I've traveled to literally every country on Earth: the big ones, the small ones, the "dangerous" ones, the ones everyone knows, the ones you've never heard of. And, I set a couple of Guinness World Records in the process. Money-Saving Secrets from a World-Record Traveler I've traveled to literally every country on Earth: the big ones, the small ones, the "dangerous" ones, the ones everyone knows, the ones you've never heard of. And, I set a couple of Guinness World Records in the process. How did I do it? Cheaply! Take it from me, there are plenty of ways you can get out there and see the world without putting your savings account on the road to a zero balance. Here are 20 ways I pay as little as possible to travel   and you can, too! Eds note: Graham Hughes is the fastest person to travel to every country without flying. He's the author of Man of the World . 1. Research, research, research This isn't just about sorting out your accommodation before you arrive, nor is it just about learning a bit of the history of a place, although that is strongly recommended. It's about not doing things that could end up costing you a mountain of money when you reach your chosen destination. Find out if there are any common scams in the area, so you don't fall for them. Learn if there are any crazy laws you might unwittingly break. Singapore, for example, is infamous for doling out fines for all manner of minuscule misdemeanors. And, have a good idea of how much things should cost, so that at the very least you'll be on a sound footing for your inevitable arguments with taxi drivers. (Reminder: Uber doesn't operate everywhere.) 2. See what's free This ties in with doing your research. Many attractions around the world allow you access on certain days for free. For example, the Louvre in Paris is free to all visitors the first Saturday evening of every month and on Bastille Day (July 14). You can see parts of the Tower of London at night without paying admission, if you get free advance tickets to the ancient Ceremony of the Keys. Cathedrals and churches around the world don't force you to shell out just to have a nose around (though they may ask for a donation). Want to see Great Wall of China? There's over 1,000 miles of "wild wall" that you can just turn up and admire   no entry fee required. 3. Get a student card If you're eligible, having a student card can get you superb discounts on not just things like museums and attractions, but also on flights and other transportation. The International Student Identity Card ( ISIC ) is available to full-time students of any age. But if you're 30 or younger, you can get a card even if you're not a student. It costs as little as $20 per year, and the program boasts that cardholders can take advantage of more than 150,000 student discounts and offers throughout the world. 4. Find cheap flights Before you begin searching for flights online , always switch your browser to "incognito mode," because cookies can be used to push the price up over time   just for you! If you're happy to just go somewhere   anywhere   STA Travel has offers on discounted flights around the world. An ISIC card will come in handy but is not always a requirement. If you know exactly where you want to go, find the cheapest flights using Google Flights. It's fast and intuitive, and you can check for alternative airports nearby, change the dates, and see if two one-way tickets are cheaper than a round trip. If there's nothing that looks like a bargain and you've got time on your hands, don't feel that you have to make a decision there and then. After all, flight tickets go up and down in price all the time, for a bewildering variety of reasons. 5. Change your money before you go Typically, you get much better exchange rates on currency in your home country   only don't leave it until you're at the airport, because by then they kinda have you over a barrel. So have a look online, compare rates, and order your Vietnamese Dong or Guatemalan Quetzal well in advance. Once you're at your destination, never use your credit card to take money out of an ATM, because you'll get stung for a cash advance. Use your debit card instead. Your credit card should give you an excellent exchange rate if you use it to pay for things, but be sure you pick out a travel rewards credit card that won't charge you foreign transaction fees . Oh, and if there's anybody out there STILL using traveler's checks, please stop. 6. Say no to souvenirs An easy way to save money and time on vacation is not to waste either by hunting for souvenirs. If you want a timeless memento of your days in the sun, take a picture   it's free! As for feeling obliged to buy some garish gifts for your friends and/or family, let's get real about this: You're giving somebody a "gift" which reminds them what a great time they didn't have on that vacation they didn't go on. The thing will just wind up collecting dust on a forgotten bookshelf for all eternity. So, no. Just no. 7. Ride public transportation Look, I know you're on holiday and you probably don't want to waste time faffing around on subways and other public transport. But if you're trying to get across New York, London, Paris, Rome or pretty much any big city, the savings compared with taking taxis everywhere are massive. And while some places do incredible deals on rental cars (I hired a car in Spain a few months ago for $10 a day   seriously!), driving around in a city you don't know can turn out to be a surprisingly costly proposition. What do I mean? Think hidden speed cameras, bus lanes, one-way streets, weird parking regulations and, well, parking charges in general. 8. Stay in houses, not hotels I recently got back from a family vacation to one of the most expensive areas of Italy. I managed to find an entire three-bedroom apartment for less than $100 a night. Did I mention it was in a 200-year old castle perched on a mountainside with magnificent views over the entire Sorrento peninsula? Couchsurfing.com, Airbnb, Homeaway   these sites should be your first ports of call when looking for accommodations, and just because it's "budget" doesn't mean it can't be incredible. You'll not only save on the cost of your meals, laundry and (typically) transportation, but you're also likely to make new friends   and isn't that what travel is all about? 9. Buy a local SIM Since some mobile providers charge not only for outgoing calls when you're abroad, but also (frustratingly) for incoming calls, and since they charge you by the megabyte(!) for data, it's a bad, bad idea to use your usual SIM card when you're vacationing. Yes, you can get plans that allow you to use your home SIM in other countries for free, but you have to pay for the plan in the first place. It's a false economy, don't do it. Simply get your phone "unlocked," and then, when you arrive in a country, buy yourself a local SIM. They're rarely more than $5 and often come with free minutes included. 10. Always ask if they can 'do better' Familiarizing yourself with a new place takes time, but that's not to say it should cost you money. Just because you wouldn't dream of haggling in your home country (several of my fellow Brits have wild palpitations at the very idea), that doesn't mean you can't throw caution to the wind on foreign shores. Ask if you can get a better deal on literally anything: hotels, taxis, souvenirs (if you must), attractions, shows, etc. The worst that can happen is an awkward silence and having to pay the advertised price. But that's OK, you're on holiday and you're literally never going to see that person ever again. Hurrah. 11. Travel out of season Not just a money-saving tactic, this is a sanity-saving tactic, especially if you're planning to visit a notoriously popular destination. Generally speaking, if you avoid the school breaks and opt to travel on weekdays rather than weekends, you're good to go. Just be aware that "out of season" for one country might not be "out of season" for another. If you're planning on being far from home, check the national and religious holidays before you go. If everything shuts down for a week and you miss your return flight, any savings you might have made will be wiped out before you can say, "Who knew?' 12. Travel slow Trains, buses and ferries: They may not offer much in the way of speed, but if you're not crossing any oceans they're (generally speaking) the cheapest ways of getting around. What's more, if it's an overnight journey, that's your accommodation for the night. If you're going farther afield and must fly, take a long layover and split your travel over a couple of days. You can usually save a chunk of your flight costs, and get in some sightseeing during your stopover. But be warned: You might save $100 on your flight   great!   but unless you can find yourself a bed for the night for substantially less than $100, what's the point? 13. Take longer trips Generally speaking, your biggest expense when traveling will be your flights. Once you're at your destination, it makes sense to spend as much time as possible in the area, and therefore it's wise to go somewhere you can move about cheaply and with relative ease. Southeast Asia and Central America would be recommended. If you're planning a trip to Europe, instead of making several trips over a number of years, combine them into one big one, perhaps by grabbing yourself a Eurail pass to get around. It's quick and easy and much less expensive than making a separate trip each time you want to visit somewhere new. 14. Avoid pricey places This might seem like an obvious bit of advice. After all, everybody knows that the likes of Norway, Japan and Dubai are by no means kind to your wallet. However, you may be surprised to learn that some developing nations can be jaw-droppingly expensive, too. For example, I have no idea about the economics of a place like Angola: Nearly half the people live in poverty , but the capital, Luanda, is one of the most expensive cities in the world and is probably best avoided unless you're well-heeled. Also, take it from me, the countries that require you to shell out $150 and fill out 100-page visa application forms demanding to know everything about you, including your inside leg measurement? Forget them! Spend your money on countries that actually wants you there. 15. Travel light Passport, clothes, smartphone, wallet, toothbrush. That's all you need. Anything else you can beg, borrow or buy along the way. A huge suitcase or backpack is not just a nightmare to lug around everywhere (and a nightmare for your fellow passengers on urban public transit), it also can be surprisingly costly. Even long-haul flights are now charging customers for checked luggage, and the money could be better spent on literally anything else. What's more, if you've got a big bag, you'll invariably have to let it out of your sight if you're traveling overland from city to city. No thanks! 16. Be flexible Having a strict daily timetable and booking everything six months in advance is not only somewhat masochistic, but it's also a good way to lose a lot of money if and when things go wrong and those bus/train/plane tickets turn out to be nonrefundable. There's also a good chance that when you arrive somewhere, there may turn out to be a cheaper way of visiting attractions that the guidebooks and travel sites missed. This is another advantage of homestays. They often end up paying for themselves in savings while you're in town, because local knowledge is a wonderful thing. 17. Buy travel insurance I can't stress this enough: Travel insurance is an absolute MUST whenever you leave your home country, even if it's for a short trip, even if it's to a neighboring country, and even if you're Wolverine and can regenerate bodily tissue just by thinking about it. The thing is you don't know what's going to happen. If you become injured through no fault of your own, and for whatever reason the authorities have to send a helicopter, you could be paying for that short (but no doubt exciting) trip to the ER for the rest of your life. If you're not planning on snowboarding or jumping out of a plane, travel insurance is cheap. You're even likely to find it as one of the perks offered by your travel rewards credit card . 18. Be creative! There are ways of getting to know a place without having to spend a fortune on attractions. Walking tours cost nothing, as do visits to public beaches, parks, forests and areas of outstanding natural beauty. Don't want to pay to leave your bag somewhere for the day? Many museums have free cloakroom facilities. Need to freshen up? Head to a fancy hotel and check out the restrooms   they sometimes have showers. Can you sing, dance, play an instrument? Use those skills to your advantage. I managed to get myself free rides on number of cruise ships simply by offering to give talks about my travels. Nice! 19. Get in with the locals Be open to new friendships, because they can help you cut the cost of your travels. When I visited every country in the world, I ate with the locals, I drank with the locals and I partied with the locals. This meant that pretty much everything I did cost less than it would have cost otherwise. It's all very well searching online for the "best pizza place in Yamoussoukro" (the capital of Côte d'Ivoire, in West Africa, in case you didn't know), but local knowledge trumps Google every time. Your new friends might be able to get you into places regular tourists never get a chance to see, and they'll almost certainly introduce you to the best places to get some cheap and yummy street food. 20. Don't get sick Getting ill when you're abroad can be not just unpleasant, but also a costly affair. Even if your medical bills are covered by travel insurance, you lose out by not getting to do the things that got you to venture so far from home. But happily there are ways you can reduce the chances of getting a dose of Montezuma's revenge. First up, get yourself vaccinated. Vaccines can be expensive, but they last for years and sure beat dying. Try to avoid drinking the tap water, even in a developed country, as your body might not be accustomed to the local microbes. When you eat, make sure it's hot and preferably cooked in front of you. Finally, if you're in an area that has malaria, take your malaria pills. Following these simple rules, I traveled for four years to every country in the world and never took a "sick day." Result! Follow us on Twitter: @moneywisecom


Borrowers have been taking it on the chin the past few years, with the Federal Reserve raising interest rates nine times since late 2015. Now the Fed is aiming to soften that blow. A quarter-percentage-point rate cut by the Fed on Wednesday and the possibility of three more decreases within the next 12 months likely will trim rates and monthly payments on credit cards, home equity lines, adjustable-rate mortgages and auto loans. The goal of the cut   the first in more than a decade   is to make borrowing less costly for consumers and businesses, encouraging spending and bolstering the economy. Don't expect a windfall, at least in the short term, because Wednesday's move will merely reverse a fraction of the nine hikes over the past 3½ years, says Greg McBride, a chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com, which offers advice and online tools to help people chose loans, credit cards and other financial products. Still, "on the margins, it will help people with debt," says Steve Rick, a chief economist of CUNA Mutual Group, an insurance and financial services company. The Fed believes the case for lower rates has strengthened recently. While trade tensions have eased, the outcome of talks with China remains uncertain, and if they break down, the increased tariffs that follow could damage the economy. Plus, the Fed is concerned about a slowdown in global growth and it views inflation as tame, which eases any worries that it would flare up once borrowing becomes cheaper. The effects on loans and savings accounts: Credit cards Credit card rates are generally tied to the prime rate, which in turn is affected by the Fed's benchmark rate. While the rate will eventually drop by a quarter percentage point, it might not happen as quickly as rates increased. That's because card issuers often have language in their agreements that allows them to use the highest prime rate in effect during the preceding 60-day period, McBride says. A quarter-point cut on a $5,000 credit card balance would lower the minimum payment by just $1 a month, a fraction of the $9 in increases already enacted. The Fed and the market: Fed rate cut should goose stock market, history shows Home equity lines Most home equity lines of credit, or HELOCs, also track the prime rate. The rate decrease should show up within 30 to 60 days. But it would reverse just one of the Fed's nine previous rate hikes since late 2015, so your rate is still likely to be two percentage points higher than it had been a few years ago. A quarter-point reduction on a $30,000 home equity line of credit would shave the monthly payment by $6.25, McBride says. Two such cuts would trim the bill by $12.50. By contrast, the nine rate increases since late 2015 have lifted the same payment by $56. "The savings may end up being only a few dollars…each month, but it gives homeowners an incentive to use HELOCs to pay for home improvements or repairs without dipping into savings," says Holden Lewis, NerdWallet's home expert. Adjustable-rate mortgages Unlike credit cards and HELOCs, rates on adjustable-rate mortgages are modified annually. So the impact of the Fed's rate cut, and any more on the horizon, may hit all at once at your next scheduled loan adjustment   which is what happened when rates were rising. A percentage-point cut in the Fed's key short-term rate over 12 months likely would reduce adjustable-rate mortgages by a half percentage point because that rate is also affected by other factors. It would reduce the monthly payment on a $200,000 mortgage by $56, says Tendayi Kapfidze, chief economist of LendingTree. Fixed-rate mortgages The Fed's key short-term rate affects 30-year mortgages   the most common purchase home loan   and other long-term rates only indirectly. Those rates more closely track inflation expectations and the long-term economic outlook, and have already fallen substantially in recent months as concerns about the economy and low inflation have grown. The average rate has dropped to 3.75% from 4.5% a year ago, according to Freddie Mac. Capital One data breach: What you need to know about Capital One data breach affecting more than 100 million customers Auto Loans When the Fed was raising rates, the higher borrowing costs didn't always get passed to car buyers because manufacturers offered discounted financing to encourage car sales. Now that vehicle sales have slowed, makers are competing even more vigorously with each other. As a result, a Fed rate cut will likely be passed along to car buyers within weeks, Rick says. A quarter-point decrease on a five-year loan   now averaging 4.77%, according to Bankrate   would lower the monthly payment on a new $25,000 car by $3 a month, Rick says. Student loans Many private student loans come with variable interest rates that follow the prime rate. When the loan rate adjusts depends on what's written in your loan terms. For instance, your monthly payment will decrease for those on a regular payback schedule. But if you're on an income-repayment plan, your monthly payment won't change, but a lower portion will go toward interest rather than principal. Federal student loans have a fixed interest rate set by Congress and are not affected by the Fed's move. Bank savings rates Bank customers who finally have started to benefit from higher savings rates could see some of those gains curtailed going forward. Rates on one-year and longer-term certificates of deposits already have edged down this year in anticipation of lower Fed rates, says Ken Tumin, founder of DepositAccounts.com. Banks move quickly on such longer-term accounts because they don't want to get stuck paying higher returns for extended periods when rates are falling, McBride says. Meanwhile, online banks, which have been paying much higher rates on money market and savings accounts, likely would lower their rates within a month or two of any Fed rate cut as their profit margins narrow. A study Tumin conducted during Fed rate decreases in 2007 found banks initially lower savings rates by about half the size of the Fed's cut and then catch up to match the central bank's move within several months. Marcus, the retail arm of Goldman Sachs, already has trimmed its savings account rate to 2.15% from 2.25% ahead of the Fed cut, and Ally shaved its yield to 2.1% from 2.2%. If the Fed cuts rates two or more times this year, top yielding accounts will likely move from about 2.5% closer to 2%, McBride says.


Three executives of a South Korean company, which claimed to have found a sunken Russian treasure ship containing billions of dollars in gold, have been jailed, months after their scam fell apart. Shinil Group attracted global attention when it claimed last year to have discovered the Dmitri Donskoii , a 5,800-ton warship that sank during the 1905 Battle of Tsushima, in the waters between present-day South Korea and Japan. Reports from the time of the sinking suggested there was gold on board, which could now be worth upwards of $125 billion, a staggering sum which a Shinil representative at a closely-watched press conference downgraded to a still respectable $8.9 billion . The company had hinted it would make an announcement at that event -- perhaps even showing photos and video of the gold. But nothing was forthcoming and questions were asked over the legitimacy of its previous images of the sunken ship. Police raided the company amid allegations the story was cooked up to boost the shares of a steel company that Shinil executives had invested in before their supposed discovery. Shares in that company spiked following the announcement. Shinil also attracted $7.6 million from thousands of investors excited about a potential windfall from the gold haul. On Wednesday, the Seoul Southern District Court jailed the former vice-chairman of Shinil Group, surnamed Kim, for five years, while two other executives received jail terms of four and two years respectively. No appeal request has been submitted so far, the court said. Golden prize The Dmitri Donskoii, a first-class armored cruiser, first set sail in the 1880s and sank during the Russo-Japanese War, which Moscow eventually lost. Since then, rumors have abounded that it carried a huge sum in gold coins -- as much as 14,000 metric tons by one estimate -- to fund the Russian war effort. The stories persisted even though numerous experts and government officials cast doubt on them. "She was a very old and slow ship ... a very unlikely candidate to be entrusted with transporting a tenth of all the gold ever mined in the world," wrote Constantine Pleshakov, author of "The Tsar's Last Armada: The Epic Journey to the Battle of Tsushima." "Not to mention that even though Tsar Nicholas II was rather thickheaded, he would never have ordered the transport of such a large amount of gold by ship from St Petersburg to Vladivostok when he had the Trans-Siberian Railroad at his disposal." But that logic hadn't discourage previous claims. In 2000 , South Korean company Dong-ah Construction said it would attempt to salvage the ship, causing its stock price to surge. But the company did not manage to recover the ship and eventually went bankrupt . Later, Sergei Klimovsky, then head of scholarly research at the Central Naval Museum in St. Petersburg, said there was "no archival material or scientific evidence to support the idea that there is gold (on board)." "This question of gold on Russian warships occasionally arises, but there is none, and the Koreans will be wasting their money," he added.


The details of Aleida Ramos' quincenera are going viral because the Houston teen invited guests to register to vote while celebrating her 15th birthday. Seriously. Teen Vogue published an article earlier this week. This Quinceañera Included a Voter Registration Booth A Texas teen decided her quinceañera would include an element beyond the usual traditions: Aleida Ramos, a 15-year-old in Houston, included a hybrid photo booth/voter registration station at her celebration, according to NBC News. In the entry to the venue for Aleida's festivities there was a booth from the Jolt Initiative, a Latinx youth advocacy group, where her largely Latinx guests could register to vote. Teen Vogue Ramos teamed with the Jolt Initiative, which is a Texas-based Latino organization that is focused on building the political power and influence of young Latinos. In between dancing with her friends and cutting a multi-tiered cake, Ramos, in her coral gown, invited party-goers to stop by Jolt's booth, telling the crowd, "our vote ensures we continue to protect our community and those who matter most to us." Jolt reportedly organizes 50,000 voter registration events annually throughout Texas. And the groups 'Poder Quince" initiative, which launched last month, is designed to merge the tradition of a quincenera with the upward trending of registered Latino voters. The U.S. Census reports some 29 million Latinos were eligible to vote in the 2018 mid-term elections. More than 11 million Latinos showed up at the polls. KHOU is meeting up with Aleida and Jolt today! Look for the story later. ALSO POPULAR ON KHOU.COM: "Aladdin" makes magic in Houston Fixer Upper stars Chip and Joanna Gaines donate $1.4M to St. Jude Hidden Valley Ranch-flavored Pop-Tart divides the internet


Pittsburgh will see a return of last week's light rainfall today, according to drone-powered weather forecasting service Saildrone . Today's forecast shows the highest chance of rain at 100 percent, with expected rainfall of 0.70 inches. The next few days will also see warm temperatures, due to persist through Thursday. Temperatures will reach a high of 83 degrees on Sunday. Skies will partially clear tomorrow. Winds should reach a modest high of 13 mph on Friday, while today and tomorrow will remain calmer. This story was created automatically using Saildrone's local weather forecast data, then reviewed by an editor. We also incorporate historic weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Stacy and Aaron Bieniek, and their 15-year-old son James, have been going to the Wisconsin State Fair every year, every day, for 16 years. Well, at least that long. When a tradition is so ingrained in a family's life, it's easy to forget how it even started. "I definitely remember going there every day when I was pregnant with James," Stacy said. "We lived in West Allis, it was close by and, the way we do it, it was like an inexpensive way to have a vacation." The Bienieks talked a bit more, trying to remember how the original idea came about, and Stacy mentioned how James started working at the fair last year, in the kitchen at Major Goolsby's. That thought made Stacy remember that she worked at the fair too, at the Double K Ranch, back when she and Aaron were dating. "Yeah, he would hang out there all day waiting for me while I was working," said Stacy. "He would sit and people watch. Maybe that's how the idea got started." That led to a discussion of people-watching opportunities at the fair, and Stacy said that her parents have often joined them at the fair for a few days. "My dad has always loved people watching. I even remember him doing that at the fair when I was a kid," she said. "Maybe that's how it got started." How it works to go to the fair every day Regardless of how it started, it's their tradition now. Every day, during the run of the fair, Stacy sets out an envelope for each family member labeled with the date. Inside is the family member's admission ticket and $20. Stacy, Aaron and James use their $20 to do whatever activity, buy whatever food or purchase whatever souvenir, calls out to them that day. The Bienieks, who now live in Hales Corners, get there early enough that they can park on the street and avoid parking fees. They enter the fair with whatever admission deal is promoted that day   with their cans of food to donate, or James' summer reading program coupon, or the free ticket James gets for working at the fair. They get inside the fair, grab a directory of daily activities, find a place to sit and map out their days. This year's mapping happened at Major Goolsby's, at what Stacy says is the best breakfast at the fair. The Double McCohen   described on the menu as "4 eggs, twice the ham, topped with twice the cheese, served on a toasted bagel, with a side of breakfast potatoes"   sells for $11. They buy two of those and two sides of bacon. James and Aaron split one of them, and Stacy and her dad, Tom Kasprzak, split the other. "We do this breakfast a few times every year," Aaron said. "But not every day," Stacy added. "Because, if we did, we wouldn't have room for any of the other food." And what kind of food do they get? Cream puffs? "Yeah, we do get one every year," James said. "I actually prefer the cookies you can get in the cream puff pavilion. They're giant and they're only $3." James added that the best way to get one of those cookies or cream puffs if the pavilion is crowded is to go to the outside window of the pavilion. "That's also the best way to get a baked potato when it's crowded," he said. That kind of insider information is one reason James loves going to the fair every year. "I love meeting up with all my friends when they come to the fair," James said. "And it's cool because I can kind of be their guide because I know where everything is and all the fun things to do." More than just a taste of the fair Without a doubt, a State Fair visit is a beloved summer tradition for many Wisconsin families, but it's also true that for most of those families, it's really no more than a taste of the fair. "When you come to the fair every day for 11 days, you really get the chance to enjoy it," James said. "You don't have to rush through things. You can, like, pick one day to do the pig races and the next day to do the expo center." One year, the Bienieks decided to do a scavenger hunt throughout the fair that was sponsored by Sprecher. They found everything on their list and won the hunt, along with dinner at a restaurant and an overnight stay at a hotel. Of course, they won because they know where everything is. But, also because they had the time to do the hunt. "Most people wouldn't take the few hours to do a scavenger hunt because they're only there for a day and that would take a big chunk out of it," Stacy said. "But, we're there every day, so that was our big activity that day." Another time, when some of the Bienieks' friends hung around with them for a few hours, they suggested a game. "Everybody had $10, and we went around the fair and bought some type of food for someone else," Aaron said. "We all tried the food, and then switched so everyone got a taste." Often, the Bienieks want to take a break. Aaron carries a few games in his backpack, and, when they need some down time, they'll grab some food, a table in the expo center and play a game for an hour or two. "Yeah, you may see us just sitting in the exhibit hall, playing a dice game," Stacy said. "That's just how we roll." Making friends at the fair "The real fun of coming to the fair so much is that you know everybody," said Stacy's dad, Kasprzak. "It's really about meeting all the great people." The Bienieks have made friends over the years, and there are certain people they make sure to see every year. They say hi to Sean Emery, a comic juggler at the Wilderness Resort family variety stage who fascinated James as a young child, and whom they now visit every year. They head to We Energies Energy Park to see Chef Mark because, according to Stacy, James will eat anything he cooks, even if it's something he refuses when she cooks it. James readily agreed, saying, "Yeah, his food's amazing." They also visit Mark Mains, a favorite caricature artist, every year. Mains draws James doing something that represents whatever his interest was that year   kicking a soccer ball the first year he joined the soccer team, as a Boy Scout when he joined the Scouts, flipping a burger when he got his first job at Major Goolsby's. "Most families have their yearly portrait of their kids that they get at JC Penney's or something," Stacy said. "We don't have that of James, but we do have a yearly caricature of him from the fair." Some of those fair friendships go deeper than just catching up every year. Several years ago, James was fascinated watching a man make fudge behind a window. The Bienieks got to talking to him, and stopped by to watch other members of the man's family making fudge during their week and a half at the fair. They became such good friends with the family that they even visited them in their home state of Kentucky. "Those words sound so weird coming out of my mouth," said Stacy, laughing. "Yeah, we met a vendor at the Fair and visited him in Kentucky." "No, it's not that weird," Aaron said. "It was day after day, and year after year, of talking to this family and making friends with them. And then we'd have dinner with them every year after the fair closed up." Continuing a tradition How long do the Bienieks plan to go to the fair every day? That's a hard question for them to answer. Because it's a tradition. And a tradition is just something you do every year. "Sometimes I think to myself that it would be nice to just take a regular vacation," Stacy said. And, as the mom of the family, she also admits that the preparation can feel like a job to her   packing the rain ponchos and sunscreen, getting the water bottles ready, laying the money out each morning. "I kind of think of it like Christmas though, like with all the prep work that goes into a tradition like that," Stacy said. "I mean, it's not like I wake up every morning of the fair thinking, 'this is the best day of my life.' But it's a tradition, so I do it, and our family does it, and in the end, you're glad you did it." Tips from a family of State Fair experts Question: How do you carry all your stuff? Stacy: We have a stroller. When James was little, he rode in the stroller. Now we still bring it and our stuff rides in the stroller. Like our water bottles and our backpack and whatever we buy. Have you bought gadgets in the expo center? Stacy: Not really. We do listen to all the demonstrations though. One year, we kept going back to the Vitamix demonstration. We would watch it every morning and every evening and get samples. We could say the demonstration word for word with the lady. And we did finally buy one of those. Have you ever missed a day since James has been born? Stacy: Aaron did miss a few days a few years ago, when his father passed away during the week of the fair. We obviously couldn't spend whole days at the fair like we usually do, but James was young enough that going every day was important to him. So, I told him, if all we have time to do is come into the fair, walk in and walk right back out, I'll do that with you. So, that's what we did. Where's the best place to relax? Aaron: The Expo Center has the best air conditioning. There are lots of tables and chairs to relax in the hallways outside the exhibit hall. And, even when it's crowded, you can usually find an empty table. Do you enter any of the contests? Stacy: No, we don't do any of the contests, like who makes the best pickle, or whatever. We've talked about it though. James: We've done some eating contests though. Tom (Stacy's dad): Yeah, like the time Stacy almost killed her father. We were doing a pizza eating competition. Stacy was blindfolded, and she stood behind me and was supposed to feed me pizza. She just kept putting it in my mouth, even though my cheeks were so full I looked like a chipmunk and I was turning blue. We won though. What about the rides? Stacy: We never go on them. We just never really go to that section of the park. Rides are what Great America's for. James: We have done the slide though. And we do go on the sky glider. Aaron: Yep, a round trip ride on the sky glider. We do that every year. Where's the best bathroom at the fair? Stacy: In the exhibit hall of the Expo Center, in the corner, near the trampoline. Where do you park? Stacy: That's secret. Contact Amy Schwabe at (262) 875-9488 or amy.schwabe@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @WisFamilyJS , Instagram at @wisfamilyjs or Facebook at WisconsinFamily . Our subscribers make this coverage possible. Subscribe to the Journal Sentinel today and get a special offer at jsonline.com/deal. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: This family goes to State Fair every day, for at least 16 years.


The cheers from grandstands had barely died when Rory McIlroy's tournament followed suit. On the first hole at Royal Portrush Thursday morning, McIlroy pulled his tee shot, his ball hitting a fan and bouncing out-of-bounds. In itself, it was merely a bad drive, leading to a bad hole, begetting a bad round in a season that has statistically been the best of a Hall of Fame career. This is true, in a vacuum. Professional sports, however, are typically consumed through a prism of some sort. That's true of golf's four majors, and especially true of this player, in this scene, against these stakes. RELATED: Leaderboard Which is why McIlroy's eight-over-par 79 was surprising. And yet, entirely predictable. Aside from a certain 15-time major winner, no golfer is analyzed, dissected, questioned and conversed like Rory McIlroy. He has an ability to make this difficult game look easy, and he's a fascinating study because of it. When Rory is rolling, no one is more exciting; when he's floundering, no one is more frustrating. Coupled with a magnetic personality and thoughtful perspective, McIlroy engenders a rapport with fans unlike any player in golf. Even by those standards, this week is a different tune. For the first time in 68 years the Open is being played on the Emerald Isle, a land whose cultural, political fissures remain complicated in spite of recent progress. A land McIlroy calls home. He may not be a Portrush lad, but the links was the site of his breakout performance, the so-often cited 61 as a 16-year-old. McIlroy hoisting the claret jug wasn't the sole storyline worth watching this week, but it was the most irresistible. Seen in recent years with Phil Mickelson's pursuit of the U.S. Open or even lower-hyped endeavors like Colin Montgomerie or Tommy Fleetwood playing Opens at their home courses, wanting or caring too much about a tournament can have the opposite effect on a desired outcome. Sports psychologists say this is because focusing on an end goal is less effective than emphasizing process. "The problem is that when you focus on results, you are actually less likely to get those results," writes Dr. Jim Taylor in Psychology Today. "If you are focusing on results, you're not focusing on the process, namely, what you need to do to perform your best to get those results. This result focus can cause you to get really nervous before competitions, which makes it nearly impossible for you to perform your best." All fine and dandy, and sound in theory. In execution, a different ballgame. That requires subconscious performance under high pressure, understanding the task ahead matters. It's a paradox, one that often leads to failure. "You have to perform as if you have nothing to lose," Taylor writes. "You perform your best when you let go of expectations, pressure, and fear of failure ... You perform your best when you turn off your mind and just let your body do what it knows how to do." That's a concept that escaped Mickelson for most of his career at the U.S. Open, noting in Shinnecock in 2018 that he would get ahead of himself at times by thinking of the results. "The way you get in trouble here is you anticipate too much and you get too far ahead," Mickelson said last summer. "The more I think about winning, the more it detracts away from my focus and the process of playing a round." It's something McIlroy knows well, as his bids for the green jacket, which would give him the career Grand Slam, have proved similarly vexing. "Stressful," McIlroy said about the Masters in 2017. "I am, ask anyone who knows me, a complete prick in the week leading up to Augusta. But they understand and know that. It's a stressful situation." McIlroy's not a hard-ass or a headcase. He's merely human. Before we go too far down this road, McIlroy has stated multiple times this year that he's learned to separate Rory the player from Rory the person, not letting results inside the ropes dictate his happiness outside them. He echoed those sentiments after Round 1, saying the heightened expectations were not a factor in Thursday's flop. "I don't think so," McIlroy said. "Look, it's disappointing. I'd be disappointed regardless, whether it was here or St. Andrews or Birkdale or any of the other tournaments or majors. "I'm pretty truthful with you guys. Look, I was nervous on the first tee. But not nervous because of that. Nervous because it's an Open Championship. I usually get nervous on the first tee anyway, regardless of where it is. So maybe a little more so today than other places. But I don't think it was that. It was a bit of a tentative golf swing with a hard wind off to the right, and the ball just got going left on me." That said, self-reflective as McIlroy can be, it's fair to state a bit of mental gymnastics are at hand. You can't distort the obvious. There were extenuating circumstances, ones that suggest he cares deeply about this tournament. To argue otherwise is to argue his merits as a competitor. No, a McIlroy win wouldn't have bestowed nationwide peace. Yet the Irish are a prideful people, and their hopes were fastened, welcomed or not, to the 30-year-old's back. While he knocked down that notion at multiple turns, McIlroy did acknowledge what this Open means to the country. "I think as well it will be a massive thing for the country," McIlroy said on Wednesday. "Sport has an unbelievable ability to bring people together. We all know that this country sometimes needs that. This has the ability to do that. Talking of legacy, that could be the biggest impact this tournament has outside of sport, outside of everything else, is the fact that people are coming here to enjoy it and have a good time and sort of forget everything else that sort of goes on." McIlroy also recognized his part in the celebration, and the circus that would surround him. "I can't just put the blinkers on and pretend that's not all going on," he said. Though McIlroy noted he gets support throughout Europe, "I'm sure it will feel different tomorrow on that first tee and the buzz and everything." Less than 24 hours later, the remark seems like fait accompli. There are examples of success in the face of heightened hometown pressure, most notably Tiger Woods playing, and winning, the 2008 U.S. Open on a broken leg at Torrey Pines. That narrow-minded drive is what made Tiger Tiger . But in hindsight, it's fair to wonder if that passion was healthy, if that same drive, that obsession, correlated to Woods' eventual destruction. Mentioned above, McIlroy has sought a well-balanced life. Unfortunately, that can be to the detriment of his golf game. "Yeah, I'm disappointed, but at the end of the day I'm still the same person," McIlroy said. "I'm going to go back and see my family, see my friends, and hopefully they don't think any less of me after a performance like that today. And I'll dust myself off and come back out tomorrow and try to do better." That's something you'd never hear out of a pre-2008 Woods. Perhaps that's extrapolating too much from one round. McIlroy, after all, has two wins and a staggering 11 top 10s in 14 PGA Tour starts this year. His tour-leading 2.711 strokes gained figure is on pace to be the best non-Tiger output in PGA Tour history. He had a couple bad swings on Portrush. That's golf. Conversely, before the Open, McIlroy had played in over 160 tournaments well over 10,000 holes in his tour career. He made a quadruple-bogey four times in that span. Thursday's opening 8 could be really, really bad timing. In a way, it was. That doesn't make it a coincidence. See the video. Related slideshow: Best of the British Open (Provided by imagn)


WASHINGTON   Congressional Democrats are signaling a willingness to include major elements of President Donald Trump's $4.5 billion request for humanitarian and security needs on the U.S.-Mexico border in an unrelated, widely backed disaster aid bill that appears to finally be breaking free of a partisan logjam. Democratic aides said Tuesday that Trump's request for additional Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention beds is off the table, but that Democrats are willing to fund care for more than 360,000 migrants apprehended since October. "There are some good parts to it, there are not some good parts to it and we'll have to separate the wheat from the chaff," Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said of Trump's border request. "We're going to have to go over that with a fine-tooth comb." Schumer said Republicans had largely capitulated in a weeks-long fight over aid to Puerto Rico. "They realized that they are not going to be able to get a good bill done without treating Puerto Rico fairly," Schumer said. Trump has opposed additional aid to the U.S. island territory, claiming it has gotten plenty of money already to deal with devastation wrought by back-to-back hurricanes in 2017. He has also feuded with the island's Democratic officials. The disaster legislation has been held up in the Senate amid a fight between Trump and Democrats over aid to Puerto Rico. Trump is feuding with Democratic officials on the island and falsely claims that Puerto Rico has already received $91 billion in aid. Pressure from Trump's GOP allies, particularly southern Republicans seeking aid for hurricane-slammed farmers, appears to have eroded his opposition to additional aid to the island. "We're this close," said Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., holding his thumb and index finger about two inches apart. But Shelby's demand to boost Army Corps of Engineers harbor dredging efforts by liberalizing the budget rules for spending out of a dedicated harbor maintenance fund have run into major opposition from House Republicans and the White House. The Port of Mobile in Shelby's state would be a major beneficiary of the change. The addition of border funding to the long-sought hurricane and flood aid measure   which ballooned to $19.1 billion during a House floor debate on Friday   adds a major, tricky element to the already overdue disaster bill. Democrats are particularly agreeable to Trump's $2.8 billion request to house and care for Central American migrants that are seeking asylum from violence in their home countries of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, but the details are nettlesome. The goal is to reach a House-Senate agreement that could finally speed the bill through the Senate, where Democrats upset over aid to Puerto Rico filibustered a GOP plan last month. The House would then vote to send the legislation to Trump for his signature. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he's getting tired of the holdups over disaster aid and said it's past time for the Senate to act. "I'm not going to be sending members of either party home to these storm- and flood-ravaged states without at least some action, preferably a deal that the president will sign," McConnell said. The aides spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly about negotiations.


SOUTH SACRAMENTO (CBS13)   A pedestrian is dead after he was hit by a car in South Sacramento early Friday morning. Police say around 3:30 a.m., the man was crossing Mack Road at Center Parkway in his wheelchair when the driver, who was in a BMW sedan, was heading westbound and hit and killed the man. The driver stayed on scene and called 911, say police. Traffic cameras at the intersection will play a factor in the crash investigation. "There's a variety of cameras here at this intersection, as you can see. Our investigators will be downloading at looking at all the video surveillance and police observation devices to determine the traffic signals and such," said a police department spokesperson. The intersection was closed for hours and police urged drivers to seek alternate routes. The intersection at Mack and Center Parkway is closed. Vehicle vs Pedestrian fatal collision!  @SacPolice  on scene investigating  @GoodDaySac   @CBSSacramento   @DinaKupfer   @julissaortiztv   @GoodDayTraffic   @GDSTracyKetchum  pic.twitter.com/w1KPzmfXcF   David Grashoff (@CameraGuyDave1) May 31, 2019 SPD is on scene of a fatal (auto v pedestrian) collision at the intersection of Mack Road/Center Parkway. The intersection will be closed during the investigation. Please avoid the area and use alternate routes. #sacpd pic.twitter.com/uz0wUxXJKd   Sacramento Police (@SacPolice) May 31, 2019


CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (Reuters) - A convoy of Mexican state and municipal police trucks roared along the U.S.-Mexico border in Ciudad Juarez to confront cartel gunmen, past National Guardsmen patrolling the banks of the Rio Grande River for migrants trying to cross into the United States. "We should be with them, not here. We're soldiers," one of three guardsmen in a green camouflage uniform grumbled to himself within earshot of a Reuters reporter. He was frustrated that orders kept him from going to back up police in the shootout with gangsters. The National Guard is a new security force that was created by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to bring down record homicide rates. But now it has been tasked with patrolling the border to placate President Donald Trump, who has demanded Mexico stem the flow of U.S.-bound Central Americans that pass through the country or risk tariffs on Mexican goods. If the deployment of some 21,000 National Guard troops at Mexico's northern and southern borders can reduce the flow of migrants, Lopez Obrador will have successfully kept Trump's tariffs at bay and averted opening up another front in the global trade war. But using almost a third of the National Guard's total ranks for migration duties means fewer security forces to tackle one of Mexico's most pressing issues, spiraling violence, which last year cost a record 33,000 lives. Those numbers continued surging in the first six months of Lopez Obrador's term in office, which began in December. In Juarez, where drug cartel murders are especially acute, many people wish the troops were helping fight crime instead. The city across the border from El Paso, Texas has long been synonymous with cartel warfare, which pushed the murder rate to 244 per 100,000 residents by March 2011, according to data compiled by Juarez-based advocacy group Mesa de Seguridad y Justicia. With help from civil society groups and businesses, the city made hard-won gains to restore security, and by late 2015 the murder rate had been cut to 21 per 100,000, the group says, citing numbers from the attorney general's office it corroborates independently. Now, crime is climbing back towards levels last seen in the darkest days of the drug war, with homicides growing fivefold in the last three years to 107 per 100,000. "Murders, kidnappings, extortion have taken a back seat so the Mexican army can patrol the border,' said Juan Hernan Ortiz, director of Citizens for Better Government, a watchdog organization in Juarez that keeps tabs on the local government. The Mexican government did not respond to requests for comment on the criticism. The National Guard in Juarez, mostly made up of active-duty soldiers equipped with ballistic helmets, body armor and assault rifles, is identifiable by small arm bands emblazoned with the letters GN, for the Spanish words for National Guard. "We have the army dressed up as the National Guard making sure migrants don't reach the United States while the city is headed towards a much larger crisis of violence," said Ortiz. SHOOTOUT BY THE BRIDGE The police convoy that raced by the National Guardsmen was heading to free a 53-year-old American man kidnapped by members of the Assassin Artists cartel. A car chase through the streets of Juarez led to a shootout near the Zaragoza border bridge, said the attorney general's office of Chihuahua state. The American was freed, four kidnappers were arrested, another was killed and two policemen were wounded. Visibly vexed at not being able to take part in the rescue, the three guardsmen remained at their post on the lookout for migrants as one cop car after another, sirens blaring, zipped past them toward the scene of the gunfight. Along this stretch of frontier the Rio Grande River is parched dry. Reuters reporters saw a steady trickle of women, children and men walking along the U.S. side of the riverbed, out of the guardsmen's jurisdiction and into the United States, where waiting U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents took them into custody. Facing accusations the troops had been heavy-handed in their efforts to deter migrants from crossing the northern border, Lopez Obrador said on June 25 the National Guard does not have orders to detain migrants. The guardsmen themselves, who are posted in groups at specific points along the border or patrol the frontier in military vehicles mounted with heavy weapons, say they do not detain migrants but are there to advise them not to cross into the United States. Still, Reuters witnessed at least three adults and four children being detained as they tried to cross into the United States after Obrador made his statement. Among them was 23-year old Honduran Lixa Garcia, who was traveling with her two daughters aged 4 years and 10 months, when she was detained mere feet from crossing into El Paso and handed over to Mexican immigration authorities, who will decide if they are deported to Honduras. And last week, Brigadier-General Vicente Antonio Hernandez, who heads the National Guard's operations in Mexico's southern states, said 20,000 migrants had been "rescued" since May 17, a euphemism for detained. KEEPING TARIFFS AT BAY Some business and industry leaders in Juarez said that with nearly 80% of Mexican exports destined for the United States they support the deployment of National Guard troops to the northern border if that keeps Trump's tariff threats on ice. "What I care about is that the agreement is met so we're not subject to tariffs. Regardless of whether the (National Guard) is effective or not, if it is part of the agreement, they have to be there," said Pedro Chavira, head of manufacturing industry chamber INDEX in Juarez. Mexico struck a deal on June 7 with the United States to avert the tariffs, setting the clock ticking on a 45-day period for the Mexican government to make palpable progress in reducing the numbers of people trying to cross the U.S. border illegally. Under that deal Mexico agreed to send National Guard troops to the border. Trump seems happy, at least for now, praising Mexico for its efforts and saying tariffs are off the table. But, in Juarez doubts remain that containing migration is the right priority for Mexico's newest fighting force in a city sinking deeper into lawlessness. "That's a political play to appease the United States and it's not a job the National Guard should be doing," said Isabel Sanchez Quirarte, who heads the Mesa de Seguridad y Justicia advocacy group. "They should be doing crime prevention work," she said. (Reporting by Anthony Esposito in Ciudad Juarez; Additional reporting by Rebekah F Ward and Lizbeth Diaz in Mexico City;editing by Ross Colvin)


The Denver Broncos and Bowlen family will host an open-house tribute to celebrate the life of late owner Pat Bowlen at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on Tuesday, June 18 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fans are invited to attend the tribute that will take place in the United Club Level West Lounge. Lots C and J will be open for parking and entrance to the stadium will be available through Gate 2. The tribute will include pieces of memorabilia from Bowlen's 35-year ownership, including his famous fur coat. In lieu of flowers, the Bowlen family asked that donations be made to the Alzheimer's Association of Colorado ( donation website ) or the Boys & Girls Clubs of Denver ( donation website ). The Bowlen family will have a private funeral in Denver on Monday, June 24. NFL dignitaries and former and current Broncos players and staff will attend. Bowlen passed away on Thursday evening after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. He was 75 years old. MORE: Kawhi Leonard joked about his looming free agency decision with Kyle Lowry This is how the Golden State Warriors head into the offseason What Tim Duncan told LeBron James after Spurs beat Cavs in 2007 NBA Finals Lonzo Ball posts cryptic message on Instagram amid trade rumors Earl Thomas comments on Seahawks 'simple' defensive scheme


Every telethon-sized paycheck sparks the debate anew, from Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney's $93 million windfall to USA Today's recent report that NCAA President Mark Emmert scooped up $2.9 million in 2017. The blizzard of bucks stuns at each turn. The conversation, though, frustratingly fails to evolve. It's not an all-or-nothing proposition. It's not simply a matter of paying Swinney and Emmert less to re-establish reason. It's not solely about finding a way to redirect some of that widening wealth to athletes, the ones who actually produce the product. It's both. And until college sports at the highest levels recognizes and acknowledges it's something far more than amateurs playing games, the exasperating hypocrisy of it all will stew. Think of the nutty logic here: What about middle ground? We could use that in our politics, as well as our locker rooms. We've lost or abandoned the ability to consider the other side, to give and take, to fairly judge   your viewpoint and mine. Go ahead and pay Swinney or Emmert millions, as long as the numbers line up with the company's ledger and provide more benefit to all those pseudo-employees. Both men are fairly paid CEOs, according to those books. Truly. If this was Ford Motor Co. or Starbucks, we'd hardly blink. That's business, right? If they weren't worth the money when weighed against the bottom line, no company would pay it. Yet there can be creative ways to assist others. Though we vow that each new, zany compensation package must be the breaking point, another head-shaker peeks over the horizon. What if it was balanced with ways to steer some of that piling cash to prop up athletes in responsible ways? No one should hand college students thousands of dollars. I know what I would have done with money like that at that age … and little of it amounted to long-term good. As maturity rounds out its ragged edges, the situation remains wrought with rightful concern. What about deferred compensation from the NCAA itself, a bloated double-talker that passed $1 billion in revenue, USA Today reported, two years ago? What about rainy-day funds, accessible post-career? What about post-graduate incentives for those not headed to a professional broadcast near you? Yes, athletes receive scholarships. And that's hardly a small thing. Yet it's not enough. Not when front-office roamers are cashing seven-digit paychecks and building multimillion-dollar palaces on college campuses. The University of Texas, alone, is exceeding $200 million annually in both revenue and expenses. That's not an athletic program. That's a company. In the shadows, athletes toil over strength training, study film and fight dietary discipline daily. There are hours caps on what can be asked, but does anyone think the bulk of elite programs abide by those? The blue bloods, at Texas and well beyond, create higher and higher expenses to justify the money raining down. They pour as much as possible into new stadiums and facilities. That attracts more athletes you don't truly pay. Those brick-and-mortar investments and those recruits, in turn, generate even more millions. The cycle continues unabated. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Middle ground … because you can't have one conversation without the other. The disingenuous dance reeks and lingers. Potential models for this come with real entanglements. How much compensation and in what form? How do you handle a college gymnast in a non-revenue sport versus a starting quarterback in the SEC? Trust in this, though: If the complicated situation was about whether one of the suits in one of those offices was going to get a raise, they would find solutions faster than an Ohio State receiver cutting the corner on a jet sweep. Why does the NCAA suddenly find fairness and morality when Ed O'Bannon or Northwestern football causes the corporate lawyers' boxers to bunch up? Plus, it's about to become even tougher to table or ignore. With sports betting on a broader scale en route, there will be even more money to sift and sort. Higher revenues, higher stakes. The stale argument from astronomically compensated coaches remains, "it's what the market bears." That, in its most embarrassing form, is the NCAA's ultimate argument of convenience. That only holds water if the athletes making it possible are considered, too. Create a group comprised of administrators and athletes, outsiders and others, to responsibly share the wealth in more equitable ways. Deferred compensation and educationally-inspired incentives make the most sense. Scale it to the amount of time spent in college, so the one-and-done crowd uninterested in an education can go make money somewhere else. It's admittedly complex. That's no excuse to protect the one-sided status quo, though.     ©2019 The San Diego Union-Tribune Visit The San Diego Union-Tribune at www.sandiegouniontribune.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Related slideshow: Early Top 25 college football teams for 2019 (Provided by USA Today Sports)


Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine admitted need did play a role in giving Natrell Jamerson snaps at safety this offseason, but that positional flexibility could still help the former Badger stick as one of the team's defensive backs by the end of the summer. Jamerson, who was claimed by the Packers last December, played snaps at safety and slot cornerback during the offseason workout program. "He does have position flexibility. He's played out there (at safety). We know we can always put him back out there," Pettine said, via the team's official site . "He is playing some inside corner. He's played some nickel this spring. But he does have a solid skill set for safety. He's smart, he's tough, he's shown that he can tackle. I feel good about where he is going into training camp." Jamerson was drafted as a cornerback by the New Orleans Saints, played cornerback with the Houston Texans and was claimed as a cornerback by the Packers. But he played safety his final year at Wisconsin, and the shuffling of the Packers' safety room - highlighted most recently by the absence of Josh Jones - provided an opportunity for Jamerson to get back to playing from the back end of the defense. It's possible safety could end up being his best position, especially based on how he played en route to becoming an All-Big Ten pick as a senior. There's certainly a need at safety in Green Bay. Veteran Tramon Williams is back to playing cornerback full time after a brief stint at safety in 2018, Jones is now a huge question mark going into training camp and the five others who played the most snaps at safety last year - Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Kentrell Brice, Jermaine Whitehead, Eddie Pleasant and Ibraheim Campbell - are no longer on the roster. If Jones wiggles his way out of the Packers' plans for 2019, Jamerson could become the favorite to be the defense's fourth safety behind Adrian Amos, rookie Darnell Savage and Raven Greene. Having the flexibility to come down in the box and play slot cornerback only adds to his potential value. And he's experienced in a variety of roles on special teams. Fringe roster types must be able to differentiate themselves from other fringe roster types to make the team. Jamerson's versatility as a safety/slot cornerback hybrid could eventually give him a deciding factor for making the 53-man roster. MORE: Four potential Kawhi Leonard landing spots in free agency Suspended NASCAR driver still found a way to race this weekend Three Potential Trade Destinations for Chris Paul 8 Packers who could be first-time Pro Bowlers in 2019 Raiders DE Clelin Ferrell signs contract, offers message to fans


MILWAUKEE   Brandon Crawford 's throw from the outfield grass to nail Mike Moustakas at home Saturday night stirred memories of Game 7 of the 2014 World Series, when Alex Gordon hit a two-out single in the ninth that turned into three bases as Gregor Blanco and Juan Perez played hot potato with the ball. Kansas City third-base coach Mike Jirschele held Gordon at third as Crawford received the ball in the outfield. Salvador Perez then fouled out to give the Giants the title. In Saturday's version of "It's a Wonderful Life," everyone saw what might have happened had Jirschele waved home Gordon. Moustakas was on first base and was waved around third on Manny Piña 's fourth-inning double Saturday. Crawford took Kevin Pillar 's throw at a different spot than 2014, more toward center field, but estimated his distance to the plate was roughly the same. "I think Moustakas was already rounding third when I got the ball. I don't think Gordon got there yet," Crawford said, adding that Buster Posey made the tougher play Saturday by stepping back and up the line to take the one-hop throw and still drop the tag. The play might have stirred up memories for the baserunner as well. When Perez fouled out to strand Gordon at third and end the World Series, Moustakas was on deck. Roster moves: Reliever Ray Black was a victim of circumstances. Despite an acute need for pitching Sunday in Milwaukee and for Monday's doubleheader in Denver, the Giants had a greater need for outfielders and optioned Black to Triple-A Sacramento when they recalled starter Tyler Beede . Alex Dickerson needed one more day to rest his back and Austin Slater came to work with a "pretty good fever going," manager Bruce Bochy said. So Brandon Belt , Kevin Pillar and Mike Yastrzemski played left, center and right, respectively. Slater wound up playing after Evan Longoria was removed in the fifth inning with left foot discomfort. Had all the outfielders been healthy, one of them might have been shipped out instead. More moves are coming. Dereck Rodriguez will be recalled from Sacramento to start Game 2 of Monday's doubleheader after Jeff Samardzija pitches the opener. It's not clear whether Rodriguez will be the 26th man the Giants are allowed to add under doubleheader rules. They could make moves and designate someone else as the 26th man. Drew Pomeranz , originally slated to start Monday's opener, was available out of the bullpen Sunday. The Giants have not listed a probable starter for Tuesday. Henry Schulman is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.


In the fall of 2018, 25-year-old Renee Elizabeth Lorys decided that she wanted to start investing some of the money she was making as a pharmacist. Her brother, an undergraduate at the University of Georgia, knew just the guy: Syed Arham Arbab, a stock-market whiz who had been making amazing returns for other students on campus through the hedge fund he ran out of his room at the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity house. In texts she later provided to the Securities and Exchange Commission, Arbab told Lorys the hedge fund he ran was different. Artis Proficio Capital targeted young people and college kids, he wrote, and offered lower-than-average fees. Up to $15,000 of her money would be guaranteed, and she could pull out at any time with two weeks' notice. "Just let me know if you're not interested so I don't keep bothering you with this!" he wrote, touting an investor list comprised of "students, University of Georgia faculty, and local restaurant/bar owners." Lorys decided to give it a try. Between October 2018 and April 2019, she invested a total of $45,745 with Arbab, according to her sworn affidavit. The last $20,000 she sent him was supposed to be returned with 8 percent interest in less than two weeks. But instead, she received a wire transfer for $10. Later, she received two more payments to her Cash App account, which still added up to only $600. She wasn't the only one to get conned, according to court records. One Georgia graduate said in an affidavit that he had invested more than $100,000 that he planned to use as a down payment on a home and to purchase football tickets, and received only a small fraction of it back. A childhood friend who lost the comparatively small sum of $200 told NBC News he had seen Arbab's flashy social media posts about buying a Corvette with cash and figured his investment strategies "must be legit." Subscribe to the Post Most newsletter: Today's most popular stories on The Washington Post The SEC is now accusing Arbab, 22, of running a Ponzi scheme out of his frat house, and using his Georgia connections to convince students, recent graduates and their family members to invest in a hedge fund that never actually existed. In a civil complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia last week, the SEC's attorneys allege that he defrauded at least eight investors, who gave him $269,000 between May 2018 and May 2019. Arbab spent "substantial portions" of that money on liquor, hotels, nightclubs, Uber rides, gambling trips and visiting an "adult entertainment" club, court records say. He allegedly spent more than $10,000 and withdrew another $10,000 in cash during the three trips that he took to Las Vegas. He also transferred money to his own personal brokerage account, where his trading losses topped $300,000 by the time TD Ameritrade shut it down in March. A Michigan native studying cellular biology and genetics, Arbab allegedly dispensed investment advice through a group text-message chain and told people he managed more than $2 million in assets for over 100 investors through his fictitious company, Artis Proficio Capital. He also claimed to be an MBA student at the university's Terry College of Business, which was untrue   he hadn't even finished his undergraduate degree at the time, the SEC says. (Georgia officials confirmed that Arbab graduated in May, and had never been enrolled in the MBA program. The school says it cooperated fully with the SEC's investigation.) In conversations with would-be investors, Arbab promised unusually high rates of return that ranged between 22 to 56 percent, the SEC alleges. After handing over their money, they could log in to his website and monitor how their investment was doing. But the numbers they saw were "completely fabricated," according to the complaint. "There was no hedge fund, and thus, the claimed performance returns were fictitious," the SEC's attorneys wrote. "He had no way of guaranteeing any of the invested funds, and he never invested the funds as he represented he would." Arbab also sent around a spreadsheet to all his investors every week, which purported to list how many people had invested in his hedge fund so far and how much their money had grown. The list eventually grew to include more than 100 accounts, which the SEC's attorneys say indicates that there may be more victims than the eight they have identified. As is typical for Ponzi schemes, some people did get their money back, but at others' expense. Arbab "deceived new investors into unwittingly sending all or a portion of their investments directly to prior investors," the SEC's attorneys wrote. In one instance, Arbab allegedly directed a high school friend to send his money to the hedge fund's "fintech manager" over Venmo. The recipient, it turned out, was actually the Georgia graduate who was owed more than $100,000 that he had planned to use for a down payment. "I really trusted him," Connor Campbell, another high school friend of Arbab's, told NBC News. The signs of a Ponzi scheme were all there, he said, but Arbab was "someone I never thought would do this." According to the complaint, Arbab "repeatedly lied" while giving sworn testimony to the SEC's attorneys in April. He claimed that his personal brokerage account had about $200,000 in it when he checked it the previous week, when in fact it had been closed nearly a month earlier with a balance of approximately $350. He also claimed he was no longer soliciting money from investors, but then allegedly continued to try to raise money for his nonexistent hedge fund a month after his testimony. In a statement he posted to Twitter on Tuesday, Arbab apologized and promised to make restitution, while arguing that the media had "misconstrued" his college activities and that he had truly worked hard to build up a business and deliver returns for investors. "Unfortunately, it headed the other direction and today I am here to publicly state that I am owning up [to] the mistake," he wrote . "I started this company from working jobs such as tutoring......cleaning bathrooms, serving, bartending, and cooking all while pursuing my degrees. If anything is said about me from this day forth, I am kindly asking for laziness to not be one of the adjectives used to describe my character." A federal judge ordered Arbab's assets frozen on Wednesday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The SEC's civil complaint charges that he violated federal securities laws and seeks to have him return any ill-gotten gains, with interest, and pay unspecified civil penalties. Arbab's attorney, Robert Loventhal, told the paper that they were "working diligently with the SEC to resolve the issues." Meanwhile, Phi Kappa Tau's leadership say they have suspended Arbab from the fraternity, and would have kicked him out of the frat house if they had known about the SEC's complaint before he graduated in May and moved out. "The decisions made by Arbab do not represent the values of Phi Kappa Tau," the fraternity's CEO, Tim Hudson, said in a statement .


Prepare for how to handle your money and free time. 31 surprising facts about retiring you probably didn't know It's never too early to start thinking about how you want to spend your time   and your money   in retirement. No matter if you're hoping to retire as early as possible or plan to work until you can't, having a plan for how you want to spend your senior years turns dreams into reality. Keep reading to find out the interesting and lesser-known retirement facts that will help you prepare. Social Security Won't Cover All Your Expenses Social Security isn't designed to be your only source of income during your golden years. According to the Social Security Administration, Social Security benefits are only intended to replace about 40 percent of your income from when you were working. Older People Value Older Workers Baby boomers think that workers ages 50 and older contribute more to the workplace than younger generations in a range of categories. For example, 51% of baby boomers think that older workers are more adept at solving problems, while only 22% of millennials think the same of boomers. Seniors Like Movies People ages 50 and older make up almost one-third of all trips to the movies in the United States, seeing an average of 6.8 movies per year, but 70% of the time they go before 7 p.m. And, as people get older, they tend to see more: According to AARP, people ages 65 and older see 7.3 movies per year. Pennsylvania Has the Second-Highest Proportion of Seniors Given its reputation, it's no surprise that Florida has the largest percentage of its population as senior citizens at 17.3%, according to the most recent 2010 census. However, the next two might surprise you: Pennsylvania at 15.4% and West Virginia at 16%. Seniors Live Alone According to the Institute on Aging, nearly one in three seniors who weren't in a nursing home lived alone, with older women almost twice as likely to live alone than men. And, seniors get more isolated as they get older: Nearly one in two senior women over age 75 live alone. Who Matters More Than What When asked which was more important, the leisure activity they were doing or the people they were doing it with, over 60% of respondents in a Merrill Lynch study said who they were doing it with mattered more than the things they were doing in retirement. Retirees Relax More Older people relax more, said Brian Saranovitz, co-founder of Your Retirement Advisor and investment advisor representative with Cetera Advisors. According to a Merrill Lynch study, only 41% of people ages 25 to 34 reported often feeling relaxed, and over 70% of people ages 65 and older reported often feeling relaxed. Social Security Might Not Be Taxed By Your State The IRS taxes up to 85% of your Social Security benefits, but depending on where you live, you might not have to pay state income taxes on your Social Security benefits. Only 13 states impose state income taxes on all or a portion of your benefits: Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont and West Virginia. Retirees Love To Travel According to a survey by AARP, 99% of baby boomers traveled for fun in 2017, with the average senior taking five trips. When you count people ages 50 and older, the group spends about $125 billion on leisure travel each year. Find Out: 27 Ugly Truths About Retirement Most Haven't Budgeted For Trips About two-thirds of retirees ages 50 and older said they hadn't budgeted for travel in retirement, according to a Merrill Lynch study. Plus, over 50% said they had done hardly any leisure travel planning for the year ahead, and only 10% said they had done a lot. Retirees Think They Have Plenty of Life Left Just because someone has retired doesn't mean they expect to die in the near future. When the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies surveyed baby boomers, 21% expected to live between 90 and 99 and another 10% expected to live to age 100 years old or older. The IRS Offers Free Tax Help for Seniors You probably won't look forward to doing your taxes in retirement any more than when you were younger, but the IRS has a special program, Tax Counseling for the Elderly, to provide free tax assistance to people ages 60 and older. You can get answers to questions, and some programs can even prepare your return for you. TV Watching Becomes More Common People ages 65 and older watch the most TV per day of any age group, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' American Time Use Survey released in 2017. According to the survey, seniors spend about four hours per day watching TV, compared to two hours for people ages 15 to 44. Seniors Think Green Almost 70% of people ages 50 or older recycle regularly, and over 70% use energy-efficient bulbs. But, only about one-third buy locally grown food and about 2% own or lease hybrid vehicles. Retirees Could Still Be Paying Off Student Loans If you think you won't have to worry about student loans in retirement, you could be wrong. According to the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, the number of older student loan borrowers   defined as ages 60 and older   increased by at least 20% in every state between 2012 and 2017. In more than half of states, the number increased by 46% or more during the same time period. Retirees Like Their Rewards Program Over 80% of boomers belong to at least one airline loyalty program and over 70% belong to a hotel loyalty program, according to AARP. That's about 10 percentage points higher than millennials in both categories. Retirees Use Airbnb Over 1 million users of Airbnb are over age 60 around the world, reported a Merrill Lynch study, including 10% of hosts. These hosts make an average of $6,000 per year. Retirees can generate income by renting out a spare bedroom or guesthouse. Retirees Are More Likely to Directly Own Stocks According to the 2016 Survey of Consumer Finances (the most recent survey available), the Federal Reserve found that people ages 75 and older were the most likely group to directly own stocks. People ages 65 to 74 were the third most likely to own at 15.2%, just below the 55 to 64 age group at 15.5% directly owning stocks. Retirement Doesn't Mean You Stop Working Over half   54%   of baby boomers plan to keep working after they retire, according to the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies. But, it's not all for financial reasons. Some baby boomers plan to keep working by choice so they can age well and stay busy. Retirees Have Spending Money Retirees are getting richer. According to the Fed's Survey of Consumer Finance, the average net worth for people ages 55 to 64 is over $187,000. For people ages 65 to 74, that figure increases to over $224,000, and for people ages 75 and older, their average net worth is almost $265,000. Retirees Part With Their Businesses Business ownership is at 17.3% for both the 45 to 54 age group and the 55 to 64 age group, the highest of any age group, according to the Survey of Consumer Finance. The percentage drops to 13.3% for people ages 65 to 74 and then falls even further to 8.5% for people ages 75 and older. Cost of Living Matters Most to Retirees The single biggest factor for baby boomers when picking where to live is the cost of living. According to the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, 80% of baby boomers said it was a very important factor. The second-most frequently selected very important factor was close proximity to family and friends. Retirees Might Still Be Paying Mortgages Over 35% of people ages 65 to 74 are still paying off mortgages, according to the Survey of Consumer Finance. Of respondents ages 75 and older, less than one in four is still paying off a mortgage. Grandchildren Are the Favorites When it comes to leisure experiences, retirees prefer spending time with grandchildren over children. A Merrill Lynch survey asked respondents whether leisure experiences with their children or grandchildren are more enjoyable, and 60% of respondents picked grandchildren. Access To Continuing Education Isn't That Important Retirees might think they'll spend time going back to school or taking classes, but it doesn't factor into decisions of where to live much for baby boomers. The Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies reports only 7% of baby boomers said that access to continuing education opportunities was a very important factor in deciding where to live. Retirees Don't Automatically Consider Themselves 'Old' When the Center for Retirement Studies asked baby boomers what age they considered someone "old," 17% said between 70 and 79, and another 15% said between 80 and 89. However, a much larger group, 52%, said it depends on the person. Retirees Aren't Giving Up Their Keys Car ownership statistics don't decline much as people get older. Car ownership peaks at 89.1% for people ages 45 to 54, declines a bit to 86.1% for people ages 55 to 64, but then inched back up to 86.8% for people ages 65 to 74 before falling to 82.2% for people ages 75 and older. Retirees might not be driving their car as much   or at all   but they still own their cars. Retirees Can Still Save With Roth IRAs Just because you quit your day job doesn't mean all retirement plans are off-limits to you. As long as you have taxable compensation, including wages from a side job or self-employment income, you can contribute to a traditional IRA until the year you turn 70 1/2 years old. There's no limit to how old you can be to contribute to a Roth IRA. There are limits to how much you can contribute, however. Credit Card Debt Goes Down, Eventually The percentage of people ages 65 to 74 that have credit card debt is 42.1%, which is actually slightly higher than the 41.4% of the 55 to 64 age group. However, just over a quarter of people ages 75 and older have credit card debt. Retirees Value Friendships More Than Ever Almost 80% of respondents ages 65 and older agreed that staying connected with friends was important, the highest of any age group in the Merrill Lynch survey. The lowest was people ages 35 to 44, with just 58% saying staying connected with friends was important. Retirees Qualify For Additional Tax Breaks as They Age As you get older, you qualify for additional tax breaks at both the state and federal levels. Seniors have a higher standard deduction, and 37 states don't impose state income taxes on Social Security benefits. Potentially the weirdest of all: In New Mexico, if you make it to 100, you don't have to pay state income taxes as long as no one else claims you as their dependent. Click through to see the do-or-die retirement plan if you have nothing saved . More on Money The Complete Guide to the Best Retirement Age Here Are 30 Ways To Retire Earlier 25 Ways To Save 20% More of Your Paycheck Without Even Trying Best Airline Credit Cards of 2019


CINCINNATI (AP) Rashawn Dally and Victor Ulloa scored their first goals and FC Cincinnati rebounded from a dismal outing with a 3-2 win over the Houston Dynamo on Saturday night, ending a six-game losing streak. Kekuta Manneh scored his team-leading third goal in the 29th minute to give Cincinnati the lead. Dally, a rookie, earned his goal in the 38th minute, sending a hard shot after a strong play off a tackle by Mathieu Deplagne. Cincinnati (4-13-2), which lost 7-1 to Minnesota in its last game, went up 3-0 when Ulloa's straight-on shot from rolled through the legs of Dynamo keeper Joe Willis. Houston (8-7-3) made it a match with Romell Quioto scoring on a penalty kick in the 79th minute for his first of the season and Nick Hagglund adding an own goal two minutes later. The Dynamo are unbeaten at home and 1-7-0 on the road. Houston pressed hard in the closing minutes, including four straight corners as regulation time turned into stoppage, but could not connect.


The Cleveland Browns have released their first depth chart of the 2019 preseason in advance of Thursday's opener with the Washington Redskins visiting town. It's important to note the Browns' coaching staff does not compile this depth chart. This is done by the team's public relations staff and is required by the league to be released a couple of days before every game. As such, this should be considered completely unofficial even though it comes from the Browns. There are very few changes from what would have been released at the onset of training camp. That includes some questionable statuses, like Austin Corbett as the starting right guard or the insistence on having three linebackers listed as starters. The chart, courtesy of the Cleveland Browns: The players underlined are rookies, while those in parenthesis are injured. MORE: Bubba Wallace calls out Kyle Busch after spinning him: '(Expletive) him' Quick hits, observations from Packers' first joint practice with Texans Rookie Tony Pollard making presence felt in Ezekiel Elliott's absence Paxton Lynch Throws Shade At Broncos During Seahawks Camp Observations from Lions training camp, Day 10: Joint Practices with the Patriots


Browns tight end David Njoku joined Rich Eisen for the host's namesake show . And the young TE did not mince words when the topic of former Browns coach Hue Jackson came up. Njoku described how Jackson's bitter words upon his firing unified the Browns, who rallied for a 5-2 record down the stretch after starting with a dismal 2-6-1 record largely under Jackson. "Well, obviously we weren't happy with what Hue said about us after he left. It is what it is," Njoku stated. "Baker [Mayfield] didn't appreciate it. We came together after Hue left and took it upon ourselves to work extra hard to finish the year strong. … Baker has a voice, as we all do, and he didn't appreciate what happened. It's not like we're robots. We felt, in a way, disrespected. It is what it is." Njoku's words go in hand with how Mayfield, Damarious Randall and other Browns have expressed themselves on Jackson and his coaching. Jackson's self-induglent, detached-from-reality media tour after his firing bothered the players as much as it did the fans who suffered through his inept coaching. MORE: NBA free agency: The latest reports on Kawhi Leonard's situation Kawhi Leonard Rumors: Did He Fly to Meet With Toronto Raptors Today? 'You don't know me like that': Kevin Durant, the Warriors and a toxic locker room Stephen A. Smith: 'Andre Iguodala is planning on joining the Lakers' 2019 NBA Summer League Rosters


Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias was arrested Monday night on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic battery, police said. Urias, 22, was arrested around 9:30 p.m. at the Beverly Center shopping mall and released on $20,000 bond about four hours later, according to an LAPD arrest log and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's jail inmate locator. Authorities could not immediately provide more information on the incident or the condition of the alleged victim, said Officer Norma Eisenman, an LAPD spokeswoman. The Dodgers issued a statement Tuesday morning: "We learned about the alleged incident this morning and are in the process of gathering information. As a result, we have no comment at this time regarding the incident. However, every allegation of domestic violence must be taken seriously and addressed promptly, and we will cooperate fully with the authorities and Major League Baseball to ensure that that happens in this case." Urias is considered by many to be the future ace of the Dodgers pitching staff. He suffered a serious injury to his left shoulder in June 2017 and didn't pitch again for the Dodgers until September of the following year. He made three relief appearances late in the 2018 regular season and seven more during the playoffs. The Dodgers have been careful with his workload, but injuries to starters Clayton Kershaw and Rich Hill prompted the team to rush Urias into the starting rotation to begin the 2019 season. He was moved to the bullpen after making four starts in an attempt to limit his innings and is 2-2 with two saves and an ERA of 3.18 this season. The Dodgers plan for Urias to return to the starting rotation later this summer. The left-hander made his major league debut with the Dodgers at age 19, compiling a 5-2 record over 15 starts in 2016. Times staff writer Chuck Schilken contributed to this report. javier.panzar@latimes.com @jpanzar


A second member of the Florida Gators' 2007 team has been charged with murder. Former UF safety and team captain Tony Joiner faces a second-degree murder charge from the 2016 death of his wife, Heyzel Obando, according to the Fort Myers News-Press. The paper reported that Joiner was previously arrested twice on complaints that he beat Obando. The 33-year-old Joiner was booked in the Polk County jail on Saturday, according to jail records. Joiner appeared in 47 games with 27 starts for UF from 2004-07. He led UF defensive backs with 59 tackles during the 2006 national championship run, and he recorded a tackle and pass breakup in the win over Ohio State in the BCS title game. He was the captain of the '07 team that also featured Aaron Hernandez, who became a star tight end who was convicted of murder in 2015. He killed himself in jail two years later. Joiner's arrest is the latest off-field mark on Urban Meyer's tenure in Gainesville. His time at UF included two national championships but more than two dozen arrests and now a second former player charged with murder. ___ (c)2019 the Tampa Bay Times (St. Petersburg, Fla.) Visit the Tampa Bay Times (St. Petersburg, Fla.) at www.tampabay.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Stephanie Talbot scored 24 points with five 3-pointers - both career highs - and the Minnesota Lynx used a big third quarter to beat the Atlanta Dream 85-68 on Tuesday night. Sylvia Fowles scored 10 of Minnesota's 22 first-quarter points and made 6 of 8 shots by halftime to help build a 38-34 lead. The Lynx broke it open in the third quarter, opening on a 16-5 run for a 54-39 lead and extending it to 66-50 entering the fourth. Talbot's fifth 3-pointer made it 77-56. Fowles finished with 16 points for Minnesota (7-6). Odyssey Sims scored 10 of her 16 points in the third quarter. Talbot, in her second start with the Lynx, was 7 of 13 from the field to top her previous career mark of 18 points against New York last season. Elizabeth Williams scored 14 points for Atlanta (2-9), which has dropped nine of its past 10 games. Alex Bentley added 10 points in her first game back from the EuroBasket tournament. Atlanta is 0-4 on the road this season.


Newark's forecast shows unusual light rainfall in store today, according to drone-powered weather forecasting service Saildrone . Sunday's forecast shows the highest possibility of rain at 76 percent, while the most rainfall is predicted on Wednesday at 0.93 inches. The next few days will also bring warm temperatures, forecast to persist through Thursday. Temperatures will reach a high of 87 degrees on Tuesday. Skies will be mostly cloudy tomorrow. Winds are expected to reach a modest high of 13 mph today, but will grow calmer starting on Monday. This story was created automatically using Saildrone's local weather forecast data, then reviewed by an editor. We also incorporate historic weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.