’s success at the box office, Salman Khan is set to star in yet another hit franchise. It seems Aditya Chopra’s much-anticipated film Dhoom 4 will feature Salman in the lead. According to reports, the makers have been discussing the project with the star for quite some time now. However, it was finalised only after Race 3’s release. Dhoom 4 will, reportedly, be helmed by Vijay Krishna Acharya, who has helmed the previous Dhoom films and is currently busy shooting Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan starrer Thugs Of Hindostan. There is also speculation that Ranveer Singh will also come on board the project. Also read | Da-Bangg Reloaded: Salman Khan, Prabhudheva, Katrina Kaif rock the stage at Chicago An insider also stated that Katrina Kaif has been approached to play the female lead in Dhoom 4. If Katrina and Salman come together in the fourth installment of Dhoom, it will be their sixth film together. Also read | These photos of Zero actor Katrina Kaif at an ad shoot will bowl you over Let’s wait and watch when the makers will finally announce the cast of Dhoom 4.<doc-sep>

Yash Raj Films have denied approaching Salman Khan for a starring role in their blockbuster action franchise, Dhoom. A Thursday report said that the studio is aiming for a 2020 release date for the fourth installment of the series, which was released in 2013. According to the Mid-Day report, YRF boss Aditya Chopra and Salman closed the deal earlier this week following the box office success of the star’s latest film, Race 3. Salman was a new addition to the franchise, and if he actually ends up starring in Dhoom 4, it will be in a role along the lines of Hrithik Roshan and Aamir Khan’s from the series’ previous installments. Salman will not be playing an antagonist, the report says, but will sport a scar and long hair. The film will be partially shot in Dubai by returning director Vijay Krishna Acharya, who is currently fine-tuning Thugs of Hindostan. “While Salman and Aditya have been discussing Dhoom 4 for over a year, the deal was finally locked last week post the release of Race 3. Adi plans to release Dhoom 4 in 2020,” the source told Mid-Day. The report also added that ‘Ranveer Singh might star in the film’. YRF, however have denied the rumours. “Work on Dhoom 4 hasn’t started yet. There is no truth to these rumours,” a spokesperson told Mid-Day. A trade source tells them that the denial comes only because the paperwork hasn’t been finalised. Race 3 has made over Rs 160 crore in India, according to Box Office India. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10

An Army Major, arrested for allegedly killing another officer’s wife, was on Monday sent to four-day police custody by a Delhi court. Metropolitan Magistrate Manisha Tripathy granted custody of Major Nikhil Handa to the police after it said he has to be taken to Meerut in Uttar Pradesh to make certain recoveries including his clothes and weapon used to commit the crime. Handa was arrested from Meerut on Sunday for his alleged involvement in the killing of another Major’s wife in west Delhi on Saturday. The woman’s body was found with her throat slit near Brar Square in the Delhi Cantonment area. Initially, the police was informed that a woman had died in an accident. Later, when they inspected the body, it was found that her throat was slit, the police had said. The accused had allegedly run a car over her face and the body in order to make the incident appear as an accident, the police has alleged. The woman was dropped at the Army Base Hospital in her husband’s official vehicle by a driver.<doc-sep>A Delhi court granted custody of Major Nikhil Handa to the police after it said he has to be taken to Meerut in Uttar Pradesh to make certain recoveries, including his clothes and weapon, used to commit the crime. (Photo: Twitter/ANI) New Delhi: An Army Major, arrested for allegedly killing another officer's wife, was on Monday sent to four-day police custody by a Delhi court. Metropolitan Magistrate Manisha Tripathy granted custody of Major Nikhil Handa to the police after it said he has to be taken to Meerut in Uttar Pradesh to make certain recoveries, including his clothes and weapon, used to commit the crime. Handa was arrested on Sunday from Meerut for his alleged involvement in the killing of another Major's wife in west Delhi on Saturday. He murdered the woman as he was 'obsessed' with her and wanted to marry her. Read: Army Major 'obsessed' with officer's wife, killed her for rejecting him The woman's body was found with her throat slit near the Brar Square in the Delhi Cantonment area. Initially, the police was informed that a woman had died in an accident. Later, when they inspected the body, it was found that her throat was slit, the police had said. Also Read: Army Major's wife found dead with throat slit in Delhi's Brar Square The accused had allegedly run a car over her face and the body in order to make the incident appear as an accident, the police alleged.<doc-sep>The Delhi police have arrested accused Major Nikhil Handa in the murder case of Army Major's wife Shailaja, who was found dead on Saturday, with her throat slit. A team of Delhi police was dispatched after suspect's Honda City car was spotted in Meerut. The accused was soon arrested and brought to Delhi. According to the police, Shailaja was last seen with an unidentified man in a private car. He ran her over to disguise the murder as an accident, the police said. The cops have also found some evidence in Shailaja's phone, which point out to some kind of estrangement between her and the murderer. Major Nikhil Handa is accused in the murder case of Army Major's wife Shailaja. Photo: Puneet Kumar Sharma Indian Army Major Amit Dwivedi's wife was found dead on Saturday afternoon with her throat slit and body run over by the killer's vehicle on Brar Square, close to Delhi Cantonment metro station. The deceased had left home in the morning for a physiotherapy session at the Army's base hospital in Delhi Cantonment. Shailaja Dwivedi and her husband Amit Dwivedi tied the knot in 2009 and have a six-year-old son together. An official vehicle assigned to the Army Major dropped her to the hospital. However, when the vehicle went to pick her up, the driver was told that major's wife didn't come for physiotherapy. At around 1:30 in the noon, her dead body was found near Delhi Cantonment metro station. Passersby informed the police about an unidentified woman's body lying on the road. After the police reached the crime scene, they found that the 30-year-old woman's throat was slit by a sharp-edged weapon. The Army Major is posted in Dimapur, Nagaland. The two tied the knot in 2009 and have a six-year-old son together. ALSO READ: Police identify key suspect in murder case of Army Major's wife<doc-sep>Shailja Dwivedi Shailja Dwivedi: Mrs India Earth finalist and Major Amit Dwivedi's wife who was killed by Major Handa Who was Shailja Dwivedi? Read details Shailja Dwivedi, wife of Indian Army Major Amit Dwivedi, was brutally murdered by another Major, Nikhil Handa, on June 23. Before the mystery could deepen, Delhi Police zeroed in on the accused within a short time span of just 24 hours and arrested Major Handa in the case. According to police, Shailja Dwivedi who was married for the last nine years to Amit Dwivedi, was also having an affair with Major Nikhil Handa since 2015. Police also revealed that Handa was "obsessed" with Shailja and was pressurising her to marry him but she declined to do so. It was in that angst that Major Handa and Shailja entered into an argument, which turned aggressive and led to the killing of Major Dwivedi's wife. 1. Married to Indian Army Major Amit Dwivedi for the last nine years, Shailja was a "Double Masters with first division" 2. Not many know that Shailja Dwivedi was a finalist of the Mrs India Earth pageant in its 2017 edition. 3. Shailja was originally from Amritsar. She had been a lecturer at Guru Nanak Dev University for five years. 4. Shailja Dwivedi has also worked with an NGO called “Catch and Care”. 5. Shailja Dwivedi had done MTech in Urban Planning and MA in Geography after a Bachelors in Travel and Tourism Management. 6. Shailja Dwivedi tied the know with Indian Army Major Amit Dwivedi in December 2009, and the couple have a 6-year-old son. 7. Shailja Dwivedi called herself a “very confident, bubbly, chirpy and happy go lucky girl”. She was a “dreamer” in her own words. 8. In an interview, Shailja had said that she married the love of her life. For her, a family was complete “when you have a loving spouse, a naughty child and a bond between them which has threads of love, respect and feelings for each other”. 9. Shailja Dwivedi, who participated in the Mrs India Earth 2017 pageant, had said that she always wanted to represented India at any forum. 10. Shailja met with an uncertain end on June 23 this year when Army Major Handa ran a car over her. Her body was found near Brar Square in the Delhi Cantonment area around 1.30 pm on Saturday. Latest India News<doc-sep>

NEW DELHI: A 40-year-old Army Major was arrested from Uttar Pradesh's Meerut on Friday for allegedly killing a fellow officer's wife he was "obsessed" with, in west Delhi, a senior police officer said.The woman's body was found with her throat slit near the Brar Square in the Delhi Cantonment area on Saturday.Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Vijay Kumar said the accused, Major Nikhil Handa, was "obsessed" with the victim and wanted to marry her.Another police officer claimed that the woman and the accused had an affair.Major Handa, who is married with two kids, knew the women and her husband, also a Major in the Army, since 2015 when they both were posted in Nagaland, the DCP said.The woman's husband spotted Major Handa in the CCTV footage of the hospital, where his wife had gone for a physiotherapy session and went missing from there, and told the police that he suspected him.The police then started looking for Handa and found that he was in touch with a couple of friends and was hiding at the Officers' Mess in Meerut Cantonment.A Delhi Police team reached Meerut and nabbed Major Handa when he was trying to escape from there in his silver-coloured car, officials said.Major Handa was arrested by the team. After the arrest, they informed their counterparts in Meerut.The accused had come to Delhi from Dimapur around a fortnight ago on the pretext of treatment.On Saturday, he met the woman and they had an argument while they were sitting in his car and he allegedly slit her throat and threw her out of the vehicle, the police officers said.The woman held on to the car after being thrown out but the accused ran over her and fled from the spot, they added.Two knives were found in his car, which indicates that he might have planned it in advance, police said.Initially, the police was informed that a woman had died in an accident. Later, when they inspected the body, it was found that her throat was slit, they said.The accused had allegedly run his car over her face and the body in order to make the incident appear as an accident, police said.Earlier, the woman was dropped at the Army Base Hospital in her husband's official vehicle by a driver yesterday.Later, when the driver came back to pick her up, he could not find her and learnt that she did not attend her scheduled physiotherapy session.

The FBI has recovered a pair of ruby red slippers worn by Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz" after the shoes were stolen in a 2005 burglary, the agency announced Tuesday. The slippers, known as the "traveling pair," which had been seen by thousands of fans across the country, were stolen in a 2005 heist of the the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minn., and recovered in a July sting operation, according to a statement from the FBI. ADVERTISEMENT Their authenticity was verified by experts at the Smithsonian Museum of American History, who confirmed their status as Garland's original prop used during the filming of the hit 1939 film. FBI special agent Jill Sanborn, the lead investigator on the case, said that the agency had uncovered an extortion attempt targeting the Markel Corporation, which owns the museum, and was seeking the public's help to identify the original thieves. “Dorothy’s slippers are a treasured piece of Americana, and we are hoping members of the public can help us better fill in the details that will finish the script of this mystery so we can hold accountable all those who were behind the scheme," Sanborn said. Grand Rapids police chief Scott Johnson celebrated the news in his own statement accompanying the press release, riffing off a famous line from the end of Dorothy's adventure in Oz. “We were confident this day would eventually come, and we are grateful to the FBI and all those who worked to bring this piece of cinematic treasure out of the shadows and into the light. After all, ‘There’s no place like home,' " Johnson said.<doc-sep>A pair of the famous ruby slippers from the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz were found 13 years after they were stolen, the FBI said Tuesday. The "traveling pair," as they are called, are one of several pairs still around from the movie. They were taken from Judy Garland's house, which became the Judy Garland Museum in 1975, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, on August 28, 2005. Grand Rapids Police Department Chief Scott Johnson called the slippers "a piece of history that will be forever connected to Grand Rapids and one of our city's most famous children." The museum features memorabilia from the movie in which Garland played Dorothy Gale. She wore the slippers as her character followed the yellow brick road in the land of Oz and found her way home. The Grand Rapids Police Department turned to the FBI after someone told the company that insured the slippers he knew how they could be recovered in 2017. "It became apparent that those involved were, in reality, attempting to extort the owners of the slippers," the FBI Special Agent in charge of the investigation, Christopher Dudley, said. The FBI's Art Crime team, Laboratory and Chicago, Atlanta and Miami participated in the subsequent investigation. The famous shoes were found after an undercover operation in Minneapolis this summer. The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., analyzed the recovered slippers. A conservator and curator determined the shoes were mismatched twins of the pair added to the museum's collection in 1979. "It was common that you would create multiple copies of costumes and props," according to Ryan Lintelman, the curator for the museum's entertainment collection. "Knowing that there are other pairs out there and the enormous interest that there is in this film, we want to be as useful as possible and to try to preserve this history and to let people experience it as much as possible," Lintelman said. "So this recovered pair, it's so exciting to know that they've been brought back into the fold and that they're going to be preserved for future generations." "When the FBI reached out to us to look at the pair that were recovered, we had the knowledge to make those comparisons to determine whether the construction and the materials were consistent with the pair that we have in the museum's collection," Dawn Wallace, a conservator who has been working on the slippers at the Smithsonian, said. "From the outset, our top priority was the safe recovery of the slippers," Dudley said in a statement. "We are still working to ensure that we have identified all parties involved in both the initial theft and the more recent extortion attempt for their return. This is very much an active investigation."<doc-sep>There's no place like home. A pair of Dorothy's ruby slippers stolen from a Minnesota museum 13 years ago were displayed by the FBI on Tuesday after the agency announced it had recovered the sequined shoes during a sting operation over the summer. "Not only were these slippers stolen, but the memories of a lot Americans were stolen back in 2005," Jill Sanborn, special agent in charge of the Minneapolis Division of the FBI, told reporters. "We hope today that we give those memories back." The flashy footwear — which presumably adorned actress Judy Garland's feet when she followed the yellow brick road in the 1939 classic "The Wizard of Oz" — were encased in a glass box during a news conference. Sanborn said the pair is one of four that still exists, including one housed in the Smithsonian where the stolen shoes were brought to be authenticated. Judy Garland as Dorothy wearing her ruby slippers in a scene from "The Wizard of Oz." Silver Screen Collection / Hulton Archive/Getty Images The recently retrieved shoes first vanished in August 2005 after a break-in at the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids in northern Minnesota. An individual approached the museum last year, saying they had information on the slippers' whereabouts and how they could be returned. It was later determined that "those involved were in reality attempting to extort the owners of the slippers," Special Agent Christopher Dudley said in a statement. During an undercover operation that followed a nearly year-long investigation, the shoes were recovered by the FBI, authorities said. Multiple suspects have been identified, although Dudley said agents were working to ensure all of those involved with the initial theft and the extortion attempt have been located. Neither Sanborn nor Dudley named any suspects or said if charges had been filed. "So many people of all ages around the world have seen 'The Wizard of Oz' and in that way have some connection to the slippers," Dudley said. "That's one of the things that makes this case resonate with so many." Michael Shaw, who purchased the shoes for $2,000 in 1970, according to The New York Times, was overjoyed to learn they had been found after more than a decade. "It was really one of the most thrilling moments of my life when they said, 'We've got them,'" Shaw said, holding back tears. The person who ran off with the shoes after Shaw lent them to the museum smashed the window on an emergency exit door before hauling them away, authorities said. The news that the sparkly pair was stolen was crushing. "I felt literally my knees buckle from underneath," Shaw said. "I had had them and took care of them for over 35 years." Rhys Thomas, author of "The Ruby Slippers of Oz," said the shoes are valued in the millions. Thomas said the last pair of shoes to sell at a private action went for $2 million. "The ruby slippers are the holy grail of all Hollywood memorabilia," he added. Shaw said his insurance company now owns the shoes after paying out a sum of $800,000, according to The Times. However, Shaw said he gets first dibs at buying them back.<doc-sep>

The ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz” are finally returning home. Thirteen years after the pair of sparkly shoes was stolen from a Minnesota museum, the FBI announced on Tuesday it had recovered the costume pieces during a summer sting operation. “At the heart of nearly every art crime, we see greed woven into the fabric of the scheme — greed to take it, and greed to profit from its return,” Jill Sanborn, special agent in charge of the Minneapolis Division of the FBI, said in a statement. “Dorothy’s slippers are a treasured piece of Americana, and we are hoping members of the public can help us better fill in the details that will finish the script of this mystery so we can hold accountable all those who were behind the scheme.” The shoes were insured for $1 million and an anonymous donor offered another $1 million for their safe return, but the offer expired after 10 years. After the shoes were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids in 2005, they disappeared completely until an individual offered the museum more information about the heist last year. In the FBI’s statement on Tuesday, it said the theft was an attempt to extort the Markel Corporation, the owner of the slippers. Multiple suspects have been identified, including those involved with the initial theft and the more recent extortion attempt. The pair is one of four in existence. At least two others are owned by private collectors, including a joint ownership by Leonardo DiCaprio and Steven Spielberg for display at the Academy Museum of Motion Picture. Another is housed at the Smithsonian.

Selena Gomez is on a bachelorette party beach vacation with her best friends, and her white L*SPACE bikini is to die for. Sel has been super quiet on social media thanks to 2018 being a year of "self-reflection," so this is definitely a big deal! Selena also threw her BFF a cute bridal shower, so yeah, she's the greatest friend ever. Just in case you were wondering. Selena Gomez's Instagram break is officially over. Despite being super quiet on social media (save for some posts about why she's being so quiet), Sel hit social to post pics from her best friend's bachelorette party. And obviously side effects include extreme FOMO, so get ready. This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Swipe right for all the cute photos of Sel leaving her best beach life, but here are some faves: Instagram Instagram So, who's getting married? That'd be Courtney Barry, aka Selena's literal number one (at least based on their their matching "1" tattoos). This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Courtney and Selena go way back, and they're both members of Hillsong, the mega-church tons of other celebs in Hollywood attend. FYI, Selena also threw Courtney an epic bridal shower, so check out that good time right this way. This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Follow Mehera on Instagram. Mehera Bonner Mehera Bonner is a news writer who focuses on celebrities and royals. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>Selena Gomez is glowing. The 26-year-old singer and her pals vacationed in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in honor of their best friend’s bachelorette party, taking to the beach in teenie bikinis to catch some rays. Wearing a white high-waisted bikini and oversized gold Jennifer Fisher hoops, Gomez looked radiant as she posed for pictures with her friends, bride-to-be Courtney Barry, Ashley Cook and Raquelle Stevens. “My best friend is getting married, so we celebrated her! Future Mrs. Lopez,” she captioned the carousel of photos. Gomez returned to Instagram in January after a four-month hiatus. In that time she entered rehab to treat her mental health following two hospitalizations. “It’s been awhile since you have heard from me, but I wanted to wish everyone a happy new year and to thank you for your love and support,” she captioned a series of black-and-white photos of herself. “Last year was definitely a year of self-reflection, challenges and growth. It’s always those challenges which show you who you are and what you are capable of overcoming.” She continued, “Trust me, it’s not easy, but I am proud of the person I am becoming and look forward to the year ahead. Love you all.”<doc-sep>Selena Gomez is living her best life in a white-hot bikini in Cabos San Lucas, Mexico, where she is celebrating her best friend Courtney Berry's bachelorette party. "My best friend is getting married, so we celebrated her! Future Mrs. Lopez," Gomez captioned the slideshow, which features five cute snapshots of her and the girls hugging and posing on what appears to be a private beach. This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Selena and Courtney's crew of five other girls have been "bachelorette-ing" in Mexico since at least Sunday, per Berry's account. Beyond lounging by the sea all day long, Selena also made time for some physical activity, evidenced by the adorable snapshot of a beach horseback ride. Selena wore a loose fitting oatmeal-colored sweater with denim shorts, while she sported a pair of extra-large gold-tone hoop earrings. Her hair extra long mermaid hair was up in a loose ponytail. This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Shop Selena Gomez's Bachelorette Party Style Samira gold-plated hoop earrings Jennifer Fisher net-a-porter.com $500.00 SHOP NOW Tularosa Annie Top in White Tularosa revolve.com $88.00 $29.00 (67% off) SHOP NOW Last month, Selena threw Country a gorgeous pool-side bridal shower in Los Angeles, complete with champagne, baked treats, and plenty Insta-worthy best friend moments from the party. The two are so close that Barry not only called Gomez her "sister" on Instagram, but they also each have a matching number one tattoo on their ribs. The tattoos were part of celebrating Barry's 26th birthday last August. At the time Gomez shared a picture of the fresh new body ink and wrote a sweet caption under the post. This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. She wrote: "And lastly, my actual #1 @courtneyjbarry you are an incredible woman. The way you handle life’s most confusing moments is indescribable and graceful. You are moved by the littlest stories to the most heartbreaking ones, you will give someone your perfume if they say you smell nice, you are freaking hilarious and always stand firm in your faith, a loving sister, an amazing friend and a beautiful daughter. You are the definition of FEARFULLY and WONDERFULLY made baby! #1" See the rest of the FOMO-inducing snapshots below. This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>Singer Selena Gomez was all smiles in photos she shared of her getaway to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, for a friend’s bachelorette party. Gomez, 26, shared the slideshow with her fans on her Instagram on Monday. The singer captioned the photos saying her best friend was getting married “so we celebrated her!” SELENA GOMEZ RETURNS TO SOCIAL MEDIA, OPENS UP ABOUT 'CHALLENGES' IN 2018 The “Hands to Myself” singer was clad in a white bikini as she posed on the beach with her friends and the bachelorette, Courtney Barry. The bride-to-be commented on the post. “I love you,” Barry wrote. Barry also shared photos of the vacation. In one snap, Gomez and the bachelorette are riding horses on the beach. Gomez recently returned to social media after telling her fans in September that she would be taking a break. Late last year, the former Disney star was hospitalized and entered a treatment facility in October for anxiety and depression, E! News reported. The singer returned to social media in January with a post wishing her fans a happy new year. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "Last year was definitely a year of self-reflection, challenges and growth," she wrote. "It’s always those challenges which show you who you are and what you are capable of overcoming. Trust me, it’s not easy, but I am proud of the person I am becoming and look forward to the year ahead. Love you all." Fox News’ Mariah Haas contributed to this report.<doc-sep>

Selena Gomez made a rare return to Instagram Monday night (February 11) to share some pics of herself living it up on her best friend Courtney Barry's bachelorette trip. "My best friend is getting married, so we celebrated her! Future Mrs. Lopez," Gomez captioned the snaps of herself and a few friends. They're all wearing swimsuits and lounging on some beach, which is just rude to us mortals who are currently trekking through the snow. I guess my invitation was lost in the mail. Judging by these photos, it looks like it was a great, relaxing trip. Check out the snaps, below, including a casual shot that Barry posted of Gomez riding a horse on the beach. (She captioned it with a simple blue heart emoji.) Is this how Gomez is going to come riding into 2019 to save pop music? Fingers crossed, because we need her! Gomez has been celebrating Barry's upcoming nuptials for a while now. In January she attended her bridal shower, looking stunning in a red dress. In August 2018, Gomez posted a tribute to her longtime friend on Instagram. "You are an incredible woman," she wrote. "The way you handle life’s most confusing moments is indescribable and graceful. You are moved by the littlest stories to the most heartbreaking ones, you will give someone your perfume if they say you smell nice, you are freaking hilarious and always stand firm in your faith, a loving sister, an amazing friend and a beautiful daughter. You are the definition of FEARFULLY and WONDERFULLY made baby!" Selena Gomez returned to Instagram in January after a four-month hiatus and opened up about her challenging 2018. (The singer reportedly sought treatment in October following an "emotional breakdown" connected to a low white-blood-cell count, though this was never confirmed by her team.) "It’s been awhile since you have heard from me, but I wanted to wish everyone a happy new year and to thank you for your love and support," she wrote in January. "Last year was definitely a year of self-reflection, challenges and growth. It’s always those challenges which show you who you are and what you are capable of overcoming. Trust me, it’s not easy, but I am proud of the person I am becoming and look forward to the year ahead. Love you all."

KATIE Piper gave Good Morning Britain viewers a laugh today when she told Piers Morgan she's "blind in one eye" after previously saying she fancies him. The 35-year-old star teased the host when he tried to embarrass her about her surprising crush which she admitted was down to his "confidence" rather than looks. 8 Katie Piper delighted viewers as she teased Piers Morgan today after she said she fancied him earlier this month Katie told Andi Peters' new podcast, Refuse to Snooze, that she had the hots for Piers earlier this month and the pair then flirted on Twitter over her confession. But when Katie came on Good Morning Britain today to discuss her new project Katie's Extraordinary People, she told viewers they should forgive her for fancying the controversial host. Piers started by saying: "Recently Katie, you did a thing with Andi Peters and the following thing happened in the podcast…" The show then played the clip and showed Katie confessing her love for the father-of-four. And after watching it back Katie quipped: "First of all, I realise you are relishing in this, let’s put it into perspective – I am blind in one eye." Katie... "I'm blind in one eye so don't get too excited " love Katie so much. 😂😂😂 #gmb — Rebecca Dundon (@Rebeccadundon1) April 30, 2019 Love Katie Piper #GMB — Susan McLellan (@Speedqueenie) April 30, 2019 I’m with Katie piper on piers !! #gmb — ange 🍷😄 (@gilmourstott) April 30, 2019 8 Piers Morgan, with Susanna Reid, seemed to enjoy teasing Katie on today's show Viewers loved her quick wit and one remarked: "Katie... 'I'm blind in one eye so don't get too excited' love Katie so much." alongside laughing face emojis. Katie explained why she was attracted to Piers and said: "Do you know what we were talking about what attracts you to somebody and what attracts you to somebody is confidence. "I don't agree with every opinion you have and the day I revealed my crush I have never been so trolled in my whole entire life." But Piers managed to turn the attention to him again and said that Susan Boyle is also a huge fan of his, telling viewers she only went on his show, Life Stories, to meet him. Susan has made her feelings known TWICE and tweeted her affections after hearing Katie was also a fan. 8 Susan Boyle has publicly declared her love for Piers Morgan twice Credit: ITV 8 Piers couldn't resist flirting with Katie Piper after she admitted fancying him Katie's interview took place today after GMB host Piers, 54, reached out to her and said: “Hi @KatiePiper_,” alongside an emoji complete with heart eyes. Katie, who is married to Richard Sutton, replied with an angel emoji and when a fan asked if they were going on Celebrity Love Island, she teased: “Cats out the bag!” She'd previously told Andi Peters: "He’s my secret crush - Piers Morgan. I really fancy him. Yeah, well it’s not that secret.” 8 Katie said she was really attracted to the presenter Credit: Rex Features 8 8 The pair enjoyed a flirty exchange on Twitter Andi was just as forthcoming saying: “He’s a really great person, a great character. He’s authoritative, he’s got ambition…” Katie interrupted adding: “Intelligent,” before once again saying: “I’m really attracted to him.” Piers, who is married to Celia Walden, is well known for enjoying female attention and often tries to flirt with his co-presenter Susanna Reid. Host Andi also revealed Piers’ surprising musical choices, revealing: “I work with Piers Morgan, and the song he says he listens to is 50 Cent, In Da Club. 8 Katie opened up to Andi Peters on his new podcast Refuse to Snooze Most Read In TV & Showbiz KIM'S NEW KRUSH The men lining up to be Kim K's next partner as Kanye ‘dates Irina Shayk’ JOSS PERFECT Jac Jossa shows off her tiny waist after weight loss in pretty summer dresses 'WE'LL SEE' Louise Redknapp revealed Jamie wanted another baby when she was on Strictly GRANDE AFFAIR Ariana dazzles in white gown as she shares private pics from secret wedding a wright treat! Mark Wright gives fans tour of new £2,400 a night home with Michelle Keegan Exclusive ARG-AIN James ‘Arg’ Argent's set to reunite with 'love of his life' ex Lydia Bright “If you listen to the lyrics, it is actually a really motivational song.” Andi’s five part series, created by sleep wellness brand, eve sleep, will be released every Monday morning and will feature the likes of ex-England rugby captain, Chris Robshaw, boxing champion, Anthony Ogogo, presenter Anna Richardson and former model, Jodie Kidd. Piers Morgan jokes about sleeping with Susanna Reid as they discuss Mel B and Geri Halliwell's Spice Girls admission on GMB Got a story? email [email protected] or call us direct on 02077824220. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.<doc-sep>Katie Piper is being trolled online for a pretty outrageous reason Ah lads. So Katie Piper just admitted to fancying Piers Morgan, and people seem to have a massive issue. Advertisement The star recently said in a podcast that she had a bit of a thing for Mr Morgan. Fair enough? This morning on Good Morning Britain Katie revealed that she actually got trolled online for liking Piers. "First of all I realise you’re relishing in this, let’s put it in perspective. I am blind in one eye so don’t get too carried away," she hilarious explained. “Katie, don’t kill the dream," Piers said. She then Katie decided to clarify her initial comments, saying: "We were talking about what attracts you to somebody, and I said what attracts me to somebody is confidence." Advertisement Again, fair. "There’s a great affirmation that says confidence isn’t ‘they will love me’, confidence is ‘I’ll be fine if they don’t’ and I believe you represent that." Katie then revealed that several people started trolling her over her thing for Piers. "I don’t agree with every opinion you have, and the day I did reveal my crush I have never been so trolled in my whole entire life." Advertisement Ah lads, leave poor Katie Piper alone. She's well entitled to fancy whomever she likes.<doc-sep>

Katie Piper was trolled online for her confession she was attracted to Piers Morgan, she revealed on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday. The Strictly Come Dancing star recently said in a podcast with Andi Peters that she had a bit of a crush on the host and journalist, and it got quite the reaction. Piers was loving it, as she admitted to him and co-host Susanna Reid on the show that she found his confidence “attractive” but not everyone agreed with her. She even revealed Britain’s Got Talent star Susan Boyle, who has her own crush on Piers, tried to reclaim him after her comments. (Image: ITV) Katie joked: “First of all I realise you’re relishing in this, let’s put it in perspective. I am blind in one eye so don’t get too carried away.” As he and Susanna laughed off the remark, he said: “Katie, don’t kill the dream.” She then clarified her initial comments, saying: “We were talking about what attracts you to somebody, and I said what attracts me to somebody is confidence. (Image: ITV) “There’s a great affirmation that says confidence isn’t ‘they will love me’, confidence is ‘I’ll be fine if they don’t’ and I believe you represent that." Katie then revealed she paid the price for revealing all, with several people trolling her over her crush on Piers. “I don’t agree with every opinion you have, and the day I did reveal my crush I have never been so trolled in my whole entire life.” (Image: ITV) Piers was then accused by fans of flirting with Katie, asking her if it was “working for her”, before Katie added they had “chemistry”. Susanna then quipped that her crush was an “unpopular opinion”, while Piers was in full disagreement. He told Katie: “By going public in the way you did you showed great courage and fortitude, taking on the troll machine and standing by your conviction that you find me very attractive.” Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.

Remains of an IAF aircraft of the Surya Kiran aerobatic team after a mid-air collision between two aircraft. (Express photo by Meghana Sastry) Remains of an IAF aircraft of the Surya Kiran aerobatic team after a mid-air collision between two aircraft. (Express photo by Meghana Sastry) The Indian Air Force’s Surya Kiran aerobatics team lost one of its flying aces on the eve of the biennial Aero India air show’s 2019 edition here on Tuesday when two of the nine Hawk Mk 132 aircraft used by the team collided and crashed during a rehearsal for the event’s opening, scheduled for Wednesday. Wing Commander Sahil Gandhi, a former Sukhoi-30 pilot, who flew as Surya Kiran 7 in the nine-aircraft aerobatics team, died. His aircraft crashed just outside Yelahanka Air Force station. Two pilots in the second aircraft – Wing Commander Vijay Shelke and Sq Ldr Tejeshwar Singh – managed to eject before the crash. Wing Commander Gandhi was from Hisar, Haryana. His wife and young child survive him. The family was based at Bidar air force station in Karnataka since 2015. The injured pilots were taken to the Command Hospital, where Sq Ldr Tejeshwar Singh is being treated for multiple fractures and Wg Cdr Shelke for an eye injury.” “At around 1150 hrs, two Hawk aircraft of Suryakiran aerobatic team of IAF crashed while practicing for the forthcoming Aero India Air show. Three pilots were occupants. Two pilots ejected and have been evacuated to the Command Hospital. Third pilot sustained fatal injuries. Damage to life and property in the vicinity of crash site is being ascertained. A Court of Inquiry will investigate the cause of the accident,’’ according to a statement from the Defence Ministry. The Surya Kiran aerobatics team includes some of the best IAF fighter pilots. Bengaluru aircraft crash: The aircraft, which were used by the Surya Kiran stunt team, collided before crashing. Bengaluru aircraft crash: The aircraft, which were used by the Surya Kiran stunt team, collided before crashing. Air Marshal R K S Bhadauria, air officer commanding in chief of IAF training command, said” “Very few teams in the world operate nine-aircraft displays. The Indian Air Force does it. When you operate a nine-aircraft flying display team, there are associated risks because these aircraft operate four to five metres from each other. There are some maneuvers that carry more risks than normal and needs lots of practice – the margin for error is low”. In Tuesday’s case, he said” “they were doing a `mirror image’, where one aircraft flies straight and the second flies inverted over it in close proximity. This is a maneuver where the margin of error is very low. What exactly happened we will find out — whether it was an error of whether there was an issue of birds, or any other facto”.” Tuesday’s crash was the first involving the British Hawk 132 aircraft since the Surya Kiran team moved to the aircraft in 2015. The aerobatics team suffered two major crashes while flying the HJT 16 Kiran trainers, manufactured in Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), in 2006 and 2009. In 2006, Wg Cdr Dheeraj Bhatia and Squadron Leader Shailendra Singh died in a crash during a practice session at Bidar air base, where the Surya Kiran team is based. In 2009, Wg Cdr Rajpal Singh Dhaliwal died in a Kiran trainer crash after the aircraft caught fire during a regular training flight. The Surya Kiran team flew the HJT 16 Kiran trainers at an air show for the last time at Aero India 2010, and the team was disbanded. In 2015, the team was formed again by the IAF to fly the newly imported Hawk 132 trainer aircraft. It performed for the first time as a four-aircraft stunt team during Air Force Day celebrations in October 2015. The team grew to a six-aircraft team in 2016, and a nine-aircraft team last year. The Surya Kiran aerobatics team is usually the star attraction at Aero India show; its performance is expected to be cancelled in the wake of Tuesday’s tragedy. The accident is the second major mishap before the biennial air shows in Bengaluru. In 2007, two Advanced Light Helicopter, the Dhruv from HAL stable ,which was part of the Sarang helicopter aerobatics team, collided and crashed during a rehearsal for the air show, killing IAF Squadron Leader Priye Sharma and injuring another pilot.<doc-sep>A pilot has been killed after two planes crashed mid-air while rehearsing for an aerobatic show. Two others were also injured in the collision between the Indian Air Force aircraft in the southern state of Karnataka on Tuesday, a senior police official said. Director General of police MN Reddi said the pair were recovering in hospital. He said: “One Indian Air Force pilot has unfortunately lost his life. “Two others were injured and shifted to hospital, but are said to be out of danger.” Deadly air show rehearsal crash: in pictures Show all 6 1 /6 Deadly air show rehearsal crash: in pictures Deadly air show rehearsal crash: in pictures Indian Air Force personnel gather around the wreckage AFP/Getty Deadly air show rehearsal crash: in pictures An Indian Air Force officer walks past the wreckag AP Deadly air show rehearsal crash: in pictures Indian Air Force personnel gather near the ejected parachute of one of the pilots AFP/Getty Deadly air show rehearsal crash: in pictures Indian Air Force personnel gather around the wreckage AFP/Getty Deadly air show rehearsal crash: in pictures Indian Air Force personnel gather around the wreckage AFP/Getty Deadly air show rehearsal crash: in pictures The Indian Air Force's aerobatic display team 'Surya Kiran' performs during Aero India show at the Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bengaluru in 2017 Reuters The defence ministry confirmed that two Hawk aircraft of the Surya Kiran Aerobatic Display Team had crashed near Yelahanka Air Force Base. The team was scheduled to perform at Aero India 2019, a five-day air show expected to draw nearly 500 Indian and foreign aviation firms and defence contractors. It marked the second deadly accident involving Indian Air Force aircraft this month. A Mirage 2000 trainer crashed in the southern city of Bengaluru on 1 February, killing two pilots.<doc-sep>Terrifying footage shows the very moment two jets from the Indian Air Force’s Surya Kiran aerobatic team collide mid-air, as well as the aftermath of the crash in which one pilot had died. The aircraft are seen flying past an airfield at India’s Yelahanka base, near the southern city of Bangalore. Moments later, two jets hit each other, leaving the pilots with no choice but to eject. The video then shows the jets falling from the sky, with one plane spinning around as it goes down. There were three pilots in total on both jets. One of them died while the two others parachuted to safety. The pilots were honing their skills for the 12th edition of the Aero India Show which kicks off this Wednesday. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!<doc-sep>

Two Indian Air Force planes have collided mid-air in the southern state of Karnataka while rehearsing for an aerobatic show, killing one pilot and injuring two others, a senior police official has said. Key points: The pilots were rehearsing for the Aero India 2019 air show The pilots were rehearsing for the Aero India 2019 air show One pilot was killed, two were injured in the mid-air collision One pilot was killed, two were injured in the mid-air collision Footage shows locals rushing to help victims "One Indian Air Force pilot has unfortunately lost his life," said MN Reddi, director general of police in Karnataka. "Two others were injured and shifted to hospital, but are said to be out of danger." The defence ministry confirmed two Hawk aircraft of the Surya Kiran Aerobatic Display Team had crashed near the Yelahanka Air Force Base. Local media reported Chetan Kumar BM, a 22-year-old aeronautical engineering student, saw an explosion in the sky and two pilots eject from their planes in parachutes. "I was so scared. I remember running and running until I could see the pilot, who had landed," he told The News Minute. "I held the pilot's hand and I asked him to try to stay calm." The aerobatic team was scheduled to perform at Aero India 2019, a five-day air show expected to draw nearly 500 Indian and foreign aviation firms and defence contractors. It was the second deadly accident involving Indian Air Force aircraft this month. A Mirage 2000 trainer crashed in the southern city of Bengaluru on February 1, killing two pilots. Remains of an Indian Air Force aircraft after the deadly mid-air collision. ( AP: Aijaz Rahi Reuters

The LSU Tigers, after two wins last week that moved them up in the national polls, faces its toughest road test to date against No. 5 Kentucky Tuesday night at Rupp Arena. LSU comes in to the game ranked No. 19 in the AP media poll and No. 21 in the Amway coaches’ poll, after a 98-88 overtime win at Mississippi State and an 83-78 win in Baton Rouge on Saturday against Mississippi State. The Tigers are 19-4 on the year and 9-1 in the Southeastern Conference. LSU has now won more games than it did a year ago (18) and has increased its league win total by one to date from last year. Kentucky comes in 20-3 overall and also 9-1 in the SEC, tied for second with LSU, one game behind No. 1 Tennessee. The Wildcats have won 10 straight games and comes into the game off a 71-67 win at Mississippi State. The game will be televised on ESPN at 6 p.m. CT with Karl Ravech, Dick Vitale and Laura Rutledge on the call. The Voice of the Tigers, Chris Blair, and former LSU head coach John Brady will have the call on the affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network (Eagle 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge). Next Home Game: vs. Florida (Wed., Feb. 20, 6 p.m. CT) | Tickets LSU has won five times in 49 trips to face the Wildcats in Lexington, with the most recent Tigers win coming in 2009 when LSU clinched the SEC regular-season title. Current LSU Director of Student-Athlete Development Tasmin Mitchell hit the winning bucket in the victory. In games last week, the Tigers rallied twice for wins, coming from 10 down in the second half at State and then from 16 down in the first half against Auburn. LSU has been behind by double digits in four of the past five league games but has found a way to win three of them – Missouri, Mississippi State and Auburn. The Tigers were down 18 in the game against Arkansas at home and rallied to take the lead, but couldn’t hold the advantage in the final minute. Against Auburn, LSU was able to offset the three-point shooting of Auburn (16 makes) with strong play inside on the board, posting a 36-18 advantage in points in the paint, including 29-1 in second chance points. The Tigers also had a 31-14 advantage in points off turnovers. Junior Skylar Mays led LSU with 20 points in the game, while Tremont Waters had 19 points and 10 assists and Naz Reid had 13 points and 11 boards. Kavell Bigby-Williams also contributed to a game with 48 total rebounds for LSU, including 23 offensive rebounds, pulled down 10 of his own. Waters and Reid were honored for their efforts against Mississippi State and Auburn on Monday by the Southeastern Conference. Waters was named the SEC Player of the Week and Reid the SEC Freshman of the Week. This is the first of two road games this week for LSU as they will travel to Athens on Saturday at face the University of Georgia. Coach Will Wade met with the media prior to the team leaving for Lexington and here are some of his comments: Opening statement… “Congrats to Tremont (Waters) and Naz (Reid) (on being named SEC Player and Freshman of the week, respectively). It is well deserved, well earned. They are both huge reasons we were able to win two big games last week. “Moving on to Kentucky. This is obviously a different animal than we’ve been playing. Their size, their length, their athleticism, how big they are down low, the way they defensive rebound the ball. (Ashton) Hagans at point guard has helped them tremendously since they’ve made that change. He’s just an absolute pest defensively and does a great job blowing up your offense, blowing up handoffs, blowing up ball screens. He does a phenomenal job with that. He gets in the paint on offense and distributes it to (Tyler) Herro, (Keldon) Johnson and if you help up, he drops it off to the bigs who just dunk it. It will be a big defensive test for us. Obviously it’s a very, very tough environment against the best program in our league and one of the best teams in our league.” On not letting any games get too big… “The bigger the game, the narrower the focus. You have to lock in on what you do. Lock in on doing your job, completely doing your job as well as you can do it. Block out all the external stuff. You’ve got to keep everything as routine oriented as you can and as narrow of lens as you can.” On being able to pick up wins at Mississippi State and against Auburn at home last week… “It’s good. We needed those. That was a huge win at State and then beating Auburn, Auburn’s a tough matchup for us. It wasn’t like we caught Auburn sleeping. They played really well and were ready to go. They hit a bunch of threes. I thought it was a good week for us. The more you have a big week, bigger weeks are ahead. That’s what you want to do. You’ve got to keep building. We won two big games last week, but nobody cares about that. We’ve got a big game tomorrow and the next one is a big game after that.” On matching up against Kentucky head coach John Calipari… “They’re the best program in the league. He’s a phenomenal coach. He’s won a national championship. He does a great job with those guys – how hard they play, how well they are defensively. To get his teams with the young guys to play like they do is extremely, extremely impressive. Me, kind of going through it for the first time this year, it gives you more of an appreciation for – he doesn’t get nearly enough credit for what a good coach he is. He is a phenomenal basketball coach. What they do on offense – they play to their strengths, they get their guys space and let them move and let them make plays. The way he has them connected defensively and how hard they play defensively and how they just share the court defensively – I think they’re giving up 55 points a game for the last five or six games, and it’s even less than that at home. What he does with his clubs to get them to be connected and guard like that is extremely, extremely impressive. I have a new found appreciation for him. I’ve always thought he’s a great coach and does a great job, but I have a new found appreciation for that.” On what the most difficult part is about coaching a young team like Calipari does so often… “Getting them all on the same page. We’re all on the same page now, but sometimes you’d like to be a little bit quicker with that. Just getting them connected. The way they (Kentucky) run their offense, the way they run their defense, you would have no idea that (Ashton) Hagans is a freshman point guard out there, (Keldon) Johnson’s a freshman, and (Tyler) Herro’s a freshman. They have Reid Travis, a fifth-year senior. They have PJ Washington who’s a sophomore. Washington is playing as well as anybody in the league right now. They bring EJ Montgomery off the bench. They bring (Nick) Richards off the bench who started for them last year. Five, (Immanuel) quickly, they bring him off the bench. He (Coach Calipari) just fits the pieces so nicely together and his scheme is very friendly to what they’re doing.” On how he approaches halftime… “We watch film at half. We watch their team’s made shots and how they score and what they were doing to score. Obviously we make some offensive and defensive adjustments. I try to keep it very simple. I don’t want to make more than three adjustments on each end.<doc-sep>LSU upset Kentucky Tuesday night, and the final shot of the game is bound to have some fans extremely upset. With the game tied 71-71, LSU player Kavell Bigby-Williams tipped the ball in after a missed shot by teammate Skylar Mays. The basket gave the Tigers a 73-71 victory as time expired. However, there’s probably a very strong argument to be made here that it was actually offensive goaltending. Watch the video below and decide for yourself. LSU BEATS KENTUCKY ON A BUZZER BEATER!!! WHAT A TIP!!! pic.twitter.com/PaSBowDn2e — Sports Related (@SportsRelated) February 13, 2019 According to rules analyst Gene Steratore, that was absolutely offensive goaltending on LSU. Two things to consider at the end of #LSUvsUK. The contact by the UK player isn’t basket interference as the ball is not on the rim and the contact didn’t alter the outcome of the shot. However, the contact by LSU is goaltending because the ball is within the cylinder. — Gene Steratore (@GeneSteratore) February 13, 2019 To be honest with you, I actually agree with Steratore on this one, but I also don’t care because I love watching Kentucky lose. Watching them get screwed is even funnier. I’m sure fans in Kentucky wanted to burn the state to the ground after the refs didn’t blow the whistle on Bigby-Williams. There’s really nothing more entertaining than pissed off Kentucky fans. They’re truly a breed of their own. (RELATED: Tennessee And Duke Lead Latest AP College Basketball Poll, Wisconsin Drops To 20) Oh well! A loss is a loss. View this post on Instagram A post shared by LSU Basketball (@lsubasketball) on Feb 12, 2019 at 6:02pm PST Here’s a fun flashback to another time Kentucky lost a major game, and their undefeated season was ruined as the entire country watched. You just hate to see it! Follow David Hookstead on Twitter<doc-sep>LSU has entered the SEC title race and taken some of the shine off this weekend's SEC headliner, stunning No. 5 Kentucky 73-71 in Rupp Arena on Tuesday night on a buzzer-beating putback by Kavell Bigby-Williams. It's fitting that LSU won the back-and-forth game on an offensive rebound because the Tigers did a fantastic job establishing an advantage on the glass during the second half as they closed the gap on Kentucky and eventually took the lead in the final minutes. "We just got it on the backboard. You get it on the backboard you give yourself a chance," LSU coach Will Wade told ESPN after the game. "That's a great take by [Skyler Mays], and I was just happy to get it on the backboard. Tremendous win for us. I'm so proud of our guys. We were able to hang, hang, hang and we did what we did. We imposed our will in the second half, got on the glass, got some stops, did a great job on the offensive glass." Check out the big-time basket. The controversial final basket, with instant replay review showing the ball within in the cylinder as Bigby-Williams made contact on the tip-in, was indeed reviewed by the officials. But officials cannot call a goaltend or basket interference via review, so they could only check to see if the ball left Bigby-Williams' hand before the final buzzer. Four Tigers finished in double-figures, led by star guard Tremont Waters with 15 points. The team's length and athleticism bothered Kentucky and disrupted the Wildcats' offensive flow, and it helped that PJ Washington was limited by foul trouble most of the night. In the process of the upset, LSU exposed a weakness in Kentucky's offense as Waters sagged way off of Ashton Hagans on the perimeter. If the Wildcats were going to beat LSU, Will Wade's team determined that it would have to be by hitting outside shots. Kentucky finished the game 5-for-19 on 3-point attempts, a 26.3 percent clip. It's the best win of the season and arguably the biggest win yet for LSU under Will Wade, now 20-4 here in his second year with the Tigers. Kentucky fans have been fired up for a week that includes two home games against the other two of the SEC's top three. LSU's arrival was considered a warm-up, and Saturday's clash with No. 1 Tennessee was the heavyweight bout. The energy turned anxious nearly from the start as LSU hung right with Kentucky the whole way establishing a lead in the second half and making Kentucky play catch up in the final minutes. "We're a good team," Wade said after the game on the broadcast. "Everybody was doubting us coming into this but I told our guys 'We're playing this year's Kentucky team. We're not playing John Wall and Karl-Anthony Towns. We're playing this year's Kentucky team. And I like this year's LSU team.'" LSU only has one regular-season game against Tennessee -- in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Feb. 23. Kentucky will not only play the Vols on Saturday but have a return visit to Knoxville, Tennessee, next month. The Tigers should be favored in every regular season game left with the exception of the Tennessee showdown, meaning that contest, not this weekend's Vols-Wildcats game in Rupp Arena, could end up decided the SEC regular season champion.<doc-sep>

After an impressive road win, the Kentucky Wildcats returned home to face the LSU Tigers on Tuesday night. Each team got off to a good start, and in the first four minutes, there were seven lead changes, but it was the Cats who had an early 10-9 lead. With the Cats leading the Tigers 21-16, Ashton Hagans picked up his second foul, forcing Kentucky to play the final 11 minutes with him on the bench. However, Immanuel Quickley came in and played very well taking over for Hagans, as he had three points, four rebounds, and an assist in the half. He also did a very good job defending one of the best point guards in the conference, as he held Tremont Waters to seven points on 1-6 shooting. A three by Skylar Mays would give the Tigers a 30-29 lead with 4:46 on the clock. From that point, the Cats would outscore LSU 11-2 to take a 40-32 lead into halftime. For the second-straight game, Kentucky came out of halftime without the same intensity that they had to close the first half. The poor play on both ends allowed LSU to hang around as it was a 54-52 game with just under 10 minutes to play. LSU took a 58-56 lead with 8:15 remaining, and Kentucky continued to battle until PJ Washington tied the game at 69 with 1:13 to play. After LSU went back in front, two huge free throws by Keldon Johnson tied the game at 71 with six seconds to play and then LSU hit the game winning tip-in as time expired on one of the worst missed offensive goaltending calls I have ever seen, as LSU wins it 73-71. Thoughts on the game Goaltending needs to be reviewable I must start with that missed call on the final play of the game. The rule is if the ball is still on or above the rim when it is touched then it is basket interference. Well, that was about as above the rim as you can get. A complete blown call by the officials cost Kentucky the game and further makes the case that the rules should be changed to allow missed calls like that to be reviewed. Referees are by no means perfect, but something like that should be reviewable to prevent this from ever happening to another team again. It’s not like it’s a hard thing to determine either. The NCAA classifies it as a judgment call, something they prefer not to be reviable, but it’s one of the easiest judgement calls you could correct, at least in this case. Kentucky didn’t help themselves Yes, that was a horrible missed call, but the game should never have been left in the officials’ hands like that. Kentucky did not shoot the ball well from outside, as they were 5/19 from three and missed a lot of open threes as well. Also, the Cats didn’t cash in from the free throw line going 16/23 leaving a lot of free points on the floor. Kentucky won the rebound battle 40-33, but the second-half rebounding was atrocious, and LSU had second chance after second chance. Kentucky could’ve prevented the game from coming down to that last play if they just do the little things that aren’t typically thought of, the plays they consistently made during the 10-game winning streak. Ashton Hagans continues to struggle In the last few games, Hagans has started to revert to the way he was at the beginning of the year. Tuesday, he got into foul trouble early, and in the second half, did not look comfortable running the offense. He also got beat on defense far too often, allowing LSU to run their offense far more effectively than most teams have against Hagans and the Kentucky defense. Another big difference in this one was in the last few games he has struggled but would have a lot of assists and rebounds. In this one, he had one of each. For this team to go far in March, Hagans must get out of this slump and play at a much higher level. PJ Washington dominated again In a game where majority of the team had a mediocre performance, PJ stepped up yet again. He finished with 20 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal. He carried Kentucky down the stretch and continued his high-level play.

Amazon listens to critics and raises minimum wage for US and UK employees Watch Now In an email sent to customers on Friday, October 5, Amazon said it fired an employee for sharing customers' email addresses with a third-party seller. Third-party sellers are companies or individuals who sell products on Amazon. Amazon said it's working with law enforcement in support of the former employee's prosecution. The company also said it blocked the third-party seller from selling on the platform and reassured users that no other info besides email addresses had been disclosed. Amazon's email notification comes after the company announced mid-September it was starting an investigation into rumors that some of its employees, especially in China, were selling customer data to store owners. The same report said Amazon employees were also deleting reviews for bribe, helping some store owners gain an unfair advantage and having products rank higher in search results. It is unclear if the firing of this employee was related to last month's investigation, although this would be the primary explanation for Amazon suddenly discovering and releasing an employee for selling customer data. Amazon had previously appealed to its customers to report cases where they received email spam from Amazon sellers. The primary effect of Amazon staffers giving store owners access to users' email addresses is that third-party sellers can then send unsolicited emails with product catalogs. Amazon store owners don't normally have access to users' email addresses. Another effect would be that store owners could approach former customers with discounts or other offers in exchange for the user changing a previous negative review. "We have zero tolerance for abuse of our systems and if we find bad actors who have engaged in this behavior, we will take swift action against them, including terminating their selling accounts, deleting reviews, withholding funds, and taking legal action," an Amazon spokesperson told ZDNet last month. The full text for yesterday's email notification is below: "We are writing to let you know that your email address was disclosed by an Amazon employee to a third-party seller on our website in violation of our policies. As a result, the employee has been tarminated and we are supporting law enforcement in their prosecution. The third-party seller has been blocked. This is not a result of anything you have done, and there is no need for you to take any action. Previous and related coverage<doc-sep>The worker gave the information to a third party seller. Amazon fired an employee for handing over customer email addresses to a third party seller on the site, the company confirmed on Monday. The e-commerce giant said on Friday it had notified affected customers, adding that the seller had been blocked from Amazon. "The individual responsible for this incident has been terminated from their position, and we are supporting law enforcement in their prosecution," an Amazon spokesperson wrote in an email to ABC News. . The company did not provide any details on the fired employee or third party seller. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Amazon was investigating leaks of customer data by employees in exchange for bribes from third party sellers. Amazon would not comment on whether this employee's behavior was part of that investigation. Problems with third party sellers and a culture of fake reviews have been a growing problem for Amazon as it grows exponentially. The cottage industry of fake reviews has in turn spawned an industry that monitors fake reviews.<doc-sep>

Ben Fox Rubin/CNET An Amazon employee was fired after sharing customers' email addresses with an unnamed third-party seller, in violation of company policies, Amazon said. "The individual responsible for this incident has been terminated from their position, and we are supporting law enforcement in their prosecution," an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement Friday. Amazon said only email addresses were taken by the employee, not any other customer information. The company has already started emailing affected customers about the incident. A third-party seller is a merchant that sells on Amazon's website, though the company declined to provide additional information about this seller. It said the seller has been blocked from Amazon. Enlarge Image Via Twitter Amazon also declined to provide additional information about the employee, when it discovered the issue or how many people were affected. Maintaining customer data is a vital part of Amazon's business, since it holds personal information, including credit and debit card numbers, for over 300 million accounts worldwide. The firing comes a few weeks after The Wall Street Journal reported on Amazon investigating alleged data leaks at the company, which included employees allegedly selling customers' email addresses to sellers. The report said the practice was more prevalent in China. It's unclear whether the firing is directly connected to the previously reported investigations. The company said that if customers receive unsolicited emails from a seller, they can forward the email to [email protected]. NASA turns 60: The space agency has taken humanity farther than anyone else, and it has plans to go further. Taking It to Extremes: Mix insane situations -- erupting volcanoes, nuclear meltdowns, 30-foot waves -- with everyday tech. Here's what happens.

Atlanta United is heading to Yankee Stadium to face NYCFC on a two game unbeaten streak. The game comes after Atlanta soundly beat the Philadelphia Union thanks to the mods issuing a ban to Alejandro Bedoya who triggered a solidarity tantrum from Haris Medunjanin. Somehow Philly actually looked better without their starting central midfield pairing and managed to try to play Atlanta in an open game while chasing an equalizer. Finishing was again an issue for the team - but give Andre Blake credit, he made some tremendous stops and kept the game competitive for the Union. This week Atlanta will try to exercise some demons as the team travels to the Bronx, the site of one of their worst matches last season. With the World Cup upon us, the Five Stripes will actually have an advantage as Jeff Larentowicz, Darlington Nagbe, and Brad Guzan weren’t pressed into duty for the U.S. Men’s National Team and Leandro Gonzalez-Pirez was an obvious snub from the Argentina side that will lose in the final to Germany in Russia. NYCFC will be missing Ronald Matarrita and Rodney Wallace while they try to contain Atlanta United. Anyway... onto the Prekrap Pidg-on or Pidg-off NYCFC is entering a time of flux. Roomers are swirling, as they have been, that their manager Patrick Vieira may be leaving the club to manage OGC Nice. The South of France sounds somewhat more appealing than coaching a soccer team in a baseball stadium while watching managers get the job that he dearly wanted. For his potential farewell match, Vieira will again try to get the best of Atlanta United. So far the teams have a 1-1-1 head to head record with New York recently getting a draw that felt like a loss after Tata Martino made an attacking sub despite having the lead before the Pigeons stole two points in Atlanta earlier this year. Vieira has been one of the best, if not the best, manager in MLS since taking over in New York in 2016 compiling a 39-21-27 record while also having to completely rebuild a team and teach it to play soccer on a laughably small field. Whoever takes over in New York will have a steep learning curve and MLS will be losing a talented manager. The draw earlier this year was a stinging result and one that has helped NYCFC stick around in the MLS table as they sit in second place with 27 points, just two behind Atlanta United. The team will again look to gain ground on the current Eastern Conference leaders as a win will put them in first place in the conference. New York is where they are in the table because they have turned their team from one with aging European stars and the ageless David Villa to a team with young and in their prime South American Designated Players, the ageless David Villa, a stout defense, and an unnoticed and underrated central midfield (though one that will be missing Yangel Herrera for the rest of the season). Even without Wallace cutting in from the wing as a sub or occasional starter and Mataritta playing left back or left wingback, the team has more than enough to get a result against Atlanta United. In their most recent match, NYCFC got completely dominated in a 4-0 loss to the New York Red Bulls in the US Open Cup on Wednesday, but don’t let that result fool you. The Pigeons largely rested their starters and the result speaks to that. One thing that may be different in this match for NYCFC is that the team has been playing in a 3-5-2 that they have to mush into a 3-4-1-2 to fit on their itty bitty field in the Bronx. Still it is a wrinkle that has paid off for the team and enabled Vieira to play Ismael Tajouri-Shradi at left wingishback and get another dangerous attacker on the field. Their 3-0 win against Orlando City featured a brace from Tajouri-Shradi as he sits on seven goals this season. Atlanta United visits NYCFC’s rent controlled apartment There just isn’t much room in Yankee Stadium. At six point three meters by 11. * meters it is the smallest field in the world and the goals are only four feet wide and two feet tall. It’s barely fair for opposing teams that they have to play in such cramped spaces, the bathroom is even in the kitchen for crying out loud! What I’m saying is that the field is small and this is going to pose a problem for Atlanta United, a team built on finding space, stretching defenses and moving the ball around the field as they probe for their opponent’s weaknesses. With this in mind, Atlanta can try to make up for the fact that MLS was so eager to get into the New York market again that they’ve let a team play on an embarrassment of a field for three seasons with seemingly no future plans to press the issue for getting a real soccer home for the Pigeons. Last year in the Bronx, NYCFC did a great job of denying space to Atlanta United and an even better job of stopping Atlanta from breaking on transition to create chances. Expect more of the same this weekend. In order to get a result in the game, Atlanta will need to control possession effectively and breakdown the NYCFC defense. This should be a key difference in the way that the team plays this year as opposed to in their last visit to New York. With the addition of Darlington Nagbe and Ezequiel Barco, the Five Stripes have two players who can pick a pass which should help find Atlanta’s forwards on runs through the box. With Julian Gressel also mastering the cutback this season, Atlanta will have another effective option to get the ball into dangerous areas for the goal scorers.<doc-sep>The team may have to play the Crew without MVP candidate Miguel Almiron, who suffered a shoulder injury in the second minute and was subbed off at the start of the second half. Almiron stayed down after he was tackled from behind by Alexander Ring. After he was examined by trainers, Almiron stood up, grabbing his left shoulder. He re-entered the game a few minutes later. Martino said he doesn't think the injury is serious. Similar to the game at Minnesota United earlier this season when Atlanta United played with 10 men because of a red card, the team mostly stayed back, soaking up NYCFC’s pressure throughout. Guzan, wearing his big orange gloves, was everywhere, making jumping saves, saves with his feet and diving saves to his left and right in a man-of-the-match performance that likely will put him into the MLS team of the week. NYCFC finished with 25 shots, and approximately 60 percent of the possession. At least three of NYCFC’s shots hit the posts, including one in injury time. “He was the best player on the field,” Martino said. After pressuring Atlanta United’s goal most of the first half, NYCFC almost broke through when Maxi Moralez got behind the defense following a slip by Michael Parkhurst. Guzan came out of his goal and took the ball off Moralez’s foot to end the threat. Three minutes later, Guzan was again forced into action when he tipped a deflected, looping shot over his crossbar. Atlanta United broke through in the 48th minute on a header by Martinez, who got between NYCFC’s defenders to catch up to a long cross from Julian Gressel. It was Martinez’s league-leading 13th goal and Gressel’s fifth assist. “After that, New York became the better team,” Martino said. Guzan, huge throughout, came off his line to stop a Villa breakaway in the 60th minute, and then palmed away his free kick less than a minute later. NYCFC tied the score at 1-1 on a goal by Callens in the 77th minute. The tying goal came on a corner kick. Villa ran onto the corner at the near post, heading it across the goal to Callens at the back post. Still, Atlanta United became the first team to take a point from Yankee Stadium this season. “It says that Brad (Guzan) had a terrific game for us,” Parkhurst said. “He was a wall back there. Countless big time saves for us first half and second half. He really preserved a point for us. The rest of the team, we did what we could. There were some good tackles in there. Some hard-fought moments. Some tired legs running at the end, but we all dug deep, and when we weren’t good enough, Brad (Guzan) was.”<doc-sep>A Josef Martinez goal and an immense performance from Brad Guzan allowed Atlanta United to escape from New York with a point in a 1-1 draw against NYCFC. The first half happened. Brad Guzan had the only highlight. BRAD GUZAN IS NOT HERE FOR YOUR TRICKS. What a stop from the @ATLUTD star. pic.twitter.com/TiK8EZsukf — FOX Sports South (@FOXSportsSouth) June 9, 2018 Cool. Things changed in an instant in the second half. Four minutes in, Julian “Cross at Every Available Opportunity” Gressel played his best cross of the day HIS ENTIRE LIFE. The ball curled onto the head of Josef Martinez who did what you would expect of the most prolific scorer in MLS history. DAT BALL. DAT FINISH. pic.twitter.com/GEGMPt6WMm — Dirty South Soccer (@DirtySouthSoc) June 9, 2018 The goal is Martinez’s 13th of the year. He now leads the golden boot race by four goals as of full time. Meanwhile, NYCFC kept kicking the ball directly at Guzan and/or at the posts. 58. A penalty appeal and @Guaje7Villa hits the post in a crazy few seconds. Everything but the goal from #NYCFC so far here... 0-1 pic.twitter.com/DMZDhjbxez — New York City FC (@NYCFC) June 9, 2018 After missing out on multiple excellent opportunities, NYCFC deservedly broke through in the 77th minute. It could have been and could have gotten worse. Seriously, I have no idea how they didn’t win. All things considered it’s an excellent road result for Atlanta who stays atop the Eastern Conference and Supporters’ Shield standings. The Five Stripes were outshot 25-to-6 and put two shots on target compared to 10 for NYCFC. Hey, a point is a point. The Five Stripes continue the toughest stretch of games this year with a road trip to Columbus on Wednesday night.<doc-sep>A: The only injury was to reserve defender Cedric Hountondji, who suffered a leg injury in the 4-0 Open Cup loss to the New York Red Bulls Wednesday night. However, the team received some distressing news Thursday when it was announced that Venezuelan international midfielder Yangel Herrera was lost for the season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his ankle. Herrera, on loan from Manchester City, is a rising young star. Herrera did a lot of the dirty work and will be difficult to replace. NYCFC will have to find another partner for Alex Ring at defensive midfield. Q: What is team’s morale following another loss to Red Bulls? A: The team was down, but since City used only four regulars in its Starting XI, it wasn't the end of the world. Don't get me wrong. They didn't like losing, but the players know they face a great challenge from Atlanta United Saturday. If NYCFC wants to go places in the playoffs, it must get a result at Yankee Stadium because Atlanta looks like one of those teams that can go far in the postseason. Q: Is Patrick Vieira’s situation a distraction? A: Some players might say that it isn't, but it has to wear on them after a while. The rumors and news reports just don't go away. Head coach Patrick Vieira has put in a system, and a successful one at that. The players are accustomed to it. If a new coach comes in, what sort of system, formation, etc. will be deploy? The players like and respect Vieira. I don't think they would want to see what they have accomplished upended midway through the season. As for the rumors and reports, obviously, I don't know if they are true, but as a friend once reminded me, "Where there's smoke, there's fire." I guess we'll have to see how everything plays out. If the rumors persist, it cannot be good for the players.<doc-sep>

Full-time - Atlanta United survive and get a point. 77’ - Atlanta United 1, NYCFC 1: After nine saves, Brad Guzan has finally seen one go into his goal. Alex Callens has equalized via a corner kick. 48’ - Atlanta United 1, NYCFC 0: Finally a breakthrough! Josef Martinez scores yet another goal off an amazing cross from Julian Gressel. DAT BALL. DAT FINISH. pic.twitter.com/GEGMPt6WMm — Dirty South Soccer (@DirtySouthSoc) June 9, 2018 Pre-game: Here we are again. Atlanta United and New York City FC, the top two teams in the Eastern conference, face-off in a big match. It was just under two months ago that these two met in Atlanta and drew, 2-2. Since then, it’s been more of the same with Atlanta leading the East by two points over the blue half of New York. While NYCFC are undoubtedly one of the top teams in the league, their future is very much up-in-the-air. Their manager, Patrick Vieira, is being strongly linked with the OGC Nice managerial opening with rumors stating that this match could very well be his last in charge of the MLS side. Meanwhile, Atlanta United have gotten back on track as of late with wins over Philadelphia and Charleston. The Five Stripes aren’t anywhere close to hitting top gear yet, but the chemistry with the addition of Ezequiel Barco and Darlington Nagbe is growing. This match could end up playing a huge role in both the Supporters’ Shield and CONCACAF Champions League spot standings. Who will come out on top and leave the Big Apple atop the East? Note: We’re trying something new with our match threads this year. We’ll be updating the post with updates of goals and big moments as they happen. Check back every so often during the match for highlights and commentary. Atlanta United’s Lineup: NYCFC’s Lineup: How to Watch Venue: Yankee Stadium Kickoff Time: 12:30 p.m. ET Available TV: FOX Sports Southeast Available Streaming: fuboTV (free trial), FOX Sports GO, ESPN+ (Outside of local viewing area) Available Radio: 92.9 The Game (English), AT&T Countdown to Kickoff (FB Live/Periscope), La Mejor 1600 AM (Spanish) This thread will be your match thread. We don’t have many rules here. We just ask that you don’t insult each other personally and treat each other with respect. Debates can get heated and that’s fine, but name-calling and petty insults will get you banned. If you see a comment that you feel is out of line, please report it and it will be dealt with.

“The Redmi Note 7 comes with a 12-megapixel primary rear camera, Snapdragon 660, bezel-less display, and a beefy 4,000mAh battery” After launching the phone in China last month, Xiaomi has launched the Redmi Note 7 (review) smartphone in India, alongside its Pro version. Unlike the China version of the the Redmi Note 7, which boasts of a 48-megapixel + 5-megapixel rear camera setup, the one being brought to India has a 12-megapixel + 2-megapixel cameras on the back. Other than that, the Redmi Note 7 specifications in India are the same as those of the China variant’s including the Snapdragon 660 SoC, 4,000mAh battery, and 6.3-inch edge-to-edge display. Unlike the last previous Redmi Note series phones, the new model sports a glass-sandwich design that is held together by a metal frame and is also available in gradient finish. Alongside the two smartphones, the brand also announced its new 32-inch Mi TV and a pair of Bluetooth earphones at the event. Redmi Note 7 price in India The Redmi Note 7 price in India is set at Rs 9,999 and Rs 11,999 for the 3GB + 32GB and 4GB + 64GB variants, respectively. The first sale of the smartphone will be held at 12pm on March 6th. Buyers can head to Mi.com, Flipkart, and Mi Home stores to purchase the handset; Mi Preferred Partner stores will get the smartphone soon, the company said without giving any details. Airtel customers will get 1,120GB of complimentary data and free calling with the handset, while Xiaomi will be bundling the handset with a free slim case. The brand has also announced a new perforated case for the handset, priced at Rs 349. Redmi Note 7 specifications Talking about the specifications, the Redmi Note 7 sports a 6.3-inch display with a waterdrop-style notch up top and Full HD+ resolution. The screen has a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on top that should keep it safe from drops. At its core lies Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 660 chipset, accompanied by 4GB/ 6GB of RAM and 64GB expandable storage. The device comes with MIUI 10 custom software out of the box. In the camera department, Redmi Note 7 features dual 12-megapixel primary + 2-megapixel depth-sensing lenses paired with LED flash on the rear. The cameras also boast pixel-binning tech and AI to further enhance the camera results. For selfies and video calling, the handset gets a 13-megapixel sensor on the front. The handset employs a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor and connectivity options such as hybrid dual-SIM slots, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type-C, 3.5mm headphone jack and GPS/GLONASS. A 4,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support rounds up the specs sheet.<doc-sep>After China launch last month Xiaomi has launched the Redmi Note 7 and Redmi Note 7 Pro in India. Both these smartphones from the Chinese manufacturer would compete with Samsung’s new Galaxy M lineup. Redmi Note 7: All you need to know The feature-rich budget smartphone Note 7 sports a 6.3-inch Full HD ‘Dot-Notch’ display and has a resolution of 1080 X 2340 at 409 PPI. It has an aspect ratio of 19.5:9 and brightness up to 450 nits. Xiaomi has protected the screen with Durable Scratch Resistant Glass. Under the hood is a 2.2 GHz Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC. It is paired with 3GB/4GB LPDDR4 RAM, and an Adreno 512 GPU that clocks up to 650 MHz that would ensure the phone runs smoothly when memory and graphics intensive applications are running. The phone comes with two storage options of 32 GB and 64 GB which can be further expanded to up to 256 GB using microSD. For a longer power consumption time, the phone is packed with a large 4,000 mAh non-removable battery and also supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 4 fast charging technology. In terms of camera, Xiaomi has made changes in the India variant. The Chinese variant of the Note 7 gets a 48 MP f/1.79 sensor with a 5MP depth sensor. The India variant gets a dual rear camera setup that includes a 12 MP primary sensor with 1.25-micron pixels and a secondary 2 MP depth sensor. The front camera is the same as that of the Chinese variant. It gets a 13 MP lens that has an aperture of f/2.0. Xiaomi claims the Redmi Note 7 uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) for better Portrait mode and other smart features like scene recognition. The phone also comes with Face unlock feature and has a fingerprint sensor on the back. For connectivity, the phone has a 3.5mm headphone jack and a Type-C port along with 3G, 4G, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0. The Note 7 has been priced at Rs 9,999 for the 3 GB + 32 GB variant and Rs 11,999 for 4GB + 64 GB variant. The phone has three colour options — Sapphire Blue, Onyx Black, Ruby Red and would be on sale starting March 6.<doc-sep>Today Redmi India confirmed the date for the Note 7 launch in the local market - the 48 MP mid-ranger is landing on February 28. It will get its dedicated event in New Delhi and you can register to purchase tickets for it. The Redmi Note 7 is advertised as a head-turner, meaning it will knock you off your feet with its spectacular camera and price. It even comes with a tacky upside-down hashtag that reads #thuglife with an incorporated digit 7. The Twitter account of the sub-brand will even do a giveaway of one Redmi Note 7 phone if it gathers 4,800 retweets. The camera is one of the key features, but the device is also a best-seller in China due to its low price, Snapdragon 660 chipset and latest MIUI 10, based on Android Pie. It was launched for as low as CNY999 and we expect the 3/32 GB variant to be introduced for INR9,999 at the New Delhi event. According to a previous rumor, there will be a bit more powerful option with 4/64 GB memory, but the 6 GB RAM variant is said to remain exclusive to China. Source | Via<doc-sep>

Alongside the Redmi Note 7 Pro, Xiaomi has today officially launched the most anticipated smartphone, the Redmi Note 7 in India. The company has been teasing the Note 7 across all its social channels over the past few weeks. The phone was initially launched in China earlier this year and has made its way to India now. Design and Looks The Redmi Note 7 flaunts a 6.3-inch Dot Notch Full HD+ IPS LCD with 2340×1080 pixel resolution, a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, and Gorilla Glass 5 on both front and the back for protection against scratch and dust. The display on the Note 7 is an LTPS in-screen display, similar to the Note 7 Pro. Performance Under the hood, it is powered by a 2.2GHz Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 AIE chipset (based on Kyro 260 and 14nm FinFet process), paired with 3GB or 4GB of RAM, and 32GB or 64GB of internal storage (expandable up to 256GB using a microSD card) options. For connectivity, the Note 7 comes with USB Type-C port for charging and data transfer and a 3.5mm headphone jack. In terms of other hardware, the device packs in an IR blaster and a fingerprint sensor on the mounted on the back. It packs in a 4000 mAh battery, with Qualcomm Quick Charge 4 support and runs on MIUI 10 based on Android 9.0 Pie. Camera In terms of optics, the Redmi Note 7 sports a dual camera setup on the rear with a 12MP primary sensor + a 2MP depth sensor. For selfies, it has a single 13MP AI camera on the front with AI scene detection, AI beauty, AI face unlock, and AI portrait selfie. For night photography, it comes with the steady handheld night photography mode based on Xiaomi’s AI algorithm, present on the Note 7 Pro. Redmi Note 7 Pricing and Availability The Redmi Note 7 comes in three different colors: Onyx Black, Ruby Red, and Sapphire Blue, and is priced at Rs 9999 for the 3GB + 32GB variant and Rs 11999 for the 4GB + 64 GB variant. The first sale for the device will be live on March 6, 12 Noon on Mi.com, Mi Home, and Flipkart. The device will be bundled-in with an “ultra-slim” case. Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Offers Xiaomi has partnered with Airtel to provide “100% more data” with data benefits of up to 1120GB on Redmi Note 7. On Redmi Note 7, Airtel will provide 4GB/day of free 4G data instead of 2GB/day on RC 249 prepaid plan. And on RC 349 plan, instead of 3GB/day, Redmi Note 7 users will be getting 6GB/day of 4G data. In addition to the data benefits, Airtel will be providing unlimited voice calling, free subscription to Airtel TV premium and other Airtel Thanks benefits.

Kellyanne Conway, one of Donald Trump’s most senior advisers, has revealed that she was the victim of sexual assault and insisted that women who survive such experiences should be heard. "I feel very empathetic, frankly, for victims of sexual assault and sexual harassment and rape," Kellyanne Conway told CNN as she defended the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, who has been accused of sexual assault by one woman and sexual misconduct by two other women. "I'm a victim of sexual assault," she said, without revealing details, although the 51-year-old has previously hinted that she was molested by a congressman. Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination has been held up after Mr Trump ordered the FBI to look into the sexual assault allegations against him. In an earlier confirmation hearing watched by millions around the world, Dr Christine Blasey Ford testified before a Senate panel that Judge Kavanaugh drunkenly forced her down onto a bed during a house party in 1982 in Maryland. Groping her, he attempted to remove her clothes, and held his hand over her mouth so that she could not scream for help, she said. His friend Mark Judge, was in the room at the time, she added. In his own appearance before the committee, Judge Kavanaugh repeated his categorical denial about the incident. A second woman, Deborah Ramirez, now 53, has also claimed that Judge Kavnaaugh exposed himself to her at a dorm party when they were students at Yale University. In a statement, he said the incident “did not happen”. In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing Show all 21 1 /21 In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing EPA In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AP In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AP In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing REUTERS In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing REUTERS In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing REUTERS In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing EPA In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing EPA In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images Julie Swetnick has also claimed that she witnessed Judge Kavanaugh and Mr Judge, attempt to get teenage girls “inebriated and disoriented so they could then be ‘gang raped’ in a side room or bedroom by a ‘train’ of numerous boys”. She said that she was the victim of one of those gang rapes, but did not single the pair out as her assailants. Ms Conway suggested that the ire of many victims was improperly pointed at Republican supporters of Kavanaugh, as opposed to the perpetrators of the assaults. "It's not a meeting of the #MeToo movement," she said referring to the social media hashtag which has seen women share their stories of sexual misconduct. "It's raw partisan politics." ✕ Donald Trump responds to Brett Kavanaugh- She added: "I'm a victim of sexual assault. I don't expect Judge Kavanaugh, or Jake Tapper, or Jeff Flake, or anybody, to be held responsible for that. You have to be responsible for your own conduct," she added. "We do treat people differently who are either the victims or the perpetrators of this based on their politics now, based on their gender. That is a huge mistake." Although she did not say who sexually assaulted her, Ms Ms Conway raised the issue during Mr Trump's election campaign, as she defended him in an interview with cable channel MSNBC about his record in dealing with women. "I would talk to some of the members of Congress out there," she said. "When I was younger and prettier, them rubbing up against girls, sticking their tongues down women's throats, uninvited, who didn't like it."<doc-sep>“How could she work for Donald Trump? I work for President Trump because he’s so good to the women who work for him,” she said. “So, I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to hear it from any of them.”<doc-sep>

“I’m a victim of sexual assault,” said White House adviser Kellyanne Conway. | Kevin Dietsch - Pool/Getty Images White House Conway: ‘I’m a victim of sexual assault’ White House adviser Kellyanne Conway startled CNN host Jake Tapper on Sunday by saying she herself was a victim of sexual assault. “I’m a victim of sexual assault,” Conway said on “State of the Union” as part of an extended statement in defense of both Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the rights of those who have been victims of assault. "I don’t expect Judge Kavanaugh or Jake Tapper or Jeff Flake or anybody to be held responsible for that. You have to be responsible for your own conduct," she continued. Tapper circled back to Conway’s remark, offering her his sympathies. Conway offered no details, and Tapper didn’t ask for any. The host did ask how she reconciled her personal experience with President Donald Trump's statements about people making false allegations, to which she replied: "Don’t conflate it with what happened to me. ... Let's not always bring Trump into everything that happens in this universe." During a subsequent panel discussion, Tapper referred to her revelation as “a remarkable moment I wasn’t expecting.” The counselor to the president backed Trump’s statement that he found the testimony of Christine Blasey Ford on Thursday to be credible, though Conway defended Kavanaugh strenuously and attacked Democrats for their conduct toward him. “I said I found her compelling. And I'm glad she had — had her voice, yes,” Conway said to Tapper. “And I think they could both be right. I think something terrible could have happened to her … the same summer she and I were 15, and that Judge Kavanaugh was not involved. And I think that is why you have sworn testimony. That is why you have corroborating evidence, if you can find it. And that's why I suppose the FBI will continue to investigate.” She also said it is important not to lose sight of what is at stake. “You're always going to find somebody to try to impugn the integrity of either Kavanaugh or Ford,” she said of the partisan battles taking place across the nation. “That is not what this is about. This is about whether or not this man and his impeccable judicial temperament and qualifications in 12 years on the second highest court in this country is qualified to be on the United States Supreme Court.“

Bradley Cooper showed up to the 2019 Screen Actors Guild Awards with his mom --leaving us all wondering where his girlfriend, Irina Shayk, was. The Russian supermodel appears to have been busy performing supermodel duties and couldn't attend the awards with Cooper. Shayk was in Moscow to attend a Marc Jacobs and Sephora event, according to a post from Shayk on Instagram. She was even spotted with some friends of her own, puppies Kolizey and Glinka. The 33-year-old also made appearances at Paris Fashion Week a few days before going to Russia. Although Cooper's longtime girlfriend was missing, the actor had his mom, Gloria Campano, to keep him company and support his nominations for Best Actor in a Leading Role and Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. Related:Bradley Cooper joins Lady Gaga for surprise 'Shallow' duet at her Las Vegas show More:SAG Awards 2019: What you didn't see on the telecast Winners:SAG Awards 2019 Get daily WhatsApp updates on all the stars, movies, music and shows of awards season! Click this link on your mobile device to get started.<doc-sep>Jackson and Ally forever! It’s no secret that Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga are closer ever since they co-starred together in A Star Is Born. The co-stars and collaborators have been inseparable since the film was released last fall. Cooper even surprised fans with a cameo at Gaga’s Las Vegas residency show, Enigma, over the weekend, performing the film’s hit single, “Shallow,” as Gaga knelt at his feet in awe. At Sunday’s 2019 Screen Actors Guild Awards, the duo were as adorable as ever, despite their film not getting any SAG Awards love. Gaga and Cooper were both nominated for their lead roles in A Star Is Born but lost out to Glenn Close and Rami Malek. Regardless, Gaga sat at the same table as Cooper, who brought his mom, Gloria, as his date to the annual show. Here were some of their cutest moments: Getty Images AFP Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images For more from the SAG Awards, watch the clip below: SAG Awards 2019: Lady Gaga, Yara Shahidi and More Stars Stun on the Silver Carpet This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors. If you are using ad-blocking software, please disable it and reload the page. RELATED CONTENT: Lady Gaga Exudes Old Hollywood Glamour at 2019 SAG Awards Bradley Cooper Brings His Mom Gloria As His 2019 SAG Awards Date Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga Shock Fans With Surprise 'Shallow' Performance at Her Vegas Show Related Gallery<doc-sep>With all eyes on Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga as A Star is Born rakes up nominations this awards season, it's only natural for viewers to be curious about who they'll bring as coveted plus ones on the red carpet. For last night's Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, Gaga brought her fiancé and talent agent Christian Carino while Cooper brought his mother Gloria Campano, instead of his long-time girlfriend and mother of his daughter, model Irina Shayk. Dimitrios Kambouris Getty Images This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Bradley and Irina have kept their relationship relatively low-profile, and hardly ever make red carpet appearances together. For the Golden Globes, the great people of the Internet collectively lost it when Cooper walked the red carpet in a white tux with Irina, who stunned in with a freshly cut bob and gold Versace gown. The two shocked us again when they showed up to another public event together days later, this time in Bonnie and Clyde-esque outfits for the National Board of Review Awards Gala in New York City. For the 25th annual SAG Awards, which was held at the Shrine Theater in LA, Bradley donned a black Gucci suit, white shirt, black tie and a watch by IWC Schaffhausen. His mother Gloria sported a black dress, burgundy velvet short sleeve coat with green and multicolor marabou trim on the shoulder pads, and a giant pair of sparkling aviator sunglasses. Kevork Djansezian Getty Images While the film and cast of A Star is Born did not win in any of the four SAG categories they were nominated in—which included Male Actor in a Leading Role (Cooper) and Cast in a Motion Picture—Cooper and Gaga still appeared to be in high spirits. Gaga and her man were spotted showing plenty of affection last night while Bradley and his mom were grinning in almost every photo from the ceremony. With Oscars about a month away, it'll be interesting to see which lovely lady in Bradley's life will be his plus one to the biggest night in the film industry. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>Celeb obsessed? Get a daily dose of showbiz gossip direct to your inbox Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Lady Gaga and A Star Is Born have been snubbed at the SAG Awards 2019. The directorial debut by Bradley Cooper earned four nominations in total, with Gaga going up against British export Olivia Colman (The Favourite) for Best Female Actor. Cooper was up for the Best Actor gong, while Sam Elliott earned a nod for best Male Actor in a Supporting Role along with a group nom in the Outstanding Performance by a Cast category. However, the film and its stars left empty-handed with both Gaga and Olivia beaten by Glenn Close for her role in The Wife. (Image: AFP/Getty Images) (Image: AFP/Getty Images) Bradley - who played an alcoholic has-been country star in the flick - lost out to Bohemian Rhapsody's Rami Malek, and Sam missed out to Mahershala Ali for Green Book. Black Panther took the gong for best cast performance. Both The Favourite and A Star Is Born had been expected to win big this awards season, with Gaga and Glenn Close tying at the Critics' Choice Awards. Gaga's song for the movie, titled Shallow, won a Golden Globe, but it was snubbed in all other categories. However, it's been given the nod in a slew of Oscars categories, including Best Picture, Lead Actor, Lead Actress and Supporting Actor. (Image: Twentieth Century Fox) (Image: Daily Mirror) Meanwhile, one surprise winner of the night was Emily Blunt, whose husband John Krasinski who almost broke down when she bagged the Best Supporting Actress award for The Quiet Place. Roehampton born Emily was visibly shocked when her name was announced, embracing her husband who directed and co-starred with her in the thriller. For his part, the announcement of Emily as the winner was almost too much for him, as John barely managed to avoid bursting into tears of happiness, as the arena rose as one in celebration at the triumph. (Image: Getty Images for Turner) (Image: Getty Images for Turner) During the elation, Emily hugged fellow nominees Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone on her way up to receive her award. On collecting her SAG award, Emily said: "Oh my goodness me. Guys, that truly has completely blown my slicked hair back. "Thank you so so much, I'm so moved and completely lost for words and unprepared."<doc-sep>

The film was nominated for four awards Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga's A Star Is Born Shut Out of 2019 SAG Awards The cast was nominated for best outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture, which was won by Marvel’s Black Panther. Cooper was nominated for outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role and Lady Gaga was nominated for outstanding performance by a female actor. Sam Elliott was also nominated for outstanding performance by a male actor in a supporting role. 10074895v A Star Is Born cast presenting at the SAG Awards | Credit: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP/REX/Shutterstock Nonetheless, both Cooper, 44, and Gaga, 32, appeared to be in high spirits throughout the ceremony. While the film came up short Sunday evening, it has celebrated a number of victories in recent weeks. The SAG Awards snub comes after Gaga took home the award for best song for her track “Shallow” from the film at the 2019 Critics Choice Awards on Jan. 13. 25th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards - Inside Christian Carino and Lady Gaga | Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Turner “This means the world to us. I’ll never forget when we wrote this song together with Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt,” Gaga said of her fellow songwriters. “I’ll never forget playing it for Bradley for the first time and seeing his face light up and then singing it live together, take after take,” she added of her director and costar, who smiled as he watched her speak. “I was mesmerized both as myself and as my character Ally. I was basking in the brilliant transformation of Bradley into Jackson Maine, singing on his stage, and overwhelmed by the storytelling and power in his voice.” 775286735MM00004_25th_Annua Gloria Campano and Bradley Cooper | Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty The hit single also won best original song at the 2019 Golden Globes on Jan. 6. That was, however, its sole win that night. Despite being heavily nominated, A Star Is Born took home just one award of the five it was nominated for. RELATED: Emily Blunt Sweetly Shares SAG Awards Win with John Krasinski as He Tears Up During Her Speech Of course, it isn’t over for the film. A Star Is Born has been nominated for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Sound Mixing. The film, which marked Cooper’s directorial debut, is up for 7 Academy Awards. Cooper is up for Best Actor and Gaga for Best Actress. Elliott has also been nominated for Best Supporting Actor.

Firefighters have rescued a mountain lion stuck in a tree in the California desert. A homeowner called the authorities after discovering the cougar was near his home located close to the San Bernardino mountains. The big cat was stuck on a branch about 50ft, or 15m, above ground. State wildlife officials had to tranquilise the animals before firefighters brought it back onto land using a rescue harness. Wildlife experts also examined the mountain lion for possible injuries or health conditions before releasing it back into its habitat. Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Show all 19 1 /19 Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Bed of Seals By Cristobal Serrano of Spain Winner of the Animals in their Environment category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Kuhirwa Mourns Her Baby By Ricardo Montero of Spain Winner of the Behaviour: Mammals category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Mother Defender By Javier Aznar of Spain Winner of the Wildlife Photographer Portfolio Award PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Blood Thirsty By Thomas P Peschak of Germany and South Africa Winner of the Behaviour: Birds category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Night Flight By Michael Patrick O'Neill of the USA Winner of the Underwater category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Signature Tree By Alejandro Prieto of Mexico Winner of the Story category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Mud-Rolling Mud Dauber By Georgina Steytler of Australia Winner of the Behaviour: Invertebrates category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Desert Relic By Jen Guyton of Germany and the USA Winner of the Plants and Fungi category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Pipe Owl By Arshdeep Singh of India Winner of the 10 Years and Under category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Lounging Leopard By Skye Meaker of South Africa Winner of the 15-17 Years Old category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Crossing Paths By Marco Colombo of Italy Winner of the Urban Wildlife category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 The Sad Clown By Joan de la Malla of Spain Winner of the Wildlife Photojournalism category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 The Vision By Jan van der Greef of the Netherlands Winner of the Black & White category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 The Ice Pool By Cristobal Serrano of Spain Winner of the Creative Visions category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Dream By Michel do Oultremont of Belgium Winner of the Rising Star Portfolio award PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Windsweep By Orlando Fernandez Miranda of Spain Winner of the Earth & Environments category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Duck of Dreams By Carlos Perez Naval Winner for the 11-14 Years Old category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Hellbent By David Herasimtschuk of the USA Winner of the Behaviour: Amphibians category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 The Golden Couple By Marsel van Oosten of the Nehterlands Winner of the Animal Portraits category PA Rick Fischer, a warden for California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife, told Sky News it is not uncommon for mountain lions, or other big cats, to wander outside of their habitat. He also said it is rare for mountain lions to attack humans, but they are known to prey on pets and livestock. “Leaving the lion in the tree would not have been safe for the community,” Mr Fischer said. “Once the lion regained consciousness we ensured he safely returned to his suitable habitat.”<doc-sep>F irefighters have rescued a mountain lion from a tree outside a home in the southern California desert. The homeowner called authorities after spotting the animal near the edge of the San Bernardino Mountains. San Bernardino County firefighters found the large lion perched on a branch about 15 metres high. State wildlife personnel tranquilised the animal. Firefighters then lowered it to the ground using a rescue harness. The lion was lowered to the ground using a rescue harness / Rick Fischer/California Department of Fish and Wildlife/AP A biologist evaluated the lion before it was released back into the wild. State wildlife warden Rick Fischer said it's not uncommon for mountain lions to wander outside their habitat in the nearby mountains. Attacks on humans are rare but the big cats will prey on pets and livestock, he added.<doc-sep>HESPERIA —- Firefighters and wildlife officials successfully rescued a mountain lion stuck in a tree outside a local home Saturday afternoon. Like the classic legend, San Bernardino County Fire Department firefighters found themselves rescuing a cat off a tree — only a much bigger cat than usual. County firefighters were called to the scene to assist California Fish & Wildlife and San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department officials with the mountain lion, who was up a tree outside a home in the 18000 block of Danbury Avenue. The homeowner noticed the mountain lion while working in the yard, officials said, and immediately called for help. Firefighters arrived several minutes later and found the big cat perched in a tree approximately 50 feet above the ground, officials said. Firefighters secured the area as they figured out a strategy to get the mountain lion down to safety. They were able to tranquilize and secure the animal, using a rescue harness, to get it to the ground by 4:20 pm. From there, the big cat was evaluated by a Fish & Wildlife biologist before being released back into the wild, Warden Rick Fischer said. Paola Baker may be reached at 760-955-5332 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @DP_PaolaBaker.<doc-sep>

A mountain lion had to be rescued after it got stuck up a tree outside a house in California. The big cat was spotted outside the home in the Southern California desert by the shocked resident on Saturday. Firefighters rescued the huge animal from the branches after the worried homeowner, who was working in their yard at the time. The authorities called to the scene in Hesperia near the edge of the San Bernardino Mountains at around 4.20pm. The huge mountain lion was seen resting in a tree in the back yard on the edge of the San Bernardino mountains Rescuers had to climb 50ft up the tree and lower the cougar from the branches after tranquilizing the wild animal San Bernardino County firefighters found the large mountain lion perched on a branch about 50 feet (15 meters) high. State wildlife personnel tranquilized the animal and firefighters lowered it to the ground using a rescue harness. A biologist evaluated the cougar before it was released back into the wild. State Department of Fish and Wildlife Warden Rick Fischer said it is not uncommon for mountain lions to wander outside their habitat in the nearby mountains. He added: 'Leaving the lion in the tree would not have been safe for the community. The puma was sedated by rescuers and given a check-up before being released back into the wild The cougar was so high up firefighters had to use ladders to be able to tranquilize the animal 'Once the lion regained consciousness we ensured he safely returned to his suitable habitat.' Kevin Brennan, a biologist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, said: 'It is common for young mountain lions to wander outside what some would consider normal habitat in an attempt to establish their territory.' Attacks on humans are rare but the big cats will prey on pets and livestock.

The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Sign up to FREE email alerts from Daily Star - Soaps Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice In an explosive episode, EastEnders fans worked harder than ever to spot the clues of an upcoming storyline for Louise Mitchell (Tilly Keeper). Viewers saw her and current boyfriend Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters) sat together in the iconic Walford cafe talking about the intimate side of their relationship. Little does Louise know, Keanu was having a secret shock affair with Louise’s step-mum Sharon Mitchell, who is 25 years his elder. Things escalated in the cafe when Louise told Keanu that the pair “need one time alone”, hinting that she wants to get a little more intimate with him. However, Keanu was resistant and glanced towards Kat Slater who was sat in the cafe with baby Cherry. He then explained that he “just wants to be careful” and that he “doesn’t want anything to mess things up” between him and Louise, hinting that he is nervous Louise may accidentally get pregnant. Fans had their detective skills at the ready and were adamant they had figured out the latest storyline for Louise, suggesting she is soon to be pregnant. (Image: BBC) (Image: BBC) Taking to social media, viewers speculated about the future of Louise and Keanu’s possible baby drama. One said: “Oh My God, she’s going to get pregnant for sure.” Another tweeted: “She’ll try and trick him to get her up the duff!" (Image: BBC) (Image: BBC) A third added: “Louise will put holes in the condoms.” While a fourth hoped it couldn’t be true, writing: “For the love of God, don't make Louise pregnant. There's already enough non-Sheanu things dragging the storyline down as it is.” EastEnders continues tomorrow at 8pm on BBC One.<doc-sep>Louise is going to be in some pretty big trouble (Picture: BBC/Kieron McCarron) Louise Mitchell is about to contend with an awful lot on EastEnders, what with Keanu using every romantic trick in the book in an effort to ensure that she trusts him enough to protect her. Tonight, it seems that Keanu (Danny Walters) is a little too good of an actor, as Louise (Tilly Keeper) is now due to say that she wants them to take their ‘relationship’ to a more, erm, physical place. However, little does the poor girl know that the object of her affection has actually been having a thing with her step-mum Sharon (Letitia Dean). As if that wasn’t already enough, we can also reveal that Louise will be kidnapped very soon, as a result of her dad Phil’s (Steve McFadden) dodgy dealings, despite Keanu’s best efforts to keep her safe. Keanu will only be able to watch in horror as Louise is whisked away in a car by Midge (Tom Colley), and driven off to who-knows-where. In his desperation, he’ll call on Phil for help, who naturally becomes furious at the fact that his daughter might come to harm. Ben and Keanu will set out to try and find her, but it’ll be a race against time to try and save her before Midge or Danny (Paul Usher) end up hurting her. Meanwhile Louise will be fearing for her life, and she’s wise to, because Midge and Danny are not to be trifled with. While Phil goes to confront Danny, Keanu ends up finding Louise, but it’s only half a victory, as the baddies get the jump on him and he ends up trapped with her. At the moment it’s not clear whether or not Louise – or indeed Keanu – will survive this kidnapping ordeal, however the spring 2019 trailer seemed to close with Phil (or someone who sounds very much like him) screaming her name in anguish in a shipping container. Could these upcoming episodes be the last we ever see of Louise Mitchell? And what about Sharon – when she finds out Keanu dropped the ball and failed to protect Louise, will she ever be able to look at him the same again? You’ll have to tune in to find out! MORE : EastEnders spoilers: Wedding drama ahead for Whitney Dean and Callum Highway MORE : EastEnders spoilers: Louise Mitchell’s final scenes revealed in horror death storyline? MORE : EastEnders actor James Bye wants to renew wedding vows after welcoming baby number three<doc-sep>Plus Mick Carter's back and Jack gives Max a talking to EastEnders is set for a string of massive storylines next week including Louise having some huge news for Keanu… check out these brand new pictures!<doc-sep>Keanu Taylor is set to get EastEnders fans hot under the collar as he sneaks out of Louise Mitchell's bedroom window topless after a steamy secret sex session. But Louise is about to drop a baby bombshell as she learns she is expecting a child with her boyfriend on the BBC soap. The schoolgirl, played by Tilly Keeper, is feeling more loved up than ever as she has a romantic smooch on her windowsill - before making the shock discovery. Loved up: Keanu Taylor is set to get EastEnders fans hot under the collar as he sneaks out of Louise Mitchell's bedroom window topless after a steamy secret sex session Louise's first port of call is to confide in best friend Bex Fowler who is stunned but encourages her to open up to Keanu. Upon hearing the news, Keanu - played by Danny Walters - is floored and he turns to mum Karen to help her decide what to do next. Karen gives her son a tough reality check and he decides to reach out to Louise - but she rejects her call while she's with her mum Sharon so she doesn't find out her secret. Knowing she needs to talk to Keanu, a worried Louise heads to find him but she ends up making an upsetting discovery. Love birds: The schoolgirl, played by Tilly Keeper, is feeling more loved up than ever as she has a romantic smooch on her windowsill - before making the shock discovery Shock discovery: Upon hearing the news, Keanu - played by Danny Walters - is floored and he turns to mum Karen to help her decide what to do next Fans are left wondering whether she found out and what has become of their child, as Louise revealed a shocking truth about a pregnancy involving Keanu. Phil Mitchell, depicted by show stalwart Steve McFadden, was shocked Louise informed him she was pregnant with Keanu's baby - in order to get him to reveal where he was after his mum became worried. Phil's wife Sharon (Letitia Dean), who previously had an affair with Keanu, had persuaded her husband to send the young mechanic on a dodgy job to Spain, falsely claiming that it's for Louise's sake. With Keanu out of the way, Sharon hoped his absence would create some breathing space for both her and her scorned step-daughter, unaware of just how dangerous the job really was. But Keanu's mother Karen Taylor became concerned about the welfare of her son after not having heard a peep out of him. A guilty Sharon tries to get some information about Keanu from Phil, but the Walford hardman refuses to give her a straight answer. Cheeky kiss: It's not the first time Louise revealed a shocking truth about a pregnancy involving Keanu With Karen, who is aware of Sharon and Keanu's affair, increasing the pressure on her, Sharon turns to Louise in a desperate bid to get Phil to spill the beans. Manipulated by Sharon to get her father to crack, Louise soon stuns everyone by revealing she's having a baby and that she needs Keanu home to support her. Predictably, Phil loses his rag and an explosive row ensues, with the yells soon attracting an increasingly worried Karen.<doc-sep>

Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters) is set to ditch his clothes after a steamy session with Louise Mitchell (Tilly Keeper) on Albert Square. The EastEnders hunk has embarked on a secret love affair with Phil Mitchell’s (Steve McFadden) daughter, and in a bid to keep their hookups private he ends up climbing out her bedroom window. The schoolgirl will watch on from her window as a half-naked Keanu scales the side of her house. But the fun will come to a sudden end when Louise realises she’s pregnant. The pair slept together after Louise revealed she had been given the implant to safeguard her from getting pregnant. However, she will realise the contraceptive method has failed when she takes a test and finds out she’s going to become a mother. (Image: BBC) (Image: BBC) She’ll confide in Bex Fowler first, who will quickly encourage her to be honest with her boyfriend. But Keanu is taken by surprise, and immediately runs straight to his mum, Karen, for advice on what to do next. He tries to call her, but she refuses to answer as she’s with her mum who she’s keeping her relationship secret from. (Image: BBC) (Image: BBC) Realising she needs to find Keanu and talk it out, Louise goes to find him but makes an upsetting discovery along the way. Has Louise found out about her boyfriend’s torrid affair with her mother, or has she had the chance to be a mum already taken away from her? EastEnders continues tonight at 7:30pm on BBC One.

The world no. 1 and defending Indian Wells champion Naomi Osaka is safely through to the fourth round after a 6-4, 6-2 triumph over the Australian Open semi-finalist Danielle Collins in an hour and 22 minutes. Last year in Beijing, Osaka lost just one game against the American and she had the upper hand today as well, losing only 15 points on serve and controlling the scoreboard with the strong performance on the return that gave her four breaks from nine chances. Naomi finished the match with 29 winners and 21 unforced errors, far more impressive than Danielle's 11-22 ratio that wasn't enough for a more favorable result or to offer her the advantage from the baseline. The Japanese drew first blood in the third game with a forehand winner although she stayed ahead only for a couple of minutes, as Collins pulled the break back in game four to level the score at 2-2. Danielle defended three break chances in the following game to stay on the positive side of the scoreboard before wasting a 40-15 lead at 4-4 to suffer a break after a couple of beautiful winners from Osaka. The two-time Grand Slam champion secured the opener with a forehand down the line winner in game ten, gaining the momentum and mounting the pressure on her opponent. Danielle managed to win just six points on the return in set number two and she was nowhere near those numbers, spraying a backhand error to lose serve at love in game three. Serving at 1-3, the American squandered some five game points before Osaka broke her for the second time following a forehand mistake from Collins who saved a match point in game seven to reduce the deficit and prolong the match. Nonetheless, it was all over when Naomi held at 15 and sealed the deal with a backhand winner at 5-3 to set the mouthwatering clash against Belinda Bencic in the last 16.<doc-sep>The American is not hiding her happiness about her current situation and the fact that she will have another shot at Naomi Osaka Danielle Collins stunned the tennis world after reaching a sensation semifinal at the Australian Open last January coming literally from nowhere. The American impressed in Melbourne also for a couple of astonishing wins against Caroline Garcia (6-3 6-2) and especially the one over Angelique Kerber (6-0 6-2). Her run in Australian was even more remarkable if you take into consideration that the 25-year-old didn’t manage to win a single match in a WTA main draw until 2018. Why Danielle Collins is happy to play Naomi Osaka in Indian Wells The American collected just 1 game when she played Naomi Osaka in Beijing last year (6-1 6-0), Nevertheless, during a recent interview with the Tennis Channel, she admitted that she was excited to face the world no.1 again. When she was asked about her feelings about that, she replied “I have nothing to lose. It would be another great opportunity for me to go and play some good tennis hopefully and do better than I did last time.” This will be a very interesting match and Naomi Osaka should be careful about the American.<doc-sep>Naomi Osaka had an interesting interview with ESPN in February, and she recalled her last year's US Open final win over Serena Williams in September. The crowd was all cheering for the American. “If I were to put it bluntly, I know that there’s a lot of people that don’t like Serena, and I feel like they’re just looking for someone to sort of jump on to be against her and I feel like they found that in me. Of course, I don’t really like that... I want people to go with me for the right reasons. If I’m being blunt, I feel like that’s happened a lot, like after the U.S. Open", said Osaka. The Japanese feels the ultimate admiration for Serena despite all what happened: “I love Serena. Growing up... I really loved watching her matches, and honestly, I wouldn’t be where I am without her. That’s a fact. She opened so many doors for tennis and especially for people of colour. When you’re little and you’re growing up and you’re watching people, like the Indian Wells thing that happened." “Having that chance to represent people that might not think that they could be represented, that’s a really important goal of mine. It’s a little bit surreal because last year nothing like that would have come my way but this year I have opportunities like that."<doc-sep>

Naomi Osaka did not change too much as a person since when she started having success on the women's tour. 12 months ago the Japanese won her maiden career-title in Indian Wells defeating Daria Kasatkina in the final. She went on to win her maiden Grand Slam at the US Open and she repeated herself at this year's Australian Open prevailing over Petra Kvitova in a three-set championship clash. Through her official Twitter account, Osaka wrote: "Writing this now to organize my thoughts and try to put in words what I've been feeling. Recently a lot of parents have been coming up to me and telling me that their kids look up to me, those words literally blew me away. I was honestly so shocked and felt this huge responsibility because I remembered how important my role models are. Also the fact that the parents themselves were telling me this meant they approved (which is mind-blowing to me). Fast forward a few days and I'm here at Indian Wells, I see all these kids that look so happy to see me and they ask for pictures and autographs...Honestly I wanted to cry because my heart feels so full in these moments and I realize that it isn't just about tennis, it's about inspiring the next generation- and seeing all these kids, (a.k.a my babies, I start thinking about when I was a kid and all the people that inspired me to dream big and reach for my dreams. The fact that I'm in this position now to inspire kids when I feel like just yesterday I was 8 years old hitting on some busted down public courts (lol) is seriously a really huge honour for me and I realize I'm literally just a small piece in a very VERY big picture. Sorry if I'm too soppy haha, I just wanted to type out my thoughts since I'm in a good place mentally right now. I really love you guys and Thank you."

The Eagles announced on Monday they placed Jay Ajayi on IR with a torn ACL, making him the third significant fantasy player to suffer a season-ending knee injury, joining Jimmy Garoppolo and Jerick McKinnon. If there’s any silver lining for Ajayi’s fantasy owners, it’s that this news broke on Monday, giving them ample time to prioritize the position on the waiver wire this week. Here’s who they should be considering: The sensible choice: Alfred Morris, 49ers Matt Breida is expected to miss at least a few games after suffering a high ankle sprain in the 49ers’ 28-18 loss to the Cardinals in Week 5. That leaves Morris as the prime option in the backfield, which will have him comfortably on the start radar every week that Breida is out. Morris ran for 61 yards on 18 carries and caught three passes for 30 yards against the Cardinals, handling nearly every running back touch for the 49ers once Breida was out of the game. Morris has been a key player for the 49ers, joining the team after McKinnon tore his ACL right before the season began, and running for 228 yards and a touchdown on 62 carries. He hasn’t had enough volume to be more than a low-value depth back in fantasy leagues, but that will change, at least in the short term. The lone concern for Ajayi owners is that he may not be startable for the rest of the season, depending on the severity of Breida’s ankle injury, but he’s easily the best choice so long as he’s in the starter’s chair. Week 6 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire The swing-for-the-fences choice: Ronald Jones, Buccaneers If an Ajayi owner is looking for a player who could take over a backfield and own it for the rest of the season, Jones could be their guy. Peyton Barber has been terrible as the starter this season, running for 148 yards on 50 carries, while being a total non-factor in the passing game. Jones may have been a massive disappointment in the summer, but it’s time for the team to see what the second-round pick out of USC can do. He was active for his first game of the season against Chicago in Week 4, running for 29 yards on 10 carries. Those numbers may not have inspired much confidence, but he’ll have had two weeks of practice since then before the team plays the Falcons this week, and likely has received plenty of work with the first-team offense, including new-old starter Jameis Winston. At they very least, Jones can’t possibly be less effective than Barber and Jacquizz Rodgers this season. It’s worth remembering that the Buccaneers spent the 38th overall pick in the draft on Jones after he starred at USC, running for 1,550 yards and 19 touchdowns in his final season with the Trojans. The literal replacements: Corey Clement and Wendell Smallwood, Eagles It’s unlikely the Eagles will replace Ajayi with a true workhorse back. Instead, Doug Pederson will likely prefer to keep a committee in place, led by Clement and Smallwood. Clement had been playing ahead of Smallwood before suffering a quad injury, opening the door to a larger role for Smallwood. He did the most with his opportunity, turning six touches into 71 yards and a score in the team’s Week 5 loss to the Vikings. It’s likely that performance alone earned Smallwood more run, and he should be considered a co-equal option to Clement in a post-Ajayi world. This is going to be a shared backfield, but there’s enough work to go around for both Clement and Smallwood to be fantasy-relevant. I’d put in claims for both of them, with a slight lean toward Clement, simply because the coaching staff favored him when both were healthy, and he did not play his way out of that status. In three games this season, he has 112 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries, and eight catches for 74 yards. The swing-for-the-fences-part-two choice: Marlon Mack, Colts Mack was out again this week, missing his third game of the season because of a hamstring injury. The Colts struggled to get anything going on the ground in his absence, totaling 84 yards on 21 carries. Nyheim Hines generated 45 yards on 15 rushes, while Jordan Wilkins showed some signs of life, running for 39 yards on six totes. Still, the Colts rushing attack has been mostly punchless this season, and it’s safe to say that Mack will get a real opportunity to take over as the primary early-down back when he returns from his injury. The Colts played on Thursday in Week 5, so it’ll be 10 days between the team’s next game and the last time Mack was inactive. That could be enough time for him to get back, especially since he was practicing last week. You might want to see a prove-it game from him before starting him, and Hines is going to maintain a large role as a pass-catcher, but Mack has a better chance of completely owning early-down work than either Clement or Smallwood.<doc-sep>Adam Schefter details the implications that Jay Ajayi's ACL injury has on his future and the Eagles' running game. (0:53) PHILADELPHIA -- The Eagles placed lead running back Jay Ajayi on injured reserve Monday, a major blow to an offense that has struggled to score points over the first five games of the season. Ajayi tore his ACL on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter. Defending-champion Philadelphia (2-3) has been hit hard by injuries at the offensive skill positions. Receivers Mike Wallace (fractured leg) and Mack Hollins (groin) were placed on injured reserve earlier in the season, and running backs Darren Sproles (hamstring) and Corey Clement (quadriceps) have been unable to stay on the field. Ajayi, who is in a contract year, has been playing through a transverse fracture in his back suffered against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2. The Eagles have been struggling to put up points even with Ajayi in the lineup, scoring fewer than 24 in each of their first five games. This comes a year after they scored 24-plus points in 12 games last season, tied for the most in the NFL. Coach Doug Pederson dialed up just four meaningful run plays in the first half of Sunday's 23-21 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Ajayi, who finished with eight carries for 29 yards and had a costly fumble near the Vikings' goal line Sunday, stressed postgame the importance of establishing the run. "Obviously we want to be able to run the ball early and start that rhythm early in the beginning of the game. If I remember correctly, we had maybe three carries at the end of the first quarter," he told reporters. "With the offensive line we have on this team, running the ball like that, that doesn't make sense to me." The coaching staff now has to figure out how to distribute Ajayi's snaps. Sproles and Clement do not appear far off from a return -- Clement was active Sunday but did not play -- and the Eagles also have Wendell Smallwood and rookie Josh Adams on the roster. It will take a collective effort, and maybe some outside help, to fill the void.<doc-sep>Ajayi can reportedly make up to $5 million from an insurance policy he took out prior to the start of the season. Philadelphia Eagles running back Jay Ajayi had a loss-of-value insurance policy in place before he tore his ACL on Sunday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Thursday. Ajayi, who is set to become a free agent after 2018, took out the insurance policy before the start of the season, as he also did last year. The policy can pay him up to $5 million, tax free, if he loses money in free agency as a result of the injury. Ajayi knew he was "valued as a significant free agent," per Rapoport, and sought protection from a drop in his market value. The policy reportedly costs somewhere between $80,000 to $100,000. Ajayi had long battled injuries to his right knee during his time with the Miami Dolphins. The Eagles acquired Ajayi for a fourth-round pick just before the trade deadline last year. Ajayi played just four games and rushed for 184 yards this season. The 25-year-old running back was scheduled to have surgery on the torn left ACL on Thursday after being placed on IR on Monday. He has a career 562 carries for 2,516 yards and 13 touchdowns. The Philadelphia Eagles (2–3) play the Giants (1–4) on Thursday at 8:20 p.m. ET.<doc-sep>

For many, many reasons, Philadelphia Eagles running back Jay Ajayi didn’t want his season to end with a torn ACL before Week 6. But at least he protected himself financially. Ajayi, who can become a free agent at season’s end, took out a loss-of-value insurance policy before the injury, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The report said the policy can pay him up to $5 million, tax free, if he loses money in free agency as a result of the injury. It’s not what Ajayi wanted, but it helps soften the blow of the injury. Jay Ajayi protected himself in case of injury Ajayi’s draft stock fell because of issues with his right knee. He has had a good career with the Miami Dolphins and Eagles in spite of that, but his past knee trouble is probably a reason he took out a policy this year and last year, according to Rapoport’s report. The ACL tear is in his other knee. Philadelphia Eagles running back Jay Ajayi is out for the season, but took out an insurance policy in case he got injured. (AP) Rapoport, citing Ajayi’s business manager Josh Sanchez, said the policy can help make up the difference if Ajayi makes less than his market value because of the torn ACL, up to $5 million. Similar polices through the years have cost between $80,000 and $100,000. Ajayi’s salary this year was $1.9 million, so that was a significant price. It looks like a sound investment now. Ajayi will be an interesting free agent Ajayi’s free agency will be interesting. He has had a solid career, though he’s not quite a star. He’s just 25 years old though, and has had moments of excellence. He’s a big back with the ability to break a long gain, and that has a lot of value. Ajayi is also a player who will have questions about both knees, at a position that NFL teams don’t greatly value in most cases. If some team signs him in March, it will be about five months after ACL surgery. That makes it a risky proposition. But at least Ajayi made a smart choice and took out an insurance policy. Hopefully he doesn’t have to use it and some team pays him what he wants, but at least he has some peace of mind heading into free agency. Story continues More from Yahoo Sports: • LeBron: ‘In order to win, your teams have to be great’ • Heat star sues vet over his show dog’s neutering • Khabib threatens to leave UFC, forfeit paycheck • Exclusive: Pac-12 ruling raises major suspicion – – – – – – – Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Subscribe to The Yahoo Sports NFL Podcast Apple Podcasts• Stitcher • Google Podcasts

Scotland Yard officers were urgently hunting a crazed knife-man who stabbed four complete strangers in the space of a few hours after approaching them at random. A 45-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man remained in a critical condition in hospital and two others were seriously hurt following what detectives described as a series of "senseless and cowardly" attacks. Officers flooded the streets of Edmonton in north London and warned the public to be vigilant following the spate of linked knifings which occurred in the space of just over 12-hours. The attacker was described as a black man, approximately 6ft 3ins tall, of skinny build and wearing dark clothing, possibly a hooded top. The incidents followed another upsurge of bloody violence across the country with at least six fatal stabbings in recent days. On Monday Theresa May, the Prime Minister, will host a major knife crime summit at Downing Street as the police desperately try to get a grip on the rising tide of violence.<doc-sep>“We are doing everything we can to identify & apprehend the suspect behind these cowardly & senseless attacks. A large additional police response is now working throughout the #Edmonton area to help keep the public safe. Our advice is carry on but remain vigilant.” A/DCI Smillie pic.twitter.com/uLnVnpc3MV<doc-sep>A major manhunt is under way after a knifeman stabbed four people in the back at random in separate attacks in north London. Two of the victims are said by police to be in a critical condition, while the other two have been described as stable. Police are scouring the Edmonton area for a single male attacker, who is described as black, about 6ft 3ins, of skinny build and wearing dark clothing, possibly a hooded top. Image: Forensics officers are investigating the attacks in Edmonton, north London A man was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm shortly before 11am in Edmonton. Officers made a second arrest at a residential address in Edmonton later this afternoon. The second man, in his 40s, is also being held on suspicion of GBH, and both remain in custody. Following the second arrest, the Met Police said in a statement: "This remains a live investigation and police are pursuing all lines of inquiry. Advertisement "Members of the public are advised to remain vigilant and to report anything suspicious to police." All four victims had been alone at the time and attacked from behind without warning. :: First attack A 45-year-old woman is in hospital in a critical condition after being stabbed in the back in Aberdeen Road at about 7pm on Saturday. :: Second attack A male victim was stabbed four hours later in Park Avenue. He was taken to hospital for treatment but his condition is not life-threatening. :: Third attack Shortly before 4am this morning police received reports of a man stabbed at Seven Sisters tube station, but investigators believe he may have sustained his injuries in Silver Street, Edmonton. The 23-year-old remains in hospital in a critical condition. :: Fourth attack The most recent stabbing took place just before 10am this morning in Brettenham Road in N18. His injuries are potentially life-changing. Image: The aftermath of the most recent stabbing in Brettenham Road Acting Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Smillie said police are doing everything they can to "to apprehend the suspect behind these cowardly and senseless attacks". He said: "We believe the culprit knows Edmonton and may well be from the area. "The motive for the stabbing appears to be solely to inflict harm." He added: "The four victims are all from different backgrounds and appear to have been selected at random due to them being alone and vulnerable. There is nothing to suggest this incident is terror related. "We are working on the hypothesis that the single male suspect is acting alone and mental health issues may be a factor. Image: The four stabbings took place over a time period of 14 hours "All of the people he has targeted have been walking alone and he has approached from behind without warning." Dervish Husseyin, 60, was at his friend's house in Aberdeen Road when the first stabbing took place. "I seen the woman lying down, face down," he said, adding: "She said they had beaten her up." Mr Husseyin said the woman had "blood on her back" but did not seem to realise she had been stabbed. "She said she only went out for a walk on her own," he said. Image: Police teams are scouring the Edmonton area for the random knife attacker Mr Husseyin said a man who said he witnessed the attack described seeing two black men. Natasha Cameron, 45, lives in Aberdeen Road and was walking home from work at a nearby casino after 10pm. She said she saw officers on her road who told her there had been a stabbing but she was unaware of the later attacks. "I'm scared now because I always walk here from work home," Ms Cameron said. "Now I'm definitely taking the bus."<doc-sep>

Police in London are investigating the fifth stabbing in four days in the same north London district, it emerged on Tuesday. Four victims were stabbed from behind over the weekend in Edmonton, an area in the north of the UK capital. Officers said they believed it was not terrorism-related and the victims appear to have been selected "at random". In the latest attack, a man in his 30s was found with stab injuries on Tuesday morning, the Metropolitan Police said. The victim is in a life-threatening condition in hospital. Police said they believed a single suspect was behind the five stabbings. “The actions of the suspect, the fact they are in a similar area, and the descriptions given, mean that we are potentially looking at just one individual perpetrator. However, until the investigation has developed further and we are in a position to speak with certainty about this, I have a duty to ask the public to remain vigilant and to please continue to report anything suspicious to us," a police statement read. A man in his 30s was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm on Tuesday. Two other men were arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm for the weekend attacks and remain in custody. Authorities are grabbling to contain the surge in knife crime. Official statistics last month showed there were 285 fatal stabbings in England and Wales in 2018, the highest level since records began more than 70 years ago. Police say the rise in knife crime has been driven by factors including rivalries between drug gangs, cuts to youth services and provocations on social media. Prime Minister Theresa May held a meeting to discuss the surge in knife crime on Monday and warned the UK "cannot simply arrest itself" out of its knife crime epidemic and a "multi-agency, whole community" response was needed to tackle the problem.

Feeling a little nostalgic for the shoulder-padded days of the 1980s? Fortunately, Showtime’s Wall Street satire Black Monday has arrived to fill the perm-sized hole in your heart. Created by David Caspe (Happy Endings) and Jordan Cahan (Marry Me), the half-hour comedy made its debut on Sunday night — though the subject matter at its heart is no laughing matter. Black Monday chronicles the (fictional) events leading up to Oct. 19, 1987, otherwise known as the day of the (non-fictional) worst stock market crash in Wall Street’s history, which gave the show its title. Before you give us your reviews of Episode 1, here’s what went down in the premiere: Black Monday opens in the immediate aftermath of the titular stock market crash, and the streets of New York are bleak as wealthy finance bros weep over their lost dough. A Lamborghini limousine pulls up outside the New York Stock Exchange building — and moments after the driver steps out of the car, a man suddenly crashes on top of the limo, having fallen from the top of the NYSE. We don’t learn the identity of this unfortunate soul, but we do glimpse an emerald pin on his tie and a Rolex watch on his wrist. The episode then jumps back to one year earlier, and a few mysteries are quickly solved: That emerald tie pin belongs to recent business school grad Blair Pfaff (Girls‘ Andrew Rannells), though we can’t be sure he was the one who landed on top of the limo; and the limo, for that matter, belongs to stock whiz Maurice Monroe (House of Lies‘ Don Cheadle), known in the trading world as Mo the Marauder. Popular on TVLine When we first meet the highly ambitious (and highly coked-up) Mo, he has his heart set on the designer jeans company Georgina, whose shares he wants to take from the formidable Lehman Brothers firm. Blair, meanwhile, is fielding offers from multiple financial services companies, thanks to a new-fangled trading algorithm that he developed for his MBA thesis. Mo’s world collides with Blair’s, quite literally, when Blair crashes into Mo on the NYSE trading floor, sending Mo’s bag of cocaine flying in a cloud of white dust. Despite Blair’s apologies, Mo chews him out right there, in front of hundreds of traders, essentially ending Blair’s finance career before it even began. Later, at the urging of girlfriend Tiffany, Blair barges into Mo’s office and warns that he isn’t going to back down from his dream career without a fight — and Mo, impressed by Blair’s candor, gives him an opportunity to prove himself. Mo will set up an account with $50,000 in it, and if Blair can use his fancy algorithm to double that amount by the closing bell, he’ll have a job at Mo’s company. If not? He’s done. At first, it seems Blair is easily going to hit the $100,000 goal by the end of the day; the more frantically he types, the quicker the money grows. But at the very last minute, when he’s only a few thousand dollars away from landing a job, the numbers start to slide backwards, and Blair is powerless to stop it. Just as the closing bell rings, the money in the account drops to a measly 84 cents — and Blair is out of luck. It isn’t until later, when Mo spots Blair moping on the sidewalk, that Blair learns he got the job anyway, despite his failure that day. At the very least, Mo is intrigued by Blair’s audacity: “You’ve got some balls underneath those pleats!” Blair, still a bit shocked by the day’s events, returns home and proposes to his girlfriend, much to her delight. Meanwhile, Mo successfully procures the money he needs to trade with the Lehman Brothers, and he gets his hands on those Georgina shares before the half-hour is over. But the Lehmans have some unfortunate news for Mo upon giving him the shares: Despite his best efforts, he’ll never own a majority of the Georgina company. The Georgina family owns 51 percent of those shares, which are squirreled away in countless shell companies around the world — and it would take years for Mo to even begin untangling that financial web. At best, Mo will only own 49 percent of Georgina, and that number will never get higher. At first, Mo seems alarmed by this information, as he should be. But in the final moments of the episode, it’s revealed that Blair’s now-fiancée, Tiffany, is the heiress to the Georgina fortune — and Mo knew that all along. In fact, Blair’s collision with Mo on the trading floor earlier that day? It was all part of Mo’s plan to meet Blair and get him involved in Mo’s business, in order to play the long game of taking over Georgina. And what better way for Mo to celebrate this small victory than by snorting cocaine with his robot butler? OK, your turn. What did you think of Black Monday‘s debut? Grade the premiere in our poll below, then hit the comments to back up your choice!<doc-sep>LOS ANGELES — Cocaine has disrupted countless Hollywood productions, and that was the case not long ago on the set of Showtime’s new comedy “Black Monday.” But this time, it was its absence, not its presence, that was the problem. “I need my coke, sorry,” Regina Hall said, an oversight that brought an elaborate wedding scene to a halt. Clad in a sequined denim bridesmaid dress and an enormous pink hair bow, Hall chatted with her co-star Don Cheadle as extras milled about and someone ran to fetch her nose candy (actually a mix of comparatively benign powders like B-vitamins and starch). At a cluster of monitors, the showrunners Jordan Cahan and David Caspe pondered whether key bumps were wedding-appropriate, even in the baroquely dissipated world of 1980s Wall Street. “Maybe just a cigarette?” Cahan said, and soon a production assistant was handing Hall a fake cigarette instead of a vial of fake cocaine. These are the sorts of behind-the-scenes decisions that arise on “Black Monday,” an outrageous new comedy that began Sunday on Showtime, about a ragtag bunch of traders running a long con on the street’s blue-blood establishment. (Think “Bad News Bears” meets “Trading Places,” with lifestyle cues borrowed from “The Wolf of Wall Street.”)<doc-sep>

David Caspe turned 8 in 1986, a year (almost to the day) before the stock market crash that is the ostensible subject of his new Showtime series, “Black Monday.” I mention that because, watching the show, it often feels like you’re seeing the ’80s through the eyes of a precocious youngster glued to the television. Designer jeans, Rae Dawn Chong, “Diff’rent Strokes,” Grandmaster Flash, Marion Barry, Michael Jackson, cocaine buffets. Cartoonish characters living large in cartoonish clothes. The barrage of period allusions functions as a connective tissue binding the disjointed parts of “Black Monday,” which tries to stitch together an over-the-top comedy of the go-go ’80s and a tut-tutting, cautionary morality tale, fitted out with appropriate music, fashions and hairstyles. What it doesn’t supply is an actual feel for the period, or a coherent point of view about it, or anything more than clichés for the show’s talented stars — Don Cheadle, Andrew Rannells and Regina Hall — to play. The half-hour series, which begins Sunday, is clearly meant to satirize something, but the target is elusive. Caspe (who created “Black Monday” with Jordan Cahan) is best known for “Happy Endings,” a short-lived early 2010s network sitcom with a small but rabid fan base. “Happy Endings” charted the intertwined lives of a group of six besties, but it was really about an idea of communal post-college friendship in the post-“Friends” era. In a similar way — but with a premium-cable license for smuttier and colder jokes — “Black Monday” seems to be satirizing an idea of 1980s Wall Street excess, rather than anything that actually existed. A subplot in the early episodes (three of 10 were available) even involves a writer trailing the show’s main character, the trader Maurice “Mo” Monroe (Cheadle), to gather material for an Oliver Stone film. (“Wall Street,” one of the best-timed movies ever, came out two months after the real Black Monday.)

click to enlarge FLICKR/Brian Bennett In Missouri, government arm you! (Or so one legislator hopes.) Sign up for our weekly newsletters to get the latest on the news, things to do and places to eat delivered right to your inbox. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. While Missouri politicians have long tried to outdo each other over pro-gun legislation, the latest bill may be impossible to top — a law mandating that every Missouri resident aged 18 to 35 purchase an AR-15-style rifle.No, this is not the Onion. And yes, that's the very weapon targeted by gun reform activists and in an ongoing lawsuit filed by families of victims killed in the Sandy Hook massacre.Introduced last month by state Representative Andrew McDaniel (R-Deering), the bill, titled the "McDaniel Militia Act," would create a state tax credit (capped at $1 million annually) to function as an incentive for residents not yet strapped with Big Government's preferred Big Gun — the AR-15. Purchasers could then claim the tax credit on up to 75 percent of the gun's cost.The bill's text states, "Any person who qualifies as a resident on August 28, 2019, and who does not own an AR-15 shall have one year to purchase an AR-15... Every resident of this state[emphasis added].And that's not even McDaniel's only bill aiming to arm the masses: Two days before introducing his Militia Act, the Bootheel-area representative introduced the "McDaniel Second Amendment Act," which "requires every person 21 years of age or older who can legally possess a firearm to own a handgun. "In contrast to McDaniel's Militia Act, the handgun-focused bill specifies that Missourians purchase "a pistol, revolver, or other firearm designed to be held in one hand that is capable of firing .22 caliber ammunition or larger." (Purchasers could again receive a tax credit for complying with the law. )Still, it's not clear what would happen to residents refusing to get strapped, as neither bill addresses penalties for those who do not dutifully go gun shopping.Sadly for felons, who would probably would love to get in on this new proposal, the bill does carve out an exception; it only requires compliance from those who are legally permitted to possess firearms. And because of that, it's hard to quantify how just how many gun purchases would result from the bill's passage: According to state census data , Missouri holds about 1.5 million residents between the ages of 18 and 35, and about 4.5 million above the age of 21. Yet there's no precise way to know how many would be legally barred from participating, much less how many Missourians already have an AR-15.Still, experts estimate that the national average for gun ownership is twenty to thirty percent. Even presuming that only twenty percent of Missourians already own handguns, that would still put some 3.6 million residents under the law's mandate. Using the same very rough math, McDaniel's bill would encourage more than a million new AR-15-style rifle purchases. We're guessing that $1 million tax credit would be exhausted quickly.But don't go bounding off to the hunting supply store yet: At this point, neither of McDaniel's bills have been assigned a committee, much less scheduled for a vote. (McDaniels' office did not respond requests for comment on Thursday.) Still, we're guessing there are plenty of Missourah Republicans kicking themselves in the holster for not thinking of this first.<doc-sep>If passed, residents would have one year to purchase the rifle. ST. LOUIS — All of-age Missouri residents would be required to own an AR-15 style rifle if a bill were to become law. Called the "McDaniel Militia Act," people aged 18-35 and are legally able to possess a firearm would need to buy or own an AR-15. A 75 percent tax credit would be created to allow for the purchase of one. The bill was introduced in late February by state House Republican Andrew McDaniel. Someone who is considered a resident on Aug. 28, 2019, has one year to purchase the weapon, according to the bill text. The bill is not scheduled for a hearing in the immediate future, KMOV-TV reports. What other people are reading right now: ►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the 10News app now.<doc-sep>article A Missouri lawmaker who's introduced measures that would force adults to own handguns and young adults to own AR-15 semi-automatic rifles said he's trying to make the point that mandates are bad and doesn't actually want to require gun ownership. "The other side of the aisle loves mandates, so I'm trying to get them to make an argument against mandates," Republican state Rep. Andrew McDaniel, of the rural Bootheel community of Deering, said in a telephone interview. The bills from McDaniel, a former deputy sheriff in Pemiscot County, would offer tax credits for people purchasing firearms. One bill would require any adult who is legally allowed to legally can possess firearms to do so. The other bill would require everyone who is 18 to 35 years old to have an AR-15. Under federal law, people must be at least 21 to buy handguns from a licensed dealer and at least 18 to buy a rifle. McDaniel said people need to be able to protect themselves, particularly in rural areas where a single deputy may be patrolling a large geographic area. McDaniel said the legislation "points out the absurdity of the opposite side," and their proposals to "add more requirements and barriers for law-abiding citizens." He said he decided, "Let's get back at them." He said no outside group is helping him with the legislation. The National Rifle Association didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The legislation comes amid a session in which a top aide to a Missouri state senator was arrested after a loaded gun fell to the floor during a fight at a Jefferson City bar. Two state House members also were involved in an incident at another Jefferson City bar that left one of them with a black eye. The incidents occurred after a House committee heard debate on legislation that would allow concealed weapons in public places that currently ban guns. "From alcohol-fueled bar fights, to advancing legislation that would allow anyone to carry a concealed weapon anywhere from bars to daycares, to mandating gun ownership with a tax subsidy for gun manufacturers, the Missouri GOP rarely wastes an opportunity to embarrass themselves or our state," the Missouri Democratic Party said in a written statement. "Republicans should regroup during the spring legislative break and come back ready to do real work that moves Missouri forward." No hearings on either of the bills are scheduled, and McDaniel said that "of course" the legislation wouldn't pass "as is." He says if anything moves forward, he would focus on tax credits and strip out the other elements. Advertisement "I would never try to mandate anyone do anything against their will," he added.<doc-sep>

This image was removed due to legal reasons. Missouri Republican state R epresentative Andrew McDaniel wants to force every 18– 35 year old in his state to own an AR-15 and a handgun. At least, that’s what two bills, quietly filed by McDaniel in the Missouri legislature late last month, would have you believe. The truth, however, is that McDaniel is a cynical dickhead using these mandatory requirements as a scam for media attention. The proposed laws, as written, are: HB 1108: The McDaniel Militia Act, which requires every person between 18 and 35 years of age who can legally possess a firearm to own an AR-15 and authorizes a tax credit for a purchase of an AR-15. HB 1052: the McDaniel Second Amendment Act, which requires every person 21 years of age or older who can legally possess a firearm to own a handgun and authorizes a tax credit for a purchase of a handgun. An entire state full of adults required by law to own mass-shooters’ weapon of choice sounds crazy, right? But when I reached out to McDaniel, a former deputy sheriff in rural Pemiscot County, MO, to ask about his proposed legislation, he explained that, actually, he’s just using the insane-sounding legislation to get attention for a much more mundane goal, albeit one that’s equally gross which would get any GOP state legislator puppy at least one pat on the head from their local NRA lobbyist. “I merely planned for media to write about it but would ultimately amend it to take out the mandates and requirements (age and type of gun) and turn it into a gun tax credit bill,” McDaniel told Splinter in an email. Essentially, McDaniel just wanted the press to give his insane-sounding legislation a signal boost so his slightly less insane proposal—the tax credits—gets some free press. Missouri, by the way, boasts the seventh-highest rate of gun violence in the country, which costs residents an estimated $1.9 billion dollars each year. Nevertheless, McDaniel has decided his time as an elected official is best spent trolling the people in his state. It’s not very often that a politician makes it so clear just how full of shit they are. On the other hand, though, this shows just how seriously this guy takes his job: not at all. Meanwhile, laws requiring citizens to pack heat aren’t an entirely new phenomenon. Kennesaw, GA, requires “every head of household residing in the city limits [...] to maintain a firearm,” while a similar ordinance was passed in the small Utah town of Virgin in 2000. Great country we have here.

Tuesday is election day in Arizona. A U.S. Senate seat hangs in the balance. Several other competitive races could change the makeup of Arizona leadership, from the U.S. Capitol to the Statehouse to your City Hall. For complete Arizona primary election results, visit results.azcentral.com. PRIMARY VOTE PROBLEMS? Tell us your story to assist in our investigation 10:20 p.m.: Forese trailing in votes for Arizona Corporation Commission Republicans Justin Olson and Rodney Glassman and Democrats Sandra Kennedy and Kiana Maria Sears were leading their respective races in early election results for the Arizona Corporation Commission on Tuesday. Commission Chairman Tom Forese did not appear likely to keep his seat in the GOP primary. Five Republicans and three Democrats are on the ballot in the primary election for two seats on the commission. 10:06 p.m.: Brill holds lead in Democratic primary for 4th Congressional District David Brill, a doctor and businessman, was leading in the Democratic primary for Arizona’s northwestern congressional district and a chance face U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar in the November elections. Unofficial results Tuesday showed Brill leading Delina DiSanto in the 4th Congressional District. 9:44 p.m. Donald Trump congratulates Martha McSally on her primary win 9:40 p.m.: Ugenti-Rita leading in Arizona Senate District 23 In Arizona Senate District 23, Michelle Ugenti-Rita was leading former state Department of Economic Security director Tim Jeffries, according to early voting results. Gov. Doug Ducey fired Jeffries following a series of investigative stories by The Arizona Republic. 9:35 p.m.: Don Shooter trails in Arizona Senate race In races for the Arizona Legislature, Don Shooter, who was expelled from the House was in third place in Arizona Senate District 13, according to early results. Sine Kerr was leading the race with nearly 50 percent of the vote. Brent Backus was in second place. 8:13 p.m.: Diane Douglas still behind in early results for superintendent Diane Douglas trails Bob Branch and Frank Riggs for her party's nomination for state superintendent of public instruction in the Republican primary, according to early results. Democratic Kathy Hoffman leads David Schapira for the Democratic nomination, according to early results. Hoffman tweeted at 10:35 p.m. Tuesday, before all the election results were in, thanking supporters and saying, "we did it!" 10:18 p.m.: Ann Kirkpatrick wins Democratic nomination 2nd Congressional District Ann Kirkpatrick has won the Democratic nomination for U.S. House in Arizona's 2nd Congressional District, according to the Associated Press. 10:07 p.m.: Joan Greene wins Democratic nomination 5th Congressional District Joan Greene has won the Democratic nomination for U.S. House in Arizona's 5th Congressional District, according to the Associated Press. 9:05 p.m.: Nick Pierson wins GOP nomination 3rd Congressional District Nick Pierson has won the Republican nomination for U.S. House in Arizona's 3rd Congressional District, according to the Associated Press. 9 p.m.: Gaynor beats Reagan for SOS Challenger Steve Gaynor has beaten Michele Reagan in the GOP secretary of state primary, according to early results on the Arizona Secretary of State's website. 8:56 p.m.: Ruben Gallego wins Democratic nomination 7th Congressional District Ruben Gallego has won the Democratic nomination for U.S. House in Arizona's 7th Congressional District, according to the Associated Press. 8:57 p.m.: Steve Ferrara wins GOP nomination for 9th Congressional District Steve Ferrara wins the Republican nomination for U.S. House in Arizona's 9th Congressional District, according to the Associated Press. 8:55 p.m.: Lesko wins Republican nomination for 8th Congressional District Debbie Lesko has won the Republican nomination for U.S. House in Arizona's 8th Congressional District, according to the Associated Press. 8:42 p.m.: McSally wins Republican nomination for U.S. Senate Martha McSally wins the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Arizona's primary election, according to the Associated Press. 8:33 p.m. Garcia wins Democratic nomination for governor David Garcia wins the Democratic nomination for governor in Arizona's primary election, according to the Associated Press. 8:29 p.m. Gov. Ducey declared winner of Republican primary Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey beat a Republican challenger in the primary round of his re-election bid, according to the Associated Press. Ducey bested former Secretary of State Ken Bennett, a more conservative GOP candidate who had little funding or campaign resources, in Tuesday's primary. 8:24 p.m.: AP calls race for Sinema The Associated Press is declaring that Rep. Kyrsten Sinema has won the Democratic nomination for Arizona's U.S. Senate seat, a largely expected victory for the centrist Democrat. Sinema defeated community activist Deedra Abboud in Tuesday's primary. She'll face the winner of a three-way Republican primary in November. 8:20 p.m.: McSally, Sinema leading Senate primary races Rep. Martha McSally, a two-term congresswoman from Tucson, led her Republican rivals, former state Sen. Kelli Ward of Lake Havasu City and former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Fountain Hills, according to early and unofficial results from the Secretary of State for the Arizona Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Arizona. Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, who has served three terms and is from Phoenix, led her challenger, Deedra Abboud, a progressive activist and attorney from Scottsdale. 8:15 p.m.: Gaynor has lead in SOS race Challenger Steve Gaynor is beating Michele Reagan in the GOP secretary of state primary, according to early results. 8:13 p.m.: Diane Douglas behind Diane Douglas is behind in the race for state superintendent of public instruction in the Republican primary, according to early results. 8:11 p.m.: Ducey leading Republican primary Gov. Doug Ducey is leading in the Republican primary for governor, according to early voting results. David Garcia is the front-runner among Democrats. 7:45 p.m.: People still in line at Tempe polling site People are still in line waiting to vote at Tempe Public Library at Rural Road and Southern Avenue. 7:13 p.m.: Mike Pence congratulates Ducey on win before results even in Results aren't even in yet, but Vice President Mike Pence Tweeted out a congratulatory message for Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey on his "primary victory tonight" at 7:13 p.m. The Tweet was later deleted. 7:05 p.m.: Long lines reported at polling site in Tempe Tempe Public Library at Rural Road and Southern Avenue is reporting long lines after the polls closed in Arizona with reported wait times of two hours. Kimberly Silva, 28, waited about 90 minutes to vote at the Tempe Public Library polling site. Silva was frustrated with the long wait and the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors deciding not extending hours after voting problems. Silva said the delays were tough “especially with me and a child waiting in the heat—it’s too much.” Silva said she saw people leave without voting because they couldn’t wait any longer. She said voters who left without casting a ballot included students who had to go to class and people who had to go to work. Silva said a poll worker told voters they were technically not supposed to let people cast a ballot after 7 p.m., but they were going to allow it. She said she replied that she knew her rights—as long as voters were in line by 7 p.m., they were able to cast a ballot. —Dianna M. Nanez 7 p.m.: Polling sites close in Arizona 7 p.m.: Polling sites in Arizona are now closed. You will still be able to cast your ballot if you were in line by 7 p.m. For complete Arizona primary election results, visit results.azcentral.com. 6 p.m.: County recorder says voter problems nothing like 2016 Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes rode into office in 2016 in the wake of a “presidential preference” election that went terribly wrong, with people standing in line for too long at too few polling places. So when 62 of the County’s 503 polling places failed to open on time Tuesday morning, it begged comparison. Fontes, a Democrat, claims it is not the same at all. The company hired to set up the voting equipment, he said, did not send the number of technicians the county had contracted for, and so he had to “up-train” county employees to plug in wires and get the equipment ready for election day. The company said it did its job, and the problems were on the county end. Fontes said Tuesday’s election was nothing like that fateful election in March 2016. “What happened in 2016 is the day got worse and worse as the day went on. In this case we had a circumstance where the day didn’t begin too well and got better and better as the day went on,” he said. As for criticism from the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Steve Chucri, who said "there is no shortage of resources to run a successful election," Fontes responded: “The supervisors do what the supervisors do,” Fontes said. “And we were busy on the ground.” —Michael Kiefer 4:25 p.m.: Third time is a charm for this Scottsdale voter Scottsdale resident Joe Cerrito dropped off his ballot around 4:10 p.m. at the Mountain View Community Center, 8625 E. Mountain View Road. He said it was the third polling location he had been to on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, one polling location near Scottsdale Road and Acoma Drive was closed, he said. Another location had a long line, he said, even for people who were there to just drop off ballots. Scottsdale resident Danielle Chu said she tried to vote at 6 a.m. at one location near 40th Street, which was closed. She showed up later in the day at 4:30 p.m. at Mountain View Community Center in Scottsdale and was able to cast a ballot. Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes said Tuesday morning that as of 6 a.m., workers had not completed the set up in 62 polling places. All sites were functioning by 11:30 a.m., he said. — Perry Vandell 3:48 p.m.: Maricopa County won't extend poll hours The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors says it won't extend poll hours tonight after poll sites reported issues with equipment malfunctioning and some polling places were closed. In a statement, Board Chairman Steve Chucri said board members were not told of any concerns with polling sites on Monday. He said the County Recorder's Office received $3.9 million for new technology in fiscal 2018, and the county appropriated nearly $20 million for elections this fiscal year, "so there is no shortage of resources to run a successful election." "Now the Board is being asked to step in and take unprecedented action that may confuse voters, delay returns, and have other unintended consequences. We encourage any voter who wants to cast their ballot to be in line at any of your designated polling places by 7 p.m. and their vote will be counted.” 2:50 p.m.: Governor's office supports polls being open later Daniel Ruiz, a spokesman for Gov. Doug Ducey, said there is no more important day for Democracy in this country than election day. He said the governor supports an extension of voting time "if it means that more people will have the opportunity to make their voices heard at the ballot box." “As the governor has stated before, it’s vital that all qualified voters have the ability to vote and that elections in Arizona are conducted properly," Ruiz said. "That must be the rule for every election held in Arizona, no exceptions.” Kelly Fryer, one of three candidates in the Democratic primary for governor, said, "I absolutely support an extension to make sure everyone has a chance to vote, and beyond that, we need to get serious about fixing the systemic issues that are plaguing our election process. "It’s time to demolish the barriers to voter education, registration and participation once and for all," she said. — Maria Polletta 2:05 p.m.: All Maricopa polls are operational Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes said all polling sites are operational. He tweeted that, as of 6 a.m., the set-up in 62 polling places had not been completed. All sites were functioning by 11:30 a.m., he said. Charles McNulty came to vote at Burton Barr Library around lunchtime after he learned the voting system at the Encanto Park Clubhouse was not operational. “It was very frustrating,” McNulty said. “For a primary two years ago, I waited in line for 4½ hours, so I was annoyed again.” McNulty said because of his change in location, he also had to vote provisionally. “I’m not happy with it,” McNulty said.<doc-sep>Arizona voters headed to the polls Tuesday to choose nominees in four key primary elections: Senate, governor, and two House races. The most closely watched race was the Republican primary for the Senate seat vacated by retiring Sen. Jeff Flake between Rep. Martha McSally, Kelli Ward, and former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. On Tuesday night, McSally prevailed with relative ease, setting up a November showdown with Democrat Kyrsten Sinema. There’s also a competitive Democratic primary for governor to see who will challenge Republican incumbent Doug Ducey and two House races — including one where Democrats Ann Kirkpatrick and Matt Heinz are fighting bitterly. Results won’t began reporting at 11 pm Eastern due to some areas of the state that follow Daylight Savings Time. Live results are below, powered by Decision Desk.<doc-sep>

Rep. Martha McSally, R-Ariz Bill Clark | CQ-Roll Call Group | Getty Images As November's midterm elections draw closer, two of the most pivotal states in the fight for control of Congress hold primary elections Tuesday. Voters in Arizona and Florida choose nominees for two of the country's most important Senate races, along with a handful of highly competitive House elections. Democrats will vie to challenge GOP Gov. Doug Ducey in Arizona, while both major parties will jostle to replace Rick Scott, Florida's Republican governor and a Senate candidate. In Oklahoma, a primary runoff will determine the Republican contender in the race for governor. After Tuesday's elections, only a few more primaries — mostly in small, blue-leaning Northeastern states — will take place before November. Democrats are trying to flip 23 GOP-held seats to win a majority in the House. Meanwhile, the GOP faces a favorable map as it tries to keep or expand its 51-49 seat majority in the Senate. Here are notable races to watch on Tuesday: Arizona The contest to replace retiring Republican Sen. Jeff Flake is Arizona's most high-profile this year. Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema is all but assured to earn her party's nomination on Tuesday. The Republican side has proven a bit more unpredictable. The three candidates — Rep. Martha McSally, former state Sen. Kelli Ward and ex-Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio — have all tried to position themselves as the biggest supporter of Trump. That puts them in contrast to Flake, who has criticized Trump more frequently than most of his Senate GOP colleagues. McSally likely has an edge, as Ward and Arpaio could divide the state's more conservative voters. Trump has not yet endorsed a candidate in the race. But he has a relationship with Arpaio, whom he pardoned following a criminal contempt conviction related to his treatment of undocumented immigrants. Read more about the Arizona Senate race here. On the House side, Democrats covet the 2nd District seat McSally vacated. Former U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick has emerged as the top fundraiser and contender for the Democratic spot in the district, which leans slightly Republican relative to the rest of the country. Businesswoman Lea Marquez Peterson is considered the GOP frontrunner for the nomination. Republicans also have a chance to pick up the Democratic-held 1st District, though prognosticators give Rep. Tom O'Halleran a good shot at keeping his seat. State Rep. Steve Smith, businesswoman Tiffany Shedd and Air Force veteran Wendy Rogers aim to challenge O'Halleran. In the race for governor, former education official David Garcia and state Sen. Steve Farley appear to be the leading Democratic candidates to challenge Ducey. Florida Florida Governor Rick Scott greets people as he makes a campaign stop at Chico's Cuban Restaurant where he received an endorsement from the Florida Police Chiefs Association on June 14, 2018 in Hialeah, Florida. Joe Raedle | Getty Images Florida's closely watched Senate race will be one of the most important in determining the Senate's partisan makeup next year. Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson faces a strong challenge from Scott, who has piled his own fortune into his campaign. Both Nelson and Scott are expected to breeze to their parties' nominations on Tuesday in the year's most expensive race. Read more about the Florida Senate contest here. The primary contests in the race to replace Scott as governor should prove more exciting on Tuesday. On the Republican side, Trump has put his weight behind Rep. Ron DeSantis, a conservative who has proudly tied himself to the president. The endorsement has given DeSantis a major boost as he tries to defeat the more traditional GOP alternative in state Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam. Former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham appears to have a slight edge in a crowded Democratic primary field. Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine is among the other contenders. Numerous House races in Florida will also be intriguing either on Tuesday or in November. A few Democratic House members from Florida face primary challenges. Former Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown hopes to take out Rep. Al Lawson in the sprawling 5th District, which stretches from Tallahassee to Jacksonville. Rep. Stephanie Murphy faces a challenge from lawyer Chardo Richardson in the 7th District outside of Orlando. Former U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson also hopes to unseat Rep. Darren Soto in the 9th District south of Orlando.

AFP Boko Haram militants overran a military base in northeast Nigeria after a ferocious firefight, security sources said Sunday, the second major assault on the country's forces in two days. The militants invaded a base holding hundreds of soldiers in Yobe state, where they abducted over 100 girls from a school earlier this year, in an hours-long onslaught Saturday night, a military source told AFP on condition of anonymity. The attack took place after Boko Haram fighters ambushed a military convoy in neighbouring Borno state on Friday, highlighting the tenuous hold Nigerian forces have on the remote region despite claims from Muhammadu Buhari’s government the country is in a “post-conflict stabilisation phase.” “Boko Haram terrorists attacked troops of the 81st Division Forward Brigade at Jilli village in Geidam district. The terrorists came in huge numbers around 7:30 pm (18:30 GMT) and overran the base after a fierce battle that lasted till 9:10 pm,” said the military source. “The base had 734 troops. Currently the commander of the base and 63 soldiers have made it to Geidam (60 kilometres away) while the remaining 670 are being expected,” he said. “We don’t know if there were any casualties among the troops. That will be known later,” he said, adding that the base was new and the troops had recently arrived from Lagos, the commercial capital. A leader of a local anti-jihadist militia said that the soldiers sustained casualties, but was unable to give a toll, attributing the attack to the Abu-Mus’ab Al-Barnawi faction of Boko Haram, which is known for targeting Nigerian forces. “We learned that they drove from Lake Chad through Gubio (in nearby Borno state) and attacked the base,” he said. Geidam resident Fannami Gana said that Boko Haram jihadists “overwhelmed” the troops. “We don’t know the details of what happened but we learnt they were overwhelmed by hundreds of Boko Haram gunmen,” said Gana. On Friday, 23 Nigerian soldiers went missing after Boko Haram ambushed a convoy outside Bama, leading to the loss of several military vehicles. According to a military officer, “around 100 terrorists” attacked the convoy. The sophisticated attacks highlight the continued threat, and evolution, of Boko Haram, an Islamic State group ally, said Yan St-Pierre, counter-terrorism advisor and head of the Berlin-based Modern Security Consulting Group. St-Pierre suggested that the attacks could be because Boko Haram fighters are vying for control of the faction led by Abubakar Shekau, the long-time jihadist leader who is reportedly ill. “When a near-mythical leader is on his way out there’s always a battle to establish who could be next,” said St-Pierre. The attacks show the persistent threat of Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region, said the security expert. As the jihadists exploit rampant poverty in the region, the Nigerian army, which is overstretched and under-resourced, struggles to keep the insurgency in check. “The supply of Boko Haram fighters is always there, either through kidnapping or economic reasons, they tap into a wide pool of personnel, they find a way to replenish their strength,” St-Pierre said. President Buhari, a 75-year-old former military ruler, came to power three years ago on a promise to defeat Boko Haram. But while there have been clear military gains since a counter-insurgency was launched in 2015, suicide bombings and raids remain a constant threat, particularly to civilians. Boko Haram’s Islamist insurgency has devastated the region since 2009, leaving at least 20,000 dead, displacing more than two million others and triggering a humanitarian crisis. © Agence France-Presse<doc-sep>Dozens of Nigerian troops disappeared on Saturday when militant group Boko Haram attacked a military base in northeastern Nigeria, according to reports. The jihadist fighters descended Saturday evening on a military base in Jilli village, in the country's northeastern Yobe state. Agence France-Presse reported that the assault may have been conducted by militants loyal to Islamic State-backed leader Abu Mus'ab al-Barnawi. Conflicting reports emerged after the attack, as military personnel issued contradictory statements about the more than 700 troops stationed at the base. AFP initially reported that hundreds of soldiers were missing after the attack, and a military source told the outlet "so far we have lost 31 soldiers, including three officers. Two vigilantes were also killed in the attack." AFP also reported that 24 troops were wounded in the attack. The army, however, denied the claims of missing soldiers. While acknowledging the assault by Boko Haram, the military said that "troops reorganised and successfully repelled the attack, and normalcy has since returned to the area." Reports indicated that the military had sent reinforcements to the base and that searchers were attempting to find troops who were killed, wounded or missing. Saturday's attack followed an ambush by approximately 100 Boko Haram fighters against Nigerian soldiers in Borno state on Friday. Soldiers who were involved in the attack said more than 20 troops remained missing on Monday, but the military denied any troops were unaccounted for. Militants took eight military vehicles in the attack, according to AFP. Reuters reported that Boko Haram has had a deadlier influence in Borno state than any other area in the country. The militants have killed 30,000 in Nigeria people since 2009, when the group began its insurgency to build an Islamic caliphate. Nigeria's government has struggled to contain the militant group for nearly a decade. Attacks launched by the group have triggered a regional humanitarian crisis in the Lake Chad region that has left 2.6 million people displaced. President Muhammadu Buhari, who vowed to defeat the militant group while campaigning for office, has faced public backlash for failing to significantly curb Boko Haram's influence. The government has prematurely declared victory over Boko Haram for years. Last week, Buhari signaled the military had conquered militants in the country's northeast. "It's evident that we are in a post-conflict stability phase, which has been made possible by the good work of our armed forces," Buhari said just days before the attacks.<doc-sep>"Let me use this opportunity to call on the good people of northern Borno... to return to their communities which have long been liberated by our gallant troops," he said at an inauguration ceremony for gunboats earlier on Saturday.<doc-sep>

Some Nigerian troops are missing after Boko Haram insurgents overran a military base in the remote part of the North-East, security sources said Sunday, in the second major assault on the armed forces in two days. The militants invaded a base holding more than 700 soldiers in Yobe State – where they abducted over 100 girls from a school earlier this year – in an onslaught Saturday night, a military source told Agence France Presse on condition of anonymity. Fewer than 100 soldiers returned following the attack, which took place just 24 hours after Boko Haram fighters ambushed a military convoy in neighbouring Borno State on Friday. The two assaults highlighted the tenuous hold Nigerian forces have on the ravaged region despite claims by President Muhammadu Buhari’s government that the country is in a “post-conflict stabilisation phase.” “Boko Haram terrorists attacked troops of the 81st Division Forward Brigade at Jilli village in Geidam district. The terrorists came in huge numbers around 7:30 pm and overran the base after a fierce battle that lasted until 9:10 pm,” said the military source. “The base had 734 troops. Currently, the commander of the base and 63 soldiers have made it to Geidam (60 kilometres away) while the remaining 670 are being expected,” he said, without elaborating on their possible fate. “We don’t know if there were any casualties among the troops. That will be known later,” he said, adding that the base was new and the troops had recently arrived from Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital. A leader of a local anti-jihadist militia said the soldiers sustained casualties, but was unable to give a toll, attributing the attack to the Abu-Mus’ab Al-Barnawi faction of Boko Haram, which is known for targeting Nigerian forces. “We learned that they drove from Lake Chad through Gubio (in nearby Borno State) and attacked the base,” he said. Geidam resident, Fannami Gana, said the jihadists “overwhelmed” the troops. “We don’t know the details of what happened but we learnt they were overwhelmed by hundreds of Boko Haram gunmen,” said Gana. Nigerian army spokesman, Texas Chukwu, said he did not know about the attack. “I am not aware of the attack because (I) have not received information from there,” Chukwu said in a text message to AFP. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]

Vancouver Weather: Brace for another dump of snow Article content VANCOUVER, B.C. – A snowfall warning is in effect for Metro Vancouver. Environment Canada says a frontal system sliding down the south coast on Friday will bring with it as much as 5-10 centimetres of snow with higher amounts expected for the North Shore and higher elevations. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Vancouver Weather: Brace for another dump of snow Back to video The snowfall is expected to be heaviest in the morning and then taper off in the afternoon. The weather agency says we will hit a high of four degrees and we can expect the snow to turn to showers later this afternoon. Weather: Vancouver, B.C. Today: Snow at times mixed with rain ending this afternoon then cloudy with 40 percent chance of rain showers. Clearing this afternoon. Snowfall amount 5 to 10 cm. High plus Tonight: Increasing cloudiness. 60 percent chance of rain showers or flurries overnight. Low plus 1. Tomorrow: Rain showers and flurries. High 6. UV index 1 or low. Sunday: Clearing. High 6. Source: Environment Canada Traffic: Lower Mainland Here’s a live traffic map of what’s happening across the region’s roads. Use command + scroll to zoom in and out.<doc-sep>Send this page to someone via email The snowfall warning for Metro Vancouver ended early Friday, with rainfall leading to slushy road conditions on some city streets. “Temperatures through the overnight were steady around 1 degree or even more, and that’s why the majority of the precipitation that we saw did fall as rain,” Global News weather specialist Kasia Bodurka said. WATCH: Southwestern B.C. braces for more snow 1:37 Southwestern B.C. braces for more snow Southwestern B.C. braces for more snow – Feb 14, 2019 “Great news for the roads, though I’d still be wary about the side roads that could still be on the slushy side. Moving forward, there’s still a chance of wet snow through the morning hours or even rain into the afternoon periods of rain or wet snow still possible throughout Metro Vancouver.” Story continues below advertisement TransLink has not reporting any big problems for the buses or SkyTrain. Storm timeline Global BC meteorologist Kristi Gordon said Friday afternoon should see temperatures climb to three or four degrees in Metro Vancouver and a transition to rain, while snow and freezing rain will remain a concern in the valley. Environment Canada says up to 15 centimetres of snow are possible for several regions of the South Coast, particularly on Vancouver Island. Story continues below advertisement WATCH: B.C. weather forecast for Feb. 14, 2019 2:41 B.C. weather forecast for Feb. 14, 2019 B.C. weather forecast for Feb. 14, 2019 – Feb 14, 2019 You can see full and up to date Environment Canada warnings and alerts here. Roads and travel TransLink says it has mobilized extra staff and has sanded and salted transit exchanges. It says it has substituted a number of its 60-foot articulated buses for shorter, 40-foot buses with better traction. It says it has also turned off SkyTrain track intrusion alarms and has deployed SkyTrain Attendants to watch for guideway issues, however trains are running at a reduced frequency. HandyDART service has been reduced to essential service levels, meaning all non-essential travel will be rescheduled. Multiple bus routes, including the #20 Victoria and #95 SFU are experiencing disruptions. Story continues below advertisement Passengers are still being warned to expect delays and crowding during peak period, and to plan extra time into their commute. You can see updated transit alerts here. Snow is starting to fall across #LowerMainland #BCHwys. Please slow down & drive to the road conditions. Here is a shot of snowfall on #LionsGateBridge pic.twitter.com/hKefKaaXQH — Drive BC (@DriveBC) February 15, 2019 Time to head home! The snow is light and not sticking in many areas right now but that could change very soon. Snowfall warning remains in effect as the arctic airmass is still in place.#BCStorm@GlobalBC @CKNW pic.twitter.com/1bUZnEMaHk — Kristi Gordon (@KGordonGlobalBC) February 14, 2019 READ MORE: B.C.’s South Coast begins digging out from storm, but more snowfall is on the way The City of Vancouver said Thursday that crews had been on the roads all night salting arterial roads, bridge decks and viaducts. Drivers without snow tires are advised to stay off the roads, and motorists are also being reminded that they must fully clear snow off their vehicle or potentially face a $109 fine. We're hearing that road conditions across Greater #yyj are deteriorating. Please use caution. Turn on your lights. Take it slow. It may take a while to get home. We want you to get home safely. #yyjtraffic — Victoria Police (@vicpdcanada) February 15, 2019 A mandatory commercial vehicle chain-up was in effect for the Malahat on Vancouver Island for several hours on Thursday evening. DriveBC has also issued a travel advisory for the Coquihalla Highway from Hope to Kamloops, and the Okanagan Connector from Merritt to West Kelowna, and has warned of limited visibility due to blowing snow. The Vancouver International Airport is also advising passengers to check the status of their flight before heading to YVR. WATCH: (Aired: Feb. 12, 2019) Second blast of winter hits southwestern B.C. 1:55 Second blast of winter hits southwestern B.C. Second blast of winter hits southwestern B.C – Feb 12, 2019 Closures Douglas College cancelled all classes on Thursday effective at 4:30 p.m. Story continues below advertisement Simon Fraser University also cancelled evening classes late Thursday evening, and advised staff and students to make their way off of Burnaby Mountain. Weather conditions are deteriorating more rapidly than forecasted on SFU's Burnaby campus. We advise students, faculty and staff to wrap up classes and activities and make their way off Burnaby Mountain. Classes starting after this point are cancelled for the evening. — Simon Fraser Univ. (@SFU) February 15, 2019 Due to weather conditions in the Lower Mainland, all classes, activities and events have been cancelled for Thursday, February 14 at all Douglas campuses from 4:30pm. We continue to monitor the weather and will provide a new update on campus conditions by 6:30 am, Feb. 15. — Douglas College (@douglascollege) February 14, 2019 Numerous school districts around the Lower Mainland also have a professional development or non instructional day scheduled for Friday, including Vancouver, North Vancouver, Langley and Abbotsford school districts and all Catholic schools. Burnaby City Hall also closed at 4:45 p.m. Thursday due to wintry weather conditions. The city says it will reopen as normal at 8 a.m. Friday. The Vancouver Park Board says the Stanley Park Seawall between Siwash Rock and the Lions Gate Bridge also remains closed due to the risk of falling ice.<doc-sep>Send this page to someone via email Metro Vancouver’s latest snowfall warning came and went Friday, creating another messy day for travelers in the region. Multiple road closures and traffic advisories were issued in cities across the Lower Mainland, later getting pulled along with the snowfall warning as conditions began to clear. In Vancouver, Boundary Road was closed from 49th Avenue to SE Marine Drive due to the snow and ice on the hill. It re-opened around 2:30 p.m. Boundary Rd is currently closed from 49th Ave to SE Marine Dr due to an accumulation of snow & ice on the hill. Crews are anticipated to clear the corridor later this afternoon once the snowfall eases. #VanTraffic pic.twitter.com/XTCCprW1ZX — City of Vancouver (@CityofVancouver) February 22, 2019 Vancouver police said they had to deal with several traffic problems throughout the day, asking drivers to stay clear of Boundary Road from Marine Drive to E Hastings northbound, and Boundary from E Broadway to Kingsway southbound. WATCH: When you have to commute in heavy snow, packing your car with an emergency kit will help you be better prepared for the worst. 1:05 6 things to stash in your car during a snowstorm 6 things to stash in your car during a snowstorm – Feb 13, 2019 Several semi trucks were reported stuck, stalled and sliding backwards. Story continues below advertisement In addition, Clark Drive and Grandview Highway was congested in all directions, with drivers asked to avoid the area. In Burnaby, RCMP was asking drivers without snow tires to avoid Gaglardi Way on Burnaby Mountain until the snow had cleared. Traffic Alert: Due to the adverse weather, we are asking drivers without snow tires to please avoid Gaglardi Way on Burnaby Mountain until snow has been cleared. Please be patient as snow plows clear the roads. @NEWS1130Traffic @AM730Traffic — Burnaby RCMP (@BurnabyRCMP) February 22, 2019 Schools in Mission closed at noon due to the poor road conditions. Classes at the University of the Fraser Valley campuses were also cancelled from 12:15 p.m. Friday. Roads are reported to be bad in areas such as Surrey, Vancouver, Langley and Coquitlam. Coming down big time around Burquitlam sky train pic.twitter.com/FrjSEKf2Qe — right-said-red (@red_said) February 22, 2019 The snowfall warning was kept in effect for the Fraser Valley throughout the afternoon, with amounts between five and 10 centimetres expected.<doc-sep>Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp Share this item on Facebook A snowfall warning has been issued for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. Global News meteorologist Yvonne Shalle says the morning rush hour may not be affected. “Now with temperatures hovering around the freezing mark, we’re looking at it starting off as snow for most areas late this morning and continuing for the afternoon,” she said Tuesday morning. WATCH: Coverage of the February snow in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island Story continues below advertisement “As temperatures start to bump up, we’ll see a transition over to rain, especially for areas near the water. Higher elevations and the Fraser Valley are looking at anywhere between five and up to 10 centimetres. The snow will continue for the evening. It will ease off with a chance of flurries on our Wednesday and clearing by the afternoon (Wednesday).” READ MORE: More snow on the way for Metro Vancouver and lower Fraser Valley Tuesday Motorists are also being reminded that they must fully clear snow off their vehicle or potentially face a $109 fine.<doc-sep>

Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp Share this item on Facebook Snow is falling across Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley Friday morning. Global News meteorologist Mark Madryga says it will be wet and in some places mixed with rain. “It certainly will be a messy morning here in the Lower Mainland as we’ll have snow accumulate, especially at higher elevations. Right down near sea level temperatures are a little above freezing, certainly some rain mixed in there. But still expecting five to up to 10 centimeters of sloppy wet snow by late this morning in parts of Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.” “This afternoon though a little clearing will take over, believe it or not, and we’ll shoot up to about five degrees.” WATCH: (Aired Feb. 21) Say it ain’t “snow”: Kristi Gordon has more bad news for the South Coast as another snow warning looms. 1:11 More snow on the way for Metro Vancouver More snow on the way for Metro Vancouver – Feb 21, 2019 Global News meteorologist Kristi Gordon says Friday afternoon will see that band of moisture move on, but there will be lingering instability behind it, which will last into Saturday. Story continues below advertisement “Metro Vancouver will see a chance of rain Friday afternoon as it warms to 4 C, but it may return to a chance, or isolated pockets, of snow Friday night and Saturday morning as temperatures cool,” Gordon added. Higher terrain and the Fraser Valley may also see snow or isolated pockets of snow Friday afternoon through Saturday as temperatures remain below 2 C. View image in full screen Areas under a snowfall warning Friday and into Saturday. WATCH: Coverage of the snow in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley on Globalnews.ca: Story continues below advertisement The snowfall warning remains in effect for Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and the Sunshine Coast. TranLink says the SkyTrain Expo and Millennium lines are running consistently but with reduced frequency due to the need to the need to have staff on trains to watch for weather-related problems on the tracks. Customers should be prepared to wait longer on the platform between trains. Gordon says to expect sunshine on Sunday in the region. View image in full screen The storm moving through the region Friday evening.

Taylor Swift, pop’s megastar, may seem invincible: her latest album Reputation is a knowing mediation with a wink at her own fame, after all. But in a candid interview with rock ‘n’ roll muse Pattie Boyd, Swift discussed her “worst nightmare” — and it suggests she’s more sensitive to the tides of public opinion than we might think. Swift sat down with Boyd for Harper’s Bazaar to ask her questions about her memoir Wonderful Tonight, which recalls her relationships with music icons like George Harrison and Eric Clapton. In the interview, Boyd described a particularly harrowing brush with Beatlemania at a show in London while she was dating Harrison. “[These girls] followed us out, and they were kicking me and pulling my hair and pushing us all the way down this long passageway,” Boyd remembered of the “absolutely terrifying” experience, adding that they were saying “We hate you.” “That is my worst nightmare,” Swift responded. “You probably felt like, ‘If you knew me and I knew you, you would not be pulling my hair in an alleyway and saying, ‘I hate you.’’” Swift has often made her listening sessions accessible to fans, and even responds to messages on social media platforms like Tumblr. Like any major celebrity, she has also addressed some of her criticism over the years. Even though one of her hit songs is called “Shake It Off,” it seems clear from Swift’s response to Boyd that dealing with haters doesn’t always come easy. Swift is currently in the midst of her international Reputation stadium tour, with upcoming stops across the East Coast. Get The Brief. Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now. Please enter a valid email address. * The request timed out and you did not successfully sign up. Please attempt to sign up again. Sign Up Now An unexpected error has occurred with your sign up. Please try again later. Check the box if you do not wish to receive promotional offers via email from TIME. You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thank you! For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder. Write to Raisa Bruner at [email protected].<doc-sep>After reading Pattie Boyd's memoir, Wonderful Tonight, Taylor Swift was so inspired that she decided to interview her. Touching on topics such as Boyd's being a muse to both George Harrison and Eric Clapton, and Swift's songwriting, the two stars spoke casually for Harper's Bazaar magazine in a piece published on July 10. "There are definitely moments when it’s like this cloud of an idea comes and just lands in front of your face, and you reach up and grab it. A lot of songwriting is things you learn, structure, and cultivating that skill, and knowing how to craft a song. But there are mystical, magical moments, inexplicable moments when an idea that is fully formed just pops into your head," Swift says in the interview. "And that’s the purest part of my job. It can get complicated on every other level, but the songwriting is still the same uncomplicated process it was when I was 12 years old writing songs in my room. : Best known for her role as an inspiration for legendary tracks like "Wonderful Tonight" and "Something," Boyd has left her mark on music in a unique way, too.<doc-sep>In an unexpected move, Taylor Swift has broken a long press silence to do an interview and photo shoot for Harpers Bazaar with Pattie Boyd, ex-wife and “muse” of both George Harrison and Eric Clapton, and the inspiration for the songs “Something” and “Wnderful Tonight.” “Recently I devoured this intriguing woman’s memoir, ‘Wonderful Tonight,’” Swift wrote in a brief introduction. “A few weeks later, I had the pleasure of sitting down with her in the kitchen of her beautiful Kensington flat.” Indeed, Boyd’s story is a page-turner: As a young actress/model, she met Harrison in 1964 on the set of “A Hard Days’ Night” and the two married early in 1966. Yet as the years passed she found herself drawn to Harrison’s best friend and frequent collaborator, Clapton, and a simmering romance brewed between the two that found an outlet in the guitarist’s legendary 1970 song, “Layla,” and other songs from that album. Ultimately Harrison and Boyd divorced and she married Clapton in 1979 — which Harrison ultimately endorsed: “He’s great — I’d rather she be with him than some jerk,” he told the Daily Mail at the time. Boyd and Clapton divorced 10 years later. The extensive photo shoot is almost entirely of Swift in Swinging London-inspired garb, with a shot of the pair together in matching black outfits. The interview is focused largely on Boyd’s history, yet some commonalities emerge in their discussion about artistic inspiration and dealing with fame. Swift says, “I wondered who and what situation ‘Wonderful Tonight’ was written about, and now I know it’s about you getting ready for a party, changing clothes, and saying, ‘I don’t like this, I don’t like that.’” “I came downstairs with trepidation thinking [Eric] was going to be so angry that I’d taken far too long, and instead he said, “Listen, I’ve just written this song,’” Boyd replies, then asks Swift if she doesn’t have similar moments of inspiration. “There are definitely moments when it’s like this cloud of an idea comes and just lands in front of your face, and you reach up and grab it,” Swift says. “A lot of songwriting is things you learn, structure, and cultivating that skill, and knowing how to craft a song. But there are mystical, magical moments, inexplicable moments when an idea that is fully formed just pops into your head. And that’s the purest part of my job. It can get complicated on every other level, but the songwriting is still the same uncomplicated process it was when I was 12 years old writing songs in my room.” In an inadvertently comic moment, Swift then deftly dodges a follow-up question from Boyd. Swift: I don’t know what it is that makes some people really creatively inspiring. There have been people I’ve spent a lot of time with who I just couldn’t write about. Boyd: Yes, now what is that? Swift: I don’t know. It’s just that some people come into your life and they have this effect on you. It’s really interesting because in your case you inspired that creative output from two iconic musicians. That just blows my mind. It’s very rare! Read the full article here. Swift recently launched the second North American leg of her “Reputation” tour.<doc-sep>Pattie Boyd has been interviewed by Taylor Swift about being married to George Harrison during the height of Beatlemania. Boyd married Harrison in 1966 before the pair divorced in 1977. She later married Eric Clapton in 1979 until they split in 1988. Boyd was something of a muse to both musicians, with Clapton’s ‘Wonderful Tonight’ based on Boyd getting ready when they were together. Swift asked Boyd what living inside Beatlemania was actually like to which Boyd replied, ‘absolutely terrifying’. “I got to see the Beatles play at a theater in London, and George told me that I should leave with my friends before the last number,” she told Swift in the Harper’s Bazarre feature. “So before the last song, we got up from our seats and walked toward the nearest exit door, and there were these girls behind me. They followed us out, and they were kicking me and pulling my hair and pushing us all the way down this long passageway.” Advertisement She added that she feels fans seem to no longer hold onto the antagonistic feelings they once had. “Actually they seem happy that I’m sharing the photographs I took,” she added. “One time I was having an exhibition, and these girls turned up dressed like me in A Hard Day’s Night.” During the interview, Swift mentions a particular part of Boyd’s book that she found most heartbreaking. “When, years later, you and Eric get married, and George and his new wife, Olivia, come to the wedding party, Paul comes, Ringo comes, but John couldn’t go. He said later that he would have loved to come. That night there was a huge jam session, and had he been there it would have been the last time the Beatles played together.” “Can you imagine?” Boyd replied. “I was heartbroken.” Meanwhile, Taylor Swift shared selfies with J.K. Rowling and Adele, after the pair both attended her Wembley Stadium shows last month.<doc-sep>

Taylor Swift is Harper's Bazaar's latest cover girl! The "Delicate" singer wasn't alone in the issue, however. She interviewed Pattie Boyd, the model and icon who was married to rock stars Eric Clapton and George Harrison. During the interview, out Tuesday, Swift and Boyd got candid about their connection to music and more. "We’re both women whose lives have been deeply influenced by songs and songwriting," Swift told Boyd. "I stand on one side of it, and you on the other." The women also teamed up for a photoshoot where they rocked matching ensembles, including matching newsboy hats and pink sunglasses. Boyd also opened up about her experiences with the musical legends, including the first time she experience Beatlemania, which Swift described as her "worst nightmare." "I found it absolutely terrifying. I got to see the Beatles play at a theater in London, and George told me that I should leave with my friends before the last number," she explained. "So before the last song, we got up from our seats and walked toward the nearest exit door, and there were these girls behind me. They followed us out, and they were kicking me and pulling my hair and pushing us all the way down this long passageway." Swift also found the story behind Clapton's track "Wonderful Tonight" "incredible." "I came downstairs with trepidation thinking (Eric) was going to be so angry that I’d taken far too long, and instead he said, 'Listen, I’ve just written this song,'" Boyd explained. Swift also complimented Boyd's outlook on life and asked her for advice. "I would love to look back on my life with the same clarity, wisdom, and peace that you seem to have," Swift said. Boyd's advice was simple: "Nothing remains the same." "If you’re happy or you’re sad, it’s not going to last forever. You just have to keep remembering that," she said. More:Meghan McCain asks Taylor Swift to meet fan with cancer More:Taylor Swift thrills fans with touching Pride Month speech at Chicago show

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic overcame Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics 6-3 3-6 6-4 6-0 in the U.S. Open first round on Tuesday in punishing temperatures that prompted officials to observe a heat rule for men’s singles matches for the first time. Slideshow ( 7 images ) The players took a 10-minute break between the third and fourth sets to help them cope with temperatures climbing above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius). The pair, who were not allowed to speak to their coaches during the break, spent the downtime side-by-side, “naked in the ice baths,” Djokovic said in a post-match broadcast interview. “It was quite a magnificent feeling, I must say,” he added. After claiming the first set, a visibly exhausted Djokovic smashed his racket as Fucsovics led 3-2 in the second. In between the action, both players draped themselves in ice towels and at one point Djokovic sat shirtless in his seat. “I was obviously hoping and praying that I’ll get to feel better as the match progresses,” Djokovic told reporters after the match. “Obviously I felt better, especially after that 10-minute break. For the first three sets, it was a survival mode for both of us.” The Serb came roaring back in the third set, clawing his way from 3-1 down before sweeping Fucsovics in the fourth. “I had to find a way to dig myself out of the trouble,” Djokovic said. “I think that was a turning point. 4-3 in the third when he was serving, I managed to play a good game.” Djokovic was back at the U.S. Open for the first time since 2016 after claiming his fourth Wimbledon title this year and completing a sweep of Masters series events.<doc-sep>Once you have subscribed we will use the email you provided to send you the newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the newsletter email. The story of the US Open so far has been one of uncomfortably hot and humid conditions. Four players were forced to retire mid-match on Tuesday, while Novak Djokovic was visibly struggling in a 33°C pressure cooker. The Serb eventually overcame Marton Fucsovics 6-3 3-6 6-4 6-0, but it was far from straightforward. Djokovic had to call for a cardiologist in the second set and a ball boy brought him a bin as it looked as though he was going to be sick. In the third set, he trailed by a break yet ironically, the heat actually came to his aid between the end of that set and the fourth. A new rule, introduced to cope with the extreme heat, allows the men to take a 10-minute break at that point, after which the 31-year-old returned looking in much better condition. That said, he is not the only player who still feels the Open are not doing enough to help players given the humidity. Djokovic wasn't impressed Indeed, after his victory, Djokovic hit out at organisers for persevering with a shot-clock. Players have 25 seconds between the announcement of the score from the previous point and beginning their service motion. This is at the discretion of the chair umpire, who can impose a time penalty, but the four-time Wimbledon champion still felt it shouldn't have been introduced without consulting participants first. “Yeah, I mean, it's understandable why players were complaining about it because only players know what they were experiencing today on the court,” he said, per the Express. “It's quite tough. I mean, it's really sad to see. I think (Mikhail) Youzhny just retired his match because of cramping. There's so much cramping going on. “You don't want to see that. Obviously one can say, as well, whether you train, you have to be fit, of course. I agree with that. Battling 'extreme' conditions “But there are some conditions that are so extreme, that as fit as you are, you can't just not feel it. I mean, it's there." The shot-clock is becoming increasingly common and it does have its benefits, designed to keep up the tempo of the game. However, Djokovic thinks a little more common sense could have been applied on this occasion. “I think I'm expecting all the slams now to introduce it, honestly," he added. "US Open has introduced it without really consulting players, which was not that nice, to be honest. “At the same time a decision was made. The good thing is at least we had the US Open Series tournaments, the ATP events prior to US Open leading to US Open with a shot clock so we could get used to it. "When a rule is implemented, it's kind of hard to just switch the shot clock off just because the conditions are difficult and brutal obviously." Djokovic will take on Tennys Sandgren in the next round. Do you think the Open were wrong to use the shot-clock? Have your say in the comments. News Now - Sport News<doc-sep>Novak Djokovic required four sets to reach the second round of the US Open When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up forfor news on the biggest players and tournaments Djokovic appeared to be troubled by the searing heat and needed four sets to reach the second round - 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0. The Serbian moved seamlessly through the gears in the final set and will now play Tennys Sandgren next on Thursday. Djokovic is widely considered one of the favourites to prevail at Flushing Meadows after his recent resurgence which has included beating Roger Federer in the Cincinnati Open final earlier this month. And Djokovic has explained how deep he had to dig in order to overcome Fusovics.<doc-sep>

Novak Djokovic got an ice bath with Marton Fucsovics during his US Open clash Djokovic’s tie with Fucsovic was the first men’s match at the US Open to activate a 10-minute Extreme Heat break, a rule which was only introduced earlier in the day. When the temperature raises above 32 degrees players are allowed to take a break following the conclusion of the third set. The pair both required visits from the doctor and cardiologist during the opening exchanges as their bodies struggled to cope with the weather. Djokovic was particularly relieved to be given time away from the beaming sun to regain his composure before going on to win the tie 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0. And when quizzed on what he got up to while away from the court - the former world No 1 did not hold back on the details. “Do you really want to know?” Djokovic said. “I really want to thank the US Open for allowing us to have a 10-minute break after the first set. I think we both needed it. “But the rule was that we was not allowed to speak to any of our team members in the locker room. Djokovic beat Fucsovics over four sets “It was funny because the physio was a couple of feet away from me and we were kind of winking at each other and were giving each other signs about what I’m supposed to do and not do. “It was funny because me and Martin had ice baths next to each other. We were naked in the ice baths and it was quite a wonderful feeling. “Battling with a guy for two-and-a-half hours and then you get into the locker room and you haven’t finished the match and you’re naked in the ice baths. “It was a magnificent feeling I must say.” The cardiologist handed Djokovic a pill during the second set

With news breaking left and right yesterday that Jimmy Butler wants out of Minnesota and to be on the Los Angeles Clippers, we take a look at three possible trade packages. Yesterday was quite a day for Clipper nation. Not only did Jimmy Butler demand a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves, but news broke that the Los Angeles Clippers were his preferred destination. Shams Charania of The Athletic first reported that Butler had demanded a trade after meeting with coach Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday. Butler, who just turned 29, is eligible for a four year max deal through free agency next summer, but could get a fifth year if he re-signs with the team who owns his bird rights. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN later followed up that Butler gave them a list of three preferred teams: The Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers. It later came out that out of the three, Butler had his attention on Los Angeles due to the team having cap space next summer to not only sign him to an extension, but to also bring in another max-contract caliber player. With Butler making his intentions clear to play in LA with another star, Clippers’ fans started salivating at the idea of pairing him and either Kyrie Irving or Kawhi Leonard next summer. The Clippers re-build, albeit extremely brief, would be complete and the team would be loaded again with talent. But let’s not put the cart before the horse. Before 2019 free agency even gets close, trading for Butler has to be the priority. Getting him now ensures that the team has at least one star and he can begin to recruit other players as the season presses on. With that being said, here are three trade packages that the LA Clippers should consider in order to bring Butler into the fold.<doc-sep>LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 06: Minnesota Timberwolves Guard Jimmy Butler (23) looks on before an NBA game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Los Angeles Clippers on December 6, 2017 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Los Angeles Clippers fans may be eager for a Jimmy Butler trade to go down, but it may be in the team’s best interest to not make any move for the All-Star. Jimmy Butler made it known that he wants out of Minnesota on Tuesday. The All-Star guard supposedly turned in a list of teams he would re-sign with if traded to which included the Los Angeles Clippers. While fans are speculating on possible trade packages to bring him to LA, it may be better for the franchise to just stand pat. Where the Clippers currently stand Cap Space The summer of 2019 has been the focus of the front office ever since Lawrence Frank, Michael Winger and Jerry West teamed up. Notable players, including Butler, are all slated to be unrestricted free agents. With some smart cap maneuvering, the Clippers potentially have the space to sign two max-contract level players in 2019. Tobias Harris, Patrick Beverley, Marcin Gortat, Wesley Johnson, Milos Teodosic, Mike Scott and Luc Mbah a Moute will all be free agents. While they are free agents, in order to get space for the two max players, the Clippers would have to renounce most of, if not all, of their bird rights which means they cannot be signed over the cap. You can see the full numbers and breakdown here on Spotrac. 2019 Draft Pick The Clippers 2019 draft pick is owed to the Boston Celtics via the Memphis Grizzlies. If you remember a few years back, this pick was moved in order to get Jeff Green. While that didn’t work out, there is a chance the Clippers can still hang onto the pick. It is lottery protected, so assuming the Clippers finish outside of the playoffs this season, the pick stays with them and does not convey to Boston. Instead, the pick turns into a 2022 second rounder. So what does this mean in regards to Jimmy Butler? Well, it means a few of things. Jimmy Butler has already made it clear that he wants to sign with the Clippers with the knowledge that the team can sign another big name player next summer. While it would work out better for him financially to get traded, (his bird rights would transfer, leading to a larger contract), the Clippers could still sign him outright to a max deal without losing any assets. It would also mean they would only commit to four years of Butler (who just turned 29-years-old) as opposed to five. Meanwhile, if the Clippers have not traded for Butler, odds are they don’t make the playoffs and thus keep their lottery protected first round pick. At this point, they could try to shop the lotto pick alongside Danilo Gallinari in order to free themselves more cap space. The goal here would be to move Gallo’s money in order to re-sign as many players as possible without going over the hard cap. Assuming Tobias Harris could be convinced to stay next summer, the Clippers could have their own big three featuring Butler, Harris and another star. By keeping Harris, along with other pieces in Lou Williams, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Montrezl Harrell and Jerome Robinson, the Clippers would possess a solid rotational group. Sure, you give up a draft pick, but by bringing in star players your time frame gets switched to a ‘win now’ mode. The Risk This isn’t to say not trading for Butler doesn’t come with some risk. He has already said there are at least two other teams he would consider re-signing with if traded to. If the Clippers aren’t active on the market, another franchise could slide in and get Butler. They would have a year to convince him to stay and re-sign, similarly to what Toronto is trying with Kawhi Leonard. While Butler seems to know where he wants to go, an NBA season is long and he could fall in love with somewhere else. Waiting would hinge on the front office’s belief in their ability to sucessfully recruit Butler in the summer. If they don’t trade now and cannot land a meeting, then they have to go all in on rebuilding. So, is it to risk losing next summers’ draft pick along with other players in order to get Butler in a guaranteed spot with the team? Or would you wait and play the odds that he will at the very least have a meeting with you in the summer? The front office will have some serious thinking to do in the coming days as they evaluate both their current position and the future. It’s a tough position to be in for the Clippers. Keep checking back here and on Twitter as we follow this saga and see how everything shakes out!<doc-sep>With the Lakers conspicuously omitted from Jimmy Butler’s trade demand list, hey may be targeting a superstar teammate not named LeBron James. (AP) News of Jimmy Butler demanding to be traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves Wednesday was not a huge surprise. His long-simmering tension with teammate Karl-Anthony Towns is no secret. What was surprising was the list of teams reported on his trade demand — the Los Angeles Clippers, the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets. Well, more specifically, it was the major-market team left off that list, the Los Angeles Lakers. Butler targeting teams with 2019 cap space The Clippers, Knicks and Nets have all worked to clear cap space for next summer’s free-agency extravaganza that’s expected to involve Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson and Kyrie Irving along with Butler if he doesn’t commit to an extension, which could be worth 5 years and $190 million next summer. An extension like that would be available to the Timberwolves or whichever team he was traded to this season. But if he were to leave Minnesota as a free agent next summer, a max-deal with a new team would be worth four years and $141 million, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojanrowski. Hence, the trade-me-now demands from Butler, who seems hellbent on leaving Minnesota. Why not the Lakers? But the Lakers have also freed up cap room in order to lure another star to play alongside LeBron James. Why would that not be an appealing destination for Butler? Wojnarowski delivered a couple of reports in the aftermath of the reported Butler trade demands that shed some light on what Butler might be thinking. Butler doesn’t want to play with LeBron? One of those was that Butler had previously considered the Lakers, but James’ arrival in L.A. turned out to be a deterrent. Per Wojnarowski: “Butler had once imagined playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, but LeBron James’ arrival as the franchise’s cornerstone made it less appealing for Butler in the prime of his career, league sources said.” That seems odd. Teaming up with James for a chance to compete for championships with an NBA glamour franchise seems the exact kind of thing that would be appealing to a star in his prime. Story continues Does Butler want to hold sway with one of his desired new teams to build a core in his image? Does he want to have control over whom he plays with after being turned off by the reported discord in Minnesota? Is Jimmy Butler maneuvering to team up with Kawhi Leonard in LA. in 2019? (Getty) Does Butler want to team up with Kawhi in L.A.? Wojnarowski later reported that the Clippers were Butler’s primary destination, while adding an interesting nugget on Leonard. Per Wojnarowski: “Butler’s ability to partner on the Clippers with a second star player in a deep summer free agency market holds a strong appeal to Butler, league sources said. The Clippers have two max contract slots available in July, and are emerging as a front-runner for Toronto’s All-NBA forward Kawhi Leonard when he becomes a free agent in July, league sources said.” Why Butler would prefer Leonard and the Clippers over James and the Lakers is not clear. The situation is, however, fascinating. James, 33 with a ton of basketball miles, is obviously approaching the downside of his career, even if his play on the court has not come close to resembling decline. Leonard, 27, is on the upswing of his prime assuming the quad problems that kept him sidelined most of last season don’t turn out to be a lingering issue. That may add up be a more attractive situation for a 29-year-old Butler. Another power play from an NBA player What is clear is that players in the NBA wield power over their careers more than any other league, and Butler’s power move is the latest example. Like Leonard forced the hands of the San Antonio Spurs to trade him before the end of his contract, Butler is doing the same and with significant leverage. Minnesota gave up what amounts to three first-round draft picks to Chicago in Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and the pick that became Lauri Markkanen. If the Timberwolves don’t trade Butler now, he’s made clear that they run the significant risk of getting nothing in return on that investment over the long run. If Butler and Leonard are communicating about a mutual desire to end up with the Clippers, it’s reminiscent of the original player-power play of the modern era when LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade with the Miami Heat. More from Yahoo Sports: • Meyer’s grim warning to NFL team about Aaron Hernandez • School official sorry for racist remark about Texans QB • New book claims Brady feels ‘trapped’ with Belichick • Red Sox fans make problematic discovery<doc-sep>HOUSTON, TX - APRIL 25: Jimmy Butler #23 of the Minnesota Timberwolves reacts in the first half during Game Five of the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on April 25, 2018 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) LA Clippers may have to wait for Butler according to recent reports by Ryan Snellings With news of Jimmy Butler constantly changing, the Los Angeles Clippers are in the perfect spot to acquire the All-Star. Jimmy Butler recently requested a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves. He listed three teams he preferred for his next destination: the Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Clippers. All three of these teams will have cap space to re-sign Butler in the 2019 off-season. However, the Clippers are the main aim for Jimmy Butler, a tweet by Woj solidified his aspiration: Minnesota's Jimmy Butler is most determined to find a way to the Los Angeles Clippers, league sources tell ESPN. The appeal of partnering with a second star – the Clippers have two max contract slots available in summer free agency – is an intriguing scenario for him. — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 20, 2018 Jimmy Butler and Tom Thibodeau have had a strong connection. Thibodeau is like a father to Jimmy. Their relationship has had it’s bumpy moments over the years, including the struggle with the Chicago Bulls. Now another fork in the road is taking place. Jimmy Butler wants out of Minnesota. He wants out now. After the shortcomings of Thibodeau’s young inexperienced team in the 2018 playoffs, Butler placed the blame on his teammates. Butler called out Karl Anthony-Towns and Andrew Wiggins as the sole problem for their loss against the Houston Rockets. This ignited a “beef” that hasn’t ended. Thibodeau is one of the only people in the whole Timberwolves organization that wants Jimmy to stay. There are very few people inside the Timberwolves organization besides Tom Thibodeau who want Jimmy Butler to remain in Minnesota. — Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) September 21, 2018 Tom Thibodeau remains loyal to Jimmy Butler. Others in the organization see the flaws in the attitude of Butler. This conflict within the Timberwolves organization could mean a potential steal for the Clippers, or nothing at all. Contrarily, the owner Glen Taylor sees Jimmy Butler currently on the market. His statement regarding the foreseeable future of the franchise regarded Jimmy Butler as a trade-able asset, Woj tweeted Story filed to ESPN: As Minnesota’s front office tells inquiring rivals that team has no plans to trade Jimmy Butler, owner Glen Taylor had a different message at NBA’s Board of Governors meetings: Butler is available and owners/GM’s should contact Taylor himself if necessary. — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 21, 2018 The Los Angeles Clippers should not be too greedy. If anything, the Clippers GM Lawerence Frank should low ball the Timberwolves. A possible low ball trade for Jimmy Butler could be: Danilo Gallonari, a 2021 first round pick and maybe throw in a Wesley Johnson. Another trade, more realistic for Jimmy would include a trade of Patrick Beverly and Tobais Harris. The Clippers could score on Jimmy or they could stay content with their roster. The advantage of bringing in a Jimmy Butler would inherently create more attraction to free agents in the 2019 off-season. Imagine a Clipper team with Kawhi and Butler as the two stars. There is no way a Kawhi-Butler lead team is not making a serious championship run. If the Timberwolves front office stays with Butler, then the Clippers won’t gain or lose, they could probably win him off in the next off-season. Now it is the waiting game. Will Butler enter the Los Angeles Clippers franchise at expense of a trade or join through an off-season max contract signing? What we know is the Clippers are under the leadership of the all knowing Jerry West and capable Lawrence Frank, the Los Angeles Clippers and are in great hands.<doc-sep>

Kyusung Gong/Associated Press Minnesota Timberwolves star Jimmy Butler is "most determined" to try to see the Timberwolves swing a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers, ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Wednesday. According to Wojnarowski, Butler likes the fact that the Clippers could potentially have the salary-cap space to sign two max-level free agents. The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski reported Wednesday that Butler had requested a trade from the Timberwolves after meeting head coach and president of basketball operations Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday in Los Angeles. In an earlier report, Wojnarowski listed the Clippers, Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks as Butler's preferred destinations. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the story centered on the Los Angeles Lakers, who didn't make the cut. Wojnarowski wrote Butler would've seriously entertained a move to the Lakers but that "LeBron James' arrival as the franchise's cornerstone made it less appealing for Butler in the prime of his career." According to Spotrac, the Lakers could have $41.7 million available next summer, which would be more than enough to sign Butler as a free agent—assuming he opts out of his current contract. Financially, they'd be on equal footing with any other team in the Butler sweepstakes. Part of the attraction to signing James was how he'd open the door for more star players to follow him to Los Angeles, yet Butler isn't the first star to seemingly balk at the idea of playing alongside the four-time NBA MVP. Paul George agreed to re-sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder almost immediately after the free-agent moratorium began. Video Play Button Videos you might like During an appearance on the Back To Back podcast on the Count The Dings network, ESPN.com's Michael C. Wright reported Kawhi Leonard had also cooled on the idea of becoming a member of the Lakers. Wright said Leonard "doesn't want to go and be second fiddle to LeBron" and instead saw the Clippers as a better choice. The Clippers aren't necessarily in rebuilding mode, but they're clearly preparing to be serious players next summer and beyond at the expense of contending in the short term. They traded away fan favorite Blake Griffin last season and saw DeAndre Jordan sign with the Dallas Mavericks this offseason. By signing James, the Lakers were one of the biggest winners of free agency. This time next year, however, the Clippers might actually be on stronger footing if they can successfully land Butler and another All-Star-caliber player.

The Dark Knight isn’t moving any farther from Gotham. In fact, he’s staying in Cincinnati — for now. The Reds are keeping Matt Harvey, according to The Post’s Joel Sherman, even though they had acquired him in part because of the potential to flip him at the trade deadline. They will instead attempt to trade him in August before the waiver trade deadline, USA Today reported. He will be a free agent after the season. The Giants and Brewers were among the teams said to be interested in Harvey this time around, but no deal was reached before the 4 p.m. ET non-waiver deadline. Harvey has had an up-and-down four months in Cincinnati after falling out of favor with Mickey Callaway and the Mets. He holds a 4.44 ERA in 14 games after he was traded, which is down from the 7.00 ERA he had with the Mets this season. The Reds acquired Harvey in early May for catcher Devin Mesoraco and cash. Harvey’s time with the Mets came to an end after he refused an assignment to the minors. At times in Cincinnati, Harvey resembled his former self — he pitched a stretch of five games this month in which he went 4-1 with a 2.38 ERA, but he allowed eight runs in 3 2/3 during his next start. The Reds sit 13 1/2 games back in the NL Central and will gain little if they keep Harvey until the end of the season.<doc-sep>When the Cincinnati Reds acquired right-handed pitcher Matt Harvey from the New York Mets in exchange for catcher Devin Mesoraco on May 8, the objective was clear: Take a former Cy Young challenger and World Series starter who has been broken down by injuries, rebuild him into something resembling what he once was, and flip him at the trade deadline for prospects that could be a part of the Reds’ next winning team. On Tuesday, however, that proved not to be the case. The 4 p.m. deadline came and went, and Matt Harvey stayed a Cincinnati Red, despite Reds beat writers and others around baseball very reasonably predicting that his movement ahead of July 31 would be a near-certainty. This doesn’t mean the Reds have lost their chance to trade him entirely — he can still be traded during the month of August if he clears waivers — but it still seems reasonable to say that if there were going to be a good opportunity to trade Harvey, one would have presented itself by now. The chief obstacle to the Reds dealing Matt Harvey this summer has been a lack of market for him. As reported by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, contending teams aren’t buying into Harvey’s revival just yet, believing him to be a back-of-the-rotation starter rather than someone who can legitimately aid a playoff push. And that makes sense. With a 4.44 ERA and 4.67 FIP since joining the Reds, Harvey has looked very much like a No. 4/No. 5-type starter. If I were a fan of, say, the Milwaukee Brewers, I wouldn’t be incredibly jazzed about my team sending even a top-25 prospect the Reds’ way for a pitcher like that, especially if it is just a rental. But the hesitancy of teams to spare with low-to-mid-level prospects to obtain 10 or Matt Harvey starts in the middle of a playoff push begs the question: What will they be willing to spend on his services when all 30 teams get the opportunity to bid on him in free agency? When Harvey joined the Reds, there seemed to be two reasonable paths for how his Cincinnati tenure would unfold. He would either continue to flounder, struggling to make outs inside the small confines of Great American Ball Park and further demolishing any value he once had, or he would rediscover his form, proving himself worthy of not only a trade to a contending team at the deadline, but also a large free agent contract at the end of the season — one that would cost far more than the Reds could possibly afford. The first part of that scenario certainly hasn’t happened. Harvey’s ERA in Cincinnati is well over two full runs lower than it was with New York at the beginning of the season. He recently had a stretch of five starts in which he held just a 1.86 ERA in 29 innings, during which he didn’t allow a single home run. His velocity is higher than it has been in years, he’s limiting walks, and he’s pitching efficiently. Harvey has proven that he is something the Mets didn’t believe he was just four months ago — a legitimate big league pitcher. But he’s not quite the ace he once was, either. If he were, some team would have paid the Reds handsomely for his services. And if 14 starts in a Reds uniform weren’t enough to convince teams that this new version of Harvey — the No. 4/No. 5 starter type — is worth trading for, I doubt that three more starts in August will move that needle. I also doubt that the 29 other major league teams who don’t consider Harvey worth a couple lower-tier prospects, will suddenly think he is worth $50 million in the offseason. And if Harvey isn’t going to command a premium price tag in free agency, why shouldn’t the Reds make a serious push for him? President of Baseball Operations Dick Williams has said that the Reds are looking to be more competitive in the free agent market this offseason. The single biggest, gaping need the Reds have is their starting rotation. What would the Reds’ ideal starting pitcher target look like? To begin with, they would be affordable. They would also be young enough that a dramatic short-term deterioration doesn’t seem especially likely. And they would also have some kind of track record. Charlie Morton might not cost a bunch of money and has established himself as a viable starting pitcher, but he’ll be 35 next season. Dallas Keuchel is just 30 and has a Cy Young under his belt, but will likely cost more than the Reds are comfortable paying. Harvey, though, checks all of those boxes. He’s just 29 years old, meaning that he should still have a few years left of his prime. His track record before his injury is excellent, and he’s slowly but surely building another record of success post-injury as a member of the Reds. He is precisely the kind of pitcher the Reds need to target in the offseason. One name always comes up when discussing Harvey’s free agency: Scott Boras. The Boras name is automatically connected with grandiose salaries and blockbuster deals, the kind of force that a small market team can’t possibly reckon with. But if Boras is able to wave a magic wand and earn his clients $100 million whenever he wants, he must have taken year off. Last offseason, Jake Arrieta waited almost until spring training to be given just a three-year, $75 million contract after posting 19.3 bWAR over this previous four seasons. Mike Moustakas, another Boras client, signed with his previous club for one third the value of the qualifying offer he turned down at the beginning of the winter. Boras alone isn’t going to get Harvey a blockbuster contract, and neither will the next eight or so starts he gets before the season ends, no matter how good they are. Between his performance this season, his injury history, the state of the free agent market and the lack of interest in him from other teams this summer, my guess is that a contract offer of three years, $35 million probably gets Harvey’s signature. That’s a deal the Reds should make. You can make arguments against signing Harvey. He might get hurt. His production might plummet. But any argument against signing Harvey is going to sound a lot, to me, like an argument against signing any free agent pitcher. And my prevailing thought, as the Reds have begun to play more winning baseball in recent months, is that this team won’t get over the hump until it makes some serious plays for proven starting pitching. Harvey seems to like Cincinnati. He’s drawn heaps of praise from his teammates in Cincinnati, and somehow, some way, has experienced a bit of a personal renaissance while pitching inside one of the most hostile pitching environments in the majors. If the team continues to have success over the next two months, one would imagine that would make the Reds all the more appealing to Harvey as a potential long-term match. Regardless of who Harvey throws his final pitch of 2018 for, all 30 teams will get the chance to sign him at the end of the year. It seems like interest in him won’t be as high as previously expected. Cincinnati should keep him through September, and take advantage of that fact.<doc-sep>

After being connected with the Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners, and Milwaukee Brewers, among others, it appears that veteran pitcher Matt Harvey has finally been traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the... ...wait a minute. It appears Matt Harvey hasn’t been traded at all, and will stay with the Reds for the time being, according to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick. Matt Harvey will be staying with the #Reds, source says, despite a flurry of trade discussions. — Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) July 31, 2018 Harvey, 29, was largely seen as a backup plan for teams that were in the market for starting pitching but either missed out on or balked at the asking price for some of the higher-profile names on the market, like Chris Archer, Kevin Gausman, and the likes. A free agent at the end of 2018, the former New York Mets ace has pitched to a decent-ish 4.44 ERA and 4.67 FIP in 73.0 IP with the Reds after being swapped from catcher Devin Mesoraco in early May, doing enough with both results and with the rediscovered velocity on his fastball to make him a decent rental opportunity at this July 31st deadline for contenders starved for pitching depth. A deal, though, simply couldn’t be reached, likely due to the Reds asking price, if I had to wager. That’s not necessarily a terrible thing, nor is it the final bit of trade rumor-ing we’ll hear regarding Harvey. My best guess is that the team will opt to give him another 3-4 starts in August in attempts to see him continue to work his way back to a solid starting pitcher, which will allow him to be in somewhat of a showcase during the August waiver-trade period. All it takes is one arm to go down on a contender for there to suddenly be a much larger market for him then than there was today, and that’s apparently a gamble the Reds were willing to take rather than accept merely a low-level prospect for him right this minute. What that does to the Cincinnati rotation, though, is probably of the most importance. With Harvey still in the fold and Homer Bailey back in action, the young arms that deserve shots to start are simply going to get squeezed out of opportunities. We’ve already seen Sal Romano moved to the bullpen for a time, and this will keep each of Robert Stephenson and Cody Reed without an opening and in AAA Louisville, where they’ll likely be joined by new Red Lucas Sims. We’ll have more on the fallout as we get a chance to digest what was otherwise an incredibly active deadline day across MLB.

What are the ideological divisions in the church? The most volatile disputes have to do with social issues on which public opinion in Western countries has moved away from church teaching — among them homosexuality, abortion, divorce and remarriage. The pope’s defenders say it is less a matter of changing church doctrine than of how the church treats people who have broken with that doctrine. Critics say Francis is undermining established and immutable principles. Francis sent shock waves through the Catholic world soon after his election as pope in 2013 by saying, “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” He did it again less than two months later, saying that the church “cannot be obsessed” with issues like abortion, homosexuality and birth control. His 2016 statement on the family urged priests and congregations to be more welcoming of people it long castigated as sinners, and to focus more on social missions like caring for the poor. And he broke with tradition in proposing a less centrally governed church, urging elements of the church around the world to find their own approaches to difficult issues. The church also still has older, simmering ideological disputes dating to the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s. There are archconservatives within the church who oppose the changes made since then, like having priests celebrate Mass in languages other than Latin and allowing them to place communion wafers in parishioners’ hands rather than on their tongues. Who opposes Francis within the church, and why? There is a sizable faction of traditionalist prelates who have resisted the pope’s moves to liberalize the church to accommodate modern attitudes — which they see as a weakening of doctrine. They include Cardinals Gerhard Müller and Walter Brandmüller, who are German; Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, an American; and Cardinal Carlo Caffarra, an Italian who died last year, among others. “There are bishops who like what Pope Francis is doing, bishops who don’t like what Pope Francis is doing and hope he goes to his eternal reward, and bishops who are just confused by Pope Francis,” said the Rev. Thomas J. Reese, a Jesuit priest who writes for The National Catholic Reporter. “Certainly the ones who don’t like him, who are most ideological, are the most vocal.”<doc-sep>Cardinals attend the religious mass 'Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice' at Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, Vatican City, 12 March 2013. The Catholic Church's 115 cardinal electors are taking part in a mass in St. Peter's Basilica on 12 March ahead of entering the conclave for a papal election that observers say has no clear favourite. The Pro Eligendo Romano Pontefice ('For the Election of the Roman Pontiff') mass is presided by Angelo Sodano, the elderly dean of the College of Cardinals, and is also open to non-voting cardinals - those aged more than 80. The next pope will take over a Church beset by infighting, scandal and dwindling support, particularly in the West. VanSickle: I pray for the soul of my abuser While you're in Rome, take in the night view at St. Peter's Basilica of St. Peter. It's in Vatican City, which is technically a tiny, separate country that's completely surrounded by the much larger city of Rome. VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - MARCH 13: A woman holds rosary beads while she prays and waits for smoke to emanate from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel which will indicate whether or not the College of Cardinals have elected a new Pope on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI's successor is being chosen by the College of Cardinals in Conclave in the Sistine Chapel. The 115 cardinal-electors, meeting in strict secrecy, will need to reach a two-thirds-plus-one vote majority to elect the 266th Pontiff. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) Cardinal Dolan: Sex abuse stories not new to me German Bishops take part in the opening mass at the German Bishops' Conference on September 25, 2018 in the cathedral in Fulda, western Germany. - Germany's Catholic Church is due on September 25, 2018 to confess and apologise for thousands of cases of sexual abuse against children, part of a global scandal heaping pressure on the Vatican. It will release the latest in a series of reports on sexual crimes and cover-ups spanning decades that has shaken the largest Christian Church, from Europe to the United States, South America and Australia. (Photo by Arne Dedert / dpa / AFP) / Germany OUT (Photo credit should read ARNE DEDERT/AFP/Getty Images) Pope Francis (L) speaks speaks with the Archbishop of Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl at the end of a midday prayer with US bishops at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, DC, on September 23, 2015 on the second day of his visit to the US. AFP PHOTO/NICHOLAS KAMM (Photo credit should read NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images) Pope Francis celebrates mass on Christmas eve marking the birth of Jesus Christ on December 24, 2017 at St Peter's basilica in Vatican. / AFP PHOTO / Andreas SOLARO (Photo credit should read ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP/Getty Images) (CNN) — Even before Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano called for Pope Francis to resign on Sunday, the two men had a history, and it wasn’t good. Vigano, the former Vatican ambassador to the United States, angered some church officials in 2015 by arranging a meeting at the Vatican’s embassy in Washington between the Pope and Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who refused to sign same-sex marriage certificates. During his trip to the United States, the Pope had tried to stay above the country’s culture wars. Vigano foisted Francis right into the fray. The Vatican, which tried to distance the Pope from Davis, was displeased. Two years later, Francis quietly accepted Vigano’s resignation. On Sunday, Vigano struck back. In an 11-page “testimony” released to conservative Catholic media, Vigano accused Francis of ignoring his warnings about Archbishop Theodore McCarrick, who led the Archdiocese of Washington from 2000-2006. Under Francis’ orders, McCarrick resigned from the College of Cardinals last month after accusations that he molested an altar boy and seminarians. But Vigano said the Pope earlier had lifted restrictions on McCarrick put in place by Pope Benedict XVI, who resigned in 2015. “In this extremely dramatic moment for the universal Church,” Vigano wrote, “he must acknowledge his mistakes and, in keeping with the proclaimed principle of zero tolerance, Pope Francis must be the first to set a good example for cardinals and bishops who covered up McCarrick’s abuses and resign along with all of them.” Vigano’s accusations come as Francis and his church are trying to contain a quickly escalating sexual abuse crisis that has spread from Australia to Pennsylvania. In Ireland, a country devastated by its own clergy abuse scandals, the Pope repeatedly apologized last weekend for the sins and crimes of church leaders, lamenting that “some members of the hierarchy didn’t own up to these painful situations and kept silent.” On the plane ride home, the Pope himself kept silent about Vigano’s accusations. “I will not say a single word about this,” he said. “I believe the statement speaks for itself. And you have the sufficient journalistic ability to make your conclusions. It’s an act of trust.” While journalists dig for the truth, and the Pope keeps silent, Vigano’s letter has emerged as a sort of Rorschach test for Catholics: Many conservative Catholics say the Pope must go. Liberal Catholics accuse the archbishop of launching a coup d’etat against his boss. “This is a coup operation against Pope Francis,” said Massimo Faggioli, a professor of Catholic history and theology at Villanova University in Pennsylvania. “It is a stunning convergence between the personal agenda of Vigano and the theological agenda of those who do not like Pope Francis.” Turning the tables on Vigano, the Archdiocese of Washington suggested his tenure in the United States should itself be investigated. A 2014 memo shows that Vigano himself demanded that evidence be destroyed in an attempt to end an investigation against a former archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis, according to CNN Vatican analyst John Allen. But the Bishop of Phoenix, the Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted, issued a statement defending Vigano, whom he said he has known since 1979.<doc-sep>Brett M. Decker Opinion contributor A report released this weekend by a former Vatican ambassador to the United States charges that Pope Francis knew about sexual abuse by former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, removed a suspension placed on him by Pope Benedict, and proceeded to make the known abuser one of his most trusted advisors. Pope Francis “knew from at least June 23, 2013 that McCarrick was a serial predator, [but] he covered for him to the bitter end,” wrote Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, nuncio to Washington from 2011-2016, before demanding the pontiff resign. The pope knew. That is a damning allegation coming from a very senior church leader. It also corresponds to anecdotal evidence piling up against Francis. Earlier this year, Pope Francis attacked Chilean sex-abuse victims for “calumny” and defended the bishop who covered up for a pedophile priest. The pope ignored complaints about the enabling bishop before promoting him in 2015. There are accusations against Pope Francis Even more profound is the charge by an Argentinian woman who says the sexual abuse of her son was covered up by this pope, who had her forcibly removed from his office when she tried to report the crime when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires, and then known as Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio. “Bergoglio was aware of my complaint,” says Beatriz Varela, whose son was awarded monetary damages from the church by a civil court. “Everyone knows and everyone remains silent, so they’re all accomplices.” The charge that “everyone knows” caused me to reflect on my own firsthand experience with the McCarrick case. In late 2002, I was editing a book review of Paul Dinter’s upcoming release "The Other Side of the Altar" for one of America’s largest newspapers. In it, the former priest detailed a church culture of arbitrary power and secrecy that nurtured a dynamic where systematic abuse could occur unimpeded. Dinter recounted the sexual transgressions of a then-U.S. cardinal and former New York auxiliary bishop who was notorious for taking groups of seminarians to his weekend home and sexually harassing or abusing them but was nonetheless promoted up through the ranks by Pope John Paul II. It took a few short minutes to figure out that the only cardinal who fit the description at that time was McCarrick. More:Three ways Catholics can fight sexual abuse in the church Donald Trump supporters, Catholics and African-Americans share a costly burden Why — despite sexual abuse scandal — I am still a faithful Catholic Outraged, I copied and highlighted the relevant pages of the book, attached a list of U.S. cardinals and McCarrick’s bio, which proved the priest described was him, and hand-delivered the package to the chancery of the Archdiocese of New York. I was assured the information would receive urgent attention, but I never heard back, and my follow-up calls were sent to an inactive voicemail. That was over 15 years ago. McCarrick was finally, belatedly forced to resign from the cardinalate last month. For Church leaders to deny knowledge of notorious, serial abuses that appeared in print in prominently published books strains credulity. McCarrick’s successor and current archbishop of Washington, D.C., Cardinal Donald Wuerl, denies knowing that Pope Benedict had censured his predecessor despite that he and McCarrick continued to live in the same city. “[He] lies shamelessly,” says Archbishop Vigano, the former nuncio. “I myself brought up the subject with Cardinal Wuerl on several occasions.” Bishops aid priests instead of victims Wuerl swears he knew nothing about legal settlements for McCarrick’s misdeeds. Wuerl likewise is playing dumb about a proliferation of coverups of clergy sexual abuse reported by the Pennsylvania attorney general that was perpetrated in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, where Wuerl previously was bishop for 18 years. “Cardinal Wuerl is not telling the truth,” insists Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who headed the investigation that found more than 1,000 cases of child abuse by more than 300 priests in the Keystone State. A sentiment I’ve heard regularly in Catholic circles in Washington and elsewhere is: At least we’re not Boston. That refers to the far-reaching abuse scandals that rocked the nation and took down Cardinal Bernard Law, the late, powerful archbishop of Boston and favorite of John Paul II who was exposed for shuffling around pedophile priests. The implication of the “At least we’re not Boston” attitude is that some places are worse than others, or recent abuse reporting protocols instituted by the bishops are effective. The harsh reality that all Catholics need to realize is that everywhere is like Boston. There are few protections when the predators are the bishops who are empowered to police themselves and instead cover up for each other, from the pope on down. A trope of the last six papacies has been to extol the advances of a supposed “Springtime of Vatican II,” the revolutionary church council from 1962-65 that was called to open the Church to the modern world. Far from a spring flowering, the festering sex-abuse scandal shows that the Church of Rome is actually going through a long, cold, very dark winter. Brett M. Decker, an assistant professor of business at Defiance College, is a former editor and writer for The Wall Street Journal and Washington Times. Follow him on Twitter @BrettMDecker.<doc-sep>In a remarkable and scathing recrimination, the Vatican’s former ambassador to Washington accused Pope Francis and his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday of knowingly hiding sexual abuse allegations involving a now-disgraced American cardinal, further convulsing a church in crisis. The former envoy’s 11-page broadside rocked the Roman Catholic world as Francis finished a two-day visit to Ireland, where he faced demonstrations and begged forgiveness in the once-fervently Catholic country for the “scandal and betrayal” done by decades of clerical sex abuse, and an elaborate cover-up by church authorities. In his letter, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, who was papal nuncio, or ambassador, in Washington from 2011 to 2016, accused Francis and Benedict of being aware of and tolerating the transgressions of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the former archbishop in Washington, for years. “Bishops and priests, abusing their authority, have committed horrendous crimes to the detriment of their faithful, minors, innocent victims, and young men eager to offer their lives to the Church,” Vigano wrote, “or by their silence have not prevented that such crimes continue to be perpetrated.” Advertisement He added: “Now that the corruption has reached the very top of the Church’s hierarchy, my conscience dictates that I reveal those truths.” McCarrick resigned on July 28 after news reports disclosed that he had a 50-year history of sexual relations with male seminarians and young priests, some consensual, some forced. He also allegedly had attacked an 11-year-old altar boy. Francis stripped McCarrick of his title as cardinal, a rare punishment. By accusing the church’s top leadership of being directly complicit in the cover-up of widespread sexual abuse, Vigano’s bombshell claims — which are still unproven — have raised the stakes sharply as Francis tries to regain trust of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics. Vigano, 77, is a controversial figure in the church and may have his own agenda. A longtime critic and political enemy of Francis, he was recalled from Washington two years ago amid allegations that he’d become embroiled in the U.S. political battle over same-sex marriage, which he bitterly opposed. In his letter, he accused Francis and several senior prelates of a “pro-gay ideology” that tolerated homosexual priests. He also called on Francis to resign, a stunning demand in the staid, centuries-old institution that generally closes ranks around the Vatican. Speaking to reporters on his flight home from Dublin late Sunday, Francis declined to comment on the letter, saying it “speaks for itself.” He said he would trust journalists to judge its veracity. The Vatican offered no other comment. The letter, which was sent to conservative Catholic news sites, may have been timed to overshadow the pontiff’s “visit of reconciliation” to Ireland, a Catholic country where anger has mounted over growing reports of abuses by clergy. Vigano accused the church leadership under Francis, the first pope from the Americas and a Jesuit, of having “favored promoting homosexuals into positions of responsibility.” Advertisement He said Francis initially attempted to “rehabilitate” McCarrick by relaxing penalties that Benedict had previously imposed on the cardinal for his misdeeds. Senior church leaders knew of McCarrick’s crimes as long ago as 2000, Vigano claimed. Vigano also wrote that he told Francis in 2013, several months into his papacy, that the Vatican had a thick dossier on McCarrick, and that Benedict had ordered the cardinal to remove himself from public life several years earlier. “He corrupted generations of seminarians and priests and Pope Benedict ordered him to withdraw to a life of prayer and penance,” Vigano said he told Francis. “The Pope did not make the slightest comment about those very grave words of mine and did not show any expression of surprise on his face, as if he had already known the matter for some time, and he immediately changed the subject.” Vigano claimed that Francis, Benedict and McCarrick’s successor, Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington, all knew of the disgraced former cardinal’s sins but failed to act. Wuerl has said he was unaware of McCarrick’s misconduct. Advertisement Supporters of Francis cautioned that Vigano’s accusations echo complaints from the most conservative wing of the church against Francis, his efforts to promote reform, his priority for the poor and his demand that the Catholic faith be more inclusive — including for gays and women. Michael Sean Winters, who writes about the intersection of politics and religion for the National Catholic Reporter, questioned why Vigano came forward now and said his accusations were presented without substantiation. “Vigano is a disgruntled former employee,” Winters said. “But, make no mistake: This is a coordinated attack on Pope Francis. A putsch is afoot and if the U.S. bishops do not, as a body, stand up to defend the Holy Father in the next 24 hours, we shall be slipping towards schism…. The enemies of Francis have declared war.” Austen Ivereigh, an expert on the church who has written a biography of Francis, called Vigano’s letter a “hit job.” Advertisement Since his selection as pontiff in 2013, replacing the staunchly conservative Benedict XVI, who became the first pope in modern times to resign, Francis has faced a backlash from traditionalists who feared a loss of strict doctrine as well as their power. In October 2015, Vigano sparked controversy during the pope’s visit to Washington when he arranged a papal audience for Kim Davis, a former county clerk in Kentucky who defied a Supreme Court order and refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. After conservative groups used the meeting to claim Francis opposed gay unions, the Vatican clarified that the pope had no idea who Davis was. But coinciding with the right-wing mutiny, Francis — like his predecessors — has faced criticism that he bungled the handling of the abuse scandal and acted belatedly. Advertisement The decades of unpunished crimes, which Francis has called repugnant, has gravely eroded confidence in the church among Catholics, especially in the United States and once-fervently religious Ireland. The convergence seems to have plunged the Catholic Church into its most devastating crisis in decades.<doc-sep>

The Roman Catholic Church went into crisis mode this week after a Vatican official published an 11-page letter alleging that Pope Francis and U.S. Catholic leaders covered up sexual abuse by an American cardinal. In the unusually detailed and direct letter, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the former Vatican ambassador to the U.S., made unsubstantiated claims that Francis and several American cardinals and archbishops had teamed up over the years to protect Theodore McCarrick, who as a cardinal was one of the most powerful figures in the church. Vigano, who released the letter as the pope was visiting Ireland, blamed church leaders for protecting a widespread “homosexual current” in the Vatican and said Francis must resign. He also said church leaders had a “pro-gay ideology” that ran counter to long-standing church prohibitions against homosexual acts. But church experts say the letter’s significance may be less about those allegations than about power struggles within the church hierarchy. Francis has set a more liberal tone by meeting with gay people and expressing more tolerance for homosexuality than any pope in history, though still hewing to the church’s prohibition on same-sex marriage. Vigano, who was the Vatican’s ambassador to the U.S. until 2016, is part of a more conservative wing of the church that has protested Francis’ leadership, especially on issues of sexuality. Read a translation of the 11-page letter by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano » “This letter has everything to do with factions in the church that are vying for power and influence,” said Massimo Faggioli, a professor of theology at Villanova University who studies the Vatican. “You have a convergence of interests that is making this a huge mess in the U.S. Catholic Church.” Vigano’s long and intimate access to the inner workings of the papacy makes the letter difficult for the pope to brush aside. Born into a rich Italian family, Vigano eventually became an archbishop in 1992 at the behest of Pope John Paul II. From there, he ascended the church’s ranks, becoming a diplomat for the Vatican, the secretary of the governorate of Vatican City and the Vatican’s ambassador to the U.S. Protesters demonstrate against clerical sex abuse on Aug. 26, 2018, in Dublin, Ireland, as Pope Francis visits the once-fervently Catholic country. (EPA / Shutterstock) But throughout his rise, he clashed with church officials — including Pope Benedict XVI and Francis — over whether Vatican leaders were supportive of him, his attempts to change church governance and his views of homosexuality in the church. He has said that by not cracking down on homosexuality within the church, the leadership has contributed to the problem of pedophile priests — a contention that is roundly disputed by liberal Catholic leaders and victims’ advocates who say sexual orientation has no bearing on whether somebody commits abuse. In widely publicized leaked church documents in 2012, Vigano was shown appealing to church leadership to discredit anonymously sourced articles in the Italian press criticizing his performance and role in the Vatican. The documents — dubbed VatiLeaks — showed that the leaders refused to defend him. The documents also showed that Vigano was desperate to not be transferred to the diplomatic position in Washington and protested to his superiors, including Benedict’s second-in-command, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. Vigano said in the leaked letters that he was being punished for uncovering corruption in the Vatican. Bertone is among the church leaders Vigano named in his recent letter as co-conspirators in Vatican cover-ups. In 2015, when Francis visited Washington, Philadelphia and New York, Vigano played a key role in one of the most controversial moments of the trip. He arranged for the pope — who had until then received widely positive news coverage for saying it was not his place to judge gay people — to meet Kim Davis, a Kentucky county clerk who had become embroiled in national controversy over her refusal to give marriage certificates to gay couples. Vatican insiders said the pope, who shook hands and took photographs with many people during his visit, did not fully understand who Davis was when he posed with her at the ambassador’s residence. The incident, which overtook otherwise glowing reports on the pope’s U.S. visit, was blamed internally on Vigano and said to be one of the reasons Francis did not ask him to stay in his post upon reaching the retirement age of 75. Catholic officials frequently stay in posts beyond retirement age at the request of the pope.

(Reuters) - Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) on Friday declared an “unusual event” at its Cooper nuclear power station in Nebraska due to the possibility of flooding along the Missouri River following a powerful winter storm this week. Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) Cooper nuclear power station is seen in an undated photo taken near Brownville, Nebraska, U.S. and obtained March 15, 2019. Nebraska Public Power District/Handout via REUTERS. The plant continues to operate safely and “there is no threat to plant employees or to the public,” the utility said in a release. The late winter storm, dubbed a “bomb cyclone” by meteorologists, left blizzards, floods and tornados in its wake after hitting the U.S. Mountain and Plains states this week, before pushing east into the Midwest and the Great Lakes Region early Friday. NPPD said its workers have filled sandbags along the river levee and procured other materials and supplies for flood protection. The biggest danger to a nuclear plant from flooding is the loss of power, which can make it difficult to cool the uranium fuel in the reactor core and the fuel stored in the spent fuel pool. That is what caused the fuel in some reactor cores at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan to partially melt down in 2011 after a giant earthquake and tsunami cut power to the plant. Since Fukushima, all U.S. reactors have been upgraded with additional safety equipment, including portable pumps and generators to keep cooling water circulating through the reactor in case the plant loses offsite power. NPPD said its procedures require it to declare an unusual event to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission when the Missouri River tops 899 feet above sea level. It reached 899.05 feet Friday morning, the company said. Should the river rise to 900 feet above sea level, NPPD said plant workers will “barricade internal doorways as another layer of protection for facility equipment.” If the river reaches 901.5 feet above sea level, NPPD said it would take the station offline as a protective measure. The plant was built at 903 feet above sea level, which is 13 feet above natural grade, NPPD said. The Cooper station is three miles (4.8 km) southeast of Brownville, Nebraska, near the Missouri River.<doc-sep>The late winter “bomb cyclone” that stunned more than 25 states with snow, rain and wind has caused flooding that is threatening the operational safety of a nuclear power plant in southeast Nebraska. The Cooper Nuclear Station along the swollen Missouri River will likely be shut down early Saturday as water levels continue rising following heavy rain earlier this week, a plant spokesman said Friday. The plant is in Brownville, about 60 miles south of Omaha, and is already functioning under emergency circumstances. If the Missouri River reaches 45.5 feet — which would threaten the levee protecting the plant — workers will pull the fuel rods that generate power, said Nebraska Public Power District spokesman Mark Becker, who added that there was no danger to the public. The historic low-pressure system, which affected more than 105 million people this week according to the National Weather Service, continued moving east. It is expected to dump rain and thunder into Sunday, national forecasters predicted. Flooding remained a concern in the lower Missouri River region — which is a major source for the Mississippi River — with the weather service issuing warnings of high water along the river and its tributaries from southeastern South Dakota to St. Louis in Missouri. On Friday, the U.S. Coast Guard shut down all traffic on the Missouri River from about 50 miles south of Omaha, downstream to St. Joseph, Missouri, a stretch of about 70 miles. The Coast Guard also requested all river-vessel operators create as little wake as possible between St. Joseph downstream to Kansas City to minimize levee damage. High water also pushed waterways to record levels across South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota. The flooding was the worst in nearly a decade in places, though the situation was expected to improve quickly over the weekend, according to Mike Gillispie, National Weather Service hydrologist in Sioux Falls. The storm gained “bomb cyclogenesis” or “bombogenesis” status earlier in the week after its air pressure dropped precipitously within 24 hours, causing wind gusts of nearly 100 mph while simultaneously dropping several inches of snow and rain. In Colorado, it caused one death when State Police Cpl. Daniel Groves was struck during a roadside accident earlier. In areas near Fargo, North Dakota, no travel was advised, as heavy snow and poor visibility prompted the closure of two interstates. In mid-Michigan, authorities reported two tornadoes and possibly a third, in Shiawassee County and nearby Genesee County. Homes were reported damaged, while power was knocked out to thousands. Lower Michigan also saw severe thunderstorm warnings, watches, flooding, high winds and hail as the storm trekked across the Midwest. • This article is based in part on wire service reports. Sign up for Daily Newsletters Manage Newsletters Copyright © 2021 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.<doc-sep>Historic flooding in the Midwest has compromised a dam in Nebraska, killed at least one man and threatened the closure of a nuclear power plant. Heavy rains and melting snowpack caused unprecedented water levels. The National Weather Service released flood maps and said flooding is expected to continue through the weekend and lingering into the following week along the Missouri River. The Levee point at Cut-Off ditch could potentially be breached, at this time it is holding by man made means. If you live between County Road 17 and the Highway 30 bypass a voluntary evacuation has been issued. Potential effected areas. @DodgeCosoNE pic.twitter.com/tVRZF02txJ — Dep. Frank (@depfrankDCSO) March 15, 2019 Cooper Nuclear Station, Ericson Dam and Spencer Dam Cooper Nuclear Station, a nuclear power plant in Nebraska, took precautions as the Missouri River continued to rise. Mark Becker, a spokesman for Nebraska Public Power District, told Newsweek that the nuclear station was operating safely at 100 percent output. On Tuesday, the company began emergency preparations, including sandbagging and barricading facilities. Becker noted that a Notice of Unusual Event was declared at 5:46 a.m. on Friday after the Missouri River reached 899 feet. The plant plans to use an Alert and shut down the reactor if and when the river reaches 902 feet. The National Weather Service river gauge upstream from Cooper Nuclear Station was swept away, so measurements from the plant were being shared with the NWS, Becker told Newsweek. "Projections earlier this morning, based on the gauge when it was functioning, indicates we could reach 902 or higher after midnight," he said. "I would not say the plan is in danger as it is operating safely at 100 percent and would be taken off line safely as well if necessary," Becker said. "There is no risk to the public or employees as we continue to operate and all safety procedures established for flooding conditions will be followed." Meanwhiel, Ericson Dam in north-central Nebraska appeared to be holding despite flooding at Cedar River. Boone County officials had initially reported the "imminent failure" of the Ericson Damn, but on Friday it appeared to be holding. The same cannot be said for the Spencer Dam, which failed at the Niobrara River. The failure caused a large ice floe to create a hole in a building. The Knox County Sheriff's Office confirmed that the Spencer Dam had been "compromised." The sheriff's office said it was trying to contact residents along the Niobrara River to evacuate them. Dozens of residents were later evacuated, The Weather Channel reported. The dam failure also appeared to have damaged a bridge on Highway 281. Nebraska State Patrol tweeted a photo that showed the bridge, located over the Niobrara River south of the dam, had been washed away. On Friday, the National Weather Service office in Omaha, Nebraska, was forced to evacuate due to river flooding. Valley County, Nebraska also announced a mandatory evacuation of all residents early on Friday. An emergency declaration was issued on Tuesday by Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts and an emergency disaster proclamation on Thursday by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds.<doc-sep>USA: Nebraska town engulfed by BLIZZARD causing shut down top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Flooding following a “bomb cyclone” which unleashed blizzard conditions on the Midwestern US has killed three people in Nebraska and Iowa. Now roads to a nuclear power plant have been cut and a significant area of a major US Air Force base has been inundated. Now more of the region's residents face the possibility of evacuation. The floods have caused each state's governor to declare a state of emergency, are the result of last week's "bomb cyclone" winter storm, which blew in from the western Rocky Mountains. At least one person was missing after hundreds of rescues across the weekend. Floodwaters have forced the operators of the Cooper nuclear plant, near Brownville, Nebraska, to fly in staff and supplies by helicopter as roads were cut off by rising water. Also in Nebraska, one-third of the Offutt Air Force Base, near Bellevue, which is home to the US Strategic Command has been cut off. Read More: Nebraska flooding: Towns turned to islands in historic flood WIPEOUT Nebraska Flooding: Rain and melting snow have contributed to the Midwest's swollen rivers The nuclear plant continued to operate safely and was at full power, its operator said. The National Weather Service (NWS) has reported some of the region's larger rivers were running at record high levels, causing levee breaks. Some small towns and communities have been cut off by floods and others have found themselves running out of fresh drinking water. Stunning aerial photos show streets in Lincoln, Nebraska, which were barely visible as high water surrounded homes, cars and trees. Elsewhere in the state, one highway near Waterloo was submerged, and piles of debris and damaged roads were visible in Niobrara. Floodwater has climbed up the sides of buildings at Camp Ashland, an Army National Guard facility in Ashland, Nebraska. The NWS reported that temperatures across the hardest-hit areas will reach above 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 C) through midweek. The weather service said increased temperatures would speed the pace of snow melting across the region adding yet more water to already swollen rivers. Nebraska Flooding: Houses, a US Air Force base and nuclear power plant are affected by flooding This could possibly force more evacuations in communities along the Missouri River on the Nebraska and Iowa border, as well as along the Elkhorn and Platte rivers in Nebraska. NWS meteorologist Jim Hayes said: “There could be issues across portions of Nebraska and Kansas for the next seven days.” The Missouri River was expected to crest at 47.5 feet (14.48 m) on Tuesday, breaking the previous record in 2011 by more than one foot, according to Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). The Elkhorn River crested at 24.6 feet on Saturday, breaking its previous record in 1962 by 5.5 feet. Nebraska Flooding: Nebraska is experiencing historic flooding due to a Bomb Cyclone storm<doc-sep>

A powerful, late-winter "bomb cyclone" storm pushed into the US Midwest and the Great Lakes region on Friday, causing flooding along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, stranding herds of cattle and raising alarms at a Nebraska nuclear power plant.Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts issued an emergency declaration for the state, citing forecasts of up to 2 feet (0.61 m) of snow and high winds that are expected to make travel "difficult to impossible" on roads. "Nebraskans should watch the forecast closely in the coming days and be prepared for severe weather events in conjunction with potential historic flooding," Ricketts said in the declaration. "As Nebraskans know, conditions can change quickly, and everyone needs to be prepared. "Ranchers posted images on social media of their cattle being dug out of snowdrifts or stranded in fields. "Widespread and extremely dangerous flooding will continue today and tonight," the National Weather Service office in Omaha, Nebraska, said on Friday in a statement.Many streams will see moderate to major flooding through the weekend, the service said, and flooding along the Missouri River will continue into next week.Meteorologists referred to the storm as a "bomb cyclone," a winter hurricane that forms when the barometric pressure drops 24 millibars in 24 hours.The Nebraska Public Power District declared an "unusual event" at its Cooper Nuclear Station power plant on Friday due to the possibility of flooding along the Missouri.Workers filled sandbags along the river levee and procured other materials for flood protection, the agency said. It said the plant continued to operate safely and there was no immediate threat to plant employees or to the public.In Iowa, a disaster proclamation by Governor Kim Reynolds, issued after reports of flooding on Thursday, remained in effect.At the storm's peak, 2 feet of snow was dumped on Colorado's mountain regions, forcing the cancellation of more than 1,300 flights in Denver and stranding more than 1,000 motorists on roadsides. Many had to be rescued by police, who used school buses to ferry them to safety.More than 1,200 flights were canceled nationwide on Friday and nearly 17,000 were delayed, according to the flight-tracking website Flightaware.com.Most power outages were cleared by early Friday, according to the tracking site PowerOutage.

Sony Sony's latest PS4 exclusive, Days Gone, is finally out, and it's certainly had a tough act to follow. The console maker has been killing it for the majority of the generation when it comes to must-play exclusives, with recent big hitters like Marvel's Spider-Man and God of War not only being considered some of the best games to release on the Playstation 4, but across any console this decade. Sony Bend's release - their first effort in seven years - has come with plenty of expectations then, not only in the context of Sony's own library of recent titles, but because of the game's own tumultuous history, with plenty of delays and huge showcases at pressers like E3 already crafting a defined image of the zombie (sorry, Freaker) game in the minds of players. That said, the question of whether or not it lives up to the rest of Sony's exclusive library is kind of a loaded question. Just because it's not another Horizon: Zero Dawn or Uncharted 4 doesn't inherently mean it's a failure, and there is indeed so much to love about Sony Bend's project. Still, Days Gone is admittedly flawed, and while it's fun, it leaves plenty of room for improvement.<doc-sep>SIE Bend Studio Days Gone is the epitome of the old warning to not judge a book by its cover. That cover is a zombie-riddled apocalypse with Sons of Anarchy-types playing the heroes in a survival-horror adventure boasting the usual open-world features, aligning nicely with the usual video game tropes of the current era. But Days Gone from developer SIE Bend Studio is much, much deeper and enthralling than those simple generalizations. The zombies (dubbed "Freakers"), open-world stage and more hide a refined experience with depth in its systems, some worthwhile innovations and an unexpectedly deep story that will grip players and not let go until the ride concludes. While it isn't perfect, Days Gone is quietly a juggernaut of a release worth a player's time, if not a system mover in its own right. Graphics and Gameplay Video Play Button Videos you might like The general theme of Days Gone seems to be one of unexpected depth. It applies in the graphical department. SIE Bend Studio has put together some incredible facial animations that shine, even in the tensest moments of stories. Characters, particularly the leading roles, wear their emotions in a way that allows for more engrossing storytelling. Flanking those characters and their tales is a barren, albeit pretty, world. Guiding the bike over a sinking, curving bridge outside of a camp and hearing the vibration of each board as the tires pass over it is a treat and a small example of the immersive detail. Details indeed pepper the world. Cars scattered throughout the roads, jammed into tunnels and barricades at medical checkpoints thrown aside hint at the plight of those afflicted trying to escape. A smaller, gory scene at a picnic table outside of a small town suggests a quieter, accepted fate for some. While the world as a whole can feel a bit empty when outside of a camp and not running into a horde, it is rather diverse. Dirt paths alongside rivers, towns of various sizes, mountain ranges off in the distance and deep forests are spread throughout an expansive, visually appealing map. Strong overall graphics, though with some notable frame rate dips at times, are all the more impressive with some of the best lighting in gaming to date. The dynamic weather system propels the sense of immersion, if not awe. And this isn't some poorly labeled thing those in charge of making the game tossed in so they had a talking point on the back of the box. This is downright incredible technology—and perhaps the best of its kind we have seen from a video game to date: This is a progressive weather system. When a snowstorm starts to flitter in before becoming a full-blown blizzard, specks of snow start accumulating on the player's character and objects around him. Then the ground starts to muddy and the green on trees starts to go. Eventually, if it is indeed a big storm, the ground is coated in powder and the bike becomes slower to gain traction and acceleration—but the Freakers aren't affected by it...at all. The same applies for rain, with the roads becoming noticeably slippier and impacting gameplay in the way one might expect from a racing game, not here. But the snow is more fun and perhaps more symbolic of the game's overarching theme—this didn't have to be in here, but something that goes much farther than a simple visual effect throws the player into a survival experience across all seasons and times of day. Overall, Days Gone is much deeper in the gameplay department than one might expect, as various systems form a cohesive whole that is satisfying to progress. The gameplay loop surrounding the bike itself isn't overly complicated. Fuel is a finite source, and players will have to keep the tank topped off or risk having to walk the bike around in a Freaker-infested world. Damaging the bike also requires players to jump into a mechanic role and fix it via scraps collected around the world. These are simple presses of the button and nothing more. The micromanagement of both systems isn't something players will have to overly worry about and never causes frustration. Rather, it adds an interesting layer of strategy to what is otherwise the routine in an open-world game. Fuel and bike upkeep can also be addressed at various camps throughout the world, though these cost camp-specific credits. Those are earned by going on jobs for the leaders, which creates a fun loop and reason to go out of the way to do non-story content. There are also trust levels at the mechanic and armory, which grant access to better bike upgrades and weaponry, respectively. Speaking of those facets, the bike controls well from the jump. It's a weighty experience and feels both faster and smoother as the upgrades begin to flow. This is nailed down well, and cruising the world is enjoyable. Gunplay itself is spottier: This is floaty and difficult to aim at times, and the Focus meter, which slows down time, doesn't help things. This combat side of the equation is a mixed bag overall. Guns are simply erratic. Systems like bullet drop over long distances and choosing a bow or silenced weapon to remain hidden while taking out enemies are nice, but it starts to fall apart once a big battle against human enemies starts. Those enemies are extremely lethal and can overwhelm quickly. There are plenty of control options to fiddle with in an effort to remedy some of these problems, at least. As such, stealth is the typical preferred approach for most encounters. But like many others that try it, this can struggle at times because of the A.I., which can feel erratic in its player detection and quite forgetful rather quickly despite a previous gunfight. That said, when stealth goes wrong, it can be a treat to see what sort of chaos unfolds. Days Gone boasts an incredible array of interacting NPC types that can create some shockingly good times. Getting busted while attempting stealth stinks, for example, but the non-suppressed gunfire from a camp's baddies could lure a horde of Freakers to swarm them while the player slips away. And this continues everywhere in the world, not just in camps. It isn't uncommon to be cruising along and see a bear duking it out with a few Freakers. Friendly bases will mop up Freakers chasing the player toward the main gate. There are layers of strategy and fun here that create a never-plays-the-same feel—which is true. A base might be too difficult to tackle, but turning Mother Nature or Freakers against them is a viable option. Hunting game out in the wild might be tougher than anticipated, but not if the pack of deer running from the player runs into a few Freakers. This complexity extends to other general systems. Crafting, skill trees, melee weapon maintenance and rules surrounding fast travel are simple to understand and are enjoyable. These add to the game, not bog it down, giving an unexpected depth to gameplay. Perhaps the crowning achievement of Days Gone from a gameplay perspective is that while it doesn't tackle too many fresh ideas, its execution is strong enough and not one part worsens the experience notably, rather, the deficiencies simply ask the player to adapt. The linear storyline events unfolding throughout a massive open world create a feeling of everything the player does is important. This is an incredibly hard feat to pull off in an open-world game, but it never feels like the player is being asked to do meaningless side tasks for the sake of extending the game's run time. A hodgepodge of ideas, most of them done before in some fashion, Days Gone is a joy to play in all areas. Cruising and exploring is fun. Methodically pitting A.I. systems against each other is too. Specing out a character via skill trees and upgrades deepens the player connection. It all isn't as intuitive right out of the gates as it could be, but Days Gone in this regard ends up winning players over. Story, World and More<doc-sep>Bend Studios’ definitely-not-a-zombie-game Days Gone launches this week, and if you’re wondering whether to pick it up, casting your eye over this list of numbers will help make up your mind. PS4 exclusive Days Gone releases tomorrow, April 25, and while the developer is adamant that it’s not a zombie game, you’ll be facing down hordes of them and meandering through the post-apocalytpic world on your not-so-trusty motorbike before you know it. First announced at E3 2016, we expected the title to roll out in 2018, but last year, Sony announced that it would get a 2019 release, and after a firm date of February was announced, it was eventually pushed back to April. And now here we are. Days Gone’s launch window has in previous years been occupied by the likes of God of War, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Uncharted 4 and Bloodborne, so to say there’s pressure to perform is somewhat of an understatement. Unfortunately, it might not hit that mark, with our very own Kirk McKeand weighing in after his time spent with protagonist Deacon, concluding that “Days Gone is very dumb.” Sony has already outlined plans for a free DLC, slated for June, that will introduce Survival Mode and weekly challenges. But before we get ahead of ourselves, you can peruse the scores for the game as it stands at launch. As usual, scores are out of 10 unless noted otherwise.<doc-sep>

Reviews for SIE Bend Studio's zombie survival game Days Gone are in and not many seem impressed. Ranging from disjointed and meaningless narratives to tedious, chore-like missions, there aren't many things that set Days Gone apart. Kotaku wrote, "Days Gone displays little that reaches beyond its many influences and contemporaries, instead settling for being a hollow simulacrum of them all." They were quite impressed with hordes, which seem to be to everyone's liking by the way, but their opinion of the game's narrative was pretty low. Eurogamer is of a similar opinion, insisting that already from the story's defining moment, things just make very little sense. "Days Gone carries with it the expectation that if you cobble a game together from parts of other games that are already massively successful, you'll have yourself a winner, but it has no awareness of why these games were successful, or simply no means to replicate them", they concluded. Destructoid, on the other hand, found themselves engaged with the story, but found that Days Gone's mechanical parts are often inconsistent with it, with the game giving you unlimited fuel on some missions. "It's almost like the team knew that it wasn't a very fun thing to micromanage in a game with a massive open world and used a stopgap solution when they needed to move the narrative along", they said. They scored it with a 6/10. IGN also thought this made Days Gone's world inconsistent, ultimately resulting in a game that feels like it's bloated and unnecessarily long. "There's a good game in here somewhere, but it's buried in a meandering storyline, repetitive missions, and just too much obligatory stuff to do without an eye on the smaller details that could have given it much more character", they wrote. Gamespot also complained about stories and missions that have absolutely no bearing in the long run. "Narrative threads are dropped as soon as Deacon no longer has a use for them. Copeland and Tucker only matter until Deacon gets to a camp that has better supplies. Boozer's health is only important because it's Deacon's reason for living", they wrote, scoring it with a 5. Sony Days Gone, c'mon dude, we just want an autograph! The Verge thought that the game is not very fun, but more like a giant to-do list, with very little variety. "There isn't anything here you can't experience in other, better games", they said. They thought that Deacon's bike is pretty great though, as well as the zombie hordes. At the moment, Days Gone has a score of 72 on Metacritic, so the game is obviously far from a disaster - it's a solid game, with a few bugs here and there that should be addressed. However, it's safe to say that we expected a bit more than just solid.

President Trump said Thursday he would look to fully fund the $300 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, reversing the sharp cuts proposed in his recent budget proposal for the next fiscal year. “I support the Great Lakes,” Mr. Trump said at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Mich., prompting cheers from the crowd of supporters gathered at the Van Andel Arena. “They’re beautiful. They’re big. Deep—record deepness,” he said. “I’m going to get full funding—$300 million—for the Great Lakes Restoration.” Earlier this month, the Trump administration rolled out details of its $4.7 trillion spending proposal for the next fiscal year, which included cutting $270 million from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Earlier Thursday, Mr. Trump said he was reversing his administration’s proposal to eliminate federal funding for the Special Olympics, a move that had drawn widespread criticism. The administration had previously proposed to cut $17.6 million from the program. Regarding Great Lakes funding, It was the third year in a row that the Trump administration has proposed either eliminating or cutting most of the program, which aims to restore wetlands and improve water quality around the Great Lakes. Write to Vivian Salama at [email protected] Copyright ©2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8<doc-sep>Brian Dickerson and Eve Samples When he headed to Grand Rapids late Thursday afternoon for a rally to shore up his Michigan base, Donald Trump was the environmental wrecking ball who has attempted to eviscerate protection for the Great Lakes in three successive budget proposals to Congress. By the time he boarded Air Force One for the flight to Washington a few hours later — if we believe his own account — he had become the foremost champion of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative his administration has repeatedly proposed to gut. "I support the Great Lakes. Always have," the president told the credulous supporters who filled Grand Rapids' Van Andel Arena. "They are big, very deep. Record deepness, right? And I am going to get, in honor of my friends, full funding of $300 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which you have been trying to get for over 30 years. So, we will get it done." More:President Trump returns to Michigan, says he'll fund Great Lakes effort More:Great Lakes Basin warming faster than other parts of country, new study finds Never mind that the Initiative's survival was all but guaranteed last month when, as in the previous two budget cycles, federal lawmakers in both parties told the president his proposal to savage the program was a non-starter. If our gas-lighter-in-chief now aspires to be the best friend Michigan's greatest natural resource ever had, well, who among us would dissuade him? But just as Trump's ambition to rebrand Republicans as "the healthcare party" is currently hamstrung by the absence of an actual health care plan, realizing his aspirations to be an environmental champion would require a virtual about-face in White House policy. Sage advice squandered Before he died last year, Nathaniel Reed, the Florida Republican who helped draft the Endangered Species Act, offered some advice to his party's newest president. "America does not want to go back to an era of dirty water and dirty air," he told Trump. To avoid that fate, Reed said in a 2017 interview, the federal government needs laws with teeth. "Enforcement is a tool that must be in the presidential quiver," he said. "You have to enforce environmental laws, you have to — or they're negated, ignored." Reed knew something about advising Republican presidents. He served Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford as assistant secretary of the Department of Interior. He helped write the Clean Water Act as well as the Endangered Species Act. So far, Trump has defied Reed's advice. He has eroded environmental regulations — much as Rick Snyder did during his eight-year tenure as Michigan's governor — in the name of spurring economic growth. But there comes a time in every shrewd politician's career when he or she realizes it's politically expedient to be an environmental advocate. Former state Attorney General Bill Schuette, whose environmental record was worse than Snyder's, did his best to camouflage that with an aggressive criminal investigation of his predecessor's role in the Flint water crisis. Trump, similarly, hopes his 180 on Great Lakes funding will distract Michiganders from his record of hostility to conservation. National Geographic is keeping a running list of the Trump administration's environmental actions. Among the lowlights: This is a long list, but it is far from comprehensive. Many more rollbacks of environmental rules have occurred under Trump, affecting water, climate, air and chemical regulations. we encourage you to look at the National Geographic compilation and assess them yourself. And, to be fair, we should note a couple of environmental wins that have occurred under Trump's watch: These victories overshadowed by a vast push to weaken environmental protections across the country. Trump's abandonment of a Great Lakes funding fight he was already doomed to lose won't change that. Neither will additional funding for the restoration of Florida's Everglades (though it's better than cutting funding). Only a sustained commitment to environmental protections "with teeth," as Reed suggested, can have a lasting positive impact on clean water and air. Brian Dickerson is the editorial page editor of the Detroit Free Press. Eve Samples is opinion and audience engagement editor for TCPalm/Treasure Coast Newspapers. Both are part of the USA TODAY Network.<doc-sep>

GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- President Donald Trump promised to fully fund the $300 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative after previously proposing massive cuts to the program in his 2020 budget proposal. Trump’s first three budget proposals as president sought to cut funds by 90 percent, reducing the program to $30 million, but Congress fully funded the initiative through the Environmental Protection Agency. The cuts attracted bipartisan opposition from Michigan lawmakers, including U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, who traveled with Trump to a March 28 rally in Grand Rapids. The funds are used to target threats to the Great Lakes ecosystem, including cleaning up toxic substances, blocking invasive species, restoring habitats and reducing the causes of harmful algal blooms. At a packed Van Andel Arena, Trump said he agreed with Michigan lawmakers that funding for should be protected. “They’re beautiful,” Trump said of the Great Lakes. “They’re big very deep. Record deep. And I’m going to get in honor of my friends full funding of $300 million dollars for the Great Lakes restoration.” Trump said the time is right to fund the program. Huizenga, co-chair of the House Great Lakes Task Force, previously said the GLRI is a “critical program” that helps clean pollution, restore habitats and prevent the spread of invasive species. U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, and Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, also released statements criticizing the proposed cuts. Stabenow, co-chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, was a Senate co-sponsor of the bill to establish the initiative when it was signed into law by then-President Barack Obama in 2009. The GLRI initially committed $475 million but funding dropped to just under $300 million in 2011 and has stayed there since. The 2020 cut was not highlighted in Trump’s budget outline this year, instead reflected as a line item in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2020 budget brief. The 2018 presidential budget proposal included an explanation for the cut, stating that the move allows EPA to focus on its “highest national priorities.”

Syracuse was good enough to beat just about anyone tonight. Baylor was not just about anyone tonight. Behind an 8-of-13 start from three, Baylor knocked off Syracuse 78-69 to advance in the NCAA Tournament. The Bears will take on Gonzaga on Saturday in the Round of 32. We’ll found out the time later. Down 53-50 in the second half, Jared Butler took over. Makai Mason—a man who scored 16 first half points and finished with 22—left the game for a bit with an injury. While he was out, Butler made a big layup, nabbed a steal and drilled two threes while Mason sat. At 68-65, Freddie Gillespie drilled a contested eight foot jumper. The Orange answered. Makai missed a three, grabbed his own rebound and made a two. Then everyone went a little cold. At 72-67 with 1:10 left, Syracuse fouled Mason. He drilled both free throws to give Baylor a 74-67 lead. Syracuse drew a foul, and then Butler threw it full-court to Freddie Gillespie—a former D3 player and now one of the key rotation pieces and a frequent starter—who slammed it. Mason drilled two free throws two possessions later, and Baylor won. The Bears seemed to have it won. They led 68-59, and Mason took a transition three. It rimmed out, and Syracuse scored the next six points. Baylor had the ball up 68-65 coming out of the final media timeout with 3:48 left. But the Orange kept battling. Baylor was just a little too good for Syracuse’s best tonight. It’s a shame someone had to lose this kind of game. Baylor was hot. Syracuse was hot. Each team scouted wonderfully. Baylor worked Syracuse’s zone and took open threes. Syracuse forced a few timely turnovers and limited Baylor’s offensive rebounds. Nobody deserved to lose this game. But sometimes you don’t deserve the fate life gives you. The first half was absolutely wild. Baylor finished the first half 10-of-18 from three. Syracuse went 10-of-17. The Bears attempted 78% of their shots from deep. Savannah State shoots the most threes per possession, and attempt one on 57% of their possessions. Baylor and Syracuse combined for 28 threes. That’s the most in a game this decade. This Baylor team was picked ninth in the Big 12. They lost their best player in January. And they’ll play in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.<doc-sep>Key moment Gonzaga’s 19-point lead had dwindled to five early in the second half after a Baylor surge. Brandon Clarke – not exactly a surprise – delivered the Zags’ next six points, one on a tough 10-footer as the shot clock was expiring, another on a putback jam off a Killian Tillie miss and a pair of free throws rewarding Clarke’s hard drive to the rim. GU led 49-38. The Bears kept battling, but could get no closer than eight the rest of the way. Offensive MVP Clarke simply took over at the offensive end against Baylor’s undersized frontcourt. The 6-foot-8 junior had 18 points in the first half as the Zags built a 16-point lead. He didn’t slow down in the second half, even when Baylor tried to defend him with 6-8 Freddie Gillespie and 6-7 Mario Kegler. Clarke made 15 of 18 shots and scored 36 points, equaling his career-high from San Jose State. Brandon Clarke passes Adam Morrison for No. 1 on the @ZagMBB single-game #MarchMadness record with 36 points! pic.twitter.com/rLr7GNT3HS — NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 24, 2019 Defensive MVP We could easily go with Clarke, who swatted five shots and made life miserable for Baylor when it penetrated the lane, but Zach Norvell Jr. turned in another solid defensive effort against a quality opposing guard. Norvell chased around Makai Mason’s, Baylor’s leading scorer, and limited the senior to 5-of-16 shooting, including 2 of 7 beyond the arc. Mason got his points (17), but needed a lot of shots to reach that figure.<doc-sep>SALT LAKE CITY – How do you like your mixed emotions served? Shaken? Stirred? Layered? At the edge of a merry Baylor locker room after the Bears bounced Syracuse from the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night, John Jakus pinned himself against a wall and weighed Fate’s idea of the perfect martini. “This is one of the least-favorite things I’ve ever done in basketball,” he admitted. “I don’t say that lightly, either. But it’s better than going home.” A few yards away, Rem Bakamus corkscrewed his expression into a modified Debbie Downer and pronounced, “This is going to be weird. It already is.” Weird, but perhaps more common than ever, thanks to the increasingly tangled branches of the college coaching tree. Come Saturday afternoon, the Bears and Gonzaga Bulldogs meet for the prize of a spot in the Sweet 16 – trips Jakus and Bakamus shared three years running at Gonzaga when Jakus was part of the basketball staff and Bakamus was the court-jester walk-on whose bench pantomime made YouTube nearly as often as the Zags’ highlights. This weekend, they locker across the hall with the Bears – Jakus in his second year as an assistant coach, Bakamus a graduate aide who is fending off verbal darts from pretty much all sides. “He said all the Baylor guys have been giving him mess all week,” reported Jack Beach, Bakamus’ former walk-on compadre at Gonzaga. And his old teammates? “Oh, there’ll be some trash talking, for sure,” Beach said. Second-round company loves misery. It was about one region into last Sunday’s NCAA Selection Show broadcast that Bakamus’ phone buzzed with a text from Beach predicting that the Zags and Bears would find themselves matched in the same pod out West and destined for a round-of-32 rendezvous. “But somehow, I just had that feeling all year,” Bakamus said. The Zags making like a No. 1 seed since November, he meant, and Baylor looking very No. 8-or-9-ish, scuffling through a season rife with injury setbacks and yet still in the hunt for the Big 12 title until the final week. The old Triple-A ethos – anybody, anywhere, any time – that was a cornerstone in the early days in Gonzaga’s rise to national prominence always had one caveat for head coach Mark Few: He wasn’t going to schedule against his closest friends in the game. And after three years on Few’s staff, Jakus is certainly that – “an unbelievable person,” Few gushed, “who had a real impact on the program – and me.” But in the NCAAs, you get who they give you for dance partners. Hence Jakus’ regrets. “I don’t want them going home,” Jakus said, “and I especially don’t want their kids going home.” Or, it goes without saying, Baylor’s kids. Jakus was Gonzaga’s director of operations for three years, a catch-all role in which one major element was statistical analytics. If his predecessor, Jerry Krause, nudged the Zags toward paying attention to metrics, Jakus advanced the agenda considerably. “He did it in such a way that I could see some real effects,” Few said, “and he helped the players understand the effects of learning from analytics. But he was a very relational guy, too, and that was probably his biggest impact.” One of the relationships he fostered was with Bakamus. The son of a legendary high school coach in Longview, Washington, Bakamus said he “resisted the idea of coaching” and after graduation in 2017 worked for Beach’s dad and former GU great Dan Dickau in their Scorebook Live technology startup. “They were great to me, but I wasn’t going to make it behind a desk,” he said. So he reached out to Jakus, who noted the Bears get flooded with applicants for graduate assistant openings (“I’ve seen 10-15 this week,” he said). “I wouldn’t call what I do coaching yet,” Bakamus said, “but I’m trying to prepare.” He’s also trying to “tone down the bench antics” – it helps that he doesn’t actually sit on the bench, but in the front row behind it – and see the game a little differently. But it’s hard not to see it from the Gonzaga point of view. Bakamus said he watched every Zags game this season – “sometimes twice, if I was bored at the office.” Jakus estimated he saw 70 percent and called the Bulldogs “not just good but historically good.” But his warm feelings for the program go far deeper than numbers. “I don’t think they’ll ever get enough credit what they’ve done there,” he said. “Their player development, and the wisdom with which they run a program, and fund-raise and lead and engage the community – there’s no better example in the country for doing it right and being rewarded for it. “It’s remarkable – the way they teach a system and the culture they create in the locker room. It’s not normal. It’s special.” “Not normal” also applies to the circumstances of Saturday. “But they wouldn’t have done a very good job with me,” Bakamus said, “if I didn’t want to beat them.”<doc-sep>Patrick Smith/Getty Images Top-seeded Gonzaga defeated ninth-seeded Baylor 83-71 to advance to the Sweet 16 of the 2019 NCAA men's basketball tournament. Brandon Clarke led the Zags with 36 points—a school record in the Big Dance—on 15-of-18 shooting, while Rui Hachimura finished with six points and five boards. A 22-point effort from Makai Mason helped propel the Bears into the second round with a win over Syracuse, but the senior guard was unable to provide similar heroics Saturday. Mason shot 5-of-16 en route to 17 points. Hachimura often grabs the headlines for Gonzaga. He's the team's leading scorer (20.1 points entering Saturday) and is widely considered the Bulldogs' best pro prospect. Against Baylor, Clarke showed why he was just as important to Gonzaga's success this season. Two years ago, Clarke averaged 17.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists for a San Jose State team that finished 14-16. On Saturday, he enjoyed arguably the best performance of his college career in his biggest game to date. In addition to his gaudy point total, Clarke had eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and five blocks. According to ESPN Stats & Info (h/t ESPN.com's Jeff Borzello), he's the third player in tournament history with at least 35 points and five blocks—Shaquille O'Neal and David Robinson being the others. This will be a showing that NBA scouts and team executives look at frequently whenever the time comes for Clarke to enter the draft. As great as he was, Baylor might have made this more of a game were it not for the team's dreadful offensive start. The Bears shot 8-of-27 from the field and 1-of-10 from beyond the arc over the first 20 minutes. Compounding matters, Clarke was scoring at will inside. He made eight of his 10 shots and dropped 18 points on Baylor in the first half. At 6'8", the junior forward doesn't possess overwhelming size, yet he feasted on a Bears defense that has struggled with rim protection for much of the season. On occasion, Gonzaga turned its suffocating defense into quick points. Geno Crandall capitalized on an errant pass to get a steal and then find Clarke for a breakaway two-handed jam to put the Bulldogs ahead 23-11 with 9:48 left in the half. Video Play Button McCollum and the Blazers Snapped Postseason Losing Streak for "Jennifer" Spencer Is the Real Winner of the Boston Marathon Stars Invest in Plant-Based Food as Vegetarianism Sweeps NBA The NBA Got Some Wild Techs This Season Jarrett Allen Is One of the NBA’s Hottest Rim Protectors Wade's Jersey Swaps Created Epic Moments This Season NBA Squads Brought the Heat with Bench Reactions This Year Westbrook Makes History While Honoring Nipsey Hussle Nation’s Top-Ranked H.S. Teams Will Play for a National Title Is 20-Year-Old Undefeated Ryan Garcia Boxing's Next Superstar? Devin Booker Makes History with Scoring Tear 29 Years Ago, Jordan Dropped Career-High 69 Points MLB Players Are Getting Wild Inspiration for Their Cuts Bosh Is Getting His Jersey Raised to the Rafters in Miami Carsen Edwards Put on a Show vs. the Defending Champs Gabe Kalscheur Is Early Breakout Star of March Madness Barrett, Brazdeikis Lead Canadian Hoops Revolution to March Madness UM's Ignas Brazdeikis Is the Villain of March Madness OBJ's Trade to Cleveland Has the Browns Hyped Steph Returns to Houston for 1st Time Since His Moon Landing Troll Right Arrow Icon The Zags also used ball movement to get Baylor out of position and open up a lane to the basket for Clarke. Video Play Button McCollum and the Blazers Snapped Postseason Losing Streak for "Jennifer" Spencer Is the Real Winner of the Boston Marathon Stars Invest in Plant-Based Food as Vegetarianism Sweeps NBA The NBA Got Some Wild Techs This Season Jarrett Allen Is One of the NBA’s Hottest Rim Protectors Wade's Jersey Swaps Created Epic Moments This Season NBA Squads Brought the Heat with Bench Reactions This Year Westbrook Makes History While Honoring Nipsey Hussle Nation’s Top-Ranked H.S. Teams Will Play for a National Title Is 20-Year-Old Undefeated Ryan Garcia Boxing's Next Superstar? Devin Booker Makes History with Scoring Tear 29 Years Ago, Jordan Dropped Career-High 69 Points MLB Players Are Getting Wild Inspiration for Their Cuts Bosh Is Getting His Jersey Raised to the Rafters in Miami Carsen Edwards Put on a Show vs. the Defending Champs Gabe Kalscheur Is Early Breakout Star of March Madness Barrett, Brazdeikis Lead Canadian Hoops Revolution to March Madness UM's Ignas Brazdeikis Is the Villain of March Madness OBJ's Trade to Cleveland Has the Browns Hyped Steph Returns to Houston for 1st Time Since His Moon Landing Troll Right Arrow Icon Baylor stormed out of the gates to open the second half, going on a 10-0 run and trimming its deficit to six points. Shortly after the Bears' blistering run, though, Mark Vital, who had 17 points and eight rebounds, picked up his third and fourth fouls of the game, thus necessitating his move to the bench. The sophomore guard returned and tried to stem the tide by getting three points the hard way as Baylor trailed 55-44. Video Play Button McCollum and the Blazers Snapped Postseason Losing Streak for "Jennifer" Spencer Is the Real Winner of the Boston Marathon Stars Invest in Plant-Based Food as Vegetarianism Sweeps NBA The NBA Got Some Wild Techs This Season Jarrett Allen Is One of the NBA’s Hottest Rim Protectors Wade's Jersey Swaps Created Epic Moments This Season NBA Squads Brought the Heat with Bench Reactions This Year Westbrook Makes History While Honoring Nipsey Hussle Nation’s Top-Ranked H.S. Teams Will Play for a National Title Is 20-Year-Old Undefeated Ryan Garcia Boxing's Next Superstar?<doc-sep>

SALT LAKE CITY – It’s not standard uniform issue and it might look odd on a basketball court, but the intent of the message was clear. “Coach (Mark) Few said we have to get our hard hats on,” said senior point guard Josh Perkins, characterizing Saturday’s matchup between top-seeded Gonzaga and hard-nosed Baylor in the NCAA Tournament round of 32. Gonzaga (31-3) has pounded most foes in its path and possesses one of the most efficient offenses since the turn of the century. The Zags are right where many thought they would be. The ninth-seeded Bears (20-13) have made it where few thought they could go. They had just three returning letter winners, the fewest of any Power 5 conference program. They were picked ninth in the Big 12 preseason poll, and late into the conference season they were still contending for the title. “A lot of people counted us out, man,” forward Mario Kegler said. “We don’t worry about the outsiders. We stay together.” The Bears’ injury list could run a few pages long. They’ve reinvented themselves a couple of times, the latest version a small-ball crew that leans on toughness, offensive rebounding and knocking down 3-pointers. That was Baylor’s formula in Thursday’s win, shredding No. 8 Syracuse’s zone with 16 3s. “He’s done an amazing job with all the adversity they’ve had thrown at them,” Few said of Baylor coach Scott Drew, who has guided Baylor to Elite Eights in 2010 and 2012, and Sweet 16s in 2014 and 2017. Asked for a rundown of Baylor’s injuries, assistant coach John Jakus needed a full minute to detail the comings and goings of a handful of players, including the loss of forward Tristan Clark, the team’s best player when he went down 19 games ago. Jake Lindsey was lost to injury prior to the season. Kegler and Makai Mason were sidelined at the outset of the season. Mason has been limited in the past 12 games with a toe injury. King McClure missed five games in February with a knee injury. Those players have missed a total of nearly 70 games. Gonzaga-Baylor key matchup: Makai Mason latest quality guard to test the Zags Baylor’s Makai Mason was seen limping during Thursday’s win over Syracuse, but the 6-foot-1 guard remains the Bears’ heart. He hit four 3-pointers and scored 22 points in the opening round. | Read more » “Scott did one of the best jobs in America,” said Jakus, Gonzaga’s director of basketball operations from 2015-17. Baylor isn’t the greatest 3-point shooting team by percentage (34.5), but the Bears have a habit of making key 3s, led by Mason, McClure, Kegler, Jared Butler and Devonte Bandoo. The undersized Bears are plus-6 rebounding, including 13.4 on the offensive glass, 11th nationally. Baylor ranks in front of Duke, North Carolina and Tennessee, opponents that stung Gonzaga on the offensive boards. “We had issues with that,” Zags forward Killian Tillie said, “but that means we worked a lot on that in our practices. I think we’ve gotten better.” North Carolina’s and Tennessee’s 3-point shooting were major factors in two of Gonzaga’s losses. “With their injuries, they’re kind of playing small-ball out of necessity,” said Zags assistant Tommy Lloyd, who compiled the Baylor scouting report. “It’s one of those deals where you throw percentages out the window. They’re comfortable taking those shots because they feel it gives them the best chance to win.” Gonzaga poses a number of concerns for the Bears. The Zags will have a size advantage and their multiple scoring options are a problem for any defense. “So watching them last night, you go from being in a good mood (after a win) to, ‘Oh, crud,’” Drew cracked. “If they had just one guy, they wouldn’t be the No. 1 offense.” Baylor’s zone defense attempts to control the tempo and get opponents out of rhythm. The Bears played a fair amount of man defense against Syracuse and shut down the Orange late in a 78-69 win. “It’s a little bit of a hybrid zone,” Lloyd said. “Whatever is working, they’re going to go with it.” Tillie, who has made steady progress returning from a foot injury, could be a bigger factor with his ability behind the 3-point arc and using his 6-foot-10 frame near the high-post area. “We worked on zone last week, knowing Fairleigh Dickinson and of course the (Baylor-Syracuse) winner plays it,” Perkins said. “Their zone is a little different. With every defense, there are holes.

Kubrat Pulev ended an 18-month exile with a unanimous points win over Hughie Fury to become IBF No. 1 challenger for world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. After a scrappy fight, Pulev earned scores of 117-111, 118-110 and 115-113 in front of his home fans at the Arena Armeec in Sofia, Bulgaria. Pulev, 37, was a worthy winner but did not give Fury's fellow Englishman Joshua too much to worry about and was briefly in trouble in the eighth round. It was second defeat in just over a year for Fury (21-2, 11 KOs), after he lost on points to New Zealand's Joseph Parker for the WBO world title in September last year. Fury, younger cousin of former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, had to contend with a cut eyelid from Round 2 and faded after a promising start. Pulev (26-1, 13 KOs) now hopes to be in the corner for Joshua's next fight at Wembley Stadium on April 13 after missing out on facing the unified heavyweight world titleholder in Cardiff a year ago when he pulled out with a shoulder injury two weeks before. Fury, who stopped Sam Sexton for the British belt in May, was criticised for not throwing enough punches against Parker, but he made an aggressive start against Pulev, with his right hand effective in the first round. Pulev responded with a decent one-two on the bell, but the Englishman landed more in the opening session. Pulev landed a solid left jab that instantly drew blood late in the second round. Referee Albert Earl Brown asked the ringside doctor to look at the cut on Fury's left eyelid, which was an unwelcome distraction for the British champion so early on. Perhaps after being told by his corner about the seriousness of the cut, Fury began the third full of urgency and venom. Fury, the lighter of the two fighters, seemed to do enough to win the third despite not landing any shots flush. With Fury's vision perhaps obscured, Pulev began landing more early in the fourth round before a lot of holding. Fury, 24, was repeatedly backed into a corner in the fifth round as he hoped to set a trap for Pulev and land a big right. But it never came, and Fury's early momentum fizzled out as Pulev tried to rough up the Englishman at close quarters. Fury's corner did a good job on the cut to stop the blood by the halfway stage, but he spent most of the second half of the fight on the back foot. Fury, from Bolton, finally took his chance in the eighth round when he rocked Pulev with a right hand, and the Bulgarian looked in trouble while he tried to avoid further damage. But it was Fury who was left tottering in the ninth round when he was caught by a couple of hooks thrown from close range. Pulev was more aggressive in the tenth, and knocked a tiring Fury back on to his heels with a straight left hand.<doc-sep>It wasn’t to be this past weekend for Hughie Fury who at 24 years of age came up short to Kubrat Pulev in Bulgaria over the distance. Pulev won a unanimous points decision in Sofia after Fury suffered a cut early on in the fight that obscured his vision. Pulev will now be the official IBF mandatory challenger for Anthony Joshua when the mandatory for the belt is next called for the champion. Although, he might have to wait for a while if a planned Joshua vs Deontay Wilder fight were to go ahead next April as planned. Following the fight after the weekend in Bulgaria Hughie’s trainer and father Peter had the following to say on the bout on his Twitter account: Please understand he was blind in one eye. His vision blurred. After 3 rd round he was in deep water. He will come back. — peter fury. (@peterfury) October 28, 2018 Twitter experts on again’ HUGHIE went ahead with this fight injured ‘ over to Bulgaria and give pulev all the trouble he could handle on a bad night. Did he go down? Was he stopped ? One judge had it by 2 rounds 15/13. — peter fury. (@peterfury) October 28, 2018 Also ref stated he could stop fight anytime’ So he can’t see from the eye “ ref about to jump in and he’s supposed to keep boxing as normal ? And try take pulev out? he did his best under bad circumstances. — peter fury. (@peterfury) October 28, 2018 At 24 Lewis turned pro. Lost fights in round one by ko. Klitschko lost 3 times by ko back to back. And these turned out hall of fame fighters. Hughie comes short in 2 world level fights. He’s futures bright.!! — peter fury. (@peterfury) October 28, 2018 Pulev gives any heavyweight trouble in that shape. If the eye never went maybe result same’ from what we saw before it looked promising. Thanks to all the fans for support. negative comments are part justified. Thank you. — peter fury. (@peterfury) October 28, 2018 Fact’ eye surgeon said cut would be fine & fit to fight. Also if a fighters not fit he can not do 12 rounds on world level. thank you. Good night — peter fury. (@peterfury) October 28, 2018 I’m not ignoring anyone or offended by them. I’ve always interacted with fans good or bad. No excuses he lost this one. In my opinion he would of done better had not been hampered by cut. — peter fury. (@peterfury) October 28, 2018 Share this: Twitter Facebook<doc-sep>Hughie Fury’s bid to fight Anthony Joshua for a world title was thwarted Saturday night in Sofia by Kubrat Pulev, the Bulgarian heavyweight, who won comprehensively on the cards. Pulev got ahead early in the contest when his stiff second-round jab opened up an old cut above the left eye of the British fighter, sustained during a pre-fight training camp. This venture to the Balkans was always likely to be a tough assignment for Fury, but Pulev's command of the jab, roared on by partisan local support, broke Fury's face - and his dreams. Pulev handed 24-year-old Fury his second career defeat in the eliminator for the IBF world title belt held by Joshua, the judges returning a unanimous verdict of 117-111, 118-110 and 115-113 in the 37-year-old former world title challenger's favour. Pulev now sits among the contenders - who include Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte - to face Joshua in 2019.<doc-sep>The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Get all the boxing updates you need with our Monday Morning Matchmaker - sign up here Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice This is the dramatic moment boxer Levan Shonia took his frustrations out on his trainer, punching him after losing a fight. Having suffered the 12th defeat of his career against the unbeaten Spas Genov, Shonia was standing in his corner with his coach on the ring apron. For apparently very little reason, the fighter throws a right hand at his trainer, catching him on the shoulder. The coach responds with a gentle slap before Shonia half-heartedly throws his left hand in retaliation as his coach struggles to stay up right by clinging on to the ropes. Having noticed the altercation, the referee rushes over to step in. (Image: Twitter) (Image: Twitter) Shonia, 34, had won just one of his last seven fights and will no doubt be on the look out for a new trainer. The Georgian will also likely face disciplinary action from the Bulgarian boxing authorities. He and Genov were fighting in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia on the undercard of Hughie Fury vs Kubrat Pulev. (Image: Twitter) (Image: Twitter) Genov took his record to a perfect 10-0 with victory at the Armeec Arena on Saturday night. Also on the undercard, Brit Savannah Marshall outpointed Yanina Orozco having dropped her opponent in the second round. Later, Fury will bid to set up a shot at world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua when he takes on home favourite Pulev. After weighing in four pounds lighter than his opponent on Friday, Fury, cousin of Tyson, said: "It's been a hard, hard training camp but I feel good. I feel ten times stronger now than I have in the build-up to previous fights. Now I just want to get in the ring and get the job done."<doc-sep>

Kubrat Pulev was scheduled to face Anthony Joshua in 2017, but had to pull out due to an injury. Today, he wrapped up a frustrating 2018 where several fights fell through by perhaps ensuring his shot at Joshua in 2019. Pulev outpointed Hughie Fury today in Sofia, Bulgaria, winning an IBF heavyweight eliminator on scores of 115-113, 117-111, and 118-110. BLH had it 117-111 Pulev. The 24-year-old Fury comes up short in his second major fight, following a 2017 loss to then-WBO titleholder Joseph Parker. It was a tough night for Fury (21-2, 11 KO), who suffered a bad cut on his left eyelid in the second round, and spent much of the fight on the back foot, trying to sucker Pulev (26-1, 13 KO) into a mistake, which just never really came. Fury was able to land the odd good shot, particularly with his right hand, but never established any real rhythm, and gassed down the stretch. Pulev, meanwhile, was consistent throughout 12 rounds at age 37 and after a long in-ring layoff, proving completely that he is, in fact, still a contender in this division. Anthony Joshua, who has the IBF title along with the WBA and WBO belts, is set to return in April 2019 at Wembley Stadium. The lead contender for that fight is thought to be Dillian Whyte, but the IBF could potentially order the Pulev fight next, or it may wait until later next year. But at some point, however it goes down, Pulev is going to get his shot at the IBF title.

Huawei just can't stop teasing the Mate 20-series and the last three videos focus on the brand new 7nm HiSilicon Kirin 980 SoC that powers the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro. Earlier, the company made a bold claim that its in-house chip is more powerful than Apple's A12 Bionic. And according to the leaked AnTuTu score sheet, it might be true. You can watch all the videos below but first, let's talk about the leaked AnTuTu benchmark score allegedly belonging to the Mate 20 Pro. The score is downright impressive - north of 310,000 - or 313,561 to be exact. In comparison, most Android handsets with Snapdragon 845 get around 290,000 on AnTuTu and that's no surprise. The 7nm manufacturing technology has allowed the chip to become more powerful and more efficient than its predecessor and current competitors. mate There's not much time left until the Mate 20 and 20 Pro unveiling so let's see what Huawei has in store for us. For now, enjoy these three new teasers. Source<doc-sep>Cameras on phones have gotten exponentially better in recent years, and Huawei has been one of the pioneers leading the charge. The P20 Pro was a camera king, making use of Leica-branded lenses. Alongside the Google Pixel 3, the P20 Pro remains the camera phone to beat — and that's exactly what Huawei hopes to do with the new Huawei Mate 20 Pro. And, boy, does it have fun trying — complete with a design that puts Samsung on notice, an in-display fingerprint sensor and a battery so big that you’ll have enough juice left over to wirelessly charge other phones. The news that the Mate 20 Pro won't be sold in the US is utterly disappointing. Nevertheless, if you can get your hands on this Android flagship, you'll have yourself one of the best smartphones money can buy. Update Nov. 14: The Mate 20 Pro is now available for sale on eBay for $899. Huawei Mate Pro Cheat Sheet The 6.39 inch AMOLED screen is lovely and bright, but the notch is one of the widest on a camera phone. AI camera modes are decent — unless you are a dedicated photographer, you won’t have to reach for the Pro mode too often. When you do, though, the control is fantastic. The ultrawide angle lens on the Mate 20 Pro takes shots with impact, but there is a little overprocessing of images and detail is sometimes lost. The monochrome lens included on the Huawei P20 Pro is missed on this phone. The Mate 20's battery life is superb and wireless charging is a big bonus. It's the fast charging that stands out, though — getting to 70 percent charged in 30 minutes is superb. Price and Availability The Huawei Mate 20 Pro is available from a variety of networks in the U.K., and it's priced at £899 (about $1,150). Huawei originally announced that the handset won't be available through any carriers in the U.S., but eBay has begun selling the device for a very reasonable $899.99. Design: Elegant and exceptional The Huawei Mate Pro 20 has a beautiful design. Yes, it has a notch, but this is the only blight on an otherwise stunning front display. The bezel at the top and the bottom of the device is barely noticeable. The curved sides of the OLED screen may add nothing but a pretty look, but they do that very well. Within the notch, Huawei includes a front-facing camera with a 24-MP (f/2.0) lens that can read RGB, a flood illuminator and the 3D depth-sensing camera. Oh, and there is a tiny LED light that glows when charging the device and for notifications. The very top of the Mate 20 Pro features an IR sensor. On the right-hand side, there's a volume rocker and an on/off button. That button on our Emerald Green handset is painted shiny red. (In addition to Emerald Green, the Mate 20 Pro comes in Black, Twilight and Pink Gold.) The left-hand side of the device is kept completely clear of buttons. The bottom of the device houses a USB-C input, a SIM-card tray (which can also take a bespoke NanoSD card, created by Huawei and sold separately). And that's it — there is no 3.5mm jack, unfortunately. But when you have the likes of OnePlus (once staunch advocates of the headphone jack) drifting away from this technology with the new OnePlus 6T, you know that its days are numbered. Huawei includes a dongle in the box to transform any cans into USB-C compatible headphones. The Mate 20 Pro measures just 6.2 x 2.8 x 0.33 inches (157.8 x 72.3 x 8.6 mm) and weighs 6.7 ounces (189 grams), which is lighter than the 7.1-ounce Samsung Galaxy Note 9. In the hand, the phone feels good. On the Midnight Blue and Emerald Blue models, you have the option to either get a smooth glass back or something called hyper optical pattern on the glass. Huawei bills this latter option as akin to vinyl. The groove is unfortunately a little too fine to be truly compared to a record, but there is a definite scratchy feel when you rub a fingernail across it — rub your finger over it, however, and it feels really smooth. The phone's glass back means wireless Qi charging is on board and along with it something quite special — the ability to reverse wireless charge from the device. This means that any Qi-friendly phone can charge off the Huawei Mate 20 Pro — even the iPhone X range. That is quite something. MORE: 6 Reasons You Should Skip the iPhone XS for iPhone XR Topping off the design specs is the fact that the Huawei Mate 20 Pro is IP68 water resistant. That means that it can survive far more than a drop in a puddle. It can be placed in 2 meters of water for 30 minutes without fear it will stop working. Display: OLED-ing by example The Huawei Mate Pro 20 has a 6.39-inch AMOLED screen with a 3120 x 1440 resolution — this resolution is higher than the Google Pixel 3 XL and the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (both 2960 x 1440). As you would expect, the display is stunning to look at. Images are crisp, and brightness is at a level that doesn’t hurt the eyes while still looking exceptional. You quickly get all the information you need, even if you are only glancing at the screen. As a default, Huawei doesn't prime the screen for full quality, opting for a default of FHD+ (2340 x 1080). To change this, go into the display settings and select image resolution to opt for either HD+ (1560 x 720) or WQHD+ (3120 x 1440) instead. But unless you're consuming rich media, you'll probably be perfectly happy with FHD+. Changing the resolution to WQHD+ does make a noticeable difference, though — to both the quality of the screen and the battery life. Watching movies on the device is a joy. Netflix pinged on the device. We watched a number of episodes of GLOW on Netflix and the '80s neon vibe was as vibrant as we hoped. MORE: What Is OLED? When it came to testing the Mate 20 Pro's screen in our lab, the phone registered a decent 190 percent of the sRGB color gamut. This beat the Pixel 3 XL's 170.2 percent and is much better than the iPhone XS Max (123 percent). The Galaxy Note 9 still rules with 224 percent, though. Color accuracy is a little off: The Mate 20 Pro's panel produced a Delta-E score of 1.06, compared with 0.35 for the Pixel 3 XL. (Numbers closer to zero are better.) Brightness is a relatively muted 393 nits. That beats the Pixel 3 XL (362 nits). But other flagship phones — notably, the iPhone XS (606 nits) and the Galaxy Note 9 (604 nits) — are much brighter. In-screen fingerprint sensor: touchy subject You won't find a fingerprint sensor on the back of the Mate 20 Pro. Instead, it's underneath the display panel. This takes a little time to set up (the phone needs to get a 3D imprint of your finger, so take a while to make sure it has all the data it needs and requires numerous prints for this), but the feature works really well. It's pretty speedy — with a press lasting for around a second to turn the screen on. This process could be speeded up, though, especially when you look at how fast the OnePlus 6T unlocks with its embedded fingerprint sensor. Using the Mate 20 Pro, there were a few times that I couldn't quite hit the right spot for the fingerprint to work, though, overall, it's pretty responsive. Audio: Sound choice but there are blips The Mate 20 Pro has no visible speaker grill. That's because the audio is piped through the USB-C slot. It's a design wonder that this not only works but works well. Sound is clear, but not booming when turned up — when there is a cable attached, sound is slightly dampened but there's nothing significant to note. As with the Huawei Mate 10, the top speaker is front facing to go alongside the bottom-firing speaker. Dolby Atmos is available through the handset, which is welcome, but there were some annoyances with the audio in general. When skipping through something like Twitter, which has a constant stream of autoplay videos, anytime one of those would threaten to start, there was an annoying audio "pop" from the phone's speakers. And this was when I was skimming past and not actually interacting with the videos. It was certainly noticeable and quite annoying, although it didn't seem to occur when I had Bluetooth headphones connected. Camera: Stunning shots, ultimate manual control Flip over the Mate 20 Pro to see where the magic happens. You haven't seen a camera array like this on a phone before. Huawei has made a big deal out of its three-lens setup situated at the near-top of the back of the device. When looking at the back, the lens is on the left-hand side, with three cameras cradling it, making a square. The array sticks out a little, but the lip is negligible. The camera setup comprises: a 40-MP main (f/1.8), an 8-MP telephoto (f/2.4) and a 20-MP ultra-wide (f/2.2) lens. They combine to make one of the best cameras we have ever tested on a phone, nestling alongside the P20 Pro for image quality and manual control. Let’s get the elephant out of the room first: the Mate 20 Pro lacks the 20-MP monochrome sensor found on the P20 Pro. This lens let you shoot black-and-white images without any manipulation needed. On the Mate 20 Pro, that's replaced with a simple black-and-white mode. In our tests, the images taken in black and white looked good but they certainly lacked the sharpness you would get if the camera had a dedicated monochrome lens. While that's a loss, Huawei replaced it with a new 20-MP ultrawide (f/2.2) lens. As we took test shots with the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, the AI camera assistant did a good job guiding us to make the best shots possible. As with other recent phones, Huawei has made artificial intelligence a central part of the camera on the Mate 20 Pro. Given that focus on AI, it's surprising that you have to go into the settings to turn on the Mate 20 Pro's Master AI features. Once you do, the Mate 20 Pro will automatically find the best shooting mode for you. The P20 could do that, too, but only for a hundred or so "scenes" — that's been upped to around 1,500 on the Mate 20 Pro. While the total's impressive, the feature wasn't always as accurate as we would have hoped. A number of times we got Cloudy Sky as an option when there wasn't actually a cloud in the sky. When the Mate 20’s AI features do work, though, it's decent. Picking out autumn leaves in a setting shows how granular these scene modes go. Other camera features in the Mate 20 include 4D predictive focus, which snaps images before and after you press the shutter to find the best image. The Top Shot feature on the new Pixel 3 works the same way. Given you can look at all of the images taken by the Pixel 3 in this mode, something you can't do on the Mate 20 Pro, I think the Pixel 3 uses this functionality better. The camera setup on the Mate 20 Pro supports a 3x optical zoom (something the single-lens Pixel 3 does not have), and thanks to the ultrawide angle lens you can get an ultrawide shot that Huawei calls a 0.6x zoom. I got some nice, detailed shots with the 0.6x zoom, such as a wide vista featuring trees and foliage in a local park. The extended image brings more foreground to the shots, making things look nice and epic. When I zoomed in past the optical zoom limit for a 5x zoom, there wasn't quite the jaggies I was expecting.<doc-sep>

Huawei unveiled the Mate 20 Pro and Mate 20 today. The Pro model sets a benchmark in camera and charging technologies, but even the base Mate 20 enjoys the power of Android’s first 7nm chipset and a revamped Leica camera. Huawei Mate 20 Pro The Huawei Mate 20 Pro stands apart from its sibling with a more advanced screen and camera. We start with the 6.39” curved OLED display with 1,440p resolution and HDR support. The triple camera here is descended from the P20 Pro camera. It combines a 40MP Quad Bayer sensor with f/1.8 wide-angle lens, a 20MP sensor with f/2.2 ultra-wide lens and an 8MP 80mm f/2.2 telephoto camera. The Mate 20 Pro can do macro shots from just 2.5cm / 1in. Video gets a helping hand from AI Cinema Mode, which can adjust the color tint, saturation and brightness of a clip to enhance the mood. Selective desaturation can render people in full color upon a black & white background. Speaking of AI, Huawei’s new chipset (more on it in a bit) is powerful enough to bypass the cloud. It can, for example, detect similar videos and extract sections of them to make a 10-second highlights reel. Back to the camera department, the front features a 24MP selfie camera (f/2.0) and a 3D face scanner. Additionally, there’s an in-display fingerprint reader that’s also pressure sensitive. The Pro is the first Huawei to feature the new SuperCharge tech. It pushes a whopping 40W of power and can fill 70% of the 4,200mAh battery in just half an hour (that’s about 2,940mAh). TUV Rheinland has certified that the tech is safe. Then there’s 15W Wireless Quick Charge, which gets the battery from 0% to 30% in half an hour (1,300mAh). And here’s a unique trick - Wireless Reverse Charging can share the phone’s juice with other devices. The Huawei Mate 20 Pro boasts stereo speakers with an interesting design choice – there’s no grille on the bottom, instead the hole for the USB-C port is used. We don’t know if this helped or not, but the Pro now has IP68 waterproofing (the P20 Pro had IP67). Interesting tidbits from the connectivity section include Dual band GPS and Dual VoLTE. But wait until you hear about the memory card (spoiler: it’s not microSD). Huawei Mate 20 The Huawei Mate 20 has a very different screen – a 6.53” flat LCD with 1080p resolution. Another change is the triple camera. It’s still ultra-wide, wide and tele, but with different sensors and lenses. The main shooter has a 12MP sensor behind an f/1.8 lens. It’s joined by a 16MP camera with an f/2.2 ultra-wide lens and an 8MP 52mm f/2.4 telephoto cam. The 2.5cm / 1in macro mode and the AI features are available here as well. The 24MP selfie camera lives in a teardrop notch, but that one has no room for the advanced 3D face scanner. The fingerprint reader is on the back, below the triple camera. The Mate 20 has a 4,000mAh battery and uses the older 22.5W SuperCharge. There’s no wireless charging here in either direction. Charging is done over USB-C and, unlike the Pro, there’s a classic 3.5mm headphone jack. Also unlike the Pro, there are no stereo speakers here and no waterproofing. Kirin 980 Huawei’s new flagships are introducing the Kirin 980 chipset. It’s the first 7nm chip for Android phones and also the first to use ARM’s new Cortex-A76 cores. All together, the new chipset is made up of 6.9 billion transistors, 60% more than its predecessor. Part of the increase is due to the larger A76 cores. They promise a 75% boost in performance and 58% improved power efficiency over the A73 cores in the Kirin 970. The CPU in the Kirin 980 is a three tier design – two A76 as the big cores, two more A76 as medium cores and, finally, four small A55 cores. The new phones will run EMUI 9.0 out of the box, which is based on Android 9.0 Pie. The chipset features a dual NPU for all the AI tasks, part of which are memory optimizations to ensure a smooth performance. Storage and RAM The Huawei Mate 20 is available today with 4GB or 6GB of RAM and 128GB storage. The Mate 20 Pro comes only in 6/128GB configuration. You can find more about the pricing and availability of Mate 20 phones here. Huawei partnered with Toshiba to introduce a new nano memory card format.

The 66th ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament will get underway on Tuesday in Charlotte, North Carolina. Syracuse drew the number six seed and will face the winner of Boston College/Pittsburgh on Wednesday at 9 p.m. Regular-season co-champion Virginia (28-2 overall, 16-2 ACC) will be the top-seeded team for the fourth time in six years and the fifth time overall. The Cavaliers will receive a double-bye into Thursday’s quarterfinal round, along with No. 2 seed and regular-season co-champion North Carolina (26-5, 16-2), No. 3 Duke (26-5, 14-4) and No. 4 Florida State (25-6, 13-5). The tournament opens Tuesday with three first-round games. No. 12 Miami (13-17, 5-13) faces No. 13 Wake Forest (11-19, 4-14) at noon, followed by No. 10 Georgia Tech (14-17, 6-12) versus No. 15 Notre Dame (13-18, 3-15) at 2 p.m. No. 11 Boston College (14-16, 5-13) faces No. 14 Pitt (13-18, 3-15) at 7 p.m. Fifth-seeded Virginia Tech (23-7, 12-6), No. 6 Syracuse (19-12, 10-8), No. 7 Louisville (19-12, 10-8), No. 8 NC State (21-10, 9-9) and No. 9 Clemson (19-12, 9-9) will see their first tournament action on Wednesday. NC State and Clemson will square off at noon, while Virginia Tech, Syracuse and Louisville will meet the winners of Tuesday’s three first-round games. Wednesday’s winners will advance to face the tournament’s four top seeded teams in Thursday’s quarterfinal round. The 2019 New York Life ACC Tournament will culminate with a pair of semifinal games on Friday evening and the championship game on Saturday night. This year’s championship game is set for a primetime 8:30 p.m. start. All 14 tournament games will be nationally televised on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU and Raycom Sports. In addition, all games will be available via ACC Network Extra. Below is the full schedule for the 2019 New York Life ACC Tournament: Tuesday, March 12 First round Noon – No. 12 Miami vs. No. 13 Wake Forest (ESPN/Raycom) 2 p.m. – No. 10 Georgia Tech vs. No. 15 Notre Dame (ESPN/Raycom) 7 p.m. – No. 11 Boston College vs. No. 14 Pitt (ESPNU/Raycom) Wednesday, March 13 Second round Noon – No. 8 NC State vs. No. 9 Clemson (ESPN/Raycom) 2 p.m. – No. 5 Virginia Tech vs. Tuesday noon winner (ESPN/Raycom) 7 p.m. – No. 7 Louisville vs. Tuesday 2 p.m. winner (ESPN2/Raycom) 9 p.m. – No. 6 Syracuse vs. Tuesday 7 p.m. winner (ESPN2/Raycom) Thursday, March 14 Quarterfinals 12:30 p.m. – No. 1 Virginia vs. Wednesday noon winner (ESPN or ESPN2/Raycom) 2:30 p.m. – No. 4 Florida State vs. Wednesday 2 p.m. winner (ESPN or ESPN2/Raycom) 7 p.m. – No. 2 North Carolina vs. Wednesday 7 p.m. winner (ESPN or ESPN2/Raycom) 9 p.m. – No. 3 Duke vs. Wednesday 9 p.m. winner (ESPN or ESPN2/Raycom) Friday, March 15 Semifinals 7 p.m. – Thursday afternoon winners (ESPN or ESPN2/Raycom) 9 p.m. – Thursday evening winners (ESPN or ESPN2/Raycom) Saturday, March 16 Championship 8:30 p.m. – Friday evening winners (ESPN/Raycom) PRINTABLE BRACKET: https://theacc.co/19mbbBracket<doc-sep>The Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team won’t suit up for the ACC Tournament until Wednesday, but the action gets started today down in Charlotte. You can check out the whole bracket here, however, we dive into each game a little bit more below. If you have the ability to work from home or have an extra screen up, we’ve also provided TV info. (all times ET) No. 12 Miami Hurricanes vs. No. 13 Wake Forest Demon Deacons, noon (ESPN/Raycom) Miami’s been ravaged by depth issues, while Wake Forest deals with the continued lack of return on coach Danny Manning. The Deacons won the regular season matchup in Winston-Salem by a score of 76-75 less than a month ago, but little can be taken from a one-point win. If Miami wins, it’s because they stayed out of foul trouble and hit reasonably well from outside. Should Wake pull off the minor upset, it’ll be due to someone other than Brandon Childress contributing on the offensive end. No. 10 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. No. 15 Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 2 p.m. (ESPN/Raycom) Another rematch from some close regular season games — Tech beat the Irish 63-61 in Atlanta and Notre Dame won the rematch in South Bend, 69-59. This one could be a similar defensive struggle. Notre Dame has very little depth to speak of and is reliant on a two-man offense (sound familiar?). Though the Yellow Jackets may have more depth, they’re similarly limited with the basketball. Tech ended the season on a two-game win streak, while ND lost seven straight to end the year (every game since beating the Wreck). Would expect the Yellow Jackets to prevail, but Notre Dame’s a better team than the last seed would normally indicate. No. 11 Boston College Eagles vs. No. 14 Pittsburgh Panthers, 7 p.m. (ESPNU/Raycom) The game we really care about — though normally would not in any way. BC beat Pitt by nine in the first iteration of this game, and is certainly the better team with a capable offense and Ky Bowman always a hot streak away from potentially taking over the game. The Panthers own impressive wins over Louisville and Florida State this year... but also rode a 13-game losing streak into the season finale before beating Notre Dame by two. Pitt basically goes as Xavier Johnson goes. That’s not a recipe for success against the Eagles. If you’re looking for more reading in advance of the ACC Tournament, might we recommend these selections as well: So who are we rooting for here? I’m fine with the ‘Canes beating Wake, and Tech is probably going to beat Notre Dame. Probably want Syracuse to face Pitt in the next round, however.<doc-sep>The ACC basketball conference schedule is wrapping up. Here’s a look at the latest bracketology heading into the conference tournament. The ACC landscape is ripe for some movement from a few bubble teams heading into the ACC Conference Tournament this Tuesday. As seeds lock into place and the spots are being solidified, there’s a bit of forecasting for a few teams looking to earn bids to the NCAA Tournament. The conference is currently pushing for a solid seven conference bids, potentially nine depending on how things go in the conference tournament. This isn’t bad considering three power conferences behind them are tied for a projected six bids. The Virginia Cavaliers are holding strong onto their projected No. 1 seeds, but the North Carolina Tar Heels and Duke Blue Devils are not far behind. Then there’s the dreaded bubble conversation. Given the results of this past week, the Clemson Tigers and NC State Wolfpack both will have reason to worry come Selection Sunday. They’ve got time to improve things in the conference tournament as well, but their window for error is a bit small. Here’s a look at this week’s ACC bracketology.<doc-sep>

Virginia Tech guard Justin Robinson (5) drives to the basket against Boston College guard Jared Hamilton (3) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019, in Blacksburg, Va. Tech won 77-66. (AP Photo/Don Petersen) The Atlantic Coast Conference announced today its slate of season-opening conference games that will tipoff the 2019-20 basketball season. The two-day opening schedule will broadcast games on ACC Network (ACCN), ESPN2 and ESPNU. In all, the ACC will open up with seven conference games to start the season. . “Next year begins our move to a 20-game conference schedule, and to be able to open the season with a round of conference games makes it truly unique,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “We believe it will be a great way to tipoff another outstanding season of ACC basketball for our coaches, student-athletes and fans. In addition, we’re pleased to have a terrific partner in ESPN to televise these games on the new ACC Network and its other channels.” . In a press conference today at the 2019 New York Life ACC Tournament, ESPN announced four games will be broadcast on the ACC Network, the new 24/7 national platform that will launch on August 22, 2019. The exclusive early-season basketball broadcasts include: Louisville at Miami and Georgia Tech at NC State (November 5); Notre Dame at North Carolina and Virginia at Syracuse (November 6). . Three additional conference games will be aired on ESPN2 or ESPNU including Virginia Tech at Clemson (November 5), Wake Forest at Boston College (November 6), and Florida State at Pitt (November 6). . As was previously released by ESPN, Duke is set to compete in the State Farm Champions Classic (November 5), which will be aired on ESPN. . All seven conference game times will be determined at a later date.

More than 150 firefighters and thousands of residents will be closely watching the weather in northern B.C. on Friday as the largest wildfire in the province has people in nearby cities and communities on edge. The Shovel Lake fire prompted an "extreme fire behaviour warning" from the B.C. Wildfire Service on Thursday afternoon. 'It burns like gasoline' CBC News BC 0:30 Logger James Stump describes what it's like being near the Shovel Lake wildfire. 0:30 Officials said the 79,000-hectare (790 square-kilometre) fire — nearly seven times the size of Vancouver — was in danger of being whipped up by strong winds. Fire information officer Claire Allen said the fire held overnight, but gusts of up to 40 km/h are in the forecast for Friday. It’s a #Smokey morning in #Vanderhoof because of nearby #bcwildfires pic.twitter.com/8TjFjHTES9 —@wilfundal "The winds are what we're watching out for today," she said Friday morning. "Whenever we have something like that in the forecast, we have to be very, very careful — both in terms of fire behaviour as well as the safety of our firefighters out on the line." Extreme fire behaviour is characterized by a "fast-spreading, high-intensity crown fire" that can be very difficult to control, according to Natural Resources Canada. Firefighter Christian Garcia, from Mexico, deals with hotspots in an area burned by the Shovel Lake wildfire near Endako, B.C., on Aug. 16. The Shovel Lake wildfire, the biggest blaze in B.C., is more than 680 square kilometres in size. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press) A crown fire is one that burns through the treetops and along the forest floor. The smog has made it difficult for crews to fly over the fire and map a plan of attack. Smoke and ash from the fire has clouded over Prince George, leaving the sky a dark, burnt orange colour well into Friday morning. Street lights were still on in some parts of the city well after 10 a.m. Smoke and ash blankets Prince George, B.C. CBC News BC 0:32 Evacuees line up outside an emergency reception centre as smoke from the Shovel Lake wildfire floats over the city. 0:32 Darker yet again in Prince George at 9:10 AM. You can feel the smoke and ash the second you step outside. #CityofPG #BCWildfires pic.twitter.com/geKtWfLjIi —@Nicole_Oud Combined smoke from wildfires in western Canada is visible from NASA's DSCOVR satellite — which is about 1.6 million kilometres away. The clouds of smoke over North America during the past few weeks have been epic. On August 15, 2018, smoke was even visible to DSCOVR, a satellite about 1 million miles away. https://t.co/JbooAosaT2 #NASA #EPIC #AirQuality #wildfires pic.twitter.com/IcwqdWWIh6 —@NASAEarth Historic site threatened The Shovel Lake fire is burning west of Prince George, between Burns Lake and Vanderhoof. The Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako urged residents to comply with evacuation orders after the wildfire service's warning on Thursday. The Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako has been warned of the risk of extreme fire behaviour from the Shovel Lake wildfire burning west of Prince George. (Andrew Kurjata/CBC) Rob MacDougall, mayor of nearby Fort St. James, said the past few days have been "overwhelming on many fronts." "We haven't experienced the threat of fire in the past and so close," he said. Fort St. James National Historic Site is home to Canada's largest collection of fur trade-era wood buildings. Some are 130 years old. Maintenance teams from Parks Canada have set up a sprinkler system on the roofs of the buildings, wetting the grounds to prevent any sparks from flaming up in the park. Lyle Penner, who works with the park's maintenance team, has been going building to building, ensuring every structure has been sufficiently protected. "Some of these buildings ... are a critical part of Canadian history," he said. Fort St James historic site has sprinklers set up to protect buildings ~130 years old #bcwildfire pic.twitter.com/IqVp3cn52l —@akurjata Evacuation alert for Kimberley Late Thursday, the entire city of Kimberley and properties directly south and southwest of the city in the Regional District East Kootenay were placed on evacuation alert due to fires in that area. Around 7,400 people live in the southeast B.C. city. In a statement, Mayor Don McCormick said residents will be given as much advance notice as possible if they need to leave, but he cautioned there may be limited notice due to changing conditions. An evacuation order was also issued by the district Thursday for residents of 65 properties in the St. Mary Lake area. Members of the RCMP are helping residents leave their homes. More fire information: B.C. is in its third day of a provincewide state of emergency. There are nearly 600 wildfires burning across the province. People living in more than 1,500 properties have been forced to leave, while 9,500 more must be prepared to leave at a moment's notice. The Cariboo Regional District issued an evacuation order for 62 properties in the Dean River North area, including Itcha Ilgachuz Provincial Park, late Thursday. The evacuation route was listed as Highway 20 to Williams Lake. A local state of emergency has been declared in Zeballos — northwest of Tahsis — on northern Vancouver Island as several fires burn out of control in the area. Highway 93 South through Kootenay National Park may be impacted by wildfire smoke this weekend. Traffic has been reduced to 50 km/h through the area of the Wardle wildfire. Around 100 Canadian Armed Forces personnel were deployed early Thursday to an area west of Kelowna, working on the mop-up of contained fires. The Department of National Defence said it's working with the B.C. Wildfire Service to determine where and when to send other troops. Thirty-six new fires started between Wednesday morning and Thursday afternoon, mostly sparked by lightning. B.C. wildfire map: B.C. evacuation map: With files from Yvette Brend, Andrew Kurjata, Michelle Ghoussoub and The Canadian Press Read more from CBC British Columbia<doc-sep>UPDATE – 9:30AM: Almost 30 evacuation orders are in full force due to the wildfires burning across BC, displacing more than 3,000 people from their homes. There are now more than 500 evacuees in Prince George due to blazes near Francois Lake and Fort St. James. New evacuation orders and alerts in both the Nechako Valley and in the Bulkley Valley and Lakes District (BVLD) have been in place as of Tuesday evening, but due to limited lodging, evacuees are being forced to travel to the Northern capital. A community meeting will be held at the Kwah Hall in #FortStJames this evening at 7PM. Representatives from the District and other agencies, supported by BC Wildfire will be present to provide an update, info on fire preparedness, and answer questions on the unfolding situation. — BC Wildfire Service (@BCGovFireInfo) August 15, 2018 The CN Centre is acting as the Emergency Operations facility from 8AM to 11PM daily. The City is also providing free public transit and access to the PG Aquatic Centre and Four Seasons Leisure Pool. Volunteer Prince George is asking for anyone will to help to contact them; the City is also not accepting donations at this time. For more evacuee information on this latest update, you can click here. For more information on all the current wildfires in the Northwest and Prince George Fire Centres, you can click here. Wildfires south of Francois Lake and southwest of Fort St James have caused more evacuation orders in the area and evacuees continue to register in Prince George. By last night, the number of evacuees registered in PG surpassed 500. https://t.co/w8mHYjmyrW #bcwildfires pic.twitter.com/nwZmEAVPoe — Prince George, BC (@CityofPG) August 15, 2018 ORIGINAL STORY: As of 8:30 this morning, the BC government has declared a provincial state of emergency due to the on-going wildfire situation. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth made the announcement based on recommendations from members of the BC Wildfire Service and Emergency Management BC officials. As of Tuesday, there are more than 560 wildfires burning across the province, including five major fires within the Prince George Fire Centre. The State of Emergency will last for the next two weeks and may be extended if necessary.<doc-sep>

Hours after the sun had risen Friday morning, the street lights in Prince George, B.C., remained lit as thick smoke and ash smothered the city. The sky over this part of central B.C. was still dark orange well past 9 a.m. PT. Prince George, pictured at 9:10 a.m. PT on Aug. 17. (Nicole Oud/CBC) CBC reporter Nicole Oud in Prince George described the darkness as the worst she's witnessed all summer and said the smoke and ash in the air are palpable the second anyone steps outside. Smoke and ash blankets Prince George, B.C. CBC News BC 0:32 Evacuees line up outside an emergency reception centre as smoke from the Shovel Lake wildfire floats over the city. 0:32 The culprit is the province's biggest blaze, the Shovel Lake wildfire, which is burning west of Prince George between Burns Lake and Vanderhoof, sending smoke wafting in all directions. The fairgrounds at the B.C. Northern Exhibition on Friday morning. (Submitted by Dana Evaschuk) More than 150 firefighters and thousands of residents are on standby after the B.C. Wildfire Service issued an "extreme fire behaviour warning" on Thursday afternoon. Street lights were still on in some parts of Prince George well after 10 a.m. PT. (Mike Zimmer/CBC) Gusts of up to 40 km/h are in the forecast for Friday and officials said the nearby 79,000-hectare (790-square-kilometre) fire — almost seven times the size of the City of Vancouver — is in danger of being whipped up by strong winds. The sky finally started to lighten by 10:30 a.m. PT but the air remained filled with smoke. (Nicole Oud/CBC) With files from Nicole Oud, Rhianna Schmunk and Andrew Kurjata ​Read more from CBC British Columbia

The wreckage of the plane in the shopping center parking lot. Courtesy OnScene.TV Five people were killed when a twin-engine aircraft crashed Sunday in a shopping center parking lot near the South Coast Plaza mall in Orange County. No one was hurt on the ground as the twin-engine Cessna 414 aircraft clipped an unoccupied car, because “fortunately, that person was inside the store shopping at the time of impact,” Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Tony Bommarito said at a news conference. The plane went down at about 12:30 p.m. into the parking lot in the 3800 block of South Bristol Street shared by a Staples, a CVS pharmacy, a Michaels’ decorations store, and a Wells Fargo Bank branch. “It looked like it came down abruptly,” Bommarito said at a 5 p.m. news conference. “There is a small debris field.” The nearby intersection of Sunflower Avenue and Bristol Street was closed in all four directions as National Transportation Safety Board and FAA investigators scrambled to the crash just northeast of South Coast Plaza on the Santa Ana portion of its boundary with Costa Mesa. That intersection remained closed Sunday evening. The crash happened about a mile northwest of the north end of the runway at John Wayne Orange County Airport. The 1973 Cessna was registered to Category III Aviation Corp. in San Francisco according to FAA records, and had been flown from the East Bay suburb of Concord, according to FAA data tracked on the internet. Cessna 414 planes began operations in 1968. They have a range of 1,528 miles and a top speed of 270 miles per hour, according to Internet research. The death toll originally was believed to be three, but was upped to five as firefighters examined the crash. The plane leaked fuel after the crash, but did not catch fire, Bommarito said. Fire crews remained on the scene to clean up the spilled fuel. OCFA Capt. Steve Concialdi told City News Service that Bommarito misspoke when he said the plane was carrying jet fuel. “It was actually 100 octane gas the plane was using and later spilled, not jet fuel.” “I don’t know anything about what this pilot did, or what he was thinking, but it could have been much more tragic,” Bommarito said. “This was a Sunday afternoon and we have people shopping, so the fact that we have no injuries on the ground is a miracle in itself.” The FAA arrived on the scene about 4 p.m. and the National Transportation Safety Board representatives were expected Sunday evening, Bommarito said. As of 5:30 p.m., OCFA firefighters and coroner personnel had removed all the bodies from the wreckage, Concialdi said. — City News Service<doc-sep>Four Contra Costa County residents and a Los Angeles man have been identified as the five people killed aboard a twin-engine plane that crashed Sunday in a parking lot in Santa Ana near Costa Mesa’s South Coast Plaza mall, officials said. The Cessna 414 went down at about 12:30 p.m. in the parking lot of a Staples store in the 3800 block of South Bristol Street, according to Capt. Steve Concialdi of the Orange County Fire Authority. The site is just northeast of South Coast Plaza, near the boundary of Costa Mesa and Santa Ana. The Orange County coroner’s office Monday morning identified the victims as Navid Hakimi, 32, of Los Angeles, Floria Hakimi, 62, of Danville, Scott Shepherd, 53, and Lara Shepherd, 42, of Diablo and Nasim Ghanadan, 29, of Alamo. Scott Shepherd was the pilot of the plane, the coroner’s office said. #BREAKING @OCFA_PIO on scene where 5 confirmed killed in small Cessna plane crash in parking lot near South Coast Plaza, Santa Ana, flying from Concord to SNA. @LANow pic.twitter.com/m5eMQ8jslL — Allen J. Schaben (@alschaben) August 5, 2018 As the plane crashed, it hit an unoccupied vehicle, but no one on the ground was injured, Concialdi said. The pilot declared an emergency before the plane went down, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA will investigate and the National Transportation Safety Board will work to determine the cause of the crash. “I don’t know anything about what this pilot did or what he was thinking, but it could have been much more tragic,” said OCFA Capt. Tony Bommarito. “This is a Sunday afternoon and we had people shopping, so the fact that there were no injuries on the ground is a miracle in itself.” The aircraft was heading to John Wayne Airport about two miles southeast of the crash site, airport spokeswoman Deanne Thompson said. According to FlightAware.com, the plane left Concord in Contra Costa County at 10:23 a.m. and was scheduled to arrive at John Wayne Airport at 12:30 p.m. (Los Angeles Times) FAA records show the plane was owned by Category III Aviation Corp., a real estate consulting firm in San Francisco. The company did not respond to a request for comment. Lara Shepherd, Floria Hakimi and Ghanadan were Realtors with Pacific Union International, a real estate brokerage firm that focuses largely on Northern California but began doing business in the Los Angeles area this year. Scott Shepherd, Lara Shepherd’s husband, was a real estate developer in the Bay Area, according to her profile on the Pacific Union website. The Shepherds are survived by two children, according to Lara’s profile on the real estate site. Witnesses said they saw the plane turn before it suddenly began to dive into the shopping center. A dashcam on a vehicle captured the moment before the plane dove near Sunflower Avenue and South Bristol. Ella Pham, 20, of Santa Ana said she and her boyfriend were leaving the parking lot to go to South Coast Plaza when they noticed the aircraft. “We looked up to see the plane falling nose first,” she said. “We really didn’t think it was a plane at first due to no crashing noise, but as soon as we saw people running from across the street, we went to go check it out. “It was so heartbreaking just seeing the plane crumbled into pieces.” Pham said there was no explosion, a detail that fire officials also noted during a news conference. “A lot of people tried to help until they saw that it was hard to get inside the aircraft. But by the time people stepped away, firefighters and police were there,” Pham said. The sound of the impact could be heard inside nearby businesses. “I was working and I hear a loud thud,” said Christian Tornero, an employee at a store in the area. “I thought it was like a semitruck that just tipped over or something.” Kathy Hayden, who was shopping nearby, said it sounded like a large truck running over something, until she saw mangled remnants of the plane. “There was just nothing left and you could smell the gas,” she said. Never in my life did I think I would see a plane fall out of the sky. #SantaAna pic.twitter.com/qcXT4bTMTR — ellaphant 🇲🇾 (@ellaphanntt) August 5, 2018 UPDATES: 8:25 a.m. Aug. 6: This article was updated with comments from Christian Tornero and Kathy Hayden. 7:40 a.m. Aug. 6: This article was updated with the identities of the victims and further details. 9:50 p.m. Aug. 5: This article was updated with quotes from Capt. Tony Bommarito and Ella Pham. 4:35 p.m. Aug. 5: This article was updated with information about the plane’s owner. 2:50 p.m. Aug. 5: This article was updated with information about the pilot’s emergency.declaration and the plane’s intended destination. 2:10 p.m. Aug. 5: This article was updated with additional details. This article was originally published at 1:40 p.m. Aug. 5.<doc-sep>A small plane crashed in the parking lot of a strip mall outside Anaheim, Calif., on Sunday, killing all five people on board, the authorities said. The plane was en route to nearby John Wayne Airport when the pilot declared an emergency and crashed around 12:30 p.m. local time in Santa Ana, near the South Coast Plaza shopping mall, the authorities said. It crashed in a parking lot for Staples, a CVS pharmacy and other retailers, Capt. Tony Bommarito of the Orange County Fire Authority said. The plane struck a parked car but no one on the ground was injured, he said. Emma Gonzales, who works at the Buffalo Wild Wings in the strip mall, said she felt the building shake. “You just felt the ground move,” she said.<doc-sep>Five people were killed when their twin-engine Cessna airplane crashed near South Coast Plaza in Santa Ana on Sunday afternoon, according to the Orange County Fire Authority. The plane crashed in the parking lot of a Staples office supply store in the 3800 block of Bristol Street, fire authority spokesman Stephen Concialdi said. For the record: A previous version of this story misspelled Stephen Concialdi’s name as Stephen Consiglio. OCFA Capt. Tony Bommarito said the plane struck an unoccupied parked vehicle. “Fortunately, that person was inside the store shopping at the time of the impact,” Bommarito told reporters during a news conference. “I don’t know anything about what this pilot did or what he was thinking, but it could have been much more tragic. Advertisement “This is a Sunday afternoon and we had people shopping so the fact that there were no injuries on the ground is a miracle in itself,” he added. RELATED: Victims of fatal Santa Ana plane crash identified as Bay Area residents, Los Angeles man » L.A. Times Graphics The pilot of the Cessna 414 declared an emergency before the plane crashed into the parking lot of a shopping center, about a mile from John Wayne Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Officials have not released the identities of the five who were killed. Witnesses said they saw the plane turn before it suddenly began to dive into the shopping center. Video footage taken by those on the ground and posted on social media shows a crumbled airplane with two broken sections and at least one body outside the aircraft. A dashcam on a vehicle captured the moment before the plane dove near Sunflower Avenue and Bristol Street. Ella Pham, 20, of Santa Ana, said she and her boyfriend were leaving the parking lot to go to South Coast Plaza when they noticed the aircraft. “We looked up to see the plane falling nose first,” she told the Los Angeles Times. “We really didn’t think it was a plane at first due to no crashing noise, but as soon as we saw people running from across the street we went to go check it out. Advertisement “It was so heartbreaking just seeing the plane crumbled into pieces.” Pham said there was no explosion, a detail that fire officials also noted during the news conference. “A lot of people tried to help until they saw that it was hard to get inside the aircraft but by the time people stepped away, firefighters and police were there,” she said. FAA records show the fixed-wing airplane was owned by Category III Aviation Corp., a real estate consulting firm in San Francisco, and was bound for John Wayne Airport. Advertisement “We do not have confirmation on a departure airport at this time,” said Arlene Salac, an FAA spokeswoman. The company did not respond to a request for comment. The FAA will investigate and the National Transportation Safety Board will determine the cause of the accident. The crash came about a year after a twin-engine airplane burst into flames as it crash-landed on the 405 Freeway just a few miles away after taking off from John Wayne Airport. Video showed the aircraft bursting into flames and a tall plume of black smoke rising into the air. A husband and wife, who survived, were pulled from the aircraft by an off-duty firefighter from Avalon. Advertisement [email protected] For more Southern California news, follow @latvives on Twitter. UPDATES: 8 p.m.: This article was updated with information from witnesses and additional comments from the OCFA. Advertisement 3:20 p.m.: This article was updated with information about the airplane and additional comments from OCFA. 2:07 p.m.: This article was updated with the FAA saying the pilot declared an emergency before the crash. This article was originally published at 1:10 p.m.<doc-sep>

Share this article: Five people were killed when a twin-engine aircraft crashed Sunday in a Santa Ana parking lot, near the South Coast Plaza shopping center in Costa Mesa, No one was hurt on the ground as the twin-engine Cessna 414 aircraft plummeted into an unoccupied car, but “fortunately, that person was inside the store shopping at the time of impact,” Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Tony Bommarito said at a 2:15 p.m. news conference. The plane went down at about 12:30 p.m. into the parking lot in the 3800 block of South Bristol Street shared by a Staples, a CVS pharmacy, a Michaels’ decorations store, and a Wells Fargo Bank branch. The nearby intersection of Sunflower Avenue at Bristol Street was closed in all four directions as National Transportation Safety Board and FAA investigators scrambled to the crash just northeast of South Coast Plaza on the Santa Ana of its boundary with Costa Mesa. The crash happened about a mile northwest of the north end of the runway at John Wayne Orange County Airport. The plane was registered to a San Francisco company, and had been flown from the East Bay suburb of Concord, according to FAA data tracked on the internet. The death toll originally was believed to be three, but was upped to five as firefighters examined the crash. The one parked car in the crowded parking that was hit by the aircraft was destroyed, and the plane leaked jet fuel, which did not catch fire, Bommarito said “I don’t know anything about what this pilot did, or what he was thinking, but it could have been much more tragic,” Bommarito said. “This was a Sunday afternoon and we have people shopping, so the fact that we have no injuries on the ground is a miracle in itself.” The identities of the passengers killed in the crash were being withheld pending notification of kin. 5 Killed As Plane Crashes Near South Coast Plaza was last modified: by >> Want to read more stories like this? Get our Free Daily Newsletters Here! Follow us:

It could be true. It could also be a PR stunt. Nevertheless, Nicki Minaj is saying it: The star singer, rapper and songwriter says she's dating Eminem. In the wee hours of Friday morning, Minaj posted an Instagram video of herself rapping in a new YG song, titled "Big Bank," also featuring Big Sean (a Detroit native) and 2 Chainz, to her 86.8 million followers. "Told’em I met Slim Shady. Bagged a EM!! !," she wrote in the post, referring to the Detroit rapper. This prompted a fan to ask if Minaj was dating Eminem. She directly replied: "yes". (WARNING: Video contains some explicit language.) It's a real comment; you can find it on the Instagram post. Again, there's no real confirmation if she's telling the truth or just joking around, but she's at least saying it. Eminem told Vulture last December that he's had a few dates since his divorce with Kim Mathers, but said "it's tough" and that "nothing's panned out in a way that I wanted to make it public." He also said he uses Tinder, a popular dating app, though it was unclear if he was joking. He also said in the same interview that he uses Grindr and used to go to strip clubs to meet women. Minaj has an album coming soon, called "Queen," but said on Instagram Live on Thursday that the release has been delayed until August. Contact Brian Manzullo: [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrianManzullo. Be sure that you follow the Detroit Free Press on Twitter (@freep) and Instagram and like us on Facebook.<doc-sep>Pallbearers carry the casket out of Greater Grace Temple at the end of the funeral for Aretha Franklin, Friday, Aug. 31, 2018, in Detroit. Franklin died Aug. 16, 2018 of pancreatic cancer at the age of 76. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) LAS VEGAS, NV - SEPTEMBER 23: Recording artist Drake performs onstage at the 2016 iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena on September 23, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Items from 'The Office' up for auction Tom Hanks is your new neighbor Mister Rogers Jane Fonda opens up in new documentary SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 27: Jane Fonda wears Chopard at the Sydney Opera House on August 27, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Caroline McCredie/Getty Images for Chopard) 'GoT' star married by Elvis impersonator in Las Vegas LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 18: Actor Tom Hanks attends the People's Choice Awards 2017 at Microsoft Theater on January 18, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for People's Choice Awards) The long, and now controversial, career of Ellen DeGeneres Producer Ellen DeGeneres attends Netflix's season 1 premiere of "Green Eggs and Ham" at Hollywood Post 43 on November 3, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP) (Photo by VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images) Nicki Minaj and Eminem team up to tease fans Story highlights Minaj was asked on social media if they were dating He responded Sunday while in concert (CNN) — Is there a new rap supercouple? Tongues started wagging that Nicki Minaj was dating fellow rap star Emimen after the song “Big Bank,” which features a guest appearance with Minaj, dropped Friday. “Told them I met Slim Shady, bag the Em/ Once he go black, he’ll be back again,” she raps. Minaj added fuel to the fire when she posted a video on Instagram with her lipsyncing the lyric. When a follower asked her in the comments if she was dating the rapper, Minaj responded “Yes.” Eminem got in on the conversation, responding, “Girl, you know it’s true.” That led Minaj to come back with the comment: “Babe, I thought we were gonna keep it on the low til the wedding. Yikes. I’ll talk to you when I get home.” But, alas, it all appears to be some leg-pulling by the pair. On Sunday, Eminem threw cold water on the heat of the dating rumor during a concert in Boston. After giving Minaj a shout-out, he asked the audience, “Boston, how many of you want me to date Nicki Minaj?” as they cheered. “Well, god dammit, me too,” he said. “Nicki, if you get this message, just text me later, we’ll talk about it.” The response appeared to thrill Minaj, who tweeted her delight that Eminem is “silly & a goof just like me.” LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. The fact that he’s silly & a goof just like me😩. Love him so much. Em we need you on the #Queen album. That’s where our 1st date will be; at the studio while I gaze into ur beautiful eyes as u write ur verse. 😭🤣😩😭😭 https://t.co/iFYi0OlzXQ — BEAM ME UP SCOTTY OUT NOW (@NICKIMINAJ) May 28, 2018 “Em, we need you on the #Queen album,” she tweeted. “That’s where our 1st date will be; at the studio while I gaze into ur beautiful eyes as u write ur verse.” Minaj was in a high profile relationship with rapper Meek Mill before she confirmed their split in January 2017. Months later, there was speculation she was dating rapper Nas after the two appeared in a picture together on her Instagram account.<doc-sep>

Nicki Minaj has confirmed to a fan that she is dating rap legend Eminem. In an Instagram post, a fan quizzed the 'Chun Li' rapper about whether the rumours were true that she was dating Slim Shady and she responded with a simple 'yes'. Whether she's just messing with all of us or being dead-set, no one knows. Advert 10 She mentions Eminem in her latest song 'Big Bank' with YG, 2 Chainz and Big Sean when she says: "Uh oh/Back again/Back to back Maybach, stack the M's/Told em' I met Slim Shady, bag the M/Once he go black, he'll be back again." Minaj has dated Safaree Samuels, Meek Mill and Nas and has been linked to Drake and Lil Wayne in the past but that trio has denied any romantic links. The singer said last year that she was trying to stay away from guys, telling Ellen DeGeneres: "I'm just chilling right now, I'm celibate. I wanted to go a year without dating any men, I hate men. But I might make an exception to the rule for him. Advert 10 Eminem on the other hand has been rumours to have dated a few people but there's been no confirmation he had dated anyone else apart from his ex-wife Kimberly Scott. The 40-year-old revealed late last year that he was trying to put himself out there, but it was tough. He told Vulture: "It's tough. Since my divorce I've had a few dates and nothing's panned out in a way that I wanted to make it public. Dating's just not where I'm at lately." Credit: PA Advert 10 When quizzed about how he was looking for potential Mrs Mathers, he said Tinder and 'I also used to go to strip clubs'. "What can I say? Going to strip clubs is how I was meeting some chicks," he told the site. "It was an interesting time for me." He added to Rolling Stone: "As far as going out, like dinner and a movie - I just can't. Going out in public is just too crazy. I mean, I'd like to be in a relationship again someday. Who doesn't? It's just hard to meet new people, in my position." Advert 10 To be fair, Eminem and Minaj are two of the biggest names in rap music and the music industry in general. They wouldn't be able to pop in for a cheeky Nando's, chow down on some chicken and stare lovingly into each other's eyes without every single person watching them.

TAMPA, Fla. — We are live from Amalie Arena, where Oregon (33-5) fell to Baylor (36-1) in the women’s Final Four (4 p.m. PT, ESPN2). The Bears will advance to face the winner of UConn-Notre Dame in the national championship game on Sunday. Below are live updates from tonight’s game. FINAL: BAYLOR 72, OREGON 67 -- Oregon misses a pair of threes and Baylor makes 1/2 FTs. 72-67 with 3.4 to go. -- Lauren Cox hits 2 FTs to make it 71-67 with 18.7 to go. -- DiDi Richards misses a 2. Sabrina Ionescu misses a 2. Chloe Jackson gives Baylor the lead on a layup. Satou Sabally misses a 2 and Ducks have to foul -- Satou Sabally gets back in at 2:49, Baylor up 65-64 -- Lauren Cox gets to a double-double -- 7-0 Ducks runs after three from Maite Cazorla, Baylor timeout with Oregon up 64-61. Richards back in at 6:10 -- Satou Sabally gets her fourth foul at 9:44, DiDi Richards gets her fourth at 9:29 but Baylor keeps her in, just not guarding Sabrina Ionescu, Erin Boley instead. Richards later comes out. 3rd QUARTER: BAYLOR 56, OREGON 55 -- Oregon scoring: Sabrina Ionescu 18, Satou Sabally 13, Erin Boley 12, Maite Cazorla 6, Oti Gildon, Ruthy Hebard and Morgan Yaeger 2 each -- Baylor scoring: Kalani Brown 19, Lauren Cox 15 (9 rebounds, 7 assists), DiDi Richards 12, Juicy Landrum and Chloe Jackson 4 each, Nalyssa Smith 2 -- Satou Sabally and DiDi Richards each with 3 fouls -- Sabrina Ionescu three-point play makes it 52-51 with 1:34 to go -- Lauren Cox with 7 assists for Baylor, simply huge performance from her -- Satou Sabally ties it at 47 with a three, Baylor responds with a pull-up two from Chloe Jackson, Sabally hits 2/3 FTs to tie again -- Every Oregon starter with two turnovers, many of the unforced and just plain bad -- Oregon has a disjointed possession with Satou Sabally taking a three contested by Lauren Cox but Ruthy Hebard gets the offensive rebound and later scores but can’t convert three-point play. That’s the first bucket for Hebard, who has three turnovers. -- Oregon held narrow lead but Baylor 8-0 run forces Kelly Graves to call timeout at 5:57, 45-40 BU -- Bears open half 6/9 FG, dominating the paint 30-12 for the game -- Baylor gets first bucket but Oregon gets a pair of 3s from Satou Sabally and Sabrina Ionescu HALFTIME: OREGON 34, BAYLOR 33 -- Oregon scoring: Sabrina Ionescu 12, Erin Boley 9, Satou Sabally 5, Maite Cazorla 4, Oti Gildon and Morgan Yaeger 2 each -- Baylor scoring: Kalani Brown, Lauren Cox 9, DiDi Richards 8, Juicy Landrum 4, Nalyssa Smith 2 -- Stats: Oregon: 13/33 FG but 6/13 from 3, 2/2 FTs | Baylor 14/29 FG but 0/1 from 3, 5/5 FTs Rebounds: 19-17 Baylor Turnovers: 8 each -- Sabrina Ionescu converts 4-point play to give Oregon 34-33 halftime lead. Huge play, could be even bigger if Ducks come out fast in 2nd half. -- Oregon needs to get away from forcing layups vs. Lauren Cox, she’s too good a shot blocker -- Oregon 1 for last 7 FGs, forcing it inside a bit offensively and not enough help rebounding -- Lydia Giomi with her second foul at 6:53, Satou Sabally returns -- Sabrina Ionescu three gives Oregon lead for a brief moment 1st QUARTER: BAYLOR 19, OREGON 15 -- Oregon scoring: Erin Boley 6, Satou Sabally 5, Maite Cazorla 4 -- Baylor scoring: DiDi Richards and Lauren Cox 6 each, Kalani Brown 5, Nalyssa Smith 2 -- Satou Sabally gets her second foul at 3:06 -- Baylor goes on 10-0 run to take lead -- Lauren Cox and Kalani Brown each with early fouls -- Erin Boley with her second three-pointer, Baylor calls timeout with Oregon up 11-4 with 4:59 to go in the quarter -- Oregon defending Kalani Brown very well, 3 BU turnovers PREGAME: -- Oregon starters: Maite Cazorla, Sabrina Ionescu, Erin Boley, Satou Sabally, Ruthy Hebard -- Baylor starters: Chloe Jackson, Juicy Landrum, DiDi Richards, Lauren Cox, Kalani Brown -- Oregon is a 8.5-point underdog, according to 5Dimes<doc-sep>It had been more than a month since Baylor had really been tested. The last time the Lady Bears won a game without completely blowing out the opposition was on March 4, when they won by six points at West Virginia. Since then, every game Kim Mulkey's side had won had been by double-digits. Oregon tested Baylor. The Ducks threw everything they had and more at the Lady Bears. But Baylor survived. After beating Oregon, 72-67, on Friday night in Tampa, Baylor is headed to the championship game for the first time since 2012. 2019 CHAMPIONSHIP: Final Four info | View the bracket | Print the bracket Despite the focus on Baylor's superb post players, the star in the final moments of the game was Chloe Jackson. Jackson sprinted by a pack of defenders to hit a lay-up that gave Baylor the go-ahead bucket and a two-point lead and then eluded Oregon defenders trying to foul her on Baylor's next possession. Jackson, a graduate transfer from LSU, steered the Lady Bears offense carefully and dished out six assists in 40 minutes of play while never turning the ball over. Slow start for Sabrina Sabrina Ionescu had a tough first quarter for Oregon, missing both of her field goal attempts and turning the ball over twice as Baylor’s DiDi Richards guarded her closely. But the NCAA’s all-time record holder for triple-doubles got back on track in the second quarter, dropping 12 points. Near the end of the period, she drained a 3 from the top of the key as Richards fouled her. Ionescu connected on the free throw to give the Ducks a 34-33 lead at halftime. we're looking at super saiyan sabrina in this tournament — Natalie Weiner (@natalieweiner) April 6, 2019 Ionescu finished the contest with 18 points, four rebounds and six assists on 6-of-24 shooting from the floor. Ionescu shot 6-of-24 (25%) from the field, her third-worst field goal percentage in a game this season. Didi Richards and Juicy Landrum were her primary defenders as she went 5-of-20 against those two combined. — ESPN Women's Hoops (@ESPN_WomenHoop) April 6, 2019 NATIONAL STATS: Individual and team leaders in the 2018-19 season Baylor’s bigs play crucial roles While Oregon’s preferred method of scoring was typically from 3-point range — the Ducks attempted 32 shots from behind the arc — Baylor opted for an inside game powered by its two towering post players in 6-foot-4 Lauren Cox and 6-foot-7 Kalani Brown. Cox carried the load for Baylor in the first quarter and tallied six points, three rebounds and three assists as the Lady Bears closed the first period on a 15-4 run. Brown picked things up in the second quarter and notched five points, three rebounds and a block. In the third quarter, Brown and Cox either scored or assisted on Baylor’s first six baskets to help Baylor take a five-point lead. A put-back shot from Cox gave Baylor a one-point lead at the end of the quarter. END of 3Q | Baylor 56-55 I'm not even surprised. pic.twitter.com/2zl88yxEMP — Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) April 6, 2019 Cox and Brown both knocked down free throws in the final 19 seconds to seal the Baylor win. Overall, Baylor outscored Oregon 48-20 in the paint and won the rebounding battle 38-33. The Lady Bears also blocked six shots. Cox and Brown combined for a total of 43 points, 18 rebounds, nine assists, two steals and four blocks. It’s not that @OregonWBB has no answer for Kalani Brown. It’s that there is no answer for Kalani Brown. @ncaawbb #womensfinalfour #ncaaW — Michelle Smith (@macsmith413) April 6, 2019 Oregon kept it interesting in the fourth quarter, but the Baylor combo of Kalani Brown and Lauren Cox was too much. Those two combined for 43 points and 18 boards. pic.twitter.com/4v8oNJRo0i — FiveThirtyEight (@FiveThirtyEight) April 6, 2019 Up next for Baylor is the winner of two teams who have a bevy of Final Four experience, Notre Dame and UConn. HISTORY: Longest NCAA tournament appearance streaks in women's college basketball<doc-sep>The first game of the 2019 Final Four did not disappoint. After a hard fought, back-and-forth contest, the Baylor Bears snuck past the Oregon Ducks, 72-67 to clinch their first trip to the championship game since 2012. Their No. 1 ranked field goal defense stepped up in a big way down the stretch, holding Oregon to just 1-of-13 shooting and three points over the final six minutes. Baylor's star frontcourt stepped up as well, as Kalani Brown and Lauren Cox combined for 43 points and 18 rebounds on 18-of-26 from the field. On Oregon's end, their All-American Sabrina Ionescu put in 18 points, but had a poor shooting night for the field. Here are a few takeaways from Baylor's victory. Didi Richards' defense on Ionescu key Sabrina Ionescu was one of the best players in college basketball this season, and will likely be the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft next week if she decides to leave school early. In the tournament, there was probably no single player you'd rather have on your team, due both to her skillset and competitiveness. But on Friday night, she scored just 18 points on 6-of-24 shooting, and turned the ball over three times. That was due in large part to the excellent defense of Didi Richards. The sophomore isn't usually much of an offensive threat -- though she did step up and score 15 points in this game, eight more than her season average -- but she used her 6-foot-1 frame to bother and frustrate Ionescu all game long. Though Ionescu got hot for a bit in the second quarter, when she scored 12 of her 18 points, the open looks for the star guard were few and far between. In the fourth quarter, Ionescu didn't score at all. Baylor's other big steps up While Lauren Cox doesn't get as much attention as her frontcourt partner Kalani Brown, that's a matter of Brown's greatness rather than Cox's ability. And the third-team All-American showed off that ability on Friday night with a fantastic performance. Often working out of the high post while Brown demanded multiple defenders down low, Cox made smart decisions all night long. Whether it was putting the ball on the deck to create a shot for herself, or knowing when to dump the ball down into Brown, Cox was composed and provided a steady presence among Oregon's swarming defense, which packed the paint. While Ionescu is the triple-double queen, it was Cox who almost got one in this game, finishing with 21 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists. If that wasn't enough, she added three blocks on the defensive end -- more than Oregon's entire team. Plus, she hit two clutch free throws in the final minute to help seal the victory. Ducks' 3-point shooting not quite enough Oregon was one of the best offensive teams in the country this season thanks in large part to their excellent 3-point shooting. They had five players who shot at least 36 percent from three-point range, and as a team, they made over 41 percent of their attempts. Heading into Friday night's game, the main question everyone was asking was whether or not Oregon's 3-point attack would be enough to offset Baylor's inside game. In the end, the answer proved to be no. The Ducks had a pretty solid shooting night from outside, hitting 12-of-32 attempts, but it just wasn't enough. Especially since they couldn't get any of them to go down the stretch. They went just 2-of-8 from outside in the fourth quarter, amidst a brutal 1-of-13 stretch to close the game.<doc-sep>TAMPA, Fla. — Oregon lost to Baylor, 72-67, in the women’s Final Four at Amalie Arena on Friday. The season comes to an end for the Ducks (33-5), who await word from point guard Sabrina Ionescu as to whether she’ll return for her senior season or enter the WNBA Draft. Baylor (36-1) advances to face Notre Dame in the national championship on Sunday (3 p.m. PT, ESPN). Here’s a roundup of what was written nationally and in Waco, Texas about Friday’s game:<doc-sep>

TAMPA — After top-seeded Baylor and upstart Oregon battled in an airtight first half Friday night, forward Lauren Cox said what everyone was thinking in the Lady Bears locker room. Wow. We haven’t had this in a while. But facing their closest game in a month, the Lady Bears still knew what to do. They dominated in the post and shined down the stretch to eke out a 72-67 Women’s Final Four win at Amalie Arena. Baylor improved to 36-1 with its 28th consecutive victory, which came 14 years to the day of their first national championship. The Lady Bears added another title seven years later and will try to add a third seven years after that in Sunday night’s championship. While Baylor played with the poise of a perennial power, the Ducks (33-5) looked like a program in its first ever Final Four. After averaging an NCAA-low 9.9 turnovers per game entering Friday, Oregon lost the ball seven times in the first quarter alone and 10 times through the first 24 minutes. Superstar guard Sabrina Ionescu — the Ward Trophy winner as the top player in the nation — went scoreless through the first 11 minutes, and the best 3-point shooting team in the nation missed eight of its first 11 attempts. “Just don't know if we ever really got our game going,” Ducks coach Kelly Graves said. “We saw bits and pieces of it here and there.” But Baylor’s size kept it from fully materializing. The Lady Bears pounded the post offensively with the 6-foot-4 Cox and 6-foot-7 center Kalani Brown. They combined for 43 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks and were pivotal in Baylor’s 48-20 advantage in points in the paint. Even when Oregon seemed to make the right decision, it struggled with Baylor’s height. Ionescu made a gorgeous pass to Oti Gildon in the closing minute of the first half, but Cox swatted it away. After Baylor one missed 3, Cox volley-balled a rebound to Brown for an easy layup. Cox even blocked a Satou Sabally runner that would have given the Ducks the lead with two and a half minutes left. “They were beasts inside,” said Ionescu, who hasn’t decided whether she’ll return for her senior season or leave early for next week’s WNBA draft. “But we had to adjust, and we didn’t.” They tried. Because Baylor held Oregon to 10-of-26 shooting in the paint, the Ducks relied even more on outside shots than usual. Oregon launched 32 3-pointers —their third-most of the season —and made 12, tying the record for most ever in a national semifinal. Ionescu scored all 18 of her points in the middle two quarters to keep Oregon close, which few teams have done against Baylor all season. The Lady Bears were the third team ever to enter the Final Four after winning all of its tournament games by at least 25 points. Of Baylor’s first 35 wins, only six were by single digits —none since a 63-57 triumph over West Virginia on March 4. But Baylor never worried about how it’d handle a tight game, even when it trailed 64-61 with 6:10 left. “There was nothing to draw up,” Lady Bears coach Kim Mulkey said. “There were no magical words to say. Go play.” So Baylor did. Cox answered with a quick basket, and Baylor’s defense tightened. Oregon missed 12 of its final 13 shots; two were blocked layups. Baylor’s bigs didn’t come up with its biggest score. That was guard Chloe Jackson, who drove for a layup to break a 67-67 tie with 41 seconds left. But the Lady Bears’ size still came through late. Brown grabbed a pivotal rebound, and Cox and Brown made three free throws to seal the win and a trip back to the national championship. Contact Matt Baker at [email protected]. Follow @MBakerTBTimes.

The result of the intermediate (Class 12) board examination was declared by the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) on June 6. The pass percentage is 52.95, which is 17.71% more than last year. In the arts stream, 63.12% students passed; in science, 44.71% passed and in commerce stream 91.32% students passed. In all three streams, girls emerged as toppers. NEET topper Kalpana Kumari topped the science stream with 434 marks. In arts, Kusum Kumari from Simultula Jamui topped, and in commerce stream, Nidhi Sinha from RDS College, Muzzafarpur, stood first. Here is the direct link to check result. Arts: Direct link to check result Commerce: Here’s direct link to check result Science: Here’s direct link to check result Vocational stream: Here’s direct link to check result Students can also check their results by visiting the official website of BSEB at biharboard.ac.in The BSEB Class 12 examination result was earlier scheduled to be announced on June 7. It was advanced to June 6 as the last date for applying to Delhi University colleges is June 7. The result of the matriculation (Class 10) exams will be announced on June 20. This year, 17,70,042 students filled the forms for matric exam and 12,80,000 students for the intermediate exams. To stop students from cheating this year, the Bihar School Examination Board asked students not to wear shoes or socks and enforced several other measures. Candidates were frisked at the entry gate of the exam venue and again after they sat in their allotted seats. They were monitored by video while writing the exam at all centres where extra force and home guards had been deployed. The pass percentage of matric exam in 2017 was 50.12 as 861,000 candidates out of 17,23,911 had failed. In the intermediate exam, 30.11% science students passed, 32.13% humanities and 73.76% commerce cleared the exam.<doc-sep>Bihar Board 12th result 2018: The forms for scrutiny will be released next week Bihar Board 12th result 2018: The forms for scrutiny will be released next week Bihar Board 12th result 2018: Over 2.3 lakh students applied for the scrutiny process this year which was concluded on June 20. As per the report, marks of 95,124 students got revised after the evaluation process. This year, 47.05 per cent students have failed in Bihar Board Class 12 examination. All those students who are not satisfied with their result can apply for scrutiny. The registration was concluded on June 20, 2019. The forms will be available offline at BSEB’s regional centres at Patna, Gaya, Bhagalpur, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Purnia, Chappra, Munger, and Saharsa. Students can register through official website also at biharboard.ac.in. Last year, over 3.11 lakh students applied for scrutiny. The compartment exams for Inter are usually held in the first week of July and forms are released by mid-June. A total of 44 per cent students cleared in the science stream, 82 per cent passed in the commerce stream. As many as 42 per cent students passed the Arts stream examination successfully. Those who have scored low or have failed in the language subjects, there were not granted grace marks this year.<doc-sep>Bihar Board 12th Result 2018 today BSEB Bihar Board 12th Result 2018: Bihar School Examination Board, BSEB has declared the Bihar Board 12th Result 2018 today, June 6, 2018. BSEB 12th Result 2018 was announced to have had an overall pass percentage of 52.95%. Science stream saw a pass percentage of 44%, Arts had 61% and 91.32% of the enrolled students passed the Commerce stream. Latest Update: Check Bihar Board 12th Result 2019- Live Updates The BSEB 12th Result toppers 2018 emerged out to be Kalpana Kumari, also the NEET 2018 All India topper and Nidhi Sinha, both of them having achieved the top score of 86.8%. Kusum Kumari topped the Arts section with 84.8% or 424 marks. Cash prize of Rs 1 lakh and laptops are to be awarded to the topp rankers by the BSEB this year. Check Bihar Board Result 2018 Class 12 on links below. Check BSEB Bihar Board 10th Result 2018 here. BSEB Bihar Board 12th Result 2018 Live Updates at 17:55: Bihar Board BSEB 12th Result 2018 has been declared online at biharboard.ac.in. BSEB candidates to have patience and check their Bihar Board 12th result 2018 on direct links given below. Bihar Board Result 2018 has been released. Check on links below. Check your BSEB 12th Result 2018 on biharboard.ac.in here Check your BSEB 12th Result 2018 on biharboardonline.in here Check your BSEB 12th Result 2018 on alternative link here BSEB Bihar Board 12th Result 2018 Live Updates at 17:50: BSEB 12th Result 2018, Bihar Board Result 2018 has been declared for Class 12. The overall pass percentage was recorded at 52.95% this year. Bihar Board 12th Result 2018 would be able to be checked online at biharboard.ac.in once it's active again after being down due to a technical glitch. BSEB Bihar Board 12th Result 2018 Live Updates at 17:45: Bihar Board BSEB has released the BSEB 12th Result 2018 on the official website biharboard.ac.in. Due to heavy traffic, the server on the website is down. BSEB candidates awaiting the Bihar Board 12th Result 2018 are kindly advised to be patient and keep refreshing this page to know when exactly to check the Bihar Board Result 2018 Class 12. BSEB Bihar Board 12th Result 2018 Live Updates at 17:40: Bihar Board 12th Result 2018 has been declared but the official BSEB website is unresponsive at the moment. BSEB 12th Result 2018 saw an overall pass percentage of 52.95% this year. Kalpana Kumari, NEET topper emerged as a topper at the Bihar Board Intermediate Examination 2018 as well with 434 marks out of 500, 86.8%. Nidhi Sinha Commerce topper has also topped the examination with the same marks in Commerce stream. BSEB Bihar Board 12th Result 2018 Live Updates at 17:35: BSEB 12th Result 2018 has been announced and the overall pass percentage has been recorded at 52.95%. Science stream individually has secured a pass percentage of 44%, Commerce with 91.32% and Arts with 61%. Check BSEB Bihar Board 12th Result 2018 on links below. BSEB Bihar Board 12th Result 2018 Live Updates at 17:30: BSEB Bihar Board 12th Result 2018 has been declared and would be found available online to be checked by BSEB students once the website biharboard.ac.in is live again. Keep refreshing the website or alternatively, check BSEB 12th Result 2018 on links below. BSEB Bihar Board 12th Result 2018 Live Updates at 17:22: BSEB 12th Result 2018 has been declared. NEET 2018 topper Kalpana Kumari emerged as the Bihar Board 12th Result 2018 Science topper with 86.8%. Bihar Board Result 2018 Class 12 Arts stream was topped by Kusum Kumari with 84.8%. Nidhi Sinha, also with 86.8% topped the Commerce stream. Check BSEB Bihar Board 12th Result 2018 on biharboard.ac.in once the website is live again. BSEB Bihar Board 12th Result 2018 Live Updates at 17:17: The websites hosting the BSEB 12th Result 2018 portals are unresponsive at the moment. Check Bihar Board 12th Result 2018 on biharboard.ac.in and direct links given below. 52.95% overall pass percentage has been recorded for Bihar Board Result 2018 Class 12. BSEB Bihar Board 12th Result 2018 Live Updates at 17:11: BSEB Bihar Board 12th Result 2018 Arts, Science and Commerce have been declared and the pass percentages have been revealed to be 61%, 44% and 91.32% respectively. Toppers are Kusum Kumari with 84.8% and Kalpana Kumari, Nidhi Sinha with 86.8% each. BSEB Bihar Board 12th Result 2018 Live Updates at 17:08: Bihar Board BSEB 12th Result 2018 Arts has been topped by Kusum Kumari with 424 maks out of 500 i.e. 84.8 %. Overall, the BSEB 12th Result 2018 has been topped by already a national NEET topper Kalpana Kumari and Nidhi Sinha with 86.8% marks each in Science and Commerce sections respectively. BSEB Bihar Board 12th Result 2018 Live Updates at 17:05: Bihar Board 12th Result 2018 toppers are Nidhi Sinha and Kalpana Kumari have secured 86.8%. Kusum Kumari with 84.8% has topped the BSEB 12th Result 2018 Arts. Keep refreshing biharboard.ac.in to check Bihar Board Result 2018 Class 12. BSEB Bihar Board 12th Result 2018 Live Updates at 17:00: NEET Topper Kalpana Kumari has again managed to bag the BSEB Bihar Board 12th Result 2018 Science topper title with 434 marks i.e. 86.8%. At NEET 2018, she secured 691 marks out of 720. BSEB 12th Result 2018 Commerce topper has been announced to be Nidhi Sinha. BSEB Bihar Board 12th Result 2018 Live Updates at 16:55: BSEB 12th Result 2018 has been declared. Bihar Board 12th Result 2018 can be checked online at biharboard.ac.in and bihar.indiaresults.com. The websites may be unresponsive at the moment. Bihar Board Result 2018 saw an overall pass percentage of 52.95 per cent. Kalpana Kumari, also the NEET topper this year has gained the top honour yet again from Science stream. Nidhi Sinha is the topper from Commerce. BSEB Bihar Board 12th Result 2018 Live Updates at 16:50: NEET 2018 topper Kalpana Kumari has also topped the BSEB Bihar Board 12th Result 2018. BSEB 12th Result 2018 Commerce has recorded a pass percentage of 91.32%.<doc-sep>Students who gave the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) Class 12th examination 2018 but are not satisfied with their result can apply for scrutiny online at biharboard.ac.in. Students who gave the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) Class 12th examination 2018 but are not satisfied with their result can apply for scrutiny online at biharboard.ac.in. The registrations for the same will begin from 13 June and will continue till 20 June. The forms will be available offline at BSEB’s regional centres at Patna, Gaya, Bhagalpur, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Purnia, Chappra, Munger, and Saharsa. Students can also visit the official website and fill the application form, A fee also needs to be paid per answer sheet. Last year, over 3.11 lakh students applied for scrutiny. According to an Indian Express report, even though the pass percentage of students this year has increased by 17.71 percent in comparison to the last year, nearly 5 lakh students flunked this year's Intermediate examination. This year, 47.05 percent students failed in the Bihar Board Class 12th examination. A total of 44 percent students cleared in the science stream, 82 per cent passed in the commerce stream and as many as 42 percent students passed the Arts stream examination successfully, this year. However, those who have scored low or have failed in the language subjects were not granted grace marks this year. The compartment exams for Intermediate examination are usually held in the first week of July and forms are released by mid-June. The Bihar Board Class 12th examination result 2018 was released on 6 June, 2018.<doc-sep>

The result of the intermediate (Class 12) board examination was on Wednesday declared by the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB). The BSEB Class 12 examination result was earlier scheduled to be announced on June 7. It was advanced to June 6 as the last date for applying to Delhi University colleges is June 7. Here are the direct link to check result. Arts: Direct link to check result Commerce: Here’s direct link to check result Science: Here’s direct link to check result Vocational stream: Here’s direct link to check result Students can also check their results by visiting the official website of BSEB at biharboard.ac.in Read more | Live BSEB Bihar board 12th result 2018 to be declared in a few hours The result of the matriculation (Class 10) exams will be announced on June 20. This year, 17,70,042 students filled the forms for matric exam and 12,80,000 students for the intermediate exams. To stop students from cheating this year, the Bihar School Examination Board asked students not to wear shoes or socks and enforced several other measures. Candidates were frisked at the entry gate of the exam venue and again after they sat in their allotted seats. They were monitored by video while writing the exam at all centres where extra force and home guards had been deployed. The pass percentage of matric exam in 2017 was 50.12 as 861,000 candidates out of 17,23,911 had failed. In the intermediate exam, 30.11% science students passed, 32.13% humanities and 73.76% commerce cleared the exam. BSEB Bihar Board 12th result 2018: Here’s how to check * Visit the official website: biharboard.ac.in * Click on the tab ‘Results’ * Click on the link for Class 12 result. * Enter your details * Click submit and view your result * Download it and also take a print out

THE MESSY KP SAGA Cook admits regret in handling of Kevin Pietersen's messy sacking by Vithushan Ehantharajah • Last updated on Pietersen felt that the KP episode wasn't great for England cricket © Getty Alastair Cook has admitted that his handling of Kevin Pietersen's sacking in 2014 as his biggest regret ahead of what will be his 161st and last Test match for England. Speaking at the Oval where he addressed the press for a series of interviews after announcing his retirement from international cricket on Monday, the opener was candid about a period of turmoil in his career and English cricket. It came after a 5-0 loss in the 2013/14 Ashes, the fallout of which saw Pietersen, who top-scored in the series, jettisoned for not fully supporting his skipper, Cook. While the departing 33-year-old did not have the casting vote to call time on Pietersen's career, who played 104 Tests and registered 23 hundreds, he was one of a number of people consulted on the decision. Speaking in an interview back at the start of 2017, Cook believed he had been hung out to dry by the ECB at the time with the impression being that it was ultimately his decision. It was a belief perpetuated by Pietersen in his autobiography, "KP", in which he states his disappointment in Cook for agreeing to the move, despite the support he had offered him during the Ashes. "I thought the way he behaved called into question his qualifications to be captain," said Pietersen. Now, four years on, Cook admits there were issues with how the whole sorry affair played out. "It could have been handled differently," said Cook. "I have a regret over it, it wasn't great for English cricket. The end of the Sri Lanka series and the Lord's Test, that was the lowest I was." That Sri Lanka series saw England defeated, before the hosts succumbed to a 95-run defeat at Lord's to India in the second Test of that 2014 series to put them one-down. Public perception of Cook and the ECB was at a grim low, with many on social media calling for the captain's resignation and a complete overhaul of the system. "The fall-out of that wasn't great for English cricket and wasn't great for me. I was involved in that decision without being the bloke who actually made the final decision." Nevertheless, Cook stubbornly motored on. After turning around the series against India to win 3-1, the following summer saw England regain the Ashes under Cook's watch (his second success against Australia as skipper). "When it was real tough I didn't throw the towel in," said Cook. "I still thought I was the best man for the job and the right man to be captain at that time. It wasn't easy. I could have taken the easy option but I didn't. And I got the - that sounds selfish but - the team got the reward winning the 2015 Ashes, which was just brilliant." It seems the hatchet, to some extent, has been buried. Upon the announcement that Cook was to walkaway from the international game, Pietersen sent out a Tweet commending the Essex man on his career. © Cricbuzz TAGS RELATED STORIES<doc-sep>Kevin Pietersen was told in May in 2015 that he would not be considered for an international recall (Reuters Photo) Alastair Cook, who will retire after the fifth Test against India, has revealed that the Kevin Pietersen saga "wasn't great for English cricket" and for him personally. Cook was among the decision makers to sack Pietersen after England's 5-0 Ashes series defeat in 2013-14. Cook was the England captain at that time but the final decision was taken by the team management which included Ashley Giles, Paul Downton and national selector James Whitaker. "Of course there are decisions in hindsight that you question. Clearly the Kevin Pietersen affair was a tough year, there's absolutely no doubt about that. The fallout of that wasn't great for English cricket and wasn't great for me. I was involved in that decision without being the bloke who actually made the final decision. The fallout of that decision and the effect it had for 12 months was immense," Cook said. Also read - Alastair Cook cried while informing England teammates of retirement Pietersen was sacked from the team after the 2013-14 Ashes series and was told in May in 2015 by former captain Andrew Strauss that he would not be considered for an international recall. Strauss was appointed the Director of England cricket in 2015 and soon after his appointment he accused Pietersen of "massive trust issues". "It could have been handled differently. The moment Andrew Strauss came on board and said he was making the decision, personally for me that was the best thing that could have happened. I have a regret over it, it wasn't great for English cricket," Cook said. Also read - Thanks for all the memories: Vaughan, Laxman pay tribute to Alastair Cook Cook said he decided to call it quits since he had lost the mental edge with which he managed all his tasks with ease. "I've always had that mental edge, I have always been mentally incredibly tough and had that edge to everything I have done but that edge had kind of gone. The thing I had found easy before was not quite there and to me that was the biggest thing, Cook said. Also read - Alastair Cook to retire from international cricket after 5th Test vs India He said he would have kept the decision to himself if the series had not been decided in Southampton. "It's been a bit surreal. One of my friends rang me to check I was still alive because everyone was talking as if I'd died. It is nice when you hear so many nice words said about you. For example, someone stopped me when I was driving in and made me wind down the window and said thank you very much.' That was a nice moment. Hopefully this week I can score some runs and then go, Cook said. Alastair Cook is England's highest run-getter in Test cricket (Reuters Photo) Asked about the decision to call time on his long career, Cook replied, It's hard to put into words but there have been signs in my mind over the last six months. I told Joe Root before the game (in Southampton) and then Trevor Bayliss during the game. In this day and age it's very difficult to keep anything quiet. If it were 2-2 I'd have kept my mouth shut." Also read - Alastair Cook thanks Graham Gooch, Barmy Army after announcing retirement "When you get asked questions (from the media) it's hard to constantly lie. I've been pretty good at it! But there's certain stuff when you're asked questions you know you're not being true to yourself. There might be a bit of fuss about it and if it were 2-2 I'd have kept my mouth shut." "At Southampton, I was a couple of beers in which I needed to be otherwise I would have cried more than I actually did. I managed to hold it together. At the end of the game I just said this might be good news for some and sad for others but it's time. I've done my bit and if picked the next game will be my last one.' That's kind of all I said. There was a bit of silence, Moeen Ali said something, we all laughed and everyone got on with it. We had a nice evening in the changing room. Also read - When Cook didn't spray champagne so Moeen could celebrate English win Cook, who led England in 59 Tests, termed the Ashes win in Australia (under Andrew Strauss) in 2010-11 and the 2-1 series' win in India under his leadership (in 2012) as the highlights of his record-breaking career. "You can't really look past those two away series where I was man of the series and we won in Australia and India. That was the best I could play and probably in my career as a whole I can look back and say I probably became the best player I could become. That actually means quite a lot to me. Yes, I've never been the most talented cricketer and I can't pretend I was but I definitely think I got everything out of my ability." Having got out to Ishant Sharma in Nottingham in 2014, Cook has since been dismissed 11 times by the Indian pacer. The opener said that he is one of the toughest bowlers to face. "I think I must regret getting out to Ishant Sharma, because he's kind of got his revenge since getting me out constantly over the last couple of series. The ball going away from me from around the wicket I found the hardest to conquer but in general, a bowler how maybe is not the quickest but constantly hits line and lengths - it goes as an 11-year-old and 60-year-old dropped it on a length. I never had the power or the shots to nock bowlers off there lengths. So a bowler who hangs it there and doesn't give me the pace to work with, that I found the hardest," said Cook.<doc-sep>ALASTAIR COOK has not spoken to Kevin Pietersen for more than four years since the bust-up which split English cricket. Former captain Cook, who enters his final Test on Friday, hit a low in 2014 when KP was axed after a 5-0 Ashes defeat. 2 Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen have not spoken since they fell out in 2014 Credit: Action Images - Reuters Alastair Cook said he cried when he told England teammates he was to retire from International Cricket He said: “It was the toughest time of my career and there’s no doubt it affected my batting. “The day Andrew Strauss came out and said Kevin wasn’t going to play for us any more, that was a massive weight off my shoulders. “I was involved in the decision at first but the England captain doesn’t have the final say on hiring and firing. “I agreed with it but said, ‘Why don’t we give him some time off, we can go away and maybe KP can come back later on’.” 2 Cook is preparing to face India in what will be the final Test match of his brilliant career Credit: Getty - Contributor Alastair Cook retires from England Test Cricket after incredible career But England managing director Paul Downton wanted to axe Pietersen immediately and, when the issue flared up again the next year, new chief Strauss slammed the door for good. Cook took a torrent of abuse online, while Pietersen wrote a savage book in which he trashed many England team-mates and members of the management. Speaking to Test Match Special, Cook added: “I haven’t spoken to him since that day but time is a great healer. most read in sport CRYING BRU Fernandes breaks down in tears as Scholes slams Utd stars who 'accept losing' Revealed FLOP GEA De Gea let in 38th CONSECUTIVE penalty before missing own spot-kick in shootout Live Blog MAN UTD 1 (10) VILLARREAL 1 (11) Penalties heartbreak for United as De Gea misses in epic MAN UTD VERDICT Solskjaer blew chance to end trophy drought & it won't get easier than this Live Blog FOOTBALL NEWS LIVE Zidane QUITS Real Madrid, Antonio Conte leaves Inter Milan JEEPERS KEEPERS Agony for Man Utd as De Gea misses after epic shootout goes down to GOALIES "We spent a lot of time together and created some amazing memories. The thing is, we never fell out. "Since then, the internet has fallen out for us.”<doc-sep>Kevin Pietersen was one of only four former England team-mates who did not participate in a video tribute to Alastair Cook this week. The Professional Cricketers’ Association collected congratulatory messages to Cook on his record-breaking England career from 70 of the 74 players who have taken the field with him during his 12-year international career. A 10-minute selection of some of the best comments was shown to the England players and backroom staff at the Oval on the eve of the Test, with Cook calling it ‘incredibly humbling’. Kevin Pietersen (right) didn't pay tribute to his former England team-mate Alastair Cook The unedited version runs to 40 minutes, with the longest tributes coming from Joe Root and Andrew Strauss. Luke Reynolds, the PCA’s communications and marketing executive who came up with the idea and executed it in three days, intends to send a copy to Cook. It’s understood Pietersen declined even to reply to the PCA request. Cook said this week that he felt the ECB had made him the scapegoat for KP’s exile after the 2013-14 Ashes whitewash. The other three non-contributors were former captain Andrew Flintoff, who was on holiday, one-cap bowler Darren Pattinson, who lives in Australia, and Michael Carberry, sacked as Leicestershire captain earlier this season. Meanwhile, Cook’s desire for a lack of fuss over his retirement will see Surrey deliver their gift of a bottle of 2006 Bordeaux, the year of his England debut, to his farm in Bedfordshire rather than have yet another presentation at the Oval. Cook was given a standing ovation after he was dismissed on Friday against India at The Oval The England team often travel by the Underground from their Tower Bridge hotel to the Oval. And it’s safe to say that opener Keaton Jennings is not in danger of being mobbed. One passenger who travelled with Jennings on the Tube the day before the Test reckons no one else in their carriage recognised him. BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew had early notice of Alastair Cook’s intention to retire, having helped draft his farewell comments. Agnew is understood to have given Cook some pointers and after Cook and his wife Alice had written their version, Agnew tidied it up for public consumption. The downside for Agnew was that he was honour-bound to sit on Cook’s retirement news throughout the fourth Test. BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew had early notice of Cook’s intention to retire Wayne Rooney made his last appearance for England against Scotland in November 2016. But the FA have still to make a farewell presentation to England’s record goalscorer. It wasn’t deemed to be the right time in the build-up to the 2018 World Cup and now the ceremony has been delayed even longer by Rooney leaving to play in MLS. The FA said talks are ongoing with Rooney’s management as to a suitable date. The FA have still yet to make a farewell presentation to record goalscorer Wayne Rooney Taylor’s a good judge James Taylor was a surprise choice to be national selector Ed Smith’s full-time assistant, considering he is only 28. But the former England and Notts batsman has more experience in judging cricketers than many realise. He was hired as a consultant by former Somerset chief executive Lee Cooper, with the backing of the board, to carry out a full review of the county’s cricket last year. James Taylor (right) was a surprise choice to take over from Ed Smith (left) as national selector Taylor’s report was one of the factors that led to a change of structure and the departure of Matthew Maynard, the director of cricket and head coach, because it was felt the two roles were too much for one person. Somerset are set to finish second in the Championship this season having survived relegation by a single point in 2017. Former Somerset personnel confirmed Taylor had spent time at the club last season before writing a report, although Taylor himself and current Somerset chief executive Andrew Cornish declined to comment. Maurizio Sarri’s £6million salary as Chelsea manager means he can easily afford his 40-a-day cigarette habit. But euro-pinching Sarri said in an interview in Italy this week: ‘I get a supply from Italy where I pay a third of what I would pay here.’<doc-sep>

Alastair Cook expressed his regret on Wednesday at the way Kevin Pietersen's England career ended but made it clear he was not the only one responsible. In the summer of 2012 Pietersen was suspended for the third Test against South Africa after he sent texts to members of the opposition side - criticising the then captain Andrew Strauss. Pietersen was later re-instated to the squad, but his recall caused division until he was dropped two years later. Alastair Cook admitted he had regrets over the sacking of Kevin Pietersen (left) back in 2014 'I have regret over it because it wasn't great for English cricket, the whole fallout of it,' he said 'Of course there are decisions in hindsight that you question,' he said. 'Clearly the KP affair was a tough year, there's no doubt about that. The fall-out of that wasn't great for English cricket and wasn't great for me. 'I was involved in that decision without being the bloke who actually made the final call. The fall-out of that decision and the effect it had for 12 months was...' For once Cook's habit of not finishing sentences left nothing unsaid. Pietersen's England career came to an end following the disastrous 2013-14 tour to Australia Cook poses with a newspaper carrying a story about his impending retirement from Tests The left-handed opener is preparing for his 161st and final Test match, against India at The Oval COOK SIGNS THREE-YEAR ESSEX DEAL Alastair Cook will continue playing for Essex after the club announced the left-hander had signed a new three-year deal. Head coach Anthony McGrath said on Essex's official website: 'It's great news that Cooky has committed his future to the club. 'He's one of the best batsmen in the world and he's so important for us both on and off the pitch. He's a great person to have around the club and is a great role model for the young players coming through. 'He also has the ability to change a game with his batting and that's something everyone wants in their team.' Advertisement 'It could have been handled differently,' he carried on. 'The moment Andrew Strauss (as a selector) came on board and said he was making the decision (to leave Pietersen out) was the best thing that could have happened for me. 'I do have regrets over it. The Sri Lankan series that year (which England lost) and Lord's (defeat in the first Test against India later that summer in 2014), that was the lowest I was. 'It was really tough but I didn't throw the towel in. I still thought I was the best man for the job and the right one to be captain at that time. 'But it wasn't easy. I could have taken the easy option but I didn't. 'And I got the reward — no, that sounds selfish, the team did — of winning the 2015 Ashes. That was brilliant.' The batsman kisses the urn as England celebrate winning the Ashes against Australia in 2015