Russell Loomis is throwing a victory party. "All weekend," he said. And he has just the place for it. Around 18 months ago, at the bargain price of $63,650, Loomis and three friends bought 11-acre Pine Key   a popular boating and camping destination known by locals as Beer Can Island. Loomis, Cole Weaver, James Wester and John Gadd sought to bring order to the once lawless island between Apollo Beach and MacDill Air Force Base. READ MORE: Hillsborough County says changes at Beer Can Island violate code They installed toilets and trash cans, built a small concert stage, anchored a floating tiki bar on the coast and held private parties for those who purchased island passes. But Hillsborough County Code Enforcement said the activity can't be permitted there because the property lacks a zoning designation of any kind. The agency issued the owners a fine and ordered them to stop what they were doing. Then on Friday, the Code Enforcement Board   appointed by the County Commission   reversed the action and dismissed the violation. Beer Can Island, it seems, had slipped through the cracks. "The county doesn't have jurisdiction on un-zoned property," the owners' attorney Mark Bentley said. The county wrote an ordinance in 1977 giving it the required jurisdiction, but the ordinance was repealed in 2012 with plans to add replacement language in another government document   the county's underlying land development code. But that never happened. "The island is an anomaly," Bentley said. "No one can identify another piece of property that doesn't already have a land use designation." It does have an address, according to Code Enforcement records   1 Beer Can Island Way. The Tampa Bay Marina in nearby Apollo Beach was the previous owner of the apostrophe-shaped island, with its sandy beaches surrounding a center of largely invasive trees and undergrowth. It was a place to drop sand from the marina's dredging operations. READ MORE: Carefree but hardworking, partner in Beer Can Island just wants to hang out The former owners took a hands-off approach to the island   no electricity, no running water   so trouble sometimes arose when alcohol flowed freely and no one worried about the rules. The current owners made Tampa Bay Marina a deal: Sell the island at its appraised worth and they would allow sand dumping to continue there. The deal was sealed. Now, it's up to the Hillsborough County Commission to establish a land-use designation for the property, Bentley said. If Beer Can Island's owners don't agree with the decision, they can fight it, he added. The county wasn't happy with the reversal. "Code Enforcement staff continue to be concerned about the welfare of the visitors to the island, and the safety of the structures that have been built and are being used without proper permits, inspections, and oversight," county spokesman Michelle Van Dyke said in an email to the Times. Meantime, the party continues   responsibly, the owners say. "There's no more fights," Loomis said, "trash is cleaned up almost every day, plus we have first aid kits, defibrillators and staff to help anyone in need all day long." Contact Paul Guzzo at pguzzo@tampabay.com or follow @PGuzzoTimes.     ©2019 the Tampa Bay Times (St. Petersburg, Fla.) Visit the Tampa Bay Times (St. Petersburg, Fla.) at www.tampabay.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


This is a blessed age for food in America for dining out and cooking in; for recipe books, and TV shows, and recipe books that become TV shows ; for the celebrity chefs who occupy seats in the cultural pantheon once reserved for artists; and above all, for the American eater, who is fortunate to be chewing and digesting at a time when there are more restaurants than ever in the United States. But the cover image on the history book about this culinary moment might not be a fancy knife, an eggy brunch plate, or an alarmingly bulbous heirloom tomato. It might be … trash. A kitchen garbage bag, bulging with cardboard and plastic molded into a variety of container shapes, whose rancid odor is the ghost of delivery meals past. If America's gastronomic moment is worth cheering, we are increasingly celebrating it on our couches. Online delivery is surging, and eating in is the new dining out. The U.S. food industry has seen a major turning point in the past few years and is about to see another. In 2015, for the first time on record, Americans spent more money at restaurants than at grocery stores. In dense urban areas, restaurants are literally eating the urban retail budget. Food-service locations have accounted for 40 percent of all new leases in Manhattan this year, more than clothing stores, banks, and health clubs combined, according to data from the real-estate company Cushman & Wakefield. Yesterday's Gap is becoming tomorrow gastropub. But another turn is coming: In 2020, more than half of restaurant spending is projected to be "off premise" not inside a restaurant. In other words, spending on deliveries, drive-throughs, and takeaway meals will soon overtake dining inside restaurants, for the first time on record. According to the investment group Cowen and Company, off-premise spending will account for as much as 80 percent of the industry's growth in the next five years. Derek Thompson: Why online dating can feel like such an existential nightmare The fastest-growing restaurants are quick-service chains (such as McDonald's and Starbucks) and fast-casual locations (such as Chipotle and Sweetgreen), where diners can walk in, walk out, and never touch a chair or table. But no segment of the industry is growing faster than online delivery, which now accounts for 5 to 10 percent of total restaurant business, according to industry reports. So restaurants surpassed grocery stores only to become something quite like grocery stores: food-service establishments that sell grub for people to chew somewhere else. Both of the above trends the triumph of restaurants and the surge of delivery  are powered, in different ways, by the internet. Online commerce reduced traffic in brick-and-mortar stores, which this year are closing at a record-setting pace . Into those vacancies has flowed the "munch-and-crunch economy": a fleet of gyms and cafés and fast-casual chains. The web not only cleared space for new dining spots, but also made possible apps that allow consumers to order prepared food on their phone. For decades, the delivery business was dominated by pizza and Chinese food. More than 60 percent of all deliveries are still pizza, but that number is falling quickly. In the past few years, venture capitalists have spent billions of dollars subsidizing meal-delivery services such as DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Postmates, which create partnerships with restaurants of every type and cuisine. With this injection of venture-capital funds, online delivery has gone mainstream. The share of Americans who have ordered food over the internet grew from 17 to 24 percent in the past year. According to the analytics company Second Measure, meal-delivery sales to the four largest apps DoorDash, Grubhub (which owns Seamless), Uber Eats, and Postmates have tripled since 2016. If you've never heard of some of these companies, it's probably because they've split their dominance regionally, like cable companies. Grubhub rules in New York City; DoorDash has more than half of sales in Houston and Dallas; Uber Eats is strong is Miami and Atlanta. (The term online food delivery might bring to mind "meal kit" companies, such as Blue Apron, but those services lose most of their subscribers after one month.) Meal-delivery companies have several things in common with other digital platforms for better and for worse. Like ride-hailing companies, they provide a revolution in convenience, which is undercut by shoddy labor practices. Last week, a New York Times investigation reminded users that tips to DoorDash delivery people actually go straight to the company, rather than to the worker. (DoorDash has since changed its policy, but delivery workers are still paid poorly .) Like Amazon, these companies supply instant gratification and leave behind a mountain of garbage. Like most fledging internet-based businesses, they're cash-flow giants that are miles from profitability. DoorDash, the largest delivery start-up, raised $600 million in funding this year despite negative earnings. Uber Eats probably isn't gushing profits either; its parent company loses approximately $1 billion a quarter. So is the meal-delivery boom actually a bubble, ready to pop? "There is a lot of hype around online delivery right now, and I think the industry is going to have a washout," Garrick Brown, a real-estate analyst with Cushman & Wakefield, told me. He identified several pressures on delivery platforms, including rising wages, a social backlash to tipping policies, and restaurants' deciding that they're paying too much money to belong to third-party platforms. As these forces push earnings deeper into negative territory, Brown suggested, investors may stop burning hundreds of millions of dollars on these companies, which would lead some of them to die, or seek an acquisition partner. "I think there's going to be a shakeout, and one or two will emerge as the dominant players," he said. But despite the ethical, ecological, and economic dubiousness of the individual companies, there is one big reason to feel bullish about the overall industry: the time starvation of the typical American professional. "Our lifestyles are busier, especially if you're a working professional," Brown said. "If you're a part of the group that the new economy has been good to, you have less time than ever before. The real value of all e-commerce is simple: It's convenience." According to surveys by the National Restaurant Association, a majority of Millennials say they spend more time working and commuting than they used to, and 60 percent say they watch more streaming TV. For many professionals, modern life is a pendulum swinging between work time and screen time, and prepared meals have become a matter of expedience and clever multitasking. Between "desk salads" and "TV dinners," the modern meal is defined not by the food but by the operant furniture. Often too busy and depleted to cook, or disinclined to do the whole sit-down thing, the typical restaurant patron today isn't looking for an old-fashioned restaurant that is, a place to sit still. Working, streaming, commuting, caregiving, and cleaning, today's diners are vehicles of perpetual motion who seek efficient fuel. Meal-delivery companies are a symbol of what might be the most powerful force in business today: convenience maximalism . The through line that connects the surge of e-commerce and online delivery (and practically every thriving digital business) is the triumph of consumer ease and logistical immediacy, in every arena of life. But despite the joys of having what we want, when we want, and how we want it, informed consumers are learning too much about the dark underbelly of the convenience economy to fully ignore its costs . Like the garbage mounds of cardboard and plastic, guilt is, for now, a necessary by-product of instant gratification.


A Florida city agreed to pay $600,000 in ransom to hackers who took over its computer system, the latest in thousands of attacks worldwide aimed at extorting money from governments and businesses. The Riviera Beach City Council voted unanimously this week to pay the hackers' demands, believing the Palm Beach suburb had no choice if it wanted to retrieve its records, which the hackers encrypted. The council already voted to spend almost $1 million on new computers and hardware after hackers captured the city's system three weeks ago. The hackers apparently got into the city's system when an employee clicked on an email link that allowed them to upload malware. The city had numerous problems, including losing its email system and 911 dispatchers not being able to enter calls into the computer. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, ransomware is the fastest growing malware threat, targeting both individuals and organizations. In 2018, the massive "SamSam" virus disrupted the flight information system, baggage displays and email at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, while another attack crippled computers at the Port of San Diego. City governments in Atlanta, Newark, N.J., and Sarasota, Fla., also have been hit by ransomware schemes. And hackers have taken the information systems of dozens of U.S. hospitals hostage . "Ransomware is commonly delivered through phishing emails or via 'drive-by downloads,'" according to Homeland Security. "Phishing emails often appear as though they have been sent from a legitimate organization or someone known to the victim and entice the user to click on a malicious link or open a malicious attachment." The FBI, Homeland Security and U.S. Secret Service are investigating the Florida attack, according to The Palm Beach Post .


A group of Democrats sent a letter to the Department of Justice Tuesday regarding the agency's handling of potential civil rights violations by law enforcement. "Despite continuing concerns from civil rights and community-based organizations, the Department has sharply curtailed its statutory role in identifying and eradicating civil rights abuses by law enforcement," the lawmakers, including Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) and Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), wrote. "Excessive force in police-civilian encounters presents a crisis of trust throughout our nation. Changes to Department policy and failure to uphold the law run the risk of undermining federal oversight authority in this space." "Accordingly, we write to request information related to the manner in which the Department of Justice is currently carrying out its statutory responsibilities to eliminate patterns and practices of unconstitutional conduct in law enforcement agencies." The letter asks for information related to the handling of consent decrees and complaints, communications related to former Attorney General Jeff Sessions's memos regarding consent decrees and an update on all current investigations into use of force by police departments, among other things. Consent decrees are court-enforced agreements often used to create change within local police departments accused of civil rights violations. Reps. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.), and Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) also signed on to the letter.


Fugitives and gang members wanted for murder, rape and drug dealing were rounded up in a five-month operation led by a federal task force that the U.S. Attorney's Office said Friday netted 146 suspects. "Operation Triple Beam" was carried out in and around Lawrence, according to U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling's office. The operation kicked off Jan. 1 and 146 people were arrested, including dozens of fugitives and 52 alleged gang members, officials said. "Operation Triple Beam is a nationwide initiative in which federal resources are deployed to help state and local law enforcement round up dangerous fugitives living in our most vulnerable communities," said Lelling. "Removing these fugitives, including alleged rapists, murderers and drug traffickers, will make Lawrence and neighboring towns safer. Law-abiding residents of Lawrence should be able to live and work without fear," Lelling said, adding that "increased enforcement is here to stay." Operation Triple Beam aims at providing communities with immediate relief from gang-related violence. The operation resulted in the seizure of eight pistols, one semi-automatic rifle, one 12-gauge shotgun and more than two kilos of drugs, including cocaine, crack cocaine, fentanyl, heroin and marijuana, officials said. The men and women arrested in Operation Triple Beam have been charged in both state and federal courts. Lawrence police Chief Roy Vasque hailed the arrests, saying it will only help the city. "I think it helps change the reputation that it's not lawlessness here," Vasque told the Herald on Friday. "I think it tells people that there is not just our department but there are a lot of local and state and federal agencies in here trying to work on the issues. "It's more about sending the message that Lawrence is hot and we're going to continue that and make criminals feel uncomfortable about being here and think twice about doing criminal activity here," he added. Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera thanked the feds for the assist. He added: "This joint effort between the U.S. Marshals Massachusetts Fugitive Task Force, the Lawrence Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police is the type of operation that takes dangerous people and illegal and dangerous weapons off our city's streets."


The Arizona Diamondbacks unveiled new uniforms for the 2016 season on Thursday night for their #DbacksEvolution event. The Diamondbacks will sport eight different options next season. Arizona's new home uniforms feature the team's traditional colors of black and Sedona red and the new arched wordmark on a white base. The home uniforms also feature a new diamond pattern along the shoulders. The alternate home jerseys are similar in style, but feature Sedona red and teal detailing. Arizona's new road uniforms feature a darker gray base with black and Sedona red detailing. As with the alternate home jerseys, the alternate road jerseys feature teal and Sedona red details. • MLB Rumors: Latest off-season news on free agency, trades and more As an alternate uniform option, the Diamondbacks revealed a black top featuring a large "A" logo on the front. The team has not worn its alternate black uniforms on the road since 2006. As a second alternate uniform option, Arizona has a new Sedona red top with "DBacks" and the player's number written across the front. The new series of uniforms also includes an Hispanic Heritage jersey, which has been a part of the team's tradition since 2008. As a throwback to the 2001 world championship team, the Diamondbacks will also wear a purple and teal uniform next season. The team also announced the return of the snakehead logo as the sleeve patch for the first time since 2006. The complete 2016 #Dbacks uniform lineup. So much style. #DbacksEvolution pic.twitter.com/5zKQEWdI5X   #DbacksEvolution (@Dbacks) December 4, 2015 The 2016 #Dbacks cap collection. #DbacksEvolution pic.twitter.com/mJzQHOIQiY   #DbacksEvolution (@Dbacks) December 4, 2015 The Snakehead logo is back! It returns as the #Dbacks sleeve patch for the first time since 2006. #DbacksEvolution pic.twitter.com/rTM7Gk8EN9   #DbacksEvolution (@Dbacks) December 4, 2015


During an appearance on Fox Business Network's Sunday Morning Futures , Senator Lindsey Graham brushed off the Senate Intelligence Committee's attempts to subpoena Donald Trump Jr. to give further testimony regarding efforts to build a Trump Tower in Russia. "If I were Donald Trump Jr.'s lawyer, I would tell him you don't need to go back into this environment anymore," Graham said. "You've been there for hours and hours, and nothing being alleged here changes the outcome of the Mueller investigation. I would call it a day." The subpoena came as the Senate Intelligence Committee attempts to wrap up its own investigation, and mostly concerns conflicting testimony from Trump's former attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen, and Trump Jr. The son of the president told the panel in 2017 that he was only "peripherally aware" of efforts to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, a claim that Cohen subsequently refuted. "Cohen also recalled briefing Donald Trump Jr. in the spring, a conversation that Cohen said was not 'idle chit chat' because Trump Tower Moscow was potentially a $1 billion deal," reads a pertinent line from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. The controversy surrounding the Moscow plan also stems from President Donald Trump's own admissions that he "had no business dealings with Russia" while campaigning for office, despite his company working to secure the deal. Also under scrutiny is Trump Jr.'s 2016 meeting with Russian nationals, including lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, who claimed to have "dirt" on Clinton. During his appearance on Fox Business, Graham said Cohen's track record for lying under oath meant that his testimony shouldn't be taken seriously. In November 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to the Senate Intelligence Committee and House Intelligence Committee regarding the proposed Trump Tower Moscow deal. Cohen later said he regretted lying and had "misplaced" trust in Trump. "Anything based on what Michael Cohen's said is worthless testimony," Graham, reiterating his previous criticism of Trump's former confidant. "Michael Cohen is a worthless witness." The summons was issued weeks ago by the intelligence panel's chairman, Sen. Richard Burr, a conservative from North Carolina in his third term. The lawmaker has a reputation for generally keeping a low profile compared to some of his colleagues but the subpoena's revelation thrust him under the spotlight. While "All I can say is Richard Burr is a very good friend, he's trying hard to appear bipartisan," Graham said. Other conservative lawmakers haven't been so congenial. During an appearance on a radio show on Sunday, Senator Rand Paul suggested the summons was an intentional "perjury trap." "This is not a friendly maneuver. This is an adversarial maneuver to bring him in under oath," the Kentucky elected said. And the Democrats will try to trip him up and get him to make some kind of mistake." Related Articles Watch: SNL's Cold Open Features Kate McKinnon as Lovelorn Lindsay Graham Pledging Eternal Support for President Donald Trump Lindsay Graham Calls for Immediate Hearings on Trump's Syria and Afghanistan Decision, Warns of Second 9/11 Lindsey Graham Offers Robert Mueller Chance to Provide Very Specific Testimony About William Barr Sign up to our newsletter and get Newsweek stories delivered to your e-mail


Oakland Oakland temperatures won't climb above 74 degrees this weekend, according to drone-powered weather forecasting service Saildrone . Temperatures will make way for warmer weather on Monday, with a high of 81 degrees. The immediate forecast also has partly cloudy skies in store for today. Skies will become mostly cloudy beginning on Saturday. Winds will remain somewhat calm, with the highest speeds today at just 10 mph. This story was created automatically using Saildrone's local weather forecast data, then reviewed by an editor. We also incorporate historic weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


At No. 838 in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking, Jillian Bourdage was easily the lowest-ranked quarterfinalist at this year's U.S Girls' Junior. The closest player to her was Lauren Beaudreau, at No. 556. Yet through five days of play at SentryWorld in Stevens Point, Wis., Bourdage continues to prove that her ranking is just a number. The 17-year-old Ohio State commit from Tamarac, Fla., defeated Beaudreau, 2 and 1, and top-seeded and 25 th -ranked Yuko Saso, 2 up, ro advance to Saturday's 36-hole final against No. 69 Lei Ye, an 18-year-old Stanford signee from China. Most impressively, Bourdage has yet to trail in match play this week. She never led Saso by more than 2 up before birdieing each of her final two holes to win the match. (Her birdie on No. 17 came from 16 feet as heavy rain briefly came down.) "This week my confidence has grown with each round, and I'm just super happy to see that all my hard work has been paying off, especially on the short game and the putting, because I've been struggling with that a little bit for the past couple months," Bourdage said. "I'm making some good putts out there under pressure, and that's definitely a confidence booster." Power moves only from Jillian Bourdage to move 1 up with 1 hole to play! #USGirlsJunior pic.twitter.com/hbqadTjXYn   USGA (@USGA) July 26, 2019 Now, Bourdage will get a second opportunity to play for a USGA championship; she and partner Casey Weidenfeld lost in the championship match at this year's U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball. But she'll have to go through Ye, who punched her ticket to the final with a 1-up win over future Stanford teammate Brooke Seay and a 3-and-2 win over Tennessee signee Nicole Whiston. Ye is also a past Four-Ball runner-up, falling in the 2018 final with partner Ya Chun Chung. Both finalists are now exempt into next month's U.S. Women's Amateur at Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point, Miss. The winner will receive invites to the 2020 U.S. Women's Open and 2020 Augusta National Women's Amateur.


The Arizona Cardinals may not have one of the best teams in the NFL. But they do have one of the best stadiums. The Big Lead recently ranked the Top 10 stadiums in the NFL and State Farm Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals, was ranked No. 8. Not bad for a stadium that opened before the 2006 NFL season. Jess Weisinger wrote: "From epic playoff games to epic Super Bowls. State Farm Stadium has just about seen it all and thrived. With a retractable roof and retractable field, it's one of the more versatile stadiums in the country. Its biggest downfall is being in the middle of nowhere in Glendale, away from Phoenix, and hard to get to by public transportation." The best stadium, according to The Big Lead's rankings? Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers. No. 2 in its rankings was Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the Atlanta Falcons. You can see Weisinger's Top 10 stadiums in the NFL list here . Are you a sports fan? Stay in the know. Subscribe to azcentral.com today . State Farm Stadium fared well in other recent rankings of NFL stadiums. Sporting News ranked State Farm Stadium No. 8 in the league. Vinnie Iyer wrote: "It looks a little like the combination of a Goodyear Blimp and a cooked Jiffy Pop, but somehow it carries a futuristic charm. Since this stadium opened, Glendale has been built up for the Arizona fans who fill the fine facility every week." Athlon Sports had State Farm Stadium ranked No. 12. It wrote: "Cardinals fans have made this UFO-looking spot quite the home-field advantage for the Cardinals while enjoying all the amenities you've come to expect at a big game nowadays. Just about every major sporting event from the Super Bowl to the Final Four has put this place in the regular rotation and it's easy to see why given how easy it is to stage things here. Perhaps the biggest downside is the location away from a majority of fun spots in the Phoenix area and the lack of hardly anything directly around the stadium to do before or after games." Stadium Journey ranked the Cardinals stadium "experience" No. 15 in the NFL. Marc Viquez wrote: "The ultra-modern stadium is sleek and incredible visually and designed to be in the shape of a barrel cactus, representative of the typical Arizona landscape. It features both the league's first retractable roof and retractable field when it opened in 2006. The south end zone is the "Redzone," where there are removable stands because the playing surface moves out that direction so it can get sun during the week. Just outside the stadium is the "Flight Deck," where fans can enjoy some pregame food and drinks without having to enter the stadium. You can also win free prizes throughout the day before the game. All general entrance gates open 90 minutes before kickoff." Simple Most had State Farm Stadium at No. 9 in its rankings. Clint Davis wrote: "One of America's premier venues, State Farm Stadium, formerly University of Phoenix Stadium, has hosted everything from Super Bowls to college football championship games to a Final Four and WWE WrestleMania. The most unique feature of this relatively small stadium is its one-of-a-kind grass field that can be retracted and even moved outside the stadium when it's not needed. State Farm Stadium also gets bonus points for playing host to one of the greatest Super Bowls ever played, when the New York Giants ended the undefeated season of the New England Patriots in 2012." MORE: NFL power rankings: Cardinals surrounded by 'intrigue factor' for 2019 season This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: NFL stadium rankings: Arizona Cardinals' State Farm Stadium among best


Houston Rockets head coach Kevin McHale comments on his team's Game 5 win vs. the Los Angeles Clippers.


Gov. Ron DeSantis said Russian hackers gained access to voter databases in two Florida counties ahead of the 2016 presidential election.


Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has revealed his team only volunteered to carry out 18-inch tyre testing this year after "strike breaker" Renault agreed to take part. All 10 teams were offered the chance to create a mule car for initial track testing of the new 18-inch tyres by converting a 2018 chassis. Most were reluctant to commit resources to such a project within 2019, and consideration was given to postponing any testing until 2020. However, once Renault agreed to Pirelli's request to build a car for this season, Mercedes felt it had no choice but to participate, along with McLaren. Ferrari has opted out, citing a lack of resources and time, while Red Bull Racing does not have a 2018 car available, due to its change of engine supplier. "It was a very difficult decision," Wolff said when asked by Motorsport.com. "Because on the one hand you need to understand that Pirelli needs the testing, on the other hand it wasn't resource that was planned to spend in 2019. "So we were hoping that all tyre tests for 18-inch rims would be delayed to 2020, and we made it clear that if all teams agreed to postpone it, that would be the best outcome, but if a one single one would jump on it, we would also. Renault was the strike-breaker, and then it was McLaren and us." Renault F1 boss Cyril Abiteboul made it clear that gaining any knowledge it can about tyres is a priority for the French manufacturer. "It was a proposal offered by Pirelli to all teams," Abiteboul told Motorsport.com. "It was also a request from Pirelli, and I think we have a duty to make sure Pirelli has the capacity to do a good job. "When we look at the importance of tyre understanding, frankly we are behind. Most of the difficulties that we've had from the start of the season are due to the change of construction that we have underestimated. "It's another demonstration that we need to improve that massively. How can I say that and not accept what we've been offered to do for 2021? It's very straightforward."


Leicester City are closing in on a deal to sign Monaco midfielder Youri Tielemans, in a deal that is set to surpass their previous record transfer at around £40m. The 22-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at the King Power Stadium, immediately winning over the fans with three goals and five assists in just 13 outings for Brendan Rodgers' side. Tielemans' loan move saw Adrien Silva head in the other direction, with the Portuguese international also set to make his switch permanent. Hearing a few good things about Leicester's pursuit of Youri Tielemans. Player loved his loan spell, the positivity from Brendan Rodgers and the manager's longer term visions. I'm told discussions have been good. Hopefully all parties can strike a deal. Sounds promising #lcfc pic.twitter.com/SxCct1yZtf   Mr Geoff Peters (@mrgeoffpeters) June 30, 2019 After desperate calls from supporters to bring Tielemans back to the club, Foxes fans appear to have got their wish, as the Telegraph claim the club are edging ever closer to securing the permanent capture of the Belgian international. A deal is set to be completed by 'early next week' as negotiations have continued to progress well with the French side. Any potential deal will eclipse Leicester's current transfer record, which stands at £27.5m, paid to Sporting CP for Islam Slimani in 2016. Having signed for the Ligue 1 outfit from Anderlecht in 2017, the midfielder scored six goals in 65 appearances for the French side but struggled for game time last season, despite five of those strikes coming in his final 20 games. The arrival of Tielemans is expected to be completed after the club secure another big-money move for Newcastle 's Ayoze Perez. A £30m deal is expected to be sealed in the coming days as Rodgers begins rebuilding his squad ahead of his first full season at the helm.


425 cubic inches of personal luxury. Classic American cars come in all shapes and sizes, but some of the more interesting over the years have been the personal luxury cars. These cars are defined by a two-door design and four-passenger seating, and the 1964 Buick Riviera is one of the coolest to have ever existed. Built to compete against the Ford Thunderbird, the Buick Riviera offered a unique blend of style, performance and luxury, and this particular Riviera looks especially stunning in its factory original Wedgewood Blue paint job. The condition of this Riviera is amazing thanks to the fact that it was originally purchased in California and spent its entire life out there before heading to Scottsdale, AZ where it's currently up for sale by Classic Car Investments for $32,500. Not only is the body rust free and the interior impressively clean, but underside shots show exactly why West Coast cars are so desirable. Keep in mind that this is an unrestored car with 67,000 claimed original miles and numbers matching engine. That engine is none other than Buick's 425 CID Super Wildcat V-8 with dual quad carbs and 360 horsepower, which helped this car to lay down impressive performance for its day. Adding to the collectability of this Riviera, it is equipped with rare options such as the aluminum wheels with two-bar spinners and a posi-traction rear end. The Riviera had some really killer body lines, but check out that interior. Each seat is about the size of a love seat, and the colors, materials and finishes of this cabin exude top levels of luxury. This car's interior is all original, and those white leather seats are a perfect complement to the baby blue exterior paint. For amenities, the Riviera offered up features like air conditioning, power steering, power windows, power seats and a power trunk release. You definitely don't see a lot of these first-gen Rivieras around today, and this particular example is exceedingly rare with all of its unique options. Read More... Video: Why The DeLorean Is One Of The Coolest Cars Ever Made Unique, Collectible 1960 Porsche 356B Super 90 Could Be Yours


Looking to add a new companion to the family? There are dozens of precious puppies near yo up for adoption at animal shelters in and around Cleveland, so you won't have to look far to find the perfect fit. Hoodline used data from Petfinder to power this roundup of puppies available for adoption near you. Read on to meet some friendly, furry locals. (Details like pet availability, training, vaccinations and other features are based on data provided by Petfinder and may be subject to change; contact the shelter for the latest information.) Otis, German shepherd mix Otis is a male German shepherd puppy being kept at Mutts in a Rut Rescue, Inc. Otis loves other dogs. He's been vaccinated. Good news: He's already house-trained. From Otis' current caretaker: Meet Otis. Otis came to us from a rural shelter with mange (not contagious). This guy is as sweet as they come. Otis is currently staying at doggy day care and loves other dogs. He is a favorite there. He is 42 pounds and nine months old. Apply to adopt Otis today at Petfinder . Shorty, Jack Russell terrier and beagle mix Shorty is a male Jack Russell terrier and beagle puppy currently residing at Mutts in a Rut Rescue, Inc. Shorty gets along well with other dogs and cats. Have no fear: He is already house-trained. He has all his shots. From Shorty's current caretaker: Meet Shorty. In true Jack Russell fashion, Shorty is a hyper little man who can jump very high. He would do best in an active home, with other dogs to play with! Short is very sweet and loves to snuggle with people. He is about seven months old and 14 pounds. Read more about Shorty on Petfinder . Biscuit, hound mix Biscuit is a male hound puppy staying at Mutts in a Rut Rescue, Inc. Biscuit plays well with others. She'll get along great with your other dogs and is already vaccinated. Notes from Biscuit's caretakers: Meet Biscuit. Biscuit came to a us from a rural shelter. He is a very sweet boy and loves all dogs and people that he meets. He is currently at doggy day care and loves it there. Biscuit is four months old. Apply to adopt Biscuit today at Petfinder . This story was created automatically using local animal shelter data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Acting Defense Secretary Mark Esper urged European allies on Thursday to publicly condemn Iran 's actions and join a new U.S.-proposed maritime security effort to protect the Strait of Hormuz, after a series of attacks on tankers and t he shoot down of a American drone in that strategic waterway. His comments come as Iran is expected to breach the agreed upon cap on its enriched uranium stockpile. During a news conference at the NATO Defense Ministerial in Brussels, Esper said he asked allies to join a coalition of "like-minded countries" that would support freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz through "broader maritime surveillance." (MORE: What's the fallout from Trump's pullback on Iran military strikes: ANALYSIS) "And that should include air surveillance all the way up to a picket line of ships to help protect the international waterways and to include maybe even escorts," Esper said. "We have to flesh it out on our end, and we'll see what makes the most sense." Esper, who stepped into the role of acting Pentagon chief only on Monday, also announced that he would return to Brussels in mid-July to give allies a more detailed briefing "on the history of this Iranian threat." Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a similar pitch for a maritime coalition to U.S. allies in the Middle East this week with the State Department dubbing the proposed mission the "Sentinel program." The project would include around 20 countries, Pompeo said on Monday. But it's unknown if any countries in Europe or the Middle East have firmly committed to such a coalition. Saudi Arabia did not mention the idea in a readout of Pompeo's meeting with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, although the U.S. readout said they discussed "the need for stronger maritime security." (MORE:Trump says Iranian shootdown of US military drone may have been a 'mistake') A senior State Department official described the coalition as military and commercial ships serving in an observer role in the Gulf with cameras and binoculars, but not actually escorting tankers. Top administration officials have stressed the need for Asian nations, many of whom receive the vast majority of oil from the Gulf, to be part of an international response to Iran's aggression in the region. The topic is expected to come up at the G20 Summit in Japan this weekend. At NATO, Esper reiterated that the U.S. does not seek war with Iran and wants to bring Tehran to the negotiating table -- an action Iranian leadership has so far refused, citing distrust of Washington and its tough sanctions on Tehran. "Our strategy is at its core an economic and diplomatic one," Esper said, before adding that "no one should mistake restraint for weakness." The NATO ministerial comes as Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif tweeted that U.S. sanctions "aren't alternative to war; they ARE war," and that "negotiations and threats are mutually exclusive." Last week, Iran vowed to breach the cap on its enriched uranium stockpile that was agreed to under the 2015 nuclear deal by Thursday. A spokesperson for the United Nation's nuclear agency, which monitors Iran's program, declined to comment to ABC News on whether Iran had done so. But an anonymous diplomat at the agency told Reuters that Iran hadn't reached the limit yet and was "more likely" to do so "at the weekend if they do it." The U.S. has been criticized by European partners for exiting the nuclear deal with some blaming the U.S. sanctions for why Iran is lashing out. But Esper defended the U.S., saying the country was "by no means the instigator of recent tensions in the Strait of Hormuz." "Iran's hostile actions are an international problem that affects many nations," he said, adding later, "We've had at least six ships attacked by Iran or its proxies. We've had mortar attacks into Saudi Arabia. We've had a cruise missile attack on Saudi Arabia. We of course had the shoot down of our unarmed aircraft in international airspace and the list goes on." President Donald Trump has said he intends to nominate Esper to the role of defense secretary permanently. Esper previously served as Army Secretary and as a chief lobbyist for Raytheon.


Manchester City defender Kyle Walker has reached an agreement over a two-year extension amid speculation that Pep Guardiola wants to bring in extra competition for places this summer. The England international put pen to paper on a five-year contract when he joined the club from Tottenham in 2017, and he's gone on to win back-to-back Premier League titles since his £50m move up north. Manchester City have been heavily linked with bringing in a new big-money right-back this summer, but the Evening Standard are reporting that the club will also offer Walker a two-year extension to his current deal. The 29-year-old's new contract is expected to increase his wages to £180,000 a week depending on performance-related bonuses, while it's added that an official announcement is due later this week. Walker isn't expected to be guaranteed of first-team minutes next season, however, as recent reports are suggesting that City are close to reaching a €50m agreement for Juventus star João Cancelo. The Premier League champions are looking to move Danilo out of the club this summer and are eager to replace the Brazilian with Cancelo, who will offer much more competition for places at the Etihad next season. Aaron Wan-Bissaka has also been mentioned as a potential target for Manchester City, but a deal for Cancelo could actually prove to be easier to get over the line as Tuttosport (via CalcioMercato ) claim Juventus want to generate the funds to sign Matthijs de Ligt. As well as bringing a new right-back to the north-west this summer, and re-signing Angeliño from PSV Eindhoven, Pep Guardiola is eager to land Fernandinho's long-term successor ahead of the new season. Atlético Madrid midfielder Rodri is believed to be the club's ideal target, and journalist Fabrizio Romano has reported that City are prepared to meet the Spain international's €70m release clause.


Growing up, Shanea and Janea Hickman did everything together   whether they wanted to or not. The sisters are only 18 months apart, which meant where one sister went, the other followed. Little did they know this would continue into adulthood when Shanea, 27, gave birth to her first baby one minute before Janea, 25, delivered her first baby. "It's just a blessing," Shanea, of West Palm Beach Florida, told TODAY Parents. "If my daughter had to have someone to be close to (in age) I wouldn't choose anyone else." Being pregnant at the same time was purely coincidence. While Shanea knew she was pregnant a day before Janea, Shanea waited to share. "I was still processing my emotions," Shanea said. "The very next day for Janea to text me that she was pregnant, oh my gosh, it was surreal." As soon as Janea saw the positive pregnancy test, she told everyone. And even though Shanea kept her pregnancy a secret, Janea suspected that her sister was having a baby. When Shanea came home to Pittsburgh for Janea's birthday on Oct. 13, Shanea finally told her family. The family felt thrilled, but little sister Janea felt slightly annoyed. "Janea's exact words were, 'Why do you always have to steal my shine?'" Shanea said, laughing. Janea admitted to saying it, but added she was mostly joking. "These are the first births in our family in a long time. I was looking forward to getting spoiled," Janea said. All joking aside, Janea felt truly excited, adding, "I was just so happy." The two learned their due dates were just days apart : Shanea's was May 9, Janea's May 13. But Janea was experiencing swelling, painful carpal tunnel and nausea and vomiting and was induced on May 6 at UPMC Magee Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh. When her water finally broke the next morning she texted her sister in Florida to update her. "She said, 'My water broke too,'" Janea recalled. "Our water broke about the same time." Janea quickly progressed to more than 9 centimeters dilated and her mom sent a group text saying Janea was pushing and they expected the baby soon. Then Shanea's partner Paul texted back and said she was being taken for a cesarean section because she had preeclampsia. After her daughter, Emerie Barlow was born, Shanea called her family and her brother picked up. She asked what time Janea had her baby and he told her 1:10 p.m. "I said 'No way! Emerie was born at 1:09," Shanea recalled. "I was in the operating room and (Janea) was pushing." Both children were born on May 7, 2019, and Janea's daughter Ryanne weighed 5 pounds, 7 ounces and was 19 inches long or 5.7.19. Emerie weighed 6 pounds, 2 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. The sisters love that their daughters will have the bond of being "twin cousins" born only one minute apart. "I can't describe the feelings. I cannot be happier," Janea said. "My baby has somebody to grow up with."


There's a reason Jarrett Stidham was a fourth-round pick. Stidham, now with the New England Patriots, may have a great deal of promise in the NFL, but he also struggled in 2018 at Auburn where his regression showed in his statistics and on game film. That was a bit of a head-scratcher. Not all prospects follow a positive trajectory, but Stidham's completion percentage fell from 66.5 in 2017 to 60.7 in 2018 and his yards per attempt fell from 8.5 to 7.6. After the 2017 season, Draft Wire's Luke Easterling did a way-too-early mock draft, and pegged Stidham as a potential first-round pick in 2019. That projection didn't last. The Patriots added Stidham with the knowledge that they'll have to wade through his mixed successes. "I think the big thing you have to look at when you're looking at the body of work of a player coming out of the draft is there's a lot of factors that contribute to good quarterback play and there's a lot of factors that contribute to play that's a little bit less than that," Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said on Friday when asked about Stidham's mistakes in college. "If a guy misses a throw, sometimes that's his fault and sometimes it's not. There's protection that goes along with that, plays, design, all the rest of it." The Patriots will try to do what they do with all players: highlight his strengths within the Patriots system. Although with Stidham, it won't be exactly like other players. After all, the system is designed to highlight the strengths of Tom Brady, the starter (and six-time Super Bowl winner). Stidham, instead, will compete for a backup role in Brady's system. (It's Brady's world. Stidham can only hope to develop in it.) McDaniels admitted that Stidham will have a lot to learn, but most of what he knows from college will not apply in New England. "Every quarterback that we've ever evaluated here, we try to take and look at it in the big picture - what does he do well, what traits does he possess and then you try to factor those in to what we try to do here," McDaniels said. "They all come in and have so much to learn. It's really about traits and the opportunity to try to take a clean slate and then fill it with whatever you want to fill it with." Without a doubt, Stidham bears traits that the Patriots like. The Patriots vetted him thoroughly with long interviews, recall tests and film study during his top-30 visit. "I met Jarrett when he came here on his pre-draft visit and it's basically the same. He's a very consistent guy, smart, good personality," McDaniels said. "He asks good questions, has a mind for football. He's a sponge right now, trying to soak up everything he can. He has a good demeanor and I'm looking forward to getting out there on the field and having an opportunity to work with him actually playing the position today." MORE: Tommy Boy is Almost 20: Here Are 20 Fun Facts About the Film 5 reasons Knicks fans shouldn't freak out about getting the No. 3 pick Report: Hard Knocks team options dwindles down to four teams NBA Free Agency 2019: The top players An early preview of the 2019-20 offseason for the Celtics


The father of a US teen arrested in Rome over the killing of an Italian police officer said Thursday his son didn't know his friend was carrying a knife. Gabriel Natale Hjorth, 18, has been charged with aggravated homicide along with his friend Finnegan Elder, 19, following the death of officer Mario Cerciello Rega, who was stabbed to death in a botched drug bust last week. Elder has confessed to stabbing Cerciello, 35, with a US Marine partially-serrated, close-quarters combat knife, according to police. But he says he mistook the plain-clothes officer for a dangerous drug dealer and used the weapon in self-defence. "Gabriel didn't know his friend was armed. He only found out what happened, that the officer had died, after his arrest," Fabrizio Natale told the Corriere della Sera daily after visiting his son in Rome's Regina Coeli jail. Elder was carrying the knife on his person, and police said Tuesday it was "impossible" Natale did not know he had it. "The meeting was emotional but very hard for both of us. He's in a bad state," Fabrizio Natale said after seeing his son. The 18-year-old is alleged to have held Cerciello's partner Andrea Varriale down during the attack in Rome's upmarket Prati neighbourhood, and possibly hidden the murder weapon afterwards. "I share the pain of the officer's family. But I am convinced my son is innocent," Natale said. The teen spent the hour-long meeting with his father in tears, the Corriere said. Natale brought his son a copy of Ernest Hemingway's novel "The Old Man and the Sea" and an Italian-English dictionary, but was forbidden to give him the latter as it was a hardback with corners considered too sharp to be safe, the daily reported. He was allowed to hand over bread and cold cuts, but not toothpaste, deodorant, an electric toothbrush, or a large towel considered a hanging risk, it added. The two Californian teens had been drinking when the attack took place, and Elder was also on prescription drugs, police said. Cerciello and Varriale had been tasked with intercepting the pair after an intermediary on a drug deal reported them to the police for stealing his bag after they were sold aspirin in the place of cocaine. The teens have accused each other of being the one to have hidden the hastily-cleaned knife, which has an 18-centimetre (seven-inch) blade, in the false ceiling of their hotel room. Police on Wednesday returned to the room to dust the ceiling for prints.


Spotify is testing a new feature called Storyline that gives you behind-the-scenes information from artists about their songs. The information is presented like an Instagram Story, with a carousel of cards featuring a combination of text and images that you can tap through. Android Police notes that the feature is only available on a select number of songs right now, including Sucker by the Jonas Brothers, and a handful of songs by Billie Eilish. Storyline offers similar functionality to Spotify's existing Behind the Lyrics cards , and even appears directly beneath them in compatible songs. However, while Behind the Lyrics is provided via a partnership with third-party company Genius, Storylines come directly from the artists themselves. TechCrunch notes that this could mean there's less opportunity for incorrect information to make it into the service, and speculates that sourcing content directly from artists could be cheaper than paying a third-party company. The new feature is currently in testing on iOS and Android, and users have been able to access it countries including the US and the Netherlands. However, it's not available to every Spotify user just yet, and nor is it available for every artist   Spotify has worked directly with the artists themselves to generate the current crop of Storylines. In a statement, a spokesperson from the company said, "We are always testing new ways to create better experiences for more users," but did not confirm when the feature would be released more broadly.


A 20-year-old man pleaded guilty Wednesday to raping and killing a young Arab-Israeli student in Melbourne, one of a spate of attacks that sparked fears about women's safety in Australia's second biggest city. The body of Aya Maasarwe, 21, was found by passers-by near a tram stop on an early January morning, hours after she was attacked on her way home while she was speaking on the phone with her sister in Israel. Codey Herrmann was arrested and charged by police with the attacks several days later. He pleaded guilty to one charge of rape and one charge of murder in the Supreme Court of Victoria state. His sentencing hearing is due to take place in early October. Thousands of protesters took to the streets calling for an end to violence against women after Maasarwe's killing. There have been several violent attacks against women in Melbourne in recent years, fuelling concerns that authorities are not doing enough to improve safety in Australia's major cities.


The Dallas Cowboys are currently facing a good dilemma. After successfully using their draft capital to select impact players, they are now looking to extend these players with their second contract. While this is good problem, it is still a problem nonetheless. Of these players, some include the offensive trio of Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, and Amari Cooper. Recently, media sources have been hypothesizing that Elliott will be holding out of training camp with the hopes he and the team would agree on a contract extension. Jane Slater of NFL Network reports that will not be the case. Asked if he expects Zeke Elliott to travel with the team to Oxnard for training camp on Thursday, Jason Garrett said, "Yeah, we anticipate that. I've heard nothing different on that." #cowboyswire - Rob Phillips (@robphillips3) July 24, 2019 As we await the #Cowboys arrival in LA Thursday, sources informed tell me they are optimistic #Zeke will be on the plane. For context, Zeke has proven in the past that despite whatever is going on off the field he still shows up to work and puts his head down. - Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) July 24, 2019 Elliott is currently on the fourth year of his rookie deal. The Cowboys picked up his fifth-year team option where he is slated to earn just over $9 million. Rumors had recently been started Elliott was planning on holding out until he received his new contract extension. Elliott has rushed 868 times for 4,048 yards and 28 touchdowns while also catching the ball 135 times for 1,199 yards and 6 touchdowns in his three year career. Elliott has yet to miss a game due to injury, but he did serve a six game suspension in 2017 for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy that stemmed from a domestic violence accusation. MORE: Umpire Angel Hernandez turned the Red Sox-Rays game into a complete mess Ranking the NBA's Top 10 Big Threes Jalen Rose: Don't Be Surprised if Anthony Davis Winds Up With the Bulls Packers GM explains reasoning for releasing DL Mike Daniels Texans' DeAndre Hopkins ranked as the top WR in NFL Fantasy Top 50


A Cook County judge made unwanted sexual advances toward a court reporter, made inappropriate sexual comments about a prosecutor and tried to kiss a police officer   a pattern of harassing behavior toward women, a state board that oversees judges said in a complaint Thursday. The Judicial Inquiry Board charged that Judge Mauricio Araujo's alleged conduct spanned from spring 2012 through fall 2018 and was directed "toward women with whom he has interacted in professional settings and in his official judicial capacity." The board alleged that Araujo asked the court reporter "how much money" she wanted to have sex with him; suggested to others that he may have had sex with the prosecutor; and tried to kiss the cop, who stiff-armed the judge and sternly said, "Back sir." The judicial board asked the Illinois Courts Commission to take "appropriate" action against Araujo, who the board said had brought "the judicial office into disrepute." Araujo, 54, a judge for more than a decade, declined to comment Thursday. The courts commission, which is made up of five judges and two citizens, hears evidence at a public hearing and determines whether the case has been made against a judge. The commission can reprimand, censure, suspend with or without pay, remove from office or retire a judge. In September, Araujo was removed from the bench at the criminal courthouse and reassigned following a complaint from the state's attorney's office that he referred to a female prosecutor as "a bitch" and then suggested he may have had sex with her. After a Tribune story about Araujo's conduct, a Chicago police officer and court reporter came forward with allegations of their own against the judge, according to the judicial board's complaint. In spring 2012, Araujo and the court reporter were in an elevator at the Domestic Violence Courthouse on the Near West Side when the judge allegedly moved close to the woman and asked "'how much money' she wanted to have sex with him," according to the complaint. The court reporter tried to laugh it off and move away from Araujo, who told her he was "not joking" and again asked "how much," the complaint states. Weeks later, a similar encounter between the judge and the court reporter occurred in the courthouse elevator, the judicial board said. The court reporter told Araujo she had a boyfriend and pointed out that the judge was married. Araujo replied, "it's OK," the complaint states. Afterward, the unidentified court reporter avoided the elevator, took the stairs whenever possible and sought a transfer to another courthouse. The judicial board said the court reporter was traumatized from the elevator encounters but did not file a complaint because she worried about "negative ramifications on her career if she made accusations against a sitting judge." By August 2016, Araujo had been assigned to the Leighton Criminal Court Building at 26th Street and California Avenue. A 15-year veteran Chicago police officer went to Araujo's chambers to get a search warrant. The judge approached her with his arms extended and tried to kiss her, according to the complaint. The officer extended her arm outward and told him, "Back sir," a technique she was taught "during her police training for halting a potentially dangerous physical encounter," the complaint states. At another point, Araujo allegedly tried to grab the officer's hand and told her to "touch my butt." Araujo eventually signed the warrant and the officer left the courthouse. The judicial board said the officer never went alone again to get a search warrant signed by Araujo, always bringing along another member of her team. The three women who accused the judge of sexual misconduct either could not be reached or declined comment Thursday. After the Tribune published its September story about Araujo, Chief Judge Timothy Evans announced that the court system's nearly 400 judges and 2,400 administrative employees would undergo sexual harassment training. The accusations against Araujo were made as the #MeToo movement has roiled nearly every corner of government, sports, the arts, business and the courts. tlighty@chicagotribune.com Twitter @ToddLighty


Leeds United travel to Pride Park on Saturday evening to face Derby County in the first leg of their Championship play-off semi-final. Leeds come into this game on the back of their failure to finish in the top two, as they lost out to Norwich City and Sheffield United. Having occupied the automatic promotion spots for so long this season, Bielsa's side will feel they deserve to be playing Premier League football next year and will be giving their all over these two legs to try to reach the final. Standing in their way is a Derby side, with whom Leeds have had some interesting battles this year. Despite winning in both league games, the second of these two meetings which was overshadowed by the 'spygate' controversy. Saturday is sure to be a feisty affair, and Bielsa will need to pick a team ready to fight. Here's a look at how Leeds could line up. Goalkeeper & Defenders  Kiko Casilla (GK): The Spaniard has played nearly every game for Leeds since joining in January and has performed well for the most part. With Derby 's ferocious forward line, the stopper will need to be on fine form on Saturday. Luke Ayling (RB): Ayling is a constant threat down Leeds' right-hand side and he his six assists in his last 11 games to prove it. Often one of Bielsa most attacking players, Ayling will be giving his opposite number plenty to think about. Pontus Jansson (CB): The towering Swede has been a mainstay in this team and he will be leading the defensive line for the Whites against Derby. His threat from set-pieces could cause problems for the Derby defence. Liam Cooper (CB): The Scot will be leading his side out at Pride Park and will hope to set an example with his performance too. Leeds will need to tighten up defensively if they are to achieve promotion, and Cooper will need to play his part in that. Stuart Dallas (LB): Injury to left wing-back Ezgjan Alisoski has forced Bielsa into a change of formation in recent games, and this has paved the way for Stuart Dallas to return to the team. With big shoes to fill, Dallas will need to be on top form against Frank Lampard's men. Midfielders  Kalvin Phillips (CDM): Mr. Consistent for Leeds, Phillips will play the holding role once again on Saturday. His defensive capabilities allow more attacking and creative players to get forward and score goals. Pablo Hernandez (RM): Possibly one of the best players outside England's top division, Hernandez will be key for Bielsa's men. His ability to hit top form in the play-offs could be the difference between success and failure for Leeds. Adam Forshaw (CM): After forcing his way back into Bielsa's starting team towards the end of the season, the former Middlesbrough man will expect to line up once again at Pride Park on Saturday. Mateusz Klich (CM): Having started all of Leeds' games this season, Klich is guaranteed to play on Saturday. The Pole will be looking for incisive passes in behind to help break down the Derby back line. Jack Harrison (LM): The on-loan Manchester City winger has been a regular feature for Leeds this season, but may have been hoping for a few more goals and assists, having only racked up four and three respectively this season. He will be hoping to put that right in these semi-final games. Forward  Kemar Roofe (ST): In the absence of the suspended Patrick Bamford, Roofe is expected to lead the line for Leeds against the Rams. Always with his head up looking to make dangerous runs, the former Oxford United man will be desperate to get on the end of a pass and score the winning goal on Saturday.


An Anderson mother received a special gift Wednesday: a new car! Leah Floyd's Mother's Day gift, a 2018 Chevy Cruze, is from Geico and Caliber Collision as part of a national program to repair and donate cars to people in need of reliable transportation. Floyd is a full-time student at Greenville Technical College and is the first person in her family to attend college. She has a 5-year-old daughter Avah, who was born prematurely during Leah's first semester of college. Avah was born 98% blind and required several surgeries to restore her sight. Despite the challenges that come from being a single parent, Floyd never gave up on her goal of earning a college degree. Without a car, Floyd juggles public transportation and rides from family and friends to attend classes, her part-time job, routine care for her daughter and activities. She was nominated for the car donation by AIM, a local nonprofit organization that supports struggling families by providing them with the tools that can change their future. Over the past six years, Caliber Collision and its industry partners have donated nearly 300 vehicles valued at over $4 million. The car donations are part of the National Auto Body Council's Recycled Rides program in which collision industry companies collaborate to repair and donate vehicles to individuals and families in need of reliable transportation. READ MORE: Upstate mother in need of transportation surprised with new car for Mother's Day CHECK OUT WYFF: Get the latest Greenville news and weather. For live, local, late-breaking Greenville, SC, news coverage, WYFF is the place to be.


Marcus Mariota is headed into his fifth season with the Titans and he's doing so without a contract beyond the current year. That makes the coming year a crucial one for Mariota as he tries to show that he can both lead the offense to better results and stay healthy enough to remain in the lineup all year. He's bulked up as part of the latter effort and General Manager Jon Robinson said the team's been focused on another suggestion they believe will help Mariota as well. "The thing I've stressed to him , and I know our coaches have stressed to him is, 'Let's live to play another play,'" Robinson said, via Albert Breer of SI.com. "Don't take that hit. If you feel the pocket coming down on you and you take off running, and the 'backer is coming off of coverage and he's coming screaming at you, throw the ball away. It's OK to punt, we'll get another crack at it. That's the main thing, it's stressing to him   to try as best as possible, like all quarterbacks do, to avoid getting hit." Robinson knows that trying to make something happen can be "a hard habit to break" for quarterbacks, but the Titans are looking for signs that Mariota can make the changes needed for the team to feel comfortable continuing to build their franchise around him.


By Steve DelVecchio A tragic incident unfolded on Friday night during an AAA wrestling match in Mexico, as professional wrestler Perro Aguayo Jr. died while taking on former WWE superstar Ray Mysterio in a tag-team match. Aguayo was 35. According to accounts from several people who watched the match, Aguayo took a dropkick to the back from Mysterio, who was setting up his 619 finishing move. As Mike Coughlin of F4WOnline notes, it is unclear if Aguayo suffered the fatal injury when he first hit the ropes or if he had already been hurt. You can see a video of the match here . The kick from Mysterio did not look all that aggressive. Aguayo was treated by medical staff in the ring before being transported to the hospital, where he was ultimately pronounced dead. There have been conflicting reports over the actual cause of death. Aguayo Jr., the son of Mexican wrestling legend Perro Aguayo, was one of the AAA's top heels. Mysterio was participating in his first AAA match since leaving the WWE.


With the NHL Entry Draft fast approaching later this week, there are plenty of teams looking to make trades or even better, looking to move up in the draft, especially in the first round. The trick is finding a team who would be willing to move their first-round selection. The Athletic's Craig Custance (subscription required) looks at the entire first round and identifies team that might be open to trading their first-round pick and it doesn't take long to notice that there are plenty of Metropolitan Division teams on his list of teams. The New York Rangers, already picking at the No. 2 position, also have the 20th pick in the draft, acquired from Winnipeg for Kevin Hayes , and might be willing to move that to further hasten their rebuild. In fact, it's already been rumored to be sent back to Winnipeg as part of a package to acquire Jacob Trouba . The Philadelphia Flyers could be a team that might be willing to move the 11th overall pick as they are also looking to make changes to get them back into the playoff discussion. Custance adds that you can't count out either Pittsburgh (#21) or Carolina (#28) as well. The Penguins might be more open to moving the pick as they want to get one more chance at the title before the Sidney Crosby era ends, while Carolina wants to continue with the success they had last year and wants to continually build its core. NHL.com's Bill Meltzer writes that the Philadelphia Flyers are still working on a new contract for Hayes, according to general manager Chuck Fletcher. The team traded a fifth-round pick to acquire Hayes' rights recently in hopes they could begin negotiating early and convince him to sign before other teams could be allowed to speak to him. "We've had some very good, constructive dialogue with Kevin. We're continuing to work with his representation. We'll see how things play out, but so far it's been a positive process," Fletcher said. NBC Sports' J.J. Regan writes that when the Washington Capitals acquired Radko Gudas from Philadelphia for Matt Niskanen , it likely ended the team's relationship with veteran Brooks Orpik as well. The Capitals already had six defensemen under contract and restricted free agent Christian Djoos would make seven once they re-sign him. That would make Orpik the team's eighth defenseman and with plenty of cap issues, it would be highly unlikely the team would consider bringing him back. Orpik said he would decide later this offseason whether he would retire or come back for one more year, but if he does want to come back, it's likely going to be with another team. NBC Sports' James O'Brien also adds that with the signing of Carl Hagelin to a new four-year extension, that leaves little money left for the rest of the Capitals' roster. The team already has committed $72.26M committed to 17 players, leaving them with approximately $10.7M in cap space to fill out their roster, assuming the salary cap will be set at $83M this year, which is not a certainty. The team still has a number of key unsigned players, included unrestricted free agent Brett Connolly and restricted free agents Jakub Vrana and Andre Burakovsky . O'Brien wonders whether the Hagelin deal could mean the team considers moving Burakovsky's rights. The Capitals and Burakovsky have had issues with each other at times, but the 24-year-old might be worth something as he still has quite a bit of talent left in him.


Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has been around the NFL for a long time, so it probably shouldn't come as a surprise that he likes players who have been through the grind for a while. The Rams added a pair of them to Phillips' defense this offseason by signing safety Eric Weddle and linebacker Clay Matthews . Phillips likes what the years of seasoning the two players bring with them to their new team. "Matthews and Weddle both give us a veteran influence coming in, and are both still really athletic and can play their position well, but it gives you a lot of experience," Phillips said, via the team's website. "Weddle especially, I think in the secondary gives you a lot of things that you can do as far as changes and working against our offense, which gives you a lot of problems." The Rams offense got most of the team's headlines during the 2018 season, but a boost from the offseason additions to the defense could change the storylines for 2019.


The Las Vegas Summer League schedules have been announced and the Oklahoma City Thunder's four-game slate includes a pair of Western Conference opponents and one out of the East, as well as the Croatian national team, which is joining the Chinese national team as the other international squad in the league. This is the first year the Croatian team will be featured in the NBA Summer League. The Thunder will open up on Saturday, July 6 against the Utah Jazz. The game will be played at 2 p.m. (all times listed are Central Time) and will be available on NBA TV, according to Brett Dawson of The Athletic . From there, the Thunder will play on Monday, July 8 against the Philadelphia 76ers. Tip-off will be at 2 p.m. on ESPNU. Oklahoma City will play its final two games on NBA TV. On Tuesday, July 9, the Thunder face Croatia at 2:30 p.m. They then face the Portland Trail Blazers on Jully 11 at 7 p.m. It's been reported former Utah Utes guard Sedrick Barefield will be among those featured on Oklahoma City's Summer League roster. At the same time, Terrance Ferguson will not play in the NBA Summer League, per Maddie Lee of The Oklahoman. Terrance Ferguson will not play in Summer League this year, Presti said, because starters usually don't. "We feel really good about where he is in his development." - Maddie Lee (@maddie_m_lee) June 21, 2019 MORE: Kyle Kuzma is already trash-talking his former Lakers teammate NBA Free Agency 2019: The top players Rob Pelinka May Not Have Known the Cap Rules for Anthony Davis Trade News: Elliott holdout concern re-emerges from Bristol, Cowboys new DE impresses Luke Bowanko: what the Lions are getting with their new OL


Citywide Read on for the most recent top news you may have missed in San Francisco. Assault suspect on the run hit by car, killed while trying to cross I-280 in San Francisco If you thought you saw a car accident on 280 in San Francisco today, it was probably this. Police say the man, suspected of assaulting someone at the Balboa MUNI Station, was hit by a car and killed while running across the Geneva Ave. off-ramp. Read the full story on ABC7 News . Unusual number of malnourished sea lions turning up on Bay Area beaches Scientists are investigating why so many sick and dying sea lions are turning up on Bay Area beaches. Read the full story on KRON 4 News . A seismograph in Pennsylvania picked up 6.4-magnitude earthquake in SoCal The 6.6 magnitude earthquake that struck near Ridgecrest, Calif. was picked up by a seismograph in the San Francisco Bay Area - and much further beyond. Read the full story on SFGATE . San Francisco's Fourth of July filled with fog, fireworks Despite the weather forecast predicting fog for much of the Bay Area's Fourth of July, plenty of folks lined the San Francisco waterfront hoping for a good view of the fireworks. Read the full story on SFGate . This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle , then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


The Buffalo Bills wrapped up their 2019 spring practices and pending some off-field situations that could happen, we won't hear from the team until late July once training camp rolls around. Most of the position battles will kick into another gear when the comes around, but things are already starting to take off. With that, here's our stock report for Bills players following minicamp and organized team activities: Stock up Devin Singletary Singletary might be the biggest winner of the bunch through the spring. As a rookie joining a locker room with established NFL running backs in LeSean McCoy, Frank Gore and even TJ Yeldon, it wouldn't have been a shock if he was given a "red shirt" type rookie year. Especially considering that McCoy and Gore are only on one-year deals, essentially. But that hasn't been the case as Singletary has featured with the first-team offense throughout all of spring practices. Now, McCoy recently told the Buffalo News that he believes it's going to be his job as a "workhorse" next season, but the way the reps are being distributed, it appears it could be a bit of a committee or rotation approach. Devin Singletary is a touchdown machine. #GoBills pic.twitter.com/SE9v1lDyAA - Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) April 27, 2019 Andre Roberts When Roberts joined the Bills from the Jets, he had two notable thoughts on his mind. First, he was mad his former team didn't really try to bring him back after being named an All-Pro returner last year. But in 62 career games, Roberts has 254 career catches, 2,990 receiving yards and 15 receiving touchdowns. He wanted an opportunity to add to his receiving numbers and during some of the spring practices, the Bills have given him that chance. Now, during the spring, guys like Zay Jones Robert Foster, and Cole Beasley didn't do much work due to injury, so moving forward once the unit is actually healthy, it will be worth noting if he's still seeing reps with the first or second-team offense in training camp. Dawson Knox Knox is getting an opportunity because of injury and that stinks to see Tyler Kroft missing significant time. Furthermore, Jason Croom (hamstring) is also out. But there's no reason to knock Knox for seizing his opportunity. Knox was essentially the team's starter with those two out during the spring. The rookie made the highlight play of OTAs with a nice one-handed grab, but his continued run with the starting offense will allow him to keep building chemistry with Allen that others just don't have, such as a guy like Kroft who's slated to be out until the regular season. Could Knox show enough rapport with Allen to become the No. 1 regardless of Kroft's health? Mississippi Rebels tight end Dawson Knox. Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports Siran Neal Neal's emergence this spring essentially came out of nowhere because many didn't expect the new opportunities he's getting. At the end of training camp last year, he didn't stand out at all but still made the roster as a rookie. Now Neal is seeing an opportunity in the slot cornerback position as the "big nickel" corner and found his way into the backfield a few times. Of course there isn't any tackling this early in the offseason, but if Neal continues to impress he could surpass a guy like Rafael Bush as a backup safety and slot corner on the team's roster. Levi Wallace Unlike others, Wallace hasn't made big plays during spring practices. But as a cornerback, that can be a good thing, right? The second-year pro that was Buffalo's starting cornerback through the last seven games of 2018 across from Tre'Davious White has been exactly that throughout the spring. Recently signed veterans in EJ Gaines and Kevin Johnson haven't seen nearly as much run with the starters to this point. But this battle certainly isn't over and regardless, it's a good thing. The Bills have been burned in recent years by a lack of depth at this position. Not the case in 2019. Levi Wallace! pic.twitter.com/8p6ErZtInt - WeAreDBnation (@WeAreDBNation1) August 26, 2018 Stock down Buffalo Bills tight end Jason Croom. Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports Jason Croom Croom was prior mentioned, because of him, Knox's stock is improving. But as compared to other players suffering injuries, Croom isn't a lock and needs to get on the field. After signing Jake Fisher earlier this offseason and then landing with Lee Smith, it appears Buffalo wants at least one strong blocker on the edge of their offensive line. So there's one roster spot. Knox is a rookie third-round pick, there's two. Kroft seems likely to get his shot, too. That's three. Is there room for Croom? Once training camp rolls around, he has to get on the field, stay on the field, and flash even more than he did at the end of the 2018 season. Eddie Yarbrough For the past few seasons, Yarbrough has held down the fort as Buffalo's fourth defensive end in their D-line rotation. Reports from spring practices show he's further down the pecking order now. Yarbrough has showed well as a run defender, but the Bills need to improve on their pass-rushing prowess and Yarbrough has struggled in that category. That final spot behind Jerry Hughes, Trent Murphy and Shaq Lawson is a toss up right now. Eli Harold, Mike Love and seventh-round rookie Darryl Johnson all will factor into this discussion later this summer. Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyree Jackson. Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports Tyree Jackson Like Croom, Jackson's lack of action has his stock down. But Jackson isn't even injured, that's the problem. He's there, but Jackson just isn't getting much of any playing time according to various reports, most notably via WKBW-TV, which puts Jackson's stock into question in a huge way. In the past, the Bills haven't been shy about keeping only two quarterbacks. But then again, they've been burned by that, such as the time Joe Webb entered a game in 2017. But that's not a knock on Webb, instead, it's a tip of the cap. Webb had even started in the NFL during a playoff game prior to playing quarterback for the Bills in an emergency situation. If Buffalo only kept Josh Allen and Matt Barkley, they could turn to other positions such as Micah Hyde, a talented quarterback in high school, but nobody close to the resume of Webb. So back to Jackson, could Buffalo risk putting him on their practice squad? Teams can try to claim him. Or could they just let him slide onto the roster as a project regardless of practice reps? Take note of that during training camp. MORE: Dale Earnhardt Jr. weighs in on NASCAR Truck Series feud, penalty options Four potential Kawhi Leonard landing spots in free agency Roundup: Google Calendar Goes Down; Earthquake Off Coast of Japan; Pat Shanahan Resigns Rams trading Tyler Higbee to Patriots would make sense for both teams Fierce, fiesty WR competition for Cowboys behind Top 3 roster locks


DALLAS - Samuel Dalembert is back. So, too, is Charlie Villanueva. After being away from the Dallas Mavericks for a year, Dalembert is back with the North Texas team he played with during the 2013-'14 season. Dalembert signed a one-year contract with the Mavs on Thursday worth approximately $1.5 million. And the Mavs are so thin in the middle that the 34-year old Dalembert may wind up being the team's opening-day starter at center this fall. In the meantime, the Mavs also signed Villanueva to a one-year contract Thursday worth about $1.5 million. Last year in 64 games with the Mavs, Villanueva averaged 6.3 points and 2.3 rebounds while playing 10.6 minutes per contest, and also shot 37.6 percent from 3-point range. Now entering his 15th season, Dalembert (6-11, 255) played just 32 games for the New York Knicks this past season and averaged four points and 5.3 rebounds in only 17 minutes per contest. The points and rebounds were the lowest for Dalembert since his rookie campaign - the 2001-'02 season. Dalembert fell so far out of favor in New York that the Knicks waived him on Jan. 5, and no other team decided to pick him up for the remainder of the season. At the time of Dalembert's release, the Knicks saved $2 million of the $3.8 million that they owed him. Meanwhile, in 80 games with the Mavs two years ago - including 68 starts - Dalembert averaged 6,.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 20.2 minutes per game, and also shot a career-high 56.8 percent from the field. Zaza Pachulia and Dalembert currently are the top two centers on the Mavs' roster. Dwain Price, 817-390-7760 Twitter: @dwainprice


SARASOTA, FL   More than 30 Florida cities and towns are ranked among the top 100 best beach towns to live in, including four in the top 10, according to a new ranking by personal finance website WalletHub. Naples was selected as the number one beach spot in the nation, while Boca Raton ranked fifth. Sarasota came in sixth and Venice ranked 10th. "With summer being peak moving season, the personal-finance website WalletHub took a close look at 2019's Best Beach Towns to Live in ," the website penned. "To determine the most livable beachside communities, WalletHub compared 192 cities across 62 key metrics." The criteria ranged from housing costs to share of for-sale waterfront homes and quality of beach water. "Our study divides beach towns into two categories, those by the ocean and those by lakes," according to WalletHub. Rounding out the top 10 ocean beach towns are Lahaina, Hawaii in second place; Newport Beach, California in third place. Carlsbad, California ranked fourth while North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina ranked seventh. Carlifornia's Encinitas and Santa Monica ranked eighth and ninth respectively. Here's how Florida beach towns ranked: Naples, FL (1) Boca Raton (5) Sarasota (6) Venice (10) Jupiter (11) Destin (14) Key Biscayne (17) Jacksonville Beach (19) Coral Gables (20) Vero Beach (21) Fernandina Beach (22) St. Augustine (31) Stuart (32) Satellite Beach (33) Atlantic Beach (39) Key West (43) Marco Island (47) Clearwater (54) Dunedin (55) Miami Beach (57) Cocoa Beach (58) Panama City Beach (59) Bonita Springs (66) Pensacola (67) Tarpon Springs (68) New Smyrna Beach (71) Ormond Beach (72) Delray Beach (74) Jensen Beach (76) Fort Walton Beach (78) Gulfport (81) North Palm Beach (82) Hollywood (84) Boynton Beach (87) Merritt Island (107) Navarre (108) Hallandale Beach (116) Lake Worth (122) Fort Pierce (126) Hobe Sound (128) Lantana (129) Daytona Beach (132) Cocoa (134) Hudson (136) Dania Beach (138) Apollo Beach (140) Panama City (141) Riviera Beach (143) Holiday (146) "Miami Beach, Coral Gables and Key Biscayne, Florida and Port Royal, South Carolina, all share the fewest disaster declarations since 1953," said WalletHub, noting that the 12 declarations were 5.8 times fewer than the California cities of Santa Monica, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Palos Verdes Estates and Malibu that had the most with 69. Traverse City, Michigan, topped the list of best lake towns. Folsom, California and Cornelius, North Carolina, rounded out the top three at second and third, respectively. Here's how Florida lake towns ranked on the list: St. Cloud (27) Sebring (34) Read the complete rankings here .


Former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn's trial, which was expected to begin in September, will be delayed, local media said Saturday, hinting that it may not start this year. The 65-year-old tycoon, currently on bail, is preparing for his trial on four charges of financial misconduct ranging from concealing part of his salary from shareholders to syphoning off Nissan funds for his personal use. The Tokyo District Court had proposed to start his trial in September during its pre-trial meetings with his defence lawyers and prosecutors, news reports said, quoting unnamed sources. But the court told the lawyers and prosecutors on Friday that it had retracted the plan without proposing a new time frame, Kyodo News said, adding that the move could mean the trial will not start this year. The court also decided not to separate the trial for Ghosn, his close aide Greg Kelly and Nissan -- all indicted on the charge of violating the financial instruments law by underreporting Ghosn's compensation, according to Kyodo. His lawyers have so far demanded he be tried separately from Nissan and have voiced fears he will not receive a fair trial. The Sankei Shimbun also said prosecutors gave up filing an appeal to the Supreme Court against his bail, a move to erasing a chance of his return to jail unless he is arrested again on fresh charges. Immediate confirmation of the news reports was not available. On Thursday, Ghosn exited his Tokyo detention centre after accepting bail of $4.5 million under strict conditions, including restrictions on seeing his wife. His case has captivated Japan and the business community with its multiple twists and turns, as well as shone a spotlight on the Japanese justice system which critics say is overly harsh. Ghosn denies all the charges, with a spokesperson for the executive saying on Monday he would "vigorously defend himself against these baseless accusations and fully expects to be vindicated". In a statement hours after his release, Ghosn said: "No person should ever be indefinitely held in solitary confinement for the purpose of being forced into making a confession." The dramatic case has thrown international attention onto the Japanese justice system, derided by critics as "hostage justice" as it allows prolonged detention and relies heavily on suspects' confessions.


Deftly feeling their way along the bumps of the braille score, the young players of Thailand's first blind orchestra memorise scales, defying both their impairment and ingrained negative attitudes towards disability. It is rehearsal time just hours ahead of a concert at an open-air auditorium in a national park, and around 30 fledgling classical musicians enthusiastically strum, pluck and bow instruments they have held but never seen. "At first it was really hard for me... I wanted to stop," said Joe a 14-year-old budding cellist who picked up the stringed instrument nine-months ago. "But when I realised that others could do it, I gave it another try," he told AFP, smiling broadly. Official figures show that Thailand is home to 1.8 million disabled people, of whom around 180,000 are blind, in a population of more than 64 million. Yet campaigners say state provision for disabled people is poor, compounding a widely held Buddhist belief in karma that, in the minds of many, links physical impairments with the supposed 'misdeeds' of a past life. The Thai Blind Orchestra, made up of players aged between eight and 15 years old, offers a rare positive platform for disabled Thais. The orchestra, who use donated instruments, were brought together by a professional classical musician whose day job is looking after elephants in the Khao Yai national park in northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province. 'The kids are happy' The seeds of the idea were planted when the blind students met their soon-to-be maestro, Alongkot Chukaew, at his conservation classes in the park. Teaching with the help of audible aids, including his guitar, the 43-year-old Alongkot noticed music caught the attention of the children. He asked his music teachers to play different instruments and encouraged the youngsters to follow the sound they liked best. As their affinity with their chosen instrument mushroomed, Alongkot introduced a braille system for the students to learn to read classical music. Shown one-on-one how to position their fingers on their instruments, the children then memorise both the notes and the correct placement to make the right sounds. "It was hard because they cannot see the demonstration of where to put their fingers or hold the bows," Alongkot told AFP. "But it was fun." "Some people might not like their performance, but the kids are happy and have fun with it," he said, adding they are not looking to compete. Attitudes towards disability across Southeast Asia are often shaped by a sense of karmic destiny. The same philosophy that encourages people to do good deeds so they may be rewarded on reincarnation also leads people to believe that the disabled suffer their impediments because of their actions in a past life. It is something that holds back progressive policies and leaves many of the region's disabled in poverty or hidden at home by ashamed families. "Disabled people are the poorest of the poor," explains Suporntum Mongkolsawadi, a Thai double-amputee from childhood who now campaigns for improved rights. "The belief in karma makes disabled people think they should just surrender and accept their fate," added the 48-year-old, who heads the Redemptorist Foundation for People with Disabilities. 'My gift is music' Activists say other countries in the region such as Malaysia, Singapore and Philippines tend to have a better track record of rolling out disability aids and policies. Suporntum blames Thailand's lag on years of political instability and short-lived governments for hampering policy changes to transport, education and health. While the law codifies equality, in practice life remains at best complex for many disabled Thais. Most public transport lacks wheelchair access, few state offices have ramps and there are no braille signs and few voice signals. Jobs are also sparse while social opprobrium runs high. But Suporntum sees some reasons for hope, saying the ruling Thai junta is well placed to drive through change, after it vowed to make society more inclusive and include rights for all in its reform agenda. In January, a Bangkok court ordered that lifts be installed at 19 more stations of the capital's elevated skytrain service within a year -- up from four currently -- an issue Suporntum has campaigned on for eight years. But for real change to take place Thailand must first shed its preconceptions on disability, says Rosalina Alexander McKay, an activist from the Rainbow Room Foundation in Bangkok. "You don't have to change the belief system but you have to change your ways of looking at things," adds Rosalina, who has a seven-year-old daughter with Down's Syndrome. As sighted volunteers prepare to lead the orchestra to their seats -- and instruments -- on the open-air stage, cellist Joe says he refuses to be held back by received notions of karma. "I cannot see but I have good ears... that is my gift in music," he says, the outline of trees overhead as the stage lights catch his crisp white shirt. "When we lose one thing, there will always be a substitute."


Summerfest announced that Megadeth with special guests Papa Roach, Pop Evil and Badflower will headline at American Family Insurance Amphitheater on July 4. Originally that slot was filled by Ozzy Osbourne until he had to cancel due to health reasons. Tickets for the show will go on sale Friday, May 31 at 12:00 p.m. CST at Summerfest.com and Ticketmaster.com . That ticket also includes admission to Summerfest. Summerfest also announced that Bleachers, Tori Kelly, T.I., Lifehouse, Liz Phair, The Strumbellas and JOHNNYSWIM were also added to the festival stage lineup. To see a complete schedule go to Summerfest.com . Here's the complete list of American Family Insurance Amphitheater headliners: June 26: Thomas Rhett with special guests Dustin Lynch and Russell Dickerson June 27: Willie Nelson's Outlaw Music Festival , music begins at 1 p.m. June 28: Jason Aldean with special guests Kane Brown and Carly Pearce June 29: Bon Iver with special guests Lord Huron and Julien Baker June 30: Zac Brown Band July 2: Lionel Richie with special guest Michael McDonald July 3: Jennifer Lopez July 4: Megadeth July 5: The Killers with special guest Death Cab for Cutie July 6: Billy Eilish with special guest Finneas July 7: Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg and ScHoolboy Q READ MORE: Summerfest announces Megadeth and Papa Roach as the July 4th headliner CHECK OUT WISN: Get the top Milwaukee news weather and sports. With the day's biggest stories and ones you may have missed, our Wisconsin news team has you covered.


Orleans Darkwa isn't the only free agent working out for the Browns. The team also is working out a pair of offensive linemen who are brothers. Free agents Arie and Cyrus Kouandjio are in Cleveland, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports. Cyrus Kouandjio, 26, entered the league as a second-round choice of the Bills in 2014. He played three seasons in Buffalo and spent parts of the past two years with the Broncos. He played two games last year after playing three, with one start, in 2017. In his career, Cyrus Kouandjio has appeared in 30 games with eight starts. Arie Kouandjio , 27, entered the league as a fourth-round choice of Washington in 2015. He played in 17 games with eight starts in his three seasons there. Arie Kouandjio missed last season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn quadriceps.


When you take a look at the Washington Redskins roster, there's no position group that really stands out among the best in the leauge. The running backs have arguably the most depth on the team, and the defensive secondary can hold their own despite age creeping into the picture, However, Pro Football Focus is keyed in on the defensive line, and the pass rush that they bring. Led by Ryan Kerrigan, the #Redskins come in at 18th on @PFF 's pass rush rankings. Check out the rest of the list here: https://t.co/dyWg807mO5 pic.twitter.com/pXzIZukka7 - PFF WAS Redskins (@PFF_Redskins) July 18, 2019 Ahead of the 2019 season, PFF ranked the Washington pass rush as 18th best in the league, headed up by veteran Ryan Kerrigan and infused with rookie Montez Sweat. The former was recently ranked inside of the top 100 players in the NFL, and the latter has already turned heads this offseason with a mix of speed and size that is a rare find late in the first round of the NFL Draft. The loss of Preston Smith in free agency is no doubt a bummer, but if either Daron Payne or Jonathan Allen are able to take that next step into stardom, then the Redskins should be able to find plenty of success going forward, on the defensive line, at the very least. MORE: Ranking the Packers' position groups from weakest to strongest Jayson Williams: Charles Barkley Shouted at Teammates While Eating McDonald's on a Stationary Bike During Practices See the dramatic final hand of 2019 WSOP Main Event that won Hossein Ensan $10 million NBA Free Agency 2020: The top players Baker Mayfield believed the Patriots would trade up to draft him


Just last week Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White was named to Pro Football Focus' list of the NFL's top players that are under the age of 25. Problem for that list in the future: White won't be under 25 come next season. In a bit of a fun prediction, PFF guessed a Bills cornerback will still appear on that list next season in Levi Wallace. Here's why PFF thinks that about Wallace: CB LEVI WALLACE, BUFFALO BILLS Wallace took the league by storm in the Bills' final seven games of the year. Among the 69 NFL cornerbacks with 200 or more coverage snaps played in Weeks 10-17, Wallace ranked second in coverage grade (85.3) and first in yards allowed per coverage snap (0.45). And he didn't even see the field of play until Week 10 of last year. While PFF is high on Wallace, he's got a long way to go. At the end of last season, the level of players he faced wasn't exactly elite NFL talent. On the other hand, he can only play the hand he's dealt and he impressed. But perhaps a bigger hill to climb will simply be his team's own roster. The Bills signed two notable veterans to push Wallace for his starting spot across from Tre'Davious White. EJ Gaines was signed and he previously played well in Sean McDermott's defense. Plus there was the addition of oft-injured Kevin Johnson, who's a former first-round pick. The No. 2 cornerback spot will be one of the highlights of Buffalo's training camp next year, but could also bring out the best in Wallace. MORE: Alex Trebek had a classic response to James Holzhauer's 'two dimes' wager NBA Free Agency 2019: The top players 49ers LB roles change with new defensive front New Packers OLB coach raves about rookie Rashan Gary Roundup: Michael Avenatti Charged With Defrauding Stormy Daniels, George RR Martin on Game of Thrones Books, Ron Artest Doc Trailer