Curious where Houston's insiders are eating and drinking? It's easy to spot lines out the door, but some underlying trends are harder to spot. We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to deduce which restaurants have been seeing especially high review volumes this month. To find out who made the list, we looked at Houston businesses on Yelp by category and counted how many reviews each one received. Rather than compare them based on number of reviews alone, we calculated a percentage increase in reviews over the past month, and tracked businesses that consistently increased their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance. Read on to see which spots are getting plenty of attention this summer. B.B. Italia Just open since May, this Italian spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Italian" on Yelp. Citywide, Italian spots saw a median 3.2 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but B.B. Italia saw a 50 percent increase, maintaining a mixed 3.5-star rating throughout. It's not the only trending outlier in the Italian category: Piola has seen a 14.9 percent increase in reviews. Located at 14795 Memorial Drive in Memorial, B.B. Italia offers traditional Italian fare like pasta, pizza and meatballs made from scratch. Menu standouts include the frutti di mare with spaghetti, mussels, clams, shrimp, calamari and tomato, as well as the veal chop parmigiana, a 14-ounce pounded bone-in chop breaded and covered with tomato and fresh mozzarella with a side of rigatoni. (Check out the entire menu here .) Snowy Village Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Sharpstown's Snowy Village , the popular ice cream and shaved ice spot, which offers desserts and more, is a hot topic according to Yelp review data. While businesses categorized as "Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt" on Yelp saw a median 3.8 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, Snowy Village bagged an 86.2 percent increase in new reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a strong 4.5-star rating. There's more that's trending on Houston's ice cream and frozen yogurt scene: Booza has seen a 55.2 percent increase in reviews. Open at 9600 Bellaire Blvd., Suite 103A, since April, Snowy Village offers bingsoo, a Korean-style shaved ice cream. The franchise has outposts around the world. The spot has a dozen flavors of bingsoo to choose from, including cheesecake, blueberry and injeolmi (red beans and rice cakes). Snowy Village also offers taiyaki, a Japanese-inspired sweet waffle treat in the shape of a fish that's filled with custard, chocolate, sweet potato or injeolmi. ( Here's the entire menu.) Napa Udon House and Wine Bar Sharpstown's Napa Udon House and Wine Bar is also making waves. Open since January at 9889 Bellaire Blvd., Suite 229, the well-established wine bar, which offers ramen, noodles and more, has seen a 16.5 percent bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 4.3 percent for all businesses tagged "Wine Bars" on Yelp. Napa Udon House and Wine Bar offers udon that's kneaded in-house daily. On the menu, look for a selection of nine udon dishes, including beef curry, kake (original dry fish stock soup) and seafood (scallops, calmari, shrimp and a soft yolk egg). Napa Udon House and Wine Bar also offers sides like chicken skewers and sweet beef. Over the past month, it's maintained a superior four-star rating among Yelpers. Dish Society The Heights's Dish Society is the city's buzziest New American spot by the numbers. The New American, breakfast and brunch and Southern spot, which opened at 1050 Yale St. in January, increased its new review count by 15.4 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 2.6 percent for the Yelp category "American (New)." Dish Society has five locations around Houston. Brunch favorites at this spot include dishes like the Southern breakfast skillet with pork sausage, skillet potatoes, jalapeños, onions,peppers, scallions, gruyere cheese, gravy and sunny side eggs; Nutella French toast with three pieces of whole grain toast with Nutella, toppedwith fruit and powdered sugar; and the house breakfast tacos with open range eggs, all natural bacon and white cheddar cheeseon flour or corn tortillas with house salsa. (Explore the menu here .) BB's Tex-Orleans Central Northwest's BB's Tex-Orleans is currently on the upswing in the seafood category on Yelp. While businesses categorized as "Seafood" on Yelp saw a median 3.6 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, this Cajun/Creole and seafood spot increased its new reviews by 15.4 percent   and kept its rating consistent at four stars. This local franchise has nine locations around Houston. Open for business at 1737 W. 34th St., Suite 500, since November, the spot offers "traditional Southern Louisiana-style cooking fused with a Texas twist," according to the business's website . Try ordering the Bedtime in the Bayou po'boy with fried gulf shrimp, Maw Maw's shrimp gumbo or the redfish etouffee with blackened redfish smothered in crawfish etouffee. ( Here's the entire menu.) This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Video by Reuters The Senate Intelligence Committee heard testimony from the president's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., for the second time on Wednesday. Republican Chairman Richard Burr issued a subpoena for Trump Jr.'s testimony following the release of special counsel Robert Mueller's report. Trump Jr. walked past cameras, escorted by Capitol police shortly after 9:10 a.m. before his appearance. Walking down a Senate hallway, Trump Jr. smiled and said: "nothing to correct" in response to questions from reporters on why he was appearing before the committee on Wednesday and was he there to correct his previous testimony. Exiting the Senate Intelligence Committee secure room at 12:05 pm, Trump Jr. told CBS News' Nancy Cordes that he was "not at all" worried about committing perjury. "There was nothing to change. if there needed to be clarification because Michael Cohen, who let's not forget, is serving time right now for lying to these very investigative bodies, I'm happy to do that. I don't think I changed anything of what I said because there was nothing to change," Trump Jr. told reporters after three hours of testimony. He added, "I'm glad that this is finally over. We're able to put some final clarity on that. And I think the committee understands that." Mr. Trump's son testified before the committee once before in 2017. Trump Jr. had reached an agreement to testify before the committee following the subpoena. His appearance on Wednesday took place behind closed doors. Mr. Trump told reporters last month he was "surprised" to learn his son had been subpoenaed. "My son's a very good person, he works very hard. The last thing he needs is Washington, D.C. He'd rather not be involved," the president said in May. Trump Jr. was a key figure in the June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower in New York in which a Russian lawyer connected to the Kremlin met with him and senior campaign officials. Reporting by Olivia Gazis and John Nolen


One chain of coffee shops in the L.A. area is taking the news that Kawhi Leonard decided to team up with Paul George on the Clippers instead of joining LeBron James and Anthony Davis rather hard. Whether their expectations were completely out of whack due to bad information or were just upset at losing out on a super team, the folks at Alfred Coffee in L.A. posted on Monday that they would ban Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and any members of Clippers from their establishments. From @alfred on Instagram The folks from Eater L.A. were the first to report on the Coffee chain's ban of Leonard, George and other Clippers. They've also reached out to the shop's owners for comment, just to make sure it's either serious or just a good way to generate some social media buzz for the company. Either way, people are already taking sides in the battle for L.A. even though we are three months away from real basketball. MORE: UFC fighter Ben Askren had an excellent response to getting knocked out in 5 seconds Five potential Russell Westbrook trade destinations Three Potential Trade Destinations for Russell Westbrook Mesmerizing speed could force Jon'Vea Johnson to Cowboys roster At which positions are the Packers lacking depth entering training camp?


Move over, Whole30. The newest weight-loss plan is the thing you hid from your parents in high school. Some scientists are linking tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana with weight loss. "People assume marijuana users are heavier because it stimulates appetite," says Tom Clark, chair of the biological sciences department at Indiana University South Bend. Clark and his team analyzed 17 studies that included almost 156,000 participants, and found that pot users were lighter than the drug-free. And their body mass index (BMI) is 7 percent lower on average for a 6-foot guy, that's a 15-pound spread. Most interesting, pot users are 30 to 35 percent less likely to be obese. THC seems to bump metabolism over time, so even if there's an initial hit of the munchies, the metabolism boost compensates and then some. "And if modern strains have lost the munchie effects, but increased metabolic rates remain, I would think the effects of reducing obesity would be even greater," Clark says. And you don't have to be a frequent smoker to lose pounds. A one-time user bumps his metabolism for up to four weeks, so getting high a couple of times a month can get you noticeably trimmer, studies revealed. The exact dose needed is unclear, but THC is a must, as opposed to its more widely legal, nonpsychoactive counterpart cannabidiol (CBD). The thinking goes that our modern American diet is too high in omega-6 fatty acids, which come from sources like vegetable oil and butter. In excess, omega-6 can cause inflammation in the body. It also overstimulates a receptor called CB1R, which causes increased hunger and makes food taste better, decreases metabolic rates, and encourages fat storage. THC is able to "talk" to the CB1R receptor and help restore homeostasis, Clark says. In other words, it may help reduce hunger and weight gain. THC may also improve the gut biome, which also affects weight. Obesity is linked to higher levels of a group of bacteria called Firmicutes, and lower of another, Bacteroidetes. In an animal study from the University of Calgary in Canada, obese mice on a high-calorie diet were given THC. Their gut bacteria levels normalized, and they stopped gaining weight. Still, pot can't undo bad eating. "If you want to lose weight, you can't keep a diet high in fat, sugar, and artificial sweeteners," says Myron Szewczuk, a biomedical researcher at Queen's University in Ontario, Canada. Not everyone's buying it. "The data that cannabis causes weight loss is not solid," says Diana Martinez, a psychiatry professor at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. "There are animal studies, but the human research is based on self-reporting, so there's no way to know how much they're taking. To prove the theory requires a study that gives some people THC and others a placebo." Martinez is not necessarily anti-pot. She says it has treatment potential for debilitating conditions like multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, and Crohn's disease that need more treatment options. But in the U.S., regulations governing THC in research need to loosen before large-scale human studies can happen. Unless you live in a state where recreational marijuana is legal, this diet advice will be hard to follow. And since definitive science is lacking anyway, you're not a buzzkill if you choose to stick with a good diet and exercise. Related Video: Ruling Gives California Prisoners Access to Marijuana, With One Catch (Provided by Fox)


Honda's Marc Marquez took a dominant victory in MotoGP's German Grand Prix, winning at the Sachsenring for the 10th consecutive year, as closest rival Alex Rins crashed out. Marquez had a sluggish getaway from pole and Fabio Quartararo was in front of him as they entered Turn 1, but the Honda rider outbraked Quartararo on the outside line to lead. Quartararo lost several places in the first couple of corners and was running only sixth when he crashed out at Turn 3 next time around while trying to pass Ducati's Danilo Petrucci. Marquez found himself under severe pressure by Maverick Vinales instead in the opening couple of laps, but the Yamaha man soon started to drop off and was overtaken by Rins. But Rins couldn't stay close to Marquez either, as the championship leader extended his lead to the three-second mark. With Marquez maintaining the gap, Rins then made a mistake and crashed at Turn 11, retiring for the second race in a row. Marquez's lead became five seconds after that and he cruised to the finish to score his fifth win of the season by 4.5s and end the first half of the season with a 58-point advantage. Vinales was closely followed by Cal Crutchlow for the majority of the race but the Briton couldn't find a way past, and the Yamaha rider thus secured second place. Crutchlow still scored his first podium since the Qatar season opener despite nursing a fractured right knee. Fourth place was hotly contested among the three Ducatis of Andrea Dovizioso, Petrucci and Jack Miller. Petrucci was in front for most of the race but Dovizioso passed him with three laps to go, forcing his teammate wide and allowing Miller through as well. But Petrucci then re-passed Miller and also Dovizioso to finish fourth, 0.062s ahead of his teammate. Miller finished sixth, with Joan Mir taking seventh. The Suzuki man had kicked off a late-race charge, but couldn't make his way past the Ducatis in the end. Valentino Rossi couldn't make a lot of progress from 11th on the grid and settled for eighth ahead of fellow Yamaha rider Franco Morbidelli. Aleix Espargaro threw away a top 10 result with a late crash at Turn 1, allowing Stefan Bradl, Jorge Lorenzo's replacement, to finish 10th in his home race. KTM's Johann Zarco and Miguel Oliveira both fell at Turn 3 early on. Race results: Cla#RiderBikeLapsGap 1 93 Marc Marquez Honda 30 2 12 Maverick Viñales Yamaha 30 4.587 3 35 Cal Crutchlow Honda 30 7.741 4 9 Danilo Petrucci Ducati 30 16.577 5 4 Andrea Dovizioso Ducati 30 16.669 6 43 Jack Miller Ducati 30 16.836 7 36 Joan Mir Suzuki 30 17.156 8 46 Valentino Rossi Yamaha 30 19.110 9 21 Franco Morbidelli Yamaha 30 20.634 10 6 Stefan Bradl Honda 30 22.708 11 53 Tito Rabat Ducati 30 26.345 12 44 Pol Espargaro KTM 30 26.574 13 29 Andrea Iannone Aprilia 30 32.753 14 30 Takaaki Nakagami Honda 30 32.925 15 17 Karel Abraham Ducati 30 37.934 16 55 Hafizh Syahrin KTM 30 41.615 17 63 Francesco Bagnaia Ducati 30 56.189 18 88 Miguel Oliveira KTM 30 57.377 41 Aleix Espargaro Aprilia 28 2 Laps 42 Alex Rins Suzuki 18 12 Laps 5 Johann Zarco KTM 2 28 Laps 20 Fabio Quartararo Yamaha 1 29 Laps View full results


The first move of the NBA off-season was made last week when the Nets traded the No. 17 pick, a 2020 lottery protected-first rounder and Allen Crabbe's contract to the Hawks for Taurean Prince and a 2021 second-round pick. This is an "eye balls emoji" move for both teams as it likely hints at each team's approach this summer. The Nets intend to be big-time players in free agency and now have room for two max free agents. There are strong indications that one of those slots will go to Kyrie Irving. The Hawks, on the other hand, have picks 8, 10 and 17 and seem likely to consolidate two of those picks to move up in the lottery. This means that draft night could be chaotic. Thus, for this second-to-last mock draft, we're going to fully embrace the chaos and trade players and picks. New Orleans Pelicans: Zion Williamson, Duke NBA comp: LeBron James in young Rodney Rogers' body What more is there to say about Zion? He's the best prospect since at least Anthony Davis. He's the most physically gifted athlete we've seen enter the NBA since LeBron James. His play at Duke suggests he has a brilliant basketball mind as well. What more could you ask for in a prospect? Hustle plays? Yes, Zion does that, too. Perhaps his greatest skill is his energy. He brings it nightly. It'll be interesting to see if Zion can replicate that intensity every game like Russell Westbrook or if he'll learn to harness it a bit to avoid hitting the wall over the course of an 82-game season. Memphis Grizzlies: Ja Morant, Murray State NBA comp: Dennis Smith Jr. with point guard savvy This pick may be as certain as Zion to the Pelicans. The Grizzlies reportedly are going to move Mike Conley and make Jaren Jackson Jr. their centerpiece. This couldn't have worked out much better for Memphis' rebuild. The Grizzlies might still kick the tires on RJ Barrett, but point guards with Morant's upside only come around every so often. Take Morant, and don't think twice about it. He's the second-best player on most draft boards. Morant will scare the heck out of teams on pick-and-rolls with Jackson for the next 10 years. New York Knicks: RJ Barrett, Duke NBA comp: Lefty DeMar DeRozan The Knicks' grand summer plans were turned on their head Monday when Kevin Durant suffered an Achilles' tendon injury. Because of that uncertainty, New York will take the best available player. Knicks fans will love Barrett, the consensus No. 1 player in the draft class heading into the college season. He has the tendency to put blinders on when he drives to the basket, and his shot selection is questionable at times. However, this kid is special in the open court and an excellent rebounder for his position. Barrett, a forward, can develop into a top-notch scorer in the half court. He's an alpha dog and maniacal worker. He's also a building block the Knicks can point to when recruiting free agents this summer. He'll contribute as a scorer and eventually a wing defender early in his career. TRADE: New Orleans Pelicans (from Los Angeles Lakers): Darius Garland, Vanderbilt Lakers agree to trade pick No. 4, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and 2021 and 2023 unprotected first-round picks for Anthony Davis. NBA comp: Damian Lillard with less polish One ripple effect of the Kevin Durant injury is the Knicks are probably out of the Anthony Davis sweepstakes. Thus, the Lakers should be in the driver's seat. Perhaps another team comes out of left field (Raptors with Kawhi?), but we'll go with the most obvious trade here. Garland is still the choice for the Pelicans because he can grow with Zion and the Pelicans' new core, but can also play both guard positions and has Jrue Holiday (who also plays both guard positions) to learn from and get bailed out by on defense. Garland, who missed most of his freshman season at Vanderbilt, will have a huge learning curve jumping essentially from high school to the NBA, especially when it comes to running a team as a point guard and defending the pick-and-roll. I can't think of a better veteran guard to aid him through this process than Holiday and a better running mate for a young point guard to grow with than Zion Williamson. TRADE: Atlanta Hawks (from Cleveland Cavaliers): Cam Reddish, Duke Hawks trade pick nos. 8 and 17 to Cavaliers for pick no. 5 NBA comp: Jeff Green Reddish is difficult to slot because his talent suggests he should be a top-five pick, but his production and consistency last season suggest otherwise. The Hawks have an opening at small forward after dealing Taurean Prince to the Nets, and Reddish's upside as a modern forward and playmaker will fit perfectly with the young Hawks' spread-out, high-flying offense. Instead of hoping that he falls to No. 8, the Hawks package that pick with the Nets' pick they just acquired to move up and ensure that they get Reddish. DOUBLE TRADE! Memphis Grizzlies (Boston Celtics (Phoenix Suns): Jarrett Culver, Texas Tech Celtics agree to sign and trade Terry Rozier, deal pick no. 14 to Suns for pick no. 6 and Josh Jackson. Celtics then draft Jarrett Culver and trade him and Gordon Hayward to Memphis Grizzlies for Mike Conley. NBA comp: Jeremy Lamb with better playmaking skills This one gets a little wild, so hang with me. The Suns are apparently looking to trade back in the draft for a veteran point guard. Instead, they trade back and get a young, defensive-minded point man (Rozier) to pair with Devin Booker. The Celtics-Kyrie Irving marriage is likely over and Boston is rumored to be interested in Mike Conley. The Celtics also get a reclamation project whom they were high on in Jackson. And the Grizzlies are likely open to moving Conley for a high draft pick to pair with Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant. Hayward makes the salaries match and opens some cap space for Boston in the future. Chicago Bulls: Coby White, North Carolina NBA comp: Jamal Crawford The Bulls are another team that will likely look to move back in the draft if the price is right. However, if the three picks in front of them are dealt, it's highly unlikely that they'll find a suitor for this pick. No worries. They can sit tight and select Coby White to groom as their point guard of the future. Though he's more of a scorer (16 points, four assists per game), he's young enough to develop play-making skills in the NBA (unlike Kris Dunn). Moreover, White's attacking style could actually further loosen up defenses that are already concerned about the long-distance shooting of gifted offensive players Lauri Markkanen, Otto Porter and Zach LaVine. TRADE: Cleveland Cavaliers (from Atlanta Hawks): De'Andre Hunter, Virginia Hawks trade pick nos. 8 and 17 to Cavaliers for pick no. 5 NBA comp: Jae Crowder (Celtics version) The Cavs, equipped with two bites at the apple in a draft where there isn't much consensus after the top-three prospects, are happy to take arguably the safest guy in the draft (besides Zion). Hunter should form a nice wing combo with Cedi Osman and immediately help improve Cleveland's league-worst defense. This choice also allows the Cavs to take a swing on a high-upside prospect at No. 17. Washington Wizards: Sekou Doumbouya, Limoges CSP NBA comp: Pascal Siakam before he made The Leap Doumbouya seems to have solidified his status as a lottery pick by impressing scouts during his individual workouts with his touch from beyond the arc. If the rumors about the Wizards offering Masai Ujiri an ownership stake in the team are true, then expect Ujiri to select the prospect who reminds everybody of Pascal Siakam. With the John Wall contract hanging over the franchise for the next five years, Doumbouya can develop at his own pace and will hopefully be ready to contribute to a playoff team toward the end of that deal. Atlanta Hawks (via Dallas Mavericks): Jaxson Hayes, Texas NBA comp: Willie Cauley-Stein had he left after his freshman season Although Brandon Clarke is a safer bet here, the fit doesn't make as much sense for the Hawks because they have John Collins. Jaxson Hayes is by no means a guarantee, but he could be a lethal rim-runner for Trae Young, Kevin Huerter and the Hawks, especially considering the attention Young commands with his unlimited shooting range. Hayes has the athletic gifts a big man of his size could ever ask for. Atlanta is probably the best situation for him. Win-win for everyone involved. Minnesota Timberwolves: Brandon Clarke, Gonzaga NBA comp: Tyrus Thomas, the prospect coming out of LSU, not the NBA player Although his wingspan surprisingly matches his height (6-foot-8), Clarke projects to be an excellent wing defender and rim protector. Clarke, who has a 40.5-inch vertical, averaged more than three blocks last season and had the second-best Player Efficiency Rating besides Williamson in college basketball. He's not a good three-point shooter, but that's fine because Karl-Anthony Towns sure is. If he does learn to shoot from the perimeter, he'll be one of the best players from this draft class. Charlotte Hornets: Romeo Langford, Indiana NBA comp: Iman Shumpert with more scoring upside Whether the Hornets plan to offer Kemba Walker the super max or not, they'll need two-way players with upside like Langford. He entered his lone season at Indiana as a potential top-five pick, but exited as a late-lottery pick. That being said, he was built to be an NBA two-guard, and flashed some prodigious offensive abilities a little over a year ago in high school. Miami Heat: Nassir Little, North Carolina NBA comp: Marvin Williams Little is built like Andre Iguodala, but failed to impress most of his freshman season. Some of that was because he spent the entire season behind Luke Maye and Cameron Johnson. Some of that was because he suddenly wasn't able to get away with pure athleticism like he was in high school. The good thing is that the Heat are a top-notch franchise and have turned athletic, hard-working players like Josh Richardson into legitimate studs. Little fits that bill. TRADE: Phoenix Suns (Boston Celtics via Sacramento Kings): PJ Washington, Kentucky Celtics agree to sign and trade Terry Rozier, pick no. 14 to Suns for pick no. 6 and Josh Jackson. NBA comp: Taj Gibson The Suns need to win soon, and Washington is a winning player. Instead of focusing on things Washington can't do (like shoot free throws), NBA teams would be smart to notice the little things he does extremely well. He's always around the ball, whether he's getting offensive rebounds, tip-outs, blocked shots or loose balls. That's an intangible trait that only good basketball players possess. He's a gamer and always seemed to show up big in Kentucky's toughest games. (Check out his stats in the tournament during his career at Kentucky.) He won't be a star in the NBA, but he projects to be a great role player. Detroit Pistons: Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga NBA comp : Whichever Morris twin is playing better Hachimura has the skills, athleticism and pedigree to be a good NBA player. At 6-foot-9 and a stout 235 pounds, he can bang with most bigs in the post. But he also has the ability to blow past them or knock down a face-up jumper if given too much space. His offensive potential will likely hinge on whether he can consistently knock down three-pointers and spread the floor for his teammates. Do not be surprised if Japan's first basketball prodigy winds up going in the top 10. If he slips, a team like the Pistons should be happy to swoop in and take him. Orlando Magic: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Virginia Tech NBA comp: Associate's degree version of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Despite DJ Augustine's Game 1 playoff heroics against Toronto, the Magic desperately need a franchise point guard. Luckily for Orlando, Alexander-Walker should be available. You may have noticed Alexander-Walker has a lot of Gilgeous-Alexander in his game   that's because the two are cousins! He's tall (6-feet-5), long (6-feet-9 wingspan), ambidextrous and plays at his own pace. He's not a great athlete, but his feel for the game and high skill level make up for it. He will need a year or two to develop into a legitimate play-maker, but that's why you keep a veteran like Augustine around. Alexander-Walker projects to be a multi-positional defender. TRADE: Cleveland Cavaliers (Atlanta Hawks via Brooklyn Nets): Kevin Porter Jr., USC Hawks trade pick nos. 8 and 17 to Cavaliers for pick no. 5 NBA comp: JR Smith After selecting De'Andre Hunter, the Cavs take one of the bigger boom-bust prospects. Porter Jr. projects to be one of the following players in the NBA: JR Smith, Nick Young or Jordan Crawford. All three of those guys were talented, athletic and inconsistent in their play and behavior. Smith's ceiling made him a worthy gamble if your team had the right infrastructure. Young's ceiling made him kind of worth the gamble. Crawford's ceiling was not worth the gamble. When you watch Porter's highlights and see him making athletic plays and tough shots off the dribble, he looks like a future star. By the same token, when you look at the inconsistent game logs and read about his maturity issues , it makes you wonder whether he's worth the headache. But hey, the Cavs made it work with JR Smith before. Indiana Pacers: Tyler Herro, Kentucky NBA comp: Kevin Huerter This seems like a match made in heaven. The team that routinely wears Hickory High jerseys gets its own version of Jimmy Chitwood. Although he sometimes struggles to create his own shot, Herro will be a dynamic shooter in the NBA. He's the type of player who could shoot up draft boards during pre-draft workouts if he tests well and shows signs of improvement with his ball-handling. Some scouts believe he has the ability to run pick-and-rolls in the league, which would really raise his draft profile after the success of Kevin Huerter last season. The Pacers need scoring pop and shooting (as seen by their playoff performance against Boston), and Herro could be part of that solution. San Antonio Spurs: Goga Bitadze, KK Mega Bemax NBA comp: The Ante Zizic Celtics fans told you about Bitadze would be a lottery pick if he came up in the league 10 or maybe even five years ago. He has power around the basket, a nice touch from the outside and solid all-around game. His problem is going to be   you guessed it   his ability to play defense when he gets thrown into a bunch of pick-and-rolls and must switch onto the James Hardens and Steph Currys of the league. He's a little slow. His ceiling has been described by some experts as Jusuf Nurkic. If any team can help an international talent reach his potential, it's the Spurs. Boston Celtics: Bol Bol, Oregon NBA comp : Thon Maker if he played more like his high school mixtape Expect the Celtics to swing for the fences with at least one of their first-round picks. Bol Bol probably has the highest variance as a prospect in this class. If he can stay healthy, he's a matchup nightmare who can get a shot off over anyone (literally, anyone) and break down bigs off the dribble. He will struggle against the Draymond Greens of the NBA until he gains weight and because of his high center of gravity, but you can't teach a 7-foot-7 wingspan. OKC Thunder: Keldon Johnson, Kentucky NBA comp: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Johnson is a 6-foot-6, 210-pound bulldog. His physical playing style, combined with his tenacity and effort, make him an ideal prospect for a playoff team looking to solidify its depth at wing. He could be a high-level role player in the NBA. While his offensive abilities are a little behind his defensive abilities, he should be able to at least attack closeouts with powerful drives to the rim and knock down open three-pointers. With a little discipline and the right coaching, Johnson could turn into an excellent wing defender, much like KCP was early in his career for the Pistons. Boston Celtics (via LA Clippers): Cameron Johnson, North Carolina NBA comp: A poor man's Peja Stojakovic Every year players fall in the draft because of their age, lack of athleticism or whatnot. Then they become immediate contributors on playoff teams and front offices wonder how they missed on them. An early candidate for the "Hiding in Plain Sight" contributor is 6-foot-9, fifth-year senior wing Johnson. He is an elite shooter, posting 51-46-82 (FG-3FG-FT) shooting splits last season. The 23-year-old seems like an ideal plug-and-play, three-and-D wing for a playoff contender. You can teach a lot of things in basketball, but height and a sweet stroke aren't among them. Expect Johnson to be a late riser on draft night or a late-first-round steal for a smart playoff team with a good eye for talent. Utah Jazz: Talen Horton-Tucker, Iowa State NBA comp: Deonte Burton What is it with super-"thicc" power guards at Iowa State? First it was Deonte Burton, and now it's Horton-Tucker. He's 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, but with a 7-foot wingspan, Horton-Tucker is unique from a physical standpoint for a guard. He's powerful and has broad shoulders, so once he gets a step on a defender, he's tough to slow or block. As one might expect, he's comfortable around the basket and has a nice face-up game with an array of up-fakes and step-back moves. He can pass, too. Although his shot needs work, he's an intriguing talent who could be used in small-ball lineups. Let's give him to Quin Snyder and see what he can get out of him. Philadelphia 76ers: Matisse Thybulle, Washington NBA comp: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist pre-hitch in his jump shot Would prime Tony Allen have a place in today's NBA? If so, Thybulle could be a steal for a team drafting near the end of the first round. He's the best wing defender to enter the NBA in years. Thybulle averaged an absurd 3.5 steals and 2.2 blocks this past season but only nine points and three rebounds. The odd thing is that his jump shot isn't broken, and there's some belief that he could eventually develop into a Danny Green-type player on offense. Hey, if you're getting that type of player at this point in the draft, he's a steal. The 76ers need more help at the wing. What better way to start than to take the best wing defender in the draft? TRADE: Philadelphia 76ers (Portland Trail Blazers): Chuma Okeke, Auburn 76ers trade pick nos. 33, 34 and 54 to Blazers for pick no. 25 NBA comp: Robert Covington With five draft picks (and four of them in the second round), the 76ers seem like a good candidate to consolidate and trade up into the end of the first round. The Blazers are a candidate to trade out of the first round because of their salary cap issues (and first-round contracts are guaranteed). Thus, the Sixers move up and take Okeke. He's an intriguing stretch forward who was on the verge of playing himself into the late-lottery before he tore his ACL in the Sweet Sixteen. At 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds, Okeke can defend threes, fours and small-ball fives and stretch a defense with his 39-percent shooting from three-point land. Cleveland Cavaliers (via Houston Rockets): Nic Claxton, Georgia NBA comp: Anthony Randolph with a pass-first mentality Having selected a wing and a guard with their first two picks, the Cavs go after a big man at 26. Claxton popped off the screen if you ever found yourself watching a Georgia game. It wasn't that he was dominant or had some elite skill. He's 6-foot-11, lengthy as hell and possesses a guard's game. Yes, he can handle the ball and played some de facto point guard for Tom Crean last season. He has three-point range. He's most impressive, however, when he grabs a rebound and pushes the ball up court. He'd be a great low-risk, high-reward guy at the end of the first round. Brooklyn Nets (via Denver Nuggets): Grant Williams, Tennessee NBA comp: PJ Tucker with more offense and less defense Williams' stock was at its apex heading into March Madness. Although the SEC Player of the Year put up solid numbers and had a few big moments during the tournament, he took a back seat to Admiral Schofield and Tennessee's guards when it mattered the most. Thus, his stock probably dipped back into the late-teens, early-20s range. Williams won't be a bust, but he must knock down threes and master switching onto perimeter players on defense. He was never really asked to do that in college, but it'll be mandatory in the NBA. He'd be a nice player for Kenny Atkinson to groom into a quality offensive big man off the bench. Golden State Warriors: Admiral Schofield, Tennessee NBA comp: Current Jae Crowder Schofield is a man with a name to match his game. He's a senior and looks like he's a Big Mac away from being too heavy to play wing in the NBA. But man, this guy competes and brings it every night. Look no further than his second-half performance against Purdue in the NCAA Tournament. He can knock down threes consistently and is strong enough to guard in small-ball lineups. I'd be shocked if he isn't a rotation player in the NBA for seven to eight years -- that's a tremendous value for this late in the first round. Because their roster is so top-loaded, the Warriors could use help at wing and depth behind Draymond Green. San Antonio Spurs (via Toronto Raptors): Carsen Edwards, Purdue NBA comp: Patty Mills Edwards' Kemba Walker impersonation during March Madness certainly did his draft stock favors. Instead of being viewed as a chucker, like he was for much of the Big Ten regular season, Edwards is now seen as a player who carried an average Purdue team to the cusp of a Final Four. He showed off unlimited range and impressive shot-making ability in the NCAA Tournament, solidifying his stock as a late-first-, early-second round pick. Every team could use a spark plug guard off the bench, and Edwards fits that mold. He'd be an ideal long-term replacement for Mills. Milwaukee Bucks: Luguentz Dort, Arizona State NBA comp: Norm Powell Dort is a " thicc " guard with a lot of two-way capability. He seemed to play up to the competition when Arizona State faced a tournament-level opponent, a trait scouts like. His shooting must improve, especially from three-point range. He could easily develop into the Bucks' version of Norm Powell, one of the Raptors' most important role players in the Eastern Conference Finals. ROUND 2: Brooklyn Nets (via New York Knicks): Jontay Porter, Missouri The less exciting, younger brother of Michael Porter Jr. may have been drafted ahead of his brother had he entered last year's draft. Unfortunately, he chose not to enter the 2018 draft and suffered a torn ACL twice in six months. Porter has gone from being a fringe lottery pick to a late-first, early-second round pick due to the injury concerns (a Porter family tradition ). If Porter heals properly, he's a center with above-average touch from the perimeter and good play-making skills. He's a solid value pick for the Nets at 31. Phoenix Suns: Ty Jerome, Virginia With their second pick in the draft, I see them going with a pass-first guard. As anyone who watched March Madness can attest, Jerome is a nice playmaker and good all-round guard. He is a high-IQ player who can pass and shoot at an NBA level, but he's limited athletically and probably destined to be a solid backup. With his ability to play on and off the ball, he'll fit in nicely with Devin Booker. TRADE: Portland Trail Blazers (Philadelphia 76ers via Cleveland Cavaliers): KZ Okpala 76ers trade pick nos. 33, 34 and 54 to Blazers for pick no. 25 Okpala isn't your typical Stanford prospect: He's an athletic, raw wing with three-and-D upside. He is 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan and is comparable to a young Trevor Ariza. Despite averaging 17 points and six assists, he was inconsistent last season, especially against the more athletic PAC-12 and non-conference teams. He will be a nice wing for the Blazers and ready to contribute while Damian Lillard is still at his zenith. TRADE: Portland Trail Blazers (Philadelphia 76ers via Chicago Bulls): Luka Samanic, Slovenia 76ers trade pick nos. 33, 34 and 54 to Blazers for pick no. 25 With their second pick from Philly, the Blazers select a player who was considered a fringe lottery pick a little more than a year ago. Samanic impressed scouts at the NBA Combine with his perimeter game and defensive potential. He's a perfect player for the Blazers to leave in Europe for a season if he's not ready to contribute. Atlanta Hawks: Jalen McDaniels, San Diego State Atlanta's is on the rise, but it's a team that should still be taking the best player available instead of the best fit. McDaniels has a lot of upside if he develops a reliable three-point stroke. He's almost 6-foot-10 with a seven-foot wingspan. He's a good defender and has solid perimeter skills. He could easily go in the 10 to 15 picks before this if a team thinks his free throw stroke (75.8-percent) will be indicative of a good three-point shot. Charlotte Hornets (via Washington Wizards): Eric Paschall, Villanova You know MJ couldn't go too many picks without snagging a highly productive, winning player from the college ranks. Kidding aside, Paschall is a good choice here as he's a strong, switchable big who is also comfortable on the perimeter on offense. Interestingly, the best NBA comp for him is his former college teammate at 'Nova, Omari Spellman, who went in the late-first round to the Hawks in last year's draft and figures to be a good rotational player for years. Dallas Mavericks: Bruno Fernando, Maryland Fernando is an absolute physical specimen who should be drafted in the first round on his potential as a rim-running and rim-protector center. He is 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-4 wingspan and big-league hops. His highlight reel of huge dunks and blocks is reminiscent of prime Dwight Howard or DeAndre Jordan. But he's raw and inconsistent in all other facets. You draft him hoping he figures it out and surprises people, like Andre Drummond, but you know that the chances of him being a plus-player in the NBA are a coin flip at best. At pick No. 37, why not get Luka Doncic a nice rim-runner with upside? Chicago Bulls (via Memphis Grizzlies): Darius Bazley, New Balance Bazley famously skipped college and an opportunity to play overseas this past year to complete an internship with New Balance that paid him $1M. He is a 6-foot-9 wing with good perimeter skills and NBA athleticism. It remains to be seen, however, whether Bazley has NBA skills. (If he definitely did, he'd be a first-rounder.) The Bulls got screwed by the lottery this year, so they should be swinging for the fences with their second-round pick. Then go with Bazley! New Orleans Pelicans: Dylan Windler, Belmont A team with Zion Williamson (and Anthony Davis or whatever he's traded for) will want to space the court to give him room to operate. What better way to spread the court than to draft arguably the best three-point shooter in college basketball history in Dylan Windler? Windler's game resembles Bojan Bogdanovic's: He can bomb from outside, but also handle the ball and pass well enough to run pick-and-rolls and attack closeouts. Nobody would have given a small-school guy like this a chance in the NBA five years ago, but he could even jump into the first round. Sacramento Kings (via Minnesota Timberwolves): Zylan Cheatham, Arizona State Cheatham, an athletic 6-foot-8 big man, doesn't shoot often from the perimeter, but he's a good passer. The guy plays his tail off and should be able to earn a rotation spot on an NBA roster. He'd fit in nicely running the break with De'Aaron Fox in Sacramento. Atlanta Hawks (via LA Lakers): Daniel Gafford, Arkansas With five picks, the Hawks have an opportunity to fill out their roster with role players around their core of Trae Young, John Collins and Kevin Huerter. In today's NBA, it's important to have a rim-running, rim-protecting big man in your rotation to make your opponent think twice about going small. Gafford could be that big man for Atlanta, which would get good value if he falls to No. 41. He was a projected first-round lock after his freshman season. Gafford is huge -- he is 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan -- and a fluid athlete who should make a living cramming home lobs off pick-and-rolls. Philadelphia 76ers (via Sacramento Kings): Mfiondu Kabengele, Florida State Here's a staggering fact: Joel Embiid's on/off rating in the 2019 playoffs was a net plus-41.3!!! That means when Embiid was on the court, the 76ers scored 41.3 more points per 100 possessions than when he was off the court. When he was off the court, the Sixers gave up 122.1 points per possession, which would have outpaced the highest-scoring team this season by nearly five points. If Dikembe Mutombo's shot-blocking nephew Mfiondu Kabegele is still available here, he'd be a nice selection and a rim-protector for the Sixers when Embiid sits. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Miami Heat): Isaiah Roby, Nebraska Before the NBA Combine, Roby wasn't even sure if he would keep his name in the draft. After testing well and crushing it in scrimmages, he is all but guaranteed a spot somewhere in the second round. Surrounding KAT with more versatile, athletic forwards should unlock his potential and hide his occasional inattentiveness on defense. Roby, Andrew Wiggins and Josh Okogie would be one of the more athletic sets of wings in the NBA. (If only they could shoot!) Atlanta Hawks (via Charlotte Hornets): Zach Norvell, Gonzaga Norvell was a specialist for Gonzaga, but that speciality -- shooting -- should make him a coveted prospect late in the draft. He must be a better ball handler and defender, but his improvement from freshman to sophomore year helped his draft stock tremendously. Not only did Norvell shoot 37 percent from three on more than seven attempts per game last season, he also made 87 percent of his free throws. That kind of efficiency makes him a perfect wing off the bench for the Hawks. Detroit Pistons: Terence Davis, Ole Miss Davis is one of those players with a funky game who are difficult to project in the draft. If a team falls in love with him, he might go in the early 30s. Or he could fall into the 50s. His shooting fundamentals are a little herky-jerky and he leans back on a lot of jumpers, but the ball goes in (he hit 37.1 percent of his threes last season). He's a good athlete, plays hard on both ends of the court and projects to be able to guard ones, twos and threes in the NBA. Orlando Magic (via Brooklyn Nets): DaQuan Jeffries, Tulsa For teams competing for the playoffs, the mid-to-late second round is all about finding rotation players, especially three-and-D wings. Jeffries is a 6-foot-5 wing with a 6-foot-11 wingspan and some bunnies (aka "hops"). He's a good defender who can guard multiple positions. Jeffries should contribute off the bench. Sacramento Kings (via Orlando Magic): Louis King, Oregon King should have stayed in college another season or two. He has battled injuries since high school and may have been worried about hurting his stock. The Kings, who could use more floor spacers around De'Aaron Fox, will have a chance to develop the 6-foot-8 wing into a solid player. Luckily for them, he's an excellent jump shooter (39 percent from three last season). LA Clippers: Dedric Lawson, Kansas I don't understand why Lawson isn't a surefire pick in many mocks. The 21-year-old was a somewhat inefficient volume scorer for the underachieving Jayhawks last season. But he averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds and shot 39 percent from three and 82 percent from the line. He also has the measureables that make him intriguing at this spot. San Antonio Spurs: Deividas Sirvydis, Lithuania The 6-foot-8, 190-pound skinny wing from Lithuania won't play in the NBA anytime soon. His 46-percent three-point shooting is eye-opening. In typical Spurs fashion, we won't hear about Sirvydis for a couple of years...next thing we know, he'll be burying treys off the bench for the immortal Gregg Popovich. Indiana Pacers: Naz Reid, LSU Reid just looks like an NBA player. He's a hair under 6-foot-10 and has a wingspan over 7-foot-3. He's strong, skilled and not yet 20. If he was entering the NBA a decade ago, he'd probably be a lottery pick. However, because he's not an explosive athlete who can throw down lobs and protect the rim like, say, Daniel Gafford, he might not have a huge role in today's NBA. Even still, a team like the Pacers, who have developed the likes of a similarly skilled player in Domantas Sabonis, should take a chance. Boston Celtics: Jalen Lecque, None No, this isn't Gerald Green reincarnated, but from an athletic standpoint, Lecque is pretty damn close. He turned heads at the NBA Combine with his 43-inch max vertical, confirming what his prep school highlight tapes indicated. Lecque probably should have attended North Carolina State for a year and developed his game. If he remains in the draft, he's the type of player who could greatly benefit from the coaching of Brad Stevens. The Celtics do an excellent job developing prospects. Charlotte Hornets (via OKC Thunder): Shamorie Ponds, St. Johns Because draft night is before the NBA free-agency period begins, the Hornets won't know if Kemba Walker plans to re-sign with the franchise. So Charlotte should probably snag a point guard with one of its three picks. Ponds' aggressive playing style is comparable to Walker's, but he's nowhere near as good as Kemba. Ponds averaged 20 points and five assists as a junior for St. John's last season. Utah Jazz: Jordan Bone, Tennessee Bone was a testing marvel at the NBA Combine, finishing first in many categories. I knew he was quick and fast from watching him play at Tennessee -- his leaping ability (42.5-inch vertical) is eye-opening. But he's not known as a huge dunker or fantastic finisher. He could be a nice backup guard behind Donovan Mitchell. TRADE: Portland Trail Blazers ((Philadelphia 76ers): Quinndary Weatherspoon, Mississippi State 76ers trade pick nos. 33, 34 and 54 to Blazers for pick no. 25 Weatherspoon projects as a prototypical three-and-D guard/wing with his 6-foot-9 wingspan and 40-percent three-point shooting. He averaged 19 points last season and should be an able-bodied defender in the NBA. When you are relying on Mo Harkless and Alfarouq Aminu to hit threes in the playoffs every year, you can never draft enough wings if you're the Blazers. New York Knicks (via Houston Rockets): Joshua Obiesie, Germany With their second pick of the draft, and big plans in free agency, the Knicks will likely use this pick on a developmental player. Who is Obiesie? He's a 6-foot-6, rangy combo guard from Germany who can attack the basket and make plays for his teammates. If he can develop a better jumper, he could be a high-upside choice as a draft-and-stash player. LA Clippers (via Portland Trail Blazers): Cody Martin, Nevada Martin had a bit of a disappointing senior season at Nevada after a standout junior season and memorable NCAA Tournament run. While he isn't a big-time athlete and is nearly 24 years old, Martin has a great feel for the game and should be able to contribute off the bench from the get-go. His size combined with his ability to handle the ball and defend multiple positions should get him a shot at an end-of-the-rotation spot with the Clippers next season. New Orleans Pelicans (via Denver Nuggets): Tacko Fall, Central Florida Fall may have been the only player Zion Williamson didn't dunk on last season, so why not grab him at the end of the draft? At 7-foot-7, with an 8-foot-2 wingspan, Fall is probably the tallest human who will play in the NBA. It's unlikely he'll play more than 10-15 minutes a game without getting pick-and-rolled off the court, but he could be a situational backup big man. That's decent value from the 57th pick. Golden State Warriors: Terance Mann, Florida State Mann has prototypical NBA wing size and enough defensive intensity to be a pro. He even made close to 40 percent of his threes his senior year (though it was only on 79 attempts). He'll fit in nicely with the Warriors. Toronto Raptors: Tremont Waters, LSU Only 5-foot-11, Waters has great feel for the game as a playmaker. He can score and set up teammates, abilities on display at the NBA Combine. With next season potentially in flux with Kawhi Leonard's free agency looming, Waters could be a good, young point guard to build the second unit around should Kyle Lowry or Fred VanVleet leave or get traded. Sacramento Kings (via Milwaukee Bucks): Sagaba Konate, West Virginia Willie Cauley-Stein probably will leave in free agency, and Marvin Bagley and Harry Giles are the front court of the future in SacTown. So the selection of a defensive-minded big man with the last pick of the draft would be a smart for Sacramento. Konate is slightly undersized at 6-foot-8, and he is extremely raw on offense. But he's an elite shoot-blocker. His timing, power and tenacity at the rim are reminiscent of Ben Wallace.


An Australian executed in Indonesia on drugs charges was Saturday remembered as an artist whose paintings were powerful images created in the face of the death penalty. Myuran Sukumaran was shot dead by firing squad late last month after his pleas for clemency over his role in a syndicate smuggling heroin from the Indonesian island of Bali were rejected. Ben Quilty, an acclaimed Australian artist who became a friend and mentor to Sukumaran through visiting him in jail, said the 34-year-old did not want to die but had done so with dignity. "He used his visual language to tell the world who Myuran Sukumaran really was and right until the end he communicated with the world from an isolation cell with a firing squad preparing to put bullets through his chest," Quilty said. "Under unimaginable circumstances Myuran was making the most potent and powerful anti-death penalty images the world has seen in a long, long time. "Myu did want to live. He had many paintings to make." Sukumaran and fellow Australian Andrew Chan, considered the ringleaders of the so-called Bali Nine drug smuggling group, spent a decade in prison before their execution on April 29. A funeral for Chan, 31, was held in Sydney on Friday. Both men were transformed by their experience in jail with Chan becoming a Christian pastor and Sukumaran studying art. Songs sung at Sukumaran's funeral at the DaySpring Church in Sydney's Castle Hill included "Amazing Grace" which he and his fellow prisoners sang ahead of their execution. "Until the end, under very difficult circumstances, in prison for 10 years, he was helping and comforting all others in Kerobokan prison in Bali," Ivar Schou, a volunteer at the jail, told the mourners. They heard that on one occasion, Sukumaran had sold his paintings to pay for another inmate's life-saving operation while fellow Bali Nine member Matthew Norman said he had helped countless prisoners, including drug addicts and murderers. Mother Rajini Sukumaran said her son died a good man, in a tribute delivered by son Chinthu after she was overcome by grief. "He got caught up with something bad, and the anger and shame I felt when he was arrested, was gone a long time ago," she wrote. Australia strongly opposes the death penalty and withdrew its ambassador to Indonesia for talks after Jakarta executed Chan and Sukumaran, along with five other foreigners and an Indonesian.


Matthew Wolff is so good that as a freshman at Oklahoma State, he received a vote for the Haskins Award as the best college player without even winning a tournament. There's a little more to the story. And it starts long before Wolff went from NCAA champion to PGA Tour winner in a span of six weeks. Scott Verplank, famous for winning the U.S. Amateur and a PGA Tour event while still in school at Oklahoma State, was in the mix at the Memorial in 2001 until heavy rain arrived and made Muirfield Village soggy and long. On the par-5 fifth hole, Verplank decided against 3-wood from 255 yards over the water. He was playing alongside Tiger Woods, who pulled a 2-iron. "He hit a shot like only he can hit   straight up in the air and it drops onto the green," Verplank said. "I said to my caddie (Scott Tway), 'I couldn't hit that shot if you gave me any club in the bag and a tee.' I couldn't sky a driver as nice as that 2-iron. That shot ... I'll never forget that shot." Woods went on to win by seven. Seventeen years later, Wolff walked up to Verplank at Oak Tree and introduced himself, and they played nine holes. The kid got Verplank's attention. And then a few months later with the NCAA Championship at Karsten Creek in Stillwater, Oklahoma, Verplank went out to watch. He showed up on the ninth hole in time to see Wolff facing 248 yards into the 623-yard par 5. "He hit a 4-iron and it looked like the same shot Tiger hit," Verplank said. "It landed 3 feet from the hole and rolled out a foot-and-a-half. I had only seen that one time before. Only one other player in my life had hit that shot." Verplank had run into a member from the Haskins Award committee, who asked if he would be voting as a past winner (1986). He wrote Wolff's name on the ballot. "The guy says, 'He hasn't won a tournament,'" Verplank said. "I said: 'Doesn't matter. He's the best kid out there.' It may have been the only vote he got last year." Wolff won six times his sophomore year, including the NCAA title, his last tournament as an amateur. He won the Haskins Award, along with the Jack Nicklaus Award. His NCAA individual title complemented the team title the Cowboys won his freshman year, so he turned pro. Three tournaments later, Wolff made a 25-foot eagle putt from the collar of the 18th green for a 65 and a one-shot victory in the 3M Open. That gives him a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour, a schedule next year that starts in Kapalua and takes him to The Players Championship, the Masters and the PGA Championship. And the 20-year-old Californian will be followed along with high expectations for no other reason than the company he keeps. The first player since Woods to win an NCAA title and a PGA Tour event in the same year. The youngest player to win on the PGA Tour since Jordan Spieth. "Matt Wolff is potentially special," Verplank said. "He's got everything it takes to be at the top. That doesn't mean it's going to happen. Obviously, these others kids are good, too." Right after Wolff made his eagle putt, Collin Morikawa nearly made his from slightly closer that would have forced a playoff. He had to settle for a 30 on the back nine, and the runner-up finish gave him special temporary membership on the PGA Tour. Not to be overlooked is Viktor Hovland, the U.S. Amateur champion and Wolff's teammate at Oklahoma State. The low amateur at the Masters and the U.S. Open, he has tied for 13th in his last two PGA Tour starts. "People were asking me about that the last three or four weeks," Verplank said. "I said Viktor is a better player right now. He plays his game better, he's more mature. But Matt, in my opinion, has a chance to be in the Phil Mickelson-Tiger Woods level." That's a lot of hype, but it's nothing new. Jon Rahm must feel old at 24. It was only three years ago that Rahm earned a PGA Tour card in just four starts, and he won in his 12th start as a pro. Some six hours before Wolff won in Minnesota, Rahm shot 62 to win the Irish Open for his seventh victory worldwide. That doesn't include his singles win over Woods in the Ryder Cup, which felt as good as any individual title. Verplank's write-in vote last year didn't keep Norman Xiong from winning the Haskins Award. Xiong was supposed to be the next big thing in golf, and still might be. At the moment, he's not among the top 150 in the minor leagues and faces Q-school just to get status on the Korn Ferry Tour. "It's just everyone is looking for that new thing, the new player coming up," Wolff said. "That was Jordan Spieth a couple of years ago. John Rahm was in that. There's always that new guy." And now it's him. It takes more than one week to make a star, and Wolff seems to get that. Even so, it's hard to ignore the increasing number of college players who quickly put themselves in the conversation. "The hype, it's cool. But it's all just talk, really," Wolff said. "It's what you believe in, what you step up to the tee have going through your mind."


The worst unit on the Houston Texans is the offensive line. Everyone from Galveston to Conroe knows it. While the selections of Tytus Howard in Round 1 and Max Scharping in Round 2 of the 2019 NFL draft stopped the bleeding, there is still a gaping wound nonetheless. Donald Penn was an option for the Texans at left tackle, but all the Texans chose to do was stay interested and nothing more . It is understandable the Texans had some reservations with the 36-year-old, but they should have at least kicked the tires. Playing all 16 games nine out of Penn's 12-year career is pretty impressive. The Texans would most likely have used Penn as a backup with the possibility to start. Offering a cap-friendly deal would have made so much sense to bring Penn into battle the rookies and push them to start. Now with Penn who signed with the Washington Redskins, the Texans will go into 2019 with Matt Kalil and Tytus Howard. It's possible that the Texans trade for Washington left tackle Trent Williams, who is holding out for a new contract. Either way, the Texans have and had options and still do. Houston has to put one foot in front of the other to move forward. MORE: Dale Earnhardt Jr. only just learned Chase Elliott's real name, thanks to Wikipedia Dee Ford, Dre Greenlaw leave 49ers practice early with injuries The Dallas Cowboys Should Trade Ezekiel Elliott 4 notes from Day 6 of Chargers training camp Observations from Lions training camp, Day 5: Jahlani Tavai makes play of the day


There's a slight chance an asteroid will hit Earth in September 2135. NASA has a plan to stop it.


The FBI is looking into a report of sexual battery on a Sun Country flight from Minneapolis to San Diego. Overnight, the 22-year-old male suspect was questioned and released. According to the NBC affiliate in San Diego, the flight crew reported an incident to the control tower mid-air around 4 p.m. on Sunday. The alleged victim is a woman in her 20s, who told the FBI that she did not know the suspect. No charges have been filed at this point. Sun Country, which is headquartered in Eagan, MN, sent KARE 11 the following statement: "We are aware of an incident and have worked closely with local authorities. The investigation is now in the hands of local San Diego authorities, and any further questions regarding the nature of the incident can be directed to to them." KARE 11 is following this developing story and will have details as they become available.


Khloe Kardashian certainly likes them tall, if rumors she's dating Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden are true. TMZ Sports managed to snap photos of Kardashian and the 6 feet 5 inches tall basketball player celebrating freedom (and maybe the start of a new relationship) on July 4 in Las Vegas. According to the website, the pair dined at Red 8, where they looked "very couple-y," before making the questionable decision to head to Drai's Nightclub, where they watched Chris Brown perform. Rumors the two were dating began shortly after Kardashian and Harden first met last month when the reality star's sister Kim rented out the entire Staples Center for husband Kanye West's birthday , and Harden was one of many famous guests. The two were first spotted "getting close" in Hawaii , during a vacation. Star magazine claimed Kardashian used her BFF Malika Haqq as a cover to make the getaway look like a girls' trip. Kardashian, who split with rapper French Montana this past December , is still married to Lamar Odom, from whom she filed for divorce in December 2013 .


John Daly will not be playing in the British Open after being denied the use of a cart by the R&A. The official reason for Daly's withdrawal was a medical condition, the R&A said Tuesday. Daly has an Open exemption due to his victory at St. Andrews in 1995. Daly detailed an incident via social media on Sunday describing how he suffered a bite from a brown recluse spider in England and eventually had to be treated days later at Uniontown (Pa.) Hospital. "Fast forward to Friday, mouth/mouth, compressions & unknowingly now in an ambulance rushed to ER all while on family vacation & straight into surgery! Removing what developed into a major infection in my abdominal area & treated for early sepsis all from a brown recluse!" Daly was replaced by Kevin Streelman, who learned about his fate and playing spot via email. Yes please  @TheOpen  Here we go pic.twitter.com/hJr0g1xQFY - Kevin Streelman (@Streels54) July 9, 2019 Daly claims to have osteoarthritis in his right knee, would would make walking difficult for an extended period of time. Daly's plea for cart was based upon the Americans with Disabilities Act and the fact that he had been allowed to use a cart by the PGA of America during the PGA Championship at Bethpage Black in May. He missed the cut after rounds of 75 and 76. "We believe that walking the course is an integral part of the Championship and is central to the tradition of links golf which is synonymous with The Open. We must also ensure that, as far as possible, the challenge is the same for all players in the field," the R&A said in denying his request three days ago. "The terrain at Royal Portrush is not suited to buggies and indeed the club itself does not permit their use. We have a serious concern that some parts of the course, where there are severe slopes and swales, would be inaccessible." Daly won the 1995 Open at St. Andrews over Costantino Rocca in a playoff. MORE: UFC fighter Ben Askren had an excellent response to getting knocked out in 5 seconds Expected starting lineup for Lakers with LeBron James at point guard Three Potential Trade Destinations for Russell Westbrook Honor thy father: Quinn Cook signed with Lakers for good reason Five years later, looking at the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft


Let's stipulate that the Jets had to trade Jacob Trouba. The 25-year-old defenseman had made it quite clear that he had no intentions of signing an extension in Winnipeg, and the Jets had no intention of paying what it would cost to keep Trouba when he becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer likely somewhere north of $7M per over seven years. For the Jets, it was: move him now, or perhaps at the deadline, or lose him for nothing. That necessity dinged the Jets' leverage a bit, but after trading Trouba to the Rangers on Monday, they sure seem to have gotten robbed even by those low standards. The Rangers acquired Trouba for 23-year-old blueliner Neal Pionk like Trouba, a right-handed shot, though a much lesser player and the 20th overall pick in Friday's draft. That 20th pick was the Jets' originally, sent to New York for Kevin Hayes at the deadline, so from one angle, that's Trouba and Brendan Lemieux for Pionk and two months of Hayes. From either angle, it's a steal for the Rangers Trouba, coming off a 50-point season, immediately slots in on their top pairing. Trouba was the best D-man on the trade market, and at one point not too long ago there were a reported dozen teams interested in his services. With a bidding war like that, the Jets should have been able to get more of a haul. But according to a report from the New York Post 's Larry Brooks, Winnipeg inexplicably torpedoed the market for Trouba. The Jets, though, refused to give Trouba's camp permission to talk to interested parties. Absent relative certainty of a contract agreement with the defenseman, who is a year away from unrestricted free agency, clubs dropped out. The price thus went down[.] Since other teams couldn't know for sure whether Trouba would sign an extension in a new destination, the Jets self-defeatingly turned him from a cornerstone acquisition into a one-year rental, with a corresponding drop in what teams were willing to offer. But players and agents have ways of conveying their intentions, and the Rangers, smack dab in a rebuild, will have plenty of money and plenty of enthusiasm for signing Trouba long-term. There's not an observer who thinks that extension won't get done in New York. With the bargain they found in Trouba, the Rangers appear to have turned the corner on their rebuild  so publicly announced a year and a half ago from stockpiling assets to turning them into actual talent. The Rangers still have a lot of assets, including the No. 2 overall pick which will be used on Kaapo Kakko, and a pair of second-rounders, plus a whole host of youngish players that could be pretty attractive in trade packages. GM Jeff Gorton has been praised for collecting assets, but that's generally the easier half of the equation. Landing Trouba is a heck of a start on the harder part, and a sign that the Rangers' timeline could be accelerating it's not hard to project them contending again as soon as 2021. As for the Jets? They're a talented team that, above all, needs to avoid panicking after a first-round loss to the eventual Cup champs. Trouba, regrettably, needed to be moved. But he didn't need to be moved for this pittance.


Atlanta should be fairly dry this coming week, according to the seven-day forecast from drone-powered weather service Saildrone . The best chance of rain is predicted on Wednesday at 68 percent, with the potential for light rainfall of 0.22 inches. The next few days will also see warm temperatures, due to stick around through Thursday. The weather will bring a high temperature of 86 degrees on Sunday. Skies will be partly cloudy for the next several days and clear on Thursday. Winds will remain calm through the week, with only a light breeze of 6 mph tomorrow. 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.


Video by Radio.com Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield came to the defense of new teammate Odell Beckham Jr. in a recent interview. In doing so, Mayfield threw shade at New York Giants fans, who were at times critical of the Pro Bowl wide receiver's work ethic and commitment during his five-year stint with the franchise. "He's here to work, and he wants to be surrounded by people who love and support him and allow him to be himself," Mayfield told ESPN . "He's here (in Cleveland) to play in front of fans who actually care, who will actually show up to every game and pack the stadium and love him for who he is." While Mayfield was taking a shot at the apathy of Giants fans amidst a three-win season, the team still had top-five attendance numbers in 2018   with an average of 76,940 fans according to ESPN . Mayfield previously defended Beckham in May, calling Fox Sports' Colin Cowherd a "clown" for criticizing the receiver and his interest in playing for the Browns. Beckham was traded to the Browns in March one year into a five-year, $95 million extension he signed with the Giants. Mayfield has welcomed Beckham with open arms ahead of his 2019 debut, with the team hoping the receiver is the final piece for a playoff push. Last season as a rookie Mayfield (27 touchdowns, 3,725 passing yards) guided the Browns to seven wins in a turnaround season. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Baker Mayfield bashes Giants fans in defense of Odell Beckham Jr.


SAN DIEGO   Two men died and two others sustained life-threatening injuries after jumping off a 75-foot bridge following a single-vehicle crash on state Route 56 late Tuesday, authorities said. Another two occupants of the car ran off after the crash, which was reported to authorities about 11 p.m., a California Highway Patrol sergeant said. CHP Sgt. Brent Lowry said it appears the people in the car were unfamiliar with area and that four of them jumped the wall "not realizing they were on a bridge, and fell into the canyon below." The six people had been inside a 2012 blue Nissan Altima that spun out and crashed into a railing on a bridge on eastbound SR-56 near Carmel Valley Road, Lowry told reporters, including San Diego News Video. He said the car ended up in the traffic lanes, with vehicles coming at it. Lowry said six people may have gotten "out of the car to get out of the lanes so they didn't get hit by another car." Crews reached the men and found that two had died. The other two were taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, a dispatcher said.


The Carolina Panthers had a strong 2019 draft class according to most analysts. They addressed their needs on the edge and at left tackle and added a very promising backup quarterback. At least in theory. How these players will work out at the next level is anybody's guess. For every slam dunk draft pick like Julius Peppers, there's at least one total failure like Jimmy Clausen. For what it's worth, Pro Football Focus gave good grades for several of Carolina's picks last season. Here's their 2018 grades, beginning with EDGE Brian Burns. Carolina #Panthers 2019 draft class with @PFF 's grades: No. 16 - Brian Burns - 87.2 overall grade No. 37 - Greg Little - 75.8 No. 100 - Will Grier - 91.1 No. 115 - Christian Miller - 80.3 No. 154 - Jordan Scarlett - 77.7 No. 212 - Dennis Daley - 66.1 No. 237 - Terry Godwin - 73.8 - PFF CAR Panthers (@PFF_Panthers) April 27, 2019 Keep in mind this was a totally different level of competition, so expect some dropoff as these rookies adjust to life in the NFL. That being said, we have high expectations for Burns, Grier and Miller. If that holds and one of their late-round picks hits, then this could turn out to be one of the better draft classes the Panthers have had. MORE: Shaq's line after threatening to knock out Charles Barkley had Ernie Johnson in tears Roundup: Billboard Music Awards Fashion, Eddie Vedder Takes Batting Practice, SuperDome Renovation PFF: Packers got a draft steal in DL Kingsley Keke Should the Raiders consider trading for Cowboys OL La'el Collins? Giants will benefit from Daniel Jones' smarts, speed and accuracy


Switzerland's national anthem is not the most popular tune. The Swiss Psalm was first written in 1841, has been described as a cross between a hymn and a weather forecast, and has religious lyrics seen as far too pious for the increasingly secular country. ("When the Alps glow bright with splendor / pray to God, to Him surrender," for instance.) Last year, the Swiss Society for the Common Good (SSCG, an association designed to promote "societal participation") decided to take action, and organized a competition to find a new anthem. More than 200 entries were submitted to a team of 30 judges, including a yodelling expert, a theology professor, and a slam poet. They selected six songs as semi-finalists. Next, each of the entries had to be translated so there would be a version in all four of Switzerland's official languages German, French, Romansh, and Italian. That was "the most difficult job in my professional life", translator Odile Nerfin told swissinfo . "It was not only a text; it was also a melody. And I had to imagine how difficult it would be for people to sing this anthem together. It was really a hard job." In March, the Swiss public took to the internet to vote for their favourite submissions, and whittled the options down to three finalists. And after a second round of voting over the summer, the winner was finally announced on Saturday (Sept. 12). The Swiss voted for slight change rather than radical transformation, and have chosen an anthem (link to the four versions) with the same melody but different lyrics. "Hoisted up there in the wind, our red and white flag calls us to unity," is one line from the winning entry. But after all that, Switzerland still doesn't officially have a new national anthem. Only the Swiss government can make a formal decision, and may choose to hold a parliamentary vote. Jean-Daniel Gerber, chairman of SSCG, is happy to wait. "It will take time," he told AFP (link in French).


The Day in Sports: Tuesday, May 28, 2019 MLB: San Diego Padres at New York Yankees San Diego Padres third baseman Greg Garcia (5) gets the force out on New York Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner (11) and turns the double play to end the game during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Tennis: French Open Paris, Madison Keys (USA) in action during her match against Evgeniya Rodina (RUS) on day three of the 2019 French Open at Stade Roland Garros. NFL: Cincinnati Cincinnati Bengals safety Demetrious Cox (37) works out on the side during Cincinnati Bengals organized team activities practice, Tuesday, May 28, 2019, at practice fields next to Paul Brown Stadium. Cincinnati Bengals Ota 5 28 201 MLB: Pittsburgh Pirates at Cincinnati Reds Cincinnati Reds first baseman Derek Dietrich (22) hits his second two run home run of the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fifth inning at Great American Ball Park. NFL: Cincinnati Cincinnati Bengals stretch during Cincinnati Bengals organized team activities practice, Tuesday, May 28, 2019, at practice fields next to Paul Brown Stadium. Cincinnati Bengals Ota 5 28 201 MLB: Pittsburgh Pirates at Cincinnati Reds Cincinnati Reds first baseman Derek Dietrich (22) is congratulated in the dugout after hitting his third two run home run of the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the seventh inning at Great American Ball Park. NFL: Oakland Raiders-OTA Oakland Raiders receiver Antonio Brown (84) looks on during organized team activities at the Raiders practice facility. MLB: Arizona Diamondbacks at Colorado Rockies Colorado Rockies left fielder Raimel Tapia (15) slides safely into second base ahead of a tag by Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed (13) in the fourth inning at Coors Field. MLB: Detroit Tigers at Baltimore Orioles A fan sits in the left field bleachers during the fifth inning of the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Detroit Tigers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Tennis: French Open Paris, Naomi Osaka (JPN) in action during her match against Anna Schmiedlova (SVK) on day three of the 2019 French Open at Stade Roland Garros. MLB: Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays Tampa Bay Rays designated hitter Avisail Garcia (24) celebrates as he slides in to home plate after hitting an inside the park home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the third inning at Tropicana Field.


Two Louisville metro police officers went the extra mile to cheer up a 7-year-old boy. According to police, the boy had to go to the hospital last week after someone pushed him down and stole his new bike. Upon receiving a call on the incident, Officer Huffman put a description out on the radio, and Officer Marshall saw a person matching the description headed towards Jackson Street. The officers found the bike dumped behind a house. They then took it to Norton Children's Hospital to return it to the boy and his mother. By the looks of the picture, he was overjoyed. READ MORE: LMPD officers find boy's stolen bike, surprise him with it at hospital CHECK OUT WLKY: Live. Local. Late-Breaking. Get the top Louisville news, weather and sports from the team at WLKY   online, anytime.


Blake Bortles has played in some big games during his career. He'll play in a few more this summer, though not of the magnitude of the three playoff games he played two years ago. This preseason is a crucial one for him as he aims to earn a starting job again next year. That was his goal all along when he decided to sign a one-year, $1 million deal with the Rams. It wasn't to come in and take Jared Goff's job. He wanted to join a Super Bowl contender with a wizard of a coach and a system that he felt fit his skill set. Bortles' most recent tape from 2018 was abysmal. His mechanics were off, his accuracy was absent and his decision-making wasn't great, either. In just 12 starts, he had 13 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions with a passer rating of 79.8. Now with the Rams, Bortles has at most four games to prove he deserves to be a starter in 2020. Essentially, this is an audition for 31 other teams. He's excited about the chance to play Saturday against the Raiders, giving him the chance to once again show he can be a quality starter. "I look forward to it. It's an opportunity for me to get a new resume on tape and for us, the guys to get an opportunity to play to go and kind of build that resume and get some good plays and some good work on tape and get a little bit of game-like atmosphere," Bortles said this week. "These joint practices are as close as you can possibly get to that without actually playing in a game. To get some of that, it's good for me and good for everybody and I'm excited about it." Consistency has been an issue for Bortles throughout his career. As a rookie, he threw 11 touchdown passes and 17 interceptions. The following year, he erupted for 35 touchdowns but still threw 18 picks. In 2017, the year he led the Jaguars to a 10-6 record - with a lot of help from his defense - Bortles threw 21 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions, seemingly taking a step in the right direction. He regressed sharply last season, reverting back to his poor mechanics and struggling with turnovers. The hope is that McVay and the Rams' terrific coaching staff can fix some of his issues and put him in a position to impress during the preseason. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo) McVay has met all expectations in Bortles' eyes, and the QB has come away excited about playing in his system. "It's been good. It's an unbelievable system," Bortles said. "Obviously, with the things they've done in the past couple years offensively, the numbers that they've put up previously, it's no mystery why I should get in and get involved and see the way things are coached in the schemes and how everything's taught and the way it's run and the accountability and ownership the guys take in it. It's pretty special." Bortles is expected to play a few series against the Raiders tonight, but the plan for the rest of the preseason remains to be seen. He's essentially a lock to be Jared Goff's backup, so the Rams may not need to see much from him in these exhibition games. That being said, Goff won't play in the preseason, so there will only be three quarterbacks taking snaps: Bortles, Brandon Allen and John Wolford. Bortles should have plenty of time to show he's improved as he aims to get back in the starting club next season. MORE: Browns mob touchdown scorer who slept outside a gym during tryouts Studs and duds from Packers' 28-26 win over Texans in preseason opener Steelers LB Devin Bush more than advertised in rookie debut Four potential Carmelo Anthony landing spots in free agency Vikings QBs shine in 34-25 preseason win over Saints


BEIJING (AP)   China said Wednesday it was banning trips by individual Chinese travelers to Taiwan, citing the current state of relations with the democratically governed island, in what appears to be another move to increase financial and diplomatic pressure on the island to force it to endorse Beijing's position that Taiwan is Chinese territory. The one-sentence notice Wednesday from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said such trips would be suspended from Thursday "in light of the current relations between the two sides." It said nothing about suspending trips by Chinese as members of tour groups. China had only permitted individual travel to Taiwan by residents of 47 major cities. All others had to apply for permission through selected travel agencies and travel on group tours. It's unclear what effect the move would have on the Taiwanese tourism industry, which also draws large numbers of visitors from South Korea, Japan and Southeast Asia, attracted by its many beaches, lush mountains and famed street food. China cut off all contact with the independence-leaning government of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wei shortly after her 2016 election and has discouraged tourism while working to poach away Taiwan's handful of remaining diplomatic allies and block its participation at international gatherings. The reduction in group tours had sparked appeals for government assistance from those working at the lower spectrum of the travel industry. China has also ratcheted up its threat to annex Taiwan by military force, prompting the island's armed forces this week to hold two days of live-fire drills coinciding with Chinese military exercises on the mainland coast facing the island. Taiwan's defense ministry said the drills at the Jiuping base in the southernmost county of Pingtung included testing 12 types of missiles with ranges of up to 250 kilometers (155 miles), long enough to reach targets in the mainland interior. Ministry Deputy Chief of Staff Li Chao Ming said Tuesday a total of 117 projectiles were fired with an accuracy rate of more than 95 percent but declined to identify the missiles by name. Two of the air force's F-16 fighter jets also fired AGM-Harpoon missiles that hit a pair of decommissioned landing ships, Li said. Taiwan's largest annual Han Kuang drills held in May featured indigenously developed weapons including the Sky Bow I and Sky Bow II air defense missiles and the Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missile. Taiwan relies on a layered-defensive posture that includes attacking invading forces at sea, in the air, and as they attempt to land along a very limited section of coastline suitable for such an operation. China's state media said the mainland's forces are holding four days of drills through Thursday along the coasts of Zhejiang and Fujian provinces, which face the democratically governed island. Few details have been given, although footage carried by state broadcaster CCTV showed missiles being fired and beaches being assaulted by amphibious tanks and landing craft, along with interviews with officers from the 74th Group Army based in the southern province of Guangzhou. China's People's Liberation Army is not a national army but rather the military branch of the ruling Communist Party and at a reception to celebrate the 92nd anniversary of the PLA's founding, which is Thursday, Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe vowed the armed forces would always uphold the party's "absolute leadership." "There is only one China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory," the official Xinhua News Agency quoted Wei as saying, pledging that the PLA will "firmly safeguard national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity." China has been alarmed by signs of increased military support for Taiwan from the U.S., which despite lacking formal diplomatic ties with Taipei, is bound by law to ensure the island has a credible defense against attack. The State Department earlier in July approved a potential sale of $2.2 billion in arms to Taiwan, including Abrams tanks and Stinger missiles. Members of Congress have 30 days to object to the sale but are unlikely to do so given the strong bipartisan support the island enjoys in the body and anti-China sentiment.


By Luke Baker and Ossian Shine PARIS (Reuters) - Roger Federer's gripping four-set victory over friend and compatriot Stan Wawrinka has set up a tantalizing semi-final showdown with clay-court king Rafael Nadal, the 39th meeting between two of the most successful players of all time. But for Swedish seven-times Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander it's still not the most intense rivalry in this stand out era of men's tennis, during which three of the greatest men's players in history have pushed each other to the limit. "For sure Nadal and Djokovic," said Wilander when asked which of the rivalries in this phenomenal generation have been the most fascinating. "I find that Roger and Rafa's, their rivalry has nearly been overshadowed by the two contrasts in style and the fact that they seem to be so completely different when they are on court," the Eurosport commentator told Reuters. "At one point their rivalry was pretty one-sided, and it seems like it's been pretty one-sided on one side for a period and then the other side for a period... Right now Roger is beating him every time, at least in the last two years. "So I think that Nadal and Djokovic is probably the most interesting because it's so even and anything can happen on any surface." Federer, Nadal and Novak Djokovic have won 52 Grand Slam singles titles between them, a total that far outstrips earlier generations of intense rivalry, such as the Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi era of the 1990s, the Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors' clashes of the 1970s and early 1980s, or the Australian domination of Rod Laver and Roy Emerson in the 1960s. While Federer has dominated on grass and hardcourts in assembling his 20 Grand Slams, and Nadal has racked up an astonishing 11 French Open championships among his 17, Djokovic is arguably showing the greatest flexibility across surfaces. "Of course Rafa has an advantage on clay and Novak has an advantage on hard courts, but there's very few matches I walk out there and think, Novak is winning for sure, or Rafa is winning for sure," said Wilander. Top seed Djokovic will have a chance to earn his place in the semi-finals on Wednesday when he takes on 22-year-old German fifth seed Alexander Zverev on Court Philippe-Chatrier. Austrian fourth seed Dominic Thiem, 25, will face hard-hitting Russian Karen Khachanov, 23, in the fourth quarter-final. If Djokovic and Thiem prevail, it will mean the top four men's seeds will face off in the semi-finals -- further cementing the intensity of the rivalry among the top echelon. NEW GENERATION But even though this supreme era of competition will naturally end -- Federer looks strong at 37 but few players have managed to compete seriously at 40, while Nadal and Djokovic are 33 and 32 respectively -- another talented generation is emerging and promises to deliver more great rivalries. Wilander mentioned Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas and Canada's Denis Shapovalov, both 20-years-old, emerging U.S. star Frances Tiafoe, 21, Zverev and Khachanov among the host of talent with a variety of playing styles who are pushing at the door. "I think that in a weird way the contrast in styles that are coming up and even in the way that they play, the reason is Roger, Rafa and Novak," he said, saying the extended dominance of those three had shaped the coming generation. "I actually don't know" who's going to emerge as the next great head-to-head showdown, said Wilander. "But I think the rivalries are going to be really interesting." (Writing by Luke Baker; Editing by Christian Radnedge)


With drums and with flower garlands, with wizard hats and with warm coats, up to 10,000 celebrants are expected to converge on England 's Stonehenge to observe the summer solstice. When this 4,500-year-old Neolithic monument opens to the public at 7 p.m. on June 20, the gathered crowds will be carrying on a tradition whose origins go back to prehistory. For this mysterious ring of standing stones, some nine meters high, is an early marvel of engineering, with a design offering evidence of the dawn of astronomy. Waiting for dawn June 21 is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. At 4.52 a.m. on Friday, the sun will rise above Stonehenge's Heel Stone, which stands on the avenue leading up to the monument's Stone Circle. The morning rays will shine directly into the center of the site. It's a spectacular display of precision building that dates to a time before writing, before the wheel, before spirit levels, and before it was even known that our planet was round and in orbit around our sun. On the winter solstice, on December 22, the effect is reversed, with the view from the avenue being of the sunrise shining through the stones on the opposite side. In this ancient world, the changing of the seasons and the cyclical nature of growth, death and rebirth were the most essential truths, upon which the balance of life itself was hung. And it's this powerful connection to the pagan past that still draws people to the site today. Prehistoric marvel Stonehenge has been the subject of study for hundreds of years, but we still aren't certain why it was built, or how these stones -- weighing an average of 25 tons -- were transported here to what's now the English county of Wiltshire. The outer ring of stones, known as the bluestones, traveled 240 kilometers from the Preseli Hills in southwest Wales, probably making most of the journey by boat -- a huge undertaking in a time before the wheel or pulley systems. One of the most popular theories is that the megaliths were slowly rolled here along a track of logs. That it was a site of huge ritual significance is clear. Cremated human remains have also been found, suggesting that it may have been a burial site for high-born Stone Age people. Huge complex The site itself is a massive 2,600 hectares (6,500 acres), or seven-and-a-half-times bigger than New York's Central Park. In March 2019, evidence was uncovered that the Late Neolithic complexes around Stonehenge were hosting celebrations as long ago as 2,800 BC, drawing people and animals from hundreds of miles away to join in the feasting. Last year, Stonehenge celebrated 100 years of public ownership, after landowner Cecil Chub gave it to the British nation in October 1918, allowing crucial maintenance work to take place on a site that had fallen into disrepair. It was only in the 20th century that interest in Stonehenge's significance as a religious center rose again. The crowds who gather there tonight will be a mix of the druid, the pagan, the countercultural, and the curious. Respect the stones It might be an all-night party, but there will be no alcohol and no amplified music -- just chanting, drumming and good vibes. Visitors for the solstice celebrations are allowed access to the full site, including the inner circle. Climbing or standing on the stones is forbidden, and English Heritage, who run the site, encourage visitors to come by public transport to cut down on traffic and parking issues, and reduce emissions. The site is open from 7 p.m. from 8 a.m. on Friday, when it'll be cleared and prepared for the regular day's admissions in the afternoon. The forecast for sunrise on June 21 is currently 8 C (46 F) and clear. If recent years are anything to go by, the crowds that gather in 2019 to welcome the dawn will do so with arms aloft, reverently holding that most 21st-century of totems, the smartphone.


Welcome to Day 3 of Denver Broncos training camp! The Broncos will practice from 9:15 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 20 at UCHealth Training Center (13655 E Broncos Pkwy, Englewood, CO 80112). Free parking will be available beginning at 7:00 a.m. and gates to the practice facility will open at 8:00 a.m. Lawn chairs are not permitted and shade is limited so fans are encouraged to wear proper headwear and footwear - staying hydrated is also important. Some players will be available to sign autographs after practice at the west end of the practice fields. Here's a look at the team's 2019 training camp schedule: Date Day Time 7/18 Thursday 9:15 a.m.-12 7/19 Friday 9:15 a.m.-12 7/20 Saturday 9:15 a.m.-12 7/21 Sunday 9:15 a.m.-12 7/22 Monday 9:15 a.m.-12 7/24 Wednesday 2-4:45 p.m. 7/25 Thursday 9:15 a.m.-12 7/26 Friday 9:15 a.m.-12 7/27 Saturday 2:15-4:15 7/29 Monday 2-4:45 p.m. 7/30 Tuesday 9:15 a.m.-12 8/3 Saturday 2-4:45 p.m. 8/4 Sunday 9:15 a.m.-12 8/5 Monday 9:15 a.m.-12 8/6 Tuesday 9:15 a.m.-12 8/10 Saturday 2-4:45 p.m. 8/11 Sunday 9:15 a.m.-12 8/12 Monday 9:15 a.m.-12 8/13 Tuesday 9:15 a.m.-12 The practice on July 21 will take place on Alzheimer's Awareness Day and fans in attendance will be encouraged to wear purple. The practice on July 27 will take place at Broncos Stadium at Mile High. For more information about attending practice, click here . MORE: Angler defies odds, lands truly enormous halibut Is Tacko Fall an NBA player? Here is the case for why... and why not One bold prediction for each NFL team in 2019 Dallas Goedert gives some insight into his relationship with Zach Ertz What made Bills hiring of Ken Dorsey a crucial hiring


ST. LOUIS   The St. Louis Blues players are trying not to think about how they have a chance tonight to win the first Stanley Cup in the franchise's 52-year history. But it is hard not to. "It's incredible how many amazing teams that have been here and haven't won," Blues center Ryan O'Reilly said. "Looking at it now having that opportunity, seeing this group in here, seeing the city behind it. It's amazing." The Blues lead 3-2 in the best-of-seven NHL championship series going into tonight's Game 6 at the Enterprise Center (8 p.m., ET, NBC). Injured Blues forward Robert Thomas might be ready to play. It will be a game-time decision. Blues forward Ivan Barbashev will miss Game 6 with an NHL-imposed one game suspension for a high hit against Boston's Marcus Johansson in Game 5. Before this playoff run, the Blues had not even been to the Stanley Cup Final since 1970. What makes the Blues' playoff run more improbable is that they were in last place out 31 NHL teams on Jan. 2. "It's tough to put into words," O'Reilly said. "Just running into random people around the city and how excited they are. Season ticket-holders for thirty-plus years. Their excitement. It's so much more beyond the (players)." The city of St. Louis has become enthralled with the Blues' chase of the Cup. Many former Blues players have come in for playoff games. Actors Jon Hamms, from St. Louis, has attended games, along with St. Louis native actor Scott Bakula actress and Jenna Fischer, who grew up in St. Louis. One St. Louis fan, Scott Berry, can win $100,000 if the Blues win the Stanley Cup because he placed a $400 bet in Las Vegas when the Blues were a 250-1 shot to win the Cup last January. If the Blues win, they will become the third first-time Stanley Cup champion since 2012. The Los Angeles Kings, who entered the NHL the same year as the Blues, won their first Cup in 2012 and the Washington Capitals, who entered the NHL in 1974, won their first Cup last June. The NHL's longest Stanley Cup drought is owned by the Toronto Maple Leafs who haven't won the Cup since 1966-67, the season before the Blues joined the NHL. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Stanley Cup Final: Blues can end 52-year championship drought in Game 6 Related slideshow: 2019 Stanley Cup Final (provided by imagn)


When MLB games end, it's customary for teams to post the final score on Twitter, regardless of the result. The Detroit Tigers went another way after a blowout loss. The Tigers were humiliated by the Oakland Athletics on Thursday, losing 17-3. Rather than post the final score, they gave us a picture of an adorable dog. Oh look, a dog. pic.twitter.com/2INiuglk4r   Detroit Tigers (@tigers) May 16, 2019 It's tough (though judging by some of the responses, not impossible) to be too mad after seeing that picture. The loss clearly didn't do anything to dull Detroit's sense of humor. In fact, it might have made it even better. If nothing else, the Tigers know how to laugh at themselves. For their sake, we hope they don't have to prove it after losses like this too often.


The Colts shuffled the roster Wednesday, adding two and subtracting two. The team announced the signings of center Daniel Munyer and running back Aca'Cedric Ware. To make room for them on the roster, they waived defensive end Dadi Nicolas and guard Nico Siragusa . Munyer has played in 16 games during stints with the Cardinals and Chiefs. He started one game for the Cards last season. Ware went through the team's rookie minicamp as a tryout player, as an undrafted rookie from Southern Cal. Nicolas and Siragusa were both signed by the Colts this offseason. They also removed wide receiver Daurice Fountain from the non-football injury list, and placed running back Spencer Ware on the active/PUP list.