Jared Kushner hinted Wednesday that his Middle East peace plan will seek to better integrate Palestinian refugees inside Arab countries as he finalizes proposals despite being shunned by the Palestinian leadership. A week after he convened an economic workshop in Bahrain that dangled the prospect of $50 billion in investment under a peace deal, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and advisor said he will announce the next steps "probably next week." Kushner, promising a fresh approach to Middle East peacemaking after decades of failed attempts, said the Trump administration deliberately opened with economic incentives and will later give details on core political questions. But in a conference call with Arab media, Kushner appeared to favor normalization of the status of Palestinian refugees who fled or were forced out of Israel when the Jewish state was created in 1948, as well as their descendants. Noting that a similar number of Jews fled or were expelled from Arab countries, Kushner said: "What's happened to the Jewish refugees is they've been absorbed by different places, while the Arab world has not absorbed a lot of these refugees over time." "This situation exists because it exists. And when we put out a political solution, we're going to try to put forward the best proposed solutions that we think are pragmatic, achievable and viable in this day and age," he said. Asked about Lebanon -- where Palestinian refugees are mostly denied citizenship and many live in squalid camps -- Kushner said he believed that the country, long torn by communal tensions, wanted a "fair" solution. "I also think that the Palestinian refugees who are in Lebanon, who are denied a lot of rights and don't have the best conditions right now, would also like to see a situation where there is a pathway for them to have more rights and to live a better life," Kushner said. Israel has adamantly opposed a right of return by Palestinian refugees, saying it would effectively end the Jewish state. - Wide Palestinian suspicion - The Palestinians accuse the Trump administration of trying to use money to force pro-Israel solutions and are suspicious of Kushner, a family friend of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump took the landmark step of recognizing bitterly disputed Jerusalem as Israel's capital and Kushner earlier suggested that his plan would not mention a Palestinian state, a longtime goal of US diplomacy. A poll released Wednesday found that an overwhelming 90 percent of Palestinians do not trust the Trump administration in its stated goal in Bahrain of helping the Palestinian economy. Seventy-nine percent backed the leadership's boycott and a similar number called the participation of Arab nations such as Saudi Arabia an abandonment of the Palestinian cause, said the survey by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research of 1,200 adults across the West Bank and Gaza Strip. But Kushner said the Palestinian leadership looked "very foolish" for its boycott, saying it had not shown any better way to improve the livelihoods of its people. "It's been more hysterical and erratic and not terribly constructive," Kushner said of the Palestinian reaction. But Kushner said that Trump, who values personal interaction, was open to meeting Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas. Trump "likes him very much personally and, at the right time, if they're willing to engage I believe that they'll find that they will have an opportunity," Kushner said. The United States has also severely slashed funding for the UN refugee body that provides education and health services to five million Palestinians in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including east Jerusalem. The Trump administration has called for the 70-year-old United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees to be dismantled, with its work taken over by host countries.


Though they've only been around for about a quarter century, a laughably short amount of time as far as awards shows go, the ESPY Awards have become the premier honors in sports. In order to prepare you for this year's gala, we've gone back in time to select the 20 best moments in the history of the awards show. 1993: Jimmy V's speech This is not only arguably the most memorable ESPYs moment ever, but it also launched an organization that has been fighting cancer to this day. Jim Valvano's emotional and uplifting speech from the 1993 ESPYs wasn't just a memorable ESPYs moment   but it also was one of the best speeches of all time. Watch it here. 1997: Sidney Poitier introduces Muhammad Ali Sidney Poitier's introduction of Muhammad Ali at the 1997 ESPYs marked an important moment, with Ali's activism and fire front and center. Watch it here . 2003: Coach Do Dirty When he hosted the ESPY Awards for the first time back in 2003, Jamie Foxx started a tradition of roasting athletes   a tradition that is alive and well to this day. His Coach Do Dirty character made multiple appearances in both 2003 and 2004, and you can watch them here . 2003: "Can I Be Your Tennis Ball?" Jamie Foxx was so successful as an ESPYs host in 2003 that he was invited back the next year. It's lucky he was, otherwise we wouldn't have been treated to "Can I Be Your Tennis Ball" pts. 1 and 2   an epic R&B ballad. Watch both parts here, and make sure you don't miss Serena Williams spanking Foxx with a heart-shaped racket. 2005: Destiny's Child featuring Serena Williams and Allyson Felix Back in 2005, Destiny's Child brought a bit of the Grammys to the ESPYs as they performed their hit song "Lose My Breath." As if that weren't enough of a treat, they were also joined onstage by tennis star Serena Williams and track star Allyson Felix. Watch the performance here. 2007: LeBron James as Bobby Brown? It'd be hard to say King James isn't a showman. At the 2007 ESPY Awards, LeBron performed Bobby Brown's "My Prerogative" complete with MC Hammer pants, backup dancers and a gigantic set that included a huge display of his name in lights. The song itself was a bit pitchy, though. Watch the video here. 2008: Justin Timberlake loves sports Justin Timberlake outdid himself with this epic ode to sports fandom back in 2008. It's peppered with decade-old sports jokes, to be sure, but it's still hilarious, and Timberlake is as charming as ever. Watch it here. 2008: Will Ferrell as Tiger Woods Will Ferrell has had a ton of funny moments at the ESPYs over the years, but he may have peaked when he accepted the Best Male Athlete Award for Tiger Woods and launched into a hilarious, boastful monologue. Watch the whole thing here . 2009: "The Comeback" starring Samuel L. Jackson Back in 2009, we were treated to this hilarious short film starring Samuel L. Jackson. We don't want to spoil it, but suffice it to say it follows Jackson as he attempts to fulfill his dreams by making it big in football   pee-wee football. 2010: Will Ferrell invents the vuvuzela Forgive us for reminding you of the hated vuvuzela, that noisemaker that rose to international fame during the 2010 World Cup. That said, Will Ferrell's hilarious portrayal of the horn's "inventor," Jeff Vuvuzela, almost makes all the noise worth it. Almost. Watch the clip here. 2010: "The Dark Side" Peyton Manning might not be a good actor, but his deadpan is spot on   and it really shines in this parody trailer that recuts "The Blind Side" into a movie that's much darker. Watch the clip here. 2011: Anthony Robles' two big wins After being introduced by Jay Leno, wrestler Anthony Robles took the stage to accept the second award he received at the 2011 ESPY Awards for the greatness he achieved with the use of only one leg. You can't help but smile along with Robles as he delivers a fiery, uplifting and intensely motivating speech. Watch it here. 2012: Pat Summitt wins the Arthur Ashe Courage Award This speech is another classic in the pantheon of great sports speeches. Legendary women's basketball coach Pat Summitt was the recipient of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award back in 2012, and the short film that was shown at the ESPYs in her honor was incredibly touching. You can watch it all here. 2013: Jon Hamm's monologue In 2013, hosting duties fell to Jon Hamm, who started off the proceedings with an extended monologue, humorously ribbing the athletes in attendance and poking fun at the year's most notable sports moments the way only he could. Watch the full intro here. 2014: Stuart Scott's emotional award acceptance The Jimmy V Award acceptance speeches, year after year, are always classic, emotional and uplifting, and beloved sports personality Stuart Scott's speech from 2014 is no exception. The speech continues to be quoted to this day even after his death, and for good reason. Watch the presentation here . 2014: "Lance Cam" You remember that time Lance Stephenson lovingly blew into LeBron James's ear during a game? Well, Drake sure did. At the 2014 ESPYs, he spoofed that moment with a well-executed "Lance Cam" segment that you can watch in full here. 2014: Drake as Manny Pacquiao We bet that when you woke up this morning, you didn't think you'd be watching a video of Drake doing an impression of Manny Pacquiao singing a version of "Let It Go" from "Frozen." You can thank us later. The link is right here . 2015: Caitlyn Jenner's speech Caitlyn Jenner's 2015 ESPYs speech, after she received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, was incredibly moving, but moreover, it was also a big moment for transgender visibility and acceptance. You can watch the whole speech here. 2016: Eric Berry's speech After successfully battling Hodgkin's lymphoma, Eric Berry went ahead and had one of the better seasons in recent memory. His struggle and triumph were both inspirations, and his moving speech at the 2016 ESPYs was a testament to that. You can watch it here. 2016: Craig Sager's speech Before he passed away after battling cancer for years, the legendary Craig Sager was presented with the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the 2016 ESPY Awards by Joe Biden. His speech was earnest, full of hope, humor and all of the charm that we remember Sager for today. Watch the full presentation here.


The DBX and Lagonda crossover will effectively cancel the four-door Rapide. The continuing march of the SUV brigade has already led to more automotive casualties than we care to count. The high-riding, do-all vehicles are even having an effect at niche automakers like Aston Martin , where we learn through a report from Motoring.com.au that the low-slung four-door Rapide will leave the building once the DBX and Lagonda arrive. The Rapide's Replacements: Aston Martin DBX Enters Pre-Production; Debuts Late 2019 Lagonda All-Terrain Concept Brings Its Floating Key To Geneva In that report, Aston Martin boss Andy Palmer is quoted at length about the future of the British brand, specifically with regards to the forthcoming DBX. When it debuts later this year, it will become Aston Martin's first SUV and expectations are high. However, Palmer explains that production for the DBX will be kept in-check at no more than 5,000 units, no matter how much demand there is for more. Maintaining some exclusivity is part of that, but being a new "volume" model for Aston Martin, there's also a desire to make sure it's built right. There's also the Lagonda, which only recently debuted as a snazzy crossover concept. It's expected to enter the market in 2023, at which point Palmer says production for both large people movers will be capped to 7,000 all total   4,000 for the DBX, 3,000 for the Lagonda. With two vehicles in the lineup better able to transport more than four people, suddenly the Rapide with its tighter accommodations and cargo capability simply doesn't make sense. Admittedly, the Rapide has endured for nearly a decade without much change, so the suave four-seater is a bit dated. As for the all-electric Rapide E that recently launched, an electrically-driven Lagonda will take its place while the DBX displaces the standard V12-powered model. Whether either replacements drive as well as the super sedan remains to be seen, but we'll certainly pour one out when the last Rapide leaves the factory.


Andrew Miller, a former aide to longtime Trump confidant Roger Stone, appeared before a grand jury in Washington on Friday to testify about his relationship with Stone, who was charged in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russian election meddling probe. Miller's lawyer, Paul Kamenar, told reporters afterward that testimony included questions about Miller's relationship with Stone, his work during the 2016 GOP convention and anything he knew about Stone communicating with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. ROGER STONE VOWS TO FIGHT CHARGES IN MUELLER PROBE, CALLS INDICTMENT 'POLITICALLY MOTIVATED' Kamenar said Miller doesn't have any knowledge about any conversations between Stone and Assange. Stone has pleaded not guilty, and has denied any coordination with Assange over hacked Democratic emails. Miller on Friday said he worked for Stone for more than 10 years as a driver and in other roles. Stone was charged in January with false statements and witness tampering as part of Mueller's wide-ranging Russia collusion probe. The indictment against Stone did not charge him with conspiring with WikiLeaks, the anti-secrecy website that published emails of Democrats during the 2016 campaign, or with the Russian officers Mueller says hacked them. Instead, it accuses him of lying about his interactions related to WikiLeaks' release during probes by Congress and Mueller's team. "Roger has been a mentor of mine, I've worked with him as a driver, I've worked for him 13 years," Miller said Friday. "He's like uncle roger…that's the best way to put it." Miller had fought the subpoena for nearly a year , but an appeals court rejected Miller's challenge of Mueller's authority. Mueller initially sought Miller's testimony as part of his investigation of Stone, who was arrested earlier this year and charged with lying to Congress, witness tampering and obstruction. That investigation has continued after Mueller issued his final report and handed off the case to the U.S. Attorney's Office in the District of Columbia. Kamenar had argued that prosecutors no longer needed Miller's testimony and couldn't use the grand jury to gather information about Stone's already public case. Fox News' Jake Gibson and Mark Meredith and The Associated Press contributed to this report.


More than 4,000 people attended a Memorial Day ceremony at Mount Vernon Memorial Park on Monday. Boy and Cub Scouts arrived at 4:45 a.m. to place American flags at the gravesite of each veteran in the cemetery. Troops placed more than 300 large flags throughout the cemetery. This has been a 10-year tradition in Sacramento County and it's the Scouts' special way to honor the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for the country. Scouts returned Monday afternoon and collected all of the flags. READ MORE: Boy Scouts place flags at graves of fallen veterans in Sacramento County CHECK OUT KCRA: Stay informed. Get the latest Modesto, Stockton and Sacramento news and weather from the KCRA news team.


Spending time in Central Arlington? Get to know this Arlington neighborhood by browsing its most popular local businesses, from a Lebanese and Greek spot to a beer bar. Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top places to visit in Central Arlington, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of neighborhood businesses. Read on for the results. 1. Prince Lebanese Grill Topping the list is Mediterranean, Lebanese and Greek spot Prince Lebanese Grill . Located at 502 W. Randol Mill Road, it's the highest rated business in the neighborhood, boasting 4.5 stars out of 828 reviews on Yelp. 2. Namoo Korean Bowl Next up is Korean spot Namoo Korean Bowl , situated at 300 E. Abram, Suite 170. With 4.5 stars out of 235 reviews on Yelp, it's proven to be a local favorite. 3. Tin Cup Tin Cup , a spot to score sandwiches, salads and soup, is another top choice. Yelpers give the business, located at 1025 W. Abram St., 4.5 stars out of 220 reviews. 4. Babe's Chicken Dinner House Babe's Chicken Dinner House , a chicken shop and diner, is another neighborhood go-to, with four stars out of 551 Yelp reviews. Head over to 230 N. Center St. to see for yourself. 5. On Tap Finally, check out On Tap , which has earned five stars out of 59 reviews on Yelp. You can find the beer bar at 200 N. Mesquite St., Suite 105. 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.


You could say that this one is PIVOTAL. Just the facts When: Tonight, 8ish PM Where: Enterprise Center - St. Louis, Missouri How to follow: NBC, CBC, TVAS, Sportsnet, 98.5 The Sports Hub Rival SBN site: St. Louis Gametime Game notes I'd expect tonight's game to start closer to 8 PM than Game 3 did, but you never know. With this one being broadcast on NBC (instead of NBCSN) we may get another bit of a delay. WE'LL SEE. It's always funny to see playoff games called "pivotal," because really, every playoff game is pivotal. Still, if there's one game in this series that COULD be called pivotal, this is it: a Bruins win sends them home needing one win for the Cup, while a Blues win sends us back to Boston for a three-game series. That's why it's kind of funny to look back at Game 3: the Bruins pulverized the Blues in a number of different ways, but St. Louis is still very much in this series. Hockey is fun. Craig Berube spent some time yesterday complaining about the officiating, which isn't surprising. It's par for the course in the playoffs. Bruce Cassidy did the same thing in the first round against Toronto. Most of the time, the coaches probably don't even believe what they're saying, but they're trying to get the ear of the refs and the league. Will it work? Probably not, since most of the penalties St. Louis has taken have been of the "really obvious" or "pretty dumb" variety. All eyes are on Jordan Binnington tonight, as the rookie get shelled and pulled in Game 3. The consensus from hockey people is "he'll bounce back," with no real reasoning behind it other than that's what he's done before. Still, he looked horrible in Game 3, and wasn't much better in Games 1 and 2. He still has it in him to steal one, of course, so Bruins fans shouldn't count him out. I would assume the Bruins won't be making any lineup changes tonight, unless there's more to the Charlie McAvoy knee scare (though that doesn't appear likely). For St. Louis, Oskar Sundqvist is eligible to return tonight. I'm not sure that he automatically goes back in, however, as Zach Sanford was pretty impressive (all things considered) in Game 3. He played a tough game, earned an assist, and was generally noticeable in a good way (not an easy thing to do in a 7-2 loss). It will be interesting to see if St. Louis approaches this game any differently. They came out throwing the body at everything that moved in Game 3, then kept taking dumb penalties that essentially took them out of the game. One can't help but wonder if they'll be a little more conservative with the fear of a 100% Bruins power play in the back of their minds. Probably not, but if they DO tone it down, it's an advantage for the Bruins. Two of the Bruins' three big guns turned it around on Saturday night, as Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak both ended up with goals. Brad Marchand didn't, but made some good plays moving the puck on the PP. Ideally, this gets those three going at 5v5 as well. See ya tonight!


President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping "will be having an extended meeting next week at the G-20 in Japan." In a tweet, Trump said that he and Xi "had a very good telephone conversation," and that "our respective teams will begin talks prior to our meeting." Had a very good telephone conversation with President Xi of China. We will be having an extended meeting next week at the G-20 in Japan. Our respective teams will begin talks prior to our meeting.   Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 18, 2019 China had kept mum about whether Xi would agree to a face-to-face meeting with the U.S. president at the summit, scheduled for June 28-29 in Osaka, while the two economic superpowers remain locked in a heated trade dispute. Trump has said he expected that meeting to occur at the high-profile summit, but had recently downplayed the impact that it could have on forging a trade deal with Beijing. Trump told Fox News' "Fox & Friends" last week that " it doesn't matter" if Xi attends the G-20 or not. "If he shows up, good, if he doesn't   in the meantime, we're taking in billions of dollars a month [in tariffs] from China," Trump told Fox. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on Trump's tweet. This is breaking news. Please check back for updates. --CNBC's Tucker Higgins contributed to this report.


Jean-Karl Vernay dominated the opening TCR Australia race at Queensland Raceway, as series leader Will Brown finished last thanks to a first-lap off. Vernay (Melbourne Performance Centre Audi) made a quick getaway from pole, pulling 1.8s over the field in the first two laps. That early advantage was then nullified by the Safety Car, called while debris was cleared from the final corner. Following a Lap 5 restart the Frenchman was able to comfortably gap the field again, setting up what would ultimately be a 7.9s win over Dylan O'Keeffe (Ash Seward Motorsport Alfa) and Russell Ingall (MPC Audi). "The car was great," said Vernay. "I was really focused on getting a good start. I'm very happy, the racing was very good. I think it's a great way to start." Behind the leader there was plenty of drama, particularly in the early phase of the race. Runaway points leader Will Brown ruined his race by tangling with Wall Honda driver John Martin at Turn 6 on the opening lap, which left his HMO Hyundai with wheel damage. He then shortcut the track on his way to the pits which led to him getting black flagged, the net result a lowly 16th position. Martin, who started on the outside of the front row, went off at Turn 4 on the second lap thanks to that contact with Brown and dropped to the back of the field. Martin's teammate Tony D'Alberto then spent the majority of the race running second, only to run wide between Turns 4 and 5 with three laps, which dropped him to fourth. Jordan Cox (Garry Rogers Motorsport Alfa) finished fifth, followed by Aaron Cameron (MPC VW) and Nathan Morcom (HMO Hyundai). Alex Rullo finished eighth, and was the only Kelly Racing Astra to see the chequered flag thanks to Andre Heimgartner's engine expiring late in the race. James Moffat (GRM Renault) and Jason Bright (Alliance VW) finished ninth and 10th.


Trent Williams has generated the third-highest overall grade among left tackles from 2016-2018. pic.twitter.com/Weg0ktQa9j - Pro Football Focus (@PFF) June 9, 2019 It is incredibly easy to say Trent Williams is both critically important to the Washington Redskins and one of the outright best in the NFL at what he does. But it sure doesn't hurt to have the fact visualized with some interesting numbers. Pro Football Focus helps in this regard above, showcasing Williams as a top-five player at his position over the course of the past three years, third behind only David Bakhtiari and Joe Staley. This sort of context makes the current impasse between the Redskins and Williams all the more interesting. It is reportedly contractual with a sampling of medical details mixed in there too - either way he wasn't at OTAs. Given the above, the situation involving Williams and the Redskins is now priority No. 1 for fans this offseason. MORE: NHL fans weren't impressed with Mike Milbury's questions for Pam from 'The Office' Questions your athlete should ask college coaches Could Titans CB Malcolm Butler join the Rams? Sleeping on Patriots WR Demaryius Thomas would be a huge mistake BOS engaged in potential trade for Clint Capela, deal for Terry Rozier


The Arizona Cardinals entered training camp with only two real position battles for starting jobs. One is slot cornerback and the other is at outside cornerback for the first six weeks of the season while Patrick Peterson serves his six-game suspension for a violation of the league's PED policy . While Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury said veteran Tramaine Brock, rookie Byron Murphy and second-year player Chris Jones are all in the mix to fill in for Peterson, it appears Brock has a set role, at least for now. He is playing in the slot. He took all the first-team reps playing inside during the team's first training camp practice Thursday. He seems to want to focus on that one role. "I'm just trying to lock down the slot," Brock said, according to Kyle Odegard on the official team site . "If they want me on the outside, I'll go out there, but I'm trying to focus on the slot more right now. But it is my job to play anywhere, depending on where they need me." Brock played in the slot last season while with the Denver Broncos. If nothing changes, he will focus on that one position, leaving the outside spot to Murphy and Jones to battle for. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph trusts Brock. Kingsbury said he did very well in offseason work. Listen to the latest from Cards Wire's Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio . View embedded content MORE: UFC's Thiago Santos shares brutal update on injuries suffered in loss to Jon Jones Packers signing former Jaguars RB Corey Grant Instant observations from Day 1 of Patriots training camp Roundup: Orange is the New Black's Final Season; How Tall is Peppa Pig; Let's Move Halloween Observations from Lions training camp, Day 1: Jahlani Tavai gets starting reps


Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton has been a stellar, yet underrated performer in fantasy football. He enters the 2019 season in a similar boat, but where should he be drafted? On an efficient Colts offense, Hilton is the most explosive weapon. He's the target that Frank Reich wants to get involved the most, given his ability to break off a big play at any moment. >>When should you draft Marlon Mack? < < < Current ADP As of July 29, Hilton is being drafted at 3.01 as the WR10 in 12-team, half-PPR mock drafts, per Fantasy Football Calculator. This means he's being drafted-on average-with the first pick in the third round as the 10th wide receiver off the board. The players that are going around Hilton at the same position include Antonio Brown (2.09), Mike Evans (2.10), Keenan Allen (3.03) and Adam Thielen (3.04). Crunching numbers Hilton finished the 2018 season as the WR15 in half-PPR scoring. That was mostly due to injuries in the first half that kept him limited in games. However, he exploded during the second half, finishing as the WR2 in half-PPR scoring from Weeks 11-17. Over that span, he averaged 17.1 fantasy points per game, second only to Julio Jones (17.3). Hilton led the entire NFL with 840 receiving yards during that span. He was also sixth in targets during that time (66). Hilton played the majority of the second half with two sprains on the same ankle. >>When should you draft Andrew Luck? < < < Concerns While Hilton is a bonafide stud in fantasy football, there are some concerns. His touchdown upside has always been limited as he's failed to record more than seven touchdowns in a single season. That's simply due to his size and Andrew Luck's preference of tight ends in the red zone. There is also the concern that the Colts will want to run the ball more, thus giving Hilton fewer chances during games. With so many weapons around Luck, he's expected to spread the ball around even more so than he did in 2018. Those concerns are valid, but none of them should keep you from targeting Hilton at his current ADP. He will hold the largest target share on the offense and even if the Colts do run the ball more, Hilton is going to get his work. Reich has made that emphasis throughout the offseason. Conclusion Hilton is the perfect third-round target in fantasy football. He's the ideal WR2 in a lineup or a WR1 if you've chosen to go RB-RB in the first two rounds. If he's on the board in the third round, don't hesitate. That's strong value for the top weapon in one of the league's high-powered offenses. MORE: Trevor Bauer angrily fired a baseball over the centerfield wall before being pulled from game Tom Brady disobeys Bill Belichick at practice, and suffers the consequences Most improved Packers defender? Mike Pettine picks DL Montravius Adams Browns Are Foolishly Changing Their Great Uniforms in 2020 Report: Steelers likely to be looking for new naming rights partner for Heinz Field


A gay teacher who was fired from an Indiana Catholic high school for getting married has filed a lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. Joshua Payne-Elliott, who was booted from his job at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis last month, claims the archdiocese interfered with his employment contract by demanding that the school fire him. Payne-Elliott, who worked at Cathedral for 13 years, is seeking unspecified damages for lost wages, benefits, emotional distress, and damage to his reputation, according to a lawsuit filed on Wednesday . "We hope that this case will put a stop to the targeting of LGBTQ employees and their families," Payne-Elliott said in a statement obtained by the Indianapolis Star . Joshua Payne-Elliott is married to Layton Payne-Elliott, a teacher who works at the nearby Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School. The pair were married in 2017. Both men have been at the center of a debate in the Indianapolis archdiocese over whether Catholic schools can employ gay, married teachers. The Payne-Elliotts had refrained from publicly identifying themselves before the lawsuit was filed on Wednesday. The Archdiocese of Indianapolis gave Brebeuf the same ultimatum about employing Layton Payne-Elliott ― threatening to cut ties with the school if it didn't fire the gay teacher . Last month, Brebeuf announced that it was standing its ground, claiming that firing the "highly capable and qualified teacher" math teacher would violate its "informed conscience on this particular matter." The Jesuit school, part of the global religious order's Midwest province, also resented that a local archdiocese was interfering in an employment decision. As a result of Brebeuf's stance, Indianapolis archbishop Archbishop Charles Thompson has kicked the school out of his archdiocese and is refusing to recognize it as Catholic. Cathedral's leaders say that its situation was different. The school relies heavily on its local archdiocese, according to leaders , and risked losing its nonprofit status, its diocesan priests and its ability to offer the Eucharist, a key Christian rite, if it disobeyed the archbishop. Joshua Payne-Elliott, a social studies and world language teacher, worked at Cathedral from August 2006 to June 23, 2019, according to the lawsuit. In May, Cathedral allegedly offered to renew his teaching contract for the 2019-2020 school year. But a month later, the school told him it was terminating his employment "at the direction of the Archdiocese." Cathedral's president, Robert Bridges, told Joshua Payne-Elliott that he was a "very good teacher" and that there was no performance-based reason for the termination, the lawsuit states. Bridges allegedly asserted that Payne-Elliott was only getting fired because the Archbishop mandated that the school couldn't employ a teacher in a "public same-sex marriage here and remain Catholic." Bridges apparently told the teacher that he felt like the school was making the decision "with a gun to our head." Joshua Payne-Elliott's lawyer announced Tuesday that the teacher had reached a settlement with Cathedral High School . In it, the teacher reportedly expressed that he did not wish Cathedral any harm. The archdiocese was not part of that settlement, according to the Indianapolis Star . Joshua Payne-Elliott has also reportedly filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, claiming he was discriminated against because of his sexual orientation. The archdiocese has said that Catholic school teachers are "ministers" who are required to uphold church teachings, which prohibit same-sex marriages. The archdiocese maintains that, because of its right to religious liberty, it should have the ability to decide what conduct is appropriate for employees. In a Q&A on the issue published in a diocesan newspaper earlier this month, Archbishop Charles Thompson suggested that society "has pushed the Church to the margins and peripheries." "We must continue to engage the world, engage society and engage culture with our message, with that Good News, with those teachings, and what we believe the word of God and the tradition of the Church has revealed and brought to us and calls us to take to others," Thompson said. This article originally appeared on HuffPost .


Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has branded the 2019/20 Bundesliga fixture list as 'sub-optimal' as Die Schwarzgelben are set to play an away match after all of their Champions League group stage clashes. The Bundesliga fixture list was released on Friday, revealing that reigning champions Bayern Munich would kick off their title defence by welcoming Hertha Berlin to the Allianz Arena on August 16, while Dortmund host Augsburg the following day. It's out! Our full Bundesliga 2019/20 fixture!  pic.twitter.com/yq3FsYE0Zg   Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) June 28, 2019 In the eyes of Zorc, the 2019/20 fixtures are far from ideal for Dortmund , as they will have to play away from home after every one of their group stage matches in Europe, whereas Bayern are at home for all of their follow-up fixtures. Speaking about the situation, Zorc said (via Kicker ): "Every time after an exhausting Champions League match - whether at home or even more extreme away - in the Bundesliga [Dortmund] have to compete away, which is absolutely sub-optimal, as anyone who is familiar with the topic of stress control knows." The DFL, who are responsible for the fixture lists, have also commented on the situation, releasing a statement which read: "The present fixtures are the result of the overall consideration for the Bundesliga and 2nd Bundesliga under the best possible consideration of numerous requirements. And we take on FC Augsburg for the 2019/20 Bundesliga Opener! pic.twitter.com/XzYzeeBbbG   Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) June 28, 2019 "In the case of Borussia Dortmund, the DFL has also made every effort to comply with the wishes of the club previously deposited with the DFL in the best possible way, among other things, by taking into account parameters such as a home-away-rhythm. "We will take into account in the timely fixtures, to enable BVB, like all international Bundesliga teams, to make any necessary regeneration breaks between matches." Dortmund's fellow Champions League contenders RB Leipzig are also set to play away from home after all of their group stage fixtures and Bayer Leverkusen play three at home and three away.


Citywide Looking for the latest news on high school baseball? Here's our roundup of boys' varsity results from the San Francisco area this week, powered by data from high school sports leader MaxPreps . (Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Details like game dates, times, scores and team records are based on data provided by MaxPreps and may be subject to change; the latest up-to-date information is available at the links below.) Lincoln scores 12 runs, cruises past Wallenberg On Tuesday, May 7, the Lincoln Mustangs faced off against the Wallenberg Bulldogs at home. The Mustangs stomped the Bulldogs, with a resounding 12-1 win . The Mustangs scored two home runs, bringing their season total to four home runs. The win brought Lincoln's record to 13-14, while Wallenberg's record fell to 7-4. Archbishop Riordan yields to Valley Christian On Tuesday, May 7, San Jose's Valley Christian Warriors faced off against the Archbishop Riordan Crusaders at home. The Warriors walked away with a win , beating the Crusaders soundly, 12-1. Valley Christian got 11 hits, while Archbishop Riordan got four. The win brought Valley Christian's record to 26-4, while Archbishop Riordan's record fell to 6-21-1. Serra outsmarts St. Ignatius Tuesday also saw the San Mateo Serra Padres defeat the St. Ignatius Wildcats by a score of 3-1 at home. The Padres recorded eight hits, while the Wildcats recorded seven. The win brought Serra's record to 18-10, while St. Ignatius' record fell to 14-13. The Bay School dominates San Francisco Waldorf The San Francisco Waldorf Wolverines traveled this week to face off against the Bay School Breakers on Wednesday. The Breakers trampled the Wolverines in an impressive 6-2 victory . The win brought the Bay School's record to 17-3-1, while Waldorf's record fell to 7-11. International scores 9 runs, overthrows Drew Wednesday also saw the Drew Dragons battle the International Jaguars , who blew the Dragons out of the park in a decisive 9-3 success . The Dragons recorded three hits, while the Jaguars recorded seven. The Jaguars also scored one home run, bringing their total to 7 this season. The loss brought Drew's record to 13-8, while International's record rose to 10-5. Lowell snuffs out Lincoln Thursday brought a new round of high school contests, with the Lowell Cardinals clashing with the Lincoln Mustangs at home. The Cardinals wrangled a win from the visiting Mustangs, 4-2. The win brought Lowell's record to 20-6, while Lincoln's record fell to 13-15. Washington sneaks past Mission Thursday also saw the Mission Bears match up against the Washington Eagles at home. It was a squeaker: the Eagles just prevailed over the Bears, 1-0. The loss brought Mission's record to 13-14, while Washington's record rose to 12-15. Urban flounders against Lick-Wilmerding On Friday, the Lick-Wilmerding Tigers clashed with the Urban Blues at home. Lick-Wilmerding's home field advantage paid off: they walked away with a 5-1 success . The Tigers had six hits, while the Blues had four. The win brought Lick-Wilmerding's record to 15-6, while Urban's record fell to 8-7. The Bay School dominates International The International Jaguars traveled this week to face off against the Bay School Breakers on Friday. The Breakers walked away with the win , beating the Jaguars soundly, 15-6. The win brought the Bay School's record to 18-3-1, while International's record fell to 10-6. St. Ignatius scores 10 runs, cruises past Burlingame Saturday saw the Burlingame Panthers fall to the St. Ignatius Wildcats by a score of 10-0 at home. The Panthers managed four hits, while the Wildcats managed 11. The loss brought Burlingame's record to 13-10, while St. Ignatius' record rose to 15-13. This story was created automatically using local sports data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Every team besides the New England Patriots surely regrets passing on Tom Brady in the 2000 NFL Draft. For the New York Jets, the misstep stings a little bit more. Not only have Brady and the Patriots dominated the AFC East -- a division they share with the Jets -- for the better part of two decades. But the Jets also owned four first-round picks in 2000, one of which they used to select one of the six quarterbacks chosen ahead of Brady. Brady, of course, was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round with the 199th overall pick. The Jets drafted quarterback Chad Pennington in the first round with the 18th overall pick. Former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum appeared on ESPN's "NFL Live" over the weekend to discuss the NFL draft scouting process and how Brady went overlooked 19 years ago. He shared an interesting story about being in the Jets' war room and actually regretting at the time not taking quarterback Giovanni Carmazzi, whom the San Francisco 49ers drafted in the third round with the 65th pick. "Actually I was in the draft room, I'll never forget it. We had four first-round picks in 2000 and we took Chad Pennington with the third of the four picks," Tannenbaum said. "And in the third round that year, this is remarkable -- Bill Walsh drafts Giovanni Carmazzi of Hostra University, which was right across from the Jets facility and we're like, 'Oh my God, we blew it.' Bill Walsh, this quarterback whisperer, takes Carmazzi, who's across the street, in the third round. And we're like, 'Oh man. We just blew it.' And then in the sixth round, some guy named Tom Brady went with the 199th pick." Jeff Darlington was quick to point out that Pennington wasn't necessarily a bad pick, as the QB had a solid eight-year run with the Jets. But obviously, he's no Brady, a six-time Super Bowl champion and arguably the greatest player in NFL history. As for Carmazzi, well, the Jets didn't miss out on anything. He never played in a single regular-season NFL game despite landing with Walsh in the Bay Area. Related slideshow: Top picks of 2019 NFL Draft (provided by imagn)


Wisconsin winters can be brutal, which means locals know how to enjoy the summer. The annual Summerfest in Milwaukee is one of the largest (and most affordable) music festivals in the U.S., and it's happening June 26 to July 7, so there's just enough time to start making travel plans. The city's Summerfest grounds include more than 10 stages, plus an interactive sports zone and a children's theater and play zone. The venue is located downtown on the Lake Michigan lakefront, near many of the city's famous breweries, as well as restaurants, theaters, galleries and more. It's more doable than you think. According to travel site Skyscanner , there are plenty of flights from Boston to Milwaukee in that time frame, and the prices aren't too shabby. So if you're looking for a change of scenery, here are some deals to put on your to-do list. (Prices and availability are current as of publication and subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in the articles may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. Flight deals to Milwaukee The cheapest flights between Boston and Milwaukee are if you leave on June 30 and return from Wisconsin on July 5. United currently has roundtrip, nonstop tickets for $340. If you fly out of Boston on June 30 and return from Milwaukee on July 7, Delta can get you there and back for $408 roundtrip. Top Milwaukee accommodations Regarding where to stay, here are some of Milwaukee's top-rated hotels, that we selected from Skyscanner's listings based on price and customer satisfaction. The Pfister Hotel (424 E. Wisconsin Ave.) For an all-around top recommendation, consider The Pfister Hotel . The hotel has a 4.6-star rating on Skyscanner, and rooms are currently available for $169. Set in the heart of Milwaukee, this hotel is close to the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, the Milwaukee Art Museum and Discovery World. The Iron Horse Hotel (500 W. Florida St.) There's also the 4.7-star rated The Iron Horse Hotel , which has rooms for $169/night. "Great, stylish hotel with gorgeous rooms. The service is top-notch and there are a couple of great bars and restaurants at the hotel," wrote visitor Tom. The InterContinental Milwaukee (139 E. Kilbourn Ave.) A third option is The InterContinental Milwaukee . The 4.4-star hotel has rooms for $126/night. It's close to the Pabst Theater and Milwaukee City Hall. Featured Milwaukee restaurants If you're looking for a popular spot to grab a bite, Milwaukee has plenty of excellent eateries to choose from. Here are a few from Skyscanner's listings to help you get started. Leon's Frozen Custard (3131 S. 27th St.) Let's start with a Dairy State essential: ice cream. For a popular option, check out Leon's Frozen Custard , which has an average of five stars out of 13 reviews on Skyscanner. A Milwaukee mainstay for more than 75 years, it's still owned and operated by the original family. "This institution is open all year, and they are open late into the night, at least during the summer," wrote visitor Steve. Milwaukee Public Market (400 N. Water St.) Also worth considering is The Milwaukee Public Market , with a variety of artisan and ethnic products and freshly made prepared foods. Dine in the market's second-floor Palm Garden. The market also offers cooking classes. "Large indoor market with a wide array of vendors. Great for a casual, pickup lunch or dinner," wrote visitor Lizzie. Beans & Barley Market, Deli & Cafe (1901 E. North Ave.) If you're looking for a local favorite restaurant pick, head to Beans & Barley Market, Deli & Cafe , with 4.9 stars from 10 reviews. "Everything about this restaurant and co-op is comforting and delicious," wrote reviewer Andrea. "The menu items on the restaurant side are to die for. Local and delicious vegan, vegetarian and meat eater items abound." Cafe Corazon (3129 N. Bremen St.) Finally, there's Cafe Corazon . The Mexican restaurant supports local farmers and raises its own beef and produce. Its desserts are based on seasonal ingredients. "Cafe Corazon has delicious Mexican food. The place has character and nice drinks," wrote visitor Anya. Top Milwaukee attractions To round out your trip, Milwaukee offers plenty of popular attractions worth visiting. Here are a couple of top recommendations, based on Skyscanner's descriptions and reviews. The Milwaukee Art Museum (700 N. Art Museum Drive) First up is The Milwaukee Art Museum , with four floors of rotating displays and over 30,000 works of art. The recently expanded museum dates back to the 1880s and encompasses many types of art forms. "Their building is a work of art. Try to be in front of the entrance when the museum opens or closes to catch the kinetic elements," wrote Lizzie. "A must-visit when in Milwaukee." Harley-Davidson Museum (400 W. Canal St.) You can also rev up your visit at the Harley-Davidson Museum . This museum celebrates the more than 100-year history of Harley-Davidson motorcycles. "This museum is a must-see for motorcycle buffs. On display one will find more than 450 motorcycles and artifacts, dating back to Serial Number One, which is the oldest-known Harley-Davidson motorcycle," wrote visitor Mary. This story was created automatically using flight, hotel, and local attractions data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


After a blown call cost the Saints a chance to advance to the Super Bowl last season, NFL owners approved a rule change this offseason that will allow coaches to challenge pass interference calls (and non-calls) in 2019. When the Broncos face the Falcons in the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 1, Denver coach Vic Fangio plans to be the first coach to take advantage of the new rule. "We [will] play the first game of this season next Thursday. I'm going to throw the first challenge flag for OPI or DPI," Fangio said with a smile after practice Friday. Some fans and pundits have criticized the rule, suggesting that it will slow down the game with nitpicky challenges. Fangio shot down that notion. "What everybody seems to forget or it gets glossed over is they did not increase the coach's challenges," Fangio said. "You still only have two. And if you're right on two you get a third. That play that happened in New Orleans which caused all this, just to use New Orleans as the example, if Sean Payton - that same exact play happens at the same exact time this year - if he's out of timeouts or out of challenges, that play is going to stand again just like it did in the past. "Challenges will - the use of challenges may even go down because nobody wants to get caught late in the fourth quarter when they've been hosed on a call or no call to be out of them, so it'll be interesting." That's an interesting theory from Fangio and it may prove to be true. The league will try to work out kinks during preseason and Fangio plans to provide the first example of what a PI challenge will look like. MORE: Bear bites woman in tent at Yellowstone, prompts action Giants' Saquon Barkley rips Daniel Jones critics: You don't know football Damon Harrison is thrilled the Lions signed Mike Daniels Things starting as expected for 2 former Steelers Sherra Wright pleads guilty in killing of LeBron's former teammate Lorenzen Wright


BETTENDORF, Iowa -- For the second year in a row, people who have experienced a specific loss were invited to come together for a day of friendly competition. The Amputee Golf Classic, held Friday, July 12 at Palmer Hills Golf Course, is way to support those who have experienced and overcome the loss of a limb. Organizers say the event helps with rehabilitation and gives golfers a chance to have fun. Comprehensive Prosthetics and Orthotics hosted the event. According to the event listing on Facebook , the goal of the day is to "promote friendship, fitness, fun and rehabilitation through active participation in golf for amputees of all ages." "So many times they go through the process and they're not able to have fun," said Stacy Powers, the area practice manager. "Today is a day where they can celebrate and come out and enjoy what they're doing."     ©2019 WQAD-TV, Moline/Davenport Visit WQAD-TV, Moline/Davenport at www.wqad.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


Introduced in 2017, the G90 is now the oldest product in the Genesis portfolio. A brand-new version is coming in the near future, but as it currently stands, the G90 is a compelling car in the face of competition like the Audi A8, BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class, all of which are at least $15,000 more expensive than the Genesis when comparably equipped. Research the Genesis G90 on MSN Autos | Find a Genesis G90 near you But don't just look at the G90 as a value proposition. This car is a bona-fide luxury contender. 2019 Genesis G90: High luxury, higher value It fools the wealthy "Is this a Bentley or Rolls-Royce ?" That's an actual question asked not by some zit-faced teenager, but a well-to-do local resident as my photographer and I shoot the G90 on the beyond-expensive streets of Palos Verdes Estates, California. But the G90's design impresses people from all walks of life. A few days earlier, a bus driver pulls up to my passenger side window and hollers her admiration for the G90. As conservatively styled as it is, I'm surprised by the adulation the big Genesis receives, but I also can't blame that bus driver: the G90 is a really handsome machine. Behind the wheel, I enjoy some of the greatest seat comfort I've felt in any automobile. The G90s Nappa leather seats make a cosseting first impression with their softness, but as I spend more time in them, I discover that just beneath that initial plush layer is an abundance of support. The incredible cradling is complemented by side bolsters that hold my torso snugly through sharp turns without feeling intrusive to my ribcage. I could legit daydream about the Genesis G90's front-seat comfort. The back seats are a smidge (but only a smidge) less comfortable than the fronts -- kind of surprising, considering that in Genesis' home market, the G90 is mostly a chauffeur-driven vehicle. But really, there's not a bad seat in the house, especially when the front seats and rear outboard seats offer oodles of adjustability, as well as standard heating and optional ventilation. Measuring 204.9 inches long with a 124.4-inch wheelbase, there's plenty of room to stretch out inside the G90. Yet surprisingly there's only 15.7 cubic feet of trunk capacity. That's 1 cubic foot less than a midsize Honda Accord sedan . For a car this opulent, I do note a few curious feature omissions. Massaging seats are not an option. The same goes for a panoramic sunroof. But when you consider that the G90 is priced so much less than the Germans, these omissions are forgivable. Despite the value pricing, there is almost zero evidence of interior cost-cutting, from the microfiber suede headliner and leather-wrapped grab handles, to the beautiful leather-trimmed dash and door panels, all the way to the plush carpeting. My only fault? The steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters are made up of disgustingly thin plastic that creaks whenever you apply even just moderate pressure. The best in outdated tech We here at Roadshow are longtime fans of the simple-to-use Hyundai-Kia-Genesis shared infotainment interface. That's a good thing, because the G90 doesn't offer Apple CarPlay or Android Auto smartphone mirroring tech. The G90's infotainment software is housed on a 12.3-inch screen that's wide enough to display two forms of information at the same time, such as a map on the left and media info on the right. Ahead of the driver sits a sharp, 7-inch LCD instrument cluster display flanked by easy-to-read physical gauges on the left and right. The legibility continues farther ahead of the driver with a standard head-up display. Other standard tech features include wireless phone charging, embedded navigation, HD and satellite radio, and a sweet-sounding, 17-speaker Lexicon premium audio system . My G90 tester also includes 10.3-inch screens behind the driver and front passenger seats. Unfortunately, if you're riding in back, you won't be able to play your phone's music through the rear-seat USB port. Instead, your driver will have to plug your phone in up front -- yet another interesting omission from a chauffeur-minded car. Genesis is more comprehensive when it comes to compulsory driver-assistance systems. The G90 features standard pedestrian-detecting automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors, a 360-degree camera, rain-sensing wipers, adaptive LED headlights and automatic high-beams. A gentleman's punch With a starting price of $70,345 including $995 for destination, the G90 comes with a twin-turbocharged, 3.3-liter V6 making 365 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque. I drove the V6 G90 a couple of years ago, and found the base engine to provide all the power this 4,700-pound sedan could need. My $74,845 tester ups the ante with a 5.0-liter V8, good for 420 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque. The added power is barely perceptible compared with the V6, but the V8's deeper, more sonorous exhaust soundtrack is much more satisfying. Also, the V8 trim bundles features like the aforementioned rear-seat entertainment system, plus ventilated and power-adjustable rear seats with memory, so the $4,500 premium over the V6 seems like a pretty good deal. Regardless of which engine you choose, it'll be connected to a smooth-shifting, eight-speed automatic transmission. For another $2,500, you can also add all-wheel drive with either engine. On Southern California's roads, I was fine with power being sent to the rear wheels only. Stomp on the gas, and the G90 rockets forward with satisfying grunt and barely a chirp from the wide, 275/40R19-series tires. The satisfaction continues as soon as I reach a bend in the road. The G90's steering is perfectly tuned, presenting a beautiful crescendo of heft as I build speed and dial in more lock. There's just the right amount of feedback through the rack, as well. The G90 is no sports sedan, but it exhibits competent road manners. For the most part, the G90's ride is supple, but the springs (or perhaps the tires) could be a little better at filtering out small freeway imperfections. When it comes time to erase freeway speeds, the G90's well-modulated brake pedal brings the car back to rest with plenty of ease. My G90 tester is EPA rated for 16 miles per gallon in the city and 24 mpg highway. After a week and 777 mostly highway miles, I averaged 23.6 mpg. If I'd had the V6, it's unlikely I'd see much of a fuel economy improvement. The smaller engine only beats the V8 by 1 mpg in the city, regardless of whether equipped with rear- or all-wheel drive. The all-wheel-drive V8 G90, however, falls to 15/23 city/highway mpg. Value with few compromises The G90 amounts to a remarkably comfortable luxury sedan that's nice to look at and is pleasant to drive. Accomplishing just those two things is good enough in my book, but the cherry on top is how low the G90 is priced. Even if buying one new is out of the question, it's safe to predict that the big Genesis will be an absolute steal after a few years of depreciation. Research the Genesis G90 on MSN Autos | Find a Genesis G90 near you This was originally published on Roadshow.


Last week, NASA announced the unravelling of a major Mars mystery. "Now we know there is liquid water on the surface of this cold desert planet," Michael Meyer, the Mars Exploration Program's lead scientist, said. Specifically, an orbiting spacecraft has detected what the agency's scientists are calling recurring slope lineae cold, salty streaks of damp soil that appear seasonally in several craters and chasms. NASA's strategy for seeking out extraterrestrial life has traditionally been to follow the water, since all organisms on Earth require it, and Earth organisms are the only kind we know. The announcement therefore raised another persistent question: Does this mean there's life on Mars? NASA had an answer for that one, too. "We know there's life on Mars already because we sent it there," John Grunsfeld, the associate administrator of the agency's Science Mission Directorate, said during a press conference on Monday. It is a Faustian condition of space exploration that we cannot search for life on alien planets without bringing along very small amounts of very small Earth life. This process is known as forward contamination, and minimizing, if not preventing, its occurrence is the responsibility of Cassie Conley, a plant biologist who has served as NASA's planetary-protection officer since 2006. "It's basic common sense," Conley told me. "We have to be careful not to blind ourselves with Earth life, the same way you can't see the stars when the sun is out." In an ideal universe, the crewless spacecraft that we send to Mars would be sterile. (Humans are, by definition, contaminants.) In reality, for both technical and economic reasons, they are not. Rather, they are cleaned up enough to satisfy the Committee on Space Research, the international body that sets the ground rules for extraterrestrial exploration. The relevant COSPAR standard was conceived back in the nineteen-fifties, and it relies on an estimate of how likely Earth organisms are to survive on Mars. But, given how little scientists knew about conditions on the red planet at the time, Conley said, it "was pretty much a case of sticking their fingers in the air and saying 'Hmmm.' " Still, the discussions were contentious, and they dragged on for more than a decade. Eventually, the committee settled on what it considered an acceptable level of contamination risk: one in a thousand. In other words, humanity must limit itself to one chance in a thousand of seeding another planet with terrestrial life in the course of exploring it. The risk was divvied up among the spacefaring nations, with the United States receiving just under half of the total allocation: one chance in forty thousand. Every one of NASA's subsequent planetary missions the Viking probes, Pathfinder, and the ill-fated Mars Polar Lander has used up some tiny fraction of this imaginary figure. Once astronauts get involved, though, all bets will be off. COSPAR's framework is intended to cover only the short window of time during which a planet remains uncontaminated (and thus alien) enough to be of "biological interest." Originally, this period was set at an optimistic twenty years. It has since been extended. The first Martian landers, Vikings 1 and 2, which launched in 1975, were the cleanest things that NASA has ever sent into space. After their final bake-off at Kennedy Space Center (two hundred and thirty-three degrees Fahrenheit for thirty hours), they were determined to have just 0.3 organisms remaining not an actual tally, of course, but the result of an abstract calculation that took into account the results of pre-assembly surface swabs and average kill rates. When the Viking data came back from Mars, it painted a picture of a much harsher, drier environment than many planetary scientists had hoped or imagined, and subsequent missions were accordingly allowed to carry a higher bioburden. The Mars Science Laboratory the mission that landed the Curiosity Rover in August, 2012 was estimated to host just under thirty thousand heat-resistant bacterial endospores at launch, many more than Viking, but, as Conley pointed out, "still fewer than the number on your hand." As NASA scientists have learned more about both the Martian climate and the extreme hardiness of some Earth microbes, however, they have had to update their risk assessments. "The idea was that we need to be the most vigilant on the early missions, when we don't have any knowledge of Mars, and we can relax when we know more," Conley said. "But it turns out maybe we relaxed too much." When she conducted the planetary-protection review of Curiosity's proposed landing site, at Gale Crater, she thought, "This is a flat site at the equator. There's no way it will have water." Following last week's announcement, however, it now seems that there may be water only a few miles away from Curiosity's path. Under current COSPAR rules, the rover is not clean enough to go near it. "Mars continues to surprise us," Conley said. "This is a good problem to have." To solve it, she is consulting her advisory committee, an eclectic group of geologists, astrobiologists, planetary scientists, representatives from other government departments and foreign space agencies, a lawyer, a communications expert, and this spot is currently vacant an ethicist. Although Conley will be ultimately responsible for determining how close to the recurring slope lineae Curiosity can get, she will reach that decision using a calculation made by NASA scientists as to how many of the original thirty thousand hitchhikers might still be aboard the rover today. This is where Kasthuri Venkateswaran, a microbiologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Nick Bernardini, the planetary-protection lead on both Curiosity and the Mars 2020 mission, will play an important role. After Curiosity launched, Venkateswaran and his colleagues took the cloths that had been used to wipe down the rover's exposed surfaces and examined the genetic traces left behind on them. Thanks to these efforts, we now have the first Martian passenger manifesto: lots of Actinobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria ; some Nitrososphaeraceae ; a few dark-pigmented, double-wall-protected fungal spores of Melanommatales ; and various others. As Conley pointed out, though, it is not enough just to "have name tags for the microbes on Curiosity we need to know what their capabilities are." In other words, could they survive a lengthy journey in the vacuum of space and then proliferate on Mars? To answer that question, Venkateswaran's group has started sending some of the hardiest candidates up for eighteen-month stints aboard the International Space Station. So far, the findings confirm what many scientists suspected that NASA's rigorous cleaning and decontamination processes have inadvertently selected for the kinds of microorganisms that don't mind high radiation, extreme aridity, and low nutrient levels. These bugs tend to hibernate inside tough exterior shells until conditions are right for them to come out. Bacillus pumilu s SAFR-032, for instance, a bacterium that was first discovered at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Spacecraft Assembly Facility, was damaged but not killed by its ride through space and, Venkateswaran added, it "could potentially survive for millions of years once deposited on the Martian surface." Some of Earth's extremophiles are now Martians; that much is evident. Whether they can emerge from dormancy and grow whether they, as Venkateswaran put it, are capable "of making the red planet green" is much less well understood. Venkateswaran's data will soon be entered into Bernadini's byzantine planetary-protection spreadsheet, which will spit out a number for Conley. She hopes to decide what Curiosity will do within six months, but she's currently betting against it. "It's highly unlikely we would take the risk of potentially contaminating a subsurface aquifer of Mars," she said. "We just don't know enough about it to allow that level of risk."


The essential statistics ahead of the 11th round of the 2019 NTT IndyCar Series   the Honda Indy Toronto. Click here for the weekend schedule Track: 1.786-mile street course in downtown Toronto, ON, Canada Race distance: 85 laps / 151.81 miles Push-to-pass parameters: 200 seconds with a maximum single duration of 20sec Firestone tires per entry: Seven sets primaries, four sets of alternates, five sets of rain tires. Teams must use one set of primary and one set of alternate tires for at least two laps in the race. The alternate tires will be the same as used in Detroit, while the primaries are the same as last year in Toronto. 2018 race winner: ( pictured above ) who won here seven times. 2018 pole winner: Josef Newgarden (Team Penske), 59.4956sec, 108.068mph. Of the active drivers, Will Power, Scott Dixon and Sebastien Bourdais each have two poles here. The record number of Toronto poles is five, held by . Qualifying lap record: (Team Penske Dallara-Chevrolet) 58.9124sec, 109.138mph (2017). Previous winners Mosport 1967 (x2) Bobby Unser, Leader Card Racing, Eagle-Ford 1968 (x2) Dan Gurney, Oscar Olson, Eagle Weslake-Ford 1977 AJ Foyt, AJ Foyt Enterprises, Coyote-Foyt 1978 Danny Ongais, Interscope Racing, Parnelli-Cosworth Toronto street course 1986 Bobby Rahal, Truesports, March-Cosworth 1987 Emerson Fittipaldi, Patrick Racing, March-Chevrolet 1988 Al Unser Jr., Galles Racing, March-Chevrolet 1989 Michael Andretti, Newman/Haas Racing, Lola-Chevrolet 1990 Al Unser Jr., Galles/Kraco Racing, Lola-Chevrolet 1991 Michael Andretti, Newman/Haas Racing, Lola-Chevrolet 1992 Michael Andretti, Newman/Haas Racing, Lola-Ford 1993 Paul Tracy, Penske Racing, Penske-Chevrolet 1994 Michael Andretti, Chip Ganassi Racing, Reynard-Ford 1995 Michael Andretti, Newman/Haas Racing, Lola-Ford 1996 Adrian Fernandez, Tasman Motorsports, Lola-Honda 1997 Mark Blundell, PacWest Racing, Reynard-Mercedes-Benz 1998 Alex Zanardi, Chip Ganassi Racing, Reynard-Honda 1999 Dario Franchitti, Team Green, Reynard-Honda 2000 Michael Andretti, Newman/Haas Racing, Lola-Ford 2001 Michael Andretti, Team Green, Reynard-Honda 2002 Cristiano da Matta, Newman/Haas Racing, Lola-Toyota 2003 Paul Tracy, Forsythe Racing, Lola-Ford 2004 Sebastien Bourdais, Newman/Haas Racing, Lola-Ford 2005 Justin Wilson, RuSPORT, Lola-Ford 2006 AJ Allmendinger, Forsythe Racing, Lola-Ford 2007 Will Power, Walker Racing, Panoz-Cosworth 2009 Dario Franchitti, Chip Ganassi Racing, Dallara-Honda 2010 Will Power, Team Penske, Dallara-Honda 2011 Dario Franchitti, Chip Ganassi Racing, Dallara-Honda 2012 Ryan Hunter-Reay, Andretti Autosport, Dallara-Chevrolet 2013 Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing, Dallara-Honda 2013 Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing, Dallara-Honda 2014 Sebastien Bourdais, KV Racing Technology, Dallara-Chevrolet 2014 Mike Conway, Ed Carpenter Racing, Dallara-Chevrolet 2015 Josef Newgarden, CFH Racing, Dallara-Chevrolet 2016 Will Power, Team Penske, Dallara-Chevrolet 2017 Josef Newgarden, Team Penske, Dallara-Chevrolet 2018 Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing, Dallara-Honda


The Steelers swapped out five players Monday, after finding some new ones at their tryout camp during rookie minicamp. The team announced the additions of quarterback Devlin Hodges, defensive tackle Greg Gilmore, defensive end Henry Mondeaux , offensive lineman Damian Prince, and linebacker Tuzar Skipper. Hodges, from Samford, won the Walter Payton Award as the top player at the FCS level. He threw for 4,283 yards last season. He also had a tryout with the Giants the previous weekend. To make room for the new guys on the roster, the Steelers released linebacker Keion Adams , defensive end Jay Hayes, defensive tackle Chris Nelson, offensive lineman R.J. Prince , quarterback Brogan Roback , and wide receiver Ka'Raun White.


It was the best-of-the-best out in full force! Under the southern sunshine, the Keeneland Concours d'Elegance was held on Saturday, July 20th. It was hosted on the green lawns of Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, KY. Many attendees have offered that the 16th run of the event was their best ever! It featured 20 classes from vintage cars to future collectibles. Of those cars, there were some than were more exceptional than exceptional! Here is the complete list of the award winners in 2019: Foreign Collector Class 7: 1950 Jaguar MK V DHC Presented by Don Gant   Florida Sports Contemporary Class 8: 1984 Porsche 911 Carrera Targa Presented by Kim & Mac McGregor   Ohio Contemporary Classics Class 9: 1968 Maserati Ghibli Spyder Prototype Presented by The Patterson Collection   Kentucky Aston Martin   Featured Marque Class 10: 1952 Aston Martin DB2 Coupe Presented by Bill Jacobs   Ohio Chevrolet Corvette Class 11: 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Presented by Thomas & Susan McClain   Kentucky American Performance 1955-1975 Class 12: 1970 Mercury Cougar Eliminator Presented by Charles & Lita Donaldson   Texas Classic Ford Thunderbirds Class 13: 1955 Ford Thunderbird Presented by Joe Martin   Kentucky Carriages Class 14: 1903 Brewster Basket Morning Phaeton Presented by Tom & Gloria Burgess   Virginia Motorcycles Class 15: 1965 Triumph Bonneville T120R Presented by Christopher F. Heck   Ohio Future Classics Class 16: 2019 Ford GT Presented by Beck Kelly   Kentucky Loud and Furious Class 17: 1989 Honda CRX Presented by Andre & Nikki Bourne   Ohio Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Class 18: 1999 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 30th Anniversary Read More: Gas Monkey Garage Recreates Bullitt Chase Scene Peter Max Corvette Collection Being Raffled Off For Charity


What, exactly, is Radwood? What, exactly, is Radwood? Good question. As we wrote a few years back after witnessing the festivities for ourselves , "Think Goodwood or Pebble Beach, but with K Cars and DeLoreans." It's a celebration of all things from the 1980s and 1990s. We think it's fun. So we pointed our browsers toward eBay in search of the coolest Radwood-era cars with a budget of $20,000. Some of our chosen steeds get pretty close to that self-imposed price car, while others are well below. Without further ado, click on the glorious Screaming Chicken up above to get started. 1980 Pontiac Trans Am If your Radwood tastes skew a little on the older side, I'd like to present you with this 1980 Pontiac Trans Am . Adding to the allure, it's one of 5,700 Indy Pace Car editions sold that year. This was not the best Trans Am that Pontiac ever built. In fact, depending on who you ask, it might actually be the worst. The era of big cubic inches was over   the last of the 6.6-liters was sold in 1979   but Pontiac still wanted its halo muscle car to have some guts. It didn't, really, but let's just sit back and appreciate the effort. There are 301 cubic inches under the hood, bolstered by Pontiac's first turbocharged engine, sending 210 horsepower and 345 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels. But much more importantly, it had a sweet Screaming Chicken graphic on the hood wrapped around an asymmetrical bulge that lit up in the driver's direct line of sight as the turbo boost built up. That's cool. The whole thing is so quintessentially '80s that the Radwood crowd will love it.   Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski 1984 Mazda RX-7 GSL I went with this 1984 Mazda RX-7 GSL , because what else screams Radwood louder than a rotary engine and this extremely burgundy interior. Seriously, this interior will fit in perfectly with the rest of the "rad" vehicles on display, and you might even get a few compliments for it. This one is the GSL, so it has four-wheel disc brakes and a limited-slip differential. It's equipped with a manual transmission, and the owner says it has the original engine with just 81,000 miles. The car's condition looks fantastic, so the $12,995 price might be well worth it. - Assistant Editor, Zac Palmer John Snyder: 1986 Ford Bronco Eddie Bauer Is Eddie Bauer still a thing? It used to be my jam. I love the color scheme on this 1986 Ford Bronco , and that interior is simply fantastic. I legitimately want this. I'd need some sort of plaid dog bed for the back, where my pups could sleep while the humans are tailgating. Bonus points if it's fleece.   Senior Editor, Green, John Snyder 1989 Chrysler TC by Maserati Some people are going to tell you that you can't buy a vintage Maserati in reasonably good condition for less than $12,000. Those people are absolutely right. But you can buy a Chrysler TC by Maserati . It's got the badging, it's got a plaque that proudly displays its Made in Italy heritage, and it's got a hardtop with portholes.   Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski 1990 Chevy Corvette ZR1 I was really tempted to go with a 1986 Mercedes-Benz Unimog, but I couldn't pass on this first-year low-mile C4 Corvette ZR1 . I'm a Corvette guy raised in a family of Corvette guys, and this was my dream car growing up. I had ZR1 posters on my wall and ZR1 models on my shelf. As a kid in the '90s, it didn't get much better than this. The LT5 engine is the real star here. A DOHC 5.7-liter V8 developed by Lotus and built by Mercury Marine. It made 375 horsepower early on, but later ZR1s made 405 horsepower. It also cost nearly twice as much as a standard C4. The fact that you can find decent ones for around $20,000 still amazes me. That's why there's two on this list. I dig the looks of the first year as it's a blend of early and late C4s. This is the only year the ZR1 had the original C4 front end, and from '91 until the end of the run, all C4s looked basically the same. It's just so sleek. There are no big wings or splitters or ducts to taint the design. Pure Radwood.   Road Test Editor Reese Counts 1990 Chevy Corvette ZR-1 Sure, Reese found a ZR-1, but mine's better. It's also a classified listing at $21,995 , but it invites offers, so I'm hoping to drive a hard bargain to get within budget. This one is a 1990, first year of production, with 45,000 miles. It looks cared-for, and I dig the wheels and the red-on-red with black stripe to provide some relief. These are famed for their Mercury Marine LT5 DOHC 5.7-liter engine making 375 horsepower. Even if I have to rob couch cushions and college fund for the extra two grand, this might be a good investment.   Managing Editor Greg Rasa 1996 Toyota RAV4 The Toyota RAV4, considering it's still around and one of Toyota's best sellers, has been a huge success. But when it was introduced in the 1990s, it had a two-door offshoot that didn't survive past the first generation. They were incredibly cute, as you can see in the photo thanks to their soft lines. This hardtop is pretty unusual, as many RAV4 two-doors were convertibles like the Jeep Wrangler and Chevy Tracker. Even at Radwood, you're unlikely to run into someone with the same car. This particular example gets bonus points for also having a five-speed manual transmission and all-wheel-drive with a driver-selectable locking center differential. And all of this can be yours for just $8,900 or best offer .   Associate Editor Joel Stocksdale 1997 Chevy Camaro Z28 The Buy It Now price for this 30th-anniversary Z28 is $14,995 . I have no idea if that's unreasonable, but the car has just 15,000 miles on it, and I love the Hugger Orange stripes, blacked-out headlights and white wheels. Ooh, white interior, too.   Managing Editor Greg Rasa 1998 BMW M3 Sedan The eBay search went like this: 1988-1999. Less than 100,000 miles. $20,000 max. The most '90s colors of green, purple and teal. I think I scored pretty well here. This 1998 BMW M3 Sedan is unmodified, pristine and its maintenance has been meticulously documented. It's also a classy and brilliantly subtle color combo of Boston Green and Magma Nappa leather that's absolutely perfect for a class and brilliantly subtle car like the E36 M3 Sedan. Nevermind our Radwood mission, I think I'd actually buy this just as my car.   West Coast Editor James Riswick


Interested in discovering the freshest new spots in Chicago? From a nail salon to a coffee shop, read on for the newest businesses to debut around town. Roscoe Village Treats Roscoe Village Treats is an ice cream and frozen yogurt and coffee and tea spot, offering donuts and more, that recently opened at 2009 W. Roscoe St. in Roscoe Village. The business offers a variety of tasty treats. From doughnuts and popcorn to cinnamon rolls and cake balls, there is no shortage of sweets at Roscoe Village Treats. Blossom Nails Spa Now open at 2052 W. Belmont Ave. in Roscoe Village is Blossom Nails Spa , a nail salon. The nail salon offers manicures, pedicures, nail art and more. Services include gel polish, paraffin treatment and massage. Bombastic Cafe Now open at 3732 N. Southport Ave. in Lakeview is Bombastic Cafe , a coffee and tea spot. The coffee shop roasts single-origin African coffees served with a pour over method. 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.


Free agent guard Danny Green has agreed to a two-year, $30 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported on Friday night. According to Charania, the Dallas Mavericks were also pursuing Green during free agency. Green's decision comes after former Raptors teammate Kawhi Leonard reportedly decided to sign with the Clippers, who also acquired All-Star Paul George in a blockbuster trade with the Thunder. Drafted by the Cavaliers with the 46th overall pick in the 2009 draft, Green played 20 games his rookie year in Cleveland before joining the Spurs in 2010. During the 2013 NBA Finals, Green set an NBA record for most three-point field goals made in a Finals series and won his first championship the following year. Green and Leonard were both traded to the Raptors in 2018, where the two helped Toronto defeat the Warriors in six games for the franchise's first-ever NBA title. Green averaged 10.3 points and 4.0 rebounds with the Raptors last season and will now be joining LeBron James and Anthony Davis in Los Angeles.


Hispanic unemployment is at an all-time low, but Democrats say that won't matter when it comes to the 2020 presidential race. Democrats say they are confident Hispanics will turn out in force to oppose President Trump regardless of who wins their party's nomination. They add that Trump's argument that the economy is lifting all boats won't translate into a large number of Hispanic votes - partly because of opposition to the president's policies and partly because Hispanics aren't being helped by the economy as much as Trump and Republicans say. "You have people that are still facing some tough financial situations. This is a community that by and large, is not strongly invested in the stock market, for example," said Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. "So Wall Street doing well doesn't mean that a vast majority of Latino families are doing well, unfortunately." Republicans scoff at those claims. "Paychecks are growing at the fastest pace in a decade, and for those in the lower half of the income bracket, they are growing twice as fast," said Tim Murtaugh, communications director for the Trump 2020 campaign. Daniel Garza, president of the Libre Initiative, a conservative Hispanic organization within mega-donor Charles Koch's political network, said "there's no doubt" that economic growth is prompting significant wage increases, home purchases and "real wealth creation." "I know there's a false trope on the left to call it trickle-down economics, but we see it as an economy where wealth permeates from the top up, bottom down and middle out," said Garza. In January 2009, the Hispanic unemployment rate was 10.1 percent when President Obama was sworn into office. The rate was 5.8 percent in the month Trump was inaugurated, and last month it fell to a record low of 4.2 percent. However, Democratic presidential candidates say Trump doesn't deserve credit - Obama does. Trump won 28 percent of the Hispanic vote in 2016, according to an analysis by the Pew Research Center. That compared favorably to 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney's 27 percent and was a surprise given Trump's rhetoric about immigration on the campaign trail. The question for Democrats is whether they can cut into Trump's numbers with Hispanics, or whether the economy will boost Trump. "The economy is not going to be a problem. And what Democrats are saying is not going to be hard to beat down," said Iván García-Hidalgo, president of the conservative Hispanic Leadership Council. "I have spoken to a large number of Hispanics in Maryland and other places, the consensus is things are better - I hear that from everybody - they still don't like Trump, they don't like him personally," said García-Hidalgo. Regardless, García-Hidalgo and other Republicans believe economic gains will outweigh any misgivings about Trump's rhetoric or personality come 2020. "That's going to be the biggest challenge [for Democrats]: can Hispanics, or anybody, vote against their own interest?" added García-Hidalgo. The Trump campaign says Democrats are over-reliant on anti-Trump rhetoric. "Democrats make a mistake when they believe among Hispanic voters they can just say Trump and immigration and they can win the argument," said Murtaugh. "Democrats are asking people to believe their rhetoric over their own experiences and their own lives." Still, Democrats in Latino-heavy districts say the surging economy isn't reaching their constituents. "Not in South Florida where people are still making basically the minimum wage, and even when they're making higher than that they're not getting benefits," said Rep. Donna Shalala (D-Fla.). Shalala added that big employers in South Florida are mainly airlines, hospitals and the transportation and logistics industry, but low-wage workers are concentrated in small businesses or as subcontractors in large industries: "Everybody has to be lifted up, and the president is not lifting everybody up. He's forgetting about the working stiffs that need an increase. ... He's not putting out a message that resonates to people in my community because they know they're not better off." A report by UnidosUS, the country's largest Hispanic civil rights organization, shows that Latinos are not only lagging behind, they've failed to fully recover from the 2008 financial crisis. While Latino wages have risen, for instance, the median wage for Hispanic workers is still $9.62 an hour, $2.39 below the median hourly wage of a white worker, according to the report. Homeownership, which before the recession was the single largest depository of Hispanic wealth, has not recovered to pre-recession levels, pushing up the rental market in disproportionately Latino areas. And one of the most glaring indicators of inequality, the wealth gap - a measurement of net average assets compared among demographic groups - has grown since 2012. According to UnidosUS, the average wealth of a white family is almost 8.5-times larger than the average wealth of a Latino family. Stephanie Roman, a senior policy analyst at UnidosUS, said that Latinos are especially vulnerable to another economic downturn, because jobs in the construction and service industry are among the most vulnerable. Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.) said despite the wage and employment gains, low-wage families in his district are still living check-to-check. "Now they are getting by, but they're not getting ahead," said Ruiz. "What I know is that the vast majority of Americans, and disproportionately so for Latinos, if the American family gets an unexpected bill for $1,000 for some home damage or some unexpected emergency department visit, they will not be able to find that money, pay that bill or even know a friend who can lend them $1,000," he added. Garza said there are a lot of other barriers to Hispanic economic achievement that can't be pinned on Trump, such as lack of English-language education or access to driver's licenses and adult education. "The core fundamental issue of the economy is strong as an asset for the president if you're speaking politically. For real people, their life is just improving because of that," said Garza. "Now it is up to the Democrats and the Republicans to connect with the Latino community on how they're going to address all these other barriers, because there's still people cut off from the marketplace."


WASHINGTON (AP) A day after squandering a lead entering the seventh inning, the Royals did it again. This time, though, Kansas City managed to rally back. Adalberto Mondesi hit a go-ahead single in the 11th inning to help lift the Royals to a 7-4 victory over the Washington Nationals that snapped a four-game skid. ''It was big for us, especially after yesterday kind of giving up the lead (in an 8-4 loss to Cleveland) and giving it up again today,'' left fielder Alex Gordon said. ''I thought we could have put our heads down and took a loss, but give us credit for putting together a good inning and making something happen.'' The Nationals, who had won four straight and eight of their last nine, left 19 men on base - including the bases loaded in the sixth, seventh and 10th innings. ''I don't think I've ever seen that before,'' Gordon said. ''Gave them chances and they didn't get runs in. Good for us for stepping up and making the pitches count when they needed. Give our pitchers the credit for that.'' Jonny Venters (0-1), the Nationals' fifth reliever, loaded the bases with no outs before striking out Whit Merrifield. However, Mondesi poked a single to left past a drawn-in infield to score a run. Gordon then hit a grounder to first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, whose wild throw home allowed two runs to score. Brian Flynn (2-0) escaped a bases-loaded jam of his own creation in the 10th, and Wily Peralta worked the 11th for his second save. Zimmerman got his 1,000th career RBI with a double in the seventh to pull Washington within 4-2. He added another off Kansas City closer Ian Kennedy in the ninth, then scored on Brian Dozier's single. The Nationals had two on with one out, but couldn't push across the winning run. ''Couldn't get hits in a big moment,'' Washington manager Dave Martinez said. Trea Turner hit his fifth career leadoff home run off Kansas City starter Brad Keller, extending Washington's franchise-record of games with a homer to 19. It was the only run the Nationals managed off Keller, who allowed six hits and five walks in 5 2/3 innings. Kansas City scored two runs in both the third and the fifth off Washington starter Austin Voth, who lasted 4 1/3 innings in his third start of the season. TRAINER'S ROOM Nationals: OF Victor Robles was out of the lineup for the first time since June 23 as part of a routine day off, but entered as a pinch hitter in the seventh and was hit by the first pitch he saw. It was the rookie's 16th hit by pitch, tied for most in the National League, and came two days after he was hit in the finger while attempting a bunt. ''When he tries to bunt, he really sticks his head over home plate and we're trying to get him not to do that,'' manager Dave Martinez said. RENDON OUT OF ALL-STAR GAME Washington 3B Anthony Rendon was replaced on the NL All-Star team by Los Angeles' Max Muncy. Rendon, who has started 53 consecutive games since coming off the injured list May 7, is dealing with tightness in his left hamstring and quadriceps. ''I've been playing with it for the last two, three weeks, so it's no concern,'' Rendon said. ''I know how to ease up, and I've played through injuries before. It's nothing significant, but be smart about it because we still have the whole next half of the season to worry about.'' BACK AT LAST Kansas City is making only its second trip to Washington since the Nationals arrived in 2005, and its first since 2010. Only Oakland, which made its lone trip in 2005, has played fewer series in Washington against the Nationals than the Royals. UP NEXT Royals: RHP Glenn Sparkman (2-4, 5.09 ERA) faces Washington for the first time as the three-game series continues Saturday. Nationals: RHP Max Scherzer (8-5, 2.43), who was 6-0 with a 1.00 ERA in six June starts, is scheduled to come off the paternity list and make his final appearance before the All-Star break. --- More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports


The XFL has been holding combine-style workouts in the eight cities that will host teams when the league launches next year and they were in Tampa over the weekend for the seventh round. Former NFL players turned out for the first six tryouts and there were more recognizable names in Tampa as well. Former Patriots, Texans and Ravens quarterback Ryan Mallett was part of that group and told Chris Neyenhouse of FOX13 that other players will have to match his hunger if they want to make it into the new league. Mallett's last NFL run was with the Ravens from 2015-2017 and he was a teammate of safety Matt Elam for the first two of those years. The 2013 first-round pick was last a member of the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders, but was suspended after playing nine games for the team last year. Former 49ers and Seahawks quarterback B.J. Daniels, former Washington running back Matt Jones and former Colts and Packers linebacker Antonio Morrison were also at the workout. Quarterback Vinny Testaverde Jr. also took part after trying out for the Buccaneers at their rookie minicamp this offseason. The final XFL showcase will be in St. Louis on July 13.


Oakland Oakland will experience warm temperatures this weekend, with highs in the 70s on Saturday and Sunday, according to drone-powered weather forecasting service Saildrone . Temperatures will turn cooler by Wednesday, only climbing to a high of 55 degrees. The next few days will also bring partly cloudy skies, due to last through Sunday. Skies will become fully overcast on Monday. Winds will reach a modest high of 13 mph on Tuesday, and remain in the teens through Wednesday. This story was created automatically using Saildrone's local weather forecast data, then reviewed by an editor. We also incorporate historic weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


TORONTO   With Kevin Durant unavailable to come to the immediate rescue, the Golden State Warriors need more from their supporting cast. ASAP. The Splash Brothers did their part in Game 1 of the NBA Finals , with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson combining for 55 points. That matched the scoring output of Toronto's Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam in the Raptors' 118-109 victory as a potentially crippling problem emerged for the Warriors. They need more from their non-stars. That was especially clear on a night when the Warriors limited Leonard to 23 points, eight below his postseason average. "Yeah, we did a good job of limiting Kawhi,'' said Thompson, Golden State's All-Star shooting guard. "But it's not Kawhi Leonard, it's the Raptors.'' MORE NBA FINALS: Amazing story, amazing game: Pascal Siakam plays hero in Game 1 win Opinion: Warriors won't three-peat with Kevin Durant Click & Roll: Sign up for our NBA newsletter for exclusive content, must-see moments It's Marc Gasol, the center who drained two uncontested 3-pointers and finished with 20 points, more than double his postseason average. It's Fred VanVleet, the backup guard who shot 5-for-8 from the floor and finished with 15 points, more than double his postseason average. It's Danny Green, the guard who was 3-for-7 from 3-point range. "Well,'' Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after the game, "I think that the biggest thing coming in is we really didn't feel like we knew this team very well.'' Consider that a painful introduction to the Raptors, who also overcame a triple-double from Golden State's Draymond Green. Green also had six turnovers and failed to keep up with Siakam, who had a postseason-best 32 points. "The biggest thing for me was our transition defense was just awful and that's the game,'' Kerr said. "That's the No. 1 priority when you play Toronto, you have to take care of their transition and we gave up 24 fast-break points, we turned it over 17 times.'' "So that's the game, really.'' Now the Splash Brothers need help. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Opinion: Warriors' Splash Brothers need help vs. Raptors   ASAP Related slideshow: Best of 2019 NBA playoffs (Provided by imagn)