Judges at an immigration court in El Paso, Texas, are undermining due process, making inappropriate comments and fostering a "culture of hostility" toward immigrants, according to a new complaint. The administrative complaint, sent to the Justice Department on Wednesday and obtained by CNN, slams a number of allegedly recurring practices at the El Paso Service Processing Center court, which hears cases of immigrants detained at several locations near the border. "El Paso feels like the Wild West in terms of the immigration system," said Kathryn Shepherd, national advocacy counsel for the American Immigration Council's Immigration Justice Campaign and one of the complaint's authors. "There's so little oversight. No one is talking about how bad it is." The complaint comes at a time of mounting criticism of the Justice Department-run courts that decide whether individual immigrants should be deported. And it comes as officials warn the number of cases those courts are tasked with handling is rapidly increasing with an influx of more undocumented immigrants crossing the border. Among the allegations: • Judges at the El Paso Service Processing Center court have "notably high rates of denial," the complaint says, noting that the court granted less than 4% of asylum applications heard there between fiscal year 2013 and fiscal year 2017. Nationally, 35% of asylum cases in court are granted , according to the latest data from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University. • The complaint accuses judges in the court of making inappropriate comments that "undermine confidence in their impartiality" and are part of "a culture of hostility and contempt towards immigrants who appear" at the court. While hearing one case, a judge, according to the complaint, described the court as "the bye-bye place," telling a lawyer, "You know your client is going bye-bye, right?" Another judge allegedly told court observers that "there's really nothing going on right now in Latin America" that would provide grounds for asylum. • Rules limiting evidence that can be presented at this court strip away due process, the complaint says. One judge's standing order, for example, limits the length of exhibits that can be submitted to 100 pages. "This order is particularly harmful for individuals seeking protection whose cases are more complex or where country conditions are at issue," the complaint says. The Justice Department's Executive Office for Immigration Review, which oversees US immigration courts, declined to comment on the allegations. Spokeswoman Kathryn Mattingly confirmed that the office received the complaint letter on Wednesday. An overwhelmed system The allegations come amid mounting criticism of US immigration courts. There are more than 60 immigration courts in the United States, and about 400 judges presiding over them. Immigration judges are hired directly by the attorney general and are employees of the Justice Department . They're required to be US citizens, to have law degrees, to be active and licensed members of the bar and to have at least seven years of post-bar experience with trials or hearings, among other qualifications . Prosecutors in immigration courts are employees of Immigration and Customs Enforcement , but the overall administration of the courts is the Justice Department's responsibility. Both immigrant rights advocates and immigration hard-liners agree the court system is struggling under a crush of cases -- but they diverge widely in their proposals for fixing it. More than 850,000 cases are pending in US immigration courts, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse . And in a report released last month, the American Bar Association said the courts are "irredeemably dysfunctional and on the brink of collapse." The Trump administration has moved to hire more judges and to pressure them to finish cases more quickly, accusing immigrants and the lawyers who represent them of gaming the system and overloading it with frivolous cases. President Donald Trump has also repeatedly questioned the need for an immigration court system to begin with . "We have to get rid of judges," Trump said Tuesday in the Oval Office , later explaining that he no longer wants to catch people trying to cross the southern border illegally and "bring them to a court." Advocates say the existing system denies due process and harms vulnerable people who have legitimate claims to remain in the United States but face an overwhelming number of obstacles to make their case. They've argued a major overhaul is necessary, proposing the creation of an independent court system that's not part of the Justice Department. In recent congressional testimony , Executive Office for Immigration Review Director James McHenry said his department had increased its number of case completions for the third consecutive year. And he said that every day, the office decides immigration cases "by fairly, expeditiously and uniformly interpreting and administering the nation's immigration laws." 'The worst court in the country' Lawyers argue the El Paso Service Processing Center facility is both a window into wider problems of the immigration system and a particularly egregious example. "Immigration courts across the nation are suffering from many of the issues identified here," the complaint alleges, "including the use of problematic standing orders, reports of inappropriate conduct from (immigration judges), and highly disparate grant rates which suggest that outcomes may turn on which court or judge is deciding the case rather than established principles and rules of law." But one reason advocates focused this complaint on this El Paso court, the American Immigration Council's Shepherd said, was that it had the lowest asylum grant rate in the nation, based on statistics compiled from Justice Department reports over a five-year period. Those figures, from annual fiscal year reports from 2013-2017, show the percentage of cases granted in the El Paso court has fluctuated in recent years, decreasing slightly from 2014-2016 and increasing slightly from 2016-2017. But for years, the figure has hovered at or under 5% -- significantly below the national rate. "If you look at the numbers, it's the worst court in the country. But we wanted to understand really why that was the case," she said. "What about El Paso, and what about how the judges conduct business in the court, makes it so hard to prevail?" After researching that question and outlining their findings in the complaint, with the help of court observers and lawyers who regularly practice in the court, now Shepherd says they're calling for the Justice Department to conduct its own investigation into the El Paso Service Processing Center court and other courts with similar problems. Suggestions for improvement An administrative complaint is a step in a formal grievance process used to bring issues to officials' attention, Shepherd said, but does not trigger legal proceedings. The complaint recommends a series of corrective measures, including providing more training on appropriate conduct for judges and requiring the Executive Office for Immigration Review to post publicly online any standing orders individual judges have issued. No matter how officials respond, Shepherd said she hopes the complaint will be a jumping-off point for further research into how the court's practices have affected people who were ordered deported there. "It's pretty overwhelming, actually," she said, "if you think about the thousands of people who have passed through this immigration court and haven't really had a chance to fight their case in a meaningful way."


Matt Nagy hasn't lined up under center in 10 years, but the 41-year-old head coach can still sling it like a veteran quarterback. He showed off his arm during Monday's training camp practice, throwing touchdown passes to Chicago Bears receivers. The team's Twitter account captured a beautiful bomb to second-year wide receiver Anthony Miller. Nagy's still got it! pic.twitter.com/WbsA8nwbY9 - Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 5, 2019 Nagy's arm looks like he would be ready to step in as an emergency quarterback, although his body might not be ready to take hits in the pocket. At the same, the Bears head coach is younger than New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who just agreed to a contract extension. The touchdown pass at training camp is a particularly bad look for Prince Amukamara, who gave up the big play to his head coach. His teammates should have fun with that one. MORE: Bubba Wallace calls out Kyle Busch after spinning him: '(Expletive) him' Quick hits, observations from Packers' first joint practice with Texans Rookie Tony Pollard making presence felt in Ezekiel Elliott's absence 40 Under 40: Sports Media Talents 2019 Chargers 53-man roster projection: Mid-training camp edition


Chris Paul never demanded a trade from the Rockets, but CP3 suggested at season's end that he'd understand if the club decided to go in a different direction, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic . Furthermore, Charania reports that Houston told Paul it remained committed to him, and he has reciprocated that commitment. While Paul and James Harden haven't always seen eye-to-eye, Charania hears that the two Rockets guards have been communicating since the season ended and had a positive conversation on Father's Day. Even if the Rockets wanted to move Paul, there would likely be no market for him, as the Rockets discovered when they quietly gauged his value in recent weeks, Charania writes. Charania's latest round-up at The Athletic includes several other noteworthy tidbits on 2019's upcoming free agent period, so let's pass along some highlights… The Warriors and Klay Thompson will meet in Los Angeles at the start of free agency, per Charania. While Charania   like ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski   has heard that Thompson could speak to the Clippers if talks with Golden State break down, the Warriors and Thompson's camp expect a quick agreement if the team puts a five-year, maximum-salary offer on the table. After Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer named the Clippers as a possible suitor for Tobias Harris , Charania says the same thing, noting that the two sides still have a good relationship. Charania also adds the Pelicans   who now have significant cap room   to the list of teams expected to express interest in Harris. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson , who didn't receive a qualifying offer from Brooklyn, is expected to draw interest from the Suns, Timberwolves and Rockets as an unrestricted free agent, reports Charania. The Bulls, Knicks and Nets are viewed as potential suitors for Julius Randle , sources tell Charania. Teams in need of some help at the point guard spot   including the Suns, Bulls, Wizards and Kings   have shown interest in Cory Joseph , says Charania. If the Knicks miss out on their top free agent targets, they'll plan on trying to sign "high-level rotation players" to one- or two-year deals, according to Charania, who suggests that Celtics RFA-to-be Terry Rozier may be one target.


Week 14 of the 2019 MLS season saw the most successful manager in US football history, Bruce Arena, return to the club where he won three of his five MLS Cups. New England travelled to Los Angles to take on LA Galaxy in the final matchup of the week with two main storylines on everyone's mind. After serving a two-match suspension, Zlatan Ibrahimovic returned for the Galaxy and scored a trademark Zlatan goal late in the game to bring his squad within one.  DARE TO ZLATAN  @Ibra_official  pic.twitter.com/pU4zVMqXbk   LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) June 3, 2019 Despite the Swede's fantastic effort late in the match, the Revs took home all three points courtesy of goals from Cristian Penilla and Teal Bunbury, as Arena got his dream return to the City of Angels. Several Eastern Conference teams faced off against Western opposition this week with many of them coming away with big wins. After D.C. United drew with San Jose on Saturday evening, Philadelphia had a chance to take over the top spot in the East. The Union were tested early in their match with Minnesota but ultimately showed their quality over the full 90 minutes and came away with a 3-2 win. Philadelphia has a game in hand over D.C. and can extend their lead against fourth-placed New York Red Bulls next week. Haris. Medunjanin.  Union are headed to half with the 2-1 lead in Minnesota #DOOP | #MINvPHI 1-2 pic.twitter.com/r2rVDXxcFj   Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) June 2, 2019 Speaking of the Red Bulls, a flurry of second-half goals gave them a 4-0 victory over Real Salt Lake in the most lopsided match of the week. Salt Lake had their chances in the first 50 minutes of the game but collapsed around the 60-minute mark and allowed four goals in just over 20 minutes. In one of the few all west-coast contests of the week, LAFC continued their winning ways with a 3-2 triumph over Portland. The Timbers' celebration of the re-opening of Providence Park was soured early in the match by Carlos Vela, the leading candidate for the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award. Vela has scored 16 goals in 16 games, holding a six-goal lead in the race for the Golden Boot. WHO ELSE!!?? Carlos Vela opens the scoring at the new Providence Park!! #PORvLAFC 0-1 pic.twitter.com/77iPqRSwbC   LAFC (@LAFC) June 2, 2019 Colorado continued to surprise everyone, making it three wins in a row against Cincinnati after failing to register a win in the first 12 matches of the campaign. The 3-1 victory over the central-Ohio club avenged their 1-0 loss to the league's newest team on the first day of the campaign.


Longtime Bengals defensive end Jonathan Fanene has been charged with eight felony county and five misdemeanors in American Samoa, on charges of assaulting his wife and sister after he was accused of an affair. Fanene also lost his job as director of the American Samoa Department of Youth and Women's Affairs as a result of the charges. According to the Associated Press , court documents allege that Fanene was involved in an altercation with the women after he was accused of having an affair during a trip to Hawaii. The incident happened on May 26, and was witnessed by their 9-year-old son. The boy told police his father told him to grab "the bat," and when he couldn't find one he brought him a pipe, a golf club, and a broom handle. Fanene then used the objects to assault his wife, along with an electrical extension cord which he used to whip the women. "He beat them as hard as he can. … My mom told him to stop, in a crying way," the son told a police investigator, according to the affidavit. Police said his wife suffered multiple contusions from her shoulders to her ankles. His wife filed a complaint against him on May 29, telling police that her sister-in-law told her Fanene was seen in Hawaii with another woman. When his wife informed him of the allegations from his sister, he "flew into a rage and proceed to assault his sister with his hands." "At one point during the course of the physical onslaught, she got up on the couch to distance herself from him, but he assaulted her with the pipe," the affidavit says. The affidavit adds that the wife was finally able to grab and remove the pipe and stick from her husband, but "he grabbed a commercial grade extension cord, wound it around his hand, and proceed to whip her and her sister-in-law with it." Fanene has been released on $100,000 bail, and has a court appearance next week. His defense lawyer declined comment to the AP. A seventh-round pick from Utah in 2005, Fanene played seven seasons for the Bengals. He went to camp with the Patriots in 2012, but was released before the start of the season.


A man's body was found Tuesday morning in a pond near the Seminole County courthouse, officials said. Officials with the Seminole County Sheriff's Office said the body was found in a pond that is in front of the courthouse and along U.S. 17-92. The name of the man found dead and the circumstances surrounding his death were not immediately available. Deputies said courthouse operations are not affected. READ MORE: Man's body found in pond near Seminole County courthouse CHECK OUT WESH: Stay in the know with the latest Orlando news, weather and sports. Get the top stories and all the scores from the team at WESH.


Best-Sellers The first six months of auto sales in 2019 are now on the books, and some wind has faded from industry sails. Overall sales are down about 2.4 percent compared to the same time period in 2018, with a total of 8.4 million vehicles sold so far this year. Passenger car numbers continue to trend downward, their sales supplanted by popular crossovers and SUVs. And as it has been for years, the top three best-selling vehicles in America are all pickup trucks   however, the ranking has changed. Several major brands experienced big sales increases during the first half of 2019, including Ram, Kia, Subaru and Volkswagen. General Motors continues to lead all other manufacturers in U.S. market share, followed by Ford Motor Company, Toyota Motor Sales and Chrysler / FCA group. What follows are the best-selling models in America for the first half of 2019, according to numbers compiled from individual auto manufacturers' sales reports. Note: General Motors and Ford report only quarterly sales with no monthly data. 25. Hyundai Elantra 2019 Sales: 84,971 Vs. 2018: -14.8 % Over the last few years, Elantra has gained enough momentum to become the best-selling model in the Hyundai lineup   surprising, given the general popularity of crossovers over passenger cars. Although sales are down compared to last year, Hyundai is hoping to turn this around as the updated 2019 Elantra begins arriving in showrooms. With a new hood, front fascia, grille and headlights, the Elantra has a more chiseled look than its predecessor. Three engine options are available, including a 201-horsepower unit for the Elantra Sport. Hyundai also offers Elantra with the latest high-tech safety features including automatic emergency braking. Research the Hyundai Elantra on MSN Autos | Find a Hyundai Elantra near you 24. Subaru Forester 2019 Sales: 86,219 Vs. 2018: 8.8 % The Forester is all new for the 2019 model year, and sales certainly reflect the model's improvement. Although the popular crossover ended 2018 with a slight sales dip, 2019 is looking quite good. This new fifth generation is the roomiest version ever offered with a 1.2-inch-longer wheelbase, more rear-seat legroom and rear cargo capacity. The new Forester also offers improvements in crash protection, comfort, quietness and driving dynamics, powered by an updated direct-injection 2.5-liter Boxer engine that produces 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque. Subaru's EyeSight driver-assist technology is now standard on the Forester. Research the Subaru Forester | Find a Subaru Forester near you 23. Subaru Outback 2019 Sales: 93,711 Vs. 2018: 3.0 % One of the vehicles that helped define the crossover segment, the Outback is Subaru's best-selling model. In fact, the company recently celebrated the 2 millionth Outback sold in America. Sales of this wagon / SUV were up about 9 percent in June versus a year earlier, helping to make it the company's best June ever and the 91st consecutive month of yearly month-over-month growth. The last extensive redesign of the Outback was for the 2015 model year, and last year Outback received revised exterior styling and interior updates with more premium materials. Chassis suspension and steering updates target a smoother ride with a more direct driving experience. New multimedia features include Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Nuance voice recognition, and steering-responsive LED headlights are offered. Look for an all-new 2020 Subaru Outback to begin arriving in showrooms this fall. Research the Subaru Outback on MSN Autos | Find a Subaru Outback nearby 22. Ford Fusion 2019 Sales: 96,351 Vs. 2018: 10.8 % Ford has announced that it will be ending production of all passenger car models, including the best-selling American passenger car   the Fusion. Despite its imminent demise, Fusion is actually bucking the downward U.S. trend with an increase in sales versus one year ago. Fusion has been refreshed for the 2019 model year with subtle exterior design changes, interior improvements and standard Co-Pilot360, which includes automatic emergency braking, a blind-spot information system, lane-keeping assist and a rearview camera. Research the Ford Fusion on MSN Autos | Find a Ford Fusion near you 21. Jeep Cherokee 2019 Sales: 97,210 Vs. 2018: -14.5 % Jeep updated the Cherokee for 2019, and based on record sales in 2018 the redesign has been a success. That said, Cherokee numbers were down 30 percent in June   perhaps due to record numbers a year earlier   so overall the SUV is down for the year. Cherokee returned to the lineup as a 2014 model after a 12-year hiatus and, like all Jeep products, this popular SUV delivers legendary off-road capability with available features including a lifted off-road suspension with skidplates, tow hooks, Selec-Terrain traction control, Jeep Active Drive Lock with rear locker and Selec-Speed Crawl Control. The 2019 Cherokee received updated styling as well as an upgraded interior and increased cargo room. A new 2.0-liter turbocharged engine is added, and a lightweight hands-free power liftgate is now available. Research the Jeep Cherokee | Look for a Jeep Cherokee close to you 20. GMC Sierra 2 019 Sales: 97,403 Vs. 2018: -3.4 % The best-seller in the GMC lineup, the Sierra had ended 2018 on a positive gain, but in the first six months of 2019 the truck's sales experienced a slight decline overall. Like its Silverado sibling, the Sierra is completely new for the 2019 model year. Larger in practically every dimension, the new Sierra boasts a range of new comfort, convenience and safety features. One of Sierra's standout features is its MultiPro Tailgate, which offers six positions for easier loading as well as use as a standing workstation. A range of engine / transmission options are available, including a new 2.7-liter turbo as well as a new turbodiesel powertrain. Research the GMC Sierra 1500 | Find a GMC Sierra 1500 close to you 19. Ford Explorer 2019 Sales: 101,823 Vs. 2018: -20.9 % The Ford Explorer remains a fixture on this list; in 2017 the pioneering SUV had its best annual sales since 2005 and was only slightly off that figure for 2018. Although sales are down dramatically for the first half of 2019, this can be attributed to waning interest in the current generation since the all-new 2020 Explorer is starting to arrive in showrooms. The new Explorer features updated styling and an all-new platform that returns to rear-wheel drive. Ford will also offer a hybrid version as well as a powerful Explorer ST boasting 400 horsepower. The 2020 Explorer has many new features and improvements throughout. Research the Ford Explorer | Look for a Ford Explorer in your region 18. Nissan Altima 2019 Sales: 108,777 Vs. 2018: -12.1 % Once Nissan's best-selling model, the Altima has experienced a decline over the last two years, allowing the hot-selling Rogue to claim its position as the top-selling Nissan in America. Nissan had hopes of reversing that trend with an all-new Altima introduced for the 2019 model year; however, sales in June were down almost 40 percent compared to a year earlier and overall numbers are still in decline. The new Altima features updated styling inside and out as well as a range of new features. Two powertrains are offered, including the first production engine that uses variable compression   a lower compression ratio provides more power, while a higher ratio gets better fuel economy. Nissan also offers the new Altima with all-wheel drive for the first time. Research the Nissan Altima on MSN Autos | Find a Nissan Altima near you 17. Nissan Sentra 2019 Sales: 109,899 Vs. 2018: -5.0 % As with other manufacturers, Nissan continues to experience a general decline in passenger car sales compared to a year ago; however, Sentra is clearly bucking the trend by holding relatively steady with last year's sales rate, including a slight increase in June versus one year ago. A member of the Nissan lineup for more than 35 years, Sentra is currently in its seventh generation. Available in a wide trim range with two powertrain choices, Sentra receives several upgrades for the 2019 model year, including standard Apple CarPlay / Android Auto on all but the base S trim. Research the Nissan Sentra on MSN Autos | Find a Nissan Sentra near you 16. Toyota Highlander 2019 Sales: 111,183 Vs. 2018: -2.7 % Toyota's 7-passenger crossover had impressive sales in 2018 when it recorded its best sales year ever. However, in the first half of 2019 the pace fell off a bit with a decline of around 8 percent in June, and flat sales overall. Highlander benefitted from a major update a few years back that included performance upgrades, refreshed styling and a new SE trim level. The SE stands out as a sportier version with 19-inch alloy wheels, a sport-tuned suspension, dark paint for the front grille, dark headlight housings and dark roof rails. Also available is the fuel-efficient Highlander Hybrid, which features a direct-injection 3.5-liter V6 gas engine teamed with an electric drive motor-generator to produce a total of 306 horsepower while delivering a combined 29 mpg. Look for an all-new 2020 Toyota Highlander to arrive later this year. Research the Toyota Highlander | Find a Toyota Highlander near you 15. Jeep Wrangler 2019 Sales: 116,985 Vs. 2018: -12.4 % An all-new Jeep Wrangler was introduced last year, helping the iconic off-roader achieve its best sales ever; however, Wrangler is experiencing a slow start to 2019. The updated model retains its 7-slot grille and round headlights, but is more aerodynamic than previous generation. Two hardtops, a new Sunrider soft-top and a new Sky One-Touch power top are offered. Both 2- and 4-door versions are available in Sport, Sport S, Rubicon and Sahara trim levels. The new Wrangler is much improved, offering a more comfortable ride on-road while retaining its legendary off-road capability. Research the Jeep Wrangler | Find a Jeep Wrangler near you 14. Toyota Tacoma 2019 Sales: 121,866 Vs. 2018: 4.8 % Toyota's popular midsize pickup truck finished 2018 with record sales, and 2019 is continuing this upward momentum. Toyota's midsize pickup was all new for the 2016 model year, featuring a more aggressive design, a new V6 engine, a smoother ride and stellar off-road capability. The Tacoma is available in several configurations with two cab styles, two bed lengths, five trim levels and a choice of 2WD or 4WD. Toyota also offers the off-road-ready Tacoma TRD Pro, featuring 2.5-inch inch Fox shocks front and rear, combined with a larger front sway bar and TRD-tuned front springs that provide an additional 1 inch of lift. Look for a refreshed Tacoma with updated styling and new features to arrive later this year. Research the Toyota Tacoma on MSN Autos | Find a Tacoma close by 13. Jeep Grand Cherokee 2019 Sales: 123,272 Vs. 2018: 12.8 % The Jeep brand had considerable success last year which makes sense, given the overall popularity of SUVs in America. In fact, Jeep experienced record sales last year, and for 2019 the Grand Cherokee is leading the charge with a 10 percent increase versus June of 2018. The 5-seat Grand Cherokee continues its tradition of offering impressive off-road capability in an attractive package. Available in several trim levels and 4WD systems, the Grand Cherokee line ranges from the off-road-focused Trailhawk to the luxurious Summit. Jeep also offers the high-performance Trackhawk, boasting a staggering 707 horsepower. For 2019 Jeep adds blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert as standard equipment, and introduces the new Grand Cherokee Limited X. Research the Jeep Grand Cherokee | Find a Grand Cherokee near you 12. Honda Accord 2019 Sales: 129,435 Vs. 2018: -6.4 % Honda introduced an all-new Accord late in 2017; it was better than the previous generation in nearly every way, but sales did not reflect these improvements. Although the numbers were more optimistic earlier in 2019, at the halfway mark sales are down compared to last year. Available in a variety of trim levels as a 2-door or 4-door, Accord can even be equipped with a manual transmission   a nod to driving enthusiasts. The Accord is built on a lighter, more rigid body structure designed to improve handling and comfort. Honda offers this popular sedan with a number of power options that include two new turbocharged engines, a 10-speed automatic transmission and a new generation of Honda's 2-motor hybrid system. Research the Honda Accord on MSN Autos | Find a Honda Accord near you 11. Ford Escape 2019 Sales: 133,100 Vs. 2016: -8.0 % This small 5-seat crossover from Ford has been the best-selling American-brand SUV for many years, as well as the second-best-seller in the Ford lineup. Escape had its best sales year ever in 2017 and has dropped off since hitting that peak. Redesigned for the 2017 model year, Escape is available with front or all-wheel drive in addition to updated styling and an array of new features. For 2018 Ford added a higher-end SEL trim to the Escape lineup that includes leather seats, a power liftgate and the latest version of SYNC, Ford's high-tech infotainment and connectivity system. Ford recently took the wraps off an all-new 2020 Ford Escape with fresh styling and new powertrains, including the return of the Escape Hybrid. Look for the new model line to arrive in showrooms this fall. Research the Ford Escape | Find a Ford Escape close to you 10. Toyota Corolla 2019 Sales: 152,868 Vs. 2018: -5.3 % Corolla is one of the most time-honored names in the Toyota lineup, and recently the company celebrated the 1 millionth Corolla built in the brand's Mississippi assembly plant. While sales were up slightly in June versus the previous year, numbers for the compact Toyota are down overall. The introduction of an all-new Corolla   along with a Corolla Hybrid   might have something to do with this sales dip as the automaker attempts to spool up production for the new model. This new Corolla features updated styling with a wider stance and signature LED headlights. Three powertrains are available, including a very efficient hybrid system that has a U.S. EPA rating of more than 50 mpg. Research the Toyota Corolla on MSN Autos | Find a Toyota Corolla near you 9. Honda Civic 2019 Sales: 169,172 Vs. 2018: -4.0 % The all-new Civic had its difficulties in 2018, and ultimately this small Honda was unable to retain the best-selling-car crown. In June 2019 Civic had a 5 percent sales decrease compared to 2018, but the Civic still remains the best-selling passenger car in the Honda lineup. The tenth generation debuted early in 2017 featuring fresh styling, improved aerodynamics, new vehicle architecture, a more spacious interior and two new engines. Fuel economy also is impressive   rated as high as 42 mpg with a new turbocharged powerplant. Standard equipment on the Civic now includes Honda Sensing, which has automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist. For 2019 Honda adds the Civic Sport and gives the entire lineup a minor styling refresh. Research the Honda Civic on MSN Autos | Find a Honda Civic near you 8. Chevrolet Equinox 2019 Sales: 174,157 Vs. 2018: 11.4 % Chevrolet's second-best-selling vehicle after the full-size Silverado pickup, the Equinox had record sales in 2018 and the upward movement is continuing in the first half of 2019. Equinox stands out with projector-beam headlights, LED running lights, wider horizontal taillights and LED taillights for upper trim levels. Inside, the new Equinox features a down-and-away instrument panel with a low windshield base for improved outward visibility. Three engine choices for Equinox are a 170-horsepower 1.5-liter turbo, a 252-horse 2.0-liter turbo combined with a new 9-speed automatic transmission, and a 136-horsepower 1.6-liter turbodiesel. Research the Chevrolet Equinox on MSN Autos | Look for a Chevrolet Equinox near you 7. Nissan Rogue 2019 Sales: 175,267 Vs. 2018: -18.6 % Small crossovers are clearly among the most popular vehicles with American shoppers, and Nissan has capitalized on this with the versatile Rogue. Although sales this year are trending downward, the Rogue continues to hold onto its position as the best-selling model in the Nissan lineup. Rogue has a 170-horsepower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine with an advanced Xtronic transmission with Eco mode, boasting an EPA fuel-economy rating as high as 33 mpg. Rogue also is available as a hybrid and as a smaller model called Rogue Sport. All Rogues are now available with ProPILOT Assist   Nissan's first step toward building autonomous vehicles. Research the Nissan Rogue | Find a Nissan Rogue near you 6. Toyota Camry 2019 Sales: 176,008 Vs. 2018: -1.6 % Sales of the Camry were down last year, but the popular sedan continued its reign as best-selling passenger car in America, with 2018 marking the 16th year in this top position. Camry has experienced a slow start to 2019 but June sales are up slightly compared to 2018. The Camry was redesigned a few years ago with an updated grille, integrated headlights and sculpted lines that give the sedan a more engaging presence, as well as a completely new interior and choice of fuel-efficient, powerful engines. For those looking for even more performance, a Camry TRD with performance suspension and brakes as well as a cat-back exhaust will come to market later this year. Research the Toyota Camry on MSN Autos | Find a Toyota Camry near you 5. Honda CR-V 2019 Sales: 176,944 Vs. 2018: -1.5 % With a strong finish to 2018, Honda's popular CR-V is continuing to hold its own for the first six months of 2019, although sales were down almost 9 percent in June compared to a year earlier. Completely redesigned a few years back, the CR-V remains the best-selling model in the Honda lineup. The CR-V's success lies in its ability to offer consumers a comfortable, small crossover with great utility and excellent fuel economy. Available with front or all-wheel drive, the CR-V can now be equipped with a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine producing an impressive 190 horsepower. Higher trim levels also come with Honda Sensing   the brand's suite of high-tech safety features   as standard equipment. Research the Honda CR-V on MSN Autos 4. Toyota RAV4 2019 Sales: 200,610 Vs. 2018: 1.1 % Toyota's RAV4 crossover experienced impressive sales in 2018, and the momentum is holding for the first six months of 2019. One of the original compact crossovers on the American market, the RAV4 has been completely redone for the 2019 model year. With bold new styling, improved capability, better performance and an array of new safety and convenience features, this fifth-generation RAV4 is likely to remain popular with American car shoppers. In addition to the updated styling and efficient powertrains, the RAV4 now has automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection and lane departure alert as standard equipment. Research the Toyota RAV4 | Find a RAV4 near you 3. Chevrolet Silverado 2019 Sales: 256,777 Vs. 2018: -11.8 % Chevrolet introduced an all-new Silverado for the 2019 model year; however, it seems that consumers are not embracing the new model   sales were down in the first half of 2019. This is the first time in many years that the perennial runner-up to the Ford F-Series has dropped below the Ram pickup. The new Silverado is longer and wider than its predecessor, which means more passenger space as well as more cargo room. Through an extensive use of mixed materials, engineers were able to lighten Silverado by an impressive 450 pounds, with 88 pounds of that coming off the body. Silverado gets updated styling inside and out as well variety of powertrains, ranging from a new turbocharged 4-cylinder powerplant to V8 options with dynamic fuel management. Research the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | Seek out a Chevrolet Silverado 1500 near you 2. Ram Truck 2019 Sales: 299,480 Vs. 2018: 28.2 % Ram ended 2018 with a strong showing, posting record sales for the third year in a row, and it seems as if the big truck is on its way to setting a new record in 2019. With a June sales increase of more than 56 percent versus a year earlier, Ram has moved up as the second-most-popular truck in America. The new Ram features updated exterior styling, and the interior is one of the nicest on the market. Six trim levels are available, as well as a new lineup of powertrains that will eventually include a hybrid system. Ram also announced that the previous generation will continue to be sold as Ram 1500 Classic to fill demand as the company ramps up production of the new model. A new Ram Heavy Duty that boasts a new diesel with 1,000 lb-ft of torque is likely to help Ram hold onto this sales position. Research the Ram 1500 | Find a Ram 1500 in your area 1. Ford F-Series 2019 Sales: 448,398 Vs. 2018: -0.6 % Thanks to strong sales in 2018, the Ford F-Series extended its streak as the best-selling vehicle in America to 37 years   42 years as best-selling truck. Sales in 2019 are relatively flat so far, but certainly enough to keep the F-150 at the top. The F-150 is driving strong sales with updated styling, added safety and convenience features, and a new 3.3-liter V6 engine that generates 290 horsepower joining Ford's lineup of powerful turbocharged EcoBoost powerplants. Research the Ford F-150 on MSN Autos | Find a Ford F-150 near you Data: Automaker sales releases


If you have tattoos (plural), chances are you have one you sort of regret. It's not necessarily a bad tattoo, but maybe it's one that doesn't reflect who you are anymore or hasn't aged as well as you'd hoped. It happens. That's the risk you run when you use your body as a sketch book. There are some ink-borne disasters you can see coming, though. Pete Davidson getting Ariana Grande's name tattooed on him after dating for all of 15 seconds is a prime example, as is any predictive sports tat, even if you are a Warriors fan. But don't take our word for it. Just check out the tattoo one optimistic Knicks fan got on Wednesday night minutes before finding out the poor old Knickerbockers wouldn't be winning the Zion sweepstakes after all: https://twitter.com/MasterTes/status/1128454941335592966 Something tells us that is not going to buff out. When you misunderstand basic concepts like "lottery" and "percentages" so deeply that you are willing to do something like this, however, perhaps you deserve to live with that reminder for the rest of your probably shorter than average life. There was A GREATER THAN 86% CHANCE the Knicks wouldn't land Zion and that this tattoo would end being a massive mistake, but this woman went ahead and got it anyway. Call it a leap of faith, call it lunacy, but whatever you do, just don't call it surprising. RELATED: Spiraling Knicks homer selling fandom for $1,973 on eBay In the end, the Knicks, who had a 14% chance to claim the first pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, fell to number three in the lottery, with the New Orleans Pelicans (6% chance) leapfrogging their way into the long-limbed embrace of the best NBA prospect since Anthony Davis (who also just so happens to still be on the Pelicans roster.) As a Knicks fan, this woman should have known better. She should have known that the Knicks can't have nice things . She should have known that even if they did win the lottery, James Dolan would still have found a way to mess it up anyway. But she didn't and all we can say is thank you. We will cherish this moment forever.


Oakland quarterback Derek Carr heard the speculation before the draft that the Raiders could select a quarterback to replace him, but he never paid it much mind. Carr said today that he was always confident that owner Mark Davis, coach Jon Gruden and General Manager Mike Mayock were going to draft players who could help him win, not draft a player who could replace him. "The owner, head coach, GM and quarterback are all on the same page," Carr said, via Scott Bair of NBCSportsBayArea.com. " This is my team and I'm not going anywhere." The Raiders are indeed still Carr's team this year, as there's no threat to him in Oakland. The other three quarterbacks on the roster   Mike Glennon , Nathan Peterman and Landry Jones   are just competing for backup jobs. If Carr can't help the Raiders turn things around this year, however, it's hard to believe everyone will still be on the same page next year. Another 4-12 season would have the Raiders thinking they need to make a major change when they move to Las Vegas, and that means Carr could be playing for his job this season.


WASHINGTON   The Supreme Court limited public and media access to government records Monday by expanding a federal law's definition of what can be deemed confidential. At issue was whether confidentiality, as used in a section of the Freedom of Information Act, means anything intended to be kept secret or only information likely to cause harm if publicized. Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the 6-3 decision, with Justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor dissenting. A retailers trade group, the Food Marketing Institute, and the federal government argued for a broad definition that would leave ample room to keep data from the public. Media organizations and public interest groups favored a more narrow definition requiring harm, which would make confidentiality apply to fewer FOIA requests. In 2011, the case began with a request that the Argus Leader newspaper made under the Freedom of Information Act. The Sioux Falls, S.D., newsroom is part of the USA TODAY Network. More: Conservative gains at Supreme Court leading to anger, frustration and 'peeks behind the curtain' The Argus Leader asked the Department of Agriculture, which administers the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program , to release the annual amounts taxpayers paid to more than 320,000 retailers participating in the program. Data were requested as part of the newsroom's ongoing projects into food access deserts and fraud in the food stamp program. "At least where commercial or financial information is both customarily and actually treated as private by its owner and provided to the government under an assurance of privacy, the information is 'confidential' under the meaning of (FOIA)," Gorsuch ruled. Breyer differed by noting that "the whole point of FOIA is to give the public access to information it cannot otherwise obtain." "Given the temptation, common across the private and public sectors, to regard as secret all information that need not be disclosed, I fear the majority's reading will deprive the public of information for reasons no better than convenience, skittishness, or bureaucratic inertia," Breyer said. "We're disappointed in today's outcome, obviously," Argus Leader news director Cory Myers said. "This is a massive blow to the public's right to know how its tax dollars are being spent, and who is benefiting. Regardless, we will continue to fight for government openness and transparency, as always." After the Agriculture Department refused to release the data , the Argus Leader sued. The case wound its way to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and back to federal district court in South Dakota, where a judge ruled the information should be released. The government did not appeal that ruling, but the Food Marketing Institute intervened and appealed again to the Eighth Circuit. The appeals court ruled against the Institute in 2018, prompting its request to the Supreme Court to hear the case. More: Ginsburg traveled, Gorsuch wrote, Kavanaugh coached: Supreme Court justices had a lucrative 2018 A key issue in the case, which was argued April 22 , was whether a 1974 ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit had twisted FOIA beyond Congress' original intent. Enacted eight years earlier in 1966, FOIA included an exemption allowing the government to withhold information it obtained from businesses that include trade secrets or financial data considered confidential. But the 1974 ruling narrowed what was considered confidential to records that, if released, would cause substantial competitive harm. More: Supreme Court refuses to consider whether Second Amendment protects gun silencers The Food Marketing Institute argued the ruling overstepped congressional intent and asked the Supreme Court to allow businesses to decide the need for confidentiality. The group was supported by other industry groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The Argus Leader argued that records of government spending, including taxpayer payments to food stamp retailers, were at the heart of why Congress created FOIA. It also argued that Congress had acquiesced to the 1974 ruling's standard by failing to change it during numerous reviews of FOIA since 1974. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Supreme Court limits access to government records in loss for Argus Leader, a member of the USA TODAY Network


Fellow 2020 candidates are criticizing the former vice president for highlighting his work with senators who supported segregation.


The Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels got into it on Tuesday night after Jake Marisnick was hit by a pitch. Angels reliever Noe Ramirez had Marisnick 1-1 with nobody out in the top of the sixth. Ramirez ran a 90 mph fastball up and in on Marisnick, hitting him high on the back between the shoulder blades. Old time baseball   payback #Angels pic.twitter.com/7jwbdUNyUM   Doug Downs (@DougDownsCanada) July 17, 2019 Marisnick, who has become an unpopular figure in Anaheim due to his collision with Jonathan Lucroy on July 7, ran straight to first. Some in the Astros dugout seemed bothered by the hit by pitch and chirped from the dugout. First baseman Albert Pujols heard something he didn't like and walked over to the opposing dugout. The bullpens emptied and benches cleared as players walked over to get involved. Marisnick got drilled by Ramirez. Benches clear #Angels #Astros pic.twitter.com/ZrL1VvNF8Q   Dillard Barnhart (@BarnHasSpoken) July 17, 2019 Marisnick actually tried to play peacemaker the whole time and told his teammates to go back into the dugout. He seemed to be expecting to get hit and just took it like a pro. He later stole second base but was stranded on the bases. Marisnick had been getting booed by Angels fans during his at-bats in the game. Related slideshow: The 2019 MLB season (Provided by imagn)


After a solid 2018 that made his ascension to major league baseball seem suddenly possible, Tim Tebow's baseball odyssey has hit a snag: Triple-A pitching. The former NFL quarterback batted a respectable .273/.336/.399 at Double-A Binghamton last year while playing left field and DHing, and those numbers undersell how well Tebow was hitting last summer before breaking a bone in his hand. He hit .301 for the month of June and .340 for the two-plus weeks he played in July. But he's off to an ice-cold start in Syracuse this spring, with just 10 hits and six walks in 77 plate appearances. Tebow struggled at the beginning of last year, too, hitting .226 in April and .241 in May before heating up with the weather. His 2019 International League performance has been far worse, though with a miserable .143/.211/.186 slash line through 21 games. Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said before the season that Tebow was close to making the majors. But even Van Wagenen   who used to be Tebow's agent   can't justify calling up Tebow if this continues. Related Slideshow: Best of the 2019 MLB season (provided by imagn)


Groups E and F reach their finale on Tuesday, as the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations knockout round bracket will be set after these four games. And all eight teams in action can still make the Round of 16. [ LIVE: Africa Cup of Nat ions scores ] In Group E a point will likely be enough for group leaders Mali, who have already reached the knockout round, to finish top, while Tunisia must beat Mauritania to have a chance of topping the group and have an easier path in the knockout rounds. If Mali do finish top of the group they will play against the Ivory Coast in the Round of 16. Group F is somewhat complicated, but Cameroon have definitely advanced and a win against Benin will seal top spot for the reigning champs. Any of Benin, Guinea-Bissau or Ghana can still reach the last 16, with the latter potentially playing Nigeria in the last 16 if they do finish second in Group F. Below is the full schedule for the AFCON action on Tuesday, while you can follow all of the action live by clicking on the link above. 2019 Africa Cup of Nations schedule   Tuesday, July 2 Group F Benin v. Cameroon   12 p.m. ET Guinea-Bissau v. Ghana   12 p.m. ET Group E Angola v. Mali   3 p.m. ET Mauritania v. Tunisia   3 p.m. ET Follow @JPW_NBCSports


Curious just how far your dollar goes in Houston? We've rounded up the latest rental listings via rental sites Zumper and Apartment Guide to get a sense of what to expect when it comes to hunting down a rental in Houston if you don't want to spend more than $1,100/month on rent. Read on for the listings. (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. 11881 Gulf Pointe Drive (South Belt/Ellington) Listed at $1,075/month, this 750-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit is located at 11881 Gulf Pointe Drive. In the apartment, you can expect in-unit laundry, a walk-in closet and a dishwasher. The building offers on-site laundry. Pet lovers are in luck: Cats and dogs are welcome. According to Walk Score, the surrounding area requires a car for most errands, has some bike infrastructure and has a few nearby public transportation options. (See the complete listing here .) 7111 Hillcroft Ave. (Gulfton) Next, there's this two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit over at 7111 Hillcroft Ave. It's listed for $1,003/month for its 920 square feet. The building has a swimming pool, on-site laundry and a business center. Both cats and dogs are welcome. Expect a broker's fee equal to one month's rent. Per Walk Score ratings, the surrounding area is very walkable, has some bike infrastructure and has good transit options. (Check out the complete listing here .) 3103 Rockyridge Drive (Mid West) Here's a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment at 3103 Rockyridge Drive that's going for $1,004/month. Pet lovers are in luck: Cats and dogs are permitted. There's no leasing fee required for this rental. Per Walk Score ratings, the area around this address is moderately walkable, has some bike infrastructure and has good transit options. (Take a look at the full listing here .) 2400 Yorktown St. (Greater Uptown) Next, check out this one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment that's located at 2400 Yorktown St. It's listed for $1,005/month. Animals are not welcome. The rental doesn't require a leasing fee. According to Walk Score, the area around this address is moderately walkable, is fairly bikeable and offers many nearby public transportation options. (Take a look at the complete listing here .) 5514 Griggs Road (Ost / South Union) Located at 5514 Griggs Road, here's a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment that's listed for $1,005/month. Animals are not welcome. The rental doesn't require a leasing fee. According to Walk Score's assessment, the surrounding area is car-dependent, has some bike infrastructure and has good transit options. (Take a gander at the complete listing here .) Working with a tight budget? Here are the cheapest rentals recently listed in Houston . 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.


Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield has expanded his circle of workout partners beyond Mark Wahlberg. Wide receiver Jarvis Landry shared pictures and video of him, Mayfield and other members of the Browns working out in California on his Instagram account. A full roster of the players in attendance is unknown, although wideout Rashard Higgins is in one of Landry's pictures and tight end David Njoku has posted from the workouts as well. Odell Beckham came out of social media hibernation on Monday to post a video of him doing drills, although it doesn't appear that he's joined his teammates yet. Landry did not take part in on-field work during organized team activities or minicamp because of an undisclosed injury. He's running routes without any obvious issues in one of the videos and that should ease any doubts about his ability to jump back into the mix come training camp. Mayfield's workouts will pause this weekend so that he can get married and camp opens up on July 25.


NEW YORK   The NYPD has no plan to change exceptions to a go-easy policy for public marijuana smoking despite concerns that they fuel racial disparities. NYPD cops in September started giving out criminal summonses to New Yorkers caught smoking pot in public instead of arresting them. But the grace doesn't apply to several groups of people who have had past entanglements with the criminal system, such as those on parole or probation or with active arrest warrants. While the shift has corresponded with a sharp drop in arrests, advocates worry the exemptions have contributed to a racial disparity in who gets cuffed for using a drug that's legal in several states. But police officials have stood by them   an NYPD spokeswoman said Wednesday that there are currently no plans to revise the policy. "The NYPD believes the current marijuana policy allows officers to do their jobs effectively and safely, and in a way that always promotes public safety and quality of life for all New Yorkers," the spokeswoman, Sgt. Jessica McRorie, said in a statement. Mayor Bill de Blasio and the NYPD announced the more lenient approach to public pot smoking last year amid concerns about a longstanding racial disparity in marijuana arrests. But the disparity has persisted   Black and Hispanic people accounted for 92 percent of the 606 low-level marijuana arrests in the first three months of this year, NYPD statistics show . That rate is up from 89 percent in 2018 and 86 percent in 2017. City Councilman Rory Lancman quoted those figures to Police Commissioner James O'Neill at a hearing last week, arguing that the exceptions to the NYPD's policy inherently expose more people of color to arrest. "If you're excluding from benefits of the new policy people who have criminal justice system involvement, well, in this city, because of decades of our criminal justice system and policing strategies, overwhelmingly the people who have criminal justice system involvement are people of color," the Queens Democrat said. But O'Neill pointed to the nearly 89 percent drop in low-level marijuana arrests this year   there were just 436 in the first three months of 2019, down from 3,947 in the same period last year, he said. And a total of 9,794 black and Hispanic people were arrested for pot-related offenses last year, a roughly 50 percent decrease from more than 19,700 in 2017, according to statistics McRorie provided. O'Neill expressed concern about the racial disparities and said the NYPD wants to work with the council to reduce them. But when Lancman asked if he would consider changing the exceptions, he said, "At this time, no." "I think the exceptions that I outlined are an important component of our overall enforcement effort and overall crime strategy effort," O'Neill said at last week's hearing. Legal Aid Society attorney Anthony Posada said the exemptions in the current policy are "another pathway to continue criminalizing" communities of color. But he said a deeper solution would be to legalize marijuana altogether, a step that officials are considering at the state level. "Nobody ever said that legalization is going to cure racism in policing," said Posada, who is the supervising attorney of Legal Aid's Community Justice Unit. "… What it does is that it takes away at least one of those tools to continue making arrests and funneling people through the criminal justice system."


According to a number of reports across England, Tottenham may have secured its first new player signing in 511 days, rumored to have completed a deal for Leeds United winger Jack Clarke. The BBC reports that Clarke has flown south to London for a medical and that the $12.7 million deal is finalized. The report states there are further, unspecified add-ons to that base payment should they trigger. The 18-year-old made 25 appearances for the Leeds first-team last season, scoring two goals assisting two more as they reached the playoff semifinal. Clarke's arrival will mark the first Tottenham signing since Lucas Moura joined in January of 2018, famously failing to sign a player last summer to much criticism, before making a run to the Champions League final during the season. Arsenal is reportedly after a pair of transfer targets, one on either end of the pitch. First, more concretely, reports indicate that the Gunners are set to bat the signature of young French defender William Saliba. The 18-year-old currently plays for St. Etienne and saw significant playing time last season, bagging 16 league appearances good for over 1,200 minutes as he helped the club secure a Champions League place with a fourth-place finish, aided by the third-best defensive record in the league. According to an ESPNFC report by Julien Laurens , the two clubs have reached an agreement for Saliba in the range of $28 million, with the Gunners beating Tottenham and PSG to the punch. Saliba will stay at St. Etienne on loan next season as he looks to continue developing at his boyhood club. The Gunners are reportedly also following Monaco winger Keita Balde, with the Senegal international currently on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations. The 24-year-old spent last season on loan at Inter, where he racked up 24 Serie A appearances   mostly off the bench   scoring five goals and assisting three more. Reports in Italy indicate that while Inter had the option to buy at the end of the loan spell, they declined as they believed the $38 million price to be too expensive. With Monaco struggling mightily this past season and in serious flux, it's likely that Balde could move on and help the French club gain funds to reinvest. Balde found the back of the net in Senegal's opening AFCON match, a 2-0 win over Tanzania, marking his fourth international goal in 24 caps. Another African on international duty is Kalidou Koulibaly, whose future is still under serious speculation. Napoli manager Carlo Ancelotti said Wednesday   completely joking, mind you   that he won't even return from his vacation in Canada if the club sells Koulibaly. That won't stop the two Manchester clubs from having a go, and to this point Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis has held firm that only a bid that reaches his $154 million release clause will pry him from the Italian side. Koulibaly wouldn't be drawn into speculation about his future when approached at the tournament in Africa, saying , "I don't know [if I'll still be at Napoli next year], I think so, but I have to play the AFCON and then after that I'll go back to Napoli." Manchester United has been much closely linked with Koulibaly than Manchester City, but it may be difficult to convince him to switch with the Red Devils not participating in the Champions League next season. Everton is reportedly in the hunt for Juventus striker Moise Kean according to the Liverpool Echo , with the 19-year-old breaking out last season with The Old Lady. He scored six goals in 13 appearances down the stretch of the season, coming into the squad after the club had all but secured the league title. While he is a big strike prospect for Juventus, the club is somewhat crowded at the position with Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala, and Mario Mandzukic at the position. The club surely could take its time bringing him along, but apparently a disciplinary issue while with the Italy U-21 team at the Euros this summer has added to the club's concern, along with his hesitation at signing a new contract. Kean's current deal expires next summer, so this would be the time to cash in on his high-rising stock. The report states it would cost around $34 million to land the youngster and Ajax is also in the mix. Follow @the_bonnfire


The 2019 U.S. Walker Cup team locked in its first three members on Wednesday when Cole Hammer, Akshay Bhatia and Stewart Hagestad earned automatic selections to the 10-player squad. The trio are first, fourth and fifth in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, with the USGA reserving spots for the first time this year for the top three golfers in the rankings. There was little doubt that the trio would be playing for captain Nathaniel Crosby when it competes against Great Britain & Ireland at Royal Liverpool Sept.7-8; it's not as if the USGA's International Team Selection (ITS) committee was going to overlook the top Americans in the ranking. Hammer, 19, took over the top spot in the WAGR in June. The Dallas native was the national college freshman of the year this past season while playing at the University of Texas and will defend his Western Amateur title next week. He also competed for the U.S. at last year's World Amateur Team Championship. Bhatia, 17, has built one of the more impressive junior careers in recent memory to have success at the amateur level, winning the Jones Cup in February, as well as competing in PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour events. Over the past two years, Bhatia has said that he'll bypass college golf to turn pro after turning 18, but before that he had the goal of becoming the first high schooler to make the American team in the event's nearly 100-year history. RELATED: Bhatia signs with management company while keeping amateur status Hagestad, 28, gives Crobsy a player with previous Walker Cup experience, having competed for the victorious American side in 2017 at Los Angeles Country Club. Entering 2019, Hagestad's candidacy wasn't quite so clear, but his credentials got a big lift when he qualified for the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and then finished runner-up at the Northeast Amateur and the Players Amateur this summer. https://twitter.com/s_hagestad/status/1154109776881577984 The final seven spots will be filled after the U.S. Amateur concludes at Pinehurst No. 2 on Aug. 18. Among the likely candidates are three other players currently in the top 10 of the WAGR: No. 7 Brandon Wu, a recent Stanford grad who qualified for the U.S. and British Opens; No. 8 Stephen Fisk, who won six college events this past season as a senior at Georgia Southern and was runner-up at the NCAA Championship; and No. 10 Chandler Phillips, who finished his career at Texas A&M this spring as the school's all-time victory leader. Two more automatic berths are to be filled on the team: the U.S. Amateur champ at Pinehurst and the winner of the McCormick Medal as the top-ranked amateur at the end of the summer, provided each is an American. If either is one of the three already selected, that spot will be filled by the USGA's ITS committee. Check out Golf Digest Schools for the best in video golf instruction WATCH: GOLF DIGEST VIDEOS See the video. Forgotten Courses That Have Hosted a Major


Manchester United are close to signing Wales international Daniel James after agreeing a fee with Swansea City. The 21-year-old has enjoyed a breakout season in the Championship, having contributed five goals and ten assists in 38 league appearances for the Swans. Having been declared frontrunners for the winger last week, an agreement now appears to be in place (via MailOnline Sport ) to bring James to Old Trafford, as manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to rebuild his Man Utd squad. James' most notable asset is his blistering pace, but he can also play on either flank - with Solskjaer lining him up to play on the right wing to cut inside on his stronger left foot, having sent club scouts to specifically check his suitability for the role. He has also broken through on the international stage this season, with United legend Ryan Giggs handing him two senior appearances for Wales, which included a goal on his competitive home debut in the 1-0 win over Slovakia. The news will pile further misery on Swansea fans after a difficult week, following the departure of manager Graham Potter, who has taken over from Chris Hughton at Brighton . Potter's new side were also linked to James, as were fellow Premier League sides Everton and Newcastle , but the Red Devils offered the most attractive wages and transfer fee. Daniel James set to become Manchester United's first singing of the summer. Deal not done yet but will be soon. Personal terms agreed. Player wants to join United. https://t.co/1GI9FLhCeM   Kaveh Solhekol (@SkyKaveh) May 21, 2019 James came very close to joining promotion challengers Leeds United on deadline day in January after the club's agreed to a fee much lower than the sum being mentioned now, but the deal fell through at the 11th hour thanks after Swansea's board pulled the plug.


Open enrollment for 2019 health coverage through Healthcare.gov ended Saturday. But there are still ways to get health insurance for 2019 if you missed the deadline. Side note: You may have heard that a judge in Texas ruled Obamacare unconstitutional. The decision won't impact current coverage or 2019 plans, said Seema Verma, administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The ruling is likely to be appealed. You may still be able to sign up for comprehensive health insurance for 2019, depending on your situation. Here are some of the most common options. State exchanges Enrollment on the federal health care exchanges ended Saturday, but health insurance marketplaces remain open in some states that run their own exchanges. People can still buy health insurance in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Rhode Island and Washington, D.C. Check our state-by-state guide to open enrollment for exact deadlines . Special enrollment Some people may qualify for a special enrollment period to sign up for health insurance. Certain life events, like losing health coverage, moving, or getting married, can trigger a special enrollment period, which lasts up to 60 days. Life changes that qualify for a special enrollment period generally fall into three categories: changes in household, changes in residence or losing health insurance. Qualifying changes in household can include: Getting married Having a baby or adopting a child Getting divorced or legally separated and losing health insurance Having someone in your household die Qualifying changes in residence can include: Moving to a new home in a new ZIP code or county Moving to the U.S. from a foreign country If you're a student, moving to or from the place you attend school If you're a seasonal worker, moving to or from the place you live and work Moving to or from a shelter or transitional housing Qualifying losses of health coverage include: Losing job-based coverage Losing individual health coverage Losing eligibility for Medicaid or CHIP Losing eligibility for Medicare Losing coverage through a family member Medicaid Medicaid is a federal and state health insurance program for low-income people. You can apply to Medicaid any time of year. States set their own standards for eligibility. They're mostly based on income, disability, pregnancy, age, household size and household role. Thirty-six states, as well as the District of Columbia, have expanded Medicaid to cover all their residents making less than 133% of the poverty line. To see the requirements where you live, check our state-by-state guide to Medicaid . Health insurance alternatives If none of these routes are available, there are alternative health care options to explore. They include off-exchange plans. These policies cover the same benefits as Obamacare plans, but aren't eligible for subsidies. Some private insurers sell off-exchange plans all year. Short-term health plans cost less than marketplace plans, but offer less robust coverage. They may not cover pre-existing conditions or may cap coverage for certain services, like hospital stays. If you're considering a short-term health plan, be sure to ask these questions. Health care sharing ministries are a faith-based alternative to traditional health insurance. Participants pay a monthly "sharing amount" similar to a premium. Health care sharing ministries aren't subject to Obamacare rules. They set their own guidelines for members. They can require members to adhere to certain behaviors, like abstaining from tobacco and drugs or attending group worship. Skipping health insurance Starting in 2019, there is no penalty for going without health insurance. But paying for a medical emergency out-of-pocket could be much costlier than the price of health insurance. Medical bills are a leading cause of financial problems, so weigh your risks carefully. This article originally appeared on Policygenius and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.


Lubbock is a long way from anywhere, and even in this West Texas town with a population of just over a quarter-million, because of its remoteness it still somehow feels uncrowded, maybe a little lonesome. Its closest neighbors of any size are a two- to three-hour drive away, give or take. Amarillo is to the north, Midland and Odessa to the south, Abilene's to the southeast, and Roswell, over the state line in New Mexico, lies to the west. So, then, at the same time, it's smack in the middle of nowhere and everywhere. There's not much between those cities except the dusty prairies and grasslands of the Great Plains, where the buffalo used to roam and where still the deer and the antelope play alongside prairie dogs, jackrabbits, and even rattlesnakes. But solitude is the soul of the Great Plains of West Texas, a way of life, and no one in Lubbock, sort of the epicenter of the Great Plains subset of the South Plains, seems to mind that the town stands alone. Long, flat roads lead to longer stretches of open, flat plains that eroded from the Rocky Mountains eternities ago. Lubbock, with its elevation reaching to some 3,400 feet, sits high atop caprock tableland that tapers slowly to the southeast toward Fort Worth and Dallas. This is Texas east of the Pecos, a land of caprock, cowpokes and unending fields of cotton, a crop that loves the merciless sun of its semiarid climate. It's that combination of sun, wind and probably not quite enough rain that makes the region ideal for not only cotton, but also growing grapes, as in Texas wine grapes, as in Texas wine, as in mighty fine Texas wine. With a mere three full days in Lubbock to spend time with extended family and see the sites, my husband and I visited several wineries and ate at some killer restaurants, diners and coffee shops. And while Lubbock may well be off the beaten path, it doesn't scrimp on things to do.     WONDERFUL WEST TEXAS WINES AND WINERIES Often the region is compared to both Sonoma and Napa Valley, primarily because of the climate, and grapes are grown here en masse. In fact, most of Texas wine grapes   estimates are up to 90% of them   are grown within a 100-mile radius of Lubbock. That's a bunch of grapes, so to speak, and the Lone Star State, as it turns out, is the fourth largest wine-producing state in the U.S. Several wineries dot the swathe of fertile terrain of the Lubbock region, and the ones we visited had tasting rooms and vineyards just as classy as any found in California. Among those where we sampled the vino were Burklee Hill Vineyards-Trilogy Cellars in nearby Levelland, the highly awarded McPherson Cellars that is housed in Lubbock's historic Coca-Cola Bottling Plant, Llano Estacado Winery that is one of the pioneers of the West Texas wine industry   it's the second oldest winery in Texas   and has won hundreds of awards since it first opened in 1976, the picturesque Caprock Winery that resembles an American Southwest-style mission, and finally the French-style Pheasant Ridge Winery that features the oldest pinot noir vines in Texas.     WHERE TO CHOW DOWN FOR BREAKFAST Get your day started at the Cast Iron Grill, a favorite home-style restaurant. Just inside the door are subtly lighted display cases filled with pie slices, lots of them, ranging from the signature Texas Delight, a layered concoction with cream cheese, chocolate pudding and pecans, to flavors of cheesecake, strawberry, pumpkin and beyond. Go ahead. Have a slice to complement a big ol' country breakfast of chicken fried steak or biscuits and gravy. If you're craving coffee but not the ginormous breakfast, it's always brewing in one of Lubbock's cozy, trendy coffee shops. Take your pick of places such as iconic J&B Coffee that's been around since 1979, Yellow House Coffee with its freshly baked pastries, and Sugar Brown's, where you get to make your own breakfast s'mores.     WHERE TO CHOW DOWN FOR LUNCH When the clock strikes noon, amble on over to the Crafthouse Gastropub offering craft beer from the likes of Odell Friek, Dogfish Head and Deschutes Brewery. My husband and I split a made-from-scratch margherita pizza topped with the freshest of mozzarella and chased down with a raspberry-infused Odell Friek, a lunch that set the stage for an afternoon tour and beer tasting at the Brewery LBK, downtown Lubbock's only brewery. Probably the don't-miss lunch experience is Evie Mae's Pit Barbecue. Owner Arnis Robbins has managed to somehow marvelously pull off a brisket magic trick by slow-cooking it over oak for about 16 hours, sprinkling it only with salt and pepper for seasoning. I kid you not, it cuts as easily as hot butter. Robbins also serves up flavor-packed prime rib, pulled pork and sausage with green chilis. The restaurant is open only Wednesday through Saturday, and some days sell out, so get there while the getting is good.     WHERE TO CHOW DOWN FOR DINNER Funky features fondue. OK, translation: That's the Funky Door Bistro and Wine Room, just a few minutes' drive from Texas Tech, that offers fondue   gruyere, pepper jack and gouda are among the offerings   that are the perfect accompaniment for American and international entrees from the land and sea. Wine sampling via technological tasting machines gives this restaurant a unique edge, plus it has more than 4,000 bottles of wine from 650 labels, some of which are stored in a two-story wine tower. With a focus toward fresh and local, the menu at downtown's West Table Kitchen and Bar changes daily, but expect some sort of moo, cluck, swish or oink, including ribeye, duck, trout or pork chop. We also tried La Diosa, where owners Sylvia and Kim McPherson have mixed vibrant décor with subtle lighting and bold tapas. If none of these suits your tastes, Cocina de La Sirena, a Latin American restaurant, serves traditional fare of empanadas, enchiladas and flan, but it's also known for its tequilas and margaritas.     WHAT TO DO A short roster of famous folk comes from Lubbock. Singer Mac Davis. Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks. Model Jill Goodacre. And Waylon Jennings was from Littlefield, just up the road apiece from Lubbock. But the favorite son always remains Buddy Holly, and his fans make the pilgrimage to the Buddy Holly Center   part museum, part art gallery, part historic house   to honor the storied singer. Not far away in the Lubbock City Cemetery is his gravesite. Just look for the headstone crowded with guitar picks, guitar-shaped tokens, notes and flowers. At Texas Tech, we dropped by to say hello to Will Rogers. OK, so it was a sculpture of him and not his ghost. Texas Tech's impressive Public Art Collection, peppered across the campus, contains more than a hundred art pieces of sculptures and murals. Probably its most recognized installation is "Riding into the Sunset," a 1947 bronze statue of Will Rogers astride his horse, Soapsuds. Now, Lubbock isn't all Texas Tech, Red Raider football and Buddy Holly. Saddle up and visit the National Ranching Heritage Center, 27 acres of ranching exhibits and cowboy history. If you love the old-time romance of windmills, the American Windmill Museum has 170 of them that have been fully restored, while Prairie Dog Town pays homage to the little rodent that's a mainstay of the plains. Lubbock can be as much cultural as it is cowpoke with the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts, Charles Adams Gallery and Studio Project that's home to both permanent and rotating art collections including work from Andy Warhol, and the First Friday Art Trail, a free, self-guided public art trail that guides you through the city's art stops. When it comes to romancing the Great Plains, Lubbock may have a cowboy past, but its future is great wine, great food and great arts and musical heritage.     IF YOU GO Contact Visit Lubbock at www.visitlubbock.com or call toll-free 1-800-692-4035. Lubbock Preston Smith Airport is served by American Eagle, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines.     Where to Stay Arbor Hotel and Conference Center 6401 62nd St. Lubbock, TX 79424 www.arborhotels.com One of Lubbock's newest luxury hotels. Free breakfast. From $92 per night.     Overton Hotel and Conference Center 2322 Mac Davis Lane Lubbock, TX 79401 www.overtonhotel.com In the heart of Lubbock and within walking distance of Texas Tech. Offers many special rates.     Pioneer Pocket Hotel 1204 W. Broadway St. #103 Lubbock, TX 79401 www.pioneerpockethotel.com Lubbock's first fully automated hotel with all bookings, check-in and room access codes by phone; there is no front desk check-in. Rates from $111-330.     Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


(Bloomberg) -- If anyone had any doubts about Narendra Modi's popularity, India's masses just put them to rest. His Bharatiya Janata Party swept to another single-party majority on Thursday, a margin that surprised political watchers who expected him to return with a weakened mandate. A combination of economic populism, Hindu nationalism and air strikes against arch-rival Pakistan earlier this year proved unbeatable. "This is a stunning reaffirmation of Modi and the BJP and, conversely, a sharp rebuke of the opposition," said Milan Vaishnav, director of the South Asia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "The BJP will have wide latitude to redraw the boundaries between religion and politics in a way that favors the Hindu majority." In a speech to thousands of party workers in Delhi on Thursday night, Modi denounced parties that campaigned on secularism and said the electorate had rejected the idea while handing him a landslide. Peppering his speech with references to Hindu gods, he said his victory will be recorded as the biggest event in the political history of the world. "You must have seen how from 2014 to 2019, those who brandished the tag of secularism have stopped speaking," Modi told cheering supporters. "In this entire election, political parties wearing the veil of secularism couldn't misguide people." Investors pushed India's benchmark stock indexes to new highs on Thursday before the rally faded late in the session. The prospect of a coalition government, which was previously the norm for decades in India, had sparked concerns that the nation would see a return to the policy gridlock that led to Modi's first big win five years ago. Read more on India's election: Modi Claims India Victory as BJP Surges to Single Party Majority Modi Masked His Reform Failings With Bombs and Nationalism Will India's Watchman Be Good for Investors?: John Micklethwait A Journey Down the Ganges in the Age of Modi Secretive Hindu Hardliners in India Are Fueling Modi's Campaign The big question now is where Modi takes India over the next five years. After his 2014 win, he promised voters staples like jobs, toilets and affordable housing in a bid to bolster an economy where one in five people live on less than $2 per day. This time around, his presidential-style campaign focused more on stoking patriotism and appealing to Hindus who make up about 80 percent of the country's 1.3 billion people. "I worry that the communal bitterness unleashed in this campaign will make it hard to heal," said Alyssa Ayres, a former U.S. diplomat and now senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. "The Modi of five years ago spoke about development for all and inclusive growth. That message sounds pretty faint today." Growth Challenge Modi's immediate task will be revving up the economy. Economists forecast growth in the three months through March at the slowest pace in almost two years, and fiscal space is limited to pay for promises like cash handouts to farmers and hundreds of billions of dollars in infrastructure spending. An escalating U.S.-China trade war and volatile oil prices -- India's biggest import -- are adding to the uncertainty. Most government ministries are focused on broad plans to create jobs and boost exports by 2022, the 75th anniversary of India's independence. "I expect a lot more on this new India 2022 -- the thrust on this is quite strong," said Amarjeet Sinha, a secretary in the Ministry of Rural Development. On foreign policy, Modi's mandate will also allow him to continue boosting India's role on the global stage, which included shifting closer to the U.S. to counter China. His administration is also expected to continue to rally global opinion against Pakistan. Read more: India Slips Further Behind China During First Five Years of Modi But the biggest question mark over Modi's second term is how hard he'll push a pro-Hindu agenda . Under his watch running the western state of Gujarat in 2002, more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, died in deadly riots. While human-rights groups say Modi could've stopped them, a Supreme Court-appointed panel found no evidence he gave orders that prevented assistance for the victims. Modi's political career -- and the BJP itself -- is rooted in efforts to build a temple to the Hindu god Ram in the northern city of Ayodhya in the 1980s. Nation-wide riots after a mosque was demolished on the site in December 1992 killed at least 2,000 people, mostly Muslims. Modi told a local media outlet earlier this year that his government may issue an order to build the Ram temple after the Supreme Court decides on a pending land dispute over the site that has been in court for some seven decades. Mob Justice That would build on pro-Hindu measures during his first term, including a national ban on sale of cattle to slaughterhouses. Human Rights Watch cited the measure as a reason mobs of so-called cow vigilantes have killed dozens of Muslims across 12 Indian states since 2015. Cows are sacred to Hindus, while Muslims are traditionally cattle dealers and butchers. One victor Thursday was BJP member Pragya Singh Thakur, who was accused of planning bomb blasts in a Muslim neighborhood that killed six people in 2008 and also called founding father Mahatma Gandhi's assassin a patriot. Party leaders defended her candidacy. Rahul Gandhi, leader of the main opposition Congress party, didn't fare as well after warning that Modi would erode the nation's secular roots. The grandson of the late Indira Gandhi (and great-grandson of India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru) lost one of the two seats he contested. Congress only won a few more seats than it took in 2014, which was its worst performance since India's independence. "India hasn't seen this kind of concentration of power in an individual since Indira Gandhi's heyday more than 40 years ago," said Sadanand Dhume, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. "Modi's personal triumph means there will be even fewer checks on his authority than before." --With assistance from Bibhudatta Pradhan, Shruti Srivastava, Pradipta Mukherjee and Ganesh Nagarajan. To contact the reporters on this story: Iain Marlow in New Delhi at imarlow1@bloomberg.net;Archana Chaudhary in New Delhi at achaudhary2@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Daniel Ten Kate at dtenkate@bloomberg.net, Ruth Pollard For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com ©2019 Bloomberg L.P.


As fans of cronuts and cake pops can attest, food trends come and go. So how can you tell which tastes are trending right now? We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to discover which eateries have been getting outsized notice this month. To find out who made the list, we looked at Washington businesses on Yelp by category and counted how many reviews each received. Rather than compare them based on number of reviews alone, we calculated a percentage increase in reviews over the past month, and tracked businesses that consistently increase their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance. Read on to see which spots are getting plenty of attention, right now. Guapo's of Georgetown This family-owned Tex-Mex, Mexican and Latin American spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Mexican" on Yelp. Citywide, Mexican spots saw a median 1.5% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Guapo's of Georgetown saw an 18.8% increase, maintaining a healthy four-star rating throughout. It's not the only trending outlier in the Mexican category: Mission Navy Yard has seen a 12.2% increase in reviews. Located at 3050 K St. NW in Georgetown, Guapo's of Georgetown offers carne asada, fajitas, enchiladas and numerous house specialties. Estuary Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about downtown Washington's Estuary , the seafood spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data. While businesses categorized as "Seafood" on Yelp saw a median 3.9% increase in new reviews over the past month, Estuary bagged a 76.9% increase in new reviews within that time frame, maintaining an impressive five-star rating. There's more that's trending on Washington's seafood scene: Rappahannock Oyster Bar has seen a 23.4% increase in reviews. Open at 950 New York Ave. NW (between North 10th and North K streets) Estuary sources ingredients from along the Chesapeake Bay. In addition to Maryland crab roll and oysters, the dinner menu features cedar-planked salmon and lamb pastrami. Napoli Pasta Bar Columbia Heights' Napoli Pasta Bar is also making waves. Open since March 2018 at 2737 Sherman Ave. NW (between North Fairmont and North Girard streets), the Italian and breakfast and brunch spot has seen a 13.3% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.9% for all businesses tagged "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis Napoli Pasta Bar's review count increased by more than 550%. Napoli Pasta Bar offers a variety of Italian dishes and pastas such as cavatelli con zucchine with zucchini cream, pork meat balls and ricotta salt cheese. Over the past month, it's seen its Yelp rating tick down from 4.5 stars to four stars. Pisco y Nazca Ceviche Gastrobar Foggy Bottom's Pisco y Nazca Ceviche Gastrobar is the city's buzziest cocktail bar by the numbers. The well-established gastropub, cocktail bar and Peruvian spot, which opened at 1823 L St. NW (between North 19th and North 18th streets) in September 2018, increased its new review count by 15% over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 3.6% for the Yelp category "Cocktail Bars." Pisco y Nazca Ceviche Gastrobar offers Peruvian-style chicken and rice, Peruvian seafood soup and more of what the chefs describe as modern Peruvian cuisine. This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


NEW YORK   Winless for almost two weeks, the Detroit Tigers finally busted loose for nine runs and needed every last one of them. JaCoby Jones homered and had a career-high four RBIs , including a go-ahead double in the seventh inning, and Miguel Cabrera also connected as the Tigers halted their nine-game losing streak Friday night with a wild 9-8 victory over the New York Mets. "We had early work, trying to get all of that other bad stuff out of our system, and they just played. This is the way we know how to play   we just haven't done it in a few days," said Detroit manager Ron Gardenhire, who spent his major league playing career with the Mets from 1981-85. BOX SCORE: TIGERS 9, METS 8 "We've had a lot of struggles and it's kind of beat us down a little bit. But like I said, this is the kind of game we've been waiting for." In a back-and-forth slugfest between two teams swept by lowly Miami within the past week, Detroit blew an early 4-0 lead and then rallied three times from one-run deficits to win for the first time since May 12 at Minnesota. "We've been grinding, been through tough games, and to have a tough game tonight like that and to come away with a W, that's huge for us," Jones said. RELATED: Syndergaard's inconsistency continues to baffle Mets New York hit five home runs at windy Citi Field, including a tiebreaking shot by pinch-hitter Aaron Altherr off winner Buck Farmer (3-3) in his first plate appearance with the Mets. Amed Rosario, Adeiny Hechavarría, Pete Alonso and Wilson Ramos also went deep for New York. "It was a crazy game," Altherr said. "A lot of home runs hit, momentum swings." Cabrera reached base safely four times, delivered a sacrifice fly and went the other way for his 467th home run and second this season. The two-time MVP had gone 81 at-bats without a long ball since April 26 before connecting off an ineffective Noah Syndergaard to tie it 5-all in the fifth. Jones laced a two-run double with two outs in the seventh against Drew Gagnon (3-1) to put Detroit ahead 8-7. Pinch-hitter Brandon Dixon followed with an RBI single. Jones, batting eighth, also hit a two-run homer in the second off Syndergaard, who gave up six runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings against an offense that was ranked 29th out of 30 teams in runs. "I take full responsibility for this loss," he said. "I just didn't get the job done." It was the most earned runs allowed by Syndergaard since he yielded seven in four innings at San Diego in June 2015. The right-hander has served up 10 homers in 69 1/3 innings this season after permitting only nine in 154 1/3 innings last year. "I think tonight, he felt like his mechanics were a little off," Mets manager Mickey Callaway said. Shane Greene got three quick outs for his AL-leading 16th save in 17 chances, bouncing back nicely after giving up a go-ahead grand slam in the ninth inning of a 5-2 loss to the Marlins on Thursday that capped Detroit's 0-9 homestand. The stretch also included a suspended game against Oakland that the Tigers are losing in the late innings. It will resume in September. The Mets were coming off a four-game sweep over NL East rival Washington and had won seven straight at home. They have lost seven of eight against Detroit dating to June 2011. TRAINER'S ROOM Tigers: SS Jordy Mercer (strained right quadriceps) felt fine after running the bases and taking swings during early batting practice. He is expected to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Toledo in the next day or two. Mets: OF Michael Conforto was eligible to come off the seven-day concussion list, but wasn't activated. The team is waiting for Conforto to be cleared by Major League Baseball and hopes that will happen this weekend. Conforto said it appears Sunday is most likely, and he's ready to get right back in the lineup. He took batting practice on the field before the game and has been feeling good after going through baseball activities. Conforto took a concussion test early in the game, administered by Mets doctors, and the results will be passed along to MLB. "It's pretty difficult," he said. "It's really thorough." MAKING IT LOOK EASY Detroit got four hits from the No. 9 spot in the lineup. Most stunning were two singles   one of them a rocket up the middle   by Tigers rookie pitcher Gregory Soto on 95-plus mph pitches from Syndergaard. The 24-year-old Soto had never batted in the minors or majors before. He said his last competitive at-bat came when he was 15 and still a position player in the Dominican Republic. "I was ready for the fastball," Soto said through a translator. RIGHT OFF THE BAT Altherr stopped an 0-for-26 slide and became the 12th player to homer in his first at-bat with the Mets. Rajai Davis and Robinson Canó also did it this season. "Some kind of magic going on around here," Altherr said. ROSTER MOVE After the game, Detroit optioned RHP Sandy Báez to Toledo. UP NEXT Tigers: LHP Ryan Carpenter (0-2, 13.00 ERA) will be recalled from Triple-A to make his third major league start of the season Saturday afternoon. Mets: LHP Jason Vargas (1-2, 5.92 ERA) is expected to come off the injured list to make his first big league start since May 5, when he was removed with a strained left hamstring in Milwaukee. Vargas is 4-6 with a 6.38 ERA in 13 career starts against the Tigers. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Related Slideshow: Best of the 2019 MLB season (provided by imagn)


The 49ers made it official Wednesday, adding another one of coach Kyle Shanahan's familiar parts. The team announced the addition of tight end Levine Toilolo . To make room for him on the roster, they released safety Cameron Glenn. Toilolo was with the Lions last year, but began his career with the Falcons, working there when Shanahan was the offensive coordinator. Toilolo caught 31 passes for the Falcons in 2014 (before Shanahan showed up in Atlanta), and caught a combined 20 passes the next two years. He had 21 catches for the Lions last year.


Looking to satisfy your appetite for Hawaiian fare? Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the best affordable Hawaiian restaurants around Anaheim, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of where to fill the bill. 1. Aloha Hawaiian Bbq Topping the list is Aloha Hawaiian BBQ . Located at 730 N. Brookhurst St. in Northwest Anaheim, the barbecue and Hawaiian spot is the highest-rated affordable Hawaiian restaurant in Anaheim, boasting 4.5 stars out of 124 reviews on Yelp. The restaurant offers plate lunches with choice of protein, rice, macaroni salad and vegetables, as well as family meals for four and traditional Hawaiian chicken, beef, pork and seafood dishes. View the full menu here . 2. Bay Poke & Tea House Next up is the Platinum Triangle's Bay Poke & Tea House , situated at 1801 E. Katella Ave., Suite 1005 With four stars out of 176 reviews on Yelp, the poke spot has proven to be a local favorite for those looking for an affordable option. The menu features a build your own poke bowl option as well as signature poke bowl combinations. 3. Hawaiian King Bbq Last but not least, Southeast Anaheim's Hawaiian King BBQ , located at 2170 E. Lincoln Ave., is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the cheap Hawaiian and barbecue spot four stars out of 98 reviews. The restaurant serves up shaved ice, chicken katsu, barbecue short ribs and roasted pork. Check out what else is on the menu . This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio dismissed criticism for being away from the city during a five-hour blackout Saturday night. The 2020 Democratic presidential candidate was in Iowa as the event unfolded, but he stressed on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Monday that no one was injured and authorities responded as they should have. "When you are a chief executive it doesn't matter where you are. You are in charge of your team and making sure people are executing the plan," he responded after Joe Scarborough mentioned the torrent of criticism. MANHATTAN TRANSFORMER FIRE KNOCKS OUT POWER TO THOUSANDS IN MIDTOWN, UPPER WEST SIDE "Obviously the fire department, the police department, emergency services prepare for things like this. The important thing was to get the right people in the right place. That's why it was handled, not a single injury. ... Honestly, if you're a chief executive you understand the world differently than if you're a legislator." He added that it had been 13 years since there was a serious blackout in New York City, promising to hold power company Con Edison's "feet to the fire." De Blasio faced withering criticism from the local newspapers, with the New York Post calling for him to be removed from office and The New York Times also highlighting his absence. NEW YORK DEMS CUOMO, DE BLASIO STILL SEEM AT ODDS Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who briefed reporters late on Saturday night on the situation, also hit de Blasio for his campaign travel. "I can count the number of times I leave the state basically on my fingers," Cuomo told CNN Sunday, responding to a question about the importance of the mayor being present during an emergency. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "Mayors are important. And situations like this come up, you know. And you have to be on-site," he said. "I think it's important to be in a place where you can always respond. But look, everybody makes their own political judgment and I'm not going to second-guess anyone either. I do my job the way I think I should do my job and I leave it to others to do the same." More than 70,000 customers -- plus countless tourists and other visitors -- dealt with the loss of electricity, which was later attributed to a transformer fire.