The future arrives in moments like this: a beige Honda vaporizing its drag radials, the car squirming against line-locked front wheels like a rottweiler on a rope. Smoke spills across the asphalt. Pellets of hot rubber fling from the tires, then rain from above. The scene is manic. And nearly silent. This is the Teslonda: a retro, all-electric love letter to hot-rodding. The name is a mash-up-Tesla and Honda-and an obvious recipe deciphered. "The thing that's going to help people love electric cars is performance," says Jim Belosic, who cooked up the car. "Not range or autonomy." That sentiment is fresh-breath optimism. Electric cars, from Teslas to Formula E racers, coat themselves in a Jetsons sheen: polite, chic, clean. But shouldn't fast electric cars feel more like Ridley Scott's Alien , where futurism and grime and flamethrowers coexist? That's Teslonda. The project was pieced together at Belosic's shop in Reno, Nevada. It began as a means to connect with his kids, ages 9 and 12, who Belosic imagined would be wrenching on and driving electric cars in the coming decades. He wanted to jump ahead of the curve, to figure out electric hot-rodding for himself. A 1981 Accord entered Belosic's life at the time, bone-stock and beige, just like the one he had at age 15; a vessel meant to rekindle the Sega Genesis glow of his youth. The anemic sedan bored Belosic, just as he began searching for a cadaver for his electric experiment. One thing led to another. A Model S rear end (subframe, drive unit, suspension, brakes, hubs, wheels) was sourced from a scrapyard, then grafted into the Accord's trunk. The Tesla drive unit is half inverter, half motor, nestled into an aluminum housing that looks like a giant AA battery. From another wreck, Belosic salvaged a Chevrolet Volt battery pack, which sits longitudinally in the Accord's engine bay. Volt packs are readily available and powerful, providing the Tesla drive unit with a Godzilla punch of amperage. Gazing into the hollowed-out bay of the Teslonda, you're reminded of the grimy authenticity of unrestored race cars: fast old things whose corporate decals are peeling at the edges but still feel purposeful. A single small radiator up front accompanies a bank of fuses running along the Teslonda's fender. The car's guts appear almost primitive. Belosic's life positioned him at the center of a Venn diagram of wrenching, coding, and a willingness to experiment. His career bounced between a thousand disciplines. His shop now houses a room-sized, two-axis laser cutter that's constantly sparking and dancing, the centerpiece of his newest venture in rapid manufacturing. "Building the Teslonda was a different process, but that's what's so cool about it," he says. "This electric process was like doing my first oil change at age 15. It was renewing and reinvigorating." Stuffing battery packs and a rear-wheel drive unit into a front-wheel-drive econobox was the primary challenge. Belosic says the Honda's chassis is "flimsy, like a cookie sheet," and it was only made worse when he sawed holes to accommodate the car's electric organs. The Accord body sits awkwardly atop the Tesla rear end. Beefy 305/35 rubber sprouts from the car's sides, miming an old-school "gasser" drag car. But perhaps the most awe-inspiring aspect of the car is the dash. CAN data from the Tesla drive unit is intercepted via Raspberry Pi, a $35 Swiss army knife of a computer that can power everything from robotic arms to dash cameras on the cheap. Belosic and his friend Michael Mathews, a software engineer, dived into the data pumping from the Tesla drive unit. "We had to figure out a lot through trial and error," Belosic says. "A big part of my discovery with electric cars was that this is not an LS engine and a blower. This is a laptop and all this data, and fine-tuning that data." The fruits of that labor are displayed across two touchscreens mounted to the steering column. The setup drips retro cool, as if Knight Rider 's KITT got freaky with a Super Nintendo. Mathews's face was digitized and rendered on-screen. His 16-bit head shouts warnings like "critical voltage event," and there's a submenu that ranks the Teslonda's best 0 60-mph times, displayed like scores in a vintage arcade cabinet. "JIM" has the top score, at 2.43 seconds. That's where the future lies, Belosic says: beyond batteries and motors, which will simplify with time. At some point, he believes, you'll thumb open a Jegs catalog to cross-shop crate motors and batteries. Or maybe you'll order a chassis from Factory Five and provide your own salvaged Tesla Model 3 powertrain. "But the software is where everything is going to be crazy," he maintains. "I was like, Okay, this is what I need to teach my daughter and my son, the laptop tuning. Not necessarily anything else." On the first test drive, the Teslonda ripped. There were no carbs to sync, no vacuum leaks, no weeping seals, no blood-curdling clunks from deep in the engine. With electric hot rods, you plug it all in and get wheelspin on day one, Belosic says. No Lamborghini Huracán Performante, no 911 GT3, no Tesla Model S snaps to attention like the Teslonda under prodded throttle. When you weld the accelerator to the floorboard, the car's steering goes to lunch, weightless. It's terrifying. The Teslonda squats on its rear end, bucking the nose skyward, briefly transforming its Sparco driver's bucket into the world's fastest observatory. There's a hole in the firewall, sawed out to accommomade the steering rack from a Chevrolet Vega. Gales of wind shoot up your pant leg under acceleration, racking your undercarriage. The whole time, the Tesla power unit is chirping like a concert of crickets, cheap-cheap-cheap-cheap-cheap, their notes ramping up in frequency the harder you flog the car. If anyone tells you electric cars can't be engaging because they don't make sound, tell them to go chew a lamp cord. There's a buffet of noises: tire screech, motor chirp, wind rush. I wish every doubter could spend 10 seconds behind the wheel-about enough time for the Teslonda to cover a quarter mile. The experience mimics that levitating-gut panic in the split second before you crash on a ski hill. It's brilliant. The car's joy is infectious, even in traffic. The chunky tires and friendly mug are all mastiff-puppy charm-gawky and cute. Truckers flash grins. Harley riders thumbs-up. "That's totally badass, dude," chimes down from the cab of a heavy-duty Ram pickup. Cackles erupt from every direction, as if the hillsides cosseting Reno are themselves entertained. "It's an ugly mutt, so people aren't afraid to love it," Belosic says. But the Teslonda is not long for this world. By press time, Belosic and his team will have ripped out the drive unit, transplanting its guts into their next project-called Teslakart-which should do 0 60 in 1.8 seconds. That's quicker than Tesla claims for its yet to be released Roadster. The Teslonda is proof that enthusiasts should embrace the electrified future-the whole experiment feels fresh and breakneck and exciting. Belosic's projects may now live on the cutting edge, but they give us a window facing forward while referencing the past. The Teslonda's masterful dash display is akin to pinstriping. Cramming battery packs via ever-smaller, ever-cleverer solutions feels a lot like stuffing a Chevy V-8 into a '32 Ford, but also a logical evolution. "Electric is definitely the better mousetrap," Belosic says. "I always get a giggle when Ferrari or Lamborghini go, 'There's no soul in electric.' I say, 'Have you guys not driven a fast electric car?' It's wild. The performance is vastly superior. And we're just at the very beginning."


BOSTON   Two hampered Houston second basemen are nearing returns to the field. Though he "probably" will not play against the White Sox on Monday to open a 10-game homestand at Minute Maid Park, Aledmys Díaz will undergo a full workout prior to the game and could return to the lineup either Tuesday or Wednesday. Díaz did not require a stint on the injured list after exiting Friday's 3-1 win against the Red Sox with a grade one strain of his left... Split photo of Astros' Jose Altuve and Aledmys Diaz. ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - MARCH 28: Justin Verlander #35 of the Houston Astros takes the mound before his first pitch of the season against Tampa Bay Rays During Opening Day at Tropicana Field on March 28, 2019 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) ST. PETERSBURG, FL - MARCH 29: Starting pitcher Charlie Morton #50 of the Tampa Bay Rays throws in the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros at Tropicana Field on March 29, 2019 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Saturday, March 30, 2019, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson) ST. PETERSBURG, FL - MARCH 31: Yonny Chirinos #72 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates the end of the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros at Tropicana Field on March 31, 2019 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 1: George Springer #4 of the Houston Astros hits a lead-off home run against the Texas Rangers during the first inning at Globe Life Park in Arlington on April 1, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. Texas Rangers' Asdrubal Cabrera (14) follows through on a two-run home run off a pitch from Houston Astros' Justin Verlander in the second inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, April 2, 2019. The shot scored Joey Gallo. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) Houston Astros manager A.J. Hinch argues with umpire Ron Kulpa, right, during the second inning of the team's baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday, April 3, 2019. Hinch was ejected during the argument. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) Houston Astros relief pitcher Collin McHugh (31) reacts after striking out Oakland Athletics Khris Davis (2) with bases loaded to end the third inning of the Houston Astros home opener at Minute Maid Park, Friday, April 5, 2019, in Houston. Houston Astros left fielder Michael Brantley (23) celebrates his two-run home run with Jose Altuve (27) and Alex Bregman (2) during the fifth inning of an MLB at Minute Maid Park, Saturday, April 6, 2019, in Houston. Houston Astros' Aledmys Diaz, left, celebrates his three-run home run off Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Mike Fiers with third base coach Gary Pettis during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, April 7, 2019, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith) Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) and Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa (1) celebrate the team's 4-3 win over New York Yankees at Minute Maid Park on Monday, April 8, 2019 in Houston. Astros won the game 4-3 and lead the series 1-0. Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) celebrates his 100th career home run with Tony Kemp (18) during the third inning of an MLB game at Minute Maid Park, Tuesday, April 9, 2019, in Houston. Houston Astros Jose Altuve (27) celebrates his second home run of the night with Alex Bregman during the fifth inning of an MLB game at Minute Maid Park, Wednesday, April 10, 2019, in Houston. Houston Astros' Jose Altuve, right, greets Yuli Gurriel (10) after the Astros defeated the Seattle Mariners 10-6 in a baseball game, Friday, April 12, 2019, in Seattle. Both Altuve and Gurriel hit grand slams in the game. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander throws against the Seattle Mariners in a baseball game Saturday, April 13, 2019, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) Houston Astros starting pitcher Gerrit Cole throws against the Seattle Mariners in the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, April 14, 2019, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) Houston Astros' Josh Reddick, center, celebrates after hitting a two-run home run off Oakland Athletics' Marco Estrada in the second inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, April 16, 2019, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) Oakland Athletics pitcher Frankie Montas works against the Houston Astros in the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, April 17, 2019, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) ARLINGTON, TEXAS - APRIL 19: Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros celebrates a two- run homerun in the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington on April 19, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) Texas Rangers manager Chris Woodward, center, congratulates third baseman Asdrubal Cabrera (14) after defeating the Houston Astros in a baseball game Saturday, April 20, 2019, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Mike Stone) ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 21: Joey Gallo #13 of the Texas Rangers rounds second base on his way to a triple against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Globe Life Park in Arlington on April 21, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) Minnesota Twins shortstop Jorge Polanco (11) celebrates his home run during the ninth inning as the Houston Astros take on the Minnesota Twins at Minute Maid Park Tuesday Sept. 4, 2018 in Houston. Houston Astros George Springer (4) hits an RBI double during the fifth inning of an MLB baseball game at Minute Maid Park, Tuesday, April 23, 2019, in Houston. Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander walks to the dugout after completing the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith) Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Trevor Bauer (47) pitches during the first inning of an MLB baseball game at Minute Maid Park, in Houston, Thursday, April 25, 2019. Cleveland Indians Francisco Lindor (12) hugs Leonys Martin (2) as he crossed the plate after hitting a home run during the third inning of an MLB baseball game at Minute Maid Park, in Houston, Friday, April 26, 2019. Houston Astros left fielder Tony Kemp (18) celebrates with teammates after hitting the game wining walk-off home run against the Cleveland Indians during the 10th inning of an MLB game at Minute Maid Park Saturday, April 27, 2019, in Houston. The Astros won 4-3. Houston Astros catcher Robinson Chirinos (28) celebrates with teammates second baseman Jose Altuve (27) and center fielder George Springer (4) after he hit a three-run homerun during the seventh inning of a major league baseball game at Minute Maid Park Sunday, April 28, 2019, in Houston. MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 29: Jake Odorizzi #12 of the Minnesota Twins delivers a pitch against the Houston Astros during the first inning of the game on April 29, 2019 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) Houston Astros starting pitcher Gerrit Cole throws to a Minnesota Twins batter during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 30, 2019, in Minneapolis. (Carlos Gonzalez/Star Tribune via AP) Martin Perez of the Minnesota Twins delivers a pitch against the Houston Astros during the first inning on Wednesday, May 1, 2019, at Target Field in Minneapolis. The Twins won, 6-2. (Hannah Foslien/Getty Images/TNS) **FOR USE WITH THIS STORY ONLY** Minnesota Twins' Jason Castro waits to bat in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Thursday, May 2, 2019, in Minneapolis. Castro had four RBIs including a home run in the Twins 8-2 win. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) MONTERREY, MEXICO - MAY 04: Alex Bregman, #2 of the Houston Astros, celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run and producing three runs on the eight inning of the Houston Astros vs Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim match at Estadio de Beisbol Monterrey on May 04, 2019 in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon. (Photo by Azael Rodriguez/Getty Images) Teammates celebrate a grand slam by Houston Astros' Alex Bregman, right, in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, in Monterrey, Mexico, Sunday, May 5, 2019. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) Houston Astros catcher Robinson Chirinos (28) celebrates after scoring a two-run home-run during the 6th inning of an MLB baseball game at Minute Maid Park Monday, May 6, 2019, in Houston. Kansas City Royals Whit Merrifield (15) connects for a grand slam home run off Houston Astros relief pitcher Framber Valdez (59) during the seventh inning of a major league baseball game at Minute Maid Park on Tuesday, May 7, 2019, in Houston. It was the Royals second grand slam of the game. Houston Astros Brad Peacock (41) pitches during the 1st inning of an MLB baseball game at Minute Maid Park Wednesday, May 8, 2019, in Houston. Houston Astros Josh Reddick (22) leaps to a make a catch at the wall of the bat of Texas Rangers Hunter Pence during the ninth inning of a major league baseball game at Minute Maid Park on Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Houston. Pence hit the ball to deep right with runners on first and third. Reddick's catch stopped the Rangers from scoring. Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (35) finishes warming up before an MLB baseball game at Minute Maid Park Friday, May 10, 2019, in Houston. Houston Astros starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) opens the game pitching against the Texas Rangers at the Minute Maid Park on Saturday, May 11, 2019, in Houston. Houston Astros center fielder George Springer (4) at bat during the fourth inning against the Texas Rangers at Minute Maid Park on Sunday, May 12, 2019, in Houston. Houston Astros' Jake Marisnick rounds the bases on his two-run home run in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers in Detroit, Monday, May 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) Houston Astros' George Springer (4) celebrates his inside-the-park home run with Alex Bregman (2) in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers in Detroit, Tuesday, May 14, 2019. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander walks on the mound after giving up a solo home run to Detroit Tigers' JaCoby Jones during the third inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 15, 2019, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) Houston Astros' George Springer reacts after hitting a two-run home run during the eighth inning of the team's baseball game against the Boston Red Sox in Boston, Friday, May 17, 2019. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer) BOSTON, MA - MAY 18: Josh James #39 of the Houston Astros makes a throw to first base against the Boston Red Sox in the seventh inning at Fenway Park on May 18, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)


Moist air ahead of a cold front on Friday will bring torrential rains and flooding issues along the Gulf Coast. Over the weekend, this rain will spread eastward into the Southeast. Humid air will fuel thunderstorms on Friday across the Texas and Louisiana coasts, bringing areas from Corpus Christi, Texas, and Houston to New Orleans a wet day. "Thunderstorms and heavy rainfall are likely throughout the day and into the evening," AccuWeather Meteorologist Becky Elliott said. "Storms will be slow-moving, bringing enough rain to cause flash flooding," Elliott added. More than an inch of rain is possible from Houston to New Orleans. Thunderstorms will begin to taper off late Friday night, as a cold front sinks through the region . A final batch of storms will leave behind lower humidity and sunshine for much of Texas and Louisiana through the weekend. This will not be the case for parts of extreme southern Texas, towards Brownsville and McAllen, where persistent heavy rain continues into Saturday. With days of slow-moving storms could bring rainfall totals up to 3 inches before drying out Saturday evening. Flooding Causes Fatality in Texas Southern Texas will not be the only region facing rain on Saturday. Parts of the Florida Panhandle and northern Florida into southern Georgia will be have a dreary and soggy day. A combination of the sweeping front and all of the Gulf moisture could bring more than in inch of rain in some places, especially between Tampa and Panama City, Florida. After Tampa had more than twice the normal amount of rainfall for the month of August, some flooding could be possible. Locally heavy storms will bring enough rain to spoil some outdoor plans on Saturday , including as far north as the Carolinas and the Northeast. As the front moves eastward, the uncomfortable humidity is replaced with an autumnlike chill for the second half of the weekend. However, thunderstorms will still linger across central Florida on Sunday for NFL season openers . The Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, both of which are playing at home this weekend, may contend with a shower or thunderstorm during their afternoon games. Fans tailgating and heading to either game may want to plan on bringing along rain gear. Miami fans staying at home, as the Dolphins travel to Washington, D.C., will be faced with some spotty afternoon thunderstorms. Those heading outside after the game may need to dodge some spotty showers and thunderstorms. Through early next week, dry weather will settle across the Gulf Coast. The only exception is across southern Florida, where the cold front will remain stalled for several days. Throughout the weekend, AccuWeather meteorologists will continue to monitor a low along this front. With the warm, Gulf waters, this low could develop into a tropical system early next week .


DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.   The NASCAR Foundation recently hosted its fourth of six popular Speediatrics Fun Day Festivals, and this one was extra special. It actually took two days. Similar to the foundation's other Fun Day Festivals, 250 local children participated Friday in a variety of NASCAR-themed field day activities: "Looking for Lug Nuts" … "Pit Stop Challenge" … "Gas Can Relay" … "Goodyear Tire Race" … and "Pinewood Derby." But there was a wonderful Daytona-specific wrinkle this time around. RELATED: Photos from Speediatrics event The children were surprised with new bicycles. And to make sure they were able to safely operate their bikes, The NASCAR Foundation partnered with the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma to provide each child with a bike helmet, fitted to them by volunteers who are certified helmet-fitters from sheriff departments in Flagler and Seminole counties and other organizations. There were also bike safety demonstrations that included the proper use of hand signals, reflectors and helmets. Bicycles were built Saturday and will be given next week to the children who attended the event. Specially-invited teams were on hand to complete the build process, including squads with NASCAR crew members from the Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing organizations. "We love it," said Jeremy Bullins, crew chief for Team Penske's No. 12 Ford driven by Ryan Blaney. "Most of us have kids at home, and this is something we can do to give back to these (local) kids." For some of the children receiving bicycles, it's about more than fun. In select area school districts, children living within two miles of their school are ineligible to ride a bus. "So the bikes will not only help them stay active, but will serve as a mode of transportation during the school year," said Nichole Krieger, executive director of The NASCAR Foundation. "We have 250 kids, 250 helmets and 250 bicycles we are matching up. We needed two days. The bikes are going through 'inspection' (Saturday), to make sure they are ready. "What a gratifying project. When we told the kids on Friday about the bikes, you could see their eyes light up." MORE: The NASCAR Foundation site A number of current NASCAR drivers took part in the two-day event, including four from Richard Childress Racing. That group included the 2018 Daytona 500 champion Austin Dillon, who helped fit children with helmets Friday. Dillon was joined at the festival by teammates Daniel Hemric, Tyler Reddick and Joe Graf Jr. Three other NASCAR drivers also participated   Joey Gase, Austin Hill and Scott Lagasse Jr.   as did 15-year-old Pro Late Model driver Daniel Dye. "It's just giving back," Dillon said. "It's cool to see The NASCAR Foundation and the Childress Institute coming together to give away bikes to all these kids, to let them have fun but teach them about safety, too. Any time you can give back to the future … that's what this is. These kids are the future of our country." ]]>


SPARTA, Ky.   Daniel Suarez won the provisional pole for Saturday night's Cup race at Kentucky Speedway. Suarez scored his first pole of the season with a lap of 184.590 mph on Friday night. Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Aric Almirola qualified second at 183.799. This will be Almirola's sixth front row start of the season. The starting lineup will be official Saturday afternoon after each car goes through inspection. If a car fails inspection Saturday, its qualifying time will be disallowed and the car will start at the rear. The garage opens at 1:30 p.m. ET Saturday and inspection will begin shortly after that. Click here for qualifying results All four of Stewart-Haas Racing's car qualified in the top 10. Joining Suarez and Almirola in the top 10 are Kevin Harvick (183.312 mph) in fifth and Clint Bowyer (182.834) in seventh. Stewart-Haas Racing has yet to win a Cup race this season. Brad Keselowski qualified third at 183.443 mph. Kurt Busch qualified fourth at 183.355 mph.


Can this marriage be saved? As they hit midlife, Americans are rethinking just about every part of their lives these days  their careers, their locations, their appearances, their lifestyles and even their favorite pets (welcome back to No. 1, beagles). It's all a natural by-product of the anti-status-quo Boomer mentality. So it's no surprise that the most sweeping reinventions are coming closest to home: their marriages. The old paradigm: find a mate, procreate, and raise what at least appears to be a happy family. Then, regardless of what's left of your relationship, stick together until the (sometimes-bitter) end. Phew. But now there's a whole new reality: Put that midlife union under an electron microscope, figure out what makes the molecules collide and dance, and then do whatever it takes to live your next decades in true happiness. It may mean finding new ways to rekindle the initial points of combustion. Or, just as likely, it may mean ditching a lost cause of a marriage or finding highly creative ways to keep a troubled one going. "When couples are first married, they still believe the other person has the potential for dramatic change," says professor Deborah Carr, chair of the sociology department at Rutgers University and an expert on midife development. "But by 50, couples today think: 'He or she is not really going to change. But I'll be living another 30 years .' That's why so many couples now feel they owe it to themselves to bring real happiness and excitement into their lives, not passivity." The statistics help tell the tale: Divorce rates for people 50 and over doubled from 1990 to 2010 according to a landmark study by Bowling Green State University in 2013. It's the highest split-up rate of any age group. But the same study found that the number of unmarried people 50-plus living together tripled between 2000 and 2013  also the highest gains of any group. Translation: People are doing what it takes to be happy, regardless of preconceived notions or traditional rules. "We've never had such high expectations of marriage before," says Stephanie Coontz, co-chair of the Council on Contemporary Families at the University of Illinois at Chicago and author of Marriage, a History . "There is much more potential for people women especially to reinvent their long-term relationships. Or to choose not to." FINDING TOGETHERNESS SEPARATELY! One option gaining traction among midlife couples is to stay married but live separately what experts refer to as LAT (living apart together). Lise Stoessel and her husband, Emil, are practically poster children for this trend, and she chronicled their story in her book Living Happily Ever After   Separately . Their unconventional arrangement began the way most marital shake-ups do, with an unhappy wife ready for change. After 23 years, Stoessel had reached the point where she felt she could no longer live with her husband. Their daily interactions had become laced with bitterness. Emil was a pack rat who worked from home; Lise felt crowded out. So with their kids grown and out of the house, she secretly began looking for a house of her own. In the process, she came to a realization. "Looking at these places, I began to imagine what life would feel like being divorced and splitting up our family," she says. "It made me very sad. I thought, 'Do we really need to do this? Maybe we just need space .' It immediately felt like a yes." Stoessel broached the subject of living apart with her husband: "He asked if I wanted a divorce, and I said, 'No, I want to see if we can reinvent our relationship. I want to see if we can make it work .' " They came up with a plan. Emil would stay in their home, and they would buy a second house for Lise nearby. For seven years they've had the same weekly routine. She sleeps at his house three nights; he sleeps at her house one night and comes for dinner another two. He packs a razor and whatever book he's reading; she brings a change of clothes and food. ("He's got a bachelor's pad.") On Wednesdays, they don't see each other at all. They plan their calendars together, including vacations. Having separate homes has relieved a lot of the tension and brought them emotionally closer. "We still have our points of contention, but not 24/7," says Stoessel. "We've given ourselves breathing room so we can celebrate the parts of our relationship that work and minimize the parts that don't. We're more open and honest with each other." Housing one marriage under two roofs is a complicated and expensive undertaking. But there are simpler ways to create breathing room in marriage according to Coontz, and midlife spouses are increasingly open to more flexible arrangements. "They're more likely to consider commuter marriage, separate vacations and periods of being apart," she says.


WASHINGTON   See Bob investigate. Read Bob's report. Wait, Bob, what? For nearly two years, the nation watched and waited as special counsel Robert Mueller investigated President Donald Trump and his campaign for potential collusion with Russia and obstruction of justice. The release of a redacted version of Mueller's 448-page report last month offered a long-awaited moment of closure for many   and an utterly unsatisfying cliffhanger for plenty of others. Three weeks of public parsing and analysis have left them wondering just what Mueller was trying to say and what he really thinks, particularly on the question of obstruction, where the document drew no conclusion. That uncertainty has given partisans on both sides an opening to frame Mueller's findings to their liking and left many Americans, unlikely to read the full report, scratching their heads about what to believe and whom to trust. Enough with the printed page, they say, enough with the punditry: Speak, Bob, speak! Melissa Garcia, a 29-year-old health counselor, pauses outside a restaurant in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, to compare the two-volume Mueller report to the kind of "terms and conditions" legalese that most consumers skip right over. She'd love a "CliffsNotes version" from Mueller himself. "I would just ask him to sum it up because he knows it the best. I'd want the shorthand version but the most important details," says Garcia, an independent who supported Hillary Clinton in 2016. Republican Becky McBreen, a 58-year-old Trump voter from Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania, who works at an aluminum company, says she'd like to ask Mueller: "Leaving out the political bias, do you, in your heart of hearts, truly think that Trump colluded with Russia to sabotage Hillary?" (The report did not find a criminal conspiracy between Russia and the Trump campaign.) Democrat Adam Singer, a 52-year-old e-commerce worker who was running errands in Miami Beach, Florida, says he's eager for Mueller to "get up publicly on television and give his take on the report." "I don't believe we have been told the whole story," Singer says. It's not just ordinary Americans who are craving clarity. Having pored over the report once, Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., is now on her second reading of it. And she still has questions. "That's why we need him to testify," she said. "I think he owes it to us." Richard Ben-Veniste, who served as one of the lead prosecutors on the Watergate investigation, says Mueller "probably could have been clearer." "It would certainly be in the public interest for Robert Mueller to answer questions, clarify and expound upon his investigation and his report," says Ben-Veniste. David Kendall represented President Bill Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky investigation and currently represents the Clintons. He goes further in a Washington Post opinion piece and says Mueller made a "massive flinch" in declining to draw a conclusion on obstruction. Absent a firm answer from the special counsel himself, plenty of others   including Trump   have stepped forward to act as interpreters of the oracle. In a letter summarizing the report before its release, Attorney General William Barr declared he did not believe the evidence was sufficient to prove that Trump had obstructed justice. Trump, no fan of the special counsel, this past week called Mueller's report "the Bible" and inaccurately claimed it was "totally exonerating." Hundreds of former federal prosecutors, on the other hand, signed on to an open letter concluding that Mueller's report shows Trump would have been charged with obstruction if he were anyone other than the president. Jacob Frenkel, a former federal prosecutor, sees a case for impeachment in what he describes as Mueller's "clear and comprehensive report." He puts the blame for any confusion on those engaged in "politics and prejudgment." Likewise, Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, blames Barr for creating "deliberate confusion" about Mueller's findings by misrepresenting his "very precise" report. Even so, Schiff says he, too, would like to hear directly from Mueller. So far, Mueller has largely let the report speak for itself and left the chattering class to provide the commentary. He did send Barr a letter in March complaining about how Barr had summarized the report's key findings, writing that he had left "public confusion about critical aspects of the results of our investigation." Beyond that, though, all the public has gotten of Mueller in the past few weeks is fleeting glimpses of him exiting a Georgetown tavern, walking into church on Easter Sunday, driving to his office. Democrats on Capitol Hill are pushing for Mueller, who is still an employee of the Justice Department, to testify before the House Judiciary Committee but that's up in the air. Trump has both said that Mueller shouldn't testify and that it's up to Barr to decide. Barr himself has said he wouldn't object. But hopes that Mueller would testify this coming week appear to have faded as behind-the-scenes talks drag on. If the Justice Department tries to block Mueller's testimony, Democrats could issue a subpoena to try to compel his appearance. In the meantime, plenty of people are itching to get a firsthand fill from Mueller. Without that, "it's almost like going off of hearsay," says Michelle Martin, a 48-year-old physician's assistant from Round Rock, Texas. "You have to have the facts to make an educated opinion." Attorney Frenkel, though, warns people shouldn't get their hopes up too high even if Mueller does testify. "The speechmaking and agenda-driven questioning on both sides, unfortunately, will leave few satisfied if the special counsel testifies before Congress," he wrote in an email. "Mr. Mueller testifying may wrap up a few issues but will do little to curtail the debate." ___ Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Lisa Mascaro in Washington, Michael Rubinkam in Schuylkill Haven and Quakertown, Pennsylvania, Clarice Silber in Austin, Texas, and Ellis Rua in Miami contributed to this report. ___ Follow Benac on Twitter at http://twitter.com/nbenac


West Ham United have confirmed the departure of Reece Oxford, who has joined FC Augsburg on a permanent basis following a successful loan spell in the back half of the 2018/19 season. Oxford became the Hammers' youngest ever debutant in a Europa League qualifier back in July 2015, and became the second-youngest starter in Premier League history during a 2-0 win over Arsenal at the Emirates a month later. Good luck, @Reeceoxford_ ! 👊 https://t.co/ooUeJ54Ncm   West Ham United (@WestHamUtd) August 2, 2019 However, his progress stalled in east London, and he was forced to look elsewhere for gametime, including Reading and Borussia Monchengladbach. Now, following last season's loan spell in Augsburg, the Irons have confirmed the 20-year-old's permanent move to the Bundesliga. In an official statement , they declared: "West Ham United can confirm that Reece Oxford has joined German Bundesliga side Augsburg on a permanent basis for an undisclosed fee." After going through his career in Claret and Blue, the Hammers added: " West Ham United would like to thank Reece for his contribution to the Club and wish him well for the future." The centre back has signed a four-year deal with the German side, keeping him there until June 2023, and, speaking to the club's official website upon the announcement, he admitted: "I'm delighted to have joined Augsburg on a permanent basis. REECE IS BACK! 👋🏴 @Reeceoxford_ joins from @WestHamUtd and signs a permanent contract until 2023! Welcome back, Reece! 🖐 #FCA ❤💚⚪ pic.twitter.com/uc93niXO8A   FC Augsburg English (@FCA_World) August 2, 2019 "I felt very comfortable in the city during my loan spell last season and would like to step the next step in my development here in the Bundesliga." Meanwhile, sporting director Stefan Reuter said: "We're delighted that we have been able to sign Reece permanently. Reece already knows the club values and what the club stands for. We are convinced he will help us to progress over the course of the next few years."


The Knicks are going to be bad again. Kevin Durant's Achilles ruptured their only route to immediate contention. Being bad doesn't mean the Knicks try to jumpstart a rebuild by burning cap space on limited players, or tank into the core of the earth until they draft multiple superstars. They can make moves towards building a championship team that help them this year and next decade by elevating the on-court product from utter embarrassment while providing immediate mentorship for the players who have a chance to stick around. The Knicks should target Chris Paul. After getting blasted out of the playoffs by the Warriors yet again, the partnership between Paul and James Harden is reportedly coming to an end. Paul wants out, and according to one report , the relationship is "unsalvageable." The CP3 who may be on the trade block today isn't the same one who toasted former Knick Carmelo Anthony back in 2010 with an unfulfilled promise to combine their All-Star talents. This isn't Lob City Paul, the perennial fringe-MVP candidate that dimed his team to 50-win seasons (and playoff flameouts). While Paul isn't what he was, he is also more than Daryl Morey's $159 million overpay   he's a certain Hall of Famer lauded for his skill, work ethic and savvy. He may be extraneous next to MVP-level James Harden, he can help build a future for a team with nothing but ash and misery in its recent past. Beggars can't be choosers when it comes to recruiting NBA superstars. Paul is one of the best options they have   real options, not a fever dream or an NBA 2K sim gone wild. He would further the goals worth shooting for at this point: improving their play in 2020 and developing young talent. Though Paul remains a quality guard   his Real Plus-Minus was 4.68, which ranked fourth among point guards, between Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday   his personal statistical production is in clear decline, and the heart of his value is no longer found in gaudy box score totals or sophisticated analytics. Video by Yahoo Paul's teammates and rivals at the point guard position have attested on the record to the leadership. Stephen Curry, who has surpassed Paul in every conceivable measure, nonetheless called him "a great mentor" when he was new to the league, telling ESPN's Chris Haynes that the veteran guard helped him understand how to prepare for the rigors of an NBA season. Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe backed Paul up in Los Angeles and praised his former teammate's on-court leadership. "He pretty much showed me by example how to play the game." As a key contributor to his 60-win team, Bledsoe was rewarded with a $70 million extension and made the NBA All-Defensive second team. Meanwhile, Knicks third-year guard Dennis Smith Jr.'s potential is as undeniable as his deficiencies as a playmaker and a defender. Fortunately, those are two of Paul's greatest strengths. Even better, Paul's 9,181 assists (first among active players) and seven All-Defensive team nominations never depended on upper-echelon NBA athleticism, but profound execution on both ends on the floor. Paul doesn't have the acceleration or verticality of his prime, which is fine, because Smith has enough hops for both of them. But Smith needs Paul's eye to see the game like a great point guard, reading defenses and recovering when his opponents attack. Even better, Smith and Paul already have a strong relationship that goes back to their North Carolina roots. "He makes sure that I'm straight whether it's on the court or off the court," said Smith, calling his elder a "good genuine dude." The feeling is mutual: Paul referred to himself as one of Smith's "biggest fans." Then, having a veteran point guard would help menacing shot-blocking center Mitchell Robinson or the physically projectable but inefficient forward Kevin Knox. Both have obvious talent that Paul's facilitating and tutelage could unlock. Paul is signed to a massive, apparently untradeable contract that Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta openly regrets. James Harden doesn't get along with him, and the team's ability to break through the Western Conference rests on their still-reigning MVP. They need to retool around The Beard, and right now, the contract they offered Paul is their biggest obstacle. The Rockets' self-imposed burden is the Knicks' opportunity. Their combination of players on cheap rookie contracts (including Smith and fellow class of 2017 point guard Frank Ntilikina) and expiring deals gives the Knicks $72.5 million in projected cap space, making them one of the few teams that can comfortably absorb Paul's salary. Because they're one of the few realistic trade matches to save Houston from salary cap purgatory, they can demand future draft picks. The Rockets demonstrated they were willing to mortgage their draft capital, floating a rumored four-firsts to Minnesota for Jimmy Butler. The Knicks probably won't get four, but can they get two? Even one future pick strategically targeted for Harden's inevitable decline and the likely end of the Rockets' time at the top of the standings could pay off   as this season's postseason showed, superstars can be found in the middle of the draft if you know where to look. Fielding a young, raw, and deliberately awful team until you land multiple superstars is certainly a strategy, but it hasn't guaranteed any team a championship, or even come close. Free agents gravitate toward franchises that have shown at least baseline competence, and for every Sixer draft success, there's a Magic or Suns draft taking Mario Hezonja or Dragan Bender at the top of the board. Or Jahlil Okafor or Markelle Fultz, for that matter. Further, updates to the draft lottery make the chance of forming the next Joel Embiid-Ben Simmons core even less likely than before, as the Knicks found out this spring. And the Sixers haven't won anything yet. Neither have the Knicks. But with Durant out of the picture, at least the version of him that could single-handedly lift the curse on this franchise, no one is judging the Knicks on championships. A second playoff series win in 20 years would be a nice place to start. Chris Paul can deliver that.     ©2019 New York Daily News Visit New York Daily News at www.nydailynews.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


LEXINGTON, Ky.   When John Calipari became University of Kentucky basketball coach, he asked one of his predecessors a pointed question: How long could a coach expect to endure and prosper in such a high-pressured job? Joe B. Hall, who lasted 13 seasons as UK's coach, told Calipari that it was a 10-year job. Ten seasons later came Thursday's announcement that Calipari and UK had agreed to a new 10-year contract. That prompted an obvious question: Can Calipari be Kentucky's basketball coach for 20 years? "Well, he's a very active young man," Hall said Friday. "I think he'll last another 10. Or maybe even beyond that if he wishes. I don't think there's any doubt if he can be very effective for 10 more (seasons), if that's what he chooses to do." Reaction to Calipari's new 10-year, $86 million contract suggested it is an ideal match of coach and program. ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla, a friend of Calipari's for decades, likened it to a happy marriage. "Kentucky fans want to be able to love their coach, and John gives them a lot of reasons to do that," Fraschilla said. "And John does not mind being appreciated and loved. "This has been a good marriage from the start. And I don't see it getting any worse." In Calipari's first 10 seasons as coach, Kentucky has won a national championship, advanced to three other Final Fours and won more games than any other Division I program. Fraschilla also likened Kentucky basketball under Calipari's leadership to the standard for college football excellence. A contract extension was a "no-brainer" for UK Director of Athletics Mitch Barnhart. "If you're Alabama and you can get Nick Saban locked up, or you're Kentucky and you can get John Calipari locked up as long as he wants to coach, there's a good chance he's going to continue to have the same type of success," Fraschilla said. Gary Parrish, a sportswriter who covered Calipari's teams at Memphis, echoed the sentiment. "John Calipari is to Kentucky what Nick Saban is to Alabama," he said. "I honestly don't think you could pay him too much." Parrish conceded that Calipari's compensation is attention-getting: $8 million in each of the next two seasons, then $8.5 million the next four seasons, then capping out at $9 million for the final four seasons. "I know it seems excessive to some," Parrish said. "But the truth is I think you can reasonably argue he's worth every penny, and probably more." Jim Host, whose business acumen led to a lifetime achievement award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, said the $86 million payout made business sense as an investment. "It's a great move regardless of the money being paid," Host said. "It's being returned in so many other ways. It magnifies the amount of revenue the university gets back in terms of television appearances, NCAA appearances and the recruiting advantage it gives Kentucky having a long-term contract." The contract, which extends through the 2028-29 season, blunts rival recruiters questioning how long Calipari will remain as UK coach, Host said. But will Calipari continue as Kentucky that long? He would turn 70 in February of the final season of the contract. While Calipari has hinted at not wanting to coach too long, Parrish pointed out that at age 68 Roy Williams signed a new 10-year contract as North Carolina's coach. And Mike Krzyzewski, who is 72, has two years remaining on his current deal. "So I don't think there's anything crazy about thinking John Calipari can still be as effective as he is right now deep into his 60s, and maybe into his 70s," Parrish said. Joe DeGregorio, who coached Calipari at Clarion State, also saw such longevity as possible. "If John stays in shape and gets rid of that little pot belly he's got," DeGregorio said playfully. But will Calipari want to be Kentucky's coach that long? The new contract allows him to step away and continue working for UK as a "Special AD Assistant" after six seasons. Money aside, Fraschilla cited "the simple fact that John has worked hard his entire career to the point he's coach at the University of Kentucky, arguably the greatest basketball program of the last 100 years. There's no reason for him to leave. He's got everything in place to do what he's wanted to do since he was 16 years old." The new contract is the seventh Calipari has had in 10 years with Kentucky. It's the fourth new contract in the last six years. Although the new deal has been called a "lifetime contract," should UK fans expect more upgrades in the next few years? "Yes," Fraschilla said. "As long as they're ripping up Nick Saban's contract every couple years, they're going to rip up John's, too."     ©2019 Lexington Herald-Leader (Lexington, Ky.) Visit the Lexington Herald-Leader (Lexington, Ky.) at www.kentucky.com Related slideshow: Way-too-early top 25 rankings (Provided by USA Today Sports) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


The Minnesota Department of Health has won a $4 million federal grant to expand state monitoring of children's exposure to dangerous chemicals. The money from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will expand the state's bio-monitoring program over the next five years. The effort identifies children's exposure to tainted drinking water, air pollution, pesticides and other chemicals. "As we learn more about potential health impacts of chemicals in our environment, it's important to have a deeper understanding of who may be exposed to what, and at what levels," said Jan Malcolm, Minnesota Health Commissioner. "The results will help inform families, address concerns and contribute to healthier people and neighborhoods," Malcolm added. The Department of Health will partner with local public health departments, school districts and parents to recruit children ages 3 to 6 from across the state. The program is voluntary and state officials hope to gather data from a diverse group. State health officials say bio-monitoring will help identify groups most at-risk of exposure to harmful chemicals that affect childhood development. The state can then tailor programs to best address those concerns. In addition to helping state health efforts, officials say the data gathered from bio-monitoring will also be used to improve a nationwide network of information. With help from the CDC, the state collects data on children's chemical exposure through a urine test. The state will test for: Metals in drinking water, air pollution, some foods and consumer items. Pesticides in agriculture and around the home. Phthalates, a substance added to plastics to increase flexibility, in toiletries, toys and foods. Flame retardants in furniture and toys. More information can be found online at health.state.mn.us/biomonitoring . Related Articles DHS leaders 'hostile and dismissive' of doctor input, ousted MN official says in open letter Lawmakers push for emergency insulin program, but can't agree on how to pay for it Contaminated basil sickens 35 at restaurants in Rochester, Duluth Report traces opioid drug distribution, including in east metro Minnesotans must take their vapes outside, starting Aug. 1


A posh club behind home plate, featuring 4,500-square-feet of air conditioned space, a bar shaped like home plate, big screen TVs and a 37-foot retractable glass wall, will open next season at Victory Field. The minor league baseball park, home to the Indianapolis Indians, announced the VIP space Thursday, which will be named Elements Financial Club as part of a multiyear partnership with the Midwest-based credit union. The luxury club can seat up to 200 fans, with a mix of premium ticket options that include 10 private four-person loge boxes and open-table club tickets for groups, season plans and single-game options. Construction on the space will begin during the offseason and be ready by the Indians' opening day next year. The press box, control room and radio booths will shift to the ends of the new space, with four suites being replaced. Twenty-four suites will remain at the ballpark. The club is the largest investment at Victory Field since it opened in 1996. The Indians are not disclosing financial details of the deal with Financial Elements. Once finished, the club will, arguably, offer the best Downtown view of the city, said Indians president and general manager Randy Lewandowski. "You're going to be able to go inside, outside, move freely, then the view you will have ..." he said. "Up directly behind home plate, it opens up the city to fans like no other way." The perks While details of ticket pricing for all the club's options haven't been revealed, certain packages are already being sold on the Indians' website. The quarter season club ticket, for example, will cost $1,200 a year, while the private loge box for a quarter season will cost from $5,500 to $6,000 annually depending on how many years are booked. That quarter season private loge box includes: >> Four tickets for 17 rotational games, with the option to buy a maximum of two extra tickets for $75 each. >> Private space with four front row seats at a countertop, cocktail table with two bar stools, privacy wall and an outlet with USB port. >> Rotating food stations including a salad bar, a ballpark favorites station, a made-to-order station, and a snack and dessert bar. Menu will rotate throughout the season. >> Draft beer and house wine are included. Craft beer, liquor and cocktails are available for purchase. In-seat drink service is provided. >> Two Victory Field parking passes per game. The quarter season club ticket includes all the same perks minus the loge box and parking tickets. The club features open communal seating with a mix of indoor and outdoor tables, bar stools, soft seating and drink rails. The new suite When Victory Field was built in the 1990s, suites were all rage. Today, sports arenas are opting for a different types of premium seating, said Lewandowski. "The world has evolved into social spaces," he said. Once the club is complete, the Indians plan to look at the concourse level to incorporate some similar spaces there. The new Elements Financial Club is the latest -- and largest -- project the Indians have undertaken in recent years in partnership with the Capital Improvement Board. The Tribe upgraded the Victory Field suites before the 2018 season and installed a high-definition video board and digital sound system in 2017. The new club will be Victory Field's first year-round event venue, offering receptions and rental opportunities for guests throughout the offseason and during Indians road trips. Follow IndyStar sports reporter Dana Benbow on Twitter: @DanaBenbow. Reach her via e-mail: dbenbow@indystar.com. Support our journalism Please support the work of IndyStar reporters and visual journalists by becoming a subscriber today. Get unlimited digital access here! This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Luxury seating behind home plate coming to Victory Field with free draft beer and wine


A federal judge on Friday blocked a Mississippi law that banned abortions once a fetus's heartbeat is detected, as early as six weeks into pregnancy. Judge Carlton Reeves, an Obama appointee, wrote that the law "threatens immediate harm to women's rights, especially considering most women do not seek abortion services until after 6 weeks." "This injury outweighs any interest the state might have in banning abortions after the detection of a fetal heartbeat," he wrote. The law was set to go into effect on July 1. Reeves had reportedly expressed anger and frustration during a court hearing on the law earlier this week. CNN reported Tuesday that the judge was upset over the rule not including exemptions for rape or incest. Reeves reportedly pointed out that he struck down a 15-week ban on abortions just six months ago, saying the state legislature's even stricter law "smacks of defiance." Reeves issued his ruling amid a national furor over strict abortion laws. Several state legislatures in recent months have passed similarly restrictive laws blocking abortions early on in pregnancy. Alabama became the subject of national headlines earlier this month after lawmakers there passed the strictest abortion law in the country, effectively blocking the procedures altogether. Many of the restrictive laws appear aimed at getting the Supreme Court to take up the issue, with the intent of overturning Roe v. Wade. Legal experts told The Hill that it's unlikely the justices would overturn the landmark ruling on abortion rights at this time, but didn't rule out it happening down the line. Reeves' ruling was issued as part of a lawsuit brought by the Jackson Women's Health Organization against Mississippi officials. Mississippi Abortion Order by Jacqueline Thomsen on Scribd


The New York Giants were convinced that quarterback Daniel Jones would not be available at No. 17 in the 2019 NFL Draft, so they broke ranks with armchair general managers and took him at No. 6 overall instead. That decision was met with ire and criticism the likes of which we've not seen in years, but over the course of the offseason workout program, Jones slowly chipped away at his detractors and the narrative surrounding him, wowing those who witnessed his practices. Still, there are those across the football world who disagree with the Giants' pick of Jones, including Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report, who feels Jones at No. 6 should be the team's biggest offseason regret . If Duke's Daniel Jones turns out to be a top-tier NFL quarterback, then it won't matter where the New York Giants drafted him. However, there's nothing to suggest that the Giants couldn't have waited until the 17th pick to select him instead of taking him sixth overall. Why might New York come to regret over-drafting Jones? They passed on elite draft prospects like Josh Allen, Ed Oliver, T.J. Hockenson and Devin Bush to do so. At 17, the Giants took former Clemson run-stopper Dexter Lawrence-and he could prove to be a fine player. However, the prospect of having a premier edge-rusher like Allen or a defensive difference-maker like Oliver or Bush and Jones is more enticing than what New York ended up with. What makes the move even more regrettable is the fact that Giants fans are refusing to embrace it. The rookie was recently booed at Yankee Stadium when shown on the video board. For better or worse, Jones is the future at quarterback in New York, but the Giants are likely to regret starting that future with the sixth pick in the draft. Luckily for the Giants, early fan reaction and even early critical reaction won't determine Jones' future. That fate belongs solely to him, and he's already proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that his critics roll off his back like rain pellets on a car window covered in Rain-X. The other notion that should be dispelled is that Jones would not have been available at No. 17. No one can ever possibly know that would have been the case, and had the Giants gambled and missed out on another quarterback this year, we'd be in this exact same situation discussing why that would have been the team's biggest offseason regret. It was a no-win situation for the Giants when it comes to the media reaction (or fan reaction) to the Jones pick, but they believe in their young QB and ultimately believe they will have the last laugh. Time will tell, but early returns are crushing criticisms like this. MORE: Nick Nurse recalled the time Kawhi Leonard interrupted his speech with a knockout punchline Five potential Kevin Durant landing spots in free agency Reggie Bush says Lions cut him, Joique Bell because they went cheap at RB Warriors and Kevin Durant Could Reportedly Work Out Wild 'Delayed' Sign-and-Trade with Knicks Browns have several single-season records that could fall in 2019


Neil Woodford, "the Oracle of Oxford," is watching his long, storied career crumble with alarming speed. A mere two days after Woodford -- perhaps Britain's most celebrated stock-picker -- stunned the world of finance by halting withdrawals from his flagship fund, his reputation is in tatters. The unraveling gathered pace on Wednesday as some supporters distanced themselves, with one key client who accounted for about 40% of assets at Woodford's firm severing ties. What seemed like a sudden reversal of fortunes for the 59-year-old money manager has, in fact, been years in the making. Behind the travails is a dangerous investment strategy -- one that broke sharply with his long record of picking beaten-down stocks. Instead, he plowed his clients' money into unlisted companies , functioning in some respects more like a venture capitalist than a traditional mutual fund manager. "I used to be invested in his funds but then came out when I realized he now has the Midas touch of being invested in companies blowing up," said S. Srivastava, who invested his own money in Woodford funds for several years until about nine months ago. St. James's Place Plc , one of Woodford's earliest clients when he struck out on his own in 2014, cut its relationship with the money manager on Wednesday. The firm had about 3.4 billion pounds invested in a separate mandate with Woodford's company, which oversaw 8.6 billion pounds in total as of May 31. That's down from a peak of about 15 billion pounds in 2017. Hargreaves Lansdown Plc , another of his major supporters, dropped two of his offerings from its widely followed list of recommended funds. Woodford also attracted the scrutiny of the British financial services regulator, and Morningstar downgraded his Equity Income fund to negative from neutral, saying the strategy is "structurally impaired in its ability to implement its investment process." A spokesman for Woodford declined to comment on steps taken by St. James's Place, Hargreaves or Morningstar on Wednesday. Read more: Woodford Under Close Watch by U.K. FCA to Fix Fund Problems It's a remarkable turn for Woodford, whose track record and devotion to Warren Buffett's long-term investing principles prompted some to compare him to the more famous value investor. In around 26 years at Invesco Perpetual, Woodford developed a reputation for correctly calling major swings across stocks. He helped build the firm's assets up to about 33 billion pounds over two decades and with it a loyal following. When he departed in 2014 to set out on his own, he attracted billions of pounds into his new fund, which oversaw 10.3 billion pounds ($13 billion) at the peak in 2017. In Woodford's first full year on his own, his flagship fund returned 16%, beating all 50 of its peers tracked by Bloomberg. His views in recent years, such as a bullish stance on Brexit's impact on the British economy, have helped keep his venture in the spotlight even as returns faltered. But with the world fixated on low fees and shifting to index investing, his fund's losing streak gave clients a reason to bail. Woodford uploaded an apology YouTube video on his website and to his more than 30,000 followers on twitter on Tuesday. "I am extremely sorry that we've had to take this decision," Woodford said in the video. The fund's bets on unlisted companies are at the heart of his problems. Unusually for a mutual fund, BenevolentAI Ltd., an unlisted biotechnology company, and Oxford Nanopore Technologies Ltd., which develops technology for molecular detection and analysis, accounted for about 7% of assets at the end of April. And as the fund's publicly traded investments lost value, the share of the portfolio made up by stakes in non-public companies went up, compounding its liquidity woes. Investments in unlisted securities are rare for mutual funds. While they offer the allure of potentially higher returns, they also limit a fund manager's ability to meet daily redemption requests. The stake in BenevolentAI accounts for about 4.5% of the assets in Woodford's main fund; Oxford Nanopore comes in at 2.6%, according to the firm's website. Woodford is "in the process of reducing these illiquid securities to zero," said Roland Cross, an external spokesman for the money manager. "He's repositioning the portfolio to make it more plain vanilla and this suspension of redemptions allows him to do that."


Roger Federer is not a fan of the age rule that limits female tennis players from playing in a cornucopia of major events. The Women's Tennis Association's restriction policy for teenagers will limit the amount of events 15-year-old sensation Cori "Coco" Gauff can compete in. Introduced in 1994 following the rise of teenage star Jennifer Capriati and put into place in the late 1990s, players aged 13 and under are not allowed to play at all, and 14-to-17-year olds have decreasing restrictions   14-year-olds are limited to eight professional events and 15-year-olds are limited to 10. However, the WTA has relaxed those rules over the years and has done so for Gauff (she's allowed to play in 12, with the possibility of 14) due to exceptional play at the junior level. Gauff has already played in eight professional tournaments and can play in up to six more before she turns 16 in March. Then, she's granted 12, but 16-year-olds can have four merited tournaments added for a total of 16. The men's game has similar restrictions, although it has no restrictions for 16-year olds like the women's game. Federer, the 20-time men's Grand Slam champion who has been judicious with his annual tournament selection at age 37, was critical of the limitations. His management company, Team8, represents Gauff. He felt players like Martina Hingis, who was once world No. 1 at 16 before the rule was implemented, maybe wouldn't have been able to win Grand Slams. "I've told the WTA they should loosen up the rules," Federer said Monday, per ESPN . "I loved seeing Hingis doing what she did at a young age. I think it would be nice, you know, if they could play more. I feel like it puts, in some ways, extra pressure on them every tournament they play. It's like their week, 'This is now where I finally am allowed to play, I have to do well,' right? I'm not sure if it's maybe to some extent counterproductive. "Maybe your best time (in a player's career) is from 14 to 20 for some reason. It's not like for everybody else from 20 to 30. So in a way you take away that opportunity, you know. … It's up to debate. I don't have the perfect solution. I see why they did it, because we've had the history of some tough parents out there. But at the same time you're also increasing the pressure for that player each week to produce." Federer's rival and friend, Rafael Nadal, felt differently about the rule. "Probably they do it to protect a little bit the physical issue," he told reporters. "When you are that young, when you have her level of tennis, of course you follow the normal tour and you believe that you can manage very well, no? But it's true that your body is still under development. Sometimes it can be a little bit dangerous for the injuries in the future. I don't have a real opinion on this. But I understand the rule. Maybe it's not bad." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Roger Federer criticizes age rule that limits Cori 'Coco' Gauff Related slideshow: Best of 2019 Wimbledon (Provided by imagn)


Seven of the 10 dividend picks are up year-to-date, four more than 34%. Three stocks yield at least 6%. These are the best dividend stocks for 2019 Coming into 2019, Wall Street found itself in a near state of frenzy, as a severe fourth-quarter pullback had many investors wondering whether the stock market's near 10-year bull run was ending. Panicking during such moments is rarely profitable, but with low interest rates not offering much yield and some quality income stocks trading at fire sale prices, U.S. News highlighted 10 of the best dividend stocks to buy for 2019. Year-to-date, only three of those picks have declined, largely because they made massive acquisitions. Click through the slideshow to see an updated snapshot of each dividend stock of 2019 and its year-to-date performance. Target Ticker: TGT Year-to-date return: 34.7% Current dividend yield: 3% One of the simple truths that made Target one of the best dividend stocks to buy for 2019 at the beginning of the year remains the case more than seven months later: TGT plays third-fiddle to Amazon.com (AMZN) and Walmart (WMT) when it comes to mainstream retail stocks. Despite a stellar rally this year, shares still trade for less than half Walmart s earnings multiple (15.6 vs. 37). Is this any way to treat a company with growing customer and online traffic, expanding margins, and an improved 2019 profit profile? TGT could have more room to run. Altria Group Ticker: MO YTD return: 3.6% Dividend yield: 6.3% Tobacco giant Altria is one of those stereotypical  sin stocks,  so it s certainly not for everybody. But the company behind brands like Marlboro, Black & Mild, Skoal and Copenhagen fits the mold of a traditional Big Tobacco stock: it s a cash cow with a relatively predictable business that pays an enormous dividend. Recently MO has seen the need to expand into new verticals with an investment in Canadian cannabis company Cronos Group and a $12 billion stake in e-cigarette leader Juul. Politics of its business aside, this $94 billion dividend stock is built to weather   and perhaps even thrive   during recessions. CVS Health Ticker: CVS YTD return: -13.7% Dividend yield: 3.6% Next up, a company that not only quit selling smokes a couple years back, but actually has the word  health  in its name, only to underperform Altria by about 17% year-to-date. Unless you re fudging the accounting, Wall Street doesn t care about morality. CVS shares are having a tough year largely because 2018 didn t go that well   a disappointing fourth-quarter earnings report in February sent shares plunging, and CVS piled on the bad news by issuing weak guidance at the same time. Both woes are tied to its $70 billion merger with Aetna, the health insurer and pharmacy benefits manager, in the fourth quarter of 2018. Occidental Petroleum Ticker: OXY YTD return: -13.5% Dividend yield: 6% The reason the $39 billion Occidental Petroleum has been so off in 2019 is purely due to its incredibly ambitious $38 billion acquisition of Anadarko Petroleum ( APC), giving the combined company impressive economies of scale in the roaring Permian Basin. But Occidental outbid Chevron Corp. ( CVX) by $5 billion for the deal, using expensive financing from Warren Buffett to do so. If synergies and asset sales go as planned   and commodities don t decline   OXY should recover if investors are willing to wait. Wall Street seems to be worried that OXY overpaid, either for Anadarko or for the requisite leverage. AbbVie Ticker: ABBV YTD return: -22.8% Dividend yield: 6.3% AbbVie is one of just three top 10 best dividend stocks to buy for 2019 that s down year-to-date. As with the previous underperformers, AbbVie s slump is directly related to a recent acquisition: June s announced $63 billion purchase of Botox-maker Allergan ( AGN). AbbVie s Humira, the world s top-selling drug, definitely needs another hit product to help pick up the slack when its U.S. patent expires in 2023, but the 45% premium ABBV paid for Allergan may have been too hefty. That said, ABBV now trades for just 7.2 times forward earnings; even more cautious investors may prefer waiting for a clear price bottom before doubling down. Intel Ticker: INTC YTD return: 10% Dividend yield: 2.5% Intel remains one of the best dividend stocks to buy for 2019 and beyond. This Dow 30 component won t blow your socks off with growth, but there s something to be said for a well-diversified, widely respected brand with a track record and an easily sustainable dividend. Intel, whose chips help power everything from personal computers, smartphones, data centers, and the broader internet of things, trades for about 11.7 times earnings. Given INTC s low growth, that seems reasonable. A payout ratio of 30% implies an extremely sustainable dividend. Apple ( AAPL) is reportedly in talks to acquire Intel s smartphone modem business for around $1 billion. Cincinnati Financial Ticker: CINF YTD return: 39% Dividend yield: 2.1% What many dividend investors look for, aside from a quarterly paycheck, is the regularity of that paycheck: stability and sustainability. In that vein, several of U.S. News  top dividend stocks have been growing payouts annually for 40 years or more, and property and casualty insurer Cincinnati Financial is no exception. Its 2.1% yield doesn t sound like much, but with a dividend growth streak of 58 years, you can count on it like clockwork, and a payout ratio of just 34% illustrates an enormous cushion for hard times. Best Buy Ticker: BBY YTD return: 44.5% Dividend yield: 2.6% Best Buy s increased commitment to online selling over the last decade has helped its outperformance in recent years, and even allowed it to pay a dividend (which has grown seven consecutive years). After a phenomenal turnaround, CEO Hubert Joly left in June, handing the reins to former CFO Corie Barry. With a fear-driven sell-off depressing BBY s price, readers who bought BBY when it made the best dividend stocks to buy for 2019 list are sitting pretty. Domestic comparable online sales growth hit 14.5% last quarter. BBY expects to spend $750 million to $1 billion on buybacks in the 2020 fiscal year. Applied Materials Ticker: AMAT YTD return: 54.8% Dividend yield: 1.7% Shares of leading semiconductor equipment manufacturer Applied Materials were coming off a horrible 2018 when it was picked as a top dividend stock to buy for 2019. As the original write-up noted,  AMAT goes for just 8 times earnings, even though Wall Street expects earnings to grow nearly 17% annually over the next five years … market sentiment has gotten so negative as to be unrealistic about AMAT s long-term prospects.  Confidence in semiconductors returned this year, and AMAT stock promptly soared from those depressed levels, driven by both improving market sentiment and better-than-expected first-quarter earnings. The shift to 5G will also help AMAT in the long term. Companhia Energetica de Minas Gerais Ticker: CIG YTD return: 11.3% Dividend yield: 3.9% Brazilian electric utility company Companhia Energetica de Minas Gerais, or Cemig, rounds up U.S. News  best dividend stocks to buy for 2019. Although arguably still the riskiest pick, Cemig has maintained the positive momentum that carried it into the New Year. Cemig s credit profile was upgraded several times heading into 2019 after replacing U.S. dollar-based debt with real-based debt and initiating currency hedges. Although CIG still has a B1 (non-investment grade) rating, Moody s noted in May that  Leverage has improved upon the payment of debt following asset sales and indemnification payments, and a more proactive liability management strategy has diminished short term liquidity risks.  John Divine is a senior investing reporter for U.S. News & World Report, where he s been covering the stock market, Wall Street and the economy since 2016. Prior to U.S. News, Divine covered the stock market professionally for The Motley Fool and InvestorPlace.


Sure, a lot of people are inspired by Chris Pratt . After all, he's a pretty handsome dude living a dream life as a Hollywood star. But for Andy Beal, a mega-Pratt fan, that admiration turned out to be life-saving as it helped him lose 75 pounds and helped him survive a heart attack to boot. Beal, a 45-year-old from North Carolina, says he's always been on the heavier side. For him, the weight crept on slowly until he hit his heaviest point at 260 pounds. "I work from home and needed an excuse to leave the house each day for a change of scenery," Beal explained to Men's Health . "This meant I was heading to fast food restaurants to buy my lunch. Chick-fil-a, Zaxbys, Bojangles, you name it. Fried chicken, fries, and sweet tea meant I was often consuming over 1,000 calories just for lunch." It wasn't until the age of 43, and after a heart attack scare, that Beal decided to change his life and his habits for good. "While on a cruise I had a day where I felt dizzy, tired, and some aching in my left arm. I put it down to dehydration and spending too much time on my smartphone-holding it in my left hand for too long-but also worried that it could just as easily have been a heart attack," Beal said. It was on that trip that Beal happened to also read about Chris Pratt's physical transformation for his role in Guardians of the Galaxy . "At the time, Pratt lost over 60 pounds by working out with a personal trainer. I decided that if he could do it, I could do it," Beal said. "I wanted to become my own personal Star-Lord." To start, Beal overhauled his eating habits and cut out fast food completely. His other dietary change was to cut his net-carbs to 100 grams per day. "I've even become known as the Facebook friend that is always posting photos of salmon salads," Beal jokes. Video: Chris Pratt's Bible-Inspired Diet Beyond food, Beal also began lifting weights twice a week with his personal trainer, Perry Junior of Elevation Fitness, just like Pratt. "[Junior] started out as just my trainer, but now he's also my best friend," Beal said. "He keeps me motivated, he encourages me daily, and keeps my workouts fresh, fun, and challenging. I must have completed over 200 workouts with him and have never, ever, repeated a single one." Beyond lifting weights, Junior had Beal add in a workout regimen that included activities he loved like tennis. In six short months Beal lost 40 pounds. But, all that came to a screeching halt when Beal experienced a heart attack, for real this time. "I had a massive stroke and heart attack at age 44. If not for the fact that I had already changed my eating and exercise, I may not have survived," Beal says. But the event left him more determined than ever. After a couple of months of rest and rehabilitation, Beal went back to his regular workouts with vigor. "I am now down 75 pounds of fat and gained about 10 pounds of muscle and in the best shape of my life," he said. "I feel great, dropped from an extra large to a medium and I am even motivated to take things to the next level. I just completed my first 5k and am training for a half-marathon ." As for what lessons Beal hopes to impart on others it's this: Keep it simple and realistic. "The biggest lesson I learned and passing on is to make the changes to your diet, workouts, life, that are sustainable," Beal said . "Even if you lost just five pounds a year that's a much better achievement than losing 15 pounds in six weeks and then gaining it all back in six months." 30 things you should never, ever do at the gym (Women's Health)


COLUMBUS   Ohio hemp advocates and farmers warned lawmakers Tuesday against adding too many restrictions on the state's proposed legal hemp program. Supporters of industrial hemp said changes to Senate Bill 57 will prohibit many Ohioans from planting hemp, a non-intoxicating cousin of marijuana, or making products from the plant. Hemp is a cannabis plant with less than 0.3 percent THC, the active component of cannabis that generates a high. The 2018 Farm Act made hemp an agricultural commodity and allowed states to regulate it. But on the state level, hemp remains illegal. Ohio law makes no differentiation between hemp and marijuana, and the Ohio Board of Pharmacy has maintained CBD, or cannabidiol , derived from hemp can only be produced and sold through Ohio's medical marijuana program. Senate Bill 57 aims to fix that by removing hemp from the definition of marijuana and establishing some rules required by the federal law. The bill requires growers and processors who make CBD oil, rope, clothing and other products from hemp be licensed by the Ohio Department of Agriculture. The latest iteration of the bill requires the department to set license fees and licensee requirements for "experience, equipment, facilities or land." Processors would have to show "financial responsibility" to obtain a license. Rep. Kyle Koehler, R-Springfield, said those requirements were added at the suggestion of the agriculture department to ensure the program is successful. For example, he said, there could be a situation where farmers are harvesting large amounts of hemp but there are not enough processors ready to use it. "We're entering a new realm with this product," Koehler told The Enquirer. "We're trying to do this in a way the federal government will approve and at the same time we're trying to help farmers move into this without causing an issue." Hemp advocates and farmers say such requirements will limit participation in the program and favor out-of-state companies that have experience from hemp pilot programs in more than a dozen states. They noted that none of those requirements apply to farmers and processors who work with corn, soybeans and other crops. "This would be a very bad precedent about excessive government intrusion in agriculture production," Joe Logan, president of the Ohio Farmers Union, told lawmakers. Others warned the hemp program could go the way of Ohio's highly restrictive medical marijuana program, where most of the cultivation and processing licenses went to out-of-state companies or Ohio companies with out-of-state investors and owners. "I don't think anyone in Ohio has experience with growing hemp because it's been illegal," said Julie Doran, who sells CBD and cannabis fertilizer through Meigs Fertilizer. Hemp is already a billion-dollar industry in the U.S. and is expected to more than double by 2022 as states start or expand their programs. Theresa Daniello, a cannabis consultant and president of TDCANN Institute, said the changes in the bill are causing would-be hemp farmers to consider moving out of state. Koehler said the goal is for the regulations to be in place for farmers to plant hemp next year. Universities could grow and process hemp without a state license. Ohio State University has indicated it could begin working with hemp this growing season. Senate Bill 57 passed the House Agriculture and Rural Development Committee on Tuesday and could get a full floor vote in the House this week. The House's changes to the bill would then need approval from the Senate. The bill would take effect immediately once Gov. Mike DeWine signs it, allowing stores to again sell hemp-derived CBD products. More: Ohio Senate passes hemp, CBD legalization bill More: Hemp: Bill introduced in Ohio to legalize growing, allow CBD derived from hemp This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio hemp legalization bill draws criticism from farmers, advocates


A runaway calf survived in the wilderness for months with a little help from some unlikely friends. Today, she's living a good life courtesy of Farm Sanctuary.


Saturday night showdowns between the UFC and Bellator seem to be more common than ever, a byproduct of the endless need for content from their digital streaming partners. May 11 continues the trend as the two promotions square off with comparable events stemming from various corners of the Americas. UFC returns to exotic Rio de Janeiro with a predictably Brazilian-heavy card, while Bellator travels to the gateway city of Rosemont, Illinois for the resolution of a long-held grudge. Which promotion has the better card? Let's break it down… PRELIMS UFC   There are some recognizable names to help kick off the night, most notably B.J. Penn returning in hopes of collecting his first win in (gulp) eight-and-a-half years . Penn hasn't captured a victory since knocking out Matt Hughes over 100 UFC pay-per-views ago. That's ... a long time. He's also coming off some troubling allegations of physical and sexual abuse that resulted in a restraining order being filed against him. If those factors don't make you uneasy enough to skip his fight, Penn will be facing Clay Guida , who has won two of three since returning to the lightweight division. This could be ugly. Other notable UFC fighters on the undercard include soon-to-be 43-year-old Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (facing Ryan Spann ) and one-time women's bantamweight title challenger Bethe Correia (fighting Irene Aldana ). Bellator   As usual, Bellator has stacked its prelim card with local talent to sell tickets to the surrounding market. The one name to watch is Chris Gonzalez, a former Team USA Greco-Roman wrestler and Team Alpha Male member who will debut in the promotion as a lightweight. Edge: UFC MAIN CARD BOUTS UFC   Jose Aldo vs. Alexander Volkanovski , Diego Ferreira vs. Francisco Trinaldo , Thiago Alves vs. Laureano Staropoli The Aldo -Volkanovski bout is a particularly intriguing one. Aldo has repeatedly discussed the possibility of retirement, this despite two straight sensational wins in TKOs over Renato Moicano and Jeremy Stephens . Volkanovski has won six straight since joining the promotion and is looking to make a name at the expense of the legend. Something has to give. Meanwhile, the card lost depth when Ferreira was forced to withdraw from his scheduled bout with Trinaldo due to kidney stones. Bellator   Pat Curran vs. A.J. McKee , Jake Hager vs. T.J. Jones , James Bennett vs. Tywan Claxton McKee has always taken a backseat to his former teammate Aaron Pico when it comes to attention, but it may be time to admit he's the prospect with more upside. A pairing against Curran is a good measuring stick, and if he wins, he'll be speeding his way toward a title shot. The Hager-Jones matchup has been lampooned on social media , and it certainly puts Hager in a position where he has to win in a blowout to meet any expectation, but it is clearly a misguided booking. Still, many MMA fans love a good squash match. Edge : UFC CO-MAIN EVENTS UFC   Anderson Silva vs. Jared Cannonier   Even though Silva is 44 years old and just 1-5 with a no contest over his last seven bouts, it's a little bit jarring to see him listed as an underdog against Cannonier, a fighter who has been an adequate but unremarkable UFC competitor so far, with a 4-4 record in the Octagon. Then again, Cannonier did look sensational in his middleweight debut against David Branch last November. Still, this is not any kind of conventional pairing. Usually, you match a legend against another legend or a young gun on the way up. With all due respect to Cannonier, he's neither. I don't think anybody knows quite what to expect from this one, but almost everyone is hoping they don't end up feeling sad about it. Bellator   Michael Page vs. Douglas Lima   What feels like the slowest build in MMA history continues as Page draws a strong opponent capable of flustering him with a complete toolset along with his sheer veteran presence. If you're wondering who else Page has to go through to get a title match, there is literally no one else, as the winner advances to the Welterweight Grand Prix final, and will have to wait out the other side of the bracket. This has all the makings of a sensational fight. Edge : Bellator MAIN EVENTS UFC   Rose Namajunas vs. Jessica Andrade   Namajunas is an exciting talent who disappeared after defending her title against Joana Jedrzejczyk 13 months ago, time off that was largely due to a gnarly sounding neck injury . Andrade , a perennial contender, only fought a single time in Namajunas' absence, but put forth a sizzling performance, knocking out Karolina Kowalkiewicz in less than two minutes. Over Namajunas' last couple of fights, critics have questioned her mental fortitude, given her reaction to the Conor McGregor bus incident as well as her candid thoughts on fear and her emotional well-being. But any doubts about Namajunas' bravery should have been answered long ago. Having topped Jedrzejczyk convincingly twice, she is a force to be reckoned with. Still, it's worth wondering how she might handle Andrade's bulldozer style. The Brazilian throws with both ferocious power and volume   her 6.58 strikes landed per minute is sixth all-time in the UFC   making her a stylistic problem for the champ. Similarly, that's what makes the bout intriguing. Bellator   Michael Chandler vs. Patricio Freire   These two have been in Bellator so long and competed so well, it's hard to believe they haven't already squared off against each other. "Pitbull" has been one of the best featherweights in the world for several years now, and takes the leap up to 155 in attempt to avenge his brother's defeat. Chandler is perhaps Bellator's best all-time homegrown fighter. These two (mostly "Pitbull") have been sniping at each other for years and it's finally come to a head. There is not only a title on the line (Chandler's lightweight belt) but a grudge to settle. That should ensure it's a crackerjack. Edge : Bellator Saturday night should be an enjoyable and highlight-filled evening in both corners of the Americas. While the UFC card clearly has more depth top to bottom, the main cards   i.e. the fights most people truly care about   are surprisingly close in quality. If I had to choose one, I'd slightly veer toward the Bellator event. McKee looking to take the next step, the Page hype train facing potential derailment, and some main event bad blood sounds like all the elements of a fun evening.


Washington signed free agent running back Shaun Wilson, the team announced Thursday. In a corresponding move, it waived offensive tackle Brian Wallace designating him with a non-football injury. The Buccaneers recently waived Wilson. Wilson signed with Tampa Bay in 2018 as an undrafted free agent out of Duke. He played five games and rushed for 29 yards on six carries, while catching three passes for 5 yards. Wilson played 22 snaps on offense and 51 on special teams last season.


A new traditional American spot, offering chicken wings and barbecue, has opened for business in the neighborhood. Called The Buffalo Spot , the new arrival is at 4511 Campus Drive in University Town Center. In addition to wings, The Buffalo Spot also serves up buffalo fries topped with chicken, potatoes, cheese and a choice of sauce like honey barbecue or chipotle. Also look for salads, wraps and shakes. This is the latest outpost for the fast-growing, Long Beach-based chain, which has nearly 20 other locales in Southern California, along with five in Arizona and two in Texas. The new Buffalo Spot has gotten off to a solid start thus far, with a four-star rating out of 28 reviews on Yelp. Vinson G., who was among the first Yelpers to review the new spot on May 18, wrote, "This is a great addition to the food spots near UCI campus. The fries are delicious   you get breaded chicken bites that are tossed with a sauce of your choice put on top of fries and sprinkled with cheese." Yelper Andrew D. added , "Great food. The buffalo fries are to die for. You get a lot for your money. The restaurant is nice, the service is friendly and the ordering process is easy." Interested? Stop by to welcome the new business to the neighborhood. The Buffalo Spot is open from 11 a.m. 11 p.m. daily. Want to keep your finger on the pulse of new businesses in Irvine? Here's what else opened recently near you . 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.


This is Highly Recommend , a column dedicated to our very opinionated editors' favorite things to eat, drink, and buy. As soon as I spotted "creamed eggs" on the menu at All Together Now , I knew I had to order them. I just didn't know what they were. But how could they not be great? "Creamed" + "Eggs" = guaranteed tasty. What showed up on my plate at this new-ish all-day cafe in Chicago's Ukranian Village was...not what I expected. I guess I was thinking something more British-y like coddled eggs in cute little ramekins. Instead, imagine a warm, velvety smooth egg salad fit for some duchess or czar that's chef Abigail Zielk's creamed eggs. She grew up in Wisconsin and got the recipe from her mom, who inherited the recipe from her very Southern mother. As professional chefs will do, Abigail zhuzhes up the dish with some pro-level technique. She makes a basic roux and whisks in some heavy cream or milk to form what's essentially a bechamel sauce. She then adds hand-torn, just-under-hard-boiled eggs, which she folds into the creamy sauce. The yolks melt into the bechamel, giving it a spring-timey yellow hue. At the restaurant, Zielke serves the luxurious mixture over a bed of braised collards atop a thick slab of charred toast. A sprinkle of Aleppo pepper and a few pickled pearl onions help offset all that creaminess. I thought I would only make it through a few bites, given how rich the dish is. But I ended up demolishing it it's that delicious. An indulgent, but perfectly balanced brunch/lunch order. Which brings me back to zeroing in on the creamed eggs in the first place. Menus are like the SATs. Even if you don't know which answer to bubble in (or in this case, what exactly you're ordering), follow your first instinct. You'll generally be right. Related Video: The indulgent brunch dish at All Together Now proves it.


For your life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, we've culled a list of 4th of July parades, fireworks shows and community events happening Thursday in the Volusia-Flagler area. [ALSO: Fireworks are big business -- and illegal in Florida] FLAGLER BEACH Parade, North 6th Street to A1A to South 6th Street, 10 a.m. Festivities including a kids' zone until 9 p.m. in Veterans Park. Fireworks at Flagler Beach Pier, 9 p.m. More info at flaglerbeachrotary.org or cityofflaglerbeach.com . DAYTONA BEACH Alter Eagles, a tribute band, 7:15 p.m., Daytona Beach Bandshell, 250 N. Atlantic Ave. Fireworks over the ocean follows. More info at bandshell.info. DELTONA Kids' events, music by Then2Now, 6 to 9 p.m., Dewey Boster Sports Complex, 1200 Saxon Blvd. Fireworks at 9:15 p.m. More: deltonafl.gov . ORMOND BEACH Entertainment, City Hall Plaza, 22 S. Beach St., 7 p.m. Kids' zone in Rockefeller Gardens, 25 Riverside Drive, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Fireworks over Halifax River, 9:30 p.m. More info: ormondbeach.org/fireworks . PORT ORANGE Kids' zones, 5:30 p.m., City Hall Plaza, 1000 City Center Circle. Live band, Kenneth W. Parker Amphitheater, 2001 City Center Circle. Fireworks at 9 p.m. More: port-orange.org . NEW SMYRNA BEACH Food trucks, 4 p.m., Riverside Park. Music by Cactus Jack and the Cadillacs, 6 p.m. Fireworks, 9:15 p.m. More: cityofnsb.com . EDGEWATER Live music, food and vendors, 6 p.m., George R. Kennedy Memorial Park, 103 N. Riverside Drive, and Menard May Park, 413 S. Riverside Drive. Fireworks, Kennedy Park, 9 p.m. More: cityofedgewater.org . LAKE HELEN Parade, 10 a.m., Summit Avenue, New York Avenue, Lakeview Drive. Music, Royal Park, 6 p.m. Fireworks show, Royal Park, 9 p.m. More info: City page at facebook.com . DEBARY Live music, vendors, kids' zone, beer garden, 4 to 11 p.m., Gemini Springs Park, 37 Dirksen Drive. More: debary.org . ___ (c)2019 The News-Journal, Daytona Beach, Fla. Visit The News-Journal, Daytona Beach, Fla. at www.news-journalonline.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has insisted that this season is just the beginning of his team's development, adding that they intend to be challenging for the Premier League title again next season. The Reds racked up 97 points but still could not wrestle the title away from Manchester City, despite Liverpool picking up a 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday. Our TEAM.  pic.twitter.com/Piat3V3JKc   Liverpool FC (@LFC) May 12, 2019 Speaking to BBC Sport after the game, Klopp stated that his team are only getting started, and they plan to come back stronger next year. He said: "We wanted to write our own history and we did. The team made so many big steps in the last year. We made a much bigger jump development wise. The boys pushed themselves to new levels, which I love, and that development and improvement is not finished. It is the first try. "It's incredible what they did all season and today with a strange situation. We were really good until 1-0, what happened then was clear. You can't tell the people to calm down. "At that moment [when Liverpool fans celebrated Brighton 's goal] it was a shock for everyone and Wolves were there. We had to fight. In the end we scored two and kept a clean sheet. It's nice but not how we wanted it. "The team made so many big steps in the last year. The boys were all there from last season apart from Alisson. It's a very special season, a better season than I played with [Borussia Dortmund] when we were champions in Germany. But we cannot ignore one team were better. "It's clear we were lucky in moments, like City were. We were unlucky against City but scored in the last second against Everton and late on against Newcastle - they could have been draws as well. "The season is a very long, hard one. You have to deal with setbacks. We were always competitive. City got the points they have because we were there. "They have 198 points in two years; that's special. We made such big steps. Always after a good year we lost key players [in the past] but we won't so we'll be there again."