As the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit comes to a close - one of two new tournaments added to the 2018-19 PGA Tour schedule - Blaine, Minnesota is preparing for its own inaugural event. Over the July 4 weekend, TPC Twin Cities will host the 3M Open, an event that will be on the Tour schedule for the next seven years. The new tournament features six players in the top-30 world rankings. World No. 1 Brooks Koepka headlines the 156-player field, along with Bryson DeChambeau (8), Tony Finau (16), Jason Day (18), Patrick Reed (25) and Phil Mickelson (28), while rookie standouts Viktor Hovland, Matthew Wolff and Justin Suh earn their third consecutive starts since turning professional. TPC Twin Cities hosted the 3M Championship on the PGA Tour Champions since 2001 before receiving a PGA Tour event for 2019. The par-71, 7,468-yard course was originally designed by Arnold Palmer, and Minnesota native Tom Lehman was a consultant in the changes to the course that took place to prepare it for a PGA Tour field. TPC Twin Cities often yielded low scores for Champions events, with the former 54-hole 3M Championship tournament ranking in the top two for birdies on Tour each of the last seven years. Lehman, though, who will compete with a sponsor exemption next weekend, helped lengthen and narrow the course, The Star Tribune reported . Most of the holes have only experienced small changes, but the 18 th saw its pond near the green double in size while its tee box was moved, too. Most of the big names competing at the inaugural 3M Open skipped the Rocket Mortgage Classic this weekend, where Nate Lashley leads at 23 under heading into his final round Sunday. Suh and Wolff missed the cut at Detroit Golf Club. Hovland, meanwhile, put together an 8-under 64 to finish at -15. The 3M Open will take place two weeks before the British Open at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland, making it an ideal tune-up tournament before the final major of 2019. Tiger Woods, though - who hasn't entered an event since the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in mid-June - will miss the 3M Open as well as he travels with his family and rests up before the British Open. https://compass.pressekompass.net/compasses/golfweek/is-being-disqualified-a-too-harsh-a-pena MORE: NBA Free Agency 2019: The top players NBA free agency roundup: The latest updates around the league Report: Thunder have expressed interest in Shane Larkin Giants' Darius Slayton already considered a Draft-day steal? WATCH: LaMelo Ball shows out in closed scrimmage against NBA players


Get the scoop on the mystery woman Ryan Seacrest was spotted kissing in France, plus more celebrity news for July 3, 2019. Ryan Seacrest's mystery gal pal is 24-year-old model Larissa Schot Last month, photos of Ryan Seacrest kissing a woman by the sea in France just a few months after he and Shayna Taylor called it quits sparked headlines asking who the "mystery" gal might have been. The Daily Mail apparently did some digging and deduced that the lips Ryan, 44, was smooching belong to 24-year-old model Larissa Schot. A Series 22 contestant on "America's Next Top Model," Larissa reportedly grew up in Texas and Singapore. Her resume includes work with Gucci, Smashbox, Urban Decay and Nylon. Ryan and his similarly age-mismatched ex, Shayna (also a model) reportedly split because after three years of on-off dating , the 27-year-old "wanted more out of the relationship" than Ryan was ready to give. Next top model, indeed ... Katharine McPhee tells the paparazzi to go bother Hollywood's other newlyweds, Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner Katharine McPhee has a message for the celeb-obsessed shutterbugs who haven't stopped tailing her in Europe since she married David Foster in London last week. "To the pack of paps stalking me while I'm in the middle of the ocean in Europe," she tweeted on Tuesday, July 2, " Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner are just two yachts over. Please focus on what truly matters." The zinger was, of course, a jokey reference to Joe and Sophie's second wedding, which also took place in Europe over the weekend. Katharine and David are currently in Italy, where they got engaged, according to Page Six . As for Joe and Sophie, who wed in France, Katharine later clarified to another Twitter user that no, she was not outing their honeymoon spot. "It's a joke, Kim," she wrote. Her tone pretty much said it all, but just in case there was any confusion, Sophie jumped into the thread, joking, "Can't wait to travel to Cabo tomorrow together! See you at the airport. #tequila." Khloe Kardashian reveals she weighed more than 200 lbs. when True was born When " Revenge Body " returns on Sunday, July 7, the series will kick off with its host, Khloe Kardashian , talking to Kris Jenner about her own physical transformation before and after she welcomed her daughter, True Thompson. "You spent so many years getting into the best shape of your life, and then you got pregnant," Kris says in a preview clip (via ET ). "How did that feel?" Khloe replies by telling her mom how much more intense the weight gain situation was for her and noting that she put on 40 lbs. while she was pregnant. "I was 203 lbs. when I delivered, which blows my mind," she says. "You think you're going to have a baby and all of it's going to come out, and then you leave the hospital and you're like, 'What is going on? Why do I still have all of this weight?'" Today, she says her "focus is True and just really immersing myself in motherhood," but she admits she does understand the "the daunting thought of, 'Gosh, now I have to go work out and where do I start?'" Khloe recently told ET she's grateful to have another season's worth of candidates willing to let her guide them through physical and personal transformations. "I feel really honored that people are trusting me with this journey, 'cause I get what it's like to be on camera and to be working out and doing all of that on the camera, but I don't think the average person realized how vulnerable, and how kind of aggressive, we are in their faces [while] filming," she said. "And when you're on this journey... you have to be really vulnerable, and it's emotional and really, really hard." Demi Lovato shuts down would-be body shamer on Instagram Demi Lovato refuses to be triggered by body shamers. This week, an Instagram user (whose account has since been deleted) tagged a photo of the singer leaving the gym that the user had captioned, "hey demi dm me so we can discuss a diet plan for you." Demi, who's spoken openly about her struggles with eating disorders, self harm and substance abuse, replied with a polite (and possibly facetious) "thank you," as well as an explanation about why diets can be dangerous. "I actually am choosing not to diet and fall back into unhealthy behaviors at the risk of losing my sanity or mental health," she wrote (via Us Weekly ), "but thank you for the offer! Super sweet." This month marks one year since the singer suffered a near fatal overdose. Since then, she's undergone extended treatment for drug and alcohol addiction and cautiously returned to social media. Back in March, she used that platform to speak out about how tabloid stories and other public comments about her size affect her. "I am more than my weight," she wrote on her Instagram Story at the time. "Unlike the past, I'm not triggered, I'm not upset that someone wrote a headline about my 'fuller figure.' I'm angry that people think it's OK to write headlines about people's body shapes." Nicole Kidman hits Paris Fashion Week flanked by her husbands, Keith Urban and Alexander Skarsgard Nicole Kidman was surrounded by husbands in Paris on Tuesday, July 2, as she watched Giorgio Armani Privé's Fall/Winter show during Paris Fashion Week. With her "Big Little Lies" onscreen husband, Alexander Skarsgard to her right and real-life beau Keith Urban to her left, the actress and producer was beaming in black and white -- a nod to the main colors being shown in the new line. Other celebs in the front row included Zendaya, who sat beside Keith, as well as Tina Turner, Juliette Binoche and Isabelle Huppert, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Before the show began, Nicole and Keith gave off major PDA vibes for photographers. At one point during the show, People reports Nicole rested a gentle hand on her costar's knee, presumably giving some folks a little flashbacks to Alexander's 2017 Emmy win for "Big Little Lies," when Nicole planted a kiss on her faux hubby's lips before he went up to accept the award. "I also kissed my husband, too!" she told Graham Norton later that year when he teased her about the viral moment. "I did kiss [Alexander], but you gotta understand, I did everything with Alex. I've got an amazing, supportive husband who I love more than anything in the world, and I gave Alex a congratulatory kiss, and he's like a mannequin." She chuckled and corrected herself, saying, "I mean, not a mannequin," then gave up and laughed. "I'm done," she said. Scooter Braun's financial backer in Taylor Swift catalog deal had ties to Bin Laden family New details are continuing to surface in the drama around Scooter Braun's $300 million purchase of Taylor Swift 's old music catalog, a move she condemned in a long Tumblr post over the weekend. For starters, it seems Scooter -- who Taylor said manipulated and bullied her for years -- used The Carlyle Group to finance the purchase. The Daily Mail reports the private investment group long maintained ties to Osama Bin Laden's family. Meanwhile, Taylor's lawyer, Donald Passman has confirmed to Us Weekly that Scott Borchetta (the founder of Taylor's old label, Big Machine Records who sold her catalog to Scooter) "never gave Taylor Swift an opportunity to purchase her masters, or the label, outright with a check in the way he is now apparently doing for others." In spite of all the publicity around Taylor's reaction to the sale, a source tells E! News the singer remains confident she did the right thing in speaking out. "No matter what Scooter or any of his people say, Taylor believes he did this to hurt her," said E!'s insider. "She wants the truth about him to come out." Exit rumors hit 'View' co-host Meghan McCain Is Meghan McCain on her way out at "The View?" That question is making major rounds on the web this week after a report from the Daily Beast quoted sources who claimed the 34-year-old conservative co-host has been "feeling like a caged animal" at the show and is "exhausted and defeated" from the two seasons during which she's appeared on it. Insiders also tell the outlet Meghan feels increasingly isolated because of the negative attention she's received since she started working at "The View." "It's getting to the point where it's not worth the emotional toll every week," one of Meghan's friends said, adding, "If she doesn't stay at The View, she will find other work." Hilary Estey McLoughlin, the senior executive producer for "The View," told The Daily Beast, "We don't want people to attack Meghan. We're happy to have Meghan there." She went on to say she believes Meghan "wants to be on the show" and "realizes it's a very good platform for her and we love having her there." If Meghan is indeed feeling drained, Hilary added, she believes it's only "because she's so passionate about what she's talking about, and she feels very strongly that she's carrying this mantle for the conservative perspective, and what she wants to talk about is so important to her." In a statement, ABC said it doesn't expect Meghan to go anywhere:  The co-hosts and The View have had an incredible season and we expect them all back for an epic year ahead." Priyanka Chopra: Meghan Markle has found her 'calling' as a royal Was Meghan Markle destined to become a duchess? Her friend, Priyanka Chopra seems to think so. "Megs… she was always meant for big things," Priyanka says in Elle UK's latest cover story. "To be a change and be an important voice in doing that. It's amazing that she found that calling and has the platform to be able to do it." According to ET , Priyanka and Meghan met in 2016 -- not long before Meghan met Prince Harry , whom she married last May. Almost exactly one year later, on May 6, they welcomed Archie Mountbatten Windsor, their first child together. "By the time this [story] comes out, she will have a baby -- it's so amazing how lives change," Priyanka marvels in Elle. "I'm a big believer in taking charge of your life, but there's got to be something bigger that puts us into the circumstances that we are put in," the actress adds. "Destiny has a weird way of helping you to find your calling." Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan are keeping Archie's godparents' names private In other Royal Archie news, Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry announced this week via Buckingham Palace that they won't share the names of their 2-month-old son's godparents. "Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor will be christened in a small private ceremony by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle on Saturday 6th July," the palace said in a statement, according to JustJared . "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex look forward to sharing some images taken on the day by photographer Chris Allerton. The godparents, in keeping with their wishes, will remain private." The move marks another departure from royal tradition for the couple, whose nieces and nephews, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, all had their godparents' names announced around the time of their christenings. Patti LaBelle gets a street named in her honor in Philadelphia From now on, Patti LaBelle will always be home, in a way. On Tuesday, July 2, the Philadelphia native was honored by having a stretch of Broad Street between Locust and Spruce Streets in Center City renamed "Patti LaBelle Way" as a tribute to the soul singer. Speaking to the crowd that gathered for the renaming ceremony, Patti said, "I was a shy little girl from West Philly. To go from shy Patti to Patti LaBelle Way is incredible," according to the Philadelphia Inquirer . After the audience cheered, she reportedly said she was a bit speechless before offering a glimpse at how she looks at the world. "My way of life is, lift people and not make them feel like a burden," she said. "I want to thank all the people that have begged for this street. If you woke up, never say you didn't do anything. Work that day, honey," she continued. Urged by the crowd to sing, she sang the chorus of 1983's "Love, Need and Want You," for and with the group of hundreds. "I'm so proud of Philadelphia," she said. "I'll sing for free for you any day."


Advaik Nandikotkur was honest Wednesday when asked why he jumped into the deep end of a pool and pulled a drowning man to the surface. The 11-year-old Eagan boy said his mom told him to do so, "so I just obeyed." Regardless, the boy's actions last December were enough for him to be bestowed with the Eagan Police Department's Citizen Lifesaving Award. He was given the award Wednesday at a ceremony that also included Detective Desiree Schroepfer being recognized for pulling a suicidal teen from a ledge of a 10-story apartment building last June. Advaik's daring Dec. 30 rescue, which attracted national media attention, happened at the family's apartment complex. A 34-year-old man, who had been swimming with friends, ventured into the deep end of the pool and slipped under the water without being noticed, according to police. Advaik and others saw the man on the bottom of the pool, but the kid was the only one who knew how to swim. He had taken lessons at the Aqua-Tots Swim School in Eagan. "Without hesitation, he jumped in and retrieved the man from the bottom of the pool," police officer Brian Boekhoff read from an incident narrative at Wednesday's ceremony. Advaik, who weighed 70 pounds, pulled the 170-pound man to the surface and over to the edge of the pool, where bystanders pulled him out and performed CPR. "I was like, 'Take him, here you go. My job's done here,' " the fifth-grader recalled Wednesday. The man, Srinivasa Yalavarthi of Chicago, regained consciousness and made a full recovery. Advaik is the youngest recipient of Eagan's Lifesaving Award, which is the police department's highest honor given to a citizen. TEEN PULLED TO SAFETY Schroepfer was given a Lifesaving Award for her work with a suicidal teenager on June 8. According to police, the 15-year-old girl called 911 and said she was going to jump. Schroepfer, who is on the department's crisis negotiation team, found the girl on a roof ledge, her legs hanging over the side. After 10 minutes of negotiations, Schroepfer recalled Wednesday, she asked the girl if she wanted to make a phone call to a friend. When the girl moved to hand over her phone, Schroepfer grabbed her wrist and pulled her off the ledge and to safety. She then held down the girl, who was attempting to get back onto the ledge, until officers could help. Schroepfer said she did what anyone would have done in that situation. The detective said the girl deserves praise, not her. "She had an opportunity to take her own life and instead she reached out for help," Schroepfer said. "And hopefully she's able to turn around whatever demons she was dealing with that day and live a happy, long life." Related Articles St. Paul man gets 6 years for south metro armed robbery spree Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota lays off 60 workers at Eagan headquarters Buses, bikes, boom trucks: Dakota County cops get creative in stopping distracted drivers Eagan man would 'lose his cool' if he had to change child's diaper. Pleads guilty in toddler's beating death. Regal Cinemas 16 in Eagan closes; new owner plans to remodel, add ax-throwing


Minneapolis will see a return of last week's warm weather in the coming days, according to the seven-day forecast from drone-powered weather service Saildrone . The weather today will reach a high of 82 degrees, with 80 expected tomorrow. Rain could arrive in a couple of days. Friday's forecast shows the greatest chance of rain at 89 percent, with expected rainfall of 0.10 inches. Skies will be partly cloudy today. Winds should reach a modest high of 15 mph on Sunday, while today will be quieter with a top speed of just 7 mph. This story was created automatically using Saildrone's local weather forecast data, then reviewed by an editor. We also incorporate historic weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


In search of a new favorite Cuban spot? Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top Cuban spots around Miami, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of the best spots to venture when cravings strike. 1. Versailles Restaurant Topping the list is Versailles Restaurant . Located at 3555 S.W. Eighth St. in Alameda - West Flagler, the Cuban, coffee and tea and Latin American spot is the most popular Cuban restaurant in Miami, boasting four stars out of 4,318 reviews on Yelp. 2. Old's Havana Cuban Bar & Cocina Next up is Shenandoah's Old's Havana Cuban Bar & Cocina , situated at 1442 S.W. Eighth St. With 4.5 stars out of 759 reviews on Yelp, the bar and Cuban spot has proven to be a local favorite. 3. Sanguich De Miami Little Havana's Sanguich De Miami , located at 2057 S.W. Eighth St., is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the Cuban spot, which offers sandwiches and more, 4.5 stars out of 272 reviews. 4. El Cristo Restaurant & Catering El Cristo Restaurant & Catering , a Cuban spot in Little Havana, is another go-to, with four stars out of 407 Yelp reviews. Head over to 1543 S.W. Eighth St. 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 Lions tried to trade tight end Michael Roberts to the Patriots, but the deal was rescinded last Friday and Roberts was placed on waivers instead. Now Roberts will be headed to one of Detroit's divisional rivals instead. The NFL's daily transaction report brings word that the Packers have claimed Roberts and added him to their 90-man roster. The Packers did not have to make a corresponding move because they held a spot open after waiving running back Kapri Bibbs last week. Roberts was set to join the Patriots in exchange for a conditional 2020 seventh-round pick after the two teams agreed on trade terms last week, but the Lions announced the deal was off on Friday afternoon. Roberts was a 2017 fourth-round pick by the Lions and caught 13 passes in his two seasons with the team. He joins a depth chart topped by Jimmy Graham , Marcedes Lewis , Robert Tonyan and third-round pick Jace Sternberger . The Packers also recently claimed Pharoah McKever off of waivers from the Jaguars.


A municipal employee sprayed gunfire "indiscriminately" at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center on May 31, police said, killing 12 people and wounding four in the latest mass shooting to rock the US. (Pictured) People gather during a vigil in response to a fatal shooting at a municipal building in Virginia Beach, on June 1. People hold hands and pray together at a makeshift memorial for the 12 victims of a mass shooting at the Municipal Center on June 2, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Retired carpenter Greg Zanis of Aurora, Illinois, writes the name of the 12 victims of a mass shooting onto his handmade wooden crosses before placing them at a makeshift memorial at the Municipal Center on June 2, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. President Donald Trump prays next to Pastor David Platt as he visits McLean Bible Church in Vienna, Virginia, on June 2, to pray for the victims and community of Virginia Beach. Volunteers carry wooden crosses with the names of 12 shooting victims to a makeshift memorial at the Municipal Center June 2, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Flowers with the names of the victims of a mass shooting are left at a makeshift memorial at the Municipal Center June 2, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Mourners pray for the victims during a vigil in the parking lot of a shopping center. A girl leaves flowers at a makeshift memorial at the edge of a police cordon in front of a municipal building. Laura Goodman and her mother Peggy Harrison hold candles at a prayer vigil for the victims. People gathers outside of the Strawbridge Regal Cinemas for prayer vigil at the nearby Virginia Beach Municipal Center. People gather for a public prayer service organized by Lifehouse Virginia Beach in the parking lot of a shopping center. The names of the victims of a mass shooting are displayed as worshipers pray for them during a vigil at Bridge Church. A local resident wipes away tears while praying with other members of his church near a municipal government building. Mourners pray for the victims of the mass shooting. Virginia Beach City Manager Dave Hansen speaks to the press. People gather for a public prayer service in the parking lot of a shopping center. People gather for a vigil in response to a shooting. A man kneels in prayer before a vigil for the community at St. John's Baptist Church. Cincinnati Reds players pause for a moment of silence to remember the victims of the shootings in Virginia Beach, prior to a game against the Washington Nationals on June 1, in Cincinnati, Ohio. A slide of the victims in the May 31, mass shooting is shown during a press conference on June 1.


Harvey Elliott could be on his way out of Fulham this summer, with the 16-year-old attracting serious interest from some of Europe's top clubs. Elliott has failed to agree a new contract at Craven Cottage, and his suitors would only have to pay compensation - not a transfer fee - in order to snap up the starlet. T he Evening Standard report that Liverpool, Barcelona , Real Madrid and RB Leipzig are all monitoring the situation closely. The winger became the Premier League's youngest player in May, when he appeared against Wolves just 30 days after celebrating his 16th birthday. 16y 30d - Aged 16 years and 30 days, Fulham's Harvey Elliott is the youngest player to play a Premier League game. Cherub. pic.twitter.com/1e7KTjtR3f   OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 4, 2019 Fulham will be hoping that Elliott elects to move to Anfield, as this would yield the highest amount of compensation for the recently relegated club. However, the winger may elect to follow the examples of Jadon Sancho , Reiss Nelson and Marcus McGuane , and continue his footballing development away from the UK. Elliott would represent the second youthful arrival at Liverpool this summer, with the Reds announcing the capture of 17-year-old centre-back Sepp van den Berg last week. The success stories of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez show that there is a pathway into the first team for young players at Anfield, and Jurgen Klopp will be hoping that this is enough to convince the England Under-17 international to make the switch to Merseyside. Despite the interest surrounding Elliott, newly appointed Cottagers manager Scott Parker seems determined to keep the fledgling star. Parker hailed the 16-year-old as a 'special talent ' in May, also praising the youngsters' ability to adapt to the professional game. Elliott is not the only homegrown player that Fulham look set to lose this transfer window. Ryan Sessegnon looks poised to complete a move to Tottenham Hotspur at some point this summer, though the two clubs are currently in a disagreement over the left-winger's valuation. Both of these departures would be significant blows for the Cottagers, who are attempting to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking, following a disastrous campaign last season.


As undocumented immigrants brace for massive Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids expected to begin this weekend , advocates and concerned citizens around the country plan to call attention to the treatment of immigrants in detention centers through protests they call, " Lights for Liberty: A Vigil to End Human Concentration Camps ." The vigils are planned in hundreds of cities for 7 p.m. local time on Friday, July 12. Big cities and small towns will participate, and there is at least one event planned in every state in the US as well was five continents. There are more than 700 events planned, including: El Paso, Texas San Diego, California Homestead, Florida Washington D.C. New York, New York Albuquerque, New Mexico Ashland, Oregon Chattanooga, Tennessee St. George, Utah Ann Arbor, Michigan Juneau, Alaska "Lights for Liberty" was started by attorney Elizabeth McLaughlin and sponsors include the Women's March, the Center for Popular Democracy, the Black Movement Law Project, and others, according to its website. The vigils come amid reports of standing-room-only cells, infants going without diapers and outbreaks of shingles and other illnesses in detention facilities. This week, the U.S. received a strong call for improvement from the United Nations' human rights chief Michelle Bachelet: "This should never happen anywhere." President Donald Trump said facilities were "beautifully run" last week after a government report was released documenting conditions. At least five children have died in Border Control custody, or after being released, since December, according to the Associated Press . Organizers expect thousands to gather Friday evening in Washington, D.C., to "demand action from Congress to end concentration camps and impeach the president," according to the website. The event will feature several speakers, including Rep. Norma Torres, D-Calif., who was born in Guatemala and immigrated to the United States at age five. One D.C. organizer, Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Service , fled Sri Lanka with her family when she was 9-months-old. "I know the America that welcomed us feels different than the America I see in our detention operations along the border," Vignarajah said. "This vigil is about reminding us of who we are." She said the vigils should be peaceful and send a message that America is a place of refuge, not imprisonment, for those seeking protection. "This cause is personal to me and my organization. My daughter is the same age as the sweet little girl Valeria who drowned just a few weeks ago   and her death was a searing image of the desperation of the conditions we're creating for children and parents," Vignarajah said. "All of them deserve to be treated as God's children." In Oakland, California, high school administrator Lyndsey Schlax is organizing an educational event for kids and parents . "Rather than being a silent vigil to send a message to the world, we are trying to engage kids and young people and families and teach them how to have conversations about what is going on in the world," Schlax said. Schlax, 38, said she wants kids to feel like they have concrete, actionable, achievable ways to make the situation better. She said they'll provide kids with plans and worksheets for setting up their own lemonade stands to benefit organizations like Immigrant Families Together . There will also be a letter writing session, which was inspired by Schlax's 7-year-old son, Emmett. Kids will write letters to their peers in detention camps, fold their letters into paper airplanes, and fly them over a fence set up at the event. Organizers will then gather all the letters, and give them to a member of Congress to distribute during a visit to the detention centers. There are events and vigils planned in populous metro areas in red and blue states, but also in many small towns. In Eau Claire, Wisconsin, organizers have planned a "Cacerolazo" protest, which is a Latin American tradition of banging pots and pans to raise awareness of an issue, said Jessie Crockett, an organizer for the event. In Siloam Springs, Arkansas, Rev. Kaleb Graves, 22, said he will use scripture to call "white evangelicals" to action in the fight against unfair treatment in immigrant detention camps. A recent Pew Research study found that more than two thirds of white evangelical protestants say the U.S. does not have a responsibility to accept refugees. Graves disagrees: "Christianity, or any other religion, cannot simply be words and prayers without action." There was some pushback about religious involvement at the event, Graves said   from both sides. Some worried about excluding non-religious people, Graves said, but he said he hopes to make his message inclusive to all. Graves is affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship but he said he plans to read from Leviticus and Deuteronomy about how to treat foreigners and refugees. He said he won't cater it to any specific religion. Graves said others were concerned that his involvement would come off as "inappropriately politicizing" religion. He said he doesn't think this is the case, and plans to speak anyway. "The message of Christianity, and religion in general, is that we should be protecting the most vulnerable in our society, but that has really been hijacked and changed," Graves said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lights for Liberty immigration protests over border camps planned at 700 cities July 12


After just a few days of training camp, Broncos undrafted rookie wide receiver Romell Guerrier decided he doesn't want to play pro football. Guerrier told General Manager John Elway that he is retiring from football. Guerrier graduated from Florida Tech with a psychology degree and wants to work with children. "This is something Romell has thought about since he ended OTAs,'' agent Sean Russi told 9 News in Denver. "It's something he's discussed with his family. He's seeking something in his degree background and he just wants to thank the Broncos for the opportunity.'' Guerrier probably wasn't going to make the Broncos' roster anyway, but some Broncos undrafted rookies have found success in the NFL recently, including three   cornerback Chris Harris , running back C.J. Anderson and running back Phillip Lindsay   who have gone on to be Pro Bowlers. Guerrier apparently didn't like his odds of following in their footsteps. The Broncos have now lost two wide receivers to surprise retirements in the first week of camp, with Aaron Burbridge retiring on Tuesday .


Arlington will see a return of last week's light rainfall today, according to drone-powered weather forecasting service Saildrone . Today's forecast calls for 0.59 inches of rain, while the rest of the week will be precipitation-free. The next few days will bring warm temperatures, expected to persist through Monday. Temperatures will reach a high of 89 degrees on Thursday. Winds are expected to reach a modest high of 16 miles per hour today, but will ease off a bit starting on Wednesday. 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.


Cheryl Hile, now 45, started running back in 1996 after gaining weight during college. She did it to lose weight , and also to bond with her boyfriend at the time, Brian Hile - now her husband - who was also a runner. She remembers him coming home after a marathon feeling that mix of soreness and elation, and she realized she wanted in on those long distances, too. So in 2000, she signed up for her first race - a full marathon. "I wanted to feel that soreness!" Hile tells Runner's World with a laugh. " Training was very difficult, but at mile 16 of the race, I just realized this is so awesome." Her competitive attitude has been a blessing, as it has helped her get through the ups and downs of a decade-plus battle with multiple sclerosis, a condition of the central nervous system that leads to communication problems between your brain and body. Through her diagnosis and beyond, she's continued to use running as a way to stay grounded. Fighting for a Diagnosis In January 2006, Hile had just completed the Phoenix Rock 'N' Roll Marathon when she started experiencing some alarming symptoms: Electric shocks ran down her shoulders, from her ears to her knees to her back. "They were so painful, and I also experienced a lot of numbness," she says. Her primary care doctor (PCP), who was also a sports specialist, thought the symptoms were just due to a pinched nerve, and wrote her a prescription for a nerve-numbing medication. But as months passed, the electric shocks and the pain got worse. Hile eventually had an electromyography (EMG) to test for nerve conduction, which came back abnormal, and she was referred to a general neurologist. The doctor ordered an MRI scan. The results showed many lesions in her brain, and two in her cervical spine. "The neurologist was still not convinced I had MS because I was a runner and very active - at that time, MS patients were commonly using wheelchairs, canes and walkers," she says. She fought to see an MS specialist, who confirmed what he thought with a spinal tap. Ten months after her symptoms first appeared, she finally had a diagnosis: multiple sclerosis. "Multiple sclerosis is a disease in which the immune system attacks myelin, the coating on nerves of the brain, spinal cord and nerves to the eyes, disrupting signals from the brain and spinal cord to the body, resulting in symptoms such as numbness and weakness," says Barry Singer , M.D., neurologist and director of the MS Center for Innovations in Care at Missouri Baptist Medical Center in St. Louis. The autoimmune disease affects nearly 1 million people in the U.S. , and women are two to three times more likely to be diagnosed with it - and most who are diagnosed are between the ages of 20 and 50. Before her MS diagnosis, Hile had already run 13 marathons. She was terrified of how MS would change her life - especially the running part. "I was so shocked by the news," she says. "Back then, I didn't know anything about MS, and there wasn't as much information available. I thought I was going to get every single horrible symptom." Hile says she became depressed, and at one point became suicidal. Her neurologist prescribed antidepressants, but she credits continuing to stay active with really helping her overcome her fear and anger. "My husband really encouraged me to keep on running and exercising," she says. "Moving made me feel so much better about myself and raised my spirits - I was addicted to the runner's high ." The benefit is not just anecdotal, though - staying active is one of the most important treatments for patients with MS. "Exercise is critical for brain health. Since the central nervous system - brain and spinal cord - is under attack in MS, preserving the brain's backup reserves is critical, and a routine exercise regimen can help," says Singer. "For people with very mild or no disability, running is an awesome option. I have a wide spectrum of runners living with MS in my practice, from casual joggers to marathon runners." Running With MS Today, she runs every other day, and on days when her MS symptoms flare - when she experiences things like electric shocks or numbness - she opts for the elliptical or bike. She's also added in more weight lifting and exercises using a wobble board to help with balance issues, common in people with MS. "The hard part with MS is not knowing how my body will react when I wake up in the morning," she says. "Sometimes I wake up and I'm physically tired, so I have to adjust my training." She struggles with brain fog and mental fatigue along with the physical issues: Her right leg muscles have atrophied, and she has a drop foot - caused by two lesions in the nerve fibers of her cervical spine, which mess with the electrical impulses from her brain to her right shin. "When I run, that electrical impulse is not rapid enough to lift my foot," she explains. "As a result, my foot drops and drags, and I end up tripping over my own toes." To fight that, she wears a carbon-composite ankle-foot orthotic that helps her gait and prevent falls, and pushes off with the left side of her body while her right side follows along. "My husband runs on my right side to keep me on a straight vector otherwise, because of my ineffective right side, I tend to drift to the right," she says. Before MS, Hile was running marathons around 4:10, and now she runs them around the 5:00 mark. Her husband now runs alongside her in races to help manage her pace, hydration, and balance. He also opens GU packets or water bottles for her when she needs them, since she has lost some mobility in her arms. "I've adopted the run-walk method during my races, and it's helped keep me in the game," she says. She wears an extra-wide shoe that fits her leg brace, the Saucony Hurricanes, and sticks with moisture-wicking clothes that help keep her cool . (Another symptom of MS is heat intolerance.) Hile has learned to find a new normal when it comes to running with MS. "When I started tripping and falling, I went to my neurologist, and her words were to lower your expectations. That really hurt," she says. "But from that day forward my mantra has been, 'I do what I can and I never give up.' Even if I have those bad MS days, I still do it, I still go." MS-related fatigue has made marathons more challenging lately, and she isn't sure how much longer she can continue with the 26.2. "MS fatigue makes all my symptoms worse; my foot drags more, my right leg feels heavier to lift, the neuropathic pain is stronger and more frequent, and I'm not as mentally strong as before," she says. "It becomes harder to 'tough it out.' My mantra is to never give up, but sometimes the pain and fatigue break me down and I just want to stop. That is when a walk break is in order and a pep talk from my husband is much needed." She's already purchased a row bike in anticipation for when she'll need more days off from running. But she's already accomplished some pretty major goals while running with MS: For one, she is the first person with MS to run a marathon on all seven continents, a feat she accomplished from September 2016 to September 2017 . And through running, she's been able to raise awareness for MS by partnering with the MS MindShift campaign, which aims to educate people with MS on what they can do to keep their brain as healthy as possible for as long as possible. Still, she's not ready to hang up her running shoes just yet: This fall, she will run the Richmond Marathon for the second year in a row on the team she helped create, Team Run A Myelin My Shoes, which raises money for MS awareness and research. Last year, the team had 55 physical and virtual members, and this year, the team already has 100 members. (You can join the team here ). "With MS, there are a lot of uncertainties. It's changed my whole life. But I've found running has elevated my body, my brain and my spirit," she says. "And it's helped me accomplish what I've set out to do - rather than mourn the things I've lost, I treasure what I still can do." Gallery: This Is What It's Like to Live With Multiple Sclerosis (Provided by Best Life)


Conditions for crews fighting the Powerline Fire in eastern Washington have improved, but not before it grew by over half its size. As of 5 p.m. Monday, the fire had torched 7,800 acres of an area located 4 miles north of Mattawa in Grant County, located about 150 miles east of Seattle near Interstate 90 . However, that number stayed consistent Tuesday morning, while containment grew to 65%. "The overcast and the rain just let the crews get a ton of work done yesterday," Incident Management PIO Nancy Jones said by phone. "Last night, we had some erratic winds , but we've seen absolutely no flare-ups." RELATED: Wildfire season   and firefighter prep   is already underway, as officials eye dry conditions Because of the improved conditions, some fire personnel were expected to be released Tuesday. As of Monday afternoon, 250 personnel were working the fire. Jones said they anticipate that number decreasing to about 90 on Tuesday. "We plan to hold two hotshot crews, one strike team of engines and one dozer," she said. "They will continue to mop up and rehab the fire line that's no longer needed." The cause of the fire remained under investigation, Jones said. RELATED: Wildfire concerns mount with hot, dry weather outlook in Washington No buildings have been damaged or destroyed in the blaze that threatened people, livestock, homes, farmland and infrastructure after it was ignited Sunday afternoon . The Grant County Sheriff's Office shared a video of a fire whirl created Sunday night due to windy conditions. Level 1 and 2 evacuations for nearby neighborhoods remained in place Tuesday. The Powerline Fire strikes just over a month after the 20,000-acre Command Fire torched a nearby area located about 12 miles north of Mattawa.


DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) It's another rainy day at Daytona International Speedway as NASCAR prepares for its final holiday weekend race at the historic speedway. NASCAR has run at Daytona during the July 4th weekend since 1959 but is abandoning that tradition in a scheduling shake-up next season. Daytona will instead host the regular-season finale in August, while the holiday weekend race will move to Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Weather in part made Daytona amenable to surrendering the holiday weekend - every day since the track opened Thursday has been disrupted by either lightning or rain. Cup qualifying for Saturday night's race was canceled because lightning in the area prevented NASCAR access to inspect the cars. The field was set by points, with Joey Logano scheduled to start on the front row alongside Kyle Busch. Rain also delayed Friday night's Xfinity Series race, won by Ross Chastain, for 2 hours, 35 minutes. Thick dark clouds dumped heavy rain over Daytona most of Saturday afternoon, spoiling the pre-race pomp and circumstances surrounding the proud NASCAR event. From 1959 through 1987, the race ran on July 4 before being moved to the Saturday of the closest weekend. From 1959 through 1997, the race started no later than 11 a.m. The event was moved to prime time in 1998, and few of the current drivers even remember it as anything else. Many have lamented the loss of the event this week because not only does Daytona in the summer mark the midpoint of the NASCAR season, but drivers have used the beach and the birthplace of American stock car racing as an annual holiday getaway that culminates in an intense 400-mile race. But Daytona next year will be the final event for a driver to snag a slot in the playoff field, which means the stakes will be higher and, at nearly six weeks later, perhaps protected from the unpredictable Florida weather. ''I think traditions are important and as a sport we stay true to a lot of traditions, but I also think if you don't change tradition, you'll always be where you're at,'' Logano said. ''When I think about where this race is going to be placed next year, the final race before the playoffs, here we go. There's a good chance the fastest car and the best teams usually win, but there's also a good chance that they all crash and someone that doesn't typically win wins this race. ''I think that piece of it, even though it's not on the Fourth of July and we're all so used to it being on this weekend, this race being here, but I think where it's going to be placed is just going to add drama and I don't see where that's a bad thing in sports at all.'' --- More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/apf-AutoRacing and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports


The Cavaliers will have a little more time to unload J.R. Smith 's contract, tweets Joe Vardon of The Athletic. The veteran guard has agreed to move his guarantee date for next season from June 30 to July 15, with an option to push it all the way to August 1, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst ( Twitter link ). As part of the agreement, Smith's guaranteed money will rise from $3.9M to $4.4M. Smith is due to make $15.68M in the final year of his deal, but the smaller guarantee should make him attractive for a team looking to reduce salary. The Cavaliers have no interest in keeping Smith after he played just 11 games last season before being sent away from the team. Cleveland reportedly received offers on draft night , but nothing good enough to get a deal done. Smith's trade value can be counted at the full $15.68M because he signed his contract before that rule was changed in the latest collective bargaining agreement. The Cavaliers will now have extra time to search for a deal as teams get a better read on their cap situations once the free agent frenzy dies down. Smith, who will turn 34 in September, was a valuable player for Cleveland during the most recent LeBron James era, both as a clutch shooter and a defender. During Smith's last full season in 2017-18, he averaged 8.3 points per game and was a .375 shooter from 3-point range.


Ahead of what's expected to be a wildly entertaining and action-packed free agency period, the one question NBA aficionados want to know is: Does my team have the salary-cap space to be in the running for max-caliber free agents? HoopsHype is here to answer that question. For starters, we have to determine how much a max salary will cost in the 2019-20 season. For teams attempting to sign players to a normal max salary, i.e., not a super-max deal, that will run them 30 percent of the salary cap. Using the predicted salary cap for next season of $109 million, that means a team will need roughly $32.7 million in cap space to be able to sign players to a max contract. Currently, two teams - by waiving all of their current cap holds - have enough cap space to sign two max-level free agents, and they both happen to share the same market. TEAMS WITH TWO MAX SALARY SLOTS The Knicks are presently at $69.8 million in cap space, and could have even more if they dump Frank Ntilikina , as has been rumored , Meanwhile, the Nets are at $68.6 million in cap room. Besides those two teams, there is a slew of other franchises who have made themselves players in free agency and possess the ability to land a max-level player. LIST OF TEAMS WITH MAX CAP SPACE The Boston Celtics, who are reportedly front-runners for Kemba Walker , have about $34.6 million in cap room heading into the summer. The Philadelphia 76ers, who could use Bird Rights to re-sign their two most important free agents this offseason, Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris , could have up to $58.8 million in cap space this offseason since they currently only have four players under contract. The Indiana Pacers, who have eyes for Ricky Rubio to fill their point-guard vacancy this summer, have around $33.9 million in cap room. Rubio, obviously, wouldn't take all of that up if he does sign with Indiana. The Milwaukee Bucks, who came within two games of reaching the NBA Finals, have the power to open up $34.9 million in cap room, but will need most of it to bring last season's elite team back. Milwaukee has Khris Middleton , Malcolm Brogdon and Brook Lopez hitting free agency this summer and, according to reports , Brogdon could legitimately be a flight risk. The Dallas Mavericks, by renouncing all of their free-agent rights besides those of Kristaps Porzingis , as well as by waiving Ryan Broekhoff , could open up nearly $33.0 million in cap space. Reports state that Porzingis will be offered a five-year, $158 million as soon as free agency opens up, which would cost Dallas the ability to land another max-level player this summer. The New Orleans Pelicans, by renouncing the rights to Julius Randle and Elfrid Payton , neither of whom will likely be Pelicans next season anyway, will have $33.7 million in cap room. The Sacramento Kings could have $48.5 million in cap space, all they need to do is waive the rights to Harrison Barnes . They'll lose a good chunk of that, though, if they go ahead with their reported plans to bring Barnes back on a four-year, $88 million contract this summer. The Los Angeles Clippers should have around $46.9 million in cap room, and could open a good amount more if they dump Danilo Gallinari . By dealing the Italian swingman, the Clippers would vault up the list of available cap space and join the Nets and Knicks as one of three teams with enough room for two max-level free agents at $68.6 million. And finally, the Los Angeles Lakers, who figure to be major players in free agency this summer, and might even land the reigning Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard , also still have enough room for one more max player despite having Davis and LeBron James signed. OTHERS WHO COULD WIGGLE INTO MAX SPACE Of course, those aren't the only teams that can open up a max slot this summer, as other organizations can get themselves into the running by dumping their bad contracts. Granted, that might be easier said than done in some cases. One team that is reportedly looking into doing that, the Houston Rockets, badly want to get themselves into the Butler sweepstakes , and have been shopping Clint Capela , among others, to do so. Another team who some believe might take that path is the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are interested in pairing their lone star, Karl-Anthony Towns , with fellow 2015 draft alumni D'Angelo Russell , and could try and dump Andrew Wiggins to give themselves a shot. With nearly half of the NBA either already possessing max cap space or having the ability to open up enough room for such a deal, we will likely see a crazy amount of big names moving this summer. This summer could get hectic. You can follow Frank Urbina on Twitter: @FrankUrbina_ . MORE: Danny Green: 'This is the time where I need to maximize the dollars on the longest amount of years that I can do' 8 players the Lakers can get for a minimum deal if they sign a third superstar Vegas Sportsbook moves up Lakers title odds due to Kawhi Leonard rumors Francis Ellis Fired from Barstool Sports [UPDATE] Report: Pats 'fired up over what they've seen' from Jamie Collins Related slideshow: The top picks in the NBA draft (Provided by imagn)


When the Lamborghini Countach first hit production in 1974, it was rather unadorned. The big fenders, wide tires and wing that came to define the supercar didn't arrive for a few more years. You can thank Canadian businessman and F1 team owner Walter Wolf for those. We've told his story before, so I'll just summarize it here-Wolf was a Lamborghini man, through and through, and he wanted more out of the then-new Countach. He turned to genius engineer Gian Paolo Dallara-one of the fathers of the Miura-to up the ante a bit. They came up with a red Countach with black fender flares shrouding custom-developed Pirelli tires measuring 335mm in width (over 100mm wider than the standard Countach's Michelins), a hotter V-12 engine and, most importantly, an adjustable rear wing. Wolf had two more custom Countaches built for him, with upgrades Lamborghini incorporated in its own LP400 S and every subsequent Countach. The red-and-black Wolf Countach now belongs to Eiichi Okado, who runs a Lamborghini repair shop in Japan. Okadao-san actually sat in this very car as a kid, kicking off his love for Lamborghini, and when it came up for sale, he knew he had to have it. Other than some Mid Night Club stickers , Okadao-san now presents the Countach as Wolf had it back in the mid-1970s, complete with emblems from the Wolf F1 team. It looks absolutely spectacular driving through Tokyo-somehow totally alien and perfectly at home at once. Functionally, the wing on a Countach didn't do much other than generate front-end lift at high speeds, but you can argue it made the car. For most people, it's hard to picture a Countach without one. We have this red car to thank. Follow MSN Autos on Facebook and Twitter


A year and a half after the head coach's time at UCLA came to an end, Jim Mora and his former employer remain intertwined. The Los Angeles Times has confirmed that three former Bruins football players have filed lawsuits seeking in excess $15 million each in damages. Mora and the university, along with offensive line coach Adrian Klemm and associate trainer Anthony Venute , have been named as defendants in the suits. All three players involved as plaintiffs in the cases are former Bruins offensive linemen   Zach Bateman , John Lopez and Poasi Moala . It's alleged in the lawsuits that Lopez and Moala "suffered traumatic head injuries and continue to experience symptoms linked to chronic traumatic encephalopathy." Lopez has alleged that he "attempted suicide in the fall of 2016 by overdosing on a combination of over-the-counter and prescription medications." It's further alleged in Bateman's suit that "severe injuries to both of his feet… occurred and worsened because of negligent conduct" on the part of the UCLA football program. From the Times ' report: Moala's lawsuit says he suffered multiple concussions as well as severe injuries to his hips that required two surgeries by the end of his college career in 2017. The lawsuit claims that Moala's injuries might have been avoided if his coaches had taken his complaints of injury seriously rather than regularly ignoring or minimizing his complaints and ridiculing him in front of his teammates. Lopez's lawsuit alleges that he was rushed back to play without proper protocol procedures being followed after suffering concussions during training camp in San Bernardino in 2013 and 2014. During the 2013 practice sessions, Lopez allegedly participated in drills that "required that John take repeated hits to his head" and was one of seven players sidelined one day with concussion-like symptoms. The lawsuit also states that the lineman was ridiculed for being injured after the first concussion, claiming that Klemm devised a drill in which Lopez's teammates were encouraged to "[expletive] him up!" Klemm allegedly "made it a priority to shame John by unfairly reprimanding, chastising, disciplining and cursing out" the player. As part of a culture of "no excuses" cultivated by Mora, the lawsuit alleges, Lopez was subjected to drills that were described as "unnecessarily brutal," requiring players to practice at full speed with no safeguards against helmet-to-helmet contact. Players were also expected to play through pain, according to the lawsuit. Mora was the head football coach at UCLA from 2012-17. In response to the filings of the lawsuits, UCLA issued the following statement: While we cannot comment on the specific details of a pending lawsuit, we want to make it clear that the health and safety of our student-athletes is UCLA's top priority." We strongly deny and will defend ourselves against the allegations made in the lawsuit. We handle every injury with the highest standard of care, and take potential head injuries very seriously. As one of the world's leading research institutions, and a partner in the largest-ever concussion research study conducted by the U.S. Department of Defense and NCAA, we believe our concussion protocol is among the strongest in the country." Our team physicians and sports medicine staff work hand-in-hand on diagnosis, monitoring and treatment, and they are the only individuals who determine when a student-athlete is cleared to participate in their sport; coaches are not involved in these decisions.


Joe Biden said in a 1981 CNN interview that he opposed busing to desegregate schools and that he supported efforts to cut back on courts' ability to order busing. Biden's opposition to busing in the 1970s is facing renewed scrutiny after California Sen. Kamala Harris criticized him for his position at the 2020 Democratic debate on Thursday. In response, Biden said he "did not oppose busing in America" and only opposed busing ordered by the Department of Education. On Friday, Biden again tried to qualify his opposition, saying he "never ever opposed voluntary busing." But the 1981 CNN interview illustrates that Biden's objections to busing to end segregation in schools were much broader than he casts them today. "I happen to be one of those so-called people that are labeled as a liberal on civil rights, but oppose busing," Biden said. "And I support the effort to curtail the ability of courts to bus." "What I have argued as one who grew up in the civil rights movement and ran for office as a public defender and a member of an active participant in civil rights cases, I have argued that the least effective remedy to be imposed is the busing remedy," Biden said at another point in the interview. In a statement to CNN, Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates reiterated that the former vice president always supported voluntary busing and federally mandated busing to end "de jure" segregation. "He has also always been an advocate for integration, but saw that the forced busing being discussed in these statements was not the right mechanism for achieving integration in Delaware because it put an undue burden on African-American families and children," Bates said. Bates pointed to efforts Biden took locally and, in the Senate, to fight for civil rights, including pushing for the extension of the Voting Rights Act, housing integration and backing the Equal Rights Amendment. Biden's comments on the CNN program Newsmaker occurred in July 1981 as the Senate debated a proposal to limit the power of courts to impose busing, which the senator said he supported. Liberal senators filibustered the bill , and although Biden was against busing, he opposed efforts to end the filibuster because doing so would have stripped anti-busing provisions from the bill. The filibuster ended in September , with Biden voting in support of the efforts to ban the court's ability to use busing as a remedy for segregation. (The legislation eventually died after opponents were able to further delay it and the House did not vote on it .) "I don't like filibusters, I have not been supportive of filibusters in my nine years in the Senate, used by either liberals or conservatives," Biden said at the time. "And on the issue that the argument is about and that is whether or not busing serves -- is A, required constitutionally and B has a utilitarian value for desegregation. I come down on the side of A, it is not constitutionally required and B, it is not a useful tool." Biden indicated that he supported the courts finding remedies to correct instances of school districts intentionally attempting to block black Americans from attending, such as altering school district lines, ordering the construction of new schools, and changing laws that prevented black students from moving to a white school district. Biden also said in the interview that busing became a problem when the courts began to apply the rationale they used to solve segregation in southern states to states in the northern region of the country, where Biden said there was "integrated facilities" but segregated living areas due to "migratory patterns." "That is when blacks moved north, they were either pushed into or moved into black ghettos. Just like when Irish moved, they went into Irish ghettos and Jews into Jewish ghettos et cetera. In the south, after the Emancipation Proclamation, the slaves didn't move off the plantation," Biden said. "The point I was trying to make is when you're trying to remedy the situation, what happened was the system whereby you could impose a busing remedy in an area where you had black, white, black, white living on the same block, it made a great deal of sense," Biden added. "But where you ended up with disparate neighborhoods long distances apart but were segregated and you tried to integrate the facilities, it created a number of mechanical problems that are significant." At the Democratic debate Thursday, Harris slammed Biden for opposing desegregation busing by invoking her own personal story. "It was not only that... there was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools and she was bused to school every day," Harris said. "That little girl was me." Biden responded, saying Harris mischaracterized his position. "I did not oppose busing in America, what I opposed is busing ordered by the Department of Education," Biden said, making an argument for state's rights. "That's what I opposed."


The Golden State Warriors are battling a ton of injuries, from Kevin Durant to Klay Thompson to Kevon Looney and others. They received good news with the return of DeMarcus Cousins before Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Cousins suffered a torn quad injury in Game 2 of their first round series with the Los Angeles Clippers and he worked hard to return for the Finals after originally being ruled out for the rest of the season. He made a big impact in the Game 2 win over the Toronto Raptors (11 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, two blocks, plus-12). Since then, however, he had four points and three rebounds with a plus/minus of minus-12 in Game 3 and six points and four rebounds in the Game 4 loss. While it's certainly admirable that Cousins worked so hard to get back into shape, amping up the rehab to help his team in the Finals, he has almost become a detriment for this Warriors team. He doesn't have any of the explosiveness that made him one of the best players in the game pre-injury. Golden State will need something out of Cousins as they begin this climb to come back from 3-1 on Monday on the road in Toronto. MORE: Most bizarre and incredible catches by fishermen in past decade Sleeping on Patriots WR Demaryius Thomas would be a huge mistake What does Kevin Durant want in free agency? Eagles safety Deiondre' Hall making waves in bid for roster spot 6 things we learned from Browns mandatory minicamp


The #Bengals and NFL Foundation will donate $75,000 to the Dayton Oregon District Tragedy Fund, through The Dayton Foundation, to help people impacted by this weekend's shooting. Read more : https://t.co/2TbQuA2p3Q pic.twitter.com/kv1OyUzfbR - Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) August 7, 2019 The Cincinnati Bengals and the NFL Foundation will donate $75,000 to the Dayton Oregon District Tragedy Fund in the wake of the weekend's shooting. Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn offered a statement in the release : "Dayton is part of our community and we are saddened by the tragic events that took place this weekend. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and all of those affected." The funds will go through The Dayton Foundation and local officials in the area to assist those families directly affected by the tragedy. More information about The Dayton Foundation and its funds are available here . MORE: ESPN's Molly Qerim walked off set after Max Kellerman said Kobe's on his 'all-NBA worst team' Packers rookie Darrius Shepherd standing out to Matt LaFleur, Aaron Rodgers Deadline passes as Elliott loses accrued season, fines reach $500K Sergio Llull 'not closing the door' on Rockets, NBA Johnathan Alston: what the Lions are getting in their new CB


The Medical Examiner's Office on Monday formally identified the child's body found in Arkansas on Friday as that of Maleah Davis. This is a developing story. Previous story follows. Check back for updates. =========== HOUSTON   Medical examiners still haven't formally identified the child's body found in Arkansas on Friday, but Texas EquuSearch founder Tim Miller says he's sure it's Maleah. After a month of searching all over Houston, Miller went to the scene where the remains were discovered. RELATED: Prayers and teddy bears | Community gathers to honor Maleah Davis RELATED: 'She's home. She's back home,' Quanell X tells media after watching plane carrying human remains land in Houston "It was a gruesome sight. It was a terrible sight to see. It took hours gathering up body parts and evidence," said Miller. "I think it's going to match some clothing and other things there that was found. I think I'm 99.9 percent." He says EquuSearch chartered the plane to get Houston investigators to Arkansas. He felt it was imperative they get there as quickly as possible. It turned out, he was right. Miller says the remains were left in a plastic bag, which had been run over by mowers. Gallery by Chron Medical examiners in Harris County are now testing what little was left intact. RELATED: Harris Co. Medical Examiner's Office: We have the remains from Arkansas; ID will take some time "They're doing an autopsy to determine the cause of death. I think it's going to be impossible," said Miller. The image he can't shake is seeing a little pink barrette among the remains thrown out like trash. While hoped this story had a different ending, Miller says at least they brought the little girl home. "I don't regret one minute of one day that we searched," said Miller. ALSO POPULAR ON KHOU.COM 3-year-old drowns at apartment swimming pool in Fort Bend County 'Most devastating day in the history of Virginia Beach' | 12 dead after Municipal Center shooting Video: Navy sailor surprises sister at Klein Collins HS graduation


DALLAS (1080 KRLD) - Former Congressman and current Democratic presidential hopeful Beto O'Rourke has laid out a plan he says would help the country "realize the full potential of our democracy." O'Rourke's campaign says the "Voting Rights and Democracy Reform Plan" could increase registration by 50 million voters and turn 35 million additional voters to the polls by 2024. O'Rourke's plan is built around three parts. One would focus on increasing voter turnout. The plan would allow same-day voter registration. Twenty states and Washington DC allow same-day registration now. Sixteen and 17 year olds would be automatically pre-registered. The second part would "remove barriers within our democracy." O'Rourke would ask Congress to make voting day a national holiday, extend early voting and expand vote-by mail. O'Rourke says he would also try to circumvent state voter ID laws, asking the Department of Justice to end "draconian" laws. Instead, O'Rourke says people without identification could vote if they sign a sworn statement. He says voter ID laws have a "disproportionate impact" on racial minorities. The third part of O'Rourke's plan is "rebuilding confidence in our democracy." His campaign says the plan would set up independent redistricting commissions to "tackle gerrymandering." The plan would also limit contributions to political action committees that focus on specific issues and stop political action committees from donating to campaigns. O'Rourke also wants to establish term limits. Members of the House would be limited to 12 years in office; representatives could serve six 2-year terms, senators could serve two 6-year terms. Supreme Court justices would be limited to 18 years. Polls released this week by CNN and Morning Consult both show O'Rourke sixth among Democrats running for the presidential nomination. He plans to highlight the plan during a campaign stop in Atlanta Wednesday evening.


Before it's too late, I must address one of my pet peeves: deliberately putting plastic in soil. Take, for instance, black plastic sheeting sold as mulch. This stuff appears at first to be a cure-all for weed problems. Lay it on the ground, cut holes only where you will set plants, and weeds will die from lack of light, presumably ending all your weed problems for years to come. But other problems arise. An impermeable sheet of plastic over the ground can leave plant roots and soil microorganisms gasping for air. Roots set in the openings might develop even greater breathing problems when all the water falling on the plastic floods those holes. And the plastic eventually starts to tear and break apart, which creates a general mess. GEOTEXTILES? Geotextiles, introduced more recently, are offered as an alternative to solid black plastic sheeting. These are woven or spun plastic fabrics that resist tearing and have many small holes to allow passage of air and water. Both black plastic and geotextiles are widely used by farmers, gardeners and landscapers. If you don't like the way these synthetic mulches look   surely the case when they are used in landscaping   you cover them. Wood chips look natural and are widely used for this purpose. And anyway, geotextiles need a thin cover of something to shade out the minimal light that makes its way through the tiny holes. But problems arise again. Over time, plenty of weeds eventually sneak in to grow in the wood chips covering the plastic. Over time, the chips or other coverings also slide around to expose the plastic or geotextile beneath   not a pretty sight! Furthermore, even if black plastic or geotextiles don't do their jobs forever, they'll be in the soil that long, or almost. Try to make over the landscape in the future and you will be wrestling with and cutting geotextiles or collecting scraps of black plastic. PLASTIC PEANUTS, NO Another, fortunately less frequently suggested use of plastic in the soil is plastic "peanuts." Mixed into the soil, the reasoning goes, they should increase aeration. While they would undoubtedly make a soil lighter, and thus seemingly better aerated, all that extra air is pretty much locked up in the peanuts. It has also been suggested that a layer of plastic peanuts be put in the bottoms of flowerpots to enhance drainage, as layers of gravel have been used. In this case, that layer of peanuts is worse than useless, just as the traditional layer of gravel was. The effect in both cases is to create a "perched" water table inside the pot, giving the roots less depth of well-aerated soil. Also, spent potting soil can be spread on the ground or added to a compost pile, but do you want the peanuts there also? ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVES Enough plastic makes its way into our soils inadvertently, from misplaced plant tags to those stickers now ubiquitous on fruit skins to pieces of old plastic pots. Deliberately embedding a permanent, synthetic blanket in the ground or mixing plastic peanuts into the soil brings no benefits that could not be had in a more nature-friendly way. Paper mulch, for instance, biodegrades and can stave off weeds for a season. Perlite or vermiculite are two minerals that can lighten a soil more effectively than styrofoam peanuts. Removing plastic put on or in the soil becomes difficult or well-nigh impossible. Deliberately putting plastic in the ground is disrespectful of the skin   that is, soil   that covers our planet and sustains much of the life here. Related video: 10 plants that will take over your yard (Provided by Southern Living) ___ http://www.leereich.com/blog http://leereich.com


The Mets are in agreement on a deal with third-round selection Matthew Allan, reports Jon Heyman of MLB Network. Allan had been considered a first-round talent who came with some signability issues, so the Mets have likely promised the high school righty a bonus that is considerably higher than his $668K slot value in order to forgo his commitment to Florida. Notably, MLB.com's Anthony DiComo adds that Allan has yet to take his physical. Heading into the draft, Allan ranked as the No. 11 prospect in the draft, per ESPN's Keith Law . MLB.com's top 200 listed Allan at No. 13 , while he was 16th on the top 500 over at Baseball America and 20th at Fangraphs . Law called Allan the best high school pitcher in this year's draft, praising him for a 92-95 mph fastball and a curveball that is already regarded as a plus pitch. MLB.com's report notes that Allen's changeup took a step forward this season as well, giving the 6-foot-3, 210-pound righty the potential for a third above-average offering. The Mets saved about $470K on top pick Brett Baty but also went considerably over slot in giving second-round pick Josh Wolf a $2.15M bonus when his slot value was roughly $1.37M. However, the Mets selected college seniors in each of the fourth through 10th rounds of the draft, leaving them a considerable bit of cash to allocate to Allan. Each received bonuses of $20K or less, and while that leaves New York with a top-heavy draft class, they'll come away with a pair of players who were widely considered to be among the 20 best talents available. Obviously, there's plenty of variance in all MLB draftees   high schoolers in particular   so the Mets are taking a fairly high-risk approach in so aggressively front-loading their draft resources to secure this trio of prep stars.


The last run of an NBA dynasty is often met by an increasingly creaky roster as the finish line approaches. The 2014 Heat started Rashard Lewis in the final game of LeBron James' tenure and the 2004 Lakers attempted to mine significant minutes from 40-year-old Karl Malone. Role players cash in and leave champions while star players add plenty of mileage to their career odometers. Sheer fatigue has been a dynasty killer more than once. The toll of Golden State's five-straight Finals was evident in Game 1, most notably on the Warriors' front line. Pascal Siakam sprinted to the tin at will en route to 32 points and Marc Gasol dissected Stephen Curry and Co. from the high post. Kevin Durant's absence dampened the Warriors' offensive output, but the defensive holes left by his absence still hold weight. With few deterrents in the paint, the Raptors feasted on a buffet of easy buckets. Draymond Green struggled to contain Siakam in the first half of Game 1, yet the former Defensive Player of the Year is only partly culpable for Golden State's slow start. A large share of blame fell on DeMarcus Cousins. Appearing in his first game since round one of the West playoffs, Cousins looked gassed within his first five minutes of action. The artist formerly known as Boogie picked up a pair of fouls in eight minutes of action, huffing and puffing with his hands on his knees at each dead ball. Kyle Lowry bounced off Cousins for easy fouls and Serge Ibaka lived in the restricted area. Cousins was out of shape and out of place, once again cutting Steve Kerr's list of reliable rotation players. As the pile of injuries mounted, Cousins' inability to give quality minutes doomed Golden State in Game 1. Kerr stood by Cousins in Game 2 and even inserted the former Kings malcontent into Golden State's starting lineup. The move worked wonders. Cousins looked increasingly spry in Sunday's 104-99 victory , sporting a second wind in the Warriors' third-quarter comeback. He tallied 11 points, ten rebounds and six assists, ending the night with a team-best plus-12. Cousins found his sea legs on the defensive end and looked downright spry offensively. He'll now be increasingly counted on through the rest of the Finals. Cousins would ideally be used as an elite role player in short bursts, logging limited minutes in the most impactful opportunities. Kerr brought Cousins off the bench in Game 1, checking in at the start of the second quarter. Cousins played alongside Klay Thompson as Curry and Green rested, but the plan failed to kickstart Cousins. He slogged through his fourth quarter minutes after an encouraging start, charging over Kyle Lowry and committing a shooting foul before exiting for good with eight minutes remaining. The bench units seemed to stifle Cousins, who lumbered out of place in the half court with little engagement in the action. Playing alongside Curry and Green boosted Cousins on Sunday night. He pushed the break like Green's heftier brother and slung a pair of backdoor dimes. Cousins' proudest possession came early in the third quarter as Golden State stole the lead. He became isolated on Leonard following a Marc Gasol screen, and Leonard drove left. Cousins in Game 1 would have and picked up a cheap foul trying to cut off the angle, but the big fella continued to contain Leonard on Sunday, forcing a missed 13-footer. The shot fell short and Cousins rushed the ball up the floor. He paused at the three-point line and whipped an open pass to Andre Iguodala in the corner, who converted his first three of the evening (the second proved a touch more important). Cousins was an elite playmaker before his Achilles injury in New Orleans . That guy still appears in glimpses after a pair of difficult injuries. Cousins' availability is increasingly critical as Golden State searches for room on its training tables. Durant is out for Game 3 and Looney is out for the series . Thompson is questionable and Iguodala is, well, less than 100% to say the least. The Warriors now need Cousins more than they ever expected, though such a burden could prove problematic. Cousins' endurance remains in doubt after just two games, and foul trouble is still a question mark. Lowry is a master at drawing contact, while Gasol and Ibaka should try to bait Cousins down low early. Even if Cousins' mental errors are a thing of the past, his physical limitations can still be exploited. Kerr has limited options if Cousins isn't effective. With Looney now out for the series, additional minutes could be in line for Andrew Bogut as he looks to bookend the Warriors' dynasty. The 34-year-old isn't much more than a rim-runner and sturdy paint presence at this point, but his value is still noted. Bogut connected on a trio of lobs in Sunday's victory including an impressive one-hand layup continuing his dominant NBL form on the game's biggest stage. Jordan Bell should get another chance on the floor, though his continued regression could put a quick end to his minutes. Looney's loss shouldn't be swept under the rug amid Golden State's star-studded injury report. He was a menace on the boards and a capable defender in space, likely earning a sizable payday this summer. Golden State will miss him if the rest of its rotation falls short. The Warriors' Game 2 win initially felt like a turning point in the series as Durant and Thompson trash-talked Drake in the tunnel . The decade's greatest dynasty stole Game 2 on the road short-handed, returning to the Bay smelling blood. But we shouldn't assume no Durant, no Thompson and no Looney means no problem at Oracle Arena. Toronto has the personnel to bother Curry and Kawhi likely has plenty of bullets left in the chamber. The Warriors have an opportunity to seize the Finals on Wednesday night; they'll need strong minutes from Cousins to take a pivotal 2 1 lead. Related slideshow: The 2019 NBA Finals (Provided by imagn)


FARMINGDALE, N.Y.   Tuesday's press conference was the first time since he won the Masters that Tiger Woods spoke with the media. It was also the first time he has sat for a formal Q&A with sports writers since receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom on May 6. "Man, that was an incredible honor. To go to the White House with my mom and [girlfriend] Erica and the two kids and all my friends and family that have been there virtually my whole life," Woods said of the ceremony in the White House Rose Garden. "To have them there, to have them experience it and to get the Presidential Medal of Freedom, it couldn't be more special." PGA Championship: Tee times | Full coverage President Donald Trump bestowed Woods with the nation's highest civilian honor following Woods' victory at the Masters, which was his 15 th major triumph. Trump cited Woods' historic career as well as his injuries and multiple comebacks during the ceremony. Woods is the fourth golfer to receive the award, following Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Charlie Sifford. "The other golfers on that list, Arnold and Jack and Charlie, and Charlie being like the grandpa I never had. Charlie and I became very close," Woods said. "I ended up naming my son Charlie after Charlie. It was very special and very important to me."


DUBAI, April 6 (Reuters) - Iran moved on Saturday to evacuate more towns and villages threatened by floods after forecasts for more rains in the southwest of the country, state television reported, as the nationwide toll from the flooding reached 70. Many residents of Susangerd, with a population of about 50,000, and five other communities in the oil-rich southwestern province of Khuzestan were being moved to safer areas as officials released water from major river dams, the television reported. "An evacuation order has been issued and we are recommending women and children to leave but we are asking the men and youth to stay and help us (in the rescue effort)," the provincial governor, Gholamreza Shariati, told state TV. In the neighboring Lorestan province, seven villages threatened by landslides were to be evacuated, the television reported. At least 70 people have been killed, the head of the country's emergency services, Pirhossein Koulivand, told the state news agency IRNA. About 1,900 cities and villages have been affected by floods after exceptionally heavy rains since March 19. The disaster has left aid agencies struggling to cope and seen 86,000 people moved to emergency shelters. The government has told citizens, and especially flood-affected farmers, that all losses will be compensated. Iran's state budget is already stretched under U.S. sanctions on energy and banking sectors that have halved its oil exports and restricted access to some revenues abroad. As waters continue to submerge villages, the government said it had deployed more mobile medical units to the southern provinces. Around 1,000 people have been airlifted by emergency helicopters to safety in recent days. The head of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards reiterated that the armed forces "were using all their power" to minimize damages in Khuzestan. Iranian drilling companies and other energy firms have been assisting rescue efforts in flooded areas, using pumps to remove water. (Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)


NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New York man who started a secret society in which female "slaves" were branded with his initials and ordered to have sex with him may have led an unconventional life, but he did not break the law, his lawyer told jurors on Monday. "The conduct, looked at objectively, is pretty out there," Marc Agnifilo, lawyer for Keith Raniere, said in his closing argument in Brooklyn federal court. "That doesn't make it a crime." Raniere, 58, is on trial facing charges including racketeering, sex trafficking and child pornography. Prosecutors said he used his organization, Nxivm, which billed itself as a self-help group, to hide the secretive sorority, called DOS. Raniere faces a possible sentence of life in prison if convicted. In her closing argument earlier on Monday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Moira Penza said members were tricked into handing over compromising photos and confessions, called "collateral," that could be used to blackmail them. She described Raniere as a "a con man, a predator, a crime boss" who operated "through abuse and control." Agnifilo countered that Raniere never intended to release collateral and only meant to help the women with their personal growth. He even suggested that one of the former DOS members who testified in the trial, a woman known only as Nicole, might have been helped by her time as a "slave." "Maybe it worked," Agnifilo said. Nicole testified that she was tied to a table and subjected to a sex act with another woman against her will while Raniere watched, coerced into having sex with Raniere several times and eventually branded with his initials. The six-week trial has featured testimony from multiple women who said Raniere victimized them, including Lauren Salzman, daughter of Nxivm co-founder Nancy Salzman and a longtime member of Raniere's inner circle. Raniere declined to testify and his defense called no witnesses. Other members of Nxivm, which is pronounced "nexium," were charged. They include Nancy Salzman, actress Allison Mack and Seagram liquor heiress Claire Bronfman. They have all pleaded guilty to crimes but have not yet been sentenced. The group first became known for its "Executive Success Program" courses, which purported to give students the ability to achieve their goals in life by overcoming mental blocks. Witnesses testified that leaders of the organization psychologically manipulated and abused its members and demanded total obedience from them. (Reporting by Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Scott Malone, Jeffrey Benkoe and Susan Thomas)


Editor's note: The opinions in this article are the author's, as published by our content partner, and do not necessarily represent the views of MSN or Microsoft. Thursday's 7-2 Supreme Court decision allowing a Peace Cross war memorial to remain on public land in Bladensburg, Md., near the nation's capital is a landmark victory for religious freedom. This is good news for America. Thankfully, the days of activist courts illegitimately weaponizing the First Amendment's Establishment Clause to attack religious symbols on public land are over. At last, the Bladensburg World War I Veterans Memorial   what everyone can now safely call the Peace Cross   is safe from the wrecking crew. Importantly, so are other memorials honoring veterans and public displays of religion across our country. SUPREME COURT RULES PEACE CROSS WAR MEMORIAL CAN STAND "For nearly a century, the Bladensburg Cross has expressed the community's grief at the loss of the young men who perished, its thanks for their sacrifice, and its dedication to the ideals for which they fought," Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the Supreme Court majority. The memorial honors 49 local soldiers who died defending our nation in World War I. The high court's decision should come as no surprise, because America's founders were not hostile to religious symbols or expression. As John Adams once said: "Our Constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." In other words, Americans have always been a religious people. With such a religious heritage, no one should be surprised to see religious symbols, mixed with secular, throughout the public square. Those who have for decades tried to purge the landscape of any religious symbols can now park their bulldozers and sandblasters. Our founders would have been appalled at their attempts to make the government hostile to our religious heritage, history and symbols. All Americans now have more freedom than we have had in decades. Government officials will now no longer be able to employ the First Amendment as a hostile cudgel against people of faith and their public expressions of faith. Instead, the justices of the Supreme Court have restored a commonsense understanding to the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. In so doing, the Supreme Court has put an end to the mounting attacks on crosses, Stars of David, Nativity scenes and other displays of faith in public. The Supreme Court decision sends a clear message that the presence of religious symbols and religious activity in public contribute to the diversity of America and can only be purged by twisting the Constitution. Memorials like the Peace Cross, Justice Alito wrote, now receive a presumption of constitutionality for longstanding monuments, symbols and practices. Americans need no longer fear reprisals against the display of the Ten Commandments, a Nativity scene or the national motto on government property. Indeed, this high court's decision sets students and teachers free to pray on public school grounds during their free time. It will allow speeches mentioning religious themes at a public school graduation ceremony to continue without hecklers trying to shut them down with the threat of a lawsuit. Even elected officials   so fearful of an attack that they have been threatening students and valedictorians if they mentioned God in their commencement speeches   can now stop their censorship and rest at ease. That is a hostility toward religion that the Supreme Court will not abide. As Alito wrote in the court's majority decision: "A government that roams the land, tearing down monuments with religious symbolism and scrubbing away any reference to the divine will strike many as aggressively hostile to religion." Above all, the memory of those who served and sacrificed themselves on the altar of freedom cannot now be questioned because someone is merely "offended" by the shape of their memorial. The Peace Cross is a legitimate symbol of America's history. The mothers who designed the memorial after the gravestones that marked the graves of their sons in Europe understood that. So did The American Legion, which defended the Peace Cross against a lawsuit by the American Humanist Association seeking to take the cross down. And now, the U.S. Supreme Court has declared that   far from establishing a church or mandating any religious belief or behavior   the Peace Cross honors the sons and brothers in arms who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. It is fitting that a memorial to the men who died in the "war to end all wars," now ends the war to end all memorials with religious shapes or symbols. The 49 men from Prince George's County, Md., honored by the memorial appreciated the great freedom of religion that is a hallmark of our country's brand of freedom. They exercised their faith and heroically gave their lives defending that freedom from enemies, both foreign and domestic. To the mothers and the veterans of the American Legion who designed and erected the Peace Cross   and to all the war heroes of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars   the Supreme Court decision Thursday sends a loud and clear message: mission accomplished.


A person with knowledge of the situation says the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will have 32 teams, with FIFA scrapping a proposal to expand the tournament to 48 nations. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the decision publicly. FIFA had been exploring if logistical and political complexities could be overcome to expand the tournament from 32 to 48 teams, which would have required at least one more country being used in the Persian Gulf to accommodate an additional 16 matches in the region. A FIFA internal report in March concluded that the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia cannot join as co-hosts unless they restore the economic and travel ties with Qatar that were severed two years ago. FIFA concluded that it lacked to the time to prepare a country to host the extra games. The regional diplomatic crisis left neutral Kuwait and Oman as the viable options. Oman has said it isn't keen on hosting games at the FIFA showpiece. --- More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/apf-Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports


A pedestrian was struck by a Jeep and killed in DeLand Monday evening, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Ryan Peterson, 45, of DeLand, was attempting to cross Woodland Boulevard by Grace Street just after 10 p.m. when he was struck by a 1999 Jeep SUV driven by Robert Rexrode, 66, of Deltona, according to FHP Lt. Kim Montes. Peterson was not crossing at a sidewalk or intersection, Montes said. He was declared dead on the scene, the report said. 1/8 READ MORE: Pedestrian death rate ranks Volusia 2nd worst in nation, study shows 3/8 The crash remains under investigation, Montes said. ------     ©2019 The News-Journal, Daytona Beach, Fla. Visit The News-Journal, Daytona Beach, Fla. at www.news-journalonline.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


Several ABB FIA Formula E drivers say they would prefer a return to a fixed lap count over the current 45-minute plus one lap format. to encourage greater energy management after the Gen2 car's introduction and the 45-minute plus one lap format contributed to flat-out and incident-packed races on narrow circuits. Several drivers had suggested solutions to the racing, mooting options such as freezing the race time under the safety car period to encourage energy saving. FE will, however, retain the 45-minute plus one lap format but will instead deduct 1kWh per minute from the cars' remaining useable energy to ensure energy saving remains prevalent. Envision Virgin Racin's Sam Bird told Motorsport.com that a fixed lap format would improve overtaking. "The car is very wide and we race on these street circuits so it is narrow," he said. "However, if we go back to an [set] amount of laps to make the energy very difficult, you will get the overtaking back because you can't be mucking around with trying to go quick and hoping for a safety car. "If you have to hit an energy target and it's tough for everybody, someone will save and get the move done and move forward. "That's what I would do. Go back to a number of laps, like it used to be. It's really tough, do it like that." Nissan e.dams's Sebastien Buemi said that deducting energy from the cars will make it more difficult for fans to follow on TV. Asked by Motorsport.com for his take on the new rule, Buemi said: "I think it's much better, but I still think it is a bit complex to explain and show on TV. "Going back to a set [number of] laps would make things easier. You just look at how many laps are left. "To reduce energy, to get people to understand, under the safety car, full-course yellow - why do you reduce energy? Stop the time. "It's complex to explain to people who don't know." Like Buemi, Vergne has been one of the more vocal drivers in pushing for changes to improve energy saving. Asked by Motorsport.com if he still preferred the method of freezing time under the safety car, Vergne said: "It would be better because you have more racing action. "If you have five minutes under the safety car, you still have a lot of laps. Although the energy [saving] is still going to be hard, for the racing, it would be nicer. "But I believe there are the TV rights behind [it], so everything has to be done in one hour and I understand Formula E needs the race in this time. It makes sense, but at least it's a step in the right direction." and a ban on drivers using it under safety car or full-course yellow conditions, a move which drivers have backed. Drivers will also earn a point for topping their respective qualifying group, in addition to the three awarded for pole position. "All the changes in the regulation are in the right direction and it will improve the show. "So, the unpredictability and qualifying in group one won't be so much of an issue. You can come back in the race thanks to energy management, so it's good." BMW i8 Safety car Jean-Eric Vergne, DS TECHEETAH, DS E-Tense FE19, Oliver Rowland, Nissan e.Dams, Nissan IMO1 Photo by: Andrew Ferraro / LAT Images