Editor's note: The opinions in this article are the author's, as published by our content partner, and do not necessarily represent the views of MSN or Microsoft. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cancelled a scheduled visit with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday to make an unplanned stopover in Baghdad, where he delivered a dramatic message to the Iraqi government about the need to protect Americans on Iraqi soil. Citing recent intelligence that Iran was planning "imminent" attacks on U.S. persons or U.S. assets in Iraq , Pompeo said that Iranian forces in the country were "escalating their activity" and that the U.S. had "very specific" intelligence indicating that Iran was planning attacks on Americans in the very near future. It's rare for the U.S. government to cite recent intelligence information, but in this case the intelligence appears to have been so specific and the threats so imminent that our senior most national security officials felt confident in tipping their hand to the Iranians. Because they knew that the Iranians already suspected the worst. On April 19, a respected Iranian internet news agency reported that Iran's Supreme Leader had just fired the intelligence chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) after "classified documents and information leaked to Israel and the U.S. regarding Iran's nuclear program and secret missile bases." The fired intelligence chief, Brig. Gen. Ali Nasiri, was said to have taken refuge in a U.S. embassy or consulate in a nearby Persian Gulf state, where he turned over sensitive documents and intelligence information to the Americans. Nasiri is arguably the highest-ranking IRGC official ever to have defected to the West or Israel. As intelligence chief, he had access to the darkest secrets of Iran's nuclear weapons development program. He knows where the long-rumored secret uranium enrichment facilities were located, because his men were in charge of guarding them. He may also know the whereabouts of former FBI Agent Bob Levinson, who was kidnapped by the IRGC while visiting Kish island on March 9, 2007 and is long-rumored to be held in a secret IRGC prison in Iran or possibly Afghanistan. Just days after Nasiri's defection became public, Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad-Zarif traveled to the United States and announced that he had been instructed by the regime to negotiate a "prisoner swap" with the United States, exchanging the four known Americans held in Iran for Iranians jailed in the United States for violating U.S. export control laws. Nasiri also knows about covert IRGC networks in Iraq, and about Quds Force operational plans to target U.S. persons and facilities in Iraq and the Persian Gulf more generally. However, the United States has a checkered track record of exploiting intelligence from Iranian defectors. In early 2007, an activist affiliated with my organization, the Foundation for Democracy in Iran, played a role in helping Brig. Gen. Alireza Asgari defect from Turkey to the United States. Asgari had helped set up Iran's military and intelligence networks in Lebanon during the 1980s and retired as a deputy defense minister, where he had access to many of Iran's nuclear secrets. By all accounts, Asgari was the source of dramatic new information about Iran's nuclear program that the CIA claimed compelled it to make last-minute alterations on a December 2007 National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iran. The NIE asserted that based on the defector's information, the CIA now believed that Iran had shut down key parts of its nuclear weapons program in 2003. But that is not what Asgari actually told the CIA. Asgari's information, which was immediately classified by the CIA, was kept so close hold that even staffers on the House Permanent Select Intelligence Committee at the time were not allowed access to it. That lack of access prompted them to write a counter-report, pointing to many failures in the NIE assessment that Iran had shuttered its nuclear weapons program. But we know what Asgari actually told the CIA from two sources: first, from the Iranian activist who helped him to defect in 2007, who I remained in close contact with; second from another Iranian defector, Hamid Reza Zakeri, who was told by a handler in the French intelligence service that Asgari's information was so sensitive it had been personally briefed to then-President Nicolas Sarkozy, prompting him to call for enhanced United Nations sanctions on Iran. National Security Adviser John Bolton has a long history of dealing with intelligence reports that have been falsified or skewed by politically-motivated analysts. His confirmation as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations was derailed in 2006 because of his skepticism of State Department intelligence analysts who downplayed other U.S. intelligence relating to Cuba's biological weapons development. Thankfully, with Bolton at the White House and Pompeo at the State Department, the Trump administration has been able to capitalize on in-time intelligence threat reporting from this latest defector from Iran. Their approach undoubtedly has saved U.S. lives in Iraq and perhaps elsewhere in the region. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM KENNETH TIMMERMAN


PROVIDENCE   When Myles Powell usually sees Alpha Diallo, or Ty-Shon Alexander matches up with David Duke, smiles and hugs aren't exchanged very often. This week is different. The Big East basketball rivals are all wearing the same jerseys and they're emblazoned with "USA" across the front as they compete for spots on the United States' entry in the Pan American Games. With double-session practices and an exhibition game on Wednesday, the players say they're learning tons about each other. "It's all good guys here and a lot of us are pretty much the same player," said Powell, the high-scoring Seton Hall guard who will earn preseason All-America mention. "We know we can all put the ball in the hole, so now it's just about trying to win a gold medal. This is the group of guys we can do it with." There are five Providence College players among the 15 candidates. Ed Cooley is the team's head coach with Seton Hall's Kevin Willard and Brown's Mike Martin serving as assistants. The group will train through Friday in Providence and leave for Lima, Peru, over the weekend. "We play each other all year and have scouting reports, so we kind of already knew everyone," said PC's Duke. "Now you see what they can really do but it's also about bonding on and off the court, learning about each other. It's a fun experience." Cooley accepted an offer from Big East leadership to coach the team. He's had experience with USA Basketball teams before, as an assistant coach. Now he'll lead a team abroad and the task won't be an easy one. The basketball portion of the Pan Am Games had undergone many changes over the years with the USA team no longer stacked with All-Americans who hoped to parlay a strong showing into a berth on the Olympic team. Once NBA players were added to the Olympic mix, the Pan Am team suffered. The last gold medal won by the Americans came in 1983 by a team that featured Big East stars Chris Mullin and Ed Pinckney and a guard from North Carolina named Michael Jordan. But in 2003 and '07 the United States finished fourth and fifth, respectively. USA Basketball has tried several avenues to field stronger teams with the 2015 team coached by Gonzaga's Mark Few claiming a bronze medal with a team of seven collegians and five second-tier pros. This time the Big East expressed an interest in sending its own "all-star" team to the Games. It's a welcome experience for players such as Creighton's Alexander, one of the top underclass guards in the country. "I want to see how we come together and try to win a gold medal for the first time in like 30 years," the junior said. "It doesn't hurt that I played against everybody a lot. Everybody on this team is very talented, so it's great to have everyone together and now get to see how we all can play together." The dynamic of seeing your rivals up close and personal for extended practice sessions opens some eyes. Powell, for example, didn't realized how long and athletic PC's Duke is. "Coach (Cooley) had him do an alley-oop off the backboard yesterday and I didn't know he could get up like that," Powell said. The team is catching a bit of a break in the composition of the Pan Am tournament. Brazil (gold) and Canada (silver), the two top teams in 2015, are not sending teams to Peru. The participants include Argentina, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Venezuela and the Virgin Islands along with the United States. The USA will face Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Venezuela in pool play. "We have to play teams that have been together two, three, four years," Cooley said, "and we will be the youngest team over there. Our hands will be full but we're excited." On a negative note, new Friar Luwane Pipkins did not participate in Monday's workout due to a sore knee and may not be healthy enough to travel with the team. "It's all up to the doctor and Coach Cooley with what they decide to do with me," Pipkins said. "I'm just trying to get healthy and stay healthy. It's unfortunate not to play with these guys, but it is what it is." On Wednesday at 6 p.m. the team will play an exhibition against a collection of collegians that includes Notre Dame star John Mooney, Syracuse's Buddy Boeheim and Bryant's Juan Cardenas and Ikenna Ndugba. Cooley won gold medals as an assistant coach in the World Junior Championships. He's hoping his fourth international team can do the same. "Anytime you have an opportunity to represent our country it's something very unique, something special," Cooley said. "As we're trying to tell the guys, anytime you can hear the National Anthem on foreign soil and be a gold-medal winner, it's priceless."     ©2019 The Providence Journal (Providence, R.I.) Visit The Providence Journal (Providence, R.I.) at www.projo.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


How well can the Gladiator tow, and how much does fuel economy suffer as a result? The Fast Lane Truck has extensively tested the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon off-road. The Gladiator Rubicon has faced off against both the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison and the Ford Ranger FX4 , and has come out on top both times. The Gladiator has proven its worth off-road many times over. However, what separates the Gladiator from the Wrangler is that pick-up bed. After all, this is a truck, and many buyers will expect it to behave like one. This latest test from The Fast Lane Truck takes place entirely on pavement, and will give us an idea of how well this Jeep can tow. More Jeep Gladiator News: Jeep Gladiator Gets Insanely Low $143 Per Month Lease Deal Jeep Gladiator JT Scrambler Concept Takes A Stroll Off-Road Traditionally, the downfall of the average midsize pickup has been its towing capacity. In many cases, even if the truck in question is rated for a certain weight, fuel economy suffers tremendously and the driving experience is miserable as the truck feels overloaded even well below its intended towing capacity. The Gladiator is rated to tow up to 7,000 pounds. The enclosed trailer in the video is around 4,300 pounds, well below the maximum. The goal isn't to see how much the Gladiator can tow, but instead, what fuel economy can be expected by an average consumer towing an average load. Initial results show a drop of just about 1" in the rear suspension. Not a bad start to the test. Accelerating from a stop on an on-ramp, the loaded-down Gladiator takes just over 21 seconds to accelerate to 60 miles per hour, using every foot of available space on the ramp before merging with traffic. Not too great, and one of the hosts comments that the 3.6 liter V6 could use more torque. The slab-sided body of the Gladiator makes it a bit more sensitive to wind, especially while towing. The truck doesn't seem to want to be pushed around too much, though, and interior sound levels are bearable, if a bit on the high side. That's understandable, considering that the Gladiator has removable roof panels. Things aren't all bad, though   the ride is said to be very comfortable with the trailer attached. Score one for the Gladiator! While the Gladiator is rated at 22 miles per gallon on the highway, obviously the addition of a 4,300 pound trailer will affect the fuel economy significantly. How significantly, you may ask? After roughly 100 miles, the truck is filled again, and, according to the calculator, the Gladiator delivered 8.5 miles per gallon. That's not great, but it's actually comparable to the numbers put up by similar midsize trucks in the same test. While the Gladiator may not be the best at everything it does, it's more than good enough where it really counts. If we had to pick a midsize pickup to add to our personal fleet, the Gladiator is still comfortably at the top of our list. Source: The Fast Lane Truck on YouTube


Texans safety Justin Reid tweeted that he is sore and bruised after a scary wreck Saturday night. Reid said he was rear-ended by a drunk driver, but nobody was seriously injured. "I feel better than I do sometimes after football games," Reid tweeted, adding an "LOL." He realizes, though, that it is no laughing matter and said he feels lucky to escape mostly unharmed. "Makes me think about the Cam Newton crash from a couple of years ago," Reid wrote. "Scary stuff. Make good decisions out there on the road!" The Texans have big plans for Reid after Andre Hal's retirement and Reid's solid rookie season. Reid played all 16 games with 12 starts in 2018 after the Texans made him a third-round choice.


Goldman Sachs analyst Neil Mehta reinstated Chevron as a buy and added it to the firm's "Americas Conviction List," saying he supports the oil giant's capital discipline in its decision to walk away from the purchase of Anadarko Petroleum . Anadarko terminated its merger agreement with Chevron and accepted Occidental Petroleum's $38 billion offer to buy the energy company. Chevron will get a $1 billion breakup fee, and plans to increase its share buyback program to $5 billion a year. "Following the termination of the Chevron-Anadarko signed merger agreement ... our $144 12-month P/E, EV/DACF and dividend yield based target implies 24% total return. We acknowledge that our positive view on Chevron could be met with increased investor debate and look to address the following areas of potential investor queries in this report," Goldman stated. Mehta said in a note to clients that the Anadarko deal was likely an "opportunistic approach" rather than a "defensive pursuit needed to bridge gaps in the company's portfolio." Mehta also turned bullish on Chevron due to the company's free cash flow generation and strong capital returns program, according to Bloomberg. His target on the company's stock is $4 above the consensus of $140; Chevron has 20 buys, eight holds and no sell ratings, according to Bloomberg. Chevron was rising slightly Wednesday to $121.75. This article was originally published by TheStreet .


Pirates reliever Keone Kela has been out since May 4 because of right shoulder inflammation, though he may finally be moving toward a return. The team announced that Kela's likely to start a rehab assignment at the Triple-A level Saturday. This is the second time Kela has begun a rehab stint since he landed on the injured list. However, Kela's previous attempt came to a halt May 31 because of a setback   one that has shelved him for another month and a half to this point. The shoulder woes added to a less-than-ideal early season start for Kela, who yielded six earned runs on 11 hits and four walks (with 11 strikeouts) in 11 2/3 innings before the Pirates shut him down. Those subpar numbers came with a slight velocity drop for Kela   after averaging almost 97 mph on his fastball from 2017-18, it has clocked in just below 96 mph this year. His curveball and changeup have also lost some pep in comparison to the previous two seasons. The Pirates are almost exactly a year from acquiring Kela, whom they got from the Rangers last July 31 for left-handed pitching prospect Taylor Hearn and young infielder Sherten Apostel . Kela was terrific for the Pirates over a small sample in 2018, and came into this year having logged quality production in each season but one (2016) since making his major league debut in 2015. The usual version of Kela would be a welcome late-season addition for the Pirates, who   despite an unimposing 44-47 record   are a surmountable 4 1/2 games back in the National League Central and three behind a wild-card spot in the NL. Along with issuing an update on Kela, the Pirates announced that injured infielder Erik Gonzalez had to stop his rehab because of a left hamstring strain. It's a new injury for the 27-year-old Gonzalez, who has been down since undergoing surgery on a fractured left clavicle April 25. Gonzalez, acquired from the Indians in a trade for outfielder Jordan Luplow and infielder Max Moroff in the offseason, opened 2019 as Pittsburgh's starting shortstop prior to his injury. But the Pirates have since seen rookie Kevin Newman post eye-opening production at the position, calling into question whether the out-of-options, light-hitting Gonzalez will have a place on their roster if and when he does return this year.


Curious just how far your dollar goes in Fort Worth? We've rounded up the latest places for rent via rental sites Zumper and Apartment Guide to get a sense of what to expect when it comes to hunting down affordable apartments in Fort Worth with a budget of $1,600/month. Take a peek at what rentals the city has to offer, below. (Note: Prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 4328 Centreport Drive First, there's this two-bedroom, two-bathroom residence situated at 4328 Centreport Drive. It's listed for $1,509/month for its 1,080 square feet. Building amenities include a swimming pool, a fitness center and garage parking. In the residence, you'll see granite countertops and a balcony. Cats and dogs are permitted. There's no leasing fee required for this rental. According to Walk Score, this location requires a car for most errands, offers minimal bike infrastructure and has some transit options. (See the complete listing here .) 555 Elm St. Here's an 842-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom spot at 555 Elm St. that's going for $1,414/month. You can expect a walk-in closet, a dishwasher and hardwood flooring in the unit. The building boasts a fitness center. Pet lovers are in luck: Cats and dogs are welcome. According to Walk Score, this location is moderately suitable for walking, is very convenient for biking and offers many nearby public transportation options. (Check out the complete listing here .) 1001 W. Seventh St. (Upper West Side) Next, check out this 761-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom spot that's located at 1001 W. Seventh St. It's listed for $1,514/month. The building offers garage parking and a fitness center. The unit also has a fireplace and a walk-in closet. Luckily for pet owners, both dogs and cats are permitted. According to Walk Score's assessment, the surrounding area is friendly for those on foot and bicycle, and offers good transit options. (Take a look at the complete listing here .) 4200 Bridgeview Drive, #623T Located at 4200 Bridgeview Drive, #623T, there's a three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment that's listed for $1,514/month. Cats and dogs are not permitted. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental. According to Walk Score's assessment, the surrounding area is somewhat suitable for walking, is quite convenient for biking and offers some transit options. (Take a gander at the complete listing here .) Working with a tight budget? Here are the cheapest rentals recently listed in Fort Worth . This story was created automatically using local real estate data from Zumper and Apartment Guide , then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Anthony Davis had a meeting with Executive Vice President David Griffin earlier Wednesday and while the conversation was "productive," it appears Davis has already made up his mind. Sham Charania of The Athletic reports that it's "highly unlikely" that Davis backs off of his trade request. The Pelicans continue to hold out hope that Davis will reconsider. He's under contract through the end of the 2019-20 season, so New Orleans could roll the dice and hope that playing alongside presumed No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson for a season will help to change his tune. More likely, if the Pelicans continue to get the message that Davis will leave, they'll trade him before the 2020 trade deadline. The Lakers and Knicks are reportedly on his list of preferred destinations. The two teams' most valuable assets are the No. 3 and No. 4 overall picks, respectively, per sources around the league. The Celtics are also expected to make a run at trading for Davis, as they envision pairing the big man with Kyrie Irving , who is also a free agent this summer. Rumblings about the Clippers and Nets as dark-horse teams have surfaced as well.


ST. LOUIS   The once-struggling Cardinals are quickly putting their woeful May behind them. Dexter Fowler and Harrison Bader hit back-to-back homers in the eighth inning, and St. Louis outlasted the Chicago Cubs in a 7-4 victory that ended early Sunday after a rain delay of over three hours. "To kind of get it going and have some things go our way, when they weren't really going our way, feels really good," Bader said. "There's a lot more work to do on a day-to-day basis. This team is super-talented." BOX SCORE: CARDINALS 7, CUBS 4 Paul Goldschmidt also hit a home run for the Cardinals (29-28), who have won three straight for the first time since a five-game streak in late April. It was also St. Louis' first series win since April 30 against Washington. "We just want to play well, consistently," Goldschmidt said. "I don't think we were that far off in May. We just really weren't winning games. It's good to kind of get some results with our play. We really aren't doing anything completely different. Just one swing or one play here or there. It's good to do a few days in a row, but it's going to be a long year. "This division's tough, so we're going to need to do it for the next four-plus months." The game was delayed 3 hours and 37 minutes after the fourth inning. Reliever John Gant (4-0) picked up the win with a scoreless sixth. Carlos Martinez earned his first save of the season with a scoreless ninth. Anthony Rizzo and Jason Heyward homered for the Cubs, who have lost five of their last six games and three consecutive series. "They got us," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "They got us. We have to sleep fast and come back tomorrow." The Cardinals had closed out a rough month of May with two straight wins. They avoided the worst winning percentage for May in the franchise's long history by going 9-18 (.333) and had lost eight straight series, a streak that began by being swept by the Cubs in early May. Rizzo's first-inning solo home run was his team-leading 16th and extended his hitting streak to 13 games. Rizzo is hitting .440 (22-50) during the streak. Goldschmidt tied it in the bottom of the opening inning with his 12th homer. Heyward's ninth homer, a solo shot, put the Cubs up 2-1 in the second, but Marcell Ozuna's RBI single in the third -- his 500th career RBI -- tied it again. Cubs starter Jose Quintana allowed two runs and four hits in four innings. He struck out six and walked one before giving way to Tyler Chatwood (3-1) after the rain delay. Cardinals starter Jack Flaherty allowed two runs and five hits and struck out eight in five innings. He was replaced by Gant. RBI doubles by Matt Wieters, Fowler and Kolten Wong against Chatwood gave the Cardinals a 5-2 lead in the sixth. The Cubs answered with two runs in the seventh to make it a one-run game. David Bote had an RBI double to right field and scored on a fielder's choice by Kris Bryant. Fowler and Bader gave the Cardinals a cushion with their back-to-back opposite-field home runs in the eighth. "Yeah, that was pretty sexy," Bader said. "That was sick." STROP SOON? Cubs reliever Pedro Strop is getting closer to returning from his hamstring injury. He is set to make one more appearance for Triple-A Iowa on Sunday. "With everything, good health, and that he comes out of it feeling well, I would imagine that he would be back with us right after that," Maddon said. "We're just trying to be true to him and biology, how long it's supposed to take to come back from that injury. Even though he's felt really well, we just thought it wasn't wise to push it right now. So let him go do all this, do it right, and then we'll make our determination." TRAINER'S ROOM Cubs: SS Javier Baez was scratched with a right heel contusion, first sustained on May 19, and is considered day to day. "For him to say something, it had to be pretty sore," Maddon said before the game. Cardinals: C Yadier Molina (right thumb tendon strain) got a second opinion on his injury on Friday which confirmed no surgery would be needed. "I can throw the ball, I just can't grip," Molina said. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Related slideshow: The 2019 MLB season (Provided by imagn)


Queens Park Rangers have announced Mark Warburton as their new manager on a two-year-contract. Following the sacking of Steve McClaren at the beginning of April, John Eustace had been in caretaker charge of the west London outfit while the club searched for a new permanent boss. ✍ #WelcomeWarburton   QPR FC (@QPR) May 8, 2019 The announcement of former Rangers and Brentford boss Warburton was made on QPR's official website , with the 56-year-old becoming the club's seventh manager in just over four years. "This is a fantastic appointment," director of football Les Ferdinand said. "We spoke with a number of excellent candidates for the position, and Mark ticked all the boxes for us. He loves working with younger players and developing them, and has a great understanding of the game. "Mark is determined to be a success and we will be giving him our full support to achieve that." QPR finished the Championship season in 19th, 11 points clear of the bottom three in what has been a poor campaign for the Hoops. Despite their league struggles, Warburton expressed his delight at joining the club and outlined his plans taking the club forward. He said: "When I spoke to QPR they were very clear. They have a solid plan and know what they want. They have a long-term outlook and that appealed to me immediately. I am excited about the challenge that lies ahead. "I like players being brave in possession, understanding the first thought is to play forward and be positive. You have to be fit as well. Work ethic, desire, hunger, passion   all those clichés are so important for us. Get that right and fingers crossed we will move in the right direction."


Ryan Fitzpatrick was up first with the starting offense at Dolphins practice on Tuesday and part of his edge in the quarterback competition with Josh Rosen comes down to his edge in time with the organization. Fitzpatrick signed with the team as a free agent in March while Rosen was acquired in a trade in late April and that leaves the 2018 first-round pick with some catching up to do. Rosen said he underestimated the logistical issues   "I'm walking in the receiver room thinking it's the bathroom"   that would come with trying to get a handle on football matters. "Yeah, my head is swimming ," Rosen said, via the Palm Beach Post . "But I think a lot of that is just trying to weather the storm as much as you can. It'll get better a little bit each day. … I think we're getting better, step by step, trying to break down this offense so I can focus more on playing football than playing against myself." Rosen has been with the Dolphins less than three weeks and said he's confident that he'll realize he's "come pretty far" after a couple more weeks with the team. That should make training camp the time when the competition fully takes flight in Miami.


We often think of stars as things that don't move around much, but in some galaxies, that's far from a universal truth. New observations made by NASA's powerful Chandra X-Ray Observatory reveal that some stars are routinely booted out of their own host galaxies and sent flying back out into space. The researchers spotted dozens of binary star pairs that had been, for lack of a better term, evicted from their homes after one of the two stars explodes into a supernova. NASA's telescope observed several binary pairs, which are two stars orbiting one another at the heart of a star system, being flung far from their homes by the force of one of the stars exploding. Video provided by GeoBeats When one of the stars blows up and then collapses in on itself to become a dense neutron star, the asymmetric force of that action can cause the star to be flung out of its established position. As the neutron star speeds away, its gravity tugs on its binary partner, sending both stars on a path out of their own home galaxies. "It's like a guest that's asked to leave a party with a rowdy friend," Xiangyu Jin, lead author of the research, said in a statement. "The companion star in this situation is dragged out of the galaxy simply because it's in orbit with the star that went supernova." There's nothing the companion star can do but go along for the ride, and the team of researchers using Chandra data has already spotted around 30 pairs of stars from the Fornax galaxy cluster that appear to be speeding away from their homes due to this phenomenon. Slideshow provided by Stacker Going forward, the researchers hope to use additional data from Chandra to spot other pairs of evicted stars that are simply too dim to spot using the existing data. Longer observation campaigns could change that, revealing additional binary pairs being flung out into space.


Curious just how far your dollar goes in Long Beach? We've rounded up the latest rental listings via rental site Apartment Guide to get a sense of what to expect when it comes to locating a place in Long Beach if you're on a budget of $2,700/month. Take a peek at what rentals the city has to offer, below. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 2000 Park Ave. Listed at $2,638/month, this 1,418-square-foot two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom apartment is located at 2000 Park Ave. In the unit, you can expect hardwood flooring, in-unit laundry and a walk-in closet. Both cats and dogs are allowed, but be prepared for a $500 pet fee. According to Walk Score, the surrounding area is friendly for those on foot and is very bikeable. (Take a look at the complete listing here .) 707 E. Ocean Blvd. Next, there's this one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment located at 707 E. Ocean Blvd. It's listed for $2,640/month for its 869 square feet. The building boasts a fitness center and on-site laundry, while the apartment features a walk-in closet. When it comes to pets, both meows and barks are permitted. According to Walk Score's assessment, this location is very walkable and is convenient for biking. (Take a gander at the complete listing here .) 442 W. Ocean Blvd. Last but not least, check out this 676-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment that's located at 442 W. Ocean Blvd. It's listed for $2,676/month. When it comes to building amenities, anticipate on-site laundry. Also expect to find air conditioning, a dishwasher and hardwood flooring in the unit. Both cats and dogs are welcome; however, expect a $500 pet fee. Per Walk Score ratings, the surrounding area is extremely walkable and is convenient for biking. (Check out the complete listing here .) Working with a tight budget? Here are the cheapest rentals recently listed in Long Beach . This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


The Heat have signed second-round pick KZ Okpala to a three-year deal, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald ( Twitter link ). The contract will be a minimum-salary arrangement. The contract will count against Miami's mid-level exception since the franchise went beyond two seasons (similar to the Knicks and Mitchell Robinson from a year ago). All three years of the contract will be guaranteed, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel tweets . As a result of making his deal a three-year pact, the Heat will own Okpala's Full Bird Rights once it expires. Miami currently projects to be over the tax line, so the Heat will likely have the taxpayers' mid-level ($5.7 million) at its disposal. Outside of the Okpala, Miami has not yet used any of this exception. Okpala was selected with the No. 32 overall pick by the Suns (Phoenix had sent it to the Pacers in the T.J. Warren trade). Indiana agreed to pass Okpala's draft rights on to the Heat in exchange for three second-round picks (2022, 2025, 2026).


Here's the most recent top news you may have missed in Sacramento. 2 burned, killed after crash on Highway 50 on-ramp Two people were killed in a car fire Sunday after drifting off a westbound Highway 50 on-ramp in Sacramento, CHP said. Read the full story on KCRA 3 . Protest at Sacramento Pride criticizes inclusion of police in uniform at event Police marching in uniform was a controversial matter for many people in the LGBT community. It led to a protest over the Sacramento police marching. Read the full story on ABC10 . Feds say Sacramento woman's alleged fraud forced at least one person into homelessness A woman was arrested Thursday on a 36-count federal indictment charging her in a fraud scheme involving homeless people and a housing nonprofit in the Sacramento area, according to the Department of Justice. Read the full story on The Sacramento Bee . West Sacramento home hit in drive-by shooting Several shots were fired into a home in West Sacramento on Sunday night. Read the full story on CBS Sacramento . This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle , then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


The Jacksonville Jaguars officially signed Supplemental Draft prospect Marcus Simms Thursday and waived/injured undrafted receiver Dedrick Snelson of Central Florida to make room for his addition. If he can clear waivers, Snelson will revert back to the Jags' injured reserve list, allowing them to hold on to him heading forward. We have signed undrafted rookie WR Marcus Simms ( @chasinbandzz ) to our 90-man roster. pic.twitter.com/DVOXuZWccl - #DUUUVAL (@Jaguars) July 11, 2019 Simms, 21, went undrafted in Wednesday's Supplemental Draft and agreed to a deal in principle with the Jags after having several offers on the table. The Jags were one of multiple teams to show interest in the young West Virginia receiver by attending his Pro Day, and it appears he viewed the Jags as the team who gave him the best shot to make a roster. At 5-foot-11, 188 pounds, Simms hauled in 46 receptions for 699 yards and two touchdowns and finished his collegiate career with 87 catches for 1,457 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. As a kick returner, he racked up a career total of just under 1,000 yards and also racked up 157 yards as a punt returner. As we previously mentioned, Simms' best chance to make the roster is as a No. 5-6 receiver. To do that he'll be in competition with some of the other undrafted receivers the Jags picked up in May like Tyre Brady, Michael Walker and Raphael Leonard. MORE: Alex Morgan made a perfect trophy joke after winning Best Female Athlete at ESPYS Chris Paul's Contract Is So Bad The Rockets Gave Up Everything in Thunder Trade The Ringer believes Raiders could trade SS Karl Joseph to Cowboys After Packers pass on Jalen Thompson, focus shifts to Natrell Jamerson NBA Depth Charts


It was standing room only Wednesday night as the Sacramento City Unified School District moved forward with plans to do away with school resources officers. The issue isn't solely a budget conversation. There is also a larger discussion about the role of officers in a school setting. "So one of the challenges is that in urban areas where there are predominantly Black and Latino students, we are overly policed, which creates a pipeline to prison," said Carl Pinkston with the School Resource Officer Coalition. Pinkston says there's a role for police on school campuses. "Really egregious crimes that take place and impact the campus," said Pinkston. "But for things like willful defiance, where a kid decides he doesn't want to listen to a teacher? You don't need to call the police. A kid that gets into a tussle or pushing match? You don't need to call the police." RELATED: Sacramento school district mulls future of police officers on campuses The idea is to shift things like disciplinary decisions back to the front office instead of police departments. Now the focus turns to how to better use the $1.5 million allocated for the School Resource Officer contract. "I think that there is general recognition that we have to do more to think about school safety in a different model than what we've had in the past," said School Board President Jessie Ryan. "And that means asking what is the role of the school resource officer? What is the role of mental health prevention and how do we, as a community, craft an alternative safety plan that meets the needs of the community for years to come?" Ryan was there in the room as members of law enforcement joined parents and educators in discussing how to better use that $1.5 million. The the next school board meeting is set for August 1. Continue the conversation with Chris on Facebook. WATCH ALSO: Sacramento City Unified School District planning to shift school year


Padres outfielder Hunter Renfroe has come up in trade rumors this week, and the club is indeed willing to deal the 27-year-old slugger, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. However, Renfroe is not the only Padre who could end up on the move before the July 31 trade deadline. The team's willing to give up "virtually" any of its position players except for shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. , third baseman Manny Machado and first baseman Eric Hosmer , according to Acee. The Padres' goal in dealing from its current position player cast would be to upgrade offensively at two spots   catcher and center field   and add "young arms," per Acee. Their desire to pick up controllable pitching has long been known, though it's interesting they want a better offensive backstop. Major leaguers Austin Hedges and Austin Allen haven't hit, but Triple-A catcher Francisco Mejia rode his potential at the plate into high rankings on prospect lists not long ago. As recently as last summer, when the Padres acquired Mejia from the Indians for relievers Brad Hand and Adam Cimber , Keith Law of ESPN regarded Mejia as one of the game's top five farmhands. While Mejia has struggled mightily in the majors since then, he's still just 23 and has tallied a mere 134 plate appearances in the bigs. It's unclear from Acee's report whether the Padres would be open to parting with Mejia, who has raked since they optioned him to the minors last month, or if they just don't think he's ready to make an offensive impact at the game's highest level yet. The 26-year-old Hedges has made an MLB impact, meanwhile, but almost solely behind the plate. Hedges rates as an elite defender , and though he was a respectable offensive player just last season, he otherwise hasn't hit much since his 2015 debut. Likewise, center fielder Manuel Margot has seldom hit since the Padres first promoted him in 2015. There has been talk of San Diego demoting him to the minors to help alleviate its outfield logjam. But as a 24-year-old speedster who has excelled in the field and won't reach arbitration until the offseason, he'd likely draw interest on the trade market. Perhaps aside from Renfroe, right fielder Franmil Reyes stands out as the Padres' most valuable trade chip among position players. They offer similar offensive skill sets, and Renfroe's a much better defender, though Reyes is three-plus years younger. Set to turn 24 in July, Reyes has slashed .263/.320/.520 (123 wRC+) with 35 home runs in 516 PA since he first came up last season. Further increasing Reyes' appeal, he's earning a minimal salary and isn't scheduled to reach arbitration until after the 2021 season. If the Padres keep Renfroe and Reyes, perhaps they'd consider trading fellow corner outfielder Josh Naylor . The 21-year-old Naylor hasn't gotten off to a strong start since the Padres promoted him May 24, but he's a top 100 prospect or close to it. Franchy Cordero , yet another of their young corner outfielders, seems likely to stay put when considering his recent injury issues. Cordero, 24, has missed most of the past season-plus with right elbow issues, and he suffered a mild quad injury while rehabbing this week. As for the rest of San Diego's roster, outfielder Wil Myers and second baseman Ian Kinsler jump to the fore as players the team would probably like to move. The trade value is minimal in both cases, though. Myers, 28, hasn't lived up to the six-year, $83M contract the Padres gave him in January 2017. They backloaded the deal, meaning he's owed almost $63M through 2022 (including a $1M buyout in '23). Although Myers was a 30-home run hitter as recently as 2017, he's still just a .242/.324/.450 batter (106 wRC+) dating back to then. Kinsler, 36, joined the Padres on a two-year, $8M contract in the offseason. While Kinsler has long been a quality major leaguer, the Padres haven't gotten much return on their investment so far. Kinsler has hit .204/.264/.387 (72 wRC+) with minus-0.3 fWAR in 201 PA., though he has fared much better following an ice-cold April (.262/.309/.505 since May 1). Regardless of whether the Padres find a taker for Kinsler, it seems like only a matter of time before he loses his starting spot to standout prospect Luis Urias . After a surprisingly competitive start to the season, San Diego has begun fading from the National League playoff race. Losers of five straight, the Padres sit 33-36 and 5 1/2 games out of wild-card position. However, with the talent already on hand and the high-potential players baking in the minors, the club may not be far away from contending on an annual basis. It seems general manager A.J. Preller will operate aggressively over the next month-plus in an effort to better position his roster to accomplish that. With that in mind, the Padres should be a compelling team to watch leading up to the deadline.


Christian Eriksen's agent Martin Schoots has seemingly confirmed his client's decision to leave Tottenham by admitting the player and the club are in a 'new situation' compared to last season. The Dane recently expressed his desire to leave north London for a 'new challenge', with Eriksen yet to renew his contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium - which has one year left to run. It leaves Mauricio Pochettino's side in a precarious position, knowing they could keep hold of the playmaker for another year but lose him for nothing next season, or part with him this summer knowing a host of clubs are lining up for his signature. Eriksen 's admission on his future plans was responded to by his agent, who claimed last there were three clubs vying for the 27-year-old's signature last term. "Last season there were three clubs, two English and one foreign, interested in paying a huge amount to Spurs," he told Standard Sport . Unfortunately for the club and their fans, Schoots added that while it was not the right time for either the club or the player to part ways, this summer the circumstances have changed and the player is eager to leave north London. 1 - Since his debut Premier League season in 2013-14, Christian Eriksen ranks first in the competition for chances created (547), assists (60), goals from outside the box (22) and direct free-kick goals (7). Summit. pic.twitter.com/DyTYamVveW   OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 5, 2019 "For the club it was then a no-go area and for Christian not a must-have. I have the impression we are in a new situation now," he added. Real Madrid are one of the club's touted as a potential destination for Eriksen, who joined Spurs from Ajax for £11m in 2013, and has since gone on to score 66 goals and contribute 80 assists in 277 outings for the Premier League club.


If you're looking to escape to the tropics, head to San Juan, Puerto Rico, the destination with the top spot on the New York Times' list of places to visit in 2019. The island's capital and largest city faces the Atlantic Ocean, and it has plenty to offer. Plan to visit both the Isla Verde resort strip, known for its bars, nightclubs and casinos and Old San Juan, which features colorful Spanish colonial buildings, cobble-stoned streets and 16th-century landmarks. There are also the Paseo de la Princesa bayside promenade, a number of imposing fortresses and the close proximity to El Yunque National Forest, all of which are worth visiting. Using travel site Skyscanner , we've sifted through the cheapest flights between Houston and San Juan in the next few months, including some top-rated hotel options and highly reviewed local attractions. (Prices and availability are current as of publication and subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in the articles may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. Cheapest San Juan flights Currently, the cheapest flights between Houston and San Juan are if you leave on Aug. 11 and return from Puerto Rico on Aug. 17. Delta currently has roundtrip, nonstop tickets for $259. There are also deals to be had later in August. If you fly out of Houston on Aug. 12 and return from San Juan on Aug. 15, United can get you there and back for $438 roundtrip. Top San Juan hotels To plan your accommodations, here are some of San Juan's top-rated hotels, that we selected from Skyscanner's listings based on price and customer satisfaction. The Hotel El Convento (100 Cristo St. Old, San Juan) If you're looking to treat yourself, consider The Hotel El Convento . The hotel has a 4.9-star rating on Skyscanner, and rooms are currently available for $280. This boutique hotel is located in the historical district, near the Museo del Nino's, San Juan Cathedral and the Puerta de San Juan. The Marriott San Juan Resort & Stellaris Casino (1309 Ashford Ave.) There's also the 4.7-star rated The Marriott San Juan Resort & Stellaris Casino , which has rooms for $261/night. This beachfront resort is close to the Plaza del Mercado and Condado Beach. The La Concha Resort: A Renaissance Hotel (1077 Ashford Ave.) A third option is The La Concha Resort: A Renaissance Hotel . The 4.6-star hotel has rooms for $209/night. Top picks for dining and drinking San Juan has plenty of top-notch dining options. Here are a few of the most popular, according to Skyscanner. Santaella (219 Calle Canals) If you're looking for a local favorite, head to Santaella , which has an average of five stars out of 10 reviews on Skyscanner. "Santaella celebrates the roots of the island and incorporates techniques, flavors and fusions from around the world into its food," wrote puertorico-rentals.com. El Jibarito (280 Calle Sol) Also worth considering is El Jibarito , with 4.9 stars from 12 reviews. "This is San Juan dining at its best," wrote visitor Aaron. Marmalade Restaurant & Wine Bar (317 Calle Fortaleza) Finally, there's the Marmalade Restaurant & Wine Bar . It has 4.8 stars from 19 reviews. "You have to try the white bean soup. It is truly amazing!" wrote Jani. What to see and do in San Juan Not sure what to do in San Juan, besides eat and drink? Here are two recommendations, provided by Skyscanner. Old San Juan (San Juan) First up is Old San Juan . It has 4.9 stars from 152 reviews. "There's a lot to do here. I highly recommend coming here if you're interested in learning about history, local food, museums and much more!" wrote Sofia. Castillo San Felipe del Morro (501 Calle Norzagaray) The Castillo San Felipe del Morro is another popular destination, with 4.7 stars from 123 reviews. Constructed in 1540, this six-story fort hides a warren of prison cells, barracks and hallways, and was attacked on many occasions by both English and Dutch forces. It is listed in the National Historic Register. This story was created automatically using flight, hotel, and local attractions data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


The Browns are among the teams interested in former Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy . But if they don't land him, Browns defensive end Myles Garrett thinks they will be more than OK. "What [the Browns] decide to do, I'll be OK with, and I'll accept it and move on," Garrett said, via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal , "but I think we're good with what we have . I'm always going to be passionate about the guys we have in the locker room because they've always been OK with me, they've always done right by me, so I have no problem playing with them, going out there and sweating, bleeding and winning with them." The Browns brought in Olivier Vernon this offseason to pair with Garrett on the edge, and added Sheldon Richardson to a young group of interior players including Larry Ogunjobi . "It's going to be explosive in the middle," Garrett said. "Either QBs are going to get sacked trying to step up away from me and [defensive end] Olivier [Vernon] or they're going to step back and get clobbered by us two coming off the edge. It's definitely going to be a really good pass rush and really good defensive line." Of course, adding McCoy would make it even more dangerous, but Garrett's confidence in their current line isn't necessarily misguided.


Tariff Man has struck again. US stock futures and global stock markets, including shares of Asian and European automakers, tumbled Friday after President Donald Trump said the United States will impose a 5% tariff on all Mexican imports. Japan's Nikkei slumped 1.6%, while South Korea's KOSPI was mostly flat. Markets in Europe also opened lower. Britain's FTSE 100 index fell 0.8%. Stocks in Germany shed 1.3%, and in France they dipped 1%. Stock futures indicated that those losses would extend to the United States. The Dow is poised to fall 230 points, or 0.9%, when markets open. The S&P 500 is tracking similar losses, while the Nasdaq could drop 1.1%. Mexico is one of America's biggest trading partners and many US companies   including Ford and Walmart   rely on the country as a central part of their supply chains. Walmart declined to comment Thursday. The country is also a regional manufacturing hub for Japanese, South Korean and German automakers that assemble cars in Mexico and ship many of them to the United States. Shares in Mazda and plunged more than 7%, while losses for Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Volkswagen reached 3% or more. Trump tweeted that the tariffs on Mexico would take effect on June 10 and remain in place until "illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP." Trump, who has called himself "Tariff Man," warned that the tariff will increase until "the illegal immigration problem is remedied." The White House indicated the tariff would increase to 10% on July 1 if Mexico does not comply. If the country continues to not act, the White House said, the tariff will increase to 15% on August 1, 20% on September 1 and 25% on October 1. "Tariffs will permanently remain at the 25 percent level unless and until Mexico substantially stops the illegal inflow of aliens coming through its territory," the White House said . The threat sent the Mexican peso plunging about 2% against the US dollar. Goldman Sachs said the tariffs on Mexico are likely to go into effect and warned they would be "highly disruptive." The bank added that implementing the tariffs would cast doubt on the enactment of the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) prior to the 2020 election. The broadside comes at a delicate time in global financial markets. US stocks have slumped and bond yields have plunged due in part to worries about the escalating trade war between the United States and China. Investors fear the tit-for-tat tariffs   and threats of non-tariff retaliation   will slow economic growth, dent consumer confidence and derail business investment. Imposing tariffs on Mexico may only exacerbate those trade concerns. The US Chamber of Commerce has estimated that about 6 million US jobs depend on trade with Mexico.


Civic Center , Mid-Market , Tenderloin , Union Square It's time for another look at crimes reported by SFPD's Tenderloin Station in the weeks since our last roundup . Unless otherwise noted, all details come directly from police reports. Man robbed after attack from behind On May 26 around 2 a.m., a 29-year-old man was attacked from behind near the intersection of Eddy and Larkin streets. An unknown suspect stole the victim's phone, wallet, and money. The victim was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Two women robbed at gunpoint At 2:30 a.m. on May 25, two men said to be in their twenties pointed guns at two women, 21 and 24, near the intersection of Market and Sixth streets. The suspects stole the women's phones, debit cards, and drivers' licenses before fleeing on foot eastbound on Sixth Street. Man robbed at gunpoint in two-on-one assault Two men said to be in their twenties pointed a gun at a 31-year-old man on the 700 block of Ellis Street (near Larkin) around 1:26 a.m. on May 24. The suspects stole the victim's phone and wallet, and have not been identified. Woman robbed, struck with bottle in two-on-one attack Around 10:24 p.m. on May 23, a 50-year-old man and a woman said to be in her thirties assaulted a 39-year-old woman on the unit block of Fourth Street (near Market). The female suspect struck the victim with a bottle, causing her to fall to the ground. The two suspects stole the woman's phone and wallet, and fled the scene. SFPD later located and arrested the male suspect, but the female suspect remains at large. 61 suspects arrested in daylong operation On May 22, Tenderloin Station officers led a daylong sting operation that resulted in 61 arrests, the most recent of a series in the neighborhood. They were assisted by San Francisco sheriff's deputies, state parole agents, and officers from SFPD's Southern District. 18 of the 61 people arrested had outstanding warrants for their arrest issued by courts throughout Northern California. According to the SFPD, no reportable force was used to conduct the operation, and no officers or suspects were injured. Man sitting on sidewalk shot from across the street A 47-year-old man was sitting on the sidewalk on the 100 block of Jones Street (near Golden Gate) around 1 a.m. on May 21 when an unknown suspect shot him from across the street. The suspect fled the scene, and the victim was hospitalized for his injuries. Drunk man robbed at gunpoint after entering strangers' car A 26-year-old intoxicated man climbed into a car containing four strangers, said to be in their twenties and thirties, around 3 a.m. on May 19. (The incident occurred in the Tenderloin District, but police did not share the exact location.) The victim was forced out of the vehicle at gunpoint, and one of the suspects stole his cash, phone, and jacket. Couple carjacked by two men Around 9:56 p.m. on May 18, two men said to be 43 and 35 years old approached a 44-year-old man and a 49-year-old woman seated in a vehicle near the intersection of Myrtle and Polk streets. The older suspect threatened the male victim, who exited the vehicle. The younger suspect then entered the vehicle, driving away with the female victim still in the passenger seat. He ultimately stopped the vehicle and fled on foot, and police found the uninjured female victim still in the vehicle. No arrests have been made. Man robbed at gunpoint in four-on-one attack Two men said to be 19 or 20 years old held a 23-year-old man at gunpoint near the intersection of Fourth and Market streets around 1:30 a.m. on May 16. They were then joined by another male suspect around the same age, and a woman said to be 17 or 18 years old. The four suspects took the man's laptop, cell phones, belt, and necklace before fleeing the scene on foot. The victim was uninjured. Man loses bag, passport in daylight gunpoint robbery Around 5:20 p.m. on May 13, two men said to be 20 and 30 years old approached a 22-year-old man near the intersection of Market and Fourth streets, brandishing guns. The younger man then took a shoulder bag containing the victim's passport, bag, camera, and cash. Both men fled the scene; the victim was uninjured. Woman punched, robbed on Eddy Street At 8:30 p.m. on May 12, a man said to be in his thirties punched a 30-year-old woman multiple times on the 600 block of Eddy Street (near Larkin). He then stole her backpack, containing her wallet, laptop, speaker, and driver's license. The woman refused medical treatment, and no arrests have been made. Burglar robs sleeping man in Union Square An unknown suspect stole a 35-year-old man's phone, wallet, and jewelry while he was asleep in a room on the 300 block of O'Farrell Street (near Powell) around 4 a.m. on May 12. No arrests have been made. Anyone with information about any of the above incidents is encouraged to contact SFPD via its anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444, or email SFPDtenderloinstation@sfgov.org.


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. law enforcement officers raided the Venezuelan Embassy on Thursday to oust a small group protesting U.S. policy toward the oil-rich country, paving the way for the diplomatic compound to be handed to the U.S. envoy of opposition leader Juan Guaido. Since mid-April, members of three activist groups have been occupying the embassy, a red brick building in the upscale Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, where they say they are "invited guests" of the Venezuelan government. The activists oppose U.S. intervention in Venezuela to oust President Nicolas Maduro in favor of Juan Guaido, the Venezuelan opposition leader and self-proclaimed interim president of the OPEC-member nation. Authorities arrested the last four protesters on Thursday after utilities for the building were cut off and they ignored an eviction order, the groups say. A spokesman for Pepco, Washington's energy utility, said the company does not discuss service to individual properties. The U.S. Secret Service confirmed officers had helped agents from State Department's Diplomatic Security Service execute arrest warrants against people inside the embassy. A U.S. State Department spokeswoman said the government of Guaido, who the United States recognizes as the leader of Venezuela, asked for U.S. assistance in removing the protesters from the embassy. "The Venezuelan government, led by Interim President Juan Guaido ... has asked the trespassers to depart the premises," the spokeswoman said. Neither agency identified what charges the protesters faced. Tensions have escalated between the United States and Venezuela as Washington has ratcheted up pressure against the government of Maduro, which it says is illegitimate. The United States has imposed sanctions against Venezuelan leaders, ordered the withdrawal of diplomatic personnel from Venezuela in March and, on Wednesday, suspended passenger and cargo flights between the United States and Venezuela. Maduro, who has branded Guaido a U.S. puppet seeking to oust him in a coup, broke off relations with Washington after it recognized Guaido and recalled diplomatic and consular staff. Representatives of Guaido took control of three of the country's diplomatic properties in the United States in March. At its peak, about 50 people from three groups occupied the Venezuelan Embassy, according to Medea Benjamin, a co-founder of Code Pink, one of the groups involved. Meanwhile, supporters of Guaido have mounted their own protests outside the embassy. Following Thursday's arrests, dozens of the opposition government's supporters celebrated in the streets. "The liberation of our embassy was thanks to the fight of the Venezuelan diaspora," Carlos Vecchio, Guaido's representative in Washington, wrote on Twitter. "Next liberation: Venezuela." Benjamin said the activists will continue to protest in what she says is a bid to ease tensions between the two countries. "This issue is not over yet," she said. (Reporting by Makini Brice; Additional reporting by Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Susan Thomas)


The prospect of the Patriots receiving compensation from the Texans for VP of player personnel Nick Caserio does not appear to be completely off the table, despite the recent Texans' statement indicating they were no longer pursuing him. But the Patriots' asking price might dissuade the Texans. The Patriots would likely demand a first-round pick from the Texans for Bill Belichick's right-hand man, Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston writes . This would be a steep price for an executive, especially one whose contract is up in 2020. Conflicting reports have emerged about Caserio's desire to leave New England , but the longtime Patriots exec seemingly has a great chance of becoming a GM after the contract that prevents him from doing so expires. Interestingly, Curran adds that Caserio and current Texans executive vice president Jack Easterby   a former Patriots staffer who has been in the middle of this story   share an agent. The Texans, however, admitted they were not aware of the clause in Caserio's deal that prevented GM interviews. Here's more from around the football universe: We've been hearing a lot about the XFL recently, as the upstart league has held a series of showcases across the country, with some big names showing up. Vince McMahon's reboot is looking to pickup where the AAF left off, albeit more successfully, and they've been coming up with some creative new twists on the game. Oliver Luck, the league's commissioner, said recently that the XFL is "considering an overtime format much like penalty kicks in soccer or shootout in hockey. Teams alternate plays from the 5-yard line, five tries each, to determine winner," per Greg Auman of The Athletic (Twitter link ). It's certainly an interesting idea, and Auman adds that Luck said it should take less than ten minutes to wrap up. There's also been a lot of talk recently about the lack of diversity on NFL coaching staffs, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. The league is looking to address the issue, and recently held a minority coaches summit, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports . La Canfora writes that the "two-day seminar was put in place to shed light on the plight of minority coaches on the offensive side of the ball and to help identify and cultivate a pipeline of diverse coaches with a background coaching quarterbacks." The whole piece is interesting and worth a read, as La Canfora breaks down everything that went down at the conference. The event was "punctuated by detailed and moving discussions" led by big-time NFL names like Jim Caldwell and Pep Hamilton. In case you missed it, Eli Manning said he isn't particularly worried about Daniel Jones coming for his job.


A Friday deadline looms for California lawmakers, who must act on a host of proposed new laws if those proposals are to move another step closer to becoming law. The California Assembly and Senate have until the end of the week to pass or reject bills that originated in each chamber. If they survive, those proposals would then move on for consideration by lawmakers in the opposing chamber. Some of the notable proposals up for consideration: AB 1611, which would ban insurers from charging out-of-network prices for those with health insurance. AB 392, which would redefine police use-of-force requirements. AB 1482, which would prevent rent spikes for certain tenants. AB 5, which would extend workers rights and benefits to drivers of Uber and Lyft. AB 1395, which would limit how companies could use data collected from smart speakers like Alexa and Echo. AB 44, which would create a statewide fur ban. READ MORE: It's make-or-break time for these proposed California laws CHECK OUT KCRA: Stay informed. Get the latest Modesto, Stockton and Sacramento news and weather from the KCRA news team.


Two games into the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals and the Toronto Raptors have not found a way to slow Milwaukee star Giannis Antentokounmpo or match the ultra-deep Bucks' bench. A commanding 125-103 win in Game 2 by Milwaukee pushes the Raptors back onto their hook-clawed heels. If this keeps up, Games 3 and 4 will come and go in defeat. Kawhi Leonard & Co. will find themselves drowning sorrow and regret in bowls of poutine. The Bucks, meanwhile, will prepare for the 2019 NBA Finals. Kawhi Leonard scored a game-high 31 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the loss. Solid numbers, for sure. But if only two of his teammates are putting up double-digit points (Kyle Lowry and Norman Powell with 15 points and 14 points, respectively), the only outcome is what Toronto faced last night: a long, demoralizing grind. The Raptors' scoring can improve, however, if the likes of Lowry and Danny Green (who was held to just eight points in Game 2) get going. But the bigger challenge for the Raptors will be on the defensive end, trying to slow - even a little - Milwaukee's raging inferno of an offense. Most teams can live with Giannis closing up shop with 30 points at the end of his shift; he's a unique player and the Raptors' efforts to slow his roll to the rim so far have been futile. The team must place its attention elsewhere. When two other starters are scoring in double figures - Nikola Mirotic (15 points) and Khris Middleton (12 points) - you have a problem. But what makes the problem a crisis is when three bench players also are having their way with Toronto's offense for a combined 44 points. And that's just what Ersan Ilyasova (17 points), Malcolm Brogdon (14 points) and George Hill (13 points) did in Game 2. For the Raptors, it's back to Toronto - and the drawing board. In the Western Conference, the finals series between the Golden State Warriors and the Trail Blazers swings to Portland for tonight's Game 3. Portland let a Game 2 victory slip away after leading by as many as 17 points at Oracle Arena, to drop to 0-2 in the series. Can the Blazers reignite tonight at Moda Center? Tipoff is Saturday, May 18, at 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPN. MORE: 2019 Preakness Stakes post positions and odds Did the Raiders steal the best fullback in the 2019 NFL draft? Browns clearly won the Jamar Taylor trade from 1 year ago today NBA Free Agency 2019: The top players The Ringer: A.J. Green-Saints trade would be dream come true


Even though Rays right-hander Tyler Glasnow has been incredible this season, the club still plans to tamp down his workload as the year progresses, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. The towering 25-year-old has recorded a dazzling 1.47 ERA/2.39 FIP with 9.63 K/9, 1.47 BB/9 and a 51.4 percent ground-ball rate, but at 43 innings pitched, he's already closing in on last season's total. Manager Kevin Cash said: "He threw 112 innings last year and we have to monitor that. If we can get him extra days, we're going to do that. If we've got to shave an inning off of him per start, like (Friday) night we could have taken him out after the sixth. Those are things we have to monitor and consider here early in the season.'' For what it's worth, Glasnow's season-high innings total as a professional came as a member of the Pittsburgh organization in 2017, when the formerly wild hurler racked up 155 1/3 frames. A year later, the Pirates traded him and outfielder Austin Meadows to the Rays for righty Chris Archer in what now looks like a heist for the first-place Tampa Bay franchise. Elsewhere around the American League… Astros outfield/first base prospect Yordan Alvarez has gotten off to a scorching start this year at Triple-A Round Rock, where he has slashed an awe-inspiring .418/.505/.923 with 12 home runs in 107 plate appearances. The Astros have taken notice of the 21-year-old's brilliance, according to president of baseball ops/general manager Jeff Luhnow, who said Saturday that Alvarez is "certainly is making it a conversation" within the team to promote him, via Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle . Luhnow also declared, "It's pretty clear he can hit right now in the big leagues," and noted Alvarez would likely slot in as a left fielder for the Astros in order to make a maximum impact. At the same time, though, the Astros already have a more than capable regular there in Michael Brantley , and Luhnow cautioned, "The same people who were clamoring for Kyle Tucker to come up because he was destroying AAA pitching are the same people now clamoring for Yordan Álvarez to come up." That indicates it's not a slam dunk Alvarez will head to Houston imminently, as Tucker disappointed during a 77-plate appearance major league debut in 2018 and has gotten off to a terrible start in Round Rock this year. Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani 's much-anticipated 2019 debut could come as early as Tuesday, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register suggests. Ohtani has been on the shelf thanks to October 2018 Tommy John surgery, which will stop the two-way star from pitching this year but won't keep him out of the Angels' lineup. To their credit, Kevan Smith and Albert Pujols   especially the former   have offered respectable designated hitter production in Ohtani's absence. Prospect Jesus Lopez , whom the Blue Jays acquired from the Athletics for Kendrys Morales in March, is switching from infielder to catcher, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet . The 22-year-old's adjusting to his new position in extended spring training, per Davidi.


Its exhibition schedule now less than two months from puck drop, the NHL will open for business in September with the same 20-man staffing levels it has employed for decades, with a limit of 18 skaters and two goalies per game. Team payrolls, limited by the cap ($81.5 million for the upcoming season) are tailored, in part, around funding the 20-man game roster. Across the NHL's Original 31 rinks, benches are constructed to accommodate the 13 skaters and one backup goaltender . . . and little else other than water bottles, hockey tape, iPads and vid screens. In fact, in a few cities, the backup tender is told there is no room at the inn and must find a seat in the runway leading to the dressing room. A bigger bench, be it measured by length or depth, would mean eliminating high-priced loge seats and diminished hockey related revenue (HRR) across the league. Not a popular idea among owners or players, who share 50-50 in that HRR. The NHL allows no substitutions for injured players, so the coach who loses a defenseman or two, must fly the plane with his back line manpower seriously diminished. Manpower among the forwards, typically 12 in number to start the night, typically isn't as impaired when one or two forwards go down. Double shifting or scaling back to a three-line attack can fill the void. Past practices, finances and sheer bench size aside, the NHL would do well to borrow from the European leagues. Other than Finland, all the professional Euro leagues dress 20 skaters, with coaches typically electing to go with 13 forwards and seven defenseman. By and large, unless there is need to fill in for an injury, each extra sees limited playing time. "There is a reason why teams pay seven D sometimes," said Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy, dwelling on the current NHL model of 18 skaters, and the more typical practice of dressing only six blue liners. "I know a lot of guys don't like it, but you can manage that better   split minutes, say, with one guy on the power play, another on the penalty kill, as your sixth and seventh guy. That's a little easier and much more valuable." According to Szymon Szemberg , the managing director of the Alliance of European Hockey Clubs, Finland remains the only team over there that follows the NHL's 12-6-2 model. Otherwise, all the other clubs staff games at the 13-7-2 level. No telling, said Szemberg, if the larger rosters aid in cutting back the overall number of injuries, but they unquestionably serve to fill in for injured players during games. Perhaps more significantly, they serve as a way for inexperienced players to adjust to a game that is generally faster and harder hitting than what they've been accustomed to in their previous leagues. "My feeling," said Szemberg, "is that the extra bodies have a very marginal role in mitigating injuries. The biggest advantage of that system is that it allows the teams to stay with four lines and six defensemen in case of injury. And it allows coaches to give the opportunity to slowly match in youngsters from those extra positions   three shifts one game, nine shifts the next, etc." To that latter point, Cassidy, in his two-plus seasons on the job here, often has noted that today's NHL is, in part, a developmental league. Mostly due to payroll limitations, clubs are forced to stock game rosters with two or three players who need a season or two to grow into the NHL games. If the league were to adopt the 13-7-2 Euro model, it's all but a guarantee the spots would be filled with kids being groomed for expanded roles or veterans playing for the $700,000 league minimum. According to the Geneva-based Szemberg, the top team in Europe, Frolunda Gothenburg in Sweden, routinely rotates the seven back liners. The No. 13 forward only sees playing time if the one of the starting 12 is injured, has a bad night, or is running out of gas late in the game. "Sometimes   and this is difficult to understand   coaches simply let their seventh defenseman and 13th forward sit on the bench the entire game," noted Szemberg. "Really a waste." For his part, Cassidy sounded intrigued by some of the European model. Many of the great Soviet teams, he recalled, played with 22-man rosters, and divvied the skaters into four five-man "blocks", each with three forwards and two defensemen. They practiced in blocks and then rolled out in the same five-man groupings in games. "I do believe that helped team chemistry," said Cassidy. Cassidy played three years in Europe in the early '90s and leagues then, he said, dressed 19 skaters, including one commonly referred to as a "joker," a swing player capable of playing either forward or defense. "You don't see many guys who can play both anymore," said Cassidy, chuckling. "I don't know. Maybe they just didn't like being called jokers." "Those Jimmy Roberts/Rick Chartraw types were more common earlier," added Szemberg, recalling the names of a couple of NHL swingmen from long ago. "They're very rare today   even rare in Europe." One advantage of having an extra body or two on the game roster, noted Cassidy, would be the opportunity to back off the minutes of veteran players, particularly late in games when working with a lead. "Let's say we are up three goals in the third," mused Cassidy. "So we can shut [Patrice Bergeron] down, and throw the extra guy in. I can see in the long haul, maybe Bergy goes from 18:00 to 15:00. But now you are playing a guy for four minutes at the end of a game and he hasn't played much. That would be your greatest challenge as a coach. "That guy has been sitting around since warm-up, and now you're throwing him in the game at 9 o'clock at night   and you have barely used him. I think it would be hard to find the appropriate minutes, but, as a coach, would you want that? Absolutely. For the good of the team. It's sacrifice, right? Sacrificing guys at the low end of the totem pole for the guys at the top." LARGER THAN LIFE Thornton still hitting after 21 No deal has been announced, but the Sharks sound convinced Jumbo Joe Thornton will return for what will be the Bearded One's 22nd NHL season. He turned 40 on July 2 after playing last season on a one-year deal that paid the former Bruins No. 1 pick $5 million. "My understanding is that Joe Thornton is gong to play," Sharks coach Peter DeBoer told nhl.com last week. "I'm moving forward as if he's going to be in our lineup in September." Thornton, a lock for the Hall of Fame (following the three-year cool-down period) ranks No. 8 all time in assists (1,065). He posted a 16-35 51 last season and now, with captain Joe Pavelski moved on to Dallas for three years/$21 million, it looks as though the Sharks will need at least that level of productivity again from Jumbo if they're to remain a force in the West. San Jose's biggest investment in the offseason was the mega-extension handed Erik Karlsson, which will pay the former Senators blue liner a whopping $11.5 million for each of the next eight seasons. At $92 million, it stands as the biggest total dollar outlay made in the free agent market. The Rangers signed ex-Blue Jacket Artemi Panarin for $11.642 million a year, but for seven years and a total investment of $81.5 million   a touch over the $80 million the Blue Jackets paid as their expansion cover charge some 20 years ago. With Pavelski out of the Tank, the Sharks need a couple of their young forwards, namely Timo Meier and Kevin Labanc, to increase their minutes and production. Both were impressive last season, Meier with 66 points and Lebanc with 56. But Pavelski went 38-26 64 as the club's top goal scorer. No easy fix for that kind of pop   only 13 NHLers across the league scored more goals, and injury limited Pavelski to 75 games. Headed into the weekend, Thornton remained one of seven players who made $5 million or more last season who are still seeking deals for 2019-20. It's quite possible that none of them, including ex-Sharks linemate Patrick Marleau ($6.25 million with Toronto) will find NHL work. The others: Dion Phaneuf ($7 million); Jason Pominville ($5.6 million), Derick Brassard ($5 million), Andrew MacDonald ($5 million), and Matt Moulson ($5 million). ETC. Spooner heading for Switzerland Ex-Bruin center/wing Ryan Spooner, still on the job here when Cassidy became coach in February 2017, won't be in the NHL next season unless added on after the trade deadline. "Spoons" was bought out last month by the Canucks and is headed for Switzerland. He will play the 2019-20 with Lugano, just over the border north of Milan. Spooner, who was dealt to the Rangers in the 2018 deadline deal to acquire Rick Nash, only last July signed his richest NHL deal, a two-year pact paying $4 million per. By November, his line a paltry 1-1 2 through 16 games, Spooner was dished to the Oilers for Ryan Strome, only to be pushed over to the Canucks some 90 days later after posting a dreadful 2-1 3 line in 25 games. Reunited with 'Nucks GM Jim Benning, the former assistant GM in Boston, he flatlined for a third time (0-4 4 in 11 games) and finally was cashed out in June. His $4 million will be trimmed to $2.67 million, which he'll receive across the next seasons. In Lugano, the 27-year-old Spooner will fill a roster spot vacated by ex-Habs pivot Maxim Lapierre, who recently signed on with Eisbaren Berlin for the next two seasons. Lapierre, who played in parts of six seasons with Montreal, had been with Lugano for four years. The Swiss teams are allowed five "imports" and Lugano GM Hnat Domenichelli targeted Spooner as his primary offseason acquisition after the ex-Bruin garnered limited interest in the UFA market here. Domenichelli, originally a Whaler draft pick (No. 83 in '94) was named GM this spring, replacing the dismissed Roland Habisreutinger after Lugano lost to Zug in the playoffs. Born in Edmonton, Domenichelli played 13 seasons in Switzerland, nearly half of them in Lugano, and recently coached Lugano's under-15 squad. Not that Spooner ultimately had the option here, but his best chance of truly establishing an NHL career likely would have been under Cassidy, a fellow proud son of Ottawa. Cassidy understood his strengths and limitations, and spotted him into the lineup accordingly. Though unlikely, it's possible Spooner could get back on the radar here next season as a spring acquisition   provided Lugano's season wrapped up in time for Spooner to transition back to the NHL. Loose pucks The oft-injured Adam McQuaid, 32, remains without a contract after splitting last year between the Rangers and Blue Jackets. The well-liked ex-Bruin was injured yet again and could not suit up against the Black-and-Gold in Round 2 of the playoffs. He made $2.75 million last year, which was year No. 4 of an $11 million extension he signed under GM Don Sweeney. If Quaider is ready to call it quits, don't be surprised if the Bruins offer him a spot in the organization, be it in a coaching, scouting or a development role . . . The Bruins haven't said yet if they'll be offering any tryouts in September's training camp. Ex-UNH standout Daniel Winnik was among last September's auditions and showed some promise, only to get cut and then sign with Geneve-Servette in Switzerland. He liked it so much over there, Winnik in February signed an extension that will keep him at the mouth of the Rhone for the next two seasons . . . The expansion franchise in Seattle certainly made a popular hire in appointing ex-Whale Ron Francis as its first general manager (play pegged to begin in October 2021, following an expansion draft that June). Francis is bright, engaging, cordial, and checks the box as the face of the franchise. But he had the gig in North Carolina for around five years and the Tropical Depression never qualified for the postseason. The key now will be to see the hires he makes to run scouting and player development . . . Great choice by the Bruins last week, hiring ex-center/wing Chris Kelly as player development coordinator. In his five-plus seasons here, and across his 845 NHL games, Kelly proved a smart, gritty, most of all reliable, player with a high tolerance for getting hit. Perfect guy to have help grooming kids from the time they enter the system as draft picks or free agents . . . Ex-first-round pick Chris Stewart (Avalanche, No. 18, 2006) agreed last week to a September tryout with the Flyers. He played part of last season in England, with the Nottingham Panthers . . . With Danton Heinen's $5.6 million contract extension officially on the books, the window has passed for the Bruins to buy out any contracts ahead of the upcoming season. They currently have just over $8 million in cap space and need to reel in primo RFAs Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo . . . Ex-Bruin Ryan Donato, dealt to the Wild at the deadline to acquire Charlie Coyle, signed a two-year extension in St. Paul that will bring the former Crimson $3.8 million over the next two seasons. Like Heinen, he was arbitration eligible, but local agent Matt Keator wrapped up talks well ahead of a hearing. Remains to be seen how he fits into the Wild's top six, but he'll get plenty of opportunity   even strength and power play  on a squad coached by the offense-lovin' Bruce Boudreau . . . The forever-Cap-challenged Blackhawks picked up $1.3 million in cap room by wheeling forward Artem Anisimov to the Senators for Zack Smith. No winner in that deal. Smith is a solid, well-liked character, and was surprisingly waived by the Senators last September   only to remain on the Senators varsity payroll for the entire season. Now the 'Hawks have him on the books for two more years, at $3.25 million per, hoping that he can find a valuable role in the bottom six . . . TD Garden tweeted out pictures last week of its "Legendary Transformation" of the building on Causeway Street. Part of that legend includes new seating that already had generated complaints   season ticket holders say they're being asked to jimmy themselves into narrower space. Paired with the building's constant onslaught of high-volume music (i.e. audioporn), sounds like a dandy in-arena experience, one just right for a $13 draft beer. Cheers. Material from interviews, wire services, other beat writers, and league and team sources was used in this report. Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at kevin.dupont@globe.com . Follow him on Twitter @GlobeKPD . Related slideshow: Best of 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs (provided by imagn)


These operations have low startup costs and good returns. These operations have low startup costs and good returns Not all startups are glossy tech companies. At some point, every business was starting up. Click ahead to see some businesses that you can launch yourself   even without much money   and expect to turn a decent profit. 1. Landscaping Landscaping laborers earn a median hourly wage of $12.07, according to PayScale . But landscape contractors can do even better. You'll need some basic yard tools and a lawn mower to start out, as well as a way to transport them around. Other costs may include those associated with getting licensed, bonded or insured. Check the requirements of the municipalities and state where you wish to operate. As is the case for many businesses on this list, you don't need a brick-and-mortar office or other dedicated facility. 2. Pool servicing Just cleaning a swimming pool can net you $50 to $60 an hour, but doing minor maintenance and repairs on pool equipment can lift you into the $150 to $200 per hour range, according to SpringBoard Pool Route Brokers . Expenses include insurance, transportation costs such as gasoline and pool chemicals. 3. Pressure washing You need little more than a pressure washer and insurance for this business. And the pressure washer should pay for itself after day one. You can buy one for less than $150 , while the average pressure-washing job pays more than $300, according to Angie's List . 4. Photography Photographic equipment can run you a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. But as long as you've got a good eye for composition and detail, you can rake in cash. If there is a major celebration happening, chances are people will want professional photography to remember the event. 5. Tutoring Many teachers already tutor for extra cash, but those who don t teach professionally can jump into tutoring as well. If you are experienced in something   whether it s Microsoft Excel or chemistry   you can teach others for profit. According to Care.com, a website that can connect you with potential clients, tutors charge anywhere from $30 to $85 an hour. 6. Transcription From speeches to medical records and audio files, there is a need for transcription services. Transcribers average $16 an hour, according to PayScale . If you already have a computer with the right software, your startup costs should be negligible. 7. Translation Translators and interpreters pull in an average of around $20 an hour, PayScale says . You can earn even more if you're fluent in certain languages, including sign language and Arabic. And, provided you've got the necessary skills, your business costs should include little more than perhaps some advertising. 8. Dog walking PayScale says dog walkers typically charge around $13.75 an hour. So, consider this if you ve got the time and an easy relationship with canines. Again, your costs should include little more than some marketing. The website and app Rover can also connect you with potential clients. 9. Alterations Some call this being a seamstress or a tailor, but whatever you call it, if you're handy with sewing, you can make around $13 an hour altering someone's clothes, PayScale says . Aside from a sewing machine and thread, your startup costs should be negligible. 10. Home cleaning If you know enough people who don't like to clean their homes, you could start a housekeeping business. Workers earn a median hourly wage of about $10 an hour, according to PayScale . If you've got a car and your own supplies, you won't have many expenses to start this kind of job. It's not the usual blah, blah, blah. Click here to sign up for our free newsletter.


BALTIMORE   Scampering around the floor of her father's family room in Cherry Hill, 1-year-old Syah Weddington is quicker on four limbs than two. After a few passes crawling from one end of the room to the other, her mom scoops her up to her lap. The baby's labored breathing is audible. "You hear the panting and you can feel her chest moving rapidly," said her mom, Briana Seimah. "Sometimes I just take her, pull her to the side and let her take a little break before she gets back to playing." Syah moves and chatters like most other babies her age. But beneath her ruffled pink shirt, her heart is different. Scars down the center of her chest and across her left shoulder blade chronicle two heart surgeries she endured in her first six months. At age 3, she'll have another. About 1% of babies are born with congenital heart defects. A fraction of those children, like Syah, have severe heart problems. With a kinked aorta, holes in her heart and two right ventricles, the shape of Syah's heart is rare, making surgical repairs complicated. But using 3D-printed models of her heart, doctors at the University of Maryland Medical Center were able to anticipate the anatomical differences they would find when they cut open Syah's chest, increasing the chances for a shorter and successful surgery. Such models, made from patients' own images, are becoming more common in U.S. hospitals, allowing doctors to better plan for complicated cardiovascular and orthopedic surgeries. The 3D-printing technology also is used to make custom prosthetic limbs and surgical tools, and even a drug to treat epilepsy   some of the more than 100 printed medical devices approved in recent years by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. There's more on the horizon, such as printed skin made with living cells to cover wounds and burns. Research into printing human organs is in the beginning stages. The 3D printers that layer powder and liquid versions of plastics, ceramics and metals have been around since the 1980s and explored for medical uses since the 1990s. But advances are now propelling the field more quickly, including the printing of living tissue using cells. A forecast from Allied Market Research projects the health care market for 3D printing to grow to $2.3 billion by 2020, an increase of 26% from 2015. But hurdles remain, analysts say including the high cost of equipment and lack of insurance reimbursements, compatibility with human bodies and lack of expertise. The University of Maryland Medical Center has been adding to its 3D capabilities and partnering with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to perfect uses that largely center on modeling body parts including hearts and blood vessels, and more recently shoulders, to aid in surgical planning, said Dr. Jeffrey Hirsch, the section chief of community radiology for the University of Maryland Medical Center who printed models of Syah's heart. Doctors knew Syah's heart was compromised while she was in utero, though they didn't know the extent of her condition until she was born. Images of Syah's heart after birth confirmed she had a coarctation, or kink, in her aorta, the main blood vessel that delivers oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the body. She also had a large hole connecting the two lower chambers of her heart, which should not be open to each other. She lived in the neonatal intensive care unit for the first month of her life. "This is my first child and the day I left the hospital and she wasn't home with me it was like a panic attack," Seimah said. During Syah's first surgery, doctors repaired her aorta and placed a band on the pulmonary artery to prevent too much blood from rushing to her lungs instead of her body. The second surgery to address the hole in her heart was more complicated, and doctors had several options for procedures to pursue. That's where the models came in. "It wasn't clear exactly what the relationship was between that hole that divided the two lower chambers of her heart and the two big vessels coming off of the heart," said Dr. Carissa Baker-Smith, Syah's pediatric cardiologist at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Hirsch's models gave them a better picture. One model, made of gray and black plastic, was enlarged several times and split in two pieces held together by magnets to allow doctors to look inside. The second model was solid and true to size, small enough to cradle in the palm of your hand. "It was very clear from the 3D printing of the heart that the hole in the wall that separated the two lower chambers of Syah's heart was too far and distant from the big vessels that come off the heart, and that there was no way in which we'd be able to put a patch in that allows one big artery to come from one chamber and one big artery to come from another," Baker-Smith said. "So ultimately that gave us a game plan and I think resulted in a very good outcome. So less amount of time that she needed to be in the operating room. And she's doing quite well now." Printing a patient's organ starts with two-dimensional images   CT scans often work best   that are plugged into software to create a printable file. Hirsch printed the plastic model of Syah's heart using one of two tabletop printers in his lab at the downtown hospital at the time, and he sent the other file for the life-size heart to a third-party vendor. The lab has since added a larger, $80,000 printer, acquired through a donation. Baker-Smith said such models could help other doctors make better decisions for their patients. "In terms of being able to hold the heart in your hand and really kind of twist it and turn it and look at all the intricacies and sort of the relationships for our kids with complex congenital heart disease, I see it being an invaluable resource," Baker-Smith said. Syah was the first pediatric cardiac patient whose heart Hirsch printed. He's partnered with several departments at the hospital to create models and prostheses for his colleagues and their patients. In addition to surgical planning, he said he often sees 3D printing used in procedures like facial reconstruction following trauma, opening up the skull in infant brain surgery, inner-ear prostheses and surgeries to remove bone tumors. Before modeling with 3D printing, "the only way to do that was essentially by guesswork, and so they get a much cleaner result," said Hirsch, also an assistant professor in the University of Maryland School of Medicine's department of radiology. Recently, Hirsch has been working with Dr. Kenneth C. Wang, a fellow radiologist and assistant professor who also serves at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Baltimore. They've worked to create models for shoulder replacement surgeries. Shoulder replacements have a far higher fail rate over a decade than knees because the bones are thinner and made far more fragile by trauma, arthritis and age, Wang said. Modeling someone's specific shoulder allows a surgeon not only to see the anatomy more clearly but also to map where all the new hardware will go. "We can show them the pictures, but when we put a model in their hands it's an epiphany for them," Wang said. "They say, 'I can see what's going on.'" Wang and colleagues from the VA, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the University of Maryland and elsewhere published a paper in the Journal of Digital Imaging that found 3D printed models were more beneficial for surgical planning than CT images. Wang is waiting for approvals from the FDA to use specific software before expanding use of shoulder modeling. Government statistics show that there are about 53,000 shoulder replacement surgeries annually, and Wang said many could be modeled first. Eventually, the actual joints could be widely printed and implanted. Wang said research is needed to determine such things as what the most durable printed materials are and how to avoid titanium or plastic splinters, for example. And study is needed to see whether patients fare better over time with printed parts. At Maryland and the VA center, he and Hirsch largely design and print models on their own time with a lot of donated materials. They need to determine a more formal and funded process to handle requests from surgeons. In addition to staff time, the supplies of plastic, resin, gypsum or metal can work out to under $10 a model to $100 or more. But they expect the 3D technology will continue to advance and the uses to proliferate. The technology had spread largely as a result of individuals tinkering with personal 3D printers, said Bill Decker, chairman of the Association for 3D Printing, a national industry organization. "There are people just playing in that space," Decker said. But the medical implications are serious. Some popular applications of 3D printing in health care have become household names   like Invisalign, a braces alternative, and cochlear implants for restoring hearing. University and industry researchers are working on printing living things, from bacteria to organs made from stem cells. "It's futuristic," Decker said. "You can mix bacteria with another substance, and the substance prints and the bacteria stays alive. … If they can 3D print bacteria, they can 3D print vaccines." For Syah and her parents, the clearest benefit, however, was simply letting doctors see how her defective heart worked before they cut into her tiny chest. "I think it gave them the clearest idea of what was going on," Seimah said.     ©2019 The Baltimore Sun Visit The Baltimore Sun at www.baltimoresun.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.