[node:summary] Many prospective college students think about a university's academic rigor, prestige and price, but what about the beauty of the campus? The Most Beautiful College Campuses in America While many prospective college students and their parents think about a university's academic rigor, prestige and price when choosing where to attend, another factor to consider is the beauty of the campus itself. Many American academic institutions have been designed to facilitate and inspire learning with impressive buildings , serene landscaping and amazing art. We scoured media coverage, online reviews and other accolades to compile a list of schools from coast to coast with campuses that stand above the rest. Read on to discover if your alma mater is among the most beautiful college campuses in the country. Bard College (Annandale-on-Hudson, New York) With the Catskill Mountains as its backdrop, Bard College's campus has rural charm . Alongside its historic Collegiate Gothic buildings, it also boasts amazing modern architecture such as the Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, which has a distinctive curved metal roof. Baylor University (Waco, Texas) Baylor was founded in 1845 and is the oldest continually operating university in Texas . Its buildings are primarily Georgian-style, including the iconic Pat Neff Hall. It is topped with a dome that is lit green to celebrate Baylor athletic victories. Belmont University (Nashville, Tennessee) Belmont University in Nashville is located on the former Belle Monte estate, which includes an antebellum mansion. Built in 1853, it is on the National Register of Historic Places. The 105-foot bell tower, gardens and gazebos are also scenic aspects of the school. Berry College (Mount Berry, Georgia) Georgia 's Berry College has the distinction of being the largest contiguous college campus in the world. The campus stretches over more than 27,000 acres and has 80 miles of trails for cycling, hiking and horseback riding as well as woodlands, meadows, streams, mountains and two lakes. The English Gothic-style buildings add European charm to this idyllic setting. Bryn Mawr College (Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania) Inspired by the architecture of Oxford and Cambridge universities, Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania is one of the first American examples of Collegiate Gothic architecture. The style of Bryn Mawr's Pembroke Hall was later copied at schools such as Princeton. The designer of New York City's Central Park also helped with the layout of the sprawling, tree-filled campus. Columbia University (New York City, New York) Located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York , Columbia is home to beautiful Beaux Arts buildings. Butler Library and Low Memorial Library both boast iconic Ionic columns, and the latter is one of three university buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Cornell University (Ithaca, New York) This sweeping 4,800-acre Ivy League campus in Ithaca, New York, is nestled on a hillside above Cayuga Lake near Cascadilla Gorge and its eight waterfalls. On top of stunning natural beauty , Cornell has a mix of historic and contemporary buildings, such as the Johnson Museum of Art designed by I. M. Pei. Dartmouth College (Hanover, New Hampshire) Dartmouth College is tucked away in rural Hanover, New Hampshire , and centered around the 5-acre Dartmouth Green. It has several historic colonial style buildings, including Baker-Berry Library, which has a 200-foot tower. This building, which opened in 1928 and received an addition in 2000, was inspired by Philadelphia's Independence Hall. Duke University (Durham, North Carolina) Duke University is famous for its Collegiate Gothic architecture, with Duke Chapel as the campus's crowning glory. This landmark stands out with its 210-foot, four-spired tower. Students can take in North Carolina 's natural beauty in the 55-acre Sarah P. Duke Gardens with 5 miles of paths or in the 7,000-acre Duke Forest, which is used for research and recreation. Elon University (Elon, North Carolina) Elon's College Historic District and Johnston Hall are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These red brick, white columned Colonial Revival buildings exude small-town Southern charm . The campus is also dotted with lakes, fountains and more lovely features. Flagler College (St. Augustine, Florida) In 1968, Flagler College moved into the former Ponce de Leon Hotel, a luxurious Spanish Renaissance building with Tiffany crystal chandeliers and stained-glass windows built around a central courtyard. The campus encapsulates and preserves Florida architecture and history. Florida Southern College (Lakeland, Florida) Florida Southern is home to the world's largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings. The school enlisted the famed architect to transform a lakeside orange grove into a college campus. Wright set out to design "the first uniquely American campus" rather than emulating English university buildings. The first and most famous of his buildings is Annie Pfeiffer Chapel, made from concrete and custom molds. Furman University (Greenville, South Carolina) Students at Furman University can enjoy the lush South Carolina landscape of the gardens, lakes and trails across the school's 750-acre grounds. Its iconic bell tower is a 1958 recreation of the original built in 1854. Georgetown University (Washington, DC) This Washington, D.C. , institution sits on a rise above the Potomac River, making for a gorgeous view. Within the campus itself are many impressive Collegiate Gothic and Georgian brick buildings, including Healy Hall, which is a National Historic Landmark. Harvard University (Cambridge, Massachusetts) As the oldest college in the United States, Harvard has many classic, historic red brick Georgian buildings around Harvard Yard that date back to the 18th century. The colorful High Victorian Gothic Memorial Hall, completed in 1877, is one of many campus buildings that are National Historic Landmarks. Kenyon College (Gambier, Ohio) Kenyon College spans 1,000 acres in the small town of Gambier, Ohio , and has a 10-foot-wide tree-lined Middle Path that runs throughout the campus. Its Victorian Gothic and Greek Revival buildings create an air of academic solemnity. Lewis & Clark College (Portland, Oregon) Located south of downtown Portland, Oregon , Lewis & Clark College is surrounded by woods and bordered on one side by the Willamette River with views of Mount Hood in the distance. The campus is built around the Tudor-style Frank Manor House, a mansion with a waterfall and reflection pool. Northwestern University (Evanston, Illinois) Located right on the shore of Lake Michigan, students at Northwestern in Evanston, Illinois , have clear views of the stunning Chicago skyline. The campus is full of greenery, trees and flowers as well as a variety of architectural styles, including the Victorian Gothic University Hall and the modern Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Center for the Musical Arts, which has floor-to-ceiling glass walls to take in the lakeside views. Pepperdine University (Malibu, California) College feels like a day at the beach at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California .That's because the palm tree-lined campus is located next to the Pacific Coast Highway and the ocean. The school's Mediterranean Revival buildings also lend it a uniquely West Coast charm. Princeton University (Princeton, New Jersey) Princeton is considered a paragon of Collegiate Gothic architecture because of famous buildings like Nassau Hall, the oldest building on campus and the former meeting place of the Continental Congress. It also has lovely arches, landscaping and footpaths criss-crossing its New Jersey campus for students and staff alike to enjoy the ambiance. Rice University (Houston, Texas) Founded in Houstin, Texas , in 1912, Rice University offers a calm retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city. The small campus's Mediterranean Revival buildings like Lovett Hall are surrounded by thousands of trees. A popular saying goes that Rice has one tree for every undergraduate student. Salve Regina University (Newport, Rhode Island) Rhode Island 's Salve Regina University owns several stunning Gilded Age Newport mansions, including the neo-Gothic French Ochre Court and the mock-Elizabethan Wakehurst manor house. Scripps College (Claremont, California) Scripps College combines California Mission Revival-style architecture with diverse campus landscaping and peaceful courtyards. Students can even freely pick fruit from the dozens of fruit trees around campus, including oranges, figs and pomegranates. The entire 37-acre campus is on the National Register of Historic Places. Sewanee: The University of the South (Sewanee, Tennessee) The huge 13,000-acre campus of Sewanee has charming Collegiate Gothic architecture, including All Saints' Chapel. The chapel's beauty is perhaps only rivaled by the surrounding forests and stunning views one can see of the Tennessee Valley below. Southern Methodist University (Dallas, Texas) The Georgian-style Dallas Hall was the inaugural building of Southern Methodist University. Now this 164-acre suburban Texas campus is known for its spacious lawns and for hosting tailgates along the tree-lined stretch called The Boulevard on football game days. St. John's College Santa Fe (Santa Fe, New Mexico) St. John's has dual campuses in Annapolis, Maryland , and Sante Fe, New Mexico , with the latter celebrating its surroundings through Southwestern-style architecture. Located at the foot of Monte Sol with a great view of the city, the campus encourages students to explore outdoors as it has hiking trails that lead into the surrounding Sangre de Cristo Mountains. St. Olaf College (Northfield, Minnesota) Maple trees dapple the scenic campus of Minnesota 's St. Olaf College, which is also surrounded by woodlands, wetlands and prairies. Two of its buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Stanford University (Stanford, California) Stanford's 8,180-acre campus is stunning from the moment you enter through the mile-long, tree-lined Palm Drive to head to the California Mission-style Main Quadrangle. The school's "architectural crown jewel" is Stanford Memorial Church, built in 1903. Climb up to the observation deck of Hoover Tower on a clear day for a clear view all the way to San Francisco. Swarthmore College (Swarthmore, Pennsylvania) Swarthmore College started in 1864 with just one building, the stately Parrish Hall. Today, it covers more than 400 tree-filled acres that are all part of the Scott Arboretum, which also includes a rose garden and a picturesque outdoor amphitheater. Tulane University (New Orleans, Louisiana) Located in the vibrant city of New Orleans, Louisiana , Tulane University's current location opened in 1894 and is located across the street from the beautiful, 350-acre Audubon Park. The campus itself has many large live oak trees and features architecture ranging from Richardsonian Romanesque to Italian Renaissance to Mid-Century Modern. University of California, Los Angeles (Los Angeles, California) UCLA's current campus was established in 1929 with only four Romanesque Revival buildings. The campus today has more than 160 buildings on more than 400 acres. The campus has sculpture gardens, fountains and plenty of tree-lined green spaces and is a popular Hollywood filming location for college scenes in movies and TV shows. University of Chicago (Chicago, Illinois) The University of Chicago 's ivy-covered Collegiate Gothic structures were inspired by Oxford, and its 217-acre campus near Lake Michigan straddles the Midway Plaisance, a linear park created for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. Multiple campus buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places, and the school has its own botanical garden. University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, Ohio) The University of Cincinnati moved to its current campus in 1893 but in recent decades has been updating its appearance by commissioning new buildings designed by "signature architects." Frank Gehry's Vontz Center for Molecular Studies and Peter Eisenman's Aronoff Center for Art and Design are among the campus's modern gems. University of Colorado (Boulder, Colorado) The University of Colorado hired architect Charles Klauder to design a distinctly rustic campus for this western state school. The Tuscan Vernacular Revival style he developed features sandstone walls, red tile roofs and limestone trim that complement the natural beauty of the campus's lake and two creeks as well as the Rocky Mountains in the distance. University of Hawaii at Manoa (Honolulu, Hawaii) The Hawaiian islands are known for their stunning natural beauty, and the University of Hawaii chose a stellar location for its first campus location in Honolulu. Beyond the lush greenery and palm trees of campus, students have an excellent view of the majestic Diamond Head volcanic cone. University of Mississippi (Oxford, Mississippi) A major landmark of the Oxford campus of the University of Mississippi is the Greek Revival-style Lyceum Building, built when the school opened in 1848. The Bailey's Woods Trail takes students on a scenic wooded stroll. The campus also surprisingly includes a golf course and an airport. University of Missouri (Columbia, Missouri) Founded in 1839, the University of Missouri campus is centered on Francis Quadrangle. This official national landmark area is home to six columns that are the only remaining part of the original Academic Hall, which burned down in 1892. The 735-acre Mizzou Botanic Garden also spans the entirety of campus. University of Montana (Missoula, Montana) The University of Montana 's campus sits between the Clark Fork River and the 1,958-foot Mount Sentinel. The brick Renaissance Revival-style buildings with green Spanish-style tiled roofs stand out against this beautiful natural backdrop. Students can get a bird's-eye view of the campus by hiking the 3/4-mile-long zigzag M Trail up to a 125-by-100-foot concrete "M" that gets lit up every homecoming. University of Notre Dame (Notre Dame, Indiana) The golden dome of Notre Dame's Main Building is an emblem of this Indiana university, but the charming campus has many other beautiful sights that draw in more than 1 million visitors to the school every year. For example, the neo-Gothic Basilica of the Sacred Heart is the tallest university chapel in America and has 44 large stained glass windows. University of Virginia (Charlottesville, Virginia) The University of Virginia is the only American university to be deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Founding Father Thomas Jefferson designed the school's Academical Village, including the neoclassical domed rotunda that was inspired by the Pantheon in Rome. University of Washington (Seattle, Washington) Founded in downtown Seattle in 1861, the University of Washington campus looks especially dreamy in the springtime, when its 30 Yoshino cherry trees are in bloom. However, the contrast between snow-capped Mount Rainier, the College Gothic buildings and the surrounding urban skyline makes for a lovely sight while strolling through campus in any season. University of Wisconsin Madison (Madison, Wisconsin) The University of Wisconsin  Madison sits between Lake Monona and Lake Mendota, and students and visitors can take in the scenery from the waterfront terrace at the student union. At the center of the school's main quad sits Bascom Hall. The university also has plenty of green space as well as a botanic garden and greenhouse. Vanderbilt University (Nashville, Tennessee) Vanderbilt's campus is an urban oasis near downtown Nashville . It has many green spaces and hundreds of trees, including the impressive Bicentennial Oak, which dates back to before the American Revolution. There are various styles of buildings on campus, but one of the most striking is the Italianate-style Kirkland Hall, whose clock tower houses a 2,000-pound bell that tolls every hour. Vassar College (Poughkeepsie, New York) Vassar College's campus is an official arboretum, with thousands of trees as well as more than 100 buildings with different architectural styles. One of the most notable on the Poughkeepsie, New York , campus is the Gothic-style Thompson Memorial Library that is embellished with battlements and pinnacles. Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) Originally located in Wake Forest, the university moved to its current campus in Winston-Salem, North Carolina , in 1956. The first building constructed on the new campus was Wait Chapel, which has an iconic 213-foot bronze steeple. The campus is next door to Reynolda Gardens, which hosts woodlands, fields, wetlands and gardens across 125 acres. Washington University in St. Louis (St. Louis, Missouri) Washington University was originally located in downtown St. Louis but moved not long after the turn of the century to 169 acres just outside the western edge of the city. The school's architects designed new Collegiate Gothic-style buildings inspired by Oxford and Cambridge. Brookings Hall is notable for its four regal corner turrets. Wellesley College (Wellesley, Massachusetts) Located on Lake Waban west of Boston , Wellesley's 500-acre campus was designed to flow with the area's natural landscape of meadows and forests instead of carving out courtyards and quadrangles. The campus also has dozens of greenhouses and gardens with 1,500 different plants. Whitman College (Walla Walla, Washington) Whitman College's campus is full of trees and outdoor sculptures and has two water areas. College Creek winds through the school's 117 acres and the geothermal spring Lakum Duckum, home to the school's beloved mallard duck population. The oldest building on campus, the Whitman Memorial Building, is on the National Register of Historic Places. College of William & Mary (Williamsburg, Virginia) Located in historic Williamsburg, Virginia , the College of William & Mary was founded in 1693 in what was then the colonial settlement of Middle Plantation. The Wren Building, built in 1700, is the oldest college building in the country.The campus has many scenic spots , including the Sunken Garden and Crim Dell Pond. Yale University (New Haven, Connecticut) Yale's architecture has noteworthy modern buildings, such as Eero Saarinen's innovative Ingalls Rink, but is known for its predominantly classic Collegiate Gothic style. Connecticut Hall, the oldest building on campus, was built in 1750 in the Georgian style, and the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library famously resembles a jewel box. The university also owns many beautiful restored 19th-century mansions along historic Hillhouse Avenue. The Connecticut campus is just one of many places around the world where you'll feel like you're stepping into the pages of a history book. More from The Active Times: The 37 Best Glamping Resorts in the World The Most Underrated Beach Towns in America How Every State Got Its Nickname 30 Things to Do Now That You're an Empty-Nester 19 Ways Your Siblings Shaped Who You Are Today


Seattle is predicted to see light rainfall this coming week, according to drone-powered weather forecasting service Saildrone . Friday's forecast shows the greatest likelihood of rain at 79 percent, with rain generally expected starting Thursday. The immediate forecast also has cool temperatures in store for today. Temperatures will make way for milder weather from Saturday to Sunday, with a high of 68 degrees on Sunday. Skies will be cloudy today and mostly cloudy Tuesday through Wednesday. Winds will remain light through the week, with the highest speeds on Wednesday at only 11 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.


U.S. antitrust regulators have cleared T-Mobile's $26.5 billion takeover of rival Sprint, leaving just three major cellphone companies, while creating a smaller competitor in satellite-TV company Dish. While there are still a few hurdles to be cleared for the deal to close, here's what a combined T-Mobile-Sprint company could mean for you and your cellphone bill: FOR MOST T-MOBILE AND SPRINT CUSTOMERS Sprint customers will be eventually transferred to the new T-Mobile, but that transition will take a few years. If you are a T-Mobile customer, you might not see many changes. However, because the goal of the takeover is to roll out a next-generation "5G" network, subscribers of both could ultimately see faster service. WHAT ABOUT PREPAID CUSTOMERS? As part of the deal, Dish will get Sprint's prepaid business, including Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile. Even if its network isn't ready, customers aren't supposed to see service quality drop, as Dish is going to use T-Mobile's network until it can run its own. HOW STRONG IS DISH? That's an open question. Public-interest groups point out that Sprint is an existing company with more than 50 million subscribers. Dish would start from scratch building a network that will cost tens of billions. It gets only 9 million customers from the deal and will have to fight to win more. As for the network, Dish already owns spectrum, or airwave rights, but hasn't been using it. Friday's deal would give Dish additional airwaves that travel far and work well in rural areas. Dish is supposed to put those to use in its own network, but it has to rely on T-Mobile's network in the meantime. MoffettNathanson analyst Craig Moffett says the set-up suggests Dish won't have an incentive to set "aggressively" low prices. Dish says it will offer service to 70 percent of the U.S. population by 2023. But while it's billed as 5G, Dish is promising speeds that are only slightly higher than what's typical today. It may take a while before Dish can challenge the bigger companies in a way that benefits consumers   if it ever does   the way T-Mobile developed a reputation for itself as the "Un-carrier." AND FOR VERIZON AND AT&T CUSTOMERS? T-Mobile was instrumental in pushing the more established players to be more consumer friendly, doing away with two-year phone contracts and offering unlimited data plans. T-Mobile has offered goodies for its customers like free or discounted Netflix and free international data. With just three major providers, the worry is that there would be less incentive to add services that consumers like or to compete on price. T-Mobile has promised not to raise prices for three years, but after that, it's fair game. But T-Mobile CEO John Legere said Friday that the company will continue to be the "Un-carrier" and keep Verizon, AT&T and others on their toes. SO WILL PRICES GO UP OR DOWN? Opinion is divided. Generally, fewer competitors mean higher prices, which is part of the reason the Department of Justice required the companies to sell part of its business to Dish to keep the number of major wireless providers at four. "Americans across the country will likely pay higher prices for worse service in a wireless market dominated by AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile," said Barry Lynn, executive director of the Open Markets Institute, a research group that promotes competition. "The problem is especially bad for poor and rural customers." But others, including T-Mobile of course, say prices won't rise and the deal is good for consumers. "Private industry has every incentive to give American consumers what they want: faster, better, cheaper wireless service," said Patrick Hedger, research fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a think tank that favors free markets and limited government intervention. WILL THIS DEAL ACTUALLY HAPPEN? A federal judge still must sign off on the approval, as it includes conditions for the new company. And 14 attorneys general are suing to stop the deal. HOW SOON WOULD T-MOBILE AND SPRINT ROLL OUT 5G? 5G is the next generation of wireless service that has become a politically touchy subject. President Donald Trump has said he wants the U.S. to "win" on 5G, particularly against China. It promises faster speeds and opportunities for new technologies. Both Sprint and T-Mobile have already launched 5G networks in certain cities. They have said they will be able to do it faster and better now than they could individually. They have promised to cover 97 percent of U.S. in three years and 99 percent in six years. T-Mobile had said that it planned to launch a nationwide network by 2020 itself, but didn't have such specific targets.


Police investigating the April murder of Northern Irish journalist Lyra McKee arrested a suspect on Thursday. McKee, who was 29 years old and a prominent freelance journalist, was killed in a shooting by dissident republicans while she watched rioting in the Northern Irish city of Londonderry. The Police Service of Northern Ireland's Major Investigation Team said it had arrested a 46-year-old man under the Terrorism Act, and have taken him for questioning. The arrest was made after searches in two properties in the city -- referred to by Irish nationalists as Derry and British unionists as Londonderry -- that lies a short drive from the border with the Republic of Ireland. McKee was standing close to a police vehicle on April 18 when she was wounded by a single gunman firing shots into a residential area. She died soon after from her injuries, police said. She is the first journalist to be killed in the United Kingdom since 2001, according to nonprofit organization the Committee to Protect Journalists. McKee had been identified as a rising star in journalism , and spent much of her career reporting on the reverberations of sectarian conflict in her home country. Her funeral in April was attended by leaders of British and Irish politics, and a mural dedicated to her has been painted in Belfast.


Call them the "I Told You So" Caucus. Democrats who argued during the Speaker race last fall that Nancy Pelosi was the right - and perhaps only - person who could lead the caucus in the tumultuous Trump era say they have been vindicated. The California Democrat, these people say, deftly negotiated a two-year budget deal with President Trump that averted deep cuts to domestic programs beloved by Democrats. She steered her caucus through this week's historic Mueller hearings, helping to ensure that a tidal wave of new impeachment calls never materialized. And her leadership team brokered a tentative truce between warring factions of her large and unruly caucus - the progressives and moderates - ensuring that Democrats head into the long August recess unified against Donald Trump. On Friday, she met, cleared the air and posed for a photo with freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), the progressive firebrand with whom Pelosi had recently clashed on prickly issues like immigration and race. "Those of us who have supported her and supported her in her Speaker's run this time ... we don't exactly go around saying 'I told you so,' but we could if we wanted to," said Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.), a Pelosi loyalist and one of the Democrats' chief deputy whips. "Not only does she know how to count votes as well as anybody I know, but she's demonstrated why she should be Speaker right now," he continued. "I mean, at this moment, there's some really talented people. But given what we're dealing with, both in terms of our own internal challenges and the external threat from Trump and this bizarrely complicit Republican Conference from both the House and the Senate, she's the toughest, smartest player in the mix." After the 2018 midterm elections that handed Democrats the majority, a bloc of insurgents led by Reps. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) and Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.) had threatened to derail Pelosi's return to the Speaker's office. But she picked off her opponents one by one and managed to put down the rebellion with help from allies who argued that Democrats would need a seasoned veteran leading them in the fight against the tough, unrelenting and often unpredictable Trump. "I think the disenchantment in 2018, as we came up to our leadership elections, has dissipated," Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), who has served under Pelosi for more than a decade. "Those feelings have yielded to a sense of appreciation for the great job that Nancy's doing - 79 years old and still a true champion." In the first seven months of her second stint as Speaker, Pelosi proved her mettle, besting Trump in two key negotiations this year. After a 35-day shutdown in December and January, Trump flinched in his standoff with Pelosi, agreeing to reopen the government without getting billions for his border wall that he had repeatedly demanded. And just last week, Trump agreed to a $2.7 trillion deal that averts deep cuts to defense and domestic spending and avoids the need to lift the debt ceiling until after the 2020 election. With a reputation as a master vote counter, Pelosi wrangled 219 votes on her side, demonstrating that Democrats could have passed the legislation on their own. House Republicans thought Trump's deal was so bad that fewer than one third - 65 out of 197 - voted yes despite the president's tweets urging GOP support. "A crap sandwich" is how one top House GOP aide described the Trump-Pelosi budget deal. "I don't know who else can go in that environment and address the issues like she did. I'm just, I'm in awe," said Rep. Tom O'Halleran (D-Ariz.), who represents a rural swing district in northern and eastern Arizona. "No sequester for the next few years, a two-year budget. I mean, I don't know if I could find any more happiness within a budget, other than I hate the fact that it costs so much." Added Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.): "Who's the one person that has been able to stand up to this president and the White House on issue after issue and has made him look like a fool? Nancy Pelosi." Part of Pelosi's strategy in the first seven months of the new Congress has been to protect vulnerable centrists like O'Halleran and freshman Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.), Max Rose (D-N.Y.) and Joe Cunningham (D-S.C.) - the so-called majority-makers - whom Republicans will be targeting in 2020 in a bid to retake the House. That's why Pelosi has pushed back so aggressively against progressives who've been leading the charge on launching an impeachment inquiry into Trump; she knows it would be bad news for her frontline Democrats and for her party's efforts to take back the Senate and White House. The Speaker caught a break this week when special counsel Robert Mueller's shaky, at times halting testimony before Congress seemed to sap momentum for the impeachment effort. Some Democrats lamented that Mueller did not "breathe life" into his 448-page report as they had hoped. And Mueller's five hours of testimony provided no memorable, made-for-TV moment that could have helped sway public opinion in favor of impeachment. Just a handful of House Democrats signed onto an impeachment inquiry following Mueller's appearance, giving Pelosi and her at-risk moderates some space as they head into the six-week summer recess. "Just going into impeachment for impeachment sake is not the correct thing to do for us as Democrats. But more importantly, it's not the correct thing to do for Americans," Meeks told The Hill. "Nancy has repeatedly said, and what I couldn't agree with more, is we can't allow impeachment to trump the work that we've done over the last 200 days and the commitment that we made in the last election, to make sure that everybody had affordable health care, that we will go to work to get an infrastructure bill, that we're going to try to root out corruption in Washington, D.C." More obstacles await Pelosi. Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) is heading to court to obtain underlying grand jury material for the Mueller report that covered possible obstruction of justice by Trump. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), a member of Pelosi's leadership team, said Nadler's move effectively has launched an impeachment inquiry, without a formal House vote. That same Friday, the final day before the August recess, Pelosi also made sure she handled some unfinished business with Ocasio-Cortez, the democratic socialist and social-media sensation. Several weeks ago, Pelosi had clashed with Ocasio-Cortez and other liberal freshman members of "The Squad" - Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) - over a bill to address the migrant crisis at the southern border. It quickly turned personal with Ocasio-Cortez's chief of staff likening moderate Democrats to "segregationists" and Pelosi privately scolding rank-and-file lawmakers for attacking each other on social media. Ocasio-Cortez brought race into the squabble, saying the Speaker was unfairly singling out "newly elected women of color." But on Friday, Pelosi wanted to project unity , huddling with Ocasio-Cortez in her office overlooking the National Mall for 30 minutes. Pelosi then tweeted out a photo of the two powerful, female icons together. "I think the Speaker respects the fact that we're coming together as a party and that unity," said Ocasio-Cortez, who on her first day in Congress had joined a climate-change protest in Pelosi's office that had infuriated the Speaker's allies. As she often does, Pelosi defiantly stated that diversity and differences of opinion in her 235-member caucus should be seen as something positive. "We're not a lock-step, rubber-stamp representation of anything except representatives of our districts," Pelosi told reporters. "In our caucus we have our differences, so respect that instead of making a big issue of it. ... In a family, you have differences, but you're still family." Watching Pelosi bat away reporters' questions, "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace called her performance a "master class by a legislative leader." "You can agree with Nancy Pelosi, you can disagree with her, in terms of policies, but that was a master class in terms of a woman who is charge of the cause, who is trying to deal with a lot of diverse elements, herding cats ... and showing real confidence and competence.," Wallace said. "She's a heck of a politician." Mike Lillis contributed.


If you want to avoid food poisoning, these experts say to avoid things like runny eggs, sprouts, and ice on your next trip out to eat. Americans love to dine out. In fact, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that on any given day from 2013-2016, 36.6% of adults in the US consumed fast food . But between leaving out leftovers too long and not knowing how food is prepared, it's no wonder that millions of people end up with food poisoning each year. While food poisoning can occur anywhere, you have less control over food handling and preparation when dining out than you do eating at home. That's why being selective of the foods you order may help you steer clear of foodborne illnesses like salmonella, listeria, noroviruses, and E. Coli . To help you get a better idea of what foods tend to be repeat offenders, INSIDER asked a few experts to share the things you should never order in a restaurant if you want to avoid food poisoning. Click through the slideshow above to find out. Fresh-squeezed juices are not pasteurized. While those brightly colored fresh-squeezed juices may look delicious and packed full of nutrients, food poisoning lawyer, Jory D. Lange told INSIDER that unpasteurized juice can be risky. "Several outbreaks of E. coli and Campylobacter have been linked to unpasteurized juices, so it is a good idea to skip it at restaurants," he said. Unpasteurized cheese can be risky too. Oh, how we love our cheeses. Unfortunately, said Lange, raw milk cheeses, like some soft cheeses, have similar risks to that of unpasteurized juices. But not to worry, because many restaurants carry pasteurized varieties. When in doubt, just ask. Raw flour products can come with risks. If you have kids, this one's for you. "Many pizza parlors allow kids to play with raw pizza dough or to make their own pizza, and this is a very risky practice; especially as raw flour products were linked to a concerning E. coli outbreak last year," explained Lange. While many think that the risk of raw dough is the eggs, it can actually be the flour, and inviting kids to sneak a bite of raw dough can be risky. The bottom line is this: let your kids watch the dough flying in the air, as long as it is handled by someone else. Raw oysters may not be the safest bet. Raw oysters may be tasty, but they can come with a risk. "These mollusks are carriers of three scary foodborne illnesses - norovirus, Shigella, and Vibrio (flesh-eating bacteria)," explained Lange. He said they see a rise in cases during the summer months, as Vibrio loves warm waters. His advice? If oysters have been cooked, they are a-ok to eat but exercise caution when eating them raw. Buffet food can be left unmonitored. All-you-can-eat buffets may cost less at the cash register, but what you bring home may end up costing you a lot. That's because any food that gets left out too long can harbor unsafe bacteria, like Staphylococcus aureus or Bacillus. Lange recommends looking for buffets that have food warmers and change food out once an hour or so. Though it can be tough to know for sure how much care your buffet food is getting, a little research can go a long way. Ice cubes are a sneaky culprit. If you travel often you know that it might serve you well to steer clear of ordering cocktails on the rocks when traveling to other countries. "Tourists will order cocktails on the rocks thinking that they are safe because they aren't drinking water, but end up with illness from the ice cubes," said Lange. But a lot of ice in restaurants in the US has been shown to harbor some bacteria, too. If you want to play it safe, you can avoid ordering your drink with ice or, as Discover suggested, order a cocktail that can kill the bacteria in the ice. Raw sprouts are delicious but commonly cause illness. This one is so hard, explained Lange, because raw sprouts are common and delicious. "Unfortunately, these little saplings are the cause of over 30 outbreaks since 1990 , and there is no way to guarantee their safety - unless you cook them," he said. "Raw sprouts grow in warm, damp environments, which are the same conditions that E.coli and S almonella flourish," explained registered dietitian Becky Kerkenbush , MS, RD-AP, CSG, CD, FAND-State media representative to the Wisconsin Academy of Nutrition and Dietetic. Plus, sprouts are often served raw or lightly cooked, which also increases the risk of illness. Sorry, but unless they're cooked, it's best to leave them off. Raw or undercooked eggs aren't always safe either. If you like your eggs a little on the undercooked side, you might want to consider a new way to order up your morning protein. By eating raw or undercooked eggs, you may be putting yourself at risk for salmonella . Plus, Kerkenbush said the eggshells can also cause problems, so make sure to keep those shells away from your cooked eggs. It's also not a bad idea to stick to pasteurized eggs, when possible.


House Democrats are mounting yet another confrontation with the Justice Department that could lead to subpoenas, but this time it's not about special counsel Robert Mueller's report   it's about health care. Five committee chairman foreshadowed a possible subpoena as soon as May 24 if Attorney General William Barr declines to provide documents related to his decision to stop defending the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act   the health care law signed by President Barack Obama in 2010. In letters to Barr and White House Counsel Pat Cipollone , the chairmen say they've been asking since April 8 for documents connected to the decision, as well as testimony from four key officials involved in the effort. The request, they said, sought a response by April 22 but that the reply fell short. Now, they've giving the Justice Department two more weeks to meet the committees' demands. They're also asking the White House to make budget director Russ Vought available for an interview. "If we do not receive a response by this date, we will have no choice but to consider alternative means of obtaining compliance," the lawmakers wrote. The letters are signed by Oversight Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) , Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.), Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.), Education and Labor Chairman Bobby Scott (D-Va.) and Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.). Nadler's committee has already voted to hold Barr in contempt for refusing to provide an unredacted version of Mueller's report to Congress as well as Mueller's underlying evidence. But the full House has yet to consider the committee's effort. Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated last week that other committees may want to combine similar contempt proceedings into one overarching floor vote that could come in the next few weeks. Democrats are also locked in confrontations with the Trump administration over accessing Trump's tax returns   a request made by Neal's Ways and Means Committee. The House Intelligence Committee has demanded access to Mueller's report as well on national security grounds and issued a subpoena for his files last week. The new effort on health care could become part of the broader strategy, if they continue to accuse the Justice Department of stonewalling by the time the new deadline arrives on May 24. But convincing other lawmakers to wait until June   following a weeklong Memorial Day recess   for a comprehensive contempt vote could be difficult. Rank-and-file Democrats have been clamoring for punitive measures against Barr for weeks for his handling of Mueller's report. Unlike the other demands, though, Democratic leaders, though, believe that picking a fight on health care is better politics   and it shows their efforts to confront the Trump administration has policy dimensions, not just Trump-focused investigations. Democrats have attributed the Trump administration's efforts to overturn the health care law, known familiarly as Obamacare, to "politically motivated forces" in the White House. The Obama White House took a similar step in 2011 when the Justice Department, at Obama's urging, stopped defending the Defense of Marriage Act, which barred federal recognition of same-sex marriages   a move social conservatives denounced at the time. The Department of Justice declined to comment.


COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.   D.J. Wagner arrived at USA Basketball's training camp as the youngest of the nearly 70 teenage players invited. He turned 14 just three months ago and has yet to take a class at Camden (New Jersey) High School. Wagner left USA Basketball's training camp with the assembled coaches, staff and media tantalized by his potential to perpetuate his family's vast basketball legacy. And, perhaps, secure the Wagner family a unique niche in basketball lore. Over the course of the weekend, Wagner showcased the flash and explosiveness that helped make his father, Dajuan Wagner, the No. 6 pick in the 2002 NBA draft. Wagner also showed the smooth jumper and scoring touch that helped make his grandfather, Milt Wagner, a household name after starring at Louisville and playing professionally for more than a decade. While it's too early to even rank the top players of the Class of 2023, Wagner's precocious performance at the USA Basketball camp this weekend conjured a fascinating question: Could D.J. Wagner become the first third-generation NBA player in league history? It's clear that Wagner is far ahead of the Class of 2023's more acclaimed NBA prodigy   LeBron James Jr . And while finite projections are wholly unreliable before players begin high school, there's an unusual aura of optimism surrounding the future of D.J. Wagner. "For a rising ninth grader, he's a great player in his own right," said Mike Jones, the head coach of USA Basketball's Under 16/17 Junior National Team. "I'm not going to say he's going to be better [than his father and grandpa], but the kid is special." He added with a chuckle: "You have to think there's going to be a lot of firsts for that family." Sitting in the bleachers at the Olympic Training Center to watch his son, 36-year-old Dajuan Wagner joked he was getting flashbacks. In 1998, he participated in the first-ever USA Basketball Youth Development Festival here. Dajuan laughed recalling that he roomed with Kenny Satterfield and Marcus Cox. "I'm just blessed that he can experience all this," Dajuan Wagner said. "It's the best thing to do what you love to do at a high level." Statistics provided by the NBA revealed five grandfather-and-grandson combinations and 71 father-and-son combinations in league history, everyone from the Currys to the Dunleavys to the Waltons. There are none that span all three generations, however. "I knew that," D.J. Wagner told Yahoo Sports, which was interesting in part because his parents and grandfather didn't. "It'd be a great honor with the last name that I have, being the third generation. I'd be happy." D.J. Wagner is already 6-foot-2, although his age is evident in his slight 152-pound frame. (He quickly clarified he was more than the 146 pounds listed on the USA Basketball roster.) The first family legacy he plans to uphold also includes playing his high school ball at Camden High, where the court is named after his father and his grandfather also emerged as a star. (Former Temple star Rick Brunson is coaching him there.) Both Milt and Dajuan won state titles at Camden and became the first father-son McDonald's All-Americans. It's not unreasonable to ask if D.J. could become the third, another potential first for the family. "It's big," Dajuan Wagner said of his son playing for Camden. "Big for the city and my family and for him to get that experience. There's nothing like playing for Camden High." Added D.J.'s mother, Syreeta Brittingham, who watched the games in Colorado alongside Dajuan: "It means everything to him." To understand the magnitude of what D.J. Wagner is following, it's necessary to understand the breadth of his father and grandfather's careers. Milt Wagner's defining career trait came as a winner, as he captured a state title at Camden (1982), national title at Louisville (1986) and an NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers (1988). He scored 1,836 points in college and remains Louisville's No. 5 all-time leading scorer and in the top 10 in career assists. Dajuan Wagner was such a sensation that he scored 100 points in a high school game   shooting 42-for-61 from the field   and dined with Ray Lewis after to celebrate. Allen Iverson was curious enough that he popped over from Philadelphia to watch, as Wagner finished with a state-record 3,462 points . Dajuan Wagner came of age before the mixtape era, but possessed the deft handle, eviscerating crossover and rare explosion to have viral moves back when that meant they appeared on the nightly news . Wagner, a 6-foot-2 dynamo, scored 21.2 points per game in his lone season at Memphis, the pivotal recruit for John Calipari rebuilding his coaching career after flaming out in the NBA. Dajuan Wagner's name is mentioned more in folklore tones than contemporary conversation these days, as a combination of sickness and injury cut short his NBA career. He suffered from colitis, had his colon removed and could never stay healthy after teasing the NBA by averaging 13.4 points per game as a rookie. "I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason," Dajuan Wagner said. "I know it wasn't the basketball part, the basketball part came easy to me. I ain't one of those dudes who is bitter. I got to be around my [three kids], and that's one of the reasons D.J. is the way he is." Rivals.com recruiting analyst Corey Evans admits that evaluating a prospect as young as D.J. Wagner   much like LeBron James Jr.   is a tricky exercise. But for Wagner, there are already elite traits   three-level scoring, ball skills and a general feel like he belongs. Evans is optimistic that D.J. Wagner projects as a high-end prospect, the kind who could someday reach the NBA. "He's holding his own against kids three or four years older who are much more physically mature," Evans said. "Project that to going up against guys his own age, and he equates to a top-of-the-line prospect." The USA Basketball officials and coaches left impressed by the flurry of contradictions. He was the youngest guard, yet never backed down. He came in billed as a point guard, but showed a refined ability to catch and shoot. He showed flair at times in executing inside-out dribbles and teardrop pull-ups, but had the presence to utilize the flair only when the game dictated it. "I'll be shocked if he wasn't one of the faces of [grassroots basketball in] 2023," said Corey Frazier, the head coach at John Burroughs School in St. Louis, who coached Wagner at USA Basketball. "If he's not one of the tops guards already, he's going to be." But in the family, he's still got a ways to go. Dajuan recalls not being able to beat Milt in one-on-one games until his sophomore year of high school. He says that D.J. has come close to beating him, but it hasn't happened yet. D.J. says his dad's hesitation move is still on point, and Dajuan can still body D.J. down in the post. "He's a little bit of a mixture of both [of us]," Dajuan said. "He's long like my dad, but a lot of people say he plays like me." Milt Wagner concurs with Dajuan's analysis of D.J.'s game, as he told Yahoo Sports in a phone interview: "He's got mostly his father's game when it comes to attacking, but he can shoot the jump shot. That was my thing, I was a shooter first. His dad was a driver first." The third generation of Wagners will start a trajectory toward history in a familiar environment. "It's like a legacy, a tradition," D.J. Wagner said of playing at Camden. "My dad and grandpa were legends at Camden High. It's exciting." More from Yahoo Sports: Rams preview: L.A. tries to take the next step U.S. Soccer breaks post-World Cup equal pay silence Hill's excuse, NFL not suspending him are both nonsense Judge orders Goodell, refs to testify on Saints-Rams non-call


Chicago, once known as the "second city," is second to none when it comes to fun activities, family-friendly cuisine and historic sights. Set at the confluence of the Chicago River and beautiful Lake Michigan, and boasting a range of important architecture, Chicago is also extremely photogenic, even when the weather isn't perfect. I moved west from Chicago when I was a teenager, but every time our family visits, we are delighted to discover more neighborhoods and sights. How to Get to Chicago Chicago and its environs are served by two international airports: the massive Chicago 'Hare (ORD) north of the city and Midway (MDW). O'Hare is one of the busiest airports in the world and United Airlines ' main hub. ORD is also served by American Airlines , Delta , Spirit , JetBlue , Frontier (remember to take advantage of Kids Fly Free ) and Alaska , as well as numerous international carriers. Midway hosts fewer airlines and services, but is your only local option if you want to use your Southwest Rapid Rewards or make use of your Southwest Companion Pass . Midway also hosts flights from Delta. The two airports in Chicago are pretty far apart, so you may have to balance the importance of award flights and affordability with convenience. Check the distance from the airport to the hotel you choose, and think about how the travel time will impact your schedule. O'Hare offers much more in the way of lounges, dining options and choices and it may be much closer to your final destination. On the other hand, Midway may offer more heavily discounted flights. Once you're on the ground, you have options as far as transportation into the city. The cost of taking the "L" (the Elevated Train, Chicago's subway) from O'Hare to downtown Chicago is about $5 per person, while from Midway it's only about $2.50. Meanwhile, an Uber or Lyft can cost $25 (Midway) or $30 (O'Hare), or more during busy periods. Unless you have too much luggage (or too many tired travelers) and need the convenience of door-to-door transport, you'll save money and potentially time using public transportation. The Chicago Transit Authority provides an online trip planner that you can use to figure out your transportation from either airport, as well as how to get around once you're in the city. A car in the city may be more trouble than it's worth, but there are plenty of major car rental agencies within both airports if you choose to go that route. Related: The 7 Best Starter Travel Credit Cards Family-Friendly Neighborhoods Many of Chicago's most convenient neighborhoods for hotel stays or condo rentals are along the streets a few blocks west of Lake Michigan, on or near the stretch known as the Magnificent Mile . In this area, you'll find loads of shops, eateries and attractions all within walking distance of each other. Michigan Avenue is known for its upscale shopping and impressive architecture, and that's where you'll find Chicago's famous Water Tower, one of the few structures to survive the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Built in 1869, the lovely Gothic-revival Water Tower now stands as a memorial to the city's recovery. The Magnificent Mile is also close to Navy Pier , home to the Centennial Wheel (adult tickets are $18, kids 3 11 cost $15 and children under 3 are free) and Chicago Children's Museum (admission is $14.95 for adults and kids; those under 1 are free). The pier is also a departure point for a variety of lake cruises and tours. If you'd rather settle into an area with more of a residential neighborhood feel, consider the quieter Lakeview/Lincoln Park area. You'll be farther from some name attractions but closer to the lake and the free Lincoln Park Zoo and surrounding park. With its handsome brownstones and lovely water views, this neighborhood is pleasant and stately. Sports fans might enjoy a hotel or Airbnb in the more lively neighborhood of Wrigleyville, where pretty residential streets radiate out from the Chicago Cubs' historic ballpark. There are plenty of souvenir shops, eateries (and drinkeries) in this neighborhood to serve the baseball-loving crowd, but this is also a friendly, charming neighborhood that can serve as a unique home base. Best Points Hotels in Chicago for Families Here's a look at some of the points hotels TPG feels are a good bet for families in Chicago. Intercontinental Chicago Magnificent Mile This centrally located hotel offers rooms with two double beds from 50,000 IHG Rewards Club points per night. Rooms available on points (classic two-bed rooms) are not as spacious as some, but many come with cool city views. All include bottled water, a coffee maker, premium TV channels and use of the hotel's indoor pool. IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card holders get the fourth night free on award stays, which brings the per night cost down to 37,500 points per night. For points plus cash (45,000 + $33), families can book the same classic two-bed room plus the InterContinental's Summer Scavenger Hunt package. Your kids will receive a Chicago Scratch-off Scavenger Hunt with 30 destinations to get everyone excited about seeing the Windy City. The package also includes breakfast for up to two kids, milk and cookies, an adventure backpack, a Lincoln the Lion plush toy, coloring book and travel journal. Embassy Suites Chicago-Downtown Five blocks from Navy Pier, Embassy Suites offers standard two-double bed two-room suites for 39k 60k Hilton Honors points/night. Included in the rate are a hot made-to-order breakfast for everyone, and the hotel's evening happy hour with complimentary drinks and snacks. Hilton has a number of cobranded credits cards that will help you earn Hilton Honors points on everyday spending. Find out which Hilton credit card is best for your family. SpringHill Suites Chicago Downtown/River North In the River North neighborhood, between the Magnificent Mile and Millennium Park, SpringHill Suites offers rooms with two-double beds plus a sofa bed from 35,000 Marriott points/night (or use a 35k free night certificate like the one you get on your card anniversary with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card ). Amenities such as complimentary breakfast and Wi-Fi, and a top-floor indoor pool-with-a-view will make your family's stay comfortable and memorable, in that order. Hyatt Place Chicago/Downtown-The Loop Though it's situated in a business district, this Hyatt is less than a mile from attractions such as the Art Institute of Chicago, the Skydeck at Willis Tower and the Chicago River Walk. This hotel offers excellent amenities for families: two-queen bed rooms, including a sofa bed (or a king room with a sofa bed), can be had for 15,000 World of Hyatt points/night. The rooms are modern, comfortable and spacious. There's also a 24-hour fitness center, an indoor pool and free Wi-Fi all over the hotel. Plus, breakfast is free for the whole family as long as you book the room through Hyatt . Since this hotel is just a Category 4 , you can even use a Category 1   4 award certificate. You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to your Hyatt account on a 1:1 basis or earn more points with the World of Hyatt Credit Card that currently offers a welcome bonus of 25,000 points when you spend $3,000 in three months and an additional 25,000 points after you spend a total of $6,000 in the first six months. Best Western Plus Hawthorne Terrace Hotel Just north of Lincoln Park, in the Lakeview district, is this attractive Best Western offering two-double bed rooms for 36,000 points per night. This is a peaceful spot, yet it's close enough to enjoy all that the vibrant city offers. Families who stay here can enjoy jogging, playing or renting bikes on the lakefront, and each room comes with a complimentary full breakfast and a morning paper. The hotel is walking distance to Wrigley Field as well as a variety of neighborhood restaurants. Wyndham Grand Chicago Riverfront If you have some Wyndham Rewards points burning a hole in your pocket, you can spend 30,000 of them per night at the Wyndham Grand Chicago Riverfront. This hotel is easy walking distance to shows, restaurants and of course, the river. Tip: Ask for a river-facing view for a real treat. Planning Tips Chicago is a beautiful city in any season, and those of us who grew up in the area have special memories of snow-laced tree branches and the frozen lakeshore. However, choosing a milder time of year makes it easier to cover more ground with a family. If you can carve out the time for a family vacation during late spring, when trees are leafing out and the city has thawed, that's a wonderful time to visit. The colorful foliage and crisp temperatures in autumn are also nice. In summer, your family can enjoy the lakeside beaches and the ballpark, though the heat and humidity can be intense. City of Festivals If the sun is out, Chicago is probably holding a festival somewhere. Some of the biggest are the annual Blues Festival (June), the food-and-music extravaganza Taste of Chicago (July) and the four-day Lollapalooza rock event (August). The free Grant Park Music Festival (June) has been a favorite among classical music-loving families for more than 80 years. Before you firm up your travel dates, search the listings in Chicago's weekly news and arts paper, the Reader, for fun events to target. Sports Schedules Please the sports fans in your family by planning a trip that dovetails with a ballgame or two. Chicago is home to two historic baseball parks: the Cubs' Wrigley Field on the north side and the White Sox's Comiskey Park to the south. The Bears' massive neo-classical amphitheater, Soldier Field, welcomes football fans. The arena that Michael Jordan built   the Bulls' United Center   is an exciting destination for basketball lovers. Bottom Line The City of Chicago offers a deep well of history, culture and beauty, as well as lots of places to play. Has your family visited the Windy City? What were your favorite sights to see? Keep planning your Chicago trip: Use Points at These 9 Family-Friendly Chicago Hotels Splash Down at Top Waterparks Across the Midwest 10 of the Most Instagrammable Places in Chicago Upgrades Coming to Chicago O'Hare as Terminal 5 Construction Begins What Frozen Chicago Looks Like From the Sky Too Hip to Be Square: A Review of the Moxy Chicago Downtown Historic Hilton: A Review of The Palmer House in Chicago Featured image of Navy Pier in Chicago by Josh Howard / Unsplash


Sparrow was given a break from her service dog training to meet Chewbacca, her favorite Star Wars character.


Austin Cindric won Saturday's Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen International, beating AJ Allmendinger in thrilling duel that saw the lead change multiple times on the next-to-last lap before Cindric pulled away. Cindric passed Allmendinger coming to the white flag moments after Allmendinger forced him off track in Turn 6. "This is awesome," Cindric told NBC. "That was fun, man. AJ was pumped, after the race he gave me the hang loose (sign). He's such a cool guy. It was cool to be able to race him for my first win. Feels good." Cindric had pit from the lead with 10 laps to go. He was in position to challenge Allmendinger with fresher tires after he passed three cars on the final restart when the field slowed to avoid a sideways Christopher Bell in the esses. "That was nuts," Cindric said. "I didn't know how that was going to work out, but sometimes the path clears and you've got to take advantage of it and we executed all day today." The win comes in Cindric's 54th career Xfinity start. It is Team Penske's first Xfinity win since last September's race at Darlington (28 races). Cindric, 20, is the son of Team Penske president Tim Cindric. Allmendinger, an analyst for NBC Sports, was making his second start of the year for Kaulig Racing. He led 24 of 82 laps but his car failed post-race inspection when the No. 10 Chevrolet did not meet minimum heights . Allmendinger's had second and third-place finishes in both of his starts vacated due to inspection failures. With Allmendinger's finish and Stage 2 win disqualified, the top five was revised to Cindric, Christopher Bell, Justin Allgaier , Ryan Blaney and Tyler Reddick . I can go into a full description of why it was low from contact early in the race on a restart. The issues we struggled with after cause track bar mount was bent and oil tank getting hung on the coil of the spring the rest of the race. But just doesnt f***ing matter. 💔💔💔💔 https://t.co/pUx2OI6yJM   AJ Allmendinger (@AJDinger) August 3, 2019 Still when you put ur heart into a race, the team works hundreds of hours to prepare and something like this happens doesnt make it any easier. Right or wrong still breaks my heart. I had nothing left when I got out of the car and it doesnt even show as a result. Just hard. Sorry https://t.co/KM2P3LX2BJ   AJ Allmendinger (@AJDinger) August 3, 2019 STAGE 1 WINNER: Kyle Busch STAGE 2 WINNER: Ryan Blaney More: Race results and point standings WHO HAD A GOOD RACE: Tyler Reddick bounced back from going off track multiple times in the race to finish fifth for his best result on a road course … Chase Briscoe finished sixth and Noah Gragson finished ninth in their first Watkins Glen starts. WHO HAD A BAD DAY : Ross Chastain was eliminated in a crash on the last lap of Stage 1 when he was forced off track and into a tire barrier by Justin Allgaier in retaliation . Chastain had turned Allgaier into a tire barrier on Lap 14. … Pole-sitter Kyle Busch was eliminated after suspension failure moments after he took the lead from Ryan Blaney with seven laps left in Stage 2. NOTABLE : Cindric's win is the first by a Team Penske driver competing for the Xfinity championship since Sam Hornish Jr. won at Las Vegas in March 2013 QUOTE OF THE RACE: "We've had a rocky relationship over our racing career," Justin Allgaier said of his incidents Saturday with Ross Chastain. "Unfortunately I've been on the receiving end a number of times of him running into me. He flat wrecked me in the bus stop back there. At some point you just get to a point where you're tired of getting run into. I ran back into him. I had no intention of putting him in the wall. I wanted to spin him out for sure. I wanted him to kind of have the same feeling that I had a few laps before whenever he spun me out." WHAT'S NEXT: B&L Transport 170 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course at 3 p.m. ET Aug. 10 on NBCSN Follow @DanielMcFadin


The St. Louis Blues have brought back another one of their restricted free agent forwards, re-signing Robby Fabbri to a one-year, $900K contract . Fabbri was not eligible for salary arbitration and will still be a restricted free agent at the end of this deal. It wasn't so long ago that Fabbri was one of the brightest young forwards in the NHL, poised to have a great career with the Blues after a rookie season that saw him score 18 goals in the regular season and star in a long playoff run. At just 20 years old he had 15 points in 20 playoff games and started the 2016-17 season well with 29 points in 51 games before a knee injury turned his whole career upside down. Fabbri suffered a setback and missed the entire 2017-18 season, only to finally return to the Blues lineup last November. By then, things had changed for St. Louis and for the young forward. In 32 games in 2018-19 Fabbri was only able to register six points, often playing a depth role and receiving an average of just 12:39 of ice time. In the playoffs that dropped even further to the point where if he wasn't in the press box watching as a scratch, he was seeing just over eight minutes a night. Fabbri registered just a single point in 10 postseason games, though the Blues went all the way to a Stanley Cup victory. Now, with other young players pushing for more and more playing time, it is unclear where Fabbri sits on the St. Louis depth chart. The team still has basically the entire core that took it to the promised land this year (save for hometown hero Pat Maroon , who remains a free agent) and more forwards like Jordan Kyrou , Dominik Bokk and Klim Kostin all on their way. Fabbri, 23, is obviously still young enough to get back on that star track, but it will take a lot of work and some opportunity that might not be available in St. Louis.


Three Japanese women and a Spanish man have been arrested in a raid on a Malaysian cosplay festival for participating without the proper permits, immigration authorities said Tuesday. The role-playing craze -- where enthusiasts imitate characters from anime series, comics and video games, many drawn from Japanese pop culture -- has been growing in popularity in the Southeast Asian country. The four foreigners were taking part in the 'Geek Summit' on Sunday hosted by the city of Shah Alam, outside Kuala Lumpur, when immigration officials raided the event following a complaint. "They came into Malaysia on tourist visas, but they were dressed up and performing without permission," senior immigration official Mohamad Shukri Nawi told AFP. Foreigners wanting to take part in arts performances in Malaysia need permission from a government agency. Authorities did not know which characters the performers were dressed up as when they were detained. The four, aged between 28 and 41, are being held by immigration authorities. If charged with breaking immigration laws, they face being fined and deported, Mohamad Shukri said. It is not the first time a cosplay event has fallen foul of the authorities in the conservative, Muslim-majority country. In March, foreign participants from Japan, Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong were arrested at a Kuala Lumpur cosplay festival for failing to have the correct work permits.


FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP)   Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris said Friday that President Donald Trump "seems to derive joy" from provoking some Americans to hateful speech and actions, and she says that goes to issues deeper than whether the president is a white supremacist. "I've not said this out loud, but I think it and I feel it," Harris told The Associated Press during an interview traveling across Iowa. "He seems to derive joy from the response he gets when he talks this way. It seems he derives some element of joy in inciting people around, around outrageous and hateful rhetoric." Trump's recent series of racist remarks toward women of color in Congress, as well as the ties between his anti-immigrant rhetoric and the deadly mass shooting in El Paso, have sparked a debate in the 2020 Democratic field over whether the president is a white supremacist. Harris, like former Vice President Joe Biden and Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, has stopped short of using the label. Meanwhile, former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg have said it applies. Video by MSNBC Harris, on a weekend-long campaign trip to the early caucus state, said that debate misses the point. "It literally oversimplifies the issue, because it's almost that the conversation begins and ends with that," Harris said on her tour bus traveling across rural northwest Iowa. "The lens through which I think about it is so much broader than a label." Harris cited Trump's 2017 ban on travelers from six largely Muslim countries, his 2018 order banning transgender individuals from serving in the armed forces except under limited circumstances, and his constant degradation of immigrants entering the U.S. from the Southern border. She said they are part of a pattern Trump has followed to feed his own psyche instead of encouraging acceptance at a time of increased hate crimes. By ascribing personal motives to Trump's rhetoric, Harris' comments go further than most candidates, who have not shied from connecting Trump's rhetoric and the El Paso shooting Saturday, when 22 people were killed by a man who admitted to police he had targeted Mexicans. "Democrats have spent every moment trying to overturn the election of 2016," Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said. "So now they've moved on to calling (Trump) and his supporters racist. Those are the real divisive tactics." __ Associated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed from Washington.


Say "hybrid," and most people's minds will jump to an image of the Toyota Prius or some similarly tadpole-shaped, oddball vehicle. The phenomenon, known as trademark erosion, is similar to when everyone says "Kleenex" to describe a facial tissue, even though countless brands produce tissues; the word and likeness of a Prius dominates hybrids' shared image. Really, however, there are far more hybrids that are adapted from and look just like ordinary, not-weird, stablemates. Consider the Chevrolet Malibu hybrid or the Toyota Camry hybrid or the Honda Accord hybrid. Hybridized versions of standard sedans have tended to be larger and pricier than the compact Prius, until the affordable Honda Insight and new-for-2020 Toyota Corolla hybrid models appeared. Neither is shaped like a tadpole (although the original Insight was), and most onlookers would never guess that these affordable little cars are hybrids. Research the Honda Insight | Find a Honda Insight The Matchup Delving deeper into this new class of ordinary-looking, affordable compact hybrid sedans, we pitted Honda's Insight against Toyota's first-ever Corolla hybrid . The Insight is, technically, a stand-alone nameplate-like the Prius, its maker offers no nonhybrid counterpart-but it's a really just a loosely veiled Honda Civic sedan with a nicer interior. We won't judge you for referring to it as a Civic hybrid, a model once included in Honda's lineup. Toyota's Corolla hybrid is exactly what its name declares: a Corolla sedan with a hybrid powertrain. The Insight and Corolla hybrids are sized nearly identically. Both have a 106.3-inch wheelbase, and their length and width measurements are within a couple of inches, with the Honda having the larger dimensions. Honda positions the Insight as a premium Civic alternative, whereas Toyota has arranged the Corolla to be an affordable, normal-appearing hybrid. To wit, while the Honda starts at $23,850-$30 less than the Toyota-in base LX guise, it's offered in nicer EX and Touring trim levels that can run up to $29,110. Research the Toyota Corolla on MSN Autos | Find a Toyota Corolla near you Our two test cars exaggerated these differences. The Insight is a loaded Touring model, the same one we're keeping for a long-term, 40,000-mile test . The Corolla hybrid, available only in lowly LE trim, isn't what you'd call loaded (other Corollas can be had in nicer XLE and sporty XSE trims). The Honda somewhat justifies its higher price with an overtly posh interior that's nicer than a regular Civic's. The Corolla's well-assembled but basic, all-black, mostly plastic cabin looks and feels like the cheap alternative; if you want more luxury than the Corolla LE provides, the Insight is the way to go. The two cars also distinguish themselves by way of their hybrid technologies. Toyota takes a traditional approach to hybridization (traditional meaning that it follows the pattern established by the Prius). It uses its 1.8-liter gasoline-fed inline-four and two electric motors, employing the most efficient means of driving at any time. Motoring can be primarily engine driven, or if conditions are right, the Corolla is capable of brief interludes of engine-off operation. Honda's approach is more novel in that it primarily uses a powerful electric motor to move the Insight around; the gas engine acts as a generator most of the time, its speed changing only in sync with how much power is needed at the moment. When accelerating hard or in highway cruising, when the computers deem it more efficient to do so, a clutch engages that connects the engine directly to the drive wheels so that it may directly assist the motor. On the Road It's easy to pick up on each hybrid's approach to blending gas and electric drive sources when the two cars are sampled back-to-back. The Honda accelerates from a stop much like a fully electric car, using its 129-hp electric drive motor to quietly whisk you up to speed. (That motor, by the way, outguns the combined efforts of the Corolla's gas and electric power sources, which make 121 horsepower; maximum total output in the Honda is 151 horsepower.) How hard you press the accelerator makes a big difference here, along with how much charge is in the Insight's 1.2-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Floor the pedal, or simply press hard when there isn't enough juice in the battery, and the gas engine kicks on. This is an audible, gritty event-one that gets louder and grittier the faster the engine is spinning (put your foot to the floor, for example, and the engine revs up and belts out a shrill blender-like sound). If the gas engine is running, you always hear it; sometimes, you can even feel a vibration through the steering wheel and pedals. The Corolla's engine is more personable. It's not soul-stirring by any means, but the Toyota four-banger emits a deeper note at lower volume. Even when you give the Toyota a swift kick on the go pedal, the engine's voice never raises to a shout. At freeway speeds, you can't hear it at all. We found that the Corolla blends its AC motor assist with the gas engine's thrust seamlessly, such that you can barely hear or feel when the two power sources are working together through the continuously variable transmission. Because the Toyota's engine is already running most of the time, it needn't be started to assist your forward progress. In the Insight, when accelerator applications are substantial enough to wake the gas engine, the pained noises coming from under the hood make it seem overtasked. The Insight is 4 decibels louder at full throttle (at 76 decibels), but 2 decibels quieter while cruising at 70 mph. All that drove them agreed the Corolla's noise, while objectively louder, is much more pleasant and even luxury-car-like despite its loftier 68-decibel reading. The track numbers tell a completely different performance story from the driver's ear. The Corolla reaches 60 mph in 10.7 seconds, a full three seconds longer than it takes the 30-hp-stronger Insight. The acceleration gap is narrower from 30 mph to 50 mph, where the Insight requires 4.2 seconds, a moderate 0.2-second advantage over the Corolla hybrid. It beats the Corolla from 50 mph to 70 mph by 1.2 seconds. Otherwise, dynamically, the Honda wipes the floor with the Toyota. Even though both sedans notched an identical 0.83 g of grip on the skidpad, the Honda steers more sharply and carries itself with more composure when driven hard. The trade-off for this sporty mien is a firm, sometimes choppy ride and tons of tire noise at speed. Toyota tunes the Corolla hybrid to waft down the road in isolating comfort, a decision that leaves its handling feeling doughy and vague. But it's quiet on the freeway and delivers a cushy, commute-friendly ride. Neither sedan brakes well, thanks to economy-focused tires, but the Corolla again trails the Insight, needing 12 feet more to stop from 70 mph in a trucklike 195 feet. The Inside View The Honda Insight's sporty vibe extends to its interior layout. You sit low, near the floor, as you do in the Civic. Front-seat occupants are crowded somewhat by a tallish center console, but everyone is surrounded by plush materials and high-end detailing. Honda isn't being hyperbolic when it describes the Insight as a premium product relative to the everyday Civic-it's a pity that the car's sound attenuation at speed doesn't match the visual richness. The more conventional Corolla hybrid seats occupants more upright, as if they're in kitchen chairs with notably squishy cushions. The sense of roominess is greater, even though the Toyota's interior volume trails that of the Insight by 11 cubic feet. As in other current Corollas in LE trim, second from the bottom in Toyota's hierarchy, many plastics on the door panels and dashboard are hard, not padded or soft. Cheap impression aside, the Corolla excels in value for money. Compared with the least-expensive Honda Insight, it comes with the same active safety equipment (adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, and automatic high beams). Both sedans come equipped, in base form, with keyless entry, push-button start, and automatic climate control. While the Corolla hybrid comes with derpy-looking 15-inch steel wheels with hubcaps instead of 16-inch aluminum wheels like those used by the Honda, it one-ups the Insight in interior equipment. Out of the gate, you get a 7.0-inch color driver information display in the gauge cluster, as well as an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay connectivity and flanked by hard-button shortcuts to common menu items. Base Insights get old-school, low-resolution 5.0-inch LCD displays; to get a similar 8.0-inch touchscreen in the Honda, you must step up to the $25,080 EX trim or the pricier Touring tested here. Our Corolla hybrid test car (including its $209 body side moldings, $249 floor mats, and $129 mud flaps), listed for $24,467. The Bottom Line When it comes to hybrids, the point is more miles per gallon, not whether it does a convincing impression of a budget sport sedan. This is where we're willing to deliver a hot take: the Toyota Corolla hybrid is top dog. Its handling is so-so, its interior lackluster, and its acceleration leisurely, but the Corolla spanks the Insight in fuel efficiency. Research the Toyota Corolla on MSN Autos | Find a Toyota Corolla near you We recorded an impressive 56 mpg on our 75-mph real-world fuel-economy test in the Corolla. That figure betters its EPA highway fuel-economy estimate by 4 mpg. A different but similarly equipped Insight also beat its EPA highway figure on the same test by 2 miles per gallon, but posted only 47 mpg. We say "only" not just because it trails the Toyota by 9 mpg but also because a regular, non-hybrid Honda Civic sedan (notably quicker than the Insight and less expensive), returned 41 mpg on the same test. A normal 2020 Toyota Corolla sedan notched 40 mpg-good, but also far enough away from the hybrid's stellar performance to help justify the gas-electric's purchase. Want a sharp-handling compact sedan that gets excellent fuel economy? The Civic, not the Insight, could be the answer. But if you want an affordable hybrid sedan that delivers on hybrids' promise of high fuel economy without looking weird like a Prius, the Corolla is your sub-$24,000 solution. Research the Honda Insight | Find a Honda Insight


McLaren Formula 1 team principal Andreas Seidl says it is "pretty difficult to imagine" any new entry investing the money currently required to be successful in the championship. F1 is pursuing prospective teams and engine manufacturers, with Honda the only supplier to join since the V6 turbo-hybrid engine rules were introduced in 2014. Resource restrictions are a major part of F1's planned rules overhaul for 2021 but the engines will not be simplified to the extent first suggested. Read Also: Hamilton: 2021 F1 overhaul "nowhere near where it needs to be" Why F1 has delayed releasing its 2021 rules overhaul Seidl, who worked at Porsche before joining McLaren this year, believes the technical aspects of the next set of engine rules will need to "make the next step of hybridisation" but also reduce costs. "But in order to be attractive as a sport for a manufacturer to enter again, I think it's also very very important to make sure you can enter this sport with an investment which is a lot smaller compared to what you have to do now," said Seidl. "If you want to enter this category at the moment, then the investment you have to do for the infrastructure, and the budget you have to use in order to get to the point where the established manufactures are, you have to be realistic. "It is pretty difficult to imagine that anyone would invest that money at the moment." Porsche built and tested an engine that would have been compatible for F1 and formed the basis of a 2021 entry had it committed to joining. Ex-LMP1 head Seidl would not comment on that Porsche project but said that "in general it's very difficult for a new engine manufacturer to come in". "This is why I think also that from '21 onwards it makes sense at the moment to really keep the regulations as they are," he added. "We see at the moment already that with keeping the regulations stable all the powertrains are coming closer together. "We simply have to wait for the next cycle of the regulations and see how the automotive industry is going, to see if there is any chance to create interest for another manufacturer to come into this sport." F1's current quartet of engine manufacturers   Mercedes, Ferrari, Honda and Renault   lobbied for the current engine to retain the MGU-H, which was initially going to be scrapped to try to make the engines less complex and tempt a new entrant. "I would try not to upset the four that are there at the moment, to find ourselves down to two, one of them being new," said Red Bull's chief engineer Paul Monaghan on how the next set of engine rules should be framed. "A complete clean sheet of paper rather negates all the work that they've currently done. "You don't want the new rules to be intimidating to anybody else wanting to come in, so you clearly have to strike a compromise somewhere and where that lies I wouldn't want to comment."


As the dust finally settles on an incredible free-agency period, it's time to re-evaluate the NBA's power structure. theScore's NBA news team used composite balloting to determine the following rankings: 1. Los Angeles Clippers After bringing Kawhi Leonard and Paul George into the fold, everyone's favorite underdog team from 2018-19 suddenly has the weapons for immediate title contention. With Patrick Beverley also on board, the Clippers may boast the best perimeter defense in NBA history. 2. Milwaukee Bucks A Herculean effort from Leonard kept the Bucks from taking a 3-0 stranglehold on the Raptors in last year's Eastern Conference finals. With the exceptions of Malcolm Brogdon and Nikola Mirotic , Milwaukee retained most of its core and should be in the championship conversation once again. Video by FOX Sports 3. Los Angeles Lakers The Lakers don't have a starting-caliber lead guard, so the logical assumption is LeBron James will run point. And though some have already dismissed their roster construction, the Lakers still added Anthony Davis . Two of the top five players in the NBA now reside on the purple and gold side of Staples Center. 4. Philadelphia 76ers The 76ers lost Jimmy Butler and JJ Redick but gained Al Horford and Josh Richardson . They'll need to figure out their spacing, but with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons leading the charge, Philly's defense is going to be a problem for the rest of the league. 5. Denver Nuggets Denver had a relatively quiet offseason, which is just what it needed. Last year's second seed in the West signed Jamal Murray to a max extension, brought back Paul Millsap , and landed a sneaky-good addition from the Thunder in Jerami Grant . 6. Houston Rockets Another disappointing playoff exit combined with reported tension between stars James Harden and Chris Paul prompted a major shake-up in Houston. In acquiring Russell Westbrook , the Rockets are taking a huge risk pairing two of the most ball-dominant players in league history. 7. Utah Jazz Before the Clippers' summer exploits, the Jazz were becoming a trendy 2020 Finals pick. For each notable offseason loss - Ricky Rubio , Jae Crowder , and Derrick Favors - the case can be made they've upgraded with the additions of Mike Conley , Bojan Bogdanovic , and Ed Davis . 8. Portland Trail Blazers Matching last season's success won't be easy for the Blazers in a reloaded Western Conference, but they'll be in the mix. Jusuf Nurkic 's void will be well-filled by Hassan Whiteside , who could excel again in a new setting - even if only for a season. 9. Golden State Warriors With Kevin Durant gone and Klay Thompson out of action for the foreseeable future, it's going to be an interesting year for Golden State. The Warriors are no longer a major title threat, but a trio of Stephen Curry , Draymond Green , and D'Angelo Russell is certainly good enough for a playoff seed, even in the crowded West. 10. Toronto Raptors The Raptors are unlikely to defend their NBA title without Leonard but should remain competitive in the East, assuming Marc Gasol , Serge Ibaka , and Kyle Lowry are all on the roster come opening night. All three are on expiring contracts and will certainly be shopped leading up to the trade deadline. 11. Brooklyn Nets Without Kevin Durant in 2019-20, it's going to be interesting watching Kyrie Irving integrate with young Nets like Caris LeVert , Joe Harris , and Jarrett Allen . He failed to excel within a similar dynamic in Boston. 12. Boston Celtics Kemba Walker is as great a Kyrie replacement as they come, but expect the Celtics' interior defense to take a noticeable hit with the losses of both Horford and Aron Baynes . 13. Indiana Pacers The Pacers went 25-11 when Victor Oladipo played last season and still managed to play .500 basketball without him. Brogdon and T.J. Warren give Nate McMillan some new options while Oladipo works his way back from injury. 14. Miami Heat The addition of four-time All-Star Butler should catapult the Heat back into the postseason. Rookie guard Tyler Herro impressed in summer-league play, averaging 19.8 points per contest across four appearances. 15. San Antonio Spurs The additions of DeMarre Carroll and Trey Lyles and the drafting of Keldon Johnson were all very Spurs-ian moves. Though their bar hasn't been raised substantially, the smart money is on a 23rd straight playoff appearance. 16. Dallas Mavericks The Mavericks may not be a playoff squad yet, but they're on the right path. Delon Wright 's length and playmaking make him an excellent complement to Luka Doncic , and fans will finally get to see Kristaps Porzingis . 17. New Orleans Pelicans It's not all about the Pelicans' Zion Williamson -led rookie class. New Orleans brought in Redick and Favors to join Jrue Holiday as the team's core veterans, and the young assets acquired in the Davis trade still have plenty of upside. 18. Sacramento Kings The Kings augmented their talented young roster with solid vets like Trevor Ariza , Cory Joseph , and Dewayne Dedmon . As is always the case when proclaiming Sacramento to be on the right track, however, proceed with caution. 19. Orlando Magic Al-Farouq Aminu is the only notable summer addition to an Orlando squad that otherwise will look almost exactly the same. One exception is Markelle Fultz , who should finally return to the court after a never-ending shoulder saga with the 76ers. 20. Detroit Pistons Detroit didn't stand a chance against the Bucks, especially with a hobbled Blake Griffin . Derrick Rose will provide some much-needed punch off the bench and ease Griffin's offensive load when they share the court. 21. Minnesota Timberwolves The Timberwolves have two-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns ...and not a whole lot else. Ryan Saunders has his work cut out for him, starting with figuring out how to maximize the abilities of the extremely well-compensated Andrew Wiggins . 22. Oklahoma City Thunder Oklahoma City officially hit the rebuild button with the trades of George and Westbrook. General manager Sam Presti recouped a massive haul of draft picks for the All-Star duo and acquired a solid foundation piece in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander . 23. Atlanta Hawks The Hawks had a great draft, snagging De'Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish to form an exciting young core with Trae Young , Kevin Huerter , and John Collins . Is it enough for a surprise playoff appearance? Stay tuned. 24. Memphis Grizzlies So long "Grit and Grind," hello Ja Morant . The departures of Gasol and Conley have ushered in a new era of Grizzlies basketball. The growing process will sting at times, but there's reason to be excited about a new-look Memphis squad. 25. Chicago Bulls Between Zach LaVine , Lauri Markkanen , Wendell Carter Jr. , Coby White , and Otto Porter Jr. , the Bulls' roster features plenty of interesting names. Which of these talents - if any - develop serious on-court chemistry with one another remains to be seen. 26. New York Knicks New York struck out on the marquee players in free agency and settled for a collection of role players. The Knicks should have no trouble building on their 17-win total from a year ago, but all eyes will be on No. 3 overall pick RJ Barrett and the progression of second-year players Mitchell Robinson and Kevin Knox . 27. Washington Wizards If these power rankings revolved around overall franchise management rather than on-court talent, the Wizards would be demoted to the 45th division. As it stands, however, they still have Bradley Beal and an injured John Wall . 28. Phoenix Suns The Suns' end goal is still anyone's guess. Devin Booker finally has a point guard to work with in Rubio, but a quartet featuring those two along with Kelly Oubre Jr. and Deandre Ayton is still far from enough to make any noise in the West. 29. Cleveland Cavaliers This year will be all about John Beilein's adjustment to the pro game after plying his trade in the NCAA for decades. Kevin Love will presumably be healthy, bringing some high-level stability to an otherwise unstable roster. 30. Charlotte Hornets Charlotte narrowly missed the postseason last year and won't be anywhere close to the playoffs this season following the loss of Walker. There are more questions than answers, most notably around Terry Rozier , who inked a lucrative three-year, $58-million deal with the Hornets. Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license. Related slideshow: 10 best moves of the 2019 NBA offseason (Provided by Yardbarker)


Iran will not be intimidated by President Trump 's "art of the deal pressure" by using economic sanctions to push Iran to negotiate a new nuclear deal, the country's top diplomat told ABC News. In an exclusive interview, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif also told "This Week" Co-Anchor Martha Raddatz that "there will be consequences" if the United States keeps up its economic pressure campaign against Iran's people. There was jubilation in the streets of Tehran four years ago in hopes that the lifting of economic sanctions under the nuclear deal -- worked out between the United States, Iran and the European Union -- would improve living conditions. But when the Trump administration imposed the sanctions again, the double digit economic growth of recent years was replaced by an economic downturn, as Iran's oil exports have plunged. MORE: Iran seen as unwavering despite sanctions, US exit from nuclear deal The International Monetary Fund says Iran's economy shrank by 3.9% and inflation spiked 31% in 2018, with predictions it could rise to 37% this year. Prices for red meat and poultry climbed by 57%, vegetables by 47%, and milk, cheese and eggs by 37%, according to the Statistical Center of Iran. "We have not been here since Donald Trump was elected and pulled the U.S. out of the nuclear deal and what a difference we have seen." ABC News' @MarthaRaddatz reports from Iran, where "fears of war seem to be dwarfed by a crippled economy" https://t.co/OOyW1kKf4N pic.twitter.com/AG3PTOXiXg   This Week (@ThisWeekABC) June 2, 2019 Zarif labeled the new U.S. sanctions as "economic terrorism" that "targets ordinary Iranian people" because even though food and medicine are exempted from the sanctions, the financial transactions associated with them are not. The Latest: US would talk with Iran 'with no preconditions' "If the objective of President Trump is to impose pressure on normal Iranians, on ordinary Iranians, he is certainly achieving that," Zarif said. "But he will not achieve his policy objectives through pressure on the Iranians." President Trump has said that he is willing to engage in new talks with Iran toward negotiating a new and tougher nuclear deal. "I want to get along with everybody, if it's possible. I even want to get along with Iran, and Iran wants to talk," President Trump told reporters on Thursday. "And if they want to talk, I'm available." Zarif, however, said the prospects of potential talks are "not very likely, because talking is the continuation of the process of pressure." The foreign minister also noted that Trump's business experience in real estate -- as described in his 1987 book, "Trump: The Art of the Deal" -- will not work with Iran. "This may work in a real estate market. It does not work in dealing with Iran," he said. "It may work even with in dealing with other countries, for a brief period, not for long term, but it doesn't work with Iran for a brief period, or in medium or long. "The only thing that works with Iran is respect," he said. Pompeo, Swiss FM in talks likely dominated by Iran tensions Asked what message he would give directly to the U.S. president, Zarif advised against threatening the country. "I've said it before, threats against Iran never work," he said during the interview. "Never threaten an Iranian. Try respect, that may work." In early May, the Trump administration announced it was sending the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and B-52's to the Middle East to deter new Iranian military threats to U.S. forces and interests. (MORE: Aircraft carrier sent to Middle East after indications Iran planned attack on US forces) U.S. officials have since said that a key component of the intelligence that led the Pentagon to move additional forces to the region were satellite images that allegedly showed Iran had placed cruise missiles aboard small civilian boats known as dhows. Last week, U.S. officials blamed Iran for being behind the sabotage attacks of four commercial ships off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. (MORE: US believes Iran behind vessel attacks as senior officials brief Congress) Zarif dismissed the U.S. claims that there was a new Iranian threat to the region and countered that it was the U.S. Navy's presence that was destabilizing. "We call this place the Persian Gulf for a reason," said Zarif. "It's next to us. We have a right to defend ourselves. "Just imagine if Iran were to come to California coast [or the] Florida coast," he added. "How do you feel? How would you treat that? The United States is sending nuclear ships to our waters, to our vicinity." As for how Iran could respond in the future to what it considers further escalations, the foreign minister told Raddatz his country will take a page from the Trump administration's playbook. "I like to keep President Trump guessing because he likes everybody in the world to keep on guessing about what is happening in the United States," said Zarif. But Zarif warned that "there will be consequences" if the U.S. continues adding more economic sanctions. "If the United States decide to cause so much pain on the Iranian people by imposing economic warfare, by engaging in economic terrorism against Iran, then there will be consequences," he said. "We don't differentiate between economic war and military war," he cautioned. "The U.S. is engaged in war against us, and a war is painful to our participants. We have a very clear notion that in a war, nobody wins. In a war, everybody loses the loss of some will be greater than the loss of others." Asked by Raddatz if the consequences he was referring to was the equivalent of the phrase used by American officials that "all options are on the table," Zarif explained that he was referring to self defense. "All options are on the table belongs to the time when the use of force was legal, and that is about 100 years ago," said Zarif. "What we say is that we exercise our self defense. Self defense is allowed. President Trump has announced that he is engaged in a war and economic war against Iran, and we have an obligation to defend our people against that economic war." ABC News' Rachel Scott contributed to this report.