Russian President Vladimir Putin has lifted some economic restrictions imposed on Turkey, which recently bought one of Moscow's state-of-the-art missile systems in a move set to trigger sanctions from the United States. A document signed by Putin and published to Russia's official online portal for legal information called for the "the abolition of some special economic measures against the Turkish Republic" and partial renewal of an unrestricted travel agreement suspended after a deadly 2015 incident. Relations between Moscow and Ankara were rocked that November when a Turkish F-16 shot down a Russian Su-24 bomber flying over the border region between Syria and Turkey. In the years since, the complex relations between the two Eurasian states have steadily improved, especially as Turkey grew alienated from the U.S. and the NATO Western military alliance, of which they were both members. In the most recent spat with Washington, Ankara ignored threats of sanctions and the cancellation of an F-35 fighter jet deal, and received on Thursday its final batch of equipment for Moscow's S-400 surface-to-air missile system as part of a deal signed back in 2017. Pentagon and Washington officials have called for a hardline response, but Trump has suggested it was "unfair" to blame Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the purchase as he claimed President Barack Obama had refused to sell Patriot anti-missile batteries to Turkey. On Wednesday, various lawmakers said Trump appealed for leniency on Ankara's behalf. Trump himself signed 2017's Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, though he referred to it as "seriously flawed particularly because it encroaches on the executive branch's authority to negotiate." The deal punished countries looking to make major arms deals with Russia and, but the administration has a mixed record of applying it, imposing sanctions against China for its purchase of the S-400 and Su-37 fighters jets, but so far sparing India, which also inked an S-400 deal last year. Following a private meeting with dozens of legislators that lasted about an hour and a half, Republican Senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota told NBC News that Trump "would like a little more room, as the executive, to work through these issues." Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas told the outlet he felt the president "would like more flexibility" on the issue. "The president is not a fan of sanctions as a whole as a tool," Republican Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma told Al-Monitor. "He made that clear overall." Republican Senator David Perdue of Georgia told The Washington Post that "what the presidents trying to do is have a much broader approach to this thing," suggesting that prioritizing sanctions over diplomacy was only a sound strategy "if you just look at what Turkey's trying to do now." Instead, he recommended officials "look at the broader issues of the entire region and then what's going on with other major countries, you might get in a different situation," adding that "we're trying to develop allies in the world." "There may be some things like free trade agreements being talked about," Perdue added. "There's a possibility that you have to bring Russia into some kind of conversation about what their position is in the Middle East they want trade, they want some kind of commerce with us, too." Moscow and Ankara still back the same opposing sides in Syria's eight-year civil war, but Washington's focuses have shifted significantly. The U.S., along with Middle Eastern allies such as Turkey, as well as Israel, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, readily backed a 2011 rebel and jihadi uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who received backing from Iran since at least 2013 and from Russia since 2015. Around the same time as Russia's direct military intervention, the U.S. officially chose a new partner on the ground, a mostly Kurdish alliance known as the Syrian Democratic Forces more concerned with defeating the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) than the country's civil war. The U.S.-backed militia's top group, however, was the People's Protection Units (YPG), considered a terrorist organization by Turkey due to its alleged close ties to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) that has fought with Ankara for decades. While 2015 would see Turkey and Russia feud over the Su-24 shootdown, it would also mark a gradual shift in Ankara's ties with Washington, especially as Kurdish forces began to battle back ISIS and take strategic positions along the Turkish border. At the same time, the Syrian military and its allies began to beat back Syrian insurgents, ultimately retaking Aleppo in late 2016 in a move that led Turkey to come to the negotiating table with Russia and Iran. The three countries were set next month to hold their next trilateral meeting as part of a format boycotted by the U.S., which has struggled to negotiate with Turkey on the implementation of a Syria "safe zone" plan that would allow both Turkey-backed, mostly Arab Sunni Muslim fighters and Kurdish groups to co-exist across northern Syria as the Pentagon pulled back. Russia has managed to strike a separate demilitarization zone deal with Turkey that too has suffered as violence erupted in the jihadi-dominated northwestern province of Idlib. Turkish and Russian troops held positions here near the frontlines of battles between those in support of and against the Syrian government, which has called on both the U.S.-led coalition and Turkey to withdraw immediately . Sign up to our newsletter and get Newsweek stories delivered to your e-mail


Apartment hunting on a budget can be frustrating. So what does the low-end pricing on a rental in Mid-City look like these days and what might you get for the price? Walk Score indicates that the neighborhood is friendly for those on foot, is relatively bikeable and offers many nearby public transportation options. It also features median rents for a one bedroom that hover around $1,895, compared to a $2,073 one-bedroom median for Los Angeles as a whole. A look at local listings for studios and one-bedroom apartments in Mid-City, via rental site Zumper , yields a look at what price-conscious apartment seekers can expect to find in this Los Angeles neighborhood. Read on for the cheapest listings available right now. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 4702 W. 17th St. First up, this one-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bathroom apartment, situated at 4702 W. 17th St., is listed for $1,495/month for its 750 square feet of space. In the spacious unit, expect to find hardwood flooring, a walk-in closet and more, while building amenities include on-site laundry. Sadly, cats and dogs are not allowed. There's no leasing fee required for this rental. (See the complete listing here .) 1947 S. Shenandoah St. Here's a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment at 1947 S. Shenandoah St., which is going for $1,550/month. Amenities offered in the building include on-site laundry, while the upper-level unit features a spacious kitchen, plenty of closet space and carpeted floors. Pet owners, inquire elsewhere: this spot doesn't allow cats or dogs. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental. (See the full listing here .) 4845 Saturn St. Last but not least, there's this 583-square-foot with one bedroom and one bathroom apartment at 4845 Saturn St., listed at $1,695/month. The newly-remodeled unit features new paint, hardwood floors and granite countertops. Pet lovers are in luck: cats and dogs are welcome. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental, but there is a $35 application fee. (See the listing here .) This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


The Rays wow in the fourth round. The Tampa Bay Rays have landed a big fish in the fourth round, bringing in Baseball America's No. 84 prospect LHP Graeme Stinson with the No. 128 overall selection. Considered the top college pitcher heading into the 2019 season, a hamstring issue set back the big lefty, and he returned to the mound as a reliever despite plans to start. At 6'5" and 260 lbs there's question marks, but this is yet another "high upside college guy," according to Jonathan Mayo. On MLB.com he wrote, "Graeme Stinson may have the best slider in the Draft, with mid-80s velocity and two-plane break that make it a plus-plus pitch at its best." Over the summer, Baseball America ranked him as the No. 4 prospect on the USA National Collegiate Team , which annually has some of the best players in the country. He was ranked behind Adley Rutschman, Shea Langeliers, and Andrew Vaughn, three of the top 10 picks Monday night. You can follow Stinson on twitter @GraemeStinson .


Almost a decade before a San Francisco sheriff's deputy was charged and fired for allegedly pitting jail inmates against each other in the infamous "fight club" case, he was accused of punching, kicking and kneeing an inmate in his cell, leaving the man with two broken ribs, records released Tuesday show. But then-Sheriff Michael Hennessey did not discipline Deputy Scott Neu and the district attorney's office declined to file any criminal charges in the 2006 case after the Sheriff's Department conducted an internal investigation into the inmate's complaint. The district attorney's office earlier this year dropped the charges in the 2015 fight club case , citing a mishandled investigation by the Sheriff's Department. Details of the earlier excessive force investigation were released by the Sheriff's Department under California's police transparency law, SB1421, that took effect at the beginning of the year. The law requires law enforcement agencies to release records related to police shootings and use-of-force incidents that involved a serious injury or death even when there are no sustained findings against an officer. Harry Stern, Neu's attorney in the fight club case, said that while he did not represent the deputy in 2006 and was not familiar with the complaint "the fact that the department exonerated him of the charges speaks volumes." The investigation began when an inmate, who was not identified, filed a grievance alleging Neu entered his cell at County Jail No. 1 in May 2006 and "punched and kneed him, fracturing his ribs," records show. The incident came after Neu found the inmate making origami shapes from pages of magazines, officials said. The inmate, who was described as being a "very problematic disruptive prisoner" who "regularly demonstrates behavioral and psychological problems," did have two fractured ribs and was treated by the jail's medical staff, according to investigators. The complaint was not the first time an inmate had made such an accusation against Neu, records show. The inmate told investigators that Neu grabbed his hair, punched the left side of his body seven times and kneed him one time, fracturing his ribs, according to investigators. What's more, a jail captain wrote that "Neu had entered her office and asked her if there was anything that he was doing that she wanted to talk to him about," which she "found strange," according to the report. Investigators interviewed Neu, other deputies, inmates and witnesses before determining the complaint was not sustained. Sheriff Hennessey determined Neu did not violate any policies and he was not disciplined. Neu remained a deputy until 2015 when late-Public Defender Jeff Adachi exposed the fight club case . Adachi said deputies arranged and gambled on fights between inmates during a two-day period in early March 2015, at County Jail No. 4 on the seventh floor of the Hall of Justice at 850 Bryant St. A year later, the district attorney's office charged Neu with 17 criminal counts, including assault under color of authority, making threats, inhumanity to a prisoner and cruel and unusual punishment and he was fired. Two other deputies were accused of assault under color of authority, inflicting cruel and unusual punishment and breaching official duties. All three pleaded not guilty. The inmates settled a lawsuit against the city and Sheriff's Department in 2016 for $90,000. The district attorney's office dismissed the charges against the deputies on Feb. 1 after prosecutors said they learned the Sheriff's Department mishandled the investigation by destroying evidence and improperly conducting joint administrative and criminal investigations. Other records released Tuesday by the department under SB1421 detailed an investigation into a deputy who was accused of sexually harassing inmates in 2012, and maintaining a sexual relationship with one woman after she was released. The investigation into Deputy Douglas Jones began with a complaint from a female inmate alleging verbal and physical sexual misconduct. Over the course of the investigation, four female inmates and one female therapist who worked in the Seventh Street jail made similar allegations. All of the inmates said Jones showed them pictures on his cell phone of naked women and images of what they believed were his own genitals. One woman said Jones placed her hand on his clothed genitals. Another woman said he asked her to masturbate in front of him. Multiple inmates said Jones made sexually explicit comments while they were in or near the showers. The therapist said Jones had frequent conversations with her about his sexual relationships with women. She also saw him talking with inmates in common areas for extended periods of time   behavior that was not typical among guards. Some of the inmates interviewed during the investigation said they had not been bothered by Jones' alleged behavior. But one woman became visibly upset and cried when she talked to investigators and said Jones' alleged actions had bothered her because she was a rape survivor, according to the documents. One woman said she had had a sexual relationship with Jones that started before her time in the jail where Jones worked and continued after she was released. She also said that Jones had taken her to a gun range and allowed her to shoot one of his weapons, despite knowing she was a felon who was not allowed to handle a firearm. A separate investigation into Jones' relationship with the woman was triggered by comments she made to staff at a Sheriff's Department program to support former female inmates. Specifically, officials looked into her allegations that Jones pursued a relationship with her despite orders to stay away from all of the women who had been interviewed in the sexual misconduct investigation. The woman said that Jones came to her home after she'd been released from jail in late February 2012, and after she had been interviewed by investigators about his alleged behaviors. She told officials that Jones asked her what she had told investigators. The woman said she felt intimidated by Jones and feared repercussions for having participated in the investigation. In addition to the sexual misconduct complaints, Jones was accused of using his cell phone while on duty and performing favors for inmates, in particular, bringing them food. Both actions are not allowed. He was also accused of lying to investigators. Jones denied most of the allegations against him during the investigation. He admitted to showing inmates some photos on his cell phone and having an ongoing relationship with one female inmate. But he denied engaging in any inappropriate sexual conduct. The investigation for the most part took place while then-Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi was temporarily suspended as officials looked into a domestic violence complaint against him. Interim Sheriff Vicki Hennessy, his replacement, sought to have Jones fired but Mirkarimi, after returning to office in December 2012, instead suspended Jones for six months. Jones was terminated from the Sheriff's Department in December 2015 for reasons that the department would not disclose on Tuesday. Mirkarimi lost his re-election to Hennessy in 2015. Harry Stern, Jones' attorney during the 2012 investigation, said in an email Tuesday that Jones successfully fought the case against him and that both sides agreed to the suspension without pay, "with no admission of wrongdoing." "The allegations against Deputy Jones were patently false and without merit," Stern said. Evan Sernoffsky and Erin Allday are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com and eallday@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsly @erinallday


Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George is among the finalists for the 2018-19 NBA Most Valuable Player award and the Defensive Player of the Year award, the NBA announced Friday night. The league announced three finalists for the MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Most Improved Player and the Rookie of the Year award. Along with George, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Houston Rockets guard James Harden are also up for the MVP award after each posting stellar years. Meanwhile, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert joins George and Antetokounmpo as the three finalists for the Defensive Player of the Year award. Gobert is the defending DPOY winner. As for George, the six-time All-Star figures to have stiff competition for each award. Although the awards have already been voted on by a panel of media members, those two categories were highly competitive. George was viewed by many as a strong candidate for MVP in the first half of the season before he struggled with a pair of shoulder injuries toward the end of the season. George finished second in scoring behind James Harden with a career-high 28 points per game. He also added 8.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 77 games for the Thunder. Antetokounmpo just trailed George in scoring with 27.7 points per game while he also had 12.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game for the Bucks. The MVP race may very well come down to Antetokounmpo and Harden. George finished first in steals with a career-high 2.2 per game and is viewed as one of the best two-way players in the NBA. He led the NBA in deflections (3.8) and loose-balls recovered (2.1). George finished 14th in defensive rating. George is the first player in the NBA since Michael Jordan during the 1988-89 season to average as many points, rebounds and steals in a single season. Gobert was fourth in the NBA in rebounds, third in blocks and fourth in defensive rating. Antetokounmpo placed 10th in blocks and second in defensive rating. While George struggled with a pair of shoulder injuries, he was rewarded for his strong year with nominations in two key awards races. He has never won either reward before. The NBA will unveil the winners of the award at the 2019 NBA Awards on Monday, June 24 at 9 p.m. ET on TNT. The third annual NBA Awards will take place at Barker Hangar in Los Angeles. MORE: 2019 Preakness Stakes post positions and odds Houston Rockets free agency target: Jimmy Butler Did the Raiders steal the best fullback in the 2019 NFL draft? Four potential Tobias Harris landing spots in free agency The Ringer: A.J. Green-Saints trade would be dream come true


The Giants will soon have their heir-apparent quarterback under contract. They've agreed to terms with No. 6 overall pick Daniel Jones on his four-year rookie contract, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets . The Duke product is set to receive all of his signing bonus this year, Rapoport adds ( on Twitter ). This completes the Giants' 2019 draft class and thins out the list of unsigned picks to four. Over the past three days, the Giants have come to terms with their final two holdouts   Jones and outside linebacker Oshane Ximines. Giants rookies begin work on Tuesday, and Jones will obviously be the centerpiece of those workouts. Veterans join practices Friday. Perhaps the most controversial pick of this year's draft, Jones went off the board several picks before he was expected to. This prompted criticism directed at Dave Gettleman, but the second-year Giants GM believes the former David Cutcliffe pupil will be the player to succeed Eli Manning. Jones impressed Giants brass this offseason, doing so to the point the team might only keep two quarterbacks on its active roster.`


DALLAS   Sung Kang matched the Trinity Forest course record with a 10-under 61 on an unseasonably cool day Friday to take the second-round lead in the Byron Nelson. Kang was 16 under after his round that included six birdies in a row. The 31-year-old South Korean who lives in North Texas had a four-stroke lead over playing partner Matt Every and Tyler Duncan. Marc Leishman shot a 61 last year in the first Nelson round played at the links-style course near downtown Dallas. Your browser does not support iframes. Full-field scores from the AT&T Byron Nelson AT&T Byron Nelson: Articles, photos and videos With temperatures in the low 50s, Kang began his day with a 9-foot birdie on the par-5 No. 1 hole. His approach to within a foot of the cup at the 311-yard No. 5 set up the first of his six straight birdies. Every had his second straight 65, and Duncan shot 66. Brooks Koepka, the world's No. 3-ranked player who goes to next week's PGA Championship as defending champion, was fourth at 11 under after a 66. Jordan Spieth shot 67 to get to 7 under. Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, also a member of the club, was 8 over after a 74. He missed the cut, but didn't finish last.


WASHINGTON   Samantha Cunningham was halfway through a five-hour road trip to a music festival in Bradley, Calif., when she realized she'd left her asthma inhaler back home in Sacramento. Her options seemed limited: go back, pick it up and be late for the concert; pay a $100 minimum fee to get a new prescription at a walk-in clinic; "or go without the inhaler and hope that they had a rescue machine at the festival on the off chance I had an asthma attack, which, of course, wasn't a very inviting prospect," Cunningham said. Then a friend on the trip suggested she try American Well, a service that allows smartphone or Web device users to have a video consultation with a physician. After downloading the phone app and entering her personal information, Cunningham, 23, was soon discussing her predicament face to face with Dr. Minoti Parab, a family doctor in Charlotte, N.C., who sees only "telemedicine" patients like Cunningham on her home computer. The app download and visit with Dr. Parab took about 30 minutes and cost $49   far less than a traditional office visit. When it was over, Cunningham had a prescription for a new inhaler that she filled at a pharmacy in Bradley before arriving   on time   for the concert. "It was really a perfect solution," she said. It's also a perfect example of how telemedicine   using electronic technology to provide remote patient care and to exchange medical information   is transforming health care delivery. Along with American Well, companies like Teladoc, Doctor on Demand and Specialists on Call host video consultations with off-site doctors, serving consumers, employers, insurers and hospitals. Large hospital systems, like the University of California, Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, also use telemedicine technology to make their specialists available by video to other hospitals. Increasingly, technology is providing the solutions. Robots help treat emergency room patients and allow off-site neurologists to diagnose and recommend life-saving medication for stroke victims. New phone apps let users conduct full eye exams and make detailed retinal screenings with their smartphones. Other phone-based technology allows therapists to monitor the moods of mental health patients on a computer screen dashboard and text them instructions or warnings as needed. These and other innovations are expanding the possibilities of "virtual medicine," yet another moniker   along with mHealth, eHealth and telehealth   for treating patients from afar. Telemedicine technology has the potential to one day save more than $40 billion annually by cutting nearly two-thirds of unnecessary emergency room visits, and save nearly $20 billion a year by replacing one-third of physician visits, according to a July report by investment bank RBC Capital Markets. The report was released the same day that RBC recommended that investors buy Teladoc stock in its initial public offering. Dr. Steve Waldren, who directs the Alliance for eHealth Innovation at the American Academy of Family Physicians, couldn't vouch for the RBC estimates, but he said the growing telemedicine trend will improve access to care and save money along the way. "I really agree with the market analysis that telemedicine over the next decade-plus is going to be a huge business," Waldren said. "It can decrease the total cost of care. It can increase the satisfaction of patients and it can improve the quality of care." The current $250 million U.S. market for telemedicine services is expected to top $20 billion over the next decade, as patients get more comfortable with the technology and it becomes the norm for less severe ailments, according to the RBC report. The market could reach $50 billion as more hospitals and insurers use the technology to monitor higher-cost patients like the elderly and those with multiple chronic conditions. "The basic economics of virtual medicine are just kind of punch-you-in-the-face clear and obvious," said David Francis, Nashville, Tenn.-based managing director for health care information technology and consumer health research at RBC Capital Markets. "Being able to shift a payment that ought to be somewhere in the $40 to $50 range out of an environment that's anywhere from $200 to $2,000 is an absolute layup for anyone who is at risk financially in the health care market," Francis said. If Medicare expands telemedicine coverage for its enrollees, the market potential grows even larger. Currently, Medicare pays for some telemedicine services for rural patients, but only if provided at approved sites like medical facilities that can access doctors remotely. By paying the distant provider the same amount that an in-person office visit would cost   and a fee for use of the site   "Medicare's total payments are thus higher for telemedicine services than for equivalent services delivered conventionally," the Congressional Budget Office noted in a recent analysis. A number of bipartisan proposals in Congress would expand access to and reimbursement for telemedicine services under Medicare. But the measures have been stalled because the CBO can't effectively gauge the cost of such a coverage expansion. That's because it's unclear if new telemedicine coverage would cause program usage and spending to increase. "Without other constraints, the added convenience for enrollees of receiving telemedicine rather than face-to-face care could increase their demand for and use of Medicare-covered services," the CBO said. "That's the conundrum we're in," said Gary Capistrant, chief policy officer at the American Telemedicine Association, which is lobbying Congress to expand Medicare's coverage of telemedicine services. To give the CBO a better idea of the potential costs involved, Capistrant wants the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct more demonstration projects. One area that lawmakers and health advocates want to focus on is "telestroke" care, where caregivers at one facility can confer with a stroke specialist at another location using audiovisual tools like smartphone apps, computer-based technology or the RP-VITA robotic device from InTouch Health and iRobot. With these tools, distant neurologists, working with on-scene caregivers, can determine the type of stroke and recommend treatment, if necessary, with tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, a clot-busting medicine that greatly improves the chances of recovery if provided quickly. Expanding Medicare's reimbursement for telestroke care would help save federal health programs $119 million a year on rehabilitative services and long-term care, according to research by the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association. That's after accounting for the increased cost of more telestroke consultations and greater use of tPA. In a nation already short of neurologists, the technology helps put more specialists in more places. Dr. Til Jolly is chief medical officer at Specialists On Call, whose 200-plus neurologists, psychiatrists and intensive care doctors provide on-demand video consultations to hospitals in 33 states. "The numbers don't lie," he said. "There are not going to be all these physicians we need in all the places we need them, so we have to figure out a better way." While videoconferencing is the bread and butter of the telemedicine movement, the use of mobile apps is the new frontier and seems well-suited for mental health applications. Centerstone, a mental health services provider in Columbus, Ind., reported a 40 percent decrease in hospitalizations and emergency room usage among 65 patients who were given several health-monitoring devices, including a phone app, Ginger.io, which analyzes smartphone data to predict when the patients are symptomatic and then notifies their case managers. "They really liked the apps and in the end they seemed to feel like they had much better control over and understanding of their illnesses," said Bob Siegmann, Centerstone's senior vice president for health care integration and collaboration. But because the apps were provided along with other enhancements, like extra discretionary cash and greater access to case managers, it's hard to gauge the apps' actual contribution to the final results, said John Torous, a clinical fellow in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. That lack of solid clinical research on the growing number of mobile phone apps for behavioral health should give therapists pause, Torous said. "It's hard for clinicians right now to decide what are the good apps and the bad apps," Torous said. "We're not thinking of them medically and asking the medical questions: What are the risks and benefits of use? And how well does it work in a real clinical population? For most of these things, we just don't know."


Looking for a sublime Japanese meal near you? Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top Japanese spots around Santa Ana, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of the best spots to satisfy your cravings. 1. Kaizen Shabu Topping the list is Kaizen Shabu . Located at 303 N. Spurgeon St. in Lacy, the Japanese/Asian fusion and hot-pot spot is the highest-rated Japanese restaurant in Santa Ana, boasting 4.5 stars out of 595 reviews on Yelp. 2. Shabu Shabu Bar Next up is Meredith Parkwood's Shabu Shabu Bar , at 1945 E. 17th St., Suite 108. With four stars out of 1,846 reviews on Yelp, the Japanese hot-pot spot has proven to be a local favorite. 3. Sushi Sankai Sushi Sankai , at 3940 S. Bristol St., Suite 112, is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the sushi bar and Japanese spot four stars out of 670 reviews. 4. Poki One N Half Poki One N Half , a poke and Hawaiian spot that offers ramen and more, is another much-loved go-to, with 4.5 stars out of 164 Yelp reviews. Head over to 131 E. Memory Lane to see for yourself. 5. Sushi Murasaki Last but not least, check out Sushi Murasaki , which has earned four stars out of 592 reviews on Yelp. You can find the sushi bar and Japanese spot at 2901 W. MacArthur Blvd., Suite 108. This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


The MLB draft isn't even over yet, but the Tigers announced on this morning's draft conference call that they've officially signed first-rounder Riley Greene. Greene was selected with the No. 5 overall pick, which comes with a $6,180,700 slot value, although bonus terms are not yet known. Greene, 18, will forgo a commitment to the University of Florida in order to begin his professional career with the Tigers. An outfielder out of Hagerty High School in Oviedo, Fla., he was a consensus top-tier talent in the 2019 draft, with Baseball America ranking him fifth overall while ESPN , MLB.com and FanGraphs all ranked him as the draft's No. 6 prospect. Scouting reports on Greene laud his hit tool, with BA's report labeling him the "best pure hitter in the prep class." He's a hit-over-power prospect at present, although BA and FanGraphs suggest that his raw power could eventually turn into above-average game power as well. The consensus on him from a defensive standpoint seems to be that he'll land in an outfield corner. Greene is obviously several years away from being a factor at the big league level, as is the case with most high school draftees, but he'll nonetheless add a high-upside bat to the top of a Tigers farm system that is currently headlined primarily by pitchers. Right-handers Casey Mize, Matt Manning, Franklin Perez, Beau Burrows and Alex Faedo are among the most highly regarded prospects in a rapidly improving Detroit system.


A brush fire destroyed a homeless encampment in the Sepulveda Basin area, in Los Angeles, on July 30, according to Mayor Eric Garcetti. More than 100 firefighters and two helicopters battled the blaze near Balboa Park as it burned through about seven acres of brush and displaced more than 100 homeless people, ABC7 reported. Nearby roads and a public bus station were closed during the blaze, the Los Angeles Times reported. Authorities told media that fire was worsened by several propane tank explosions, typically used in homeless encampments for cooking and heating. Authorities were working with people displaced by the fire, Mayor Garcetti said in a tweet. Credit: @rashantha via Storyful


(Reuters) - Austria's Bernd Wiesberger ended on 14-under par to beat Scotland's Robert MacIntyre by a single stroke in a thrilling finale at the Made in Denmark Open to claim his fifth European Tour title on Sunday. Wiesberger, who started the final round with the same lead over MacIntyre, carded a five-under par 66 to win his first title since recovering from wrist surgery that sidelined him for seven months last year. "I had a rough year last year," Wiesberger said at the Himmerland Golf and Spa Resort. "It's been a hard couple of months and it's lovely to see it pay off." France's Romain Langasque finished third, a further two strokes behind, while five golfers shared fourth spot. Wiesberger let his advantage slip with a double bogey at the fourth but made amends at the 11th with an eagle and the two leaders were neck-and-neck on the back nine. However, MacIntyre got into trouble off the tee at the 17th, allowing Wiesberger to take a two-shot lead going into the final hole. The 33-year-old Austrian bogeyed the final hole but MacIntrye could not force a playoff, with his long-range putt for birdie lipping out to give Wiesberger victory in his 13th event since making his comeback to the Tour. (Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; editing by Tony Lawrence)


MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO)   The average commute time in Minnesota is just under 24 minutes. That's according to a new report from the U.S. Census Bureau , which breaks down commute times by ZIP code. The ZIP codes with the lowest commute times are near Morris (10 minutes), International Falls (11.7 minutes), Marshall (12.4 minutes), Wheaton (12.8 minutes), and Duluth (13.3 minutes). The longest commutes are near Isanti (37.4 minutes), Stanchfield (37.4 minutes), Zimmerman (37), Ogilvie (36.6 minutes) and Cedar (35 minutes).


President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shattered more than a year of relative tranquility Thursday with the U.S. seizure of a North Korean vessel and the isolated regime's launch of two short-range ballistic missiles. The renewed tensions followed a series of internal battles Trump and Kim fought with their own subordinates in the process of striving for a historic disarmament deal. "Nobody's happy about it," Trump told reporters in Washington in some of his most downbeat remarks concerning the relationship to date. "They're talking about negotiating, but I don't think they're ready to negotiate." Subscribe to the Post Most newsletter: Today's most popular stories on The Washington Post It was the first time the United States had seized a North Korean cargo vessel for violating international sanctions, the Justice Department said, and the first confirmed missile test by Pyongyang in more than 500 days. The return of tit-for-tat provocations demonstrated the limits of the personal relationship between Kim and Trump that the president has touted as key to overcoming decades of mistrust. Last month, Trump sent Kim a "happy birthday" letter commemorating the birth date of his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, and expressed interest in future engagements following the collapse of their meeting in February in Hanoi. "He sends him pictures. He sends him letters. I don't know how President Trump can be more forthcoming in his efforts to have a good relationship with Kim Jong Un," national security adviser John Bolton told PBS NewsHour. In building a rapport, Trump and Kim have talked about basketball, pop culture and even video games, U.S. officials said, while slapping down hawkish advisers who disappoint them. In April, Kim demoted his point man for the nuclear talks, Kim Yong Chol, rebuking a prominent hard-liner and former spy chief who exasperated U.S. negotiators with his stubborn demands and aloof demeanor, two State Department officials said. Trump also has battled with his top advisers to preserve a positive atmosphere for a deal. On Tuesday, Trump told South Korea's president in a phone call that he supports aid for North Korea to ease food shortages, despite the concerns of some U.S. officials that it might ease internal pressure on the regime. In March, he ruled out future sanctions against North Korea in a meeting with Bolton and reacted angrily after learning that previous sanctions were imposed without his approval, U.S. officials said. "What's really striking is how in both systems, the bureaucracies aren't always moving in the same direction as the leaders are signaling," said Scott Snyder, a Korea expert at the Council on Foreign Relations. Kim's decision to fire off missiles after a long hiatus appears to signal impatience with the Trump administration's hard-nosed negotiating tactics, analysts said. "The problem is: How do Trump and Kim overcome this stalemate?" said Sue Mi Terry, a North Korea scholar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a former CIA analyst. "There doesn't appear to be a way forward." Trump has grown frustrated with public criticism of his administration's tactics and complained privately that Kim makes for a tough and mercurial negotiating partner. "It's not like [I'm] dealing with the president of France," Trump said at a recent private gathering of supporters, according to a person present during the conversation, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal discussions. The president told the group a graphically detailed story in which he said Kim had killed his uncle Jang Song Thaek and displayed his head for others to see, the person present said. The claim about Kim displaying Jang's head is a curiosity. Though North Korean state-run media announced in 2013 that Jang had been executed, there are no public reports of a corpse exhibition and he is believed to have been killed by firing squad. The blame game over the impasse in the talks has scrambled the usual alliances of hawks and doves in Washington. Top conservative think tank scholars at the Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute have criticized the administration and called for even more economic sanctions. By contrast, many advocates of engagement and nonproliferation have offered cautious support for a step-by-step process that trades partial sanctions relief for partial denuclearization. "Trump's instincts on engaging the North Koreans have been sound," said Robert Carlin, a longtime Korea scholar at Stanford University and a former State Department official. "The reemergence of Bolton's all-or-nothing approach put us back in the hole." During the Hanoi summit, Trump kept Bolton away from a dinner with Kim and told other White House officials that his adviser would not help broker a deal because he viewed the regime so negatively, the officials said. When asked about his satisfaction with his adviser, the president said Thursday that "John's very good" but that he has to counterbalance his views. "He has strong views on things, but that's okay. I actually temper John, which is pretty amazing isn't it?" Trump said at an impromptu briefing. "I have other people who are a little more dovish than him, and ultimately I make the decision." National Security Council spokesman Garrett Marquis said Bolton is "pursuing the president's national security agenda, and he has repeatedly emphasized that the president has opened the door for North Korea to enter into a very bright economic future." Despite his private frustrations, the president has instructed his advisers to keep a positive outlook. After North Korea launched short-range projectiles last week, Trump maintained that demeanor. "I believe that Kim Jong Un fully realizes the great economic potential of North Korea, & will do nothing to interfere or end it," Trump tweeted . "He also knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen!" Still, the launch of even short-range missiles is a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, raising questions about how the United States will decide to engage North Korea from here on out. A key factor was Kim's irritation at being caught off guard when Trump chose to leave Hanoi without an agreement, said diplomats familiar with the negotiations. Before the summit, Kim Yong Chol had provided optimistic assessments on the status of the talks, and the North Korean leader believed Trump would accept an interim deal that traded partial economic sanctions relief for partial denuclearization. Kim has now appointed Jang Kum Chol as the new head of the United Front Department. Meanwhile, he promoted Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, who offered him more cautious assessments on the status of the negotiations, and awarded her with membership on the State Affairs Commission, said the diplomats. Choe and her boss accompanied Kim to a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok on April 25, while Kim Yong Chol did not. Though no one's position is assured, the shake-up appears to swap a group of hardened intelligence officers who irritated U.S. negotiators for diplomats with more experience hammering out technical agreements. "Choe Son Hui knows Americans well and has worked on these issues for decades," said Joel Wit, a North Korea expert at the Stimson Center, noting Choe's participation in six-party talks involving the United States, North Korea and other nations during the George W. Bush administration. "She'll have a good feel for whether an agreement is possible or not." Besides blaming his own subordinates, Kim has directed his aides to lash out at Trump's top advisers for enforcing a hard line in the negotiations, said diplomats familiar with the matter. Choe has accused Pompeo and Bolton of creating an "atmosphere of hostility and mistrust" despite the "mysteriously wonderful" chemistry between Trump and Kim. The one U.S. adviser who has escaped the ire of the North is Special Representative Steve Biegun , a former Ford executive who has tangled with Bolton and other hawkish aides in his efforts to find a diplomatic solution. Biegun is viewed by many diplomats as the best hope for a breakthrough in the talks, but commanding the attention of Pyongyang has been a struggle for him. Since the shake-up, Biegun has asked Choe for a meeting but has not received a response, said diplomats familiar with his correspondence. Biegun told The Washington Post that the "working-level discussions" involving less-senior diplomats in Hanoi helped the two sides "narrow the gap on a number of issues" and stressed that those lower-level talks should take priority before another presidential summit. "President Trump's summit with Chairman Kim in Hanoi was a very productive meeting, though the time was not right to sign a deal," he said. "We believe working-level talks are the best way to make progress at this time." Supporters of Trump's push for a diplomatic solution to the crisis hope that Biegun and Choe can find a way to move the talks forward. "We're hoping to be able to develop and build that trust between [them]," Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom said in an interview at the Swedish Embassy in Washington. "Biegun impressed us." Sweden played host to Biegun and Choe in January, but at the time the two diplomats mostly "sounded each other out" rather than negotiating specifics, Wallstrom said. North Korea's lack of response to Biegun could be because of its own deliberations over who his proper counterpart should be. "They're trying to figure out if Choe or someone else should be working with him," Wit said. It could also demonstrate, however, North Korea's disinterest in negotiating with anyone except Trump. The intentions of North Korea's leader are never plainly clear, but Kim has stressed the importance of moving quickly to conclude a deal, saying in a recent speech that he would wait only "till the end of the year" for the United States to take a more flexible approach on sanctions relief. "From Kim's perspective, Trump is the only person he can get a good deal out of," said Terry, the former CIA analyst. "Any other leader would go with a bottom-up diplomatic process. But with Trump it's top-down and he's willing to sign a peace treaty and put alliance equities on the table. That's why Kim wants to see a deal and why traditional Korea analysts get nervous." Trump, too, appears eager for an agreement. Given Trump's enthusiasm, his aides have been careful to keep him up to date, but some more than others. In March, after the U.S. imposed new North Korea sanctions and was considering future measures, White House aide Robert Blair warned Bolton that Trump was never notified and might not want them, U.S. officials said. Bolton said he knew what Trump wanted and would handle the issue. But Bolton's confidence, first reported by Bloomberg News, appeared to be misplaced. The next day, Bolton told Trump about the sanctions and the possibility of more in the future. Trump responded angrily, said two officials familiar with the meeting, and said he didn't want future or previous sanctions. "I don't want to do it," Trump repeated. Faced with the unusual prospect of canceling just-announced sanctions, Trump and his aides engaged in a tense back-and-forth that included an intervention by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to defend the earlier sanctions. Eventually, Trump agreed to keep the previous round but insisted that he didn't want future sanctions. The White House punctuated the decision in a statement designed to keep the talks alive and assure one young world leader above all others that Trump understands him. "President Trump likes Chairman Kim," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said. "He doesn't think these sanctions will be necessary." john.hudson@washpost.com josh.dawsey@washpost.com


The National Civil Rights Museum has been honored by the Institute of Museum and Library Services with a 2019 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation's highest honor for libraries and museums. The award is given to 10 institutions that have made significant and exceptional contributions to their communities. For the last 25 years, the award has recognized institutions that have contributed to individuals, families and communities. The NCRM opened in 1991 and completed a $27.5 million renovation in 2014, updating and adding exhibits with state of the art interactive technology. "We are humbled and honored to receive this prestigious award. And we are ecstatic that the Institute for Museums and Library Sciences has acknowledged our outstanding MLK50 programming. It was tremendous work for the staff but truly a labor of love," NCRM President Terri Lee Freeman said in a statement. The museum is located on the site of the former Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. In 2018, the museum hosted events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of King's death . The NCRM was one of 30 national finalists considered for the award. The other National Medal winners are: Jamestown S'Klallam Tribal Library, Sequim, Washington; Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research, Ann Arbor, Michigan; New Haven Free Public Library, New Haven, Connecticut; Gulfport Public Library, Gulfport, Florida; Meridian Library District, Meridian, Indiana; Barona Band of Mission Indians - Barona Cultural Center and Museum, Lakeside, California; New Children's Museum, San Diego, California; Orange County Regional History Center, Orlando, Florida; and the South Carolina Aquarium, Charleston, South Carolina. The awards be presented during an event in Washington, D.C. on June 12. More: Memphis honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 51 years after death More: National Civil Rights Museum draws thousands for MLK Day celebration This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: National Civil Rights Museum receives nation's high honor for museums


The day after Davidson junior Alex Ross fired an absurd 57 in the third round of the Dogwood Invitational, we nearly saw another sub-60 round on the PGA Tour. And that's not even the craziest part of the story. The really crazy part, is that the sub-60 round was nearly shot by Brandt Snedeker, who just last August joined the 59 club with a scintillating 11 under opening round at the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club. It made him just the 10th player in PGA Tour history to card a sub-60 round, and the third since January 2017. In the second round of the RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf and Country Club, Snedeker almost accomplished the feat again, ultimately settling for a 10-under 60 that saw him go from one under to 11 under for the tournament, good enough for the solo lead. Had Snedeker pulled it off, he would have joined Jim Furyk as the only players to shoot a pair of sub-60 rounds on the PGA Tour. Furyk shot a 12-under 59 in the second round of the 2013 BMW Championship at Conway Farms Golf Club and then shot a 12-under 58 three years later in the final round of the 2016 Travelers Championship. Furyk failed to win on either occasion, while Snedeker was able to pull out a victory at the Wyndham. Unlike his last ridiculously low round, this one got off on the right footing (Sneds bogeyed the opening hole when he shot 59 in August). On Friday, he began with a birdie at the par-4 10th at Hamilton Golf and Country Club, then made three more at No.'s 12, 16 and 17 to turn in four-under 31. After a par at the first, Snedeker made his fifth birdie of the day at the par-4 second, then made eagle at the par-5 fourth following a 234-yard approach shot to 20 feet: https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/1137016662350270467 That got him to seven under on the round with just five holes to play, but back-to-back birdies at the fifth and sixth brought 59 into the equation. The first came from 21 feet: https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/1137019990215942145 The second came from 14 feet at the par-3 sixth: https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/1137023008600678400 Needing two more birdies and a par for 59, Snedeker's dream died when he went par-par at the seventh and eighth holes, but he still gave 59 a good run with his final approach shot of the day at the par-4 ninth, which needed to drop: https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/1137035748182568961 A valiant effort, but he had to take his 60 and go home. Sigh. The 60 still puts Snedeker in an elite club of players to shoot multiple rounds of 60 or lower, one that Furyk belongs in with his 58 and 59. The other two are Phil Mickelson and Zach Johnson, neither of whom have broken 60 in their careers. Mickelson has shot three 60s, one of them coming in the opening round of this year's Desert Classic, to Johnson's two.


The City of Portland and the Maine CDC say there are reported cases of chickenpox in asylum-seekers staying at the Expo. Jessica Grondin, director of communications for the city issued the following statement: "The City is working cooperatively with the Maine CDC following reports of chickenpox cases in individuals staying at the Expo, and is following all protocols associated with limiting further exposure. We've made sure to alert anyone who was known to have visited or volunteered at the Expo since July 26 to watch for symptoms, and to check their vaccination record with their healthcare provider." A letter was sent out to volunteers helping asylum-seekers at Expo while the city works on a permanent plan for residency. The city is facing an Aug. 15 deadline to vacate what's been an emergency shelter since June. The Maine CDC has asked anyone who was inside the Expo on July 26 or after to watch for symptoms and to check their vaccination records with their health care provider. Varicella, commonly known as chickenpox, is a contagious disease caused by a virus. The most commons symptom is an itchy, blister-like rash on the chest, back and face. READ MORE: Chickenpox cases reported at Portland Expo, officials say CHECK OUT WMTW: Stay informed with the latest Portland news and weather from the team at WMTW. Browse the newest Portland, Maine, news stories and stay in the know.


Check out the complete entry list for the Supercars season of endurance, which kicks off in October with the 2019 Bathurst 1000. # Team Make Driver Co-Driver 2 Walkinshaw Andretti United Holden Scott Pye Warren Luff 3 Kelly Racing Nissan Garry Jacobson Dean Fiore 5 Tickford Racing Ford Lee Holdsworth Thomas Randle* 6 Tickford Racing Ford Cameron Waters Michael Caruso 7 Kelly Racing Nissan Andre Heimgartner Bryce Fullwood 8 Brad Jones Racing Holden Nick Percat Tim Blanchard 9 Erebus Motorsport Holden David Reynolds Luke Youlden 12 DJR Team Penske Ford Fabian Coulthard Tony D'Alberto 14 Brad Jones Racing Holden Tim Slade Ash Walsh 15 Kelly Racing Nissan Rick Kelly Dale Wood 17 DJR Team Penske Ford Scott McLaughlin Alex Premat 18 Team 18 Holden Mark Winterbottom Steven Richards 19 Tekno Autosports Holden Jack Le Brocq Jonathon Webb* 21 Brad Jones Racing Holden Macauley Jones Dean Canto 22 Walkinshaw Andretti United Holden James Courtney Jack Perkins 23 Tickford Racing Ford Will Davison Alex Davison 33 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Richie Stanaway** Chris Pither 34 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden James Golding Richard Muscat 35 Matt Stone Racing Holden Todd Hazelwood Jack Smith 55 Tickford Racing Ford Chaz Mostert James Moffat 78 Kelly Racing Nissan Simona De Silvestro Alex Rullo 88 Triple Eight Race Engineering Holden Jamie Whincup Craig Lowndes 97 Triple Eight Race Engineering Holden Shane van Gisbergen Garth Tander 99 Erebus Motorsport Holden Anton De Pasquale Will Brown TBA Kostecki Brothers Racing Holden Brodie Kostecki Jake Kostecki * To be confirmed ** Subject to fitness


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is preparing sanctions and criminal charges against Venezuelan officials and others suspected of using a military-run food aid program to launder money for President Nicolas Maduro's government, according to people familiar with the matter. These actions are expected to be taken within the next three months as part of the Trump administration's push to curtail the cash flow to Maduro and his loyalists, two sources said on Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity. The Wall Street Journal first reported that the United States was putting together a package of measures alleging the large-scale laundering of funds intended for the food program and other state operations in Venezuela, where millions of people are suffering from food and medicine shortages. Multiple U.S. government agencies, including the National Security Council and the Treasury, State and Justice Departments, are involved in the effort, the sources said. The agencies did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Venezuela's political crisis has deepened since opposition leader Juan Guaido invoked the constitution to assume an interim presidency in January, arguing that socialist Maduro's 2018 re-election was illegitimate. The United States and many European and Latin American countries have recognized Guaido as Venezuela's rightful leader. But Maduro retains control of state functions and the support of the military's top brass, as well the support of allies such as Russia, Cuba and China. Sanctions and fraud indictments are under consideration against Venezuelan military officials and politicians as well as Venezuelan business people and foreign partners, the sources said. The names of those who might be targeted was not immediately known. Many Venezuelan families rely on the subsidized food program, known by its Spanish initials CLAP, for their basic necessities in the oil-producing South American nation, where hyperinflation has raged for years. The food aid program would be a new target in Washington's pressure campaign against Maduro. Since President Donald Trump took office in 2017, his administration has imposed sanctions on dozens of Venezuelan officials as well as companies and other entities. (Additional reporting by Roberta Rampton; editing by Jonathan Oatis)


William Byron helped unveil his retro No. 24 paint scheme Thursday, channeling Tom Cruise in a Days of Thunder-inspired video reveal ahead of next month's throwback weekend at Darlington Raceway. RELATED: Buy tickets to Darlington Byron and crew chief Chad Knaus co-starred in the short video, pulling the wraps off a green and yellow City Chevrolet/Hendrick Autoguard sponsored No. 24 Chevy. The 21-year-old driver will use the throwback design in the Bojangles' Southern 500 on Sept. 1 (6 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM). Byron and Knaus borrowed lines from the opening scenes of the 1990 drama with a Hendrick-prepared car that was used in filming as a backdrop. Tom Cruise starred as aspiring driver Cole Trickle opposite Robert Duvall as crew chief Harry Hogge in the movie. MORE: Darlington paint schemes "Loose is fast and on the edge of out of control" RT if you're as excited for @TooToughToTame as we are 🤘 #NASCARThrowback #DaysofThunder pic.twitter.com/neCSZ1DX7b   William Byron (@WilliamByron) August 1, 2019 ]]>


The daughter of former NFL player and head coach Walt Michaels announced , via the Wilkes Barre Times-Leader , that her father died on Wednesday at the age of 89. Michaels was a seventh-round pick by the Browns in 1951 and was traded to the Packers before the start of his rookie season. He returned to the Browns the next year and played linebacker for Cleveland through the 1961 season. He won two titles and the Browns made it to the championship game five times while Michaels was on the roster. Michaels was also selected for five Pro Bowls. Michaels played one more game with the Jets in 1963 while serving as the team's defensive coordinator and won a Super Bowl ring after helping the team overcome the Colts in Super Bowl III. He moved to the Eagles in the same role from 1973 to 1975 and returned to the Jets in 1976. He was promoted to head coach the next year and went 39-47-1 over six seasons. The Jets advanced to the AFC Championship Game in 1982, which turned out to be Michaels's final season with the team as he resigned a short time later. Michaels would go on to coach the USFL's New Jersey Generals in 1984 and 1985. The team went 25-11 in those seasons. Our condolences go out to Michaels's friends and loved ones.


The Los Angeles Rams signed their entire 2019 draft class last week, getting all eight of their draftees under contract for the next four years. After signing their first contracts, the Rams' rookies were given a tour of the Inglewood stadium, which they will share with the Chargers beginning next season. It was an eventful day for the first-year players, but also an emotional one. After putting pen to paper, the Rams' draft picks listened to messages from family members, congratulating them on their accomplishments. Take a look at the touching video below. Can't do it alone. After signing their first NFL contract, the #LARams draftees heard messages from those who mean the most. pic.twitter.com/1tejszpLUS - Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) June 8, 2019 The Rams had the weekend off but they'll be back on the field for mandatory minicamp this week. It begins on Tuesday and runs for three days until Thursday. MORE: NHL fans weren't impressed with Mike Milbury's questions for Pam from 'The Office' Roundup: Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger Get Married, Chicago Poop Vandal, Johnny Manziel Talks XFL Sleeping on Patriots WR Demaryius Thomas would be a huge mistake WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling impressing staff going into Packers minicamp Bears believe Clinton-Dix is an upgrade over Amos


Kelly Racing has copped a $2000 fine after a torch fell out of Simona de Silvestro's Nissan during Supercars practice in Townsville. The round torch dislodged itself from de Silvestro's Nissan during this morning's opening 30-minute practice session, having seemingly been left under the car between runs. While it didn't cause the session to be stopped it has since been punished by the stewards, the team copping a $2000 fine. "Following a DRD investigation and an admission of a breach of Rule D11.7.3 (a car must be free of equipment before leaving its pit bay) by Motorsport Holdings Pty Ltd (Kelly Racing) in relation to car 78, the Stewards imposed a fine of $2000 on Motorsport Holdings Pty Ltd," read the post-session stewards report. The fine caps off a trying day for the four-car KR outfit in Townsville, lead driver Rick Kelly the best of the Altimas on combined times in 13th place. Andre Heimgartner was next best in 17th, with Garry Jacobson 20th and de Silvestro just 23rd.


All three of NASCAR's national series will be competing on new tires this weekend as they race on different track surfaces. Cup and Xfinity Series teams will be road-course racing at Watkins Glen International, and the Gander Outdoors Truck Series holds its annual race on the dirt of Eldora Speedway. Here's the tire info for both tracks. Cup and Xfinity   Watkins Glen Cup and Xfinity Series will run the same Goodyear tire code on all four tires at Watkins Glen. This is a brand new tire, featuring the same tread compounds as 2018 with just a construction update. Watkins Glen International is a faster and less technical road course than the Cup Series' earlier stop at Sonoma Raceway. WGI's 2016 repave only added to that. Because of the sustained speed on the course, WGI requires a different tire set-up, and one that utilizes a more heat-resistant tread compound. While the compound run at Sonoma is more tractive by comparison, the one run at WGI is still among the top-third in that area in Goodyear's 2019 tire lineup. Tire info Set limits: Cup: Three sets for practice, one set for qualifying and five sets for the race (four race sets plus one set transferred from qualifying or practice) Xfinity: Six sets for the event Tire Code: D-4926 (same on all four tire positions) Tire Circumference: 88.23 in. (2,241 mm) Minimum Recommended Inflation: Left Front   26 psi; Right Front   24 psi; Left Rear   21 psi; Right Rear   21 psi Truck Series   Eldora This is a new tire set-up for Truck Series teams at Eldora. Compared to the 2018 Eldora race, both this left-side and right-side tire feature a tread compound change to introduce more wear. There are three main differences between this tire set-up and the one that Truck teams normally run on asphalt ovals. 1) these are bias ply tires, not radials, and are more compliant and able to envelope the irregularities of the dirt surface. 2) these tires have a block-style tread pattern with leading edges on the blocks to bite into the dirt surface and grooves to help evacuate the dirt, not a "slick" or smooth tread. 3) This left-side tire is significantly shorter to create more stagger between the left- and right-side tires. Tire info Teams will not run inner liners in their tires at Eldora. Set limits: Four sets for the event Tire Codes: Left-side   D-3024; Right-side   D-3026 Tire Circumference: Left-side   85.79 in. (2,179 mm); Right-side   88.50 in. (2,248 mm) Minimum Recommended Inflation: Left Front   18 psi; Left Rear   18 psi; Right Front   22 psi; Right Rear   22 psi


The Giants found some keepers in this weekend's rookie minicamp. The team announced the signing of defensive back Tenny Adewusi, punter Ryan Anderson , and defensive end Alex Jenkins. All three were in minicamp on a tryout basis this weekend. They also placed defensive end Nate Harvey on injured reserve. He was injured on the first day of minicamp, and was spotted on crutches yesterday. He was signed as an undrafted rookie from East Carolina.


Dallas will see a return of last week's hot temperatures through Wednesday, according to the seven-day forecast from drone-powered weather service Saildrone . The weather today and Friday includes forecast highs of 99 degrees. The forecast also shows rain is on the way. The highest chance of rain is forecast on Wednesday at 64 percent. Skies will be mostly cloudy today and partly cloudy on Friday. Winds are forecast to reach a modest high of 13 mph on Friday, with daily top speeds over 10 mph for the remainder of the week. 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.


As of July 2018, Starbucks became the largest food and beverage retailer to eliminate single-use plastic straws from its stores. In an effort to slash one billion plastic straws' worth of waste annually, the coffee giant pledged to replace their signature green straws with strawless lids (used for iced and espresso beverages) and a more sustainable straw option. You might've noticed plenty of places you order drinks from are now offering up paper straws instead of plastic ones. And while this is all in an effort to help the environment, there's another reason for you to fully ditch plastic straws, and that has to do with your health. Yes, sipping out of plastic straws is harming the Earth, and they're also harming you more than you may think. (And that's even before you pair them with one of the 105 Most Popular Sodas Ranked by How Toxic They Are .) Now, here's why you should think twice before using plastic straws… Straws aren't as great for oral health as you think. In theory, sipping through a straw can prevent stains and cavities, but in practice? Not so much. An Academy of General Dentistry study states that using a straw with sweetened beverages can prevent cavities by limiting contact between the beverage and teeth. But this will only work if the straw is positioned toward the back of your mouth. Most of us don't sip this way, and if you ask us, this method actually defeats the purpose of using a straw. The study points out that using a straw targets your back teeth, which are then exposed to your drink's enamel-eroding sugar, as well as acids found in healthy picks, such as sparkling water and kombucha . Sipping through a straw even this way isn't great for your teeth. Straws can cause a puffy belly. We already know that unhealthy eats can contribute to a paunchy gut, but did you know that even sipping water from a straw can, too? "The use of straws can be particularly bad for your health if you suffer from gas and/or bloating," Leah Kaufman , MS, RD, CDE, CDN, tells us. "The act of sucking in through a straw can promote air pockets that move quickly through the gastrointestinal system. You may also want to avoid a straw if you are trying to slow down your liquid intake. Sucking through a straw may also increase the amount of liquid consumed at one time and this is particularly important when you're trying to control portions of liquids, which may have more calories, such as with smoothies or juices." While sipping through a straw isn't eco- or gut-friendly, young children and people with certain disabilities require a straw to drink. That's where sustainably created straws come in. Below, we've rounded up our favorite brands that make environmentally-friendly straws for people who do need to use them. Gallery: 24 ways to shrink your belly in 24 hours The Best Sustainable Straws Silicone Straws Koffie Straws are crafted out of silicone, which can tolerate both extreme cold and heat. Each pack comes with two straws (and a cleaning brush), so you can choose between different sizes to fit your Venti days or your Tall vanilla latte order. They also come in funky colors such as sugar plum, hot pink, and mocha. SHOP NOW ON AMAZON Steel Straws Greens Steel features both wide and curved reusable straws that are both rust-proof and BPA-free for all of your hydrating needs. Pop two in your purse for those midday coffee runs and leave two at home to use with your own glassware. SHOP NOW ON AMAZON Bamboo Straws For a biodegradable alternative, these organic, bamboo straws are a great alternative to the plastic stuff. Dunk them into our best smoothies for weight loss for a truly guilt-free sip. SHOP NOW ON AMAZON Now, if you're looking to take things a step further, we found the perfect S'Well Tumbler for you, too, so you can be even more eco-friendly.


Craving Dominican food? Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top Dominican spots around Jersey City, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of the best spots to fulfill your urges. 1. GNR's La Concha Topping the list is GNR's La Concha . Located at 384 Central Ave. in the Heights, the Spanish and Dominican spot is the highest-rated Dominican restaurant in Jersey City, boasting 4.5 stars out of 63 reviews on Yelp. 2. El Sol Del Caribe Next up is Greenville's El Sol Del Caribe , situated at 150 Sterling Ave. With 4.5 stars out of 45 reviews on Yelp, the Dominican spot has proven to be a local favorite. 3. Casa Latina Restaurante Greenville's Casa Latina Restaurante , located at 112 Ocean Ave., is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the Latin American and Dominican spot 4.5 stars out of 16 reviews. 4. Mi Casa Restaurant Mi Casa Restaurant , a Dominican and Spanish spot in Bergen-Lafayette, is another go-to, with four stars out of 21 Yelp reviews. Head over to 372 Communipaw Ave. to see for yourself. This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


The New England Patriots' turnover continues, with the organization losing scout DuJuan Daniels to a senior executive position with the Oakland Raiders, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. The news was first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter . Daniels has long been eyeing a general manager role, and this move gets him one step closer to that goal. Oakland, meanwhile, is in the middle of significant turnover in their scouting department , with new general manager Mike Mayock taking charge. Daniels spent 13 seasons in New England's scouting department. He joined the organization in 2006 as a scouting assistant. Over the last six seasons, he served as a national scout. MORE: NBA Free Agency 2019: The top players These five photos of Kawhi Leonard watching his buzzer-beater are incredible Video confirms reports of Chris Paul's attempt to sabotage Steph Curry Dak Prescott's accuracy, aggressive quantified ahead of new deal Patriots are penciling in Isaiah Wynn at left tackle


The FIFA council have 'unanimously agreed' to extend the Women's World Cup from 24 teams to 32 for the upcoming edition of the competition in 2023, while also re-opening bidding for the hosts. The 2019 tournament proved a huge success, with record viewing figures recorded across the world making it the most watched Women's World Cup to date. Due to the success of the competition, which was held in France, FIFA have decided to expand the tournament to eight groups of four, with an ongoing bidding process to reflect the new format. The FIFA Council has unanimously approved the expansion of the #FIFAWWC to 32 teams, with effect as of the next edition of the tournament in 2023. ➡ https://t.co/o9F2iSCq1U pic.twitter.com/Qwf6NL9x6C   FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) July 31, 2019 With the bidding process for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 already underway - nine bidders are expected to submit their bids by 4 October 2019 - a new format has been arranged to comply with the alterations. By August, hosts must confirm their interest in making a bid, while December is the deadline from which to submit one. In April next year, the publication of a bid evaluation report is needed, while the appointment of a host is expected in May 2020. "The astounding success of this year's FIFA Women's World Cup in France made it very clear that this is the time to keep the momentum going and take concrete steps to foster the growth of women's football. I am glad to see this proposal   the first of several − becoming a reality," said FIFA President Gianni Infantino on FIFA's official website . "The expansion reaches far beyond the eight additional participating teams; it means that, from now on, dozens more member associations will organise their women's football programme knowing they have a realistic chance of qualifying. "The FIFA Women's World Cup is the most powerful trigger for the professionalisation of the women's game, but it comes but once every four years and is only the top of a much greater pyramid. "In the meantime, we all have a duty to do the groundwork and strengthen women's football development infrastructure across all confederations."


Cameron Johnson is one of the best shooters available in the 2019 NBA Draft. He's not naive to the fact either. In fact, saying he's "one of" the best isn't good enough for him. "I feel like I'm at the top," Johnson said at his workout for the Orlando Magic, per Cody Taylor of Rookie Wire. "If you ask anybody and they're going to say they're the top. In my mind, I'm the best." The 6-foot-9, 205-pound forward shot the lights out from deep in his final campaign at North Carolina. Johnson averaged 5.8 three-pointers a night and made 45.7 percent of them (2.7 per game). Overall, he shot 50.6 percent from the floor and averaged 16.9 points per game, both of which career-best marks, along with his three-point percentage. Although Johnson has the build of a forward, his ability as a deep threat makes him a good fit for the Thunder. The major knock against the 23-year-old is, well, just that: he's 23 years old. Where younger players have the potential to grow, what teams see from Johnson now may be the best they're going to get. It's up to the franchises across the league to figure out if everything Johnson brings to the table will play in the NBA. MORE: NBA world reacts to news that Klay Thompson tore his ACL in Game 6 loss Roundup: Sarah Huckabee Sanders Leaving; Taylor Swift's New Song; Darren Rovell Hit Piece Top of Packers WR depth chart takes shape following minicamp NBA Free Agency 2019: The top players Daniel Jones shines again as Giants close out OTAs


In the wake of Chelsea's Europa League final win over Arsenal on Wednesday, Eden Hazard confirmed that he believes it was his last ever game for the Blues, claiming: "I think it's goodbye," ahead of a rumoured move to Real Madrid. The Belgium international will leave as the talisman at Stamford Bridge over the last seven years, but a stats package from Opta has shown that Hazard actually deserves to have a much higher status in Chelsea's history books. The 28-year-old will call time on his career in west London as one of just three players in the club's history to reach both 50 goals and 50 assists in the Premier League, with his combined tally of 139 placing him in third place behind Didier Drogba (159) and Frank Lampard (237). Since arriving at the club in a £31.5m deal from French side Lille, Hazard has been involved in more goals across all competitions for the club (191) than any other player during this period, sitting 94 goals clear of Chelsea's next top contributor Willian. His two goals in what many expect to be his last ever game for the club made him the first player since Mark Hughes in 1991 to score a brace in a major European final for an England club, establishing himself as Chelsea's first ever player to do it in the process. But it's not just for the Blues that Hazard has been setting records since he arrived in England, as he's attempted (1441) and completed (909) more dribbles in the Premier League than any other player since the start of the 2012/13 season. Hazard's also drawn more fouls than any other player during that time, as well as created more goalscoring chances, ahead of even the league's most notable playmakers David Silva and Mesut Özil . KING.  @HazardEden10  #UELfinal pic.twitter.com/YwrbcSOYif   Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 29, 2019 The Belgium international will also be leaving the Premier League this summer as the only player to have scored two title-winning goals during his career. He scored the only goal of the game against Crystal Palace during the 2014/15 season to wrap up the league title for Chelsea, while his equaliser against Tottenham the following season crowned Claudio Ranieri's Leicester City as Premier League champions.


SAN DIEGO   The trial of a San Diego-based Navy SEAL charged with committing multiple war crimes during a 2017 deployment to Iraq has been delayed until June 17, Navy spokesman Brian O'Rourke said Thursday. The trial was scheduled to begin Monday. O'Rourke did not offer a reason for the delay. Chief Special Warfare Operator Edward R. Gallagher, 40, was indicted in January on charges that he killed a wounded teenage Islamic State fighter brought to the SEAL's Mosul, Iraq compound for medical treatment in 2017. A number of Gallagher's fellow SEALs told the Naval Criminal Investigative Service after the platoon returned from Iraq, according to NCIS testimony. Gallagher denies all charges and pleaded not guilty. His trial already has been delayed twice: once in February and again last month, when defense attorneys discovered that emails sent to them by the prosecution had embedded links designed to track where and when they were opened and forwarded. Defense attorneys said the prosecution was spying on them and a Navy Times reporter via email. On Monday, Cmdr. Chris Czaplak, the lead prosecutor in the case, was disqualified and removed from the case due to his role in the email tracking. The judge, Navy Capt. Aaron Rugh, said he removed Czaplak because his actions left him susceptible to an investigation and represented a conflict of interest in prosecuting Gallagher. The Navy has not commented on whether Czaplak is under investigation. Another Navy prosecutor, Cmdr. Jeffrey Pietrzyk, joined the prosecution team Thursday, O'Rourke said. Rugh freed Gallagher from pretrial restriction last week because, he said, the delay caused by Czaplak's actions had violated Gallagher's Sixth Amendment right to a speedy trial. The defense made other motions, including a request that Rugh throw out the charges. Rugh has yet to announce a decision on those motions. Defense attorney Timothy Parlatore said Thursday he anticipates a ruling on the remaining motions on Friday.     ©2019 The San Diego Union-Tribune Visit The San Diego Union-Tribune at www.sandiegouniontribune.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


Two years ago, we wrote about Airbnb's new acquisition, Luxury Retreats , a high-end mansion, villa, and penthouse rental company that they would eventually turn into Airbnb Luxe. We were excited. But then... Nothing. Radio silence. Until February, when poking around the homeshare booking site's London offerings, we found, well, Airbnb Luxe . Today, the latest extension of Airbnb's home offerings is officially live, with 2,000 villas across 35 different locations, all of which come with their own trip designer, or travel specialist. Pulled from Luxury Retreats's collection of villas, Airbnb Luxe's include a 52-person resort on a private Polynesian island (from $146,183 per night), a wood-paneled, three-bedroom lake house in New Zealand's South Island (from $2,570 per night), and a four-bedroom penthouse in London's Mayfair neighborhood (from $9,756 per night). A trip designer is included in your home's rate, so you can use their help in booking other parts of your trip as much or as little as you'd like. Want someone to pick you up from the airport? Done. Need childcare? They can do that, too. Want a chef? How about a butler? Or even just a fully stocked fridge with fresh groceries when you arrive? Yes, yes, and yes. You'll have to pay for the additional services, of course, but Airbnb isn't levying fees for organizing these extras: "The cost of the groceries is the cost of the groceries, the cost of renting a catamaran is the cost of the catamaran," says Nick Guezen, Airbnb's Global Director Portfolio Strategy. And in some homes, things like chefs, childcare, and more are included luxury amenities are split on each listings page into "included" and "add-on," so you know what you're getting with each villa. How over the top can you go? In the preview stages of Airbnb Luxe, a trip designer worked with a local contractor in Los Cabos, Mexico, to build a basketball court on the sand outside a beachside villa for an NBA player traveling with his family and friends, Keith Monaghan, the company's Global Head of Trip Design says. (So to answer our question, really over the top.) Over the years, Airbnb has been upping its luxury levels, first offering private rooms in hosts' homes and entire apartments under its regular Airbnbs, and then launching Airbnb Plus in 2018 , which added personally inspected homes that meet a 100-point checklist for amenities and design. Now, Luxe is taking Plus's inspections up a notch, with a 300-point amenities checklist and an additional layer of design inspection. In-person inspectors check everything from shower water pressure and linen quality to air conditioning functionality. "When we first walk in, all of AC gets turned on for the entire tour, to make sure that not only is it working but it's not making any noise and is fully cooling the rooms," Guezen says. On the design front, Airbnb's design team ensures that the furnishings and decor are high-quality and in good condition and that there's plenty of space for everyone. That means that no more than two bedrooms share a bath, and that if the house sleeps 10, it can also fit 10 travelers at the dining table, around the couch, or spread out in the backyard. (The team tells us that only 2,000 of Luxury Retreats' 5,000 villas and homes made the Airbnb Luxe cut.) In theory, Airbnb Luxe will bring in travelers who wouldn't have considered the home-sharing platform's more basic options before the company's new B&Bs and boutique hotels help, too. But it's also intended to elevate existing users' experiences, according to Guezen and Monaghan, and leverage their familiarity with Airbnb. "Our users are growing up. Someone who was sharing homes for under $100 a night when they started with Airbnb is now booking places that are $1,000 a night," Guezen says. Looks like some Airbnb users have gotten some nice promotions over the years... This story was originally published in February 2019 and has been updated with new information. All listings featured in this story are independently selected by our editors. However, when you book something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.


At its most basic, power steering is a system that reduces the effort required of the driver to turn the steering wheel. Without power assist, the steering of most vehicles would be extremely heavy, particularly during low-speed maneuvers such as pulling into a parking spot, turning a 90-degree corner in the city, or maneuvering in a crowded gas station. The first power-steering system fitted to a production car debuted in the 1951 Chrysler Imperial, and the competition quickly followed suit. Not only did power steering do the obvious-allow the driver to steer a heavy vehicle with much less effort and greater comfort-but it also allowed engineers to improve steering response, which is how quickly the car changes direction when the driver turns the wheel. Before power assist became available, cars' steering systems had been geared so that it took many turns of the wheel to negotiate tight turns or to park. This slow gearing gave drivers more leverage against the high effort required steer the front wheels. But the advent of power steering allowed engineers to quicken the steering ratio-how much the steering wheel has to be turned relative to how much the angle of the front wheels changes-because the additional steering effort could now be offset by the new system. In fact, it was more than just offset; steering a car became nearly effortless. However, some of the best-steering vehicles-purebred, lightweight sports cars-have had no power-steering assist, such as the Acura NSX from the early 1990s , the Lotus Elise and Exige, and the Alfa Romeo 4C , which is the last remaining new car that forgoes power steering. But these cars got away without it due to their light weight and relatively narrow tires. And, still, it could be quite a chore to turn the wheel in these cars while stopped. Hydraulic Power Steering The prevailing type of power steering from the 1950s to the early 2000s was hydraulic assist. Hydraulic power steering uses, as its name indicates, hydraulic fluid that's pressurized by a pump driven off of the engine. Although it served the automotive world well for those 50 years, there are a few downsides to this type of system: there's wasted energy, since the pump is running continuously, even when the vehicle is driving straight and there's no assist needed. Plus, the hydraulic fluid needs to be replaced periodically, and if any of the hydraulic lines spring a leak, it not only makes a mess, but the power assist is lost. However, it's still possible to steer a car without the power steering working. Electric Power Steering Electric power steering (EPS) is the norm on today's new cars. There's still a solid metal steering shaft running from the steering wheel to the steering rack, which steers the tires, but the rest is high-tech. EPS uses an electric motor that draws energy from the vehicle's electrical system to provide the steering assistance. This electric motor can be located either directly on the steering rack-this arrangement is more expensive and tends to be used on the sports- and luxury-car end of the spectrum-or mounted to the steering column. Sensors detect the torque, or effort, that the driver is applying at the steering wheel, and a computer decides how much assist needs to be added. In most systems the computer changes the steering effort based on the vehicle's speed: at parking speeds the steering is light and easy to turn, while at highway speeds the effort amps up, giving the driver a feeling of greater stability and control. EPS Benefits The benefits of providing assist electrically are multifold: it improves fuel economy by a few percent, as the electric motor only draws power when needed; it eliminates the hydraulic fluid maintenance mentioned above; and it also enables a variety of features. Any driver-assist or convenience feature that involves turning the wheels without steering input from the driver is enabled by electric power steering. Features such as lane-keep assist, automated parking and lane changes, and the ability to guide the car around obstacles all utilize EPS's ability to steer itself when necessary. Electric power steering is also more tolerant of out-of-spec alignment settings, using software to recognize and compensate the steering pulling to one side. It can also automatically adjust to a cross wind or a crowned road surface that would otherwise require constant steering correction from the driver. What's more, tomorrow's autonomous, self-driving cars will rely on electric power steering, because it allows the car to be steered by an on-board computer system when on automatic pilot. Several systems, like Cadillac's Super Cruise (pictured above being piloted hands-off by a C/D editor), are already capable of steering themselves down the highway under certain conditions. Electro-hydraulic Steering Between the hydraulic and electric types of power steering, there's a hybrid of the two systems called electro-hydraulic. It functions like a hydraulic-assist system, only that the hydraulic pressure is created by an electric motor rather than driving the pump off of the engine. This gets rid of the wasted energy complaint noted earlier, but doesn't enable all of the features possible with electric power steering. Only a few vehicles, including some heavy-duty pickup trucks, currently use this system. If you're interested in a deep dive into the mechanics of how steering assist is created in either hydraulic or electric power steering systems, check out this Car and Driver technical explainer . Steering Characteristics Here at Car and Driver, the three major steering characteristics we evaluate in every vehicle we test are effort, response, and feedback. Two of those-effort and feedback-took a turn for the worse in early EPS systems, which didn't replicate the highly evolved, natural feel-for-the-road imparted by hydraulic systems. This made it hard to sense when a vehicle's tires were running out grip and starting to slip. Although driving enthusiasts like us were, not surprisingly, up in arms about these negative developments , they actually affected all drivers-and still do. There's a real-world need for vivid feeling through the steering wheel when a vehicle is approaching its limits-say, when it's about to skid on a surface that's slick from rain, snow, or ice. A vehicle with more communicative steering makes for a better-informed, safer, and more confident driver in all situations. However, the good news is that engineers have spent much time and effort through the years evolving electric power steering and creating sophisticated algorithms that faithfully recreate the steering sensations lost after the switch from hydraulic units. Today, the latest EPS systems-particularly those from Porsche , Mazda , and GM (on the Chevy Corvette and Camaro , and the Cadillac cars ) now feel intuitive. They let you know what the front tires are doing just as faithfully as the old hydraulic steering systems did-which is a very positive development for both cars and their drivers.


While to many it may seem like an individual sport, it takes a lot of teamwork to be a successful NASCAR driver. It's important to work together with your pit crew and teammates in order to see success on the track. For 2018 Daytona 500 champion, Austin Dillon, that teamwork was instilled in him at a young age during his time on the baseball field playing for Southwest Forsyth County (N.C.) Little League. "Little League teaches you how to work with a team and put in a lot of hard work and effort," said Dillon. "The coach that we had taught us the importance of fundamentals and hard work, and that's something you can take in everything you do. I still use a lot of those team philosophies that we used in Little League in everything I do today." In the summer of 2002, Dillon and his teammates from North Carolina made the run of a lifetime as they went on to become one of 16 teams to make it to Williamsport and compete in the Little League Baseball® World Series. "That experience was really something special. I got to make some lifelong friends during that time and one of my best friends to this day, Robbie Scott, was our shortstop on our team and we've been friends ever since," said Dillon. "It was a really special time and I'm glad I got to be a part of it. I always watch baseball a little differently now after playing in the Little League World Series." Although his team was unable to secure a win, Dillon did pick up a hit during his time in Williamsport, going 1-for-4, but more importantly, cherished his time and took home lifelong memories and friendships that he will never forget. "We just had a good time. I really got into pin trading when I was there and still have my pins from that time, which is pretty cool," said Dillon. "I actually pulled them out this year when I found out I was getting this award. I was all about the pin trading." After his appearance in South Williamsport, Austin played Junior Varsity baseball at his high school for most of his freshman and sophomore years, but his interests were shifting gears into racing. Although racing quickly became his focus, Dillon did never forgot the lessons he learned during his Little League days. Today, the 29-year-old racer, nicknamed "The Ace," continues to show his talents on the racetrack and has quickly broken into the NASCAR circuit, even taking home the Daytona 500 title in 2018. Along with his impressive racing resume, Dillon remains a role model to young kids everywhere and even took the time in 2017 to video chat with the Southeast Region team from nearby Greenville, North Carolina, to wish them luck. "Every year when the Little League World Series comes on TV, we're all gathered around watching it. It's always something that's on and talked about when we're in the trailer and getting ready for the weekend," said Dillon. "I just wanted to do my part to give back and congratulate them. I had a lot of good coaches and mentors throughout my life that influenced me and hopefully I can give back the knowledge that I acquired from them." For his dedication to the values of Little League, and for his outstanding service as a role model within the community, Little League International is honored to announce Dillon as a 2019 Little League Hall of Excellence enshrinee. "Each year, we look to find those men and women who have gone on from their days as Little Leaguers to take those values and life lessons they learned on the playing field to their role as leaders in the community," said Stephen D. Keener, Little League President and CEO. "Austin Dillon has proved to be a tremendous leader both on the racetrack and as a role model for the future generation of our world. We are honored to present this award to Austin and are excited to hopefully welcome him back to Williamsport to relive the magic he experienced in 2002." Established in 1988, enshrinement in the Little League Hall of Excellence is an annual honor bestowed on a Little League graduate (or graduates) who have demonstrated a commitment to excellence in their chosen profession and exemplify the values learned as children in Little League Baseball or Softball. For more information on the Little League Hall of Excellence, visit LittleLeague.org/Alumni . ]]>