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The Democrat-controlled House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a universal background check bill — which, if the Senate were interested in passing it, would be the most significant gun control legislation in a generation. Under current federal law, licensed dealers are required to run a background check to make sure a buyer doesn’t have a criminal record, history of mental illness, or any other factor that legally bars him from purchasing a gun. But the law has a big loophole: Private sellers — meaning unlicensed sellers — don’t have to run a background check. So someone who doesn’t run a licensed gun shop can sell or gift a firearm at a gun show, over the internet, or to friends and family without verifying through a background check that the buyer isn’t legally prohibited from purchasing the weapon. The new bill, HR 8, would close this loophole, although it would leave some exemptions for gun transfers among family and temporary transfers (like lending a gun) while hunting. For years, the proposal — for universal or comprehensive background checks — has been the top item on gun control advocates’ wish list. It polls extremely well among gun owners, people who don’t own guns, Democrats, Republicans — basically everyone. And it certainly makes sense: If there’s a loophole that potentially lets criminals get guns, why not close it? Yet the House proposal faces tough odds in the Senate, which is controlled by Republican lawmakers who have been much more reluctant to approve any gun control bills — despite widespread support for universal background checks among GOP constituents. President Donald Trump’s administration has also come out against the bill. And some research suggests a universal background check bill alone may not do much to reduce gun violence in the US. Several studies published in the past year found background checks would have a limited effect on gun deaths, whether homicides or suicides. Still, advocates and experts argue that comprehensive background checks are a much-needed foundation. Daniel Webster, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research, previously told me that they’re a “logical first step.” Based on the research, though, more will be necessary. Universal background checks may have a limited effect on gun violence The universal background check bill would help close a major loophole under the current law. About one in five gun transfers (sales or otherwise) are done without any background check at all, based on recent research. The bill would aim to close this loophole and, in doing so, attempt to ensure that fewer potentially dangerous people are obtaining firearms. But several studies in the past year have found that universal background checks, enacted at the state level, have a limited effect: One study, by UC Davis and Johns Hopkins researchers, found that after California enacted comprehensive background checks, as well as misdemeanor violence prohibitions for guns, the policy changes were not associated with changes in the firearm homicide or suicide rates. (A caveat: It’s possible comprehensive background checks had some effect, but it was just too small to detect in a population-level study.) Another study, from UC Davis, UC Berkeley, and Johns Hopkins researchers, found that after Indiana and Tennessee repealed comprehensive background checks, the repeals were not associated with changes in the firearm homicide or suicide rates. (Again, it’s also possible that there was an effect, but it was simply too small for the study to detect.) A study by Johns Hopkins researchers found that comprehensive background checks alone in urban counties were actually associated with an increase in firearm homicides, although the authors cautioned that background checks very likely did not cause the increase and instead had little effect while homicides were already increasing. Previously, the research base on background checks was limited but promising. A review of the evidence released by the RAND Corporation early last year looked at the best US-based studies for all sorts of gun policies, including background checks. RAND found “limited” to “moderate” evidence that background checks in general reduce violent crime, including homicides, and suicides. But RAND cautioned that the research just on closing the background check loopholes, to go from having a system at all to making the system more universal, was “inconclusive” when it came to firearm homicides. The newer studies fill in that gap — and they don’t look good for comprehensive background checks. In short: Establishing a background check system, as the US has already done on a national scale, likely has an effect. But making the system more comprehensive or universal doesn’t seem to have a significant effect on its own, at least at a population level. That doesn’t mean universal background checks are useless. Policies that are proven to be far more effective, such as a gun licensing system, are built in part on background checks — to ensure that, say, someone’s criminal record doesn’t prohibit him from getting a license. To that end, comprehensive background checks may be worth enacting even if they don’t do much on their own. “There’s some challenges with background check systems as they currently stand, but you can’t have the other laws function without requiring a background check for every sale,” Cassandra Crifasi, a researcher (and gun owner) at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research, told me. The problem with universal background checks may come down to poor implementation and enforcement. For example, the California study looked at the policy during a period when the state’s background check system was less sophisticated and comprehensive — missing some records, particularly for mental health history. Perhaps background checks are now better by virtue of having fuller data to work with. “What this new body of research is telling us is not that these policies don’t work,” Rose Kagawa, one of the UC Davis researchers involved in the new studies, told me, “but that they need to be designed and implemented in really rigorous and effective ways.” There are also some practical questions. Even if a system is built well, how can officials possibly track every single gun transfer, especially when it happens between two friends or family members in a private home or vehicle? Governments can encourage individuals to record and report these transfers, but it will be a constant challenge to ensure this always happens. Other problems can arise. Maybe a system is underresourced or understaffed, limiting just how thorough the checks, even under a supposedly universal system, can be. Perhaps some law enforcement officials just aren’t taking warning signs seriously enough, as has been found to be true in the past with the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Some experts, like Crifasi, argue that there needs to be a cultural change too, creating “a social norm that selling a gun without a background check is a bad thing.” All these limitations lead to a limited effect in the evidence so far. Other policies could have stronger effects on gun violence The disappointing results for background checks don’t mean gun control policies are totally ineffective. In fact, there’s growing evidence for at least one approach: a licensing system, which requires people to obtain a permit, typically via a police department, before they can purchase a gun from a licensed or private seller. The big studies so far come out of Connecticut and Missouri. In Connecticut, researchers looked at what happened after the state passed a permit-to-purchase law for handguns — finding a 40 percent drop in gun homicides and 15 percent reduction in handgun suicides. In Missouri, researchers looked at the aftermath of the state repealing its handgun permit-to-purchase law — finding a 23 percent increase in firearm homicides but no significant increase in non-firearm homicides, as well as 16 percent higher handgun suicides. In the past, advocates pointed to these studies as evidence that comprehensive background checks work, because the licensing systems in the states were paired with comprehensive background checks. But the evidence increasingly suggests that it’s the licensing system, not the comprehensive background checks, that’s key.<doc-sep>McBath willing to work across the aisle for gun bill (CNN) — The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed significant gun control legislation for the first time in more than two decades, a move that Democrats hope will intensify a pressure campaign for a vote in the Senate. The universal background check bill, H.R. 8, requires background checks on all firearm sales in the country. Currently, only licensed gun dealers must perform background checks for anyone seeking to purchase a firearm. Most unlicensed sellers do not; H.R. 8 would make that illegal. There are exemptions to the law like “gifts to family members and transfers for hunting, target shooting, and self-defense,” according to the House Judiciary Committee website. The measure passed 240-190. Eight Republicans voted for the bill, and two Democrats, Jared Golden of Maine and Collin Peterson of Minnesota, voted against it. The bill will move to the Senate, where it is unlikely to pass in the Republican-majority chamber as legislation often needs 60 or more votes to advance. The bill, sponsored by a bipartisan duo of Reps. Mike Thompson, a California Democrat, and Peter King, a New York Republican, remains an outlier right now in the House since it has bipartisan support. Most of the legislation related to gun control has been sponsored by Democrats. Four other Republicans co-sponsored the bill: Brian Mast of Florida, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Chris Smith of New Jersey and Fred Upton of Michigan. King told CNN on Tuesday that he may get a few more Republican colleagues to vote for the measure, but “no more than a handful.” At a 25-year anniversary party for the gun control group the Brady Campaign on Tuesday evening, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressed confidence that the universal background checks bill would pass the House of Representatives. At the event, Pelosi also recalled her efforts with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in the 1990s on gun control as “hard,” but a “triumph that saved millions of lives.” “Tomorrow we’re going to send him the background check legislation,” Pelosi said to her Senate colleague with a wide smile. Schumer predicted that the country is on the “precipice of great change” on the issue of gun safety. “We have a Democratic House that will not flinch. We have a Senate Democratic minority that will not flinch. Most of all, we have a public who is aroused and strong.” Democrats, including Pelosi, have made this a top policy priority in the new Congress, staging public hearings on the topic which had not been held for years in Congress. The legislation also has the backing of a multitude of outside groups, including the former congresswoman and gun control advocate Gabby Giffords, the Brady Campaign, Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action. “Today’s historic gun safety victory in Congress is a testament to courage,” Giffords said in a statement after the passage of the bill. “When the days were darkest, when it looked like the gun lobby’s money and influence would forever silence any debate in Washington about stronger gun laws, courage shone through.” Ted Deutch, a Florida Democrat who represents the district where the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting occurred last year, called the passage “a really incredible moment to be on the House floor as we passed the first piece of gun legislation in decades.” On Tuesday, King urged his Senate colleagues to consider the bill. “I would think that they should let it come to a vote,” he said, adding that the average American supports the universal background checks bill. “This is not going to affect more than probably less than 1% of the American people and the ones it will affect either suffer from mental illness or are criminals. So to me, it’s a phony issue being raised by some of the gun groups,” he said. King understands that public opinion is on his side on this issue. A recent Quinnipiac poll conducted in January found that 92% of Americans support requiring background checks for all gun buyers. Of that 92%, Republicans supported the idea of background checks 89% of the time and Democrats supported it 95%. Despite pressure from the House, Senate Republicans are unlikely to take up the legislation, according to a member of Senate leadership. Majority Whip John Thune – the second ranking Republican in the chamber – told CNN on Tuesday that it’s “unlikely” that the Senate will take up the bill for debate soon. Thune pointed to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System modernization bill that the Senate approved last year. That legislation – which was sponsored by Republican John Cornyn and Democrat Chris Murphy – improved reporting to the national background check system. In the simplest terms, the bill didn’t strengthen background checks but instead incentivized state and federal authorities to report more data to the database. “I think that we’ve dealt with that issue here,” he said of last year’s efforts. Another sign of coordinated efforts around the vote: Gun control group Everytown is dumping $400,000 into advertisement purchasing and sponsorships with media outlets and targeted ads on Facebook asking people to contact their representative about the bill, according to a spokesperson for the group. This story has been updated with additional developments Wednesday.<doc-sep>Lisa Desjardins: All right, one passed yesterday, and one passed tonight. Let's look at them very quickly, first the one that passed yesterday. This bill would basically require background checks for almost every gun sale or gun transfer in America. It allows exceptions for family members, hunting, sporting. That includes if you want to go to a shooting range. And also for law enforcement. That wouldn't necessarily require background checks. Now, this background — and the background check bill that passed today would allow 20 days total for a background check. That's a big change, Judy, from the current, which is just three days. Now, that's considered the Charleston loophole. That is the situation where the massacre in Charleston in which nine churchgoers were killed, that gunman obtained the weapon because the background check didn't come back within those three days. And the gun seller was allowed to sell that gun. Democrats want to raise that limit to 20 days instead. No surprise. Republicans have some big problems with these bills. They say that the restrictions go too far. In particular, they say that kind of 20-day window for a background check is too long for victims of domestic violence, women in particular, who may want to get a weapon to protect themselves. And that argument was raised on the floor today right before the vote to counter that. A very passionate speech came from Michigan Democrat Debbie Dingell. I want to play some of what she said.<doc-sep>

WASHINGTON — Gun control supporters and victims of gun violence in the U.S. House gallery yelled “thank you” to the group of mostly Democratic lawmakers who passed a bill Wednesday that would expand federal background checks for gun purchases and transfers. The vote on the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 was 240-190, the first time in at least 25 years that the U.S. House has approved a substantial gun control measure. The bill, which garnered only eight GOP votes on Wednesday, was introduced more than six years ago in response to the 2012 killing of 20 first-graders and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, but failed to win enough support in the Senate and was never put forth for a vote in the House. “This day has been a long time coming,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who came over from the Senate to witness the historic vote on the House floor. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., also kept an eye on the House proceedings. “The families of Sandy Hook were in my heart and on my mind today as I watched the House take a historic step toward making America safer,” he said. “It is a clear sign that momentum is on the side of commonsense gun violence reform and the gun lobby’s grip on Congress is weakening.” The gun safety advocates’ victory is expected to be short-lived, however. The bill is unlikely to be considered in the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-vote majority and 60 votes are needed to advance legislation. President Donald Trump issued a veto threat Tuesday for the legislation, which would require FBI background checks of prospective buyers for individual gun sales on the Internet and at gun shows. During debate on the bill Wednesday, several amendments were defeated. But lawmakers approved a Republican amendment that would require the FBI to notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement when an undocumented immigrant attempts to purchase a gun. Like other supporters of the legislation, Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., said universal background checks have the support of 97 percent of Americans and would keep more guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals. But he said the legislation is not “a panacea.” “We need additional legislation to make guns safer, keep weapons that are designed only to kill off the street, and provide better mental health support for Americans,” said Himes, who represents Connecticut’s 4th District. Rep. Jared Golden, a freshman lawmaker from Maine, and Minnesota’s Rep. Colin Peterson were the only House Democrats to vote against the bill. While gun control helped a number of Democrats in last year’s midterm elections, the National Rifle Association, which strongly opposed the background check bill, continues to have a strong influence on Republicans in Congress. The NRA says the legislation would lead to a national gun registry and “make criminals out of law-abiding gun owners for simply loaning a firearm to a friend or some family members.” Before the vote, Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., called the bill a “partisan show” that would not have prevented the mass shootings in Newtown, Las Vegas, San Bernadino or other places that have been the scene of a gun massacre. Most of the guns used in recent mass shootings, including the one that killed 26 at Sandy Hook Elementary School, were bought legally. Like the Newtown gunman, many of the attackers had criminal histories or mental health problems that did not prevent them from obtaining a weapon. Even so, gun control advocates promote universal background checks as a first step in preventing gun violence. During the often passionate debate on the bill, Hudson and other Republicans repeated the NRA argument that it would make criminals out of those who loan guns to family members and friends. “If you loan your gun to a friend under this bill, and they may be thinking of buying a similar gun to protect themselves, and they go to a range ... you may become a felon, subject to a year in jail,” said Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., who is the victim of a shooting. He was severely injured during a shooting at a congressional baseball practice in Virginia in 2017. However, there are a number of exceptions in the background check bill, including one for a family member giving a firearm as a gift, or lending a gun to someone to practice at a gun range or who is in imminent danger. The House plans to vote on a second gun bill on Thursday.

Day one of the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft is in the books. Here is a recap of the day the Pittsburgh Pirates had. The Pittsburgh Pirates entered the first day of the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft with three picks to be made. Holding the 10th, 36th, and 51st overall picks, Neal Huntington and his scouts were ready to add to the Pirate farm system. With the 10th overall pick in the draft the Pirates selected University of South Alabama outfielder Travis Swaggerty. Swaggerty, on top of being a member of the all-name team, has the potential to be a five-tool outfielder. This is why Keith Law of ESPN.com had Swaggerty ranked 4th on his pre-draft big board. Swaggerty slashed .296/.455/.526/.981 with a .230 ISO this past season for the Jaguars. You can read more about Swaggerty and what he brings to the table for the Pirates here. Now that Austin Meadows is in the Major Leagues, look for Swaggerty to become the team’s top hitting prospect. At pick number 36 the Pirates selected right-handed high school pitcher Gunnar Hoglund. The Hudson, Florida, native checks in at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds. And, like Swaggerty, is a member of the all-name team. According to Perfect Game, Hoglund has deception to his delivery, a 3/4 arm slot, and he hides the ball well. He already throws a plus curveball to go with his low-to-mid 90s fastball. Something to watch is that Hoglund is currently committed to Ole Miss. This commitment could make Hoglund a tough sign. However, the money the Pirates saved by drafting Swaggerty at number 10 could help them sign Hoglund for over slot value. You can read more about Hoglund here. Right-handed Texas prep pitcher Braxton Ashcraft was drafted by the Pirates 51st overall. This completed the Pirates run on members of the all-name team on day one of the draft. Baseball America had Ashcraft as the draft’s 58th best prospect. Ashcraft has a great frame checking in at 6-foot-5 and 195 pounds. He has an extended 3/4 arm slot that creates angle. He throws a power sinker, and already as an advanced slider and changeup. He is currently committed to Baylor University. You can read more about Ashcraft here. Stay tuned here at Rum Bunter for breakdowns and analysis of players drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates as days two and three of the MLB Draft unfold today and tomorrow.<doc-sep>It is finally draft day and the Pittsburgh Pirates have the 10th pick tonight. Here is one last look at the mock drafts leading up to the event. Tonight marks the start of new careers that will be closely followed by many fans across the MLB. However, tonight is also one of the most important nights of the calendar year for teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates. Smaller market teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates have to nail their MLB draft picks. It is through the draft that they will get their keys to future success. The Bucs have a real chance to do that tonight with the number 10 overall pick. This is a spot where they can add a legitimate high-end talent. They also have a competitive balance pick at number 36 overall and their second-round pick is number 51. While it is impossible to predict who the Pittsburgh Pirates will end up with at pick number 10, there are several predictions from draft experts on who it could be. Here is who Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo are predicting as of this morning on their MLB Pipeline article. Jim Callis Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline is predicting the Pittsburgh Pirates to take a high-end prep pitcher. In an earlier mock draft, he had the Bucs looking at high school outfielder Jared Kelenic. However, as the draft has approached he and Mayo have started focusing more on prep pitchers for the Bucs. In his final mock draft, he has the Pittsburgh Pirates taking left-handed pitcher, Mathew Liberatore. Liberatore is a big lefty from Arizona. He has the talent to go higher than 10, but Callis believes that he may slip down the board a little due to teams drafting more college hitters toward the top. Callis also notes prep righty Grayson Rodriguez and prep outfielder Jordyn Adams as possibilities. Jonathan Mayo Jonathan Mayo also believes the Pittsburgh Pirates are leaning towards the prep pitching market. In his mock draft over the weekend he had the Bucs selecting California prep righty Cole Winn. In the mock this morning he still has the Bucs targeting Winn. Mayo, of course, lives in the Pittsburgh area and usually has a good sense of what the Pittsburgh Pirates organization is doing. Mayo also notes Rodriguez as a possibility. Furthermore, he writes that the Bucs like the college bats, but unless one that is projected ahead of them falls to number 10 they likely will stick with a prep arm. College hitters that he could be talking about are Florida infielder Jonathan India, Wichita State infielder Alec Bohm, and South Alabama outfielder Travis Swaggerty. The draft starts at 7:00 pm ETA and it will be broadcasted on the MLB Network. With the tenth pick, the Pittsburgh Pirates will not be on the board until closer to 8:00. Make sure to check back for immediate information on the new prospects and how they will fit into the system going forward.<doc-sep>After taking a college outfielder and a high school right-handed pitcher, the Pittsburgh Pirates made their second-round pick at number 51 overall. The Pittsburgh Pirates were able to add two very intriguing prospects with their first two picks in the draft. At pick number 10 they took college outfielder Travis Swaggerty. Then they added a big, power righty in Gunnar Hoglund with their Competitive Balance pick at number 36. The team had another high pick at number 51, which was their second-round pick. With this pick, the Pittsburgh Pirates took another big prep righty by the name of Braxton Ashcraft. Ashcraft is a tall righty out of Robinson High School in Texas. He stands at 6’5” and weighs 195 pounds. Based on this frame, Ashcraft has a lot of room to continue and grow into as he gets older. When the Pittsburgh Pirates draft players like this they plan on them physically maturing into their bodies and therefore adding more miles per hour to their fastball. Ashcraft as of now is throwing in the high 80s and gets into the lower 90s, but with his frame should reach to the mid-90s when it is all said and done. Here is more of a scouting report from MLB Pipeline: “Ashcraft has a loose, quick arm yet there were games this spring when he was pitching at 85-88 mph in the late innings. He created excitement among scouts when he began sitting at 92 mph and topping out at 94 during the postseason, and his heater also features sink and his 6-foot-5 frame creates difficult extension and angle. He has promising tilt on his slider that currently sits in the upper 70s but should be at least a solid offering once he adds more consistent power.” The first thing that pops out from his scouting report is that his fastball has sink to it. As many Pittsburgh Pirates fans know, the Bucs love to develop movement of their pitcher’s fastballs. The fact that Ashcraft is already throwing a sinking fastball gets him a little ahead of other pitchers in the Bucs lower minors. MLB Pipeline had the Baylor commit ranked as the number 64 best prospect available. Meanwhile, Baseball America had him ranked number 58. While he was a little bit of a reach at number 51, he has all the tools the Pittsburgh Pirates look for in young prep arms. The Bucs were allotted $1.38 million and while he has a strong commitment to Baylor, the team should be able to give him more money than he expected by reaching on him by a few picks.<doc-sep>The 2018 MLB Draft is underway. The Pittsburgh Pirates 86th overall pick in the third round has come and gone. The Pirates have selected Connor Kaiser with their first selection of the second day. The Pirates selected an athletic collegiate outfielder from South Alabama in Travis Swaggerty with their first pick of the draft, and followed that pick up with high school arms Gunnar Hoglund and Braxton Ashcraft in with their next two picks, both fitting the traditional mold of Pirates prep pitchers. Their third round selection and first pick of the day is Connor Kaiser, a shortstop from Vanderbilt. The slot value of the third round pick is $673,200 so the Pirates will likely save from their draft pool to spread out to Hoglund, Ashcraft, and/or a prep arm selected later. The Vandy shortstop bats from the right side and stands at 6’4″ and 205 pounds. He’s listed as a college hitter on Fangraphs The Board, ultimately making him a college bat who will sign below slot. On Baseball America, the shortstop ranks 211th and it is noted that, “he’s a reliable shortstop who has average range and an above-average arm with a long track record of modest success while playing in the Southeastern Conference, which makes him a useful day two pick.” For the Commodores, Kaiser is hitting .298/.397/.452 with a 19.4 percent strikeout rate and 12.1 percent walk rate while homering six times. There’s value in a player like this, save money for higher end talent while getting a safe collegiate bat who can play and stick at shortstop. Kaiser probably projects best as a backup middle infielder and won’t crack any top 30 lists, but Baseball America notes he hits the balls on the ground more than in the air. Make a swing adjustment to get more under the ball, and perhaps there’s more power in the 6’4″ frame than he’s currently shown. College bats this early who are ranked so low usually sign below slot, and that should be the expectation for Kaiser. What this allows the Pirates to do is get creative and spread money around while adding another shortstop into the fold in the minor leagues.<doc-sep>

The Pittsburgh Pirates made their number 10 overall pick and now have made their number 36 overall pick. They added a quality outfield prospect at number 10, so what did they add at number 36? The Pittsburgh Pirates also had the number 36 overall pick in the draft. This pick came after the first round and before the second round. The pick is considered a competitive balance pick and they were awarded it via lottery. The top 10 smallest market teams and smallest revenue teams are put into a lottery. Last year, the Bucs had a pick in Competitive Balance B round, after the second round. This year they were given the top pick in Competitive Balance A. With the pick, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected righty prep pitcher Gunnar Hoglund. Hoglund comes from the high school ranks out of Florida. He is the prototypical, big framer, power arm righty that teams dream on. The righty stands at 6’4” and weighs 210 pounds. He has a college commitment to the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). MLB Pipeline has him ranked as the number 66 best player in the draft and Baseball America has him ranked at number 84. While he seems like a bit of a reach, Baseball America had his stock rising as of this morning. Also, this is not of character for the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 2016, they took righty pitcher Travis MacGregor who was ranked a little lower, but so far he has looked very impressive in the minors. Here is MLB Pipeline’s scouting report on Hoglund: “The right-hander throws strikes with a three-pitch mix, pitching mostly off of his fastball, which he’ll throw anywhere in the 89-95 mph range. He throws his heater with good angle and plane, keeping it down in the zone. Hoglund does show an ability to spin a breaking ball, though he doesn’t always stay on top of it, which keeps it from having enough bite at times. He has feel for a changeup, though he doesn’t use it much.” Hoglund is all about projection. He has the size and arm that the Pittsburgh Pirates have done a good job of developing during Neal Huntington’s tenure. As of now, he has a relatively strong commitment to Ole Miss, but the Bucs have a good bit of money to spend to lure him from it. For the number 36 pick, the Pittsburgh Pirates have $1.9 million to spend. There is a good chance that they will save some money on their first-round pick Travis Swaggerty. If that is the case they will likely use some of the money to sweeten Hoglund’s bonus.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies have both made the playoffs, but are fighting for the NL West division. There are a few moving parts to how the postseason picture will play out for both teams. If either the Dodgers or the Rockies win while the other team loses, the winning team will clinch the division as well as home-field advantage in the NLDS against the Braves. If both teams win or lose, Los Angeles would host a one-game playoff for the division. The losing team would play the next day in the NL Wild Card game against the NL Central’s second place team (Brewers or Cubs). The only way the Braves would have home-field advantage is if they are able to win their final game while both the Rockies and Dodgers lose. The Dodgers have had their ups and downs, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts still believes he has the best team in baseball. “I think we’re the best team,” Roberts told the Los Angeles Times. “And I’ve said it. Most importantly, we have to go out there and play like it. We can be as dangerous as anyone. But it’s up to us to go out there and play like it. One part of that equation is to get into the postseason, and get an invite. We have that.” The Dodgers are looking for a win against the Giants, while the Rockies take on the Nationals. There is sure to be a lot of scoreboard watching at both ballparks today. Here’s a look at the latest NL West and Wild Card standings. NL Wild Card Standings TEAM W L WCGB Chicago Cubs 94 67 +4.0 Milwaukee Brewers 94 67 +4.0 Colorado Rockies 90 71 – LA Dodgers 90 71 – St. Louis Cardinals (eliminated) 88 73 2.0 NL Tiebreaker Games (If Necessary) on Monday, October 1st Here’s a look at the schedule if either the NL Central or NL West requires a playoff game for the division. The schedule depends on whether there is a playoff game for just one division, or if both require a tiebreaker game. The game(s) would be on Monday, October 1st. Brewers at Cubs (If just one game) ESPN 4:09 p.m. ET Rockies at Dodgers (If just one game) ESPN 4:09 p.m. ET Brewers at Cubs (If two games) ESPN 1:05 p.m. ET Rockies at Dodgers (If two games) ESPN 4:09 p.m. ET NL Division Leaders & Seeds TEAMS W L T-1. Chicago Cubs 94 67 T-1. Milwaukee Brewers 94 67 T-2. Colorado Rockies 90 71 T-2. LA Dodgers 90 71 3. Atlanta Braves 90 71 READ NEXT: MLB Playoff Standings: AL & NL Postseason Picture<doc-sep>The 2018 MLB regular season ends Sunday, meaning the postseason is now less than a week away. We pretty much know the AL playoff field, though the wild-card seeding could change. Over in the NL, the Braves are the NL East champs while the Cubs and Brewers have clinched playoff berths, but everything else is still up in the air with just four days of regular season play remaining. With that in mind, let's update the current postseason picture. Here's the SportsLine Projection System, and here's what the postseason field would look like if the season ended today ... AL Wild Card Game : Athletics at Yankees : Athletics at Yankees ALDS : Wild Card Game winner at Red Sox : Wild Card Game winner at Red Sox ALDS: Indians at Astros NL Wild Card Game : Dodgers at Brewers : Dodgers at Brewers NLDS : Wild Card Game winner at Cubs : Wild Card Game winner at Cubs NLDS: Rockies at Braves Make sure to check out SportsLine's daily pick sheet for insight about every game. Mike Meredith/CBS Sports NL East champ: Braves (89-69) Games remaining : 1 at NYM, 3 at PHI : 1 at NYM, 3 at PHI SportsLine's pennant odds : 13.22 percent : 13.22 percent SportsLine's World Series odds: 4.06 percent The loss with two NL Central wins Wednesday night hurt the Braves' chances pretty hard for the top NL seed. It's still possible, but they'd need a series of unlikely events in order to grab it. Instead, they'll be squaring off with the NL West champion in the NLDS. The remaining games will determine who gets home-field advantage. NL Central leader: Cubs (92-66) Games remaining : 1 vs. PIT, 3 vs. STL : 1 vs. PIT, 3 vs. STL SportsLine's pennant odds : 19.19 percent : 19.19 percent SportsLine's World Series odds: 7.95 percent The Cubs have either led or been tied for first place since July 12. They've outright had the best record in the National League since Aug. 1, and yet, they are facing a very real possibility of having to play in the Wild Card Game with the Brewers just a half game back in the division. Given that the Brewers only have to face what's left of the Tigers, the Cubs' road is much tougher here. Still, the Cubs play twice before the Brewers play again and two wins would shave the magic number to two. It's in their hands if they take care of business. NL West leader: Rockies (88-70) Games remaining : 1 vs. PHI, 3 vs. WAS : 1 vs. PHI, 3 vs. WAS SportsLine's pennant odds : 14.13 percent : 14.13 percent SportsLine's World Series odds: 5.09 percent The Rockies have won six straight and have outscored the Phillies 34-4 so far in their first three games of this four-game series. In turn, the Rockies have taken back first place in the West. It's only a half-game lead, but it's good enough to see a magic number of four for their first-ever division title. The Rockies can't look at this, but we can: They are also just one game back of the Braves for home-field advantage in the NLDS. Things are incredibly fun out West. NL wild card leader: Brewers (92-67) Games remaining : 3 vs. DET : 3 vs. DET SportsLine's pennant odds : 13.46 percent : 13.46 percent SportsLine's World Series odds: 4.58 percent The Brewers might hold a wild-card spot, but they are in an amazing position to be able to take the top NL seed. They await three games against a terrible opponent while the Cubs have to deal with the Cardinals (though those same Cardinals didn't really put up a fight against the Brewers these past three games). For Thursday, the Brewers can savor clinching a playoff spot while hoping to see the Cubs lose to the Pirates, which would tie things up in the Central. NL wild card runner-up: Dodgers (87-71) Games remaining : 3 at SF : 3 at SF SportsLine's pennant odds : 36.54 percent : 36.54 percent SportsLine's World Series odds: 22.35 percent Boy, these computers really love them some Dodgers. Despite being the second NL wild card and the team with the worst record among those in playoff position, the Dodgers have the best World Series championship odds. In reality, it's not an easy road. The Dodgers just lost two straight to a previously dead Diamondbacks team and now face their rival Giants for three on the road to close. The Giants aren't good -- they are terrible right now, in fact -- but they'd love nothing more than to eliminate the Dodgers. The Giants lead the season series 9-7, for whatever it's worth. In the short term, the Dodgers are off Thursday, so they'll be watching the Rockies in hopes that the Phillies actually show a pulse and help them tie things up in the NL West. Teams on the outside looking in Cardinals (87-72, 28.9 percent postseason odds per SportsLine) The Cardinals could use the Heimlich maneuver after getting swept in three games at home by the Brewers. It's caused the Cardinals to lose their hold on the second NL wild card and now they need to deal with the Cubs -- who desperately need to win all three games in order to hold the Central -- for three games in Wrigley Field. The Cardinals are just one game behind the Dodgers and 1 1/2 behind the Rockies, but they clearly face the biggest uphill battle here among the three still-alive teams that haven't yet clinched a playoff berth. AL East champ: Red Sox (107-52) SportsLine's pennant odds: 31.81 percent 31.81 percent SportsLine's World Series odds: 18.99 percent The Red Sox have already wrapped up the AL East and home-field advantage throughout the postseason. They've also already set the franchise record for wins in a season, so they're focused on staying healthy and freshening up as the postseason looms. AL Central champ: Indians (89-69) SportsLine's pennant odds: 22.98 percent 22.98 percent SportsLine's World Series odds: 11.66 percent The Indians are AL Central champs for a third straight year, and they're also locked in as the road team in their ALDS matchup against the reigning-champion Astros. One more win means they'll reach 90 victories for a third consecutive season. AL West champ: Astros (100-58) SportsLine's pennant odds: 26.44 percent 26.44 percent SportsLine's World Series odds: 14.11 percent The Astros on Tuesday night wrapped up the AL West for a second straight season (thus giving a huge boost to their pennant and World Series percentages), and they also got to 100 wins. They're the second seed in the AL, which means a matchup with the dangerous Indians in the ALDS. AL wild card leader: Yankees (97-61) Games remaining: 1 at TB, 3 at BOS 1 at TB, 3 at BOS SportsLine's pennant odds: 13.34 percent 13.34 percent SportsLine's World Series odds: 7.73 percent The Yankees have punched their ticket to the postseason, but they haven't yet clinched home-field advantage in the AL Wild Card Game. They lead the A's on that front by 1 1/2 games. They hold the tiebreaker over the A's thanks to intradivision record, but the remaining schedule -- Rays and Red Sox -- is pretty tough. This race isn't over. AL wild card runner-up: Athletics (96-63) Games remaining: 3 at LAA 3 at LAA SportsLine's pennant odds: 5.43 percent 5.43 percent SportsLine's World Series odds: 2.29 percent As noted above, the A's are still alive in the race for the top AL wild-card spot, but they trail by 1 1/2 games with less than a handful to go. The Yankees have the tougher remaining schedule, so it's still possible. Likely, though, they'll be headed to the Bronx for the AL Wild Card Game.<doc-sep>A Dodgers loss to Arizona cemented the Rockies' status as the leaders of the NL West with four games to go. DENVER — The start of the game could not have gone much better for German Marquez. And the end was a pleasure, too, for to the Colorado Rockies, who moved back into the NL West lead. The hard-throwing Marquez started with eight straight strikeouts to match a modern-era big league record, and the Rockies routed the Philadelphia Phillies 14-0 on Wednesday night to take a step closer to a postseason berth. “We still have got four more games. So we have to keep our heads in the same spot, just stay focused and continue to play good baseball,” Rockies slugger Carlos Gonzalez said. “Anything can happen in four days. But we’re right around where we want to be.” The Rockies outscored the Phillies by 34-4 over the first three games of the four-game series. David Dahl homered for the third straight game, and the Rockies went deep four times in all as they extended their winning streak to six. Colorado moved into the top spot in the NL West by a half-game with the Los Angeles Dodgers losing at Arizona. Trying to capture their first division title, the Rockies have not been in first place this late since 1995. They also opened a 1½-game advantage over St. Louis for the last NL wild-card spot. Marquez (14-10) allowed three hits in seven innings and struck out 11 to set a Rockies record with 221 for the season, seven more than Ubaldo Jimenez’s total in 2010. By striking out his first eight batters, Marquez tied a post-1900 mark set by Houston’s Jim Deshaies on Sept. 23, 1986, and equaled by the New York Mets’ Jacob deGrom on Sept. 15, 2014. The overall record of nine was set by New York’s Mickey Welch in an NL game on Aug. 28, 1884. Phillies pitcher Nick Pivetta finally broke the string with a grounder that Marquez fielded only to throw wildly to first for an error. Roman Quinn got Philadelphia’s first hit in the fourth. “I really executed my plan good,” Marquez said through an interpreter. “The same mindset, attacking the hitter and executing my pitches. A lot of times it doesn’t work perfectly. Tonight, it was close to that.” Marquez had everything working — fastball, his two breaking balls and even an occasional change. “It was impressive,” Gonzalez said. “It’s one of those things you really enjoy as a position player, seeing a guy dominate the way he did tonight. It’s exactly what we need at this point.” Marquez’s gem is the latest chapter in what’s been a frustrating finish for the Phillies (78-80), who have lost a season-high seven straight and have gone 15-32 since moving a season-high 15 games over .500 on Aug. 5. Philadelphia allowed double-digit runs in three straight games for the first time since June 1-4, 1958. “We’re playing really bad baseball right now, really bad baseball,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “There’s no excuse for it, none at all and we all have to look ourselves in the mirror, individually and collectively and figure out how to be better.” Trevor Story finished a double shy of the cycle. Charlie Blackmon went 0 for 4, ending his 17-game hitting streak. Colorado broke open the game with a seven-run fifth that included Dahl’s three-run homer, a two-run shot from Story and another two-run homer by Ian Desmond. All seven runs were scored with two outs. “Nobody wants to go out there and try to carry the weight or try to be the hero,” Gonzalez said. “Everybody needs to do their part and believe in their teammates. That’s what we’re doing.” CARGO’S BIG NIGHT Gonzalez had two hits and drove in two runs. He’s hitting .363 in his career against the Phillies. The player nicknamed Cargo also chipped in with a play in the field. With two outs in the fourth and Quinn on first, Dylan Cozens delivered a single to right that Gonzalez quickly relayed to Story, who twirled and threw out Quinn at the plate. STRUGGLING Pivetta (7-14) allowed six runs in 4 2/3 innings and has not won since Aug. 7 at Arizona. “It starts with me. It ends with me and I didn’t set the tone today,” Pivetta said. TRAINER’S ROOM Phillies: INF J.P. Crawford is dealing with a right shoulder impingement. ... C Wilson Ramos was out of the lineup with a sore wrist. ... RHP Zach Eflin has a strained left oblique. Rockies: LHP Tyler Anderson (sore shoulder) played an “aggressive game of catch today,” MGR Bud Black said. “We are encouraged about where Tyler is.” Anderson’s start Monday was scratched. UP NEXT Colorado’s RHP Antonio Senzatela (6-6, 4.52 ERA) starts Thursday against RHP Jake Arrieta (10-10, 3.94), who is 2-2 in his career against the Rockies.<doc-sep>

The Rockies hold a one-game lead on the Dodgers heading into the season's final weekend. DENVER — After getting swept in Los Angeles, Colorado dropped 2½ games behind the Dodgers and had an off day before three games in Arizona. The Rockies held a team meeting. “You’ve got two options: You can sit at your locker and cry about it, or you can flush it out and show up the next day, continue to win games,’” outfielder Carlos Gonzalez recalled. David Dahl homered for the fourth straight game, and the Rockies opened a one-game NL West lead with a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday that extended their winning streak to seven. Trevor Story and Gerardo Parra also went deep for the Rockies (89-70), who matched their longest winning streak this season. Dahl hit a run-scoring triple and finished the four-game sweep with eight hits and 11 RBIs. Seeking its first division title, Colorado closes at home with three games against Washington and already is assured its winningest season since going 92-70 in 2009. “We’re on a roll right now and put ourselves back in the race,” Gonzalez said. The second-place Dodgers (88-71) also are one game ahead of St. Louis (87-72) for the second NL wild-card berth and finish with a three-game series at San Francisco. The West champion meets Atlanta in the Division Series, and the Central champion plays the wild-card game winner. Jose Bautista and Carlos Santana homered for the Phillies, outscored 39-7 in the series. Philadelphia (78-81), which struck out 14 times for the second day in a row, has lost a season-high eight straight and has gone 15-33 since moving a season-high 15 games over .500 on Aug. 5. The Phillies are assured their seventh straight season without a winning record, their most since 1994-2000. “I do not think that our team has quit on the season or quit in general,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “Today was pretty good evidence that we still have some fight in us. Had baserunners late. Looked like it was going to be a game that might get out of hand early. We never allowed it to get out of hand.” Scott Oberg (8-1) pitched 1 1/3 hitless innings in relief of Antonio Senzatela, who allowed one run and five hits in 4 2.3 innings. Oberg relieved with two on in the fifth and struck out Carlos Santana, then fanned two in a perfect sixth. Wade Davis gave up Carlos Hernandez’s leadoff single in the ninth, struck out J.P. Crawford and Roman Quinn, then retired Rhys Hoskins on a popup for his NL-leading 42nd save in 48 chances. Jake Arrieta (10-11) gave up three runs and six hits in six innings. He had a 3.96 ERA, his highest since 2013, in his first season with the Phillies after agreeing to a $75 million, three-year contract on March 12, a month into spring training. “Everyone will talk about this season as a failure, but I don’t look at it that way,” Arrieta said. “It’s unfortunate the way we’ve played the last couple of months. But if you view it as a failure, how does that bode well for us moving forward if we just look at it as we all failed? I think this was a success for us in a lot of areas and in some other areas not as much. “Moving forward we know we don’t want to continue to feel like this again. We know that we want to continue to play into October and we didn’t make that happen.” Dahl hit his 14th home run in the first and Story hit his 35th in a two-run second that also included a run-scoring wild pitch that followed Andrew Knapp’s passed ball. Bautista homered in the third, but the Rockies opened a 5-1 lead in the seventh when Parra homered as a pinch hitter and Dahl tripled. “I think the ball actually might have hit me in the chest if I took it,” Dahl said of the pitch from reliever Tommy Hunter. “Fortunate enough to find some barrel and get the runner in.” Dahl tied teammate Nolan Arenado with home runs in four consecutive games. Arenado also did it from June 19-22. Santana hit a two-run homer in the eighth off Adam Ottavino, who walked Dylan Cozens and struck out his next three batters. RECORD SAVE Davis set a franchise record for saves in a season, surpassing Greg Holland (2017) and Jose Jimenez (2002).

The 147th Open Championship provided all of the thrills any golf fan could ask for in a major, but when a leaderboard full of major winners started to slide, only Francesco Molinari was able to string together pars and hang on at the top. At one point, six golfers were all tied for first place, including the likes of Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth. Woods even held the solo lead at one point. Molinari, playing with Woods, was a runner-up at the PGA Championship last year and now has broken through as a major champion. Winning majors is a big way we judge golfers, and given the leaderboard he bested, it feels like Molinari should get bonus points for being the one who kept it together during a windy day at Carnoustie. A breakdown of the leaderboard from The Open Championship: 1. Francesco Molinari (-8): While the rest of the field had to deal with the consequences of their mistakes on tough day at Carnoustie, Molinari was the only one who could hold it together. His bogey-free final round was compliment of a great showing on and around the greens, chipping and putting his way to his first major championship. T2. Xander Schauffele (-6): It seemed like the 24-year old two-time PGA Tour winner played his way out of contention early with bogeys on No. 5 and No. 6 and then a double bogey on No. 7. But while while the wheels fell off for his playing partner, three-time major winner Jordan Spieth, Schauffele held things together and still had a chance to win with two holes to play. He's the real deal, and likely going to be a major champion sooner rather than later. T2. Justin Rose (-6): Rose needed a birdie on 18 to make the cut on the number on Friday, then fired a 64 on Saturday morning and put himself in contention to win The Open with another birdie on 18 in the final round. Up to No. 2 in the world coming into the week, Rose has been consistently at the top of leaderboards all year. T2. Rory McIlroy (-6): The ball striking has been there all week, but Rory couldn't get enough putts to drop early in the round to make his late charge be enough to win. This is the third straight top-five finish for McIlroy at The Open, and it's probably time we pencil him in as a top-10 lock from now on anytime he's healthy enough to play at this championship. T2. Kevin Kisner (-6): The putter that propelled him to the top of the leaderboard and put him in position to win after 54 holes finally cooled off on Sunday. Kisner shot a 40 on the first nine and quickly played his way out of contention but rallied with a couple of birdies coming in to the clubhouse. This is Kisner's best major championship finish (T7 at 2017 PGA championship) and a big jump for him at The Open (T54 best finish in three starts). T6. Tiger Woods (-5): There will never be another player who grips the sports world like Tiger, and the way everything seemed to stop as soon as Woods got near -- and then took -- the lead was a sweet hit of nostalgia for fans everywhere. What followed on the final nine holes was a reminder that even playing great golf isn't enough to win major championships, and while Woods certainly had his game together this week, he didn't have that extra juice needed to avoid mistakes that cost him a shot to win. . T6. Eddie Pepperell (-5): After failing to shoot in the 60s all week, Pepperell told reporters that he had a bit too much to drink on Saturday night and played Sunday morning with low stress and a light hangover. The result was a 67, the low round of the day, and his first top-10 finish at a major. T6. Kevin Chappell (-5): Always near the lead but never out in front of the pack, Chappell finished his Open Championship week with a grinding 73. At times he was in the mix, starting the day at 7-under and sniffing the lead at 6-under but didn't have a lot of scoring opportunities throughout the round. T9. Jordan Spieth, Matt Kuchar, Tony Finau (-4): Sunday was particularly disappointing for Spieth, because even while he wasn't playing well it wasn't until late in the day that winning no longer seemed likely. There were plenty of mistakes around the course from the leaders, but his 5-over 76 was the worst round from players who finished in the top 25. Miss anything? CBS Sports was with you the entire way Sunday updating this story with the latest scores, highlights and analysis from a fantastic final round of action Carnoustie. If you are unable to view the updates below, please click here. Thanks for stopping by.<doc-sep>Stuart Franklin/Getty Images Francesco Molinari won the 2018 British Open by two shots on Sunday after finishing eight under for the tournament at Carnoustie in Angus, Scotland. The Italian shot a two-under 69 for the day, while behind him there was a four-way tie between Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy, Kevin Kisner and Xander Schauffele. Here's the final leaderboard after a breathless day: Molinari will not only take home one of golf's most prestigious prizes in the form of the Claret Jug, he'll also take home a hefty sum for his efforts. Per the Telegraph and Golf.com, the players will share a total purse of £7.9 million ($10.5 million), with Molinari receiving just over £1.4 million. ESPN's Darren Rovell provided the breakdown in winnings for each player: That works out at £523,000 for those who came in joint second, and £247,000 for those who finished joint sixth. Second place would have received more than $1 million, but because of the tie, the players will have to settle for less. For the second day running, Molinari did not drop a single shot at Carnoustie and finished with an unblemished scorecard. He did not pick up his first birdie until the 14th hole, but having finished six under on Saturday, he had no need to be aggressive amid some difficult rounds for his rivals, with Kevin Kisner and Xander Schauffele shooting 74s and Jordan Spieth a 76. Video Play Button Videos you might like The birdie gave him sole ownership of top spot, though, and with Schauffele breathing down his neck two holes behind, he made sure of his victory with another on the final hole: His peers were quick to congratulate him on social media: Molinari's partner for the day, Tiger Woods, may have finished level par—as he did on Thursday and Friday—but he too was firmly in contention for a time. With two birdies on his front nine, the American had overtaken Spieth and Schauffele to hold the lead midway through his round. Though a double bogey on the 11th and another dropped shot at the 12th would cost him the chance of winning his first major since 2008, ESPN's Mike Greenwood believes he showed himself to be more than capable of winning his elusive 15th: It was his best showing at a major since the 2013 British Open, where he also finished tied for sixth, and having failed to even make the cut in five of his previous seven major appearances, it's a significant step for the 42-year-old.<doc-sep>

Peter Morrison/Associated Press The battle for the Claret Jug heated up on Sunday, as everything was on the line in the final round of the 2018 British Open at Carnoustie in Angus, Scotland. No golfer was able to separate himself from the field through the first three rounds. Reigning Open champ Jordan Spieth, Kevin Kisner and Xander Schauffele started the day in a three-way tie atop the leaderboard at nine-under, with 16 others within five strokes of the lead. Among those in contention is three-time Open champ Tiger Woods, who found himself four shots back after a five-under 66 on Day 3. Meanwhile, world No. 1 Dustin Johnson is long gone after having missed the cut as a result of shooting six-over in the first two rounds. The Open Championship 2018 Leaderboard — Final Round (as of 11:30 a.m. ET) T1. Tiger Woods (-7) through 8 T1. Xander Schaufele (-7) through 6 Video Play Button Videos you might like T3. Francesco Molinari (-6) through 8 T3. Jordan Spieth (-6) through 6 T5. Eddie Pepperell (-5) T5. Kevin Chappell (-5) through 8 T5. Kevin Kisner (-5) through 8 T8. Ryan Moore (-4) through 17 T8. Tony Finau (-4) through 14 T8. Matt Kuchar (-4) through 10 T8. Rory McIlroy (-4) through 10 A live look at the leaderboard and updated scores can be found on the tournament's official website. Spieth entered Sunday as the favorite: However, a rough start to the day saw him start to fall down the board. He posted a bogey and a double bogey on back-to-back holes on the front nine, dropping him from the lead. Woods, meanwhile, was ready to take advantage of his opponent's mistakes early on. He picked up a pair of birdies on the front nine while avoiding any disastrous mistakes. Ultimately, the 42-year-old American was able to grab a share of the lead and put himself in position to make a run at his 15th major title. If Woods can hold on, it would be his first major title since the 2008 U.S. Open. Rory McIlroy is also firmly in contention after shooting five-under through the first three rounds. Although he bogeyed two of his first five holes, he managed to rebound near the end of the front nine and picked up a birdie on the ninth to get back on track. As a result, he remains near the top of the leaderboard, just a few strokes back. Justin Thomas—who missed the cut after shooting four-over during the first two rounds—is looking forward to what is shaping up to be a dramatic finish: There's plenty of drama still to unfold in Scotland. With Tiger in the lead and others hot on his tail, golf fans won't want to miss what's remaining of the final round.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- All of 17, never the winner of a Grand Slam match until this week, Amanda Anisimova is making quite a first impression at the Australian Open. Anisimova showed precisely why there are those who consider her a possible future star, producing one spectacular shot after another Friday to upset 11th-seeded Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 6-3, 6-2 and reach the fourth round. ''I want to win this tournament,'' Anisimova said, tapping her right index finger on a table for emphasis at her post-match news conference. ''Right now.'' She is the youngest American to get this far at Melbourne Park since Jennifer Capriati in 1993 - and at any Grand Slam tournament since Serena Williams at the 1998 French Open. Pretty heady company. ''This is an unreal feeling,'' Anisimova said. ''I can't believe that this is happening right now.'' Believe it, kid. She captured a ton of attention on Day 5, when defending champion Caroline Wozniacki was knocked out by 2008 champion Maria Sharapova 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. Another American woman, 35th-ranked Danielle Collins, joined Anisimova in earning a debut trip to the round of 16 at a major with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over No. 19 Caroline Garcia. Up next for Collins will be three-time major champion and former No. 1 Angelique Kerber, who needed less than an hour to overwhelm 240th-ranked Australian wild-card entry Kimberly Birrell 6-1, 6-0. At the 2006 U.S. Open, when she was 19, Sharapova became the most recent teen to claim a Slam title. Anisimova grew up cheering for Sharapova - they now share an agent - and would love to match her feat of winning a major before age 20. Who would doubt her? ''I respect her a lot, because I think she's young and has a great game. I mean, she's really proving what she can do,'' said Sharapova, who sat at the same table as Anisimova at their agent's wedding last year. ''She has a really bright future ahead of her.'' Story continues It's not just that Anisimova, who was born in New Jersey and is based in Florida, has knocked off two seeded players already, including the hard-hitting Sabalenka, who was many a pundit's pick for a deep run at Melbourne Park. Or that she's dropped a measly total of 17 games through three matches. It's the way the 87th-ranked Anisimova - there is no one younger in the WTA's top 100 - is doing it, with clean and dangerous shotmaking and impeccable court coverage. Take the shot - shot of the match? Of the tournament? Of the year so far? - that she produced at 3-0, 15-all in the second set. It was a 12-stroke exchange in which Sabalenka held the upper hand throughout, steering Anisimova from corner to corner. It culminated with one sprint by Anisimova to her right for a forehand, then a sprint to her left for a backhand, followed by yet another switch of direction for a sprint back to her right. Her momentum carried her well wide of the doubles alley as she conjured up a ''How did she do that?!'' squash-like forehand that looped past Sabalenka and somehow landed in a corner for a winner, drawing raucous appreciation from the crowd at Margaret Court Arena - and an ever-so-slight smile from Anisimova. ''I'm really feeling good out here,'' said Anisimova, who is coached by her father, as well as the same person who's worked with her since she was 9. ''I'm playing some really good tennis.'' That's an understatement. She delivered more winners than Sabalenka, 21-12, as well as fewer unforced errors, 13-9. Anisimova won all eight of her service games, saving the lone break point she faced. She broke the hard-serving Sabalenka four times. Anisimova's first trip to Australia, and third appearance in the main draw at a major, now progresses to Week 2 and a matchup against two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, who beat Belinda Bencic 6-1, 6-4. On a rainy afternoon that saw the roofs closed on the three main courts, and play delayed on smaller arenas, Sharapova advanced to face No. 15 Ash Barty of Australia, while 2017 U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens beat No. 31 Petra Martic 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5) and now meets Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia. In the men's draw, Roger Federer dispatched one youngster and set his sights on facing another. The 37-year-old Federer, seeking a third consecutive title in Melbourne, dismissed 21-year-old Taylor Fritz of the U.S. 6-2, 7-5, 6-2. Federer now takes on 20-year-old Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, who eliminated Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4. ''We all want them to win all the big stuff, but it just takes time,'' Federer said about the newest generation of challengers. ''I'm still giving them a hard time, sometimes.'' Also advancing was the man Federer beat in last year's final, Marin Cilic. He overcame two match points - opponent Fernando Verdasco double-faulted one of them away - and erased a two-set hole to win 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (8), 6-3 in a contest that lasted more than 4 hours and ended just before 1 a.m. Cilic, the 2014 U.S. Open champion, now faces No. 22 Roberto Bautista-Agut, a 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 winner against No. 10 Karen Khachanov. Rafael Nadal beat 19-year-old Australian Alex de Minaur 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 and now gets 2010 Wimbledon runner-up Tomas Berdych. Frances Tiafoe, an American who turns 21 on Sunday, got to the fourth round at a major for the first time by defeating Andreas Seppi of Italy 6-7 (3), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. Tiafoe now meets No. 20 Grigor Dimitrov, who is being coached by Andre Agassi. --- Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich --- More AP Tennis: https://www.apnews.com/apf-Tennis and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports<doc-sep>MELBOURNE, Australia -- Before Wednesday, American teen Amanda Anisimova hadn't seen the second round at a Grand Slam. Heck, she'd never been to Australia before arriving in Melbourne last week. But after a dominant 6-0, 6-2 win over No. 24 Lesia Tsurenko in the second round, Anisimova, who has won all four of her sets, has folks wondering just how far into the draw she can go. "When I got on court, I was focused," Anisimova, 17, said about Wednesday's match. "I was really relaxed and my game was really on today. I felt like a lot of competitiveness came out. I want to let my opponents know I'm here to stay and play a long match, so I'm going to fight for every single point." Currently the youngest player ranked in the top 100 and the 2017 US Open junior champion, Anisimova had an encouraging 2018 season in which she made the fourth round at Indian Wells and the third round in Cincinnati. Born in Freehold, New Jersey, to Russian-born parents, Anisimova moved to south Florida with her parents and older sister, Maria, at age 3, and for most of her career has been coached by her father, Konstantin. At 5-foot-11, Anisimova is known for her aggressive game and powerful serve, as well as a calm focus well beyond her years. At Indian Wells, the then-16-year-old used all of those tools to defeat two top-25 players, including then-No. 9 Petra Kvitova, who was in the midst of a 14-match win streak. "That tournament definitely opened my eyes that I can play at a really top level," Anisimova said. "It was a confidence-booster, but it was also motivation, like I want to do this again. I want to get better and better. That was a great start to the year." Unfortunately, a fractured bone in her right foot kept her out of competition for the next four months. She returned to tennis in July after spending a month training at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, and by the end of the season, was ranked in the top 100 for the first time in her career. (She's currently No. 87.) "I trained a lot and prepared myself really well in the offseason, so I think I've got a lot of confidence right now," said Anisimova, who next plays 20-year-old Aryna Sabalenka in the third round. "It's great that I made it past two rounds here, but I want to keep going. This year, I want to make a huge breakthrough and I think I can do it. Hopefully I'll get to do some sight-seeing after the tournament, because so far, I've just been concentrated on playing. I just want to keep winning." Anisimova wasn't the only up-and-coming American to win Wednesday. Here's a look at how the rest of the U.S. players fared: Frances Tiafoe def. No. 5 Kevin Anderson 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 Frances Tiafoe is only the third American man in the past 15 years to beat a top-five seed at the Australian Open. Mark Kolbe/Getty Images Frances Tiafoe rolled up his right sleeve, flexed his biceps and proceeded to bang the muscle on his right arm several times. "It was pretty cool," he said afterward. "I was talking with my boy Zach [Evendon, his coach] about it. Some celebration, like you do for the new year. In the offseason, I'm more worried about winning tennis matches. It is kind of an instinct thing. I hope the crowd liked it." If the celebration was unusual, the performance was stunning. From a set and a break down, Tiafoe, 20, outplayed last year's Wimbledon runner-up, fifth seed Anderson, to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5. Tiafoe, who equaled his previous best Slam run by reaching the third round of the Australian Open, called it one of the biggest wins of his career. "It means the world to me," a beaming Tiafoe said. "I lost to Kevin three times last year. Then a set and a break down, it looked as if he was going to get a fourth win. I just went to a different place. The fact that it was a Grand Slam, second seed I beat, obviously a top-five player, it's pretty big." Tiafoe's father emigrated to the United States from Sierra Leone in 1993 and his mother followed him three years later, escaping the civil war. When Tiafoe was a year old, his father began working as a janitor at a tennis facility, and later, Tiafoe and his twin brother, Franklin, learned to play tennis. It is just over six years since Tiafoe became the youngest player ever to win the the Orange Bowl, the most prestigious junior event in tennis. Since then, the American has made solid progress, climbing to a world ranking of 39 in 2018, a year that saw him beat several top players, including Juan Martin del Potro, his idol, on his way to his first ATP Tour title in Delray Beach. That week was an indication of his talent; Wednesday's win was a hint that Tiafoe might just be ready to take the next step, a deep run at a Grand Slam event. "I've been telling you guys, last year, I had a lot of wins," Tiafoe said. "Had a rough end to the season. Good offseason. Those are the matches I feel like I'm dangerous. I always play pretty good in those situations. I've been in those situations quite a lot. I'm starting to feel more comfortable finishing the match, not just playing a match." Earlier this month, Tiafoe found himself playing alongside Serena Williams for the United States in the Hopman Cup, including a match against Switzerland, led by Roger Federer. With the pair on opposite sides of the net, 43 Grand Slam titles were on the court and it was an experience he enjoyed. "I think that week definitely helped me long run," Tiafoe said. "We hit a lot, and I was struggling. She hits the ball so hard. The courts are fast. It was skidding. I mean, a little topspin maybe. I'm not used to the ball coming in that flat. That was something I really had to adjust to." Tiafoe plays Andreas Seppi on Friday. Taylor Fritz def. No. 30 Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-7 (8), 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5) With his upset of Gael Monfils, Taylor Fritz reached his second straight round of 32 at a Grand Slam. AP Photo/Andy Brownbill Broken only once in a 3-hour, 24-minute affair, Fritz won his first career Grand Slam match against a seeded player (1-7). Fritz cracked 47 winners (16 fewer than Monfils) but played cleanly throughout the four-set battle. "It being a Grand Slam, this is one of the best wins of my career," Fritz said. "So I'm happy to get through." It won't get any easier for the 21-year-old American. On Friday, he faces Roger Federer. They played once, in Stuttgart, Germany, two years ago, and Fritz took a set off Federer before succumbing late in the third set. Fritz was only 2 years old when Federer played his first professional match. "Really cool to step on the court with him again," Fritz said. "I'm excited for the opportunity. ... I grew up watching a lot of the guys I play today. Can't tell you how many times I watched Monfils highlight reels on YouTube." Danielle Collins def. Sachia Vickery 6-3, 7-5 Danielle Collins hit eight aces to take out fellow American Sasha Vickery at the Australian Open. AP Photo/Aaron Favila Collins is a little older than most of the "next generation" of American players, but she's still only 25. Collins continued her stellar play through two rounds. A round after upsetting No. 14 Julia Goerges, Collins served strongly, and her all-around aggressive play was too much for Vickery. A two-time NCAA singles champ at the University of Virginia, Collins had never won a Grand Slam match before this tournament. Collins next takes on 19th-seeded Caroline Garcia.<doc-sep>The Czech veteran had too much power, mobility and court craft for her young adversary, who came in much-fancied after beating two seeds to reach the fourth round. Kvitova needed just 59 minutes to take care of business breaking Anisimova five times while facing no break points on her own serve. WTA Charleston, SC Barty battles past Rogers into Charleston quarters, Muguruza, Kvitova out 09/04/2021 AT 08:27 Kvitova lost to Anisimova in Indian Wells in March of last year and said she was well aware of her opponent's talent. Kvitova: It's been a while since I made the second week “I played much better than last year for sure," Kvitova said on Eurosport. I knew it would be a tough match for me. Someone you have lost before it is always kind of difficult to play her again, but I started pretty well and nerves went a little bit out. The two-time Grand Slam winner claimed the Sydney title earlier this month and hopes to return to her best level after a disappointing 2018. Highlights: Kvitova crushes Anisimova “I’m trying to continue my performance from Sydney and I feel good," she said. "It’s really important for me, I am really enjoying the time to be on the court and play tennis which is the main thing for me. “It’s been a while to be in the second week and playing the quarter-final of a Grand Slam so I’m really enjoying it.” Kvitova: I'm here to play - not think about world No. 1 Left-hander Kvitova booked her first quarter-final appearance in Melbourne since her run to the 2012 semi-finals and first at a Grand Slam since the 2017 U.S. Open. She will face Ashleigh Barty in the quarter-finals. WTA Charleston, SC Muguruza, Kvitova ease through to last-16 in Charleston 07/04/2021 AT 08:49<doc-sep>

Sandra Harwitt Special for USA TODAY Sports MELBOURNE — Amanda Anisimova arrived at the Australian Open having never in her life won a main draw Grand Slam match in two previous appearances at majors. The 17-year-old from Miami now leaves Melbourne having rectified that situation in grand fashion, journeying all the way to the Australian Open fourth-round before being turned back by eighth-seeded Petra Kvitova 6-2, 6-1 on Sunday. Disappointed to lose? Yes. Disappointed with her overall performance? Definitely not. After all, she departs Australia having put her name on the tennis map. "It's a very positive week for me," said the 87th-ranked Anisimova. "I did really well here, so I’m very proud about that. It’s a little bit frustrating because I lost and I don’t think I played that well. Petra came out really fired up and she’s playing amazing. It’s always fun to play one of the best in the world." Anisimova was well aware she became an immediate sensation back home after she upset 11th-seeded Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus on Friday. Articles were being written, she was trending on social media, and fans wanted to know if she could become the next Maria Sharapova. In fact, she and Sharapova shared a first conversation — in Russian, she says — at the wedding of their shared agent, Max Eisenbud, at the end of last year. The questions regarding Sharapova are inevitable because Anisimova’s roots are in Russia, although she’s never been to the country. Her father was in finance before the family moved to the United States. Her sister Maria, who is 13 years older, was born in the homeland, but she was born in New Jersey. While Anisimova does speak Russian with her parents, she cannot read or write the language. Questioned as to why so many young players with Russian heritage, such as Alexander Zverev of Germany, Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, Denis Shapovalov of Canada, Sofia Kenin of the U.S., and herself, are doing well, she seemed at a loss for an answer. "I don’t know. I guess Russians like to play tennis," she said, smiling. "Players from every country are tough. Look at Serena (Williams) and Petra. I don’t think it’s a specific country or Russian roots. "There are so many Americans who fight so hard. I was born American." In her preparation for the match against Kvitova, however, Anisimova had to look away from her computer. "I had to log out of my accounts every couple of hours because it was kind of distracting. I was trying to focus on my next round, but there was a lot going on." It’s not surprising that Kvitova was well-prepared to play Anisimova here. She had been caught a bit fatigued the only other time they played in the Indian Wells third-round last year, and the Czech lost that encounter 6-2, 6-4. She wasn’t going to make that mistake again. Anisimova is mature and composed and knows enough about playing in the big leagues to understand that a prior victory provided no guarantees. "You know, I had a win under my belt, but that doesn’t mean anything," she said. "I was going out today as if I never played her because I knew she would go out and play her best." Anisimova came here hoping to win a first Grand Slam match, so her results far exceeded her expectations. She believes she’s learned a great deal about her game from these four matches. "I definitely want to become a better athlete," she said. "I think my movement has definitely gotten better, but I want to (improve my) fitness a lot more and become a lot stronger." Most players of Anisimova’s age who have advanced to main draws at the top-level tournaments are frustrated by the restrictive caps the WTA puts on players under 18 and how many events they can play. Anisimova can play 16 tournaments, the Fed Cup team competition if nominated by her country and the WTA Finals if she qualifies for that elite eight-player draw. "I think it’s a smart idea," said Anisimova. "I like taking my time and really developing right now. These are really crucial years for me. I really hope to become a really good athlete someday. So taking my time and not rushing is a good idea for me." Follow Sandra Harwitt on Twitter @TennisGrapevine.

German has pitched through the fifth inning only once in his last five starts, and he got pasted by the Indians in his last start before the break when he allowed six earned in four innings. The rookie hopes to earn his first win since June 19 when he held the Mariners to one earned run in seven innings. He got a no decision in his June start against the Mets, allowing three earned runs in six innings of the Yankees' 4-3 win.<doc-sep>The All-Star break has come and gone, now it’s time to get back to baseball. The Yankees start the unofficial second half with a Subway Series showdown against the Mets. It begins with what appears to be a lopsided pitching matchup. Domingo German gets the start for the Yankees. The right-hander has pitched to a 5.49 ERA with a 4.42 FIP so far in 2018. There’s no questioning his stuff, but German can’t seem to get the results. Meanwhile, Noah Syndergaard will take the mound for the Mets. Syndergaard has pitched brilliantly when healthy this season, taking a 2.97 ERA (2.63 FIP) through 69.2 innings. On paper, this should favor the Amazins’. Tonight’s game also features the return of two start players. Gary Sanchez serves as the Yankees catcher for the first time since June 24th. The Mets also activated Yoenis Cespedes, who hasn’t played since May 13th. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM. You can watch on WPIX for the locals. Out of market readers can catch the game on the MLB Network or streaming on MLB.tv. WFAN 660/101.9 FM and WADO 1280 have the radio calls. Go Yankees! Yankees vs. Mets tonight at 7:05pm on WPIX pic.twitter.com/mV8TYEjfLf — Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) July 20, 2018<doc-sep>The New York Yankees don’t have too many concrete rivals other than the Boston Red Sox. Perhaps the only other full-time rival the Yankees really have is their crosstown adversaries, the New York Mets. The competitive history between these two teams only dates back 21 years to 1997, when inter-league play was first invented. The Yankees have gone 72-48 against the Mets in 120 all-time meetings, including the postseason. However, both teams have gotten some good shots in over the years, and there has never been a shortage of entertainment. Even now, with the Mets in last place, the games feature a bevy of big-name players. The Amazin’s, for instance, will send Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard to the mound against the Bombers. Before first pitch, let’s take a look at some of the best moments between the Yankees and Mets in their fight for New York domination. The Mets Strike First It may have just been the first game of many, but the Mets had always been seen as the Yankees’ little brothers. Thus, it was satisfying for the Mets faithful to see journeyman Dave Mlicki outduel Andy Pettitte in a 6-0 complete game shutout. The Yankees would win the season series, but the Mets emerged victorious in the very first game, something that can never be taken away. Roger Clemens vs. Mike Piazza Duking it out for the right to reign New York naturally brings out the fiery side of any competitor, but Roger Clemens may have taken it too far against the Mets. Mike Piazza was Queens’ big star, and he also had Clemens’ number. So when Clemens beaned Piazza in 2000 one month after a big grand slam, there was reason to believe there was some intent behind it. The duo would meet again on the grandest stage of all, the World Series, in that same year. In Game Two, Clemens got Piazza to break his bat on a foul ball that found the seats. Clemens though, picked up a shard of the bat and threw it towards Piazza, claiming he thought it was the ball. It was an ugly look for Clemens, even though he threw eight shutout innings in the win. Two years later, Mets pitcher Shawn Estes threw behind Clemens while he was at-bat, and later homered off of Clemens. He also threw seven scoreless innings in an 8-0 Mets victory. Was it justice? Well, the Yankees won the most important games in the World Series, but the Mets certainly got under Clemens’ skin. The 2000 World Series With the Yankees looking to finish off a three-peat of championships, it was only fitting they’d have to beat their Queens-based nemesis to cap it off. The Yankees took the first and only Yankees-Mets Fall Classic in five games, but all of the games were tight. Derek Jeter had a series for the ages, one that would earn him the World Series MVP. Jeter started by throwing out Timo Perez in Game One, a contest that would end after almost five hours with a Yankees win. Clemens shut down the Mets in Game Two, but the Mets made it interesting by winning game three with two consecutive home games coming up. Jeter changed all of that, though, by leading off Game Four with a home run off of Bobby Jones, giving the Yankees the edge they’d need to bounce back. They won Game Four and Game Five, clinching their 26th World Series championship. Regular Season Craziness The mid-2000s also saw some zany regular season contests between the rival teams. In 2005, light-hitting Mets reliever Dae-Sung Koo laced a double versus Randy Johnson against all odds, and later scored on an equally unlikely, aggressive, and skillful show of baserunning. One year later, David Wright completed a comeback win with a walk-off single off of Mariano Rivera in perhaps his greatest individual moment in the rivalry. But nothing could top Luis Castillo’s infamous dropped pop-up in 2009. With Alex Rodriguez up and the tying and winning runs on base, Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez got the Yankee third baseman to pop up a ball in the infield, seemingly ending the game. Unfortunately for the Mets, Castillo inexplicably dropped the ball, allowing Jeter and Mark Teixeira to score, as the Yankees walked off the Mets in a victory that will never be forgotten. Recent Years While the rivalry has cooled down a bit in recent years, there were still some great moments all the same. Mariano Rivera notched his 500th career save and first RBI in the same game versus the Mets in 2009, and received a memorable All-Star Game sendoff in Queens in 2013. Although 2012 Mets’ closer Frank Francisco was nowhere near the pitcher Rivera was, that didn’t stop him from calling the Yankees “chickens.” While Francisco did get the save in the game, it just added fuel to the Yankees-Mets fire. After the Mets made it to the World Series in 2015 and the Yankees missed the playoffs in 2016, there was talk that New York had become a Mets town. The Yankees set the record straight in 2017, sweeping the Mets. And hey, if it wasn’t for Citi Field hosting the Tampa Bay Rays against the Yankees during Hurricane Irma, we wouldn’t have been blessed with “Thumbs-Down Guy,” a diehard Mets fan who gave the 2017 Yankees their rally cry. So many great players have played for both New York teams, including Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, David Cone, Al Leiter, Orlando Hernandez and Carlos Beltran. Casey Stengel, Yogi Berra and Willie Randolph were all coaches or managers for both teams as well. New York has always been a great baseball city, and the Big Apple will surely be watching intently as the Yankees and Mets meet again in 2018 to battle for Subway-Series supremacy.<doc-sep>

Fresh off the All-Star break, the Yankees get back into gear with a three-game series against their crosstown rivals. The Mets enter this matchup as the NL East’s cellar dwellers. Their dreadful 39 - 55 record stands out as a testament to their pitiful season, especially considering they got off to an 11 - 1 start. While the baseball world waits to see if the Wilpons will blow up the team and start over, there’s baseball to be played. What looks like an easy series on the surface level may actually prove quite the challenge for the Bombers. Game One: Domingo German vs. Noah Syndergaard German starting the first game after the break illustrates how badly the Yankees need pitching help. Injuries thrust the 25-year-old into the rotation, and he’s been pretty bad across 12 starts. The right-hander owns a 5.49 ERA (4.42 FIP) with a 1.60 HR/9. German tossed six innings of three-run ball against the Mets back in June. Considering his opponent, he better hope better results on Friday. Syndergaard, on the other hand, has pitched to a 2.97 ERA with a 2.63 FIP. He’s battled injuries this season, but that hasn’t prevented him from being effective. Thor missed the Yankees when they visited Citi Field in June. There’s no secret with him, though. He throws hard and pounds the zone. That’s a scary combination. The Yankees will have their work cut out for them. Game Two: Sonny Gray vs. Steven Matz There’s no denying it. Gray is having a flat-out terrible season. He pitched to a 5.46 ERA in the first half. His peripherals didn’t inspire any confidence either. A 4.34 FIP, especially when paired with a 3.87 BB/9 and 1.09 HR/9, makes for a pitcher who’s difficult to watch. Gray dodged the Mets during the first round of the Subway Series, so they have yet to see him. Factor in his last start against the Orioles, six innings of shutout ball, and there’s maybe some hope he can have a better stretch run. The 2018 season has been a mixed bag for Matz. The southpaw owns a 3.38 ERA but a 4.81 FIP. Like Gray, he allowed too many walks (3.47 BB/9) and home runs (1.41 HR/9) in the first half. He drew the Yankees back in June, and allowed three runs over six innings. That included a pair of homers and four walks. That’s the typical Matz experience these days. Game Three: Masahiro Tanaka vs. Jacob deGrom The last time Tanaka pitched against the Mets, he departed the game with a pair of strained hamstrings. Thankfully he that he will only pitch on Sunday night. One of the many reasons that’s a good is because Tanaka needs to focus on his pitching. He had a disappointing start to the 2018 campaign, running up 4.54 ERA (4.90 FIP) across 83.1 innings. He pitched fine against Cleveland, but Tanaka has been hampered by the home run ball all year. He owns a career worst 1.94 HR/9. Cross your fingers he gets that on track. In deGrom, the Yankees will face the arm they covet the most at the trade deadline. The 30-year-old represents everything the Bombers want and need, but apparently can’t have. He’s been an ace for a long time, but deGrom has been otherworldly good this season. His 1.68 ERA and 2.32 FIP serve as a testament to that. The right-hander faced the Yankees back in June, taking a tough-luck loss after pitching eight innings worth of three-run (two earned) ball. He deserves better, namely pitching for a contender that’s just across town. If you’re interested in heading to Yankee Stadium for any of these games, let StubHub get you there. Purchase your tickets by clicking here!

“For me, this is a marvelous late-career recognition,” Powers said by phone just after he heard the news. “It’s my 12th book, and I’ve been writing for over a third of a century, so there have been ups and downs, and it’s a marvelous reward for staying the course. But perhaps for environmental fiction, there’s a little bit more to it. This is one of the chief literary recognitions that this country gives out, and it’s been given to a book that wants above all else to take nonhumans seriously and to take our relationship with those outside of the human world seriously. And that’s encouraging.”<doc-sep>The 2019 Pulitzer Prizes were announced in New York on Monday afternoon, with novelist Richard Powers taking the fiction award for “The Overstory,” his ecological novel warning of an upcoming environmental catastrophe. Powers’ novel, also a finalist for the Man Booker Prize, beat out two finalists for the fiction award: Rebecca Makkai’s novel “The Great Believers” and Oakland author Tommy Orange’s debut novel, “There There,” about contemporary Native American life. Makkai’s novel, a tale of friendship that moves from Chicago to Paris, also won the L.A. Times Books prize for fiction on Friday. Barstow native Forrest Gander was named winner in the poetry category for his collection “Be With.” Long Beach poet Jos Charles was nominated for her “feeld,” along with A.E. Stallings’ “Like.” David W. Blight won the history prize for “Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom,” with Victoria Johnson’s “American Eden: David Hosack,Botany, and Medicine in the Garden of the Early Republic” and W. Fitzhugh Brundage’s “Civilizing Torture: An American Tradition” as finalists. Advertisement UC Santa Barbara professor Jeffrey C. Stewart won the biography award for “The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke.” Finalists in that category were Max Boot for “The Road Not Taken: Edward Lansdale and the American Tragedy in Vietnam” and Caroline Weber’s “Proust’s Duchess: How Three Celebrated Women Captured the Imagination of Fin-de-Siècle Paris.” In general nonfiction, Eliza Griswold won the award for “Amity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America,” with Elizabeth Rush’s “Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore” and Bernice Yeung’s “In a Day’s Work: The Fight to End Sexual Violence Against America’s Most Vulnerable Workers” named finalists.<doc-sep>A teaching job at Stanford University left Richard Powers nestled between a hive of technological activity in Silicon Valley and the Santa Cruz mountains with their majestic varieties of redwood tree. As a novelist interested in all manner of systems — from ecosystems to computer programming — Powers found this intersection intriguing. Our culture would refer to the tech as “progress” and the mountains and trees as “nature.” But Powers isn’t much for such labels, even those that were codified ages ago. His 12th novel, “The Overstory,” tells a longer story about humans and trees. He compresses generations of human life into rings that extend outward over time (and printed on recycled paper). But more than telling an epic story about people, Powers’ book asks for a paradigm shift in how we consider the planet. As evidenced in the conversation that follows, he thinks humankind has allowed the concept of exceptionalism to blind it to the fact that nature isn’t some other entity. Powers’ interest in systems prompts him to maximize the data available. So he’s willing and able to envision consequences of behaviors across time. For humans, his view sounds ominous in “The Overstory” as well as our current existence. Richard Powers with Tayari Jones When: 7:30 p.m. Monday Where: Stude Concert Hall, Rice University, 6100 Main Details: $5; 713-521-2026, inprinthouston.org See More Collapse But anybody who has visited ruins of old civilizations in Central or South America will know that the entity we call nature will ultimately prevail, even if it suffers casualties along the way. Like the Tom Waits song: “You can drive out nature with a pitchfork, but it always comes roaring back again.” Powers last week won a Pulitzer Prize for “The Overstory.” He’ll appear in Houston on Monday with Tayari Jones at an Inprint Houston event. Q: Congratulations on the Pulitzer. I’m sure you don’t start an epic novel about trees — or any novel, for that matter — thinking, “This one’s the Pulitzer bait!” But it must be nice just the same. A: (Laughs.) Well, thank you. No, you don’t really write with any of that in mind. But it is a wonderful recognition. Q: The book touches on the ’90s timber wars. I figure you’d appreciate this: Years ago my wife and I were in Washington, and she thought it would be funny to take a “Twilight” tour. And the tour guide wasn’t a vampire-loving fanboy or fangirl but rather an out-of-work logger. A: That’s interesting. I came across so many references to that town while researching passages in the book that are set during the timber wars. That town really is a case study of this belief that we somehow have to choose between the economic or the environmental, or economy verses ecology. But it’s very interesting to see a town like that change and reinvent itself. Q: The book starts out with an interesting chapter on the Hoel family, westward-moving immigrants who salvaged a chestnut tree. I thought the way you compressed numerous generations was a little like making them rings in a tree. A: Yeah, yeah, it’s kind of a narrative time lapse in a way. A seed germinating and a flower blooming, you understand that and see the intentionality of a plant; that’s a visual that makes sense to us. But to me, this was the inverse of that. In order to give a sense of the narrative arc of an individual tree or a forest, you had to have human beings scurry around in the foreground. That had to happen to give you a sense of a grand narrative arc of the life beyond human life. Q: One of the key ideas you wanted to get across was that nature isn’t this other thing with which we interact. A: That’s right. So if anything, this is a story about the tragedy in the belief of human exceptionalism. That somehow we make our own rules, and we can master and dominate all these elements. The … inconveniences of the world. Where we try to simplify things down to what can be controlled and managed. And if you take exception with exceptionalism, you have to take exception to the idea of nature as something outside of us. There’s no separate thing called “nature.” We’re interdependent. If we understood interdependence and saw other living creatures not as an inconvenience, then we wouldn’t be in the catastrophe that we’re in. Q: So you don’t like our long-range odds? A: (Laughs.) No. We’ve been under the influence of this dream of mastery for so long. Even as the planet itself changes; as freak weather becomes the norm; familiar patterns of cyclical life change so drastically; species counts crash; catastrophic emergencies skyrocket … we still have this belief that we’ll be able to handle it as it comes. We’ll build a bigger sea wall. That will do it until things settle down. We haven’t as a species awakened to the fact that it’s not going to work that way. Q: The book, like our culture, is full of people who suggest ecology and progress can’t be reconciled. A: And the word “economics” and the word “ecology” come from the same root. They come from the old Greek word meaning “housekeeping.” We do think economics and ecology are at war with each other. And as long as we think of them as separate and opposed to each other, we’re hosed. The problem with our idea of economics is we’re good at externalizing cost. But we’re not doing the bookkeeping to pay for the things we’re doing as we go along. Q: I was reminded of that book “The Song of the Dodo,” about the fragility of ecosystems. I believe the metaphor was to envision a nice Persian rug cut into 36 pieces. Take away a piece, and you can still observe the detail. But the rug isn’t what it was. A: That’s right. And one thing I had my eyes open to working on the book was time and the scale of regeneration. The cutters in the book used the phrase, that idea (of) why worry about these things. They grow back. The reality is, yes, the tree will grow back quickly, but an ecosystem does not. And they don’t go back to what they were before they were destroyed. The reality is there’s not a human being who has lived who has seen the complexity and richness and stability of an old-growth forest. It hasn’t happened in the course of human history. It’s like the Aldo Leopold thing: Don’t throw away the parts. Hold onto the parts. But we’re losing the parts. And not everything comes back. andrew.dansby@chron.com<doc-sep>

Richard Powers’ epic nature novel The Overstory has won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. The sweeping and evocative novel, which unfolds in interlocking fables tracing the relationship between humanity and the natural world, has been one of 2018’s most lauded. It was also shortlisted for the 2018 Man Booker Prize and the (still pending) PEN/Faulkner Award, and longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal: three of the most prestigious awards recognizing English-language fiction. The prolific Powers won the 2006 National Book Award for his ninth and most acclaimed novel, The Echo Maker, which was a Pulitzer finalist. Named finalists for this year’s Pulitzer Prize were two more literary awards season mainstays: Rebecca Makkai’s ’80s queer novel The Great Believers, and Tommy Orange’s Oakland-set debut There There. The former won the equivalent Los Angeles Times book prize just this weekend, and most prestigiously, was awarded the 2018 Andrew Carnegie Medal. Both The Great Believers and There There ranked among EW’s Top 10 Books of 2018. Elsewhere among this year’s Pulitzer winners in books, Jeffrey C. Stewart’s biography of Alain Locke, The New Negro, won the prize for Biography, following up on its National Book Award win, and David W. Blight’s Frederick Douglass volume was named the prize-winner for History. On the drama side, Jackie Sibblies Drury pulled off an upset with a victory for her Off Broadway play Fairview, which the Pulitzer Committee celebrated as “a hard-hitting drama that examines race in a highly conceptual, layered structure, ultimately bringing audiences into the actors’ community to face deep-seated prejudices.” (A notable finalist in Drama was Heidi Schreck for her breakout play What the Constitution Means to Me, currently on Broadway.) Finally, Aretha Franklin received a posthumous special citation, “for her indelible contribution to American music and culture for more than five decades.” Check out the full list of winners below. JOURNALISM Public service: Staff of the South Florida Sun Sentinel Breaking news reporting: Staff of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Investigative reporting: Matt Hamilton, Harriet Ryan and Paul Pringle of the Los Angeles Times Explanatory reporting: David Barstow, Susanne Craig and Russ Buettner of the New York Times Local reporting: Staff of the Advocate National reporting: Staff of the Wall Street Journal International reporting: Maggie Michael, Maad al-Zikry and Nariman El-Mofty of the Associated Press, and the staff of Reuters Feature writing: Hannah Dreier of ProPublica Commentary: Tony Messenger of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Criticism: Carlos Lozada of the Washington Post Editorial writing: Brent Staples of the New York Times Editorial cartooning: Darrin Bell, a freelancer cartoonist Breaking news photography: Photography staff of Reuters Feature photography: Lorenzo Tugnoli of The Washington Post Special citation: Staff of the Capital Gazette BOOKS, DRAMA AND MUSIC Fiction: The Overstory by Richard Powers Nonfiction: Amity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America by Eliza Griswold Drama: Fairview by Jackie Sibblies Drury History: Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David W. Blight Autobiography or Biography: The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke by Jeffrey C. Stewart Poetry: Be With by Forrest Gander Drama: Fairview by Jackie Sibblies Drury Music: p r i s m by Ellen Reid Special citation: Aretha Franklin

Pope Francis urged Bulgarians to be more welcoming towards refugees during a visit to Bulgaria on Sunday. At his arrival, the pontiff was greeted by Bulgarian prime minister Boyko Borissov starting off his three-day visit to the country and North Macedonia. Borisov welcomed the pope's visit saying "it reflects his interest in the peaceful economic development of the Balkans." The three-day tour will include a visit to a refugee camp in outskirts of Sofia and a commemoration of Mother Teresa — the famous Macedonian nun. "Bulgaria confronts the phenomenon of those seeking to cross its borders in order to flee wars, conflicts or dire poverty, in the attempt to reach the wealthiest areas of Europe, there to find new opportunities in life or simply a safe refuge," the pope said. "To all Bulgarians, who are familiar with the drama of emigration, I respectfully suggest that you not close your eyes, your hearts or your hands — in accordance with your best tradition — to those who knock at your door," he said. The pope also mentioned a "new winter" plaguing Bulgaria in reference to the falling birth rates the country faces. "Bulgaria faces the effects of the emigration in recent decades of over two million of her citizens in search of new opportunities for employment," he said, adding that this had "led to the depopulation and abandonment of many villages and cities". The Orthodox Church has rejected the idea of holding joint prayers with the pontiff.<doc-sep>To improve the performance of our website, show the most relevant news products and targeted advertising, we collect technical impersonal information about you, including through the tools of our partners. You can find a detailed description of how we use your data in our Privacy Policy. For a detailed description of the technologies, please see the Cookie and Automatic Logging Policy. By clicking on the "Accept & Close" button, you provide your explicit consent to the processing of your data to achieve the above goal. You can withdraw your consent using the method specified in the Privacy Policy.<doc-sep>On Sunday, Pope Francis embarked on his 28th journey abroad. Once again, he is in the Balkans. This time, he is visiting North Macedonia and Bulgaria. The Orthodox theologist Bojidar Andonov says Bulgaria is "a poor country, even though it's in the EU; the people here live poor and humble lives." The Balkan state with its 7 million residents is the poorest in the entire bloc. And the EU statistics bureau reports Bulgaria's gross domestic product does not even amount to one-fourth of the EU average. It is the pontiff's 11th trip within Europe. So far, he's only made brief visits to western Europe, for instance to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the birthplace of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Sweden, the World Council of Churches in Geneva and to Portugal's Fatima pilgrimage site. Pope Francis has focused most of his attention on the continent's poorest countries. He visited Albania in 2014 and Sarajevo in 2015. He will travel to Romania, the EU's second poorest member, in June. The majority of Bulgarians are Orthodox Christians Bulgaria hoping for 'greater attention' "There are hopes that the pope's visit will draw greater attention to our country," Andonov tells DW. Adding that his Bulgarian compatriots admire the pope's compassion for the weakest members of society. The pope is a role model for many people in Bulgaria in terms of "his leadership of and service to the church, and also with regard to our metropolitan bishops." With regard to ecumenism — efforts to foster cooperation among different churches — the pope's trip to Bulgaria and North Macedonia is a delicate issue, as the majority of people in both countries are Orthodox Christians. Indeed, US media cited the vice director of the US bishops' Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs as saying that the pope may need to be particularly careful and navigate many potential "minefields." Ordinary Bulgarians in good spirits Several weeks ahead of the pontiff's visit, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church announced it would not participate in services and prayers with the pope. Patriarch Neophyte and members of the Holy Synod, the country's Orthodox leadership, have said they will meet the pope, albeit not wearing liturgical garments. Andonov is not concerned by this. He says he traveled through Bulgaria during the Orthodox Easter celebrations and found that Bulgarians are in good spirits. He believes they will "be watching the pope's entire visit on television" and argues that unlike ordinary Bulgarians, the metropolitan bishops at the head of the Orthodox Church still need to get used to the idea of interreligious dialogue in the context of democracy. Pope Francis will celebrate first communion with Catholic children in Rakovski, Bulgaria Pope Francis' visit to the country follows a familiar pattern made up of political discussions and a speech in a public square as well as a trip to a refugee camp in the capital, Sofia. He will also join children in the majority-Catholic town of Rakovski to celebrate their first communion. In memory of Mother Teresa The pope will spend Tuesday, the last leg of his Balkan trip, in North Macedonia. Here, he will visit the Memorial House of Mother Teresa in the capital, Skopje. Mother Teresa was born in 1910 in Skopje, which then belonged to the Ottoman Empire. She became known all over the world for her humanitarian activism on behalf of the poor in Kolkata, India, and for founding the Missionaries of Charity congregation. In 1979, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. She died in 1997. In 2016, Pope Francis declared her a saint. Although fewer than 1% of the people of North Macedonia are Catholic, Mother Teresa remains the country's most famous compatriot.<doc-sep>

Pope Francis has urged Bulgarians to open their hearts and homes to migrants, arguing that a country like Bulgaria, which is losing its population to emigration, should well understand the forces that drive people to leave their native lands. Francis made the call upon arrival in Bulgaria on May 5 to meet with members of the country’s small Catholic community and to visit a refugee center outside the capital, Sofia, as part of a trip that will also take him to North Macedonia. Francis has sought to bridge enduring tensions between the Orthodox and Roman Catholic branches of Christianity, including with a landmark February 2016 meeting in Cuba with Patriarch Kirill, the head of Russian Orthodox Church. However, the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church has rejected any possibility of holding joint prayers with the pope. "We would like to emphasize that any form of shared liturgical or prayer service, as well as wearing of liturgical garments, is unacceptable to us as the holy canons do not allow this," the Holy Synod said ahead of Francis's arrival. The Pope plans to tour a refugee center. Francis is also meeting with Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, whose center-right, pro-Brussels coalition government includes three nationalist, anti-migrant parties. The government has called for the closure of EU borders to migrants and sealed off its own frontier to Turkey with a barbed-wire fence. Human rights groups and the European Commission have accused Bulgaria of violating EU asylum laws. "I was happy to welcome a man who is the symbol of faith in our world. Pope Francis's prayers for peace are extremely important for our region that stretches from Ukraine to the east to the Western Balkans," Borisov said as he greeted the Pope at the airport. Francis and the Vatican had hoped to hold a joint "prayer for peace" in a Sofia square on May 6. The Orthodox Church will instead send a children's choir to the event, which will be attended by one of Sofia's Muslim leaders. Bulgaria’s is the only Orthodox church that did not choose to participate in a commission looking to improve dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church, which has some 44,000 adherents in Bulgaria. Prime Minister Borisov welcomed Francis's visit, saying it "reflects his interest in the peaceful economic development of the Balkans." Francis will also visit North Macedonia on the three-day trip and attend a commemoration of the late Mother Teresa, who was born Anjeze Gonxhe Bojaxhiu in Skopje in 1910. North Macedonia has an estimated 20,000 Roman Catholic followers. With reporting by AFP, AP, and dpa

Dele Alli says this England team is revelling in the satisfaction of knowing they are bringing the country together in their bid to win the World Cup. Alli put the gloss on England's 2-0 win over Sweden with a header, notching his first goal of the tournament as the Gareth Southgate's side reached the World Cup semi-finals for the first time in 28 years. Want to say a special thank you to the whole country for the support we've received so far, it's means to much to me and the whole team! 🦁🏴 pic.twitter.com/YNPy64RpI0 — Dele (@dele_official) July 8, 2018 And the Tottenham midfielder insists the squad know exactly what England's World Cup performances mean to the nation. He told Sky Sports News: "The tournament has been unbelievable even for Russia as well, they played great they were unfortunate to go out last night but I think they did their country proud. 2:31 Here are the reactions of England fans around the country to Harry Maguire and Dele Alli's goals against Sweden "But for us, it's all about the experience. We've been playing well, we're learning and we're all enjoying it. "We've seen the videos from back home and it seems like the country is really coming together so we're happy to have that influence." Image: Gareth Southgate and Alli share a hug after quarter-final win Southgate's team face Croatia in the second semi-final in Moscow on Wednesday night, and Alli knows England have a far-from-straightforward task as they bid to emulate the World Cup-winning heroes of 1966. "It's going to be difficult," he said. 0:58 Raheem Sterling will create opportunities in any side that he plays in, according to former England international Darius Vassell "The semi-final of a World Cup is not an easy game, but it's a game we feel we are ready for. We're confident but we know it's going to be very difficult. "But the way the tournament is going so far, whoever we come up against, we feel confident we're going to win. And we have to be like that, I think, if we are going to get in the final, so we'll have to perform well and play well." England forward Raheem Sterling added: "We are going to get ready to go again, recover, that is what we are doing now - relax. Move forward and look forward to the next game."<doc-sep>THE theory goes that tomorrow night is when the World Cup gets truly serious for England. Despite the glory of the nation’s greatest journey in 28 years, Croatia will represent a serious step up in class from anything they have faced in Russia. 8 England hero Dele Alli nutmegged Luka Modric in a pre-season friendly for Spurs 8 The pair will go head-to-head once more when England meet Croatia in the semi-final Credit: Rex Features This lot are dripping with Champions League winners, not least Luka Modric, who has helped inspire Real Madrid to three in a row. But Dele Alli isn’t too bothered about that. You see, this was a kid who’d nutmegged Croatia captain Modric before he’d even made his Premier League debut — and happily admits that he’d love to do the same again in the match of his life in Moscow tomorrow night. A kid who’s scored against each of Tottenham’s big-six rivals. And two against Real Madrid and a belter on his full England debut against France. 8 The pair met again in the Champions League group stages last season Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd And, of course, in Saturday’s 2-0 quarter-final victory over Sweden despite, by his own admission, having played like a drain up until that point. This is a kid who says he never gets nervous. A kid who’s determined to enjoy football’s grandest stage in a way he never could while getting lumps kicked out of him in League One with MK Dons. In keeping with the rest of England’s squad at a World Cup which has been a triumph both on and off the pitch, Dele is wonderfully relaxed as he sprays around the anecdotes at base camp up in cool, leafy Repino. So first up, Dele, tell us about the time you were called a ‘little bugger’ by Modric for slipping the ball between his legs in a 2015 pre-season friendly against Real Madrid in Munich’s Allianz Arena... “I remember it,” he says, “I always enjoy a good nutmeg. I didn’t shout ‘megs!’ I have never done that, even in training. 8 Dele Alli was in good spirits as he met with a group of British journalists Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd “Some people when they nutmeg (someone), they call it but it’s never been something I’ve done.” So would he like to repeat the trick tomorrow night? “Hopefully,” says Dele, “I’m not going to focus on that but it would be nice! “I don’t know Modric personally. But the guys who played with him at Tottenham said he was an unbelievable person and everyone can see how good he is as a player. “I think he’s a worry for any team, he’s world class and someone you enjoy watching. But we are confident, we have a lot of threats as well.” Then I ask Dele to name a match that was the least glamorous he’s played in. The polar opposite of a World Cup semi-final. 8 Dele Alli powers home a header as England beat Sweden 2-0 in the World Cup quarter-finals Credit: AP:Associated Press And without any need to rack his brains, he shoots back: “Bradford away.” A gruff-speaking, burly journalist warns him: “I’m from Bradford . . . ” “Oh, it’s a beautiful place!” laughs Dele, “but it was a night game, the pitch was horrible. It was a horrible game. “They had (6ft 4in James) Hanson up front, they were very aggressive and it wasn’t nice. “Every time I got the ball people would be kicking, swearing. An aggressive game. I’d signed for Tottenham already and then went back to MK on loan. And when I went back to Tottenham, they were telling me they’d watched that Bradford game. I was thinking, ‘Oh no . . . ’” Modestly, Dele doesn’t recall scoring that night, in a 2-1 defeat, or that an on-loan Jordan Pickford was in goal for the Bantams. 8 Dele admits he hadn't played his best at the tournament before the Sweden game Credit: AP:Associated Press Much has been made of the lower-league roots shared by many of those aboard this Gareth Southgate fun-bus, with its satnav set for Paradise. Dele said: “There are a lot of different paths you can take to getting to the England senior team. A lot of the boys have played together in the younger age groups, or played against each other in League One or Championship. “But we all get on really well, we don’t take anything for granted, we know how much of a privilege it is to be here.” Those formative years in Milton Keynes were not all about bruising encounters at places like Bradford. There was the outstanding influence of his former youth coach Dan Micciche, who guided Dele through teenage years that included growing pains both literal and figurative. And then there was the astonishing 4-0 thumping of Manchester United in the 2014-15 League Cup when a teenaged Dele tried — and failed — to get Danny Welbeck’s shirt. 8 Dele with girlfriend Ruby Mae (second left), friend Harry Hickford (right) and Alan and Sally Hickford, who he lived with from the age of 13 “Me and Danny have a joke about it because I asked him for his shirt,” Dele recalls. “He wouldn’t give it to me although he was polite about it, he wasn’t naughty. “I’ve still got my shirt from that night. I wasn’t going to swap, I just wanted his!” There have been setbacks on Dele’s path here. The most crushing blow of all was defeat by Iceland at Euro 2016, after which he admits, “I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me . . . I just wanted to lock myself away”. According to Mauricio Pochettino, this is the ‘best young player in the world’ and, in the view of Sir Alex Ferguson, England’s greatest talent since Paul Gascoigne. Yet after suffering a thigh injury in the opener against Tunisia, he had struggled to make an impact in the last-16 win over Colombia or against Sweden, up until the moment when he nodded home a Jesse Lingard cross to put England 2-0 up. “I didn't feel like I was playing as well as I should have,” he admits. 8 England boss Gareth Southgate embraces Dele after he came off against Sweden Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd LATEST WORLD CUP NEWS WHAT A JEN How old is Jermaine Jenas and what's his net worth? MEDALS 1 CAPS 0 Stars who won World Cup without playing a single game, like Fulham's Areola HORROR ORDEAL Brit gang-rape victims bravely fought off attacker by biting him, say cops RU BEAUTY Who is Ruby Mae and how long has she been with Dele Alli? PRETTY WOMAN Amanda Holden spotted in £85 Forever Unique 'Pretty Woman' dress Cheap as kits Here's where you can get England's 2018 football kit the cheapest HIGH PRAISE Obama brands Messi 'wonderful' as he offers advice over World Cup struggles Quiz RUSSIA REWIND See how much you can remember about the craziest moments at World Cup 2018 “Even speaking to my family, I didn't feel I was playing well, especially in the first half, not in possession of the ball anyway. “Defensively I did my job but you want to be on the ball creating chances and being a threat. On the ball I wasn’t sharp enough, I didn't keep it as much as I should have. "So to score, it gives you a lift. But I’m my own biggest critic. “I’m not nervous. I know what I’m doing and I know I can play better.” Keep your legs closed Luka, old son. Tweet @davekidd_<doc-sep>DELE ALLI's estranged mum has revealed her pride over the England star's World Cup heroics. But she has also told of her anguish after watching him star against Sweden from 2,500miles away in her modest council home in Milton Keynes. 7 Dele's mum Denise has told of how she has been watching her son play for England from the comfort of her home while he lights up the biggest tournament in the world Credit: Roger Crump - The Sun England star Dele Alli scores England's second goal against Sweden and gets mocked on twitter for his celebration 7 Dele Alli celebrates scoring for England in their 2-0 World Cup quarter-final win over Sweden Credit: Alamy Live News The 22-year-old attacking midfielder scored England's second against Sweden to give them a comfortable cushion in their quarter-final on Saturday. It marked a World Cup breakthrough from the Tottenham star, who has had a frustrating time in Russia so far, with minor injury problems marring the group stages. But he and his Three Lions pals were superb in Samara, as noted by his mum, who works as a cleaner. Fans will have noted Alli posed for pictures with stunning girlfriend Ruby Mae and his foster parents Alan and Sally Hickford after the victory over the Swedes. Kyle Walker, John Stones, Dele Alli and Jesse Lingard celebrate Sweden win with tribute dance to class of Italia ’90 WORLD CUP NEWS NO HARD FEELINGS Man dumped by Gareth Southgate's wife insists he holds no grudge 'i want a girl' England star Kyle Walker's model girlfriend reveals she wants FOURTH baby ON THE PLANE Who is Seema Jaswal, how old is ITV World Cup presenter and is she married? 7 Denise lives in modest accommodation in Milton Keynes and works as a cleaner Credit: Roger Crump - The Sun She told the Daily Mail: "Seeing that photograph was upsetting. I know he considers them his family, but I am still his mum. It does hurt to see photos like that. "Of course I would love to be in Russia with him. I sent him a message before he went to the World Cup and when he scored the goal, but I have not heard anything back. "He does not contact me anymore which makes me so sad and only answers messages from my daughter. "I do not want anything from him. I just want a hug from my son who has made his mum so proud that he is playing for England and scoring in a World Cup." England take on Croatia in the second semi-final of the World Cup 7 Denise poses outside her house in the Buckinghamshire town Credit: Roger Crump - The Sun Alli's mum told The Sun two years ago she gave him away to help him make a better life for himself in Milton Keynes. And she said then she knows she made the RIGHT decision when she sees him star on the football pitch. Denise said: "I had to let him go to give him a better future. "Emotionally, it was heartbreaking but it was the right thing to do. "I had a serious drink problem triggered by my unhappy childhood. Dele Alli and Harry Kane join in with exercise bike challenge at the England World Cup base camp 7 Dele poses with stunning model girlfriend Ruby Mae Credit: Instagram "I was hooked on vodka, beer — anything — for a few years. "Social Services visited me after complaints from my neighbours about how I was raising my children but my kids were never taken away. "It was my decision to let Dele live with another family. "I knew that was the only way he could fulfil his dream of becoming a professional footballer. "It was tough to give up my son but it proved to be his salvation. I’m so thankful for how things have turned out." England stars relaxed with Dele Alli and Kyle Walker play-fighting in training 7 Dele and Ruby share a kiss after England's victory over Colombia Credit: Splash News 7 The pair pose together during his launch of a spin-off clothing range from Boohoo Credit: Getty - Contributor Alli had a tough season for Tottenham last year, but still managed to prove he is a man to score big-game goals against top opponents, with goals against Chelsea, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Liverpool last term. The man himself has claimed he has been loving being in Russia and starring for England. He told Sky Sports: "The tournament has been unbelievable even for Russia as well, they played great they were unfortunate to go out last night but I think they did their country proud. “But for us, it's all about the experience. We've been playing well, we're learning and we're all enjoying it. "We've seen the videos from back home and it seems like the country is really coming together so we're happy to have that influence."<doc-sep>

Did you ever hear about the time the teenage Dele Alli nutmegged Luka Modric? August 2015, to be precise, for Spurs in the Audi Cup at the Allianz Arena, Munich. Alli was 19, a £5m signing from Milton Keynes Dons thrown into the deep end against Real Madrid, and at least he was courteous enough not to ruffle Modric’s hair, Gazza-style, as he slipped the ball through his opponent’s legs. Modric, he recalls, collared him in the tunnel and called him a “little bugger”. Though the suspicion remains that he might have toned down the language. OK, in the grand scheme of things, it will not count for a lot, nearly three years on, when England meet Croatia in Moscow on Wednesday for a place in a World Cup final. All the same, there was something strangely reassuring, from an English perspective, to hear Alli regaling this story. “I always enjoy a good nutmeg,” was his take. Especially when the person who has just let the ball go through his legs is one of the world’s category-A footballers. To clarify, Alli was not being controversial here or disrespectful in the slightest. Indeed, he also made the point that if England were to win this semi-final a lot would depend on how they managed to deal with Modric’s intelligence on the ball. A nutmeg is a nutmeg. It is not a goal, or a game-defining moment, or a killer pass, or a Champions League medal (of which Modric has four). But it is a reminder, in its own small way, that Alli is not the kind of footballer to suffer any sense of inferiority complex. Another comes when he is asked if he the slightest bit nervous – “excited, not nervous,” he responds – and, again, when it is pointed out to him that he has a pretty impressive record when it comes to scoring on the big occasions. Since 2016, he has scored twice against Manchester United, twice against Manchester City, five times against Chelsea, once against Arsenal and once against Liverpool. Yet Alli wants to make a point of his own. “I score against other teams as well,” he says. England will need this confidence, one imagines, if they are to win their first World Cup semi-final since 1990, six years before Alli was even born, and then return to the Luzhniki Stadium on Sunday to see off France or Belgium in the final. Yet it would be a mistake to think that Alli cannot assess himself with a critical eye, too, and by his own admission he is not entirely satisfied with his own World Cup performances. Gareth Southgate identified him for special acclaim after the opening win against Tunisia but that was also the match when the Tottenham Hotspur player damaged a thigh. Alli did not play again in the group stages. He returned for the Colombia game and, though he scored in the 2-0 win over Sweden, he sounded almost apologetic for the way he had performed in England’s quarter-final victory. “I said to my family afterwards that it was weird because I didn’t feel nervous or anything like that. I don’t really ever get nervous anyway. But you know sometimes that you can have games where your control isn’t as good as it should be, or your decision-making isn’t as sharp as normal. I felt like it was one of those games. I’ve spoken to the manager about it and some of my team-mates. I didn’t feel like I was playing as well as I should have been, especially in the first half. “Defensively, I did my job, and did what I needed to do, but I wanted to be on the ball, creating chances and being a threat. I felt like my movement was good but I just wasn’t sharp enough. I didn’t keep the ball as much as I should have. To score ... it gives you a lift. But I’m my own biggest critic. I know I can play better than that.” In keeping with a lot of Southgate’s players, Alli’s air of self-confidence is tinged with the humility that comes from starting in the lower leagues. Here, for example, he has been joking with Danny Welbeck about the night in 2014 when Milton Keynes Dons played Manchester United in the League Cup and won 4-0. The young Alli – to his embarrassment now – asked for Welbeck’s shirt that night and was politely turned down.

LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 16: Kobi Simmons #2 of the Memphis Grizzlies handles the ball against the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2017 Summer League Semifinals on July 16, 2017 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) The Memphis Grizzlies begin their Summer League run this afternoon against the Atlanta Hawks at 6:00 C.T. on NBATV. This will probably be hands-down the best game of the day in terms of matchups. This game will feature one of the best offensive forces in this year’s Summer League in Atlanta’s Trae Young, going against arguably the best guard defender in Jevon Carter of the Memphis Grizzlies. Check out a small preview of this matchup below: Several other big names will be in both team’s lineups, but more familiar names for Memphis, as far as veterans go. Wayne Selden Jr., Deyonta Davis, and Kobi Simmons will headline as guys who played significant NBA minutes last season for Memphis. Memphis: Jevon Carter Wayne Selden Jr. Myke Henry Deyonta Davis Jarren Jackson Jr Predictions: I think that both teams will match up very well, and we will get a rematch of West Virginia and Oklahoma. I think after tomorrow afternoon, Jackson Jr. and Carter will get their first love from Memphis’ fans in their first action. I like the matchup of Jackson Jr and Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins. I look forward to seeing “Summer League Selden,” and hopefully seeing him healthy. Wayne Selden sure was fun to watch last season, and if healthy, will be a treat with a better team surrounding him this year. For guys like Davis, their careers are on the line. No roster spots are guaranteed, and this will be Deyonta Davis’ third year running in the Summer League. All of the action tips off at 6:00 P.M. C.T. on NBATV in Salt Lake City, Utah. If you are at work, follow Beale Street Bears for live updates throughout all of the action.<doc-sep>The Atlanta Hawks kicked off their summer activities in Utah by catching a loss against the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night, 103-88. In a game the Hawks never led, Tyler Dorsey led the scoring effort with 18 points while rookie Trae Young added 16 points. For the Grizzlies, Jaren Jackson Jr. starred with 29 points — including eight three-pointers — while Kobi Simmons added 21 points. Trae Young’s struggles The big talking point from Monday night (besides DeMarcus Cousins) was that Trae Young struggled in his first game as an Atlanta Hawk — 16 points on 4-of-20 shooting and 1-of-11 from three. With a performance like that, there’s always going to be an overreaction — such as ‘Did the Hawks screw up by passing on Jackson?’ and ‘Oh God, what have we done?’ — and Jaren Jackson Jr. simultaneously lighting it up in the same game doesn’t help in that regard. But it’s always important to stress — and this would’ve been the same case if Young had exploded — that it’s just one game, so it’s probably unwise to overreact or worry. Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce certainly isn’t. “...Excited for Trae, he got 20 shots up,” said Pierce via Michael Cunningham of the AJC. “He can get his shot off. He’s going to make a lot of shots. We’re going to be fine.” “Last thing I want him doing is second-guessing. I want him to shoot with confidence.” Tyler Dorsey is equally unworried about Young’s slow start. “He’s a big name. He’s a top guy,” said Dorsey of Young. “They are going to come at him. He just needs to play his game. No need to panic.” Young tried as he could to shoot his way out of his slump but nothing was doing from behind the arc last night. Shooters shoot, and sometimes they just don’t go down. Generally speaking, Young had some good looks but left a lot of them short. Whether it was just a bad game, adjusting to the altitude... it was just a struggle. Young did see a decent bit of defensive pressure which didn’t help: The majority of Young’s scoring came from the free throw line and at the rim, this layup was easily the most eye-catching play from Young last night: It wasn’t the start Young wanted but hopes to carry the good momentum from the second half into today’s game against San Antonio. “I didn’t want a game like this but overall this is all a process,” said Young postgame via Michael Cunningham of the AJC. “This is the first one, it’s Summer League. I felt a lot more comfortable in the second half. Hopefully I can carry that over to tomorrow and just keep going, keep getting better each and every day — that’s my main thing...” Young revealed postgame that coach Pierce expected a tough shooting night. “He expected this — a bad shooting game for me ... he knows my shots going to fall eventually, I’m not too worried about it. It’s just one game...” Young was able to get to the rim a few times but his best impact on last night’s game came from passing the ball — he only had three assists on the game but he set up some very nice looks. Here, Young drives and does a great job to set up Omari Spellman for the dunk: Get used to this, folks. pic.twitter.com/aPtTesEqAl — Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) July 2, 2018 In the second half, Young drives from the wing, floats inside and finds a beautiful pass to the corner to find Jaylen Adams for a three-pointer: “That’s the main thing, said Young postgame. “When my shot’s not falling I got to do other things...” Young and Collins teased a potentially fun combination as Young finds Collins for a three-point attempt as the trailer, but Collins can’t convert on this occasion: “That’s his strength,” said Pierce of Young’s playmaking. “That’s going to be his blueprint. We just couldn’t get him in enough pick-and-rolls early on.” Young, at least I thought so, had some good moments defensively. In the corner, Young plays nice, tight defense and forces the turnover in the corner: On the next defensive possession, Young moves his feet well to stick his man — even if he’s bodied a tad at the end — and John Collins completes the defensive play by coming up with the steal: A defensive specialist coming over from Philadelphia, Lloyd Pierce definitely noticed Young’s effort on defense last night. “...He was happy how I played on the defensive end,” said Young to the AJC. “I competed, I made a lot of steals, really worked hard on the defensive end when my shot wasn’t falling — that’s a great sign. He was telling me how proud he was of that...” Despite missing 16 shots, there were good things that Young did last night as you saw and he did play a much better second half. Of course there’s going to be a knee-jerk reaction when a guy who you passed on, like Jackson, goes off and your player struggles but let’s not get carried away when it comes to Young — just one game. Three-pointers for days The NBA has obviously shifted more so to the perimeter in the last few seasons and almost every team has tried to go along with it. The Hawks embraced it a bit more last season than in the past with Mike Budenholzer and it seems to be a similar focus under Lloyd Pierce, who was very happy the Hawks took 40 three-point attempts last night. “Excited that we shot 40 threes because that’s what we want to do, get them up,” said Pierce postgame, via the AJC. We didn’t really hear a lot of Pierce’s offensive ideals at his introductory presser but it seems that shooting the long-ball is high on that list. However, Pierce will hope the Hawks make more than nine/shoot better than 22% from three in the future as was the case last night... The Hawks (1-0 in Utah Summer League) are back in action on Tuesday against the San Antonio Spurs as the Summer League grind continues. Should be fun... Until then...<doc-sep>The Atlanta Hawks participate in a sanctioned NBA basketball game this evening and, even if it feels too early for that to be the case, the Utah Summer League obliges with some on-court action to monitor on Tuesday. In the opener, the Hawks take on Jaren Jackson Jr., Jevon Carter and the Memphis Grizzlies in what should be a fun contest and, for good measure, it doubles as the first NBA Summer League anywhere in 2018. Our full Summer League coverage can be found here, featuring a breakdown of a few perimeter options to keep a close eye on and even some pre-summer scouting of Hawks rookie Trae Young. In this match-up, though, Young will have a tough battle on the horizon with a defense-first guard in Carter and Atlanta will also get a close, personal look at a player they passed on in Jackson Jr. Before leaving for Salt Lake City, the Hawks deployed a “starting lineup” (in a scrimmage) that included Young, Tyler Dorsey, Antonius Cleveland, Omari Spellman and John Collins and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see that unit see extensive time. Beyond that, Atlanta will want to closely evaluate Jaylen Adams and Jaylen Morris, as well as a collection of non-roster invitees that could see action in this spot. Unfortunately, Hawks fans won’t get their first look at No. 19 pick Kevin Huerter until training camp, as the Maryland wing will miss Summer League with injury. In addition, DeAndre’ Bembry will also be absent, as he recovers from a fractured wrist suffered in mid-April. Fortunately, this will be the “debut” of new head coach Lloyd Pierce on the sideline and, of course, it is always fun to enjoy the work of youngsters like Spellman, Young and Collins. Stay tuned throughout the afternoon/evening and join us in discussing the action, while (of course) being cordial to one another. Game Info Game Date/Time: Monday, July 2, 7:00 p.m. ET Location: Vivint Smart Home Arena TV: NBA TV Streaming: ESPN3<doc-sep>

While the rest of the league marveled at the sheer absurdity of Boogie Cousins in Oakland, the Atlanta Hawks opened their 2018 NBA Summer League journey on Monday evening, with the first of (at least) eight games over the next two weeks. The opener provided positives and negatives up and down the roster but, in the end, the final result on the scoreboard was lopsided in favor of the Memphis Grizzlies, 103-88. In the early going, Jaren Jackson Jr. set the tone for the Grizzlies, as the No. 4 overall pick knocked down two threes in the opening minutes (before exploding for 29 points on 15 shots for the full game) and produced some defensive highlights. For the Hawks, there were struggles from Trae Young (more to come on that) but John Collins was tremendous, scoring six points in the first five minutes and producing a few highlight-worthy plays. In addition, Omari Spellman played well, including an early dunk after a delivery from Young. Get used to this, folks. pic.twitter.com/aPtTesEqAl — Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) July 2, 2018 Then, Collins and Spellman hooked up with some sensual big man passing for a dunk. Much of the first half was marred by inconsistency from Atlanta’s offense but non-roster invitee Brandon Sampson even produced a flourish in the second quarter. Back-to-back buckets for Brandon Sampson pic.twitter.com/cSF5y9W7lN — Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) July 2, 2018 The biggest story, for better or worse, was the struggles of Young, who missed his first ten shots and did not record a field goal until the second half. Mercifully, his shooting drought came to an end in the third quarter with an off-the-dribble three. There were still highlights, however, with Spellman producing a big-time block. Despite his shooting issues, Young’s passing garnered a great deal of attention and rightly so. In the end, the Hawks simply weren’t efficient enough offensively to get a win, with the team connecting on only 37 percent of its shots and 9 of 40 (!) from three. Young’s final stat line (16 points on 4 of 20 shooting) will draw a ton of attention and there was no question that he scuffled. There were positives in the form of his passing and general competitiveness on defense, though, and they should be noted. Beyond that, one Summer League game shouldn’t be enough to make sweeping conclusions, even if some will choose to do so. Elsewhere, it was clear that Collins was the best player on the floor for Atlanta, which could inspire questions on just how long he’ll remain in the Summer League lineup. Spellman (11 points, six rebounds, two blocks) and Tyler Dorsey (18 points, seven rebounds, four assists) also produced strong performances. Stay tuned as the Hawks continue their travels with another game (against the Spurs at 7:00 pm ET) on Tuesday evening in Salt Lake City.

The number of potential customers that were affected by a foodborne illness outbreak at a Chipotle Mexican Grill in Ohio has grown again, but its cause remains a mystery. The Delaware General Health District said Friday that it had received a total 703 related to a possible outbreak stemming from a Chipotle in Powell, Ohio. So far, staff at the local health department has been able to interview more than 513 people who self-reported nausea, diarrhea and fever, among other symptoms, after eating at the restaurant. In addition, fecal and food samples were delivered to the Ohio Department of Health for laboratory testing. No illness reports have been made since the restaurant reopened on Tuesday afternoon, Delaware Health District said. Preliminary tests of the stool samples came back negative, but the health department is conducting additional tests which can take a bit longer than the initial ones. Chipotle wasn't immediately available to comment. This most recent food safety issue hasn't driven away customers, however. The day after the Ohio location was closed Chipotle had great success with its national "Free Guac Day" promotion. Chipotle said it used almost 700,000 avocados to meet consumer demand, 200,000 more than an average day. The promotion drove digital sales up nearly 60 percent and generated more app downloads than any other single day, Chipotle said. "We believe the free guacamole promotion that Chipotle ran [Tuesday] should help offset some of the negative publicity the company received following the Ohio food safety incident," Peter Saleh, analyst at BTIG, wrote in a research note Wednesday. "While we don't want to minimize food safety incidents given Chipotle's recent history, we believe the sales impact from these events is moderating." The stock initially sold off nearly 8 percent on Tuesday when reports surfaced that there had been another food safety incident. However, the stock has since recovered and is up more than a percent since Monday. Chipotle is not the only restaurant to face food safety issues. McDonald's recently recalled salads at about 3,000 of its U.S. restaurants due to an outbreak of cyclosporiasis tied back to lettuce tainted by the cyclospora parasites, which is transmitted in fecal matter. Still, Chipotle's history with foodborne illness issues means each new incident is scrutinized. The burrito chain was sued Tuesday by an Ohio man, who is asking for $25,000 after he purchased three chicken tacos on July 29 from Chipotle and then started experiencing nausea, headaches and hot flashes, according to the lawsuit filed in Delaware County in Ohio. He was undergoing medical treatment, the lawsuit says. In Ohio, Delaware County's health department said it is testing for salmonella, shigella, E. coli, and norovirus in both samples. The food samples will also be tested for bacillus cereus and clostridium perfringens, two bacteria that can cause the symptoms that have been reported. The results from the submitted food samples may not be in for another week, however. Testing of these materials involves culturing and can take five to seven days. The samples were delivered to the Ohio Department of Health on Wednesday.<doc-sep>Late last month, hundreds of people in Ohio got sick and they had one thing in common: Chipotle. Between July 26 and July 30, over 600 people experienced stomach discomfort after eating at one Chipotle location in the midwestern state. The embattled fast-casual chain was hit with a lawsuit over the incident Now, health officials have figured out what caused the illnesses: the bacterium Clostridium perfrigens. According to CNBC, this disease is caused by food being left out “at unsafe temperatures.” Though the CDC has deduced the cause, it’s still unclear which food specifically was the source of the outbreak. This development will likely further tarnish the already-sullied brand. The restaurant chain has been trying to stage a comeback after other reports of food-related illnesses. CEO Brian Niccol is now reportedly planning to retrain employees on best food-handling practices. We’ll see if this latest issue will further hurt the restaurant’s sales.<doc-sep>Chipotle closed a restaurant in Powell, Ohio, on Monday following reports that customers got sick after eating there. The local health department told Business Insider that it had received 518 calls and emails related to the possible illness outbreak. A total of 418 people said they fell ill after eating at the restaurant, according to reports made to the website iwaspoisoned.com. Chipotle had two to five staff members call off work while citing illness on Sunday and Monday, the company told health officials. More than 400 people said they fell ill after eating at an Ohio Chipotle that is thought to be at the center of an illness outbreak, according to a website that tracks foodborne illnesses. A total of 228 reports have been made to the website iwaspoisoned.com suggesting that 418 customers have fallen sick after eating at a Powell, Ohio, Chipotle since Friday, according to Patrick Quade, the website's founder. The restaurant's address is 9733 Sawmill Pkwy. The website saw a surge in reports after Business Insider's article late Monday revealing that Chipotle had shut down the restaurant over reports that customers had fallen ill. The site allows users to self-report suspected foodborne illnesses. Chipotle shares fell more than 3% in after-hours trading Monday. The local health department, called the Delaware General Health District, is investigating the possible illness outbreak. The agency said Thursday that it has received 518 inquiries — including 95 emails and 423 calls — related to the possible illness outbreak, according to Traci Whittaker, a spokeswoman for the Delaware General Health District. "The Health District food inspection team inspected the restaurant this afternoon," Whittaker said in an email to Business Insider on Tuesday. "Based on the food protection procedures followed by the facility, the inspection team found no reason for the facility to not reopen." She said 33 stool sample kits were delivered Tuesday to people that reported illness. Chipotle shut down the Powell restaurant on Monday over reports of customer and employee illnesses. "We take all claims of food safety very seriously and we are currently looking into a few reports of illness at our Powell, Ohio, restaurant," Chipotle spokeswoman Laurie Schalow told Business Insider on Monday. "We are not aware of any confirmed foodborne illness cases, and we are cooperating with the local health department." The Delaware General Health District said it received illness reports from seven customers on Sunday and Monday. In response, health officials arrived at the Chipotle restaurant on Monday for an inspection and found the restaurant closed. Health officials then discussed the illness complaints with the company and discovered that Chipotle had also received four to five illness complaints from customers. Chipotle management said it was unable to get in touch with the health department to report the illnesses. Chipotle also told health officials that two to five staff members called off work citing illness on Sunday and Monday. Chipotle voluntarily closed the Ohio restaurant Monday for deep cleaning and removal of all exposed foods and single-use equipment, the company said. The company planned to reopen the restaurant on Tuesday.<doc-sep>

A type of bacteria that forms when food is left out at unsafe temperatures caused Chipotle Mexican Grill's latest foodborne illness outbreak. Nearly 700 people reported gastrointestinal problems, including nausea, diarrhea and fever, after eating at the Chipotle restaurant in Powell, Ohio, between July 26 and July 30. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's tests named clostridium perfringens the culprit of the outbreak. The bacteria is one of the most common causes of food poisoning in the U.S. It forms when food is left out at unsafe temperatures. The incident deals another blow to Chipotle, which has spent years trying to convince diners and investors it has improved its food safety practices. An E. coli outbreak in 2015 sickened hundreds of people and plunged Chipotle into crisis. The fast-casual restaurant rolled out promotions and new menu items such as queso to try to win customers back. But diners continued to shun the restaurant. Chipotle hired former Taco Bell CEO Brian Niccol in February to replace founder Steve Ells as CEO. Since taking the helm, Niccol has unveiled a strategy to woo consumers back to the troubled burrito chain with a focus on new menu items and faster mobile and online orders. Its turnaround efforts appeared to be working. Shares of Chipotle have surged 74 percent this year. They slid 4 percent Thursday. Niccol said Chipotle will start retraining all restaurant employees on food safety and wellness protocols next week. The tests do not confirm the exact number of people who fell ill. Twenty samples were sent to the Ohio Department of Health and returned negative, a spokeswoman for the Delaware General Health District said. Six samples were sent to the CDC for more advanced testing and five returned positive for the toxin, she said. The number of samples submitted are in-line with the Ohio Department of Health's guidelines.

The 2019 US Senior Women's Open purse is set for $1 million, with the winner's share coming in at $180,000 -- different from the standard 15 percent payout according to the LPGA Tour's prize money distribution chart. Each professional missing the cut is paid $2,000 by the USGA, which presents this championship. The US Senior Women's Open field is headed by Laura Davies, Juli Inkster, Helen Alfredsson, JoAnne Carner and Trish Johnson. The event is played this year at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C. 2019 US Senior Open purse, winner's share, prize money payout Click header to sort<doc-sep>Finally, a U.S. Senior Women's Open Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.comU.S. Senior Women's Open golfers Martha Leach, left, and her sister Hollis Stacy, right, talk about the inaugural U.S. Senior Women's Open at the Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton. Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.comLiz Waynick of Scottsdale practices putting in preparation for the inaugural U.S. Senior Women's Open at the Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton. Waynick, one of the amateurs who have qualified for the Open, is hoping to get her name on the leaderboard. Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.comWomen golfers practice their putting for the inaugural U.S. Senior Women's Open at the Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton. Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.comJoAnne Carner, who has 43 victories on the LPGA Tour, was asked about her physical conditioning in preparation for the inaugural U.S. Senior Women's Open at the Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton. "I played 18 holes on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and it feels good to sit down," Carner said. Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.comGolfer Juli Inkster talks about the inaugural U.S. Senior Women's Open during a news conference at the Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton. So far, the inaugural U.S. Senior Women's Open has been a feel-good story -- the long-overdue creation of a national championship for women golfers who have passed their 50th birthday. They're delighted the U.S. Golf Association added the event to its schedule, and it has brought a lot of former professional and amateur competitors together again. The atmosphere at Chicago Golf Club over the last three days has resembled a high school reunion, especially at Tuesday night's players' dinner. "It was a lot of people just having fun, meeting old acquaintances, catching up with people," said Juli Inkster, one of the favorites to climb the top of the leaderboard after the regulation 72 holes wrap up Sunday at the Wheaton layout that became America's first 18-hole course in 1893. Now the socializing is over, and it's down to business with the challenge of becoming the first champion of the USGA's newest national championship on the line for 120 players from the original entry of 462. The finalists will tee off Thursday starting at 7 a.m., with JoAnne Carner having the honor of smacking the first tee shot. Carner had a brilliant amateur and professional career. She won an NCAA title, a U.S. Junior crown, five U.S. Amateurs, two U.S. Opens and 43 LPGA tournaments. While she deserves the honor of hitting the first ball, Carner is 79 and her chances of winning this week are slim. She has fought recent hip problems and spent 2½ weeks of the past month on a boat trip to the Bahamas. That's hardly conducive to good preparation for a big tournament. Still, Carner walked 18-hole practice rounds the past three days in 90-degree heat and said with a grin, "I'm always ready. I've been waiting 29 years for this. I was hoping I'd still be alive to play in it." Carner probably will do just fine, but there are four likely challengers for the coveted title. Inkster is one, mainly because she still plays frequently against the young stars on the LPGA circuit. Hampered by putting problems, she hasn't had a good year, though. Inkster shot 79-77 and missed the cut in the KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Kemper Lakes two weeks ago. She is switching back to a cross-handed putting grip this week after using a claw most of the season. "My path was bad," Inkster said. "I don't know how you get into these funks, but I do." She has been working with her club professional, husband Brian, to correct the problem, but the results haven't been encouraging so far. "He's been drinking a lot this week, poor guy," quipped Inkster. The member of the favorite foursome who would seem to be the best bet to win is Scotland's Trish Johnson, mainly because she was the winner of the only previous major championship for senior women. She led wire-to-wire in the Senior LPGA Championship last fall at French Lick Resort in Indiana. Johnson also won a Legends event in Washington this year. Two other foreign players -- Sweden's Liselotte Neumann and England's Laura Davies -- are the other members of the favored foursome. Neumann, winner of 13 LPGA titles and 11 European Tour events, also has won three times on the Legends Tour, which was for LPGA stars of the past who have reached their 45th birthday. Davies, a World Golf Hall of Famer, has remained competitive on the LPGA Tour. She is Inkster's favorite to win this week. "I don't know about being the favorite," Davies said, "but the USGA is taking this seriously because it's an inaugural event. It's the real deal. The USGA has done the players proud, and hopefully now we'll do them proud with our performances." Though that foursome appears to be the class of the field, there are some other interesting possibilities. Jane Blalock is the founder of the Legends Tour, and Suzy Whaley will soon become the first female president of the PGA of America. Blalock got in the field as a sponsor's exemption, and Whaley survived sectional qualifying. So did Kay Cockerill, a former LPGA player who converted into a tournament analyst for The Golf Channel. Cockerill will have her husband, Danny, as her caddie. He was on her bag during Cockerill's years on the LPGA Tour but hasn't carried since Kay's failed attempt at a U.S. Open qualifying round in 2006. There also is a sister duo in the field. Hollis Stacy was a three-time U.S. Women's Open champion. Her sister, Martha Leach, won a U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur. The last time they played together in a tournament was in 1990 at the U.S. Open. • Twitter @ZiehmLen<doc-sep>Low amateur honors belonged to Martha Leach, who tied for 10th. Here's her sister, Hollis Stacy, capturing the moment. pic.twitter.com/T6GddF8I0x — Beth Ann Nichols (@GolfweekNichols) July 15, 2018 Of the 120 women in the field at the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open, 29 were amateurs. They shined at Chicago Golf Club, and seven made the cut. Martha Leach, the 2009 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion, not only was the low amateur, she finished in the top 10.Leach lives in Hebron, Ky., and works as a real estate agent. At 56, she remains extremely competitive on the amateur circuit. She finished eighth at the Sally Amateur to start the year and made it to match play at both the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur and the North & South Women’s Amateur in 2017.We caught up with Leach after her run in Chicago to talk about the championship:It was a little different experience for me because I had played in two U.S. Opens and a lot of these women were playing in the U.S. Open with me again so it was like, ‘OK, I’ve done this before but we’re all older now.’ For the most part, a lot of the players are not as competitive as they were but the USGA and Chicago Golf Club, they did it like it was the most important tournament that we’ve ever played in. They treated us that way and it reflected that way with all of us.No, I never had played it. I’ve always heard about the golf course and how great a golf course it is and how difficult it is to get on so I had decided – my husband John, who was my caddie and my instructor, and I – to go up earlier and have three practice rounds and then have competition. We knew we would have two days but to have four days of competition was our intent and for it to come to fruition was awesome.It was at Indianwood (in Lake Orion, Mich.) at the (U.S. Women’s) Open, and I’m thinking … it had to be 24 years ago. Whenever Patty Sheehan won the U.S. Women’s Open. (1994)They said if we had played off No. 1 tee, we’d have been paired together, which would have been really neat. Everybody wanted us to play together the first two days and we said, ‘Oh no, that would just be awful.’ I said, ‘No, because she worries about my golf and I would worry about her golf.’ Instead of us taking care of our own golf, we would have too many distractions with watching each other. We were OK if we had to play with each other third or fourth round, but that did not happen.Yes, and I think a lot of the players who are competing a lot go there and you play with what you have. I was very fortunate that if I had a 6-iron to the green or another iron to the green, I would miss it on the proper level. They weren’t perfect shots – they were offline or they were a little thin but those greens were so demanding that you had to hit it on the correct side, the correct quadrant of the green to have a better putt. Fortunately for me, my misses were in those quadrants. They may have been longer putts but they were in the right quadrants.Just lucky, I think!Well, they wanted the golf ball but of course as soon as I had the eagle, I took it out of play and put it in my golf bag because I want to have people sign it who were there to witness. I had my playing partners, I even had Carl the scorer and Mary the standard bearer sign it also because they were there for the whole round. And then I had my daughter and son-in-law sign it and I’m going to have my husband. (The USGA) asked me after I had everyone’s signature. They had asked after an interview, ‘Would you give us the golf ball?’ And I have all these signatures now and they didn’t want the signatures. I had a hole-in-one at Pinehurst No. 2 during the North & South Women’s Amateur and I did the same thing. I don’t keep a lot of souvenirs but those are the ones. I would have given it to them if they had asked earlier but I’m happy to have the golf ball with the signatures.I do have something in the museum. When I won the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur (2009), it was the weirdest thing. At that time I was just getting my real estate license, studying for it, but I’ve always done substitute teaching. That keeps me busy. So I remember I was reading a sports psychology book by Bob Rotella. I was substitute teaching and I had an hour break so I was reading it, and I wrote down this saying on a grocery list. I put it in my golf bag and that’s what I kept reminding myself. That’s what I gave to Golf House because it’s something that really got me through each round and when I felt like I couldn’t get it, it kind of brought me back to the tournament. So that’s what I gave. I didn’t give a hat or a golf ball, I gave this piece of paper that really had a whole lot of meaning for me.That’s who I am.It’s monumental in the sense that it’s finally here. It’s been a long time coming for a lot of these professional women. They have really wanted this championship. Probably I kept hearing 15-17 years ago, they really started working on that. Luckily for me as a mid-amateur, and then now a senior amateur, I have a national championship. But here were these women who had really worked hard in promoting golf their whole careers, playing golf and not having their national championship. It had to be a little hurtful when you’re over the age of 50. But now that it’s here, it’s all good. Everybody kept saying it’s about time, but now that it’s here you forget about it.<doc-sep>Screenshot : Golf Channel JoAnne “Big Mama” Carner was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame 36 years ago. She hasn’t walked a course since 2004. She was asked yesterday, before the first-ever USGA Senior Women’s Open, if she had hit the gym to prepare. “Do I look like I hit the gym?” she replied. Advertisement Carner, 79, took a long, deep drag on her cigarette before teeing off, driving the ball 225 yards. And over the next 18 holes, something remarkable happened. Carner shot a 1-under on the back nine at Chicago Golf Club to finish a six-over 79, shooting her dang age. She had four birdies along the way, including on the 421-yard par-5 18th. And she was not impressed. When asked if she was pleased with the score, Carner shook her head emphatically. “No, I just hit some atrocious shots,” she said. “Like golf 101.” [...] “Really, I can shoot this course under par,” she said. Carner is a national treasure. With 43 wins on the LPGA tour from 1969–1985 (including two majors), “Big Mama” kept playing well into her 60s, and not even only on the Legends Tour—she became the oldest woman to make an LPGA cut in 2004. She’s an absolute legend among her peers, even those peers a half-century younger. Watch them rave about her in this piece that the Golf Channel aired a couple of years ago. Advertisement Carner is nine strokes back of the leader, Elaine Crosby, who is 19 years younger. She’s certainly got some hurdles Crosby doesn’t. Carner found out this week that her trusty wedge was ruled nonconforming, even though she’s used it forever—it’s just been that long since she played in a sanctioned event. And Carner’s group was warned on the ninth hole for slow play. “I normally play fast,” she joked. “I walk slow right now.” Carner used to have a joke teed up for when people asked her when she’d finally call it quits. “I’ll retire when I shoot my address,” she’d tell them. Her address was 30-30. Advertisement Before the tourney started, Carner said her goal was to make the cut so she could play the entire weekend. That’s entirely realistic—the top 50 players plus ties will be on the right side of the cutline. Through 18, Carner is tied for 50th.<doc-sep>

There are several professional golf tournaments being played around the world this week but, for my money, none will be as tantalizing or as intriguing as the inaugural U.S. Senior Women's Open which will unfold over the next four days at iconic Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton, Ill. The venue is an absolute classic, a linksy turn-of-the-19th-century golf course that was designed by World Golf Hall of Famer Charles B. MacDonald and it is one of the five founding clubs of the United States Golf Association (USGA). It also prides itself on being the first 18-hole golf course established in the United States. If golf fans desire a trip down Memory Lane to watch some of the greatest players who have ever graced the LPGA Tour, then Chicago Golf Club is certainly the place to be this week. The field of 120 players assembled here will be competing for a total purse of $1 million and among them are 15 former U.S. Women’s Open champions: Amy Alcott (1980), Pat Bradley (1981), Jerilyn Britz (1979), Laura Davies (1987), Jane Geddes (1986), JoAnne Carner (1971, 1976), Juli Inkster (1999, 2002), Betsy King (1989, 1990), Murle Lindstrom Breer (1962), Lauri Merten (1993), Liselotte Neumann (1988), Alison Nicholas (1997), Sandra Palmer (1975), Hollis Stacy (1977, 1978, 1984), and Jan Stephenson (1983). Davies and Inkster, who both still compete regularly on the LPGA Tour, are among the pre-tournament favorites heading into Thursday's opening round but Davies is wary of any advance billing. "I don't even think about being a pre-tournament favorite," Davies told LPGA.com after spending a bit of time on the practice putting green. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm just one of 120 in the field and I'm not looking past making the cut, getting in position and on Saturday trying to move further in position to have a chance of winning on Sunday. "If you ever get ahead of yourself and think, 'Oh, there's only like 10 of us that can win this,' then you're not focused properly. You should be worried about your own performance and not worry about the others until the classic Sunday afternoon and the back nine because that's only when you can win a championship. You can't win it Thursday, but you can lose it Thursday morning or Friday morning." When it comes to the par-73 layout at Chicago Golf Club, which will be set up this week at 6,082 yards, Davies is hugely impressed. "You hear about Chicago Golf Club but when you actually walk on the property, it's just the most incredible golf course with a great set-up," said Davies, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame who has piled up 84 tournament wins worldwide during her stellar career. "The USGA have done an incredible job in getting Chicago Golf Club on board for the first U.S. Senior Women's Open. They've given themselves some options on tees and I think they will monitor the scoring the first day at least before they change bits around. Everyone's just excited to have a chance to win a USGA event at 50-plus years old, which is great." COURSE SET-UP A fair but testing course set-up was always going to be something of a challenge for the USGA, given that the field this week ranges from fifty-somethings who still compete on the LPGA Tour to 79-year-olds who perhaps compete only four or five times each year. The USGA seems to have got it right. "This is an amazing venue," said Inkster. "They (the USGA) can play it as hard as they want or as easy as they want. Everybody is getting a little roll out there, which helps, and I think it's going to be a fun week. This course reminds me a little bit of Sunningdale (in England), a little more generous in the fairways, not as bunker-oriented. It is unlike a lot of tournaments we play. It's more linksy. I was very surprised when I got here how linksy it is. But you've got to drive the ball well because you can't be coming out of the rough on to these greens." By her own admission, Inkster has been struggling with her putting on the LPGA Tour this year and she does not relish being bracketed with Davies as a pre-tournament favorite at the U.S. Senior Women's Open. "I don't really like it," Inkster smiled. "I don't like the whole limelight thing. I just like to play golf.

While playing outside on a farm in Oregon, a 6-year-old boy fell down and cut his forehead. His parents cleaned and sutured his wound at home, and for a few days, everything seemed all right, according to a new report of his case. But six days after his fall, the boy began crying, clenching his jaw and having muscle spasms. His symptoms got worse, and when he started having trouble breathing, his parents called emergency services, who airlifted the boy to a hospital. [9 Weird Ways Kids Can Get Hurt] There, doctors diagnosed the boy with tetanus — making him the first documented case of the infection in Oregon in more than 30 years, according to the report, published today (March 7) by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Tetanus is an infection caused by the bacterium Clostridium tetani, but it is preventable thanks to the tetanus vaccine, the CDC says. The boy in the case, however, had not received his tetanus vaccine, nor any of the other vaccines recommended for a child his age, according to the report. A serious and expensive illness When the boy arrived at the hospital, his jaw muscle was spasming, and though he wanted water, he couldn't open his mouth to drink. He was also experiencing a condition called opisthotonus, or an arching neck and back, which got progressively worse. The boy was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), where he was given the tetanus vaccine as well as medication containing antibodies to fight the bacteria. These antibodies had been taken from people who had been vaccinated against tetanus. The boy needed to be cared for in a darkened room with earplugs, because stimulation made his muscle spasms worse, the report said. He was also placed on a ventilator to help him breathe and given medications for his blood pressure and muscle spasms. The boy remained in the ICU for 47 days, followed by several weeks of intermediate care and rehab, the report said. Finally, with a medical bill exceeding $800,000, the boy was able to return to his normal life, which included running and bicycling. "Ubiquitous" bacteria Despite recommendations by doctors to give the boy the second dose of tetanus vaccine along with other required vaccinations for children, the family declined, according to the report. Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious-disease specialist at Vanderbilt University who was not involved with the case, said that the boy's infection was "a tragic event that [was] completely preventable." And the parents' decision to not give him a second dose of the tetanus vaccine amounted to a "second tragedy," Schaffner told Live Science. But not all is grim: Save for the occasional anti-vaxxer parents, most children do receive their tetanus shots. And thanks to the vaccine, cases of this infection have decreased by 95 percent and deaths by 99 percent since the 1940s. The bacterium that causes tetanus is "ubiquitous, it's everywhere," Schaffner said. Though often associated with rusty nails, the bacteria don't really have to do with rust — people can be infected by any kind of deep, penetrating wound. Indeed, C. tetani is found everywhere in the environment, including in soil, dust and feces. The only way to protect yourself is to get vaccinated, Schaffner said. What's more, a previous tetanus infection doesn't confer immunity against future infections. The vaccine works in part by combating toxins created by tetanus bacteria, rather than the bacteria themselves. The CDC recommends multiple doses of the tetanus vaccine (that also protects against other infections such as whooping cough) for children: one dose at 2, 4 and 6 months each; one at 15 to 18 months; and one at 4 to 6 years old. Pre-teens should also receive another version of that tetanus vaccine and people should receive tetanus booster shots once every 10 years. Even if you're up to date on your tetanus shots, however, with any kind of intense penetration wound, you should seek medical care to clean and suture it, Schaffner said. And if you haven't had a booster shot in over five years, doctors will recommend you get one, he added. Originally published on Live Science.<doc-sep>A report showed that a 6-year-old unvaccinated boy from Oregon was with tetanus, the state's first case of its kind in nearly 30 years. The young boy contracted the disease after he cut his forehead while playing outside on a farm, according to a report released by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday that details the 2017 case. ADVERTISEMENT The boy’s parents reportedly cleaned and stitched his cut at home. Roughly a week later, the boy began to cry as his limbs involuntarily spasmed and his jaw began to clench tight. After his neck and back began to arch and he started to experience spasms across his entire body, his parents then sought medical help for the child. He was later reportedly airlifted to a medical center nearby, where physicians diagnosed him with tetanus. The young boy was alert and requested water upon his arrival to the hospital, but he was unable to open his mouth. A tube had to be placed in the boy’s windpipe. He was later administrated the tetanus and pertussis vaccine along with tetanus immune globulin. After he was given the medication, doctors placed the boy “in a darkened room with ear plugs and minimal stimulation” as loud noise and light seemed to worsen his condition. In total, the boy required nearly “8 weeks of inpatient care, followed by rehabilitation care, before he was able to resume normal activities,” the CDC said in the report. Excluding the costs of air transportation, inpatient rehabilitation and ambulatory follow-ups, inpatient charges for the boy totaled $811,929. But despite “extensive review of the risks and benefits of tetanus vaccination by physicians,” the boy’s parents declined a second dose of the tetanus-fighting medication and “any other recommended immunizations.” The report about the case was part of the center’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which aggregates discussions and field studies about contagious outbreaks across the globe. The report comes as lawmakers in the United States attempt to tackle what has been considered "a growing public health threat” as measles outbreaks continue to grow across the nation.<doc-sep>A new report from the Centers for Disease Control, citing the Oregon Health Authority, outlines the case of a 6-year-old boy who was diagnosed with the first case of tetanus in 30 years in the state. The child was not vaccinated, and that revelation comes after news of a large outbreak of measles in both Oregon and Washington state, also the result of children who were not vaccinated. In the tetanus case, the precipitating incident occurred in 2017 when the child was cut while playing outside. Summarizing the CDC's recently released finding, ABC News reported that the child was diagnosed after symptoms including lockjaw presented, and he eventually ended up in the ICU for 47 days, and further hospitalization for 10 days after that. The family's total charges for the hospital stay were $811,929, not including air transportation, rehabilitation and follow-up costs, per the report, which noted the average pediatric hospitalization in the U.S. in 2012 cost $11,143. Last week, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) made news when he questioned the idea of mandatory vaccinations. In a Senate hearing on Tuesday, specifically dealing with how vaccination is used to prevent public health catastrophes, Paul equated mandatory immunization with the loss of liberty. "It is wrong to say that there are no risks to vaccines," Paul said in the hearing. "Even the government admits that children are sometimes injured by vaccines." "I'm not here to say don't vaccinate your kids. If this hearing is for persuasion I'm all for the persuasion. I've vaccinated myself and I've vaccinated my kids," he added. "For myself and my children I believe that the benefits of vaccines greatly outweigh the risks, but I still don't favor giving up on liberty for a false sense of security." It was not clear why the sense of security would be "false" if, as Paul said, the vaccines have great benefits. In a comment to Newsweek after the hearing, Paul said his position "is the same that it's always been." He also questioned the concept of herd immunity, resulting in pushback from Sen. Bill Cassidy (La. ), a fellow Republican who is also a physician. "Hospitals commonly require their employees to be immunized, because they understand that herd immunity is important, and if a nurse's aide is not immunized, she can be a Typhoid Mary, if you will, bringing disease to many who are immunocompromised," he explained to Paul. Just one day before that hearing, yet another study found what many others have found: that there is no link between the measles vaccine and autism.<doc-sep>

An unvaccinated 6-year-old child was hospitalized in Oregon for 57 days after contracting the state’s first case of tetanus in almost 30 years, ABC News reports. The boy spent 47 days in the intensive care unit and 10 days in an intermediate care unit after being diagnosed with tetanus, leaving with a bill of almost $1 million in medical costs. ABC writes that “tetanus is caused by bacteria found in dirt that can enter the body through breaks in the skin, and vaccines are the best way to prevent it.” The child got a cut while playing on a farm in 2017 and was treated at home. Six days after the Oregon boy was wounded, he had “episodes of crying, jaw clenching, and involuntary upper extremity muscle spasms,” had arching in his back and neck, and more spasms, according to a report written for the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. He was diagnosed with tetanus when he rushed to a pediatric medical center by helicopter after he had trouble breathing. Doctors had to insert a tube in his trachea and a ventilator when his jaw muscle spasms prevented him from being able to drink water. After his 57 days in the hospital, he was transferred to a rehab center for 17 days. He was able to resume his normal activities after another month. The family now owes the hospital $811,929 and another $11,143 for air transportation, rehab, and follow-up exams. Tetanus cases have decreased by 95 percent and deaths by 99 percent since tetanus vaccines and tetanus immune globulin became widely used. The CDC recommends children receive the DTaP vaccine at 2 months old, 4 months, 6 months, 15 to 18 months, and then at 4 to 6 years old. The boy’s family decided not to give him another DTaP vaccination “and any other recommended immunizations,” after his recovery from tetanus, according to the report.

Saudi Arabia just held what might be the weirdest fashion show in the history of fashion shows. Instead of having models showcase dresses, organizers opted for drones. Yes, seriously. Videos posted on Twitter of the event, which took place at the Hilton hotel in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, show floating dresses on clothes hangers gliding down the catwalk, suspended from small black drones. The dresses, which included designs from Dolce & Gabbana, ripple in the air as onlookers in the glitzy hotel lobby peruse the items on offer. Instead of female model Drone used in a fashion show in Saudi Arabia. pic.twitter.com/qYTdQ7ajSx — WMR (@wahabrizvi) June 8, 2018 One Twitter user joked that it looked like a “ghost movie.” عرض أزياء في السعودية.. كانه فيلم اشباح pic.twitter.com/ur0bfCgoBJ — واحد oNe (@wa7d_riyadh) June 7, 2018 But others on Twitter had more serious criticisms, claiming that the use of drones instead of women further perpetuates the archaic and patriarchal restrictions on women in Saudi Arabia. Welcome To Saudi Arabia Where Drones Enjoy Better Rights Than Women. #FashionShow #Fashion pic.twitter.com/c8iftL6TZP — Sir Ravindra Jadeja (@SirJadejaaaa) June 7, 2018 The show’s organizer Ali Nabil Akbar told BBC Arabic that the decision to use drones was “suitable for the month of Ramadan” and that he wanted to create something “special” to celebrate the Muslim holy month. Although the organizers’ intentions didn’t work for everyone, the videos reflect how much work Saudi Arabia has to do to achieve equality for women. Equality is still out of reach for Saudi women despite recent progress After years of repression, Saudi women finally gained the right to drive after Saudi Arabia’s King Salman issued a royal decree last September. Some women have already received their licenses but won’t be able to drive until June 24. And in April, Saudi Arabia hosted its first-ever Arab Fashion Week in the capital city, Riyadh. But these modest steps toward equality for women come with complications. Although 10 women received their licenses this month, 17 women’s rights activists who campaigned for greater gender equality have been jailed on suspicion of undermining security and stability. And Saudi women are still forced to seek the approval of a male relative to carry out basic acts like getting a passport, traveling outside the country, and getting married. And that Arab Fashion Week in Riyadh? Only women were allowed to attend the fashion shows, and according to the New Arab, “male fashion designers were not allowed backstage even at their own shows.” But despite all of that (or perhaps just ignoring it), the architect of these new reforms, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has been hailed as a hero in the Western press and lauded for bringing about change in the conservative country. The fashion show’s organizers may have had positive intentions, but it’s clear the country’s fight for gender equality is much more complex and rooted in deeper issues that Saudi leaders have yet to address.<doc-sep>عرض أزياء في السعودية.. كانه فيلم اشباح https://t.co/ur0bfCgoBJ — واحد oNe (@wa7d_riyadh) 1528333129000 @jinakhoushnaw @crocsushi Saudi Arabia: Where drones have more rights than women... — Valerie (@Val_Floof) 1528344411000 NEW DELHI: A women's fashion show in Saudi Arabia is making waves on social media for using drones to show off designer dresses, instead of live models.Videos of drones flying down the catwalk with spookily fluttering dresses, sans humans, have gone viral and sent Twitterati into a tizzy. While some mocked this bizzarre style statement, others expressed outrage at how the show's organisers had swapped out women for flying robots to display the clothes. "A fashion show in Saudi Arabia is like a ghost film," wrote a Twitter user. "Saudi Arabia: Where drones have more rights than women...," tweeted another.Local news site The News Arab reported that the organisers of the fashion event at Jeddah had decided to use the drones, the first such instance in a Middle-eastern country, to ensure the show was "suitable for the month of Ramzan".Further, the audience at the fashion shows were only women, with male fashion designers not even allowed backstage at their own shows.In April this year, Saudi Arabia had its first fashion week, where models paraded down the runway in Riyadh for a female-only audience.In spite of a number of gender-related reforms introduced over the last several months under the rule of Crown Prince Salman , Saudi Arabia remains an ultra-conservative society. There are many restrictions on what kind of clothes women can wear, and they are expected to cover their head with a hijab or niqab when stepping out in public.<doc-sep>While drones can do many things, they don't substitute well for models, a recent fashion show in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh showed. The intended effect of drones showing off designer clothes – including Dolce & Gabbana items – fell flat as the garments, shivering limply on metal hangers, did little to inspire. "It's like a ghost movie:" Social media in uproar over Riyadh fashion show that replaced models with drones showing off designer garments shivering eerily on hangershttps://t.co/5YeSVNYvzr pic.twitter.com/YuFjZiOPsd — DAILY SABAH (@DailySabah) June 7, 2018 Videos of the exclusive event drew ridicule on social media. "It's like a ghost movie," wrote one Twitter user. "For the people who have money but have lost their minds!" another person tweeted. In the ultra-conservative Saudi kingdom, catwalks featuring female models are only open to female audiences. To cater to a male audience, the organizers of the event told The New Arab the drones were used to make the fashion show "Ramadan appropriate." Riyadh wasn't the first to try out drones on the catwalk. Dolce & Gabbana used drone models to show off handbags a Milan runway in February, a techy twist that got better reviews despite some technical difficulties.<doc-sep>

This fashion show in Saudi Arabia would definitely be on top if we were to make a list of bizarre things on the internet this week. A video of the event in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh showing drones carrying designer clothes has gone viral on social media. Shared by Twitter user Jina on Wednesday, the tweet has amassed more than 102,000 retweets and over 175,000 likes within a few days. I’m dying at this fashion show in Saudi😂😂 they weren’t allowed female models pic.twitter.com/5xxpMBk4Nr — jina (@jinakhoushnaw) June 6, 2018 The event saw several high-end fashion brands - including Dolce & Gabbana - showcase their designs but featuring drones instead of models wearing the creations, The News Arab reported. Media reports suggest that the event organisers used drones in the conservative country to make the show “Ramadan appropriate”. But social media users couldn’t help comparing the spooky sight of floating dresses to that of “dementors” from Harry Potter book series or a “ghost fashion show”. “A fashion show in Saudi Arabia is like a ghost film,” wrote one user. ‘Where’d they get the models? Hogwarts?’ wrote another. Fashion shows in Ramadan be like.. pic.twitter.com/4jrTcPQjWF — عُمر (@OmarImranTweets) June 6, 2018 Dementors haha! — Haseem 🌈 (@haseemuzzaman) June 7, 2018 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣It’s like fucking Hogwarts in there with all the ghosts flying about 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 — Yasmine Mohammed (@ConfessionsExMu) June 7, 2018 Are you sure it’s not just that the models have become even thinner? — Stephen Herring (@Stephen_Herring) June 7, 2018 Some even questioned the state of women’s rights despite the recent reforms undertaken by the Middle Eastern country. “Saudi Arabia, where drones have more rights than women,” a user said. This is actually sad 😞 and disturbing 😟 — Bisca Chito (@BiscaChito) June 7, 2018 Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia hosted its first ever fashion week as a result of the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s bold ‘liberalising’ reforms. However, the audience was female only, and male designers were banned from backstage even at their own shows.

In a continuous effort to bring Windows closer to the open source community, Microsoft has announced that it will be shipping a full Linux kernel directly in Windows 10. The new offering will reach Windows 10 users this summer, when Microsoft issues its next Windows Insiders build. Speaking about the new addition, Microsoft program manager Jack Hammons said the Linux kernel will underpin the latest version of the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). “The kernel itself will initially be based on version 4.19, the latest long-term stable release of Linux. The kernel will be rebased at the designation of new long-term stable releases to ensure that the WSL kernel always has the latest Linux goodness,” he said. According to The Verge, this integration of Windows 10 with Linux will interface with a userspace installed through Windows Store, which the publication considers a ‘big shift’ for Microsoft. This “marks the first time that the Linux kernel will be included as part of Windows,” it says. Devs should expect considerable improvements in the performance of Microsoft’s Linux subsystem in Windows, once this implementation is complete. The company said it will regularly update this kernel. It will be completely open source, allowing devs to create their own WSL kernel and add changes. “This is the culmination of years of effort from the Linux Systems Group as well as multiple other teams across Microsoft,” Hammons concluded. “We are excited to be able to share the result and look forward to the new and interesting ways in which you will use WSL.” Image Source: Profit_Image / Shutterstock<doc-sep>Microsoft has announced something interesting for Windows 10 users that could mean buyers no longer need to decide between a Windows machine and a dedicated Linux machine like Dell's new Ubuntu workstations unveiled a few days ago. Microsoft has announced that starting with Windows 10 Insider Preview builds this summer it will include an in-house custom-built Linux kernel in the OS. That kernel will be used to underpin the newest version of the Windows Subsystem for Linux or WSL. This is the first time that a Linux kernel will be included as a component in Windows. Microsoft's Jack Hammons, program manager for Linux systems group, wrote that the term "Linux" is often used to refer to both the Linux kernel and the GNU userspace. Hammons notes that as with WSL1 and WSL2, Microsft will provide no userspace binaries with the new integrated Linux kernel. The Microsoft kernel will interface with userspace selected by the user normally added as an installation via the Windows Store. The userspace can also be sideloaded via a custom distribution package. The exception to that rule is a small init script injected to bootstrap the startup process to form the connections between Windows and Linux. Microsoft's kernel will be based on version 4.19, which Hammons says it the latest long-term stable release of Linux. He also notes that the kernel will be rebased at the designation of new long-term stable releases to be sure WSL is always on the latest Linux version. Microsoft adds that in addition to the LTS source from Kernel.org, several local patches are being applied to tune the binary for use in WSL2 by improving launch times, reducing memory footprint, and curating a minimal set of supported devices. Microsoft says that all changes go upstream, but it is possible that some patches with new features might only be included in future versions of the kernel and not be back-ported to the current LTS. The kernel Microsoft uses leverages its CI/CD system and is serviced through Windows Update in an operation transparent to the user. That means the kernel is up to date with new fixes and features in the latest stable branch of Linux. The kernel provided for WSL2 is fully open source. Instructions for creating a custom WSL kernel will be made available on Github when WSL2 is released in Insider Preview builds.<doc-sep>

Microsoft has surprised many in the Linux developer community in recent years. Surprises have included bringing things like the Bash shell to Windows, or native OpenSSH in Windows 10, and even including Ubuntu, SUSE Linux, and Fedora in the Windows Store. Microsoft is now going even further, with plans to ship a full Linux kernel directly in Windows 10. “Beginning with Windows Insiders builds this Summer, we will include an in-house custom-built Linux kernel to underpin the newest version of the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL),” explains Microsoft program manager Jack Hammons. “The kernel itself will initially be based on version 4.19, the latest long-term stable release of Linux. The kernel will be rebased at the designation of new long-term stable releases to ensure that the WSL kernel always has the latest Linux goodness.” Microsoft’s integration of Linux in Windows 10 will interface with a userspace installed via the Windows Store. It’s a big shift for Microsoft, and marks the first time that the Linux kernel will be included as part of Windows. It sounds like this Linux kernel integration will be available later this year, with a Windows 10 update that’s codenamed 19H2. For developers it should dramatically improve the performance of Microsoft’s Linux subsystem in Windows. Microsoft is also promising to update this kernel through Windows Update, and it will be fully open source with the ability for developers to create their own WSL kernel and contribute changes. Microsoft also announced Windows Terminal today, a new command line app for Windows. It’s designed to be the central location for access to environments like PowerShell, Cmd, and the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).