This story appears in the June 3-10, 2019, issue of Sports Illustrated . For more great storytelling and in-depth analysis, subscribe to the magazine and get up to 94% off the cover price. Click here for more. It rained hard in Mexico City on June 27, 1969, the night the men's national teams of Honduras and El Salvador played for the chance to become the first Central American side to participate in a World Cup. It was the second-most important conflict being waged between those two countries at that moment and by far measure. The first half at Estadio Azteca was played calmly, considering what was at stake. Players displayed none of the fervent nationalism that had been stoked by their respective governments back home, none of the animosity that had exacted a grave human toll already and would turn even worse in the days ahead. "On the field, we respected each other," says Salvador Mariona, the now-75-year-old captain of that El Salvador team. "Even today, the ones still alive [from that Honduras team], we have a strong friendship." El Salvador wore royal blue, trimmed in white; Honduras wore white, trimmed in royal blue, the common colors of their national flags. The countries also shared the same language, the same religion, with similar cultures commonalities that would only make it more difficult to understand what followed two weeks later. A few thousand soccer supporters, mostly Salvadoran, made the 700-odd-mile trip northwest for the match, the deciding contest in a three-game series. They joined Mexican locals in filling about 15,000 of the lowest seats of a stadium that held 100,000. In the eighth minute they all watched El Salvador's tall, loping striker, Juan Ramón (Mon) Martínez, receive the ball unmarked at the edge of the 18-yard box and rocket a left-footed shot under Honduran keeper Jaime Varela's ungloved left hand, inside the far post. Back home, as Salvadorans danced beside their radios celebrating the early 1 0 advantage, the armies of both nations carrying the same weapons and wearing identical uniforms stood poised across their jungled, 243-mile border. Earlier that month, the Honduran government had begun kicking Salvadorans out of its country, hundreds at a time, then thousands, often with a nudge from a military rifle. The reason: They weren't Honduran. Central America, a thick rope of seven countries that links North and South America, was not a stable place to begin with. Even on a map, El Salvador, the smallest and most densely populated of these nations, appears under pressure, with the larger Guatemala and even larger Honduras (nearly five and a half times El Salvador's size) pressing down on it from above, smushing it into the Pacific. Farmable land in El Salvador was not only scarcer than in Honduras, it was also controlled by a wealthy elite that for nearly a century had told the country's poorest farmers they weren't welcome. By the 1960s, some 300,000 Salvadoran peasant farmers  campesinos  had relocated to Honduras, where they could farm freely. And in '67 Honduras passed a land- reform law that essentially asked all those people to go back home. The Salvadorans did not abide, so in '69, Honduran president Oscar López Arellano, an impatient sort who'd gained power six years earlier by military coup, decided to force them out. This unfolded as the two nations were advancing through the first round of Concacaf qualifying, past countries like Suriname and Costa Rica, destined for one another. In the days leading up to their first head-to-head, in '69, handbills appeared throughout Honduras. The first printed word was a slang term for a Salvadoran. Guanaco: If you believe yourself decent, then have the decency to get out of Honduras. If you are, as the majority are, a thief, a drunkard, a lecher, crook or ruffian, don't stay in Honduras. Get out or expect punishment. The first wave of expulsions came on June 2 as 500 Salvadoran families were forcibly moved from Honduras to the other side of the border. Game 1 would be played six days later, in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa, the home team winning 1 0. Fans of both sides clashed in the streets before, during and after the match, just as they did after El Salvador's 3 0 victory in Game 2, a week later in San Salvador. The situation at the border the increasing deportations and the lack of room for the deported deteriorated so dramatically that on the day of the deciding third match, in Mexico City, the Salvadoran government severed diplomatic relations with Honduras, accusing its neighbors of "crimes which constitute genocide." Recalls Mariona, the Salvadoran captain: "We were focused on qualifying, but we knew the conflict was there." Following the Martínez goal that drew first blood, Honduras looked disorganized. It didn't have the fleet of attackers El Salvador had men like Martínez, Mario Monge and Mauricio (Pipo) Rodríguez, who could score from anywhere. Honduras claimed only one player like that. It had brought José Enrique Cardona onto the team just two weeks earlier, shipping him home from Spain's fabled Atlético Madrid club. "He was on another level, as he had been playing in Europe," Mariona recalls of the man nicknamed la Coneja , the Rabbit. "And that was reflected in the match." Eleven minutes after Martínez's goal, the 5' 5" Cardona set up beneath a cross lofted into El Salvador's penalty area and executed a blind bicycle kick, smacking the ball out of the air and driving it backward into the net. Goalie Gualberto Fernández could only drop to all fours as the scoreboard changed to read: EL SALVADOR 1, HONDURAS 1. Within hours of the first expulsions, back in early June, Red Cross refugee centers on the Salvadoran side of the border had been overwhelmed. Local newspapers and radio stations seized on this opportunity to defend their nation's honor and demonize their Honduran oppressors by claiming that the expulsions were murderous pogroms of mass rape and mutilation. But the director of the Red Cross, Baltasar Llort Escalante, said he saw no evidence of such atrocities at the refugee centers or at Salvadoran hospitals. According to the definitive 1981 book about the conflict, The War of the Dispossessed , by Thomas P. Anderson, violent human rights abuses by Honduran authorities "were isolated cases and not so widespread as generally believed in El Salvador." Honduran newspapers like El Cronista , meanwhile, reported "with unseemly glee" (Anderson's words) on the "cleansing of the alarming number of Salvadoran campesinos who have infiltrated our soil" (the paper's words). "The media definitely fueled the fire at a time when people in power needed that animosity to be inflamed," says Dan Hagedorn, who cowrote The 100 Hour War . Fearful of an influx of returning squatters, El Salvador's powerful landowners threatened President Fidel Sánchez Hernández with a coup if he didn't attack his neighbors. Hernández's Honduran counterpart, López Arellano, needed the public to loathe Salvadorans so he could forcibly remove them (and also to distract his own people from his self-serving leadership). The site of the first match of the qualifying series, Estadio Nacional, was turned into an internment camp for Salvadorans. June in Central America means intermittent rain and temperatures in the 80s. The venue had no roof, limited facilities and, now, a throng of intimidated refugees. A Human Rights Subcommittee within the Organization of American States would later state that "the press and radio bear an enormous responsibility" for the war that lay ahead. Following El Salvador's victory in Game 2, "Radio Tegucigalpa spoke of 'the enormous quantity of [Honduran] vehicles destroyed [in El Salvador], of violated women and sadistic beatings, of men brutally wounded by the crowds,'" Anderson wrote. " El Cronista , as usual, outdid everyone else, speaking . . . of hungry and thirsty Hondurans being served urine and manure, of women stripped and violated in the streets by Salvadoran mobs. Those of us who were there saw nothing of the kind, but it was impossible to intrude any rational statements into the Honduran press." Polish war journalist Ryszard Kapuscinski would later tell his own stories of abuse, but their veracity was called into question when he wrote that the restless Salvadoran crowd had held up "portraits of the national heroine Amelia Bolaños" before Game 2. Bolaños, according to Kapuscinski, was a teenager who took her own life, using her father's pistol, moments after her beloved team lost Game 1. The Amelia Bolaños story, shared in Kapuscinski's 1991 book The Soccer War , has since been debunked. No birth or death records exist for such a person. The massive public funeral that Kapuscinski said the Salvadoran team attended it never happened. The newspaper he cites as his main source, El Nacional , appears to have been entirely made up. Kapuscinski's book, an anthology of war reporting from around the world, contains the most prominent example of the misunderstanding that has taken hold over the past 50 years: that two countries took up arms against each other because of a soccer competition. The misleading title, The Soccer War , has since become ubiquitous. Even those who take issue with its accuracy use it. Anderson student of Central American politics and history professor at Eastern Connecticut State University was a devout enemy of the term (until his death in 2017), and yet he employed it throughout The War of the Dispossessed , even as his book title tried to rename the conflict, even as he wrote on page one that the conflict "was not over something as trivial as football." That handy label proved as irresistible to him as it has been for the rest of the world over the last half century. The first hint that the beautiful game would be blamed for the war came three days before the climactic match, when the Salvadoran National Assembly put forth a resolution which members must have known was untrue declaring it "lamentable" that Hondurans were retaliating against Salvadorans as a "result of the recent international football games." The confusion was furthered by a brief UPI story that appeared in American newspapers the morning after the match. That report hinted at off-field tensions between the two countries but did not cover their cause. The headline dubbed the game the soccer 'war.' Only a single outburst marred the match in Mexico City, according to that UPI story: a brief shout of "Murderers! Murderers!" from a bloc of Salvadorans. One can only guess, but that chant likely stemmed from media reports of slain Salvadorans in Honduras, or from the confirmed atrocities committed by the Mancha Brava, a Honduran vigilante group that doled out death on behalf of the López Arellano government. One of the most commonly repeated errors of the whole ordeal is that FIFA had moved Game 3 to Mexico City because of the tension. The truth is that the rubber match had been scheduled for a neutral site many months earlier. The war was still more than two weeks away when Honduras and El Salvador met in Mexico City, but by this time saber rattling at the border had devolved into mortar fire and skirmishes among ground troops that left handfuls of casualties. "It was a coincidence that this was happening while we were trying to qualify to the next round," explains Mariona, trying to dispel the countless references online and in the foreign press to the soccer game that started a war . "War was already brewing." In the 28th minute, with the score still knotted at one, Mon Martínez found himself dribbling in space, with only a single defender between him and the goal. The mercurial striker, who would go on to play for the Indiana Tigers of the American Soccer League, made it past his opponent, outran another Honduran and ended up one-on-one with Varela. Martínez's right-footed blast made it 2 1, El Salvador. Early in the second half, a long pass by Honduran midfielder Donaldo Rosales was misjudged, then mishandled by Fernández, the Salvadoran goalie. Rigoberto Gómez pounced on the gift and booted it into an empty net for the equalizer, 2 2. Neither military was particularly well equipped for war. Nonetheless, the Salvadoran Air Force (FAS) began prepping a small fleet of civilian Cessna planes for combat. They rigged special seat straps and removed passenger-side doors, turning single-engine light aircraft into bombers: A pilot had only to tilt the plane, release the strap on one of the football-sized mortar rounds seated next to him and shove the shell into the sky. The Salvadorans also relied on the same P-51 Mustangs that had escorted American bombers over Europe in World War II. This would be the last war, anywhere in the world, in which prop planes were used. Here the Salvadorans employed an eccentric American plane restorer named Archie Baldocchi as a consultant. The 55-year-old Californian had married a Salvadoran woman years earlier and had fallen for her homeland, too. Baldocchi served the war effort by retooling one of his prized Mustangs and configuring other old warbirds for fresh fighting. He also helped recruit a handful of American fighter pilots to the cause thrill seekers with spare time promising them, on behalf of the Salvadoran air force, $2,500 for each Honduran plane they removed from the sky. On the morning of July 14, FAS mechanics readied the big American planes for battle and loaded ordnance onto Cessnas, Pipers and other puddle jumpers. The plan was to strike at sunset, then fly home under the cover of darkness. "By 5:50 p.m.," Hagedorn reports in his book, "31 Salvadoran aircraft were on their way to their assigned targets." Five minutes after Fernández's adventurous net-minding allowed Honduras to tie the match, a new goalie, Jorge Suárez, came on for El Salvador. "The downpour converted the field into a skating rink," recalls Monge, now 80. The game was becoming more physical, but the Mexican referee, Abel Aguilar Elizalde, did not raise a single card the entire match. In the 75th minute, following a hard tackle on Cardona, Elizalde blew his whistle and jogged over to the scene, eager to continue the game. But the Honduran goal machine stayed down, curled in a ball of pain. Eventually he was carried off the field. He would not return. The Hondurans pressed forward without their star. Suárez made a point-blank save of a shot that would have tilted the game in the 81st minute. In the 88th he punched a free kick over the crossbar. It was here, recalls Monge, that his teammates remembered "the Salvadorans suffering in Honduras." And this, he says, "led us into a winning state of mind. We kept telling each other, ' Tenemos que ganar, tenemos que ganar.' " We have to win. But first: Elizalde glanced at his wristwatch and gesticulated like an orchestra conductor. Ninety minutes would not be enough time to decide the victor. Thomas P. Anderson was interviewing a government official in San Salvador when he heard the "angry roar of internal combustion engines in the sky," followed by air-raid sirens. An hour later the radio informed locals that their country had just bombed Honduras. Dan Hagedorn was at his desk near the Panama Canal when he heard the click-clack of a nearby teletype. The 23-year-old U.S. Army information specialist and historian-in-training was stunned by the words being inked across paper. El Salvador's air raid was messy and disorganized, foreshadowing the four-day confrontation that followed. In rural Central America, everything turns pitch black when the sun goes down, and the air war that dominated the conflict was fought largely in this dark. Even in daylight, the hostilities in July 1969 were typified by randomness and indiscretion. "There were a lot of rounds fired, lot of bombs dropped," says Hagedorn, five decades later, adding that innocent civilians were often caught in this crossfire. "All of a sudden their little campesino hooch would be destroyed by a plane flying over, and they had no idea what was happening." The rest of the world, meanwhile, was looking elsewhere. To Vietnam. And to the heavens. As morning broke on the second full day of conflict, July 16, Apollo 11 was launching from Cape Kennedy, Fla., carrying Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins to the moon. A classified CIA report from that day passed along news that Honduran authorities were still "rounding up all Salvadorans and detaining them in the soccer stadium. A nationwide Honduran radio network last night exhorted civilians in the western highway area to grab machetes or other weapons and move to the front to assist the army." But by then there was no need. Just two days later, at 10 p.m. on July 18, the two governments begrudgingly agreed to a cease-fire. Each side was down to its last bullets and bombs. "Each side," says Hagedorn, "was exhausted." The match in Mexico City remained knotted as the first of two 15-minute extra periods trickled away. With four minutes remaining, El Salvador's José Antonio Quintanilla won the ball in the center circle and booted it forward, high and long. His teammate Roberto Rivas chipped a back pass to Elmer Acevedo, who crossed it toward the penalty area. The Hondurans' last defender didn't see Pipo Rodríguez (the Pipe, for his slim silhouette) slipping behind him, sprinting toward the goal, and so he allowed Acevedo's ball to float right past his face, thinking his keeper would collect it. But there was Pipo, baseball-sliding in with the toe of his right boot, nudging the ball beneath Varela's hands and into the back of the net, 3 2. Photographers rushed the field. Rodríguez lay on his back near the goalmouth. A teammate fell on his chest, embracing the hero as he thrust both arms skyward. Four more tense minutes remained to be played, then an additional 15 after that, with the Salvadoran defense turning away some of the Hondurans' ripest scoring chances. At the final whistle, the exhausted Honduran players stopped jogging, like toy soldiers in need of a windup, and sat on the wet grass. Pipo came over and consoled several of them. UPI's "Soccer War" story noted that the match "ended in embraces and handshakes by both teams." The editors of El Salvador's La Prensa Gráfica chose not to focus on the uplifting nature of the home team's victory. HONDURAS ELIMINADO , the front-page headline blared. In essence: they lost another editorial choice that served to inflame tensions. "The war didn't start because of our games," says Monge. "There was a political motive. It just happened to be during the time of the qualifiers." "I think we were used," recalls Rodríguez, the hero. "The government used us as their voice. It happened in Honduras as well." Cristian Villalta, editor at the Salvadoran paper El Grafico , explains: "This was two military dictatorships using the games to exacerbate nationalism." Calling it the Soccer War, he adds, is "like saying World War II broke out because of the artistic failure of Adolf Hitler in Vienna. It's nonsense." And yet, sighs Mariona, "the press continues to make the same mistake." That mistake has had a far-reaching impact. It muddied the motivations behind a conflict whose final death toll hovered between 2,000 and 3,000, the majority of victims noncombatants. In 2001, retired U.S. diplomat Robert Steven told an oral historian, "It was a difficult job trying to get anybody in Washington . . . to take [that conflict] at all seriously. Everyone had the same reaction: Oh, it's crazy in Central America, banana republics having a war over a soccer game or something." Not only have the causes of the conflict been wildly misunderstood, but the war itself also resolved nothing. Many Salvadorans stayed in Honduras. Military scuffles continued over the next decade. A peace pact wasn't signed until 1980 and even that didn't stick. The border remained in dispute until '92. Diplomatic relations finally resumed that year, nearly a quarter century after the war "ended." (The two national teams didn't play between 1970 and 1980.) Over the last 50 years, the region's unchecked social imbalances and broken political machinery have allowed a new scourge, gangs, to take root. Migration to surrounding countries has continued to skyrocket. More than two million Salvadorans and Hondurans came to the U.S. in 2018 almost 80 times the number that made the trip in 1970. The soccer outcome, too, proved anticlimactic. El Salvador's victory over Haiti in the final Concacaf qualifying stage brought some measure of happiness and pride to its citizens, but the team's return to Mexico City for the 1970 World Cup merely provided a new flavor of chum for the game's larger, better-trained and better-funded soccer federations. The Salvadoran players were destitute. Mariona recalls that he and his teammates had to petition their own federation, historically rife with corruption and graft, for the 2,000 colones (roughly $230) that FIFA awarded each participating player. Their World Cup results in June 1970 reflected this lack of support: three games, three shutout losses. As for the war and the international confusion about what caused it, says Mariona, "it's almost a forbidden topic in El Salvador. Our biggest happiness was qualifying for Mexico '70." "As I recall that moment," says Monge, remembering his embrace of teammates in the rain, "I feel like I'm back in the Azteca stadium. Both teams wanted to win, but we were thinking about El Salvador and the conflicts at home. The team looked toward the small group of Salvadorans that had come to the game. They were singing and chanting. I can still see my teammates crying. Crying out of happiness." Additional reporting by Rafael Trujillo Related slideshow: Lionel Messi's greatest achievements (provided by photo services)


Before he reached a deal to become head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, Juwan Howard reportedly drew interest from the Timberwolves as they considered whether to retain head coach Ryan Saunders or go in a different direction. While Minnesota ultimately opted to retain Saunders, and Howard left the NBA for a college job, Howard revealed Thursday that the Timberwolves' interest was real. According to Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com ( via Twitter ), Howard said the Wolves offered him their associate head coach position   presumably under Saunders   but he declined. "My heart is with Michigan," he said. Let's round up a few more items from around the Northwest Division: The Jazz worked out 12 draft-eligible prospects on Sunday, according to Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune . Mfiondu Kabengele (Florida State), Grant Williams (Tennessee), Naz Reid (LSU), KZ Okpala (Stanford), Carsen Edwards (Purdue), Dylan Windler (Belmont), Nicolas Claxton (Georgia), Jared Harper (Auburn), Shamorie Ponds (St. John's), Louis King (Oregon), Ignas Brazdeikis (Michigan) and Justin Wright-Foreman (Hofstra) all got a look from the club. Many of those players could be in the mix for Utah's No. 23 pick in the first round. Tony Jones of The Athletic explores 10 prospects Utah may be eyeing at that spot, naming Reid, Okpala, Edwards and Windler as potential targets. Jones adds ( via Twitter ) that Admiral Schofield (Tennessee) is working out with the Jazz this week. In a mailbag for The Athletic , Nick Kosmider addresses several Nuggets-related topics, identifying veteran forward Trevor Ariza as a possible target for Denver if the team stays over the cap and has the mid-level exception available. After a solid year as the backup center in Oklahoma City, Nerlens Noel seems unlikely to return to the Thunder unless he's willing to play for a discount again, writes Brett Dawson of The Athletic .


Video by Associated Press 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. Famously taciturn prosecutor Robert Mueller decided to address the public to make it very clear that he did not exonerate President Trump of committing obstruction of justice. "If we had confidence that the president did not commit a crime we would have said so," he said. Mueller cited a Department of Justice policy prohibiting a special prosecutor from charging sitting presidents: "Charging the president with a crime," he said, "was therefore not an option we could consider." This banal point is important because it pithily clarifies something Trump and his allies have labored, with quite a bit of success, to obscure. Attorney General William Barr's letter summarizing Mueller's report presents the report as being inconclusive about the facts of Trump's conduct. "The Special Counsel considered whether to evaluate the conduct under Department standards governing prosecution and declination decisions but ultimately determined not to make a traditional prosecutorial judgment," wrote Barr. "The Special Counsel therefore did not draw a conclusion   one way or the other   as to whether the examined conduct constituted obstruction." That is wrong. Mueller was not failing to draw a conclusion about the conduct. He was concluding decisively that he did not have the power to define Trump's conduct as a crime. Even after Mueller objected to Barr's characterization, Barr repeated this distortion in his public testimony. "The role of the federal prosecutor," he said, is "either to commence or to decline prosecution." Barr emphasized that "the appointment of a Special Counsel and the investigation of the conduct of the President of the United States do not change these rules." (This was flatly contradicted by Mueller, who reminds us the appointment of a special prosecutor does change these rules.) Related slideshow: A timeline of Mueller's investigation (Stacker) Barr's testimony jumped off this false premise to present Mueller as having been unable to decide if Trump's conduct was bad enough to qualify as criminal obstruction: "The Special Counsel decided not to reach a conclusion, however, about whether the President committed an obstruction offense." This was at best highly misleading: Mueller "decided" he lacked the legal standing to charge Trump with a crime. After Barr released his letter misleadingly spinning Mueller's finding, a reporter asked Barr if Mueller was throwing the question of presidential criminality over to Congress to settle through impeachment. No, Barr said, he wasn't: "Special Counsel Mueller did not indicate that his purpose was to leave the decision to Congress; I hope that was not his view, since we don't convene grand juries and conduct criminal investigations for that purpose." In his statement today, Mueller rebutted Barr on this, too. The Department of Justice legal opinion prohibiting him from charging a president with a crime instead "says that the Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system to formally accuse a sitting president of wrongdoing." In other words, yes, Mueller was throwing it to Congress, and no, Barr was not telling the truth about this, either. Trump is spinning Mueller's statement the same way he and Barr spun the report: pretending Mueller's statement that he cannot bring charges means the evidence was insufficient. Nothing changes from the Mueller Report. There was insufficient evidence and therefore, in our Country, a person is innocent. The case is closed! Thank you.   Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2019 Hundreds of former federal prosecutors signed a letter stating that Trump's conduct would be chargeable as a crime if he was not the president. Mueller's view is that it's up to Congress, not him, to make that decision. Trump and his loyal attorney general have decided to continue misleading the public about why Mueller did not formally accuse the president of crimes.


One of the biggest stories of this past postseason was the on-court battles between Russell Westbrook and Trailblazers point guard Damian Lillard - two No. 0 wearing California kids battling it out in high-stakes basketball games. While the whole series was dramatic, the way in which the series ended was maybe the most dramatic moment of the entire playoffs. Lillard was able to finish off a 50-point night with a game-winning 3-pointer from about 30 feet out over the outstretched arms of Paul George to move Portland to the second round of the playoffs. On the court, Westbrook and Lillard went at each other at every chance they got, with many confusing their competitive nature for actual hatred, which isn't true according to Lillard. Never did https://t.co/29VM5asQ3n - Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) July 29, 2019 Back in April, after the season ended, Lillard did say that he and Westbrook were cool off the court, but understands that they're both trying to kill each other when the ball goes up. MORE: Jayson Tatum and others defend LeBron James for celebrating at Bronny's AAU game Lions training camp: Day 5 participation report, A'Shawn Robinson returns Packers training camp practice roundup: July 30 MLB Trade Rumors: Latest on Noah Syndergaard, Felipe Vazquez, Edwin Diaz and More Tom Brady disobeys Bill Belichick at practice, and suffers the consequences


Casino king William Harrah built a sprawling estate on the east shore of Lake Tahoe in 1963 to entertain his celebrity friends. The likes of Judy Garland, Sammy Davis Junior, Frank Sinatra and the rest of the Rat Pack used a secret tunnel to enter the Nevada home and party the night away. The so-called Villa Harrah enjoyed a heyday in the 1960s, and now after a $14-million renovation, the estate is on the market for $25.75 million and ready for its next chapter. The massive home features eight bedrooms, seven full bathrooms and six half-bathrooms spread across 22,000 square feet. The home blends a mountain lodge aesthetic with mid-century modern glamour. Listing agent Jamison Blair of Compass says everything, from all the finishes to the bathrooms and kitchen, was updated. The main living room is the focal point with an oversize seating area, floating fireplace, dining room, custom bar and a 31-foot-long wall of glass that frames a lake and mountain view. "It has the vibe of a party fun house," says Blair. "The view when you walk into the front door is this huge great room and you're just speechless when you walk in there. It's one of the best views I've seen in my 20 years of doing business up here." ALSO: This $34 million San Francisco spec house promises to improve your health All of the bedrooms were also built to maximize the view and seven of them have ensuite bathrooms. A bunk room sleeps 12, in case the party guests want to sleepover. The property includes a full spa with a steam room, sauna, jetted bath, cold plunge, a hair and nail salon and a Himalayan salt cave. "The spa rivals some five-star resort spas," says Blair. Outside, a 150-foot-stretch of lakefront property includes a sandy beach and a pier. A rock jetty shields the beach from wind. William Harrah started on a career path to become a mechanical engineer but when the Depression hit in the 1920s, he was forced to drop out of school at UCLA. Harrah's father ran a bingo-style game on the Venice Boardwalk . He bought his father's interest in 1933 and turned it into a $25,000 a year business. Running into legal problems in California, he moved to Reno and opened bingo clubs that eventually evolved into one of the world's most successful casino operations. He was known for his friendships with his employees, customers and celebrities. Blair says he built his estate to entertain them. "He was good to his people," says Blair. "He would throw parties for them and he wanted to treat them with respect and hospitality." Amy Graff is an SFGATE producer. Email: agraff@sfgate.com


WBZ-TV's Tashanea Whitlow reports.


When the XFL kicks off their second inaugural campaign in February of 2020, Seattle Seahawks fans will notice plenty of familiar names in participation. The XFL Seattle summer showcase boasted eight former Seahawks , along with plenty of well-known local football talent. Since then however, even more former Seahawks are coming out of the woodwork to get another shot at glory with the fledgling league. The latest is former Seahawks receiver B.J. Daniels, who will participate in the XFL's final summer showcase in Tampa Bay over the weekend. Next up on the #XFLShowcase tour: @XFLTampaBay @USFFootball standout @BJDANIELS10 (3rd all time in total yards in @BIGEAST history) will be in attendance. pic.twitter.com/WdoAjYEWeI - XFL (@xfl2020) June 27, 2019 Daniels was a quarterback at the University of South Florida, where he finished his career third all-time in total yards in Big East history. He was drafted by the 49ers in the seventh round of the 2013 NFL draft, but was cut before the season began. He spent the next two seasons with the Seahawks, primarily on the practice squad. Daniels finally appeared in six games for the Seahawks in the 2015 season. Having transitioned from quarterback to wide receiver, Daniels hauled in two receptions for 18 yards and returned one punt seven yards. Daniels bounced around other professional leagues over the past few seasons, including a recent stint with the Salt Lake Stallions of the short-lived Alliance of American Football League. Now, Daniels will join many other former Seahawks in trying to find his way back into professional football via the XFL. MORE: Danny Green: 'This is the time where I need to maximize the dollars on the longest amount of years that I can do' LeBron James fans who bought No. 23 Lakers jerseys are now being mocked Kawhi Leonard 'Seriously Considering' Lakers, Per Stephen A. Smith Past Packers draft picks entering training camp on the roster bubble Heading into training camp: Zach Zenner's path to the 53-man roster


Italian journalist Mauro Suma has categorically denied the rumours linking Arsenal's Lucas Torreira with a move to Milan. Torreira joined Arsenal from Sampdoria last summer and went on to enjoy a decent debut season in north London, making 50 appearances in all competitions for the Gunners. In an unexpected twist, Torreira has been strongly linked with a return to Italy this summer, with plenty of reports suggesting that Milan are attempting to negotiate a deal for the Uruguayan midfielder. Those links initially surfaced after Torreira admitted he has found it difficult to adapt to life in England, saying (via The Mirror ): "I don't know if there are many things that I enjoy. "I think it was better in Italy. England is a totally different world, a very large country. The language [barrier] has stopped me, to be able to relate with my teammates and with the people."  pic.twitter.com/3T8iFHyu7H   Lucas Torreira #LT11 (@LTorreira34) June 8, 2019 The Telegraph recently reported that Torreira's desire to leave Arsenal was 'wildly exaggerated', but it now appears that the rumours linking Milan with an approach for the 23-year-old had no substance to them at all. Speaking to Milan TV (via Calciomercato ), Suma revealed that Torreira has never been on Milan's radar, saying: "AC Milan never considered a move for Torreira, never discussed a move with his agent and never opened formal talks with Arsenal. That's not an opinion. That's an official line." Milan would also be very unlikely to secure a deal for Torreira as they have been disqualified from the Europa League for 2019/20 following Financial Fair Play breaches.


The decision to stay or go when it comes to the NBA Draft is one of the most challenging that an elite college basketball player will face. While some players are able to improve their stock and get selected higher than they would have if they had left college sooner, others are not so lucky. Missouri big man Jontay Porter and Syracuse wing Tyus Battle both ranked in the Top 50 of our aggregate mock draft in May 2018 before electing to return to college. Unfortunately, for varying reasons, neither player was drafted last week. Several other prospects were in a draft-able range on our aggregate mock draft at one point last season and opted for another year of college basketball only to go undrafted as well. This list most notably includes Shamorie Ponds (St. John's), Charles Matthews (Michigan) and Caleb Martin (Nevada). Among those who tried to improve their draft stock but ended up on the outside looking in once again were Sagaba Konate (West Virginia), Kris Wilkes (UCLA), Ethan Happ (Wisconsin), Kerwin Roach (Texas) and Robert Franks (Washington State). It remains to be seen how going back to school will affect players like Devon Dotson (Kansas), Charles Bassey (Western Kentucky), Killian Tillie (Gonzaga), Jordan Nwora (Louisville), Neemias Queta (Utah State) and AJ Lawson (South Carolina). It is worth mentioning that international big man Goga Bitadze ranked No. 69 overall before he decided to withdraw from the NBA Draft last season. Last week, he was selected by the Indiana Pacers at No. 18 overall. For this list, we only looked at NCAA players who were early entries in the 2018 NBA Draft, but withdrew their name from consideration and delayed their process until this season. PJ Washington, Charlotte Hornets Photo by Bob Leverone/NBAE via Getty Images Aggregate Mock Draft Rank in 2018 : 63 Actual NBA Draft Position in 2019 : 12 Last season, his father told reporters that Washington would have stayed in the draft if a team selecting in the first round gave him a promise that they would select him. His draft stock was certainly not there yet and the decision to play at Kentucky for another season earned him a lottery selection. He increased his scoring from 22.7 points per 100 possessions to 30.8 points per 100. Washington also improved his rebounding rate from 11.6 percent to 15.3 percent. The forward had the second-most win shares per 40 minutes in the SEC last season and he was a finalist for the Wooden Award, which is given to the most outstanding college basketball player. His jump shot ranked in the 98th percentile among all college players last season, per Synergy Sports. Washington also ranked in the 93rd percentile off the catch. Carsen Edwards | Bruno Fernando | Cody Martin | Admiral Schofield | Jalen McDaniels | Jaylen Hands Carsen Edwards, Boston Celtics Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports Aggregate Mock Draft Rank in 2018 : 70 Actual NBA Draft Position in 2019 : 33 When the March Madness standout spoke to us, he touched on how he never saw himself as someone who would have been able to leave school early for the NBA Draft ( via HoopsHype ): "I just continued to grow and get better every season. That was my main focus. Honestly, coming into college, I did not see myself being able to leave early. But after three years, I gradually got better and won games and we had winning seasons all three years with two conference championships and made it to two Sweet 16s. We also got a run in the tournament all three years I was there. Those were big." Perhaps the best thing to happen to Edwards after his remarkable scoring performances in the NCAA Tournament was not getting overhyped to the point where he was one of the Top 20 picks in the draft. As a more modest selection, the guard is now more likely to be compared to someone like Patty Mills or Fred VanVleet rather than a franchise-changing player like Damian Lillard . While there are elements of his game similar to all three mentioned above, the expectations can now be a bit more fair on his game coming into the NBA. PJ Washington | Bruno Fernando | Cody Martin | Admiral Schofield | Jalen McDaniels | Jaylen Hands Bruno Fernando, Atlanta Hawks Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images Aggregate Mock Draft Rank in 2018 : 57 Actual NBA Draft Position in 2019 : 34 The Angolan-born Bruno Fernando has a massive wingspan and standing reach that will immediately help him on both ends of the court. He was also fairly quick for someone his size, finishing with the fastest shuttle run and three-quarter sprint among all big men at the 2019 NBA combine. He improved his rebounding rate as a sophomore from 17.5 percent to 20.5 percent, the second-best total mark in his conference. The big dramatically increased his assist rate year-over-year from 6.9 percent to 14.4 percent. He had the best effective field goal percentage (61.2 percent) in the Big 10. His defensive box plus-minus ranked Top 20 in the NCAA. Fernando was a marvelous player near the basket, ranking second among all players in Power 5 conferences in points created out of the post when also including passes. He will be able to play alongside his former Maryland teammate Kevin Huerter on the Atlanta Hawks. PJ Washington | Carsen Edwards | Cody Martin | Admiral Schofield | Jalen McDaniels | Jaylen Hands Cody Martin, Charlotte Hornets Nell Redmond-USA TODAY Sports Aggregate Mock Draft Rank in 2018 : 75 Actual NBA Draft Position in 2019 : 36 His lane agility was third-best among all participants at the 2019 NBA Draft combine, though that was not surprising considering he ranked Top 5 among all participants when he tested the waters the previous year. After transferring from North Carolina State, the 6-foot-7 forward ranked Top 3 in win shares and Top 5 in box plus-minus among players in his conference during both of his seasons for Nevada. He averaged a personal-best 1.0 three-pointers per game, doubling his connections from the previous year. Martin also averaged 4.8 assists per game during his junior and senior seasons, an impressive mark for someone his size. Martin is a versatile player on both sides of the floor who, at his age, can potentially have an impact fairly early in his NBA career. If his team allows him to create out of the pick-and-roll as a primary ballhandler, that is likely where he will have the most success. PJ Washington | Carsen Edwards | Bruno Fernando | Admiral Schofield | Jalen McDaniels | Jaylen Hands Admiral Schofield, Washington Wizards Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images Aggregate Mock Draft Rank in 2018 : 100 Actual NBA Draft Position in 2019 : 42 The former Tennessee Vols star tested as the second-best combo forward at the combine, per NBAthlete.com . While he is not particularly tall for his position, his lane agility and shuttle run both ranked in the Top 10 percent among combo forwards in combine history. His bench press reps (15) and standing vertical (30 inches) were both impressive, too. Schofield was a prolific spot-up shooter last season, whose points per possession ranked in the 86th percentile on this play type. He improved his three-point percentage each year in college, eventually shooting 41.8 percent from downtown as a senior. He was also one of the most efficient players in transition. The Wizards finished more possessions in transition than all but two teams in the Eastern Conference last year, which can be an immediate way for him to fit in with their offense. PJ Washington | Carsen Edwards | Bruno Fernando | Cody Martin | Jalen McDaniels | Jaylen Hands Jalen McDaniels, Charlotte Hornets (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) Aggregate Mock Draft Rank in 2018 : 80 Actual NBA Draft Position in 2019 : 52 The biggest knock on San Diego State's Jalen McDaniels is that he has a fairly slight frame for his height, but that didn't stop the forward from pulling down 8.3 rebounds per game last season. After a relatively exciting freshman campaign, he improved his scoring from 24.1 points per 100 possessions to 29.8 points per 100. He also increased his comfort from three-point range. McDaniels connected on just four shots from beyond the arc in 2017-18 and improved that to 24 (0.7 per game) last year. Meanwhile, he ranked Top 5 in his conference for defensive win shares in both of his collegiate seasons. For that to translate to the next level, he will need to put on size. Until then, he is a solid project with some legitimate potential. PJ Washington | Carsen Edwards | Bruno Fernando | Cody Martin | Admiral Schofield | Jaylen Hands Jaylen Hands, Brooklyn Nets (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) Aggregate Mock Draft Rank in 2018 : Unranked Actual NBA Draft Position in 2019 : 55 According to NBAthlete.com , former UCLA standout Jaylen Hands tested better at the combine than all point guards except for former high school star Jalen Lecque . After a disappointing performance in his athletic testing back in 2018, he cut his lane agility time from 12.1 seconds to 10.7 seconds and improved his max vertical from 39.5 inches to 41.5 inches. The 20-year-old, 6-foot-4 guard only started half of the games for the Bruins as a freshman. But as a sophomore, he essentially doubled his assist rate from 18.7 percent to 36.5 percent. In fact, his assist percentage led the Pac-12 and ranked Top 15 among all NCAA players. As a high-volume creator out of the pick-and-roll, the Nets likely view Hands as a player who will most likely develop in the G League with the Long Island Nets until he can eventually enter their backcourt rotation. PJ Washington | Carsen Edwards | Bruno Fernando | Cody Martin | Admiral Schofield | Jalen McDaniels MORE: This perfect Shaq impersonation at the NBA Awards show had fans in tears NBA Free Agency 2019: The top players Kawhi Leonard Rumors: Lakers Think They Have "Strong Shot" to Sign Superstar 3 adjustments the Raiders should make on offense in 2019 Heading into training camp: How Lions keeping 4th TE impacts roster construction


It's common to feel reinvigorated after spending time outdoors (some doctors even prescribe nature to patients !) but in reality, many of us don't actually notice the specific plants and trees that make us feel so good. This phenomenon called plant blindness refers to a human tendency to ignore plants. We might give animals a name, focus on them, remember them, distinguish between them. But plants? To humans, plants can end up looking pretty much the same and can be forgotten. And they shouldn't be, because noticing and concentrating on plant life can be good for everyone. Plant blindness is something scientists and activists worry a lot about; it leads to negatives like less interest in food science, conservation, and the health of the environment. You can probably name four or five endangered animal species off the top of your head the giant panda, rhinoceros, Monarch butterflies , California condor but can you name a single endangered plant species ? The solutions to plant blindness mostly involve education and immersion: learning about and spending time among the plant life that's so vital to our planet and our survival. But there are personal benefits to keeping plants in the front of your mind, too. Here are three ways plants can make you happier and healthier. 1. Plants Can Improve Your Mood One study from 2012 found that the mere color green has a positive effect on psychological outlook that it improves your mood. Many other studies found that green exercise, which basically means spending time in forests , improves both self-esteem and mood. We feel pretty strongly that plants act as a stress-reducer . There's really no end to the studies showing that if you spend time with plants, your mood will lift. 2. Plants Can Boost Your Immune System A team of Japanese researchers figured out that visiting forest parks can increase the human natural killer cell count. Natural killer cells operate independently, seeking out damaged or dangerous cells in the body, and more of them help out your immune system. A follow-up study found that this might be due to the essential oils released by trees. So the next time you're considering taking a walk through nature, go for it spending time amongst the plants and trees can make you healthier. Related: These 5 Houseplants Are Ridiculously Easy to Grow 3. Plants Can Improve Your Concentration One study found that spending time with plants, either indoors or outdoors, can increase your memory retention by up to 20 percent. That's not an outlier, either: other studies have found that plants can boost your concentration , productivity, creativity, and problem-solving skills . Understanding just how plants can help you could be a first step to appreciating and understanding how vital plants are to the planet as a whole. Plus, learning more about plants will probably help you win trivia night. Related video: 'Gardening Guru' has the perfect plants you should be putting in your garden this season (Provided by The Weather Network)


The rivalry between Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal came to a head at Wimbledon with the Djokovic taking the title. SI Now's Robin Lundberg and Ryan Asselta rank the trio against the sport's best ever.


Helen Alfredsson predominantly is a recreational golfer these days, better than most recreational golfers, of course, but Nassaus and skins games with friends, however spirited, don't remotely replicate tournament golf. Yet Alfredsson, always competitive, often fiery so, somehow cobbled together a game better than good enough to compete, good enough to win a national championship. Alfredsson, a 54-year-old Swede, won the second U.S. Senior Women's Open at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., on Sunday, defeating Juli Inkster and England's Trish Johnson by two strokes. She received $180,000 for the victory. "Completely elated," she said, explaining her emotions. "Exhausted. This probably goes before elated. You just have a hard time believing it." RELATED: JoAnne Carner unable to shoot her age in likely closing her remarkable career in USGA championships Alfredsson parred her final 13 holes to close with a one-over par 72 and a 72-hole total of one-over 285. Johnson, meanwhile, bogeyed three of her final six holes and shot a two-over par 74. Inkster had the best round of the three, a one-under 70, and was a runner-up for the second straight year. "First loser, I think that's what they call it," Inkster said. Alfredsson, who won seven LPGA events and 11 Ladies European Tour events, last played on either tour in 2013 and now plays two tournaments a year. "And it's six months in between," she said. The rest is recreational golf. "My husband likes to play and I have a ton of friends at home that like to play. "When you play [tournaments] week in and week out, it just becomes so natural. And I was a player that played eight weeks in a row, no problem, flying back and forth to Europe, and bang, you're on the first tee and there you go. I'm glad my next tournament is not until October so I can recover because the recovery time is a lot longer." Alfredsson, who won the Nabisco Dinah Shore in 1993, and Johnson arrived at the 12th hole tied. Johnson had a 10-foot birdie putt at 12, "a pretty straight putt, 10 foot up the hill to take the lead," she said. "Just didn't hit it hard enough, and it died off, and that was pretty much it. A poor shot into the next, poor drive at the next." Those resulted in back-to-back bogeys that allowed Alfredsson to take a lead that she maintained to the end with her series of pars. Alfredsson, in her prime, twice was a runner-up in the U.S. Women's Open, so she viewed this victory as a bit of revenge. "Just to have something USGA, it feels very nice," she said. "One of my first years when I finished second [in the Women's Open], it was very special. It's one of the toughest tests you ever will do in golf, to play a U.S. Open. And I always liked tough, I think. Maybe not at 54, but yeah, it's nice to have that USGA."


Okay...THIS is the biggest Bucks game of the season All right folks, I may have proclaimed game five the biggest Milwaukee Bucks contest in 18 years, but THIS do-or-die game six is actually the biggest game yet. Win, and we will have another game to trump this one in terms of importance. Lose, and we're staring at a long offseason full of difficult questions, potential roster turnover and reckoning with a blown 2-0 lead in the Conference Finals. Bucks Update Bud went with the adjustment most expected and slotted Malcolm Brogdon into the starting lineup. They looked spry off the tip, running roughshod over a Toronto Raptors defense that was getting decimated in transition. Then, the shooting went dry. The Raptors hit timely triples and jumpers, getting themselves back into the game methodically. By midway through the second quarter, it was already neck-and-neck and would stay that way the rest of the game. With Nikola Mirotic relegated to the bench, Bud trotted him out with Ersan Ilyasova to spell the starters, a lineup that's basically been a death knell for the Bucks defense this whole series. Eventually, Budenholzer placed Mirotic on the bench permanently, even dusting off Sterling Brown for some spot minutes. The new starting unit made hay in its time though: Bud is straight drawlin. Bledsoe/Brogdon/Middleton/Antetokounmpo/Lopez lineup outscored Toronto 45-26 tonight in 15 minutes, shooting 69.2%. All other Bucks lineups got to mess around and get outscored by 25 points in 33 minutes, shooting 34.4%. That's malpractice   Law Murray (@LawMurrayTheNU) May 24, 2019 At this point, there's nothing to lose with Budenholzer's rotations. He's stuck to his guns this entire series, opting for keeping folks fresh with a deeper bench. With so many of their stalwart bench guys stuck in massive shooting ruts, his hand will likely be forced in this win-or-go-home game six. I'm fascinated to see how long he runs his starters in this series after a season's worth of staunch load management. That's really the only card left to play at this point, particularly with their halfcourt offense continuing to play at Knicksian levels against the Raptors impressive defense. Player to Watch: Giannis Antetokounmpo I love Giannis. You love Giannis. We all love Giannis. He's the only reason the Bucks are even at this point in the season where they have a chance at making the NBA Finals . But the Bucks simply will need more from their superstar in this one. These types of back-against-the-wall situations are what make up massive swaths of a star's tapestry. Kawhi Leonard shouldered a massive scoring load in game five and dished out nine assists that each led to 3-pointers. Giannis doesn't have nearly as much control over his teammates suddenly finding a groove from deep, but he'll need to be superhuman on the road for the Bucks to force a game seven. Raptors Update If Fred VanVleet or Norman Powell could start to miss some triples, or at least start missing them in big spots within the context of a game, that would be just fine by me. Toronto's bench, which withered on the vine in the second round, suddenly blossomed against the Bucks, nailing triples at prolific rates and even hurting them off the bounce at points. Kawhi Leonard is the engine that makes them go, but Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka have made some massive offensive rebounds while Kyle Lowry keeps doing annoying Kyle Lowry stuff that inevitably helps his team win. Leonard is still having some difficulty shooting, but he seems to always hit the triple when Toronto needs it. Milwaukee's defensive effort was much-improved from game four, but it still wasn't up to their season-long stingy work. Simply put, they need to put the clamps on Toronto to get this series shifted back to Milwaukee. Player to Watch: Fred VanVleet The man has to miss at some point... FVV was 8 of 28 last year in the playoffs from 3. He was 6 of 30 in the first two rounds. He is 12 of 23 in this series. JR's 77% has come to FVV   Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) May 24, 2019


If you're planning a trip to the Taj Mahal , be sure to plan your time wisely. According to India Today , authorities at the Taj Mahal, arguably one of the most popular tourist sites in India and the world, will be charging additional fees to visitors who stay at the famous mausoleum longer than three hours. Over the last few years, the Unesco World Heritage site has implemented a few new rules in order to fight overcrowding and injuries, as well as help preserve the delicate, ancient site from wear and tear. In 2018, authorities decided to limit the number of visitors allowed on the premises per day to 40,000. In the same year, authorities raised prices from 50 rupees to 250 rupees for Indian citizens (about 72 cents USD to around $3.60 USD) and from around $16 to $19 for international visitors (1,300 rupees if you want to visit the main mausoleum ). But there is free WiFi at the Taj Mahal , so there's that. In order to keep tabs on visitors coming and going to the site, there have been seven turnstile gates installed at both the east and west entry points, five of which are exit-only, according to India Today . Vasant Swarakar, the superintending archaeologist, told the Times of India how the new sytem would work. "If tourists exceed their time limit of three hours, they will be charged an extra amount equivalent to the ticket, which will have to be paid at the exit gate," said Swarakar. "Entry time will also be enforced and if tourists don't arrive at the slotted time, they will not be allowed entry and will have to buy a new ticket." Many tourists have voiced their annoyance with the new fees, especially international tourists who must pay far more than locals for the same amount of time spent at the site, according to India Today . "A person comes here for relaxation and to spend some time. If the sightseeing is limited to three hours and the charges are so much then anyone will think twice before coming here," said tourist Mohammad Mustafa Hussain, according to India Today . However, there are lots of other amazing things to see in Agra and Uttar Pradesh besides the Taj Mahal, so don't think you need to spend all of your time there. Even if you're only visiting the mausoleum for a short part, you can find other things to do to make the rest of the day just as interesting.


Dozens of animal shelters across the state are taking part in the Maryland 2,000 in an effort to get 2,000 cats and kittens adopted at a time of year when shelters are inundated. Adoption fees are being waived throughout July for cats and kittens at 21 shelters across Maryland. "Last year, we found homes for over 2,500 cats and kittens, so it would be great if we could find even more homes this year," said Tina Regester, with the Maryland SPCA. It's kitten season, and as cute as they are, shelters across the state and the country are overwhelmed. "Just here in Baltimore alone, that means thousands and thousands of kittens just in the few short summer months," said Bailey Deacon, with the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter. Adult and senior cats need a family, too. The shelters are filled with every breed. "Pretty much any and all cats -- long hair, short hair, domestic cats -- a lot of the cats that we get are from kitten season ... are usually from unwanted litters that people find," said Kenny Fahnestock, with the Baltimore Humane Society. "We have couch potato cats. We've got active little guys. Whatever your lifestyle is at home, there is a cat in a shelter in Maryland, that is perfect for you," Deacon said. As another benefit of adopting during the Maryland 2,000, anyone who adopts a cat in July can get a free vet visit. "We have a lot of veterinarian clinics participating this year," said Heidi Griswold, with Baltimore County Animal Services. "It's a very good incentive to get your pet in right away. A lot of people get so excited with adopting, they kind of forget." READ MORE: Cats, kittens available for free adoption as part of Maryland 2,000 CHECK OUT WBAL: Get all the latest Baltimore news, weather and sports. WBAL-TV brings you the best in Maryland news online, anytime.


In search of a new favorite Japanese spot? Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top Japanese spots around Anaheim, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of where to satisfy your cravings. 1. Kaiba Japanese Ramen, Sushi and Grill Topping the list is Kaiba Japanese Ramen, Sushi & Grill . Located at 820 N. Euclid St. in the Colony, the sushi bar and poke spot, which offers ramen and more, is the highest-rated Japanese restaurant in Anaheim, boasting 4.5 stars out of 1,006 reviews on Yelp. 2. Ramen Hajime Ramen Hajime , a spot to score ramen and noodles in West Anaheim, is another much-loved go-to, with 4.5 stars out of 377 Yelp reviews. Head over to 2717 W. Lincoln Ave. to see for yourself. 3. Toyo Sushi and Roll Finally, over in Southeast Anaheim, check out Toyo Sushi & Roll , which has earned 4.5 stars out of 470 reviews on Yelp. You can find the sushi bar and Japanese spot at 676 S. State College Blvd., Suite 103. 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.


Hannah Green felt Hazeltine National Golf Club's bite as she bogeyed three holes in a four-hole stretch to turn a nice cushion into a precarious one, but parred the final six holes to hold on for the win at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship by one shot over defending champion Sung Hyun Park. To say Green is an unlikely champion would be an understatement. Take away two top-10 finishes in her homeland of Australia, and she previously had none in her other 33 starts on the LPGA Tour. She has just one top-10 this year (a T-10 in her second start of the season), and missed the cut in her last event, which might have led to her win at Hazeltine. "When I missed the cut [last week], on Saturday and Sunday, I really worked hard on my ball-striking, on the range for quite a long time," she said after the third round. It showed. Through 62 holes, Green endured only three bogeys on her card, courtesy of a solid tee-to-green game, which included hitting 17 of 18 greens during a third-round 70. For the week she hit 52 of 72 for a 72.22 percent clip. Green's irons are Srixon's Z 785  a forged cavity-back made from 1020 carbon steel. The set features compact-sized short irons and progressive sole widths along with extra mass behind the hitting area to promote a soft feel. The sole design also changes through the set to match the attack angles of long and short irons. The sand wedge that she used for the winning up-and-down from the bunker on the 72nd hole is a Cleveland RTX-4 . "I've been getting lucky but I guess winners do get lucky," she said. "You need to take it while you can." And on Sunday, she did just enough to take the KPMG Women's PGA Championship. Unlikely as it might have been. What Hannah Green had in the bag at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship Ball: Srixon Z-Star Driver: Srixon Z 785 , 10.5 degrees 3-wood: Srixon Z F85 , 15 degrees Hybrid: Srixon Z H85 , 19 degrees Irons (4-PW): Srixon Z 785 Wedges: Cleveland RTX-4 (50, 54, 58 degrees) Putter: Ping Sigma G Darby See the video.


Havoline, the oil brand famous for sponsoring drivers like Davey Allison, Ernie Irvan, Dale Jarrett, Ricky Rudd and Juan Pablo Montoya, is back in NASCAR this weekend as a team sponsor after an 11-year absence. It will be a sponsor on Ben Rhodes ' No. 99 ThorSport Racing Ford for the next three Gander Outdoors Truck Series races, at Pocono Raceway, Eldora Speedway and Michigan International Speedway. Havoline is subsidiary of the Chevron Corporation, an integrated energy and technology company. Other subsidiaries include the Texaco and Caltex brands. Havoline has not been a primary sponsor for a team since 2008, when it sponsored Montoya at Chip Ganassi Racing in the Cup and Xfinity Series. It first was a major team sponsor in 1987 on the No. 28 car owned by Harry Ranier and driven by Allison. It then moved with Allison to Robert Yates Racing in 1989, where it remained until 2002. Follow @DanielMcFadin


In February 2018, Devon Beccera started working at the Tesla Giga factory in Sparks, Nevada. A few months into her employment she was promoted to supervisor , making about $25 an hour. She found out in July that year that she was pregnant, and informed management she planned on taking maternity leave in February, 2019, once she became eligible. Instead, on 14 December 2018, Beccera was fired. Related: 'How do they expect to run without us?' Tesla accused of axing key staff to cut costs "Nevada is a right-to-work state, so they didn't need any sort of reason for firing me, but it was very convenient to fire me two weeks before Christmas, and about 50 days before my maternity leave started," she said. It meant that 28 weeks into her pregnancy, Beccera lost her medical insurance and only source of income, as her husband was a stay-at-home dad. They later struggled to pay for diapers and other essentials for their newborn. A Tesla spokesperson said Beccera's termination was due to performance issues. Over the past few years, Tesla has faced numerous lawsuits , National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) charges and allegations that have included unfair firings, union busting, and a work atmosphere that enabled racial discrimination and sexual harassment. In March, an NLRB settlement mandated Tesla post flyers that affirmed workers' rights to organize at their Fremont, California plant. A few months later, workers at Tesla's Buffalo, New York plant filed federal labor charges accusing Tesla of firing workers for union organizing. Now a Guardian investigation has revealed numerous cases where former workers claim they were unfairly fired and current workers allege threats of termination and disciplinary action for taking sick days. Jennifer Peercy worked at Tesla as a customer care agent in Las Vegas, Nevada, since August 2018. A mother of four and more than five months into her pregnancy, her colleagues offered her their own time off to help with childcare. But Tesla management told her the time wasn't transferable between employees. She stopped taking it, but was fired two weeks later for doing so. I'm 22 weeks pregnant without a job or income and four girls to care for. Jennifer Peercy "If I knew that, I never would have taken it," Peercy said. "I'm 22 weeks pregnant without a job or income and four girls to care for." She's currently applying for unemployment and looking for jobs while still hoping to return to Tesla . Peercy provided the Guardian with her termination letter and an email she sent the chief executive officer, Elon Musk, which resulted in another follow-up from an HR staffer who reaffirmed her termination. "While we're sympathetic to her personal situation and work hard to do the right thing by our employees, using another employee's personal information to obtain their benefits   with or without their permission   violates the benefit policy, jeopardizes employee's access to those benefits and is not appropriate behavior we can support," said a Tesla spokesperson. Maggie Aranda worked at Tesla's Fremont plant for 19 months before she was fired on 11 June. "I had permission from my supervisor to use my phone to help my husband and myself. My husband was very sick at that time. My supervisor then told me two hours into a shift to clock out and go home. They did an 'investigation' and then fired me for cellphone usage," Aranda said. She noted her husband, Carlos Aranda, who also worked at Tesla but had been on medical leave, submitted a letter of resignation from Tesla on 24 June but received a response from Tesla human resources that he, too, was involuntarily terminated on 26 June. Aranda said they are now currently homeless due to losing their jobs, still suffering from injuries sustained on the job, and are trying to raise money via GoFundMe to help get back on their feet. "With only me working we got behind," Aranda added. "The landlord worked with us for a while but it got to be too much and when I lost my job we had nothing, so we had to leave." A Tesla spokesperson claimed Maggie Aranda's termination was due to cellphone usage at work, and Carlos Aranda was terminated over a tweet that violated Tesla standards. At Tesla's Fremont plant, several current workers claimed the company uses a point-system attendance policy and uses it to deter workers from taking sick days and prevent workers from promotions. "I didn't get leveled up even after two years of being a team lead because I had a couple of days where I was two minutes late to clock in because the parking lot was so hard to find spots," said one Tesla worker who requested to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation. The worker noted they had been threatened with termination after a supervisor asked them to work one Saturday, and the worker agreed if they could leave early to cash their check to pay rent. "He said 'yes', and then wrote me up as an early-out, which they consider to be just like a late or call-in," the worker said. The next week the worker claimed they were suspended for a day without pay, and threatened with termination for absence infractions. "Two separate times I got points on my record for being out sick," said another Tesla worker. "In my new department, we get points on our record for being out sick because they consider it an unplanned day off." The Guardian obtained a copy of Tesla's attendance policy, which was revised on 23 June. The policy includes an attendance point system where workers with more than three months of employment face termination if they accrue 4.5 attendance points in a six month period. "It's at the discretion of the supervisor," said a third Tesla employee. "If they want to get rid of you, it's very easy to say an absence was unscheduled or not approved." Tesla declined to comment on record about their attendance policy or why it was recently revised, though a spokesperson denied their attendance policy penalized workers for use of paid time off.


The Pittsburgh Penguins have thrown a truck-full of money and term at Brandon Tanev . The deal for Tanev, a former undrafted college player who scored the game-winning goal in the Frozen Four to give Providence College a national championship 2015, has leveraged being the weakest link on an otherwise very good line (and a solid penalty killer into a six-year deal worth $21 million. [ ProHockeyTalk's 2019 NHL free agency tracker ] Tanev is coming off a career year where he scored 14 goals and added 15 assists for 29 points and set a franchise record with 278 hits with the Winnipeg Jets. But Tanev benefitted heavily by playing on a line with Adam Lowry and Andrew Copp for good chunks of the past two seasons. With them, Tanev was one cog in a line that was elite in terms of possession, but when broken down to how each player performed without the other, we can see that Tanev was by far the line's weakest link. Tanev w/ Lowry, Copp   58.27 CF% Tanev w/ Lowry   52.74 CF% Tanev w/o Lowry, Copp   38.08 CF% Tanev w/o Lowry   41.49 CF% Brandon Tanev (6×3.5m with Pittsburgh) is an offensive black hole with some defensive upside and a decent shot. Look at your life, look at your choices, oh my god. pic.twitter.com/O6VBjDxWhJ   Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) July 1, 2019 Tanev had four points in 51 games in 2016-17. Now he's going to make $3.5 million per year. Over the past two seasons, he's had five shorthanded goals. The Penguins shipped out Phil Kessel over the weekend and so far have replaced him with Alex Galchenyuk , who came over in the deal for Phil the Thrill, and now Tanev. That's fewer goals from and more term and money for his replacements, but reportedly the Penguins had to get rid of Kessel.   Scott Billeck is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports . Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @scottbilleck.


If you're a loyal TouchdownWire reader then you know that I am the man who wants to see Sashi Brown get the recognition he deserves. If you buy a dilapidated broken down house there are two things you can do with it: either try and work with the existing structure or take a wrecking ball to it and demolish the house and do a complete rebuild. It's tough - especially in the NFL where owners don't like to lose for an extended period of time - to do the latter option even when it might be the best course of action. Sashi Brown had no worries. He saw what Sam Hinkie did with the Sixers and tried to do the same thing in Cleveland. That left the Browns with a trove of draft picks - that turned into some pretty good players - and a bunch of cap space - to use on more good players. Brown executed the Hinkie plan to perfection and for his effort, he was shown the door - much like Hinkie. Now Brown returns back to professional sports . . . but with the Wizards of Washington D.C.. Brown is not the first person in sports to switch which game he works on. Paul DePodesta worked for multiple MLB teams and was the general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He now works as the Chief Strategy Officer of the Cleveland Browns - the same place Sashi Brown used to work. So Brown could rebuild his value with the Wizards and end up a success. In the end, the ideas of building a good team carry over from sport to sport. Find as much value as possible. Come up with an idea to build a team through draft picks and cheap talent. Get some cap space, and try to land big with free agents or re-sign homegrown talent to bigger contracts. Brown gets the idea. The problem for Brown is that if he does fail with the Wizards, he may not return to an important position in professional sports again. MORE: Stephen A. Smith Is Hearing a Potential Uncle Dennis-Kawhi Leonard Bombshell Could Drop Overeager MLB umpire falls down hard while sprinting onto field Lakers' Quinn Cook Q&A: 'It feels like this team has been together a while' What Thunder fans need to know about trading Andre Roberson Browns sign UDFA rookie center Lo Falemaka


Over the course of two games between two highly-physical clubs, helmets have flown, punches have been thrown, and blood has been been shed. Massive hits provided by both sides have taken players out of game action completely. Knotted up at a game apiece as the series shifts to St. Louis with everything on the line, the drama is expected to only intensify. Here are eight moments from Games 1 and 2 that have epitomized the nastiness of this best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final between the Bruins and Blues. Jordan Binnington's elbow to David Backes's face The Blues' rookie goaltender appeared to be fed up with the Bruins forward's presence in his crease during a post-whistle scrum in Game 1. An alternate angle shows Backes putting pressure on Binnington's left leg just before the flying elbow. Binnington rocked Backes with an elbow during that scrum. pic.twitter.com/MeUEKYOLVi   Zack Cox (@ZackCoxNESN) May 28, 2019 Torey Krug's helmet-less hit for the ages In what looked more like a wrestling match than a hockey game, Krug and the Blues' David Perron went at each other in front of the Bruins' net with absolute ferocity in Game 1. Perron held Krug down seemingly with the objective to remove his helmet. After a couple attempts, the left winger successfully pulled it off. Once Perron took off, Krug sprung to his feet and flew down the ice with a full head of steam before exacting his revenge by connecting with Blues 19-year-old center Robert Thomas. Thomas hasn't played since. Zdeno Chara's bleeder The Bruins' captain paid the price for blocking Vladimir Tarasenko's wrist shot late in Game 1; the impact gave way to an open wound and Chara grimaced as he exited the ice, his forearm bleeding. "Yeah, I'm fine," Chara told reporters postgame. "Just got a cut, so [I] just needed to get some stitches quickly." Chara blocked a shot with his wrist and it cut open immediately, started bleeding pic.twitter.com/K7UjAffKtd   CJ Fogler (@cjzero) May 28, 2019 Pat Maroon's swipe at Matt Grzelcyk Down 1-0 in the first period of Game 2, Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo rocketed a shot off the stick of Matt Grzelcyk, past winger Pat Maroon, and into the top right-hand corner of the goal to tie the game at one apiece. Once the puck found the back of the net, Maroon took a quick shot at Grzelcyk's head, causing two referees to come over and give him warning. On his way back to the St. Louis side after the goal, Maroon had a few words with players on the Bruins' bench. Later in the game, Chara threw a quick jab of his own at Maroon in retaliation: Pat Maroon falls onto the ice after some cheap shots from Chara. #StanleyCup #Stlblues pic.twitter.com/Wm9xgETytB   STLSportsCentral (@stlsportscntrl) May 30, 2019 David Backes's huge hit on Sammy Blais With Game 2 tied at 2-2, Bruins center David Backes provided Boston with its second monstrous open-ice hit in as many games. Seconds after losing possession of the puck on the right side of the ice, Backes connected squarely with the Blues' Sammy Blais, putting the 22-year-old left winger on his back directly in front of the St. Louis bench. What a freakin' hit by David Backes on Sammy Blais pic.twitter.com/F28bWE0SBX   Evan Marinofsky (@emarinofsky) May 30, 2019 Orskar Sundqvist's head shot on Grzelcyk With two minutes remaining in the first period of Game 2, Oskar Sundqvist sent an off-balance Grzelcyk crashing into the boards behind the Bruins' net. Grzelcyk immediately grabbed his helmet before falling to the ice and was later sent to the hospital for testing. Sundqvist was hit was a two-minute penalty, and was later suspended one game by the NHL. "I don't think that's a hit we want in our game," Backes said after the game. "I think it's from behind, elevated in to his head into the glass. If that's a two-minute penalty, there's going to be a shortage of defensemen in this series by the end of it. That's in somebody else's hands, that's something I think that if I'm making that hit, I'm probably watching from the bleachers for a few but we will see what happens with their player." A look at the hit on by Oskar Sundqvist on Matt Grzelcyk. Didn't look good. pic.twitter.com/3yjlbhgkvs   Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) May 30, 2019 Robert Bortuzzo's slash on Jake DeBrusk With 13:22 to go in the third period of Game 2, Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo was charged with a slashing penalty on Jake DeBrusk. Bortuzzo struck Boston's left winger between the padding on his left arm before a faceoff and left him doubled over in pain. Brad Marchand's taunts At the end of the second period in Game 2, Marchand was caught on camera giving someone on St. Louis' side some grief. Brad Marchand gives the Blues the crying notion as they leave the ice. Classic. #StanleyCup #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/ON1WqydFhV   Rob Taub (@RTaub_) May 30, 2019 Connor Clifton's high stick In the second period of Game 2, Bruins defenseman Connor Clifton struck Tyler Bozak in the face with his stick and the Blues' center began bleeding. Bozak was forced to exit the game briefly and Clifton was hit with a four-minute high-stick penalty. Bozak gets a high-stick to the face and he's bleeding. Four-minute power play coming for the good guys. #stlblues #WeAllBleedBlue pic.twitter.com/VRBucfVi3l   St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) May 30, 2019 PJ can be reached at pj.wright@globe.com Related Slideshow: Best of the NHL Season (Provided by imagn)


NEW YORK (CBSNewYork)   A Babe Ruth auction made history at Yankee Stadium on Saturday. A Babe Ruth road jersey sold for $5.64 million at auction on June 15. 2019. (Credit: CBS2) The late Yankee slugger's road jersey sold at auction in the Bronx for $5.64 million. According to the auction house, that makes it the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia ever sold. Ruth wore the jersey from 1928 to 1930. The jersey was part of a collection of items his family put up for sale. The Great Bambino died back in 1948.


AUSTIN, TX   Austin topped a national list of cities experiencing the most growth while four other Texas municipalities posted the most growth, according to a new report. The website areavibes ranked the Austin-Round Rock region in the top spot in terms of growth, with a 23.3 percent change from 2000 to 2017. The Houston-Sugar Land-The Woodlands area also was ranked high on the list in the 4th slot with 16.4 percent growth. A notch below was San Antonio-New Braunfels (15.5 percent growth), followed by Dallas-Fort Worth (15.1 percent). "Recent years have seen an influx of Americans to urban areas: While suburban population growth has outpaced city rates for decades, the gap has narrowed dramatically, analysts wrote. "Yet this urban growth has been uneven with hubs like Austin, Texas, and Raleigh, North Carolina, sharing disproportionately in the population surge." The influx of residents yield economic benefits, analysts noted. Austin and Raleigh possess two of the nation's strongest metropolitan economies , while third-ranked Orlando has enjoyed a business boost as well, researchers found. But the inverse of this growth trend poses negative side effects as well, analysts added, as competition for housing may soon put them out of reach for many residents. Under the category of "Uneven Economies," Austin snagged the second spot in terms of the percentage change in the studied period for gross domestic product. The percentage change in Austin was 43.7 percent, second only to the San Jose area (52.1 percent change). San Antonio-New Braunfels came in third, with a 38.5 percent growth change. Correspondingly to the rosy financial picture in Austin, the city came in last (in a good way) in terms of the having the least number of people below the poverty line (10.4 percent). The city scored high on the list of cities with the lowest unemployment rate, at 2.9 percent. That percentage in terms of the unemployment rate actually could be lower. The Texas Workforce Commission last month reported an an unemployment rate of 2.2% for the Austin region , down from 2.3 percent in April. That percentage also bests the state average of 3.5 percent   itself a state record. Related stories: Austin Unemployment Rate Continues To Drop Austin Among Cities With Most Working Seniors Austin also scored well in the category showing the cities with the greatest number of residents having Internet access. The Austin-Round region had 10.7 percent of its residents without Internet, one of the lowest rates in the country. By contrast, the neighboring city of San Antonio had one of the nation's highest percentages of people without Internet, at nearly 17 percent. In a similar list of number of people without a computer, Austin ranked low with 4.1 percent of denizens having no computer. "To some extent, these findings could reflect a cultural shift in the devices we use: Smartphones have outpaced desktop and laptops in popularity, and low-income households may not invest in multiple ways to get online," analysts wrote. "Yet personal computers remain relevant, especially for school-aged children," analysts continued. "According to one federal study, 90 percent of high schoolers now do at least some homework online   meaning many don't have the tools necessary to complete their assignments at home." Austin also fared well in terms of having the most number of independent elderly members. Tampa Bay The city topped the category, with 15.9 percent in terms of the percentage of people 65 years and older. The Tampa Bay area solidified its status as a retirement destination , accounting for its high percentage of dependent older adults, according to the report. "In the Austin metro area, however, less than 16 percent of residents were elderly dependents," analysts wrote. "Salt Lake, Houston, Dallas, and Raleigh boasted similarly low figures. You'll notice a significant overlap between these cities and the places that have enjoyed the greatest population growth in recent years. It's easy to see the connection between these statistics: As young professionals head to these cities and start families, elderly residents come to represent a smaller portion of the population." Those findings match similar results drawn from a study by Provision Living senior communities that analyzed cities with populations of 200,000 or more to find which had the most people age 65 and up that were still working. The research was conducted amid a national trend marked by an increasing retirement age. The list of top 25 cities shows at least 20 percent of the senior population there still in the workforce. Austin came in 6th place in the rankings, sandwiched between the Dallas suburb of Garland, Texas, and Durham, N.C. Analysts found 22.8 percent of Austin's seniors still in the workforce of the total segment of 76,788. To see the full report, click here .


Civic Center , Mid-Market , Tenderloin , Union Square It's time for another round-up of notable crimes from SFPD's Tenderloin Station in the weeks since our last round-up . All details come from official police reports, unless otherwise noted. Man rolls woman's hand in car window, drags her Around 11:40 p.m. on July 23, a man said to be 40 years old rolled his car window up on a 27-year-old woman's hand and drove away, dragging her along with the car. The woman was able to free herself, sustaining non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect has not been arrested, and police did not disclose the location of the crime. Felon arrested after high-speed chase in stolen Tesla On the night of July 21, SFPD officers across multiple districts attempted to stop a man driving a stolen Tesla at high speeds through the city. Officers from Tenderloin Station tracked the vehicle to the 100 block of Hyde Street (at Golden Gate), where they arrested 37-year-old Brandon Paillett, who is on probation for a prior felony. According to the Tenderloin Station's tweet about the incident, Paillett was booked on 11 new charges after the incident. Man loses phone in afternoon robbery Around 2 p.m. on July 17, a man said to be in his thirties snatched a 34-year-old man's phone from his hand near the intersection of Turk and Leavenworth streets. The suspect fled on foot and has not been identified. Two men suffer cuts to the face in unknown incident Two men, one 33 and the other 59, received lacerations to their faces during an altercation near the intersection of Golden Gate and Hyde streets around 4:48 a.m. on July 17. Police declined to share details on what caused the injuries, or on a potential suspect. Carjacker arrested after stealing couple's car Around 2:15 a.m. on July 17, a 25-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man parked their car on the 500 block of Jones Street (at O'Farrell). A man, said to be in his late twenties, approached and demanded their car keys. The suspect had a "bulge in his pocket," and the victims, assuming it was a weapon, handed over their keys. The suspect fled in their vehicle, but the California Highway Patrol later recovered the car and arrested him. Man has no memory of injury in baseball-bat attack A 30-year-old man was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries around 10:30 p.m. on July 15, after being injured in an incident he did not recall. Witnesses to the incident on the unit block of Seventh Street (near Market) said the victim was struck in the head with a baseball bat by an unknown suspect. The suspect remains unidentified. Man robbed in 3-on-1 attack Three unknown male suspects approached a 28-year-old man from behind at UN Plaza around 6:15 p.m. on July 15. The suspects hit the man, stole his phone, money, and debit card, and fled on foot. Burglars flee empty-handed after victim woke up Around 3:50 a.m. on July 15, a 33-year-old sleeping on the 700 block of Ellis Street (near Hyde) was awoken by two suspects rummaging through his room. The two burglars fled without taking any of the victim's property, and have not been identified. 3-on-1 attackers rob, shoot at 15-year-old girl A fifteen-year old female victim was attacked while hanging out with another teenage girl and two twentysomething men in an unknown Tenderloin location around 9:20 p.m. on July 13. The three suspects attacked the girl and stole her phone, money, and bag. One of the male victims then shot a gun in the victim's direction, but missed her. The 15-year-old fled and the suspects have not been detained. Drunk man allegedly robbed somewhere in the Tenderloin A 39-year-old man was intoxicated in an unknown location in the Tenderloin around 11:30 p.m. on July 13 when a suspect attacked him, took an unknown amount of cash, and fled on foot. The suspect has not been identified. Racial slur sparks violent 4-on-1 attack Around 5:00 p.m. on July 13, a man said to be in his twenties yelled a racial slur at a 33-year-old man near the intersection of Leavenworth Street and Golden Gate Avenue. In response, the 33-year-old man pulled out his box cutter, but dropped it when he saw the first suspect was accompanied by three other men, and that the group had a baton and mallet in its possession. The suspects then hit the victim and punched him multiple times. One of the suspects stole the dropped box cutter, and all four fled together in an unknown direction. The victim was transported the the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Man robbed after being attacked from behind A 38-year-old man was struck from behind by an unknown suspect near the intersection of Mason and Taylor streets around 4:56 p.m. on July 10. The suspect stole the man's wallet, ID, and cellphone, and fled in an unknown direction. Man punched, robbed by several men An unknown number of men approached a 24-year-old man from behind near the intersection of Larkin and Turk streets around 11 p.m. on July 8. The suspects punched the victim multiple times, and fled on foot with his wallet, money, and bracelet. No arrests have been made. Man flees scene after violent 4-on-1 afternoon attack Around 2:05 p.m. on July 8, a 27-year-old man was kicked and punched several times by three men and a woman outside of 944 Market St. (near Powell). The victim fled the scene and was treated at the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. The suspects have not been identified. Elderly man injured in fall after robber snatches phone A 79-year-old man was walking on Sixth Street around 1 p.m. on July 6 when an unknown suspect ran up from behind and grabbed his phone from his hand. The attack caused the victim to lose his balance and fall the sidewalk. The suspect fled with the victim's phone, and the victim was taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. Woman shot in unknown incident Around 9:22 p.m. on July 5, officers responded to a Shotspotter activation at the intersection of Hyde and Eddy streets. The officers located a spent shell casing on the scene, but no suspects or victim. Later in the day, the victim, a 29-year-old female, walked into a hospital for treatment of a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. The suspect(s) remains at large. Man kicked, robbed in 2-on-1 attack Two men, said to be in their twenties, kicked a 27-year-old man near the intersection of Golden Gate and Hyde streets around 3:35 p.m. on July 4. One of the suspects then stole the victim's backpack with his money and ID. The two men fled southbound on Hyde Street and have not been arrested. Anyone with information about any of the above incidents is encouraged to contact SFPD via its anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444, or email SFPDtenderloinstation@sfgov.org. Community members can also attend Tenderloin Station's monthly meetings, held on the last Tuesday evening of the month at precinct headquarters (301 Eddy St.). This month's meeting will be Tuesday, July 30 at 6 p.m.


MESA, Ariz. (AP) Pat Venditte is used to it by now. Teammates, coaches and others regularly stop him for a chance to check out his one-of-a-kind glove, the same one he has used for years featuring space for either hand. Venditte is a rare switch-pitcher. He hopes that versatility will make him a perfect fit for an Oakland club that values it so much. While there is intrigue with his unique ability, Venditte is determined to make his mark at Athletics spring training with little fanfare and do whatever he can to find a spot at the highest level in the organization. Count manager Bob Melvin among the A's in awe of Venditte, who can make for serious matchup problems in the later innings. Former Oakland coach Ariel Prieto used to throw batting practice with both arms. Melvin played in Boston with ambidextrous pitcher Greg Harris, the only one in the modern era to throw in a major league game with both hands. Stephen Vogt is now catching Venditte after facing him in the minors. ''It's just crazy how he can throw with both hands. It's impressive, it's fun,'' Vogt said. ''His slider's good left-handed. I faced him five years ago, too, in high-A.'' Venditte was 3 when he began using both hands. He's a natural right-hander, so the left side needed some time to develop. ''It took many years of work to get to the point I feel comfortable from both sides,'' he said. ''I just remember spending a lot of time outside with my dad playing catch, hitting and doing all the baseball things. I don't really remember fighting it too much.'' New A's designated hitter Billy Butler stood in against Venditte the other day. ''He's got every arm angle there is, they say,'' Butler said. ''I've only seen him throw from the left side. I haven't met any ambidextrous guys. I've been playing baseball for a long time now, and it's one of those things that's very unique. I can't do anything left-handed, and I'm really good at doing stuff right-handed. That just shows you the type of talent he has to be able to do both.'' The 29-year-old Venditte has done his share of explaining his fancy mitt and talent to do his job with both arms. He would rather show everyone by finally earning his shot to pitch in a big league game. Venditte played at Hohokam Stadium during college, so his new surroundings are a bit familiar even though the A's have given the Cubs' former home a major face-lift. Venditte's father, also Pat, is in Arizona for spring training. He also traveled from Omaha to Tampa, Florida, for Yankees camp when Venditte was in New York's farm system. Venditte pitched at both the Double-A and Triple-A levels last year, going a combined 2-6 with a 2.64 ERA in 41 outings with two starts. ''The surprising thing to me is that he's very functional from both sides,'' Melvin said. ''Look at his numbers, too, and he's good both ways. Arm angles are pretty similar and movement's pretty similar. To be able to do that, I don't know what's going on with the brain, but he's able to do it very well and he's a great kid on top of it and really impressed everybody here with his work ethic, so everybody's pulling for him.'' There's even a rule inspired by Venditte, who pitched in college at Creighton. In his 2008 debut with the Staten Island Yankees, Brooklyn switch-hitter Ralph Enriquez came to the plate to hit right-handed, so Venditte prepared to throw with his right. When Enriquez switched to the left side, so did Venditte. The infuriating back-and-forth went on until they each were told to go from the right. A day later, baseball ruled that pitchers using both hands must decide which arm they're going to use before an at-bat. So, how'd Vogt do against Venditte back in the day? ''I don't remember,'' Vogt said, then added, ''probably not good, because he's really good left-handed. The way he has continued to do it over the years, it's really fun to watch.''


British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, a contender to replace Theresa May as prime minister, said Sunday that German Chancellor Angela Merkel had indicated the EU was willing to renegotiate the Brexit divorce deal. Hunt, one of nearly a dozen Conservatives vying to succeed May after she resigned as party leader Friday, said he spoke with Merkel at this week's D-Day commemorations and was convinced changing May's agreement was possible. "She said that of course with a new British prime minister we would want to look at any solutions you have," he told Sky News. "I'm absolutely clear that if we take the right approach to this, the Europeans would be willing to negotiate on the package." Hunt did not specify if he was referring to the legally-binding withdrawal agreement which the EU has repeatedly insisted cannot be re-opened, or to the accompanying political declaration on future relations. Brussels has said the declaration could be revisited if Britain makes a substantive change in its positions, for example on a customs union or access to the single market. May agreed the package with the EU last year but saw it rejected three times by British lawmakers, forcing her to delay Brexit twice -- the latest extension being to October 31. A controversial provision in the agreement for the Irish border, known as the backstop, has proved the key stumbling block. It would prevent the return of border checks between the British province of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland if the sides fail to agree a free trade pact after an initial transition period. Hunt claimed Merkel had signalled EU leaders may now be open to a technological solution to the thorny issue -- something Brussels has previously ruled out as unrealistic. "She said to me Germany doesn't have that border with the Republic of Ireland, you do... so you need to come up with the solution," he said of their conversation. "So it's going to be a solution that's based around some technologies -- what the Germans call intelligent border(s). I think that's doable." - 'Money is a great solvent' - May stepped down as Conservative Party leader on Friday and formally triggered the race for a successor -- currently being contested by 11 Tory MPs -- but will remain prime minister until a new leader is chosen. The leader of the party, which won the most seats at the last general election in 2017, will almost certainly become prime minister. The Brexit-dominated battle is expected to conclude by the end of next month, with former foreign secretary Boris Johnson considered the clear frontrunner. Johnson said in an interview published Sunday that he would refuse to pay Britain's £39 billion divorce bill until the EU agrees better withdrawal terms. The ex-London mayor also signalled he would scrap the much-despised backstop and try to settle the border issue once London and Brussels were negotiating their future relationship. "Our friends and partners need to understand that the money is going to be retained until such time as we have greater clarity about the way forward," he told The Sunday Times. "In getting a good deal, money is a great solvent and a great lubricant," Johnson added, in his first newspaper interview since launching his bid to become Britain's next premier. Johnson also argued that only he could defeat leftist Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and anti-EU populist Nigel Farage, whose new Brexit Party has been poaching Tory voters disgruntled at their party's handling of Brexit. - 'Sense of regret' - In a boost to his campaign, several cabinet members this weekend joined a growing number of centrist Tory MPs in declaring their support for him. However Home Secretary Sajid Javid, another leadership candidate, has also picked up some key endorsements and this weekend won the backing of popular Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson. Meanwhile Environment Minister Michael Gove faced turmoil in his campaign after he admitted to using cocaine "on several occasions at social events" two decades ago. "I do have a profound sense of regret about it all and I am very, very aware of the damage that drugs do," he told the BBC on Sunday. The former justice minister has faced accusations of hypocrisy for having continually supported tough drug laws, while a former senior drug adviser to the government warned the admission could see him barred from entering the United States under its strict anti-drugs immigration laws. Gove tried to turn the conversation back to policy by announcing he would radically reform a key sales tax in Britain if he became prime minister.