A vast cosmic void surrounding our galaxy has been mapped and measured by a team of astronomers to work out its gravitational influence on the Milky Way. For 30 years astronomers have been trying to work out why the Milky Way, the Andromeda galaxy and their smaller neighbors are expanding faster than the rest of the Universe by over 1.3 million mph (600 km/s). Experts from the University of Hawaii focused their attentions on a region known at the 'Local Void', estimated to be between 146 and almost a billion light-years wide - and which, they say, is getting bigger. They found that roughly half of this rapid expansion is caused 'locally' from the combination of a pull from the massive nearby Virgo Cluster and our participation in the expansion of the Local Void as it becomes ever emptier. Experts from the university measured the motions of 18,000 galaxies in the Cosmicflows-3 compendium of galaxy distances. Using this data, they constructed a cosmographic map that highlights the boundary between the collection of matter and the absence of matter that defines the edge of the Local Void. They used the same technique in 2014 to identify the full extent of our home supercluster of over one hundred thousand galaxies, giving it the name Laniakea, meaning 'immense heaven' in Hawaiian. Representations of the void can be seen in the video below and with the interactive model above. With the interactive model, a viewer can pan, zoom, rotate, and pause/activate the time evolution of movement along orbits. The orbits are shown in a reference frame that removes the overall expansion of the universe. What we are seeing are the deviations from cosmic expansion caused by the interactions of local sources of gravity. The universe is a tapestry of galaxy congregations and vast voids. Galaxies not only move with the overall expansion of the universe, they also respond to the gravitational tug of their neighbors and regions with a lot of mass. As a consequence, relative to the overall expansion of the universe, they are moving towards the densest areas and away from regions with little mass - the voids. Although we live in a cosmic metropolis, back in 1987 Brent Tully and Richard Fisher noted that our Milky Way galaxy is also at the edge of an extensive empty region that they called the Local Void. The existence of the Local Void has been widely accepted, but it remained poorly studied because it lies behind the center of our galaxy and is therefore heavily obscured from our view. The full findings of the study were published in The Astrophysical Journal . Read more


A Vietnamese American man from Orange County was sentenced to 12 years in prison after a court found him guilty of "attempting to overthrow the state." Michael Nguyen, 55, pleaded guilty at his trial   which lasted about four hours   and asked that his sentence be reduced so he could reunite with his family, attorney Nguyen Van Mieng told Reuters . Nguyen, whose full name is Michael Phuong Minh Nguyen, will be deported after he serves his sentence, the Vietnamese government said in a statement e-mailed Monday morning. His wife, Helen Nguyen, called the sentence "a slap to the United States." "No matter how much I reached out to the United States government and Congress, the Vietnamese government is saying 'What are you going to do about it?'" said Helen Nguyen, who learned of the sentence from social media early Monday, after midnight. Her youngest child, one of the couple's four daughters, was awake when her mother learned the news. "All she did was cry out, 'why, why, why.'" RELATED: Sham trial awaits American citizen from Orange County in Vietnam Nguyen, an American citizen who lives in Orange, was arrested July 7, 2018, pulled off a bus with three other people in the city of Da Nang. His family said he was there to visit relatives and friends and denied he was involved with any political activities. Nguyen had the support of more than two dozen members of Congress, and Rep. Katie Porter, D-Irvine, sought to draw more attention to the case when she invited Helen Nguyen as her guest to President Donald Trump's State of the Union address last February. "I'm disappointed with this outcome, and my heart aches for the Nguyen family and for our Orange County community. I remain committed to supporting Helen and her daughters at this difficult time," Porter wrote in an e-mail. The government investigated Michael Nguyen for violating Article 109 of the criminal code, for activities to overthrow the government, but kept him imprisoned without official charges or allowing him to see family members or contact his own attorney. Two others arrested with him, Huyn Duc Thanh Binh, 23, and Tran Long Phi, 21, were sentenced for the same offense to 10 and eight years. They face three years of house arrests after their jail terms, Mieng told Reuters. (Mieng represented Binh, Helen Nguyen said.) A fourth defendant, Binh's father, was sentenced to one year of imprisonment for failing to report the others. The defendants and others "joined an organization called Quoc noi quat khoi, drew up plans to buy weapons, incited people to join illegal demonstrations and to conduct activities to overthrow the State of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam by violent measures," Vietnamese officials said in their statement. The American citizen and other defendants had a plan to "incite 100 people to join a protest accompanied by a staged traffic jam, to buy weapons to resist government agencies, and to prepare foods and shelters for their long-term fights," according to an indictment reported in the Tuoi Tre newspaper in Vietnam . Michael Nguyen allegedly confessed that he first arrived in Vietnam in 2004 to meet with an activist to create an organization that would occupy public offices in Vietnamese cities. The defendants founded groups that prepared leaflets, created Molotov cocktails and slingshots to attack police and government buildings, looking to topple the Vietnamese government, the Tuoi Tre paper reported. The defendants, along with others "used Facebook and email accounts to discuss Vietnam's social and political affairs with some people in foreign countries," the newspaper wrote. Helen Nguyen, center, and her four daughters are shown with a family photo in Orange on Wednesday, February 27, 2019. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG) Show Caption of Expand Vietnam, already antsy over political dissent, has cracked down on bloggers and other social media users in recent years via a new cyber-security law which critics say the communist country uses to suppress dissent online. Amnesty International, an international human rights organization, has identified 128 people prisoners of conscience in Vietnam, but Michael Nguyen is not among them. Those familiar with the Vietnamese legal system say trials against political dissidents or those suspected of political dissent are subjected to sham trials , with little transparency, fake confessions and likely verdict of guilty. This story is developing. Please check back later for more. Related links Sham trial awaits American citizen from Orange County in Vietnam American citizen from Orange County detained in Vietnam gets trial date Wife of O.C. man detained in Vietnam invited by Rep. Katie Porter to State of the Union address American citizen from Orange County detained in Vietnam on a "spurious charge" Family fears American citizen from Orange is imprisoned in Vietnam


The Tampa Bay Rays hit their second inside-the-park home run in less than a week on Tuesday. This one was courtesy of the bat and feet of Avisail Garcia. At first, it looked like a routine fly to Randal Grichuk. Fortunately for Garcia, the Toronto Blue Jays right fielder lost the ball in the Tropicana Field roof. The ball landed well behind Grichuk's head and Garcia took full advantage of it. : @AvisailGarcia hits an inside-the-park home run. #RaysUp 2 #LetsGoBlueJays 0 Catch the @RaysBaseball LIVE on FOX Sports Sun l FOX Sports Go. pic.twitter.com/hi1fxzTD2h   FOX Sports Florida (@FOXSportsFL) May 29, 2019 As Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times noted , it was the first inside-the-park homer in Tampa since Opening Day in 2018. It was the first for a Rays player since 2014. It's a little surprising to see Grichuk, an American League East outfielder, lose a ball so badly. He's got plenty of experience in that outfield. Clearly, even for outfielders with many games there, the Tropicana Field roof is always a challenge.


Want the intel on Washington's most talked-about local spots? We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to analyze which restaurants have been getting extra attention this month. To find out who made the list, we looked at Washington businesses on Yelp by category and counted how many reviews each received. Rather than compare them based on number of reviews alone, we calculated a percentage increase in reviews over the past month, and tracked businesses that consistently increase their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance. Read on to see which spots poised to start summer off strong. Circa at Navy Yard Open since February, this traditional American and New American bistro is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "American (Traditional)" on Yelp. Citywide, traditional American spots saw a median 2.6% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Circa at Navy Yard saw a 61.1% increase, maintaining a solid 4.5-star rating throughout. Located at 99 M St. SE, Suite 100 (between South Cushing Place), Circa at Navy Yard, which has three other area locations, offers steak frites, blackened Atlantic salmon and braised short ribs, among other entrees, as well as salads, small plates and sandwiches. La Betty Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Mount Vernon Square's La Betty , the New American spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data. While businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp saw a median 2.5% increase in new reviews over the past month, La Betty bagged a 76.9% increase in new reviews within that time frame, with a slight downward trend from a five-star rating a month ago to its current 4.5 stars. Open at 420 K St. NW (between North Fourth and North Fifth streets) since March, La Betty, from the owners of Baked & Wired bakery and A Baked Joint in D.C., offers chicken schnitzel, roasted root vegetable galette and smoked, glazed ribs, among other comfort foods with a twist. Stellina Pizzeria Stellina Pizzeria is also making waves. Open since March at 399 Morse St. NE (at North Fourth Street) in the Union Market District, the Italian eatery, which offers pizza and more, has seen an 84.6% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.7% for all businesses tagged "Italian" on Yelp. There's more than one hotspot trending in Washington's Italian category: Ristorante La Perla of Washington has seen a 4.4% increase in reviews. Stellina Pizzeria offers Italian street food favorites: pizza, sandwiches and fried seafood, as well as pasta and lasagne. Over the past month, it has maintained a strong 4-star rating among Yelpers. HomeSlyce Foggy Bottom's HomeSlyce is the city's buzziest pizza spot by the numbers. The well-established bar, which offers pizza and more, is located at 2121 K St. NW. It increased its new review count by 12.5% over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 2.4% for the Yelp category "Pizza." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 1.4 times more reviews than expected based on past performance. It's not the only trending outlier in the pizza category: Sonny's Pizza has seen a 63.2% increase in reviews. HomeSlyce, which has several outlets in Baltimore and one in Columbia, MD, offers 15 signature pizzas, plus options to build your own pizza or calzone. The Caged Bird Dupont Circle's The Caged Bird is currently on the upswing in the bar category on Yelp. While businesses categorized as "Bars" on Yelp saw a median 1.8% increase in new reviews over the past month, this bar and Southern and Caribbean spot increased its by 7.9% and kept its rating consistent at 3.5 stars. Review counts increased by more than 250% on a month-to-month basis. There's more abuzz in the world of Washington bars: Lucky Buns has seen a 5.3% increase in reviews. Open for business at 1723 Connecticut Ave. NW (between North R and North S streets) since mid--2018, the business offers six flavors of chicken wings, chicken strips and salads. Millie's This beer bar and breakfast and brunch spot in Spring Valley, which offers tacos and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp. Citywide, businesses tagged "Breakfast & Brunch" saw a median 2% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Millie's saw a 9% increase, maintaining a mixed 3.5-star rating throughout. It gained 0.7 times more reviews than expected based on past performance, significantly outperforming the previous month. There's more than one place trending in Washington's breakfast and brunch category: Unconventional Diner has seen a 14.4% increase in reviews. Located at 4866 Massachusetts Ave. NW (between North Fordham Road and North 48th Street), Millie's offers crab eggs Benedict, brioche French toast and steak and eggs on its brunch menu. It also serves lunch, dinner and cocktails. This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Wildlife experts on the French island of Corsica have discovered an unusual "cat-fox," which may be a new species.


The Portland Trail Blazers and Atlanta Hawks have agreed to swap players in a trade that will send Evan Turner to Atlanta and Kent Bazemore to Portland, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Portland is trading Evan Turner to Atlanta for Kent Bazemore, league source tells ESPN.   Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 24, 2019 It's an interesting trade that gives both teams a bit of help where they need it. For Portland, Bazemore gives them a bit more scoring off the bench and a strong perimeter defender. Last season, he averaged 11.6 points per contest, and over the course of his career Bazemore has averaged one steal and 0.5 blocks per game. Turner is a veteran backup guard who wasn't getting much play with the Blazers and saw his production dip in each of the past four years. However, he can be a key rotational player for an up-and-coming Hawks team that is rebuilding from the ground up.


Just a few days ago, it was reported the Pittsburgh Penguins were closing in on a deal to send veteran forward Phil Kessel to Minnesota in a four-player trade. However, that trade hasn't happened yet, suggesting that Kessel, who has a partial no-trade clause in his contract, isn't interested in playing for the Wild. This complication could be a major issue for Penguins GM Jim Rutherford , according to The Athletic's Rob Rossi , whose goal was to move Kessel and free up cap room as early as possible so the team could begin reshaping its roster. Once that deal was done, Rutherford could concentrate on finalizing a new contract for goaltender Matt Murray , smoothing things over with Evgeni Malkin , working toward adding more youth throughout the franchise and possibly adding more picks in the early portion of the upcoming draft. With Kessel possibly flashing an unwillingness to be cooperative in where he is traded, Rutherford's job has gotten a bit harder. Rossi points out that Kessel's value takes a big hit if he has control on where he goes, which could limit the team's ability to cut salary this offseason. On top of that, now that everyone knows Rutherford wants to move Kessel out, it will be harder to get a good trade in the future. There is more to report from the Metropolitan Division: Sticking with the Penguins, TribLive's Jonathan Bombulie reports that after not getting the head coaching position with the Ottawa Senators or Buffalo Sabres, assistant coach Jacques Martin will return for a fifth season with the Penguins. That's good news for Pittsburgh as Martin was critical in running the team's defense and penalty kill. Martin lost out on the Ottawa job to Toronto assistant coach D.J. Smith , while Buffalo hired Ralph Krueger. The Athletic's Arthur Staple writes that it doesn't look like the New York Islanders will be signing goalie prospect Ilya Sorokin out of the KHL this season. The team had hoped Sorokin would buy out the final season of his KHL contract and come to New York a year early after he led his team to the Gagarin Cup Championships. However, Staple reports the 23-year-old netminder, who posted a 1.16 GAA and a .940 save percentage in the regular season for CSKA Moscow and was equally good in the playoffs, has chosen to finish out his contract. The earliest New York would see him would be the 2020-21 season. The New York Post's Brett Cyrgalis reports that now that the Islanders have locked up center Brock Nelson to a six-year, $36M deal, the team must focus its attention on captain Anders Lee , who is rumored to be seeking a seven-year deal at $7M per season. That may be too much for GM Lou Lamoriello, but at the same time would leave a huge hole if the Isles let Lee walk.


Point guard Jeremy Lin has received an offer from CSKA Moscow, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando . Lin is one of the biggest names remaining on the NBA free agent market but has received little interest following a disappointing stint with the champion Raptors. He was expected to be a rotation player in the playoffs after reaching a buyout with the Hawks but appeared in only eight postseason games during the title run, averaging 1.1 PPG in 3.4 MPG. Lin, 30, has appeared in 480 NBA games. We have more international basketball news: Olimpia Milano is looking to part ways with former NBA guard Mike James , Carchia tweets . The Euro team signed another former NBA point guard, Shelvin Mack , on Thursday to essentially replace James. Head coach Ettore Messina informed James there's no playing time available with the addition of Mack. James played a combined 36 games with the Suns and Pelicans during the 2017-18 season. Guard Aaron Harrison will remain in Turkey with Galatasay, his agent told Carchia ( Twitter link ). Harrison, 24, last appeared in the NBA with the Mavericks, playing nine games during the 2017-18 season. Former Suns and Nets forward Alan Williams will likely sign with Russia's Lokomotiv Krasnodar, Lithuanian journalist Donatas Urbonas tweets . Williams, 26, played five games with Brooklyn last season. Related slideshow: Top 50 NBA free agents (Provided by Yardbarker)


The national media is all over the place when it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Some writers have taken the offseason purge as a positive and counting on them coming back better than ever. Then you have NFL.com columnist Adam Schein. He put out his list of the nine teams he thinks can challenge the New England Patriots this season and didn't include the Steelers on the list. Here's Schein's list: 1. Kansas City Chiefs 2. Los Angeles Chargers 3. Dallas Cowboys 4. Los Angeles Rams 5. Philadelphia Eagles 6. Indianapolis Colts 7. Cleveland Browns 8. Green Bay Packers 9. Chicago Bears Where would the Steelers fall on Schein's list? It's hard to say, but putting the Steelers behind teams like the Colts and Browns is troubling. Pittsburgh might have lost wide receiver Antonio Brown but the additions to the roster far outweigh the losses. I'm sure most of the players on the team will relish the notion of being the underdog and this will help them keep their focus on the upcoming season. MORE: A spoiler-filled 'Jeopardy!' clip leaked, and it appears to show the fate of James Holzhauer Darnell Savage, Josh Jackson could unlock full potential of Packers secondary Roundup: Google and Amazon Facing Antitrust Scrutiny, Cruise Ship Crash Video, $344 Powerball Winner Raiders WR Tyrell Williams named 'breakout star' of OTAs Report: Suns, Bulls offering lottery picks for Lonzo Ball


Malcolm Brogdon picked up another assist during an appearance on TNT's Inside the NBA on Friday when Charles Barkley pledged to donate $45,000 to the guard's clean water initiative. Brogdon came on the Inside the NBA set after the Bucks took a 2 0 lead over the Raptors in the Eastern Conference finals. Giannis Antetokounmpo dominated Toronto with 30 points and 17 rebounds in a 125-103 victory. Off the court, Brogdon created Hoops2o in 2018, a program dedicated to providing clean water to East Africa . "We build clean water wells in East Africa and Tanzania," Brogdon said on TNT on Friday. "So every summer I go over there, I raise money through the season. I have four guys in the NBA that are helping me raise money on different teams, and I'm just trying to raise as much money as I can to build more wells." Charles Barkley just offered to donate $45,000 to Malcolm Brogdon's non-profit, which was founded by Chris Long, and supports the installation of deep-borehole wells to bring clean drinking water to communities in East Africa... #NBA #NBATwitter pic.twitter.com/abSsUhrKHf   SBR Sports Picks (@SBRSportsPicks) May 18, 2019 Barkley was quick to pledge some cash toward Brogdon's initiative. "How much does it cost for a well?" Barkley asked Brogdon before learning the $45,000 cost. "I'll give you $45,000 right now." Charles Barkley on-the-spot pledging $45,000 to Malcolm Brogdon's nonprofit on Inside the NBA is why this remains the most compelling show on television   Rohan Nadkarni (@RohanNadkarni) May 18, 2019 The Bucks are two games from the Finals and Brogdon's charity received a big boost on Friday night. Life is good in Milwaukee. Related slideshow: Best of 2019 NBA playoffs (Provided by imagn)


Table for One is a column by Senior Editor Eric Kim, who loves cooking for himself and only himself and seeks to celebrate the beauty of solitude in its many forms. On long road trips through the South, I always seem to find myself at Cracker Barrel, where my order has been chicken-fried steak for as long as I can remember (they call it "country-fried steak" here, but that might be a misnomer ). It's most prominently displayed on the breakfast menu , but you can order it for dinner, too. I suppose this is why I associate the dish with restaurant food. According to the Oxford English Dictionary , the first recorded use of chicken-fried ("(esp. of steak) dipped in flour or batter and deep-fried, in the manner of fried chicken") was in an advertisement for a restaurant called Phelps in the Colorado Springs Gazette on June 19, 1914. "A summer dainty," they wrote of Phelps's chicken-fried steak. Though I can't imagine scarfing down a plate of breaded, deep-fried steak and mashed potatoes smothered with milk gravy in the middle of a hot June summer, I certainly long for it whenever I'm missing home. The exact origins of chicken-fried steak are contestable. Food historians like James McWilliams have attributed it to German immigrants who came to Texas in the mid 19th century. Legend has it that these settlers brought with them Wiener schnitzel , a breaded and fried cutlet of veal, which would later be replaced with cube steak (usually a cheaper cut of beef that's been pounded out by a meat tenderizer). But as Robert Moss, a Southern food correspondent for Serious Eats , writes, "Such accounts draw more on romantic imagination than on historical evidence." More likely, according to Moss (and backed by the 1914 ad in the Gazette ), "chicken-fried steak is a product of early-20th-century commercial kitchens in Kansas and Colorado, where it was a popular restaurant dish." Though we may never know the dish's true genesis story, we can safely say that it certainly grew legs in Texas, home to America's cattle industry. This probably explains why Texans will forever lay claim to originating chicken-fried steak as we know it today. But steak aside, if there's any state that knows chicken-fried chicken , it's Georgia. My relationship with Georgia is a long and winding one. Classic story: gay Asian Southern Catholic boy with immigrant parents. I always felt just a little out of place, like I didn't belong. Fleeing to New York and vowing never to return was paramount to the slow and steady process of building up my self-worth and confidence in my 20s. And yet, over the years I grew to realize that I can never truly detach from the sweet, inexorable grip the South has on me. Contrary to the old adage, you can go home again. Especially when your family, friends, and boyfriend all still live there. My parents have since moved houses, but my mother keeps a bedroom just for me with all my old things. Georgia is where I fly to for Thanksgivings, Christmases, weddings, and birthdays. And funerals. On each drive home, I stop at Cracker Barrel for a big, fat plate of gravy-smothered chicken-fried steak. There's something about eating the same thing each time like this, and making a ritual out of it, that charges a dish with decades of meaning and memory. It's food that gives me comfort, sure, but more importantly it's food that I never really eat anywhere else. Chicken-fried steak is so carefully situated in its place that I have a hard time associating with anything but my homecoming, which in turn means I automatically associate it with comfort. There was a tragedy in my family last week, but I couldn't catch a flight out in time. It's hard to want to be somewhere else when that somewhere else is so far. When I heard the news, a part of me left my body for a bit and floated up. This suspension lasted for about a week, as if an astrally projected version of myself was looking down on my earthly self. In many ways, a part of me has always been in Georgia, which means only a part of me is present here in New York. It's hard to feel whole when you're emotionally, and spiritually, displaced like that. It makes me think back on all those years in New York when I ached most for this dish but couldn't find an adequate version, so I'd float from restaurant to restaurant, hungry, scouring menus and asking, "Do you serve chicken-fried steak?" Hardly anyone does, by the way, except for a kitschy cowgirl-themed restaurant in the West Village, which serves a terribly cooked $19.50 chicken-fried steak with a bland, gloopy gravy. The nearest Cracker Barrel is an hour's drive away from Manhattan. Regarding this hunger, M.F.K. Fisher probably said it best in her Alphabet for Gourmets , in a passage titled "S Is for Sad," where she describes the mysterious appetite that often surges in us when our hearts seem about to break and our lives seem too bleakly empty. Like every other physical phenomenon, there is always good reason for this hunger if we are blunt enough to recognize it. ... The truth is that most bereaved souls crave nourishment more tangible than prayers: they want a steak. What is more, they need a steak. For those days when you need a steak, little else is as comforting as homemade chicken-fried steak. My chicken-fried steak recipe is pretty classic, save for the panko breading (which, for me, fries up way crispier and requires less time in the oil than the traditional flour-egg-flour situation). I've always felt that frying at home was never worth the mess, but when you're cooking small-scale like this, the oil feels somehow more manageable. I like to make a classic milk gravy with some pan drippings, essentially just a cowboy's version of a béchamel. The most important ingredient here for me is the nutmeg, that deep, earthy cure-all for homesickness, because it tastes of everything good and familiar: Christmas, pumpkin pie, milk gravy. Alongside mashed potatoes and finely shaved cabbage, chicken-fried steak is comfort food for when you need comfort food most. Chicken-Fried Steak Katsu With Milk Gravy By Eric Kim Chicken-fried steak katsu 1/2 pound cube steak (about 1 to 2 steaks, depending on the size) Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Cayenne pepper, to taste 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 egg 1 tablespoon milk 1 cup panko breadcrumbs Vegetable oil, for frying Mashed potatoes and coleslaw, for serving (optional) Milk gravy 1 tablespoon flour 1 cup milk Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Cayenne pepper, to taste 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg View Full Recipe Related video: Roy Yamaguchi's 3-Ingredient Steak Sauce - Do you make chicken-fried steak at home? How do you do it? Please share in the comments below.


When the Clippers traded Tobias Harris last season, many assumed they'd fall from the playoff race. But they went 18-9 down the stretch and came as close to the No. 1 seed as ninth place. Why did the Clippers finish so well? One key reason: They traded Avery Bradley . That wasn't the only reason. They got a couple useful players for Bradley   JaMychal Green (whom they're re-signing ) and Garrett Temple . L.A. also unloaded Marcin Gortat, another starter who was quietly struggling. But make no mistake, the Clippers shedding Bradley   whose stature kept him in a major role   helped them win. Now that the Grizzlies are waiving him, Los Angeles' other team will take a swing on Bradley. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN: Once guard Avery Bradley clears waivers today, he plans to sign a two-year, $9.7M deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, his agent Bill Duffy of @BDA_Sports tells ESPN. Bradley will have a player option on the second season.   Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 8, 2019 This looks the room exception, which is worth $9,772,350 ($4,767,000 next season, $5,005,350 the following season). That's a lot for Bradley. The 28-year-old appears to be past his prime. Bradley's rank among shooting guards in real plus-minus the last few years: 2015-16: 13th 2016-17: 47th 2017-18: 65th 2018-19: 90th Maybe Bradley can reverse that decline in a limited role around LeBron James and Anthony Davis . But there are many flaws to fix. Bradley is an OK 3-point shooter, but he's woeful inside the arc. Yet, he frequently forces 2-pointers off the dribble, and he rarely draws fouls or sets up teammates. His defense has slipped significantly. Though he has theoretical skills for the role, Bradley hasn't looked like a complementary player in a while. That'll have to change quickly for him to help the Lakers. Danny Green should start ahead of Bradley. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is also better and better-fitting than Bradley. But the Lakers are thin at small forward, so there will likely be minutes for Bradley as the team uses three-guard lineups. The big questions: Will Bradley play well enough to deserve the opportunity his stature will surely provide? If not, how will he and the Lakers handle it?


From invitations to menus. Minimalist couples , this one's for you. Lucite and acrylic decor has officially seeped into the wedding world, and it's making modern weddings better than ever. Reflective, transparent, and stylish, these Lucite wedding ideas instantly add a touch of contemporary chic to any ceremony or reception, regardless of wedding theme or style. Simply pair acrylic wedding ideas with pampas grass to soften bohemian vibes , gilded accents to make a statement of elegance, or industrial details for an edgy effect. It's as simple as that! One of the best things about these Lucite wedding ideas are their versatility. Lucite makes for a trendy alternative to paper think invitations to set the tone for your wedding and escort cards to liven up a seating chart display. Just have it etched or emblazoned with scrawling calligraphy for an instant note of romance. These acrylic wedding ideas can also liven up a table top, thanks to elements like clear place cards and menus to plate ware and table numbers. On a more grandiose level, Lucite also makes for some unique signs or stunning art installations perfect for a ceremony backdrop . Fill Plexiglass pillars or clear tables with florals and greenery for a 3D effect. We also love Lucite chairs at a ceremony or reception they simultaneously look mod and glam, while creating a spacious effect thanks to their translucence. Acrylic wedding decor is best used when it complements rather than upstages other wedding decor, because the true beauty in Lucite is that it can elevate a space without stealing eyes away from the rest of the wedding. With its see-through effect, it subtly blends into its surroundings while still making a striking statement. Just take a look at these amazing Lucite wedding ideas below to see how it's done! See more: 22 Modern Wedding Ideas for a Super Chic Affair Lucite Chuppah A Lucite chuppah dripping with lush florals and greenery gave this rooftop ceremony a modern, organic tone. Lucite Plates Lucite plates with gilded rims have a minimalist, sophisticated feel. Top off the look with a blush napkin and matching gilded silverware for a simple statement. Acrylic Wedding Sign Eccentric acrylic signage personalizes a sweetheart table while adding a contemporary punch to a wedding wild with tropical flowers, bamboo accents, and bohemian touches. Acrylic Card Box Understated and elegant, an acrylic sign with scrawling calligraphy and a rustic platform is all a card box needs. Ghost Chairs Acrylic ghost chairs and pampas grass centerpieces merge indie and modern styles. Complete with ocean views, this Santorini reception is the stuff of dreams. Lucite Wedding Invitations Set the tone for your wedding with Lucite invitations. You can fashion the invite out of Lucite completely, or use it as a backdrop to a paper invitation. Lucite Name Cards Acrylic name cards boasting wildflower and fern prints have fun, retro vibes. Acrylic Seating Chart Display Use red ribbon to suspend Lucite plates from an arch draped in greenery for a romantic seating chart display. Acrylic Wedding Cake Topper A monogrammed acrylic cake topper complements a contemporary black cake with gilded fondant. Lush ferns and a backdrop of greenery bring a bit of nature to balance out the modern edge. Lucite Table Numbers Circular table numbers are pretty, but subtle, refusing to distract from the moody ambiance of the table it sits on. Lucite Reception Menus Lucite menus allow perfectly arranged plate ware to shine through. Use the gap between the menu and plates to create a 3D effect with greenery and flowers. Lucite Wedding Welcome Sign Frame an acrylic wedding sign with pampas grass to put an indie spin on a modern look. Clear Acrylic Ceremony Chairs Acrylic chairs in a glamorous ceremony setting like San Francisco City Hall can bring a fresh touch to an elegant space. Lucite Escort Cards Hexagonal Lucite escort cards are a stylish alternative to traditional paper. Lucite Ceremony Backdrop Grids, acrylics, and florals combine for a masterpiece of a ceremony backdrop that's both edgy and full of whimsy. Lucite and Floral Seating Chart A seating chart gets multidimensional with back-to-back Lucite and a lush bed of flowers. Lucite Signature Drink Menu Frame a Lucite sheet etched with the night's liquor choices for a spunky drinks menu.


Peyton Manning has been retired for three years now and there's been a lot of speculation that he might become an NFL executive. Manning is not taking the Jets' general manager job , though, and he doesn't appear to be in a rush to take any front office position. Speaking to Denver media members at a Broncos practice last week, Manning indicated that he's not certain what the future holds for him. "I still stay connected [to football]," Manning said, via KMGH-TV's Troy Renck . "I can't look into a glass and say what I am going to be wanting to do this year, next year or five years from now. I do know I want to stay close to it, connected to it. I do know I will go to a lot of games this year. "I go to all the Broncos games and get into the locker room beforehand, and maybe talk to the visiting coach. If and when, maybe so. I guess if I say absolutely not, then you will say I changed my mind. I don't have an answer for you . . . . I think it's funny to be up for a lot of jobs, but I don't really get to confirm or get asked about it. I like listening." There was speculation that Manning might be considered for the Jets' GM opening but he claims he never talked to them about the position. Manning did talk with the Colts about their GM opening earlier this year but ended up not taking the job. It sounds like Manning hasn't ruled out joining an NFL front office down the road but he's content with his retired life at the moment. He also hasn't ruled out potentially becoming a television commentator in the future. MORE: A spoiler-filled 'Jeopardy!' clip leaked, and it appears to show the fate of James Holzhauer Darnell Savage, Josh Jackson could unlock full potential of Packers secondary Report: Kevon Looney's X-Rays return as clean after injury scare Redrafting the entire NFL heading into the 2019 season and beyond Fans are realizing Inglewood stadium is shaped like Rams logo


Dejan Lovren has insisted that he's confident his Liverpool side can do better next season, as he returned to Melwood for pre-season training amidst intense speculation linking him with a string of Italian clubs. The Croatian fell severely down the pecking order at Anfield towards the tail-end of last season, with Joel Matip and Virgil van Dijk firmly establishing themselves as the Champions League winners' centre-back pairing. However, speaking to Liverpool's official website , Lovren showed no sign that his future lies elsewhere. Speaking upon his return to pre-season training, the 30-year-old seemed excited about the new Premier League campaign, saying: "The vacation is over, it's time to work and to get back on track where we stopped. "I am confident in this team because we are growing each year, we are each year better, so I hope we can beat the 97 points [that Liverpool achieved last season in the Premier League]'.  Welcome back, big man. Dejan Lovren is back in the building! #LFCPreSeason pic.twitter.com/wG4f53Enkk   Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 9, 2019 "We'll go again step by step. Let's focus on each game in the Premier League, on each game in the Champions League again. It will be, like we know, a battle between the top four. They are good teams, especially Man City, so they also again want to prove [they are ready] Lovren's comments go some way to corroborate reports from last week that suggested that Liverpool are eager to keep the defender at the club, amid interest from AC Milan. The former Southampton player has also been linked with moves to Roma and Napoli recently, and Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher had even encouraged the club to cash in on the injury-prone player. But for now at least, Lovren, whose contract doesn't expire until 2021, appears set to remain at Anfield. Lovren can expect further competition for places during the 2019/2020 season, with Joe Gomez returning to form after a lengthy injury, while Jurgen Klopp may even consider giving minutes to new signing Sepp van den Berg , in order to aid the 17-year-old's development.


These not-so-obvious indicators will make your home a target for thieves. Leaving Trash Visible in Garbage Cans Setting out the box from your new 60-inch HDTV or high-end gaming console on the curb is basically advertising the fact that those items are in your home. As electronics are the second thing burglars go for (cash is number one), this makes your home an attractive target, according to an article by A Secure Life. So buy a cheap box cutter and invest the 30 seconds it takes to break down large boxes and bundle them together so their labels can't be seen. Plus, your garbage man will thank you! Find out what else your garbage collector wants you to know. Sometimes Just Living on Your Street Homes in high-visibility places, like on corner lots, are far less likely to be broken into. There are simply too many potential ways to be seen. But townhomes, houses in the middle of the block, or houses in a cul-de-sac are much better targets. This is especially true if your property backs up to a forest, open lot, or other unguarded area. The trick, according to Secure Life, is to make your house as difficult as possible to access. This means installing high fences and lots of lighting. Learn 13 sneaky things FBI agents do to protect their homes . Posting Vacation Pics Forty percent of people admit posting pics while out of town, according to Nationwide. And while putting your vacation pictures online might get you a lot of likes, it also notifies your friends and acquaintances that you're now far from home, making your house a prime target for anyone with ill intentions or just an opportunistic streak. Instead, make sure your social media profiles aren't public, and wait to post your beautiful beach selfies until you get home. Here are some other things you should never post on social media for the sake of your own safety and your home's safety . Mailbox It takes two minutes online or on the phone to put a hold on your mail while you're gone and subvert the number one signal burglars look for: an overflowing porch or mailbox. These are the hiding spots burglars check first . Save yourself a trip to the mailbox by installing an alert system like this. Your Yard Gives a Lot of Clues Love those flowers . That says you have taste…and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have. By the way, this is the most common time for burglaries  and it's not at night. Letting Newspapers and Flyers Build Up Yes, burglars really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And they might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it. Check out these 12 unusual things postal carriers see every day . Not Locking the Door According to SafeGuardTheWorld, a professional preventative security company, around 30 percent of burglaries involve a burglar entering through an unlocked door. It seems silly to have to say it but people forget to lock the door sometimes and it becomes ripe for the picking. Try these 13 inexpensive ways to theft-proof your home . Leaving a Window Cracked You might want to keep the house cool and save some money by not running the air conditioning but you're setting your home up as a target even if the window is left open a crack. Here are 10 sensible ways to save on cooling costs . Having a Wide Open Backyard A backyard without a fence or one that opens up to a wooded area is prime for burglars to target. It's relatively easy to move in and out of, plus the woods will make an escape easier. Try some maintenance-free fencing if you feel the need to create a deterrence. Keeping a Window A/C Unit Window units are great at cooling smaller spaces but they're also great for thieves to knock out of the way and grab any loot inside a home. Leaving Expensive Stuff in Sight It should go without saying but anything of value shouldn't be left in view from the outside. Burglars will often case a house before breaking in and if your home has valuable items out, the likelihood of it getting stolen just went up. You need to know the 50 places thieves will never look in order to be safe. Forgetting to Lock the Garage Door Be sure to lock each garage door, including the one that leads to the backyard because thieves will use any entry point to gain access. Check out how thieves can attack your garage and how to secure it. Leave Spare Keys in Obvious Places You might to consult this list of obvious hiding places before deciding where to keep a spare key because burglars are definitely going to check the cliche spots. Instead try these secret hiding places for spare keys and other valuables . Forgetting to Keep Up With Appearances If you normally leave your blinds or drapes open during the day and close them the day you leave for vacation, that could be a calling card for burglars that no one is home. "I recommend a mix of open, partially open, and close," says Emily Long, safety expert at SafeWise . "Open blinds that provide full views of TVs, computers, and other valuables can tempt burglars, while partially open blinds provide privacy and security as well as let interior light out, giving the illusion that you are home." Try one of these tricks with your blinds to keep it cool inside during the summer. Leaving an Opening Through the Dog Door When burglars can't get in through human entrances to your house, they may try to get in through the animal entrances. Robert Sollars, security expert and creator of robertdsollars.com , knows this all too well. "There are innumerable instances of doors being secured but the burglar coming in through the kitty door," he advises. "Not all burglars are 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds. They can slither through those openings as well as a snake." One of the burglaries Nancy Gretzinger experienced was committed in this way. "They came in a medium-small doggie door," she said. So, pet owners, keep your pet doors secure as well. If worse comes to worst and a burglar does manage to enter your home, make sure your valuables are not in these hiding spots burglars always check first . Try these 40 pet projects to show your favorite canine or feline some love. Leaving Fresh Snow If it snows while you're out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway. Here's another way to install a reliable security system in just one day . DIY home security systems will help to protect your home and your family. Glass Doors are Thieves' Best Friends If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don't let your alarm company install the control pad where a burglar can see if it's set. That makes it too easy. Glass doors will rob you in energy costs, too. See how to save money by better insulating a patio door. Close Your Blinds Burglars love looking in your windows. They're looking for signs that you're home or gaming systems they'd like. Burglars will drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick their targets. Hopefully you have a friendly neighbor but beware of the things they aren't telling you . Forgetting to Secure Patio Doors Patio door locks are easy to pick. Placing a heavy-duty stick in the door track will bar the door closed, but it looks crude and it's inconvenient to remove every time you want to open the door. Fortunately, there's a better way to get the security you need. Andersen Corp.'s auxiliary foot lock ( andersenwindows.com ) fastens along the bottom of the door and has a bolt that fits into a grommet to hold the door secure. A similar lock, the Door Guardian ( thedoorguardian.com ) attaches at the top of the door. Both locks allow the door to open 3 in. without compromising security. Installation takes about 10 minutes. Screw the bracket containing the pin to the door, then drill holes and insert grommets in the track for the pin to slide into. Need to replace your patio door? Here's how to do it. Keeping the Clicker in the Car A thief who breaks into your car can grab the remote for easy access to your garage. This isn't just a problem when your car is parked in the driveway; the registration card in your glove box gives a crook your address. So get rid of the remote on your visor and buy a keychain remote. You can easily take it with you every time you leave the car. Home centers stock only a small selection of remotes, but you'll find more online. Start your search by typing in the brand of your opener, followed by "remote." You won't believe the amazing powers of your car fob. Flowers Start to Wilt While your friends and neighbors can pick up the mail, grab the paper, create tracks in the snow, etc. Your flowers might get overlooked. A thief in the area will wise up to what's going on when they spot a few wilted flowers. Keep the bushes in your yard from wilting too with these tips. Lawn Hasn't Been Mowed For a While If you have someone routinely mow your lawn you don't have to worry about it overgrowing while your on vacation but if you think you can get away with it for a long time, think again. Thieves will notice just as quickly as your neighbors what an eyesore your lawn has become. The neighbors might talk about it with each other but a thief is going to use it as an excuse to check in on the rest of your house. Leaving the House Dim Some people want to leave a dim light on while they're away on vacation as a deterrent to break-ins. The debate rages on whether it's better to leave lights on or off but one thing's for sure, those dim lights at night are going to be dim during the day and any smart burglar will notice that. Find out the other secrets burglars don't want you to know. Bushes Are Overgrown Overgrown bushes leave a lot of hiding spots for burglars who are planning a heist. It might be a pain to trim them back but it'll make your yard look better and improve security. Trimming shrubs should be one of the 14 things they do every month. Home Business If you have a home business there are additional precautions to take since there will be an additional accumulation of assets, cash might be on hand, there might not be a safe or thousands of dollars of product might be sitting in a garage. A thief will spot a home business that does or doesn't have signage. Try out these home office storage ideas to make it easier. Leaving Stools in the Backyard They make reaching windows a lot easier for would-be thieves. Leaving Radio On Just like with leaving the lights dimmed, leaving a radio on or even on a timer isn't going to deter a thief. It might even attract them if the radio plays non-stop. Many thieves still knock on the door to make sure no one is home before they enter a house. Don't Keep Keys on a Hook Next to the Door Keys in that close of proximity to a window is a terrible idea because that will give a burglar access to all sorts of goodies in addition to what's in the house. Here's why you need to wrap your car fob in foil. Having Neighbors Over and Neighbors' Friends Word can get out quickly who's got what in a house. It might not be whoever was in the house is a burglar but word could get down to a person looking for some quick cash. If you like to have people over to watch big games, here are some great tips on how to fit everyone in so it's not claustrophobic. Put Tools Away Don't leave ladders next to the shed or next to the garage, don't make the burglars job easier. Obituaries in the Paper A poster on Reddit mentioned that their deceased grandfather's home got burglarized the day of the grandfather's funeral. It might be helpful to have someone keep an eye on the house. Toys in Yard It means there are children and likely a mother with jewelry. Here's a great-looking built-in jewelry closet you can keep some of those items in. Corner House A house with one neighbor is a lot more attractive than one with two to a burglar. Hired Help A maid or tradesman could be giving out information about your place. Here's how to hire a contractor. Not Doing Anything After a Burglary in the Area Burglars often return to the same area after the initial burglary. It's important to scout a neighborhood before you buy a house there .


The Seahawks officially made defensive end Ziggy Ansah part of their roster on Friday and the veteran pass rusher's arrival means it is time to say farewell to another defensive end. Nate Orchard was released in a corresponding move. Orchard signed with the team in early April and appeared in four games with the Chiefs and Bills last season. The 2015 Browns second-round pick will now look for another home for the 2019 season. Ansah called himself "really motivated" after missing nine games with a shoulder injury last season and told Seahawks fans what they can expect to see on the field. "They're going to see a vicious player. Somebody who has grown to love the game and who is going to give it all he's got to make plays out there," Ansah said, via the team's website. The Seahawks signed three other free agents this week and head coach Pete Carroll said they're "not done" addressing the pass rush this offseason.


Rep. Mo Brooks, an Alabama Republican, suggested former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick should consider moving to another country if he is unhappy with the United States. When asked to weigh in on the controversy over Nike sneakers with a Revolutionary War-era flag, Brooks told SiriusXM Patriot's Breitbart News Tonight that Kaepernick "ought to consider moving to a country where he believes the laws are better for his purposes." Kaepernick, who is well known for his political activism, made headlines last week when he complained to Nike, who sponsors him, about their "Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July" trainer because it featured an image of the Betsy Ross version of the American flag. He told the company it shouldn't sell a shoe with a symbol that he and others consider offensive because the flag marked an era when slavery existed in the United States, according to the Wall Street Journal . After the company shipped the shoes to retailers, Nike asked for them to be returned. In a statement, Nike spokeswoman Sandra Carreon-John said, "NIKE made the decision to halt distribution of the Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July based on concerns that it could unintentionally offend and detract from the nation's patriotic holiday." The Betsy Ross American flag is the nickname for the design of 13 stars that represents the 13 colonies arranged in a circle. It has been used periodically by some white supremacist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, but it does not appear in the Anti-Defamation League's database of hate symbols and is widely seen as a patriotic flag that even appeared at former President Barack Obama's second inauguration. Brooks said there are some "very radical people in the United States of America who don't like America." "They don't like the foundational principles that have made us a great nation, and I would put Mr. Kaepernick in that category ... In my mind, perhaps he ought to consider moving to a country where he believes the laws are better for his purposes," he continued. "I doubt he will do that because in this country we've had over a million Americans die fighting for our liberties. All of these things that we enjoy he seems to frown upon, and so I just assume he'd leave."


MEMPHIS, Tenn.   The PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Playoffs are still two weeks away, but another season-long prize will likely end up being determined at this week's WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. The inaugural Wyndham Rewards competition will conclude at next week's regular-season finale, the Wyndham Championship, with the top 10 players in the season-long points race divvying up a $10 million bonus, with $2 million of that going to the leader. Adding such a lucrative prize to help lure big names to Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C., didn't exactly work out, however. Paul Casey is the only player among the top 10 in the FedEx Cup standings scheduled to play in the Wyndham after the final field was announced on Friday. Casey would likely need to win this week and next to catch current points leader Brooks Koepka, who has a slim 37-point lead over Matt Kuchar. Koepka is tied for seventh through 36 holes at TPC Southwind, five stroke ahead of Kuchar, who is tied for 33rd. With both of them not entered into next week's event, how they finish on Sunday will essentially determine the final Wyndham ranking. RELATED: Max Homa runs afoul of fantasy golf participants on Twitter, but it turns into a charitable positive The only other players in the top 20 who are scheduled to play next week are No. 12 Chez Reavie and No. 14 Charles Howell III. It wasn't all bad news for the event, though, with Jordan Spieth committing to the field. It will be his first appearance since 2013. Open champion Shane Lowry, who skipped this week's WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, was also listed in the field but withdrew moments after it was announced. As the rankings stand, not taking into account any change from the results of the tournament in Memphis or this week's Barracuda Championship, here are the top 15 players. 1: Brooks Koepka, 2,337 2: Matt Kuchar, 2,300 3: Rory McIlroy, 2,195 4: Xander Schauffele, 1,830 5: Gary Woodland, 1,789 6: Patrick Cantlay, 1,671 7: Dustin Johnson, 1,638 8: Paul Casey, 1,546 9: Rickie Fowler, 1,391 10: Jon Rahm, 1,352 11: Justin Rose, 1,350 12: Chez Reavie, 1,272 13: Tony Finaa, 1,251 14: Charles Howell III, 1,245 15: Marc Leishman, 1,215


The effort could cause a massive partisan fight over Iran. As the US and Iran engage in a weeks-long standoff, Senate Democrats are about to force the first vote on the question of going to war with Iran during the crisis. Earlier this month, the Trump administration said it had intelligence showing that Iran planned to attack Americans in the Middle East. As a result, the US put an aircraft carrier, bomber planes, and anti-missile batteries in the region. That, among other actions, increased fears of a major fight breaking out. And with noted Iran hawks like National Security Adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in the Trump administration, the worry was justified. To ensure a war doesn't break out, especially by the US shooting first, Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) plans to put forward a measure restricting the use of federal funds for any "military operations in or against Iran" without congressional authorization, according to the amendment's text exclusively seen by Vox. The measure is co-sponsored by Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), a staunch critic of President Donald Trump's foreign policy and long-time advocate for giving Congress a bigger role in authorizing US wars. "Starting a war with Iran would be a catastrophe worse than Iraq," Udall told me. "Some members of the Trump foreign policy team seem to be openly hoping to provoke Iran into war. Fortunately, Congress is a co-equal branch that has the sole authority to declare war   so we don't have to sit around and watch this administration spiral us into another endless conflict in the Middle East." "Congress must remind this administration ... that no one else is responsible but Trump for putting us on this blind campaign of escalation with no off-ramp," says Murphy. "War with Iran at this point would be illegal and an utter disaster that makes our nation less safe." The measure includes exceptions for the use of force, such as if there's "an imminent threat to the United States," if troops are deployed to prevent an attack on America, or if troops need to rescue or remove Americans from harm's way. According to Senate aides, Udall will speak about his amendment and then bring it up for a vote during a Wednesday afternoon Senate Foreign Relations Committee discussion about a Syria bill. That will force the GOP-led panel's members to vote for the first time about going to war with Iran during the standoff, albeit behind closed doors. "Today, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has a chance to show that we've learned the lessons of Iraq, and that we are stepping up to take back our constitutional authority," Udall said. It's a big moment, as voting on the amendment alone could be seen as a major rebuke to the Trump administration's hardline stance against Iran   and could set up a tough partisan fight down the line. The vote could further split Democrats and Republicans on Iran It's unclear if the amendment will pass. While all the committee's Democrats will likely vote in favor of it, most Republicans on the panel are sure to reject it. But Democrats hold out hope that two Republicans in particular might join their side. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), a war skeptic who signed on to a previous Udall measure that does the same thing as the amendment, could possibly give a thumbs-up and buck his party. Sen. Todd Young (R-IN), a critic of America's support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen, has championed Congress's role in authorizing wars before they start. Still, members of the committee have already expressed divergent views on the issue, signaling a divided vote to come. After a briefing with Bolton on Monday, administration ally Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) tweeted, "It is clear that over the last several weeks Iran has attacked pipelines and ships of other nations and created threat streams against American interests in Iraq. ... If the Iranian threats against American personnel and interests are activated we must deliver an overwhelming military response." Also on Monday Murphy tweeted that he too knows what the intelligence says. But he has a completely different take. "I'm listening to Republicans twist the Iran intel to make it sound like Iran is taking unprovoked, offensive measures against the US and our allies. Like it just came out of nowhere," he said. "I've read the intel too. And let me be clear: That's not what the intel says." In other words, Democrats and Republicans can't agree on just how imminent the Iran threat really is based on the intelligence alone. That only naturally leads to disagreements about how necessary attacking Iran may be. If the measure passes, it would send a message to the Trump administration and specifically Bolton, who before joining Trump's team called for regime change in Iran. Even if it doesn't, it'll still be good to have lawmakers on record about how and if to go war with Iran when the chance of conflict isn't zero.


The Dallas Cowboys truly are America's Team, and the numbers back it up. According to a study released by Emory University's Goizueta School of Business , Cowboys fans are tops in the league in a combination of three measurable categories. "The analysis is grounded in economic and marketing theory," explains the study's author, Emory professor Mike Lewis, "and uses statistical tools to shed light on the question of which teams have the most loyal or 'best' fans." See nothing but FACTS here! https://t.co/4PCunnfHe6 - DeMarcus Lawrence (@TankLawrence) June 25, 2019 Here's the CliffsNotes version: Dallas fans top the list in 2019, just as they did in the 2018 and 2017 studies. In fact, the entire top five remain locked in their respective positions over that span. After the Cowboys come the Patriots, Eagles, Giants, and Steelers. The bottom five, in descending order, are the Bengals, Jaguars, Titans, Chiefs, and Rams. See the entire list here . It's clearly not about wins and losses (at least primarily) or on-the-field success; how else to explain the struggling Giants at No. 4 and two legitimate Super Bowl contenders- the Chiefs and Rams- bringing up the rear? Lewis says, "My approach to evaluating fan bases uses data on attendance, revenues, social media following, and road attendance to develop statistical models of fan interest. The key is that the models are used to determine which city's fans are more willing to spend or follow their teams after controlling for factors like market-size and short-term changes in winning and losing." Each NFL team earns a grade in three distinct categories. Fan Equity charts how much financial support the team receives from fans at home through box office revenue: game tickets, merchandise, etc. Social Equity measures fan engagement through social media: do fans follow the team online regardless of geography and on days other than Sunday? Road Equity looks at how well a team travels- that is, whether the team is a big draw in their away games, even after adjusting for how good the team itself is. "These metrics provide a balanced analyses of fandom," Lewis remarks, "a measure of willingness to spend, a measure unconstrained by stadium size, and a measure of national appeal." The Cowboys finished No. 1 in Fan Equity (home revenue), No. 3 in Social Equity (fan engagement), and No. 2 in Road Equity (away-game presence). Put those marks together into something that Lewis calls the "Brand Equity Factor," and the Cowboys' fan base is the most loyal, or best, in the league. "The Cowboys have long been NFL royalty," Lewis states. He also notes that "the NFC East is, for whatever reason, the glamour division of the NFL." As Jay Busbee of Yahoo Sports points out , "There's a reason you see so many NFC East games every year: when all of your teams rank in the top 11 in fan base enthusiasm, that's a key to strong ratings." Why does this matter? Well, for fans themselves, it's good tailgating fodder. But there's obviously a lucrative business angle to it, too, as Lewis goes on to describe. "In the world of sports," he writes, "there are many deals that are valued based on the fans. Stadium naming rights and sponsorships are two prime examples." To illustrate, he compares the Cowboys' numbers to those of their in-state rivals, the Houston Texans. "In this year's results, the Cowboys rank number 1 in Fan Equity and the Texans finish number 21. The (behind the scenes) analyses suggests that Dallas' spend premium relative to the league average is positive 7.79% while Houston's premium is .39%. This suggests that in a sponsorship deal where all things are equal… that the sponsorship of the Cowboys would merit a 7.4% premium versus an identical partnership with the Texans." The Social Equity numbers are also interesting. "Relative to the league average," Lewis explains, "the Cowboys have a social media equity index score of 87% (the Cowboys' social amplification factor is 87% greater than the average team). The Texans' index is 1% above the league average. The results suggest that the Cowboys would merit an 86% premium for nationwide or social media oriented promotion versus the Texans." It's all a fascinating way to think about fandom. But even for the typical Cowboys fan who has no way to leverage the team's Fan Equity scores or Social Equity rankings into dollars and cents, it's just plain fun to be able to pass that annoying guy in the Eagles jersey and tell him that Cowboys fans are better. And have the research to prove it. MORE: This perfect Shaq impersonation at the NBA Awards show had fans in tears NBA Free Agency 2019: The top players 3 adjustments the Raiders should make on offense in 2019 Roundup: Donald Trump on Iran; Bernie Sanders' Proposal; Jussie Smollett; Coffee and Fat Loss Heading into training camp: How Lions keeping 4th TE impacts roster construction


When two Maryland children got lifesaving liver transplants from deceased organ donors in January, the children's diseased livers were not discarded, as such organs usually are. Instead, they were donated to two Virginia adults in an unusual domino series of transplants at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. Their gift opened a whole new avenue of treatment for adults who might have otherwise died waiting for a liver transplant. Children generally are not allowed to be organ donors because they are considered too young to make an informed decision about the medical risks involved. In this case, their livers had to be removed anyway, and science had recently determined that the disease that caused their livers to malfunction would not appear upon transplantation. Size also wasn't an issue because a transplanted liver grows to fit whatever body it's placed in. Two weeks after the transplants, Jeremy Dick, a 49-year-old Alexandria technology consultant, met Quadejah Harris, the 14-year-old who gave Dick her liver and in turn got a new one as part of the organ donation chain. Dick's liver had failed due to an autoimmune disease. "I like to help people," said Quadejah as she sat in a wheelchair waiting to go home to Waldorf in Charles County after her complex surgery. "What's the point in wasting my liver when it can save someone else's life?" The series of transplants got its start due to a rare childhood genetic condition called maple syrup urine disease . Named for the distinctive sweet odor of an affected infant's urine, the condition usually gets diagnosed within a day or two of birth due to widespread screening through a heel stick blood test that hospitals have been performing on newborns since the early 1990s. About 2,000 Americans are living with maple syrup urine disease, which usually strikes in infancy and prevents cells in the liver and elsewhere from producing enzymes that break down certain amino acids in proteins. An accumulation of these amino acids can trigger swelling in the brain that leads to seizures, brain damage and death if babies aren't put on a strict low-protein diet. These attacks can occur unpredictably when a child's body is stressed by an infection, injury or other bump in life. A liver transplant presents the only shot at a cure for the condition; children given healthy new livers can make enough of the needed enzymes, transplant surgeons discovered a decade ago. And because adults without maple syrup urine disease produce enough of the enzymes in their other organs, getting a child's impaired liver is not a problem. "It was initially a huge leap of faith when we started doing liver transplants in children with maple syrup urine disease because we didn't know if it would cure them," said Thomas Fishbein, executive director of the MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute. "It was another leap when we tried putting those livers from children into adults without the disease." Only two transplant centers in the country are regularly performing domino transplants that involve children as donors. Fishbein did his first child-to-adult domino surgery in December, and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center has done nine of these transplants in the past few years. More centers may try them after seeing the positive results, says Gerard Berry, director of the metabolism program at Boston Children's Hospital, who treats nearly all of the children with maple syrup urine disease in New England. Adults who have received livers from children have done well with their new organs, with no signs of the diseases that afflicted the children. "Thus far we have had no metabolic concerns in the recipients, and our patient survival over the long term is thankfully 100 percent," said George Mazariegos, chief of pediatric transplantation at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, an affiliate of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. One big advantage for patients getting a liver from a child with maple syrup urine disease: Adults with cirrhosis or other liver-destroying diseases, with certain health factors that place them lower on transplant lists, can get a new liver months or even years earlier than they normally would have. Traditional transplants, from deceased donors who had healthy livers, tend to go to the sickest adults who are higher on the transplant lists. About 17,000 American adults and children are waiting for a liver transplant, and more than 1,500 of them die each year without having the surgery, according to the American Liver Foundation. "This is a totally new source of livers for such patients," some of whom may have died waiting to move to the top of the transplant list, Fishbein said. On Jan. 23, he and five other surgeons and a team of nearly 100 medical staff at MedStar Georgetown performed four liver transplants: two on children with maple syrup urine disease who got livers from people who had died suddenly, and two on adults, including Dick. Fishbein, who spent 24 hours in the operating room for the complex operations, has perfected the delicate art of removing an entire liver from a person while preserving crucial blood vessels and tissues that will make it possible for the donor to receive a substitute liver. "It's far more complicated" than other transplant procedures, which involve taking a single lobe of the liver from a living donor or both lobes from a cadaver, he said. The high success rate at Pittsburgh and MedStar Georgetown has generated excitement among specialists, who see it as a win-win for pediatric patients and donor recipients. "We don't have a lot of data on these kinds of domino transplants yet, but I think surgeons can justify doing them," Berry said. Since January, Fishbein has performed two more domino liver transplants, involving a child with maple syrup urine disease and a child with amyloidosis. This rare condition   in which plaque builds up in the liver, eventually causing the organ to fail   can shorten a person's life span, but for an older adult with a life expectancy of, say, a couple decades, the new liver will probably last long enough. "Right now, we can only use livers in those with maple syrup urine disease and amyloidosis," Fishbein said. "But I believe there will be other conditions that we will identify as being able to reutilize those livers as well." Dick says the decision to have the cutting-edge surgery was a "no-brainer" because the autoimmune disease that was destroying his liver had left him exhausted and jaundiced over the past year and was threatening his life. "I may be one of the first in the world to have this procedure, but the risks didn't seem much greater than if I had a regular transplant," Dick said. Quadejah Harris, meanwhile, also sees a better life post-transplant. Ever since she was a baby, she couldn't eat any animal protein   no chicken, no cheese, no beef   and she had to have specially formulated low-protein cereals, noodles, cookies and bread. About 10 days after her transplant, she ate a few bites of turkey for the first time, and said she was really eager to try her mother's fried chicken because it "always smelled so good." Even when following their diets strictly, most children with maple syrup urine disease have toxic attacks at least once a year, events that sometimes cause irreversible brain damage. Symptoms start with lethargy and a loss of muscle coordination, which can progress quickly to seizures. "We see children who look perfectly fine one day and then die within 24 hours or sometimes even faster when they have a metabolic attack," said Marshall Summar, chief of the division of genetics and metabolism at Children's National Medical Center, where about 70 local children with maple syrup urine disease go for regular care. "They're never really safe until they get a liver transplant." Bernard Harris was relieved when his daughter decided last summer that she was ready for a liver transplant; she had been hospitalized for attacks a few times during her elementary school years and has very mild learning disabilities, which doctors attributed to the effects of the disease. "As much as I worried about the risks of the surgery, I knew it would ensure her level of brain function would not deteriorate more," her father said. Such fears also drove Andrea Scott, of Temple Hills, Md., to put her 6-year-old son Korey on the transplant list. Born with maple syrup urine disease, Korey had his surgery on the same day as Quadejah. Isobel Short, 55, who received Korey's liver, faced the prospect of never getting off the liver transplant list after years of excessive alcohol consumption led to severe cirrhosis. Although the Virginia Beach mother of six said she had stopped drinking 17 months earlier, her liver function didn't improve. Short couldn't walk more than a few steps at a time and was hospitalized to drain excess fluid in her chest, a debilitating effect of advanced liver failure. "I want to give the young person who gave me this liver the biggest hug and let them know how grateful I am to have a new lease on life," Short said from her hospital bed before meeting Korey and his mother when they all were at MedStar Georgetown for checkups a few weeks after the surgery. Korey, who recently enjoyed his first plate of scrambled eggs, was happy to give Short a hug and kiss after she gave him a teddy bear. "I explained to Korey that when the doctor fixed his tummy and gave him a new liver, he was able to help someone else with his," Scott said. "I was in awe when his doctors told me his old liver can work perfectly in someone who doesn't have the disease." Kotz is a freelance health writer.


If you receive a phone call in the middle of the night, think twice before calling back. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) warns that scammers are calling people in the middle of the night and typically letting the phone ring one or two times   a robocall scam known as "One Ring" or "Wangiri," Japanese for "one ring." It's not the usual blah, blah, blah. Click here to sign up for our free newsletter. The calls   which originate from the "222" country code for Mauritania, located in Africa   have been "widespread" in New York and Arizona, the FCC says. According to the commission, scammers are targeting specific area codes, which are receiving bursts of these calls in an evening: "These calls are likely trying to prompt consumers to call the number back, often resulting in per minute toll charges similar to a 900 number. Consumers should not call these numbers back." Calling back could cause you to ring up a toll that the FCC says "is largely paid to the scammer." The federal agency also warns that robocall scammers often use a technique called "spoofing," which enables them to hide the number they are calling from. So don't count on seeing the "222" area code as a warning that you are being scammed. The commission also offers several tips to avoid becoming a victim of this scheme. For starters, avoid calling back numbers you do not recognize, especially those that look like they arrive from overseas. If you never make international calls, the FCC urges you to consider talking to your phone provider about blocking all outbound international calls so you don't accidentally call back a scammer and ring up a toll. You also should keep a close eye on your phone bill to make sure you aren't being charged for calls you don't recognize. Finally, if you have received one or more of these calls, stop by the FCC website and file a complaint . Fighting back against robocalls In recent years, the problem of robocalls has become epidemic. As we reported in the fall , a then-record-high 4.4 billion robocalls were made nationwide in September 2018, according to the YouMail Robocall Index. By April of this year, that number had jumped to 4.9 billion. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to fight back against this scourge. In fact, while today's cutting-edge technology makes robocalls possible, it also offers ways to prevent robocalls from reaching you. Several companies offer software to help you block these calls. One is Nomorobo. As we detail in " 7 Ways to Quickly Stop Robocalls in Their Tracks ": "Nomorobo is a tool you can use to block robocalls. The technology identifies and answers robocalls so they don't go through to you. The software is free for landlines and $1.99 a month per device for cellphones."


Warriors superstar forward Kevin Durant will undergo an MRI on Tuesday after suffering a right lower leg injury during Game 5 of the Finals, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN tweets . Durant returned to action after missing more than a month with a right calf strain suffered during the conference semifinals against Houston. Durant played well, scoring 11 points in 12 minutes, before injuring himself when he planted the leg making an offensive move during the second quarter. He was helped back to the locker room by teammate Andre Iguodala , among others. It's unclear whether Durant re-aggravated the calf or suffered another injury to the leg. Durant departed the arena during the second half walking on crutches and wearing a walking boot, Shelburne adds in another tweet . The extent of the injury could have giant implications on the free agent market. Durant is expected to opt out of his contract   he's slated to make $31.5 million next season   and head into the market as the top free agent. Rumors of Durant joining one of the New York teams have been rampant, and those plans could be shattered if Durant's injury is significant. The Warriors have stated they plan to do everything possible to keep Durant.


PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. - Graeme McDowell and Shane Lowry probably weren't the only two Irish guys enjoying a couple drinks on a transcontinental flight Sunday, but few had more reason to. They were on a chartered plane ferrying players from the RBC Canadian Open near Toronto to California for the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. Lowry was ebullient having finished T-2 behind Rory McIlroy, who at the same time was aloft and headed west in his more salubrious private jet. McDowell had recorded the most meaningful T-8 of his career, a finish that earned him a coveted berth in the Open Championship next month in his hometown of Portrush. "Typically when RBC put the plane on, it's normally after the Open Championship coming back to the Canadian Open and it gets a little colorful on that plane sometimes after a major," McDowell said Tuesday. "But this time we were on a way to a major, so it was perhaps a little less colorful." That was true only of the other passengers, not the Irish guys. "We had a couple glasses of wine and certainly enjoyed ourselves. And it was a great weekend for Irish golfers in general, with Rory winning and Shane finishing second and me squeezing into Portrush. It was certainly a weekend, a Sunday night that felt it needed a little bit of celebrating, and we did so," he said with a coy smile. U.S. OPEN: Tee times | Betting odds | TV info The quest for a spot in the field at Royal Portrush had been a millstone for McDowell for several months, almost to the point of becoming a distraction. Spectators had taken to shouting their encouragement at every Tour event he played. Now having punched his way to Portrush, the genial McDowell is free to focus on the other Open - the one he's actually playing this week, on a course where he triumphed nine years ago. And that is less daunting a prospect than it seemed a short time ago. "I think four or five months ago, if you'd have told me you're on the first tee with Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson this week at the U.S. Open, where my game was or where my confidence level was, I would have been very intimidated, no doubt about it," he admitted. It was a striking acknowledgment from one of the PGA Tour's grittiest players, and revealing of just how depleted his reserves of confidence had become. Last summer the 39-year-old was beginning to face a golfer's midlife crisis, the prospect of his competitive career being over. "You start kind of having a conversation with yourself about mortality and thinking I could be ready for the second stage of my life and my second career. And I started to realize I love being out here. And the vision of it going away, playing the way I was playing, if I continued to play that way, it was going to go away quite soon," he said. "So I realized that when it was gone, I was going to miss it really terribly and that I should really take the opportunity to enjoy myself a little bit more while I'm out here, actually enjoy the challenge, not see it as frustrating and something that was beating me up rather than saying, well, hey, I'm doing something I love. Working hard. It's a hard game. Some days it feels easy, some days it doesn't." The game is certainly easier now for McDowell after winning on Tour in the Dominican Republic earlier this year. "It's amazing how mental a game it is when you let yourself enjoy the sport a little bit more, good things start to happen," he said. "I think the last three or four months with the victory and some good finishes and starting to kind of put myself under the gun a few times and getting the juices flowing again, confidence is one of these very fragile things. it certainly goes away a lot quicker than it comes back." A year on from wondering if he was headed to another phase of his career, McDowell believes he has a chance to win this week on the course where he held off Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson nine years ago. "I come into this week feeling very good about my game, looking forward to the challenge of teeing it up with two great players on Thursday and Friday, and trying to dissect this golf course and get myself in position to hopefully be able to compete this weekend," he said. The U.S. Open is a grinders tournament, perfectly suited to McDowell's tenacious style. And his record in Northern Californian Opens is stellar. Two years after winning at Pebble Beach, he almost took a second title at Olympic Club in San Francisco. He desperately wants another run at a major title. "One of my big goals is to get myself back there on the back nine on Sunday afternoon in the not too distant future," he said. "See if I can maybe get another big one before it's all said and done." https://compass.pressekompass.net/compasses/golfweek/whos-your-pick-to-win-the-2019-us-open_g MORE: Jordan Spieth gets crushed for blaming caddie after two straight bad shots at U.S. Open Top of Packers WR depth chart takes shape following minicamp Report: Lonzo Ball 'most important' piece of Anthony Davis deal NBA trade rumor rankings: Rockets on the move? Why the Patriots trading Nick Caserio isn't out of the question


The weather report shows more warm temperatures are in store for Cleveland, according to the seven-day forecast from drone-powered weather service Saildrone . Today will reach 75 degrees with highs remaining in the mid-70s through Monday. Rain could arrive later in the week. The best chance of rain is expected on Tuesday at 65 percent, with the potential for light rainfall of 0.12 inches. Skies will be partly cloudy today and mostly cloudy on Thursday. Winds will remain fairly calm throughout the week, 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.


Curious just how far your dollar goes in Midtown-Winn Park Capital Avenue? According to Walk Score, this Sacramento neighborhood is a "walker's paradise," is easy to get around on a bicycle and has good transit options. Data from rental site Zumper shows that the median rent for a one bedroom in Midtown-Winn Park Capital Avenue is currently hovering around $1,295. So, what might you expect to find if you've got a budget of $1,400/month? Read on for a roundup of the latest rental offerings, via Zumper. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 1614 18th St. Listed at $1,350/month, this 600-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment is located at 1614 18th St. In the unit, you can anticipate carpeted floors. The building offers on-site management, outdoor space and additional storage space. Neither cats nor dogs are permitted. (Check out the complete listing here .) 2508 L St. Next, there's this one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment located at 2508 L St. It's listed for $1,325/month. Both cats and dogs are welcome on this property. (Check out the complete listing here .) 2400 Q St., #106 Here's a 418-square-foot studio apartment at 2400 Q St., #106, that's also going for $1,325/month. Unit amenities include air conditioning, hardwood flooring and a patio. On-site laundry, garage parking and outdoor space are listed as building amenities. When it comes to pets, both meows and barks are welcome. (See the full listing here .) This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


BERLIN   A former nurse who liked to put patients into cardiac arrest because he enjoyed the feeling of being able to resuscitate them was convicted Thursday of 85 counts of murder, making him what is believed to be the worst serial killer in modern German history. Oldenburg court judge Sebastian Buehrmann sentenced 42-year-old Niels Hoegel to life in prison and noted the "particular seriousness of the crimes" in his verdict. Hoegel worked at a hospital in the northwestern city of Oldenburg between 1999 and 2002 and another hospital in nearby Delmenhorst from 2003 to 2005, and the killings took place between 2000 and 2005, the dpa news agency reported. Hoegel's victims ranged in age between 34 and 96. Hoegel was convicted in 2015 of two murders and two attempted murders and is already currently serving a life sentence. There are no consecutive sentences in the German system, but the court's ruling on the seriousness of the crimes all but ensures he will remain incarcerated after the standard 15-year term is up. During his first trial, Hoegel said he intentionally brought about cardiac crises in some 90 patients in Delmenhorst because he enjoyed the feeling of being able to resuscitate them. He later told investigators that he also killed patients in Oldenburg. Authorities subsequently investigated hundreds of deaths, exhuming bodies of former patients. In all Hoegel was tried in Oldenburg on 100 counts of murder, but the court found him not guilty on 15 counts for lack of evidence. Pleas are not entered in the German system and during the seven-month trial, Hoegel admitted to 43 of the killings, disputed five and said he couldn't remember the other 52. Hoegel testified that he had a "protected" childhood, free of violence. He said his grandmother and his father, who were both nurses, had been his role models for going into the profession. "Now I sit here fully convinced that I want to give every relative an answer," Hoegel said during the trial. "I am really sorry." In his closing statement to the court on Wednesday, Hoegel reiterated the apology, expressing shame and remorse, and saying he realized how much pain and suffering he had caused with his "terrible deeds." "To each and every one of you I sincerely apologize for all that I have done," he said.


A group of conservative and libertarian lawyers including George Conway are condemning President Trump's tweets targeting female minority Democratic lawmakers as "racist," and saying that they "should be rejected by every American." The group, known as Checks and Balances, said in a statement issued late Monday afternoon that the president telling those lawmakers to "go back" to the "totally broken and crime infested places from which they came" are "of a piece with his nativist nature and at odds with the uplifting promise of our Nation." "As conservatives or libertarians, we have profound disagreements with the policies advocated by the Congressional targets of Trump's tweets," the group's statement reads. "But they, like all Americans, are entitled to be treated with respect." The lawyers - who include former Republican administration officials like Donald Ayer and Charles Fried - also criticized GOP lawmakers for not swiftly and unequivocally criticizing Trump's tweets. "We refuse to share the silence of most of the Republican caucus in Congress, whose timidity in the face of this abhorrent behavior reflects the debased politics of the day," the statement reads. "We add our voices to those who condemn the President's ignorant racist nature and urge all citizens of whatever party to join us in rejecting a politics of division that is an affront to the rule of law." George Conway, the husband of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, has been a frequent and public critic of the president. He and the other members of Checks and Balances formed the group last year, with the goal of getting fellow conservatives to speak out against the Trump administration when deemed necessary. Trump has faced widespread backlash for his tweets targeting the four Democratic minority congresswomen, widely interpreted to mean Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), Rashida Tlaib (Mich.), Ayanna Pressley (Mass.) and Ilhan Omar (Minn.). All four are U.S. citizens, and only Omar was born outside the U.S. The president on Sunday first accused the four lawmakers "who originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe" of "viciously telling the people of the United States how our government is to be run." "Why don't they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came," he tweeted. The message was met with immediate condemnation from Democrats, who labeled the remarks "racist" and "xenophobic." Trump dug in on his remarks on Monday, denying he was being racist and accusing the lawmakers of being anti-Semitic. "They can leave. And you know what? I'm sure there will be many people that won't miss them. But they have to love our country. They're congresspeople," he said . Most Republicans remained silent over the weekend, though several came out against the president's remarks after his public comments on Monday.


Our top photos from the last 24 hours. Participants kiss as they take part in the 2019 World Pride NYC and Stonewall 50th LGBTQ Pride Parade in New York. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon U.S. President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, in Panmunjom, South Korea. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque Megan Rapinoe of the U.S. celebrates scoring their first goal against France at the Women's World Cup quarter final at Parc des Princes in Paris, France. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier Police try to disperse protesters near a flag raising ceremony for the anniversary of Hong Kong handover to China in Hong Kong, China. REUTERS/Thomas Peter An employee measures a newly manufactured ball mill machine at a factory in Nantong, Jiangsu province, China. REUTERS/Stringer Security forces and soldiers try to clear away ice after a heavy storm of rain and hail which affected some areas of the city in Guadalajara, Mexico. REUTERS/Fernando Carranza A Hindu devotee performs a stunt with fire during a rehearsal ahead of the annual Rath Yatra, or chariot procession, in Ahmedabad, India. REUTERS/Amit Dave Riot police use rubber pellets to disperse LGBT rights activists as they try to gather for a pride parade, which was banned by the governorship, in central Istanbul, Turkey. REUTERS/Murad Sezer Migrant families seeking asylum are released from federal detention at a bus depot in McAllen, Texas. REUTERS/Loren Elliott A journalist sleeps while waiting for the end of a European Union leaders summit that aims to select candidates for top EU institution jobs, in Brussels, Belgium. REUTERS/Yves Herman Singer Miley Cyrus performs on the Pyramid Stage during Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, Britain. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls Participants play in the mud as they plant rice samplings during National Paddy Day, also called Asar Pandra, that marks the commencement of rice crop planting in paddy fields as monsoon season arrives, in Dhading, Nepal. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar People enjoy sunbathing at a beach by the Baltic Sea in Travemuende, Germany. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon looks on as the Scots Crown is delivered to Scottish Parliament at a ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of the parliament assuming its legal powers in Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain. Jeff J Mitchell/Pool via REUTERS Italy's Hassane Fofana is seen ahead of the men's 110m hurdles race at the 2019 European Games at Dinamo Stadium in Minsk, Belarus. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives at a European Union leaders summit in Brussels, Belgium. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir/Pool Riot police try to disperse protesters near a flag raising ceremony for the anniversary of Hong Kong handover to China in Hong Kong, China. REUTERS/Thomas Peter A member of the LGBTQ community participates in the Metro Manila Pride parade in Marikina City, Philippines. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex receive a present for baby Archie as they meet players of the New York Yankees before a match against the Boston Red Sox in London, Britain. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/Pool Germany's Patrick Franziska in action during match three of the gold medal men's team table tennis match against Sweden's Jon Persson at the 2019 European Games in Minsk, Belarus. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko Slovenia's Tjasa Ristic in action against Ukraine's Anita Serogina during the women's Kumite -61kg karate final at the 2019 European Games in Minsk, Belarus. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko A man baths in water gushing out of a broken drinking water pipeline at a slum area in Kolkata, India. REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri U.S. President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, in Panmunjom, South Korea. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque A Qantas plane flies over Sydney, Australia on a foggy day. REUTERS/Stephen Coates


NEWTON, Iowa   Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke is learning that reliable jokes during the campaign don't always make kids laugh, especially when they're want to talk about serious issues. The former Texas congressman spoke to an 8th grade civics class in Newton, Iowa, and took questions about climate change, school violence and President Donald Trump's insults of political opponents. Fourteen-year-old Milan Underberg wept while asking about school shootings. She said: "I'm afraid that, one day, I'll go to school and I'll never come out." O'Rourke said young people would force change and that Milan framed the issue in the most "personal, powerful terms possible." O'Rourke's normally reliable joke about his Republican mother voting for him fell flat, though. He said afterward: "It's, yeah, maybe a little bit of a different audience."