Turkey blocked access to Twitter and YouTube on Monday after they refused a request to remove photographs of an Istanbul prosecutor held at gunpoint by far-left militants, taken hours before the prosecutor was killed in a shootout last week, officials said. Facebook said it had complied with a Turkish court order requiring it to restrict access to some content or face a block on its service. A company spokesman said it would appeal the order. Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said a prosecutor had demanded the block on access to the social media sites because some media organizations had acted "as if they were spreading terrorist propaganda" in sharing the images of the hostage-taking. "This has to do with the publishing of the prosecutor's picture. What happened in the aftermath (of the prosecutor's killing) is as grim as the incident itself," Kalin said. "The demand from the prosecutor's office is that this image not be used anywhere in electronic platforms," he told a news conference in Ankara. Istanbul prosecutor Mehmet Selim Kiraz died from his wounds last Tuesday after security forces stormed the office where members of the far-left Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) had taken him hostage. His two captors were also killed. The DHKP-C had published a picture of Kiraz with a gun to his head and said it would kill him unless its demands were met. "The wife and children of prosecutor Kiraz have been deeply upset. The images are everywhere," a senior Turkish official told Reuters. "A request has been made to both Twitter and YouTube for the removal of the images and posts but they have not accepted it and no response has been given," the official said. "That's why this decision has been taken through a court in Istanbul." Google said it was working to restore service to the YouTube video-sharing site, which it owns. Twitter also said it was working to restore access for its users. Turkey's telecoms regulator could not immediately be reached and there was no statement on its website. Turkey temporarily blocked Twitter and YouTube before local elections in March 2014, after audio recordings purportedly showing corruption in then-Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's inner circle were leaked on their sites. That decision caused a public uproar and drew heavy international criticism. Turkey filed over five times more content-removal requests to Twitter than any other country in the second half of 2014, data published in February by the micro-blogging site showed. Last year, Turkey tightened laws allowing sites to be blocked by the authorities more easily. (Additional reporting by Eric Auchard in Frankfurt, Humeyra Pamuk in Istanbul and Orhan Coskun in Ankara; Writing by Nick Tattersall; Editing by Dale Hudson, Larry King)


Former Chiefs head coach and longtime NFL assistant coach Gunther Cunningham has died. Cunningham died on Saturday after a brief illness. He was 72 years old and is survived by his wife, children and grandson among other family members and loved ones. Cunningham was born in Germany and grew up in California before going to the University of Oregon to play football. He moved into coaching at the school in 1969 and took his first NFL job with the Colts in 1982. He worked for the Chargers and Raiders before becoming the Chiefs' defensive coordinator in 1995. He would stay in that job for four years before succeeding Marty Schottenheimer as the head coach for the 1999 season. Cunningham went 16-16 over two years before being fired. Cunningham would return to Kansas City as the defensive coordinator from 2004-2008 and had the same job with the Lions from 2009-2013. He last worked as a senior assistant in Detroit from 2014-2016. Our condolences to Cunningham's family and loved ones on their loss. Related slideshow: Notable sports deaths in 2019 (provided by imagn)


Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson stole the show in Bethpage Black's major debut at the 2002 U.S. Open. On Wednesday, the two icons toured the venerable Long Island property to see the test that awaits at next week's PGA Championship. Pictures surfaced on Instagram and Twitter of Woods and Mickelson, both former PGA champions, making their way around Bethpage Black. Though a video capturing the two together was ultimately deleted, others of Mickelson and Woods playing separately remained up as of Wednesday evening: View this post on Instagram #Phil #Tiger #tigerwoods #philmickelson #pga #bethpage #bethpageblack 2 of the GREATEST, just out for a Wednesday afternoon round of golf. A post shared by Tom Niemczyk (@nimzack_mfd_2551) on May 8, 2019 at 12:10pm PDT View this post on Instagram Tiger Woods has been spotted already getting in some practice at Bethpage Black ahead of next week's PGA Championship. 👀 (📷:@putt_for_show) A post shared by Golf Digest (@golfdigest) on May 8, 2019 at 11:40am PDT View this post on Instagram Tiger spotting at Bethpage. 🐅  #PGAChamp A post shared by PGA Championship (@pgachampionship) on May 8, 2019 at 1:40pm PDT https://twitter.com/RiggsBarstool/status/1126153657244966912 Despite starting the final round five shots back of Woods at the 2002 U.S. Open, Mickelson playing in the group ahead of Tiger made a Sunday charge, at one point narrowing the deficit to two with a birdie on the 13th hole. However, Woods answered with a birdie of his own at the 13th, and bogeys at the 16th and 17th by Mickelson gave enough breathing room for Woods to win by three. Mickelson also received a silver medal in Bethpage's U.S. Open follow-up in 2009, finishing two strokes short of Lucas Glover. The sometimes-icy relationship between Woods and Mickelson has thawed over the last few years. They famously played together during a practice round at the 2018 Masters, and appeared in a made-for-TV match over Thanksgiving weekend that fall. Woods enters as the tournament favorite at 7-to-1 odds, Mickelson a more distance 40-to-1. The PGA Championship begins on May 16. Introducing Golf Digest All Access, a new way to improve WATCH: GOLF DIGEST VIDEOS See the video.


Looking to add a new companion to the family? There are dozens of cute kitties up for adoption at animal shelters in and around Irvine, so you won't have to look far to find the perfect new pal. Hoodline used data from Petfinder to power this roundup of cats available for adoption near you. Read on to meet some friendly, furry locals. (Details like pet availability, training, vaccinations and other features are based on data provided by Petfinder and may be subject to change; contact the shelter for the latest information.) Cleo, domestic longhair Cleo is a female domestic longhair cat being kept at OC ARC Orange County Animal Rescue Coalition . Cleo gets along well with other cats. Cleo is spayed, and she has all her shots. Good news: She's already house-trained. From Cleo's current caretaker: Cleo is a such a beautiful and loving girl. She would do best in a home with an experienced cat person and no small children. We do not know how she would be with dogs. Read more about Cleo on Petfinder . Herschel, domestic Herschel is a handsome male domestic cat in the care of OC ARC Orange County Animal Rescue Coalition . Herschel is friendly as can be, and he loves children, cats and dogs. He is already house-trained. Herschel is neutered, and he has all his shots. From Herschel's current caretaker: Herschel is a such a beautiful and sweet boy. He will make a great pal for a loving owner. Apply to adopt Herschel today at Petfinder . Poppy, tortoiseshell Poppy is a lovable female tortoiseshell cat being kept at OC ARC Orange County Animal Rescue Coalition . Poppy is eager to make friends, and she loves dogs, cats and children. Poppy is spayed and vaccinated. She's mastered her house-training etiquette. From Poppy's current caretaker: Poppy is a typical tortie   she likes to be in charge and will let you know when she wants to play and be petted. She purrs when you pet her and likes attention on her terms. She will do best in a home with someone who has lots of cat experience. Apply to adopt Poppy today at Petfinder . Simba, tabby Simba is a handsome male tabby cat currently residing at OC ARC Orange County Animal Rescue Coalition . Simba is the life of the party   he gets along well with children, cats and dogs. He's already house-trained. Simba is neutered, and he has all his shots. From Simba's current caretaker: Simba is a such a beautiful and sweet boy. He is bonded with Candy. They must be adopted together. Simba is more cautious than Candy, but once he warms up, he loves to be cuddled and petted. He watches Candy's activity and joins when he pleases. Read more about how to adopt Simba on Petfinder . This story was created automatically using local animal shelter data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


In the market for a laugh? Don't miss this week's lineup of comedies showing on the big screen in and around Mesa. Read on for the best comedy films to catch in theaters, based on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes ' Tomatometer Score, which reflects the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics. (Movie descriptions courtesy The Movie Database ; showtimes via Fandango . Movie ratings and showtimes are subject to change.) Trading Places A snobbish investor and a wily street con-artist find their positions reversed as part of a bet by two callous millionaires. With a Tomatometer Score of 86 percent and an Audience Score of 76 percent on Rotten Tomatoes , this '80s throwback has a strong following. "Landis' direction is deft, but the sparkling performances are the real draw not only by Murphy and Aykroyd but also by Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy as the meddling oldsters, Denholm Elliott as the gentlemanly servant and Jamie Lee Curtis," according to Yardena Arar of the Associated Press, while Time Magazine's Richard Schickel said , "'Trading Places' also makes Eddie Murphy a force to be reckoned with." You can catch it at Harkins Superstition Springs 25 (6950 E. Superstition Springs Blvd.) on Tuesday, June 25. Click here for showtimes and tickets . Late Night Legendary late-night talk show host's world is turned upside down when she hires her only female staff writer. Originally intended to smooth over diversity concerns, her decision has unexpectedly hilarious consequences as the two women separated by culture and generation are united by their love of a biting punchline. With a Tomatometer Score of 79 percent and an Audience Score of 91 percent on Rotten Tomatoes , "Late Night" is well worth a watch. "Heightened by an impressive performance from Thompson, it's a fun movie that tackles a variety of issues, including sexism in the workplace, with panache," noted Kathleen Sachs of the Chicago Reader, while the Chicago Sun-Times' Richard Roeper said , "Humor can be a great equalizer, and Thompson and Kaling are terrific as two women who are funny as hell and should never be underestimated." Get a piece of the action at Harkins Superstition Springs 25 (6950 E. Superstition Springs Blvd.), AMC Superstition East 12 (1935 S. Signal Butte Road) and Cinemark Mesa 16 (1051 N. Dobson Road) through Tuesday, June 25. Click here for showtimes and tickets . Yesterday A struggling musician realizes he's the only person on Earth who can remember The Beatles. Set to be released on Friday, June 28, "Yesterday" already has a Tomatometer Score of 65 percent on Rotten Tomatoes . Urban Cinefile's Andrew L. Urban said , "They are still a river of great songs, nostalgia notwithstanding, and The Beatles can only be forgotten in a parallel universe of Richard Curtis' imagination, as in Yesterday," and Urban Cinefile's Louise Keller noted , "It is original and audacious, but the film never soars as I had hoped - one idea is stretched to the limit. Although, what's not to like when hearing 15 of the Beatles' best?" It's playing at Harkins Superstition Springs 25 (6950 E. Superstition Springs Blvd.), AMC Superstition East 12 (1935 S. Signal Butte Road), AMC Mesa Grand 14 (1647 S. Stapley), and Cinemark Mesa 16 (1051 N. Dobson Road) through Thursday, June 27. Click here for showtimes and tickets . This story was created automatically using local movie data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Testosterone, according to the National Library of Medicine, "makes a man look and feel like a man." This important hormone, made by the testicles, plays a role in several body functions. According to the NLM, testosterone: Helps maintain bone and muscle strength. Determines hair growth and where body fat gathers. Makes sperm. Maintains sex drive and erections. Make red blood cells. Boosts energy and mood . Beginning around age 30 to 40, testosterone levels naturally start to decrease. This occurs slowly, but over time lower testosterone can lead to a diminishment of all those body functions. For this reason, many men seek ways to give their T-levels a boost   and lots of companies promote products that purport to do just that. Are these products effective? Are they safe? Or are there natural, proven ways to pump up testosterone? Most Men Have Normal T-levels Along with aging , there are other reasons that testosterone may decrease: Side effects from medications or chemotherapy. Testicle injury or cancer. Disease in hypothalamus or pituitary glands, which control hormone production. Low thyroid function. Obesity . Sleep deprivation. Excessive drug or alcohol use. The vast majority of men, though, remain well within the normal range of testosterone measures. "Only about 2 to 3% of adult men have low T and manifestations of that deficiency," says Dr. Bradley Anawalt, chief of medicine and professor of medicine at the University of Washington. That's why there is no call for routine screening of testosterone for adult men. Those who should be tested, Anawalt says, would have symptoms like unexplained muscle weakness or anemia, osteoporosis , infertility or the conditions listed above. Also, those with clinical sexual dysfunction   a total lack of sex drive or erectile dysfunction . "That's not including a 50-year-old comparing himself to his memory of being 18," Anawalt says. The fact is, that's just normal for older men, not a sign of clinically low T. If called for, a blood test can diagnose low testosterone, and there are proven medical treatments for that condition, including testosterone replacement therapy , or TRT. Man-made testosterone can be given as a gel, patch, injection or implant, and may relieve or improve symptoms in some men. The NLM says TRT appears to be more effective in young men with very low testosterone levels, but the evidence is unclear if it helps older men. It also carries risks, including: Infertility. Enlarged prostate, causing difficulty urinating. Blood clots. Worsening heart failure . Lifestyle Can Help   a Little As for the majority of men who want to boost their flagging T levels in hopes of regaining some of their youthful vim and vigor, the first step is controlling factors that may be affecting testosterone, such as obesity or other chronic diseases like diabetes . "Low T may be corrected with proper management of those two," says Dr. Ronald Swerdloff, professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and senior investigator at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute. "Also, avoid medications that lower testosterone, for example pain meds like opioids." As for lifestyle changes that may help the natural lowering of testosterone, well, "that's not so simple," Anawalt says. Take sleep, for instance. "There are good studies showing that doctors who are on call overnight for 36 hours, their T concentration is low," he says. For them, getting more sleep will help. But for those with fairly normal sleep patterns, "sleeping more won't help," he says. Regular exercise, especially when it includes strength training , has been shown to boost testosterone slightly. However, some men overdo it and exercise too much. "They come in with body fat that is too low," Anawalt says. "I have to tell them to exercise in moderation." A healthy diet is important for all aspects of health, including hormone production, but "diet has no effect on testosterone," Anawalt says. Supplements are unproven at best  and harmful at worst. "Lots of herbal remedies have been tried, but there is no information to suggest it is effective," he says. On top of that, supplements that overtly or covertly contain anabolic agents like andro and DHEA are not regulated and potentially dangerous. "Small amounts of these do nothing to your T level," Anawalt says. "Huge doses of those do increase testosterone, but also increase estrogen out of proportion. Some of the products also have been spiked with something. We don't encourage these because of the unknown health consequences." "The contents in the preparations are not properly labeled," Swerdloff adds. "My feeling is, one should be extremely careful with these (products)." The bottom line? According to Anawalt, "If there is no reversible cause (of low testosterone), no lifestyle change makes any difference. The vast majority of these men are normal. They just read that testosterone is a wonderous compound, and if a little is good, more is better." (VIDEO) Study: Men with beards may carry more dangerous bacteria than dogs (Courtesy: Buzz60) Copyright 2019 U.S. News & World Report


Jimmy Butler will decline his player option for the 2019-20 season and hit the free agent market, sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports . The Sixers have been expecting Butler to take this route. Philadelphia remains "adamant" about retaining Butler and the franchise appears willing to do whatever is necessary to re-sign the 29-year-old. Butler has previously expressed that he's confident a max contract awaits him in free agency. The Lakers have real interest in prying Butler from Philadelphia. Los Angeles is hoping to place other stars around LeBron James this offseason. The starting salary on a potential max contract for Butler is projected to come in around $32.7M. The Lakers will need to make an additional move to accommodate that figure, as we detailed in the team's Salary Cap Digest . Butler will be an unrestricted free agent and his cap hold of roughly $30.7M will count toward the Sixers' books unless they decide to renounce him or he signs elsewhere. He played 55 regular-season games and 12 playoff contests after Philadelphia acquired him last fall.


Louisville won fewer than four games in 2018 for the first time in 21 years, lost to Clemson by 61 points (and suffered seven more losses by at least 21 points) and became the laughingstock of the ACC in just one season. It could get worse, says one ACC coach. "The worst of it might not even be done yet," an anonymous coach told Athlon Sports . "Bobby Petrino leaving a program hits you in waves; first they quit on him, then you have to run off a bunch of them. They'll probably have guys leave over the course of the summer and fall." Petrino went 34-18 in the first four seasons of his second stint at Louisville and while the program was no longer ripping off 10-win seasons (five 10-win seasons from 2001-13), the Cardinals were still an annual ACC contender and relevant in the national picture. Petrino was fired 10 games into a disastrous season that ended with the defense allowing at least 52 points in their final five games (to finish 128th nationally in points allowed). Scott Satterfield was hired away from App State , where he won 40 games over his final four seasons. Click here for anonymous comments on each ACC team.


The Nashville Predators may have opened up some cap space earlier Saturday when they moved out defenseman P.K. Subban and his $9M contract over the next three years. However, even with that extra cap space, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reports that Nashville general manager David Poile said that the team will not be bringing back unrestricted free agent Wayne Simmonds this offseason. The Tennessean's Paul Skrbina adds that Poile also said that the team has no intention of bringing back Zac Rinaldo or Cody McLeod either. Poile also notes that the team is still interested in bringing back unrestricted free agent Brian Boyle . Simmonds was one of the Predators' biggest trade-deadline acquisition as they traded winger Ryan Hartman and a 2020 fourth-round pick in order to get the 6-foot-2 power forward in hopes of adding more physicality and scoring to their middle-six lines. However, Simmonds struggled once he joined Nashville, scoring one goal and three points in 17 games and then going scoreless in two playoff games. The 30-year-old Simmonds was a big-time scorer while with the Philadelphia Flyers, potting more than 20 goals six times and even reaching 30 goals twice. However, he tallied a combined 17 goals last season, and his 30 points is one of the fewest of his career. The 29-year-old Rinaldo spent most of the season with Nashville but spent much of that time in the press box, playing a total of 23 games with one goal, three points and 20 penalty minutes. The 34-year-old McLeod came over in a deadline deal as well, this one with the New York Rangers. He played seven games for Nashville and didn't register a point. Boyle, on the other hand, scored five goals in 26 games after being picked up for a second-round pick at the trade deadline. He also added two assists in three playoff games.


FARMINGDALE, N.Y.   After another trip around the Black Course replete with plenty of thumbs up , Phil Mickelson was nothing but smiles when asked about the ambiance of this week's PGA Championship at Bethpage. But Lefty isn't quite ready to consider his role in the proceedings when it hosts the Ryder Cup in 2024. Mickelson struggled over the weekend on a demanding layout, shooting consecutive rounds of 76 to finish the week at 12 over. It meant he finished his round well before tournament leader Brooks Koepka teed off in front of the raucous New York crowds. Mickelson was vocal following the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage that the Black Course would make a great Ryder Cup venue, and he's eager to see it play out in five years when he'll be 54 years old. But he hasn't yet given thought to potentially captaining the American squad that year. "I haven't looked that far down the road. I just know that the crowds here are going to provide such a great home course advantage, and I'm excited that the PGA of America made that decision," Mickelson said. "I mean, you look at the way it is for a PGA Championship, and you can only imagine what it's going to be like for a Ryder Cup." PGA Championship: Scores | Full coverage Mickelson played last year's Ryder Cup as a captain's pick, and he has played in every edition of the biennial matches dating back to 1995. Mickelson played the final round alongside fellow Arizona State alumnus Paul Casey, who returned to the European Ryder Cup team last fall after a 10-year absence. Mickelson's captaincy in '24 is a popular theory given the adulation fans in this area throw his way, and it's one that Casey could see coming to fruition. "I think Phil has a big impact being on home soil if he were to be a captain," Casey said. "I mean, he could play. He could be a playing captain." Mickelson will now turn his attention to Pebble Beach and next month's U.S. Open as he looks to round out the final leg of the career Grand Slam, but the prospect of returning to Long Island to battle in match-play format in front of partisan crowds is one he's clearly looking forward to. "I can't wait to see it," Mickelson said. "Whether I'm watching it, a part of it or whatever. I just think it's such a great venue. I love coming out here and being a part of these events because the people here make them so special." Related slideshow: Best of PGA Championship (Provided by imagn)


A whole lot of big stars will soon be immortalized in stone with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce's Walk of Fame Selection Committee announced on Thursday that 35 new celebrities and entertainers from the worlds of film, television, theater or live performance, music or recording, and radio, have been chosen for the coveted honor. Chris Hemsworth, Julia Roberts, Octavia Spencer and Mahershala Ali are among the A-list actors chosen in the Motion Picture category, as are Oscar-winning filmmakers Spike Lee and Lina Wertmüller, iconic costume designer Ruth E. Carter and the fictional character Batman. Stars who are being added to the Walk of Fame for their contributions to TV include Christina Applegate, Andy Cohen, Cindy Crawford, Terry Crews, Kathie Lee Gifford, Nigel Lythgoe, Milo Ventimiglia, Burt Ward, Wendy Williams and Dr. Phil McGraw, along with famed game show producer and TV exec Harry Friedman and the late comedian Andy Kaufman. Elvis Costello, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, Alicia Keys, Bobby Rydell, Alejandro Sanz, Tanya Tucker, Andy Madadian and the late Muddy Waters are among the numerous artists who will be receiving a star for their work in music and recording, along with BBC chairman Sir Lucian Grainge, and record producer Mo Ostin. The only stars being added for their contributions to theater and live performance are comedian Dave Chappell and Pose star Billy Porter. Famed radio journalist and NPR personality Susan Stamburg -- host of Weekend Edition , recipient of the Edward R. Murrow Award and National Radio Hall of Fame inductee -- was the only celebrity who will be honored in the category for contributions to the radio medium. [Video by A.V. Club]


Looking to satisfy your appetite for Lebanese fare? Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top Lebanese spots around Washington, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of the best spots to satisfy your cravings. 1. Zaytinya Topping the list is Zaytinya . Located at 701 Ninth St. NW (at North G Place) downtown, it is the most popular Lebanese restaurant in Washington, boasting four stars out of 4,434 reviews on Yelp. 2. Maydan Next up is the U Street Corridor's Maydan , situated at 1346 Florida Ave. NW (between North 13th and North 14th streets). With 4.5 stars out of 619 reviews on Yelp, the Lebanese and Moroccan restaurant has proven to be a local favorite. 3. Agora Dupont Circle's Agora , located at 1527 17th St. NW (between North Q and North Church streets), is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the Lebanese, Greek and Turkish restaurant four stars out of 1,090 reviews. 4. Muncheez Muncheez , which offers sandwiches, wraps and more in Georgetown, is another go-to, with four stars out of 405 Yelp reviews. Head over to 1071 Wisconsin Ave. NW (at Blues Alley) to see for yourself. 5. Shemali's Finally, check out Shemali's , which has earned four stars out of 40 reviews on Yelp. You can find the Lebanese cafe and market at 3301 New Mexico Ave. NW, Suites 117 and 121 (between North Nebraska Avenue and North Westover Place). 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.


Sacramento will see a return of last week's warm temperatures over the next few days, according to drone-powered weather forecasting service Saildrone . Temperatures will reach just 79 degrees on Thursday, then become even hotter Sunday and Monday. The immediate forecast also has partly cloudy skies in store for today. Skies will begin clearing on Wednesday. Winds should reach a modest high of 14 mph tomorrow, while today will be calmer. This story was created automatically using Saildrone's local weather forecast data, then reviewed by an editor. We also incorporate historic weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


GLENN HEIGHTS, Texas   Third-grader Jake Trice sifted through the debris in what was left of his classroom at Donald T. Shields Elementary Monday. He held his hard hat under his arm and walked in his rubber boots where a tornado ripped through the school Saturday night and blew out a wall of his classroom. The weekend tornadoes killed 11 people in North Texas and damaged or destroyed almost 1,000 structures. "I'm looking for my book," Jake said, sorting through books, files and furniture with dozens of teachers, other students and workers. "I liked this class," he said. Jake never found his book. He was among hundreds of North Texans who continued to clean up homes, churches and businesses damaged or destroyed by the weekend tornadoes. Teams from the National Weather Service office in Fort Worth assessed damage in northern Ellis County and other locations on Monday, and kept the number of reported tornadoes on Saturday at nine. "We've determined that this was a narrow, but intense storm that caused a lot of damage," said Mark Fox, a Weather Service meteorologist and member of the assessment team, as they examined the damage Monday afternoon at Shields Elementary. Southwest of the school, the sanctuary of Church of the Nazarene was in pieces, destroyed by the same tornado. In Garland, where the worst damage occurred, the tornado was classified as an EF-4, with wind speeds of 166 to200 mph, damaging 600 structures. In Rowlett, an EF-3 tornado with wind speeds up to 165 mph, pounded 101 homes and injured 23 people. The tornado that hit Saturday in Collin County, on the east side of Lake Lavon was confirmed as an EF-2, with wind speeds up to 135 mph. The tornadoes killed 11 people, eight of them in vehicles in Garland. Officials began identifying the victims Monday. The tornado in Ellis County damaged 152 homes, officials said Monday. "It was all very horrible, but it could have been a lot worse," Fox said. "At this school, it was the winter break, it was on Saturday night, and there was no one in the building." On most Saturday nights, Pastor Ron Adams, his wife, Cheryl and other members of the Church of the Nazarene are in the sanctuary preparing for the Sunday service. But the Adamses were in Dallas this Saturday night, getting ready to watch the Dallas Mavericks play the Chicago Bulls. "Just before the game started, we started getting messages," Cheryl Adams said Monday. "Someone sent us a photo and we saw that the sanctuary was gone." The Adamses left the game before it started to find their church in pieces and their nearby home heavily damaged. Church vans were tossed around like toys. And parts of the church's steeple were near Shields Elementary. "God was watching over us," Cheryl Adams said Monday. Crews also continued Monday to gather pets displaced by the disaster and take them to shelters. On average, North Texas has about 155 tornadoes a year, most of them in April, May and June. The most recent deadly North Texas outbreak was in May 2013, when 16 tornadoes touched down, including an EF-4 in the Granbury area that leveled dozens of homes and killed six people. Before Saturday, the last December tornado in North Texas came on Dec. 29, 2006, when 15 tornadoes were confirmed, mostly in Johnson County and near Groesbeck, where one person was killed. Two EF-0 tornadoes touched down in Tarrant County in November   one in north Fort Worth and one in Keller   the fifth and sixth time tornadoes have been confirmed in that month.


There's a new sheriff in town. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing remains to be seen. Per a source with knowledge of the ongoing labor negotiations between the NFL and the NFL Players Association, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has taken a much more visible and vocal role, so far. He has become a driver of the discussions, emboldened by the perception (and to a large extent reality) that Patriots owner Robert Kraft played a major role in getting the 2011 deal done, following a lockout that lasted more than four months. Jones, apparently, wants to be the one who gets the credit for getting this one hammered out. Jones has made plenty of deals during his time in the NFL and prior to it, but he at times has a knack (in the opinion of some) for talking too much, which can lead to the ruffling of some feathers. Indeed, we're told that Jones' remarks regarding player health and safety during a bargaining session earlier this month sparked a spirited discussion with Bills linebacker Lorenzo Alexander , a member of the NFLPA Executive Committee. While Jones apparently didn't reprise his " if I didn't have 50 concussions during my own football career I would have been the President " shtick from several years ago, it was enough to test the feel-good vibe that has characterized the discussions to date. Jones' ascension also creates a bit of awkwardness regarding his 2017 assault on Commissioner Roger Goodell. But Goodell and Jones seem to have patched things up (at least enough to work together), and there's a belief that Goodell hopes to parlay a new CBA into a new round of TV networks into a ride off into the sunset. Although, as initially reported here several weeks ago, the league wants to get a new deal in place before the start of the NFL's 100th season, that could be an unrealistic objective, it's not out of the question that a deal will be done in time to be annouced in the days preceding the Super Bowl, possibly with both the CBA and TV planes landing at or about the same time. It remains too early to know whether any potential timeline will become the actual timeline, because the deal has far too many moving parts. And the reality is that it's far too early to know whether the direct involvement of one of the NFL's biggest movers and shakers could make a good outcome for all parties more likely, or less likely.


HOUSTON (AP) Houston entered Friday night with losses in nine of its last 11 games and in need of a momentum shift. Josh Reddick and Yuli Gurriel used two big swings to answer the call. Gurriel hit a game-ending home run in the 10th inning after Reddick's tying shot in the eighth, and the Astros beat the Seattle Mariners 2-1. ''We've had a couple tough games here and to win, gives us a lot of confidence moving forward,'' Gurriel said through a translator. Gurriel hit a 2-2 pitch from Matt Festa (0-2) off the facade in left field for his eighth homer. The home run was Gurriel's first career game-ending homer and second career game-ending hit. ''I didn't feel great my previous at-bats, but in that at-bat, I remained focused, locked in,'' Gurriel said. ''I hit a foul ball. I knew I could hit a fastball, and then I got the next one. Hit it out.'' Gurriel was hitless in four at-bats prior to the home run. ''Yuli who had not had a good night at all - he popped up to the infield every time - fouls a couple balls off and gets a fastball he can handle and we walk off winners,'' Houston manager AJ Hinch said. ''Really an emotional win for us in a game where it felt like we were in so many positions to win and we needed the win.'' Reddick hit a solo home run to right in the eighth to tie it at 1. That snapped a streak of 17 scoreless innings for the Astros. ''It felt like one of our biggest hits in the last week and a half,'' Reddick said. ''That's the swing we've been waiting on to pick up not only ourselves, the team, the ballpark. It was a completely different atmosphere when I came across the plate and saw our dugout going crazy. It felt good. Luckily, I hit it.'' Austin Nola put the Mariners ahead 1-0 in the third with his first career home run. ''I thought I needed to go a little bit more to the left to make it into the little grandstand there,'' Nola said. ''A little bit farther out. So, I didn't know. I just looked and I said it's not on the ground so it must be out.'' Will Harris (2-1) pitched around a single in the tenth for the win. Houston missed a chance to get on the board in the seventh, with Myles Straw forced to hold at third after he missed the base on a single by Jake Marisnick. After Austin Adams walked George Springer to load the bases with one out, Adams got Jose Altuve to ground to third, with Tim Beckham nailing Straw at the plate. Adams struck out Alex Bregman to end the inning. After Matt Carasiti pitched a scoreless first, Tommy Milone threw five scoreless innings, scattering three hits. ''You come in here you know you have to score more than one run to beat this club,'' Seattle manager Scott Servais said. ''We just weren't able to do it offensively tonight. Our pitching continues to throw the ball really well, just didn't do a whole lot against their pitching.'' Houston starter Wade Miley yielded one run and three hits in six innings. ''We've been grinding,'' Miley said. ''It's been tough for everybody as a team. That's what good teams do: pull together and find a way to win. We outlasted them tonight. We were able to pick up a big win late.'' TRAINER'S ROOM Astros: RHP Brad Peacock was placed on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder discomfort. Hinch said the Astros expect to have Peacock back in the rotation after the All-Star break. ... Houston recalled LHP Reymin Guduan from Triple-A Round Rock to take Peacock's spot on the roster. ... 1B Yordan Alvarez was out of the lineup Friday with a sore left knee after leaving Thursday's game in the third inning. ... RHP Joe Smith threw one scoreless inning in a rehabilitation assignment at Round Rock on Friday night. UP NEXT Mariners: LHP Yusei Kikuchi (4-5, 5.11 ERA) starts Saturday looking to build off his last start Sunday in which he allowed three runs over six innings in a win over the Orioles. The left-hander has allowed six runs or more in three of his last six starts. Astros: RHP Justin Verlander (10-3, 2.67) looks to continue his solid season Saturday after earning the win in his last start Sunday, striking out nine and yielding three runs in seven innings against the Yankees. --- More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports


Openly talking about reparations for the descendants of enslaved men and women is a notable shift for Democrats. But the conversation has often lacked substance. For much of the 150 years since the official end of slavery in the United States, talk of the need for reparations has existed. In 2019, that discussion has become a full-blown political debate among politicians, presidential candidates, and academics over what it would look like to apologize and provide restitution to the people harmed by slavery and its legacy. Now that discourse is headed to the halls of Congress. Wednesday, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties is holding its first congressional hearing on reparations in more than a decade. It will include testimony from writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, actor Danny Glover, and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), among others, and will "examine, through open and constructive discourse, the legacy of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, its continuing impact on the community, and the path to restorative justice." The hearing   held on Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the end of slavery   is seen as a potential step toward a vote on HR 40, legislation calling for a formal study of reparations for African Americans that was repeatedly introduced (but never passed) in the House of Representatives by former Rep. John Conyers for close to three decades. Texas Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee reintroduced the bill in January. When 2020 presidential candidates first began discussing reparations in February and March, it marked a turn in a primary contest in which black voters and their continued concerns about the economy are expected to play a significant role. That the attention to reparations has remained so prominent in the months since speaks to a series of changes that have occurred in recent years   namely, the increased academic understanding of and public attention to the ways the history of slavery and discrimination have fueled disparities like the racial wealth gap, which shows that the median white household is 10 times wealthier than the median black one. Related video: Duke professor outlines definition of reparations (provided by The Washington Post) These changes, coupled with a wave of grassroots activism around racial inequality and economic injustice, have helped produce a shift in mainstream attention to reparations. In addition to initially answering questions on the topic from the New York Times and the Washington Post earlier this year, candidates have continued to be pressed for their exact stance on the issue. Even outside of politics, students at Georgetown University made national headlines in April when they voted to create a reparations fund supporting the descendants of the 272 slaves once owned by the school. So far, several candidates have expressed some level of support for reparations: Sens. Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro have called the issue important or acknowledged how history supports calls for restitution. Other candidates have said they support studying the issue further. Booker has been running on a policy that would help close the racial wealth gap, introducing a companion Senate bill to HR 40 calling for the federal government to study reparations. Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has argued that instead of reparations, his focus on policies helping distressed communities in general would particularly aid black communities. However, in April, Sanders said that he would sign a reparations bill if it came across his desk during his presidency and has since signed on to Booker's reparations legislation. The candidate most fervently backing reparations, though, is Marianne Williamson, a self-help guru and spiritual adviser who wants to set aside $200 billion to $500 billion for a reparations program. These 2020 discussions are only beginning to touch on the longstanding debate about what the United States owes to the descendants of enslaved men and women   a population that has been systematically denied wealth and opportunity in a country built with the stolen labor of their ancestors. A young girl attends a slavery reparations protest outside of the New York Life Insurance Company offices on August 9, 2002, in New York City. A historical lack of political concern Surveys of black voters in recent years have found that this group is dealing with high levels of racial anxiety and are looking for candidates who can speak directly to issues of race and justice, including economic justice. Reparations have not been listed as a priority by black Americans in recent polling, but the current debate could change that. The debate also provides important insight into how candidates talk about race and inequality. "I think the reparations discussion helps to open up a broader conversation of about the fact that centuries of discriminatory policies have prevented mobility among black communities," says Adrianne Shropshire, the executive director of BlackPAC, a group that works to engage and mobilize black voters. The mere willingness of some Democratic candidates to say they support reparations reflects a shift from recent years. President Barack Obama did not endorse reparations or support creating a reparations program. In 2016, Sanders and Hillary Clinton, the eventual Democratic nominee, also did not support reparations. (Sanders in particular was criticized for focusing his opposition on the fact that reparations were "divisive" and would not pass Congress.) The issue was, and still is, politically unpopular, particularly among white voters. It's clear that the Democratic Party is being pushed to have difficult conversations about race and racism   but where did this conversation about reparations come from? And what does it say about the party as a whole? How the idea of reparations entered the national conversation Proponents of reparations say their argument is straightforward: America   through more than 200 years of slavery   built its wealth through the labor and very existence of the black men and women enslaved in chattel bondage. The century that followed emancipation saw the creation of policies that discriminated against black people and largely excluded them from wealth building, creating an inherited disadvantage for future generations. Reparations, its supporters argue, provides redress for both the original sin of slavery and America's subsequent failure to address generations' worth of accrued disadvantage in black communities. Though the idea of reparations has been around since the Civil War, the current debate about reparations moved further into the national popular conversation in 2014 when journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote " The Case for Reparations " for the Atlantic, arguing that reparations would drive a "national reckoning that would lead to spiritual renewal." At the time, it was a provocative argument   clearly intended to prompt a conversation about the moral necessity of reparations. Coates's article is well worth reading in full , but an important part of his argument is about housing policy and wealth, two of the most visible ways the inherited disadvantage of black people has manifested. Coates explains: Black families, regardless of income, are significantly less wealthy than white families. The Pew Research Center estimates that white households are worth roughly 20 times as much as black households, and that whereas only 15 percent of whites have zero or negative wealth, more than a third of blacks do. Effectively, the black family in America is working without a safety net. When financial calamity strikes   a medical emergency, divorce, job loss   the fall is precipitous. And just as black families of all incomes remain handicapped by a lack of wealth, so too do they remain handicapped by their restricted choice of neighborhood. Black people with upper-middle-class incomes do not generally live in upper-middle-class neighborhoods. [New York University sociologist Patrick] Sharkey's research shows that black families making $100,000 typically live in the kinds of neighborhoods inhabited by white families making $30,000. "Blacks and whites inhabit such different neighborhoods," Sharkey writes, "that it is not possible to compare the economic outcomes of black and white children." Coates openly acknowledges that his case follows a larger academic movement that has existed for decades, one that in recent years has been further advanced by economists like Duke University's William Darity and Ohio State's Darrick Hamilton   both of whom look at the relationship between racial inequality, wealth, and the need for reparations. More broadly, a growing body of research has outlined the extent of the disparities between black and white Americans in terms of income, health outcomes, quality of schooling, homeownership   and perhaps most significantly for economists, a continued decline in wealth among black Americans. African Americans protest for equal rights during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. Collectively, the disparities, and the argument that they are the result of a history of slavery and racial discrimination, have fueled a new wave of activism around racial inequality and increased calls for reparations from black activists. In 2016, the Movement for Black Lives, a coalition of dozens of activist groups working on racial justice, included reparations in its policy platform. More recently, online calls for reparations have been driven by a grassroots movement of black activists specifically advocating on the behalf of American descendants of slavery (or ADOS, as the movement is called). In an interview with Vox earlier this year, Antonio Moore and Yvette Carnell, the co-founders of and most prominent voices in the current ADOS movement, explained that they believe that ADOS should be seen as a specific identity. On its website , the movement says that it "seeks to reclaim/restore the critical national character of the African American identity and experience, one grounded in our group's unique lineage." When it comes to reparations, Moore says, "we're not having an abstract conversation about what whiteness and blackness makes you feel. We're having a very detailed conversation about what the data means for black people." "We are talking about repairing black communities," he adds. On Twitter, and through online radio programs and YouTube channels, Moore and Carnell have argued that policy   and politicians   need to focus more on specific issues affecting black Americans descended from slavery in the US. They call for reparations as part of a larger "black agenda" that looks at things like ending mass incarceration, investing in historically black colleges and universities, and increasing federal investment in small businesses. But this movement has also faced criticism   not for its call for reparations, but for how it discusses immigration and black identity. Critics have argued that some ADOS activists are openly xenophobic and that the movement endorses an unnecessarily limited definition of "blackness," dismissing the ways slavery and colonization have affected other groups in the African diaspora. When I asked Moore and Carnell to respond to these criticisms earlier this year, they said that the movement was "seeking to establish that there was a specific debt to a specific group of people." A growing body of research argues that reparations should happen Taking a step back, it's helpful to look at the arguments supporting reparations that have been laid out over the decades, especially since these proposals differ in a lot of ways from how the 2020 candidates have discussed reparations in the past few months. While it is true that "reparations" as a concept can refer to multiple things, in this specific context, it refers to demands for a formal apology for centuries of slavery and discrimination and subsequent restitution for black people descended from men and women enslaved in the United States. This debate is by no means new. Demands for reparations were made during the Civil War through Union Army Gen. William T. Sherman's Special Field Order 15 issued in January 1865. That proposal called for a massive land redistribution giving roughly 40,000 formerly enslaved people 40 acres of land each, the basis for the "40 acres and a mule" terminology that is often invoked in modern discussions of reparations. However, this redistribution was short-lived, with President Andrew Johnson rescinding the order and returning the land to white owners later that year. There are examples of individual people and some coalitions seeking compensation for their enslavement in the form of "ex-slave pensions" in the immediate decades following the Civil War, but the era of Reconstruction that followed did not see any concerted federal effort to apologize for slavery or provide any sort of payment to formerly enslaved people. Congressional bills seeking financial compensation never received any serious legislative action. After the Civil War, systems of convict leasing and sharecropping continued to exploit black labor while allowing white society to hoard the wealth created by that work. Communities that later succeeded in building black wealth   places like Tulsa, Oklahoma's "Black Wall Street" in the early 1920s   were met with outright violence or were subjected to "whitecapping," a type of threat used to scare black people into relocating. The "Tulsa race massacre" of 1921 spanned two days when mobs of white rioters attacked local black residents and businesses in the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Well into the 20th century, a combination of federal policy and private industry regulations allowed not only for Jim Crow in the South but for the limited ability of black people to access wealth-building programs like the New Deal and the GI Bill. Black people were also exposed to discriminatory housing practices like redlining, and pervasive residential and educational segregation further compounded earlier injustices. This history led to some reparations advocacy in the years following the civil rights movement, most notably in the form of a document called the " Black Manifesto ," a call for $500 million in reparations to be paid by white-led churches. Written by James Forman, a black civil rights activist who later served as foreign minister for the Black Panther Party, the document noted that its demand was an effort to see justice after centuries of coerced and uncompensated black labor. Forman, like other supporters of reparations, argued that slavery created a system where black people were forced to provide the labor that built a country they were virtually excluded from participating in. The end of slavery did not produce an effort to fully incorporate this group into American life, but instead ushered in a century of exclusion through federal policy   an exclusion that made black people an American underclass. "Racist white America has exploited our resources, our minds, our bodies, our labor," Forman wrote in the manifesto's opening. "For centuries we have been forced to live as colonized people inside the United States, victimized by the most vicious, racist system in the world." So what would reparations actually look like? To remedy the specific harms of this large-scale dehumanization and denial of wealth, advocates say a large-scale investment   one that comes with an apology for the harms committed and a commitment to further mending these harms through payments and directly targeted policies   is needed. There isn't a single model for what a reparations plan would look like, a point that some reparations critics have used to argue that a reparations program simply wouldn't work. But it is helpful to look at the work of economists, like Duke University's Darity and Ohio State's Hamilton, who see reparations as a crucial way to address a significant gap in wealth between black and white Americans. "The major financial objective of a reparations program is to close the racial wealth gap," Darity told Vox in March. The universal programs that some candidates have advanced "won't come close to that," he says. "There are three goals of a reparations program," he explains. "The first is acknowledgment, the second is redress, and the third goal is closure." So far, candidates have largely focused on the first point. Darity has been researching reparations and America's racial wealth gap for years, providing more information on how far black Americans' wealth lags behind other groups and on how slavery and systemic discrimination played a role in creating this situation. When reparations are discussed, the biggest questions raised revolve around what a reparations program would look like, who would benefit, who would pay, and how it would be funded. The best way to determine this would be for the government to formally study reparations, and it is possible that the recent congressional hearing is a small step toward this. But if there is an interest in examples from recent scholarship, it is helpful to look at Darity's work, which provides one possible road map for reparations and addresses some of the above questions. Looking at who would qualify for reparations, Darity argues that restitution should be limited to people who can trace their roots back to at least one ancestor enslaved in the US, adding that claimants must also have identified as black, African American, colored, or Negro on legal and government documents at least 10 years before a reparations program takes effect. When it comes to what a reparations plan would look like, Darity has argued that exclusively offering cash payments without addressing the underlying structures that have restricted black people from building wealth would fail to correct the issue. Instead, he has looked at what he calls a "portfolio of reparations": a combination of individual payments and race-targeted proposals like vouchers for financial asset building, free medical insurance or free college education for black people, or a trust fund exclusively for black Americans. He also calls for an education program that would teach Americans the complete story of slavery and its aftereffects, which he says would help the country understand the harms done. (To read more of Darity's work, these two papers are a good start.) Darity is currently working on a book about reparations in America, and he has argued the US would need to spend several trillion dollars to begin its process of atonement for centuries of bondage, violence, and discrimination against black Americans (estimates from other economists and researchers range from $6.4 trillion to $14 trillion). "The damages to the collective well-being of black people have been enormous," Darity has noted in his research. "Correspondingly, so is the appropriate bill." While experts do not exclusively focus on the direct cash payments framework, that practice does have some precedent, and some form of direct payment has been supported by Darity and other scholars like Georgetown's Marcia Chatelain and Roy E. Finkenbine, a professor of history at the University of Detroit Mercy, whose work was cited in Coates's 2014 essay. In 2014, shortly after Coates's essay was published, Vox's Dylan Matthews explained how cash payments have been used in previous reparations programs implemented in the US and other countries: The six clearest antecedent programs are those set up by Germany to compensate victims of the Holocaust, by South Africa to compensate victims of apartheid, by the US to compensate victims of Japanese internment during World War II, by the state of North Carolina to compensate victims of its forced sterilization programs in the mid-20th century, by the federal government to compensate victims of the Tuskegee experiment, and by Florida to compensate victims of the Rosewood race riot of 1923. Matthews notes that the Germany program, which gave more than $7 billion to Israel but largely focused on providing individual reparations to survivors of the Holocaust, is perhaps the closest analogue to a reparations program for descendants of enslaved people in the US. That program had paid out nearly $89 billion as of 2012, less than half of the more than $240 billion the Israeli government assessed as the economic cost the Jewish people suffered from the Holocaust. What 2020 Democrats are   and aren't proposing   regarding reparations Coming back to the Democratic primary, we should be clear and note that none of the prominent candidates who have expressed some level of support for reparations are talking about the policies or proposals outlined above. The New York Times's Astead Herndon and the Washington Post's Jeff Stein first got candidates on the record on reparations in February, but here's where things stand now. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) Harris expressed some support for reparations early in February but then gave conflicting accounts of her exact stance on passing race-specific reparations policies. Instead, she points to her previously proposed LIFT Act, telling the Grio, a black news outlet, "If you look at the reality of who will benefit from certain policies, when you take into account that they are not starting on equal footing, it will directly benefit black children, black families, black homeowners because the disparities are so significant." The LIFT Act is a plan that would provide a tax credit to working singles making $50,000 or less and families making $100,000 or less, expanding the safety net for the middle class. Harris argues that this policy, which Darity says is far too small and not targeted enough to qualify as reparations, would particularly benefit black families. (You can read an analysis of the LIFT Act and other anti-poverty programs by Dylan Matthews here .) In March, Harris told NPR "that the word, the term reparations, it means different things to different people," before saying that she sees reparations as the "need to study the effects of generations of discrimination and institutional racism and determine what can be done, in terms of intervention, to correct course." In June, Harris signed on as a co-sponsor of Sen. Cory Booker's legislation calling for a formal commission to study the impacts of slavery and make recommendations on possible reparations programs. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) Warren, who has said that Native Americans should also be "part of the conversation" on reparations, has not offered a specific reparations policy but has pointed to the importance of several of her proposals, including her American Housing and Economic Mobility Act. The act would create a housing program that would offer special financial aid to first-time homebuyers in communities affected by redlining, a form of housing discrimination that classified predominantly black communities and homebuyers as "hazardous" and undesirable, a designation that led to extremely high   if not outright prohibitive   costs of loans to black homebuyers. Warren's plan has been praised by some economists who argue that it could put a "substantive dent" in the racial wealth gap, but again, the program is not targeted enough to be called reparations. Warren has declined to say if she supports financial compensation for the descendants of enslaved men and women but recently threw her support behind a congressional bill to study reparations, saying that it's time for a "full-blown conversation about reparations" during a March 18 CNN town hall in Mississippi. "This is a stain on America and we're not going to fix that, we're not going to change that, until we address it head on, directly," she added. Warren has also signed on as a co-sponsor of Booker's reparations study bill. Marianne Williamson, self-help author As mentioned earlier, Williamson is arguably the strongest supporter of reparations in the 2020 field. She's said that reparations are a necessary payment America must make to the descendants of enslaved people, and has also proposed creating a panel that would be in charge of overseeing her proposed $200 billion to $500 billion allocation for reparations. (When asked about this allocation earlier this year, Darity explained that the amount was too small to truly enact a full-fledged reparations program.) "Reparations won't end everything, but it will be a profound gift. It implies a mea culpa," Williamson told CNN in April. "It implies a recognition of a debt owed and therefore, it carries not only economic power but spiritual force   whatever it costs, it's time to do this." Julián Castro, former housing and urban development secretary Castro has said that reparations is a discussion "worth having" and has criticized those dismissing direct financial payments to the descendants of slaves. So far, he has not offered a proposal for a reparations program but has instead expressed support for a task force that could study why reparations are needed and how to go about implementing them, a proposal very similar to the HR 40 legislation. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) Even before introducing the Senate companion to HR 40 in June, Booker has touted his proposed "baby bonds" program, which would give every child a $1,000 savings account that would be added to annually, with federal contributions to the account increasing as parental income decreases. He specifically cites this program as addressing the racial wealth gap. Darity and Hamilton have backed similar programs, and argue that the proposal is one of the more powerful race-neutral ways to help close the racial wealth gap for future generations. But unlike Booker's program, the economists prefer that baby bonds be tied to parental wealth, not income. A spokesperson for Booker told NPR in March that the program could be seen "as a form of reparations" because its focus on low-income families would disproportionately help black children. However, this still does not meet the race-specific standard needed to qualify as reparations. Booker has since cautioned that discussions of reparations "cannot become just a political box-checking exercise," saying that the issue must be discussed seriously. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) Sanders, who was criticized for opposing reparations during the 2016 presidential race and has said that "there are better ways to do that than just writing out a check" when asked about direct cash payments to the descendants of enslaved people earlier this year, has at times asked his competitors to clarify what they mean by "reparations." He argues that programs aimed at the poor more broadly can help address inequality. While his support for universal programs over specific race-based ones is in line with many of the Democrats competing against him, Sanders has faced criticism from those who see his comments as part of a larger difficulty in discussing race. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ, left) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT, right) march with the South Carolina NAACP chapter during the commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 21, 2019, in Columbia, South Carolina. Sanders has also endorsed Rep. Jim Clyburn's (D-SC) 10-20-30 anti-poverty program, which calls for at least 10 percent of some federal resources be invested in communities where 20 percent or more of the population has been below the poverty line for 30 years. In June, Sanders joined Harris, Warren, and Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Amy Klobuchar in co-sponsoring Booker's reparations study legislation. Former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke In March, O'Rourke made headlines when he said that he did not support direct cash payments as a form of reparations. But during an appearance at the National Action Network conference in April, the former Texas Congress member said he supported Lee's bill creating a commission to study the matter, adding that he changed his opinion after speaking to social justice advocate Bryan Stevenson. "Until all Americans understand that civil rights are not just victories, but the injustices that have been visited and continue to be visited on people, we will never get the change we need to live up to the promise of this country," O'Rourke said. In June, O'Rourke said that he supported reparations during a campaign stop in South Carolina, telling a local audience that white Americans must understand the history and impact of slavery in the United States. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) The New York senator is another candidate whose support for studying reparations was announced at the National Action Network conference in April. In addition to backing Lee's bill in the House, Gillibrand has said that politicians should "not only study the problem," but should also look at other measures that would help black communities, things like affordable housing and pursuing environmental justice. She has also said that she backs "actionable" plans to close the racial wealth gap, throwing her support behind a set of policy proposals published by Ohio State University's Kirwan Institute and the Institute for Policy Studies earlier this year. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) During a March 17 interview with Meet the Press , Klobuchar said the country needed to invest in communities harmed by racism, adding that a reparations program "doesn't have to be direct pay for each person." "What we can do is invest in those communities, acknowledge what's happened," Klobuchar said. "And that means better education. That means looking at   for our whole economy   community college, one-year degrees, minimum wage, child care, making sure that we have that shared dream of opportunity for all Americans." Klobuchar is another co-sponsor of Booker's reparations study legislation. Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper During an appearance at the National Action Network conference in April, the former Colorado governor said that he supported Lee's HR 40 bill. He also said that "a great country should acknowledge its mistakes," and there should be a presidential apology for slavery. "Slavery is the nagging, unrelenting shame of America that continues to deny the true promise of the country to too many of its citizens," he said. "We must own our past and acknowledge the shame, the sin, the injustice, and the ongoing consequences of enslaving an entire race of people." South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg Since entering the presidential race, Buttigieg has said that he is "supportive of the concept" of working to address and acknowledge the continued impacts of slavery but that he does not back a direct financial payment to the descendants of enslaved people. "I haven't seen a proposal for a cash transfer that people would be able to come together around and view as fair," he said in March. "But I absolutely believe that we need to have some kind of accounting for the persistent racial inequities today that are there by design because of part and present racism." Buttigieg says he supports HR 40 and has also called for being "intentional" with policies that can help black communities. In June, he announced a proposal called the "Douglass Plan" that would reduce mass incarceration, increase access to credit, and grow the number of black-owned small businesses. During an appearance at the Black Economic Alliance Forum in South Carolina, Buttigieg said the country "can't take racist policies and replace them with neutral policies." Former Vice President Joe Biden Biden has not taken a formal stance on reparations this election cycle, telling the New Hampshire news outlet WMUR that "we should take action to deal with the systemic things that still exist in housing and insurance and a whole range of things that make it harder for African-Americans." However, Biden has criticized reparations at other points of his political career, saying in 1975 that "I do not buy the concept, popular in the '60s, which said, 'We have suppressed the black man for 300 years and the white man is now far ahead in the race for everything our society offers. In order to even the score, we must now give the black man a head start, or even hold the white man back, to even the race.'" He has not publicly said if his views on the matter have changed since then. Will reparations actually happen? It's clear there are lots of priorities in the Democratic Party, from climate change to universal health care to racial justice. Whether Democrats are enthusiastically or reluctantly dipping their toe into the discussion around reparations, it is certainly now part of the conversation. Rhetorically, it's a big shift   the fact that HR 40, merely a mandate to study the idea of reparations, has languished without a vote for decades shows that there's long been little political will to look at reparations at the federal level. The fact that some candidates are not openly dismissing reparations shows progress in their attention to race and racism, but it is also true that as of now, beyond the significant amount of support for a congressional study, they aren't really discussing reparations as a policy issue. Instead, in the months since the reparations discussion emerged in the presidential race, many candidates have cited their support for studying reparations before pivoting into discussions of economic policies that would disproportionately help, but are not exclusively targeted at, black Americans. Critics of the conversation have argued that reparations are simply not possible, pointing to polls have shown that there's limited support for reparations, especially among white Americans. A 2016 Marist poll found that 68 percent of American adults oppose providing restitution to the descendants of enslaved Africans, and that white Americans are far more likely than black Americans to oppose reparations. A 2014 YouGov poll found similar results, and a majority of white respondents in that poll said that the legacy of slavery was "not a factor at all" in the wealth gap between black and white Americans, something that historical data refutes. But it's also true that approval for reparations has been rising in recent years according to some polls. In 2000, polls found that just 4 percent of white people supported reparations; by 2016 that number was 15 percent. And more recently, surveys of young adults have found that 29 percent of white Americans younger than 37 support reparations. In recent months, some opponents of reparations, like New York Times columnist David Brooks, have announced that they've changed their minds on the issue. But the renewed debate has also fueled more criticism of the topic, and some writers have argued that reparations have still not been precisely defined and continue to mean different things to different groups. Other critics argue that reparations are too complicated to execute, would strain race relations and be too divisive, and are too costly to hand out. And others argue that reparations are a slippery slope, opening the door to other minority groups demanding redress for historical injustices. As George Will put it in the Washington Post in March: "There must be some statute of limitations to close the books on attempts to assign guilt across many generations to many categories of offenders." Another argument that has been particularly frequent in conservative circles is that America is just too far removed from slavery to justify a reparations program. This is similar to a claim made by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell one day before the congressional reparations hearing. "I don't think reparations for something that happened 150 years ago for whom none of us currently living are responsible is a good idea," McConnell told reporters. He then pointed to the passage of civil rights legislation and the election of President Barack Obama as reasons why reparations were no longer needed. These are not new complaints. But activists and economists who have been involved in reparations advocacy and research argue that in a country where civil rights and anti-discrimination policies have never been popular at the moment of their enactment, these arguments reflect both a limited political imagination and a lack of awareness and understanding of recent research into reparations. Beyond that, proponents of reparations argue the debate shows a continued refusal to acknowledge that slavery and what came after it   failed promises of Reconstruction and decades of Jim Crow policies, exclusion from federal programs, redlining, and a large gap between white and black wealth   are the result of a debt that the American government has never truly addressed. If political candidates discussing reparations are serious, they "should move away from the language of emphasizing that the problem of the racial wealth gap can be solved by universal policy," Darity said earlier this year. "They have to be willing to say that they endorse a large-scale program that would be specifically targeted at the historical injustices that have confronted black descendants of those enslaved in the United States."


Video by Veuer On Tuesday, police in Brigham City, Utah, got an unusual call. A boy had been spotted selling beer from a cooler outside his house. Neighbors were concerned, and several had called the police. When law enforcement arrived, it turned out the boy wasn't a juvenile delinquent or a child in need of adult supervision but a marketing genius. The young entrepreneur, whose name is Seth , was holding up a sign that read "Ice Cold Beer," which alerted potential customers that his version of a lemonade stand was open for business. After getting three calls in two days about the boy's sign, officers stopped by to make sure the child was safe. What they discovered when they showed up to investigate, though, was that the "Ice Cold Beer" the child was advertising was root beer but that he had put the "root" part in tiny letters to lure in customers while still being truthful in his advertising. The strategy worked, too. According to a now-viral Facebook post shared by the Brigham City police, his clever marketing ploy had paid off. The police officers weren't the only people to swing by the stand and "business has been good." So good, in fact, that in an interview with Salt Lake City news outlet KSTU-TV the boy said his "hilarious joke" had paid off so well that he "had to buy another cooler." The kid clearly has a future in advertising.


WASHINGTON   A group of U.S. government workers potentially exposed to unexplained phenomena in Cuba have less white matter in their brains and less connectivity in the areas that control vision and hearing than similar healthy people, doctors have found. The findings from University of Pennsylvania researchers are the most specific to date about the neurological condition of the U.S. diplomats, spies and their families who reported strange sounds and sensations while serving in Havana between 2016 and 2018. Yet while doctors found "significant differences" in their brains compared to a control group, they couldn't say whether they were caused by whatever may have happened in Cuba , nor whether those differences account for the Americans' symptoms. Watch Josh Lederman on Andrea Mitchell Reports today for more The medical findings, revealed Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, come as U.S. national security officials tell NBC News that more than two years into the mystery, the government still has not determined who or what is responsible for what transpired in Havana. The FBI, enlisted in 2017 to investigate what the U.S. has called "targeted attacks," paid multiple trips to Havana but has exhausted its leads in the case, individuals briefed on the investigation say. While the investigation hasn't been formally closed, no external energy source in Cuba has yet been identified that could have caused the injuries, they said. The FBI declined to comment. Although the Trump administration has not retreated from its assertions that its workers in Cuba were attacked, officials at the FBI, the CIA and the State Department are also examining the possibility that mass psychogenic illness, or psychosomatic symptoms that spread through a community, may be to blame in at least some of the cases, officials said. The Cuban Embassy in Washington didn't respond to a request for comment. But Dr. Mitchell Joseph Valdés-Sosa, the Cuban Neuroscience Center chief who has been investigating the U.S. claims, said there were major "causes for concern" in the study's methodology, including the makeup of the control group and assertions about brain changes that he said could have resulted from "many factors, including psychological states." "The most worrisome aspect is the attempt to link these findings with an unspecified 'directional phenomenon,'" Valdés-Sosa said. "The research in this area has been cloaked in secrecy, and driven by cold war paranoia." Twenty-six Americans who served in Cuba were "medically confirmed" by the State Department to have been affected. The Penn study included most of those workers, their relatives who lived with them and other U.S. workers referred to Penn for potential exposure, bringing the total to 40. Using a battery of advanced MRIs, researchers created a detailed map of their brains, including the pathways and connections that let parts of the brain communicate with one another. It takes a computer more than 24 hours to process the data and create the maps, officials tell NBC News. The results from all individuals in the Cuba group were combined, then custom software was used to compare those results to a map made from MRIs of 48 individuals of similar age and ethnicity. Doctors found that in measuring white matter   nerve fibers that form the brain's communications network   the Cuba patients had a mean volume that was 27 cubic centimeters smaller than the control patients. Overall, they had similar volumes of grey matter   rich with brain cells that process information   but in some regions of the brain, the Cuba patients had more grey matter. Advanced neuroimaging that tracks how water molecules travel through the brain found decreased connectivity in the networks related to seeing and hearing, which tracks with many of the symptoms reported, but not in the networks that handle higher-level thinking processes. Still, doctors were unable to draw a clear connection between the findings and the patients' symptoms, which also included problems with balance, sleep and memory. In 2018, similar incidents were reported among U.S. government workers serving in Guangzhou, China, and one American was "medically confirmed" by the State Department to have been affected. The Penn study was limited to Americans who were in Cuba, none of whom have been publicly identified. NBC News Medical Correspondent Dr. John Torres said the small sample size and high sensitivity of the brain scans could have produced results that appear unusual but aren't clinically significant. "Even though, as a group, these government personnel have changes to parts of their brains seen on MRI images, those changes cannot be tied directly to what they report happened in Cuba," Dr. Torres said. Starting in late 2016, U.S. diplomats and intelligence officers in Cuba started reporting strange incidents that the Penn study describes as "potential exposure to uncharacterized directional phenomena" of unknown origins, "manifesting as pressure, vibration or sound." Some reported ear-piercing sounds in their homes at night that would suddenly disappear when they moved just a few feet away. The mysterious noises initially led investigators to suspect a sonic weapon, but investigators ruled out the possibility sound waves could have caused the damage. Officials have explored other possibilities such as a microwave or other electromagnetic energy source, as well as potential environmental causes and psychosomatic illness. Because of how much is still unknown about the brain's inner workings, it's difficult to say whether any of those theories could neatly explain the specific changes to brain matter volume and connectivity identified by the MRI study, medical experts said. The bizarre saga has inflicted significant damage on a U.S.-Cuba relationship that was only beginning to warm in recent years following half a century of enmity. After declaring that its diplomats had been attacked, the United States pulled most of its workers out of Cuba and warned all Americans not to travel there. Those ties have been further weakened by the Trump administration's crackdown on Cuba and re-imposition of sanctions and travel restrictions that had been eased during the Obama administration. In addition to Penn's study, the National Institutes of Health is conducting its own "brain injury research study" involving the Cuba patients with help from Energy Department supercomputers and national laboratories capable of processing massive amounts of neurological data. The Defense Department has also been engaged to look into technologies that could have been used to harm the Americans, NBC News has reported. The State Department said it was aware of the new study from Penn doctors and "welcomes the medical community's discussion on this incredibly complex issue." "The department's top priority remains the safety, security and well-being of its staff," the State Department said in a statement.


1890: Electric chair is used for first time William Kemmler, a convicted murderer, becomes the first person to be executed by electrocution, with two surges of electricity used. The execution was carried out at Auburn Prison in New York, U.S. Its proponents called it quick, effective, painless and humane. 1890: Cy Young makes his major league debut Hall of fame pitcher Cy Young makes his major league debut with the Cleveland Spiders of the National League. He pitches 3-hit ball in the 8-1 victory over Chicago Colts. 1926: First woman swims across English Channel Nineteen-year-old Olympic swimmer Gertrude Ederle from New York accomplishes the feat on her second attempt. Ederle swam from Cape Gris-Nez in France and came ashore at Kent, England, 14 hours and 31 minutes later beating all the men's previous times. She encountered rough seas and squalls, which slowed her down a bit, but persevered to become the sixth person to swim across the channel. 1930: Supreme Court judge disappears New York Supreme Court judge Joseph Force Crater vanishes from the streets of Manhattan near Times Square. Carter was known for his dalliances with showgirls, despite being married, and also had ties with the corruption-ridden Tammany Hall organization. A massive manhunt was triggered, but he was never found. 1942: First reigning queen addresses a joint session of Congress Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands becomes the first reigning queen to address a joint session of Congress, telling lawmakers that despite Nazi occupation, her people's motto remained, 'No surrender.' 1945: Bombing of Hiroshima At 8:16 a.m., the world's first atom bomb, Little Boy, detonates in Hiroshima, Japan. Dropped by an American B-29 bomber, Enola Gay, the bomb annihilated the city, killing between 90,000 and 166,000 people in the months following the blast. It was estimated that over the next decade, 237,000 people were killed directly or indirectly by the bomb's effects, including by burns, radiation or cancer. 1962: Jamaica becomes independent The Colony of Jamaica gains independence from the United Kingdom. Princess Margaret (in photo) represents the Queen at the independence ceremony. In Jamaica, this date is celebrated as Independence Day, a national holiday. 1965: Voting Rights Act is signed U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the act into law, which guarantees African-Americans the right to vote. It made illegal the discriminatory voting practices that were rampant mostly in the southern states, including literacy tests that they were forced to take and often failed. 1978: Pope Paul VI dies Pope Paul VI (born as Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini) dies at Castel Gandolfo at age 80 after suffering a heart attack. 1996: 'A Song of Ice and Fire' is published The first book of George R.R. Martin's epic fantasy series "A Song of Ice and Fire" is released in the U.K. by HarperCollins/Voyager in hardback. Set in the land of Westeros, the story was about feuding medieval families. While reviews were good, it was not a best-seller. But the book gained a loyal following, selling millions of copies and sparking off the hit HBO show 'Game of Thrones.' 2009: First Hispanic Supreme Court justice After being appointed by President Barack Obama in May 2009, Sonia Sotomayor is confirmed as the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice by a Senate vote of 68-31. 2012: Curiosity rover lands on Mars Nasa's Curiosity rover touches down on Mars. It landed in the Gale Crater, an ancient lake which was formed by an asteroid strike billions of years ago.


According to rental site Zumper , median rents for a one-bedroom in Chicago are hovering around $1,600. But how does the low-end pricing on a Chicago rental look these days   and what might you get for your money? We took a look at local listings for studios and one-bedroom apartments from Zumper and Apartment Guide to find out what price-conscious apartment seekers can expect to find. Read on for the cheapest listings available right now. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 741 E. 79th St. Listed at $560/month, this 425-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment, located at 741 E. 79th St. in Chatham, is 55.2% less than the median rent for a studio in Chicago, which is currently estimated at around $1,250/month. Building amenities include an elevator. The unit also has hardwood flooring and air conditioning. Neither cats nor dogs are welcome. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. According to Walk Score, this location is extremely walkable, is convenient for biking and offers many nearby public transportation options. (See the complete listing here .) 6238 S. Western Ave. This studio apartment, situated at 6238 S. Western Ave. in Chicago Lawn, is listed for $585/month for its 280 square feet. You'll find hardwood flooring and an eat-in kitchen in the unit. When it comes to building amenities, expect on-site laundry. Pet owners, inquire elsewhere: This spot doesn't allow cats or dogs. The rental doesn't require a leasing fee. According to Walk Score, the area around this address is quite walkable, has some bike infrastructure and offers many nearby public transportation options. (See the complete listing here .) 2920 E. 90th St. Here's a one-bedroom apartment at 2920 E. 90th St. in South Chicago, which, at 535 square feet, is going for $630/month. Amenities offered in the building include assigned parking. Pets are not welcome. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. Walk Score indicates that the surrounding area is very walkable, is quite bikeable and has good transit options. (See the full listing here .) 5501 W. Washington Blvd. Then there's this 330-square-foot studio at 5501 W. Washington Blvd. in South Austin, listed at $631/month. If you've got a pet, you'll be happy to learn that cats and dogs are permitted. The building offers on-site laundry, an elevator and a fitness center. The rental doesn't require a leasing fee. Per Walk Score ratings, the surrounding area is quite walkable, is convenient for biking and offers many nearby public transportation options. (See the listing here .) 1240 W. 87th St. Finally, there's this studio apartment, located at 1240 W. 87th St. in Gresham and listed for $650/month. Amenities offered in the building include on-site management and on-site laundry. Also, expect air conditioning in the unit. Cats are allowed. According to Walk Score, this location is quite walkable, is quite bikeable and has good transit options. (Here's the listing .) This story was created automatically using local real estate data from Zumper and Apartment Guide , then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Briana Culberson and her husband Ryan have collectively lost 107 pounds on the keto diet. Briana and Ryan have been on the keto diet for more than a year. According to Briana, the diet has also "greatly improved" her health. Briana Culberson, daughter of The Real Housewives of Orange County's Vicki Gunvalson, and her husband Ryan have been keto super-fans for a while now. The two regularly post about the diet on Ryan's Instagram page, and even recently shared a pic of themselves sticking to their diet at Disneyland. Apparently all that hard work has paid off: Ryan just revealed on Instagram that they've lost a whopping 107 pounds between the two of them. " Happy 4th of July from my family to yours!" he captioned a shot of himself, Brianna, their kids, and her stepfather Donn. "Swipe right and see the difference a year on keto has made, down 107 between the two of us!" And, um, wow. In the first pic, Ryan and Brianna look seriously fit and are straight-up glowing. In the second pic, which was taken last year, they're noticeably heavier. Ryan and Briana first opened up about their keto diet journey in November 2018, when Ryan referred to Briana as a "keto queen," saying they'd both been on the diet for five months at that point. Later in January 2019, Briana (via Ryan's Instagram) revealed that she had lost 45 pounds on the diet and "greatly improved" her health. (Briana was diagnosed with lupus in 2016, and almost had to have her leg amputated in 2018 due to her condition, according to People .) And most recently in March 2019, the couple talked on Instagram about their collective keto-fueled weight loss and revealed that they had lost 86 pounds together in just eight months on the keto diet. "Celebrating being 86 pounds lighter between the two of us!" he captioned the shot. "What are you waiting for?" Okay, so yeah...it's easy to see why they love this diet. Slideshow: 40 'healthy' foods that nutritionists never eat (Provided by Women's Health)


The state's Supreme Judicial Court has ruled serial child rapist Wayne Chapman can't be locked up indefinitely   though he won't be free yet. The 71-year-old Chapman   a notorious predator who's admitted to raping up to 100 boys   can no longer be held as a "sexually dangerous" person, the state's highest court ruled Thursday. "We affirm the Superior Court judge's order allowing Wayne Chapman's petition for release from civil commitment because neither of two qualified examiners found him presently to be sexually dangerous,'" wrote the SJC in one case. Between 1967 and 1976, Chapman was arrested and convicted multiple times for assaulting and raping boys in Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Chapman has long been a suspect in the 1976 disappearance of Angelo "Andy" Puglisi, 10, of Lawrence. Chapman, now suffering from Parkinson's disease, uses a wheelchair. Under state law, people convicted of certain sex crimes who are then deemed "sexually dangerous" by the courts can be held on a civil commitment   not criminal charges   until the state rules otherwise. Chapman was deemed sexually dangerous in 2007, when his criminal sentence was about to end, and has been civilly committed since. These inmates can petition to be examined by two independent "qualified examiners" who determine whether the person remains a danger to the public. If one or both say the person is indeed sexually dangerous, a trial is held to determine whether that is in fact still the case. But if both say the person is no longer a danger, that person is released almost immediately   and that's what both of Chapman's examiners wrote last May. "If both qualified examiners determine that a person is not sexually dangerous, the Commonwealth cannot meet its burden of proof," Chief Judge Ralph Gants wrote in the SJC ruling. The state attorney general's office attempted to step in after Chapman was cleared for release, and the case has been tied up in the courts until Thursday, when the state courts ruled that there is no reason to change the decision made 10 years ago in favor of this process   so Chapman can no longer be civilly committed. Related Articles Giving 'devil' path to freedom angers Wayne Chapman victim SJC rules convicted sex offender Wayne Chapman can be set free "They made the right decision 10 years ago, and they reaffirmed it today," Eric Tennen, an attorney for Chapman, said Thursday. "I completely understand how his victims feel about this   I understand why they don't want him to be released, but we don't make policy on emotions, and the law says he doesn't need to be held. He's not a public safety risk." But cops say that when Chapman remained behind bars in the MCI-Shirley state prison last June, he exposed himself in front of a nurse, leading to an indictment last summer on charges of open and gross lewdness and lewd, wanton and lascivious acts. Chapman will remain held on those charges unless he makes $25,000 cash bail, which Tennen said he highly doubts the long-locked-up Chapman will be able to afford. Chapman is next due in court for a pretrial hearing May 23, Middlesex DA Marian Ryan's office said. If convicted, Chapman could face another three years behind bars. In a separate case challenging Chapman's release on the basis of notifications required by law to victims and law enforcement authorities, the SJC also on Thursday affirmed a lower court ruling, allowing Chapman to seek release.


An 18-year-old man was arrested after deputies say he hit a man with an unknown object and broke the victim's eye socket. Pasco County deputies say Steven Ambrosio contacted the victim May 11 about a Letgo ad. Deputies say the ad said the victim was offering to buy people's iPhones. Deputies say the victim told Ambrosio he would buy an iPhone for $650. Ambrosio then asked the victim to meet him in front of Seven Springs Elementary School the next day, according to an arrest report. The arrest report said when the two met, the victim asked Ambrosio to see the phone he asked to buy. Deputies say Ambrosio then moved his backpack from behind him to his front and removed an unknown object. Deputies say Ambrosio then hit the victim on the left side of his face near his eye. The hit caused the victim to have a broken orbital eye socket and damaged the retina, causing partial blindness, according to the arrest report. When the victim fell to the ground, deputies say Ambrosio reached into his pocket and took the victim's money before leaving the area. Deputies say the victim was able to drive back home and then to a hospital for surgery to fix the broken eye socket. Deputies say the victim later identified Ambrosio from a photo pack on July 22. According to the arrest report, Ambrosio told deputies that he did not have a Letgo account and did not know why the victim would identify him as the person who robbed him. Deputies also say Ambrosio committed a similar robbery two days after this incident. The arrest report said Ambrosio hit another victim on the back of the head with a hammer. Ambrosio was charged with armed robbery and aggravated battery with serious injury. What other people are reading right now: Sleeping husband 'crumples' in pain after wife grabs him for sex: deputies Police: Supermarket employee who disappeared 10 years ago was behind a cooler the whole time Skimmer alert: See a map of where these sneaky devices have been found Man kidnapped, killed woman found in truck in Dollar Tree parking lot: deputies He called police on black women at swimming pool. Now he's facing criminal charges