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Julie Jacobson/Associated Press Knicks President Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry have been clear from the start. This is going to be a slow and methodical rebuild. "It's something that we build, unlike many times in the past where you're constantly trying to hit a home run and striking out," Mills told reporters at the end-of-season press conference. "This is an opportunity for us to build something from the ground up and something we think is sustainable." The goal, Mills and Perry have said, is to have cap room and a clean roster by the summer of 2019, which isn't exactly ripping a page out of Sam Hinkie's playbook, but in Knicks-land, spending even a couple years on the sidelines during free agency is a noteworthy break from tradition. Think of it like dog years. Normal human math doesn't apply. But what do you do when new factors are introduced into the ecosystem? Do you stick by your plan, no matter what, just because you've deemed it The Plan, or do you adjust on the fly? Or, put more simply: Should the Knicks be doing everything they can to trade for Kawhi Leonard? Eric Gay/Associated Press Video Play Button Videos you might like On Friday, as you're no doubt aware, multiple nearly simultaneous reports (funny how that happens, right?) came out stating that Leonard no longer wants to play for the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs, of course, are under no obligation to acquiesce to his demands. But with Leonard set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, it'd be foolish to not gauge the market. That means a soon-to-be-27-year-old two-way stud who finished second in MVP voting in 2016 officially kicked off the NBA's silly season. And so it didn't take long for reports—information seemingly raining down from Leonard's camp—to emerge linking him to the obvious destinations such as the Lakers, Celtics and Sixers. But sandwiched in there was another report, courtesy of ESPN's Knicks ace Ian Begley: "People close to Leonard have expressed a desire for Leonard to play in New York," Begley wrote on Twitter. Knicks fans, no doubt, would like to imagine a world in which New York could nab Leonard for a package of draft picks and young players while still holding on to Kristaps Porzingis. But if Perry and Mills can pull that magic off, then the Knicks are clearly in better hands than many previously thought. More than likely, the Knicks would need to part with Porzingis to acquire Leonard. They'd probably also be looking at a package that includes the No. 9 pick in this year's draft and, say, Courtney Lee, to match Leonard's salary. The question, though, is: Should they even consider it? Jim McIsaac/Getty Images The Knicks would need some sort of commitment from Leonard that he planned on re-signing with them. The league's collective bargaining agreement would prevent Leonard, if traded, from signing an extension for six months, so this would have to be a verbal agreement. That, of course, is non-binding, meaning Leonard could change his mind after the season if his year in New York were a disaster, which would leave the Knicks without Leonard and Porzingis, and would likely lead to an angry mob burning Madison Square Garden down to the ground. But say Mills and Perry were able to get a firm commitment from Leonard's people? Leonard's uncle, who's also his agent, lives in New Jersey. Also, Leonard has spent a good chunk of the past year rehabbing in Manhattan at the gym in the Player's Association midtown headquarters. And let's not forget that Leonard, according to Michael C. Wright and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com, turned down an extension from Jordan Brand because he didn't feel it accurately reflected his standing within the NBA. That certainly sounds like a man interested in performing in a big market, meaning it might be time for Perry and Mills to take another look at their plan. When healthy, Leonard is one of the top five players in the NBA. He's a deadly scorer capable of carrying an offense. He might be the league's top wing defender. Imagine the havoc he and Frank Ntikilina could wreak on the perimeter. Together, they'd give new head coach David Fizdale the foundation to build a top-five defense. Two years ago, the Spurs won 61 games and were up by more than 20 points on the Warriors in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals before Leonard went down with an injury. Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press There's also something to be said for selling high on Porzingis. There's no arguing his talent, or his ceiling. If he can remain healthy, Porzingis should grow into the sort of stud who can win multiple scoring titles and carry a team into contention. It's the if at the beginning of that sentence that should be of concern. Porzingis, who'll be 23 in August, has already suffered injuries to his left Achilles, left groin, left leg, right shoulder, right ankle and right foot. The most notable is the ACL he tore in February, an injury he's currently recovering from. Such an injury history would be troublesome for any 23-year-old, but, as one scout put it, "His height and issues associated with it are troublesome." Not to mention that Porzingis isn't a lock to re-sign with the Knicks when he becomes an unrestricted free agent following the 2020 season. Meanwhile, trading for Leonard would give the Knicks a leg-up on inking him to a long term contract when he becomes a free agent next summer. That's not to say there aren't concerns with Leonard or reasons to be hesitant. In Fizdale's system, Porzingis could become a true top-tier big man. Fizdale has mentioned his affinity for positionless basketball multiple times since being hired. He wants Porzingis to push the ball up the floor himself after rebounds and to play in space. Hannah Foslien/Getty Images As for the ACL injury, Porzingis, by all accounts, is recovering well and is expected to return at full strength. ACL injuries are still traumatic, but, as evidenced by Jabari Parker, who's made it back after two ACL tears, they are no longer the career death sentence they once were. Also, there's Leonard's mysterious hamstring injury. And clearly he's going through some stuff, though perhaps he's just fed up with living under the Spurs shadow. "Making that move would be like taking one step forward and one step backward," a second league scout said. "You'd still have one very good player. Maybe you want him more than Porzingis, but that would be like starting again." In other word's, Leonard's a better player. But the Knicks are better off moving forward with Porzingis, Ntilikina this year's No. 9 pick and their first-round pick next year. Still, Leonard is young (just four years older than Porzingis) and already the caliber of player the Knicks hope Porzingis can one day be. The opportunity to acquire an MVP-level player in his prime doesn't come around often. But it does mean they should place a call to San Antonio just to see what it might take to bring Kawhi to New York permanently.<doc-sep>The New York Knicks are one of the teams being mentioned as a possible destination for Kawhi Leonard, but outside of Kristaps Porzingis (who’s injured with a torn ACL), they don’t have a ton of attractable assets for San Antonio. The Spurs, according to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, were intrigued by the potential of a Kawhi for Kristaps swap. The ESPN personality reported this on the air one year ago. “Guess who the San Antonio Spurs called?” Smith said. “The New York Knicks. They said they were willing to move Kawhi Leonard and clean house.” “But then they stepped back from it and changed their minds.” “I got it confirmed a few minutes ago.” The Knicks had reportedly made Porzingis available in trade talks leading up to the 2017 NBA Draft, however it was later reported that Phil Jackson just wanted to see what his young player’s value was. According to Stephen A., the Spurs at least thought about moving Leonard for him. It’s unclear what New York would’ve done. Trade talks surrounding Leonard will likely amplify in the days leading up to Thursday’s NBA Draft. Multiple teams with high draft picks are being mentioned as potential suitors. The 2018 NBA Draft is set to begin on Thursday night shortly after 7 p.m. E.T. It’ll be televised on ESPN.<doc-sep>

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 21: Kevin Knox poses with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being drafted ninth overall by the New York Knicks during the 2018 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 21, 2018 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) NBA Draft 2018: Clippers take Jerome Robinson at No. 13 by Jeremy Lambert NBA Draft 2018: Clippers take Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at No. 11 by Joseph Nation Kevin Knox was welcomed to the New York Knicks in the only way fans know how to receive draft picks. Memo to kids hoping to one day walk across the stage as NBA draft picks: If the Knicks boo you, don’t take it to heart. Knicks fans are a curmudgeon bunch, understandably so, what with the habitual bad luck and constant losing. The Knicks picked ninth in Thursday’s NBA Draft and picked the wrong guy. Well, at least if you ask fans what they thought. With Mikal Bridges still on the board — a guy many thought New York should draft — the Knicks selected Kentucky forward Kevin Knox. In true fashion, fans booed. Knicks fans react to their No. 9 selection of Kevin Knox 👀 pic.twitter.com/k9CEc2ROEu — SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 22, 2018 Knicks fanatic and Oscar-nominated director Spike Lee got behind the pick, even if he was initially hesitant. Spike Lee didn’t love it at first, but still applauds the Knicks taking Kevin Knox pic.twitter.com/1rnoAa1dEv — Sports Illustrated (@SInow) June 22, 2018 On the one hand, it’s a bummer that this kid’s big moment was spoiled by cranky fans booing a guy who has played zero NBA minutes. Kristaps Porzingis was booed, and he’s now the prodigal son of Big Apple basketball. Chances are if you get booed your career will turn out fine. That’s the way it works with Knicks fans, who are the Jets fans of the NBA. No matter who they draft, it’s always the wrong guy. We’re at a point where it’s weird if Knicks fans don’t boo a draft pick. They’re a scarred bunch, Knicks fans are. I sit across from one at work and there isn’t a day that goes by where I’m not sucked into the Renaldo Balkman or Mardy Collins wormhole. That’s where the boos are coming from. While it seems a bad look, the boos from Knicks fans are actually crying for help that Kevin Knox will save them.

We’ve been hearing rumors that Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga‘s update of A Star Is Born is something special for a while now, but those rumors mostly came without clarifying details such as who was saying it and how they actually got to see some sort of preview of the film. Well, Warner Bros. has reportedly screened the picture for the first time for an outside audience, and the reaction was just as phenomenal as all those rumors would have you believe. According to Deadline, the studio screened the movie, which marks Cooper’s directorial debut, for exhibitors (i.e., movie theater chain execs) at the Dolby Screening Room in Los Angeles yesterday. “Reaction from top exhibs was through the roof, at least those I heard from,” reports Deadline. “One major theater owner predicted Oscar nominations across the board including Picture, Director, Actor and Actress, and big box office when it opens October 5.” Another exec agreed with the assessment while also praising the sound design (so there’s that). It’s the fourth time Hollywood has made a film with the title and basic premise, and the first since 1976. That version’s star, Barbra Streisand, has also claimed to have seen “parts” of it. “I’m really proud of him,” she’s said of Cooper. “He did a great job on this film.” Finally, we have some concrete evidence that there are indeed actual people out there who have seen the movie and thoroughly enjoyed it, and not just whispers emanating from the Hollywood ethers. What’s more is that Deadline is reporting that A Star Is Born may have its official world debut on August 31st at the Venice Film Festival. While the feature would premiere outside of competition, Venice is still a major hotspot for premiering potential Oscar-worthy films. Last year alone, both The Shape of Water and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri premiered there. Still, most of us will have to wait until the official October 5th wide release to see it for ourselves. Related: A Star Is Born Trailer: The Lady Gaga Oscar Buzz Could Be Real<doc-sep>A Star Is Born (2018) type Movie genre Musical Romance The first critical reactions to Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s contemporary remake of A Star Is Born scale the peaks of Oscar buzz. The long-gestating fourth adaptation of the classic entertainment industry romance held its world premiere screening Friday at the Oscar-positioning Venice International Film Festival, where movie critics lauded Cooper’s filmmaking hand and performative chops as an aging crooner, though Gaga’s first lead role in a Hollywood production has also drawn significant praise. “Gaga’s serious-actress transformation for her first major film role will undoubtedly lead the conversation, and she deserves praise for her restrained, human-scale performance as a singer whose real-girl vulnerability feels miles away from the glittery meat-dress delirium of her own stage persona,” EW’s Leah Greenblatt, who also praises Cooper’s camera for its “feverish intimacy,” writes. The Playlist‘s Jessica Kiang similarly praises Gaga, though she observes “the star that is truly born here is Cooper as a director.” In the film, Cooper — making his directorial debut on the project — plays a fading country musician named Jackson Maine, whose personal demons prompt a dramatic downward spiral after he meets and falls for a struggling singer-songwriter, Ally (Gaga). However, Jackson’s vitality — and Ally’s burgeoning imprint on the entertainment world — takes off during their courtship, though his ongoing internal battle ultimately threatens to destroy the foundation of their relationship as well as his own creative ambitions. “That’s the soapy tragic Star Is Born concept,” writes Variety‘s Owen Gleiberman. “But what the movie does is to take this fabled melodramatic romantic seesaw and turn it into something indelibly heartfelt and revealing. Cooper directed the movie himself, working from a script he co-wrote with Eric Roth and Will Fetters, and to say that he does a good job would be to understate his accomplishment. As a filmmaker, Bradley Cooper gets right onto the high wire, staging scenes that take their time and play out with a shaggy intimacy that’s shorn of the usual ‘beats.’ The new Star Is Born is a total emotional knockout, but it’s also a movie that gets you to believe, at every step, in the complicated rapture of the story it’s telling.” The Guardian‘s Peter Bradshaw, awarding the film five out of five stars, calls the film “outrageously watchable and colossally enjoyable,” going on to herald its “dilithium crystals of pure melodrama” as well as the “ingenuous openness” of the chemistry between the film’s leads. With reference to the older iterations, Time‘s Stephanie Zacharek also feels “Cooper’s version proves there’s always a way to freshen up old material” and calls the film a “terrific melodrama for the modern age. ” In addition to starring in the film, Cooper (a four-time Oscar nominee) and Gaga (also previously nominated as a songwriter) worked together to write and record original songs (which Greenblatt calls “memorably, sturdily melodic”) for the film’s soundtrack with the latter’s frequent collaborators such as “Born This Way” producer DJ White Shadow and Joanne executive producer Mark Ronson, as well as musicians Jason Isbell, Lukas Nelson, Diane Warren, and Dave Cobb. Though it did not bow as part of Venice’s prestigious competition lineup, A Star Is Born’s Venice screening still represents a vital step on the awards trail for a film looking to break into the Oscar conversation, as the festival has ignited the Academy Award runs of films like The Hurt Locker, Gravity, Birdman, Arrival, The Shape of Water, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and eight others since 2007 that have world premiered at the Italian event before going on to win or receive a Best Picture nomination. A Star Is Born sings its way to theaters on Oct. 5. Read on for more reviews of the film from the 2018 Venice Film Festival. Leah Greenblatt (EW) “Gaga’s serious-actress transformation for her first major film role will undoubtedly lead the conversation, and she deserves praise for her restrained, human-scale performance as a singer whose real-girl vulnerability feels miles away from the glittery meat-dress delirium of her own stage persona. And the original songs (most of which Gaga and Cooper share full or partial credit for) are memorably, sturdily melodic —though not the conspicuously flat dance-pop Ally moves toward as her career swerves closer toward the mainstream.” Owen Gleiberman (Variety) “Cooper has made a jaggedly tender love story that is never over-the-top, an operatic movie that dares to be quiet. …. Gaga, in an ebullient and winningly direct performance, never lets her own star quality get in the way of the character. Or, rather, she lets us see that star quality is something that lives inside Ally but is still waiting to come out (the way it was in the young Streisand of Funny Girl).” Peter Bradshaw (The Guardian) “Cooper is arguably prettier than Lady Gaga, but she is the one who commands your attention: that sharp, quizzical, leonine, mesmeric face – an uningratiating face, very different from the wide-eyed openness of Streisand or Garland. (Weirdly, she rather more resembles Marta Heflin, playing the groupie-slash-interviewer who went to bed with Kristofferson in ’76.) Her songs are gorgeous and the ingenuous openness of her scenes with Jackson are wonderfully sympathetic. Meanwhile Cooper, whose screen persona can so often be bland and unchallenging, makes precisely this conservative tendency work for him in the role. He is so sad you want to hug him. Arguably, this film fudges some of Jackson’s dark side, by giving him partial deafness as well as alcoholism, but it is still a richly sympathetic spectacle.” David Rooney (The Hollywood Reporter) “There’s a lot to love in Bradley Cooper’s entertaining remake of A Star is Born, including his convincing portrayal of a hard-drinking country rocker in some electrifying concert scenes, and the captivating debut in a big-screen leading role of Lady Gaga as the singer-songwriter whose career he launches, only to watch it quickly eclipse his own. The first-time director’s grasp of pacing could be improved and the overlong movie can’t quite sustain the energy and charm of its sensational start. But this is a durable tale of romance, heady fame and crushing tragedy, retold for a new generation with heart and grit.” Michael Nordine (IndieWire) “So why watch A Star Is Born in 2018, when Cooper’s directorial debut is premiering in Venice as part of a world tour that’s clearly meant to crescendo on a certain stage in Hollywood next year? The answer, it turns out, is Gaga…. the pop star is resplendent as a diamond-in-the-rough singer whose booming voice and subtle expressions would make her predecessors proud. Credit to Cooper for delivering his best, most soulful performance while pulling double duty behind the camera, but it’s his co-star whose magnetism most draws you into their world — and keeps you there even when the film hits the occasional wrong note.” Jessica Kiang (The Playlist) “A Star Is Born may not be quite the greatest film ever made, as that face-meltingly hyperbolic leaked review insisted, but that hardly matters. It’s going to be a phenomenon, and it’s my happy duty to report that it’s also very good. It’s particularly good in its rousing, delightful, chemistry-laden first half that is launched like a rocket by the onstage footage of Cooper’s Jack Maine…. Unlike many similar semi-musical films, in which the tracks grind the storytelling to a halt, here the music, almost wholly originally composed for the film, does a fair bit of narrative heavy lifting from the beginning. Gently prophetic lyrics that are all about letting go of old things, longing for change when things are going well, and only really feeling like yourself when they’re going badly are complemented by Matthew Libatique‘s lovely, flare-y and immersive handheld concert sequences, that make Jack’s band look like hardworking ’70s folk-rockers and make Coachella feel like Woodstock.” Stephanie Zacharek (Time) “Bradley Cooper’s A Star Is Born, playing out of competition here at the Venice Film Festival, is just on the right side of tasteful, which is to say it’s slightly on the wrong side: It could stand to be more nutso in its expression of grand human emotions and dismal human failures.<doc-sep>Oscar-watchers always keep an eye on the other major autumn festivals too - Venice is currently under way and Toronto starts on Thursday. Many best film winners, such as The Shape of Water, have actually played at all three.<doc-sep>

It might seem like an impossible feat, but with his version of “A Star Is Born,” Bradley Cooper both puts a fresh spin on a decades-old movie staple and transcends its very place in cinema history by fixing the story, turning a classic role, finally, into a tragic figure you actually care about. For that and many more reasons (like a field that isn’t as competitive as usual), the lead actor Oscar race might be over and done with. Cooper is that good as the kind-hearted but haunted Jackson Maine, and the screenplay — from Cooper, Will Fetters, and Oscar winner Eric Roth — finely tunes his story, serving the character far better than any previous version of the tale has for Fredric March and James Mason’s Norman Maine, or Kris Kristofferson’s John Norman Howard. That you can get two paragraphs into spelling out the virtues of this film before even mentioning Lady Gaga is a testament to its density. She is, of course, sensational in her first starring role — an absolute natural. And when her version of the discovered talent, here called Ally, first steps onto a stage early in the film to perform one of her own songs for the first time — already a highlight from its positioning in the trailer alone — I’ve rarely seen so arresting a moment in cinema. Cooper’s crew, across the board, nailed this project. Cinematographer Matthew Libatique’s work, particularly in capturing the intimacy of performance numbers, is such a remove from the kind of high-gloss work you might expect from a studio production such as this. Jay Cassidy’s editing moves the story more swiftly even than William A. Wellman’s 111-minute original while giving it a singular identity in how certain sections are constructed. High marks, too, go to the teams behind the sound mix and editing of the aural elements, featuring Oscar-winning talents like Michael Minkler and Alan Robert Murray (Cooper tapping pal Clint Eastwood’s regular). Including best picture and director, where are we now? Nine nominations? Let’s push a little more… The costume design deserves a mention for Ally’s metamorphosis in the film to a full-blown pop sensation. Sam Elliott’s supporting performance as Jackson’s much older brother (it’s explained), meanwhile, was a big source of the emotion for me, particularly in one moment that so tenderly captured the stifled affection between the two men. Those are on the table as well. And we haven’t even talked about the songs. Expect the enforced maximum of two nominations, assuming Warner Bros. decides to promote as many; often studios will opt to consolidate their campaign power behind just one track for films like this that have an array of possibilities. “Shallow” is the one that represents everything this category ought to be about. You witness its birth as whispered lyrics that come to Ally in a parking lot one night, as well as its explosion onto the world stage accompanied by an arrangement by Jackson and Ally’s big trailer moment. But “I’ll Never Love Again” is the closing performance track before the credits that will send you out of the theater wiping your eyes. A few others include Cooper as a songwriter, so it’s possible he could receive upwards of five nominations for this film if one of those make it in instead. So. Yes. “A Star Is Born” (2018) is an across-the-board Oscar contender. More than that, and assuming this is even still possible in the modern era, it has the muscle to achieve what only three films in movie history ever have: Win all five major Academy Awards (picture, director, actor, actress, and screenplay). It’s that kind of accomplishment, and even more, it makes you realize what this well-worn, Oscar-winning material was capable of all along. That’s a special magic trick.

The beaches of southwest Florida are once again graveyards for marine life, thanks to a deadly "red tide" algal bloom floating just beneath the surface of the water offshore. The algae bloom has gone on way longer than usual, since November 2017. And it looks like things are going to get worse before they get better, as a separate bloom — this one called a "brown tide" — appears to be on track to intermingle with the ride tide and feed it, according to news reports. Brown tides are caused by a cyanobacterium called Trichodesmium that derives its energy from the sun, just like Karenia brevis, the alga that causes toxic red tides. While Trichodesmium can produce toxins on its own, the Miami Herald reported that the real danger is that the brown tide could become a food source for the red-tide alga if they mix. [What Is a Red Tide?] Unlike K. brevis, which lives underwater, Trichodesmium floats on the water's surface and sucks nitrogen out of the air. If the blooms cross, the Herald reported, dying Trichodesmium could serve as a source of nitrogen for the K. brevis bloom, extending its lifespan. Currently, the ongoing red tide threatens wildlife and humans along about 145 miles (233 kilometers) of coastline between Pinellas and Collier counties in southwest Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The offshore brown tide is not yet known to have mixed with the red tide. In addition to killing off marine life, red tides pose a threat to humans. Florida's Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium states that K. brevis can blow inland when a red tide is present offshore, causing coughing, sneezing, tearing and an itchy throat. People with asthma or other respiratory conditions should avoid red-tide areas, the Mote Marine Laboratory warned. Originally published on Live Science.<doc-sep>The governor is facing Sen. Bill Nelson (D) this fall at the ballot box in a contest for the senate seat Nelson has held for three terms. Each man has accused the other of failing to tackle the red-tide calamity and the simultaneous bloom of a different type of algae that is clogging rivers and canals and putting a scum on top of Lake Okeechobee.<doc-sep>In Florida, the uncontrolled growth of an alga known as "red tide" has the state in emergency. The beaches of pristine waters now have a dark colour. The red tide has left tons of dead animals, has affected local businesses and has worried the inhabitants who do not know how long this phenomenon will last.<doc-sep>High levels of red tide algae were found close to the shore of Pinellas County in Florida, according to a new update from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). A map posted on Wednesday showed high levels of the algae 10 miles off of the shore in Pinellas County, according to the FWC. The report noted several pockets of medium levels as well. The red tide consists of harmful algal blooms that occur when plants that live in fresh and seawater grow higher than average, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA). The algae can produce harmful toxins that hurt oceanic wildlife and humans. The FWC notes that the bloom happens once a year, but the recent bloom in Florida has killed fish and other marine life, as well as caused respiratory problems in humans. Despite those high levels off the shore of Pinellas County, the agency noted that the counties of Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee and Collier had "decreased cell concentrations." None of the samples that were reviewed and processed from Charlotte County over the past week contained high levels of red tide algae, also known as Karenia brevis, according to the report. There were still reports of dead fish from multiple counties across the state like Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee, and Collier counties, according to the agency. Counties like Manatee, Sarasota, Pinellas, Collier and Lee were reported to have respiratory irritation over the past week, according to the report. Earlier this month, Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency due to the red tide impact in the state, which has been affecting the area since October 2017, USA Today reported. The declaration made on August 13 directed funding and resources to Sarasota, Pinellas, Hillsborough and Manatee counties for cleanup and to rescue animals. "Biologists and scientists (will be made) available to assist in cleanup and animal rescue efforts," Scott said. Scientists have been trying different methods to clean up the algae. A machine called the Ozone Treatment System, which was developed the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida, could help clean up the harmful algae, CBS News reported. The machine processes roughly 300 gallons of water per minute, which allows it to break down water that is infected with the dangerous algae. The water is then injected with ozone, a gas that is made with oxygen by electrical discharges, and releases clean water. "This system gets rid of the red tide, gets rid of the toxins, gets rid of the excess organic matter that's decomposing," Dr. Richard Pierce of the Mote Marine Laboratory told the news station. Scientists are not the only ones getting involved in the cleanup. Four inmates in Manatee County, Florida, took part in a beach cleanup for free in early August, the Manatee County Sheriff's Office Public Information Director Dave Bristow previously told Newsweek.<doc-sep>

The annual outbreak of algae called a brown tide has begun off the coast of western Florida and scientists are hoping it doesn't meet up with the red tide that they're already facing. The brown tide near Florida is made of Trichodesmium, a cyanobacterium, or blue-green algae. The bloom occurs every year in the Gulf of Mexico and has been known to extend so far that's it's visible from space. Records of the brown tide date back to the 1700s, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Captain James Cook of the British Royal Navy first wrote about large, brown blooms in the water that looked like sandbars. Since the algae can form colonies that are big enough to be seen by the naked eye, sailors sometimes refer to it as "sea sawdust". The tide is brown when it's healthy, but when it begins to decay it turns green, then pink or red, then white. The toxins also smell sweet when they are decaying, like freshly cut hay. While some strains of Trichodesmium produce toxins, scientists haven't found that those toxins can harm animals in the water or people. And Trichodesmium is not usually a source of food for other organisms living in the water. But the brown tide feeds off iron in the air, blown to the Gulf of Mexico from the Sahara Desert. The algae has the unique ability to fix nitrogen. And the red tide, Karenia brevis, which already surrounds 130 miles of Florida coast, can feed from it, in turn, to fuel further spread. As of Friday, August 17, Manatee County, Florida, had collected 150 tons of dead fish for disposal over the previous two weeks, Manatee County Information Outreach Manager Nick Azzara told Newsweek. Right now, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is reporting that the outbreak is in offshore waters, so scientists are hoping the two tides don't end up combining. "As the Trichodesmium bloom dies and degrades, Karenia can potentially use the nutrients that are released," Vincent Lovko, a marine scientist told the Bradenton Herald, while noting it's not necessarily a merge. The red tide would use the brown tide as a food source, potentially extending its life.

Thank you for all the words of support and care; they mean a lot to me. I am seeking legal advice - as many of you have suggested. As a woman, a sister and a mother, I will continue to stand up. I will not be intimidated or bullied by offensive & sexist slurs.<doc-sep>"He is, for lack of a better word — and I really apologise for this — I'm thankful that my daughter is home in bed still and not up for school — he is slut-shaming me," Hanson-Young told ABC's Radio National this morning. "That is what he is doing." Leyonhjelm has not denied yelling the words across the floor of the Senate during a debate on Friday about whether women should protect themselves against violence with pepper spray and has since refused to apologise for the slur. Hanson-Young told the parliament that she confronted the senator to check she had heard correctly and he confirmed it, so she called him a "creep".<doc-sep>A fortnight ago, the Australian government launched what it called a world-first inquiry into sexual harassment at work in response to the revelations of the #MeToo movement. It was a widely-praised initiative, with an expectation that it would dig into what the problem was, and what needed to be done to fix it. Then David Leyonhjelm, a federal senator, delivered a real-life case study in what the problem was and how women, especially uppity women with a public profile, can expect to be treated. With perfect timing, he exposed the obvious: insulting or disagreeing with women almost invariably becomes sexual in a way that it does not for men. And parts of the media use outrage as a business model, and women – those feminist women – are all part of the show. There is nothing uniquely Australian about this, but let’s say we do sexism with Australian characteristics. The Senate was debating a motion to allow the importation of pepper spray and personal tasers to give women options to defend themselves. That motion was in part inspired by the rape and murder of 22-year-old Eurydice Dixon when she walked home through an inner-city Melbourne park in June. Greens senator Janet Rice opposed the motion in a way that highlighted the culture war debate that arose after Dixon’s death: the onus should not be on women to go to extreme lengths to combat violence, she said, when it was men’s crimes that were the issue. Sarah Hanson-Young, a fellow Green senator, interjected that “men should stop raping women”. Leyonhjelm, who was one of only five senators who supported the motion, shot back that Hanson-Young “should stop shagging men”. When Hanson-Young went over to confront him, she called him a “creep”. Leyonhjelm replied, “fuck off”. The loudest, most outrageous comment gets media attention, especially in those parts of the media that rely on it. Leyonhjelm, a member of the Liberal Democrats, is a libertarian elected to the Senate in 2013 through sheer luck. His party drew first on the ballot and, because it had “liberal” in the title, many thought they were voting for the mainstream Liberal party. So here he is, a powerful crossbencher in a divided Senate, espousing his notion of “freedom”. He’s pro same-sex marriage, wants lower taxes, is keen on privatising the ABC and campaigns to loosen gun control laws. He invited Milo Yiannopoulos to speak at Parliament House, the same Milo who during his national tour put up a photo of feminist writer Clementine Ford, with the word “UNFUCKABLE” superimposed. Leyonhjelm found Milo a “reasonable, rational sort of a guy”. Every parliament has its eccentrics, and they have a place. Having a libertarian in the house is no bad thing, however accidental his election. Yet we are in the outrage era, the angry era, the era of political disillusionment. The loudest, most outrageous comment gets media attention, especially in those parts of the media that rely on it. Sky News is a cable news channel controlled by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation. It has excellent, award-winning news programs, and a number of shouty rightwing opinion shows. Sky News decided Leyonhjelm’s remark about Hanson-Young, and his refusal to apologise to her, was so juicy it had him on twice to discuss it. On Sunday, he appeared on a little watched show called Outsiders, hosted by Rowan Dean and Ross Cameron, middle-aged rightwing culture warriors. Leyonhjelm would certainly not apologise, he said, because he was calling out misandry, or hatred of men. He hadn’t quite heard what Hanson-Young had said, but it was “to the effect of men should stop raping women, the implication being all men are rapists”. Those statements are not at all the same, but he went further. “This is not a criticism, but Sarah is known for liking men, the rumours about her in parliament house are well known, so I just said, ‘well just stop shagging men, then Sarah, it just doesn’t make any sense. If you think they are all rapists why would you shag them?’ ” The remark drips with tawdry contempt, implying that Hanson-Young sleeps around. It is such a routine way for men to dismiss women they disagree with – they’re sluts, they’re frigid, they’re ugly, they’re hot. Sky News has apologised for the “appalling” comment, and many of its credible presenters agreed. The award-winning journalist David Speers said the remarks were “completely unacceptable and should have been called out by Rowan and Ross at the time”. Something called “basic human decency” should come first. The comments were completely unacceptable and should have been called out by Rowan and Ross at the time. There’s room for plenty of opinions, but basic human decency should come first. Sexism is never ok. I’m glad Sky News has apologised. I have also contacted @sarahinthesen8 https://t.co/OuMiwhmSdJ — David Speers (@David_Speers) July 1, 2018 Sky News apologised and launched an investigation, and has in the meantime suspended a young female producer responsible for writing the strap at the bottom of the screen – which accurately recorded what Leyonhjelm said. It has not reprimanded the hosts – not Rowan Dean, who rants against feminism and identity politics and who once wrote a column blaming “climate change alarmists” for the Grenfell fire tragedy. Australia has a blokey culture, and there is considerable backlash to revelations of the ubiquity of sexual harassment Not Ross Cameron, the former Liberal MP who calls the Sydney Morning Herald the Sydney Morning Homosexual. How could these two be reprimanded? The hosts are meant to be outrageous, required to offend. Dean chuckled along as Leyonhjelm said Hanson-Young “has the right to shag as many men as she likes”. This show appears designed to be unfair and ugly and angry. It has nothing to do with “basic human decency”, so it is far easier to scapegoat a junior producer than admit the program was working entirely as planned. A day later, the hosts issued an on-air apology, saying the senator had crossed a line and seeking to disassociate themselves from “unverified rumour and innuendo” about Hanson-Young’s private life.<doc-sep>Tipping points can be hard to identify but there are abundant signs that women in political life have reached one. Sarah Hanson-Young is riled enough to brand David Leyonhjelm’s lewd personal commentary “slut-shaming” on a national radio program – a phrase that will resonate with every young feminist activist in the country. Which is, of course, why she invoked it. It’s an implicit call to action. Women in the Liberal party are not quite storming the Bastille but they are, increasingly, speaking up for themselves, and each other, and developing internal structures to support networking and advancement in a culture riddled with bias, both conscious and unconscious. Friends of mine who are professional women have made a conscious decision in the aftermath of #MeToo not to laugh off inappropriate behaviour by their male colleagues and to speak up when the default boys club culture closes against them. I’ve also made a conscious decision to do more reporting on this issue rather than tell myself I don’t have the time and there are other issues more worthy of my attention. Part of this is atonement for past mistakes. I’ve already acknowledged that while I didn’t ignore it, I didn’t do enough to call out the extraordinary sexism Julia Gillard faced during her prime ministership. I’ve said this before: it’s not that I couldn’t see it, or I was intent on somehow over-complicating it, or excusing it, or I was afraid or ambivalent about critiquing the gendered dimension of the response to Gillard. As a member of the (alleged) “progress” generation, with a lot of my own identity tied up in the belief that things were now different for women, I think my main problem was I couldn’t quite believe it was happening. The bitch, the witch and the chaff bag was cognitive dissonance that took some time to settle on me. So this is a preamble acknowledging that in the world I inhabit, we’ve washed up in a significant moment, and a positive one, with women asserting their own agency rather than trying to blend into the boys club lest their presence arbitrarily offend or unsettle anyone. Hanson-Young is absolutely right to object to unseemly trolling in her workplace in the strongest possible terms, and to use it as a case study to achieve change, given the default culture in politics leaves a lot to be desired. It’s also absolutely correct for media outlets to recognise this pushback and record this shift, because recognising and recording it is an essential part of making the change. You can sense the “but”, can’t you, and sorry, there is a but, because there is another moment we need to acknowledge. If we track back to the specifics of Hanson-Young versus Leyonhjelm, we also have to be conscious that this is a media moment. Because the story is right on the zeitgeist, because it captures raw and relatable human experience in a profession that people outside it believe is largely populated with dullards, disappointments and talking point-spouting automatons – because it runs along a cultural fault line that yawned open post #MeToo – the content is hugely read, watched, shared across social media platforms and analysed around the water coolers. If you’ve been watching Leyonhjelm with some bewilderment over the past few days – why is he doubling down, why won’t he apologise and move on – the answer to that is simple. He’s milking this moment for all its worth. He’s doing what politicians do in our disrupted age: he’s narrowcasting. He’s rallying his own supporters. 01:10 David Leyonhjelm says levelling abuse is 'normal Australian behaviour' – audio Politics as trolling is becoming hard-baked in our system, a means of rallying a tribe. Given that Leyonjhelm doesn’t mind dishing out offence, I’m sure he won’t take any when I point out the obvious: this bloke is an obscure senator facing re-election. He has to compete with other professional attention grabbers in the chamber of chaos. If that’s the imperative, wasting a good crisis would be unthinkable. Notoriety is currency. If you set your jaw and keep talking to all these content-hungry platforms – drawing out Hanson-Young who has decided for the imperative of line drawing and to engage with you point-by-point – there’s a least a couple of days in your defiance before the waterfall news cycle eventually exhausts itself. If Leyonhjelm didn’t intuit benefit in being the poor aggrieved contrarian set upon by aggro progressive feminists so wonderfully personified by Hanson-Young, he would have apologised days ago. That’s the crazy house of mirrors we all now inhabit. The first means of sustaining ourselves here is to understand that’s what’s happening – to be sharply aware of the underlying dynamics. Understand this. The disputed media cycle amply rewards these kinds of sorties, and media organisations engaged in their own narrowcasting exercises for their own purposes are only too happy to keep the cage fights flowing. This too. It’s deeply discomfiting as a journalist to understand that your core business of ensuring accountability is only ever, in these times, a heartbeat away from manipulation, from a concocted circus of rolling sensation – just ask journalists in the United States charged with recording the presidency of Donald Trump how they feel about standing on the frontline of that phenomenon. There are no easy responses. Ignore it? Not possible. We aren’t censors, and the day we decide we are, that’s the day to really start worrying. Report it a bit, but not too much? That’s hard too. Where do you draw those lines exactly when part of your public service is contributing the first draft of history? The most discomfiting of all is it’s not yet clear whether we can reach a landing point where there is a better balance between informing the public and feeding the beast. This is now the daily struggle of self-aware journalism – and its a struggle that consumers of information need us to win.<doc-sep>

Michael Masters/Getty Images) Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young Australian Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young says she is seeking legal advice over a sexual slur made by NSW crossbench senator David Leyonhjelm on Sky News yesterday. Hanson-Young says Leyonhjelm should “do the decent thing” and resign from the Senate because “he has proven himself incapable of showing respect and is unfit to represent not only women, but all decent Australians in our nation’s Parliament”. His potentially defamatory comments about Hanson-Young on Sky’s Outsiders program led to a hasty apology from the broadcaster, while a young female producer has been suspended after including Leyonhjelm’s comments in a strap line on the show. Sky News wishes to apologise to Senator @sarahinthesen8 for broadcasting appalling comments by Senator @DavidLeyonhjelm earlier today, and for highlighting them in an on-screen strap. A producer has been suspended pending an internal investigation. — Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) July 1, 2018 Similar comments are also believed to have been made on Melbourne radio station 3AW. The comment about a “well-known” rumour came after Leyonhjelm interjected during Senate chamber during debate about violence against women that Hanson-Young “should stop shagging men”. When she subsequently confronted him about the comment, Hanson-Young told the Senate that he said her to “f..k off”. “I asked whether I heard him correctly. He confirmed he yelled ‘you should stop shagging men, Sarah’,” she said. “Shocked, I told him he was a creep. His reply was to tell me to ‘f..k off’.” Leyonhjelm has refused to apologise or withdraw those earlier comments, despite a request from Senate president Scott Ryan. The senator then doubled down on Sunday morning when speaking to conservatives Rowan Dean and Ross Cameron on Outsiders, saying his fellow senator is “known for liking men”. Today, Hanson-Young said she was “seeking legal advice” over his latest comments. “I will not be intimidated or bullied by offensive, sexist slurs,” she said on Twitter. Thank you for all the words of support and care; they mean a lot to me. I am seeking legal advice – as many of you have suggested. As a woman, a sister and a mother, I will continue to stand up. I will not be intimidated or bullied by offensive & sexist slurs. — Sarah Hanson-Young???? (@sarahinthesen8) July 2, 2018 In a statement today, Hanson-Young said Lyonhjelm’s public comments “are reprehensible, hurtful and no woman, whether in public or the privacy of her own home, deserves them”. She did not comment on whether the media companies that broadcast his comments could also face legal action. “It is greatly disappointing and it sends a damaging message to our community that Senator Leyonhjelm has been given multiple platforms to continue making these harmful remarks,” she said. A senior Turnbull government senator, education minister Simon Birmingham, told Sky News today that Leyonhjelm’s comment was “appalling” and he should apologise. “I would expect that apologies would be the appropriate order of the day,” he said. On Friday, Hanson-Young wrote in the Guardian Australia that personal attacks in the Senate, as well as the level of nastiness, had gotten worse during her time in parliament. “For years I have winced and tried not to flinch at innuendos about my dress, my face (being told by older men that I don’t smile at them enough) and my apparent sex life,” she wrote. “What started as mutterings while I would be on my feet speaking, or during a debate, slowly over the years has become slurs that are now shouted across the chamber floor.” In 2015, Hanson-Young won a defamation case against Bauer Media’s now defunct Zoo Weekly magazine after it photoshopped her face on a lingerie model’s body. The magazine was forced to issue an apology and closed a few months later. Business Insider Emails & Alerts Site highlights each day to your inbox. Email Address Join Follow Business Insider Australia on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

The Kardashian-Jenner sisters are back doing the high-fashion denim and underwear campaign thing for Calvin Klein. This time, instead of Kylie Jenner hiding under a giant quilt because she was keeping her pregnancy secret during the shoot, she's out in the open posing. She's post-baby, while her sister Khloé was still expecting True Thompson. Time-wise, the campaign was shot in March, so a month after Kylie gave birth to Stormi on February 1 and a month before Khloé gave birth to True in Cleveland that April. Kim, Kendall, and Kourtney joined the two in the black and white shot that Kim shared on her Instagram: This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. And the video Calvin Klein shared: This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Alyssa Bailey News and Strategy Editor Alyssa Bailey is the news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window) Nothing gets between the Kardashians and their Calvins. The first family of reality TV has teamed up with Calvin Klein yet again for the brand’s fall 2018 denim and #MyCalvins underwear campaign, shot by Willy Vanderperre. But the second time around, instead of fueling the rumors over Kylie Jenner’s is-she-isn’t-she pregnancy, the photos feature an eight-and-a-half-months pregnant Khloé Kardashian and a post-baby Kylie alongside the rest of their underwear-clad sisters. “Being in a @calvinklein campaign has always been a dream but shooting one with my sisters and being almost nine months pregnant is so special to me!” Khloé wrote of the new shoot on Instagram. “I have this magical moment in time documented forever. Thank you Hrush [Achemyan, the family’s makeup artist] for capturing these moments!!! I miss my tummy now 😩” Khloé’s sister Kim Kardashian was equally thrilled with how the photos turned out, calling the campaign “a dream come true” on Twitter. “I never would have dreamed of this life!” she wrote. Fans of the KarJenners’ campaign are encouraged to join in on the action by using the phrase “Join Our Family #MYCALVINS” on social media, and uploading images of their own Calvin Klein-clad families to a gallery on the brand’s website.<doc-sep>Celeb obsessed? Get a daily dose of showbiz gossip direct to your inbox Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice They fell pregnant within two months of each other, yet one sister looks like she's about to pop while the other is completely flat-tummed in the latest Kardashian Calvin Klein ad. Khloe Kardashian - who gave birth to daughter True in April - can be seen cradling her bump as she poses in her undies. Meanwhile her sister Kylie - who welcomed her own little girl Stormi in February - is shown showing off her super-flat stomach in a crop top and jeans. And fans didn't know what the eff was going on. (Image: Pictures In Mind) (Image: Pictures In Mind) “Wow fake weren’t kylie and Khloe pregnant together?????? Lol” commented one baffled follower on Kim Kardashian's post. "Wait am I the only one but wasn’t Kylie pregnant too?" questioned another, while one branded the shot, "the dumbest ad I've ever seen." "Sorry girls... ur photographer has failed.." the fan added. (Image: Pictures In Mind) (Image: Pictures In Mind) It wasn't just the stomach sitch that had fans scratching their heads though,. Another was flummoxed about the size of Kourtney's arms. "I see this is photoshopped which is ok but WHY is Kortney’s left arm smaller than her right arm?” they mused. (Image: Pictures In Mind) (Image: Pictures In Mind) (Image: Pictures In Mind) And others couldn't work out what Kendall Jenner's posture was all about. "Is Kendall falling?” one wrote. However, Calvin Klein has cleared up the confusion, revealing the images were taken in Thousand Oaks, LA, in March - one month after Kylie gave birth and a month before Khloe. Mystery solved.<doc-sep>

First family of reality television are back in their smalls for new campaign In January, the Kardashian-Jenner siblings unveiled their first high-end fashion venture as a family, disrobing for iconic American label, Calvin Klein. Now, the first family of reality television have once again stripped down to their smalls for the brand’s Underwear and Jeans Autumn’18 campaign. (Supplied) Khloe Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian and Kylie Jenner for Calvin Klein Underwear and Calvin Klein Jeans Autumn'18. Image: Willy Vanderperre Sisters Kourtney, Kim and Khloe Kardashian and half-sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner, star in a series of black-and-white images taken by house favourite, Willy Vanderperre. (Supplied) Kim Kardashian for Calvin Klein Underwear and Calvin Klein Jeans Autumn'18. Image: Willy Vanderperre Dressed in Calvin Klein’s signature black and white sports inspired-underwear, the campaign sees a more natural and pared-back side to the glamorous siblings than we are used to seeing. (Supplied) Kendall and Kylie Jenner for Calvin Klein Underwear and Calvin Klein Jeans Autumn'18. Image: Willy Vanderperre When the social media stars first posed for the brand for the Spring campaign in January, it was the presence of a blanket placed strategically on a then-pregnant Kylie (who had not yet confirmed her pregnancy) that set tongues wagging. (Supplied) Kylie Jenner, Khloe kardashian, Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian and Kendall Jenner for Calvin Klein Underwear and Calvin Klein Jeans Spring 18. Image: Willy Vanderperre For their second act, it’s the presence of a heavily pregnant Khloe and a post-baby Kylie, who gave birth to her daughter Stormi in February -- four weeks before the campaign was shot -- that are the two strongest visuals. (Supplied) Khloe Kardashian for Calvin Klein Underwear and Calvin Klein Jeans Autumn'18. Image: Willy Vanderperre The world’s highest-paid model and the second youngest Kardashian-Jenner sister Kendall, took on the role of photographer behind the scenes, documenting intimate moments from the shoot on her Contax T2 camera. "It’s nice being on set and getting to take pictures of my sisters again. They’re all so beautiful, which makes them easy to photograph," Jenner told US Vogue. "These are good memories to have." Joining the Kardashian-Jenners as current Calvin Klein muses are actresses Saoirse Ronan and Lupita Nyong'o and New Zealand model sister duo, Kate and Georgia Fowler.

When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Barrios appeared to move his head into Jordan Henderson’s chest and then quickly move his head up onto the England star’s chin in the first half. However, Barrios was only given a yellow card despite the use of the Video Assistant Referee. Clattenburg says the first contact was only a yellow but claims the movement up was violent conduct and a red card should have been brandished. “Clearly England are not getting any justice with the VAR system,” he said on ITV. England vs Colombia LIVE: World Cup updates<doc-sep>It took three minutes for Harry Kane to take and convert the penalty once it was awarded due to Colombian dissent The poor referee. Mark Geiger was not given a moment’s peace in England’s last-16 clash against Colombia. 1 Colombians surround the ref Three minutes elapsed between Carlos Sanchez wrestling Harry Kane to the floor and the penalty being converted. In that time, the Colombians were surrounding the referee and scuffing up the penalty spot for good measure. It got worse from there, with every decision contested with real aggression. England fans on Twitter found the whole thing rather distasteful. Here are the best tweets: The state of Colombia.. now deliberately scuffing up the penalty spot. — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) July 3, 2018 This is ridiculous. Every one of Colombia’s players heads have gone. Fouls everywhere, surrounding the ref and berating him because they can’t deal with England. Horrible game to referee. #COLENG #WorldCup — UNILAD Football (@UNILADFooty) July 3, 2018 Can’t believe Colombia just gave up after 3 minutes of arguing with the ref. I think he was just about to change his mind. — Ben Higgins (@BenHigginsSD) July 3, 2018 Colombia are somewhat disconnected from the plot right now. — AS English (@English_AS) July 3, 2018 Ref needs to get a hold of this game, Colombia’s behavior is an absolute disgrace. — Gary Whitta (@garywhitta) July 3, 2018 Seems Colombia players could physically assault the Ref and still not get sent off. Awful ‘men’. — Simon Phillips (@SiPhillipsSport) July 3, 2018 This is quite disgraceful from Colombia and the ref needs to take control. — Jon 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🦁 (@Melbourne_Red) July 3, 2018 Ref has lost control of this match completely, Colombia behaving disgracefully — DELTΔ HEΔVY (@DeltaHeavyUK) July 3, 2018 Colombia are a disgrace. Start yellow carding them. Ref has lost control. — Gary Webster (@RealGaryWebster) July 3, 2018 Anyone else see the Colombia player grinding up the penalty spot with his foot while arguing with the ref? — Nick Wing (@nickpwing) July 3, 2018 Latest World Cup news change FIFA considering proposals to hold men's and women's World Cup every two years talkSPORT are with listeners all day and all night at this year’s 2018 FIFA World Cup™ with more than 800 hours of World Cup content and all 64 games live across the talkSPORT network.<doc-sep>World Cup: Burley predicts Rodriquez won't play against England FREE for the biggest new releases, reviews and tech hacks SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up forfor the biggest new releases, reviews and tech hacks When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. England vs Colombia is on right now, and VAR has already made a big impact on the game. England have navigated their way through to the Round of 16, beating out Panama, Tunisia, and losing against a second-string Belgium to qualify second in the group. England football team has had its fair share of VAR controversy at this World Cup, with the new refereeing technology making a big impact on how the game flows and how decisions are made. Colombia's antics on the field have caused fans to wonder if VAR is actually better than an on-the-pitch referee. Fans are divided on how successful the new technology has been, but is it better than just using a referee? What is VAR and how does it work? VAR is a simple piece of technology that adds an extra official to the game to review incidents after the fact to see if the on-pitch referee made the correct decision. Similar to that of video referees in Rugby, or the Hawk Cam in Tennis, match officials can request an external referee to review the footage of a particular incident to judge if any further action should be taken. During the World Cup 2018, 13 officials will be available as video assistant referees, basing in Moscow to review matches across the country as they happen. Oddly enough, VAR referees will be dressed in full referee-match kits, despite being nowhere near any of the stadiums. England vs Colombia VAR: What is VAR? Is it better to use VAR rather than relying on a ref? Officials will have access to a huge array of camera angles during each game, with one VAR referee being assisted by three other officials. During a game, the VAR referee can immediately communicate to the match official if they believe further action needs to be taken on a particular incident, whether that is a handball appeal for a penalty, a red-card offence or a ball teetering across the goal line. The VAR is only available as an advisor, and cannot make direct decisions for the referee, who can opt to choose whatever course he wishes, even if that goes directly against VAR advice. England team predicted to face Colombia in World Cup Round of 16 Mon, July 2, 2018 England face Colombia in the World Cup Round of 16 – how will Gareth Southgate's men line up? Play slideshow Getty Images 1 of 11 GK – Jordan Pickford You will know when VAR is being called for when the match official stops the game to makes a box-like TV gesture, heading over to the TV review station to watch the footage through again. FIFA has stipulated that players cannot make the VAR gesture themselves in protest or to influence the referee or suffer a booking. The technology available to VAR referees allows them to review live footage in real-time with access to dozens of on-pitch cameras as well as a slow-motion video replay. They will have a constant, live link to all match officials during each game, allowing for open communication throughout the match. Is VAR better than using a referee? Is VAR better than using a regular referee? VAR has proved controversial to many football fans, with many critics complaining the technology will disrupt the flow of the game. Many other critics have also complained that VAR has failed in its duty to properly manage a football game, with many of this year’s World Cup 2018 decisions causing more confusion and controversy than just a regular referee’s decision. Fifa president Gianni Infantino says the system has been a "great success", but that work is needed on "the details" such as the speed of decisions. "Without the VAR, we would have had a different tournament and it would have been a little less fair," he added. VAR has proved unpopular among many football fans<doc-sep>

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Colombia’s efforts to reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the second straight time were hampered by refereeing interruptions and constant calls from England’s players for fouls in the South Americans’ last 16 loss on penalties, said coach Jose Pekerman. Soccer Football - World Cup - Round of 16 - Colombia vs England - Spartak Stadium, Moscow, Russia - July 3, 2018 Colombia coach Jose Pekerman before the match REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov Colombia missed one penalty and saw another saved in the shootout to go down 4-3 after forcing the game to extra time courtesy of a last-gasp equalizer by Yerry Mina that saw them level the scores at 1-1. But Pekerman said the England players were demanding fouls which in his opinion were not, complaining to American referee Mark Geiger and affecting the flow of Colombia’s game. “There were many situations, as expected, and everybody knew the match would be like this and I think we have to try to defend football,” the Argentine coach said. “We have to do something to protect football when certain situations arise. It is uncomfortable to play this match with such refereeing decisions.” “When there are so many fouls that just cannot happen. We have to find ways to avoid that.” England went ahead with a 57th minute Harry Kane penalty after the forward was wrestled to the ground but Pekerman said England’s players were constantly attempting to force decisions. “A player fakes a foul, they are trying to get the referee to book another player,” he said. “There is a lot of confusion with this type of play. All those situations are determining situations.” The game was bad-tempered and Geiger at times allowed players to get away with dissent. In total six Colombia players were booked to England’s two. “We saw a difficult match and this does not mean that England have not done well,” Pekerman said, adding that his team had also failed to pose a greater threat in the area. “It was very difficult to get into the match. There was a lot of rhythm and speed but as soon as the ball was in the box my players were not cool and composed. They were a bit afraid.” “We did not use our football to create more danger.” Colombia were also missing injured talisman James Rodriguez through injury. “One of our key players was not present,” Pekerman said. “In terms of creative football and finishing James is a decisive player. Unfortunately he was not in top shape.”

The September National Geographic cover story follows Katie Stubblefield as she is given the face of 31-year-old donor Adrea Schneider, a woman who died of a cocaine overdose. 21-year-old Katie had been waiting three years for a donor face after a self-inflicted rifle injury and, last year, she became the youngest person ever to get a face transplant. Her procedure took 31 hours to complete and many more operations and months of rehabilitation are still required. After surviving her suicide attempt, Katie Stubblefield hopes to help people who are struggling. For Americans her age, suicide is the second leading cause of death, and the overall rate increased 28 percent from 1999 to 2016. "Whatever is going on in your life, I would say that it's only temporary," Katie says. "And no matter what it is, there's always someone you can talk to." If you think you can stomach the graphic images of the surgery, head over to National Geographic to get the full story. They documented Katie, her family, and her doctors before, during and the year following the surgery: How a Transplanted Face Transformed Katie Stubblefield's Life. Previously: Amazing face transplant gives firefighter new mug (Neatorama), screenshot via Nat Geo<doc-sep>After having more than 20 surgeries over four years, Katie Stubblefield finally has a new face. In May of last year, doctors at the Cleveland Clinic helped the then 21-year-old become the world’s 40th face transplant recipient, and the youngest in U.S. history. Today, Stubblefield, whose story was first told in National Geographic’s September cover story, is recovering well — and adjusting to the novel life, identity and reality that come with her new appearance. “I’m starting over in a lot of ways,” Stubblefield says through her parents, Robb and Alesia. (Her speech is still recovering after jaw and tongue surgery last month.) “I feel like I’m a toddler again. I’m having to learn everything all over again.” Dr. Brian Gastman, a plastic surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic who was part of Stubblefield’s care team, says the next chapter of her story will be about embracing this new normal. “As a face transplant patient, you have a new identity. She’s going to influence people in ways she could never have done before. It’s a different outlook,” Gastman says. “I think she can rebuild; that’s what she’s doing.” For a while, rebuilding didn’t look like a guarantee. Stubblefield lost a large portion of her face, and nearly her life, after shooting herself in a 2014 suicide attempt. In the aftermath, the then-teenager underwent surgery after surgery — first to save her life, then to try to repair the damage. At first, Gastman says a face transplant was “sort of pie-in-the-sky,” a distant second priority to Stubblefield’s more pressing medical needs. But eventually, as Stubblefield stabilized, the operation began to look possible. The team knew it would be difficult. Stubblefield’s injuries were extensive. Her youth meant that her immune system was particularly strong, potentially increasing her chances of rejecting a transplant. Her prior suicide attempt raised mental health concerns. And the chances of finding a suitable face donor — who would need to be female and of similar age and complexion — were slim. But after a lengthy evaluation period, which involved “many, many months” of ensuring that Stubblefield understood the risks and demands of the procedure, Gastman and his team pressed forward. “She was just about to start true womanhood: being able to have children, finding a mate, going to college, getting a job, being a homeowner, all those things. She had not had any of that experience. [Not getting a face transplant] would just freeze her in time,” Gastman says. “As a father myself of a daughter who is her age, I felt really strongly that she was an even better candidate because of the potential of a face transplant and what it can do for a young person.” In May 2017, after 14 months of waiting and one false start, doctors found a match in Adrea Schneider, a 31-year-old from Ohio who died of a drug overdose, and whose family opted to donate nearly all of her organs. Over the course of a 31-hour operation, Gastman and his Cleveland Clinic colleagues worked to attach Schneider’s face to Stubblefield’s body. “It’s so important for people to be a donor to help other people out,” Stubblefield says now. “So many people are still waiting for donors; there’s thousands of people that are in need of organs or tissue. People are dying every day because they don’t have a donor.” Six years ago, thanks to a different donor, Richard Norris got a similar second chance. Norris, now 43 and living in Louisiana, had a full facial transplant at the University of Maryland Medical Center in 2012, 15 years after a serious gun accident. After the surgery, he says, his outlook and quality of life changed almost immediately. “For 15 years I walked around having no face, having a surgical mask, living as a recluse. After the transplant, I was able to walk down the sidewalk just like a normal person. That’s a huge change,” Norris says. “The first time I walked outside of the hospital…the first thing I could smell was freshly cut grass. I hadn’t been able to smell for 15 years.” The relief of that return to normal life, Norris says, was enough to overshadow any difficulties of adjusting to his new appearance. “I don’t think I really had an identity crisis, because I lived so long disfigured. You go from looking like a very normal person, to one day you wake up and you’re completely disfigured and you don’t look nothing like you did before,” Norris says. “That’s when the identity crisis really starts. Every time I looked in the mirror, I didn’t see myself. After the transplant, I started to see myself.” Dr. Sheila Jowsey-Gregoire, an associate professor of psychiatry at the Mayo Clinic who has worked with several of the hospital’s face transplant candidates or recipients, says that’s not an uncommon reaction. While patients like Stubblefield and Norris must start over, that’s something they’ve already had to grapple with, Jowsey-Gregoire says. “Often, these patients have facial trauma, and they’ve already gone through that [adjustment] process once before,” Jowsey-Gregoire says. “That’s kind of an example of how resilient people can be, that they can go through such a traumatic experience and be able to adapt to it and carry on.” And while adjusting to a new face in the mirror may breed some self-consciousness, Jowsey-Gregoire says building that resilience is often one of the only significant ways transplant patients’ personalities change after the procedure. (Nonetheless, patients go through extensive post-operative counseling to ease the transition, she says.) “We stay fundamentally who we are, despite whatever happens to the exterior of us. These folks have a core personality that remains the same,” she says. “What differs over time is they often have to build resilience, and they become more resilient in problem-solving and coping and adapting. They still remain the person that they’ve always been.” In Stubblefield’s case, that’s a person dedicated to helping others, and using her experience for good. As she recovers from her transplant, Stubblefield says she’s looking forward to eventually going to college and getting the training necessary to help others, either through teaching, counseling or raising awareness about suicide prevention. “Life is precious and life is beautiful. Life is a gift,” Stubblefield says. “No matter what you are walking through, there is someone that you can talk to. There’s always help available when you hit that low point. I’m very thankful to be in a position to share about that.” Get our Health Newsletter. Sign up to receive the latest health and science news, plus answers to wellness questions and expert tips. Please enter a valid email address. * The request timed out and you did not successfully sign up. Please attempt to sign up again. Sign Up Now An unexpected error has occurred with your sign up. Please try again later. Check the box if you do not wish to receive promotional offers via email from TIME. You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thank you! For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder. Write to Jamie Ducharme at jamie.ducharme@time.com.<doc-sep>

KATIE Stubblefield was the youngest ever person to receive a face transplant. Here we look at her amazing story, from nearly dying to the extraordinary facial surgery that has given her a new start. 4 Thanks to her incredible operation, Katie Stubblefield is forging a new life Credit: Cleveland Clinic Who is Katie Stubblefield? Katie, from Oxford, Mississippi, tried to take her own life on March 25, 2014, after her boyfriend dumped her. The 21-year-old lost her face after shooting herself aged 18 in her brother's bathroom. She can’t remember doing it but it did come after a series of personal setbacks which included finding out her boyfriend was texting another girl. She had also recently undergone surgery for a painful gut condition. 4 Katie lost her forehead, nose and sinuses after shooting herself in the face, but has since received the face of a woman who died of a drug overdose Credit: Cleveland Clinic What did she look like before her face transplant? Miss Stubblefield survived but was left fighting for her life. She had lost her forehead, nose and sinuses. Her mouth was also gone except for the corners of her lips. Meanwhile, much of the bones that make up the jaws and front of her face were blown off too. Her eyes remained - but they were askew and badly damaged. 4 Katie Stubblefield before the incident and after her face transplant - the final result may not look exactly like she did, but it did give her a face Credit: Stubblefield family photo/Martin Schoeller What was involved in her face transplant? On May 4, 2017, Cleveland Clinic surgeons sewed on to her the face of mother-of-one Adrea Schneider, 31, who died of a drug overdose. The 31-hour operation was the longest of its kind ever carried out. As well as having a face, she can now chew, swallow and breathe independently for the first time in years. The op had been paid for by the US Department of Defence through the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine. 4 Katie Stubblefield's story will be told in September's National Geographic Magazine Credit: National Geographic Magazine MOST READ IN NEWS GONE WITH THE WIND Remedies to get rid of trapped wind - from avoiding foods to exercise GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT How to get rid of piles - from getting exercise to avoiding codeine CANCER SCARE Most deadly skin cancers DON'T start in existing moles - here's how to spot the signs CHIN UP Forget liposuction! This injection will banish your double chin by 'melting away the flab' WARNING LINE Warning over black line on nails after 'beautician spotted it on client now diagnosed with cancer' CHANGE IS BETTER THAN A REST This is how often you should change your pillow cases - to avoid blackheads and breakouts What is she doing now? Katie is recovering, learning Braille, and hopes to become a counsellor to help others. She was discharged on August 1, 2017 and continues to take a variety of immunosuppressant drugs to ensure her body does not reject her new face. The 22-year-old is also re-learning how to walk and speak while also continuing to undergo therapy. She plans on attending online college soon to pursue this career as well as learning motivational speaking, specifically to raise awareness about suicide and how to prevent people taking their own lives. Katie's story will be told in the next issue of UK National Geographic edited by Katie Piper. The issue will be on shelves in the UK from September 2018. If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans on 116123.

A preview of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ahead of the 2018 season. Check back every day for a new 2018 team preview in this year’s NFL power rankings countdown. Up first is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Keegan’s highest rated player: Gerald McCoy, defensive lineman Biggest strength: Defensive line Biggest weakness: Offensive line Best offseason move: Drafting Ronald Jones Worst offseason move: Not improving the offensive line Game to circle on calendar: Week 4, at Chicago Breakout candidate: O.J. Howard, tight end Key players in contract years: Jacquizz Rodgers, Adam Humphries, Donavan Smith, Ali Marpet, Kwon Alexander and Brent Grimes Offensive preview This team will get off to a bad start offensively as they will be without Jameis Winston for the first three weeks of the season. Ryan Fitzpatrick is a solid backup quarterback, but I doubt he will be able to beat the likes of Drew Brees, Carson Wentz and Ben Roethlisberger to start the season. This offense won’t pose much of a threat for opposing defenses, even when Winston gets back. Running the ball will be paramount this year, and Ronald Jones will help that cause. He is a sleeper offensive rookie of the year candidate. Unfortunately, Jones won’t get much help from his mediocre offensive line. This team has some talent at the receiver and tight end positions with names like Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson, Cameron Brate, and O.J. Howard. Defensive preview Tampa Bay has a solid defensive line which features three established veterans and a promising rookie in Gerald McCoy, Jason Pierre-Paul, Vinny Curry and Vita Vea. This is by far the biggest strength for this Tampa Bay team, and I believe this defensive line will do a solid job in stopping the run. The rest of the front seven is a little sketchy with Lavonte David and Kwon Alexander as the only other difference-makers in the front seven. Tampa Bay’s secondary is in desperate need of help. Vernon Hargreaves still has some potential, but he has yet to show that he can be an everyday shutdown corner. Brent Grimes is past his prime. Chris Conte has some positive traits, but he’s an average safety at best. This secondary will have a difficult time stopping the likes of Drew Brees and Carson Wentz. Coaching staff/front office preview Dirk Koetter will likely be on the hot seat at the end of the season. He will need to show that Tampa Bay can improve from its mediocre 2017 season if he wants to keep his job. Mike Smith is a solid defensive coordinator, and could get some looks for another head coaching job if he can help mold this defense into something more than a mediocre mess in 2018. Tampa Bay has an experienced general manager in Jason Licht; Buccaneers fans should be confident in him. So far, the biggest mistake of his tenure has been passing on Marcus Mariota, but he’s mostly been a reliable GM for this team. Overall outlook for 2018 This roster looks like a dumpster fire headed into the season, and the Buccaneers should be looking for a new quarterback in the 2019 offseason if Jameis Winston plays anything like he did last year. This team has a strong chance of starting out 0-3, and they are the only team in the NFC South that is in need of a franchise quarterback.<doc-sep>With training camp underway around the NFL, the Green Bay Packers make the top 10 of our latest power rankings. The 2018 NFL season is almost here. Training camp is beginning around the league — the Green Bay Packers get started this Thursday. Each team has a number of tough roster decisions to make at camp. For the Packers, the top positional battles include backup quarterback, wide receiver, right guard and right tackle. Aaron Rodgers is fully healthy, and that makes the Packers contenders for another championship. But how does the roster compare to the other teams in the NFL? Last season proved just how important Rodgers is to the Packers. Without him for half the year, Green Bay lost nine games, finishing with its first losing record since 2008, which was the same season it last failed to reach the playoffs. If Rodgers misses time again this year, the Packers won’t be in Super Bowl contention. But new general manager Brian Gutekunst has tried to fix some of the weaknesses on the roster that could have made a difference last season. Let’s get started with the power rankings. With training camp underway and preseason just around the corner, here’s our latest rankings. Which teams will be serious Super Bowl contenders this season, and which teams should already be focusing on next year’s draft?<doc-sep>The New Orleans Saints were a miracle away from the NFC Championship Game a year ago. Now, with an aging Drew Brees, they charge toward a title once more. A final run for the Saints, already? It feels like this edition just showed up, and in many ways, it did. New Orleans won the Super Bowl back in 2009, but only Drew Brees remains on the roster from that championship glory. Going into 2018, the team is led by a new crop that includes last season’s Offensive Rookie of the Year in Alvin Kamara and the Defensive Rookie of the Year in Marhson Lattimore. The supporting cast around them is abundant, with Michael Thomas, Mark Ingram, Sheldon Rankins, Cameron Jordan, and Brees leading the way. In short, the Saints have all the makings of a team set to be a threat for years, save for one important number: 39. That’s the age of Brees, who still remains the most important player on the team by a wide margin. New Orleans doesn’t have time for its core to mature, which is why you saw aggressiveness (perhaps recklessness) out of general manager Mickey Loomis during the draft. The Saints traded up 13 spots and dealt away next year’s first-round pick to the Green Bay Packers in order to select Marcus Davenport, a bookend to Jordan on the defensive line. For many, including yours truly, that move represented both a severe overpay and clear desperation from a front office worried about winning today and little else. Simultaneously, though, it showcased a team understanding it’s situation. Those running matters down in the Bayou understand the truth about today’s NFL. Without a star quarterback, it is brutally difficult to win big. Brees represents a first-ballot Hall of Famer under center who remains near the peak of his powers. Unfortunately, approaching 40 years old, one hit can change that narrative quickly. In a loaded NFC South with the likes of the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers, the Saints are fighting a tough battle. Their quarterback is aging, the division isn’t forgiving and the conference in totality is a gauntlet. Yet for all those hard truths, here’s the most important one of all: New Orleans is good enough to win it all right now. Few teams are more complete across the board, with the Saints finally having a capable defense to accompany an explosive offense. New Orleans doesn’t have to be dominant defensively, but simply good enough to tamp down a few drives and take the ball away on occasion. With Brees still able to throw the ball around the Superdome at will, the Saints are both prolific and dangerous for all who face them. That statement won’t be true forever, but for now, Brees and Co. are a force to be reckoned with. Power rankings Top 10 bygone venues in NFL history 1. Memorial Stadium – Baltimore Colts 2. RFK Stadium – Washington Redskins 3. Orange Bowl – Miami Dolphins 4. Mile High Stadium – Denver Broncos 5. Cleveland Municipal Stadium – Cleveland Browns 6. Metropolitan Stadium – Minnesota Vikings 7. Three Rivers Stadium – Pittsburgh Steelers 8. Wrigley Field – Chicago Bears 9. Astrodome – Houston Oilers 10. Veterans Stadium – Philadelphia Eagles Quotable “Us NFL players, we’re just mad about NBA contracts right now, that’s all. Those guys are getting like $150 [million]. It’s crazy. It’s insane.” – Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley on the contracts for NBA and NFL players It’s tough to blame Gurley for this stance, but it’s a pipe dream. The NBA has rosters a quarter of the standard NFL roster, along with a heavier reliance on stars. Additionally, the Association is run by said stars with farmer control than any NFL player. has, including quarterbacks. Still, Gurley should be enthused. The NFL’s cap has been rising more than $10 million on average each of the past five years. Contracts are only going to get larger, something we might see this summer with the likes of Khalil Mack, Julio Jones, David Johnson and Jadeveon Clowney, among others. Podcast Matt Verderame is back this week, re-joining Josh Hill to talk all things NFL on the latest Stacking The Box episode. Make sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and/or watch the episodes every Monday afternoon on FanSided’s Facebook page at 1 p.m. ET. Random stat There is not a single NFL team that has played a postseason game against all of its conference opponents. Info learned this week 1. LeSean McCoy faces ugly allegations of abuse LeSean McCoy might be in very serious trouble. The Buffalo Bills running back was accused on Tuesday of beating his ex-girlfriend, Delicia Cordon, by her friend in a graphic Instagram post. The now-deleted photo included a caption that alleged McCoy also beat his dog and son, did illegal drugs and took steroids. In the aftermath, McCoy denied any involvement of the brutal home invasion, although Cordon’s subsequent allegations (and her initial 911 call) state her belief that McCoy had her set up. If McCoy was involved in this, in any way, jail time could be forthcoming. As for his NFL days, it’s tough to see him surviving something this ugly if any fraction of the accusations are proven true. The Buffalo star has hired Don Samuel to represent him, the same lawyer who was involved in the Ray Lewis double-murder trial. Of course, all the facts need to come to light and the legal system has to play out, but this is a horrific situation that may involve one of the league’s top players. 2. Giants, Redskins land corners in supplemental draft A pair of NFC East rivals added to their defenses during the NFL’s Supplemental Draft. The Giants nabbed Sam Beal out of Western Michigan, using a third-round choice to bolster their secondary. Washington waited until the sixth, landing local product Adonis Alexander out of Virginia Tech. While neither projects to be a starter out of training camp, both should provide intriguing projects with high upside, particularly in the case of Beal. The Giants have seen Eli Apple become a bust to this point, so if the youngster can show promise early, perhaps he finds his way onto the field. As an aside, the first player to be taken in the history of the supplemental draft was Al Hunter, a running back who went to the Seattle Seahawks in 1977. Seattle dipped into the pool again 10 years later, selecting Brian Bosworth. The only Hall of Famer ever taken in the supplemental draft? Cris Carter, three rounds after Bosworth to the Philadelphia Eagles. 3. Franchise tag deadline comes today The deadline for players on the franchise tag to sign a long-term deal is Monday afternoon, and reports are calling for a slow day. Defensive ends Ziggy Ansah and DeMarcus Lawrence of the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys, respectively, are not expected to come to terms. Both are being tagged for the first time, and will receive $17.143 million in 2018. They can negotiate again after the season ends, although it’s likely both will hit unrestricted free agency. Meanwhile, Le’Veon Bell is the major name to watch. It’s believed that his camp and the Steelers have made progress toward a pact, although nothing is imminent. Pittsburgh might be wise to let Bell play out his second consecutive season on the tag before letting him walk, considering running backs wear down quickly, and Bell has taken on plenty of punishment. Last year, Bell had 406 touches in 15 games, while in 2016 he amassed 336 in 12 contests. Although only 26 years old, it’s reasonable to think his next contract will look like an overpay in short order. 4. Hall of Fame jilts T.O. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is holding its annual induction ceremony the first weekend of August, and Terrell Owens won’t be part of it. Despite being a member of the esteemed 2018 class, Owens decided not to show up, instead holding his own party in Tennessee. In retaliation, the Hall of Fame won’t mention Owens during any of the weekend’s individual portions. Frankly, it’s the right move by the committee.<doc-sep>

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images NFL fans will learn much about the NFL in the coming weeks. Training camps continue to begin across the league, with rookies reporting ahead of veterans and what is sure to be endless reports and speculation seeping into the mainstream media via both open and closed sessions. That means it's the best time of year, naturally. When last checking in to examine standings the Philadelphia Eagles were kings of the league, while elite quarterbacks and quality drafting had a way of helping a team soar up the rankings. Little changes now as camps begin—at least for now. 2018 NFL Power Rankings Rank Team 1 Philadelphia Eagles 2 Pittsburgh Steelers 3 Green Bay Packers 4 New England Patriots 5 Minnesota Vikings 6 Los Angeles Rams 7 Atlanta Falcons 8 New Orleans Saints 9 Los Angeles Chargers 10 Washington Redskins 11 Jacksonville Jaguars 12 Tennessee Titans 13 Detroit Lions 14 San Francisco 49ers 15 Carolina Panthers 16 Dallas Cowboys 17 Seattle Seahawks 18 Houston Texans 19 Cincinnati Bengals 20 Oakland Raiders 21 Kansas City Chiefs 22 Denver Broncos 23 Chicago Bears 24 New York Giants 25 Buffalo Bills 26 Baltimore Ravens 27 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 28 Arizona Cardinals 29 Miami Dolphins 30 New York Jets 31 Indianapolis Colts 32 Cleveland Browns author's opinion Video Play Button Videos you might like Biggest Potential Faller: 10. Washington Redskins Nick Wass/Associated Press Some might scoff at having the Washington Redskins so high before the season even begins. But as far as big winners of the offseason go, it's hard to ignore Washington. As an aside, some of the team's biggest additions happen to be features that propel teams up power rankings. Start at quarterback. Alex Smith isn't the most popular guy by any means, but the 34-year-old veteran is coming off the best statistical year of his career, completing 67.5 percent of his passes with 4,042 yards, 26 touchdowns and five interceptions while averaging eight yards per completion. The yards, touchdowns and average were career highs. Smith doesn't think his career-best numbers topped out in 2017, either: Normally this would just sound like silly offseason talk, sure. But the Redskins did well in adding a deep threat like Paul Richardson, and the offense grabbed every-down back candidate Derrius Guice in the second round. This hasn't even touched on the defense yet, where first-round tackle Daron Payne joins Jonathan Allen in the trenches. Before the latter got hurt a year ago, the Redskins fielded one of the better outright units. If Smith gets clicking in Jay Gruden's smooth play-calling and schemes early, the NFC East gets even more convoluted. If not, the preseason hype will come crashing back to Earth. Biggest Potential Riser: 23. Chicago Bears Nam Huh/Associated Press It all hinges on the quarterback. On paper, the Chicago Bears improved by leaps and bounds over the offseason. The offense added both Allen Robinson and second-round draft pick Anthony Miller. Robinson, of course, was one of the biggest prizes of free agency after topping out with 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2015 with the Jacksonville Jaguars. As for Miller, while not as big of a name, he could have a major impact right away, an idea that meshes well with reports out of camp already: This all sets up nicely for Mitchell Trubisky as he heads into 2018 as the starter after appearing in 12 games as a rookie. His numbers didn't blow anyone away, but the poise and throws he flashed at times hinted at yet more big-time potential for a quarterback class brimming with talent. Trubisky should have a superb defense behind him, too. Not only is defensive lineman Akiem Hicks one of the best outright players in the league, the Bears managed to retain starting corners Prince Amukamara and Kyle Fuller. It's also easy to forget the Bears used a top-10 pick on Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith, one of the surest picks in the draft who should have the freedom to make plays behind a superb defensive line. Should it all come together, Trubisky has a superb environment to develop in on the fly while the Bears turn things around and make the NFC North more interesting than it already is. Don't Sleep on Them: 24. New York Giants Seth Wenig/Associated Press It's all too easy to overlook the New York Giants.

The Telegraph Two of the surprise packages of this clay-court season have been British – initially Dan Evans, who made a deep run in Monte Carlo, and more lately Cameron Norrie, who played his second final in three weeks on Sunday. Unfortunately, Norrie wasn’t able to land a maiden ATP title in Lyon. But then he was up against Stefanos Tsitsipas, who has been the dominant force of 2021 outside the slams, and now stands at No 1 in the table of most rankings points gained since January 1. Nevertheless, it had been a hugely creditable effort for Norrie to go this far, especially when you consider that he took out top seed Dominic Thiem on Thursday, and then trounced big-hitting Russian Karen Khachanov in Saturday’s semi-final, losing only two games in the process. Norrie has come to clay late in his career, but it feels like this is developing into his favourite surface. He has one of the heaviest left-handed forehands in the game, loaded with top-spin, and uses it like a miniature version of Rafael Nadal. The result has been a tally of 14 wins and only four losses since he began his European clay-court swing in Barcelona. So while the French Open, which starts next Sunday, has traditionally been a graveyard of British hopes, there are reasons to hope that this year’s event could deliver some more positive results. Norrie’s previous final in Estoril had been a nervewracking affair which he eventually lost on a deciding-set tie-break to the more experienced Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas. Sunday was more straightforward for Tsitsipas, who needed only 69 minutes to hammer home a 6-3, 6-3 victory. It was Tsitsipas’ second title of the clay-court sequence, after he won Monte Carlo in mid-April, taking out Evans in the semi-final along the way. He has become a serious contender to upset the establishment – specifically Nadal and Novak Djokovic – at Roland Garros over the next few weeks. “I felt in good shape from the beginning of the tournament,” said Tsitsipas afterwards. “I am proud of today’s match, I knew it would be a difficult one against Cameron, who has been showing great tennis this week. He has been winning against good players and showing what the left hand can do on clay. “It was not an easy match today. I had to handle the nerves and I am proud of my performance and the way I stayed focused towards my goal.” On this year’s results, meanwhile, both Evans and Norrie stand among the world’s 20 most successful men. Evans is at No 16 and Norrie No 14. The next challenge for them both is to convert that ATP Tour form into a deep run at a major.<doc-sep>The Toronto Raptors closed out their first-round series against the Orlando Magic with a 115-96 win in game 5. They will play the Sixers in the conference semifinals. Kyle Lowry jammed his finger in the first quarter, though he returned to the game late in the second quarter and started the second half. He wore a splint in the post-game press conference. "It popped out, but it's fine. I popped it back in. Got a couple days to get it back and recover, and hopefully it will be better by Game 1. Well, it will be better by Game 1," said Lowry. After going scoreless in game 1, Lowry averaged 14.8 points and 8.8 assists the rest of the series.<doc-sep>Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry didn't emerge from Tuesday's series-clinching Game 5 victory over the Orlando Magic completely unscathed. The five-time All-Star injured his right ring finger when it was struck by the basketball in the second quarter. After medical staff examined him during a timeout, Lowry briefly returned to action before heading to the locker room with 2:41 remaining in the opening half and Toronto up 59-42. Lowry, 33, played nine minutes during the final two quarters of Toronto's 115-96 win, finishing with 14 points, nine assists, and four rebounds on 6-of-10 shooting. He sounded optimistic he'll be good to go for the start of the second round against the Philadelphia 76ers. "It popped out, but it's fine," Lowry said while wearing a splint, according to ESPN's Kevin Arnovitz. "I popped it back in. Got a couple days to get it back and recover, and hopefully, it will be better by Game 1. Well, it will be better by Game 1." After failing to register a point in Game 1, Lowry averaged 14.4 points on 51.2 percent shooting, along with 8.8 dimes and two steals across four consecutive wins for Toronto.<doc-sep>Here’s the good news: The Toronto Raptors defeated the Orlando Magic 115-96 in Game 5 of their first-round playoff matchup at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday night to win the best-of-seven series 4-1.Here’s the bad news: Kyle Lowry dislocated his finger during the aforementioned game. More good news: He doesn’t want anyone thinking it’s a big deal. "It popped out but that's fine, I popped it back in." pic.twitter.com/Uh2rvngUoN — Yahoo Sports Canada (@YahooCASports) April 24, 2019 “Hopefully it will be better in Game 1 (of Toronto’s conference semifinal against the Philadelphia 76ers), it will be better by Game 1, so…,” said the 33-year-old point guard following the series-clinching clash. “Nothin’ with nothin. '” Lowry finished the game with 14 points, nine assists and four rebounds. Talk about a postseason warrior. Toronto’s Kyle Lowry handles the ball against the Orlando Magic during Game 5 of their first round playoff matchup at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday night. (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) More Raptors coverage from Yahoo Sports<doc-sep>

The Toronto Raptors have secured their ticket to the second round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs with a 115-96 win over the Orlando Magic in Game 5. However, the Raptors have something to worry about after Kyle Lowry hurt his finger in their win. Lowry confirmed that his finger popped out in the second quarter of their closeout game. The All-Star point guard said that he was able to pop it back in, and he is confident that he will be fully ready in time for Game 1 of their second-round assignment. Lowry says his finger popped out, he popped it back in, and he's got a couple days now. "It will be better by Game 1." — Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) April 24, 2019 Despite hurting his finger, however, Kyle Lowry managed to contribute significantly for Toronto. The 33-year-old superstar finished with 14 points on 6-for-10 shooting from the field to go along with nine assists and four rebounds for Toronto — bouncing back from a nine-point performance in Game 4. Kawhi Leonard also had a solid night for the Raptors, racking up 27 points on 8-for-11 shooting from the field. The superstar forward went 5-for-5 from beyond the arc and 6-for-6 from the foul line. He also posted seven rebounds, two assists and a steal for Toronto. Pascal Siakam continues to impress, as he ended up with 24 points on top of six rebounds and four assists. Norman Powell had 11 points, while Serge Ibaka added 10 points off the bench for the Raptors, who shot 48.2 percent from the field and limited the Magic to just 38.6 percent shooting. The Raptors will face the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round. Philadelphia moved on to the Eastern Conference semis with a 122-100 win against the Brooklyn Nets in Game 5 of their first-round series.

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp Mary (Heidi) Kathryn HeitkampEffective and profitable climate solutions are within the nation's farms and forests Bill Maher blasts removal of journalist at Teen Vogue Centrist Democrats pose major problem for progressives MORE (D-N.D.) and Rep. Kevin Cramer Kevin John CramerOvernight Defense: Air Force nominee threads needle on F-35's future | Senate panel advances historic Army secretary pick Senate panel advances first female Army secretary nominee Bipartisan group of senators introduces surface transportation bill MORE (R-N.D.) went toe-to-toe in a heated debate on Thursday, trading barbs on everything from President Trump Donald TrumpTrump lashes out after grand jury seated for New York criminal probe Schumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission MORE’s trade war with China to bitter campaign attack ads. The debate marked the first time the two candidates met face to face in the race to represent North Dakota in the Senate. Heitkamp, who won her first Senate race in 2012, is among the most vulnerable Democrats seeking reelection this year. Trump won North Dakota handily in 2016, and Republicans see the state as prime territory to expand their narrow 51-49 Senate majority. ADVERTISEMENT The race has grown increasingly tense in recent weeks in the wake of a partisan brawl over Brett Kavanaugh Brett Michael KavanaughDemocrats: Roe v. Wade blow would fuel expanding Supreme Court Klobuchar offers tribute to her father, who died Wednesday Conservative justices split in ruling for immigrant fighting deportation MORE’s confirmation to the Supreme Court. That fight — and several others — were on full display in the debate on Thursday. Here are five of the key takeaways: Heitkamp defends reputation as a moderate Heitkamp has garnered a reputation as one of the most moderate Democrats in the Senate, and she aggressively defended that reputation on Thursday. “I ran six years ago and I said ‘I’m not joining any team,’ " she said. “I’m not 100 percent with anyone other than North Dakota. And I’ve been able to work across party lines and achieve some pretty extraordinary things.” In responding to a question about whether she supports privatizing the U.S. Postal Service — a proposal made by Trump — Heitkamp touted her work with Rep. Mark Meadows Mark MeadowsBoehner finally calls it as he sees it Stephen Miller launching group to challenge Democrats' policies through lawsuits A year with the coronavirus: How we got here MORE (R-N.C.), chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, on mail delivery and service issues. ADVERTISEMENT “I think that the future has to be with people who are moderate. People that aren’t going, like Congressman Cramer, 100 percent of the time with one party.” But Cramer rebuffed Heitkamp’s claims of bipartisanship, saying “she was with Barack Obama Barack Hussein ObamaWarren urges Biden to replace Fed's Quarles in testy exchange Content of Biden's agenda trumps Republican complaints about process Obama to join social media event on vaccines next week MORE nearly 90 percent of the time.” “The problem is, you can be on both teams and you maybe feel good about it, but when one team is so much better for North Dakota than the other team, you don’t abandon that good team half the time,” Cramer said. Cramer ties himself with Trump If there was one argument that Cramer consistently raised on Thursday, it was that he stands with Trump — and that Trump stands with North Dakota. “Donald Trump stands with North Dakota more often than Heidi Heitkamp stands with North Dakota,” Cramer said. “He’s on the right side of North Dakota. That’s what matters.” Throughout the hourlong debate, Cramer hailed Trump’s work in office and criticized Heitkamp for siding with the president only “50 percent of the time.” Cramer defended Trump’s trade war with China and praised him for raising military pay and for his efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Heitkamp shot back at one point, criticizing the congressman for touting Trump’s work in office more than his own. “I think it’s interesting that Congressman Cramer talks about President Trump,” she said. “Why not talk about what you’ve done? Why not talk about your accomplishments?” Relitigating the Kavanaugh fight Few Senate races have seen the fight over Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court play a more prominent role. And on Thursday, both Heitkamp and Cramer sought to rehash that battle. Heitkamp invited Republican attacks earlier this month when she voted against Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the high court after sexual assault allegations emerged against the nominee. But in their debate, both Heitkamp and Cramer decried the bitter partisan brawl that broke out amid Kavanaugh’s confirmation process. “This process created a scene in Washington, D.C., and across the country that was inappropriate. It was unseemly, and it was not becoming of either the Senate or the Supreme Court,” Heitkamp said. For his part, Cramer defended Kavanaugh’s reputation as a jurist and decried what he called mob rule by Democratic lawmakers. “The process was hijacked by a mob,” he said, later adding: “We are fortunate he got confirmed.” The most heated topic: An attack ad The most heated exchange of the night wasn’t over immigration. It wasn’t over health care or military spending or trade. It was over an attack ad accusing Cramer of giving himself a five-figure raise while serving on North Dakota’s Public Service Commission. ADVERTISEMENT Cramer raised the spot twice in the hourlong debate, accusing Heitkamp of brazenly lying by authorizing the ad. “I still want to get to what you were thinking, Sen. Heitkamp, when you authorized the ad saying that I voted a $23,000 raise for myself — that I gave myself a raise,” he said. “You know that’s not true.” Heitkamp responded to Cramer’s criticism by arguing that he should have maintained the salary on the Public Service Commission that he was promised when we was elected. “You were elected with that salary, you should maintain that salary,” she said. That drew a fiery response from Cramer, who appeared visibly irked. “That answer was so goofy I should almost give you my 30 seconds to say it again,” he said.<doc-sep>The debate on Thursday comes at a pivotal time for Heitkamp's reelection campaign. She has seen her polling numbers fall in recent weeks and is fending off criticism after her campaign incorrectly identified several victims of sexual abuse in a newspaper ad. ADVERTISEMENT Follow The Hill's live coverage of the North Dakota Senate debate set to start at 8 p.m. ET. That's a wrap 9:07 p.m. Heitkamp and Cramer closed out a heated debate, with each making a final pitch to North Dakota voters. "I bring North Dakota common sense and North Dakota compromise to Washington, D.C. which they need more of," Heitkamp said. "They don’t need another person to vote with one side 100 percent of the time. They need people who are going to work across the aisle to get the job done." "I will talk about the tough issues," Cramer said. "I don’t pretend that they’re going to solve themselves." Heitkamp, Cramer slam Kavanaugh confirmation process 8:59 p.m. Heitkamp railed against the confirmation process for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, saying that it reflected poorly on the Senate. "It did not look good and was not good," she said. "What we need to do is we need to make sure that our Judiciary Committee is conducting itself appropriately and fairly." "This process created a scene in Washington, D.C. and across the country that was inappropriate, it was unseemly and it was not becoming of either the Senate or the Supreme Court." Cramer placed blame for the partisan fight over Kavanaugh squarely on Democrats, claiming that "the process was hijacked by a mob." Heitkamp railed against the confirmation process for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, saying that it reflected poorly on the Senate. "It did not look good and was not good," she said. "What we need to do is we need to make sure that our Judiciary Committee is conducting itself appropriately and fairly. ""This process created a scene in Washington, D.C. and across the country that was inappropriate, it was unseemly and it was not becoming of either the Senate or the Supreme Court." Cramer touts support for border wall 8:57 p.m. Cramer said he strongly defended Trump's proposed border wall along the southern border, saying it was necessary along with a slew of border enforcement measures such as aerial patrolling, while warning a "caravan (of migrants) is coming as we speak." Heitkamp sought to defend her previous support for a comprehensive reform bill. She also emphasized that she saw border security as a law enforcement issue as a former attorney general. Heitkamp, Cramer discuss #MeToo 8:55 p.m. Cramer said that lawmakers and average citizens alike needed to band together to create a culture in which women could feel comfortable coming forward with allegations of sexual misconduct. But he also decried "political movements" surrounding such allegations. "What we can’t have are these big movements that become political movements that undercut the integrity of the goal," Cramer said. "What we can’t have are these big movements that become political movements that undercut the integrity of the goal," Cramer said. Heitkamp said that lawmakers needed to start taking concrete actions to ensure that victims of sexual assault and harassment feel safe coming forward. "It is time for us to quit talking across party lines and start working together to develop a world where women feel safe, where children feel safe, where we all can accept and believe that we cannot tolerate this kind of behavior," she said. He also proposed hiring more female police officers as a way to encourage victims of sexual assault and harassment to come forward. "It is time for us to quit talking across party lines and start working together to develop a world where women feel safe, where children feel safe, where we all can accept and believe that we cannot tolerate this kind of behavior," she said. Candidates clash over voter ID laws 8:40 p.m. Cramer sought to defend the Supreme Court's refusal earlier this month to toss out an appeals court order that allows North Dakota to enforce its voter ID requirement during the 2018 elections. "The integrity of the ballot box is precious," he said, seeking to defend a new state law that requires voters to present identification that includes a current residential street address. A group of Native American residents have challenged the law arguing the new rule disenfranchises a disproportionate share of the population because many Native American voters live on reservations without standard addresses. Heitkamp said "t hat's not how we do things in North Dakota," saying Native Americans "deserve" an opportunity to exercise their vote. Cramer shot back saying that "we are one of the easiest state in which to vote." Heitkamp defends vote on Kavanaugh 8:27 p.m. Sen. Heitkamp defended her vote to oppose the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, while acknowledging it went against public support for his elevation. “I will tell you this: when you are a U.S. senator you are elected to exercise your judgement,” while also noting: "I can't make a decision based on public opinion polls" She noted that with Supreme Court nominees "there's no do-overs" and no legislation that can be passed to "fix it." But Cramer went on the attack, saying: "Being independent is no excuse for being wrong." He went on to call Kavanaugh "a really good justice" who was "strong" on the Second Amendment and on rolling back EPA regulations. Cramer also said the world got to see what "mob rule" looks like during the partisan hearings. Candidates spar over Mueller probe Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerSenate Democrats urge Garland not to fight court order to release Trump obstruction memo Why a special counsel is guaranteed if Biden chooses Yates, Cuomo or Jones as AG Barr taps attorney investigating Russia probe origins as special counsel MORE "Robert Mueller has a job to do and that job is to find out what happened so we can prevent this from happening again," Heitkamp said. Cramer said he has "some" faith in Mueller, but called into question the team of investigators that he has assembled.<doc-sep>Sen. Heidi Heitkamp and Rep. Kevin Cramer crossed swords Thursday night in their first debate of North Dakota's U.S. Senate race, hitting each other on campaigns ads and their allegiances. Heitkamp opened her remarks in the debate hosted by the North Dakota Newspaper Association in Bismarck with an apology over an open letter advertisement that recently ran in newspapers statewide and misused names of women included in the letter as victims of sexual assault or domestic violence. The ad was intended as a response to comments from Cramer to the New York Times in which he criticized the #MeToo movement. "I can only say this is a terrible mistake, and the last thing I would ever want to do would be to cause trauma for any victim of violence," the first-term Democratic senator said. "My parents taught me that, if I make a mistake, my obligation was to take responsibility and then try to make things right. I don't know that I could ever expect that these women could accept my apology, nor would I ask that they accept my apology." Cramer highlighted the parallel time frame of his and Heitkamp's terms in Congress, each first elected in 2012 and serving in the same congresses, voting on the same bills.<doc-sep>Sen. Heidi Heitkamp and her challenger Rep. Kevin Cramer squared off Thursday night in their first debate ahead of the midterm election where the #MeToo movement and the contentious confirmation battle over Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh dominated much of the conversation. Ms. Heitkamp, a red state Democrat who is facing an uphill re-election battle in a state President Trump won by 36 points, began by apologizing to a number of women who she mistakenly identified in a newspaper ad, which ran against Mr. Cramer earlier this week after he said the #MeToo movement was a movement toward victimization. Ms. Heitkamp, who voted against Justice Kavanaugh after sexual misconduct allegations had been lobbed against him, tried to use the ad as a way to show she stands in solidarity with women. The ad featured the names of survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence — the only problem was she did so without their consent. Some of the women her ad listed say they weren’t even victims of domestic violence or sexual assault. Others say they don’t support her campaign. “My parents taught me that if I made a mistake, my obligation was to take responsibility and to try to make things right,” Ms. Heitkamp said in her opening remarks. “I am praying for guidance and forgiveness.” It was yet another stumble for Ms. Heitkamp, who has seen her poll numbers tank as she sided with national Democratic leaders in voting against Justice Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court. That move was deeply unpopular in pro-Trump North Dakota, where roughly 60 percent of voters backed Justice Kavanaugh’s confirmation, according to a poll taken earlier this month. Shortly after her plea to move forward despite the ad blunder, the candidates were asked if voting the way the majority of North Dakotans want is more important than voting the way he or she believes is right. “When you are a United States senator, you are elected to exercise your judgment,” Ms. Heitkamp responded. “It’s really important many times to represent your constituency, but it’s equally important to exercise your judgment God gave you.” But Mr. Cramer, a loyal Trump ally, shot back and said Ms. Heitkamp ignored the Justice Kavanaugh’s judicial qualifications and strong record. “Being independent isn’t an excuse for being wrong. Judge Kavanaugh is a really good judge,” Mr. Cramer said. “As far as the hearings, I think the whole world got to see what mob rule would look like, so we are fortunate Judge Kavanaugh was confirmed even without one of our senators voting for him,” he added. Ms. Heitkamp, who took her seat in the U.S. Senate in 2013, tried to sell herself as someone who can work with both Democrats and Republicans, charging Mr. Cramer won’t be a check on Mr. Trump. “The future has to be with people who are moderate,” she told voters. “I bring North Dakota common sense and North Dakota compromise to Washington, D.C.” Mr. Cramer, meanwhile, defended his support for the president, saying the Trump agenda best represents North Dakota’s interests. “The only thing that matters is how often are you with the people of North Dakota,” he said. Mr. Cramer leads Ms. Heitkamp by more than eight points, according to the Real Clear Politics average. Sign up for Daily Newsletters Manage Newsletters Copyright © 2021 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.<doc-sep>

BISMARCK, N.D. -- The first debate in a Senate race that could shape up to be one of the most critical in the country was largely an argument over which candidate would be less beholden to politics and stand up more for the people of North Dakota. “I ran six years ago and I said, ‘I’m not joining any team.’ I’m not 100 percent with anyone other than North Dakota,” said Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp in the debate against her Republican challenger Rep. Kevin Cramer. But Cramer sought to paint a different picture, calling Heitkamp’s bipartisanship an “illusion.” “Donald Trump stands with North Dakota more often than Heidi Keitkamp stands with North Dakota,” he said during the debate, which aired across the state Thursday night. Heitkamp is a Democrat running for re-election in a state President Donald Trump won handily in 2016. It is forcing the senator to maintain a tough balance, and recent public polling shows Heitkamp behind Cramer by double digits -- a fact she likes to say was also reported when she won in 2012 by only about 3,000 votes. Because Democrats need to not only defend 10 seats in states Trump won in 2016, but also pick up two seats in reliably Republican states in order to take control of the chamber, Heitkamp’s seat is key. According to FiveThirtyEight’s voter power index, North Dakota’s voters are the most powerful in the country. And in order to come out victorious, Heitkamp will have to win over voters on both sides of the aisle and go up against the Trump-endorsed Cramer, who benefits from the president’s popularity in the state. “When one team is so much better for North Dakota than the other team, you don’t abandon the good team half the time just to say you’re only with ‘em half the time,” Cramer said, knocking Heitkamp’s work across the aisle. “[Trump’s] on the right side of North Dakota, that’s what matters,” he said. Speaking after the debate, Heitkamp called the strategy “ridiculous.” “When you look at my history and my record with the president, I’ve attended many signing ceremonies, worked with the administration. He knows that,” said Heitkamp, who votes in line with Trump around 54 percent of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight’s tracker. “And so, you know, I think people see through that,” she added. Heitkamp hammered her moderate voting record in the debate, shedding light on her bipartisan accomplishments and diverting Cramer’s attempts to pair a vote for him with support for the president. “I think it’s interesting that Congressman Cramer talks about President Trump. Why not talk about what you’ve done, why not talk about your accomplishments, why not about your bipartisan credibility?” asked Heitkamp. “Because when you look at rankings, no matter what he says, I’m 50th-most conservative and 49th-most liberal,” Heitkamp said. She compared moderates in the Senate to “connective tissue in between that stops gridlock” and said they are the ones “trying to get things done and do get things done.” But Cramer called it a “tricky game.” “This is the thing, she's with them when we don't need her. She's never been with them when we needed the vote. And that's the problem,” he said in an interview after the debate. The #MeToo movement has also played a role in each of the two candidates’ campaigns, and Cramer was quick to hit Heitkamp for voting "no" on Trump’s pick for the Supreme Court, Justice Brett Kavanaugh. “You vote against Brett Kavanaugh when 64 percent of your constituents want you to vote for Brett Kavanaugh?” he asked rhetorically in an interview after the debate. He also called out Heitkamp for running an advertisement that inadvertently outed women who were victims of sexual assault, which she opened the debate by apologizing for. “I just thought it was really important to begin, to just say, ‘I'm sorry,’” Heitkamp said of the decision to use her opening statement to apologize. Asked if the mistake might lose her votes with Independent women, a key bloc of support in the state, Heitkamp said it wasn’t about votes. “This really for me isn't about the election. This is about, ‘I made a bad mistake, my campaign made a bad mistake, and I need to own it, and I need to do everything possible to fix it,” she said. “So that's not about getting votes or losing votes. That's about making amends,” she added.

Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window) Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) For the past eight months we’ve been keeping a close eye on the 32 teams who have qualified for the 2018 World Cup and ranking them as their form fluctuates, their stars flourish and their coaches tinker. [ MORE: Full World Cup Power Rankings ] Now, it’s time to reflect on how every single team heading to Russia stacks up. [ LIVE: World Cup scores ] Below is our final ranking ahead of the 2018 World Cup kicking off in Russia on Thursday, with the previous ranking of a nation included in parenthesis. Click here for live and on demand coverage of the World Cup online and via the NBC Sports App. Brazil (2) Spain (3) Germany (1) France (4) Belgium (6) Argentina (6) England (8) Portugal (7) Uruguay (9) Colombia (10) Poland (12) Croatia (13) Serbia (17) Denmark (16) Peru (18) Mexico (11) Iceland (19) Senegal (23) Egypt (21) Sweden (15) Switzerland (14) Nigeria (24) Iran (29) Tunisia (30) South Korea (22) Japan (20) Australia (27) Russia (28) Morocco (26) Costa Rica (25) Panama (31) Saudi Arabia (32) Follow @JPW_NBCSports<doc-sep>Get the FREE Mirror Football newsletter by email with the day's key headlines and transfer news Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Right then. The World Cup is now excitingly close to kicking off with... er, Russia vs Saudi Arabia, and the excitement levels in our office simply cannot be topped. (Honestly, one of us came in with his hair looking like Carlos Valderrama the other day, it was mad). And to celebrate the closeness of the tournament, we've been looking at ALL of the 64 kits you'll see on the 32 nations at the finals and ranking them in order of how nice they are. Why? Because this is the World Cup and the World Cup makes you do things like that. LET'S GO! 64. Australia, away (Image: NIKE) Oh dear. It's just... it's not good is it? The colour seems to have been borrowed from their cricketers' baggy green caps, although unlike them a bit of sandpaper would probably do it some good. 63. Spain, away (Image: adidas) Adidas kits are almost universally winners at this tournament, but we're just not having this one. The combination of grey and orange puts you in mind of that awful Chelsea away kit in the mid-90s and, like that, this just looks odd. 62. Russia, home (Image: Adidas) The hosts could have gone for something daring, special and memorable for their time in the spotlight in the summer. Instead they've gone for this. 61. Japan, away (Image: adidas) Having gone in on the Spain away one then we're going to have to do the same for Japan's change strip, even though it doesn't have those weird orange bits. Still, though. Not good. 60. Egypt, away (Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images) The German world for copying is "kopieren", by the way. 59. Switzerland, home (Image: xxxxxxxxxxx) Switzerland have absolutely, definitely, 100 per cent worn this in a tournament before, right? Come on lads. 58. Switzerland, away (Image: REX/Shutterstock) Yeah, this too. 57. Sweden, home (Image: REUTERS) And Sweden have been having a word with Switzerland, by the looks of it. 56. Tunisia, home (Image: UHL Sport WS) You don't see Uhlsport on the international stage very often. There's probably a reason for that. 55. Serbia, home (Image: Matthew Lewis) It's not that different to a few kits you'll see further down, but it's the lack of pattern on the front which has done for this one. It's just a bit bland. 54. Saudi Arabia, away (Image: REX/Shutterstock) It's green. It's very green. It's a bit too green, in truth. 53. Iran, home (Image: bbc.co.uk) All a bit paint by numbers really. 52. Russia, away (Image: adidas) It's better than the home kit at least, but the pattern on the front could have been given a little bit more care for our liking. But if anyone in Russia is reading this, we love it. Honestly. 51. Panama, home (Image: NB WS) It looks a bit like a British Lions kit, doesn't it? And rugby references have absolutely no place here, old chap. 50. Costa Rica, home (Image: REX/Shutterstock) It's basically the same as Panama's but with added blue shorts and white socks which will ensure confusion for Alexis Sanchez's dogs when they're watching on and thinking that Daddy's Chile team did actually make it to Russia after all. 49. Iran, away (Image: AFP) Flipped from the home, reversed, and a bit dull. 48. Uruguay, home (Image: REUTERS) Close your eyes. Picture a Uruguay home kit. Now open them. It's this one isn't it? 47. Uruguay, away (Image: AFP) Now do the same for an away one. Yep. 46. Nigeria, away (Image: Nike) All dark green kits are just a bit... y'know? Not for us. 45. Senegal, away (Image: PUMA WS) This one is saved somewhat by the lion pattern on the front though. Why? Because it's a lion. 44. Argentina, away (Image: adidas) An Argentina away kit should be dark blue, surely? And this all looks a little too training top-like to us. A missed opportunity. 43. Tunisia, away (Image: AFP) Better than the home one, at least. 42. Poland, home (Image: AFP) Poland are often saved by their badge which, let's face it, is pretty cool and imposing. There's not much else here that's memorable though. 41. Denmark, home (Image: Hummel WS) They love a Hummel kit don't they, the Danes? Like Carlsberg and back bacon, you can always rely on that shared bond. And you can always rely on the kit to look exactly like this as well. The sleeves are key. 40. Australia, home (Image: Nike WS) And speaking of sleeves... Yeah. 39. Iceland, home (Image: AFP) Iceland will arrive for their first ever World Cup not looking all that different from their Euro 2016 adventure, but different enough. The white, almost frosty quality on the shoulders is a nice touch, and will add something extra to those thunder claps that are going to echo all around Russia. 38. Costa Rica, away (Image: NB) Yeah, it's pretty plain isn't it? The detailing on the front is at least something though. 37. Serbia, away (Image: AFP) We've seen similar Puma designs scattered throughout the list, but this one gets extra points because of the vertical line/Serbia flag that runs down the middle. 36. Iceland, away (Image: footballiceland/Instagram) Cooler than the home one. Cooler. Iceland. Get it? 35. Saudi Arabia, home (Image: AFP) It's similar to many of the Puma numbers but this is Nike, and the fact that the green is this light is probably what makes it stand out from the others. 34. Portugal, home (Image: REX/Shutterstock) That's a Portugal kit alright. 33. Croatia, away (Image: NIKE) The home one is so distinctive, but the away one less so. They've gone with this darker number this time around, and while it is fairly sleek it isn't going to stick around in the memory for too long. 32. England, away (Image: NIKE) Yes it's basically the same kit that England wore at Wembley against West Germany all those years ago, but do the rest of the world really care about that these days? 31. Denmark, away (Image: REX/Shutterstock) It's the home kit in reverse, we know, but we just think the colour scheme makes it work. But to be honest it's all becoming a bit of a blur now. When does the World Cup start? 30. Brazil, away (Image: Nike) It's a traditional blue away number for Brazil, although perhaps a little lighter one than usual. In truth, Brazil change kits always look a little odd because you just want to see them play in yellow at all times really. Nice though, innit? 29. South Korea, home (Image: Nike WS) It's a bit basic, but it's the colour that saves it. When South Korea co-hosted the World Cup in 2002 their effort was fairly bright - almost a little too bright, in truth - but this is a more pleasing shade of red. And that's what we look for here. 28. Morocco, away (Image: AFP) There was a delayed kit release in Morocco because authorities were worried about forgery. Would you really want to rip off that white away kit though? 27. Morocco, home (Image: REX/Shutterstock) This is better, but we're not sure why. Might be the shorts. 26. Senegal, home (Image: PUMA/Instagram) There's that lion again, and that makes it the best of the Puma efforts. Which isn't saying a lot. 25. Mexico, away (Image: adidas) The added bonus of this kit is that if you turn it upside down and run it up a pole then you've got a Hungary flag. So that's nice. It's good though, and the kit works. Who doesn't love a tricolour wrap around after all? 24. England, home (Image: Getty Images) Not all that dissimilar to previous England kits but with a nice neckline, this is an okay effort from Nike. Coming soon to a beer garden near you. 23. Poland, away (Image: NIKE) It's a deep red in a tournament of lighter shades. And that's a good thing. 22. Argentina, home (Image: Adidas) Designing an Argentina kit for a World Cup might be the easiest job in the world. Certainly easier than ranking them anyway. 21. Brazil, home (Image: Mark Leech/Offside/Getty Images) Yep, it's a Brazil kit. In fact, it's SO much of a Brazil kit that Nike's designers apparently went to the Football Museum in Sao Paulo and created a yellow which exactly matches the yellow worn at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, when they were really rather good and won the thing. No pressure there then, Neymar. 20. Peru, home (Image: Umbro WS) Peru's return to the World Cup brought joy to sash fans everywhere, and the little touch of gold on the kit is nice too. But... 19. Peru, away (Image: Umbro) We prefer the away one, in truth. 18. Egypt, home (Image: REX/Shutterstock) This is a nicer shade of red than many on offer at this tournament, and the mix with the black works. We think. 17. South Korea, away (Image: AFP) There are a LOT of white kits at this World Cup, but the pattern on the front of this South Korea change strip makes it one of the better ones. 16. Croatia, home (Image: Action Images via Reuters) You know what you want from Croatia, and they've delivered here with bigger, bolder checks than we've seen before. Nice. 15. France, home (Image: Getty Images Europe) It's a little darker than France have gone for in the past, and we might have liked to see a little flash of white on there a la the 1998 World Cup winning effort, but we'll take it. 14. Panama, away (Image: NB) Hello. The flecks of blue make this a respectable effort for Panama on their World Cup debut, and the fact that there seem to be arrows pointing downwards towards the pitch serve as a reminder of where the action is going to be. Which is helpful. 13. Mexico, home (Image: Adidas) Mexico's flash of green is always welcome at every World Cup they grace, and the lighter green touches on the side give this effort some extra points. 12. Sweden, away (Image: adidas) Barely any effort seemed to go into Sweden's home number, but we're fans of the away. The deep blue works well with the yellow, and the subtle stripes do the business. 11. France, away (Image: Nike.com) It's the subtlety that makes this. Look closely at those little flecks in Samuel Umtiti's shirt. They look pretty French don't they? Ooh la la. 10. Japan, home (Image: Adidas) Japan will arrive in Russia in style in this sleek number that is sure to please fans in the Hipster Group H which also features Poland, Senegal and Colombia. It looks a bit like Scotland on acid, and that can only be a good thing. 9. Portugal, away (Image: portugal/Instagram) Clean, crisp, bright. Has white ever been this white before? Woe betide any Portugal player who gets this muddy on the pitch because it is absolutely glorious. 8. Belgium, away (Image: adidas) Belgium's flag does have a huge yellow bit in the middle after all, and they've made use of that here with a bright, bold design that works with the three adidas stripes on the sleeves. 7. Spain, home (Image: AFP) After the debacle that was the 2014 World Cup, Spain need to go big this time if they are going to regain their reputation. The away kit might be rubbish, but this is a good start. 6. Germany, home (Image: Adidas) As with the rest of this batch of adidas kits, there is something of a pleasingly retro look to the number Germany will be wearing in Russia. And it suits them, doesn't it? Get used to it because you'll probably be seeing it deep into the tournament. 5. Colombia, away (Image: adidas) Strong. Strong, strong, strong. We'd be wanting to see more of this over the summer if only the home kit wasn't so good... 4. Belgium, home (Image: Adidas)<doc-sep>

Bangladesh has been ranked 20th among the football playing nations of Asia by the global football body, as the FIFA World Cup starts in Russia from today. Whereas in the world, the five top ranking countries in the whole world are Germany, Brazil, Belgium, Portugal and Argentina. Only five Asian countries – Australia, South Korea, Japan, Iran and Saudi Arabia have qualified to compete for the world’ most coveted trophy in football. On the global ranking, Australia is the only country from Asia that figures in the top 50. Australian team named Socceroos is ranked 36. The Socceroos are in Group C with France, Peru and Denmark. South Korea is ranked 57 and is the only Asian country that has qualified nine times for the world cup. It is also the only Asian country to win the most entertaining team award at 2002 FIFA world Cup. Two players from the team were also voted members of the MasterCard All Star Team, the only Asians to be voted in. South Korean team is in Group F with Germany, Sweden and Mexico. Japan is ranked 67 and will be making its sixth appearance in this year’s World Cup. It is one of the most successful Asian team having qualified for the World Cup for last six consecutive years. It is in Group H with Poland, Senegal and Columbia. China is ranked 75. The highlight of the football feat in the country has been the year 2002 when the team qualified for the World Cup. India has never participated in the World Cup although the team qualified by default in 1950 when others team in the group withdrew. Currently it is ranked 97 Vietnam is ranked 102 followed by North Korea which is ranked 108. Despite being one of the oldest teams in Asia that has been playing at international level as early as 1913, Philippines has never qualified for the World Cup. It is ranked 115. Thailand's ‘War Elephants’ as the team is known were eliminated in the third round this year and couldn’t qualify for the World Cup. It is ranked 122. Myanmar, Maldives and Nepal are ranked 138, 150 and161 respectively. Indonesia under the name of Dutch East Indies national football qualified for the World Cup in 1938 and since then has never been able to qualify. It is ranked 164 and is followed by Cambodia and Singapore ranked 166 and 169 respectively. Malaysia’s best standing in FIFA was ranking of 1993 when it was at 75th position. Currently the country is ranked 171 followed by Laos and Bhutan ranked 178 and 183 respectively. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are ranked very low at 194 and 200 respectively. Pakistan is lowest ranked Asian team in FIFA ranking. It is ranked at 203rd position out of 211 teams in the world rankings. Copyright: DataLeads/ Asia News Network

Since Jalen Ramsey has become the leading evaluator of NFL quarterbacks, it's time to see where Andrew Luck of the Indianapolis Colts is viewed. Ramsey, the Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback, perked up ears around the league by rattling off his assessment of many signal-callers. Of Luck, he said, "I don't really think he's that good," while also being unimpressed with Ben Roethlisberger, Jared Goff, Jimmy Garoppolo and Joe Flacco. Let's see who agrees with Ramsey. Colts Insider: Sign up for our email newsletter so you don't miss out Doyel:Luck's 'assistant assistant' QB coach could make huge impact >> Jason Lisk of The Big Lead ranked 50 QBs, placing Luck 16th and Jacoby Brissett 36th. On Luck: "My colleagues are far more confident in Andrew Luck returning fully healthy than I am. No doubt that if you guaranteed his healthy return he would be higher on this list." On Brissett: "Brissett has his flaws but cemented his status as a top backup last year playing for Indianapolis after a late trade. That season likely earned him a decade earning checks as a top backup and occasional starter in the league." >> Tyler Lauletta of Business Insider ranked each team's QB situation, and the Colts came in sixth. On 2018: "It all depends on whether Andrew Luck can bounce back after injuries left him out of football for the better part of two years." In case of emergency: "Jacoby Brissett proved himself a passable quarterback last year and is a better backup option than many others in the league. But if Brissett is in, that means Luck is out again, and that would not be good news for the Colts." >> Vinnie Iyer of Sporting News puts Luck 20th on his list of 32. "Luck’s efficiency in 2016 was spectacular, as he maintained a good balance of aggressive and conservative passing despite taking a ton of lumps. But his 2017 being wiped out by a shoulder injury creates a reset. As Luck returns to a new offense and a better line, this is a critical season for him to stay healthy and get back on track as the elite QB he’s supposed to be." >> ESPN's Mike Sando poll 50 NFL Insiders and broke down QBs into tiers. Luck came in solidly in the second tier and 10th overall. Voters had varied opinions, largely based on his missing so much time to injury. "The big wild card there, beyond the health, is the offensive scheme they are going to run," a voter said. "Yes, they need players and must fix their line, but they also need to get the ball out of his hands. If they do that, and I expect them to do that, they can help him out." >> Steve Palazzolo of Pro Football Focus has Luck ranked seventh. "While Luck didn’t take a snap last season, he’s one year removed from the best season of his career, a 90.4 overall grade that ranked fourth in 2016. Luck has always been able to make the special throws as he consistently ranks among the league’s best in big-time throw percentage, but 2016 represented his best year at taking care of the ball as he ranked fifth at avoiding turnover-worthy plays." >> Harris Ahmadzai of New Arena places Luck ninth. "After the horrific Scott Tolzien experiment lasted one whole week, the Colts went out and traded for Jacoby Brissett. The stop-gap until Luck’s return wasn’t exactly a franchise savior, but he was a huge improvement over the aforementioned Tolzien. While Brissett ensured himself a roster spot, there’s no doubt this remains Luck’s team. The former No. 1 overall pick’s mysterious shoulder injury is certainly troubling, but this ranking assumes he makes a full recovery. By all accounts, he should be ready for Week 1 of the upcoming season. At 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds with nimble feet, a strong arm capable of making every throw, and a high football IQ, Luck is one of the very best when on the field."<doc-sep>This isn't going to go over well. Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey took a shot at Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck in a GQ interview posted Wednesday morning. "I don't really think he's that good," Ramsey told GQ. "Him and T.Y. (Hilton) had a connection in the past that made him stand out a little bit more, but I don't think he's good." Luck was just one of a handful of NFL quarterbacks the currently-suspended Ramsey criticized. (Ramsey was suspended for tweeting, "Lol if y’all want war, we got sum for y’all," at a reporter who tweeted video of a fight between two Jaguars.) While the New Orleans Saints' Drew Brees and San Diego Chargers' Philip Rivers were among those spared, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was called "overrated" and Ramsey said he hadn't "heard the greatest stuff about" Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill. The Colts and Jaguars first meet on Nov. 11 at Lucas Oil Stadium before they match up Dec. 2 in Jacksonville. Luck last faced the confident defensive back in 2016. In the two Colts-Jaguars games that year, Luck completed 51-of-82 passes (62 percent) for 555 yards and four scores and two interceptions.<doc-sep>The Jaguars’ star cornerback has been making a lot of headlines this offseason and doesn’t seem interested in slowing down, either. Jalen Ramsey has already faced a team suspension this offseason for going after local media over their treatment of the team. Today, an interview with GQ released in which Ramsey talked about the quarterbacks he thinks are good and the ones he thinks aren’t. He made some pretty bold claims, which isn’t entirely surprising, because cornerbacks, especially good ones, have to be pretty cocky. Most interestingly for Colts fans, Ramsey had this to say about Andrew Luck: Andrew Luck—I don’t really think he’s that good. Him and T.Y. [Hilton] had a connection in the past that made him stand out a little bit more, but I don’t think he’s good. Most coaches, general managers, and cornerbacks would disagree with Ramsey. In fact, so would the numbers for 2016 vs Ramsey, which is the only time he has faced Andrew Luck. Keep in mind that this was an Andrew Luck playing through serious injury. Perhaps Ramsey simply has short term memory and is too busy basking in the glow of a stellar defensive performance by himself and the team at large in 2017. It is entirely possible that he has forgotten getting burned deep by none other than Andrew Luck to Phillip Dorsett, for a long touchdown. There is no doubt that Ramsey is an incredibly talented player. However, he doesn’t seem to have a lot of self-awareness. His team is just one season removed from 3-13, and has by far the worst quarterback situation in the NFL. There is little doubt that the front office for the Jaguars would love to have just about any of the quarterbacks he claimed were terrible instead of the one they’ve got. Maybe it is just me, but I would rather my star player let his play do the talking than have him out there providing bulletin board material for opposing teams. Andrew Luck won’t face the Jaguars until week 11 coming out of the bye. Any rust he had will be long gone, and then we’ll see how much Ramsey feels like talking.<doc-sep>Jeffrey T. Barnes/Associated Press Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey isn't a fan of many NFL quarterbacks, and he took aim at several of them in a GQ interview released Wednesday. The 2017 Pro Bowl selection told GQ's Clay Skipper he's particularly hyped about the potential opportunity to face off with Buffalo Bills rookie signal-caller Josh Allen this season. "I think Allen is trash," Ramsey said. "I don't care what nobody say. He's trash. And it's gonna show too. That's a stupid draft pick to me. We play them this year, and I'm excited as hell. I hope he's their starting quarterback." Allen responded to Ramsey's comments when talking to reporters after practice: Ramsey went on to say the Baltimore Ravens' Joe Flacco "sucks," the Atlanta Falcons' Matt Ryan is "overrated" and the Indianapolis Colts' Andrew Luck is not "that good." Eli Manning was also a target of Ramsey's criticism, with the cornerback crediting Odell Beckham Jr. for the Giants quarterback's success. "I won't say Eli's good," Ramsey said. "I'll say Odell's good. And their connection is good." Manning was asked about the comments and initially refused to respond before weighing in. "No...no," Manning said, per Art Stapleton of NorthJersey.com, before adding: "Who?" After Ramsey weighed in on the league's quarterbacks, his teammate Leonard Fournette poked fun at the cornerback's various criticisms: So what is the 23-year-old Florida State product—who did give props to Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Deshaun Watson, Carson Wentz, Kirk Cousins and Drew Brees, among others—looking for in a QB? Somebody who doesn't turn the ball over and doesn't put the defense in tough situations. "I think Marcus Mariota is a great quarterback for [the Tennessee Titans]," he said. "I think Tyrod Taylor is actually a better quarterback than he gets credit for, because he does not make mistakes. He's honestly a Marcus Mariota-type player, where he manages a game really well, always has them at least in position to be in the game late in the game." Ramsey added that Watson will "be the league MVP in a couple years" and that Wentz would be in the running as well: "For every year starting now until five to 10 years, it's gonna be them two. They're that good." Taylor spent the last three seasons starting for the Bills, who traded him to the Cleveland Browns in March and then selected Allen with the seventh overall pick in the 2018 draft. 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Shaquem Griffin Starting for Seahawks in Week 1 Right Arrow Icon Skipper also asked Ramsey whether he believed free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick should be on a roster given the defender's view of the QB landscape. "Yeah. Oh, hell yeah," he said. "He's way better than some of these second-string quarterbacks out here. Possibly better than some of these first-string quarterbacks out here. And some teams have third-string quarterbacks. He's definitely good enough to be in the league, but he won't be. Sadly." NFL Research later broke down Ramsey's performance against the quarterbacks he praised and criticized: Ramsey is off to a strong start with 128 combined tackles, 31 passes defended, six interceptions and a touchdown across his first two seasons. Pro Football Focus graded him as the league's best corner for the 2017 campaign. That success means his view of the quarterbacks carries at least some weight. His comments about Allen will certainly add some extra intrigue to the Nov. 25 clash between the Jags and Bills should the rookie gunslinger have taken over the Buffalo offense by that point.<doc-sep>

The football world woke up to the comments of Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey ripping half of the quarterbacks in the NFL, including the Indianapolis Colts’ Andrew Luck. In an interview with GQ, Ramsey gave his thoughts on Luck and numerous other quarterbacks in the NFL. He hasn’t been impressed with the Colts’ franchise player, to say the least. “Andrew Luck—I don’t really think he’s that good,” Ramsey told GQ. “Him and T.Y. [Hilton] had a connection in the past that made him stand out a little bit more, but I don’t think he’s good.” Ramsey doesn’t think Luck is good. That’s fine, and he is entitled to his opinion. Even if that opinion is wrong. Shortly after Ramsey’s comments went viral, NFL Research on Twitter ran some numbers showing the touchdown-to-interception ratio and passer rating of the quarterbacks in question when targeting the All-Pro cornerback. Based on @jalenramsey comments in @GQMagazine, here is how he fared against each QB organized by his reviews. Opposing 👍QBs: 3 TD, INT, 87.2 passer rating when Ramsey was in coverage Opposing 👎QBs: TD, 5 INT, 69.0 passer rating when Ramsey was in coverage pic.twitter.com/YXANjozGF1 — NFL Research (@NFLResearch) August 15, 2018 Weird. It says that Luck has the second-highest passer rating (137.5) of the quarterbacks on the list when targeting Ramsey. No one is doubting the talent Ramsey brings to the field. He’s a lockdown corner that has proven he was worthy of the No. 5 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. It is also known that trash talking is a big part of Ramsey’s game. He can back it up, and he uses that to get into his opponent’s heads. Though, it is unlikely this will work with Luck, who doesn’t give into this type of bulletin board material. Luck has a lot of people to prove wrong in 2018, and that now includes Ramsey. The division rivals will square off for the first time in Week 10 on Nov. 11 at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Kentucky authorities cleared the Diocese of Covington building of all threats Wednesday evening after receiving a report of a suspicious package a few hours earlier. A 911 caller said the package arrived by mail. It was evacuated at about 4:30 p.m., a Kenton County dispatcher said. A different dispatcher told The Enquirer that three packages were reported to authorities throughout the day. Covington Police Officer Josh Haggard said at about 7 p.m. that several packages were received throughout the day, but one in particular sparked the law enforcement response. It was ultimately determined not to be a threat. Covington police and fire departments were on scene, as were officials in FBI attire. A vehicle marked as a Cincinnati Hazardous Devices Unit also responded. The investigation came days after an incident in Washington, D.C., involving Covington Catholic High School students, participants in an Indigenous Peoples March and members of the Black Hebrew Israelites, a hate group. Videos of the incident sparked a national debate about who was to blame for the tense encounter. More:Covington Catholic student Nicholas Sandmann on Today Show: 'People judged me based off one expression' More:Covington Catholic confrontation shows ugly side of Kentucky, and US as a whole More:Covington Catholic confrontation shows ugly side of Kentucky, and US as a whole More:The March for Life is a different kind of field trip for schools like Covington Catholic Follow Max Londberg on Twitter: @MaxLondberg<doc-sep>Urge Covington bishop to apologize for condemning pro-life teens. Sign the petition here. COVINGTON, Kentucky, January 22, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) – The Diocese of Covington headed by Bishop Roger Joseph Foys issued a new statement today about the Catholic boys the diocese and school had condemned on the weekend over what turned out to be false and slanderous reports that the students mocked Native Americans outside the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Instead of apologizing for succumbing to the mainstream media's spin on the Friday, January 19 altercation, Bishop Foys spoke about "corrective actions, if any, are appropriate" that may be forthcoming after a third-party investigates the matter this week. "Concerning the incident in Washington, D.C., between Covington Catholic students, Elder Nathan Phillips and Black Hebrew Israelites the independent, third-party investigation is planned to begin this week. This is a very serious matter that has already permanently altered the lives of many people. It is important for us to gather the facts that will allow us to determine what corrective actions, if any, are appropriate," the Jan. 22 statement read. "We pray that we may come to the truth and that this unfortunate situation may be resolved peacefully and amicably and ask others to join us in this prayer." Jan. 22, 2019 statement from Diocese of Covington. SOURCE: www.covdio.org / screen grab The diocese said that there would be no further statements "until the investigation is complete." The statement is the only item on the diocese' webpage. On January 19, Bishop Foys issued a joint letter of condemnation with Covington Catholic High School of students targeted by both adult members of a racist sect and by activist Nathan Phillips. “We condemn the actions of the Covington Catholic High School students towards Nathan Phillips specifically, and Native Americans in general, Jan. 18, after the March for Life, in Washington, D.C.,” the January 19 statement read. “We extend our deepest apologies to Mr. Phillips. This behavior is opposed to the Church’s teachings on the dignity and respect of the human person.” The bishop and school administration said the matter was “being investigated.” They added that they would “take appropriate action, up to and including expulsion.” On Saturday, Phillips and his entourage released misleading footage of his confrontation of the boys which seemed to support his claims that the teenagers had approached and taunted the activist. Subsequently, the boys were subjected to a harsh trial by media, as both liberal and conservative pundits condemned their apparent “behavior.” More complete footage of the students’ long wait for busses to take them home to Kentucky supported the students’ testimony that they had not surrounded, blocked, or mocked Phillips. It also showed that the students had been subjected to vile verbal abuse from adult members of the Black Hebrew Israelite sect before Phillips and his companions approached the teens. Now apologies are trickling in from the pundits, journalists, and celebrities who were quick to condemn the Covington Catholic kids. Meghan McCain has said that she “reacted too quickly” and apologized for “being part of a media pile on.” Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, corrected his initial Twitter message about the incident after viewing the complete footage of the incident available. Today he used the medium to reveal that he had spoken to Covington Catholic student Nick Sandmann. “Just spoke to MAGA hat kid Nick on the phone--he is a total hero and has been maligned by the media. He is in good spirits and plans to FIGHT these lies by the media. I told him we are with him 100%! Media will divide and destroy us no longer! !” Even CNN’s S.E. Cupp apologized yesterday, tweeting “Hey guys. Seeing all the additional videos now, and I 100% regret reacting too quickly to the Covington story.” “I wish I’d had the fuller picture before weighing in,” she continued, “and I’m truly sorry.” But as yet there’s been no expression of contrition from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington which, when the story broke, condemned the “actions” of the boys and offered apologies to Phillips. “This behavior is opposed to the Church’s teaching on the dignity and respect of the human person,” the letter-writers added. The diocese and school stated that the “matter is being investigated” and that they would “take appropriate action, up to and including expulsion.” School and diocese alleged also that the incident had “tainted” the March for Life. “We know this incident also has tainted the entire witness of the March for Life and express our most sincere apologies to all who attended the March and all those who support the pro-life movement,” they wrote. The Covington diocese has been taking a beating on social media as both accusers and defenders of the Covington Catholic High School boys make their displeasure known. Posting on the “Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington” Facebook page on December 19, Gillian Lawlee-Foster wrote, “Absolutely disgusted by the behavior of those highschool kids and by the adults responsible for raising, teaching and shepherding them. What a disgrace!” But today Anna Dobin wrote, “You should have paused before you threw your children under the bus. You said there would be an investigation yet made a judgement.” There are now over 200 comments on the diocese’ Facebook page, many of them chastising the bishop for the diocese’ condemnation of the teenagers. There was criticism for the Diocese, too, from American media. Novelist James McElroy wrote in the American Conservative that the adults in the Covington diocese threw their children “under the bus.” “The most egregious adult failure came from the Kentucky diocese that threw its own children under the bus,” McElroy wrote. “Responsible leaders would have waited for more information before issuing a statement. These kids were violently threatened by deranged lunatics only to be threatened with expulsion from their school,” he continued. McElroy pointed to the terrible irony in a Catholic bishop letting down the kids of his diocese. “Church leaders are supposed to be shepherds, but they’ve been so beat up by the child abuse scandals that they no longer have any fight in them. And by failing to wait for the full story, the Church betrayed its youth once again, along with the entire pro-life movement by legitimizing propaganda against it,” he wrote. The writer concluded that the Church needs to stand its ground in social media disputes. “In a culture that views Christianity as synonymous with bigotry, the Catholic Church needs to be able to withstand a little cyberbullying.” Not only did the webpage for the Diocese of Covington, covdio.org, disappear from the internet for several hours, it was impossible to reach diocesan officials by phone or to leave a phone message. LifeSiteNews’ multiple attempts to speak to someone in the Covington chancery office this morning were unsuccessful. Click here to read all LifeSiteNews coverage of the Covington Catholic case. Contact information for respectful communications: Bishop Roger Joseph Foy Diocese of Covington 1125 Madison Avenue Covington, Kentucky 41011 Ph: (859) 392-1500 Email: [email protected] Use online contact form here.<doc-sep>Hide Transcript Show Transcript WEBVTT THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FROM COVINGTON CATHOLIC AS STUDENTS WERE CAUGHT IN A MEMORIAL MARCH. SCHOOL WAS CANCELED OTHERS BEEN A GATHERING OF OTHER COVINGTON DIOCESE DRAWING ATTENTION TO WHAT HAPPENED. ANDREW SETTERS HAS THE LATEST LIVE FROM COVINGTON. ANDREW: YOU HAVE BEEN A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON DISPLAY HERE IN FRONT OF THE COVINGTON DIOCESE. WE SEE PEOPLE HOLDING SIGNS SAYING THEY STAND WITH COVINGTON CATHOLIC AND CHEVRONS AND STUDENTS. THERE’S A VIGIL CALLED FOR BY THE AMERICAN INDIAN MOVEMENT GIVING PEOPLE A CHANCE TO SPEAK OUT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED. >> [CHANTING] ANDREW: THERE HAS BEEN FROM SOME CHANTING, THOUGH THERE ARE PEOPLE WITH DIFFERING OPINIONS IN THE CROWD, SUMS HOLDING SIGNS THAT SAY RACISM IS LEARNED BEHAVIOR OF MANY VOICES ARE CALLING FOR HEALING AND SOME ARE FRUSTRATED BY THIS INCIDENT, SEEING IT AS ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH THE WAY NATIVE AMERICANS HAVE BEEN TREATED HISTORICALLY. THE THING WE NOTICED WAS A CALL FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING. SEEMED AS OF THE KIDS FROM COVINGTON CAPITAL PUT IN A POSITION THEY WERE NOT PREPARED FOR AS THEY SAT IN THE MIDST OF TWO DIFFERENT ACTIVISTS GROUPS JHERI NHERI: D.C. IS A BRUTAL FRIDAY. PLACE. I’VE BEEN IN D.C. MANY TIMES AND IT’S AN ENVIRONMENT OF POLITICS AND ACTIVISM AND THEY, IN OPINION, THEIR REACTION WAS ONE OF YOUTH AND INEXPERIENCE AND I QUESTION AS TO WHY THE PARENTS OR CHAPERONES OR THE CHURCH OR WHOEVER WAS THERE FROM THE FACILITY DIDN’T STEP IN DURING THE HOUR AND 45 MINTUES THERE WERE ALL THESE DIFFERENT ALTERCATIONS WITH ALL THESE DIFFERENT PEOPLE. ANDREW: AND THERE WERE PEOPLE IN THE CROWD CALLING OUT THE MEDIA FOR OUR COVERAGE, AND PEOPLE DRIVING BY SHOWING SUPPORT AND CRITICISM OF PRESIDENT TRUMP. AGAIN, A LOT OF OPINIONS ON DISPLAY H Advertisement Native American group holds rally outside Diocese of Covington Share Shares Copy Link Copy The American Indian Movement of Indiana and Kentucky announced its members are holding a peaceful vigil Tuesday after a controversy surrounding video showing Covington Catholic students in an encounter with Native Americans at a rally near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.The group announced its members moved the location of the rally to outside the Diocese of Covington citing safety concerns after they initially planned to rally at Covington Catholic High School.The Indigenous Peoples March in Washington on Friday coincided with the March for Life, which drew thousands of anti-abortion protesters, including a group from Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills.The student involved released a statement sharing his side of the story after videos went viral showing students appearing to mock Native Americans at a rally in Washington.The student has identified himself as Nick Sandmann, a junior at the high school.Sandmann says he and his family have received threats in the wake of the viral incident at the Lincoln Memorial, and released the statement to correct the "outright lies" about him.Sandmann said his group was approached by the protesters, some of whom insulted Sandmann and fellow students. Videos circulating online show a youth -- who Sandmann says is him -- staring at and standing extremely close to an elderly Native American who was singing and playing a drum.That Native American man has been identified as Nathan Phillips, an Omaha elder and Vietnam veteran who holds an annual ceremony honoring Native American veterans at Arlington National Cemetery.Initial video of the incident showed students and Phillips face to face. Lengthier video of the encounter between the groups shows Phillips and fellow protesters approaching a group of students.Warning: The following video contains strong language: View the full video in its entirety hereThe American Indian Movement of Indiana and Kentucky said the rally will be a "peaceful vigil to confront racism. ""We have seen the entire hour and forty six minute video and stand by Nathan Phillips. While this longer video gives better context to the situation, it still does not absolve those boys of their behavior," the group said in a Facebook post.Group members said Nathan Phillips is a respected elder and he stepped in to try to dissolve the situation between the Black Hebrew Israelites, who were yelling harmful things at Natives and the school group, and the school group who were becoming increasingly worked up. "He stepped in because he wanted to defuse the situation with a song, with a blessing. The video clearly shows him stepping in between the two groups, but he does not force his way into the school group nor does he put himself in anyone’s face, as people have claimed," the group said in the post.The group said the boys can be seen "approaching and surrounding" Phillips after he stopped moving. "Their behavior at this point is still a problem, even if they did not create the initial situation. They are seen mocking, laughing at, and disrespecting Nathan Phillips. There are other videos from DC that same day showing these boys yelling 'MAGA' and 'build the wall' at random passer-bys near the Lincoln Memorial. There is a video of a student telling Native people that 'land gets stolen, it’s how the world works.' These behaviors are still unacceptable," the group said. The group said they want to hold the administration, teachers and "seemingly absent chaperones" accountable.The vigil will start at 10 a.m. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington, along with the school, acknowledged the situation Saturday afternoon, saying the matter is being investigated.Several Kentucky officials and representatives have since come out in favor or against the incident.Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie said the parents and mentors of the boy should be proud and that it is an honor to represent them.Massie added in the statement posted Twitter saying "I’ve now watched over an hour of other videos from 4 different cameras of the incident in front of the Lincoln Memorial. I urge everyone to watch the other videos before passing judgement. Would you have remained that composed at that age under those circumstances? "Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer spoke out on Twitter calling the incident "Unacceptable,"adding "So much yet to learn. And un-learn." Read the full statement regarding the protest here.<doc-sep>

The Diocese of Covington is being evacuated after reports of a suspicious package, according to multiple media outlets. The diocese, located in Covington, Kentucky, is connected to Covington Catholic High School, the Catholic school at the center of controversy following interaction of the Covington Catholic students with indigenous protestors last week in front of the Lincoln Memorial. According to WKYT, Kenton County dispatchers sent emergency crews to the diocese after reports of a suspicious package was called in. The evacuation, instigated by the diocese rather than law enforcement, began around 4:30 p.m. ET. BREAKING: Covington emergency crews on scene at Diocese of Covington offices on reports of a suspicious package. @FOX19 pic.twitter.com/8NfiyZRhKm — Mike Schell (@Fox19_Mike) January 23, 2019 According to an official with the Covington Police Department, the diocese received the package from a delivery service. The package had no return address and was not expected to be delivered. Out of caution, the diocese contacted local authorities, WEARTV reports. The package was taken away for further investigation and the scene was cleared. Authorities confirmed to reporters on the scene that the package did not contain explosives. The Diocese of Covington and Covington Catholic High School were closed on Tuesday. Both the diocese and the school have received numerous threats, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. "Due to threats of violence and the possibility of large crowds the Diocese was advised to close Covington Catholic High School, the Diocesan Curia and neighboring Covington Latin School. We thank law enforcement officers for their protection and will reopen when they say it is safe to do so," the diocese said in a statement. Covington Catholic reopened on Wednesday with an increased police presence both inside and outside the school.

FILE PHOTO: Japanese Minister of Economic Revitalization Toshimitsu Motegi attends a news conference on the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) Ministerial Meeting during APEC 2017 in Da Nang, Vietnam, November 11, 2017. REUTERS/Kham/File Photo WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top U.S. and Japanese trade officials said they better understood each other’s positions after talks on Thursday, while Tokyo appeared to stick to its position of avoiding a bilateral free-trade agreement. “We had a frank exchange of views and deepened mutual understanding,” Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told reporters after several hours of meetings with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, which he said would continue on Friday. However, Motegi reiterated Japan’s view that multilateral talks, which Washington has abandoned, were the best way to address trade issues. Tokyo wants to avoid a bilateral free-trade agreement - which Lighthizer called for in the past - where it could come under pressure over access to its auto and agricultural markets. “Ambassador Lighthizer and Minister Motegi had a thorough and constructive exchange of views on all bilateral trade issues,” Lighthizer’s office said. “They understand each other’s conditions for further discussions and plan to move forward with additional talks.” President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, calling it a bad deal and saying he preferred bilateral talks. Thursday’s talks launched a round of what the two sides call “free, fair and reciprocal” negotiations. They fall within broader bilateral economic discussions led by Vice President Mike Pence and Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso. Motegi said Japan and the United States agreed they want to achieve results quickly. He declined to give details of the first day’s discussions, telling reporters he would “say what I can after the first round of talks end”. Trump’s threats to impose higher tariffs on auto imports, including those from Japan, raised concerns such a step would harm both economies.<doc-sep>* Yen edges up amid caution ahead of US-Japan trade talks * Kiwi slides to lowest since March 2016 * RBNZ unexpectedly commits to keep interest rates at record lows * Rouble hit as Washington imposes fresh sanctions on Moscow (Adds details and quotes, updates prices) By Shinichi Saoshiro TOKYO, Aug 9 (Reuters) - The yen edged up to its strongest level against the dollar in nine days on Thursday ahead of trade talks between the United States and Japan and speculation over when the Japanese central bank will exit its ultra-easy monetary policy. Elsewhere in the currency market, the New Zealand dollar slid as its central bank staked out a dovish policy. While markets are still on edge over the brewing trade war between the United States and China, traders expected the main event on Thursday to take place in Washington, where Japan will enter talks seeking to avert steep tariffs on its car exports and fend off U.S. demands for a bilateral free trade agreement. The yen has fallen about 4 percent against the dollar over the past six months, raising speculation that its depreciation could be an issue in the talks as the Trump administration has raised concerns over countries deliberately weakening their currencies. The yen had received a lift on Wednesday following the release of minutes from a July 30-31 BOJ board meeting that showed one member wanted to allow long-term yields to move in an even wider band than the range indicated by the central bank. In order to makes its easy policy more sustainable, the BOJ had tweaked its yield-curve control (YCC) scheme -under which it guides long-term rates around zero percent- and decided to allow the yield to move about 20 basis points on either side of the target. Some saw last week’s policy tweak as a message of quiet surrender by the BOJ, an admission that it couldn’t stoke inflation and walking back steps intended to do so. “The yen-buying trend has been gathering pace since early August and the moves generated on the latest BOJ news added further momentum,” said Junichi Ishikawa, senior FX strategist at IG Securities in Tokyo. The speculation about the timing of an eventual exit from the BOJ’s ultra easy policy stance, along with caution ahead of the trade talks, led to the Japanese currency strengthening to 110.74 yen to the dollar, its strongest in nine days. “It is a continuation of the unwinding of short positions made previously against the yen. But it still remains to be seen if there will be participants willing to begin going long on the yen once the short covering peters out,” said Koji Fukaya, president of FPG Securities in Tokyo. KIWI STOOPS TO 2-1/2-YEAR LOW A big mover in the G10 currency sphere was the New Zealand dollar, which fell more than 1 percent at $0.6665, its lowest since March 2016. The kiwi tumbled after the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) on Thursday unexpectedly committed to keep interest rates at record lows through to 2020 on disappointing economic activity, a dovish turn that caught markets off-guard. RBNZ Governor Adrian Orr told Reuters in an interview that the central bank will need to make sure it is “blowing wind into sails” of the country’s economy for some time yet. Its antipodean peer the Australian dollar fared better, last trading up 0.2 percent to $0.7449. The Aussie had risen for the past two sessions, supported in part as a recent retreat by the Chinese yuan stopped for the time being. Sterling was little changed at $1.2877 following a drop to $1.2854 the previous day, its lowest in a year. Against the yen, it slipped to an 11-month low of 142.34. The pound slumped on Wednesday as investors ramped up bets on Britain leaving the European Union without an agreement with Brussels on their future relationship. The euro was a shade higher at $1.1616 after gaining about 0.1 percent on Wednesday. The single currency extended overnight losses to trade at 128.625 yen for a loss of 0.15 percent. The Russian rouble retreated to its lowest since November 2016 overnight, weakening beyond the psychologically important 65 per dollar threshold, after Washington said it would impose fresh sanctions on Moscow. (Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)<doc-sep>TALKING POINTS – YEN, TRADE WAR, AUSSIE DOLLAR, CHINA, NZ DOLLAR, RBNZ Yen may reverse gains as US, Japan strike deal avoiding auto tariffs Aussie Dollar, Chinese stocks up after record-setting US bond sale NZ Dollar down as RBNZ pushes out interest rate hike bets to 2020 The anti-risk Yen also rose as automakers led Japanese stocks lower in Asia Pacific trade, spooked by the prospect of US auto tariffs as negotiators from the two countries meet for talks. While trade war fears have focused on China, a rift between Washington and Tokyo may emerge as another critical flashpoint. The sit-down may follow a familiar playbook. Auto tariffs are deeply unpopular domestically, making them toxic before midterm elections and leading President Trump to bargain them away in talks with the EU’s Jean-Claude Junker (as expected). Modest concessions from Japan may yield the same result. On balance, markets are likely to cheer such an outcome. To the extent that this boosts risk appetite, it seems likely to bode ill for the Yen and perhaps also for the similarly-minded Swiss Franc. Meanwhile, the US Dollar may rise on the back of demand for the go-to yield seeking play in the G10 FX space. Check out our brief history of trade wars to learn how they may impact markets! AUSSIE DOLLAR BUOYED AFTER RECORD US BOND SALE The Australian Dollar gained alongside Chinese stock prices. The currency is often traded as a proxy for developments in its home country’s top export market. The CSI 300 equities gauge was led higher by technology names in a move that echoed tech sector strength in the preceding Wall Street session. In turn, that move followed impressive demand at a record-setting auction of $26 billion in 10-year Treasury notes. A healthy bid-to-cover ratio fueled hopes that the on-coming flood of new issuance to fund the yawning budget deficit may be absorbed without pushing borrowing costs higher too aggressively. Not surprisingly, technology stocks cheered the prospect of a better funding environment than might have been feared. The sector’s fortunes are anchored to the availability of ample venture capital, which isunderstandably a function of the cost of credit. NEW ZEALAND DOLLAR SINKS ON DOVISH RBNZ The New Zealand Dollar underperformed in Asia Pacific trade, sinking after a dovish RBNZ policy announcement. The central bank said it is not planning to raise interest rates until sometime in 2020, clashing with market pricing that envisioned an increase in the fourth quarter of 2019. See our free guide to learn how to use economic news in your trading strategy! ASIA PACIFIC TRADING SESSION EUROPEAN TRADING SESSION ** All times listed in GMT. See the full economic calendar here. FX TRADING RESOURCES --- Written by Ilya Spivak, Currency Strategist for DailyFX.com To contact Ilya, use the comments section below or @IlyaSpivak on Twitter<doc-sep>

Japan has two difficult options as it continues trade discussions with the United States: Get slapped with auto tariffs or make concessions that could hurt Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's support at home. Bilateral talks between the U.S. and Japan are currently underway in Washington. The administration of President Donald Trump has the upper hand as it's "wielding the threat of automobile tariffs pretty effectively," said Tobias Harris, vice president at Teneo Intelligence. Car exports to the U.S. are a key source of growth for Japan, accounting for around 1 percent of the country's gross domestic product, according to trade statistics from both countries. The U.S. has said it's considering imposing tariffs of up to 25 percent on auto imports, which would hurt demand for Japanese cars. "I think Japan now finds itself in a position where it has to choose between accepting those tariffs — which I think are unacceptable — and possibly making concessions in the areas that could be politically difficult for Abe. So they're going to a find a way to thread the needle between those two unpleasant options," Harris told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Friday. Abe is heading into a leadership contest within his own party next month. Winning the race in the Liberal Democratic Party would place him on track for a third three-year term in power. Japan's upper house of parliament is also due for elections next year and making too many concessions with the U.S. may hurt his political support base, analysts said. Abe could offer the U.S. greater access to its agricultural sector to avoid tariffs on its automakers, some observers say. Tokyo had previously done so when it entered a multilateral trade pact — the Trans-Pacific Partnership — with the U.S. which eventually pulled out of it. But making the same offer in a bilateral setting may be tough for Abe as Japan could be seen as giving in to the U.S., analysts said. "Let's remember where Prime Minister Abe comes from: He's a conservative, he's a hawk, he comes from the right of the LDP and that traditional power base has been the farmers," Andrew Staples, global editorial director and Southeast Asia director at The Economist Corporate Network, told CNBC's "Street Signs" on Friday.

Hurricane Miriam strengthens to Category 1 in Eastern Pacific top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Tropical Storm Miriam was upgraded to a hurricane earlier today, as it grew in strength out in the Pacific Ocean. The latest alert from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) placed Miriam about 940 miles east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii. Measured as a Category 1 hurricane, Miriam had maximum sustained winds of 80mph according to the NHC 5am HST update (4pm BST). Meteorologists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) expect Miriam to turn toward the north later today. There is also a second hurricane in the Pacific Ocean, Hurricane Norman which became a Category 4 storm today as it tracked away from Mexico’s Pacific coast. According to an update from the NHC at 8am local time (7pm BST), Norman’s maximum sustained winds have increased to near 150 mph (240 km/h) with higher gusts. Forecasters also warn there will be some additional strengthening over the next 12 to 24 hours. It is hurricane season for the Pacific Ocean, and many hurricanes form due to increased water temperatures. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are monitoring all hurricanes Will Hurricane Miriam hit Hawaii? Hurricane Miriam is expected to strengthen over today, however, this will be “followed by fairly rapid weakening Friday through Saturday night” said the NHC. The NHC said: “Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from Miriam’s center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 90 miles.” However, despite the strengthening, the decline in winds will not see Miriam make landfall. The NHC emphasised Miriam is travelling "far away from land.” Hurricane Norman: Weather chart shows storm in Eastern Pacific The eye of the hurricane is located about 940 miles east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii, with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph. It has been moving at 8mph. According to the NOAA, “The environment will be conducive for additional intensification of Miriam over the next 6 to 18 hours.” This is due to “sea surface temperatures holding around 28C, while the system moves over a region of higher Ocean Heat Content.” “As a result, the official forecast calls for slight intensification over the next 12 hours, then holds the intensity steady through 24 hours" Hurricane Miriam will die down before reaching Hawaii say meteorologists Hawaii is still picking up the pieces from Hurricane Lane<doc-sep>Hurricane Lane: Drone footage captures raging river in Hawaii top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. While Tropical Storm Miriam is not currently forecast to present a direct threat to Hawaii, localised downpours pose the threat of flash flooding, landslides and potential further threat to life. As Lane continues to track away from Hawaii, the much-needed sunshine seems to be remaining at bay as tropical moisture lingers and downpours are set to continue. And Tropical Storm Mariam won’t help, as the storm churns around the Pacific and is expected to become a hurricane in coming days. At 5pm Hawaii time (4am BST) on Tuesday, Miriam was packing maximum sustained winds of 65 mph, moving west at 12 mph, and 1,545 miles east of Hilo. Tropical storm-force winds extend up to 60 miles from the centre. The National Hurricane Centre in Miami forecasts the storm slowing and making a turn toward the north-northwest later this week, reaching the Central Pacific early on Thursday. The five-day forecast track shows Miriam weakening back to a tropical storm as it moves north over cooler water far from the Hawaiian islands. However, any substantial heavy surf and rain brought in by the passing outskirts of the storm are likely to worsen ongoing flooding and could trigger mudslides on the islands. Tropical Storm Miriam: The storm churning over the sea, and the aftermath of Lane Residents are on alert in case fresh evacuation orders are introduced. AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said: "The most numerous downpours that follow Lane are expected to be over the typical windward locations on the Big Island and Maui County.” Localised downpours are also expected on the western islands of Oahu and Kauai, mainly in windward areas, early this week. Isolated flash flooding could occur where Lane left the ground oversaturated. Tropical Storm Miriam path: The forecast track for the storm Mr Anderson said: "It will also be more humid by Hawaii standards across the islands early this week, which will put a strain on [cleanup] crews.” However, Miriam is not expected to pose a direct threat to any landmass. Hurricane Lane has left a trail of destruction after it marched across the Pacific and brushed Hawaii’s islands. Big Island was the worst hit with an unconfirmed number of homes damaged or destroyed and a number of roads closed, authorities said. In Waiakea Uka, in the Hilo district, 44.88 inches of rain fell in some parts. Tropical Storm Miriam path: Hurricane Lane left a trail of destruction<doc-sep>Just days after Hawaii appeared to avoid the worst from Hurricane Lane, a new tropical storm has formed in the Pacific. Tropical Storm Miriam has formed about 2,000 miles east of Hawaii, with maximum wind speeds of around 60 miles per hour. According to the National Hurricane Center (NRC), Miriam is strengthening and is expected to turn into a hurricane on Monday night. "Miriam's cloud pattern and overall convective organization have continued to improve, with a tight comma-cloud pattern now evident in infrared imagery," the NRC said in a report. "Steady strengthening still appears likely for the next couple of days." Thankfully, Miriam is not likely to come near Hawaii. Although its current path is expected to track west until Wednesday, Miriam will then begin heading north. At its closest, it should be around 600 miles east of Hawaii. Tropical storms are upgraded to hurricanes once they exceed wind speeds of 74 miles per hour. Miriam is traveling at a speed of around 14 mph. At the time of this writing, there were no warnings in place for the tropical storm. While flooding is still a concern with Hurricane Lane, Hawaiians appear to have survived the worst. Although land was never struck, the hurricane did cause severe flooding across the islands. The island of Hawaii (aka the Big Island) suffered severe flooding, landslides and road closures. Hurricane Lane was originally expected to hit Hawaii, which would have made it the first cyclone to pass land in 26 years. President Donald Trump even declared a state of emergency for Hawaii when the cyclone was expected to hit. It ultimately missed and traveled west, making torrential rain the biggest concern. The hurricane has since diminished from wind speeds of 125 miles per hour to around 50. On Sunday, Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Brock Long said it was still important to monitor emergency announcements. "We're going to see torrential rains occur over the next 48 to 72 hours," Long tweeted on Saturday. "If you're in Hawaii, it's critical that you heed the warnings of local officials & stay aware of your surroundings. Despite those words, surfers in Hawaii have seized the chance to ride giant waves created by Hurricane Lane. Surfer Will Rozier, 24, told Reuters he could barely sleep on Thursday night. "I couldn't even sit down and eat breakfast. I had to throw it all in my car and drive down to the beach and eat it while I was watching the waves and the sun rising," he said.<doc-sep>

Tropical Storm Miriam: Tracker shows storm headed to Hawaii The storm is currently southwest of the Hawaiian islands and the National Weather Service forecasters say the cyclone will intensify into a hurricane. It is moving west and forecasters predict it will intensify into a Category-2 hurricane and have sustained winds at an estimated 100mph (160kph) by 2pm Hawaii time (1am BST Wesnesday). This weather system will continue to gain strength throughout the week, with the Hawaiian islands are still recovering from Hurricane Lane. The storm punished the Big island and East Maui with torrential rain and landslides. It dropped more than 101 centimetres (40 inches) across parts of the Big Island, which lead to catastrophic flooding, as reported by AccuWeather. Hurricane Lane was downgraded to a tropical storm on Friday afternoon local time after its’ outer bands battered parts of Maui, but the weather is not expected to improve.. AccuWeather Senior Meterologist Brett Anderson said: “The most numerous downpours that follow Lane are expected to be over the typical windward locations on the Big Island and Maui County.” Tropical Storm Miriam continues it western trek across the Eastern Pacific but is expected to miss the Hawaiian Islands. Tropical Storm Miriam will become a hurricane It will make a sharp turn north before it reaches the islands due to an extended area of low pressure, according to forecasters from the National Hurricane Center in Miami. At 5pm Hawaii time (4am BST) on Tuesday, Miriam was packing maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (1054 kph), moving west at 12 mph (19 kph) and 1,545 miles (2,486 km) east of Hilo. Tropical storm-force winds extend up to 60 miles (96 km) from the centre. The National Hurricane Centre in Miami forecasts the storm slowing and making a turn toward the north-northwest later this week, reaching the Central Pacific early on Thursday. The path of Tropical Storm Miriam Hurricane Lane brought floods to Hawaii

Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersSenate competitiveness bill includes B authorization for Bezos space company Sanders wants government to get 'piece' of US semiconductor companies in exchange for aid Poll: 51 percent oppose Sanders-led resolution to block weapons sales to Israel MORE (I-Vt.) slammed President Trump Donald TrumpTrump lashes out after grand jury seated for New York criminal probe Schumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission MORE as "dangerous" during a campaign rally in his native Brooklyn on Saturday to kick off his 2020 Democratic presidential bid. "Thank you for being part of a campaign which is not only going to win the Democratic nomination, which is not only going to defeat Donald Trump, the most dangerous president in modern American history ... I want to welcome you to a campaign which says, loudly and clearly, that the underlying principles of our government will not be greed, hatred and lies," Sanders said. "It will not be racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia and religious bigotry." “I want to welcome you to a campaign which says loudly and clearly that the underlying principles of our government will not be greed, hatred and lies,” Sen. Bernie Sanders says in Brooklyn rally kicking off his 2020 bid for president. https://t.co/khOtAc1cQq pic.twitter.com/cmReyyUhgW — CNN (@CNN) March 2, 2019 Sanders announced in a video released last month that he would launch another White House bid, joining a crowded Democratic field in 2020. He reiterated Saturday many of his past criticisms of the Trump administration while seeking to underscore his place as a progressive standard-bearer in the presidential race. ADVERTISEMENT The Independent Vermont senator touted his calls for a $15 minimum wage, a "Medicare for all" single-payer health care program, tuition-free public colleges and a pivot toward sustainable energy in order to combat climate change. "The principles of our government will be based on justice: economic justice, social justice, racial justice and environmental justice," he said. Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, is running against several Senate colleagues for the Democratic nomination, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenOn The Money: Biden administration launches trade dispute against Canadian dairy industry | Warren urges Biden to replace Fed's Quarles Warren urges Biden to replace Fed's Quarles in testy exchange Warren offers bill to increase IRS budget to .5 billion MORE (D-Mass. ), Kamala Harris Kamala HarrisBiden, Bass press for police reform after meeting Floyd family Biden, Harris condemn surge in antisemitic incidents Mexican president: FAA safety downgrade meant to benefit US carriers MORE (D-Calif.) and Cory Booker Cory BookerBiden, Bass press for police reform after meeting Floyd family Bipartisan group of lawmakers reintroduces bill to give inmates Medicaid access Bass: 'Essential' for police reform bill to address qualified immunity MORE (D-N.J.), among others. Former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenAmerican held in Russia contracts COVID-19 after denied vaccine Biden defends waiving sanctions against Nord Stream Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission MORE is also mulling entering the race, and polls have consistently shown Biden and Sanders near the top of polls in early voting states.<doc-sep>NEW YORK — Despite frigid temperatures and a thick blanket of snow covering the city, Andy Billotti did not think twice about making his way from Maryland to watch Sen. Bernie Sanders kick off his 2020 presidential campaign at Brooklyn College on Saturday. “I took a car, a bus and a train to be here,” he told Haaretz while standing in line to enter the college’s east quad. “He’s got me hooked. He's the only politician who has shown me they can keep their principles over the decades they’re in office.” Like many in the crowd, Billotti had also attended Sanders events during his unsuccessful 2016 run, attending rallies and advocating for the Vermont senator who caucuses with the Democrats. The self-described democratic socialist managed to energize American millennials during that first run, drawing large crowds of young adults to his rallies nationwide, being credited for dragging the Democratic Party leftward. Open gallery view Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign launch in New York, March 2, 2019 Credit: Danielle Ziri Among the list of issues among attendees on Saturday, healthcare was a clear driving factor. “Healthcare is huge and we’re the only country that doesn’t have it,” Billotti said. “We have a history of cancer in our family, and if something were to happen — well, you shouldn't have to get bankrupt because you get sick.” As the crowd waited for the rally to begin on the snow-covered college lawn, the Trammps song “Disco Inferno” and its “Burn Baby Burn” chorus blasted through the nearby speakers, causing some to dance, perhaps in an effort to keep warm. “It’s not that cold,” shrugged one woman to another, her hands in her pockets and a beanie on her head. According to a recent report in the New York Times, Sanders’ 2020 run — under the slogan “Not me. Us.” — will capitalize on the stronger elements of his 2016 campaign, but also include more personal notes about the candidate, something he’s hitherto never been keen on sharing. Open gallery view Andy Billotti at Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign launch in New York, March 2, 2019 Credit: Danielle Ziri So, the choice of Brooklyn College to officially launch the Sanders campaign may be part of that new direction. The son of a Polish-Jewish immigrant, Bernie Sanders was born and raised in the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn and studied at this college for a year in 1960 before transferring to the University of Chicago. In 2017, he was even invited to speak at Brooklyn College’s commencement ceremony, where he received an honorary degree. “Bernie has been fighting corruption for at least 40 years and I trust him,” an Israeli-American in attendance on Saturday, Meira Marom, told Haaretz. She and her friends had campaigned for Sanders in 2016 and even produced a one-time musical about him in Burlington, Vermont. Open gallery view Meira Marom (R) at Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign launch in New York, March 2, 2019 Credit: Danielle Ziri “Other candidates might want to sound like Bernie now, but their record of accepting money from corporate donors doesn’t really go along with that,” Marom said. “He fights for environmental justice, social justice, racial justice, economic justice, and we need him more than ever.” The senator’s supporters hadn’t forgotten their deep disappointment over Hillary Clinton winning the Democratic nomination in 2016, either. “It was very disheartening,” Marom said. “I strongly feel and know that the election was rigged, and that’s unfortunate, [but] I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t” feel there was hope this time. “Like Bernie says, it's better to show up than to give up,” she added with a smile. “I was hugely disillusioned by the 2016 election. I don't think Bernie got a fair shake,” another attendee, 25-year-old Malachi Labrie-Cleary, added. Open gallery view Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign launch in New York, March 2, 2019 Credit: Danielle Ziri “After Trump won, [Sanders] didn’t go away and cry. He actually started hitting the pavement again, he kept fighting,” Labrie-Cleary said. “I’m very hopeful that he is running again in 2020; it makes me overjoyed to see him up there again. He is the only presidential candidate in my lifetime that speaks to issues I actually care about authentically,” he added. Foreign policy was not a top priority among the attendees Haaretz spoke to, and Sanders did not even mention it in his speech. When it comes to Israel and the Palestinians, though, Sanders has been open about his criticism of the Jewish state’s policies over the years. On several occasions he stated that Israel “overreacted” in its confrontations with the Palestinians, including last year during the deadly Palestinian protests at the Gaza Strip border. He also sparked controversy during the 2016 campaign when he told the New York Daily News that Israel had killed “over 10,000 innocent people in Gaza” during its summer 2014 conflict with Hamas, a figure that was called out by the Anti-Defamation League. Open gallery view Malachi Labrie-Clearly (L) and Connor Brennan at the Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign launch in New York, March 2, 2019 Credit: Danielle Ziri The 77-year-old Vermont senator has also strongly criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He recently cited Israel’s Netanyahu-backed nation-state law as an example of how President Donald Trump has inspired antidemocratic moves. “Honestly, I think Bernie is not far enough to the left on foreign policy,” Marom told Haaretz. “He didn’t support the Iraq war. He dared to say that Palestinians also deserve rights — that’s very moderate.” Marom, who was raised in Tel Aviv, said she was also outraged by the recent legislation passed in several states that forces government contractors to sign contracts saying they will not boycott Israel. “I feel like that’s insane, it’s not democratic,” she said. “We are not even talking about whether Israel should be boycotted or not — that's not even the question. But the right to decide where your money goes, for that to be punished is preposterous,” she added. Sanders himself has also called the legislation a violation of free speech rights. Open gallery view Arthur (R) at the Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign launch in New York, March 2, 2019 Credit: Danielle Ziri Arthur, 33, who asked that his last name not be published, said that as an American Jew, he was excited to support Sanders’ positions on Israel. “People usually associate Israel and all of Netanyahu's positions with being an American Jew, and that's not so. I at least don't stand for those positions,” he said. “And I think in this country, unfortunately, it will have to take a Jew to say [the things Sanders says about Israel], because any other person saying that will be met with claims of anti-Semitism.” As he began his speech with some thanks, the crowd chanted “Bernie!” in unison, to which the senator responded: “No, no, no, it’s not Bernie, it’s you. It’s us, together.” Whether that will be enough to secure the Democratic nomination this time around remains to be seen.<doc-sep>In the city that inspired his political activism, Bernie Sanders concluded a two-part presidential campaign launch with a rare personal anecdote: as a college student in Chicago, he was arrested during a civil rights protest against segregation of public schools. Before a crowd of 12,500 at the Navy Pier’s Festival Hall on Sunday night, Sanders recalled that in the 1960s, school officials in Chicago set up portable trailers for black students to keep them from attending white schools. “One day, many of us went to the spot where they planned to put the trailers,” Sanders said. “We were corralled by a police line and told not to cross that line. “Well, some of us did cross that line!” An exuberant crowd roared in applause. As Sanders embarks on a second bid for the White House to, as he says, “finish what we started”, the 77-year-old democratic socialist is attempting to build a new kind of campaign that avoids a key weakness of his 2016 run by expanding his appeal to non-white voters. At rallies in his Brooklyn, where he was born and raised, and in Chicago, where he graduated from college in June 1964, Sanders refreshed his now-familiar stump speech with details of his biography. The embrace of what one ally described as the “origin story of a political revolutionary” is part of a new approach his advisers and aides hope will help him connect with voters as he competes in a historically diverse field, led by women and minority candidates. He told the audience on Sunday that his four years as a student activist were “an extraordinary moment in my life and very much shaped my world view and what I wanted to do”. “The reason I tell you all of this is because my activities here in Chicago taught me a very important lesson,” he continued. “And that is that whether it is the struggle against corporate greed, racism, sexism, or homophobia, environmental devastation, or war and militarism, real change never takes place from the top on down. It always takes place from the bottom on up.” In the weekend speeches, his key policy planks remained: Medicare for All, tuition-free public college and a $15 minimum wage. But in the middle of his remarks, he pivoted to offer a glimpse of the personal experiences that helped to shape them. “You deserve to know where I come from, because family history obviously heavily influences the values that we develop as adults,” he said in Brooklyn. The race for the party’s nomination has already attracted more than a dozen candidates and several more big names are weighing bids, including former vice-president Joe Biden, former Texas congressman Beto O’Rourke and billionaire philanthropist Michael Bloomberg. The field is dominated by women and minorities, such as Senators Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris, who have weaved their biographies into campaign narratives. Since launching his campaign last month, Sanders has indicated that he is trying to remedy the shortcomings of his first campaign. In 2016, the Vermont independent struggled to win over African Americans and other minority voters. But since losing to Hillary Clinton, Sanders has worked to strengthen ties with the black community, making several visits to the important primary state of South Carolina and working with minority organizers and activists in Mississippi and California. In Chicago, the senator attempted to reframe his economic message to address what he called “the disparity within the disparity”: the racial wealth gap, the higher rate of infant and maternal mortality in black communities, and discrimination in the criminal justice system. Supporters wait for Bernie Sanders in Chicago. Photograph: Nam Y Huh/AP He repeated the names of the victims of high-profile officer-involved deaths: Laquan McDonald, Sandra Bland, Michael Brown, Rekia Boyd, Eric Garner, Walter Scott, Freddie Gray, Jessica Hernandez, Tamir Rice, Jonathan Ferrell, Oscar Grant and Antonio Zambrano-Montes. “People of color killed by the police who should be alive today,” he said. Before speaking in Chicago on Sunday, he joined Clinton at the annual Martin and Coretta King unity breakfast in Selma, Alabama. The New Jersey senator Cory Booker, who is also seeking the Democratic nomination for president, and Ohio senator Sherrod Brown, who is considering a run, also spoke at the event commemorating the 1965 Bloody Sunday civil rights march. Yet Sanders continues to face criticism for the way his speaks about race and racism – and that his economic-focused message is out of step with the current political moment that seeks to elevate women and minority candidates. Acknowledging recently that his 2016 campaign was “too white” and “too male”, Sanders has sought to build an operation that reflects the diversity of the Democratic party. His 2020 effort will be led by Faiz Shakir, the first Muslim campaign manager of a major US presidential candidate. Co-chairs include three people of color: Turner, California congressman Ro Khanna and San Juan mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz. He has also sought to address criticism of his campaign’s handling of sexual misconduct allegations in 2016 by instituting mandatory training and strict reporting guidelines. “History defines him,” Nina Turner, a former Ohio state senator who is a co-chair of Sanders’ campaign, said in Brooklyn. “But it’s not just about what he did in the 60s and the 80s and the 90s, it is about what he is doing right now.” By sticking by Sanders 2016 playbook – big rallies and small donors – his first two weeks as a candidate served as a persuasive rejoinder to those who speculated that he would struggle to hold on to his supporters in a changed political landscape. He has raised more than $10m in the first six days after he launched his campaign from a loyal base of supporters contributing as little as $3; and the twin rallies in Brooklyn and Chicago collectively drew more than 25,000 people. This week Sanders will visit Iowa, where he battled Clinton to a near tie in 2016. It is there, in less than one year, that voters will have the first say on whether his unlikely political career, that the senator traced back to his upbringing in a rent-controlled apartment in Brooklyn, leads to the White House.<doc-sep>

US Senator Bernie Sanders began his bid for the presidency on Saturday with a call for Americans to join his struggle to transform the country. It is the second time the senator from Vermont is angling for the White House after losing out on the 2016 Democratic nomination to Hillary Clinton. In a speech to several thousand people in the New York borough of Brooklyn, where he grew up, Sanders said this time he was in the best position to oust US President Donald Trump. "I want to thank all of you for being part of a campaign which is not only going to win the Democratic nomination, which is not only going to defeat Donald Trump, who is the most dangerous president in modern American history," he told the crowd. "But, with your help, we are going to transform this country and finally create an economy and a government which works for all of us." Sanders embraced by Democrat mainstream Sanders also sought to use his campaign launch to highlight the differences between himself and Trump. "I did not have a father who gave me millions of dollars to build luxury skyscrapers, casinos and country clubs," Sanders told the crowd. The son of a Jewish immigrant, he had a working-class childhood in Brooklyn, where his family lived in a rent-controlled apartment. Meanwhile, Trump, who was addressing the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) near Washington on Saturday, urged the audience to support his bid for a second term. While he did not mention Sanders by name in his two-hour speech, he said the future of America "does not belong to those who believe in socialism." Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, highlighted his campaign priorities to his supporters in New York, including a plan to implement "Medicare for all," a $15-an-hour minimum wage, tuition-free public colleges and the so-called Green New Deal to curb carbon emissions. Much of Sanders' liberal, populist agenda — previously dismissed as too radical by moderate Democrats — has since been embraced by the mainstream of the party. To secure the nomination, he will have to beat more than 10 other Democratic contenders, including liberal Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren. Watch video 00:53 Bernie Sanders's rebuttal of Trump's State of the Union address nm/bw (AP, AFP) Every day, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. Sign up for the newsletter here.

Year, Make, Model: 2020 Subaru Legacy Topline: A new 260 horsepower, 2.4-liter, turbocharged Boxer engine in the new XT trim highlights a slew of changes in the seventh-generation family sedan. What's New: The 2020 Legacy is built on the Subaru Global Platform, which was launched in 2017. The new platform offers increased safety and dynamics along with reduced noise, vibrations, and harshness. When the Legacy goes on sale this fall, it will be available in six trim levels: Base, Premium, Sport, Limited, Limited XT, and Touring XT. The non-XT models will be powered by a 182 horsepower, 2.5-liter Boxer and the XT models will be powered by the new 2.4-liter powerplant. Regardless of the engine choice, all Legacy models will feature a Lineartronic continuously variable transmission, auto stop/start, and Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive with Active Torque Vectoring.<doc-sep>Hide press release Show press release SUBARU STORMS INTO WINDY CITY WITH ALL-NEW SEVENTH-GENERATION 2020 LEGACY Debuts at 2019 Chicago Auto Show Subaru Global Platform: quietness, stability, agility New XT models with 260-horsepower 2.4-liter turbocharged BOXER engine Upgraded 182-horsepower 2.5-liter BOXER engine New tablet-style high-definition STARLINK 11.6-inch Multimedia infotainment system Refined, cavernous interior featuring high-grade materials New Touring trim with genuine Nappa leather Available new segment-exclusive DriverFocus Distraction Mitigation System Advanced, dynamic look with wider fenders and higher trunk surface Chicago, IL – February 7, 2019 – Subaru of America today introduced the all-new seventh- generation 2020 Legacy sedan – the most advanced Legacy in the model’s 30-year history. With standard Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive and EyeSight® Driver Assist Technology as well as available tablet-style high-definition 11.6-inch SUBARU STARLINKTM multimedia screen, DriverFocusTM Distraction Mitigation System and new XT models with 260 horsepower, the 2020 Legacy offers greater technology, performance, safety and refinement than ever before. Built on the Subaru Global Platform, which offers increased safety, dynamics and quietness not to mention reduced noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), the Legacy will be available in Base, Premium, Sport, Limited, Limited XT and Touring XT models when it goes on sale at Subaru retailers this fall. New XT designations mark the return of a turbocharged engine to the Legacy lineup, thanks to a 260-horsepower 2.4-liter direct-injection SUBARU BOXER® engine, while other models sport an enhanced 182-horsepower 2.5-liter direct-injection BOXER engine. Every 2020 Legacy features a Lineartronic® Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), auto stop/start and Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive with Active Torque Vectoring. STOUT STRUCTURE AND SAFETY Introduced for 2017, the Subaru Global Platform has been optimized for the midsize Legacy, boasting a structure that is 70-percent stiffer in both torsional and front-suspension rigidity and 100-percent stiffer in both front lateral flexural and rear subframe rigidity compared to the previous Legacy’s platform. Notable contributors to the increased stiffness include a 13-percent jump in ultra-high-tensile-strength steel, a 371-percent increase in structural adhesive (compared to initial iteration of SGP) and, for the first time in a Subaru, a floor crossmember that is filled with a highly rigid and lightweight two-part foam material. In another Subaru first, the Legacy utilizes a full inner frame construction in which only the outer panels are welded to the structure after the entire body framework is assembled, unlike a conventional manufacturing process in which the upper and under bodies are assembled separately and then joined. This new inner frame construction is significantly stiffer and lighter than the previous Legacy’s conventional structure. The Legacy’s stiffened platform pays multiple dividends in the real world. Along with a strengthened suspension and lowered center of gravity, the Legacy’s improved body rigidity provides more responsive steering and handling, smoother and quieter ride, and heightened hazard avoidance in emergency situations. Crash protection, too, is markedly improved, as the new body absorbs over 40-percent more energy in front/side crashes than the current model. When a crash is unavoidable, the Legacy protects with eight standard airbags, including a driver knee airbag. Subaru expects the Legacy to achieve top safety scores when it is tested later this year, including a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Passive safety is only part of the protection equation, and the Legacy once again leads its segment in active safety technology. Standard on all trims is EyeSight Driver Assist Technology, now equipped for the first time in the U.S. with Lane Centering Function. When using EyeSight’s Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control feature, Lane Centering Function provides steering assist when the vehicle veers outside its lane, helping the driver maintain a direct path. DriverFocus Distraction Mitigation System, optional on Limited and standard on both XT trims, uses a dedicated camera and facial recognition software to identify signs of driver fatigue or driver distraction. If the system detects the driver is distracted or dozing off, a warning will display on both the combination meter and 11.6-inch screen to alert driver and passengers. In another Legacy first, the 2020 model offers a Front View Monitor. Standard on the Touring XT, the Front View Monitor captures images within the driver’s blind spots in front of the vehicle and displays a 180-degree view on the 11.6-inch display, providing safety and assistance when checking road conditions ahead or parking. Additional available driver-assist technologies include LED Steering Responsive Headlamps (Limited, Touring), Reverse Automatic Braking and Blind Spot Detection with Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross Traffic Alert. DYNAMIC PERFORMANCE For the first time since 2012, the Legacy lineup will feature a turbocharged engine. Standard on XT models, the 2.4-liter turbocharged BOXER engine delivers brisk acceleration and robust all- around performance, with 260 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 277 lb-ft of torque from 2,000- 4,800 rpm. Mated to a high-torque Lineartronic CVT with manual mode and steering wheel paddle control switches, the 2.4-liter BOXER launches Legacy XT from 0-60 mph in an estimated 6.1 seconds. Fuel economy for the turbo is equally impressive, with a manufacturer’s estimation of 24/32 mpg city/highway. For 2020, the Legacy’s CVT hydraulic system features a lower viscosity oil that reduces horsepower loss by 32 percent compared to the previous model’s CVT, helping the new model achieve both higher fuel economy and greater driving performance. Opting for a non-turbo Legacy doesn’t mean sacrificing rewarding performance. The standard naturally aspirated engine is the thoroughly revised 2.5-liter BOXER that debuted in the 2019 Forester. With direct injection and nearly 90 percent of its parts new, the 2.5-liter puts out 182 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 176 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm. Paired with a Lineartronic CVT, the 2.5-liter BOXER delivers estimated 0-60-mph acceleration of 8.4 seconds and, with the assistance of standard Active Grille Shutters, manufacturer’s estimated fuel economy of 27/35 mpg city/highway. Complementing the more powerful and refined powertrains is an all-new suspension that is lighter, stronger and more responsive. The front suspension utilizes MacPherson struts with new internal rebound spring, aluminum lower L-arms and new 23mm hollow stabilizer bar. In back, the rear suspension features a double-wishbone layout with subframe, coil springs and new 19mm hollow stabilizer bar. Combined with grippy V-rated all-season tires on 17- or 18-inch alloy wheels and four-wheel ventilated disc brakes, the 2020 Legacy has achieved the highest levels of dynamic performance and ride comfort in its history. UPSCALE, TECH-LADEN INTERIOR Front and center, and highlighting Legacy’s upscale interior, is an all-new tablet-style 11.6-inch Full HD multimedia display, the largest, most advanced infotainment screen ever in a Subaru. Standard on Premium, Sport and Limited, the 11.6-inch Multimedia Plus offers direct touch controls for multimedia, HVAC and vehicle settings, and includes Near Field Communication to its list of features. Like with a smartphone, app icons can be moved and configured based on personal preference. The top-of-the-line 11.6-inch Multimedia with Navigation adds navigation powered by TomTom (3-year free map updates) and voice activated navigation, and is optional for Premium, Sport and Limited and standard for Touring. A Subaru-first split-screen display can simultaneously show two types of information – e.g., navigation and audio – for improved user interaction. Both the Multimedia Plus and Multimedia with Navigation feature two rotary dial knobs, including one for audio volume. The Base model also gets an all-new multimedia system, with dual 7.0-inch Wide Video Graphics Array (WVGA) displays that split multimedia and HVAC controls. SUBARU STARLINK In-Vehicle Technology offers an integrated cockpit experience by allowing the driver to control entertainment and vehicle settings through a large touchscreen display. All STARLINK multimedia systems for the 2020 Legacy offer a high-resolution touchscreen; new on-screen controls for audio, HVAC and vehicle features; combination meter integration; smartphone integration with Apple CarPlayTM, AndroidTM Auto and new STARLINK Smart Device Link (SDL) apps; Bluetooth® hands-free phone and audio streaming connectivity; AM/FM stereo; Rear Vision Camera; SiriusXM® All Access Radio (4-month free subscription) and SiriusXM Travel Link® (3-year free subscription); HD Radio® and over-the-air updates as standard. For the first time in Legacy, available in-car Wi-Fi connectivity provides smooth internet access via high-speed LTETM communications, broadening the range of entertainment options available to rear-seat occupants using smart devices.<doc-sep>The all-new Subaru Legacy has been revealed at the 2019 Chicago Auto Show, and the model moves to the Japanese automaker's global platform that underpins the rest of the lineup. The redo comes as the Legacy nameplate is marking its 30th anniversary, and compared to the current family sedans from Honda and Toyota, the latest version looks pretty darn normal. Who would have thought we'd say that about a Subaru? Torque-vectoring all-wheel drive is standard across the board, as is EyeSight Driver Assist with lane-centering tech. Fresh options include a big, portrait-orientation 11.6-inch infotainment screen, driver-distraction detection, and the upscale Limited XT and Touring XT models. The XTs pack a turbocharged 2.4-liter flat four that offers 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque. It's the same powerplant used in the Ascent SUV and Subaru claims a zero-to-60-mph sprint of about 6.1 seconds. The brand touts an estimated EPA fuel-economy rating of 24 mpg city and 32 mpg for the XT models. See all 23 photos See all 23 photos The base, Premium, Sport, and Limited variants use a carry-over 2.5-liter inline-four that delivers 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft and what Subaru estimates is an 8.4-second zero-to-60 time. Thanks to help from standard active grille shutters, 2.5-powered cars are expected to be rated for 27/35 mpg. Both engines mate to a continuously variable transmission (CVT), and both feature automatic engine stop-start tech to help save fuel. Tech goodies include the aforementioned anti-distraction setup, which is marketed as the Driver Focus Distraction Mitigation System. It's optional on the Limited and standard on both XT trims, and uses a camera and facial-recognition software to identify signs that the driver is tired or occupied with a task that isn't driving. A front-view monitor is standard on the Touring XT to help reveal blind spots in front of the sedan. Additional options include LED swiveling headlamps for Limited and Touring trims, reverse automatic braking, blind-spot detection with lane-change assist, and rear-cross traffic alert. A 12-speaker Harman/Kardon audio system is also available, while the new Legacy features four USB ports—two in front and two in the rear—as well as one auxiliary input jack up front. Finally, all Legacys except for the base model have two 12-volt DC power sockets. The Legacy offers 15.1 cubic feet of cargo space for all your gear and can accommodate four full-size roller bags. (For reference, last year's model also had about 15 cubic feet of trunk space.) If you have more stuff, the new Legacy features standard mounting brackets on the roof for an optional rack, box, or tray. The 2020 Subie sedan arrives this fall and pricing will be announced closer to its on-sale date. While this introduction is a key one for Subaru, more important is that this basic package will provide the basis for the upcoming next-generation Outback wagon/crossover, the vehicle that forms the vital core of the brand's U.S. sales. Based on what we see here, fans of that one should have much to look forward to.<doc-sep>

Besides offering standard all-wheel drive, the Subaru Legacy has been one of the duller entries in the midsize sedan segment. In terms of performance and styling, it's been a largely forgettable car for the last couple of generations, something that wasn't always the case. Enlarge Image Subaru Time-hop back a decade, and you could buy new a Legacy 2.5GT spec.B with a turbocharged engine and manual gearbox that was like a more mature WRX STI. With the debut of an all-new 2020 Legacy at the Chicago Auto Show, Subaru hopes to return some pep to its midsize sedan step with a new platform and return of a turbo engine option. The most important change to shoppers, however, may be its huge new infotainment screen. With a move onto the Subaru Global Platform that debuted underneath the latest Impreza, the seventh-generation Legacy makes huge gains in structural strength. Torsional and front suspension rigidity is up 70 percent, while rear subframe stiffness doubles compared with the current Subaru Legacy. That comes courtesy of more ultrahigh-tensile-strength steel, structural adhesive and new construction techniques. Now playing: Watch this: 2020 Subaru Legacy becomes a more interesting midsize... A reworked MacPherson strut front suspension with internal rebound springs and aluminum lower control arms is bolted to the stiffer platform. A double wishbone setup is out back with the whole thing riding on either 17- or 18-inch all-season tires. Together, Subaru says the new Legacy will boast more responsive steering and handling along with smoother ride comfort. Powering Base, Premium, Sport and Limited versions will be a familiar 2.5-liter boxer four-cylinder engine making 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque. With a continuously variable transmission Subaru estimates that it'll hit 60 mph in 8.4 seconds and return 27 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway. The big engine news is the arrival of a new 2.4-liter turbocharged flat four that replaces the 3.6-liter six-cylinder in the lineup. Available in the Limited XT and Touring XT trims, it delivers 260 horses and 277 pound-feet of torque between 2,000 and 4,800 rpm. Like the naturally aspirated base engine, the turbo works with a CVT returning an estimated 24 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway. Subaru says the XT models will hit 60 mph in a not superquick, but respectable 6.1 seconds. Enlarge Image Jon Wong/Roadshow Visually, the new Legacy isn't too dramatic a departure from the car it replaces, with a slightly sleeker front end and roofline. It's far from an exciting design, but it's clean and inoffensive. Inside, Subaru is promising quieter and roomier accommodations with the range-topping XT Touring model featuring premium Nappa leather. The most notable cabin change is the huge, vertically oriented 11.6-inch Starlink multimedia infotainment system that's standard on Premium, Sport and Limited cars. Entertainment, available navigation, climate, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are controlled through the tablet-style display. Like a smartphone, app icons can be arranged according to personal preference on the screen. Audiophiles will be able to spring for an available 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio setup and a Wi-Fi hotspot will be offered in the Legacy for the first time. On the safety front, Subaru's EyeSight Driver Assist Technology suite of features comes on every Legacy to include forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist with lane centering. Features such as reverse automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane change assist and rear cross-traffic alert will be available. A new DriverFocus Distraction Mitigation System is also optional on Limited and standard on XTs that uses a camera and facial recognition software to monitor the driver for signs of fatigue or distraction. When a distracted or sleepy driver is detected, a warning will appear on the gauge cluster and center infotainment screen to alert the driver and passengers. Top-of-the-line Touring XT versions also benefit from a 180-degree front-view monitor that shows the view of front blind spots on the center screen. That should help in situations such as pulling out of alley or into traffic when something like a parked car or sign is obstructing your view. The 2020 Subaru Legacy will go on sale in fall. Pricing details aren't available yet, but shouldn't differ too drastically from the current car. For reference, the 2019 Legacy starts at $23,430, which includes $895 for destination.

MLB Players' Weekend is coming back for its second installment in 2018 — Aug. 24 through 26 — which means more fun nicknames. Last year, Kyle Seager's "Corey's Brother" was probably the best in the majors. This year calls for more creativity and originality. Here are the best names, ranked, using a scientific calculation known by only a handful of people, much like the Krabby Patty formula. MORE: Marvel heroes and their MLB secret identities! 25. "Tom Ace" — Mark Canha, A's Canha makes this list because I'm hoping against hope he's referencing "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective." 24. "Game Ender" — Ender Inciarte, Braves I can certainly appreciate the confidence here, and the play on words/name is enough to make the list. 23. "Jerk-Oh" — Jedd Gyorko, Cardinals Now NO ONE will be allowed to pronounce his last name incorrectly. 22. "Tone Ranger" — Tony Watson, Giants Hi-ho, Silver! Away! 21. "I Believe" — Stephen Vogt I. I believe. I believe in. I believe in … good nicknames. Coming from the chant of the same name, this one is fitting. 20. "El Rojo" — Clint Frazier, Yankees Spanish nickname for someone with red hair. It's not quite as good as Frazier's other nickname, "Red Thunder." 19. "Bringer of Rain" — Josh Donaldson, Blue Jays One of the better nicknames in baseball, Donaldson sticks with the oldie-but-goodie. 18. "Wild Horse" — Yasiel Puig Puig your friend. More importantly, "Wild Horse" your great nickname. 17. "The Machine" — Albert Pujols, Angels Stick with the classics. 16. "PTBNL" — Josh Phegley, A's Maybe "International Signing Pool Money" was too much to fit on the back of a jersey? 15. "Showtime" — Shohei Ohtani, Angels Is there any more apropos nickname that "Showtime" Shohei Ohtani? It fits his abilities perfectly. 14. "Dream" — Luke Weaver, Cardinals I believe you can get me through the ni-hiiiiiiiiight. 13. "Boomstick" — Nelson Cruz, Mariners Like Donaldson's, Cruz's nickname has been around and fits his style of play and personality well. Bruce Campbell, Line 1. 12. "Big Maple" — James Paxton, Mariners Canada's greatest exports: Maple syrup. Hockey. Great nicknames. 11. "Cole Train" — Gerrit Cole, Astros I'm a huge nerd, so I'm hoping this is a reference to XBox video game franchise "Gears of War." If not, it's still pretty cool. 10. "Outlaw" — Kevin Kiermaier, Rays With this nickname, Kiermaier sounds like he would be a great addition to the independent wrestling circuit once his career is over. 9. "Chill Sergeant" — Danny Duffy, Royals So instead of yelling at people, does he hand out incense and mango chai smoothies? 8. "Manaealator" — Sean Manaea, A's Fitting, considering Manaea has burst on the scene in 2018 and is one of the biggest pieces of the upstart A's. 7. "Nitro" — Nick Tropeano, Angels See, they took the "Ni" from "Nick" and the "Tro" from "Tropeano" and put it together. "NITRO." Get it? GET IT? ! 6. "Magic" — Ervin Santana, Twins Not sure if he's going to pitch a great game or go off for 22 points and 16 assists. 5. "El Mago" — Javier Baez, Cubs Spanish for "The Magician," I'm not sure there's a more fitting nickname in baseball. 4. "Kraken" — Gary Sanchez, Yankees Two things that are certain to conjur mental images of dread: this nickname, and Sanchez's 2018 slash line. 3. "Wachamole" — Michael Wacha, Cardinals "Wachamole is extra, is that OK?" Me: 2. "HDMH" — Marcus Stroman, Blue Jays It stands for "Height doesn't measure heart." What more could you want? A great message for kids watching and aspiring to play baseball. 1. "*Cardboard box emoji, cheeseburger emoji*" — Brad Boxberger, Diamondbacks In a never-ending quest to bring in younger fans, this one is sure to make the millennials happy! *Shakes fist at cloud* You can view the full list, courtesy of MLB, here.<doc-sep>Back for a second consecutive year, MLB players across the league will be able to show their personalities and passion during Players’ Weekend. This year’s event is Aug. 24-26. Players again will be able to wear their nicknames instead of their last names on their jerseys. And they’ll have the choice of wearing T-shirts highlighting a cause or charity during pregame workouts and postgame interviews. Here are the nicknames the Angels and Dodgers will be using: Angels Advertisement Jose Alvarez: “Kíke” Justin Anderson: “Ando” Francisco Arcia: “Frankie” Jaime Barria: “El Pana” Cam Bedrosian: “Bedrock” Jose Briceno: “Ore” Kole Calhoun: “Koleman” Kaleb Cowart: “Pal” Advertisement Zack Cozart: “L.A. Coz” Jose Fernandez: “Jotave” David Fletcher: “Fletch” Andrew Heaney: “Heandog” Advertisement Jake Jewell: “Bob” Jim Johnson: “J.J.” Jefry Marte: “El Bley” Alex Meyer: “Bubba” Advertisement Keynan Middleton: “Major Key” Shohei Ohtani: “Showtime” Blake Parker: “B-Easy” Felix Pena: “La Befla” Advertisement Albert Pujols: “The Machine” JC Ramirez: “J.C. Time” Noe Ramirez: “Otto” Garrett Richards: “G-Rich” Advertisement Rene Rivera: “Moncho” Hansel Robles: “El Peñaco” Matt Shoemaker: “Shoe” Andrelton Simmons: “Simón” Advertisement Tyler Skaggs: “Swaggy” Nick Tropeano: “Nitro” Mike Trout: “Kiiiiid” Justin Upton: “J - UP” Advertisement Blake Wood: “BLOCK-A” Chris Young: “C Y” Eric Young Jr.: “EYJ” Dodgers Advertisement Scott Alexander: “Scottie Boy” John Axford: “Ax Man” Pedro Baez: “La Mula” Austin Barnes: “Sam” Advertisement Cody Bellinger: “Belli” Walker Buehler: “Ferris” JT Chargois: “Shag” Tony Cingrani: “Grani” Advertisement Brian Dozier: “Bull” Josh Fields: “Fields” Dylan Floro: “F Lordo” Erik Goeddel: “Goody” Advertisement Yasmani Grandal: “Yazmanian Devil” Enrique Hernandez: “Kiké” Rich Hill: “D. Mountain” Daniel Hudson: “Huddy” Advertisement Kenley Jansen: “Kenleyfornia” Matt Kemp: “Matt” Clayton Kershaw: “Kersh” Tom Koehler: “TK” Advertisement Manny Machado: “El Ministro” Kenta Maeda: “Maeken” Max Muncy: “Munce” Joc Pederson: “King” Advertisement Yasiel Puig: “Wild Horse” Hyun-Jin Ryu: “Monster” Zac Rosscup: “Cup” Dennis Santana: “Anfernee” Advertisement Corey Seager: “Seags” Ross Stripling: “Chicken Strip” Chris Taylor: “CT3” Justin Turner: “Redturn2” Advertisement Julio Urias: “El Culichi” Chase Utley: “Silver Fox” Pat Venditte: “P-VITTY” Alex Wood: “AWOOD” Advertisement Some creative ones from other teams include Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Brad Boxberger who’ll be using an emoji of a box and hamburger for his nickname, which is a first for the league; Atlanta Braves outfielder Ender Inciarte’s “Game Ender”; Cleveland Indians pitcher Shane Bieber’s “Not Justin”; and Baltimore Orioles pitcher Paul Fry’s “Papa Frita.” You can see the full list here. Besides the nicknames, on the right sleeve of each uniform will be a patch on which players can write the name of a person who either helped in their development or inspired them. The uniforms overall will feature brighter colors. Fans can purchase game-worn jerseys off the league’s website. Advertisement Twitter: @edmgonzalez eduardo.gonzalez@latimes.com<doc-sep>

Major League Baseball will once again hold a "Players Weekend" in August. From Aug. 25-27, players will be allowed to let their personalities take center stage for the second installment of the specialty wekeend. Teams will wear specialty hats and jerseys inspired by little league baseball, but one of the cooler features of the weekend is that players can choose to have nicknames on the back of those uniforms. Here's the best nickname that will be on display from each team across Major League Baseball later this month. (You can check out a full list of nicknames here.) Arizona Diamondbacks: BOX BURGER Brad Boxberger has won Players' Weekend simply because he managed to get emojis on a MLB jersey. Atlanta Braves: SKYWALKER Luke Jackson is here for your Star Wars references. Baltimore Orioles: PAPA FRITA Would you like Paul Fry with that? Boston Red Sox: JIMMY B Joe Kelly is fully embracing his alter ego as Jim Buchanon. Chicago Cubs: STRINGBEAN SLINGER Carl Edwards follows up last year's "Carl's Jr." with another strong effort. Chicago White Sox: MAL TIEMPO If you pitch to Jose Abreu, you're gonna have a bad time. Cincinnati Reds: ZEN MASTER Michael Lorenzen finds inner peace in his nickname. Cleveland Indians: NOT JUSTIN Shane Bieber could only wish. Colorado Rockies: GRAY WOLF/CHUCK NAZTY It's a tie between Jon Gray and Charlie Blackmon. Detroit Tigers: JUICY J/MATTY B Jacoby Jones and Matthew Boyd both paying respects to legends of the rap game. Houston Astros: COLE TRAIN Gerrit Cole plays Gears of War, maybe. Kansas City Royals: CHILL SERGEANT Makes you wonder how Danny Duffy earned his stripes. Los Angeles Angels: SHOWTIME Shohei Ohtani is good at this. Los Angeles Dodgers: BUELLER Walker Buehler? Walker Buehler? Walker Buehler? Miami Marlins: ALL STARLIN/JARLIN THE MARLIN A sweet humblebrag from Starlin Castro, but Jarlin Garcia's was too easy. It breaks my heart that Travis Shaw couldn't fit the entire "Ding Dong City." Minnesota Twins: LOGIE BEAR Logan Forsythe should commit to the bit by playing in a bear suit. Jerry Blevins also could have went with "Gold, Jerry! Gold!" New York Yankees: THE KNIGHT Might not seem too exciting, but Didi Gregorius is literally a knight back home in Curacao. Sean Manaea gets best word play, but Jake Smolinski's is solid too. Philadelphia Phillies: BIGGER FELLA Tommy Hunter trolling Rhys Hoskins' "Big Fella" designation is a win in my book. Pittsburgh Pirates: SUPER NOVA Would it be better if Ivan Nova didn't have a 4.49 ERA? Sure, but still pretty cool. San Diego Padres: DAD A.J. Ellis is playing for the name on the front AND back of his jersey. Seattle Mariners: BIG MAPLE James Paxton has one of the better nicknames in baseball. San Francisco Giants: UNDERPANTS Hunter Pence is weird as hell. Cardinals: THE PEBBLE Kolten Wong is embracing his role as a smaller version of The Rock. Tampa Bay Rays: MINI HORSE The 6-foot-8 Tyler Glasnow is 5,000 candles in the wind. Texas Rangers: PICO DE GALLO Puts your chips in Joey Gallo. Toronto Blue Jays: BRINGER OF RAIN Josh Donaldson's nickname still reigns. Washington Nationals: BLUE EYE Max Scherzer used this last year, so it would have been funnier if he went "Brown Eye" this time.

The severe weather in some of our counties has caused school districts to announce school closings. The following schools have announced closures for Friday Bleckley County Schools Crisp County Schools Dodge County Schools Dooly County Schools Dublin City Schools Georgia College Laurens County Schools Middle Georgia State University (Cochran, Dublin and Eastman campuses) Oconee Fall Line Technical College Pulaski County Schools Telfair County Schools Trinity Christian School Washington County Schools Wheeler County Schools Wilcox County Schools ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The following central Georgia schools/colleges have announced closures as a result of Michael: Bibb County, Closed Thursday (Affects staff only) Bleckley County, Closed Thursday Brentwood Academy, Closed Thursday Central Fellowship Christian Academy, Closed Thursday Covenant Academy, Closed Thursday Crawford County Schools, Closed Thursday Crisp County Schools, Closed Wednesday and Thursday Crisp Academy, Closed Wednesday and Thursday Dodge County, Dismissing at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Closed on Thursday Dooly County, Closed Wednesday, Thursday and Friday Dublin City Schools, Closed Thursday First Presbyterian Day School, Closed Thursday Fullington Academy, Closed Wednesday and Thursday Georgia Academy for the Blind, closed Wednesday for students, staff reports at 8 a.m. GMC Prep School Hancock County, Closed Thursday Jasper County Schools, Closed Thursday Laurens County, Dismissing at 12 p.m. Wednesday, Closed Thursday, Closed Friday Milledgeville Christian Academy, Closed Wednesday Monroe County Schools, Closed Thursday Montessori of Macon, No after school programs Wednesday, Closed Thursday Peach County Schools, Closed Wednesday Pulaski County Schools, Closed Thursday St. Andrews Montessori, Closed Thursday St. Joseph Catholic School, Closed Thursday Stratford Academy, Closed Thursday Tatnall Square Academy, Closed Thursday Taylor County Schools, Closed for students Wednesday and Thursday, staff reports Wednesday Telfair County Schools, Closed at noon Wednesday, closed on Thursday Treutlen County Schools: Closed Thursday Trinity Christian School, Closed Thursday Washington County, Closed Thursday Westfield School, Closed Thursday Wheeler County, Closed Thursday Wilkinson County, Closed Thursday Windsor Academy, Closed Thursday Woodfield Academy, Closed Thursday *Contact your local Head Start program or day care provider for cancellations. COLLEGES Central Georgia Technical College, Closed at noon on Wednesday, Closed Thursday Fort Valley State University, closes noon Wednesday and stays closed Thursday Georgia College in Milledgeville, all classes and activities suspended until Monday GMC in Albany, Augusta, Eastman, Dublin, Madison, Milledgeville, Sandersville, Walner Robins and Valdosta, Closed after 5 p.m. Wednesday, Closed Thursday Georgia Southwestern, Closed Wednesday and Thursday Mercer University (Macon, Columbus, Savannah), closed Thursday Middle Georgia State University, Dismissing at noon Wednesday, closed Thursday Oconee Fall Line Technical College, closing Wednesday at noon, closed Thursday Wesleyan College, Closed Wednesday, Closed Thursday Virginia College, Closed Wednesday at noon, Closed Thursday<doc-sep>Athens, GA (30605) Today Scattered thunderstorms. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High near 90F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy after midnight. Low 66F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.<doc-sep>Many area schools will be closing Thursday in anticipation of Hurricane Michael. Some schools will be cutting their days short Wednesday as well. "Heavy rains and tropical storm force winds are expected to impact the area beginning Wednesday afternoon and lasting throughout the day on Thursday. These conditions make it unsafe for school buses to operate and transport students to and from school," Orangeburg County’s school district superintendents said in a joint statement Tuesday. In Orangeburg Consolidated School District 3, Lake Marion High School will dismiss at 12:30 p.m. All other schools will follow their usual early dismissal schedules. In OCSD4, all schools will dismiss at 12:30 p.m. In OCSD5, elementary schools will dismiss at 11:30 a.m. Middle and high schools will dismiss at noon. All after-school activities are cancelled for both Wednesday and Thursday for all three school districts. Calhoun County schools Calhoun County Public School District will dismiss schools early Wednesday and close Thursday.<doc-sep>The University of Georgia announced late Wednesday it will delay opening its Athens campus until 10 a.m. Thursday. Classes will begin at 11 a.m. Here’s the list of closures as of 7 p.m. Wednesday:<doc-sep>

Due to the threat posed by Hurricane Michael, the University of Georgia will delay opening the campus on Thursday until 10 a.m. with classes starting no earlier than 11 a.m. All university residence halls will remain open, according to a news release issued by the university Wednesday evening. On-campus residents in University Housing, should contact their community front desk or RA with any questions or concerns and to report any facilities-related problems. Information about dining and other campus services will be posted on emergency.uga.edu as it becomes available. Also holding off on opening until 11 a.m. will be Athens Technical College. Athens Academy and Prince Avenue Christian School will delay opening until 10 a.m. The Oconee County campus of the University of North Georgia took the added step of closing altogether on Thursday, according to a news release. Public schools in Clarke, Elbert and Oglethorpe counties, and Monsignor Donovan Catholic High School also will close on Thursday, noted the school systems' websites. Athens Christian will discontinue kindergarten and elementary classes on Thursday; all other students should report to school by 9 a.m. Public schools and Madison and Barrow counties already were closed Thursday for fall break. No other Athens area colleges or schools noted an intent to close on Thursday as of 9 p.m. Wednesday. Some schools officials did publish on their respective websites that they intended to monitor the weather through the evening and could announce closings or delayed openings if needed. They recommended students and parents monitor school websites for any closure announcements.

The 2018 NBA offseason took an unexpected turn Wednesday morning when the San Antonio Spurs traded Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green to the Toronto Raptors for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and a protected 2019 first-round pick. Since the news broke, fans and players have chimed in with their reactions, with some bitter and some nostalgic. According to reports, both Leonard and DeRozan were less than pleased when they learned of this deal. In fact, DeRozan posted a frustrated take on his Instagram account. Green, however, took a different approach. Instead of vitriol, Green displayed appreciation to the city of San Antonio and its fans: Green, now 31 years of age, became a fan favorite in San Antonio. The former UNC Tar Heel donned a silver and black uniform for eight seasons, endearing himself as a reliable option on both ends of the floor. In his 70 appearances with the Spurs last season, Green racked up averages of 8.6 points on 38.7 percent shooting from the field (36.3 percent from beyond the arc), 3.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and just under one steal (0.9) in 25.6 minutes per outing. Though DeRozan and Leonard may be a bit put off by this deal, it seems Green is open to a new beginning. We will see how these players fare in a new setting.<doc-sep>Ron Turenne/Getty Images The San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors agreed to a deal in principle that would involve a swap of All-Stars Kawhi Leonard and DeMar DeRozan, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Wednesday. Wojnarowski reported Leonard and Danny Green will head to Toronto in exchange for DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first-round draft pick. Per Wojnarowski, the first-round pick is protected for the 20th overall selection and above, and after a year, it will turn into two second-round draft choices. Zach Lowe of ESPN also pointed out Toronto would receive $5 million cash from San Antonio in the deal, to cover the tax hit related to Leonard's trade kicker. David Aldridge of NBA.com reported Leonard has been informed of the deal. Talks between the teams have "been close for days and nearly fallen apart several times," per Wojnarowski. Earlier Wednesday, Wojnarowski and Chris Haynes reported that neither Leonard nor DeRozan is enthusiastic about it. Haynes reported Leonard has "no desire" to play for the Raptors. Video Play Button Videos you might like Haynes noted the Raptors reportedly told DeRozan during a meeting at the Las Vegas Summer League that he wouldn't be traded. Seemingly in response to the rumor of getting dealt to San Antonio for Leonard, DeRozan wrote the following Wednesday morning on his Instagram story: "Be told one thing & outcome another. Can't trust em. Ain't no loyalty in this game. Sell you out quit for a little bit of nothing...soon you'll understand... Don't disturb..." It was first reported by Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express-News in June that Leonard had requested a trade from San Antonio. Leonard appeared in just nine games last season due to a quad injury, and Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports reported his discomfort with the Spurs' handling of his injury was the reason for his desire to leave. Since Leonard can become a free agent next offseason, the Raptors would be taking a significant risk in acquiring him. Wojnarowski noted Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri is making the deal "with a determination that he can sell Leonard on re-signing with the Raptors next summer in free agency." Toronto can offer Leonard a five-year, $190 million contract next offseason, while being able to sign a four-year, $141 million deal with any other team. Aldridge reported that a source said a "long-term stay in Toronto past this year is going to be 'a very tough sell.'" Per Wojnarowski and Haynes, Leonard has "been clear" about his intentions to sign with his hometown Los Angeles Lakers next offseason. Although the Raptors finished with a franchise-record 59 wins last season and earned the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, they were bounced in the second round of the playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Raptors are in the midst of the best run in franchise history, with five consecutive playoff appearances, but they have just one Eastern Conference Finals appearance to show for it. DeRozan, 28, has been named an All-Star in four of the past five seasons, and he is coming off another strong campaign. Last season, he averaged 23.0 points, 5.2 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game as part of a dynamic backcourt alongside Kyle Lowry. Since that combination has not produced results in the playoffs, however, the Raptors entered the offseason willing to "explore all options" in terms of potential trades, per the Toronto Sun's Ryan Wolstat. If the 27-year-old Leonard is healthy, he may represent an upgrade for the Raptors in 2018-19, who have seen their odds to win a championship increase since word of the deal, via Oddsshark: He is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and a one-time NBA Finals MVP who finished third in the NBA MVP voting in 2016-17 after averaging 25.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals per game. While Leonard can become a free agent next offseason, DeRozan has two years remaining on his deal and a player option for 2020-21. DeRozan would join forces with All-Star big man LaMarcus Aldridge in hopes of leading the Spurs to their 22nd straight playoff appearance.<doc-sep>

As most of the talk about the Spurs-Raptors trade was about Kawhi Leonard and DeMar DeRozan, Danny Green, one of the other players involved, took a moment to share a heartfelt thank you message to San Antonio on Instagram. The 31-year-old thanked the city, the fans, the organization and his teammates, as well as head coach Gregg Popovich and GM R.C. Buford. He wrote: SAN ANTONIO….Can’t express the LOVE I have for you, the city, the fans & the organization. I want to thank you all for allowing me to be a part of something AMAZING for so many years. I have many great memories that I will take with me. Through the ups and downs you’ve always made me feel SPECIAL. I want to personally thank Pop and RC for being the first to believe in me and give me the opportunity. Thank you to my TEAMMATES for always encouraging me and being there for me (going to miss you guys the most)..so many battles. Thank you to the COMMUNITY for accepting me and allowing me to feel at HOME…all of you will ALWAYS be a big part of me and will ALWAYS be FAMILY! LOVE YOU ALL! Looking forward to my next chapter in TORONTO! #tothetruefans #THANKYOU #onceaspuralwaysaspur After Leonard’s bizarre situation with the Spurs last season that resulted in the star only playing nine games, San Antonio may or may not have been more thankful toward Green when the trade with Toronto happened. Their tweets seemed to be a little petty, according to some fans. Here’s what Popovich had to say about Leonard and Green, who were both part of the 2014 championship team: “Kawhi obviously worked very hard to become the player he is. Our staff worked very hard to help him get there. We wish him all the best as he moves on to Toronto. I think that he’s gonna be great. “Danny Green will be missed. He’s been here quite a while. He was a big part what we do both on and off the court. He was a great community guy, and we’re gonna miss him very much.”

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants will be 3-point underdogs Sunday when they host the Jacksonville Jaguars at MetLife Stadium in their 2018 season-opening game. The game will mark the NFL debut of Giants running back Saquon Barkley, the second overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. It will also mark the return to action of Odell Beckham Jr., who will play for the first time since fracturing his ankle in Week 5 of the 2017 season. Beckham needs 7 receptions over his first 3 games to surpass Lional Taylor for most receptions by a player in his first 50 NFL games. Beckham has 313, Taylor’s record is 319. When quarterback Eli Manning takes the field he will set the franchise record for most games played as a Giant. Sunday will mark Manning’s 217th game. He and Michael Strahan are tied at 216. The Giants will be without outside linebacker Olivier Vernon (ankle). [Game day Story Stream | Giants-Jaguars Hub Page] Use this as your live thread to discuss the first half. As always, Chris will be along with a new thread for the second half. First quarter update: It’s 3-3 as the teams have traded field goals. Saquon Barkley has 6 carries for 12 yards. Odell Beckham has 3 catches for 40 yards. Eli Manning is 4-of-4 for 56 yards. Game details What: Giants vs. Jacksonville Jaguars When: Sunday, Sept. 9 Where: MetLife Stadium Game time: 1 p.m. ET TV: FOX (local) Score updates: NFL.com<doc-sep>The Jacksonville Jaguars mission to Atlanta and Super Bowl LIII begins today, as they travel to MetLife Stadium to play the New York Giants. Stay with us all through the afternoon as we live blog the game as it happens, and feel free to join the conversation in the comments as the day progresses. We’ll have post-game coverage as well following the conclusion of the game. Let’s GO! How to watch Need to find out how to watch, stream, or listen to today’s game? We got you covered here. Live Blog 4:05 PM: Jaguars Win! The Giants muff a punt following the Jaguars killing clock, and the ball is recovered by DJ Hayden. Jaguars win, 20-15 and go to 1-0 on the season. 4:01 PM: The Giants get to Jags territory but the defense comes up with a huge stop as DJ Hayden knocks away a pass from Manning to Sheppard on 4th & 6. 3:45 PM: The Jaguars get the ball back following the two teams exchanging punts. We got about 7 minutes left in this game, and the Jags need to march and put some points up on this board to put this one away. M:3:38 PM: Giants answer back as the rookie RB Barkley goes 67 yards for a touchdown. Two missed tackles lets the rookie make a game of it, still. Jaguars lead 20-15 after a failed two point conversion. 3:33 PM: TOUCHDOWN! After Jags punt, Giants takes over and Ngakoue forces a tipped pass that is intercepted and returned by Myles Jack for a touchdown, and HE WAS NOT DOWN! Jaguars lead 20-9. 3:25 PM: The Jaguars defense makes yet another stop and forces the Giants to punt following a 3rd & 20 completion short of the sticks to Beckham Jr. Jaguars take over at their 20 thanks to a touch back. 3:15 PM: Blake Bortles runs for 41 yards, but the Jags drive stalls at midfield. Still 13-9 Jaguars as we near the end of the 3rd. 3:10 PM: Jags defense forces another 3 & out. Good pressure on 3rd down forces a Manning throw intended for Beckham into the dirt. 3:03 PM: Jaguars punt again and pin the Giants at their 10 after a Cam Robinson false start essentially kills the drive at midfield on 3rd & short. Bortles tries to find Moncrief on 3rd & 9 but throws wide and outside on the back shoulder attempt. Penalties are killing this team today. 2:58 PM: The Jaguars defense comes through with a huge stop on 4th & 2 as Barkley attempts to leap over the pile but falls inches short. Jaguars takes over and need to do a lot more than run, run, pass, punt. 2:51 PM: The Jaguars came out on their first offensive possession in 20 minutes, and went run, run, pass...I’ll let you figure out how that went. 2:44 PM: The Giants open the second half with a drive assisted once again by some clear penalties made by Jaguars defenders, including a 15 yard facemask on Yannick Ngakoue on Saquon Barkley. The defense forces 3rd & 16 inside Jags territory and barely keep the Giants from converting. New York converts the field goal. Jaguars still lead 13-9. 2:20 PM: The Giants drive down field, with the help of two pass interference calls on Barry Church and Jalen Ramsey while covering Odel Beckham Jr. The defense holds but Giants add 3 as times expires. We reach halftime with Jaguars leading 13-6. 2:05 PM: TOUCHDOWN! Jaguars go 57 yards, including two great passes from Bortles to Westbrook, and a powerful run by TJ Yeldon. Jags cap it off with a 1 yard pass from Bortles to Yeldon for six. Jaguars now lead 13-3. 2:00 PM: Outside of one drive, defense has been great. The @Jaguars defense has forced a three-and-out on two of the Giants' three offensive possessions, and have held NYG to 1-of-4 on third down conversions. — Tad Dickman (@TDickman89) September 9, 2018 1:56 PM: Jaguars defense forces another 3 & out, but Fournette is currently getting worked on for a hamstring injury, according to the Jaguars. He is QUESTIONABLE to return. Jags take over at their own 35. 1:49 PM: The Jaguars get a great drive that stalls at the Giants 24. They had a touchdown pass from Bortles to ASJ wiped off the board by a Norwell hands to the face penalty, and another near pick for Janoris Jenkins careens off into Niles Paul’s chest but is dropped in the end zone. Josh Lambo kick makes it 6-3, Jaguars....and Leonard Fournette is limping. SIGH.. 1:39 PM: End of the 1st quarter. 3-3, Jaguars have the ball with 2nd & 4 inside their own territory to start the 2nd. 1:35 PM: The Giants march down to inside the Jags 10 yard line thanks to Beckham Jr. getting a chunk 24 yard play on a pick route, and Barkley getting involved on a couple of 10 yard runs. The Jags D holds inside the 10 though, and forces a Giants field goal. We are tied at 3-3. The Jags defense has yet to really get to Eli Manning, not a good sign. 1:25 PM: After a Giants sack due to a blown assignment by Andrew Norwell, Bortles is picked off by Janoris Jenkins on a sideline attempt to Moncrief that didn’t have much air on it. Bad ball, Blake. Giants takes over. 1:20 PM: The Jaguars get the fortune of two penalties on Giants tackle Flowers who is getting mauled by Calais Campbell. Two near safeties, one by penalty, one by a host of Jags meeting Barkley at the half yard line, end up with the Giants just getting space for their punter, and a slooow 3 & out and a great start for the Jaguars D. 1:11 PM: Jags open with a first strike field goal. Bortles connects on a 30 yard pass to Keelan Cole, and Fournette gets a couple of nice conversion runs on 2nd and short. Drive stalls at Giants 30 after Yeldon drops a would be first down, and Bortles misses a well covered Moncrief in the end zone. 3-0 Jaguars. 1:02 PM: Jags will receive the opening kick off, we’ll see the offense first. 1:00 PM: It’s time! This is what we’re thankful for. I can’t believe we made it.#DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/hF0GWkeypz — #DUUUVAL (@Jaguars) September 9, 2018 12:45 PM: 15 minutes and counting til kick off. Wanna know what myself and the rest of the BCC crew thinks happens today? Check out our game predictions, and keep the receipts. 12:42 PM: He’s ready. 12:22 PM: We will make this a weekly tradition, here’s Jalen’s cleats for today and OMG the sauce... Up first is the Dark Knight for @jalenramsey pic.twitter.com/5nd1KYT2LM — Kickasso (@k_obrand) September 9, 2018 11:50 AM: The Giants inactives are out, as expected Olivier Vernon is out and former Georgia Bulldog rookie Lorenzo Carter will start in his stead. Today's #NYGiants Inactives: LB Olivier Vernon LB Tae Davis QB Kyle Lauletta CB Michael Jordan C Evan Brown C Spencer Pulley S Kamrin Moore Lineup Change: Lorenzo Carter for Vernon at WLB pic.twitter.com/ytgDcIB4Fa — New York Giants (@Giants) September 9, 2018 11:43 AM: In case you had any doubts, King Jalen wants ALL the smoke.. 11:41 AM: LSU alumni embrace, but come 1 PM.. LF7 and OBJ meetup before game. pic.twitter.com/b9cMhuiPYC — jaguars (@timmillah) September 9, 2018 11:40 AM: And here are the inactives for the Jaguars: The following players are inactive today against the Giants.#JAXvsNYG pic.twitter.com/C3qtpaPc67 — #DUUUVAL (@Jaguars) September 9, 2018 11:30 AM: Welcome to the real deal everyone! We are an hour and a half from kick off and should be getting the inactives shortly. I wouldn’t expect any real surprises as the team was at full health as of Friday. It’s time!<doc-sep>

New York Giants football is officially back. The Jaguars got the ball first after the Giants won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. With their first possession, the Jags went 59 yards in nearly five minutes, but ended in just three points before the Giants’ offense got the ball for the first time. It was an inauspicious start for the Giants offense when they took the field. A pair of penalties by Ereck Flowers backed the Giants up to their own goal line, and the team was lucky to get punter Riley Dixon breathing room to get the punt off. The Giants quickly got the ball back following a spectacular interception along the sideline on the Jaguars’ next possession, but the ensuing drive stalled in the red zone. Janoris Jenkins nearly came up with another interception — which was still also almost caught for a touchdown by Niles Paul. The result was an incomplete pass which lead to a very long third down attempt, and Leornard Fournette going down awkwardly and limping off the field. He was diagnosed with hamstring tightness and was questionable to return. The Giants offense showed that they could move the ball against the Jaguars’ formidable defense. However, early penalties knocked the offense off schedule, playing in to the Jaguars’ strengths. A touchdown from the Jaguars late in the half extended the lead to 13-3, with the Giants responding with a touchdown to end the half. Eli Manning is 11-of-12 for 98 yards and Odell Beckham Jr. has 5 receptions for 45 yards. Use this as your second-half open thread, and the Giants will get the ball to start the second half.

Hobart Hurricanes v Melbourne Stars Thursday February 14, 08:30 GMT Live on BT Sport Are table-topping Hurricanes running out of puff? Hobart Hurricanes have been superb this season and finished the league part of this season's BBL08 at the top of the Ladder with 10 wins from their 14 matches. Mathew Wade's side have defeated the Stars twice already in BBL08 and enter the finals with plenty of confidence. But winning the league stage and winning the tournament are very different things. In seven previous tournaments the league winners has made the final twice, runner up in BBL01, and winners in BBL06. And there are signs that Hobart are running out of steam. They completed their campaign with a loss to Sydney Thunder. Assured of a semi-final spot for some time because of a storming start, they slipped to three defeats in their last five games. Momentum is a huge word in T20 cricket and it remains to be seen if Hurricanes have now been downgraded to a light breeze. "It doesn't actually matter if you've had a good tournament or a poor tournament, if you've been the leading run-scorer or haven't scored a run in your last 10 games, you start from scratch," Hurricanes George Bailey said as other sides have finished the tournament with better results. The Hurricanes batting has been magnificent, but their bowling could prove to be their weak link. Jofra Archer and Clive Rose have enjoyed good tournaments, but they need more support from the likes of James Faulkner and Riley Meredith if they are going to stifle their opposition. Stars' relief their biggest asset Melbourne Stars were a game away from being labelled this season's bottle jobs. A Glenn Maxwell inspired 94-run hammering of the Sydney Sixers saw them steam into the semi-finals instead, but they cut it fine, waiting until the final qualifying game to extend their stay in the competition. It was their seventh win in 14 games, but by far their most important. Maxwell, known as the 'Big Show' for his liking of performing on the big stage, made 82 in 43 balls to rescue a stuttering Stars batting display and propel them to a challenging total of 168 for six. In reply, the spin of Sandeep Lamichhane (3-11) and Adam Zampa (2-15), meant any hopes the Sixers had of winning were short-lived. The return of Lamichhane has strengthened their bowling and, along with Zampa, Daniel Worrall and Jackson Bird have provided a consistent threat to opposition batting line-ups. The Stars showed their darker side in their previous game against Brisbane Heat when they were demolished by 10 wickets, when Heat's openers rattled off their chase inside 10 overs. But the relief the Stars will feel could now see them freed up to play their best cricket. They may be far too reliant on the batting talents of Marcus Stoinis and Maxwell, but they will now believe they can go all they way. Just favouring Stars in crunch clash This is the second time that Hurricanes and Stars have faced each other in the BBL Finals. In BBL03 the Stars were hot favourites having stormed through the league phase unbeaten, but Man of the Match Cameron Boyce (3-11) secured Hobart a place in the final, where they were defeated by Perth Scorchers. They have never won the Big Bash despite being beaten finalists twice. The Stars too have yet to win a Bash title. Having made the semi-finals in every tournament between BBL01 and BBL06, but only ever mad the final in BBL05. The Heat lead their earlier BBL08 encounters 2-0 after winning by six wickets at the Blundstone Arena and by 59 runs at the MCG. Despite that, I'm taking the Stars in this one at the bigger price of 2.186/5 as they are free to play their best cricket after sneaking into the semi-finals, whereas the Hurricanes might just have gone past their best before date. Wade to lead from the top While the Hurricanes bowling hasn't always fired, their batting has been nothing short of superb. Their trump card has been Matthew Wade and D'Arcy Short opening the innings. They have often got their side off to storming starts and, usually, at least one of them has gone big. They are the first and second ranked batsmen in the entire tournament with Short on 602 runs and Wade on 590. Both have top scored five times each out of 14 games played, which illustrates how dominant they have been. Ask me to choose and I'd take Wade in this market as he's been in the better recent form but choosing between these two is like picking the identical twin you fancy most. There is nothing between them. Wade is slighter bigger than Short too at 23/10. With Ben McDermott (323), George Bailey (326) and Caleb Jewell (122) contributing from the middle-order, they have a tremendous line-up, but it's led from the top. It's time to take Stoinis over Maxi It's Marcus Stoinis or Glenn Maxwell in this market, but it has to be Stoinis in this market. He has the third best run tally of BBL08 (476) and is almost 200 runs ahead of Maxwell. While Maxwell is always going to steal the headlines, it is Stoinis that has been the Stars player of the tournament so far and at 15/8 he's big enough to play. His batting has been consistently punishing and he's also capable of supplying tidy over with the ball. Stoinis and Ben Dunk have combined well at the top of the innings and with a strong middle-order there has been plenty of scope for big totals. Peter Handscomb and Nic Maddinson have been in good form going in to this semi-final and with Seb Gotch and Dwayne Bravo able to add a gloss finish they have good depth in their batting ranks. They will fancy their chances of unsettling a sometimes inconsistent Hurricanes bowling attack. Value with Wade for Man of the Match Of the players in show in this semi-final there are three players who have dominated the Man of the Match markets throughout BBL08.<doc-sep>After almost 45 days of riveting action in the Big Bash League, it is now down to four teams in the competition with Melbourne Stars travelling to the Blundstone Arena as they take on table-toppers, Hobart Hurricanes. Although their relative positions in the league table do not count for anything in this knockout game, Hobart Hurricanes have by far been the standout team in the competition with D'Arcy Short and Matthew Wade going berserk at the top of the order for them. On the other hand, the Stars were able to claw themselves into the final after a virtuoso performance with the ball in their previous game and will be banking on captain, Glenn Maxwell once again to propel them to a BBL final spot. Squads to choose from: Melbourne Stars: Michael Beer, Jackson Bird, Scott Boland, Liam Bowe, Dwayne Bravo, Jackson Coleman, Travis Dean, Ben Dunk, Seb Gotch, Evan Gulbis, Peter Handscomb, Sandeep Lamichhane, Nic Maddinson, Glenn Maxwell, Jonathan Merlo, Marcus Stoinis, Daniel Worrall, Adam Zampa, Tom O'Donnell. Hobart Hurricanes: Jofra Archer, George Bailey, Qais Ahmed, Alex Doolan, Jake Doran, James Faulkner, Caleb Jewell, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Simon Milenko, Tymal Mills, David Moody, Tim Paine, Tom Rogers, Clive Rose, D'Arcy Short, Aaron Summers, Matthew Wade. Playing XI Updates Hobart Hurricanes: James Faulkner is back for the Hurricanes and should slot in at the expense of David Moody. Riley Meredith has been expensive in his last couple of outings for the Hurricanes although he should be backed once again after a stellar season with them. The onus is once again on their dynamic opening duo of Wade and Short while the middle order of Milenko, Bailey and McDermott are also capable of damage of the same sorts. Possible XI: Wade(C&WK), Short, Jewell, McDermott, Bailey, Milenko, Faulkner, Archer, Qais, Meredith and Rose. Melbourne Stars: The Stars side is blessed with a number of experienced international players and will be banking on them to get them over the line on Thursday. Marcus Stoinis has been their standout player with over 400 runs to his name at the top of the order. Glenn Maxwell's all-round show week saw them seal a semi-final spot and with the likes of Pete Handscomb and Nic Maddinson also looming large, there is no limit to their potential. Sandeep Lamichhane's four overs could define the outcome of the match with his knack for wicket-taking already evident in his previous outings. Possible XI: Stoinis, Dunk, Handscomb (WK), Maxwell(C), Maddinson, Bravo, Gotch, Zampa, Bird, Worrall and Lamichhane. Fantasy Tips and Suggestions: Wicket-keeper: Matthew Wade's form has been stunning over the past two weeks with the former Stars keeper scoring 590 runs so far this season. He would be an obvious choice for this spot although Peter Handscomb isn't a bad option after all with his ability known to one and all. Batsmen: Ben McDermott and Glenn Maxwell are the cornerstones of their respective batting units and have been in good touch as well. Along with young, Caleb Jewell and Nic Maddinson, both of them are great options to have in the team. Ben Dunk could also be tried considering his penchant for boundaries in the powerplay overs. All-rounders: Marcus Stoinis and D'Arcy Short have been the best players in BBL 2018-19 with piles of runs and heaps of wickets behind them. Short has scored 602 runs this season while his leg-spin has certainly caught the eye of many. Both of them are invaluable picks to a fantasy side that is to be based around them. Either James Faulkner or Dwayne Bravo could also slot in for their respective team-mates in order to obtain better balance in the side. Bowlers: Riley Meredith and Sandeep Lamichhane have had breakout years in the BBL this season with their skill shining throughout the whole tournament. Meredith has picked up 16 wickets this season while young, Sandeep has 11 wickets in just six matches for the Stars. Their form justifies their selections along with the likes of Qais Ahmed and Daniel Worrall, who have shown promise in the last couple of matches. Captain: Marcus Stoinis and D'Arcy Short are the ideal candidates on a good pitch to have as captain although there is a shortage in credible options with the likes of Pete Handscomb and Matthew Wade. Glenn Maxwell's virtuoso performance last Sunday could also hold him up in high regards and could be chosen as captain as well. Fantasy Suggestion #1: Matthew Wade(WK), Glenn Maxwell, Nic Maddinson, Ben McDermott, Caleb Jewell, Marcus Stoinis, D'Arcy Short, Qais Ahmed, Daniel Worrall, Riley Meredith and Sandeep Lamichhane. Captain: Marcus Stoinis Fantasy Suggestion #2: Peter Handscomb (WK), Glenn Maxwell, George Bailey, Ben McDermott, Caleb Jewell, Marcus Stoinis, James Faulkner, Sandeep Lamichhane, Jofra Archer, Jackson Bird and Riley Meredith. Captain: Peter Handscomb Follow Sportskeeda for Today's Cricket Match Prediction, Cricket News, Live Scores, Playing XI Updates & Stats.<doc-sep>Daniel Worrall took four wickets, while George Bailey rode a bike to the game. Despite finishing as the BBL minor premiers, the Hobart Hurricanes have been defeated in the first semi-final by the Glenn Maxwell led Melbourne Stars. It was a Stars swing bowler who did the damage, while George Bailey provided some laughter with his choice of transport coming to the ground. Here are the best moments from the clash. MATCH CENTRE: Hurricanes vs Stars BAILEY’S UNIQUE HOBART ARRIVAL Most players will drive to the ground ahead of Big Bash games. Or if you’re like the Melbourne Stars, the team bus will take you to the ground. But Hobart Hurricanes veteran George Bailey has a unique twist on his arrival to Blundstone Arena, riding his bike into the ground. “It’s a nice bike,” Bailey joked to Fox Cricket’s Mark Howard. “I took the basket off just for reputation. But that will be going back on for Sunday when I go and get my baguette.” Daniel Worrall took four wickets for the Stars. Photo: Scott Barbour/Getty Images. Source: Getty Images FRANKY’S FOUR-FA RIPS OUT HURRICANES BATTING LINE-UP Melbourne Stars swing bowler Daniel Worrall has played just 17 BBL games in his career. But he performed when it mattered on Thursday night, ripping out the Hobart Hurricanes top order, including taking two wickets in his first over of the game. Worrall finished with figures of 4-23 from his four overs, helping the Stars restrict the Hurricanes to 7-153 off their 20 overs. “He bowled beautifully,” Australian great Mark Waugh told Fox Cricket declaring he was a potential Ashes bolter for the Australian Test team. “I think he’s a very good bowler, good swing bowler, he’s got good change ups. He executed his slower balls well tonight, a couple of legspinners, he was the standout bowler.” Stars captain Glenn Maxwell endorsed ‘Franky’s’ spell telling Fox Cricket “he was outstanding” and that his wicket taking in the powerplay was “crucial”. AFGHANISTAN YOUNG GUN RIPS OUT STARS Remarkably Qais Ahmad isn’t playing for Afghanistan in their ODI and T20I series coming up later this month. And while Renegades all-rounder Mohammad Nabi had to return to national duties, the Hobart Hurricanes have got full use of Ahmad since they signed him up late in the season. Ahmad has certainly delivered with seven wickets in three games, with his 3-33 pivotal in the Hurricanes bowling performance against the Melbourne Stars. First Ahmad ripped out Marcus Stoinis with a “beautiful” leg break, before Peter Handscomb was caught LBW. A dragged down delivery saw Nic Maddinson sky a catch to Clive Rose in Ahmad’s third over — but there was no doubting he was the Hurricanes’ best bowler on Thursday night. “Couple of loose balls, but (he is a) promising youngster.” Mark Waugh told Fox Cricket.<doc-sep>BBL 2018-19, 1st Semi-Final, Hobart Hurricanes vs Melbourne Stars, Match Prediction – Weather Report, Pitch Conditions, Playing XIs and Live Streaming Details The Hurricanes have won all their five matches in Hobart in this BBL. As far as the round-robin stage of this edition’s Big Bash League (BBL) was concerned, Hobart Hurricanes turned out to be the most formidable team with 10 victories from 14 matches. Subsequently, the Matthew Wade-captained team finished atop the points table with 20 points. The table-toppers are next scheduled to play Hobart Hurricanes in the first semi-final at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart. Previously, the Hurricanes thumped the Stars in a couple of games, one of which was at the very venue. The Stars, captained by Glenn Maxwell, huffed and puffed, but managed to sneak through to the knockouts, emerging triumphant in their must-win game against Sydney Sixers at Melbourne Cricket Ground. The Hurricanes would want to bounce back from the loss against Sydney Thunder in Canberra. Pitch and Conditions Five matches were played at the venue in this BBL out of which four were won by the team batting second. The pitch has been fairly good for batting and the bowlers have had their difficulties. It won’t be much of a surprise if the teams opt to field after winning the toss. Team Combination Hobart Hurricanes James Faulkner, who replaced Tom Rogers in the squad, may replace David Moody in the playing eleven from the last match. It goes without saying that Wade and Short would need to fire and lay the platform. The middle-order is a decent one as well with the likes of McDermott, Bailey, and Jewell in the ranks. The bowling department has Ahmed, Meredith, Qais Ahmed, and Rose. Probable XI Matthew Wade (C & WK), D’Arcy Short, Caleb Jewell, Ben McDermott, George Bailey, Simon Milenko, Jofra Archer, Clive Rose, Qais Ahmed, David Moody/James Faulkner, Riley Meredith Melbourne Stars Nick Larkin is back in the squad, but he may not break into the eleven. Stoinis and Dunk are the openers with keeper Handscomb at number three. A would depend on how Maxwell and Maddinson step up and deliver. Bravo and Gotch need to perform. The onus would also be on the spin-bowling duo of Lamichhane and Zampa to put a lid on the run-scoring. Jackson and Worrall are the pacers. Probable XI Marcus Stoinis, Ben Dunk, Peter Handscomb (WK), Glenn Maxwell (C), Nic Maddinson, Dwayne Bravo, Seb Gotch, Jackson Bird, Adam Zampa, Sandeep Lamichhane, Daniel Worrall Probable Top Performers D’Arcy Short– Hobart Hurricanes| Marcus Stoinis – Melbourne Stars Broadcast Details TV – Sony Six and Sony Six HD Live Streaming – Sony LIV Match Timings – 14:00 IST; 07:30 local The Hobart Hurricanes are predicted to win the match and continue their winning streak in Hobart. Get the latest Cricket News and updates, Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.<doc-sep>

Daniel Worrall and Glenn Maxwell have propelled the Melbourne Stars to an upset win over the Hobart Hurricanes and into the Big Bash League final. Worrall took 4-23 before Maxwell hit an unbeaten 43 as the Stars reached the target of 154 with seven balls to spare at Bellerive Oval on Thursday night. The minor premiership has proved a poisoned chalice in the BBL, and on Thursday the Hurricanes became the sixth team in the tournament’s eight-year history to be bundled out at the semi-final stage after topping the regular season. The Perth Scorchers, in BBL 06, are the only team to have taken out the tournament after finishing on top of the table. BBL BEST MOMENTS: Bailey’s bicycle, Franky’s four-fa Stars skipper Maxwell played a cool hand after coming to the crease at 3-78. The knock, that included just four boundaries, came days after Maxwell smacked 82 to get the Stars past Sydney Sixers and into the top four. Afghani teen sensation Qais Ahmad kept the Hurricanes in the match with 3-33 in the middle overs. The legspinner produced some magical deliveries, including an unplayable ball to clean bowl the dangerous Marcus Stoinis for 18. But it wasn’t enough, with Seb Gotch (33no from 22) sealing the win emphatically with a six over cover. The Stars await the winner of the Melbourne Renegades and the Sixers, who meet in the other elimination semi-final on Friday night. It was an abrupt end to BBL08 for the Hurricanes, who finished two games clear atop the table and were previously unbeaten this season in Hobart. It was also an unsavoury night for George Bailey, who was forced from the field after seemingly dislocated a shoulder while diving to save a boundary. Earlier, Worrall took career-best Twenty20 figures as the Hurricanes wobbled to 7-153 after being sent in. Worrall, a potential Ashes tourist, had the ball nipping early and picked up two scalps in the second over. He dismissed in-form opener Matthew Wade for just two with his first ball and then cleaned bowled rookie Caleb Jewell as the Hurricanes fell to 2-5. The early trouble didn’t faze D’Arcy Short, who mounted a counter-attack. But when he holed out for 35 to long-on off the leg-spin of Adam Zampa, it left Hobart in a spot of bother at 3-42 after the powerplay. McDermott and Bailey resurrected the innings with a 75-run partnership but went eight overs without hitting a boundary. Bailey (37 from 33 balls) unleashed two massive sixes off Zampa to break the shackles but became Worrall’s third victim when he couldn’t clear long on. McDermott holed out to Dwayne Bravo in the 18th over, as the Hurricanes lost three wickets in the last three overs. IF YOU CAN’T SEE THE LIVE BLOG ABOVE, CLICK HERE FINAL XIs: Hobart Hurricanes: Matthew Wade (c, wk), D’Arcy Short, Caleb Jewell, Ben McDermott, George Bailey, Simon Milenko, James Faulkner, Jofra Archer, Clive Rose, Riley Meredith, Qais Ahmad Melbourne Stars: Marcus Stoinis, Ben Dunk, Peter Handscomb (wk), Glenn Maxwell ©, Nic Maddinson, Dwayne Bravo, Seb Gotch, Evan Gulbis, Adam Zampa, Sandeep Lamichhane, Daniel Worrall LISTEN TO A FULL BBL SEASON RUNDOWN, PLUS SEMIS PREVIEW, HERE: OR HERE

A popular shellfish farm that supplies upscale restaurants around the Bay Area will soon resume harvesting oysters in Tomales Bay weeks after dozens of people who ate them raw — many of them at New Year’s Eve parties — reported falling ill. Hog Island Oyster Co., whose oysters and other shellfish are served at Zuni Cafe, State Bird Provisions and several other celebrated San Francisco establishments, issued a voluntary recall of its oysters this month, when reports started coming in that people had experienced symptoms of food poisoning. As of Thursday, 43 people had reported becoming sick after eating the oysters, according to the California Department of Public Health. In four cases, the people tested positive for norovirus, a relatively common gastrointestinal illness that is occasionally found in raw oysters. Testing of the oysters and the water in Tomales Bay came up negative for norovirus, but it may have washed away by the time investigators began sampling, said public health officials and Hog Island owners. The company said Thursday evening that the state has finished testing and lifted its closure on Tomales Bay harvesting, though the bay remains closed because of rain. Terry Sawyer, co-founder of Hog Island, said he hopes to start harvesting again early next week. “Everything’s come up negative on our side, but we’re trying to find the source and what we can do about it,” Sawyer said. “In the long run, we have to look at how we can improve after this.” Paul Chinn/The Chronicle Sawyer said the company’s oyster bars in Napa, San Francisco and the Marin County community of Marshall remain open, serving shellfish from outside the region. None of the possibly contaminated oysters is still on the market, at Hog Island’s establishments or any other restaurants. The first reports of illness came to the company around the end of December, Sawyer said. Other customers reported their illness to local public health authorities. After multiple reports made it increasingly likely that the Hog Island oysters were contaminated, the company decided to recall the oysters on Jan. 2. Reports of illness also came to an online food surveillance site called Iwaspoisoned.com. Several people said they had gotten sick after eating oysters at the Hog Island farm store in Marshall. Two reports came from the Hog Island oyster bar at the San Francisco Ferry Building. Five people said they got sick after eating oysters at a New Year’s Eve party at the Battery. In its recall notice, Hog Island asked restaurants and other establishments to destroy or return oysters the company had supplied. Forty-one businesses were affected by the recall, most of them in San Francisco and the North Bay, according to the state Public Health Department. Because the reports came only from California, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is not involved in the investigation. The FDA steps in only when food safety concerns affect more than one state. State public health officials said no one has been hospitalized because of illness from the Hog Island oysters. Norovirus can be serious for people who are immune-compromised, or are very young or very old, but it is usually not life-threatening for healthy adults. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea and general malaise. Experts in food safety said raw oysters are always a bit of a risky delicacy because they can be tainted by water-borne bacteria and viruses that can be killed only by cooking. One particularly noteworthy threat is the bacterium vibrio, which can be fatal. “It’s a risk you take when you eat raw oysters, or any raw shellfish,” said Phyllis Entis, who runs the Food Safety News blog. “The usual source of contamination is the water where the oysters grow. If those waters become contaminated — through septic tank outflow, sewage outflow, people in boats who are dumping what shouldn’t be dumped — that’s where the virus may come from.” Storm runoff is a common cause of contaminated water, which is why harvesting stops when it rains. In some cases, shellfish farmers have blamed dairy farms, saying cow manure was spilling into the water and was spoiling their oyster beds. More for you health Everything you need to know about the oyster capital of... Sawyer said Hog Island has had to issue only one other recall in the 35 years it’s been in business. That was in 1998, and though investigators were never able to determine the source of contamination, the company pushed for improvements to the local sewage treatment systems as a result. Local and state public health investigators have been testing samples at Hog Island since Jan. 4 or so, but so far haven’t found a source of the contamination. It’s possible that, once again, they never will, Sawyer said, especially if the contamination came from a one-time spill, like a boater carelessly dumping human waste overboard. “You do everything you can to minimize your risk. But you can’t eliminate 100 percent of risk,” Sawyer said. “I look at this as really unfortunate, but also an opportunity for us to not be complacent. You work as hard as you do to produce food, and to have it compromised, it’s never fun to have something like this happen.” Erin Allday is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: eallday@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @erinallday<doc-sep>Oyster investigation At least 43 people have reported getting sick after eating oysters from Hog Island Oyster Co., leading the popular company to stop harvesting from Tomales Bay. That means diners will no longer see Hog Island oysters at restaurants like Zuni Cafe, State Bird Provisions, and about 40 other local businesses until an investigation concludes. Hog Island’s three oyster bars, including the location in the Ferry Building, remain open with oysters from other regions on the menu. Ramen swap The Inner Richmond’s Genki Ramen has quietly closed and transformed into Teruya Ramen & Drink (3944 Geary Boulevard). The new restaurant retains the ramen focus with tonkotsu and miso bases both on offer. Some izakaya-style small plates are also available, such as takoyaki, croquettes, and chicken karaage. Pizza restaurant for sale Bay Area-based Chicago-style pizza chain Patxi’s is selling off its Marina location. According to a Craigslist ad, the prime, 3,634-square-foot space at 3318 Fillmore Street will be available in April. There are also Patxi’s in Hayes Valley, the Inner Sunset, and Noe Valley. Burger-less Local burger chain Burgermeister has abruptly closed its North Beach location (759 Columbus Avenue). Following the recent closure of the Duboce Triangle restaurant, there is just one remaining San Francisco location in Cole Valley. The North Beach space already has a new owner: Luisa Hanson of now-closed spots La Vinoteca and Delaney’s Bar. Bring on the toast The Mission has a new morning spot in Breakfast Little, now open at 3224 1⁄ 2 22nd Street. Alongside espresso drinks, the cafe serves oatmeal, breakfast burritos, tots, and a few toasts, like the King Kong (chocolate-hazelnut butter, bananas, condensed milk, and walnuts on sweet bread). Snack time The Inner Sunset’s new B&B (1634 Irving Street) specializes in the appealing combo of banh mi and boba. Milk teas are brewed with loose leaves, while more unusual drinks include ube taro milk and mango-kumquat-lychee punch. Banh mi options are largely traditional — five-spice chicken, roasted pork — but there’s also a bulgogi beef version with kimchi and gochujang aioli.<doc-sep>POINT REYES, Calif. (KGO) -- All oyster harvesting in Tomales Bay is on hold right now, as the California Department of Health investigates a norovirus outbreak that's sickened nearly 50 people in the Bay Area.Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County's Public Health officer, confirmed to ABC7 News that a recall of the affected oysters was issued on Jan. 4 to 34 restaurants that were sold oysters by several oyster companies including Hog Island Oyster Company.The famous oyster company is based in Marshall and has restaurant there and another one in the San Francisco's Ferry Building.The company posted a statement on their website that they voluntarily recalled their oysters after they started receiving reports of illness on January 2. "The illnesses reported occurred between December 28 and 31st. All oysters from the potentially affected lots were called back," wrote a company spokesperson.The company claims that other oysters companies in the area have also reported receiving illness reports.Willis told ABC 7 news Wednesday night that there are 49 confirmed cases across the Bay Area, with a big cluster in San Francisco, and seven cases in Marin County.He also said there have been very few new cases reported since the recall was issued.The California Department of Public Health confirmed the closure to ABC7 News, saying that all commercial shellfish growing areas in Tomales Bay are closed right now.The CDPH says they are constantly testing the oysters and have not found and signs of norovirus, however oyster farms will remain closed until the CDPH completes their investigation.Hog island says they locations remain open but that they are selling oysters and shellfish from growers in Washington state, outside the affected area.<doc-sep>

article Tomales Bay in Marin County has been closed to oyster harvesting after oysters linked to the area sickened at least 44 people in the Bay Area, the California Department of Public Health said Wednesday. Public health officials also alerted 40 restaurants in San Francisco, Sonoma, Petaluma, Bolinas, Sacramento, Sebastopol, Napa, and Santa Rosa that the oysters the eateries purchased from Hog Island Oyster Company were being recalled and the restaurants should stop selling them. Terry Sawyer, one of the owners of Hog Island, told the Marin Independent Journal newspaper, that the company voluntarily pulled oysters before the state issued the recall order. Public health officials said people who ate the oysters reported becoming ill between Dec. 29 and Jan. 5. Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes gastrointestinal illness and is the most common cause of illnesses from contaminated food in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC reports that roughly 20 million Americans get sick with the virus every year. Most people get better within a few days. Hundreds of deaths in the United States are also linked to the virus each year. Public health officials say they determined, though interviews with people sickened by norovirus, that almost all of them had eaten oysters that came from the Hog Island Oyster Company. Oysters from Tomales Bay are now being regularly tested, though health officials say they haven’t found any evidence so far of the bacteria that causes norovirus. Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County’s public health officer, told the Marin Independent Journal that there are no concerns that the outbreak was linked to food handling, cultivation or harvesting practices. It could be, however, that the oysters in question came from contaminated water. “The water testing showed high levels of bacterial and viral contamination, which is normal following high rainfall over a long interval,’’ because sewage can be swept into the ocean, Willis said. It's not yet known when Tomales Bay will reopen to oyster harvesting.

After leaving fans breathless with more details about Fallout 76 at E3, game wizards Bethesda pulled a Steve Jobs in Las Vegas with a "one more thing" reveal – a new addition to the Elder Scrolls series. The Elder Scrolls VI (TES6) was revealed during the game studio's presentation via a 30-second teaser and just the right level of fanfare. Following on from the fifth game in the series, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, players are going to get the chance to journey back to the land of Tamriel to once again take up sword, shield and bow to fight for whatever faction or agenda they choose. But what do we know about TES6, and how soon can we start adventuring again? What do we know about Elder Scrolls 6? Recommended Huge number of new Xbox games unveiled and new console teased Bethesda is, of course, remaining tight lipped on any real details connected to this latest edition of the Elder Scrolls series. Apart from an agonisingly short teaser trailer featuring the distinctive theme music we know relatively little about the game. The trailer itself features an attractive skybox and a flyover of what is sure to be Tamriel, the continent where most Elder Scrolls games take place. It finishes with a gilded The Elder Scrolls VI logo and other than that we don't have much else to go on. Most games do follow the tradition of being based in specific regions of Tamriel - Skyrim, Hammerfall, Daggerfall and so on - so it wouldn't be a leap to assume this latest instalment will eventually get a location attached to its existing title. When will it be released? So far no release date has been announced, as the game is currently in pre-production. The fact that the teaser trailer itself is just scenery suggests we won't be getting our hands on this game until late 2019, or maybe even 2020. It wouldn't be surprising if our next major trailer for TES6 is at next year's E3, where it most likely take pride of place as the main reveal. However, a bit more hype over the Christmas season could be possible too, including maybe even the prospect of pre-orders and special editions. What platform will it be on? It would be foolish to think TES6 won't be released on the big three - Playstation, XBox and PC (for the mods) - but let's not rule out Nintendo. After the success of its Skyrim Switch port Bethesda will hopefully be looking to the grandfathers of gaming to bring them into the fold for a day-one release. What does remain up in the air though is which specific consoles the game will be released on. Microsoft teased yet another new console release during their E3 announcement, which means that TES6 could find a home on a new, more powerful home system come 2020. What will it feature? Until additional facts rear their heads like Alduin the dragon, our best bet is to go on previous games. It would be quite a surprise if the gameplay itself wasn't a quest-based, open-world wandering RPG with multiple factions, guilds and NPCs - but whether the game will be online or not remains an unanswered question. The vast majority of Elder Scrolls games have been offline only, allowing solitary players to carve their names onto their own worlds. This changed with The Elder Scrolls Online, a massive multiplayer game not unlike World of Warcraft which featured a shared world by players around the globe. With Fallout 76's pivot to an 'online survivor platform', can we also expect TES6 so also feature some online capabilities? ✕ Gameplay of The Elder Scrolls: Blades But I can't possibly wait. Well have no fear adventurer, if you've already replayed Skyrim multiple times on the Switch port and have dusted off your Vbov 360 to play Oblivion there is technically an Elder Scrolls game coming out imminently. Elder Scrolls: Blades is a free mobile game that, much like Fallout Shelter is meant to complement the source material perfectly. Blades, named after the Empire's top agents will be released on iPad, iPhone and Android devices in the autumn of 2018. Players can sign up for early access to the beta version of the game which will put the multiplayer functionality through its paces. The first person RPG boasts "console quality graphics", curated and procedurally generated dungeons and melee and spell combat all on your phone. Exactly how intuitive the touch controls will be remains to be seen, but the options to chose between a rogue-like dungeon crawler, an arena fight area and a main story with a town-building mini game certainly seem promising.<doc-sep>Bethesda teased two new next-generation games at the company's E3 event last night, Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6. While both trailers were little more than logo reveals, Todd Howard went on the YouTube E3 stream to provide some additional information. Howard can be seen starting at around the -2:50:00 mark in the video above. When talking about Starfield, Howard confirmed the game would primarily focus on a traditional single-player experience. While Howard didn't say if there would be an online component, it sounds like it wouldn't play a major factor in the main focus of the game anyway. Howard confirmed Starfield is in active development, and has been for some time. "Starfield is playable," Howard said on the stream. This means that even though Starfield is confirmed to be a next-gen game, it's possible it will release very early in the new console cycle. As for The Elder Scrolls 6, Howard says the game is in pre-production. This means there aren't animators and programmers actively working on it yet. Instead, Elder Scrolls 6 is still in the concept stages, with general art styles and story beats in development before the heavy technical work begins. This means Starfield will definitely release before The Elder Scrolls 6. During the interview, Howard was reminded of comments he made two years ago, suggesting the technology needed to make the game he envisioned The Elder Scrolls 6 could be wasn't available yet. When asked if the needed tech was available now, Howard said it was getting closer. He declined to answer what specific technology he is alluding to, claiming he didn't want to spoil anything. So what do you think? Are you interested in learning more about Starfield? Are you more excited for the next Elder Scrolls game? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.<doc-sep>Bethesda’s biggest title at its E3 2018 press conference was, of course, Fallout 76, but there were a number of other exciting announcements and trailers shown throughout the night. Rage 2 received an exciting new trailer, Wolfenstein: Youngblood was announced, a new Doom game is on the way and DLC for Prey was announced. We even got a pretty great performance from legendary partier Andrew W.K., who came out to hype up Rage 2. (It’s perhaps the most video game event-like moment of E3 2018 so far.) Here are the best and biggest moments, announcements and trailers from Bethesda’s E3 2018 press conference. Starfield is a next-gen, entirely new game from Bethesda Starfield is a brand new IP that Bethesda is developing for next-generation consoles. The long-rumored sci-fi game received a very brief look toward the end of the conference. The new franchise is Bethesda’s first in 25 years, the company said during the event. The Elder Scrolls 6 is happening The Elder Scrolls 6 is officially happening. There aren’t any new details to go on, but it’s happening. It’s the game that everyone has been asking for, according to Howard. Hopefully this is enough to hold everyone over. Doom Eternal Prepare yourself for a new Doom game. Doom Eternal is a sequel to 2016’s Doom, according to creative director Hugo Martin. Martin promised twice as many “badass demons” in the game, and joked about teasing “hell on Earth.” There will be a “ton of features” that the team is saving for a later premiere at QuakeCon this August. You’ll have to wait for more details on this, but hopefully the trailer will hold you over until then. Wolfenstein: Youngblood There’s a new Wolfenstein game in the works, and it ties closely into main protagonist William J. “B.J.” Blazkowicz. Wolfenstein: Youngblood will focus on B.J.’s twin daughters and take place in the 1980s. This marks the 12th Wolfenstein game overall and fourth in MachineGames’ reimagining of the franchise; it’s also the first game in the series since last year’s Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus. The official description, as it appears on Bethesda’s YouTube channel, reads: Wolfenstein: Youngblood is a brand-new co-op game unveiled at the Bethesda BE3 Showcase 2018. The game takes place in 1980, 19 years after BJ Blazkowicz ignited the second American Revolution in Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. Wolfenstein: Youngblood introduces the next Blazkowicz generation to the fight against the Nazis. Play as one of BJ’s twin daughters, Jess and Soph, as you search for your missing father in Nazi-occupied Paris. Wolfenstein: Youngblood will be released in 2019. Fallout 76 details, beta information and collector’s edition We got our first in-depth look at Fallout 76, the newest Fallout game from Bethesda. Fallout 76 is set in a hellish version of Earth, with a fiery post-apocalyptic landscape greeting players. The game is set in West Virginia, which director Todd Howard called one of the most important and interesting places in America — and a good place location for the game. The game tells the story of the first people who left the vault. The difference in Fallout 76 is that each character in the game is based on a real person. Fallout 76 is entirely online. That doesn’t mean that players won’t be able to have their solo-mode gameplay experience if they wish, though. Options for single player and multiplayer are included. “You’ll be able to join your friends whenever you want, and all of your progression goes with you,” Howard said. “When we think about games, we think about worlds, and the choices that you can make.” In-game footage showed off some delightful moments, like players who can take on the role of musicians and a giant sloth monster people must destroy. Fallout 76 will be released on Nov. 14, 2018. Bethesda will announce details for a beta version later in the year. For major Fallout fans, Bethesda also confirmed a special collector’s edition, which includes a Power Helmet for players. Andrew W.K.’s performance Rock star and iconic party animal Andrew W.K., kicked off Bethesda’s E3 press conference with a performance. The song he performs in the video above, “Party Til You Puke,” is used in Rage 2, and kind of acts as the “perfect soundtrack” to the post-apocalyptic wasteland people will explore, according to Bethesda. A gameplay trailer for Rage 2 incorporated the song and, to Bethesda’s credit, it certainly works. Prey DLC announced Prey 2 is getting new DLC, “Mooncrash,” which adds three new stories to the game: Story Mode, New Game Plus, and Survival Mode. The expansion will take place on the moon, which confirms a cryptic tweet developer Arkane Studios tweeted earlier this year. “Mooncrash” will introduce an entirely new gameplay mechanic called infinite replayability. Infinite replayability simply means that enemies, hazards and loot are different on each new loop. Prey’s DLC and update are available to play on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC today. Rage 2’s wacky collector’s edition One scene in Rage 2’s gameplay trailer finds a punk watching an old CRT television set, while an advertisement for the Rage 2 collector’s edition plays. That ad is for a real product, and people can pre-order the Collector’s Edition right now. The edition comes with a Ruckus the Crusher talking head, a regular and steelbook version of the game, monster truck, deluxe edition content, a “BFG,” a special weapon and armor, collector’s edition poster, an exclusive mission (“Cult of the Death God”) and “Wasteland Wizard” cheat code. It sings! It jokes! And now it's coming to a wall near you. Get your own Ruckus the Crusher with the #RAGE2 Collector's Edition. His voice sure sounds familiar… @AndrewWK pic.twitter.com/L2gSJQjFs2 — Bethesda (@bethesda) June 11, 2018 Fallout Shelter heads to PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch — right now Fallout Shelter, Bethesda’s original free-to-play vault management game released for iOS and Android three years ago, is available on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 tonight. Fallout Shelter was well-received at launch, and eventually moved over to Xbox. The move to Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 isn’t too surprising. Bethesda wants to keep that success train moving. Players logged more than 29 million hours in the game within the first month of its release, according to Todd Howard. The Elder Scrolls Blades is a mobile Elder Scrolls game There is a new Elder Scrolls game out this year, at least — and it’s coming to mobile. The Elder Scrolls Blades is a single-player, RPG that Bethesda promises will provide Elder Scrolls fans with “console-quality graphics, but with a uniquely mobile experience.” The game boasts both tap-to-move controls and dual stick options. Players can customize players, build their own towns and enjoy an Elder Scrolls game experience they’re used to on PC and consoles. The game launches this fall and can be pre-ordered on Google Play and the Apple Store now.<doc-sep>

The Elder Scrolls VI: The official E3 announcement teaser Bethesda Game Studios sent their fans wild on Monday after they announced The Elder Scrolls 6 with a short teaser trailer. The Elder Scrolls series is one of Bethesda’s longest running franchises, with 2011’s Skyrim one of the gaming world’s favourite adventures. Bethesda released a very short teaser trailer for The Elder Scrolls 6 during their E3 2018 conference, along with several announcements for the upcoming Fallout 76 and the new and mysterious Starfield. Details for the new Elder Scrolls game are scarce after the announcement trailer, with thousands of fans desperate to know when they can get their hands on the latest adventure from Bethesda. When is the release date for The Elder Scrolls 6? Very few details were given about The Elder Scrolls 6 during its announcement trailer on Monday. Bethesda director Todd Howard spent a while on stage explaining more details about the upcoming Fallout 76 game before moving on to some of the developer's longer-term projects. One of these announcements was for a new property called Starfield, the first new IP from Bethesda for 25 years. During the announcement, Mr Howard said: “Starfield is a game we've spent years thinking about and working on, something we feel uniquely positioned to pull off, and we're incredibly excited about. Elder Scrolls 6 release news: When is release date? Is it on PS5? Elder Scrolls gameplay Bethesda's Todd Howard unveiled details about The Elder Scrolls 6 “But we're also building toward the game after that... and it's the one you keep asking about." This teaser means that the new Starfield game will be released before The Elder Scrolls 6, which could mean fans will be waiting several years for the next adventure. No official release date was announced for The Elder Scrolls 6, but fans should expect more details at next years E3 2019 conference. A release date will likely be scheduled for some time after 2021. Bethesda pre-E3 game teasers Thu, May 10, 2018 STARFIELD? Elder Scrolls 6? Rage 2? What is Bethesda up to? Play slideshow 1 of 5 BEthesda announced several games at E3 including The Elder Scrolls 6, Fallout 76 and Starfield

Armoured National Guard vehicles have been seen driving into protesters on the streets of Caracas in what one observer has dubbed Venezuela’s “Tiananmen Square” moment. Video broadcast on several networks around the world shows the vehicles appearing to run directly over protesters on different sections of a roadway, reportedly outside of the La Carolta air base in the Venezuelan capital. Protesters have taken to the street in the city after opposition leader Juan Guaido — who has international support form the United States — posted a video online calling of the “final phase” in his plan to ouster President Nicolas Maduro. As the protests continued throughout the day on Tuesday, gunshots were reportedly heard, drawing the attention of the international community. Mr Maduro, for his part, has called the demonstrations a “coup” that he says was planned in the United States. Venezuela aid protests: Civilians demand food and medicine Show all 5 1 /5 Venezuela aid protests: Civilians demand food and medicine Venezuela aid protests: Civilians demand food and medicine Demonstrators push a bus that was torched during clashes with the Bolivarian National Guard AP Venezuela aid protests: Civilians demand food and medicine Demonstrators are seen through the cracked windshield of a torched bus AP Venezuela aid protests: Civilians demand food and medicine A woman moves away from the flames of a burning bus AP Venezuela aid protests: Civilians demand food and medicine A bus that was torched during clashes with the Bolivarian National Guard AP Venezuela aid protests: Civilians demand food and medicine Demonstrators push away a bus that was torched during clashes AP The US has announced its support for Mr Guaido, though it is not clear that the Tuesday demonstrations were actually planned in Washington. ✕ Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Mr Guaido’s representative in Washington, Carlos Vecchio, said that the protests in Venezuela were “only the beginning”, and that this “is an operation that is developing right now, you will see more events in the hours and days to come.”<doc-sep>Under Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the U.S. has increased pressure on Maduro to allow Guaidó to oversee a transition of power, claiming Maduro’s 2018 reelection was invalid. The socialist leader, considered a dictator by many countries, has been in power since 2013, following the death of Hugo Chávez. Pompeo on Tuesday stood by Guaidó, calling for the “illegitimate regime” to step outside.<doc-sep>News outlets broadcasting live from Caracas on Tuesday recorded graphic footage of an armored vehicle in control of forces loyal to socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro running over peaceful protesters called together by President Juan Guaidó to support soldiers who no longer answer to Maduro. Guaidó posted a video early Tuesday morning from the La Carlota military base near Caracas announcing that the leadership of the nation’s armed forces no longer supported Maduro, but they would need civilians to travel to their nearest military headquarters and support them as they ousted the few Maduro loyalists left. In response, the streets of Caracas – and the gates of La Carlota – flooded with Venezuelans waving their flags and soldiers sporting a blue band on their arms, their rejection of the socialist dictatorship’s red authority. In the Altamira neighborhood of Caracas, civilians organized to support Guaidó. Before he arrived to deliver a speech to the crowd, however, Maduro loyalists in the military and colectivos – armed socialist thug gangs – arrived to attack the protesters. Soldiers shot tear gas and rubber bullets into a crowd. In the incident caught on video, they drove their armored vehicles over the protesters. According to the Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional, at least one protester was significantly injured in the incident and currently receiving medical attention. The extent of the injury remains unknown at press time. Warning: Graphic Video 🔴 Un vehículo militar atropella a varias personas donde se concentran decenas de opositores en Caracas, en Venezuela. Minuto a minuto:https://t.co/3dMb5hLR0M pic.twitter.com/e9OgD9cKpe — 24h (@24h_tve) April 30, 2019 In Chacao, another neighborhood of Caracas, El Nacional reported the liberal use of tear gas on the part of Maduro loyalists to disperse crowds of civilians. As the chaos is ongoing, there are not at press time available injury confirmations or casualty tolls. Some soldiers reportedly heeded Guaidó’s call to disobey orders from Maduro, however. The Cuban Observatory for Human Rights, an NGO that documents regime abuses on the island, shared a video showing soldiers sent to repress protesters refusing to follow their regime’s orders. 🎥 Tanquetas se retiran de la concentración de ciudadanos en Alta Vista, Puerto Ordaz. Militares se habrían negado a reprimir a quienes apoyan a @jguaido en esta zona del país #OperacionLibertad #Venezuela vía @CarlosSuniagaG pic.twitter.com/Sl8M6zI3RD — ObservatorioCubanoDH (@observacuba) April 30, 2019 Guaidó, who became the country’s legitimate commander in chief in January, announced on Monday that his movement had finally convinced the country’s military leadership to stop taking orders from Maduro, who the nation’s legislature declared illegitimate after a fraudulent election in May. As Maduro would be “inaugurated” for another term in January, the lawmakers chose that month to swear in Guaidó instead. “We make a plea to government employees … our brave soldiers, brave patriots, brave men attached to the constitution, have heeded our call today,” he said, suggesting all Venezuelans turn to the military installation nearest them to support soldiers against Maduro there. Maduro has not made any public pronouncement at press time outside of his remarks on Twitter. There, the dictator claimed that Guaidó was lying and that no soldiers had turned on him. “Nerves of steel! I have spoken to the commanders of all the [armed forces] of the country, who have manifested their total loyalty to the People, the Constitution, and the Nation,” Maduro wrote. “I call for the maximum popular mobilization to ensure the victory of Peace. We will triumph!” Follow Frances Martel on Facebook and Twitter.<doc-sep>Emboldened supporters of opposition leader Juan Guaido brutally clashed with Venezuelan security forces as dramatic footage from Caracas showed a military armored vehicle plowing into the crowd. In a video broadcast live on telecasts across the world, the armored vehicle can be seen driving over the center of a road, hitting a crowd of demonstrators purportedly throwing rocks at security forces. No injuries were immediately reported. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-FL., denounced the actions by Venezuelan security forces, saying that “military and security leaders must realize they are and will be held responsible for this,” he said on Twitter. The dramatic events come after Guaido, alongside detained activist Leopoldo Lopez, called for a military uprising Tuesday morning in his boldest action to oust socialist leader Nicolas Maduro. “The armed forces have taken the right decision,” Guaido said earlier Tuesday. “With the support of the Venezuelan people and the backing of our constitution, they are on the right side of history.” He added: “The moment is now.” WHO IS NICOLAS MADURO? WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT VENEZUELA'S SOCIALIST LEADER The 35-year-old leader of the opposition-led National Assembly and a small contingent of heavily armed soldiers appeared in an early morning video promoting the “final phase” of his putsch to oust Maduro. The United States, which has supported Guaido’s claim as interim president of Venezuela, offered its support of the opposition and its supporters. “To Juan Guaido, the National Assembly and all the freedom-loving people of Venezuela who are taking to the streets today in #operacionlibertad—Estamos con ustedes! We are with you! America will stand with you until freedom & democracy are restored. Vayan con dios!” Vice President Mike Pence wrote on Twitter. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said that President Trump had been briefed on the ongoing situation in Venezuela and they were monitoring. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the U.S. fully supports the “Venezuelan people in their quest for freedom and democracy.” “Democracy cannot be defeated,” he added. PHOTOS OF OPPOSITION UPRISING IN VENEZUELA Troops loyal to Maduro sporadically fired tear gas from inside the adjacent Carlota air base. A crowd that quickly swelled to a few thousand scurried for cover, with a smaller group of masked youths reassembling outside the air base's gates where they lobbed rocks and other heavy objects. "It's now or never," said one of the young rebellious soldiers, his face covered in the blue bandanna worn by the few dozen soldiers who stood alongside Guaidó and Lopez. Maduro tried to project an image of strength, saying he had spoken to several regional military commanders who reaffirmed their loyalty to his socialist revolution. "Nerves of steel!," he said in a message posted on Twitter. WHO IS JUAN GUAIDÓ, US-RECOGNIZED INTERIM PRESIDENT OF VENEZUELA? Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino on rejected what he called an attempt by a "subversive movement" to generate "panic and terror." He later said that the "acts of violence" by some members of the armed forces had been "partly defeated" and that the military's top ranks remained "loyal to the constitution." He was flanked by other security forces as he described Tuesday's rebellion as small and insignificant. He said that the armed forces reject "this new aggression" by the U.S.-backed opposition. "A mediocre coup d'etat attempt has failed," he said. Anti-Maduro protests are planned for Wednesday, including what Guaido has said will be “the largest march in Venezuela’s history,” part of what he calls the “definitive phase” of his effort to take office in order to call fresh elections. Meanwhile, socialist party chief Diosdado Cabello said most of Caracas was calm and called on government supporters to amass at the presidential palace to defend Maduro. "We're going to Miraflores palace to defend the revolution, to defend Nicolas and to defend the legacy of Hugo Chavez," Cabello said in a phone call to state TV. SOME US VENEZUELANS FLOCK TO GOP AMID ANGER AT DEMS FOR LACK OF ACTION AGAINST MADURO About a dozen government supporters, some of them brandishing firearms, gathered at the presidential palace, answering the call by Cabello to defend Maduro. "It's time to defend the revolution with arms," Valentin Santana, head of a militant group, said in a video posted on social media as he brandished an automatic rifle. Meanwhile, Guaidó said the troops who had taken to the streets were protecting Venezuela's constitution. He said that in the coming hours he would release a list of top commanders supporting the uprising. "The armed forces have taken the right decision," said Guaidó. "With the support of the Venezuelan people and the backing of our constitution, they are on the right side of history." VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER JUAN GUAIDÓ'S CALL FOR MILITARY UPRISING DRAWS REACTIONS FROM US, WORLD LEADERS As the events unfolded in Caracas, governments from around the world expressed a mix of support for Guaido, while reiterating calls to voice violent confrontation. National Security Advisor John Bolton said that the Venezuelan military has a choice to make: embrace democracy or "face more man-made suffering and isolation." "Venezuelans have made clear that the current path toward democracy is irreversible," he said on Twitter. However, the spokeswoman's for Spain's acting government said it did not support any military coup in Venezuela, even though it still considered Guaido the country's legitimate leader. "We hope with all of our strength that there is no bloodshed. We support a peaceful democratic process in Venezuela. We support the immediate holding of an election for a new president," Isabel Celaá said on Tuesday during a weekly routine press briefing. PENCE DECLARES SUPPORT FOR VENEZUELA PROTESTERS RISING UP AGAINST MADURO: 'WE ARE WITH YOU!' President Vladimir Putin is said to be paying "significant" attention to the reports about "a coup attempt in that country," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies. Elsewhere, Bolivian President Evo Morales issued a call via Twitter Tuesday urging Latin American governments "to condemn the coup d'etat in Venezuela and keep the violence from claiming innocent lives." He blamed the U.S. for "provoking violence and death in Venezuela."<doc-sep>

Juan Guaidó, recognized by Washington and 50 other nations as Venezuela's legitimate leader, talks to media outside the airforce base La Carlota on April 30, 2019 in Caracas, Venezuela. (Rafael Briceno/Getty Images) Armored Vehicle Runs Down Protesters as Clashes Intensify in Venezuela Confrontations between protesters and Venezuelan security forces escalated in Caracas, with an armored vehicle running over unarmed protesters hours after Juan Guaidó called on people to flock to the streets peacefully as he begins the “final phase” of his plan to oust regime leader Nicolás Maduro. Guaidó, head of the nation’s congress who is recognized by over 50 nations as Venezuela’s legitimate leader, joined the protests on April 30 with activist Leopoldo López, who had been detained by Maduro. The two were accompanied by a small contingent of soldiers who have defected from Maduro’s regime. Guaidó and protestors occupied and then abandoned the La Carlota air base in Altamira in the morning hours of April 30. “Today, brave soldiers, brave patriots, brave men supporting the constitution have answered our call,” Guaidó said in a video posted on his Twitter account. “The end of the usurpation is today.” López, who was arrested in 2014 for calling for protests against Maduro, said on Twitter that he had “been freed by the military by the order of the constitution of President Guaidó.” As crowds of masked protesters gathered late in the morning, throwing rocks and occasionally Molotov cocktails at armored vehicles blocking their path near the airport, one of those vehicles proceeded to plow into the crowds, widely shared footage from the incident shows. A number of protesters tried to retreat but couldn’t evade the vehicle’s path as it accelerated. Other protesters rushed to the aid of those injured; it is yet unknown how many were affected or if there were fatalities. The incident was vehemently denounced in social media by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international observers as the latest violation of human rights on the part of the Maduro regime which holds onto power despite Venezuela’s spiraling economic, social, and political crisis. “[The incident] was a flagrant violation of the right to life that generates judicial repercussions,” said Rodolfo Montes, a lawyer at Venezuelan human rights advocacy group, PROVEA, who said it would be brought to the International Criminal Court along with other human rights violations repeatedly employed by security forces since 2017. The vehicles previously had used water cannons in a failed attempt to disperse the crowds who returned rocks. The air base remains in control of Maduro loyalists, but is currently up in flames. In nearby Altamira Plaza, eyewitnesses described “a tense calm” as crowds awaited Guaidó, and security forces used “disproportionate force” against opposition protesters. Military Support Guaidó has pledged that he has the support of “the main military units of our Armed Forces,” but it remains unclear who determined those figures. Several high-ranking military officials publicly announced that they remain loyal to Maduro. Maduro’s defense minister, Vladimir Padrino López, said the uprising is “a coup-mongering movement that seeks to fill the country with violence,” but was ultimately “insignificant.” Guaidó, however, has stated “there is no way back” and is calling on the Venezuelan people to take to the streets until Maduro falls. Those calls were met by crowds who amassed in Altamira, in East Caracas, in confrontations with national security forces who fired tear gas and rubber bullets. Military forces have so far not appeared in public in support of Guaidó, but neither have they broken up the disturbances. Some members of national security force know as The National Guard, however, have been shown in video footage with the opposition leader, having defected from Maduro. Armed pro-Maduro civilians on motorbikes, known as colectivos, have been called upon to break up the crowds. Loyal colectivos are often used by Maduro to quash protests as they are less likely to refuse orders to oppress protesters than the military, minimizing the prospect of a military rupture. Both the colectivos and national guard have opened fire, but it is not clear whether gunshots were directed at the public.

Wednesday's season-opener against the Washington Capitals didn't exactly go the way the Bruins had hoped. The Caps thrashed the Bruins and took away a 7-0 victory on home ice, but not before some controversy was brewed up at Capital One Arena. After Washington forward Lars Eller scored his third-period goal that made it 7-0, he proceeded to skate past the Bruins bench and celebrated his tally with a rather unspectacular celebration in front of a frustrated Boston group. Some of the veteran members of the Bruins, including Brad Marchand, took offense to Eller showboating in front of their bench in a blowout. They let Eller know about it with a verbal warning, but that wasn't enough for Marchand. Later in the period, the Bruins winger went out of his way to get a piece of Eller. Marchand received a five-minute major for fighting, a two-minute minor for instigating and a 10-minute misconduct at the conclusion of the fight. Replays showed that Eller took a couple of big shots to the head during the scrap and he was bloodied up pretty good as he headed off the ice for repairs. After the game, Marchand confirmed that Eller's celebration was the reason for the fight. Marchand, who has a well-earned reputation of being an agitator, didn't exactly give Eller a fair shot to turn down the fight, and that's something that he may have to answer for down the line. The NHL rulebook requires at least two willing combatants in any permissible fight, and guys are supposed to wait until both parties shed their gloves before engaging and throwing punches. With how quickly Marchand engaged Eller, some felt as though he "jumped" the Capitals forward. Some even took exception to him challenging Eller at all, as the Capitals forward isn't known to be a fighter. This was the first fight of his NHL career. On the other side, some felt as though Marchand was within his right to confront Eller after the celebration in front of the Bruins bench. It's viewed as an infringement of the sport's "unwritten rules" and is apparently considered worthy of a response. But, again, the response is only acceptable if it's determined that there are two willing parties ready to go. Eller eventually settled into the bout and attempted to throw some punches in Marchand's direction, but the crux of the controversy here is whether or not Marchand gave him any choice. It seems rather unlikely there's supplemental discipline coming -- the instigator and misconduct penalties are standard in these situations -- but given Marchand's lengthy history with the league's Department of Player Safety (he's been suspended five times), pretty much anything he does is scrutinized with a more intense lens than most other players. In any case, I've always felt the best way to prevent opponents from showboating in front of your bench when you're down by seven goals is to not allow them to lead by seven goals. It's also not super ideal to have your leading scorer from last season fighting in a seven-goal game.<doc-sep>The Boston Bruins couldn’t have kicked off the 2018-19 NHL season any worse, and the frustration from Wednesday’s season opener eventually boiled over for Brad Marchand. With the Washington Capitals dominating the Bruins 7-0 late in the third period at Capital One Arena, Marchand tried to give his team a bit of spark when he dropped the gloves with Lars Eller. While the jolt, of course, was too little too late, Marchand made his mark when he landed a couple heavy shots to Eller’s head, which left the Caps forward leaking. You can watch the scrap in the video here and see a snapshot of Eller’s bloody mug here. The defending Stanley Cup champions rolled on for a decisive 7-0 win. The B’s won’t have to wait very long to turn things around, though, as they’ll take the ice Thursday night against the Sabres in Buffalo. Thumbnail photo via Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports<doc-sep>

Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window) Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Click to share on Flipboard (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) The Washington Capitals handed the Boston Bruins a nasty 7-0 drubbing to start the season, and frustrations boiled over for Brad Marchand. After Lars Eller scored the 7-0 goal, he jawed at the Bruins bench, and that apparently pushed Marchand over the edge. Marchand received a game misconduct and instigator infractions to go along with a fighting major after he went after Eller, who was bloodied by the fight. You can see it all – including the offending smack talk – in the video above. Following the Bruins’ worst-ever season-opening loss, Marchand wasn’t exactly apologetic to Eller. “His celebration was unnecessary,” Marchand said, via the AP’s Stephen Whyno. “He took an angle in front of our bench and celebrated in a 7-0 game. So I just let him know.” We’ll see if there’s any additional fallout from this, but plenty will find such comments rich from Marchand, considering his history of licking, iffy hits, and even that “golfing” celebration. Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy voiced his support for Marchand, stating that “Marchy let him know that that’s not acceptable.” According to Hockey Fights’ listings, this was the first fight of Eller’s career; while he fought back, plenty of people believe that he was reluctant to drop the gloves with Marchand. While the Bruins won’t have much time to shake off this embarrassing loss (they face the Sabres on Thursday), the two sides won’t renew acquaintances again in 2018. Their next contest takes place in Boston on Jan. 10. — James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.

LITTLE Mix have confirmed that their fifth album will be released next month. The group's new record, LM5, has been eagerly anticipated by fans - and it will be released globally on 16th November. 4 Little Mix have revealed their new album artwork, name, and release date Credit: Little Mix A nod to their fandom, Little Mix tweeted the inspiration behind the album's name. They shared: "We love how you’ve named each of our eras over the years. So we’ve decided to call our next album...#LM5 "We’ve worked so hard on this, we are so proud and can honestly say this is our favourite album to date." The girls have teamed up with a whole host of A-listers for the new album having spent the last year writing and recording. 4 The girls have been teamed up with a host of A-listers for the new record Credit: Little Mix Stars that have worked with Little Mix on LM5 include Ed Sheeran, Jess Glynne, Camille Purcell, and Timberland. As well as announcing the album's name and release date, the band have also shared their new album artwork - and the simple yet sophisticated look has wowed their fans. 4 The girls paid sweet homage to their fans with the album title Credit: Getty Images - Getty One Mixer tweeted: "I absolutely love the cover. It's such a refreshing change from all the unattainable, saturated high-end stuff that's out there. "I see more of myself in LM5 than any other female group's album cover." Others added: "THE POWER THESE COVERS HOLD, UGH SO SUPERIOR." "This cover art though!! My girls really matured we already stan this album." this cover art though!! my girls really matured we already stan this album. #LM5 pic.twitter.com/7xc720GCCS — joëlle (@emotionperrie) October 15, 2018 I love the name I love the cover, I'm so proud of you. They are the best and #LM5 is going to break all over the world, I love them pic.twitter.com/ZXwsKu07u2 — micaela (@rabeyymica) October 15, 2018 Most Read In TV & Showbiz KIM'S NEW KRUSH The men lining up to be Kim K's next partner as Kanye ‘dates Irina Shayk’ JOSS PERFECT Jac Jossa shows off her tiny waist after weight loss in pretty summer dresses 'WE'LL SEE' Louise Redknapp revealed Jamie wanted another baby when she was on Strictly GRANDE AFFAIR Ariana dazzles in white gown as she shares private pics from secret wedding a wright treat! Mark Wright gives fans tour of new £2,400 a night home with Michelle Keegan Exclusive ARG-AIN James ‘Arg’ Argent's set to reunite with 'love of his life' ex Lydia Bright Little Mix answers who will get married first on Roman Kemp's breakfast show Speaking about the record, the band said that this is "the album we always wanted to make." Little Mix released the first single off the album, Woman Like Me, last week. The track, which features Nicki Minaj, immediately hit the No.1 spot on iTunes across the world. 4 The debut single from the new record, Woman Like Me, was released last week Credit: Handout Little Mix teases fans by posting short clip from their new single on Instagram The girl group, formed of Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall, shot to fame after winning The X Factor in 2011. Their last album, Glory Days, is the UK's biggest selling album by a female group this millenium. Got a story? email digishowbiz@the-sun.co.uk or call us direct on 02077824220. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.<doc-sep>Little Mix New Album: 5 Things We Learnt About 'LM5' From Collaborations To Favourite Lyrics Little Mix reveal details about 'LM5'. Picture: The Official Vodafone Big Top 40 Little Mix have revealed more details about their fifth album 'LM5' on The Official Vodafone Big Top 40, including the collaborations and their favourite lyrics. Perrie, Leigh-Anne, Jesy and Jade joined Marvin Humes and Kat Shoob this Sunday and we learnt so much about LM5. The girls' new album is out on 16 November 2018, with three editions being released - standard, deluxe and super deluxe. > Exclusive: Little Mix Confirm 2019 Arena Tour "This is the album we've always wanted to make," Jesy revealed to The Official Vodafone Big Top 40. "Everything we want to say is in this album," Leigh-Anne added, "We haven't held back." Here's what else we learnt about Little Mix's new album during our chat with the 'Woman Like Me' stars... Little Mix with Marvin Humes and Kat Shoob. Picture: The Official Vodafone Big Top 40 The album's second single 'Strip' is a really important one "Woman Like Me is just an introduction," Jesy revealed, "When you hear the second single, it's completely different to what we've ever done before." The group have also co-directed the music video for the next single. "It's a subject we feel really passionate about," she explained, "As soon as we wrote the song, we knew the video we wanted to do for it." There's going to be some naughty lyrics on the new album "We love an innuendo," Perrie admitted to Marvin and Kat on the show. "There's a few saucy songs on the album [but] I think they're quite empowering," Jade added. "It's about the woman taking control," she told us, "We're very classy with it." It's all-women collaborations on LM5 The lead single 'Woman Like Me' features Nicki Minaj and there's even more female collabs on the album. Missy Elliot and Kamille are among the artists rumoured to be on LM5 after a tracklist was leaked. There's also suggestions of a Little Mix and Ariana Grande song, titled 'Make This Work'. Hear what the girls had to say when Marvin and Kat asked them about an Ariana collab. Jesy and Jade revealed their favourite lyrics Jade's favourite lyric on LM5 is: "Take off all my makeup, cause I love what's under it." Meanwhile, Jesy's favourite is: "Jiggle all this weight, yeah you know I love all of this." The girls could have made three, new albums The girls have been writing for LM5 for the last year and there's a lot of songs that didn't make the album. Perrie told us that they could've made three, new albums with the amount of new music they recorded. Perhaps we'll hear some of the others when the group go on their 2019 arena tour?<doc-sep>Little Mix have revealed some pretty great intel on album five Little Mix this evening announced the title of their eagerly anticipated fifth album, by naming it, well, pretty much that. Taking to Twitter on Monday night, the superstars revealed the title, kept under wraps til this point, was going to be LM5. They also announced it will be released globally on 16 November. There’s a lot to unpack here! Writing on their social media account, the band, made up of Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson, Leigh-Ann Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall said they’d taken inspiration from the fans when naming their latest effort. ‘We love how you’ve named each of our eras over the years. So we’ve decided to call our next album…#LM5’ they wrote. We love how you’ve named each of our eras over the years. So we’ve decided to call our next album…#LM5 We’ve worked so hard on this, we are so proud & can honestly say this is our favourite album to date. You’ll be able to pre-order it from THIS FRIDAY. 16.11.2018. The girls x pic.twitter.com/IIljQAiEXY — Little Mix (@LittleMix) October 15, 2018 ‘We’ve worked so hard on this, we are so proud & can honestly say this is our favourite album to date. You’ll be able to pre-order it from THIS FRIDAY. 16.11.2018. The girls x’ Little Mix have spent the last year writing and recording the album with an A-List cast of writers and producers such as Ed Sheeran, Jess Glynne, Camille Purcell, MNEK, Timberland and RAYE, while the first single, Woman Like Me featured Nicki Minaj, and was released last week The stellar foursome had been working on the tunes for some time, with fans naming the drop LM5 when referencing it with their own theories and intel over the past few months. So while many were pretty chuffed all was confirmed and we finally had a release date, others felt short-changed. MY WIG IS GONE BYE YOU GIRLS SNAPPED This is so exciting! We’ve seen how hard you’ve worked on this and can’t wait to see this work of art uhm I love u but this ain't it — tanya☁️ (@breathinforeva) October 15, 2018 Still, there was no denying the buzz was very much real up in here. yes. the rumours are true. mixers have named your most iconic album to date without even trying. ugh OUR MINDS I CANT FUCKING WAIT IM SO FUCKING EXCITED AHHHH CAN IT BE NOVEMBER ALREADY!????? ?, #LM5 pic.twitter.com/ohTuZngymI — carol loves ally -3 (@allysgrown) October 15, 2018 THE BEST TIME IS COMING I CAN'T WAIT — lali ?? (@thirlwaz) October 15, 2018 The women are back to their best as they begun promo for the new album last week, after their first single shot to number one. They’ve also described the upcoming album as the ‘record we always wanted to make’, so already we’re expecting big things from album number five. The countdown is on – we can already smell the bangers. LM5 will be released 16 November. Got a showbiz story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you. MORE : K-pop band NCT-127 to collaborate with DJ Khaled as they confess recording Regular in English was ‘hard’ MORE : Khloe Kardashian’s daughter dressed as a pumpkin will make all of your days<doc-sep>Twitter/Little Mix It's the moment that Little Mix fans have been waiting two years for - they have finally announced the name of their new album, LM5! The girls gave fans the good news by posting a picture of the front cover of the album on their social media account. Twitter/Little Mix LM5 will have 14 new tracks including their single Woman like me featuring rapper Nicki Minaj. Ed Sheeran has also been working with Little Mix on the new album. There is also a delux album with four extra tracks, pictures, hand written notes and a CD book. Twitter/ Little Mix This is the girl group's fifth studio album and it's set to be released on the 16 November 2018.<doc-sep>

Mixers rejoice! Little Mix will be going on tour next year. (Picture: Kevin Mazur/One Love Manchester/Getty Images for One Love Manchester) Little Mix have confirmed they’re going on tour in 2019. The Black Magic hitmakers, comprising Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Jesy Nelson, made the announcement on radio chart show The Official Vodafone Big Top 40 and told presenters Marvin Humes and Kat Shoob fans can expect big things. ‘Absolutely,’ Jade, 25, replied when asked if the girlband had a tour lined up, before adding: ‘Am I allowed to say that?’ The upcoming tour follows hot on the heels of the release of Little Mix’s latest single, Nicki Minaj collaboration track Woman Like Me, with their subsequent fifth studio album LM5 due to hit airwaves in November. Little Mix released their new track, Woman Like Me featuring Nicki Minaj, last week. (Picture: Getty) The foursome shared their excitement for their new album on Twitter on Monday and revealed they had dedicated the record’s name to their fans. ‘We love how you’ve named each of our eras over the years. So we’ve decided to call our next album… #LM5,’ they wrote to their 11.7 million followers. ‘We’ve worked so hard on this, we are so proud & can honestly say this is our favourite album to date.’ We love how you’ve named each of our eras over the years. So we’ve decided to call our next album…#LM5 We’ve worked so hard on this, we are so proud & can honestly say this is our favourite album to date. You’ll be able to pre-order it from THIS FRIDAY. 16.11.2018. The girls x pic.twitter.com/IIljQAiEXY — Little Mix (@LittleMix) October 15, 2018 It’s gearing up to be a successful year for the Power singers, who have already played a number of shows around the UK this summer with their Summer Hits Tour 2018, which took the group to stadiums and small outdoor venues across the country. Last year also saw the girl band embark on their worldwide The Glory Days tour, which spanned Europe, Oceania, and the UK and featured stellar support acts including The Vamps, Conor Maynard, Ella Eyre and Louisa Johnson. If it’s anything to go by, we’re in for a treat… MORE : How old is Bake Off’s Ruby Bhogal and what is her job? MORE : How to get Pink presale tickets for her 2019 Beautiful Trauma UK tour dates

The content update for Fortnite v8.20 is now out in the wild and brings a new weapon with it and a couple of bug fixes, though sadly no revert for the recent change to health and mats for elims, which revitalised the game for many. As a content update, there is no huge patch required, but that also means there isn’t anything hugely significant of note to report regarding changes. Here are all the patch notes regardless. WHAT’S NEW? Boom Bow Archery can be a blast! Nock enemies in a whole new way with this explosive new weapon. LIMITED TIME MODE: SNIPER SHOOTOUT Summary In this limited time mode, players will do battle using sniper rifles. May the best aim win! Mode Details Only weapon drops are Sniper Rifles. Floor Loot spawners reduced by 50% Reviving “Down But Not Out” teammates in Duos & Squads is deactivated – be careful peeking! WEAPONS + ITEMS Boom Bow Fires Arrows with a Shotgun Shell tip, which explode on impact. Uses Shotgun Ammo The longer you hold the fire keybind down, the stronger the shot! This increases both projectile speed and direct impact damage. Explosive damage is consistent regardless of the power of the shot. The Boom Bow will achieve maximum power after 1.6 seconds of charging. A direct hit will deal both the direct hit damage and the explosion damage to the enemy player it impacts. Direct hit Base damage 15 Headshot Multiplier: 2x Explosion 100 damage Peppers Increased duration from 10 seconds to 20 seconds Increased movement speed bonus from 20% to 40%<doc-sep>Fortnite Epic Fortnite’s new v8.20 patch is here, and there’s a lot coming to the game with this one, including a number of leaks that I won’t get into here, but will stick to the official patch notes of what’s actually live today. There’s a new trap, changes to the infamous Baller and an LTM that is unlike anything the game has ever seen. So let’s dive in. Fortnite Epic Poison Trap We saw this previewed in a loading screen two weeks ago, and now it’s finally here. The Poison Trap will join the (very) limited selection of traps currently in the game. And they are very, very deadly, it seems. Why? Unlike Spike Traps, Poison Traps can be triggered from three grid spaces away, meaning you don’t have to be close to them to be hit by them. They do a total of 80 poison damage to you over 7 seconds, and that damage applies directly to your health, bypassing shields. That’s no joke, and can easily kill anyone at less than full health. Curious to see how this plays in-game. Fortnite Epic New Food Items More food items have been added to the game to restore your various attributes. Bananas are found in tropical regions and give you health. Coconuts are found when you hack at palm trees, and restore health, but also shields if your health is full. Peppers will give you health but also a 20% speed boost for ten seconds like you’re a cartoon cat or something. Fortnite Epic Baller Nerfs The Baller has been a…controversial vehicle so far, and some changes are being made to it. Significant ones, in fact, to prevent Baller-mania that was going on in many games. First, Baller will no longer hurt players when running into them, just knock them back. Epic also says in a future update they will be changing the Baller so that you can shoot through the glass to hit the driver, rather than only the Baller itself. That might kill it entirely. Pop-Up Cup Reversions Epic was messing around bringing competitive settings to the main game, but they said it was making people too aggressive. So all these changes have been reverted: 50 Health (or Shield) based on your health when the Elimination occurs. 50/50/50 materials dropped on Elimination. 500/500/500 Cap on materials. Harvest rate increased by 40% They’ll stay in place for competitive arena events. The Floor Is Lava LTM Here we have arguably one of the most ambitious LTMs of all time. Minutes into the match, lava will start rising from the ground and eventually cover the entire map, so you’re not just trying to move in through the storm circles, but also get/build to higher ground. You can build on top of the lava, and you will get an amount of building materials per second so you’re never fully stranded. This one is going to be crazy. There are also leaks about a “volcano eruption” event in this patch, one that could end up filling Dusty Divot with lava, but this seems to be separate from this LTM which will cover the whole map in lava just for kicks. But it won’t be like that in the main game, obviously. A few more changes here and there. Infantry rifles will work more like assault rifles, not snipers, and have had their damage reduced a bit since it’s easier to hit people with the now. Minor tweaks have been made to pirate cannons. There’s now a specific message when you get killed by lava, surely inspired by this event. Anyway, lots of changes. Enjoy! Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Read my new sci-fi thriller novel Herokiller, available now in print and online. I also wrote The Earthborn Trilogy.<doc-sep>

Another week, another content update will soon be making its way onto the servers of Fortnite Battle Royale. While last week's v8.20 update for Fortnite led to a great deal of frustration being formed by the battle royale game's community towards developer Epic Games, this week's 8.20 content update and its patch notes will hopefully bring some much-requested changes and new things for players to experience. Fortnite 8.20 Content Update Patch Notes We will update this article with the official patch notes for the Fortnite 8.20 content changes in their entirety when they are first made available by Epic Games. Epic Games took to the official Fortnite Twitter account on Monday, April 1st to announce that the next set of major changes for the game will be arriving on the release date of Tuesday, April 2nd at 5 AM PST/ 7 AM CST/ 8 AM EST. Unlike last week, players will not have to wait for a downtime period to conclude before trying out the new things that will be added by the way of the new update's patch notes. Ready your bows! ?? The v8.20 Content Update arrives tomorrow, April 2 at 8AM ET(1200 UTC). No download or downtime required. — Fortnite (@FortniteGame) April 1, 2019 While not much is known about what the Fortnite 8.20 content patch notes will exactly entail, they will be adding the new Explosive Bow to the battle royale title and will give players a much more detailed look at the stats for the new Explosive Bow. Players have known about the Explosive Bow ever since files for the weapon were leaked by data miners from the 8.20 files last week and will finally be getting the chance to try out the Explosive Bow when the patch notes of the upcoming content update take effect. (Source: Epic Games) What are you hoping to see come out of the patch notes for the Fortnite 8.20 content update on Tuesday, April 2nd? Do you think Epic Games has heard the community outcry and will revert the controversial changes made last week to the game's health and material kill siphon mechanic? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Bucs’ picks Bucs first-round pick Devin White [MONICA HERNDON | Times] Photo galleries: First-round picks | Bucs picks Round 1 (No. 5) — Devin White, LB, LSU Bucs draft linebacker Devin White | White came from a small town with a big dream | Will White make Bucs a playoff team? | Bucs might have missed on White | Five things to know | Our thoughts | What they’re saying Round 2 (No. 39) — Sean Bunting, CB, Central Michigan Bunting gives Bucs a solid cover corner and a ballhawk Round 3 (No. 94) — Jamel Dean, CB, Auburn Bucs trade down in third round, select two defensive backs | Was it wise? Round 3 (No. 99) — Mike Edwards, S, Kentucky Why the Bucs drafted Mike Edwards | Bucs keep stockpiling defensive backs Round 4 (No. 107) — Anthony Nelson, DE, Iowa Bucs grab Anthony Nelson in fourth round Round 5 (No. 145) — Matt Gay, K, Utah Bucs use fifth-round pick on ... kicker? Round 6 (No. 208) — Scotty Miller, WR, Bowling Green Bucs’ sixth-round pick bears some resemblance to Adam Humphries Round 7 (No. 215) — Terry Beckner Jr., DT, Missouri Bucs wait until final round to grab interior defensive lineman Bucs wait until final round to take interior defensive lineman [AP Photo/L.G. Patterson] It took until the final round of the draft for the Bucs to select an interior defensive lineman, when they selected Missouri defensive tackle Terry Beckner, Jr. The 6-foot-4, 295-pound Beckner had 34 tackles, including 11 for loss, 3-1/2 sacks and a forced fumble. He received second-team All-SEC honors and was a team captain. The Bucs’ draft class was focused on defense. Six of the team’s eight picks came from the defensive side of the ball. Read more here. Wide receiver bears some resemblance to Adam Humphries [Rich Von Biberstein/Icon SMI via ZUMA Press] If the Bucs have a question at receiver, it’s who will fill the void left by the departure of Adam Humphries, who received free-agent riches this offseason by signing with the Tennessee Titans. With their sixth-round pick Saturday, they took a receiver who bears some resemblance to Humphries, the speedy undersized slot receiver who went from an undrafted free agent to one of the Bucs’ most dependable wideouts — Bowling Green wide receiver Scotty Miller, the 208th overall selection. Miller was the only offensive player the Bucs selected in their eight picks. Read more here. Patriots draft former Armwood star Byron Cowart [AP Photo/Butch Dill] Only 17 months ago, former Armwood blue-chipper Byron Cowart was off the college football grid and attending classes at Hillsborough Community College. Recruitniks universally had deemed him a bust. Today, he’s a Belichick guy. A defensive end who washed out after two-plus seasons at Auburn before resuscitating his career last year at Maryland, Cowart was selected by the Patriots in the fifth round (No. 159 overall) on Saturday. Read more here. Bucs take Utah kicker Matt Gay in fifth round [AP Photo/Rick Scuteri] Three years after the failed Roberto Aguayo pick, the Bucs used their fifth-round pick to select another kicker. Utah’s Matt Gay went to the Bucs with the 145th overall pick. The Lou Groza Award winner was the first placekicker taken in this year’s draft. Read more here. Lions pick former Gaither standout in fifth round [AP Photo/Doug McSchooler] Amani Oruwariye had a draft party Friday night at Panini’s Bar and Grill in Tampa. The former Gaither High and Penn State standout picked that date because he was projected to go anywhere between the second and third rounds. For four hours, Oruwariye waited for a phone call from an NFL team that never came. On Saturday, the wait was over. Oruwariye went in the fifth round, 146th overall, to the Detroit Lions. Read more here. Bucs grab Iowa DE Anthony Nelson in fourth round [AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall] After spending Friday addressing their needs in the secondary, the Bucs on Saturday turned their attention to the defensive front. Tampa Bay selected Iowa defensive end Anthony Nelson early in the fourth round, the 107th pick overall. An effective bull rusher, the 6-foot-7, 271-pound Nelson has long arms and a nose for finding the football. Read more here. Gators’ Chauncey Gardner-Johnson goes to Saints [Times files] After waiting two days to get drafted, Florida Gators defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson’s third day went quickly. The Saints picked Gardner-Johnson with the third pick of the fourth round (No. 105 overall) on Saturday. Read more here. Buccaneers targets for Day 3 Texas A&M running back Trayveon Williams [AP Photo/Michael Wyke] After drafting Sean Bunting, Jamel Dean and Mike Edwards on Friday night, the Bucs are going to turn their attention to other positions … probably. Tampa Bay, which owns a pick in each of the final four rounds, could use an edge rusher, a defensive tackle, an offensive lineman and a pass-catching running back. Here are some names to watch. Read more here. Why the Bucs drafted Kentucky defensive back Mike Edwards [AP Photo/Michael Wyke] Kentucky defensive back Mike Edwards is a play-maker. Pure and simple. That’s why the Bucs drafted him in the third round Friday night. Sure, it appears Tampa Bay is loading up on defensive backs. They took three on Friday. This is on the heels of the Bucs taking three defensive backs in the 2018 NFL draft. But Bucs general manager Jason Licht says he wasn’t happy with the play in the secondary a year ago. Read more here. Bucs trade down in third round, select two defensive backs Jamel Dean [AP Photo/Vasha Hunt] The Bucs continued to stock their secondary in the the second day of the NFL draft Friday, taking defensive backs with both of their third-round selections. They drafted Auburn cornerback Jamel Dean with the 90th overall pick, then selected Kentucky defensive back Mike Edwards with the 99th pick Read more here. Bucs keep stockpiling defensive backs [Mat Gdowski/Icon SMI via ZUMA Press] How many defensive backs do the Buccaneers need? The answer: As many as it takes. With the selection of Central Michigan cornerback Sean Bunting, Auburn cornerback Jamel Dean and Kentucky safety Mike Edwards on Friday, Tampa Bay has picked a league-high nine defensive backs in the first four rounds of the NFL draft since 2016. Read more here. Gators’ Jachai Polite slides to Jets in third round [Times files] Edge rusher Jachai Polite became the second Florida product drafted this year when the Jets picked him with the fourth pick of the third round (No. 68 overall). Three months ago, Polite slipping this far seemed unlikely. He was a popular first-round selection in early mock drafts after an ultra-productive junior season. His six forced fumbles tied UF’s single-season record, and he’s one of only four players in UF history to cause at least eight career fumbles. But Polite struggled during the pre-draft process. Read more here. Devin White came from a small town with a big dream [AP Photo/Mark Humphrey] TAMPA — At the moment the NFL was about to reveal his future, Devin White put his head in his hands, closed his eyes and peered into the past. The Raiders had just selected Clemson defensive tackle Clelin Ferrell with the No. 4 pick. Tampa Bay was on the clock. White had brought a graduation picture of his stepbrother, J’Marco Jewel Greenard, whom everyone called J.J., to the green room at the draft in Nashville. Read more here. Bucs trade down, pick up an extra third-round pick Bucs general manager Jason Licht [MONICA HERNDON | Times] The Bucs trade down in the third round of the NFL draft, sending the 70th overall pick to the Los Angeles Rams for the 94th and 99th picks. The Rams use the 70th pick to draft Memphis running back Darrell Henderson. Read more here. Bucs give Make-A-Wish fan a draft experience to remember [MONICA HERNDON | Times] TAMPA — Kacey Reynolds III was supposed to announce the Bucs’ first-round pick last season when the NFL draft was in Dallas, but he spent most of the last calendar year in and out of the hospital battling Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.<doc-sep>The Tampa Bay Buccaneers enter the 2019 in desperate need of some added help getting to the quarterback; here are three EDGE targets in the draft. With one more day until the 2019 NFL Draft, draft boards, team needs, and priorities are being finalized as the mayhem is set to begin on Thursday night. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have team needs throughout their defense, but one are in particular which needs addressed is their pass rush. Only one player in 2018 had double-digit sacks in Jason Pierre-Paul, and while the Buccaneers signed Shaquil Barrett to a one-year deal during free agency, another edge rusher will be selected during the draft. While Carl Nassib was a nice pick up off of the waivers a year ago after he was cut by the Cleveland Browns, 2016 second rounder Noah Spence may be on his last leg in Tampa Bay, giving the Buccaneers virtually no depth behind Barrett off the edge. Great news Tampa Bay fans, this year’s edge rusher class is the deepest it has been in years, with high upside talent available in every round of the draft. Do not be surprised if the Buccaneers leave the draft with more than one additional pass rusher to add to their roster. Here are three edge rushers, one for each day of the draft, Tampa Bay could pursue when they get on the clock and are set to make their selection. *Big board referenced in this article and be found here.<doc-sep>Welcome to SB Nation FanPulse — a survey of fans across the NFL, powered by SurveyMonkey. Each week, we send 32 polls to 100+ plugged in fans from each team. Bucs fans, sign up HERE to join FanPulse. There is so much uncertainty surrounding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With a new coaching staff and new scheme being installed, we really don’t know what to expect from this team in 2019. Much less the draft. But in just a few days, the Buccaneers can give us a glimpse into how they plan on shaping the team under the Bruce Arians era. Or so we hope. For now, we’ll just have to debate what the direction the Bucs may go. And in the latest FanPulse survey, Bucs fans think that the biggest need for the Bucs would be defensive line. Nationally, there have been many linking the Buccaneers to LSU linebacker Devin White. The selection wouldn’t be a bad one at all, but with the need for a pass rush and uncertainty surrounding veteran defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, it seems like the fanbase collectively agrees on the team’s top needs. So then who exactly do fans think the top defensive lineman is? Well, according to the below SB Nation FanPulse results, edge rusher Nick Bosa takes it easily with almost 40-percent while defensive lineman Quinnen Williams is second. The Buccaneers may not have a shot at Bosa, but some mocks have had Williams sliding to the fifth spot. That may be a bit of a stretch. However, the good news is if Tampa Bay is truly targeting some defensive help early, they may have a few names to choose from. We’ll find out soon enough.<doc-sep>

The first round of the 2019 NFL draft is in the books, but before we move on to previewing what’s ahead, there are some odds and ends from Day 1 to discuss. On Devin White: There’s some consternation among Bucs fans over this pick, and for good reason. Josh Allen, who racked up 17 sacks last season for Kentucky, was available and would have been an upgrade at edge rusher. Tampa Bay has been searching for a difference-maker at that position for a generation. Traditionally, edge rushers have ranked behind only quarterbacks in terms of positional importance. That might be changing. Quarterbacks have been neutralizing them by getting rid of the ball more quickly. Short passes between the numbers dominate the game. Linebackers are targets, and it’s more important than ever that they can cover. White can do that. “It’s because it’s hard to find a linebacker that can cover these speedy tight ends and even some big receivers and running backs — these third-down backs,” Bucs general manager Jason Licht said. “We think Devin can, so that’s really what was a big draw to him.” Tampa Bay’s pass defense last season was the third worst, according to Football Outsiders’ opponent-adjusted metrics. It especially struggled defending short passes, specifically short passes over the middle. It ranked as the second-worst defense against such passes (only the Cardinals were worse). On Montez Sweat: The edge rusher, who met with the Bucs at the Senior Bowl in February and visited them earlier this month, landed with Washington at No. 26. Washington traded its 2019 second-round pick (No. 46) and its 2020 second-round pick to the Colts to jump back into the first round and take him. That doesn’t seem like a high price to pay to move up 20 spots, which makes you wonder whether Licht submitted a bid. Surely, Indianapolis would have preferred a package built around, say, a 2019 second-round pick (No. 39) and a 2019 third-round pick (No. 70). Given the Bucs’ other needs, of which there are many, perhaps letting the draft come to them is the wiser approach. What’s next Now, let’s look ahead to tonight and Tampa Bay’s potential targets in the second and third rounds. The Bucs are in a good spot, as there’s a lot of talent left on the board at positions of need. Offensive linemen: Florida’s Jawaan Taylor, who was expected to be a top-10 pick, is still available. What a mysterious fall. Four tackles have gone ahead of him. Considering that the Cardinals, Giants, and Jaguars — who are in front of the Bucs — all could use a tackle, it’s doubtful Taylor lasts much longer. Then again, he wasn’t supposed to last this long. … If Taylor comes off the board, Oklahoma’s Cody Ford makes sense. Ford, who can play tackle and guard, blocked for Kyler Murray last season and allowed seven pressures. … Texas A&M’s Erik McCoy is listed as a center but can play guard. Out of more than 1,500 pass-blocking snaps during his Aggies career, he surrendered only one sack. … Keep an eye on Kansas State’s Dalton Risner, too. He allowed five pressures last season. Cornerbacks: The Bucs are perilously thin at cornerback. Vernon Hargreaves and Carlton Davis are slated to play on the outside, but what if one, or both, of them suffers an injury? Who fills in? Ryan Smith? M.J. Stewart? Last season, Tampa Bay allowed a passer rating of 110.9, the second-highest rating of all time. The soft coverage scheme was partly to blame, but so was a lack of depth. LSU’s Greedy Williams, Washington’s Byron Murphy and Temple’s Rock Ya-Sin are available. Williams, Pro Football Focus’ top-ranked cornerback, is the best fit. He excels in press coverage, which we’ll see a lot of in Todd Bowles’ defense. His ball skills (eight interceptions and 19 passes defensed over the past two seasons) would be a welcome addition to a crew that picked off only nine passes in 2018. Running backs: This isn’t a pressing need, but a pass-catching back could add a new dimension to the Bucs offense. Football Outsiders’ BackCAST projection model is high on Darrell Henderson. At Memphis last season, Henderson averaged 8.9 yards per carry and 15.5 yards per catch. He would be a value grab late in the third round. Texas A&M’s Trayveon Williams and Iowa State’s David Montgomery also have some potential in the pass game. What to watch for: Trades!

Norwegian officials say they are concerned that a harnessed beluga whale found in the Arctic Sea may have come from a Russian military facility. The white whale was wearing a harness -- since removed -- that had "Equipment St. Petersburg" written on it, Joergen Ree Wiig of the Norwegian Fisheries Directorate said on April 29. He said the harness also had a mount for a camera. Ree Wiig said fishermen in the Arctic Sea off of Norway reported that the tame beluga came to their boat seeking food. He added that Norwegian military officials had shown "great interest" in the harness. Professor Audun Rikardsen from the Arctic University of Norway said he thought the Russian Navy in the nearby city of Murmansk is involved. "This is a tame animal that is used to get food served, so that is why it has made contacts with the fishermen," he said. "The question is now whether it can survive by finding food by itself. We have seen cases where other whales that have been in Russian captivity are doing fine." Russia does not have a known history of using whales for military purposes although the U.S.S.R. had a training program for dolphins. The facility in Sevastopol, Crimea, was closed following the collapse of the Soviet Union, though it was operated by Ukraine until Russian forces took control of it after seizing Crimea in 2014. But Dmitry Glazov, deputy head of a beluga-whale program who works at the Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution at the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Interfax on April 19 that the Russian military might be working with belugas. He said that "the military has these animals" and used them during the Sochi Olympics in 2014, the Black Sea resort city where he said they were still kept. Glazov said there was an institute in St. Petersburg that works with the military studying animals for "applied purposes" that operates in the Black Sea's Cossack Bay and in Murmansk. Based on reporting by AP, the BBC, and Interfax<doc-sep>(CNN) Fishermen off Norway's northern coast were astonished last week when they spotted a beluga whale wearing a harness, complete with mounts for a camera. And according to marine experts, the mammal's backstory may be even stranger: They believe it was trained by the Russian military. Experts believe a beluga whale spotted off the coast of Norway was trained by the Russian navy. Fishermen Joar Hesten was the first to encounter the whale, off the coast of Finnmark, a county in northeastern Norway. Hesten then contacted the country's Directorate of Fisheries. The whale was friendly and playful, witnesses said. Jorgen Ree Wiig, a marine biologist at the directorate, told CNN: "The whale seemed playful but our instincts said that it was also asking for help to get out of the harness." The harness appeared "specially made," Wiig said, and bore "mounts for GoPro cameras on each side of it," while the harness clips read "Equipment St. Petersburg." Read More<doc-sep>Norwegian fisherman found a beluga whale outfitted with a mysterious, seemingly Russian-made harness swimming in Arctic waters. Fishermen saw what seemed to be a tame beluga whale swimming between their boats last week. It appeared to be rubbing itself against boats in an attempt to remove a harness that was neatly strapped to its body, one of the fishermen told public broadcaster NRK. Eventually, one of the fishermen jumped into the frigid waters to remove the harness from the four-meter (13-foot) mammal. The Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries later said the harness had the words "Equipment St. Petersburg" written on it and that it had a mounting point for a camera. A spokesperson said the Norwegian military was interested in the incident. Read more: 'Dolphin spy' allegedly captured by Hamas Audun Rikardsen, a professor at the Department of Arctic and Marine Biology at the Arctic University of Norway, told the Associated Press that it is most likely that the Russian Navy in Murmansk is involved. Russia has several military bases near Murmansk on the Kola Peninsula, in the far northwest of Russia. He earlier told NRK that no Norwegian scientists would have been involved in outfitting whales with harnesses. He also pointed out that several whales had recently been released from captivity in Russia. A colleague of his told the broadcaster that the method involved suggested it was not Russian scientists who attached the harness, but more likely the Russian navy. Read more: World's largest underwater restaurant opens in Norway Scientists expressed concern that the white cetacean appeared to be tame, and could have difficulty adapting to life in the wild without being fed. Russia does not have a recorded history of militarizing whales, but the Soviet Union did have a military program that used dolphins. In 2016, a public tender document showed the military was attempting to purchase five dolphins with good teeth. aw/amp (AP, dpa) For the love of sharks Sharks, sharks everywhere Blame it on Jaws or blame it on the fact that sharks do have rather a lot of sharp teeth, fact is, many humans have a fear of sharks as deep as the waters in which they swim. Any expert will tell you, we kill by far more of these great fish a year than they do us. So should we really be scared? For the love of sharks The reef shark There are five species of reef shark, of which this is one. Feasting on crustaceans and fish alike, they are the top predator in the fragile ecosystem from which they take their name. They are no strangers to divers either, and have been known to attack when they feel threatened. For the love of sharks All shapes and sizes There are more than 250 recorded species of shark in the waters around our planet. They range in size and ferocity. The sand tiger shark weighs up to 159 kilos and can reach a length of 3.2 meters. They are big eaters, have a mouth full of frightening looking teeth, but are generally regarded as being docile and unlikely to attack humans unless provoked to do so. For the love of sharks Mass slaughter Though it is impossible to know exactly how many sharks are killed annually for their fins, some estimates put the number around 100 million. Finning, as the practice is known, entails the removal of the fin while the shark is alive. The animals are then cast back into the sea where if not dead already, they succumb to a painful end. The fins are used to make soup, which costs up to $100 a bowl. For the love of sharks Growing old gracefully Recent research revealed that Greenland sharks can live to the extraordinarily ripe old age of 400. These predators have a healthy appetite, but have never been known to go for humans. They like cold waters, through which they move slowly. And that is not the only thing they do at a leisurly pace - they don't even reach sexual maturity until they are around 150. For the love of sharks Just because it's big, doesn't mean... ...it will hurt you. At 18 meters, whale sharks are the longest species in the family, and indeed the biggest fish in the sea. At that rate, dinner should be theirs for the picking, but their penchant is for plankton. Good news for all the other creatures in the sea. But whale sharks are at risk. Not only are they fished for their fins, oil and meat, but are often hit by eco-tourism boats. For the love of sharks Lemon sharks Said to be the best researched sharks, the lemon species is considered non-agressive. To date there have been no recorded incidents of a human fatality as a result of a lemon shark attack. They are social creatures that move in groups, where they rarely display aggressive behavior to each other. Every evening, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.<doc-sep>

COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- A beluga whale found with a tight harness that appeared to be Russian made has raised the alarm of Norwegian officials and prompted speculation that the animal may have come from a Russian military facility.Joergen Ree Wiig of the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries says "Equipment St. Petersburg" is written on the harness strap, which features a mount for an action camera.He said Monday fishermen in Arctic Norway last week reported the tame white cetacean with a tight harness swimming around. On Friday, fisherman Joar Hesten, aided by the Ree Wiig, jumped into the frigid water to remove the harness.Ree Wiig said "people in Norway's military have shown great interest" in the harness.Audun Rikardsen, a professor at the Department of Arctic and Marine Biology at the Arctic University of Norway in Tromsoe, northern Norway, believes "it is most likely that Russian Navy in Murmansk" is involved. Russia has major military facilities in and around Murmansk on the Kola Peninsula, in the far northwest of Russia.It wasn't immediately clear what the mammal was being trained for, or whether it was supposed to be part of any Russian military activity in the region.Rikardsen said he had checked with scholars in Russia and Norway and said they have not reported any program or experiments using beluga whales. "This is a tame animal that is used to get food served so that is why it has made contacts with the fishermen," he said. "The question is now whether it can survive by finding food by itself. We have seen cases where other whales that have been in Russian captivity doing fine. "Hesten told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that the whale began to rub itself against his boat when he first spotted it.Russia does not have a history of using whales for military purposes but the Soviet Union had a full-fledged training program for dolphins.The Soviet Union used a base in Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula during the Cold War to train the mammals for military purposes such as searching for mines or other objects and planting explosives. The facility in Crimea was closed following the collapse of the Soviet Union, though unnamed reports shortly after the Russian annexation of Crimea indicated that it had reopened.The Russian Defense Ministry published a public tender in 2016 to purchase five dolphins for a training program. The tender did not explain what tasks the dolphins were supposed to perform, but indicated they were supposed to have good teeth. It was taken offline shortly after publication.

Josh Miller Editor's note: Are you looking for the latest on Microsoft's E3 2019 press conference? Of course you are. And if you need info on all out E3 2019 coverage, it's all here too. With all the talk about cloud gaming this year, a technology that allows you to play high end games over the internet to any device no matter how powerful, fans have begun to wonder: Will Microsoft and Sony stop making Xbox and PlayStation consoles? Well, Microsoft is planning at least one more generation of Xbox consoles. "Our hardware team... is deep into architecting the next Xbox consoles," said Phil Spencer, Microsoft's press conference at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. He promised that the team will continue to "deliver on our commitment to delivering the benchmark on console gaming." Now playing: Watch this: Fallout 76 first look shown at Microsoft's E3 2018 conference That's no small promise to make. Building video game consoles is expensive, and takes years of research and development. They're also a big bet -- design the device with chips and software that's hard to manage, and game makers may be less inclined to build their next title for your device. By comparison, game streaming works the same way no matter what device you have. That's part of the appeal for game makers like Electronic Arts, which showed off a new cloud gaming service that allows you to play games in a similar way you watch Netflix. EA's likely to release its service in the next couple years. The CEOs of other major game companies have started to indicate they're preparing for a streaming future too. Yves Guillemot, head of French game maker Ubisoft, recently told Variety that he sees the era of the dedicated video game console coming to an end rather soon. Now playing: Watch this: E3 2018: Cuphead expansion adds new story, character... "There will be one more console generation and then after that, we will be streaming, all of us," he said. So far, though, it appears we're going to be living in the world of consoles for at least a little bit longer. E3 2018: What to expect: All the rumors and early news from the year's biggest gaming show E3 2018 coverage at CNET: All of our E3 2018 coverage in one place E3 2018 coverage at GameSpot: Wall-to-wall coverage of the show from our sister site, GameSpot<doc-sep>E3 2018 is officially underway, setting the stage for some of the biggest game announcements of the year. Over the coming days, major publishers and platform holders are scheduled to hold press conferences – kicking off with Microsoft. Microsoft's E3 briefing will provide details on the future of its gaming efforts, across Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs. Games, hardware, and other Xbox-related products are expected too – along with a few surprises. The Xbox E3 briefing starts at 4 PM EDT / 1 PM PDT / 9 PM BST and is currently expected to last around two hours. The conference will be hosted at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, with a variety of ways to watch from home too. The prime streaming location is Xbox's Mixer channel, which offers 4K video and digital rewards when signed in. The stream will also be hosted on YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook. For those unable to watch, timely written coverage can also be found at Windows Central. Xbox head, Phil Spencer, has announced 15 new games will debut at the press conference. While few leaks on the conference have surfaced, many expect Forza Horizon 4, Crackdown 3, and a new Gears of War title – alongside other potential first-party experiences. Cyberpunk 2077, Anthem, and Battlefield V may also take to the stage, among more third-party franchises. Check out our complete breakdown of predictions for more games, hardware, and platform features. What are you looking forward to from Microsoft? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.<doc-sep>Microsoft launched the Xbox One X, the much-ballyhooed “world’s most powerful console,” last November, and the company has had an interesting time since then. By all accounts, the Xbox One X delivered on Microsoft’s promises. It has the horsepower to outdo the PlayStation 4 Pro, and multiple Polygon staffers now prefer to play multiplatform games on Microsoft’s console for the visual and performance benefits that it offers. As far as Xbox-exclusive games, though, Microsoft has a lot of work to do. We’ve seen some positive movement over the past half year or so, with games like Rare’s Sea of Thieves and PUBG Corp.’s PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. But the company has struggled to put together a string of hits, and its successes have been marred by some high-profile setbacks. If the rumors are true, Microsoft is well aware of all this, and is renewing its dedication to first-party titles with some big reveals planned for E3 2018. Let’s take a look at what we can expect from the company behind the Xbox One — and Windows 10 — this year. Xbox One and Windows 10 exclusives all the way Even aside from the now-infamous Walmart Canada leak of unannounced games, it’s not too hard to predict some of what Microsoft will bring to its E3 2018 press briefing. Crackdown 3: Believe it or not, Microsoft announced Crackdown 3 way back at E3 2014. After multiple delays, the most recent update indicated that it was set to launch this spring. And now it has apparently been delayed again, this time to 2019. Yikes. It sounds like it’ll still show up at E3, though. Forza Horizon 4: Microsoft has kept its marquee racing franchise on an every-other-year schedule since the original Forza Horizon in 2012, and since Turn 10 Studios delivered Forza Motorsport 7 last year, Playground Games’ number is up again in 2018. The Forza Horizon games have gone from Colorado to southern Europe to Australia — where to next? Gears of War 5 (and more? ): The Coalition took the reins of the Gears of War series after creator Epic Games sold the rights to Microsoft in 2014, and successfully revived the franchise two years later with Gears of War 4. But alongside the expected Gears of War 5, we’ve heard rumors that Microsoft could announce as many as three Gears titles. Halo 6: It’s been a minute since the last proper Halo game, 2015’s Halo 5: Guardians. Microsoft did release the real-time strategy spinoff Halo Wars 2 last year, but it’s high time the company lifted the lid on the conclusion to what was originally announced as a second Halo trilogy. At this point, assuming 343 Industries does announce Halo 6 at E3, it’s hard to imagine the game would actually be released before 2019. Which leaves plenty of time for an I Love Bees-style ARG. Indies: Of course, “Xbox exclusives” also includes what platform holders call “console exclusives” these days. It seems like Capy Games might finally release Below this year, more than five years after Microsoft announced it at E3 2013 and coming up on two years after the studio said it was pushing back the game indefinitely. We may see an update on The Last Night, the gorgeous action game from a controversial developer, which made its debut at Microsoft’s E3 2017 press conference. And there are plenty of other anticipated Xbox/PC indie games on the way, such as Stunlock Studios’ Battlerite, Glumberland’s Ooblets and Moon Studios’ Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Third-party games: Microsoft and Sony each make co-marketing arrangements for multiplatform titles. These are the deals behind the presence of, say, an Xbox logo at the end of a Battlefield 5 trailer. Speaking of which, we wouldn’t be surprised to see Electronic Arts’ World War II shooter make an appearance at Microsoft’s E3 showcase, along with Square Enix’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider, even though both of those publishers are hosting their own E3 press briefings. Xbox features and services A particular focus for Microsoft, and an area in which the company can claim multiple major successes, is the Xbox platform — and specifically, the unique features and services it offers. The Xbox backward compatibility initiative is unmatched in the current console generation, now supporting nearly 500 games across the Xbox 360 and original Xbox. Xbox Game Pass, the $9.99/month subscription service that offers access to a library of more than 100 games (including all upcoming Microsoft-published titles at launch) has now been around for more than a year. Could the company introduce a PlayStation Now-esque streaming service as well, or perhaps a streaming option for Xbox Game Pass? We’ll find out what Microsoft has to offer on Sunday, June 10, at 1 p.m. PT.<doc-sep>There's no sugarcoating it: Microsoft faces an uphill battle at E3 2018. (Image credit: Tom's Guide) The Xbox One is reportedly being outsold by Sony's PlayStation 4 two-to-one, and can't come close to the red-hot excitement that the Nintendo Switch has generated with its strong first-party games and unique portability. And with Crackdown 3, one of Xbox's few notable exclusives, officially delayed to 2019, things are looking grimmer than ever as the console inches closer to its fifth year on store shelves. Sure, Microsoft has the most powerful console out there in the Xbox One X, but it doesn't have enough big-name games to back it up. Fortunately, E3 2018 is a chance for redemption. Here are five ways Microsoft can turn the conversation around on gaming's biggest stage. Bring Back Beloved Franchises (Image credit: Crimson Skies. Credit: Microsoft) The most important thing Microsoft needs to do is remind folks why they fell in love with Xbox in the first place. Microsoft-owned franchises such as Fable, Perfect Dark, Crimson Skies and Viva Pinata are among gaming's most beloved, and the company would be wise to bring them back in a meaningful way. Give us a new Fable RPG that can hold its own with The Witcher, and a revitalized Crimson Skies that recaptures the dogfighting thrills of the 2003 original. Properly rebooted versions of these games could absolutely crush in 2018. Introduce New IP from Trusted Studios Microsoft deserves credit for launching a fair amount of new franchises this generation -- the problem is, many of them haven't landed. Quantum Break is a novel but flawed fusion of game and TV show; Sea of Thieves is a fun but barren multiplayer adventure, and ReCore was a potentially great platformer absolutely ruined by bugs. One of Microsoft's most promising announcements of 2014 was the Japanese-developed Scalebound, a project that unfortunately got canned three years later. If Microsoft is going to announce new IP this year, it needs to give us confidence that they'll be great. Let established, in-house studios such as 343 Industries (Halo) and Playground Games (Forza Horizon) work on something truly new, and give us some concrete gameplay so we know it's not just a pipe dream. Deliver Sequels Worth Caring About (Image credit: Microsoft ) Halo, Gears of War and Forza are all likely to see new installments at E3, and Microsoft delivering more of the same with these series simply isn't going to cut it. After Halo 5's lacking campaign, Halo 6 needs a story that wows. Gears of War 4 was great but overly familiar, and the aging cover-shooter series deserves a significant overhaul. Forza Horizon 4 will likely be another gorgeous open-world racer, but it should be more than that (why not add some boats and planes to the mix?) And for the love of Phil Spencer, give us a new Sunset Overdrive already. MORE: E3 2018 Preview: All the Biggest Games for Switch, PS4 and Xbox Double Down on Cool Hardware and Features Microsoft's platform and hardware announcements are always a big part of E3. Perhaps the biggest pop of E3 2015 came from the reveal that Xbox 360 games would work on Xbox One, and the company's high-end Xbox Elite Controller got a similarly rowdy reaction that same year. (Image credit: Xbox One Elite Wireless Controller. Credit: Tom's Guide) So what new hardware and services could Xbox delight with this year? An Elite Controller 2 would certainly be a good start, and it would be pretty exciting to see Xbox's rumored Alexa integration announced on a big stage. And if Microsoft really wants to make people happy, it could combine Xbox Game Pass with Xbox Live Gold, resulting in a single service that gives you everything you need to make the most out of your Xbox One. Join the Battle Royale Craze (Image credit: Microsoft) This last one might sound crazy, but hear me out. Microsoft has some of the most beloved shooter franchises out there in Halo, Gears of War and Perfect Dark, so why not mash them all together for an all-star battle royale game in the vein of Fortnite and PUBG? We've yet to see a high-quality, console-exclusive battle royale game from a first-party developer, and no publisher would be better suited for it than the one that helped put console shooters on the map in the first place.<doc-sep>

Another year, another Electronic Entertainment Expo. While last year brought us the likes of Mario, Spidey and the 4K HDR-capable Xbox One X, E3 2018 is set to bring us the likes of cowboys in Red Dead Redemption 2, aliens in Anthem and two long-awaited fighting game sequels, Dead or Alive 6 and Super Smash Bros. on Switch. Like last year, the show floor officially opens up Tuesday afternoon and will remain open until Thursday, but the action really starts on Saturday with EA’s official keynote during EA Play. There you can expect to see the usual suspect of sports games and forays into foreign battlegrounds (roles fulfilled by Madden 19, FIFA 19 and Battlefield V, respectively) along with one or two unexpected surprises. After EA, we’ve got Microsoft and Bethesda on Sunday, followed by Ubisoft, Sony and the PC Gaming Show on Monday. Last but not least is Nintendo Tuesday morning. So what, exactly, are we going to see at all these shows? Here are our top five predictions. #1: Sadly, you shouldn’t be expecting new hardware at this year’s show. There might be rumors floating around about the Xbox Two and PS5, but you can bet your last lootbox that you won’t see them at this year’s show. #2: But it’s going to be a great year for games - especially from Nintendo. Nintendo has already announced that it will have playable demos of Super Smash Bros at the E3 showfloor (reserve your tickets here) and it’s likely we’ll hear more about Metroid Prime 4. #3: While Sony won’t have a Norse-inspired set piece at its keynote to wow audiences at Monday’s big keynote, you’ll get to see new footage for some of Sony’s biggest upcoming titles like The Last of Us Part II, Days Gone, Death Stranding and Spider-Man. If we’re lucky, Sony might just have an unexpected announcement for the show… #4: A leaked keychain might’ve spoiled one of the biggest announcement this year, but that won’t stop Assassin’s Creed Odyssey from stealing the limelight at Ubisoft’s keynote. Alongside the new assassin, Ubi will also likely have more footage of Beyond Good and Evil 2, Transference and its Sea of Thieves killer, Skull and Bones. #5: Microsoft will show off its collection of first-party titles to counter the idea that there are no exclusives on Xbox One. Expect to see a new Gears of War, Forza Horizon entry and a new trailer for Crackdown 3 ... alongside a reason behind the delay in development. So where can you tune in to hear the latest on everything E3 2018? Right here, of course! Coverage starts tomorrow at 11 am PT / 2 pm ET / 7 pm BT. E3 is the world's largest exhibition for the games industry, stuffed full of the latest and greatest games, consoles, and gaming hardware. TechRadar is reporting live from Los Angeles all week to bring you the very latest from the show floor. Head to our dedicated E3 2018 hub to see all the new releases, along with TechRadar's world-class analysis and buying advice about the next year in gaming.

All eyes were supposed to be on the treasurer yesterday but it was impossible not to be distracted by Curtin MHR and former foreign minister Julie Bishop. For her last Federal Budget speech, Ms Bishop chose a $1299 hand-sequinned electric blue midi dress by Australian designer Rachel Gilbert. Adding to the pizzazz, were sparkling earrings, bright pink nails and blue heels fit for the catwalk. Rachel Gilbert’s website describes the Orla dress as “perfect for a special occasion”. MPs and onlookers in the public gallery watched as she upstaged Treasurer Josh Frydenberg's delivery of his first budget. The animated backbencher was photographed jumping with her hands in the air as Mr Frydenberg took to the dispatch box to announce the nation's finances were finally back in black. 'Celebrating a budget surplus!' Ms Bishop later posted on Twitter. Many mocked her reaction on social media. “On her way to a nightclub?,” one said. And then, “She’s just a show pony and exhibitionist. Can’t help herself.” And, “I’m sure the people on Newstart are celebrating.” But others endorsed the retiring MP’s love of glam. “You gotta love Jules for style,” another said. And “where did @JulieBishopMP get THAT dress from I NEED IT.”<doc-sep>What does Josh Frydenberg's 2019 federal Budget mean for you? What does Josh Frydenberg's 2019 federal Budget mean for you?... Treasurer Josh Frydenberg handed down his first Budget last night, which includes tax cuts for millions of Australians and a surplus for the first time in 12 years. And while all eyes were meant to be on the treasurer it was hard not to be distracted by former Foreign Minister Julie Bishop attending her last Budget speech. The retiring MP choose a very eye-catching blue sparkly dress and it got plenty of reaction. Only Julie Bishop can get away with rocking up to budget night wearing a $1299 Rachel Gilbert dress https://t.co/F6bnC8UQvH — Benita Kolovos (@benitakolovos) April 2, 2019 I love Julie Bishop’s style going out with glitz and glamor this #budget2019 — Roanna Dawson (@RoDawson) April 2, 2019 But now back to the serious stuff. The 2019 Budget is a pre-election sweetener designed to sell the Coalition Government’s economic management credentials while delivering hip-pocket relief for voters. “Tonight, I announce that the Budget is back in the black and Australia is back on track,” Mr Frydenberg said to a roar of cheers from the government benches. The Budget projections are for a $7.1 billion surplus in 2019-20, which he said was a $55 billion turnaround on when the government came to power. “Australia is stronger than when we came to government six years ago,” Mr Frydenberg said. “Growth is higher. Unemployment is lower. There are fewer people on welfare. There are a record number of Australians with a job.” While the government is earning more than it spends for the first time in more than a decade, Mr Frydenberg has also outlined a long-term planned reduction in net debt. However, the treasurer said the country faces significant fiscal challenges, including the slowing global economy. “Communities are feeling the impact of flood, fire and drought. Families face cost of living pressures and everyone one of us wants to see wages growing faster.” The solutions to those challenges “are not higher taxes”, Mr Frydenberg said, but growing the economy, lowering taxes and investment in infrastructure. RELATED: What the 2019 federal Budget means for you TAX CUTS Mr Frydenberg announced $158 billion of tax relief “for hardworking Australians”, which he said were “the largest personal income tax cuts since the Howard Government”. The low- and middle-income tax offset, introduced last year, will double. “Taxpayers earning up to $126,000 a year, including teachers, tradies and nurses, will receive a tax cut,” he said. “For a single-income family, this means $1,080 in your pocket per year. And for families on a dual income, this is up to $2,160 per year in your pocket.” EASING THE SQUEEZE The Budget also includes a plan to boost infrastructure spending to $100 billion over the coming decade. “We will deliver new infrastructure projects to ease congestion in our cities, to unlock the potential of our regions, to better manage population growth, and to improve safety on our roads,” Mr Frydenberg said. DROUGHT RECOVERY The Budget includes a significant boost for drought recovery initiatives, as regional communities across the country continue to struggle. “These communities have shown strength and resilience, as all Australians have stood with them,” Mr Frydenberg said. “The Morrison Government is providing $6.3 billion in drought support and $3.3 billion for those affected by flood. (We are) Expanding the National Water Infrastructure Development Fund, establishing the Future Drought Fund, extending the Farm Household Allowance and supporting graziers through a new North Queensland Livestock Recovery Agency. “Tonight, I can announce that we will establish a new $3.9 million-dollar Emergency Response Fund that will ensure additional resourcing is available to support future natural disaster recovery efforts.” All you need to know about #Budget2019 in just over 60 seconds #BuildingOurEconomy pic.twitter.com/Sk9WcvNl4B — Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) April 2, 2019 SKILLS PACKAGE AND EDUCATION Mr Frydenberg announced a $525 million skills package, which he said would create 80,000 new apprenticeships as well as double incentive payments to employers in industries experiencing skills shortages. “The government will also work closely with industry to train Australians in areas of future high demand, including communications technology, advanced manufacturing and health services,” he said. “We announce tonight 10 new training hubs connecting schools, local industries and young people in regional areas with high youth unemployment.” Among education spending was an announcement of $453 million to extend preschool education. HEALTH Mr Frydenberg said the Budget included substantial funding for upgrades to regional hospitals, the first being in Townsville. “We are establishing Australia’s first children’s cancer centre in Sydney, helping to build a new brain and spinal ward in South Australia,” he said. “And in this Budget, we also list more medicines on the (Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme) to treat kidney, bladder, liver and skin scanner.” One drug to be added to the PBS will be Besponza, a treatment for acute leukaemia that currently costs $120,000 per course. Once listed, Mr Frydenberg said “patients will now have access to the medicine at a cost of only $6.50 per script for concession card holders and $40 for general patients”. Youth mental health will also receive a $461 million investment, including 30 new Headspace centres, indigenous youth mentoring and a focus on cutting waiting lists. Aged care will also receive a significant investment of $725 million to deliver 10,000 new Home Care packages. BORDER SECURITY The Budget includes a significant boost for national security and counter-terrorism, with agencies like the Australian Federal Police and ASIO receiving $570 million. “In this Budget, we’re also allocating an additional $680 million to support our service men and women deployed abroad,” Mr Frydenberg said. “Our government also recognises the importance of supporting our veterans. They have served our nation, defending our values and our interests. And so, in this Budget, we are adding $278 million invested in our last two Budgets to improve the wellbeing of the veterans and their families.” ‘TODAY IS THE DAY’ Speaking to the Coalition party room on Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Scott Morrison declared the return to surplus as momentous. “Today is the day we’ve been working towards since first being elected in 2013,” Mr Morrison said. “Today we’re bringing the Budget back in black. This is a demonstration of what the Australian people expect us to do, to get the job done compared with Labor’s talk.” Labor’s Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen has accused the government of “copying” the Opposition’s tax policy. “I can assure the member that the Liberal and Nationals parties will never be borrowing any economic policy from the Labor Party,” Mr Morrison said in response. “The last time the Labor Party had a surplus was 1989, Mr Speaker. I had long curly hair back then, Mr Speaker. That’s how long that was ago,” he says. ‘PATHETIC’ ATTACK SLAMMED It might have been Budget day yesterday but there have been plenty of other antics elsewhere in Canberra. Greens Senator Larissa Waters copped criticism, abuse and praise for an unsavoury image she posted on social media attacking one of her colleagues. The Queensland politician uploaded a photograph to Instagram showing her give the finger to Fraser Anning, which one commentator described as “pathetic”. “That moment when Fraser Anning talks to media outside your parliamentary window and you can’t help yourself,” the Queensland politician captioned the picture. Senator Anning has been under fire for weeks since he blamed the deadly Christchurch mosque massacre, which killed 50 people, on Muslim immigration. On Twitter, Senator Waters received a lot of praise for the move, with some describing her as their hero. Although plenty were also critical of the move, which some argue shows a lack of respect for the institution of politics. Broadcaster Tom Elliott from Melbourne station 3AW slammed Senator Waters, describing the picture as “pathetic and puerile”. “It’s taking Australian politics down to the level of schoolyard insults,” Elliott said. “Giving the finger? It’s pathetic. She’ll probably become a hero on Twitter for doing this but I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.” And predictably, trolls unleashed in the comments section of her Instagram account, hurling abuse at Senator Waters. ANNING SLAMMED IN SENATE Senator Anning copped a hiding from his colleagues, with one describing him as lacking “basic humanity”. He faces a censure motion tomorrow, which is expected to pass with bipartisan support. But acting government Senate Leader Simon Birmingham delivered an early brutal take-down, describing his remarks as “appalling”. “The way you have conducted yourself in the time since betrays the rights you have to freedom of speech,” Senator Birmingham said. “The lack of compassion you have shown demonstrates, frankly, a basic lack of basic humanity.” He also backed Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s belief that Senator Anning should face the full face of the law for physically lashing out at a teenage boy who cracked an egg on his head. “You have failed the test of character I would expect of anybody who is elected to this place,” Senator Birmingham said. “We also trust that the people of Queensland will deal with you as you deserve to be dealt with at the next election.” INSTAGRAM PIC PANNED Ahead of Tuesday’s Budget, the PM shared a moody black-and-white portrait of himself on social media that was widely panned. Just a day after he joined the youth-favoured social media app Snapchat, the PM took to Instagram with a highly stylised image of himself to promote the promised Budget surplus. But the majority of comments were far from positive, with users urging him to “delete this” and “fire your comms people”. “I can’t wait until AC/DC sue you,” one said. Today show newsreader Tom Steinfort compared the picture to an album cover. What do we think of @ScottMorrisonMP’s new album cover? pic.twitter.com/fEziN3wLXx — Tom Steinfort (@tomsteinfort) April 1, 2019 We now have to endure B&W photos the AUS PM Scott Morrison sitting on the toilet? Srsly?! #Budget2019 #auspol pic.twitter.com/qIvWTNfSRC — Peter Murphy (@PeterWMurphy1) April 2, 2019 A few pointed out that the crop and contrast make the photograph appear it was taken in “a toilet cubicle”. Another cheeky commenter pointed out that Mr Morrison and his Treasurer Josh Frydenberg have only been in their roles a short while. “Excellent work by (Malcolm Turnbull) to get our country into this position,” the user wrote. And the Liberal Party has made its own video that resembles a promo for a television series, featuring a slow motion Mr Morrison and big, bold graphics. Back in the black - tonight the Morrison Government is delivering the first Budget surplus in more than a decade. Sign up for more information: https://t.co/xENqUQYGtO pic.twitter.com/Xr10eIETmA — Liberal Party (@LiberalAus) April 2, 2019 A CAMPAIGN LAUNCH Last night was always about much more than the Budget for the next year. It marks the unofficial start of the election campaign, with Mr Morrison unveiling the sales pitch he will deliver to Australia over the coming month. And it will clearly focus on paying down debt and delivering tax cuts to millions. The Liberal Party released social media images less than two hours after the Budget address driving home the surplus messaging. The last Labor surplus was in 1989! Today the Morrison Government is delivering the first Budget surplus in more than a decade. pic.twitter.com/63NDehAuXE — Liberal Party (@LiberalAus) April 2, 2019 Mr Morrison is expected to call the election within the next week, with the favourite picks for a possible date currently being May 11 or May 18. We’ll find out soon enough. RATES ON HOLD In other fiscal news yesterday, the Reserve Bank of Australia kept the country’s official cash rate unchanged at 1.5 per cent. The interest rate has sat on hold for a record-breaking 32 months now. It hasn’t increased since November 2010.<doc-sep>

Check out who wins and who loses in Josh Frydenberg's 2019 federal budget. Check out who wins and who loses in Josh Frydenberg's 2019 federal budget.... Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has handed down his first Budget including tax cuts for millions of Australians and a surplus for the first time in 12 years. And while all eyes were meant to be on the treasurer it was hard not to be distracted by former Foreign Minister Julie Bishop attending her last Budget speech. The retiring MP choose a very eye-catching, blue sparkly dress that was more disco than deficit and it didn’t go unnoticed. The $2541 Orla dress by Rachel Gilbert is described on the designer’s website as “perfect for a special occasion”. And if the Budget doesn’t qualify as that then we’ll pack up our red shoes and go home. Celebrating a budget surplus!💙 https://t.co/JShkRwwriR — Julie Bishop (@JulieBishopMP) April 2, 2019 Julie Bishop is wearing a full on sequinned blue jacket to the budget announcement and I am just really hoping she’s gonna do a jazzy little number at the end while Morrison loudly quips “now THATS a woman”. — Alexandra Macdaddy (@r_o_t_macdaddy) April 2, 2019 Is Julie Bishop going to the parliamentary disco after this? #Budget19 — PrincessPooket (@JBPooket) April 2, 2019 Speak up Josh! Julie Bishop’s sparkling blue top is louder than you! #budget2019 — Just_wolf (@Mister_Lupus) April 2, 2019 I love Julie Bishop’s style going out with glitz and glamor this #budget2019 — Roanna Dawson (@RoDawson) April 2, 2019 Ms Bishop wasn’t the only one who opted to bring some bling to last night’s Budget speech, with Mr Frydenberg’s young daughter also opting for sparkles. All power to Josh Frydenberg's daughter's budget night style. pic by @cochl. pic.twitter.com/sCALD4E0Kw — Stephanie Peatling (@srpeatling) April 2, 2019 The Budget was brimming with sizeable tax cuts for millions of Australians. Mr Frydenberg said 10 million Aussies would benefit from the changes — the only question is whether the government will still be around to implement them after next month’s election. The government has promised to more than double a tax offset for Australians earning up to $126,000, with a single-income family expected to keep an extra $1000 from tax time this year. Most of the tax relief in this Budget flows to middle income earners, who will receive a tax cut of $550. Higher income earners have no tax cuts in this Budget. This is how much money is headed back to your pocket. The Treasurer appears to realise housing affordability is still a major problem for Australians, but you wouldn’t know it from his first Budget. In his Budget speech, the Treasurer said: “Affordable housing is a priority for the government.” But none of the hundreds of pages in his first Budget, promising a strong economy and “benefits” for Australians, reflected that. Deep in the Budget papers, a few promises of funding for affordable housing refer to community and social housing, but there is nothing to help first home buyers save for a deposit or break into the property market.

OKLAHOMA CITY — From the start of this playoff series, Damian Lillard said he didn’t want it to come to this. He didn’t want it to be Russ vs. Dame. It wasn’t about him, and although he figured his matchup against Russell Westbrook was crucial in deciding the winner of the series, Lillard never viewed it as a proving ground for his place among the NBA elite. To him, it’s always been about the team, the Trail Blazers, and their quest to advance. But there he was Friday at the end of Game 3, playing right into the storyline everyone wanted: Dame vs. Russ. Heading to the bench with 50.8 seconds left and the Thunder leading his Blazers 118-106, Lillard had heard enough of Russell Westbrook’s barking. From the sideline, Lillard shot back. On the court, standing in the key, Westbrook yelled again. “I just told him, ‘Don’t get loud when the game is out of reach,’” Lillard said.<doc-sep>Russell Westbrook knows Damian Lillard isn’t scared of him. Because, first of all, Westbrook is flesh and blood: People I'm only scared of historic statues. Abraham Lincoln , MLK, etc . Had a bad experience at the wax museum lmao — Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) November 28, 2012 Second, Lillard said so. In January, after an intense (and foreshadowy!) game between the Portland Trail Blazers and Oklahoma City Thunder, Lillard told the media he wasn’t intimidated. “Ain’t no fear. I’m going to come at you the same way you come at me.” At the time, we didn’t know what that meant. Now we do. Through four games, Lillard vs. Westbrook (and by extension, Portland vs. Oklahoma City) is the best first-round matchup in the playoffs. On Sunday, the Blazers pushed past the Thunder again, 111-98, to take a 3-1 lead in the series. Westbrook’s going 5-for-21 from the field without even hesitating on a single shot is, in my opinion, prestige television. But in case you missed any Lillard vs. Westbrook on Sunday in lieu of something more Northern and wintery—again, show me something colder than 5-for-21—here are the highlights from the NBA postseason’s go-to beef: The Tango Dame and Russ get tangled, playoff intensity is REAL pic.twitter.com/rElOXvG8kK — NBC Sports Northwest (@NBCSNorthwest) April 17, 2019 When: Second quarter of Game 2 What: Westbrook is unable to penetrate and retreats to corner, where Lillard’s tight defense forces him to slip. Then, using tactics most likely picked up from the world-renowned “I’M NOT TOUCHING YOU” game, Lillard pokes and pesters Westbrook until he falls down. Who came out on top: Lillard The Hustler and the Hustled When: Third quarter of Game 2 Why: Westbrook had one of those days when everything went wrong—forgot to set the alarm, coffee spilled, locked out, forgot Sarah’s birthday, accidentally hit “reply all”—compacted into a quick 10 seconds. First, Lillard nearly snags the steal (this was technically logged as a block). Then, Westbrook retreats to the arc only to brick a 3, prompting Lillard to flex, clap, and nail a shot on the other end from 31 feet out. Who came out on top: Lillard The Proxy Dame hit Russ with that pic.twitter.com/gDuj4nxMQR — Shoot The Jay (@SportsManCave) April 17, 2019 When: Third quarter of Game 2 What: Note how the man guarding Lillard is 2 inches shorter and 20 degrees dad-bodi-er. It’s not Westbrook at all! It’s his backup’s backup, Raymond Felton. Yet when Lillard drains the 3 in Felton’s face, he mean mugs in the Thunder’s direction. A humiliation proxy! Who came out on top: Lillard The Chasedown WHAT A BLOCK BY RUSS! pic.twitter.com/MSePJU2bV5 — Oklahoma City Digest © (@ThunderDigest) April 20, 2019 When: Third quarter of Game 3 What: Westbrook’s timing here is so perfect that he could be one of those DJs whose entire schtick is dropping the beat. (Except if he really was good at it, he’d have to travel and go on press tours, and, I mean, you know how he is with … questions.) Westbrook catches Lillard at the absolute lowest his arm would’ve gone before going up with the shot. The closer the ball is to the ground, the more degrading the block. Who came out on top: Westbrook The Subtitles We need mics on Russ and Dame for this battle pic.twitter.com/oDIsKSttvv — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 20, 2019 When: Fourth quarter of Game 3 What: Lillard starts off this possession jogging backward and talking shit, which is pretty high-risk and low-reward considering how easy it would be to trip while saying the words “YOU AIN’T [redacted].” Westbrook drives right into Lillard and almost turns the ball over mid-pass. Again, high-risk, low-reward. But the ball works its way back to Westbrook on the perimeter, and he sinks it. Words ensue! Who came out on top: Westbrook The Infant Russ rocked the baby on Dame after scoring on him pic.twitter.com/4YJJeFExMX — ESPN (@espn) April 20, 2019 When: Third quarter of Game 3 What: After scoring over Lillard and drawing the foul, Westbrook jumps away, points, and begins rocking the baby. The maneuver will later inspire teammate Dennis Schröder to do the same; in a moment of innovation, Schröder uses an actual towel wrapped up to look like a baby (I hope) (please don’t let there actually be a baby in there) (except that’d be a great story to tell when you were older). Dennis Schroder took the rock the baby celebration too far pic.twitter.com/aANoqbrhhU — NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 20, 2019 Westbrook has rocked the baby against Portland in the past. Once, Evan Turner tried to do it back at Russ, and Westbrook told him to “rock [it] right back to Portland.” Who came out on top: Westbrook and the baby Schröder borrowed The Stare Down Russ stares down the Portland bench after pulling up in front of Dame pic.twitter.com/SryzDDguDt — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 22, 2019 When: First quarter of Game 4 What: Westbrook splashes a midrange jumper right in Lillard’s face, then looks at the Blazers bench. (I’m not entirely convinced he looked on purpose—there are only so many directions to look. Then again, maybe he wanted to see who was rocking the baby now, Evan Turner.) Who came out on top: Westbrook The Logo Dame with THREE straight 3's, including this one from near the logo (via @trailblazers)pic.twitter.com/CS9AEe9now — NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 22, 2019 When: Third quarter of Game 4 What: Lillard dances above the break for a couple of seconds before spotting Enes Kanter in position to screen, and pulls up from just outside the midcourt logo. (This is also the second of three-straight 3s for Lillard.) He stares at Westbrook, who, to be fair, was at least deterred by his huge former teammate. Who came out on top: Lillard and his dart eyes The Rent Control When: Second quarter of Game 4 Why: Westbrook drains a 3 over Lillard, turns, and appears to say, “This is my fucking house,” which, true as that may be, only means he got beat in his own house. Who came out on top: Lillard<doc-sep>

The Western Conference first round playoff matchup between the Portland Trailblazers and the Oklahoma City Thunder has brought two of the best point guards in the NBA, Damian Lillard and Russell Westbrook, head-to-head in a heated face off. Now at 2-1 with a Trailblazer advantage, basketball fans watching the series have been enjoying the two trade jabs on the court, with their offense, defense, and with their mouths. "We, the American people, deserve to have Dame and Russ mic'd up for the rest of the series," David Gardner, a writer and producer for Bleacher Report, wrote on Twitter after Game 3 in the series. In the third quarter of the game, which the Thunder won 120-108, Westbrook backed down Lillard to hit a fade away over him. Then Westbrook taunted Lillard on his way down the court by pretending to cradle a baby in his arms. In moments after that barb from Westbrook, Lillard went on to score 23 points. In the first two games of the series, Lillard outscored Westbrook, but Westbrook got the best of him in Game 3 and outscored Lillard by a point. Former NBA player and basketball analyst Jalen Rose tweeted after the game that he wishes "Dame and Russ could play one-on-one after the game." But some basketball fans who are following the series see a meta narrative arising in the battle between the two: a duel between NorCal and SoCal. Lillard, who's from Oakland and graduated from Oakland High School, and Westbrook, who's from Long Beach and played college ball at UCLA, both represent where they're from, although they play for franchises outside of California. "It's Oakland vs. LA...there's a respect that need not be acknowledged. They know the real," wrote Ryan Cole, another producer from Bleacher Report, about the duel between the field generals. He wasn't the only person to recognize the potential for interstate rivalry. "Russ and Dame beef is lit...Russ (Los Angeles) Dame (Oakland). Need I say more?" wrote Twitter user @CheefhaKhalifa. Some of the people watching the series have attributed Lillard's superior play in the series to his Oakland origins. "Really hope Logo Lillard keeps balling, and keeps busting Westbrook.... He deserves the shine. That Oakland grind is showing!" Twitter user @LarryEMcDaniel wrote. Either way, Lillard said that the trash talk between him and Westbrook doesn't bother him, when speaking at a press conference after Game 3. The two Californians face off again in Game 4 of the best-of-7 series on Sunday. Check out how basketball fans have been talking about the NorCal vs. SoCal rivalry between Lillard and Westbrook in the gallery above.

This Saturday, August 11, voters in Hawaii will choose the Democratic nominees — and the likely eventual winners — in highly contested primary elections for governor and Congress. Hawaii is a solidly blue state and went to Hillary Clinton by more than 30 points in 2016. The victors of Saturday’s Democratic primaries are thus heavily favored to win in November’s general election. That makes the primaries the most competitive elections of the year, and with Hawaii’s long history of volatile and difficult-to-poll primaries, there could be some major surprises. The controversial Democratic Congress member for the Second District, Tulsi Gabbard, faces a number of challengers but enters the primary as a heavy favorite. There is also an open seat in the Hawaii First, with a competitive Democratic primary. US Sen. Mazie Hirono has no Democratic competition, but Republicans will have to choose a sacrificial lamb from a large field that includes a Lyndon LaRouche follower and a guy who lives in California. Polls close at 6 pm Hawaii time (9 pm Pacific, midnight Eastern). Vox will have live election results below, powered by Decision Desk. The heated Democratic primary for governor, briefly explained Incumbent Gov. David Ige, who unseated his predecessor Neil Abercrombie in the Democratic primary four years ago, faces stiff competition from Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, a veteran Hawaii politico who served 12 years in the state Senate (two as Senate president) and is now in her second stint representing the First Congressional District. Ige’s popularity has plummeted due to his handling of a false alarm sent to Hawaii residents in January telling them a ballistic missile was incoming (he said he would’ve alerted the public that it was a false alarm earlier but he forgot his Twitter password). The race has centered less on policy disputes than on the question of Ige’s and Hanabusa’s relative levels of competence. Hanabusa has had a series of tough losses in the 2010s. First, in 2010, when Abercrombie resigned from the First District seat in Congress to run for governor, Hanabusa ran in a special election to replace him. But Ed Case, a center-right Democrat who represented the Second District (covering some suburban parts of Oahu as well as every other Hawaiian island) from 2002 to 2007, ran too, positioning himself as a moderate Democrat to Hanabusa’s progressive. Case and Hanabusa split the vote, letting Charles Djou, a Republican, win. Hanabusa went on to beat Djou for the seat in the 2010 general election. In late 2012, shortly before long-time Sen. Daniel Inouye died, he requested that Abercrombie name Hanabusa as his successor. Abercrombie refused and gave the position to Brian Schatz, his lieutenant governor. Hanabusa, with the support of the Inouye family, challenged Schatz for the job in 2014, losing by a razor-thin margin. She gave up her House seat for that race but won it back in a 2016 special election when her successor, Mark Takai, died of pancreatic cancer. Now she’s abandoning her seat yet again to challenge Ige. The state’s Democratic power structure has split on the race, with Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, former Sen. Daniel Akaka, former Govs. Benjamin Cayetano and George Ariyoshi, and even Ige’s own former Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui (who resigned in frustration with Ige) backing Hanabusa. But some powerful unions like UNITE HERE (which represents many hotel workers in a state whose main industry is tourism) are still supporting Ige. The final poll before the election, by the Honolulu Civil Beat, found Ige ahead by 9 points; a few weeks earlier, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser had him ahead by 4. Mere months earlier, in the wake of the nuclear false alarm, Hanabusa led by as much as 20 points, but she lost ground as the incident faded from memory. Two contested Democratic primaries for the Hawaii First and Second districts Hanabusa is giving up her seat in Congress to run against Ige, and the Democratic contest to succeed her in the Hawaii First, which covers Honolulu’s urban center and some neighboring suburbs on the island of Oahu, is beyond crowded. The frontrunner in two recent polls is … Ed Case, the moderate Democrat who split the vote with Hanabusa back in 2010. He’s a frequent candidate, losing Senate primaries in both 2006 and 2012 after attracting little establishment support, but he has strong name recognition both from his prior stint in Congress and because of his membership in the prominent Case family (his cousin Steve is the billionaire founder of AOL). Case’s challengers are: Lt. Gov. Doug Chin, who succeeded Tsutsui as lieutenant governor earlier this year and served as state attorney general from 2015 until then. A veteran prosecutor and civil servant, he’s never held elected office before, and has faced strident criticism for a virulently anti-gay speech he delivered at his church in 1995 (he has since apologized and touted his actions supporting marriage equality as attorney general). State Sen. Donna Mercado Kim, who’s served in the legislature for nearly two decades, including two years as state Senate president; before that, she was a 14-year veteran of the Honolulu City Council. State Rep. Beth Fukumoto, who until 2017 was a Republican and House minority leader. She was expelled from that position and switched parties after participating in the Women’s March and condemning President Trump for “racist and sexist” remarks. She’s done a remarkable pivot in her issue positions, even now supporting single-payer health care. State Rep. Kaniela Ing, a self-described democratic socialist endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, Our Revolution, and Justice Democrats, as well as national progressives like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Shaun King, and Bill McKibben. He’s running on a platform including Medicare-for-all but also a unique public housing-based Housing for All plan. He has attracted considerable national attention but lagged in the polls, and faced criticism for using campaign funds to pay his rent. Honolulu City Councilor Ernie Martin. Gonna be honest, I don’t know a ton about Ernie, but here’s his website. In the Hawaii Second District’s Democratic primary, Tulsi Gabbard is a heavy favorite to be renominated. An Iraq War veteran, dedicated non-interventionist, and early endorser of Bernie Sanders’s presidential bid, Gabbard has attracted substantial national popularity but also criticism for her choice to meet with Syrian despot Bashar al-Assad in 2017; she has also refused to acknowledge that Assad is responsible for chemical weapons attacks against civilians. She has also endorsed blocking refugees from Syria and Iraq, supported Egyptian dictator Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and backed India’s far-right leader Narendra Modi. Gabbard’s enthusiasm for dictators was enough to help lead the Hawaii teachers union to endorse Sherry Campagna, Gabbard’s most prominent challenger. But Gabbard has refused to debate her opponents, preventing them from getting much traction, and is likely to win in a walk.<doc-sep>Polls are open until 6 p.m. Look here to find your polling place. Civil Beat’s unofficial Primary Election Ballot includes links to candidate Q&As. Find other useful information in our Hawaii Elections Guide. We’re expecting the first of a few waves of results around 7 p.m. and the final results closer to midnight. Follow us at civilbeat.org, on Facebook, Instagram Stories and on Twitter. Election Results Are In Early results were released just before 7 p.m, showing David Ige leading Colleen Hanabusa in the race for governor, and Ed Case handily winning the race for the 1st Congressional District. Check out all of Civil Beat’s stories on our Elections 2018 page. One note: Civil Beat is reporting the results as released by the state Office of Elections. The percentages as reported by the state do not exclude blank votes and over votes; those categories are taken out and the percentages re-calculated only for nonpartisan races such as City Council where a candidate who gets 50 percent plus 1 of the votes cast wins the seat. Ige Party At The Pagoda 6:40 p.m. Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat Dozens of David Ige supporters were starting to fill the C’est Si Bon Ballroom at the Pagoda Hotel in Honolulu around 6:30 p.m. Saturday. That’s where the governor’s campaign is hosting its election night party to wait and watch as the results arrive in waves throughout the night, starting around 7 p.m. The early evening atmosphere was upbeat, with people filling their plates at the buffet line and listening to live entertainment. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell made brief remarks to the crowd, applauding them for having “stuck with a man when it was difficult.” “You have climbed a very steep mountain, and we’re almost at the top,” he said. “I believe it’s going to be close.” — Nathan Eagle First Results Expected Around 7 P.M. 5:50 p.m. To play it safe, the State Election Office has moved the first printout to 7 p.m., but it is not due to any issues. With just minutes before the polls close at 6 p.m. statewide, there have been no major problems reported. The first printout will include 100 percent of early walk-in votes, some of the mail ballots and none of the precinct counts. The 2nd printout will include some of the precincts. — Chad Blair Same Day Registration, Voting Machine Win Over Hawaii Kai 4:51 p.m. At Kamiloiki Elementary in Hawaii Kai, the lone electronic voting machine won over voters, some who opted to wait to use it, despite there being no lines for paper ballots. One of those tried it out was Kahiwa Letman. The last time he voted, the 31-year-old filled out a paper ballot and it was such a crowded field of candidates he found it hard to read and confusing, he said. This time, he took a spin on the new electronic voting machine. “It’s unreal,” said Kahiwa Letman, 31. “It’s so easy.” During most elections, 21-year-old Nathaniel Aune, 21, sticks to a mail-in ballot. But he voted in person today. He said he was glad to see new voters being able to register the same day to vote and the addition of an electronic voting machine. “It’s great to see them make it more convenient and taking steps that will bring more voters out,” Aune said. — Terri Langford Vying For Prime Real Estate On Farrington Highway 3:10 p.m. April Estrellon/Civil Beat April Estrellon/Civil Beat On a stretch of Farrington Highway just outside of Waianae Intermediate School, two candidates for the state house seat in District 44 faced off just a few hundred feet away from each other. “We are exactly ten hours in,” incumbent candidate Cedric Gates said, wiping the sweat off his face with a green towel. “That’s dedication.” His team of sign-wavers appeared in good sprits, even going so far to circle and cheer around a group of passengers getting off at a nearby bus stop. Further up the street, his challenger Jo Jordan appeared slightly sunburned, but cheerful about her prospects. “I feel good,” she said. Her team vigorously sign-waved to passing cars – they said they’d also been out for hours. Asked if she had any words for her opponent’s team up the street, Jordan glanced down the street at their tent, and shrugged. “I don’t have anything to say to him.” — Emily Dugdale and April Estrellon It’s REALLY Hot in Waianae 2:55 p.m. Voters pulling into the Waianae Intermediate School parking lot are greeted with an electronic billboard displaying, “Mahalo for voting,” underneath the Hawaiian flag. There’s a lot more cars in this parking lot- and a steady trickle of voters heading in and out of the polling place. Third stop: Waianae Intermediate School. Mahealani Kahala, 23, said she’s voting today because working at the state legislature “opened my eyes to our civic responsibility.” #HawaiiPrimary #hivoted @CivilBeat pic.twitter.com/GqyBSK12rj — Emily Elena Dugdale (@eedugdale) August 12, 2018 Mahealani Kahala, 23, used to work in the state legislature. Working there “opened my eyes to my civic responsibility,” she said. April Estrellon/Civil Beat Jean Teo-Gibney voted most recently in Nanakuli, but as a kid remembers coming to Waianae Intermediate on voting day. She’s back today, and wishes the best for whoever wins the governor’s race. And she had strong words for anyone who sat out the primary. “If you ain’t gonna vote, shut up,” she said. “Don’t squawk.” 2:27 p.m. April Estrellon/Civil Beat It’s a pretty small crowd at Ma’ili Elementary School in Waianae. Folks are dashing into their cars after voting due to the afternoon heat. Janell Hoopai voted today with her entire family in tow. “If you don’t vote, no grumble,” she said with a grin. “And I want to grumble!” She says it’s only her second or third time voting, but has been registered for years. She was drawn to particular candidates and felt strongly about casting her vote. Another female voter who wished to remain anonymous said she hadn’t voted in a long time because she’d “lost faith in the system.” But she came out to support one candidate in particular. She said voting process went smoothly, but “there were a lot of names I didn’t recognize on the ballot,” she added with a laugh before cranking up the AC in her car. Sharon Akana, who’s voted at Ma’ili Elementary for her entire life, says there were many more people here than in past years. — Emily Dugdale and April Estrellon Downtown Honolulu Precinct A Bit Slow Eugene Tanner Faithful Voter In Kailua 3:50 p.m. Robert White moved to Hawaii from Guam in 1970 and hasn’t missed voting in an election since. Today he voted for David Ige at Keolu Elementary School in Kailua. White said the attack ads against Ige that he has seen on TV actually made him more inclined to vote for the incumbent governor. He also said if someone is associated with a super PAC, he’s less inclined to vote for them. “I don’t like negative ads at all,” White said. “Anybody caught up in that, I didn’t vote for.” — Natanya Friedheim Election Results Watch Parties 3:34 p.m. Gov. David Ige’s re-election campaign will host its primary election gathering for supporters at the Pagoda Hotel’s Cʻest Si Bon Ballroom, at 1525 Rycroft St. His challenger, U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, and her supporters will be at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii’s Manoa Grand Ballroom, 2454 S. Beretania St. Both parties are scheduled from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., ending around the time the third State Elections Office report is expected to be released. A fourth “printout” report is expected around 11:30 p.m., with a final report coming sometime in the wee hours of Sunday. — Chad Blair A View From Da Beach 3:30 p.m. Nick Grube/Civil Beat In Waimanalo, Joseph Char voted for the first time today in Kalihi. He’s 37 years old. We met in the morning while he was walking a pair of chihuahuas — Chica and Matty — with a pair of his friends. He said he went to polls to support Kim Coco Iwamoto, who’s running for lieutenant governor. Char said he liked her story, and the fact she’s transgender.<doc-sep>Hawaii Gov. David Ige prevailed in Saturday’s Democratic Party primary, according to preliminary results from the Associated Press, despite facing stiff competition after fumbling the response to a false ballistic missile alert earlier this year. At one point, Mr. Ige had trailed his most well-known, well-funded challenger, U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, by 20 points according to a March poll, making him one of the more vulnerable incumbent governors in the U.S. But as Hawaiian residents headed to the polls Saturday, the soft-spoken former engineer appeared to have pulled off a turnaround, with polls in July showing Mr. Ige pulling ahead. The former engineer is likely to recapture the governorship in November given the state’s overwhelmingly Democratic electorate. Mr. Ige will face state Rep. Andria Tupola, who won the Republican primary Saturday. Political experts attributed the governor’s turnaround to his handling of two major natural disasters: floods in April and a lava eruption in May. They also say that Ms. Hanabusa failed to find a message that resonated with Hawaiians and struggled to campaign from Washington, D.C., a 10-hour flight to Honolulu. Mr. Ige “made his presence felt, and really got good marks,” following the natural disasters this spring, said Neal Milner, an analyst and emeritus professor of politics at the University of Hawaii. But he cautioned that while the political current appeared to be breaking in the governor’s favor, the race was still competitive. Mr. Ige himself scored a massive upset four years ago, defeating Gov. Neil Abercrombie in the Democratic primary. That victory was the first time in state history a sitting governor was beaten in a primary. Ed Case and his wife, Audrey, campaigning on Saturday in Honolulu. Photo: Marco Garcia/Associated Press While Mr. Ige had earned a reputation as a passive leader early in his tenure, trouble for the governor really got under way on Jan. 13, when at 8:07 a.m. local time residents and visitors alike received an emergency alert on their cellphones that a ballistic missile was inbound. “THIS IS NOT A DRILL,” it read in all caps. Anxiety on the Pacific island had already been high after tensions between the U.S. and North Korea escalated. The message, sent accidentally, led people to scramble for cover and send frantic goodbyes to loved ones for 38 minutes—until a false-alarm message was sent. Mr. Ige couldn’t post his own message on Twitter identifying the message as false because he didn’t know his password, he said. Ms. Hanabusa called for a congressional investigation and criticized Mr. Ige’s leadership as weak, which became the defining theme of her campaign. Mr. Ige went on an apology tour following the fiasco and has talked up his record on the environment, education, housing and the economy. Then in May, when lava and toxic gases spewed into neighborhoods from Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano on the Big Island, destroying homes and causing hundreds of evacuations, Mr. Ige made his presence felt. The governor was quick to be on the scene, requesting disaster relief from the federal government, meeting with residents and making himself a consistent presence on local media. Mr. Milner, the political analyst, said that despite his troubles, Mr. Ige’s change of fortunes shows the advantages of already being in power. “Incumbency matters in different ways,” he said. “You have a chance to do concrete, visible things.” Also Saturday, former U.S. Rep. Ed Case won the Democratic Party primary among a crowded field to represent Honolulu in Congress, a seat made open by Ms. Hanabusa’s decision to run for governor. Mr. Case will face Republican Cam Cavasso, a former state legislator. Write to Alejandro Lazo at alejandro.lazo@wsj.com<doc-sep>

HONOLULU (AP) — The Latest on the primary election (all times local): 9:42 p.m. Hawaii state Rep. Andria Tupola has won the Republican primary for governor, defeating former state Sen. John Carrol and former Pearl Harbor nonprofit CEO Ray L'Heureux for the nomination. Tupola is the House minority leader and one of only five Republicans on the 51-member body. Tupola says one of her primary focuses as governor would be to address affordable housing and to fight for Native Hawaiians to get the opportunity to use land set aside for them decades ago. She also says the state needs to restructure its tax code to give low-income workers more of a break. Tupola is a music teacher who formerly taught at a local community college. She was first elected to the state legislature in 2014. 9:15 p.m. Former Congressman Ed Case has emerged from a crowded field to win the Democratic Party primary to represent Honolulu in Congress. The 65-year-old fiscal conservative on Saturday defeated five other major candidates including Lt. Gov. Doug Chin, who is the architect of Hawaii's legal battle against President Donald Trump's travel ban. The winner of the Democratic primary is almost guaranteed to win in the general election in Hawaii. Another contender was 29-year-old Kaniela Ing, a democratic socialist who hoped to follow in the footsteps of colleague Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York to score an upset victory. Case served in Congress from 2002 to 2007, giving him an edge in experience and name recognition. He'll face Cam Cavasso, a former state representative who previously ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate. Cavasso won the GOP primary Saturday night. 7:38 p.m. U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard won the Democratic nomination for Hawaii's 2nd Congressional District. Gabbard defeated Sherry Alu Campagna on Saturday to be her party's candidate to represent rural Oahu and the neighbor islands in Congress. Campagna had criticized Gabbard for refusing to debate her. Campagna noted Gabbard had argued in the past that candidates should participate in debates to present their positions and be held accountable for their opinions. Story continues Gabbard was first elected to the U.S. House in 2012. She is one of the first female combat veterans to serve in Congress. She deployed to Iraq and Kuwait with the Hawaii National Guard. Gabbard faces singer Brian Evans of Maui in the general election in November. He ran unopposed for the Republican Party's nomination. ___ 7:15 p.m. Early results from Hawaii's primary election have Gov. David Ige holding back U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa in the race to keep his job. On the Republican side, state Rep. Andria Tupola is leading former state Sen. John Carroll. The first results after the polls closed Saturday put former U.S. Rep. Ed Case ahead of Lt. Gov. Doug Chin in the race to represent Honolulu in Congress. In Hawaii's 2nd Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has a big lead over challenger Sherry Alu Campagna. The winners of most of the Democratic Party's primary races will be the favorites to win the general election in November. ___ 6 p.m. Polls have closed in Hawaii, where the state's primary election is being held. Polls closed at 6 p.m. local time, and state election officials expected the first batch of results to be released shortly after. There are two high-profile races in the primary, which essentially serves as the general election since the state is heavily Democratic. Republicans didn't field candidates in some races. Gov. David Ige is being challenged by U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa in one top race. Another high profile race is the battle for the seat that Hanabusa is giving up. Former U.S. Rep. Ed Case is seeking a return to Washington, and is being challenged by Lt. Gov. Doug Chin, who led the legal fight against President Donald Trump's second travel ban, and Kaniela Ing. ___ 5:10 p.m. Jinjer Boots, 26, a Democrat from Honolulu, voted for U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa for governor Saturday in Hawaii's primary election. Boots was at the polls with her 3-year-old daughter. Boots says Hanabusa is fighting for women's rights and that was a major factor for her. Hanabusa is challenging first-term Gov. David Ig in the Democratic primary. Some in Hawaii have been critical of Ige's response to a false missile alert that sent the state into a panic in January, a major embarrassment for his administration. Boots says she was terrified by January's false missile alert.

Adil Rashid bowled a delivery that left India's superstar captain Virat Kohli speechless and turned a significant one-day series decisively in England's favour. A perfect day for England began with Rashid bowling the new 'ball of the century' to dismiss Virat Kohli and ended with Joe Root making a record-breaking 13th one-day hundred to take his side home in style. It gave England their seventh one-day win in nine matches this summer and their eight successive bi-lateral 50-over series win. Their only real setback, bizarrely, came with defeat by Scotland in Edinburgh. Adil Rashid bowled a delivery that left India's superstar captain Virat Kohli speechless A perfect day for England began with Rashid bowling the new 'ball of the century' to Kohli India skipper was left stunned when Rashid's delivery spun from leg stump to hit the top of off And Root marked the moment of triumph when he reached his second successive unbeaten hundred by hitting a boundary with just one needed to overcome India's below par 258 for six with 'a mic drop' celebration. If Root was saying that England had made a statement in coming back from one down in this Royal London series to beat India 2-1 then it was certainly a significant one, not least Rashid's 'ball of the century' to bowl Kohli. 'It was definitely the most satisfying ball I've bowled because he is one of the best players in the world,' said Rashid of a leg-break that pitched on Kohli's leg-stump and hit the top of off, to the India captain's astonishment. 'It's the sort of ball you wish you could bowl all the time but on this occasion it just came out very nicely.' Rashid hailed the delivery as his 'most satisfying ball' to get rid of one of the world's greats Joe Root hit the winning runs as England secured a comeback ODI series win over India England captain Eoin Morgan was delighted with the return to form of Root, who had gone eight white-ball matches without a half century before he reached three figures at Lord's and now again here, taming India's mystery spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the process. 'It's extremely encouraging for Joe,' said Morgan. 'The composure he's shown in the last two games is the Joe Root we know and trust. He's been the same guy around the group hungry for runs and I'm sure that will continue. But Morgan light-heartedly admonished Root for his 'mic drop.' 'I didn't know he was going to do that. I was still talking to the ball to make sure it went over the line. A statement? No he made a fool of himself! Smiled Morgan. Eoin Morgan declared himself satisfied with a job well done in their most important ODI series The England captain declared himself satisfied with a job well done in England's most important one-day series ahead of a World Cup they are expected to win. 'We started poorly but as the series has gone on we've improved. It has been brilliant since Trent Bridge and I thought today was clinical. 'India never got away from us. We need to be better from the start rather than making big mistakes and improving on them as we go along.' India are expected to pick the left-arm wrist spin of Kuldeep in their squad for the five-Test series even though England have improved their performances against him significantly since he took six wickets in the first one-day international at Trent Bridge. But there could be no place for Rohit Sharma.<doc-sep>Virat Kohli was dismissed by spinners in all three matches in the series (Getty Images) Virat Kohli was batting beautifully at Leeds - as usual, his timing was perfect, he found the gaps with ease and every ball met the middle of his bat. And not for the first time, he was India's best batsman on the park. Kohli had become the fastest to 3000 ODI runs as captain and stormed past the 700-run mark this year in only his ninth ODI. He had not scored a hundred in the first two matches of the three-match series against England but looked well on course to a ton. Everything was well and in order for India until Adil Rashid struck. India vs England 3rd ODI coverage: HIGHLIGHTS In the first delivery of the 30th over, Kohli was bamboozled by a sharp leg-spinning delivery from Adil Rashid. The ball pitched on leg-stump and hit the top of Kohli's off-stump. Virat Kohli went past the 700-run mark in 2018 in only nine ODIs (Getty Images) Kohli was stunned beyond belief. He looked at the pitch to see what demons the 22-yard strip had in it. There was none. He then looked at the bowler and slowly headed back to the dressing-room. Virat Kohli had the same expression then as Mike Gatting when Shane Warne bowled him in 1993. Absolute belter from Adil Rashid July 17, 2018 It is not often Kohli is beaten like this. He was of course troubled by spin to some extent in the 2018 IPL but not often has he been so comprehensively beaten in international cricket. The Indian captain has been in red-hot ODI form this year. He went past the 700-run mark in 2018 in only nine ODIs. Three other batsmen (Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy and Joe Root) have scored more than 700 ODI runs this year but they have played more matches than India's captain. READ - Kohli storms past AB de Villiers, MS Dhoni to break another ODI record England and Rashid were ecstatic. For much of this summer, England had been haunted by Kuldeep Yadav's wrist-spin. Now they had Rashid paying India back in their own coin. Rashid, who had dismissed Dinesh Karthik shortly before removing Kohli, also snared Suresh Raina and finished with figures of 3/49 off his 10 overs.<doc-sep>England have not given up on bringing Adil Rashid back to Test cricket to face India this summer after he bamboozled the best batsman in the world, Virat Kohli, with a wonder-ball during Tuesday's one-day victory at Headingley. Sportsmail understands new national selector Ed Smith will talk to Rashid about his controversial decision, made earlier this year, to give up on all red-ball cricket - a move that has led to a strained relationship with his county, Yorkshire. Certainly the look of sheer astonishment on Kohli's face after he was bowled by what must be one of the best balls he has ever faced from a spinner might be replaced by one of utter relief if Rashid does not appear in the five-Test series. England have not given up on bringing Adil Rashid back to Test cricket to face India Rashid's contentious call to turn his back on red-ball cricket has not only had ramifications for his Yorkshire career, but also appeared to have ruled out a return to the ultimate form of the game. England are not exactly blessed with quality spin bowlers and would surely love to have Rashid back for the first Test against India, and their expert players of slow bowling, at Edgbaston on August 1. As it stands, Jack Leach is the favourite to be England's sole spinner in the first Test with competition from his Somerset team-mate Dominic Bess and Moeen Ali, who was dropped from the Test team after a disastrous winter. Rashid can be defensive with the media and was a little prickly on Tuesday when asked at Headingley if it was a shame that Yorkshire's spectators were being denied the chance to see him in the Roses match next week, let alone see him playing Test cricket again. 'All I am saying is that for now I am concentrating solely on white-ball cricket,' said Rashid, who is in the best form of his life for England as his 'ball of the century' to Kohli showed. It is a mantra he keeps on repeating and one he seems determined to stick to. Rashid bowled a delivery that left India's superstar captain Virat Kohli speechless The spinner's form against India in the ODI series has raised the prospect of a red-ball U-turn That decision, coupled with his controversial call to miss Yorkshire's championship decider against Middlesex at Lord's in 2016, has led to a difficult relationship with coach Andrew Gale - a disagreement that could see him leave the county. Yorkshire asked Rashid to reconsider his stance ahead of the Roses match and when he refused they signed Warwickshire leg-spinner Josh Poysden on loan for a single match. The message could not be clearer. Yorkshire have offered the Bradford-born Rashid a new contract, but it remains on the table and the talk in cricket is that he wants to join his friend Moeen at Worcestershire - on a white-ball contract only, of course. It should be remembered that Rashid was never quite the same bowler in Test cricket, even though he took 23 wickets in what became his final Test series in India 18 months ago. Kohli, for instance, played him pretty much with ease. Rashid struggled to replicate his white ball form playing for England against India in 2016 Rashid's form has led England national selector Ed Smith (left) to consider a call-up England were believed to have put a line under Rashid's name at Test level after that tour because it was felt he did not respond as well in the longer game without the safely net of the defensive fields he can set when players go after him in white-ball cricket. And Rashid could easily argue that it has been his ability to focus solely on the limited-overs game that has helped him become the outstanding bowler in an England side that has won seven of nine 50-over matches this summer. But he has grown in stature as a bowler during his absence from the Test team and it just seems such a shame that, still young for a leg-spinner at 30, he is limiting his own impact and potential. Smith looked outside the box and picked Jos Buttler for the Test series against Pakistan solely on white-ball form and it is fascinating that he now believes it is worth trying to talk Rashid out of his self-imposed exile. Rashid appears resolutely not for turning, but if Smith's persuasive tongue makes him think otherwise it will surely increase England's chances of defeating India. Kohli for one would certainly be pleased not to see Rashid at Edgbaston.<doc-sep>Virat Kohli, who became the fastest Indian captain to reach the 3000-run mark in ODIs during the third and final match against England, was eventually dismissed by Adil Rashid on the score of 71. Kohli was bamboozled by the Rashid delivery, as the former tried to defend it on the back-foot, just for the ball to crash into his off-stump. It was the first time Kohli was bowled by a leg-spinner in ODI cricket, and his expression after he was dismissed didn't go unnoticed on Twitter. Have a look at the dismissal! Even ICC tweeted about the same. Some were as dumbfounded as Kohli on finding the ball turn so much on an English wicket. A spinning wicket in England ... — Amit Paranjape (@aparanjape) July 17, 2018<doc-sep>

Adil Rashid expresses satisfaction after dismissing Virat Kohli Rashid dismissed Kohli on two occasions in the ODI series. Adil Rashid and his place in the England squad is more or less settled in the context of the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup. With the Brits expected to play at home and are considered overwhelming favourites as well, Rashid and his spin-bowling partner Moeen Ali have been impressive. So impressive that they have been all over the visitors India like a rash. However, what has been the most satisfying as far as Adil Rashid has been concerned is a simple fact that he has gotten the better of Virat Kohli not once but twice. Rashid, with his leg-breaks ensured that he dismissed Kohli in the first ODI in Nottingham courtesy of some special bowling, in spite of the fact that India won the match. However, he eventually got the better of Kohli in the final ODI as well in Headingley, thus making it a successful tournament for him. ‘Most satisfying ball I have bowled’ Speaking about his bowling prowess to Kohli, Rashid said that the delivery in Headingley was the most satisfying, simply due to the cricketing stature of Virat Kohli in international cricket today. While Rashid quashed the ‘special annotations’ of the delivery, he went on to add that it came off very nicely as opposed to any difference. ‘It was definitely the most satisfying ball I’ve bowled because he is one of the best players in the world,’ said Rashid. ‘It’s the sort of ball you wish you could bowl all the time but on this occasion, it just came out very nicely.’ Not all balls bowled by leg-spinners have any special mentions barring the one Shane Warne bowled Mike Gatting, something that has been termed as the ‘ball of the century’. Stay updated on ‘today’s cricket news‘ with CricTracker.com.

A British Airways flight was forced to abort its landing at Gibraltar Airport on Monday afternoon, amid strong winds in the area. Dramatic video shows the flight, BA492, from London, rocking violently back and forth as it attempted to land in Gibraltar. The pilot eventually aborted the landing and diverted to Malaga instead. "At no point was there a risk to safety," a British Airways spokesperson told Euronews. "Due to strong winds in the Gibraltar area, our pilots decided to land in Malaga as a precaution." "The flight landed safely and passengers left the aircraft normally."<doc-sep>Gibraltar: BA flight ROCKS mid-air due to strong winds FREE now and never miss the top Royal stories again. SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up fornow and never miss the top Royal stories again. When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. A British Airways plane flying from London Heathrow to Gibraltar was diverted to Malaga after strong winds forced the pilot to back out of the landing. In the video, the plane is seen aborting its landing and heading back into the sky. The plane is seen swaying violently side to side before the pilot steadies the aircraft. One resident, who filmed the incident, was overheard saying: “F*****g hell! Did you see that?” Social media users were quick to react to the horrifying video. One wrote: “Beyond scary! A British Airways plane was forced to abort its landing and divert due to strong winds in Gibraltar Due to strong winds in the Gibraltar area, our pilots decided to land in Malaga as a precaution British Airways spokesman Another added: “That is awful.” British Airways confirmed the flight was diverted as a precaution because of the windy weather conditions and said at no point was there a risk to safety. A spokesman said: “The flight has landed safely and passengers have left the aircraft normally.<doc-sep>A British Airways plane has been filmed rocking violently from side to side as it made its approach to Gibraltar in strong winds. Footage from both on the ground and inside Flight BA492 showed the aircraft yawing to such extremes in mid-air that some commentators thought it had been faked. The Monday morning service almost touched down on the runway off the southern tip of Spain before pilots aborted the landing and diverted to Malaga, where the Airbus A320 landed safely 40 minutes later. Records suggest the wind was blowing around 30mph. A spokesperson for British Airways apologised for the disruption and said ground transport was arranged to take passengers to their final destination, adding: “Due to strong winds in the Gibraltar area, our pilots decided to land in Malaga as a precaution. “The safety of our customers and crew is always our number one priority.” The Rock is to blame for Gibraltar's weather conditions Credit: istock After footage of the turbulence was posted on Twitter, one user, Oscar Torres, wrote: “Great skill by the pilots but that looks fun to me”. To which, the British Airways Twitter account replied: “No thanks, Oscar. This is my worst nightmare! I wish I was as brave as you!” Another user, who said she witnessed the flight, said it was “terrifying to watch”. Gibraltar offers pilots and passengers a notorious landing, with the Rock creating unique and difficult wind conditions. Pilot Alun Evans, writing on a blog for the British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa), described the approach as “challenging”. Gibraltar Airport also features a road across its runway Credit: istock “Where on earth would you find a 1,800-metre runway with water at each end, frequent tailwinds, political meddling and numerous large birds? Gibraltar of course,” he wrote. He explained that the Rock - a 426-metre limestone outcrop - “not only produces regular tailwinds at both ends of the runway, but indeed its own microclimate”. Flying into Gibraltar is believed to be one of the few approaches in the world designated as “captain-only”, where the most experienced member of a flight crew is expected to land the plane. Another pilot, writing anonymously for Telegraph Travel last year, said: “Gibraltar can be rather challenging with the limits on the wind as it rolls around the rock and can make it extremely turbulent on landing, but what I really like is the fact it's also rather an old school approach. They have no landing aids at Gibraltar, so it’s back to basics: just the stick and rudder.” Another curious characteristic of Gibraltar’s airport is its proximity to both shipping and road traffic. It famously had a main road running across the runway, for which cars had to abide by traffic lights to allow planes to land. Writing in 2004, Telegraph Travel’s Spain expert Annie Bennett said: “We were just packing up our paperbacks before landing in Gibraltar, when the pilot announced that we had a bit of a problem. ‘Nothing to worry about, ladies and gentlemen,’ he said jollily, ‘but there seems to be a ship blocking our approach. I've contacted the Gibraltar police and asked them to get it shifted.’ “We circled the Rock for half an hour before finally dropping down onto the mile-long landing strip across the peninsula.”<doc-sep>The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Get email updates with the day's biggest stories Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice A British Airways flight was filmed swaying violently as the pilot battled against high winds and eventually aborted the landing. This morning's BA492 service from London Heathrow to Gibraltar was diverted to Malaga, along the Spanish coast after if was recorded almost rotating 90 degrees. The scary footage was filmed as the pilot attempted to land at the Rock, which according to a British Airways spokesman is a notoriously windy area. The plane is seen tilting one way, before going back to horizontal, before swinging abruptly the other way. Were you onboard? Email webteam@mirror.co.uk (Image: Twitter) With around 150 passengers and crew on board the pilot chose to abandon the landing and diverted everyone to the tourist town of Malaga. One Gibraltar resident claimed she was on the flight and wrote online that it was "very scary indeed". Another watching the plane's landing attempt from the ground said: “It was awful! “Never seen a plane rock from side to side as much! Scary. “I’m still shaken by it!” (Image: Twitter) (Image: Twitter) The passengers were due to be taken by bus on the 127km trip from Malaga airport to Gibraltar International, which should take just under an hour and a half. A British Airways spokesman said: "The flight has landed safely and passengers have left the aircraft normally. "Due to strong winds in the Gibraltar area, our pilots decided to land in Malaga as a precaution. "The safety of our customers and crew is always our number one priority."<doc-sep>

Sign up fornow and never miss the top Royal stories again. British Airways passengers have called a flight to Gibraltar a "near-death experience" after extreme winds resulted in the aircraft being tossed and turned in the air. The terrifying incident was filmed from inside the cabin and captures the screams of the panicked passengers. The wing of the Airbus A320 can be seen rising and falling as the plane is buffeted to the alarm of the BA travellers. As it rocks up and down, the ground below can be seen and then the sun in the sky a couple of seconds later. Brussels to shut down British Airways plan to keep flying after Brexit Flights: British Airways plane lurches in extreme winds over Gibraltar in shocking video It’s believed to have lifted by nearly 45 degrees, reported The Sun. People can be heard crying out and swearing as they are affected by the alarming weather conditions. The flight, from London Heathrow in the UK, was heading for Gibraltar but had to abort the landing and divert to Malaga instead. Passenger Adrian Worth, 33, from Devon told MailOnline: “We were going around looking to land and it started tipping from side to side. “A few people were panicking as we were unsure what was going on. “They gave us a warning it would be rough weather but no one could predict that the plane would swing from side to side.” Fellow passenger Eli Hassett said the ride was like a rollercoaster and compared it to "a near-death experience.”

LOS ANGELES - Rockets guard James Harden, the NBA’s leading scorer, will sit out Saturday’s game against the Warriors with a strained neck and flu-like symptoms, the first game he has missed since going out with a strained hamstring at the end of October. Harden initially was hurt in practice in Los Angeles, Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said, and played against the Lakers with some neck pain and flu-like symptoms.<doc-sep>Chris Paul leads the way for Houston. James Harden has made a habit of trying to win games all on his own this season. Well, maybe it’s time he starts leaning on his teammates a bit more. A Harden-less Houston unit ran out 118-112 winners in Oracle Arena, as Chris Paul, Kenneth Faried and co. proved too good for the NBA champs. Paul led the way with 23 points and 17 assists, Faried had 20 and 10, while Eric Gordon added 25. More importantly, Houston moved the ball with a fluidity and eagerness we haven’t really seen this season from last year’s Western Conference finalists. Kevin Durant finished with 29 points, Stephen Curry 25, while Klay Thompson put up 20 points. Harden, who was out with a neck injury, is averaging 36.5 points a game on the 34-25 Rockets, and while he’s put together an MVP-calibre campaign, it may not be the best thing for his team, who looked like they had fun on Sunday. LEBRON AND THE LAKERS LOSE AGAIN Jrue Holiday hit five 3-pointers and scored 27 points while Anthony Davis watched from the bench, and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Los Angeles Lakers 128-115. Former Laker Julius Randle had 24 points for the Pelicans, who looked in sync and motivated as they slowed LeBron James and the Lakers’ push to qualify for the playoffs. James had 27 points and 12 assists, and Brandon Ingram scored 29 points for Los Angeles. They entered the night three games out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. But the Lakers struggled throughout to keep pace with the Pelicans, who led for most of the game and by as many as 20 points. LeBron and the Lakers have had better days. Source: AP PACERS KEEP WINNING Thaddeus Young scored 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting, Bojan Bogdanovic added 18 and the streaking Indiana Pacers held off the struggling Washington Wizards 119-112. Domantas Sabonis added 13 points and 12 rebounds, while Darren Collison scored 11 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter to help the Pacers overcome 23 turnovers and sweep a second straight back-to-back set. Indiana has won eight of nine. The Pacers previously dropped four in a row following the loss of All-Star guard Victor Oladipo for the season with a ruptured tendon in his right knee. Bradley Beal scored 35 points for the Wizards, a night after posting a season-high 46 at Charlotte. KEVIN LOVING LIFE IN CHARLOTTE Kevin Love is having fun in his return to the basketball court. After a season of losing streaks, injuries and trades, the Cleveland Cavaliers finally are, too. Love scored a season-high 32 points, Cedi Osman hit the go-ahead 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter and Cleveland defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 112-107. Love, playing in back-to-back games for the first time since foot surgery, had 10 points in the fourth quarter. He was 9 of 15 from the field overall, hit six 3s and made all eight of his free throw attempts. The five-time All-Star had surgery on his left foot in November and returned Feb. 8. He’s averaging 16.5 points in four games since coming back. Jonas Valanciunas topscored for the Grizzlies with 25 points, along with 11 rebounds. CONTROVERSY IN CHARLOTTE D’Angelo Russell tied a career high with 40 points and made some huge shots down the stretch, and the Brooklyn Nets picked up an important 117-115 win over the Charlotte Hornets. The victory kept the Nets alone in sixth place in the Eastern Conference and gives them 2-1 edge in the series entering Friday night’s game at Brooklyn. The game ended with fans booing the officials off the court after a no-call when Kemba Walker attempted a 3-pointer from the right wing at the buzzer. Caris LeVert had him well defended and was credited with a blocked shot, but Hornets players threw their arms up in the air and the crowd erupted in loud chorus of boos believing there had been a foul. Walker finished with 32 points, including 28 in the second half. NBA SCORES PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS 130 — 115 PHILADELPHIA 76ERS PHOENIX SUNS 112 — 120 ATLANTA HAWKS BROOKLYN NETS 117 — 115 CHARLOTTE HORNETS MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES 107 — 112 CLEVELAND CAVALIERS INDIANA PACERS 119 — 112 WASHINGTON WIZARDS LOS ANGELES LAKERS 115 — 128 NEW ORLEANS PELICANS DETROIT PISTONS 119 — 96 MIAMI HEAT BOSTON CELTICS 116 — 126 CHICAGO BULLS SACRAMENTO KINGS 119 — 116 OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES 128 — 140 MILWAUKEE BUCKS HOUSTON ROCKETS 118 — 112 GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS DALLAS MAVERICKS 109 — 125 UTAH JAZZ<doc-sep>How James Harden's dagger three-pointer triggered Warriors' hot streak originally appeared on nbcsportsbayarea.com OAKLAND – The Warriors are disappointed and perhaps even infuriated that Rockets star James Harden, diagnosed with a cervical neck strain, is listed as questionable for the game Saturday at Oracle Arena. They want Harden. The Warriors so badly want to confront him that they are practically praying he'll be upgraded to available before the 5:35 tipoff. They want all the Rockets, but Harden's presence is particularly significant. As much as the Warriors want to be the team that halts Harden's streak of 32 consecutive games with at least 30 points, they also have a score to settle. The last time the Warriors faced Harden, he drained a buzzer-beating 3-pointer over the tight defense of Draymond Green and Klay Thompson to give the Rockets a 135-134 victory, in overtime, at Oracle Arena. When the shot went through, Harden stood and began staring and jawing toward Green. That game, on Jan. 3, probably is the most exasperating of the Warriors' 16 losses this season. The locker room was simmered with anger, some directed toward Harden but most of it toward themselves for blowing a 20-point second-half lead. That was the team's third loss in five games and it happened to be Houston, the closest thing the Warriors have to a real rival. And Harden, the reigning MVP, the man who has made an art of baiting defenders and officials, had plunged the dagger. "James hit that shot and, obviously, that can be frustrating," Green said late Thursday night. "But that happens. He's a great scorer. He hit a tough shot over Klay and I. We'll live with that. "But we had a lead in that game and we allowed ourselves to be in that position. When you allow that to happen, anything can happen and it did." The residual hostility may have been the best thing to happen to the Warriors this season. The champs checked themselves, rededicated and won the next 11 games – their longest streak in 13 months – by an average margin of 17.5 points. Story continues The defense turned up, as did the assist totals. The turnover count came down. Though not typically a strong rebounding team, the Warriors posted advantages in nine of the 11 games. There was a tip-to-horn 31-point win at Denver, a comeback victory in which they wiped out a 17-point deficit. The Warriors were hungrier. They were, at times, downright ruthless. "Losing bothers us," Green said. "It don't really matter if it's against Houston or anybody else. We don't like to lose. That's part of the reason we don't lose much. At that point of the season, we were losing a lot. And we knew we had to get it turned around. And we have." Three postseason series in the past four years – most recently a stressful seven-game 2018 Western Conference Finals – have brought additional heat to games between the Warriors and Rockets. As the only current Houston player to start every game in all series, Harden symbolizes the enemy. When he succeeds against the Warriors it's considerably more annoying than if it were, say, San Antonio's LaMarcus Aldridge or Portland's Damian Lillard. So, yes, the Warriors want a piece of Harden every time they see him. He's openly campaigning for a second consecutive MVP award and the Rockets are 21-11 during his streak. Primary running mates Chris Paul and Clint Capela, who missed much of the past two months, are back. "We understand how talented they are, how well James has been playing," Stephen Curry said. "I know they lost (Thursday), but it's going to be a dogfight. We understand the momentum that we have been able to build, it's going to be a defensive test for us." [RELATED: Rockets GM Daryl Morey isn't over Warriors beating them in 2018 playoffs] The Warriors are 17-2 since Harden's epic game-winner. Their offensive rating has been 4.5 points better than any other team. They've been playing their best ball, and they'd like to give Harden and the Rockets a taste of it. If Harden can't go, the lights on the marquee won't be as bright. The Warriors' fury might drop a notch, but it's conceivable the sight of Chris Paul and those red and white jerseys will be enough to inflame proceedings.<doc-sep>

OAKLAND, Calif. — Even without NBA scoring leader James Harden, the Houston Rockets took it to Golden State from the very start. Eric Gordon scored 25 points with four 3-pointers, Chris Paul converted two free throws with 1:08 left on the way to 23, and the Rockets outplayed the Warriors without the ill Harden for a 118-112 victory Saturday night. Stephen Curry’s 3 with 1:57 to play pulled the Warriors to 114-108 and his two free throws at 1:26 made it a four-point game before Houston came through at the line. Kevin Durant scored 29 points and Curry added 25 with five 3s, nine rebounds and seven assists, but the Warriors had their five-game home winning streak snapped in a matchup of West powers who met in the 2018 Western Conference finals won in seven games by Golden State. “You can come in here and win on a Monday night in February or a Tuesday night in November or December,” Paul said. “But in the playoffs is when you have to beat a team four out of seven times. It’s great tonight that we won this but in two days y’all will forget this. We all will.” Early in the fourth, Golden State’s Draymond Green exited the game with a sprained left ankle after grabbing at his foot in clear pain from stepping on teammate DeMarcus Cousins’ foot. There wasn’t an immediate update on Green, who Curry said “was in good spirits after the game so I’m assuming it’s not anything serious.” “He’ll be back for the playoffs. That’s the only thing we worry about here, right?” Durant said. Paul handed out 11 of his season-high 17 assists in the first half to reach 9,000 for his career, helping Houston avoid a third straight road loss. Of his milestone, Paul called it “an honor and a privilege.” “When you get assists, I’ve got the easy part. I just pass it,” he said. “The other guys are the ones who have to make the shots.” Cousins notched his third straight double-double with 13 points and a season-best 14 rebounds, while Klay Thompson had 20 points and six assists. Curry’s 3 in the final 30 seconds of the first half and a jumper to beat the buzzer by Andre Iguodala got Golden State to 61-54 at halftime after the two-time defending champions trailed by 20. While Harden also has a strained neck, coach Mike D’Antoni said the reigning MVP probably could have played through that. Harden hurt the neck when he got hit during a practice leading up to Thursday’s road loss to the Lakers and woke up sore the next day. “He might’ve played even with a sore neck. He had a little touch of the flu. It was a combination of everything,” D’Antoni said. In the Rockets’ last visit to Oracle Arena, Harden hit a contested 3-pointer with 2.7 seconds left in a 135-134 overtime win on Jan. 3 in which he finished with a triple-double and his fifth straight 40-point game. He was 13 for 32 with 10 3s. Kenneth Faried started in Harden’s place and delivered 20 points and 10 rebounds. Clint Capela grabbed 15 boards. The Warriors, who held off Sacramento 125-123 on Thursday night, began 9 for 32 — 3 of 12 on 3s — and didn’t lead for the first time until Curry’s layup at the 9:54 mark of the third. Curry was 5 for 11 from deep. “Right from the start they played harder and smarter than we did,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. Much like last time, Golden State’s biggest stars missed key shots when it mattered. The Warriors dug themselves an immediate hole, falling behind 15-0 before consecutive 3s by Thompson and Curry. They went 14 of 37 on 3s in last month’s matchup, with Curry 5 for 15 and Durant 1 of 5. After that loss, the Warriors won 11 straight. “As a whole our energy was just bad and our attention to detail in those first six minutes,” Curry said. “Yeah, we’ve got some stuff to work on. We know we’re not playing our best even through running off a lot of wins in that last little stretch. We know who we are. We’ve just got to get to that point.”

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new nasal spray for the treatment of severe depression. On Tuesday, the government agency announced Spravato nasal spray, also known as esketamine, can now be used "for the treatment of depression in adults who have tried other antidepressant medicines but have not benefited from them." "There has been a long-standing need for additional effective treatments for treatment-resistant depression, a serious and life-threatening condition," said Dr. Tiffany Farchione, acting director of the Division of Psychiatry Products in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, in a statement. The FDA said patients with major depressive disorder who have tried at least two antidepressants are considered to have treatment-resistant depression. It is estimated that approximately one-third of U.S. adults with a major depressive disorder have treatment-resistant depression, according to Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, which developed Spravato. FDA surprise:Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, aggressive regulator against vaping, resigns Food safety:FDA unveils new plan to ensure safety of food imported to U.S. Spravato should be used in conjunction with an oral antidepressant, according to both the FDA and Janssen. The FDA said this is the first time esketamine was approved for any use. The agency approved ketamine, a related drug and an anesthetic, in 1970. Ketamine, also known as “Special K,” a party and date-rape drug, became a controlled substance in 1999. According to the FDA, Spravato's label will contain a boxed warning cautioning "patients are at risk for sedation and difficulty with attention, judgment and thinking (dissociation), abuse and misuse, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors after administration of the drug." The most common side effects from the clinical trials were disassociation, dizziness, nausea, sedation, vertigo, decreased feeling or sensitivity (hypoesthesia), anxiety, lethargy, increased blood pressure, vomiting and feeling drunk. The spray cannot be taken home and only can be administered in a certified doctor's office or clinic, according to the FDA. Patients have to be monitored for "at least two hours" after receiving a dose and can't drive for the rest of the day. "Spravato has the potential to change the treatment paradigm and offer new hope to the estimated one-third of people with major depressive disorder who have not responded to existing therapies,” said Dr. Mathai Mammen, global head, Janssen Research & Development, LLC, in a statement. In the company statement, Janssen said it would work quickly to educate and certify treatment centers, so health care providers could start offering Spravato. Later this month, a locator tool will be posted at www.spravato.com, the drug's future website, where patients will be able to sign up to receive alerts when new treatment centers are available. The website was not live as of Tuesday night. Follow Kelly Tyko on Twitter: @KellyTyko<doc-sep>The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday said it approved Johnson & Johnson's nasal spray antidepressant that is chemically similar to often-abused ketamine, marking the first advance in treating depression in more than 30 years. The treatment comes with a boxed warning — FDA's harshest — flagging the risk for sedation and difficulty with attention, judgment and thinking, abuse and misuse, and suicidal thoughts after administration of the drug. Spravato nasal spray will be used along with a newly prescribed oral antidepressant, under supervision of health care professionals, the agency said. Citing the risk of serious adverse outcomes and the potential for abuse and misuse, the FDA said the drug will be available through a restricted distribution system. Spravato is a chemical mirror image of anesthetic ketamine, which is abused as a recreational party drug that goes by the street name Special K. The decision comes after an FDA advisory panel recommended approval of the drug, Spravato, which is designed to treat depression in patients who have not benefited from two or more antidepressants. "There has been a long-standing need for additional effective treatments for treatment-resistant depression, a serious and life-threatening condition," said Tiffany Farchione of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Spravato has been touted as an asset with blockbuster potential and is expected to improve investor sentiment toward the growth prospects of J&J's pharma unit Janssen, as its top-selling rheumatoid arthritis drug Remicade faces increased competition from cheaper biosimilars. The drug is also being tested in patients with depression who are at a high risk of committing suicide.<doc-sep>A mural of George Floyd is shown in the intersection of 38th St & Chicago Ave on March 31, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Community members continue preparations during the third day in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is charged with multiple counts of murder in the death of George Floyd. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 01: President Donald Trump's lawyer and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani talks to journalists outside the White House West Wing July 01, 2020 in Washington, DC. Giuliani did an on-camera interview with One America News Network's Chanel Rion before talking to other journalists about Vice President Joe Biden and the news that Russian intelligence may have paid Taliban operatives to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ORLANDO, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 28: Former President Donald Trump addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference held in the Hyatt Regency on February 28, 2021 in Orlando, Florida. Begun in 1974, CPAC brings together conservative organizations, activists, and world leaders to discuss issues important to them. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Here's what reported grand jury in Trump case may look like NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 09: People walk past the Trump Tower as the impeachment trial of Donald Trump begins in Washington on February 09, 2021 in New York City. After listening to nearly four hours of legal arguments, the Senate has voted on Tuesday to move ahead with the impeachment trial of former President Trump. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Report: US companies may have benefited from forced labor of Uyghurs WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 20: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the conflict in the Middle East from Cross- Hall of the White House on May 20, 2021 in Washington, DC. Israel and Hamas announced that they would agree to a cease-fire, which will take into effect on Friday, following days of fighting that claimed more than 200 lives. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) SAN JOSE, CA - MAY 26: A view of the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) light-rail yard where a mass shooting occurred on May 26, 2021 in San Jose, California. A VTA employee opened fire at the yard, with preliminary reports indicating nine people dead including the gunman. (Photo by Philip Pacheco/Getty Images) A healthcare worker prepares to administer a Pfizer/BioNTEch coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccine at The Michener Institute, in Toronto, Ontario on December 14, 2020. - Ontario, Canada's most populous province and one of the hardest hit by the pandemic, had 1,940 new cases and 23 deaths on Monday. The province is expected to give its next doses to nursing home workers as a priority, according to media reports. (Photo by CARLOS OSORIO / POOL / AFP) (Photo by CARLOS OSORIO/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) 'Never seen levels like this': Union president on airline passenger misconduct Memorial Day weekend will bring rain and cool air for much of the East (CNN) — The US Food and Drug Administration approved Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s esketamine on Tuesday for treatment-resistant depression; the drug is the chemical cousin of ketamine, the powerful anesthetic that has been used illegally as the club drug Special K. It will be sold as Spravato. More specifically, it’s for patients who have tried at least two other medications without success, and it should be taken with an oral antidepressant. “There has been a longstanding need for additional effective treatments for treatment-resistant depression, a serious and life-threatening condition,” Dr. Tiffany Farchione, acting director of the Division of Psychiatry Products at the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a news release announcing the approval. Spravato is a nasal spray administered by an approved health care provider in a doctor’s office or a medical clinic. It may also be self-administered but only under the supervision of a care provider and cannot be taken home. “Because of [safety] concerns, the drug will only be available through a restricted distribution system and it must be administered in a certified medical office where the health care provider can monitor the patient,” Farchione said. Depending on the severity of the patient’s depression, it is given either once a week or once every other week. Courtesy Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Esketamine is an option for patients with treatment-resistant depression. The drug is rapidly acting, so it starts working faster than other antidepressants, according to Janssen. It works by restoring brain cells in patients with treatment-resistant depression. Currently available treatments for major depression are ineffective in 30% to 40% of patients. According to the FDA, there is one other approved medication for treatment-resistant depression, Symbyax, which was approved in 2009. Side effects of Spravato include dizziness, nausea, vertigo, anxiety, lethargy, increased blood pressure, vomiting, feeling drunk, decreased sensitivity, sedation and dissociation, a feeling of being temporarily “disconnected” from your body and your mind. The drug label will contain a “boxed warning” to alert patients to the risk of “sedation, and difficulty with attention, judgment and thinking (dissociation), abuse and misuse, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors after administration of the drug,” the agency said in its announcement. Because of these risks, patients must be monitored for at least two hours after being given the drug. Get CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team. In clinical trials, six patients who were taking the drug died, three from suicide, but FDA background materials reviewed by the advisory committee that recommended approval last month said, “It is difficult to consider these deaths as drug-related.” Because of the drug’s close relationship to ketamine, experts have raised concerns about its potential for misuse and abuse, but clinical trials found those risks to be unfounded. Concerns have also been raised about a lack of long-term data on possible health effects, most notably cognitive ones. The drug was designated as a breakthrough therapy in 2013, a status intended to “expedite the development and review of drugs for serious or life-threatening conditions,” the FDA said at the time. Greg Panico, a spokesman for Janssen, a division of Johnson & Johnson, did not say when Spravato will be available. He wrote in an email, “We are working quickly to educate and certify treatment centers on the unique administration requirements of SPRAVATO™ to ensure patients can access this important medicine.” As for the cost, it will be “generally comparable with other specialty mental health drugs,” Panico said: about $590 to $885 per treatment session, based on the dosage and not accounting for mandatory discounts or negotiated rebates. CNN’s Michael Nedelman and Ben Tinker contributed to this report.<doc-sep>

(Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday said it approved a Johnson & Johnson nasal spray antidepressant for people resistant to other treatments but placed restrictions on use of the drug, which it warned could be misused and abused. The approval of nasal spray esketamine marks the first new type of treatment for depression in more than 30 years and has raised hopes for its relatively fast action and ability to treat some otherwise unreachable patients. Esketamine would be sold under the brand name Spravato and is a chemical mirror image of anesthetic ketamine, which is also abused as a recreational party drug and goes by the street nickname “Special K”. To prevent abuse, patients must take the drug in a doctor’s office or medical facility and cannot take it home. Currently available anti-depressants such as Eli Lilly and Co’s Prozac work on neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine, but most drugs take at least four weeks to show effect and fail to produce an adequate response in about 30 percent to 40 percent of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). “Spravato has the potential to change the treatment paradigm and offer new hope to the estimated one-third of people with major depressive disorder who have not responded to existing therapies,” said Mathai Mammen, global head of J&J’s Janssen Research & Development. Spravato has been touted as an asset with blockbuster potential and is expected to improve investor sentiment toward the growth prospects of J&J’s pharma unit Janssen, as its top-selling rheumatoid arthritis drug Remicade faces increased competition from cheaper biosimilars. The treatment carries a boxed warning - FDA’s harshest - flagging the risk for sedation and difficulty with attention, judgment and thinking, abuse and misuse, and suicidal thoughts after administration of the drug. Spravato is absorbed by the lining of the nasal passages and into the blood stream and will be used along with a newly prescribed oral antidepressant, Johnson & Johnson said in a statement here. During clinical trials, Spravato was found to relieve depression symptoms within 24 hours in some patients, said Janssen spokesman Greg Panico. The approval comes after an FDA advisory panel in February voted heavily in favor of the drug esketamine, saying its benefits outweighed the risks. However, the panel members echoed concerns raised by FDA staffers regarding the increased risk of sedation, dissociation and higher blood pressure observed in the study. The drug is also being tested in patients with depression who are at a high risk of committing suicide. Recent research shows that depression involves deterioration of the quality and number of nerve cell connections in areas of the brain related to mood. J&J’s drug helps restore these nerve cell connections in the brain, leading to an improvement in depression symptoms, according to the company. Over 300 million people globally live with major depressive disorders, and the incidence of attempted suicide in people with this condition is about 20-fold higher than that among those without the disorder.

Pulwama terror attack: Two personnel from TamilNadu, one from Kerala were killed. | Photo Credit: Twitter Two personnel from Tamil Nadu and one CRPF jawan from Kerala have died in the Pulwama terrorist attack. On Thursday, Kashmir saw one of the worst terrorist attacks in the decade. 38 CRPF personnel were killed in a major terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district. While banned terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed the responsibility for the ghastly attack, it was carried out by one Adil Ahmed. While one of the Tamil Nadu CRPF personnel was identified as Subramaniyan from Thoothukudi district, the other was identified as Sivachandran, from Ariyalur district. Subramaniyan also spoke to his wife on Thursday afternoon at around 2 pm. Subramanian completed his ITI degree and was very passionate to join the Indian Army, according to his family. He married Krishnaveni one year ago. He was working for the CRPF for the past five years. For Pongal festival, this January he came to his home town and celebrated the festival with his wife and family. After his vacation, he resumed office this Sunday itself. Subramanian's father Ganapathy still doesn't his son is no more. The father, understandably in shock, kept muttering that his son is only injured. Like Subramaniyan, one VV Vasantha Kumar, who hailed from Kerala was also killed in this attack. Kumar belonged to Wayanad and returned to Kashmir on February 9 after a 10-day vacation. He worked for the CRPF for the past 18 years and is survived by his wife and two children.<doc-sep>Villagers say slain jawan was soft-spoken, patriotic CHENNAI/TRICHY/MADURAI: Two bravehearts from Tamil Nadu , G Subramanian and C Sivachandran, were among the CRPF jawans killed when a suicide bomber targeted their convoy in Pulwama in J&K.Subramanian’s family in Savalapperi village near Kovilpatti in Tuticorin district, initially, did not believe the media on Friday when they reported that he was dead; they had spoken to him at 2 pm on Thursday, just an hour before the blast. The family got worried when Subramaniam could not be reached over the phone. Their worst fears were confirmed when police and revenue officials shared the chief minister’s condolence message and announcement of ₹20 lakh solatium to the family. “He said he would be happy to die for the nation. But he died very young. We have been married for just 17 months,” said his wife Krishnaveni.In Karkudi village in Ariyalur, Sivachandran’s family was inconsolable; he had left home only on February 9. Sivachandran had joined the CRPF in 2010 and since then had been posted in Jammu & Kashmir. He got married to Gandhimathi in 2014 and the couple have a two-year-old son and are expecting their second child. He too had called his wife a few hours before the blast.“He always told me that he wanted to live and die for the nation. Preparing our son to clear the civil service examination and making him Indian Police Service (IPS) officer was one of his dreams,” said Sivachandran’s wife Gandhimathi.Sivachandran’s father Chinnaiyan, a farm worker, was heartbroken. Last year, he had lost his younger son, Selvachandran, who was electrocuted at his workplace in Chennai.“Sivachandran always encouraged the youth in our hamlet to join the forces,” V Arun, Gandhimathi’s brother, told TOI.Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday condoled the deaths of the two CRPF jawans and sanctioned ₹20 lakh each to their families.Sivachandran’s family said the compensation would not bring back their loved one. The police have told them that the body would arrive at Karkudi village on Saturday.The TN CM announced ₹20 lakh solatium to the families of slain jawans — G Subramanian (left) from Tuticorin district and C Sivachandran from Ariyalur districtSavalapperi village, home of 28-year-old Subramanian is in mourning. “We still believe he is alive,” his father V Ganapathi had told TOI over the phone. “That (he died) is what they (fellow villagers) are telling me. But if it is true we would have first got the information from the CRPF.” At one point the family got annoyed when journalists swarmed the house. “The auto recorded voice said the phone is switched off,” Krishnaveni told reporters in the afternoon.Subramanian was the youngest of four children of Ganapathi, a farmer, and Maruthammal. “From a very young age it was his desire to join the police, army or any other uniformed service and serve the country,” Ganapathi said. After schooling and completing ITI training, Subramanian joined the CRPF five years ago. He started his career in the force in Uttar Pradesh and has served in Chennai too.Subramanian used to visit his family every few months. He had come during Pongal and was home till February 9. During that period, he got his father admitted in a hospital in Tirunelveli for an eye surgery.Villagers said he was soft spoken and patriotic. He used to motivate the youth of his village to join the armed forces and serve the nation. They recalled that during his last visit, he united two groups of tussling youths and gave an elaborate speech on staying united. “If you don’t stay together, how will the nation be united?” they quoted him telling the youth. After he returned to duty, he was constantly in touch with the family over phone.Krishnaveni said their last conversation was around 2pm on Thursday, shortly before the suicide attack blew his convoy to pieces. “He said that he was on his way to deployment. I asked him if he had eaten, to which he said they had packed their food and would eat once they reach their destination. He said he would call me after reaching the destination,” she said.Susheela, his elementary school teacher, said Subramanian was a very active boy. “Even after so many years later, he would always greet me and talk respectfully,” she said. Students of the school paid a silent tribute to the fallen soldier.<doc-sep>CHENNAI: Two jawans from Tamil Nadu were among around 40 CRPF personnel who died in a suicide terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Thursday. The two deceased jawans from the state have been identified as G Subramanian from Tuticorin district and C Sivachandran from Ariyalur district.Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday condoled the deaths of the two CRPF jawans and sanctioned Rs 20 lakh each to their families. "I condole the deaths of Subramanian and Sivachandran. I have ordered to release Rs 20 lakh to the families immediately," said Palaniswami in a press release.Subramanian, who hailed from Savalapperi near Kovilpatti in Tuticorin, had joined CRPF about five years ago after completing ITI training. He had earlier worked in Chennai in Uttar Pradesh. He married Krishnaveni less than two years ago.Subramanian came home for Pongal and returned on Sunday last. His father, Ganapathi, said Subramanian had spoken to Krishnaveni around 2pm on Thursday and told her that he was going for duty. That was his last conversation with the family.Sivachandran hailed from Karkudi village in Ariyalur district. He is survived by his wife Gandhimathi and 2-year-old son Sivamuniyan. His family members said that Gandhimathi was four months pregnant. Sivachandran left the village on February 9.<doc-sep>Pulwama Attack: C Sivachandran's 2-year-old son and mother bids him farewell Highlights C Sivachandran, the CRPF jawan was cremated in Tamil Nadu yesterday He joined the CRPF in 2010, gave family much needed financial stability He had gone back to his posting in Jammu and Kashmir just last Saturday Two-year-old Sivamuniyan, son of C Sivachandran, the soldier who was killed in Pulwama terror attack on Thursday, looked puzzled as hundreds including Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, paid their tribute before bidding his father final farewell. Sivamuniyan can hardly understand why he saluted and kissed the coffin draped in tricolour. His mother, Gandhimathi, pregnant with her second baby, held Sivamuniyan, wearing his father's uniform, close to her chest. C Sivachandran, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan was cremated in Tamil Nadu's Ariyalur district with full state honours on Saturday. The little boy, probably prompted by his father's colleagues, perhaps would remember Sivachandran only in a photograph. Dressed in customary silk sari, Gandhimathi was inconsolable. Her husband had gone back to his posting in Jammu and Kashmir just last Saturday. He was on a vacation, which he also used for a pilgrimage to Sabarimala Temple. C Sivachandran, CRPF jawan, who was killed in Pulwama terror attack Gandhimathi is a qualified nurse. Her family and the local community wanted the government to give her a secure and well paid job. The Tamil Nadu government has announced Rs 20 lakh as relief and a government job to a family member. Sivachandran's father, Chinnayan can hardly believe what happened. Two years ago he had lost his younger son in an accident at his workplace in Chennai. Wearing an old uniform of his son, he sobbed uncontrollably, recollecting how his son stood for unity. In a corner sat the soldier's sister, Jayachitra, with with tears streaming down her cheeks. She has a speech and hearing impairment. Her brother, Sivachnadran used to take care of all her requirements. Now her future looks bleak, say relatives. It was Sivachandran, who worked tirelessly for the economic stability of the family and was successful in a short span of time. Till he joined the CRPF, the family used to stay in a hut, when Sivachandran, with a Masters and a B.Ed degree taught at a local school. He joined the CRPF in 2010 and after that built a concrete house and gave his family the much needed financial stability.<doc-sep>

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Friday condoled the deaths of the jawans and announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh and a government job to the kin of the martyrs. Two of the 40 Central Police Reserve Force (CRPF) personnel who were martyred in the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14 came from Tamil Nadu. Just an hour before the dastardly attack, Constable G Subramanium had spoken to his wife Krishnaveni to ask about his father who underwent a cataract operation in January. Hailing from the nondescript village of Seevalaperi in Tuticorin district, 28-year-old Subramaniam had joined the forces in 2014 after completing ITI. Part of the 82 battalion, Subramanium had been posted in Srinagar a year ago. It was only on February 10 that he had returned to duty after spending a month-long vacation with his family. During his stay at home, he had celebrated the festival of Thalai Pongal with his wife Krishnaveni. The couple had marriedonly in 2018. "He used to proudly say that he would be happy to die for the nation. That has come true. He died very young. We did not even live our life together," a sobbing Krishnaveni said. Ganapathy, Subramanium's father, could not hold back his tears as he remembered his doting son. "My son was the breadwinner of our family. His loss is irreplaceable. Even during his holidays, he worked on the farm to support us. He took me to the hospital for my cataract surgery. He used to call from Jammu and ask if I had taken my medicines. What will we do without him," he said. As a soft-spoken youngster, Subramanium aspired to join the uniformed services from his childhood. A sports enthusiast, he would encourage the youngsters to be physically fit and had been instrumental in forming the Kabbadi club in the village. He actively took part in the sports events organised as part of the Pongal celebrations at his village. A pall of gloom descended in Karkudi village in Ariyalur from where CRPF jawan C Sivachandran hailed. 32-year-old Sivachandran worked as a teacher before joining the forces in 2010. He had returned to Jammu on February 9 after spending holidays with his family. Survived by his wife Gandhimathi and 2-year-old son, Sivachandran dreamt of raising his son to become an IPS officer. "I spoke to my husband three days back when he reached Delhi. I had asked him to be safe and he had asked me to not worry and take care of our son. He was very proud of serving the nation," she said. Hailing from a family of farm laborers, Sivachandran too was the sole breadwinner. His demise came as a rude shock to the family who just the last year had lost their younger son. "My younger son died of electrocution last year and now my elder son is also dead. What are we going to do?" Chinnayan, father of the martyred jawan, said. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palanisami on Friday condoled the deaths of the jawans and announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh and a government job to the kin of the martyrs. Follow | Pulwama terror attack Live updates: Rajnath Singh calls all party meeting to discuss India's move Also watch | PM Modi pays his final respects to slain CRPF jawans

President Trump took a victory lap on Twitter on Tuesday after news emerged that the Senate Intelligence committee had found no evidence of collusion between Russia and his 2016 presidential campaign. When the news was reported on MSNBC, the billionaire publicly thanked the network. “Thank you to MSNBC,” Trump said. The network has long been hostile territory for the president, with their primetime hosts regularly lacing into him and his administration policies. Trump’s praise stands in stark contrast to the usual criticism he levies at MSNBC — much of which is reserved for their a.m. show, “Morning Joe.” The news was first reported on the channel by correspondent Ken Dilanian. A representative for MSNBC declined TheWrap’s request for comment. Also Read: MSNBC Analyst Compares Facebook to 'Soylent Green': 'You Are the Consumable' “After two years and interviewing more than 200 witnesses, the Senate Intelligence committee has not uncovered any direct evidence of a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia,” Dilanian said. “That’s according to sources on both the Republican and Democratic side of the aisle.” “This is a bipartisan investigation and what I found is that the Democrats don’t dispute that characterization,” Dilanian added, citing Democratic “sources” in Congress. Also Read: Erick Erickson, #NeverTrump Leader, Endorses Donald Trump in 2020 There remains debate about whether the news constitutes the committee “clearing” Trump, with MSNBC also reporting on air Tuesday that different senators (depending on their party) took different interpretations away from the results. Both the Senate and House investigations into collusion have been broadly overshadowed by the Special Counsel investigation led by former FBI director Robert Mueller. The probe, now nearly two years old, has already resulted in several indictments of high profile Trump officials including former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and longtime Trump’s adviser Roger Stone.<doc-sep>President Donald Trump tweeted a segment from MSNBC on Tuesday evening of NBC News’ Ken Dilanian saying the Senate Intelligence Committee has not found any evidence of Russian collision. “After two years and interviewing more than 200 witnesses, the Senate Intelligence Committee has not uncovered any direct evidence of a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, that’s according to sources on both the Republican and Democratic side of the aisle,” Dilanian said. (RELATED: Stone Indictment Undercuts Trump-Russia Collusion Narrative) He added, “Careful viewers and readers will note that Sen. Richard Burr, the Chairman of the Intelligence Committee, who leads this probe essentially said that in an interview with another network last week. But what I’ve been doing since then is checking with my sources on the Democratic side to understand the full context of his remarks.” According to Dilanian’s reporting, Democrats don’t dispute Burr’s summation of the case of collusion, but they say it “lacked context.” “If we write a report based upon the facts that we have, then we don’t have anything that would suggest there was collusion by the Trump campaign and Russia,” Burr said in an interview with CBS last week, which Dilanian referenced. Following that interview, Trump tweeted, “Not only did Senator Burr’s Committee find No Collusion by the Trump Campaign and Russia, it’s important because they interviewed 200 witnesses and 300,000 pages of documents, & the Committee has direct access to intelligence information that’s Classified.” Follow Mike on Twitter<doc-sep>Sen. Mark Warner Mark Robert WarnerSenators offer bill to allow remote online notarizations Second suspected 'Havana Syndrome' case near White House under investigation: report Warner: Hack-reporting law 'one of the few areas left where there's broad bipartisan support' MORE (Va.), the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, broke on Tuesday with committee Chairman Richard Burr Richard Mauze BurrOvernight Health Care: Moderna says COVID-19 vaccine is 100 percent effective in 12- to 17-year-olds | US achieves full vaccinations for half of adults | Trump on Wuhan lab: Now everyone agrees 'I was right' Manchin, Sinema press GOP senators on Jan. 6 commission Murkowski to back Jan. 6 commission bill MORE's (R-N.C.) assessment that the panel had not found evidence of collusion based on its findings thus far. "Respectfully, I disagree," Warner said, according to CNN. "I'm not going to get into any conclusions I've reached because my basis of this has been that I'm not going to reach any conclusion until we finish the investigation. And we still have a number of the key witnesses to come back." ADVERTISEMENT Burr told CBS News last week that "based on the evidence" the committee has seen so far, there is nothing to suggest that members of President Trump Donald TrumpTrump lashes out after grand jury seated for New York criminal probe Schumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission MORE's campaign and the Russian government colluded during the 2016 election. The split in public comments between Burr and Warner marked a rare instance of a partisan divide between the two committee leaders, who have been conducting a bipartisan investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. NBC News reported Tuesday that the committee is nearing the end of its investigation having uncovered no direct evidence of collusion, but some senators on the panel were less committal. Sen. Angus King Angus KingPolice reform sees momentum ahead of George Floyd anniversary Democrats to introduce bill to prevent default recurring political donations Top Interior lawyer nominee quizzed over public records law MORE (I-Maine), a member of the Intelligence Committee, told The Hill when asked about the NBC report that the panel "has not concluded anything." "Several of the individual members have made statements, but I certainly am not prepared to make a statement as to what was found or not found," he said. Warner told CNN that lawmakers are still hoping to speak with a few witnesses, including Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen. The longtime Trump associate was scheduled to testify Tuesday, but postponed his appearance, citing medical reasons after a recent shoulder surgery. "What we do know, and it's part of the public record, there's never been a campaign in American history that during the campaign and its aftermath that the campaign folks affiliated with the campaign had as many ties with Russia as the Trump campaign did," Warner said. Trump has repeatedly maintained that his campaign did not collude with Russia, and he has decried the federal investigation into the 2016 election led by special counsel Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerSenate Democrats urge Garland not to fight court order to release Trump obstruction memo Why a special counsel is guaranteed if Biden chooses Yates, Cuomo or Jones as AG Barr taps attorney investigating Russia probe origins as special counsel MORE, calling it a "witch hunt." That probe has thus far implicated six former Trump associates and dozens of Russians. Trump last week seized on Burr's remarks about the committee's findings. The president highlighted the senator's comments as proof that his campaign did not collude, but did not mention that Burr was referring to evidence the committee has reviewed to date. Senator Richard Burr, The Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, just announced that after almost two years, more than two hundred interviews, and thousands of documents, they have found NO COLLUSION BETWEEN TRUMP AND RUSSIA! Is anybody really surprised by this? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 10, 2019 Burr has periodically said he has seen no evidence of collusion between the campaign and the Russian government, however he has noted he will wait to make a final judgment until the investigation is fully completed.<doc-sep>President Trump is expressing gratitude to MSNBC for a new report that may shed light on the findings from the Senate Intelligence Committee. NBC News reported Tuesday morning that according to both unnamed Republicans and Democrats, the Senate Intelligence Committee has concluded that there is no direct evidence of conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election after conducting 200 interviews over the course of two years. As NBC News’ Ken Dilanian reported on-air, Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., told another news outlet last week that the panel had reached a conclusion, but now there is reporting from the Democratic side that confirmed Burr’s remarks. “They are nearing the end of this investigation we are told but that once they interview their final witness, it will take another six or seven months to prepare a report. So the American public may not see the fruits for some time,” Dilanian told MSNBC’s Hallie Jackson. JEROME CORSI REPORTEDLY CLAIMS ROGER STONE TRIED TO TRIGGER HEART ATTACKS TO PREVENT TESTIMONY Dilanian later stressed that the Senate Intel investigation is completely independent from the probe conducted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller and how he may draw different conclusions. “That said, Trump will claim vindication through this, and he’ll be partially right,” Dilanian added. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The president took to Twitter to praise MSNBC’s reporting and share a clip of its on-air reporting. “Thank you to MSNBC!” he tweeted.<doc-sep>

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump continued Wednesday to highlight statements by the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee that it has found no collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign even as the panel's top Democrat said that assessment is premature. "The Senate Intelligence Committee: THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF COLLUSION BETWEEN THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN AND RUSSIA!" Trump wrote in a predawn tweet. He was referencing comments by Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., the committee's chairman, that to this point its investigation has not found direct evidence of coordination between Trump's campaign and Russia in the 2016 presidential race. Sen. Mark R. Warner, D-Va., the panel's vice chairman, said Tuesday that he "respectfully" disagrees with Burr. "I'm not going to get into any conclusions I've reached because my basis of this has been that I'm not going to reach any conclusion until we finish the investigation," Warner told CNN. "And we still have a number of the key witnesses to come back." The divergence is a rare split between Burr and Warner, who have sought to highlight the bipartisan nature of the committee's ongoing, two-year investigation into Russian election interference. In an interview with CBS last week, Burr said that his assessment was "based on the evidence to date." "If we write a report based upon the facts that we have, then we don't have anything that would suggest there was collusion by the Trump campaign and Russia," Burr said. On Tuesday, Burr reiterated to reporters that "we don't have any" evidence of collusion. Asked whether the committee's investigation exonerated Trump, Burr said: "Just saying what factually we've found to date. We haven't finished our investigation." Last week, Trump seized on Burr's comments to CBS, writing that the "mainstream media has refused to cover the fact that the head of the VERY important Senate Intelligence Committee, after two years of intensive study and access to Intelligence that only they could get, just stated that they have found NO COLLUSION between 'Trump' & Russia." He went on to call investigations into the matter, including that of special counsel Robert Muller III, a "GIANT AND ILLEGAL HOAX." In a court record this month, a lawyer on Mueller's team said that one of the special counsel's main tasks is examining contacts between Americans and Russia during the 2016 race to determine whether Trump associates conspired with the Russian-backed interference campaign.

Bellator returned to California for their big DAZN streaming debut, bringing some big names and some big paydays to the SAP Center in San Jose. Because California is one of those states where the athletic commissions force promoters to disclose fighter purses, we have a pretty good idea what everyone made for their fights on the card. In general, the numbers we see look higher than what you see on many UFC cards with five of the twelve main card fighters making six figure sums. Another thing worth noting: many of the top names are paid flat fees, not show / win splits. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson was the best paid fighter on the card, making $300,000 for his TKO win over longtime rival Wanderlei Silva (who made $200,000). It’s not all grass is greener over in Bellator, though. We’ve got real feels for Ysidro Gutierrez, who took a beating from the always violent Gaston Bolanos for a measly $2000. Take a look at all the pay, care of the CSAC (and via MMA Junkie): Gegard Mousasi: $150,000 (no win bonus) def. Rory MacDonald: $150,000 (no win bonus) Quinton Jackson: $300,000 (no win bonus) def. Wanderlei Silva: $200,000 (no win bonus) Douglas Lima: $130,000 (no win bonus) def. Andrey Koreshkov: $55,000 Aaron Pico: $80,000 (includes $40,000 win bonus) def. Leandro Higo: $14,000 Keri Melendez: $25,000 (no win bonus) def. Dakota Zimmerman: $4,000 Gaston Bolanos: $24,000 to show (includes $12,000 win bonus) vs. Ysidro Gutierrez: $2,000<doc-sep>Rampage Jackson evened the score with Wanderlei Silva at Bellator 206 on Saturday in San Jose, Calif. This was the fourth meeting between the two titans of mixed martial arts. Silva had won the first two fights with emphatic knockouts under the Pride FC banner, while Jackson won their third encounter in the UFC Octagon just as emphatically, also by way of knockout. That third bout took place in 2008. Fast forward 10 years and Jackson was able to repeat the feat in the Bellator cage. Silva appeared to have a solid strategy from the opening bell, darting in and out on Jackson, establishing his jab, and using his movement to try and stay away from his opponent's power. Jackson, however, showed an ever-improving boxing game, particularly with his movement and patience, as he didn’t fall into any of Silva’s traps, instead waiting for Silva to overcommit and then using his size advantage to put him on the fence. Quinton Rampage Jackson during Pride FC Once there, Jackson used a near 30-pound advantage to wear Silva down and land some solid short uppercuts and knees to the body. By the end of the opening frame, Silva was already breathing heavily, while Jackson appeared relaxed and rested. Silva opened round two with an outside low kick, but he mounted little more offense as the round wore on. Jackson turned up the pressure in the second frame, consistently pressing forward and punching Silva back to the fence. This time, Silva fought his way out, but it’s also when Jackson turned his game up another notch. Silva tried to reinstitute his jab, but Jackson rocked him with a left-right punch combination and followed with a couple of knees to the body. Jackson again used his size to get back into the clinch, where he kept wearing Silva down and hurting him with the short uppercuts and knees to the body. TRENDING > Is Vitor Belfort Teasing a Return to the Cage? Late in the round, Jackson opened Silva up with a solid jab and then landed a straight right that put the Brazilian on his butt on the canvas. Jackson unloaded with punch after punch on his downed foe until the referee had no choice but to stop the fight. Story continues Jackson would later admit that a couple of Silva’s punches that got through had him seeing stars. “He rocked me. My chin was tested tonight,” Jackson told Big John McCarthy. “I had a flashback from when he rocked me in Japan.” Though there was a lot of trash talk leading up to their fourth meeting, Jackson showed an immense amount of respect to Silva following the fight, clasping hands and bowing his head. “A lot of people don’t know this, but I watched Wanderlei fight at UFC 20 before I even began fighting. I am definitely a fan.” The bout was the 51st of each of their storied careers.<doc-sep>

It took 15 years to get there, but Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has pulled even in his legendary series with Wanderlei Silva. The former UFC light heavyweight champion defeated his former PRIDE 205-pound counterpart in their fourth career meeting via second-round TKO on Saturday night at Bellator 206. The time of the finish of the co-feature bout at SAP Center in San Jose was 4:32 of round two. With that, “Rampage” tied their series at two apiece. “All the respect in the world for Wanderlei,” Jackson said after his 24th career stoppage victory. The 40-year-old Jackson weighed in at 254.4 for the heavyweight bout, nearly 30 pounds above the 42-year old Silva’s 226.9. And while the action was slow moving, it was spirited for what it was. Silva, stuck with the game plan of his days of old and fearlessly waded in to throw big bombs. Jackson, for his part, would initiate the clinch whenever Silva landed, and punished his foe on several occasions with big knees to the body. By the second, Silva was still landing often enough to keep Jackson honest, but it was clear Jackson was taking over. The beginning of the end came when Jackson landed a left to the jaw followed by a right which landed flush on the face. A second right dropped Silva and led to a flurry which ended things. “He rocked me, my chin was tested tonight,” Jackson admitted. “I know Wanderlei can hit hard. When he touched me this time, I had a flashback to when he rocked me in Japan.” Jackson (38-13) snapped a two-fight skid. Silva dropped to 35-14-1 (1 NC) and is 0-2 since coming out of a long retirement last year. Silva took bouts between the two in PRIDE in Japan in 2003 and 2005, while Jackson took their third fight at UFC 92.

NBA: Bayless speculates LeBron may WANT Lakers to struggle FREE now and never miss the top F1 stories again SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up fornow and never miss the top F1 stories again When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. The Lakers’ offense has struggled since LeBron got hurt and is the 30th in offensive rating in the league since December 27. But LA came up with a huge win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night to kickstart their current two-game road trip, winning 138-128. And the Lakers’ impressive defense has ensured they have kept a relatively respectable 5-7 record, albeit while losing to the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers and in the midst of an easy schedule. But it is a marked improvement on the Cavs' 0-8 record without LeBron in 2016-17. The Lakers' run has seen them slip from fourth in the Western Conference to eighth, half a game back on the Utah Jazz and 0.5 ahead of the LA Clippers. But they will have to come up big without superstar LeBron again tonight as they take on the James Harden-led Houston Rockets at Toyota Center (5.30pm PST/1.30am UK time). The Rockets are only one game ahead of the Lakers in the West but Harden has been in unstoppable form of late despite missing co-star Chris Paul. Across the span of his last 18 games, Harden has averaged 42 points and scored 50 or more three times, with four triple-doubles while amassing over 40 points. The reigning MVP dropped 58 on the Brooklyn Nets last time out, adding to 57 against the Memphis Grizzlies before that. LeBron James is still out with a groin strain LeBron James has missed the Lakers' last 12 games and will also be out tonight And it is he who the Lakers will be tasked with stopping if they are to get back at the Rockets for the two losses they have been handed by Houston already this year. Harden had game-highs in points on both nights with LeBron leading the way for the Lakers, and it will certainly be interesting to see whether Luke Walton’s team can keep up with Houston without the four-time MVP. LeBron is clear to return to full team practice next week as he bids to step up his return. He could seek to return against the Warriors when the Lakers take on the defending champions again but his agent Rich Paul has declared he will only return when he’s at his best. LeBron’s representative said to The Athletic this week: “We're going to do what's best for him. The best-case scenario was three weeks, the worst-case was six weeks, and we're right on schedule. “He'll improve his workload, and he'll be day to day from there. Now day to day doesn't mean tomorrow or the next day (he'll be back). Day to day means that after each day of his workload, we'll evaluate it, and when he feels his best he'll play. LeBron James is not in Houston to watch his Lakers team-mates The young Lakers will be tasked with stopping a red-hot James Harden The Lakers found a way past Oklahoma City in their last game Trending<doc-sep>Although LeBron James is back in Los Angeles while he tries to get back to full strength, his younger Lakers teammate Josh Hart brought back a strategy LeBron tried a month ago against the Houston Rockets. In the Dec. 13 meeting between the Lakers and Rockets, the Lakers put their hands behind their back when guarding the Rockets ball-handlers James Harden and Chris Paul. And even while the Lakers had a dominant first half where they built 64-46 lead, Josh Hart brought back the strategy. Josh Hard guards James Harden pic.twitter.com/f9PLAUO45F — The Render (@TheRenderNBA) January 20, 2019 While it didn’t keep Harden from scoring, Hart didn’t foul him. As James told reporters after the Lakers did it back in December, the hope is that they don’t send Harden to the line.<doc-sep>We’re reaching a point in the season where I don’t know what the hope for anymore. Do the Rockets really have what it takes to challenge Golden State this year, even if Chris Paul and the other injured Rockets come back completely healthy? I’m just not sure. Should we just appreciate James Harden’s regular season, knowing full well that it will probably come back to haunt him and Houston in the playoffs when he inevitably runs out of gas? Should Houston look to next year, when the Warriors could lose two of their five All-NBA players? Anyway, a team with an equally interesting dilemma comes to Toyota Center tonight. Unlike Houston, the Lakers know that this isn’t their season. Realistically, their window opens next season when they can attract another star player to play alongside LeBron James. For now, they are watching their young talent grow to see what they have. And if their game Thursday night in Oklahoma City is anything to go by, they have a lot. Lonzo Ball is no longer a punchline thanks to his father. He’s running their offense with LeBron out and finished with 18/10/6 against OKC. Kyle Kuzma kills the Rockets regularly, and now he’s doing to other teams with regularity. He cooked the Thunder for 32. The real star for LA in that game, though, was Ivica Zubac, who finished with 26 points (on 12-14 shooting), 12 rebounds, and was a game-high +35. Do you realize how difficult it is to be +35 in a game that goes to overtime? He was so steady that by the middle of overtime my dad was wondering if we could trade Clint Capela for him straight up. Luckily for all of us, my dad isn’t Daryl Morey. Although that would be pretty cool. (My dad being Morey. Not my dad trading Capela for Zubac.) This is probably a disappointing game overall for ABC and ESPN. When they picked this game to headline their first Saturday primetime game, they probably imagined a duel between James Harden and LeBron James. Then Spitgate happened and they probably thought, “Cool this Chris Paul-Rajon Rondo beef will be another storyline we can beat viewers over the head with multiple times!” The problem of course is that James, Paul, and Rondo are all out, as is Clint Capela. Eric Gordon and James Ennis III are probable. Tip-off is at 7:30pm CT on ABC<doc-sep>

The Los Angeles Lakers wrap up their quick two-game road trip Saturday night when they visit Houston to take on James Harden and the Houston Rockets. The game will be nationally televised on ABC, and is the first Saturday night primetime game of the season. The Lakers enter Houston coming off an impressive overtime win over the Oklahoma City Thunder and are hoping this is the last time they will have to take the floor without LeBron James. But while the Lakers are missing their perennial MVP candidate, the Houston Rockets have theirs and he’s playing at unimaginable levels. This week James Harden became the first player since Wilt Chamberlain to score 55+ points in back-to-back games, and he has dragged the Rockets to fifth place in the West while Chris Paul, Eric Gordon, and now Clint Capela have all been sidelined with injuries. The Rockets have essentially been a one-man offense and have the second-best offensive rating in the league at 113.8. The Lakers are very familiar with Harden’s scoring exploits. He hung 50 on them in their last matchup. Stopping Harden seems impossible lately, so the Lakers might focus on the offensive side of the ball. In order to switch things up, the Lakers could try and push the Rockets out of their comfort zone by playing with pace. The Rockets rank 28th in the league in pace this season, while the Lakers are third. A nationally televised win against the MVP frontrunner would be huge for the young Lakers, and would help them keep pace in the Western Conference playoff picture. They’ll need Kyle Kuzma to shoot like he did in Oklahoma City on Thursday and continued playmaking from Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram to make it happen. And maybe if they’re lucky, LeBron will be back on Monday.

President Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, are expected to meet with the musician Kanye West on Thursday at the White House, two people familiar with the plans said. Mr. West, who has faced a backlash over his vocal support of the president, will meet first with Mr. Kushner and then have lunch with the president, the two people said. Mr. Kushner, who serves as a senior adviser to Mr. Trump, has been focused on overhauling the criminal justice system, and one person briefed on the meeting said that Mr. West wanted to discuss the availability of job opportunities for former convicts. He also hopes to discuss with Mr. Trump how to increase the number of manufacturing jobs in the Chicago area, where Mr. West grew up and recently said he planned to return, according to the person briefed on the meeting.<doc-sep>“He’s been a terrific guy,” Trump said of West. “He loves what we’re doing for African American jobs, for so many different things. Median income, as you see, is at an all-time high; poverty level at the best rate, meaning the lowest rate. And Kanye is a smart guy, and he sees that.”<doc-sep>After Kim Kardashian West met with Donald Trump back in May, Kanye West is now expected to visit the White House for an official meeting later this week. New York Times spoke to two sources familiar with the plans, who explained that West would first have a meeting with Jared Kushner before holding a meeting with Donald Trump. The meeting was subsequently confirmed by one of Kanye’s representatives. According to the sources, the meeting will discuss the availability of job opportunities for former convicts, as well as seeking to address the number of manufacturing jobs in Chicago. Kanye and Trump have met in the past, with West visiting Trump Tower shortly after Trump’s election. Since then, he has become an outspoken supporter of the presidency. Recently, Chance, The Rapper revealed his thoughts that “a lot” of Kanye’s antics are for “attention.”<doc-sep>Kanye West is going to the White House. West is expected to visit Washington on Thursday to meet with President Trump as well as White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, according to the New York Times. The Times reports that West will meet with Kushner first and will then have lunch with Trump. The meeting was confirmed in a statement by White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. West is expected to discuss a number of topics during his visit, including job opportunities for those released from prison, manufacturing jobs in Chicago, and gang violence. Sanders said West — who grew up in Chicago and recently announced plans to move back into the area — will also discuss “what can be done to reduce violence in Chicago,” days after Trump proposed implementing stop-and-frisk policing tactics in the city. The Thursday meeting won’t be the first between Trump and West; the rapper previously went to Trump Tower in December 2016 to discuss “multicultural issues.” In May, West’s wife, reality TV star and entrepreneur Kim Kardashian West, met with Trump to discuss prison reform and pardoning Alice Marie Johnson, a 63-year-old black woman serving life in federal prison for a first-time drug offense. Trump commuted Johnson’s sentence, and in the months since, Kardashian West has returned to the White House to continue to lobby for prison reform. Kanye West has become one of the president’s highest-profile celebrity supporters, and he has favorably tweeted about Trump on numerous occasions. Last month, West delivered a pro-Trump speech after a performance on Saturday Night Live. “So many times that I talk to a white person about this, and they say, ‘How could you support Trump? He’s racist.’ Well, if I was concerned about racism,” West said, “I would have moved out of America a long time ago.” West’s upcoming visit fits into President Trump’s well-established love of celebrity advocacy The meeting between Trump and West comes after both have regularly praised one another in tweets, with West saying that he and Trump are “both dragon energy” and calling the president a “brother.” Trump returned the praise by saying that West “has performed a great service to the black community” by openly supporting him, claiming that West’s favorable comments have helped the president’s approval numbers with African Americans (this was not actually the case). The upcoming meeting is likely to call new attention to public criticisms of the Trump-West relationship. West in particular continues to face criticism for supporting Trump despite the president’s policy agenda being considered hostile to marginalized communities and Trump’s record of making racist remarks. West has also faced criticism for making grossly inaccurate statements about the history of slavery and race in America, often while talking about his support for Trump. In April, West was slammed for saying that slavery was “a choice” that resulted from black people being “mentally imprisoned.” More recently, he sparked a controversy when he called for abolishing the 13th Amendment, which ended slavery in the United States. West later clarified that he actually wanted to modify the amendment’s allowance of prison labor rather than abolish it entirely. The meeting also highlights the continued power of celebrities in the Trump era. While other presidents have often brought celebrities to White House — Barack Obama notably invited rappers including J. Cole and Nicki Minaj to discuss criminal justice reform — these gatherings were also accompanied by policy meetings with experts. President Trump, meanwhile, has almost exclusively relied on celebrity references from figures like Kardashian West and Sylvester Stallone, as well as input from conservative figures like Ted Cruz and outlets like Fox News, to shape his approach to aspects of the justice system like pardons. Policy meetings on prison reform and sentencing, on the other hand, have been largely left to aides and advisers like Kushner. The president has also fiercely criticized celebrities who speak out against his policies, most recently telling reporters that he likes Taylor Swift’s music “25 percent less” after her recent endorsement of Democrats running for office in Tennessee. Not every celebrity invited to the White House has gone. For example, rapper Meek Mill, who experienced a decade-long saga with the criminal justice system, dropped out of a May discussion on prison reform, telling reporters that the event had become focused on him and Trump rather than policy. Much of this seems to be the result of how much influence celebrities — or at least celebrities with minimal criticism of Trump himself — appear to hold in the Trump White House when it comes to matters of criminal justice. A September report from USA Today noted that the Trump administration has taken “an often chaotic, ad hoc approach to clemency.” The report added that the president “has granted pardons to people who haven’t applied for them, bypassed the formal Justice Department review process, and focused his pardon power on a handful of politically charged, high-profile cases.” While there have been efforts to create a more disciplined process, it is unclear if the president would respond positively to such a development.<doc-sep>

President-elect Donald Trump and musician Kanye West pose for media at Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., December 13, 2016. One of the strangest bonds in politics and pop culture only appears to be getting stronger. Kanye West, one of President Donald Trump's few big name celebrity allies, is scheduled to meet with the president and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, on Thursday at the White House. West, who has faced backlash over his vocal support of the president, will have lunch with Trump and discuss a range of issues, including criminal justice reform and violence in his home city of Chicago. "Kanye West is coming to the White House to have lunch with President Trump and he will also meet with Jared Kushner," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. "Topics of discussions will include manufacturing resurgence in America, prison reform, how to prevent gang violence, and what can be done to reduce violence in Chicago." The visit will be the latest milestone in the unexpectedly friendly relationship between the rapper and the president, which has flourished since the two met at Trump Tower in 2016, weeks after Trump's election victory. The next meeting comes after West drew criticism from liberals and fellow celebrities for a pro-Trump speech at the end of his Sept. 29 appearance on "Saturday Night Live," when he donned a "Make America Great Again" hat. His meandering speech praising Trump did not air, but the president mentioned West's appearance at a rally last week in Tennessee and praised West's performance in a tweet. The separate meeting with Kushner is expected to focus on criminal justice reform, which has been a focus for Trump's son-in-law in his senior advisor role, according to reports. On Monday, Trump touted so-called stop and frisk policing tactics and said he has instructed the Justice Department to work toward reinstating the practice in Chicago. Trump and Kushner recently met with West's wife, reality TV star Kim Kardashian West, about sentencing reform. In July, Trump commuted the sentence of Alice Marie Johnson, a Tennessee woman serving a life term for nonviolent drug offenses, after Kardashian West pleaded her case. West's praise for the president has shocked and disappointed some of his fans. The rapper has called Trump his "brother" and said on Twitter that the two share "dragon energy." Some have questioned how West can continue to support Trump despite some racially charged statements made by Trump, particularly his attacks on former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and players who protest police violence by kneeling during the national anthem before NFL games. The news of the West-Trump meeting also comes two days after one of the rapper's pop nemesis, the usually apolitical Taylor Swift, endorsed two Democratic candidates in her home state Tennessee. Trump dismissed Swift's incursion into politics, and said he likes her music "about 25 percent less now."

Passengers look out at American Airlines flight 718, a Boeing 737 Max, parked at its gate at Miami International Airport as people load for the flight to New York on December 29, 2020 in Miami, Florida. The Boeing 737 Max flew its first commercial flight since the aircraft was allowed to return to service nearly two years after being grounded worldwide following a pair of separate crashes. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) MARANA, ARIZONA - MAY 16: Decommissioned and suspended jetBlue commercial aircrafts are seen stored in Pinal Airpark on May 16, 2020 in Marana, Arizona. Pinal Airpark is the largest commercial aircraft storage facility in the world, currently holding increased numbers of aircraft in response to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) Hayden A. Smith, 17, is a plane spotter and photographer and took this photo of UAL Flight 328 on Saturday, February 20, as it flew overhead in Aurora, Colorado. ATLANTA - APRIL 30: A Boeing 757 with a new Delta Airlines logo sits on the tarmac following the company's emergence from bankruptcy at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport April 30,2007 in Atlanta, Georgia. The 757 sports new branding that will appear on more than 900 planes, at airports and on advertising. (Photo by Barry Williams/Getty Images) 757 Delta CEO: The goal is for a good summer in the US JetBlue CEO on when tickets to London will be available MARANA, ARIZONA - MAY 16: Decommissioned and suspended jetBlue commercial aircrafts are seen stored in Pinal Airpark on May 16, 2020 in Marana, Arizona. Pinal Airpark is the largest commercial aircraft storage facility in the world, currently holding increased numbers of aircraft in response to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) RENTON, WA - MARCH 14: Boeing 737 MAX airplanes, including the 737 MAX 9 test plane (L), are seen at Renton Municipal Airport, on March 14, 2019 in Renton, Washington. The 737 MAX, Boeing's newest model, has been been grounded by aviation authorities throughout the world after the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX 8 on March 10. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) (CNN) — US Justice Department prosecutors have issued multiple subpoenas as part of an investigation into Boeing’s Federal Aviation Administration certification and marketing of 737 Max planes, sources briefed on the matter told CNN. The criminal investigation, which is in its early stages, began after the October 2018 crash of a 737 Max aircraft operated by Lion Air in Indonesia, the sources said. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao on Tuesday asked the agency’s inspector general to investigate the Max certification. Criminal investigators have sought information from Boeing on safety and certification procedures, including training manuals for pilots, along with how the company marketed the new aircraft, the sources said. It’s not yet clear what possible criminal laws could be at issue in the probe. Among the things the investigators are looking into is the process by which Boeing itself certified the plane as safe, and the data it presented the FAA about that self-certification, the sources said. The FBI Seattle office and Justice Department’s criminal division in Washington are leading the investigation. A Boeing (BA) spokesperson referred to a statement the company released earlier in the week, which indicated it “does not respond to or comment on questions concerning legal matters, whether internal, litigation, or governmental inquiries.” The safety of the 737 Max has been called into question after it was involved in two fatal crashes in less than five months. Both the crash last October involving the Lion Air jet and the crash last week involving an Ethiopian Airlines jet resulted in the deaths of everyone aboard. The planes were grounded for an indefinite period worldwide after the Ethiopian Airlines crash. Boeing is still building the planes, but it said last week that it would temporarily stop delivering them to airlines while it determines what caused the two crashes. The FAA and others have said data shows similarities between the Lion Air and Ethiopian crashes. The FAA also said Wednesday that Boeing has developed a software patch and pilot training program to address issues with the Max that were identified in the Lion Air crash. The 737 Max jets are by far the most important product for the company. It has orders for nearly 5,000 of the jets, enough to keep production lines operating for years to come. But none of the 371 planes delivered so far can fly until aviation authorities around the world determine they are safe. Boeing spent three days after the crash insisting the plane was safe before conceding that the jets should be grounded out of “an abundance of caution and in order to reassure the flying public of the aircraft’s safety.” Boeing and the FAA had been insisting that with proper training the pilots could overcome any problems with the safety systems, and that the planes could keep flying while a software upgrade was completed. That upgrade is expected to be available next month. — CNN’s David Shortell and Jackie Wattles contributed to this report.<doc-sep>The cause of the Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed 157 people is still being investigated but similarities to the Boeing 737 Max 8’s flight path to that of Lion Air flight 610, which plunged into the sea off Indonesia last year, have been noted by air-safety experts, airline regulators, and worried passengers. While the US’s airline regulator says the plane is still safe to fly, Boeing said yesterday (March 11) it has been working on a new software update for the planes with US officials for “the past several months” and planned to release it “no later than April.“ One thing that is known: Both planes—new versions of the Boeing aircraft—took erratic up-and-down journeys marked by “unstable vertical speed” before taking fatal dives minutes after takeoff, according to FlightRadar24. Several countries have grounded their Boeing MAX fleets, including China, Ethiopia, and Indonesia, and Australia. Yesterday, the Association of Flight Attendants formally requested the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) conduct an investigation into the 737 Max. In the Lion Air crash on October 29, 2018, investigators determined that a faulty instrument reading forced an automated “safety feature” to send the plane into the sea even as the pilots struggled to keep it aloft. All 189 on board were killed. (Boeing put out a bulletin afterward advising airlines on how to deal with erroneous sensor information that would lead to “uncommanded nose down” maneuvers.) After the Lion Air crash, the FAA—which, with EU airline regulators, generally sets the tone for aviation safety worldwide—issued a new “airworthiness directive” to US operators of the Boeing 737 8 and 9 planes, warning that an “unsafe condition” exists on the models and providing flight crews “with runaway horizontal stabilizer trim procedures to follow under certain conditions.” Straightforward safety upgrades to the jets’ software to fix the automated safety feature, were originally expected in January according to multiple reports. But they were delayed until April, the Wall Street Journal reported Feb. 10, because of “engineering challenges,” “differences of opinion” between federal and Boeing officials, and the 35-day government shutdown, during which “consideration of the fixes was suspended.” It remains to be seen whether any software fix would have prevented the Ethiopian Airlines crash this week. In a statement yesterday, the 61,000-member Air Line Pilots Association cautioned “against speculation about what may have caused this tragic accident.” Warnings on how shutdown affected safety During the shutdown, the longest in US government history, FAA activities deemed crucial, including air-traffic control and safety oversight, continued, although the workers involved were unpaid. Many other activities were stopped. Donald Trump forced the shutdown after refusing to sign a government spending bill that didn’t have billions he wanted to build a wall on the US southern border. After 35 days, he signed a spending package that didn’t have the budget, then declared a “national emergency” to get the funds from the Pentagon instead. Warnings about the Transportation Security Administration and the FAA being stretched too thin during the shutdown brought the political situation to a head. The 61,000-member pilots association warned Trump of the dangers in a letter on Jan. 2, noting specifically that complicated oversight of manufacturing activities had stopped or were “significantly reduced”: For example, at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) there are fewer safety inspectors than are needed in order to ensure the air traffic control infrastructure is performing at its peak levels of performance. There are also airline and aircraft manufacturing oversight activities that either stop or are significantly reduced. These safety and oversight inspections will potentially allow for the introduction of safety issues that put passengers and airline crews at risk. The pilots, sounded the alarm again Jan. 10, in a letter to Trump, House speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell:<doc-sep>The crashes of Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 have rocked the aviation industry, sparked numerous investigations, and resulted in the grounding of hundreds of Boeing 737 Max jets worldwide. As this important story continues to unfold, The Verge will update this page with all the latest news and analysis. Our hope is to answer all your questions about these tragic events, as well as provide a real-time feed of news about the ensuing investigations. Table of contents: What happened? Lion Air Flight 610 took off from Jakarta, Indonesia on Monday, October 29th, 2018, at 6:20AM local time. Its destination was Pangkal Pinang, the largest city of Indonesia’s Bangka Belitung Islands. Twelve minutes after takeoff, the plane crashed into the Java Sea, killing all 189 passengers and crew. Nearly five months later, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 took off from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Sunday, March 10th, 2019, at 8:38AM local time. Its destination was Nairobi, Kenya. Six minutes after takeoff, the plane crashed near the town of Bishoftu, Ethiopia, killing all 157 people aboard. Both crashed jets were Boeing 737 Max 8s, a variant of the best-selling aircraft in history. When Airbus announced in 2010 it would make a new fuel-efficient and cost-effective plane, Boeing rushed to get out its own version. That version was the 737 Max airplanes. The Air Current has a great (if slightly insider-y) retelling of the Max jets’ origins. What was the response? The Indonesian rescue team located the flight data recorder on November 1st. The cockpit voice recorder was found over two months later, on January 14th, 2019. One member of the volunteer rescue team died during recovery operations. Both the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder of Ethiopian Airlines 302 were recovered from the crash site on March 11th. Both crashes are currently under investigation. These are the only two accidents involving the new Boeing 737 Max series of aircraft, which was first introduced in 2017. Since the crash of Ethiopian Airlines 302, more than 300 Boeing 737 Max passenger jets have been grounded worldwide. Both crashes are currently under investigation But the US was slower to act than other countries. As China and the European Union announced their decision to ground the plane, the FAA declined to act. President Trump initially responded by tweeting on March 12th that airplanes had become too complex. “Pilots are no longer needed, but rather computer scientists from MIT,” Trump said in a series of tweets that didn’t specifically reference Boeing or the crashes. “Split second decisions are needed, and the complexity creates danger. All of this for great cost yet very little gain.” Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg reportedly spoke to Trump that same day, urging him not to ground the Max 8. But on Wednesday, March 13th, Trump eventually bowed to pressure, directing the FAA to ground the plane. But the president also praised Boeing in the same breath, calling it “a great, great company with a track record that is so phenomenal.” Boeing maintains that the new, more fuel efficient Max jets are safe, but supports the FAA’s decision to ground the planes. The Chicago-based company has stopped delivery of all new Max jets to its customers. Stock losses have wiped around $28 billion from its market value since the Ethiopian Airlines crash. What caused these crashes? Both crashes are currently under investigation, and there is no final word on what caused either tragedy. But investigators are focused on a specific tech feature that may have forced both planes into a nosedive seconds before the crashes. A preliminary report from Indonesian investigators indicates that Lion Air 610 crashed because a faulty sensor erroneously reported that the airplane was stalling. The false report triggered an automated system known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS. This system tried to point the aircraft’s nose down so that it could gain enough speed to fly safely. a faulty sensor erroneously reported that the airplane was stalling MCAS takes readings from two sensors that determine how much the plane’s nose is pointing up or down relative to oncoming airflow. When MCAS detects that the plane is pointing up at a dangerous angle, it can automatically push down the nose of the plane in an effort to prevent the plane from stalling. Investigators have found strong similarities in the angle of attack data from both flights. A piece of a stabilizer in the wreckage of the Ethiopian jet with the trim set in an unusual position was similar to that of the Lion Air plane, Reuters reports. What is MCAS? Boeing says the decision to include this change to the flight control operations wasn’t arbitrary. When the company designed the Max jets, it made the engines larger to increase fuel efficiency, and positioned them slightly forward and higher up on the plane’s wings. These tweaks changed how the jet handled in certain situations. The relocated engines caused the jet’s nose to pitch skyward. To compensate, Boeing added a computerized system called MCAS to prevent the plane’s nose from getting too high and causing a stall. MCAS is unique to the Max jets, and isn’t present in other Boeing 737s. The Air Current has a great illustration of how MCAS works here. And The New York Times has a video that explains how MCAS is supposed to work. MCAS is activated without the pilot’s input, which has led to some frustration among pilots MCAS is activated without the pilot’s input, which has led to some frustration among pilots of the 737 Max jet. At least half a dozen pilots have reported being caught off guard by sudden descents in the aircraft, according to the Dallas News. One pilot said it was “unconscionable that a manufacturer, the FAA, and the airlines would have pilots flying an airplane without adequately training, or even providing available resources and sufficient documentation to understand the highly complex systems that differentiate this aircraft from prior models,” according to an incident report filed with a NASA database. Both jets that crashed lacked safety features that could have provided crucial information to the crew because they were sold as options by Boeing, according to The New York Times. This was previously reported by Jon Ostrower on The Air Current, who said that a warning light that would have alerted the crew to a disagreement between the Max jet’s angle of attack sensors wasn’t part of Lion Air’s optional package of equipment. According to the Times: For Boeing and other aircraft manufacturers, the practice of charging to upgrade a standard plane can be lucrative. Top airlines around the world must pay handsomely to have the jets they order fitted with customized add-ons. Sometimes these optional features involve aesthetics or comfort, like premium seating, fancy lighting or extra bathrooms. But other features involve communication, navigation or safety systems, and are more fundamental to the plane’s operations. Boeing will stop charging extra for one of the safety features, a source tells the Times: the disagree light that was missing from both crashed jets, which would have activated if the angle of attack sensors were at odds with each other. That feature will now come standard in all new 737 Max planes. Were pilots given adequate training? Short answer: no. When the Max jet was under development, regulators determined that pilots could fly the planes without extensive retraining because they were essentially the same as previous generations, according to The New York Times. This saved Boeing a lot of money on extra training, which aided the company in its competition with Airbus to introduce newer, more fuel-efficient airplanes. The FAA didn’t change those rules after Lion Air 610 crashed. So rather than hours-long training sessions in giant, multimillion-dollar simulators, many pilots instead learned about the 737’s new features on an iPad. Pilots at United Airlines put together a 13-page guide to the 737 Max, which did not mention the MCAS. as the plane plummeted, the doomed Lion Air pilots scoured a manual in a losing battle<doc-sep>

The FBI has joined a criminal investigation to look into the certification of the Boeing 737 MAX 8, as new details from last year's Lion Air crash raised questions about pilot training on the now-sidelined plane. Sources familiar with the matter said the FBI is working with other federal authorities to look into the certification of the Boeing 737 MAX. It is unclear how much of a role the FBI -- and federal prosecutors from the Justice Department -- will actually have in this effort, as the investigation is in its earlier stages. Meanwhile, more details emerged on Wednesday about last year's Boeing 737 MAX 8 crash in Indonesia, further exposing what experts say was a lack of pilot training on the plane's suspect flight management system. The wait for critical information about what might have caused a second deadly crash 11 days ago in Ethiopia continued. The pilots aboard the Lion Air plane that crashed in October struggled with their quick reference handbook, a checklist for abnormal events, individuals with knowledge of the cockpit voice recorder told ABC News Chief Transportation Correspondent David Kerley. The pilots fought the sudden downward shifts almost two dozen times. The co-pilot began to pray, saying “God is great” and asking God to grant a miracle, according to a New York Times report citing an official who said he had heared what was on the plane's cockpit voice recorder. But the pilots eventually ran out of time, crashing into the ocean off of Indonesia minutes later, killing all 189 on board. And the day before that crash, a similar situation unfolded on the same plane but was narrowly avoided with the help of an off-duty Lion Air pilot riding in the cockpit jump seat, according to a report from Bloomberg. The off-duty pilot told the captain and co-pilot how to disable the malfunctioning flight management system that was causing the plane to nosedive, according to Bloomberg. The next day, the same problem happened -- but this time the pilots on board did not disable the system. On March 10, five months later, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed right after takeoff near the country’s capital of Addis Ababa. Though the flight data and cockpit voice recorders containing critical information were found one day later, families of victims have waited nearly two weeks without getting conclusive information about what was on the recorders or many details on similarities between the crashes. The black boxes were analyzed in France last week and returned to Ethiopia. Ethiopia's top aviation official told the Wall Street Journal that a preliminary report, with data from the black boxes, could be released in a week to eight days. As questions continued about similarities, nearly a full week had passed since the Boeing 737 MAX 8 was banned from flying worldwide. It’s predicted the plane will be grounded for weeks. Boeing is likely to face continued pressure as details emerge about what help pilots had in averting situations like the Lion Air crash, the only crash with enough details at this point. According to the New York Times, certain safety devices that may have clarified faulty data readings for pilots came at an extra cost and were at times skipped by low-budget airlines. Questions have also been raised about the FAA's certification of the plane, as aviation officials from both the European Union and Canada have distanced themselves from the U.S. agency they often trust and rely on in plane safety matters. Canada and the EU say they will conduct their own reviews of the software fix Boeing is making in the plane’s flight management system software before allowing the plane back in the skies, even if the FAA certifies the aircraft as safe. And on Tuesday, the Department of Transportation announced it was launching an audit into the FAA's certification process. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao asked the department's inspector general to document the process that allowed the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft to start flying. Sully Sullenberger, the now-retired pilot who famously and safely landed a plane with 155 passengers aboard in New York's Hudson River, wrote about his concerns with the FAA in an op-ed on Monday. The FAA, long held as the gold standard for aviation safety, has damaged its credibility and cozied up to Boeing, Sullenberger wrote. Sullenberger also described an under-resourced FAA that doesn’t have the budget for diligent oversight. “There simply are not nearly enough FAA employees to do this important work in-house,” he wrote.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) Corporation is rolling out the version 0.9.0 update. There will be a lot of new features arriving on a platter, but first up, there are significant performance updates that will be a part of the game. The PUBG Mobile 0.9.0 update will fix the sluggishness and lag issues as well as connectivity issues in certain instances. Players playing inside of the Sanhok map will be able to get a QBU DMR rifle and the Rony pickup truck. The update also brings improvements to viewing angles from inside of the vehicles. Here is how to download PUBG Mobile 0.9.0 update 1. The PUBG Mobile 0.9.0 update is available on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. 2. If you haven’t received a notification, you can download it manually. 3. The new update is sized 608MB. After the update is downloaded, there will be another in-game update of 11MB. 4. UBG Mobile is also rolling out downloads separately, the Miramar map and Sanhok map updates can be downloaded separately. As for the new features, the PUBG Mobile 0.9.0 update has added a new Spectator Mode, Night Mode, night vision goggles, a Halloween theme, new weapons such as grenades and guns, new vehicles including the Rony pick-up truck, better matchmaking between players and registration for a Crew Challenge Tournament, among others. The update whas also add new elements to the environment, such as new buildings, covers and trees to make the map a bit more immersive, particularly in the night mode. To recall, PUBG Mobile (PlayerUnknown’s BattleGrounds) has just crossed its latest landmark with over 100 million installs on the Google Play Store. It has been confirmed that PUBG Mobile has achieved the 100 million download mark on Android in just four months while downloads in China from the Google Play Store are not included in this figure PUBG Mobile recently announced that it had over 20 million daily active users on the game, and also last month rolled out the latest map for the game, Sanhok, through version 0.8.0.<doc-sep>PUBG Mobile update 0.9.0 has deployed on Android and iOS with Night Mode, new weapons, Halloween skins and a whole mess of bug fixes. Read the full patch notes below, courtesy of a blog post from Tencent. PUBG Mobile 0.9.0 Patch Notes Weather Improvements and Festival Effects Erangel Added Night Mode to Erangel. The map will alternate between day and night randomly in Classic Mode. Added Night Vision Goggles. Added new buildings in certain areas. Added covers next to some rivers. Added more trees in some empty areas. A Movie picture style has been added to settings. Once selected, the style will apply to all maps. Halloween - In all maps, the Spawn Island has gone through a festival makeover. Interact with other players on Spawn Island by picking up pumpkins and candies. Enemies killed by Hellfire — AKM will become scarecrows. A spooky face appears when a grenade explodes. During the Halloween event period, players have a 50 percent chance to activate Night Mode. New Weapon, Vehicle & Related Improevements Added the QBU DMR. It fires 5.56mm rounds and can be found in Sanhok (replacing Mini14). Added the Rony pickup truck. Only available in Sanhok. Added a random music play feature in vehicles. This feature can be turned off in vehicle settings. The engine sound effects of UAZ and Buggy have been remastered. Added driver and passenger views (with improved vehicle interiors) in first-person perspective. The bullet spread accuracy bonus from hip fire is slightly reduced when crouching or staying down. The bullet spread accuracy bonus from hip fire is slightly increased when the player is stationary. The vertical recoil and horizontal recoil of AKM have been reduced. Reduced the spread accuracy bonus of certain attachments. Light Grips now increase recoil recovery and stability. The recoil animation when firing looks more realistic now. QBZ and QBU now have new magazine attachment models. The reloading animation of some weapons in both first-person and third-person perspectives have been improved. UMP9, Vector and SLR now have new 4x scope crosshair designs. Added an action that makes the character stand up while the motorcycle is airborne. Added a Brake-button in vehicle driving mode one and two. The sound effects of the Dacia have been adjusted so it sounds the same as the original PUBG. Vehicle lights have been tuned. Matchmaking Added an option where the system will first find teammates that speak the same language. Matchmaking has been improved. Finding a match should be faster now and players should reach their appropriate tiers easier. Estimated time should now be more accurate. Spectator Mode Players can now watch other opponent players until the end of the match after being killed. When spectating in room mode, players can turn on projectile and bullet trajectories. Performance Resolved lagging issues when players encounter other players from afar, or when they open the inventory to change equipment. Added a feature to only download the different files when updating a map. If the game client has been updated to version 0.9.0, only 13 MB of data need to be downloaded for Miramar (originally 300 MB). Resolved some game-crashing issues. Reduced loading time when the game is launched. Reduced memory usage in lobby. Resolved blurry screen issues on some mobile phones. Improved game update mechanism and resolved issues that may cause the update to fail. In-Game Purchases Added the Share for Deals feature. Get your friends to help you bargain, then get the item at a huge discount or even for free! Earn candies through a Halloween Lucky Draw to get Halloween-exclusive vehicle finishes. Earn Trick Ticket Scraps, combine them into Trick Tickets for the lucky draw! Customizable outfits are available. Players can now select outfit colors and logos before purchasing. Pick unique outfits for your squad now! (This feature will be launched at the same time with in-game tournaments) Added Classic Crates which contain tons of rare items. Redesigned some elements of the Royale Pass missions page. It is now more convenient to view the weekly missions and collect weekly mission rewards. Added a notification for Royale Pass missions on the results page. The "Share" tip will no longer be displayed when getting Epic items. Redesigned the share page. Redesigned the art for the gift feature and added a Halloween envelope. Crew Challenge Leaders can register their Crews for the Crew Challenge tournament. There are three stages: the Qualification, the Groups and Finals. Teams will receive bonus rewards once they enter the Group stage and the Finals. Winning teams in the finals will receive great rewards. Added new currency: Challenge Coin (players will get some Challenge Coins after each Crew Challenge game). Use this in the Crew Challenge Shop to exchange for items. Crews are now limited to six players. Only teams with less than six players may sign up for the tournament. New teams will have a maximum of six players. Old teams with over six players may remain as they are, but they cannot recruit more players. Room Added advanced room settings in rooms. Advanced Room Cards enable room owners to set weapons, attachments, Playzone shrink speed and other parameters. Added the first-person perspective of Miramar and Sanhok in rooms Players can now invite friends to their rooms, or share the room invitation to team channels. The entrances to rooms and training grounds have been moved to the main page. Other Systems Added a Halloween theme and background music to the main menu. Added a feature to view recent likes on the friends page. Added a Like Ranking. Added a Clan Rename Card in the shop. Only the clan leader can purchase and use it. Improved the achievements in team mode. Those who knock an enemy out will fulfill the killing conditions of an achievement if the enemy is killed by themselves or by their teammates. New achievements: Eye for an eye: Kill one enemy that knocked you out in the same game. Take Me With You: Sit on a vehicle that is being driven by enemies once for over 10s. Physical Trainer: Crouch 10,000 times, jump 10,000 times, get down 10,000 times. New honor achievements Chicken Veteran: Get a total of 500/1,000/2,000/5,000 Challenge Coins from Crew Challenge. Seasoned Soldier: Participate in a total of 10/20/30/40 Crew Challenges. New social achievements Bargain Master: Help friends to bargain a total of 1,000/10,000/30,000/1000,000UC. New general achievements Candy Master: Hit six other players with candy bombs/candy balls. When one or more players in a team have different game client versions, the system will announce the player(s) with the older version. Players can now view the update details when they download the update files. Guest Mode has been moved to "More" on the login screen. Added an option to filter the same first language in the team channel. If the same language is selected, players will only see the team invitation messages from those who speak the same language. The translation feature now translates the chat into the player's first languages (no longer translates into the game client language). The Portable Closet can be used on the Spawn Island now. Added a few loading tips to help players understand new game content. Character Action Improvements Adjusted the angle and direction of the head turning action. Added a left arm waving action when the character falls from a certain height. The first half of the climbing action looks smoother now. Added details when the character leaves the aircraft, opens the parachute and lands. Getting down while running now looks smoother. New Settings & Improvements Added a feature to quickly switch between scopes. Added three scope opening modes: tap, press and hold, mixed. Added an option to adjust game brightness in graphic settings. Improved the configuration of high & low sound effects. Players will be able to select different settings in future versions. Added an upper limit for the number of scopes picked up. Improved recommendations for 3x, 4x, 6x and 8x scopes. Added customizable buttons for revive, cancel, cancel throwing, reload and overhand/underhand throws. Projectile Improvements Players now can switch between standing/crouching/lying down, or overhand/underhand when the grenade is triggered. Grenades can be thrown while standing sideways. Frag grenades now deal more damage and cause tinnitus. Molotov cocktails now deal more damage and can go through wooden doors. They can be detonated by firearms. The fire from explosion will spread on wooden floors. Stun grenades now impact a bigger frontal area. The whiteout effects have been improved. Other Improvements Bullets now pierce through water but deal a lot less damage to targets under water. Added health bar animation when the character loses or recovers health. The map marks on the Spawn Island will no longer disappear after characters enter the aircraft. The mini-map will be actively scaled as the player moves in battle. Added more icons in kill broadcast. The eight main directions on the compass are easier to recognize now. Fixed an issue of the weapon not firing properly when the fire button is pressed. Bug Fixes Fixed some landscape and model issues where characters or views are stuck. Fixed an issue where collision with teammates while staying down may cause teammates to fall and lose health. Fixed an issue where UAZ may hit characters airborne. Fixed an issue where the camera of the passengers in motorcycle sidecars shakes unexpectedly. Fixed an issue that caused the item list to not display properly in the backpack under unstable network conditions. Fixed an issue that caused the firearms to not display properly in weapon slot under unstable network conditions. Fixed an issue where vehicles with exploded tires can still be driven smoothly in first-person perspective. Fixed an issue that caused the character to stand up again after suddenly getting down from a sprint. Fixed an issue that caused the characters to be stuck in certain scenes. Fixed an issue where the character animation is not properly displayed in certain status. Fixed other known battle and system issues. Fixed an issue where vehicles with exploded tires can still be driven smoothly in first-person perspective. If you couldn't tell by these patch notes, PUBG Mobile update 0.9.0 is absolutely massive. Surface features like Night Mode, QBU and the Rony pickup truck will appeal to casual players hungry for new content, but there are also ways for hardcore teams to get more out of the experience with Crew Challenges. Update 0.9.0 doesn't have the glitz and glamor of a new map, but there's an absolute ton here that makes the action feel fresh and run smoother than before. On the quality-of-life side, increased projectile-throw ability and a way to quickly switch between scopes should make combat feel faster, more fluid and seamless. As long as the controversial performance bugs that cropped up after update 0.8.0 don't reappear, most fans on any platform will appreciate this latest patch. Whether you're looking for spooky fun or improved tactical action, PUBG Mobile 0.9.0 intends to offer both. PUBG Mobile is available now on Android and iOS. The 0.9.0 update should be available now as a large download on all applicable devices. Have you enjoyed your time with PUBG Mobile update 0.9.0 so far? What do you think of Night Mode and the other Halloween options? Tell us in the comments section!<doc-sep>

PUBG, one of the most popular mobile games, is getting a new 0.9.0 update. Here’s what’s new. PUBG, one of the most popular mobile games, is getting a new 0.9.0 update. Here’s what’s new. PUBG Mobile 0.9.0 Update: PUBG (PlayerUnknowns Battlegrounds), one of the most popular mobile games, is getting a new 0.9.0 update. Tencent Games has released the new 0.9.0 update which adds a night mode in the Erangel map that will randomly alternate between night and day scenes. Players playing inside of the Sanhok map will be able to get a QBU DMR rifle and the Rony pickup truck. The update also brings improvements to viewing angles from inside of the vehicles. Plus, it also adds better recoil recovery and stability in guns. In the anticipation of Halloween, PUBG Mobile adds various customisations and a candy event. Other additions include ‘Share for Deals’ feature, crew challenges are opened, crews can now include six players at a time. Performance improvements include fixes for lagging issues when players encounter other players from afar, render lag and some connectivity issues. Here’s how to download PUBG Mobile 0.9.0 update To download the latest PUBG Mobile 0.9.0 update, all you need to head over to the Google Play Store or Apple App store. Search for PUBG Mobile and then click on the game tab that appears in the search to get redirected to the game’s detailed view page. Then click Install and wait for the game to be downloaded and installed. Keep in mind the size of the update is over 1GB. So it is recommended to download the update over a stable Wi-Fi connection. Just to recap, PUBG Mobile is an online battle royale video game for smartphones similar to its Xbox One and PC counterparts with some limitations. In the game, 100 players parachute onto a battlefield of their choice, where they then have to find vehicles, weapons and supplies, and win the game by becoming the last person standing.

When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox So we talk about existential threats, the last time we had a really major existential threat to this country was around World War Two The Democratic candidate for the House seat in New York said that the US’s efforts to tackle climate change should employ a similar “blueprint” of industrialisation that it used against Nazi Germany during the Second World War. She said: “So we talk about existential threats, the last time we had a really major existential threat to this country was around World War Two. “And so we've been here before and we have a blueprint of doing this before." She added that by putting more people to work and by “mobilising” and “industrialising” the economy, it would help to further combat the effects of climate change.<doc-sep>New York Democratic congressional primary winner Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez compared the "existential threat" posed by climate change to that of Nazi Germany during World War II. The Democratic Socialist candidate and frequent target of conservative figures made the Friday comments at a campaign event encouraging a similar mobilization of America's industries and workforce in response to the climate change threat. Ocasio-Cortez, 29, told supporters that seemingly "radical" efforts to take on climate change's negative effects can use a similar industrialization blueprint as the U.S. used to take on the Axis threat. "So we talk about existential threats, the last time we had a really major existential threat to this country was around World War II," Ocasio-Cortez told the crowd. "And so we've been here before and we have a blueprint of doing this before." "None of these things are new ideas," she continued. "What we had was an existential threat in the context of a war. We had a direct existential threat with another nation, this time it was Nazi Germany, and the Axis, who explicitly made the United States as an enemy, as an enemy." Ocasio-Cortez made the case that the country's leadership and citizens can similarly re-focus efforts to take down what she sees as this generation's largest looming threat. She dismissed critics who label environmental or anti-global warming efforts as being too "radical." "What we did was that we chose to mobilize our entire economy and industrialized our entire economy and we put hundreds of thousands if not millions of people to work in defending our shores and defending this country," she stated. "We have to do the same thing in order to get us to 100 percent renewable energy, and that's just the truth of it." Echoing Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, who also describes himself as a Democratic Socialist, Ocasio-Cortez has frequently questioned why Republicans "write unlimited blank checks for war" but refuse to allocate money for environmental causes or health care. "Why is it our pockets are only empty when it comes to education and healthcare for our kids … and 100 percent renewable energy that is going to save this planet?" Ocasio-Cortez said in August. "We only have empty pockets when it comes to the morally right things to do, but when it comes to tax cuts for billions and unlimited war, we seem to be able to invent that money fairly easily." She continued at the Friday event, telling attendees, "It may seem like really big, it may seem really ambitious, it may seem really 'radical' as us people like to say. But the fact of the matter is we are dealing with a radical truth and a radical reality, and the more that we choose to ignore it the worse we are doing by our children, and our grandchildren, and frankly ourselves in this lifetime." Throughout her campaign, Ocasio-Cortez has drawn the ire of a wide swath of right-wing pundits who have sought to cast her out of the political mainstream for being a "radical" Democratic Socialist. Several Fox News guests this week responded to her comments about climate change and Nazi Germany, with Former Trump advisor Sebastian Gorka saying "this woman, Ocasio-Cortez, should be ashamed of herself and anybody who was her teacher in school." Although Gorka himself has been linked to pro-Nazi groups, he ranted against Ocasio-Cortez's seeming indifference to the plight of Europe by Nazi Germany. "Miss Cortez, 60 million people were killed in World War II, almost half a million Americans died. Six million Jews died in the Holocaust. This is a war that involved 10 million GIs, and this is comparable to climate change? This is the lunacy of the Democrat party today and that is why when it comes to the election, what is it, 16 days from now, got to be down ticket Republican all the way."<doc-sep>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a 29-year-old Democratic Socialist from New York, said at a town hall on Friday that to eradicate climate change and its effects, all that would need to be done is to follow the same blueprint it took to vanquish the evils of Nazi Germany. She said that, did she? Ocasio-Cortez, who won the Democratic primary in New York state’s 14th Congressional District in June, was speaking to supporters at a town hall in College Point in Queens, New York, on Friday when she made the remarks. During her speech, Ocasio-Cortez said that the utilization of American industry and helping hands from around the world could defeat climate change. "So, when we talk about existential threats — the last time we had a really major existential threat to this country was around World War II," she said, pointing to Nazi Germany, "and so we've been here before, and we have a blueprint of doing this before." She noted that her ideas to combat climate change are not new concepts. "What we had was an existential threat in the context of a war," Ocasio-Cortez explained. "We had a direct existential threat with another nation; this time it was Nazi Germany, and the Axis [powers], who explicitly made the United States an enemy, as an enemy." Her suggestion? Follow the Nazi-vanquishing "blueprint." "What we did was that we chose to mobilize our entire economy and industrialized our entire economy, and we put hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of people to work in defending our shores and defending this country," she said. "We have to do the same thing in order to get us to 100 percent renewable energy, and that's just the truth of it." Ocasio-Cortez warned that the concept might be very daunting to some — specifically "really radical" — but noted that "the fact of the matter is that we are dealing with a radical truth, and a radical reality. "The more we choose to ignore it, the worse we are doing by our children and grandchildren, and frankly by ourselves," she added. Anything else? Ocasio-Cortez seems to have a penchant for comparing mass tragedies to campaign issues. Earlier in October, Ocasio-Cortez issued a statement on Twitter that supported abolishing the U.S. Electoral College, and compared it to "a shadow" of the power of slavery. She wrote, "It is well past time we eliminate the Electoral College, a shadow of slavery’s power on America today that undermines our nation as a democratic republic." In July, Ocasio-Cortez likened electing Democrats to ending slavery while she stumped for Kansas Democratic congressional candidate James Thompson with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). In extensive and convoluted remarks, Ocasio-Cortez said, “I learned that Kansas was founded in a struggle over the conscience of this nation. It was when we were deciding who we wanted to be as a country. It was when we were deciding who we wanted to be with the Kansas-Nebraska Act. The people who were … leading this nation said, ‘You decide’ to the people. ‘You decide: Are we going to be a slave state or are we going to be a free state?’ And it was in 1861 that the people of Kansas decided that we were going to be a free nation. “Back then, the people of Kansas were the tipping point for the future of this nation, and today, they are again,” She added. “… But what this moment requires of us, just as it was in 1861, what this moment requires of us is for everyday people to do more than they have ever done before to reclaim the soul of this nation.” You can read more about the background and impacts of The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which was introduced by former Sen. Stephen Douglas (D-Ill.), here, and watch a portion of Ocasio-Cortez's remarks Friday about Nazi Germany in the video below. (H/T: The Daily Wire)<doc-sep>

Democratic congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Friday night said the way the Allied Powers defeated the Nazis during World War II provides a blueprint for how the United States should defeat global warming. Ocasio-Cortez appeared at a climate change town hall in College Point, a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens, where she discussed her "radical" plan to tackle global warming, according to a clip first flagged by the Republican National Committee. "When we talk about existential threats, the last time we had a really major existential threat in this country was around World War II, so we've been here before, and we have a blueprint of doing this before. None of these things are new ideas, but we have is an existential threat in the context of war," Ocasio-Cortez said. "We had a direct existential threat with another nation and at this time it was Nazi Germany and Axis, who explicitly made the United States as an enemy, and what we did was that we chose to mobilize our entire continent and industrialize our entire continent, and we put hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people, to work in defending our shores and defending this country." She went on to say that the United States needs to adopt the same blueprint in order to get the United States to 100 percent renewable energy, adding that it may seem like "radical" plan, but it's a necessary one. "But the fact of the matter is that we are dealing with a radical truth and radical reality and the more that we choose to ignore it, the worst we are doing by our children, our grandchildren, and frankly ourselves," Ocasio-Cortez concluded. Ocasio-Cortez has made the environment one of her staple issues during the campaign. Back in August, she tweeted that "Americans are dying because of a government too coward to save the planet" and that Congress needs a "Green New Deal" for everyone to survive.

Triple Crown winner Justify is ready to start the next portion of his career, becoming the most valuable stud horse in the world. Justify's breeding rights were bought by Coolmore Stud, who paid $75 million and reportedly hopes to breed Justify 250 times in his first year. Because of his value as a stud, there's a chance that Justify's racing career is over, though there are still a few races he could take on later in the year. On Saturday Justify became just the 13th horse in history to win the Triple Crown, defeating yet another crowded field of talented horses en route to adding another win to his undefeated record. While Justify's racing career is now up in the air — though Elliott Walden, president and CEO of co-owner WinStar Farm, has hinted at the possibility of future races — the next chapter in Justify's professional career is set to begin, after a deal for his breeding rights went for a record $75 million, according to ESPN's Darren Rovell. Coolmore Stud had already negotiated for a $60 million deal, but Justify's Triple Crown win was worth a $15 million bonus, turning the breeding fee into a record breaker. Justify was purchased as a yearling for $500,000. After not racing as a two-year-old, he now has an undefeated record and is a Triple Crown champion — his jump from grand potential to richest horse in racing happened all within the past six months. Coolmore's $75 million investment is quite substantial, but the company has a plan for how to get it's money's worth — Rovell writes that Justify could potentially be looking at breeding 250 times in his first year as a stud, for the cost of $150,000 per live foal. Justify's breeding rights far outpaced those of American Pharoah, who became the first horse since 1978 to win the Trible Crown back in 2015. Justify is still the fastest horse on the planet, and could potentially win more prizes on the track at the Travers Stakes or even the Breeder's Cup later in the year. That said, Justify is now worth more as a healthy stud than he could ever make on the track, so don't be surprised if his racing career has come to an end.<doc-sep>Saturday night at Belmont Park, Justify made history when he crossed the finish line ahead of the other horses and became the 13th winner of the Triple Crown. It was the 150th running of the race and in that time only the best horses have managed to win the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. The Belmont is the oldest of the three races and is run by thoroughbred three-year-old horses. Justify, a distant relative of fellow Triple Crown title holder, Secretariat, broke records before he even got past the Kentucky Derby. He was the first horse in more than 100 years to win the Derby without ever having raced as a two-year-old horse, The New York Times reported. Now that Justify has won the Belmont his owners have won $800,000 to add to the Kentucky Derby winnings of $1.2 million and Preakness Stakes winnings of $900,000, Money reported. Justify is majority owned by WinStar Farm and Kenny Troutt who hold a 60 percent stake in the horse, China Horse Club also holds a 25 percent stake in the horse and the final 15 percent is owned by a group of investors, according to the Times. Mike Smith, Justify's jockey, won 10 percent of what the owners of the horse took home from the races, meaning from the Belmont alone he took home $80,000. Justify and the last Triple Crown winner, American Pharoah, share a trainer in Bob Baffert. It was unclear how much Baffert stood to make from the three wins. Not only did Justify's owner win the purses from all the races, they will also likely make millions from breeding the title-winning horse once he's through racing as well. Justify's farm, WinStar, told Forbes that the horse could command a stud fee between $75,000 and $100,000 per breeding. This could amount to millions over a few years of breeding if the horse stays healthy. Some people think the horse could command an even higher fee. Justify's owners purchased the horse for $500,000. Before Justify starts breeding he will likely keep racing through the year. The co-owner and President of WinStar Farm, Elliott Walden, told The Baltimore Sun that he's looking forward to the next race as much as the fans are. That next race could happen as early as late August.<doc-sep>

For owners of the racehorse Justify, the winner’s share of a $1.5 million purse at the Belmont Stakes will be just the beginning of the financial windfall if the 3-year-old thoroughbred becomes the 13th horse ever to win the elusive Triple Crown. Justify has earned roughly $3 million in five career races, all of which have ended in victory. WinStar Farm, which holds an ownership stake in Justify, cashed in on the Triple Crown buzz by selling the horse’s exclusive sponsorship rights at Belmont to private aviation company Wheels Up for an undisclosed fee. The chestnut colt earned $1.24 million from winning the Kentucky Derby, $900,000 from winning the Preakness Stakes and stands to earn another $800,000 with a victory at Belmont on Saturday. But WinStar Farm and its ownership partners stand to earn tens of millions more from breeding rights, especially if Justify crosses the finish line first. Within days of Justify’s win at the Preakness, WinStar Farm reached an agreement to sell breeding rights to Coolmore Stud for $60 million, with a bonus of $25 million more if the horse wins the Triple Crown, the New York Times reported on May 24. At the time, Elliott Walden, WinStar’s president and CEO, told the Times that no deal had been finalized. “We have had numerous inquiries into the breeding rights of Justify, including from Coolmore. … We are focused on the Belmont Stakes and his racing career,” Walden said in a statement. That deal, or an agreement with similar terms, would make millions for Justify’s three ownership groups. WinStar owns a 60% stake in the horse, while China Horse Club owns a 25% stake and the horse breeding arm of George Soros’ investment fund owns 15%. The farm that ultimately purchases Justify’s breeding rights should recoup its investment over a number of years. American Pharoah, who won the Triple Crown in 2015, earns a stud fee of $200,000 for each live foal he produces and has netted anywhere from $35 million to $40 million to date, according to multiple estimates. The Belmont Stakes will run on Saturday at roughly 6:30 p.m. ET.

WWE's Raw Brand stopped off at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia for a Live Event, as part of their SummerSlam heatwave tour. With one day to go before the WWE Live Event in Madison Square Garden, the show saw the return of an injured star, as well as Ronda Rousey. Sportskeeda is the one-stop destination for latest WWE rumors and wrestling news. The heated crowd atmosphere left a lasting impression, with the fans cheering their favourite stars and booing the hated heels. What another successful night at #WWEPhilly and by far my favorite @wwe event I’ve ever been too!!! pic.twitter.com/0CZl1zH0K9 — Franklin Myers (@frankofthemyers) July 7, 2018 The Live Event saw Ronda Rousey face Nia Jax in a match with two special guest referees, Alexa Bliss and Mickie James. Dolph Ziggler defended his championship against Seth Rollins, while Cedric Alexander defended his Cruiserweight Championship against Buddy Murphy, and Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt defended their Tag Team Championships. There was one six-woman tag team match and another six-man tag team match for the Cruiserweights. Bobby Lashley took on Jinder Mahal, while Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, and Finn Balor took on Baron Corbin, Kevin Owens, and Elias. Without further ado, let's get into the results from WWE's night in Philly. 1. Seth Rollins vs Dolph Ziggler (w/ Drew McIntyre) [Intercontinental Championship Match]: Seth Rollins and Dolph Ziggler have recently had a couple of matches with each other. Both the stars have displayed chemistry with each other, with high-quality matches back-to-back. At Philly, the two went at it again, with Drew McIntyre on the sidelines helping out Dolph Ziggler. You can see clips of the match here: Suicide Dive at #WWEPhilly! Video from desiree615 on Instagram #SethRollins pic.twitter.com/3ihJsgWNZb — Seth Rollins Fans (@SethRollinsFans) July 7, 2018 Seth in action at #WWEPhilly video from sheediemack on Instagram #SethRollins pic.twitter.com/svS3avqylS — Seth Rollins Fans (@SethRollinsFans) July 7, 2018 Seth powers up Ziggler for a Falcon Arrow at #WWEPhilly video from wlynam14 on Instagram #SethRollins pic.twitter.com/IncIN5Sm4T — Seth Rollins Fans (@SethRollinsFans) July 7, 2018 The match between the two stole the show yet again, as Seth Rollins and Ziggler mixed it up. Seth hit Ziggler with a Buckle Bomb, Suicide Dive and a Falcon Arrow and took a Zig Zag from Ziggler. In the end, however, interference from McIntyre saw Seth lose the match. Result: Dolph Ziggler defeated Seth Rollins and retained the Intercontinental Championship 2. Cedric Alexander vs Buddy Murphy [Cruiserweight Championship Match]: Cedric Alexander and Buddy Murphy clashed yet again in this match for the Cruiserweight Championship. The two had an amazing showing and had one of the best matches of the night. The two have previously battled for the Championship, but Cedric came out on top every time. On this occasion, there was a repeat, as Cedric was able to defeat Murphy yet again and put him away to retain his championship. Cedric Alexander vs Buddy Murphy for the Cruiserweight title #WWEPhilly #MMBWWE pic.twitter.com/NZi6O3BqkN — MIX MASTA B ™ (@MixMastaB) July 6, 2018 The lack of 205 Live stars from the main roster means that this is the one time that the casual fans are exposed to the Cruiserweights, and as a result, the brilliant matches help the Cruiserweights out a lot. Result: Cedric Alexander defeated Buddy Murphy and retained the Cruiserweight Championship 1 / 4 NEXT<doc-sep>Mojo Rawley defeated Bobby Roode in Madison Square Garden on Saturday night but the big news coming out of the match is that Roode looked like he hurt his knee on a leapfrog spot. Immediately after the spot, Roode grabbed his knee and it looked like an audible was called because they went immediately to the finish. Roode was limping and was helped to the backstage area by the referee. Hopefully, it’s nothing that is serious enough to keep him out of action. We will pass along an update when we get it.<doc-sep>Over the weekend, WWE returned to Madison Square Garden - putting on a live event at the historic arena. But this wasn't just any old house show - as there was a legendary guest in attendance, supporting the RAW roster. THE PHENOM RETURNS For the first time since April, The Undertaker returned to a WWE ring - and played a big part in Saturday's main event. A six-man tag team match closed the show, as 'Taker partnered up with Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman against Kevin Owens, Elias and Baron Corbin. Of course, there was only really going to be one outcome to that bout. THE UNDERTAKER SEALS VICTORY Although the event wasn't televised, WWE's social media team caught the important parts on camera. In the clip below, we can see The Deadman coming in off a hot-tag from Reigns, before throwing KO around a bit. Just hearing the noise that Owens makes throughout is great alone, but the way 'Taker finishes the match is the real highlight. But that wasn't even the most interesting moment of the night. Because following the match, something even more special happened. REIGNS AND UNDERTAKER FACE TO FACE After the conclusion, Strowman, 'Taker and Reigns stood tall in the ring. The Phenom first turned to The Moster, shaking his hand before Strowman left the ring. Fans did enjoy that - and they can be heard cheering. Although it was nothing compared to the noise that they made shortly after. After Strowman leaves the ring, the camera pans as 'Taker turns around to face The Big Dog, who's staring him down. The two go face to face, creating an epic moment before The Undertaker offers to shake Roman's hand. As he does, the crowd goes completely wild - and the atmosphere inside MSG sounds electric. Now, considering how much hate Reigns normally gets, this is a pretty special reaction. The two superstars created a moment that no fan in attendance will ever forget - but could it also be a turning point for Roman and the crowd reaction he gets too? CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE LATEST EPISODE OF TURNBUCKLE TALK - GIVEMESPORT'S WWE PODCAST - THIS WEEK FEATURING TRIPLE H AND SHAWN MICHAELS. News Now - Sport News<doc-sep>

WWE returned to Madison Square Garden for their SummerSlam Heatwave tour and lit up the hallowed halls with a flurry of performances and appearances which left the crowd buzzing. The Raw Brand's Superstars, along with a special guest appearance by The Undertaker ensured that the audience in Madison Square Garden got a show they will not soon forget. The Live Event received a larger crowd than a WWE event in the Garden has for a long time. The show itself saw some exciting matches, with the Undertaker, Braun Strowman, and Roman Reigns teaming up to take on Kevin Owens, Elias, and Baron 'Constable' Corbin. Ronda Rousey faced Nia Jax in a match where Mickie James was the referee, and Alexa Bliss was the enforcer. Other bouts saw Dolph Ziggler put his Intercontinental Title on the line in a Triple Threat against Seth Rollins and Finn Balor. Buddy Murphy faced Cedric Alexander, while Mojo Rawley and Bobby Roode squared off among other matches featuring Bayley, Natalya, Ember Moon, Matt Hardy, Bray Wyatt, The B-Team, Alicia Fox, Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan, Bobby Lashley, Jinder Mahal, and Titus Worldwide. Before the show could begin, Dolph Ziggler cut a promo on the Titantron declaring he would retain his title with Drew McIntyre's help. The National Anthem played, and Kurt Angle appeared in a video welcoming everyone to the show. Thanks to PW Insider for the heads up. Without any further ado, let's get into the results from WWE's Live Event in Madison Square Garden. 1. Bobby Lashley vs Jinder Mahal: The first bout of the night saw Bobby Lashley face Jinder Mahal. The crowd was hot for the opening of the show. Jinder vs Lashley to open up #WWEMSG ... I love Jinder. Don’t @ Me. pic.twitter.com/idVCWEGeNg — Nick Vacation (@NickVacation) July 7, 2018 Lashley is set to face Roman Reigns at Extreme Rules, with the winner likely facing Lesnar for the Universal Championship at SummerSlam. While Lesnar's bout at SummerSlam is still unsure, with the Champion appearing at UFC and facing down Daniel Cormier, Lashley looked to gather some momentum heading into Extreme Rules. The biggest pop of the match saw Jinder accidentally punch Sunil Singh instead of Lashley. Bobby Lashley won the bout and pinned Jinder after a Jackhammer. Result: Bobby Lashley defeated Jinder Mahal 2. Cedric Alexander (c) vs Buddy Murphy [Cruiserweight Championship Match]: The pair of Cedric Alexander and Buddy Murphy have undoubtedly got great chemistry between them. Alexander defended his Championship against Murphy yet again at Madison Square Garden. Buddy Murphy Vs. Cedric Alexander for the Cruiserweight championship at #WWEMSG What isn't this whole event on the @WWENetwork #WeWantWrasslin pic.twitter.com/XyoWa8MSVm — #WeWantWrasslin (@WeWantWrasslin) July 7, 2018 The two had a hard-hitting match and stole the show, with yet another spectacular display. In the end, Cedric Alexander won the bout by hitting a Lumbar Check on Murphy. Cedric Alexander and Buddy Murphy put on a show #WWEMSG pic.twitter.com/hRdMwgxyW3 — Chris Fua (@ChrisFua) July 8, 2018 Result: Cedric Alexander defeated Buddy Murphy and retained his Cruiserweight Championship 1 / 5 NEXT

Tonight, lottery officials announced the Mega Millions winning numbers in one of the most anticipated drawings in American lottery history. The estimated jackpot for the Oct. 19 Mega Millions drawing swelled to $1 billion in the days before the historic drawing, creating a frenzy as lottery players lined up, clamoring to buy last-minute tickets. The winning numbers are 15-23-53-65-70. The Mega Ball is 7 and the Megaplier is 2. Mega Millions entry tickets operate like an online lottery in some states, whereas in other states, tickets must be bought in person. Regardless of whether anyone buys a winning ticket for this drawing, it will be the largest in Mega Millions history. The previous record drawing occurred Tuesday night. Then, nobody won. The jackpot continued to grow drastically this week, coming in at $970 million yesterday and entering into three comma territory on Friday. CHUMBA ACCEPTS US PLAYERS & HAS CASH PRIZES 1 Visit Chumba Casino $30 Gold Coin PACKAGE FOR $10 + Bonus 2 Sweeps Coins Free On Signup Chumba Casino Review US Players Accepted Daily FREE Sweeps Coins Just For Logging In Redeemable For Cash Prizes PLAY NOW The what, where, and how of Mega Millions Mega Millions is one of the two major multi-state lotteries in the United States. (The other lottery is Powerball.) Mega Millions tickets are available for purchase in 44 states, Washington D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. An entry into the drawing costs $1. Mega Millions began life as the Big Game multi-state lottery in 1996. At its inception, only six states participated in drawings, but that number quickly grew. Lump sum or annuity Grand prize winners receive their winnings either as a 30-year annuity or a lump sum. All players choose their option at the time of their ticket purchase. The 30-year annuity will make 30 equivalent payments to winners that will add to the amount of the jackpot. The lump sum represents the present value of the jackpot. For this drawing, the lump sum option will yield $565.6 million. While the lower amount may seem like a great deal of money to surrender, there’s a consideration that makes the lump sum the better choice: The present value used to derive the lump sum amount is based upon a conservative estimate of a return on investment. It is quite likely that with proper financial planning, a lump sum winner could have an amount that exceeds the published jackpot value after 30 years. Record lotteries Friday’s drawing will be the second-largest in American history. Only a 2016 Powerball drawing remains larger, and will likely continue to do so, as that jackpot soared to almost $1.6 billion. However, that jackpot ended up yielding three winning tickets worth $327 million each. The biggest single payout came in August 2017, when a Massachusetts woman claimed a single lump sum worth $480.5 million. Depending on how many winning tickets appear on Friday, that individual record is in jeopardy. However, if nobody wins, that all-time record might be in play. Even if your number doesn’t happen to come up, take heart. The Powerball drawing on Saturday, Oct. 20, will pay out an estimated $430 million. So, in one single weekend, more than $1 billion will shoot out across America to its very luckiest citizens. The odds for hitting the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350, but heck, somebody has to win it, right? Editor’s note: In an earlier version of this story, we reported that the annuity payments cease upon the death of the winner, rather than passing to the winner’s estate. That statement was inaccurate – in the event of a winner’s death, the annuity payments will typically continue to the winner’s designated beneficiary. We regret any confusion this may have caused. If you do happen to win the jackpot, make sure to consult with a licensed financial professional.<doc-sep>Charlie Neibergall | The Associated Press The largest lottery jackpot of all time of $1.6 billion has finally been won, after a single Mega Millions ticket purchased in South Carolina matched all six numbers in Tuesday night's drawing. The jackpot has been growing since July. Don't Edit The Mega Millions Numbers It's not the end of the road for the millions of players across the country though. You'll still want to check your numbers to see if you can claim one of the smaller prizes. Here were the Mega Millions numbers for Tuesday, 10/23/18: The Mega Millions numbers: 05-28-62-65-70 The Mega Ball: 05 The Megaplier: X3 Don't Edit Don't Edit Mega Millions winners for Oct. 23 After the grand prize winner, who will likely not step forward to claim the prize for weeks, there were many other winners of the smaller prizes in Tuesday night's drawing. 34 2nd place tickets worth $1 million were sold in North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Missouri, Michigan, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Iowa, Florida, Washington D.C., California, Arizona and Wisconsin. Only two winning Megaplier tickets ($3 million) were sold in Texas and Florida. In New York, four $1 million tickets were the largest prizes won. Here's where they were sold: 7-ELEVEN #11211H, 722 TOWNLINE ROAD, HAUPPAUGE (QUICK PICK) STEW LEONARD'S, 1 STEW LEONARD'S DR, YONKERS (QUICK PICK) A&C MINI MARKET INC, 7701 17TH AVE, BROOKLYN (QUICK PICK) STOP & SHOP # 2591, 2965 CROPSEY AVE, BROOKLYN (QUICK PICK) Don't Edit Other New York lottery news: In total, 1,351,722 tickets of prizes smaller than $1,000,000 were sold in New York State. The next Mega Millions drawing is Friday, Oct. 26, with the jackpot resetting to $40 million. The next Powerball jackpot drawing is Wednesday, Oct. 24, with another sky high jackpot of $620 million. Mega Millions is offered in 44 States, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Don't Edit Don't Edit The last 5 numbers If you're one of those people who buys a ticket and then forgets about it, here are the numbers for the last five Mega Millions drawings: 10/19/18: 15-23-53-65-70 07 X2 10/16/18: 03-45-49-61-69 09 X5 10/12/18: 04-24-46-61-70 07 X3 10/09/18: 20-22-39-54-60 18 X3 10/05/18: 27-28-32-41-69 12 X2 Don't Edit Nobody won this time, but New York has a history of massive jackpot winners. See the 40 largest Powerball and Mega Millions winners in the Empire State, and read their stories. Don't Edit What's next for the winner? According to the Associated Press, the winner will likely take time to claim the prize for personal and financial security reasons. Read more.<doc-sep>The line for lottery tickets at your nearby convenience store is about to get even longer. One night after the largest jackpot in Mega Millions history rolled to Friday, Powerball's $378 million prize survived to the next drawing, meaning that the United States' two big lottery games will have a combined $1.3 billion up for grabs at week's end. The winning Powerball numbers on Wednesday night: 3, 57, 64, 68, 69 and Powerball 15. The next drawing is Saturday at 11 p.m. EDT. Next up, Friday night's record-breaking Mega Millions, now at $900 million, the second-largest in U.S. history. How hard can it be to pick six lousy numbers? Well, how about 302,575,350 to 1. Those were the odds on Tuesday night, which helps explain why no one grabbed the Mega Millions jackpot. If had your heart set on Powerball on Wednesday night, you certainly had a better chance, with odds of 292,201,388 to 1. But if you are banking on winning both, let's get realistic: The odds for pocketing the two jackpots are 1 in 88 quadrillion, according to CNBC. In fact, you are 258 times more likely to be struck by lightning this year than win the Mega Millions lottery, according to data from the National Weather Service. Or, with odds of 1 in 3,748,067, you are 80 times more likely to be killed by a shark this year than win Mega Millions, the International Shark Attack File reported. At 1 in 700,000, women are 432 times more likely to give birth to identical quadruplets than win the lottery. No one beat those long odds Tuesday night, but one lucky ticket did come fairly close. Someone in the Bay Area matched five of the six Mega Millions numbers, according to the California Lottery – for a hefty $1.9 million. The biggest lottery jackpot in U.S. history was $1.6 billion in the Powerball on Jan. 13, 2016. Three tickets – from California, Florida and Tennessee – matched all the numbers. The Mega Millions drawing will be at 11 p.m. EDT on Friday. The cash option, as of Wednesday night, was a whopping $513 million. Contributing: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY.<doc-sep>

Mega Millions Don't Edit Mega Millons winning numbers drawn for record jackpot UPDATE: Mega Millions lottery: 1 ticket matches $1.6B jackpot winning numbers By Jeff Goldman and Chris Sheldon | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com The winning Mega Millions numbers for the largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history - a staggering $1.6 billion - are: 5, 28, 62, 65, 70. The Mega Ball drawn was 5. The Megaplier was 3x. The record Mega Millions drawing has a cash option of $904 million. No one has hit the Mega Millions jackpot since 11 co-workers in Santa Clara, Calif won the $543 million prize on July 24. In the 14 weeks since, the jackpot has rolled over 25 times. This previous largest lottery jackpot was $1.584 billion. That massive Powerball prize was split three ways following the Jan. 13, 2016 drawing. Don't Edit Don't Edit Can I claim Mega Millions or Powerball lottery jackpots anonymously? Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit The Mega Millions jackpot had been hit four times this year, including once in New Jersey. Richard Wahl, 47, then of Vernon, won the $533 million jackpot on March 30. Wahl's ticket is the most valuable ticket sold in New Jersey and was at the time the 10th biggest jackpot in U.S. lottery history. Wahl chose the cash option worth $324.6 million and received a check for about $220.7 million after state and federal taxes were deducted. Don't Edit Don't Edit The largest Mega Millions jackpot-winning ticket ever sold — $656 million — was split by ticket holders in Illinois, Kansas and Maryland following the March 30, 2012 drawing. Just behind that was a $648 million jackpot won in California and Georgia on Dec. 17, 2013. A 53-year-old Massachusetts hospital worker bought the only jackpot-winning ticket for a $758.7 million Powerball drawing in August 2017. A Mega Millions ticket costs $2. The odds of a ticket matching five numbers and the Mega Ball are 302,575,350 to 1. It's a 1 in 12,607,306 shot to win the second prize of at least $1 million by matching five numbers. Mega Millions is played in 44 states, Washington D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are held on Tuesday and Friday. Don't Edit MegaMillions.com Don't Edit Mega Millions history and the odds explained Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit MORE LOTTERY NEWS Don't Edit Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Get email updates with the day's biggest stories Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice WWE superstar Roman Reigns could be set for a shock appearance at WrestleMania as he continues to fight cancer. Reigns, 33, relinquished the WWE Universal title in October after announcing live on Monday Night Raw he had been diagnosed with leukaemia for a second time. The Big Dog has not appeared on WWE since but is set to return on Monday Night Raw to give an update on his condition next week. No update has been issued on a possible return to action - but Wrestling News believe Vince McMahon wants him involved in the showpiece event on April 7. (Image: Publicity Picture) They believe WWE have already dropped a number of hints to suggest a reappearance of Reigns on the biggest stage of them all. Reigns was one of the founding members of The Shield alongside Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins , and their signature triple-powerbomb move was borrowed by Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley and Baron Corbin in Sunday's Elimination Chamber. Vince McMahon reportedly insisted on The Shield being specifically referenced whilst it was being executed. (Image: WWE) Dean Ambrose also turned from heel to face, and Reigns could be ordered to join forces with his former Shield colleague and Braun Strowman to fight Corbin, McIntyre and Lashley at WrestleMania. It could be Ambrose's last WWE appearance as he's set to depart following the event after rejecting a contract extension. Rollins will also be in action for the Universal title Reigns gave up, battling Brock Lesnar after earning his shot with a Royal Rumble win.<doc-sep>ROMAN REIGNS is already training for a sensational return to the WWE ring after his cancer battle hell. The Big Dog is making his Monday Night RAW comeback next week to update the fans of his progress. The Big Dog has been out of action since October when he shocked the world by announcing he had Leukaemia. He has been having treatment for the disease while also spending time with his young family and friends. Reigns is expected to make a return to the WWE for an emotional comeback at WrestleMania 35 in April in New York. But he could return sooner if a post by a personal trainer is to be believed put up on Instagram last night. 2 Roman Reigns announced he was leaving the WWE for a while to fight a cancer battle Credit: WWE 2 Reigns won the Universal Championship with a win over Brock Lesnar Credit: WWE The ex-Universal Champion is seen with Dave Gonyea, who hinted he will make his competitive return soon. Dave said: “Had the absolute honor and privilege of having @romanreigns train at @_islandclubandspa during his stay in Waikiki! “It was very humbling for an athlete of his caliber to not only train here but also speak so very highly of our facility. Roman Reigns returning to WWE five months after quitting due to cancer battle MOST READ IN WWE DISGUSTING Shocking moment wrestler slams boy, 5, to ground after lad tried chokehold COST CUTTING WWE make MORE staff cuts as backstage crew and new Raw commentator leaves Pictured TRIBAL CHIEF Birthday boy Reigns shows off amazing body transformation leaving Rock 'proud' ALEXA'S PIG PAIN WWE superstar Alexa Bliss left heartbroken as beloved pig Larry-Steve dies BUFF BAGGED Ex-WWE star Buff Bagwell arrested on more than 10 different charges after crash Pictured WRESTLING ROYALTY Charlotte Flair leaves little to imagination in Queen's Gambit-style snap KO BLOW Controversial ex-WWE star Enzo Amore rushed to hospital after he was knocked out WRESTLE MANIA Olympic hero Gardner put on 15 STONE when he retired and ran up debts of £3m “Glad we provided a great space to help him prepare for his in ring return!” Reigns, real name Joe Anoa’I, has not appeared on WWE TV since but has made several public appearances. Fans have been buoyed to see the four-time champ attend a football game and pose for a selfie with a police officer.<doc-sep>WWE star Roman Reigns confirmed his cancer was in remission last night. The American, 33, took to the ring at the beginning of Raw to make the announcement. 5 Roman Reigns confirmed at Raw last night that he is in remission Credit: Twitter @WWE 5 He then did a video back stage to say a massive thank you to his family and fans for their support Credit: WWE Four months ago, he went public with the news that he was being treated for leukaemia. But after taking in the adulation of the adoring crowd, he thanked them for their support and shared the good news. Reigns, real name Joe Anoa'i, said: "I said I was going to swing for the fences. We did better than that, y'all. "We didn't just swing for the fences. We hit a home run. The Big Dog is BACK! #RomanReigns announces that he is in remission and back on #Raw! @WWERomanReigns pic.twitter.com/yHQdiFH2Ty — WWE (@WWE) February 26, 2019 5 Reigns had to hold back the tears as he made the announcement, four months after going public with his leukaemia Credit: WWE "So when I tell you this, I'm so grateful and so humbled and so honoured to announce this. The good news is, I'm in remission, y'all. "So with that being said, the Big Dog is back!" In a video on Twitter he added: "I said it before, I'm going to say it a lot: thank you. "I didn't really get a chance because I'm not going to lie I was nervous and it was overwhelming just to hear the response, they actually cheered me - crazy. 5 The adoring crowd it Atlanta cheered his name and celebrated wildly at the news Credit: Twitter @WWE "I hugged the hell out of her out there but I want to say thank you to my mum, thank you to my family, thank you to my children and most of all thank you to my wife, along with everyone else who has sent their prayers. "I don't think I would be in this position and feeling this good without you guys. So one more, time not the last time, thank you." Reigns was originally diagnosed with leukaemia in 2008 - two years before signing with WWE - at the age of just 22. And fans are set to be treated to his wrestling once again, although he was reluctant to put an exact date in the diary and would "get to that later". 5 Wrestlers and fans alike showed their support to the American legend on social media Credit: WWE Latest WWE news DISGUSTING Shocking moment wrestler slams boy, 5, to ground after lad tried chokehold COST CUTTING WWE make MORE staff cuts as backstage crew and new Raw commentator leaves Pictured TRIBAL CHIEF Birthday boy Reigns shows off amazing body transformation leaving Rock 'proud' ALEXA'S PIG PAIN WWE superstar Alexa Bliss left heartbroken as beloved pig Larry-Steve dies BUFF BAGGED Ex-WWE star Buff Bagwell arrested on more than 10 different charges after crash Pictured WRESTLING ROYALTY Charlotte Flair leaves little to imagination in Queen's Gambit-style snap GREEN ZONE Ex-WWE star stuns in pink bikini & plans to be 'hottest free agent' in wrestling Pictured ON THE MONEY Summer Rae stuns in lingerie as she tells followers to 'hodl' cryptocurrency He said: "Let's crawl before we can walk and walk before we can run." That is despite chants of "WrestleMania" from the Atlanta crowd. He did, though, return two hours later alongside Seth Rollins to save Dean Ambrose from a four-man attack. Reigns hit a few Superman punches and a spear while Rollins weighed in with a stomp to make the save. And the pair stopped on their way back up the ramp to see Ambrose rising in the ring. Real superheroes exist. Back and with strength and purpose! It’s your yard Roman. Your time is most certainly NOW! https://t.co/jEBDtQm39W — John Cena (@JohnCena) February 26, 2019 Reigns did admit that he still wants to go after WWE titles but he is focused on using the platform to "raise awareness" about cancer and "support those who are in need just like I was". Of course, there was plenty of support on social media, too. Kayla Braxton wrote on Twitter: "Prayers have been answered. @WWERomanReigns is in remission. Home run! Ugh the feeeeellllssssss! #raw #wwe @WWE" Brooker T Huffman said: "That’s some GOODT news! #WelcomeBackRoman @WWERomanReigns #RAW" And Matt Hardy added: "Congrats on hitting a homerun & winning your fight, #RomanReigns! Like the @WWEUniverse, I am thrilled to hear this fantastic news." Man, it's really great to see Roman Reigns again. — Sami Zayn (@SamiZayn) February 26, 2019 Feels so good to have @WWERomanReigns back. We miss you, Big Dog! #RawReigns — Bayley (@itsBayleyWWE) February 26, 2019 Congrats on hitting a homerun & winning your fight, #RomanReigns! Like the @WWEUniverse, I am thrilled to hear this fantastic news. https://t.co/2UBWzZ3uc6 — MATT HARDY (@MATTHARDYBRAND) February 26, 2019<doc-sep>

WWE star Roman Reigns is reportedly set to make a stunning comeback at WrestleMania just months after he was diagnosed with leukaemia. The Big Dog, 33, shocked the world in October when he announced live on Monday Night Raw he was relinquishing the Universal Title after being diagnosed with the deadly disease for a second time. 4 Roman Reigns is reportedly set to return to WWE just months after being diagnosed with leukaemia Credit: WWE 4 WWE owner Vince McMahon is planning on bringing 'The Big' back for WrestleMania Credit: WWE Reigns, real name Joe Anoa’I, has not appeared on WWE TV since but has made several public appearances. Fans have been buoyed to see the four-time champ attend a football game and pose for a selfie with a copper before being snapped with a fan in the gym while on holiday in Hawaii last month. During that trip he also spent time with former world boxing heavyweight champion Joseph Parker while continuing his road to recovery. The Daily Star claim his friends have revealed the superstar has been responding well treatment and is on the mend. 4 Roman Reigns shocked the world he announced in October he was battling the deadly disease Credit: WWE 4 Roman Reigns could be back in six-man tag action at the Showcase of the Immortals Credit: WWE Now, just four months after his heartbreaking announcement, they claim Wrestling News believes WWE are dropping a number of hints Reigns’ long-awaited comeback will be at the Showcase of the Immortals on April 7. Reigns, who formed The Shield with Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins, watched on from home as the trio’s famous triple-powerbomb was borrowed by Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley and Baron Corbin and Sunday’s Elimination Chamber. And the reports state WWE owner Vince McMahon instructed commentators to specifically mention The Shield while it was being executed. Another sign they believe Ambrose’s apparent turn from heel to face is another sign of Reigns’ return. LATEST WWE NEWS DISGUSTING Shocking moment wrestler slams boy, 5, to ground after lad tried chokehold COST CUTTING WWE make MORE staff cuts as backstage crew and new Raw commentator leaves Pictured TRIBAL CHIEF Birthday boy Reigns shows off amazing body transformation leaving Rock 'proud' ALEXA'S PIG PAIN WWE superstar Alexa Bliss left heartbroken as beloved pig Larry-Steve dies BUFF BAGGED Ex-WWE star Buff Bagwell arrested on more than 10 different charges after crash Pictured WRESTLING ROYALTY Charlotte Flair leaves little to imagination in Queen's Gambit-style snap And they claim the above two could join forces with Braun Strowman to fight Corbin, McIntyre and Lashley at ‘Mania. Rollins is also going to be action at WrestleMania as he battles Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title after winning the Royal Rumble. Ambrose is set to leave WWE following the event after turning down a contract extension.

On March 22, 1973, President Richard Nixon had his attorney general, John Mitchell, over to the White House for a wee chat. Nixon was concerned that, in various courtrooms and law offices around the District, the ratlines off his administration were getting crowded. He proposed that Mitchell might want to do something about that. This is what he said. I want you all to stonewall it, let them plead the Fifth Amendment, cover up or anything else, if it'll save it—save the plan. That's the whole point. 46 years later, Special Counsel Robert Mueller delivered his report into the Russian ratfcking of the 2016 presidential election, and into the attempts of the current administration* to obstruct the investigations into such matters, to Attorney General William Barr. Two days later, Barr released his now-infamous four-page summary that let the president off a number of hooks and that set a narrative—albeit a cheesy and half-true—for a crucial few days. Now, thanks to the Washington Post, we learn that Barr's little memo got crossways with the special counsel. Days after Barr’s announcement, Mueller wrote the previously undisclosed private letter to the Justice Department, laying out his concerns in stark terms that shocked senior Justice Department officials, according to people familiar with the discussions. “The summary letter the Department sent to Congress and released to the public late in the afternoon of March 24 did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance of this office’s work and conclusions,” Mueller wrote. “There is now public confusion about critical aspects of the results of our investigation. This threatens to undermine a central purpose for which the Department appointed the Special Counsel: to assure full public confidence in the outcome of the investigations.” Well, now. Barr failed to fully capture the context, and nature, and the substance of Mueller's investigation, and I've worked with the written word for some time now and I'm damned if, given Mueller's parameters, I can think of any part of the report that Barr did "fully capture." Did he describe the binders accurately? Was the font everything Barr had hoped for? Was the report double-spaced as per instructions from the Justice Department? These are all questions that do not matter. Justice Department officials said Tuesday that they were taken aback by the tone of Mueller’s letter and that it came as a surprise to them that he had such concerns. Until they received the letter, they believed Mueller was in agreement with them on the process of reviewing the report and redacting certain types of information, a process that took several weeks. Barr has testified to Congress previously that Mueller declined the opportunity to review his four-page memo to lawmakers that distilled the essence of the special counsel’s findings. Taken aback by the tone? The available evidence indicates that Mueller thinks that Ivanka walks Barr three times a day around the South Lawn. And the tone is what these people are worried about? It's time to give them something real to talk about. It is time to start talking about heads on pikes—figuratively, of course. The House of Representatives has to put some people on spits and start turning them until they're a tasty golden brown. This has gone much too far enough. In terms of the worst attorneys general in history, Barr has zoomed past A. Mitchell Palmer, and now is closing in on Nixon's Mitchell, Richard Kleindienst, and Harry Daugherty, the crook who ran DOJ for Warren Harding—and that's only because Mitchell went to jail, Kleindienst copped a plea, and Daugherty eventually was indicted and beat the rap. Barr is coming up fast on the outside on all of them. William Barr speaks about the release of the redacted version of the Mueller Report at the Department of Justice on April 18. Getty Images One of the more egregious episodes of malfeasance in Barr's most recent stint as AG came on April 10, when Barr was appearing before another Senate committee and was asked by Senator Chris Van Hollen whether Mueller supported Barr's conclusion in his memo regarding Mueller's opinion on whether the president* obstructed justice. Barr said he didn't know. Now we know that Mueller had written to Barr more than a week earlier and informed him that he didn't support Barr's conclusion at all. And on Wednesday, Barr is supposed to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee, with its Republican majority. He's supposed to appear before House Judiciary, with its Democratic majority, the next day, but he's balking because, he says, he doesn't want to be questioned by anyone except the committee members, which makes Barr much more of a coward than either Mitchell or, for that matter, Christine Blasey Ford, for whose examination before the SJC the Republicans flew in a separate lawyer. My guess? He will stonewall the Senate and continue to duck the House, which should end with his being impeached and removed from office. But the most critical aspect of Tuesday night's events is that the White House and its various henchpeople are on their way to leaving the Congress no remedy except impeachment to get to the truth of this administration's corruption. What I am sure of is that no congressional Republican is going to take that leap. It's a eunuch choir over there, and everybody's still on key. But events are driving themselves now, and the tension within the institutions of government is destabilizing the whole damn thing. Respond to this post on the Esquire Politics Facebook Page here. Charles P. Pierce Charles P Pierce is the author of four books, most recently Idiot America, and has been a working journalist since 1976. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>Attorney General William Barr. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images House Democrats are going to face a difficult decision about launching an impeachment inquiry into President Trump. Balanced against the president’s impressive array of misconduct is the fact that several more criminal investigations that may add to the indictment are already underway, and that impeaching the president might jeopardize the reelection of red-state Democratic members. But in the meantime, Attorney General William Barr presents them with a much easier decision. Barr has so thoroughly betrayed the values of his office that voting to impeach and remove him is almost obvious. On March 24, Barr released a short letter summarizing the main findings of the Mueller investigation, as he saw them. News accounts treated Barr’s interpretation as definitive, and the media — even outlets that had spent two years uncovering a wide swath of suspicious and compromising links between the Trump campaign and Russia — dutifully engaged in self-flagellation for having had the temerity to raise questions about the whole affair. Barr had done very little to that point to earn such a broad benefit of the doubt. In the same role in 1992, he had supported mass pardons of senior officials that enabled a cover-up of the Iran–Contra scandal. Less famously, in 1989 he issued a redacted version of a highly controversial administration legal opinion that, as Ryan Goodman explained, “omitted some of the most consequential and incendiary conclusions from the actual opinion” for “no justifiable reason.” And while many members of the old Republican political Establishment had recoiled against Trump’s contempt for the rule of law, Barr has shown no signs of having joined them. He met with Trump to discuss serving as his defense lawyer, publicly attacked the Mueller investigation (which risked “taking on the look of an entirely political operation to overthrow the president”), called for more investigations of Hillary Clinton, and circulated a lengthy memo strongly defending Trump against obstruction charges. The events since Barr’s letter have incinerated whatever remains of his credibility. The famously tight-lipped Mueller team told several news outlets the letter had minimized Trump’s culpability; Barr gave congressional testimony hyping up Trump’s charges of “spying,” even prejudging the outcome of an investigation (“I think there was a failure among a group of leaders [at the FBI] at the upper echelon”); evaded questions as to whether he had shared the Mueller report with the White House; and, it turns out, he’s “had numerous conversations with White House lawyers which aided the president’s legal team,” the New York Times reports. Then he broke precedent by scheduling a press conference to spin the report in advance of its redacted publication. It is not much of a mystery to determine which officials have offered their full loyalty to the president. Trump has reportedly “praised Barr privately for his handling of the report and compared him favorably to former Attorney General Jeff Sessions” —whose sole offense in Trump’s eyes was following Department of Justice ethical protocol. Trump urged his Twitter followers to tune in to Barr’s conference, promotional treatment he normally reserves for his Fox News sycophants. The press conference was the final disqualifying performance. Barr acted like Trump’s defense lawyer, the job he had initially sought, rather than as an attorney general. His aggressive spin seemed designed to work in the maximal number of repetitions of the “no collusion” mantra, in accordance with his boss’s talking points, at the expense of any faithful transmission of the special counsel’s report. Barr’s letter had made it sound as though Trump’s campaign spurned Russia’s offers of help: “The Special Counsel did not find that the Trump campaign, or anyone associated with it, conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in these efforts, despite multiple offers from Russian-affiliated individuals to assist the Trump campaign,” he wrote. In fact, Mueller’s report concluded, “In some instances, the Campaign was receptive to the offer,” but that the cooperation fell short of criminal conduct. Where Mueller intended to leave the job of judging Trump’s obstructive conduct to Congress, Barr interposed his own judgment. Barr offered this incredible statement for why Trump’s behavior was excusable: “[T]here is substantial evidence to show that the President was frustrated and angered by a sincere belief that the investigation was undermining his presidency, propelled by his political opponents, and fueled by illegal leaks,” Barr said. “Nonetheless, the White House fully cooperated with the Special Counsel’s investigation,” and credited him further with taking “no act that in fact deprived the Special Counsel of the documents and witnesses necessary to complete his investigation.” Sincere? How can Barr use that word to describe the mentality of a man whose own staffers routinely describe him in the media as a pathological liar? Trump repeatedly lied about Russia’s involvement in the campaign, and his own dealings with Russia. And he also, contra Barr, repeatedly denied the special counsel access to witnesses by dangling pardons to persuade them to withhold cooperation. It is true that many of Trump’s attempts to obstruct justice failed. As Mueller wrote, the president’s “efforts to influence the investigation were mostly unsuccessful, but that is largely because the persons who surrounded the President declined to carry out orders or accede to his requests.” This is a rather different gloss on the facts than the happy story Barr offered the press. What’s more, it is a pressing argument for Barr’s own removal. Next to the president himself, the attorney general is the most crucial actor in the safeguarding of the rule of law. The Justice Department is an awesome force that holds the power to enable the ruling party to commit crimes with impunity, or to intimidate and smear the opposing party with the taint of criminality. There is no other department in government in which mere norms, not laws, are all that stand between democracy as we know it and a banana republic. Barr has revealed his complete unfitness for this awesome task. Nearly two more years of this Trumpian henchman wielding power over federal law enforcement is more weight than the rickety Constitution can bear.<doc-sep>William Barr is facing impeachment calls from Democrats over his handling of special counsel Robert Mueller's report on the Russia investigation, but experts warn that removing an attorney general is just as difficult as removing the president. In fact, it's never been done before. "No attorney general has ever been impeached," Michael Gerhardt, a constitutional law professor at the University of North Carolina, told Newsweek. "The process for impeaching an attorney general for misconduct is nearly as difficult as it is for the president. With the president, however, elections can also serve as checks. There is no analogue for that with a Cabinet member," he added. Gerhardt served as a member of President Bill Clinton's Justice Department transition team and testified before the House Judiciary Committee during the impeachment proceedings against Clinton. Calls for Barr's removal resounded on Tuesday after it was revealed that Mueller disagreed with his handling of the highly anticipated report. In late March, the special counsel wrote a letter to Barr in which he expressed frustration over how the attorney general had presented the key findings of the nearly two-year probe in a four-page summary. The revelation creates serious problems for the attorney general, most notably that he appears to have misled Congress during appearances on Capitol Hill in early April, a week after he received Mueller's letter. Democratic Representative Charlie Crist asked Barr during a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on April 9 about reports that members of the special counsel's office were upset about his representation of their findings. Specifically, those investigators thought Barr did not adequately portray the report. "Do you know what they are referencing with that?" Crist asked him. Barr responded that he did not. The next day, during an appearance before the Senate Appropriations Committee, Democrat Chris Van Hollen questioned Barr on how Mueller felt about the overall handling of the report. "Did Bob Mueller support your conclusion?" Van Hollen asked, to which Barr responded, "I don't know whether Bob Mueller supported my conclusion." According to Gerhardt, lying to or misleading Congress during testimony is "sufficiently serious" enough to warrant impeachment proceedings for an attorney general. But Harvard Law professor Laurence Tribe told Newsweek that while Barr's behavior "might in theory" warrant calls for removal, it "seems exceedingly unlikely." "Barr's manifestly misleading and obfuscatory testimony, whether or not impeachable, is certainly disqualifying for any attorney general. He really needs to resign," Tribe added. Democratic presidential candidate Julián Castro said on Tuesday night that Barr was "completely compromised" and "ought to resign or they should begin impeachment inquiry." Fellow presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren shared similar sentiments on Wednesday. "Donald Trump isn't king, and no one is above the law. We know Barr's deceptive 'summary' was intended to protect the man in the White House, and Congress should begin impeachment proceedings against the President," she wrote on Twitter. Donald Trump isn’t king, and no one is above the law. We know Barr's deceptive "summary" was intended to protect the man in the White House, and Congress should begin impeachment proceedings against the President. pic.twitter.com/vTKTqEn83p — Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) May 1, 2019 Representative Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, told CNN on Wednesday that Congress is going to need to consider all options when it comes to removing Barr. "Look, there's no sugarcoating this: I think he should step down. It's hard, I think, for the country to have confidence in the top law enforcement official in the country if he's asked a direct question, as he was, and he gives a directly false answer. So this is serious business," Schiff said during an appearance on CBS This Morning. Congress has the power to impeach the "president, the vice president and all civil officers of the United States" for treason, bribery and other high crimes and misdemeanors, according to Article 2 of the Constitution. That includes Cabinet members like the attorney general. According to Tribe, the process of impeaching an attorney general is "identical" to that of removing the president, "except that the vice president presides over the Senate trial if anyone except a president is impeached." Impeachment is not commonly used against Cabinet members because they serve at the pleasure of the president, who can decide to fire them or force them to resign because of a scandal. But Donald Trump is not likely to push out Barr, who's proved himself to be a defender of presidential power and has even drawn comparisons to Roy Cohn, Trump's former personal attorney and fixer. Plus, Barr decided the president did not commit obstruction of justice after Mueller failed to make a final determination on the matter, despite providing evidence of possible criminal behavior. Trump praised his attorney general as a "great gentleman" following Barr's four-page summary, which highlighted that the Mueller report found no evidence of a criminal conspiracy between the Russians and the Trump campaign and did not conclude that Trump obstructed justice. "He's a great man," Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity in a phone interview. "Had he been there initially, this all would not have happened, because what has gone on there is just a disgrace to our country."<doc-sep>Tuesday on MSNBC’s “All In,” Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) said in light of the of The Washington Post report that special counsel Robert Mueller told Attorney General William Barr his summary “did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance” of the probe, Barr should resign or be impeached. Waters said, “I think that Barr should resign. If he does not resign, he should be facing impeachment proceedings also. He has abdicated on his responsibility. He’s lied. He has used the very words coming right out of the president’s mouth, ‘no collusion, no collusion, no collusion.’ And made a decision that despite what the counsel put into that report about obstruction of justice, he said he made the decision that he had not obstructed justice. It is outrageous, and he needs to go.” Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN<doc-sep>

Calls for Attorney General William Barr's resignation resounded Tuesday evening after The Washington Post reported on a letter written by special counsel Robert Mueller saying he disagreed with Barr's handling of his report. "Mueller's letter shows that Attorney General Barr has always been the chief propagandist for President [Donald] Trump. His four-page letter totally misled Congress and the public," said Senator Chris Van Hollen on Twitter. "He should resign immediately." Senator Richard Blumenthal told the Post's Robert Costa over the phone that he would not rule out the possible impeachment of Barr. "A lot of remedies need to be on the table," he said. Congressman and 2020 candidate Eric Swalwell said that Barr should face impeachment if he does not testify in front of Congress about the report. AG Barr clearly and deliberately misled the American people about the results of the Special Counsel’s investigation – more than once. He needs to resign or be impeached. — Kathleen Rice (@RepKathleenRice) May 1, 2019 Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz, meanwhile, took a moment to troll his Republican colleagues. "I'm hearing that several senior Republicans in Congress are finally fed up and they are quietly planning to do nothing," he tweeted. "Friends, we really need a Democratic Senate," he wrote. The comments come after it was revealed late Tuesday night that Mueller wrote a letter to Barr expressing "frustration" that Barr classified his report as an exoneration of Trump's alleged attempts to obstruct justice during an investigation by Mueller and his team into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential elections. Mueller "expressed frustration over the lack of context and the resulting media coverage" in a phone call following after Barr released a four-page letter summarizing the report, spokesperson Kerri Kupec said in a statement. The phone call was made by Barr, said Kupec, after he received a letter from Mueller stating that the memo did not "capture the context, nature, and substance" of his full report. "The summary letter the Department sent to Congress and released to the public late in the afternoon of March 24 did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance of this office's work and conclusions," Mueller wrote in the letter dated March 27, first reported by the Post. "There is now public confusion about critical aspects of the results of our investigation. This threatens to undermine a central purpose for which the Department appointed the Special Counsel: to assure full public confidence in the outcome of the investigations." On April 10, nearly two weeks after the letter was sent, Barr testified before Senate and was asked by Van Hollen "Did Bob Mueller support your conclusion?" Barr responded "I don't know whether Bob Mueller supported my conclusion." Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer tweeted that " In light of Mueller's letter, the misleading nature of Barr's 4/10 testimony & 4/18 press conference is even more glaring." Barr, he wrote, "must bring the letter with him when he testifies in the Senate tomorrow. And it's time for Mueller to testify publicly. Now." "The Special Counsel's concerns reflect our own. The Attorney General should not have taken it upon himself to describe the Special Counsel's findings in a light more favorable to the President. It was only a matter of time before the facts caught up to him," wrote House Judiciary Chair Jerry Nadler in a statement Tuesday evening. "Attorney General Barr also should not have withheld this letter from Congress for as long as he has. I have demanded a copy from the Department of Justice. I have asked that it be delivered no later than 10:00 tomorrow morning." Calls for Mueller to testify publicly were also amplified. "This is exactly why I said Mr. Barr should never have been confirmed in the first place," tweeted Senator Mark Warner. "At this point he has lost all credibility, and the only way to clear this up is for Mr. Mueller to testify publicly." Democrats, according to The Daily Beast, have been told that Mueller is willing to testify but that the Department of Justice has been reluctant to set a date.

But their daughter refuses to believe her parents died of natural causes. They were both in great health, she said. Several guests had complained of stomach ailments after eating the hotel food, various British media outlets reported. The sudden deaths led Thomas Cook to evacuate more than 300 of its clients from the resort, and fly many back to the United Kingdom, British media reports said.<doc-sep>Food, water and air conditioning systems at a hotel in Egypt where a British couple died under mysterious circumstances are being tested in an attempt to establish the cause of death. John and Susan Cooper died at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada on Thursday. The couple’s daughter, Kelly Ormerod, said she thought there was “something suspicious” behind the deaths, because her parents had been in perfect health hours before they died. She said Mr Cooper died in his room, and Ms Cooper, a Thomas Cook employee, died after she was taken to the hospital. The couple’s family will “hopefully” find out the results of the tests in 10 days, the chief executive of Thomas Cook said as he promised to do everything to “get to the bottom of it.” Peter Fankhauser told Sky News: “We have no real evidence what caused the deaths, but what I can promise is at Thomas Cook we are doing everything to support the family and to support the Egyptian authorities... to get to the bottom of it and to get to the cause. “There is no evidence that it is a carbon monoxide poisoning. We have no evidence but I don’t want to rule out anything before I really know the cause.” Mr Fankhauser continued: “Twenty-four hours after the couple died, we had our specialists... in the hotel. They took probes of the food, of the hygienic systems, of water, as well as the air conditioning systems, and all those probes are now in Egypt. “They are now examining and testing the probes and we support them in doing that, but that takes about 10 days.” World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut.<doc-sep>One of the passengers told the BBC: "When you find out at 10:00-10:30 at night that two people have died two days ago, and nobody knows why... If they'd been open and transparent, I wouldn't have got on that plane."<doc-sep>

The daughter of the British couple who died in an Egyptian hotel says something in their room killed them. John and Susan Cooper, from Burnley, Lancashire, died on Tuesday morning while on holiday at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in Hurghada with their daughter and her child. An inspection of the couple's hotel room revealed there were no toxic or harmful gas emissions or leaks, prosecutor Nabil Sadeq said. The deaths of the couple, aged 69 and 63, prompted tour operator Thomas Cook to evacuate 301 of its customers from the hotel as a "precautionary measure". The couple's daughter Kelly Ormerod, who had been on holiday with her parents and daughter, said she found them both seriously ill in their room. Image: John and Susan Cooper died at a resort in Hurghada, Egypt She said her daughter went to her grandparents' room after a meal they all had together the night before. Ms Ormerod said: "My daughter said they could smell something that was a little bit funny, that wasn't right. "All they did was spray a little bit of perfume to try to eliminate the smell." When her parents failed to come down for breakfast the next day, Ms Ormerod went to their room. She said: "As I opened the door, I could see that my dad was extremely ill and he was staggering back to the bed." Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Test results on couple expected 'within days' Her father said he felt "really, really poorly" while her mother was lying on the bed. Doctors were called and they attended to her father as a priority as his condition was worse. Ms Ormerod said: "They tried basically to save his life and they couldn't - they did CPR on him but nothing could help him, nothing could save him. "Mum had no idea what was going on - she was oblivious to what was actually happening because she was so poorly." Her mother was taken to hospital where she died later. Ms Ormerod said: "I don't think it was specifically an individual's fault for the deaths. "I think when they went back to that room that evening there was something in that room that's actually killed them - whether they've inhaled something that poisoned them, I don't know. "I can only have my opinion on what's gone on, but there's something that happened in that room that killed my parents." :: Egypt hotel couple's deaths: What do we know? Image: Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in Hurghada. Pic: Steigenberger Ms Ormerod previously told Sky News she believed "something suspicious" had caused their deaths. Thomas Cook's chief executive, Peter Fankhauser, has told Sky News that the company had brought in experts to test water, food and air conditioning and the results of the tests should be known within ten days. "We have no real evidence what caused the deaths, but what I can promise is at Thomas Cook we are doing everything to support the family and to support the Egyptian authorities... to get to the bottom of it and to get to the cause," he said. "There is no evidence that it is a carbon monoxide poisoning. We have no evidence but I don't want to rule out anything before I really know the cause." Mr Fankhauser continued: "Twenty-four hours after the couple died we had we had our specialists... in the hotel. They took probes of the food, of the hygienic systems, of water, as well the air conditioning systems, and all those probes are now in Egypt. "They are now examining and testing the probes and we support them in doing that, but that takes about 10 days." A spokesman for the Steigenberger hotel said the company was carrying out its own investigation and would be doing everything possible to assist the authorities. Ms Ormerod, who is now back in the UK, told Sky News she has hired a local lawyer to find out what happened to her parents. At least 20 people have brought legal claims against the hotel over hygiene standards. Nick Harris, a lawyer who is representing the group, said his clients had reported becoming unwell after recent stays at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel. Mr Harris told Sky News complaints had been made over "the food, the temperatures of the food, things like that". He added: "It seems to be the same complaints coming back time and time again."

Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) NORRISTOWN, Pa. – Bill Cosby burst out laughing in court on Tuesday – moments after he was sentenced to three to 10 years in state prison for a 2004 sex assault. The 81-year-old convicted sex offender was seen cracking jokes with his team in Montgomery County court, as sheriff’s officers swooped in to take him directly into custody. Cosby handed over his wallet, tie and watch to authorities before Judge Steven O’Neill ordered him remanded. “My reasons for the sentence are the reasons I’m relying on in denying this defendant bail. This is a serious crime he’s been sentenced for,” O’Neill explained in court. Cosby had been free on $1 million bail since his arrest in December 2015. The courtroom was cleared before Cosby, wearing red suspenders and a white shirt, was cuffed from the front and led out of the courtroom through a hallway. He carried his cane in both hands. Meanwhile, one of his dozens of accusers, supermodel Janice Dickinson, was nearly booted from the packed courtroom for loudly laughing during a break in the proceedings.<doc-sep>Celeb obsessed? Get a daily dose of showbiz gossip direct to your inbox Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Bill Cosby reportedly laughed in court as a judge branded him a "sexually violent predator" and sentenced him to between three and 10 years in prison for sexual assault. The shamed comedian is said to have been seen joking with his legal team before being marched out of court in shackles on Tuesday, according to the New York Post. Cosby, 81, was found guilty in April of three counts of aggravated indecent assault for the drugging and sexual assault of Andrea Constand at his Philadelphia home in 2004. He is the first celebrity to be convicted of sexual abuse since the start of the MeToo movement. Cosby must spend at least three years in a Pennsylvania prison before he becomes eligible for supervised release, though he could end up behind bars for up to a decade. (Image: REUTERS) (Image: AFP) Judge Steven O'Neill ordered Cosby to be jailed immediately, denying Cosby's request for bail while lawyers appeal the conviction. He was escorted out a back door of the courthouse with his hands and feet shackled and driven away in a black sport utility vehicle. Minutes earlier, Constand left court with her arms folded, a smile spreading across her face as other women who have accused Cosbycame to hug her. Several of those women spoke to reporters in the rain outside the courtroom. "I wanted 30 years, but I'm very happy to know Mr. Cosby will do time in prison," said Chelan Lasha, who gave tearful testimony in court about the time she says Cosby drugged and groped her in the 1980s. (Image: AFP) (Image: AFP) O'Neill also fined Cosby $25,000 and ordered him to pay the costs of the prosecution. There was no visible reaction from the disgraced entertainer as he learned his fate. "Equal justice under the law does not allow different treatment because of who he is or who he was," O'Neill said. Cosby cemented his family-friendly reputation playing the affable Dr. Cliff Huxtable in the 1980s television comedy The Cosby Show. "He hid behind Dr. Cliff Huxtable," Kevin Steele, the county district attorney who led the prosecution, told reporters afterwards. "Before he was taken away in handcuffs, a lot of people believed this was who he was. We know otherwise." (Image: REUTERS) After the sentencing, Andrew Wyatt, Cosby's spokesman, read a lengthy statement in which he decried what he called "the most racist and sexist trial in the history of the United States." O'Neill also decided to designate Cosby a "sexually violent predator" under Pennsylvania law, which means Cosby will have to undergo monthly counseling and register as a sex offender with police for the rest of his life. Neighbours and schools will be notified of his address, certain movements and crimes, as will Constand. When prosecutors told Cosby in court he would not have to inform Constand of his movements himself but that a proxy would do so, he replied: "Good!" Cosby has denied any wrongdoing. Asked if he wanted to address the court with a statement before sentencing, Cosby declined through his lawyers. His lawyers had asked that Cosby be placed under house arrest, citing his age and frailty. (Image: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid) (Image: X90143) More than 50 women have accused Cosby of sexual abuse going back decades, with most complaints too old to prosecute. The Constand case was the only allegation that led to criminal charges. Constand said in a written statement submitted to the court on Monday that the attack had turned her into a woman who was "stuck in a holding pattern for most of her adult life, unable to heal fully or to move forward." "Bill Cosby took my beautiful, healthy young spirit and crushed it," she wrote. Cosby's first trial in 2017 ended in a mistrial when jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict. Prison officials will process Cosby at the nearby state prison in Schwenksville before determining in which of Pennsylvania's 22 male prisons he will serve his sentence, prison spokeswoman Amy Worden wrote in an email. He will be one of 86 inmates over age 80 held by Pennsylvania's Department of Corrections, where the two oldest inmates are both 91, Worden said.<doc-sep>SHAMED Bill Cosby laughed after he was sentenced to three to ten years for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman. The disgraced comedian, 81, was seen joking with his legal team in Montgomery County court before he was led away in handcuffs last night. 19 Shamed Bill Cosby's booking mugshot after he was processed at the Montgomery County Jail 19 The disgraced comedian, 81, was led out of the court in handcuffs carrying a wooden cane Credit: AP:Associated Press Judge Steven O'Neill branded Cosby a "sexually violent predator" as he jailed him for three counts of indecent assault following the drugging and sex attack of former friend Andrea Constand at his Philadelphia home in 2004. "It is time for justice. Mr Cosby, this has all circled back to you. The time has come," Judge O'Neill told the comedian. However, Cosby spokesman Andrew Wyatt said his client was "doing great" after learning of his prison sentence. The judge yesterday said the evidence was bolstered by five other accusers, including supermodel Janice Dickenson, 63. 19 Cosby was also seen smiling as he arrived for his sentencing Credit: AP:Associated Press 19 The fallen TV star now faces up to ten years in a state prison Credit: AFP or licensors It completes the dizzying fall from grace for the comedian- who became the first big star to be convicted for sex abuse since the start of the #MeToo movement. Cosby stumbled as he was led out of the court in handcuffs carrying a wooden cane. When asked to comment on his sentence, he said nothing. Cosby emptied his pockets and removed his tie before being taken into custody for his official prison mugshot, reports TMZ. He will spend the first few days of his prison sentence at the Montgomery County Jail outside Philadelphia. From there, he'll be taken to SCI Phoenix, a brand new 3,830-bed state prison outside Philadelphia, where staff will assess his physical, medical and security needs. 19 Cosby's victim Andrea Constand (c) attends a press conference after the sentencing Credit: AFP or licensors 19 The fallen star was flanked by sheriff s following his sentencing Credit: AP:Associated Press The fallen star's lawyers have already vowed to appeal the conviction. His spokesman Andrew Wyatt branded it the most racist and sexist trial in he history of the United States. Mr Wyatt said: "Mr Cosby knows that God is watching over him. He knows that these are lies. They persecuted Jesus and look what happened. "I'm not saying Mr Cosby is Jesus, but we know what this country has done to black men for centuries. "So Mr Cosby is doing fine. He's holding up well and everybody who wants to say anything negative, you're a joke as well." Montgomery County Court Judge O'Neill also decided to designate Cosby a "sexually violent predator" under Pennsylvania law. 19 Andrea Constand embraces former model Janice Dickinson Credit: AP:Associated Press 19 Cosby is escorted out of the Montgomery County Correctional Facility Credit: AP:Associated Press That means he will have to undergo monthly counselling and register as a sex offender with police for the rest of his life. Neighbours and schools will be notified of his address and crimes. Cosby also declined the opportunity to speak before his sentence came down, and afterwards he sat and chatted with his spokesman and a lawyer, seemingly in good spirits. His wife of 54 years, Camille, was not in court but did later release a statement saying prosecutors had used "falsified evidence" to win a conviction against him. Cosby's victim Andrea Constand smiled upon hearing the punishment and was hugged by her friends in the courtroom. The star's lawyers for bail but this was refused by the judge. 19 Cosby's wife of 54 years, Camille, was not in court to see him led away Credit: Reuters 19 Cosby will have to register as a sex offender with police for the rest of his life Credit: 2018 Getty Images 19 Cosby's lawyers had asked that he be allowed to remain free on bail Credit: 2018 Getty Images 19 Accuser Victoria Valentino reacts after the comedian was sentenced to three to 10 years Credit: Getty Images - Getty Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele rejected the notion that Cosby's age and infirmity entitle him to mercy. "He was good at hiding this for a long time. Good at suppressing this for a long time. So it's taken a long time to get there," Steele said. After the sentencing Steele said heused his fame and fortune to "hide his true self and hide his crimes," intimidating his victims into keeping them silent for decades. More than 50 other women also have accused Cosby of sexual abuse going back decades, with most complaints too old to prosecute. The Constand case was the only allegation that led to criminal charges. On the first day of the sentencing hearing, she said in a written statement that the attack had turned her into a woman who was "stuck in a holding pattern for most of her adult life, unable to heal fully or to move forward." "Bill Cosby took my beautiful, healthy young spirit and crushed it," she wrote. 19 The Hollywood star's new home will be a cell at the State Correctional Institution at Phoenix Credit: AP:Associated Press 19 The high-secure state prison is surrounded by fences topped with razor wire Credit: AP:Associated Press 19 Prison staff will assess Cosby's physical, medical and security needs Credit: Reuters 19 A number of accusers, including model Janice Dickinson, were on hand for the sentencing hearing Credit: AP:Associated Press Prosecutors had asked for the maximum prison sentence of between five and 10 years, citing the nature of Cosby's crime as well as his alleged history of misconduct. They had also asked the judge to levy a £20,000 fine on Cosby and make him pay court costs. If ever he comes up for parole, prosecutors want him to submit to the "psycho-sexual evaluation" he had refused prior to sentencing. Citing Cosby's frailty and blindness, Cosby's lawyers had asked for house arrest rather than prison time. Cosby's first trial in 2017 ended in a mistrial when jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict. Soon after that proceeding, a series of women began levelling sexual misconduct allegations against influential men, launching the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. 19 Andrea Constand, centre left, stands behind Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele Credit: AP:Associated Press 19 Some of Cosby's accusers outside of court house waiting for the shamed star to arrive on Monday Credit: Rex Features 19 The 81-year-old fallen star was facing up to 30 years in prison Credit: AFP or licensors Kathy McKee, a former actress who has accused Cosby of raping her, told CNN that listening to the news about his sentencing stirred up some "very difficult and deep emotions." Still, she said she is happy Judge O'Neill sentenced Cosby accordingly and is grateful to Andrea Constand "for standing strong." "I wanted 30 years, but I'm very happy to know Mr. Cosby will do time in prison," said Chelan Lasha, who gave tearful testimony in court about the time she says Cosby drugged and groped her. When the ruling was announced, a woman in courtroom put her fist into the air and whispered, "Yessss!" Cosby, whose estimated fortune once topped £300m, broke barriers in the 1960s as the first black actor to star in a network show, "I Spy." Quotes from the hearing and reactions to Bill Cosby's sentence "Bill Cosby took my beautiful, healthy young spirit and crushed it. He robbed me of my health and vitality, my open nature, and my trust in myself and others. ...We may never know the full extent of his double life as a sexual predator but his decades-long reign of terror as a serial rapist is over." Andrea Constand, in her victim impact statement. "No one is above the law. And no one should be treated disproportionately because of who they are, where they live, or even their wealth, celebrity or philanthropy. ...I am not permitted to treat him any differently because of who he is, or who he was. ...It is time for justice.<doc-sep>

Bill Cosby Reportedly Laughed, Joked Before Going Into Custody Bill Cosby reportedly burst into a fit of laughter on Sept. 25, just moments after he was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison for a 2004 sex assault conviction. Cosby, 81, was cracking jokes with his legal team in a Montgomery County court as sheriff’s officers took him into state custody, the New York Post reported. The Associated Press also reported that he was laughing and cracking jokes after the sentencing was over. The Post report said that Cosby, who is now a convicted sex offender, handed over his wallet, tie, and watch to authorities. According to AP, Cosby is legally blind and uses a cane. “My reasons for the sentence are the reasons I’m relying on in denying this defendant bail. This is a serious crime he’s been sentenced for,” Judge Steven O’Neill said in court. “For decades, the defendant has been able to hide his true self and hide his crimes using his fame and fortune. He’s hidden behind a character created, Dr. Cliff Huxtable,” Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said on Sept. 25, AP reported. “Now, finally, Bill Cosby has been unmasked, and we have seen the real man as he is headed off to prison,” he said. Cosby had been free on $1 million bail since he was arrested in December 2015. In April 2018, he was convicted of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004. Cosby’s defense team argued that the sentence of three to 10 years would cause “excessive hardship” to the elderly comedian. “What does an 81-year-old man do in prison?” attorney Joseph Green said, Fox News reported. “How does he fight off the people who are trying to extort him, or walk to the mess hall?” Cosby didn’t speak before the sentence was handed down to him. His wife, Camille, wasn’t present with him in court, AP reported. Under the guidelines, Cosby has to serve three years in prison before he can be eligible for parole. He also was fined $25,000 and was declared a “sexually violent predator,” the AP report said. The New York Times reported that 10 women who had accused Cosby of sexual abuse were in the courtroom to witness the sentencing. “Bill Cosby took my beautiful, healthy young spirit and crushed it,” said Constand, according to the publication. “I’m grateful to Andrea for standing strong,” said Kathrine McKee, who had sued Cosby for defamation, USA Today reported. “I suffered for 40-plus years. He’s got three to 10 years. He shows no remorse whatsoever. He’s not sorry at all. … I’m glad he was convicted. I’m grateful that the judge has given him this time. I say a prayer for all of us women who have been affected by this through Bill Cosby’s hands.” “The harrowing memory of rape continues to this day,” former supermodel Janice Dickinson’s said in a statement, according to the USA Today report. “At one point, I moved to Milan, Italy, to get away (but) the rape is etched into my soul. … I will never be the same.”

The Cleveland Cavaliers take on the Chicago Bulls in what may end up being one of the most important games of the season. Who? Cleveland Cavaliers (9-38) vs. Chicago Bulls (10-36) When? 1:00 p.m. EST Where? Quicken Loans Arena — Cleveland, Ohio Where on my eyeballs? Fox Sports Ohio, NBA League Pass Cavaliers status update: Kevin Love (Foot - OUT), John Henson (Wrist - OUT), J.R. Smith (Not with team), Tristan Thompson (Foot - OUT), Larry Nance Jr. (Knee - OUT), David Nwaba (Ankle - OUT) Bulls status update: TBD The Cavaliers and Bulls have been the two worst teams in the NBA so far this season. While the bottom three teams in the NBA will have identical odds of picking 1-3 in what is considered by many to be a one to three player draft, this is still a significant match-up. Stressing over who wins and loses this game is probably not a great way to spend your energy, given the aforementioned flattening of the lottery odds. But it will be somewhat of a measuring stick game as the Cavs return home after a tough West coast trip. With almost every veteran on the roster out of the lineup, this will once again be a test of the Cavs young players. Can Collin Sexton build upon his career-high in assists against Denver? Can Cedi Osman continue to keep his efficiency trending in the right direction? Can Ante Zizic keep his streak of three straight double digit scoring performances alive? Given the quality of opponent in front of them, one would hope the answer would be yes. The result likely isn’t as important to the team as the need to see some positive signs from their young players. This season has been relatively bleak and teams are certainly overlooking the Cavs whenever they come up on the schedule. But given those circumstances, it would be nice to see the team start to generate momentum with their young players that can be carried into next season. Regardless of where you view their respective ceilings, how they perform in these games matter. Fear the Sword’s Fearless Prediction Early games are never clean or aesthetically pleasing basketball. Fortunately, neither of these teams ever really play that way. Cavs win a slugfest 105-98.<doc-sep>The Bulls performed as expected, giving fuel to the “well, they’re in better shape then like the 2-3 worst franchises in the NBA!” argument as they comfortably won a 104-88 afternoon MLK holiday contest in Cleveland against the Cavs. Not only are the Cavs the Cavs, they have multiple rotation guys out and were wrapping up their own long road-trip recently. If any game was winnable for the Boylen boys, this was it. And they did it! They quickly accumulated a 16 point lead as the Cavs, even when doing something good, would quickly screw it up. This is what happens when the two worst teams in the league face off against each other. pic.twitter.com/HCW3yBNQki — Stephen Noh (@StephNoh) January 21, 2019 The lead swelled as Bobby Portis hit three 3-pointers in his first stint and earned a technical for staring down Channing Frye. But at least he was on the winning team here, much worse was Cam Payne, once “a young guy in our building who we really like in our culture”, now coming off the bench for the Cavs and hitting a couple shots and staring down the Bulls bench, lol. The Cavs bench unit that was ‘led’ by Payne (fear not, Payne turned in an overall shitty game, because he’s a shitty NBA player) did cut the deficit down to 6 by halftime as the Bulls turned in a 17 point quarter against one of the statistically worst defenses of all-time. But in the 3rd, the Cavaliers starting lineup once again fell on their face - sometimes literally - and the Bulls lead crept up over double-digits. A 4th quarter beginning with back-to-back three-pointers from Jabari Parker pretty much ended the day early. The Bulls shot well from three in this game and on a nice-to-see 40% of total attempts , finishing with nearly identical halves of 7-14 in the first and 8-16 in the second. LaVine tied Portis with 3 makes and had a game-high 25 points. Markkanen also had 3 makes, though had a more modest 11 points overall. Kris Dunn even hit a three! He was decidedly not a trainwreck unlike the last few games, and was very disruptive defensively, also getting 9 assists. But still more than a few Kris-Dunn-why-tho? decisions on bad shot attempts and sloppy turnovers. Overall I wouldn’t say this was a great performance by the Bulls, I am sure Boylen will say they showed a ‘toughness’ or something he can’t possibly measure but it really had a lot to do with the opponent, here. Cleveland shot 41% from two and 22% from three, they missed 9 free throws for added spice. They took countless awful shots, led by the Jazz-didn’t-want-them-anymore duo in Rodney Hood and Alec Burks going a combined 2-15 from the field. So that made the turnover numbers look better than they were, I think. Because, as a team, the Cavs turned it over on over 12% of their possessions. The Bulls were over 17% in this category, but it definitely looked better as they took way better shots. The Bulls losing streak is over at 10, Boylen can try and take this as a way for his guys to ‘buy-in’, and at least for one game the players aren’t having an existential crisis (or I just haven’t seen it yet?). And the team does have a nice schedule at least for the week: off-days in-between home dates against the Hawks, Clippers, and these sorry-ass Cavaliers again.<doc-sep>Zach LaVine led five Bulls in double figures and Chicago led wire to wire for the first time this season in a 104-88 Martin Luther King Jr. Day matinee win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. LaVine scored 25 points and Bobby Portis added 15 off the bench Monday as the Bulls beat the Cavs for the third time this season. Lauri Markkanen had 13 points and eight rebounds, Kris Dunn added 13 points and nine assists and Jabari Parker scored 10 points for Chicago, which snapped a 10-game losing streak. Cleveland was led by rookie Collin Sexton, who scored 18 points. Ante Zizic scored points and Jordan Clarkson added 12 off the bench. The Cavs are 1-9 in their past 10 games. In a battle of the two teams with the worst records in the NBA, it was the Bulls who came out clicking. They scored the first seven points as the Cavs didn’t score for the first four-plus minutes. Sexton finally got Cleveland on the board with a 3-point jumper. But the Cavs’ defense was listless and the Bulls took advantage, opening up a 15-point lead on a Portis 3-pointer with 37 seconds left in the first quarter. Another 3 by Portis put the Bulls up by 16 early in the second, but Cleveland fought back to cut the deficit to 48-42 at halftime. In the third quarter, Chicago built the lead back to 16 as the Bulls wore out the Cavs’ 3-point defense. LaVine’s step-back 29-foot jumper gave the Bulls a 64-48 lead. The Cavs would not go away, though, and trailed by just 10 when Clarkson connected on two free throws with 1:33 left in the period. Cedi Osman’s layup pulled them within nine to start the fourth. But Chicago went on 10-0 run early in the period to put the game out of reach. Chicago connected on 15 of 30 3-point attempts and recorded 24 assists on 36 made field goals. --Field Level Media<doc-sep>

Chicago Bulls (10-36) at Cleveland Cavaliers (9-38) GameTime: Noon Channel: NBC Sports Chicago Injury Report: Wendell Carter Jr. will go under the knife on Monday to repair damage to his left thumb. He’ll likely miss the remainder of the season as a result. For the Cavs, in addition to guys who have been out for a while like Kevin Love and J.R. Smith, Larry Nance Jr. just underwent knee surgery, and for today’s game Tristan Thompson and old friend David Nwaba are also out. I think that leaves Cleveland with 10 active guys, plus 2 two-way players if they’re with the big club, and one of the 10 is Cameron Payne. He’s actually found a home in Cleveland for now. In 17.6 minutes per game, he’s averaged 7.6 points on over 50 percent shooting from the field while posting an over 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. The Last Time: Of course, two of the Bulls 10 victories this season have come against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Way back on Nov. 10, Jabari Parker had a game-saving block and Ryan Arcidiacono supplemented Zach LaVine’s 24 points with a 15-point effort of his own (6-for-8 from the field) to help the Bulls edge the Cavaliers 99-98. The Dec. 23 matchup saved fans all the nail biting. Behind 31 points from Lauri Markkanen, the Chicago Bulls notched their first back-to-back wins of the season with a 112-92 victory against Cleveland. This was smack in the middle of a stretch where the Bulls won three of four games as well. Seems like another season ago. Preview: The Chicago Bulls versus the Cleveland Cavaliers obviously isn’t the premier matchup of today’s MLK holiday. The two teams have lost a combined 13 games in a row [the Cavaliers have lost 15 of their last 16 but that one win came last Sunday] and the two teams have the two sorriest records in the association. Obviously, it could have draft lottery ball implications come the spring. The Bulls still haven’t won in 2019 which isn’t a cheesy, stupid joke to make anymore. If you are into pretty offense or even stout defense, avert your eyes. Tomorrow's Zion Bowl features these teams since Christmas Day: Bulls: 1-11, No. 28 offense, No. 28 defense, No. 29 net rating Cavs: 1-12, No. 25 offense, No. 30 defense, No. 30 net rating — Mark Strotman (@markstrot) January 20, 2019 Since getting removed from exile, Jabari Parker has quietly played much better [13.8 points per game on 60.6 percent from the field and 4.5 rebounds per game] and the eye test suggests he’s playing harder than he did pre-exile. With the trade deadline creeping up on Feb. 7, this is good news for the Bulls. Conversely, 24-year-old point guard Kris Dunn’s game has been in the gutter recently. In the last five games, he’s shot 28.6 percent from the field although he still has some value as a playmaker, averaging 5.0 assists in that span to just 2.2 turnovers. No word yet on who is starting in place of WCJ, first game it was Bobby Portis and last game it was Robin Lopez.

“The notion that Mr. Cohen would have spoken to Mr. Weisselberg about a proposition he had yet to even make to the president does not ring true,” he said. “Mr. Weisselberg is a bookkeeper who simply carries out directions from others about monetary payments and transfers. There would be no reason for Mr. Cohen to have any conversation with Mr. Weisselberg prior to him recommending and obtaining approval for the purchase he was suggesting.”<doc-sep>Finally, the tape has become public. And it revealed the statements by Ms. Hicks and Mr. Giuliani to be false. The recording, which was broadcast by CNN late Tuesday night, shows Mr. Trump was directly involved in talks about whether to pay The Enquirer for the rights to the woman’s story. The recording, and the repeated statements it contradicts, is a stark example of how Mr. Trump and his aides have used falsehoods as a shield against tough questions and unflattering coverage. Building upon his repeated cry of “fake news,” he told supporters this week not to believe the news. “What you’re seeing and what you’re reading is not what’s happening,” the president added. In a capital where politicians have made an art form of the nondenial denial, press secretaries typically reserve their on-the-record denials for reports that are outright false. Candidates can weather most embarrassing stories, and spokespeople know that getting caught in a lie only makes things worse. It was a lie about an affair, after all, that led to President Bill Clinton’s impeachment — though his most fateful move was testifying falsely under oath — just as it was a lie about infidelity that ended the political career of John Edwards, once a rising Democratic star (a story that broke in The Enquirer, coincidentally). But Mr. Trump, both as a candidate and as president, has turned that thinking on its head. When faced with the evidence of its misstatements, the administration sidesteps and moves on. “I’m not going to get into a back-and-forth,” the White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said last month when confronted with her unequivocal, and false, denials that Mr. Trump had dictated his son’s misleading statement about meeting with Russians.<doc-sep>People now hear at least three different things at a pivotal point in the secret recording of a conversation between President Donald Trump and his former longtime lawyer Michael Cohen. They were discussing buying the rights to the story of a former Playboy model who says she had an affair with Trump years ago. What Trump actually said could have significant ramifications for what happens next. Some people can hear only "pay with cash," though there is muddled audio right before that. Trump's legal team says the president said, "Don't pay with cash." An audio-forensics expert says Trump said, "I'll pay with cash." What President Donald Trump said at a pivotal point in a conversation with his former longtime lawyer Michael Cohen has become the center of a fierce dispute that could have significant ramifications for what happens next. A secret audio recording, which Cohen is said to have made in September 2016 without the president's knowledge, features a conversation between the two men in which they discuss buying the rights to the story of a former Playboy model who says she had an affair with Trump years ago. The existence of the tape was first revealed Friday. It was seized by the FBI in its April raids of Cohen's home, office, and hotel room as part of a criminal investigation focusing on him. Trump's attorneys waived privilege claims over the tape and 11 others seized from Cohen. On Tuesday night, Lanny Davis, an attorney for Cohen, provided the tape to CNN. The National Enquirer purchased the rights to Karen McDougal's story for $150,000 in August 2016 but never published it. That practice is known as "catch and kill," and it effectively silenced McDougal's allegations. On the tape, Cohen and Trump can be heard discussing a plan to purchase the rights to McDougal's story from the outlet's publisher, American Media Inc., whose head, David Pecker, is a longtime friend of Trump's. Though the tape makes clear Trump was aware of the subject before the 2016 presidential election, his campaign denied any knowledge of the topic. While Trump's legal team acknowledged that the conversation was about McDougal, it said nothing illegal took place and no payment was made. A debate between Davis and Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani centers on what Trump said in the recording about the method of a potential payment: After Cohen can be heard saying he spoke with a top Trump Organization executive about setting up a company and the financing for such a payment, Trump responds, "What financing?" The only three clearly audible words he says after that are "pay with cash." Some hear only this on the tape. There's muddled audio before Trump says "pay with cash." Some hear Trump saying "don't pay with cash." At least one expert hears him saying "I'll pay with cash." After Trump made the comment in question, Cohen replied, "No, no, no." The tape then cuts off with a voice that sounds like Trump's saying "check." 'The president is not an idiot' Giuliani told Fox News after the tape aired on CNN that the word Trump said before "pay with cash" was "don't," signaling that Trump did not want the potential payment to be kept under wraps. Giuliani pointed to the word "check" as proof that Trump wanted such a payment to be done that way. Trump. Kevin Dietsch-Pool/Getty Images Giuliani said there was "no way the president is going to be talking about setting up a corporation then using cash, unless you're a complete idiot." "And again, the president is not an idiot," he said. Alan Futerfas, an attorney representing the Trump Organization, told The Washington Post on Tuesday that "cash" in the conversation was referring to making a one-time payment rather than financing a transaction over time. "Anyone who knows anything about the company or how the president does business knows there is no green cash," Futerfas told CNN. "Everything is documented. Every penny is documented." On Wednesday, CNN commissioned an audio-forensics expert to review the tape. The expert, Ed Primeau, said he had not read a transcript of the recording beforehand and did not watch any news reports about the tape. He said he does not regularly follow the news so he can stay unbiased. Primeau concluded that Trump responded with "I'll pay with cash," not "don't pay with cash." Primeau used tools to enhance the audio, isolate specific words, and examine sound waves on a screen, CNN said. Primeau added that the tape is clearly cut off after "check." In a text message exchange with Business Insider, Giuliani responded to CNN's analyst and said the Trump legal team "analyzed" the tape "several times and our transcript is accurate as to Cohen-Trump conversation." Wanting to pay for the potential expense in cash — making it impossible to trace — could suggest Trump wanted to conceal evidence of a possible campaign-finance violation. If he wanted to pay with a check, however, Trump's intentions would be viewed differently. Barbara McQuade, a former federal prosecutor, told The Post that if such a payment were "willfully" not disclosed, it would be a crime. Even if a payment was not made, there "could still be a conspiracy" to commit such a crime, she said. The conversation could become important in relation to another payment: the $130,000 Cohen paid to the porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election to keep her quiet about allegations of a 2006 affair with Trump. McQuade told The Post that the tape "could be used as evidence of intent in the larger context of other evidence."<doc-sep>NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 21: Michael Cohen, former lawyer to U.S. President Donald Trump, exits the Federal Courthouse on August 21, 2018 in New York City. Cohen reached an agreement with prosecutors, pleading guilty to charges involving bank fraud, tax fraud and campaign finance violations. (Photo by Yana Paskova/Getty Images) Michael Cohen, U.S. President Donald Trump's personal attorney, takes a phone call as he sits outside near the Loews Regency hotel on Park Ave on April 13, 2018 in New York City. (Yana Paskova/Getty Images) NEW YORK, NY - MAY 30: Michael Cohen, (C) former personal lawyer and confidante for President Donald Trump, exits the United States District Court Southern District of New York on May 30, 2018 in New York City. According to a filing submitted to the court Tuesday night by special master Barbara Jones, federal prosecutors investigating Michael Cohen, a longtime personal lawyer and confidante for President Donald Trump, are set to receive 1 million files from three of his cellphones that were seized last month. (Photo by Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images) NEW YORK, NY - MAY 30: Michael Cohen, (L) former personal lawyer and confidante for President Donald Trump, exits the United States District Court Southern District of New York on May 30, 2018 in New York City. According to a filing submitted to the court Tuesday night by special master Barbara Jones, federal prosecutors investigating Michael Cohen, a longtime personal lawyer and confidante for President Donald Trump, are set to receive 1 million files from three of his cellphones that were seized last month. (Photo by Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images) NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 21: Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal attorney and fixer, exits federal court, August 21, 2018 in New York City. Cohen reached an agreement with prosecutors, pleading guilty to charges involving bank fraud, tax fraud and campaign finance violations. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Michael Cohen, a longtime personal lawyer and confidante for President Donald Trump, leaves the United States District Court Southern District of New York on May 30, 2018 in New York City. (DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images) (CNN) — Presidential candidate Donald Trump is heard on tape discussing with his attorney Michael Cohen how they would buy the rights to a Playboy model’s story about an alleged affair Trump had with her years earlier, according to the audio recording of the conversation aired exclusively on CNN’s “Cuomo Prime Time.” The recording offers the public a glimpse at the confidential discussions between Trump and Cohen, and it confirms the man who now occupies the Oval Office had contemporaneous knowledge of a proposal to buy the rights to the story of Karen McDougal, a woman who has alleged she had an extramarital affair with Trump about a decade ago. Cohen told Trump about his plans to set up a company and finance the purchase of the rights from American Media, which publishes the National Enquirer. The recording captures what appears to be a routine business conversation of several matters on their agenda. The audio is muddled and the meaning of Trump’s use of the word “cash” is disputed by the two sides. “I need to open up a company for the transfer of all of that info regarding our friend David,” Cohen said in the recording, likely a reference to American Media head David Pecker. When financing comes up again later in the conversation, Trump interrupts Cohen asking, “What financing?” according to the recording. When Cohen tells Trump, “We’ll have to pay,” Trump is heard saying “pay with cash” but the audio is muddled and it’s unclear whether he suggests paying with cash or not paying. Cohen says, “no, no” but it is not clear what is said next. No payment was ever made from Trump, Rudy Giuliani, the President’s attorney, has said. Giuliani has previously acknowledged that the recorded discussion related to the buying the story rights. “There’s no indication of any crime being committed on this tape,” Giuliani said on Fox News Channel Tuesday night. Trump blasted Cohen over the disclosure Wednesday morning. “What kind of a lawyer would tape a client? So sad! Is this a first, never heard of it before? Why was the tape so abruptly terminated (cut) while I was presumably saying positive things? I hear there are other clients and many reporters that are taped - can this be so? Too bad!” Trump tweeted. The recording, which was provided to CNN by Cohen’s attorney Lanny Davis, was made in September 2016. It’s the latest breakdown in the decade-long relationship between Trump and Cohen, who once said he would take a bullet for the President. Cohen in recent weeks has made clear he is open to cooperating with US prosecutors. “What is this about? This is about honesty versus false disparagement of Michael Cohen. Why is Giuliani out falsely disparaging Michael Cohen – because they fear him,” Davis said on “Cuomo Prime Time.” “What do they fear, Chris? Why am I representing him? They fear that he has the truth about Donald Trump. He will someday speak the truth about Donald Trump. The truth is that when Donald Trump said ‘cash,’ which Rudy Giuliani knows that only drug dealers and mobsters talk about cash, it was, you heard Michael Cohen … say what? ‘No, no, no, no.’” Davis later added: “Ladies and gentlemen, if you voted for Donald Trump, listen to the tape and ask yourself: Is Donald Trump lying when he said he didn’t use the word ‘cash’ and accuses Michael Cohen of using the word ‘cash’? Cohen has been disparaged. Cohen has been insulted and called all sorts of things by people around Donald Trump.” Giuliani and Alan Futerfas, a lawyer for the Trump Organization, refuted that the tape shows Trump was offering a cash payment. “There’s no way the President is going to be setting up a corporation and then using cash, unless you’re a complete idiot,” Giuliani said on Fox News Tuesday night. “This was leaked on us with a very, very scurrilous description of what was on the tape,” he added.<doc-sep>

Just days before the 2016 presidential election, The Wall Street Journal broke news that the National Enquirer’s parent company, American Media Inc. (AMI), had purchased the rights to the story of a former Playboy model, Karen McDougal, who claimed she had an affair with Donald Trump. The Enquirer then killed the story, shielding Trump from the potential fallout of McDougal’s claims. At the time, the Journal reached out to Trump’s camp for comment on the matter. Then-Trump campaign spokesman Hope Hicks denied the affair occurred and claimed the Trump campaign was completely unaware of McDougal’s dealings with AMI. “We have no knowledge of any of this,” Hicks told the Journal. On Monday evening, CNN published proof that Hicks’ claim was a brazen lie. The network obtained and played an audio recording of a September 2016 discussion between Trump and his longtime lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, about a plan to purchase rights for McDougal’s story from AMI. The recording — which was made by Cohen and seized during a recent FBI raid of his home and offices — is somewhat inconclusive at points. But one thing is clear: Trump and Cohen appear to be discussing a subject they’re familiar with. Trump was not surprised when Cohen brought up a plan to make payments related to McDougal, effectively silencing her story ahead of the election. “So, what do we got to pay for this? One-fifty?” Trump can be heard saying. Trump can also be heard using the word “cash” in the context of possible payments to AMI for McDougal’s story. Here, via the Washington Post, is the transcript of that part of the recording: COHEN: When it comes time for the financing, which will be — TRUMP: Wait a sec, what financing? COHEN: Well, I’ll have to pay him something. TRUMP: [UNINTELLIGIBLE] pay with cash … COHEN: No, no, no, no, no. I got it. TRUMP: … check. During an interview on CNN, Cohen’s lawyer, Lanny Davis, urged people to “listen to the tape” to determine whether they believe this was the first time Trump had ever heard of the McDougal payments. “This is not a man shocked when Mr. Cohen said, ‘we have to make payments,'” Davis said in reference to Trump. “We know that Trump has lied, even during the campaign when his spokesman denied two months after this tape that he know anything about McDougal,” he continued, alluding to the Journal’s report. “Ladies and gentlemen, if you voted for Trump, listen to the tape and ask yourself, is Donald Trump lying?” Trump’s camp has shifted its story about the McDougal payments over time. Now, they don’t dispute that Hicks lied in her statement to the Journal. Instead, they dispute that Trump can be heard suggesting cash payments on the recording. Trump’s legal team released their own transcript of the tape in an attempt to make this case. According to Rudy Giuliani and company, even though Trump can’t definitively be heard saying these words on the recording, he supposedly actually told Cohen, “Don’t pay with cash… check.” In response to team Trump’s alternative transcript, Davis urged the American public, “Don’t believe fake transcripts… the only people who use cash are drug dealers and mobsters.” Nonetheless, the president’s favorite show, Fox & Friends, on Wednesday morning represented Trump’s version of the transcript as the final word on the matter. .@foxandfriends is treating team Trump's transcript of Cohen tape — a transcript at odds with what it sounds like Trump actually said — as if it's the gospel truth. (It doesn't sound like Trump says, ""Don't pay with cash." Instead, it sounds like he suggests paying cash.) pic.twitter.com/T8rYVpoUPW — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 25, 2018 Team Trump starting pushing an alternative transcript of the Cohen tape just hours after Trump urged his supporters during a speech in Kansas City to disregard what they see and hear — and simply believe what he tells them. “Don’t believe the crap you see from these people, the fake news,” Trump said, pointing at reporters as the crowd broke out in boos. “Just remember, what you’re seeing and what you’re reading is not what’s happening.” Regardless of the dispute over what exactly Trump can be heard saying on the Cohen tape, the fact remains that the Trump campaign pushed a brazen lie about Trump’s knowledge of payments to McDougal at a critical time in the campaign, while he was reeling from a string of sexual assault allegations.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) has published a new set of maps to observe the destruction caused by Hawaii’s Volcano Kilauea. The government agency continues to publish maps at a fast cadence as they quickly become obsolete due to Kilauea’s lava flows and their fast-moving, erratic behavior. On Wednesday, the USGS published its latest update stating that although lava flow has slowed to less than 50 yards per hour near the overactive Fissure 8, the fissure continues to maintain eruptive fountains reaching 250 feet. USGS also issued a warning that that this fissure’s high “fountaining” is launching volcanic glass. Thermal map showing the fissure system and lava flows as of 12:15 pm on May 30. USGS Temperatures in this thermal-image map are displayed as gray-scale values, with the brightest pixels indicating the hottest areas. It shows how lava has now crossed Highway 132 and a stretch of roads across Hawaii’s Big Island, making it difficult for residents to evacuate if they haven’t done so already. By late afternoon on Thursday, lava flow from Fissure 18 was less than a mile from Highway 137 before it began branching from the south side of the crack. Fissures 22, 6, and 13 were also offering sporadic bursts of activity expanding the lava’s reach. The lava isn’t the only carnage that the volcano has caused. Since Kilauea first erupted on May 3, it has spewed giant rocks the size of refrigerators, opened several dangerous fissures, literally screamed, and then farted copious amounts of toxic sulfur dioxide in the air, creating a rotten-egg smell that could, under some conditions, contribute to acid rain. Map of lava flows as of 3:00 p.m. on May 30. USGS USGS is frequently publishing new maps due to the erratic nature of Kilauea’s lower East Rift Zone eruption. The agency made a point to note that the map details shown above are accurate as of date/time noted, but “could have changed rapidly since that time.” The fast-moving lava keeps pivoting thanks to changing vent locations, varying rates of lava effusions, and over 20 fissures starting and stopping. The USGS maps highlight the latest lava flows but it’s still uncertain which areas will be affected next. The latest maps from USGS continue to offer surprises, much like when the Kilauea Volcano lava first became visible from space. After four weeks of unprecedented eruptions, the extent of these lava flows continues to displace hundreds of people on the Big Island.<doc-sep>Kilauea continues to cause chaos as residents given last warning top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Fast-moving lava from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano has so far destroyed some 82 homes and dozens of properties as the molten liquid surged through the streets. The deadly lava flows continue to wreak chaos across Big Island and has even forced officials to close part of a highway on Tuesday. As lava crossed Highway 132, officials shut a stretch of road from Lava Tree State Park to Four Corners and told residents who had not evacuated to leave the area immediately. Kilauea entered its fourth week of what may be an unprecedented, simultaneous eruption at its summit crater and along a six-mile (9.7-km) string of fissures 25 miles (40 km) down its east flank. Lava flows from multiple fissures have blocked roads and damaged dozens of buildings on Hawaii's Big Island. Here is the latest news and live updates. All times in BST. Friday, June 1 9.45pm update: More evacuation notices issued due to vigorous lava eruptions Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reports that vigorous lava eruptions are continuing on the east rift of Kilauea. Fissure 8 is very active and producing a large, fast-moving flow and the front is half-a-mile above the Four Corners area, and moving quickly. It is now possible the lava flow may cross Government Beach Road near Four Corners within 7 to 10 hours. Residents in Vacationland, Kapoho Beach Lots and in areas near Highway 137 have been told to evacuate by 2pm local time. 6.50pm update: Earthquake activity remains high At 6.30am local time Fissure 8 lava flow was 0.84 miles above Four Corners. Over the last 2 hours it has advanced at a rate of 100 yards per hour, which has resulted in white steam spreading at the summit and earthquake activity remaining high. 3.50pm update: Lavs flows are advancing USGs has reported at 3.43am local time, the Fissure 8 lava flow front had avanced 50 years. At the moment, it is about one mile above Four Corners. 1.20pm update: Eruptions are still going strong and scientists don't know when the chaos will end Fissure 8 was the most active overnight, according to an update from the US Geological Survey. The huge gaping crack in the ground sent lava fountains as high as 250 feet into the air. As of 6.15am, the lava flow was about 2 miles west of the Four Corners intersection, according to USGS volcanologist Jessica Ball. "We should also note that cellphone towers and regular landlines have been heavily damaged in the area, and so there may be reduced service," she added. 12.12pm update: Hawaii volcano eruption costs The costs of Kilauea’s eruption has been revealed as thousands have been left displaced by the eruption and families are left struggling to find replacement accommodation. The financial impact from Kilauea eruptions has been revealed to be between $3million and $6 million on lost revenue from property taxes and reduced property values. An additional $1.4 million has also been ‘lost’ in anticipated costs like overtime. Sue Lee Loy, councilwoman, said: “Staggering and that’s just in the last month. “You can only imagine that that number will grow and how we strategically move through that…it’s going to take a lot of people.” 10.31am update: Residents told to heed evacuation order or face arrest A mandatory evacuation area covering a portion of the Leilani Estates development on Hawaii's Big Island has been put into effect today. The zone lies within a slightly larger area that was already under a voluntary evacuation order and curfew. Leilani Estates residents west of the mandatory zone were also “strongly encouraged to evacuate,” the county said. “You are at risk of being isolated due to possible lava inundation,” the civil defense agency warned. “There are no plans to go into the restricted area after 12:06 p.m. Friday and search for anyone who might still be there. “But anyone found in the area after that time could be subject to arrest.” 9.37am update: Leilani Estates hardest hit by Kilauea eruption The Hawaii community hardest hit by the Kilauea Volcano was ordered sealed off under a strict new mandatory evacuation on Thursday as the eruption marked its fourth week with no end in sight. The Big Island's mayor, Harry Kim, declared a roughly 17-block swath of the lava-stricken Leilani Estates subdivision off-limits indefinitely and gave any residents remaining there 24 hours to leave or face possible arrest. The mandatory evacuation zone lies within a slightly larger area that was already under a voluntary evacuation and curfew. The latest order was announced a day after police arrested a 62-year-old Leilani Estates resident who fired a handgun over the head of a younger man from the same community, apparently believing his neighbour was an intruder or looter. Hawaii volcano update: Lava continues to wreak devastation Thursday, May 31 9.50pm update: Mayor makes emergency ruling Harry Kim, Mayor or County of Hawaii, has ruled to restrict vistor access to the areas of Kapoho Beach Lots, Vacationland, and Kapoho Farm Lots, which is bordered by Kaphoho-Kumukahi Lighthouse Road, Kapoho Kai Road, Kalapana Kapoho Beach Road (Highway 137), and the ocean. He says this restriction is necessary due to the ongoing and active volcanic eruption, which has cut off normal water service to the areas. Access to these areas will be limited to residents but not guests or visitors, as well as county, state or federal government employees. Roadblocks and check points will be put in place and anyone caught violating the rule will be fined up to $5,000 or jailed for a year - or both. 9.45pm update: Lava is still on the move Lava lobes from Fissure 8 are currently advancing at half a football field (50 yards) an hour. The lava is also spewing dowm Kahukai Street at about three metres in height. 7.30pm update: Residents warned to evacuate A Civil Defense Message posted at 6.30am local time on Thursday said the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has reported lava from several fissures is continuing to move through Leilani Estates, Lanipuna Gardens and towards the Kapoho area. Hawaii Fire Department reproted that a fast moving flow in the area of Noni Farms Road is heading toward the Waa Waa area. Residents of Government Beach Road, Kapoho Beach Lots and Vacationland area at risk for isolation or lava inundation should a flow reach that area and are advised to evacuate due to the possibility. Due to the volcanic activity the following policies are in effect: Evacuation area residents including Leilani Estates, Government Beach Road, Kapoho Beach Lots and Vacationland with approved credentials are allowed to enter from 7am to 6pm. This curfew is strictly enforced for people's safety. Highway 132 is closed. Residents close to any volcanic activity should remain alert and be prepared to voluntarily evacuate if necessary. 6.13pm update: Overnight lava flows The fissure 8 lava flow around Noni Farms road continued downslope overnight. At 6.15am local time, the lava embarked on its steepest descent path towards Four Corners, and it is currently fllowing 2.2 miles from that junction. 3.55pm update: Lava is seeping north USGs has warned overflows from the west side of fissure 8 at Makamae street in Leilani Estates have moved north and crossed Kahukai as part of a small breakout. Lava is spewing across a low area at the Makamae and Kahukai intersection. Lava flow erupting from fissure 8 1.01pm update: Eruption at Kilauea continues A fissure was observed spitting out lava over 200 ft (xxm) into the air on Wednesday morning and several small earthquakes were recorded at the summit of Kilauea. Volcanic gas emissions remain high from the eruption and wind conditions for Wednesday were forecast to result in widespread vog - or volcanic smog - over the Big Island.<doc-sep>Hawaii volcano: Aerial view of lava fountain in Leilani Estates top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Molten lava continues to surge into the streets of the East Rift Zone at the base of the Kilauea volcano, leaving dozens of homes in the Leilani Estate and Lanipuna gardens areas reduced to rubble. Hawaii Civil Defense spokesman Talmadge Mango said the number of buildings swallowed up by the lava jumped from 77 on Thursday to at least 87 during the latter part of this week. And residents have been issued a stark warning in response to the continuing crisis - evacuate, or be arrested. The latest US Geological Survey (USGS) map of the affected area around Kilauea shows the lava flow continues to surge into the sea off the coast near Pohoiki. Flows continue in the Leilani Estates area, with new lava flows reported hearing towards the Kapoho area and Vacationland Hawaii, which was partially evacuated earlier this week. Previous or “notable” past lava flows have engulfed that area - meaning residents could be at threat if the lava flows continue. The USGS warning for June 1 read: “Vigorous eruption of lava continues from the lower East Rift Zone (LERZ) fissure system in the area of Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens. “Fountaining at Fissure 8 is reaching 180 to 220 feet in height and continues to feed a channelized lava flow to the northeast along Highway 132 and down into the Four Corners region (at the intersection of Highways 132 and 137). Hawaii volcano: Latest map of affected area Vigorous eruption of lava continues from the lower East Rift Zone (LERZ) fissure system in the area of Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens. USGS “Small overflows from the channel are occurring along its length, including in a few places near the intersection of Highway 132 and Pohoiki road. “As of 9.50pm HST the flow front was approximately 0.28 miles from the intersection. The more western branches of the Fissure 8 flow either stalled or advanced only short distances. “Fissure 18 appears to be crusted over or inactive. The flows that had been moving toward Highway 137 are either inactive or moving very slowly. Fissure 22 appears to be inactive.” It has been almost a month since the Hawaii volcano, the most active on Big Island, eruption explosives - sending “persistent fountains” of lava more than 300 feet in the air. Hawaii volcano update: Molten lava continues to surge into the streets Hawaii volcano update: Flows continue in the Leilani Estates area Fissure 8 remain the most active, with lava lobes advancing some 100 yards an hour - but volcanologists monitoring Kilauea's latest eruptions say the crater seems to have entered a quieter period. The summit crater, which began ejecting ash and volcanic rock in eruptions in May, seems to have been plugged by tons of rocky material which was shaken loose during the explosions. Kyle Anderson, a USGS geophysicist, warned what happened next was unknown. "It's possible that new explosions will blast through the rubble at the bottom of the vent, and these may or may not be larger than previous explosions," he said. "It's also possible that the vent could become permanently blocked, ending the explosions entirely." Hawaii volcano: The USGS map of affected areas shows the lava flow surging Hawaii volcano eruption: 100 striking pictures show horror of Kilauea's eruption Thu, June 28, 2018 Staggering images show the sheer scale of the Hawaiian Kilauea volcano as lava and hazardous fumes continue to spew Play slideshow AFP/Getty Images 1 of 100 Lava entering the sea and releasing multiple laze plumes at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii<doc-sep>

Hawaii resident recalls moment she had to flee her home Residents living in two coastal communities at the southern-eastern tip of the island were told told to leave immediately on Wednesday by civil defence officials or risk becoming isolated by incoming lava. Molten rivers from fissures in the lower East Rift Zone surged towards Kapoho Beach Lots and Vacationland. Hawaii News Now estimates there to be around 500 homes in the area. Geologists says the intensity of the burning lava from fissure 8 is unlike anything they have witnessed before. US Geological Survey (USGS) scientist Wendy Stovall said: “This is the hottest lava that we’ve seen in this eruption, even just a matter of 50 degrees centigrade makes a big difference in how quickly lava flows can move and how they behave once the magma exits the vent. She added: “It can’t get hotter than where we are. We are pretty much tapping mantle temperatures right now.” A separate lava flow from fissure 18 also crept towards Highway 137, approaching Beach Road, forcing government officials to restrict travel along the latter to aid evacuations. In its latest update at 10.11pm Hawaii Time on Wednesday (9.11am BST Thursday), USGS said Fissure 8 was spouting lava fountains as high as 200 to 250 feet. Pictures reveal the horrifying beauty of Kilauea’s eruption Fri, June 1, 2018 These pictures reveal the horrifying beauty of Kilauea’s eruption that is both hypnotic and irresistible to see. Play slideshow EPA 1 of 17 Kilauea's lower east rift zone eruption continues The scientific body added: “In the late afternoon, a new flow lobe began branching from the south side of the fissure 18 flow approximately 1.5 miles upslope from the flow front. “During the day, sporadic bursts of activity were also observed from Fissures 22, 6, and 13. “Low level spattering and intermittent fountaining from Fissure 21 were also observed in the late afternoon and early evening.” A Kilauea East Rift Zone map showed the expansion of the lava flows in recent days while USGS also captured the devastation from above in new aerial shots. Hawaii volcano update: Latest aerial views show DEVASTATION left by lava Hawaii volcano update: Lava flow erupting from fissure 8 One picture showed a black river of volcanic ash singeing everything in its path in an otherwise verdant area of green. Another captured a dangerous plume of vog rising from the fissure. USGS tweeted: “Fissure 8 fountaining feeds a lava flow moving downslope along Highway 132; moves 600 yards/hour. Lava advancing along a steepest descent path that could take the flow to the Four Corners area.” Vog - an amalgamation of the words volcano, smog and fog - contains deadly sulphuric dioxide and, if breathed in, can cause cause respiratory problems. Hawaii volcano update: The lava flow has turned this forest area in a smouldering black path

House Mates Daily Routine Starts on Day-1 #BiggBossTelugu2 Today at 9:30 PM on @StarMaa https://t.co/0nQrPk2Pg9 — STAR MAA (@StarMaa) 1528702967000 TV reality show Bigg Boss 2 Telugu has begun. The premiere episode that was telecasted last night opened to a mixed response on social media. However, a glimpse of Bigg Boss inmates' routine has been offered.The channel shared a 15-second promo video a short while ago. In the video, all the Bigg Boss inmates including Sanjana and Nutan Naidu (the ones who were pushed into the jail in the first episode) are seen enjoying their first day in the Bigg Boss house. While the video has snippets of the early morning yoga and fitness training sessions of few celebrities, a couple of other inmates are seen having some real fun out there.The first day promises so much entertainment and of course, some controversial content as well. The last few frames of the previous episode featured an argument between Sanjana Anne (the contestant in the Bigg Boss jail in the garden area) and Babu Gogineni , her fellow inmate.While Babu Gogineni is seen advocating an attitude change to someone, Sanjana is spotted saying “After the first episode, everyone is a celebrity.”Babu Gogineni was the one first contestant to take the off-road by defying Bigg Boss’ instruction to nominate two names. It has to be seen what’s more is in store for the viewers in the episode today.Bigg Boss 2 Telugu airs at 9:30 PM on weekdays and at 9 PM on weekends.<doc-sep>Bigg Boss 2 Telugu began its second season with the same enthusiasm but a different host. Jr NTR, who hosted the first season of Bigg Boss Telugu last year, made way for Nani. With the show carrying on with the tested format of pitting celebs and commoners, audience can be assured of much drama coming their way. Nani started the inaugural episode of Bigg Boss 2 Telugu with wit, charm and enthusiasm, which are hallmarks of his films as well. He performed on songs from his hit films Middle Class Abhayi and Nenu Local. He then spoke about the success of Bigg Boss Telugu and its host Jr NTR amid loud cheers. Nani then entered the house to check the set-up. He also interacted with Bigg Boss in the confession room, who wished the actor luck. Singer Geetha Madhuri and actor Amit Tiwari were the first two contestants to enter the Bigg Boss Telugu house. Actor Dipti was then introduced via a video. In the meanwhile, Amit told Geetha that her husband is a good friend of his. Actor Tanish was the next to enter the Bigg Boss Telugu house with a dance performance, followed by Babu Gogineni, a human rights activist. Nani then introduced Bhanushree, who was actor Tamannaah’s body double in Baahubali and wished her luck. Next came Roll Rida and surprisingly he made his entry with Bigg Boss season 1 contestant Mumaith Khan, who danced to his songs. Roll Rida received a warm welcome from everyone and was followed by television anchor Shyamala. She was hesitant to enter the house initially and her husband encouraged her to go ahead. Shyamala seemed to miss her son even before the show started in right earnest. Actor Kereeti Dharmarju also entered the house as did Deepti Sunaina, an Instagram star. She danced to hit song Rangamma Mangamma Rangasthalam before entering the Bigg Boss house. Next came actors Kousal and Tejaswi, followed by Samrat Reddy who was pleasantly surprised to meet his friend Amit in the house. He even called it a reunion. Next on were the commoner contestants with Nani introducing RJ Ganesh and Miss India finalist Sanjana Anne. The last contestant, another common man Nuthan Naidu, also walked into the house soon after. Nani then locked the house as contestants were addressed by Bigg Boss who explained the rules and warned the housemates against breaking rules. He then asked the contestants to nominate two people who don’t belong in the house. Contestants vote for Sanjana and Nuthan, who are locked in the jail. With 16 contestants, Bigg Boss season 2 will run for 100 days with Nani making an appearance every weekend. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-tv_listing-desktop<doc-sep>In the premiere show on 10 June, actor and now host of Bigg Boss Telugu season 2, Nani introduced us to this year's contestants — a mix of artistes and 'commoners' Bigg Boss Telugu season 2 has been a surprise right from the time the show's promo was released. The makers have replaced Jr NTR and roped in Nani as the host for the reality show. While NTR will be missed for his charisma and connect with contestants, all eyes are on Nani. With NTR, who is otherwise known to be very reserved, Bigg Boss' season 1 was at an all-time high. But with Nani, the audience expects more than that. In the premiere show on the night of 10 June, the actor and now host of Bigg Boss Telugu season 2, Nani introduced us to this year's contestants — a mix of artistes from various platforms that include 'commoners' as well. The premiere kickstarted with Nani's filmy entry from his Middle Class Abbayi (MCA) title track, followed by a tour of the Bigg Boss house, which is set in Annapoorna Studio this year, unlike last year's Lonavala set. Among the first celebrities to enter the house this year was singer Geeta Madhuri. The Nandi Award-winning singer, apart from rendering her voice for over 500 songs, connected with the audience majorly through MAA TV's Super Singer. Next in line was Amit Tiwari, Tollywood's widely-known antagonist. The Pokiri villain, who has been seen in numerous negative appearances on celluloid, seemed to have an agenda; he entered the house saying "No strategy works in Bigg Boss, you just have to be yourself and I am going to be myself." He was followed by Bhanu Sree Reddy, who was last seen in 2018's hit film Rangasthalam. The Telugu and Tamil actress, known for her strong Telangana accent, established a very dominant, loud and quirky presence with her introduction. Nani meanwhile also revealed Bhanu's surprise role in the SS Rajamouli epic Baahubali. Kireeti Damaraju, another actor known for his supporting roles in movies like Uyyala Jampala, Mental Madhilo among others, promised to be the boy-next-door this year in the Bigg Boss house. An engineer-turned-actor, Kireeti stressed on being one among the audience. Next came a slew of actors like Deepthi Nallamothu, who is also a popular TV9 anchor, followed by Tanish, a familiar face with movies like Premika. Among other actors who are trying to impress audiences this year, is Kaushal — small-screen chocolate boy who has made appearances in a few Telugu movies. We were then introduced to anchor Syamala, who entered the house on an emotional note leaving behind her eleven-month-old son. Rahul Kumar aka Roll Rida entered the Bigg Boss house with an entertaining performance along with Mumaith Khan. Among other actors to enter the Bigg Boss house this year are Samrat Reddy and Tejaswi Madivada. Tejaswi, who was seen in several supporting characters like Seethama Vakitlu Sirimale Chetu and Srimanthudu, is also known to be a talented choreographer and is touted to be the chirpiest member of them all. Lastly among the celebrities was the human rights activist Babu Gogineni who already stressed on 'eviction'; followed by Deepthi Sunaina, who is Andhra Pradesh's Instagram star with over 683K followers. Bigg Boss Telugu also took cues from Salman Khan's Hindi version this year, by introducing 'commoners' in the second season. Nani introduced this year's 'commoners' — Nutan Naidu, a social worker, Sanjana, a model and Ganesh, an RJ. After these 16 contestants made their grand entry into the Bigg Boss house, the premiere show took a twist with the very first anonymous nomination. Among the first to be nominated were Nutan Naidu and Sanjana. Both the commoners were sent to jail in the very first episode, hinting at plenty of drama in the upcoming episodes,<doc-sep>

#BiggBossTelugu2 STARTING TODAY at 9 PM with @NameisNani on @StarMaa https://t.co/cgRGCeXDWy — STAR MAA (@StarMaa) 1528622969000 TV reality show Bigg Boss 2 Telugu hosted by Nani will premiere today at 9PM.The second season of the reality show will feature 16 contestants comprising of celebrities and commoners as well. They will have to spend 100 days commencing from June 9 (yesterday) in the Bigg Boss house . The sets of the show is situated in Annapurna (7 acres) Studios amidst the surveillance of over 60 cameras.Nani’s entry into the show and other introductory portions were shot on Friday and the first day of the contestants will be edited and telecasted today.On this note, here’s what the viewers can expect from the premiere episode.- A grand gala entry of Nani into the Bigg Boss house, the new host of the show. A promo video giving a glimpse of the same has been released online a short while ago.- The premiere episode is expected to have a details of the exclusively erected Bigg Boss house and its salient features. A picture of Bigg Boss house that shall host the contestants for 106 days has been officially unveiled a while ago.- One can expect the introduction of all the contestants, their stories and objectives in the one and half hour episode.With both celebrities and commoners together as inmates, the second edition of Bigg Boss show is expected to be spicier than the debut season.Bigg Boss 2 Telugu will air at 9:30 PM on weekdays and 9 PM on weekends.

We’re not far off from the launch of the OnePlus 6T, and as usual for the company, teasers are starting to come out. With today’s first teaser video, OnePlus is hinting at the in-display fingerprint sensor on the 6T. A very brief video teaser on Twitter today does a couple of things. For one, it cements the “OnePlus 6T” name as the next smartphone from OnePlus. The company doesn’t tease a launch date here, unfortunately, but it does say that the phone is “coming.” More notably here, though, is what the video shows. The six-second clip teases “Unlock The Future” with the OnePlus 6T, with an animation at the start hinting at the fingerprint sensor in the display which the company confirmed not long ago. While we don’t know exactly what kind of sensor the 6T will be using, the “beams” coming up from the surface here hint at an ultrasonic solution, but details are simply unknown at the moment. Alongside this first teaser, OnePlus has also announced “The Lab: OnePlus 6T Edition.” This program sends out new devices early to eager fans to let them share their full review. Ten users will be selected here, but anyone can apply as long as they speak English. Full details are available on OnePlus’ blog post. Entries are open until October 8th. We’re looking for 10 more people to join us in this tradition. The selected will have a common mission – to go hands on with our latest product and share with the community your in-depth review. Once selected, we’ll send you a review unit of the OnePlus 6T, and you’ll be amongst the first ones to receive the OnePlus 6T all over the world. Share your detailed unboxing impressions and in-depth review with our community, and you just might become the next influential voice in tech! More on OnePlus: Check out 9to5Google on YouTube for more news: FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More. Check out 9to5Google on YouTube for more news:<doc-sep>October is certainly going to be a busy month for tech enthusiasts FREE for the biggest new releases, reviews and tech hacks SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up forfor the biggest new releases, reviews and tech hacks When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. OnePlus 6T The OnePlus 6T is one of the most highly-anticipated Android flagships of the year. That is because it is expected to build upon everything the OnePlus 6 achieved while also adding a number of notable improvements. Rumours are suggesting the OnePlus 6T is set to deliver some substantial upgrades when it is shown off. The Chinese company recently confirmed in an email to CNET that it will include a fingerprint sensor underneath the flagship's display. OnePlus said: "We unlock our phones multiple times a day, and Screen Unlock reduces the number of steps to complete the action. "By adding this feature as an addition to other display unlocking options such as Face Unlock, users will have options to unlock the display in a way that is most efficient for them." Alleged packaging for the hardware recently leaked on Weibo and featured an outline of the smartphone. OnePlus 6T was shown featuring a much smaller notch than the current OnePlus 6. Furthermore, a slogan was plastered on the box that read "unlock the speed" and showed a picture of a fingerprint on the phone's front panel, echoing OnePlus' claims the product will come with a reader underneath its screen. CNET also recently emphasised the OnePlus 6T will launch in October and has its price "tentatively set" at $550 (£420.92). Rumours are suggesting the OnePlus 6T is set to deliver some substantial upgrades Alleged packaging for the OnePlus 6T recently leaked on Weibo And MySmartPrice noticed an alleged invitation posted on Weibo for a OnePlus 6T "launch event". The exhibition was labelled as taking place on October 17 but appeared to be referring to when the Android device would launch in India. It is currently unknown if other territories would abide by the same debut date. If the claims from the invitation are true it will surely not be long before the Chinese firm makes an announcement about the product. OnePlus 6T: Teaser trailer reveals new way to unlock phone Google Pixel 3 Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are set to be announced on October 9. That is because the American tech giant has scheduled three hardware exhibitions, one in Paris and the other two in New York City and London, where it is expected to show off its newest Android flagship. But ahead of the presumed reveal both devices appear to have been plagued by a score of leaks. Images have emerged of alleged Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL units ahead of the unveiling with the latter seemingly being hit by the most outings. Pixel 3 XL was shown boasting a futuristic all-screen design with a notch, a single rear camera sensor and a signature Pixel finish of glass and brushed aluminium. Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are expected to come packing a Snapdragon 845 processor, 4GB of RAM and an improved camera system. Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are set to be announced on October 9 Both will also presumably come with Android 9 Pie pre-installed that brings a ton of new features in its own right. The newest operating system from Google flaunts a ton of headline features such as Adaptive Battery that attempts to use machine learning to increase device life. Moreover new gesture navigation is present that replaces the traditional home, back and multitasking buttons in favour of a single control that can be swiped to carry out different actions. Google Pixel 3 XL features USB-C earbuds in the box Huawei Mate 20 Pro Huawei took the smartphone market by storm when it released the P20 Pro back in March. That is because the hardware not only featured an iconic triple-lens camera system, but it also packed in a gorgeous 6.1-inch screen and a blisteringly fast processor. This ensured content was not only a treat to consume, but users could also navigate the Android Oreo operating system with ease. Moreover the P20 Pro also boasted a whopping 4,000mAh battery inside that delivered all-day performance. And the Chinese tech giant is expected to improve upon everything the P20 Pro did well with the Mate 20 Pro. Mate 20 Pro is expected to come with Huawei's newest and fastest processor, the Kirin 980. Mate 20 Pro is expected to come with Huawei's newest and fastest processor, the Kirin 980 The Chinese company was keen to discuss the performance gains of the chip at IFA 2018 and insisted it was much faster than the Snapdragon 845 used in a number of rival Android devices. Mate 20 Pro has also been predicted to have at least 6GB of RAM, just like the P20 Pro. But most notably the new phone has been rumoured to come touting a colossal 6.9-inch panel. And alleged images of the Mate 20 Pro spotted in the wild have shown it with minimal bezels and a notch. The supposed hardware was also seen with a triple-camera setup that will surely be similar to what the P20 Pro delivered earlier this year. However, unlike the P20 Pro that arranges its lenses in a vertical line, the Mate 20 Pro seems set to arrange its system in a square shape. Huawei recently released a teaser video that seemed to add weight to such a rumour with the words "This is Mate" appearing in the same outline. The Mate 20 Pro will be unveiled by the Chinese tech giant in London on October 16. Huawei tease square camera housing for Mate 20 Pro LG V40 ThinQ LG appears set to challenge Huawei's growing array of triple-lens camera devices with its upcoming V40 ThinQ hardware. The South Korean tech giant recently showed off the design of the forthcoming Android smartphone in a teaser video and blog post. The LG V40 ThinQ will tout five cameras in total; three on its rear and two on its front. A traditional primary sensor will surely be present on the rear of the device and the South Korean firm could also place one of its signature wide-angle cameras on the flagship too. The V40 will come with a 6.4-inch display and be available in platinum grey, carmine red and Moroccan blue colour finishes. While LG has teased some of the flagship's features, it will be unveiling the device fully on October 3. The LG V40 ThinQ will tout five cameras in total; three on its rear and two on its front LG tease new 'V40 ThinQ' smartphone Honor 8X Honor is launching its 8X smartphone in October and it looks set to offer a colossal 6.5-inch 1080p screen for a very affordable price tag. The 8X features a notch at the top of the display and minimal bezels all around. Huawei's Kirin 710 processor is housed inside the product and should offer comparable performance across Google's Android operating system. The 8X features a twin-camera setup that is comprised of a main 20-megapixel sensor and a secondary 2-megapixel depth sensor. And a fingerprint sensor sits on the rear of the device for speedy unlocking. A huge 3,750mAh battery is housed inside the product and should offer capable life. The Honor 8X is currently available in China and starts at 1,399 Yuan (£154.90). However, official pricing in the UK has not yet been confirmed. The 8X features a notch at the top of the display and minimal bezels all around Samsung's mystery reveal Although Samsung only recently released the Note 9, the firm is already teasing its next Galaxy device. The South Korean tech behemoth recently sent out press invitations to a showcase with a slogan that read "4x fun". And the company insisted its next Galaxy product will bring "more ways to express yourself than ever before".<doc-sep>We know the OnePlus 6T is coming soon, given that even OnePlus itself has been teasing the phone, but now we may know the exact date of the announcement: October 17. That dates comes from an image posted on Chinese microblogging site Weibo by someone with the username 'Little white MTX'. The image (which you can see below) appears to show an invitation to the OnePlus 6T launch event in India. The invitation also includes the words ‘unlock the speed’ written on the phone's screen, seemingly hinting at both the power of the OnePlus 6T and the in-screen fingerprint scanner which it’s already confirmed to have. Image 1 of 3 This could be an invite to the OnePlus 6T launch event. Credit: Weibo / Little white MTX Image 2 of 3 Here's a possible look at the phone in black. Credit: Weibo / Little white MTX Image 3 of 3 And here it is in white. Credit: Weibo / Little white MTX Something's not right The same source also posted a couple of images seemingly showing the OnePlus 6T itself and giving us a closer view than we’ve had before, with highlights including a triple-lens camera on the back, a teardrop notch on the front and minimal bezel. However these same images also raise red flags, as an earlier leak strongly suggested the phone would only have a dual-lens camera. So we’d take everything in this new leak with a pinch of salt. That said, we’re sure the OnePlus 6T will be announced soon, and if this invite is the real deal then more people should start receiving it before long. Via GSMArena<doc-sep>

OnePlus 6T, the upcoming new flagship from OnePlus, still doesn't have a release date, but thanks to new official images as well as a new leak, you can now see what it looks like. Leaked images which appear to be press photos, courtesy of WinFuture.de, show the device from all sides, and confirm what previous leaks and rumors have told us: The phone has a tiny, waterdrop-shaped notch on the front and a dual camera on the back. OnePlus 6T mit Waterdrop-Notch auf offiziellen Marketing-Bildern: So sieht das Herbst-Flaggschiff aus https://t.co/mcl1VpooBo — WinFuture.de (@WinFuture) October 1, 2018 The images don't show a fingerprint sensor anywhere, which is in line with OnePlus' announcement that the 6T will have an in-display sensor. The OnePlus 6T isn't exactly a closely guarded secret; OnePlus has been teasing images and videos of the device for a while now. An inspired form, endlessly refined. Experience a more natural way to unlock with the #OnePlus6T pic.twitter.com/vrJF0fuqE5 — OnePlus (@oneplus) October 1, 2018 The OnePlus 6T is, unsurprisingly, quite similar in design (at least on the front) to the recently launched Oppo F9. The two companies (probably) have the same owner, and their phones often share the same DNA. But the 6T's internals are likely to be beefed up compared to the mid-rangey F9. A key innovation lies just beneath the surface. Prepare for the #OnePlus6T. pic.twitter.com/uWuTsp7Lcb — OnePlus (@oneplus) September 30, 2018 Some specs for the 6T have already been revealed — besides the in-display fingerprint sensor, we know that the phone will (sadly) have no headphone jack, for example. The rest are unknown, but a top-notch Snapdragon processor and lots of RAM (6GB or more) are likely. The phone is likely to be launched soon — perhaps even in October, which is chock-full of Android flagship launches — but the company hasn't announced an exact date yet. The price also hasn't been announced, but a CNET report in August claimed the 6T will cost $550.

Lady Gaga knocked the socks off of pretty much everyone with her tour de force performance in A Star Is Born, which first hit theaters back in October. Now Bradley Cooper's musical drama has won another award for best song, and Gaga's acceptance speech at the Critics' Choice Awards was naturally an emotional, heartfelt affair. Gaga, wearing a truly stunning light pink gown, made sure to call out her costar and director, as well as her cowriters. "Thank you for this beautiful award. This means the world to us. I'll never forget when we wrote this song together with Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt," the 32-year-old actress told the audience, standing alongside songwriter Anthony Rossomando. "I'll never forget playing it for Bradley for the first time and seeing his face light up and then singing it live together, take after take . . . I was mesmerized both as myself and as my character Ally. I was basking in the brilliant transformation of Bradley into Jackson Maine, singing on his stage, and overwhelmed by the storytelling and power in his voice." She went on to note the inspiration behind the song, which, if you've seen the film, is pretty beautiful. "This song is a conversation between men and women, asking each other questions about life . . . and the shallowness of a modern era," she said. "I'm so happy it resonated with you." Scroll through photos from the Enigma star's acceptance speech ahead, then check out all the other lucky winners who took home an award at the big event on Sunday night.<doc-sep>It was an emotional night for Lady Gaga, who collected the awards for both Best Song for Shallow from A Star Is Born and Best Actress - tied with The Wife star Glenn Close. The 32-year-old singer couldn't hold back her tears as she delivered her acceptance speech at the Critics' Choice Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday night, branding her co-star and the film's director Bradley Cooper the 'love of my life'. When her name was called, Gaga turned to kiss her fiancé Christian Carino, before embracing Bradley sitting on the other side of her. Emotional: Lady Gaga branded her co-star and the film's director Bradley per the 'love of my life' as she picked up her Best Actress prize at the Critics' Choice Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday She gave a shout-out to her partner, declaring, 'Thank you, Christian, my love. Thank you', before going on to call Bradley 'the love of my life'. The multi-talented performer branded Cooper a 'magical filmmaker', lauding him for his directorial debut. She enthused: 'You are just as magical of a human being. I have never had an experience with a director or an actor like I had with you. She said of director and co-star Bradley Cooper: 'You seamlessly were both the love of my life and the man behind the camera' Sealed with a kiss: When her name was called, Gaga turned to kiss her fiancé Christian Carino Cheers to us! The group were toasting two wins for A Star Is Born for both Best Song for Shallow from A Star Is Born and Best Actress 'And I will cherish it forever. You seamlessly were both the love of my life and the man behind the camera'. Gaga then talked about her role as aspiring singer Ally in the tearjerking film. 'It was one of the hardest things I've ever done, to relive something I'm not quite sure that I wanted to relive. 'But I want to thank one thing most foremost, I want to thank life, I want to thank life for the experiences I had to draw from to create this role.' Fighting back tears, Gaga said: 'It was one of the hardest things I've ever done, to relive something I'm not quite sure that I wanted to relive' She ended by dedicating her award to those who suffer from alcoholism, like Bradley's character in the movie. 'I would like to dedicate this award tonight to all people who have suffered from alcohol addiction and have watched their loved ones suffer,' she said. 'This is the true star of the film. The true star is not me, it is bravery and perseverance.' While unusual, ties are not unknown at the Critics' Choice Awards, and indeed Gaga and Close were not the only tie of the night. Patricia Arquette and Amy Adams shared the gong for Best Actress in a TV Movie, giving a joint acceptance speech. Two Best Actresses: While unusual, ties are not unknown at the Critics' Choice Awards. Gaga is pictured hugging Glenn Close, who was also bestowed with the honour for her role in The Wife<doc-sep>Lady Gaga is here to win. The singer attended the 2019 Golden Globes in fabulous style, which made her win for Best Original Song for a Motion Picture even more spectacular. Gaga ascended the stage in a gorgeous baby blue gown that flowed as she climbed the steps of the stage at the Beverly Hilton hotel and a spectacular array of diamonds from Tiffany. In her acceptance speech Gaga thanked the producers and people who helped her to achieve this remarkable accolade. Moreover, the star is even more grateful because, in her words, "as a woman in music it is really hard to be taken seriously." Nonetheless, the star was applauded for her voice and talents in the creation of the song, "Shallow", for the hit film A Star Is Born.<doc-sep>Well, it looks like Glenn Close was a winner in more ways than one at the 2019 Critics' Choice Awards. In addition to tying for best actress with Lady Gaga, the Wife actress also got to spend some time with her favorite millennial friend, Timothée Chalamet. It's an overused phrase for certain, but Glenn was truly all of us as she lovingly gazed at the beautiful Beautiful Boy actor in photos from the red carpet. Oh, but it didn't end there: Glenn also shared selfies from their encounter on Instagram. "Timmy and I meet again on another red carpet," she wrote. "We bring out the best in each other!" A few days prior, Glenn had shared a different set of selfies she had previously taken with Timothée at the 2018 Hollywood Film Awards. At the time, Glenn wrote, "Timothée is as adorable as he is talented!" It's worth noting that Glenn has only shared 49 photos on Instagram since joining in December 2018 — and yes, two of them are dedicated to the internet's collective boyfriend. Get those "likes," Glenn!<doc-sep>

A celebration of women! Glenn Close and Lady Gaga tied for Best Actress at the 2019 Critics’ Choice Awards on Sunday, January 13, and couldn’t be happier about it. Close, 71, who won for her role in The Wife, was the first to be announced and was “thrilled” that she tied with the A Star Is Born actress. “I was thinking that the world kind of pits us against each other in this profession, and I know from all the women in this category – and I think I can speak for all of the women in this room – we celebrate each other! We’re proud to be in this room together,” she said, before Gaga was announced. When the “I’ll Never Love Again” singer took the stage for the second time – she accepted the award for Best Song for “Shallow” earlier in the evening – she was completely shocked, with tears in her eyes. “I spilled water all over myself,” the 32-year-old Grammy winner said, before congratulating Close. “My mother and Glenn are good friends, so I am so very happy that you won this this evening … I am so honored by this. I went to places in my mind and in my heart that I did not know existed or that I could. This is a tremendous honor. I feel recognized not just for my performance but for the inner work that it took in the creation of this character.” Gaga thanked her fiancé, Christian Carino, calling him “my love,” and then her costar and director, Bradley Cooper. “Bradley, you are a magical filmmaker and you are just as magical of a human being,” the actress, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, said. “I have never had an experience with a director or an actor like I had with you and I will cherish it forever. You seamlessly were both the love of my life and the man behind the camera.” When the music began playing, signaling that it was time for her to wrap up, the Golden Globe winner looked at him and quipped, “It’s OK. I can still do this with a piano background.” She also thanked “life” during her speech and dedicated the award to all of those who have suffered from alcohol abuse or addiction. “I wanted nothing more to show the truth,” she said. “This is the true star of the film. The true star of the film is not me it is bravery and perseverance.”

Hide press release Show press release 2020 Jeep® Gladiator Launch Edition Available for One Day Only Pre-Orders – on Jeep 4x4 Day Buyers can win ultimate freedom: One-year’s salary to enjoy the Jeep lifestyle and all the activities that the Jeep Gladiator enables  All-new 2020 Jeep® Gladiator Launch Edition: Fully loaded Rubicon model with unique badging, wheels, and interior accents  Concierge pre-order experience – select Gladiator Launch Edition, estimate trade-in, and connect with a dealer – via the dedicated online Gladiator concierge site  Gladiator Launch Edition limited to 4,190 vehicles in U.S.; production numbers chosen as a nod to Toledo, Ohio, where the truck is built  One-day pre-order opportunity: Gladiator Launch Edition available for pre-order only on Jeep 4x4 Day – April 4th – on Jeep.com  Gladiator Launch Edition buyers will then be exclusively eligible to enter Jeep’s “Find Your Freedom” contest where they can win one-year’s salary of $100,000, giving them the chance to take time off to pursue their own adventures The all-new 2020 Jeep® Gladiator – the most off-road capable midsize truck ever – has been highly anticipated since its reveal last November at the Los Angeles auto show. To celebrate its arrival into Jeep showrooms this spring, a limited-run Jeep Gladiator Launch Edition model will be made available to customers who take advantage of a special one-day-only online pre-order opportunity. The unique Jeep Gladiator Launch Edition will only be offered for pre-order on Jeep 4x4 Day – April 4th – at Jeep.com. The pre-order process – including selecting a Jeep Gladiator Launch Edition, estimating trade-in and connecting with dealer – can be completed online, and through the dedicated Jeep Gladiator Concierge. The all-new Jeep Gladiator Launch Edition will come with unique wheels and interior accents, as well as a “One of 4,190” forged aluminum tailgate badge. The number is a tribute to Toledo, Ohio – and its 419 area code – where both Gladiator and the Jeep Wrangler are proudly assembled. Gladiator Launch Edition will be limited to 4,190 units in the U.S. Additionally, consumers who pre-order a Jeep Gladiator Launch Edition model will be exclusively eligible to enter the “Find Your Freedom” contest, where they will have the opportunity to win what Gladiator offers: Jeep Freedom. More specifically, they can win one-year’s salary of $100,000, so they can take the time off to enjoy the Jeep lifestyle of pursuing any outdoor adventure. To enter, they will submit their personal “Gladiator” video to be judged by the Jeep brand and wounded warrior and U.S. Army veteran Noah Galloway, who will choose the winner. “The anticipation for the all-new Jeep Gladiator has been tremendous, and to mark the introduction of the first Jeep pickup truck in nearly 30 years, we are offering a distinctive model, a convenient online ordering experience, and the opportunity for a very special prize,” said Tim Kuniskis – Head of Jeep Brand – North America. “Jeep Gladiator enables the one-of-a-kind Jeep lifestyle. But to enjoy that lifestyle you need time. So we’re offering that, in the form of one-year’s salary, to the winner, so he or she can truly enjoy the outdoors, pursuing any adventure in their all-new Jeep Gladiator Launch Edition.” Customers will have the chance to reserve their Jeep Gladiator Launch Edition through an entirely unique online retailing experience. They will be able to go to the designated Jeep Gladiator concierge online site (https://www.jeep.com/gladiator/launch-edition.html) to enter their contact information and be contacted the same day by the Jeep Gladiator concierge to assist in completing their purchase. The concierge will pair the customer to a dealer of their choosing to submit their deposit, then finalize the sale and ultimately take delivery. Manufactured at the Toledo Supplier Park in Toledo, Ohio, the all-new 2020 Jeep Gladiator arrives in Jeep showrooms this spring. All-new 2020 Jeep Gladiator Launch Edition Joining the Gladiator lineup for a limited run, the Launch Edition features a unique forged aluminum tailgate badge, 17-inch Mid Gloss Black aluminum wheels, 33-inch Falken Wildpeak All-Terrain tires, a wrapped instrument panel mid-bolster painted in Monaco silver, and black leather seats with red accent stitching. Available in Black, Bright White, Billet Silver Metallic, Firecracker Red, and Granite Crystal Metallic the Jeep Gladiator Launch Edition features a body-color hard top and fender flares. Standard features include LED head and tail lights, an 8.4-inch touchscreen, a 9-speaker Alpine premium sound system, keyless entry, Forward Facing TrailCam camera, Blind-Spot and Cross-Path Detection, ParkSense® Rear Park-Assist System, Advanced Brake Assist, Full-Speed Forward Collision Warning Plus, Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop, Trail Rail Cargo Management System, spray-In bedliner and Trailer Tow. Gladiator Rubicon models are capable of towing 7,650 lbs. The Jeep Gladiator Launch Edition features a 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine, rated at 285 horsepower and 260 lb-ft. of torque, and a six-speed manual transmission or an optional eight-speed automatic transmission. All-new 2020 Jeep Gladiator The all-new 2020 Jeep Gladiator - the most off-road capable midsize truck ever - builds on a rich heritage of tough, dependable Jeep trucks with an unmatched combination of rugged utility, authentic Jeep design, open-air freedom, clever functionality and versatility and best-in-class towing and 4x4 payload. Available with three different powertrain combinations and equipped with a versatile cargo box, Gladiator is built to handle the demands of an active lifestyle while delivering an open-air driving experience in a design that is unmistakably Jeep. Combining traditional Jeep attributes with strong truck credentials, the Jeep Gladiator is a unique vehicle capable of taking passengers and cargo anywhere. A multitude of technology features, such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and safety features such as Blind Spot Monitoring and Rear Crosspath Detection, Adaptive Cruise Control and Forward Collision Warning Plus+ further Gladiator’s appeal. All Gladiator models are Trail Rated with a badge indicating that the vehicle is designed to perform in a variety of challenging off-road conditions identified by five key consumer-oriented performance categories: traction, ground clearance, maneuverability, articulation and water fording.<doc-sep>SACRAMENTO, Calif. — What adventures could you have in a special off-road edition of the 2020 Jeep Gladiator pickup? OK, what adventures could you have if Jeep gave you $100,000 to cover travel and time off? One owner of the special Launch Edition of the new Gladiator midsize pickup will have to answer that question. Jeep will start taking orders for a limited edition of 4,190 Launch Edition Gladiators loaded with unique badging, wheels, interior accents and the Rubicon package of off-road features at 12:01 a.m. April 4 — 4/4, which Jeep considers an unofficial national holiday for 4X4 enthusiasts. A forged aluminum badge on the tailgate will read: “One of 4,190.” The production run is a tribute to Toledo, Jeep’s ancestral home and production site for the Gladiator and Wrangler. Toledo’s area code is 419. More:FCA to open Jeep factory in Detroit, invest $4.5 billion in southeast Michigan More:GM and Chrysler were bailed out 10 years ago: How they've changed Other unique features include 17-inch Mid Gloss Black aluminum wheels and black leather seats with red accent stitching. The launch edition will cost $60,815, which Jeep execs say is about the same as a loaded Rubicon. Off-road features include locking front and rear differentials, electronic disconnecting front sway bar, rock rails, red tow hooks, 33-inch Falken off-road tires, a two-speed transfer case with a 4:1 low-range for rock crawling and other extreme activities. You can register at the Jeep Gladiator concierge site, which will begin taking reservations at 12:01 a.m. on April 4. The time of online entries will be logged for first-come, first served production. A representative will call buyers and connect them to a Jeep dealer, which will complete the order. Each dealer will decide if they ask for a deposit. “We expect the Launch Editions to go fast,” Jeep brand director Scott Tallon said. “We’ll also have a unique delivery process for them.” More:2020 Jeep Gladiator truck finally revealed at LA Auto Show More: Want automotive news sent to your inbox daily? Sign up for our newsletter here The Launch Edition Jeeps will be built and delivered over the next couple of months. They’re available in five colors and with a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission. Owners will submit a Gladiator video for the $100,000. Jeep executives and U.S. Army veteran Noah Galloway will choose the winner. Jeep says the $100,000 figure is a rough average of Wrangler owners’ annual income. Details on how to enter will be available after April 4. Contact Mark Phelan: 313-222-6731 or mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark_phelan. Read more on autos and sign up for our autos newsletter.<doc-sep>Hi! We notice you're using an ad blocker. Please consider allowing Autoblog. We get it. Ads can be annoying. But ads are also how we keep the garage doors open and the lights on here at Autoblog - and keep our stories free for you and for everyone. And free is good, right? If you'd be so kind as to allow our site, we promise to keep bringing you great content. Thanks for that. And thanks for reading Autoblog. Allow Us!<doc-sep>The 2020 Jeep Gladiator starts at $35,040, but if you want people to know for sure that you bought one of the first ones, you’ll need to spend a bit more than that. Jeep is offering a Launch Edition version of the Wrangler-based pickup that will be available for ordering only on April 4, which the brand deemed Jeep 4x4 day a few years ago. The model is a fully loaded Gladiator Rubicon equipped with Launch Edition badging, gloss black wheels with 33-inch Falken all-terrain tires and special interior trim. It’s available in five colors and comes standard with a removable hard top, fender flares, 285 hp V6 and 6-speed manual transmission for $60,815. An 8-speed automatic is the only mechanical option. No more than 4,190 will be built, the number a tip of the hat to the 419 area code for Toledo, Ohio, where the truck is made. Gladiator deliveries are expected to begin in May. MORE FROM FOX NEWS AUTOS<doc-sep>

After 30 long years, Jeep's new pickup, the Gladiator, is finally here, and it's great. To kick things off, Jeep will offer a Launch Edition that you'll only be able to pre-order on April 4th (4/4, or as Jeep is now christening it, 4x4 day). The Gladiator Launch Edition is basically a loaded Rubicon, and Jeep will only build 4190 examples, each carrying an MSRP of $62,310. That's a lot of money, of course, but it's about the same as a non-Launch Edition Gladiator Rubicon with every option thrown at it. The Launch Edition will be offered with five exterior color choices—Black, Bright White, Billet Silver Metallic, Firecracker Red, and Granite Crystal Metallic—while the interior will feature black leather with red accents. As standard, you get a six-speed manual, while an eight-speed auto is available as an option. Here's the full equipment list from Jeep: "Standard features include LED head and taillights, an 8.4-inch touchscreen, a nine-speaker Alpine premium sound system, keyless entry, Forward Facing TrailCam camera, Blind-spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Path detection, ParkSense rear park assist system, Advanced Brake Assist, Full-Speed Forward Collision Warning Plus, Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop, Trail Rail Cargo Management System, spray-in bedliner and [the] Trailer Tow Package." Being a Rubicon, the Gladiator Launch Edition also comes with Falken 33-inch all-terrain tires, Dana 44 solid axles, a "Rock-Trac" transfer case with 4:1 low-range gearing, electronic front and rear differential locks, and an electric sway bar disconnect. So, $62,310 is a lot of money, but it certainly gets you a lot of stuff. Jeep You might be wondering why Jeep will offer 4190 examples of the Gladiator Launch Edition, since it's a seemingly random number. It's because 419 is the area code for Toledo, Ohio, where the Gladiator and Wrangler are built. Every Gladiator has "♡ 419" embossed in the bedliner as a tribute to Toledo and the workers at the Jeep factory there. Each Gladiator Launch Edition will have an aluminum badge on the tailgate indicating that it's one of 4190. Jeep If you buy a Gladiator Launch Edition, you can also enter Jeep's "Find Your Freedom" contest, where the brand will give you a $100,000 salary to go explore the world for a year with your truck. You'll have to submit a video and be chosen for that, though. You can place an order for a Gladiator Launch Edition on Jeep's website on the 4th, at which point a "Gladiator Concierge" will pair you with a dealer to finish your order and place a deposit for the truck. And if you want a different Gladiator, the configurator is up on Jeep's site, complete with pricing info.

photo: Helen Sloan/courtesy of HBO Blink and you'll miss it, but there's new Game of Thrones footage to be had. Warning: The web is dark and full of -- literally 3 seconds of -- spoilers. HBO sprang a surprise video on Sunday night promoting its 2019 lineup. That included one tiny snippet of the forthcoming eighth season of Game of Thrones, as well as footage from the previous season. In that 3-second snippet, you'll see Jon Snow (Kit Harington) give sis' Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) a good ol' hug. The sweetness (aside from Sansa's steely glare) starts at 1:10 with the caption "Final Season". According to Entertainment Weekly, this isn't the same hug from their Castle Black reunion. Here it is below for fans clamouring for any morsel of the new season. Game of Thrones season 8 is yet to have an air date, though there's speculation it'll debut in the first half of 2019.<doc-sep>“Game of Thrones” fans got their first look at the upcoming eighth and final season on Sunday. HBO released a surprise teaser on Sunday, offering sneak peeks of its new and returning series for 2019. The trailer includes footage from the previous “Game of Thrones” season, as well as a glimpse from the much-anticipated new season that shows Jon Snow (Kit Harington) embracing a steely-eyed Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) at Winterfell. “Game of Thrones” will return for its final six episodes in the first half of 2019. The teaser also offers first looks at new programs like the the “Flight of the Conchords” and “Pod Save America” specials, and new seasons of “Barry,” “The Deuce,” and “Big Little Lies,” with Meryl Streep joining the second season. Photos of “Big Little Lies” star Reese Witherspoon throwing an ice cream cone at Streep went viral recently. Witherspoon and Streep, who plays the mother of Alexander Skarsgard’s Perry from Season 1, were filming Season 2. Absent from the trailer was Damon Lindelof’s “Watchmen,” which shot a pilot and was greenlit for a 2019 series premiere. A separate trailer for the third season of “True Detective” also dropped, featuring Mahershala Ali (“Moonlight”) as Arkansas state police detective Wayne Hays. RELATED CONTENT:<doc-sep>The first footage from the final season of “Game of Thrones” has been revealed — and it’s a tense-looking hug between Jon (Kit Harington) and Sansa (Sophie Turner). On Sunday night, HBO released a video montage of upcoming shows. While most of the “Game of Thrones” footage was recycled from Season 7, the Jon-and- Sansa hug is new. It’s a little over one minute into the clip and it’s clearly at Winterfell. While they hug, Sansa gives the stink eye over Jon’s shoulder at someone who’s off-camera. The most likely contender is Daenerys (Emilia Clarke), since Jon was last seen sailing to Winterfell with her at the end of Season 7. Since she wants the Iron Throne and she’s a fire-happy Targaryen (and Jon’s awkwardly incestuous new girlfriend — remember, she’s his aunt) Sansa has good reason to be skeptical of Jon’s new alliance with her. Sansa’s first husband, Tyrion (Peter Dinklage), is also in their company, so he’s another possibility to be on the receiving end of her look. But since he and Sansa have mutual respect, Daenerys is more likely. The show’s eighth and final season will air at an unspecified date in 2019.<doc-sep>Fans of Game of Thrones are thirsty for any footage or information from the eighth and final season of the critically acclaimed fantasy series — and HBO has delivered the goods! Kind of. In a sizzle reel of their menu of programming for 2019, a scant amount of footage is folded into the cabler’s potpourri of shows. There are glimpses from previous seasons and the upcoming season of the series based on the George RR Martin novels. At first sight, they don’t tell us anything, but diehard GoT fans will certainly attempt to breakdown and give their take on that two-second embrace between Jon and Sansa or that villainous glare from Cersei. But alas, we’ll have to wait for winter to come April 2019 — the unofficial date of the drama’s return. In addition to GoT, the video is a delicious buffet of HBO programming which includes teases of new and old shows. We catch Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman and Meryl Streep in scenes from Big Little Lies and a look at Bill Hader in Barry. We get another look at Mahershala Ali in the third season of True Detective (watch the full trailer here) and see Julia Louis-Dreyfus in the new season of Veep. Other returning shows include Room 104, The Deuce, and the return of Flight of the Conchords. HBO also packs in cuts from upcoming movies and shows including Jane Fonda in Five Acts, The Shop, Pod Save America, Camping, My Brilliant Friend, and My Dinner with Herve. Watch the video above.<doc-sep>

The final six episodes of HBO's flagship series will premiere in the first half of 2019 Game of Thrones Reveals First Glimpse at Final Season — See the New Footage Blink and you’ll miss it, but the first footage from the final season of Game of Thrones is here. On Sunday night, HBO aired a surprise promotional video touting the network’s 2019 lineup, featuring a first look at True Detective season 3 and a glimpse at Meryl Streep in Big Little Lies season 2. The trailer also included footage from the most recent season 7 of GoT, as well as a brief glimpse at the highly anticipated season 8, which will be the beloved show’s final season. According to Entertainment Weekly, the new footage is a shot of Jon Snow (Kit Harington) embracing Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner). While some are mistaking this for old footage of their Castle Black reunion, it’s actually the two reuniting at Winterfell in the final season. GoT will return for its final six episodes in the first half of 2019, HBO’s programming president Casey Bloys revealed during the Television Critics Association’s press tour in Beverly Hills last month. (Previously, the network had only specified that it would premiere in 2019.) RELATED VIDEO: Brad Pitt Unsuccessfully Bid $120,000 to Watch Game of Thrones with Star Emilia Clarke In January, HBO finally confirmed the long-speculated news that its flagship fantasy series would be taking this year off. EW had previously reported that GoT might skip 2018 after show-runners David Benioff and Dan Weiss explained they planned to spend a year and a half crafting the series’ final episodes in an effort to make the last hours as spectacular and satisfying as possible.

Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott celebrated Stormi Webster's first birthday yesterday with a party that I can guarantee will trump literally any celebration you've ever had. Taking inspiration from Travis's Astroworld album and tour, Stormi World included a giant inflatable replica of the one-year-old, a live performance from Baby Shark and celebrity guests including DJ Khaled. Entry to the wildest baby birthday bash of all time was through Stormi's mouth, or rather a giant inflatable version. Once inside guests were treated to a rainbow forest, carousel, gift shop (I'm being deadly serious), fairground games and Stormi themed food. This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Too Extra. At Stormi Birthday Party pic.twitter.com/8MsA1sJaGf — 𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐡 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 (@SarahVoguee) February 10, 2019 Not forgetting a performance from Baby Shark, because even Travis Scott isn't too cool for that jam. Grandma Kris and Aunties Khloe and Kourtney were all in attendance, minus Auntie Kim who Tweeted that due to the party being rearranged (one thing Stormi can't do is control the weather), she couldn't make it. This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. If themed fries and a gift shop weren't enough to make you jealous, DJ Khaled not only showed up to the celebrations, but he also gave Stormi a present that most of us will never receive in our lifetime. Yep, that's a Chanel bag. Let me know if you need a minute to recover. This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Naturally, the people of Twitter could not cope with Kylie and Travis essentially creating their own Disneyland for their daughter's first birthday party, and reading these Tweets is almost as fun as being at the party itself (we imagine). This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Raise your hands if you’ve been personally victimized by Stormi’s first birthday party pic.twitter.com/O9kaOlU7sy — Lauren Tomlinson (@Laurendeavors) February 10, 2019 This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Did y’all see Stormi’s fuckin party? Because my broke ass sure did pic.twitter.com/M8HwYUA7lO — black buffy summers♒️ (@destiny_analea) February 10, 2019 This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Me calling my mom trying to find out why my first birthday wasn’t as big of a deal as @KylieJenner is making it for stormi pic.twitter.com/2Ic0LuoKdg — Havey💗 (@haven_gortney) February 10, 2019 Stormi Webster, outdoing your birthday party since 2019... Follow Laura on Instagram. Laura Capon Senior Fashion & Beauty Writer Laura writes about everything beauty and fashion related for Cosmopolitan UK and specialises in makeup, plus-size fashion and the world of YouTube. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>Kylie Jenner pulled out all the stops for daughter Stormi's extravagant first birthday party Happy birthday, Stormi! Kylie Jenner threw an extravagant amusement park-themed party for daughter Stormi Webster‘s first birthday on Saturday — and it just might be the most epic KarJenner party yet. Get push notifications with news, features and more. Themed “StormiWorld” — a nod to dad Travis Scott‘s Astroworld — Saturday’s celebration had everything from a live “Baby Shark” performance to carnival rides to Louis Vuitton-inspired fries. “I had to go all out for my baby,” Jenner admitted on Instagram alongside a sweet mother-daughter photo from the bash, adding the hashtag #StormiWorld. Though there was a small party on Stormi’s actual birthday, Feb. 1, Jenner, 21, revealed at the time that the planned festivities had been postponed due to rain. Want all the latest pregnancy and birth announcements, plus celebrity mom blogs? Click here to get those and more in the PEOPLE Parents newsletter. Starting things off with a bang, the entrance to the party resembled Stormi’s dad Travis Scott‘s Astroworld album art, featuring a giant blow-up replica of Stormi’s face that welcomed guests into the venue. Once inside, guests walked through a room filled with inflatable balloon clouds (referencing Stormi’s name) and carnival rides. Other rooms in the venue included a bubble room, “Stormi’s Shop” (filled with Stormi-themed merchandise) and a magical “butterfly forest” room. Just like her famous mother, Stormi can’t get enough of butterflies, and the pair even rocked matching butterfly Halloween costumes last year. kylie-b Credit: Kylie Jenner/Instagram kylie-c Credit: Kylie Jenner/Instagram kylie-d Credit: Kylie Jenner/Instagram Fries were served in pouches that resembled the Louis Vuitton logo — with Stormi’s initials “SW” instead of “LV” — and guests gathered for a live performance of “Baby Shark” that got everyone dancing. Jenner also celebrated her daughter’s birth with an elaborate (working) carousel cake! kylie-e Credit: Kylie Jenner/Instagram kylie-g Credit: Kourtney Kardashian/Instagram Scott, 26, partied alongside Kylie and Stormi throughout the celebration, and the birthday girl’s aunts Kourtney Kardashian and Khloé Kardashian both brought their children to the festivities. Grandma Kris Jenner also joined in on the fun, posing for photos throughout the night. Showing support for her granddaughter, Caitlyn Jenner attended the festivities alongside Sophia Hutchins. “Beyond proud of my amazing daughter for all of her accomplishments, but especially proud of what an amazing mom she is to her little girl! And what a great birthday party!! Happy first birthday Stormi!” Caitlyn captioned an Instagram post with photos and videos from the celebration. Not present for the over-the-top bash was Kim Kardashian West, who tweeted that she had a scheduling conflict. Kendall Jenner appeared to be at fashion week in New York City and unable to attend the festivities. kylie-f Travis Scott with Stormi | Credit: Kylie Jenner/Instagram In one sweet image taken from the bash, Khloé struck a pose while balancing her daughter True, 10 months, on her lap. “‘I’m not a regular mom, I’m a cool mom’ I think True found my posing funny lol Happy First Birthday, Storm-a-Lou,” Khloé captioned the post. Stormi also posed with her cousins True and Kourtney’s son, Mason Disick, 9, while cuddling up to some life-size stuffed animals. kylie-h Credit: Khloe Kardashian/Instagram Also in attendance? DJ Khaled, who gifted Stormi her very first Chanel bag. “AS A FATHER I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT ITS IS TO GIVE OUR KIDS THE BEST LIFE AND THE BEST BDAY PARTYS,” Khaled captioned a sweet Instagram post of him with Stormi and her proud parents. On Stormi’s actual birthday earlier this month, Kylie shared a heartwarming slideshow of photos in honor of her baby girl. “How did i get so lucky to have such a sweet, smart, happy baby. i just couldn’t have dreamt you up, storm. i wish you could stay this little forever and i could protect that contagious smile and laugh of yours,” the makeup mogul captioned her post. “I know you won’t remember much about the first year of your life but i pray that you’ll never forget to keep sharing your joy and laughter with the world,” she added. “My love grows for you a thousand miles a minute,” Kylie continued. “Every day with you is the best day of my life. happy birthday to my angel on earth.” Scott, who performed in the Super Bowl halftime show last week, also raved about his daughter on social media.<doc-sep>Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott's daughter Stormi Webster celebrated her first birthday this weekend with a certifiable rager, and the presents she received are just as lit. Like, she got presents from Gucci, Christian Louboutin, and Chanel. This weekend, the future queen of the world Stormi Webster celebrated her first birthday. As you can imagine, her party was lit, and her presents were even more so. Kylie Jenner posted this video of the stash last night, and there are some very important things that need to be discussed. This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. First, please notice the Gucci bag on the floor to the right of the main stack. Gucci! For a 1-year-old! That big present on the top of the pile? That's Christian Louboutin wrapping paper, so who even knows how much whatever's in there costs. Those are the only two identifiable packages, but you can imagine the others are probably just as bougie. Like, DJ Khaled showed up to Stormi's party with a Chanel bag, which was probably custom-made. This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Okay! Raise your hand if Stormi now owns more designer goods than you ever will in your entire life! Follow Emma on Instagram. Emma Baty Emma Baty is the Associate Entertainment Editor at Cosmopolitan who focuses on movies and TV. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>Ask any Keeping Up With The Kardashians fan what ~the~ event of 2019 has been so far, and they'll all say the same thing. No, not the Golden Globes, or even the Grammy Awards, but Stormi Webster's first birthday party. Which is why it was pretty unfortunate for Kylie Jenner's sister Kendall Jenner, as she wasn't able to attend the event due to a work commitment. Agh. This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. In case you missed it, Kylie and boyfriend (or is it husband?) Travis Scott threw a party called Stormi World to celebrate their daughter turning one year old, and it was more extravagant and OTT than you can imagine. There was a giant inflatable Stormi, actual Baby Shark, and celebrities galore. The venue was kitted out like a fairground, featuring rides, a ball bit and Stormi-themed games. The food looked incredible, the gifts were insane, and yeah, it was a party we desperately wanted to attend. And according to Kendall, she felt the same, but a scheduling clash meant she couldn't. This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. "I was so upset," Kendall explained on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon. "It was supposed to happen on her actual birthday, I’m pretty sure on the first, and it rained and everything got postponed so it didn’t happen until I was out of town." Stormi World was rescheduled to during New York Fashion Week, where Kendall sat front row at the Longchamp show, due to the fact she's a face of the brand. It was likely in her contract that she had to be there. But that doesn't mean she missed out on the fun completely - she did make sure Kris Jenner video called her so she could get in on the action. Kendall at the Longchamp show Getty Images "My mum FaceTimed me right before everyone got there. I was literally on FaceTime for, I’m not kidding, 45 minutes to an hour. It was so much stuff she had to show me. It was crazy," she said. Kendall was then asked whether she thought it was a little extravagant to throw such a wild party, considering Stormi probably won't know it happened. The model agreed, commenting, "I was like, ‘You know she’s 1? I don’t know if she’s gonna remember this. "I love you for the effort [Kylie] but … And she was like, ‘I really don’t care. I really wanna do it.' I was like, ‘You know what? More power to ya. Do it. Go for it.'" Fair enough. Dusty Baxter-Wright Senior Entertainment & Lifestyle Writer Dusty Baxter-Wright is Cosmopolitan's Senior Entertainment and Lifestyle Writer, covering celebrities, movies, TV and books as well as travel, interiors, food and drink on a daily basis. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>

Kylie Jenner gave the first look at all of her daughter Stormi Webster's first birthday gifts on Instagram. Jenner threw Stormi a lavish (and very expensive) amusement park-themed party over the weekend that she spent months planning. What does a first birthday look like when you're the daughter of near-billionaire Kylie Jenner? Apparently the party's an amusement park that Jenner had created for you, and your gift pile from her many famous friends is abundant and designer-filled. Jenner shared an Instagram video of Stormi Webster taking in all her presents this afternoon. Stormi, who's a little too young to understand what birthday gifts are yet, walked right away from them and to her mom: Instagram But there's a Gucci bag in there, and Jenner documented DJ Khaled giving Stormi her very first Chanel purse during the Stormi World amusement park party: These gifts may or may not include what Jenner and her boyfriend Travis Scott bought their baby personally. But given Jenner got Baby Shark to attend Stormi's party, she presumably went all out with presents for her daughter too. She documented herself wrapping the first ones at the beginning of January. Stormi's birthday is February 1 so... Jenner shared her own photos from the party she threw Stormi on her Instagram yesterday. "I dreamed about this party and then drew it up on paper room by room and @mindyweiss really made my vision come to life!!!" she wrote. "Thank you Mindy and team! This party was magical." She also shared a shot of her and Stormi inside the bash together. "I had to go all out for my baby. #StormiWorld," she captioned that photo. Stormi had on a sequined mini dress for the occasion. And Jenner had matching earrings and her own light blue suit on. Chic: Alyssa Bailey News and Strategy Editor Alyssa Bailey is the news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton).

Although this mother and toddler had a good time, thin crowds and empty stretches of sidewalk marked the 74th annual Columbus Day Parade along Fifth Avenue on a dreary Monday. “I came here from The Bronx to celebrate with my family and this is the turnout? The pizza festival had more people,” said Patrick DiMarco, 58, who lives near Pelham Bay. “This is supposed to be a proud Italian day and this looked like Italians aren’t proud people anymore.” Another long-timer chalked up the disappointing display to the misting gray skies. “It definitely wasn’t as good as last year, but what can you do?” asked Joseph LaMarca, 67, of Bensonhurst. “I wish there was more to the parade than three floats and the Department of Sanitation. If I had to list it, it’d be the worst parade I’ve ever attended.” New York’s elected leaders were among the only folks who turned out in force as both Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio marched from 43rd Street to 72nd Street, greeting the underwhelming crowd. see also Columbus, Ohio cancels Columbus Day The largest city in America named after Christopher Columbus canceled... Two City Hall staffers served as Hizzoner’s hype men and unsuccessfully tried to rev up bystanders by shouting into megaphones. “Show your pride, wave those flags!” they screamed to little effect as the mayor called out “Buon giorno!” along the route The weak attendance came as activists denounced Columbus’ brutal treatment of the indigenous people he encountered — and staged their own celebration on Randalls Island.<doc-sep>NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — A million people were expected to attend the largest celebration of Italian-American culture in the world as New Yorkers turned out Monday for the 74th annual Columbus Day parade. The pride of the red, white and green was on display as hundreds of thousands of spectators lined the parade route, along with floats and all of the pageantry, CBS2’s Janelle Burrell reported. Bob Scarano’s business takes him to a lot of parades, but he said he’s partial to this one. “This is my favorite, obviously,” the Clifton, New Jersey resident said. Scarano is 100-percent Italian. “It’s great. It really is. You don’t realize how many Italian-Americans there are until you come here and actually take part in this,” Scarano said. The heart of Midtown was shut down Monday for this longstanding New York City tradition. “It’s very exciting. People have big hearts today, excited. They want to share that joy,” said Deborah Garland of Staten Island. When asked what her favorite part of the parade is, Daniel and Veronica Hansen said the “marching bands” and “seeing the horses,” respectively. Organizers said more than 35,000 people were expected to march up Fifth Avenue, from 47th to 72nd street in tribute to Christopher Columbus and the contributions of countless Italian-Americans to the United States. “My grandparents were from Italy and I was raised with that heritage and the Italians believe in what New Yorkers believe in — education, discrimination of none, opportunity for all,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. Last year, the festivities fell during a time when there was a lot of controversy surrounding the statue of Columbus in Columbus Circle, and whether or not it should remain there because of the famed explorer’s treatment of Native Americans. MORE: CBS2 Exclusive: Columbus Statue Will Stay In Place, But With Caveats This year, the focus was re-centered around a show of Italian-American pride, which you don’t have to be Italian to appreciate. “It’s not just Italians. The Knights of Columbus was started by an Irish priest,” Knights of Columbus member Mike Tully said. “(It’s a) very historic celebration,” another man said. The events is put on each year by the Columbus Citizens Foundation and it funds an annual scholarship for young Italian-Americans, Burrell reported.<doc-sep>To mark the day in 1492 when Christopher Columbus "sailed the ocean blue," the United States designated the second Monday in October Columbus Day, and New York City hosts a parade every year. The 74th annual Columbus Day Parade will be overseen by Grand Marshal Guy Chiarello, who is the president of First Data Corporation. Parade attendees can catch the beginning of the procession at Fifth Avenue and 44th Street or snag a spot anywhere along Fifth Avenue until 72nd Street. Red carpet performances will also take place on Fifth Avenue between 67th and 69th streets. "The parade celebrates the spirit of exploration and courage that inspired Christopher Columbus's 1492 expedition to America and the important contributions of Italian-Americans and other immigrants that followed," the official parade website stated. More than 130 marching groups will make their way along Fifth Avenue, including over a dozen high school bands. Along with high school bands, professional groups from the United States and Italy will join the procession, and traditional folk groups will perform centuries-old dances. An estimated 35,000 people will march in the parade this year, and millions are expected to tune in. "I've been part of this city for 35 years. I've been an Italian-American, obviously, my whole life," Chiarello told WCBS. "Celebrating this day, not only for Italian-Americans but for all Americans, is just an amazing opportunity." The parade will begin at 11:30 a.m. EDT, according to Time Out. For those who are unable to make it to the festivities in person, there are multiple ways to catch it from the comfort of your own home. WABC-TV will be covering the event live on television and has set up a stream on its website. Along with Fifth Avenue, the City of New York Police Department will close a number of streets to traffic from 11:00 a.m. EDT to 3:00 p.m. EDT to accommodate the parade, including: 43rd Street between Madison Avenue and 5th Avenue 44th Street between Madison Avenue and 6th Avenue 45th Street between Madison Avenue and 6th Avenue 46th Street between Madison Avenue and 6th Avenue 47th Street between Madison Avenue and 6th Avenue 5th Avenue between 72nd Street and 79th Street 72nd Street between 5th Avenue and Madison Avenue 73rd Street between 5th Avenue and Madison Avenue 74th Street between 5th Avenue and Madison Avenue 75th Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue 76th Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue 77th Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue 78th Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue 60th Street between Madison Avenue and 5th Avenue 62nd Street between Madison Avenue and 5th Avenue 63rd Street between Madison Avenue and 5th Avenue 64th Street between Madison Avenue and 5th Avenue 68th Street between Park Avenue and 5th Avenue 69th Street between Park Avenue and 5th Avenue 70th Street between Park Avenue and 5th Avenue While the Columbus Citizens Foundation, a nonprofit organization that hosts the parade, uses the day to celebrate the achievements and history of Italian-Americans, Columbus Day has become a contentious holiday for others. Some argue that it celebrates the enslavement and conquering of Native Americans, who were living on the land first. Columbus Day was first celebrated in 1892 when then-President Benjamin Harrison was in office. More than 100 years later, some cities across the United States have opted to ditch Columbus Day and celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day instead. Last year, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio created a commission to study monuments, including a statue of Columbus, to determine if any of them were "symbols of hate." The commission was created in September; when de Blasio arrived at the Columbus Day Parade, attendees booed him. Ultimately the statue was allowed to stay. "I don't get wrapped up in the controversy. American is the greatest country in the world," Chiarello told WCBS. "It represents freedom, and everybody has to have their own heritage and beliefs."<doc-sep>

Community Corner NYC Columbus Day Parade 2018 Guide: Parade Route, Traffic Closure The Columbus Day Parade is this Monday, Oct. 8. Here's what you need to know about attending the event. Reply NEW YORK, NY — Fifth Avenue will be decked out in the green, white and red of il Tricolore, the flag of Italy, as New York City celebrates Columbus Day on Monday, Oct. 10. The Columbus Day parade has become one of the largest celebrations of the achievements of Italian-Americans in the country. This year's parade is expected to draw more than one million spectators and more than 130 marching groups — including bands, floats and cultural groups — according to parade organizers. Tens of thousands of people will take the march up Fifth Avenue this year and city and state politicians such as New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand are always safe bets to be in attendance. The parade is organized by the Columbus Citizens Foundation. Subscribe to Patch's free daily newsletter and news alerts for more Upper East Side news. Whether you are interested in attending the parade, protesting it or want to avoid it on Sunday here's your guide to everything you need to know about the Columbus Day Parade this year: Parade start time: Columbus Day celebrations begin with a special mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral. Tickets are required to enter the cathedral up until 9:15 a.m. After 9:15 a.m. the mass is open to the general public, according to the Columbus Citizens Foundation. This year's celebration will kick of with a special ceremony at 11:30 a.m., according to parade organizers, but the actual parade won't start until noon. The parade is scheduled to last until 3 p.m. Parade route: The parade will begin in Midtown Manhattan on Fifth Avenue and continue into the Upper East Side. The route begins on Fifth Avenue and 44th Street and ends at Fifth Avenue and 72nd Street. There will be "red carpet performances" along the route from 67th and 69th streets, according to parade organizers.

MEXICO CITY — Popocatépetl, the active volcano that rises some 40 miles southeast of the Mexican capital, exploded Monday night, sending a plume of ash and gas more than two miles into the inky sky and raining glowing rocks onto its slopes. Video released by Mexico’s national disaster prevention agency showed a fiery light at the volcano’s crater at 9:38 p.m. The explosion was quickly enveloped in ash and pulverized rock as burning fragments of the volcano’s dome fell over a radius of a mile and a half. Popocatépetl, whose name means “smoking mountain” in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, sprang back to life in 1994 after a half-century of quiescence. Since then, the residents of the surrounding towns have grown accustomed to frequent emissions of gas and ash and periodic eruptions. Over the past few weeks, the volcano has become more active, prompting the authorities to repeat warnings to keep a distance of about seven miles away from the summit.<doc-sep>The Popocatepetl volcano in Mexico erupted overnight on Thursday, firing a huge column of hot ash and gas into the air. Dramatic video shows the moment of the eruption as a huge flash of white light explodes over the volcanic crater. The column of ash and gas was reported to have reached 2,500 metres high. Mexican authorities had earlier raised the alert level as explosions were seen to be increasing in intensity. You can watch the footage of the eruption by clicking the player above.<doc-sep>Mexico’s Popocatepetl volcano erupted late on Monday, triggering warnings for ash rain and mudslides. The Washington Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) warned an explosion at the volcano in central Mexico had taken place at 9.38pm local time. Mexico’s National Centre for Disaster Prevention (CENAPRED) said the blast had sent a column of ash around 1.2km into the air. There were no immediate reports of any injuries or damage caused as a result of the incident. “CENAPRED urges the public not to approach the volcano and especially the crater, because of the danger involved in the fall of ballistic fragments,” the agency said in a statement. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire.<doc-sep>Popocatépetl is one of the most active volcanos in Mexico and is located in a densely populated area between the states of Puebla and Morelo. It increased in activity in the mid-1990s, with the latest and current eruption beginning in the mid-2000s, according to the Smithsonian Institution.<doc-sep>

Popocatepetl: Mexican volcano SPEWS lava after erupting Locals have been warned the threat warning level remains at phase 3, meaning the chance of volcanic activity is immediate to high. The National Coordination of Civil Protection said fragments of lava were thrown 1.2miles (2km) down the slopes of the mountain, while ash blew 1.8miles (3km) towards the south-east, when it erupted just before 1am GMT this morning (8pm yesterday local time). Videos from Mexican authorities shows the volcano exploding, as lava bursts from its source. A 12-kilometre “security radius” has been implemented around the volcano, in case of a bigger eruption. However, the worst seems to have past with Civil Protection chief David Romero claiming the heightened activity of El Popo, as it is colloquially known, is a “normal change in the volcano”. Mexico’s National Center for Disaster Prevention (CENAPRED) said people should steer clear of the volcano, as landslides and fragments of flying rock remain a danger. A statement from the organisation read: “In the last 24 hours, through the Popocatepetl volcano monitoring systems, 61 exhalations were identified, accompanied by steam and gas, and a few exhalations with a slight amount of ash. Mexico volcano ALERT: Huge EXPLOSION at Popocatépetl volcano, lava and ash SPEWS into air "An explosion was also recorded today at 06:50 h, which generated a 2.5 km column with moderate ash content, which was dispersed to the southeast, and fragments were observed on the slopes of the volcano at an approximate distance of 1000 m. “CENAPRED emphasises that people SHOULD NOT go near the volcano, especially near the crater, due to the hazard caused by ballistic fragments and in case of heavy rains leave the bottoms of ravines by the danger of landslides and debris flows.” “The monitoring of the Popocatépetl volcano is carried out continuously 24 hours a day. “Any change in activity will be reported in a timely manner. The level of the Volcanic Warning Semaphore will depend on the evolution of the activity of the volcano. The volcano has been simmering for 24 hours Así fue vista la nueva y fuerte explosión del #Popocatépetl de las 19:48 horas de hoy jueves 28. Satélite #GOES16, imágenes. Vía: @spcver.pic.twitter.com/RsgF4oiw96 — Webcams de México (@webcamsdemexico) March 29, 2019

Phil Inglis/Getty Images Bernhard Langer is aiming to win a record fourth Senior British Open Championship when the competition comes to the Old Course at St. Andrews in Fife, Scotland, on Thursday for the first time in its 31-year history. It bodes well for the German that the last time Scotland hosted the Senior Open was also the only other occasion a player has managed to retain the title, when Brian Barnes won back-to-back crowns at Royal Portrush in 1995-96. Golf's senior stars return to Scotland in this tournament for the first time in 22 years, and Langer is looking to capitalise on his success at the British Open on Sunday, when he finished tied for 24th at one under par. Fox Sports reported the total prize fund for this year's Senior Open Championship as $2 million (£1.5 million), the same as in 2017 when Langer took home a winner's purse of £235,750. The defending champion will tee off at 9:20 a.m. BST (4:20 a.m. ET) in Thursday's opening round alongside Watson and Miguel Angel Jimenez. John Daly tees off 10 minutes later with Tom Lehman and Ian Woosnam. Visit the official European Tour website for the tee times in full. Video Play Button Videos you might like Dates: Thursday, July 26-Sunday, July 30 TV Info: Sky Sports Golf (UK), Golf Channel (U.S.) Preview It's not often that players maintain a good level of success on the professional circuit after joining the senior ranks, but Langer showed at Carnoustie last weekend he should not be written off just yet. The 60-year-old finished at one under overall, and analyst Ron Mintz applauded his record in The Open: Langer's performance at Carnoustie underlined how he thrives in links play, and he told of his joy to play two such esteemed Scottish courses back-to-back. Per PGATour.com, he said: "I love links golf, period. This is a good couple of weeks, play Carnoustie and St. Andrews back-to-back, it doesn't get a whole lot better than that. So it's fantastic." Commentator Jim Beglin praised the Senior Open champion: But Langer is far from the only former champion in the field, and 2016 winner Paul Broadhurst has been coupled with Vijay Singh and David Toms as he goes in search of his third senior major. Broadhurst has form coming to St. Andrews after winning the Senior PGA Championship in May: Singh also has a senior major to his name this year after winning the 2018 Senior Players Championship, leading freelance writer Bryan Nicholson to back the Fijian for victory at St. Andrews: This will be Singh's first participation in the Senior Open, and beginner's luck may play its part in helping the 55-year-old up the ranks. It will take a mighty effort to stop Langer in his tracks, though, with the veteran looking to seal a historic fourth title on one of golf's most famous courses.<doc-sep>ST ANDREWS, Scotland -- American Kirk Triplett and Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand shot 7-under 65s Thursday to lead The Senior Open presented by Rolex by one stroke after the opening round but both will be keeping a close eye on defending champion Bernhard Langer. Long the dominant figure in over-50s golf, Langer arrived at St. Andrews as the man to beat. And not much has changed. While Langer's 5-under 67 wasn't the best score over the Old Course, the German's lofty presence on the leaderboard will have the attention of every other contender. Langer is tied for fifth alongside former PGA champion David Toms and another American, Scott McCarron, with the trio one shot behind former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley and Canadian Stephen Ames. As many as 16 players shot 68 or less, a figure that almost included 68-year old Tom Watson, on a bright and breezy day. The seven men atop the leaderboard were all at least 3 under par by the turn. But it was a different matter coming home. No one in the 144-strong field was better than 3 under for their final nine holes. Wiratchant's round was highlighted by a run of five straight birdies from the third hole. Four more followed, with dropped shots at Nos. 13 and 17. Triplett put his bogey-free score down to following instructions from his caddie, a local man well acquainted with golf's most famous venue. "He was very descriptive," said Triplett with a smile. "It was, `Hit it right at that tower' or `Right at that clump of bushes.' I did that a number of times and had a lot of good looks (at the pins) from the fairways. Then I putted well from 10-to-20 feet. That's what you have to do around here." Good putting from long distance was the dominant theme of a sunny day. Langer, Watson and Ames all emphasized its importance on the huge double-greens that are, at the end of the massively wide fairways, perhaps the most noticeable characteristic of the Old Course. "I putted decently," Langer said. "I made a number of medium-length putts to get me under par. And a couple of good ones went in coming home. I had two three-putts as well. But that happens out here. You can get some pretty long putts on this course." Watson was a lot more openly excited by his performance, especially after recording no more than a four on his card for what he said was "the first time in 20 years." In search of his fourth title at The Senior Open, Watson hit a number of quality shots but it was his putting that pleased the five-time Open champion the most. "My long putting is what I've been practising," said Watson, who missed a 25-foot putt on the 18th green to equal his age, and ended on 69. "When you come to St. Andrews you know you are going to have 80-foot putts. I've been working on them a lot at Royal Oaks in Houston. So my touch is pretty good right now." John Daly also shot 69. Suffering from a long-standing right knee problem, Daly was clearly limping by the end of a round highlighted by four birdies and an eagle on No. 5. "I take any chance I can to play at St. Andrews," Daly said. "It's an awesome feeling to walk the fairways that so many great players have."<doc-sep>Phil Inglis/Getty Images Miguel Angel Jimenez sits atop the leaderboard of the 2018 Senior British Open, opening up a one-shot lead before the remainder of Round 2 was suspended. Play was called off due to fading light with several players still out on the course. Fog in the morning had already pushed the start of play back by two hours. At nine-under, Jimenez sits one shot ahead of Kirk Triplett, Bernhard Langer and Jeff Sluman, who completed their rounds. Visit the European Tour website to see the leaderboard in full. Play was suspended early in the day due to fog, with tee times moving ahead and some players starting late in the evening. The fog wasn't the only challenge the local weather threw at the field, as strong gusts of wind also plagued the tournament: Sluman was among the early standouts with another round of four-under golf, his second in as many days. Video Play Button Videos you might like While he was error-free on Thursday, he couldn't repeat that feat on Friday, with a bogey on the fourth and double-bogey on the 13th. He more than made up for it with his putter, however, carding no less than six birdies on the front nine. Triplett tied him at the top of the leaderboard later in the day after leading the field for most of the back nine. A bogey on the 18th saw him settle for a score of one-under. Tony Marshall/Getty Images Most fans had their eyes on defending champion Langer and Jimenez, two of the most popular players on Tour who were out on the course late. The latter used a great run on the back nine to surge into the lead: Langer shot three-under on the day, not dropping a single shot. Sandy Lyle played some phenomenal golf to bounce back from his disappointing showing on Thursday, carding a round of six-under to move into the top 20. He finished Thursday's action one-over, carding three bogeys on the back nine, but his approach play and short game were on point in Round 2. Play will resume on Saturday at 7 a.m. local time.<doc-sep>

Robert Laberge/Getty Images Kirk Triplett and Thaworn Wiratchant carded a pair of 65s and lead the 2018 Senior British Open after Thursday's opening round, but defending champion Bernhard Langer is just two strokes behind at the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland. It's been three years since Triplett last featured in the Senior Open Championship field, but he took no time getting up to speed on Thursday and recorded a bogey-free round to sweep into an early lead. Six-time senior major-winner Tom Watson also got off to a promising start and sits just outside the top 10 on three-under par, although Fred Couples is at slightly more risk of slipping off the pace following his first-round 71. The Senior British Open field houses a list of names who have tasted success in the competition proper before they transitioned to the senior circuit, and the Staysure Tour Twitter account recounted their Day 1 scores: Here's how the top of the leaderboard looks after the first round came to a close at St. Andrews: Video Play Button Videos you might like 2018 Senior British Open (Round 1) 1= Kirk Triplett (-7) 1= Thaworn Wiratchant (-7) 3= Paul McGinley (-6) 3= Stephe Ames (-6) 5= Bernhard Langer (-5) 5= David Toms (-5) 5= Scott McCarron (-5) 8= Miguel Angel Jimenez (-4) 8= Phillip Price (-4) 8= Vijay Singh (-4) Visit the European Tour website to see the leaderboard in full. Recap Triplett failed to claim any of golf's majors during his hayday and has thus far missed out on major senior silverware in six years of trying, but 2018 could be his time to shine judging by Thursday's pristine outing. With so many superstars past and present in the running, it may take a more unassuming character like Triplett to break the mould, and former pro Lanny Wadkins hinted the 56-year-old is exactly that, via Golf Channel PR: Wiratchant hit five birdies on the trot between the third and seventh holes, and he rescued his share of top spot by birdieing the 18th, having suffered his only bogeys of the afternoon on the 13th and 17th. But there's now something of a target on Triplett's back, and while he'll face a test in withstanding the pressure of a lead heading into a major weekend, others in the field have braved the test before. It's hardly unknown territory for Langer, winner of this competition three times in the past eight years and hoping to become the first player ever to win four Senior British Open crowns. Four birdies in his first five holes bode well for the German, with two bogeys on the back stretch the difference between him and Triplett: Langer's performance stands as evidence that chasing one's shots can have its drawbacks, while a much more conservative approach from Watson saw him mimic Triplett and end Round 1 without a blemish on his card, per PGA Tour Champions: The golf legend's 69 was one more than his age, but even in his advanced years, Watson will hope he can beat Langer to the honour of becoming the first to win four titles at the Senior British Open. The star parade didn't end there, either, as Miguel Angel Jimenez sneaked into the leaderboard's upper crust with his 68 on Thursday, showcasing no small amount of verve at 54 years of age: Both he and Watson also avoided recording a bogey on Day 1—and then came John Daly. Garbed in dollar bill trousers, one of the golf circuit's most colourful figures showed early promise with a 69 of his own: Daley was somewhat more erratic in his play and recorded one eagle to go along with his four birdies and three bogeys, having recently undergone treatment for an issue with his knee. He and others are sure to start feeling the brunt of the competition as it wears on, but Triplett and Wiratchant will savour their cushions for the time being as we head towards Friday's cut.

The oil & gas major, Reliance Industries (RIL), reported mixed set of numbers on April 18 where net profit came in higher than expected supported by revenues from retail and telecom businesses while petchem and refining businesses disappointed. The largest company in terms of market capitalisation on the BSE is focusing on making its consumer business as a bigger revenue contributor, as other segments are taking a back seat. The results were largely in line with estimates, but after the recent run-up in the stock price there could be a possibility of a knee-jerk reaction. Overall, the results are positive and long-term investors have nothing to worry, suggest experts. The stock has rallied by about 20 percent so far in 2019 and more than 36 percent in the last year. SP Tulsian, independent market experts in an interview with CNBC-TV18 said that the profits were largely boosted by other income. One thing is there that new generation businesses, retail and digital, are doing extremely well. Both these businesses have contributed Rs 500 crore compared to fall of Rs 1,150 crore in the bread & butter business. “Looking at the results, the market could take a pause and profit booking in the stock price is not ruled out on April 22,” he said. The overall earnings is a miss from my side, added Tulsian. Stock market guru, Prakash Diwan in an interview with CNBC-TV18 said that RIL managed to improve margins in the competitive retail segment, and on the telecom side, usage of voice call going up suggest that it will give the company pricing power in the next few quarters. “I feel that there would not be too much disappointment from the numbers because it was expected that refining and petchem will start taking a backseat somewhere looking at the capex that has come in other business. Hopefully, the market will take in its stride these results,” he said. Abhijeet Bora, Senior Research Analyst, Sharekhan by BNP Paribas said that RIL reported largely in-line standalone EBITDA as a beat in beat in GRM at $8.2/bbl and higher-than-expected petchem margin at 18.9 percent was offset by lower-than-expected refining throughput at 16mmt. Reliance Jio net profit largely remained flat Q-o-Q at Rs840 crore and ARPU declined q-o-q to Rs126/subscriber per month. The retail business reported strong 14.5% q-o-q growth in EBITDA. “We believe that likely strong subscriber additions in the telecom business, sustained high growth in retail business and likely deleveraging of the consolidated balance sheet would act as key re-rating catalyst for the stock. We maintain our Buy rating on RIL,” said Bora. We have collated a list of top 10 takeaways from RIL Q4 results: Net Profit: The oil & gas major reported 9.8 percent year-on-year (YoY) rise in the net profit to Rs 10,362 crore for the quarter ended March which was higher than CNBC-TV18 poll of Rs 9,930 crore. The company reported a net profit of Rs 9,438 crore in the year-ago period. Digital services contributed significantly to profits as Jio continued to maintain its strong customer traction with high-quality network and unmatched value proposition. Refining business contribution was lower with volatile crude oil price environment, weak light product cracks and subdued demand, RIL said in the statement. Revenues: Total revenues, including other income, grew 19.4 percent on a YoY basis to Rs 1.54 lakh crore for the quarter ended March compared to Rs 1.29 lakh crore seen in the year-ago period. However, on a sequential basis, it fell by 9.7 percent. Increase in revenue was primarily on account of strong growth in Retail & Digital Services businesses which grew by 51.6 percent and 61.6 percent, respectively. Higher Petrochemical volumes also contributed to growth in revenue, the company said in a filing with exchanges. GRMs: Gross Refining Margins (GRMs) for 4Q FY19 stood at $ 8.2/bbl, outperforming Singapore complex margins by $ 5.0/bbl, and largely in-line with Street estimates. GRM is what a company makes from turning every barrel of crude to fuel. Rise in interest cost: Finance cost stood at Rs 4,894 crore ($ 708 million) for the quarter ended March as against Rs 2,566 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year. This increase is primarily on account of the commencement of petrochemical projects at Jamnagar and Digital Services business. Higher loan balances also contributed to the increase in finance cost. Organized Retail Business: Reliance Retail delivered a record-breaking performance in revenue and profits growth for the year 2018-19. The segment revenues for FY19 grew by 88.7 percent on a Y-o-Y basis to Rs 130,566 crore compared to Rs 69,198 crore seen in the previous year. Segment Revenue for 4Q FY19 grew by 51.6 percent Y-o-Y to Rs 36,663 crore for the quarter ended March compared to Rs 24,183 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year. Digital Business (Jio): The net profit of Jio rose by 64.7 percent on a year-on-year basis to Rs 840 crore which was slightly lower than CNBC-TV18 poll of Rs 990 crore. RJIL reported a net profit of Rs 510 crore in the year-ago period. Subscriber growth has remained steady with net addition during the quarter of 26.6 million. Gross additions stood at 33.2 million inched up after modest disruption in the previous quarter due to transition to the new KYC process. Monthly churn rate stayed much below industry average at 0.75 percent per month. Petrochemical Business: Crude prices exhibited high volatility during FY19, amidst reduction in global demand projections, OPEC-led production cut and several geopolitical concerns, including sanctions and trade conflicts. FY19 revenue from the Petrochemicals segment increased by 37.3 percent on a Y-o-Y basis to Rs 172,065 crore. Petrochemicals segment EBIT increased sharply by 51.9 percent to its highest ever level of Rs 32,173 crore ($ 4.7 billion). Strong integrated polyester chain margins offset weakness across the polymer chain which was impacted by incremental supplies from new US crackers. 4Q FY19 revenue from the Petrochemicals segment increased by 11.3 percent Y-o-Y to Rs 42,414 crore ($ 6.1 billion) mainly due to an increase in price realizations and volumes in PTA, PP, and Paraxylene. Refining & Marketing Business:<doc-sep>Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries will report its March-quarter earnings on Thursday after market hours. The oil-to-telecom conglomerate is expected to report a fall in the Q4 revenue by about 4.4 percent to Rs 1.49 lakh crore from Rs 1.56 lakh crore from the December quarter, according to a poll conducted by CNBC-TV18. The EBITDA for the quarter could decline by almost about 4 percent to Rs 20,515 crore and the profits could fall by about 3 percent on a quarterly basis at Rs 9,930 crore, according to the poll. The refining and the petrochemical businesses are expected to see a slowdown. The gross refining margins (GRMs) have been under a lot of pressure over the last many quarters and was also seen in the March quarter as well. GRMs are expected to fall by 10 percent on a quarterly basis to come in at $8.2 per barrel. For Reliance Jio, subscriber addition is expected to rise 10 percent quarter on quarter, while average revenue per user (ARPUs) could moderate a bit. Retail business has surprised positively for the last four quarters and is expected to report a strong performance this time as well. Investment firm Nomura expects revenue growth of 59 percent in the retail business while margins are expected to improve to 5 percent as against 4.5 percent earlier. On the back of continued stability seen in Reliance Jio, as well as Reliance Retail, RIL shares hit an all-time high of Rs 1,406 on April 1. Disclaimer: Network18, the parent company of CNBCTV18.com, is controlled by Independent Media Trust, of which Reliance Industries is the sole beneficiary.<doc-sep>Mumbai: Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has been among the best performing large-cap stocks in the past year. The stock has risen by 45% in the past 12 months, compared to a rise of less than 12% in the Nifty 50 index. Needless to say, expectations are running very high. In that backdrop, RIL Q4 results may be a tad disappointing for investors. Consolidated profit before tax fell 4.1% sequentially to ₹13,858 crore in the March quarter. RIL’s increasing debt is biting. Consolidated earnings before interest and tax (Ebit) rose 1% sequentially to ₹18,752 crore. The big drag continues to come from the refining business, where Ebit fell by 18.6% to ₹4,026 crore. Of course, it is well known that Singapore gross refining margins (GRM) have fallen sharply in recent months, and to that extent RIL’s reported refining margin of $8.2/barrel doesn’t come as a big negative. The problem, however, is that other segments didn’t make up for the shortfall from the refining segment. After eight successive quarters of increases in profits, Ebit of the petrochemicals business fell 2% sequentially to ₹7,819 crore. And while the much-touted consumer businesses in did deliver, they are still relatively smaller in size to make up for the shortfall of the much larger refining segment. Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd’s Ebit rose 13% sequentially in Q4, although most of that increase was given away in higher interest costs. As such, pre-tax profit of the telecom business was flat sequentially, despite another stellar quarter in terms of subscriber growth. Average revenue per user (arpu) fell marginally as well, with the share of JioPhone customers increasing in the pie. Note also the stark difference between Reliance Jio’s profits and its capital expenditure. Jio generated Ebitda (Ebit plus depreciation and amortization) of ₹15,102 crore in FY19, but its capex stood at ₹66,000 crore. Evidently, cash burn and indebtedness remain high for RIL’s digital services business. While the conglomerate has restructured its telecom debt and transferred some debt to special purpose vehicles, this doesn’t count for much until new investors come to share the load. Reliance Retail Ltd, meanwhile, had another strong quarter, with Ebit growth of 14% sequentially to ₹1,721 crore in Q4. Margins continued to improve, and the strong performance supports the prospects of an initial public offering of the division. Despite the overall sedate performance, investor sentiment in the RIL stock may continue to be positive on a possible stake sale in the refining and petrochemicals business. Of course, much depends on the valuation, if such a deal occurs with Saudi Aramco. But without such triggers, investors should note that they may have built in far too high expectations from RIL. To deliver on these would be a tall order. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now! ! Topics<doc-sep>Shares of Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries gained as much as 3 per cent in intraday on Thursday ahead of its March quarter earnings report slated to be released later today. The industry experts expect the country's largest private sector enterprise to report flattish net profit growth and lower petchem earnings due to weak margins, as per the Economics Times report. The market experts opined that RIL's retail segment may see robust growth, while its telecom arm Reliance Jio may report margin decline in average revenue per user (Arpu) on Quarter-on-Quarter basis, the ET reported. The investor will also keep an eye on the margin outlook of refinery and petchem business of RIL, it said. "We see lower petchem earnings due to margin weakness. Retail EBIT to grow by 8 per cent QoQ and Jio is expected to see 307 million subscribers. The telecom arm may report a slight decline in Arpu qoq to Rs 129," Emkay said in a report. Equirus Securities expects RIL's net profit and EBITDA to grow by 4.20 per cent and 1.90 per cent year-on-year. The brokerage firm forecasted that its net sales may see 23.5 per cent year-on-year rise. It expects a GRM of USD 8.30 per barrel due to fall in cracks. In the third quarter ended December 31, 2018, oil to telecom conglomerate RIL reported a 8.8 per cent growth in its net profit at Rs 10,251 crore, helped by record performance in its petrochemicals, retail and telecom businesses. RIL was the first Indian private sector company to cross the Rs 10,000 crore profit mark. The company's refining business reported revenues of Rs 1,117,00 crore in the December quarter, while petrochemicals business saw its revenues rise 5.7 per cent q-o-q to Rs 46,246 crore. Meanwhile, the company' telecom arm, Reliance Jio, posted a net profit of Rs 831 crore in October-December quarter, up 22.1 per cent q-o-q. Reliance Industries share price were currently trading at Rs 1384, up 2.88 per cent, on the Bombay Stock Exchange. Edited by Chitranjan Kumar Also Read: Jet Airways crashes 30% as airline halts operations; SpiceJet, IndiGo stocks hit 52-week high<doc-sep>

Shares in Reliance Industries ended 3.15 per cent higher on the NSE. Reliance Industries (RIL), the oil-to-telecom conglomerate promoted by Mukesh Ambani, on Thursday reported a record net profit of Rs 10,362 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2019, surpassing expectations of analysts helped by strong growth in its retail businesses. This is the highest quarterly profit by any Indian private sector company. RIL's profit rose 9.79 per cent from Rs 9,438 crore registered in the corresponding period a year ago. Analysts polled on an average expected the Mumbai-based company to post a profit of Rs 9,920 crore, news agency Reuters reported citing Refinitiv data. Its revenue from operations after deducting Goods and Services Tax (GST) rose 17.88 per cent to Rs 1.42 lakh crore in January-March quarter compared with Rs 1.20 lakh crore in the same period last year. Commenting on the results, Mukesh D. Ambani, chairman and managing director, Reliance Industries said: "During FY 2018-19, we achieved several milestones and made significant strides in building Reliance of the future. Reliance Retail crossed Rs 100,000 crore revenue milestone, Jio now serves over 300 million consumers and our petrochemicals business delivered its highest ever earnings. "The Company has delivered record consolidated net profit of Rs 39,588 crore for the year in a period of heightened volatility in the energy markets. I am delighted to highlight that our Company has more than doubled its PBDIT in last five years to Rs 92,656 crore - establishing a global benchmark for value creation," Mr Ambani said. Reliance Jio Infocomm, the telecom arm of Reliance Industries, reported net profit of Rs 840 crore in March quarter, up 65 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) from Rs 510 crore. Its operating revenue came in at Rs 11,106 crore, Reliance Industries said. Jio's average revenue per user (ARPU), a key matrix for telecom companies, came in at Rs 126.2 per subscriber per month. Reliance Retail delivered a record-breaking performance in revenue and profits growth for the year 2018-19. Segment revenues for FY19 grew by 88.7 per cent (Y-o-Y) to Rs 1.30 lakh crore as against Rs 69,198 crore in the previous year, according to Reliance Industries. On the oil refining front, its gross refining margin (GRM), a measure of how much the company earns by refining a barrel of crude oil, declined 7 per cent sequentially to $8.2 per barrel from $8.8 per barrel. On Y-o-Y basis its GRMs declined 25.45 per cent from $11 per barrel. Revenue from the refining and marketing segment in March quarter decreased by 6.1 per cent (Y-o-Y) to Rs 87,844 crore ($ 12.7 billion) while segment's EBIT or operating profit declined by 25.5 per cent Y-o-Y to Rs 4,176 crore ($ 603 million). Refining and marketing segment performance was impacted by lower crude throughout due to planned maintenance. Revenue from petrochemicals segment increased by 11.3 per cent (Y-o-Y) to Rs 42,414 crore. For the financial year 2018-19, Reliance Industries net profit stood at Rs 39,588 crore compared with Rs 36,075 crore in financial year 2017-18, up 9.73 per cent. Reliance Industries board recommended dividend of Rs 6.5 per share of Rs 10 each for financial year 2019, the company said in an exchange filing. Shares in Reliance Industries ended 3.15 per cent higher on the NSE, outperforming the Nifty which finished 0.29 per cent lower, ahead of the earnings announcement by the company.

Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yashwant Sinha gave the word ‘condemnation’ an altogether new level with the words he chose for his son Jayant Sinha late on Saturday night. Expressing disapproval of the Jayant Sinha’s act of garlanding eight convicted men who are on bail in a lynching case of Jharkhand, the former finance minister-turned-BJP critic rebuked his son in a sharp tweet. “Earlier I was the Nalayak Baap of a Layak Beta. Now the roles are reversed. That is twitter. I do not approve of my son’s action. But I know even this will lead to further abuse. You can never win,” said the senior Sinha. Earlier I was the Nalayak Baap of a Layak Beta. Now the roles are reversed. That is twitter. I do not approve of my son’s action. But I know even this will lead to further abuse. You can never win. — Yashwant Sinha (@YashwantSinha) July 7, 2018 The word nalayak is Hindi for incompetent. Its antonym is layak. Yashwant Sinha, who also served as the Union External Affairs Minister in the first NDA government under former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was commenting on the felicitation of the eight convicts by his son who is a Union minister in the Modi government. A major controversy erupted on Friday after Jayant Sinha, the MP from Hazaribagh in Jharkhand, felicitated the eight men held guilty of lynching a meat trader to death. The men came to meet Sinha at his residence on the outskirts of Hazaribagh after they were granted bail by the Jharkhand High Court, which also suspended the life sentences awarded to them by the trail court. A day after the incident, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation defended himself from the barrage of criticism by claiming that he was “honouring the due process of law”. Unconvinced, his father, who has been relentlessly attacking the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a long time now, posted the terse comment directed at his son. Later on Sunday, Yashwant Sinha posted another tweet in which he explained why he called his son ‘nalayak’ and why he anticipated that even his condemnation would lead to abuse. “When I began criticising the present government people said that I was the first example of an incompetent father of a competent son. Now the people wonder how Yashwant’s son turned up like this. My tweet was in this context. Understood?” wrote Sinha in a tweet posted in Hindi. जब मैंने वर्तमान सरकार के खिकफ बोलना शुरू किया तो अनेक लोगों ने कहा कि लायक बाप के नालायक बेटे के बारे में सुना था लेकिन लायक बेटे के नालायक बाप का यह पहला उदाहरण है। अब लोग यह कह रहे हैं कि यशवंत का बेटा ऐसा कैसे निकला। मेरे ट्वीट के यही पृष्ठभूमि थी। समझ गए। — Yashwant Sinha (@YashwantSinha) July 8, 2018 All 11 people involved in the killing of Alimuddin Ansari, a meat trader, on 30 June 2017 in Ramgarh had been convicted by a trial court. A local BJP leader is among those found guilty. They had dragged Ansari out of his car before beating him to death. On Saturday, Jayant Sinha said, “In the Ramgarh case, the Hon’ble Ranchi High Court, which is the first court of appeal, has suspended the sentence of the accused and released them on bail while admitting their case. The case will once again be re-heard.” Read More: Jharkhand lynching | Was honouring due process of law: Jayant Sinha on garlanding convicts “I have repeatedly expressed my misgivings about the fast-track court judgment sentencing each accused to life imprisonment. I am pleased that the Hon’ble High Court will hear the matter as a statutory court of appeal to test the correctness of the Fast-Track Court order,” he added. “When these people got bail, they came to my house, I wished them well. Let law take its own course in the future, the accused will be punished and those innocent will be set free,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.<doc-sep>“Prime Minister Modi’s criminal silence on the growing incidents is deafening,” Congress said. “Prime Minister Modi’s criminal silence on the growing incidents is deafening,” Congress said. The Congress on Monday demanded the resignation of Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha for felicitating eight convicts in lynching case related to cow vigilantism after they were released on bail and questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence over the spurt in lynching incidents. The party leaders claimed Sinha’s action had reinforced the belief that the BJP tacitly supported those accused and convicted in such crimes. “Prime Minister Modi’s criminal silence on the growing incidents is deafening. The tacit support offered by the BJP to those accused and convicted of such crimes is more than evident when Sinha garlanded those convicted in the Ramgarh mob lynching incident…,” Congress spokesperson Pramod Tiwari said. Sinha had stoked a controversy after he felicitated eight convicts in the Ramgarh lynching case when they came out of prison on bail last week. Meat trader Alimuddin Ansari was beaten to death on June 29 last year by a mob at the Bazaar Tand area on the suspicion that he was carrying beef in his car. Read | After feting Jharkhand men convicted of lynching, Union Minister Jayant Sinha talks of due process “When will Prime Minister Modi unequivocally condemn growing acts of violence,” Tiwari asked, adding “if the Prime Minister does not sack Sinha, at least he should resign on his own”. Claiming that lynchings on the basis of rumours had become the norm of the day, the Congress said the growing incidents of violence show that the people have lost their faith in the BJP government.<doc-sep>Ranchi: Union minister Jayant Sinha welcomed and feted eight men convicted in the Ramgarh lynching case in Jharkhand after they were released on bail on Thursday, triggering a political storm as the opposition accused him and the BJP of fanning communal tensions deliberately. The life sentences handed to the eight men, including BJP functionary, was suspended by the high court and they walked out of the Jai Prakash Narain Central Jail and headed straight to the residence of Sinha, where the minister garlanded them. The convicts were led by local BJP leader Amardeep Yadav, who is also the OBC Morcha president of the party. Lashing out at the minister, Former Jharkhand CM and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemant Soren told News18 that it was a very sensitive issue and what Sinha did was absolutely unbecoming of a union minister. Jharkhand state Congress Chief Ajoy Kumar accused BJP of fanning communal sentiments as the Raghubar Das government in the state and Narendra Modi government at the Centre failed to deliver on their promises. “Any kind of support to such elements is deplorable. This is the true color of BJP. They just want to win election and for that their leaders can cross any limit,” Ajoy Kumar told News18. A mob of more than 100 cow vigilantes had on June 27 last year hacked cattle trader Alimuddin Ansari to death in broad daylight in Ramgarh area of Hazaribagh ditrict. Sinha represents the Hazaribagh seat in Lok Sabha. The gruesome lynching had shook the nation and the case was handed over to a fast-track court, which on March 21 this year completed the hearing in a record five months and sentenced eleven accused to life imprisonment. However, Jayant Sinha had questioned the manner in which the police investigated the case and demanded a CBI inquiry in April this year. All accused went to the Jharkhand High Court from where eight of them got bail on June 29, exactly a year after the incident. Justifying the welcome accorded to the convicts, Amardeep Yadav said that Sinha always believed that they were innocents and framed in the case. “That’s why he provided legal and monetary assistance to them in his personal capacity. There is nothing wrong in supporting innocent people.” Referring to the three other convicts, he expressed hope that they too would get bail from the High Court as necessary paper works were under way. “Jayant Sinha personally examined the papers related to the case and interacted with lawyers”, he claimed. News18 tried to contact Jayant Sinha but his office responded saying he was busy at a programme and was unavailable for comments.<doc-sep>Triggering a political storm amid the government's claim of taking steps to control rising incidents of lynching across the country, Union Minister Jayant Sinha on Friday felicitated eight men convicted for killing a meat trader in Jharkhand last year. In a picture that has gone viral, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation is seen garlanding the convicts in the Ramgarh lynching case in Jharkhand at his residence on the outskirts of Hazaribagh. A group of people had lynched Alimuddin Ansari, 40, in Bazaar Tand locality of Ramgarh town on June 29, 2017, on the suspicion that he was carrying beef in his car. Forensic tests later confirmed that the meat he was carrying was beef. In March this year, a fast track court convicted 11 people for lynching. However, last week, Jharkhand High Court suspended the life sentence of eight persons, including a BJP functionary. After getting bail, the convicts walked out of the Jai Prakash Narain Central Jail and headed straight to Sinha's residence. Jharkhand's leader of opposition Hemant Soren, tagging the minister's alma mater, the prestigious Harvard University said, "This is truly despicable." "@Harvard Your alumnus @jayantsinha felicitating the accused in cow related lynching death in India. Is this what @Harvard stands for?," Soren tweeted. "It was a very sensitive issue and what Sinha did was absolutely unbecoming of a union minister," Soren told a news Channel. " Hitting out at Modi government, Sitaram Yechury said, "We don’t need to look far to see who or which ideology is tearing our social fabric apart: when union ministers patronise those convicted of lynching. Accused BJP of fanning communal sentiments, Jharkhand state Congress Chief Ajoy Kumar said, “Any kind of support to such elements is deplorable. This is the true color of BJP. They just want to win the election and for that their leaders can cross any limit.” 27 people in 10 states have fallen victim to lynching and here we have a BJP lawmaker @jayantsinha happily welcoming lynching convicts with sweets and garlands! What kind of a representative of the people are you? #SaveIndia #BharatBachao pic.twitter.com/c7Pup8wO1a — Youth Congress (@IYC) July 6, 2018 In April, Sinha had raised doubts over the police investigation and demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Ramgarh lynching case. “We respect the judicial process. But from whatever I have gathered after consultations and studying the various facets (of the case), I firmly believe that complete justice has not been done. I am not a police officer, and I have not done a detailed inquiry, but as per my understanding, complete justice has not been done," Sinha had said.<doc-sep>

The pictures, which have gone viral, show Union minister Jayant Sinha welcoming the eight men at his residence on the outskirts of Hazaribagh. Union minister Jayant Sinha has sparked a political row by felicitating eight men convicted in the Ramgarh lynching case. Photographs of the event, believed to have been organised on Friday, have gone viral. They show the minister welcoming the eight men at his house on the outskirts of Hazaribagh and even garlanding some of them, according to NDTV. A mob had lynched Alimuddin Ansari in Ramgarh on 29 June, 2017, on the suspicion that he was carrying beef in his car. A lower court had convicted them in the case, but the Jharkhand High Court had later granted them bail. The news comes at a time when the Supreme Court is hearing petitions seeking directions to frame guidelines to curb such violence. On Tuesday, the top court said it was the responsibility of states to check cow vigilantism and reserved its verdict on the pleas. Sinha drew criticism after the photographs were widely shared on social media. Former Jharkhand chief minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Hemant Soren told News18 that it was a very sensitive issue, and Sinha's actions were unbecoming of a Union minister. He also tweeted: This is truly despicable. @Harvard Your alumnus @jayantsinha felicitating the accused in cow related lynching death in India. Is this what @Harvard stands for? https://t.co/DJh8XRtoXl — Hemant Soren (@HemantSorenJMM) July 6, 2018 Jharkhand state Congress chief Ajoy Kumar, while talking to News18, accused BJP of fanning communal sentiments. "Any kind of support to such elements is deplorable. This is the true color of the BJP. They just want to win the elections, and for that, their leaders can cross any limit," he was quoted as saying in the report. On Saturday, Sinha took to Twitter to explain his stand: I have full faith in our judicial system and the rule of law. Unfortunately, irresponsible statements are being made about my actions when all that I am doing is honoring the due process of law. Those that are innocent will be spared and the guilty will be appropriately punished. — Jayant Sinha (@jayantsinha) July 7, 2018 I unequivocally condemn all acts of violence and reject any type of vigilantism. The rule of law is supreme in our constitutional democracy. Any unlawful acts, particularly those that violate the rights of any citizen, should be punished with the full force of the law. — Jayant Sinha (@jayantsinha) July 7, 2018 In May, Sinha had called for an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the matter and said that the accused in the Ramgarh lynching case have not got "complete justice", according to The Indian Express.

Michigan Football will be without Tarik Black for the season opener at Notre Dame. Although the NCAA doesn’t require a weekly injury report as of now, we already know Michigan Football will be without sophomore wide receiver Tarik Black for some time, and now retired left tackle, Grant Newsome. Newsome’s retirement wasn’t much of a surprise as he hasn’t seen game action since the beginning of the 2016 season when he suffered a serious leg injury. His absence might not seem like big deal now, but the Michigan offensive line has been more inconsistent since the time of his injury. Newsome released a long letter on his twitter account officially confirming his retirement from the sport of football. Just days later it was discover and confirmed by the University that Tarik Black had suffered a right foot injury that could have him out for weeks. Last year Black went down with a serious left foot injury just three games into the season and didn’t return. In those three games Black played spectacular, reeling in 11 catches for 149 yards and a touchdown. The Wolverines were destined to turn it around on offense this season and Black was projected to be a top contributor in the pass game. His return is uncertain right now, but Harbaugh is confident that he’ll be back on the field in 2018, per Nick Baumgardner of The Detroit Free press. Rashan Gary was a little banged up this past weekend, but should be good for Notre Dame on Saturday. His loss would really hurt the Wolverines defense as a whole, so the coaches are probably just being very cautious with him right now. Defensive end Luiji Vilain and fullback Jared Wangler did not participate in this past weekend’s open practice, per The Detroit Free Press. Once Vilain is healthy, he’s expected to be involved in Michigan’s defensive line rotation. Black’s loss will definitely impact the Wolverine offense almost immediately. The key now is to make sure Rashan Gary is 100% for Saturday and the rest of the team is ready to go. We’ll see just how good the young receivers are early on in the season.<doc-sep>The Michigan Wolverines will open the season up against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish without one of its starting wide receivers, Tarik Black. The sophomore athlete will be out for an unknown amount of time with what is being called “a foot injury.” Rumors started circulating pretty quickly Saturday night that Tarik Black, defensive lineman Rashan Gary, and running back Karan Higdon (all starters) all suffered injuries during a scrimmage. With an open practice today for Michigan, some of these rumors are “kind of” squashed. Rashan Gary is in pads but not going through any drills, while Karan Higdon is fully practicing. Karan Higdon doing some drills now, Rashan Gary is not — Zach Shaw (@_ZachShaw) August 26, 2018 I wouldn’t read too much into Gary sitting out. Perhaps he did just get a bit banged up and will be taking it easy for a few days. Maybe it’s more serious, but with the media there, Jim Harbaugh is trying to dictate the message. It’s hard to tell. At any rate, it’s a tough break for Black (high school teammate of C.J. Holmes) who suffered a foot injury last season. Michigan had 4 wide receivers transfer over the offseason, so their depth at the position is pretty thin — although they still have pretty good players in Donovan Peoples-Jones and Oliver Martin. We will update as needed.<doc-sep>Michigan football wide receiver Tarik Black suffered an injury to his right foot during the team's practice Saturday in Ann Arbor and the time frame for his return remains unclear. Black, who missed 10 games last season with a broken left foot, was expected to be one of the team's starting wide receivers again this season. "The Michigan football program announced that wide receiver Tarik Black sustained a right foot injury at Saturday's practice," Michigan football spokesman Dave Ablauf wrote in a statement Sunday. "Tarik is currently being evaluated and no definitive time frame has been determined for his return to play." More:Michigan football's Tarik Black is ready to reintroduce himself A 6-foot-3, 215-pounder from Connecticut, Black began his true freshman season in 2017 as a starting wideout, catching a touchdown on his first career reception in a season-opening win over Florida. He was the team's leading receiver through three games, making 11 catches for 149 yards and a score, before he suffered a broken left foot late in a win over Air Force in the team's non-conference finale. After rehabbing throughout 2017, Black was a full participant in spring practice and had plans to make up for last time in 2018. Michigan opens its season Saturday at Notre Dame (7:30 p.m., NBC). "That was tough for me," Black said earlier this week during a discussion with reporters in Ann Arbor. "I think I got off to a good start and thought we got off to a good start. I wanted to be out there to help my team, help my team win. I couldn't do that. "And that beat me up a little bit. ... I can't wait (to get back on the field). I can't wait. I'm telling you, I really can't wait." If Black can't play, U-M will likely turn to sophomores Donovan Peoples-Jones and Nico Collins as its top outside receivers. Both were in the mix to play along with Black during camp. The Wolverines also have senior slot receiver Grant Perry and redshirt freshman wideout Oliver Martin. Junior Nate Schoenle, a former walk-on who received a scholarship Saturday, should also be in the mix at wideout along with walk-on Jake McCurry. Michigan also welcomed true freshman Ronnie Bell (6-0, 182 pounds) to campus this summer. Perry was Michigan's leading pass catcher last season with 25 catches for 307 yards and a touchdown. Peoples-Jones made 22 catches for 277 yards. Collins, meanwhile, had 3 catches for 27 yards while Martin sat out with a redshirt. Contact Nick Baumgardner: nbaumgardn@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @NickBaumgardner. Download our Wolverines Xtra app for free on Apple and Android devices!<doc-sep>Tarik Black is usually even with his emotions when discussing things publicly. But last Tuesday was different. It had been a long 11 months for Black, who seemed on the verge of becoming one of the top freshmen wide receivers in America before a left foot injury ruined that pursuit. He had made it through spring fine. Michigan football was less than two weeks away from kicking off what might have been his redemption season and Black couldn't help but smile repeatedly. But football is a tough game. Unforgiving and unmerciful. "It’s kind of hard just to look him in his face and tell him everything is going to be alright and 'keep your head up,' " junior linebacker and captain Devin Bush Jr. said Monday. "It’s hard.” Black got within a week of his return, but was given no more. This time, a fractured right foot. He's out indefinitely again. And after spending nearly eight months believing a firm answer to all those 2017 wide receiver woes was on its way back, U-M is forced to hit pause again. Maybe he can come back later in the year, maybe not. The immediate reality is more pressing. Update:Jim Harbaugh says Tarik Black return possible in 2018 More:Michigan practice observations: Rashan Gary battles minor injury The first wave of frustration is for Black, a talented prospect who has been dealt with two devastating injuries before ever really being able to take off. There's nothing Michigan can do about this. There's little anyone can say to him that will completely lift his spirits. The rehab process, no matter how long, will be a tough one to endure. The second wave of frustration comes for the offense in general. And this is something different. This is something U-M can control. "This is a dangerous sport and every time you strap on that helmet, you have to be ready for the unexpected," senior receiver Grant Perry said Monday. "(But) we're all prepared, we're ready." One answer comes in the form of someone who has been here all along. Nico Collins, a 6-foot-4, 218-pounder. He didn't start the year off on the same level as Black or Donovan Peoples-Jones last season, but his physical gifts are obvious. He's long, he's powerful, he's got good agility for his size and he should have the ability to do something no one on this roster seemed to be able to accomplish last season: Go into the air and win a 50-50 ball against a defensive back. Michigan's certainly expecting better accuracy from its quarterback this season, but not everything Shea Patterson throws will be perfect. The hope is Collins is the type of player who can make up for slight misses with a giant catching radius. A player like this can be a vertical threat, a possession receiver, a solid blocker and a weapon in the red zone. More:Ben Bredeson hopes simpler offense pays off for U-M He now has a golden opportunity to announce himself to the college football world as exactly that. “I like Nico Collins," Bush said. "He’s a deep threat. He’s a big 6-5 guy, can high point the ball. He’s got speed, he can do it all.” Peoples-Jones has the same chance. In Michigan's ideal world, it would have Black, Peoples-Jones and Collins. All three can play outside. All three can lineup inside. All three, together, should be able to create space for each other. Now, more than ever, the development test will be on full display. Peoples-Jones struggled with the little things early last season. He has always had good speed and the ability to get behind a defense (and surely he hopes he won't be overthrown as much this season), but creating space with intermediate routes was a work in progress for him. That process has to be complete now. Collins and Peoples-Jones are two terrific prospects. But when Black went down, their margin for error with with him. They have to play like Michigan believes they're capable of playing on every snap. They can't round off routes. They can't miss blocks. They can't drop passes. They can't be weak off jams at the line of scrimmage. They can't float. They have to be top-end football players on every snap. If that happens, U-M can mitigate some of this loss. Perry is a steady senior slot receiver and Oliver Martin has promise as a redshirt freshmen. Michigan likes junior Nate Schoenle, enough to change him from walk-on to scholarship player. But neither of those three have the type of physical gifts required to replace someone like Black. Talented tight ends like Zach Gentry (6-8, 262 pounds) and Nick Eubanks (6-5, 251 pounds) can be split out some. That can help. More:Jim Harbaugh quiet on Urban Meyer, D.J. Durkin cases But, bottom line: Collins and Peoples-Jones have to become standout players. "I like the way our receivers have been coming along, it's been a good camp," Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said. "They've come so far. In training camp and in spring practice. Coach (Jim) McElwain's done a fabulous job, so has (grad assistant) Roy (Roundtree). "They've done a great job learning and working hard every day to improve. I've seen real, tangible improvement from our entire receiver group." With second-year players like Black, Peoples-Jones, Collins and Martin emerging this offseason, four veteran receivers (Drake Harris, Maurice Ways, Kekoa Crawford and Eddie McDoom) left the program via transfer. Now, with Black down, Michigan's depth is razor thin. Perry told the rest of the receiver room over the weekend that it's not only important for each player to push himself that much harder now, but it'll be as important for everyone to make sure they're taking care of their bodies and not skipping a single bit of recovery time in the training room. This isn't the NFL. Michigan can't go out and sign another wide receiver in a pinch if another player goes down. At that point, you're looking at making position switches or diving deeper into a walk-on pool. Neither would be ideal. Ideally, of course, Black would be healthy. But football requires adaptation.<doc-sep>

For the second season in a row, the Michigan football team will be without the player widely believed to be its best wide receiver for an extended period of time. Sunday morning, a Michigan spokesperson confirmed rumors that sophomore Tarik Black suffered a foot injury for the second season in a row, though they were unable to confirm reports on the injury’s severity. “Tarik Black sustained a right foot injury at Saturday's practice,” the spokesperson wrote. “Tarik is currently being evaluated and no definitive time frame has been determined for his return to play.” Black, who had 11 receptions, 149 receiving yards and a touchdown last season before a left foot fracture that required surgery caused him to miss 10 games, suffered the injury just days after speaking with reporters about being fully healthy and excited for the 2018 football season. "I'm 100 percent," Black said. "I feel great. I'm just thankful to be able to go back out there and play the game that I love. "That was tough for me. I think I got off to a good start. I think we as a team got off to a good start. ... I just wanted to be out there and help the team. Help my team win. And I wasn't able to do that. It kind of bit me up a little bit."" Black, who also graded out as the position's best run-blocker according to Pro Football Focus last season, was projected by most to be Michigan’s No. 1 receiver this season. And as a former top-150 recruit, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound sophomore is widely thought to have NFL potential down the road as well. "Tarik and Donovan (Peoples-Jones) really did the best job of anybody in spring practice," Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said in June. "Now Tarik and Donovan are probably are both No. 1 wide receivers based on what they did in spring." As for the severity of Black's injury, Michigan said in its release that specifics are not known, but The Athletic's Bruce Feldman tweeted shortly after the release that there's a common belief inside the program that Black's right foot is broken, an injury that would presumably leave Black out for at least six weeks, and possibly more depending on the type of fracture. In Black's place, Peoples-Jones, a former five-star recruit who had 277 receiving yards last season, is assumed to be the next top target. Elsewhere, The Michigan Insider has reported multiple times in fall camp that former four-star recruit and sophomore Nico Collins and senior Grant Perry have had the best fall camps at the position. Redshirt freshman Oliver Martin, junior Nate Schoenle and freshman Ronnie Bell are the other leading candidates to crack the receiver rotation. Stay tuned with The Michigan Insider on 247Sports for more updates.

Bungie has announced that it's parting ways with Activision, eight years after the companies began working together. The move will see Bungie assuming "full publishing rights and responsibilities for the Destiny franchise". Bungie and Activision initially joined forces in April 2010, when the two companies announced a 10-year publishing deal. That would eventually lead to the release of Destiny in 2014, and its sequel, Destiny 2, in 2017. The terms of its deal with Activision saw Bungie keeping ownership of the Destiny IP, while Activision owned full publishing rights. In a statement released today, however, Activision confirmed that, "we're announcing plans for Bungie to assume full publishing rights and responsibilities for the Destiny franchise. Going forward, Bungie will own and develop the franchise, and Activision will increase its focus on owned IP and other projects." Thank you Guardians. It?s been an honor and a privilege to help bring the world of Destiny to life for you. pic.twitter.com/EB1y19OTD8 — Activision (@Activision) January 10, 2019 This content is hosted on an external platform, which will only display it if you accept targeting cookies. Please enable cookies to view. Manage cookie settings In a separate statement to its community, Bungie wrote, "We have enjoyed a successful eight-year run and would like to thank Activision for their partnership on Destiny. Looking ahead, we're excited to announce plans for Activision to transfer publishing rights for Destiny to Bungie." The studio noted that the early stages of the planned transition process are "already underway", with both parties pledging to make the handover "as seamless as possible". Additionally, Blizzard says that Destiny 2 will continue to be fully supported on BattleNet, and that it does "not anticipate any disruption to our services or your gameplay experience". Destiny 2 will still receive full support on BattleNet and we do not anticipate any disruption to our services or your gameplay experience. https://t.co/FFOE1iae3R — Blizzard CS - The Americas (@BlizzardCS) January 10, 2019 This content is hosted on an external platform, which will only display it if you accept targeting cookies. Please enable cookies to view. Manage cookie settings While today's news is certainly a surprise, given Activision and Bungie's 10-year deal, there've been hints of tensions regarding Destiny in recent times. In an earnings call last year, Activision noted that Destiny 2 was "not performing as well as we'd like, and we're working to accelerate the pace of live operations innovation and improve the speed with which we release new content to keep our players engaged and to provide new opportunities for monetisation." Indeed, Bungie has been engaged in something of an aggressive release schedule while under Activision's watchful eye. The original Destiny saw two medium-sized DLCs followed by major expansions in 2015 and 2016. Destiny 2, meanwhile, has seen two DLCs and other smaller updates since launch in 2017. Concluding its statement, Bungie told fans that, "With Forsaken, we've learned, and listened, and leaned in to what we believe our players want from a great Destiny experience. Rest assured there is more of that on the way... We know self-publishing won't be easy; there's still much for us to learn as we grow as an independent, global studio, but we see unbounded opportunities and potential in Destiny. We know that new adventures await us all on new worlds filled with mystery, adventure, and hope. We hope you'll join us there."<doc-sep>Two giants of the video game industry — Santa Monica’s Activision Blizzard and Washington-based game developer Bungie — are getting a surprise divorce, with just one year left to go on a 10-year contract inked in 2010. Bungie announced the split in a blog post Thursday afternoon, and both companies published a joint statement confirming that Bungie will assume full rights and responsibilities for the “Destiny” franchise. The relationship between the two companies had been showing strain for years. Activision, one of the industry’s largest players, is known for its devotion to a strict production schedule, delivering a new version of its massively successful “Call of Duty” series to fans each fall. Bungie, the company behind the era-defining series “Marathon,” “Halo,” and “Destiny,” struggled to stick to its partner’s calendar. In the 2010 contract, Bungie committed to releasing new “Destiny” games every two years, beginning in the fall of 2013 — but the first installment shipped in 2014, with a second title going live in late 2017. Advertisement Late last year, Activision Chief Operating Officer Coddy Johnson said on an earnings call that “Destiny 2: Forsaken” had failed to meet Activision’s sales standards. A high-level Bungie developer shot back with a tweet that underlined the culture clash: “When we first launched our partnership with Activision in 2010, the gaming industry was in a pretty different place,” Bungie wrote in its post. “As an independent studio setting out to build a brand new experience, we wanted a partner willing to take a big leap of faith with us. We had a vision for Destiny that we believed in, but to launch a game of that magnitude, we needed the support of an established publishing partner.” In the intervening years, the rise of online games that are constantly updated has drastically changed the industry landscape, allowing game developers to sell their products straight to players without an intermediary publisher. “Five to ten years ago, a publisher was critical for getting into big physical retailers,” said Mat Piscatella, U.S. video game industry analyst at NPD Group. “Nowadays there are a lot more options available.” Chinese gaming and technology companies have grown in the last decade, as well, and serve as ready investors in independent American game studios. NetEase, the Chinese online gaming company that publishes Activision Blizzard’s “Overwatch,” “Hearthstone” and “World of Warcraft” games in China, invested $100 million in Bungie in June 2018. A number of high-level executives have left Activision Blizzard in recent months, and the company faced customer backlash and a stock slump in November after announcing that the newest installment in its “Diablo” franchise would be a mobile game rather than a full PC title. Bungie navigated a similarly turbulent relationship with a larger corporate partner in the early 2000s. It was acquired by Microsoft in 2000, where it developed the “Halo” series that made Microsoft’s Xbox a successful video game console, then split with the company in 2007, leaving its “Halo” franchise behind. Advertisement Activision Blizzard stock was down more than 6% in after-hours trading after the announcement. sam.dean@latimes.com Follow me on Twitter: @samaugustdean<doc-sep>Illustration : Jaime Jones Developer Bungie and publisher Activision are splitting up, an industry-shaking divorce that will see the shared world shooter series Destiny enter fully into Bungie’s control. Advertisement This development comes after years of tension between the two companies—tension that has existed since before the first Destiny even shipped. Bungie, the studio that created and has led development on the franchise, told employees during a team meeting this afternoon, framing it as fantastic news for a studio that has long grown sick of dealing with its publisher. Employees cheered and popped champagne, according to one person who was there. “We have enjoyed a successful eight-year run and would like to thank Activision for their partnership on Destiny,” Bungie said in a blog post today. “Looking ahead, we’re excited to announce plans for Activision to transfer publishing rights for Destiny to Bungie. With our remarkable Destiny community, we are ready to publish on our own, while Activision will increase their focus on owned IP projects.” Destiny, which first launched in September 2014, has had a long and rocky road through expansions, updates, and a sequel. The most recent major entry in the franchise, Destiny 2: Forsaken, was beloved by players but failed to meet Activision’s sales standards. One of the most significant tensions between Bungie and Activision had long been the annualized schedule, which mandated the release of a new Destiny game or expansion every fall. Now, separated from Activision, Bungie will no longer be constrained to that schedule. “We’ll continue to deliver on the existing Destiny roadmap, and we’re looking forward to releasing more seasonal experiences in the coming months,” the company said, “as well as surprising our community with some exciting announcements about what lies beyond.” For now, it appears to be business as usual for Destiny 2. Activision said on Twitter this afternoon that the game would remain on Blizzard’s Battle.net, and Bungie says the transition is “already underway in its early stages.” Bungie also has a brand new game in development thanks to a $100 million investment from NetEase. Advertisement The news comes during a rough time for Activision, which recently went through an executive shake-up and has been cutting costs at its biggest subsidiary, Blizzard. Activision’s stable of mega-franchises has grown significantly smaller, having abandoned Skylanders and now lost Destiny. Two of the publisher’s other studios, High Moon and Vicarious Visions, had been working on expansions and content for Destiny 2. It’s unclear what they will helm next. It’s also full circle for Bungie, which created Halo for Microsoft, was then purchased by Microsoft, and negotiated its independence from Microsoft in 2007. At the meeting to announce that deal, employees cheered, too.<doc-sep>

Start transforming your game’s economy and increase your bottom line. Get the free guide now. Elevate your enterprise data technology and strategy at Transform 2021. Bungie is ending its partnership with publisher Activision, according to a report from Kotaku and confirmed by the publisher and the studio. The former Halo developer will now fully control the Destiny franchise, including the ongoing Destiny 2. Activision had published both games. Activision and Bungie have sent a shared statement to GamesBeat: “Today, we’re announcing plans for Bungie to assume full publishing rights and responsibilities for the Destiny franchise. Going forward, Bungie will own and develop the franchise, and Activision will increase its focus on owned IP and other projects. Activision and Bungie are committed to a seamless transition for the Destiny franchise and will continue to work closely together during the transition on behalf of the community of Destiny players around the world.” The first Destiny launched in 2014. It was an immediate sales success — shipping $500 million worth of product on day one alone — but it didn’t take long for players to began complaining about certain design decisions and a lack of content. Destiny 2 followed in 2017 and experienced a similar situation, although fans have seemed happier since the September 2018 launch of the Forsaken expansion. Bungie goes it alone In a blog post on its site, Bungie goes into further detail on the change, noting that the industry has changed since the two started their partnership in 2010. “We had a vision for Destiny that we believed in, but to launch a game of that magnitude, we needed the support of an established publishing partner,” Bungie notes. The relationship between the two often seemed turbulent. Kotaku notes that Activision has been disappointed with the revenue generated by Destiny 2. Activision wants Destiny 2 to be more accessible, while Bungie wants to create an experience that hardcore players can enjoy. Destiny 2’s future It’s unclear what impact this will have on the future of Destiny 2. It’s likely most players won’t notice a difference, and the move could get Bungie more creative freedom. More questions surround the PC version of the game. Right now, Destiny 2 is on Battle.net, a game launcher owned by Activision Blizzard. Blizzard’s customer service account noted that Destiny 2 will remain on Battle.net. Destiny 2 will still receive full support on BattleNet and we do not anticipate any disruption to our services or your gameplay experience. https://t.co/FFOE1iae3R — BlizzardCS (@BlizzardCS) January 10, 2019 Last June, Bungie announced that it was partnering with Chinese gaming company NetEase on a new title. Bungie said that this project will not impact Destiny. Destiny 2’s director, Luke Smith, gave a brief thought about the situation on Twitter. Guardians make their own fate — Luke Smith (@thislukesmith) January 10, 2019

“Greatest Witch Hunt in the History of our Country! NO COLLUSION” That was President Donald Trump’s first public statement — made on Twitter, of course — after his longtime ally Roger Stone was arrested on federal charges brought by special counsel Robert Mueller’s office Friday. Trump has repeatedly referred to the Russia investigation as a “witch hunt,” but this is his first direct response to the arrest and indictment of Stone, who was arrested by the FBI early Friday morning. Stone was charged with seven counts, including making false statements and witness tampering. Stone worked on Trump’s campaign until August 2015, after which he served as an informal adviser to Trump. During the 2016 presidential campaign, according to prosecutors, Stone tried to communicate with WikiLeaks to find out what kind of damaging information it might have about Hillary Clinton, and was in touch with Trump campaign officials about those efforts. The president didn’t address any of the charges against Stone directly, but instead delivered a somewhat stream-of-consciousness response to Stone’s arrest. “Border Coyotes, Drug Dealers and Human Traffickers are treated better,” he wrote, though it’s unclear if he’s referring to himself or Stone here. Greatest Witch Hunt in the History of our Country! NO COLLUSION! Border Coyotes, Drug Dealers and Human Traffickers are treated better. Who alerted CNN to be there? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 25, 2019 He concluded: “Who alerted CNN to be there?” CNN obtained exclusive footage of Stone as the FBI approached his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the only news organization on the scene at the time of his arrest. Trump, who often blasts CNN as “fake news,” was repeating a conspiracy theory that the FBI tipped off the network to Stone’s arrest. Journalist Greta Van Susteren posited this theory on Twitter Friday morning, suggesting that Mueller’s office was in cahoots with CNN: CNN cameras were at the raid of Roger Stone...so FBI obviously tipped off CNN...even if you don’t like Stone, it is curious why Mueller’s office tipped off CNN instead of trying to quietly arrest Stone;quiet arrests are more likely to be safe to the FBI and the person arrested — Greta Van Susteren (@greta) January 25, 2019 CNN reporters immediately fired back, basically saying it was just journalists doing their jobs. “Our reporters who cover this story everyday noticed unusual activity at Grand Jury and went to his home,” CNN anchor Jim Sciutto wrote. “That’s good journalism, which I know you respect. Not a tip.” Sciutto also pointed out that Mueller’s office doesn’t leak and very, very rarely comments to the media. No. Our reporters who cover this story everyday noticed unusual activity at Grand Jury and went to his home. That’s good journalism, which I know you respect. Not a tip. And anyone who covers Mueller knows Mueller’s office does not tip. https://t.co/H3guIr94uK — Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) January 25, 2019 Other CNN journalists also chimed in in response to Van Susteren’s and Trump’s insinuations. (After the pile-on, Van Susteren later clarified that she was crediting CNN for acting on a tip and/or doing good reporting.) Our reporter on the scene @davidgshortell reported on air that there was unusual grand jury activity yesterday so decided to stake out — a decision any other reporter/outlet could have made. — MJ Lee (@mj_lee) January 25, 2019 Either way, the conspiracy theory is out there, which means Trump isn’t likely to let it go anytime soon and will probably continue to use it as a distraction from the real story: that Mueller’s office has indicted yet another Trump associate, this time for lying to Congress about his communications with WikiLeaks during the 2016 campaign and trying to prevent another witness from testifying. Trump’s attorney Jay Sekulow also tried to downplay Stone’s indictment in a statement Friday: “The indictment today does not allege Russian collusion by Roger Stone or anyone else. Rather, the indictment focuses on alleged false statements made to Congress.” But the charges against Stone bring the total up to 34 indictments or guilty pleas from people in the special counsel’s probe so far.<doc-sep>"I am person number one," in the Stone indictment, Jerome Corsi said. "The statements in the indictment about me are accurate." "They're consistent with the testimony I gave to the special counselor," Corsi said. "What is contained in the indictment confirms I did nothing wrong," Corsi said. He said he still has his differences with the special counsel – and has brought a lawsuit against Mueller – but he said Stone and his allies should be advised "the investigation being done by the special counselor is extremely thorough," Corsi said. "They have everything," he said. "I can tell you that from first-hand experience." "I'm still angry with Roger," Corsi said, referring to Stone's comments about Corsi. "His statements about me have been increasingly defamatory and untrue." What you need to know about Corsi: He is an acquaintance of Roger Stone. Earlier this month, he confirmed that the Senate Intelligence Committee had subpoenaed him for documents as well as an interview. He also said he provided information to Mueller's team that he believed would be damaging to Stone.<doc-sep>“I had one call from Roger, as I recall it — Roger disputes this — on the day that WikiLeaks did begin in October dropping the final emails on John Podesta, in which Roger was essentially saying, ‘We’ve got this timing issue because the Billy Bush tape is going to be released, and we’d like to have Assange begin releasing emails now,’” Corsi told MSNBC’s Ari Melber on Monday. Bush was the “Access Hollywood” anchor who appeared with Trump in the clip from 2005, in which the host of “The Apprentice” describes using his stardom to grope and kiss women.<doc-sep>michael barbaro From The New York Times, I’m Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. Today: The special counsel’s indictment of Roger Stone contains details as over-the-top as Stone himself, including encouraging an associate to use a tactic straight from “The Godfather” films. But the indictment itself is quite serious in finally making a link between the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks. It’s Monday, January 28. [POUNDING ON DOOR] archived recording F.B.I.! Open the door! archived recording (roger stone) Twenty-nine F.B.I. agents showed up at my home, pounded on the door. [POUNDING ON DOOR] archived recording F.B.I. ! archived recording (roger stone) I opened the door to pointed automatic weapons. I was handcuffed. There were — archived recording We have some major breaking news in the Mueller investigation. Roger Stone — you see him right there — President Trump’s longtime political adviser, former campaign aide, has been arrested in Florida. Charged with seven federal felonies, obstruction of an official proceeding, five counts of making false statements and one count of witness tampering. archived recording (sarah huckabee sanders) This has nothing to do with the president, has nothing to do with the White House, and beyond that, I’m not going to get into the back and forth. archived recording Have you spoken to the president? archived recording (roger stone) There is no circumstance whatsoever under which I will bear false witness against the president, nor will I make up lies to ease the pressure on myself. I look forward to being fully and completely vindicated. michael barbaro So, Mark Mazzetti, what do we need to know about who Roger Stone is? mark mazzetti Roger Stone is a legendary Republican operative who, from the earliest days of his career, has plied the dark arts of scandal-mongering and dirty tricks in aid of political campaigns. archived recording Are you telling me that that was a lie? Roger Stone is a trickster. Roger Stone is a shady character, O.K.? I know Roger Stone, and you know, he worked for Nixon. He famously tattooed his hero on his back. And who among us can say that? The questionable consultant’s resume is filled with work for Republican stars — Nixon, Reagan, Bush senior. mark mazzetti He is someone who very proudly talks about how he tries to plant stories with the press, someone who tries to dig up any kind of personal dirt about a candidate in order to help the other side. archived recording (roger stone) I’m certainly guilty of bluffing and posturing and punking the Democrats. Unless they pass some law against bull-bull-[BLEEP]-ing-ing and I missed it, I’m engaging in tradecraft. It’s politics. I’m sure it’s driving the Democrats crazy, but there’s nothing illegal about it. mark mazzetti So this is someone who — well, for many people who hate politics, they would hate someone like Roger Stone. archived recording (roger stone) The truth is, Jimmy Carter’s middle name was not Hussein. A very substantial number of people wonder, because of the policies of this administration, about whether the president is a Muslim. This is not going to hurt Trump, and it’s not going to hurt Carson. archived recording They may wonder, but should a presidential candidate like Trump be saying that, or at least condoning it with his silence? archived recording (roger stone) I don’t think he commented either way. mark mazzetti He goes on television in strange outfits, he gives interviews from his pool and clearly, in many cases, doesn’t take himself too seriously. michael barbaro So he’s kind of a sideshow. mark mazzetti Except he’s someone who Donald Trump has taken seriously for a long time. archived recording (roger stone) He’s a regular guy. You can talk to him like a regular person. There’s nothing formal or stilted about him, and he’s funny. He’s got a great self-deprecating wit. He’s just fun to be with. mark mazzetti He’s been this sort of informal adviser to Trump over decades, and someone who, long, long before anyone took seriously the idea of Donald Trump being the president of the United States, Roger Stone was pushing this idea. archived recording (roger stone) It was not until 1987, really, late ‘87, that I began thinking about him as a presidential candidate. mark mazzetti Although it has often been a contentious relationship. archived recording (roger stone) Yeah, I think we have a complicated relationship. But first of all, recognize, I’m a Trump loyalist. Even when he’s wrong, I’ll be there. mark mazzetti They’ve been at odds at times. He’s someone who didn’t last very long on the Trump campaign. He started out as an official campaign adviser, but was fired from the campaign pretty quickly. archived recording And more turmoil for Trump — a top longtime associate both from his business world and in the political realm, Roger Stone is out tonight. Dispute about whether he resigned or was fired. Trump’s campaign says Stone was fired because he was using the campaign to seek publicity for himself. archived recording (roger stone) I have no interest in going back. Although I strongly support Trump, we have managerial differences. And meanwhile, I’m just making the very best case for him in public that I can, because I do think he has what it takes. michael barbaro And insofar as he was involved in the campaign, what exactly was his role as an informal adviser? What did that amount to? mark mazzetti He was the classic late-night phone call person to listen to what Trump was thinking. He was the confidant of then-candidate Trump, talking to him by phone, being a sort of back channel of advice outside official campaign communications. You didn’t always know that Roger Stone was there, because he did have this behind-the-scenes role. But it was pretty apparent to people close to Trump that Roger Stone had this outsized influence over Trump. archived recording It seems to me there’s more than meets the eye here with Roger Stone parting company from the Trump campaign, coming on my program and others and giving the big Trump pitch. archived recording (roger stone) You media types are so conspiratorial. [LAUGHTER] archived recording<doc-sep>

Hours after CNN broadcast footage of longtime Donald Trump confidant Roger Stone being arrested by FBI agents, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders went on the cable network — a frequent target of Trump’s abuse — to try to distance the president from Stone. Her efforts didn’t go well. Sanders began by making a case that Stone’s arrest on charges of obstruction of justice, making false statements, and witness tampering related to his campaign contacts with WikiLeaks — an organization Trump’s administration has accused of serving as a cutout for the Kremlin — actually has nothing to do with Trump. “This has nothing to do with the president and certainly nothing to do with the White House,” Sanders said. “This is something that has to do solely with that individual, not something that affects us in this building.” . @JohnBerman: “Did the President direct someone to contact Roger Stone about stolen emails?”@PressSec: “The specific charges that have been brought against Mr. Stone don’t have anything to do with the President.” Berman: “We don’t know that, though.” https://t.co/RkK5V8tHdD pic.twitter.com/VXP8ciHloK — New Day (@NewDay) January 25, 2019 But as Vox’s Andrew Prokop detailed in his explainer about Stone’s indictment, the indictment alleges that on July 22, 2016 — shortly after WikiLeaks published emails stolen from the Democratic National Committee — an unnamed “senior Trump Campaign official was directed to contact Stone about any additional releases and what other damaging information” WikiLeaks “had regarding the Clinton Campaign.” The indictment doesn’t specify who that official is. Sanders refused to answer a question about if it could be Trump. But the stolen emails published by WikiLeaks formed one of Trump’s central themes during the crucial closing weeks before the 2016 campaign. “Does that mean CNN is guilty of collusion?” Later, Sanders attempted to deflect from Stone’s indictment by suggesting that CNN is just as guilty of collusion as the Trump campaign because it reported on stolen emails published by WikiLeaks. “Outlets just like yours — CNN — spent significant time not only looking for information from WikiLeaks but also reporting on it,” she said. “Does that mean CNN is guilty of collusion?” But as law professor Jennifer Taub pointed out, Sanders’s suggestion that CNN colluded is a false equivalency, because media outlets didn’t conspire with WikiLeaks about stolen emails, nor did they lie to Congress about them — as Stone is alleged to have done. Nope. @CNN did not lie to Congress and did not work with WikiLeaks as part of a conspiracy to stage the release of stolen emails and documents and did not act deceptively to defraud the United States. — Jennifer Taub (@jentaub) January 25, 2019 Others noted that Sanders’s talking point is a bit like alleging someone who bought a stolen car is just as guilty of wrongdoing as the person who stole it. Sanders ended up trying to dramatically move the goalposts about what the Mueller investigation is about, claiming “the question and the big thing that the Mueller investigation is supposed to center on is whether the president in some outrageous way colluded with Russia. And the answer to that is no.” “That’s not true. The special counsel was directed to find out whether the Trump campaign had any contact or collusion with the Russians,” @JohnBerman says to @PressSec Sarah Sanders about the Mueller probe and President Trump. https://t.co/RkK5V8tHdD pic.twitter.com/vm26JjMB1X — New Day (@NewDay) January 25, 2019 Mueller was tasked with investigating links between the Trump campaign and Russia, and other matters that arise directly from that investigation. Stone is the sixth Trump associate the special counsel has charged with crimes. During a CNN interview last week, Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, hinted that team Trump’s fallback position may end up being that while some members of Trump’s campaign were involved in collusion, Trump himself wasn’t. But it will be difficult to totally distance the president from activities that were aimed — successfully — at helping him win office by damaging Hillary Clinton. And while Sanders tried to distance Trump from Stone, just hours before his arrest, Stone posted a photo on Instagram meant to highlight his closeness with Trump. Roger Stone posted this photo of he and Trump on Instagram just 6 hours ago with this caption: "Proud of my President @realdonaldtrump #maga" pic.twitter.com/S2X2BucGzw — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 25, 2019 Some interpreted Stone’s Instagram post as angling for a potential presidential pardon. Last month, Trump commended Stone for vowing that he’d never testify against him.

Fourth quarter update: The third 49ers turnover has occurred due to a Nick Mullens interception. The Cowboys missed the following 52 -yard field goal attempt. A nice Victor Bolden catch took the 49ers close to the redzone and Jeremy McNichols rushed it in. The 49ers failed the two-point conversion on their second try. The first one ended with a Cowboys pass interference. Of course then Nick Mullens ran the two-minute offense to take the lead with 18 seconds thanks to a key pass to Richie James. The 49ers walked away with a 24-21 come from behind victory. Third quarter update: The 49ers put a field goal on the board, while the Cowboys added a touchdown to take a 21-10 lead into the fourth quarter. C.J. Beathard connected with rookie wide receiver Dante Pettis on a 53-yard pass. The 49ers could not build on that and settled for three. After the two sides exchanged punts, Cooper Rush quietly led the Cowboys down the field, capping the drive with a two-yard touchdown pass to Lance Lenoir. First half score: The 49ers finally got on the board near the end of the second quarter. C.J. Beathard connected with Richie James for a 21-yard pick-up. That was later followed by Kendrick Bourne drawing a 21-yard pass interference call at the Cowboys 7-yard line. Joe Williams rushed for six yards, and then one more to get the score. This cut the Cowboys lead to 14-7 at the half. More injuries: It’s been a long first quarter for the 49ers on the injury front. After Smith went down, George Kittle suffered a shoulder injury and Solomon Thomas suffered a head injury. Both players walked back to the locker room and are listed as questionable to return. It’s unlikely either returns. Matt Breida also suffered an injury, but quickly got to the sideline. Injuries and scores: The Dallas Cowboys marched down the field and scored a touchdown on a Dak Prescott pass to Michael Gallup. Jimmie Ward had coverage on Gallup, and seemed to be getting plenty physical with the rookie receiver. However, he looked back for the ball and Gallup took off and was wide open for the touchdown. The Cowboys lead 7-0. Meanwhile, linebacker Malcolm Smith left the game after six plays and is in the locker room getting checked out. This is not ideal considering he missed all of last season with a torn pectoral muscle. Defensive starting lineup: The 49ers opened the game on defense, and have a lot of the usual names out there starting. One intriguing name is rookie Jullian Taylor. The 49ers spent a seventh round pick on him this season and he has moved into the starting lineup while Arik Armstead is sidelined with a hamstring injury. With Armstead entering his fourth season, if Taylor impresses he could very well Wally Pipp Armstead. Here’s the 49ers full defensive starting lineup. LDE: Jullian Taylor NT: Earl Mitchell DT: DeForest Buckner RDE: Solomon Thomas SAM: Eli Harold MIKE: Malcolm Smith WILL: Reuben Foster LCB: Jimmie Ward RCB: Ahkello Witherspoon SS: Jaquiski Tartt FS: Adrian Colbert Team captains: The start of the preseason means we have our first weekly team captains. The team changes it up each week, and includes an offensive player, a defensive player, and a special teams player. For this first game, the team captains are running back Matt Breida, edge rusher Cassius Marsh, and special teams wide receiver Aaron Burbridge, according to Matt Barrows. Notable names resting: The 49ers announced that 11 players will not play on Thursday’s preseason opener. The list includes DL Arik Armstead, G Jonathan Cooper, LB Brock Coyle, OL JP Flynn, G Joshua Garnett, S Marcell Harris, CB Richard Sherman, WR Trent Taylor, LB Fred Warner, TE Cole Wick, and CB K’Waun Williams. Warner is a bit of a surprise, but he is getting over a chest injury. Korey Toomer and Elijah Lee are likely to see a whole lot of playing time with Warner and Coyle absent. Arik Armstead and Marcell Harris have some uncertainty surrounding their returns. The remaining players will be re-assessed in the next couple days with hopes they can all return to practice for the second preseason game. Injury update: The 49ers will likely announce the players formally out for the game later in the afternoon before kickoff. In the meantime, we know of at least a handful that will not play Thursday evening. DT Arik Armstead (hamstring), OL JP Flynn (knee), CB Richard Sherman (hamstring), OG Joshua Garnett (knee), and CB K’Waun Williams (ankle) were all ruled out for the week of practice with plans to re-assess them early next week. Tight end Cole Wick is currently listed as day-to-day, and given that he did not practice on Tuesday, he likely will be sitting out the preseason opener. Alright y’all, we are 24 hours away from the San Francisco 49ers 2018 preseason debut! The 49ers host the Dallas Cowboys at Levi’s Stadium Thursday evening at 7 p.m. PT. The game is airing locally on KPIX/CBS 5, and will be broadcast on NFL Network nationally. We’ll have game threads on Thursday, and plenty of information throughout the day and into the evening, but I thought why not open this up Wednesday evening on what is effectively like the night before Christmas? Well, maybe like the first of two nights before Christmas, since Week 1 of the regular season brings its own excitement. There is plenty to be excited about. For the first time since really the 2013 season, there is some semblance of stability within the organization. The 49ers had Jim Harbaugh and Trent Baalke around together in 2014, but the whispers had already begun, and things went south in a hurry. Jim Harbaugh was gone after the 2014 season (or even during, really), and then Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly each lasted one season, before they and eventually Trent Baalke were fired. And now, we enter year two of the Kyle Shanahan/John Lynch era. We have no idea what the future holds, but for now it is smooth sailing.<doc-sep>The last thing Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers wanted coming out of Thursday’s preseason opener was players getting injured. Yet three starters, and one key reserve, wound up getting nicked during the first quarter against the Cowboys. The most notable was second-year defensive lineman Solomon Thomas, who hit the ground hard following a third-down stop and immediately went to the locker room under his own power to get checked for a head injury. Thomas on the first drive was credited with half a sack along with DeForest Buckner. Moments earlier, George Kittle was undercut following a deep incompletion and came down hard on his right shoulder. He immediately went to the sideline to receive treatment and then quickly went to the locker room. Backup running back Matt Breida exited the game under his own power early on the next possession after taking a hit. The team announced it was a shoulder injury. Linebacker Malcolm Smith, making his 49ers debut after missing 2017 with a torn pectoral, suffered a hamstring injury on the first series and exited. He was replaced by Elijah Lee. Backup tackle Garry Gilliam left the game early in the second quarter to get checked for a head injury. He immediately went to the locker room under his own power.<doc-sep>SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Dak Prescott made the most of his brief appearance in the preseason opener for Dallas by throwing a 30-yard touchdown pass to rookie Michael Gallup before the San Francisco 49ers rallied with two late touchdowns to beat the Cowboys 24-21 Thursday night.Nick Mullens threw a 7-yard TD pass to Richie James Jr. with 18 seconds left to cap the comeback. Jeremy McNichols scored on a 1-yard run with 4:24 to go for San Francisco.San Francisco's Jimmy Garoppolo didn't fare as well as Prescott in his first game action since signing a $137.5 million, five-year contract this offseason. Garoppolo completed 3 of 6 passes on his one drive.More concerning for the 49ers was the fact that five players left with injuries in the first 16 minutes of the game, including defensive starters Malcolm Smith and Solomon Thomas.Prescott sat out the first exhibition game last season but got one series of action against the 49ers this year and looked sharp. He completed all three of pass attempts and converted a third-and-9 with a 12-yard scramble.He capped his night with the deep ball to Gallup, who beat Jimmie Ward down the sideline. Ward got the start at cornerback in place of Richard Sherman, who is nursing a hamstring injury.With the release of three-time Pro Bowl receiver Dez Bryant and the retirement of 15-year tight end Jason Witten, the Cowboys are searching for receiving threats this preseason. Gallup, a third-round pick out of Colorado State, has been impressive so far in camp.NATIONAL ANTHEMNo players on either team kneeled during the national anthem, although 49ers receiver Marquise Goodwin did raise his right fist throughout the song. The Niners have been at the center of the protests during national anthem ever since Colin Kaepernick began kneeling two years ago. Eric Reid protested last year but both players are no longer with the team. Linebacker Eli Harrold also kneeled during the anthem the past two years but stood to start this season.INJURIESThe Niners had a parade of injuries early, starting with Smith limping off with a hamstring issue on the opening drive. TE George Kittle and backup RB Matt Breida left with shoulder injuries. Thomas and backup tackle Garry Gilliam were sidelined by head injuries.Cowboys OL Marcus Martin limped off the field in the second half with a toe injury, S Marqueston Huff left with a groin injury, and WR Marchie Murdock had an ankle injury.NOTEWORTHY PERFORMANCESJoe Thomas got the start at linebacker for Dallas in place of Sean Lee and delivered an interception against C.J. Beathard on a tipped pass by Kavon Frazier. ... Cowboys rookie RB Bo Scarbrough had a 28-yard run and scored a 1-yard TD in the second quarter. ... James had four catches for 46 yards and fellow rookie Dante Pettis caught a 53-yard pass .HELMET FOULThere was one penalty under the new rule prohibiting players from leading with their helmets. San Francisco LB Elijah Lee was called for the infraction on a tackle against Scarbrough in the third quarter.NEXT UPCowboys: Host Cincinnati on Aug. 18.49ers: Visit Houston on Aug. 18.<doc-sep>Click HERE if you’re having trouble viewing the gallery on your mobile device. SANTA CLARA — Preseason games are supposed to be perfunctory, forgettable affairs. They’re dress rehearsals — glorified practices — where the score doesn’t matter. The main goal of these contests is to execute the boiled down gameplan effectively and get out without any injuries. The 49ers did neither on Thursday. Yes, there were some positive moments from rookies Richie James and Jullian Taylor, and yes, Reuben Foster and DeForest Buckner both had big defensive plays in the first quarter, but all-in-all, the 24-21 win over Dallas was a no-good, very bad day that highlighted the 49ers’ biggest issue going into the 2018 season: a lack of depth. In the first quarter alone, four important 49ers — three starters and a key backup — went down with injuries. Starting linebacker Malcolm Smith left the game with a hamstring issue, tight end George Kittle left with a shoulder injury, Solomon Thomas took a blow to the head that chased him from the contest, and then Matt Breida injured his shoulder, just for good measure. All four players are critical to the 49ers’ chances of competing for a playoff spot in 2018, and while the injuries could be minor and the regular season doesn’t start for another month, each separate exit provded a reminder that while the 49ers are now playing with hype and expectations — for good reason, too — they are also a team in the second year of a massive rebuild. The 49ers might have the top-end talent to compete with anyone in the NFL this year, and that’s a testament to the work head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have done since arriving after the 2016 season. Teams like the Browns, the Jets, and the Bears seem to be in a constant states of rebuild, but the 49ers’ braintrust was able to take a roster that was a byproduct of compound mismanagement and turn that trash-day heap into a team that could well enter the 2018 season in a position to compete for a playoff spot in 18 months. That isn’t easy and any possible success the 49ers have this season shouldn’t be taken for granted. But football is a game of attrition, and while the Niners have a solid starting lineup, as far as I know, there’s never been an NFL team that’s gone the entire season with the exact same starting 22. Good teams have solid starters. But great teams have solid backups, too. The 49ers might be part of the former category, but Thursday’s preseason opener showed that this roster — while certainly deeper than last year’s team — isn’t deep enough to make the 49ers great. Not yet, at least. (Though the forth string looked great against other fourth string players…) Shanahan and Lynch have this franchise on the right track — there’s no doubt about that — but the meaningul parts of Thursday’s game (again, ignore the fourth quarter game between the future CFL players) were dreary callbacks to October 2017, when the 49ers were winless and all the talk in Santa Clara was about what quarterback the team would take with their high first-round draft pick. When Thomas went down, Cassius Marsh entered the game at defensive end, opposite Taylor, the seventh-round rookie who played 15 games in college but started Thursday’s game because of an injury to Arik Armstead. For a pass rush that is already uninspiring with Thomas and Armstead healthy, the idea of starting Marsh and Taylor in a regular season game should make Niners’ fans quiver — but that’s the reality of the team’s situation. Kittle going down highlighted the lack of depth at the tight end position, too. Yes, the Niners still had Garrett Celek, but the promoted third-string was Cole Hikutini, a member of last year’s practice squad who dressed for three games and had two catches. He’s a nice enough player — he’s probably going to make the 53-man roster — but he’s not striking fear into the hearts of opposing defensive coordinators now, is he? In the same vein, Smith’s injury Thursday’s brought Elijah Lee, a practice squad player last year with the Vikings, onto the field. If he sees serious playing time in the regular season, you can bet that opposing offensive coordinators are going to crumple up their original game plans and go to a new scheme that attacks him on every play. We won’t even bother to mention Beathard’s day. So much for all those positive reports out of training camp. Shanahan might want to wrap Garoppolo in bubble wrap when the Niners travel to Houston next week to scrimmage and play a preseason game against the Texans. Yes, it’s just the first game of the preseason — there’s a long way to go between Thursday’s game and the start of the regular season. And perhaps some of these players would rise to the occasion if they needed to see serious snaps in a regular-season game — after all, Taylor looked tremendous on Thursday. Playing time in August can help with that. But while the Niners’ brass is encouraged by the improvement at the bottom part of the team’s roster and rightfully confident in their coaching ability, it’s evident that this team, from Garroppolo to the final practice squad player, is still a work in progress. I don’t have any doubt that Shanahan and Lynch will get the Niners to the point where they have a roster as robust as any in the league, but at the start of year two, it’s evident that they’re not there yet. And while that’s not a problem right now, but it absolutely could be in the regular season.<doc-sep>

If Thursday had been the Super Bowl, than the San Francisco 49ers would be celebrating this morning. Instead, it was just the first week of the preseason and despite the 49ers comeback from a 14-0 deficit to beat the Dallas Cowboys by a final score of 24-21, Kyle Shanahan is more likely focused on what he lost to open the exhibition season. In a span of what felt like it couldn’t have been more than 10 minutes, the 49ers saw at least four key players leave the game due to injury. Tight end George Kittle, expected to play a major role in the offense as one of Jimmy Garoppolo’s favorite targets from the end of last season, exited with a shoulder injury. Running back Matt Breida, who played really well in Shanahan’s offense in 2017, also left with a shoulder injury. After the game, Shanahan didn’t seem too optimistic on a quick recovery time for either: “Off the top of my head, I know [TE George] Kittle and [RB Matt] Breida had a shoulder injury. I know it’s going to be some time. So, I don’t know how long, but I have a feeling it’s going to be some time. I’d be surprised if they’d be around next week. I didn’t get anything official. I just know that from the game.” Kittle, a fifth round pick out of Iowa, had 515 yards as a rookie last season. With Garoppolo, his numbers were very promising, as he caught 15 of 19 targets and Jimmy G averaged 11.8 yards per attempt with a rating of 133.3 on those passes. Breida, an undrafted free agent last year, averaged 4.43 yards per attempt on 105 carries and is expected to be the main backup to free agent signee Jerick McKinnon. That’s not even half of it. Solomon Thomas, the third overall pick in 2017, left the game with concussion symptoms, as did former Seahawks tackle Garry Gilliam. Thomas didn’t have the type of impact as an elite prospect that many had hoped, but rookie seasons are always full of learning curves. Missing an extended period of training time during year two could hold the former Stanford Cadinal back and it’s impossible to know how long it will be before he’s cleared to play. In a bit of a surprise, the Niners re-signed Gilliam to a two-year deal in February, and he was battling for a starting right tackle job with first round pick Mike McGlinchey. Any extended time missed by Gilliam is obviously going to hurt their depth at the position moving forward. But that’s not all. Malcolm Smith, who last played for the Oakland Raiders in 2016 after missing all of last season with a torn pectoral, exited the game with a hamstring injury; He had signed a five-year deal with San Francisco in the 2017 offseason but has yet to play for them. “Malcom has played a lot of football. So, he’s not a guy that I’m concerned with that we need to see him play a lot more. I think it was unfortunate for him. I know he just wants to get back out there. Last year he ripped his peck on a freak strip in our scrimmage and today he hurt his hamstring, but I expect Malcolm to be there and help us out this year.” Smith is expected to be the starting WILL linebacker for the 49ers, while Solomon Thomas is slated to be starting at defensive end opposite of Arik Armstead in coordinator Robert Saleh’s number one defense. On offense, Kittle, Breida, and Gilliam could all miss next week’s game against the Houston Texans, and then who knows. When asked what it was like to lose that many key players so early in a preseason game, Shanahan noted: “You only have a certain amount of guys and you don’t want anyone to have to play that whole game. It’s tough. Anytime a guy goes out, the next guy has to play more and we’re not trying to have anyone play the whole game. I hope we never go to over time in the preseason either. I got nervous there for a little. It’s just part of the games. There’s four of them and we’ve got to get through them somehow.” Meanwhile, as far as what happened on the field in terms of playing the game goes, it wasn’t a perfect start for San Francisco in that area either.

Tennessee football had no players taken in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. But plenty of Volunteers drafted later have had great pro careers. It was a shock to nobody that Tennessee football had nobody taken in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday. However, the result was still embarrassing considering the event was being held in Nashville. Either way, though, that’s been the nature of the Vols this decade. Their lack of college production has translated to fewer and fewer names being called out on draft day, something that was unheard of for this program in the 1990s. But it’s not all bad news. Tennessee football has a history, even up to this decade, of producing high-quality NFL talent with guys not taken in the first round. In fact, they could have a chance to do that this year, especially with defensive linemen like Kyle Phillips, Alexis Johnson and Shy Tuttle. In the past, UT has had second and third rounders, late rounders, undrafted free agents and supplemental draft picks all make a name for themselves in the NFL. So it’s far from over for this draft class. Let’s look back at some examples. In this post, we’re going to rank the Vols who had the greatest NFL careers despite not being taken in the first round. To be clear, this does not take their college careers into account. In fact, lack of enough college production could be a reason some of these guys weren’t taken higher in the pros. We’ll analyze the number of years these guys played and the overall success they had at their position. To nobody’s surprise, there will be plenty of players who were very successful and made a huge impact representing Rocky Top. So let’s go ahead and break down all the guys we’re talking about. These are the top 10 former Tennessee football players who had great pro careers despite not being selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.<doc-sep>Just what exactly did Jeremy Pruitt get himself into when he took the Tennessee job back in December of 2017? Well, he walked into a program void of talent and filled with underachievers, to be totally blunt. That point was once again driven home during the 2019 NFL Draft. Tennessee’s class of 2015, one of the best on paper of the last decade, didn’t hear a single name called in the entire 2019 NFL draft. Frankly, that’s unacceptable for a program that landed the nation’s 4th ranked recruiting class in 2015. For a multitude of reasons, this class never came together and produced like it should have. Injuries, departures and an aimless previous coaching staff left Tennessee without a selection in this draft class. Two former five-star prospects, Shy Tuttle and Kyle Phillips, represented Tennessee’s best chance at having a draft pick in 2019. That didn’t happen. The other five-star prospect from that class, Kahlil McKenzie, went in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Four-star receiver Preston Williams transferred before his Tennessee career really even got going. Four-star tackle Drew Richmond struggled for three years before opting to enter the transfer portal this offseason. He’s now at USC. Four-star guard Jack Jones was forced to give up football due to injuries, while four-star linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. has had his moments, but it seems like his career is now in jeopardy with his latest knee injury. In summation, not a lot went right for this class. It’s why Butch Jones is now an offensive analyst for Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa. It’s what Jeremy Pruitt was brought to Knoxville to fix. This weekend’s results were no surprise for Tennessee fans, but it serves as a cold reminder of what Pruitt inherited — and how far he has to go in his rebuild in Knoxville.<doc-sep>The Tennessee Volunteers had a long streak of having a player selected in the NFL Draft snapped back in 2015 and then were held without a pick again in 2016. However, they had a player chosen in each of the last two drafts, but now that streak has come to an end once again. At the 2019 NFL Draft in Nashville this week, the Vols had zero players selected and were the only SEC team held without a pick. Alabama led the way with 10 players chosen, and eight of the conference’s 14 teams had at least five players chosen. Yes, the Tennessee has hit a rough patch over the past few seasons, but under new coach Jeremy Pruitt, things are looking up. It’s probably a safe bet that the Vols will have some players heading to the NFL via the draft over the next few years.<doc-sep>The Tennessee Volunteers didn’t have a single prospect selected in the 2019 NFL Draft. That should tell you all you need to know about what Jeremy Pruitt inherited at Tennessee. Now our attention turns to the free agent signings. Tennessee should have a handful of players signing undrafted free agent deals and finding opportunities in training camps. Stayed tuned here as all of the news breaks over the next several hours. Kyle Phillips, Quart’e Sapp and Shy Tuttle are a few names of interest that we’ll be following. Updates to follow... Quart’e Sapp to the Titans. No matter the circumstances I’m thankful for what God has in store for me. Tennessee is still my home #TitanUp — Quart'e Sapp (@Dedicated_2Work) April 28, 2019 Defensive end Kyle Phillips to the Jets. Tennessee DL Kyle Phillips to the Jets — Eric Edholm (@Eric_Edholm) April 28, 2019 Defensive tackle Shy Tuttle is reportedly a Saint. Tennessee DT Shy Tuttle is signing with the Saints, per source. — Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) April 27, 2019 Safety Micah Abernathy is headed to Minnesota.<doc-sep>

The 2019 NFL Draft came and went the past three days in Nashville without a Tennessee player being picked for the third time in five years. The Vols, who boast an illustrious history in the NFL Draft, had their 51-year streak snapped with shoutout years in 2015 and 2016, but over the past two years there were nine Tennessee players picked, six in 2017 and three in 2018. Former Tennessee star running back Jalen Hurd, who left the Vols with four games left in the 2016 season and finished his career as a wide receiver at Baylor, was drafted in the third round by the San Francisco 49ers on Friday night, but the draft class from Tennessee had to wait until after the draft ended on Saturday to learn their next step. Defensive back Micah Abernathy (Vikings), defensive tackle Shy Tuttle (Saints), defensive end Kyle Phillips (Jets) and linebacker Quart'e Sapp (Titans) all are getting the chance to pursue their NFL dreams despite going undrafted. While every other SEC team had at least two players picked and five teams in the league had at least five players drafted this year, the consensus is better draft weekends ahead for Tennessee with Jeremy Pruitt at the program's helm, and those better days could begin as soon as next year. GoVols247 takes a look at 10 Tennessee players who could be drafted in 2020. DISCLAIMER: Star offensive lineman Trey Smith is not included on this list because his status for the 2019 season is uncertain due to the situation with the blood clots in his lungs. Tennessee's two transfers, wide receiver/defensive back Deangelo Gibbs and defensive lineman Aubrey Solomon, also could be NFL prospects next year, but whether they will be eligible to play this season isn't known. Thus neither of them is included.

It was billed as the most ambitious public works project since the transcontinental railroad opened up the West. The high-speed rail network would transform California — cleaner air, less congested freeways and airports, and more limited suburban sprawl with a whole new style of housing around rail stops. “Fresno could become a bedroom community of the Silicon Valley,” the California High-Speed Rail Authority said a month before voters approved Proposition 1A in November 2008. Yet bite after bite, huge cost overruns, mismanagement, political concessions and delays ate away at the sleek and soaring vision of a bullet train linking San Francisco to San Diego. A project meant to drive home California’s role as the high-tech vanguard of the nation was looking more and more like a pepped-up Amtrak route through the Central Valley. Advertisement During his first State of the State address Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced he was scaling back the $77-billion project. Though his wording was open to interpretation, it appeared to sound the death knell, not necessarily for the project itself, but for the original dream. The Democratic governor said he supports finishing the controversial high-speed rail line between Bakersfield and Merced but needs to reassess the crucial legs connecting major urban centers in the Bay Area and Los Angeles. Social media erupted with quips about Bakersfield joining such storied bullet train destinations as Madrid, Tokyo, Milan, Beijing and Paris. Even Morocco, with an economy just 4% the size of California’s, managed to build high-speed rail linking Casablanca, Rabat and Tangier. But Newsom did not actually call for any of the route to be cut. More than anything, his comments signaled that he had deep reservations about the viability of the project and would not be the same booster Gov. Jerry Brown was. President Trump tweeted Wednesday night about the shift, declaring the project a “‘green’ disaster” and demanding that California return $3.5 billion in federal funds. “We want that money back now.” Newsom tweeted back moments later, calling Trump’s claim “fake news” and refusing to return the money. California has been forced to cancel the massive bullet train project after having spent and wasted many billions of dollars. They owe the Federal Government three and a half billion dollars. We want that money back now. Whole project is a “green” disaster! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 14, 2019 Advertisement Fake news. We’re building high-speed rail, connecting the Central Valley and beyond. This is CA’s money, allocated by Congress for this project. We’re not giving it back. The train is leaving the station — better get on board! (Also, desperately searching for some wall $$??) https://t.co/9hxEfEX8Vm — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) February 14, 2019 Finishing the Central Valley portion of the line first has long been the plan. The question left unanswered after Newsom’s speech is how aggressively Sacramento will pursue connecting the line to the Bay Area and to Los Angeles, said Rebecca Saltzman, the vice president of the Bay Area Rapid Transit board of directors. She said she was heartened that Newsom has committed to finishing environmental review documents for the line across the state — a key step toward construction and a process that can take years, even for projects that are smaller and less controversial than high-speed rail. But to succeed, Saltzman said, the project needs someone who will make high-speed rail a priority, such as Brown, whose dedication is the reason “it’s gotten so far,” she said. Advertisement “We need to see a champion emerge,” Saltzman said. “We need to keep the momentum going.” The momentum has been halting. Ten years after voters approved it, the project is $44 billion over budget and 13 years behind schedule. A state audit in November blamed flawed decision-making, organizational faults and poor contract management by the California High-Speed Rail Authority. Now many experts don’t believe it would make the trip from L.A. to San Francisco in the two hours and 40 minutes mandated in the bond measure. Advertisement The original plans to build elevated viaducts between Los Angeles and Burbank and through the Silicon Valley — on which the trains could travel 220 mph — were met with strident community opposition. Now planners call for the trains to share commuter tracks, moving at much slower speeds and being subjected to delays. The rail authority also waded into a morass trying to acquire the land it needed in the Central Valley. The agency originally estimated it would cost $332 million to buy up properties to build the route. But cutting through orchards, vineyards and dairies with vast and sophisticated irrigation and trellis systems proved profoundly more complicated than was expected. The land acquisition is now budgeted at $1.5 billion and tied up in endless litigation. “Somebody at high-speed rail drew a line for a route on Google Earth and had no idea of what was on the ground or how they are affecting it,” Michael Dias, a Hanford lawyer who defends farmers and is a grape and nut grower, told The Times last year. And then there’s California’s dynamic geology to contend with. In 2016, engineers said they had to dig a 13.5-mile tunnel through the Diablo Range because their earlier plans cut too close to the San Luis Reservoir. But boring through the unstable mix of hard sandstone, weak shale and boulders has put the estimated cost of that single stretch between $5.6 billion and $14.4 billion. Advertisement Even before these problems came to light, Californians had buyer’s remorse over the growing price tag. In 2013, a USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll found that just 43% of residents wanted the project to go forward. It did — mostly through sheer force of will of Jerry Brown. “The high-speed rail links us from the past to the future; from the south to Fresno and the north,” Brown said in 2015 at a groundbreaking ceremony at a vacant lot in Fresno. “This is truly a California project, bringing us together today.” Some say the most significant effects of Newsom’s announcement Tuesday may not be in scaling back the bullet train, but in marking a shift in what elected leadership thinks is possible in an increasingly complicated state. Advertisement “It comes across as such a narrowing of ambition and horizon,” said Miriam Pawel, who wrote “The Browns of California,” a biography of the Brown political dynasty. “One of the things that was a signature of Brown, in all his incarnations, was the ability to look very far ahead and see that something that seems like it would be really difficult and expensive and take forever — that in the end, we’ll look back on it and wonder how we lived without it,” Pawel said. But certainly it was vastly cheaper and easier to build monumental projects in the past. When Brown’s father, Gov. Pat Brown, championed the State Water Project in the 1950s, the environmental movement did not exist and environmental laws had not been passed, making construction far quicker, cheaper and easier. Advertisement “It’s a reflection that it’s so much more complicated to build in California now,” Pawel said. “It’s a very significant difference, clearly.” Now the rail authority faces the need to secure $50 billion in additional funding to complete the project, while Newsom’s priorities lay elsewhere. Paul Dyson, the president of the nonprofit Rail Passenger Assn. of California and Nevada, said Newsom’s comments were “very vague and wishy-washy,” and could hamper future efforts to secure funding and complete the project. “Even if he didn’t cancel the project, he used such a negative tone that if he is to go to the federal government, or to private enterprise, to look for new funds, they’re not going to be very enthused,” Dyson said. “If he sends such a negative message, why would they get on board?” Advertisement Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood called Newsom’s comments Tuesday “very short-sighted.” LaHood said it is difficult to say how California’s decision will affect the rest of the country, because no other region was actively pursuing high-speed rail. “They’ve been way, way ahead of the curve,” he said of the state. James Moore, a USC engineering professor who researches transportation projects and is a longtime critic of California’s high-speed rail project, defended Newsom, saying he was just being realistic. He said the project was set up to fail because the bond measure that California voters approved included a stipulation that the train would pay for its own operation, meaning it could not receive operational subsidies. That is exceedingly rare across the world, Moore said. Just two high-speed rail lines operate at a profit: Paris to Lyon, and Osaka to Tokyo. Advertisement “If the rail option is more expensive than aircraft, and slower than aircraft, who are we going to attract?” Moore said. He said Newsom needed to go further and halt the project altogether because continuing to build a white elephant in the farmlands is a vast waste of money. “He’s refusing to rip off the Band-Aid,” Moore said. “Slowly peeling off the Band-Aid is not the solution.”<doc-sep>LOS ANGELES – California could still bring the nation's first high-speed rail train to reality, proponents said – even if the size falls short of the original grand plans – and that could encourage other states to follow suit. Wednesday, a day after Gov. Gavin Newsom announced he wouldscale back plans for a bullet train connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles, backers focused on a smaller segment being built and said that gave them cause for hope. Newsom, who took office last month, said Tuesday that extending the rail line to San Francisco and Los Angeles – which are about 400 miles apart – would, at $77 billion, "cost too much and, respectfully, take too long." Instead, he said, he wanted to complete a shorter segment under construction across the state's Central Valley. He followed up with a tweet that indicated he is committed to the completed line over the long term. Rail supporters found cause for cheer. "It's so important to get one up and running," said Andy Kunz, CEO of the U.S. High Speed Rail Association, an advocacy group. By focusing on a single working leg, Newsom can show people the potential – building enthusiasm that could foster other projects around the country, he said. Instead of connecting two of the nation's largest cities, the 119-mile line will run through sparsely populated farmland between the agricultural hubs Bakersfield and Merced. Paul Dyson, president of the Rail Passengers Association of California, said a line that won't connect San Francisco and Los Angeles doesn't make sense. "We're in favor of high-speed rail, but it has to be a viable proposition." More:California governor abandons $77 billion high-speed train between LA and San Francisco Critics of the project have cited costs and other issues. State Auditor Elaine Howle released a scathing audit on the rail's overall mismanagement. Rushed construction and poor management cost the rail authority $600 million in budget overruns, according to the document. The 87-page audit found that the authority's decision to start construction in 2013, before it had secured necessary property and utility clearances, contributed to the overruns. Rail supporters said they still hold out hope for a fully completed project connecting California's two population centers. Karen Philbrick, executive director of the Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University in the Bay Area, said the line is needed as a long-term solution to the state's housing crisis. "I am thrilled the project will continue in the Central Valley, but I think it's a missed opportunity not to extend it as originally conceived," she said. The project was needed to allow workers at the high-paying tech jobs in the Bay Area to live in suburbs far from the city and commute in, Philbrick said, noting that California has been adding jobs at a 7-to-1 ratio to its ability to add housing. Newsom's decision – and whether the completed Bakersfield-to-Merced line is viewed as a success – could have direct bearing on other high-speed rail projects around the country. Proposals have included a Tampa-Orlando route in Florida that was backed early in the administration of President Barack Obama, a Dallas-Houston line in Texas and a Portland-Seattle line in the Pacific Northwest. High-speed rail surfaced again this month as an element in the Green New Deal proposal from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., a plan targeting climate change that came under immediate fire from conservatives. President Donald Trump weighed in after Newsom's announcement Tuesday, demanding California repay billions to the federal government since the plans are being scaled back. More:Trump tweets about California's plans for high-speed rail. Gov. Newsom responds: 'Fake news' If the high-speed line can be connected to commuter rail lines serving the Bay Area or other transportation from Los Angeles in the south, it could be a success, said Rick Harnish, executive director of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association, which has pushed for high-speed routes from Chicago to cities such as Detroit; Cincinnati; St. Paul, Minnesota; and St. Louis. More:Newsom attacks Trump in State of the State: California will not be part of 'political theater' Even with slower speed connections to the high-speed line, people will be amazed at the speed. "It's going to work," he said. Harnish takes the long view. The nation has taken a run at high-speed rail projects about once every 10 years since the Japanese pioneered its bullet trains in the early 1960s, and a working line will build enthusiasm, he said. "We cannot financially sustain forcing everyone to drive a car for every trip they want," Harnish said. "It's not good for people's health, not good for our communities, not good for the environment. We need a game-changer like high-speed rail to reconnect people." Contributing: Sheyanne N Romero, Visalia Times-Delta<doc-sep>

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement that he intends to scale back California’s $77-billion bullet train project stunned many officials close to the project while also raising many questions about what it actually means. “It is shocking,” said a senior executive at a major engineering firm in California who has worked on the bullet train project and asked not to be identified. “I didn’t think he was that bold.” Newsom said Wednesday that while the state has the capacity to complete the first leg in the Central Valley, extending the rail line to Southern California and the Bay Area would “cost too much and, respectfully, take too long.” His words left much room for interpretation, and some experts said there remains much uncertainty about the future scope, direction and funding of the mega-project. FULL COVERAGE: California’s troubled bullet train » The governor’s tone, acknowledging the lack of a feasible plan and a realistic funding strategy, contrasts sharply with Gov. Jerry Brown, who never acknowledged any serious roadblocks to his vision, and accepted the reassurances over the last six years by the rail authority that it was already fixing all of its problems. The single overt act of replacing high speed rail authority chairman Dan Richard, who had overseen the project for Brown, is also seen as a move toward more accountability in addressing problems facing the $77 billion project, the nation’s largest infrastructure project. (Ellis Simani / Los Angeles Times) But others took a more nuanced view of Newsom’s exact words, saying that his plan differs in only a few details from Gov. Jerry Brown’s final plan. Newsom would still build the Central Valley rail section, continue to finalize all of the environmental documents for the Los Angeles-to-San Francisco system and move ahead with transit funding agreements in the Bay Area and Southern California. The only concrete near-term item he is dropping is a commitment to electrify commuter train service from Gilroy to San Jose, which the state had wanted to pursue with any surplus funds left from the Central Valley. “It looks like he kicked the can down the road,” said Paul Dyson, president of the Rail Passengers Association of California. “He hasn’t stopped anything that was planned to be done. It will go on maybe until money runs out. It isn’t a bold step in one direction or another.” Added Elizabeth Alexis, a cofounder of the Bay Area watchdog group CARRD: “The project is no more dead than it was yesterday. The nail was already in the coffin a long time ago.” Alexis said the vague timetable for completing the Central Valley construction gives Newsom lots of time to maneuver if the nation’s political landscape changes and new funding comes out of Washington. Notably, Newsom said he would push for additional federal funding and private investments, but did not mention additional state funding in his speech. × California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he intends to scale back the high-speed rail. In a statement, High-Speed Rail Authority Chief Executive Brian Kelly said the agency is “eager” to meet the challenge of a bullet train in the Central Valley. Kelly noted the importance of Newsom’s commitment to complete environmental reviews and to meet the commitments to make so called bookend investments. Newsom’s plan takes some of the project’s risks off the table, but creates new ones. The governor committed to completing the environmental reviews for the entire Anaheim-to-San Francisco route, citing the requirements of a grant agreement by the Federal Railroad Administration. If the state does finalize those reviews, it would open the window to environmental lawsuits. So far, the rail authority has finalized only two environmental documents for the Central Valley and has faced about a dozen lawsuits that have dragged on for years. In Los Angeles, the state might see a litigation explosion. The environmental documents also specify an exact route for the rail line, meaning the land value for thousands of homeowners and businesses would be put under a cloud, even though the state would have no plan to build the system. The other major risk the state faces is running out of money, even with the truncated project. The state can count on about $18 billion in funding from bonds, grants and greenhouse-gas fees. The state’s 2018 business plan calls for building 119 miles of rail from Madera to Wasco for $10.6 billion, but Newsom said he wants the rail line to run from Merced to Bakersfield.

“Hi, how are you? I'm hot, I'm beautiful. I'm 51, and what are we going to talk about tonight? Being hot? Being beautiful? Being white?” the woman asked the sisters, who remained calm. Westwood continued: “This is Myers Park, SouthPark, B****. Why are you up in here hanging out?”<doc-sep>Another racist White woman loses job over viral rant The North Carolina woman harassed two Black sisters while they were waiting for roadside assistance from AAA (Photo by fotolia.com) A White woman who racially and physically harassed two Black sisters in Charlotte, NC, who were outside of their apartment awaiting AAA to jumpstart their car, has been fired from her job. The sisters, Leisa and Mary Garris, recorded the Oct. 19th incident on video, which has since gone viral. “We are so distraught and still very upset about what has taken place only because of the color of our skin,” the sisters told the AJC. “It is so upsetting to know that today, we still have this overt racism going on in 2018.” READ MORE: LeBron James dons ‘Beto for Senate’ hat before Lakers game in San Antonio The woman, who has not been identified, asked the sisters if they lived in Camden View Apartments and how much they pay in rent. In the video, the White woman tells the sisters “this is Myers Park, SouthPark b****. Why are you up in here hanging out?” “Do you live here?” the woman asked the sisters in the video. “Let’s call 911. I want to make sure there’s nothing going on here.” One of the Garris sisters is heard replying “I don’t know but you are harassing me.” The woman responds by saying, “Do I need to bring my concealed weapons too? This is North Carolina by the way.” The white woman proceeds to let the sisters know that she makes six figures, insinuating that she could afford to live in the apartment building. “I make $125,000 a year, and I want to make sure that you’re all up in here. Girl, girl, girl. I’m white. I’m girl white. I’m white.” READ MORE: Pioneering ‘For Colored Girls…” playwright and poet, Ntozake Shange, dies at 70 According to Channel 9, the woman worked for Charter Communications. An official from Charter sent a statement regarding the woman’s employment status after the video aired. “The incident recorded in Charlotte is a blatant violation of Charter’s code of conduct and clearly disregards the company’s commitment to inclusion and respectful behavior,” Channel 9 reports. “As such (her) employment with the company has been terminated, effective immediately.” The Garris sisters are pursuing legal action. Share<doc-sep>A white woman has been fired from her job and faces criminal charges after video footage showed her drunkenly shouting racist abuse at two black sisters. The video, which one of the women posted on Facebook on Friday, shows Susan Westwood approaching two black women who were waiting for AAA to service their car, calling them 'b***h' and asking them 'Is your baby daddy here'? '. The 51-year-old from Charlotte, North Carolina, also starts bragging about her '$125,000-a-year job' and boasts that she is 'fabulous'. She now faces criminal charges for communicating threats and her employer, Spectrum, confirmed that her contract has now been terminated. Susan Westwood (left) is facing charges of communicating threats and simple assault against sisters Leisa and her sister Chele Garris (2nd left and right) on October 19 The incident happened late at night on October 19 in South Charlotte according to information from police and the victims. Chele Garris, one of the women who was verbally attacked along with her sister Leisa, posted a series of videos of the incident to Facebook. In an accompanying post she wrote: ‘MOUTH DROPPING VIDEOS...Never thought this would happen to my sister and I right here in Charlotte, NC’. In the video, Susan Westwood engages the other women for no apparent reason. The sisters were aggressively confronted by Westwood after they politely asked her to leave them alone. At one point one of them told her: ‘You are harassing us.' However Westwood continues to berate them and asks repeatedly 'Do you live here'. One of the women is heard in the video calling 911 and saying: 'The lady was pushing me in my face'. Susan Westwood questioned what the women were doing as they waited for AAA She became more animated when she noticed the women recording her racist tirade She proceed to shout in one of the women's faces before they went upstairs to their apartment Susan Westwood bragged to the women about earning '$125,000' and asked how much rent they paid before saying 'I'm white and I'm hot' Westwood approaches them, the video shows, questioning whether they lived there and ‘why they are congregating’ in the parking lot. She then proceeds to tell them repeatedly that she earns $125,000 a year in her job and asks them how much they earn. 'I'm white and I'm hot', she can be heard saying. One of the sisters who reports the harassment has a calm demeanor on the phone as she thanks the dispatchers and answers the dispatcher’s questions. 'It surprised me', she told a police dispatcher. 'I’ve been living here for over a year and I’ve never been treated this way. I’m a resident just like her'. After the two women walk away and one of them calls 911 to report harassment, Westwood yells at them from a distance: ‘Do I need to bring out my concealed weapon, too? This is North Carolina by the way'. On the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office website, there are four criminal summons that have been issued for Susan Westwood for two counts of communicating threats and two counts of simple assault. Spectrum, Westwood’s former employer, provided a statement saying that her employment with the company has been terminated effective immediately. The company said: 'The incident recorded in Charlotte is a blatant violation of Charter’s code of conduct and clearly disregards the company’s commitment to inclusion and respectful behavior. Leisa (left) and Chele Garris (right) said they are distraught over the incident on October 19 Leisa (left) and Chele (right) said they never encountered trouble at the complex where Chele lives 'As such, Ms Westwood’s employment with the company has been terminated, effective immediately'. ‘It’s so upsetting to know that today we have overt racism still going on in 2018,' one of the women said, according to a video of their interview posted on a WCCB’s reporter’s Twitter. The two women called it a 'racially-motivated attack.' In a shared statement, the sisters added: 'We are distraught and still very upset about what has taken place only because of the color of our skin. The incident happened over more than five minutes as the sisters waited by their vehicle in an apartment complex parking lot for AAA car service, video shows. By Saturday, the video was viewed on various social media sites nearly 1 million times. The Camden Fairview Apartment complex in Fairview , North Carolina where the women live Westwood tells them to 'F**k off' and accuses them of not living there even after they explained that they did and that they were outside waiting due to car trouble. The pair said the videos showing the incident and tagging several social media outlets to expose acts of racism. The Charlotte Observer reported that Police on Saturday would not identify the woman who is accused of both assault and making threats. The video is the latest encounter captured with cell phone cameras that show white people across the United States bullying and threatening black people and other minorities. Earlier this month a drunk woman called unleashes a racist tirade at two men outside a bar in Kansas before telling them to 'get the f**k outta here'. In the same week, a black man’s video of a white woman refusing to allow him to enter his apartment building went viral and caused the woman to lose her job, In Brooklyn, New York, a white woman told police that a 9-year-old boy sexually assaulted her, but video surveillance showed the boy accidentally brushing past her while walking in a deli. The woman has since issued an apology.<doc-sep>

A white woman in North Carolina is out of a $125,000-a-year job after being caught on camera berating a black neighbor, telling the woman, “I’m white and I’m hot, so what are you doing here?” The now-former employee — who was apparently drunk and reeked of alcohol — was seen in a series of videos posted Friday on Facebook, where she was quickly identified as Susan J. Westwood, a senior business intelligence analyst and market researcher for Spectrum Enterprise in greater Charlotte. “OK, so what are you asking me? Do I need to call the police?” Westwood’s neighbor asks her. “Because I feel threatened.” “OK, well we can do that,” Westwood responds, briefly staggering away before apparently recalibrating herself. “Hi, how are you? I’m hot, I’m beautiful, I’m 51. What are we going to talk about tonight? Being hot, being beautiful, being white? Being — my new weave? Do you, do you live here?” The woman told Westwood that she did, in fact, live in the apartment complex and was having car trouble, so she and a friend were waiting in the parking lot for AAA to respond. But Westwood wasn’t satisfied with that explanation, video shows. “Well I can do this, too,” Westwood replies as she pulls out her cellphone to start recording as well. “OK, let’s do that right now, let’s call 911. I want to make sure that there’s nothing going here.” Westwood then grows increasingly agitated as the video continues, at one point gesturing wildly toward her neighbor while holding the phone directly in front of her face and saying “girl” repeatedly. “Ma’am, would you please leave us alone and go home?” Westwood’s neighbor replies. Westwood was again unmoved by the woman’s response, video shows. “What’s going on here in this parking lot that you feel that you need to congregate?” she says. Westwood then goes into a bizarre rant during which she repeatedly says she’s white and mocks her neighbors for recording her. “I’m white and I make $125,000 a year and I want to make sure that you’re all up in here,” Westwood says. “Girl, girl, I got you, girl, I’m white, girl, I’m white!” Westwood is then seen walking away while screaming profanities at the women before returning for another round of vitriol. “Bitch, I’m still gonna make $125,000 Monday morning,” Westwood says. “Who are you? Do you live here? Is your boyfriend here? Is your baby daddy here?” Westwood, who received criminal summons for communicating threats and simple assault in connection with the incident, has been terminated from her job, according to a spokesman for Charter Communications, which bought Time Warner Cable and later changed its name to Spectrum. “The incident recorded in Charlotte is a blatant violation of Charter’s code of conduct and clearly disregards the company’s commitment to inclusion and respectful behavior,” a Charter spokesperson said in a statement to The Post. “As such, Ms. Westwood’s employment with the company has been terminated, effective immediately.” A cellphone listing for Westwood had been disconnected as of Monday afternoon. The incident took place Oct. 19 at the Camden Fairview apartment complex, where one of the women arguing with Westwood lives, according to a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police incident report obtained by the Charlotte Observer.

The New England Patriots actually, finally, seriously did it. They selected a wide receiver in the first round of the NFL Draft for the first time since Bill Belichick took over as head coach in 2000. The Patriots grabbed Arizona State “X” receiver N’Keal Harry with the 32nd overall pick, filling New England fans with unbridled joy before hitting the hay late Thursday night. Harry is a massive target for quarterback Tom Brady at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds. He ran a 4.53-second 40-yard dash with a 7.05-second 3-cone drill and 4.28-second short shuttle. He’s considered a top-tier route runner and can go up and get the ball with his 38.5-inch vertical leap. He’s not an elite athlete for the position, but he can box out smaller defensive backs with his frame. The 21-year-old caught 73 passes for 1,088 yards with nine touchdowns last season. He was even more productive in 2017, catching 82 passes for 1,158 yards with eight touchdowns for the Sun Devils. He was strong after the catch in 2017 and 2018, picking up 962 yards combined over those two seasons. Harry was unbelievably productive on deep targets in 2018, catching nine passes on 18 targets for 276 yards with four touchdowns, per Pro Football Focus. He also has experience out of the slot, catching 22 passes for 399 yards with three touchdowns from the inside position last season. Harry dropped just six passes last season, per PFF. He was a monster on contested catches. Harry fills the Patriots’ biggest need at wide receiver, where they had just Julian Edelman, Demaryius Thomas, Josh Gordon, Phillip Dorsett, Bruce Ellington, Maurice Harris, Damoun Patterson, Braxton Berrios and Matthew Slater entering the draft.<doc-sep>All you need to know about the 21-year-old and his impact on New England’s roster. The New England Patriots have a new wide receiver for quarterback Tom Brady to play with: with the 32nd and final pick of the 2019 NFL draft’s first round, the reigning world champions drafted Arizona State wide receiver N’Keal Harry. The 21-year-old gives Brady a much-needed receiving weapon in the light of Rob Gronkowski’s retirement and the positional turnover that happened so far during the offseason. The second wide receiver to come off the board yesterday, Harry is a lock to make New England’s roster and over the next few weeks will be given every chance to carve out a substantial role in the team’s offense. Naturally, the rookie will be under a microscope all summer — and really all season — long as the first wide receiver to get drafted in the first round by Bill Belichick’s Patriots. To learn more about N’Keal Harry and what his arrival means for New England, check out this regularly updated stream of stories about him.<doc-sep>FOXBORO — For the first time since taking over as Patriots coach and general manager, Bill Belichick has drafted a wide receiver in the first round. The Pats nabbed Arizona State’s N’Keal Harry with the No. 32 pick, the final selection in Round 1 of Thursday’s NFL draft. Harry fills an obvious need for the Patriots. At 6-foot-2, 228 pounds, he’s a physical presence on the outside. He excels on contested catches, using his frame and raw strength to beat defensive backs. “Big, strong receiver, good hands, good with the ball after the catch,” Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio said. “… I would say one of the things that he does well is he plays the ball in the air. I’d say the coverage in this league is tight, regardless of the type of receiver you are, you’re going to have to make some plays in tight quarters.” Harry caught 73 passes for 1,088 yards in his junior season at Arizona State. Caserio pointed to Harry’s three years of consistent production — while playing for two coaching staffs — as a key factor in the pick. Additionally, Harry impressed at the NFL Combine, running a 4.53 40-yard dash while pumping out 27 bench press reps. Harry made a pre-draft visit to Foxboro earlier this month and apparently made a strong impression on Belichick. “He was a very great man,” Harry said on a conference call. “I feel like a lot of people just think of him as an uptight person, but he was very relatable. We were in there smiling and cracking jokes. I had very good vibes with him, and I’m looking forward to talking with him (Friday), as well.” Asked to describe his style of play, Harry offered an interesting scouting report. “Very passionate,” Harry said. “I play with a lot of passion. Whenever the ball’s in the air, I’ll sacrifice anything to go get it. And I’ll do whatever it takes to help the team win. Anything coach wants me to do, whether it’s on special teams, offense, anything, I’ll do it just to do my part and be one piece of the puzzle in helping us win.” In some ways, Harry compares to Patriots wideouts Josh Gordon and Demaryius Thomas, two bigger receivers who dominate after the catch. “Those are dudes that have been in the NFL and have played at a high level,” Harry said. “So going in, I’ll definitely be leaning on them, asking them how to get better day by day.” Harry’s path to New England is a fascinating one. He moved from the Carribean island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines when he was 4 years old, joining his grandmother and an aunt in Arizona. Other family members recently received their visas and were able to attend Harry’s draft party in Scottsdale, Ariz., where he was surrounded by “people who have been at (his) side since Day 1.” Harry becomes the first NFL player from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, an island of just over 100,000 people. “When I got that call, I tried not to be emotional, but I couldn’t really hold it back at that point,” Harry said. “I was so blessed, so thankful for the Patriots organization. I was just thanking God. And I’m ready to get to work.” Entering Thursday night, the Patriots were the only team in the league that hadn’t taken a wide receiver in the first round of any draft dating back to 2000. The Patriots must wait 22 picks to make their first selection in the second round. They hold the No. 56 overall pick, which was acquired in a trade with Chicago a year ago, and they pick again at the No. 64 spot. “There’s certainly a lot of good football players that are left out there,” Caserio said. “We’ll kind of recalibrate here where we are tonight and tomorrow morning and kind of get ready to go to for tomorrow.”<doc-sep>

FOXBORO, Mass. — The New England Patriots bucked a 19-year trend late Thursday night when they snagged wide receiver N’Keal Harry with the No. 32 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. No, it wasn’t the fact that Harry is an Arizona State product or that he’s an internationally born player. He became the first wide receiver taken in the first round by the Patriots under the Bill Belichick administration. At some point, folks began to give up hope Belichick would deem a receiver worthy of one of the first 32 picks in the draft. What set Harry, who was born in Canada but is a native of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, apart? Director of player personnel Nick Caserio was short on details. “We’re not really concerned with what’s happened in the past,” Caserio said. “I think we look at this year’s group of players across the board then we stack the players up horizontally and vertically, and then we work across. That’s the same thing we did with Sony (Michel) last year when we drafted Sony at the end of the first round. He was a good player. He was a highly graded player relative to some of the options we were looking at, and that’s the choice that we made. Whatever happened in the past really has no bearing, because it has no relevance this year to what happened last year or in years past.” Harry, at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, caught 73 passes for 1,088 yards for nine touchdowns in 2018. He caught 82 passes for 1,142 yards in 2017 and 58 passes for 659 yards with five touchdowns as a freshman in 2016. The 21-year-old also added 23 rushes for 144 yards with three touchdowns and 14 punt returns for 165 yards with one touchdown during his three-year tenure at Arizona State. “Productive player over a three-year period,” Caserio said. “Played for a couple of different coaches. Played for Coach (Todd) Graham for a couple years then Coach (Herm) Edwards came in. He’s been a pretty productive player in their system. Big, strong receiver, good hands, good with the ball after the catch. He had a chance to play against some decent people in the Pac-12.” Caserio also described Harry as “smart,” and it’s clear the Patriots also liked Harry’s strength, which he often displayed after hauling in passes. In 2018, 47.3 percent of his yards came after the catch, a step up from his career mark of 44.3 percent. That’s fairly typical for smaller receivers, but Harry has a large frame.

After Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh’s wedding announcement on Sunday evening, here is everything you wanted to know about their wedding plans – from the speculated venue to what Deepika and Ranveer will be wearing and the expected guest list. Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh’s wedding announcement had the whole of India enthralled on Sunday evening. Taking a detour from the usual way in which Bollywood celebs tie the knot – in secret while speculation rages around them – Deepika and Ranveer confirmed their wedding dates on social media while thanking their fans and well-wishers for all the love and support. “We thank you for all the love you have showered upon us over the years and seek your blessings as we embark on this incredible journey of love, loyalty, friendship and togetherness,” their joint statement read as they announced November 14 and 15 as wedding dates. Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh confirmed their wedding date on Twitter. Given their star status, however, speculation is rife still. Now, it has just moved on to where DeeVeer, as their fans call to like them, will get married, who will make it to the super-exclusive guest list and who will they be wearing. Here’s everything you wanted to know about Deepika and Ranveer’s November wedding but didn’t know who to ask, speculated of course. Deepika, Ranveer wedding venue According to various reports, Deepika and Ranveer’s wedding will take place at Villa del Balbianello at Lake Como, Italy. “A Delhi-based wedding planner has been roped for the shaadi which will be preceded by the sangeet on November 13,” Mumbai Mirror quoted a source as saying. The wedding will be followed by receptions in Mumbai and Bangalore. Deepika, Ranveer wedding guests Just like Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli, the wedding of Deepika and Ranveer will be attended by only their family and close friends. However, some of their close industry colleagues may be in attendance including Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Arjun Kapoor and Karan Johar. Deepika and Ranveer started dating on the sets of Bhansali’s Goliyon ki Rasleela: Ram-Leela and have done two more blockbusters with him including Padmaavat and Bajirao Mastani. Coincidentally, Ram Leela released on November 15, 2013. Deepika, Ranveer wedding trousseau Sabyasachi Mukherjee is expected to design Deepika’s outfits for the wedding, say reports. It is not clear who the flamboyant Ranveer Singh will be wearing. “The couple will head for a brief honeymoon before Ranveer dives into the promotions of Simmba which opens on December 28,” the report said. ott:10<doc-sep>View this post on Instagram A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) on Oct 21, 2018 at 3:29am PDT View this post on Instagram 🙏🏽 A post shared by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Oct 21, 2018 at 3:30am PDT Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh took the internet by storm yesterday as they announced their wedding date. While we still can’t keep calm since after months of speculations about their November wedding, #DeepVeer finally shared the big news with all their fans and loved ones, we have another big news for you. All set to tie the knot on November 14th and 15th this year at Lake Como, Italy, the couple is already being showered with love and good wishes from the entire world. Take a look at their wedding invite here.Moving ahead, we have another BIG update on the #DeepVeer wedding. Fact that they will be walking the aisle in Italy has been told you enough times; we now have some insider information for you on their wedding reception. A source close to the couple just informed Filmfare that the celebrity couple will be hosting a grand wedding reception in Mumbai on December 1 at Grand Hyatt. The source said, “Ranveer and Deepika are extremely happy and excited for their big day. As decided, their Italy wedding will be a private affair with a guest list including only their families and close set of friends. Soon after they return from Italy, Ranveer and Deepika will be hosting a lavish wedding reception for all their industry friends in Mumbai on December 1. Grand Hyatt has been picked as the reception venue and everyone from Bollywood is expected to be present.”We can already just imagine how stunning these two will look at their reception. Once again congratulations Deepika and Ranveer, we wish you all the happiness and love.<doc-sep>It’s official: Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh announce wedding date Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh are set to get married on November 14 and 15. news Wedding Putting an end to all speculation and rumours, Bollywood actors Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh have finally announced their wedding dates. The couple is set to get married on November 14 and 15. They shared a note to this effect on their social media pages. The note from Deepika and Ranveer, dated October 21, reads: “With the blessings of our families, it gives us immense joy in sharing that our wedding is set to take place on the 14th and 15th of November, 2018. We thank you for all the love you have showered upon us over the years and seek your blessings as we embark on this incredible journey of love, loyalty, friendship and togetherness.” In August, a film magazine had reported that the couple has fixed their wedding date for November 20, while a location in Italy has been selected as the venue. It was also reported that the guest list will consist of a mere 30 people, with only close friends and family in attendance. The couple apparently also has plans to host a huge reception in India later. Deepika and Ranveer started dating for a few years ago. They have acted together in a bevvy of films, including Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat. When the report was out, actor Kabir Bedi took to Twitter to wish the couple. “Great couple! Great locale in Italy! Great event! Wishing Ranveer and Deepika a wonderful wedding, and a lifetime of happiness!” In one of the episodes of Koffee with Karan, Ranveer had called Deepika "marriage material". Similarly, in an interview to India Today Television, Ranveer had said that while marriage was not a priority, it was something at the back of his head. “These are things I think about. I try to create a life and work balance. As much as I am consumed by my work at the moment, these things (marriage) are on my mind. But nothing decisive as of now.”<doc-sep>

Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh are all set to marry on 14th-15th November. As per a report, the couple will have four functions at their wedding. After dating each other for almost six years now, and are taking their relationship to the next level. Deepika announced the wedding date on Twitter and we are jumping with joy. The actress shared a picture of the card which read, “With the blessings of our families, it gives us immense joy in sharing that our wedding is set to take place on the 14th and 15th of November, 2018. We thank you for all the love you have showered upon us over the years and seek your blessings as we embark on this incredible journey of love, loyalty, friendship and togetherness. Lots of love, Deepika and Ranveer.” While the wedding venue and the ceremonies are yet to be made official by the couple, it is being speculated that they will go the Anushka-Virat way and get married at Lake Como in Italy. Reports suggest that there will be four grand functions at the decided venue. It will be a close-knit affair with only close friends and family members in attendance. Fans, however, can expect a galore of pictures from the ceremonies and the wedding. A source has been quoted as saying, “Both Ranveer and Deepika are extremely private but that doesn’t stop them from having a lavish wedding. As per Hindu rituals, the two of them will have four festivities including the main wedding. All the ceremonies will be away from the media glare, keeping it a classy and intimate affair.” The couple has requested guests to not use cell phones during the wedding festivities. Deepika Padukone will reportedly don a Sabyasachi outfit for the wedding. What in the Habibi is going on here?! @deepikapadukone pic.twitter.com/OfbsH9w2LN — Ranveer Singh (@RanveerOfficial) October 5, 2018 Credits :Filmfare Read More

WeWork CEO Adam Neumann said his company reached annualized revenue of $2.5 billion in the fourth quarter and has plenty of cash on its books, even with SoftBank's scaled-back investment. Neumann told CNBC that he's not concerned that SoftBank pulled way back after initially agreeing to invest $16 billion in the company, which provides coworking office space and is busy expanding into other areas. And he still has plenty of praise for SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, whose presence in the venture capital landscape has ballooned over the last few years with the $100 billion Vision Fund. "There's something beautiful about Masa and my relationship," said Neumann. WeWork has now raised a total of $10 billion from SoftBank, including the first $3 billion after a short meeting between Neumann and Masa. Neumann said that when negotiations get tough, they approach each other as partners, explain each other's limitations and, "thread the needle in between." Most of SoftBank's recent investment is at a post-money valuation of $47 billion, but $1 billion of the investment was at a lower, pre-money valuation of $20 billion. The amount WeWork — now rebranded as the We Company — received is "above and beyond what we need to fund the company for the next four to five years," Neumann said. The company burns a lot of cash, but it's also growing rapidly, more than doubling memberships in 2018 to 372,000, according to preliminary year-end numbers shown to CNBC. The run rate of $2.5 billion is up from $2 billion the prior quarter. Actor Ashton Kutcher, who's a start-up investor and a strategic partner at WeWork, joined Neumann for the interview. Kutcher defended the final deal and talked about what it was like to work with and against Son. They're both investors in Uber, but Kutcher said that he and other VCs are increasingly competing with SoftBank on deals. "Now, I'm also on the other side of the table with Masa on a couple deals," Kutcher said. "And that's frustrating as hell." Kutcher said the Vision Fund has changed the game for venture capital investing.<doc-sep>WeWork mulls IPO, rebrands after SoftBank slashes stake The co-working giant formerly known as WeWork is rebranding itself as The We Company after getting some disappointing investment-related news. A day after the Financial Times reported that Japan’s SoftBank Group only planned to invest $2 billion in the company — a far cry from the $16 billion it was considering — WeWork said it would adopt its new moniker, while also weighing the prospect of an initial public offering, according to the FT. The company’s office space brand, residential business and education-centric arm will be the three main branches of The We Company and will be called WeWork, WeLive and WeGrow, respectively. The We Company will aim to “elevate the world’s consciousness,” wrote co-founder and CEO Adam Neumann in a blog post. [TRD] Sears board to consider another bid from company’s chairman A week after Sears Holdings chairman Edward Lampert made a $1.8 billion bid for the bankrupt retail giant’s real estate, the company narrowly avoided liquidation by agreeing to consider his offer. Sears was planning to get permission to shutter its store and sell its assets earlier this week, but its bankruptcy lawyers ultimately decided to hold off. ESL Investments, Lampert’s hedge fund, submitted a $4.4 billion takeover bid at the end of December and even offered to scoop up all of Sears’ real estate if its board of directors did not accept that bid. Sears’ board is expected to consider Lampert’s latest offer, as well as bids from two liquidation groups, at a bankruptcy court auction in White Plains next week. [TRD] Moody’s, CoStar could square off over CRE data A war could be looming in the commercial real estate space. Moody’s Corporation, a financial analytics giant that last summer acquired Reis for $278 million, is now seeing commercial real estate data become a key part of its business. That has long been the bailiwick of CoStar Group, a juggernaut in the real estate information realm, but one whose market capitalization pales in comparison to Moody’s. “Banks tend to be our largest customer segment, and commercial real estate is a very important asset class to them,” said Keith Berry, a veteran Moody’s executive tapped to oversee the company’s expansion into new research technologies. [TRD] Housing market expert shares gloomy prognosis for 2019 A housing expert who predicted last year’s slowdown has a less than positive forecast for 2019, Bloomberg reported. James Stack, who also predicted the 2008 crash, told the outlet the market “could be heading for its worst year since the last housing crash.” Stack expects “home sales to continue on a downward trend in the next 12-plus months,” Bloomberg reported. Stack told the outlet he couldn’t say yet if the market is in a bubble, as they can “only [be] recognized with 100 percent certainty in 20/20 hindsight.” Stack uses market-centric newspaper articles dating back to 1929 to make his predictions, according to Bloomberg. [TRD] Congress to probe Trump mansion sale, Trump Org loans A newly-launched House Intelligence Committee investigation is setting its sights on President Donald Trump’s real estate and business transactions. The new Democratic majority plans to probe two transactions: Trump’s sale of a Palm Beach mansion to a Russian billionaire in 2008 and loans that Deutsche Bank extended to the Trump Organization, the New York Times reported. Democrats on the committee believe the mansion sale could have been part of a money laundering scheme. Deutsche Bank, meanwhile, has been embroiled in scandal over separate money laundering allegations. The two probes are among a number of investigations Democrats are expected to launch. As if that wasn’t enough, Trump’s former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, will testify next month before the House Oversight Committee, while White House senior adviser Ivanka Trump was the subject of a complaint filed by a watchdog group asking the U.S. Department of Justice to look into her family’s investments in Opportunity Zones. Natalia Veselnitskaya, a Russian lawyer who attended an infamous meeting at Trump Tower, was also charged with obstruction of justice by federal prosecutors. [TRD] MAJOR MARKET HIGHLIGHTS Chrysler Building owners list iconic tower amid increased competition, high costs The owners of the Chrysler Building are putting the Manhattan landmark up for sale, the Wall Street Journal reported. The skyscraper is currently owned by Tishman Speyer and an Abu Dhabi government fund, both of whom hope the Art Deco office tower with draw international investors. CBRE will be marketing the building, according to the outlet. The Abu Dhabi Investment Council shelled out $800 million in 2008 for a 90 percent stake in the building. Tishman Speyer, meanwhile, poured $100 million into the tower for various improvements when it took it over in 1997. Their decision to sell comes amid “high costs and stiff competition from new towers,” the outlet reported. [TRD] Brookfield Asset Management seeks $1B for Florida resort The second-largest resort in South Florida has hit the market, and its owner could sell it for up to $1 billion, Bloomberg reported. Brookfield Asset Management plans to sell the Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, a property only exceeded in size by the Fontainebleau Miami Beach. Brookfield subsidiary Thayer Lodging Group shelled out $460 million for the property — which includes 10 restaurants and 1,000 rooms — in 2014. Newmark Knight Frank and Hodges Ward Elliott are marketing the resort. [TRD] Malibu rental market sees demand soar after Woolsey Fire The fire that destroyed hundreds of homes in Malibu toward the end of last year has sent the area’s rental market into overdrive. Many of the residents who were displaced by the Woolsey Fire are now looking for temporary homes in the area, and owners are trying hard to meet the demand. In the month after Malibu residents were ordered to evacuate, 106 listings hit the market — a jump from the 18 new listings the month before the evacuation order went out, said Sotheby’s International Realty Malibu agent Mike Gardner, who noted that some owners are specifically opting to lease their properties in light of the demand. [TRD] Rents dip, incentives surge as Seattle’s apartment inventory rises Approximately 10.5 percent of the apartments in Seattle are currently vacant, compared to the end of 2017, when 9 percent of the city’s apartments were empty, the Seattle Times reported. Though the jump may not seem substantial, it’s indicative of the spate of construction the region has seen recently, according to the outlet. The ballooning bump in inventory has brought rents down and is pushing landlords to offer incentives ranging from Amazon gift cards to free months of rent and free parking. “I’ve been renting in Seattle since 2014, and this is the first time where I felt like I have negotiating power,” one renter told the newspaper. [TRD] Silicon Valley neighborhood named priciest zip code in US A neighborhood in Silicon Valley that doesn’t have any shops or restaurants topped PropertyShark’s list of the most expensive places in the U.S. to live last year. Atherton, located not far from Google and Facebook’s headquarters, had a median sales price of $6.7 million in 2018, noted the Robb Report. Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and Stephen Luczo, executive chairman at Seagate Technology, are among Atherton’s current residents. Eighty-two of the 117 zip codes on PropertyShark’s list were in California. [TRD] Mondelez International moving headquarters to Chicago Food and beverage giant Mondelez International will move its global headquarters from the suburbs of Chicago to the Windy City itself. The company, which makes Chips Ahoy and Oreo cookies, Triscuit and Ritz crackers, Milka chocolate bars and other delicious items, is currently based in Deerfield, Illinois. Mondelez has now signed a long-term lease for 77,100 square feet of office space at a building in Chicago’s Fulton Market district. Uber Technologies, McDonald’s and Google are among several other companies that already have office space in the area. Thor Equities owns the building that Mondelez is moving into at 905 West Fulton Street. [TRD]<doc-sep>Become an FT subscriber to read: Leverage our market expertise Expert insights, analysis and smart data help you cut through the noise to spot trends, risks and opportunities. Join over 300,000 Finance professionals who already subscribe to the FT.<doc-sep>

January 10, 2019 3 min read The largest shared spaces occupier WeWork rebrands itself to “We Company” after Japanese conglomerate Softbank slashed its previously intended investment of $16 billion to $2 billion. The move, however, comes as an assurance to existing investors that the company can overcome the massive losses it made in 2018. On Tuesday this week, the chief executive of WeWork, Adam Neumann announced the company’s rebranded name in a hall packed with WeWork executives at a conference in Los Angeles. Citing the new divisions in the company, Neumann talked about how it is going to work. The key three divisions would be: WeWork, which runs 500 serviced offices across the world; WeLive, its co-living residences; and WeGrow, the education business run by Neumann’s wife, Rebekah Paltrow. Founded in 2010 by Neumann, WeWork quickly made a name for itself in the coworking space industry, expanding its operations to 425 locations globally in a short span of time. The coworking space company that gives free crafted beers, snacks and coffees to its consumers, has been reeling under losses from the past few months. In the first nine months of 2018, losses reportedly quadrupled from a year earlier to $1.2 billion, on sales of $1.5 billion. Why Softbank scrapped investment Until last year, the Japanese giant had its eye on buying major stake of the American company by injecting more money in the company. WeWork was in talks with the private equity fund investor to fuel its expansion in China, Japan, South Korea and elsewhere in Asia, wherein Softbank envisioned pumping its $16 billion from Softbank’s Vision Fund to buy all outside investors of the company. The recent decline in tech stocks amid global market turbulence influenced Softbank's decision to pursue a lower investment than what the company has earlier planned. However, in a statement to press, Softbank’s Masayoshi Son shows his confidence in the firm’s plans to turn profitable this year. Softbank and its Vision Fund invested $4.4 billion in WeWork last year and the Japanese company holds two board seats. Why WeWork is in losses The New York-based shared spaces company, WeWork has doubled its revenue every year for the past few years, but rapid expansion has led to heavy losses. In the first three quarters of 2018, WeWork lost $1.22 billion and generated $1.25 billion in revenue, Fast Company reported. In past years, the company has attracted investment from Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan, as well as SoftBank. The Japanese bank’s previous investment in WeWork valued the eight-year-old company at $42 billion, making Neumann’s remaining stake worth $2.5 billion. WeWork, despite the huge valuation has yet to turn a profit and reported a loss of $723 million in the first half of 2018. WeWork’s ambitious IPO plan Softbank’s reversal on investment in WeWork has made a direct impact on its IPO plan. The shared space startup was planning to go public after the Softbank’s funding. However, Neumann isn’t afraid to step back from taking less risks in the business. His firm belief in investing money remains the same, as he mentioned in the Los Angeles conference. However, it remains to be seen whether the company can show fortitude and turn things around to become profitable.

The championship games of the boy's Little League World Series are scheduled for this weekend in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Three games are scheduled for Saturday including one in which the West Region team from Honolulu will play. If they win, they'll move on to the final game. Saturday the games are scheduled to air at 12:30 p.m. EDT and 3:30 p.m. EDT both on ABC. The consolation game is scheduled for Sunday at 10 a.m. and will air on ESPN while the final game is at 3:30 p.m. on ABC. The schedule of the games, along with what channel each one will be streamed on is available online at the Little League World Series website. The team from Honolulu is playing while its home state of Hawaii is powering through Hurricane Lane. The storm was a Category 4 as of Thursday and was already bringing heavy rains that were causing flooding and strong winds to the islands of Hawaii before the storm made its final approach. How to stream the Little League World Series championship: The games will be broadcast on ABC and ESPN. The Championship games will be on ABC while the consolation games will be available on ESPN. For those with cable, they can simply log into the livestreams on the app or the website of the channels to view, or flip to the channel when the games about to start. But watching the games will be a bit more difficult for those without cable. There are a few options for free trials of streaming services that viewers can sign up for if they want to watch the game that badly. Those options include Hulu Live TV, YouTube TV and Sling TV. All three services are currently offering free trials to new customers. But anyone who signs up should keep in mind that if they forget to cancel before the first billing, they'll have to pay for that month of the service. ​<doc-sep>SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- Aukai Kea struck out 15 while throwing a complete game on Saturday as Hawaii went ahead on a pinch-hit single by John De la Cruz and defeated Georgia 3-0 to advance to the Little League World Series championship. Hawaii, the U.S. champion, will play South Korea on Sunday after the Asia-Pacific regional champs defeated Japan 2-1 earlier in the day. De la Cruz's hit broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning. Hawaii added the game's final two runs in the fifth, on an RBI triple from Bruce Boucher, followed by Jace Souza's run-scoring single. Eight days after striking out 10 Georgia batters in 6 1/3 shutout innings, Kea struck out the side in three of the first four innings Saturday, and a batter in all six. Over two games at the double-elimination tournament, Georgia played 17 innings against Hawaii but was held scoreless. Much of that was due to Kea, who also hit a walk-off, two-run homer to end the teams' 11-inning game last week. Congratulations to the 2018 Little League Baseball World Series United States Champions from Honolulu, Hawaii! #LLWS pic.twitter.com/dIJ7QAdldO — Little League (@LittleLeague) August 25, 2018 Earlier this week, Hawaii coach Gerald Oda told his team that "we're the hope" as then-Category 5 Hurricane Lane approached the state, CBS Sports reports. After beating Staten Island on Wednesday, Oda sent an emotional message to the fans back home. "We told the boys that what they're ..." Oda said before he had to pause to compose himself. "What they're going through is very difficult — we've been there — all of us have been there when these storms have come." He added, "And it can be chaotic, it's a lot of stress. But we told the kids that this is our opportunity to really give back. Because we know that there's a lot of people at home watching the game. And we said that if anything, for them to watch us, we can give them hope. They can take their mind off. And that's what we hope it did."<doc-sep>Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press There are only four teams left standing at the 2018 Little League World Series, and Saturday's games will decide who plays for the title. The international and United States finals are both rematches from earlier at this year's tournament. South Korea steamrolled Japan by a 10-0 score Wednesday to send them to the losers' bracket, only for those two teams to meet back up with the international title on the line. On the American side of things, an undefeated Hawaii team will look to stay perfect against the squad from Peachtree City, Georgia, for a right to represent the United States in this year's finals. Little League World Series Saturday Schedule International Finals: Japan vs. Asia-Pacific (South Korea) (12:30 p.m., ABC) Video Play Button Videos you might like United States Finals: Southeast (Georgia) vs. West (Hawaii) (3:30 p.m., ABC) All times ET. All games can be live-streamed on the ESPN app or WatchESPN. The double-elimination format that the tournament has followed is no longer a factor, meaning the teams from Japan and Georgia will not need to win twice in a row to advance to the final. It's a simple winner-take-all approach to decide who plays in this year's title game. Bracket Predictions International Tom E. Puskar/Associated Press Ace Shisei Fujimoto (3 G, 2 GS, 1-1, SV, 8.0 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 16 K) will be available to pitch for Japan, though he recorded just two outs against South Korea on Wednesday, allowing three hits and four earned runs. Meanwhile, South Korea could give the ball to another ace in Yeong Hyeon Kim (2 GS, 1-0, 8.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 23 K), who has been nothing short of dominant at this year's tournament and will present an issue for Japan's offense if he does get the ball. That said, the South Seoul Little League squad could also turn to Soo Hoo Choi (1 GS, 1-0, 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K) for this game in the hopes of saving Kim for the title game. At any rate, after they won 10-0 by the mercy rule Wednesday, it's hard to pick against South Korea. Prediction: South Korea 7, Japan 3 United States Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press Hawaii advanced to the U.S. finals with a 10-0 win over New York and will have its entire pitching staff at its disposal. Ace Aukai Kea (2 GS, 1-0, 10.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 16 K) was limited to 50 pitches Wednesday, so he's had the requisite two days' rest to take the ball again. That said, the West Region winners could also turn to Ka'olu Holt (3 G, 1 GS, 1-0, 6.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K) if they are hoping to save their top starter for the title game Sunday. Georgia ace Jackson Kenty (2 GS, 1-0, 11.1 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 21 K) tallied 90 pitches in an elimination game Wednesday, meaning he won't be able to take the mound for the remainder of the tournament. They also used Tai Peete (3 G, 2 GS, 2-0, 9.0 IP, 10 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 12 K) for 86 pitches in Thursday's game, meaning they are without their top two starters heading into the U.S. bracket final. That leaves Connor Riggs-Soper (3 G, 1 GS, SV, 10.1 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 11 K) as the probable starter, and unless he's limited to 20 pitches, the Peachtree City squad will be forced to turn to a pitcher who has not yet started a game at this year's Little League World Series if they advance to Sunday's final. Prediction: Hawaii 8, Georgia 4<doc-sep>

It was celebration time Saturday as the all stars from Honolulu, Hawaii won the United States Championship Game at the Little League World Series. Hawaii triumphed over the impressive squad from Peachtree City, Georgia, 3-0, in an exciting battle at Lamade Stadium. [Yahoo Fantasy Football leagues are open: Sign up now for free] Pitching and defense were the name of the game. There was no score until the fourth inning. That’s where Hawaii finally broke through on an RBI single from John De La Cruz. Hawaii had an opportunity to add more, but Georgia’s Bo Walker had other ideas. He made arguably the best play of the tournament to prevent at least one more run from scoring. These kids definitely came to play. Hawaii would get its insurance in the next inning, adding two runs. On the hill, Hawaii’s Aukai Kea went the distance, striking out 15 of the 21 batters he faced while allowing just three baserunners. Doing it for Hawaii The Hawaii squad definitely had more on their mind than baseball. They gave their friends and family back in their hometown and home state a reason to celebrate amid difficult times. Though Hurricane Lane weakened to a tropical storm over the last 24 hours, it has still left flooding and wind damage in and around Honolulu. The players minds were back home, but they were able to focus and play excellent baseball. South Korea wins International Championship The all stars from Seoul, South Korea took home the International championship in another thrilling game earlier on Saturday, defeating Kawaguchi, Japan, 2-1. Story continues South Korea started fast, scoring both of its runs in the first inning. Ji Hyung Choi’s home run opened the scoring. It was the third straight game in which Choi had homered. He’s the only player in the tournament with three homers. Japan mounted a late rally but fell short thanks to a nifty game-ending double play started by pitcher Yeong Hyeon Kim. South Korea won their previous meeting with Japan, 10-0, and finished the International bracket with a perfect 4-0 record. South Korea is now 5-0 all-time in International championship games. When is the World Championship Game? Hawaii will go on to meet the team from South Korea in the World Championship Game on Sunday afternoon. The game will begin at 3:00 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ABC. Hawaii defeated Georgia, 3-0, to claim the US Championship at the Little League World Series. (AP) More from Yahoo Sports: • ESPN anchor has had it with football • Dan Wetzel: Culture of cover-up helped save Urban Meyer’s job • Former MSU coach faces charges tied to Nassar investigation • Ex-NBA ref: Suspension changed my life

CONOR McGREGOR faces a possible fine and suspension after a probe was opened to look into whether he threw the first punch aimed at Khabib Nurmagomedov’s cousin after his UFC 229 defeat. The Nevada State Athletic Commission can hold on to ALL of McGregor’s £2.3million fight purse until they have gone over footage of the chaotic brawl on Sunday morning. 8 Conor McGregor was left beaten and battered after his octagon defeat to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 Credit: Getty - Contributor 8 Khabib Nurmagomedov leaped out of the octagon after his win and attacked members of the crowd Credit: AP:Associated Press And BOTH fighters could be hit in the pocket as part of the investigation and suspended from fighting in the desert city. Scenes of mayhem descended on the T-Mobile Arena after the lightweight bout in Las Vegas. Footage of the melee showed the Irishman, 30, throwing the first punch that hit Khabib’s cousin Abubakar Nurmagomedov, while all parties face interviews from officials. NASC chair Anthony Marnell said: "We will be filing against Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov. MOST READ IN SPORT CRYING BRU Fernandes breaks down in tears as Scholes slams Utd stars who 'accept losing' Revealed FLOP GEA De Gea let in 38th CONSECUTIVE penalty before missing own spot-kick in shootout Live Blog MAN UTD 1 (10) VILLARREAL 1 (11) Penalties heartbreak for United as De Gea misses in epic MAN UTD VERDICT Solskjaer blew chance to end trophy drought & it won't get easier than this Live Blog FOOTBALL NEWS LIVE Zidane QUITS Real Madrid, Antonio Conte leaves Inter Milan JEEPERS KEEPERS Agony for Man Utd as De Gea misses after epic shootout goes down to GOALIES ZINE ENOUGH Zidane 'quits Real Madrid with immediate effect' after troubled Bernabeu season Pictured THE PINK PUNDIT Jamie Carragher forced to wear a PINK WIG on air after losing Man Utd bet BURN-ABEU Bernabeu on fire as smoke billows from stand at Real Madrid's redeveloped stadium DONNA GET HIM? Man Utd & Chelsea target Donnarumma LEAVES Milan and is available for free 8 Conor McGregor appears to throw the first punch in the melee, based on new clip Credit: Twitter 8 Two men landed heavy punches on Conor McGregor's head from the side and behind 8 A third man jumped in and made his way for McGregor as security stepped in 8 Khabib has arrived back in Russia where he has been welcomed home a hero Credit: Reuters 8 Khabib showed off his champions belt back on home soil Credit: Getty - Contributor "Because we withheld one purse, we will have to move expeditiously to a complaint and hearing. "We have held 100 percent of one of the fighter's money, so the goal is to get the complaints out in the next 24 to 48 hours." Speaking of the attack on McGregor, Marnell said although Conor declined to press charges, he will be looking into taking action. "There are a lot of things here. Chaos reigns as Khabib Nurmagomedov beats Conor McGregor at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for UFC229 "There are a lot of charges that can be brought against a spectator who came over the barricade, through the commission section and into the octagon to strike a fighter three times. "For the record, I have a massive problem with that. That cannot happen. "We're taking a really hard look at that gentleman. "We know exactly who he is and where he is. I have to let the attorney general determine — is that trespassing, disturbing the peace? "That was a serious action and it deserves a serious consequence." 8 McGregor is led away from the octagon after his UFC 229 defeat Credit: Sportsfile - Subscription Khabib Nurmagomedov​ apologises for fighting in the crowd ​after beating Conor McGregor at UFC229 When asked if Khabib will be facing a fine or a suspension, Marnell said: "Both. It's always both. "We could do one or the other, but at least in the chair's mind, I think the commission will be entertaining a recommendation from the attorney general that will include both. "This is a serious issue, this is not a light issue. "This isn't, 'We smacked each other in the face in a hotel lobby the week of a fight.' "This is the night of the event, and it needs to stay inside that field of combat. "There are serious regulations and statutes about what took place, and the consequences have to match the actions."<doc-sep>A lot of things are up in the air following the ridiculous brawl at UFC 229. Does Zubaira Tukhugov still have a job in the UFC? Will Khabib Nurmagomedov be stripped of the lightweight title? Right now it’s all up to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, who announced earlier today that the incident is officially under investigation. Nevada Commission released a statement regarding the brawl at #UFC229 — basically saying it's under investigation and no further statement will be made pic.twitter.com/tqXUjDnhNS — Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) October 8, 2018 NAC will have a lot of different angles and footage to choose from in deciding how the punishment will be handed down. In preparation, the LA Times’ Lance Pugmire reported that the lightweight fighters will receive 10-day suspensions for their respective roles in the fracas. The Nevada Athletic Commission will deliver 10-day suspensions to Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor in short order as it begins in earnest its review of @TeamKhabib’s post-fight leap into the crowd Saturday night at @TMobileArena. — Lance Pugmire (@latimespugmire) October 9, 2018 It’ll be interesting to see how the NAC views each fighter’s actions. For his part, Conor has called for a rematch. Meanwhile, Khabib’s father has stronger opinions about the brawl then Khabib himself. The UFC “technically” has a lot of options. There’s always the rubber match between McGregor and Nate Diaz, and Tony Ferguson made a strong case for himself after his brilliant display in defeating Anthony Pettis. Nurmagomedov defeated McGregor via submission in the fourth round of the UFC 229 headliner.<doc-sep>

Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) has issued a statement after Khabib Nurmagomedov sparked a near-riot following his submission win over Conor McGregor in the main event of UFC 229 last Saturday night (Oct. 6, 2018) in Las Vegas, Nevada (see it). Indeed, “The Eagle” jumped over the Octagon and attacked Dillon Danis, who had been barking at Khabib prior and during the bout. Soon thereafter, all hell broke loose as punches were thrown blindly inches away from observant fans, media and trainers alike, while three of Nurmagomedov’s training partners attacked “Notorious” inside the Octagon. NSAC had this to say regarding them melee which ultimately was contained thanks to UFC and arena security, as well as Las Vegas police on hand. The Nevada State Athletic Commission’s (Commission) primary function is to regulate unarmed combat within the State of Nevada. The events that occurred on October 6, 2018 at the conclusion of the Nurmagomedov-McGregor contest—the main event of UFC 229—are currently under investigation by the Commission’s Executive Director, Bob Bennet. Neither the Commission nor its staff, including Executive Director Bennett, will comment on matters under investigation. Furthermore, after initially being lead to believe only Khabib and his camp would be investigated for the chaotic scene, the commission confirmed that a formal complaint would also be issued against McGregor for his part in adding fuel to the fire. Per the NSAC chairman, their respective hearings could go down as soon as next month. As it stands, Khabib’s paycheck of $2 million is still being withheld by NSAC until the investigation is complete. Once it’s released, “The Eagle” can expect to have to fork over a good chunk of his massive payday to the governing body. He could potentially lose his 155-pound title, as well.

EUGENE — The offseason destruction of Oregon’s softball roster continues. Days after Maggie Balint, who was expected to be the Ducks' ace pitcher this season, announced she was leaving the program, left fielder Alexis Mack is doing the same. Mack, a senior who began her career at South Carolina in 2016, will also sit out the 2019 season and will enter the NCAA transfer portal to finish her career in 2020. “To my 19 year old self, the girl with a hopeful heart and big dream — choosing to come to the University of Oregon will be the best decision of your life,” Mack wrote via Twitter. "I want to start off by saying I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have played alongside some of the best players and people, to have gotten to learn and grow from some of the best and most caring coaches in the country. I have gotten to fulfill my childhood dreams of playing on the same stage as the girls I looked up to and idolized, all the while making the best memories of my life. "Wearing the O on my chest has been an absolute privilege, it represents a culture of absolute excellence, and one that has been built and fought for by the amazing players and coaches before me. I have and never will take wearing this O for granted. That being said after anguishing and careful thought and consideration, I have decided to not play my final season with the University of Oregon. I plan to graduate this spring at Oregon and play my final season elsewhere as a graduate transfer. “I have incredible love and respect for my teammates, and wish them and the Oregon softball program nothing but success this season and in the future. However, I feel that due to the current circumstances and culture going into this upcoming season, it is no longer a place nor a good fit for me. I want to assure that I make my last season I will ever play full of love, smiles, and the best yet. I cannot thank the coaches who believed and empowered me, the players who filled me with constant love and happiness, and the fans who always uplifted me enough. Once a Duck always a Duck. As always and forever...Go Ducks.” Mack, who hit .369 and had a .418 on-base percentage with 12 RBIs and was 24 of 27 stealing bases last season, was expected to lead off and start in either left or center field for the Ducks this season. In 2017, she led the Ducks in batting average (.424) and on-base percentage (.497) and led the Pac-12 with 28 stolen bases. A two-time second team All-Pac-12 honoree, Mack was cited by teammates just last week as being among the players to help keep the team together amid the tumultuous offseason transfers in the fall. She is the eighth player to leave Oregon softball this offseason. She joins Miranda Elish, Lauren Burke, Shannon Rhodes and Mary Iakopo, who all left to play for former UO coach Mike White at Texas, Alyssa Pinto (Ole Miss), Balint and Megan Kleist, who is also completing her degree at Oregon before heading to Louisiana-Lafayette next season. Mack’s departures leaves Oregon with just 15 players in 2019, of which only juniors Mia Camuso and Haley Cruse were everyday starters in the field.<doc-sep>It took years, smarts and a lot of sweat for the University of Oregon to build a successful, rock-solid softball program. It took one decision to dismantle it. On Friday, first baseman Mia Camuso became the ninth player to leave the Ducks program since the departure of coach Mike White. He left last summer after winning five Pac-12 championships in six seasons. And by all accounts of those close to White, he and his wife didn’t want to go to Texas and start over. “He and his wife both wanted to stay and weren’t looking for the high bidder only fair treatment,” a close friend said. White was making $237,500 annually at Oregon. Texas offered him a base salary of $450,000. I don’t know what you’d have done, but White did what I’d have done. He went to his athletic department and asked them for a hefty raise that would match market value for his services. Then, he packed up and left. So did six of his players, who left in the fall. Now, three others have followed. Gone are the hitters, fielders and two- All-American pitchers. What’s left at Oregon is 14 roster players for new coach Melyssa Lombardi, hired from Oklahoma. Seven of them are freshman. Three are sophomores. No doubt, Lombardi has to be scouring the UO campus, asking, “Anyone play club softball?” Wrong question. Let’s try instead: “Why didn’t Oregon just pay White?" The Ducks football program assistant salary pool is $5.3 million, ranked No. 12 nationally. The softball coach must have known that football and men’s basketball account for more than 95 percent of the athletic department revenue on the typical college campus. But I can’t imagine it set well with him to walk into work every day, win on an unprecedented level, then ask for that raise and not get it. Oregon AD Rob Mullens told The Oregonian/OregonLive this month: “Mike was very up front with us; (he) came back to us and said, ‘hey I have an offer for ($500,000), will you match it?’ "We said, ‘we love what you’ve done, we’d love for you to stay, but we are not in a position to pay outlier salaries. So if there’s something in between there that we can do, we’d love to do it.’ He said, ‘I have an offer for 500, this changes my status, I think I’m worth it,’ and we said, ‘at this point we’re not in a position to be able to pay 500.’ He said, ‘well, I have an offer, I have to take it.’ We said, ‘we fully understand that, is there anything else we can do?’” Decide for yourself whether White was asking for an “outlier” salary. Golden rule: The market doesn’t lie. White went 435-111-1 in nine seasons at Oregon. Texas wanted some of that and was willing to pay for it. The Ducks, faced with tightening margins in the athletic department and sagging media right’s revenue from the Pac-12 Conference decided it would move on and hope for the best. It hired Lombardi. It got a line of players at the NCAA transfer portal. What’s evolved is a nightmare. The immediate six defections were one thing. Naturally, players follow a great coach. Especially one who believed in them, recruited them, grew them and won with them. But the three players who have since followed in recent weeks as news leaked suggest UO players felt misled by the university’s narrative. I sort of do, too. I believed that women’s athletics mattered to Oregon. I believed that the university knew it has a golden goose in White. I believed that he’d stay for another decade, be financially rewarded and perhaps win a national title. But I wonder now if Oregon’s failure to match White’s salary at Texas amounts to a Title IX violation. Probably not. But at the least, it’s bad optics. Remember, with Florida State chasing Willie Taggart in November 2017, the Ducks fell all over themselves trying to keep him. Taggart was still working in year one of a five-year, $16 million deal. He had seven wins. The Ducks, fearing an “outlier” offer from Florida State, offered to add a year to Taggart’s deal and bring him to an average of $4 million a year. Again, football is a revenue-producing monster. Oregon felt like it needed Taggart. But I’m wondering now, how all that played in the eyes of White, who coached circles around Taggart in their respective sports. Because six months later, he’d ask them for $200,000 more and get turned down. There may soon come a point when the Ducks wonder if they should just fold up this softball season and hope for 2020. The roster is dangerously thin. A couple of injuries or further transfers would leave the team without the NCAA-mandated nine players on the field. And how many innings can the young Ducks pitchers reasonably expect to pitch this season? Lombardi, who will make $325,000 in her first season, has work to do. None of this feels like her doing. It will be interesting to see if she can revive what amounts to a dead program. Mullens has to be kicking himself. But he can’t unwind the move and bring White and the players back. He has to publicly stand by it. Also, the ticket office at UO has to be answering calls from frustrated season-ticket holders wanting refunds. I don’t blame them. But this is how one of the best softball programs in the nation is living today. Lesson learned. We hope.<doc-sep>The nightmare offseason continues for Oregon's softball program. Two days after learning that ace pitcher Maggie Balint would exercise her right to transfer out of the program, star outfield Alexis Mack followed suit, according to a report from the Register Guard's Ryan Thorborn. The senior becomes the eighth player to leave the program in the months following Mike White's departure for Texas and the subsequent hiring of Oklahoma assistant Missy Lombardi. Per the Register Guard, she will enter the NCAA transfer portal "for consideration for the 2020 season". Of the eight transfers, only freshman Alyssa Pinto did not play a significant role during last year's run to the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City — the fifth such appearance under White. Oregon's transfer list now includes pitchers Megan Kleist, Miranda Elish and Balint, along with batters Shannon Rhodes, Lauren Burke, Mary Iakopo and Pinto. Elish, Rhodes, Iakopo and Burke are all now on the roster at Texas where White coaches. Mack started all 62 games last season and among the team's best offensive players in 2018. She led the team in stolen bases (24) and was second in batting average (.369) and in runs (43). She was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection last year. Oregon had nine all Pac-12 players on the roster in 2018, but only outfielder Haley Cruse remains. Four graduated while Kleist (first), Elish (first), Iakopo (second) and Mack (second) have now chosen to conclude their collegiate careers elsewhere. Mack was expected to hit near the top of the order again this season. She was likely the leading candidate to be the team's leadoff hitter. The loss brings the team to just 15 remaining players. Lombardi said last week that she'd like to have 20-22 players. The Ducks now barely have breathing room on the roster. The Ducks will carry 13 non-pitchers. Oregon opens play this season on Feb. 8 when it plays at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe. They'll play five games in three days.<doc-sep>Improbably the Oregon softball roster continues to diminish as the season nears. The ninth member of the team entered the NCAA softball transfer portal Friday morning. James Crepea of OregonLive had the initial report. First baseman Mia Camuso is the third player to transfer this week, joining pitcher Maggie Balint and outfielder Alexis Mack. The Ducks began practice last Tuesday in preparation for the season opener on Feb. 8. Since the transfer occurred during spring term, all three players will sit the 2019 season. The previous six had the opportunity to transfer and play immediately due to the transfer portal. Her departure brings the roster 14 players. That includes just 12 position players. Camuso was one of two returning starters still with the team after Mack departed. The lone remaining starter is Haley Cruse. Camuso was one of three student athletes to speak with the media last Tuesday on the dawn of spring practice. "I stayed because I really believe in Oregon," she explained. "I love Oregon with all my heart and I love the fans. That's the reason I stayed." The junior provided the most power of the returning players. She finished second on the team in 2018 with 12 doubles and was sixth with 24 runs batted in. She started 57 games at first base, and hit .294. The Ducks reached the Women's College World Series a year ago as the nation's No. 1 overall seed. But in the months following White's departure and Missy Lombardi's hiring, thing have gone south. The roster considered among the best in the country has been diminished to just a few returning players and a slew of freshman and transfers. Oregon's transfer list now includes pitchers Megan Kleist, Miranda Elish and Maggie Balint, along with batters Shannon Rhodes, Lauren Burke, Mary Iakopo, Alexis Mack and Alyssa Pinto. Elish, Rhodes, Iakopo and Burke are all now on the roster at Texas where White coaches. Oregon opens play this season on Feb. 8 when it plays at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe. They'll play five games in three days.<doc-sep>

EUGENE — Another day, another departure from the Oregon softball program. Mia Camuso, a junior first baseman and Oregon’s leading returning player in doubles (12) and RBI (24), became the third player to leave the Ducks this week, joining Maggie Balint and Alexis Mack in their decisions to sit out the 2019 season and transfer before resuming her career in 2020. Last week Camuso said she stayed at Oregon while six teammates left during the fall because, "I really believe in Oregon. I love Oregon with all my heart and I love the fans.” By Thursday afternoon, nine days later, the Redding, Calif. native was in the NCAA transfer portal. “I loved the University of Oregon from the moment I stepped on campus when I was just 14,” Camuso wrote via Twitter on Friday. “It was a dream come true when I was given the opportunity to be a member of the softball team. Unfortunately, due to events that have occurred throughout the past few months, I will not be continuing my collegiate career at Oregon, and will be playing my final two seasons somewhere else. I no longer feel that I can be the best, happiest version of myself with the current environment. This was not an easy decision for my family and me, but after much thought and consideration I feel it is the best one. "I will never forget the electric environment at The Jane, the moooooose chants before my at-bats, and throwing up the O to my teammates. I feel incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to play for the University of Oregon, and to have had some of the best teammates, coaches, and fans in the country. I will never forget the last two years as a duck, and the lifelong memories that I will always remember. And as always, go ducks.” She becomes the ninth player to leave the Oregon softball team this offseason, joining Miranda Elish, Lauren Burke, Shannon Rhodes and Mary Iakopo, who all left to play for former Ducks coach Mike White at Texas, Alyssa Pinto (Ole Miss), Megan Kleist, who is completing her degree at UO before transferring to Louisiana-Lafayette, Balint and Mack. Camuso hit .294 with 12 doubles, a home run and 24 RBIs last season and was in line to move from the bottom half of the batting order last season to the top half this season. She went 12 for 18 with two doubles, two home runs, nine runs scored, eight RBIs and four walks during Oregon’s eight fall games. Her departure leaves Oregon with just 14 players, including 12 position players and only junior right fielder Haley Cruse was an everyday starter last year.

Driving the No. 77 Mazda RT24-P DPi, Jarvis completed the 3.56-mile lap in just 1:33.685. This topples the previous benchmark set by P.J. Jones (1:33.875) in the All-American Racers Toyota Mk. III Eagle GTP car, a record that stood for 26 years. While doing so, Jarvis also gave Mazda its first overall pole position at Daytona as a manufacturer— 40 years after its first class win at the South Florida track. “The most important thing for us was to get the pole," Jarvis explained at the end of the session. "Since the Roar, I’ve gotten a better understanding of what it means to have the course record. For that record to stand for 26 years is incredible, and I wasn’t sure that we could beat it today because of the rain that we had this morning. I think for us and for Mazda Team Joest, it’s the icing on the cake because we worked so hard. There’s been no off-season, and this is the result of all the hard work that’s gone in back at the workshop. For me, it’s very special to achieve my first pole with Mazda, but also to beat such a longstanding, impressive record is something special." Mazda Team Joest will be accompanied on the front row by the No. 7 Acura ARX-05 DPi driven by Helio Castroneves, Alexander Rossi, and Ricky Taylor. The pair of Acura Team Penske entries qualified back to back with the No. 7 machine managing third, again being joined by another Mazda, the No. 55.<doc-sep>The technical problems that halted Filipe Albuquerque, who shares the #5 Cadillac DPi-V.R with Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi, after one out lap in qualifying on Thursday means the car will start the opening round of the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship from 11th position on the grid. "It doesn't really matter where you start, because there is plenty of time to make up the places," Barbosa told Motorsport.com. "It's not where you start, it's where you finish." Barbosa explained that the problem in qualifying was a locking right-rear brake caliper. "One of the rear brakes was locking, so Filipe had to come back into the pits," he said. "The rules don't allow the team to touch the car in qualifying, so there was no chance to fix it." Read Also: Cadillac drivers suspect Acura was sandbagging Barbosa, Albuquerque and Fittipaldi, who won last year's race in the Mustang Sampling-sponsored Caddy, were due to be joined by Toyota LMP1 driver Mike Conway this time. But visa problems have prevented Conway from making it to the USA, which means they will again contest the race as a trio. "Last year we won it three drivers, so that's still a good number," said Barbosa. "Maybe with four drivers it helps you all to be a bit more relaxed, but it's no big deal to do it with three." The race starts at 2:35pm local time (7.35pm GMT) today. #5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi, DPi: Joao Barbosa, Filipe Albuquerque, Christian Fittipaldi Photo by: Jake Galstad / LAT Images<doc-sep>Earlier this month at testing for the Rolex 24 at Daytona, a 26-year lap record fell...only it didn't. Mazda Motorsports driver Oliver Jarvis ran a 1:33.398 during the Roar Before the 24 test session,beating PJ Jones's 1:33.875 set in 1993 driving an AAR Eagle Mk III GTP, but since the time was set in practice, it wasn't official. Yesterday though, Jarvis made it official with a 1:33.685 that put his #77 car on pole for this weekend's race. We caught up with Jarvis to get an idea of what goes into a lap like this. It's a lot of work. "It's how the car feels in the first few corners that really makes it," Jarvis said. "Because if you've got confidence, you're able to push the limits everywhere and gain those extra couple of hundredths." Larry Chen/Mazda And while Jarvis set a blazing time in practice earlier this month, there was no guarantee that he'd be able to make it official for the 24. A lot of that is down to the many variables at Daytona that can add or take seconds to a lap time. "The wind direction can have a big influence. For example, we had rain yesterday morning—that actually meant the track wasn't in it's best condition," he said. "So I was surprised how quick the lap times were." There was also the fact that the Roar lap was done after days of practice, whereas Jarvis didn't enjoy the same luxury yesterday. It didn't prevent him from getting the job done. Rolex Rolex Jarvis did benefit from continuous development of his Mazda RT24-P, which was revised for this season, and is making more horsepower as a result of IMSA's decision to split the DPi and LMP2 classes. That move allowed DPi teams to turn the wick up a little bit this year. Mazda's partnership with Team Joest is also gelling after their first full year together last season. This year, Michelin has become the official tire supplier for IMSA and every team has seen quicker lap times consequently. Jarvis estimates that the new tires help shave a second or two off the lap time. Of course, qualifying is its own separate skill, and Jarvis was happy to share some of his method. "You do a lot of focusing before you go out on the lap, but once I'm out, it's each corner at a time. It's really about feeling...feeling where the grip is, where you can brake, 'I just locked a wheel—I need to release a little bit more,' carry a little bit more speed. It's really done on feel, but at the same time, you have to make that conscious decision to say, 'I'm gonna I'm gonna brake five meters later.' You do an out lap, you warm up the tires and in that out lap, that's almost the most important because that's where you get a feel and get the confidence. From there, you decide how you approach the timed lap, but the timed lap is about hitting the markers you know you can, hitting the apexes perfectly, and just trying to put everything into practice you've already done in the test." While pole position and a new lap record is great, there's still a 24-hour challenge ahead of Jarvis and Mazda. "We know pole doesn't mean anything in a 24-hour race, but for everyone's that's worked so hard—especially with today being an off day—it's nice to have that in your pocket already." Jarvis is quite pleased with his time, but he doesn't expect the record to hold for 26 years. It could fall this weekend during the race, or next year, in qualifying for the 2020 Rolex 24. Until then, he's the fastest man at the track. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>

Mazda backed up its ominous form at the Roar Before the 24 test earlier this month by securing pole for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship opener on Thursday, as Oliver Jarvis broke the lap record on his way to the top spot. Taylor put his #7 Acura ARX-05 second, only 0.188s behind the record-breaking benchmark laid down by Jarvis, while Juan Pablo Montoya in the sister #6 Acura likewise outqualified the second Mazda RT24-P driven by Jonathan Bomarito. Speaking to Motorsport.com, Taylor said Acura’s performance was “really encouraging” as he had been anticipating qualifying “amongst the Cadillacs” instead of challenging Mazda. “It was a pretty close margin, we didn’t think it would be that close in qualifying,” said Taylor. “I think we’re quite pleased to split the Mazdas. “I thought we’d be third, fourth, fifth; I thought we would be amongst the Cadillacs. But to be amongst the Mazdas is really encouraging. “Our game plan before the weekend was to let the Mazdas run away, but if we can race with them, that’s much nicer and takes a little bit of the pressure off. “Hopefully that’s the case and they don’t have anything more in the tank.” Wayne Taylor Racing’s Fernando Alonso, whose #10 car will start the Rolex 24 from sixth, voiced after qualifying concerns that Cadillac had been handed an unfavourable Balance of Performance in relation to turbocharged rivals Acura and Mazda. Taylor said he expected Cadillac to offer sterner opposition in qualifying but predicted the American brand will remain a force to be reckoned with come the race. “I thought they would be around us, but it’s so difficult to tell what people are doing throughout the weekend,” he said. “For sure they will be there in the race, their race pace is really strong. I don’t know what the #5 car [the Action Express car that didn’t set a lap] was doing, maybe they were saving tyres and thinking just about the race. “Cadillac has won this race many times, I’m sure they are going to be a factor.” Taylor also underlined he expects Acura Team Penske to be well in the mix for victory on Sunday now that the ARX-05 has had a year of development since making its race debut at the Rolex 24 in 2018. “Everybody expected Penske to come in and win the first time, but it’s such a difficult race to put everything together,” he said. "But with a year of racing, testing under our belts, [comparing] how prepared we were last year, it’s a whole new level this year. “We’re definitely expecting to be there at the end and fight for the win.”

Cristiano Ronaldo's first appearance in a Juventus shirt is likely to come on the opening weekend of Serie A, with the Portugal star set to skip their pre-season friendlies and dodge an early Real Madrid reunion. Juventus head to America later in July for three International Champions Cup friendlies against Bayern Munich (July 26), Benfica (July 28) and Real (August 4). But Ronaldo's break after playing in the World Cup with Portugal means he is currently in line to make his first appearance for Juventus in the curtain-raising Serie A weekend of August 18-19. Cristiano Ronaldo was presented as a Juventus player for the first time on Monday - he posed with his mother Dolores, girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez and son Cristiano Jnr Ronaldo is likely to dodge a Real Madrid reunion with his new club on August 4 The fixtures for the Italian season are to be announced on Friday. Ronaldo scored four goals in four games at the World Cup with Portugal, but they were knocked out in the second round by Uruguay. Ronaldo was unveiled as a Juventus player on Monday, after completing a £100m transfer from Real Madrid and signing a four-year contract last week. Ronaldo, 33, said: 'I am not sad to leave Real Madrid. I am here because I want a challenge. Players around my age are going to other countries like China. For this season I am so grateful for the option that Juventus gave me. 'I will try and show I am a top player. I will work hard. You all know my statistics. I'm ambitious. I don't want to be in a comfort zone. 'After Manchester United and Real Madrid, I'd now like to leave my mark on the history of Juventus. It was difficult in Manchester United and Real Madrid to win the Ballon d'Or but I want to be the best. Who knows? Maybe I can do it again if everything goes well. Ronaldo joined Juventus from Real Madrid in a £100m transfer, signing a four-year deal Ronaldo captioned social media posts of him with friends and family with the caption 'blessed' 'They have won domestic cups and Serie A titles, and they were in the final of the Champions League, so I am so proud to be here, I am so proud that they were interested in me. 'I hope I can give the best response on the field during matches, that's what I can do. I hope I can take them to an even higher level.' He posted a picture on Instagram on Tuesday at the Stadio Delle Alpi alongside girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez, mother Dolores and his son, captioned 'blessed'.<doc-sep>Cristiano Ronaldo said he is not obsessed with winning the Champions League but acknowledged he joined Juventus partly to help them claim the title for the first time in more than two decades. Ronaldo has won the competition five times, including in each of the last three seasons with Real Madrid, and while Juve have reached the final twice in the last four years, they have not won it since 1996. "I don't see the Champions League as an obsession," Ronaldo said at a news conference on Monday. "As the president has told me, it's not an obsession but a dream. I'm here to help Juventus make it come true. It's possible." Madrid beat Juve in the final in 2017, and their rematch in a quarterfinal tie last season was punctuated by an acrobatic overhead kick that gave them a 2-0 lead in the first leg at the Allianz Stadium. The majority of those in the arena rose from their seats to acknowledge what they had witnessed, and Ronaldo said that ovation made him think about a move to Juve. "I remember that goal, against 'my' club," Ronaldo told Sky Sport Italia. "I remember I was very happy, not just for having scored, but one detail which made a difference was how the fans applauded me, and that was a surprise. I didn't expect it. "I already liked this club, but after that moment, I liked it even more so. Juve are a great club and they've given me a great opportunity, so I don't think [signing] is just down to that goal, although it certainly helped. I told my agent that the only club I would leave Real for was Juventus." Just a few days later, Ronaldo's agent, Jorge Mendes, relayed that news to Juve sporting director Fabio Paratici, although he doubted a deal could be struck. "During the week, we spoke with his agent and he said, 'You know, he was touched by all that attention he received -- he was so touched that, one day, he'd like to come and play for Juve,'" Paratici told Sky Sport Italia. "I just said, 'Sure, I get it. There are plenty of dreams but not many come true.'"<doc-sep>Follow the major changes at the Nou Camp in our FREE Barca newsletter Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Cristiano Ronaldo spoke out about Lionel Messi while being presented to the Juventus fans on Monday, following his switch from Real Madrid. The Portuguese left the Spanish capital in a deal worth £88million this summer, but claims he is ambitious as he's always been as he looks to make his mark on Italy. "The nine years at Real Madrid were wonderful, but it's a brand new step in my life, so I thank all the supporters with my heart," he said at his unveiling. "But I have to focus on this next step. I'm looking forward to playing. I'm very motivated, concentrated and focused on that. (Image: Juventus/Instagram) "I'm going to try to show that I am a top player, as usual. I'm going to work hard in training. I don't think I have to show what I am more than that - you know my stats. "But I am very ambitious and I like challenges. I don't like to stay in my comfort zone, I like to seize new challenges. "After the experiences in Manchester and in Madrid, I'd like to mark the history of Juventus. I like challenges, again, and I hope everything will go very well." In addition to looking back on his career, Ronaldo also spoke out about the man considered to be his long-term rival: Lionel Messi. (Image: AFP) The two superstars have bounced off one another for the past nine years, with Ronaldo stealing the show at Real Madrid and Messi doing to the same at Barcelona. For the past ten years the pair have pretty much taken it in turns winning the Ballon d'Or, and have continually gone head to head for domestic and European supremcy. In leaving Real Madrid, Ronaldo's legendary rivalry with Messi has now come to an end. (Image: REX/Shutterstock) But when asked to reflect on this fact on Monday, Ronaldo had an interesting take on things, claiming it wasn't a rivalry at all. He said: "I do not see other players as rivals, that's not who I am. "It was a good challenge with Messi. All of you liked it and it was interesting. But I never saw it as a rivalry. You always want to give it your all for your team."<doc-sep>Cristiano Ronaldo's mother, Maria Dolores Aveiro, said she is delighted with her son's decision to join Juventus and denied reports she favoured a move back to Manchester United. Ronaldo, who was introduced by Juventus on Monday, was heavily linked to a move back to United after Real Madrid won the Champions League final, and it was reported Aveiro said she wanted Ronaldo to play at Old Trafford again if he were to leave Madrid. However, Aveiro told reporters after her son's presentation that she did not want him to return to the club he left in 2009 after six seasons. "It's a lie that I wanted him to return to Manchester United," she said. "It's not true. "I'm very happy with his choice. It's a very happy day for all of us. My son will make Juve even bigger. This is a new adventure and a new life. He enjoyed it at Real Madrid but he needed other challenges." Ronaldo ended his nine-year spell at Madrid amid a reported rift with club president Florentino Perez and signed a four-year contract with Juve. After the event, Aveiro posted a photo on her Instagram account of her family from inside the Allianz Stadium and expressed her admiration for her son's decision. "I'm so proud of being by your side at such an important time in your life," she wrote. "Thank you."<doc-sep>

Cristiano Ronaldo's mother has commented on her son's £99.3 million transfer to Juventus after there were reports that she wanted him to return to Manchester United. Ronaldo admitted his future was up in the air after he won a third Champions League in a row with victory over Liverpool in Kiev. It was suggested that Maria Dolores Aveiro had tried to convince the 33-year old to head back to Old Trafford, where he transformed into a global superstar after joining from Sporting CP in 2003. However, she has now denied those claims and explained that Juventus is the perfect destination for the next chapter in the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's career. Advert 10 "It's a lie that I wanted him to return to Manchester United," she told reporters at Ronaldo's unveiling in Turin. "It's not true. I'm very happy with his choice. It's a very happy day for all of us. My son will make Juve even bigger. This is a new adventure and a new life. He enjoyed it at Real Madrid but he needed other challenges." Loading… Advert 10 With no competition for his signature, Juventus were able to get the deal done very swiftly. Ronaldo has signed a four-year contract and will earn a reported €30 million per year. Image: PA He was officially announced as a Bianconeri player yesterday and says he hopes to take the domestically dominant side to a new level. "Juventus gave me a wonderful opportunity. I'm so grateful. They gave value to my football style so it's a step forward as I see it. Juventus can have many successes. They have won domestic cups and titles and reached Champions League finals. Advert 10 "I am so proud they were interested in me. I hope I can take Juventus to an even higher level."

Yakou Meite and John Swift scored in either half to give Reading passage to the next round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night, the Royals winning 2-0 over Birmingham City. First Half Any sense of expectations going into a first round League Cup tie against a divisional rival will always be set around the team selection, and with five changes to their opponent’s eleven, victory was to be demanded of Reading from the outset. For the first half, the game was played out exactly how those rotations would suggest. The hosts’ 4-4-2 creating enough pressure to keep Birmingham penned in with little by the way of a reply. Much of this was also down to Liam Moore’s return to the team, the only change in a back-four that basically only served to strengthen it. With a calm base to build from, Reading were held back by their final ball over anything else in the first 45 and Meite’s 11th minute strike came via the only real moment everything fell into place. Some neat one-touch passing between Sam Baldock and full debutant Marc McNulty sent the Frenchman through, and he drilled home at Lee Camp’s near-post. The Blues’ intent to sit back and edge through to penalties didn’t alter until after the break and, bar a poorly cleared set-piece, Sam Walker enjoyed a quiet start to life at the Madejski Stadium. Second Half Gary Monk sent his side out with much more edge in the second period, pushing Reading back with a Viv Solomon-Otabor header clearing the bar when it really should have levelled the match. From then on, the Royals got their act together and nearly made the most of the burgeoning creative partnership of McNulty and Baldock, when the former’s sharp cross somehow evaded his teammate with the goal at his mercy. With the former Coventry man’s ability to drop off and find space, albeit with a slight lack of end product at this moment in time, combined with Baldock’s pace and finishing ability, there is something to build up for Paul Clement going forward. Alas it was John Swift who secured the win, stepping up for a close-range free-kick to end an otherwise sloppy performance by curling the ball delicately over goalkeeper Camp. Birmingham enjoyed a couple of chances that Walker was more than a match for in the open final moments of the tie, John O’Shea being introduced to shore up the defence amid initially ironic cheers that turned into full blooded cries of affection after the Irishman made a number of intelligent interceptions. However it was Meite who he came on for, due to an injury for the goalscorer that added to Mo Barrow’s earlier substitution to add two more fitness doubts into Clement’s mind for the weekend clash with Bolton. Ultimately, though, it will be Reading’s name in the hat for the second round draw and a first win since April in any kind of first-team match was a warmly welcomed sight by the Madejski crowd.<doc-sep>Reading progressed into the second round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night with a comfortable 2-0 win over Birmingham City. Yakou Meite opened the scoring after just 11 minutes when he smashed the ball home first time from the edge of the area. John Swift then doubled Royals' advantage at Madejski Stadium when he curled an exquisite free-kick into the top right corner of the net from the edge of the area. Garry Monk's Birmingham, which featured 11 changes from the weekend defeat at Middlesbrough, rarely threatened throughout the match and only tested Reading debutant Sam Walker in the final few minutes. It was Reading's first victory of the season and a much-needed one after back-to-back losses in the league. Here is our verdict on how each Royals player fared. Walker 6 Handed his debut by boss Paul Clement following a summer move. Made a good save down low to his right after a shot by Mahoney in the first half and two excellent ones in the closing stages. Did not have a great deal to do generally. Kicking was not always accurate. Yiadom 6 Saw his fair share of the ball down the right and showed some lovely touches in the Birmingham half to get past left back Josh Dacres-Cogley. Moore 6 No signs of rustiness from the centre-back on his first appearance this season. Made a couple of superb blocks and his trademark diving headers out from the back. (Image: Get Reading) Ilori 6 Another solid defensive performance to keep Omar Bogle at bay. A couple of loose passes when playing a long ball forward, however. Blackett 6 Provided a reliable outlet on the left side and generally kept the lively Mahoney under control. Found substitute Jota a similar test but also managed to keep him at bay. Bacuna 6 Skied a 25-yard shot high and wide after just five minutes. Picked up an injury towards the end of the first half but carried on before being replaced in the dying stages. Distribution poor. Swift 7 Found the net with a pinpoint free-kick on 72 minutes from the edge of the area. Saw plenty of the ball and helped drive Royals forward. Corner kicks and passing need work, however. Barrow 6 Lasted less than half an hour before hobbling off injured with a possible hamstring problem. A real pity as he had been a real threat down both flanks. One run was especially eye catching, gliding past three players down the touchline before seeing a cross blocked and out for a corner. Meite 8 An outstanding display from the Ivorian and arguably his best in a Reading shirt. Took his goal superbly, firing in first time with a powerful shot, low into the corner of the net. Caused endless problems for the Birmingham defence through his sheer power and trickery down the wings. (Image: Get Reading) McNulty 7 Provided the assist for the first goal with a sublime chip over the defence, allowing Meite to sprint clear and score. Worked tirelessly all evening and should have had another assist when he laid the ball across goal for Baldock in the second half. Baldock 7 Showed plenty of energy throughout the game and linked up with McNulty for the first goal. Somehow missed an open goal midway through the second half though when a low cross in by McNulty found him unmarked, but he was unable to get a touch. SUBS O'Shea 5 Made one vital stop in the final few minutes to deny a shot at goal. Bizarrely cheered every time he touched the ball(!) Clement 6 Replaced Barrow shortly before the half hour mark down the left side. Good with his feet and got forward well. Rinomhota 5 Picked up a booking as the visitors looked to counter quickly down the middle. Don't forget to keep an eye out on our social media pages for more Royals news. Our Twitter page is @getreadingfc and we are also on Facebook: Reading FC - Get Reading.<doc-sep>The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Sign up NOW for daily Blues headlines straight to your inbox Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Birmingham City were dumped out of the Carabao Cup at the hands of Championship rivals Reading on Tuesday evening. Garry Monk reshuffled his pack for the match at the Madejski Stadium with no fewer than 11 changes made to his starting XI ahead of Swansea City’s visit to St Andrew’s on Friday night. Three players were making their Blues debuts while a further three were making their full debuts. But they were well beaten by a full strength Reading side thanks to goals from Yakou Meite and John Swift. Lee Camp - 5.5 The stand-in ‘keeper couldn’t have done much about Meite’s strike as the winger arrowed a right-footed shot in at the near post early on. Camp won’t be pleased with his work for Swift’s goal, though. It was the classic step to the right and beaten to the left scenario which leaves goalkeepers so frustrated. Wes Harding - 6 Harding had some good and bad moments in his first outing of the new season. His defensive work was impressive with the speedy Mo Barrow afforded little space to weave his magic before he succumbed to injury. But Harding’s work in Reading’s half wasn’t as successful. Dan Scarr - 6 A tough debut for the centre-back up against proven Championship goal-getter Sam Baldock. Meite managed to find space in behind Scarr for Reading’s 11th minute opener. Marc Roberts - 6.5 Roberts wasn’t having a bad evening until he tangled with a Reading attacker on the edge of Blues’ penalty area to concede a needless free-kick. Swift duly stepped up and fired home the Royals’ decisive second. Josh Dacres-Cogley - 6 It seems a little unfair to judge Dacres-Cogley at left-back given the fact he’d rather be anywhere else in Blues’ backline. On this occasion he did a job for the team and was reasonably solid. One mistake in the first half led to him fouling Marc McNulty and picking up a yellow card. Maikel Kieftenbeld - 5 Captain for the night Kieftenbeld never really got going. Passing isn’t his strongest attribute but the Dutchman lacked his usual bite tonight. Gary Gardner - 6 Crunching tackles and a bloody nose, it was an all-action display from Gardner on his Blues debut. The midfielder was eager to make an impression and put himself about but couldn’t drag Blues back into the game. He just shaded his personal duel with Kieftenbeld in midfield and may get the nod to partner Cheikh Ndoye against Swansea on Friday. Viv Solomon-Otabor - 5.5 More was expected of the winger tonight given his impressive pre-season performances and opening day goal against Norwich City. Solomon-Otabor should have scored in the second half but headed over from Mahoney’s cross in what was probably Blues’ best chance of the match. He’s likely to be used from the bench for the foreseeable future. Beryly Lubala - 6 The youngster didn’t enjoy the full debut he’d hoped for, but there’ll be many better days to come. Lubala always showed for the ball but might have done better with a few passes aimed in towards his chest. One effort towards the end was comfortably saved. Connor Mahoney - 7 A very encouraging night for the man on loan from Bournemouth. Mahoney had two of Blues’ best attempts with a free-kick that sailed narrowly over the bar and a low left-footed effort which beat Reading ‘keeper Sam Walker and the post. Omar Bogle - 6 Bogle worked hard up top but had to feed off scraps. You could see his frustration in patches, particularly when a ball didn’t drop for him inside the area towards the end of the first half. SUBS Jota (for Mahoney, 67) - 5 Jota, undoubtedly Blues’ most talented player, needs to find a way to make himself less predictable. He drifted in from the right too many times and just clipped a ball aimlessly into the box. Che Adams (for Bogle, 67) - 5.5 Adams had a great chance to pull a goal back after 85 minutes but couldn’t beat Walker from close range. Charlie Lakin (for Gardner, 75) - 5 Not enough time to really make an impression. Subs not used: Trueman, Maghoma, Ndoye, Seddon<doc-sep>The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Click to play Tap to play Sign up NOW for daily Blues headlines straight to your inbox Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Garry Monk has made 11 changes to his Birmingham City team for tonight’s Carabao Cup clash against Reading. The Blues manager has prioritised the Championship and rested a host of his first team stars ahead of Swansea City’s visit to St Andrew’s on Friday night. There are, however, full debuts for new signings Lee Camp, Gary Gardner, Connor Mahoney and Omar Bogle. Aston Villa loanee Gardner travelled to Middlesbrough on Saturday but wasn't included in the squad as Blues went down 1-0. Former Cardiff City ‘keeper Camp replaces Connal Trueman, while Mahoney and Bogle come in for Jacques Maghoma and Lukas Jutkiewicz respectively. Former Stourbridge defender Dan Scarr, who spent last season on loan at Wycombe Wanderers, also makes his Blues debut. Dutch midfielder Maikel Kieftenbeld captains the team in Michael Morrison's absence. Blues (4-4-1-1): Camp; Harding, Scarr, Roberts, Dacres-Cogley; G Gardner, Kieftenbeld; Mahoney, Lubala, Solomon-Otabor; Bogle Subs: Trueman, Ndoye, Seddon, Lakin, Maghoma, Jota, Adams<doc-sep>

Reading picked up their first win in more than four months to progress into the second round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night. An eight-game winless run - stretching back to the end of last season - was halted in fine fashion as Royals ran out 2-0 winners over Birmingham City. Yakou Meite and John Swift were on target at Madejski Stadium to give Reading a much-needed victory. Paul Clement's side dominated the game for large spells with Meite at the heart of all the good work going forward, ensuring the result never looked in doubt. Here are five things you may have missed from the match. Injury curse strikes again Both of Reading's wingers - Mo Barrow and Yakou Meite - left the field early due to injuries. Barrow went off with a groin problem in the first half while Meite was withdrawn in the final minutes due to a rib injury. Clement downplayed the injuries in his post-match press conference but will be hoping neither are too serious, especially as all of the other senior wingers are currently sidelined. O'Shea's cult status Veteran defender John O'Shea made his Royals debut, coming on as a late sub for Meite. Quite bizarrely, the 37-year-old appears to have secured cult status with the fans already with a loud cheer being roared every time he touched the ball. Why fans did this remains to be seen, but the Irishman also has a song and seems to be a real favourite with Reading supporters following a switch earlier in the summer from Sunderland. Walker's assured debut Another player to make his Reading debut on the night was goalkeeper Sam Walker. The former Colchester United man did not have a great deal to do but importantly came to the fore in the final stages with some fine stops from close range. It's too early to say if he will replace Vito Mannone as Royals' no.1 but it was a solid, confident performance, showing he can step up to the first team when needed. Rinomhota's chance Young midfielder Andy Rinomhota was given another chance to impress, coming on as a late substitute. He was given the final 15 minutes of the game and his presence shows he is highly rated by Clement. (Image: Eddie Greville) Whether his development remains at Reading, however, is open to question as it is difficult to see him being no more than a bench player. Fans have said they would like to see more of the U23 players being given a chance but this is probably the best they are going to get - a fleeting appearance in a cup match. Monk's disregard for the cup Understandably, like Reading, Birmingham's priority for this season is doing well in the Championship. Blues boss Garry Monk made 11 changes to his team from the weekend defeat at Middlesbrough. The manager was hardly visible in the dugout all evening, instead sitting through his side's mostly drab display. If it were a league game, he would no doubt have been doing a lot more to help try and get them back in the game. But if your manager doesn't appear to care about the competition, surely it doesn't send out a very good signal to players or fans? Don't forget to keep an eye out on our social media pages for more Royals news. Our Twitter page is @getreadingfc and we are also on Facebook: Reading FC - Get Reading.

PM Modi is on a two-day visit to China primarily to attend the SCO summit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Qindao today on a two-day visit primarily to attend the annual summit of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation or SCO which is likely to deliberate on several pressing global issues including future of Iran nuclear deal, the impact of US sanctions on Russia and situation in the Indo-Pacific region.It is PM Modi's second visit to China in little over five weeks. He was in the Chinese city of Wuhan on April 27 and 28 to attend an informal summit with President Xi Jinping.Diplomats said the summit is also likely to explore ways to deepen cooperation among the SCO member countries in dealing with threats of terrorism, extremism, and radicalisation besides delving into issues relating to trade, investment, and connectivity.It is for the first time the Indian prime minister will be attending the SCO summit after India along with Pakistan became a full-fledged members of the grouping, jointly dominated by China and Russia, which has been increasingly seen as a counter to NATO.The SCO currently has eight member countries which represents around 42 per cent of the world's population and 20 per cent of the global GDP.Besides PM Modi, other leaders attending the summit in this picturesque coastal city of China's Shandong province include President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain.In his address at the SCO, PM Modi, is likely to articulate India's position on dealing with major challenges facing the world including ways to tackle terrorism, and boosting trade and investment in the region.The summit in this Chinese port city is taking place under the shadow of Washington's pull out from the Iran nuclear deal, its sanction regime against Russia and frictions with China over the trade tariff dispute and diplomats said all these issues may figure at the summit as well as during deliberations on its sidelines.In the wake of Washington's strained ties with Russia, China and Iran, officials said the SCO summit will provide an opportunity for President Xi and his Russian counterpart Putin to reflect on a common vision for the region and present the bloc as a powerful voice to deal with pressing global issues.The situation in the Indo-Pacific may figure in the talks but it is unlikely that the issue will find a mention in the SCO outcome document.Officials said the US pull out from the Iran nuclear deal, Washington's sanctions against Russia under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) may also figure in the talks. The sanctions have impacted Russia's defence cooperation with a number of countries including India.The SCO leaders are also expected to review the situation in the Korean peninsula, Afghanistan and Syria.Officials said India will pitch for evolving effective ways to deal with the growing challenge of terrorism and enhancing security cooperation among SCO countries.India is also keen on deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS) which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence.India was an observer at the SCO since 2005 and has generally participated in the ministerial-level meetings of the grouping which focus mainly on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian region.The officials said India is also likely to focus on importance of regional connectivity projects to boost trade among members of the SCO countries. India has been strongly pushing for connectivity projects like the Chabahar port project and International North-South Transport Corridor to gain access to resource-rich central Asian countries.PM Modi is expected to hold nearly half a dozen bilateral meetings with leaders of other SCO countries. However, there is no official word on whether there will be any interaction between PM Modi and Pakistan President Hussain, who is scheduled to attend the meeting in China. The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became its members last year.<doc-sep>Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Qingdao in China on Saturday. (Photo: Facebook/@narendramodi) Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Qingdao in China on Saturday. (Photo: Facebook/@narendramodi) Chinese President Xi Jinping has accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invite to India for an informal summit next year, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said on Saturday. While addressing the media on the meeting between the leaders of the two Asian giants, Gokhale said India has agreed to open Bank of China’s first branch in Mumbai. PM Modi met and held bilateral talks with President Jinping, minutes after he landed in China’s Qingdao to attend the two-day 18th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit earlier in the day. The two leaders discussed and took stock of the progress in the implementation of decisions they had taken during the informal summit in Wuhan last month. They also signed two Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) related to sharing of hydrological information on Brahmaputra and export of non-Basmati rice to China. Modi also met Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and discussed a range of topics to further strengthen the bilateral ties. Read | Narendra Modi in China: PM signs two MoUs with Xi, says meeting will add vigour to bilateral ties Modi is accompanied by National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval. The duo were welcomed by Indian officials after they landed at Qingdao airport. The SCO Summit will be India’s first as a full member since it became the part of the eight-member SCO nations — India, Pakistan, China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan — last year. The member nations are likely to take up regional cooperation against terrorism for discussion. India has been raising the issue of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in various multilateral forums with an aim to build pressure on Islamabad to dismantle the terror infrastructure operating from that country. Read | A test and a chance: why SCO matters<doc-sep>Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said he had detailed discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping on bilateral and global issues. Qingdao: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said he had detailed discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping on bilateral and global issues which will add further vigour to the India-China friendship after their "milestone" informal summit in Wuhan. An MoU on sharing hydrological information of the Brahmaputra river by China to India and another pact on amendment of the protocol on phytosanitary requirements for exporting rice from India to China to include non-Basmati rice were signed after the Modi-Xi talks in the eastern Chinese port city. During their meeting, which came nearly six weeks after the Wuhan summit, the two leaders discussed a blueprint for deepening the bilateral relationship and reviewed the implementation of decisions they had taken in the central Chinese city. The meeting took place ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit and covered key aspects of the bilateral engagement, reflecting the resolve by the two countries to reset relations and bring back trust in their ties which was hit by the Doka La standoff and several other thorny issues. "Met this year's SCO host, President Xi Jinping this evening. We had detailed discussions on bilateral and global issues. Our talks will add further vigour to the India-China friendship," Modi tweeted after the meeting. Recalling that he and Prime Minister Modi successfully had an informal meeting and reached important consensus in Wuhan, President Xi said the meeting had been well received by both countries and the international community, and a positive atmosphere is taking shape to pay close attention to and support the development of China-India relations. China is willing to work with India to take the Wuhan meeting as a "new starting point" to continuously enhance political mutual trust and engage in mutually beneficial cooperation across the board, so as to push forward China-India relations in a better, faster and steadier manner, Xi was quoted as saying by China's state-run Xinhua news agency. Briefing the media on the Modi-Xi meeting, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said it was "very positive and forward looking" with both leaders lauding the spirit of the Wuhan summit. President Xi has accepted Prime Minister Modi's invitation for an informal summit in India in 2019, Gokhale said, adding that the dates and other formalities will be worked out later through diplomatic channels. China's defence minister as well as the Minister for Public Security will visit India. The two leaders agreed to maintain strategic communications and meet on the sidelines of international meetings. The next Modi-Xi meeting would take place in South Africa in July on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, he said. India and China have agreed to set up a mechanism to enhance people-to-people exchanges. The new mechanism would be headed by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Chinese State Councilor Wang Yi. The first meeting of the new mechanism would be held this year, Gokhale said. The meeting between the leaders of two Asian powers came after their informal summit in the Chinese city of Wuhan to solidify the relationship in a broad spectrum of areas and ensuring better coordination between the border guarding forces of the two countries after the Doklam standoff. After their talks in Wuhan, Modi and Xi had decided to issue "strategic guidance" to their militaries to strengthen communications to build trust and understanding as part of efforts to avoid a Doka La-like situation in the future. The two leaders had also discussed ways to give impetus to their economic ties as well as people-to-people relations. Luo said it was the 14th meeting between the two leaders over past four years. Modi arrived in Qingdao on a two-day visit to attend the annual SCO summit. The ties between the two neighbouring nuclear powers had nosedived following last year's Doklam standoff as well as due to a number of other issues issues including China blocking India's move to get Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar banned by the UN and its opposition to India's bid for the Nuclear Suppliers Group membership. China's Belt and Road Initiative was also strongly opposed by India as part of it goes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Troops of India and China were locked in the 73-day standoff in Doklam since June 16 last year after the Indian side stopped the construction of a road by the Chinese Army in the disputed area. Bhutan and China have a dispute over Doklam. The face-off had ended on August 28. However, there have been concerted efforts by both sides to reset ties leaving behind the Doklam episode. Last week, Modi had said that Asia and the world will have a better future when India and China work together with trust and confidence while being sensitive to each other's interests. Modi also said that an "Asia of rivalry" will hold the region back while an Asia of cooperation will shape the current century. The prime minister's comments at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore were appreciated by China. It is for the first time the Indian prime minister will be attending the SCO summit after India along with Pakistan became full-fledged members of the grouping last year.<doc-sep>Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a two-day visit to China for the annual meeting of the Council of Heads of States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The SCO Summit 2018 is currently underway in Qingdao, China. During the summit, India signed various pacts and agreements with the member countries including host nation China. Prime Minister Modi held nearly half a dozen bilateral meetings with leaders of other SCO countries. Here's what has happened so far President Xi Jinping has suggested to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that China and India should set up a new bilateral trade target of USD 100 billion by 2020. According to data of the Chinese General Administration of Customs, India-China bilateral trade reached USD 84.44 billion last year. The bilateral trade in 2017 rose by 18.63 per cent year-on-year to reach USD 84.44 billion. New Delhi and Beijing had earlier set a bilateral trade target of USD 100 billion by 2015. An agreement was signed between China's General Administration of Customs and India's Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare on Phytosanitary requirements for exporting rice from India to China. The 2006 Protocol on Phytosanitary Requirements for Exporting Rice from India to China has been amended to include the export of non-Basmati varieties of rice from India. At present, India can only export Basmati rice to China. India and China signed bilateral agreement on continuing the sharing of hydrological data on the Brahmaputra river - which China stopped last year. In 2017, China had refused to share information on the movement, distribution and quality of water for the Brahmaputra river without which India couldn't prepare for the massive floods that hit the Indian region. Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale today said that China is looking at enhancing agricultural exports from India including non-Basmati rice and sugar. China has also agreed to encourage India's pharmaceutical companies to register for high quality pharma products in its market. This is an important development as India has been pressing for greater pharma exports into China. Prime Minister Modi invited the Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev to join the International Solar Alliance- an initiative announced in 2015 whose primary objective is to work for efficient exploitation of solar energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Prime Minister Modi called for respect for sovereignty, economic growth, connectivity and unity among the members of the SCO. The Prime Minister coined an acronym 'SECURE' which he explained: S' for security for citizens, E' for economic development, C' for connectivity in the region, U' for unity, R' for respect of sovereignty and integrity, E' for environment protection. PM Modi talked about the importance of linking the region with transport corridors and said connectivity does not only mean geographical link but a way to ensure people-to-people contact. "India welcomes any such project which is inclusive, sustainable and transparent. And which respects member states' sovereignty and territorial integrity," Modi said in a veiled dig at China's One Belt One Road project. Prime Minister Modi also met Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain after a press conference by the leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meet. Modi and Hussain were among the leaders who attended the media briefing after culmination of the 18th SCO summit where India and Pakistan participated as full-fledged members. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for efforts to give full play to the role of the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group to facilitate peace and reconstruction in war-torn Afghanistan. He said that the SCO members need to build a powerful engine to achieve common development. China will set up a 30-billion-yuan (USD 4.7 billion) equivalent special lending facility within the framework of the SCO Inter-bank Consortium. In the next three years, China will provide 3,000 training opportunities of human resources development for SCO member states to enhance public understanding of and support for the SCO family. The SCO currently has eight member countries - China, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russian, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan - which represents around 42 per cent of the world's population and 20 per cent of the global GDP. (With inputs from PTI)<doc-sep>

PM Narendra Modi departs for India from #Qingdao, China. He participated in annual summit of Shanghai Cooperation O… https://t.co/Y53geKdc04 — ANI (@ANI) 1528623697000 QINGDAO: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today left for home after wrapping up his two-day visit to China during which he attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit and held nearly half a dozen bilateral meetings, including with President Xi Jinping.It is for the first time the Indian prime minister attended the SCO summit after India along with Pakistan became full-fledged members of the grouping, jointly dominated by China and Russia, which has been increasingly seen as a counter to NATO On the sidelines of the summit, Modi met President Xi during which they agreed to hold the next informal summit in India next year besides resolving to continue efforts to ensure peace and tranquility along the border.The Prime Minister also held bilateral talks with leaders from Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.He also shook hands with Pakistan President Manmoon Hussain and exchanged pleasantaries.In his address at the plenary session of the 18th SCO summit here, Modi called for respect for sovereignty, economic growth, connectivity and unity among the members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).He also coined an acronym 'SECURE' which he explained: 'S' for security for citizens, 'E' for economic development, 'C' for connectivity in the region, 'U' for unity, 'R' for respect of sovereignty and integrity, 'E' for environment protection.The SCO currently has eight member countries which represents around 42 per cent of the world's population and 20 per cent of the global GDP.The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became its members last year.

* Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely!<doc-sep>— At the Neshoba County Fair in August 2018, U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker sought to assure a suspicious, conservative crowd of his allegiance to President Donald Trump's agenda. Some in the crowd booed and waved Mississippi state flags at the white-haired Republican who, three years earlier, had drawn ire after he called for changing that flag to rid it of Confederate imagery. Instead of retreating from that view, Wicker spent his 2018 re-election campaign touting his pro-Trump voting record. On Thursday, though, Mississippi's senior senator defied Trump on the president's most central campaign promise when he voted against Trump's national emergency declaration to build a border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. He joined 11 other Republicans and every Democratic senator to pass a resolution blocking the move. Moments after the resolution passed, Trump sent out a one word tweet: "VETO!" he wrote. In a statement Thursday, Wicker said he had held "very cordial conversations with the president" ahead of the vote and "strongly supports" building a wall, but believes "an emergency declaration was the wrong approach." Trump's declaration raised concerns that it violates the Constitution's separation of powers, which grants Congress the power to appropriate funds—not the president. Trump's declaration would take funds that Congress appropriated for other purposes and use them to construct a wall the Democratic-controlled body did not approve. Since Congress passed it in 1976, the National Emergency Act has typically been used in response to disease epidemics like swine flu or natural disasters like wildfires, earthquakes or hurricanes. A president has never used it to bypass a Congress that denied him funding due to a policy disagreement. "I am concerned about the precedent an emergency declaration sets, which might empower a future liberal president to declare emergencies to enact gun control or to address 'climate emergencies,' or even to tear down the wall we are building today," Wicker said in Thursday's statement. That argument echoed one many Democrats have also made. Last month, California Sen. Kamala Harris, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, called Trump's wall a "vanity project," and listed what she called "real national emergencies," including climate change and gun violence. If allowed to go forward, Trump's declaration could set a precedent that could come back to haunt Republicans. "I regret that we were not able to find a solution that would have averted a challenge to the balance of power as defined by the Constitution," Wicker said in his statement. "The system of checks and balances established by the Founders has preserved our democracy. It is essential that we protect this balance even when it is frustrating or inconvenient." During the 2018 campaign, Wicker would often point the data analytics gurus at FiveThirtyEight, who found he had voted for Trump's agenda about 96 percent of the time. It had already dropped some since the election, but after Wicker's vote today, his pro-Trump score in the newly elected Congress fell to 80 percent. Mississippi's other U.S. senator, Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, voted against the measure. Like Wicker, she spent the 2018 election highlighting her loyalty to Trump. There is a difference, though: While Wicker will not face re-election until 2024, Hyde-Smith must run for re-election next year. Her 2018 race was to finish out the final two years of former Sen. Thad Cochran's term. He retired last March for health reasons. In a statement after the vote Thursday, Hyde-Smith said Trump was "justified" in his use of the national emergency powers. "An emergency declaration may not be an ideal course of action, but an objective look at surging unlawful border crossings and illegal drug trafficking indicates we are facing a crisis that will get worse before it gets better," she said. "This is a serious issue. The citizens of this country would be better served if Congress worked together to address this humanitarian and border security crisis, rather than using the issue to score political points." The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did report a surge in the number of undocumented immigrants entering the country illegally in February. However, much of that can be attributed to the administration's policies. In the past, refugees families could apply for asylum at ports of entry. Late last year, the administration shut down numerous ports, leaving asylum seekers with fewer options. At those that remain open, they are put on waiting lists, a practice known as "metering." As a result, more refugee families are crossing the border and turning themselves into border agents to apply for asylum. DHS is reporting those families as having entered illegally. In a report last year, the department itself admitted that "metering" causes a rise in illegal border crossings. "According to one Border Patrol supervisor, the Border Patrol sees an increase in illegal entries when aliens are metered at ports of entry. Two aliens recently apprehended by the Border Patrol corroborated this observation, reporting to the OIG team that they crossed the border illegally after initially being turned away at ports of entry," the report said. Overall, though, illegal border crossings have fallen to historic lows in recent years. In 2017, border agents apprehended 303,916 people entering the border illegally—the lowest number since 1971. For comparison, back in 2000, agents apprehended nearly 1.7 million illegal entrants. Hyde-Smith's pro-Trump ranking at FiveThirtyEight is now 90 percent, down from a perfect 100 percent pre-election. It took a hit after she voted on Feb. 4 to disapprove of Trump's planned withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and Syria. Wicker also voted against Trump on that measure. If the president does veto the measure as he has promised, the Senate will be shy of the two-thirds majority it would need to override it. In the House, all three of Mississippi's Republican representatives voted with Trump and against the resolution, including Reps. Steven Palazzo, Michael Guest and Trent Kelly. Mississippi's lone Democratic congressman, Rep. Bennie Thompson, voted for the resolution. Thompson chairs the U.S. House committee that oversees DHS, and has repeatedly criticized the department's treatment of the asylum seekers at the border, including two immigrant children who died in border patrol custody in December. Follow state reporter Ashton Pittman on Twitter @ashtonpittman. Email story tips to [email protected].<doc-sep>WASHINGTON (WTVA) - U.S. Senator Roger Wicker is expressing concerns about President Trump's use of an emergency declaration to free up money to pay for construction of a border wall with Mexico. Wicker tweeted Tuesday he supports efforts to get a wall built, but he's concerned about the way the president is going about getting that funding. "I commend the president for his efforts to secure our nation's border quickly," said Wicker on Twitter. "However, I have serious reservations as to what the emergency declaration might do to the constitutional principle of checks and balances." "The precedent we set this year might empower a future liberal president to declare emergencies to enact gun control or to address ‘climate emergencies’ or even to tear down the wall we are building today," the senator added. Wicker is among 15 Republican senators who have introduced legislation that would give Congress more power in limiting emergency declarations. Any future declaration would have to be approved by Congress for it to continue past 30 days. The measure would not apply to the current effort by the president. However, the bill could prevent some Republicans in the Senate from voting Thursday for a Democratic resolution that would block Trump's use of an emergency resolution for the border wall. Wicker, of Tupelo, has not publicly said how he would vote on that resolution.<doc-sep>

Sen. Roger Wicker was one of 12 Republicans to side with Democrats Thursday, passing a resolution against President Donald Trump's emergency declaration to build a border wall. The vote will likely force Trump's first veto of his presidency. Wicker sent out a statement Thursday afternoon, saying he supports a border wall but expressed concerned about the precedent a national emergency would set, not only during the current presidency, but future ones as well. “I had very cordial conversations with the President yesterday and this morning. I shared with him that I strongly support his plan to build walls on our southern border, but that an emergency declaration was the wrong approach," the statement read. "The President already has almost $6 billion available that can be used to build border walls. For over 20 years in the House and Senate, I have voted for funds to build more than 600 miles of border structure, and I look forward to working with President Trump on additional border security measures. “I am concerned about the precedent an emergency declaration sets, which might empower a future liberal President to declare emergencies to enact gun control or to address ‘climate emergencies,’ or even to tear down the wall we are building today.” “I regret that we were not able to find a solution that would have averted a challenge to the balance of power as defined by the Constitution. The system of checks and balances established by the Founders has preserved our democracy. It is essential that we protect this balance even when it is frustrating or inconvenient." Wicker on Monday posted a series of tweets suggesting he would vote for the resolution. Mississippi junior Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, a staunch Trump ally whom the president endorsed in her midterm election to the seat last year, voted against the resolution. Via emailed statement, Hyde-Smith said, in part, "This is a serious issue. The citizens of this country would be better served if Congress worked together to address the humanitarian and border security crisis, rather than using the issue to score political points." More:Gov. Phil Bryant, Rep. Bennie Thompson spar over who gets credit for Evers home monument More:Elizabeth Warren's Mississippi 'town hall' closed to public, media More:Ole Miss leading a fight against 3 children over land passed down for 5 generations Contact Sarah Fowler at 601-961-7303 or sfowler@gannett.com. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Moore, a firm favourite at the Hawthorns as both a player and manager, has paid the price after a run of bad results dented Albion's promotion hopes. Chief executive Mark Jenkins said in a statement on the club's website: "This has been an enormously difficult decision. He took over at a very difficult time last season and reunited the club, a contribution that will never be forgotten. Serie A The Warm-Up: Serie A gets the green light to return, as Pards denies bonus report 27/04/2020 AT 07:47 "But we have made it clear from the outset that everything this season was geared to making as swift a return to the Premier League as possible." West Brom are fourth in the table on 61 points, nine points outside the top two automatic promotion spots but still in the thick of the battle for playoff places. After a good start to the season, though, they have won just four of their past 12 league games and were held 1-1 at home by bottom club Ipswich Town on Saturday. Moore, who played for West Brom between 2001-6, took charge of the team after the departure of manager Alan Pardew in April 2018 and was later appointed after leading Albion's valiant but ultimately doomed effort to avoid Premier League relegation. YOU CAN WATCH EFL ON QUEST EVERY SATURDAY AT 9PM. ALSO LIVE AND ON DEMAND VIA QUESTOD AT QUESTOD.CO.UK AND VIA THE QUESTOD APP. Football Pardew rubbishes ADO Den Haag bonus payment claims 26/04/2020 AT 12:18<doc-sep>West Bromwich Albion have decided to part company with head coach Darren Moore following a disappointing run of winless games. The club released an official statement announcing that Moore, alongside assistants, Graeme Jones and Wayne Jacob have been relieve of their duties. The decision came following the club’s disappointing home draw with bottom of the table Ipswich town, extending their winless streak into three games, with their last victory came against Aston Villa in the derby. The Baggies have won just four of their 12 league games, which leaves the club nine points away from direct promotion places, following defeats to their promotion rivals as Sheffield United and Leeds United. The 44-year old former defender was appointed as West Brom caretaker last April following the sack of Alan Pardew, before earning the job permanently despite not being able to save the club from relegation from the Premier League. “This has been an enormously difficult decision for a Club which will always hold Darren in such high regard,” Chief Executive Mark Jenkins said in a statement. “He took over at a very difficult time last season and reunited the Club, a contribution that will never be forgotten,” “Unfortunately Darren has not been able to engineer the consistency of form and results to convince the board that this objective would be met,” “After discussions with our owners, the difficult decision to make a change was taken. Darren’s dedication over the last 12 months is not underestimated and there will always be a welcome for him at The Hawthorns,” The club announces that the Baggies’ first team coach James Shan has been appointed as an interim manager as the club is looking for naming a new coach as soon as possible. West Bromwich are currently in the fourth position with 61 points, nine points away from Leeds United, who occupy the second position, before hosting Swansea City in the net round.<doc-sep>West Bromwich Albion have dismissed Darren Moore as their manager. Former Aston Villa striker Stan Collymore has taken to Twitter to give his reaction to West Bromwich Albion’s decision to dismiss Darren Moore. As announced on West Brom’s official website on Saturday evening, Moore has been relieved of his managerial duties at The Hawthorns. West Brom are fourth in the Championship table at the moment with 61 points from 36 matches. Collymore has criticised the Baggies’ decision to dismiss Moore and has praised him for his impact at the club. Eddie Howe's Celtic due diligence: A major breakthrough? This content could not be loaded Sad to see Mooro sacked at Albion. Had to rebuild confidence in the dressing room, rekindle supporter belief and mould it all together to compete. They’re competing. Another example of administrative idiocy rather than common sense. Good luck @DarrenMooro, you’ll be back — Stan Collymore (@StanCollymore) March 9, 2019 Strange decision? West Brom have one of the best squads in the Championship, and the club’s board will have expected the team to finish in the top two this season following their relegation from the Premier League at the end of the 2017-18 campaign. Although the Baggies look set to finish in the playoffs, they are unlikely to end up in the automatic promotion spots; West Brom are nine points behind second-placed Leeds and seven points behind third-placed Sheffield United. Perhaps the West Brom chiefs want a manager with experience in the Championship who can guide the club to promotion via the playoffs. In other news, 'Unfortunately': Southgate shares how Tottenham's Eric Dier reacted to England snub<doc-sep>West Brom sacked Darren Moore despite being in the top four, so what was the thinking behind the decision? Adam Bate takes a look at a hugely controversial call by the Championship promotion hopefuls... The news that Darren Moore had been sacked by West Brom following the club's 1-1 draw against Ipswich sparked an outcry from the wider public with the fact that he was one of the few black managers in the Football League only adding to the furore. Moore, in his first job in management, had guided the Baggies to fourth in the Championship with a seven-point cushion on Bristol City in seventh. A glorious day at Wembley was still well within his reach. So what was it that prompted West Brom to make this decision with just 10 games of the regular season remaining? And why is fan feeling is so mixed? Here, we take a look at the lie of the land in the Black Country… In the club statement announcing the decision, West Brom outlined their reasoning by pointing out that they had "won just four of their last 12 league games" - a run that all but ended their automatic promotion hopes. The last three defeats have come against Middlesbrough, Sheffield United and Leeds - the three teams around them in the table. What is a little surprising about this recent downturn in results is that Moore appeared to have managed the transition to the Championship well. The hard work had been done. Upon taking caretaker charge in the spring, he was clearly the catalyst for a dramatic turnaround in form - taking seven points from games against Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham as the Baggies briefly threatened the greatest of escapes. But the even tougher task was coping with the subsequent upheaval that followed the club's relegation. 5:51 The Sunday Supplement panel on whether the decision to sack Moore was harsh Speaking to Moore in December, he was frank about the problems that he had inherited. "It was a hard summer," he told Sky Sports. "We didn't have a recruitment team in and we didn't have a technical director. My assistant Graeme Jones didn't join us until two days before the start of the season. "It was an incredible experience to be relatively on your own in a club of this magnitude with those key personnel missing. There was a lot to take in because of the scale of the football club and I felt like it was just me and the chief executive. So predominantly it was a case of settling the team down and building a team ethos and philosophy, all while getting the right players in and trying to fend off others from taking our players." After an alarming introduction to the Championship with a home defeat to Bolton, Moore picked up some spectacular results - winning 4-3 at Norwich and putting seven past QPR. But the lack of consistency that was cited as a factor in his sacking was evident. Leeds won seven in a row earlier this season. Norwich and Sheffield United have each gone on sequences of four consecutive wins on three different occasions. Albion have not done that once. The sort of momentum that carries a team to promotion has eluded them. After a run of four without a win, Moore did tweak his formation in November and it reaped rewards with a 4-1 victory over Leeds. But the criticism of his tactics and particularly his in-game management and use of substitutes was never too far away. Moore seemed able to set the team up to succeed on the counter-attack - no team in the Championship has won more games away from home - but struggled at the Hawthorns. The Baggies aren't even among the top 10 in the division based on home results. The failure to beat Ipswich, the team cut adrift at the bottom of the Championship table, was no aberration. Albion have won only one of their last nine home games. That's the sort of record that leads to disgruntled supporters and the boos were heard far too often. 3:26 Highlights of the game that cost Moore his job as West Brom manager Ultimately though, even though the fans are divided on this decision, this was not a sacking that was sparked by supporter unrest. Instead, it was the anxiety of a board that have bet on an immediate return to the Premier League that has prompted this call. Moore is entitled to point to the unfortunate loss of Harvey Barnes as a mitigating factor. The youngster on-loan from Leicester was the source of much of West Brom's best work in the final third prior to being recalled by his parent club. That was a huge blow. But the expectation of the board was that promotion would be delivered. "We have made it clear from the outset that everything this season was geared to making as swift a return to the Premier League as possible. Unfortunately Darren has not been able to engineer the consistency of form and results to convince the board that this objective would be met." 0:58 Michael Appleton is open to a return to West Brom after the sacking of Moore The problem for the decision-makers at West Brom is that while those expectations might be reasonable when examining the finances, football has a way of making a mockery of such ambitions. Sunderland are the extreme example but even this season it has been apparent. Stoke were the pre-season favourites for promotion after finished above West Brom last season and spending rather more than their Midlands neighbours in the summer. But they made a miserable start under the experienced Gary Rowett and are currently a dozen places below the Baggies. Aston Villa, with their own vast wage bill, are well adrift too. Moore held things together admirably and though supporters may well have had their suspicions that he would come up just short, the decision to dispense with him at this juncture brings with it just as many misgivings.<doc-sep>

West Brom sack Moore despite sitting fourth in Championship table The Baggies are in a play-off position in their hunt for a return to the Premier League, but a poor run of form has cost their head coach his job West Bromwich Albion have sacked head coach Darren Moore, despite sitting fourth in the Championship table. West Brom were winless in their last three games, and drew Ipswich Town 1-1 at home on Saturday to leave them nine points behind the automatic promotion places. Overall the Baggies have won just four of their last 12 in the Championship, and their position in the play-offs was not enough to save Moore, nor assistants Graeme Jones and Wayne Jacobs, who were also let go. “This has been an enormously difficult decision for a club which will always hold Darren in such high regard," West Brom chief executive Mark Jenkins said in a statement. “He took over at a very difficult time last season and reunited the club, a contribution that will never be forgotten. “But we have made it clear from the outset that everything this season was geared to making as swift a return to the Premier League as possible. “Unfortunately Darren has not been able to engineer the consistency of form and results to convince the board that this objective would be met. “After discussions with our owners, the difficult decision to make a change was taken. Darren’s dedication over the last 12 months is not underestimated and there will always be a welcome for him at The Hawthorns. “But we have to place the club’s best interests at the forefront of our thinking and we must do everything we can to try to deliver the promotion we have targeted." Birmingham-born Moore made history last year when he took over West Brom from Alan Pardew last season in a caretaker role, becoming the first Jamaica international to manage in the Premier League. Though Moore led the club to an uptick in results, which included an undefeated April, West Brom were relegated from the Premier League. Appointed to the permanent role to lead the Baggies in the Championship, the club enjoyed a relatively strong start to the season and have been around the automatic promotion places for much of the season. But since the start of 2019, West Brom have endured more mixed results winning four, losing four and drawing three in the new year. Article continues below Back-to-back defeats to Sheffield United and Leeds, both immediately ahead of the Baggies in the table, put a dampener on the club's hope to secure automatic promotion. Despite the struggles, West Brom remain seven points up on seventh place Derby County for a spot in the promotion play-offs. West Brom are next in action on Wednesday against Swansea.

Get the latest United updates, transfer news and analysis delivered straight to your inbox every day for free Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Manchester United have named their starting line up for the second-leg of their Champions League fixture vs Paris Saint-Germain. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made two changes from the team which defeated Southampton at the weekend with Paul Pogba dropping out through suspension. Fred replaces him in midfield while Scott McTominay and Andreas Pereira retain their respective positions in the centre of the park. David de Gea starts in goal with Chris Smalling partnering Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof in the centre of defence. Marcus Rashford and Romelu Lukaku play up front. Academy stars James Garner, Tahith Chong and Mason Greenwood start on the bench while Brandon Williams misses out from the final squad. United XI: De Gea; Young, Bailly, Smalling, Lindelof, Shaw; McTominay, Fred, Pereira; Rashford, Lukaku. Subs: Romero, Dalot, Rojo, Gomes, Garner, Chong, Greenwood.<doc-sep>The European heavyweights go head-to-head at the Parc des Princes tonight Paris Saint-Germain host Manchester United tonight in the second-leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie. PSG are two goals up in the clash following their win at Old Trafford last month meaning Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are facing a huge task if they are to reach the quarter-finals. getty 3 Romelu Lukaku will be key for Man United against PSG To make things worse for the Premier League giants, they have been hit by an injury crisis with as many as ten first-team stars out. The European showdown will be live on talkSPORT tonight and here’s how will be starring at the Parc des Princes. LATEST CHAMPIONS LEAGUE NEWS UCL Champions League final LIVE: Man City v Chelsea time, venue and talkSPORT coverage Update Tuchel says Mendy has made ‘huge improvement’ in race to be fit for UCL final spurred on Thomas Tuchel thanks Spurs for helping 'lucky' Chelsea reach Champions League ON THE MEND Chelsea rocked by injury nightmare just six days before Champions League final gesture Man City owner to cover travel costs for fans attending Champions League final Blow Aguero is a doubt for UCL final as Guardiola reveals players are being ‘nicer’ to him Paris Saint-Germain vs Man United: Team news United are set to have 10 first-team players out and Solskjaer has included a host of youngsters in his travelling squad. Alexis Sanchez is out and will be sidelined for up to six weeks out after sustaining a knee injury in Saturday’s win over Southampton. Paul Pogba is suspended following his red card in the first-leg while Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard, Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera remain absent. Juan Mata, Phil Jones, Antonio Valencia and Matteo Darmian are also unavailable. 3 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Man United have been hit by an injury crisis Teenagers Tahith Chong, James Garner, Angel Gomes and Mason Greenwood are all in the squad. PSG coach Thomas Tuchel has opted to pick the same side as the first-leg and Edinson Cavani is back among the substitutes following his injury. Superstar Neymar is still out due to a broken metatarsal. 3 Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani Paris Saint-Germain vs Man United: Line-ups PSG: Buffon, Kehrer, Silva, Kimpembe, Bernat, Verratti, Marquinhos, Alves, Draxler, Di Maria, Mbappe. Subs: Areola, Paredes, Cavani, Meunier, Choupo-Moting, Kurzawa, Dagba. Man United: De Gea, Lindelof, Bailly, Smalling, Shaw, Young, McTominay, Fred, Andreas Pereira, Lukaku, Rashford. Subs: Romero, Rojo, Dalot, Garner, Chong, Gomes, Greenwood. Referee: Damir Skomina<doc-sep>When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Manchester United travel to the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night knowing their hopes of reaching the Champions League quarter-finals hanging by a thread. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side trail Paris Saint-Germain by two goals after Presnel Kimpembe and Kylian Mbappe struck at Old Trafford in the first leg of the tie last month. And their chances of progressing to the next stage have not been helped by an injury crisis hitting the Norwegian gaffer’s Manchester United squad. Already without Paul Pogba through suspension, Solskjaer will not be able to call upon United stars Ander Herrera, Anthony Martial or Jesse Lingard either.<doc-sep>4-3-3 with 2 key changes: Manchester United predicted lineup vs PSG 4-3-3 with 2 key changes: Manchester United predicted lineup vs PSG An ardent sports lover who loves to sleep, eat and watch Manchester City play. In that order.<doc-sep>

Man Utd have announced their 20-man squad travelling to face Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of their last-16 Champions League tie on Wednesday night. The Red Devils have it all to do in the French capital as they look to turn their two-goal deficit around after the Ligue 1 champions bagged two crucial away goals at Old Trafford last month. SEE MORE: Four candidates to become the next Man Utd captain United have been resurgent since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took charge in December, leading them to 12 wins in his 15 games at the helm across all competitions. That defeat to PSG remains the only one under his tenure, and so he’ll be hoping for a more positive experience of the Champions League this time round. As confirmed by the club though in their official report, the Norwegian tactician is without a number of key figures with Anthony Martial failing to recover in time to feature, while he’s joined by Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata, Ander Herrera and Alexis Sanchez on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Paul Pogba is also ruled out due to suspension, and so that has opened the door for a number of young stars to get the nod as they’ll be hoping to be given an opportunity to impress and make an impact. Tahith Chong, James Garner, Angel Gomes, Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams all make the trip to France, joining three other Academy graduates in the senior squad to continue Man Utd’s proud tradition of bringing young talent through. Whether it’s enough to shock PSG and advance to the quarter-finals of the Champions League this season remains to be seen though, as they do have a healthy lead going into this one with the onus on the visitors to attack and score goals. Man Utd squad: De Gea, Romero, Grant; Bailly, Dalot, Lindelof, Rojo, Shaw, Smalling, Williams, Young; Fred, Garner, Gomes, McTominay, Pereira; Chong, Greenwood, Lukaku, Rashford.

Court asks authorities not to act against 40 lakh people left out of draft The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed authorities to not initiate any ‘action’ against 40 lakh persons left out of the draft Assam National Register of Citizens (NRC) published on July 30. The Bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Rohinton Nariman ordered the government, in consultation with State NRC Coordinator Prateek Hajela, to frame a ‘fair’ standard operating procedure (SOP) to deal with the claims and objections of those who did not find their names in the draft NRC. Attorney-General K.K. Venugopal informed the court that the Ministry concerned is working out the modalities of the SOP, which would “deal with the different dimensions of the exercise of hearing the claims and objections to ensure that the process is fair.” Mr. Venugopal submitted that once the modalities are worked out, the SOP would be placed before the court by mid-August. The AG submitted that the government is developing biometrics so that even if a declared foreigner escapes to another State, he or she would be caught there. “We do not want to say anything about all that now. Now, we want everybody to get a fair opportunity, considering the complexities and numbers, etc, involved. You (government) place it before us. If it is fair, we will approve. If not, we will disapprove. If there is anything missing, we will fill it,” Justice Gogoi told Mr. Venugopal. At one point, Justice Gogoi asked Mr. Hajela about “reading somewhere that the date for publishing the final NRC is December 31” this year. But Mr. Hajela denied this. “We have not fixed any date. It is for the court to fix a date. It (December 31) was only for the purpose of budgeting,” he said. When asked ‘what ahead’, Mr. Hajela said time has been given till August 7 for people to ascertain their names in the NRC. From August 8, those excluded can approach the Local Registrar or the NRC Sewa Kendras to find out the reasons for their non-inclusion. Their claims and objections would be heard from August 30 to September 28. Mr. Venugopal submitted that the government is “extremely concerned” about the next few days. He submitted that no coercive action would be taken against persons who have not figured in the draft NRC. The government attempted to even seek some assurance from the court. “Well, we do not give assurances to anyone, we only pass orders. But we want fair opportunity for all,” Justice Gogoi observed. The Bench said, at the moment, it would prefer to refrain from commenting on the draft NRC and wait for the government to submit its SOP for vetting. “Our silence now is neither consent nor objection nor assurance,” Justice Gogoi observed. Case posted for Aug. 16 The court posted the case for August 16 for further orders on timelines leading to the publication of the final NRC. The much-anticipated second and final draft of the NRC shows 2.9 crore names out of the total 3.29 crore who applied in Assam. The names of 40.07 lakh applicants were not included in the historic document, considered proof of Assamese identity. The first draft NRC was published in the intervening night of December 31 and January 1 and showed the names of 1.9 crore people.<doc-sep>New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday made it clear that nobody can be deported or prosecuted on the basis of the publication of final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam. A bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi stated in its order that it is only a draft NRC and that the procedure contemplated under the law will have to be complied with subsequently. "In this regard, the court would like to observe that what has been published is a complete draft of NRC and it can't be basis of any action by any authority," the SC said in its order. The bench then noted that the authorities will have to abide with the legal process envisaged under the Citizenship Act and for this purpose "a fair procedure will have to be laid down". It asked Attorney General KK Venugopal to frame a standard operating procedure (SOP) and submit it to the court by August 16 for its approval. Publication of NRC in Assam is a court-mandated exercise being monitored by the bench periodically. NRC Coordinator has been reporting directly to the top court and Assam government has been ordered to render all necessary assistance. Earlier, Venugopal had urged the bench to issue directions that no coercive action should be taken against anybody whose name is not included in the draft NRC that was published a day ago. The top law officer also said that in view of apprehensions expressed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee about large influx of people to the neighbouring state, the Centre proposes to collect biometrics of those who are yet to establish their citizenship. But the bench refrained from commenting on it. "We won't express any opinion. You give the SOP to us and prepare it after taking into confidence the state coordinator. You do what you think is right and we will do what we think is right. We will modify it if necessary," it told the AG. Meanwhile, NRC Coordinator Prateek Hajela submitted the compliance report in the court on publishing the final draft of the NRC on July 30 as per the direction of the SC. The bench noted from Hajela's report that the full draft will be available for people by August 7 and from August 8, people will get to know reasons of their non-inclusion in the NRC. The report added that those whose names are not included in the final draft will get the opportunity between August 30 and September 28 to file claims and objections before the registrar concerned and at NRC Seva Kendras. Taking on record the coordinator's submissions, the bench observed that a fair procedure will have to be laid down for evaluation of claims and objections and that everyone should get reasonable opportunity. The bench will take up the case next on August 16.<doc-sep>GUWAHATI: The 40 lakh names, not found eligible by Registrar General of India to be included in the draft National Register of Citizens, include the kin of India’s fifth President, Fakhrudin Ali Ahmed, who was an Assamese. The former President’s nephew, 52-year-old Jiauddin Ali Ahmed told TOI that he could not find any legacy data of his grandfather, who would be the ex-President’s father, Zalnur Ali, a former Colonel of British Army , to establish the lineage and claim Indian citizenship. Jiauddin, who is native of a Rangiya in Kamrup district in Assam , said, “When we tried to search the NRC database for the legacy database, we could not find our grandfather’s name. This means that the President’s (former) family also cannot establish the link since he (Fakhruddin) and my father are brothers.” Jiauddin said that he along with his wife and his two children could not find their names in the draft NRC that was published on Monday. “Whatever documents and photographs I had to prove my relationship with the former President have been washed away by the floods in 2000. In fact, some people misled us saying that we would automatically find our names in the NRC by virtue of being the members of the family of the former President of India. No one told us if we could submit any alternative document,” he said. Jiauddin is eager to get his and his family members’ names in the final NRC. “I will visit the NRC seva Kendra tomorrow and get all the details for filing the claim. Since I have already applied, but without documents, I can apply for claim,” he said. Facebook Twitter Linkedin EMail<doc-sep>NEW DELHI: The furore over Assam's National Register of Citizens (NRC) list got intense on Tuesday, with both the government and opposition debating the motives and objectives of the register. The draft NRC released by the Assam government yesterday puts as many as 40 lakh people in the state in danger of losing their voting rights.West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee today warned that the list will divide the people and create a civil war-like situation in the country. "They are trying to divide people. There will be bloodbath and civil war in the country," she was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.BJP president Amit Shah retorted by saying that the TMC chief is “dangerously trying to mislead” the people of the country. "The threat of civil war has already once divided this country. What is she trying to say? Trinamool Congress should come forward and clear its stand," Shah said while addressing a press conference.Shah also asked the Congress and other opposition parties to clarify their stand on the issue of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the country. "All parties should clarify their stand— in a clear yes and no— on the issue of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the country," Shah said and added that the NRC list was released for the security of the country.Mamata later met Union home minister Rajnath Singh to discuss her concerns over the NRC list.In the meeting, Singh assured Banerjee that no one will be harassed and opportunities will be provided to them to prove their case. "Nobody will be harassed in this entire process and at every stage of the process, adequate opportunity of being heard will be given to all persons. The draft NRC has been prepared in accordance with the law under the monitoring of the Supreme Court," Singh said. "I asked him to amend NRC Bill or bring new bill. He has assured me they (govt) will not harass the people," the West Bengal chief minister said.Meanwhile, the Congress also questioned the “motives” behind releasing the draft NRC list.“On what empirical evidence has Amit Shah declared 40 lakh people as Bangladeshi infiltrators,” questioned Congress leader Manish Tewari.“Does PM Modi promise to send these people to Bangladesh? An absurd situation has been created. It will subvert Assam and disrupt entire northeast,” Tewari added.Former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh and BSP supremo Mayawati accused the BJP governments at the Centre and in states of playing a dangerous game of "narrow and divisive brand of politics" in the garb of implementing judiciary's directives.The dalit leader said it was very unfair to consider people who could not furnish proofs about their citizenship but were living in Assam for years to have their citizenship snatched away and chased out of the country. "Most of these affected people are Bengali Muslims and linguistic minorities speaking Bangla but non-Muslims," she said.Mayawati warned of irreversible repercussions once the final draft of the NRC was published. "Everyone knows how much respect you have for the courts since you blatantly violate many of its directives," she added.Former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi today termed the complete draft of the NRC as "defective" and claimed that most of the over 40 lakh people excluded in the list are Indian citizens.The Congress in Assam has never won polls on the votes of Bangladeshi people, Gogoi said, asserting both he and the present chief minister have won elections held on the basis of the same voters' list.The senior Congress leader admitted that illegal Bangladeshi people are residing in Assam, but said their number is much less than the 40 lakh figure mentioned in the complete draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). "This is not a foolproof NRC. It has leakages. It is defective. Most of these 40 lakh people are Indian citizens," he said a day after release of the document that excluded over 40 lakh applicants. "The government should provide legal aid to these excluded people. From the Congress party, we are going to help them in every possible way. It is not correct to consider these people as foreigners," Gogoi said.AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi said that the NRC list, in accordance with the Assam Accord, should be implemented irrespective of religion. "Protecting Hindu Bangladeshis by BJP is also against the soul of Accord (Citizenship Amendment Bill)," he said.The AIMIM president also asked the Supreme Court to take cognizance of political leaders' statements claiming that the 40 lakh people not part of the second and final draft are "not citizens of India". "If any politician or “Shah” says 40 lakh people left out of DRAFT NRC r illegal immigrants then Supreme Court should take cognisance of these weird statements as it is a Contempt Of Court, what about BJP MLA Rama Kanta Dewri is he illegal as his name was excluded from Draft NRC," he tweeted.Earlier today, BJP MLA from Telangana T Raja Singh Lodh flared the controversy with his remark suggesting that “illegal Bangladeshi settlers and Rohingya should be shot if they do not return to their countries like gentlemen”. "If these people, illegal Bangladeshis and Rohingya, don't go back with 'sharafat' (like gentlemen) then there is a need to make them understand in their own language. They should be shot. Only then India will be safe," the legislator from Goshamahal in Hyderabad said in a video message on a social networking site.He said such illegal settlers were "shot and driven out" from some other countries.<doc-sep>

The Supreme Court said that all those whose names haven't been included in the NRC must get a fair chance to prove their claims. A day after the second and final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was released, the Supreme Court said that all those whose names haven't been included in the list must get a fair chance to prove their claims. Attorney General KK Venugopal requested the apex court to issue orders for no coercive action unless full opportunity is granted to everyone. #SupremeCourt emphasises that all those who haven't found their names in the second draft of the #NRC must get a fair chance to prove their claims. SC seeks the procedure to be followed from the #NRC Coordinator regarding evaluation of claims. @News18Courtroom https://t.co/tcOLLalz8x — Utkarsh Anand (@utkarsh_aanand) July 31, 2018 The Centre told the Supreme Court that it is contemplating taking biometrics details of over 40 lakh people, whose names did not figure in the final NRC draft in Assam, to avoid their influx to other states on false identity. "To allay the fear of states, the government is contemplating to collect biometric data of over 40 lakh people, so that if declared foreigners escapes to another state under a false identity then they may be tracked by authorities concerned," Venugopal said. To this, the bench said the government is free to do whatever it wants and the court will examine it. "You do whatever you like. At this moment, we would not like to comment. You do it, then we will examine it. Our silence is not a symbol of agreement nor assurance," the bench said. The bench comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi and RF Nariman also said that the document released on Monday was just a draft. The Supreme Court, on its part, made it clear that publication of draft NRC can't form the basis of action against anyone by authorities and that the legal process will have to be followed after giving due opportunity to those whose names are missing. It further asked the central government to lay down the standard operating procedure on NRC and submit it for approval. Towards the end of the hearing, an association of transgenders requested the bench to give 20,000 transgenders a second chance to fill NRC forms. The bench said, "You missed the bus. We cannot re-open the entire exercise now". The next date of hearing is 16 August. #SupremeCourt makes it clear that publication of draft #NRC in #Assam can't form the basis of action against anyone by authorities and that the legal process will have to be followed after giving due opportunity to those whose names are missing from #NRCAssam. @News18Courtroom https://t.co/nVCcdSI2zZ — Utkarsh Anand (@utkarsh_aanand) July 31, 2018 The names of 40 lakh applicants did not find a place in the historic document, which was published in Assam on Monday. According to the Registrar General of India Sailesh, 2.9 crore names out of the total 3.29 crore applicants were published. The first draft of the NRC was published during the intervening night of 31 December and 1 January, and contained 1.9 crore names. A senior home ministry official had said on Monday that the process of claims and objections to the draft NRC will start from 30 August and continue for a month. The process, if required, can be also extended by another month, he said. During the period, no coercive action will be taken against anyone, the official said. Union minister Rajnath Singh had also assured on Monday that no coercive action would be taken against those whose names are not mentioned in the final list. He had said, "Even someone whose name is not in the final list can approach the Foreigner's Tribunal." No coercive action will be taken against anyone, hence there is no need for anyone to panic, the home minister said. "Some people are unnecessarily trying to create an atmosphere of fear. This is a completely impartial report. No misinformation should be spread. This is a draft and not the final list," he added. Assam, which had faced influx of people from Bangladesh since the early 20th century, is the only state having an NRC, which was first prepared in 1951. With inputs from PTI

A few days ago, Amy Jackson announced to the world that she is pregnant with her first child with boyfriend George Panayiotou. After the announcement, Amy Jackson shared a picture of her flaunting her baby bump in a blue bikini. The picture went viral on social media. Now, the actress has shared a video of her on the beach, which has set the internet on fire. Here's the post: Amy Jackson, a few months ago, announced that she in love with multi-millionaire George Panayiotou. A few weeks later, she took everyone by surprise by announcing that they are going to welcome their first child soon. She made the announcement on social media. She wrote, "I've been waiting to shout it from the roof tops, and today, being Mother's Day, it couldn't be a more perfect time... I already love you more than anything in this world, the purest most honest love. We can't wait to meet you our little Libra one (sic)" In an interview to a UK-based magazine, she revealed that they weren't expecting a baby and that it was totally unplanned. Amy and George will walk down the aisle early 2020 in Greece. The Brit-born model turned actress with the Tamil film Madrasapattinam in 2010. The film turned out to be a huge hit and she later started acting in many other Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi films. She was last seen in Rajinikanth's film 2.0, which is touted to be the costliest movie of Indian cinema. She played the role of a robot called Nila. The couple will be throwing an engagement bash on May 5 which will be attended by their friends and few celebrities from the Indian film industry as well. ALSO READ: Amy Jackson and George Panayiotou's engagement bash on May 5. Is a wedding on the cards? ALSO READ: Amy Jackson is dating multi-millionaire playboy George Panayiotou. See pics<doc-sep>Bollywood actress Amy Jackson recently revealed that she is expecting a child. She is expecting her first child with boyfriend George Panayiotou. The couple got engaged in February. Amy announced her pregnancy in the end of March, on Mother's Day. The actress now posted a picture of her baby bump for the first time. In fact as soon as Amy Jackson shared a photo of her baby bump, her excited fans shared the image and it went viral instantly. “Bump spam has started,” wrote the actress alongside the photo which broke all stereotypes and saw her in a blue bikini, seashell chocker and sunglasses. See the viral photo here: Not only the photo, Amy's videos, one of sipping on to coconut water, and the other of her playing golf, also went viral on the internet soon. Here, take a look at the videos: According to reports, Amy and George Panayiotou have been seeing each other for four years before making things official. They recently appeared a magazine cover post the pregnancy announcement. Amy announced her engagement to George on New Year's Eve. Playing the sport of golf, Amy Jackson has given all the pregnant mothers hope that they too should not resist from doing activities which they love doing just out of fear. Just like Amy, mothers like Saumya Tandon, Kareena Kapoor Khan and others set perfect example of doing what they loved to do despite carrying the baby bump.<doc-sep>Amy Jackson will be tying the knot soon with boyfriend, George Panayiotou. The couple will be throwing an engagement bash at their London home before finally saying "I do". Amy Jackson is pregnant with George's kid and often posts picture of herself flaunting her baby bump. According to an entertainment magazine, the actress, who was last seen in Rajnikanth starrer 2.0 wants a serene Greek wedding. But before that, they’re throwing a lavish engagement bash on May 5 at their home in London. The invite reads, "We would love to invite you to our home to celebrate our engagement and to kickstart Summer 2019." It adds, Dress code: Classy Chic. Timing: 4 pm till late.’ Amy has invited her close friends from Mumbai. The friends are expecting a wedding to follow soon. Amy and George got engaged to each other on January 1 in Zambia. "He proposed on a raft in Zambia, with the sun setting and over a private dinner. It was beautiful," she told the UK magazine. Indian-Brit actress Amy is now 15 weeks pregnant and revealed that it came across as a surprise. Speaking to UK magazine, she said, "It was totally unplanned. We had no idea." Amy disclosed that the pregnancy has brought her closer to boyfriend George. "We know each other pretty well - the good, the bad, the ugly and everything in between. We were inseparable before, but this is a different closeness," she explained. In an adorable post, Amy Jackson announced the happy news to fans. She wrote, "I've been waiting to shout it from the rooftops, and today, being Mother's Day (March 31), it couldn't be a more perfect time... I already love you more than anything in this world, the purest most honest love. We can't wait to meet you our little Libra one (sic)" George is the son of British property developer Andreas Panayiotou and the founder of The Ability Group. The Panayiotous own a chain of luxury hotels that include names like Hilton, Park Plaza, Double Tree, etc. ALSO READ: Amy Jackson is dating multi-millionaire playboy George Panayiotou. See pics<doc-sep>Actor Amy Jackson and her husband-to-be George Panayiotou will throw an engagement bash in London on May 5, according to a report in Filmfare. It will be held at their home. Amy has invited some of close friends from the film industry, adds the report. The invite to the event read: “We would love to invite you to our home to celebrate our engagement and to kickstart Summer 2019.” The dress code for the occasion is ‘Classy Chic. Timing: 4 pm till late’, the invite further says. As per a report in India Today, Amy is keen on a serene Greek wedding. Also read | Avengers Endgame new clip: Captain Marvel reveals why she didn’t fight against Thanos in Infinity War. Watch On March 31, Amy had taken to Instagram to share a picture of both of them together to announce her pregnancy. She had written: “I’ve been waiting to shout it from the roof tops, and today, being Mother’s Day, it couldn’t be a more perfect time... I already love you more than anything in this world, the purest most honest love. We can’t wait to meet you our little Libra one.” Amy and George got engaged to each other on January 1 this year in Zambia. Flaunting her engagement ring, Amy had written on Instagram: “YES A GAZILLION TIMES!!!!! 1st January 2019 - The start of our new adventure in life I love you. Thankyou for making me the happiest girl in the world.” Amy was recently seen in the Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar starrer 2.0, where she played a robot. The actor was seen in Hindi films like Singh Is Bling with Akshay in 2015 as well. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10<doc-sep>

British actress Amy Jackson and her boyfriend George Panayiotou recently announced that they're expecting their first child in October. Meanwhile, the couple is throwing an engagement bash for friends at their home in London on May 5. In a recent interview, Amy and George said that they're more than ready to kickstart the next phase of their life. Recently, the couple was seen hanging out at the gym. Amy Jackson, who was last seen in Rajinikanth-starrer 2.0, took to Instagram to share photos of her workout at the gym. In the photos, she is seen flaunting her baby bump. Here are the photos: Amy Jackson flaunting her baby bump at the gym Amy Jackson On March 31, Amy announced the news of her pregnancy with an adorable photo. She wrote, "I've been waiting to shout it from the rooftops, and today, being Mother's Day (March 31), it couldn't be a more perfect time... I already love you more than anything in this world, the purest most honest love. We can't wait to meet you our little Libra one (sic)" In an interview to a UK-based magazine, she opened up about her pregnancy. She said, "It was totally unplanned. We had no idea." Amy is now 15 weeks pregnant, according to reports. She also revealed that the pregnancy has brought her closer to George. "We know each other pretty well - the good, the bad, the ugly and everything in between. We were inseparable before, but this is a different closeness," she revealed. ALSO READ: Amy Jackson and George Panayiotou's engagement bash on May 5. Is a wedding on the cards? ALSO READ: Amy Jackson is dating multi-millionaire playboy George Panayiotou. See pics

Indiana Jones 5 type Movie We’ll have to wait a little longer for Indiana Jones to come walking back through our door. The fifth film in the Indiana Jones series has been delayed and will not be ready in time for its scheduled release date of July 10, 2020, sources have confirmed to EW. Steven Spielberg is on board to direct the as-yet-untitled film, with Harrison Ford returning as the bullwhip-wielding adventurer. But the project is still moving forward: Jonathan Kasdan has reportedly been tapped to work on the script, after David Koepp took a first pass. Kasdan’s father, Lawrence Kasdan, of course wrote the original Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the father-son duo most recently teamed up for Solo: A Star Wars Story. Indiana Jones 5 has already been pushed back once: It was previously scheduled to hit theaters in 2019. Spielberg has a lot on his plate at the moment: He’s reportedly moving forward with his long-planned West Side Story remake, and he’s also said to be working on The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara, a religious drama about a young boy taken from his Jewish parents and raised as a Catholic. Ford most recently starred in Blade Runner 2049, and he’ll next lend his voice to The Secret Life of Pets 2. Variety first reported the delay.<doc-sep>The fifth instalment of Indiana Jones won't be Steven Spielberg's next project after all. Spielberg's planned sequel, which will bring Harrison Ford's whip-cracking character back to cinema screens, was expected to be released in 2020 with production scheduled to begin in 2019. However, Variety reports that the project will miss this release date with sources close to the production claiming shooting may be pushed back by as long as a year. Sources are attributing this delay to the creative team's failure to sign off on a finished script. David Koepp (Jurassic Park) wrote the first draft with Jonathan Kasdan - the son of Raiders of the Lost Ark screenwriter, Lawrence - set to come on board for a second draft. Despite the delay, both Spielberg and Ford remain committed to the project - however, it now seems likely that the former will instead move ahead with his remake of the musical West Side Story as well as The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara,an adaptation of David Kertzer's novel following a young Jewish boy in 1850s Italy starring Oscar Isaac and Mark Rylance. 25 new films to look out for in 2018 that aren't sequels Show all 25 1 /25 25 new films to look out for in 2018 that aren't sequels 25 new films to look out for in 2018 that aren't sequels The Meg Released: 10 August 10 August Director: Jon Turteltaub Cast: Jason Statham, Ruby Rose, Rainn Wilson After escaping an attack by what he claims was a 70-foot shark, Jonas Taylor must confront his fears to save those trapped in a sunken submersible. 25 new films to look out for in 2018 that aren't sequels Skyscraper Released: 12 July 12 July Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber Cast: Dwayne Jonson, Neve Campbell, Chin Han FBI Hostage Rescue Team leader Will Sawyer is framed for setting fire to the tallest building in the world and must rescue his family who are trapped inside - at the top. 25 new films to look out for in 2018 that aren't sequels First Reformed Released: 12 July 12 July Director: Paul Schrader Cast: Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried, Cedric the Entertainer A priest of a small congregation in upstate New York grapples with mounting despair brought on by tragedy, worldly concerns and a tormented past. 25 new films to look out for in 2018 that aren't sequels Disney's Christopher Robin Released: 17 August 17 August Director: Marc Forster Cast: Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell, Jim Cummings (voice) A working-class family man, Christopher Robin, encounters his childhood friend Winnie-the-Pooh, who helps him to rediscover the joys of life. 25 new films to look out for in 2018 that aren't sequels The Happytime Murders Released: 17 August 17 August Director: Brian Henson Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Elizabeth Banks, Maya Rudolph When the puppet cast of an '80s children's TV show begins to get murdered one by one, a disgraced LAPD detective-turned-private eye puppet takes on the case. 25 new films to look out for in 2018 that aren't sequels BlacKkKlansman Released: 24 August 24 August Director: Spike Lee Cast: John David Washington, Adam Driver, Topher Grace The film, produced by Get Out's Jordan Peele, is set in the early 70s and follows Washington's Ron Stallworth who, after becoming the first African-American detective on the Colorado Springs Police Department, sets out to infiltrate and expose the Ku Klux Klan while posing as a racist extremist. 25 new films to look out for in 2018 that aren't sequels Mile 22 Released: 27 August 27 August Director: Peter Berg Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Lauren Cohan, John Malkovich An elite American intelligence officer, aided by a top-secret tactical command unit, tries to smuggle a mysterious police officer with sensitive information out of the country. 25 new films to look out for in 2018 that aren't sequels The Miseducation of Cameron Post Released: 31 August 31 August Director: Desiree Akhavan Cast: Chloë Grace Moretz, John Gallagher Jr., Jennifer Ehle In 1993, a teenage girl is forced into a gay conversion therapy center by her conservative guardians. 25 new films to look out for in 2018 that aren't sequels American Animals Released: 7 September 7 September Director: Bart Layton Cast: Evan Peters, Blake Jenner, Ann Dowd Four young men mistake their lives for a movie and attempt one of the most audacious heists in U.S. history. 25 new films to look out for in 2018 that aren't sequels City of Lies Released: 7 September 7 September Director: Brad Furman Cast: Johnny Depp, Forest Whitaker, Rockmond Dunbar The film tells the story of American hero and former LAPD detective, Russell Poole as he works the 1997 murder cases of rappers Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. 25 new films to look out for in 2018 that aren't sequels A Simple Favour Released: 21 September 21 September Director: Paul Feig Cast: Blake Lively, Linda Cardellini, Anna Kendrick A rare thriller from Bridesmaids director following a mummy vlogger who seeks to uncover the truth behind her best friend Emily's sudden disappearance from their small town. 25 new films to look out for in 2018 that aren't sequels Fighting With My Family Released: 28 September 28 September Director: Stephen Merchant Cast: Florence Pugh, Lena Headey, Dwayne Johnson A former wrestler and his family make a living performing at small venues around the country while his kids dream of joining World Wrestling Entertainment. Lionsgate UK 25 new films to look out for in 2018 that aren't sequels The House with a Clock in Its Walls Released: 28 September 28 September Director: Eli Roth Cast: Cate Blanchett, Jack Black, Kyle MacLachlan A young orphan named Lewis Barnavelt aids his magical uncle in locating a clock with the power to bring about the end of the world. 25 new films to look out for in 2018 that aren't sequels A Star Is Born Released: 5 October 5 October Director: Bradley Cooper Cast: Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper, Sam Elliott A musician helps a young singer and actress find fame, even as age and alcoholism send his own career into a downward spiral. 25 new films to look out for in 2018 that aren't sequels Venom Released: 5 October 5 October Director: Ruben Fleischer Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed When Eddie Brock acquires the powers of a symbiote, he will have to release his alter-ego "Venom" to save his life. Sony 25 new films to look out for in 2018 that aren't sequels Bad Times at the El Royale Released: 12 October 12 October Director: Drew Goddard Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Dakota Johnson, Nick Offerman Seven strangers, each with a secret to bury, meet at Lake Tahoe's El Royale, a rundown hotel with a dark past. Over the course of one fateful night, everyone will have a last shot at redemption - before everything goes to hell. 25 new films to look out for in 2018 that aren't sequels First Man Released: 12 October 12 October Director: Damien Chazelle Cast: Ryan gosling, Claire Foy, Kyle Chandler A look at the life of the astronaut, Neil Armstrong, and the legendary space mission that led him to become the first man to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969. 25 new films to look out for in 2018 that aren't sequels Mowgli Released: 19 October 19 October Director: Andy Serkis Cast: Rohan Chand, Benedict Cumberbatch (voice), Cate Blanchett (voice) A human child raised by wolves must face off against a menacing tiger named Shere Khan, as well as his own origins in this live-action adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's novel. 25 new films to look out for in 2018 that aren't sequels Bohemian Rhapsody Released: 24 October 24 October Director: Bryan Singer, Dexter Fletcher Cast: Rami Malek, Joseph Mazzello, Lucy Boynton A chronicle of the years leading up to Queen's legendary appearance at the Live Aid (1985) concert in 1985. 25 new films to look out for in 2018 that aren't sequels Overlord Released: 25 October 25 October Director: Julius Avery Cast: Wyatt Russell, Iain De Caestecker, Pilou Asbæk The story of two American soldiers behind enemy lines on D Day that may or may not be another film set in JJ Abrams’ Cloverfield world.<doc-sep>Despite the very mixed fan reaction to 2008's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the movie was a box office success, and a fifth Indy movie has been in development for several years. In 2016, it was confirmed that star Harrison Ford and director Steven Spielberg will return for the next one, and a year later, a 2020 release was announced. However, it has now been reported that the movie is unlikely to make this slot. According to Variety, Indiana Jones 5 was set to begin production in the UK in April next year. However, the site reports that the shoot is being pushed back by several months, and could even be delayed by a full year. Apparently much of the delay is down to continuing work on the script. Earlier this week Collider, reported that Solo: A Star Wars Story co-writer Jonathan Kasdan was coming on board to work on a new draft, with Jurassic Park's David Koepp having written the earlier versions. Kasdan is the son of Lawrence Kasdan, who co-wrote the the first Indy movie, 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark. In February, it was reported that Indiana Jones 5 would be Spielberg's next film, but the delay could change this. The veteran filmmaker is extremely prolific and is also currently working on an adaptation of the classic musical West Side Story. Casting for that movie has already started, with the director keen to assemble an "ethnically authentic" Hispanic cast. Last year, Koepp provided a few clues as to the direction of the next Indy movie. He said that the film will follow "some precious artifact that they're all looking for," and confirmed that Indy's son Mutt, played by Shia LaBeouf in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, will not return. In addition, Ford has spoken about why he was returning to the role of the iconic archeologist for the fifth time. "The opportunity to work with Steven again on this character which has brought pleasure to so many," he said. "Not to mention me. It's great fun to play this character. It's great fun to work with Steven, I'm looking forward to it."<doc-sep>

Indiana Jones will not be riding back into theaters on July 10, 2020. The fifth film in the adventure series will miss its original release date, Variety has learned. Filming was supposed to begin in April of 2019 in the United Kingdom, but sources close to the production say that shooting will no longer start next spring and will have to be pushed back by months, if not a year. Potential crew members have already been informed of the delay. Part of the issue is that the key members of the creative team have yet to sign off on a finished script. Collider reported on Thursday that Jonathan Kasdan, son of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” scribe Lawrence Kasdan, has been enlisted to deliver a new draft. A deal has yet to close to bring the writer on board, but it looks as though he will soon join the project. David Koepp (“Jurassic Park”) took the first pass at the script. At one point, the fifth Indiana Jones was supposed to hit theaters in 2019. Insiders stress that both Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford remain committed to revisiting the beloved franchise about the globe-trotting archaeologist. Spielberg, however, has a full dance card of projects in development and it’s possible one of them will slide in front of the “Indiana Jones” sequel. The Oscar-winning director is in pre-production on a remake of “West Side Story” and is also toying with making “The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara,” a historical drama with Mark Rylance. Ford will next be part of the voice cast for “Secret Life of Pets 2.” Disney, the studio that’s releasing the fifth Indiana Jones movie, declined to comment. The studio has yet to officially pull “Indiana Jones 5” from the release calendar or announce a new date.

This weekend, the Overwatch League will broadcast a number of matches as per usual, but there’s going to be something different about the games this time: the location. Up until today, every regular season OWL match has been played at Blizzard Arena in Los Angeles, but the league’s ultimate ambition is to have each team play out of a home arena, much like a traditional sports team. The plan is to start home-and-away games during the 2020 season, but fans in Dallas can get a preview starting on Saturday. Over the weekend, the Dallas Fuel will be hosting eight matches at the Allen Event Center, with a total of 9,000 fans expected to show up over two days. “Having essentially the first home game ever in e-sports history is a great honor for us,” says Fuel president Geoff Moore. The festivities are part of what Blizzard is calling “homestand weekends,” which were first announced back in December ahead of OWL’s second season. In addition to Dallas, Atlanta will host matches in July, while the Los Angeles Valiant will do the same in August. But things will kick off in Texas on Saturday. The weekend will start with a match between the Paris Eternal and London Spitfire at 12PM ET on Saturday, and it will reach its peak at 6:15PM ET on Sunday when the Fuel take on state rivals the Houston Outlaws. The idea for these experimental home games began last fall when Blizzard reached out to the league’s original 12 teams. Moore says that the Fuel leadership immediately knew they wanted to be a part of it. “We had a strong desire to learn more about our home market and their desire for our team,” he explains. “And you learn by doing.” The process started in November when the first homestand weekends were confirmed at an owner’s meeting, and the Fuel began discussions with around five Dallas-area venues before settling on the Allen Event Center. Read next: Why competitive gaming is starting to look a lot like professional sports The team had already experienced some minor success holding local watch parties and meet-and-greet events with Fuel players, but that wasn’t necessarily the best gauge for the viability of playing home games on a regular basis. “It’s great that you can draw several hundred people to a spot and have them be really interested,” says Moore, “but that’s a different thing than selling 4,000 tickets.” This weekend is a chance to prove there’s an appetite for live Overwatch games in the city. The event series is a learning process — not just for teams like the Fuel, but also Blizzard itself, which handles the broadcasting duties for all OWL games. Right now, all of that happens in the comfort of Blizzard Arena, but the idea is to test out what that experience will be like on the road now before making the switch in 2020. “They can’t make every team replicate the Blizzard Arena, so they have to figure out when they go on the road, what sorts of conditions are they likely to run into, and what are they going to have to do to put on a quality broadcast,” Moore explains. All of this preparation is leading up to the new direction for the league. The idea of city-based teams is still relatively unproven in e-sports. Only a few leagues have attempted it, the most notable being the League of Legends Pro League in China. Blizzard’s ambitions with OWL are greater, however, as it’s aiming to create a truly global league. The 20 teams in the league right now are spread across North America, Europe, and Asia. Only a few clubs have revealed their arena plans so far, but it looks like there will be a mix of strategies. For instance, the Los Angeles Valiant will play out of LA Live, an existing 7,100-seat facility across the street from the Staples Center. The most ambitious announcement to date came from the Philadelphia Fusion, which plans to build a $50 million, 3,500-seat e-sports stadium called Fusion Arena. It’s being designed by Populous, the famed architectural firm behind Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur’s newly launched London stadium, among many others. “We’re taking our 35 years of designing iconic experiences for traditional sports — settings like Yankee Stadium — and applying those same principles of design to the virtual world of gaming,” Populous senior principal Brian Mirakian said when announcing the arena. For the Fuel, Moore says that the team will likely spend the next three to five years renting a facility or multiple facilities before settling into an arena the team owns and can fully control. “We’re not so much in a rush to get into a permanent home,” he says. “We’re trying to find the right partners.” “Peak athletes adjust to their conditions.” While many of the arena plans are in place, there are still questions regarding home-and-away matches, most notably the added strain on players. Burnout was a big issue during the first season of OWL, and while Blizzard made some changes to mitigate it in season 2, player wellness still remains a hot topic. A number of players have been forced to take extended leave or retire all together due to the strain of playing Overwatch professionally. “I would rather be a streamer at this point in life and chill,” former Atlanta Reign player Daniel ”dafran” Francesca said when retiring a quarter of the way through the current season. Moore believes that the schedule changes in season 2, which cut the number of games per season from 40 to 28, were a good start. He says that the Fuel will be offering various forms of physical and mental support for players, but he also believes that once travel becomes a prominent part of OWL, players will be able to adapt to the new reality. “Peak athletes adjust to their conditions,” he says, “and so e-sports players will be the same.” There’s also the question of whether or not e-sports teams can support the added cost and logistical hurdles that come with home matches. While it’s still unproven, Moore and other OWL owners seem convinced that it’ll work, investing tens of millions of dollars into their teams and facilities. The hope is that, eventually, leagues like OWL will generate revenue on par with major sports like the NBA and NFL and that these new home stadiums and arenas will play a big role in that. The question of sustainability will become even more important as other pro gaming leagues look to follow OWL’s lead. Blizzard has already announced plans to turn its Call of Duty league into a similarly city-based venture, and the success of those two could mean other leagues jumping in as well. The games in Dallas this weekend may have a festive atmosphere, with plentiful photo booths and cosplay, but they could also signal the start of something much bigger for the future of competitive gaming.<doc-sep>This article is brought to you by StatBanana, the best Overwatch strategy tool. As we approach the beginning of the Overwatch League’s first Homestand Weekend in Dallas on Saturday, April 27, brands are continuing to join a growing list of sponsors for the live roadshow event. AB InBev, the official global beer sponsor of the Overwatch League, will be promoting Bud Light as the title sponsor of the Dallas Homestand. Bud Light joins multiple brand names on the sponsor list, such as T-Mobile, GameStop, The University of Texas at Dallas, Omen by HP, Corsair, and Jack in the Box. The event also features brands like Favor, Greenberg Traurig, LLP, group ticketing platform Fevo, Twin Peaks, Showtech, and Topgolf. We're more than excited to have @BudLight join us for #TheFirstHomeGame! Attendees keep an eye out for the Bud Knight at @OverwatchLeague's Homestand Dallas. Press release: https://t.co/tHKwu6r8VJ pic.twitter.com/aiPJLAlN1R — Dallas Fuel (@DallasFuel) April 26, 2019 Overwatch fans who are attending the event will be treated to a special Bud Light watch bar, as well as multiple Bud Light-themed activations. Meanwhile, viewers at home will see Bud Light branding integrated into the Overwatch League broadcast. Additionally, ESPN2 will be broadcasting an exclusive two-hour Overwatch League match between the Dallas Fuel and the Los Angeles Valiant on Saturday, April 27 starting at 10pm CT. That match will also feature the Bud Light Post-Game Recap. The Dallas Homestand has already sold out the Allen Event Center for each day, with a crowd of more than 4,500 people heading out to watch each day’s set of games. It should be an exciting look into how home games could work in the future of the Overwatch League.<doc-sep>This article is brought to you by StatBanana, the best Overwatch strategy tool. The Overwatch League experienced its first power outage today during the first “home games” at the Dallas Homestand. Multiple sources say that the rolling blackout is due to a regional issue in the Allen, Texas area. For an event with so much at stake, the timing couldn’t be worse for the league or the 4,500 fans in attendance at the event. The broadcast resumed 45 minutes after the original outage. The Dallas Homestand games began today at the Allen Convention Center. The event marked the first time regular season Overwatch League games were played outside of the Blizzard Arena in Burbank, California. The Paris Eternal began playing the London Spitfire at 11am CT. Twelve minutes later, the entire Allen Convention Center went dark. Backup power was restored minutes later to provide light for fans in attendance. The game client or any of the additional materials still weren’t available. According to several sources, the first map between the London Spitfire and the Paris Eternal had finished before the power outage, with the win going to the Spitfire. While many fans and players started making Sombra jokes and blaming production, information quickly surfaced that the problem wasn’t specific to the Allen Convention Center. Multiple sources, including casters and team managers, explained that the power outage affected the entire region near the convention center. The official response from the Dallas Fuel, the team hosting the event, confirms this information. To those attending #TheFirstHomeGame there was a power outage and we're working as quickly as possible to get everything going again. We appreciate your patience and understanding. — Dallas Fuel (@DallasFuel) April 27, 2019 By the time the power had been out for half an hour, fans occupied themselves with music playing in the arena, and Overwatch League social media teams started making memes. The Paris Eternal tweeted their team’s hashtag, #FiatLux, which means “let there be light” in Latin, while the London Spitfire put the blame on their main tank Hong “Gesture” Jae-hee. . @Gesture's shatters were so huge that he knocked down the broadcast 🤯 — London Spitfire (@Spitfire) April 27, 2019 After nearly 45 minutes, the Overwatch League updated fans in attendance that the match between the Paris Eternal and the London Spitfire would be resuming. At 11:55pm CT, power returned and the match was continued. A specific cause for the Allen, Texas regional power outage hasn’t been identified yet.<doc-sep>

ALLEN, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – The city of Allen is burning blue this weekend in support of the home team, Dallas Fuel. It’s the first-ever home game for a team in the Overwatch League. At the Allen Event Center, thousands gathered on Saturday to cheer on the home team as the city hosted an esports event that’s drawn attention around the world. Overwatch is a first-person competitive shooter where teams face off in nail-biting matches that gamers of all ages can enjoy. The league surrounding the game of Overwatch is made up of teams from around the world with players of diverse backgrounds. The Dallas Fuel is one of many teams competing in the league for prize money that millions of players wish they could have. The Fuel got the opportunity to host the league’s first “Homestand,” which gives teams a chance to play at different locations. All the teams usually compete at an arena in Burbank, California built by the game’s creator, Blizzard Entertainment. The growing phenomenon of esports was apparent in Allen on Saturday as teams from Paris, London, Seoul and more played in front of a sold-out crowd. “Some sports don’t really have the reach outside of North American. And we certainly have that. It’s a very popular esport in China, South Korea, Europe,” Dallas Fuel owner Mike Rufail said. Not only were the games played in front of a live audience, but they were also broadcasted worldwide on the streaming service Twitch and the league’s website. Even ESPN has gotten a taste of the Overwatch League as games were also streamed on its mobile app. As expected, fans flew or drove in to North Texas to witness the action in person and to experience the start of a new chapter in the league’s legacy. “I remember venues beginning with just like little rinky-dink events… and now its transformed into stadiums and arenas being sold out for huge events,” Ricky Murillo of Houston said. As for Dallas’ match itself, the Fuel won their game with the Los Angeles Valiant in riveting fashion that got the crowd hyped for their home team. “The sheer passion from the fans is what makes it really special. Fans really love the sport, the idea that esports is this growing new major entertainment medium and major sport,” Rufail said. The games continue on Sunday where the Fuel will play the in-state rival Houston Outlaws at 5:15 p.m in front of another sold-out crowd. The Atlanta Reign and the Valiant will also be hosting home games later this year.

Partnerships among the world’s automakers appear to be increasing, be it a win-win collaboration on technology or a full-blown merger. The latest report from Automotive News Europe suggests the latter, this time between Renault and Nissan that would eventually include Fiat Chrysler Automobiles as well. The information comes from a report in Financial Times (subscription required) that cites anonymous sources allegedly in the know about the deal on both sides of the fence. The Nissan-Renault marriage isn’t anything new. Nissan’s former CEO Carlos Ghosn was said to be cooking up something nearly a year ago to the day, after talking about a plan to make the merger “irreversible” in February 2018. As it stands, both companies are already linked with ownership stakes; Nissan holds 15 percent of Renault while the French company has 43 percent of Nissan. At this point it seems inevitable, though legal issues – specifically, approvals from both the Japanese and French governments – could slow the process. A new alliance board with Renault Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard is allegedly working on pushing the deal through sooner rather than later, but the FCA portion of this saga is a new twist. During the tenure of FCA’s former boss Sergio Marchionne, there were more than a few rumors regarding mergers and purchases, primarily with Chinese automakers. This new report speaks of a freshly merged Renault-Nissan company seeking to acquire FCA as well, ultimately creating a large corporation with enough clout to compete with the likes of Toyota and Volkswagen. In this scenario from Finacial Times, a Renault-Nissan alliance would go after FCA within 12 months. As for FCA, there hasn’t been much talk of partnerships or mergers since Marchionne’s passing last July. That’s not to say such talk is nonexistent – FCA CEO Mike Manley told reports at the Geneva Motor Show that the automaker is open to partnerships that would make sense and provide a better return to shareholders. The next 12 months should be very interesting. Source: Automotive News Europe, Financial Times (subscription required)<doc-sep>Photo : Getty Images A wave of consolidation may be on the horizon, some tweets, and Lotus— yes, Lotus!— have all blessed us on this day. This is the Morning Shift for March 27th, 2019. Advertisement 1st Gear: This Actually Kinda Make Sense? From An Outsider-y Business Perspective? I know, I know, we kinda did this last week, but I promise we’re not just doing Mad Libs with the “[INSERT RANDO COMPANY] wants to buy Fiat Chrysler Automobiles” every week until the water laps above our heads, ever so gently. There’s a genuine report again, and in this instance, it’s from the Financial Times, which says Renault wants to try again to formally merge with longtime alliance partner Nissan—and then merge with Fiat Chrysler. Renault aims to restart merger talks with Nissan within 12 months and then acquire another carmaker, with Fiat Chrysler among the preferred targets, according to several people familiar with the French company’s plans. The planning marks a new strategy following the arrest in Tokyo of Carlos Ghosn, former chief executive of Renault and chairman of Nissan, in November for financial misconduct. He denies all charges. Okay, there’s a lot of moving pieces and possible motivations here, so let’s dive in. First of all, let’s keep in mind that just because Renault is reportedly interested in buying FCA, that doesn’t mean that Peugeot is no longer interested in also buying FCA. That’s how these things work, and should FCA want to sell, it’ll probably get more than one bidder in an auction-style corporate sale process. Advertisement And now, to Renault’s possible motivations that I’m just riffing on here, from my own head (both Renault and Nissan declined to comment to the FT): It looks like there’s a big wave of automotive industry consolidation on the horizon FCA’s dealer network Renault and Nissan have been through some shit lately Advertisement Let’s unpack these real quick. The automotive industry, weirdly, is one of the few very large consumer industries with any semblance of real competition in this bizarre world. You want a new phone? Well then it’s Android or Apple, and your provider in the U.S. is almost certainly Verizon or AT&T. You want some blood work done? LabCorp or Quest. Want to fly on a plane? You’re doing it on an Airbus or a Boeing. Buy a guitar? You’re probably going to get a Gibson or a Fender. (There are much smaller competitors in all of these fields, but those are exceptions, not the rule, and if you come at me with some “but MY phone runs on Symbian!” shit I’ll throw you out a window.) Advertisement But if you want to buy a car, you can choose from over a dozen brands that assemble cars on our golden shores alone, let alone those that don’t even bother to build cars with Patriotic, Strong American Labor® . Couple that with the sea changes rippling through the industry around electrification, automation, and new competition, and you’ve got a situation ripe for some mergers. Or failures. Take your pick. In any case, the landscape of the future will probably mean many fewer car brands, and many more under one single roof. Advertisement FCA could be an inviting target, too. It’s got Jeep and Ferrari and Ram, but many of its other brands are total basket cases. This is a company whose erstwhile American flagship brand, Chrysler, makes a grand total of two (2!) cars, one of which is a decidedly unhip minivan in a world of SUVs, and the other is an essentially 15-year-old sedan that heavily borrowed from a decades-old Mercedes platform. Dodge is so stressed out it can do nothing but keep putting ever more monstrous engines in large tanks, and the best that could be said about Fiat in the U.S. from a sales perspective is that it exists. Also, Maserati and Alfa Romeo? Why? Advertisement That doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of potential upside to FCA for a corporate buyer, however. Jeeps and Rams are selling like crazy, which is good news for a company like Renault or Peugeot which might not have a very large depth chart for the brawny SUVs and trucks that are popular right now. And that lack of engineering pipeline wouldn’t be such a hinderance to a company like a Renault or a Peugeot which has its own platforms and cars for that sort of thing already, anyway. Advertisement And then there’s the all-important dealer network. One of the biggest obstacles to entering the American car market is that to truly break in, you need at least a couple hundred dealerships just to start with. You could try to build all of that from scratch, representing a huge investment in real estate and/or franchising alone, or you could just buy FCA and be done with it. All of those Chrysler dealers would just become Renault dealers, and that’s fine. There’s plenty of smoke, is what I’m saying, and FCA definitely isn’t trying to put water on this fire. Not only has FCA itself indicated a willingness to sell as recently as Monday, but it’s been trying to sell itself for years. Here’s what we wrote all the way back in 2016, when then-CEO Sergio Marchionne (RIP) was trying to sell it to GM, or Volkswagen, or really whoever: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne wanted a deal with GM, and they weren’t interested. Then he mentioned merging with Volkswagen, they didn’t necessarily say no, and that is when shit went and got too real for him. That is why Sergio is now walking back on his claims, slightly tripping, by arguing that he merely brought up the logical thing for a company like Volkswagen to do, and that he is not a thirsty CEO looking to pawn his company off to somebody with money, or even just somebody. Advertisement So it looks like the only questions remaining are who will buy FCA, and when? An Asian upstart looking to get into the U.S.? A French bigwig looking to not-so-triumphantly return?<doc-sep>Renault is reportedly looking to restart merger talks with Nissan within the next 12 months before making an audacious attempt to buy Fiat Chrysler. The Italian-American multinational is a prime target for the French firm, according to the Financial Times who cited several people familiar with Renault's plans, and former Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn held talks with Fiat in recent years before his arrest in Japan on financial misconduct charges. The FT also reported that Fiat Chrysler Chairman John Elkann is open to a potential partnership or merger in a bid to boost his firm. A combination of Renault, Nissan and Fiat Chrysler would be viewed as a viable rival to the current global auto leaders, Volkswagen Group and Toyota.<doc-sep>Enlarge Image Renault Not content with only an alliance, French automaker Renault wants to pursue a full merger with Nissan, the Financial Times reports. After that's completed, Renault then reportedly wants to go on and seek a merger with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The FT says that Renault wants to begin merger talks with Nissan within 12 months' time, and after that the company would start looking to merge with another automaker. FCA is on the list of "the preferred targets" for that merger. The FT also reported this week that FCA chairman John Elkann has recently discussed merger possibilities with Peugeot, as well as "with Korean and Chinese automakers." Despite that, no deals are apparently imminent. Still, with Renault's pursuit of FCA some way off, it's not impossible that FCA will find a suitor before Renault has finished its merger tie-ups with Nissan. Renault didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. A Nissan spokesman in the US declined to comment. Late FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne was known to be interested in pursuing mergers in his final years at the company's helm. His replacement, current FCA CEO Mike Manley, also has publicly stated his interest in tie-ups with other automakers. He told Automotive News earlier this month that, "I want to find areas where cooperation -- whether it is partnerships, whether it's joint ventures or whether it is deeper levels of equity cooperation that makes sense for us." There's some interesting historical context for a Renault and FCA deal. In the 1980s, Renault briefly took a stake in American Motors Corporation, which also then manufactured Jeep, before AMC was sold to Chrysler.<doc-sep>

The late Sergio Marchionne used to say consolidation would be the only way to compete against the biggest global carmakers. The company looks certain to fulfill that goal, but perhaps not in the way he intended. The Financial Times reports that Renault wants to begin merger talks with Nissan in the next 12 months. Assuming a merger gets completed, the plan is for the combined company to then pursue another merger, with Fiat Chrysler a prime target. Nissan , and Mitsubishi have been busy since cutting ties with ex-alliance boss Carlos Ghosn . They formed a new alliance board with Renault chairman Jean-Dominique Senard at the helm, Renault has shrunk the size of its board while Nissan added more outside directors, and the two agreed to a new governance structure to ease operational decision making. All three automakers have walked away from Ghosn-era goals to sell 14 million cars and find 10 billion euros in savings by 2022. New strategic plans for all three car companies are in the works.With stability in sight, it's said Senard wants to succeed where Ghosn failed — a full-fledged merger between Renault and Nissan with talks to begin "as soon as possible." Ghosn's pursuit of a merger last year in attempt to make the 20-year-old alliance "irreversible" is part of what led to his downfall, with Nissan executives including CEO Hiroto Saikawa against the push.The new effort is presented as larger scale being the only way for the alliance to take on companies like Volkswagen and Toyota . But the Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi trio sold 10.76 million cars around the world last year, second to Volkswagen with 10.83 million sales, ahead of Toyota with 10.39 million. If Nissan hadn't suffered a 2.8 percent dip in sales, the alliance would have taken the top spot.If a little scale is good that means more is better, right? Pulling Fiat Chrysler into the alliance would add around 5 million annual sales, and would be another move in Ghosn's footsteps. The former honcho is said to have "held talks with FCA " about some kind of union within the past three years. The French government, which has a 15 percent stake in Renault and double voting rights, shut down the initiative.It's not clear if FCA will be an independent company by the time a potential Nissan-Renault merger closed, though. FCA is open to a union, CEO Mike Manley having said at Geneva , "We have a strong independent future, but if there is a partnership, a relationship or a merger which strengthens that future, I will look at that. "Groupe PSA, the parent company of Peugeot that's still processing its purchase of Opel , has already met with FCA Chairman John Elkann to discuss a transaction. According to the Wall Street Journal, Elkann and the Agnelli family that controls FCA declined the latest proposal partly because of Peugeot's desire to finance a transaction with stock, which would mean more FCA exposure to a mature European market where FCA is already having issues. Beyond that, the FT said Elkann had met with "several rivals." With so many interested parties, something seems bound to happen.

The Kansas City Chiefs used the second of two sixth-round picks on Utah State running back Darwin Thompson, who is an intriguing prospect that could stick. RB Darwin Thompson Utah State • 5’8” • 200 lbs. (report powered by the KC DRAFT GUIDE, published on 4/8) EXPECTED DRAFT RANGE: Day three BACKGROUND: Junior college transfer and was second-team All-American his sophomore season. His uncle, David Thompson, played running back for the St. Louis Rams from 1997-99. 2018 second-team All-Mountain West. STRENGTHS: Thompson is a small and shifty running back. He makes sharp lateral cuts and is elusive in space. One of his best traits is that he gives defenders a small target to hit, even though they don’t have much to anyway. He avoids giant hits because of this and is able to force missed tackles after contact because he keeps himself clean. Thompson showed some ability as a pass catcher and route runner. His change of direction should come in handy as he develops his route-running abilities. He has natural hands and is dangerous on swings as he’s hard to bring down. Averaged over 15 yards per catch in his only season at Utah State. WEAKNESSES: Thompson enters the NFL with vision questions. He too often missed opportunities in zone concepts that were apparent and could’ve led to more productive touches. He gets swallowed by blitzing defend- ers in pass protection and no amount of technical work will allow him to overcome his ability to be trusted with those responsibilities. Will never be a guy who is going to run away from people as his long speed is average to below average. HOW HE FITS WITH THE CHIEFS: Thompson brings traits to the table that are not on the Chiefs roster currently such excellent change of direction and elusiveness in space. He is not the well-built, powerful back but wins by making people miss. He shows some ability in the passing game that could be intriguing to the Chiefs and that will likely be a big part of how he carves out a role on an NFL team. If the Chiefs want a running back with more pass catcher traits, you could see Thompson thrown into the mix on day three of the draft. PLAYER COMP: Tarik Cohen Reaction: Darwin Thompson is a fun pick this late in the draft. He’s electric in space and made people look silly in the Mountain West. I gave him a Tarik Cohen comp in the KC Draft Guide, and I could see him sticking. The biggest question for me is the contact balance. It looks great against lesser competition, so if it shows up against bigger players in tighter spaces, Thompson has a role. Thompson possesses pass-catcher traits that could be a nice addition to the Chiefs offense. He’s not the big back the Chiefs typically covet, but he is a change of pace that could be a legitimate value this late. Thompson would be interesting to watch out on swing routes, where he can operate against smaller defenders. I’m excited to see him at training camp. Chiefs 2019 NFL Draft picks (six picks) Round 2: Pick No. 56 overall — Georgia WR Mecole Hardman Round 2: Pick No. 63 overall — Virginia S Juan Thornhill Round 3: Pick No. 84 overall — Western Illinois DT Khalen Saunders Round 6: Pick No. 201 overall — South Carolina CB Rashad Fenton Round 6: Pick No. 214 overall — Utah State RB Darwin Thompson Round 7: Pick No. 216 overall — Illinois C Nick Allegretti Selection time limits Day 2: Round 2 (seven minutes per pick) • Round 3 (five minutes per pick) Round 2 (seven minutes per pick) • Round 3 (five minutes per pick) Day 3: Rounds 4-6 (five minutes per pick) • Round 7 (four minutes per pick) Rounds 4-6 (five minutes per pick) • Round 7 (four minutes per pick) (Compensatory picks = four minutes)<doc-sep>The next pick is in… With their fifth pick in the 2019 NFL draft, the Kansas City Chiefs select Utah State RB Darwin Thompson. The pick comes at it’s original slot in the sixth round at No. 214 overall. This is the Chiefs only compensatory pick for this draft. In 2018, Thompson put up 1,395 scrimmage yards and 16 total touchdowns. He’s an elusive runner displaying strong contact balance given his size. The Chiefs will find unique ways to get him involved. Here’s what NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein has to say about him:<doc-sep>The Kansas City Chiefs have a ton of different RBs on the roster now, but none of them are quite like Darwin Thompson. According to Chiefs area scout Trey Koziol, that’s exactly why the Chiefs picked him. “I think you hit the nail on the head,” Koziol explained. “He is almost a little bit of a change of pace from what we have, which is nice. He is obviously a little bit undersized, but in terms of his twitch and his burst, kind of that change of pace guy that can make moves in space. He is a big-play threat. He always was a big play threat for them at Utah State. It is a little bit different than what we had, so it gives us a little bit different dimension in terms of the passing game and guys who can operate out in space, too.” Not only is Thompson unique from the standpoint of the Chiefs roster, but he’s unique for the NFL too. There’s really just not quite another player with his type of body and skill set. “Even though you look at his size, he is 5’8” 198 pounds, this kid is really put together,” Koziel said. “I think when you see him in the building, he is a real rocked up dude. I thought he had really good strength and really good contact balance. He runs with a low center of gravity. That is one of the things that the guys at Utah State mentioned. He was pound for pound probably the strongest kids in their program, just in terms of his lower body strength. “His ability to work through contact and then obviously he has really quick feet and an ability to make people miss out in space as well. So, they run a spread offense, kind of an air raid style offense, so when you get a guy who has the ability to break tackles and does have very good contact balance and lower body strength out in the open field, I think that is where you get the 6.8 yards per carry. Obviously, 15.3 yards per catch was really impressive, too. This guy has been a big play threat for them. I know it has been limited carries, but what he did, like I said, was very impressive.” It’s possible that work in the offense won’t be the only thing that Thompson does for the Chiefs. Even though he never returned kicks in college at Utah State, Dave Toub and Rod Wilson have a knack for coaching guys up. ” I think all running backs have the ability to be kick returners,” Koziol explained. “He wasn’t really featured there that much this year being a first-year guy, but I think that is something. Coach Toub always does a great job with those guys, even if they weren’t guys that did it in college per se. Knile Davis wasn’t a guy that had a lot of kick returns at Arkansas, but the way that Coach (Toub) and Rod (Wilson) get those guys ready to go, the way that he runs with his vision and his quickness, certainly is something they could try in the preseason just to see how it goes.”<doc-sep>

The Kansas City Chiefs only had three picks on the final day of the draft. One of the three was the last pick in the in the sixth round, number 214 overall. With the 214th overall pick the Chiefs selected running back Darwin Thompson. Darwin Thompson played his college ball at Utah State where he amassed 1,044 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns last season, which was his only season with the Aggies. He added to his rushing totals with 354 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. He now joins the Kansas City Chiefs and could play a big role for them in the coming years. Thompson will provide depth at the running back position for the Chiefs. He’s not the biggest running back in the draft at 5’8″ and 200 pounds, but he is a hard worker and can get yards through the air as well, which could help him get some playing time in the future. The Chiefs didn’t HAVE to add a running back, but it’s a position where injuries occur a lot, so selecting one is probably fine for most Chiefs fans. With the final pick of Round 6 and the 214th pick of the 2019 #NFLDraft – the Kansas City Chiefs select Utah State RB Darwin Thompson! pic.twitter.com/ugWudy6ZZl — Pro Football Focus (@PFF) April 27, 2019 As of now, the Chiefs have Damien Williams, Carlos Hyde, and Darryl Williams as their three running backs, but Thompson provides stealthy competition for them this summer. Thompson comes from a “smaller” school in Utah State, but make no mistake. This kid can pack a punch and could very well make a dent in the Chiefs offense this year and beyond. Thompson’s ability to make a play in the receiving game makes all too much sense, as Andy Reid loves running backs who can catch the ball. It’s not a big deal that he’s a sixth round pick because the running back position has changed and it’s easier to find depth much later on in the draft now. What do you think of this pick, Chiefs fans?

Courtesy a questionable penalty netted by the Indian football team captain, Sunil Chhetri, a banger of a finish from Jeje, and another goal from the skipper as he chipped the ball over the head of the Kenyan keeper, tucking it in the back of the net, India picked up their second win in the tournament. In a set up that was showered with rigorous rainfall, the arena in Andheri, Mumbai saw a dominating display of football from the Kenyan national side in the first half. While the visitors had the majority of ball possession in the first 45 minutes of the game, it was the Blue Tigers who emerged as the more than deserving winners of the contest. Chhetri’s pleading video sure did impact the fans around the country as the crowds came out in numbers, selling out majority of the Mumbai Sports Complex. Over a nine thousand fans turned up to fill in the stadiums and get behind the men in blue. Supported by a strident crowd, Stephen Constantine’s men displayed some magical football in the second half of the game. #1 Sandesh Jhingan – Wall of strength Declared as the ‘Hero of the Match’ and quite rightly so, Jhingan played an eminent role in India’s second successive win in the Intercontinental Cup tonight. Be it aerial tackles, showing his attackers out with his core strength, his nightmarish sliding tackles on a slippery, rainy surface, Sandesh pulled every trick out of his hat and gave his all in order to keep a dominating Kenyan side away from Gurpreet Singh Sandhu’s goal. The Kerala Blasters’ captain limped off in the closing minutes of the game, being replaced by fellow left back, Narayan Das. Post that change from the Indian coach Stephen Constantine, there was an evident gap in the Indian half, defensively which allowed the Kenyan attackers some space and a couple of wasted opportunities on goal. Jhingan so very evidently made a huge difference as a part of Mr. Constantine’s back four. 1 / 5 NEXT<doc-sep>Virat Kohli has been an ardent supporter of Indian football. From being the co-owner of FC Goa in the Indian Super League (ISL) to posting motivational messages for the team and its players, the Indian cricket captain has been quite vocal in his support. Kohli on Saturday had seconded India football captain Sunil Chhetri's rallying call to fans to watch the football matches at stadiums. Chhetri's message and support from stars like Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar did the trick with India vs Kenya match in Mumbai sold out. Following India's emphatic 3-0 win over Kenya, Kohli on Tuesday took to Twitter and posted a message for the Indian team and captain Chhetri. The last two years have been fantastic for @IndianFootball and last night again they showed that they mean business. A great 3 nil victory over Kenya. Well done champ @chetrisunil11," wrote Kohli. The last two years have been fantastic for @IndianFootball and last night again they showed that they mean business. A great 3 nil victory over Kenya. Well done champ @chetrisunil11!! #INDvKEN — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) June 5, 2018 Chhetri, who had scored a hat-trick in India's first match of the Intercontinental Cup against Chinese Taipei, made his 100th international appearance in India's clash against Kenya at the Mumbai Football Arena. Despite heavy rain making it tough for players to really make an impact, Chhetri scored two goals in the second half. Chhetri's first was from the penalty spot, though, the Indian captain was lucky to get a favourable call from the referee. The 33-year-old chested down a cross from the right that took him away from Kenyan defenders and into the box but as he tried to reach the ball, he fell with replays showing minimal contact with the Kenyan centre-back. Chhetri got up and slotted in the penalty to give India the lead. Jeje Lalpekhlua scored India's second with a thunderous strike from inside the box while Chhetri added glitter to the scoreline with an inch-perfect chipped-goal in the 92nd minute. Promoted India will now take on New Zealand on Thursday in the four-team tournament. They are top of the table followed by Kenya (three points), who beat the All Whites 2-1 in their first match and will now take on Chinese Taipei. The top two teams in the points table will meet in the summit clash on Sunday.<doc-sep>India’s 3-0 win vs Kenya in the second match of the Intercontinental Cup being held in Mumbai was notable for two reasons. Firstly, skipper Sunil Chhetri marked his 100th national team appearance with a wonderful brace. Secondly, the captain’s heartfelt appeal to fans asking them to come and support the Indian football team in the stadium actually seemed to work: the Mumbai Football Arena was sold out and not even torrential rain could dull the atmosphere at the stadium. However, national team coach Stephen Constantine took a slightly dim view on Chhetri’s social media post, saying that he felt that his side’s performances over the last few years should warrant good support regardless. READ | Sunil Chhetri ‘emotional’ ahead of 100th international cap for Indian football team “I don’t feel we should be begging people to watch the national team. The response has been unbelievable. When the national team has been playing the manner we have been playing in the last three years it was disappointing to see the turnout in the first match,” he stated after the match, according to an AIFF press release. “I expect the stands to be full in the next two matches,” he added. Bigger crowd, more motivation He was also full of praise for his side’s performance, with the win ensuring that the Indian football team have qualified for the final of the tournament. “I want to congratulate the boys for a hard fought victory under difficult conditions. We didn’t play well in the first half. The win puts us in the final of the tournament. That’s what we wanted to achieve since the beginning.” READ | Sunil Chhetri’s brace powers India to win over Kenya in Intercontinental Cup Defender Sandish Jhingan, who put in a solid performance in the backline, was happy at the turnout and said that it made the players want to be at their best. “There is never any pressure to play in front of such a full crowd. It was extra motivation from the moment when we entered the stadium. We knew we had to deliver and we did,” Jhingan said.<doc-sep>Ten minutes into the second half against Kenya in Mumbai; Indian captain Sunil Chhetri stood unmarked ready to fire as the ball came in from the left flank, but the timing for once deserted him. The number 11 was disgusted and frustrated with himself. Minutes before the final whistle, with the contest safely in the bag the skipper sprinted through the centre to pick up a pass, in extremely difficult ground conditions, before calmly dinking it over an on-rushing Kenyan goal-keeper. India won 3-0 on a day that will be well remembered in Indian football folklore. An evening that began with thunder and rain ended with the thunderous Viking clap as Sunil Chhetri continued to do what he does best whilst also becoming the only Indian footballer to play a 100 senior games for his country. Well known for putting the needs of the many before his own, India’s most prolific footballer admits that realisation struck when only after he had a conversation with his mother, a former footballer for Nepal herself. The expected pressure of the moment was visible when he stepped up take controversial penalty and the relief in his trademark celebration, muted acknowledgement of the love showered on him. The plan had always been to stick to the plan – score, don’t celebrate wildly and take your team to victory. Like one would expect to be the case, Chhetri, by his own admission did not think of playing as much as he has done for India. The dream of wearing the blue for India had turned to reality in 2005 in Quetta against Pakistan, and the icing on the cake was a goal on debut. The manner of celebration then may not have gone down as well as his plea to the fans in today’s day and age. The young man’s joy knew no bounds as he ran over to the Pakistani supporters to celebrate. In the last 13 years, the one thing that has stayed constant with the Indian football team has been Sunil Chhetri. The forward has been a central figure to not only how the team has been built, but also to some of the happier moments, and some hard times. Armed with the habit of scoring key goals, the Bengaluru man made quite a splash with a hat-trick against Tajikistan to take India to their first Asia Cup appearance in over two decades in 2011. More than half a decade later, the present captain has once again been at the heart of India’s qualification campaign, pulling a rat out of the bag at almost the drop of a hat. Rarely has he had a bad day at work. The ace forward enjoys the pressure cooker situations and some of his best performances, both at the national and domestic level, have seen him snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Disappointment in big tournaments has always been an area of massive concern for Indian football, be it the Asia Cup or the FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Once again though, a constant silver lining has been the man who began his journey from the Durand Cup before Mohun Bagan swooped in and introduced him to the Kolkata Maidan. The intensity and drive has remained the same with added responsibility and maturity in recent years which has brought out a mentoring side to his game. On more than a few occasions during the Kenya match the skipper would go out of his way to advise or direct. It is a regular feature not just during national team games, but also when with his beloved Bengaluru FC. More importantly, Chhetri leads by example. His on-field exploits, professional ways of working are well documented, but however, it is that continued urge to be more effective than the last try has made him an inspirational figure. Another side to him is his humility and the ease with which he connects with football fans in the country. From personally thanking those at the stadium after a game to being approachable easily for his fans, the captain sets an example on and off the field. Recently married, Chhetri is the third highest scorer among active international footballers, behind the superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. It would wrong to not expect a change in that list sooner than later. Indian football in the last decade and half is synonymous with Sunil Chhetri and to think, as he admits, he almost chose cricket over football.<doc-sep>

As India began their preparations for next year's Asian Cup with the Intercontinental Cup, a little over 2000 people turned up at the Mumbai Football Arena for their match against Chinese Taipei. Unperturbed by the lack of support, India skipper Sunil Chhetri put forward another dominating display with a hat-trick as the Blue Tigers won the match 5-0. The job for the day was done, but for a man who moved a step closer to 100 India caps, the response from the crowd was disappointing. The game has a lot of fans in the country; sadly the national team is not the team they support. Premier League games, Champions League final or the World Cup - these events have witnessed a burgeoning viewership over the years. Intercontinental Cup 2018: Sunil Chhetri brace helps India crush Kenya The Indian Super League (ISL) also attracts a sizeable amount of people to the stadiums. A record number of people turned up for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup last year. However, for reasons unclear and incomprehensible, they have also looked away when it comes to supporting the national team. But ahead of the match against Kenya on Monday, which was also going be Chhetri's 100th game, the India skipper decided enough was enough. He posted a video on Twitter urging fans to come to stadiums to support their national team. He asked the football followers to "scream at them, shout at them, abuse them," but from the stands. This is nothing but a small plea from me to you. Take out a little time and give me a listen. pic.twitter.com/fcOA3qPH8i Sunil Chhetri (@chetrisunil11) June 2, 2018 The plea worked. The video went viral. Celebrities, cricketers among others came out in support of Chhetri. The India vs Kenya was sold out and the stadium was packed to the rafters. Chhetri master-class As the fans turned up in numbers, Chhetri made it a mission to not disappoint them. The conditions on Monday were horrible for a game of football. Incessant rain during the first half made it difficult for the teams to control the game. Mumbai makes it a century to remember for Sunil Chhetri Puddles on the ground made it impossible to play passing football. With the ball spending more time in the air, Kenya started to dominate the game with arguably much stronger players on the pitch. India needed a victory to qualify for the final and Chhetri decided to take control of the things. In the 68th minute, the captain opened the scoring for India from the penalty spot after he was brought down in the box by Kibwage. Jeje doubled India's lead with a close-range effort just three minutes later. But it's not over till it's over and an experienced Chhetri knew it. His intensity never dropped as he waited for the opportunity, which arrived minutes before the final whistle. On the counter, the 33-year-old got behind Kenya's defence to lob the over the goalkeeper for a brilliant goal. The game finished 3-0 in favour of India. With two goals, Chhetri took his tally to 61 goals in 100 international games. He's now third on the list of top goalscorers in the world among active footballers. Lionel Messi is just three goals ahead of him while Cristiano Ronaldo tops the list with 81. Chhetri invited India to watch football and he served them a master-class. A day which fans will remember forever has now become part of folklore.

The Green Bay Packers have 10 selections in the 2019 NFL Draft. The New Orleans Saints’ loss to the Los Angeles Rams was controversial, but the Green Bay Packers won’t care. It means the Packers will now receive the 30th overall pick from the Saints, their second of two first-round selections. Green Bay currently has 10 picks in total. With two in the first round, general manager Brian Gutekunst will have an opportunity to add a couple of difference makers to the roster. Here’s a full list of the Packers’ 2019 draft picks, according to Tankathon: Round 1, Pick 12 (12th overall) Round 1, Pick 30 (30th overall) – from New Orleans Round 2, Pick 12 (44th overall) Round 3, Pick 12 (76th overall) Round 4, Pick 12 (108th overall) Round 4, Pick 16 (112th overall) – from Washington Round 5, Pick 12 (140th overall) Round 6, Pick 12 (172nd overall) Round 6, Pick 22 (182nd overall) – from Seattle Round 7, Pick 12 (204th overall) That’s excellent draft position. The Packers don’t just have a lot of picks to work with, but also two in the first round and six inside the top 112 overall. It’s unlikely they’ll receive any compensatory picks this year, however. With Ted Thompson at GM it was almost a guarantee the Packers would receive at least one compensatory pick. But after last offseason’s free agency, that is unlikely this year, according to Over The Cap‘s cancellation chart. Over The Cap notes that despite losing Morgan Burnett in free agency last offseason, the signing of Tramon Williams cancels it out. And that’s before we factor in the Jimmy Graham addition. It would be a surprise if the Packers received any compensatory picks this spring. But that doesn’t matter. Gutekunst has plenty of picks to work with and should have opportunities to make trades. With two first-rounders, there’s the possibility of trading up or adding more picks by trading down from No. 30. There weren’t too many exciting moments during the 2018 season, but draft season should be a lot of fun for Green Bay Packers fans.<doc-sep>Getty Images The Saints pushed the cost of Marcus Davenport away, almost as far as they could have. With yesterday’s conference championship games in the books, most of the 2019 NFL Draft order is now known. The Chiefs will pick 29th overall after losing to the Patriots, and the Packers own the 30th spot, after last year’s trade with the Saints (who fell to the Rams last night). The Saints gave up the pick in the move up to get Davenport this year. The pass-rushing project from Texas-San Antonio had 4.5 sacks (with only 0.5 of them coming after Halloween) and a forced fumble this season, and they’re obviously going to need more from him in the future to justify the pick. He had four total tackles in the postseason, including one for a loss and a quarterback hit. The Packers also pick 12th overall for their own work this year. The loser of the Super Bowl will slide into the 31st spot, and the winner will own the last pick in the first round. Here’s a look at the draft order as it stands after the conference championship games: 1. Cardinals 3-13 2. 49ers 4-12 3. Jets 4-12 4. Raiders 4-12 5. Buccaneers 5-11 6. Giants 5-11 7. Jaguars 5-11 8. Lions 6-10 9. Bills 6-10 10. Broncos 6-10 11. Bengals 6-10 12. Packers 6-9-1 13. Dolphins 7-9 14. Falcons 7-9 15. Washington 7-9 16. Panthers 7-9 17. Browns 7-8-1 18 Vikings 8-7-1 19. Titans 9-7 20. Steelers 9-6-1 21. Seahawks 10-6 22. Ravens 10-6 23. Texans 11-5 24. Raiders (via Bears 12-4) 25. Eagles 9-7 26. Colts 10-6 27. Raiders (via Cowboys 10-6) 28. Chargers 12-4 29. Chiefs 12-4 30. Packers (via Saints 13-3)<doc-sep>Green Bay Packers fans have been cheering against the New Orleans Saints all year long. Each Saints loss was a gain for the Packers, who acquired New Orleans’ first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft on day one of the 2018 selection meeting. Those efforts did not go well, however, as the Saints finished 13-3 in the regular season, posting the best record in the entire NFL. A victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round of the playoffs sent them to the NFC Championship Game. However, on Sunday afternoon, the Saints finally fell, losing to the Los Angeles Rams 26-23 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Greg Zuerlein’s 57-yard field goal in overtime sent the Rams to the Super Bowl and ended the Saints’ season. The loss locks New Orleans’ first-round draft pick in at the #30 overall slot. That slot belongs to whichever losing team in the Conference Championship round has the better record; although the Chiefs-Patriots game is just getting underway as of publishing of this article, both teams had an inferior record this season. Thus, the Packers now hold picks number 12 and 30 overall in round one, which would be the first time since 2009 that they would pick twice in the draft’s first round. The Packers also have picks 44 (round two) and 75 (round three). The trade that sent the Saints’ pick to Green Bay came on the first day of the 2018 NFL Draft, with New Orleans trading up from 28 to the Packers’ 14th pick by sending a fifth-round pick in 2018 and their first-rounder in 2019. Green Bay then traded back up to the 18th overall selection, picking Louisville cornerback Jaire Alexander.<doc-sep>

The NFL season is over for 30 teams, and that means we know the exact order for the first 30 picks in the 2019 NFL Draft. The Saints' loss to the Rams in the NFC Championship Game means the Packers know they'll slot into the 30th spot with their second first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. The Packers landed the pick in the Saints' 2018 draft day trade to move up for Marcus Davenport. The Packers then moved up from the Saints' original spot in that draft to select Jaire Alexander with their first pick. Picking No. 29: the Kansas City Chiefs, who couldn't get it done against the Patriots in the AFC Championship. Provided they don't trade back, it'll be just the second time the Chiefs have picked in the first round in the last four drafts. The only pick they made in Round 1 from 2016-18? Quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The order of the final two picks in the first round of the draft will be determined by the result of Super Bowl LIII, which you can stream right here on CBSSports.com. Whichever team loses will pick 31st, with the winner picking 32nd. You can find the full draft order below. 2019 NFL Draft Order * indicates TBD in playoffs 1. Arizona Cardinals (3-13) 2. San Francisco 49ers (4-12) 3. New York Jets (4-12) 4. Oakland Raiders (4-12) 5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-11) 6. New York Giants (5-11) 7. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11) 8. Detroit Lions (6-10) 9. Buffalo Bills (6-10) 10. Denver Broncos (6-10) 11. Cincinnati Bengals (6-10) 12. Green Bay Packers (6-9-1) 13. Miami Dolphins (7-9) 14. Atlanta Falcons (7-9) 15. Washington Redskins (7-9) 16. Carolina Panthers (7-9) 17. Cleveland Browns (7-8-1) 18. Minnesota Vikings (8-7-1) 19. Tennessee Titans (9-7) 20. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6-1) 21. Seattle Seahawks (10-6) 22. Baltimore Ravens (10-6) 23. Houston Texans (11-5) 24. Raiders from Chicago (12-4) 25. Philadelphia Eagles (9-7) 26. Indianapolis Colts (10-6) 27. Raiders from Dallas (10-6) 28. Los Angeles Chargers (12-4) 29. Kansas City Chiefs (12-4) 30. Packers from New Orleans (13-3) *31. New England Patriots (11-5) *32. Los Angeles Rams (13-3)

Caitlyn Jenner brought her close friend and rumored girlfriend Sophia Hutchins along for the night Kylie Jenner was surrounded by family as she celebrated her 21st birthday. Caitlyn Jenner stepped out to attend Kylie’s birthday dinner at Craig’s in Los Angeles on Thursday night before heading to Delilah’s for the big party. Get push notifications with news, features and more. Caitlyn, 68, dressed up for the occasion, wearing a patterned, sequin-covered mini-dress. She paired her look with a simple black bag. She also brought her close friend and rumored girlfriend Sophia Hutchins along for the night. Kylie Jenner sparkles in an outfit change at Delilah with her family Caitlyn Jenner | Credit: Yolo/BACKGRID First, there was the dinner at Craig’s, followed by a dance party at Delilah’s in a room decorated with pink tinsel, a mural of the KarJenner crew and ceiling of balloons. Guests were given pink solo cups with “Kylie’s 21st” written on them. A cake came later, topped with a Barbie doll dressed as Kylie. caitlyn-jenner Caitlyn Jenner | Credit: Kim Kardashian/Instagram There was even a ball pit, which Kim and Khloé jumped around in. At one point, the KarJenners sisters united on a couch for a fun photo shoot. The festivities reached their peak with Kris’ emotional toast to her youngest daughter, captured by the (nearly) billion dollar beauty mogul’s BFF Jordyn Woods.<doc-sep>The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Celeb obsessed? Get a daily dose of showbiz gossip direct to your inbox Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice The whole Kardashian-Jenner clan turned out for Kylie Jenner's wild 21st birthday in Los Angeles on Thursday - even Caitlyn Jenner. Despite a deep family rift between Caitlyn and ex-wife Kris that Kim and her sisters also got tangled up in, Kylie and Kendall have remained close with the former Olympian. And Caitlyn made sure she was there to see in her little girl's milestone birthday. The morning after the night before proud Caitlyn posted two pictures from inside Kylie's wild party. (Image: Instagram/caitlynjenner) The first shows the I Am Cait star cuddling up to her daughter as she sticks her tongue out. "Can't believe my baby girl turned 21! So much fun last night. Happy birthday @Kyliejenner." (Image: Instagram/caitlynjenner) She then followed it up with another picture taken inside the photobooth that also featured her rumoured 22-year-old girlfriend Sophia Hutchins, proving she's definitely been welcomed into the famous family. The trio are all pulling their best pouts as they pose together. (Image: Splash News) (Image: Instagram) It comes after Caitlyn finally addressed her relationship with Sophia. The former Olympian, 68 and Sophia, 22, first sparked dating rumours almost a year ago, with recent reports suggesting they are engaged and wanted kids together. Kris's ex sat down with Variety, who quizzed her about the transgender model. "We are not going to get into that,” a tight-lipped Caitlyn said. “But we are very close.” She added: "We do a lot of things together. We’re kind of inseparable. “We’re the best of friends.”<doc-sep>Looks like the gang’s all here! Did things get awkard at Kylie’s birthday when Caitlyn Jenner and Kris Jenner both attended her party? Find out below! Caitlyn Jenner, 68, was dressed to the nines at daughter Kylie Jenner’s 21st birthday party! If Caitlyn was trying to steal the show, well, she surely came close. The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star stepped out with her rumored girlfriend Sophia Hutchins, 22, and was chic AF in a sparkling mini dress. Of course, Kylie’s mom, Kris Jenner, 62, was also in attendance at the bash. So, did things get awkward when they were forced into the same room? Thankfully, it looks like there were enough people in attendance at the massive party, that Caitlyn and Kris weren’t forced into any awkward interactions. There are tons of photos from the epic night, but not a single one shows the formerly married couple anywhere near each other! Could they have been purposefully avoiding each other? Kris’ boyfriend Corey Gamble probably played a part in distracting her. “Kris was hand in hand with boyfriend Corey Gamble during the party,” a source told Us Weekly. He “was right behind Kris everywhere she went.” The bash, held at Delilah night club in West Hollywood, was overflowing with celebrity guests. Kanye West, 41, Larsa Pippen, 44, Chris Brown, 29, and Nicki Minaj, 35, were all there. Plus, Caitlyn and Kris weren’t the only ex-couple in attendance! Scott Disick, 35,and Kourtney Kardashian, 39 were both there as well! The past lovers spent the night reuniting, as Scott’s current girlfriend, Sofia Richie, was nowhere in sight. In an one clip posted by Khloe Kardashian, Scott was seen sitting at a table right next to Kourt. Khloe jokingly captioned the clip of the pair, “A girl can dream,” alluding to the potential rekindling of their romance. In another video shared by Kim Kardashian, the former couple were still sitting together, playing on their phones. “Oh, just like an old married couple. On your phones…” Kim said in the video. Since Kourtney just kicked her now ex-boyfriend Younes Bendjima to the curb, who knows what the future has in store for her and Scott! Although Caitlyn and Kris didn’t take the time to catch up – you can’t say the two don’t have anything in common anymore. They were both toting the same Gucci handbag throughout the night!<doc-sep>

Caitlyn Jenner helped her daughter Kylie ring in her 21st birthday. Here, the two are pictured in 2015. (Photo: Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images for Glamour) Has Caitlyn Jenner been welcomed back into the Kardashian family fold? The Olympian athlete publicly fell out with ex-wife Kris Jenner and her children following the publication of her 2017 memoir, The Secrets of My Life. In an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians that aired last fall, Kim Kardashian blasted her former step-parent as a “liar” and “not a good person” in response to Jenner’s claims that the now late Robert Kardashian used the O.J. Simpson trial as a ploy to reunite with Kris. But they appear to have mended fences — or at least called a truce — for the sake of Kylie Jenner. Caitlyn Jenner joined the Kardashians to celebrate her youngest daughter’s 21st birthday on Thursday night. Fresh from promoting the birthday girl’s makeup line, the transgender rights advocate made a cameo appearance in Kim Kardashian’s Insta Stories footage from Kylie’s party. Jenner was seen wearing an embellished dress and standing near Kanye West as Kardashian filmed the crowd, commenting, “The whole gang, the whole family’s here.” Jenner resurfaced in her former stepdaughter Kim Kardashian’s party footage. (Photo: Kim Kardashian via InstaStories) It also looks like Jenner scored a spot in the Kardashian family mural that served as part of the party decor. The former sports star’s illustration appears to be sandwiched between Scott Disick (Kourtney Kardashian‘s ex-boyfriend) and the very man she’s accused of shading in her memoir: late Kardashian patriarch Robert Kardashian. Was Jenner’s appearance a genuine peace offering or a public relations ploy? Fans will have to wait for a future episode of KUWTK to find out for sure. Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:

1 Todd Gurley LAR GB Green Bay's vulnerable run defense bodes well for the home-favorite Rams' running game. 2 Kareem Hunt KC DEN Hunt was the RB5 in Week 4, the last time these teams faced off. He should finish as RB5 at worst this week. 3 James Conner PIT CLE Conner's been on fire in his last 2 games. Now he gets one of the worst run defenses in the league. 4 Joe Mixon CIN TB The all-purpose back should handle a hefty workload against the hapless Bucs defense. 5 Saquon Barkely NYG WAS Usage keeps Barkley in the Top 5, even in the awful Giants offense. 6 Alvin Kamara NO at MIN Never fear, Kamara is still NOLA's RB1. 7 David Johnson ARI SF The installation of Byron Leftwich at OC could turn immediately turnaround Arizona's offensive woes. It's possible we've got a vintage DJ on our hands for the rest of the season. 8 Matt Breida SF at ARI If he plays, the electric playmaker/Iron Man impersonator should eviscerate the Cardinals defense. 9 Phillip Lindsay DEN KC The all-purpose runner should smash his projections against the Kansas City defense. He's locked in for 20 touches with Royce Freeman likely inactive with a high ankle sprain. 10 Marlon Mack IND at OAK Mack looked like a rejunivated runner last week against a paltry Bills defense. Oakland should post a similar non-existant challenge for the feature back. 11 James White NE at BUF Marlon Mack looked like an All-Pro against the Bills last week. White's locked in for 20+ touches against them. 12 Christian McCaffrey CAR BAL This is a workload-based ranking. CMC has a stiff test, facing the Baltimore defense and his lack of touchdown production is worrying. High-Floor/High-Ceiling RB2s 13 Latavius Murray MIN NO Murray has popped off in each of the last two games, locking down feature back duties as Dalvin Cook's replacement. He's set to be in for another full workload as Cook has been all but deemed Out at this point. 14 Adrian Peterson WAS at NYG Washington will look to control the clock against the Giants -- something they should have no issue doing after the Giants dealt run-stuffing stalwart Damon "Snacks" Harrison this week. 15 Lamar Miller HOU MIA With Deshaun Watson ailing, the Texans turned to Miller last week against the Jags. He responded well (100 yards rushing and 1 touchdown) and should be in line for another full workload against a paper towel-strength Miami defense. 16 Nick Chubb CLE PIT It took a minute for him to get rolling against the Bucs last week but once he did so, there was no looking back. Hue Jackson doesn't know what to do with Duke Johnson, so until we see otherwise, it's The Nick Chubb Show. 17 Tarik Cohen CHI NYJ Cohen has estblished himself as an integral part of the Bears' weekly gameplan. His receiving prowess near the line of scrimmage elevates Mitchell Trubisky's weekly outlooks as well. 18 Kerryon Johnson DET SEA Johnson was playing out of his mind last week and it may have been enough to sway the coaching staff into giving him a larger workload against a beatable Seahawks defense. High-Floor/Capped-Ceiling RB2s 19 Mark Ingram NO at MIN It's a tough matchup, but the talented back should see 10+ touches. That's enough to do RB2/flex damage. 20 Isaiah Crowell NYJ at CHI The workload will be there, as Bilal Powell is currently battling a neck injury. The matchup is unfavorable though, making it tough to see Crowell having one of his ceiling games. Low-Floor/Low-Ceiling RB2s 21 Peyton Barber TB at CIN It's a good matchup but he's injured enough that he's 50-50 to play. 22 Jordan Howard CHI NYJ It's been tough sledding for Jordan Howard, but the Giants Jets just gave up 2 TDs to Minnesota and their awful offensive line. Howard's got a good shot of tumbling into the endzone. 23 Aaron Jones GB at LAR The Rams are still vulnerable on the ground. Jones could get something done on limited touches. 24 LeSean McCoy BUF NE If he plays, he'll have a bellcow workload. Low-Floor/Capped-Ceiling RB3s 24 Alex Collins BAL at CAR He's earned back some redzone carries and has had mild success. Baltimore will be able to get into scoring position a fair amount in this one. 25 Chris Thompson WAS at NYG WAS will look to control the clock with AD, but Thompson should regain his spot as the No. 1 passing game option. 26 Doug Martin OAK IND Gruden has astoundingly declared Doug Martin as his feature back. He could get it done on volume, rushing for somewhere around 2.8 YPC. 27 Kenjon Barner NE at BUF Barner could post a decent stat line as the focale point of the Patriots 4th quarter game plan. 28 Jalen Richard OAK at BUF Buffalo's run defense is more or less a gimmick. Richard is the better back. 29 T.J. Yeldon JAX PHI It's a bad matchup and he'll be splitting work with Carlos Hyde. Low-Floor/Low-Ceiling RB3s 30 Corey Clement PHI at JAX A committee back in a tough matchup. 31 Wendell Smallwood PHI at JAX A committee back in a tough matchup. 32 Frank Gore MIA at HOU Likely 10+ guaranteed touches. 33 Alfred Blue HOU MIA Similar to how Kenjon Barner might be used, Blue could get work in the 4th if his team is killing the clock. 34 Chris Carson SEA at DET Carson likely handles 10+ touches on a team that will repeatedly run into loaded boxes. 35 Nyheim Hines IND at OAK Mack has taken over feature back duties but speed kills the Oakland defense and Hines has that in spades. 36 Kenyan Drake MIA at HOU Gase recently said Drake would be lined up as a WR due to the plethora of injuries they've suffered at the position. RB4s 37 Devontae Booker DEN at KC Booker could see 10 or so touches with Royce Freeman likely out. 38 Tyler Ervin HOU at MIA Ervin will serve as Houston's slot receiver in this game, with Keke Coutee out. 39 Raheem Mostert SF at ARI Mostert would immediately become a locked and loaded RB2 if Matt Breida were to miss this game.<doc-sep>Steven Ryan/Getty Images The NFL's 32 teams are starting to separate themselves into a few distinct tiers as the 2018 campaign reaches the halfway marker. A group of five clear Super Bowl contenders leads the way, and a wide gap separates them from a large mass of teams fighting each other for playoff spots. A third tier of teams have a puncher's chance at the playoffs, and they're followed by a group of clubs that will likely be picking in the beginning of the 2019 NFL draft. We'll take a look at all four tiers below in addition to providing a fresh set of power rankings. Along the way, we'll provide a quick comment (sometimes a bit more than that) for each team. NFL Power Rankings 1. Los Angeles Rams (7-0) Video Play Button Videos you might like 2. Kansas City Chiefs (6-1) 3. New Orleans Saints (5-1) 4. New England Patriots (5-2) 5. Los Angeles Chargers (5-2) 6. Washington Redskins (4-2) 7. Carolina Panthers (4-2) 8. Minnesota Vikings (4-2-1) 9. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2-1) 10. Green Bay Packers (3-2-1) 11. Cincinnati Bengals (4-3) 12. Baltimore Ravens (4-3) 13. Miami Dolphins (4-3) 14. Houston Texans (4-3) 15. Chicago Bears (3-3) 16. Seattle Seahawks (3-3) 17. Detroit Lions (3-3) 18. Tennessee Titans (3-4) 19. Dallas Cowboys (3-4) 20. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-4) 21. New York Jets (3-4) 22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4) 23. Denver Broncos (3-4) 24. Philadelphia Eagles (3-4) 25. Cleveland Browns (2-4-1) 26. Atlanta Falcons (2-4) 27. Indianapolis Colts (2-5) 28. Buffalo Bills (2-5) 29. New York Giants (1-5) 30. Oakland Raiders (1-5) 31. Arizona Cardinals (1-6) 32. San Francisco 49ers (1-6) No. 1-5: Top Super Bowl Contenders The top five teams have separated themselves from the rest of the pack. The Los Angeles Rams are the lone undefeated team and have beaten four of their opponents by 12 or more points. The Kansas City Chiefs just ran over a now 4-3 Cincinnati Bengals team on Sunday Night Football. The New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots are on fire after sluggish starts, and the Los Angeles Chargers are 5-2 sans their best defensive player (edge-rusher Joey Bosa). The Bolts might be the scariest team of the five. Bosa has 23 sacks to his name through two NFL seasons, and he's expected to make his debut on November 4 after the team's upcoming bye week. Los Angeles' only two losses have been to the aforementioned Rams and Chiefs, and the team is about to face four consecutive teams with .500 or losing records. Ultimately, the Chargers are a dark-horse candidate for the AFC's No. 1 seed, and an all-Los Angeles Super Bowl is a possibility. No. 6-15: The Sizable Second Tier The wild-card team leading the way is the 4-2 Washington Redskins, who don't have an explosive offense or ferocious defense but get the job done more often than not. The 'Skins have victories over two winning teams (the 4-2 Carolina Panthers and 3-2-1 Green Bay Packers) on their resume and currently lead the NFC East by a game-and-a-half. The Baltimore Ravens defense has allowed the fewest points per game in the league and just lost a tough game to the Saints, 24-23, but they're just percentage points behind the AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers. Baltimore could bounce back if its defense stays strong and deep threat John Brown continues his excellent season (28 catches, 558 yards, four touchdowns). The Steelers lost to Baltimore 26-14 earlier this year, but they have bounced back with wins in two straight games, including a road victory over the Bengals. Cincinnati looks like its about to go on a slide after a non-competitive 45-10 loss to the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football. Houston is going in the opposite direction of Cincinnati with wins in its last four games. The Texans may coast to the AFC South title with a few division rivals (the 3-4 Jacksonville Jaguars and 3-4 Tennessee Titans) reeling after three straight losses each. The Panthers and Packers will almost always be in the playoff conversation with their former MVP quarterbacks (Cam Newton and Aaron Rodgers), and they should be in the postseason conversation until Week 17 at minimum. Similarly, the Minnesota Vikings look like they'll be in it for the long haul as long as scorching-hot wide receiver Adam Thielen (100 yards or more in seven straight games) and quarterback Kirk Cousins are connecting. The Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears have to pick themselves off the mat after Week 7 losses. They also share a similar problem, in that their respective divisions will be difficult to win with some strong teams ahead of them in the standings (the Pats for the Dolphins, and the Packers and Vikings for the Bears). No. 16 - No. 26: Time To Make a Move The Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions have bounced back with 3-1 records after 0-2 starts. Both can point to resurgent running games as part of their success: The efficient Chris Carson and Mike Davis lead the way in Seattle, while rookie Kerryon Johnson has been phenomenal in Detroit. The Tennessee Titans and Dallas Cowboys need to cure offensive ills before taking the next step. Tennessee has scored just 31 points in their last three games, while Dallas has scored more than 20 points just twice in seven games this year. The Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars are the league's defending Super Bowl champions and AFC runners-up, respectively, but both teams have taken a step back this season. The Eagles have battled through injuries and issues in the secondary, while the Jaguars have been outscored 90-28 in their past three games. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns looked like two significantly flawed teams in the Bucs' 26-23 overtime win on Sunday. Both teams are sloppy and have significant issues: Tampa can't run the ball consistently and has troubles on defense, while the Browns offense hasn't gotten rolling all year. The New York Jets' time isn't now as the young team rebuilds and embarks on year one of the Sam Darnold era. The Denver Broncos' identity is far less certain. A mix of veterans left over from the Super Bowl-winning team combined with some new blood has resulted in a pedestrian 3-4 record. They have a tough fight ahead of them to make the playoffs as they look up at the Chiefs and Chargers in the AFC West. The Atlanta Falcons have seen four Week 1 starters suffer season-ending injuries, which is partially the cause for their 2-4 start. They bring up the rear in this tier for now, although a win over the 1-5 New York Giants on Monday would help their standing. No. 27 - No. 32: Planning for the 2019 NFL Draft Although a few of these teams sport some impressive wins on their resumes, chances are they're going to be picking in the top 10 of the 2019 draft. The Indianapolis Colts have the best shot at emerging from the bottom tier, as they are just two games back of the Texans for the AFC South lead. However, the Colts are still 2-5 and sitting in last place. The rest of the clubs will wait until next year barring an unforeseen miracle. The Arizona Cardinals are in disarray and just fired offensive coordinator Mike McCoy after just six games. The Oakland Raiders may undergo a significant roster overhaul, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The San Francisco 49ers have been snakebitten by injuries, and the Buffalo Bills and New York Giants have significant offensive issues that have sabotaged each of their years. All of them may be mathematically eliminated from the postseason before Thanksgiving.<doc-sep>The end of October draws near, and that means we’re already in the second half of the fantasy regular season. Week 7 was particularly chaotic, with plenty of what I saw Sean Koerner call “troll touchdowns.” All the way up to Marvin Hall’s Monday night TD, it just felt like obscure players were cashing in. The results may not follow the process some weeks, and that’s okay. Let’s see how Week 8 is shaping up. I’m catering to all formats is impossible, but I’ll aim for context and to talk up/down players on suspected fringes for different types of leagues. The ECR given is for standard leagues since that’s what we are scored on. Please note that I’m using Tuesday night’s ECR and updates will surely roll in from Wednesday morning on, as well as injury news. I’ll use players that I’m higher or lower on against the consensus within a start/sit range from 10- to 14-teamers, or so. Get free start/sit and waiver wire advice for your fantasy team >> Quarterbacks Start Mitch Trubisky (vs. NYJ): Mariano Rank: 11, ECR: 13 Those who watched Trubisky and the Bears fall one yard shy of tying the Patriots in Week 7 on a last-second Hail Mary were likely impressed with Trubs’ ground game and a bit worried about his arm. At least, I don’t think it was just me. Trubisky benefits from Jordan Howard’s continued ineffectiveness, which means either Mitch’s legs or arm have to get it done. Allen Robinson will hopefully be healthy, Taylor Gabriel can outrun Morris Claiborne, Anthony Miller would torch backup slot man Parry Nickerson if Buster Skrine remains out with a concussion, Trey Burton is coming alive and Tarik Cohen is a menace out of the backfield. Trubisky would be higher for me if I felt more comfortable about his executing the throws from start-to-finish, but his 17.5% rate of attempting throws of 20+ yards is second only to Josh Allen (18%), ahead of Patrick Mahomes’ 16.3% mark. He’s got wheels and slings it, so I’m in. Russell Wilson (vs. DET): MR: 12, ECR: 14 Wilson and the Seahawks have several questions to answer coming out of their bye week, notably how well Wilson’s hamstring is, but a road date with Detroit is a nice spot regardless. The seventh-year QB has thrown three touchdowns in each of his last two games, where he also sprinkled in 21 and 20 respective rushing yards. His six rushes in Week 6 were a season-high mark, but the other big question is will he throw enough to be worthwhile? After attempting 33 and 36 throws in his first two games, Wilson has averaged just 24 pass attempts in Seattle’s previous four contests — he’s completed more than 20 passes just once so far. His 13 pass TDs are helping float his value, and he’s been sacked just seven times in their last four games after taking a combined 12 sacks in their first two. Here’s hoping Doug Baldwin’s knees are ready for action out of the bye! Sit Deshaun Watson (at MIA): MR: 15, ECR: 10 Watson was an easy bench for me last week and while his matchup improves in Week 8, going from Jacksonville to a wilting Dolphins squad on Thursday night. The Texans are favored by seven at most Vegas books, though a few have 7.5, with a game total that’s been bet down to 44 at some books after a 45.5 open. With Watson still not 100% and likely to have little impetus to push things (including jeopardizing himself by running, something he did just twice last Sunday) then I can’t support him being in the top-12. Cam Newton (vs. BAL): MR: 13, ECR: 11 Newton had fantasy owners terrified through three quarters in Week 7 before tearing the Eagles defense apart in the fourth quarter en route to a comeback victory. Cam and the Panthers return home for a date with the Ravens, who just held Drew Brees to 212 yards/2TDs and have given up the second-fewest average fantasy points to QBs in ’18. Newton and his legs usually ensure an above-average finish, but I think he just scrapes by that bar in Week 8. Running Backs Start Wendell Smallwood (at JAC): MR: 24, ECR: 30 The Jaguars defense is still good, but it’s bending thanks to an offense that sorely misses Leonard Fournette as a stabilizer. Most relevant to Smallwood is how Lamar Miller actually had a good day (22-100-1 on the ground), which means the Jags have yielded at least 85 ground yards and a touchdown to opposing RBs in three consecutive weeks. The breakdown between Smallwood and Corey Clement makes both tough to trust, but Clement has played only 37% of snaps in his two games since returning from injury. Ronald Jones II (at CIN): MR: 31, ECR: 39 It appears as though Jones’ time is coming in Tampa Bay. Or maybe I’m just reading into one wild game against Cleveland too much, but I think it’s convincing to see Jones get all four red zone touches by an RB compared to zero by Peyton Barber or Jacquizz Rodgers. No one looked great behind that broken O-line, but Jones did punch in a TD. The Bucs now head to Cincy to face a Bengals squad that has given up 108 rushing yards per game to RBs — seventh-most in the NFL. I won’t be surprised if Jones rumbles in for another score as the Bucs try to see what they have in the rookie because they know the limits of Barber/Rodgers. Sit Kerryon Johnson (vs. SEA): MR: 19, ECR: 14 This is for you in shallower waters or reading with DFS intent. Johnson was electric on 20 touches in Week 7, leaving most of his fantasy owners (and Lions fans) wondering why Detroit didn’t get him the ball more. Well, as our own Mike Tagliere has pointed out several times, Johnson has said he works best in a committee and doesn’t want the volume of a bellcow. The upside is capped here and I’m not paying up for it this week, especially with LeGarrette Blount the clear short-yardage specialist. Chris Carson (at DET): MR: 25, ECR: 19 Seattle’s rushing attack boasts three solid runners, but we’re finally seeing the Seahawks first-round pick, Mr. Rashaad Penny, come into the fold. Week 6 saw Carson tally 14 touches against Penny’s 11 and Davis’ seven. Carson is still the 1A here, but Penny has eaten into Davis’ 1B status. Detroit’s defense let Kenyan Drake break off a 54-yard TD on them and remains vulnerable, but I think Carson’s ceiling is 70 yards and a score here. That’s more flex-worthy than RB2 to me. Doug Martin (vs. IND): MR: 30, ECR: 24 I realize many who picked up Martin likely did so out of necessity and that sitting him may not be an option as the bye-week blues hit. At that point, I just hope you’ll temper your expectations. I think Martin is good for at least 12-14 touches in an offense that lacks any real playmaker and doesn’t have a defense to lean on. The Colts defense is better than you think, even without any superstar anchoring them. Wide Receivers Start Donte Moncrief (vs. PHI): MR: 38, ECR: 48 Moncrief led Jacksonville’s wideouts by playing on 81% of their snaps as the offense imploded like a dying star, except there was no pop. The ex-Colt caught 7-of-10 targets for 76 yards in Week 7 but did get blanked in Week 6, so do mind the low floor. I don’t think anyone employing a Jacksonville WR is afraid of low floors at this point, though. Moncrief has 345 air yards over the last four weeks, good for 17th among WRs alongside a healthy 10.5 aDOT and a 20% target share in that span (16% for Dede Westbrook, 15% for Keelan Cole). Jakeem Grant (vs. DET): MR: 39, ECR: 56 The Dolphins WR corps lost Kenny Stills (groin) and Albert Wilson (knee) in Week 7 and has to quickly turn around to play Houston on Thursday night.<doc-sep>

Ryan Clark explains how bad losses for the Eagles and Bengals in Week 7 have both teams dropping in his power rankings. (0:42) The Cowboys made waves on Monday, sending a first-round pick to the Raiders for Amari Cooper. Dallas can't afford to be too patient with its new wide receiver while he adjusts to a new offense, as the Cowboys' passing attack ranks among the worst in the league. In a tight division race, the Cowboys need Cooper to produce quickly. Who else can be those crucial difference-makers? As you sift through the Week 8 NFL Power Rankings, we have a player on all 32 teams who needs to crank it up a few notches to help shore up a weakness. How we rank the teams: Our power panel -- a group of more than 80 writers, editors and TV personalities -- evaluated how all 32 teams stack up through the first seven weeks of the season. Previous rankings: 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | Preseason Record: 7-0 Week 7 ranking: 1 Need more from: P Johnny Hekker. There's not much to gripe about with the Rams' 7-0 start, and they don't punt often -- but when they do, Hekker hasn't been as productive as last year. The Rams are averaging the third-fewest yards per punt this season after averaging the fourth most last year. -- Michael Schwartz Record: 6-1 Week 7 ranking: 3 Need more from: CB Kendall Fuller. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Fuller is allowing 9 yards per target when he is the nearest defender, 10th most among cornerbacks who have been targeted at least 30 times. The Chiefs will need his contributions as they are being attacked deep. Opponents have a 9.5 air yards per target average against the Chiefs, the fourth-highest average in the NFL. -- Sopan Shah Record: 5-2 Week 7 ranking: 2 Need more from: DE Adrian Clayborn. He was held without a sack after the Patriots signed him in the offseason until finally getting on the board Sunday with one against the Bears. New England has recorded a sack on just 3 percent of opponents' pass attempts, the worst rate in the NFL. -- Bryan Larson Record: 5-1 Week 7 ranking: 4 Need more from: CB Marshon Lattimore. The Saints are 5-1 despite a defense giving up 27.2 points per game (sixth most in the NFL) and a pass defense giving up 294 yards per game through the air (fifth most). The Saints have forced just five turnovers all season, tied for second fewest in the NFL, and Lattimore has no interceptions after picking off five passes last year. -- Schwartz Record: 5-2 Week 7 ranking: 8 Need more from: DE Melvin Ingram. With the absence of Joey Bosa, Ingram will need to be more of a factor in the Chargers' pass rush. According to ESPN Pass Rush Metrics using NFL Next Gen Stats, the Chargers have won their pass rushes in 2.5 seconds or less on 43 percent of plays, which ranks 26th in the NFL. -- Shah Record: 4-2-1 Week 7 ranking: 10 Need more from: RB Dalvin Cook. Backup Latavius Murray has scored in back-to-back weeks, but the Vikings still rank 22nd in yards per rush and first downs per rush. Cook has not played since Week 2 with a persistent hamstring injury, and he was averaging only 2.7 yards per rush before he went down. -- Sterling Xie Record: 4-3 Week 7 ranking: 5 Need more from: RB Alex Collins. The Ravens rank 31st in the league in yards per rush (3.4) this season, and Collins, their starting running back, hasn't been much better, averaging just 3.6 yards per rush. Collins also has lost two fumbles, tied with David Johnson for the most by any running back this year. -- Larson Record: 3-2-1 Week 7 ranking: 9 Need more from: RB Le'Veon Bell. Hard to step up when you have yet to step into the team facility, but that's what the Steelers need from Bell. Pittsburgh ranks 26th in rushing yards per game (88.7), is tied for 24th in rushing first downs per game (4.8) and is 20th in yards per rush (4.1). -- Larson Record: 4-2 Week 7 ranking: 13 Need more from: TE Greg Olsen. The Panthers are getting only 27 receiving yards per game from their tight ends, third fewest in the NFL. Of course, Olsen missed three tilts.

Jenrry Mejia, the first player ever to receive a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball for violating the performance enhancing drug policy three times, could be competing for a spot in the Red Sox bullpen this spring. The 29-year-old right-hander hasn’t pitched in the big league since 2015, but agreed to a minor league contract with the Red Sox on Tuesday afternoon, as first reported by Jon Heyman. Mejia, who once relied primarily on a cutter-slider combination in the low-mid-90s, has a 2.54 ERA in the Dominican winter league this off-season. “We saw Mejia throw recently, and he threw well,” Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told the Herald by email. Though Mejia was once a prominent closer with the New York Mets, saving 28 games with a 3.65 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 93-⅔ innings in 2014, it won’t be an easy ride back to the major leagues with the Red Sox. He was caught three different times for violating the PED policy; twice in 2015 and a final time in 2016, when he was issued a lifetime suspension. “He has been reinstated by MLB, so we are hopeful he has learned from his past mistakes,” Dombrowski wrote. Commissioner Rob Manfred decided to let Mejia back into the game last July. “Under the terms of our collectively bargained Joint Drug Program, a permanently suspended player like Mr. Mejia has the right to apply to me for discretionary reinstatement after serving a minimum of two years,” Manfred wrote in a statement. “Upon receiving Mr. Mejia’s application for reinstatement last year, I invited him to New York to meet with me. During our meeting, Mr. Mejia expressed regret for poor choices he made in the past and assured me that, if reinstated, he would adhere to the terms of the Program going forward. In light of Mr. Mejia’s contrition, his commitment to comply with the Program in the future, and the fact that he will have already spent almost four consecutive years suspended without pay, I have decided to grant Mr. Mejia a final chance to resume his professional career.” Mejia did not receive an invite to big league camp with the Red Sox and will have to prove himself early on to earn opportunities to pitch. That’s the way Ryan Brasier opened some eyes a year ago while on a minor league deal. Brasier was often used to pitch the ninth inning when most of the fans (and big league regulars) had left the park. But with a wide open competition in the Red Sox bullpen, anything could happen. Brasier, Matt Barnes, Heath Hembree, Steven Wright and Hector Velazquez would appear to be the only locks to make the team in the ‘pen. Brian Johnson (out of options) should also have a leg up after a strong season as a swingman last year. He and Bobby Poyner are the only lefties who look to compete for spots. Brandon Workman and Colten Brewer have a good chance, too. Tyler Thornburg will have to prove himself in his second year back from thoracic outlet surgery. His contract is not guaranteed.<doc-sep>Jenrry Mejia, who was released by the Mets in November, signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox on Wednesday. Mejia has been suspended three times for drug use, including a lifetime ban from MLB in 2016, but commissioner Rob Manfred ruled in July that he could be eligible to pitch in the majors next year despite serving multiple suspensions for the use of banned steroids. The 29-year-old last pitched for the Mets in 2015. His best season in Queens came in 2014, when Mejia appeared in 63 games and had 28 saves. He signed a one-year deal with the Mets prior to last season and pitched for their Dominican Summer League team. The Red Sox are in need of bullpen help with the loss of Joe Kelly to the Dodgers and closer Craig Kimbrel still a free agent.<doc-sep>It wasn’t quite the splash we’ve been waiting for — in that it wasn’t a major-league deal — but the Red Sox did make another addition to their stockpile of former major-league relievers signed to minor-league deals. This time around it was a former closer who is still in his 20s, though there is real baggage that led to his precipitous fall. According to a report from Jon Heyman, Boston signed former Mets closer Jenrry Mejía to a minor-league deal. Jenrry Mejia signs minors deal with Red Sox — Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 29, 2019 This was kind of surprising considering that Mejía was very recently under a lifetime ban from the league after testing positive for PEDs three times in his career. The league lifted that ban, however, and the Red Sox jumped on the chance. The plan for now is for Mejía to land in mini-camp before real spring training starts, but right now he does not have an invitation to big-league camp. As Chris Cotillo notes in the linked tweet, though, he could work his way into games against big-league hitters if he performs well. There is some intriguing upside from Mejía, as he was a very successful reliever in his hey day. He served as the Mets closer in 2014, and over 93 2⁄ 3 innings (he also started seven games that year) he struck out 98 batters while walking 48 with a 52 percent ground ball rate. The righty ended the year with a 3.65 ERA, a 3.70 FIP and a 2.73 DRA. The bad news — or at least one piece of the bad news — is that this was his only full major-league season. Still, over his entire career he pitched 183 1⁄ 3 innings with a 3.68 ERA, a 3.82 FIP and a 3.08 DRA. Of course, the PED cloud is what hangs over Mejía’s head more than anything else, and it is no small thing. He failed his third test in 2015 and was given the lifetime ban in the following offseason. This past summer Rob Manfred issued a conditional lift on the ban, and allowed him to play in the majors again for 2019. If the Red Sox are going to go with a pure numbers game in relief, just throwing a bunch of live arms at the wall and seeing what sticks, this is the kind of high-upside play to take a chance on. That said, Mejía hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2015 so for now it’s best to keep expectations low.<doc-sep>

BOSTON -- Relief pitcher Jenrry Mejia, allowed back into baseball after a lifetime ban caused by three positive drug tests, has agreed to a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox. If added to the 40-man roster, the 29-year-old Dominican right-hander would receive a one-year contract at a rate of $625,000 while in the major leagues and $90,400 while in the minors. Mejia will report to Boston's minor league spring training camp. He has been out of the majors since July 2015. Mejia was suspended for life on Feb. 12, 2016, after his third positive test for a banned steroid. The drug agreement allowed him to apply a year later for reinstatement that would be effective a minimum of two years after the ban started, with the decision at the commissioner's discretion. Commissioner Rob Manfred gave him conditional reinstatement last July 6, and said Mejia could return to the big leagues in 2019. "He has been reinstated by MLB, so we are hopeful he has learned from his past mistakes," Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told the Boston Herald. The New York Mets released Mejia on Nov. 20 rather than allow him to become eligible for salary arbitration. Mejia has four years, 140 days of major league service, and the Mets could have tried to cut his salary to $1,383,200 had he remained on the roster. Mejia was the Mets' closer in 2014. He was suspended for 80 games on April 11, 2015, following a positive test for Stanozolol, a drug popular among bodybuilders. At the time, he maintained, "I can honestly say I have no idea how a banned substance ended up in my system." Mejia returned on July 12, appeared in seven games for New York, then was banned for 162 games on July 28 after a positive test for Stanozolol and Boldenone. The third suspension was for a positive test for Boldenone, an anabolic steroid generally used by veterinarians on horses. Mejia is 9-14 with a 3.68 ERA in 18 starts and 95 relief appearances. In addition to random drug tests, he is subject annually to six additional urine tests and three additional blood tests. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

DAVIE, Fla. -- Quarterback Ryan Tannehill has been ruled out Sunday versus the Detroit Lions, and the NFL has opened an investigation into how the Miami Dolphins reported his shoulder injury, a source confirmed to ESPN. Brock Osweiler, who threw for a career-high 380 yards in a 31-28 overtime victory over the Bears, will start for the second consecutive week. Dolphins coach Adam Gase said he's not sure whether Tannehill will be able to play at Houston on Oct. 25. Tannehill faces an uphill challenge to play next Thursday at the Houston Texans, and it is likely Osweiler will start that game as well, a source told ESPN. Gase said Thursday that surgery is not an option for Tannehill, and the Dolphins (4-2) plan to rest him until he is ready to throw and is able to react to the stresses of throwing. "He could throw tomorrow if he wanted to," Gase said. "He probably wouldn't feel very good." Dolphins coach Adam Gase believes Ryan Tannehill was injured on this hit by Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap on Oct. 7. AP Photo/Gary Landers Tannehill practiced on a limited basis Thursday. He did not throw, but went through handoff and light ball security drills. On Wednesday, he worked on footwork and handed the football off with his right (throwing) arm. "Anything that has to do with pocket movement, footwork, things like that, he can do everything," Gase said Wednesday. "He just can't throw." Osweiler said he feels ready. "Getting reps with the first-team offense and building some relationships out there in practice is huge. It's very beneficial," Osweiler said. Gase said Monday he was "not sure" whether Tannehill faces a long-term injury, but he said he has complete confidence that the 30-year-old quarterback will play again in 2018. When asked about Tannehill's situation, Gase quickly interjected, "Yes, he will be the starter" when he's healthy. Regarding prominent players, particularly starting quarterbacks, the NFL routinely investigates injury reporting. The NFL will gather details of how Tannehill went from full practice participant last Wednesday and Thursday to limited participant/questionable on Friday to out on Sunday, and see whether Miami adhered to the league policy. Tannehill was made a surprise scratch for Sunday's game versus Chicago. The Dolphins say his right shoulder injury got "progressively worse" throughout the week. Gase said Monday he believes Tannehill injured his right shoulder during a Week 5 loss, on a fourth-quarter forced fumble by Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap. Tannehill's arm was hit awkwardly from behind before he completed his throwing motion, and he was on the ground for a few moments after the play. The NFL policy says this about injury reporting: "The policy requires that teams provide credible, accurate and specific information about injured players to the league office, their opponents, local and national media, and the league's broadcast partners each week during the regular season and postseason. The reporting process is of paramount importance in maintaining the integrity of the game." It also refers directly to the practice and game status reports, which must provide clubs and fans with an accurate description of a player's injury status/availability and how much he participated in practice during the week. It says this specifically about game status reporting: "Teams must notify the league, their opponent, local and national media, and the league's broadcast partners of the status of their injured players by 4 p.m. ET the day before their next scheduled game." The term "normal repetitions" applies to a player's participation in both individual drills and the team portion of practice. Consequently, a player who participates in less than 100 percent of his normal repetitions during either the individual or team portion of practice should be listed as "Limited Participation." Tannehill was listed as a full participant Thursday despite Gase later saying Osweiler took some of his first-team reps. Tannehill was also listed as questionable up until game time, despite ESPN and other reports labeling him as more "doubtful" than questionable. These are two of the issues that will need to be answered by the Dolphins. It's worth noting that these investigations regularly result in no penalty if the NFL is satisfied with the answers it receives. The Miami Herald was the first to report the NFL's investigation.<doc-sep>“We’re going to be able to start doing some things with him throwing, and see how that feels. Once we get through this game, then we’ll have a better idea once we head into the weekend where he is, how much further along he has, and if he feels good. It’s really going to take the duration of this week, and we’ll have a better idea at this weekend.”<doc-sep>MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill's late scratch Sunday came as a surprise, and Adam Gase wasn't in the mood to discuss it in detail after the game. Tannehill's shoulder was termed "sore" and he did not show enough in a pregame workout to be cleared. His status going forward is unclear, but it is not believed to be a season-ending injury. Gase was asked several questions about Tannehill's injury, including a report that Tannehill had a sprained AC joint. "I don't know. I think there's some kind of like HIPPA law or something like that. I can't talk about it," Gase said before becoming increasingly frustrated. "I don't know. I don't sit there and ask him all these questions. I just know the guy couldn't go today. All right? Go ask him. I'm tired of answering this question about this guy. I got it; but you know what, I'm over it. Me and him, we know that he's not right now, OK? The details of it, we'll keep that to us. You guys don't need to know that." Tannehill initially suffered a right throwing shoulder injury in Week 3 against Oakland, but he didn't miss any practices or games. Late in the fourth quarter of their Week 5 game at Cincinnati, Gase said Tannehill hurt that same right shoulder after a Bengals defender hit his arm and forced a fumble that became a defensive touchdown. There was no indication that the injury could keep Tannehill out of game action until Friday when he was a limited participant at practice and listed as questionable for Sunday. An hour-and-a-half before the game, Tannehill was ruled out and Brock Osweiler was named the starter. Osweiler came up clutch throwing for a career-high 380 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions leading the Dolphins to a 31-28 overtime win over the Bears. It was his second career game with three or more touchdowns, and first since 2015. Miami rallied around Osweiler and got a much-needed win after losing two consecutive games. The Dolphins' offense had a season-high 541 yards. "I got a little emotional driving to the stadium this morning just thinking about this opportunity today," Osweiler said. Tannehill was on the sideline standing next to coaches and Osweiler, when the quarterback was on the sideline. He had an earpiece in and gave Osweiler frequent tips. "Ryan and I were talking all game long. Ryan was tremendous. He was in my corner the whole time. We were talking about what Chicago's defense was doing," Osweiler said. "We talked after the game and I can't say enough great things about Ryan." Dolphins players, including Osweiler, did not find out Tannehill was out and Osweiler would start until Sunday morning before the game. Osweiler got a few reps in practice on Thursday and did some red-zone work on Friday. "He was starting to feel better and then we went out and practiced on Wednesday and he was sore but he was fine. And then Thursday kind of came around and it just kind of got progressively worse as far as his ability to really throw the ball the way he wanted to," Gase said. "So we kind of were just making contingency plans in case it just didn't get any better. And then this morning, when we worked him out, I mean we could tell that he couldn't go." The Dolphins host the Detroit Lions next Sunday.<doc-sep>

Brocktober may give way to the less phonetically pleasing Brockvember, with there being growing concerns about Ryan Tannehill's availability according to a report. Cameron Wolfe of ESPN reported on Thursday morning that Tannehill is facing an "uphill challenge" with his shoulder injury and is unlikely to play in Week 8 when the Dolphins square off against the Texans on Thursday night. Tannehill was ruled out for Week 7 against the Lions on Wednesday. When Miami hosts a second straight NFC North opponent coming off a bye, the Dolphins will roll out Brock Osweiler once again. Dolphins coach Adam Gase, who was surprisingly snippy with reporters after Week 6's win over Chicago about Tannehill's injury, said on Wednesday that Tannehill "just can't throw." This doesn't sound like a normal shoulder injury. And it means that ... BROCKTOBER LIVES. Does he know about the Brock Lobster? That's probably my favorite behind Brocktober. Osweiler acquitted himself well on Sunday, by the way. He ran Gase's offense well -- and of course he knows it, having played in Denver when Gase was the offensive coordinator under John Fox -- and dinked and dunked his way to 380 passing yards and three touchdowns. According to NFL's Next Gen Stats, Osweiler's average completed air yards (basically how far the ball traveled vertically on average for his 28 completions) was 3.4 yards. Only Eli Manning (2.4) and Derek Carr (0.1, not a typo, seriously) were lower. But that's OK in 2018. You don't need to challenge vertically on every single throw. You put guys like Albert Wilson in space and let them do work after they catch the ball. All three of his touchdowns were delivered to receivers within five yards of the line of scrimmage. via NFL.com Back to Tannehill for a second: this feels like a serious red flag situation. Tannehill popped up on the injury report late in the week before the Bears game, then was ruled out, then Gase is yelling about HIPPA laws that prevent him from talking to reporters (not true) and now he's battling to try and play in the near future, or maybe even this month? Yikes. On top of that, the NFL is investigating the Dolphins handling of the injury report according to reports from NFL.com and the Miami Herald. According to the Herald, the Dolphins claim Tannehill was injured late against the Bengals in Week 5 when his throwing shoulder was hit and he was unable to complete a pass. He was listed as a full participant on the injury report for Wednesday's practice after being sore early in the week. "He was starting to feel better and then we went out and practiced on Wednesday and he was sore but he was fine," Gase said Sunday after beating Chicago "And then Thursday kind of came around and it just kind of got progressively worse as far as his ability to really throw the ball the way he wanted to. So we kind of were just making contingency plans in case it just didn't get any better." Tannehill was also listed as a full participant for Thursday's practice and then as a limited participant for Friday's practice. He was given a "questionable" designation heading into the weekend and officially ruled out on Sunday morning. In Vegas, the line jumped quickly, with the Bears moving from three-point favorites to touchdown favorites. Everyone was on the Bears in this one -- it ended up being a massive win for the sportsbooks and basically offset any losses from the rest of the day. People were not shy about fading the Brock Ness Monster. But it didn't work out well, as Osweiler acquitted himself nicely. Now he gets a second chance to try and keep Miami afloat in the AFC playoff hunt and he'll do it as an underdog again, with the Lions favored by three points on Sunday in Miami. If this Tannehill thing is legitimately bad, we might be seeing a lot more of Osweiler in the near future.

Sarah Jeong, a technology journalist hired by the New York Times and vilified online for tweets comparing “dumbass f****** white people” to dogs and saying they would “all go extinct soon”, has been targeted for harassment by dishonest trolls, her former employer has claimed. Editors at The Verge, an online tech magazine, denounced what they called “disingenuous” criticism of Ms Jeong by “people acting in bad faith”. The senior writer had been the victim of a Gamergate-style campaign designed to “divide and conquer by forcing newsrooms to disavow their colleagues”, they suggested. Ms Jeong, 30, posted a string of offensive and apparently racist messages including “#CancelWhitePeople” and “white men are bulls***” up to five years ago. One tweet read: “Dumbass f****** white people marking up the internet like dogs pissing on fire hydrants”. After being uncovered they quickly spread and were picked up by conservative media including the Daily Caller and Gateway Pundit websites. Ms Jeong claimed the tweets were “counter-trolling” in response to “torrents of online hate” she had routinely received due to being a non-white woman online. Examples she gave included a tweet calling her a “dog-eating gook” and another that said: “If I saw you, I would sock you in your lesbian face.” In a statement, she added: “While it was intended as satire, I deeply regret that I mimicked the language of my harassers. These comments were not aimed at a general audience, because general audiences do not engage in harassment campaigns. “I can understand how hurtful these posts are out of context, and would not do it again.” Since the tweets were uncovered she has suffered a wave of abuse, including racist language. The Verge issued a lengthy statement attacking those targeting Ms Jeong, saying that during her tenure she had “produced remarkable journalism, including difficult reporting on victims of harassment and abuse”. The site said that “the trolls engaged in this campaign are using the same [disinformation] tactics that exploded during Gamergate”, a misogynist campaign that deluged female writers with death and rape threats over their coverage of video games. Male gamers who disagreed with criticism that was anchored in feminism posted writers’ real-life details online, hacked their social accounts and more. The Verge said: “From cries about ‘ethics in journalism’ to ‘fake news,’ journalists have been increasingly targeted by people acting in bad faith who do not care about the work they do, the challenges they face, or the actual context of their statements. “Online trolls and harassers want us, the Times, and other newsrooms to waste our time by debating their malicious agenda. They take tweets and other statements out of context because they want to disrupt us and harm individual reporters. “The strategy is to divide and conquer by forcing newsrooms to disavow their colleagues one at a time. This is not a good-faith conversation, it’s intimidation. “So we’re not going to fall for these disingenuous tactics. And it’s time other newsrooms learn to spot these hateful campaigns for what they are – attempts to discredit and undo the vital work of journalists who report on the most toxic communities on the internet.” Ms Jeong has been appointed to the Times’ editorial board as its lead technology writer. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona.<doc-sep>The New York Times is standing by newest tech writer Sarah Jeong, who has come under fire after old tweets she had written mocking white people were unearthed. A number of Jeong's controversial tweets were collected by a Twitter account called 'Garbage Human' and quickly caught the attention of conservative news sites. In one tweet Jeong simply writes the hashtag #CancelWhitePeople, and in another says 'white men are bulls**t'. 'Dumba** f*****g white people marking up the internet with their opinions like dogs pissing on fire hydrants,' another tweet reads. The New York Times is standing by newest tech writer Sarah Jeong (pictured), who has come under fire after old tweets she had written mocking white people were unearthed The Times said Jeong had written the tweets in response to harassment she received online, deciding to imitate the 'rhetoric of her harassers' In one tweet Jeong jokes about the joy she gets from 'being cruel to old white men'. 'I just realized why I can't stand watching Breaking Bad or Battlestar Galactica. The premise of both is just "white people being miserable"', another reads. Jeong also joked of the lack of things that 'white people can definitely take credit for', and 'all the things' they can't do because it would be 'cultural appropriation'. 'Have you ever tried to figure out all the things that white people are allowed to do that aren't cultural appropriation. There's literally nothing,' she wrote. 'Like skiing, maybe, and also golf. Like don't you just feel bad? Why can't we give white people a break. It must be so boring to be white.' A number of Jeong's controversial tweets were collected by a Twitter account called 'Garbage Human' and quickly caught the attention of conservative news sites The Times swiftly released a statement on Thursday as Jeong's tweets continued to spread. 'We hired Sarah Jeong because of the exceptional work she has done covering the internet and technology at a range of respected publications,' the statement read. 'Her journalism and the fact that she is a young Asian woman have made her a subject of frequent online harassment.' The Times then explained that Jeong had decided to respond to the harassment by 'imitating the rhetoric of her harassers'. 'She sees now that this approach only served to feed the vitriol that we too often see on social media. She regrets it, and The Times does not condone it.' The Times revealed it had 'candid conversations' with Jeong during the hiring process, which also included a review of her social media history. Mother of Jeong's controversial tweets regarding white people date back to 2014 and 2015 'She understands that this type of rhetoric is not acceptable at The Times and we are confident that she will be an important voice for the editorial board moving forward.' Jeong also released a statement surrounding the tweets, which included two examples of harassment she has reviewed online. 'As a woman of color on the internet, I have faced torrents of online hate, often along this vein,' she wrote. One tweet read: '@sarajeong if I saw you. I would sock you right in your lesbian face.' Another user wrote: 'shut the f**k up you dog eating gook'. 'I engaged in what I thought of at the time as counter-trolling. While it was intended as satire, I deeply regret that I mimicked the language of my harassers,' Jeong wrote. 'These comments were not aimed at a general audience, because general audiences do not engage in harassment campaigns. I can understand how hurtful these posts are out of context, and would not do it again.' Jeong also released a statement surrounding the tweets, which included two examples of harassment she has reviewed online A slew of journalists have since come out to support Jeong, a Harvard Law School graduate who has written for The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and The Verge, and was named one of Forbes '30 under 30' for media last year. 'Sarah Jeong is good, her haters are bad (terrible, even). It's not difficult,' Jessica Valenti tweeted. 'Man, this @sarahjeong "controversy" is ridiculous,' added Trevor Timm. 'What has made her such an authentic writer over the years is the funny, smart, and original way she has used Twitter.' 'To use her clearly tongue-in-cheek tweets to now stifle her voice is so depressing.' A slew of journalists have since come out to support Jeong, including a former peer from The Verge as well as a new co-worker at the New York Times Nilay Patel, who worked with Jeong at The Verge, tweeted a statement of support from the site. 'We are proud of the work that @sarahjeong has done at The Verge, which reflects her brilliance and empathy for everyone around her,' he wrote. The controversy comes less than six months after the Times fired another tech journalist, Quinn Norton (pictured), for racist tweets 'All of us stand by Sarah; digging for old, out-of-context tweets in bad faith to drum up outrage is bad for the news and society at large.' Jeong also received support from her new co-worker Mike Isaac. 'Sarah Jeong is supremely talented and we are lucky to have her join the Times,' he tweeted. 'Proud to call her a colleague.' The controversy comes less than six months after the Times fired another tech journalist, Quinn Norton, for racist tweets. It was revealed that Norton had repeatedly tweeted slurs against gay people, and had retweeted one post that used the N-word. 'Look f** you're going to have to walk a far mile to offend me, and you f*****g know that,' she tweeted at one person. 'You are laying waste to your own f*****g ideals, you s**t eating hypersensitive little crybaby f**.' It was revealed that Norton had repeatedly tweeted slurs against gay people Norton also retweeted the N-word in tweets and it was revealed that she was friends with Andrew Auernheimer, who writes for neo-Nazi website The Daily Stormer It was also revealed that Norton was friends with Andrew Auernheimer, who writes for neo-Nazi website The Daily Stormer and once said Jewish children 'deserve to die'. Just seven hours after announcing Norton's hiring, the Times announced she would no longer be working for the company as the tweets were revealed. 'Despite our review of Quinn Norton’s work and our conversations with her previous employers, this was new information to us,' James Bennet, the Times' editorial page editor, said in a statement. 'Based on it, we've decided to go our separate ways.' 'I'm sorry I can't do the work I wanted to do with them,' Norton wrote in her own statement. 'I wish there had been a way, but ultimately, they need to feel safe with how the net will react to their opinion writers.'<doc-sep>Faced with criticism and indignation from conservatives, the New York Times on Thursday said it is standing by a new hire, while disapproving of some of the rhetoric she has used on Twitter. The Times said in a statement on Thursday that it is confident that Sarah Jeong, who the newspaper unveiled as the latest addition to its editorial board the day before, "will be an important voice" in her role going forward. Jeong, who is Asian, had drawn scrutiny after the resurfacing of a number of years-old tweets in which she spoke disparagingly of white people. But the backlash, mainly coming from the right, was matched in intensity by a show of solidarity among fellow journalists and others who argued that Jeong had done nothing wrong, and that the tweets were satirical. Chief among Jeong's defenders was Edward Snowden. "Almost nobody among those trolling @nytopinion's new hires seem to have actually read their writing, beyond sarcastic tweets," Snowden wrote on Twitter. "@sarahjeong's articles aren't just insightful, they're often important." Almost nobody among those trolling @NYTopinion's new hires seem to have actually read their writing, beyond sarcastic tweets. @Sarahjeong's articles aren't just insightful, they're often important. https://t.co/H6fQLYFqry — Edward Snowden (@Snowden) August 2, 2018 The Times ultimately backed Jeong, who currently works at The Verge and will join the editorial board as a technology writer next month. In its statement, the Times noted that some of her tweets were in response to "frequent online harassment." "For a period of time she responded to that harassment by imitating the rhetoric of her harassers," the statement said. "She sees now that this approach only served to feed the vitriol that we too often see on social media. She regrets it, and The Times does not condone it." Jeong echoed that line in her own statement. "I engaged in what I thought of at the time as counter-trolling," she said. "While it was intended as satire, I deeply regret that I mimicked the language of my harassers." The tweets in question were largely from 2014, and they aimed criticism at white people. In one, Jeong wrote that "it's kind of sick how much joy I get out of being cruel to old white men." Another referred to "[d]umbass f******g white people marking up the internet with their opinions like dogs pissing on fire hydrants." To some conservatives, like Fox News contributor Guy Benson, the tweets were representative of a "[c]reepy race obsessive." Some journalists, such as Fortune reporter Jeff Roberts, said that it was "hard to see these tweets as anything other than blatant racism." But Jeong had more than a few backers, who argued that the tweets were being highlighted by bad faith actors who were only interested in getting a journalist fired. Lydia Polgreen, the editor in chief at HuffPost, said that the "attack on [Jeong] is part of a deeply troubling trend of far right agitators trying to get journalists fired." Jessica Valenti, a columnist for The Guardian, put it bluntly: "Sarah Jeong is good, her haters are bad (terrible, even). It's not difficult." And Jeong's soon-to-be-former employer rushed to her defense as well. In a note published late Thursday afternoon, the editors at The Verge said that "[o]nline trolls and harassers want us, the Times, and other newsrooms to waste their time by debating their malicious agenda." "They take tweets and other statements out of context because they want to disrupt us and harm individual reporters. The strategy is to divide and conquer by forcing newsrooms to disavow their colleagues one at a time," they said. "This is not a good-faith conversation, it's intimidation." Related: Controversial new NYT editorial board member out within hours In many ways, the episode has become all too familiar, with public figures seeing old tweets held up to scrutiny. Last weekend, Atlanta Braves pitcher Sean Newcomb was forced to apologize for tweets he sent as a high school student in which he used racist and homophobic language. The Times itself dealt with a similar matter earlier this year when it parted ways with Quinn Norton hours after announcing her as an addition to the editorial board after Twitter users discovered old posts in which she used offensive language and admitted she was friends with neo-Nazis. On Thursday, Norton rose to Jeong's defense. "I don't think @nytopinion made the right call firing me, though I understand that they panicked, and don't bear them ill-will, at all, really," Norton said. "But I hoped they have learned to only fire people for cause, not social media fishing for out of context tweets, & stand by @sarahjeong."<doc-sep>

Sarah Jeong. Photo: @sarahjeong/Twitter On Wednesday, the New York Times announced its decision to hire tech writer Sarah Jeong to its editorial board; within hours, right-wingers had unearthed some of Jeong’s old tweets, which they deemed “anti-white.” This, they argued, were enough to disqualify her from the job. Today, the Times declared that it was standing by Jeong — but also issued an apology in response to the bad-faith criticism from the right. Many of Jeong’s tweets that the right dug up dated back five years, and were harmless jokes about conservative white people. In one tweet from 2014, she used the hashtag, #cancelwhitepeople; in another, from 2013, she joked about how “nothing but an unending cascade of vomit” comes out of her mouth when she tries to “politely greet a Republican.” Unsurprisingly, the overwhelming majority of those who were moved to vociferously, publicly decry Jeong’s tweets were writers at right-wing publications like National Review and The Federalist, as well as run-of-the-mill conservative white men — many of whom defended the Atlantic’s decision to hire Kevin Williamson, a conservative writer who once tweeted that women should be hanged for getting an abortion. As pressure mounted, the Times decided to respond, issuing a statement regarding the controversy on Thursday morning. While the publication acknowledged that being a young Asian woman made Jeong “a subject of frequent online harassment,” it also said that she responded to that behavior “by imitating the rhetoric of her harassers” and apologized on behalf of itself and Jeong. Our statement in response to criticism of the hiring of Sarah Jeong. pic.twitter.com/WryIgbaoqg — NYTimes Communications (@NYTimesPR) August 2, 2018 “We had candid conversations with Sarah as part of our thorough vetting process, which included a review of her social media history,” the statement reads. “She understands that this type of rhetoric is not acceptable at The Times and we are confident that she will be an important voice for the editorial board moving forward.” Jeong also issued her own apology about her old tweets — alongside a screenshot of just two examples of the types of vitriolic messages she typically receives — stating that she simply thought she was engaging in “counter-trolling” when she tweeted the purportedly controversial sentiments. “While it was intended as satire, I deeply regret that I mimicked the language of my harassers,” she wrote. “These comments were not aimed at a general audience, because general audiences do not engage in harassment campaigns. I can understand how hurtful these posts are out of context, and would not do it again.” Following the Times statement, journalists took to Twitter to stand in solidarity with Jeong, vocalizing just how discouraging this controversy — and the publication’s reaction — has been. Right-wing trolls are notorious for taking comments and jokes out of context and drumming up disingenuous outrage to target their opponents; although the Times didn’t cave to their demands, it did legitimize them with a response. “Proud to call her a colleague,” Times technology reporter Mike Isaac tweeted. Sarah Jeong is supremely talented and we are lucky to have her join the times. Proud to call her a colleague. — ಠ_ಠ (@MikeIsaac) August 2, 2018 We are proud of the work that @sarahjeong has done at The Verge, which reflects her brilliance and empathy for everyone around her. All of us stand by Sarah; digging for old, out-of-context tweets in bad faith to drum up outrage is bad for the news and society at large. https://t.co/cebnIB3QjG — nilay patel (@reckless) August 2, 2018 Man, this @sarahjeong "controversy" is ridiculous. What has made her such an authentic writer over the years is the funny, smart, and original way she has used twitter. To use her clearly tongue-in-cheek tweets to now stifle her voice is so depressing. — Trevor Timm (@trevortimm) August 2, 2018 Sarah Jeong is good, her haters are bad (terrible, even). It's not difficult. — Jessica Valenti (@JessicaValenti) August 2, 2018 Imagine apologizing for Sarah Jeong but not for unleashing Bari Weiss unto the world — Jamie Nesbitt Golden (@thewayoftheid) August 2, 2018 this is so fucking gross. making her say something as asinine and ridiculous, and incorrect, as this, is just. horrific.